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<02/15/1972 – 11:10 | Queens, New York, United States>
It wasn't more than six hours before Jane was practically shaking Nyar and Danny to wake, with the additional announcement that the craft has landed already. In her haste to explore, Jane already made sure Taylor was prepared to move along too, only after having taken a four-hour nap. "Come on! It's time to see what we're missing!" With Jane's excited smile of joy on her face, it didn't take long for her friends to once again analyze her.
Where does she get that energy from? Nyar permitted himself a long nod followed by some arm stretches. It appeared as if everyone in the plane was walking forward in a clean and patient line, their luggage already encased into their hands.
Danny went straight for the luggage he knew was stored in the capsule container above his seat, and grabbed Nyar's suitcase while he was at it. During that moment, he soon appreciated having such good rest. He did not feel as refreshed since that last fight in Sprawn Valley, or even in the Greene Hotel, but finally were his minor wounds and exhaustion healing. The same could be said for Taylor too. Jane on the other hand still has some minor scar spots on her lower arms, and some on her face, mostly invisible thanks to her powerful makeup.
As all of the passengers left the aircraft connecting to the second primary flight terminal, the space opened up again into a wide vast area that momentarily stopped Jane, Danny, and Taylor in their tracks. Nyar was forced to stop, analyzing that these kids were still in exploratory mode.
"Wooooow!" Taylor's voice escaped her partially, her throat a bit dry to fully express her emotion, but the open space here was so impressive. People were everywhere, with multiple escalators going down from this section of the terminal. It was already evident to say that the Junon airport and this one are clearly different.
John F. Kennedy Airport, or JFK for short moniker; Danny knew that this was the place he was standing in, as told by Nyar before arriving here. Not only is he in the JFK airport, this place is also the state of New York, or rather the country of the United States of America. After all this time, he finally made it with Taylor, and to think that he could have been awestruck by this amazing beauty if he had simply stayed on the Tidal Max.
Jane could see so much, but could only guess as to what some of the stations were supposed to represent. This place has most of these bonus areas on the very floor below. Restaurants, stores, videogame stations, massive restrooms, there are so many places to go from here. They even have an entire food court somewhere here, as suggested by the confusing map Nyar brought with him.
Sensing the evident shock in the three of them, Nyar shook his head slightly with little applaud. "I'll never understand how you can all be so excited to see what most people call the worst place in America."
"Huh?" Danny thought at first his confusion was isolated, when Taylor and Jane both had the same exact reaction matching his own, now all looking at Nyar. The worst place in America? Is that what he said?
"Never mind," Nyar dismissed. "You won't get the reference until you've traveled enough times using airlines. Just follow me and don't run off." Nyar advanced forward keeping a steady pace. In truth, there was nothing to be nervous about, but large flight terminals are not the best places to be in. Thievery runs rampant here from any stranger, targeting those dumb enough to abandon their luggage temporarily for the service of dinning or using the bathroom. But the real problem is how thinly they stretch the staff here, both in customer assistance and in security... At least that's what it feels like sometimes. If you get lost in a terminal the size of this one, you're likely to never be seen again. Knowing Jane, she would find some way to publicize the entire incident. No, she wouldn't get lost, but she would somehow manage to go to great lengths to embarrass her entire party without even realizing it.
"One of those again?" Taylor complained. She referenced the escalator in front, as Nyar was soon to approach and use the machine descending downward by one floor. Taylor had never seen or used an escalator before, until her first arrival in the Junon Airport. Even though it took her some time to get over the fear that the machine could eat her alive, she didn't want to go through that again.
"You'll be fine," Danny promised.
Easy for you to say. Taylor remembered their reactions to using that machine last time. Danny at least had a very cautious or concerning look on his face, and Jane wasn't used to the machine either. Taylor's heart rate rose noticeably for her, but she continued walking forward anyway. Nyar was already getting on, with Jane closely behind; even she isn't afraid of that thing anymore. Just three feet away... Two feet... Against her own expectations, Taylor slowed to a complete stop just short of the metal ramp she would need to use walk onto the escalator, but what surprised her moreover was the sudden pressure around her left hand.
It was Danny, who noticed Taylor's change in pace and expression. He grabbed Taylor's hand with just a slight tug forward. Taylor somehow didn't hesitate a second time when riding the same moving ramp section as Danny was. "Nothing to worry about Taylor."
Taylor nodded with a smile she couldn't hide, nor could she tell if her face was changing in color just by the incredible sensation of Danny helping her so directly. Wait... No! No! No! I must look so weak and helpless now. I can handle an escalator Danny!
