Chapter Theme Music: Ascent ~ MD11
<12/02/2018 - 15:35 | 6700 Douglas Blvd, Douglasville, GA, USA>
As promised, my travels and planning brought me to the start of another amazing and romantic date. One thing I don't normally mention about these dates is how awkward they can appear when seen from the outside perspective. I have to wonder sometimes if people look at me and wonder, why is he so happy walking around by himself? What a weirdo. Sometimes I attract stares that have this hint of thought to it.
Each time I link with Lumina and go out in public, I try to have ear buds in, pretending like they have a tiny microphone inside, so that any physical conversation I have with her doesn't make me seem like a lunatic, but anytime I laugh or smile from our moments, I think those around me get a little too curious, so I have to try my best not to be self-conscious about it.
"Oh, we're going to hit up every last store in this place." I knew what to do while here, and that is to spend as much time as physically possible with Lumina. She and I have not been to a normal mall in a very long time, so that is where I've come today.
"I assume you have a budget at least."
"Not a big one, but I should be able to afford something. Maybe I can buy a poster and put it up in my room." It sounds like I'm joking, but I have already seen some interesting pieces of art here. I was mainly looking for clothes or some kind of token or something that would remind me of Lumina, but I was just as much enjoying my time window-shopping around with her.
"How I wish I could walk right beside you holding your hand."
"This is good enough though. You know spending time like this is something I'm always going to cherish. I love you Lumina." Taking the time to slow my pace and savor the moment, Lumina and I both began to blush, again forcing me to ignore what looks I might get from others.
"You're so sweet Reed. I can tell today is going to be awesome."
She wasn't wrong. So, I spent hours and hours entering these little stores, looking at things and seeing if Lumina would like anything about them. It was a full new experience too, since there was so much detail about this mall that Lumina has never seen before with the context of first person vision. The escalators were one of them, and the food court was another. Wandering around the mall was its own two-person adventure, like exploring a whole new world, my spirits lifted so high.
However, as with most dates, not every moment was without some weirdness. I'd say, if anything were strange about this day, it was the moment I'm now dubbing 'the infamous popcorn moment.' Thinking back to it now makes me cringe.
All I wanted to do was get something to eat before continuing our date. The problem, especially when eating out in public, is that I have to ensure all meals I eat are gluten free. It's a challenging thing to find even inside a food court with several menus. So, I did the next best thing. Ever since my inability to enter a movie theater, I would sometimes get strong cravings for popcorn. I'm not talking about that trash they sell at the stores, but rather the top quality movie theater popcorn that can only come from movie theaters.
You might be wondering, where could I find such popcorn in a crowded mall? It was something I noticed on my way in. This mall actually has one of those IMAX theaters, similar to the one I got to see when I was on that trip to the space museum. Even if it is an IMAX theater, where there are theaters, there is also popcorn.
After a simple agreement from Lumina, I decided to make my way over there, getting myself an order of this delicious delight. Right before the concession counter, there were also a few tables and chairs strung about, a lobby room outside the theater room. It was a little challenging to get one of the entrance guys to understand that I was ordering popcorn without going into the theater...
Yes, I turned out to be that guy, who bought the popcorn, sat down, and ate each piece bit by bit, without having or wanting a ticket to any particular movie. I simply sat in the lobby to eat there in silence. I couldn't use the same ear bud trick twice, one - since I was chewing, and two - since I was certainly being watched.
"... Reed? I think that guy is defiantly looking at you funny."
I knew she would notice as well. I can see it from the corner of my eyes as I was eating. The guy running the counter, and the man standing guard to the IMAX entrance were both giving me strange glances, glances of judgment I dare say. "Yep. They're both looking at us funny. Guess this isn't something normal people do."
"It's bothering me. I mean, all you're doing is sitting down, eating, and minding your own business."
"I know." I didn't bother to tell this to Lumina, but I already know why I'm getting these strange looks. Especially considering the lack of people in the lobby aside from just myself, I'd have to guess that someone like me, coming all this way for the popcorn and no movie is something of a rarity. In a normal movie theater, that's just something that I bet never happens. Since I can't endure the darkness of those rooms anymore, this is why I chose to sit in their lobby. In a way, I can understand why they think this display is odd, coupled with their perception that I was all entirely by myself. "Still, I'm not doing anything wrong. They can stare all they want, but they have no right to kick me out of the lobby. There is no rule against buying popcorn and eating it without a movie."
"Still bothers my peace of mind though."
"I know it's a little embarrassing, but just put up with it. Like I said, there is nothing wrong with eating popcorn. Once I'm done here, I'll see what I can buy." Even as I said that though, the cringe was already starting to crush me a little. I knew, the moment I left this lobby, these two clowns will get together and probably crack jokes about me for years to come. Oh well. I can afford to be that guy, because I'm not here for anybody but myself and Lumina.
So, that's what happened. That was my infamous popcorn moment. I really hope nobody from that day thinks about it too much. I sometimes have my special moments, but I'm allowed to do what I want in these circumstances.
As for what I bought, I decided to go with an amazing artwork poster of someone meditating with chakras. There's just something about this Yogi painting I feel attached to, and it will make a great space in my room.
