Jyri always considered himself intelligent. But he'd barely been at his new job for two hours and already he felt overwhelmed. Computers? Phones? Copy machines? They were so strange and foreign. He wasn't sure if he liked them or not. They would be interesting to take apart though.197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8jc5sZmUVa
Jyri was torn out of his thoughts by the appearance of Faye and Brittney. “We're going out to eat,” Brittney said. “Do you want to go to lunch with us? It's on me.”197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3WpKtXljZU
Lunch? Jyri swallowed. What kind of restaurant? What kind of food? The only food he'd found himself trying in this universe was bread, and even that didn't taste the same. It was too sweet. But he hadn't had a decent meal in days. So he accepted her offer. 197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXQUFrKHdc8
And learned a little more about those giant, wheeled objects he’d seen everywhere. The things that zipped down the streets at speeds fast enough to kill a man. He suspected they were this universe's version of horses. Efficient, but deadly.197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIleTyheEcF
Brittney called it a “car.” And being inside one was just as frightening as he suspected. He found himself gripping onto a strange handle near the car’s ceiling the entire time, all while trying to act like he got in and out of cars everyday.
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The “restaurant” Brittney took them to seemed no different from the pubs he was used to. Other than the lack of musicians performing songs. And instead of picking a random table, a woman led them to one, and handed them menus. But they didn’t look like any menus Jyri had ever seen. These ones had multiple pages covered in colorful photographs. He wondered how they managed to get photographs on sheets of paper.
If only he knew what half the words on the menu meant. They were mostly meals he had never heard of. And what he had heard of, he didn't like.
He stopped at a page that said “Burgers.” The picture showed what appeared to be ground meat with a slab of cheese in between bread, with vegetables on it. It looked appealing enough, aside from the vegetables. He could always pick those off. But what kind of meat is that? He squinted at the description. Beef patty... He wondered if that meant it was from a cow. If so, it would be safe enough to try.
“So, what are you getting?” Brittney asked from across the table.
Startled, Jyri almost dropped the menu. “I don't know. Still deciding.”
“I'm getting the chicken alfredo.” Smiling, Faye closed the menu and set it aside.
“That sounds good,” Brittney said. “Maybe I’ll order that too.”
“What's chicken alfredo?” Jyri whispered to Faye, who sat next to him.
“No idea.”
Jyri didn’t like chicken anyway, so he probably wouldn’t like that. He went back to debating on a “burger.” What if he didn't like it? No, he couldn't try something in front of someone he had just met. Or Faye, for the matter. He flipped to the next page and saw a picture of a steak with mashed potatoes. That should be safe enough. “I'll get the steak with mashed potatoes.”
After a waitress took their order, Brittney leaned towards them. “So, where are you from?”
A question Jyri wasn’t sure how to answer. Who would believe them? And would he even want anyone knowing? Probably not. He was saved from answering as two men approached their table. Shawn and Oliver.
Shawn smiled at the group. “Funny running into all of you.”
Brittney sighed. “What are you doing here?”
“Getting lunch,” Shawn said. “Same as you.” He glanced over at Oliver, and nodded towards a small table about a foot away. Oliver pulled that table over to them, pushing it against the table Jyri sat at. Shawn grabbed two vacant chairs, and placed one next to Brittney, and the other next to Jyri. Turning their table of four to a table of six. Shawn took the chair next to Brittney, and Oliver took the chair next to Jyri.
Their waitress came over, presumably to see what was happening. Hopefully they wouldn’t get escorted out the door for Shawn and Oliver’s odd behavior. As if Shawn wasn’t dressed odd enough, in those blue pants made from some strange material. Wearing that black shirt with the word “Metallica” written across it. Jyri was appalled he was allowed to dress like that at work. And what was a Metallica anyway? 197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEPTsUhMnnw
“We’re actually going to join our friends, if that’s okay,” Shawn explained to the waitress. Then, he and Oliver gave her their food orders. She wrote them down and left.197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdeCBY4WbXq
“You weren’t invited,” Brittney hissed at Shawn.
“Oliver was,” Shawn said. “Maybe I also want to make our new coworkers feel welcome.”
“Oh, is that all?”
“Of course.” Shawn turned his attention to Jyri and Faye. “So, are you enjoying your new jobs?”
“Yes,” Jyri and Faye said together.
“That’s good,” Shawn said. “It’s a nice place to work. Wish it paid better, but there’s no micromanaging and the people who work there are chill.” He glanced at Brittney. “Most are, anyway.”
Brittney folded her arms across her chest. Jyri had quickly picked up on Brittney’s dislike of Shawn, and it seemed as though Shawn disliked her just as much. So why had he invited himself over? He somehow doubted it was to make him and Faye feel welcome.
“How old are you?” Oliver asked.
“24,” Jyri said with slight hesitation.
Faye didn’t respond. Oliver and Shawn stared at her, waiting for an answer. “21, I think.”
Shawn raised an eyebrow. “You think? You don’t know? What does your ID say? You do have some form of US identification, right?”