Danny panned his eyes only somewhat, after failing to read what Taylor was feeling when she faced forward to avoid his gaze. Do I really make her that nervous? Still, Taylor obviously didn't mind even the simplest of gestures. By the time they reached the bottom after Nyar and Jane, Taylor claimed her hand back, and went on as though nothing happened at all.
"Parking lot is still a way this way," Nyar claimed. He made sure all three of his companions were behind him and not running off. His eyes were sharpened onto Jane, since she was the most likely character to just leave from any sort of distraction. Luckily for him, Jane wasn't tempted enough by all of the flashy looking side stops they were passing, even though she gazed deeply into each one of them. Several times did she almost run into Nyar or into some other stranger since her attention span wasn't all too great right now.
The JFK Airport was far beyond Jane's own imagining. On top of that, she had never seen so many random citizens and people so congregated together like this, just free to go wherever they choose. Benches populated every single split-way path, and the people using them were either close to napping or repackaging their own luggage.
"Parking lot," Danny repeated, nearly out of context with his late timing. It got Nyar's momentary attention despite him not saying anything to confirm it. "That must mean there is a drive to get to your house? A drive in a car?"
Nyar wanted to sigh and laugh at the same time, but did neither in his inability to choose. Danny nor Taylor have ever been inside of an automobile before, despite seeing a few on occasion. "I see this trip will be a great learning experience for you both." Jane not knowing about them makes perfect since, as she was quite literally living under a rock for the past sixteen years. But still, not knowing what a car is in New York - is like not learning anything past the fifth grade. No, Danny and Taylor are smarter than that, but Kalamo is such a rugged place—
Taylor lifted her hand right beside Nyar to volunteer herself. "Can I sit up front then?"
Nyar paused for just a brush of a second, allowing Jane to catch up and his thoughts to collect. "You cannot." As he paced forward again, Nyar explained his reasoning to Taylor and to Danny as they stuck closer to hear his voice over the loud ambience of the airport. "There are four of us, and naturally I'm the driver. This means that we will reach the maximum passenger carry size for a standard automobile, thus seating arrangements will be based on age difference. Jane Venn is sixteen years old, and the two of you are still fifteen. The national law in America prohibits anyone under the age of sixteen from riding in the front seat of a car, unless they somehow obtain a driving permit. That means you and Danny must be seated into the back section of my car."
There's a sophisticated law just for that? Danny wanted to question Nyar on how many strange laws there were here. He did mention that life in New York was harder. Does that have to do with the difference in laws put from Sprawn Valley to America?
"Everyone has everything they brought right?" Nyar instructed even himself to answer his own question by checking his pockets and weighing the suitcase and other case in his hands, and there is one more good reason to make sure right now. "We've got one more checkpoint up ahead. Just be patient." Nyar knew he hated these things, but they too are the law here.
Security checkpoints block off entire segments of space in various areas of the terminals, all of which are equipped with metal scanners and x-ray conveyer systems. Still is it all standard stuff. Nyar put his bags and suitcase onto the conveyer while greeting one of the on duty officers there. Of course, he was bored just standing around all day; anyone would be. After that was taken care of, Nyar walked through the metal detector, free of any alarms or sounds that he didn't want to hear. With that, it was simply a wait for the scanning machine to show the security guards here that nothing of a weapon or suspicious item was hiding inside of his own luggage. After a few more seconds, the next agent helped Nyar take back his things.
Danny and Taylor followed the same process, but was made quicker by the fact that Nyar was holding most of their stuff anyway. The conveyer belt didn't even need to be used right now, so they simply passed through the weapons detector, built to be a large arch-like doorway. But with a few more seconds...
Loud high pitch beeping pierced through the noise of the area, silencing lots of passing by travelers and drawing the attention of everyone towards the detector unit. To Nyar's surprise, Danny and Taylor were already at his side. It was Jane Venn who was brought to a standstill, right under the unit with a red blinking light to indicate that some foreign object was detected on Jane's person. What did she do? Jane made it past the checkpoint in the Junon Airport, so why now would this happen?
The security agents all stepped out of their original post, escorting Jane to the quarantine section where they would more thoroughly search her. One of the agents however approached Nyar, making sure he didn't leave. "Sir, I must ask you for your ID and passports."
Nyar rolled his eyes at the whole situation, but complied by reaching into his back pocket. Luckily, Taylor and Danny had the sense to just stand here and be silent right now. This is a fine mess Jane just got herself into.
