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Who: Jay Nagai, Stephanie Brown
What: A date
Where: El Train, then off to work on Stephanie's bike
When: 5 p.m.
Notes: None
Warnings: N/A

The date promised to be interesting, Jay thought. The fact that he'd be working on a motorcycle definitely would help the date go smoothly, since that was something he'd actually know something about, and Stephanie seemed nice when he'd met her. For this reason, he was definitely looking forward to the date when he clocked out, making sure he left on time today instead of getting wrapped up in work and staying over.

He was wearing his usual work attire, which for this particular date would work well since it was made to get messy and work on trains, and would fill all the basic requirements for working on a bike as well. Once he went out into the main part of the train station, Jay began scanning the crowd for a familiar blonde head.

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"Wow," that sounds super complicated, "It must be hell trying to make all that stuff work together. I'm impressed you haven't quit in frustration yet, I probably would have."

Sometimes Steph isn't very good at sticking with things.

"Not really. It's fun having a challenge."

Which if she thought he'd quit with that, it gave him hope that he'd find working with her bike far less frustrating in the long run than she thought. Then the train slowed to a stop.

"Isn't this our stop?"

"There's fun challenges, and there's 'tear your hair out 'cause they're so frustrating' challenges." She likes the fun kind of challenges, especially if they involve something she enjoys, like punching people.

She'd already gotten ready to move when the train was slowing, "Yeah, this is us." Once the doors open, she gets off the train and starts heading in the direction of her apartment.

"Yeah, but I definitely classify the train under fun challenges."

Although to be fair, other challenges that she may enjoy would probably be pull his hair out frustrating for him, like navigating social situations. Or, though he was unaware of this being a hobby of hers, punching people. Jay nodded and followed her off the train.

"I actually find strange machinery far less confusing than people, to be honest."

"Fair enough. At least you're enjoying your work, a lot of people don't," she imagines that's amplified in Baedal, where there must be a limitied number of employment opportunities.

She smiles in response to that, a little amused, "I have friends like that, except it's computers instead of strange machinery, but I think the principle's the same. I can understand it, at least a little. People can be pretty confusing."

Steph gets people on a surface level, but making proper friends is a bit harder. She's aware that some of her personality traits are a little abrasive and that she can be kind of judgemental and choosy about who she makes friends with.

"Yeah. Engineering's a good field to be interested in, though, since almost any place is going to need engineers, so no matter where I end up I'll probably find some work I enjoy. Then again, I'd have said the same for people needing computer skills, but I guess that isn't the case here."

Really, he felt bad for any hackers that might find themselves in a place like this without internet. It was jarring for him, but it had to be far worse for someone whose training and interests lied solely in what they could no longer have. He paused, thinking about what he'd said, though, and imagined if he went back. It wouldn't be bad if it happened right then, but he thought that after a while, it might outright be bad for him if he were to return home, once years had passed. After all, while people may always want engineers, they wouldn't want one who got his degree, then managed to get no references or any jobs since then, at least none he could point to.

"Although I've realized about the job thing...once you're here for like a year, even if you did find a way out, you couldn't really leave, could you? I mean, now there'd be a huge hole in your experience, and while you really were getting more experience and learning more, it wouldn't be anything you could tell anyone about."

"Computers are relatively new," at least in compared to a lot of other things, "Engineering goes back pretty much.... as far as people go back. It's good you've got marketable skills."

She notices that he seems to be planning to say more, so she waits for that as they walk. She has to pay a bit of attention to her surroundings, as well, just to make sure she doesn't get lost, but they're approaching her place.

What he says makes her frown, though, "I don't know... I mean, sure, you'd have to start again in terms of recognizable experience, but you'd still actually have the skills. And I'd rather deal with that, than have to be stuck here without my friends and family."

He nodded, following alongside her. "The hard part about getting a job back in the real world isn't having those skills, though, it's having the ability to convince anyone that you do have those skills when all you have to explain yourself are a cover letter and resume. I don't know, I think losing my career would be worse."

That might be because back home he was too socially awkward to have friends, and he hadn't expected to check back with his family too much after he moved out, anyway.

That gets a sad look from Steph, she can't imagine choosing a career over the people she cares about and it makes her wonder what Jay's situation is like at home if he would.

"My mom would kill me," if she picked a career in Baedal over going home, "I'd just have to start in shitty jobs until I got up the recognized real world experience."

"Really? She'd manage to do that while your in Baedal and she's...I'm guessing in Jersey? Impressive." His tone was teasing, before he continued, more seriously. "I don't think I could stand going back to shitty jobs after working my way up one time around."

"She would. Physics isn't gonna stop her from kicking my ass for disappearing on her," Again. But she won't say that last bit out loud because it's a hard situation to explain.

"I guess I can understand that... But I've worked by up from the bottom plenty of times and it hasn't killed me yet."

"Yeah, it it would be so much effort, so much wasted energy. I definitely wouldn't like it." As they walked, they headed out of the train station, hitting a cool, stiff breeze once they stepped outside. Jay hissed under his breath, pulling his coat tighter. He never did like the cold.

"Maybe that's part of their plan. Get us working to build up experience and skills, so we're reluctant to leave and lose that." She frowns a little at that, wondering if she's just being paranoid.

The cold doesn't bother her that much, running around in Gotham winters in naught but spandex will do that to a girl, but she notices Jay pulling his coat tigther, "We haven't go too far to go and my place is heated."

"Maybe." He nodded in response to the comment that they were close to her place and picked up speed. "I don't take the cold well."

Steph raises an eyebrow, wondering if the susceptibilty to the cold is part of the whole snake, "You should invest in thermals or something, Baedal seems to get pretty cold."

One day she's probably gonna have to confront Jay abou the snake thing.

He nodded, deciding the wait to say anymore until they got inside.

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