Imagine that [Private/Social]

Willow glared at the city she wanted to visit, but could not in good conscience. This place was one of the last bastions of desire for someone like her. Parkour enthusiast that relied on magic, photographer that enjoyed the dramatic aerial shots, generally, everything she wanted to do? Would be next to bub-kiss here! The Neutral Grounds. She just stood at the city limits, camera in hand, refusing to power up!

She chewed on the inner part of her cheek. The fresh SIlver Wolf guild member was told this was a great place to come to get one of those iLac devices, as well as meet some interesting people. But she had never been without her magic, now she was, she felt...disconnected was the word to use but it was too on the head. It was such an out of body experience. Like she was inside of her body but it wasn't her.

She felt unnerved by it all.

At least she could do some shopping for some proper non-magical photography equipment here, she told herself mentally while fixing those tinted glasses of hers. Responding to the light, they would shift from simple non-prescription glasses to sunglasses. And right now they were just semi-grey!

"So, guess the first thing to do is just the foot work? Get a layout for the place? I doubt anyone here would listen to my crazy stories." She pondered aloud to herself. One hand clutching her other elbow as she stroked her chin. Oh great, now even she thought she was crazy to talk about her town disappearing from the map!

Putting her hands in her hair she ruffled them back and forth before letting out an annoyed grunt of annoyance! "Augh! Okay! Let's just...get this stupid phone, a new camera, a tri-pod, a zoom lens, a scrap book....I should have brought my luggage..."

Word has gone around about a remarkable device named Ilac. A machine made for contacting people, but that was also packed with knowledge. Yingvi did not care about the ability to contact people, but the promise of knowledge and the possible applications intrigued her. With every bit of new Ilac information, her curiosity grew. And thus, after some eavesdropping, the decision was easily made. She would go to the Neutral Grounds to get an Ilac.

There it was the Neutral Grounds, where the Ilac factory was located. A daunting big city, not a place where she belonged nor wished to be. At the sight of the city, a feeling of hesitation went through Yingvi. Did she really want or need an Ilac that badly that she was willing to walk into that massive city? She shook off the hesitation and pulled her hood up; a deep shadow now submerged her face fully. In the city she went from shadow to shadow, sneaking through crowds and streets, not to be seen nor heard. There has just been one critical problem. Where was the factory located? She is unknown in the city and did not know the way. While she was lurking in the shadow to find a solution, a voice was heard: “Here too for an Ilac?”.

Zapped out of her little stupid, she spun around, assuming a stance she usually took to utilize her magic boots and belt. But instead of emitting a wave of gravity to become battle ready, she just looked like a chunnibyou trying her hardest to strike a pose and draw a crowd. Quite frankly it was embarrassing at first. As a bead of sweat rolled down the back of her head, she spun back around, dusting herself off.

"I, uh..." The skittish Wolf member would just get a hold of herself. She was much more like a Deer than a Wolf. But most liked to point that out and fluster her within the guild as is. "I don't know, maybe. I'm looking for some actual camera equipment as well. I mean...this is a giant city Amalia. And it's so BIG. Imagine if we COULD use magic while we were here." She was bouncing on the balls of her feet at the thought. Fists pumping up and down.

Of course their little conversation had garnered the attention of one other girl, someone else looking to do some shopping for one of these iLac things that anyone could say 'I Lack' until 'They Had'. Right? Right? No? Okay moving on.

Willow was wearing on of her casual outfits. It was a block pattern monochrome outfit. Black sleeves from the elbow down and white from the midriff down. Black up top around her neckline and torso with white blocks from her forearms up. On the outsides of the sleeves were vibrant orange lines going on down.

She had on a pair of black shorts, with a similar orange accent. And white stockings rising up from her dull orange canvas shoes. She really coordinated her outfit today, didn't she?

The cover of shadow did not hide her from the gaze of two young women she was eavesdropping. One turned around elegantly in her high heels. Then answered a question Yingvi had not yet asked. They were there for Ilac’s too. Yingvi, stunned from the sudden attention, mumbled out: “Could … Could you help me? I do not know my way to the factory?” After a little moment of silence, she added: “If it is not too much trouble.”

They seemed kind but were they trustworthy? Was it wise asking them for help? The elegant lady in heels did say she was equipped with weapons and looked like the one capable of picking up a fight. While she waited for a reply, she grabbed her dagger for comfort and did not dare to look at their faces.  

"Huh? You both can tag along. More hands means more arms to carry stuff if I spend too much anyways. That said, I doubt they'd run out." She said while turning away from both of them and looking up to the canopy of the city from below. Yearning to be jumping from roof top to roof top to see what it was like to get an angled picture like that from above.

"Whether there would be a need for a brawl or not isn't the question. I just miss slow falling, and high jumping." She scoffed, furrowing her brow at the city itself. "Come on let's walk and talk. I'm Willow by the way, pleased to meet you!" She said with a little wave to the new person among them.

"So I'm guessing neither of you have been here before? I for sure don't know anything about this city. Maybe we can find a map or ask for directions?" There were plenty of people here, but she was a little nervous to approach anyone, out of fear of being judged for relying on magic outside of this area.

"Do you know what makes this place make magic useless? And if magic is useless here? What's an iLac? I thought it was short for Lacrima...which as you know, IS SOMETHING THAT RUNS ON MAGIC!" There was the conspiracy theorist portion of Willow coming through, as if she was trying to find a scoop where there was none.

“Nice to meet you both. I am Yingvi.” She said weary but with a small wave. The young women were discussing the reason for the reason why magic was useless in the city, it was a mystery. Yingvi did not know a lot of magic at the time especially about Lacrima’s. That was why she was listening intently. When there was knowledge to be required she would always listen. The two women walked in front and she behind, they needed to shop not her.

Shopping, ugh, not her favorite activity, but there was no choice. She has to get to the factory after all and these young ladies were her only hope of getting there without getting extremely lost, Yingvi would not have dared to approach a person for directions. Whilst still cloaked was she walking behind them from shop to shop and when needed she would carry anything for her guides. Nevertheless, was she looking around for a map or a sign to show her the way to her destination. When leaving the camera equipment store she saw it a map near some benches and a few plants. Again she can touch some nature in this concrete jungle and with that thought, she knew that she was already longer in the city that her comforted was dribbling away. “Look over there, a map maybe we can look op the route?”