Jessica's Call

Jessica finds herself wandering through the halls of the HFAC. She walks past an open classroom and notices that it's a puppeteering class. She stops to watch through the door. The class is working with marionettes. A young man leans against the wall down the hall from her watching her intently.

Martin didn't like this world. It was so bizarre and different from Gnale. Could this have been what Jessica and her friends felt like while they had been in Gnale? Had she felt as completely out of place there as he did here (even though he was dressed normally). If so, was it really right to bring her back into this?

He wasn't sure but Gnale needed her and he admitted, he wanted her to come back. He pushed off from the wall and began to walk towards her. He glanced into the open classroom as he drew near. The marionettes reminded him of an incident with muppets...back when he had first met Jessica and her friends.

Jessica didn't seem to have noticed him yet. He took a deep breath and said, "Hello Jessica."

She stood in the doorway of the classroom, having stopped suddenly in the action of walking down the hall. The class fascinated her, but also a nagging feeling of discomfort tugged at her stomach. There was something very disconcerting about the puppets, though she couldn't quite put her finger on it...

As captivated (and slightly terrified) as she had been by the puppets, she didn't notice the figure leaning against the wall and watching her. As he called her name, Jessica snapped her gaze to the speaker, startled, somewhat. There stood a man, addressing her, in a somewhat serious manner.

In that moment, one thought filled her mind, puppets all forgotten: Oh crap, he looks so familiar and I have no idea who he is or where I know him from.
Luckily for Jessica, this happened a lot, and she had developed a talent for conversing without knowing these details.
She had just enough time to think omg he's so cute how do I not know his name? before she responded with an enthusiastic "Oh hi!! How are you doing?!"

Martin looked thoughtful for a moment. Back home, he would have answered something like "I'm well enough off." However, he'd been here looking for Jessica for a little longer than 6 months now and he'd come to realize that those types of responses weren't typical.

"Oh, good. How are you?" he replied. Yes, he thought, much more normal.

Before Jessica had a chance to reply, he spoke again. "Hey, can you come with me for a second? I want to show you something."

He couldn't afford to be here much longer. He'd already wasted too much time. He needed to get back to Gnale with Jessica as soon as possible.


(I found Marty's picture!)

"Uh, yeah, sure," she said, and followed after him, frantically thumbing through her brain to figure out how she knew him, while also mentally congratulating herself on actually getting ready that morning and looking somewhat decent.

"So, what have you been up to lately?" she asked as they walked. It was a question that she hoped would supply enough information to remember where she knew him from.

((WHOAH. Martin is not a monk anymore ;D boom-chica-wa-waaaa!))

((PS I FOUND THIS ON DA (thank you interwebs!!!)
MONK-MARTIN!!

"Oh, you know same old." Martin evaded Jessica's question further by asking one of his own. "What about you, how are classes going?"

The pair was rapidly nearing the elevator. Martin stepped inside and waited for Jessica to follow him.

Jessica's demeanor fell noticeably at this question. "Graduation seems less and less likely the more I go to my 444 class. We have a midterm Wednesday, over all the stories we've read so far. And there are at least 500 words per story I don't know," she finished, glumly, as she stepped into the elevator with the man whose name she still did not know. Vaguely, she wondered where they were going. But they were in the HFAC, so maybe there was some art he wanted to show her? Was he an artist? She was at a total loss.

"Anyway, what about your classes? Finished with midterms yet?"
aka WHAT CLASSES ARE YOU TAKING SO I CAN FIGURE OUT WHO YOU ARE, she mentally added, as the elevator's door closed.

(Won't let me delete this....Whit was never here...)

"Well, I don't have any midterms..." Martin stalled as the elevator doors closed.

When they were shut, Martin grabbed Jessica by the wrist and said, "Neomonni Mahaskah."

He had no sooner finished speaking when his left side started to dissipate like smoke or wisps of cloud. Jessica notices that her own legs have begun changing into the wafting mists and disappearing. She still feels solid forever and Martin's grasp on her wrist is strong.


(This is what the dissipating looks like)


It takes only seconds before the pair of them have totally changed into the mist. Jessica begins to feel like she is floating. "Hang on!" she hears Martin say an instant before she feels herself speeding along through the air.

