The Masked One - 3

3

On Tuesday, after finishing my only lecture in the morning, I decided to go to the university canteen.

Once there, I noticed that everything was just as I expected. To my left were all the tables, and to the right were a few lines to order food.

The menu was quite varied. Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, salads, desserts... And I, for one, chose an option that was none of the above.

It was nothing more than noodles with meat and sauce, but it looked good and the portion was huge.

There were maybe a dozen people in front of me, but the line was not moving slowly. I took advantage of that time to look around and make myself a better idea of the place, and that is when I saw a lot of people coming up the stairs.

Maybe their classes finished a little late and that is why they had just arrived. And, among all those people, there was someone in particular who caught my attention.

A girl, by pushing and squeezing through, ran past everyone at top speed. She passed behind all the rows as if looking for something specific and then stood there looking for a few seconds.

Maybe she was new at the university or she wanted to meet with someone. In any case, I could not help but think that if she needed help with anything, I was not going to be able to give her a hand because I was also new.

After seeing her looking all over the place, I began to feel that I had been watching her for too long, so I tried to look away. But, just before I did, we made eye contact.

I could hear her exaggerated reaction of surprise and her accelerated steps approaching me.

Zena: Excuse me! ... I'm sorry, I'm a bit tired... I want to ask you something. Could it be that this mask is an OV?

Twen: No, I'm part of an art club.

???: Damn it! So where did he-

Twen: Excuse me, it actually is an OV, why do you ask?

???: Oh, really? Cool! So, well... My name is Zena.

Zena:

She was a young woman with black hair, painted red in some parts and held in two ponytails. She wore large headphones around her neck and, although she wore a T-shirt and a sweatshirt, neither covered her stomach. With the little I had seen of her, I already had an idea of how energetic and goofy she could be.

Twen: I'm Twen, nice to meet you.

Zena: Twen. That name is... Weird. I've never heard it before.

Twen: It is, but my father chose it because it apparently means something in an ancient language.

Zena: Cool... By the way, Twen, are you already planning to have lunch with someone today? Because if not, then you could come eat with us. We're not a very big group and we'll be meeting outside the university, but... Well… Please!

That was an interesting invitation. It may not have been the best offer I had ever received, but it reminded me of what my mother said: Good people attract good people.

That was possibly one of them, or at least it seemed that way. Even if I had to leave the university and risk being late for my next lecture, that was an opportunity I could not pass.

Twen: To be honest, I thought I was going to end up eating alone today... If you and your group don't have a problem, then I’d love to have lunch with you.

Her crimson eyes sparkled with happiness, and with a big smile she asked me to join her. Although there were only two people left in front of me in line, I left her to buy a simple sandwich and then leave the campus with Zena.

As we walked, she checked on her cell phone the location of where her friends were, and then we noticed that it was not too far away, so there was no need to run.

...

Zena: So... This is also your first semester at JJRU?

Twen: Yeah, I actually arrived in Novadía about a month ago. I haven't done much more than tidy up and study since then.

Zena: Great! That means there's still a lot of Novadía you don't know, right?

Twen: Yes.

Zena: And that you still haven't made many friends.

Twen: Hey...

Zena: Sorry! But don't worry, right now you have a good chance of making new friends. I think they all are, or at least can be, very good people. Besides, you may already know one of them.

Twen: Really? Even though I’m new in town? Who is it?

Zena: I can't just give you a name. It's a surprise.

So she said, but I thought it was pretty clear who that person was. If it was someone I already knew, then that person must have been known to a lot of people. You could even say he was a “friend of all”.

I would have bet it was Many.

We continued walking without mentioning that again, but we talked about many other topics. Talking to her was unexpectedly easy.

That was the ability of an extroverted and friendly person.

Zena: Okay, according to my map we should turn right at the next street and we will have arrived.

Twen: Nice… By the way, I never asked you. Where are we going?

Zena: Over here is the Novadía dining hall, and everyone can go there for lunch. My friends study at another university, but we wanted to still have lunch together, so we were looking for an alternative. And it turns out that this dining hall is in the perfect location.

Twen: Lucky you... And how does an open dining room work?

Zena: What? They don't have one in the city where you used to live?

Twen: It's not a very big city, to be honest…

Zena: Well, I’d say it's like that of a university. There are a lot of choices, but the quality is never excellent. And also, on weekends they offer free food to certain people because of a welfare program.

Twen: That sounds amazing.