“Shawn!” Brittney slapped his shoulder.
Shawn rubbed the spot she hit. “Just asking.”
“Ignore him,” Brittney said to Faye. “He’s being an asshole.”
“How am I being an asshole?”
“Where are you originally from?” Oliver asked, sparing a glance at Shawn and Brittney. As though changing the subject before a fight broke out.
“Somewhere.” Jyri stared at Shawn’s shirt, noting how abnormally long the left side of the M and the right side of the A were. The rest of the letters were much smaller. The design was quite peculiar.197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBfnyhCDcmF
“That’s not very specific,” Shawn said. “What country?”
Jyri figured his best bet was to change the subject as well. “Why does your shirt say Metallica?”197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGHkVdtupsd
“Huh?” Shawn looked down at his shirt.
“Yeah,” Faye chimed in. “I’ve been wondering what it means.”
The corner of Oliver’s mouth twitched. “You’ve been wondering what Metallica means?”
Even Brittney had her brow furrowed in confusion. “You’ve never heard of Metallica?”197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4NKO1YYtSv
Was he supposed to have? He shared a look with Faye, silently begging her to save face.
“We’re not from here, so we’ve never heard of them,” Faye said.
“But, they’re popular everywhere,” Brittney said. “Or, were, I guess. They’re not relevant anymore.”197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6iAnAApluR
Shawn scoffed at her. “Not relevant?”
Brittney shrugged. “That band is older than all of us. Like, are they even still around?”
“Of course they’re still around!”197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp2UyWSTTDG
The waitress interrupted their bickering by showing up with plates of food. She handed Jyri his steak, noodles with meat for Faye and Brittney, a sandwich for Oliver, and some sort of meat with rice for Shawn.
The waitress left. Brittney and Shawn moved on to bickering over a missing fork. They reminded Jyri of small children. At least the personal questions had stopped. Jyri took a bite of his steak. Although good, it wasn’t as tasty as the steak back home.
Oliver finally ended the argument by giving Shawn his fork he didn’t need. Shawn thanked him and started eating what might have been chicken. It smelled strange though.
“How long have you been living here?” Brittney asked, her tone friendly.
Since Jyri found himself liking Brittney more than Shawn, he answered her question honestly. “A couple days.”
Oliver, Shawn, and Brittney stared wide-eyed at his words.
“Only a couple days?” Brittney set down her fork. “And already you’ve found a job and a place to live?”
“Only the job part,” Faye said.
“Wait, you're homeless?”
Jyri squeezed his eyes shut, and Faye nodded.
“But there was an address on your applications,” Brittney said. “What address...”
“We've been living in a gym,” Faye said shamelessly. Jyri avoided everyone’s stares by cutting his steak into bite-sized pieces.
“You poor things.” Brittney frowned for a second, then looked at Oliver. Shawn, too, was looking at Oliver. Oliver focused all his attention on eating his sandwich. Yet for some reason, Shawn and Brittney continued watching him.
“What?” Oliver finally asked.
“They need a place to live,” Brittney said. “Weren’t you telling me you… know… someone who is looking for roommates ASAP?”
Excitement filled Jyri. Finally, a chance at having an actual place to live. “Really?”
Oliver studied Jyri and Faye, then shook his head. “He only has room for one roommate, not two.”
“You said... he... had two bedrooms though,” Brittney said. “Faye and Jyri could share a room.”
Faye nodded. “We wouldn’t mind.”
“No problem at all,” Jyri added, neglecting to mention he also had a brother waiting for him at that gym, so it would be an even tighter squeeze. But he’d take a crowded room over a gym any day.
“Yeah, but… he already found someone. Sorry.”197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGm6MqDNUFm
“Bullshit.” Shawn put down his fork, and leaned in towards Oliver. “You were just complaining to me this morning-”197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLqAJBM3Fgr
“Already. Found. Someone.” Oliver said to Shawn between clenched teeth.197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRvGaVmyNzB
Shawn crossed his arms, raising an eyebrow. Oliver shook his head, tight-lipped. Shawn clasped his hands together. Oliver held his palms facing outward. Shawn mouthed something. Oliver shook his head again.
Jyri found himself impressed by their ability to hold a silent conversation with each other, baffled as he was by what they could possibly be discussing.
Brittney watched Shawn and Oliver’s performance with narrowed eyes. At Shawn in particular. Like she was suspicious of whatever he was communicating with Oliver. She cleared her throat. “I suppose it’s fine, that your friend already found a roommate.” Brittney looked back at Jyri and Faye. “I’d share my room with you, but my own roommate wouldn’t be happy about that. And it’s her name on the lease.”
Jyri’s heart sunk. “That’s fine. We’ll find something eventually, I suppose.”
Brittney looked at Oliver, as though waiting for him to say something. Oliver cleared his throat, and gave Jyri and Faye a friendly smile. “Good luck. Shawn and I need to get back to work.”
“Hang on.” Shawn shoveled down the last few bites of rice left on his plate, then nodded to Oliver. The two stood up at the same time.
