sigh
I stood outside the bakery where Sera works. 'Paper Pastries'? Hopefully that's just a translation issue.
Warm, earthy notes fill my sense of smell and allow me to vicariously taste the wide range of treats visible in the window in front of me. Sera waves at me from inside, spotting me as she walks out. I’m still not sure what her species is, being an essentially green-skinned human with a small, pale green and moist nose, similar to a rabbit's.
Should I have waited inside?
“Lara! Have you been waiting long?”
“Nah” I lied. There’s no reason to make her worry or feel bad after all. Too many people believe that it’s okay to be honest without kindness, because it’s the truth. Those people are assholes.
Or maybe I'm just doing too well at masking.
I actually arrived far too early, but that’s my fault and not hers! I always get really anxious about meeting people - I never want to inconvenience someone. I’d rather wait half an hour by myself just in case, rather than risk being late by five minutes. A terrible curse, but one I’m mostly happy to bear.
It can be exhausting being me.
“How was your day?” I say, initiating the requisite small talk as we head towards the library. I hadn’t thought of it, but of course there’s a library! When I mentioned to Sera that I hadn’t been, she was insistent in showing me around. She’s quite the bookworm apparently. A woman after my own heart.
iliekbooksiestoo! - Nora squawks
Maybe I’ll finally be able to get some answers to my questions. What’s a system integration? What’s a divergent or aberrant anomaly? How do I get back to earth? Why am I here? How does all this magic stuff work?
I feel like I’ve done a decent job figuring out some of it, but it feels like I've barely scratched the surface!
There were so many thoughts running through my mind. I could spend weeks - no, months, researching everything! Unfortunately, I still had to worry about cultivating Ether.
After chatting and walking for the better part of an hour, and having been able to see the library in the distance for quite some time, Sera stops.
“We’re here!” she says.
“Bloody nora…”
My jaw practically hit the floor. This was the biggest library I had ever seen; it was the size of a shopping centre, or maybe even bigger! A gigantic half-dome of glass and white marble, several floors tall with pillars spread throughout its exterior. It was one thing seeing it from a distance, but being so close to it now... it's truly incredible.
“and to think libraries are a dying institution on my world” I continue.
“Oh no! I can’t imagine. Our library is a treasure for us. You can find endless books on every kind of topic you could think of. It’s a huge attraction for many people travelling here from other worlds” Sera says, practically giddy with excitement.
Yep, definitely a bookworm - and ‘travel from other worlds’? I assumed as much by the various species I've seen in Lumiria, but it’s good to know that’s the case! Maybe I really can find a way back to earth. I think it's been a few weeks since I arrived here.
“Let’s get your membership sorted out!” she says
“Okay!” I exclaim happily. Her energy is so infectious.
I didn’t even feel myself having to fake it this time.
As we step through one of the many large open arched doorways to the great library, Sera leads us to a section with what appear to be the librarians. Countless walls of books grab my attention. I doubt it has anything on the Internet, but it's bigger than any library I've ever seen on Earth. I wonder if they have my Sims fanfic?
“Good afternoon!” A large reptilian man says to us.
“Good afternoon. My friend here would like to apply for library membership” Sera says, indicating towards me
“Certainly! Just a moment…” he says while he puts a crystal away, and grabs another from a small container nearby.
"I’ll just need your name and address.”
“Lara Mycroft. I’m staying at the Prized Inn at the moment, but I’m not sure of its address.”
“There are many Prized Inn’s throughout the city. Who runs it?”
“Erm, Telviv?” I say.
“Ah! I’m familiar with it. In the western residential section, near the Cultivation Plaza?”
"The one and only!" I say. Ugh. Cringe.
“Haha”
He seems to focus on the crystal as it emits a small glow. Some kind of information storage? Maybe they can query the crystal later using the system? I wonder how it works.
pwobabymagic
Thanks, Nora. What would I do without you.
“Hmm, he said it should be around here. Astria Tourism Guides…. Astria Tourism Guides… Ah!” Sera says, spotting what I was looking for. I spotted it a little sooner, but it was easier to let her finish finding it than to interrupt her monologue.
I’m not comfortable telling her about my situation yet, so I wasn't able to ask for anything too interesting. Hopefully this tourist guide will have some useful information on the culture here, or explain more about travelling between worlds!
I’ll still have to be careful when I come back alone in the future - I don’t want the librarians to catch on to the fact I know literally nothing about, well, anything. They explained that as a visitor I would only have access to the books on the ground floor. Hopefully there's enough information regardless.
She pulls out a thin book from a bookshelf - only large enough to display the title. The covers shows a binary solar system with three names overlaid. Astrion, Astrela, and Astura.
Yeah, that’s not going to be confusing.
The book itself consists of black pages and white lettering - quite distinct. I wonder why we never had black pages on Earth? It's like analogue Dark Mode.
I approve.
