OPEN POST; [ TAKA AMBULARA / ORIGINAL ]

[nailfiler]

(( where do we go? ))

Comments

i can't help it, she needs to meet them all

[luciole]

[It wasn't often Lucinda entertained otherworldly guests. Her parent's restaurant had its fair share of espers and normal human clientele mixed in with one another and very rarely, a witch or stray vampire.

Safe to say, this man is very human, but Feather and Flora had him pegged for being out of his element right away. One way or another, Lucinda, with her mother's help (a petite, but sharp mouthed woman with long glamorous nails and more tattoos on her arms than her adopted daughter), ushered him in and sat him down at a table.

In due time, the medium comes out wearing an apron over modest clothes, bearing a tray of food to set down on the table.]

Here you go. There's shaken cubed beef, stir-fried with onions served over a salad, some white rice, and a glass of jasmine tea over ice.

[She presents it not with exaggerated enthusiasm, but pleasantly enough with a winning smile.]

I hope it's to your taste. I told the kitchen not to make anything complicated.

She’s filling out her pokedex

[nailfiler]

[It’s not the first time that he’s been flung to another world? Plane? Dimension? But Taka must admit, this one’s a lot better than the last.]

Ahh?

[He looks down at the meal, eyebrows hitched up. Yes, this is a lot better than his last inter-dimensional supplanting, because he never got a free meal before. Now, he’s got to decide whether or not to look a gift horse in the mouth, but—

His stomach grumbles. He’s hungry.]

This looks amazing, I’ve got to say. A man like me isn’t that picky when hunger’s calling— Oh.

[Eyes flick up to Lucinda, assessing.]

What kind of payment do you take here?

[luciole]

[Before she can answer, her mother passes by to say something in Vietnamese, gesturing animatedly. Lucinda replies candidly and then turns back to Taka.]

She says if you have money, we take coins and paper bills.

If not, you'll be on vegetable prep duty. Does that sound fair?

[nailfiler]

[He watches, faintly amused, but then heaves a sigh, rubbing at the back of his neck.]

Ehhh...

[Give him a moment, and he digs his pockets. A few rustling moments later, and Taka produces two coins, which he clacks down on the table. They're silver, and printed with the silhouette of a grand, important-looking building. Castle? Academy? Government building? Hard to say. But nothing from Earth, it would seem.]

Guessing you don't take these...?

[luciole]

Mm...

[Lucinda hums under her breath as she takes one of the coins. Her mother wrinkles her nose and sniffs at the coins, but seems to regard them with some interest, taking the other.]

Well, I think we can do something with this. What do you think Mẹ?

[Without another word, the mother takes the other coin from Lucinda, pockets them both, and leaves. Iconic.

Blinking, Lucinda shrugs and then pulls a chair to sit across from Taka.]

You've been spared from vegetables.

[nailfiler]

[Well, guess he got the approval... or the coins did. Odd as they must be, her mother must find some value in them outside of monetary investment — or rather, she's just being kinder than she appears by helping this poor fool warm himself up with a meal.]

Good for the both of us.

[Anyway, he's going to start digging it. The meat calls to him first.]

I'm not an old hand in the kitchen. Spent a long time bartering for a good meal back where I'm from, and if I couldn't manage that, it was just a dinner of salt-cured meat for me.

[luciole]

I see. Salt-cured meat sounds rather rustic.

[Another server stops by to give Lucinda a glass of iced pennywort juice (very green, very grassy aroma) before they're finally both alone to converse aside from a few stray customers who are off in their own corners and minding their own business.

She stirs her drink with a plastic straw, airily adding:]

So where exactly do you come from if you don't mind me asking?

[nailfiler]

[Very green, very grassy. It doesn't so much as earn a second glance from him; he's had all manner of foods lately.

He says in-between bites, not as airily but definitely as dismissive:]

I don't mind, but I don't see how it'll mean anything to you. From what I can tell, I'm worlds-away from "home."

tfln cont.

[nailfiler]

(( from here ))

You never feel like you need to clear the air? The metaphorical air? That everyone around you has let the negativity take over, clouding their judgment. Maybe I'm not immune from that, either.

So: the proverbial sage for my brain.

[recluserose]

I'm a teacher, not a doctor. Do as you will and you'll have the joyful freedom of messing around and finding out.

[nailfiler]

[Back to sloppy texting:] is that your teaching style? joyful freedom first, regrets later?

[recluserose]

Of course not. I'm proactive when it comes to preemptive and preventative actions in order for my students to succeed. However, a degree of freedom is a given and with that freedom comes inevitable mistakes.

So in short, my style is "I told you so."

[nailfiler]

when that mistake is sticking burning sage in their ears, then they won't even hear you say "i told you so". does my hearing mean so little to you?

[He's running away with this metaphor now.]

[recluserose]

You're old enough to decide for yourself.

[calling the old man out (yes she's old but shhhh)]

If you want something to take the edge off, you can always read a book, drink some caffeine-free tea, or take a walk.

