11331/I Have Questions

I Have Questions
Date of Scene:	13 April 2020
Location:	Ship's Mess - Legion Cruiser
Synopsis:	Imra learns more about Earth from the team's resident Terran!
Cast of Characters:	Saturn Girl, Slipstream

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Saturn Girl has posed:
Imra is currently in the mess of the Legion Cruiser, an array of dishes laid out in front of her with a wide range of food types. There is spaghetti with a red sauce and meatballs. Over to the other side, some fried rice. Upper corner, a giant cheeseburger with fries on the side. More countries are represented and she seems to be very intent on staring at them.

On the holographic monitor on the screen is displayed an Earth show, from the United States of America as they were called. Drake's home country. Her viewing of this particular show was up to Season 4. She just hadn't quite figured it out yet but it was like a dirty addiction and she was always quick to turn it off when anyone entered a room.

Slipstream has posed:
"You know, Imra, if you want a rose so bad, I'll give you one. I look great in a suit by the way." Drake says as he appears in a blink of blue light, then opens up the fridge on the Cruiser to root for another Red Bull. He brought up a lot of them from his last visit on home. "You hungry or something? That's a lot of food. What's up?"

As he hops into a chair, he gives a bit of a spin about it, then cracks the tab of his energy drink to take a long sip, followed by licking his lips afterwards. "Is this a way of trying to test out new terrain food or something so you can relate with humans better? You know, as your local Earth dude, I'm surprised you guys don't come to me more often about this stuff."

Saturn Girl has posed:
"I do not want a rose. Although they are lovely flora and their fragrance is most pleasing," Imra points out calmly even as she is cringing inwardly that he caught her. She could flip channels but the feline was out of the knapsack already. Wait, was that the right phrase? Why did they put them in bags anyway?

That brought her full focus on Drake, blue eyes intent. "What did the feline do to be contained in a sack? Not that it has anything to do with the food selections. It is a thought that crossed my mind, a phrase I have heard. The food is an attempt to experience more of the Terran world through the variety of foods that seem to come from different regions."

Slipstream has posed:
"I don't know. I think you want a rose, or at least what it symbolizes, which is true love spun by producers using mostly scripted actors." Drake says as he reaches over to snag a fry off a plate. "Yum. Pizza is Earth's greatest food, followed by lasagne and General Tso's chicken by the way as a head's up." He ticks off his three favorite dishes at least.

"Feline contained in a sack?" There's a raise of his brows. "Do you mean.. the cat is out of the bag?" He laughs. "It just means that your secret is out. I don't know who came up with it or why. I guess it'd be kinda shocking to come across a bag and a cat leaps out, claws extended, ready to attack with a hiss. That's pretty surprising, right? It's unexpected." He tilts his head upwards at the TV. "Though not so much that you watch this. You kinda don't erase your viewing history and between this and National Geographic that Brin has on .. " He trails off.

"As a head's up, the show is pretty fake. None of them find actual true love. They always break up after the show ends. I think out of the thirty seasons, only two of them got married and one ended in divorce. Not that I got bored and Googled it one day."

Saturn Girl has posed:
"Cat is out of the bag. Yes. That is the phrase I was thinking. I remembered it incorrectly," Imra comments. "I understood what it meant but I simply do not understand how often a cat was contained in a bag for this to become a common phrase. Your language is very strange. And so many of them on a single planet!"

Imra looks at her array and spots the one that was called pizza. It happens to be a full combination version with everything but the kitchen sink. She picks up the plate and places it front and center then stares at it, much like a scientist might something in a petri dish.

"Everyone wishes to find love. This show does not have it. It is obviously fake and yet it is addictive. Perhaps there is something subliminal they are using? I had begun to explore reality tv since it is a phenomena of this era in history and this was one of the shows in the list, right after something called "Real Housewives" which I suspect is anything but."

Slipstream has posed:
"I think people just like to watch trainwrecks and explosions. This is pretty much an explosion of drama. It's a bunch of rich, good looking people, pretending to not be shallow. We call it hate watching. We hate it, but we watch it anyways." Drake says as he reaches for a slice of pizza, picking off a few peppers and olives before taking a bite. "I think a good reality show is Amazing Race. It's like a huge scavenger hunt, where a couple has to race across the entire world a few times over within a specific time, finding clues that will lead them to a single point, in which they win a huge prize. You learn a lot about history on there."

