A dive-in movie. (Una/August)

[indeath]

August quickly wiped a bloody tear from his eye as the credits rolled on the film. ‘An affair to remember’ was a classic no matter how you looked at it. Seeing on the big screen was even better. He had been thrilled to find this little indie cinema in Wathais and even more excited for their late night retro screenings. It was an old building in art deco, rich scarlet velvet against golds and cream. The owner had lovingly restored every inch and it smelt of popcorn and burnt sugar. August had had many long conversations with the staff to the point many now knew his name. He’d even had invitations to private events. The place felt like a second home. He rose from his seat holding a undrunk cup covered in condensation and a very full tub of popcorn. It seemed rude not to buy anything and it helped him fit in with everyone else.

He wandered up to the front desk to see what his next visit would be. Which film showing late would take his fancy. He smiled friendly-like at the other patrons, waving at the workers he knew.

[hadopelagic]

In the dimly-lit movie theater, the popcorn-and-candy-speckled floor reminded Una of dinner on the abyssal plain; she felt a surge of homesickness. How happy she'd once been, plucking tunicates and crabs from the muddy ground, drifting slowly through the blanket-like weight of the ocean.

As the credits rolled, Una crouched, pretending to tie her tennis shoes. After glancing back and forth, she grabbed a piece of discarded popcorn and nommed it. Then, she shuffled down the aisle, eating M&Ms, popcorn, and fruit-flavored chewy orbs. She even found a piece of pizza crust.

By the time she was done snacking, the movie theater was mostly empty, except for an employee with a broom. Hopefully, he hadn't seen Una. Humans were delicate, and they did not usually eat from the ground.

She'd been to this movie theater twice before; it showed classic Hollywood Blockbusters, which Una appreciated, since she had a lot of catching-up to do. In the front desk area, she recognized a familiar face, a young man who'd watched An Affair to Remember in the row below Una's seat. She'd seen him before, too.

Why hadn't he eaten his popcorn?

She hoped he wasn't planning on throwing it away!

Boldly, Una stepped beside him. She'd make small talk, and then politely ask for his food. She wore a pair of black bike shorts and a sleeveless t-shirt. Her long black hair hung in limp strands.

"We saw the same movie, didn't we?" She asked. "With the playboy and the beauty? The most romantic part was at sea, I think. On the ship. It's as if we humans recognize, at an instinctual level, that our desires are unobtainable. Like everlasting love, inevitably foiled by our mortality. Or the ocean, from which life emerged, to which we'll never completely return. I hope we never stop longing for those beautiful, unobtainable things. Are you going to eat that?"

[indeath]

August beamed at his fellow cinematic aficionado.

“I reckon so. Oh definitely! Ya know ya stuff. The ship bein’ it’s own lil oasis from harsh reality. Though it’s a lil bleak of an outlook. See, I also reckon it holds hope, that love can be eternal beyond even death. An’ it’s such a beautiful example of the deep bond of laughter and tears that celebrates bein’ human. An’ that sometimes love brings two people together when the world would wrench em apart. The use of widescreen is just top notch ya know. Don’t get me started on the composition!”

As the last question dawned on August, he looked down at the slightly odd woman with a look of panic momentarily before splitting into an awkward smile. Was she onto him? Did she suspect his lack of humanity? Though something in her aura told him she wasn’t human either. There was also a definite salt smell to her that wasn’t just all the popcorn. Though she definitely smelt like she had taken a bath in the snack stand.

“Oh! Yeah nah you can have some if ya like? Had a huge lunch, full as a goog! Though if ya that hungry maybe I could shout ya some grub? Pretty sure popcorn ain’t got much nutritional goin’ on besides makin’ ya real thirsty!”

August worried that she was homeless or something. He couldn’t let her go without a proper meal. Besides it was nice to meet someone else who was passionate about cinema.

[hadopelagic]

What an unusual voice! The young man spoke English with an accent, one Una hadn't heard in Wathais before, although it was familiar. Was he from New Zealand? That was so far away! Perhaps he was new to the city. It would explain why such an affable person was watching a movie alone. Not that Una blamed him. It's what she did, too. Ah, it seemed like they were both strangers in a strange land, to borrow a phrase.

