The big night

[Gravwarp]

Bryan stood in front of his desk with the newspaper laid flat upon the wooden surface. The Entertainment section was spread open before him, he tapped on the front of his teeth with a red marker. When he had first asked Nennya out on this date, he was trying to be suave; hoping to make up for his clichéd nerdy response to a risqué joke she had made, he had dropped his glasses in the pool. He shook his head in disappointment at himself for that little show. Plus, he thought, added to the fact he had embarrassed himself when he expressed his worries about Drix cloning him. At the time, her laughter had made him ashamed but it also made him all the more determined to impress her.

He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and went back to his search. Nya had expressed an interest in seeing a horror movie, a subject that Bryan was not very familiar with. He had seen a review for a movie he thought would be perfect, and now he was just looking for a theater playing it at the right time.

“There we go!” Bryan exclaimed to himself. He circled a small block of text in the paper. The Colonial Theater in King’s Row was small, quiet and off the beaten path as opposed to the multiplex theaters in Steel Canyon and Talos. The Colonial was a little art house theater with three screens; he thought it would a perfect place for the two of them to go. He jotted down the phone number and picked up the telephone.

[Gravwarp]

Jason walked back into the quad, in a pair of shorts, and shower shoes, rubbing a towel over his just washed hair. He spotted Bryan looking over the newspaper, and the entertainment section with great zeal. Jason grinned as he walked to his closet, pulling out a light silk shirt and donning it.

"Taking Nix out?" he called back over his shoulder.

Bryan flushed a bit, but answered with a goofy grin on his face. "Yeah. It’s going to be our first real date and I’ve been a bit, you know, awkward around her. I’m trying to get it together and have a ‘perfect’ evening.”

Jason continued to get dressed and ready for the day, looking at Bryan in the mirror as he gelled his hair. "Don’t worry about being clumsy, all of us do that. Sam still can get me to being a stammering wreck, when she puts her mind to it." Jason caught Bryan's smile in the mirror.

"Come on. You're kidding, right?"

"Nope." Jason finished and turned back around, "What're you planning on doing?"

"I thought I'd take her to this great movie. I think she'll love it." Bryan beamed.

"A movie?" Jason winced a bit. "You want to really impress her, do something out of the ordinary. In a movie theatre, you'll sit there for two hours in the dark, trying to be quiet. Take her miniature golfing, or out to go kart racing. Place bets on the outcome." Jason inclined his head with an idea, "Bet that the loser pays for the movie or something."

"I couldn't do that! What if I win? I couldn't make her pay for it."

Jason's mischievous smile broadened across his face, "So make sure she doesn't."

[Gravwarp]

Bryan walked into the library with the intention of returning a books just shy of their due date. It was on his long list of things to do before he and Nennya would be going on their first date. Jason had some great suggestions, but he could feel the cold sweat of his palms as he placed the books on the circulation desk and turned to leave.

He caught sight of a familiar face pouring over a textbook while thoughtfully tapping the corner of her mouth with the eraser of her pencil, lost in concentration, and smiled.

“The answer is 6-X.” He said, leaning over her shoulder. Sam nodded gratefully.

“I’d have got that… eventually.” She admitted, writing the answer in her spiral, before closing her textbook.

“I know you would have.” He returned with a smile. “Actually, I’m sort of glad I ran into you.” He admitted, taking off his glasses and studying them for a second in the light before using the corner of his jacket to wipe them clean. “If you have a minute or two to talk.”

“That was my last problem, so I’m all ears”. She told him, kicking out the seat across from her with her foot and motioning for him to sit. He returned the glasses to his face as he took the seat across from her, Sam giving him an inquisitive look. “What’s up, big guy?”

“I’m taking Nya out tonight.” He began cautiously, causing Sam’s bemused smile to spread across her face. “I’ve never really been on a date before and I’m a little unsure about a few things.” Sam propped both elbows up on the desk, resting her chin on her folded hands while nodding for him to continue. “I just want to make a good impression, you know? And so far, I’ve been all thumbs and left feet around her.”

“Bull in a China shop.” She offered, helpfully.

“Exactly! Tonight, though is going to be different. I want to be charming and suave. The perfect date.”

“So what do you have in mind?”

“Well, I’m pretty sure I know where I want to take her, but I didn’t know… I mean, I was thinking I’d bring her a bouquet, but I don’t know which are her favorite, or what says too much or too cheap.”