Licking his lips after he takes another bite, he hums happily to himself. "Real Housewives is the worst. If you want a list of fun reality shows to watch, I can give it to you. Maybe we can watch 'em together. I'd start with Survivor, then maybe do Fear Factor." He chuckles to himself.

"Do you want to find true love also? What are you looking for in a guy?"

Saturn Girl has posed:
As he picks up the pizza, Imra watches him picking off specific toppings. Then she looks back to the partial pizza in front of her. She picks up a slice, following Drake's mannerisms and movements. Hold it so, start from the tiny end of the triangle. "Why do you take some of the toppings off? Is it not the way it should be?"

She doesn't take a bite yet but tilts her head slightly, blonde hair falling a bit over her shoulder as she does so. "Why do they call it reality tv when there is no reality to it? This makes no logical sense. I have looked at the lists and most seem to be false. Thus, they are not reality." She shakes her head again, glancing to the screen above. "Hate watching. I believe that is a very good term."

At his final question, she gives the smallest of shrugs. "I am looking for nothing. I do not need someone though all of us hope to find love someday. At least, in my experience. Most minds I have touched have either found it or wished to someday." She considers a moment. "Perhaps someone who is not intimidated by my being a telepath would be a good start. Many people find it uncomfortable, since I could conceivably see everything they think. It is against my morals to do so, engrained since birth to my people. It is why we wear the symbol of our birth on our clothing, so people always know who and what we are." She touches the Saturn shaped symbol on the chest of her costume.

Slipstream has posed:
"Oh, I don't like peppers and olives. I'm more of a meat guy, but some veggies are good. You may like them. It's just not my flavor." Drake says as he continues to eat. "That's what is awesome about pizza. You can have so many different combinations. Just gotta find a few that you really enjoy."

"They call it reality TV because the people on the show aren't technically paid actors or actresses. They aren't the types you see in movies, like .. um... Bruce Willis for example. These are just normal people who are technically unscripted, but they are just faking it. They aren't /really/ there to get love. They are there for exposure, to promote their brand, their social media, just to be seen. Ego driven."

As he reclines in his chair, he puts a foot out to stop his spinning. "It wouldn't bother me if you were in my head. Relationships are built on trust, right? I'd trust you to not go snooping around and at the same time, you'd trust me to not be an idiot and go chasing after other girls, or I dunno.. whatever. I mean, what's in my head anyways? I'm not that exciting. I always sucked at relationships. I keep finding girls who are just not.. uh.. good for me. I'm sorta naive. I'm a good guy. I sorta get walked all over when it comes to love. I dunno."

Saturn Girl has posed:
"I see." If that was to the relationships or to the pizza explanation is unclear at first.

Imra finally takes a bite of the pizza, chewing thoughtfully and smiling once she swallowed. "That is delicious. I see why you like it. Although I am unsure about the peppers." She sets the slice down and starts picking off toppings one by one, tasting each in turn.

She considers what he says and smiles faintly. "It is easy to say something like that but the reality is all people have thoughts which they do not wish others to see. It is natural. Yet, in a moment of anger, thoughts can be had which are utterly at odds with the person themselves. A trained telepath can recognize this for what it is yet it is still there. And it can put a rift in relationships." She glances at him again as she tastes an olive, making a pleased sound before asking. "Not good for you? What kind of women have you fallen in love with?"

Slipstream has posed:
"I see it as the opposite. If you can sense something ahead of time, or some underlying issue, you could find a way to broach the topic more gently, than let it fester. But at the same time, would you want to be with someone who isn't comfortable enough to go to you beforehand and let you know there's an issue?" Drake says as he shrugs his shoulders upwards. "I guess there is some differences in actually being upset, and just being annoyed. Like, if you were to order this pizza and put pineapples on it, and obviously I do not like pineapples on pizza, I may be annoyed, but I wouldn't get mad at you. I'd just huff to myself internally and pick them off, but knowing me, I wouldn't say anything if I knew /you/ liked pineapples. I'd suck it up."

He takes another bite of pizza as he mulls over the question. "Well.. um.. the first person I ever truly fell in love with, was a love that Glorith created for me. When I was trapped in time, she created a life for me and Andromeda. I had a small crush on her, and she created a world in which I was married to her with a daughter named Lorelei." His eyes glance off to the side. "And when I came out of the time prison, I retained all the memories of this life I had with her. Getting married, falling in love, the excitement of seeing my daughter. Everything. Hell, I was even talking her language that she taught me during our marriage. I even remember some words of it. Those memories though are gone, mostly.. now it's like a ghost. It made things awkward between the two of us for a bit."

