Marisela sat in the lobby, teeth gritted. She felt horrible, and her body was telling her that she really needed to leave. But she forced herself to ignore the feeling. After all, she knew why it was happening. She was in the Neutral Grounds, the area where magic apparently ceased to exist. She'd felt like this since she'd stepped across the border and into this area. It was like a blanket had been thrown over her senses. But she'd forged on anyway.
She'd recently heard of a strange new device. Something that allowed you to contact people who were far away, listen to music when no one was playing it, read books without actually having them, and all other manner of strange and wonderful things. To Marisela it sounded like it had to be some kind of bizarre magic, but since it was made here in the Neutral Grounds, and supposedly worked here, it couldn't be. She'd been filled with a burning curiosity to know what exactly this device was, and how it worked.
Then someone had casually mentioned that the company that made the device was giving out free ones to anyone who visited their factory. Marisela was sure that that was an offer they couldn't support for long- how could they make money off it when they gave it away for free? Reasoning that it would end soon, she'd come as soon as she could to claim one of the devices before it was too late.
She was lost in thought when one of the factory's managers came out to greet her.
"Well hello!" he began cheerfully. "I hear you're here about our iLac?"
AFter starting in surprise at his sudden speech, for she hadn't noticed him approaching, Marisela gave him a bland look. Why else would she have come all the way out here to the factory? But, in one of her rare moments of social wisdom, she realized that pointing that out probably wouldn't get her anywhere.
"That is correct," she said finally, her tone neutral.
The manager didn't seem to notice anything wrong, because he continued in the same nauseatingly excited tone. "Excellent! Well, I have one right here for you!"
As he said it, he pulled out a strange, rectangular piece of lacrima crystal. Marisela, who had leaned forward expectantly as he's begun to produce it, sat back now, slightly disappointed. It didn't look like this extraordinary creation she'd been led to expect.
"That's it?" she asked, her disgruntlement obvious in her tone.
The manager laughed. "Yes, this is it. Not quite what you expected, huh? Well, we get that reaction a lot. But no worries, you'll change your mind once I show you what it can do!"
As he started demonstrating all the features, including coding it to Marisela's fingerprints so that only she could use it, her excitement started to grow. Okay, so it didn't look that impressive, but it really was amazing! Marisela kept asking questions about how the device did what it did, but the manager kept cheerfully brushing her off, and she finally realized that he wouldn't give up his secrets. Still, the iLac itself had made the trip worth it. She thanked him for the device and left, eager to finally get out of the Neutral Grounds.
(Word Count: 580/500)
She'd recently heard of a strange new device. Something that allowed you to contact people who were far away, listen to music when no one was playing it, read books without actually having them, and all other manner of strange and wonderful things. To Marisela it sounded like it had to be some kind of bizarre magic, but since it was made here in the Neutral Grounds, and supposedly worked here, it couldn't be. She'd been filled with a burning curiosity to know what exactly this device was, and how it worked.
Then someone had casually mentioned that the company that made the device was giving out free ones to anyone who visited their factory. Marisela was sure that that was an offer they couldn't support for long- how could they make money off it when they gave it away for free? Reasoning that it would end soon, she'd come as soon as she could to claim one of the devices before it was too late.
She was lost in thought when one of the factory's managers came out to greet her.
"Well hello!" he began cheerfully. "I hear you're here about our iLac?"
AFter starting in surprise at his sudden speech, for she hadn't noticed him approaching, Marisela gave him a bland look. Why else would she have come all the way out here to the factory? But, in one of her rare moments of social wisdom, she realized that pointing that out probably wouldn't get her anywhere.
"That is correct," she said finally, her tone neutral.
The manager didn't seem to notice anything wrong, because he continued in the same nauseatingly excited tone. "Excellent! Well, I have one right here for you!"
As he said it, he pulled out a strange, rectangular piece of lacrima crystal. Marisela, who had leaned forward expectantly as he's begun to produce it, sat back now, slightly disappointed. It didn't look like this extraordinary creation she'd been led to expect.
"That's it?" she asked, her disgruntlement obvious in her tone.
The manager laughed. "Yes, this is it. Not quite what you expected, huh? Well, we get that reaction a lot. But no worries, you'll change your mind once I show you what it can do!"
As he started demonstrating all the features, including coding it to Marisela's fingerprints so that only she could use it, her excitement started to grow. Okay, so it didn't look that impressive, but it really was amazing! Marisela kept asking questions about how the device did what it did, but the manager kept cheerfully brushing her off, and she finally realized that he wouldn't give up his secrets. Still, the iLac itself had made the trip worth it. She thanked him for the device and left, eager to finally get out of the Neutral Grounds.
(Word Count: 580/500)
