Tobias

    Tobias. A man like most others, he was taught, trim and had only been present on the earth for 15 years. And yet he looked like any other 34 year old. He came to this planet under extreme pressures to survive and a need to learn what it is to be human. His brown hair floats loftily on the cool evening breeze as he awaits his friends, Camelia and Justin, 2 humans who do not know his true identity. Tobias gazes subconsciencely at his watch, 4:37. Camelia had said she would be late, whereas Justin hadn’t. Tobias began to worry. His now wrinkled head looked sorrowfully down the urban streets, turned gold by the setting sun. There was no other humans in sight, save for those who were simply driving cars and didn’t look left or right to pay him any attention.

    Tobias begins contemplating a trip back to his appartment when two familiar voices are heard.
"Tobias," one said from across the street. "How long have you been waiting?" The voice was merry and carefree.
"How are you?, don’t you mean, Justin?" interrupted the second voice. This voice was more friendly and sweet, and it brought Tobias comfort.

    Tobias sighed with relief as he turned around to greet his friends. Justin was first, who had brown hair much like Tobias’, but he was smaller and less taught. Tobias shook his hand heartily and said "How are you?"

    "Early. Always early..." commented Justin, joking about Tobias' punctuality. "I'm great, buddy. Never been better."
"And what of you?" Tobias asked Camelia, smiling. "I'm wonderful too," she said happily, embracing Tobias and giving him more than just the handshake his outstretched hand had asked for. He seemed to be stunned by the embrace, Tobias had only known several other females in his time on earth, two of them being Mrs. Petri and Miss. Cart. Neither had spoken to him at great lengths, and both had seemed less than happy to shake his hand, let alone acknowledge his presense.

    Now Tobias stood with a beautiful woman’s arms around him. And Camelia was a beautiful woman, with a warm smile, flowing hair that glistened in the dying sun and rather raptious curves for her figure. Tobias starred like a stunned mullet before thinking something ought to be returned of him, and he slowly raised two arms and wrapped them around Camelia. As he did so she seemed to sigh happily though in secret, asthough she knew he wasn’t sure what he should do, and Tobias felt happier for it. He had never felt such a sweet embrace before.

    For several minutes more the two seemed to hug, Tobias hadn’t noticed the quickly sinking sun was now completely gone, and the city's lights brilliantly begun to shine, one by one, as the movie theatre's turned on, the traffic lights resumed their tireless work and the birds had retreated to their nests, allowing the rats to once again enter the world and begin a night of rumaging.

    When finally the two did release their embrace, Justin was looking down the long street, spying what words he could on the theatre’s lights.
"So what will it be Tobby?"
Again Tobias was staring like a stunned mullet. He wasn’t used to the idea of nicknames, and had only just caught onto the idea of names.
"Who are you talking to?" he said uncertainly.
"You Tobias," said Justin indignantly. "Tobby is short for Tobias...you know that don’t you?"
"Ha!" laughed Tobias, acting as though he had only been joking, in a very unconvincing manner. "Ofcourse I knew." He seemed to then bow his head in humble thought, as he passed over the several movies on offer, which he'd read about that day earlier in the newspaper, and also noted that Tobby is the nickname for Tobias.
I guess it makes sense, he thought. 'Tobe' is the first part of 'Tobias'.
Camelia hugged herself in the neatly stinging cold air, breathing a cold sigh. Justin tilted his head in question of what Tobias was thinking, and having caught his eye, proceeded to also raise his eyebrow.
"Well?" he asked.
"Well what?"
"What movie are we going to see?" asked Justin. He pulled his jacket closer to himself and began shivering.
"Oh. I don't know," said Tobias, followed frankly by "Why don’t we let Camelia choose?"
He and Justin turned their gaze onto Camelia as she seemed to realise her name had been spoken and snapped her head to meet their gaze.
"Sorry what?" she said in sweet innocence.
"Tobias wants to know what you want to see," Justin said through chattering teeth.
"Oh," came Camelia’s reply. She hadn’t really thought about it, but knew her answer immediately. "Stronghold, The Third Tale," she said with a cheery little smile.
Justin turned his gaze to Tobias in question once again, and Tobias seemed to understand.
"Then it is settled," he said positively, happy that he had made Camelia smile. "Stronghold".

    Tobias turned on the spot and held out an arm for Camelia to hold, which she curtsied to him for, before locking her arm around his.
The three started walking toward the nearest theatre, The Movie Mansion. Tobias had been past a few times and wondered what humans did while inside. Many had come out happy, while others had been kicked out, but it was always from the alley, mostly hidden in dark shades. As they walked Tobias asked Camelia a question.
"Tell me," he began, "Did you fall just back there, a moment?"
"Pardon?" asked Camelia, enthused by Tobias' curious questions.
"Before you took my arm you seemed to stumble. I was wondering if you perhaps fell a moment?" Camelia laughed at his question, which she thought to be cute, but stopped when she saw the hurt look upon his face. He was happy to have made her laugh and smile, but felt bad that it was at him that she laughed.

