Ra'uf cleared from the site of turmoil with haste in his step and adrenaline in his short, panting breaths. Beside him, Misdreavus cleared from the very same situation in an apparent state of glee, cackling happily and performing the occasional loop as she went. Together, they advanced in their own respective states of natural reaction, and stopped only when the averted threat was a full three blocks behind them.

Ra'uf felt like all his senses had heightened, and the world stood out to him in a way that made its usual appearance seem modest. Shadows leaned with an unusual power, invoking as much fear and suspicion as did the empty alleyways and houses which bred them. The wind and rain seemed like the barrage of a machine gun, with each strike having its own harsh and distinct impact, so that Ra'uf felt constantly like swatting at it.

But towering above all, dominating and looming, was the lusterless gloom of the city.

Ra'uf had collapsed against the side of a building, breathing hard, and allowed himself to slide smoothly to the ground. He felt sick, emotionally and physically. His whole body throbbed from the encounter. The sky seemed to be dropping gray with the rain, both features permeating the avenues, so that a joyless lifelessness ran down the building walls as thickly as the water. Terrible, soul draining rivulets, that captured Ra'uf's eye and held him staring.

Where had the goodness gone from this world? It was nowhere in sight, as far as Ra'uf could tell. Only a terrible blackness, which seemed at first to have been caused by the storm, but which he now felt emanated from the great rows of dark hearts housed around him. For a moment, it was all Ra'uf could see, and the infecting hopelessness took him. It seemed that only devils walked the earth, dressed in all variety of human skins, in this world he had been cruelly assigned to.

Then, Misdreavus reentered his sight with a particularly gleeful shriek and mid-air flip, and the effect was broken.

Ra'uf shook off the depression, which had gripped him so strongly in the aftermath of his encounter, and laughed to himself at the sight of his silly and faithful ghoul. Well, perhaps that truly was the case, and no human he would ever find would be of the respectable character he longed for. But here in front of him, perfectly alien and supposedly evil, was the specimen he had been looking for all along. In his Pokemon alternative to human interaction, perhaps, he would find the friendships he had forever been seeking.

Like a great beacon, joy and wonder radiated outwards from his Misdreavus and lit the world around her, until it seemed again like a place worth living in. Forgetting the pain in his limbs and pushing the bitterness from his heart, Ra'uf wiped his mouth, where a small portion of blood had gathered, and rose back to his feet.

The day was still young, Ra'uf knew. Terrible and juvenile, with lots of potential. Ra'uf could do any one of many things with it. He could, for instance, spend the rest of the day recovering, flee from the officially wretched metropolis, and take a roundabout route that circumnavigated the city but still made it to his destination.

Or he could continue onwards, as planned, and as was probably best to do. It would, at least, be the least cowardly action, and Ra'uf had never been fond of cowardice. It also ensured he received his proper introduction to mainstream society, and the particular branch of it that was reserved for himself.

Both were sorely tempting, to Ra'uf's mind, and it was necessary that one or the other be chosen quickly. The ever-harsh rain, and a persisting sense of urgency and paranoia that had him glancing from the corner of his eyes for pursuers from the mob, demanded he not dally in the decision making process.

So with a sigh, Ra'uf gave a last mournful glance to the paved and empty streets that led to the easy way out, and then turned back to the smoggy towers of the metropolis. Avoiding this hardship now, he reasoned, would only give him the extra trouble of having to return for it later.

A flash of dark red, securing light later, Ra'uf passed alone out of the alleyway and proceeded towards the now not-so-distant skyscrapers.

- - - - - -

The last of the higher class buildings disappeared with startling immediacy, and Ra'uf was left staring open mouthed at what had appeared behind them. A throng of people and activity, thick together as shrubs in an untamed forest and undulating like an immense wave, leaped out at Ra'uf from behind the final wall and momentarily stunned him.

Hundreds...thousands of people. Ra'uf had never seen so many in one spot, never imagined such a thick and condensed bundle of life. The orphanage had supported some hundreds of children, yes, but compared to this it had been mere pennies of civilization. Ra'uf was hesitant to so much as step amongst them, for fear of being swept away and trampled by the mass.

A slight wave of nausea ran through him, and a crippling sense of vertigo momentarily span the world. The noisome roar of the crowd had him stumbling, before Ra'uf caught himself and shook off the feeling. With a gulp, he resolved to continue, and after a few steps had been swept away into the throng.