Zena: It is! Everyone in town knows it and is fond of it. It's like a symbol!

Certainly, Zena's introduction to the Novadía open dining room was interesting, and made me want to see it for myself.

Luckily, I was able to do so shortly after we mentioned it. We reached the corner and, once we looked to the right, we could see a large building that took up almost the entire block.

And, next to it, there was a small playground and more tables, perhaps for those who could not fit inside.

Zena: Look, my friends are right there! Heeey!!!

She was really happy. After yelling (and waiting for the light to change to green so she could cross the street), she went running to greet them. I kept up my pace and arrived a few seconds later.

There were already three people there, a man and a woman sitting at a table, and a woman on a swing rocking slowly with the help of her legs.

Zena first gave the girl sitting at the table a hug, then high-fived the boy, and finally went to hug the girl on the swing.

Zena: You won't believe it... Look, I found the guy! The masked one! His name is Twen and he also studies at JJRU.

They all greeted me in unison, as if they were school students greeting their teacher. I responded while waving my hand.

Twen: Hi, I’m new in Novadía and I’m studying at the same university as Zena. She found me and then invited me to have lunch with you. I hope it's not a bother....

???: Don't worry. We have all just started our studies at our universities and would like to meet new people. My name is Noe.

???: Jean. And don't worry, we'll judge whether you're a bother or not.

Noe punched Jean on the shoulder, apparently because she got angry at what he said. It was not a big deal, but it served to give me an idea about their relationship.

Noe:

She was a rather tall, dark-haired woman with long, sharp eyes. Her manner of dress was, like her attitude, quite mature. She was wearing a shirt and dark pants. Apparently, she also got along well with Jean, because if that was not the case I doubt she would just punch him on the shoulder.

Jean:

He had pale skin and long, light, wavy hair. He was in complete contrast to Noe, as the clothes he wore were much larger and looser, and he also had some of his fingernails painted (those of his middle, thumb and pinky finger). In addition, his narrowed and unenergetic eyes made him look dead inside and reflected nothing more than a lack of emotion.

Their introduction was certainly interesting, and after them there was only the girl sitting on the swing left. Her blonde hair covered her face, but exposed one eye with which she stared at me, almost menacingly.

She got up and started to approach, so I had to think of something to say to her. It was at that moment that I remembered what Zena said, and for lack of options I came to a conclusion.

Twen: Zena said someone here already knew me, and I don't see Many around here.

Jean: Nah, he went to the mall with my brother today.

Twen: He really is the “friend of all”... But well, that leads me to think that you're the one I've seen before.

???: Having an OV I imagine it's not very likely for you to forget something, is it?

Twen: With or without an OV I will never forget your kindness. And the chocolates were delicious, by the way, so thank you very much... Lani.

The young waitress I met that day I ended up at the X-Café had appeared in my life again, although this time in a different way. She looked like someone completely different until she brushed her hair out of her face and let me see her eyes.

Lani: It's a pleasure to meet you again, Twen.

Twen: My pleasure, Lani.

Lani:

A girl with violet eyes and long blonde hair. Apparently, while working she wore her hair in a high bun to show her face, but in her day to day life she let it down, making her look more like a ghost. Her posture and manner of speaking also became much more relaxed, and likewise her clothing. She wore a simple white lace blouse that was longer on one side, to the point where it almost covered her left hand.

After we shook hands, she smiled and went back to her swing. I was happy to see her again, but along with her also came back my impression that she was hiding something.

As I thought that way, I felt a sudden grab on my shoulder.

Noe: And what do you think, Twen? Lani is very pretty, isn't she?

Twen: Yes, without a doubt.

Noe: Without a doubt…

Zena: Wait, is it okay to say it? She's right there, she just heard you.

Twen: Well, she asked.

Noe: He's just being honest. And you look very pretty too, Zena.

Zena: Oh, thank you...

I thought Noe had asked that only as a joke, and my instinct was to simply tell the truth. I was glad to learn that Noe, it seemed, was not just a cliché, overly strict character.

In fact, everyone there seemed like very interesting people. I really wanted to know more about them so I could slowly gain their trust.

So I sat down inf front of Jean and Noe. I asked them, for example, why they had chosen to eat outside the dining room and not inside.

The reason was that they could not find any empty tables inside the dining room and they actually did not try very hard to find one either, because the weather outside was quite nice.

We talked for a while as I tried to shut out that voice in my head that kept telling me I could not blow that opportunity. But, ignoring that, I was having fun.