“Flowers…” She tapped the pencil eraser against her cheek again. “Flowers are sort of a pain, because then she’s gotta run all the way back to the quad to put them in water, then go back down to meet you… what about a single flower? Get one that’s her favorite color, or that matches her eyes, or reminds you of what she was wearing the first time you met, something with a connection. I’d rather have that than two-dozen flowers. And unlike a dozen, you can take one flower on a date without feeling like you should be wearing a sash and doing the unscrew the light bulb wave.” Bryan chuckled as Sam did her best impersonation of Miss America.

“I guess you guys drive around in a limo huh? Is it ok to just take a cab?” He continued.

“Limo?“ Sam laughed. “Only once, when we went to a premier. When we go to New York, Jase has a driver, and it’s usually a Caddy. Around here, we’ve taken cabs, or on occasion the transit, or we walk, if it’s not too far off and it’s a nice night. It’s not like we pull up to the mini golf place in a limo; you goof. Oh! You should take her there! Mini-golfing with Jason is great.” She smiled warmly again at the memory. “We get there, and he always makes me some wager, then goes out of his way to let me win, it’s adorable, really.” Bryan smiled knowingly and shook his head.

“I’m sure it is. Thanks, Sam, really.”

[Persiflage]

"There's a language to clothing," Nennya thought to herself, "And it's all Greek to me." She frowned at the wretchedly limited amount of choices in her closet. Two plaid skirts, three oxford shirts, two uniform jackets ... and her formal dress from the Snowball dance. Nothing was right. The uniform was too uniform-y. The formal dress was too formal. And in the small chest of drawers under her bed, nothing but socks, underwear, a few folded sweaters, caps, heavy pants--more than suitable for an afternoon on the Jungfrau, but inappropriate for dinner and a movie in Paragon City.

Normally, if she had issues with clothing, she would have called her brother. He spoke 'clothing' better than he spoke English. He could have told her exactly what to wear. But that would have meant explaining the context of the date with Bryan, and she didn't think Drix would be much help there.

"Help," she muttered quietly, leaning her head against the doorjamb.

Renn Haven looked up from her book--Grisham's The Firm. "Did you say something, Nennya?"

She looked at Renn, her hair pulled back into a silk scarf, her nails immaculate, the subtle pleasing combinations of colors of blouse and pants. Everything about her spoke of casual elegance, a sense of style not so much taught as absorbed bone-deep. She looked to Nennya, in that moment, as a steak might look to a starving kitten.

"I need help," she said. "Renn... I have a date tonight. I have no idea what to wear. Help me?" She opened her hands.

Renn looked bemused for a second, but put a bookmark in her fat paperback and smiled. "Sure. Why not?"

Clothing was a language; they diagrammed the words, spreading out her limited options and Renn's , conjugated sentences of colors and fabrics, accessories like punctuation and prepositional phrases. Not everything would work; Nennya was leery of short skirts, Renn tended to choose subdued colors. What they had eventually, was a pair of light blue slacks, Nennya's white oxford shirt, a deep blue wool sweater, and a long decorative scarf that wrapped twice around her neck and still trailed to past her waist. They both eyed her reflection in the mirror on the back of the door critically.

"I think that'll do," said Renn. Nennya nodded. "You look a little older than you ought to in those clothes, but not in a bad way." She handed Nennya a green pleather backpack so diminutive it looked like a toy. "You can put your IDs and cash in that." Nennya slung it over her shoulders and turned to hug Renn.

"Thank you," she said. Renn looked a little surprised at the gesture of affection, but hugged back, awkwardly. "No prob," Renn said. "You're okay. Have a good time." She went back to her bed, her book.

[Gravwarp]

That afternoon, after all the calls were made and all the preparations were ready, Bryan headed back to the Quad to get ready. He took another shower and got dressed; he had gone shopping the other day and bought a new shirt just for tonight.

He stood in front of Jason’s full-length mirror and looked himself over. He was wearing a warm gray long sleeve polo shirt, with he top button opened, showing the white shit underneath. He also had on a nicely pressed pair of khaki pants along with a matching leather belt and Oxford shoes. As he stood there trying to get his hair just right, a voice came from behind him.

“Well, well, well… look who stepped out of the Gap ad!”

Bryan shook his head and laughed. “Thanks Jake, you really know how to make a guy feel good about himself.” He stopped messing with his hair and turned around. “What do you think?”

“Seriously, you look good. Gotta date tonight?” Jake asked as put his pack back down near his desk.

