"Look look look, Mam Dad—what's that?" I pointed upwards to a sleek looking building to the left of us. My voice was largely drowned out by the noise of the market around us, but after twenty minutes of me asking 'What's that?' on repeat, I was sure they'd caught my gist by now.
"Again?" Silvia grumbled. "I really wish I had your energy Reno."
"You're not the only one Silvia." Glyffe said with a chuckle.
"Please Silvia, I just really have to know. It's the last time I promise!"
"Well—fine. Just one more time. You're talking about the window on that house right? The curtains?"
"Mhm! Those weird shimmery things."
"Those are Sunvines. They're long, yellow droopy vines. They respond to sunlight—opening wide when it's bright, closing when it's cold. When they're used as curtains they're kind of like natural alarm clocks."
"Woah - that's so cool!"
"Right? That's what I said too! Kion's capital didn't have anything like that." Glyffe added in agreement.
"Why don't we have any at home?"
"They're ugly." Silvia's reply was so sudden I jumped a little. Glyffe gave a wry smile. I guess that explains why we didn't have any at home. Personally though, I thought they had immense aesthetic potential but they definitely needed the right supporting designs to shine.
"Wait wait, what's that?"
This time I was pointing across from us toward a street performer. I wasn't pointing directly at him, but rather to the strange patch of purple grass beneath him. The grass was pulsing. Every time he stepped, it trembled, matching his rhythm, as if it was dancing with him. A playful duet between man and nature.
"Reno, didn't you say you wouldn't-"
"Well..."I interrupted impulsively, my voice naturally tapering off, realising I'd let my curiosity get the better of me. Again.
"Just how curious are you kid? Aren't you tired of asking the same question? Hahahaha."
"I-I just can't help it. Everything's so new and so strange" I threw my arms up. "The books at home didn't mention any of these."
"Well that's because they're focused on life in the big capitals and trade cities. Either that or they're fairy tales. A small region in the countryside like the Butter region isn't given much attention because there's too many regions and towns like it - all with different traditions cultures and ways of life." Silvia explained logically.
"If they tried to make books on all the unique species, foods and traditions in each town and region they'd never finish." Glyffe chirped in, completing what Silvia was trying to say.
"Everything is just so different in every place. No matter where you go, you'll always encounter something new you've never even heard or thought of. Whether it's sunvine curtains or something else."
"Exactly—so how can you blame me for asking all these questions?" Honestly, I could never get tired of asking questions. But on the other hand, I could get tired of holding them back
"Fine fine fine, you're right, I'll answer this one. I think it's best if me and Silvia take turns answering before she explodes." Glyffe said, his tone warm. Silvia nodded in response, sighing slightly. Clearly my barrage of questions had taken a small toll on her.
"That's Melodia grass. When it's stepped on - depending on the force - a high, low or in-between musical note is played."
"Ah—really? There's grass that plays music too?" It was weird to think famous songs could be played just by stomping on some random grass.
"Well of course, it's extremely common in the neighbouring Jam region."
"Woah, that's so cool! Does it grow like normal grass?"
"Pretty much, it still needs water and sunlight to grow like most plants do. Just the conditions it's grown in, like the humidity and temperature, change their musical range and colour. Purple Melodia grass is for high pitched notes while yellow Melodia grass is for low notes. Of course there's also red Melodia grass which covers the range in-between the higher and lower notes."
"Ehhh, that's so strange. Why does the environment change how the grass turns out? Can it change colour and type once fully grown? Are all the types from the same seed?"
"I can see why Silvia was complaining earlier - you really do ask a lot of questions Reno." Glyffe moaned jokingly.
"I told you so." Silvia smiled amusedly.
"I believe the environment changes the grass because the hotter it is the softer the grass becomes - and soft Melodia grass produces a high-pitched sound. Then when grown in colder regions it becomes more rigid and so produces a lower sound. Once fully grown it cannot change to a different type. And, yes, all types come from the same Melodia seed."
"Oh I see! Who would've thought they'd all come from the same seed and only change based on how they're grown. I'd love to see all the different types!"
"Since this region and the surrounding regions are quite hot, you won't find any red or yellow Melodia grass around here for hundreds of miles."
"Ah what a shame. Are they only used for performances?"
"It's most commonly used for doorbells in suburban areas."
"Ohh doorbells - that's genius."
"It's quite convenient and admittedly quite fun to kill time with when nobody is answering the door."
I continued watching the street performer from afar appraising his ability. For a moment all three of us stopped and stared, immersed in his musical performance. From his sound and the sheer concentration and focus he performed with, I could tell this guy was a pro.
"Is it difficult to play Melodia grass?" I couldn't help but ask.
