-Cyrx-
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Story
The leaves came aside, brushing over Asteria’s hands, the touch tingling on her palms. The loud colors of the city loomed in front of her, the neon streaks of light and lanterns illuminating the darkness. Streets and roads huddled in amazingly neat rows, bridges whooping to and fro. Buildings looked as if there wasn’t a possibility that anything could live up to it, towering brightly over the expanse of flitting people. The long line of swaying trees wound with fairy lights on the sides of the streets were the only objects that consisted of the wood that was usually used to make houses. In contrast, cement covered the city from top to bottom.
Now this was a city in all its wonder, sitting in the middle of a forest with no shame, cutting through large lands with a lack of heed, welcoming you under its spell. She was almost mesmerized. This city, considered with the name of Possibility, was nothing compared to the ramshackle buildings Are, Lynx and Asteria had passed. Even the large town they had walked by made of a mix of wood houses and ornate cement buildings was not in the slightest a competitor for this electric beauty.
Lynx squirmed behind her, his two-toned black and green eyes sparkling with an innocent excitement, his dirty blond hair whisking and whipping in the wind and his pale skin littered with patches of light under the narrow gaps of the leaves. His tattered clothes reminded Asteria that she had to buy new ones for him.
“Oh my, Ella, look, oh my gosh.” Asteria felt a joy mixed with a bit of sorrow watching the huge smile playing on the eleven year old boy’s face, he had never seen a lot of the world before. She longed to know more of his backstory, but he didn’t seem to remember his parents or even any human.
Are tumbled out from the undergrowth, he wasn’t very accustomed to deep forests like Lynx and Asteria was since he was mostly robbing houses and whatever else the heck he did. She watched impatiently as he carefully walked towards them.
“Ah,” He said lightly, panting a little, the arrogant cheer in his voice unmistakable. He stared at Possibility peaking before them, his mask a green wall to his expressions. There were a few leaves and twigs snagged in his hood attached to his cape. “And where might Madame Asteria bring us to?”
“Possibility.” Asteria said plainly, her knife a sharp glint in the lightbulbs and lanterns around the area, she placed it back in her holster. Then she walked directly towards the nearest gateway that marked the border of the city, electric cars and modern vehicles streamed behind its steel bars before her eyes could clearly catch a sight of them.
Lynx walked beside her, his head flitting, his heterochromatic eyes trying to catch everything. Are appeared beside her, his cape sending a dark shadow on the grass. He walked quite gracefully on solid ground, she had realized some time ago.
Are’s head tilted towards hers. “That’s a fitting name,” He said. “I feel it describes this booming beauty of light quite well.”
“The opposite goes for you.” Asteria said savagely.
“What?” Are said as he dramatically stared at her in mock shock. “I have a wonderful name that represents me quite well!”
“I wasn’t aware.” She said sarcastically.
She had been trekking the woodlands with a panting breath, feeling unusually warm and sweaty was not a good feeling. She stopped a few blocks away from the line of people in front of the steel gate, who were waiting to be admitted. “Alright old guy and Lynx-”
“I am not exactly an old guy.” Are stated, his lips annoyingly twitching into a grin.
“Anyway, we are about to meet the borderline of the city, Possibility.” She snapped a finger in front of Lynx’s face to keep his attention, and his egg-like…object named Ella gripped in his hands almost fell out due to his surprise. “The border-guards will not allow us through without an ID, and Lynx doesn’t need one since he’s obviously a kid. So, do you have one?”
Are rubbed his hands. “I- don’t have one. No.” He mused. “Maybe I had one a hundred years ago-”
Asteria tilted her head thoughtfully, “Well, you don’t have it now, which matters. We could as well trade with the border-guards, but that might be risking our entry.” She widened her eyes as Are immediately swept off, walking towards the line with an arched back, confidence streaming from him.
Lynx tilted his head at her questionably. “Should we follow him?”
Asteria exhaled a sharp breath. “Yes, otherwise he might do something much more stupid- Stupid, dumb idiot.” She muttered as she stormed towards him.
He had already cut through the line, his dark green mask illuminated in the streetlights. The border guard and the people waiting glowered and stared at him with unmistakably annoyed faces. Asteria muttered a “sorry” as she got through, clasping Lynx’s fingers in hers so he wouldn’t lose her.
