Chilly Boulder Ice Cream, Thursday Afternoon

[firstofitskind]

For all that Liam enjoyed ice cream, he was pretty sure that he'd stepped foot in Chilly Boulder maybe a handful of times, practically all of them during those weekends when future kids had shown up. He just wasn't very good at doing things 'just because', even after more than three years here in Fandom. Today felt like an ice cream sort of day, though, and there wasn't any in the apartment, so he was actually following through on the train of thought that pointed out there really was no reason he couldn't just... go to the ice cream shop.

But going alone felt weird, weirder even than just going for no particular reason, so he shot Rey a quick text message asking if she felt like joining him. He enjoyed her company and also figured she of all people might understand the whole 'doing something fun just because I can isn't something I'm used to' thing.

[ooc: expecting the one mentioned but could also be open, why not?]

Comments

[thatwaslucky]

Rey was all about distraction this week. Sometimes that meant training more than usual, sometimes it meant wine and a Lifetime, and apparently, right now it also meant ice cream. So she replied to tell him she was on her way and headed over.

"This is one of the better invitations I've gotten," she said when she arrived.

[firstofitskind]

That Rey could use a distraction meant there now was a purpose for said invitation, not that Liam actually knew that.

"It's no important Resistance mission, but I do my best," Liam said with a teasing grin.

[thatwaslucky]

"Do you know what they don't even have on Resistance missions?" Rey said, gesturing at the counter.

[firstofitskind]

"... Tiny spoons?" Liam guessed, perfectly aware that was not the answer.

[thatwaslucky]

"That is technically correct," Rey laughed. "Was it just a day for this?"

[firstofitskind]

"Pretty much," Liam nodded. "I'm trying to do better at being spontaneous."

[thatwaslucky]

"I like it. Does that mean your order is spontaneous, too?"
she asked.

[firstofitskind]

"That was the plan," he confirmed, with a little huff of laughter when he realized how having a plan to be spontaneous sounded.

[thatwaslucky]

She caught that. "I'll let you go first, then. I need to pick something new and I wouldn't want to influence you."

[firstofitskind]

Liam scanned the menu, which ran the gamut from the standard flavors you'd expect at any ice cream shop, to some more unusual combinations (grape and pineapple, kimchi and rice, butter and lobster, olive oil... to name a few), to the truly terrifying concoction that was the Skywalker Sundae.

"Oh, hey. Chai!" he finally settled on. He liked tea, and chai especially was sweet, so it seemed a reasonable combination.

[thatwaslucky]

"That's a coffee or something, right?" she asked. "I've seen it at the Perk."

She was less adventurous with her caffeine than her ice cream.

[firstofitskind]

"Tea," Liam nodded. Privately, he wondered if the Raadchai culture's preoccupation with tea was a coincidence or if it was literally in the name. Maybe he'd ask Breq or Seivarden next time he saw either one of them. "Specifically with milk, sweetener, and several different spices. It's pretty good." Which, okay, that opinion was probably obvious based on the fact that he'd just ordered a bowl of ice cream with that flavor but shh.

[thatwaslucky]

"I might ask for a sample. And then get something else so I've tried two new things."

Look at her, branching out!

[firstofitskind]

"Now I feel like maybe I played it a little too safe," Liam admitted.

[thatwaslucky]

"You can't overthink it. That's not spontaneous," she told him.

[firstofitskind]

"That so, huh?"

[thatwaslucky]

"I'm at least pretty sure," Rey said, shrugging.

[firstofitskind]

Neither of them were exactly experts at this, which is pretty much why he'd thought of asking her to come with him in the first place.

"Okay," he agreed. "No overthinking. But next time I'll try and consider something completely new."

[thatwaslucky]

"Next time, yes," she said. "I'm happy to hold you to that."

[firstofitskind]

"For now, though, I'm curious what you'll end up with."

[thatwaslucky]

"Mint chocolate chip," she replied simply. "I haven't had it yet."

[firstofitskind]

"Good choice," Liam agreed. "At least, I think so. I've never actually tried it myself, but-" he broke off, looking somewhat sheepish. Bringing up inherited memories might be kind of rude when with someone who'd grown up without parents.

[thatwaslucky]

"What?" she prodded.

[firstofitskind]

"My father liked it," Liam admitted.

His relationship with Sandoval had always been... fraught, but he'd clung to the bits and pieces he had that reminded him of the fact that his father hadn't always been the cold, calculating figure Liam had interacted with.

[thatwaslucky]

Rey was fine. People had parents. She even gave him a little smile and suggested, "You can have some of mine and see what you think."