Lost On The Other Side of Noctur [CLOSED ATTN DETECTATIA]

[Nui-ta]

Attention passengers, due to inclement weather, our flight will be diverted to Trestone, Detectatia.

Groans could be heard as the announcement rang across the cabins of NALS Flight 239 (Rahku City to Aazeron).

"Here that Sijur?" Alec smiled calmly, his happy-go-lucky personality shining through. "I guess we're gonna be staying in Detectatia for our honeymoon!"

The more serious Sijur ke-Driovion groaned while rubbing his temples. This diversion would mean flight rescheduling and long waits --- something Sijur didn't want to be expending his vacation time on.

37 years old, he leaned back into his chair as the younger Alec leaned over and cuddled Sijur's arm.

"I think it'll be great! I don't know anyone who has been to Detectatia before so this will be so much fun..."

Sijur stared blankly. "Um...we were in Detectatia? Guarding the Prime Minister's family when they came to set up the alliance with Detectatia? Remember Evan Isaci?"

"Oh yeah...my god it has been years. When was the last time we went there again?"

"AN 112, I think. Isaci died a year and a half later. I also remember it because it waa the start of us becoming close, and now look at us. Married and on a honeymoon..."

Sijur sighed.

"I guess it would be nice to go back to where things began. I'll make some arrangements when we get there to stay in Trestone. Go back to sleep Alec. It's a long way and a long jump across time zones..."

---

As Alec waited outside near the cab terminal with some luggage, Sijur got the currency switched from Nui-tan and Aazeronian bills to Detectatian Notes.

"Hello?" He said in English, knocking on a cab door with a taxi driver inside and hoping his accent could be understood.

He held out a piece of paper with the hotel's address --- a decent three to four star plave that he'd picked out while in the airport.

"Do you know where this is? My husband and I want a ride."

It was a bit uncomfortable to hunt down taxis in a foreign land. Sijur wasn't even sure if the cab driver spoke English, and his status as a Nui-tan Baron, one of the highest ranking nobles in the country (not that Sijur was prejudiced, after all Alec wasn't a nobleman at all) would not help him get accomodations.

Nobility in a far away land. Lower Baron of Xaripka. That title means absolutely nothing here...

[Detectatia]

"Come fly with me, let's fly, let's fly away..."
-Frank Sinatra

"Holiday, still so far away,
A republic on the beach."
-Vampire Weekend

---

"Cam' on, Patty! By the time we get to the airport the plane'll bloody be in Oh...oh-"

"Ocini!"

"Ocini, yeah. Hurry up, woman!"

Patty Morn trundled down the steps to the front door as quickly as she could, her one-point cane thumping on every step. "I'm coming! Hold your horses, Bill. My goodness!"

"Yeah, I would, if you weren't taking so goddamn long."

"Oh, keep talking, and see where this cane goes," Patty retorted. Bill Morn laughed, holding his wife's hand like the gentleman he was years before as she stepped down onto their porch. Bill was taken aback by Patty's beauty, today. The pale morning sun shone delicately across her iron gray hair. Despite the wrinkles the rays illuminated, at that moment, Patty looked exactly as she did when she first met Bill, in his eyes. 41 years of marriage, and she still looked the same as on their wedding day.

Bill put a protective arm around Patty as the two slowly descended the steps and walked down the sidewalk to the street. Living in Little Ayand, the mini-city not 30 miles away from its behemoth big brother, there were still cabs that spilled out into the elderly couple's Little City. In fact, that was, in theory, the whole purpose of going to the other side of the region to Nui-ta: the couple, living next to the cement playground of Ayand, finally wanted a bit of calm. Peace. The beach. Bill raised a meaty hand to hail one, but his wife beat him to the punch with her cane. The two slowly entered the cab before heading to the airport.

*

Some time later ("too damn long," in the opinion of Bill), the couple finally landed in Ocini, Nui-ta. Exiting the airport, the two quickly removed their jackets, feeling the heat of the Nui-tan air, quickly. Patty pulled a small stack of Nui-tan bills from her pocket before saying, "Shall we get ourselves a cab?"

The two walked over to an empty cab, and Bill gently tapped the window. He attempted in his most polite voice to ask for a ride in Melodian, from the few tapes he listened to back home (by the order of Patty). The message, while broken, was coherent, in Melodian:

"We have ride, please? We know hotel. It is by the beaches. You have address."

Bill handed him the slip of paper with the address.

---

Frank Arzero took one last drag off his cigarette before flicking it out the window onto the still-damp pavement from the recent rain. He shivered, rolling up the window before nodding to the couple.

