Tilted_Axis
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Chapter 30: Beastly Haze Meets Charming
🕑 Added 2020-11-30 00:00:03 +0000 UTCCovering my exposed shoulders, I rub my foot against the ground. “Prithee, cease staring at me. It’s making me uncomfortable.”
The gentlewoman gawks at the kiln where my navel once existed for a long time before continuing to pace around me, slowly inspecting my body like someone assessing a racehorse. “I’m sorry, but I didn’t expect you to be a ghost girl made of smoke. This was far from what I expected, or what the book said.”
‘That’s because I am not a spirit; I am spirit-like.’
The wind blows, causing a bit of haze to blow, revealing the cattail. Terra stops and stares at the cattail, showing a bit of a gloomy frown.
“So it was something like this,” she whispers, sorrowfully, “I hoped it was not something so cruel.”
‘She likely does not realize how good my hearing and Perception is… at least it is better than I recall it being in the past. I think I should lead the conversation in a more lighthearted direction.’
“Smoke!?” I shout with false ire, “I prefer haze; I am not made of smoke from a fire or a pipe.”
The gentlewoman’s expression changes to one of curiosity. “Are they really so different? I thought they were pretty much the same thing,” using her left hand, she reaches out toward the shell of the kiln with a gloved hand.
‘I have actually referred to myself as smoky before, but now this is becoming a matter of principle.’
Hopping away, I start shaking my head furiously. “I already told thee not to touch me, and that is not true! Smoke implies that I am collied and made of burnt or dead things. Haze is more mysterious, pure, and elegant.” I retort.
“Sorry, I got lost in my curiosity; I’ll stop now. But… I’ve never heard anyone describe haze like that, and I seriously doubt the validity. When most people talk about haze, they’re usually talking about something like smog.” She seems to think of something. “By the way, what are you made of anyway? It seems like you must know if you deny me so strongly.”
Going quiet, I think about her question and only come up with a single response that would not reveal anything I wish to keep secret, “...Not smoke.”
She covers her mouth and laughs. With a smile, she looks at me and seems to think of something. “Now that we’re meeting face to face, we should exchange names.”
I tilt my head curiously. “Exchange names?”
“Yeah, after all, wouldn’t it be weird for f-friends,” she trips on the word and clears her throat, gracefully, “For us to not know each other’s name?”
I gaze into her big green eyes; my own violet purple eyes are reflected within them. ‘Is this really going so well? Friends? I must be getting buttered up… Yet, I cannot afford to let this pass.’
She coughs, asking with an awkward smile and flushed cheeks, “Uh, is that okay?”
“Of course! I mean, aye, I would like that.”
She sighs. “Good; your reaction made me think I said something weird."
“Nay, it is not thy words; it’s just…” I shake my head. “Forget it. Let us just skip to names.”
She nods and grins charmingly. “My name is Terra; it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”
“Nice to meet thee, Terra.” Tilting my head back, I raise my hazy hand with my thumb out and point at myself. “My name is Constance.”
“That’s a nice name, Constance; how about we go to the Terrace nearby where it is better lit.”
“Oh, that sounds excellent. The Terrace is actually my favorite place in the park! At least what I have seen of it.”
Terra begins to walk, motioning for me to follow. “The Terrace and Arcade are very famous actually. The ceiling in the Arcade is stunning. In fact, hundreds of thousands visit it every year.”
‘She did not just say hundreds of thousands of people visit the Terrace and Arcade every year. Surely I misheard!’
Terra looks me up and down and seems to think of something. “I heard there was an incident where a sixteen-year-old girl was drugged and nearly assaulted last night after the wedding.”
‘...What!? She heard about that! How could news of that spread so quickly? The employees next door knowing about it is one thing, but an ordinary person. It is impossible. Perhaps, her connections are even deeper than I anticipated… I do not want her to think I’m a violent pers— Kiln.’
“I-I would not know anything about that, but I am glad the girl was able to escape.”
Terra looks at me with squinted eyes, “You wouldn’t have anything to do with that? The news said the person believed to have drugged and attacked her, broke the window to a restaurant and stole all the food. They found a man nearby suffering from severe frostbite, and he claimed he was injured while trying to save the girl.”
“What!?... I mean, nay, I know nothing about that, very odd.”
‘They believe I drugged her! Nay! It was that stumpy fopdoodle!’
“Mhm, well, if you do know the person who did it, tell them that it was a good deed, and I approve of what they did, but whoever that person is should be more careful about the attention they draw.”
My inner brows furrow. “Terra,” I interject before she may move onto another topic.
“Yes? Is something the matter?”
“I do not know anything about what happened, but… Uhm, out of curiosity, the girl is she…”
“The girl is safe, and she’s staying away from that buffoon.”
“Oh, thank goodness.”
“Not that he is in any condition to do much of anything ever again,” I hear Terra murmur under her breath.
“I’m not deaf, Terra. I can still hear what is said aloud.”
She does not respond, but I can see a small smirk at the corner of her red lips.
‘Did I perhaps go too far? Nay, he could have killed me with that weapon of his, not to mention his intentions were far from pure.’
We arrive at the Terrace and sit at some benches near the fountain. I am very careful to make sure I remain downwind from Terra, and every time the wind blows, I get a bit anxious.
“You’re a bit quiet, Constance. Is everything okay?”
“My haze is dangerous; be careful about not breathing any in.”
“Is that so? I’ll be careful and bring a mask next time.” Terra removes a bag from her back and pulls out a familiar black rectangle. “This is called a computer or, more specifically, a laptop. I brought it in case whatever you need is something I can’t answer. Now, what is it you need?”
