Dawn is a Feeling

**Recording**

**Transcript**

**Kyuu**: *Okay, so this will start sorta after the events of Melody's playbook change session. After fighting Reaper One/Yamato and going into Shadow Halcyon and just having a great time, everyone returns to the barbecue at the Goldman house and—*

**Custard**: *Yes.*

**Kyuu**: *Yeah.*

**Custard**: *Wait, are we recording?*

**Kyuu**: *I started a bit ago, yes.*

**Custard**: *[whispering] Hello everyone.*

*[laughing]*

**Kyuu**: *So everyone has shown up, Gwen and Lancelot are there. Big surprise!: Old Jackal showed up as The Coyote. Carm and Boon showed up eventually. I imagine it's gone into late afternoon/evening as everybody does karaoke, and Flex Girls play, and everyone just hangs out and is having a good time.*

*I'm kind of imagining during this whole thing that Melody is probably staying very busy and kind of like, awkwardly looking at Aman occasionally. What would Aman be doing?*

**Custard**: *I mean once we're all back, and you know, party's in full swing and after everyone went for Teenage Juice Party and came back I think you would have to act more or less like “we totally did not go over to those shadow tentacles, take down you know, dimension time hopping super ancient bad villain and basically one of the Reapers… as in Grim Reaper.”*

*So yeah, nothing bad happened, we were just getting juice. And I think there's a moment where I think everyone sort of catches Aman getting a bit ripped into by Javeria Isar because he changed, so because he got his fancy clothes absolutely destroyed.*

**Kyuu**: *Aww, buddy. [laughs]*

**Custard**: *So yeah, karaoke goes by, everyone sings a song or another. Is there a song Melody would have sung?*

**Kyuu**: *Ooh, that's a very good question. I want to say “Girl On Fire” just because that was her alternate wrestling intro song before she ended up using the Terminator 2 theme and borrowing Ellen's bike. [laughs]*

**Custard**: *Wow. Yeah I think Aman’s probably looking at Melody a little awkwardly as well, but… other friends are here, and it was a big day, and they would probably have more time to address it later so he's hanging out with like… you know, jumping between Ernest and Melody and getting annoyed by Mishel. And I think at one point Ellen and Aman do a little “We Don't Need Roads” stuff that they've been working on slowly.*

*And of course Gwen's there, so you know, everyone’s probably trying to spend a good amount of time with Gwen and Aman is probably goofing off with his big sister.*

**Kyuu**: *Awww.*

**Custard**: *But I think it's when everyone's packing up-- if you're okay with moving to that point—*

**Kyuu**: *Mhm.*

**Custard**: *And Aman’s just wandering around with a big old trash quarter-filled with soda or something… maybe he can bump into Melody at that point?*

**Kyuu**: *Yeah, I think Melody is obviously helping clean up too- she's probably going into the house and carrying plates and stuff back and forth and just kind of running around. And yeah, bumps into Aman as stuff is winding down.*

**Aman**: Hey, that one over there, could you just toss it over? [points at a cup]

**Melody**: Yep! [picks up a cup as liquid sloshes around in it] Oh there's a little stuff— eh, fuck it. [carefully tosses cup at Aman]
**Aman**: [opens the bag and lets it fall in cleanly] Yeah, think I got them all.

**Melody**: Nice! Thanks. Yeah, I think got all the dishes and crap so I think I'm good? I think we're good. Probably?

**Aman**: Seems like it.

**Melody**: Yeah. Th-th-thanks for helpin’, dude.

**Aman**: No worries, I mean we kinda do this every year, right.

**Melody**: Yeah, but…

**Aman**: Or used to or whatever. [laughs]

**Custard**: *And you know, he sort of grabs the back of his own neck and sheepishly looks away, then stops and is like…*

**Aman**: Hey, uh, Melody?

**Melody**: Uh, yeah Aman?

**Aman**: Yea, about the thing we talked about before we came back…

**Melody**: Yeah, yeah, like… hangin’ out after the… right?

**Aman**: Yeah… you still up for it?

**Melody**: Yeah yeah of course. Um, are you still good?

**Aman**: Yeah yeah, already got chewed out, so don't have that on my schedule.

[laughing]