“Actually, yeah I do.” Bryan added with a wide smile. “Nennya and I are painting the town tonight.” He casually checked his watch noting that the cab would be in front of the girl’s dorm in fifteen minutes. Bryan pulled out his wallet and recounted the cash he had taken out at the bank.

“Did you rob a bank today?” Jake asked him with a loud laugh.

“No, just wanted to be prepared.” Bryan replied. “I’m sorry to cut this conversation short Moon, but I have to get going.” He opened the refrigerator and removed the single flower he had stored there this afternoon.

“Hey, don’t worry about it. I’ll see you later. Have fun!”

Jake turned to look at Bryan, but he only saw the Quad door click shut. Jake shook his head and chuckled. “Freshmen...” He said with a laugh.

[Gravwarp]

Bryan stood in front of the girl’s dorms; he reached out and activated the intercom. It rang, calling up to Quad number nine. Suddenly, his mouth went dry and his tongue felt swollen. A voice spoke up over the speaker, “Hello?”

Bryan cleared his throat discreetly, the voice wasn’t Nya’s but it seemed familiar, maybe Renn’s. “Hi. This is Bryan, I’m here to pick up Nennya.” He said into the metal intercom, hoping he sounded confident. The speaker fell silent and Bryan could only imagine what was being said.

The voice returned, “She’ll be right down.” Bryan thought he heard a giggle just before the speaker clicked off. Perhaps not, he slightly shook his head to clear the matter from his mind. “She’s coming down!” he thought excitedly to himself.

Bryan flattened out a wrinkle in his shirt and fluffed the petals of the flower he had brought for his date. It was a Yellow Tiger Lily; Mana had told him it was a very rare breed of the flower. While most tiger lilies were of a deep orange color, this one was a pale yellow chartreuse color while still retaining the tell tale dark brown spots. When he saw it, he immediately thought of Nya's soft yellow-green eyes and of the dark velvet spots across her cheeks. It had taken a lot to get Mana to cut this one flower from his beloved plant but after promising him everything he could think of, Mana let him have the flower and made it clear that Bryan owed him greatly.

He saw her approaching through the glass of the front door. He steeled himself to speak as she pushed open the door. “Hey Nya!” Bryan greeted he with the widest smile his face could manage. “You look fantastic.” He added looking into her face. “Blue is my favorite color, you know?”

“This is for you. I hope you like it.” He presented the large yellow flower to her. “Its beautiful spots reminded me of you.” Bryan smiled wide at her as she subconsciously touched the spots on her cheeks. Nennya gently took the lily, raised it to her nose and inhaled the flower’s scent deeply. She smiled and then ran the petals of the flower across her lips, almost seeming to taste the yellow petals. She laughed, “It’s a genetic mutation, is it not?” He smiled and nodded yes, “Like me, I guess?” “It’s beautiful. I love it thank you.” She beamed at him.

Bryan took Nennya’s hand and they began to walk towards the waiting taxi. “I have a lot of things planned tonight, I wanted to give you a ‘Dating Ritual’ that you wouldn’t forget.” He opened the yellow car door for her and slid into the seat after her.

Bryan leaned forward to the driver and spoke “We’re going to the Tengu Forest Restaurant in Steel, thanks.” He leaned back into his seat and looked at his lovely date once more. “I hope you like Sushi.” Bryan said to her as the car pulled away from the grounds of St. Joseph’s and towards the city.

[Gravwarp]

The cab came to a stop on a small one-way street in Steel Canyon, in the shadow of the tall financial buildings. “Here we are guys!” the female driver had been especially talkative during the ride, she had guessed it was the young couple’s first date. Bryan had revealed that to be true and for the rest of the ride, the students spent their time answering or avoiding the friendly driver’s questions.

Bryan paid the driver and told her to keep the change. “Thank you, young man. You too look so cute together. I hope you have a great night but I’ll never understand why you kids wanna eat raw fish!” She laughed explosively at her comment.

Bryan rolled his eyes playfully at Nennya and smiled. He opened the car door and helped her out. They stood on the narrow sidewalk in front of the restaurant, the front had been decorated to appear like a Japanese teahouse but it was accented with neon lights and a neon sign.

The entrance was slightly unnerving: the door was surrounded multiple small men with incredibly long noses, all of them peering at the patrons who entered through the door. Some had looks of delight and amusement and others looked disapproving or even flat out evil. Bryan held the door open for his date and they entered the eatery.

