Colors

Sunlight shone through the skyscrapers, illuminating the shadows they cast over the city. It coursed through the valley between the buildings, through the streets like blood through the veins. Eventually, though, it found its way to a fine source- a large, open plaza in the middle of the city of Portland, Oregon.

Pioneer Courthouse Square. Across the busy street from the one-hundred-twenty year old courthouse, once by a landslide the tallest building in the city amidst a plethora of farms, the 19th-century building was a landmark, a reminder of past times when Oregon was barely becoming part of the nation out of the dust.

Matthew noticed the pleasant amount of light with a slight smile, a flat one but still expressive enough for him, one he had perfected during both his decades of life. He adjusted his fedora as behind him, he heard twenty year old Luci move the chair out from the table to take a seat near him.

“It is quite a nice day out,” she stated simply, her low, smooth voice filling the space between them. Matthew nodded, replying with “It is, I suppose.”

Luci placed a plastic, clear cup in front of him, full of a white, creamy liquid. “I hope you don't mind,” she told him. “I thought you'd like a cup.” She stole a quick glance at the coffee cart approximately a hundred feet away from the both of them.

“What is it?” he asked, giving the drink a skeptical eye, stroking his small beard.

“It's... let me think, a cappuccino? I don't know what insipid name they call it now, honestly. It is quite, good, though. Tastes like a milkshake, but... less manufactured, and more... lively?”

Matthew gave her an odd yet appreciative look. “Quite.” He picked up the cup and gingerly took a sip. He nodded. “It is rather tasty, thank you.”

“You're warmly welcome, my friend,” she replied, a smile showing her white teeth amidst her dark skin before taking a short sip. She observed the crowd below them for a few seconds before saying with a short stroke to her short hair “I believe I see a Tan over yonder. By the courthouse.”

Matthew looked east towards the century-old building. “Which one?”

“A business suit. Short, brown hair. Remarkably average. He's standing near the light rail station.”

Matthew focused his gaze to the ticket machine. “I see him. So, tan. Nervous, concerned. Second-guessing. Shall I go in?”

Luci briskly nodded. “Be careful,” she advised him.

“I always am.”

Matthew was a mind reader. Luci was an aura reader.

And so it was.

Neither of the two acknowledged or bothered to study the history of mind readers or aura readers, or any others of their kind. It didn't interest them. It wasn't important. They simply had their skills. Some people were just born that way.

That's all there really was to say about it.

Luci was a hitchhiker on the side of the I-80 just outside of Laramie. He was a lonely, aimless traveler in a '94 BMW sedan. And that was how they met. That was six months to the day, and they had been many places, as observers. As learners. But they never stayed too long.

He closed his eyes and looked for the man in his thoughts. He was experienced, though, and within a few seconds, had entered his mind. He scoped around for a second, then, still within his mind, was able to explain. “He's concerned about something he doesn't know if he should do. He's overwhelmed. If you could tell me if you see any more colors on him, I'd appreciate it.”

“Okay,” was the response. Matthew started to dig a bit deeper during the time it took for Luci to announce her findings, with a hint of alarm. “There's some bright red. Dangerous red. Anger. It's somewhat suppressed, but it's there. I sense a bit of orange, too. I think it's guilt.”

Matthew sighed, forlorn in his breath. He studied the man for a few seconds more before he came to an alarming discovery. He snapped out of the trance with shock.

“The man is going to kill himself.”

“Oh, no.”

“Indeed. What should I do?”

“Stop him.”

“How? Physically or mentally?”

“Physically. It's what you do best.”

Matthew didn't respond, already re-entering the man's mind. He inhabited the space quietly, thinking. Then he sent the man a message, a simple message.

“I care about you. Please don't do this.”

Matthew moved in his mind no more, hoping that the man's immediate thoughts would bring good news. “What's the aura?” he asked Luci.

Luci blinked and said “I see a bit of light green. The red is dissipating. He's distressed. Hints of gold, too. Foreboding disaster. The guilt's more evident, too.”

“Is that good or bad?”

“It's a shift. I can't tell.”

Matthew waited a bit, but the man's mind was quiet, and he couldn't make out the thoughts. With a hint of relief, though, Luci came back to him with “I see steel. Sadness. Regret. But... I see a hint of teal. He's relieved. Relaxing, slightly so. He's getting better.”