"You two aren't from here, are you?" he asked, chuckling to himself at his joke. "If I had to guess...I'd say, Tierran? No....ah! Nui-tan! Well," Frank said, putting the cab in gear and pulling off from the curb. "Welcome to Trestone, and welcome to Detectatia. Probably one of the grayest places in Noctur." He laughed, looking up at the typically overcast sky. "Maybe not home of the most pleasant weather, but still a great place. I myself was born and raised right here in Trestone. Yeah...Trestone is a nice place. But if yer' looking for tourism, I'd recommend going down to Ayand. Or, if hist'ry's your thing, Castle Plains, or Uni. Or..." Frank stopped himself. "Sorry, boys. Being an airport cabbie, I meet all sorts of people, and like to ramble about Detectatia to people--y'know, give 'em tips on nice things to see and such. Anyway, we'll be coming up on your hotel now. The Promethian. Great place to stay. Not the absolute best, but I think it's just shy of 5 stars. And it's right by Lake Fire. The most B-E-A-utiful sight up here in the Torch Mountains. Sorry, again. I really should just become a tour guide."

The hotel the cab pulled up to was an angular, brick place, 15 floors high. From the outside, it looked nice, wide, important, but not exactly stunning. But the couple could see the lake behind it, giving the place a transient kind of beauty. The two Nui-tans walked underneath the green entrance canopy and through the main doors as a valet took in their bags.

One word to describe the lobby would be: marble. The lobby was floored with a vast expanse of marble, leading to a resting area with a fireplace, the Promethian's restaurant, Lionheart Grille, and to the reception desk.

[Nui-ta]

The worst thing about Ocini wasn't the heat. Being a coastal area that was quite far from the equator, Ocini was actually about as temperate as Nui-ta would ever get. The only thing that made it seem even remotely hot was the fact that it was late summer, and most probably that coming from a northern nation on the opposite hemisphere must have felt like walking into a sauna from a freezer for Bill and Patty. The entire state smelled of ocean air, being the heart of Nui-ta's maritime businesses (especially fishing). Here in Ocini, a humble and quiet life could be found, even when just on vacation.

After being processed through the outpost of the Ministry of External Affairs and getting their temporary ID bracelets (essential for life in Nui-ta), Bill and Patty were helped with their luggage by young workers in the airport.

It helped that they were an elderly couple visiting a country renowned for its social conservatism. All they had to do was ask, and as older people, they could get any help they needed.

It also helped to be out of an extremely urban area. Places like Rahku State were accused of having less respect for family and manners. Ocini still had an old world charm to it where collectivist behavior still reigned supreme.

Furthermore, it helpes that the couple was from Detectatia, one of two nations in Noctur (the other being Radiatia) with whom Nui-ta had standing formal ties to.

Radiatian and Detectatian visitors had priority preference when dealing with the Ministry of External Affairs, followed by those from any other nation of the HL. The Detectatian/Nui-tan alliance saw travel restrictions lessened between the two countries.

The cries of seagulls could be heard as Bill and Patty made it out to the taxis. The capital city of Nepos (for the state, not the country) had an odd fusion of technology and old-world Ocini charm. The streets were paved with a smooth layer of concrete, but the streetlights were electric posts disguised as gas lamps. The buildings had an outside facade of clay shingles and brick but were very much wood, steel, and concrete where one couldn't see it.

The worst thing about Ocini was not the heat, which was tolerable. It was not the rural setting, which was still certainly up-and-coming in modernization. It was not the people, who were friendly and open...

...it was the fact that nobody spoke English outside the airport and the hotel.

The cab driver, who tried his best to alert the couple that his name was Aziz, did his best to understand Bill's accent. Melodian had a simple vocabulary and simplistic grammar, but lacked many consonant sounds that held words together in other nations.

Bill clearly hadn't tried more than the tapes. He sounded like a drunk gorilla talking through a soup can, which was exactly how most foreigners sounded to Aziz.

Nevertheless, the brave young Zanzeanic Nui-tan cab driver drove the couple to their hotel: the Shabalik, a four star hotel with relatively inexpensive prices. It helped that a Detectatian Note was about the same value as a Nui-tan Had.

Complementary to the hotel, a woman had been set aside to be the couple's help if they needed a guide or anything else. This was a common practice in most hotels throughout Nui-ta, where tourism was a major industry. She was obliged to be in contact with the couple for their vacation plans and as a guide.

She also spoke English, albeit lightly accented.

"Hello Mister and Missus Morn. My name is Ashana," she smiled, "and I am your travel assistant during your stay in Nepos".