The agent quickly glanced at the license and ID registered to the 49-year-old male. The identification of the kids probably wouldn't be as important. But if that other girl is with him and is carrying illegal cargo, then this guy will be held accountable. "Montemeitrev Nyar. U.S. citizen. Any reason your daughter would be smuggling weapons into the terminal?"
Jane? His daughter? Weapons? "What?!"
After bringing Jane to quarantine, the next officer waved a handheld metal bar and moved downward from Jane's head. When the device reached Jane's hips, the device beeped and made some more noise. "Pockets girl. We need you to give us any metal objects you have."
Jane felt so embarrassed, but struggled to think about any metal objects she might even have on her. The necklace was obviously some sort of nickel or something, the one Jane had been wearing since her departure in Sprawn Valley, and the same one that was a gift from Alyssa. But surely, that wasn't what the officers were talking about. Are they against all metal? Perhaps just weapons?
Jane took her time to think, and then lifted up her overskirt revealing one steel blade dagger attached to each side of her leggings. The officers however responded to this quite severely, holding Jane's arms behind her back until they could snap off, while the other officer confiscated each weapon. "Small blades, approximate to daggers, two units." After throwing the blades into a small metal box behind him, the officer used the handheld scanner once more, going over Jane's entire body from the neck down. Surprisingly, there was nothing else to be found. Why would a young girl carelessly walk around with dangerous knives? Did she have these on the airplane?
Nyar continued his expression, as if he never would have expected the girl to hold any illegal weapons. But after hearing one more response from the earpiece in his headset, the agent quickly had more to go on. "Nyar, is it? Your party is found in illegal possession of unregistered small blades. Care to explain?"
"Small blades?" Despite Nyar's mental warning earlier, Danny had to think about that word aloud. It sounds much too similar to what Jane might do, even by mistake. "You mean the dagger blades?"
Nyar turned around to Danny directly. "Oh, you have got to be kidding me. I thought I told all of you not to bring any of that voodoo crap back here!"
How did the boy know they were daggers? And why is this guy so upset now instead of before? "Sir?"
Nyar turned around to the officer, ready to explain what now clicked in for him. "I'm so sorry about this. I wasn't aware that Jane took those things with her. She's a fighter from Sprawn Valley, so I can tell you that to be the origin of such weapons."
"Sprawn Valley? That magical place? Even so, nobody is allowed to have open weapons in airports or in aircraft. You should know better than to train your kids—"
"She is not my kid!" Nyar nearly lost it by now. Jane, how dare you do this! Everything is falling apart now because of you! "Jane is a registered traveler hailing from Sprawn Valley, and has temporarily joined my custody from parental permission. The two behind me are mine."
Taylor wondered why Nyar would lie about himself behind her real father, but what was more important right now is getting Jane out of there.
"Look," Nyar explained. "This is a complete misunderstanding. I don't even know how she managed to get those weapons past the first checkpoint in Junon. But we're not here to cause trouble. Can you please just let her go? Do what you want with those blades."
"They're for protection!" Jane was almost in tears right now. Why are they doing this to her? They're just training daggers, totally unable to be infused with magic and other properties. "I brought them from home. I always walk around with two daggers."
"Uh huh." He glanced at his partner for a moment. "I'll go run the system check and see if their stories check out." After lifting the small metal box of evidence off the ground, the officer went to the desk with a computer terminal, preparing to search up all the information on Sprawn Valley available.
Nyar crossed his arms with patience. "Take all the time you need to check it out. I'll give you any phone number you need, but I'm not leaving without Jane. I was instructed to look after her, and that's what I'm going to do, sir."
The man in front of Nyar held in his earpiece while keeping a close eye on the three of them. Danny and Taylor appeared to be genuinely frightened and concerned about their friend in quarantine. Still, this has to all check out first. "Please run background check on Montemeitrev Nyar, and that of the origin of Jane Venn."
"I'm telling you," Nyar begged. "This is a real thing for people in that country. They base their entire lives walking around with dangerous weapons, even machine guns, all because they think to be invincible by the veil. Jane is simply not old enough yet to understand the concept."
"It's true!" Danny cried. "That place is crazy enough to make anyone think that dangerous stuff is safe and okay to use anywhere. Please look into it!"
Taylor nearly gasped. Danny surely didn't believe that, even though they were the words from Nyar. What is he doing by lying to himself like that?
After pulling up the info page section of the network site, the officer checking the info confirmed what he initially believed to be a load of bull. But here it is. Sprawn Valley: a place where travelers all over the world go to seek magical battles, often assisted with ordinarily dangerous weapons. In Sprawn Valley, the veil of protection changes the very properties of the way and format weapons operate, making them non-lethal, but there was much more to it than that.
