[Other Fanfic] Persona: Psyker Pockets

Sunny and hot August days tended to cook Ringway City and its residence with temperatures as high as 95 degrees despite its comfortable spot on the coast of California near Oregon. But heat can't stop a city. It actually makes it move quicker. People have to leave their homes or their apartments to work and sit in classes all day. They just take their routes more quickly by driving faster than usual with music blaring and the AC on high.

Ringway is ok when it comes to traffic. People usually take public transportation instead of personal vehicles. City ordinance prevents non-urban residence of the suburban area from coming into the city with their vehicles anyway so extra special funding went into buses, trains, and subways just to make sure people get to work and school on time. No where else is built with this kind of infrastructure. Ringway seems to sell people on that quality pretty well.

But... it does have its own flaws. If you miss a bus you're probably going to be an hour late for work or class. If you do manage to arrive though, there isn't a guarantee for space available to sit or stand. Bus passes help but it's not like they're worth it when everyone has them.

As for the trains, they're always jam packed and late. But as unreliable as they can be, they are the best choice for the stingy. The city's subways are pretty much the same except at a higher price which doesn't seem to affect the number of people who use it.

That leaves the last remaining type of transport: bike. City ordinance encourages that at least. Bike racks are bountiful but only near parks and schools. Surveillance on those spots by camera or policeman are pretty common considering that losing one means walking home. Thieves manage to get away with it anyway.

I for one really hate the people who do steal bikes.

Oh. I'm Matt. I'm nineteen. I go to school full-time at Foxfall University. My major is graphic design but my future is undecided. Jobs in my chosen field of work are competitive and hard to come by. I doubt I'll ever get experience needed for one of those jobs.

My parent's are from Indiana. They moved here with me when I was six. Not really sure why the decided to do it. Dad works for a warehouse on the coast while my mom is a hotel receptionist. They could have kept their lives in the Midwest but I doubt I'd be the same if I grew up anywhere else.

They believe I can succeed but I'm not so sure about that. I just really have no idea what to do if I can't find work. I mean, my options good and bad are limited to part-time work at just any place for a small wage. Even if I get my degree, I can't do anything with it.

For now I'm living with them, eating "their food" and sleeping under "their roof." To put it in a way that makes sense: I'm supposed to be home by 11pm but it looks like I'll be home at 1 am instead. Walking tends to be slower than riding a bike.

I don't really bother with anyone. Friends are cool but I've just got a few and I don't really enjoy hanging out with anyone else so they have to deal with me following them around a lot. I've been called a lost puppy before because all I did at a party was stay next to them as if I was on a leash.

Since courses have just started we haven't had the time to meet up. But that vague promise of a "let's do something later" keeps my hopes up for at least another week. Last time I saw them was the weekend before classes started again. I don't need to see them every day but they help me not feel numbed and bummed.

Nate is bad at life, like me but not exactly like me. He's a perfectionist-quitter that has to have everything right or he can't function. I've known him since middle school so I can safely say that he's not changing himself any time soon.

We play games of all kinds, mostly board games. Neither of us are too smart to be overshadowing and we change up what we play enough to keep things interesting. He can't help himself from trying new games I'm very sure that he spent most of his student loan on tabletop games and whatever TCG he decided to play that month.

Liz is my other friend... well uh I guess I should say group-friend. Liz is way too chill to be a one on one kind of friend. We only hang out when Nate invites her over. The same can be said for everyone else I could call a friend if I really wanted to stretch the definition to include people I've tried to sit down and talk with candidly at least once.

Anyway, she's transgender but doesn't really like to talk about it. I've always avoided bringing it up in conversation but there's not much to bring up. She's quiet and just listens to people instead of putting herself into the spotlight. Nate can bring out her voice when they talk about dungeons and dragons. She becomes so much more than herself.

We got into a great conversation about that game. It was easy for her to talk about it since she was in the mood and really knew what she was saying. I admit that I'm not the best at picking up rules by word of mouth so I was lost half the time. I wish she'd say more but I bet she's got a reason to be reserved.

Nate is my age while Liz is a year younger. So we're supposed to help her adjust to college life. I can't really say it's harder or easier than high school. It's just too different to compare. No one is breathing down your neck about school work, which is a great feeling except also bad in the way that you have to motivate yourself to do anything.

Chronic depression makes self motivation really difficult for me so I don't have the best grades.

Last year took some adjustments and some medication to overcome. But I'm doing well at the start of this year so I believe I can handle getting by at the very least. I just wish I knew what to do for the future.