She helped then to their room, up on the fifth floor of the hotel's South wing. From there, the Morn's had a stunning view of the many temple steeples and ports that made Ocini...well, Ocini.

"Would you like to rest up or do you require my assistance for any plans you wish to make? I am also to tell you that the hotel serves a full complementary dinner ufree of charge, if you are hungry. Nui-tan food is regarded as some of the best in Ocini".

---

As Frank went on and on about Detectatia, Sijur felt his eyelids flutter. Unlike Alec, he'd stayed awake through much of the flight and was therefore extremely tired.

Alec was much more keen on hearing what the Detectatian man had to say.

"Oh I read all about Uni! That's one place I really want to see! And yes, you'd make a wonderful tour guide! Are you sure we can't hire you out tomorrow to take us out to nice places here?"

The cab ride came to a halt at the Promethian, and Sijur reached into his wallet to pay the cabbie while Alec unloaded the luggage.

"Oh, tip him a little extra Sijur! Don't be such a stingy Baron!" Alec hollered from the trunk of the car.

Sijur yawned and handed Frank an extra 50 Notes.

"Thanks for the cab ride man. Take it easy," he half-mumbled and half-yawned, while dragging himself to the luggage and pulling out the larger of the two suitcases.

As Frank drove away and the couple went up the stairs, Alec frowned at Sijur.

"Ya know, you could have given him more!"

Sijur whimpered. "Ugh, Alec, please don't give me this now. I don't mean to be rude to you but I'm half asleep."

"Still, a Baron for the gods' sake! And the state commissioner of Rahku State's ILOP! You report right to the head guy and I know you make plenty of cash".

Sijur silently processed this information in his head and nodded. Coming from a blue-blooded old Baron family in Nui-ta, Sijur had once been expected to marry into the Royal Family. He'd almost been pushed into an arranged marriage with now former Emperor Nicolai di-Amori, but personal differences caused him to break off the engagement.

His parents had quite nearly taken away most of his inheritance (as one of the younger children, Sijur wasn't set to inherit that much anyway). After marrying a man who was linked into a Viscount's family (although Alec himself was a common-blood gentleman), Sijur's family had become more lenient on him. A Viscount was below a Baron, but not so much that it was unacceptable to the blue-bloods. And even for those who raised eyebrows, Sijur didn't care enough to let it stop him.

After checking in and getting up to their hotel room, Alec went to the bathroom to wash up.

He walked back outside to find Sijur in sleeping clothes, tucking himself in for bed.

"Everything alright Sijur?"

Sijur yawned.

"Mmhmm. Just tired. I know you're chipper but I stayed up so I'd like to rest now."

Alec slipped in next to Sijur and smiled calmly.

"That's okay. I was just worried..."

Sijur stared. "Worried? Worried why?"

"I thought maybe you were a bit dissatisfied."

Sijur paused for a moment before patting Alec on the head.

"I'm not dissatisfied. It's just been a long day and I'm tired."

Alec smiled and laid down against the pillow.

"Good, so I'm glad it isn't me..."

Sijur nodded and laid down himself to get to sleep.

"No, Alec. Let me get some rest and tomorrow I'll take you out. We'll have ourselves a good honeymoon," he yawned, closing his eyes.

"...as soon as we get some shuteye..."

[Detectatia]

"My goodness, Bill! Look at how gorgeous these buildings are!" Patty exclaimed, looking out of the cab window at the outwardly clay buildings and outwardly rustic lampposts.

Bill couldn't help but agree. "They are, aren't they?"

"Oh, I'm so excited to be here! We'll have to go see the beach, the restaurants, everything."

"That's it," Bill decided. "We're going out to dinner tonight after we're done at the hotel."

"I thought we were just going to spend the evening in before going out starting tomorrow?"

"Nope, dear. We're gonna start our holiday tonight!"

Patty smiled. A sweet, tired, delicate smile. "All right, Bill."

*

After arriving at the hotel, the Morns met their guide/assistant throughout the vacation.

"So nice to meet you, Ashana sweetheart. I'm very happy we'll have ourselves a guide," Patty said to Ashana.

"Me too," said Bill. "Especially nice to meet someone who speaks English here."

Patty playfully slapped Bill's shoulder. "Oh hush."

Bill spoke again. "But regardless. We really are taken with Ocini. Beautiful place. More peaceful than Ayand back home."

"Definitely," Patty concurred. "Now, shall we go to our room then?"

*

This time, it was Bill who was enthralled with the gorgeous view. "Wow," was all he could say upon entering the room.

Patty turned to Ashana. "We'd like a half hour or so to settle in, if that's all right?"

