Jade had just finished folding and putting her clothes away in the three separate dressers in her room when she heard a knock on the door. It was hard to hear, she had been playing music on the old cassette player that once upon a time belonged to her father. The old classic rock still played, although she turned it down.
"Yeah?" She called out, not bothering to open the door, instead kneeling down beside another box of stuff.
She had already made it through six boxes, and her room already looked much homier. Her clothes were put away, her motorcycle and firearm posters were tacked to her wall, her pictures were placed around the room, and her mother's old jewelry box was sitting on her nightstand.
Her door opened as her father walked in.
"I was about to go down to the station." He said, looking around her room.
"Alright," Jade said, sighing as she stood up.
One box flap was open, she had nearly begun another box.
"It looks like back home." Her father commented.
A pang of sadness touched her heart, and her face darkened.
"No. It doesn't. Not at all." She replied, looking around.
Her walls were ivory white, her carpet a deep green, and the ceiling was the awful popcorn type. Tears sprang to her eyes, but she refused to give in.
"Dad?"
"Yes, Jade?" He asked, looking into her face.
"I'll need some new carpet, preferably gray. And some paint. White paint." She said, looking at him with determination.
"You got it." He said, smiling. "Now, let's go check out the station."
Jade nodded and followed him out of her room, shutting the door behind her. They walked to the kitchen in silence, but instead of grabbing his truck keys, her father continued to walk.
"Uh, Dad? What are you doing?" She asked, reaching for the keys.
"Let's walk." He said, already at the front door, and opening it.
A rush of hot air greeted them as the door opened and they stepped out. It was hot.
'No wonder Demon's like it here, it's hot as hell here.'
Her father closed the door behind her, and then began walking down the sidewalk. At first, Jade kept her head down determined not to gawk at the giant buildings surrounding her. It worked...for about five minutes. Then something reflected light off the sidewalk, almost like the sun was bouncing off of diamonds. Jade couldn't help but look up, and when she did, her jaw dropped. Her eyes were dazzled by the structures around her, office buildings made of glass, restaurants, and cafes with huge floor to ceiling windows, and the skyscrapers, which looked like they were decorated with precious gems. Glass tinted with all the colors of the spectrum. Blues and greens, reds and yellows, pinks and purples. So much color on every building, it was dizzying.
Her head whipped from side to side as she tried to take in as much as humanly possible. Then her eyes landed on the people. They were nearly as colorful as the buildings, their clothes vibrant, their skin seeming to glow with color. It seemed everything in Gun City was so bright. So beautiful. So perfect. Her heart soared with wonder.
When she stopped looking at every building, she realized she had fallen behind her father. She jogged to catch up, stopping right beside him. He gave her a sideways glance and seemed to notice her wonder.
"Colorful, ain't it?" He said, nudging her shoulder.
"Very." She agreed, smiling at him.
They walked side by side together, Jade lost in her thoughts and excitement, her father smiling at his daughter's reaction to the city.
After who knows how much longer of walking, Jade had been too busy looking at everything to keep track of how long they walked, the father and daughter pair stopped before a two-story brick building, painted a navy blue along the trim.
A small sign out front read "GCPD: Giving Chaos Order". Jade assumed it was the station, guessing GCPD stood for Gun City Police Department. It was the most logical assumption, and a minute later, it was proved true, when her father opened the door and walked in.
Jade followed behind, half expecting the vibrant city colors to be reflected inside. To her slight disappointment, they were not. They had walked into a seemingly normal police station, desks scattered around with name tags on each one. Small signs hanging by chains showed visitors where each sector was located. Her father calmly walked up to the front desk, and the kind-looking receptionist greeted him.
"Hello. Welcome to Gun City Police Department, may I help you?"
"Yes. I'm Smith Parke. I wanted to speak with the chief." He said, giving her a warm smile.
"Smith Parke? As in The Smith Parke?" She asked, slightly amazed.
"The one and only." He replied.
"Oh, goodness me..hold on one moment." She said, her hands rushing around, looking for her intercom phone.
Jade sighed and walked over to the waiting room, taking a seat and reaching for her phone. Now that the amazement from the city wore off, she was bored. And missed New Jersey.
'At least our receptionist doesn't act like a fool, no matter who it is she greets.'
She watched her father and the receptionist for a little bit. Her father was at ease, talking and smiling to the woman respectfully. The lady, on the other hand, was blushing and knocking papers all over her desk, basically acting like a completely incompetent fool.
Her father turned to greet someone. That person walked, or rather, waddled into view. He was a very large, very round man, with a bushy, graying mustache but no beard. His hair was thin, in the process of falling out, and his face was rosy, shiny with what Jade could only guess to be sweat.
Her father shook his hand, and the man smiled back. Turning towards her, her father gestured her over. Letting out a silent sigh, she stood up and walked over, putting on her brightest smile.
"This is my daughter, Jaderyn. Jade, this is Police Chief Norman." Her father introduced.
"Hello, sir. Nice to meet you." She held out her hand respectfully.
The large man, Chief Norman, shook her hand. She had to repress a shudder. His hands were slick with sweat and very, very warm. Hiding her repulsion, she smiled and shook his hand back.
"Very nice to meet you, Miss. Parke." He said, his voice booming.
He obviously had no idea what an "inside voice" was. He released her hand and she had to mentally keep herself from wiping her hands on her shorts.
"If you'll follow me, Mr. Parke, I'll show you to your desk. Once again, I cannot thank you enough for accepting a job here. We are so..." Chief Norman continued his babble, but Jade tuned him out.
It was always the same old stuff. A mixture of awe and fear in every one her father met. He was world-renowned, but in this new age, they didn't know if he was considered good or bad. They feared being caught around him, but this disgustingly large man was bold, hiring him as part of the police force. But whether this man was accepting the change or declaring war on the Demons in their own city, Jade couldn't quite tell.