sing me anything [jamie]

[JOSEPHINE OLIVIA CAMPBELL]

The “live at lunch” music concert series had been a new thing that the University of Manuka had started about a month ago, since the weather could be pretty awful in the dead of winter, and lots of students preferred to eat their lunch outside. Y'know, except when it was a blizzard out there. So, the higher ups started a concert series where local bands comprised of students and non-students could set up in one of the larger dining areas and play a set while students ate lunch, studied, or just hang out between classes. Some of the bands were actually pretty good, while others of them... well, Joey liked most music, and tried to keep an open mind, but she felt that some of the bands they procured were more talented at tooting their own horns than anything else. It was pretty touch-and-go. But, Joey enjoyed studying or drawing with music playing in the background.

Today, she felt surprisingly ahead of schedule. Her pages were done; she'd storyboarded the next issue, and other than a little bit of studying for an upcoming exam that she planned to do at home, she was all caught up on her “to do” list. It was a nice feeling, not being rushed, and Joey tried her best not to procrastinate, because she really did have a lot of things on her plate. Tuesday, she had an appointment with this kid Marcus in her Economics class that needed her to put more RAM on his computer and update his graphics card, so money was still coming in for her little side business, as well as her comic book sales.

Life doesn't completely suck, Joe. Relax a bit.

[/b] Even though there were lots of interesting things going on in Manuka, Joey felt that she was constantly on the go, leaving little time to play, although recently, her life had gotten sort of exciting. She'd made a couple new friends, including her unrequited mega girl-crush, Bridget, and Christian... this kind of strange guy who showed up at the oddest moments, but wasn't terrible to hang out with. She'd spent some time with Aella, too, but Joey felt that she was on the verge of getting a boyfriend, so she tried to give her friend some space to figure out her love life. At least somebody's getting some. I'm happy for her.[/b]

And then there was Valentine's Day, looming right over her shoulder, and Joey hated it so much that every time she saw some red and pink display she wanted to go all punk rock destroyer, because she'd always been alone. The redhead didn't want to be bitter, but she really was just trying to find someone to notice her. She knew she wasn't a complete troll person, and yeah, she was a little awkward and to herself, and sometimes way smarter than the average person could handle, so maybe she was intimidating. Yeah right. You. Intimidating. Try again.[/b] Was it too much to hope that this year maybe she'd have a Valentine for the first time in her life? Or was she doomed to be one of those bitter singles who thought Valentine's Day was synonymous with death and a more unpleasant moniker for VD?

The band was finished setting up, and a tall redhead with great legs and a killer smile stepped up to the microphone, and Joey nearly drooled on the table. She wasn't even normally attracted to other gingers! But, her eyes stayed locked on the woman, who introduced the name of her band, but Joey didn't hear that part because her voice was lovely just when she spoke, and when she opened her mouth to sing... damn. Well, that's impressive and not at all intimidating. See, she's intimidating, Joe. Not you.[/b] They did a couple songs, and Joey really thought they were quite good, collectively even, although the singer was definitely the star focus, and rightly so. After the fourth song, Joey realized that she must have been staring like a creeper, so she grabbed her laptop and opened it up, starting up one of her favorite MMORPGs and checking in with her guild that only had half its members online. Since there wasn't enough time to do a mission, she was messaging them on AIM instead. Talking about nothing. Trying to distract herself so she would maybe, maybe save some face in case the pretty redhead caught her staring. Which she definitely was, but still. Her mind thought about it more, and realized that Joey probably had nothing to worry about. Bridget didn't notice her. Why would this one?[/blockquote][/justify]

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OUTFIT:[/color] Here!

[JAMILA KALIANE ADRASTOS]

A charity gig, seriously? What the hell was their manager thinking? Charity. They were starving artists, fer fuck’s sake. Play this one thing for free, and others might get the crazy idea into their heads that that was normal. But their agent had said it would be a good opportunity to collect up some more fans. Some loyal ones, in their age range. So after taking a vote, they’d said yes. ‘It’s great exposure Jame, trust me.’ Their agent, Glinda, was a savvy woman with spunk who had a soft spot for the redheaded mermaid. Oh, but if she were even ten years younger, Jamie would’ve… Well, no. She didn’t mix pleasure with her career- it was distracting. Still, she hearted Glinda, and respected her. Therefore, even though she wanted their band to do well monetarily, she agreed to play the gig too. Really, they couldn’t thrive without her- her voice was their secret weapon- but she never let that go to her head. The whole scene was replaying in her head as she got dressed that day, to go sing at the college. The university was sponsoring some musical event- why, she hadn’t the foggiest idea- called ‘Live at Lunch.’ It was supposed to expand the minds of the students, she supposed. Jamie wasn’t one for college; it just wasn’t her thing. It didn’t make her happy, so she didn’t do it. She far preferred to educate herself, being as bright as she was, but that didn’t get her a degree. As far as she was concerned, with the way Divide the Sky was doing, she didn’t need one. A smug grin passed over her face as she wiggled into her pants and ran rough fingers through her curls. Take that Mother. Score one for rebellious intent, it’s profitable.

Jamie analyzed her appearance in the long mirror located in her walk-in closet, and twitched her lips back and forth. She was missing something… But she didn’t know what, so she shrugged and moved on, not particularly invested. Her boys were waiting downstairs, anyways. She achieved Converse and a leather jacket, grabbed her keys, wallet, and phone, then motored. The ride was pretty short, and they were all in high spirits by the time they arrived, joking with each other making them spazzy. When they got there, she tucked her sunglasses onto the bill of her hat and hopped out. Then- as the most responsible one- she walked into the main office and introduced them, then got debriefed and escorted to a lawn with a slightly-raised stage for well, whatever. Today, it just happened to be them. The grounds were empty for the first few minutes they were setting up, leaving them privacy to haul the equipment into place and tune whatever wasn’t already. Within a few moments though, and practically without Jamie’s notice, the little green courtyard was filled with students doing a variety of things, but mostly eating and hanging out. Almost all of them had noticed the band, and glanced toward it every now and then, clearly expecting nothing too terribly marvelous. The mermaid looked forward to putting every assumption of theirs right down the toilet.

’Hey Collegiates! I’m Jamie, these are Todd, Malcolm, Cory, and Bobby, and we’re Divide the Sky. Thanks to the University, we’re gonna be hanging out to practice here for a minute, so bear with us, if you will.’ She purposefully set the bar low. If they were still on a ‘practice band’ status, then they clearly wouldn’t have any kind of proven skill, right? Wrong. One note out of her mouth and she had the attention of the place. Gotta love mermaid genetics. Thing about Jamie though, even for a mermaid, she went above and beyond because she’d had so many lessons and so much more practice than most people- even most merpeople- generally did. She cast her blue-grey eyes around, locking with various people to make them feel connected and special- a trick she’d been taught by an older, wiser friend of hers- taking stock of the crowd. They were suitably impressed, and the redhead moved around the stage slowly, moving in a way that wasn’t quite a dance, but certainly wasn’t still. She spun- she could, thanks to the cordless mic- and then completed another perusal, locking eyes with different victims this time. And landed on one that struck her as particularly interesting. A quiet-looking fellow redhead who was staring at her like… well, like a cat would stare at a mouse that it just happened to find extremely attractive. Note to self: talk to her when this is over, ‘cause that could be fun. Given the right stimulation, of course. The mermaid might’ve giggled to herself, if she was by herself, and not singing.

