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story:chapter_5 [2024/11/28 20:38] – davenportstory:chapter_5 [2025/06/09 23:05] (current) – davenport
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-====The Earth Part 2====+====Chapter 5: The Earth Part 2====
 //Earth and the Girl// //Earth and the Girl//
  
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  Looking closer, the staff was a good match with his cloak or robes or whatever. Clearly a more modern design. It was mostly wood, though there seemed to be several sections of grafted plastic or metal (she couldn't tell). It looked like it has good weight to it but the guy was grasping tightly to it, so there was no way to tell for sure.  Looking closer, the staff was a good match with his cloak or robes or whatever. Clearly a more modern design. It was mostly wood, though there seemed to be several sections of grafted plastic or metal (she couldn't tell). It looked like it has good weight to it but the guy was grasping tightly to it, so there was no way to tell for sure.
  
 +Will continued to look down as they walked. He felt somewhat ashamed and embarrassed, having a panic attack in such a public place. but he was glad to have someone to help him, if only for a little while.
  
 +Julia led the way for awhile. She knew the perfect place to sit and relax. This was one of her favorite places in town. It had a lot of lunch options, and it was removed enough from the campus that she didn't have to worry about running into many students. Her 'secret' neighborhood.
 +
 +She'd never even taken her so-called "boyfriend" here. Thank God for chatty friends. Sometimes even the talkative ones had good idea.
 +
 +"Let's see... another block or two and we'll e there." She was talking to a total stranger, but something in her gut told her that he wouldn't squeel on her 'secret' coffee shop. Another glance and she noticed that he was still looking down at the street. "Rough day, huh?"
 +
 +"You could say that."
 +
 +Finally, a response! "What part hurts?" Julia asked.
 +
 +"A bit sore all over, especially my head."
 +
 +'This is good. Keep him talking. Find out more about him and maybe distract him from whatever's going on,' Julia thought. Julia reflected on some of the basic first-aid training she'd had: keep the patient focused and calm.
 +
 +"First time in the downtown?" she asked.
 +
 +"Kind of... There is so much to take in."
 +
 +"Well, we are in one of the busier neighborhoods. Still not as bad as the business district."
 +
 +"Where are we going?" William asked.
 +
 +"Some place to relax. I just finished classes for the day and I was coming here to take a break anyway. Here it is." Julia looks up at the sign to "The Gathering Place" coffee shop. The front was just as normal, lit with a few neon lights and advertisements plastered on the windows, some from last fall's events.
 +
 +Will looked up and could see the establishment. It looked different, or different than what he was used to. He'd never been out of the academy long enough to relax. It was usually for a quick pick-me-up and more than 40 minutes or the proctors would start getting suspicious.
 +
 +This place looked very inviting; a little worn but comfortable. Inside, the pleasant jingle of bells on the door and the cheery look given by the baristas was altogether new. There was a slightly cool breeze circulating around the shop, along with a smooth, bitter smelling aroma. Almost like wood or incense. Very nice overall.
 +
 +"What do you feel like having?" Julia asked.
 +
 +"Anything that helps cure a splitting headache."
 +
 +Julia smiled at his response. He has a decent sense of humor. She chuckled silently. 'Helps that he's kinda cute, too.' she thought.
 +
 +The place wasn't too busy yet. It was an hour after lunch so the next wave of customers wouldn't be due for another 2 hours. 'Perfect,' she thought. They walked up to the counter to order.
 +
 +"Hello Oh, Julia, Good to see you again!" The jovial man at the counter said. He looked like a man in his early to mid-30s. He was very glad to see Julia again. She was always such an interesting customer, what with all her different classes. "Done with classes for the day, or just taking a break?"
 +
 +"Not sure yet," Julia replied. She turned to Will and asked what he felt like. Will was a bit uncertain about the entire protocol for situations like this. "Whatever tastes good, I guess."
