Book Haven, Friday

[fewer_explosions]

There was something odd about the store today, but Liara could not put her finger on it. Perhaps it was just a trick of the light - sometimes she would look up and the far wall would seem somewhat different from what it had been but moments before.

"Goddess," she mumbled to herself. "I am letting this human holiday get to me."

That had to be it.

[[ open! ]]

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[arsenicmauls]

Gert wasn't a big believer in this holiday. Well, that wasn't quite true; she recognized its existence and actively told everyone who would listen that it was dumb. But since not a lot of people were around to listen, there being a dance and all, she decided to spend today doing something she liked, instead.

"Hey," she said with a half-wave in Liara's direction as she came into the store. "I'm looking for something thick and engrossing enough that I won't look up until Sunday. Can you recommend anything?"

[fewer_explosions]

Liara startled, veering up with big eyes. Oh, Goddess. A customer.

"Ah," she stammered. "Ah-- fiction or non-fiction?"

[arsenicmauls]

Gert gave it a moment's thought. "Dealer's choice," she decided. "Is this a weird time?"

Liara looked kind of freaked out, after all.

[fewer_explosions]

"No!" Liara said hastily. "You have come here during work hours. It is fine. Ah... I enjoy archaeology, myself..."

[arsenicmauls]

Gert perked up. "I know pretty much nothing about archeology," she said, intrigued. "I'd go for that. Earth stuff, or... sorry, I forget where you're from."

[fewer_explosions]

"Thessia," Liara said, slightly more easily. "I do not currently have access to my home planet, unfortunately. But I do know of a volume about ancient Mayan discoveries that should serve as a reasonable introduction to the science..."

[arsenicmauls]

"Sign me up," Gert said easily. "I'm always up for learning more about the Mayans that isn't just your generic stuff-white-people-got-wrong."

That wording might be a little confusing to someone who was blue, Gertrude.

"So, wait, you can't access any volumes on Thessia at all? Not even in the library?"

[fewer_explosions]

Liara was... somewhat confused by the former remark, actually. "White people...?" she ventured. "Is that some species I-- like Evan?"

Humans, as far as she had observed, came in shades ranging from white (Evan) past pinkish brown (Gert) into dark brown.

[arsenicmauls]

"Uh, him too," Gert said with a frown, "I think. More like me and Kar and the vast majority of this town, actually. The color thing is more of an approximation than an exact match."

She figured that she was probably being confusing again, so she added, "It's just a term humans use when we're talking about the social construct of race based on where on this planet your great-great-great-great-you-get-the-drift-ancestors were from. People aren't always super civilized about it. That's not a thing where you're from?"

[fewer_explosions]

"No," Liara said. She turned around, ostensibly to find the volume she had recommended, but really to recompose herself. "There are... biases, however, against pureblood asari."

[arsenicmauls]

"Seriously?" Gert dutifully gave Liara some space, trailing after her a few careful steps behind. This had gotten heavier than she'd intended. "Here the bigoted way of looking at it is that reproducing with your own kind is better than getting anything undesirable in the bloodline." She made a face. "All based on made-up science, obviously. How do they justify anti-pureblood bias?"

[fewer_explosions]

"My people do not reproduce as yours do," Liara said, finding the volume. She held the heavy book between her hands. "An asari finds a partner. She induces the... melding process. She then uses her partner's nervous system to randomize her own genetic material in one of her ova."

She turned back around and put the book down on the counter. "Some asari believe that if you meld with another asari, the resulting... scramble... does not actually add anything to our species."

[arsenicmauls]

Gert wrinkled her nose. "No offense, but even if that's a little less self-centered than human racism, that still sounds like a bunch of crap. Starting a family with someone shouldn't have to biologically benefit the entire rest of the species."

[fewer_explosions]

"My people place great value on service, at least on a social and diplomatic scale," Liara said, pushing the book across towards Gert.

[arsenicmauls]

"Thanks," Gert said, reaching for her wallet. "And yeah, but aren't there other ways to contribute? Stigmatizing people for starting relationships with the 'wrong' kind of person never exactly ends well on Earth, that's all."

[fewer_explosions]

"I never claimed it was entirely rational," Liara said. She glanced down. "But that is how my culture works. That will be ten dollars, I believe."

[arsenicmauls]

Gert fished out a bill and handed it over. "I guess prejudice is a multiversal constant," she muttered. "That's bleak."

It really was. Bleak enough that she felt like segueing to a slightly brighter topic, at least.

"So... are you and Kar doing anything tonight?"

[fewer_explosions]

"I believe we are both attending the Valentine's Dance," Liara said, glancing up. "Is there any reason why you are asking?"

She hadn't exactly spent a lot of time researching this holiday.

[arsenicmauls]

She shrugged. "Some couples get really into this holiday." Though she probably could have guessed that Karolina and Liara wouldn't be like that. "I heard a rumor there's going to be goats or something at the dance, incidentally."

[fewer_explosions]

Liara gave a few blinks. The question that came to mind-- seemed like a stupid one, but... "Is that traditional?"

[arsenicmauls]

"Definitely not." She would add that it probably wasn't true, but, well, Fandom. It very well might be true. "No Valentine's Day on Illium, huh?"