ladymina
New Member
Aldous kept his vision low as they made their way through the slowly stirring neighborhoods. The lines of parked cars flanking the streets made little sense, and the few that drove past made even less. He glimpsed people inside the ones that rolled down the street, horseless carriages that fumed a frosty exhaust into the cold morning air. Mechanized travel? And the contraptions came in all sorts of shapes, sizes and colors. Variety abounded, but advancements aside each vehicle was still equipped with wheels as its means of locomotion. So the wheel had yet prevailed. There seemed to be no end of cars parked in the streets, a baffling amount. Did it mean it was a wealthy neighborhood, or merely that the things were commonplace? The questions piled, filling his thoughts. He focussed on the sidewalk.
But even the sidewalk beneath his feet was a modern feat. The uniform grouting and even concrete contrasted greatly with his recent memory of dirt and cobblestone. The occasional vent or grate marred the smoothness of the sidewalk's path, hinting at caverns below. The sidewalk, mundane as it most likely was, was another feat of brilliant modernity. Newness was everywhere, there would be no escaping it—if he could close his eyes and walk, he would. He pulled the lapels of his coat up around his neck and breathed out a puff of visible breath.
And then he was being pulled in through another door and out of the cold. A dainty bell chimed as they entered and the heady aroma of coffee greeted him. Now, coffee was something he could handle. He waited her out while she prattled, a trait he was already becoming accustomed to. He was finding that if he just waited her out her point would eventually become clear. Ah, there it is. He nodded to her, then directed his answer at the man waiting behind the counter. "Black will do fine." The man nodded, moving away to fulfill their order, and Aldous turned back to Viv who hovered nearby like some tiny flightless bird. Here he was, about to be paid for by a stranger. He would have to eat and drink, and doing so would cost money. The questions flooded, filling him almost to capacity. He'd barely been awake for an hour and already he was feeling overwhelmed. And he was realizing why, too. He was realizing how frightening it felt not to have a plan yet—a plan for return. All his resources, everything he owned and knew and understood was somewhere currently unreachable. He would have to reach it. He fought back a wave of panic, searching out a table and settling himself into one of its chairs. Keep it togetherrr. Keep it together!
But even the sidewalk beneath his feet was a modern feat. The uniform grouting and even concrete contrasted greatly with his recent memory of dirt and cobblestone. The occasional vent or grate marred the smoothness of the sidewalk's path, hinting at caverns below. The sidewalk, mundane as it most likely was, was another feat of brilliant modernity. Newness was everywhere, there would be no escaping it—if he could close his eyes and walk, he would. He pulled the lapels of his coat up around his neck and breathed out a puff of visible breath.
And then he was being pulled in through another door and out of the cold. A dainty bell chimed as they entered and the heady aroma of coffee greeted him. Now, coffee was something he could handle. He waited her out while she prattled, a trait he was already becoming accustomed to. He was finding that if he just waited her out her point would eventually become clear. Ah, there it is. He nodded to her, then directed his answer at the man waiting behind the counter. "Black will do fine." The man nodded, moving away to fulfill their order, and Aldous turned back to Viv who hovered nearby like some tiny flightless bird. Here he was, about to be paid for by a stranger. He would have to eat and drink, and doing so would cost money. The questions flooded, filling him almost to capacity. He'd barely been awake for an hour and already he was feeling overwhelmed. And he was realizing why, too. He was realizing how frightening it felt not to have a plan yet—a plan for return. All his resources, everything he owned and knew and understood was somewhere currently unreachable. He would have to reach it. He fought back a wave of panic, searching out a table and settling himself into one of its chairs. Keep it togetherrr. Keep it together!
