[Blazrath]

Adelaide, Australia. Compared to Sydney or Melbourne, this city is like a blip on the radar. That doesn't stop the city though from having a large sprawl, several shopping centers, a thriving blackmarket and several homegrown go gangers. Its here that Lucky Eddie's set up a regional training center and corporate office that ya'll find yourselves in. Its the middle of the dry season, the training took you guys four weeks to complete and the swamp cooler broke a week in. No matter who you are or where you came from, you were given the same four weeks of training to make sure the most qualified were getting seats on the vehicles and no one that would die being outside for too long would make it in there. You started with a class of fifty and saw it whittle down to eighteen, something that your teacher noted as irregular.

Anyways, you're hot and sticky, something that you don't usually feel in the dry season, but getting stuck in a room on a day like today makes the room like a sauna and just makes it muggy and miserable. You would be relieved to see your instructor walk back into the room. "On the behalf of myself, the upper personnel and Eddie himself, we thank you for your patience and hardwork. If you will follow me, you'll get assigned to your teams, vehicles and location." Is all he would say. You are pretty sure that Eddie would be dead by now, mostly because the old trideos of him talking about his experiences he seemed like an ork that was too far down the line to really make it out to the mailbox unaided, let alone in the outback. You would know some of your classmates, but maybe not all of them. Its one of those things about the social experiment, where cliques of mainlanders and outsiders are usually formed.

All the class taught you was how to survive in the outback and keeping yourself professional with the client. The test of what to do when you find yourself rescuing women was particularly failed by 10 classmates as 'requesting sexual favors in lue of payment' is not a correct answer. As you walk out, you may talk to some of the classmates, if for nothing else to pass the time as you get out of the dank room and into the oppressively dry heat of midday. You've been to this area many times before, its the mechanic bay right next to the extensive junkyard out in the back that the company guards very jealously. The mister system that originally was put into the place has already cracked in several places and due to water regulations, there has been no need to fix them. You line up on the cautionary logo, where you know you are safe from large machinery unexpectedly crushing you.

((So a physical description and which side you talk with is best for now.))

[Poindexter]

Steven is happier today than he's been in a long time. He could see the looks people would give him in class. He knew they talked about him and could feel their judgmental gazes on him after class and during every test. Everyone was sure the big stupid american septic would wash out quick, but he'd stuck around. He was always the last to finish every test, but always got A's, a fact that most of his classmates didn't seem to notice, but Erica had been very proud of him for. She was his strength here on this new continent and he had been her strength as well. Her refuge from the wasteland, from the killing, from the horror. She'd been out on extended patrol for the whole week and said she MIGHT make it to see him off on his first assignment, but not to hold his breath. He wasn't. None of that was on his mind today, as he was too full of pride in himself to think about anything else. He had actually graduated.

Too nervous to talk to anyone first, Steven stands off to the side of the two cliques with his hands in his pockets, looking back and forth from the floor to the broken mister. It wouldn't be too hard to fix that thing. I wonder why no one has. He thinks he looks great in his brown sixty nuyen suit, but it's not tailored properly and he almost gives the impression of a child playing dress-up in daddy's clothes. A giant hulking child with soft innocent baby blue eyes. His shoulder length blonde hair is pulled back in a loose ponytail and individual hairs keep landing in his face, causing him to blow them away. He doesn't usually wear his hair back cause it bothers him, but he feels like it looks more formal and to him, this is a formal occasion.

He doesn't speak unless spoken to and tries his hardest to look friendly, as he's painfully aware that once everyone gets all broken up into teams, whoever is on his team is going to be disappointed. No one wants to rely on the stupid guy.

[Ravensoracle]

Jack just shrugged his shoulders as he went from the wet oppressive heat to the dry oppressive heat. He looked around at the rest of his classmates. He was glad that so many rejects had been weeded out. Less likely to get a dirt bag with such an attrition rate. He studied those that were left, mentally going through the list of who knew what and who might be placed on his team. A few weren't bad. A few were not anywhere near as good as they thought they were. And a couple just rubbed Jack the wrong way. God I hope I don't get teamed up with those idiots. I'll jack their jaw and use a wrench to align their attitudes.

Jack looks like he belongs in the mechanic bay. He's certainly not dressed up like the big man in the suit. Now that kid at least had an idea of what end of the wrench to use.

 He was in jeans, work boots and a mechanics button-up shirt with a patch that read Jack. He looked old and haggard. He was an old orc and the years had clearly taken a toll on him. Many of the students had already started calling him the Old Man. He just ignored the school game BS. He could outwork any of them here. 

He walked over to an over-sized tire off of some piece of old construction equipment and settled himself for the wait. It doesn't take long before he's got the old cigar out and is chewing on it. No lighting it up with this crew, He'd gotten tired from all the whining about no smoking PC crap. A smile crept across his face as he listens to the bickering start between all the babies in the class whine about the swamp cooler again. He could of fixed it if he wanted to. He could of at least went out into the junkyard and cobbled together a cooling system from all of the AC units floating around. But he'd spent his life out in all kinds of heat and cold. The broken swamp cooler was just another way to weed out the ones that couldn't handle it.

