Our Woe and Our Prize

[Victoria]

"New Zealand...tonight?" He must be joking.

"We have to think things through. I mean I moved in with you on a whim and that didn't work out well. And New Zealand is so far from our jobs." I reply.

"But maybe next month we can go to New Zealand. I would like that a lot."

[Soren]

"It has to do with when I was a kid. Back when I was innocent and believed in things. Back when I believed in Santa and the Easter Bunny and stuff."
Soren looks at his shoes.
"I used to watch Mr. Rogers. And I was always so happy when the trolley came by. My parents even bought me a toy replica of that trolley."
He wrings his hands nervously.

"I guess it reminds me of something lost. The Trolley traveled to the Land of Make Believe, and it was happy. Well, I have left the land of make believe and here I am. And I am alone."

[Mr. Futsu]

I start to settle down.

"We might miss... If we don't... Ahh no, you're right..."

I cross my arms, disappointed by reality. We arrive at the house.

"It's been ages since I've been here, this is almost a vacation in itself."

I follow her out of the car, and take her hand.

"Thank you, Vincent." I say, still disappointed.

[Victoria]

"Don't be so glum Futsu, we have the night together."

I enter his home first and pull him in after me. I close the door and give him a huge hug, even lifting him off the floor a few inches.

"Ah, my adorable Mr. Futsu. You have to lighten up!"

I set him down and prance around the kitchen.

"Do you have anything to drink?"

When I ask this I am not looking for tea or juice.

[Sophia]

"That's something I didn't expect to hear from you." I say, startled by his humanity. "I always wanted to be Peter Pan when I was younger, but my mom told me I should be happy as Twink. I hated Twink."

I never really expected to talk about children's shows with Soren. I cross my legs, and lean forward, resting my hands on the seat.

[Mr. Futsu]

"I think that there is some tea, or juice, in the fridge..."

She looks back at me with a 'you jackass' look on her face.

"...There's a bar in the basement."

[Soren]

"Well, a person is at their best when they are struggling inside. So I struggle. I struggle with my ideas and my life. I...struggle with old attachments and the desire to just detach myself for this reality entirely. Cuz really, it isn't real."

Soren looks out the window and in his mind fantasizes about making out with Sophia in the back of the trolley. He has never kissed anyone before. He shakes his head and looks back over at her.

"Peter Pan? Intertesting. I saw a website about a man who thought he was Peter Pan. He dressed up like him and tried to spread cheer to children. When I was growing up I never liked Peter Pan. I guess I respect him more now."

Soren looks back out the window.

"Pedophelia is just another made up concept of right and wrong. Whatever, if a man wants to dress like an eternal youth and solicit himself to kids, its his deal."

[Victoria]

"Sure that sounds like a good time."

I yank on Futsu's tie and walk him downstairs with me. I want to be with him again. Maybe moving to Moscow was a bad idea.

[Sophia]

I laugh.

"I've seen the website, and I think my vision of Peter Pan has dwindled since my youth. Maybe it was the website..."

I look out the window to try and see what Soren sees.

"It must be lonely to struggle to be detached. You can't be totally detached without say, killing yourself. So why do you strive for loneliness, what do you hope to accomplish? I understand your means, but what are your ends?"

[Mr. Futsu]

I follow obediently, and smile. As soon as we reach the foot of the stairs, I straighten my tie.

"What's your poison? I've only drank with you one time, and it was too hard to make out what your drink was with a gun to my back."

I stand behind the bar.

"I'll bet you didn't know I went to bartending school."

[Soren]

"I think there is no end but death. We just live and then we die. I suppose the means and ends are the same. I want to be detatched for the sake of not being attached. If you get it? I want to reject all of these false truths for the sake of rejecting them, since once you have rejected them, you learn that there is no truth or meaning." Soren says as he leans his head back. The trolley ride luls him a little.
"You just do things to do things to do them. You can't attach meaning to it, or question why."
He gets up suddenly.
"Hey do you want to kiss me?"

[Victoria]

"I know that isn't true. Don't lie to me now. It may fly with the masses but I happen to be a lot smarter. Trust me. I can see right through you, little man." I laugh and sit on the sofa down there.

"Make me something blue!" I demand, then start to laugh.

[Sophia]

I am once again, taken off guard by this proposal. There is a logic to what he's saying, and I feel as though I am being taken in by it. Before my mind can take the full weight of the decision through, I respond "Sure."

My heart skips a beat, as though I have made some grand decision that I can't take back. But that's fine, I'm just overanalyzing, since nothing matters anyways.

I lean forward, and kiss him on the lips.

[Soren]

Soren is caught off guard as well, but he did ask for it. He doesn't feel as awkward as he thought. It is pretty much like anything else, except better.
He kisses her softly at first and touches her luminous blue hair. It practically glows in the dark he notices. But he then closes his eyes as not to think about it. The trolley hits a bump and it pushes him into her.
Making out with a hot elf on a trolley, maybe this is a dream or something
He thinks to himself.

[Mr. Futsu]

"It's true" I say, as I start to mix her drink, "I had different aspirations before I ran into Red Infinity. Ask Vincent, he was the best bartender there was, until I told him that I could find him a job."

I mix her a skyy vodka cosmo, with blue raspberry instead of cranberry.

"Here. It doesn't quite taste like 'blue', but then again, I always acquanted that taste with crayons."

I mix myself some non-descript drink that's brown, and sit down beside her. I kiss her cheek.