Meanwhile, Lani and Zena were talking about something that I (supposedly) did not hear.

Lani: So you found him, the masked man I told you about the other day…

Zena: To be honest, it wasn't that hard. After all, he always wears his mask.

Lani: I guess that's true... Anyways, thank you, Zena.

Zena: Relax! I knew you wanted to talk to him, so I tried really hard. I mean, you've been talking about him all these days-

Lani: Hey! But what else am I supposed to do? It's a great opportunity, and I don't want to waste it.

Apparently, after they said that, they started staring at me. I found out because I heard them scream as soon as I touched one of the straps on my mask.

Obviously, I need to have my mouth uncovered to eat, and for that, I had to either use my powers to create a hole in my mask, or take it off.

Zena: Wait! Twen, what are you doing?!

Twen: Me? I want to start eating, so I was going to take off my mask…

Zena: What?!

Noe: Twen… Don't you think it's a little sudden? I mean, we just met you. Are you okay with that?

Lani and Zena, from the swing, looked completely shocked. Lani was holding the wrist of her friend (maybe a bit too hard), and Zena kept yelling at me.

Then I noticed that Noe, in front of me, was also confused. It really took them by surprise that I wanted to take off my mask in front of them. Everyone except Jean, of course. His eyes were just as expressionless as before.

Jean: So, you say that showing your face is not as intimate as we think?

Noe: But it's still something unexpected, right? I mean, I imagine you always keep it hidden with your mask.

Twen: I think you're getting confused... It's not something as deep as you all imagine, it's just my face...

Zena: Twen...

I turned around to see who had just called me, and then I was met with something unexpected.

Her cheeks were slightly flushed and a drop of sweat was falling down her forehead. Her breathing had become complicated and her eyes were staring at me with full attention.

Twen: What's wrong?

Lani: Zena?

Zena: Isn't this cool? We're about to see the protagonist's true face…

Lani: Protagonist…?

Noe: Because he has powers, that's something that people say.

Zena: So, Twen… Well, you've already explained it, so there shouldn't be a problem, right? No… So, since we're at it, are you going to let us see your face?

That time, no one said anything to stop her, perhaps because they shared her curiosity.

Somehow, that made me feel flattered. The attention of the four of them had been focused on the mere fact that I was going to leave my face exposed.

In many cases, masks are used to hide something, so maybe they thought my face was going to be a secret. That gave me a little idea.

Twen: Well, I'll let you see my face. But you should be prepared, because you never know what might be underneath. Maybe I have a huge scar, or a tattoo, or maybe a deformity... Or, maybe, I don't even have a face!

Zena: You don't have a face?!

They all looked at Zena with eyes that said “that's obviously not true”. It was ridiculous to think that there would not be a face under the mask, it was obviously a joke... But, in reality, they could not be so sure.

Only a few seconds later, they seemed to remember what object vinculation is. For a person with an OV anything can be possible, including something like having no face, or even worse.

I touched one of the two straps holding my mask in place again, and soon after it came loose. One was still missing, but I could feel some tension building in the air.

Everyone seemed to be thinking about what was possible or not, and what could happen at that very moment. Their eyes were fixed on me as I took one hand to hold the mask, and another to release the last strap.

And, just like that, the big piece of wood came off my face, leaving it totally exposed....

Their reaction was what most people used to have: “It's too simple!”

There was nothing remarkable about my face other than my blue eyes and thick dark eyebrows. Other than that, I was just an easy face to remember.

Twen: It's true that I don't usually show my face because I'm always wearing my mask, but it's not like I want to hide it. There is nothing I want to keep as a secret.

Jean: Yes, I can see it...

Noe took another swing at Jean after that.

Twen: Actually, I think the way I use my mask is something different. It's kind of complex, but I would say it's like a kind of paradox that I can take advantage of... It’s the amazing “Mask Effect”.

From an early age, my mask became an important part of my life. There was no doubt that, as time went on, I would question our connection and what it meant to me.

That ended up becoming a recurring thought, and I became more and more interested in the subject. Even if I was not professional, I ended up creating a sufficiently complete description for the relationship I had with my mask.

Twen: This mask is not only mine, but I would describe it as part of me... Think that a person's face is something obviously very important, because with it you recognize their identity and also some emotions, through gestures like smiling, frowning or raising an eyebrow. But, since I always wear a mask covering my face, that doesn't really work for me.