She stopped in front of Are, her tinted hood allowing her to see a monotone image of him. He grinned at her, and she gritted her teeth. She let go of Lynx’s hand, beckoning him to stay put, and turned to the guard.
“Greetings,” She said to the border guard, who was looking at the group with no particular interest. Asteria pointed at Are sharply. “I am terribly sorry to deposit Are’s unlikely behavior in your post. I hope he hasn’t been causing much trouble.”
“I, in fact, have not been causing-” Are yelped as Asteria stepped on his foot.
“Sorry.” Asteria said once again, her lips turning into an artificial smile. Lynx watched, wide-eyed. “We’ll be off in the back of the line.”
The border guard exhaled an exasperated breath, his gaze skimmed over Are and Asteria and stopped in surprise as he caught Lynx’s heterochromatic eyes. “No problem,” He said roughly, his eyes locked with Lynx’s curious ones. Then he looked at Are and Asteria. “Let’s just get this over with. ID?”
“Well, I have mine, but Are-”
The guard sighed. “No ID, no entry. He can’t go.”
“Perhaps you’d like to trade then-” He cut her off.
“No. That doesn’t work here anymore.” The guard said firmly, crossing his large arms, his face set. “There are people waiting, I’d like you to get moving on.” An unmistakable warning shone in his tone.
She glanced at Are in despair, who was staring closely at the guard; she wished she could see his expressions. He can’t see mine well either. She reminded herself.
Lynx gingerly walked towards the guard, a small figure against the huge man. He looked down at Lynx with an unreadable expression and Lynx stared up at him, holding out the egg-like object, Ella, towards him.
What is going on? She hissed internally. Certainly I didn’t ask anyone to take over my task, nor did I ask anyone to address the guard.
She was about to touch Lynx’s shoulder lightly, to beckon him away so she could barter. But then Are held her shoulder gently but firmly, the meaning to wait. She stopped where she was for a moment, then shrugged his hand off.
Lynx was looking up at the man with wide eyes, the streetlights plastered against the walls of the gate illuminating the hesitant features of his face. Just when the border guard was about to shoo them away, Lynx stood on his tip-toes. “Sir…you can have… Ella,” Asteria looked at Lynx in horror. “Just please let friend Are go.”
“Ella?” The man repeated.
Lynx pointed to the egg-object in his hands. “Ella.” He confirmed shakily.
“No.” Are said under his breath, moving to stand next to Lynx, but the guard beckoned him to stay put. He begrudgingly did so, his dark-green cape whisking and turning in the breeze.
“What use would I have of…that?” The guard asked tonelessly, his eyebrows raised.
Then words started tumbling out of Are’s lips, rageful and exasperated beneath the surface. Asteria couldn’t help but glance at him in surprise. ”Lynx has lived alone for all of his memory. He does not and cannot recall any person’s face.” He stared at the guard, words said slowly and tightly. “He’s never seen a face before, so much so that he regards his possessions as living things-” He pointed at Ella. “Clearly a cruel outcome for the first face he has seen to treat him with open hostility.”
“Impossible.” The guard stated after a hanging moment. “A kid, in the forest? For ten years?”
“Eleven years, Asteria helped me count. I’m eleven.” Lynx said quietly, his eyes locked on Ella, he was stroking the object, patting it- her comfortingly on her head.
The guard’s mouth twitched, as if he wanted to say something, but couldn’t. “You said you had an ID?” He said to Asteria, regret flashed in his dark eyes.
“Yes I do. My sister resides in Possibility after all.” She said, holding out the ID in question, and Are looked at her inquisitively at her mention of a sister. Lynx was gazing at the cars streaming behind the steel gate in wonder.
“Well…” The guard said slowly and Are’s mouth twitched as if he were about to smile. “There is no…set rule for all of a group to show an ID as a must. People in groups don’t come here often.” He hesitantly opened the door at the side of the large gate.
Lynx skipped and bounded towards the door while the guard muttered something like, “First time doing this, should’ve asked Arian.”
“Doing what?” Are asked innocently.
The guard inhaled a sharp breath. “Nothing at all.”
