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<12/22/1971 ~ 09:45 | Dakota Training Academy, Fronas, Gulop Region, Sprawn Valley>
Another day passed by as it normally would for Danny and Taylor. They both went back to the medical facility in order to rest at day's end, and neither of them saw which residential house belonged to Jane. After leaving the school, Jane split up from her new friends for a while, but tomorrow was expected to be a different kind of day.
When Danny and Taylor came to class Wednesday morning, Jane was in there before them, as well as half the other students here. This time they came a little earlier than previously, so class had not officially started just yet.
As before, the students entering the class all took their seats. Nobody else seemed to carry any backpacks, though a few notebooks and pens were passed around. Danny and Taylor sat closer together today than before, and from what attracted a lot of attention from the other students, Jane decided to move seats as well. Sitting right in front of the desk Taylor was sitting in, Jane moved in to steal the seat of whomever that one used to belong. Not everyone was here yet, so first-come first-serve must have been the deal for today. For whatever reason there was to it, Jane moving seats was apparently a big enough deal for people to turn heads her way and stare for a moment, generating a few whispers. Jane sat in front of Taylor intentionally. After what they practiced and discussed yesterday, Jane must have felt much more comfortable being around Taylor and Danny than before.
This feeling was mutual. In many ways by which Danny could not even help explain to himself, he felt a strange positive sensational attitude around Jane, as if today she was going to be better than before. Then again, being that energetic is probably what made him feel more at home anyway. There is something unusual about hanging around with really hyper or happy people, contagious enough to spread that energy to others automatically. Then again, that type of constant excitement can be a royal pain at the worst times too. It was morning, and Danny was still just a little tired from the long sleep, though he was focused today on what was about to happen next.
Jane was not trying to escape the classroom this time, and that spoke volumes about whether today's class discussion was going to be mandatory or interesting. Sifting around in her seat, Jane turned around some more to face Taylor who was sitting behind her one desk. "I think you all get your licenses today."
Taylor gave Jane a puzzling look. "Licenses?"
"Ah, just wait," Jane ordered. "The teacher will explain everything there is to know." Jane turned around in her seat again to face the front.
Danny heard that very short-lived conversation as well. Licenses? Licenses for what? In just a little more time, the morning bells tolled before he could think it over more, and the classroom door shut behind him. After looking around, Danny noticed that the whole class was filled up once again, except for one guy who was a little late getting to his seat. Eliza however did not appear to be heavy on attendance discipline right now. She was ready for something though, waiting for everyone to silence, just standing there expecting that response from everyone.
After the class calmed down, the teacher picked up the small closed box on the table, and explained this purpose. "Students. You have all come a long way to learn Leray magic. You want to learn the attacks, the battle rules, the spells, and even the strategies. And all I've given you so far is the history." Almost every student in the class were exchanging looks at each other. Eliza knew that it was true, that people care less about history when they are more interested in the technical details instead. Danny and Taylor were living proof of that. Eliza remembered yesterday's session as the two snuck out of class with her back turned. "History is important," she continued. "And after today, we will be done with that unit."
On cue, several of the boys and a few of the girls all stood up, shouting and cheering as if this was the best news in the world. 80% of the class jumped up to joined them, but Danny and Taylor were a little confused at their reactions. Jane was simply smiling at their confusion, as she was sitting down less proactive as well, as if she had heard this before. "You see? Everybody here is relaxed. You should feel that way too."
Taylor didn't know that this is what the class was like on the inside. They weren't petty losers trying to be at the top of a popularity contest. They were just bored, and the first day that Taylor arrived, after remembering how she felt, all of it was redundant after seeing this. Eliza seemed satisfied too, totally unbothered by the high and free spirits running around in her class like it was the end of school altogether. As a result, Taylor felt every nerve and muscle inside of her body relax as well. The tension of acting a certain way all the time wasn't expected here.
Eliza continued talking despite the increased noise level, which reduced on its own with her words. "Tomorrow, we will begin our first joint lesson on Leray battling parameters, which is another word for saying - the fun stuff. It may feel long coming now, but all of you will get the chance to graduate sooner than you think. All you have to do is learn how to invoke Leray magical attack spells."
Danny felt some kind of cheer trapped inside of him, building to higher levels. It was almost that same feeling on Christmas Eve when he just can't wait to open all of his gifts and presents, but this time, he couldn't wait to learn magical spells. The short idea also ended up reminding him about his brief training yesterday. Though Taylor was not around to see it, Danny finally managed to invoke his own energy scope twice in a row. Jane would be proud.
Danny knew he shouldn't be happy to use magic. Uncle Nyar would defiantly not be proud, but there was so far no evidence that magic was actually harmful in any way. If anything, all it does is make things more interesting while improving people's life spans. If there were such a hidden danger, wouldn't that have been made public here? Either way, learning how to successfully invoke magical powers seems to be the best way for Danny to use up an entire month's of time to travel alongside of Jane towards Junon. Technically, he is still planning to get to the airport; this is just a detour.
"However!" Eliza interrupted. The entire classroom chilled out quickly based on that one word. "Without a Leray wielder's license, it is illegal to use Leray magic for any purpose whatsoever, except in the name of self-defense. That is why I have a special treat for you today. I will be passing out your Leray training licenses."
This time, Danny was nearly mesmerized. Today it was happening! He was going to get a training license on day three of school, and that means he can be shooting fireballs in no time. This was nowhere near day three for everybody else, but it was clear enough that this part of the class has not yet come to anybody.
"Training licenses do not give you permission to walk around and battle other people, regardless of your skill level. With these licenses, Leray magic is to be used only for the purpose of training and practice. Training outside of this facility is also legal, so long as you don't lose these." Eliza began her walk around each desk with the box in her hand open. Contained inside were rectangular cards made out of a fine material that wasn't paper nor plastic, each with the names and faces of each person on them. Eliza was handing them out while the kids all sat down. One by one, she briefly read the names in order, to make sure each person got the right one. Their names and faces were attached to the magnetic cards, obtained on the first day of their admissions here.
The teacher traveled around, handing licenses to everyone, including Danny and Taylor. But as an interesting development, Taylor noticed that Jane was skipped, rather intentionally. Believing this to be an honest mistake, she ended up making another scene by raising her hand and crying out, "Ms. Eliza? I think you skipped Jane."
"Well ya thought wrong," Jane answered.
