somebody ; minsung

XXXV ; again, again

The airplane lands, bumps and scuds to a stop without difficulty. I'm as surprised as I am relieved. There was turbulence earlier in flight and I already had my seatbelt unplugged, ready to grab as many humans as I could and dive off the plane.

Jisung and I pick up our suitcases and leave the airport in a shuttle. I can see the city in the distance; the skyscrapers slope into a modest skyline, buildings bathed in sunlight. We chose this city for its size, but also its tagline — 'music is essential, sleep is not.' It's known for its impromptu district-wide jamborees that only appear at night. Jisung and I agreed that music was something we both needed more of.

The shuttle lets us off downtown. It's a short walk to the graceful, vine-covered Hotel Rorty. I don't think I've ever seen a building made of actual stone before. We check in and head up to our room. Mints on the pillows, windows overlooking the street below, sun streaming in.

"Beautiful," I murmur.

Jisung struggles out of his backpack. "Very. Feels weird to stay in a normal hotel for once."

"As opposed to Oracle's dungeon?"

"No, love hotels."

I swallow. "Okay, never mind then."

"It was innocent — and cheap, unlike this place. We need to start apartment hunting soon."

"Is that a right-now thing?"

"Now is dinner, TV and sleeping off the jet lag." He unzips his suitcase and pulls out his old man slippers. "And slippers."

So we're lazy for the evening, channel surfing and eating room service in bed. We end up watching a show called 'Lab of Nightmares,' a soap opera-esque take on what happened in Oracle. We nearly fall off the bed laughing. I record some of the better bad moments to send to Haruko and the others.

The jet lag catches up with us — we can't stay awake past 7:30. I fall into a fitful sleep, dreams trying to wriggle into my mind. All I see is static.

I wake a few hours later to a giant glowing head outside the window. For a second I wonder if I've somehow managed to reverse the dream-ectomy Oracle gave me. Then my body thaws and I realize it's real.

I jolt up and run across the room. Holograms are flickering against the night sky, projections of the people dancing in the street. Vendors line the sidewalks with all kinds of snacks and games, music blares from speakers on every street corner.

"Jisung, are you seeing this?" I say, squinting against the lights.

I hear him groan. "No — close the curtains."

I didn't expect to see a festival on our first night in the city. People are smiling and dancing like it's been years since the last. I want to feel it for myself.

I close the curtains, change out of my pyjamas and pull on my jacket. I'm about to ask Jisung if he wants to go with me — though I probably already know the answer — but he's fast asleep with the pillow over his face. I leave a note on the bedside table.

I walk out onto the street, gawking up at the holograms. Dresses, suits, shawls — I've never seen these fabrics before. I follow the current down the sidewalk, craning to see what the vendors are selling.

Crowds like this usually repel me. All the infinite ways disaster could hit, all the humans that wouldn't make it out. There's something about this place, these people — the night is when they come out to play. I wonder how long it's been since something awful happened here. I wonder if they remember or care. There's no one to save here.

I step off the curb into the street. A beam of light follows me, towering high above. I move my hand and the giant me moves his as well.

A surge of people pushes me into the middle of the street, talking all at once, encouraging me to join the parade. I bluster and say no, embarrassed; they tell me to loosen up, then try to teach me how to move my feet. I think I'm getting the hang of it but they're laughing pretty loud.