Garrett's eyebrows raised as he suddenly reallized what Moskva was. It was obvious that most Americans got this one wrong, so he took some comfort in that. " Ah. Moscow. Okay." He laughed at himself, the wine making that an easy task. He soon poured himself another glass. Garrett smiled more, enthused by the fun the two of them were having. maybe the wine, maybe the field of energy, but definitely her companionship. She choked on her wine, so Garrett leaned over toward her, grabbing a napkin and offering it. He was much closer now, so he pushed himself back up to a seated position, though the action of falling over and resetting might have increased the gap between them by an inch.

She turned her head away from him. More than likely she was embarrassed about the wine. It wasn't a big deal to Garrett, but he gave her space anyway. Maybe she got some on herself and needed to blot."Maybe they have no other way." She turned back to look at him and her dark eyes met his own. "You have any idea how hard is it to come to here, from Russia?" Was that it? Surely she wasn't. Garrett surely wore a look of confusion, unsure of how to proceed at first. He chose optimism.

" No, Efimia, I don't. But I do know a good deal about it, considering the number of applications I went through at the Sanctuary. I do know that many immigrants become citizens every day. Sure, it takes several years to actually become a citizen, but even if you marry a citizen, it takes three years to become one instead of the four or five it would take to do it without marrying someone. I hope I didn't offend you. I just think it is explotiation. It is a way for pigs to use women and discard them, while they want freedom from oppression. Out of the frying pan and into the fire." His eyes turned from hers and he looked out over the grass, the alcohol swinging his mood like a pendulum. " There are working visas and student visas. Lots of ways to become a citizen without ...that. " it wasn't right. Why did so many people have to suffer? Why did one group have to be under another? So many parallels. Garrett sat his glass down, closing his eyes briefly. " Anyway, if you were in that situation, I'd do anything to get you on the road to freedom. No marriage required."

>>"No, Efimia, I don't. But I do know a good deal about it, considering the number of applications I went through at the Sanctuary. I do know that many immigrants become citizens every day..."

And on and on. Effie turned pink, and fought the urge to tell him not to call her 'Efimia'. It sounded like something the Matchmaker used to say. She was only Efimia when she was in trouble. Like, fake-papers trouble.

>>"...There are working visas and student visas. Lots of ways to become a citizen without ...that. "

"I can tell you why women do it" she looked at him, finishing her wine "It is the easiest. For work visa, you need work, for student, you need school. And if you got them, it is still very hard to get visa." she explained "Women who are poor can not do all that."
It was lik explaining the world to a child. People who lived within the country of dreams couldn't even imagine how high the walls were.

>>"Anyway, if you were in that situation, I'd do anything to get you on the road to freedom. No marriage required."

Effie actually smiled at that. The more wine he drank - and the more time he spend close to her - the more of a knight he got. Knights were kind of...

"You are sweet. I don't need to marry now. When I find out I am mutant, they switched me to student visa for the Mansion."

If they didn't, I would me Mrs. Martense by now. That, or back in Russia.

"I can tell you why women do it." Garrett looked up and back into her soulful eyes, listening closely. "It is the easiest. For work visa, you need work, for student, you need school. And if you got them, it is still very hard to get visa. Women who are poor can not do all that." That made sense. it was still sad. So many things were sad in the world. Too many people fought so hard against tyranny and oppression and only came back with broken dreams and bloody hands. Garrett took a deep breath and sighed, reaching for his glass and downing the contents.

He looked back at her, the liquid courage purging any doubts. She was smiling at him. It made his heart skip a beat. Not just smiling at something he said or smiling due to the alcohol. It was a direct connection, however brief. As real as touching. "You are sweet. I don't need to marry now. When I find out I am mutant, they switched me to student visa for the Mansion." Something clicked in his head. His head tilted slightly to the side and he looked back at her, conviction and purpose coursing through his look.

" You don't need to marry now? I'm happy for you. I'm also happy for me. He smiled back, the connection between them still tenuous but solid. " So why are you still engaged to Fausto? I haven't heard you mention him once. Which is fine with me. If you are a student and don't wish to marry him, though, why not keep your options open? There are plenty of men who would be proud to be close to you. I know of one in particular." Confidence was coursing through his veins. It was clear now that her engagement was a sham. There was no need to say that. After all, he had said if he upset her he would take her home. He didn't want to go home.

