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<02/15/1972 – 19:41 | Manhattan, New York, United States>
After the dawn broke away from the silent skies filled with a winter sheet of fog, the house grew evermore silent. Taylor and Jane tried to talk about some of the moments they've had in the past growing up just to pass the time, but Danny grew restless and irritated by the lack of anything to do. He even examined the front and back of the living room television thoroughly with no success of finding any real cause of major flaws. The device simply would not power on for anyone.
Well after situating themselves into the house and unpacking all of their clothing and personal items, Danny checked out the entire kitchen for food in the pantry or in the refrigerator. It's as if Nyar abandoned the kitchen long ago, leaving little food for a trace. Though he wasn't hungry just yet, it wouldn't be much longer until then. Why couldn't Jane bring some of that Sprawn Valley food with her?
Taylor already put away the clothes in the single closet they all had to share, and the three of them took turns showering in the bathroom for comfort of heat and cleanliness. Nyar wasn't kidding about the heater system. The device was set only to 66oF. The control panel was actually locked in a plastic case with a keyhole on the edge, emphasizing Nyar's message about not changing the thermostat.
Taylor changed into one of the better dresses of style she bought from Eldora City while in Sprawn Valley; such clothing would be ordinary and infused with no magical energy. Apparently, if one drags any object that is said to be protected by the properties of magic - outside of the veil, then the protection simply breaks, permanently so. This didn't make the load of carry any lighter for the two of them.
Danny had a change of outfit too; a button-up long-sleeve beige colored dress shirt, and a brighter pair of jeans that looked comfortable for his fit. Taylor had to admire once more that Danny's sense of proper dress wear was much improved from the many months before. So much has he changed since then.
Jane noticed Taylor's eyes drifting to and beaming below Jane's neck, and remembered that she still had that necklace equipped right now. She must be curious. "I got this thing from Alyssa." Jane held up the jade color gemstone level to her eyes so that Taylor could get a closer look. "She said it was something I could have to remind me of her."
Taylor wasn't certain why Jane so quickly brought that up, but her curiosity was already peaked by how beautiful the gemstone reflected light. She remembered Jane wearing that thing before, but didn't it have some sort of magical effect too? Too bad it won't work here, and if the rumors are true, Jane just permanently broke any passive magical effect it would ever have by bringing it here. "You and Alyssa, you met back at Lennith Academy? What was that place like, and what is she like?"
Before Jane could answer to anything, the sudden pop of the front door opening had herself and Taylor jump up a millimeter in surprise. Danny was by the dining table in seconds, when they recognized his uncle Nyar walk through the door with a puffy warm dark coat around him, and small brown bags in his hands.
Nyar struggled to get inside the house while Danny offered to assist in putting away the food he said to bring back home, preferably to put it into his stomach. Nyar realized quickly just how bored these kids must be, but there isn't much that can be done about that tonight. He noticed while bringing in the frigid air from outdoors the change in apparel and the smell of shampoo spreading throughout the house. That bathroom better be spotless!
Jane let her friends help drag the few bags of food to the table, most of which were standard items like a loaf of bread, a box of cereal, and some milk. Jane recognized most of the material since Sprawn Valley imports a lot of American food in alongside of the nation of Japan. But now that Nyar was here, it was time to get the night started. "Hey Nyar? Can we go somewhere? There's nothing to do around here."
Nyar figured Jane might ask about this, but right now is much too soon, even if she does sound sad about being bored. Without magic, what do these people do? "I was just out there. I'm staying in right now."
Danny wondered why it only took Nyar a few hours at most to go to his job, whereas most jobs take longer to get home from. "What was that client case thing you had? It didn't take as long as I thought."
Indeed. Nyar knew it himself, as the day held still in the middle of the transformation towards nightfall, assisted in time by the lack of sunshine. He let out a stressed sigh just to answer the boy's question. "I won't be getting called in like that again. Anybody could have answered those questions for my client. The idiots want me back and they don't even have a real case for me to work. So I am home just a little early. You'll have to make those groceries last for tonight and tomorrow morning." Nyar projected his last sentence forward, ensuring it reach Jane and Taylor.
