Ryoko returned with two steaming hot cups of tea. She set Taro's mug down in front of him and sat down with a smile. "Your uncle seems like a very nice man."

"Were you able to listen to us?"

Ryoko nodded.

"He's a great guy. He owns this building." Taro picked up his mug and took a sip. "Hey! This is really good tea. I had no idea that this was in my collection."

Ryoko giggled. "I fixed it a little. I'm glad you like it."

"Yeah, my uncle has been trying to rent this place for almost two years. It's been difficult. For twenty-two years a machine shop leased it. They manufactured parts for the car engines, but they had to move because of the radio interference."

Ryoko nodded. "The communication station."

Taro gave Ryoko a surprised look. "Yeah, that's right. When they put all those satellite dishes and radio antennas on the roof next door, it messed with their machinery. My uncle complained, but there was nothing anyone could do about it. There just aren't any laws against radio wave pollution in this city. So the machine shop had to move."

"And your art won a prize?"

Taro sat up proudly. "Yes, it did. I won a contest sponsored by Nindento, the game company. I did a sculpture of Scrunches from the Super Ninja Clan game and it won first prize. The statue is now sitting in the lobby of their headquarters and I won a pretty nice chunk of money, too. But that was almost a year ago. Do you want to see my Scrunches?"

"Sure." Ryoko slid her chair next to Taro's.

Taro opened up his MacBook and navigated to Nindento's home page. After clicking on "About Us", the web page of the headquarters building appeared. He clicked on a picture on the lower left of the screen. "There's my Srcunches! It took me two months to make her."

Ryoko studied the image, then nodded and giggled. "Wow. You did that! You're very good. In fact I think she looks cuter in your sculpture than she does in the game." She sat back and looked back at Taro thoughtfully. "So why haven't you been able to create anything since then?"

Taro shook his head. "I don't know. I keep trying but everything I do sucks."

"Can you show me what you've done recently?"

Taro hesitated. "I've turned two slabs of marble to rock dust already and my paintings… I don't think you'd-"

"Show me your paintings." Ryoko leaned forward as if she were about to get up and winked. "Pretty please?"

Taro groaned. "But they suck." Then he looked over at Ryoko's unflinching warm smile. "Okay. But promise me you won't laugh."

"I promise."

The two stood up. Taro started walking toward his studio at the other side of the building. Ryoko took a deep breath - the television set flickered. Then she followed behind. After stepping into the studio, Ryoko watched silently as Taro rummaged around underneath his table. He lifted up a tarp, revealing several rolled up pieces of canvas. "Here they are. I don't know why I don't throw them away." He unfurled one of the rolls and pressed it down onto an empty section of the table. "Here's my last one."

Ryoko inspected it closely. It was a portrait of a balding old man, gray hair on the sides, a strong serious face, wearing a white shirt buttoned to the top.

"Is this your uncle Shiitake?"

Taro frowned and shrugged. "Yes, it is. What do you think of it?"

Ryoko laughed and put her hand over her mouth. "I'm sorry, I broke my promise not to laugh."

"You think it sucks don't you?"

Ryoko, still giggling, nodded in agreement.

Taro shot Ryoko an angry, surprised stare for several seconds. Then he started laughing with her. "Hey Ryoko, you broke the rules! You're supposed to tell me how great it is and how I just need to keep at it - all the usual stuff." He stood up straight, letting the canvas go. It rolled back up into a tube on its own.

Ryoko shook her head and smiled. She waved her hand over the tube. "There's no passion in there." She tilted her head. "Now I'm sure your uncle is a wonderful man…"

"He is, but..." Taro shrugged.

"Okay, I'll model for you." Ryoko paused. "That would make me feel better, too."

"Do you think I…?"

"Yes, I do. And to be honest, I'm not here by accident either."

Taro stood there with his mouth open for a few moments, unable to think of a reply. Finally, he asked, "What does it mean to be… Data?"

Ryoko turned and walked back to the kitchen table. Taro followed behind. She sat down and crossed her legs before reaching for her mug of tea.

"It means," she said, "that I can clothe myself in any way you want." She cleared her throat. "Provided it's more than a pair of flannel socks. It also means you'll have to move the television set closer to your studio. At least for now."

Taro sat down at the table with an expression of total confusion on his face. He was about to speak but stopped when Ryoko put her finger up to her lips.

"That's all the questions I'm answering," she said. "For today."

Taro nodded. "Okay." He took a sip of his tea. Then he nodded again and smiled. "I like you, Ryoko."

Though she tried to suppress it, Taro was pleased when the hue of Ryoko's cheeks reddened just the tiniest bit.