‘Lap-top? I’ve seen several people with something similar to this item, but I do not know how a rectangle will help. Perhaps I should tell Terra what I need first and see what she does.’
Silently I consider the best way of explaining the situation before making eye contact and leaning forward. “Well, it may be difficult to believe, but I think there is a possibility that there may be beasts in the lake, or some might perhaps call them... monsters.”
She turns serious. “Monsters? She nods and takes on a thoughtful air. “Have you seen these monsters?”
I shake my head. “Nay, not exactly, but I’m sure they are likely to appear soon.”
“How do you know monsters will appear here if you haven’t seen them?”
I grasp the cattail and fiddle with its end nervously. “...It’s a spirit’s intuition clearly.”
“I’d appreciate it if you would tell me if you know for sure there are monsters in the lake.”
‘Should I tell her?... Nay. Tell her that I essentially poisoned The Lake and the chamber pot tunnels! Nay, madam, I do not think so. She would certainly think of me as a menace. I cannot risk losing my… friend over something that cannot be changed regardless of what she knows.’
Unable to sustain eye contact, I stare out over The Lake. “I am fairly certain… I have a strong belief that The Lake is dangerous.”
Terra furrows her brow and falls into deep thought; anxiously, I wait until she breaks the silence, “Well, I don’t know what reason a spirit would have to lie, but I can’t risk my father finding out I’ve been out of the house.”
“Does that mean thee believes me?”
“Yes, yes, I believe you.”
“Then… I believe it would be wise if someone perhaps erected signs near the lake.”
“Oh, so the reason you wanted to be alone is to talk about the monsters and suggest signs.” Terra oddly seems to have a small frown.
“Aye? How else would one go about warning others? Letters are slow, impractical, and expensive… Is something the matter?”
“No, nothing is the matter.” She sighs and looks off into space. “I just thought you’d want me to show you things about the modern world, which seemed like it would be fun. It’s like if a relative from out of the country visits, but taken to the extreme.”
“I want that too!” I shout eagerly through the telepathic link, “Still, I’d rather learn things a bit at a time, or I’m certain I shall be overwhelmed.”
‘Not to mention, I need to do several things at the same time. That includes learning about the current era, but I cannot afford to dedicate my time to any single thing right now. It is much more practical if I learn a bit here and a bit there while doing many things at once.’
The black rectangle becomes blinding bright, and I look away. “Terra, what is that thing? Is it angry at us?” I ask in jest.
She giggles. “That’s cute, Constance, and relax. I’ll make it dimmer.” She pokes something, and the light becomes bearable. “As I said, this is a laptop and is like a tool that can accomplish things that used to take dozens of different devices. Well, most of those devices this replaced probably didn’t exist during your time either…”
Hearing her words, I move closer to inspect the object, being cautious to keep a safe distance from her. I float closer and cannot help but stare at the lap-top with a fixed gaze.
‘In a way, it reminds me of Earl? Should I ask Terra if they are similar?... Nay, I should keep Earl’s existence a secret. I am supposed to be something akin to a spirit after all, and I do not think spirits have things like Earl… perhaps? I do not actually know, but I shan't be the first to mention Earl nor my “Status.” If they are common, someone will eventually mention them; if not, then I shall decide if I should reveal them then. Let’s get more information on this rectangle.’
Terra stares at me with some amusement, “You floating closer to me while still seated strangely reminds me of a glitch in a video game.”
Having sorted my thoughts and not understanding Terra’s remark, I start to pelt her with questions, “What exactly is this thing? How does it work? Is it lit by candles or oil? Or perhaps it’s lit by the same thing the lanterns are lit by? Are they common or only for rich people? When were they made? Who made them?... Wait, are they magic?”
Terra’s eyes go wide as she stares at me with wide eyes. ‘I do not know if I should have mentioned magic. I should have made it off-limits like Earl and “Status.”’
“That’s a lot of questions at once!” To my great relief, she does not seem surprised by the mention of magic.
“Sorry. I am simply curious, and also frustrated by my lack of knowledge on the era.”
Terra waves her hand dismissively. “No need to apologize; I did not mean it in a bad way. What exactly it is and how it works is complicated for someone with no experience with technology. Just watch me, and if you have any questions, feel free to ask them. As for your other questions, it is not lit by candles or oil. The lanterns, or street lamps, are lit by light bulbs; as for the laptop, it would be simpler if you think about it also being lit by light bulbs except for lots of tiny ones.”
Terra looks at me to make sure I’m still following, and I nod as if I understand, “I don’t know the year off the top of my head, but it's been a long time now. Still, I do know the argument about what qualifies as the first ‘computer’ and who the true inventor is, is a topic of debate.”
“That’s fine; I just got excited and asked too many questions at once.”
She laughs and continues, “Finally, no, this isn’t magic, this is technology, and the best way to think about it is this ‘box’ contains a lot of books and pictures.”
“What about thy telepathy? Is that magic, or is it the thing called ‘technology.’”
“Telepathy is different…” Terra goes silent for a long time, and I wait patiently while contemplating possibly trying to touch the lap-top. She sighs as if making a decision. “Telepathy is indeed magic, but you should not tell anyone about magic, Constance… Not that you can talk to most people, but still.”
‘She did not want to talk about magic and warned me against mentioning it again, but she still told me? Does that mean spirits may have something to do with magic or that she trusts me?’ I watch as Terra starts tapping the lap-top. Calming myself, I stare off in the distance to finish my line of thinking. ‘I would like to believe it is because she trusts me, but let’s not cause suspicion and ruin this great opportunity to learn a lot of words and new things… I do have one question that I hope does not elicit suspicion.’
“...Terra, I would like to know more about myself. So what is a spirit? Is it the same as a soul?”