There in the front of the restaurant was a neon-lit bar, a more traditional dining room further back, with a bamboo sushi bar and bright murals on the dark walls. Each mural seemed to have more of the strange looking figures in them. The dining room was sparsely occupied. It was still early in the evening, before the investment bankers would come here to drink sake’ and discuss business.

Bryan stood next to Nennya at the hostess’s podium; he held her hand softly while they waited to be seated. His fingertips rubbing softly against the velvet fur of the back of her hand. A young Asian woman came to the front and showed them to a small table in the middle of the dining room. “Thank you” the pair said as they took their seats. A waitress soon came along and asked them what they would like to drink. Bryan looked to Nennya to answer first. “Tea would be fine. Thank you.” She answered. Bryan said, “Water, please.” She slightly bowed to them, making the giggle to one another as she walked away.

Bryan looked around at the walls, his eyes traveling the room until the rested his gaze back into Nya’s eyes. “When I heard of this place,” he said, “I thought it would be really cool to come here together.” “I learned a little bit about these little guys they have all over the place,” he motioned to one of the long nosed men on the bar. “They are called ‘Tengu’. They seem to be mischievous but protective spirits that were worshipped and appeased by the early Japanese.”

[Persiflage]

"I'll be mother," Nennya said when her tea arrived. She upended Bryan's cup for him and poured them both a nice hot shot of the fragrant brew. Bryan was fiddling with the paper sushi menu, checking boxes seemingly at random.

"What're we eating?"

"California rolls, some eel, a little tempura shrimp, and some smoked salmon."

"All cooked or vegetarian, eh?" she grinned. "Let's go for the gusto. Get a few pieces of the raw stuff. Raw fish is nice."

"You've eaten sushi before?"

Nennya shook her head. "No, but I like fresh fish. I'm not scared to eat it raw." She pointed to a subheading on the menu that said "uncooked," with an asterisk next to it, leading to a warning at the end of the sheet that reiterated for the idiotic that the sushi listed there was indeed served raw.

"Tuna and squid. So fresh it wriggles." She smiled as he put them down for two pieces each.

They stared at each other, an awkward silence, waiting for their order to go through. She didn't know what to do with her hands. She had no idea what to say to this boy. She played with her chopsticks, following his lead, mixing green goo and soy sauce in a tiny enameled bowl. The goo had the look and consistency of mint sherbet. She speared a chunk of it and tried a taste.

Her head exploded. Well, no, it didn't, but if there were a just God in the universe it would have. Her mouth filled up with bitter fluid, and her face heated up. Her tongue burned like it had been stabbed with a million red-hot needles. No help for it. She spat, as discreetly as she could, into her napkin. Bryan wasn't laughing at her, and bless him for that.

"Wasabe," he said. "Hot radish. Are you okay?"

"Milk," she said in a strained voice. "Please." She had the urge to scrape the wasabe off her tongue with her fingers, it hurt so badly. But that would be an animal thing, and she was trying hard to mind her manners.

Her milk came, she stuck her tongue in it. The lactose was like balm. She diagnosed herself quickly. The sensitive microfilaments in her tongue were slightly injured, but would repair themselves quickly, were already repairing themselves. She took another large sip of milk, holding it in her mouth, and offered Bryan a rueful smile, swallowed.

"Okay?" he asked again. She nodded. "Thank you," she said. Hysterical giggles were rising in her throat; she firmly suppressed them, took another sip of milk. "What's it for?" she asked. "The wasabe."

"Some people find it tasty. Also, it neutralizes toxins that might be in the fish. "

"Oh." She ran her tongue gingerly around her mouth; the pain was almost gone. "That's a good idea, I guess. I think I might prefer the toxins." She smiled again, and this time it was returned.

"Sushi one, Nennya zero," she said. leaning her chin into her palm. "And the main course hasn't even been served yet. Bryan, this does not bode well for me. I do not think I will be getting any badges tonight."

He smiled. "Wasabe Snooter." he said. They both laughed.

"Does this feel weird to you?" she asked. "I feel a little strange--like I'm going to be taking a test and I don't know what subject to study for. Do you feel that way?"

He blushed prettily. "I just want to get to know you better. But yeah, I feel a little like that, I suppose."