Matthew nodded. “I just heard a loud, clear voice. He just thought 'I won't do this.' “

Luci breathed a sigh of relief. “We did it, Matthew. You can pull out now.”

“Are you sure? I'm concerned about that.”

With a hand on his, she told him “We did our part, but the rest is up to him.”

Matthew nodded with a sigh, and left the man's conscious. “Well,” he said briskly, a bit louder than normal, “that went well.”

“That was a very good one,” she agreed. “Shall we go again?”

“Let's.”

Luci smiled and let go of his hand as she peered at the crowd. “Ooh, excellent,” she cooed with a slight amount of surprise. Matthew noted fondly that she looked somewhat pretty when she got that eager smile on her face. Her thick braids would bounce up just so. A mood like that couldn't help but provoke a smile of his own.

“What do you see?”

“A deep indigo. Absolute jubilation. I'm rather excited about this.”

Matthew nodded, his smile widening just so. Happy people were rather recharging. “Where at?”

“On the stone stairs. She's sitting down. Nice choice of hair- bright pink. Reminds me of a singer I heard once.”

“Ready when you are.”

“Go ahead.”

Matthew nodded and closed his eyes again, tracing the dark-skinned woman down and entering. Immediately he was barraged by a bunch of cheerful thoughts that overcame him for a brief second, causing him to jolt back physically.

“Hmm?” was the simple but clear question.

“She's really quite happy.” he chuckled, a hint of surprise and overwhelming on his words.

“That's good. I see some lavender on her as well. Intrigue, expectancy.”

“With good reason. She just got accepted into an arts college.”

“That's great.”

“Indeed. She's wanted to go there since she was a kid. She can't wait to tell her parents. She's proud of herself, but not in a vain way. This is one of the best moments of her life.”

Luci glanced at Matthew with a warm smile, and while he wasn't paying attention, took a quick glance at his aura. Just a blink's worth, but she noticed some warm blue, but a decent amount of emerald. Jealousy. She turned away before she blanked out, her spirit not fazed.

Matthew opened his eyes. “Lucky girl. Happy for her.”

Luci sighed in content. “I love seeing people like that. It really makes me feel quite... effervescent. Lighter than air.”

Matthew nodded with a chuckle.

“I mean, some people get high off drugs, I get high off of life. It's exhilarating.”

Matthew grinned. She'd get like this when she saw others happy. Emotionally peaking. Sublime. Lavenflower. It was, admittedly, adorable.

She took another sip of her drink, identical to hers, and sighed. “Whoo, this drink thing must be getting to my head. Dear me, I hope I didn't order an alcoholic beverage. Although that'd be a humorous twist in events, wouldn't it?”

“Shall I bring you back down to earth?” Matthew smiled knowingly.

“Oh? Oh,” Luci shook her head, not in declining, but to get her head on straight, her five long locks being tossed around vigorously. “My apologies! Thanks, Matthew.”

He gave her a wider smile. “No need to apologize. You need moments like that.”

She sighed, her black metal wire chair slightly reclining on two legs, the other two a few centimeters above the ground. “Matthew...” she started softly, “what's on your mind?”

Reluctantly, he faced her. He never felt a need to hide his emotions, mostly since Luci could read his aura anyways. “I... I'm admittedly jealous of her. Of people like her. They get to do things like that. Go to colleges. To gatherings. They have many people they can interact with.”

He sighed, looking away from her and towards the people. “I never thought I'd be jealous of a normal person, but... to interact with others like that and not need to worry about what accidentally hearing what they think of you. To have your mind and their minds running full blast and hearing it all.”

Luci gave him a knowing, sad smile, and said “At the very least, we're happy. We can feel these emotions in some way. And even though we are nomads, we still have each other.” Her tone took a bit of passion, her voice shaking as she added “And... I'm happy with that.”

Matthew nodded. “Honestly, so am I.”

Luci smiled, placing both of her hands on his. “Go again?” she requested.

“One last time,” he said with a smile.

Luci smiled as she looked around. “I see... two people. Sitting hand in hand on top of the fallen pillars.”

“Fallen pillars?”

“The ones the artist designed.”

“Intriguing.”

“Somewhat of a muse, if I do say so myself.”