The pushing and shoving of the crowd disoriented Ra'uf, but he found that if he simply kept pace with them the turbulence decreased, and he was able to notice many things. Unlike himself, the people around him were pale of skin and colorful of garb, sporting a great variety of hues and clothing types that granted most of them individuality from the next. The only common piece seemed to be a bulky form of back-pack, which but for a few sparse embellishments was identical from one to the next.

The structures close to the ground reminded Ra'uf of the bazaars of old he had researched and gaped at over the Internet. Sloped and frizzled roofs of thin but water-proof fabrics that hung over a small stock of wears, which could be the same item for twenty shops in a row or twenty different items within a single one. Members of the crowd routinely broke free of the traffic to flow in and out of these little inlets of commerce and briefly be tempted by something within, before leaving with either a heavier or unaltered back-pack and rejoining the crowd.

Rain poured down over this procession, but the sky-scraping towers against whom the bazaar was mere growths and foothills obstructed the weather, and the drizzle that made its way through deterred no one. This amazed Ra'uf most of all; it was like nature had been effectively turned off by the construction and technology. For, in addition to the lack of rain, lights dotted their way along the thousands of feet of building, so that the murky-black sky was cut by a million scattered glows and Ra'uf could see far further upwards than should ever have been possible.

The crowd bore him rapidly along this wonder, to a point where separate currents converged, and Ra'uf found himself herded steadily forward towards his intended destination; the city center.

– – –

"Tomatoes! Fresh Tomatoes! Fresh from the freezer!"

"Detergent! Get your laundry detergent here, for half the usual price! No refunds!"

"Axes! Get your just-sharpened, well-forged axes here! Great for all sorts of uses!"

"Camping gear!"

"Assorted tools!"

"Coffee and a dry seat!"

Ra'uf perked. The many calls of the vendors had thus far not appealed to him, but "Coffee and a dry seat" was a term Ra'uf was familiar with. Mr. Gershom had referenced the term fondly, as most characters in local books, stories, and websites did. It was a colloquialism for "Cafe", which were legendary for their plush comfort and irresistibly warm and delicious foods. Ra'uf had long dreamed of visiting one.

The crowd swarmed around him to his left. The crowd swarmed around him to his right. Tentatively, Ra'uf imitated the bumping and pushing tactic that all of the other members of the crowd were constantly employing and forced his way out. Near the edge, a particularly determined citizen stood up to his challenge of wills and pushed back, catching Ra'uf unawares and launching him out.

Stumbling, Ra'uf managed to steady his feet, but turned too late to catch the culprit. With a grumble, Ra'uf let the offense be and turned back towards the vendor who had promised him "Coffee and a dry seat". The man – a grungy and evil looking character disguised by a neat and formal suit – seemed to catch whiff of Ra'uf's interest. Homing in, the man made his case with much the same tone and language Ra'uf imagined a hungry Ekans would use to lure a Rattatat out of its hole.

"Hello there! Come right in! I can offer you the best Coffee this side of town, and our prices simply cannot be beaten. In fact, your lucky! Usually, we are teeming with customers, but you've come at just the time of day where quite and seclusion become part of the unique experience. And for free! Hahaha!"

Ra'uf blinked. The man had come startlingly close, revealing an unattractive odor and setting himself up in such a way that the rapid-fire dialogue was enforced by the rapid-fire impact of spit. The effect was considerably compelling.

"Uh..."

"Perfect! Just this way, young sir, and you will not regret it. Through that door, and then your in the hands of the pretty young lady."

The man winked at Ra'uf, an act that sent shudders up his spine, and then ushered him wordlessly through a dilapidated door that lead to what seemed a windowless room. Ra'uf felt two thrills of objection to this move; one produced by the apparently questionable state of the Cafe, and the other a sharp and unexpected resurgence of his terror from earlier. He was a Pokemon Trainer! Hadn't the man noticed? Or would a new mob be waiting for him inside, ready to chase him out with plush chairs and warm coffee?

Then, he was at and through the door, and the objections disappeared.

A quaint, tiny little room, well-kept and empty but for an unfamiliar metal contraption built into the far wall and a wooden desk before it. Within, sat an attractive young women whom Ra'uf imagined to be the one the vendor had directed him to. Groaning mentally, Ra'uf felt the contents of his stomach plummet and dread, colder than rain could ever hope to be, prepare him for the unwelcome encounter.