Taylor didn't understand what that even meant, but Eliza filled in the details for her. "Jane already has her Leray training license. You're new here, so I should have spoken up sooner to say that Jane Venn is ahead of the group."
"Oh." Taylor could not help but feel that one coming at her. She already knew that Jane was at the top of her own class, but she was not expecting her to have her own license already. After raising that little alarm, she attracted the attention of everyone else all towards Jane. They must be jealous of her tenacity, getting a card so early.
Eliza handed Danny and Taylor their training cards with much hesitation. The confusion was obvious to her though. Danny and Taylor didn't have facial recognition on these cards, meaning there were no pictures besides their names. "Have you two had your pictures made during admission here?"
Following their response of a "no," and a nod, Eliza's questions were put to rest easily. I mean, the guy there has one simple job. Pictures are taken upon new admissions into the school per grade level, but that obviously wasn't even made aware for these too, so now they have licenses with no images on them. That's okay though, as it's only a requirement for the official Leray wielder's license. "In that case, don't be surprised to know that your pictures are not on these cards."
Danny examined his own license, outfitted with almost the same information as his energy scope. Only these things were not capable of reporting their physical statuses. At the bottom of the card, Danny noticed something here that read, 0 Cr, in a digital ink. There was also a slight black strip on the very bottom of the card in pure bold.
Eliza continued explaining some more as she got closer to the end. "These cards are also magnetic, and that is because they allow any wielder to have their own exclusive access to our dark rooms. Just so that there is no confusion, we are in dark room number three."
Danny remembered the thing bothering his subconscious. It was yesterday when Jane showed them to that same dark room. Jane used a key card to get in that door, but as it turns out, that key card was really Jane's personal training license. She used one right in front of them, and he did not even have a clue until now.
Taylor remembered when Jane escorted them to that dark room, also known as an impressive training room. If that one was the same number three, then she already knew the way there. The strange fog of light at the top of the room was unforgettable though. And they use magic for that light?
Jane sat still proudly. She had already heard this information before from the announcement made previously, and the whole class knew this day was coming already, but Danny and Taylor were put into the system on that same night, so the day they were supposed to obtain these licenses was delayed. Jane got hers early by impressing Eliza with her current skill level in a demonstration. She kept her license tucked away safely where she keeps her hidden daggers. Normally, schools are not fond of outside carry weapons, but Jane's daggers are spoken for, and there were plenty more in the dark room waiting to be used.
"Hang on to those, because we will be using them soon enough," Eliza promised. "Now everyone get ready, as I am going to finish up the last of our history unit."
This time, the class was quieter, but their excitement was not subtle. Everybody was in love with this very moment, the training licenses. This marks the real beginning of becoming a Leray master, even Jane would agree.
Danny inched his desk closer to Taylor so that he could hear Jane speaking to her more clearly. Jane was really trying to talk to both of them without being too much of a distraction to Eliza's teaching. They had about a minute of grace period before another long history lecture is initiated.
Today is going so well! And now these two can really get started. "So," Jane inflected. "You never told me where you two are from. Which town or city did you come from?" Jane knew this wasn't the one thing she wanted to ask, but found it difficult to make any small talk. Danny and Taylor were still not well known to Jane after all.
Taylor and Danny exchanged that same worried look again, but this time, Taylor exhaled in a defeated breath. Jane deserves to know a little more by now. Hopefully, Danny felt the same, because Taylor decided to blow that secret out of the water here and now. "Well, we're from Kalamo."
"Kalamo?" Jane puzzled. "Never heard of that town before."
"That's because it's not a town," Taylor repeated.
Danny placed a hand over his face, regretting such a decision. "Here we go." It was her decision to blab this, but it was just horrible to have to explain it. Much of the embarrassment belong to him anyway, one for running out on the deck of the Tidal Max when forbidden, and two for dragging Taylor 250 feet into the air, nearly causing her death if not for the veil.
Jane was watching them both carefully. They seemed a little ashamed of reporting where they were really from, but it did not make much sense to her as of why.
"Kalamo is a far off country." Taylor was not about to stop now. The words were just oozing out of her mouth automatically. "We pretty much live there, but on a trip somewhere else, we got forced here, to Sprawn Valley... We're new to Leray magic, entirely so."
Jane was not believing her ears. Danny and Taylor? Illegal immigrants? Well, that was not true. Sprawn Valley has very loose laws about some things. Origin of birth places are not one of the strict ones. Danny and Taylor may have come here by mistake, but that does not make them illegal in anyway, Jane thought. Still...
Danny was a bit impressed by how filtered Taylor was in wording the summarized story. She managed to tell the truth without getting into the ugly details, and Jane was taking every bit of it as if it were normal. He had already forgotten that Taylor can be a really smooth talker in awkward situations. "We didn't even know this place existed until a few days ago, let alone that magic was a real thing." Danny was finally filling in for Taylor, but there was a bit of grief in his voice. Danny did not like to even think about it; that moment where Taylor fell off of that rock face, 250 feet from air to ground. She should have died, and it would have been his own fault if she did perish.
Taylor could feel Danny's discomfort building in his silence. Coming back from death like that must be difficult to see even if luck is the verdict. Taylor decided to spare him any more of that old nonsense. "Jane? We really don't want to talk about how we got here. But, now that we are kind of stuck in Fronas, I want to make the most of this facility. I want to learn Leray magic at its fullest, and I think Danny does too."
"That's one thing we can agree on." Not really though. While it is interesting, Danny knew his real motive was preparing to leave when the time is right.
Jane felt a bit tense, sensing that the two of them have endured something very harsh getting to Sprawn Valley, but she could not be too sure of it anyway. If something did happen to them, it wouldn't be polite to dig further into it. "That's okay."
"Is it?" Danny tested.
"Of course," Jane assured. "You two want to learn to love Leray magic, just like I do. And you both don't look like morons, so..."
"Um, thanks?" Danny was not sure if that was an insult to his physical strength, or a compliment that he meant no real harm.
Jane focused on both of them. "What I mean is, you two are my friends now, and that means nothing sad or dark is ever going to change that."
Taylor felt somewhat surprised again. Jane already considered the both of them to be her friends. She thought that Jane was sort of the type who does not do all of that friendly stuff in front of her peers, but obviously, she was wrong. Did Jane ever even have any real friends before her? If not, then why not?
"Thanks Jane," Danny approved. He saw Taylor nodding in agreement. It felt good to hear Jane say that to him, even though he already knew it before today. Who would have thought someone as threatening to slash people's throats could be so docile? It sounds crazy, but just sitting here with Taylor and Jane is kind of fun.
