She moved forward on the unlevelled sidewalk, avidly surveying the trash-lined edges of the concrete trail. She was constantly on alert against the unhinging shock of creeping repulsive furred creatures, All clear— so far.
A foot-level white moon flash and a trailing veil of translucent light, was she flashing? Hallucinatory light patterns were a known side effect of shroom hot choc, but she hadn’t had it in a long time.
She zoomed in on the pair of cobalt blue trainers displaying an orbiting pattern of neon reflector strips. Her eyes followed the cosmic trainers up the length of clean blue jeans, a blue and yellow patterned flannelled flank, to a thatch of hair sprouting on top of male face, adams apple exposed.that was tipped up and grinning curiously at the Famous Landmark, glowing above.
Famous Landmark. She didn’t even notice. She was in optima spectral distance from Famous Landmark.
His eyes moved from the landmark to her. Involuntarily, she smiled, she felt her mouth stretch wider, how weird, how strange, she recalled that this was once her smiling pose. Smile-asana.
She was amused by his glasses and the glinting stubble on his face, as if the lower half of his face was covered in neon reflected grains of sugar. She continued smiling as she overtook him unconcerned by the threat of darting vermin.
It felt good to feel good. Obviously this is true but for the first time in a long time she felt hopeful, more than hopeful, anticipatory. Like she was about to be served a meal which had the potential of being great, sublime even, and she was hungry, really hungry for it. The last time she had a good meal of positive vibes and great energy, she couldn’t remember.
She paused at the corner, waiting for the light to change, feeling his eyes settle on the thick brown ponytail covering the top half of her narrow back. The cheap and garish tiki shed was an ephemeral funky toadstool in the foreground of the towering. ethereal hologram of the architectural landmark.
“You old enough to remember the Real One?” He asked turning to face her as he reached the corner.
“Haha” She answered sarcastically, but was still smiling. “I have a few recollections”
“I was nostalgic for it even when I was a kid, like I always knew that this moment was coming”
“This very moment?” She asked cheekily, calling him on his sentimentality. WTF Bash, chatty, much? Did she really want to enter into an IRL interlude with some rando guy?
“Yeah, totally. I dreamed it, in fact on this corner between Shroomz and Rox Chox, he indicated to the pink and brown sweet treat kiosk on the other side of the street.
“How ‘bout a treat?” he motioned his chin in the direction of the pink and brown sweet treat kiosk.
“I’m on a sweet-free sadhana” she countered definitively.
“That does sound sad.” He said with his mouth downturned ”I think if you agreed to a FluffaStuffa bar you’d be a happy Hannah.” Following up with an open smile.
Who is this person? This dude, with twinkling hazel eyes, that even thick glossy carbon frames not only did not conceal it showcased.
“Ya think?” It had been a bare and bony time for her for so long, she wasn’t quite sure how to receive this warm, sweet, and fluffy IRL interlude. “
“If I’m feeling anything it’s a Saltiebishbar, actually” She said pertly.
“So let’s do it!” His bright energy was refreshing to bracing, like sticking her head out of a fast moving vehicle and being suffocated joyously by the glut of full-frontal fresh air.
She paused, looked at the tastefully appointed cube and felt an appetite stirring from a dark shrouded spot inside.
“What’s your name?” He simply asked.
What could he do to me, how could he hurt me, “Bash” she said.
“Bash? That’s a great name. I’m Maxim,” he said his name with a note of formality, “but my friends and family call me Max, obvi” his eyes twinkled in a way she had only read about.
Must get to that sweet fluffy mound of sugar and butter, the dregs of murky mushroom paste were cold slimy. Legs, human legs and hulking bodies stood in the way of sweet plenty. I will beat ‘em to it, to that toss & miss a fluffy cakey fruit mound laying near the trash bin. But the darting light and tight reflecting field around the beings was a signal to stay in the gloopy shroom remains.
