August 7th, Monday, Parody Bookstore 8:53 am Even at nine in the morning, Parody Bookstore was busy. Robin was temporarily closing the shop so she could go on her date with Terra, and was scheduled to meet her in front of the building. But she noticed one other person there, a tall athletic woman crossing her arms, apparently waiting for somebody. "I'm sorry, but the store will be closed for a few hours until my relief shift comes here." "I'm just waiting for someone. Have you seen a really tall, gangly girl around my age here? She's got short punk black hair and she's probably wearing baggy clothes." "No, can't say I have. Hey there! Pardon me, my date has arrived." Terra had a peaceful, lovely expression in the morning, and she was dressed nicely- no anime or video game shirts on, for once. She was actually looking forward to this date, strange as it seemed. "Good morning! Um, who's this?" "Just nobody," said the athletic woman. "But I was out in force over the weekend. The name's Rain." "Oh, uh, hi. So you're really taking off work to go out with me?" she asked. "It's not the first time," Robin said, twirling her keys on her finger. "Most people don't come by until lunch, so we should have plenty of time. Well, it seems your friend has arrived." Robin noticed a woman matching the description Rain had given her coming their way, lumbering and waving pathetically. Terra recognized her at once. "Glad you made it," Rain said. "Me too," she smiled. Terra grinned. "Hi Alice." "Um, hello," she greeted. Alice winced, unable to match a name with the face. "Uh...what was your name again?" "It's Terra," she said, reaching out to shake hands. Alice stiffly declined, nodded at Robin, and excused herself. Her date glanced at them. "You two know each other?" "Not really," Terra said. "We're on the same soccer team." "Oh, that. Hmm, you've got a cute teammate, Alice. Maybe if things don't work out between us, you two can go out later." "One date at a time," Robin said flatly. Rain grinned. "Yes, yes, you're right. Well, if you're here, that must mean the store's closed, unfortunately, but we can have breakfast somewhere else. Is the Lily Club open?" "Yes, but the owner's not there, as usual. See?" She waved at someone in the distance and the group turned around to see Gardenia approaching them, whistling. Her eyebrows raised as she noticed the crowd gathered in front of Robin's store. "Um, what's up, guys? Did you lose your key, Robs?" "No, I'm going out on a date." "With all of them?!" she exclaimed. Robin laughed. "No, just this one. Her name's Terra; she's a coworker." "Ah, I see! An office romance- sweet! Hey, she's pretty cute! So are you trading me in for a younger model?" "Just for awhile," Robin smiled. Gardenia laughed perversely and gave Terra a hearty pat on the back. "Sounds like fun! Don't let her get on your nerves, okay? Just give Robbie a chance and you'll fall right for her! I guess this means I'm free to find some entertainment on my own." "Quite free," Robin replied. "But you will have to turn around and go back to work." "That's right. A lot of people want my warm buns." Robin laughed out loud and Terra blushed. "Okay, that's it for me," Rain said with a wave. "Looks like we'll be going to Denny's for breakfast, Alice." "Uh, okay." She glanced around just long enough to watch Gardenia flirting with her. For once in her life, she thought with a sigh if relief, she wasn't the craziest person around. And people dream dreams that transcend time Held in the arms of a still sea As they looked up at the birds and clouds It set their ephemeral souls on fire on a thousand mornings I bet they're taking flight to where the light is headed Now is the time to launch your dreams Off into the frontier that is carrying boundless dreams Farther and farther, dive in the sky "First Date" Alice was surprised at how comfortable she felt around Rain. Although she was as dark and dreary as her name entailed, she was also just as refreshing and pleasant, a walking conundrum twisted and bent out of shape, but now stronger and steadier for it. She had a mostly pessimistic view of life, always pointing out the grimmest parts of any situation, but like Candide, she showed unusual optimism in the face of such adversity, "looking for the worst in everything and making the best of it", in her words. "That's probably the only difference between me and Fleur," she related. "She expects everything to turn out negatively, but I just prepare for it. She doesn't believe in any beauty whatsoever, and while I can agree with her, I at least try to look. Basically, we see life through two different lenses: hers is all black, while mine is just dark grey. Still, we like each other well enough, because we don't carry around pretenses like everyone else. It's