“It’s just a little quarter illegal-” Are loud-whispered, shrugging. “Considering we’re three people. I’m sure no one will bother looking twice.” She had a feeling he was winking. She sighed in relief as the guard begrudgingly let them through.
As they passed, she subtly pressed a gold necklace into the guard’s hand. “Thank you.” She said abruptly and turned away towards Lynx and Are, who had already advanced.
“Alright, that was close. Now,” Are rubbed her hands together as she walked towards them. “Fill me in.”
“Fill you in?” Asteria repeated, her eyes scouring for a taxi. A bright white car bearing the sign of a blue lynx stopped in front of them. Asteria chuckled internally at the unintentional pun.
“I mean like, I had absolutely no faith that there was a possibility that you could smile,” Are exclaimed. “However unauthentic.”
Asteria was about to answer when Lynx was suddenly giggling. “That’s a lynx!” He pointed at the sign. “Like my name.” He looked at Asteria. “What are those moving things though?”
“Cars.” Asteria said, ushering both Lynx and Are in the backseat and setting herself next to the driver in the passenger seat. She pulled her hood to shade over her eyes again, it was getting quite annoying to be doing that repeatedly, she realized.
Lynx was back to excitedly whispering, “Ella, Ella, look!” and Are was staring out the window, enchanted. His chin was supported on his hand, and he was unusually quiet, his dark green cape sprawled around him on the bright blue leather of the seats.
“Where to?” The driver next to her asked, her face unreadable. Asteria realized that compared to the driver’s clean navy jacket and trousers, the trio were filthy. Her dirt-stained coat, Are’s ripped cape and Lynx’s messy hair only added onto the fact.
Asteria had to admit that the driver had a good enough reason for the disgust in her eyes, save for the impression that it was a little harsh, but people in Possibility scarcely hid their feelings or opinions. She should know; her sister had lived here.
“Fairmont, next to Spectrum Street.” She replied, leaning back on the bright blue seat that contrasted against her dark coat. Lynx had taken out a small piece of bread from Are’s bag and was nibbling on it.
She raised her eyebrows. “Lynx, you can eat the whole thing now, we’re going somewhere with a lot of food. No point in saving it.” On their way to the Cloud, she had realized Lynx didn’t eat so much…which was probably a habit he had grown into because of his surroundings in the forest.
Lynx shook his head. “Dunno, just in case.” He muttered, back to gazing out the window.
Then Are perked up, his eyes alight with an excited eagerness. “Is there a possibility that we will be served with lemon tarts?”
Asteria blinked at the absolutely spontaneous question, processing. “Lemon…tarts?”
“What?” Are said, he had assumed that Asteria was looking at him incredulously. “Certainly our journey will never be bearable without lemon tarts.” He said, as if it were a matter-of-fact. Asteria noticed the driver’s eye twitching, and she was pleased at Are for once.
“It’ll probably be served.” She shrugged.
“Not good enough!” He pouted, then he not-surprisingly asked, “You mentioned a sister?”
“She lived here, yes, but she died a long time ago.” By a long time, Asteria meant, was fifty years ago. Asteria should’ve been dead by now, humorously; Are looked at her knowingly. The driver went on driving, though her eye had unfortunately stopped twitching. “Possibility provides a resident’s immediate family with IDs, the reason as to why I have one.”
“Ah-” Lynx cut Are off.
“What is that! What is that?” Lynx said, pointing wildly at the large cement building that was shaped like an open book, it was sitting on the ground as if the ground were a desk, the pages open to the sky. Neat thin lines of glass panes fitted into the pages acted like an impersonation of words, reflecting the stunning lights and lasers of blasting colors that were shone on the pages. The cover of the book-shaped building was painted with a shining gold color. Asteria recognized this beautiful construction very well.
“That’s the library.” Asteria said, her voice filled with an overwhelm of nostalgia as they passed it. “Makteca Library, me and my sister went there often when I came to visit.”
“What’s a library?” Lynx asked, and Are answered for him.
“It’s a place made specially for books, where people can come and read them.” Are smiled. “Books are great.” He paused, then changed the subject. “I can’t believe I’ve never heard of Possibility before, considering…”
Considering you’re literally two hundred years old. Asteria thought. Like me…or at least almost like me.