As the man spoke, she studied his pronunciation, pretending each word was a musical phrase. If only Una could entice him to talk a little more. Another hour or two, and she'd be able to imitate his accent.

"You'd get me food?" she asked, startled and delighted by the offer. "Like fried fish? Oh, that would be wonderful. Nobody's ever offered before. Sometimes, people give me dollars and quarters, and tell me to buy my own meal, but I've never had dinner in a restaurant with a friend."

Una took a handful of popcorn from the top of his bucket and nibbled on the salty kernels. They were good, but meat was better, especially battered meat with a side of fries.

"I'll eat anything, really, anything to be full as a goog, too. Hamburgers. Ramen. Palak paneer. The choices are overwhelming, really. How do you function with so many things to taste and see? I ... am from a very small town. We mostly eat bread and corn, and there are no movie theaters."

She finished the popcorn, but didn't reach for more; Una should save her appetite. Instead, she tried to tidy her hair, combing her fingers through its strands. "My name is Una. What's yours? And what is a goog?"

[indeath]

“Oh it’s a funny way of sayin’ egg. Me name’s August! It’s a complete pleasure ta meet ya acquaintance, Ms Una! Do ya go by Ms or somethin’ more fancy like?”

He put his hand out friendfully to shake hers, sending a little blood there so it wasn’t completely cold to the touch. He smiled brightly at her. She seemed incredibly genuine and in need of help. He couldn’t really understand why anyone wouldn’t warm immediately to her. Beyond the lanky hair and odd dress sense was a shimmering beautiful soul. He liked this Una very much already. 

“No ones ever ever offered ya meal? Like ever? What rotten hospitality! We’re definitely friends now. We should become film buddies. I’m takin’ ya ta get the best darn fried fish that Wathais has… ta offer…?”

August hung his head a little in defeat. Having no need for food meant never having been to any restaurants. He didn’t even know which places served fried fish let alone the best. He knew a couple diners at best that didn’t mind him just sitting over a coffee. 

“Ermm maybe I do get a lil’ overwhelmed meself… Do ya know the best place? I don’t really eat… fish.”

[hadopelagic]

"That's a fine name," Una said, smiling. "Of all the months, August is my favorite."

That was a little white lie; Una didn't have a favorite yet, but August was definitely in the top ten.

"It's just Una," she decided, resisting the urge to throw a "Dr." or "Professor" in front of her name, just to seem more mysterious. She clasped August's hand and shook it firmly. How interesting! His fingers were longer than hers. That must be useful, especially when he played the piano. Did he play the piano? There was so much she didn't know about her new friend!

While mentally compiling a list of potential questions, she released August and turned. "We're in luck! The best place is near!" There was a shop down the street, just half a mile of walking, which would be pleasant with company. The little place sold battered tilapia and fries; they served the greasy food in sheets of checkered paper on red plastic trays.

"Are you a vegetarian?" Una asked, as she started walking toward the exit. At the door, she paused to hold it open for her film buddy. A cool gust of air blew into the theater, reminding Una of the breeze along the coast, which swept inland after sunrise and seaward at night. "They make grilled cheese sandwiches, too, and very clean water, if you're only thirsty."

Perhaps he was trying to be frugal. Una reached into a pocket in her bike shorts and pulled out a clump of fives and tens. Ru had helped Una convert half of her treasure into currency, setting up a savings account at the nearest bank. The funds wouldn't last her forever--that's why she needed a real job, eventually--but there was enough to support her movie habit and buy food and clean water for her new film buddy.

"Have you seen many films?" she wondered. "For me, this was movie number ... oh ... I lost count. I've tried to watch all the good ones."

[indeath]

August’s smile grew wider when she said it was her favorite month. What a bombaroo coincidence. What a nice thing to say. This friendship was going swimmingly. Maybe he could tell her what he was, perhaps he’d test the waters first. Dip a toe in. He wasn’t sure where all the water analogies were coming from. Perhaps his salty friend. He was curious what kinda supernatural she was.

“That is lucky! Luckier than a pig in mud! We’ll go there and order their most expensive dish!”