"I'll let you cheat off of my paper," she said, smiling. "If I can cheat off of yours. What do you like? What's your favorite thing to do on a rainy Saturday? What would a person have to do to have your respect? And what could a person do to lose it?" She looked down at her watch. "Your answers are being timed." She gave him a joking wink, and at that moment, their beautifully arranged platter of sushi arrived.

"Saved by the smelt," he said, moving some edible art onto his plate.

"You're not off the hook," she said coyly, doing the same. "But I'll give you something nice if you can talk between nibbles. I'll tell you what I see in you after you tell me about yourself."

"Uh-oh," he said, nervously. "Hope it's nice."

"I think nice. I wouldn't be here if I didn't like you already."

[Gravwarp]

“I wouldn't be here if I didn't like you already.” Bryan mulled those words over in his mind for a while. His face was hot; he could tell that he must have been bright red. He had never thought about it before, that she already liked him.

Bryan took a piece of the squid from the tray of Sashimi. “See you in the emergency room!” He said with a large smile. Dipping the white flesh into his sauce tray he put the large slice into his mouth. He chewed it thoroughly; it’s texture making it a bit rubbery and swallowed. “He lives!” Nennya added with a cheer. They exchanged smiles again and began to eat in earnest. Bryan, desperate to know his date’s insights, began to fill his date’s request. Speaking and answering questions, between bite of fish and seaweed.

“Let’s see on a rainy Saturday, I guess you’d find me reading something; probably comics or maybe a real book. After that huddled under the my blankets taking a nap.” He smiled and placed a slice of California Roll into his mouth.

“I like people who are honest with themselves and more importantly with me. I don’t like when bad things fester, you know, like with Joni. I was in a way glad that she just let me know what was wrong, instead of hating me and letting that feeling stay bottled up inside.” He took a sip of the hot tea and continued. “I respect people that enjoy using their powers, the people that can control them and push them to the limits, but not people that use the to bully others. I pity those that are afraid of what they can do. I respect people who do their best to help others, super powers or not.”

Bryan looked at her while he spoke, really making an effort to open up to her. “I like joking around with my friends, and just hanging out with them.” He added, “I love the exotic things in life, ancient mysteries and learning about different cultures.” He motioned to the wooden trays on top of the table, “Trying new foods, watching the Discovery channel, and stand up comedy.” He took a piece of the red tuna and ate it with a grin. “I like to run. It’s a time when I can be alone. Either with my thoughts or just drown out the rest of the world with music. I don’t mind getting hit hard during practice with the team; sometimes I play it up after I get tackled. It keeps people underestimating me when we play.” Bryan punctuated that statement with a smile and Nennya responded with a giggle.

“I’m good at Math and Science but I struggle with English and Literature. I find it hard to understand the symbolism and metaphors. I’m secretly jealous of other people that can write beautiful words and poetry, it’s something I’d love to be able to do but I’m just not ‘wired’ for it.” He sighed deeply and looked down at the table, ashamed of what he would next say to this beautiful girl across the small table.

“I dislike my family. They make me feel, like I don’t live up to their expectations. Even though I can do amazing things, not even with powers.” He added “I mean just being able to get an A in Physics class could be considered a miracle but they’d rather have me working on a steel mill floor because it’s what our family’s done for generations.”

He put his chopsticks down, so the straddled the top of his sauce tray, taking care that they didn’t point towards Nennya. He checked his watch jokingly, “Not too bad, how many people can condense themselves into a short conversation.” He laughed and took a sip of his water.

“I’m pretty boring, I guess; beyond my, sometimes destructive, obsession to be a hero and my need to be friends with everyone. Now, I think you’ll be covered if someone gives us a pop quiz.” Bryan placed his hand along the edge of the table unconsciously inviting her touch. “What about you though? I feel like I don’t really know anything about you.”

“You told me you were from Switzerland, what’s it like there? Do you miss it? What are your parents like? What was it like for you growing up? What cartoons did you like?” Bryan’s voice revealed he was indeed curious to the answers.

[Persiflage]

"I live in the mountains, near the Jungfrau--the Virgin? the Maiden? Yes, Maiden--very high up where the air is thin. There's a train that runs up inside the very mountain, and a hotel near the peak. We live nearby, in a house that hugs a precipice. Some of the house is outside on the ledge, and some of it is inside the rock. There's a little town down further, near a train depot. It's busy during the ski season, quiet the rest of the year." She discreetly dumped out her wasabe and refilled the bowl with soy sauce. "It's very beautiful there. But a lonely beauty. It's very isolated. I think our parents picked it because they were afraid for us, and afraid for themselves. They were afraid someone would hurt us, or abduct us. Being hidden was a way to prevent that."