Their set of ten songs- rock, rock-adjacent, punk, and the like- ended in just a little while, when they got their first break. After the break, they’d do another ten that would include nothing but original songs- since some of the first set had been covers- and then their stint at the college would be done. In the middle though, was a perfect opportunity to go say hi, maybe make a new… friend. She walked- yes, walked, Jamie didn’t need to sashay or strut because her long legs did the work for her, and she knew it- over to the girl’s- she hesitated to call her a woman, though she was one, technically- table, and sat down, uninvited.

’Hi. I’m Jamie. Saw you watching. Whatcha think?’ It was as good an opener as any, and an honest question. She should take an interest in new opinions, after all. Especially when they came from cute gingers like this one. ’I’m taking a poll, see, from some of the college students. We like to get new feedback where we can, and you seem like you could be particularly open to my pursuit… of knowledge.’ The smile that followed was warm, flirty and a touch lascivious. And, a touch of nice to play it off: 'Nice backpack, by the way.

----------------------------------------------------------------
clicketh for clothes!

[JOSEPHINE OLIVIA CAMPBELL]

In a word, Joey was impressed. She liked music – a lot, actually, and tried to keep her mind open to lots of music. She wasn't fond of country music, and could only tolerate so much Dubstep, but put on something fun with a good beat, and she could generally roll with it. Also, a singer with a great voice would always get her attention (right now, she was on an inexplicable GaGa kick), and the singer in this band, Divide the Sky was phenomenal. Phenomenally hot, you mean. I mean, damn. DAMN. Joey could always appreciate a beautiful woman, she just couldn't talk to them necessarily. So, she spent the entire time they were doing their set sneaking glances and trying not to drool onto her table. Although, when she wasn't staring, she definitely could appreciate the craftsmanship of their craft, and all the intricacies that went into their songs. Whether they were the original stuff that came in the second part of the set or the little tweaks they'd done on popular cover songs, it was certainly some good stuff. This band seemed way too good to be performing at their little 'Live at Lunch' segment that was put on by the AV nerds and the Student Council. Maybe someone's dating someone in the band. I don't even know, but I wonder if they have CDs or something.

[/color]

Joey always liked to play music when she was at her dorm working on homework or sketching, and there were different songs for different moods. For whatever mood, this band's music was so catchy that she knew that she could probably write or draw to all of it. And she had a twenty in her wallet. So, score for that. After the set, the band thanked everyone for listening, and began to take their equipment down and out. The redhead seemed to lurk by what was probably a merch table for a minute, then started wandering somewhere else. Somewhere that was in her direction. Joey looked around for a minute, tracing her eyes to other possible tables that she would have more likely been heading toward. The table on her left? Empty. Her right? Empty. Nobody was behind her, and she kept getting closer, so that meant she was... Just... don't be an idiot, Joe. Don't be an idiot. Channel somebody... confident. Cool. All the things you're not.[/color]

The human's eyes widened for a second, and she gulped when the girl approached her with a bright smile, and Joey wasn't usually drawn to other gingers, but this ginger was... yeah, way prettier than she could ever hope to be with those eyes and that skin, and that hair, and yup. There was no hope that this conversation would be going in Joey's favor at all. Apparently, the singer, whose name was Jamie, had caught her watching. More like staring. Play. It. Cool.[/color]

Joey took a breath and cleared her throat a little, wanting to ensure that she could still actually talk. ”Yeah, you guys were really great. I mean, I'm no music major, but that stuff was tight.” Joey winced internally. Tight? Really? You are not Jay-Z. Stop now.[/color] Joey shook her head at herself, knowing that this was going to only get worse and worse because every time she looked directly into the other woman's eyes, she kind of felt like she was drowning and the floor underneath her was melting and all kinds of other unpleasant things.

Jamie kept talking, and when she said the next part, Joey realized that she must have been paying so close of attention that it made her a good candidate for some kind of survey or feedback, as the other ginger said. It wasn't because she was actually interested in Joey or something... pretty girls never were. ”Oh yeah, totally. That makes perfect sense. Does the poll have questions, or is it just general feedback?” Joey asked, furrowing her eyebrows a little and noticing that somehow, by some miracle, she was slightly less awkward now that she knew the girl had a real purpose to talk to her and wasn't just coming over to her table because she found Joey interesting. ”I'm extremely opinionated, and I get the whole... wanting feedback thing. Gotta feel out your fanbase, right?” She wasn't going to say why she knew that, because that would bring up her whole graphic novel thing, and she didn't want to make herself seem so completely uncool to someone like Jamie, who practically reeked of rockstar realness.

Joey's eyes flicked to her backpack when she mentioned it, and smiled a little. Other than her tag-along Yoda one that clung to her back, Jaws was her favorite. Yes, she named her backpack. ”Thanks,” Joey said honestly. ”Sharks freaked me out as a kid, until I realized that it's probably not the best idea for someone with my skin tone to spend hours on the beach. So, then I just got really interested. 'Shark Week' for the win!” When she wasn't being in total awkward mode, Joey had a tendency to ramble, but it wasn't making the girl go away and give up. Which was strange, because she'd kind of given her opinion already, and yet Jamie was still at her table. To Joey, that somehow translated to her needing to keep talking.

”That's a merch table over there, right? Because if you guys have CDs, I'd love to buy one. I'm kind of still confused as to how our school got a band that was actually, you know, good for this lame little concert series.”

Joey bit the inside of her cheek, literally forcing herself not to talk anymore, then crossed her hands on the table and fidgeted a little (but in a subtle way) on her chair until the other redhead spoke to her. Or ran away screaming. One of the two.[/blockquote][/justify]

[JAMILA KALIANE ADRASTOS]

You know, up close, the girl was pretty cute. Great eyes, artsy hands, charming freckles. Jamie woulda contemplated the rest of her body, but she couldn’t see it, as the girl was sitting down, looking more and more nervous the closer the mermaid got to her. And when she spoke, well, ‘deer in the headlights’ was not inaccurate. Clearly, she was a shy one, unused to attention from people who- well, probably people in general. So Jamie thought up an excuse with a quickness, to avoid making the little redhead any more nervous. Ladies tended to calm when they thought you weren’t interested in sleeping with them. Still, apparently ‘awkward’ was not a behavior the lovely lady could completely conquer. Come on, she used the word ‘tight’ to describe the band’s set. Oi. But Jamie smiled, finding the fact that she was so on-edge rather charming, instead of annoying. Maybe it was her recent dismissal by Lana that had her so ready to pursue a woman who was actually interested in her, but the mermaid was more than happy to keep talking, and hopefully charm the pants off of the girl.