“Well, Possibility was made sixty years ago.” Asteria said, and the driver nodded in agreement.
“Wow, that undoubtedly explains it.” Are said, his voice dripping with sarcasm, looking out the window. The bright lights of the city shined on his mask, turning it into a warm cascade of red, pink, blue and green.
Possibility was that one rare thing you could never stop staring in amazement at; Asteria had concluded that the last time she had been with her sister. The buildings were impossible and towering, the highways and bridges twisted and turned till your eyes were blurry, and the stores and shops were bustling and vivid. In fact, she always felt a strong irrational excitement everytime she stepped into this wonder of streets and lights.
And she was glad to be sharing that excitement with new people.
…Well, perhaps Are didn’t fit into the definition of people exactly.
She tilted her head back to glance at Lynx. He was opening and closing his mouth as if he wanted to ask a question, then he pouted because he was unable to ask it as they had already gone past it, then his eyes brightened again and his mouth opened and the cycle repeated. It was undoubtedly endearing; the little boy was adorable, and she would protect him with all her life.
She doubted the same for Are though. The man in question was currently looking out the window in a concerning silence. (Who was this and what have they done with Are?) He looked at her as she glanced at him, and a teasing smile played at the corners of his mouth. Rolling her eyes, she looked out the window in front of her. Bright cars were hustling their way through the streets.
She was glad that Are scarcely asked questions about her past, and in turn she returned the favor. There were a few times that Asteria felt the jolt that this was not a regular joking twenty-year old guy, but in fact, was a century old man— someone who had experienced the same things as her, who had seen the sunlight and felt its warmth, who had seen flowers bloom and trees sprout, someone who understood the refusal to acknowledge the past and the strange bitterness that seemed to possess you as you gazed at the present world.
Are certainly didn’t act his age, but there were times when his teasing demeanor had slipped and then he had radiated a sort of aura, informing her that this was not a normal person— she couldn’t have explained it…It was something subtle; just for a moment his jaw set with quiet wisdom, his tight lips and knowing smiles suggesting a man beyond the laws of nature, and the slightness of his movements indicating unimaginable years.
The car suddenly stopped in front of a large towering building, halting her thoughts. The driver was looking at her. Asteria placed a spare but expensive necklace Are had picked up (stole would be a better word, Asteria had argued) in the driver’s hands, who stared at her surprise.
“I don’t have any currency, if you were looking for that.” Asteria explained, confused…because in actuality, people in Possibility often traded anything valuable.
“Oh.” The driver said, then she pointed at Are, who had already stepped out of the car and was helping Lynx. “He already paid, I assumed you knew that, unless you're giving me a tip.”
Asteria choked out a chuckle, surprised into laughing. “Oh no, I’m not.” The driver begrudgingly handed back the necklace, and Asteria stepped out of the car. Are was already looking at her in either apprehension or amusement, or possibly a mix of both. His lips were brought into a growing smirk.
“How did you manage to pay her?” Asteria asked. “Oh, let me guess, when we stopped at a store to buy snacks and a much needed bathroom break?”
“Ding ding.”
“Well,” Asteria said, her lips twitching. Lynx was looking between them, experimentally munching on chili-flavored chips. Asteria found it baffling that he could eat that without his eyes watering, and also that he was surprisingly gobbling the whole packet up. “Such an advantage for me.”
“Not even a thank you?” Are asked.
“No.”
“The epitome of a disgrace.” Are said bitterly, and Lynx patted his back in comfort, staining his cape with red chili flecks. “Anyone can see that a person like me deserves a well-thought thank you, preferably with a serving of lemon tarts.”
Asteria ignored him and beckoned to the building, and Are stopped suddenly, staring at the stunning mass before him.
A man wearing a formal bright purple suit came to a stop in front of them, a smile plastered on his face. “Welcome to Fairmont hotel.” He said, Possibility’s accent lilting his words.
Are whistled, tilting his neck and squinting his eyes in vain to try to make out the impossibly towering building in front of them. Lynx had stopped chomping on his chips, staring at the hotel in awe.
“You said it was a good hotel,” He said, addressing Asteria. “But you never told me it was a phenomenal one.”