[she's riveting isn't she]

1/2

[nailfiler]

[he can read between the lines and therefore MENTAL WEEPING]

i'm not even FORTY

[nailfiler]

[Anyway,]

how does any of that take the edge off if someone's feeling antsy? i don't think you know what kind of group we have here. even i'm getting restless

[recluserose]

Give me context. Depending on the gravity of your circumstances, any short-term solution will be just that; short-term.

on call.

[recluserose]

[Taka's driver is a pleasant and older man in his 60s named Hoang who assures the detective that the witch they'll be meeting is very nice, very pleasant.

"We might be taking her by surprise by this, but then she'll have no choice!" he laughed.

"I'll be taking you to Blackgale. Very nice town,, nice people. And..."

HIs face turned serious for a moment.

"Magic. You'll be safe, but the magic is strong. Strong is dangerous. Dangerous attracts more dangerous things."

And then he was all toothy smiles again.

"Enjoy yourself, don't be in such a hurry to go back!"

He speeds down roads and highways with ease with no traffic to impede them. Within two hours, they've arrived.

Blackgale. A beautiful town by all accounts and a thriving one at that. There's a park, downtown is bustling, and it's very green. Occasionally, some stray cats can be spotted on rooftops and window sills and their eyes follow the car. Their real destination is...

Blackgale... High School.

Hoang goes in first, telling Taka to wait in the car. He goes into the front office. It takes a few minutes, but then he returns, cheerfully telling Taka to wait in a meeting room he's just reserved for him.

Meanwhile, Miss Amelia Steinbeck is teaching her Period 5 AP Literature class, going over Ovid's Metamorphoses. It is a totally normal non-magic day.]

[nailfiler]

[Saxea City was, even before it was remade, the beating heart or progress across the Central Continent. And after, when the world's greater magic receded into places too hard to call upon, history twisted itself to accommodate — progress still moved forward but no longer did the arcane bolster it. Rather, the sciences, engineering, and pure human ingenuity that crafted the city into what it was. Magic was faint, and though sometimes interwoven, rarely the backbone of anyone's life any longer.

Carriages that moved on their own? Sure, he's seen a few! But it's nothing like a car — nothing like the blazing speed that carries him down massive roads, into a town that is both beautiful yet still alien to him in many ways. He doesn't get to appreciate it very much, though.

Hoang's driving has made him car sick. It's a woozy stumble out of the vehicle and towards the school.]

Ugh... [A strained, nauseated curse in Lunti.] Nothing should ever have to move that fast.

[recluserose]

[Hoang shakes his head at Taka and reaches into his pockets to give the other man some hard ginger-lemon candies.]

"C'mon. Eat those while we wait inside."

[He leads them to the front office where the receptionists greet them with a peculiar sleepy smile and a glazed over look in their eyes. Other then that, they pay the two men no mind whatsoever. Hoang opens the door to an empty office and pats a chair for Taka to sit in.]

"Wait here. School is almost over. They'll give her a call so she comes here."

[When the bell rings so does Amelia's class phone. She was prepared to go home for the day and blinks when she answers the phone and gets the summons. She hurries over and is even more surprised when she sees the old man who no one is paying attention to in the administration meeting.

The witch is smart enough to deduce this is an Esper Collective member.

Striking as her red hair is, this supposed witch looks normal otherwise. She's in clear view outside of the office Taka is sitting in and her face goes through a series of expressions. Curiosity, flashes of annoyance, calmness... Her and Hoang glance at the detective and she squints at him in suspicion.]

[nailfiler]

[GINGER CANDY--

Ginger-lemon candy which perked him up, definitely. He's sucking on it by the time Amelia enters, leaning back in a chair, hands laced behind his neck and glancing up at the ceiling. The florescent lights kinda hurt his eyes; this room is weird-looking, too, more austere but bereft of anything he really recognizes. It's like being in an alien dimension again, but a lot more boring.

At least the candy is helping with his nausea.]

Hm?

[He feels eyes on him, and he lowers his head to look at Amelia.]

Is this supposed to be a school or something?

[No real hello, just. He's wondered.]

[recluserose]

[Amelia finally opens the door to the office and closes the door behind her. Hoang remains outside, hands in his pockets and keeping watch so that they can have their privacy.]

Hm. You look human enough. They probably had that all cleared up though.

[She readjusts her glasses and gives him a once over.]

Other worldly... Hardly. Scruffy maybe.

[M'am, please.]

[nailfiler]

[Wh- Hey.]

"Scruffy?"

[He is, indeed, very scruffy and always has been.]

Of course I'm human. And I am otherworldly, if you want to stick to the technical meaning of the word. Anyway, I thought you were supposed to help me, not insult me.

[recluserose]

I'm making observations.

[Funny how this all sounds...]

I'll see what I can do, but I don't make promises.

[Funny how upfront she is...]

What's your name?

[nailfiler]

[MORE LIKE SUSPICIOUS

... ]

Taka.