I've Got A Theory (Preston)

[Preston Salabim]

"I am comfortable making an adventure of it if you'd like. Or we can research and find out what is around worth seeing. Back home the place I'd visit the most would be the falls of Avalon. Giant waterfalls going from our floating island to the ocean below."

[Bailey Oleander]

"In that case, why don't we do a bit of research and see if there's anything that catches our interest. If we find something else along the way, we can go from there." She listened to the description of the falls with rapt attention, expression turning wistful as he described his home and the falls cascading into the ocean below.

"It sounds beautiful."

[Preston Salabim]

"Not to be cliche, but it really is magical."

His home was gorgeous. Green and alive year round, cascading falls, the ocean underneath and the birds soaring to meet them in the sky. Just thinking about it was enough to make him feel homesick.

[Bailey Oleander]

"It sounds that way." It sounded so different from her own home. A floating island, for starters.

"Would you like to try to see if we can find something similar? I know it's not the same thing, but sometimes it's nice to feel like home's not so far away."

[Preston Salabim]

He'd chuckle. He didn't imagine he'd find something similar here. But he was open to being proven wrong.

"You got yourself a date."

[Bailey Oleander]

"Excellent." Her smile brightened with the agreement. She took a moment to enjoy another bite of fish before continuing.

"So then, if Avalon Falls is your favorite place, where's the strangest place you've ever been?"

[Preston Salabim]

"Hmmm."

He needed to think about that for a moment.

"A few years back we went on a trip for abroad study to examine some minor Qi anomalies that were forming and vanishing as the energy of this area had become unstable. Gravity would shift about in different directions every few minutes. It was... disorienting, but fascinating."

[Bailey Oleander]

She waited patiently for his response, impressed with the idea of being able to study abroad, period.

"Really?" She blinked, trying to imagine such a place. "That would have been amazing to see." She chuckled. "The closest thing we have back home are some of the old ghost towns. Or, what's left of them."

[Preston Salabim]

"Oh? Have you seen a ghost?"

He had not, nor has he met anyone who had. Though there were reports of spirits in some areas. Echos and imprints of Qi energy is the theory that he subscribed to.

[Bailey Oleander]

"A couple of times," she admitted with a nod and sheepish chuckle. "I realize not everyone believes in them, but for me, it was hard to miss. Once, when I was young, If was pretty sure I saw one in one of the abandoned buildings where a mine had collapsed decades ago." She'd been wandering where she shouldn't have been, as a child. "I remember places that were cold for no reason and objects falling out of nowhere, though looking back, that could have been from anything."

[Preston Salabim]

"But did you actually see a ghost? Or was it just things like cold spots and the like?"

[Bailey Oleander]

"I did." She nodded. "I believe it was of a miner who lived there at one point. It was a little after dusk, and the details weren't clear, but it was definitely human in shape when there was no one else around. No reflections, no shifting shadows."

[Preston Salabim]

"Did it do anything or try to talk to you? Or was it just standing there?"

He'd take a quick sip.

"Did it scare you?"

[Bailey Oleander]

"I was too curious to be scared, I think." It took her a moment to think back on the time that stood out so clearly in general, though the details seemed foggy.

"It kept pointing to the mine. Sometimes, it vanished from the building and would be outside near it."

[Preston Salabim]

"Weird. Did you ever go check out the mine?"