’Well, thank you very much, we appreciate that. You know, long as it’s honestly complimentary,’ she said with a wink, clearly teasing, as she twirled a strand of her long hair around a finger and ‘explained’ her reason for walking over. It was complete bullshit. Jamie didn’t need anybody’s opinion. Don’t misunderstand, she could appreciate it when it was given, but she didn’t actively seek it out on a regular basis. Nope, she was content to receive her feedback in the form of screams of joy when they hit the stage. Although, when she thought about it, that was unlikely to happen in a venue like this one… ’It’s not a real poll, silly. We just… Get the opinions of a couple audience members where we can. At least, ones who looked like they’re paying attention. You were paying attention, right?’ she asked, a falsely-innocent expression on her face. She’d seen the seated chick staring at them- mainly her- as her voice filled the space that was the ‘Live at Lunch’ stage. ’But that’s exactly right. I’d love to feel out this particular fanbase, if you care to oblige me.’ Her tone had purposefully deepened there at the end, purposefully flirty. It… it went nowhere. No. Where. Barely a hint of recognition that she was hitting on the woman. Huh. Jamie would just have to try a different tactic, it seemed. Something just a touch more obvious. Totally doable. But first, she’d move on to a different topic, so as not to freak the other woman out. The backpack was perfect fodder, because it was something neutral to her, but obviously appreciated by the other… What was her name, anyways?

’Alright, forgive me, but what’s your name? This is not for the poll or anything, I’m just curious.’ She really wanted a cigarette right then, something for her hands to do, other than play with the tabletop or something, but she resisted, since she knew it made some people uncomfortable. And this woman did not seem the type inclined to approve of smoking. Very… high on life. Maybe an occasional drink every now and then, but not much else. Jamie had- through years of practice and a multitude of feminine observation and conquest- developed a unique ability to read almost every woman. She’d honed it through trial and error, and was practically infallible now. That’s how she knew the backpack was pretty special. It was pristine, but from cleaning, not lack of use. It made her reply kind of sweet. ’You’re welcome. I have a special fondness for sharks, personally. My mom, well, she used to take us to the beach and the aquarium a lot, and I just fell in love with them. The grace and fearlessness, ya know? All predatory and hungry. And man, when they made ‘Shark Week’ a real thing… Super addicted. You learn so much stuff you never knew! And they keep coming up with new stuff? What’s not to love?’ Could she tell this woman the real reason she loved sharks? No, not really. Not a good idea to bring up in unknown company. Well, the unknown opinion of the company you were in, anyways. The real reason she loved sharks was just because she was one. Half of one, anyways. That’s what her tail was, a tiger shark. Jamie sometimes liked to think that was where she got some of her innate ferocity from. She wasn’t a real fighter, but she was pretty relentless when she found something she wanted. Joey was kind about her pursuit though. Asking in a polite way if the table was full of their merchandise and if they had a CD. Oh honey.

’Yeah, but sweetie, I can just give you one. We like getting new fans, and you were nice enough to provide positive feedback. Here,’ she said, getting up from the table and extending a hand for Joey to grab, ’I’ll introduce you to the rest of the guys and we can get you that CD. It’s called ‘Lightning’ and hopefully you like it. You can even request one to hear during the other half of our show. That way you know what you’re getting.’ She gave Joey a smirk, and gently tugged the other woman along and- despite the blush that was developing over her lovely freckles- introduced her to the guys. Cory clearly thought she was adorable, Bobby was pretty neutral, Todd was his friendly self, and Malcolm was a touch standoffish. None of them much cared when she brought a chick around, knowing it was old hat by now. Jamie snagged one of their CDs and a rubber bracelet, slipping it over Joey’s wrist with ease and a smile, brushing her long fingers over smooth, pale skin. ’There, now you’re a fan. Um, listen, you wanna grab a bite or something with me after the show’s over? I think you’re pretty frickin’ cute, and maybe we can try a date or something, figure out if we’re at all compatible…’ The mermaid pulled no punches, and this chick clearly needed that. If she didn’t get subtle flirting, it would take an outright invitation to grab her attention. Now, she just needed to say yes… ’Just think about it. If you’re not interested, you can poof before the show’s over, and I’ll have my answer. Otherwise, I’ll come pester you, if you’re amenable. That way, you don’t have to legitimately turn me down and feel bad.’ She grinned, and wandered off, back to the stage, leaving Joey with her new bracelet and CD and date invitation.

[JOSEPHINE OLIVIA CAMPBELL]

Even though Joey was practically a professional rambler, she was glad that Jamie was a talker, and a good one at that. That way, Joey could focus on other things, like how pretty her speaking voice was, and how she managed to actually be pretty interesting and not just some dumb rockstar wannabe who was looking for roadies or super-fans, or worse. Joey shuddered at the way some men were overly confident in the bars, especially around Aella, and just... no. This was why she liked women. They were suave, at least most of them, and when they were confident, Joey couldn't help but feeling a magnetic attraction along with her subtler jealousy that she just... couldn't be like that. As much as she was envious of people who were just able to go right up and talk to others, Joey knew she was different and hoped that some day, she'd find a woman who liked her because of her differences, not just in spite of them.

Jamie gave her a teasing wink after she responded to Joey's compliment, and suddenly, the table was extremely interesting because the human's eyes were glued there. Yeah, this woman certainly had game. Game was something that Joey only had when it came to titles like 'Assassin's Creed,' 'DragonAge,' and 'Skyrim.' This girl had a whole level of game that was far and beyond video. ”Seriously? How could I not pay attention, you were... you guys were... all of you were mesmerizing.” If Joey hadn't been in the company of such a beautiful woman, she decided that would have been the perfect opportunity for a good, old-fashioned facepalm. She tried her best to collect herself, and give Jamie the answers that she wanted and the praise she deserved because really, they were very talented, and Joey wanted to be able to give them compliments without unnecessary gushing or even worse, making a complete ass of herself.

”Yeah – I don't know how good I am at obliging, but I'll do my best. What do you want to know?” Apparently, what she wanted to know was her name, first of all, and Joey knew that she could at least answer that question without some serious failure. ”Um, it's Joey.” She'd never really been self-conscious of her name, because the nickname that her father had given her when she was five was way better than Josephine, Come to think of it, that nickname had been one of the better decisions that her father had made in his lifetime. But, she noticed as she got older that some people liked to ask stupid questions about why that was what she went by, because it was a “boy's” name. She didn't see it that way – it was just part of her identity, and she liked it. Joey... suited her, somehow.

