Author Notes:
I'm going to be honest with you all, I have no idea what I'm doing with this story, and I absolutely love that. I know the basic premise and a bit of the plot, but I have no idea what to with any of it. I'm so excited to see where this story goes, I'm going to have sooooo much fun with this story.
Anyway, basic plot so far: Louise failed at the familiar summoning ritual so hard that she wound up sending herself to Earth. That alone has a lot of potential for some pretty clever ideas involving Louise having to adjust to earth. They'll definitely be quite a bit of that in the story, don't worry. That's only a subplot, the actual plot won't kick in for a bit longer. At least, I think we have an actual plot, I need to work on that some more.
Anyway, I'll end these author notes by saying that this story will start a little slow, but don't worry. The plot will definitely kick in a little later, and I can't wait until we get to that point. See you next time.
Arrival at Zero Hour Part 1
"Ah, what a nice day out," I say as I stand up and stretch a little bit. "Well, better get ready! I've got a lot of stuff to start taking care of."
I head to the bathroom and start the old morning routine. A quick shower and overall freshening up makes even the worst of mornings seem a lot better. After running through it a few times with a brush, I tie my silver hair up in a ponytail that goes a little bit past my shoulders. I look in the mirror and examine my face a little. Hmmm, red eyes stand out a bit, don't they? Maybe I should get glasses so people don't pay as much attention. I don't know, I'm sure this is fine.
After my business in the bathroom is done I head out and get dressed. I'm not particularly fashion-conscious, so I settle on a white t-shirt and jeans. I'm not going out today to impress anyone so I don't care at all how I look.
"Okay, ready for work! See you around!" I yell into the house. I don't know why I do that, I live alone. Force of habit I suppose. I haven't been living alone for that long, so I suppose it's just a habit I won't be ridding myself of anytime soon.
"All right, there's a few places to start the search in," I say. "There's a park nearby, people always find all sorts of weird knick knacks at parks, right? Seems as good a place as any to start. I suppose I can start there."
I pull a pocket watch out of my pocket, big surprise, and check the time. It's 8:00 am now. I'll check around the park until 11:00, then I'll move somewhere else. They're not going to come to me, I need to actually find them, so standing in one place won't help me. I put the watch back in my pocket and head for the park.
"Hmm, I just thought of something," I say to myself. "I don't presently possess anything that'll help me track that stuff down. Hmmm. Well, I'll wing it. You only need to find one, everything falls into place after that."
Once I reach the park I start looking everywhere. I may know what I'm looking for, but I don't know where it'll show up. It could be in a tree, it could be in a bush, it could be in someone's pocket. It might be a tad difficult if it winds up in that last place. I can't just go around sneaking through people's pockets, they'd notice and get upset. Once I learn how to properly stop time we can start talking about pickpocketing. Until then, I have to search and hope no one's found one already. That would be a huge problem. Like, really, really, impossible to say how awful it would be. World endingly awful. Meteors fall, everyone dies kind of awful. Despite what anyone may be thinking, I'm not exaggerating. Probably. I dunno, I'm not very savvy, I have a hard time knowing when I'm exaggerating. I just kind of say things and hope they're true. More often than not, I am saying something true, and that's good. I'd hate to create trust issues because I have no idea that I'm just a chronic liar. That'd be awful. You can't just go around telling people you're a horrible liar and that you do it unknowingly, no one would believe you! You tell someone you're a liar and they stop trusting you! I don't get it. I just said, with all honesty, that I'm a liar and I'm sorry for being a liar and then they just go "Oh, you're a liar, I can't trust you." Sir or Madam! I just begged for some semblance of forgiveness and you spit on my face! Awful, just awful. Apparently you can't just assume that someone's telling you the truth, they're just always liars. Makes no sense to me.
"Stupid thing! Give me a drink already!" I hear someone yelling off to the side. I let myself fall off of the branch I was hanging off of and land on the ground. Oh, looks like some pink haired girl is kicking a vending machine. Why? I decide to investigate and head over the scene of the disturbance. The girl kicks the machine a few more times, than stops and starts panting. It seems she tired herself out. She pulls a stick out of her pocket and points it at the machine. She looks like she's about to cast some kind of spell of something, but decides it's not worth it and puts the stick in her pocket. The girl finally notices me and gives me a fierce glare. "And who are you supposed to be?"
"I'm a chronic liar, but I don't do it on purpose, so please trust me!" I say.
"… What?" she seems confused.
"Wait, dang it!" I say. "Sorry, I confused myself with my own tangent. I'm Alex. You are?"