The women looked up from her desk, noticed him, and then turned back to her documents with an apparent lack of interest.

"No waiting list at the moment. Quite a lucky treat for you, I would say. The place is nearly empty. We'll require ten up front, and then your free to head through those doors and take the elevator to your desired level. You may stay no more than one hour, before we are forced to take a second charge of ten from you."

Ra'uf hesitated. The women had sounded fairly stern about her prices, like they were a preset and ironclad thing, but...wasn't he supposed to haggle? It was hard to tell, and Ra'uf had no faith in his oratorical skills. Either for asking her if the price was negotiable, or the negotiating itself. Gulping, Ra'uf decided that at least finding out was the responsible thing for a person with a limited budget to do.

"Um...would eight do?"

The lady froze, and stared up again from her papers as if encountering the most absurd thing to ever have walked before her. Her mouth opened for a moment, with purpose, and then closed again. Eyebrows creasing together, the lady turned her head to regard Ra'uf from the corner of her eyes and answered with cautious slowness.

"No. Eight will not do. Ten."

That was enough for Ra'uf. Uncomfortable, and feeling fairly certain now that this lady was neither to be trifled or haggled with, Ra'uf nodded and walked awkwardly forward. Withdrawing and then exchanging ten with the lady without the use of eye-contact, Ra'uf waited patiently as she deposited the money into a peculiar machine that dinged as it opened. When it closed with another ding, the other curious metal contraption in the room, the one built into the wall, made a comparatively masculine sound and began to part down the middle.

Ra'uf watched in wonder as the separate doors of the machine came to a halt fully hidden within the walls, and then stood there staring at it. The lady gave him another baffled look, which he missed, and then spoke with something akin to uncertain irritation in her voice.

"Please walk into the elevator, sir, and then choose which floor you would like to dine on –" The lady regarded him for another second " – by pressing the button with the matching number."

Ra'uf broke from his stupor, and nodded at the lady with a slight blush. Fascinated with the "Elevator", Ra'uf made his way towards and into the device carefully. Once past the retracted doors, Ra'uf searched the opposing wall for buttons, and then scanned the roof and floor when none could be found.

The lady cleared her throat, and Ra'uf started, turning swiftly towards the sound. Facing outwards, a previously unseen part of the elevator came into view, as well as the aforementioned buttons. The lady was sending the effects of a very serious, unfathomable expression his way, that Ra'uf instantly decided he wished to escape from. Uncertain that any button or floor meant more than another, Ra'uf pressed the one closest to him, and then watched with relief as the sliding metal doors closed.

With a clanking and whirring that again startled Ra'uf, the machine came to life, and then shocked him completely by moving.

– – –

The elevator passed upwards for some time. Ra'uf lost track of the length, though in truth he had never been paying attention to it in the first place. Struck by a sense of vertigo caused by his first ever experience in a moving mechanical cage, Ra'uf spent his initial few moments swaying for balance and the following few straining to maintain it.

With a clink and metal thud, the elevator came to a stop, the sliding metal doors opening to reveal a considerably more appealing environment.

A field of tables and cushy looking chairs, arranged in perfect symmetry and trimmed for comfort, spread across a neatly-kept landscape of varying altitudes. The floor dipped here and rose there, stretching the room to fifty feet at the lowest points and a bare ten at the highest. Down the middle of the room ran an elevated pathway, perhaps twenty feet from the ceiling, at the end of which was what looked to be the kitchen. Branching off to either side was the many levels of seating, which the occasional dimly-lit stairway granted access to.

Ra'uf walked gratefully out of the elevator and took a first few tentative steps onto the pathway. What the lady below had said was true; but for himself, the place seemed empty. The only sounds came from the mellow hum of the kitchen machines, an alluring reminder of the delicacies soon to be enjoyed. Ra'uf felt his mouth watering just from thinking about it, and took a few more, much-less wary steps in the direction of the kitchen.

The place was mildly lit, Ra'uf noticed, the many lamps like a dispersion of weak embers that only just cut through the darkness. It lent a sober attitude to the atmosphere, that along with the deep, bucolic colors of the furnishing and butter-warm temperature combined to create an utterly relaxing space. The greatest effect, however, came from the view provided by the glass windows that acted as all four walls and stretched the full distance from floor to ceiling. Presently, the storm outside was proudly framed by the glass, and it was impossible to miss even the dulled clattering of rain – but not a whisper of the harsh winds made it through.

