It's been three months since Delilah "Del" Cross stumbled her way into the mysterious town of Whisper Valley. During that time she's grown to appreciate her new life amongst ghosts, vampires, mages, zombies, and werewolves. Yet, there's still so m...
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The shuttle driver was kind enough to drop me off a few blocks away from Whisper Valley's Central Park, rather than back at the commune so that I didn't waste time making the long trek between the two. It gave me a chance to admire the sidewalk sales that littered the street and the glowing red orbs that were strung from lamppost to lamppost in honor of the day's mighty moon. There were racks of clothing embroidered with runes, shelves stocked with various colored potions, and boxes filled with trinkets both magical and mundane.
I kept my pace slow so that I could window shop at my leisure. I never delved into any particular stall as Irene would throw a fit if I bought anything without her, but due to the driver's generosity and my own early departure from the wedding, it was too soon to meet her at our agreed upon location.
We decided to rendezvous at the picnic tables in Whisper Valley's Central Park around eleven o'clock that night. I considered killing some more time by perusing the vendors that lined the large circle bordering the park, but on the off chance Irene was already there, I decided to skirt past the tantalizing booths and instead focus on the lush grounds of the park in search for my companion.
With my growling stomach urging me to chase after the delicious smells wafting through the air and with the presence of new structures in the park, including a large stage for musical performances, I found myself lightheaded and disoriented. I tried to recall where the tables were in relation to the playground I had stumbled upon, when I heard familiar voices carried on the air.
"That's why...that's why I'm just so damn frustrated!"
"I can understand, it really is an archaic notion. Do people not read scientific journals here?"
"I'm not sure anyone I knew in my first life read those..."
I turned around and, peering through the gaps in a cluster of trees, I spotted a pair of Bodies sitting at a picnic table together.
"That's what's wrong with the world," said Armand with a sigh. "All these scientists making these momentous revelations, that both increase our understanding of the world around us and illuminate us to new mysteries waiting to be solved, yet no one cares. So much can be learned from those able to do the work, and no one pays attention or acts upon this new knowledge."
"Well," replied Irene, whose voice carried a tint of appreciation mixed with her own guilt in the matter, "as far as the mages are concerned here, science is just humanity's feeble attempt at understanding magic."
"Odd stance to take considering their predicament with their dwindling hold on magic. The concept of pure blood was debunked centuries ago, back when inbreeding manifested negative mutations in offspring. Taking into account our continued leaps in genetic science, it's plain to see that those without a strong receptor for magic can still carry the genes for producing a child who does."
I took a step closer, both eager to join my fellow Bodies and to hear the result of their conversation.
"Yes, thank you!" said Irene as she threw her hands up into the air. "That's what I've been saying. Not, you know, quite in the same terms...I definitely lacked the science, but to me that concept seems like common sense."