Jane wasn't finished. Nyar still had to provide something to fill their leisure. "You don't have any TV, or card games, not even a fireplace."
Frustrated with Jane already, Nyar voiced his reminders to her immediately. "What did you think you were walking into Jane? A vacation is all fun and games, but you can't have one until I've set up the funding for your stays."
Danny noticed quickly how defeated Jane was by Nyar's lasting decree. Honestly, it isn't very fair at all. He had more to do at ordinary school in Kalamo than here in this house. It is a nice house, but it's also void of anything that can be used, even for something productive. Then you come here and bring us all minimal food, and expect wonderful praise? Danny glanced back at Nyar, now in sync with his friend instead of his uncle. "Come on Nyar. We can't just sit around all night and day with nothing to do."
Nyar was silent only for a second, to which he replied, "I had intended for the three of you to use my backup work laptop to browse the internet for job sites, putting in part time applications and posting availability for those companies. But I can't set this up until tomorrow evening, and the TV breaking is just bad luck and bad timing. So that's how it is."
Danny couldn't totally understand what Jane was thinking, but if he had to guess, she must be totally upset right now. Jane came here thinking this would be an exploratory vacation. They just talked about going to the beach, or a movie theatre, and everywhere else, but Nyar isn't even talking about these things in his promises. "What about back outside?" he tested. "There isn't anywhere in New York we could go to pass the time? I thought this was such a big city."
Close enough. Nyar first had to comment to himself silently that Danny once again mixed up the meaning of a city and a state. Sure, they're in New York, but this city is called Manhattan, just a tiny fraction of New York despite having a massive population scale. Either way, Danny was simply asking to go out somewhere, and after feeling bad about spending little on food where he still had plenty of wallet space left, Nyar thought of a good idea for this rather quickly. "Fine." Before he could finish, their expressions all lit up so quickly. "I'll take you out to eat. It will complement the snacks I brought here, and you get to do something. Sound fair?"
Jane jumped up out of her seat with one fist in the air, the gesture of success in her tone. "Yes! Who-hoo!"
Nyar almost laughed, not at how odd Jane was behaving, but by that look of embarrassment on Taylor's face, short lived as it was. Jane always has this energy it seems, and it certainly would be embarrassing at such a well-established restaurant. Jane better behave herself this time. Why do they even stick around her? "I'll decide what you can get though, since we are on a budget."
"What's the place called?"
Nyar answered Danny willingly, since pronouncing the name itself was satisfying. "Cider de' Gal. They're a mix of a restaurant and a bar, much more of a bar by nightfall. They have excellent food there for affordable spending. It's the reason I always go."
"Cider de' Gal?" Taylor repeated the name back to herself. It was a mouthful to pronounce, but the thought of all that food was making this worth it, and they get to explore more of the city at the same time. Right now, Jane isn't the only one ready to leave.
Nyar pointed to the bag on the table. "Well put that thing in the fridge and get ready to head out. I'll be waiting in the car." Nyar went back outside into the brisk, standing by the door to make sure he could lock the house after the kids get out here. They won't take long, not if they're this excited just to get out somewhere.
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Chapter Theme Shift: Air Harmony ~ Star Ocean 3 OST
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The drive into the city wasn't as fast as they wished it could be, but Nyar knew of the route and the average time it would take on the road, which was about 30 minutes even during nightfall. By the time they arrived at the bright and shinning neon banner of the restaurant, the skies above them were pitch black. Nyar found his parking spot quickly and escorted the teens into the building. It was easier since their excitement was for the interior of the restaurant, that or the food. By the time they've made it inside of Cider de' Gal, the atmosphere noticeably changed in every way.
Other than the comforting warmth provided by the heating system of the building, there were neon light sources everywhere, from the advertising of the bar to the crystal bulbs hanging from above. All of the table booths by each window had a hanging lamp with a source of light in constant fluctuation of color. The bar itself was outfitted with hundreds of bottles just for the display shelf in the back, where other neon distractions decorated the area. Then there was the flat panel television screen in the far corner aimed at an angle good enough to see from here. The channel was tuned to the sport of football.
