Come the next morning, Adam slowly wakes up after a long night's sleep. How odd. He hasn't been able to sleep through the whole night since his teen years. Could it be that Juno's presence has lifted the burden of all his failures off his shoulders? Maybe. If only he could sleep that way all the time! He sighs. No, his body surely won't let him. His chronic insomnia stems from insatiable guilt over everything he has ever done; someday, it will kill him, but not today.
Adam pushes the covers off him, then goes to take a shower. He lets down his hair and scrubs it clean with shampoo and conditioner. All the while, he plans out his day in his head.
Today I'm going to take Juno out to the city of Ibrocester. That should be a good starting place. After all, I know it quite well. She and I will explore bit by bit. We can take my motorcycle. I bet she'd like that. I'll have to find her a helmet, of course, but I should have one lying around. I'll also have to connect the hovercraft so we can carry everything we purchase while we're there.
He pauses in his thinking.
I hope I made a good first impression on her. I've done some unforgivable things and I don't know if I can ever atone for my actions. Juno is my chance to start over with a clean slate.
Once he exits the shower, he changes into a navy sweater with jeans and brushes his teeth. He pulls his hair up, takes one last look in the mirror, and steps out of the room. He makes his way over to Juno's room, grabbing his black trenchcoat along the way. He quietly knocks on the door.
"Enter," her voice calls from within. He opens the door. Juno's room is a small space with little in the way of decoration. Her walls are dark grey with a simple overhead light. Her queen bed has white sheets with a dark blue comforter and sits against the upper right corner of the room against a window on the right wall. On the back wall to the left of her bed is her dresser with another window above it. Across the room from the dresser and next to the door is Juno's dark wood desk. She too has been given a laptop. Other than that, there is nothing else on it. In the bottom right corner of the room, between the bed and the desk, is a soft grey chair and a cushion to rest her feet on. A black rug with hexagons on it spans most of the floor. And finally, the left wall houses the door to her bathroom.
Adam looks Juno over. She wears a soft, white sweater and a flared black skirt with tights. Violet had gifted her the outfit from her own closet. Juno will have to do some shopping while they are in the city.
"You look nice today."
"Thank you. I quite enjoy human fashion. On my homeworld, we don't ordinarily wear clothes unless it is for a special event such as a wedding."
"I see. Are you ready to go?"
"Yes. Where are we going?"
"We're going to visit Ibrocester. It's the nearest city. It's about an hour's drive from here."
"Sounds fun."
"Mhm. I thought we could ride on my old motorcycle." Adam smiles.
"I'd like that."
"Great! Meet me in the garage."
"Okay."
As Adam closes the door behind him, Juno quickly braids her hair and pins it up off her neck. She puts on a leather jacket, takes one last look at her reflection, then leaves her room and heads to the garage. When she arrives, Adam holds out an old black motorcycle helmet.
"Here."
"Thank you." She places the helmet on her head.
"How does it feel?"
"Comfortable."
"Good. Now then, shall we head out?"
"Sure."
Adam connects the hovercraft, then puts his helmet on, climbs onto his bike, and revs the engine. Juno gets on behind him and wraps her arms around his waist. Once he opens the garage door, he and Juno speed off toward the city skyline.
Juno looks around throughout the drive there. As the sky above her begins to darken with storm clouds, she looks out at the sea of emerald grass on either side of her. Soon, dozens of wildflowers begin to pop up. Seems this world has not yet been robbed of its beauty after all. She smiles, fondly remembering her garden at home. Before long, a light rain begins to fall. Adam grips the motorcycle's handles firmly. A cool, thick mist settles over the road. Drawing near the city, Juno closes her eyes and turns her gaze to the overcast sky, allowing the rain to slide down her helmet's visor. Her mind opens and a single image reveals itself to her…
***
A young man with bright green eyes sits in his apartment reading a book when a strange dizzy feeling washes over him. He clutches his head as his vision goes black and, moments later, his mind's eye sees an all-too-familiar face.
