Heart ofthe Beholden.

The Parchment Chapter 3

*Before…

I’m holding it in my hands and I’m trying like crazy not to sweat or fidget or pace while I’m waiting.

It’s not working and oh-boy do I ever feel every not-there bit of what I’m wearing…I feel exposed and while I think I’ve gotten a look or two I’m not sure what they mean and if…

My tummy kind of hurts a little.

I am pacing…just a little and I wasn’t facing the foyer when I hear a guy’s voice.

“Excuse me, my lady? Could I ask where you got the scroll case that you’re now carrying?”

I turn and he’s….

*And Now…

He’s…

Honestly he’s not what I had expected.

He’s cute.

He’s not just cute he’s pretty.

And in that kind of could pass for a girl pretty.

And thin…I can see where he’d be not the athletic jock type for sure.

And Most of all…

He’s in these nice if not fancy dress pants that are a nice soft brown and he’s in what is definitely a fancy dress shirt under an real deal fantasy tunic but the thing that actually just makes him him and not the whole girly sort of thing that people assume.

Pointed ears, real live-looking pointed elven ears and that actually changes everything because I’m standing there face to face sort of with a Tolkien looking young elven man.

Uhm…Gulp-yay?

Okay…so how do I?

“Uhm…sir elf I found the scroll case, it had been discarded by another woman and it was so lovely I had to see it closer. I will admit that it’s crafting called me to be a little more curious than wise?’

He looks at me.

There’s this confused look there but not from what I just said but from what I just said….

I can see the hurt there as the stood up and used hits.

But he looks at me and then he really looks at me and then he realizes that he just really looked at me and the geek boy in him takes over and he blushes.

“I…I’m without words lady…”

I take a breath…a big one and look at him. “Alexander isn’t it?”

He nods, and he’s kind of looking down.

“I know I’m not this Madonna but if you’d still like a person to go with…”

He looks at me like I’m…

“You’re not just returning it?”

“I can if you don’t want to….”

“Uhm…no…I mean are you sure?”

“Yes…?” I say it sort of sheepishly. “I mean, I’m not her…I’m really not her so…”

“Really not her?”

He looks at me.

Then he really looks at me and I see his brain going there and I can see him going to dismiss it too…like what are the odds you’re going to meet a transperson at a Con in cosplay right?

Actually it might be pretty good depending.

“So you’re like…?”

I nod, he doesn’t seem mad. “You’re not mad?”

“I mean you, you don’t look like…” He stops and he actually doesn’t say it out loud. And that was very cool of him but at the same time I can’t help myself.

The way that he looks.

I raise an eyebrow questioningly.

“Sorry.” He hunches a little sheepishly.

I try and look girl cool but I have no idea that I’m doing it or not. “Alexander?”

“Uhm…yes?”

“Maybe we should go inside?”

“………………”

Oh boy he’s still processing it. But on the plus side he doesn’t look like Troy or Johnathan and stuff or like one of the guys at school from the neo-thug squad that want to beat me for just looking and acting in ways that they don’t get.
There’s not too many of those guys really that bother me at school and stuff but there’s always a few. And it’s not as much as just the me being kinda very girly and stuff thing in-so-much-as them being the kind of people that see me and go Chin-chong-ping-pong and crap like that.

I look at Alexander and I don’t push, I just try and be calm and not like whatever’s going on in his head.

He nods suddenly and it actually startles me some and he smiles that I did like that was…good? He’s blushing again a bit too. “Okay…but…”

I look at him…. “We could just LARP it?”

He blinks…. Uhm…Aye…Aye I think would be the thing lady…?”

“Jade…Jade Braddock.” It’s part my girl name and Psylocke’s last name so it kind of works.

He reaches for my hand and I give it to him and he does this bow his head to touch his lips to my fingertips and his forehead to my knuckles and it’s.

Yes we’re cosplaying but it’s.

“I thank you for your kind heart and consideration M’lady Jade and would be honored if you would join me for supper this eve as my intended has become…”

“Indisposed…?” I add trying to be diplomatic.

“Revealed.” He counters with.

Oh…oh that was good, I mean it’s kinda really true but it’s such an elfin way of saying it.

“I am sorry for that Alexander.”

“My good fortune for meeting a lady of integrity.”

Oh…I look at him as he moves up and he goes from holding my fingers to walking and holding my hand but in this kinda fantasy way and he guides us to the hostess.

It feels…

It feels like all that stuff that I was scared and being nervous about from before but just in a whole new way…like the butterflies I had somehow changed colors inside of me or something and I’m feeling all my clothes and the way that I’m dressed and the way that I’m breathing and it’s not bad but it’s just so….

I don’t know but it’s a good thing…he knows and we’re still cosplaying and yet there is part of me, part of Jade that’s being led to our table and she’s…I’m…

I know it’s not like right but I feel like Mulan when people found her out and it didn’t matter.

Oh…and it’s really nice in here.