 +
 +Sensing this newcomer's apprehension, the man behind the counter gave a warm smile and replied, "If this is your first time, try a vanilla latte. It's always smooth and a good introduction."
 +
 +Something about the smile warmed Will's insides for an instant. He didn't know what it was, but if the man could confidently recommend it, it was probably safe. 
 +
 +"Sure," Will answered. He was still overwhelmed taking in all of his surroundings. There were several sets of chairs and tables set across the establishment. The tables were all solid wood with a good finish making them appear rustic and old fashioned (at least, compared to the machines outside). The chairs were similar, but had deep cushions on the seat and seemed to sink a bit when people settled into them.
 +
 +It was a few minutes before their drinks were ready, but soon they picked up their libations and Julia led them to a table and chairs set far from the entrance. It was a little dim, but very cozy.
 +
 +"I never got your name. My name is..."
 +
 +"Julia? That man called you that."
 +
 +"Okay. I guess you caught that..."
 +
 +"My name is Will."
 +
 +It was strange, to say the least, Julia had never met anyone like Will, both in form or personality. He'd been at attention the while time they'd met, just very quiet.
 +
 +"So, Will, what was the deal with that cross walk? Did you have a panic attack or something? You look too young to have had a stroke." Julia felt like it was her duty to find out how Will was doing now that they'd made it this far.
 +
 +"An attack of panic? That describes how I felt. Just overwhelmed by everything."
 +
 +Julia settled into her seat and had a sip of her chai latte. It was okay. Still a bit hot, but another minute or two and it would be cooler. She was very curious about this strange young man. He simply screams, 'mysterious'... but not harmful... Nothing like the boys or people on campus, that's for sure. It felt like an honest-to-goodness 'mystery man'. He wasn't trying to impress her or get her back to his apartment. He may be an enigma, but it was a pleasant change from the other men she'd met.
 +
 +Julia took this chance to look into Will's face, a very clear and detailed look. After a moment, she felt a weird vibe, a moment of shock as she studied his face. There was something "wrong" almost, a strong sense of 'deja vu'.
 +
 +She notices that Will had a very peculiar nose, the exact shape of her own in ways. His hair was practically a shade darker, but swept the same way naturally. But the strangest part was the slight scar over his left ear. It was almost the same depth and shape as her own blemish.
 +
 +Julia had always grown her bangs long to hide her mark. The unfortunate marking of an accident some years ago. 'Just too strange.'
 +
 +"Something wrong?" Will asked, noticing Julia was staring with a fixed gaze and slightly awkward silence. It was unnerving. Will didn't like it when people stared. In his own experience, staring was usually when people started plotting or criticizing.
 +
 +"Nothing, no, just... something... your ear." Julia said while running her fingers along her own scar unconsciously. "Try the vanilla latte, Will. It's pretty good." Julia took another sip of hers. It was starting to mellow. Will had forgotten how hungry/thirsty he had been.
 +
 +The 'latte' was very smooth, but kind of bitter at the end. Certainly better than his world's version of the drink. As Will looks at Julia's face, he too felt the sense of 'deja vu'. It was the girl from the vision or dream. 'Same voice, same form and feel. Very comforting and unsettling at the same time.
 +
 +Will was still swimming in thoughts but he knew that 'this' place was where he had been summoned to. The dream, the feeling of deja vu... there was no question about it.
 +
 +"Julia. if I may, I have a few questions about this place." Will wanted to sound polite so he was careful to use his best manners.
 +
 +Julia felt a little shocked by the politeness but decided to let it pass. "Certainly. What's on your mind?"
 +
 +She sat back and took another sip of her latte. Perfect. It was in that middle area of hot and very warm. Just right...
 +
 +"What is this place? I mean..." Will paused and struggled with how he wanted to phrase his next question. He didn't know how much to reveal... how much he could trust... He could have been sent to some world even more dangerous than his own (even if that danger was not as obvious).
 +
 +Will leaned in and quietly asked, "What world is this?"
