Logs:Dating, Discussed

Dating, Discussed
Dramatis Personae Harm, Naomi	2023-02-11 isn't that a kind of trust? (after a small adventure)
Location <XAV> Medical Lab - Xs Basement'
Gleaming and sterile, the school's medical facility is all cool science in contrast to the mansion's old-world old-fashion. All stainless steel and antiseptic tinge, the room is filled with the quiet whir-click of the various implements that comprise its medical equipment -- all state-of the art. The hospital beds are curtained off for privacy when they have patients, and in one of the alcoves there is a small operating theatre visible. More heavy-duty equipment is visible in the lab in the back, where the securely locked cabinets keep sensitive equipment out of the reach of teenage fingers. Harm had said, several hundred miles ago, that they would need breaks to completely heal the injured leg. Dr. McCoy is currently enforcing one of those breaks, shooing away his students from the exam room with the insistance that he needs space to work before any more of that could occur. Through the just ajar door, they can hear the Beast cleaning Brendan's wound in the exam room, softly asking both him and his companions about his medical history -- "...any allergies to medication? Penicillin? The wifi password is on the wall if you would like to inform your emergency contacts..." Several beds away, Naomi has just returned from the dance floor upstairs, treats in hand, and is settling on the bed. She's abandoned her high heels on the floor and tucked her bare feet under the long skirt of her dress. Spread on the linen beside her is a bounty of foil wrapped chocolates, heart shaped hard candies, and a plate of good (but not great, not Mr. Holland quality) frosted cookies. She's holding two red plastic cups of punch, one outstretched to the other formally-dressed teen. "You were," she says, quietly awed, "amazin' out there." Sitting on the edge of the bed with their legs dangling, Harm is looking much paler than Naomi saw them last, but is starting to perk back up at the prospect of snacks. Their fingers are a little slow and clumsy unwrapping a chocolate, and then stop entirely when they blink up at Naomi. "I was?" They don't sound perplexed or incredulous, but just a bit pensive. "It all seemed kind of unreal, which was maybe a good thing because if it seemed more real I might have flipped all the way out." The flush in their cheeks is all the more visible for their pallor. "But, thank you. I don't know what kind of mess we'd have been in if you weren't there. Moving him right away might have been dangerous, with that kind of break." They glance in the direction of the exam room, then back at Naomi. "How are you feeling?" “Yeah,” Naomi says, nodding. “Ain’t felt anything that not-real since…“ This sentence she lets die with a sip of punch. “I wouldn’t’ve been any help if you wasn’t there to make that break go ‘way, y’know?” Her eyes, too, track back to the exam room. “Tired?” Back to Harm, then down at the two cups of punch in her hands. Sets one down carefully on the floor near Harm, definitely not looking at them when she mumbles, “…a lil confused?” "Maybe the whole going through space doors thing is still uh...too soon?" Harm finally gives up on the candy and starts in on one of the cookies, which they finish in only a couple of too-big bites and wash down with too big a gulp of punch. "They said their friend knew we could help. I guess their friend was right, though I'm really curious how." They glance over at Naomi. "But that's not the part that's confusing you?" "This one actually a door with hinges, ain't that some kinda improvement?" Naomi reaches for a chocolate, picking at the edges of the foil carefully with the tips of her press-on nails. "...Maybe some kinda, mutant trouble detector? Though last time they was rescuing us..." This thought falls away when she looks back up at Harm, biting her lip. "All that 'date' talk got me twisted up cuz... don't laugh." The skin under Naomi's cheeks is rapidly getting darker. "...I done thought you only liked boys." "Kinda. The part where we didn't end up in a crazy parallel universe full of evil robots helps, too." Harm doesn't try too hard to suppress their smile. Then they duck their head slightly and fails to suppress their giggle. "Sorry, sorry I'm not laughing at you. It's just -- ironic, I guess? I used to think I only liked girls. But then the whole gender thing uh...happened, and it got a lot more complicated." Their shoulders shrug jerkily. "Maybe less complicated in some ways. But like, I don't even know how the whole dating thing works now, so I just. Haven't." They peek sideways at Naomi again. "Anyway, I kind of figured you only liked boys, too." Naomi's cheeks are burning, now, as she furiously peels foil off the chocolate and devours it with possibly Too Much Energy. "Least I knew you was gay," is maybe not the best defense, but it's clear