Danny recognized two things he recently saw. The first was the flat panel television screen. They aren't common from Kalamo, not even in Sprawn Valley, but Eldora Tower was provided one about fifty times this size just to watch the tournament. The other additive was the subtle beats of music that were somewhat similar to that of what he heard in the car radio. They were playing on speakers high up on the ceiling, giving additional mood to the aesthetics of the place. It wasn't until a few more seconds when everyone could then smell the incredible yet mysterious food from the back of the kitchen.
Nyar waited for the host to show up from behind the counter of the bar, patient since he recognized the routine quickly. "Here we have a bar combined with a restaurant, one with few waiters. In America, we call these diners."
"Wait a minute..." Danny and Taylor both looked confused at the same time, but it was Jane who made the sudden comparison.
"It's just like that one place in Eldora," she spoke. "They have a diner there too."
Nyar winced slightly. "They what?" When did Sprawn Valley steal this idea?
Jane couldn't count all of the differences here though. This place is beautiful! "It's nothing like this though. This place is amazing!"
Before Nyar could process Jane's comparison to the fact that they have seen some places similar in Sprawn Valley, host Huestace showed up to greet them. "Evening Nyar! Didn't realize you're already back." Nyar calmed his nerves quickly and shook hands with Huestace. They've known each other for years now. This guy has managed to keep this job and practically run the place at best. Despite this, he is still officially the bartender of Cider de' Gal... And the host sometimes... And probably other things too.
"Well I couldn't be gone for too long." Nyar casually wagged two of his fingers together towards Huestace. "Who would keep you out of trouble?"
Huestace snickered from the joke Nyar made to set his own mood, but it was certainly refreshing to see this man with three kids now. There's no way he hit it off and made this work so quickly without saying anything. "Who's our guests tonight?"
Nyar patted Danny's back while standing tall to speak to his old friend. Danny and the others were acting a bit shy right now, perhaps only because they weren't expecting to see his own connections here. "Don't get the wrong idea now. Only this one right here is related to me. Meet my nephew, Danny."
Danny sensed he would have to shake hands as well... Yep, just as expected did Huestace extend his arm to him. "Good to meet."
Huestace didn't see that much resemblance between Nyar and Danny, but this was at least believable. "I'm Huestace, one of Nyar's pals. And who are these fine ladies with you tonight?"
Nyar wanted to introduce them on their behalf, but Jane and Taylor beat him to it. Thankfully none of their formal introductions were weird or unusual.
"I'm Taylor Feer."
You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
"And I'm Jane Venn."
Nyar added the details in for them. "They're essentially extra guests that I've been asked to take care of for a while. So we'll be dining here tonight. Best prepare your chefs for their appetites."
Huestace had a sudden expression of mild concern unreadable to any of them, and he leaned in slightly towards Nyar, hoping to whisper in code. "Think you can show me something in the back?"
Nyar knew already what he meant by that, but this isn't going to happen tonight. It's been too long of a day for this Huestace. "Not this time. We'll just take a good seat tonight, if you don't mind."
It's that serious then. Huestace knew that Nyar may have been set up to take care of possible foster kids or something of the sort. It's totally unusual for this guy to go out of his way to take care of anyone who isn't his relative family member, such as the extra kids he's straggling along, but normally he's more open about it. Otherwise, the situation isn't good. How could it be? "I'll prepare everything for you now. First let's show you to a table."
This didn't take very long, only because the business right now wasn't heavy or medium. Other than two families and a loner sitting at the bar, there were practically no other customers in here right now, making the area nice and quiet. After sitting down at a booth that could support exactly four people, two per side with a view outdoors of the street, Huestace took off to prepare taking the order, while Nyar complimented what was now apparent of good public fashion sense. "Danny? You're looking sharp right now. You've picked the right outfits to go out, all three of you. I'm proud to say the most."
Danny didn't know what to reply. Did Nyar really expect the three of them to dress poor or horribly? Is it because he spent time in Sprawn Valley? Not everybody dresses weird Nyar. The people that do - defiantly stand out, not in a good way either.
