Gaze

Chapter 2: Hey, This Place Is Actually Kind Of Cool...

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(Yuu)'ve got a job!
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I scan the map I was given, at least trying to pretend like I was searching while Mr. Crowley searches for books on remote islands. "Where did you say you were from, Yuu?" "The Astral Express."

He looks at me, confused. "Child, that nation sounds like a train, not a nation." "Because it IS a train, Mr. Crowley."

He looks at me, looks at the map, and looks at the book he was holding. He looks at me again, most likely trying to determine if I was being serious or not.

Once he saw that I was being serious, he quickly shuffles the book he was holding out to search for books on the nearest train stations. "Alright, where is the nearest stop that this Astral Express is going to at this hour?" "To another planet."

He slowly turns to look at me, both head and body. "I beg your finest pardon?"

"...The next stop the Astral Express is going to at this hour is to another planet."

He blinks, once, twice, five times. "I know this is hard to process, but I'm being serious Mr. Crowley."

"Alright, now you HAVE to be pulling on my feathers." He rubs his temples, getting migraines. "You aren't lying to me by any chance, are you child?"

"Hmm... one second, could I take this robe off? I should still have my identification ticket here."

"At least you have some form of identification. Surely this won't cause me any more headaches... Go ahead. Those robes are the most magical and finest in all of Twisted Wonderland, so I'm sure some of the more smaller belongings are still there." He turns around, not looking at me as I run behind the nearest bookshelf to take it off.

Sure enough, as I took off the robes, the clothes that I was wearing before I got taken here were there. That's amazing! How did I not get all stuffy?? There's not even a wrinkle in these clothes! "Mr. Crowley! The clothes I was wearing before I came here...!"

"See, what did I tell you? The finest in all the land, for my students! Aren't I such a gracious headmaster?" I can hear the smile in his voice, and somehow, I could tell he was posing dramatically.

I go out the door, and I hold the golden ticket that was pinned to my vest triumphantly in my hand. "Oh, you've finished changing! And I suppose this is the identification ticket?" He gestures to the ticket in my hand. "Yep! Here you go!"

I plop the ticket on his hand. "Oh my... this is somewhat heavier than I thought it would be." Mr. Crowley slowly moved the hand holding the ticket up and down, testing its weight. "...Is- is this made of actual gold or is it made of pyrite...?"

"I'm not sure, I've never asked the conductor before. I think you can open it like... this!" I press something on the ticket and it opens up, projecting a hologram that says all my general information.

"Oh, well that's some advanced technology...!" Mr. Crowley stares at the hologram in wonder. "It says here that you're part of the Nameless... let's see..."

He lines his finger up next to the occupation info, accidentally pressing it, which pulls up general information about the Nameless. He blinks in surprise before reading. " 'A group of people who travel the stars in the name of "The Trailblaze"'... It's just as I suspected. So technically, you and your family are some sort of aliens?"

"Hm, more of world-hopping, galaxy-traveling otherworlders who pop by every few centuries, but yes, something like that."

"How interesting..." He clicks the x on the window showing general information about the Nameless and continues to scan, before locking his eyes on one particular detail.