Misfit Angel
Normal is an illusion
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[ mild sexually suggestive content and innuendos ]
- Content notes -
The contents of this chapter are largely similar to that of Prologue: The Wilted Flower of Land of the Roses 2.0, with a few minor changes and additions.
[ mild sexually suggestive content and innuendos ]
- Content notes -
The contents of this chapter are largely similar to that of Prologue: The Wilted Flower of Land of the Roses 2.0, with a few minor changes and additions.
So I made some pretty neat chapter intro graphics, but after a while, I realized how much work it'd be to create them for every chapter (and change them up, based on who the focus character was), so... they won't be coming back. However, I'm pretty proud of how they look, so I'll keep them for any chapter that currently has them.
Black Heart, Bright Soul
Prologue: The Wilted Flower
Prologue: The Wilted Flower
"Always keep an eye out for those who don't believe in themselves. Encourage them, nurture them; they usually turn out to be among our greatest minds."
~ Rose League Champion Robin Spencer (December 7th, 1992)
May 12th
Aughrim, Kingdom of Lanark
"You'll never get another opportunity like this..." a young woman told herself as she sat at the vanity in her bedroom. She pushed her long blonde hair out of her eyes, took a deep breath, and tried to maintain eye contact with her reflection, but she found it difficult. The person staring back at her seemed so different compared to who she was just a month previously -- bright eyed and ready for the stellar opportunity ahead of her, rather than depressed, defeated and ready for it all to just end. "You have to do this..."
On the edge of the vanity was her laptop, and an e-mail that she had received over a week ago was on the screen:
Subject: Greetings, Ms. Dennison! Information about your application to the Reiland Institute
Date: April 29th, 12:17 PM
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Hello, Andrea! Thank you for sending in an employment application to the Reiland Institute! I am Patrick Adelaide, Chief of Staff of the Reiland Institute's Biological Sciences and Research Department. It's a long title, so you can just call me Patrick!
Dr. Reiland and myself have gone over your application in great detail. She is impressed by your accomplishments and achievements at such a young age, but has some concerns about how well you'd fit in at the Institute. She has asked me for input regarding your application, and we've come to an agreement regarding your interest in working here: we want to see your work ethic up close, and are inviting you to participate in some of the Institute's contract work, supervised by myself (and fully paid, we don't do the unpaid intern thing!), before we make a final decision regarding your application.
When you get this message, please call me and we'll discuss some of the finer details regarding both your application and the work we'll have you handling. My office number is 44-1-772-9128. If you can't reach me there, my personal number is 44-2-654-1173. I want to stress early that we'll be covering your travel and living expenses for this trial assignment, since we understand that you're currently living in Aughrim, and this work may take a few days to complete.
Looking forward to hearing from you, and congratulations for making it past the first hurdle of the employment process! Most applicants don't get this far, so don't procrastinate with getting in touch!
Patrick Adelaide
Reiland Institute Chief of Staff
Reiland Institute Chief of Staff
She had read that e-mail nearly a dozen times since receiving it, and even spoken with the person who had sent it, but she still couldn't believe it; ever since she was a little girl, from the moment she performed her first chemical reaction in her parents' tool shed, she'd dreamed of one day working in one of the major sciences -- pushing the bounds of current knowledge and discovering new things. Her interest in chemistry had waned during her childhood and given way towards her interest in Pokémon-related biology, but the dream remained the same. After fourteen long years of intense work, countless hours spent studying and endless determination, that dream was finally within her grasp.
So close... and so easy to fall short on, a deeply troubling concern that she couldn't shake.
"It's only the most prestigious research center in the kingdom, and you were only expelled from university... Not to mention all the other shit that's gone wrong since the start of the year..."
Light, tingly pain radiated outward from her hands as her black fingernails dug into the hard oaken surface of the vanity. Her eyes drifted upward and met those of her reflection once again.
"But you can do this, Andrea! You have to do this... Otherwise it's back to square one, and you can't afford to start back there again..."
As she stared at herself in the mirror, she debated about how to present herself. Her options were limited by what she had, limitations which were created by her limited wealth -- which in turn was created by her limited work experience. She looked down at the basket of clothes beside the vanity, and most of what was in it was black; a little bit of red here, some lavender there, and a splash of grey in between, but still mostly black. Buried at the bottom of the basket was the only piece that wasn't: the spring green off-the-shoulder skater dress that she wore to her high school prom. It was hardly appropriate for first impressions at her dream job, and even then likely didn't fit her anymore.
"Guess I'll be wearing black for this..." she commented as she lifted her mascara brush and began to work on her eyelashes. "Not that I'm complaining..."
As she put the finishing touches on her mascara, there was a knock at the door, and a voice came from the other side. "Andi? Can I come in?"
She lowered her mascara brush and smiled. "Of course!"
The door swung open and a pudgy young man with shaggy, shoulder-length brown hair stepped in. He averted his eyes as soon as he saw how little she was wearing. "Oh! Wow! Thought you'd be more dressed than that by now."
She giggled. "I'm still trying to decide on what I should wear..." she answered as she carefully drew a wing shape of smokey charcoal eyeshadow over her left eye. "Pretty sure it'll be my Misfit Angel Enchantress dress."