They begin to pass through the walls of the HFAC as if they didn't exist. They continue to pick up speed until everything around them is a blur. In an instant, the temperature becomes noticeably colder and all the colors seem to become more vibrant.

As they speed along, they hear a voice in their minds. Something about the voice just feels dark and sinister. The voice is female and it says, "Ah my, it seems our little rogue sorcerer has finally made his reappearance."

They come to an abrupt halt and are surrounded by stars in a dark sky. It feels like standing in space but there's apparently oxygen here. They find themselves solid again. They are floating. They find they can move their limbs but can no longer move directionally. Directly in front of them, a large pillar of colorful mist appears. It seems almost solid somehow, like liquid smoke.


("liquid smoke")


The colorful smoke condenses and becomes a woman wearing a black-feather cloak. Perched on her shoulder is a large black crow though it is hardly noticeable at first because it is the same color as her cloak.




"Martin, Martin, Martin, must you always meddle with forces greater than yourself? What did you really hope to achieve by bringing one of them back here?"

The large crow flew to the "ground" (it looks like empty space and stars but everyone is standing on it nonetheless) and cocked its head as if it were inspecting Jessica.

Martin now spoke "Tamesis! Leave her be! She doe-"

The sorceress waved her hand, and before Martin could finish speaking, the crow took wing again and grabbed Martin by the shoulders. He and Jessica were both dragged to the ground before Martin released her. He manages to cry out before becoming airborne and disappearing with the crow into a small black hole.

"Now then," the sorceress, Tamesis continued, "What is your name girl and what stories has Martin been telling you?"

Jessica was about to reply something to 'lucky' when suddenly Martin had grabbed her wrists. Hard. oh crap, she thought, instantly how could I have been so STUPID as to fall for this?! stuck in an elevator with a man who suddenly looked far less familiar now that the situation had turned suspicious and terrifying.

"Let go!" She yelled, twisting her wrist and trying to pull it out of Martin's grasp. Her heart was hammering against her chest, and she tried to remember what she had learned in her self-defense class two years earlier. Apparently, she wasn't remembering. Martin's grip of her wrist remained, and it ached as she squirmed and tried to break free. "I said LET GO!" she shrieked, letting her purse drop to her spare hand. She then started to bat at Martin's face with her fist and bag. "LET GO! HELP! SOMEBODY HELP!!" she yelled, as loud as she could manage past her short breathes and hammering heart.

It was then than she noticed her was beginning to blow away. Or, bits of pieces of him, blowing away like smoke. Before she had time to process this, she realized she was also beginning to disappear. She shrieked again, nothing intelligible this time, just a cry of fear.

And then, suddenly, she was speeding off who-knows where with some guy who could very well be trying to rape you. you drugged me, she thought, vocal chords suddenly numb from shock and fear. She even stop smacking Martin. you must have drugged me.

She shuddered at the voice inside her head-- or was it inside her head? She'd never heard a voice in her head before, not that she could remember, at least. But something about her voice seemed to throw her further into fear and despair. It was not a voice she felt she should call out to for help.

Then they were standing on stars. oh geez, this is weird she thought, vaguely, as she ogled the woman standing in front of her. That's it. I've lost it. I'm crazy. None of this can be real.

She didn't follow a single thing these two strange people said. Sure, they were speaking English, but the phrases and words meant nothing to her. She looked at the crow on the star-ground with a quaint expression, like she had eaten something that was beginning to disagree with her strongly. Then the crow attacked, and Jessica screamed yet again, from fright, from being jarred painfully into the ground, and from the mans --Martin??-- sudden disappearance into a black hole.

he may have been trying to rape me, she thought vaguely but for some reason I feel worse with this lady....

Jessica struggled up to her feet, limbs shaking, from fright and adrenaline. She hadn't really heard anything the crow-lady had said to her, but she felt the oppression of danger. She raised her arms in a defensive posture, and yelled out, trying to sound strong and determined. "Stay back!!"

Tamesis laughed darkly "Foolish child. I could kill you in an instant if I desired to."

Tamesis waved a hand and said, "However, I have far better plans for you." She laughed again and then disappeared. The echoes of her laugh seemed to go on forever. They reverberated through Jessica's body. They grew louder and louder until it was almost painful to hear them.