"My name is Louise Francoise le Blanc de la Valliere," the pink girl says, puffing her chest out and attempting to give off some air of superiority. Why exactly is she trying to be superior? Is it because she's short and flat? I think I heard somewhere that girls try to overcompensate for small breasts. Why would that be? I don't quite see why girls are always so intent on the battle of "big breasts vs. flat chests." I suppose men are the same way with their constant overcompensating and stuff, but that makes just as little sense to me. I mean-
"Hey, what's with you?" Louise asks me. "You spaced out."
"So why do girls always feel insecure about the bust size?" I ask on reflex. That question earns me a good hearty slap.
"You pervert!" Louise yells at me.
"I'm sorry, my thoughts and speech don't have a filter and I was wondering why you were trying to be all haughty and superior and all that and I figured it was connected to some feeling of insecurity and-"
"I am not insecure in the slightest!" Louise yells at me. "I am the third daughter of the Valliere family! I am noble, so naturally I should be able to hold my head above commoners like you!"
"Don't '?' me!" Louise says. "Don't tell me everyone in this town is really that stupid. I swear, how do you just forget about something as important as the distinction between nobility and commoners?"
"Well after a few hundred years without that kind of thing it naturally sort of drifts from people's minds," I say.
"Don't speak such nonsense," Louise says.
"Alright, I'll admit, I don't know if it was hundreds of years ago, it could have been tens of years ago for all I know, but I don't really think that makes it qualify as nonsense."
"Not the timeframe, the things you said in general," Louise says. "Nobility can't simply disappear. It's a long and storied part of Halkegnian history that goes back to our founder Brimir six thousand years ago."
"No it doesn't," I say.
"Of course it does!" Louise yells at me. "Founder, first I fail my familiar summoning ritual, then I'm here in this stupid backwoods town with its stupid metal carriages, and its stupid unmanned, inaccessible drink shops and it's plethora of complete idiots! AAAAAAAHHH what did I do to deserve this kind of day?!"
Sounds like this poor strawberry's had a rough day. I can't say I don't sympathize, I imagine it's very hard being a strawberry. All you do is just sit around growing and being under appreciated until someone comes by, plucks you from your home and throws you on someone's dinner plate. It can't be a very easy life. I sympathize, little strawberry, I truly do.
The little strawberry pulls something out of her pocket and throws the fiercest and deadliest glare I've ever seen at it.
"Stupid good luck charm!" she yells at it. "What good luck you've given me. Hah!"
She throws whatever she was holding with all her might. Considering how small she is, that doesn't mean much, and the object bounces off of the glass of the vending machine. The object hits the ground and when I finally get a good look at it my eyes widen. That's-
"Aw, yelling won't solve anything," Louise says, picking the good luck charm up and putting it back in her pocket. "For now I need to find someone who's not an idiot to tell me where I am."
"H-hey, Strawberry," I call out.
"I told you, my name is Louise!" she yells at me.
"What were you doing at this vending machine, out of curiosity?" I ask.
"Someone from a local tavern told me that this was where I could get cheap drinks, but clearly he was lying!" Louise says, directing her anger at the poor metal box. "Nothing but a box of weird looking containers."
"Have you really never seen a vending machine before?" I ask.
"A what?" she asks.
"Vending machine, a machine that, you know, vends and stuff," I tell her. "Pretty sure that's why they're called vending machines, because they vend."
"Is that what this thing is called?" she asks, sizing up the vending machine.
"… Want me to buy you a drink?" I ask.
"I don't need a commoner like you showing pity to a noble," Louise says, crossing her arms and turning her head to the side so she doesn't have to look at me.
"You like strawberries?" I ask. "Looks like they've got some strawberry milk if you want it. I hear it's pretty good."
"I don't need your charity," she says, still not looking at me.
Unfortunately for her, I've decided to ignore all comments she makes in that nature and I've already inserted a few spare coins and gotten the vending machine to pay out with a bottle of strawberry milk. I've never had strawberry milk, though I hear it's pretty good. People of the world fall onto a spectrum, from what I've noticed. On the left you've got those who drink their milk plain and on the right you've got those who drink chocolate milk. Strawberry milk is the nice middle ground, from what I've noticed. It's something everyone can enjoy. I retrieve the glorious bottle from the machine's withdrawal spot and hold it out for Louise to grab. Considering she's not looking at me, she hasn't noticed it yet. I move a little closer, hoping she'll notice and grab it. Hmm, she's still ignoring me. I move close and touch the bottle to her cheek. She's still not moving. Oh my god, does she not have an feeling in her cheek?! Can she not feel the bottle pressed to her face?! Oh my god, Louise I'm so sorry! I didn't know you were in such a place where your whole nervous system was compromised! I'm sorry for doing something like this and bringing it up! I'm-
"F-fine," Louise says. "I'll accept the gift, but only this time!"