It's you!
Her fair skin almost seems to glow in the dreamy haze of mist around her. He can't see much of her face as it's been obscured by her helmet. She turns to face him, her hypnotic purple eyes sparkling like stars. He notices silver flecks in them. Lovely! He smiles and tries to speak, but his voice sounds as though he were deep underwater.
Where are you?
Ibrocester.
He can't tell if the voice he hears is his own or something else. Regardless, he pushes his cozy red blanket off himself and goes to change into something nicer. A meeting like this is once in a lifetime. By now, his vision has returned. He combs his hair and puts on a crisp white dress shirt, black dress pants, and a bow tie. He grins at himself in the mirror and makes finger guns while winking. Once all the lights are turned off and the curtains are closed, he leaves his apartment, locking the door behind him.
Wait for me. I'm coming.
***
Meanwhile, on Juno's end, a faint image of a young man with dirty blond hair and green eyes comes to her mind. She watches him in silence. He wears black pajamas with a pattern of white stars all over. His messy hair sticks up in places. She can't see the title of the book he's reading, but he seems enthralled with it. A lamp shines down on him. She smiles slightly. Who is he? Suddenly, he looks up from his book and stares directly into her eyes with an endearing smile. Did she accidentally bridge their minds? She also tries to speak, but her voice is drowned out in the silence of space.
Where are you?
Ibrocester.
She tries to reach out to him, but the vision fades into shadows before she can say anything more. Who was that young man? Why did their minds connect? Maybe she could shapeshift and meet him in secret. Dr. Graves might not approve of her interacting with him. She shakes her head. She'll figure it out when she gets there.
After about an hour of driving, Adam and Juno arrive in Ibrocester. He finds a place to park his motorcycle, then removes his helmet and sets it down in the designated spot. Juno does the same. Droplets of rain decorate her leather jacket.
"Welcome," Adam says. All around her, the city skyscrapers stretch high into the clouds, fading into nothing. Under the cover of the parking deck, they watched the rain pour from the heavens.
"It's quite rainy out."
"Yeah, that's typical weather here on Xindyria."
"Why?"
"I'm not sure. My meteorologist friend would know."
"Who's that?"
"His name is Russell Knight."
"Will I meet him?"
"Maybe someday. Now then," Adam said, taking two umbrellas out of his backpack and handing one to Juno. "Here you are."
"Thank you."
"Shall we get going?"
"Yes."
With that, the two of them open their umbrellas and step out into the rain.
***
The young man looks up at the pouring rain and smiles, holding onto his clear umbrella. He's always enjoyed stormy weather and now he had a reason to go out into it. His mind still flooded with the image of Juno, he walks down the streets toward the city's center. Something tells him she'd be there, though for the life of him, he's not sure what or who. Soon enough, he reaches the massive garden surrounded by shops on every side. His eyes sparkle with excitement; the heart of Ibrocester is one of his favorite places—and he lives so near to it! He enters the garden beneath its plexiglass dome. As rain pelts against the surface, he wanders around, the smell of fresh grass and flowers rising into the air. He pauses; does she like flowers? He sits on one of the many benches inside the dome, gazing up at the dark storm clouds.
I'm here. Come find me.
***
Adam and Juno wander along the sidewalks, splashing in small puddles as lightning spreads across the sky. A loud boom of thunder explodes in the air.
"All right. I wanted to bring you here to do some shopping since you're going to be living with us for a while."
"What do I need to buy?"
"Let me think… You'll need a phone, a wallet, a purse of some kind, and clothes. I think that's everything you need, but feel free to buy anything else that you want. Here." He reaches into his backpack and takes out a waterproof navy blue wallet. He opens it, grabs some colorful polymer banknotes, and hands them to Juno. Various planets and constellations are inscribed on each one.
"What is this?"
"It's money. We call it Celestial Credits."