"For sure. There are so many factors to the sound produced—the angle, how much of the surface the step covers, the amount of force, wind - all of these things and more have to be considered when street performing. If a Melodia grass performer can play multiple beautiful melodies, it can be enough to make a living," Silvia cut in, eager to share her thoughts.
"Actually wait, he looks kinda familiar." Silvia narrowed her eyes slightly.
"Right I think I recognise him too." Glyffe assumed a pensive stance, clearly trying to remember something.
"Ah what was his name again? It was Jo-something. Joppy cheeky legs."
"What?" I burst out laughing, "What sorta name is that? Hahahaha."
"Zonny of the dancing feet." Glyffe corrected Silvia with obvious second-hand embarrassment.
"Oh yeah that's right, that's what I meant." Silvia said embarrassedly, her voice fluctuating and her cheeks growing red. She quickly regained her composure, clearing her throat and continuing in her usual smooth voice. "Recently he's gained quite a bit of fame in the Butter region, everybody's talking about him. He's one of the few talented musicians who can earn enough to make a living from street performances alone."
"Woah he must be quite the genius then." To think there would be musicians in this fantasy world too - though I guess their instruments are slightly different. I hoped they were doing better here than on Earth. Getting a music degree was practically a fast track to unemployment back on Earth.
"Speaking of making a living - how many Teaves do you need to get by in Butter town?" I asked, genuinely curious. The local currency of the Butter and Jam region was Teaves.
The notes were made from an incredibly common shiny yellow plant called a Teaf. I didn't quite have a grasp on how much a Teave is roughly worth yet so I took this chance to ask, just to get a rough estimate to compare it to my other world.
"Well for one person to get by it's roughly 100,000 Teaves every month. If they wanted to live comfortably it'd be close to 150,000 Teaves."
So since the cost of living for an adult male back on Earth was roughly two thousand pounds per month, then fifty Teaves is about one Great British Pound. Interesting.
"Normally even full time it'd be hard for a street performer to amass 100,000 Teaves but sometimes they can accumulate large crowds. That can mean earning up to 25,000 Teaves at once! Someone like Zonny for example can definitely make that much on a good day." Silvia said as a matter of factly.
"And since they can perform a crucial role in plays and theatres - their skillset is more highly valued in urban areas like the Karavik empire's main cities or our Kion empire's capitals." Glyffe said, filling in the gaps.
"Huh - I never knew our continent was so big on entertainment. Do people really visit these theatres and performances though?"
"Actually, yes." Glyffe confirmed. He subtly glanced at Silvia before continuing. "That's where we went on our first date - the Cloud Theatre in Kion's business capital."
"Ah." I squealed in surprise. Interesting, but not an uncommon choice for a first date. "How was it? How did the date go?"
""...""
Silvia's one liner broke the silence.
"Terrible."
Oh.
"Why? What did you two watch?"
"The Heroic Tales of The Paladin Hero."
"""..."""
Glyffe smiled sheepishly amidst the silence.
"Silly Glyffe, Silvia doesn't like that one. You should have taken her to see Tale of The Sky Empress instead."
""Agreed."" Silvia and Glyffe repeated in unison, their nods synchronised. Clearly that date wasn't their finest moment.
"Ah we were so young back then, who would've thought things would end up this way. Especially after that day." Glyffe said sentimentally his voice thick with nostalgia.
"After that date I never wanted to see you again." Silvia crossed her arms, elevating her bust.
"Ah, I know. You refused to see me for about a month." Glyffe scratched his head innocently.
"Three weeks." Silvia corrected joyfully, her smile as radiant as the sun. Glyffe could only smile helplessly back.
"Since then we've both changed - but I'm glad I stuck with you, Glyffe." Silvia responded, her tone now genuine and sentimental.
"Of course, I feel the same." Glyffe responded in kind, his tone warm.
"It was Relentia who convinced me to keep meeting with you and that we were a 'good match'." Silvia added - revealing the reason why she stuck with Glyffe even after that horrible first date.
"No way - Zecko told me the same thing! We ought to thank them later." Glyffe laughed, his eyes wide at the coincidence. "We wouldn't have made it this far if it wasn't for them."
"Definitely. Make sure you leave a good first impression on Zecko and Relentia at Bridges' Clothing Store later, they're the closest thing you have to an aunt and an uncle. Okay Reno?" Silvia's voice trailed off slightly as she looked down towards me like she usually does when she calls my name.
"Right. Treat them just like real family, Reno." Glyffe's voice began trailing off too - clearly coming to the same realisation as Silvia.
""Reno?""
Silvia and Glyffe looked up - only to see their own expressions reflected back at them perfectly. A look of confusion and some guilt.
Why?
Because I was not there.