She grabs the bottle from my grasp after finishing the sentence. Oh thank god, she's fine. She was just being rude and ignoring me. Louise fiddles with the lid of the bottle, but can't get it open. I take the bottle, open it up and hand it back to her. She mutters something that may be a thank you and starts drinking. Considering how fast she's emptying the bottle she was either very thirsty, or she's very fond of strawberry milk. I'm willing to bet the latter, she seems like a strawberry person to me.
After finishing the bottle, Louise hands it off to me, mumbles another thing that could be anywhere between "thank you" and "piss off" and walks off. I start going in my own direction to accomplish my own means. And by going in my own direction I mean-
"Why are you following me?!" Louise turns around and yells at me.
"I'm not following you," I tell her. "I just need to go get something important, and the direction to that something happens to be similar to the path you're walking on."
"I don't believe you," Louise says, glaring at me.
"Why? Was it the whole 'I'm a chronic liar' thing from the first time we started talking?" I ask.
"Well who wouldn't be suspicious of you after a comment like that?" Louise asks.
"I'm never suspicious of anyone!" I proudly declare. "I believe that everyone always tells the truth!"
"Then you know I'm telling the truth when I tell you I don't want you anywhere near me," Louise says.
"Yep, that sounds like something you'd like," I reply.
"At least you understand," Louise seems satisfied as she turns to cross the street. Oh look at that, the little light thing on the other side of the street says "don't walk." I wonder what that means. Louise must not have seen it, because she's walking across the street anyway. Louise, I think the police can fine you for that! Oh yeah, and you're probably going to get run over by a car. Like that big truck that's driving down the street. Hey, he's honking his horn! I think he's trying to communicate. Let's see, "get out of the way you crazy-ass bitch!" Well that's just rude. Regardless, let's help some people out. I rush out into the street, grab Louise's arm and pull her out of the way just as the truck goes barreling down the street. Louise seems shocked at the near accident, so to make sure she doesn't just stay in the middle of the road I pull her to the other sidewalk.
"You're kind of crazy," I tell her. "When the sign says 'don't walk' it means don't walk. Or do you come from some weird place where red means go and stop means keep walking?"
"Th-that crazy driver!" Louise yells. "What kind of carriage can move that fast? Even the strongest horses can't run that fast. He must be trying to gain some speed with wind spells or something. If you're going to experiment with your magic like that, do it someplace where you won't hit someone!"
"… Hey, you're not from around here, are you?" I ask her.
"Clearly not," Louise says. "Everything's so backwoods here. Where can I speak to the nearest royal representative? Surely they can tell me how to get back to Tristain."
"… What city do you think you're in?" I ask her.
"Well clearly not Tristain," Louise says angrily.
"And what continent would that be on?" I ask.
"Halkegnia," Louise says. "Are you people so unevolved that you don't even have the most basic concept of the world?"
"Oooooh, okay then," I say. "We have quite a bit to talk about. Would you kindly come with me for a bit, we need to have a chat."
"I suppose I do owe you for keeping that mad driver from running me down," Louise says. "Lead the way."
I lead Louise back to the park and find a bench for us to sit on and have our conversation. You know, out of everyone who could have figure it out, I probably should have figured it out a little earlier, all things considered. Well, I figured it out now, so let's just fill her in.
"Okay, so… where to begin," I say. "You are currently on Planet Earth, Continent Asia, country Japan."
"… None of the words that came out of your mouth meant anything to me," Louise replies.
"Okay, um… see, you are not from here," I tell her.
"Did you bring me here so you could tell me things I already knew?" Louise asks, sounding displeased.
"No I mean… Well, tact is for suckers," I say. "You are not on your world at the moment."
"… What?" she says.
"Okay, from what I can gather you're form some place called Halkegnia which has a nobility system and magic, considering you mentioned both of those," I say. "Neither of those exist anywhere on this planet."
"… What?" she repeats.
"Also, you didn't know what cars were or how vending machines work, and you want to talk with a royal representative which does not exist here," I say. "Those might exist somewhere on Earth, but I don't think monarchies are very prevalent on Earth."