The man's face contorted with skepticism. "You sure that's wise? You realize you're going to be spending a couple days with these folks, right? Not going to a rave down at The Lair?"
She sighed. "You're right, but what other option do I have? Besides, that's who I am," she returned, starting the winged eyeshadow over her right eye. That smile returned to her face. "And besides, who do I have to thank for that lesson, eh ol' buddy ol' pal? 'Be true to who you are'?"
He laughed. "Okay, you've got a point there. Still, you've known about this opportunity for a couple weeks, you didn't think to pick up anything more... professional looking? It could still be black, just not as... you know, slutty."
"Have you forgotten that we're going some nights without dinner just to make our rent payments? I can't afford to buy a new dress, even from a charity shop."
"Hey, I could have set aside a few silver roses for --"
"Webster! Just drop it," she barked with a tinge of annoyance in her voice. "You know how much being jobless for the past five months has torn me apart, and you know how much I don't like being reminded of that. Besides, I like dressing that way."
"Right, sorry."
She shook her head. "Forgiven. It's impossible to be mad at you." She finalized her eyeshadow and turned to look at him. "So... How do they look? Even enough? A little too heavy on the right, maybe? I always make that mistake..."
"Looks pretty even to me."
"That's a surprise." She put down her eyeshadow brush and held her hand aloft in front of her. "My hands are trembling..."
"Nervous?"
"Nervous..." she said with a half-hearted laugh. "You don't even need to ask that. Hell yes I am! The last four years of my life have led to this -- no, all fourteen years I spent in school have. Those years are going to be judged, and hard. Something from my past is going to slip through and sink this chance, I just know it. If it's not the obvious fact that I was expelled during my PhD program because I couldn't handle the pressure, it's going to be something else... Like how I got fired from my old job for insubordination because I finally told my boss I wasn't going to put up with his bullshit anymore."
He approached the bed and sat down on it. "Andi, you've gotta remember that nobody is perfect. Everyone was either dealt a shitty hand in life, or has a skeleton in their closet that they'd rather not talk about -- even this lady that you're looking to be hired by, as well respected as she is. Yeah, you've made some... poor choices in the past, reaped what you've sown, but who hasn't? I have, your father has, Callen has... You're too hard on yourself."
"Fucking Callen..." she barked, then sighed. "You're right, though. But it's hard not to be hard on myself, considering everything that happened because of my stupid decisions..."
"Hmph. What's really important, at least to you and me, is the remarkable progress you've made in putting yourself back together over the past couple of months. You need to keep focusing on that, or all of that progress might be lost."
Her eyes drifted to the floor. "I know, I know..."
"Look at it this way. You told me that the Reiland Institute doesn't hire people very often, right?"
"That's what the biology department's Chief of Staff told me, but he might just be trying to be a hype man."
"Maybe. But they invited you to visit their research center and help them with some of their work. That alone says something -- to me, at least. Do you really think they'd drag you across the country to tell you right out of the gate that you're not good enough?"
She shook her head at the thought. "I'd be furious if they did."
He smiled, reached out to grab her hand, and clasped it tightly between his own. "I understand that you're nervous, but you can't let that define who you are to these people. You're an intelligent woman with incredible potential." As he held onto her, the trembling in her hand diminish.
"Save it, I've heard that from you a dozen times this year! But today... I'll believe it."
"Good, because it's true."
She nodded her head slightly and slid her hand out of his grip, then turned around and grabbed her violet lipstick. "Words like that make me think... I don't think I've ever properly thanked you for everything you've done for me since I lost everything. I've barely contributed to the rent, even."
"You have, you just don't realize it."
"Oh yeah?" she asked, pausing her lipstick application for a brief moment.
"Uh huh. The best way to thank someone for helping you isn't through words, or gifts, or anything like that. You're doing it right now -- you're getting out of bed, pushing yourself out that door and trying to make something of yourself. You're not getting comfortable at rock bottom. It makes all of the effort I put in to helping you get back on your feet feel like it's been worth it."
She smacked her thin, darkened lips together as she examined herself in the mirror. Satisfied with her makeup, she leaned over and dug around in the basket of clothes beside her. "I hadn't thought about it that way. Still... I owe you something for all of the trouble. If I land this -- no, once I land this job, you're going to get that gift."
He laughed nervously. "Is it odd that I dread to think what you mean by that?"
"You're always suspicious of my good will, so no, it's not odd," she said, pulling her Enchantress dress out of the basket. As she looked it over, she noticed it was wrinkled to near ruin. "Fuck sake. How'd this wrinkle so badly?"
"Probably because you don't fold your clothes, you just throw them in the basket."
She laughed and shook her head. "Got a master's degree in biology, but I'm still clueless about everyday life."
"I know. They don't teach you the basics in school anymore, do they? You might want to learn that stuff quick, though. You could be out on your own shortly."
"Oh gods, don't say that! I'm not ready for that yet!"