The other redhead was twitchy, and Joey noticed it, and smiled a little. Nic fits. Mom had 'em, too.

[/color] Joey definitely wasn't judgmental, and while she didn't choose to smoke, she didn't mind if people did. Really, it was their decision, and she didn't see a reason to interfere. Her mother had done way worse than smoking, after all. Come to think of it, Joey wouldn't have minded if she smoked all the time if she'd have just been a better parent. For the time being, Joey didn't comment, and Jamie started talking about shark and Shark Week, which made her feel infinitely more comfortable. Something about Jamie was more... approachable now that she wasn't just the lead singer of a super talented band, but a fellow Shark Week aficionado. ”I really like the aquarium here, although I do wish they had more sharks. What's your favorite kind? Mine's... well... it's cliched, but I really like Hammerheads or Great Whites. They're just so... majestic. Also, terrifying.”

For the first time since they'd started talking, she was actually comfortable. For a minute. But then the conversation shifted again, back to the music, which was Jamie's comfort zone, and Joey brought up buying some of their merchandise. It was marketing, and she understood that, and when Jamie told her that she could just have one of their CD's, it made complete sense to the budding graphic novelist. ”For free? Wow, that's probably kind of like me with my graphic novels. If you give someone a freebie, and they like the material, they're more likely to come back for more.” Joey closed her eyes for a second after the words left her mouth. She wasn't there to talk about 'Bravo 18.' She should have just left it alone, and she was afraid that if the shark backpack didn't do it, now that she mentioned graphic novels, and her graphic novels, the gorgeous redhead was going to lose interest completely. She was too cool, and Joey... well... she barely even knew the definition of cool, much less understood how it all worked, or how she could make it work for herself.

While the redhead was lost in her thoughts, she noticed that she was being taken over to the rest of the band and introduced. She gave small smiles to each band member, and a little shy wave to the entire group, then received her wrist band and CD. It felt... special. Like being part of a fan club or something. There were little things like that when she was growing up, and she'd been on the mailing list or in the special “members” section of some of her favorite comics, and even got them delivered to her house. Her parents never liked the nuisance of so much mail, but Joey paid for it all with her own money, and tried to be home on time to bring the books inside and put them somewhere safe where her parents wouldn't bother them. Still, she boasted quite the collection, although she never had anyone until recently, until Bridget, who understood the appeal to share them with. Joey looked down at her wristband and noticed that Jamie was talking again... about a date. Joey's eyes widened. Holy hottie lesbians, Batman. Is she seriously asking me on a... on a legit date?[/color]

Joey swayed a little where she stood and furrowed her brows. Bridget had asked her on a 'date,' too, but that just ended up being a friend thing. Now, one might even call them best friends. Bridget was really warming up to her, showing her that she had a secret nerdy side hidden under all that blonde cheerleader exterior. Really, it made Joey's heart race every time she understood one of the redhead's references, or made one of her own... but she'd never tell Bri that.

”Now, when you say date... you mean, you like girls, and you like me so you wanna go out on a... date?” Joey asked, fumbling over her words but getting her point across. She hoped. Jamie gave her an answer that was really quite encouraging, and even offered to give her time to think about it, as well as an exit strategy if she needed or wanted it. This... this was a huge development. And there was no way that she was taking the out when someone this hot wanted to go on a date with her. Nope, she was definitely going to see where this went.

Jamie went back to the stage to perform her next set, and Joey went back to her original seat, watching the next performance, and even feeling bold enough to make a request off their CD when they asked for requests (she picked a random track, but it was awesome), and stayed firmly planted in her seat the entire time. When they finished their second set, Joey's eyes locked with Jamie's, and she gave her a little smile. Joey felt confident when she noticed that Jamie actually seemed kind of... happy that she stayed.[/blockquote][/justify]

[JAMILA KALIANE ADRASTOS]

Singing always put her in a better mood. And when she was already in a good mood, it generally switched her right over to a great mood. Great mood plus cute girl? Jamie was already having a good day, and it didn’t look to be changing anytime soon, since that same cute girl looked positively enamored of her, and them, if ‘mesmerizing’ was any indication. Jamie couldn’t help the grin that played on her lips when her fellow redhead complimented them that way. The grin was also due, in part, to the fact that she clearly hadn’t meant to sound so… gushy. But the mermaid liked gushing, she liked compliments. She could go without, say, adoration or crazy stalking, but genuine appreciation was, well, appreciated. As was the charming little flustered look that the girl kept giving her, and the hint of blush that spread over the freckles on the human’s face. It gave Jamie more than enough encouragement to keep talking to her. And even be more forward than she had been previously. Jamie was usually a straight-to-the-point individual, but she wasn’t stupid. She could read and react to certain stimuli like any good adaptive creature. This girl’s output told Jamie she had to be gentler than she might with another lady, but that wasn’t a terrible burden. The mermaid could be sweet, if she wanted to be. So, start slow. A name’s a good place to start.

She got it easily enough: Joey. It fit her. ’Joey, huh? Cute. Fits.’ She was truthful, Joey did fit the mildly awkward woman in front of her with the shark backpack and the drawing materials. But she was a sweetheart, humoring the mermaid about her questions. Joey even kept talking about the sharks, asking intelligent questions and everything. The mermaid graced her with a smile at the mention of her favorite sharks. Those were the standard favorites, of course. The ‘scariest’ ones that got the most publicity were generally the most respected. ’I agree about the shark population at the aquarium. They need more, and certainly more diversity. Maybe some of the bigger species.’ Jamie’s favorite… well, she was biased, naturally. She’d been biased from the moment she’d been born with her tail. ’I love the tiger sharks, personally. Cleverer, quieter, and deadlier when they choose to be. They may be smaller, and not have the biggest kill count, but I think they’re the best ones. And they’re only scary because people don’t know how to talk to them.’ She paused and nibbled her lip for a moment, thinking. If she wasn’t careful, she might accidentally tell this girl something she didn’t need to figure out. ’You know… I think they might have one at the aquarium. I haven’t been in a while though, so that might have changed.’ She shrugged then, uncertain. They had, once. She’d seen him, and been both happy and sad. Happy to see one of her own, sad that he was so… diluted by being in that tank. Jamie was always happier in open water, herself. A pool was a poor excuse for a swimming ground. And making Joey pay for a CD was a poor way to continue their interaction.