We head to another area that seems to hold anything and everything murder mystery. “I love a good murder” Sera says casually with a smile. Perhaps too casually.
The only murder I’m looking forward to is my own.
“I’m going to pick out a few titles. There are tables just over there, save me a spot!”
“Sure thing!”
The library was surprisingly busy. I suppose when people aren’t forced to work to maintain their suffocating existence, they have a lot more free time to engage in the things that make them happy.
Who woulda thunk it.
Found it!
Aetheria. As the cosmopolitan world capital of Astrion, this city is the heart of all travel on the planet - and contains the largest of the 3 travel nexus’s within the system. The travel nexus connects to all major cities on Astrion, the capitals of Astrela and Astura, as well as the travel nexus for the local bubble.
So it is possible to travel between worlds! it looks like there are different tiers of transportation access - that makes sense. It’s kind of like having to take a train in to a major city so that you can get on another train heading out of the city - even though your destination is actually super close, busses just aren’t reliable enough.
Ugh. I'm getting PTSD. Public Transportation is always a nightmare. Hopefully it’s better here than it was in London.
Is in London, I mean. London is still there… I’m sure of it.
There’s so much information in just this one book. descriptions of world wonders like The Ancient Tree of Tropez, the Astral Gardens of Weria, The Magmaflats of Droport, and…
The Crystal Valleys of Lumiria.
Spread out between the black obsidian sands surrounding the city of Lumiria, giant valleys containing crystal deposits can be found. These valleys are hubs for adventurers and crafters alike - the natural Crystalline Ether in the environment owing to dangerous creatures and, in turn, the creation of wondrous crystalline items from the local artisans. A few defunct Ether mines remain in the area, often open to the public for tours.
You see that Nora? That’s what we call an adventure! Or at least, a nice holiday. I’ll have to add it to my overwhelming list of things I need to do.
"Find anything interesting?" Sera says as she plops down in the seat to my right
"Yeah! I'd love to head to Aetheria and check out the markets"
"Oh, did you not have time to check it when you arrived?"
Right. I would have had to arrive in the capital to make my way to Lumiria. It's obvious from looking at me that I wasn't born here. I've yet to see any humans, though a few species come close. I really should have used [Masking] once I was in the city and assumed a different identity. Is it too late now? People would probably suspect something.
"I was in a bit of a rush, unfortunately, but I'm sure I'll be back there soon!"
"Aw, when are you leaving?"
That is a great question. I... don't know?
"It'll be a while still" I say with a smile
"This is top secret, so keep it to yourself" I continue in a whisper. Sera tilts her head at me, listening closely. "I'm addicted to this little bakery nearby, and I can't leave until I've tried everything there! It could take weeks!"
She giggles, "Your secret is safe with me," she whispers playfully, "In fact, I might even be able to get you a discount."
Ooh, I do love a discount.
uwu!
I'll definitely have to go back for more information.
As we return to 'Paper Pastries', Sera turns to me.
"That was fun! But I have a couple more hours of work to do. Would you like to join me? You mentioned loving the Moonberry Tarts. How about we bake some together?"
Damn. I really do love tarts.
"Okay! That sounds fun!"
But should I really be distracting myself with this stuff? I need to get back home.
> Proficiency Unlocked! Baking - Novice Grade
Baking was already fun, but being told by the system that I'm improving? Now that's addictive!
We were finishing up the last of the Moonberry mixture for the tarts, when the bell above the bakery door jingles.
"Oh, a Customer! I won't be long," she smiles at me. "Hello!" she exclaims while walking towards the front of the shop.
As I peek from the Kitchen, I see a group of 3 people with elegantly curved horns on the tops of their heads, and adorned in lavishly decorated clothing. Fancy.
I can see Seras smile suddenly change. From one that was once warm and welcoming, had now shifted to polite and... restrained? It's hard to explain, but I can tell something is wrong.
The group meander around the shop, picking up pastries and just... eating them. Right there, in the middle of the shop. Crumbs falling to the floor.
"Who the hell are they?" I whisper with annoyance from behind.
Suddenly, one of the three turns around and looks our way, catching my eye. "What? You don't know who I am?" he sneers.
How did he hear me?
Sera bows her head. "Apologies. She has only recently arrived and-"
"Don't bow to them! Look at the mess they're making!" I interrupt, my fury rising while bits of Moonberry mixture fling off my hands. I'm so annoyed I don't even care about washing off the sticky mix.
What on earth is she doing!?
"You'd better pay for those and clean up your mess!" I say to the apparent leader of the group.
"Lara, stop. They -" Sera hisses, but is interrupted by laughter.
"Pay for these disgusting things?" he scoffs, dropping a Moonberry Tart. "They aren't fit for consumption, even by the likes of you two."
Oh no he did not
Haha, I like the end of this chapter. I feel like poor Lara might be in for it now!
Yeah! 🍿