"Therefore," Jane implied. "Let's train with Leray magic together." Jane already made this offer yesterday. Perhaps she was just reminding them both what they agreed to help her with. Really, Jane was helping them, not the other way around. Then again, Taylor did not shake the feeling that Jane was really just an advanced student who is lonely because of what other people assume her to be; that type that is looked at as out of my league just to talk to. All Jane does is try her hardest at all time. Anybody can do that, but it can't be easy to maintain that persistence.
Taylor responded, "Let's!" After waiting for Eliza to start her lesson, Taylor began to pay more attention to the teacher, since Jane turned around to do the same. Today, she was willing to stay in class and put off some of her hard work for a change. Maybe she just likes hearing the history more than once?
"As I said before," Eliza began. "This world would be dull without Leray magic, and in the walls of Sprawn Valley, life here would be very difficult. That is why the mages get a lot of credit, because even today do they help the magical aura spread and cover the entire continent each year. This is also the interesting part. The magical veil only covers the continent, not the world."
Danny detected where the teacher was going with this, but he did not stop listening to what it meant. If he's lucky, he may actually learn why outsiders hate Leray magic so much.
"The spread of the veil has an effective radius, only going about that far on. No matter how we configure the process at Eldora Tower, the radius of the magical veil does not really change, and that means that the outside world remains dangerous."
Danny never really realized this before. After all those years living at home in Kalamo, he and Taylor could have easily been killed by... Well, take your pick. There are infinite ways to die in another country, and he was planning to go to North America, not here. All of those dangerous stunts he pulled earlier for impressions could have backfired at any time. Falling off the Tidal Max could have killed them both, or he could have simply been ran over by a bicycle back home.
"But dangerous does not mean the opposite of interesting. It's a big world out there beyond this veil, and I would never discourage anybody from exploring new places." Eliza's words echoed into the room, striking everyone with an effect that they did not previously have before. "Just know that if you travel outside of Sprawn Valley for any reason at all, you cannot invoke Leray magic. This does not mean that all of your training and hard work disappears. It just means that by the laws and rules of nature, magic cannot be used outside of Sprawn Valley."
Taylor thought about what that means. Why go through all of this hard training if she is just going to head over to Junon and leave anyway? What would be the point?
"Leaving the valley does not destroy your training, knowledge, or ability to use the same magical skills you've learned if you were to return to Sprawn Valley in time. But the longer you stay away from here, the rustier you will get on your journey back."
Well that was relieving. If Taylor learned all of these things, and then left, she could simply come back and not have to relearn them all over again. Danny also agreed in silence that it was a good design. It allows people to travel without starting over.
Eliza continued on and on. "Each of you in this room still have choices to make, depending on what you want to do, and where you want to go. Becoming a great Leray fighter means you have to work on it within this continent, but traveling has more loose ends attached. For some of you," Eliza was now staring directly at Jane. "Becoming a Leray master comes with many more perks and requirements attached, but your life is your life. Leray protection will not shield you from aging. So choose the life style you want to live, and give it everything you've got. You only live once."
Danny could hear the phrasing echo in his mind. That could mean a lot of things, and he got the feeling that this particular section was not in the lesson plan. It was also very strange hearing something like this from a schoolteacher. But he carefully hung that saying in his mind, thinking about everything he has been through, and what it could turn into right now. Danny began to imagine himself on that television image, fighting successively in Leray battles against strong opponents. He could make an entire life here, not in Fronas, but somewhere within Sprawn Valley. Uncle Nyar was waiting for him, and so were his parents who must be worried sick, but they can't really control his every action, especially not now. Even though his plans remained unchanged, it's true that he currently has total freedom of what to do here, that is, if Sprawn Valley has loose immigration laws.
"The Leray mages," Eliza continued, "never decided to grant us magical powers just because it was fun for them. They did this to give us a chance to use this magic as a privilege instead of a necessity. There are people living everywhere, all over Sprawn Valley who are protected by the veil, yet know so little about the magical powers. They don't rely on magic to live, because that is their choice, and using Leray magic is a privilege. It is up to us how to proceed next."
Taylor whispered to Jane, "What is this Eldora Tower stuff she keeps going on about?"
With a quick answer, Jane turned her head around slightly and replied with the same voice level. "Eldora Tower is in Eldora City, and it's very, very big. It's where they keep the mage masters who control the veil."
Well, Taylor was not expecting a short answer that was supposed to make sense either, but it was likely not a big deal anyway.
Eliza was circling around on her history lesson, going in and out of technical details. Danny and Taylor were listening to the whole thing with much consideration. It sounds a lot like with Leray magic, you are either in or out, and you can't be in between. Danny however did not truly make up his mind yet. If he were to stay here, graduate, and train some more with Jane, he would be more than just late to the rendezvous. He had already told Taylor he was willing to try and stay for a month, but that was just a gesture of good faith. Is it right to learn Leray magic? He would be totally non-compliant to leave the country if he did go that route, but there was a stable argument for that. With the kind of stuff Leray magic can do, who would want to leave that behind? Why do some people despise the Leray magic so much?
The minutes passed and passed until the bell tolls interrupted Eliza mid-sentence. "Alright class. Get some good rest for tomorrow. Our next lesson won't be optional. Anyone who is absent will fall behind for sure. For now, try to focus on generating energy scopes."
"That's code for absolutely amazing," Jane paraphrased. Danny and Taylor were still sitting by Jane, who had decided to remain sitting down to talk to them some more.
"Looks like you two figured it out already," Eliza projected. She was speaking about Danny and Taylor, but it took those two a second to figure out what she meant by that. "You figured out that since Jane is our top student here, you can learn a lot from her as well. Jane?"
"I know," Jane replied mysteriously. "This time I'm serious about this."
What was she talking about now? Danny thought about it over twice and failed to contemplate what this translated into. 'This time' was another time, and the previous time was something else...
"Very well. Don't push them too hard."
Taylor waited for Eliza to leave the classroom, filling the space with some silence before asking Jane, "What did she mean by push too hard? What was that about?"
Jane did not look like she was thrilled to answer that question for Taylor. "Well... You see... I kind of had a time helping two kids like you, new and all. But they weren't really my friends, and they were much lazier. They quit trying and I got the blame somehow."
Wow! With that, his question was answered immediately. Jane drove two other new students straight into the ground, making them quit. Does taking a little break from training really classify as lazy? "So..." Danny interjected. "When you say you are going to help us..."