Garrett stood and the alcohol pumped through his body with his heartbeat a couple of times. He looked down at her, hoping that his move would bring about a favorable response. His hand extended to her. " Let's go for a walk."

>>"You don't need to marry now? I'm happy for you. So why are you still engaged to Fausto?... There are plenty of men who would be proud to be close to you. I know of one in particular."

Effie chuckled again. Happy for her. Right. As for Fausto: she was not even sure how engagement worked in these cases. or if i worked at all. She still liked Fausto, in her own way. If it wasn't for him, this whole story could have ended much, much worse.
Wait, know of whom in particular? They just met today, how could he...
Oh.
Oh.
Effie tilted her head at Garrett. He drank all his wine, and was visibly buzzing with energy. Was it te alcohol, or her aura, she couldn't really tell. Probably both.
Great, I'm out with a guy who can't hold his liquor.
It was amusing.

>>"Let's go for a walk."

He held out his hand. Effie made sure her gloves were in place; it was an instinct by now, but also it gave her a few seconds to consider her options. Garrett seemed to like the effect of her mutation. That was new. She was not sure if it good or not, but it was new.
Effie took the offered hand and stood, putting down her wine glass.
Why the heck not.

It appeared that Effie thought about it for a moment. Garrett was probably overloading her with things to think about, but he just couldn't help it. He felt alive and he wanted to share the feeling he had with her. The hand did extend to him and he smiled in thanks for it. Though gloved, the moment the smaller fingers slipped into his hand, Efimia became aglow with her energy. He helped her stand, but didn't release her hand right away. their neural systems were already linking at a breakneck rate, Garrett's own hungry for the link.

The first time had been such a shock, but now that he was buzzing with alcohol, his inhibitions and the usual mess of social interaction just slid away, replaced by a chorus of sensation that filled every nerve in his body with joy. The grass became greener, the wings of insects took on a particular magical buzz that seemed to run in an opposing yet complementing tone to the buzz of his body. Instead of a general springtime scent, every flowering plant seemed to offer their individual gifts in turn, combining to make a very pleasing sensation to his palette. Her own natural scent, the wine, even the lingering scent of the nicotine on her fingers and lips trailed along. No moment overlooked.

" This is how I feel." He looked down at her, smiling. The sensations moving through his body began to mesh into her own, trails of sensory information and the general buzz of energy moved through her body and then worked its way back to him, completing a loop and linking the two mutants in an aura of bliss. He began to walk down the hill with her, still holding her hand. The grass underfoot was felt blade by blade, the slightest breeze or change of wind direction carried over each bead of sweat on his head. Garrett continued to release the inhibitions he normally had with touching people, allowing the full brunt of the sensation to just course naturally between the two of them.

When they reached the bottom of the hill, they stood over the little brook, watching it bubble and flow over rocks. Little water striders skated across the surface of the still pools. The sun overhead, they looked down into the water, their sparkling reflection looking back up at them through the water. " I've wasted so much time on anger and hate. I want to turn the page and experience new things." The essence of the union between them made expressing his inner thoughts very easy. They didn't bump around inside his head like shards of glass. " I don't think we are just going to fall for each other in one day, Efimia. But I also won't let the possibility slip out of my grasp."

>>"This is how I feel."

It was... intense. Not as much as skin to skin contact, but still strong enough to make her dizzy. There were all kinds of sensations, inside and out, and as they walked on, overflown by the effects of their gifts joined, Effie was having a hard time separating her own emotions from the feelings caused by the contact. So this is how others must have felt in her presence. How very... strange.

>>"I've wasted so much time on anger and hate. I want to turn the page and experience new things. I don't think we are just going to fall for each other in one day, Efimia. But I also won't let the possibility slip out of my grasp."

Effie was silent for long moments, listening to the sounds of water and thinking about the words he said. There was a soft smile playing on her lips as she stared into the distance; as soft as her movements were when her hand finally slipped out of his grasp. It was more than enough, for one day.
Falling for each other?
Effie never fell for anyone.

"It is like drug, is it not." she observed quietly. She was starting to see a new side of her gift.