**Melody**: Hey, I know you said maybe you wanted to go into town to hang out and stuff? But honestly, like, since we've been hanging out with other people all day and town is usually very busy and loud, and I just
kind of wanted to talk for a bit…

**Aman**: Okay yeah, we can-- you know-- just do it another time if it's
going to be too— oh! Oh.

**Melody**: No, I was thinking, like… do you still have your hiking boots?

**Aman**: Yeah, I should have them somewhere. I can check. Wait, why am I going to need hiking boots?

**Melody**: I mean, because if you're cool with it, there's this really nice hiking trail at the Halcyon Nature Reserve that I go to by myself sometimes, but I’ve kinda wanted to show you it for a while anyway and
it's like, very quiet and pretty and I just thought that might be a good place to kind of get away from Halcyon for a little bit and just chat and hang out and stuff. And hiking’s fun! I mean, I think it’s fun.

**Custard**: *He’s just listening along, nodding nodding nodding, and then a smile spreads across Aman's face and he’ll shrug, and like…*

**Aman**: Yeah, all right, cool. I mean I'll look for the hiking boots, but if I don't find them, I'm still up for the hiking thing. It's like… hiking boots, skate shoes, do you really need specified footwear for specific-- okay I think you would need it for some things. Okay, never mind, I’ll go look for the boots.

**Kyuu**: *I think she just kinda giggles as he’s talking. And yeah, I kind of*
imagine them going their separate ways for you know, 10-15 minutes and—

**Custard**: *A little longer; would have to put everything-- throw everything back out. I guess the Isars and the Goldmans probably hang out a little longer after.*

**Kyuu**: *Yeah that's true that's true.*

**Custard**: *And it's good that the kids are around. And Mishel’s still being a gremlin. I guess Aman and Melody probably have to deal with their parents stories, and maybe Jav Isar and Monica Goldman being their subtle mom selves. Which is extra tense because of what happened.*

**Kyuu**: *Yep. [laughing] That's very good.*

**Custard**: *But yeah, I guess some even later into the evening-- it's probably already getting a bit dark.*

**Kyuu**: *Yeah yeah yeah, probably dusk or just past it at this point.*

**Custard**: *And yeah, Aman luckily managed to find his hiking boots, so he crosses the road over to the Goldmans.*

**Kyuu**: *Yeah, I think Melody is waiting outside of the Jackal-van, already wearing her hiking boots, exercise stuff…*

**Custard**: *Aman has his good old boots, jeans, hoodie with a jacket on top of it.*

**Kyuu**: *I imagine Melody has like… not jeans, but the name is failing me.. but pants that are better for hiking and probably like a fleece jacket.*

**Custard**: *Hiking pants, basically.*

**Kyuu**: *Yes.*

**Custard**: *Something with a bit more give and stretch, and POCKETS.*

**Kyuu**: *YES. Multiple pockets. Pockets important.*

**Aman**: Oh, you own a pair of those?

**Melody**: Yeah, I mean my parents used to like hiking a lot?

**Aman**: Okay so, real real talk Melody: I just have the boots. Am I woefully under-prepared for wherever we're going?

**Melody**: No, you're good dude. It's a little baby trail, you're fine.

**Aman**: Yeah, I mean, I can take hiking. Also: shotgun.

**Melody**: Yeah, I’m not your chauffeur dude. You'd better be in the front.

[laughing]

**Aman**: I know, with the team stuff going on I kinda got used to calling that out. Unless, you know, there's Ellen's bike. [glances over to the bike]

**Melody**: [looking at bike] I don't know if she would let me borrow it... maybe? But also I'm not very good at driving it and, uh…

**Aman**: I could take us…

**Melody**: [hesitation noises]

**Aman**: But no, it's her bike. [lowers his voice] I don't think she’d like that.

**Melody**: [laughing] I don't think she would.

**Kyuu**: *Yeah, she hops in the van. Imagining… hmm. What Bangles song immediately comes on in the radio-- it's probably ‘Walk Like an Egyptian’, for like, 5 seconds before she turns it off.*