She tossed the ruined dress onto her bed and grumbled, then dug through the rest of her clothes. Her flirty and revealing two piece Seductress set, with its long and flowing satin layers, were relatively wrinkle free, but clearly out of the question when it came to presenting herself as a professional. Likewise, her Blood Baroness dress was in good shape, but dressing like a medieval vampire lord would be far too eccentric for first impressions at a serious research institute. She'd begun to see her roommate's point about buying a new dress for the interview, but it was too late to fix that. Even worse, she didn't have the money for it; she'd spent most of her meager earnings over the past year on those very designer dresses that were the current source of her wardrobe troubles.
"What do you think..." she asked, grabbing the last of her dresses, the Spider. "If I roll up the mesh sleeves and cover the fishnets with my stockings... it... it kinda looks normal enough? Question mark?" Her voice started to crack as she thought more and more about it.
"Umm." He reached his hand outward and poked his finger through the tangled mess of web-like threads that made up the chest of the dress. "Don't you think you'll be showing off a little too much with this thing?"
"Ehhh..." she mumbled before sighing. "The girl who designed this fashion line really wasn't thinking about practicality, and I don't have anything else to wear under it..."
"No she wasn't... Well, that aside, I think that's your best bet out of everything you've got," he said with a shrug. "But don't rely on my advice. You've always got some smart ass comment about my t-shirt and track pants look."
"Don't get mad, I just think it's a boring look." As she slipped on the dress and made the adjustments needed, she asked, "I guess it's kinda fitting I'm going with this one... I'm probably going to need a Pokémon for this contract work they want me to do. Can I borrow Mary for the next few days?"
Webster's brow contorted as he thought about it. "I dunno. I know you like her, but she's a little temperamental around you. Besides, Marrowmites don't make the best battle companions, especially when they're young." He reached into the pocket of his track pants and pulled out a shiny spherical object, its red top half glinting in the morning sunlight. "Tell you what, though. Take Widow instead. She's a little more receptive to commands... Think you'll be okay with her?"
"Yeah. I'm not a total noob about it. I've handled Pokémon during my university studies."
"Handling them for research is a little bit different than commanding them in a battle situation, I'd think."
"Guess I'll find that out soon enough," she said, grabbing the Pokéball and placing it onto the vanity. "I should know the basics by now. Lord knows I've watched enough of those tournaments on TV when I should have been studying."
"Hopefully! Don't get her squished."
"I think an Ariados is a little too big to get squished... unless I run into a Snorlax out there!" she said with a laugh. "Where's all that faith in me gone?"
"Heh." He lowered his vision to the floor and nervously scratched at his neck as the room fell silent. "So, umm... Before you head to Camden Station and catch the train, do you want to get breakfast together, maybe?"
"Us? Together? Who are you, and what have you done with the real Webster?" she joked. "We haven't done anything together in nearly a month. Why the change of heart?"
"I figure it's a special day, and I get the feeling that you're not happy always being alone down at the diner."
"Finally you see that..." She grabbed her phone off of the vanity and turned it on to check the time. "Damn it... I'd love to, but I really gotta get going soon or I will miss that train and then, well... I'm fucked if I miss that train."
He lowered his head and spoke softly. "Morning's passed by that quickly, has it..."
She could sense his unhappiness, something he rarely displayed, and wrapped her arm around his shoulders for a hug. "Hey! Rain check! Let's go out for dinner when I get back in a few days!"
"Sounds good. Let me know when you're on your way back. I'll take a break from the games with the lads... Might do my blood pressure some good!"
"Ha, maybe!" she laughed, letting him go.
"Anyways, I'll get outta your hair and let you finish preparing. We'll talk later, okay?"
"Okay."
"Good luck out there, and remember: you've got this."
"Thank you."
As he left the room, she made her final preparations for her journey; she slipped her charcoal and steel-grey stockings up to her plump thighs, then slid her heavily-buckled designer knee boots over them. She dug through her collection of tacky jewelry and settled on a thematically-accurate spider ring for her left ring finger and a not-as-accurate Gogoat skull for her right hand. A simple stainless steel stud went into her eyebrow piercing next, and web-like earrings soon dangled from both ears.
"Last, but especially not least..." she murmured as she grabbed the gleaming silver chain that was neatly coiled up on the nightstand beside her bed. The glinting metal sparkled lightly with blue and purple as she positioned it around her neck, and she felt a comforting sense of warmth and safety wash over her as the tear-shaped crimson gemstone at the end of it rested above her heart. "Luck... You've done the trick before, and luck is certainly what I need today."
She slid Widow's Pokéball down her right stocking, grabbed her phone off of the nightstand and kept it safely inside her left stocking, then reached for her purse and slung it over her right shoulder. Finally, she reached for her Gengar-themed backpack and slipped it over her shoulders. With one final glance across the room to make sure she wasn't forgetting anything important, she headed for the door and flicked the light switch.
She took a deep breath. "Here goes..."
Update notes: June 3, 2023:
- Various tweaks to grammar
- Renamed Andrea's former boyfriend, Toby, to Callen. When I started this rewrite, I wasn't sure if Kimberly's muscled bodyguard, Mr. Tobey, would feature prominently beyond his first couple appearances. In the interests of differentiating them a bit, I had to rename one of them, and Callen is a character who is unlikely to physically appear in the story.
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