"Wait, wait, back up. What are you even trying to say?" Louise asks.
"Think for a bit, okay?" I ask. "What's the last thing you remember before you woke up in this city?"
"I was performing the familiar summoning ritual that all second year students at the Tristain of Academy of Magic perform," Louise tells me. "I cast the spell and pulled off the ritual flawlessly, but for some reason I blacked out. I did lose a few nights of sleep studying for the ritual so I assume that has something to do with it. Once I woke up I was in this backwoods city."
"Wow, you failed so badly you sent yourself to a completely different world," I say.
"I am not a failure!" Louise exclaims. Not really at me, just at the world in general. "And what's with that stupid conclusion? The summoning spell can barely reach across a continent, you expect me to believe that it can reach to a completely different world and send me there? What a foolish thou- what is that?"
I was holding a smart phone I picked up a little big ago. I was holding it with the screen facing Louise. She was mesmerized by the screen and bright colors. While she was distracted I quickly turned the phone around, pressed a few buttons and took a photo of Louise. She yelped when the flash came on (I suppose she wouldn't really know what that is), but quickly forgot to be afraid once I showed her the picture I took of her.
"Wh-why am I in that little box?!" Louise asks. "What did you just do to me?!"
"I took a photo," I tell her. "It's like a drawing, but done instantly."
"I-Impossible!" Louise says. "No matter how good of an artist you are it would take weeks to make a painting or drawing that detailed!"
"Well photos are better than that," I tell her. "Here, another one."
I take another photo and Louise once again yelps when the flash comes on.
"Nah, another photo won't prove anything. It came out nice though, here you go," I say as I briefly show her the photo. "Anyway, how about a book? Thanks to the glory of the internet and pirated media I have thousands of books at my fingertips."
"T-thousands?!" Louise asks. "A-A thousand books in such a small box? What kind of magic does it use?"
"It's not magic," I tell her. "We don't have magic here."
"That's impossible, magic is a fundamental part of the world!" Louise says.
"Of your world," I correct. "This isn't your world."
"Bu-but that's… That can't be…"
I don't think Louise quite believes it, but it seems she's starting to put the pieces together a bit. I give her another five minutes before she breaks down in existential horror when she realizes she'll never see her friends, family or home ever again and she's doomed to die alone in a world she doesn't know. Sucks to be a strawberry, doesn't it?
"Another world?" Louise says to herself. "That's impossible. No such thing could possibly… It can't…"
"Hey Strawberry, you okay?" I ask.
"I can't be on another world," Louise says. "I was supposed to summon an awesome familiar and show everyone up, not come here. No no no, that can't… Oh founder."
I think I broke her. Oops. Maybe I should have broken it to her a little more gently.
"Hey, Strawberry," I try again.
"W-what?" Louise asks, still shaken up from the revelation.
"You don't exactly have anywhere to stay, do you?" I ask.
"Apparently not," Louise says. "Because apparently I'm stuck on some founder-forsaken bit of a planet."
"Feel like staying at my house?" I ask.
"Excuse me?" Louise asks.
"I live alone, so I've got plenty of room for you," I tell her. "I wouldn't even charge rent!"
"Do I really have a choice?" Louise asks.
"Of course you do!" I say. "You can get a room at a hotel using the money I don't really think you have or you can sleep on the street! The street is a little cool at night, so I don't know if I'd recommend it."
Louise sighs.
"Fine, fine. You'd better be grateful, there aren't many nobles who would be as lenient with commoners as I'm being," Louise tells me.
"I'm completely sure of that," I tell her. "Come along Strawberry."
"My name's Louise!" she yells at me. "Why should I bother spending any of my time near you when you won't even bother to learn my name?"
"Have a deal. If you can remember my name, I'll start calling you by your name," I tell her.
"That's not even a problem… Um… Started with an 'A,'" Louise says.
"Alex," I help her out.
"Right, that was it!" Louise says. "Wait. Dang it, I lost!"
"Good thing too, I'm awful with names!" I say. "I'd forget my own name if I didn't have anyone to say it to me, so I'm grateful to have you around."
"So um… I'll be honest, I can't tell," Louise says. "Is that short for Alexander or Alexandra?"
"Yes, it is," I respond with a smile.
"… Which one?" Louise asks.
"I don't know," I say with a shrug. "I was this close to forgetting my name. I'm awful at names, remember?"
"I feel like I've made an awful mistake," Louise says.
"You sure did!" I confirm. "I never would have chosen Earth as the planet I'd visit. We're a really boring bunch of people."