#11 From a Nerd Crush to a Nerd Date
"Okay Fred, you got this," the comic book nerd pep talked to himself. It was just after 5pm on Friday in late June and Fred was standing outside Olivia's modestly-sized mansion as he anxiously hoped to have a perfect first official date. After she had decided to finally give him a chance, they planned on going to the Retro-Plex to see the classic movie "Super Tall Fire-Breathing Hurricane Centaur" together. They had exchanged numbers last week when they left the "Save the Sloths" benefit and had been texting each other almost every day in preparation for tonight. The plan was to first get dinner at Monster Pizza before making it to the showing at 6:15pm. Of course, they also talked about who their favorite kaiju was, what their first comic book was and whether or not the reboot of "The Plant Bipeds from Planet Y" was any good.
It was a difficult decision, but he had decided to leave Mini-Max at home since he wanted it to just be the two of them and not make it weird by adding a tiny (often loud) robot. The self-proclaimed "Defender of Justice" did wish him luck this evening though and provided a selection of candies they could sneak into the theater, of which Fred selected the jelly beans and crispy chocolate bites.
Now the moment was here as he finally rang the doorbell and waited in anticipation for Olivia. The kaiju-fanatic decided to wear his usual monster hat, red shirt and cargo pants for the date because it was true to who he was and not the snobby socialite he pretended to be last week.
After about 15 seconds, the large, carved door opened to reveal his date standing there with a small smile on her face. Olivia's pale-blue hair was covered by her favorite grey-wolf hat, complete with ears and pink pom-poms. She had also swapped her usual stud out for a dark blue one, but still decided to wear her pink-lens glasses. As for her outfit, she had on a grape-purple shirt under her black jacket, white pants, an ocean blue skirt, and a black belt to pull it all together. Fred stared for a moment before he shook his head clear and said, "Are you ready for a night of pizza and classic obscure anime?"
Olivia gave a little snort of laughter and answered, "Only if we both get to cite the influence this movie had on 'Mississippi Mud-Man' and 'Psychotic Starfish from Dimension 9.'" Fred smiled at the reference and proceeded to take her hand as they walked down the steps to the pizzeria.
The comic book fans were silent for about 20 seconds before Fred inquired, "So, have you ever been to the Retro-Plex? It's got good seats, but not ideal for 3D movies as you can't get the ideal angle for maximum effect."
Olivia nodded and replied, "Yeah, I've been there a few times. Their popcorn's pretty good. Want to split a bucket?"
"Sure, and just so you know, these pockets of mine come fully loaded," he responded as he pulled his treats out.
The blue-haired woman gave another little laugh and smiled. "Why Fred, I had no idea you were such a bad boy," she teased.
"Yep, that's me. I'm bad to the bone and mysterious too. It'll take you years to crack my impenetrable shell," the kaiju-superhero humored her.
"If that's the case, I'd better get my ion diffuser so I can get through to your center in a matter of seconds," she jokingly retorted.
Fred paused as he stared at her in nerd awe. "Are you telling me you have a replica of the ion diffuser used by Lord Magli in 'Space Hike: Crisis of Cosmic Proportions?'"
"I sure do. Picked it up at a convention in San Misago a couple years ago," she eagerly informed him.
"Olivia, I swear, you are one of the coolest people ever to have existed," Fred said in a sincere tone.
Olivia blushed a little and pulled her hat down to cover it up. "Thanks. You're pretty cool too."
Now it was the other comic book lover's turn to blush as the two kept walking. There were a few people on the sidewalk with them for the journey, so occasionally they had to sidestep past them or briefly let go of each other's hand. The duo continued with their pop culture talk for another 10 minutes or so until they came to the entrance of Monster Pizza.
The front entrance façade below the window consisted of a wrecked cityscape while the other sides were a murky ocean, a creepy swamp and a radioactive wasteland. On the windows themselves and above, each had monsters tailored to the environment, including a towering red-reptile, a giant serpent, a creature made of vines, and a glowing-green zombie mutant. Fred stared for a moment before internally remarking, Eh. When you've seen real monsters, inanimate ones just don't have the same effect.