His face made an o shape when she asked him if he was vegetarian. She meant well and he did have a strict diet it was true. What he would give to be able to enjoy a vegan grilled cheese sandwich again. Sadly it wasn’t to be.

“Uhh lawdamimbo… sorry but I ain’t veggo, I’m vegan. So it’s real hard to eat out. I’ll get somethin’ at home.”

He had a blood bag with his name on at home. Literally. He scooted through the door then held it open for her on the other side.

“Oooh! Same! Does watchin’ the same film multiple times count? At least a billion I reckon. What gotcha into film? Would ya ever consider bein’ in one?”

[hadopelagic]

"They do love wallowing," she agreed, smiling at his pig analogy and following him outside. August had just given the go-ahead for a double fish with extra fries, so Una was in a fantastic mood.

"I just started watching them one day," she explained. "In my house, there is a television, and not much else, but it doesn't matter, since movies show me the world. More than that. They are the human experience on Earth. I've learned so much from them. No other form of art can compare."

Technically, live theater was a similar mixture of visuals and story, but she hadn't attended a show yet. It was Una's dream to witness a musical before she returned to the ocean.

"I'm not a pro like you - a billion!" He must know everything about the human condition. Betrayal, longing, hope, comedy and tragedy. A billion personalities, and how they interact. It was flattering that August thought she'd be capable of portraying all that human complexity. In fact, the question made Una feel accomplished in her studies of land-based peoples.

"Oh, no," she said, shaking her head bashfully. "I'm not an actress. Well. Not for the movies."

Suddenly, it occurred to her: what if August was an actor? Could that be why he'd seen so many movies? Were some of them his?

"Are you a leading man?" she exclaimed. "Of course! I should have known! You have a very good face!"

Plus, there were many vegans in Hollywood!

[indeath]

August was grinning ear to ear, sharp teeth flashing, eyes twinkling in his handsome face. It was amazing to find someone as keen on film as he was. He’d truly lucked out in the new friend department. He almost laughed when she suggested he was an actor,but it wasn’t the first time someone had suggested that. This was infinitely more pleasant. He shook off the image of his maker’s face.


“Bombaroo! Ya a gal after me own heart! Ya are a girl right? I don’t wanna assume someone’s pronouns or nothin’. Thanks for the compliment but I prefer bein’ behind the camera! Even made a film or two but ya probably haven’t seen em.”

He smiled at her, it was a shame she didn’t see herself as an actress. She seemed like she was passionate at least. He was a little concerned about her not having furniture but that could be a problem for another time.

“Oh. What do ya do with yourself? Did ya come to Wathais for a reason?”

[hadopelagic]

Una squiiiinted at his smile, reminded of something ...

Or, more specifically, someone: Ru, who'd helped her acquire everything from a fake ID (which was important in bars) to cash money. But there were so many subtle variations in human teeth, it was difficult to be certain.

Oh, she shouldn't stare too long; it was considered rude! That was a lesson Una had learned without help. She pointedly looked at a neon sign in front of a travel agency, pretending to be interested in the vibrant yellow, pink, and green lights, which reminded her of bioluminescent jellyfish.

"I'm a girl," she confirmed, switching her gaze between August's face and the random details around them. "All my family are girls, actually. If I have a brother or another type of sibling, they must've left home very early. "

It happened, sometimes; a larval mer would swim out of their whale fall and drift away, stollen by the slow but powerful current. Most survived on their own. It was just a difficult childhood.

"Does the movie theater ever play your stories?" she asked. "I want to know them. It will help me, see. I'm a messenger. My friends sent me to Wathais to observe the way people live outside Iowa. Every day, I talk to my friends, and they use my observations to dream about the future."

She smiled almost sadly at August.

Then, Una couldn't stand it anymore.

"Are you a vampire?"

[indeath]

August noticed the change in his new friend. Had he said something wrong? He hoped not. A friend who loved film wasn’t one he wanted to slip out of the net. Her family sounded nice if not a little odd. His family could have done with more feminine energy. Still to not even have one  male relative she could remember. That was odder than odd.

