Summary:Fresh from feeling inadequate around Sarah Rainmaker and Caitlin Fairchild (happy reunion, though), Roxy runs into Caitlin With Lasers (real name: Koriand'r) right outside of the Baxter Building! Koriand'r drops all of her groceries and some emotions happen. Kori learns that not EVERYBODY wants kisses. Roxy makes a mistake. Log Info:Storyteller: None |
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Koriand'r, who calls herself Starfire when in public for reasons she's not entirely clear on but that her roommates seem convinced is important, is walking home from the grocery store with two paper bags full of groceries in her arms when she comes around the corner to the door of the Baxter Building. Normally she doesn't bother with the ground floor, but her hands are too full to open a window today, so she appreciates the automated door on the ground floor, at least. Inside the left-arm bag, a number of glass bottles rattle against one another, the noise reminding her to wonder if there's a difference between sauerkraut and sour kraut; a distraction that proves deadly as she walks into Roxy!
Well, okay, no, not deadly. Mildly inconvenient for the 6'4" alien Amazon who can fly. It is enough to make her drop one of the bags, though, spilling lemons, bulbs of garlic, cilantro, strawberry jam with ghost peppers, and some purple tubers from a country Koriand'r doesn't know the name of. Wearing, at the behest of her friends, what she thinks of as her prudish outside clothes - a two-toned, violet one-piece with gold trim around the hips, gold bracers, gold shoulderpads, and thigh-high flat boots with gold trim - she gasps in surprise and ignored the spilling produce to fire out a steadying, glowing hand toward Roxy in hopes of preventing a tumble.
TODAY'S OUTFIT: Black beret, aviator sunglasses, purple lipstick and a cigarette. Roxanne's wearing her best shirt (A vintage tee with a stylized marijuana leaf on it and the caption "THC IN '93"), cropped to expose the midsection, and a black skirt caught somewhere between flirty and mini. A black half-jacket, black shoes and knee-high white socks finish the look.
It's a *very* good look.
Koriandr might hear the sound of a pitched teen having one of those supermarket-loud whisper-hiss arguments with the Baxter Building's security/reception desk, just a turn of the corner from the entry lobby the statuesque alien superhero's currently walking through. The conversation goes something a little like…
"I didn't FLIP YOU THE BIRD (this time)."
"Ma'am, your repeated use of foul language and hand gestures, which we've warned you for multiple times, is why we're issuing you this official warning. There's no legal obligation associated with it, but please understand your behavior is unacceptable."
"Rrgh! Why's Sarah gotta — this place bites! You guys aren't supposed to CARE about your job like this!"
"We do, ma'am. Serving the likes of the Fantastic Four and the Young Avengers is an honor."
"—bite me!"
It's not so much that Koriandr isn't paying attention to where she's going. Obviously, she's not, but Roxanne's just STEAMING around the corner. So when the 5'6 slip of a bad attitude bounces off of Starfire's cosmic-level superbody, she's just as surprised as her victim. Fellow victim. Groceries are going everywhere, it's the worst, but all Roxy can do is get a first look at things from her spot on the ground.
"CRAP! Cait? How'd you get down here so fast? Why'd you, uh… why'd you go to the store..?" Roxy's already on her knees trying to pick up whatever groceries she's able to. She feels bad.
She's very confused right now. She should look up.
Koriand'r shakes her head in distressed negation at seeing her victim pick up her groceries, but the gesture is lost, so she drops to her knees and puts her free hand on Roxy's shoulder. With no jacket on, her alien heat is immediately apparent on the human's relatively cool shoulder.
"Oh, please do not trouble yourself for my groceries!" Koriand'r cries. "They mean nothing. Come, please stand, are you uninjured by my carelessness?" Her glowing green eyes are scanning Roxy anxiously, and her free hand has moved from Roxy's shoulder to her arm in a sliding stroke as if testing the skin and muscles there (Roxy has no way of knowing, but Koriand'r still isn't quite confident she's fully discovered human frailty, so she's worried she's hurt the poor, small woman).
"Please. Allow me to assist you," Koriand'r exhorts as she sets down the other bag of groceries. Around her, passersby are growling about taking up the whole sidewalk, not least because building security is helping to collect the rolling foodballs, but Koriand'r wouldn't care even if she noticed. She's completely focused on Roxy's health.
Roxy's wearing an adorable thin half-jacket! It doesn't matter, it's about as insulating as her tee-shirt is, anyway. She's bewildered enough to be more than a little unaware of Koriand'r's armstroking, fixated as she is on… well. Roxy doesn't really know *what* she's doing. Her eyes are wide while she mechanically pulls groceries into her hands, and those purple-painted lips work through a few confused, quiet statements… she's talking to herself.