"I see. On our planet, we 'purchase' things with coins, dice, bottle caps, gemstones, beads, marbles, rocks, shells, bones, sea glass, animal furs, feathers, flowers, and other items. Ordinarily, we keep our findings in a small pouch."
"How does that… translate?"
"We trade more than we buy and sell."
"Huh. Interesting. You must be a crow since you like shiny things," Adam says. Juno laughs gently.
"Yes, that is true. Crows are fascinating animals."
"Indeed."
"What else do you keep in your wallet?"
"I'll show you." He holds out his open wallet to her. She looks inside. Hidden in the many slots are a couple of gift cards to local restaurants and cafés, a black passport, two shiny keys, a fountain pen, an insurance card, a vaccination record card, and some Polaroid photos. Her eyes soften looking at them.
"Who are the people in these photographs?"
"My family and friends." Adam points at the first one which holds the image of a man and woman. "Here are my parents, Rachel and David, when they were young." He drags his finger down to the second photo which holds a beach scene. Lying on wet rocks in a pale green sundress is a young woman with short, wavy strawberry blonde hair and gray eyes "And my younger sister, Faith."
"She's beautiful."
"Yeah, she is." Adam smiles wistfully. Clearly, he misses her company.
"Do you still talk to her?"
"I… W-Well, after she graduated from college, she married her high school sweetheart. I haven't really… spoken with her since then."
"Why not?"
"I haven't uh, seen my family much since I moved out. To be honest, I… grew up in a religious household, but now that I don't have any belief in God, I don't feel like I belong with them anymore.
"I think you'd be surprised."
"Why do you say that?"
"I believe that humans are inherently compassionate. Your family misses you, I'm sure."
"Maybe. I'll keep that in mind."
"Do they live nearby?"
"No, not anymore."
"Oh."
Both of them are silent for a moment.
"Who's in the last picture?"
"Ah, that's me and my three friends: Russell Knight, Elliott Beach, and Virgil Rivers."
"Cool. They seem like nice people."
"Yes, they are. Very intelligent too."
"I wish I had friends."
"...what?"
"Most of the others on my planet tend to avoid me because of my status as a deity."
"I'm sorry to hear that."
"It's okay. I understand their reasons. Still, it must be nice to have a circle of friends."
"If it means anything, I think you'll definitely make some friends here."
"Thank you," Juno says. She runs her fingers over a blue metal rectangular card in the topmost slot with a black bar along the top. She slides it out and studies the personal information etched in gold lettering.
NAME: Adam Graves
ID: Y985 4572 8329 7100
DOB: February 7th, 2245
SEX: Cisgender Male
BLOOD TYPE: B+
VAX: Confirmed
CLASS: D
"What's this?"
"Oh, that. Everyone on the planet has been issued one of these ID cards."
"Should I have one?"
"Don't worry. We're going to make one for you today."
"Okay."
"Now then, are you hungry yet?"
"I could eat."
"Well, let's see what we have here…" Adam pulls out his phone from his back pocket and searches the local restaurants. Juno peeks around his shoulder. "We've got Intermission which is a really nice venue with a full bar and a stage for musicians. Sweet Creams is an ice cream place. The Moon is a café with coffee, tea, pastries, and desserts. The Dapper Devil is a diner that serves burgers and sandwiches and whatnot. Beach Paradise is a sushi place. Slice of Life is a pizza place. The Monarch is a pasta place. Starlight is a bistro that serves a variety of different foods. And finally, we have Streetwise, a contemporary casual dining spot." He pauses. Juno blinks. "Sorry, I didn't mean to overwhelm you."
"You're all right. Slice of Life sounds nice. Although, I've never had pizza before."
"You'll like it, I promise. Let's go," Adam says with a smile.
"Okay."
Together, he and Juno walk through the streets and eventually stop at Slice of Life. A circular pizza sign with a slice taken out of it hangs above their heads. A bell sounds when they enter.