"But," Bill added. "After settling in, I'd like to take the Missus here out to dinner. So if you could recommend a good restaurant--fancy--for dinner, we'd appreciate it." As he turned away, he quickly looked back. "And, if you wouldn't mind, we'd like your assistance as an interpreter. I was able to ask the cabbie for a ride in Melodian, but beyond that…I really don't know. We'd like to treat you with dinner if you'd come with us tonight?"

After Ashana left, Bill and Patty moved as quickly as their old bones would let them to the bed. The two lay in it together, looking out the window. Bill whispered in his wife's ear, "I love you."

They stayed this way until they heard the knocking at their door half an hour later.

---

Frank laughed when he heard Sijur's request. "You know, I would, but I do gotta work at the airport again tomorrow. But thanks, I'm flattered."

He also seemed quite pleased with his tip. "Thank you. You two gentlemen enjoy your stay," he said before pulling away.

*

As the couple started settling in, the phone rang.

"Hello, sir. I'm very sorry to call as you're probably settling in. But I forgot to mention to you as you checked in that we do offer a guide service here, to arrange any flights to anywhere else in Detectatia, recommend sites to visit, other things like that. And, for international travelers like yourself, we offer this as a complimentary service. Would you like this service for your stay in Detectatia? If so, we'll have one of our guides meet you at your room at your discretion."

[Nui-ta]

Ashana was at the door a half hour later.

"Sir, Madam, I have booked a reservation for you at Kiakosta It is a very renowned restaurant in Ocini. Not extremely opulent, but definitely private and with good service and atmosphere".

Fancy restaurants, as far as the Morns were used to back in Detectatia, were very hard to come by in Ocini. Being a state that had disassociated itself with the wealth and modernization, one simply wasn't going to find ritsy waiters and sparkling chandeliers at a polished white and gold formal dining setting.

That being said, Kiakosta was definitely a fine restaurant. It looked like a small cafe from the outside with the small wooden sign, shingled clay roof, and aging brick facade wall.

Looks were deceiving. The inside revealed a large and spacious wood and brick interior. Dim but well-placed lighting gave the place a cozy, intimate atmosphere.

And of course, there was the food. Nui-tan food was considered some of the best in Noctur, and the smell of various soups and seafood and pastries wafted out of the restaurant, adding to the atmosphere. This was very much, in its own way, the perfect setting for an intimate date.

A man led the trio to a booth in the corner of the store, where there was were two children of about 10 sitting on elevated chairs and playing soft, gentle harmonica music. They certainly seemed to be enjoying themselves, particularly because there were other tourists putting money down for the children.

Ashana smiled softly.

"I thought you would enjoy this place because it embodies much of Nui-ta. This country has a lot of history behind it and much of it is in the food".

The waiter left a bottle of white wine on the table for the couple to enjoy.

"That is Babel," Ashana pointed out. "A very famous wine in Nui-ta. It was one of the first commodities we started to export out to other countries in Noctur. The Babel company makes only white and red wines. Ocini has a lot of seafood so white wine is very popular."

"Kiakosta gives one bottle for free to tourists. If you want more wine or another beverage just let me know and I will tell them".

There was also water available, of course, and red wine.

"Ocini is the state of the ocean so almost all the food is seafood. They have a lot of shrimp, crab, lobster, fish, and squid. Of course there is also pork, which is very popular throughout all of Nui-ta".

"An appetizer that you will get is the Chochobai, which is a soup. Ocini is unique in Nui-ta because people of all classes came to live here equally when escaping persecution under apartheid, so the many cultures became mixed together".

"Chocobai is a soup where they take water, cream, and eggs and make a thin broth like how the colonists eat it. They add herbs and a little tiny bit of chili like how Zanzeanics like myself take food, and then add in roast beef, which is popular inland and with the nobles. Chochobai literally means 'what everyone eats'".

Small portions of the soup werw quickly served to all three of them, with a simple yet oddly smoky flavor in the noodles and a creamy broth with little tiny pieces of boiled egg.

Ashana smiled.

"So for dinner, what will you like to eat? The best dishes in Kaikosta are the grilled lobster, the smoked crab, shrimp skewers, or bufal, which is curried pork and fish over a bit of rice".

"Oh, and I should tell you about Nui-tan table manners. A husband and wife are given the same plate, although I can ask them to make it two individual plates when we order".

"What would you like?"

---

Sijur thought about the offer for a moment before nodding.

"Sure. Have them come up tomorrow at about 9 am."

Once that was over with, he and Alec settled in and went to sleep.

When he got up at about 7, Sijur turned and noticed that Alec had snuggled up to him.