**Custard**: *[laughing] Perfect.*

**Kyuu**: *So they drive over to the Halcyon Nature Reserve. I don't think it's super far away, like 20-30 minutes?*

**Custard**: *I mean, it can be a little longer, it's fine. 30-40 minutes isn't that long a drive.*

**Kyuu**: *Okay okay. Yeah, it's 30-40 minutes. I'm imagining Melody at least is not talking about anything important this whole time… just talking about stuff at school, stuff she's been up to for fun, or asking Aman about like hobbies or stuff he's been up to. But nothing serious, and very little about what’d happened earlier in the day.*

**Custard**: *Yeah, no, I was gonna say the same. He's probably avoiding that as well. Talking about other things, so if Melody offers conversation about school and stuff, Aman gladly takes that. Continues on and there's like… how he's starting to do better in math because of Miraya and how the other day, you know, managed to land a new trick he'd been practicing on. And Flick surprisingly landed it as well. Got him like, you know, basically had everyone around the skatepark stop and take a look.*

**Kyuu:** *[laughing]*

**Aman**: And they applauded, like, I'm not kidding Melody. Like, some of them were sitting down and Flick got a standing ovation.

**Melody**: Was the trick, like, THAT cool? Or does everyone just like, expect him to eat it.

**Aman**: Uhh… bit of both. More on the eat it, actually, yeah. This girl Amanda had a phone out ready to record. She didn’t get her Instagram post for the day. Or did? I mean, he landed the trick, so…

**Melody**: Damn, I gotta go to the skate park more. I gotta see Flick land a trick someday.

**Aman**: Yeah, no, probably, maybe. Hopefully you'll see him land one, but usually you might see me or Hana get to him before he completely wipes out.

**Melody**: [laughing]

**Aman**: Actually have a bit of a scar from one time I had to catch him. We both ate it.

**Melody**: [still driving, but turns a little bit towards him] Where is this scar?

**Aman**: What? Oh yeah, hold on. [shifts and pulls up his shirt a bit, points at lower back] Right about here? It's not that big.

**Melody**: Oh, that's not too bad. [pauses, turns pink, looks back at road]

**Custard**: *I guess yeah, the other bit of conversation flies by and, you know, just Aman telling her things about his friends or other stuff he's up to as well.*

**Kyuu**: *Yeah yeah yeah. So just a lot of small talk as they make their way to the Halcyon Nature Reserve. I imagine at this point, since it's past sundown it's closed already. But if it's like every state park I've ever been to, there's just like a little chain blocking the entrance way and you can just go move it, so Melody probably goes and hops out and*
they park and just kind of make their way up this trail by themselves?

**Custard**: *Yeah, you know… quiet evening, sky is getting dark, this far out I guess there's less pollution. There's already a few signs of stars in the sky and old leaves or gravel crunching underfoot before the proper nature path begins. That light evening breeze picks up*

**Aman**: Whoah. It's been a while since I've been out here.

**Melody**: Yeah! I mean, me too, actually. Like, I remember we came here with like our parents and stuff when we moved out-- when I moved out here-- but with like, Big Team and The Jackal and stuff, I haven't been-- I hadn't been out here for a very long time.

**Aman**: Yeah yeah, no, definitely. Just doesn't look like it changed all that much, that's all.

**Melody**: Yeah, I mean, it’s nature right. It takes a long time to change.

**Aman**: Yeah.

**Kyuu**: *I think like at some point as they're walking she kind of like gestures to-- there's like a set of trees off in the distance where you see the tops are kind of scorched, and she's like…*

**Melody**: Ernest and I actually come out here to like, train powers and stuff once in a while.

**Aman**: Yeah, oh that’s where you two do that. All right, cool. I knew you were training together just… thought it was the Danger Room.

**Melody**: Sometimes we do the Danger Room but sometimes just head out here cuz it's usually not a ton of people here and training outside is cool once in a while.

**Aman**: Yeah, so that was Ernest with the tree scorchin?
**Melody**: Uhhh, yeah.

**Aman**: Jeez.

**Kyuu**: *I think you also see some trees that are just like, have been knocked over and there's just like stumps there now and she like…*

**Aman**: That would have been you.

**Melody**: [guilty groaning] Maybe? Could've been Ernest.

**Aman**: I know that looks like more of a you thing.

**Melody**: [more guilty groaning] Maybe.

**Aman**: Yeah, I mean, it’s cool actually. I mean, okay, poor trees but um, damn.

**Melody**: Would you believe me if I said it wasn't on purpose?

**Aman**: Okay I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing but it's still cool. It's a good bad good thing, let's go with that.