"Welcome!" the man behind the counter calls out.
"Hello," Adam says. He guides Juno to the register.
"What can I get for ya?"
"What would you like, Juno?"
"What types of pizza do you have, sir?" she asks.
"Oh, we've got lots! Here's a menu if you're not sure what to get." He points at the menu in front of the register.
"Thank you." She looks it over and reads the ingredients for each.
"See anything you like?" Adam asks.
"I like the sound of the Margherita pizza."
"All right. We'll take a medium one of those."
"Anything else for you?" the man behind the counter asks.
"We'll take an order of breadsticks too."
"Sure thing."
Adam pays for their meal while Juno chooses a seat and checks out the decor. After a couple of minutes, Adam returns with two boxes. He sits down and opens them. Juno's eyes light up at the sight.
"Here you are. I bought some garlic sauce for you to dip the crust and breadsticks in."
"Thank you." Juno grabs a slice from the box and slowly inserts the end of it into her mouth. The warm creamy tomato sauce combined with the savory mozzarella cheese and basil and flaky crust makes her eyes widen.
"You like?" Adam asks. Juno nods enthusiastically. They continue their meal, talking about the different locations of the city. Adam shares some of his college stories with her, including the one time he went to a frat party and got blackout drunk. Never again would he make that mistake. Juno gently laughs at that.
"I'm surprised you would ever attend a party in the first place."
"Yeah, I uh…" He rubs the back of his neck. "One of my friends—not from the photo, mind you—invited me to go with him. I refused at first, but then he said my crush at the time would be there."
"Crush?"
"Her name was Summer Hartman, a bubbly and incredibly talented Ecology major."
"A pretty name. What was she like?" Juno asks. A bright red blush rushes into his cheeks thinking about his old flame. Mirror grins.
"Sh-She… um… She had… jade green eyes and short, pumpkin-colored curly hair."
"Do you have a photo of her?"
"Oh, um… y-yeah, I do actually." He takes out his wallet and pulls out the Polaroid of her from the outside pocket. She wears a yellow dress with puffy sleeves in the middle of a field of sunflowers. Her smile is bright with a neat row of sparkly white teeth. Adam sighs dreamily. Juno notices his pupils expand looking at the picture.
"I didn't know sunflowers grew here."
"They do. She took me there during my sophomore year."
"Seems she reciprocated your feelings."
"She did, yes. Now," Adam claps his hands together lightly so as not to make too much noise and changes the subject. "We should finish eating so we can go shopping."
"Okay." Juno takes one last look at Summer before her image disappears back into Adam's wallet. What happened between them? Should she look into his mind again?
After disposing of their garbage, the two of them set out in search of clothes and a phone. By now, the rain has slowed enough to not need umbrellas. Still, the sun hides from them. Juno's mind fills back up with thoughts of the young man she had connected with. How can she go see him without Dr. Graves knowing?
"Okay, Juno. Here's the plan. I'm going to have you do your clothes shopping on your own. I have given you plenty of cash, so buy several outfits and a wallet and purse of some kind. Meanwhile, I'm going to create your ID and set up everything on that front. I'll also buy your phone. You can choose the phone case, of course. After all that, we can reconvene at the Garden Dome. You've seen it. You remember where it is?"
"I do."
"Good. See you then. I'll be waiting." Adam smiles kindly, then starts walking toward the cell phone store. Juno smiles back, then heads for the dome.
I'm here. Come find me.
***
After a while of waiting, the young man's mind races. Was that just a dream? Was she not coming after all? He sighs sadly. And here he had been so excited to meet her! He takes one last look at the sky. A slim ray of sunlight shines through the clouds and directly onto him. He is about to leave when he notices a figure wandering amidst the flowers. His eyes light up as he approaches her. She's here!
"Hey!" he calls out. She turns to face him.
"Hello," Juno says, her eyes bright with wonder, "I am sorry I didn't come sooner."