Nyar hit a tiny button on the top of the lamp in front of him, causing the color changing light to stay in linear mode to give off a normal radiance of yellow, and it wasn't much longer before Huestace came back here with four menus. Danny and Nyar sat on one side, while the girls sat on the other, making it harder to deduce what the connections here were. Maybe Nyar will talk about it later, but for now, he's doing well to avoid bar gossip.
"Thanks," Nyar appreciated. "They'll need time to decide. But for now, what do you all want for drinks?"
"Water." "Water." "Water."
Hearing three waters one after the other sounded majestic, but what the heck has gotten into them? Danny rarely drank water, relying more on sports drinks or other electrolytic beverages. Taylor probably can't be spoken for, but Sprawn Valley really doesn't need to ban all of the good stuff. "Come on. Just waters? That's all we're getting?"
While Taylor and Jane were in immediate agreement, Danny soon realized that Nyar was still going to indulge them to a degree, and that he actually did not have anything but water for a very long time. All of the sports drinks from Kalamo were delicious and full of sugar, but what would they even have here for a substitute? "What would they have here that's good?"
Nyar cursed himself for placing the choice upon himself like that. Danny did drink things other than water, but Nyar wouldn't know what they have here, and he still isn't all in total sync with the boy's desires for food or drinks. Danny is either a Coke drinker, or a coffee lover... Tea perhaps? "Let's try a coke. I'll order a second water just in case. And for myself," Nyar glanced up at Huestace, trusting him with the information so far. "I'll have the Argus Malta."
So he plans to not sleep either? Huestace wrote it all down, noting that Nyar usually does order the Argus Malta blend, but only on his busy nights. Argus Malta is the name of a blended malt drink with wine, mixed with caffeine to counter the effects of feeling drunk, despite the drink containing such a low content of alcohol overall. It's just for people like Nyar, when he needs a drink, but also can't afford to drag himself to sleep; and it tastes really good, making it a popular beverage in this diner alone. "I'll be back to take the rest of the orders." After Nyar saw him off, Huestace took the note to the counter to prepare the order soon to be, and prepared to pour more of the drinks from the shelves.
Nobody was new to ordering food off a menu. For Danny and Taylor, they learned how to do this mostly on the Tidal Max, since the cruise was high caliber for serving amazing food in their primary restaurant at seas. For Jane, she has been to restaurants before near her hometown, recently to Chapel's Diner in Eldora City. As they found the exotic American meals they were looking for, to whatever sounded delicious, each one would read it aloud back to themself, mainly for Nyar to hear.
"Fettuccini Alfredo with grilled chicken and seasoning?" Jane went first, barely pronouncing each word correctly from the menu. "What is all this stuff?"
Nyar replied to Jane, coaxing her to go with the meal she just described. Another reason why this place is so popular is that these amazing foods are incredibly cheap in price, making it affordable. Needless to say however, this will be the last time they go out to eat together, for a long time anyway. "I think you would like that dish, Jane, but choose wisely. You only get once chance to get the meal you want. I won't order twice."
After Jane locked in her selection with minor hesitation, Taylor went next, picking the most interesting meal while reading the entire description with the title. "Ki Ngombo; French Roux with German sausage, spinach seafood, peppers, and okra. I've only heard of one of those ingredients before."
"Well now you get to try them all. That is a very big meal," Nyar warned. With that, Taylor accepted her choice, putting Danny under the same pressure.
But there was no need for any pressure. Danny knew that what he found was what he wanted. Since Nyar wasn't setting an official price range, this should suffice. "I want the medium eight ounce steak sautéed in white cheese sauce mixed with mild Cajun and bourbon soy sauce."
Nyar raised one eyebrow, impressed by how confidently he wanted this meal, and by the fact that it was way more expensive than what the other two were ordering. But to be fair, Nyar's drink would be the same price when mixed with his own choice, and it is a classic full meal worth dying for. "Getting fancy aren't we? I'll get these things for you, but if you don't finish them, they'll go home as leftovers, and you'll finish them there. Understood?"
