Summary:Damian meets Kori Anders. Misunderstandings happen, but they become the acquaintanced. Log Info:Storyteller: None |
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Kori is not a brilliant student, but then again, linguistic barriers are kind of a challenge for someone who learns new languages by osmosis. Written English is an entirely differnt kind of challenge for her, let alone having to convert everything in her head to and from base 11 for it to make sense.
Her study companion gathers his books and murmurs an apology for having to leave, and Kori smiles and nods at him reassuringly. The fellow shoulders his bag and walks off, leaving Kori alone at the small study table in the student union building. She shifts her weight and sits on her foot, shoulders rolling upwards towards her ears as she slouches against her elbows. Unbeknownst to Kori her lips move as she diligently (laboriously) copies notes from textbook to spiral notebook, each motion of the pen careful and precise.
Damian Wayne was acing all of his classes. He'll probably make the Dean's list and this surprises none of his educational colleagues. But as he's walking to go rest and barely enjoy a reasonably-long siesta before his next class period, he turns his head just the right way and those emerald eyes fall on the Tamaranean beauty.
Having heard about her in passing from his sister Helena, Damian decides to do some light recon to see if the words are true or if they ring hollow.
"Hello there. Mind another?"
It takes a few seconds for Kori to realize she's being addressed, and she looks up at Damian slowly. A genuinely friendly smile works across her face, albeit uncertain in nature.
She looks away from his face, then down at the table, the spread of books, the notepads, and the pen in her hand. Being the only singular object handy she looks back up at Damian. A ripple of motion works down her hair as she shakes her head, hanging to her hips.
"It is kind of you to offer," she informs Damian, and wiggles the stylus helpfully so he can see it. "I have a pen, but I may lose it, and then I would not be of the minding for a second one!"
Damian seems to tilt his head at her when she reveals her stylus and explains that if she loses it, she'll gladly have another. Damian shakes hish ead. "I was more meaning personal company, but if you want an extra, I'll see what I can do if or when you lose that one." Damian shrugs and walks over to the chair, setting his bag down, but not sitting yet.
"My name is Damian. Damian Wayne." If she knew Helena's full name, she may know that Damian is Helena's brother, on her father's side.
"Who are you?" Of course, he's going to try and be polite. Talking with an alien with possibly on the same level of social skills as him is certainly a tempting thing to think about.
"I am pleased to meet you, Damian Wayne," Kori informs him. "I am Kori Anderson."
Her head tilts minutely as she processes the name. Her eyes are an intensely vivid shade of emerald, but combined with the ruddy hue of her skin she looks more like a product of an islander and someone from around Dublin.
"I believe I know this name," she cages, and then brightens. "Yes! You are the brother of my friend Helena," she informs Damian. It's almost a congratulatory tone. "Oh, the joy! Helena is dating Best Friend Peter," she explains. "She is very kind and intelligent. You must be very grateful to have such a wonderful sister. I did not know you attended the Empire State University, however. She does not talk about you very often," Kori apologizes.
Damian seems to smirk a bit when Kori pieces the names to faces. "She's told me a lot about you. Your a good friend of hers. I met Peter too, though I find his yodelling to be particularly annoying." Which is exactly why Peter does it, most likely.
But if Peter is best friends with Koriandr….well, who knows what that must mean about who knows who. Something for Damian to try and piece together later. "I'm used to it. I was a very…sudden arrival into her life. I wouldn't be surprised if she's keeping her distance until she understands how to act around me." he sighs lightly. "Perhaps my only regret in revealing myself as her sibling."
But he does smile at her. "But a friend of hers is a friend of mine. How did you and Helena meet, by chance?"
"Through Peter," Kori explains, as she's asked a direct question. The commentary about siblings is left aside, mostly because it's probably hard for aliens who hatch in pod clutches to relate to such things.
Then again, maybe siblings is just a touchy subject for her.
"After I met Peter in high school, he met Helena. They had begun the courtship rituals of the dating," Kori clarifies. "She is very intelligent and kind! Peter invited her to our graduating prom dance as his companion. I am very pleased they are still together; they make a wonderful couple, do they the not?" she inquires with a happy, dreamy sort of sigh out the window.