"It's no problem at all!" He smiles sweetly. "It's nice to meet you. I suppose a formal introduction is in order. I'm Castor. Castor Terrell. And you are?"
"Juno."
"Such a lovely name. Means Queen of the Heavens in Latin, doesn't it?"
"Yes, that's right." She looks him over. He wears a clean white dress shirt and black slacks with a black bow tie. Over top, he wears a dark green trench coat and a fedora.
"So, um… what brings you here to Ibrocester?"
"I'm going clothes shopping."
"Ah, I see. Wanna explore the city together?"
"Sure. Sounds fun. I have to return here once I am finished, though."
"No worries; I'll make sure you're back in time."
"Thank you."
"Shall we go?"
"Indeed."
"Okay! Follow me!" Castor gently grabs hold of Juno's hand and leads her out of the garden. Luckily she can't see the vibrant blush that has risen into his face. They make their way down the sidewalks and into the shopping district. Vehicles travel up and down the streets, nearly spraying water from the road onto Castor and Juno. Soon, they arrive at New World Outfitters. A little bell rings when they enter the store.
"So, Juno, what are you looking for?"
"Not sure yet. I need to buy several outfits though."
"All right. Want me to see if I can find anything for you?"
"Sure. I wear adult medium-size clothes."
"Okay."
Castor sets off in search of cute outfits for her. Meanwhile, Juno does the same. One of the saleswomen approaches her.
"Can I help you find anything?"
"I'm all right, thank you."
"Of course! If you need a changing room, let me know," the saleswoman says.
"Okay."
Juno selects a couple of outfits from the racks: sweaters, jeans, band tees, tanks, dresses skirts—a little bit of everything. Castor chooses a couple of outfits as well as some accessories. They reconvene moments later.
"Wow, you chose some great stuff!" Castor says.
"Thank you." She looks over the clothes that Castor picked out. One of the items draped over his arm is a long, pastel pink sundress with flowers all over it. Juno smiles.
"How did you know I like flowers?"
"Lucky guess." Castor winks with a grin and Juno laughs softly.
"Here, I'll take those off your hands," Juno says.
"Let me get the saleswoman for you." Castor walks over to her and tells her that Juno would like a changing room, so she goes and sets it up for her.
"Any outfits you don't like, just set on that bar right there and we'll put it back for you."
"Thank you," Juno says.
She decides to try on the sundress first. She isn't much of a pink person, but this shade of pink is pretty. She slides the dress on, then looks at her reflection. Her eyes widen.
Castor sits outside, waiting for her to emerge in the first outfit. Suddenly, the door to her changing room opens and she steps out. Castor blushes a bright red. He traces her curves up to her face where her purple eyes stare directly into his.
"Whoa… y-you look…"
"I like this. You have good taste."
"Ah, um, thanks."
"I'm going to try on the other clothes now."
"Go ahead. I'll be out here."
After trying on all of her outfits and accessories, Juno purchases the things she wants and leaves the others behind. Castor offers to carry all of her bags for her, at least until they have to part ways. He holds Juno's hand in his and together the pair walk around to several more clothing stores. Once they finish, they shop in a bookstore, a toy store, a jewelry store, and an entertainment store.
While they shop, Adam speaks with the manager at the cell phone store. He goes over the details for a new phone, a Meteora 8 at that. Not only is it waterproof, but it comes with a really nice camera, lots of storage, dozens of built-in apps, and a set of earbuds. He pays with his ID card instead of cash. He hadn't told Juno, but his ID card also serves as a form of payment. All of them do. He buys the phone and sets up the plan, then leaves. The only thing left for him to do is to get her an ID card. Last night, Juno gave him a flash drive with all of her personal documents on it. She told him that her people all had one of these, much in the same way all of Xindyria's people had their cards. She had helped him translate and organize each item, then save the new files. He pauses with his hand on the door handle. Suddenly, the realization that her life is entirely in his hands hits him. He knows everything about her now, from her parents' names—Scogon and Veilin—to her greatest fear…
***
Meanwhile, Castor and Juno return to the massive garden, all of her bags shared between their hands. On the way, they chatted about the weather, the city, and, briefly, their home lives. Juno learned that compared to her home life, Castor lived in a household that openly expressed affection and celebrated every milestone together.