    "What’s the matter? Is it because I laughed at you?" Tobias seemed to look away, and did not answer.
"I laughed because I was curtsying, not falling. It’s an old custom people don’t practise anymore ... I didn’t fall."
Tobias seemed to look at her from the corner of his eye now, as though he looked for truth in her words. She looked worried, asthough she was afraid she’d actually hurt his feelings. He would not stay sad now that he saw her concern. He managed to edge a smile in the corner of his mouth.
"That’s nice," he said, now managing a full smile. He and Camelia strolled forth like a married couple who were walking along a gold painted beach with nothing to worry about, because they had nothing but a beautiful life together to look forward to.

    Justin had already reached the movie theatre and bought three tickets, and upon meeting the other two gave them each a ticket and they all entered the theatres. Tobias, with peace in his heart. Camelia, with cheer in her body, and Justin, with a mind for popcorn, and for planning tomorrow nights outing a day ahead.

    Justin had liked Tobias from the first moment he met him, his odd tendencies appealed to him. Tobias looked like a mud caked dummy, having fallen from a bridge when he wanted to see what was going on underneath. Justin was a few feet away, replanting one his many new vegetables. Tobias wobbily stood up on muddy legs and Justin stood slowly up with green juiced hands. Then Tobias proceeded to stare at Justin with the same concern a dog might give a taxation form when compared to an eviction notice. The dog didn’t care, it was only looking for a place to go.
"You new here?" Justin had asked. Tobias nodded awkwardly and had to squint through the mud.
"Come inside, I’ll get you cleaned up," Justin had offered. At this point in his 'earth life', Tobias knew very few words. He picked up ‘damn’ from a person who had been on a passing bus, and 'fool' from a similar looking person, who had been on the same passing bus, just a split second later, which appeared from nowhere after a second of total blackness. Justin waved his arm in a 'come here' sort of manner and Tobias followed. Tobias had also heard a person shouting 'green thumb' at another person, both of whom had been under the bridge he wanted to inspect so much, and as such, green thumb became his first word. Justin motioned for Tobias to come closer again and said more irritably, "Come on, you look like a human mud-cake."
Tobias then picked his whole self up and seemed to be walking ten feet higher than he was. He had heard about humans, and seemed to have a friend, in this one. He quickened his pace after Justin, as he shouted out "Green thumb," holding his many folds of damp, clingy clothes.

    Now Justin returned his mind to the present, as the feature presentation was beginning.
"Large popcorn and coke, great value at only $8.90!" was being blasted from the speakers.
Ads, thought Justin with a mental sigh. He looked to his left and saw Camelia, patiently eyeing the screen. She seemed to be humming a little tune. To his left was Tobias, who wasn’t looking at the screen. He was looking anywhere but the screen, as his eyes danced around the entire theatre, his eyes catching flashes of blue and white and all the other colours being flashed from the giant screen. He looked like a cat come across a boy who had a lazer pointer. Though this particular boy would have had five seperate pointers with five seperate arms which which to guide them.
Justin laughed to himself and then retreated his vision to his own two hands in his own lap.
They were decent hands. Five fingers, two palms. Who could ask for more? He carefully gazed at Camelia’s hands with his eyes. Her hands looked perfect to him, but how? Five fingers, maybe a little thinner. Two palms, maybe a little longer. They did have nail polish on them, maybe that was it he thought.

    Justin sighed again as the ads seemed to finally finish and looked again at Tobias. He had calmed down again, though he still seemed to be excitied. His eyes traced the words that streaked across the screen, but his eyes were also laging a bit when words flew off the left side of the screen. Each time his eyes got lazier and slower at going back to the screen, and he eventually didn’t look back. He was looking at Camelia again, and not noticing Justin, he rested his head on his hand and seemed to forget about the streaking "credits." Justin kept his head straight as he watched through his eyes corners, and watched the rest of the credits dash about the screen before the movie started. Though when the movie started Tobias seemed to gasp in surprise and turn his head back to the screen. Justin caught every action and looked over at Camelia. She was looking quizzitively at Tobias, as though she was asking why he had been staring. Justin thought it was obvious, but said nothing.

    The movie begun and all three seemed to forget each other, the night outside had grown cold and dark, and the first words of the movie were spoken.
"Milver? What are you doing here?"
Each syllible played in the ears of the three, and as these words and letters play in the eyes of you reading this, the screen fades to black, and we must return our own minds to the present.