It's 10 am and you're late. You overslept this morning and if you want to see her, you have to hurry. You grab your bag and your key, forget about the coffee. You lock the door and you run for the tramway. Luckyly for you, it's sunny outside and the weather is warm.
After almost an hour of transport, you are finally there. The Park of Storybrook. Your bench is as usual free. And you waste no time to claim it. Once you are installed, book in hand, you lift your head and there she is. Near the water plan, doing her exercices. One glance and you know she knows you're here. And you go back to your book.
It's been like this since two weeks. You first came here for the nature, the song of birds, it's like a safe heaven from the city buzz. You liked it. So you came back again. And one day, she was here as well. Training ? Meditating ? Just doing her thing. The first time you didn't pay attention much. The third, you get caught up with her move. How gracefull she was. How determined she was. Fierceful. The fifth time, it become almost a routine. You'll watch her some times and then after daydreaming a bit, you catch youself and begin to do what you were there for : read your book.
You like the quietness of the place. It give you the sensation of being in your own bubble, with your book. You can undisturbely dive into the universe of the story of your choice.
Well that was the point. Until they came. With a loud thud, you are suddenly surrender by two boys. You try to ignore them. You don't want to even heard their lame pick-up line. But the more you don't pay attention to them, the more they become persistent, and slighly impatient. You enter a dangerous zone, and you know it. You cast a quick glance before you but she's not there anymore. You don't know what you felt at that : disappointement ? fear of being left alone ? You gulp.
Suddenly, the boy on your left is hit. He surge forward, holding his head. The other boy look behind them. And you do the same.
"Sorry. It escape me."
She's here. Her voice is lower thant you thought. But it suits her well. You don't know why but you think it correspond to her personality. With swift steps, she go around the bench. You are too fascinated by her stand that you don't follow the exchange between her and the boys. You jsut get the sense that their agressif demeanor is gettint higher each sentences, but she seems unfazed by it. Somewhere in their talk, you learn that she is a cop and if they don't back off quickly, she would charge them with harrasment, disrespect of an officer and assault. They don't believe her at first. And who can blame them ? Her savior - because at this moment that is what she is - has a big red... dragon ? tattooed on her right arm, that her white tank top doesn't cover. And by the size of it, you could guess that it's a huge one. And you know, as them, that that kind of art is barely tolerate in the force. But when she begin to list the sentences for these charges, they finally decide it wasn't worth the trouble and retreat.
You see her bend down and you know you are right about the tattoo. The gap that her shirt allow reveal that it goes further on her back. When she stands again, you realize she was retrieving a nightstick. Probably the thing that she has throw at the guy.
'Thank you for your help."
"You're welcome."
With that, she turns.
"I'm Aurora."
You say before you could help it. You don't want her to leave just now. Not when you have finally something to start a conversation. That thing you crave for four days.
"My name is Mulan. Fa Mulan."
"Like "My name is Bond, James Bond" or James, Bond James ?"
That quip has the merit to make her smile. She is cute when she does, you realize.
"Mulan."
"Enchanted", you respond. And you truely are.