Jane replied with a sadistic smile, "I'm going to train you until you drop."
"Great." Danny obviously did not mean that. He looked a little sick from the thought, already regretting the decision to learn even a little of the magic here. It was a while since he had any proper exercise anyway. Then again, using magic was a little different from physical exercise. Jane was capable of a wide variety of magical attacks; at least that is what she led us on to believe. But she also knew how to dance around with those knives in her hands. I wonder if we get weapons like that too in battles.
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"But besides that," Jane steered, "How would you two like to come to my house for dinner tonight?"
"That sounds great!" Taylor was enthusiastic about making up her mind for that idea. Danny did not even get a chance to think about it, so he just nodded in sympathy.
To which, Jane literally jumped out of her seat, sliding her desk back a few inches. "Excellent! My mom's cooking is great by the way, and I can show you around and stuff."
There she goes with all that energy again. Danny however did not oppose of the idea completely. If Jane is excited about having friends over, there isn't anything wrong with that. It defiantly beats going back to medical to live in a place where homeless people live just because they are not even supposed to be here, living on a limited supply of MREs and water. He would have to fill up from well taps later today, but at least this stay-over would be something new.
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Chapter Theme Shift: Κάποτε ~ Adrian Von Ziegler
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<18:00>
Taylor went back outside from the medical facility as she planned to. The sunset had not completely begun yet, since this hour marked the beginning of six pm. That was the time Jane told them both to meet her, somewhere out in the field of Fronas. When Danny went outside, he saw less of an abundance of people than before, though Danny was waiting on Jane just in front of the medical facility, failing to spot the new friend.
Jane must have lived in any one of these houses, but there was no telling which one it was. They all had their own unique outer layer designs, though averaging to about the same size. This neighborhood roughly has about fifteen of these homes, so it's amazing that he couldn't detect Jane's presence earlier for any one of the structures. After waiting outside for only two minutes, Jane ended up right in Taylor's sights, standing almost in front of her, but Jane was not standing by any particular house. She was on her way to where Taylor was waiting instead. Perhaps she meant to show them the way there.
The brisk of the cold was beginning to set in. Today felt like winter was holding around the corner, eager to throw the air into a freezing cold state. With the slow winds, it was not that chilly, not yet anyway. Jane saw Taylor and Danny, continuing to walk up to them while they brushed their arms gently from the soft breezes of the wind. "Alright you two," she alerted. "Follow me." Jane waved her arm around her head in the direction she was about to begin heading in.
That's it? Just walk up and walk back? It was too obvious now that Jane was simply letting them both follow her to her house and meet her family. Danny has not been in many of these situations before. He visited the houses of his old friends in the past, but never with this many formalities. Despite what he believed he knew, table manners could be different in this country compared to where he lives back home. The only best way to handle this was to follow Taylor's lead.
Taylor appeared to be a little excited, but not jumpy. She followed Jane without a hitch, over to the house at the end of the field on the opposite side of the medical facility. Brilliantly maintained, Jane's house, the one she stopped in front of was nicer up close than it appeared to be from a distance. Taylor failed to notice it before, but this was a rather well built home, even compared to the home she was living at back in Kalamo. Though her family did not have much money these days. Back when Taylor was a lot younger, they used to live in an apartment at one point in time, which was almost heart crushing because of the incredibly rude and dangerous neighbors.
"Here we are," Jane announced. She introduced her house as if it was her most favorite place in the world. After just two seconds of silent admiration, Jane opened the front of the door leading the others inside.
Even Taylor seemed a little reluctant to just walk right in, but keeping it in mind, Jane's family was expecting them. Danny followed behind Taylor, immediately getting a visual sense for his surroundings while entering the house. Even the interior was well maintained and roomy. The floors were made out of polished wood, but the rest of the structure was made out of the same material one would find in any other community home. With walls painted a jade color everywhere, it was really a lot to take in for just the few seconds they had.
Jane got closer to the dining room, which connected directly into their kitchen where her parents were standing. Both her mother and father were here to greet them, but Jane's mom was still in the middle of setting things up. There was no food on the table yet, so she must still be working on the meal.
Even Taylor was impressed. She figured that Jane was not a clean freak, but the house was vacuumed and dusted, giving the portraits and other objects a faint bloom effect. They clearly had electricity, because the small set of chandelier lights above the dining table was well lit with bulbs, and so was the kitchen with its fluorescent lighting system.
"Mom? I brought home some visitors." Jane was calmly talking to her mother, who was half-way in the kitchen and dining room. Danny did not detect any kind of tension between anybody so far. Still, this was a bit soon. Doesn't this count as intrusion? Oh, right. This is Jane.
"Well, good to meet you," Jane's father shifted. He was not much older looking than Jane's mother, in his mid-forties. His voice was only half-deep, about as much as anybody else. Danny felt a little more tense than usual, since fathers are often protective of their daughters when it comes to teenage males like himself. But Taylor was with him too, so that probably helped a little bit. Besides, he never actually admitted to liking Jane yet. In fact, Danny was not entirely certain if the mere possibility existed. She is a beautiful person though; perfect height, awesome eyes that complimented her dark hair, and twice as interesting.
Jane's mother told the few what she was up to currently. "Dinner is not quite ready yet, but it will be in a few minutes. Why don't you both have a seat? We have plenty of room at the table."
"Yes miss," Taylor replied. After making sure Danny was not panicking or ruining anything, she sat down eye level to the kitchen. Taylor was not expecting Danny to mess anything up, but she had been to a few homes in Kalamo, in situations somewhat similar to this moment. For unknown reasons, Danny has been cursed with saying the worst things during the most awkward situations and moments, which tends to happen more often in formal settings when he isn't relaxed. Out of all the families, this one seemed like they were really proper, or just plain rich.
Danny sat right next to Taylor, getting the same view. The kitchen had several running appliances inside that were not of poor quality machines. Complete with a refrigerator, an oven, coffee maker, dishwasher, and everything else a kitchen was supposed to have, it became even more evident that Jane's entire family was not poor. It might even be possible that everyone in Fronas was like this, despite the slight food shortages he had heard about. Electricity is not cheap though, so it was still a mystery as to how they siphon it.
Jane and her dad had a seat on the other side of the table, leaving one more chair for her mother on the short end of the flat surface. There were plates and napkins already set out. The food just needed to keep cooking. With a short moment passing, Jane's mom entered the dining room again, leaving the kitchen completely alone.