The two then crossed the threshold to the inside, where there were only a few people waiting in line. All in all, there were about a dozen people eating at the pizzeria, with two separate families and a group of four teenagers sitting in the booths. The interior design had black and white-tiled floors, but the tables were rectangular and more in theme with the restaurant by them having old monster movie posters encased in resin; the booths themselves varied in color and were patterned like scales on a giant snake.
They got in line for the register and started to look at the menu for ordering. "So, what sound good to you? Personally, I love the cheeseburger pizza because you get two foods in one and it comes with pickles," Fred casually said to Olivia.
The blue-haired woman put her hand to her chin and she briefly pondered the menu options. "That does sound good. I usually get the sweet and spicy BBQ chicken," she answered.
"It sounds to me like we've got a halfsies night. Want to each get a mini-pizza and split them?" Fred suggested.
Olivia gave a little giggle and smile before simply saying, "Sure. Let's do halfsies."
Less than a minute later, they were at the counter being asked by a young man wearing a horned hat, "Welcome to Monster Pizza. What can I get for you?"
The kaiju-loving man replied, "I'll get a mini-cheeseburger pizza with extra pickles and a root beer."
The employee rang it up quickly and informed him, "$8.42 sir." Fred promptly pulled out his money, paid and then stepped aside for Olivia. "What would you like to order ma'am?"
"I'll take a mini-sweet and spicy BBQ chicken pizza and a fruit punch."
"That'll be $7.89."
Olivia copied Fred's moves and got out of the way. The cashier handed them some numbered tags for the server to find them and drop off the pizza at the right table. He then got their drink orders filled and handed them their cups. They quickly took both items and found a table with dark red colored seats and a poster of "The Crimson Cyclops."
"So Olivia, I know we've really only talked about the awesome kaiju and comic book stuff, but I probably should at least ask you about your family; clearly you are not the image of "Mole" I've come to know," Fred inquired a little apprehensively and scratching his arm.
Olivia looked a little surprised for a second, but quickly regained face as she said, "Well, my dad's name is Philip and is Beverly's brother while my mom's name is Stephanie, who married into the rich life. It did cause a little bit of tension between the grandparents and my dad, but having grandkids seems to have soften them, even though I'm sure they wished my hair wasn't this color." She then took off her hat as if to make a point.
"Well, if you ask me, I like your hair this way," the comic book loving man kindly remarked, making Olivia blush a little.
"I'm just glad my parents are cool with my whole pop culture obsession. It'd be tough to be me if I couldn't be allowed to like what I like."
Fred gave her a sympathetic look before saying, "Yeah. Family pressure and all that can make you feel crummy if you think you're letting them down, especially if you've got a family image to keep up. There's been several times I felt a distance with my parents, but I know they still love me and as it turns out, they've actually been pretty proud of me; it sounds like your parents care about you too." The comic book loving woman let a small smile appear on her face, impressed and surprised Fred had been that open with her. They both stared at each other for a few more seconds before they were interrupted by the server arriving with their pizzas.
"Thanks."
"Thank you."
The server said "You're welcome," took the numbered tags and hurried back to the kitchen. Fred then moved the food so they were next to each other and easier to sample. They proceeded to take a slice from the other's pizza and with a small giggle, touched the two pieces together and went "Cheers." Both of the monster movie fans bit into the hot meal, savoring the flavor and deciding if they like it.
"This is really good Fred. It really does taste like a cheeseburger. Maybe I'll have to get it next time and have them add extra onions," Olivia informed him as she took another bite.
Fred finished swallowing his bite of food and replied, "Thanks and good idea with the onions. I may have to try it with the BBQ chicken pizza here and basically turn it into a sandwich. Innovation at its finest." This got another giggle out of the blue-haired girl before she went to sip her fruit punch. They each took another slice of pizza before moving their conversation back towards comic books and monster movies. Back and forth they went for the next 20 minutes or so until all the pizza was gone, where they then got up and walked out of the fast-food restaurant.
Fred stifled a burp and said, "Excuse me," making Olivia reply, "You're excused" before she too needed to stifle a burp. The two shared a small laugh as they continued down the sidewalk. "So, are you for a seat up close, in back or in the middle?" Fred inquired as he moved to avoid a mailbox.
"I'm for usually dead center, if not a little back from there. Just hope there isn't some tall guy in front of us," Olivia answered after a couple seconds of delay.
