Chasing The Sun - Act 13
Dragon fly! Dragon fly!
Spirit so young, filled with dreams and hopes..."
- Hagalaz' Runedance, "On Wings of Rapture"
Chang 'An and The Wei River, Ostara
At dawn, I awoke - sensing the presence of someone other than Grimmy in my room. I glanced at Grimmy lying beside me on the bed. He was quiet, so there was obviously no danger. The dog was looking at the window so I turned to see who he was watching. Genjyo was silhouetted in the open window. He was standing with his back to me - watching the rising sun. A breeze caused the drapes to flutter around him. He had folded the top of his robes down over his waist, and the glow from the newborn sun made his black undershirt and fingerless gloves shine like obsidian. The smoke from Genjyo's cigarette drifted out the window in a thin mist. The flowing light formed a brilliant aura around him and shone on his blond hair like a pale gold halo.
My heart raced like a galloping thoroughbred horse. I grasped the bronze valknot pendant I always wore. "So that's what Shuei was trying to describe all those years ago," I reflected. "If I were Christian I would say he looks like an archangel. Genjyo is wonderfully eldritch. He would give Oberon or Jereth a run for their money."
Quietly, I slipped out of bed, grabbed my backpack, and went into the bathroom to take a shower. After my shower, I got dressed. I decided not to bother wearing a bra. I put on a velvet, burgundy, low-cut, spaghetti-strapped, tank top that buttoned in front - leaving my naval exposed. I had lost a few more inches off my belly. I now had a 38 inch waist and wanted to show it off. Next, I put on a hip hugging, ankle length, florescent orange skirt. The swallowtail division at the back of my tank top allowed the top of my burgundy thong underwear to peek over the back of my skirt. I pulled on my sandals. I brushed a little bit of purple, blue, and green eyeshadow on my upper eyelids then dabbed my lips with red lipstick. I sprayed a rose scented body mist all over myself, then I grabbed my tortoiseshell comb and went into the main room to comb my still damp hair.
"Morning, Sunshine," I said blithely and sat on the end of the bed. I figured Genjyo would probably not be sure if I was talking to him or Grimmy. My fingers trembled, but I was determined to keep going come Helheim or high water. As I combed my hair, I watched Genjyo. Grimmy was standing beside Genjyo with his front paws on the window sill. Genjyo was stroking the big dog's ears absently as if his thoughts were a million miles away. I wondered what was up.
I was just about to tie my hair in a pony tail with my scarf when Genjyo turned around. He grabbed the scarf and told me to sit in one of the chairs next to the table. "Sit up straight," he ordered. I felt like a student being chastized by a teacher, but I kept my big mouth shut in favor of letting him do whatever it was he was planning to do. He deftly gathered up my hair and swiftly tied it in a perfect "I Dream of Genie" top knot. "There. Now it's neater than if you had tied it yourself," He said, then he set the ash tray in the middle of the table and sat down in the other chair.
"OK. To what do I owe the pleasure of your company?" I asked him, lighting one of my Turkish Jades. I took a drag and exhaled while I waited for his response. Grimmy lay under the table with his head resting on Genjyo's thong-sandaled feet.
"Your test results came back from the lab yesterday," he said, lighting another Marlboro Red. "They were all normal. You're clean."
"Well duh, George!" I thought and bit back the urge to snap, "And you? Are you clean too?" I knew he was still a virgin, but I also knew the question would burn him. Instead, I said, "Of course."
"Today is the first day of the full moon," he said as he crushed the stub of his cigarette in the ash tray. "I thought I should take you on a picnic." "It's Ostara today," I recalled.
"Ah," I said, my curiosity flaming like a bonfire. "Will Goku be coming?"
"No. I sent him to visit Hakkai and Gojyo. They're dyeing eggs for Easter," he said. I was amused by the mental picture of Goku gobbling the boiled eggs and Hakkai's frustration with Goku and Gojyo bickering over there not being enough eggs left to dye.
"There's a pretty spot on the bank of the Wei River I want to show you," he said and stood up. He slipped the top part of his robes back up. Then he flipped the Maten Sutra around his shoulders and stood with his elbow crooked at his waist for me to put my arm through. I summoned Grimmy, and we went downstairs.
Margie was waiting at the clerk's counter with Mister Browning. Margie handed a wicker picnic basket with a red and white checked blanket folded on the lid to Genjyo. He took the basket with his free hand, and we headed outside. There was an elegant little carriage drawn by a dapple gray coach horse waiting at the curb. I guessed Genjyo meant to drive the carriage himself. "He really means for us to be alone today, except for Grimmy," I thought with surprise. Grimmy hopped onto the back seat and sat waiting for us. Genjyo helped me up onto the driver's seat then climbed up himself and took the reins. "Whoah, Nellie!" I thought.