Jane's father was the first person to try and introduce himself. "So you two are the new friends Jane was talking about. My name is Smith, and my wife here is Tiffany."
"Mister and Misses Venn are acceptable for now," Tiffany declared. "I'm glad you've decided to show up. You're welcome to stay with us for dinner. Jane asked us for your permission in advance."
Taylor could sense that now was the correct moment to be grateful and give her own introduction, knowing that Danny was at least ready to follow her lead. "I'm Taylor Feer. We're also enrolled at Dakota, and we're kind of new here."
"I'm Danny. Danny Mason. Taylor and I are friends as well, and we're a bit of ways from home."
"Auh. So you're travelers?" Smith guessed.
Taylor came up with her best response while uncertain how to keep their real records out of their business. "You could say that."
"We stopped here to learn a lot more about Leray magic," Danny proposed. "I keep getting into it the more I study."
Tiffany seemed to like his answer with a brief smile of a reply. "That's wonderful," Tiffany encouraged. "And training with Jane is a great way to start. I'm sure you've detected how excellent she is with the spells." Smith did not show much of his emotions just yet about either of them.
"Mooom?" Jane groaned. "You give me way too much credit."
Tiffany argued, "Not at all dear. You've done wonderfully in your studies, and I'm very proud of your progress." Jane always gets embarrassed when talking about her achievements, even in a positive manner.
"Don't sell yourself too short," Smith added. "You've gone above and beyond in that class of yours, and I can't wait to see more improvement from you."
Danny couldn't deny that. Jane certainly was impressive with magic on her own. "I would like to see more of Jane too," Danny phrased. For a short moment, everyone was staring at him, but not in a way that looked rewarding. Danny suspected that me might have said the wrong thing, and quickly refined his answer to make more sense of it while his heart began to skip. "I know Jane can do a lot of cool stuff, but I have yet to see some demonstrations." With his heartbeat now rapid, Danny worried about this new expression Mr. Venn was forming.
Jane chimed in to lay even more claim to the truth Danny was aiming for, amazed that her mom had not spit out the tea she drank from the mug just now. "A great Leray master never reveals all of her powers in one night." Why'd you have to word it like that? You idiot!
Taylor wanted to cover her face already, but resisted the urge since it would only remind everyone what Danny just said. It wasn't as bad as she thought considering previous screw-ups, but the timing of that couldn't have been any worse. Who knows what her parents are implying right now? It figures he'd slip up sooner or later. He must have had a new thing for Jane too.
With Danny's correction, he may have just forgotten to filter what to say properly. Satisfied in the overall response, Jane's mother picked back up on the conversation at whole. "Aw! You keep working hard Jane, and you'll even surpass me."
Taylor almost fell out of her seat just as Danny did. Her shock was well visible to them both. "You used to be a Leray master?!"
"Heavens no," Tiffany denied. "But I'm not a novice. Back when I was younger, I used to be a great Leray challenger, winning as many fights as I could and becoming better every day, but I never actually made a career out of it. Battles don't pay the bills if you don't win enough of them."
"How does that actually work?" Danny requested. "I mean, do you get paid for winning an official battle?"
Smith looked at Danny, confused that he would not know such a thing. But Danny did not even understand his puzzlement until Jane pointed out the reasoning.
"Dad? When I said these two were new to Leray stuff, I mean they really are new."
"That's great," Smith cheered. "That means you two get to learn everything all over again. You might be new to all of this stuff, even to Sprawn Valley if I dare say, but traveling here to learn Leray magic from scratch is the best way to get in experience from such a journey."
Danny and Taylor both sighed silently amongst themselves, seeing as Smith wasn't showing or sounding aggressive towards Danny. Jane's quick paraphrasing saved him from that.
Jane chimed in to answer Danny's last question. "In every Leray battle that is an official match, bets on both sides are set as rewards for the victor in each fight. You earn your credits by winning enough battles, but you also lose money if you fail that fight."
"So credits are your currency here?"
Danny finally understood the anomaly he noticed earlier, after Taylor asked a more obvious question. It was true; credits are the used currency here, and not just any credits. Leray magic must be used to monitor registered statuses of people's credit from those licenses. That is why his card said 0 Cr at the bottom; that stood for zero credits!
"That's right." Smith became more humble in his seat, eager to talk about this to Jane's friends. "Unless you win each fight, hard work pays the bills around here. But I'm no expert fighter, and even my wife could not make use out of every single credit earned from fighting in the field."
"I retired shortly before having Jane, and Smith got a better job," Tiffany reported.
Smith explained his role right on cue. "I work as a store manager from home, managing both the major shops in Blue Port Town and all the way down to Tilsit Port, but I do most of that work electronically. Much of my job is just problematic decision making. I often travel once a month down to Tilsit Port to make sure everything is running smoothly, and I get paid in enough credits to get by."
Jane added her summarized version of the subject to Danny and Taylor. "So I fair to say that we aren't really that rich or that poor."
"But look at this set up," Danny pointed out. "You've got running electricity, and a television set in the living room. I was led to believe that Fronas had a bit of a food shortage or something like that."
Taylor did not believe she would regret what Danny was implying so far, and neither did Jane's parents. Something about Fronas was off from the normal statures they were used to seeing in nature.
Smith ended up explaining more about that subject, while Tiffany went to check on the food. "You must not fully understand how electricity works here. Instead of taking in feeds from the power grid, which most small towns do not have, we make our own electricity. Only the large cities use power grids, and the use of which is still optional."
"How can you make your own electricity?" Taylor questioned.
"Simple. We have an underground generator system, networked into Fronas like many other towns, which feeds our house with power. And in order to feed those generators, we all pitch in and charge up the engines made of the thermoelectric cells using Leray magic."
"You mean you can use electrically generated Leray magic for power?!" What a way to cut spending!
Answering Taylor's unexpected surprises, Smith continued the statement. "Using a wide variety of strong electric attacks on the transformer, we can capture the voltage and electrically generated energy into the generators for a period of time. Tiffany and I do that almost every day. And it's not just us. That's how all the town's people live here."
"So that means," Danny concluded, "You don't have to pay for that electrical power, and probably not even to keep your house property."
"That is correct. All we use the money for is to supply our house with fresh water and food. But my job does not allow us to swim in credits either, so we still have budgets to follow."