"Sounds nice," Juno says. "I wish my family were like that."
"Aren't they?"
"No." Juno hesitates. "Castor…"
"Yeah?" he asks.
"I… I need to tell you something."
"What is it?"
And so, Juno spins the whole tale from her crash landing on Xindyria to now, this very moment. Hearing about her legendary status as the reincarnation of a deity… Castor's eyes widen with wonder.
"You're… an alien goddess?" he whispers.
"Yes. I understand that may be hard to believe, but—"
"No, you're okay! I… I trust you."
"Why? We only just met today."
"Maybe, but… you bridged our minds, remember?"
"Oh. You're right, I did do that."
"I've never seen anyone with purple eyes like yours before. And, when we held hands, I could feel something flowing in your blood. I could feel sparks on your fingertips. I have no doubt that you are who you say you are, and I want to help you."
"You… You do? Why?"
"You're special to me. I promise. I want to stay in touch with you. Here." Castor takes out one of the receipts and writes a string of numbers on the back. "My phone number. Once you get a phone, message me, okay?"
"Of course."
"Now… about that shapeshifting ability of yours…"
"Yes?"
"Can I see?!" Castor asks, his eyes sparkling with curiosity.
"Sure." Juno looks around. "Are there any cameras in here?"
"Nope. Here, we can hide in some bushes."
"Okay."
Castor grins mischievously and Juno follows him into a hidden circle of flowers. Their sweet smell surrounds them.
"What can you turn into?"
"Anything."
"Okay." Castor looks around for inspiration. He points at a small red and white spotted mushroom on the ground. "How about that mushroom there?"
"I can do that." Mirror envelops herself in a glowing light, then condenses down into a tiny mushroom form. When the light fades, a matching red and white spotted mushroom greets him. She transforms back to her human self moments later.
"WOW! THAT'S SO COOL!"
"Shhh… Keep your voice down," Juno whispers.
"Oh. Right. S-Sorry…" He laughs, an embarrassed blush spreading across his cheeks. "You're like a mirror!"
"A… mirror?"
"Yeah! Your nickname should be 'The Mirror!' You're a perfect reflection of anyone and anything you encounter."
"I like that." Juno smiles, then frowns. "I must admit, I'm surprised."
"Huh? Why?"
"I've never shown humans my shapeshifting powers until now. Honestly, I thought you'd be… scared… of me."
"Why would I be scared?"
"You know about the Illixi, don't you?"
"Yeah. Not much, but yeah."
"Illixi have skin suits that can mimic humans."
"...They do?"
"Yes. I have intimate knowledge of the Illixi both before and after their betrayal, but…some key details are still missing."
"Such as?"
"Her."
"Who?"
"The Illixi princess. I don't know her name, but she's the one behind all this. I've known her people for centuries. Once, they were our friends. Something caused their monarchy to collapse, and now she has it out for humanity."
"Oh. I… I see." Both of them are silent for a moment.
"Castor?"
"Yes, Juno?"
"May I consider you… a friend?"
"Absolutely. I want to help you navigate this human world, no matter what happens."
"You're very sweet."
"I try to be."
A clock chime interrupts their moment. Juno counts them. One. Two. Three. Four. Five.
"I have to go," Juno says. "Or rather, you do."
"Ah, yeah. I need to make dinner. Talk to you later?"
"Of course. I enjoyed meeting you, Castor."