Genjyo flipped the reins expertly, and the horse pulled us away from the inn at a smart trot. We went north past Keiun Palace and The Great Wild Goose Pagoda, then turned west and headed out of Chang 'An. "I sure get to see a lot of southwest Chang 'an," I thought as we passed now familiar landmarks. As we crossed the flood plain west of the city, we passed many fields, orchards, and rice paddies. I noticed the peaches were almost ripe. The grains and rapeseed were almost as tall as Goku now. The rapeseed fields were still covered in blankets of bright yellow flowers. As we approached the Wei, I saw wild forest land.
After about an hour, Genjyo turned the carriage off the road, and we drove south near the river's bank for another half hour. Genjyo stopped the carriage in a meadow that gently sloped all way to the edge of the Wei's bank. Grimmy jumped out of the carriage and wandered off to explore the meadow. Genjyo hopped down then helped me out of the carriage. As he did so, he grabbed my waist and gently lifted me down until I was standing firmly on the ground. "Oh me! Oh my!" I thought, "I was right. He really is very strong for such a relatively small man."
I fetched the picnic basket and spread the blanket on the ground in the shade of a huge tree while Genjyo unharnessed the horse and placed hobbles around its forelegs. He allowed the horse to graze near the river bank. Then he shucked off his robes altogether and put them on the back seat of the carriage, after fishing out his banishing gun - which he tucked into his black jeans at the small of his back. The little silver pistol reminded me that Shangri-lah was a dangerous place. Even with Grimmy present we were vulnerable out here alone. Genjyo rolled up the Maten Sutra and laid it inside the basket. I spread out our lunch and we ate in silence. Grimmy plopped down on the blanket next to me. I gave him the scraps Margie had put in the basket for him. The dog devoured the scraps then got up and wandered around the meadow some more. Genjyo and I watched Grimmy without talking.
When I finished my lunch, I stood up and followed the dog to the edge of the river. My back was sore from the ride in the carriage, and I wanted to walk the ache off. Genjyo lay on his side, puffing a cigarette and drinking a bottle of Guinness - watching us. I stood on the bank - smoking a cigarette, and watched Grimmy chase flying insects. The river's water sparkled like diamonds in the mid-day sunshine. It was already hot, and I was glad I had decided to wear such sparse clothing. I glanced at the reeds near the river's bank and thought I caught a glimpse of something sparkling blue
I wandered closer to the reeds. Sure enough, there was a swarm of sapphire blue dragonflies flitting around the reeds. They were just like the dragonflies that lived near the rivers where I grew up in western Colorado. "Look! Dragonflies!" I shouted. Grimmy trotted over to see what I had found. I had just put my hand on Grimmy's head to pat him, when I felt something pressing on the small of my back. I turned to see what it was. Genjyo was standing beside me with his left hand on my back. He had hooked a finger around the top of my thong. He had taken off his undershirt and gloves and stood beside me with his bare chest flush with my shoulder. I glanced into his eyes. There was a spark in his amethyst eyes that I had not seen in a man's eyes in years. I wondered if his interest was real or if he was buzzed from the beer. I turned back to watch the dragonflies because I did not want to hope for more than I should.
"The dragonflies are breathtaking aren't they?" I squeaked. My voice cracked on the question. "Let him think the dragonflies are what's exciting me." I suddenly recalled the bondage scene from the "Still Time" opening theme of the Gensomaden Saiyuki anime. Genjyo had been wearing jewelry that featured a dragonfly in the center of a net of silver chains across his bare chest. I wondered if that jewelry really existed.
"Yes. They are beautiful. Come on. You're going to get a sun burn."
I followed him back to the blanket. He sat down with his legs crossed Indian-style and pulled a bottle of sunscreen from the basket. He handed me the sunscreen which I promptly slathered over all of the exposed parts of my skin.
"You know you could get a sun burn too," I said, guesturing at him with the sunscreen bottle.
"Uhuh," he said, nodding.
"OK. I'll put it on for you," I told him. I kneeled down on the blanket behind him and began rubbing the sunscreen over his bare skin. There were scars all over his back, and I was careful not to snag them with my fingernails in case his skin was still sensitive. He sat rigid as a board plank for a few seconds then relaxed a little. I was rather amazed that he allowed me to touch him at all.
Grimmy came back and lay on the blanket in the shade of the big tree. The dog quickly fell asleep. "A nap seems like a good idea to me too," I remarked aloud. As if on cue, Genjyo lay back in the shade too and closed his eyes. His lashes brushed his cheeks like tiny black pinfeathers from a peacock's tail. I guessed he assumed the dog would alert us if there was any trouble. Plus, I knew that Genjyo had sharp insincts and lightening quick reflexes. I doubted anything would get past him. I lay on my side with my back to him. I rolled over on my stomach with my legs crooked a little and put my hands under my cheek to make a little cushion. As I was dozing off, Genjyo rolled over and put his arm around my waist, clasped one of my hands in his, and pressed his cheek against my bare shoulder. "You smell good," he said. Then there was silence except for the sound of the breeze fluttering the leaves, the flowing water, and the buzzing of the dragonflies down by the river.
Notes and Comments Section
Act 12
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Act 14