Getting to know each other

Alex: “I don’t think I have ever heard that name before; It’s a mouthful but it’s still very exotic!”

Mona: “It might be among humans but among the Imps it’s not so exotic. You can call me Mona if you want though. From what I understand of your culture it is common to shorten longer names.”

Alex: Looking at and listening to her in the seat adjacent to me, I felt curious; I wanted to know more about her and the Imps. After she finished responding to me; I said without thinking, “Mona feels just right coming off my tongue; it’s perfect!” She raised an eyebrow at that.

Mona: “That’s very forward of you. Where is all of that confidence coming from?”

Alex: ‘Oh. That is not what I meant. Is she teasing me? I thought she was the shy type but I guess I do remember getting the complete opposite vibe after smelling her body wash.’ An eyebrow is raised again.

Mona: “What kind of impression did you get from my body wash?”

Alex: I found myself blushing and babbling, then I finally worked up the strength to ask, “Why are you doing that?”

Mona: “Doing what?”

Alex: “Don’t play innocent! Why are you teasing me and prodding at all my thoughts? It's mean.” Her body language changed after I confronted her. The change gave me the impression that she just heard the worst possible news someone could hear.

Mona: “I guess I’m doing it because that’s how I used to interact with my housemate before I was sucked into this land. He was the one who helped me learn about life energy and how to manipulate it. I’ve been here for what feels like decades and I am nowhere close to finding out where I am or how to get back home.”

Alex: Looking at her now **** state I feel like an ass for bringing up these memories. ‘Dammit why am I always this insensitive when it comes to tender subjects?’ After mentally scolding myself with every possible insult I could think of, I finally said, “I apologize for being insensitive and making you recall such a terrible event in your life.”

Mona: “There is no way you could have known about my past so there is no need to apologize”

Alex: “Okay but just know that I can fully understand how demoralizing it is being pulled out of your life and then thrust into some foreign land. Wait a minute… You were pulled here too?” Her ears perked up upon hearing that last bit. Her body language shifted again. She looked very fascinated now.

Mona: “Yes I was. My home land didn’t have humans. Are you implying that you were teleported here too?”

Alex: “Yes, that’s how I ended up in that forest. One moment I was looking at this crack in the sky, then there was a pulling sensation in my chest and the next moment I woke up in a gloomy forest.” While listening to my recollection I saw her nodding at certain intervals as if she was checking off items on a list.

Mona: “That is what happened to me, I remember that night perfectly well. The night sky was a bizarre color, the celestial bodies in the sky were bizarre colors as well.”

Alex: “So your magic can’t get you home?”

Mona: “No, manipulating life energy is a science, it is not magic. Because you can’t comprehend how it works you just labeled it as something fantastical. Using life energy to manipulate things around me is like alchemy in your tongue. I can only use the energy present in my body and materials that I know the chemical makeup of. I also need to know the chemical make up of what I want to transmute. Since I can’t even begin to fathom the science behind teleportation, I can’t come up with an appropriate solution for getting home.”

Alex: “So what now?”

Mona: “It’s up to you.”