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Description

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"...We are looking at today's youth with worry and concern. Is it really easy to be young nowadays? The monotonous inertia of bureaucracy seems to be ruling over our lives, leaving many young people uncertain about their futures..." - West Varyagian Evening Bulletin, October 26th, 3459.

At the Employment Department of Serpentby City, the main hall was full of mostly young people, who were looking for an official employment. After the success of the mid-October vote for the unemployment outlawing that was supposed to boost the nation's economy after the failing military intervention in Shekelestan, everyone was feeling the sudden urge to "become useful members of society", including artists, musicians, writers and other professions, which in the eyes of the select few in charge of things in West Varyagia, were considered "not essential to the technological progress of the nation". The drow Bray just stared with tired eyes at the door of the career consultant's office, fidgeting with the employment pamphlet in hand:

"Guuuh... Alex, can we go home now? We've been going through all these pointless interviews for three weeks already, and no job in sight! Can't we just apply as individual businessmen, or something?"

Alexander Cho gave his dark elf friend a silent, but understanding look. Bray just nodded sadly:

"Yeah... Dang it, why couldn't Olmund just pull out in time? Now the band is tearing at the seems, I cannot see my dear Victoria, and, to top it all off, now I have to find a job!"

"We both."

"Well... Yes, but it doesn't make it suck any less, you know!"

The black-haired man smiled lightly back. The drow dude has got a point, he thought - not many vacancies are open for self-taught drummers with only a few months of experience in monument installing and a year of actually performing in a band - a garage-tier band by the Ministry of Culture standards, at that. Alexander looked around the room, as if looking for something to cheer his friend up, but all he got, were dozens of pairs of similarly gloomy, tired, anxious and uncertain eyes, all waiting for their number on the announcement table. A few moments later, two West Varyagian soldiers hurried inside, one of them bringing a thick folder tucked under his arm. Bray felt startled, but Alexander placed his hand on the shoulder of the worried drow:

"Calm down. Check out those two."

The drow was confused, but decided to follow the URAGAN drummer's advice. Now both were trying to discreetly listen in on the conversation of the two soldiers, as they passed by:

"I don't believe this bullshit... This is not what for I was lighting up dukhovs* at Shekelestan for three years, until one of them put a slug through my knee! I swear, this country..."

"Hey, come on - they have their own problems with their new policy and-"

"AND?! Were they up there in the valleys with us, facing IEDs and ambushes while choking on dust and smoke, they'd fix this all in a jiffy! Seriously, three years of combat, and they're refusing my invalidity pension? And WE are the ones protecting THEM! What about a little appreciation?"

"Misha, come-"

"No, I won't! This is a complete katopyund*; a freaking butendsak* on their part! Wait till the higher-ups in the war office hear about this; they'll mess up their cozy office plankton existence for good!"

"Mish, please-"

"I'm done tolerating this crap! Time to get serious! Because if not us, then who? Come, Peter, we'll mess up their day good! Seriously, screwing with the war veterans, I swear..."

As the irritated soldier and his comrade left to carry on with their negotiations to a higher level elsewhere, the announcement on the table sounded out:

"Numbers 902 and 903 to the office 12, please. Do not forget to show your IDs upon entering. Repeat, numbers 902 and 903 to the office 12, please."

Bray looked at the crumpled paper note reading 902 in his hand. Noticing Alexander looking at his own note, the drow snatched it, replacing it with his own:

"You go first - I'm scared, and Victoria isn't here to hold my hand, haha."

Alexander smirked:

"Need those extra 30 seconds to gather some courage first?"

"...What? Are they really that qui-"

"Yep. Let's go now."

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*dukhovs - Shekelestan government loyalists, fighting against the occupying West Varyagian forces present in Shekelestan.

*katopyund - literally "cat-dog"; a Varyagian slang meaning the amalgamation of two (or more) opposite things that are impossible to connect (e.g., a too minuscule reward for a difficult job)

*butendsak - literally "a bold and foolish action without any assumed consequences"; a Varyagian slang meaning an arrogant "I-do-what-I-want" attitude, mostly from management and senior staff of an organization or a work place

-------------------
Jauna Zeme is a fantasy world by , inspired by and set in 's fantasy universe of Ots.