A brilliant white light appeared in front of Jessica and it acted very much like the black hole that had taken Martin. Jessica found herself drawn into it, completely unable to resist.




The next thing she knew, she was falling and with a splash fell into an ocean. Jessica was surrounded by nothing but water as far as she could see.

oh crap. oh crap crap crap crap crap. she thought numbly, struggling to stay afloat in the ocean. He heart was still racing, beating against her chest like a bass drum. Or maybe a double bass. He arms and legs were shaking badly, and she was having a hard time treading water in the gentle rising and fall of the sea.

Relax, she told herself. Just relax. Breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out... but each breath was shaky, and she was struggling to hold back tears. Confused, scared, in pain, in shock... it reminded her of how she'd felt in Self-defense, when she'd been put into a choke-hold and had been unable to move. She was friends with the girl she was practicing with, so there had been no real danger, but still, the terror, and the feeling of helplessness were too great to be rationalized. She felt very similar now, struggling to stay afloat in the ocean, after being abduct, assaulted, sucked to who-knows-where by who-knows-what-means. And now she was in a ocean with nothing in sight.

I'm going to drown. Man, salt water will probably hurt going down... she thought miserably. She leaned back into the waves, trying to float on her back. It was a little easier to stay afloat with semi-uncontrollable limbs this way. Jessica closed her eyes for a few moments, breathing as deeply as she could manage, and said a quick, silent prayer.

Jessica heard a high pitched laugh from near by.

"Silly thing! What are you doing all the way out here?" A teen-aged girl sat a top the water grinning at Jessica.


(Picture this but happier)

Jessica startled at the voice, floundering around very ungracefully in the waves, and inhaling a good mouthful or two of seawater as she did.

She was right; it did hurt.

She coughed, trying to tread water at the same time, and gaped at the girl sitting blithely on the waves.

Finally, her coughing stopped "Oh, uhm, hi." she stated. She was unsure if this were a dream, if she were simply going crazy, or if, somehow, this were real. She wasn't sure talking to her insane projections would be healthy. Then again, drowning was generally not healthy either. "Hi," she said again, croaking somewhat, "I'm Jessica. Who are you?"

The girl gave another high pitched giggle as Jessica choked on the water, "I'm Mika ("mee-kah"). Don't you know how to swim?" she asked innocently.

Jessica flushed in embarrassment at the giggle and the question. She had thought she was going to DIE and this girl was laughing at her.

"I can swim okay," she conceded, "But I don't know which way land is. Do you know?" She desperately hoped she did. and that it wasn't too far away.

The girl smiled sweetly, "Oh, there's land in just about any direction. But swimming that far would make even a fish tired and you don't look like you're built for swimming those distances."

Jessica swallowed back despair and tears at this revelation. At least there was this giggling girl. or at least she thought there was. "I'm definitely not," she said, voice trembling slightly. She swallowed again. "How did you get out here?"

"I'm a naiad silly thing. Why, I live here! That's what we naiads do. We live and take care of the water. You happened to be in some of my water so I though I'd just check in on you." Mika replied in her bubbly way.

"A... naiad?" Jessica repeated the foreign word. Some sort of water sprite, maybe?
"Sorry," she said, "I don't mean to be in your water's way." Then after a pause as a small wave passed in front of her face: "Could you help me get to shore somehow?" she was almost scared to be hopeful in case the reply was in the negative.

"To shore? Oh of course you darling! Though the water is nice isn't it? I suppose you really weren't built for it. Hmm...yes, I think I know just the thing!"

Mika stuck her head under the surf and if Jessica was listening, she may have heard some gurgling.

"Cheh will take you as far as she can. She's lives in deep water so she can't take you to land but there are some ships not too far for her. Perhaps they can take you the rest of the way." Mika told Jessica brightly.

Moments later, Cheh surfaced. "Climb on. She's quite friendly!" Mika giggled.

Jessica laughed in relief. "Your water is lovely! And I do enjoy it. So much more now that I know I probably won't drown in it!" She smiled at the marine creature that surfaced. "Cheh, is it? You are so cute! Excuse me, then," and she carefully tried to climb aboard. She wasn't sure how to ride this creature, though, so she hoped she wasn't hurting it.... or doin' it wrang.