It's clear from the past four weeks that Jack isn't much of a talker and expects anyone that wants to be friendly with him to  be able to do the job and not be a pain. He isn't one to initiate conversation so if anyone wants to talk they have to start the conversation.   

[Poindexter]

He was in jeans, work boots and a mechanics button-up shirt with a patch that read Jack.

Looking around, Steven could see that everyone else here was dressed more like "Jack" and less like him, a fact that made him sweat even more than he already was. Steven was no stranger to the football field, so the heat didn't get to him, nor did the sweating, but it made him a LOT more self conscious as he felt even more out of place than normal. Soon, the pits of the suit would be soaked through.

[reyjinn]

Jackie is practically bouncing out of the stuffy room his bike racing jacket slung over one shoulder only wearing a white tank shirt underneath, Jeez, hate that kind of fucking crap, having us wait in that room forever and for what? Nothing, that’s what. Of course I ‘graduated’, didn’ me and Suzie already make it down here from Darwin with them guys that went and lost some folks on the way up there? That there was the real test, this just some way weed out them city folks who got no business being outdoors anyways. Them guys probably asked I be added to their team right away, real wiz crew. Jackie himself hadn’t been paying too much attention during this training stuff, mostly he had just gotten a passing grade and not worried about it seeing as he already had a tight in with the company. Only real problem had been the repairs class when that engine caught on fire.

As he makes his way out he doesn’t really have anyone to talk too, to his surprise he hadn’t really made any friends during the training period and the girls had seemed singularly unimpressed by his racing armor. Odd ducks the lot of them, too focused on this here schooling to even be sociable. Shaking his head slightly at his own thoughts as he makes his way out into the sunshine where he stops and takes the time to stretch out his scrawny frame.

Seeing that big septic dude who was always all meticulous like standing by himself and kinda looking nervous Jackie decides to try and make him at ease, walking over to him and nudging his elbow slightly, "Hoi Yankee boy. What’s with the monkey suit?"

[Ryo]

He towered over much of the others, with the exception of a few trolls, but his body was thin and lanky, his rough linen clothes hanging off his frame like a scarecrow. He had his armored jacket slung over one shoulder, the sleeve tattoos running down his bare arms telling a tale of men and spirits that he suspected none here could begin to understand. The tattoos on his face stood out the most, encircling his eyes in harsh tribal lines.

Wide Eyes was living up to his name as he stood in the center of the logo, not really paying attention to anyone as he stared up at the broken mister with the thousand mile stare of a man who's eyes were seeing a world outside of the physical realm. The machine was a dead thing, dark and murky as all shadows of the unliving were, but the astral shadow was fascinating in its own right, and he knew that it was a complex thing of moving parts that would come alive, if only it were fixed. He wondered if that was why his loa was so interested in it. The loa of tasks always called out to him to fix it, to make it live again, but he knew he could not afford to let one mount him while so many of the uneducated were present. Perhaps he would reveal the role of the loa to his crew, once he was sure he could trust them, but the majority of the idiots that had 'graduated' alongside him would not understand. He had faced much persecution throughout his life from those that thought his ways were wrong. As much as it pained him to deny the loa what they desired, this mister would go unrepaired. He made a mental note to properly indulge them later. Perhaps he would build another water purifier from the spare parts in the junk yard. Those always came in handy.

Wide Eyes blinked, his vision returning to the physical world as he glanced around at his surroundings. He forgot what he was waiting for.

[Poindexter]

"Hoi Yankee boy. What’s with the monkey suit?"

Steven is both thrilled and terrified that someone is talking to him. He'd seen this ball of energy in the racing leathers goofing off through the whole course, yet still managing to pass. He wasn't the only one who'd used that tactic, but he was the only one willing to talk to Steven. The rest of the "smart kids" all seemed to pick on him. He didn't care. Mother had always said, "You just be the best Steven you can be and if people don't want to be your friend, it's THEIR loss." The remembered words from mom gave him a bit more confidence despite being overdressed.

With a big sheepish smile, he says, "Hi! They call me Donger. What's your name? I thought this was going to be a bigger event than it actually is. Back home, we get dressed up for graduation, so i went and bought this suit. I don't REALLY look like a monkey, do I?"

[Ravensoracle]

Jack scratched at the new scar behind his ear. He had to get the Control Rig for the job. The surgery to install it went well but the damned new scar still itched like mad. Jack figured he was getting old. He didn't feel like crawling around the equipment all the time so he took the offer to drive the truck. He'd still help with the work of course. He wasn't a lazy good for nothin'. But he deserved to sit around a little more in his so called retirement.