Danny responded knowing that in translation, Nyar meant that he wouldn't bring them here again simply because this was outside of his ordinary price range. Nyar said it was affordable, but that term is subjective to specific menu meal items. The real food here is almost too expensive, but it sure does sound incredible. Still, that has yet to be tested. "Understood."
After Huestace came back for the full order while handing out all of the drinks, Nyar placed all three of the orders into the man's little pocket book, while he gave an order for himself to eat. Nyar simply ordered the German rolls, which are bread rolls seasoned with garlic and herbs, filled with scrambled eggs. It's much cheaper, but also something he was used to eating here. He already knew that this bill would soon shoot up close to $62 USD, but it was already late to take this back from them. While Huestace wrote everything down, Danny tried to sip on his coke drink. Unfortunately for Nyar, Danny showed no liking or disliking to the drink. Don't be afraid to say if it's messed up!
"Alright, we'll have it ready in about twenty-five," Huestace announced. After confirming with Nyar, he went away to give the order slip to the cooks.
Nyar assessed that the long wait time wasn't long considering all of the food Danny and his cohorts just asked for. The restaurant doesn't close until 02:00, well away from the current time.
The evening grew less eventful during the long wait, of which was most boring since nobody wanted to talk about anything. To be more specific, Jane and Taylor were both squeamish about saying anything magic related in front of Nyar realizing his heavy disposition, and Danny only managed to sip on the coke three times before switching over to the backup water Nyar ordered. It seems Nyar chose wrong, and that means Danny is a coffee person just like himself.
By the time the food arrived, the lust from hunger took over for everyone, as the suspense to eat it all grew stronger, but Nyar already knew they had enough table manners to wait for Huestace to leave them be before digging in, specifically so that he could make sure everything was good. With all of the delicious food steaming into everybody's face, it was high time to give it taste.
Nyar began first, understanding that he would never get tired of these rolls, less he ate them every day, which wouldn't be possible on his budget alone, but he noticed everyone else taking their time just to saver the smell and steam of their meals, as if they were demanding permission to consume anything. Speaking through his half-chewed food, Nyar encouraged that his money not go to immediate waste. "Dig in now."
Danny went first, cutting up a piece of his steak with the steel knife provided for him, and holding the meat down the other end with a fork. The seasoning and sauce remained on the top of the chub, and Danny soon got the separation he needed to put his taste buds to the test of ultimate glory.
Jane tried her Alfredo, which immediately coaxed her into trying a double sized bite to help stuff her face with a taste that she never once achieved in all her life! "Hmmm!" Jane didn't mean to say anything, but she could barely control herself by the time the taste was all there; the seasoned grilled chicken and the cheesy noodles shaped like skinny rectangles. What is this called again? Why do they not have this in Sprawn Valley?
The Ki Ngombo Taylor was trying was especially yummy compared to anything she had ever had before, ten times more pleasant than Jane's homemade Magellos soups. Taylor too was entranced by the amazing food from this place. Cider de' Gal; she will never forget this restaurant name.
Nyar was impressed that nobody so far objected to anything they were trying. Everyone went out of their way to order something less usual for first time diners at this place. Danny seemed to be enjoying his steak, sipping on the water that was provided... Guess he doesn't like coke. Still, Jane is stuffing her face along with Taylor. He would have expected a bit more of a fight.
Jane sniffed from her running sinuses and took her time to chew before complimenting the meal, thanking Nyar for the opportunity. "This is American food? Why don't they ever import it back where I live? I could eat this every day!"
Danny joined the conversation by slowing down and giving himself more time to digest and saver the rest of the large contents on the plate. "They've really outdone themselves here Nyar. I've never had anything this good before."
"Not even in Sprawn Valley?" Nyar had to test his question extensively, even if they would realize that he was testing this food by comparison.
"Not even there."
Nyar was quickly puzzled by how easy Danny's confession was. He didn't even blink to denounce the taste of their food back in magic land. How far down the scale did that rating just go? What the hell do they feed their people there?
Danny soon elaborated on the fact that his very access to great foods in Sprawn Valley was limited for a long time. "Well, we were surviving on light weight rations from the moment we arrived."
"I see." Way to kill such an amazing compliment. Cider de' Gal and food rations doesn't even belong in the same sentence together.