**Melody**: Yeah. [laughing]

**Aman**: Geez, kind of still ticked off at Ernest for today.

**Melody**: Right? Like what, oh my god what the fuck was he thinking? Wow... that was the stupidest thing I've ever seen anybody do in my life.

**Aman**: Yeah, I just… I don't know, it was… I've never actually wanted to punch someone and like… I mean one of my friends. I think there's very few people I've wanted to punch as bad as I wanted to punch Ernest
for what he pulled off today.

**Melody**: Yeah.

**Aman**: Also, just… you know, I was scared. Like, I uh… that was terrifying. Just…

**Melody**: Yeah. A lot of that shit was just really fucking terrifying but I, uh… that was definitely up there.

**Aman**: Hey, ya I know, I'm glad that moron’s okay.

**Melody**: Me too. I'm so glad Atlanta was there to actually like get us there? Because I'm POSITIVE Ernest didn't know she could do that. [sighs]

**Aman**: Yeah, almost, you know tried flying after him before-- can't do that anymore. That bit’s gonna get me someday because I think that's the one I forget the most frequently and I'm gonna do something just as dumb and try to fly after someone off the end of building--

**Melody**: Please don’t do that.

**Aman**: --And realize halfway down I can't do that.

**Melody**: Please please please don’t do that.

**Aman**: [shrugs, grins, gives Melody’s shoulder a light punch] I’m not going to. I’m not an idiot. I think.

**Melody**: [giggles, blank stare]

**Aman**: That was a joke. I know I'm not dumb Melody. Jeez. And now I’m insulted.

**Melody**: I didn't say anything!

**Aman**: Uh-huh.

**Kyuu**: *I think she bumps her shoulder into his playfully.*

**Custard**: *Yeah, he laughs. At this point, they’ve probably been walking a while, and he's like...*

**Aman**: So, uh, are we just hiking, or we have a destination in mind?

**Kyuu**: *I think she points like right ahead where the trail kind of like crests and plateaus and she's like...*

**Melody**: Yep, the spot I was thinking of is like right up there.

**Aman**: Oh cool, yeah, I think we’ve been there… [he takes one
step and then another slightly quicker] And I can kind of… race you!

**Melody**: Okay, you're on!

**Kyuu**: *And she starts running.*

**Custard**: *He’s gone.*

*[laughing]*

**Kyuu**: *I'm just imagining like both of them getting there at the same exact time.*

**Custard**: *I believe you know as Aman just gets up the crest and they get there pretty much the same time, he’s laughing, running, trying to win and then his eye widens and it’s like… his breath has been taken away for a moment? And Aman just stares at the city out in the distance spread out*
twinkling in the night. I assume that it’s Halcyon City so it won't be twinkling it would be a bright ol’ bonfire in the distance.

**Kyuu**: *Yeah, just Halcyon City skyline super super bright in the distance. Like you said, I think there's less light/pollution out here so you can actually see the stars in the sky above and behind Halcyon. I'm just imagining like the rows and rows of trees kind of like, barely illuminated by the moon at this point… but just a super super pretty sight.*

**Aman**: Whoa. [takes a few careful steps forward, just staring at the skyline in the distance, the light wind kicking up a little more so it buffets and plays with his hair] Wow.

**Melody**: Yeah, right?

**Aman**: Yeah, it's… I've-- this is… this is beautiful.

**Melody**: Yeah, I'm glad you think so too. I actually sort of came up here on accident a few months ago when I was here for training but Ernest kinda didn’t show up, and I just wanted to-- you know-- since I was already here just check stuff out and… yeah. I found this by
accident and I've just sort of been coming back when I just need to chill
out and like, meditate and think about stuff cuz it's just really really pretty and quiet and nice here.

**Aman**: Yeah. It's a whole lot quieter than going to the Needle to think.

**Melody**: The Needle’s very nice too. But I—- yeah, since you showed me your spot on the Needle, I wanted you to see this place eventually.