"Come with me," he ordered. Jane had no choice in what to do but to follow the officer's directions. Jane followed him all the way around an exit section leading back to Nyar and the gang. Just like that, Jane was being released from custody, but the other agent was confronting Nyar about something else.
"Sorry about the misunderstanding Mr. Nyar. It seems that your version of the story checks out for her."
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Even though the expression of surprise crossed his face, Nyar agreed that Jane be released back into his capable custody. "Thank you. This won't happen again."
"No, it won't. Naturally, we'll have to keep the blades. And just so we make this perfectly clear, all citizens traveling from the Junon Airport should actually check items personally. It seems that the Junon security team still allows normally illegal weapons to be carried onto ordinary passenger jets."
"They what?"
Sharing the surprise for Nyar, the officer gave his regards. "Yeah. We've already made official reports and sent more requests to change their guidelines for personal security, and so have the NTSB. Jane wasn't stopped at the Junon checkpoint properly because that country classifies weapons differently than we do."
Nyar spat through his teeth, "That's completely insane! She was almost arrested over this!"
"Nevertheless, please make sure all of your traveling party is well aware of the guidelines before you so much as board a single aircraft. Jane is now clear to move about the terminal with no remaining weapons." Rest assured, he knew too well that this is hardly the first time this has happened at this terminal. When will Junon Airport change their policies?
Danny sighed religiously. That's good. The people here bought the story, Nyar's version of it anyway. Jane, what the hell were you thinking bringing those daggers?
"Alright?" The officer shook Nyar's hand as a sign of trust. "I bid you a good day. Keep safe out there."
"Of course," Nyar agreed. With a swift twist of his neck, Nyar barked at Jane with a fierce expression. "Come on!"
Jane twitched from Nyar's response. Though you couldn't hear it from the inflection in his voice, his facial expression for just a moment seemed murderous and fixated on Jane alone. Surely, he was going to say something about this in the next five minutes, but Jane continued moving forward alongside Danny and Taylor. By the time they were out of hearing range for the checkpoint agents, it was as expected.
"Do you want to get sent back home right now? I thought I told you before not to bring any suspicious looking object or unnecessary magic related things to New York."
"I'm sorry," Jane apologized.
"I mean, daggers on an airplane? We look like terrorists! What the hell possessed you to bring those despite my warning?"
Jane didn't sound as sorry after continuing to defend herself, but her reasons were well founded. "They were just personal self-protection, my training daggers. I didn't think I would actually use them anyway."
"You could have wound up behind bars for that alone. Your attachment to that vile place is stopping your ability to recognize reality!"
"Hey, she said she was sorry," Taylor defended.
Nyar quickly ignored Taylor's outburst and focused again on Jane. "Sorry doesn't keep people out of trouble. You have to learn how to think." Nyar felt that his luggage in hand was somehow tainted after that horrifying experience. Hopefully Jane felt worse about it than he did. "The world has rules Jane. Things are not the same in Sprawn Valley. Here, you have to follow the law or go to prison. If you do something stupid to wind up in that situation, I can't help you even with my position as a lawyer."
Surely he doesn't mean to abandon Jane if she did mess up again? Nyar, this is going too far. Stop being so harsh! It's her first time here! Danny wanted to shout all of it at once, or somehow beam his thoughts to Nyar telepathically, but even then would he argue. The man is beside himself right now, but Jane really didn't mean to get everyone into trouble.
"Let's just focus on getting home," he demanded. Without looking behind him, Nyar had to simply trust at this level that Jane and the others were following him closely, as they were now approaching the exit of the building through the subsection leading outside into the massive parking lot. He could guess that Jane would at least be slumped down, looking depressed and ashamed. If she is, then she is finally learning one of many lessons.
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Chapter Theme Shift: Morning Mirage ~ Yarn (Downtempo)
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After a few moments of walking through the fresh sunny air did Taylor notice the difference in environment. The pavement here went on for miles in all directions, the short trees distant as they were. It was also close to cold outside too. Taylor knew she had warm clothes packed away somewhere in the luggage of clothes Nyar was holding, but he might not be in the mood to open it up right now. Where are they going anyway?
Never before had Danny or even Jane seen this many cars so close up in real life. Obviously, they operate completely; otherwise they wouldn't be here. There were also contrast painted parking spaces divided by white lines continuing to stretch everywhere in a parallel pattern. There were also small, skinny vertical structures, only as tall as Danny himself, parked in front of each car or visible parking spaces vacant of a car.
