A Strange New World [Chapter XVI]

[Miracle]

Miracle looked over to Wallace in fascination of this 'drinking straw'. It didn't sound like it would affect the taste at all so why not try it?

"I would like very much to try this 'drinking straw' you speak of."

The High Priestess took another bite out of the beans, not having touched any part of her salad yet, before looking up to Laura at her question finding it odd that it would be asked.

"It was just like meeting with anybody else only with more power and responsibility. Why do you ask?"

[Kragen]

"We didn't have a lot of time to really speak. I was more or less there to pick up Miracle after their discussion ended." Wallace looked back over to Miracle and couldn't help but smile at her response to Laura's question. Many adults, and even many children, would see meeting somebody as the President as a big deal but she saw it as neither. Just another person with a little more responsibility than everyone else. Very mature. "If I may ask, what are the leaders of your world referred to as? Do you have a President? King? Emperor?"

[Tenjou, Utena]

"I'm mainly just trying to make conversation."
At the straw request Laura got back up to her feet and grabbed one of the straws out of the above cabinets and placed it inside of Miracle's drink before sitting back down at her seat.
"So what did you and the President talk about?" she asked Miracle.

[Miracle]

"If I may ask, what are the leaders of your world referred to as? Do you have a President? King? Emperor?"

"It varies from place to place. In my home we call our leader the High Priest, High Priestess in my case. The surrounding nations leaders went from an Empress, to a Mayor, a Queen and a man who simply refers himself as the General. And they all run their respective nations very differently."

"I'm mainly just trying to make conversation."

"I see. I apologize if I came off as rude before."

"So what did you and the President talk about?"

"He asked me about the tower. I couldn't tell him much in fear of the effects it would cause on both our worlds. At the earliest convenience I intend to return to my world via the tower."

[Kragen]

Doctor Wallace listened to Miracle's explanation with great interest. Many of the titles of the rulers in her own world not being all that different from his own but it was a little strange for a ruler to define themselves as either a High Priest or a General. The former hinting to a religious nation while the latter, he didn't know about the latter. General wasn't the highest ranking officer one could be here. They just led armies. Colonels was a much higher rank as far as he knew.

"That tower has been nothing but trouble since it came here. It made border patrol job that much harder as people crossing the border take advantage of the tower to hide. Can't do much about the fence with it in the way either, though I thought that was a stupid idea to begin with."

[Tenjou, Utena]

"Oh no. It's okay you aren't being rude. Try out your straw. And I can't help but notice that you haven't even touched the salad yet, is everything okay?"
Laura took a bite from her own salad before listening to Miracle talk about what she and the President discussed a bit confused why the President would ask that from a child of all things. What was she supposed to know that adults who's been researching that thing for months now wouldn't?
"Did the President say he'd be giving you access?"

[Miracle]

"That tower has been nothing but trouble since it came here. It made border patrol job that much harder as people crossing the border take advantage of the tower to hide. Can't do much about the fence with it in the way either, though I thought that was a stupid idea to begin with."

"Be thankful that is all that has happened."

It seemed this place did not know Aper or Arashi. They were the lucky ones. They didn't have to make a difficult decision about letting innocent people die or watch their whole world slowly but surely waste away from an incurable imbalance otherwise.

"And why would you want to build a fence at your border?"

"Oh no. It's okay you aren't being rude. Try out your straw."

Miracle almost forgot about her straw due to talking with Doctor Wallace. Grabbing the side of it, Miracle put it in her mouth and began to suck feeling the drink hit her mouth causing her to quickly pull out the straw and look at it amazed.

"Whoa."

"And I can't help but notice that you haven't even touched the salad yet, is everything okay?"

"Huh?"

Miracle looked to her salad and then back to Laura.

"Oh, yeah. Everything's fine. I'll get to it."

"Did the President say he'd be giving you access?"

"He said I am to stay here until he can help get me home."

[Kragen]

"We've had trouble with immigrants crossing the border illegally and some people think it'd be a good idea to build a fence to keep them out." Doctor Wallace snickered at Miracle's fascination with the straw. Her curiosity and naive nature were just too cute. Despite how mature she could be around others she was still a child at heart and to Wallace that was beautiful.

[Tenjou, Utena]

"It's good for you, Miracle. Look."
Laura took a piece of her salad and put it into her mouth showing a delightfully please look after tasting it.
"Mm. So good."
So this is what it was like to lie to children.

[Miracle]

"We've had trouble with immigrants crossing the border illegally and some people think it'd be a good idea to build a fence to keep them out."

"I see..."

"It's good for you, Miracle. Look."

Miracle watched Laura eat the salad and do her best to fake enjoyment of the taste as Laura then looked back at her.

"Mm. So good."

"I intend to finish everything on my plate, Ms. Wallace. You've no need to lie."

[Kragen]

"Miracle, that's rude." Smart, seeing how she saw right through her lie with no problem to speak of, but still rude. Turning back to his wife, the good doctor thought it best to change the topic of conversation. "So, how was work?"

[Tenjou, Utena]

Laura was caught off guard by Miracle's blunt response to her previous lie. She didn't even know what to say to that. She just sat there slowly growing pink around her cheeks as she looked back to her meal. Her husband giving her a window to climb out of while she was just scratching at the walls.
"Well I didn't meet any US Presidents but we did make advancement on the site where-"
Laura stopped herself and looked at Miracle before resuming talking.
"Where the vtay appeared and drank from the hutay."

[Miracle]

"Miracle, that's rude."

"So is lying."

There was no touch of rudeness, defensiveness, or anything found in her tone. She was merely reminding them both of a fact as she finally cut off a piece of her salad and took a bite. It tasted better than it looked, that's for sure. But her taste buds still weren't too crazy about it.

"So, how was work?"

"Well I didn't meet any US Presidents but we did make advancement on the site where-"

Miracle met Laura's glance, seeing hesitation in her eyes before she finally continued.

"Where the vtay appeared and drank from the hutay."

That made no sense.

"If your intent is to keep from scaring me, I assure you, you can't. You can speak normally in front of me."

[Kragen]

"Miracle..." Wallace's tone was one of warning as he didn't take kindly to the way Miracle was speaking to his wife, in his home at his table of all things. Listening to Laura, he found amusement in the way she tried to hide it from the child but he kept it off of his face as his eyes would fall on the girl a second time when she spoke again. "Just eat your food, Miracle."

[Tenjou, Utena]

"It's all right. Miracle is a big girl I should treat her as such."
Laura looked over to Miracle before going on in more detail.
"Out by the woods several months back a man was attacked. Originally it was presumed as an animal attack but further investigation started showing up things that just wasn't possible. Evidence suggested a vampire did it. A couple of weeks later that tower appeared and more attacks started after that. We've been investigating the woods for some time now and only just recently found a rift that leads to another universe. It's quite fascinating."