Ra'uf reached the kitchen and stared around, baffled by the assortment of unfamiliar instruments. A series of machines with down-pointing faucets, labeled foreign and exotic sounding names, ran along one counter. Another contained all types of bread and bakery products. A third held sweeter looking foods. The fourth housed soups and other, heartier items. The location of plates, cups and silverware appeared to be a well-kept secret.

Ra'uf recognized none of it, not even the breads, and the prospect of exploring the many new tastes and textures appealed to him. Eagerly, Ra'uf scanned the counter tops for some hint of the common amenities; Plates, cups, forks and spoons. Sight alone yielded nothing. Sighing, but smiling patiently to himself, Ra'uf set about to fumbling around the kitchen for one of the required items. Picking up a strange lid that burned him as he did, Ra'uf made a note to incorporate caution into his search.

No wonder they can afford to charge by the hour, Ra'uf mused to himself, baffled. Where could they possibly be storing the cups? He had searched everywhere...

Laughing. A harsh, unforgiving abomination of a sound that existed somewhere obscure within the room, but somewhere close. Ra'uf started and swiveled to what seemed the point of origin, quickly revising his belief that he was the only occupant of the cafe.

The laughter picked up at the movement, bursting up a notch more harsh, before cutting off all together. Stifling sounds, like suppressed laughter, replaced it.

Ra'uf normally would have ignored the sound. Years of practice with his peers at both the orphanage and trainers school had made him impervious to antagonism, and goading him to respond was a difficult task for even the most skillful of the obnoxious. But there was something about the sound...something about its feminine pitch, its character, that seemed strikingly familiar. Curiosity got the better of him.

"Hello?" Ra'uf called out, simply, politely. He wondered what else to say.

A pause from the other end, and tell-tale hints of panic at her (Ra'uf presumed the gender) discovery. The voice appeared next in a muffled curse, and there was the sound of a chair scraping across the floor. From one floor down, on the right side, a figure could just barely be seen stretching to her feet through the darkness, its silhouette most definitely female. Resigned footsteps followed, along with nervous grumbling, and then the figure was climbing the stairway and it was all to clear who had come into view.

Marietta. Ra'uf's old classmate and one of two fellow graduates. His breath caught further down his throat than it usually did.

"Whats up?" She asked, casually, in an offhand sort of way, but Ra'uf could tell that behind it she was afraid. That confused him; he was afraid, and had a reason for it. Ra'uf did not know how to speak to people, and Marietta was more than just a simple stranger. But what about Ra'uf could possibly be intimidating?

Marietta's hands had been stuffed in her pockets. Ra'uf's hung limply at his side. It was his turn, he realized unhappily, to respond.

"Nothing...I am, uh, looking for the silverware." Ra'uf grimaced. That couldn't be right...

Marietta, who had seemed unable to look at Ra'uf up to this point, pulled her gaze away from the floor and turned it to him. Malicious humor shined off of it, and her fear seemed temporarily forgotten.

"I could see that! What are you, dense? The silverware, cups, plates, everything – they are on the tables. Pick a spot you would like to sit and just take them with you."

Ra'uf flinched. It was like being verbally accosted, the way Marietta spoke. But, regardless, Ra'uf was not one to trade harsh language for harsh language. Blushing slightly, grinning nervously and scratching the back of his head, Ra'uf chuckled instead.

"Ah...your right. I can see them, now..." He replied, and then paused, swallowing a lump in the back of his throat.

"...Thank you"

Marietta froze, her mouth falling open with a small gasp. The malicious expression fell off her face, and she turned her head ashamedly back to the side. Ra'uf watched anxiously, afraid he had done something wrong, to distress her such. Was it his tone? Was he being overly thankful? His mind raced. This was his first chance to speak to one of his classmates, to bridge the gap between them and get to know one as friends, that he had perhaps ever had. The desire to befriend all of them had never left; given this rare opportunity, he could not afford to make the awkward mistakes he was so prone to.

Ra'uf gulped and prepared to say something that would remedy his mistake when Marietta beat him to the punch.