"Then the next girl I fell in love with was Jessica Cruz. She was a Green Lantern. Nice enough girl. Things were good for a bit until she got drunk on alien booze and hooked up with a God named Adam Warlock in space." He says as he shrugs. "She apologized and I tried to .. repair the relationship, but by then, my ego and self-confidence was such a mess."

As he pokes at his pizza, his shoulders slump now. "Then there was a girl named June. Normal girl like me. No powers. She was a .. um.. bad guy... working for a gangster. I tried to save her from a life of crime. We were at odds for months. Finally, she gave up that life and joined a Batman team called the Birds of Prey. We gave dating a try, but it didn't work out. She didn't trust herself enough to .. let love in. So, she dumped me in a text message." He rubs the back of his neck gently.

Saturn Girl has posed:
"Ah." Little word/sound but tons of conotations therein. Imra gives a nod as she chews another tidbit off her slice of pizza. Finally she chooses to take off the peppers and onions. When she takes a bit of the slice now, she smiles and gives a nod. "Much better. I see what you mean about adjusting it for my own tastes. Thank you."

She considers his explanation about his attempted relationships. "The first was manipulation. I can remove anything that remains if you would like me to do so. I can even remove things that hurt which were not false memories, should you wish it. I find that is never the best idea, our experiences are what make us who we are. But the offer is on the table. Could at least lessen thepain of it a bit, should it be difficult."

She tilts her head again as she thinks of the other two. "The Green Lantern had no excuse. We make our own choices and she chose to get drunk. She is not worthy of your love or attention. It was no statement on you and you should not take it personally. She is the one with issues."

Then to June. "It is nice you helped turn her to the side of the heroes. It likely was a huge adjustment for her and she wasn't sure about too much too quickly. I'd say give her time. If you have already moved on, so be it. Don't look for love. That is the best way to never find it."

Slipstream has posed:
"It's okay. You don't have to fix anything in my brain. They were good memories. Andromeda and I became good friends afterwards. She told me that she /would/ have gave me a chance if .. uh.. she liked guys. She sorta likes girls instead." Drake says with an amused grin on his face.

"And I'm over June. We haven't talked in months. I have no clue if she's even dead or alive. She made it clear she's a solo act and she has a lot of issues when it comes to relationships. I won't get into it, but they're rough. She's had some terrible guys in her life and at the end of the day, she felt like she'd hurt me more in the end." As he takes another slice of pizza, he plucks off the veggies until there is just meat, then takes another bite after dipping it into some ranch.

"I figure if a girl is into me, they'll tell me. I'm not really good at making the first move. I always seem to mess it up or look stupid in the process. Like, I know /what/ to do, but execution is kinda my downfall."

Saturn Girl has posed:
Imra stares at him dipping the pizza into the dressing. Then she looked at her own pizza. "In my research, it seems to indicate most people dip their food in this particular type of sauce. Especially if it is fried. I have tasted it and I do not understand the fascination with ranch."

She goes back to the topic though after finishing another bite of her pizza. She's still on her first slice. "I supposed that is a good approach. If someone does like you, they should tell you. Sadly, most people do not take things in a straight-forward manner. It is...strange."

Slipstream has posed:
"Ranch is amazing." Drake says with a grin. "You should try Ranch with boneless chicken wings with a honey barbecue sauce. You will lose your mind over it." He sounds confident as he says it, taking another dab before biting and chewing. After he licks his lips, he grins. "But yeah, at least on Earth, people are weird about relationships. I think they're afraid of rejection, or at least commitment as well. Like, people talk about how they want to be in love, but then they make every excuse to not fall in love with someone they're seeing." He leans back into the chair, flashing her a grin.

Saturn Girl has posed:
He seems confident in that ranch thing. She takes a spoon to scoop out some ranch from the dish then dabs it onto her next bite of pizza. She takes the bite, chews. After she swallows, she makes a face. "It is better without the ranch."

She shrugs a little at his observations. "I am guessing it is the same everywhere. Not just Earth. People want to find the right one but often have illusions it is like a story. Fall in love and everything perfect. Happily ever after. There is no such thing. It is work. It requires compromise and partnership. Most people are simply not ready for the reality."

Slipstream has posed:
"Yup. Lots of work." Drake says as he finishes off his slice, then looks out across the spread of food to find something else to nibble on. "Maybe you'll like blue cheese dressing instead." He says as he scouts the table, then plucks up a cup of it to pass her way. "Maybe try this. It's richer. It's my second favorite dressing."