"Yeah, my robot friend Baymax has been that tall guy before," the comic book nerd casually added.
The other comic book lover's eyes lit up in admiration as she said, "It is so cool you have a robot friend!"
"Actually, I have two. I thought it may have been weird to bring Mini-Max on our date, but I'm sure he'd like to meet you; just as a warning, he can be a little intense at times," Fred replied as he scratched the back of his head.
Olivia eagerly smiled and said, "I look forward to it." This made Fred grin in return. They then turned their eyes forwards as the glow of the Retro-Plex's display lights could be seen down the way.
The two pop-culture fans felt a new wave of excitement ripple through them as they got closer, casting off-white and red illumination over them. Above them read the name of the classic kaiju movie they wanted to see, along with a couple other classic movie titles like "The Mammoth Beetle" and "It Came from the Bottom of the Trench." The duo then walked up to the ticket counter, where there was one person ahead of them. After a brief 20 second wait, they were up and ready to talk with the operator.
"Good evening my good man. I'd like two tickets to 'Super Tall Fire-Breathing Hurricane Centaur' if you'd please," Fred smoothly requested.
The teenager inside the booth punched in a couple buttons before saying, "$17.56 sir."
Fred fished around his pocket for a $20 bill and handed it through the slit in the window. "Keep the change," the kaiju loving man told him as the tickets were fed through the slot in front of them.
"Thanks!"
"You're welcome." Fred then took Olivia's hand as he grabbed the tickets and together, they pushed open the doors and walked into the theater. They proceeded to walk to the usher waiting by the entrance before giving him their tickets. The man ripped the tickets in half, returned the other half and allowed them to pass. Inside the classic building, there was a red diamond carpet on the floor and movie posters that spanned decades lining the walls. The center of the lobby had a small chandelier for decoration as the main lighting system was the modern, circular lights all along the ceiling. At the end of the area, the concession stand stood with one person working behind the counter popping popcorn.
"Let's go get a bucket," Olivia stated with a smile as she now led the way.
A moment later, they walked up to the counter and waited to be served. The young woman working there turned towards them shortly after they arrived and greeted them. "Welcome to the Retro-Plex. What can I get for you?"
"We'll take a medium popcorn bucket and ah…what do you want to drink Fred?" Olivia asked as she turned to the monster-movie lover.
Fred put his hand to his chin as he browsed the selection of beverages. His eyes then fell upon the bright colored slushies behind the theater worker. "Ooo, how about a cherry slushie or a blue raspberry one?" Fred suggested.
"Hmmm. Blue raspberry sounds good; it is my favorite color after all," she said with a wink and making Fred give a little smile.
"So, you want me to add the slushie?" the young woman whose name tag read "Tara" inquired, interrupting their little moment.
"Uh, yes. In a large-size if you please," Olivia replied as she quickly recovered.
"Okay, that'll be $16.41," Tara informed the couple. The blue-haired woman now fished some money from her pocket and gave it to the cashier.
"Keep the change."
"Thanks!"
Olivia then gave another wink to Fred as Tara went ahead and began fixing their order. In under a minute, fresh popcorn was scooped into a bucket and a large cup was filled with the light blue frozen concoction before being placed in front of them.
"Have a nice night."
"Thanks."
"Thank you."
The two of them each grabbed an item along with some straws and napkins, then proceeded to head to the correct theater. Once inside, they found it dimly lit with a dark purple interior and about 70 seats filling the place up. There were only about a dozen people scattered throughout, but fortunately for them, the middle rows were vacant.
"Sweet!" Fred remarked as they walked to their target and scooched into place. Olivia then put the napkins in the cup holder to her right while placing the slushie in between them. The normally costumed superhero proceeded to pull out his boxes of candy with one hand as he held on tight to the popcorn bucket with the other.
"Now, we are at the maximum movie-going experience," Fred declared as he laid back in his seat a little and grabbed a bite of popcorn.
"Yep. All that's left is making sure we both go to the bathroom before it starts. Nothing worse than a troublesome bladder. I'll go first," the nose-studded woman replied as she quickly got up and moved past Fred to take the same path they used to enter the theater.