"Your, um...your welcome." She stuttered, obviously at a great cost of effort, but sincerely enough. Ra'uf stared. When had he ever heard one of his classmates being polite? It was unheard of. He smiled, and felt suddenly bold.

"I have not yet chosen a place to sit. Is there...an extra seat, where you are?" Ra'uf tried, the words flowing much smoother than they normally did.

There was something about Marietta being suddenly and so uncharacteristically polite that made him hopeful. Perhaps she would rebuff him, treat him to a sharp word and turn on her heel. But Ra'uf was used to sharp words – and usually, they were provided for much less adequate reasons than an undesired reaching out. He would be willing to, just this once, risk being hurt in order to risk making friends.

Marietta stiffened, and her arms, which had migrated from her pockets to fold over her chest, fell from position. Shyly turning her head a scant few inches back towards him, she revealed something to Ra'uf that he had not expected to see on any face but his own; hope. For a brief moment, she looked so vulnerable, so unbelievably human with the emotion. Ra'uf pondered this, but did not remark; only looked on with restrained eagerness, praying that she would accept his offer.

Huffing, Marietta caught herself and jerked her head back to the side, arms again twining tightly together. But, in spite of herself, she could not quite erase the expression from her face.

"Yes." She said finally, feigning but not quite achieving displeasure. Her head remained stubbornly cast to the side.

Ra'uf grinned, the hope he had been felt earlier multiplying several fold, until it filled him like a radiant warmth. Strangely, with its coming, the fear and the uncertainty in him rapidly vanished, as if the feelings were ice cubes under exposure to fire for the first time. Within moments they were gone, and Ra'uf felt limitlessly brave, as if there was nothing left to lose and all the world left to gain.

Marietta stayed fixed in place, as if to desperately prove her disdain for him. Ra'uf briefly crossed his own arms, studied her, and then closed the distance between them. Reaching out, Ra'uf caught her by the arm, turned, and gently tugged in the direction of the machines. Marietta jumped at the touch, and then gaped at it, staring as if it was a mythical creature clutching her arm and not her classmate of five years.

"Come. I have no idea how to use these machines – you will have to show me. And tell me what is good. I have never heard of these drinks."

And with that, Ra'uf turned and made his way to the coffee machines. Flustered, Marietta let Ra'uf's gentle but firm grip guide her on, spluttering but not objecting.

--- --- ---

When the Mochas, as Marietta insisted on, had been obtained, Ra'uf let Marietta lead him back to her seat. She had chosen a lowered spot with its back to the elevated pathway, and that was still high enough to provide a wonderful view. Ra'uf seated himself across from her, and then found himself again at a loss for words; not because of fear, but inexperience. He had socialized few enough times during his entire lifetime to count on his fingers, and was not quite prepared to take the reigns.

Marietta, fortunately, made it easy on him. Whereas he could think of nothing to say, she obviously was in no short supply of words. At first, it had started as her simply answering a question at the coffee machines, nervously straining just to provide the answer. But as Ra'uf made no move to curb her reply, and interjected only to encourage her, she had eventually been lured by his friendliness into a state of unrestrained babbling.

Ra'uf liked this just fine. He had never been overly talkative, and only had experience with the opinions of a sparse few people. To meet someone new was fascinating, and he learned something new about her with every word she said. That she seemed content to only teach, and do very little learning herself, was also fine with Ra'uf. Letting Marietta talk solved the problem of having to formulate words himself.

" I went to bed early at the inn and woke at around four in the morning, in order to get a head start on the day..."

"Oh, I caught a Chimchar! Its the most adorable, round-eyed thing I've ever seen. Of course, it could burn me to a crisp, if it tried..."

"I plan to spend a week in the city before heading to the southern training area and taking up a mission escorting..."

"Purple, I would say, is my favorite color – though I do like blue and green..."

Ra'uf nodded, smiled, and listened to it all. There were points she rambled a little too severely to be stood, but at these Ra'uf simply broke in with a question and shifted the topic. Then, within moments, Marietta would be off again. She was absolutely the most voluble creature he had ever met, but it was riveting to listen.

The most interesting thing about her, Ra'uf thought to himself, is how she fluctuates. One moment she will sound terribly cruel, unintelligent, and immature. The next, she is an illuminated genius, with a very kind heart. I wonder how she can be both – and which she is more truly.