"Well that makes sense now," Danny cleared. "The food shortage is not a shortage. It's just that everything does not come cheap or quick out this far, even without an electric bill. And since there is no town council, everyone here is self-reliant on picking up supplies."
"Everyone has to make a living somehow," Jane added. "And I'm going to train so hard that I win enough money to never go broke again."
"Haha! That's the spirit Jane." Smith seemed to be as confident in her skills as Jane was, so the general atmosphere was evermore calming.
"Alright," Tiffany hollered. "Dinner is ready. I made entrees of a Kunasolv roast, and some salads as a side." Jane's mom was setting down the bowls and cooking plates carefully. The steam rising from the center of the table filled the air with a most appetizing scent.
Danny's eyes lit up just from the looks of it. Though he had never heard of Kunasolv roast before, it appeared to be some kind of medium-rare meat seasoned well with many different ingredients. The salad looked like it could feed a hungry family of four for days, and the steam rising up from the food created a smell so intense, Danny thought he was dreaming to be allowed to eat this.
Taylor had just as much intent to eat the well-cooked meal as Danny did. It looked excellent, and the smell was melting all of her senses away. Even Jane was going gaga over the meal, sitting back down quickly before anybody inhales it all.
Tiffany sat down too, changing the subject a bit after receiving several visual compliments from everybody. Danny soon changed his mind about Jane's family. They were really nice people to be feeding them a meal this good, and he had a feeling that there was more of that to be expected here. He could not speak for all of Sprawn Valley yet, but the inhabitants of Fronas never seemed to show any signs of criminal activity or severe aggressions. Kalamo was not that bad, but hooligans and organized crime was not rare back home. This place was the exact opposite. First serenity, magic, and now top quality food!
"The entrees at the store don't just come like this ya know," Jane detailed. It was obvious that she liked hearing her mom obtain many compliments for their cooking.
"By the way," Smith interrupted. "It's about that time again. Where is Iona at?"
Tiffany paused to give news to her husband. "Oh, she's still out of the house. I don't think she will be joining us."
Smith suddenly seemed upset, or a bit aggravated. Danny and Taylor had no idea what was going on or what this was even about. "Um," Taylor attempted. "Who's Iona?"
"Oh!" Jane remembered. "I haven't got around to telling them yet dad. Iona is my older sister, but I emphasize the fact that she is only older by two years, thank you."
Jane seemed keen on making sure she was still the dominate character in her family. But if Iona was her sister, why was she not here?
Before Danny or Taylor could even ask, Smith filled in the disturbing details. "That one's just gone out of control lately. Sneaking out at night, hiding at her friend's house, but she never comes by here anymore, and always starts ridiculous fights when she does."
Smith was obviously not proud of Iona lately, but Danny was not even sure what it was Iona did for a living. Is she just the trouble making kind of person? For her dad, it had to be true. Looking at his expression, the man was tense again, encouraged only to put his arm through the wall.
"Well," Tiffany subjected. "She is just a teenager. You know how kids are at that age. She isn't even that interested in Dakota either."
"She'll end up being a failure if she does not turn herself around." Smith began raising his voice, indicating even more stress than before. Iona must be one of those rebellious types that always broke house rules and hung around the wrong crowd.
Danny was a little shocked. After meeting Jane, he never would have guessed how different her sister would be. And yet, Iona sounded a lot more normal of a person compared to the kids back in Kalamo. Tiffany's logic didn't apply to all teenagers with Jane around. Screw that! It wasn't even valid considering how he is and how Taylor behaves. Still, he was suddenly eager to meet this Iona chick.
Taylor was just as dumbstruck. Jane was younger than her sister, but she was a more successful version who was proudly pursuing her dreams. And Iona was just a cringe worthy teenager who gets into trouble? Who the hell is not interested in Leray magic?
"We'll talk about it later," Tiffany demanded. She seemed pretty keen on ending that feud long before it got any worse. "Preferably with her in the house again."
"Damn straight." Smith continued eating his meal, but his expression did not change. It was pretty obvious by now what kind of a person Iona was, and what she might be involved in. At least one in the family was blooming. Jane however was just ignoring the entire conversation like it never even happened. She must get used to this conflict a lot while at home. Danny got a sudden signal not to bring it up again either.
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Chapter Theme Shift: Stellamara ~ (Kyrie Eleison)
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After dinner had ended, Jane's parents both volunteered to do the dish work together, allowing Jane to have more time with Danny and Taylor. Jane decided then to show the both of them to her room upstairs.
The house was not that tall, so the stairs were hardly an obstacle to walk past. Jane navigated to her room while keeping the others in tow, and after she opened her room showing the others in, their amazement was to be expected.
Danny looked around, spotting a number of interesting posters containing more symbols and glyphrings. Even Jane worshiped this Leray magic stuff deeply. While the room was barely adequate for a size of two people (of which Danny assumed Jane was sharing with Iona), it was neat with its own custom carpet color. The smell was new too, an interesting mix that was inexplicably delightful and easy on the nose.
Taylor noticed the posters of symbols in the room as well, and some of them were of other unidentified structures to her. Looking past the decorations, there was not very much to the room. Much of the carpet floor was clean, with the exception of a few random items on the floor. Most of them were old books and a few school supplies. With two separate small beds on opposite sides of the room, two small shelves stood beside each bed, giving the space some balance. A lamp was only on one of the shelves, but Jane had turned on the other light bulb on the ceiling to brighten the place up. On the other side of the shelves was just one window that she could open or close. Then there was a separate television set with its own VCR as well, sitting right beside the window, plugged into an outlet.
Taylor made her deductions. Much of this looked exactly like a room that would belong to an ordinary teenage girl once you discourage the posters and the symbols around the place. But from the small mess around Jane's bed - to the glow-in-the-dark stars on the roof of the ceiling, it all reflected some of her character with the space involved. Though it seemed usual to her, Taylor was a bit impressed. Despite this not being her place, she felt comfortable here in a way she could not explain on the fly.
"This is my room," Jane tagged. "But I have to share it with my sister." Her voice had become deeper from her need to grumble her least favorite part of the room. That explained why there were two beds here.
Danny wanted to ask about something else, ignoring Taylor since she was only fiddling with one of the books on the ground. "You have two television sets here?"
Jane glanced to the television that she believed Danny was asking about, and then briefly explained, "Yeah. We use it to watch movies over and over again, since they don't make that many of them that are good."
"Are they..." Danny paused, uncertain of how to phrase what he wanted to find out. "Magic related?"
