32. Culture Trade

Marie wasn't home ten minutes when she heard a familiar knock on her door. It was awfully early for Callie to be home, but better now than near midnight when Marie was trying to sleep.

"You're happy," Callie said as Marie let her in. "I know you weren't gonna sneak in without telling me what happened."

"You'd be over when you were ready."

"I'm ready." In fuzzy pink pajama pants, Callie marched through the suite and planted herself in the living room recliner. "Spill it all. Come on, you're smiling! Lemme have it."

Marie recounted her evening from the first step into the Monsoon Café to goodnights after dinner. "She said she'd call me later this week," she finished. "She wants to go somewhere I can be myself."

"Why not have dinner here?"

"Keeping a little distance," Marie said. "She didn't come out and say it, but I sensed it."

"Don't sweat it. You got a second date."

"I'm not worried, and it's not a date. Not yet. She said friends first."

"It's a start. Don't be upset."

"I'm not!" Marie grinned. "How could I be?"

"Just making sure. Congrats," Callie said. "I was afraid it would fall apart."

"Me too. Wish I knew what to do next time."

"Let's get a head start." Callie pulled out her phone. "Hm. She wants you to be yourself but won't want gawkers spoiling it. Won't want to buy a fancy dress…"

"There's The Cove, but that's in the downtown harbor. There's Castle Lounge upstairs, but that probably counts as too close. I want to take her back to the Festival of Lights in Manmei. Too bad that's not for three months."

"Good. Plenty of time to move past friends by then. Hm? Aha!" Callie sat up victoriously. "I have the perfect plan."

Goji's weekend started with a rare night out. She'd run with Kiyo's suggestion to mark Sera's release with dinner on Friday. Kiyo wanted to go to his favorite spot on the main drag – a shop called Cracked Conch that sold mouthwatering, artery-clogging hot sandwiches – but Sera was staunchly against appearing in central Inkopolis. Goji offered Arella's as an alternative, and Kiyo never turned down an adventure for new food. So after work and school were done they picked up a hungry Sera from the Harbor Avenue housing project. She slid into the backseat smelling of sea salt and fish.

"Heya, Sera." Kiyo twisted to see her. "Good catch today?"

"Very. I am glad the winter is over and the rains are fading."

"Me too. I'm ready for summer."

"I am ready for supper." Sera leaned up between the seats. "Thank you for making time for this, Goji. I am excited."

"Me too. You deserve a celebration."

Arella's was aglow in pink and gold lamps that threw long shadows from the customers in line. Sera studied the crowd.

"So many," she said. "It is always so busy?"

"Each time I've been here," Goji said.

"Never saw this many Octolings in one place," Kiyo said.

"I wish I had a hood," Sera murmured as they parked.

"It'll be all right," Goji said. "We can eat in the car if you'd feel better."

"Just stay close to me, please."

They took their places in line. For once, Goji thought, the wait would be mild and dry. Late spring weather brought out fireflies drifting in the darkness beyond the gravel lot and across the rail line. She hoped Sera wouldn't be too uncomfortable in the close presence of her own people. Sera eyed two girls near her age munching on fried shrimp beside the queue. Kiyo watched them too. They finally took noticed and whispered to each other, grinning behind their hands. Sera turned away; Kiyo waved. The pair dissolved in giggles and walked away. One said something in Ottoshi over her shoulder. Kiyo could only smile cluelessly.

"Having fun?" Sera huffed.

"Just being friendly. What'd she say?"

"She was not interested in you."

"I didn't mean – no, no, that's not…" He looked helplessly at Goji.

"You were never a good flirt, little brother," she said.

"Aw, c'mon." He blushed and stuffed his hands into his pockets.

Goji laughed – the kind of laugh that hurt your stomach and sent bursts of happy yellow through your ink. Sera's sour expression lightened. She and Kiyo looked at each other, then at Goji.

"Feels like forever since you were this happy," Kiyo said. "Should've known all it took was for me to embarrass myself…"

"That serves you right," said Sera.

Goji put her arm around Kiyo. "I'm sorry, bud. It's not at your expense, but you're right. I feel better than I have in a long time."

"See? We told you to relax. You always work way too hard."

Goji gave him a squeeze and let him think he had it all figured out.

At the counter the harried cashier asked for their orders. Goji got what had become her usual after the lunchtimes with Callie. Kiyo was overwhelmed trying to read the menu, a handwritten jumble of several languages.

"You like shellfish?" Sera asked. "Try the om-jin scallop curry. Don't worry. You can handle it," she added with a smirk. She ordered the same softshell sandwich Callie liked, and thanked Goji profusely as they waited. "It is one of my favorites. I have not had one since leaving the Valley."

"I've heard they're good here," Goji said. She sent Kiyo and Sera to claim a table, and their meals were promptly ready. The cook barked out the order number and pushed the bags into Goji's arms. She made her way to the rough wooden table Sera found apart from the other patrons. Kiyo gaped at the crab legs sticking out the sides of Sera's sandwich.

"It's a whole crab?"

"Yes. A softshell." She took a big bite and savored Kiyo's grimace. "I thought you wanted cultural experiences."