None of these vehicles were recognizable in comparison to the models seen in Kalamo. Not even the jeep Danny only saw once near Fronas was anywhere around here, but these models look more impressive regardless, as they have a lot of room for the interior passenger. Somewhere in this maze is Uncle Nyar's automobile.
It took almost six minutes of walking straight for one direction in near silence for Nyar to make the announcement. "Here she is. This one here is mine." Nyar was practically about to walk into the back of the vehicle, just before stopping still and placing all of the luggage into the cement below him. Predictably, the kids all zoned around the car to examine the vehicle as if it were a crashed UFO. Nyar fiddled in his back pocket for his set of keys.
Danny and Taylor both shared one side while Jane examined the other from the exterior of the car. The entire outer paint job was colored to a mid-tone of beige, and the leather seats inside had a somewhat brighter shade of the same color. Inside, Danny could clearly see one large connective seating in the back and two separated seats in the front as suggested earlier by Nyar. The steering wheel and gauges were on the right side, which actually seemed normal to all four of them, but Danny wanted a closer look at the gauges and what they were all supposed to mean.
Nyar had to step in front of the car, over to the vertical structure which only he identified as a parking pay service; a parking meter. You simply look at the total fee on the unit's analog counter and insert coins to match the amount it costs to park here overnight. At JFK Airport, it wasn't cheap. Since Nyar had been parked here for a little over two full days, his ticket read out to match $48 USD. After inserting coins and bills into the slot to match the price, the small machine spit out a receipt for the service, of which Nyar crumpled into his right pocket. Then he turned around for the trunk. It wouldn't be that easy to just drive off in New York, as the only exit gate leading to the highway asks for this receipt in return for passage, less you drive over spikes that will pop your tires and invalidate you as a law abiding citizen.
After a click and a pop momentarily attracted their attention, Nyar opened his trunk and began placing the suitcases and other materials inside. Jane actually came back here with him to take a closer look into the trunk. Nyar unfortunately couldn't hold back his remarks to their alienation of cars even for a moment. "Fascinating huh?"
"So the back door—"
Nyar corrected Jane on the spot. "It's called a trunk."
"Stores the stuff people can't carry inside of the front of the car?"
"She's got a name you know."
"She?" Danny hadn't realized that automobiles come with genders. He didn't see any particular difference between most of the cars, but even if there were...
"A man can tell," Nyar completed. "This right here is a 1970 Ford Escort. They're quite popular on the road these days, but she never lets me down."
Danny passed a few more defining features he noticed on the way towards the trunk, such as the solid chrome cast rims between each tire, or the fancy door handles, which curled over right at the back of the handle and not the front. The small antenna on the front of the car made little sense either. With the trunk still open, Danny stood next to Jane and Nyar with his hands in his pockets for warmth. It was at least 59oF in the air right now despite the solid sunshine.
Nyar continued his explanation from where he left off. "Lots of cars can be the same, but the model makes the feel of drive and even the reliability that much more different. Since they're actually quite new models, you probably have never seen these before in Kalamo. I doubt a country that drives themselves towards near poverty would even consider requisitioning them either."
Taylor didn't want to talk about anything if it involves Kalamo, so she just listened passively while at the front of the vehicle, studying more features that didn't make very much sense to her either without any explanation.
"I've seen one car in person before, back in Sprawn Valley."
Nyar tested Jane's claim carefully, since it seemed so unlikely. "That must have been something. Sprawn Valley normally has no such cars."
Jane questioned Nyar to see if he might understand why. "Is it because they won't want to afford it either?"
"No," he answered. "Sprawn Valley simply doesn't want to integrate cars into their society. Their official claim has some lame testimony to it, such as making people exercise more, or improving the reliability of other cheaper vehicles. But the real reason such integration has failed is because Sprawn Valley is a land filled with destructive magic, where people wield its destructive capabilities. You might not think it at first glance, but an automobile is actually easy to destroy. I can only imagine how many cars may have been lost in testing resistances to hostile magic in the first place."
"I guess that actually makes sense." Jane couldn't argue with the facts there. Leray magic can destroy any object or structure, and while most buildings there are made out of special Leray resistant metals, smaller vehicles such as bikes or scooters are commonly ruined. A car is also just as vulnerable. Thinking back on it a long time ago, she felt so powerful for unleashing that spell. Then again, Lightning Strike only has an average power level of 3.5. "That jeep I zapped didn't last very long for a low level spell."
Wincing noticeably, Nyar immediately intensified the subject to fully understand what Jane just said. "Did I hear you right? You saw a jeep in Sprawn Valley, and then you zapped it?"
