Ask to Join The World According to Us

[Imperfect World]

If you would like to sign up for this role-play, please put a bio in this link.

...​

Blake woke up to yet another cloudy day. The clouds weren’t natural, of course. Pollution did that to the sky. Blake yawned, stretched, and got out of bed, grabbing his respirator. Without it, he might breath in toxic fumes from the outdoors. It was a miracle his mom could afford to pay for some. He put on a fresh pair of his formal clothing, putting a black tie on to make himself look extra sharp. He added glasses for good measure, and walked into his kitchen.

“Good morning, mother.” He said, walking into the kitchen.

“Morning, Blake.” She said, preoccupied with cooking.

Blake could smell the oatmeal. Again. For about the twentieth time this month.

It was a Tuesday.

“Can I do anything for you, mother?” He asked.

His mother paused, for a minute, thinking.

“Can you set the table, honey?”

“Yes mother.” Blake replied, as he went to grab the respective table ware for breakfast. “Do you, mother, have anything planned for after breakfast?”

His mother smiled, knowing he’d enjoy her plan.

“Actually, I was thinking we could put on our respirators and go down to the pond. We can clean up the trash and maybe find a new fish for your fish bowl.” Tabitha said, grinning at her son.

Blake had to hide his excitement, much to the displeasure of his mother. She missed his old excited attitude.

That attribute died inside him long ago.

“That sounds like a very pleasant idea, mother.” Blake replied.

Blake has had countless fish in his fish bowl. Every one of them has died up to now, due to the lack of clean water.

 

[Godjacob]

A grumble followed a rumble as a figure stumbled out of an ally who seemed to have his foot caught on some sort of discarded box as he worked to shake it off. The man named Desmond had succeeded but not before he toppled over a trash can and landed on his rear which caused an inaudible curse to escape his lips.

I would say people should watch what they toss, but considering the just fantastic state of the world now maybe caring about that is a bit of wasted energy.

Desmond took a moment to reach into the pocket of his jacket. An old bottle of alcohol appeared as he shook it in his hand; nearly empty, just what he needed to know. With a defeated sigh, Desmond popped the bottle open as he downed the final shot of it before he stood as he began to move towards his old beat up truck as he chucked the bottle behind him carelessly before he hoped into the truck and drove on ahead. Where he aimed to go? What he aimed to do? That stuff Desmond figured he'd be able to work out later as for now he'd just see where this road would take him.

 

[Imperfect World]

Breakfast was short and easy, and in order to save their water rations, they hadn’t drinken anything.

Two small jugs of water were brought by every week. They had to save them if they wanted to survive.

Blake put on his respirator, his mom putting hers on as well. They exited their small quiet home and got into a beaten up truck, the one Blake’s dad drove when he was still around. They drove down the dirt road in the direction of the pond.

 

[aurivee_]

Sitting by the pond was a bespectacled girl, writing in a torn notebook. She wore her respirator, and held a very short pencil in her left hand. She looked down at the pond, before furiously writing something in her book.
An expression of sadness and longing was on her face, as she looked out over the pond. It had once been so beautiful. When she was little, she'd come here every day after school, frolicking in the beautiful green fields present next to it.

Those memories were no more. Now, everything was grey.

Her eyes seemed to bubble up with tears, of both sadness and anger. How could humanity do this? She'd tried to warn everyone, ever since she was in preschool.
And now, the world looked like this. No one had listened. Then again, who would listen to a child?
If only they had. Maybe things wouldn't have gone to crap if they had just listened... instead of patting my head and returning to talking about mundane things.
She tried to stay hopeful, every day. She tried to keep her spirits up. It was difficult, especially when you lived alone.
Six months ago, she had left her parents, knowing that they couldn't provide for both their children. Her parents had protested. And yet, she had refused to go back on her decision.
Now, she lived on her own. She'd taken up a residence in the best handmade shelter she could make. It wasn't much, but it was enough to keep her alive.

 

[Imperfect World]

Blake and his mother had arrived by the pond, parking by a small dock. His mother got out of the vehicle and retrieved two garbage bags from the trunk. There were a lot of garbage bags in there. Blake got out, retrieving a garbage bag from his mom.

“Thank you, mother.” Blake said, getting to work by the trash at the end of the dock.

Tabitha sighed, following her son and helping him out.

 

[Godjacob]

As Desmond drove down the road, he glanced at his spare canteen and realized that he had no clean water on hand. With a sigh, he figured he needed to find a fresh water source or at least one of the ones left in the area as he drove down the road and worked to make his way to the pond.

Course, he noticed what seemed another truck ahead that seemed to head to the same spot. But he paid it little mind as he moved along, his distant eyes glancing towards what seemed to be a picture of some young girl with her family he had on the dashboard before he shook his head as he focused on the road.