So yes, free sounded good. They sold them for more than they needed to anyways. Mostly, ‘cause people were happy to pay that much after they heard them. Although… The graphic novel bit threw Jamie for a second. Until it made sense. Nerdy girl. Art supplies. Graphic novel was the next step. So despite the nearly-nauseous look on Joey’s face, the mermaid smiled. ’Yeah, something like that. Except, we don’t usually give them out for free to just anybody. Now, I gotta ask… Are you just the artist, novelist, or both?’ It was clearly something she was worried about, so Jamie sought to put her at ease by showing a little interest. If you made something seem like no big deal, then you were bound to make someone relax. It’d worked a lot for her in the past. People tended to think great deal of things they did were odd and embarrassing, but Jamie wasn’t one to judge- why should she? She had plenty of quirks herself- so the mermaid sought to be as open-minded as possible. After bestowing the couple of gifts to a still-shy- and lightly blushing- Joey, Jamie couldn’t resist asking her out. Her reaction was priceless. ‘When you say date…’ Joey said, floundering, clearly taken aback, making the singer chuckle. Joey had needed a straightforward, non-obligatory invitation, and Jamie had provided it in a clear way, or so she’d thought. Apparently, there was still some question about her sincerity.

’I love women, I like you, and yes, a date would be lovely.’ She seemed to have shocked the author into silence, which was actually convenient, since the mermaid had to get herself back up on the stage. The set went swimmingly, and she made a point of fulfilling Joey’s request, since she was bold enough to ask. She actually picked a mildly romantic one, and the vocalist shamelessly used it as an opening to sing directly to Joey. It made her just enough uncomfortable that Jamie could tell that she was flattered. Score one for natural talent. After that, she made the rounds, singing out to the crowd and finishing up the set with flash. When it was all over, her potential date became reality, because the girl was still sitting there. The redhead grinned and wandered over to the table, explaining to Joey that they had to break down equipment and load up the van before she could go anywhere with her, and that she hoped she had something to occupy her time until she returned. The human took it good-naturedly, and Jamie returned to her band and ‘cleaned up.’ It took a while, during which she glanced over her shoulder every now and then to smile at Joey. Finally, it was all done. She handed off the keys to Todd, and waved them away, them wiggling their eyebrows and her rolling her eyes.

Jamie plopped herself down at Joey’s table with a quirky half-smile and cocked her head. ’I really hope you don’t mind if I have a smoke. I haven’t had one since we got here, and while it’s a bad habit, I kinda need one now.’ The other woman didn’t seem offended, and the mermaid pulled her half-empty pack and Zippo out of a coat pocket and lit one with a graceful, well-practiced flick of her wrist. ’Mm. Thanks. So, what do you like to do for fun mademoiselle Joey? Something you can do with company? Maybe we can grab that bite? I’m completely available for your whims,’ she said with the gentlest of eyebrow wiggles, insinuating, but also playful. Women appreciated boldness, generally speaking, as long as it wasn’t crude. It had worked for Jamie so far.

[JOSEPHINE OLIVIA CAMPBELL]

The awkwardness was usually a problem. Joey knew that, and knew that she usually had to try to put a cap on it if she was even going to attempt to interact with people normally, much less make them like her back. It was never an issue of whether or not she'd actually like someone, because Joey was pretty social and genuinely liked most people. She just had never really learned how to put herself out there in a way that didn't make her seem like, well, like a total noob. More than just people, Joey had known that she liked women in the more-than-friends way for quite some time. Since she was little, even, but she was half-convinced that her “gaydar” was hidden somewhere like some precious gem or awesome weapon in a Skyrim quest. The redhead would have to trek over the river and through the woods, fight off some freaking frost troll, and wish for sheer dumb luck just to find it. Because she lacked in what most people like her felt was basically a necessity to survive out there in rough waters, she was just shy and useless around all women. In her mind, if they liked her, they would have to let her know, and then she could try to be more confident once interested was established. Some women, she knew, just hit on everything that moved like men, casting their bait out and about and waiting for something to bite. That just wasn't her way of functioning, but Jamie seemed to be perfectly functional, and maybe even a little flirtatious. She'd never really been around a woman who'd showed such interest in her before, and not in a 'let's be friends' way. At least, that was what Joey thought she was sensing. Chances are good that you're wrong, but this is kind of exciting.

[/color]

It was comforting for her to know that if this woman was interested in her, that she was more than just a very pretty face. Joey didn't usually pick on looks alone, but she'd never really had a choice. It wasn't like women were lining up to knock on her door and ask her out. Joey had thought a lot about what she wanted when she actually did get to dating, and it was a mixture of intelligence and physical beauty that would keep her interested. Someone that could also be a friend, and well as a lover. That thought made her blush again, and then she focused back on 'shark talk.' ”Tiger sharks, huh? I don't know as much about them, but you make them sound like something I need to read up on. They sound like total ninja badasses.” Jamie mentioned that there might have even been a tiger shark on display at the aquarium, and while Joey loved aquariums because of the opportunities they offered people, she sort of disliked them in the way that some people disliked zoos. ”I think aquariums are fun, but sometimes it's kinda sad to see such awesome creatures behind glass... or bars,” Joey said contemplatively. Some people wouldn't agree with her about that, for sure, but Jamie seemed the level-headed type, and if she was someone who really loved animals, then she'd probably understand.

After Joey had received her new merchandise, she let information about her graphic novel slipped, and felt her heart sink immediately. It wasn't that she was ashamed of anything she did – Joey loved 'Bravo 18' and felt that it was really some of her best work, but she knew that other people could misconstrue what she did and discount her talents because of it. She'd never been one of the “cool” kids, and didn't need to be, but felt that her interests were typically ones that other people from that crowd liked to pick on more often than not. Jamie, however, seemed to have a genuine interest when she let it slip. Joey tried not to blush, and lowered her head before responding. ”Um, I do both. The one I'm working on now... it's... well, I sell it on campus and, um, on my website. 'Bravo 18' is the name of it. Space and robots and stuff.” Careful not to start rambling, Joey curbed the rest of her words so as not to give the gorgeous woman a full synopsis. The human didn't even know if she was interested in that kind of stuff.

Jamie was interesting, and Joey found that she was a mix of shocked and flattered when the other redhead confessed that she was interested in Joey for a real date, and knew that she already had her answer, although she was apparently supposed to sit on it for a minute. A date. That's... new. But I can't let her know that. Shit, she probably already knows that. Noob.[/color] When her band went back to playing the next set, the song Joey chose randomly off her CD was apparently a romantic one, and she couldn't help but fidget a little bit in her seat when it seemed that the talented singer was directing it at her specifically, even when she had a whole crowd to play to. When they finished the rest of their set, Jamie came and explained to Joey that they needed to 'clean up' and Joey understood completely. ”No, that's totally fine. Let me just... I'll snag one of the tables outside, wait for you there?” Joey asked, hoping that Jamie would be amenable, and wouldn't change her mind after they finished packing up their equipment.