So far as arm-stroking's concerned, nothing about Roxanne is out of the ordinary. She's slinky and small-boned, but whip-tight so far as her general tonus is concerned. Koriand'r will feel the young woman tensing as she lifts, chin uplifted, chest thrust out in an attempt to… uh… intimidate Kori.
Did something happen? Did Roxanne connect the dots? Did the purple latex uniform and weird attitude and glowing green eyes sort of make sense?
"You're not Cait. You're that Kori girl, huh? Starfire or whatever?" Roxanne takes a step back, crosses her arms over her chest, and checks the alien girl *out*. Top to bottom. Like that. It'd be disconcerting, if Roxy didn't look like every inch of Starfire's form was another nail in her coffin.
"…I'm fine," she finally manages, voice cracking.
Koriand'r sags in visible relief. "Thank goodness," she murmurs, a smile spreading across her own purple lips. "I was so worried. You're certain you're—? Wait, you know me?" she asks with sudden curiosity and interest. While she's being checked out, she checks out Roxy in return, not angrily but appreciatively. When eyes meet again, Koriand'r's are wide with wonder, and a delighted smile is on her face.
"If you know me, then may I know you, friend?" she asks, ignoring the bag of groceries at her feet for now. Her eye contact is all on Roxy, drinking in those lavender eyes with unguarded wonderment.
Roxanne's eyes are on Kori's quickly enough to make one wonder what sort of looks were being exchanged at all, and certainly it's challenge and irritation that twist her otherwise spritely features. So this is who Sarah thinks Grunge is going to be all over? Some kind of Laser Fairchild? Starfire will watch those catching lavender eyes -narrow- and Roxy steps right on up to the amazon, pushes a finger into her sternum!
"Yeah! Sarah Rainmaker and me go WAY back! And SHE says I gotta look out for you! Like you're some kinda really hot—" Her tone's initially all fire and vim, her face *all* kinds of angry-wrinkled, but this fades. It's like watching a really pissed-off baloon deflate. Even the finger on Kori's chest… wilts.
"…really hot girl who's gonna make my man forget about me." Another one. -Another one-. Roxanne drops Kori's groceries. An onion begins to roll down the sidewalk, merrily.
"I'm Roxy. Sorry. I'm havin' a shitty day."
Koriand'r is taken aback, falling back half a step under Roxy's stabbing finger, but she catches herself quickly. For maybe the first time since she's come to Earth, she feels like she's talking to someone like her, someone with actual feelings, someone open and honest and not shut off like the other humans: what fills her heart is an aching loneliness and a soaring hope and a dull, burning sympathy for the poor Roxy.
"Friend Roxy, I am very pleased to meet you," Koriand'r says quietly, stepping forward again to rest her hands on the smaller person's shoulders. "I do not understand exactly what I have done to wrong you, but I would like to make it right. Will you please help me to apologize for what I have done?"
It's the sort of sympathy that would work on -anybody- else. Gorgeous, sympathetic, and genuine? Somebody get ready to restart a heart, Starfire's going to cause a heart attack with that combination! It's just that right now she -won't-. Right now, she's coming across as Roxanne's best friend, closest relative, and bitterest one-sided rival… and she's not even trying to keep copping to the bit. It just happens. Naturally. The sound that Kori hears is Roxanne grinding her teeth, all slumped against the amazon like she is. Every word she *hears* makes it worse.
"——GAWD! You CAN'T apologize! You're JUST like her, 'cept you might actually believe him when he tries to tell ya Earth girls say hi by takin' their tops off!" Roxy crosses her arms beneath her chest, rocks back on a heel, and adopts a position that's… well, it's a little ridiculous. She should be falling over. She isn't - maybe things aren't pulling on her as hard as they should be. Maybe her eyes are a little brighter than usual. Maybe she's in a bad mood.
Maybe she wants to leave.
"Just stay away from my guy, right? That's how you're gonna make it up ta me. Don't even LOOK at him!" Who? It's probably a good question to ask, but Rox looks like she's about to take off. Literally.
The more Roxy shouts, the brighter Koriand'r gets. The flames at the tips of her knee-length hair grow in intensity, the verdant light in her eyes deepens to viridian, and her skin's golden glow lightens to a purer yellow. Her fists are clenched and her lips are trembling. She's standing stock-still for Roxy's entire diatribe, but the instant it's over, she cries, "I do not even know who that is!" Despite her blazing eyes, the tone of her voice isn't angry at all. She sounds wounded.
"You are cruel and you hurt me, and I— I— you and your guy deserve each other!" she bursts out before crumpling groundward to pick up her fallen produce.