He shrugged and pulled Alec a little closer, holding a little tightly and smiling.

Alec stirred.

"Morning Alec," Sijur nodded, coaxing Alec to keep his eyes open and smiling. "Why not get ready? We've a good day ahead of us?"

Sijur took a shower first, got dressed in an suit, and waited for the guide to be sent up.

"Where are we going today?" Alec smlled.

"Where do you want us?"

"I want to go see the streets! Go shopping around town and see the sights! Maybe have the guide show us some good food! They'll have a good idea..."

[Detectatia]

"Oh, we'll take the shared plate, dear. We came to Ocini and Nui-ta to experience the culture--not to be those tourists who want as much as possible done their own way. Isn't that right, Bill?" Patty said, patting her husband's arm.

"What? Oh, sure, sure."

"Anyway, I think we might like the bufal. Whaddaya think, Bill?"

"Whatever you like, my dear. But did you say something about fish in that, Ashana? Because to be honest, I don't exactly...like...fish...I mean, I know a place like Ocini must have loads of the stuff as food, but I don't really like it. The only real fishy thing I can take is something like shrimp. And even then that's only like one or two, not a whole damn skew-"

"Hush Bill," Patty chastised lovingly, winking at Bill, before turning to Ashana. "I do hope you forgive my no-manners husband. Erm, but would it be too much of a problem to get the bufal with only pork over the rice? No fish? I'd appreciate it...Oh, for his sake, of course."

"Sure," said her husband, with a grin. "Anyway, Ashana. Since you'll be kind of our guide here, would you mind telling a bit about yourself? Have you always lived in Ocini?"

"And also, we'd like to know a bit more about the history of Nui-ta, if you know," Patty added.

"Sorry for all the questions, Ashana," finished Bill. "I hope we aren't making you feel uncomfortable. Just that we have kind of a thing for history. And, frankly, for a country that's so close to Detectatia, we really don't know much about Nui-ta, except for the class system, and bits and pieces about Hadin."

---

The knock came about 2 hours later, a couple minutes early. Fashionably early was the motto in Detectatia.

The guide entered the room and introduced himself. He was a surprisingly young man for a guide to his country, probably only 24 or so. However, he looked intelligent enough through his body language. Intelligent, but definitely playful--a quality which, when dealing with foreign visitors, could be unappealing. As he entered the room, he brushed blond hair from in front of his pale eyes. All in all, he looked an average, intelligent, young man.

Except.

Except for the hat he wore. Atop his head, tilted at a noticeable sideways angle, was a top hat sporting goggles above the front rim. The two Nui-tans were about to get their first lesson in Detectatian culture and fashion.

The guide offered his hand to both Nui-tans. "Hello. My name is Callum, I'll be your guide here in Detectatia. Just to let you know, while our agency is based here in Trestone, we are able to travel with you anywhere in the country if you need or want it. Basically, I'm a guide to nearly everything Detectatia!

"Anyway, sorry about starting off with that little spiel. But, anyway: basically, I'll be your personal guide. I'm only working with you guys, so I don't really have any schedule.

"Okay, now I'm finished with the standard introductions that I'm supposed to give. Lemme tell you a little about myself, if you don't mind. I grew up in Ayand City, which is our country's biggest city with 10 million people. I came to Trestone University and got degrees in both Detectatian History, and Politics. Right now I'm also working on a degree in Interrelatedness Between Detectatian and Nocturian Culture. Just thought you'd like to know in case you had any questions about our history, or politics, or our culture. I'm your guy.

"What about you two? Care to tell me a bit about yourselves?"

After allowing them to introduce themselves, Callum asked them what they wanted to do first.

"We could go shopping, we could eat, catch a movie, see Capitol Circle, whatever you want. The day is yours.

"Except," he said, pausing dramatically.

"Except in one area, if you don't mind. As you noticed, I'm sure, I'm wearing a pretty...noticeable hat. Well, hats are a very popular piece of clothing in Detectatia. Not only that, but we also tend to like more formal or old hats, even when wearing informal stuff, like jeans and a T-shirt. My hat is more...loud than what you'd normally see, obviously. But I really think it captures the cultural icon of hats well.

"But, anyway. My point is that I like to make sure that my clients always leave Detectatia with a piece of Detectatia for themselves. And, even though most every one of my clients does get something anyway, I always like to take them hat shopping.

"So, if you boys want to, I think it'd be fun to do that at some point.

"However, again, the choice is yours about what you want to do first. I'm open for anything. The hats can come at any point. So, again, we could eat? Shop? Go see Capitol Circle? The theatre? Whatever you fancy."