"You too, Juno!" He holds out his hand out in a peace sign. Juno recognizes this symbol from Earth. She waves with a gentle smile as Castor grins at her, then leaves the hiding spot and heads for the exit of the garden. Juno holds the receipt tightly in her left hand, her bags on both arms. She slides out of the cover of the bushes and sits on a bench, waiting for Adam to return. After about 15 minutes, he arrives.
"Hey, Juno."
"Hello, Dr. Graves."
"Did you have fun?"
"I did."
"Good. Here, I'll take those bags for you." Juno holds out her arms as Dr. Graves slides the bags off of her. She shoves the receipt into her new purse, a small white leather backpack with gold zippers and a ribbon on the front.
"Thanks."
"No problem. I have your new phone and ID too. They're in my backpack." He kneels and allows Juno to open it and claim her prizes.
"What is it?"
"It's called a Meteora 8. It's really nice."
"Oh. I'm sorry."
"Huh? What for?"
"A phone like that must've been expensive."
"It's okay. I have plenty saved up. Besides, you need a good phone."
"All right. Well, thank you."
"Ready to head back?"
"Yes."
"Okay."
Together, the two of them walk back to his motorcycle sitting in the shade of the parking deck. The sun had come out in the midst of their shopping spree, causing the clouds and mist to disperse. As they load up their bags in the hovercraft, Juno's mind floods with thoughts of Castor. Such curious green eyes… and a smile so sweet. His cheerful voice echoes in her mind. Where does he live? What will he have for dinner? What does he like to read? So many questions, but she can't have the answers just yet. Juno grins. She'll learn soon enough. She has a feeling her friendship with Castor is going to be something greater than anything she could ever dream of…
***
When Castor returns to his apartment that evening, he prepares a simple meal of chicken and rice. It's a recipe his mother taught him when he was young. He fondly remembers his mother's wonderful cooking. Both of his parents taught him and his siblings how to cook a variety of meals, along with other important life skills. He wonders if Juno likes to cook on her homeworld. He didn't ask much about her home life, as she seemed to not want to talk about it, but he must admit, he is still quite curious. Once his dinner is ready, he sits on his couch, having changed into his pajamas, and turns on the television. All he can think about, however, is Juno, the young woman who'd captured his heart. He blushes red and shyly hides his smile, withholding a flustered laugh from climbing up his throat. How enchanting! Her ethereal aura had drawn him in, and her natural beauty had ensnared him in an intricate spider web. He wants to know everything: what her favorite color is, what games she enjoys, what her favorite music is— everything. God, he can't get her out of his mind. He hopes he hadn't acted too excited today, grabbing her hand and all.
***
That night, back in her room, Juno, having set up her new phone, adds Castor as her first contact. She then enters the bathroom. She strips down and looks at herself in the mirror above the sink. Castor's words ring in her head:
You're a perfect reflection of anyone and anything you encounter.
She tilts her head to one side, then looks down at her hands. Getting used to this new body will take time; she knows this all too well. She smiles lightly. Her human body is pretty. She turns away and steps into the shower. As the hot water runs down her skin, her mind returns to Castor. He is certainly attractive, and compassionate too. What is the word? A gentleman. That's who he is. She can feel her heart flutter just a bit. Huh? What's happening? Juno places a hand on her chest. As quickly as the feeling arrives, it dissipates. Could this be…? No, that's impossible. Her people don't feel romantic love. Or maybe they have. She can't remember. All she knows is that she's never felt this way about anyone before now. She scrubs herself clean, trying not to think about her pounding heart.
After emerging from the shower, she gets ready for bed, setting up a routine to follow from now on. She turns out the light, then sends a message to Castor, hoping he is still awake to read it:
Hello. It's Juno (Mirror). Thank you for today. I had fun. I hope to see you again.
Me too! I'm really happy to have met you today! Good night, Mirror! :)
Good night, Castor.
She smiles to herself, then hugs her phone to her chest. She knows he can't feel the gesture, but she chooses to imagine that he can. She then sets her phone on her nightstand and falls asleep, dreaming of their meeting in the garden…