From the Dorms to Taste of Thai, Thursday Evening

[fewer_explosions]

There was absolutely no reason to feel nervous.

There was absolutely no reason to feel nervous.

There was absolutely no reason to feel nervous.

"By the Goddess," Liara sighed, waiting outside the dorms roughly ten minutes earlier than she and Karolina had actually arranged. She was wearing a yellow sun dress with a jacket, and she was facepalming. "I am an awkward fool."

There was absolutely no reason to feel nervous.

There was absolutely no reason to...

[[ for the girl! though you're free to make use of taste of thai, too ]]

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[solarhippie]

Karolina thought there was every reason in the world for feeling nervous, personally. She'd had the same idea as Liara, clothes-wise, although her dress was the rainbow-striped one Gert had given to her. She needed new dresses. New... date clothes.

She was chewing on her lip when she came out of the dorms (at the time they'd agreed on) and that didn't actually change once she spotted Liara and came closer. Just got coupled with a smile. "Hi. You... look pretty."

Had she meant to say that out loud? Well, it was out now. And kind of the kind of thing you said to your date, right?

[fewer_explosions]

Liara certainly appreciated it. "Thank you," she said, smiling broadly, and--

Oh Goddess, wait. "...I mean, so do you. You look lovely." Yes, yes. Keep it cool.

[solarhippie]

"Thank you," Karolina replied, half hiding a smile by ducking her head. She looked up again soon enough, nodding towards the town. "So... Shall we?"

[fewer_explosions]

"Let's," Liara said, ducking her own head and hoping it would be interpreted as a nod. "I believe most of the restaurants are near the boardwalk," she added, as she began to walk into the direction of the north gate. "There are several options--"

[solarhippie]

"Yeah, I checked," Karolina said, walking easily alongside her. Well, for a given definition of easy. One that didn't take her nerves into account. "This is pretty diverse in dining for a tiny island."

[fewer_explosions]

"Perhaps we see a lot of tourists," Liara said optimistically. "...Though I have never met any."

Curious.

[solarhippie]

"Maybe it's just related to how multicultural the island is," Karolina offered with a shrug. "Although... I guess it'd have to be a little more diverse than basic Earth stuff, then."

[fewer_explosions]

"Perhaps," Liara said dubiously. "But I have not seen any non-human cuisine anywhere. That would make it lacking."

[solarhippie]

Karolina paused to think about that, biting on her lip a bit.

"Oh!" she said then. "I think that place, Goodvalor's something? I think they sometimes have some, like, off-world things? Sometimes. But I don't know, it's probably still human cuisine. I wouldn't really know."

[fewer_explosions]

"It is just something to think about," Liara said quickly. "I am not saying we should base our dining choices on some perceived anthropocentrism."

That wasn't date talk! She thought.

[solarhippie]

It probably wasn't. "I know," Karolina replied, about as quickly. "And I'm fine with whatever. The Asian places usually have good vegetarian options, at least?"

Well, back home they did, if nowhere else!

[fewer_explosions]

"We could go to the Thai restaurant?" Liara suggested - only a little desperately. "It seemed interesting."

From the outside...

[solarhippie]

"Thai's fine!" And not just because making decisions while a little nervous was horrible. "I like Thai. Thai's good."

Okay, babbling. She took a deep breath.

"It's not really the food I'm here for, anyway."

[fewer_explosions]

"It's not?"

No, Liara, it wasn't.

"I mean, of course it is not," she hastened to correct, as they went through the gate and onto the boardwalk.

[solarhippie]

Karolina nodded her agreement. And smiled, although it had that shyness to it again.

"Because it's a date."

[fewer_explosions]

"And it is about the company," Liara filled in. "Goddess, I am sorry. I am a little-- anxious."

Flaily was also a good word for it.

[solarhippie]

"It's okay," Karolina said. Still smiling. Still, yes, a bit shy, but sincere. "I don't really know what I'm doing, either."

[fewer_explosions]

"That... should most probably not come as a relief," Liara admitted.

She offered Karolina her hand. "I suppose we should make it up as we go along."

[solarhippie]

Karolina took her hand after some small hesitation, lacing her fingers with Liara's.

"Hey," she said, "that's kind of what I've been doing for the past year anyway." You lost some basic rules when you suddenly found yourself an orphaned alien as well as a teen superhero. "I'm well equipped for playing things by the ear."

[fewer_explosions]

"It seems like it has been all I have been doing since I came here," Liara said wryly. "It is not every day you walk onto the home planet of an undiscovered species."

[solarhippie]

"Not every day you realize everyone around is actually a different species, either," Karolina agreed. "But, see, we're working around both of those things. Maybe even together."

[fewer_explosions]

Liara smiled. She was... settling. "How did it happen?" she asked.

[solarhippie]

"Realizing I'm not really human?" Karolina replied, and shrugged one shoulder, smile turning a little more wry but not disappearing. "It's a long story. But it boils down to finding out my parents were involved in some dark stuff. My friends saw them... do something ––"

She was still not entirely okay with saying it was a murder. But it was.

"–– and we started investigating, and we found this paper that kind of suggested I should take my bracelet off. And I did."

[fewer_explosions]

The restaurant came into view, and Liara slowed a bit. "I can see how that would have made for a terrible shock," she said. "I mean-- that is terrible!"

[solarhippie]

"It's pretty terrible."

It was. And it still weighed on her most days. But it was not like Karolina to make that too obvious. And wasn't that why she had a shrink, anyway?

"But there's... not really much I can do about it, is there? Except to visit LA and help my friends fight the villains."