"But you're here now."

"Leaving the nest," she said, smiling. "Drix felt it more than anyone else--this call to look, to see, to gather in all he could. It's almost a biological drive. And my little brother, Dalit, he feels it too, for all he's only thirteen. I miss my home, but I needed to be near my brother more. So here I am.

"I feel strange being here. I watched a lot of American television to get ready to be here. Not just to improve my English, but to get the feeling for how the culture works and moves. I think my favorite cartoon is... hm. Well, Bratz was the most informative, but I don't think I enjoyed it much. And some of them are too complex for me to understand fully. And others celebrate things I don't like. I think I like Family Guy, because of the baby, Stewie? I remember what it was like to need to communicate but not know how. It's funny, and it's good because it references things in the culture I need to examine. So ... I suppose I enjoy it, as a tutorial session. But cartoons do not make me laugh--but I like to watch them with someone who does laugh, because I can share the laughter."

She popped a piece of sushi in her mouth, chewed thoughtfully. "I think I'm sometimes more aware of why I appreciate or dislike things than a lot of people. That makes me feel odd, disconnected. Like this flower..." her fingertips grazed the edges of the lily on her lapel. "Flowers are beautiful to people, because they tell us that the fruit will follow soon. This flower comes from a species of lily that is edible and nutritious. So I appreciate its legacy as food. But someone has manipulated the flower at the genetic level, working with its DNA for aesthetic reasons, and shown considerable skill in doing so. Someone loved it. And I appreciate it for those reasons too."

She smiled at him. "I don't know if I properly thanked you for the flower, Bryan. It's beautiful, thank you."

They ate for a few more moments. "Your parents?" he prompted.

She smiled. "You have an eye for details, too." She stirred her soy sauce. "My parents are ... strange. Very strange. They are people who were all injured ... by the world. Powers, yes, powers. They gave the best of what they had to us. But they've turned their backs to the world. They don't think much of human nature, but they love us. I know they love us."

She sighed, thinking about her family.

"You'll do better if you think about me as if I were an alien," she said, smiling. "I feel like one, until I get called up short by someone. And then I realize that I'm acting like an outsider and I'm not. It's jarring."

[Gravwarp]

Bryan stared intently as she spoke of her home. As she continued, he was ashamed that he had never been happier than he was at this School while this girl missed her family more than anything. Even wandering out into an unfamiliar world to be nearer to her brother. “I’m glad that you parents let you come here, we would have never met otherwise.” They were both silent for a long time, the sounds of the restaurant getting louder as the city’s businessmen made their way into the bar area.

The boisterous laughter seemed to restart the conversation. “I can’t think of a worse thing to show an ‘alien’, than American television.” Bryan joked with her, trying to lighten the mood. “For our next date, maybe we’ll sit down and watch a marathon of Doctor Who or some Looney Tunes.” He smiled widely at her, indicating he was joking.

Bryan looked at the wooden trays littering the table’s surface; only one or two pieces of Sushi lay untouched. “Are you finished?” Bryan asked Nennya politely. “So am I. We should leave room for some of the popcorn you promised me.” He responded. As if on cue, the waitress approached them.

“Are you finished?” She asked demurely. When the pair nodded in the affirmative, “Was everything to your liking?” she inquired. “Yes! Everything was great.” Bryan replied. “It was exceptional. Thank you.” Nennya added. She again bowed to the young couple and left a small leather folder behind.

“I’ll be right back.” Bryan said to her as he prepared to pay the bill. As he stood, she rose as well. “Excuse me, I will be right back as well.” She made her way to the rear of the restaurant, as she walked away he watched her walk. He smiled a roguish grin, as he appreciated the way she moved. She turned quickly, to look back at him. He turned in time to avoid eye contact but he smiled to himself. Bryan knew she had not been too far away to feel his emotions, for a moment he had forgotten she could do that.

Bryan made his way to the bar, where an elderly woman took his money and questioned him about the meal; her Japanese accent was heavy and Bryan found her voice reassuring. He only half heard the questions and he answered without conscious thought, he was thinking of her and it was obvious to this women.

“She is beautiful.”

The statement had shaken him from his thoughts. “Excuse me?” Bryan said, looking to the old woman. “The Nekomusume.” She said in return, she saw that the boy was still confused. She nodded towards the rear, when Bryan looked back and saw Nennya leaving the restroom. He smiled and picked up his change.

