Can I Wake Up Now? [Prologue]
Chapter 3: So....We Are All Just Ok? With This?
Hi everybody!!! So sorry for the delay, I had a pretty shitty week before, then this week was crammed in prep for a con, and updating was the last thing on my mind. But it is here, and I hope you all enjoy!! As always, sorry for grammar and spelling! On with the show!
This has nothing to do with the story just like the song
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"Hmm, I'm afraid I am not familiar with such a place. I am intimately acquainted with the origins of every student who has ever come here and yet.... This mysterious homeland of yours eludes me. Let's go to the library and look it up, shall we?" Crowley asks as he walks to the door.
"Yeah.....that would be best," I say and follow him out the door.
And back to the library we go! Walking out, I see two people from the ceremony flying on brooms, complaining about the havoc. 'I'm gonna take a wild guess and say they are pomefire,' I think as I continue to follow Crowley, who is muttering to himself about things I couldn't understand in the slightest.
Soon enough, we made it to the library, now actually getting a good look at this place, the dim but filling light of the oil lamps on every other shelf, and the soft swish of books and pages flying by really captures the magic of the space.
"Wow.... It's so pretty in here... I could stay in here forever!" I softly exclaim since we are in a library.
"Yes, this library houses nearly every book written in Twisted Wonderland, covering things from the beginnings of practical magic to even the technological evolution of humanity! With creativity comes knowledge, and having both is the most important thing of all and should always be nurtured for the betterment of the future," Crowley answers, gesturing to the aisles stacked with books, "Now I see the best way to find out more on how to send you home is to divide and conquer. So you take shelves B5-8, and I shall look through the scrolls while the staff looks for any other books that might have an answer. My how diligent and gracious I am!"
After a sigh and an annoyed eye roll, we split up. Though we all know it does not prove fruitful. 'Well, no harm in looking regardless,' I think as I find shelf B5 and start to skim the spines of well-loved leather and fabric-bound books. As I look, I find a light blue bound book with black trim and silver scribing, 'The Legend of the Lucky Rabbit and the Magic Brush,' the title reads.
"Lucky Rabbit? Brush? Where have I seen those together?....wait...I don't recognize this language, but I can read it, and it makes sense...now that I think about it, even talking isn't how it is back at home," I talk to myself in what I know as what I use at home.
While I contemplate taking the blue book and continue looking for more relevant things.
About an hour and a half later, the clock reads 5 past 11, and my eyes are starting to weigh like boulders.
"Just as I'd suspected. Nothing. Not only is your homeland not listed on any map, but it's also not mentioned in any book from any point in history," Crowley smacks his book shut, startling me out of my path to night night land, "Now you are QUITE sure that you come from such a place? That wasn't some sort of lie or jape?"
"*Yawn* Mr. Crowley, if I were to lie about such a thing, why would the dark mirror say where I am from does not exist before I even said it?.... It's not like I would get anything out of it if I were lying." I respond as I stand up and start to stack the books I pulled out, putting them on the sorting trolley.
"I see... Then the only viable explanation is that you come from another planet, or perhaps a different dimension." Crowley ponders and follows my actions of cleaning up.
"If I'm going to be honest, I wouldn't be shocked, I mean, in my world we have found planets that can probably sustain life, and while it's still a theory, alternate or multiple dimensions are commonly believed to be true. And with the craziness that has happened in the past, what, 3-4 hours? I'd believe that alligators can talk and play the trumpet without having to see it for myself," I say, putting another stack of books on the cart.
"Hmm, if you don't mind, can you please show me all that you brought here with you. Some form of identification, like a driver's license, cellphone, or even a shoe, might help." Crowley asks, turning to me with a puzzled look.
I shrug and start patting myself down, "I mean, sure, but I don't think I have anything- wait, I don't remember carrying this bag before coming here?"
Once I got past my waist, I noticed a pull-string pouch-like bag that couldn't be bigger than a medium can of Cristco. It had a creamy beige fabric that covered 3/4 of the bag, with the remaining fabric being a striped chocolate bottom divided by a gold trim with gold strings. 'Weird? It kinda looks like the ghost camera inspired bag I drew when I first started playing,' I think to myself and open the bag.
Inside, it had a similar pattern to the inside of my robe, but instead of the purple background, it was midnight blue with tiny gold keys. But after about two inches, it became a black, foggy void.
'ok...def not unusual, I mean it's just like a bag of holding! What's the worst that can happen? It doesn't look like a mimic.' I try to instill some confidence. With a breath, I stick my hand into the bag and try to reach for something.
"hm...I don't think there is anything in here." Then a leathery object brushes my hand, "AH!!!! WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT?!"
"SHHHH, do be quiet, it might be past school hours, but we are still in a library, and please watch your language, young one." Crowley shushes me.
"Sorry....ok deep breath in...deep breath out...ok one, two, three, Go!" I hype myself up, stick my hand back into the bag, grab the first thing I feel, and pull it out. I open my eyes, not knowing I closed them, and saw what I pulled out was my wallet and phone.
"Thank heavens! If I had seriously lost my wallet and phone, I would have started hurting people. Anyways, here's my ID, I'm gonna try to get my phone to work," I say, handing Crowley the semi-plastic card as I try to get my phone to turn on.
'PlzplzplzplzplzPLZ turn on!!! I need to do my dailies!!!!!' Boom light 'FAHHHH! THAT'S BRIGHT!'