foolish to pretend like things are fine, but it's just as dumb to think everything is horrible." Alice was glad she didn't have to say anything. She just liked to listen. "I guess the major difference between us is that my folks were generally supportive," she continued, her voice dipping into a lower tone. "It took me years to understand that even though my life didn't seem to be getting any better, they really were trying to look out for me. My academics sucked, so they sent me to a remedial school. I was diagnosed with OCD and ADD, so they put me on meds. I turned into a misanthropic freak, so they put me in counseling. My energy was unfocused and wild, so they signed me up for sports. I used to hate them for butting into my life, but I suppose I would've been worse off without them. They just didn't know when to quit, and that's not always a good quality. Did your folks ever do anything to help you?" "Fuck no!" Alice snarled. Rage brought her out of her tranquil silence and she lashed out. "You had it lucky! My parents disowned me, dumped me in an asylum, and forgot I ever existed! I was nothing more than their ugly six-foot problem! I had to blackmail them to get anywhere! Just try to imagine how they felt when I came out all of a sudden!" "Ah, so you are gay. Well, lucky me!" Alice ignored her cheerful smile and snorted. "Do me a favor, Rain, and don't ever mention those walking pieces of shit ever again!" She looked into Rain's eyes, trying to calm down, and took several breaths. "Ugh, sorry about that. It's not your fault. You didn't know. Just...consider it an unfriendly warning." "Right, gotcha! No mentioning the awful parents! Well, that makes me feel better about all those years of apparent suffering! What say we go swimming and relieve all this anger?" "I don't have a swimsuit, and I don't know how," she mumbled. Rain wasn't about to let something so inconsequential defeat her. "Those problems can be easily solved. But yeah, it'll be a bitch figuring out your size. Hell, I have a hard time finding suits that fit me!" "It's not my fault I'm so fucking tall," she grumbled. Rain smiled coolly and reached out to take Alice's hand. Almost instantly, she turned back into the jittery, distant, moody person she was before, her face turning red from the contact. No woman, besides her old best friend, had ever showed such an interest in her, so her world felt upside-down. "We can kick a few butts until we find the right one. What's your favorite color?" "Tan." "Then we'll get a nice tan bikini that shows off your figure." "I'm not as fit as you are," Alice mumbled. "I'm all pasty and shit." "That shouldn't matter. Come on." Rain was excited about the prospect of picking out swimsuits for her date. She would more than likely find an excuse to sneak a peek while Alice was dressing, or better still, share a room while they modeled their clothes. There was obviously more than skin to this woman, but Rain was only human: she saw Alice's outer beauty first before ever thinking about her inner light. She did like her, though. They managed to find one fairly attractive brownish-orange two-piece in Alice's size, but they had to ask three service reps to get it. The harsh truth was that women Alice's size (and even Rain's) were scarce; most of the swimwear was targeted at smaller ladies, not giants. Alice felt horribly exposed as she wandered around the boutique, but Rain wouldn't allow her to run off: she wanted to see this through to the end. Rain didn't have to press very hard to share the same dressing room. Alice's mood brightened when they went in together to try their suits on, and she even managed to flirt a little as she ogled her date. Even so, she envied Rain's confidence, and wondered if playing soccer would help hers along. The pool was crowded since it was still summer and schools were mostly closed, and if Rain hadn't been there to support her, Alice wouldn't have even approached it. Besides the crowds, she would have to walk out in a bikini, which is as close to public nudity as someone can get. But Rain really wanted to swim with her; she wasn't the type of woman who was satisfied with dinner and a movie. She offered to rub suntan oil over Alice's body first, and was as gentle and loving a masseuse as Alice had hoped. Her legs and arms, pale but smooth, seemed to go on forever, and while they certainly weren't powerful or graceful like Rain's, they reminded her of fine china: fragile and exquisite. Of course, she couldn't help but "accidentally" brush against Alice's cleavage, or her posterior, or her hips, but she was only human. Alice returned the favor shakily; nobody had ever allowed her to get this close to them before. After all that fuss, they only played for about two hours before getting out, drying