Danny stepped in to explain, since Nyar might be getting upset simply from the lack of context, which Jane wasn't great at providing, but he had to scoot closer to Jane and turn to face Nyar to get his attention to begin with. "Yeah. Some thief managed to score a vehicle there, and was about to use it to get away from town and police. So Jane did the sensible thing and attacked the car with Leray magic. For a large machine, it actually leveled the entire equipment unusable. It took a lot out of Jane to do it though."
Why won't he let me tell that story? Jane recalled the moment well, and it only drained her because it was her very first successful invocation of Lightning Strike. She guessed that the machine must use an electrical power source, thus shocking it with higher voltage would have to calm it down. Instead, the front of the car began smoking as if it were about to explode. But it didn't.
Nyar rubbed his head between three of his fingers up and down in a moat of stress. This seemingly idiotic girl has enough power to wipe out an entire vehicle? It shouldn't be surprising since vehicles are known to be weak against Leray magic. But still, even having that much potential gives you enough prowess to attract the attention of any criminal. "Let's just get in, okay?"
Danny could tell that he was right to try and summarize the version of events carefully, but even then did it frustrate Nyar noticeably. Did he really hate magic this much? From here, it looks a lot more like he is still afraid of what it can do. After watching Nyar slam the trunk and open the right side door with his other key, he waited for Nyar to hit the unlock switch to open all four doors of the car. Danny and everyone else still had to pull on the handles to open the side doors, but it was a pleasurable few seconds of experience. As planned, Jane slid into the left front passenger side while Danny and Taylor scooted into the back.
For Taylor, the bright side to this was having to sit so close to Danny, which he didn't seem to mind either, but his curiosity of the car was still bursting with his zooming eyes here and there. Even Taylor had to ask about a few of the components, to help Danny get over it faster. "So how does this work?"
Nyar turned around to show Danny and Taylor how to strap in their seatbelts, and afterwards demonstrated how to use the rotating hand crank lever to move the side window up or down for air. Since it was already somewhat chilly, everyone kept their windows up completely, and Nyar thus activated the heater unit of the car. As the warm air seeped in through the vents, he explained this process as well. "All standard vehicles have this function too now. The heat from the engine is filtered into the vents for warmth. If I were running the air conditioner, it would have to use liquid coolant combined with high-speed fans. So enjoy the warmth while you have it. The heater at my place doesn't do as good a job."
Danny and Taylor exchanged a glance, then returned their sight forward again, with Danny leading the next question. "What's that antenna out there for?"
Though he didn't turn around again to address Danny, Nyar noticeably raised one eyebrow. "Come on! You don't even know what a radio is for? Kalamo and Sprawn Valley both need to get their things in order. Here." Nyar brushed the power switch with his left hand to the radio tuner in the middle of the car, causing Jane to wait as well while she fixed her seatbelt.
Though the car was perfectly capable of running the unit off a battery without the engine engaged, Nyar knew it was risky to do this for more than ten minutes at a time. Still, he was just demonstrating right now. In another second, the entire car filled with noise, particularly of classic hits of music. This however began freaking all of them out, with their heads turning up and around everywhere in a panic.
It's like there are other people in the car, and Taylor just can't see them, but she soon noticed that the small circular screens were the origin of all current noise. Still, how is he able to play music from the car like that?
"What is this?" Jane fussed. "Make it stop!"
Nyar only turned down the volume significantly, since it wasn't a big deal. "It's just a radio. Sheesh! You turn it on and it plays music through electronic speaker systems."
"You mean," Danny barely heard of stuff like this before, about how music can be recorded and played back through devices other than standard record players, but this was beyond his previous imagining. Still, he believed by now to understand. "The speaker units in the car, that's what they're for? They play recorded songs for people to listen to?" If it's true, then it's also simple. A radio is just like a television without a screen to see anything. Kalamo strangely has radios and television sets, but not speakers separate from electronic devices.
Nyar pointed with one finger, "That's my boy. But you're mistaken to think these are all prerecorded. I mean, the music is, but the stream is all live."
"I don't get it now." Danny had to confess when he was completely lost. At least he realized that it wasn't harmful. The noise was loud a moment ago though. Nyar must have control over standard volume and amplitude as well. All from that little box in the front of the car?