Brittney rolled her eyes. “What about paying your share of the bill first?”
“You’re HR.” Shawn shrugged. “Put it on as a company expense.”
“I can’t do that!” But Shawn and Oliver were already halfway to the door.
Brittney rubbed her forehead. “Sorry about them.”
“That’s okay,” Faye said. “I thought they were funny.”
Jyri personally found Shawn rude. Oliver was alright, though a little awkward. But Jyri could be a bit awkward himself.
“Do you need money now?” Brittney asked. “For, like, new clothes and things? Because I can buy you what you need, and you can just pay me back when you get your first paychecks.”
Jyri’s face flushed. He was hoping his filthy attire hadn’t stuck out too much in this strange world. And it was pretty much all he had. Not knowing quite what to say, he took his final bite of steak.
Faye, however, had no shame. She simply smiled. “Sounds great. Thank you.”
“It’s not a problem,” Brittney said. “We can even go shopping afterwards.”
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After they finished eating and Brittney paid for their meal, they got back in the car and drove to a place called “Kovyn’s.” According to Brittney, it was a clothing store. There were clothing stores in the universe Jyri came from, so he had an idea of what to expect. A store that sold clothing. However, he was unprepared for the size of the store. And to see that it sold other products too.197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyPSOTWVonP
He tried to keep a neutral expression as they walked down aisles of bedding and household products. Shoes too. And clothes were broken off in sections. One area had men’s clothing. One area women’s clothing. One area for women’s undergarments. One area for women’s pajamas. He frowned. Somehow it seemed unfair that most sections were dedicated to women. Meanwhile, men’s undergarments and pajamas were thrown together in one, large section. At least there was a separate section for little boys. And, of course, little girls.
Regardless, it was still a shock to see. Back home, all of these sections would be its own shop.
Brittney and Faye went to the women’s section together, leaving Jyri alone in the men’s. Which was fine by him. He needed time alone to think. And to figure out what he should even get. He didn’t want to take advantage of Brittney’s kindness. Faye probably would though.197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKlKiGSDUB6
Jyri walked past racks upon racks of shirts, filled with indecision. Many of them looked like the same style most men wore here. They were in a wide variety of colors and patterns with a circular neckline. He also spotted button-up shirts like the one on his back. But upon closer inspection, noticed differences. Instead of silk, these shirts were made of a material he wasn’t familiar with. And the buttons were made of some smooth, hard material, with tiny holes in them. His buttons were solid metal with no such garnishes. Interesting. 197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCe0f0K5D4E
They also came in a wide variety of colors, instead of just white. That was nice. He grabbed a black one and held it up. It looked like it might have been his size. How did sizes work in this universe anyway? He fumbled with a tag on the sleeve. “$26.99 L.” He recognized the symbol as being a dollar sign so assumed the number was the price. But where was the size number? Was it the L? He couldn’t imagine what else the L could be. Why an L instead of a number though? Did people here measure themselves in the order of the alphabet? What number was L in the alphabet? He did the math. 12. Was this a size 12 then? What grown man could fit in a size 12? He scratched his head, staring at the shirt in his hand. It looked much bigger than a 12.197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGWo6iD1iuJ
“Do you need help with something?”
Jyri turned around to see a man in all black wearing a name tag. He guessed this must be one of the workers. For a second, Jyri considered asking if they had any shirts in a size 38. But he feared the worker would think he was insane and kick him out. Instead, he smiled and said, “Just browsing.”197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6C4cnNBOkl
As the worker walked away, Jyri looked at the tags of the other shirts. All were either S, M, L, or XL. Maybe he’d try on one of each and go from there. Except not the S. The S looked too small for him. Wait… did the S possibly stand for “small?” No, it couldn’t. That would be a ridiculous way to size clothing.
Did this place even have changing rooms? He turned back around and spotted a large sign that said “Fitting Rooms” with an arrow pointed inside what looked to be a room. He followed the arrow into a large room that had a long row of stalls. He went into one of them, closed the door, then tried on the shirts.
It turned out M fit him best. He returned the shirts to where he grabbed them from, but kept the M in his hand. Then, grabbed a similar shirt in blue. Now, for trousers.
There were many to choose from. Much of it was of a strange, rough, blue material Jyri had never seen before. (At least, not until he arrived here. Everyone in this universe seemed to favor them.) They were all marked as different kinds of “cuts.” At least the sizes had numbers that made some sense. He made his way towards trousers that had some resemblance of normalcy, and went from there.197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡReBLMeLSYY
After he found a pair he was happy with, he spotted Faye and Brittney headed his way. He met up with them.
“Did you find anything you want?” Brittney asked, a bundle of clothes in her arms. Faye held her own bundle.197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhRRzAyGcJ4
“Yes, these.” Jyri held up his own bundle.
“Awesome. Let’s hurry up before anyone at work finds out we’ve been gone for two hours.”
After Brittney paid for their clothes (using some sort of small card she shoved into some sort of strange gadget), they walked back to the car and returned to work.
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and then Add to home screen.