extremely qualified ambassador of earth

[bitterchill]

Vancouver, being Vancouver, lacks a vibrant night life, or for that matter a dingy one. Take this alleyway, for instance. Completely empty. Where are the muggers? Where are the filthy strays? New York clicks its counterfactual tongue in grimy disapproval.

That said: the alleyway is empty. It would be a shame if something... happened to it.

Comments

[between_worlds]

Alex laughs, "Well in that case, we should go get some gelato."

[bitterchill]

"Damn right."

Ari pays, tipping absurdly, and gets up. "Off we go?"

[between_worlds]

"Yep." Alex stands up at stretches, "You told me this world, but I don't really know much about you?"

[bitterchill]

"Huh, guess I never really did. Uh... Well, I was born some time in or around the 1940s, then my parents died and I was taken in by a nice faerie who wanted to kill me and use my teeth for magic junk. She died, I was enslaved to any number of even less pleasant faeries for an unspecified number of decades, and then I got one of them to send me to the mortal realm by saving her life. I landed in Vancouver on top of Sally, we hit it off pretty well, and we became freelance monster hunters together on account of there were monsters needed hunting."

He pauses. "Unless you just wanted to know my sign, or something."

[between_worlds]

Alex grimaces, "That sucks. I'm glad you got away."

[bitterchill]

Ari waves a hand dismissively. "I don't dwell on stuff. I mean, decades of slavery and torment, okay, but what good does it do anybody to be all mopey about it? Sides, all that magic-slavery made me really good at magic stuff and all, so. Ça va, ça va."

[between_worlds]

"I need to learn to do that. Umm, what is your sign?"

[bitterchill]

"Sagittarius! December second. Same as Britney Spears."

[between_worlds]

"I feel like I should know who that is. But..." Alex shrugs.

[bitterchill]

"I didn't know either, when I arrived. You pick that sort of thing up. Pop culture, shitty movies, excellent pop stars."

[between_worlds]

"What kind of movies do you like?" Alex says, hoping that isn't a completely inane question.

[bitterchill]

"Dumb romance, mostly! And funny stuff. And the space between the two, with the dumb funny romances. That kind of stuff's always fun."

[between_worlds]

Alex opens his mouth, pauses, thinks 'what the hell', then asks Ari, "What kinds of people do you like?"

[bitterchill]

"Most people, really," grins Ari. "Nice people. Fun people. People who like me. And yourself?"

[between_worlds]

"I like kind people. People who take risks, maybe even enjoy them. Cheerful people."

[bitterchill]

"Fascinating, fascinating. Theoretically, how would you feel about me retroactively declaring this whole gelato thing to be a date?"

[between_worlds]

"Theoretically, I'd be very happy."

[bitterchill]

"Excellent!"

He takes Alex's hand decisively. They are holding hands now. (Ari's hands are mostly smooth, apart from some surprisingly light calluses on his knuckles. There's a heavy ring on his middle finger. Despite the chill of the Canadian night air, his skin radiates warmth.)

[between_worlds]

Alex squeezes Ari's hand, grinning so hard his face begins to hurt.
"You know, I think I like the Outer Gates."

[bitterchill]

"Aw. I'd probably be alright with you being physically able to leave, but this is nice, it's true. And they keep the universe from exploding, which is always positive."

[between_worlds]

"Sometimes the universe is too big," Alex says, staring up at the sky.
"I was wandering around, doing absolutely nothing, trying to figure out what the hell to do with the rest of my life. I wasn't making any progress and every world started to look the same."

[bitterchill]

"Well, I'm glad you're stuck somewhere decent, then. I mean, I wouldn't say this world would be on anyone's top ten retirement spots, but it's hardly the worst."

[between_worlds]

"I'll figure out how to leave eventually, but there's no rush. Maybe I can pick up a new career."

[bitterchill]

"Yeah! Something that doesn't make you feel like a plastic bag floating on the wind and such."

[between_worlds]

"I could be a lawyer!" Alex pauses, "I'd be a terrible lawyer."