For two years Jason has not known the name of the little French cafe across Hudson Street from his apartment. And at this point he would rather not know. Names have a way of dominating things, corralling off thought-spaces the way apartment buildings cordon off courtyards. Inside the courtyard was another world entirely. The noise of the city hardly entered. It was always cooler than the street. And of course it was a luscious green. Paradise. A hidden paradise is what it was, but it was called a courtyard. Names had a way of destroying the very essence of the thing that they applied to. Apropos, Jason had refused to name the fish in the cab despite Jess’s protests. It would remain happy lucky magic fish. Or magic happy lucky fish. Or any of the first three components in any order followed by fish, so as not to constitute a name. Magic magic happy fish.

Read the whole story so far: Untouchable

Characters and Places: Elsa Fibocin, Jason Gunn, Jessica Hauser

Jess is taking photos of the carp in the tub. “Have you tried to catch it, yet?”

“No. But then, I guess the cats haven’t either.”

“So where’d you guys go?”

“Well, we went back to her place.”

“Duh.”

“We could’ve come back to my place.”

“I just meant it’s not like you parted company. You were pretty cuddly when you left.”

Read the whole story so far: Untouchable

Characters and Places: Animals, Carp, Jason Gunn, Jessica Hauser

“So, there you go,” Jason says as he picks the little robot up off the floor; a dome with “eyes” painted on it and three small rubber wheels. The automaton is not much larger than his hand. When he hands it to Elsa he notices again how amazingly long and slender and pale her fingers are, like the branches of a birch. She’s giddy as she turns the mechanical wonder over and over, this way and that.

The room they are in is just a concrete room—cinder block walls with large, industrial, frosted windows on one side. The other walls are covered in blank canvases, painted canvases, rolls of canvas, tarps, paint. Opposite the windows is a long beat-up counter with brushes, buckets, machine parts and tools, and pieces of electronics in various states of disrepair.

Read the whole story so far: Untouchable

Characters and Places: Elsa Fibocin, Jason Gunn

The digital red clock reads three o’clock, but the blinds are drawn and the room is dark and gray and quiet. The walls of the room are white and undecorated. Elsa is lying in bed with her back to the window and there are tear tracks running down her face. She is thinking about far away places and far away people—so far away that she will never get to them again. Ever. She is tired. She is too exhausted to be sad. There is effort in everything that she thinks, and she does not even have the effort to think about thinking about them. Nearby, a machine on the nightstand clicks and after a moment she hears Jason’s voice.

Then silence and she closes her eyes as giant tears cascade down her face.

Read the whole story so far: Untouchable

Characters and Places: Elsa Fibocin, Jason Gunn

asmodeus

alt.gossip.celebrities

Subject: Elsa Finch

12th July 2004 10:42:12 pm

She kind of looks like a cheap hooker. I would watch a porn flick that she made. I am sure there are a lot of them floating around.

Read the whole story so far: Untouchable

Characters and Places: letters

When she comes over to talk to him from a few barstools down, all he can think is, Really? Come on, and then look around for the hidden cameras. Then, when she speaks and the German accent spills out, he can’t take it and almost starts laughing. Must resist.

She sees he’s amused and reflects it. “I’ve been told zhat you are fascinating,” she balances on the word fascinating like the second to last square in hopscotch.

“Um,” he swallows and looks around again. “I think someone is having a little fun with you.”

“Vat’s that? No. You make robot art.”

“Oh, that. Yeah, I guess.” Jason takes a moment to try to compose himself, but she won’t stop staring right into his eyes and he can’t handle it. A goofy smile breaks out across his face and he looks up at the ceiling. “They’re, uh, robots, and they make art. Well, there’re different ones… and… I guess they’re different pieces… each one.”

“And you have catz.”

He blushes. Why, he doesn’t know. “Wow. You sure know a lot about me.”

“I love catz.” Her thin eyes grow cartoonishly wide and then she scratches at him and growls.

Read the whole story so far: Untouchable

Characters and Places: Elsa Fibocin, Jason Gunn, Jessica Hauser

chamomile

alt.gossip.celebrities

Subject: Elsa Finch

12th July 2004 11:32:03 pm

I hate that no one sees anything wrong with saying such horrible things about her. How could you say she should starve herself to death? How can you say that you would do these things to her? How can you say such a thing? I do not understand and it makes me so sad.

Read the whole story so far: Untouchable

Characters and Places: Elsa Fibocin, letters

The old man holds the fish bowl out, his arms fully extended, “No, no, you take!”

“Oh, I couldn’t,” Jason says.

“Yes. Vehy specia’. Bing you specia’ happy ruck.”

“Special luck, huh?”

Bringing the fish bowl back under his arm, the old man leans in conspiratorially. “This specia’ fish it… magic.”

“It’s magic.”

Read the whole story so far: Untouchable

Characters and Places: Animals, Jason Gunn, Jessica Hauser, magic fish

sheltylover

OMG that stupid look that she always gives like shes serious or something. what an idiot. hello elsa? You are a dumb, pretentious, No-English speaking moron. Go away.

Read the whole story so far: Untouchable

Characters and Places: Elsa Fibocin

The flash bulbs snap and pop like flamenco dancers on bubble-wrap and every flash is as blinding as the Sun, each one a translucent tile in a luminous mosaic aquarium being thrust up around them—the walls of which shift about them so fast that it makes Jason dizzy. He holds on to her hand like an anchor. Her, his tall, blond German goddess, caught by means completely mysterious to him. From somewhere behind them the sound of girls’ screaming voices mixes in with the low hoots of men, both of which sound simultaneously thrilling and threatening. All he can think in the rush and din and light and gold and red and speckled chaos is that he has no business in the firing line of such intensity, and after a moment that seems like forever, the photographers let him know it.

Read the whole story so far: Untouchable

Characters and Places: Elsa Fibocin, Jason Gunn