Chapter 52: 'Priorities in line.'

Sasami had been standing in line for over twenty-five minutes now.

Not that she minded particularly. She'd once seen a show, about a big sci-fi convention. Remembering the program only now, because at the time she had thought all those people were idiots! Standing around, waiting to hear some over the hill actor, reminisce and blow about how he was glad to be there!

"This was different!" She thought defensively. Mildly angry at herself for the inference.

"This isn't Captain Kirk! Its Iron Chef Morimoto!" There was simply no way those two experiences had any connection!

If you don't get this joke then you haven't seen the original Iron chef U.S.A. God! How I envy you! (Rim shot!)

Unfortunately, however the man of the hour, seemed to have missed his flight.

New York was a long way from Tokyo after all, Sasami reasoned patiently. Glancing down at the ticket she had been given at the door. Specifically at its number she had been told to be mind full of, '77218'. "Maybe a lucky number?" Sasami wondered. Then glanced up with a start, realizing several young men across the way were ... Ahem! Checking her out.

"The nerve." She sniffed. "I'm practically married!" Tossing her head for good measure didn't seem to discourage them. If fact one, a rather handsome blond haired boy, she begrudgingly admitted, continued to stare holes in her! "Yeep!" Trouble was, Sasami didn't find it completely unpleasant. Which in turn made her all the madder ... at herself. So, of course she redirected her anger, strait at him.

"Why don't you take a picture?" She finally snapped icily. Returning his brazen stare with a cool gaze that certainly ought to send him packing and have made sister Ayeka proud.

"Only if it's porn babe." The boy sneered mildly.

Finding herself stopped cold instead, the icy chill shooting up her spine counterpointed the heat rising in Sasami's face perfectly. The boy in question then turned and sauntered away with his friends chuckling in the most infuriating fashion.

"Why that! That!" She sputtered in place. "MALE!" This was just not her day!

For the second time in just a few minutes Sasami wished Tenchi were here! She would have loved to seen the looks on those punks faces then!

She sighed, alternately she supposed Tsunami could just descend from orbit, strafe the mall? Smiling at the thought, Sasami still wondered were he was and what he was doing right now?