"Not a terribly high bar."

"Well, religions are made up of people. Any group of people large enough is going to mess up."

"So is Buddhism fated to that if it grows?"

"Buddhism's pretty big already, and it has messed up, just not as badly as Christianity."

"How has it messed up?"

"Most obvious thing I can think of is having been big in China while China was all, you know, break little girls' feet for the pretty and suicide if you don't pass your imperial exams."

"Isn't that sort of a natural consequence of it not having very strong opinions on things?"

"Yeah I actually was not really expecting this conversation and didn't do my research."

"Oh good, I like being unexpected."

"Then you'll love the Statistical Anomaly table, I'm sure."

"I'll fit right in," she agrees.

"Welcome to the geek chic nerd herd."

Soon they finish eating, although the cafeteria is still fairly crowded (for a loose definition of the word that allows a school for eclipsed to be called crowded) by then. Some people still linger to talk, while others go to a club or other or just return to their rooms to think about magic (one presumes).

"So, I think this went very well," Edie says before they part.

"I think so, too," she says meekly, looking very much like the eyelash-batting and the smallness is entirely involuntary.

(It's not.)

"Do you have any food allergies, other restrictions, or strong preferences?"

"No, ma'am."

"There's a decent Indian place in town. Meet me at the bus stop at five-forty-five sharp."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Good girl," she says, presses a kiss to her cheek, and walks away.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

And the next day he's at the bus stop at the indicated time.

"Hello," she says cheerfully. "How was your day?"

"It was lovely, if a bit long."

"Is that so."