off, and driving someplace else. "It was definitely too crowded," Rain said. "It was great for awhile, but I prefer to have fun in private. We'll grab a quick bite to eat before we head over to my practice." Alice was eager to see Rain in action; she had heard about her talent. Since Howlet always had a few seats reserved for Fleur and a handful of acquaintances, Alice didn't have to fight to get a good view. She didn't completely understand fencing, but she liked to watch it: the duelists were like ballet dancers, like dolphins, like hummingbirds in a garden, and Rain was gorgeous. "Now I really envy her," Alice sighed. Rain spotted her and waved, smiling politely. Alice didn't know it at the time, but while she was on the floor, Rain never smiled at anyone or paid attention to her audience: she just stuck to her routine and ignored her fans' cries. Naturally, all of her admirers were jealous. When practice ended two hours later, Alice was surprised to discover she was not bored at all; she wished it could go on longer. Rain wasn't just an athlete, she was an artist- but even with her spotty past, why would someone like her ever be interested in a gangly freak like Alice? She approached her date with one of the towels they had taken to the pool, and even with so many beautiful men and women vying for her attention, Rain chose the humble, shy woman who stood head and shoulders above everyone else. "Thanks. You caught me at a bad time in my routine. I was really sloppy." "Are you kidding?!" Alice gawked. "That was phenomenal! You were like...like...like poetry! And you won all your matches, right?" "Just barely," she said wearily. "But I really could've done better. Still, I suppose a casual observer wouldn't catch all the subtleties of a duel. Maybe I am being too hard on myself, but you know, it's my nature. I'm going to take a shower now. Would you like to join me?" She smiled foxily, curious to see how bold her date was. Alice froze, gawking, wondering if Rain was serious. Probably not. "Um, no, that's okay, you can go ahead without me." "Suit yourself," Rain shrugged. "But the offer's still good." She slipped into the locker room, leaving Alice breathless. She sat back down and, out of the blue, composed a poem in her head to describe how she felt about Rain's performance. Sweetly stroking, the blowing breeze buffeted the earth's skin She dances lightly and causes heaven above to tremble with her swing A river running, rushing, controllably fierce, steady and severe she smiles at me A grey storm rolling as beams of light break her virginity - Fleur Lacroix, 20, Medical major, no position- After eating breakfast with Robin and dancing through small-talk, Terra was relieved to find that her employer's guarantee was coming true: this was really more like hanging out as friends than an actual date. Robin admitted that most of the people she went out with didn't really appeal to her romantic side, and she rarely went past kissing them. Although she dated and, on occasion, slept with other people, it was plain to see who her heart was truly devoted to. Terra was amazed that Gardenia allowed her to do this, but she never did seem like the jealous type. "I just think it's unusual," she admitted quietly. "Back where I came from, if somebody did that, there'd be trouble. That's normally the sort of thing that ruins a relationship." "Dee and I were friends before we were lovers," Robin explained as she stirred her hot chocolate. "Even though our personalities are total opposites, we just seemed to connect. Of course, it helps that we're both geeks at heart, and we run our own businesses, and we don't take things too seriously. Love takes many forms." "So how did you two get together?" Robin smiled softly and turned pink. "I just seduced her one day. She kept coming over and bugging me all week long, and I couldn't take it anymore, so I left a note on the counter asking her to come into the back room. Let's just say that I wore something very convincing." Terra blushed and giggled, finishing off her Belgian waffles. "So what are we doing after this?" "Well, we don't have much time left- we have to be back at work before twelve- so we could probably make one more stop. You're coming to the movie night on Saturday, right?" "Yeah, and the game tournament if I have any time. Say, I actually know of a place I want to visit. Do you think you could take me there?" "Sure, where is it?" "It's this place called Mirage- uh, I'm not sure where it is. I think it's in an isolated place around the mall." "I know what you're talking about. I think it's a computer graphics company." "That's right! The owner offered me a job there, but I haven't had time to check it out." "So are you leaving me?" she smiled wryly. "Uh, no, no, of course not. I mean, I