“Yes. She is.”

[Gravwarp]

Bryan and Nennya stood outside the Japanese restaurant, the sunlight was turning red the sun began to set. “We should walk up to the next block and catch another taxi. We have about a half an hour until the movie starts.” Bryan stated “We should have plenty of time to get there.”

As they walked through the rays of sunlight that hit the small alley, shining between the buildings rising above. They walked hand in hand towards the busy street ahead. Mostly, they talked about the restaurant, the food and the “Wasabi Incident”.

“I’m so sorry about that, I should have said something right away about it. I think it’s most be a ancient rule that everyone who tries Sushi for the first time must discover Wasabi by painful means” He still didn’t laugh, it was a painful experience. “When I fist tried it, my brother dared me to eat a chunk of it. Of course, I did.” He shook his head and laughed slightly at the memory. Nennya looked confused at the statement

They reached the corner and spent a few minutes trying to hail a cab. They were lucky enough to catch an empty cab as it came up the alley towards them. They both quickly got in before the light turned green and the driver sped away from the intersection. “Where yoos guys goin’!” the large man behind the wheel barked to his passengers.

“1816 Lombard Street in King’s Row. The Colonial, please.” Bryan responded, trying desperately to buckle hi seat belt. “Whatever, Mac.” The driver seemed slightly unhinged but his eagerness to drive at the speed of light would guarantee that they got to see all the previews.

“So, what are we seeing?” Nennya asked.

“Pan’s Labryinth,” he answered her, “I know it’s not really a typical horror movie but I read great things about it, and the special effects look very creepy. I figured that since you liked ‘Silent Hill’, I thought this would be up your alley.” He smiled hoping she hadn’t seen the film before.

[Persiflage]

True to her word, she bought the popcorn. It came in a bucket bigger than her head. "I hope you have room after sushi," she said. "There's a lot here."

They'd arrived early, and this was good, because it seemed like this was a popular movie; the theater filled up around them quickly. "This is different," she said, adjusting herself in the seat, getting comfortable. "The last time I saw a movie in the States, it was a cavern of a room attached to twenty other theaters. I had the whole place to myself."

"That's always nice."

"Lonely," she said. "And cold. This is much nicer. Like a little time warp. So this movie, Pan's Labyrinth, it's looked a little like Mirrormask when I saw a preview." She leaned against him subtly; reading her body language, he tucked an arm around her shoulders. "This film will require some intense viewing," she said. "Too bad."

She felt his disappointment when she said that. "Oh, I very much want to see this film. But I have a confession to make, Bryan. I wanted to abandon myself to something frightening. So I'd be able to snuggle with you. And you wouldn't think I was being... forward."

He seemed tongue-tied for a second, was about to say something, but she put a finger to her lips. "It's starting."

[Gravwarp]

As she silenced him, he took comfort in the fact that she did want to see the film but he could not help but be disappointed in the fact that his over-thinking had cost him and hour and a half of “snuggling” with her. He smiled broadly as the movie began, he gently guided her towards him with his arm until she was firmly resting her body against his.

The flicker of the images on the screen; lit their faces. For one hundred and twelve minutes, the two watched the movie together. When one would move, the other would readjust too; always touching trying to maintain a sense of closeness with one another while forgetting the room full of others.

The movie was beautiful and lingering. There were scenes of a violent and remorseless reality balanced against scenes of a nightmarish but somehow more hopeful fantasy world created by the young heroine. The time seemed to fly by as they were both engrossed in the story unfolding before them, but as all stories must, the tale came to an end.

Bryan and Nennya left after the credits were over, sitting together and holding hands until the majority of the patrons had left before them. They left the theater and walked a few blocks together, discussing the movie. Nennya explained to him aspects that he had not understood and the film’s ending. Bryan smiled as she clarified, the hidden meanings of the characters; he was happy that she had enjoyed the movie. She had apparently taken much more from the viewing than he had, and he was glad he explanations to him were not condescending. She gracefully pointed out connections of concepts he had missed to those that he had seen. Like guiding the hand of a child to the resting place for a puzzle piece, instead of merely placing it for them.

He turned to her and began to speak, “Well, I have one more thing planned for tonight. I had assumed this movie would be deep and maybe depressing, a note I did not want to end our evening on.” He laughed as he waved down another taxi.