**Aman**: I-- I like it.

**Melody**: [giggles]

**Custard**: *Yeah, he'll just take a few more steps forward where there's a bit more of a clearing that looks like people have come and sat there so the grass has flattened a bit yeah and his eye is still on the skyline, and he drops down.*

**Kyuu**: *Yeah, Melody follows and goes and sits down next to him just kind of… knees drawn up, just looking out over the skyline.*

**Custard**: *Aman has his legs crossed, but he's leaning back and has himself propped up by his hands just shifting between the skyline and the stars and the skyline. I don't think he'll say anything for a moment at all unless Melody prompts something.*

**Kyuu**: *I think she's very quiet for a few moments too, just kind of looking out at Halcyon, then looking up at the stars and stuff. I think maybe after like… a full minute probably.*

**Custard**: *Which is an eternity sometimes.*

**Kyuu**: *Yeah. Sometimes.*

**Melody**: Hey… so!

**Aman**: H-hey… yeah. Wh-what's up?

**Melody**: Like… today.

**Aman**: It’s been a hell of a day.

**Melody**: Yeah yeah, that's—yeah. That's a way to put it.

**Aman**: I mean, I could probably fill out a notebook with enough ways to describe today.

**Melody**: [laughing]

**Aman**: Hey, uh… are you okay?

**Melody**: Yeah! I’m… I'm good.

**Aman**: Okay… because, you kinda took the brunt of today, and…

**Melody**: I mean yeah, I'm good. I-- like… 100% honest, it's like, my side still hurts a little bit from getting… you know. Stabbed by a grim reaper. But it's not… it’s fine. I'm fine.

**Aman**: Glad those don't leave actual physical damage because we'd be having this conversation standing at a hospital bed.

**Melody**: Yeah. For some reason I feel like it hurt more than that but yeah, I'm good now. Are-- are you okay?

**Aman**: Fine, I mean, I just went through a wall, but wouldn't be the first time.

**Melody**: Yeah, but like it's harder to go through walls now.

**Aman**: Yeah, it still hurts a bit, but I think had a lot of adrenaline pumping so kinda took care of it. I'll probably feel it in the morning.

**Melody**: I’m glad you're okay, Aman. I was— fuck, when we got there and Ellen was passed out and you weren't there I was just… I was so worried about you.

**Aman**: Sorry about that, we kinda thought we could get a head start figuring things out and kinda pulled an early Ernest.

[both laughing]

I should lay off him.

**Melody**: That's okay, he deserves it today.

**Aman**: [laughing] Yeah he does.

**Custard**: *And you know he laughs a little longer, for a moment it’s suddenly easy, and then that veil of awkwardness falls again and Aman is looking away once more, absent mindedly picking at the grass by his side.*

**Aman**: So yeah, you know, we talked about doing this whole thing after we were sure everything was fine and I mean, well, kinda important to figure out why we-- I mean, okay, ‘figure out’ wrong word. [sighs] I'm alright. About the thing back at the-- when I thought that you were gone and that Yamato had taken over, I just… I don't know why, I got so worried I didn't want to lose you and I mean, I tried to think of any way that I could reach you and… now that I think about it, that was the dumbest way I could have thought of reaching you maybe.

**Melody**: Yeah, it really was! There was—oh my god, Aman. If I wasn't so mad at Ernest already, I would be even more mad at you. There's so many other ways you could have—you could have punched me! That might’ve worked! Or you could have run away, that would have been good too. Like-- that was so dangerous!

**Custard**: *He looks genuinely pained at that.*

**Aman**: Yeah, I mean, it’s all that came to me in that moment. I didn’t want to lose you. And, y’know, maybe if I became more clear about how I felt that would pull you back and… look, Yamato was in your head and
it's a lot like…

**Custard**: *Aman goes silent for a moment just wondering if he's about to*
absolutely destroy the moment by continuing this sentence but decides to
go with it anyways eventually.

**Aman**: [sighs] Look, she was controlling you and it reminded me a lot of Alastor and Mini were, and one thing that got rid of Alastor and brought Mini back was joy and just… people who cared for you and loved you and-- I figured… I mean that's what I think I figured now, but in that moment I just-- it was all that came to me and I did what I thought would bring you back and get rid of her.