might apply after I graduate, but not yet. I really like this job!" "I'm glad," she laughed softly. "So Mirage it is, then. Oh, don't worry about the bill." "Could I leave a tip?" she said, digging into a wallet. Robin stopped Terra, covering her hand. "Really, it's fine. It's my treat. You don't have to owe me anything." Terra grinned shyly at Robin's sweet smile, but it didn't feel right leave the restaurant without contributing something. She slipped a dollar bill on the table when Robin wasn't looking and joined her in the parking lot. - Rain Howlet, 19, Undeclared, no position- Amy Nguyen owed her landlady a lot, so when she was asked to make a personal delivery, she was more than happy to go. Wang Taitai had finally decided to join the twenty-first century and wanted to spruce up advertisements for her apartment complex. Since computer graphics seemed to be the way everyone was going these days, she asked around and heard about a brilliant new small company that was just starting to expand. Although she didn't recognize the owner's name, she trusted her source, and sent Amy out to meet the owner and hire her services. "But wouldn't it be easier to send a request through the post?" she had asked. "Easier, maybe, but it would take longer and cost more money. I prefer the personal touch of a face-to-face meeting, but since I'm swamped here, I can only send somebody I trust. That's where you come in, sweetheart." Wang Taitai was like family to Amy, and she was the only human being she implicitly loved and trusted. She had taken Amy in when she had lost everything- money, home, even her family- so Amy was glad to pay her back. Her shift wouldn't start until later, so she had ample time to run over to the CG company and meet the owner. This is how two friends met at the same time in the same parking lot. Terra and Amy were both surprised, so they greeted each other and asked about their business. "It sounds like we're after the same thing," Terra surmised. "You've met Freya, right? She was the perky blonde at Chili's. She's supposed to be our team manager, so I guess even if this doesn't work out, we'll be seeing a whole lot of her." "Th-the blonde?" Amy's face turned red and she smirked. She had been smitten by a friendly blonde with a German accent on that fateful day at work, but had been too bashful to ask who she was. Now she was going to meet her in an interview. Suddenly, it felt like her strength left her and her shoes became nailed to the pavement. Amy had never felt so frightened or infatuated before. How could Wang Taitai do this to her? Couldn't she have come herself? Why did she have to rely on Amy? She knew her tenant had a weakness for pretty, outgoing, rich girls. She wouldn't even be able to open her mouth, let alone make any deals. She backed away, but was caught by Terra. "Are you all right?" Robin said. Amy slowly drew a deep breath, wiped the sweat from her forehead, and tried to calm her pounding heart. It would've been easier if Wang Taitai had asked her to swim the Gulf of Mexico. "I'm fine," she squeaked, resolving to go through with this for her landlady's sake. It would be the most difficult task she had ever faced, but it would also be for the one she loved, and Amy would do anything for the people she cared about. "I'm all r-right," she said, gradually composing herself. "I j-just felt my s-stomach knot up." "If you say so," Robin replied. Mirage may have been a small business, but it was attractive and cutting-edge; examples of their work lined the walls, and although there were not many people there, they all seemed very capable at what they did. Amy wrung her hands as Terra and Robin spoke to the receptionist. "Freya will be out to see you shortly. She's talked about you guys a lot, so it's nice putting a face to the name. Can I help you?" "Uh, y-yes, I'm on the team as w-well. I'd like to sch-schedule an interv-view with M-M-Miss Hohenheim ab-bout a b-business prop-p-posal." "All right, uh...well, I suppose you three could go in together." "I don't really have any business here," Robin said. She glanced at Terra and said, "Well, I guess this is the end of our date. Don't worry about coming into work: Fausta and I can handle it until your tour is over. It was nice meeting you, Amy." "S-sure." She smirked bashfully as Robin left them behind. There went another lovely woman. Freya came into the main lobby several minutes later, breathing heavily and flushed from her hard work. Maria and Shiki were nowhere in sight, so she had to rely on her feeble strength to guide her through the day. She smiled at her teammates, but it was clear she was running out of energy and could not afford to be jovial. Amy admired her perseverance and felt a little braver. "Oh my, so many things to do and so little