"Hm, while this does look like a true issued ID, it does not look like any of the ones issued in any region of Twisted Wonderland," Crowley states with a conflicted face and hands my ID back, "This is quite the predicament. I can not have someone with no aptitude for magic galavant through my academy, however, as an educator, I also can't let a child without a cent of our currency to their name or any contact to their guardians lose on the streets."
'Yay, phones on ok, so from the looks of it nothing has changed. Mom, Dad, thank you so much for the unlimited data plan. You saved my life and my login streaks!' I think clutching my phone to my chest, 'I'll look more when I get to bed.'
"Hmmmm....Ah! Truly, my grace is boundless!" Crowley exclaims with a sparkling flourish.
"Uh, huh, and care to share your graciousness with the class, Mr. Crowley?" I sarcastically responded
"Ah! Yes, there is a vacant building on this campus; it was, in fact, used as a dormitory a long time ago. With a proper cleaning, it should be habitable enough. So out of the profound kindness of my heart, I will allow you to live there for the time being." He answered as he started to make his way to the door.
"Thank you so very much, Mr. Crowley; however, what about finding a way to send me home? I mean, there has to be an answer somewhere?" I say with gritted teeth, knowing there is no use and what the answer is.
"Ah, yes, in the meantime, the staff here at NRC will investigate other ways to send you home, my dear. For I am a gracious man indeed! A model educator, one might say. Well then, I shall take you to your dorm straight away. It is an older building, but it has plenty of... character, so to say." Crowley "reassured" me with white lies.
'Haha bullshit'
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As the moon rises higher into the star-speckled sky, the wind blows colder and knocks into the rusty gate, squealing in protest as it sways.
"Ahahahaha, you're funny, Crowley, now where is the real dorm?" I say, looking around the place. 'look i know he is, but still....in reality it is a little unsettling from i hygeninic stand point.'
"This is the real dorm! Isn't it delightful? Right, scoot inside now, there you go!" Crowley laughs, then starts pushing me through the gates and up to the ragity building.
We got to the front door, and it just opened, no lock, no key, honestly shocked the door didn't disintegrate from the rot. Continuing on the only light that was in there was the reflection of the moon coming in from the windows in the door from the corridor and the gold beady eyes in Crowley's mask.
'....Can I meet the Heartslabyul 5 any sooner? I don't want to die from tetanus... Does tetanus even exist here? not the main problem, crowley your lucky I like the Haunted Mansion ride so much, otherwise I would sue you and this school for all its worth.' I think to myself as I tentatively walk on the creaky floorboards.
Soon, more light fills the area as we make it to the lounge. If it weren't for the dust and the state it's left in, it would probably be very cosy.
Crowley coughs and breaks the silence, "This should keep the elements at bay for the time being. Now, I should return to my research. You surely have some way to busy yourself. But don't let me catch you wandering the campus, Ta!" Crowley says, then with a swish of his cane, he starts to walk away, and then disappears in a small gust of black feathers.
"Hey, now, wait a second! You can't be serious? I- Crowley, be lucky I can't do shit yet, cause when I do, OH, you and this whole school are gonna feel. my. wrath!" I huff as I am too late to do anything to stop the man.
"*sigh* alright, there is no use in pouting, let's review what we already know." I sigh to myself and start to pace as I review all that I know.
"Ok, so I, for some reason, took Yuu's place and am now here in Twst. I have my phone, wallet, and this bag, and the ceremonial robes....which oddly enough fit much better than I thought they would. My phone turns on and doesn't look like it has changed, so maybe I can contact my family? Or some friends I haven't talked to in a while?....if they- NO, now is not the time! Anywho, we are currently in the prologue, roughly chapter 5, I think...So it should start raining, and Grim will show up soon, right?" To answer my question, the room starts to get darker, and you can hear the heavy pitter-patter of rain.
'Well that answers that...I wonder if this is caused by Malleus finding out he missed the ceremony? aww no thats so sad!' I think as the rain grows louder.
A beat later, I hear a small thud by the window. "GWAH! It's pouring out there!" The high-pitched voice of the great Grim.
"Hi, grim! Welcome back!" I say as I walk to the wet, fuzzy baby.
"Hello, thank you, wait? What! You're still here? But how? You can't do squat with magic!" Grim exclaims, jumping back, very confused about what's going on, and why I am so chill rn.
"HA lol you look like a bat that got blasted with a water gun with that face and your wet fur!" I mock as I take off my robe cape thing and crouch down to his level.
"MWHUH! How dare you make fun of me, human! I can burn your socks off!" Grim threatens as he pushes himself closer to the wall.
"I'm sure you can, honey, but right now, I need to dry you off so you don't catch a cold and we can talk, and if you behave, I'll try and get you some tuna tomorrow, how bout that?" I offer to the gremlin with a hint of sarcasm but with sincerity.
"I don't need help from a human like you! I'm perfectly fine on my own...but just so I know...how much tuna we talk'n?" Grim asks
"fresh grilled tuna steak and 3 deluxe tuna cans to snack on."
"SOLD!"
'Jeez, Azul really didn't have much trouble convincing this bucket of bolts.'
To be Continued.....
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Yippie chapter 3 done! I need sleep any who i will probably have another chapter out within the next two days to make up for the past two weeks. I hope you are enjoying this! Idk if i am even doing well. Constructive criticism and pointers are very welcome. Just be polite about it. Love you all!!!!
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Chapter 2< >♡< >Chapter 4