**Kyuu**: *I think she doesn't respond for a few seconds, just still sort of staring up at the sky and twirling her hair around a finger for a bit, and then she'll awkwardly look back to him and like…*

**Melody**: Yeah, well, you got lucky cuz it worked. I'm really glad you did that, Aman. Cause… honestly, I've like, never been more scared in my life? I could still feel myself moving and talking and stuff but it wasn't me, and I just-- I didn't know how to… the idea of being stuck like that forever was scary. But you know… I was more scared about you getting hurt.

**Aman**: You know, in a way you kinda were the one doing the saving because I would probably have had a katana through me and I know what getting stabbed is like, and I don't want that again.

**Melody**: You helped me as much as-- you helped me, dude.

**Aman**: No, you totally saved me.

**Melody**: No, you saved me! [sticks her nose up]

**Aman**: All I did was— oh. [face goes red, looks away, looks back] You know what, I kind of blame Bobby and Lanta for that-- okay blame is a wrong word.

**Melody**: [tilts her head] Why would you blame them?

**Aman**: [nervous laughing] Okay, nope, no. I may have talked to them about you?

**Melody**: Oh.

**Aman**: And just sort of telling you how I feel before something dumb happens.

**Kyuu**: *I think her like face kind of flushes and she looks legitimately surprised.*

**Melody**: That was… [loud sigh]

**Aman**: It's okay, I mean… you know, they both said it was sort of mutual, but they could've just been making it easy for me to… sorry, you were saying something?

**Melody**: Yeah, it’s--

**Aman**: Alright, go on.

**Melody**: Yeah, I… talked to Ellen and Atlanta too? About, uh, how I felt about you? Feel about you. I'm really happy you're okay, Aman, and you’re safe and I'm really happy that you--

**Aman**: Hey.

**Melody**: Yeah?

**Aman**: Uh, I-- I really like you. I mean… like, of course I like you, you're one of my closest friends, but I mean… I just know it now, and in that moment I knew it, and uh… I really like you, Melody. And, I mean… jeez this is hard.

**Melody**: I--I really like you too, Aman. Like… I mean, yeah I like you cuz you're like, one of my best friends, but I like you like you too and I have for a while and I just… I should have told you a few months ago but I was… look, you're my best friend dude, and I just didn't want to fuck anything up—

**Aman**: --mess things up?

**Melody**: --Or make anything weird?

**Aman**: Same. I didn't, I mean… [goes silent again for a brief moment but then looks back] Yeah, no, I didn't want to mess things up again either and just I… I figured it out a lot more not too long ago. I may even have been a little… it's all right. So… um…

**Melody**: …Yeah?

**Aman**: [nervous chuckle] Does this mean… would… you…

**Melody**: [deep breath] Aman, do you want to go out with me?

**Aman**: Yeah—yeah I do.

**Melody**: [happy laughter]

**Aman**: Whoa, yeah, yeah… I’d love to. Wow. Kind of… just felt light for a moment.

**Melody**: [laughing] Yeah.

**Aman**: I want to, and…

**Custard**: *He's going to just reach out and offer her his hand.*

**Kyuu**: *Yeah, she takes his hand and squeezes it.*

**Custard**: *Yeah, he squeezes it back. His face is a bit flushed, pretty flushed.*

**Kyuu**: *Melody’s absolutely flushed.*

**Aman**: So, uh, I guess it took a catastrophe to get us to this point.

**Custard**: *That familiar spark of Aman and his silly grin just returns and he looks right into Melody's eyes like…*

**Aman**: Would that really count as a first kiss?

**Melody**: You know… hmm. I think so, but we should probably try again just to make sure.

**Kyuu**: *And I think she leans in and kisses him.*

**Custard**: *Yeah, he’ll also—probably started leaning in at the same time if only to get her to not keep talking after that.*

**Kyuu**: *Aww, I'm just imagining the camera panning out as both of them are kissing and you see the Halcyon skyline in the background behind them and stars overhead and it's very very cute and pretty.*

**Custard**: *Yep. Pans back and the two of them are lying down on the grass now side by side still holding hands.*

**Kyuu**: *Mhm mhm.*

**Aman**: [laughing] So.

**Melody**: So… [laughing]

**Aman**: I mean, we've had a first kiss, but… I mean everything's kind of led me to believe you need to eat something together for it to be a date.