Roxanne doesn't seem to notice that Kori's a slow-growing supernova, and she certainly doesn't notice that her words are spurring the gradual change. When Kori finally speaks up and it's _that_, it's… it's sad! It might as well take the wind straight out of Roxanne's pissy little sails! She wobbles in place - something's clearly up with how she's balancing on her heel like that - and her body sort of settles in perfect step with her flattening expression.
"A-aw, ya don't gotta start up the WATERWORKS. Think you're gonna put your hair out if you start cryin'…" She runs a hand up along the side of that two-toned do, collects a handful of chemical-drowned hair. Yeah. Exasperated.
"…Maybe you aren't so… like… smart. Yeah. My guy would make *mincemeat* outta you." There it is, Roxy. Find your sliver of superiority! Your rock to stand on, your self-worth! You're really REALLY good at dealing with assholes!
Roxanne affords herself a little grin, and sets to lighting up a cigarette, hands to-mouth. She realizes, halfway through, that she's way too good at dealing with assholes. Wait a second.
She frowns in self-realization.
Koriand'r's head whips up in a blazing crescent contrail to glare at Roxy. She is, indeed, crying: this alien can do that, and her heat doesn't turn it to steam or anything. Despite the twin tracks shimmering down the sides of her nose, refracting a thousand tiny rainbows, her lips are twisted in a growl, teeth bared. "No! You do not get to say such hurtful things and then tell me I must not show you what your words did! Walk away if you do not wish to see!"
She arms away the tears with the crook of her elbow and goes back to collecting vegetables. Passersby look strangely at the scene but do not slow or offer to help.
Real good at dealing with assholes. Gawd. What's she doing right now? Shouting at strangers because she can't control her boyfriend? The mixing disgust and uncertainty playing across Roxy's face is emphasized by the flickering flame of her lighter, her eyes brilliant pink pinpricks as they flick Starfire's way. Sympathy floods her face as though it were a blast of chill air - startling and undesired. Ugh. She IS crying.
Quickly, Roxy drops to her knees, begins helping pick up the rest of these damn vegetables. How many of these things are there? Why's she feel like she's coddling a three year old girl alla a sudden?
"Listen. Sure. I was wrong to lash out at you like some kinda tweeker. I can make it up to you, right? You're like SUPER new, I can tell, and I meant it when I said you probably got a bunch to learn." Yeah! Yeah! Lean on the naive thing! Make a friend!
"So lemme try again. I…" Roxanne inhales deeply, cherry lighting her nascent frown. Ugh. She hates this part.
"…I was WRONG to yell at you 'cuz I was havin' a bad day an' you look EXACTLY like her. I'm sorry." Yes. Apologize to the superpowered starchild. Good Roxy.
Koriand'r looks up at Roxy again, eyes shimmering like the lights at the bottom of a swimming pool, but calculating as they search Roxy's face. After a long second, they must decide they like what they see, because her lips spread in a smile. "I accept your apology," she declares, and surges forward to throw her arms around Roxy's shoulders, hugging her tightly.
Hopefully not TOO tightly.
It's pretty tight.
Roxanne flails in the first seconds of the hug, but eventually sinks into it and finds a way to breathe without Starfire suffocating her in that annoyingly familiar way 6'4 amazonnesses have. She's used to it by now, it's cool. A hand pats Kori on the back, there there, yes yes, and Roxy begins to attempt to extricate herself from the hug as politely as she can.
"So you're Starfire, huh? I thought, like, the talkin' thing was parta your, uh. Nom du cape. Yeah."
Koriand'r badly wants to absorb more comfort from Roxy (and just enjoy the presence of her hug), but when the small human starts squirming, the tall alien releases and rocks back to a kneeling position, sitting on her heels. "I do not understand," she asks uncertainly, face pulled down in a silent apology. "Do you mean the kissing?" She gets a lot of guys offering to help her expand her vocabulary. Not as many women, but it happens. "Are you concerned I will kiss the guy of yours? I would not if you wanted not."
"Well… you know, I dunno! Not so much worried about YOU kissing him as I am about him doin' something ROYALLY SCREWED UP to make you think it's a good idea kissin' him." Roxy leans back against the brick facade of the Baxter Building, and exhales a plume of ashy chemicals. Hot. At least it makes her look like she's old and tired and cool - the exact vibe she's trying to give off. Even though Koriand'r's like up to her chest kneeling, Roxy can enjoy being taller than the alien for one. Fleeting. Second.
She takes in a slow, pained breath. Those lavender eyes have seen *years*, young grasshopper. So wise. So numb to it all!
"So like, even if he tells you kissin' him is gonna make you learn new words, I PROMISE the only words you're gonna learn are like, "Guacarito Disaster" and "Fan Protocol"." She screws up her face. "They're both words for the bathroom and STUUUUUPID."