The human grabbed her things, neatly packing it all up and throwing her trash away before heading outside, like she said she would. Joey found a little wooden table with bench seating, and enjoyed the weather. Spring was her favorite season, and while the beginning of spring or end of winter could still be unpleasant and chilly, she came prepared with a jacket, and usually enjoyed the crispness of the air more than most other people, from her experience. It took about twenty minutes, but eventually, Jamie was walking outside and caught Joey's eye right away. The redhead took a seat at her table and began to fidget again before giving a brief explanation that Joey had already guessed. ”At least you're considerate. It doesn't bug me, though – my mom used to smoke. I get the nic fits and whatnot. Made her crazy. To each their own, that's what I say.” Joey gave Jamie a friendly smile, and marveled a little silently about the skill in which she flicked her Zippo lighter.

Well, she's good with her hands. Wow, dirty.[/color] Joey's mind did wander a little, but she'd been like a woman dying of thirst in the desert for so long, and maybe it wasn't her Princess Charming or anything, but a little bit of a desert oasis couldn't hurt, right? True love didn't just happen, and maybe she'd have to wait a much longer time before it actually fell in her lap. She was 24, and maybe getting that V-card swiped would help with some of her innate awkwardness around women. Joey wasn't planning to give it up easily or right away, of course, but Jamie was the first women who'd really shown a direct interest in her that way, so maybe she'd have some luck.

”I'm kind of a hermit, mostly; school and my projects keep me busy enough. But, um, there's quite a few good restaurants nearby that I like. A little French pastry shop, the arcade, which is always a good time,” Joey rambled for a minute before realizing that Jamie wasn't trying to ask what there was to do in the city. She didn't need the redhead to be a tourism guide. She just wanted them to do something for their date. ”I could go for some food, though, if you're hungry. Whatcha in the mood for? There's just about everything near campus.”[/blockquote][/justify]

[JAMILA KALIANE ADRASTOS]

Today was proving to be more interesting than the mermaid had anticipated when she’d woken up this morning. She’d expected another boring freebie show and maybe the mad rush of new fans at the campus. She had not expected a sweet little redhead desperately in need of some lesbian mermaid interaction. It wasn’t just that that made Jamie talk to her though- if she’d been stupid or boring, the singer wouldn’t have wasted her time- she was smart and mildly funny, entertaining Jamie as much as she hoped to be entertaining the other woman. They even managed to bring up a topic that the mermaid had a soft spot and a decent bit of knowledge in. Sharks. How much easier could it have been for Jamie to talk about? The serendipitous occurrence actually made the rocker smile. ’’Ninja badass’ is a pretty apt description, actually.’ She continued on to mention the shark at the aquarium. She was fairly certain that Neville- why the idiots there had named him that, she had no idea- still lived in the giant glass box of water, but it had been a while since she’d visited him and his companions. Speaking of which, Joey was mentioning how sad it was to see ‘awesome creatures behind glass.’ ’Yeah, exactly. Being caged… it mutes them, somehow. They don’t actually like being confined, most of them. It limits how much they grow, and how well they think and sp- uh, survive.’ Good goddamn, she needed to stop making herself look like a fool who thought she was personally connected to sea creatures. She was, but that was irrelevant. This girl was pretty clearly human, and oblivious, and there was no need for Jamie to be bursting her human bubble. Especially when her interest in the woman was purely romantic.

That interest was part of why she talked to the woman about her graphic novel. Jamie didn’t much actually care about the book- or most books, for that matter, since she didn’t enjoy reading much, unless it was entirely relevant to something she loved, like the wall of rock biographies in the apartment she had with Calla- but she cared about making this little redhead feel special, and not entirely nerdy and uncool. She knew that was a fear of all girls with even a hint of intelligence; that somehow, being smart made them also irrelevant and undesirable. Stupid thought, but it was still there. Personally, if Jamie couldn’t hold at least a mildly interesting conversation with a woman, she had no desire to continue talking to them or pursuing them whatsoever. This one though, could hold up her end. Okay, not always with the greatest of ease, but still, she was making the effort, and Jamie could appreciate that.

’Ah, the lovely lady is multitalented. Exciting. I’ll be honest with you though, not usually a fan of books. Still, something with almost-purely pictures can’t be all bad, can it?’ Jamie chuckled and ran a finger down the back of Joey’s hand, teasing and gentle. Things kept going quite smoothly after that, with Jamie giving her a couple gifts and then singing to her- could the little human have made it any easier?- before locating her again after the show was over. Apparently- like the mermaid had ever had any doubts- she was happy to wait for her and then have their little date. Jamie smiled and nodded, giving her a little ‘sure’ before heading back to her boys to help with the cleanup. It wasn’t really cleanup, since all they had to do was pack up their gear and put it away, but that’s what they called it. When she handed the van keys over, they couldn’t help their looks and comments about her ‘player’ status, but that was totally normal. It was like every concert was somehow an opportunity to score, for all of them, not just her. Still, this one wasn’t the type that Jamie would sleep with and leave, because Joey clearly wasn’t that kind of girl. She seemed… lonely enough that she might go for that, but Jamie wasn’t purely a hound dog, preying on the vulnerable ones; she had a core of decency in her. And maybe some small part of her was trying to kindle a relationship with her because of the whole Lana debacle. That girl still took random adventures around in her head, making the mermaid ache, just a little, though with what emotion, she hadn’t yet bothered to identify. Especially not now, when she was talking to another woman.

Thankfully, Joey didn’t mind her habit. Hurrah. She even seemed a bit impressed when the singer rolled the lighter around in a fanciful pattern on her hands before lighting the tip of the little white cylinder. ’I think that term is silly, to be honest,’ she said after her first inhale, ’Because it’s not a fit. It’s a gentle anxiousness, a light pull. It doesn’t make me spazz out or act crazy, my hands just get fidgety. Now, if I was quitting, it might morph into a bitch fit, thanks to the headache it’d cause.’ Her smile was warm as the cigarette rested gracefully between the first knuckles on her index and middle fingers. Joey’s brain did a little wandering then, she could tell, as the focus totally left her. Jamie let her have her moment before pulling her attention back to the present with a question to engage her once more. She gave her a… rather detailed answer before catching her drift instead of being literal. Still, the ramble was kind of cute. ’I’m something of a seafood connoisseur, actually. And it’s my cuisine of choice. Anything come to mind for that?’ Another pull of smoke, followed by a few exhaled rings. It was a trick she’d picked up early on, and bound to impress people, even if they disagreed with smoking, because it was indicative of talented mouth, much like twisting cherry stems or peeling off Starburst wrappers with nothing but your mouth. Made girls notice, and their minds wander to less-innocent places. Joey mentioned that, yes, there was a good seafood place, actually that had a reputation for good fish’n’chips, fish tacos, or shrimp scampi. ’Sounds perfect little author. You’re gonna have to lead though, because I’ve no idea where we’re going.’ It only took Joey a couple minutes to pack up her stuff and point them in the right direction, which turned out to be perfect timing, as Jamie’s stomach growled. ’Sounds like I’m hungrier than I thought. Good call,’ she said, lightly bumping Joey’s shoulder as they walked.