Judging by the faces of the others, they were struggling to understand me, but at least they looked interested. I continued to explain as I took bites of my sandwich from time to time.

Twen: However, this here is not just a piece of wood. It's an OV. That means that, for each strong enough emotion I have, my mask will adopt a different design. It will try to simulate that emotion with specific colors and details, so that everyone can see what I am feeling.

That would be one of the two ways in which the powers of the OV are expressed. One would be the ability to shape the world to their liking, ignoring the laws of physics, and the other would be by deforming themselves. That is something they already knew.

Twen: My mask represents me, and it's incredibly good at that. It is for that reason that I can say, even though my face remains covered most of the time by my mask, it is still very easy to recognize me and understand what I feel... You could say that I am more me when I wear it, and that would be because of the “Mask Effect”. How is it?

Lani: I think I understand... But it's a pretty deep topic, isn't it?

Twen: I know. I think I could write a book about it.....

Zena: It's an interesting topic, yes, I really need you to have more affection for my hand, Lani.

Lani: Ah! I'm sorry...

As I spoke I was absorbed in my thoughts, so I did not notice that, right in front of me, Lani was again grabbing Zena by the hand. Though, more than that, I should say squeezing, crushing, destroying....

Lani spent a few minutes apologizing to Zena and trying to make up for the pain, although she did not know how. In the meantime, Jean and Noe continued talking to me, and I put my mask back in place once I finished my sandwich.

Noe: So, you're saying that your mask is not an object of yours, but it's part of you, like some limb, or....

Jean: His face.

Twen: I guess it's like my face, but it's not really like a piece of skin that at some point came off and I'm trying to keep in place... It's a mask, but it's also something very intimate to me.

Jean: And how would you feel if someone touched your mask?

Twen: Well... Like if someone touches my face, which would already feel like an invasion of my space, but it's not horrible either.

Jean: It sounds like a second face.

Noe: I don't love being on his side, but I admit that Jean is right.

No matter how I said it, it seemed that the idea had already settled in their heads and that fact was not going to change.

So, we continued to talk for a while, asking and answering questions about my OV. Noe remained afraid to touch on a sensitive subject. And Jean, on the other hand, just talked.

Later, Lani and Zena also joined in. However, as much as there were four heads thinking about it, I did not think they would manage to clear up all their doubts. It was a big topic, which even I could not fully understand.

...

I was right.

At some point, Noe checked her cell phone and was shocked to see the time. They were running late. We all quickly grabbed our things and, as it happens every time, it was time for goodbyes.

Zena: So, we are going back to the JJRU. See you tomorrow!

Noe: Of course! Getting here was easier than I thought at first.

Lani: That's true. The location of the dining room really is ideal.

Twen: By the way... I haven't asked you yet, but now I'm curious. Where are you all studying?

Noe: Me and Jean study at the “Major University of Novadía”. Luckily we only have to walk about three blocks in that direction.

Twen: Three? Lucky you, we walked maybe six... What about you, Lani?

Lani: I study at the “Culinary Institute of Novadía”, which shouldn't be a big surprise... And I only have to walk about four blocks in that direction.

As she said that, she pointed east. Considering that Noe had pointed to the west, and me and Zena came from the south, then all of us came from different and faraway places.

The Novadía dining room was actually located in the perfect position so that everyone had time to arrive and return by feet.

Noe: With that said, now I really think it's time to go or we'll be late.

Lani: Yes! See you tomorrow... Or at least that's what I think. What do you say, Twen?

After saying that, the four of them turned to look at me. It was a simple question, and my answer was not going to carry that much weight. No matter what I said, the next day I could change my mind and never speak to them again if I felt like it....

But it was obvious that this was not my intention.

That was exactly the invitation I wanted to receive, and it came from one of those nice people I had just met. My answer was clear.

Twen: Sure! See you tomorrow.

Zena: Great! Then I'll give you my number so I can find you more easily tomorrow.

She said that, and then Jean, Lani and Noe seemed to cheer up. They said goodbye to us and we said goodbye to them, but with the idea in mind that we would meet again very soon.

So, the group disbanded. We went our separate ways and I ended up going back to the university with Zena.

We talked the whole way until we got there, but since we had different classes we had to separate. When she went to her classroom, I finally got a moment alone.

Not that lunch had been too long, but quite a few things had happened. There were a lot of things going around in my head, but all of them (or at least the vast majority of them) filled me with energy.

I was really, without a doubt, very happy to have met them.