"I'll pass on that one." He dug into his scallop curry and tried not to look when Sera tugged a leg off her crab.

Goji didn't need to say much through dinner. She let the kids tease each other as they ate and enjoyed feeling like she'd found her way out from under a gray veil. Of course it was all thanks to the medicine, but results were results. The air smelled of young flowers; the moon was bright overhead; her meal was perfect. Someone across the lot plucked a lively tune on a samisen and a few voices sang along. Kiyo bobbed his head with the rhythm.

"Do you know what they're saying?" he asked Sera.

"Yes," she replied with a full mouth. "It is an old sailing song. 'Come pull the rudder, girls, and catch the fair wind. We're homeward bound and our islands call louder than our men…' Er, it sounds better in Ottoshi."

"Think you could teach me a little?"

"Oh. I suppose I could. It is easy to learn if you try."

When they were done, Goji gathered their trash. "Anyone save room for dessert?"

"Always do," Kiyo said.

"Does anyone besides the bottomless pit want dessert?" she amended.

Sera hesitated. "You already bought me dinner. You are sure?"

"Mhm. When was the last time you had ice cream?"

"I have never."

"Never?" gasped Kiyo.

"No better time to fix that," Goji said. "There's a creamery near our building. Don't worry. You won't even have to get out of the car."

Half an hour later Sera took her first cautious lick of chocolate marshmallow ice cream from a freshly baked waffle cone. The confection looked like brown mashed potatoes, but it melted on her tongue in a burst of sweetness.

"How's that for culture?" Kiyoza nudged her.

"Wonderful!" The edges of the ice cream were already softening, and she licked a drip from her hand. "But I see it does not last long." She took a big bite from the melting side, ignoring Kiyoza's protest, and cried out as the cold stabbed her teeth.

"I tried to warn you."

She swallowed quickly. "Ack! My head…"

"Brain freeze." Kiyoza winced. "It'll pass."

Goji giggled. "Take your time. It won't melt that fast. You okay?"

Sera was already eating more. She plucked a marshmallow out with her tongue. "It is worth the pain."

By the time they finished their desserts, she had sampled Kiyoza's strawberry and Goji's matcha flavors. She loved the green color and tea smell of Goji's and would've happily had one herself if it didn't seem rude to ask for more. She couldn't remember the last time she felt so full and satisfied.

"I'm stuffed," Kiyoza declared. "Thanks, Goj. This was awesome."

"It was. Thank you, Goji," she added. "Such a celebration in my name I have never seen."

"My pleasure," Goji said, though she seemed suddenly distracted by a message on her phone.

"Hey, Goj," Kiyoza cut in.

"Hm?"

"Can Sera come over? I don't have school tomorrow."

"I do not want to intrude," Sera said.

Goji looked like her thoughts were still catching up with her. "What? – I – think you should see if she wants to come. Maybe she wants to go home for tonight."

Sera did not want to go home, and she said as much. "But I have nothing to hide my face. You are sure you want me to show myself around your neighbors?"

"No one there will mind," Goji promised. "You're with us. You're welcome."

Sera didn't share her confidence, but neither did she want to end the night yet. She accepted, and they covered the short distance to Kiyoza and Goji's building in no time. The parking lot, at least, was deserted, but she could see Inklings in the lobby. "I am not sure about this," she said as she followed her friends to the door. "Perhaps I should go after all."

"Nah. C'mon," Kiyoza said. He slung an arm around her shoulders and pulled her inside with him.

Goji waved to the two receptionists. One said, "Welcome back, Miss Fayuda," but Sera could feel their eyes on her until she was in the stairwell. She pushed Kiyoza's arm away.

"See?" he said. "Nobody cares."

"They were watching me," she grumbled.

In the flat, Goji was again occupied with messaging someone. Sera wondered if it was Oly. Before she could worry too long about what Goji might be telling the perhaps-agent, Kiyoza offered her a soda can.

"Want to see how far you can get in Cloud Dungeon this time?"

"You ask as if I have practiced. I think you want me to entertain you by failing."

"No! I'll even play co-op with you. It'll be fun."

"Co-op?"

"Cooperative. Two-player mode."

"Kiyo, maybe she doesn't want to play your game." Goji rejoined them in the kitchen.

"It is all right," Sera said. "I liked the warrior character I made last time."

"Your profile's still saved," Kiyoza said. "I'll boot it up. There might be an update."

Goji shook her head. "I never got into video games," she told Sera. "Kiyo, on the other hand, loved them since he could hold the controller."

"In the Valley there are no computers to spare for leisure, though some wrote programs to mimic dice and card games," Sera said. "I never imagined an entire adventure coded on a disc."

"If you let him, Kiyo will show you hours of coded adventures. I'll just be happy watching you."

Sera followed her into the little bedroom when Kiyoza called them. The tightly drawn curtains made her realize Goji hadn't said a word about fearing attack. She was at ease as she settled cross-legged on the floor. Sera thought she should say something out of respect for her friend's anxieties, but then Kiyoza fit her hands around the game controller and invited her sit on his bed. Her warrior girl stood, spear in hand, awaiting command. She pushed the Octarian Empire from her mind.