time! I have to give you a tour and listen to your proposition. But first I need to sit down." "I can come by later," Terra offered. "Yeah, d-don't strain y-yourself on m-my account." "It's all right," she gushed as she relaxed. "Whew! I'm just tired. Give me a few minutes to catch my breath. Business has been climbing recently, and I'm stretched out thin just trying to keep up with demand. I hope you're here to offer some relief, Terra." "Uh, I just want to know more about this place." "We can arrange that, although I probably don't have the strength to guide you around. How about this: I'll asks someone to show you around and answer your questions, and I can take Amy out to lunch." "Another date?" the receptionist mumbled. Amy's face almost turned purple from embarrassment, and Freya chuckled softly. "Well, she is a very pretty lady, and I'd like to get to know her better. Would you mind, schatz?" Just as Amy predicted, she couldn't even open her mouth; she was stricken down by the golden angel's offer. She just managed to nod her head numbly. "Aww, you're so cute! So you really don't mind going on a date with me?" She shook her head. "Wunderbar! It'll be nice to go out with another girl besides Maria and Shiki. I love those two to death, but they can be so demanding and clingy. Terra, I'm sorry I couldn't give you a personalized tour." "It's okay," she said humbly. "Two's company and three's a crowd, right? Besides," she added with a mischievous grin, "I think Amy likes you." Amy gawked as Terra skipped away with her guide, wishing her good luck. Freya's sweet smile focused on her, and she reached her hand out, holding a ring of keys. "Could you do me a favor and unlock the silver Porsche outside? There's a collapsible wheelchair in the trunk. Bring it here, please." "Sure." Amy felt her heart soaring as she went outside, found the car, and retrieved the wheelchair. Is this the reason Wang Taitai sent her there, so she could meet a beautiful young rich girl and go on a date with her? Did the two of them arrange this? Whether she did or not, Amy would probably hug her ands tell her all about it when she got home. This was turning out to be one of the happiest days of her life. - Arina Essylt, 19, 5'5" (1.65 m), team psychologist/reserve- "You're very kind to be doing this for me," Freya said as Amy wheeled her outside. "Sometimes I get the feeling that the only reason Maria and Shiki stay with me is because we've been together so long. They've fallen into deep ruts and are comfortable with it. I'm not saying that's a bad thing; I just don't think they'd treat me the same if they had just met me, like you. Anyway, that's enough wistful sentiment for one day. I hear you have a proposal for me." "Uhuh." It was easier talking to Freya when she didn't look Amy in the eye. She was still stunned that such a lovely and wealthy young lady was even interested in a plain woman like her, and she felt privileged just by being around her. But Freya had that kind of effect on people; Amy was just affected more strongly. "Business has been excellent, as you've seen. Are you interested in CG, liebkind?" "Um, n-no, I'll p-probably be a pharm-macist or w-work at a hosp-pital." "So you like to help people? How sweet! I have a feeling we'll be good friends, Amy!" "Uhuh," she grinned, her heart racing. Freya asked to turn left and the two headed to a small bistro- not the Lily Club, just a nice little outdoor café. Freya treated Amy and the two sat down for lunch. Amy prayed quietly over her meal and ate with ladylike delicacy; Freya was impressed. "You're such an interesting person," she commented softly. "So what would you like to discuss?" "M-my ap-partment m-m-manager wants to upd-date her ads, s-so she'd like t-t-to hire someone from M-M-Mirage. Sh-she's going to g-g-get a website and w-w-wants some ideas." "Ah, I get it," she said patiently. Freya had dealt with people who stutter before, and the trick was to stay attentive and treat them as equals. She didn't think Amy was nervous or shy, because she kept eye contact- it was just a condition some people had, like her frailty. "Are the two of you close?" "Y-yes," Amy smirked. "Sh-she's like th-th-the mother I n-n-never had." "Oh, I'm sorry, I know just how you feel. Do you know what kind of design she wants?" "N-no, b-but it p-probably pert-t-tains to the overall ap-p-partment th-theme. If th-that's the case, she'll w-w-want an aquatic m-motif. Um, it's th-the Ocean Apartm-m-ments." "That's a nice name! I'm already starting to get ideas. Now what kind of budget are we dealing with?" "Y-you'd have to t-t-talk with her, but I'm g-g-g-guessing it's a m-moderate one." "Okay. So it's an aquatic theme to match the apartment's name, restricted to a moderate budget. That seems plausible, so just