"So naturally, that didn't taste very good in the first place, but after Taylor and I accumulated more credits that we were able to use in Eldora City, we tested out one of their restaurants, a diner similar to this one, well, without the artwork." Danny could tell that everyone around him was listening, despite already having heard the story. Nyar was the exception to hearing this more than once, but he appeared to be the most focused after pausing his mealtime. "Either way, at the time, I thought I was eating well... But this stuff right here..." Danny knew Nyar was actually waiting for him to spit this out, only realizing it now since he hates Sprawn Valley, and would jump at the chance to mock any part of that country just because of its traditions. At least this isn't a low blow. "I'll never be able to properly complement Sprawn Valley food again."
Nyar couldn't completely hide a slight smirk forming, but he didn't let this get to him completely. "What did I tell ya? Cider de' Gal has great food. Lots of American food is delicious. I'm sure I'll have you all trying pizza and chicken in no time."
Jane felt far behind being unable to mentally identify that term, but it sounded like it was some type of animal or livestock. America is supposed to have a much larger addition to wild life than Sprawn Valley does, something said to be done intentionally as to ensure that animals in Sprawn Valley do not mutate from the magical infusion. But the meaning of a chicken was still yet to be known to her, even though she heard of steak and beef. Chicken must be some other animal cut up for cookable meat, but it tastes really good!
Taylor continued eating in silence, but it soon bothered her that nobody could reach a topic of discussion... No, that's not what felt out of place here. It's the reason they are here to begin with, the reason they've come to New York. Jane in particular doesn't look all that excited anymore. She is enjoying all of that pasta no problem, but the look on her face says it all. In truth, the way Jane acts is often cringy, but it's also a sign that Jane is okay and working correctly. She's excited all the time; she's supposed to be, and Nyar shut her down earlier. Something he said back at home made her silent ever since, but this isn't supposed to be tough for her. Jane came here for a vacation. If you can't ask him, I will!
Taylor cleared her throat slightly, and directed what she needed to say to Nyar. "Hey Nyar? I know I already asked before, but what sort of awesome places can we visit in the near future? There has to be more than restaurants around here, right?" It was already working. Jane slowed her pace of eating, even though she was almost done inhaling the food. Her posture changed to focus her hearing in this direction, even though she was acting too modest to care.
Nyar replied differently this time, realizing that Taylor wasn't trying to go to these places tonight. "I know that you all came here for vacation's sake, and while I will have you searching for jobs online tomorrow, that is something that cannot be done for an entire day's length. So if I get the time, I'll swing you by Pride Park tomorrow. It's only a kilometer west of this fine establishment."
"I wonder what the parks here are like." Finally perking up her expression, Jane was already into the idea of visiting new places tomorrow. "Alright. I'm adding that to the visit list. What else do we have?"
That was certainly fast. Nyar wasn't expecting to see Jane's eyes of excitement glimmer again just at the chance to explore anything. Come to think of it, she hasn't totally been herself since they've left for this restaurant. Or maybe he is just reading her wrong. Such a strange girl, and she hardly acts her own age. But now that she asked, "We also have the Coney Island Beach in Brooklyn, New York. Though I've already taken the time to map out Ducan Port, a specific section of the massive shoreline."
"Specific section?" Taylor repeated. "How large is this Coney Beach?"
"It's about the size of five standard beaches put together, more than a couple of miles stretch." Nyar didn't remember the exact figure, but it wasn't important. The important part of this is that the plan to visit the beach was genuine in his earlier statement. On the plus side, Danny would immerse himself better here since he was already interested in surfing, and clearly interested in women his age.
"When can we go?"
Nyar knew Taylor or Jane would bother him about this detail again. "On a later day at a different time." That's all they need to know, since he can't clarify the day himself with the busy schedule he has every day. Nyar took a sip of his Argus Malta to help everything sink in.
Danny briefly recalled a mental glance at a paper map he looked at earlier, one very specific to highlight such wonderful places. One in particular caught his mind. "I've heard of this thing called Cyrus Water Park nearby here. But what's the difference between that and a beach?"