Jane huffed as a pretense to laughter. "Of course they are. Some of them are recordings of real battles. I mean, the ones I don't really own. Selling Leray related things once became a tourist attraction, but everybody here is so used to that way of life now that the business is kind of slow."
"Bummer," Danny answered sarcastically.
"That's why they try moving their business closer to the airport and docking ports."
"Tourists," Danny finished. It was a good idea though from a business perspective. Newcomers won't be expecting the culture here. If he and Taylor came here by choice and will power, he would have fallen deeply for this kind of thing, maybe.
Taylor closed the book she was attempting to skim, and repeating the cover title aloud. "The Dawn of a Sage?"
Jane focused on Taylor now, realizing that she had taken an interest in some of the reading. "That's one of the novels I own. I'm still reading it though."
"Is that stuff also magic related," Taylor asked.
Jane muttered, "More or less." Taylor glanced at the book again, thinking of what it could possibly be about. "It's supposedly about a man who keeps trying everything he can to help his sick wife, using alchemy styled Leray magic as a potential cure. But as everybody knows, you can't cure illnesses with magic, and he has to learn to let go if it comes to that."
"That's, um... Kind of..." Danny didn't know if it would be right to discourage one of Jane's sources of culture, nor did he have an adjective for that on the top of his tongue.
"Dark," Taylor helped.
Jane knew what they were talking about. The book was not in any way a happy fairy tale. Instead, it tells a tale of life here as it really could be. "Yep. It's technically a work of fiction, but its realistic fiction too."
"But that's so sad," Taylor whimpered.
Jane detected a hint that Taylor really did not feel that terrible about it, and was just kidding around, but she reminded her anyway of the theme behind it. "Well that's what can really happen. It's really important not to catch a cold or anything around here. There are plenty of people in Sprawn Valley who work as real doctors at higher-level medical facilities, doing physical surgery and everything else without any magical assistance. But that does not mean that medicine here is better than medicine elsewhere."
Note to self: do not get sick! "It certainly is not your average fairy tale," Danny admitted. "You know, I've always imagined that magic in any situation was like a big fairy tale, or something really fake with a happy ending."
"Me too!" Taylor projected. "Uh, it's not like that though, is it?"
"Nope," Jane confessed. "Leray magic can make life easier, and the battles are really cool, but the magic we're talking about is not like something you two have obviously imagined before coming here. It's a lot more oriented to attacks and some cases of defensive spells, and those powers are only designed for battling, not for outside usage."
"I get the point," Danny conveyed. "If you get sick, you get dead. I'll always wash my hands here, promise."
Taylor turned her back slightly, folding her arms and tilting her head downwards a tad. "You should always wash your hands everywhere Danny. Not just here."
"Agh, that's what I meant!" Thanks a lot! Now I look like a pile of germs in front of Jane. When has Taylor ever seen Danny forgetting to wash his hands? She seriously had to point out a technical flaw in something so small he said!
Danny got so defensive quickly, even though Taylor was just teasing. Or maybe she wasn't? Jane was still certain that she barely knew these two. Were they supposed to be an unannounced couple? Or were they just like brother and sister? "Simmer down," Jane directed. "You can both stay up as long as you'd like, but it is getting late, and you won't want to miss out on tomorrow's lesson."
"How long is it?"
Jane knew that Taylor would ask that. She can be predicable, that's for sure. "Long." Jane gave the simplest answer yet.
Danny suspected that Jane had less of a care about this than he or Taylor did. "You've already been in that lesson, haven't you?"
"Of course." Jane managed to rub her intelligence into their faces yet again, bringing a slight look of defeat. "Our class has learned about it before, but we never really got into the training of it afterwards, and we had to backtrack it for two weeks."
"Because of new kids?" Taylor was certain that the policy was harsh at some level.
"Well," Jane improvised. "That, and the fact that our class was just too far ahead as a group. There are training exercises that the entire facility takes part in as a whole unit, but if one group is too far ahead instead of too far behind, it can't be administered properly. So at least this time, it's not your fault. But since you are new, it will be the most important lecture you will want to hear. Otherwise, you will never become a Leray fighter."
Danny found himself nearly frozen from how amazing it sounded. All of it was directly related to fighting, spells, and strategy tips on Leray battling. That means everything there is to know about the effectiveness and potential of Leray magical spells as a whole will be part of tomorrow's lesson. It didn't matter how much he didn't synchronize with magic. That was worth waiting for.
"Where are we even to sleep?" Taylor looked around, noticing only two beds. One of them had to belong to Jane's sister, Iona, but even with her not home right now, it seemed impolite to just rest in somebody else's room.
"Well I wasn't planning to have you sleep over when I offered before, but I already talked it over with mom and dad. My dad said that both of you can have the couch," Jane planned. "We're not that rich, as I was saying before, and the couch is barely big enough for two people. So you will have to share."
Danny and Taylor exchanged looks. Taylor was the first to raise a concern. "That might be impossible for a number of reasons—"
"What about your sister's bed?" Danny had to interrupt to make the concern. "If she is never here, can't Taylor sleep there?"
Jane flattened her expression and lowered her voice. "You probably don't want to sleep there. I don't think she's cleaned the sheets for an entire month."
That's disgusting! Taylor figured it was somewhat normal for Iona not to do chores around the house if she isn't there to do them. But how is she supposed to sleep on the couch if it only holds one person? Jane said two people, but she was just estimating to make it appear bigger in foresight. They still have the medical facility, but it may be impossible to just leave abruptly without upsetting Jane.
"Well, two people can't sleep on one little couch." Danny disagreed in unison. It would just be better to sleep at the medical facility, but something felt eerie about that place right now. Staying under Jane's roof seemed so comforting. Since he wasn't going to get too far from Taylor, Danny let her decide on it.
"If you can't make it work, that's fine."
"Its fine, we'll make it work somehow." Danny accidently accepted Jane's offer to spend the night sleeping here just by trying to be polite, but his words also kept her silent. "I don't mind Taylor. I'll just sleep on the floor if you want me to."
Taylor didn't know how to answer properly to his request, she opened her mouth to talk with nothing verbally coming out.
"Awh! That's so sweet!"
Taylor gave Jane a nasty look. She must have thought that they were dating now... But Danny rarely ever went out of his way to make Taylor more comfortable. Sure they were friends, but as Taylor always remembered it, they really did fight like brother and sister over little disputes. Of course, Danny usually starts it anyway, trying to act all dominant. So where is this random kindness coming from? "You... You will?"
