As I looked up, he removed his sunglasses

As I looked up, he removed his sunglasses and pierced me with aquamarine irises. My stomach tightened and I subconsciously touched my inner thigh. "Hi" he breathed, "I'm

Aquaman, and you are?" I blushed and took a long pull of my Blue Hawaiian. Something about his blond hair curl and chiseled jaw was attracting me. "Ariel," I stammered.

Ariel Pink and his band descended on a cloud of ultraviolet shaving cream and broke into "Every Night I Die at Miyagi's". Aquaman and I snapped our fingers and danced as hipsters

only can, barely moving but self-consciously nodding to the beat of the bongos. Aquaman's eyes were half-closed, as if in a trance. Ariel Pink's psychedelic music made me want to

frollick through the meadow and all I could do was think happy thoughts. High as a hippo, Aquaman began levitating above us. Ariel flapped arms that felt like rubber

and resembled wings. The feathers were leathery though, more reptilian than birdlike. Ariel wrapped his arms about me, whirled us around, and stirred up dust. I inhaled and saw

star, the Pleiades I think, and then fainted. When I woke, the moonlight lit the meandering Mureș below me. Ariel soared towards the Carpathian mountains with me in his firm grasp

. I saw thick virgin forests below. Ariel pointed down and said, "Romania." We descended with terrifying swiftness but alighted gently by a thermal spring on a mountain side.

Veselin Topalov greeted us in his sombrero. Despite our recent troubles and the troubles of our planet, his spirit of bemusement was a haven and a solace.