Pokemon, she felt, required strict teaching – but it was vital they not be abused, or unappreciated. People, on the other hand, she felt "all deserve to be drowned next to a starving Sharpedo". Ra'uf had smiled happily upon hearing the first, and decided smartly upon silence when hearing the second. But, ultimately, Ra'uf found that he liked Marietta. She was quirky, intelligent, and behind it all, Ra'uf saw a vast potential for kindness. The longer she talked, the more it surfaced in her; and the more Ra'uf began to enjoy the conversation.

A beeping was what finally brought their time together to an end. Cutting through the din and making both of them, who had become very much absorbed in the presence of the other, jump, came a brief series of beeps followed by the screeching of an intercom. Then –

"Mary, your time is up. Please come down now, or prepare to pay for a second hour of service." Click.

The interruption seemed to make Marietta realize, for the first time, that she had been talking nonstop for near an hour. Staring blankly at the intercom, Marietta blinked, and a decidedly dazed look fell over her. Not turning to look back at Ra'uf, she grunted to herself, as if vaguely acknowledging what the intercom had said, and then stood up.

The movement was clumsy and disoriented. Ra'uf watched sadly as she rose, knowing that she would soon be leaving and that in a profession like theirs they may never end up meeting again. He felt like, finally, after all this time, they had become friends – and now it was over. There was an odd mix of flowing happiness, the sense of accomplishment, and a terribly hollow feeling of loss and regret.

Turning away from the intercom, Marietta looked at Ra'uf again for the first time since standing up, and smiled. A similar set of emotions seemed to be playing across her face, but for one, which Ra'uf could not place. It was similar to the one from earlier, and yet different in some important but subtle way. But, again, she seemed hesitant to meet his gaze, and very shy.

"Well...good bye. Thank you –," Marietta said the word as if tasting it, rolling it around on her tongue for the first time and then smiling as if she liked what she had found, –" for listening."

Then, turning to leave, she knocked over her cup of coffee. The liquid poured forth from the cup, swiftly spreading across the table until the whole of the surface had been coated in brown. The spill was heavy, and cold; Marietta had taken very little time to drink from it.

Marietta cursed. Ra'uf flinched at the sound of the profanity, but remained otherwise seated and calm. Gazing at the liquid, Ra'uf sighed, and reaching forward tore a number of napkins from the portable dispenser that had been there along with silverware. Tossing them over the spill, Ra'uf set about to the simple task of cleaning up.

Focused on the mess, Ra'uf did not see Marietta's hand reach for the very same stack of napkins and then pause, halfway, as she was beaten to them. He did not see her hand remain suspended in the air, nor witness the stunned expression her face as he wiped the spill away for her. Those final few moments, which were like the crossing of a brink, passed Ra'uf by completely. When he looked up again, the shift had been made; and that he witnessed very clearly.

Ra'uf had no idea why she was looking at him like that, nor any clue what exactly the look was. But it terrified him. Cold shivers coursed across his entire body, the goose bumps raising wherever the wave. His breath caught in his throat, and he had the sudden urge, the sudden need, to be gone.

Swallowing, Ra'uf tossed the last of the used napkins back onto the table and stood.

"You are welcome." He said.

Now the one averting his gaze, Ra'uf left, struggling to walk at a controlled pace even as the fight or flight instincts within him screamed at him to run.

--- --- ---

Marietta watched Ra'uf go, cursing herself for scaring him away and wishing that he would stay. It did something weird to her heart, to watch him leave, as if she was stretching after him and his every furthered step caused her to tear. It made her awkward, and unhappy, to be feeling whatever she was feeling. And yet it could not be helped; she had the inexplicable, irrepressible desire to be with him again.

How had it happened? When she had first saw Ra'uf come into the cafe she had been interested, true, but the feeling had been different. She had been curious; Ra'uf was a conundrum, a long-existing puzzle that passed her several times a day and never seemed closer to being solved. He was different, she knew. All of her friends and classmates knew it, that he and Latif were strange. But that was it; a shallow recognition that they were different, with absolutely no gossip or personal experience to give depth to the observation.

Strange...and handsome. Those were the only two details Marietta had been able to perceive about Ra'uf over a period of five years, and she had never dared to share the second. She had kept it her secret, and made it a sort of game. Ra'uf was the intriguing mystery man; she was the unsuspected spy, whose eyes followed him hoping to learn of some secretive and revealing detail, and was never caught.