Fred waited patiently as he took a sip of the slushie before opening his box of jelly beans. A few minutes later, Olivia returned and the comic book nerd took the cue by handing the popcorn over to her before going to the bathroom himself; now the other comic book nerd sat while munching on the crunchy buttery treat.
Just as Fred returned to his seat, the previews began playing as the lights along the wall dimmed a little. The couple then eagerly looked at each other as they wondered what would appear on the screen. The first trailer was for "Road Rage 5: Hot Streets," which featured a lot of fire and explosions; then, they played one for "Impossible to Unstoppable," a spy-themed movie where the main character was trying to stop a nuclear disaster; lastly, they showed one for "Captain Fancy Vs. the Unruly Union," which got Fred extra-excited as he squealed with happiness. The lights then completely went dark as the feature film finally began, making both of them shift in their seats.
The title appeared in blazing letters, followed by listing all the credits for creating this picture as the background changed to a forest. It was evidently about nature and the encroaching development from the modern city threatening it. Fred went for his box of crispy chocolate bites, causing Olivia to quietly asked, "Can I have some?"
"Sure," he whispered as he passed the candy to her, where she shook a few pieces into her other hand before giving it back to him. As the movie continued, the two of them periodically ate some popcorn and took a sip of their drink. They then inevitable touched hands inside the bucket, making both blush as they quickly pulled their hands out. The two proceeded to look at each other for a moment, smiled and returned to watching the screen. It was at the scene where the giant centaur had been awakened and sought retribution by unleashing destruction on the city.
Fred pulled out some jelly beans now and offered them to Olivia, who took a few and quietly went, "Mmm. Bubblegum and watermelon. Nice."
"Uh-huh. Got nothing but sweet flavors in this box," Fred said as he ate a couple pieces of candy.
"I love the symbolism here," the blue-haired woman casually remarked in a low voice.
The kaiju-loving superhero nodded and replied, "Yeah, you can really see it in Shoto Studio's other film, 'Valley of Beasts.'"
"Shh!" went someone from behind.
"Sorry," Fred apologized in a hushed tone, although Olivia found it amusing and giggled a little. The two then returned to their film, but still finding themselves making quiet remarks every once in a while. When the final battle came with the towering kaiju billowing his fire breath as the military attacked, Olivia found herself leaning on Fred, which wound up being something they both enjoyed. As the screen displayed a setting sunset over the forest, it faded to black to indicate the end of the movie. Both of the movie lovers stood up and did a little stretch from sitting for an hour and a half.
"That was so much fun Fred! My other friends Genevieve and Ada have seen some of these movies with me, but they don't have your level of knowledge," Olivia informed him as they gathered their trash and started to exit.
"Thanks. The same goes for my friends. I know I can annoy them at times with how much I talk about comics and monsters and stuff, but it gets me so excited and I want to share it," Fred responded as they tossed the popcorn bucket and empty slushie cup in the garbage. A minute later, they were at the Retro-Plex's exit, walking out into the night air as they headed home.
Fred took Olivia's hand again before asking, "So, I think I know what the answer is, but just to be sure…" he started as he anxiously scratched the back of his head. "…would you be up for doing this again? You can pick the movie if you want or if you'd rather, I've got a home movie theater setup at my place as an option. You can meet Mini-Max and we could do some classic reading of 'Duck, Duck, Moose,'" Fred suggested as he briefly looked away while nervously waiting for an answer.
He didn't have to wait long as his date smiled and said, "I'd love to. You'll have to come by my place sometime too; I have more memorabilia than just the ion diffuser you know."
Fred let out a small squeal of glee at being told yes, then proceeded to follow up with, "Okay, now if we stay in and watch a movie, the options are almost limitless. There're all the 'Kentucky Kaiju' movies, the 'Captain Fancy' collection or…"
The couple continued going back and forth for the rest of their time together, finding joy and intrigue in what the other had to stay; things looked promising for these kindred spirits of pop culture and monster movie love to say the least.
NOTES
It was a lot of fun coming up with fake names for monster movies and such (and I hope you can spot some of the references I was making with them). I thought Fred and Olivia were so cute and it was sad that we only got the one appearance from her, so hence the obvious reason for the story. ;) There's also a chance I'll write another in the future. ^_^
The next story will show what happened to Yama after the bot-fight bust in the movie, and how Obake came to his Lenore Shimamoto discovery. O_O