"Is that why you have sought me out, friend Damien?" Kori inquires of him. "I am not particularly close to your sister, though we are quite friendly. Peter would be a more knowledgeable individual."
Damian nods softly. Makes sense, Peter seems the very social type and Damian has a feeling that despite Koriandr's clear beauty, she was likely picked on in high school for being -visibly- different. But, thankfully Damian judges by heart instead of appearance. When you're raised to 'genetic perfection', you see so many 'perfect' people that you get bored of it really quickly.
So Damian is looking at Kori as she describes his sister. "She is. I imagine she was elected queen?" Damian's done his homework. He knows about high school ritual like prom king and queen.
"No, I sought you out because I felt like making a friend. Do you not wish to attain a personal relation with me?" Damian asks, perhaps testing the character of Kori as well as meaning what he says. Innocently, of course.
"I wish to attain personal relationships with as many people as possible," Kori says with a straight face. Either she's the greatest poker player ever or the innuendo sails past her. "It is one of the best things about this pl— country, meeting new people and making of the friends with them. That is why I am so close to Helena, and Peter, and others," she explains. "If you wish to be my friend as well, I would welcome relations with you as well!"
Kori's voice carries a little /too/ easily and some giggling can be heard directed at Damian's back.
"Oh, and… I might be recalling this wrong," she says, /finally/ lowering her voice, "but I do not believe queens are 'elected'. It is a position filled by inheritance," she advises him. "That may be on a test of your history class."
If it was an inuendo, it flew over Damian's head too. She just said friendly relations, so he said friendly relations. He's not good at making or keeping friends, but it was a good try. If it was taken as a flirt, someone would seriously have to tell him. But, Damian shrugs just a little bit. "…you know you can be honest with me. Don't know many people with green eyes like you." Damian admits to her with a smirk.
He hears the giggling, but remains oblivious to why they are giggling.
He looks at her when she speaks about queens. "I'll take that as a no. Sometimes proms will elect a prom king and queen. This is not an official title, but usually a glorified popularity contest. They don't actually rule anything or have authority."
"Oh, I recall discussion about that now," Kori brightens. "Yes, my school elected not to do that. They said it was 'the uncoolness'," she explains. "I did not understand, but I was not informed enough to make a decision either way."
"As for honesty, I have not told you any falsehoods, friend Damien," Kori points out with an uncertain expression. "I know sometimes my English is not very good, though, so if I am being the confusing, I am much the sorry. Is there something I did not say correctly"?"
Damian looks at Kori as she talks, though he doesn't seem to try and cut her off. He listens, even if her grammar is a….BIT different than what he's used to. Mainly the 'The''s and the 'ness'es that happen before and after some of her words. He's already deduced that she's an alien just off of all these things. Damian was smart.
Give him a break.
He does lower his voice though. "You're from out of town, arn't you?" By out of town, which she may or may not understand, he means off-world.
"Yes, I am from Malta," Kori informs Damian politely. "Helena may not have mentioned it. She is very much the thoughtful about trying to be 'inclusive'," Kori says, with finger quotes that somehow convey diligence instead of any sense sarcasm. "It is a very good quality to have! She is concerned about her friends."
The Tamaranean beams at Damian. "You are fortunate to have such a good sister. She is a kind person. You are… younger than she is?" Kori guesses, haltingly.
Malta was not what he was going for. "She is very thoughtful, yes." Damian just moves on from the origins because she's probably uncomfortable talking about it. Not that he's judging, if she asked him, he would sidestep and redirect too.
"We are about the same age. A few months apart. I believe I am older, but…that is simply my fault for not spending enough time with her to know for certain. We may be related, but we are newly acquainted."
"I… do not understand, but I am gaining the sense that it is a complicated issue," Kori hedges, being sincere and candid. "It is quite the allrightness if it is a taboo topic. I am not upset."
She glances at her cell phone and starts putting her notes away. Despite her lack of knowledge, she's at least tidily organized and her notes are written in a flawless, font-like text that could pass for a computer printout. "I regretfully must return to the classes," Kori apologizes, and gets to her feet. In sandals, she's a solid six-seven without accounting for the volume of her hair framing her face. "I am grateful to have made the friendship of you, Damien Wayne. The next time I see Helena, I will tell her you and I have made the acquaintancings!"