“Nah… It’s a little too out there for a theatre. We had it on a big projector screen for the opening night though…”

Somehow August was certain she didn’t come from Iowa… Iowa wasn’t a place that cared what was happening in other states or anywhere. It seemed a lot more important to her than that. Iowa wasn’t for dreamers.

“La..Lawdy!”

He took a step back at her question, shrinking in on himself a little. His height never helped with his attempts to seem less scary. He hung his head a little.

“Uh yeah… Ya got me dead to rights. I ain’t gonna hurt ya though. I had a bag before I left… I did use to be a vegan… Obviously not now though. How did ya know?”

[hadopelagic]

In retrospect, August's reaction made sense; as Ru once explained, vampires were supposed to remain hidden. She hoped that her lack of finesse hadn't ruined supper! She'd been looking forward to the company almost as much as the fish.

"It's your teeth, that's all," Una reassured him. "Don't worry. I won't tell anybody. You aren't the first vampire I've met in Wathais."

She reached for August's arm, to gently urge him to continue walking.

"It must be the hours I keep," Una speculated. "I usually go outside at night, when it's cool and dark. That's also when vampires are awake, right? You're nocturnal? "

Hopefully, that wasn't another incorrect Hollywood trope. Una was no longer confident in her Lost-Boys-derived knowledge.

"Where I come from," she continued, "which is actually below Iowa, and a little to the right, there is no sunlight, and we never count the days. It's so easy to forget that time passes at all. Come on, come on. I'll tell you more about my home, if you tell me about your movie."

Una looked up at August with a hopeful expression.

"Do you still want to walk with me?"

[indeath]

August’s made a mock look of shock, rolling his eyes back to show the whites. Classic horror movie style. His hand moved in front of his face Dracula style. He could see it being film in black and white grainy film. Ru would be proud. He couldn’t fault her for working out what he was. At least she wasn’t judging him for keeping her in the dark. He appreciated that a lot. 

“Now ya know me secret… I’m afraid I can’t let ya live…”

His face broke quickly into a big smile so she knew he wasn’t serious. He followed her gentle encouragement to continue their walk. Then he wrapped an arm friendfully around her shoulder for a moment and gave it a squeeze.

“Of course I still wanna walk with ya! Does a duck lay eggs? Nah it’s fine but I am a little surprised I ain’t ya first vampire. We’re still gettin’ that fish! I promised ya a fancy pants dinner and I don’t go back on me word! Besides ya my friend now. Ya stuck with me. I’ll definitely clue ya in about me film if ya tell me where ya really from.”

[hadopelagic]

"It does!" she excitedly said. "A duck does lay eggs! They're birds!"

In Una's experience, humans usually disliked holding hands with strangers (or very new friends), so she refrained from taking August by his hand. Her people often swam together, fin brushing fin, their tentacles entwined; it was easier to stay connected that way. On land, people rarely needed to worry about drifting apart (except metaphorically).

"I think I'm drawn to your kind," she said, "and other ... unique individuals. Or perhaps it's just luck."

In Una's opinion, the answer was probably a combination of both.

"Oh, August, as you may have surmised, I am not an average human woman. My people live at the bottom of the ocean, across trenches, rifts, and the sprawling abyssal plain. Of all the mers, we are the most timid, I suppose. We are isolated by depth, and for eons, that protected us from the world overhead."

No longer, Una quietly lamented. No longer.

"I am a scholar of the human species," Una explained, "sent here to learn about the state of your world. As you can imagine, movies are very useful tools!"

[indeath]

“Wait! Ya a real live mermaid?! That’s so darn cool! It must be such a different world down there. What do ya look like? As a mermaid I mean?”

He smiled warmly at his new friend, a skip of excitement in his step. Her love of fish made a lot of sense now and her slightly salty smell. Her fashion sense too though at least it wasn’t a potato sack.

“A scholar huh! Ya just a regular Ariel! Movies are a pretty bombaroo form of education. Though I wouldn’t believe everything ya watch. So ah was the other vampire scary?”

August didn’t know any other vampires that weren’t Ru, he tried to avoid any that came near. It was hard to know who was friend or foe. A lot of vampires were pretty elitist too and his clan weren’t exactly high on the scale. Too human loving and artsy. Well everyone except his progenitor. He played at it but it was just that, an act.