this is not an earnest defense of her statement. "...er. I guess you... ain't? Maybe?" Naomi is very much unsure of herself here. "Don't you just kinda get to, uh, choose? When you got gender?" Naomi is veeeery focused on the next chocolate. Veeeeeery focused. "I ain't ever said that -- I like loads of folks. Mostly boys," she concedes, "but not jus'." The flakes of foil are catching under the nail. "I just figure the way the dating thing works with mind control is to -- not." "I think not having a 'normal' gender means I'm kinda gay no matter what I choose." Harm sounds pretty unsure themself, but doesn't seem particularly bothered by it. "Maybe. People on the Internet have so many opinions about that. Anyway, I shouldn't have assumed, like--" They chance another glance at Naomi. "Woah, did you just come out to me? I'm probably supposed to say something supportive. I won't tell anyone!" But now they look back down, chewing on their lower lip. "That's...I mean. You have to do that intentionally, right? The mind...control." “Did I?” Naomi hadn’t seemed to consider that possibility — her brows furrow, another gem coming loose from her scales as she does so. “…Huh. There an order I gotta do that in? like so I gotta tell Lael next I guess, prolly he already knows….” The next chocolate, once freed, just rests in Naomi’s hands. “Mhmm. And stringing loads of it all together hurts my head. But it ain’t… hard, to do one or two. It’s real easy to slip into it.” As if to demonstrate, Naomi eyes begin to glow — one blink, normal pupils, the next, snake eyes. Just as quickly, before Naomi speaks again, it fades. “Ionno how anyone gon’ trust me not to, I barely trust me not to.” A small shrug. “So, till I find a freak who immune to this shit. Single, I reckon.” Her lip twists up into a crooked smile. “Easier to choose not to date, I bet, than worryin’ ‘bout being rejected cuz of…” She taps a nail against her scales. "I think you did," Harm says, not quite as bright and encouraging as they probably want to and would sound when less exhausted. "And maybe it would be good to tell him even if he does know. Anyway probably you won't need one for your brother but if you ever want a coming-out buddy, I'm pretty good at it." They start to lift their cup, but stop half-way with a slight widening of their own eyes at Naomi's demonstration. Their attempt to disguise this hesitation with another big gulp of punch is extremely transparent. "I trust you. You don't just go around doing that to people for no good reason. It's still scary, but it's also kind of...obvious?" Their brows wrinkle. "None of which probably helps with the worrying, or with people being terrible about how you look." The frown eases and they blush again. "For what it's worth, I think you're pretty." Naomi pops the next chocolate into her cheek with a frown. “Maybe, yeah, who I gotta tell, Lael, Nanami though ionno she gon’ care, hell naw on the folks…” She shakes her head, dismissing the growing list of People To Come Out To. Ducks her head down after Harm’s Extremely Conspicuous Drink. “Thanks,” she mumbles, “that — if you actually — that means a lot.” The second opinion Harm offers triggers a dark flush across Naomi’s cheeks. She doesn’t raise her head but her eyes flick up, a small scrunch of a smile slowly forming. “…that’s some praise, coming from Mx Handsome themself.” "I mean it! Like I said, it's scary. If I thought you were going to be mind-controlling me, I wouldn't even talk to you unless I had to." Harm is looking at Naomi very earnestly now. "I'm guessing it's the same with the other kids who hang out with you. Like, isn't that a kind of trust?" They finally succeed in unwrapping a chocolate of their own, the color returning to their cheeks now isn't all blushing. Some of it is, though. "Thank you. I'm a lot more handsome than before you worked your magic on me, though. Maybe you can teach me?" Naomi nods again, slow, some tension melting from her expression. “Guess it is.” She sounds a bit poleaxed, like she hadn’t let herself really consider that before. “Oh! Yeah, absolutely, though —“ Naomi tilts her head, considering Harm’s face, “I ain’t sure I got everything’ in your color you might wanna learn, could maybe ask Nanami if you ain’t wanting to get your own, could surely help in the makeup aisle though…” Naomi bites her lip, then, tentatively but somehow with more confidence than when she had broached this whole conversation, adds, “…an’ maybe some sorta. Dinner in town, or the city. Date-like, if you wanna. Unrelated to the teaching.” Harm sits up straighter, blinks, and breaks into a not-*quite* startled smile. "Oh! I would love that. The make-up shopping and also the date-like dinner." They clarify, ducking their head slightly. "Both. Like, we can find Chinese makeup for super cheap at New Century or the Bazaar. *And* there's this great hotpot place in downtown Flushing. We are going to be *so* fabulous."