 +
 +At that, Julia's entire train of thought screeched to a halt.
 +
 +"World? This world?" She thought, 'oh-kay...' She took a long sip of her coffee and a long deep breath. Either this man took cos-play way too seriously, or... maybe had escaped a mental ward. But her opinions stopped there. Any person who suffers a panic attack probably isn't lying and the strangely similar facial patters all leaned toward a possibility she wanted to consider but didn't want to accept. 'impossible or improbable'.
 +
 +'Maybe he is from another world. The clothes, the staff, the everything! Well, here goes...'
 +
 +"This world - planet - is called Earth. Seven continents, seven oceans, mostly water... You must know Earth, right?" Will just replied with a 'hmm' as he tried to process. "What about you, Will? Where do you come from if not Earth?"
 +
 +"I'm from a world called Myrah. It's cloudy and dull. Inescapably grey. Nothing as vibrant and colorful as here. And you can't just walk around from place to place like this. There's checkpoints everywhere. Non-magical people are kept..."
 +
 +"Magical people!? Is this like Harry Potter or something?"
 +
 +"I... I don't think so. Our hair stays on our heads." Will looked quizzically.
 +
 +"No! You said 'non-magical people'. Does that mean there's..." Julia leaned in and quietly whispered, "...magical people? Are you a magical people?" This didn't rule out the 'crazy' or cosplay possibility, but now we get into something that can be tested. 
 +
 +"Yes, I definitely fit the category of 'magical people' in my world. I'm a third year in the Academy."
 +
 +"Will, are you for real or are you just, like, really, really deep in character? Can you really do magic?"
 +
 +"Yes, but..." Will was very apprehensive of using his arcana in public. Not only that, the thought of disturbing that still calmness of Earth's untouched energy field felt like sacrilege. "...it's complicated." Julia was looking back at Will with a look of distrust. "There's arcana here on Earth but I don't want to disturb it."
 +
 +"What's 'arcana'?" Julia asked. She was balancing between believing and just blowing this whole experience off as an interesting waste of time. She did have the fleeting thought, 'well, it took me years to grasp just the beginning of the sciences. Is it outside the realm of possibility that there could be a supernatural connection to everything?'
 +
 +After finishing their coffee, Julia had decided to press ahead. "So, you're saying Earth has magic, it's just untouched?" She wanted to be sure she had everything straight.
 +
 +"Yes but it's undisturbed. Kind of like a calm pond in the middle of a forest. Pure and at peace." Will replied.
 +
 +Looking at Will, and then her watch. It was getting close to dinner. Julia knew she'd have to get something to eat soon, but she didn't want to leave Will all on his own. He was no ordinary stranger. He had no money or understanding of Earth's customs. He didn't even have a form of I.D.
 +
 +Julia made a few calls to some friends. Se felt a bit responsible for Will. And, she wanted to see this through. The possibilities Will spoke of were very fascinating. He was sincere and it had been a very long time since she'd even thought about an adventure. //Such a new experience!//
 +
 +A quick detour for dinner, and after a final call, Julia had everything set. "I have a few more classes this week that I can't miss, but I've found a place for you to stay." She knew a friend across town who rented out a guest room occasionally. With an empty room and nothing big happening, Julia called in to reserve it while Will got his bearing straight.
 +
 +"I am honored," Will replied. Julia felt a bit embarrassed. Will seemed a bit too stiff at times. Maybe his society was very different from her own more relaxed civilization. Perhaps something she had taken for granted.
 +
 +As they parted ways for the night, both could sense that their journeys of discovery were just beginning. All through dinner they had discussed their various life experiences. Growing up, school, and difficulties. However, there was always this strange //vibe// both felt from the other. Kind of like when one spoke the other didn't just hear the voice, they also felt it's reverberations.
 +
 +That night, both lay awake in their rooms. Separated by several blocks, but their minds seeking answers to the same question: "what is this strange feeling?"
 +
 +//Continue to [[Chapter_6]]...//