Saturn Girl has posed:
"I believe perhaps pizza is better without a dressing involved." Imra gives a decisive nod, having made up her mind about that particular ethnic favorite at least. "I will try it on chicken wings though." She looks around, realizing that of all things represented in front of her, chicken wings are not among them. "Another time."

She pulls over the shrimp lo mein and begins the process of staring at it for long moments again. She pulls a shrimp out with her fingers, they dips it in the offered blue cheese and bites. The face she makes shows her dislike. "It ruins the delicate flavor of the shellfish." So she doesn't know she shouldn't dip some things and should dip others.

She pulls over a fork and pulls up a string of noodles then deposits it back on the plate. Her next attempt, she twirls the noodles on the fork first and they come up much more neatly. "Better."

She looks over at Drake again before taking the bite. "You will find the right one. You will have similar interests and moral beliefs. I have no doubts. Though you are young and impulsive," Imra adds, despite the fact she isn't that much older than he is. "A bit brash in the field, but you are a good person at heart and that is the important thing."

Slipstream has posed:
"You don't dip shrimp in bluecheese. Really only chicken wings, pizza and salad." Drake laughs. "You wana peek in my head real fast and get a quick and easy guide on how to eat all of this stuff or do you want to test out how long your tongue can go before you give up?" He plucks some lo mein onto his plate as well, then stabs it with a fork, scooping it into his mouth.

"I'm not young, I'm twenty-one. That's like a fully legal adult in the eyes of the law." He says, laughing. "But I am definitely impulsive, but I chalk that up due to my competitive personality and speedy powers. Gotta go fast." He drawls out.

"I'm sure you will find someone too. Maybe a librarian." He teases.

Saturn Girl has posed:
"A librarian? Sounds positively boring." Imra takes a bite of her lo mein, chewing thoughtfully. She gives a smile as she is chewing. This goes on the good list, along with pizza. Once she swallows, washing it down with a sip of water, she gives a shake of her head. "I mean, that is judgemental of me and it is possibly. It is just with our lifestyle as Legionnaires, it is difficult to think of someone with a job where they get to read books for a living. Or organize them and help others read is perhaps more accurate."

She considers his offer, eyes narrowing. "Are you certain you want me to go inside your mind? It would only take a moment. Just to understand what foods should or should not be blended." This cannot end well.

Slipstream has posed:
"There is nothing wrong with librarians. They're highly educated and intelligent and very organized. There's a solid chance they won't end up being a murderer." Drake says with a nod of his head as he offers her up a smile. "Maybe you could come home to someone to relax to and be a bit normal. Would give you some stability."

In regards to her poking into his head, he just shrugs his shoulders upwards with a grin. "Sure, I don't care. Go crazy. Dig as deep as you want. Maybe you'll see something you like, or weird you out. "

Saturn Girl has posed:
"I suppose," Imra says to the concept of coming home to relaxtion and normalcy. Then she turns back to focus on the subject at hand.

What food goes with what?

"I will not dig. That is a violation of trust. I will go in, find the information on food, and leave quickly. You won't even feel it."

Slipstream has posed:
"They used to say thing about getting a shot, or a root canal." Drake says as he plants his chin into the palm of his hand, taking another stab of food with his fork to pop into his mouth for a few chews. "But, do your thing. But if I end up tasting the color purple afterwards, I'll figure you broke something or you're pranking me." He says with a playful wink at her.

Saturn Girl has posed:
Imra looks horrified. "I would never do that. A mind is a sacred place!" And there is the difference between Titans and Terrans. "My world is all telepaths. I am the strongest among them. We do not toy with minds as we realize that is morally wrong. We do not even look in minds without permission to do so. It is forbidden."

Her cheeks are slightly flushed with agitation at the thought. A moment later, her eyes start to glow slightly. A quick jaunt into his mind, a sort through like a file cabinet to find the information she wants and then she is out. Her eyes return to their normal blue. "Thank you for your trust."

Slipstream has posed:
"Sounds like you'd make a librarian a happy guy." Drake says as his brows lift upwards at her with a wily grin. Is he assuming she's boring? Maybe a gentle round of teasing.

Poking about in Drake's mind is like fishing through an 80's action cartoon. It's very vivid, frantic, with a million thoughts blasting away at a second. But, all things considered, he has a normal, functional brain without any oddities or defects. He's just a hyperactive nerd who really likes Taco Tuesday.