3280 words the hell
The leaves came aside, brushing over Asteria’s hands, the touch tingling on her palms. The loud colors of the city loomed in front of her, the neon streaks of light and lanterns illuminating the darkness. Streets and roads huddled in amazingly neat rows, bridges whooping to and fro. Buildings looked as if there wasn’t a possibility that anything could live up to it, towering brightly over the expanse of flitting people. The long line of swaying trees wound with fairy lights on the sides of the streets were the only objects that consisted of the wood that was usually used to make houses. In contrast, cement covered the city from top to bottom.
Now this was a city in all its wonder, sitting in the middle of a forest with no shame, cutting through large lands with a lack of heed, welcoming you under its spell. She was almost mesmerized. This city, considered with the name of Possibility, was nothing compared to the ramshackle buildings Are, Lynx and Asteria had passed. Even the large town they had walked by made of a mix of wood houses and ornate cement buildings was not in the slightest a competitor for this electric beauty.
Lynx squirmed behind her, his two-toned black and green eyes sparkling with an innocent excitement, his dirty blond hair whisking and whipping in the wind and his pale skin littered with patches of light under the narrow gaps of the leaves. His tattered clothes reminded Asteria that she had to buy new ones for him.
“Oh my, Ella, look, oh my gosh.” Asteria felt a joy mixed with a bit of sorrow watching the huge smile playing on the eleven year old boy’s face, he had never seen a lot of the world before. She longed to know more of his backstory, but he didn’t seem to remember his parents or even any human.
Are tumbled out from the undergrowth, he wasn’t very accustomed to deep forests like Lynx and Asteria was since he was mostly robbing houses and whatever else the heck he did. She watched impatiently as he carefully walked towards them.
“Ah,” He said lightly, panting a little, the arrogant cheer in his voice unmistakable. He stared at Possibility peaking before them, his mask a green wall to his expressions. There were a few leaves and twigs snagged in his hood attached to his cape. “And where might Madame Asteria bring us to?”
“Possibility.” Asteria said plainly, her knife a sharp glint in the lightbulbs and lanterns around the area, she placed it back in her holster. Then she walked directly towards the nearest gateway that marked the border of the city, electric cars and modern vehicles streamed behind its steel bars before her eyes could clearly catch a sight of them.
Lynx walked beside her, his head flitting, his heterochromatic eyes trying to catch everything. Are appeared beside her, his cape sending a dark shadow on the grass. He walked quite gracefully on solid ground, she had realized some time ago.
Are’s head tilted towards hers. “That’s a fitting name,” He said. “I feel it describes this booming beauty of light quite well.”
“The opposite goes for you.” Asteria said savagely.
“What?” Are said as he dramatically stared at her in mock shock. “I have a wonderful name that represents me quite well!”
“I wasn’t aware.” She said sarcastically.
She had been trekking the woodlands with a panting breath, feeling unusually warm and sweaty was not a good feeling. She stopped a few blocks away from the line of people in front of the steel gate, who were waiting to be admitted. “Alright old guy and Lynx-”
“I am not exactly an old guy.” Are stated, his lips annoyingly twitching into a grin.
“Anyway, we are about to meet the borderline of the city, Possibility.” She snapped a finger in front of Lynx’s face to keep his attention, and his egg-like…object named Ella gripped in his hands almost fell out due to his surprise. “The border-guards will not allow us through without an ID, and Lynx doesn’t need one since he’s obviously a kid. So, do you have one?”
Are rubbed his hands. “I- don’t have one. No.” He mused. “Maybe I had one a hundred years ago-”
Asteria tilted her head thoughtfully, “Well, you don’t have it now, which matters. We could as well trade with the border-guards, but that might be risking our entry.” She widened her eyes as Are immediately swept off, walking towards the line with an arched back, confidence streaming from him.
Lynx tilted his head at her questionably. “Should we follow him?”
Asteria exhaled a sharp breath. “Yes, otherwise he might do something much more stupid- Stupid, dumb idiot.” She muttered as she stormed towards him.
He had already cut through the line, his dark green mask illuminated in the streetlights. The border guard and the people waiting glowered and stared at him with unmistakably annoyed faces. Asteria muttered a “sorry” as she got through, clasping Lynx’s fingers in hers so he wouldn’t lose her.
