Just Newbie Problems

Charlie was going for a walk. He did that a lot. He liked walking through the school in the morning, there were certain spots where it was just nice to sit, and have a cup of morning tea. A particular seat in the library was a certain favorite, as just as the morning sun broke above the roof of the school, it would shine onto the chair, a perfect light to read by. He had read once that there was something called the golden hour, a perfect time to take photographs by. He wondered if there was such an equivalent for reading.

As he wandered back to his office, empty tea flask and a copy of 'The Black Luna' in hand, he spotted a student who appeared to be attempting to converse with the vending machine. The student in question seemed to be trying to purchase some of that dreadful sugary iced tea that seemed so popular. After watching for a few moments, Charlie walked over to try and help.

"Erm.. Hi" said Charlie, attempting to get the students attention, while fiddling in his pocket, before pulling out a pair of coins "It doesn't talk back. What you've got to do is put the money in this slot here"

He pointed to the small thin slit when coins were supposed to go, before inserting the coins with a thin, gloved finger and thumb.

"and then push the button for your drink here."

Charlie pushed the button labeled 'iced tea'. There was a moment of silence before the machine whirred into life, and a bottle of iced tea fell into the slot at the bottom with a loud clunk. Charlie bent down to pick it up, and offered it to Morwen.

"now you try." he said, with a kind smile.

@Kathinja

Jamie should have gotten used to the concept of "people doing things that weren't categorised as normal human behaviour" at this school. He still had not, not really. Maybe it's because he hadn't spoken to enough people. Sure, he was okay with people who had feathers or horns. He was okay with vampires and werewolves and other creatures who had their origins in folk mythology and wouldn't be surprising if they did exist.

But what he did not expect to see was a kid trying to talk to a vending machine.

He didn't laugh. He didn't find things like these funny. He found them interesting. Jamie had stood and watched for a few minutes, with his camera, from a far corner, since people didn't like being stared at. Then, after it became clear that this had nothing to do with the vending machine being magical or the person being a technopath with vending machines, he had decided that he was going to go and help this person. Because helping people was nice.


Someone else came before he could go help, though. Professor Rotmoore, who had asked him to call him Charlie but Jamie didn't like calling people by their first names when they had a formal title because it felt wrong. So he stayed back, then, until the professor was done talking.

"If you want I can just get the tea for you. For free," Jamie said, then realised that it might be rude. "Only if you want," he added, quickly, then recoiled a little. If he did make somebody angry, he'd like to escape before anything worse could happen.

@Kathninja

"Try them, they're delicious" lied Charlie. It was a kind lie though. He enjoyed certain iced teas yes, a tisane could be beautiful cold, but the stuff you would find in a vending machine was not his favorite beverage. That was tucked under his arm, a delicious Pu'erh tea he had found in the far east many decades earlier. He had a crate shipped to him every few months.

He turned, and noticed Jamie, his fellow staff member whom he had met after the secret santa at the school had paired them up.

"I'm guessing you, like me, aren't that great at technology, right?" He smiled at Morwen, with what he hoped was support. Charlie wasn't that great at technology no, but he was slowly learning, He had been taking a class that was talking him through the steps. Just before the christmas break they had taught him all about the wonders of amazon, and buying books online. Genine, a feisty werewolf who worked as a receptionist at the school office had chewed his ear off after four hundred books had arrived in one day, exhausting the poor gentleman who had to deliver them, and filling up a corner of the office.

"If there's anything you need to ask, ask me, or well Jaime here would be the best person to ask. He's more experienced in all things electrical."

@SirCatfish

This was the first time Jamie had interacted with a person who might actually be as clueless as he was. He hadn't met much people since he'd came here, though. Well, he knew about things. Just maybe not in the way that he was supposed to. He knew how machines worked, what Christmas was, what a family was. He just apparently didn't really understand them. And from that he felt a bit of relief.

"Refrigerator. The cold box. It's called refrigerator. Or maybe fridge, that's the short version." Jamie corrected, before realising that what he said might be offensive. They didn't like it at the Compound when he was condescending. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be rude. Here, I'll just..."

Jamie formed a connection with the machine quite easily, shutting his eyes. Things like vending machines were always so simple. A simple thought and whatever that "ice tea" (Like tea but cold? Or something different?) was fell into the receiving slot.

"Here. If you want it," Jamie said. When Professor Rotmoore mentioned his name, he blushed a little. He still wasn't very used to being acknowledged. Or his name being used. "Thank you. Yes. I'm good with machines, electricity. I'm almost entirely machine myself. But I'm not good at anything else."