Eventually he arrived at the pond, he saw a pair of people who seemed to dig through trash by the dock, and a girl who seemed to sit by the pond as Desmond had not been sure what to make of either. He merely parked his truck by the dock before he moved down to the pond as he had a canteen in hand and had began to scoop up the water.

 

[Imperfect World]

Blake saw this man, and noticed he was scooping up water. Filthy water from the polluted pond. He frowned, refusing to let this man drink dirty brown fish-water. He walked up to the man and ripped the canteen from his hand, emptying out the water. Tabitha screeched.

“Blake, no!” She said, rushing over to her son.

“He can’t drink polluted water, mother. He could get very ill.” Blake said.

He turned back to the man.

“There is a small fountain the pumps less diluted water down town. It’s a popular spot for water, but it costs money. If you don’t want to pay money, try not to get caught.” He said

 

[Godjacob]

The man had not been sure what to make of it, one minute he had been collecting water the next this random kid had come and knocked it out of his hands. Desmond stared at him and who he presumed was his mother as he offered an alternative for clean water. Desmond kept this honestly helpful into to him as a light chuckle escaped his lips.

"Appreciate the advice kid, but do you think I'd have been able to last this long if I couldn't tell what water was clean and what wasn't?" Desmond said before he reached into his jacket and pulled out what seemed to be an old metal box. A metal box made of some put together scrap metal and seemed to have two plastic containers inside and some sort of disc at the top.

"I worked in electronics. Was known to tinker with some stuff and made this little thing. Helps to filter out a limited amount of water to make it safe for drinking." Desmond explained to the young boy as he glanced at him and his mother. "Thing's on its last legs and don't think I can find parts for another, but it is good for now so there's that..." Desmond said with a shrug as he aimed to take the bottle back.

 

[Imperfect World]

Blake hesitantly handed the man his bottle back. He was very skeptical of this man and his filtering device.

“I hope your science and math in making this thing is correct. Otherwise, you could become very ill.” He said with a slight glare.

“Blake, be nice! I’m so sorry.” Tabitha said, grasping her sons shoulders. “Do whatever you please, he’s just a bit of a water fanatic.”

 

[Godjacob]

"Eh it's fine, good on the kid to have an eye out for this stuff. Will help him last long, as for me if this didn't work I wouldn't still be around. And if I end up wrong well...not like what happens to me is a tragedy." Desmond said as he took the bottle back and poored it into his odd contraption as a flick of the switch led to the water as it began to be funneled. Clean drinking water moved to one internal section, and the contaminants moved to the other...if it worked like he believed. During this he glanced to the kid and who he presumed was his mother.

"So, what's your story?" Desmond asked, as he figured if these two came to him he may as well know what he was talking with. Besides, everyone had a reason to venture here from his experience.

 

[Imperfect World]

Blake watched in pure awe as the water came out perfect and purified. How his device worked, he had no idea, but he hoped to learn. Before Tabitha could answer the man, Blake spoke up.

“If you were to make those devices in large quantities, you could make very good money, sir.” Blake suggested, staring at the stranger.

Tabitha, ignoring her son, answered the man’s question.

“We want to clean the pond. It’s always been a dream of his, and I don’t see why I can’t help him.” Tabitha said with a smile. “After all, the world has gone down hill since I was a kid.”

 

[aurivee_]

Lily watched the conversation from afar. She could only make out bits and pieces of the words, but she got the gist of the conversation regardless. The man had a device that could purify water. Very impressive, in her opinion.
"...We want to clean the river. It's always been a dream of his, and I don't see why I can't help him."
Her heart suddenly lifted. These people were different! They cared about the state of the world! Just like she did!
Her emotions soaring, she walked over, a small skip in her step. She spoke to the boy, appearing to be just a bit younger than her.
"Hi... My name's Lily. You're trying to clean the river too?" she asked.

 

[Imperfect World]

Blake turned to the voice, jumping a bit when he saw a slightly older girl. Girls made him nervous, and he didn’t like talking to them all that much. Instead of talking to her, he just gave her a very shaky nod, proving to her that he, too, cared about the state of the world, in this case, water.

 

[Godjacob]

"That would be a possibility, if I had the funds...or materials. I had to go through hell and back just to get this thing as it is." Desmond admitted, though before anything else was noted another figure came onto the scene. A younger girl compared to the mother present as she seemed touched by the notion of wanting to "clean the river" and all that. The boy had a humerus reaction which made him chuckle as he stood to face the girl; taking a sip of his purified drink before he spoke.