She stopped in front of Are, her tinted hood allowing her to see a monotone image of him. He grinned at her, and she gritted her teeth. She let go of Lynx’s hand, beckoning him to stay put, and turned to the guard.
“Greetings,” She said to the border guard, who was looking at the group with no particular interest. Asteria pointed at Are sharply. “I am terribly sorry to deposit Are’s unlikely behavior in your post. I hope he hasn’t been causing much trouble.”
“I, in fact, have not been causing-” Are yelped as Asteria stepped on his foot.
“Sorry.” Asteria said once again, her lips turning into an artificial smile. Lynx watched, wide-eyed. “We’ll be off in the back of the line.”
The border guard exhaled an exasperated breath, his gaze skimmed over Are and Asteria and stopped in surprise as he caught Lynx’s heterochromatic eyes. “No problem,” He said roughly, his eyes locked with Lynx’s curious ones. Then he looked at Are and Asteria. “Let’s just get this over with. ID?”
“Well, I have mine, but Are-”
The guard sighed. “No ID, no entry. He can’t go.”
“Perhaps you’d like to trade then-” He cut her off.
“No. That doesn’t work here anymore.” The guard said firmly, crossing his large arms, his face set. “There are people waiting, I’d like you to get moving on.” An unmistakable warning shone in his tone.
She glanced at Are in despair, who was staring closely at the guard; she wished she could see his expressions. He can’t see mine well either. She reminded herself.
Lynx gingerly walked towards the guard, a small figure against the huge man. He looked down at Lynx with an unreadable expression and Lynx stared up at him, holding out the egg-like object, Ella, towards him.
What is going on? She hissed internally. Certainly I didn’t ask anyone to take over my task, nor did I ask anyone to address the guard.
She was about to touch Lynx’s shoulder lightly, to beckon him away so she could barter. But then Are held her shoulder gently but firmly, the meaning to wait. She stopped where she was for a moment, then shrugged his hand off.
Lynx was looking up at the man with wide eyes, the streetlights plastered against the walls of the gate illuminating the hesitant features of his face. Just when the border guard was about to shoo them away, Lynx stood on his tip-toes. “Sir…you can have… Ella,” Asteria looked at Lynx in horror. “Just please let friend Are go.”
“Ella?” The man repeated.
Lynx pointed to the egg-object in his hands. “Ella.” He confirmed shakily.
“No.” Are said under his breath, moving to stand next to Lynx, but the guard beckoned him to stay put. He begrudgingly did so, his dark-green cape whisking and turning in the breeze.
“What use would I have of…that?” The guard asked tonelessly, his eyebrows raised.
Then words started tumbling out of Are’s lips, rageful and exasperated beneath the surface. Asteria couldn’t help but glance at him in surprise. ”Lynx has lived alone for all of his memory. He does not and cannot recall any person’s face.” He stared at the guard, words said slowly and tightly. “He’s never seen a face before, so much so that he regards his possessions as living things-” He pointed at Ella. “Clearly a cruel outcome for the first face he has seen to treat him with open hostility.”
“Impossible.” The guard stated after a hanging moment. “A kid, in the forest? For ten years?”
“Eleven years, Asteria helped me count. I’m eleven.” Lynx said quietly, his eyes locked on Ella, he was stroking the object, patting it- her comfortingly on her head.
The guard’s mouth twitched, as if he wanted to say something, but couldn’t. “You said you had an ID?” He said to Asteria, regret flashed in his dark eyes.
“Yes I do. My sister resides in Possibility after all.” She said, holding out the ID in question, and Are looked at her inquisitively at her mention of a sister. Lynx was gazing at the cars streaming behind the steel gate in wonder.
“Well…” The guard said slowly and Are’s mouth twitched as if he were about to smile. “There is no…set rule for all of a group to show an ID as a must. People in groups don’t come here often.” He hesitantly opened the door at the side of the large gate.
Lynx skipped and bounded towards the door while the guard muttered something like, “First time doing this, should’ve asked Arian.”
“Doing what?” Are asked innocently.
The guard inhaled a sharp breath. “Nothing at all.”