And, if she was to be honest with herself, she had envied him. Ra'uf's strangeness, his content aloofness from the crowd, had given him a sort of power. Ra'uf's isolation set him apart, made him special, unique and strong, as she and the others had always wished to be but had always been too weak for. All five of them hated each other, somewhere, hated the way they were together and yet could not stand to be alone. Marietta wished that she had been strong enough, that she had taken the opportunity to break away and then push through the loneliness until it no longer bothered her; but she couldn't, and hadn't.

That was why she had been feeling so good, that particular day. She had graduated; braved the torrid plains of Hiraizumi, caught her Chimchar, and survived to return home and earn her Trainers License. But the real prize had been that she, and only she of all her friends, had made it; and so finally, after all this time, she had been set apart. On her own she had been unable to face the desolation of solitude; but now it had been forced upon her, involuntarily. She was being made, forced to grow up and become stronger; and she was happy for it, happy for her easy ticket out, happy that the first step which she had never been able to overcome had simply been removed.

Her new sense of self-dependence had been such that when she had seen Ra'uf enter she had proudly ignored him, kept herself silent and hidden, feeling for once like his equal and enjoying the thought that she did not need even him. By force of habit, however, she had kept a sentry on him out of the corner of her eye, eagerly scanning for some escaped key to his secrets. And, funnily enough, she had learned something about him; for all his grace, Ra'uf could be surprisingly featherbrained, his brain obviously off flying somewhere high in the clouds to not notice that the cups and plates he was looking for were arranged very neatly on the tables he had been staring directly at.

The laughter had revealed her, against her will. And, once brought out, she had found herself more than a little embarrassed and unsure. Ra'uf was something she did not understand, something seemingly superhuman, for none of the humans she had ever had experience with acted anything like him. In truth, she was scared of him. There was also her secret history of spying, the shameful act of taking too great an interest, of admiring his looks...to be brought face to face with him was more than a little distressing, after all she had done about him without his knowledge.

But she had still wanted to meet him. She still thought him handsome, strange, and intriguing. Worth, at least, a little bit of discovering. And he had given her the chance – given her an hour with which to question, to surgically explore his character, poking and prodding at her own discretion. And hour which she had spent, instead, maundering like a fool. Ra'uf had taken control of the discovery process, performed the surgery on her, and she had never even noticed.

Because, in truth, she had been having the time of her life. She had never met a more caring, selfless, and patient creature in her life. Ra'uf had not only seemed content to let her express herself, but happy to. To feel like he was respecting her, listening intently and indiscriminately, had been the most liberating experience of her life. With her friends, she had never spoken long enough to fill in a full thirty seconds. With Ra'uf, there had been so much to say, and no where near enough time, in the end, to say it all. She had not realized her own ability to simply talk. She had always fancied herself more quite.

And as the time passed, as his kindness continued and she continued to open up to him...Marietta liked not only who she had revealed herself to be, the impact Ra'uf's presence seemed to have on her personality, but who Ra'uf himself had appeared to be. Kindness. That characterized Ra'uf in a word. She had slowly become happier and happier with herself, and then, even more slowly, become happier and happier with Ra'uf.

Until the very end. When, without so much as blinking about it, he took the napkins and cleaned up the coffee spill for her. No one, not one of her classmates, would have even thought to have done the deed, unless some barbed and hurtful sentiment could be achieved through the act. Until that moment, she had not really been focusing on him, so caught up as she was with revealing herself. She had not noticed her opinion of him changing, growing, gaining stature.

A single moment of clarity, in which she saw him and again thought him handsome on the outside, but for the first time thought him exceedingly beautiful on the inside. Something had happened to her heart. Like a click, from off to on. And now it could not be turned back off; Ra'uf was leaving, taking the last through steps into the elevator and pushing the buttons which would send it on its way, but her heart could not be stopped from beating a mile a minute. Beating at the pace it would need to maintain in order to leap into action, sprinting between the tables and down the elevated pathway until she came at last to a stop next to him. Like she so very much wanted to do.

The elevator doors closed shut with a clank, that echoed around the room and joined the hum of coffee machines and muffled raindrops as the only sounds present. Marietta was all alone again, she realized. And in spite of the warmth, she felt very cold.

I will see him again, she decided. Somehow, sometime, she would make it happen. This was not resolved.