Matthew looked at the two. They were chatting with each other, their voices lively enough for him to hear. He had a hat on, similar to Matthew's fedora, she had slightly wavy brown/blond hair.

“How do you feel about... a deep violet?”

“You mean love?”

“I'll accept that one. Just to browse.”

Luci always liked his viewpoint. The humans were a catalog, a library, and the best you could find on the human psyche. Really, on the psyche of anyone with a soul. He seemed to find out about himself inside the others' heads. A sort of soul she admired.

Before she could say anything else, Matthew had already closed his eyes. She gazed at him, his rich ivory skin shining in the light rather dreamily. Not like most do with lust, but with a contemplative state, a drifting into her thoughts. She wasn't the only one who traveled deep into minds. Although while he drifted into others, she got lost in her own.

He opened his eyes, snapping Luci awake. “I think that I have come to the conclusion that love is not understandable.”

“I think it's supposed to be that way.”

“I like that emotion's spirit. Give people good things but never revealing his face. A true Good Samaritan.”

Luci smiled at his thoughts. The two sat in silence before Luci asked Matthew “Can I read your aura?”

“Don't you always?”

“No, I mean truly read it. Just spend a few minutes studying you. For curiosity's sake.”

Hesitantly, Matthew replied “I... suppose.”

“Don't worry. I'll be gentle.”

Matthew nodded as Luci reclaimed his hand and looked into his purple eyes and started to name colors. “At the forefront, Icy Blue, or Psychic sense, which is obvious. Blends into Moonstone, or philosophical. Hmm... a rare one. Verdigris. Deep, heartfelt contemplation. And... a bit of steel. You're... feeling pain. Angst.” She stroked his hand comfortingly before continuing.

Looking deeper, she blinked as she noticed something surprising. “There's... Sugillate.”

“Sugillate?” he asked.

“Sensuality. Romance,” she said, a hint of satisfaction barely visible but there. “You have quite an aura, Matthew,” her last words were a whisper that almost escaped his hearing.

“Thank you,” he responded, his cheeks the slightest hint of red. “I wonder...”

“Yes?”

“...I wonder if I could determine your aura... I promise I won't enter your mind. I just want to test my people reading skills.”

She nodded, her hair twirling again, and looked back at him with the same arresting gaze as he began.

“I see... the same elation from before in your eyes. A bit of passion. Not a fire, but a kindle. Some... tranquility. Lolite, is it?” She nodded and he continued. “A bit of violet on the border of lavender. I see dreaminess, you're reaching for the sky. Lassoing the moon and the stars. How's that?”

“You're quite good,” she replied. “However, you may have missed a couple of things.”

“Elaborate?”

“With pleasure.” Not taking her eyes off of him, she began.

“I'm feeling... translucent. As if I'm not here, but simply observing silently, at a distance. I feel content. Like I could spend my life like this, so long as you're here with me.”

Matthew nodded. “I will be.”

“And...” she smiled as she finished. “I'm feeling a recurring emotion. Although I'm not sure if it could be called an emotion. It's a feeling, sure, but more of a confirmation. Like the dots between you and I have been connected... by a Good Samaritan.

“Matthew... I'm feeling love.”

If Matthew was surprised by this, he didn't show it. He simply responded with “Pink. Blush pink, to be honest, as blush as... I have a feeling my face is.” Luci smiled as she knew what that meant but allowed him to continue. “Affection, recognition. Empathy. Love.”

On that note, he leaned over the table towards her, but she met him halfway for a short, affectionate kiss. It was all they needed. No passionate lip-lock, twisting their heads, greedy for more. Simply a short, affectionate kiss to connect the dots at last.

They released their hold on each other and gazed back towards the people on the ground. Matthew smiled and told her “I think I'm up for one more round.”

“Actually, I'd just prefer to spend some time in your aura,” Luci admitted with a blush.

“Then I cordially invite you in,” he stated as she left her chair in favor of gingerly taking a seat on his lap, reclaiming her gaze into his eyes.

They shared a special sort of relationship. They made each others' heart feel colors. No matter the place they were in; overlooking the ocean on San Francisco wharfs, on the top of the Sears tower looking into clouds, on the deck above Niagra Falls, they were each other's constants. Even if there was no one else, there was each other. Even if for a fleeting time

And they preferred it that way.