“It’s just a little quarter illegal-” Are loud-whispered, shrugging. “Considering we’re three people. I’m sure no one will bother looking twice.” She had a feeling he was winking. She sighed in relief as the guard begrudgingly let them through.
As they passed, she subtly pressed a gold necklace into the guard’s hand. “Thank you.” She said abruptly and turned away towards Lynx and Are, who had already advanced.
“Alright, that was close. Now,” Are rubbed her hands together as she walked towards them. “Fill me in.”
“Fill you in?” Asteria repeated, her eyes scouring for a taxi. A bright white car bearing the sign of a blue lynx stopped in front of them. Asteria chuckled internally at the unintentional pun.
“I mean like, I had absolutely no faith that there was a possibility that you could smile,” Are exclaimed. “However unauthentic.”
Asteria was about to answer when Lynx was suddenly giggling. “That’s a lynx!” He pointed at the sign. “Like my name.” He looked at Asteria. “What are those moving things though?”
“Cars.” Asteria said, ushering both Lynx and Are in the backseat and setting herself next to the driver in the passenger seat. She pulled her hood to shade over her eyes again, it was getting quite annoying to be doing that repeatedly, she realized.
Lynx was back to excitedly whispering, “Ella, Ella, look!” and Are was staring out the window, enchanted. His chin was supported on his hand, and he was unusually quiet, his dark green cape sprawled around him on the bright blue leather of the seats.
“Where to?” The driver next to her asked, her face unreadable. Asteria realized that compared to the driver’s clean navy jacket and trousers, the trio were filthy. Her dirt-stained coat, Are’s ripped cape and Lynx’s messy hair only added onto the fact.
Asteria had to admit that the driver had a good enough reason for the disgust in her eyes, save for the impression that it was a little harsh, but people in Possibility scarcely hid their feelings or opinions. She should know; her sister had lived here.
“Fairmont, next to Spectrum Street.” She replied, leaning back on the bright blue seat that contrasted against her dark coat. Lynx had taken out a small piece of bread from Are’s bag and was nibbling on it.
She raised her eyebrows. “Lynx, you can eat the whole thing now, we’re going somewhere with a lot of food. No point in saving it.” On their way to the Cloud, she had realized Lynx didn’t eat so much…which was probably a habit he had grown into because of his surroundings in the forest.
Lynx shook his head. “Dunno, just in case.” He muttered, back to gazing out the window.
Then Are perked up, his eyes alight with an excited eagerness. “Is there a possibility that we will be served with lemon tarts?”
Asteria blinked at the absolutely spontaneous question, processing. “Lemon…tarts?”
“What?” Are said, he had assumed that Asteria was looking at him incredulously. “Certainly our journey will never be bearable without lemon tarts.” He said, as if it were a matter-of-fact. Asteria noticed the driver’s eye twitching, and she was pleased at Are for once.
“It’ll probably be served.” She shrugged.
“Not good enough!” He pouted, then he not-surprisingly asked, “You mentioned a sister?”
“She lived here, yes, but she died a long time ago.” By a long time, Asteria meant, was fifty years ago. Asteria should’ve been dead by now, humorously; Are looked at her knowingly. The driver went on driving, though her eye had unfortunately stopped twitching. “Possibility provides a resident’s immediate family with IDs, the reason as to why I have one.”
“Ah-” Lynx cut Are off.
“What is that! What is that?” Lynx said, pointing wildly at the large cement building that was shaped like an open book, it was sitting on the ground as if the ground were a desk, the pages open to the sky. Neat thin lines of glass panes fitted into the pages acted like an impersonation of words, reflecting the stunning lights and lasers of blasting colors that were shone on the pages. The cover of the book-shaped building was painted with a shining gold color. Asteria recognized this beautiful construction very well.
“That’s the library.” Asteria said, her voice filled with an overwhelm of nostalgia as they passed it. “Makteca Library, me and my sister went there often when I came to visit.”
“What’s a library?” Lynx asked, and Are answered for him.
“It’s a place made specially for books, where people can come and read them.” Are smiled. “Books are great.” He paused, then changed the subject. “I can’t believe I’ve never heard of Possibility before, considering…”
Considering you’re literally two hundred years old. Asteria thought. Like me…or at least almost like me.