Jessica turned back to Mika when she was situated. "Thank you so much, Mika. Is there anything I can do for you?" She was so overwhelmed with gratitude, she wanted to do something. Besides, she really liked this bubbly-voiced cheerful water sprite. Part of her was sad to leave; she would have liked to become better friends.

Mika smiled brightly, "Don't worry. Just keep smiling! Hang on to Cheh. She knows the way!" and with that Mika ducked beneath the waves and disappeared.

Cheh began to cut a path through the waves. Her head and a good portion of her back remained above the water to help Jessica be more comfortable.

After traveling for about a half hour in this manner, Jessica could see a small fleet of ships with curious sails.



Cheh swam lower in the water until they were maybe within 20 yards of the ship. Cheh shook back and forth to remove Jessica and then swam a short distance from her. Mika popped her head back up from the water and raised her arms. The water rose with her arms and Jessica with it.

When the water was high enough, it moved horizontally until it was nearer the lead ship. Mika lowered her arms and deposited a dripping Jessica aboard the vessel. With a wink and a wave, Mika and Cheh sunk again beneath the waves.

Jessica enjoyed the ride immensely. The sky was beautiful, the air smelled of the ocean, and she was riding on the back of a strange sea creature. Also, she was ALIVE and was NOT going to drown. She hadn't felt so relieved and happy in a long time!

When the ships cam into view, she patted Cheh lightly in thanks. She was surprised to see Mika again, but pleasantly so. She gasped when the water around her started to heave upwards, but soon realized that Mika was in control of it, and was no longer afraid. She landed with a wet "Oomf!" on the deck, pushing wet hair from her eyes, she leaned over the deck just in time to see Mika and Cheh dive beneath the waves. She waved and mouthed her thanks, even though she doubted they would see her.

Then she snapped out of her happy fantasy and realized she was on someone else's boat. She hoped they were friendly... With that thought in mind, she gulped once, and mentally prepared herself for another adventure where her health and life could very well be in jeopardy. She turned around, facing whoever might be standing on the deck of the boat....

It wasn't long before Jessica was spotted. An old man rushed towards the deck even as the water was still receding crying, "Oi! Nymph! Oi!" but the pair was already gone beneath the waves.




"You stupid naiad! We can't be taking passengers! You don't even know where we're going!" The man was begging to look rather red in the face now. He turned on Jessica, "Now you've got no business being 'ere. Call yer friends and have 'em take ya back! Nymph! Ay!"

"My apologies miss. I didn' mean ter yell at ya so. It's jus' that...miss we be 'eadin' into dangerous waters. This ain't no place for a land lass ter be. I guess we better take ya ter the cap'n. He'll know what ter do."

He gestured for Jessica to follow him across the deck and into a small but lavish cabin. "Cap'n Phabion, those blasted naiads have left us another passenger."

Captain Phabion looked appraisingly at Jessica, "What's your name and how did you happen to come aboard my vessel?"

Phabion spoke clearly and politely. It was evident that he was familiar with high society. He lounged on a fine golden bench as he waited for Jessica's response.

Jessica simply smiled apologetically at the first man. "Sorry, I think they're gone already..." He didn't seem too pleased about Mika dropping her off there, but he seemed nice enough, and more irritated at the situation then at herself. She followed him obediently. She was wet, covered in salt-water, exhausted both physically and emotionally from the experiences in the past... hour? She was glad to be compliant.

The captain was definitely not what she had been expecting. He was incredibly gorgeous, and very finely attired. He looks like a dark-haired Sephiroth she thought, gaping for a moment. But she quickly recovered some semblance of composure, and lowered her eyes and head in respect for the captain. She wasn't sure what proper sailing etiquette was, but studying Japanese had made her want to do SOMETHING.

"My name is Jessica, sir," she said, nervously. "I'm afraid I'm... really not that sure how I got here, though." She didn't know which was more dangerous- not telling what had happened to her, or telling the truth. The latter would probably have her labeled as a loony. No, better to wait and see the character of someone before she told them what she knew. It really made no sense anyway, so she wasn't sure if it even counted as an explanation.