sailing boats, large transport ships and one cruise ship departing from Canada Place on the other side of the harbour. Within a few moments, they descended the hill and the sea was lost from sight once more.
"Okay," Maíra said, rearranging herself on the unicorn's back. "A nice dress wouldn't go amiss, sure, but a wedding only takes place after you've been dating for a while! Months, years even! I haven't even asked her out yet!"
"Is the order of these events important?" the unicorn asked.
"Yes," Maíra said, nodding frantically. "It definitely is."
The unicorn rushed across a busy street, barely avoided being hit by a bus and vaulted over the heads of several confused pedestrians.
"Sorry!" Maíra yelled at them as the unicorn dashed by.
"I like the idea of a wedding dress," the unicorn said wistfully. "It speaks of love in visual form, and gives a special significance to your vows."
"You don't even know what one looks like," Maíra argued. "If you'd just stop and let me explain..."
The unicorn barrelled past all the little shops on the quay and headed down past the docks. Maíra clutched its curling, white mane in both hands as it approached the railing. Maíra closed her eyes and chanted in her head that it was magic: the unicorn was magic and wouldn't let them drown.
Maíra didn't even like taking the seabus across the harbour, never mind jumping into the impenetrably dark depths of the water on what amounted to horseback. However, the unicorn hadn't halted its progress in spite of all her words, so telling it she was afraid of water probably wouldn't stop it either.
They cleared the rail, and the unicorn kept running without breaking stride. Maíra opened her eyes to find that the unicorn was running on top of the water, sending up tiny sprays of salt water, as if the ocean were inches deep.
"You're really magic," Maíra said in awe. "Either that, or I'm delusional."
The unicorn tossed its head and said, "I am most certainly magic, but it is still quite possible that you are delusional. I do assure you that I am entirely real and in no way imaginary."
The unicorn wove its way around little speed boats and large sailing crafts. The ocean breeze whipped Maíra's hair up around her head, and seagulls flew up in a flurry as the unicorn disturbed their flocks where they were sitting peacefully on the water. Maíra forgot to be afraid; forgot that if she fell off the unicorn's back, she would sink like a stone.
As the unicorn approached the other side of the harbour, Maíra heard the sound of a propeller drawing close and the wind pick up. She looked up and screamed as a seaplane swooped in over their heads and landed in a whoosh and a spray of water.
"Okay, unicorn, even if I wanted a wedding dress, I definitely can't afford one," Maíra said, wiping the salt-water spray from her arms. "Besides, I'm saving for something else."
"What do you mean by that?" the unicorn asked, finally reaching dry land and entering the bustling downtown city center.
"I mean that I don't have any money to spare! I'm not spending it on something like a wedding dress when I don't know if Carol will agree to even one date with me."
"Why would she not agree?" the unicorn asked blithely. "You love her!"
Maíra groaned and rolled her eyes. "You do understand that not everyone gets a fairytale ending to their search for love, right?"
"Why would she not love you?" People were staring as the two of them went past, and somehow, the unicorn was able to miraculously get through the crowd without being jostled or accidentally stepping on anyone. "You're wonderful!"
Maíra looked down at her hands, wondering how she could explain something as complex as societal gender dynamics to a creature that didn't understand that she didn't need a wedding dress to ask for a date.
"I might be a bit... differently shaped than she's used to," Maíra said, trying to explain.
"You're human. She is also human. I do not see the problem," the unicorn said.
"Okay," Maíra said, rearranging herself on the unicorn's back. "A nice dress wouldn't go amiss, sure, but a wedding only takes place after you've been dating for a while! Months, years even! I haven't even asked her out yet!"
"Is the order of these events important?" the unicorn asked.
"Yes," Maíra said, nodding frantically. "It definitely is."
The unicorn rushed across a busy street, barely avoided being hit by a bus and vaulted over the heads of several confused pedestrians.
"Sorry!" Maíra yelled at them as the unicorn dashed by.
"I like the idea of a wedding dress," the unicorn said wistfully. "It speaks of love in visual form, and gives a special significance to your vows."
"You don't even know what one looks like," Maíra argued. "If you'd just stop and let me explain..."
The unicorn barrelled past all the little shops on the quay and headed down past the docks. Maíra clutched its curling, white mane in both hands as it approached the railing. Maíra closed her eyes and chanted in her head that it was magic: the unicorn was magic and wouldn't let them drown.
Maíra didn't even like taking the seabus across the harbour, never mind jumping into the impenetrably dark depths of the water on what amounted to horseback. However, the unicorn hadn't halted its progress in spite of all her words, so telling it she was afraid of water probably wouldn't stop it either.
They cleared the rail, and the unicorn kept running without breaking stride. Maíra opened her eyes to find that the unicorn was running on top of the water, sending up tiny sprays of salt water, as if the ocean were inches deep.
"You're really magic," Maíra said in awe. "Either that, or I'm delusional."
The unicorn tossed its head and said, "I am most certainly magic, but it is still quite possible that you are delusional. I do assure you that I am entirely real and in no way imaginary."
The unicorn wove its way around little speed boats and large sailing crafts. The ocean breeze whipped Maíra's hair up around her head, and seagulls flew up in a flurry as the unicorn disturbed their flocks where they were sitting peacefully on the water. Maíra forgot to be afraid; forgot that if she fell off the unicorn's back, she would sink like a stone.
As the unicorn approached the other side of the harbour, Maíra heard the sound of a propeller drawing close and the wind pick up. She looked up and screamed as a seaplane swooped in over their heads and landed in a whoosh and a spray of water.
"Okay, unicorn, even if I wanted a wedding dress, I definitely can't afford one," Maíra said, wiping the salt-water spray from her arms. "Besides, I'm saving for something else."
"What do you mean by that?" the unicorn asked, finally reaching dry land and entering the bustling downtown city center.
"I mean that I don't have any money to spare! I'm not spending it on something like a wedding dress when I don't know if Carol will agree to even one date with me."
"Why would she not agree?" the unicorn asked blithely. "You love her!"
Maíra groaned and rolled her eyes. "You do understand that not everyone gets a fairytale ending to their search for love, right?"
"Why would she not love you?" People were staring as the two of them went past, and somehow, the unicorn was able to miraculously get through the crowd without being jostled or accidentally stepping on anyone. "You're wonderful!"
Maíra looked down at her hands, wondering how she could explain something as complex as societal gender dynamics to a creature that didn't understand that she didn't need a wedding dress to ask for a date.
"I might be a bit... differently shaped than she's used to," Maíra said, trying to explain.
"You're human. She is also human. I do not see the problem," the unicorn said.
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