He watched the bike jockey approach the kid in the suit. Now that one is a horse that was all show and no go. When he heard the remark about the monkey suit he decided he'd step in and help the kid out.

"You look just fine, Donger. I've just been around the muck all my life, never had need for a suit.

[Poindexter]

"You look just fine, Donger. I've just been around the muck all my life, never had need for a suit.

The massive nord looks down at himself briefly, then back up at the new-comer to the conversation with a sideways toothy smile. "Thanks!" He points at the patch on the orks chest. "Jack?"

He REALLY wants these two to like him, cause they both seem so smart and cool. The thought of being part of the "cool crowd" was almost too much to hope for.

First impression on new friends: 15d6h5 3

[reyjinn]

"Well yeah, sure. It’s just a phrase ya know." Jackie winks at Donger before addressing the old ork, "Just because old farts like you ain’t got no style don’t mean me and Donger can’t look spiffy."

At this point Jackie bursts out laughing at his own joke needing a few moments to collect himself, "Ahhh, oooh, I’m just messin’ with ya chummer. Back home at the farm we never did have much use for dressing nice except for Christmas or funerals. Name’s Jackie by the way, real nice meetin' ya both."

[Ravensoracle]

Jack offers his hand to both men. Shaking it feels like a vice grip wrapped in sandpaper. Jack doesn't squeeze to hurt or anything. It's just a firm shake.

"Yeah names Jack. Most call me JD though."

[Ryo]

Wide Eyes turned towards the assorted students, wondering which among them he'd end up working with. Whoever it was, he just hoped they understood the importance of the job, unlike those idiots who kept wanting to sleep with the clients.

His eyes lost focus as his perception returned to the Astral, and he let the auras of these men do the talking for them.

Assensing the group: Intuition 4 + Assensing 5: 9d6t5 5

[Poindexter]

"Well yeah, sure. It’s just a phrase ya know." Jackie winks at Donger before addressing the old ork, "Just because old farts like you ain’t got no style don’t mean me and Donger can’t look spiffy."

At this point Jackie bursts out laughing at his own joke needing a few moments to collect himself, "Ahhh, oooh, I’m just messin’ with ya chummer. Back home at the farm we never did have much use for dressing nice except for Christmas or funerals. Name’s Jackie by the way, real nice meetin' ya both."

"Hi, Jackie!"

Jack offers his hand to both men. Shaking it feels like a vice grip wrapped in sandpaper. Jack doesn't squeeze to hurt or anything. It's just a firm shake.

"Yeah names Jack. Most call me JD though."

Uh oh. Two jacks. I'm gonna mess this up, I can tell already. People HATE it when you get their names wrong.

Donger looks a little a bit uncomfortable as he looks back and forth between the two men.

"JD. And Jack. Ok. It's nice to meet both of you. Do you know what teams we're getting put on yet?

[Blazrath]

From what Wide Eyes could gather, you have a true melting pot of people and potentials. A cursory glance over the group show cases some people still having all their original parts, but most without magical abilities. A small flair here and there of magic comes up, but from the looks of it they are adepts with a basic understanding of the way of magic only in of themselves. From there though, out of all of the people there, you see a very depleted soul of the group that has lost more than half of his essence to machinery. You almost feel transfixed, as the idea of having nothing really on the astral plane is a weird concept and why someone would do so. Other places wouldn't really showcase too much, the mechanics and the machines. The next that would catch your attention, if for the weirdest aspect of it, is that what appeared in the corner of your eye was another soul that seemed to disappear into the vast lifelessness of this area. You almost think its a fluke and then you are visually assaulted as a spirit of a very skinny man in a nice suit and top hat came into view. "You know you haven't been holding your end of the agreement monsiuer. Some of us here are getting pretty anxious for a run in Australia. You wouldn't want us to find another, would you boy?" You know him all too well, The Baron. Always the partier and the drinker, he is the one that always seemed to harass the summoners the most. Whether he was a man that just loved life so much that he became a spirit that is the essence of partying or a loa that just doesn't care too much, you don't know. You do know that you do need to appease them soon, lest they get bored.

When JD touched the back of his ear, there would be a slight snicker and hear a comment of "Look like someone is ready to get into the rocking chair." with the sound of slight snicker following. You know who this is cause its the same guys that have been doing it since the beginning of the class. You and others are surprised they even passed the initiation. Maybe it has something to do with the main guy looking like Eddie, but to a non-ork you all look alike and to you, it does look like there may be some resemblance.

[Poindexter]

When JD touched the back of his ear, there would be a slight snicker and hear a comment of "Look like someone is ready to get into the rocking chair." with the sound of slight snicker following. You know who this is cause its the same guys that have been doing it since the beginning of the class. You and others are surprised they even passed the initiation.

Donger pretends he doesn't hear them picking on his new friend. He lowers his voice to a whisper and leans in before speaking. "Just ignore those guys, JD. Those aren't the type of people we want to be friends with anyway."