[JOSEPHINE OLIVIA CAMPBELL]

The more they got to talking, the less Joey felt completely scrutinized and awkward. Sometimes, managing in the dangerous waters of conversation left the little human somewhat like a fish without fins. It was an odd little analogy, especially since they had been talking about sharks. The redhead always enjoyed when women could actually talk and hold up an intelligent end of a conversation. It just made them that much more attractive, and she really did enjoy talking to people, it just didn't always work out so well for her. Jamie, however, seemed to be enjoying their conversation and their brief time together and meeting as part of some crazy, random happenstance. Joey did hope that her assumption of Jamie having a good time wasn't just wishful thinking on her part, but she was really trying to stay positive. There are cool things about you, Joe. Well. Maybe not cool, per se, but interesting! And you're smart. Just don't try to tell her the entire X-Men storyline or about how many perks you've got in Skyrim.

[/color]

They were on the subject of the aquarium and caged oceanic creatures when Jamie said something a tad bit... interesting. It was almost like she wanted to say 'how well they think and speak,' but cut herself off in lieu of looking like a crazy, most likely. Joey, however, took the changed word in stride, and decided to be a little bit of a tease. It wasn't normally in her personality, but it was a quirk that came from having lots of younger siblings. Sometimes, you had to tease a little to survive, and she felt like she was reaching the realm of 'dead in the water' with this woman. ”Well, they'd only speak to you if you were, you know, like Eliza Thornberry or something. And you're much more attractive than that cartoon character.” Joey crossed her fingers under the table, hoping that the other redhead would get the reference and all wouldn't have been for nothing. It had been a last-ditch effort. A Hail Mary pass to the endzone. Something. Apparently, it was enough to move them to the next topic, and Joey was shocked when Jamie took an interest in her graphic novel. She even called her 'multitalented.'

She wasn't a fan of books. ”No, they're not bad. Actually, a lot of people read graphic novels because they like the artwork and the not-wordiness of it all. I could show you a copy sometime, if you'd like,” Joey always kept spares, because it was just a good idea. Lately, her last interactions had ended up getting her a few new fans, and an introduction to an old fan. Bridget. Bridget, who was gorgeous, lovely, secretly brilliant, and slowly becoming her best friend. Joey had gotten used to the idea of being friend-zoned, though, because there was no way that Bridget wanted her the way she wanted the blonde back. That kind of luck just... didn't happen to her. Jamie, though, seemed extremely interested, and it was nearly putting Joey on edge because she totally wasn't used to the kind of female attention that Jamie seemed to be willing to give. And the hand contact. Wow. Something so simple rarely felt so good... it was a sign that she was definitely attention-starved.

Eventually, after more songs, more flirting, and the offer to go on a legitimate date, they ended up outside. Jamie came to join her minutes later, after she'd helped put her band's equipment away. Then, she offered a cigarette, and Joey made the comment about 'nic fits,' which made Jamie respond in a way that almost made her feel bad. Joey looked down at the table, then replied honestly. ”They made my mom crazy; but that could have just as easily been the drugs.” The redhead shrugged her shoulders because really, her dysfunctional family and litter of siblings wasn't something that she really liked to talk about with strangers. She'd discussed it on a surface level with Bridget, but she hadn't even told the blonde her entire tragic backstory. That was way too much for a first date. Which was what this way. So keep it light, Campbell. Casual. Fun.[/color]

”I find drawing to be really cathartic,” Joey said, just to prove that she understood the whole 'idle hands' fidgeting thing. ”I mean, I don't smoke or anything, but sometimes I get really nervous, and doodling on whatever I can find helps. Gives me some great ideas, too, so I get where you're coming from.” Joey smiled a little, hoping that they'd made it past a minor hurdle, and then found that she was being asked for recommendations to places that served seafood. Joey racked her brain: there were a couple of decent places, since they were in Maine so close to the coastline. Lobster was huge there, but pricey, although every now and then she liked to splurge. Because she was on a full scholarship, the money she made from her graphic novels, odd jobs, and fixing computers was hers to save or spend, and she didn't have enough of a social life to go out and spend it very often. She mostly fueled her coffee addiction, bought 'college kid' junk food, and drawing supplies and that was it. ”I've been to this place just outside of the Old Town that serves decent fish and chips, fish tacos, shrimp scampi... it's kind of a bar, but it's nice. Good food, surprisingly.” It was where she'd intended to have her 'date' with Bridget before Christian had decided to crash. She hadn't seen much of him lately, but she'd seen a lot of Bridget, even though that was just following the yellow brick road of 'besties.' It was disappointing, but Joey really didn't want to be dwelling on some girl that she couldn't have when one that seemed to want her was sitting mere feet away. It was a rarity, and she wanted to take advantage while she still had the chance.

The walk there was short, and Joey had to lead, but when they got within range, she heard Jamie's stomach growl, almost like it was on cue, and laughed. ”We'll make sure to get that taken care of.” The shoulder bump that Jamie had given her had been playful, and the brief body contact was nicer than Joey let on, because she was desperately trying to keep her cool.

The two women made it inside, snagged a table, and Joey started browsing the menu. Her stomach decided to make an appearance as well, and she realized that she wanted to eat everything on the menu, but didn't want her date to think she was a pig. ”I've only been here once, so we're kind of flying blind on the menu choices. Everything I've had is good, though,” Joey assured her companion, who was also studying the menu. ”Any idea what you're thinking about getting?” Sometimes a second opinion was helpful, and could even help sway her decision. Frequently, she liked to ask people what she wanted, in the hopes that their response would help her narrow it down. Also, it was a good way to fill gaps in conversation. Joey just hoped she wasn't talking too much.[/blockquote][/justify]

[JAMILA KALIANE ADRASTOS]

Her slip in wordage had not gone as unnoticed as planned. What a damn shame. Now Jamie looked like a cray-cray who thought she could talk to sharks. Great. That was not the kind of attention she desired from the cutie redhead sitting across from her, looking less and less uncomfortable the more time she spent in Jamie’s company. The mermaid tended to have that effect on women. She wasn’t sure what combination of things it was that were working on Joey, but it usually had something to do with the fact that she was interesting, non-threatening-ish, and worthy of some admiration, even if they were grudging about giving it. Like Lana had been… Jamie silently cursed herself for thinking about the beautiful, shy-ish, spitfire brunette she’d met at her concert a little while back. Something about her just wouldn’t leave Jamie alone, though she’d been specifically told that that was exactly what would be happening now, since their little ‘incident.’ Could anybody blame Joey for the way that had gone down? Hell no! If you’d have been there, you’d have done the exact same thing… Most likely.