As they got into the vehicle, Nennya was desperate to know where they were headed but Bryan refused to tell her until they got there.

“Were almost there.” Bryan said to her as the car turned a corner. “I’d like you to close your eyes.” She was reluctant but eventually agreed and she squinted her eyes shut tightly.

She could sense Bryan’s excitement even before the car came to a stop. Nennya heard him get out of the car and speak with the driver, the driver’s voice speaking to him in a thankful way. The creak of the metal door came to her ears, and she reached out her hand to the young man. He took it and helped her out of the car.

They walked a few feet and stepped up to a curb, she listened to the sounds of this place: a creaking sound of something spinning, the hollow sound of an object hitting a plastic cup and the cheers of an excited girl.

“You can open them now.” He said in her ear. She opened her eyes and saw a garish collection of miniature world treasures, a man-sized recreation of Mount Rushmore, a fiberglass pyramid painted in a wild yellow color, a windmill turning in the background and a castle rising above the rest.

“I hope you brought your LPGA tour card.” He said to her with a smile and pointed to the brightly colored sign above their heads.

“Boomer’s Midway and Mini-Golf”

He pulled her by the hand towards the gate. “Come on, let’s go have some fun.”

[Persiflage]

The only easy part about mini-golf was picking a color of ball. She swung her club-thingie, thinking about Alice in Wonderland, thinking it would be easier if she was batting at the ball with a flamingo.

"Mulligan," Bryan said to her, when she got the ball under the miniature Leaning Tower of Piza and into the cup on the seventeenth try. "This round won't count."

She looked over at the placard on the green, which read "Par 2."

She grinned. "Put me down for two, then." The smell of corn-dogs and warm tarmac, like a carnival, was in her nose, and it disposed her to be cheerful.

She sensed something in the next round. There was sloping zigzag bridge, in the shape of the Great Wall of China, and the trick was to get the ball neatly over the channel in the bridge into the cup. Her ball wandered wide, wanting to fall off the side.... and then it seemed to change direction, waver back towards the center, and landed neatly in the cup. "Hole in one," Bryan said. "Nice job!"

"Too bad," she said with a knowing smile. "I was about to ask you to come over here and give me help with my swing."

His own putt swung the ball wide. Perhaps it was registering her suggestion, the missed opportunity. It took him two more shots to get the ball in. The third hole, a little funnel under a waterway, the Panama Canal, was similarly easy. She made it in two shots; Bryan, four.

"Bryan Baxter," she said, mock-sternly, leaning on her club. She laughed. He was manipulating her shots, using his power to direct the ball, so she could win. She let the smile sink into her face until it was one with her. They waited for the others to play through.

She lined up on the green. This hole was built around a reproduction of Mount Rushmore. One was apparently supposed to hit the ball up a ramp, through Washington's ear, and it would go through Lincoln's mouth and deposit the ball neatly in the cup under his beard. "You go first this time," she said. He made it in four shots--the ramp was a little tricky, curving sharply up.

She fidgeted with the club, thought of it as an extension of her arm. She struck the ball with too much force, deliberately sending it around the curved ramp too quickly, and it bounced against the side of George's perriwig and off into the green. The ball's momentum ricocheted it off the cement edging on the green, and losing force, slid neatly up the ramp again and into Washington's ear. Bryan took his eye off the ball when it landed, with a chuckling pop, in the hole. He looked at her, surruptitiously, and saw her smile. They both laughed, this time.

Without saying as much, they acknowledged what they were doing. They made it their own game. Bryan played with skill, but Nennya deliberately took wild, incomprehensible shots--seeing how much of a challenge she could make it for Bryan to get her shot in. The wonders of the world in miniature were helpless in their assault.

At Stonehenge, they lost all perspective and circumspection. Nennya's ball wound in and out of the formation, hugging a miniature monolith here, skating up a lintel there, and spiralled lazily into the cup. They were grinning, happy; Nennya realized that she was losing by two points.

Someone hissed, loudly, "Freaks." She looked around, realizing how quiet everything was on the course. Teenagers out for fun, parents with children ... they were staring at them. It was a mother with two young children, pressing her offspring against her heavy thighs, who had called them freaks. No one looked to defend them. The people looked angry, or scared, or disgusted.

"Go back to that school," the woman said, making the word a curse, "back to that school where you belong."

"No, Bryan," she said quietly, feeling him bristle, putting a hand on his arm. "Don't. Let's just go."