"Clean the river? At the moment I am just making sure I have drinking water I won't choke on. This little thing isn't gonna fix this river much as you want it to." Desmond said, which may have been a touch harsh but he had not wanted to get anyone's hopes up. Even if he shared the belief it could help he lacked resources to do it and really it seemed a bit....fantastical, to imagine a scenario. Though he kept that part to himself.

Not that he had been against an idea to improve this mess of a world, but to survive long as he had he had to be a realist.

 

[Imperfect World]

Tabitha nodded to Desmond.

“Yes, he really does enjoy the fish. He constantly says something along the lines of ‘if the fish are dying, he is also’?” She questioned.

Blake blushed a bit.

 

[Godjacob]

"Heh, well the kid has a big heart. Has that going for him." Desmond said with an amused grin, in all honesty he had not expected to smile today given how his day to day travels usually went. Really between the battles to get the engine to his old ride going, to trying to get by with what he had for food or find comfortable places to sleep his life had gone to the dumps so he had not been one to long for the good ole days as he figured it was a waste of energy.

So this had been an unexpected, but rather....enjoyable change of pace. Even if the grizzled man had not been the type to admit it if asked about it.

 

[Imperfect World]

“Yeah.” Tabitha agreed. “Ever since the whole downfall of Earth, we’ve been taking it pretty hard.”

Blake was really hoping she wouldn’t mention his father, and tensed up a bit as she talked. He was quite uncomfortable when it came to talking to people. At least normal conversations.

 

[Godjacob]

"Makes enough sense. When the world goes to the shi...uh, the dumps, that kinda of reaction is expected."

Desmond had decided in a rare case of self censorship just before he uttered that profanity, not that he cared much if he swore but rather he'd rather not deal with the issue of the mother's complaints if he had done it before the kid. So he figured it'd avoid a headache if he had caught himself in advance.

 

[Imperfect World]

Tabitha was quite glad to see the man catch himself before swearing in front of her son.

"Yeah." she replied.

She wasn't entirely sure what else to say. What else could she say? Blake looked up at the stranger whom towered over him.

"And what do you hope to obtain for our Earth, if you don't mind me asking?" Blake said rather politely.

 

[Godjacob]

The man was silent, he seemingly had been deep in thought over something, though as he had he reached into his jacket's pocket. And rather than the purified water he pulled out an old bottle of whisky as he popped a cap and took a shot straight from it before he sighed as he glanced at her.

"Well at the moment, I merely hope to find a place to sleep. My van is reliable but not the most comfortable thing." Desmond admitted, though while that had been true whether it had been all he desired was hard to tell.

 

[Imperfect World]

Tabitha looked towards the man worriedly. He had no place to sleep? Blake was thinking the same thing. They had an open bed that Blake’s father used to sleep in. It was a clean, untouched room, a door Blake never dared open.

“We would be happy to give you a place to sleep. We have an empty room that you could use until you’re back on your feet!” Tabitha exclaimed.

Blake was a bit nervous about having this stranger over. If they messed with anything inside his fathers room, he wouldn’t hesitate to put them in their place.

 

[Godjacob]

Desmond paused as he glanced at the woman who seemed to offer him a place to stay at their own home which had not been what he expected to hear today. Desmond took a moment to process such words before he thought it out and released a sigh.

"Look much as I appreciate the offer and consideration, I don't think a random drifter like me would make for the best guest to your place." Desmond said as he'd rather avoid being a problem if they tried to fit him with their dynamic as it had been.

 

[Imperfect World]

Tabitha smiled, shaking her head.

“It’s no problem! We don’t have a specific agenda, and even if we did you wouldn’t be ruining it. Please, stay for as long as you need.” She insisted.

Blake was going to be honest, he didn’t want a random man he had just met staying at their house, let alone in his fathers old bedroom. But he refused to argue with his mother. It wasn’t proper to do so.

 

[Godjacob]

Desmond was silent during this exchange, as the mother in question seemed insistent that he stay with them least for the short term though he had his own reservations about the whole thing.

Something that seemed shared by the boy.

"So, what do you think of me staying at your place?" Desmond asked Blake curious of his thoughts about this.

 

[Imperfect World]

Blake made eye contact with Desmond, refusing to share his honest thoughts. It would disappoint his mom.

“It’s fine.” He said simply.

 

[Godjacob]

Desmond glanced at the kid, as he had taken a shot of his drink while he processed the words as he kept eye contact with him. The kid seemed to be telling the truth, though Desmond had been around and himself had lied enough to know a lie. So while he has his suspicions he merely shrugged as he glanced at boy and mother.

"Well, I suppose if you insist. I'll work up a rent fee to pay you when I get off the ground." Desmond said, as he accepted the condition though his pride even as a drunken guy living in his car he felt he had to protect with that assurance.