Music for the mood: www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7YECo…

Description

-------------------
"...We are looking at today's youth with worry and concern. Is it really easy to be young nowadays? The monotonous inertia of bureaucracy seems to be ruling over our lives, leaving many young people uncertain about their futures..." - West Varyagian Evening Bulletin, October 26th, 3459.

At the Employment Department of Serpentby City, the main hall was full of mostly young people, who were looking for an official employment. After the success of the mid-October vote for the unemployment outlawing that was supposed to boost the nation's economy after the failing military intervention in Shekelestan, everyone was feeling the sudden urge to "become useful members of society", including artists, musicians, writers and other professions, which in the eyes of the select few in charge of things in West Varyagia, were considered "not essential to the technological progress of the nation". The drow Bray just stared with tired eyes at the door of the career consultant's office, fidgeting with the employment pamphlet in hand:

"Guuuh... Alex, can we go home now? We've been going through all these pointless interviews for three weeks already, and no job in sight! Can't we just apply as individual businessmen, or something?"

Alexander Cho gave his dark elf friend a silent, but understanding look. Bray just nodded sadly:

"Yeah... Dang it, why couldn't Olmund just pull out in time? Now the band is tearing at the seems, I cannot see my dear Victoria, and, to top it all off, now I have to find a job!"

"We both."

"Well... Yes, but it doesn't make it suck any less, you know!"

The black-haired man smiled lightly back. The drow dude has got a point, he thought - not many vacancies are open for self-taught drummers with only a few months of experience in monument installing and a year of actually performing in a band - a garage-tier band by the Ministry of Culture standards, at that. Alexander looked around the room, as if looking for something to cheer his friend up, but all he got, were dozens of pairs of similarly gloomy, tired, anxious and uncertain eyes, all waiting for their number on the announcement table. A few moments later, two West Varyagian soldiers hurried inside, one of them bringing a thick folder tucked under his arm. Bray felt startled, but Alexander placed his hand on the shoulder of the worried drow:

"Calm down. Check out those two."

The drow was confused, but decided to follow the URAGAN drummer's advice. Now both were trying to discreetly listen in on the conversation of the two soldiers, as they passed by:

"I don't believe this bullshit... This is not what for I was lighting up dukhovs* at Shekelestan for three years, until one of them put a slug through my knee! I swear, this country..."

"Hey, come on - they have their own problems with their new policy and-"

"AND?! Were they up there in the valleys with us, facing IEDs and ambushes while choking on dust and smoke, they'd fix this all in a jiffy! Seriously, three years of combat, and they're refusing my invalidity pension? And WE are the ones protecting THEM! What about a little appreciation?"

"Misha, come-"

"No, I won't! This is a complete katopyund*; a freaking butendsak* on their part! Wait till the higher-ups in the war office hear about this; they'll mess up their cozy office plankton existence for good!"

"Mish, please-"

"I'm done tolerating this crap! Time to get serious! Because if not us, then who? Come, Peter, we'll mess up their day good! Seriously, screwing with the war veterans, I swear..."

As the irritated soldier and his comrade left to carry on with their negotiations to a higher level elsewhere, the announcement on the table sounded out:

"Numbers 902 and 903 to the office 12, please. Do not forget to show your IDs upon entering. Repeat, numbers 902 and 903 to the office 12, please."

Bray looked at the crumpled paper note reading 902 in his hand. Noticing Alexander looking at his own note, the drow snatched it, replacing it with his own:

"You go first - I'm scared, and Victoria isn't here to hold my hand, haha."

Alexander smirked:

"Need those extra 30 seconds to gather some courage first?"

"...What? Are they really that qui-"

"Yep. Let's go now."

==============

*dukhovs - Shekelestan government loyalists, fighting against the occupying West Varyagian forces present in Shekelestan.

*katopyund - literally "cat-dog"; a Varyagian slang meaning the amalgamation of two (or more) opposite things that are impossible to connect (e.g., a too minuscule reward for a difficult job)

*butendsak - literally "a bold and foolish action without any assumed consequences"; a Varyagian slang meaning an arrogant "I-do-what-I-want" attitude, mostly from management and senior staff of an organization or a work place

-------------------
Jauna Zeme is a fantasy world by , inspired by and set in 's fantasy universe of Ots.

Music for the mood: www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7YECo…