Then: "…You know you don't learn how people talk by kissin' 'em, right? That's total bull. Boys just wanna get an excuse to suck yer face 'cuz yer pretty."
"Oh, I know," Koriand'r assures Roxy, smiling guiltily. She looks around, with zero subtlety scanning to see if anyone is spying on her (everyone is, literally everyone is staring), before rising up and approaching Roxy to whisper in the naughty tones of one sharing a secret, "I just tell them I must kiss them! Any skin to skin contact will do."
Roxy leans in to listen to Kori's secret. The girl's so damn eager to share, and the enthusiasm in those ridiculous green eyes (are they eyes?) is… catching. Roxy's conspirational as can be while Starfire shares her naughty little secret, even going so far as to pull the cigarette out of her mouth to keep the alien girl from breathing in her bad habit.
By now, nothing can surprise her.
"Alright, alright… yeah. So, here. Want you to try THIS next time, OK?" She says *THAT* for the benefit of all the lookers, leans in, and whispers just-as-naughtily…
"…NEXT time, you just ACT like you wanna kiss them, and then DON'T. Instead, ask 'em to do shit for you. Works like a charm. You're gonna be amazed."
"Is that the way of your people?" Koriand'r asks, genuinely interested. "On my world, if you want to kiss someone, you kiss them. You touch them like this" Koriand'r rests her palms on Roxy's shoulders. "to announce your intention, and if they wish to be kissed, they will not flee or strike you."
Okay. Jesus. Really? Kori's leaning up against Roxy, hands on her shoulders, and between the height difference, the sheer brawniness of the other girl, and the absolute startlement of the moment… yeah. Maybe Kori feels the tension in those slim shoulders give a bit. Maybe she feels walls coming down, and maybe the audience gets a little more trigger-happy on their 'Capture' buttons.
Maybe it's been TOO lon-
"Ah! No! BAD STARFIRE! I ain't gonna—" Well, either way, Starfire gets to learn a few things about Roxanne.
1) She's flighty about a lot of things.
2) She's confused about a lot of things.
3) She is literally flighty, and has left.
On 3, for Starfire's benefit - There is a pulse of *something*, an instantaneous yank downwards that destabilizes and comes out of nowhere. It's hardly forceful, but enough to cause one's knees to buckle, to take them by surprise. At the same time? Roxanne's going *upwards*, with all the force of a… well. Nothing. She's sort of floating up, but with a steady increase in speed as she makes up her mind about what she's doing.
"Uh, look. You're nice, but I, uh. Not really in the mood for tongue-wrestlin' right now! I gotta go!" She turns, and sure enough is *swiftly* over the horizon. Starfire might hear a distant, muttered oath…
"…shit, Cait's gonna *kill me*. Every phone's a damn camera!"
Koriand'r gapes up at Roxy in equal parts bemusement and delight. She knows she's crossed a line, she knows she should let it go, but to see that Roxy has the gift of flight and to hear Roxy misapprehend her so totally…
She should let it go, but she can't.
Eighty dollars of food is abandoned on the ground without a thought as Koriand'r lifts into the air, hands raised, palms toward Roxy in a gesture of peace. "No, friend, you misunderstand! I am sorry. I only wished to show you my people's way, so you could show me yours." Then her eyes widen in mortification as she realizes the potential insult she just dealt. Hastily, she adds, "You are very beautiful and magnificent, and under many circumstances I would like to kiss you, but I am still unsure after our fight. I hope you can forgive me for saying so," she concludes anxiously.
"I GET IT!" cries Roxy, who is now going faster than she's comfortable going. It's enough to have the wind whipping at her face, and enough to leave a lit cigarette tumbling through the air in her wake.
"I KINDA SCREWED UP, GOTTA GO FOR -REAL-." She's shouting, because she's leaving, because she's panicking a little bit. Koriand'r is a celebrity - Roxanne is decidedly NOT a celebrity. She clearly intends to keep things that way. To make her point clear, she makes eye-contact with Kori over the one shoulder, gestures down.
The crowd is STILL going nuts. It's like if you're looking at the audience of a Zeppelin show, except the Zippos are iPhones.
Publicity disaster. Roxanne's just about out of the area by now.
Well, that could have been clearer, but not much. Koriand'r backs off and touches down on the ground again, picking up her bags of groceries dejectedly. The first open heart she's met on Earth, and she drove her away.
But maybe it's not so bad. One person like Roxy means there might be another.
The thought cheers Koriand'r immensely, and she's smiling again by the time she makes it to the Baxter door. Things are looking up! Now all she has to do is figure out who the pretty, open-hearted girl was and find a way to make amends. That won't be so hard! Perhaps a gift of pudding. Humans seem to like pudding.