Danny nodded, but he had a mild look on his face from something else he had on his mind. "Of course. Even take all of the covers if you want."
Taylor squinted her eyes and frowned aggressively. "Alright. What is it you want?"
Danny raised his eyebrows. Taylor actually thought that he was bargaining for something, and raised his hands in front of him to deny the claim. "No-no! I'm serious! I'm not holding anything against you. You don't owe me."
Jane had her assumption incorrect. At first, it seemed like they were just secretly in love, but the buzzing glares they were giving each other now said something different. In a few more seconds, both of them were beginning to argue back and forth, but neither side was readable. Jane was trying to figure this out, but she was being completely ignored for the moment.
Taylor thought it was possible for Danny to develop some common sense, even a soft spot for her, but this was just a blind gesture that didn't make any real sense. "What's up with you...?" Taylor thought back, back to anything or any moment recently that would have made him act this way towards her. It's not that him being caring was against his nature, but this is Danny for crying out loud! For years, he never actually made any gentlemen like gestures to anybody, not even her. With a flashback that only needed a microsecond to remind Taylor exactly what happened, she drilled into the probable reason. "Is this about that fall from the cliff? It is, isn't it? Not this again!"
Danny held his arms out, gesturing while he spoke. "But it was my fault."
"Why can't you just be satisfied that I'm okay?"
"I am satisfied!" Danny attempted to lower his voice. He meant that as a blessing, not as an argument. Does Taylor seriously believe he was upset about her being alive? "Taylor, you could have died. I know this is not the first time I've been bugging you about it."
"Well no shit!" Taylor returned. "I don't want you to think that you owe me anything."
Danny looked down with an angry sigh, closing his hands over his hips. He then looked at Taylor again, trying to understand her. "I don't. I don't owe you anything, Taylor. But I'm not going to let anything happen to you," he promised. "Regardless of my failure of that earlier."
Taylor was not sure if he was blaming himself anymore, or if he was doubtful that she had forgiven him already, but she also found herself suddenly incapable of expressing another word. Despite the responsibilities she did not even ask for, he is still so protective. Why? Why is he doing this? Of all times he should just be himself!
Danny could tell that Taylor was at a loss for words, though uncertain as to what she was even pondering right now. "I'll hog all the sheets then. There, happy now?"
Taylor couldn't say anything now. It's not what Taylor had in mind earlier anyway. Danny couldn't deal with it, and he turned around, trying to forget the whole conversation. Or was that a fight? Sure didn't feel like a normal one. He has been beating himself up over this issue ever since it started, and all she wanted in return was for him to drop it. Taylor noticed Jane eying both of them intensely in her silence, suddenly realizing that she had no idea what on earth that was about in the slightest.
Danny began walking out of the room calmly. At least he wasn't upset enough to slam anything on his way out. "I'll try to rest now, save my strength for tomorrow."
After Danny walked out and down the stairs, Jane pondered what all of that was supposed to be about. It was obviously not part of her, and something must have happened on their way to Sprawn Valley she was unaware of. "I don't suppose..." Jane had to think harder about what to say, after trying to unravel that long mystery in her head. "You might want to share what was going on just now?"
Taylor sighed with expressive stress on her face. She appeared to be upset, but not enough to let it get the best of her. "I'm sorry Jane. I didn't mean for you to hear any of that."
Jane figured that neither one of them wanted to share, even to her, but that bit of mistrust didn't bother Jane at all. Truly, it was none of her business. "Well... If you ever need to talk about it... I'm right here."
Taylor took a moment to think, most likely about what Jane was offering. "N-no thanks. I just don't understand why? Why does he suddenly think he has to take great care of me? That idiot should know that I can fend for myself!" Taylor nearly yelled her last sentence, intending for Danny to hear it should the door and walls be as thin as she thought they were.
Jane was wondering what about Danny's words were making Taylor so upset. Apparently, Taylor must hate nice boys, but Jane kept this to herself, drawing in ever more of the silence in the room, and accepting that she might just be wrong. She knew her parents would be up a while longer, in their own master bedroom.
Without much time left before daybreak, Taylor gave up trying to figure anything out anymore, and decided to retire. "I'm going to go wash up and then go to bed. Night Jane."
"Good night..." Jane watched Taylor walk out of the room with frustration written all over her body. Jane was totally focused on that scene just a second ago, since there was nothing else she could do. What was the problem between the two of them? Did Danny say something about a cliff? Jane gave it another few seconds or two before closing her door to confirm that tonight would be over. Jane never used to have a lack of friends in the past, only a few she spoke to, but they were never this intense. Either that, or those two had some weird problems with each other...
Jane almost gasped in having at least one chain of thought complete. Taylor was upset about Danny simply expressing a lick of concern for her. It's so simple and obvious! Danny likes Taylor! That's it! Jane knew she sensed a bonding force between those lovebirds. Taylor is the one who can't see it. Whatever happened to them recently, Danny has a thing for Taylor now. That has to be it! Why else would he be so concerned about her in every way? They must have fought a lot back then though. Taylor was oblivious to that for a reason, and this has to be it. It may even be a recent development for Danny too.
With a slight victory in her investigation, Jane decided to get to bed herself. It was quite satisfying to hear, more so that Danny truly wasn't serious about seeing more of her. Though Jane yawned and prepared for bed, it was still early in the evening, but she could always just put on one of her movies to repeat again in order to help her sleep as always. Even if Taylor or Danny didn't realize it, Jane did, and that counts for something. It's better if somebody knows it; otherwise, those two are hopeless.
Jane always had a thing at times for lover's quarrel, as long as it was a real life situation, and as long as she wasn't in that situation herself. She remembered in the past when she used to try and get involved just a little bit, mainly just to observe. There was one couple a year back she knew, who would always fight over every little thing, and they denied every hint of liking each other to any degree.
But there were other situations as well in the past that Jane was fond of. Like that one where a girl tried to give a boy a letter in school. Jane was not even enrolled at the time, but she had heard of the situation from popular rumor. The letter was sent to him, but the boy got mixed up, thinking it came from some other girl. Then he had two of them fighting over him just like that, confusing all three for months to come. At the time, Jane thought it was really funny, but she couldn't help but imagine how that turned out today.
The chains of thoughts continued in her mind, making her feel more awake than before. Jane wasn't even aware that this was going to make it harder for her to sleep, but instead embraced her memories as if it was her own story. That would be her movie for tonight.