as soon as I get the specifics from her- uh, what's her name again?" "S-Sylvia Wang Taitai." "Right, as soon as I get them from her, we'll get to work. There, that was painless! Now we can go on our date!" Amy sat up in surprise, and her face turned pale as Freya smiled at her. "Um...you m-mean like a r-real date?" she whispered. "Why not? There aren't any rings around my finger. So tell me about yourself." "Um...w-what would you l-l-like to kn-know? I'm n-not comfortable talking about my s-s-stuttering or my f-family..." "We can't have that," Freya said as she finished her meal. She asked for a chocolate chip milkshake for them to split and winked. "Everything's better when it's shared. So do you have any pets?" "J-just a stray p-puppy and kitten I t-took care of. I'd also like to have a r-r-rabbit." "Oh, cute! Maybe you can come over to my place and take care of my pets if you have the time. I've got horses, too." "R-really?" Amy lit up and she slowly poked her nose out of her shell. "C-can I g-go horseback riding sometime? P-please? I've never gone and I r-really want to!" Freya giggled. "You don't have to ask! Feel free to come over anytime you like. Actually, I'd like to invite the whole team over eventually, maybe this coming Sunday. I've got a pool, a game room, a movie room- all kinds of stuff." Amy felt overwhelmed; she stared numbly as she tried going through all this. A beautiful, generous, kindhearted woman with a large house- and horses- and she actually wanted to go out with a nobody like Amy! She felt like fainting, but instead, she took a few breaths to steady herself. "Are you all right? Was it something I said?" "N-no," she whispered, smiling tenderly. "I've j-just never m-m-met anyone this n-nice b-before, except f-for my l-landlady." "It's mostly an act," Freya answered airily. "Once you get to know me, you'll find out I'm not a very pleasant person. I can get downright moody at times, I'm sarcastic and harsh, and I'm not very fair, either." "I s-still think y-you're nice," Amy said quietly. Freya smiled, leaned over, and gently kissed her on the cheek. "Thank you. This has been a wonderful date. Say, why don't I ask Shiki to drive us over there? We can go horseback riding right now if you want!" Amy was still stunned from that kiss, her first, so it took her awhile to answer. "I'll have t-t-to decline. I've g-got work later tod-d-day." "So take the day off!" "I c-can't. I just p-p-paid my r-rent and I don't have m-m-much money. Mayb-be some other t-time." "Are you sure? I can spot you something." "No th-thank you," she whispered. "You've d-done enough. B-besides," she smirked, "kn-knowing Wang Taitai, she'll tr-try to exploit any b-bargain she can." "Really? Well then, thanks for the heads up! Do you live around here? Maybe I can see you home. I think I'm strong enough to walk now." "N-no, it's about thr-three miles aw-way. I rode m-m-my bike here." "I can call Shiki and have her drive us over. She won't mind." Amy hung her head, frowning. "Are you s-sure it wouldn't be inconv-v-venient?" Freya shrugged. "She'll have to drive me home anyway. Making one more stop won't hurt us." - Jennifer Andre, 20, 5'3" (1.6 m), defensive midfielder- "We'll have to do this again sometime," Freya said as she saw Amy to her front door. "Y-you mean g-go on another d-d-date?" "Sure! I had a lot of fun today! And tell your landlady to call me about the details of her request. You've got my home and cell phone number, right?" "Y-y-yeah. And y-you've got m-mine." "Ahuh." Amy stood paralyzed; it would probably take her a week to soak all of this in. The woman she had a crush on had actually given her phone number. They stood at the doorstep in front of Amy's apartment, perfectly silent and still, secluded in their own world, away from any voyeur. Amy's palms dampened as she wondered how she was supposed to conclude all this. Dating etiquette was completely alien to her. "Well," Freya said gently, "I guess I'll see you at school or at practice then." "Y-yeah. Have a good T-T-Tuesday." "You too," she grinned. "Enjoy the free time while you can!" "I will." Freya didn't turn around to leave, and Amy panicked. Was there something else? Were they supposed to shake hands, hug, bow- kiss? But she could barely look at Freya without being overcome. How could she possibly... She did it anyway, throwing reason and restraint to the wind as she quickly pressed her lips on Freya's cheek, then whisked away, flustered, muttering her farewell. Amy would have been delighted to learn that Freya had enjoyed her actions, even though she knew this could never be. Shiki, waiting patiently in the car, watched them stoically out of the rear view mirror. She never said a word as Freya got back inside.
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