Nyar broke it down for him specifically, realizing that the girls would perhaps never understand this. "We have radio stations that pick and choose what music is streamed at which times of days and in whatever local locations. The radio tunes into those live streams and plays back anything that is broadcasted by those stations. It's live in a sense where any radio show host can just come on and announce anything he wants, which isn't prerecorded, and neither is the decision of what songs to play. But the music in question is actually being broadcast using similar playback equipment, sent out through radio waves, which this unit here picks up to analyze using the antenna out in front."
Even Danny's head was spinning after that detailed explanation. Still, he didn't mind the system and how it worked. The music itself was quite interesting to hear. "I'll just take your word for it." A car has all of this? What a cool invention! How does Sprawn Valley not invest in these things?
Nyar wagged his head just slightly while smiling in response. All of these kids are hopeless. Even Danny doesn't get the concept of a standard car-radio, or that of a family vehicle. It's funny because out of everyone here, he tries the hardest to understand it. So analytical, just like his father. Nyar shook the thought since he was wasting time, and turned the key into the wheel to trigger the engine startup sequence. Again, everyone except for him jumped in place from the sudden noise. The process alone killed the power to the radio momentarily, until it was picked back up again. This time however, Nyar didn't continue to explain this, since it was going in one ear and out the other. Instead, he backed up from his parking space in the lot, and began to drive to the main highway.
Everyone got used to the car's movements quickly, even the low volume playback of the randomized music from the radio, but Jane had to ask once more about music in general, since she was perhaps the most unfamiliar to it. "So people get together in bands and make this music right? It's almost like that music session I went to a long time ago. They were playing something called Jazz, but I barely remember much about it."
Taylor quickly made sure Jane wasn't as much of an outsider as she sounded right now. "You mean, other than one musical session, you've never heard of music before?"
Jane nodded up and down once while glancing behind her. Danny was just as interested in her answer. "Some music groups go around in Sprawn Valley and play music as bands in the nearby towns, but I think more than half of them are actually from outside. We don't have radio in Sprawn Valley though. It's just ProCom news and other stations. I've heard of short tunes before from TV, but I don’t think they're the same."
"It may be a while before Sprawn Valley adopts those customs," Nyar explained. "After all, they tend to only focus on that one thing all the time, like there is nothing else. But don't worry. Soon enough, you will all have some of the best rock and metal stuck in your heads forever."
Danny didn't say anything back while Nyar was driving to approach some sort of checkpoint, but even he had to judge once more his level of hatred to magic. Nyar won't even say the word Leray or magic in an ordinary sentence anymore. He just doesn't understand what it's used for.
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Chapter Theme Shift: Peurs Et Pleurs ~ Electrypnose
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The drive didn't end any time soon. In fact, the time dragged on for over half an hour, boring everyone inside. Even Nyar stopped adjusting the radio unit eventually; giving up on finding what he called good music. While being on many different connecting roads with highways and passing by numerous cars and tall building sights, there was only a matter of time for how long the constant shift in scenery could occupy the attention of Jane or her friends. It wasn't long until Jane simply repeated one of the many excitements in her mind aloud, seeming to be over-repetitive. "I wonder what kinds of places New York has. Nyar? How big is New York, compared to Sprawn Valley?"
For once, Nyar hesitated before answering Jane. He didn't know Sprawn Valley's interior size all too well, other than what references he had available to study on primitive maps. "I reckon New York is probably half as large of a state as Sprawn Valley is a country. But you shouldn't take my word for it this time."
"Why not?" Jane questioned.
"Because. I've never lived in all the areas of Sprawn Valley. New York is my home. There's actually a small section of land in Manhattan, patches all around the inner city that have individual houses that are usually expensive. I was lucky to partially inherit the rights from my grandfather when he bought the property, but keeping that place is another story. You'll all get plenty of chance to explore when I get there."
"See?" Danny fused. "It'll be easy." Danny spoke more directly to Taylor than he did to Jane, assuming Taylor to still be nervous or on edge. Taylor of course would deny being nervous anytime he suggested as much, but this was obviously a big lie. Looking around and outside through the transparent view of the interior windows, Danny could see all sorts of things he had never seen before, and will continue to witness new things the longer he spends in America. On top of that, the destination is unknown as well, and in all that, Nyar is his only immediate family member to take care of him.
Being in a country alien to your own, away from your mother and father, and away from anything else familiar to you, even when right beside your friends, it's a terrifying experience to say the least. At times, it feels incredible and exciting. Your heart and mind races with wonder, the world is so big and you've been thrown headfirst into such an unknown area. Whatever the sensation is, it's there to remind you that this isn't normal or usual. New York is as alien to himself as it is for Jane and Taylor too. So there is no way that Taylor can fake that smile and pretend to be perfectly fine inside. Sure, it's nothing to get upset about either, nor is it something to overreact or freak out about, but this feeling makes anyone nervous. Danny certainly felt more alert and somewhat tense. Taylor has to be feeling something of the same too. And Jane is always an energetic person, but she always manages to display her emotions in the same exact way; you'd mistake it for being hyper every time.