 

[Imperfect World]

Tabitha didn’t want to bother him with a fee, but said nothing, fearing that if she offered any more hospitality to him it would drive him off. She wanted to do more good in the world.

Blake didn’t say anything, just went back over to the dock and continued to clean up the trash floating in the water.

 

[Godjacob]

The man crouched down as he examined his purifier as it worked to finish the sample he hoped to gain from it while he noticed the boy go back to the dock to clean the trash.

"Seems to be quite echo conscious isn't he..." Desmond asked as he had given Tabitha a casual glance while he picked up his hand-made and ever decayed gadget while he had downed another shot.

 

[Imperfect World]

Tabitha nodded.

“Yeah, He does care for the planet quite a lot.” She started. “But he mainly sticks to water. He’s always love water creatures, wether it was fish, frogs, or ducks.”

Now that Tabitha thought about it, ducks didn’t exactly classify as a water creature in anyway whatsoever. They just spent lots of time in bodies of water.

 

[Godjacob]

"I see. A real animal lover huh?" Desmond said, as he had taken a sip of his drink while he observed the boy who seemed earnest in his passion to help clean the place which was admirable given the well shit hole it had been reduced to to this point.

"Are there any creatures you are fond of?" Desmond asked, as he had not been the best at small talk but he figured it had been as good a topic as any.

 

[Imperfect World]

Tabitha thought to herself. Then she smiled.

“I like birds, actually. They’re so graceful and sweet. They also make some of the most beautiful sounds.” She cooed.

 

[jade421]

Along the docs as the young man worked to help clean, he would not find himself alone for long. As along the lake bed a young figure maybe just a little older than him walked along to the scene. Destiny had a big grin plastered on her face, as she was excited to see others by the lake even with it in the state it had been in which was inspiring to see. Quickly she made her way to the dock as she seemed to have a bag strapped over one arm and what seemed like a broom with the other as she walked up to the boy.

"Hey, you doing some cleaning?" Destiny asked with a friendly smile as she tried to be warm and welcoming given this was a new meeting for the both of them.

 

[Imperfect World]

Blake looked to his side. He saw it was a girl and immediately became nervous, backing away and nearly falling into the lake. Before he could be drenched in lake water, however, he caught himself. He looked at the girl before nodding, and continued on with his work.

 

[Godjacob]

"A bird fan eh? Funny used to have one of those. A parrot named Peter, little guy would pester me with new words it picked up from the house, bothered me then but in honesty I kinda miss that." Desmond said as he downed a shot while the bird discussion had taken shape though he noticed another figure by the dock. Seemed to be getting popular.

 

[jade421]

Destiny smiled at this as she decided to walk over to the boy, careful to keep some space between them as she wanted to avoid a freak out while she spoke to him. "So mind if I help you out with this?" Destiny said as she offered with a smile to the boy as she seemed willing to lend a hand.

 

[Imperfect World]

Blake was silent for a very quick moment, before shaking his head, showing that he didn’t care if she decided to help. He just kept cleaning the trash from the pond.

“A parrot, huh?” Tabitha asked. “Do you mind if I asked what happened to him?”

 

[Godjacob]

"Lived a good life, but I had Peter a long time ago. I'm gonna presume you can figure out the rest." Desmond said, and in the grand scheme of things that had been far from the worst things he had experienced. Still though in spite of that, the convo of birds had gotten him thinking on the little chatty chum as he worked to scan the dock.

Indeed, he had missed the little guy.

 

[jade421]

Given the lack of objections, Destiny grinned as she sat beside the boy at the dock as she pulled out her bag and began to pull some cleaning supplies; fresh bags, some scrubs nets and brushes as she had gone to work to clean her section all with an eager grin plastered on her face. "Name is Destiny. Thanks for letting me lend a hand." Destiny said with a smile as she had spoken with a warm tone, her attempt to try and be friendly with the boy.

 

[Imperfect World]

Blake said nothing, simply continuing to pull out trash. He had never been good at speaking to others, especially girls, because they made him very uncomfortable. He knew it was childish of him, and he hated that he was being childish. He just couldn’t bring himself to say anything.

Tabitha frowned a bit to Desmond.

“I’m sorry.” She said simply.

 

[jade421]

Destiny merely nodded as she heard the boy say nothing which had not spelt well for her first attempt to try and socialize. Destiny presumed that he simply had been the shy type around new people though in the back of her mind she worried if she came off too strong which likely only had given him more reason to not speak up. So she'd try to clean and not come off as too peppy in the hopes she could try to encourage a word out of him. If he so desired. For now she would focus on brushing and scrubbing at the dock as she worked to think of what to say next to try and get the spark of a conversation lit.