Unhindered

<You will not remember any of this.>

These words resound in my mind as I regain consciousness. Cobblestones dig into my body as I lay on top of them. As I push myself up, I can feel my hands getting scraped by their roughness.

<An old street, and a rather new one at that. I did not know such a thing existed nowadays. That's right, this is not the same planet I am used to.>

I pause for a moment. My conscious mind takes a few beats to realize what my unconscious already has take for granted.

<What is happening? Why do I instinctually feel like this is a different world that I was born in? Wait, why can I no longer hear that constant buzzing.>

Being in an alley with no one in the immediate vicinity, I lower my guard a little and close my eyes to focus.

<I do not hear anything. My mind is surprisingly clear. I do not feel elated, jittery, or anxious. I would normally associate such strange surroundings with hallucinations, but these sensation are too complex to be just in my head. Is it a miracle? Did that accident cure my bipolar somehow? But then how did I get here?>

Having an unimpeded mind for what feels like the first time in my life, it goes into overdrive. I can hear shouting in the distance. A language with sounds that are completely unfamiliar to me, but I can understand without issue. The noise of hooved animals pulling carts along cobblestone clop into my ears. Everything feels as if I was stuck inside a movie based in the early industrial age. Walking to the end of the alley, I look into the street and see veritable throngs of people walking along the sides of the street. Traffic of horses pulling strange looking carriages swiftly moves through the road. I notice several signs hanging up nearby and realize that not only can I understand the language but I can read it as well. Writing should be no issue either.

<I have to think this through.> I pause for a few more moments while I process everything. <I will have to move forward on several assumptions. One, I have to agree with my instincts that I am no longer on Earth as I know it. Two, I can understand the languages here without any effort. Three, my bipolar symptoms have waned, for now. My instincts tell me they are gone for good, let's hope it stays that way. Lastly, and most importantly, I do not have any money to survive. That issue needs to be addressed as soon as possible.>

Having an income has always been the most important thing in my life. I never had the comfort of diverging my focus on anything else. My family could only help me so much. The best way I could repay them for everything they have done to help me was to be self-sufficient. Friends have always been non-existent. Who willing to spend time with someone who's mood can flip on a dime. It is sad to say that my life revolved around my disease and my identity has always been defined by it.

<It is a bit difficult to make out, but I can tell there is someone speaking a foreign language among the crowd. If I can understand two different languages with no issue, I can only assume that whatever is helping me understand them leads to other languages as well. That has always been an invaluable skill no matter what time or place. I can assuredly find work somehow with that. Let's first see if I can find a higher paying job with that as a base.>

Looking at everyone and everything in more detail, I look for an opportunity to find work. The first thing I start to realize is the most shocking realization yet.

<There are other intelligent races other than humans!> My brain freezes for a moment as my eyes catch sight of a beautiful looking dark skinned woman in a maid costume. Her skin has a normally impossible tint of purple to it, and she has irregular long ears peaking through her hair.

<That has to be a dark elf!>

The otaku deep inside me burgeons and I become filled with excitement. Before I even realize it, I am walking towards her. She is roughly 160 cm tall with long red hair flowing down to the small of her back. It swishes back and forth as she elegantly walks down the side of the street with some groceries in her arms. Her breasts are just as small as her figure, but because her stature is so small, they do not look to be out of place or lacking at all. To put it shortly, her beauty astounds me. The Victorian style maid dress fit her in all the right places, making her image pull something out of me that I never experienced before. An immediate attraction pulled me to her, and before I knew it I was already near her frozen in place.

<Thankfully my ever present poker face is hiding all of my befuddlement. I only have a few moments before it becomes awkward if I do not speak up.>

My brain goes into overdrive again and runs through the entire situation, summarizing everything I need to before things get to that point of awkwardness. I realize that this is not the first time I have felt this way towards a woman. However, this is the first time that I felt like I could act upon it. Forcing the curse of bipolar symptoms on another is absolutely unacceptable in my mind. Especially on a significant other that I am supposed to love dearly. Not only that, but there is something else here that I have never delved into. An increasing sense of possessiveness. A need to adore her, love her, and ultimate conquer this beauty in front of me. Not only shower her with love, but have her be just as deeply in love with me as well. Having sprinted through that feeling, I calm myself down and come to three conclusions.

