They luckily found an unoccupied table near the rear of the area, and the girl chose the seat that put her back to the wall without hesitation. Jason noted this almost unconscious preference and wondered once more who she was. He took his seat and smiled.

“I am Jason Lerner.” He offered with a smile.

“Pleased to meet you, Jason Lerner.” She hesitated, glancing to where Jason assumed the guards were stationed somewhere behind him, before shrugging and smiling back. “My name is Lin Daiyu.”

Jason reached out with his hand in a way that caused her to assume he intended for her to shake hands with him. However, as her hand reached his, he took hold of it and quickly turned it palm down; he brought her hand up to his mouth and kissed the back of her hand lightly before she realized what he was about. The whole thing happened so quickly that she was either too surprised to react by pulling her hand away, or else she decided to go with the old-fashioned action. She certainly smiled charmingly at his bravado.

“It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance Daiyu.” He offered smoothly, recognizing the Chinese name word order.

Her eyes widened at his use of her personal name, but after a moment, her smile became even broader, if anything.

“And I am pleased to meet you, Jason.” She replied.

They both started eating, and Jason found himself feeling he should know who she was, but nothing was popping into his head. He began to get getting frustrated with himself but kept up an amiable front.

“Do you live here in the States?” He asked between bites.

She continued to smile but shook her head.

“No. I am here at USC on a one-semester exchange doing a Political Science degree. I go back in two weeks.” She lost her good humor with this admission, and Jason got the clear impression she was not keen on going home. She glanced at him under her brows.

“I like your costume. I don’t recognize the character, but it looks very good. Did you make it yourself?”

“Well, I designed it. But I had a professional actually make it up. Sewing is not really my forte.” He answered. “I’m glad you like it. It’s my sorcerer outfit.” He paused a moment. “I don’t really get to wear it much except at these things.” He waved his hand to encompass the convention. “It’s a bit much to wander around in normally. People give you funny looks if you go shopping at the local mart dressed like this.”

He tried to keep a serious, deadpan expression on his face as he said this.

She saw the joke and laughed. “I can imagine.”

He snickered a little in sympathy with her and then decided to stick his neck out. “So, who are you?”

“What do you mean?” She replied, attempting to act innocent.

He smiled and waved idly to where the watchdogs were camped at a table near the door. One was watching them, and the other was watching who came and went through that orifice.