**Melody**: [laughing] I don't think that's right, but I don't know-- I've
never been on a date before, so…

**Aman**: Really? You?

**Melody**: Y-Yeah? Really?

**Aman**: No way! Okay. [laughing] I'm not gonna tease you on that.

**Kyuu**: *I think she narrows her eyes and scrunches up her face at him but then just kinda smiles.*

**Custard**: *He just nudges her with a shoulder, laughing.*

**Aman**: So… [he starts counting off on his fingers] So usually, you know, popular, that's what… dinner and a movie? Movie and a dinner? I guess this would be a hike and a… we could add hike and a dinner to it.

**Melody**: Yeah! I'm down for that. I'm pretty hungry.

**Aman**: What time is it?

**Kyuu**: *Pulls out her phone and I'm imagining it's pretty late at this point like probably 9~10PM ish.*

**Custard**: *Yeah, it's gotten late.*

**Aman**: Well, might have missed a lot of nice places, I think? I mean, I don't know.

**Melody**: Yeah, I mean, by the time we get back to town it's probably gonna be near midnight I'm guessing. Not a ton of places open left then.

**Aman**: Yeah, not really dressed for any fancy restaurants. Wait!

**Melody**: Hmmm?

**Aman**: We could just go to that falafel place, that thing's open all night all the time.

**Melody**: Yeah! That would be cool! That place is dope. I love that place.

**Aman**: Alright!

**Custard**: *And he'll roll on to his feet, just one quick smooth motion. Like, you know goes from his lying down on his back to standing up. Leans in and offers her his hand.*

**Kyuu**: *I think she starts like… arching her back to do the cool thing where you jump up from the ground using your upper back and shoulder blades, and then she just kind of stops herself and reaches out and takes his hand and lets him help her.*

**Aman**: So… I hope you don't mind Flick joining us for our first date.

**Kyuu**: *I think she narrows her eyes, and then like, there's the realization and then she just starts cracking up. I'm just*
imagining like… smash cut at this point to both of them at the falafel place and like…

**Custard**: *They have a table right where Flick’s picture is on that falafel place’s wall of fame.*

**Kyuu**: *Yes. [laughing]*

**Custard**: *I think Aman picked that one.*

**Kyuu**: *And he's like, shoving three falafels into his mouth at the same time?*

**Custard**: *Yeah, he holds one of the records for completing the challenge. He just has three falafel wraps in his mouth at the same time.*

**Kyuu**: *[laughing] Just imagining Melody blushing a lot and smiling a lot and still probably holding Aman’s hand as the food is coming over.*

**Custard**: *Food comes over, there’s a cut of them talking and eating, Aman leaning against the wall one foot up on his side of the booth just eating and laughing, and at one point getting a call from home asking him where the hell he is.*

**Kyuu**: *Ohh, what would Aman say to that?*

**Custard**: *You know, apologize, be like…*

**Aman**: Yeah, no, I just… I'm out, I'll be back home soon, don't worry. [looks at Melody for a moment, pauses] Melody’s with me so don't worry about it!

**Kyuu**: *[laughing]*

**Custard**: *Which basically instantly makes it okay.*

**Kyuu**: *Just Javeria like… “I need you home right away, young ma-- oh okay, have a good time sweetie!”*

**Custard**: *[laughing] Yeah, it goes from that to that, basically.*

**Kyuu**: *Adorable. I'm imagining a similar call from Melody’s parents at some point, like… “Sweetie it’s midnight are you coming home soon where are you what's happening” “Oh it's fine, I'm with Aman” “Oh! Oh. You kids have fun!”*

**Aman**: Y’know, they think they're acting like that to annoy us like they used to, but um… guess joke’s on them this time.

**Melody**: [laughs and blushes] Oh my god, I didn't even think about telling them.

**Aman**: [almost surprised Pikachu face] Oh no, I’ll have to tell mom.

*[laughing]*

**Custard**: *I believe that’s scene?*

**Kyuu**: *Yeah! That seems like a good place to end it. Just pan out of them*
talking and laughing and having a nice date at the falafel place.