Toby wore a goofy grin on his face as he strolled into the apparel shop.  As he wandered about, searching for a pair of swim trunks, it occurred to him that he would never be in a store like this if he'd been in what he called, "The Real World."  Nah, he'd probably be at home, hanging out with Samson, watching TV, or just being alone with his books.  He certainly wouldn't have a date...at least not one who seemed as willing as Artemis had been.

The kids at his old school had thought he was a freak.  It wasn't every day you met someone who could change the color of their skin, or grow claws from their fingertips, or any of the myriad monstrous things he could do with his body.  It wasn't like it was a secret, everyone knew about Freaky Toby, one way or the other.  he tried his best to act like a normal person, but he knew that deep down, the others were right: He was a monster.  A Lovecraftian freak of nature.  One of his more erudite classmates had once referred to him as being 'eldritch.'  He had to look up the meaning of the word.  [i]Eldritch: adj.  weird, sinister, ghostly[/i]  It made sense to him...not to mention, it sounded like a cool superhero name.

He settled on a pair of brightly colored, Hawaiian floral print trunks, then suddenly wondered if Artemis liked flowers, and if so, what kind.  Maybe he could pick some before he met her at the lake.  He'd been there on several occasions, for walks and the like, and knew a few good spots to find different flowers.

As he left the shop, trunks in hand, he reflected, "I love this place."