“Well, Possibility was made sixty years ago.” Asteria said, and the driver nodded in agreement.
“Wow, that undoubtedly explains it.” Are said, his voice dripping with sarcasm, looking out the window. The bright lights of the city shined on his mask, turning it into a warm cascade of red, pink, blue and green.
Possibility was that one rare thing you could never stop staring in amazement at; Asteria had concluded that the last time she had been with her sister. The buildings were impossible and towering, the highways and bridges twisted and turned till your eyes were blurry, and the stores and shops were bustling and vivid. In fact, she always felt a strong irrational excitement everytime she stepped into this wonder of streets and lights.
And she was glad to be sharing that excitement with new people.
…Well, perhaps Are didn’t fit into the definition of people exactly.
She tilted her head back to glance at Lynx. He was opening and closing his mouth as if he wanted to ask a question, then he pouted because he was unable to ask it as they had already gone past it, then his eyes brightened again and his mouth opened and the cycle repeated. It was undoubtedly endearing; the little boy was adorable, and she would protect him with all her life.
She doubted the same for Are though. The man in question was currently looking out the window in a concerning silence. (Who was this and what have they done with Are?) He looked at her as she glanced at him, and a teasing smile played at the corners of his mouth. Rolling her eyes, she looked out the window in front of her. Bright cars were hustling their way through the streets.
She was glad that Are scarcely asked questions about her past, and in turn she returned the favor. There were a few times that Asteria felt the jolt that this was not a regular joking twenty-year old guy, but in fact, was a century old man— someone who had experienced the same things as her, who had seen the sunlight and felt its warmth, who had seen flowers bloom and trees sprout, someone who understood the refusal to acknowledge the past and the strange bitterness that seemed to possess you as you gazed at the present world.
Are certainly didn’t act his age, but there were times when his teasing demeanor had slipped and then he had radiated a sort of aura, informing her that this was not a normal person— she couldn’t have explained it…It was something subtle; just for a moment his jaw set with quiet wisdom, his tight lips and knowing smiles suggesting a man beyond the laws of nature, and the slightness of his movements indicating unimaginable years.
The car suddenly stopped in front of a large towering building, halting her thoughts. The driver was looking at her. Asteria placed a spare but expensive necklace Are had picked up (stole would be a better word, Asteria had argued) in the driver’s hands, who stared at her surprise.
“I don’t have any currency, if you were looking for that.” Asteria explained, confused…because in actuality, people in Possibility often traded anything valuable.
“Oh.” The driver said, then she pointed at Are, who had already stepped out of the car and was helping Lynx. “He already paid, I assumed you knew that, unless you're giving me a tip.”
Asteria choked out a chuckle, surprised into laughing. “Oh no, I’m not.” The driver begrudgingly handed back the necklace, and Asteria stepped out of the car. Are was already looking at her in either apprehension or amusement, or possibly a mix of both. His lips were brought into a growing smirk.
“How did you manage to pay her?” Asteria asked. “Oh, let me guess, when we stopped at a store to buy snacks and a much needed bathroom break?”
“Ding ding.”
“Well,” Asteria said, her lips twitching. Lynx was looking between them, experimentally munching on chili-flavored chips. Asteria found it baffling that he could eat that without his eyes watering, and also that he was surprisingly gobbling the whole packet up. “Such an advantage for me.”
“Not even a thank you?” Are asked.
“No.”
“The epitome of a disgrace.” Are said bitterly, and Lynx patted his back in comfort, staining his cape with red chili flecks. “Anyone can see that a person like me deserves a well-thought thank you, preferably with a serving of lemon tarts.”
Asteria ignored him and beckoned to the building, and Are stopped suddenly, staring at the stunning mass before him.
A man wearing a formal bright purple suit came to a stop in front of them, a smile plastered on his face. “Welcome to Fairmont hotel.” He said, Possibility’s accent lilting his words.
Are whistled, tilting his neck and squinting his eyes in vain to try to make out the impossibly towering building in front of them. Lynx had stopped chomping on his chips, staring at the hotel in awe.
“You said it was a good hotel,” He said, addressing Asteria. “But you never told me it was a phenomenal one.”
3280 words the hell