"I didn't say it won't be." Taylor noticed that Danny was looking directly into her eyes as she replied. They were sitting somewhat close together from the design of the car and the seatbelts holding them in place. Even now, Taylor could so easily lose herself in this gaze, this undefinable look Danny would give her sometimes. Despite her hard efforts, Taylor can't always read what Danny is thinking.
Sighing loudly enough to disrupt the moment Danny and Taylor were having, Nyar slumped back against his seat with his arms outstretched onto the steering wheel. He knew this road already, soon to be in view of the long bridge connecting Queens, New York to Manhattan. But for now, he simply let himself relax with the familiarity of home. "I'd say we can relax a little, since I won't get lost from here on out, but you two in the back should think of what plan you're going to have for your stay here."
Taylor gestured her hands slightly by Nyar's mystification. "What do you mean? Like where to go after we get to your place?"
"Come on," Nyar grilled calmly. "Didn't we just talk about this earlier? I can't play daddy with you three for more than a month of time, not without financial support. My job barely allows me to save up for anything these days. If you want to stay here longer for your vacation, you'll all need to find part time jobs earning some of your own."
"Wh—" Jane cut herself off to think about what Nyar was talking about. He did mention something earlier about this, but she too would have to get a job as well? "What happens if we can't find any good jobs?"
The answer to that was simple, as set in his original plan of action for taking Danny and Taylor out from Sprawn Valley. "Then in one month of time, all three of you are to go back home immediately. I'd have to likely take out a loan just for that."
"Oh." Taylor tried to shut herself up, but her mild response was most noticeable. The end result of failing to make this work means Nyar would send Taylor back to Kalamo, the worst place in the world to be.
Jane sunk her head down slightly, uncertain of how this long trip will actually go. If she doesn't earn any money, the vacation will be short. But on top of that, going to places just for exploring probably costs money too, and Jane didn't feel all too ready about going back to Sprawn Valley yet.
Noticing their sudden onset of depression, Nyar realized he might have pushed this too far too fast. "Now don't get all down and out about it. All you need to do is envision a real future for yourselves. You could actually live in New York if you take up a real career and advance it forward."
"What about all of those credits Jane saved up for?" Danny knew he asked about this before, but did Nyar forget about all of it?
"I already told you I would work on it exclusively. I'm simply not placing high hopes for that alone. It's good to have a backup plan after all."
Jane perked up with confidence again, imagining all of the possibilities here. "Well I don't know about you two, but I came here for the fun and excitement. I'll be going back to Sprawn Valley eventually, but I'd rather see what else is out here first."
Nyar still didn't understand Jane's mentality. Most people who grow up on Leray magic never leave their home country, particularly for the reason that they believe it to be dangerous. On one level, it is dangerous. If people leave the country believing their limited invulnerability applies in the outside world, things usually end badly, especially without parental guidance. But somehow, someway, Sprawn Valley officials give their youngest teenagers valid adult-like permissions at such young ages. It's a miracle nobody constantly gets kidnapped when they leave... Or perhaps Nyar never really bothered to check those statistics should they exist.
"She's right." Danny held his right fist up slightly, reminding himself about the promises he made a month ago. "Taylor and I are actually here for about the same reasons. I don't know yet if it is possible for me to head back to Kalamo to visit my parents. I mean, I know it is, but then I'll have no way of leaving Kalamo if I do so quickly."
"So then you want to have more travel options and availability?"
Answering Nyar's proposal, Danny put his thoughts into words quickly. "I want to have the option to head back to Kalamo or Sprawn Valley or New York at any time I leave those places."
"It costs money," he emphasized. "I'll work on credit conversion in the meantime. I just hope you at least talk to your family about these things. I'll even let you call them once we reach my place."
"That's good," he agreed. "It's been a while since I was able to speak to them."
"Yes." Nyar hugged the wheel as he was beginning to approach the massive bridge extending over the large body of water yet to be visible from the position of his car. "It won't be that much longer till we arrive. Just stick to the less annoying games this time, like eye-spy." Nyar knew what he was doing. Jane in particular would become annoying like before more often when bored. At least this way, the three of them can get used to the way things will be around here. Just several more minutes to go, so long as traffic doesn't have another accident. He could sense his sweet home nearby.