<One, she is brilliantly put together. This means she is most likely a maid for a very prominent individual. She may be able to help with my job search if I impress her enough. Two, although I may feel the need to follow this desire for her, it does not mean we are compatible as a couple. If anything I need to explore a relationship before I let myself feel anything further. Three, I cannot make any assumptions as to her age or the name of her race. I also should not mention her skin color before finding out more about the culture. There are many possible cultural pitfalls in this conversation I should avoid.>

Just then, the beautiful young lady pauses and looks at me inquisitively. I see a scowl of disapproval flash on her brow.

Bowing my head, I speak up just in time to prevent things from having too rough a start between us.

"Excuse me, miss. My name is Mark Philam. I must apologize, but I am unfamiliar with the area. Is my dialect understandable?" I interlock my hands and hold them at my stomach to seem as unaggressive as possible.

Confusion flickers on her face as she responds, "Yes, you are speaking perfectly fine." She pauses for a moment and then begins again with a more accusatory tone. "To the point where one would normally doubt you are a foreigner."

I give a wide smile, as if I did not hear the implication. "Thank you for the compliment! Languages have always come easily to me. I have learned many in my travels." Even putting aside my newfound abilities this would not be a lie. I am proficient with three Terran languages and am already decent with a fourth.

An unrestrained smile blooms in front of me. To the point where I might think she is about to do something sinister.

"Is that so? I wonder how many languages you have learned exactly. I must admit that I am rather adroit with languages myself."

My poker face is unbroken for a moment as I am stunned by her mildly sinister attempt to mock me. The words coming out of her mouth sound nothing like that language I hear around me. It is more guttural with shortened vowels. Overall the words simply sound sharper. Without a doubt she is trying trip me up with a new language.

<Should I respond in the language or continue with what I used before?>

After quickly choosing the original tongue, "I have lost count of the languages I know. And as you have so aptly pointed out, diction is just as important as meaning. I try to focus more empirically on my studies than attempt to keep an absolute understanding of what I do and do not know."

She seems to be slightly surprised by my response. Maybe not so much as its obvious verboseness, but in the fact that I understood what she said.

Moving to a third language, she continues in her attempts to trip me up. "Then what brings you to this area?"

I decide to continue in the amusement and respond in the Germanic sounding language she used previously, "Who knows. The wonders of travel confound most who do not understand the attraction."

She continues to rotate to a fourth language, "Do you see yourself settling down at some point?" This time it is a beautiful and long winded tongue. The sounds lift your mind into a sereneness that can only be discovered in nature. I am momentarily amazed by the effects created just by listening to the its words.

With a desire to try it out, I respond in the same language. "Without a doubt I see myself settling down. But I have yet to find a good place or reason to do so. I must say, there is something in this city that seems to have started drawing me to it." I look around, as if taking in my surroundings. I then lock my gaze on her and give as genuine a smile as I can. <Smiling feels a little uncomfortable. I guess I am just not used to it.>

I watch closely as the lady's expression finally changes from slight surprise to astonishment. She seems to be lost in thought, as for why I am unsure. I decide to continue along with the conversation.

Not having had enough of talking in the previous language, I continue with it's elegant sounding nature. "I must say this language is wonderful. I never did learn the name of it, could you tell me?"

The shock changes to animosity rather quickly. "It's elvish. Are you telling me you know the language but do not know it's name or where it comes from? Who taught you it? No elf would ever teach someone like you our tongue."

I show a slightly confused and lost façade, as if struggling to find the right words. "Would you believe me if I said I simply picked it up in my travels?"

"Do I have a choice in the matter?" Her irritation goes up another notch.

An amused smile reappears on my face, "No?".

She snorts out a "humph" and then continues heading in the direction she was initially travelling.

Reaching out I speak up behind her, returning to the original tongue of the area, "I never did get your name miss!"

She stops and turns her head back, "My name is Mai Kaname. If you deign to find a reason to settle down here, go to the government office on Cider Street to apply for a work visa. With your skills, you should have no problem finding a job there either." Turning back around again, she storms off with an elegance I thought impossible.

<I like this lady more and more with every coming moment! Not only is she incredibly sexy, but incredibly intelligent and thoughtful as well.>

I give a yell out before she reaches much farther, "I enjoyed our time together. Hopefully we can see each other again soon!"

She stops for a moment and, without turning back, raises her hand in a polite goodbye before moving away in a calmer manner than before.