Danny must have planned to go to both places, bolstering everyone's curiosity to increase the chances that he would agree to such a thing. This one-month stay might quickly turn into two months by the time his wallet is begging for mercy. "Cyrus Water Park? Yeah, I know it. We can find out there too someday."
Taylor realized it was her turn to try and remember one of the things Danny mentioned earlier. "I heard of some interesting places too. Apparently they have fashion shows here, though I'm not certain what they're all about."
"You probably have to be older to participate," Nyar discouraged.
"Oh!" Taylor jumped. "But they have this Helena Outlet Mall in New York too. I want to go and checkout everything they have. Jane, you'll come with me there too, right?"
"Of course," Jane agreed. "I also have a few places already in mind I'd like to hit."
Nyar was suddenly frozen out of phase. What just happened here? Only a moment ago did he have full control of this schedule and how this will all work. But they can't really be serious about exploring every nook and cranny of this entire city, can they? When did they even get the time to look up or research all of these different places? Is Danny hiding a cellphone or a laptop? Great! Now Jane won't calm down! They're just going on and on and on about what places they want to go to; even Danny is in on it...
Nyar sighed loudly, trying not to be rude to interrupt, and he masked it by gulping down more of his drink, but he noticed near silence the moment he opened his mouth. Someway, he had to let them know that they're getting too far ahead of themselves. "I hope you realize that we must be selective on where to go. I don't have the funding to take you to every single one of these places."
Jane recalled Nyar mentioning a money problem, but her current credit count should have already taken care of that. Did he already forget? "What about all of the credits I have saved up on my card? I thought you said you would help me convert them."
"I intend to uphold that promise." Nyar almost sounded angry in his tone, for thinking that Jane thought otherwise. "But it's not as easy as you think. First, I have to find someone in the entire stretch of New York who is actually interested in this item. Only those who want to travel to Sprawn Valley and are unable to due to lack of funding would be searching for vast amounts of credits. And the other issue is finding someone who will buy them for a cheap price. They'd have to make some profit off the transaction, but we don't want to be swindled out of everything."
"I didn't know it would be that difficult." Jane's tone sounded defeating, but Nyar reassured her anyway after she started to sink.
"It's all about finding the right candidate who has a love for Leray magic, someone who would do absolutely anything to trade their cash for credits with a good conversion factor. On top of that, I have to somehow trust that such a person isn't a dangerous criminal ahead of time."
Danny was curious about this process too, since he never heard of this before. It was actually impressive that Nyar of all people knew how to do this. "Where do you even find these people?"
"By using a secured online website that has only been around for two years. I have to use my portable computer to do so, and it still isn't easy trusting someone you've not met in person."
"I have faith in you." Jane held her arms behind her head in comfort, displaying as much faith as she could.
That's the expression of gloat, Nyar corrected. Jane really thinks the world is just that easy. "In truth, we'd all have better luck just finding part time jobs and accumulating the money that way."
Danny heard of that before, and he knew what sort of thing Nyar was talking about. Part time jobs are no fun either, especially when you have to work with a short time window to use the money in the first place to get what you need. But that still warrants one question. "What kinds of jobs do they even have here in New York?"
Nyar was glad that someone was finally listening to his earlier logic, but Danny might as well have been asking a rhetorical question. "When I hook up the machine tomorrow, I'll show all of you what all sorts of jobs exist, and how to apply for them. For now, let's just enjoy the meal. Once we're done here, I'm heading straight home for bed, which I hope you all can agree on." Nyar knew he wasn't being too harsh. This just isn't the exact right time for their excitement. At this point, Huestace will soon check up on them, likely just to learn anything more about the three of his guests, but it isn't his business what he has going on right now. Nyar is also dreading the soon to be high bill of the meal itself, on top of the high tip he would be obligated to give out to his friend in the first place.
Danny didn't realize that all of these things existed here. Is this why Jane wanted to leave Sprawn Valley? She couldn't have actually known what was here. Still, all of this food is amazing! Nyar is finally going out of his way to take care of them. If Jane's credits can be converted over to USD, then going to all of these places should be possible.