But that had no bearing on the comment that Joey was making about her little slip-up, letting it be a sweet word fumble, instead of a peek into crazyville. Jamie appreciated that, and even got the reference the other woman was making, regretfully enough. It wasn’t that she thought anything bad about Joey for making the joke about the cartoon, it was that the cartoon was so dumb, Jamie was embarrassed to remember and have knowledge of such a thing. ’Oh sweetie, you would pull out that card… God, can I just say that I’m embarrassed for both of us remembering that show?’ She chuckled lightly and shook her head with faux-shame before acknowledging the kind remark in there that vaguely resembled flirting, of which Jamie greatly approved. ’And I should hope that I’m pretty than that pigtailed ‘genius,’ she said, raising her fingers in mocking quotations. ’Still, that was a compliment, which I greatly appreciate.’ The smile that accompanied the words was warm, lightly hungry, and sultry. After holding it for a moment, she let it go, and it occurred to her that Joey might not have even realized what it was the expression had been implying. The mermaid couldn’t decide if she liked the little hurdle in understanding because it was a challenge, or thought it made things too difficult. She was leaning toward approval though, she could feel it. Even when the woman brought up books, a topic that Jamie usually avoided.

’The only ‘graphic’ reading I think I’ve ever done… would have to be the funnies in the Sunday paper. My mom was an avid paper-reader, nosy as she was, and I always managed to grab the ‘irrelevant nonsense’ section just to spite her.’ A throaty chuckle escaped her at the memory, because she hadn’t thought about that in quite a while. ’And, since my memory doesn’t fail me, I remember not hating them. You know what, I think I’d be happy to read it sometime. It’s gotta have some humor in it, right?’ She hoped that this was a response Joey would find favorable, and not do the bashful ‘oh, but it’s not good enough for you to read,’ thing. She’d had women do that to her before, and it was annoying, so she dropped them like a hot rock right after that. If you had something you were good at, proud of, and put out there for the world to see, you couldn’t be embarrassed to show it to people who actually knew you. That was just stupid, as far as Jamie was concerned. She had no qualms whatsoever about performing for people she knew ‘in real life.’

She proved it then, singing to Joey for a few minutes in the remainder of the show before meeting up with her outside. Finally, she was in a place where she could smoke, but she didn’t want to offend the other woman, and so gave her little disclaimer first. Which resulted in Joey’s use of a term that Jamie didn’t particularly care for. ‘Fit,’ made it sound like a compulsion or a seizure, and so perhaps her reply was a touch… short. Still, the other redhead navigated it well, kind of. There was a hint there, of some badness, but Jamie decided not delve. Such seriousness with a woman she only just met was not a good way to keep positive attention up. Instead, she just continued her cigarette, and smiled when Joey tried to relate drawing to smoking. Silly girl… But the rocker appreciated the attempt at diversion, and so rolled with it.

’I think that’s probably more like me and playing my guitar than smoking. Still, it’s not a bad analogy. We all have our little releases,’ she said with a light grin as they moved in the direction of food. Turned out that Jamie was surprisingly hungry- though why she was surprised was a mystery, since performances pretty much always made her ravenous- and the idea of a lunch date was well-placed. And letting Joey pick the location was a good idea, because it helped her- in Jamie’s opinion- feel a bit more in control, and like she had the home field advantage. The mermaid even liked her cute comment and expression when she heard Jamie’s stomach growl in protest of its emptiness.

’Sounds like an excellent plan that my tummy would approve of. I hope I’m not the only one who’s going to pig out though... No lack of appetite here.’ Her words happened to coincide with a rumbling of Joey’s own stomach. The sound made Jamie grin, pretty wide. ’We should probably take care of that too, huh?’ Her words didn’t appear to make the artist too bashful, as she started browsing the menu for options, under the advisement that everything was good. A waiter came over to fetch their drink order, to which Jamie responded with a request for a Coke, while she pondered the menu some more. Her eyes met Joey’s across the table when the other woman asked her what she was considering, and she nodded. ’I’m actually torn between shrimp scampi and the sautéed tilapia and pasta…’ Her lips wiggled fetchingly for a moment before she shrugged and chuckled, turning the question back on the nerdier woman. ’What’re you considering to satisfy the grumble?’

[JOSEPHINE OLIVIA CAMPBELL]

It was so nice to finally have someone who understood her obscure, downright nerdy references. There had been a few people that Joey had met in Manuka who didn't seem to understand her, or them, and where communications were difficult to begin with, it made things even harder on the human. Her references were a great way for her to make a potentially awkward situation or lapse in conversation interesting again – it was her way of restoring life and humor back into topics that needed it. If things were starting to get heavy, Joey more often than not had a cure just by referencing some old movie, TV show, or 'cult classic.' The fact that Jamie got the television show reference from her childhood, lame as it was, brought a giant smile onto the redhead's face. ”Yeah, that show was really horrible – but as a reference point, it fit. Don't ya think?” Sure, Jamie was 'embarrassed for them,' but she understood, and that was more than enough. It was more than Joey could ask for with most people, and she found herself becoming more comfortable. Other than her family (Ryan, specifically) and Bridget, she found that she was kind of difficult to understand because she was a whole other level of nerdy. ”Oh, Eliza Thornberry has nothing on you. You're... gorgeous.” Joey said the compliment and felt a little embarrassed to be so forward and complimentary of someone she barely knew. It wasn't like she was used to hitting on women, or even did it occasionally.

Jamie seemed to like her compliments, though. Which made the redhead feel less awkward about being forward, but still nervous about continuing with the compliments and praise, not wanting to seem like she was too interested, or even worse, desperate. When they started talking about Joey's other passions and her graphic novel, she got a little discouraged by the fact that Jamie wasn't an avid a reader as she was. Usually, this kind of thing was what she'd call a 'turn-off' but the redhead was so interesting otherwise that she decided to overlook what might normally put her off, just a little. It wasn't that she doubted the intelligence of people that weren't readers, it was just that reading, graphic novels, and written stories were such a big part of her life, and she was able to talk freely about this subject over just about anything else.

”That reminds me of my sister Eliza, actually. The rest of us are readers, but she pretty much thinks the written word is society's most boring contribution. We tried,” Joey said, laughing a little at the memories. The comics in the newspaper were perfectly valid, though. ”Funny page comics and comic books really aren't that different, so it's not a huge transition if you're willing to give it a shot.” Jamie seemed to be willing enough, so Joey went digging in her shark backpack and grabbed a first issue of 'Bravo 18,' then handed it to Jamie. ”I won't be offended if you hate it, promise.” Not everyone was into graphic novels, and she knew that, but for some reason, she was just proud to hand over a copy to someone who could become a fan that wasn't her normal 'type' of reader. Jamie could have totally just been humoring her, but she really didn't care. It still felt like a win.

For someone who was usually a wreck in these sorts of interactions, Joey felt like she was actually doing well. Jamie hadn't taken a running start for the hills yet, and they'd ended up outside. Finally, Manuka was experiencing some spring-like weather, and even though most of the time, when there was sunshine, Joey worried that her delicate, fair skin would instantly burn or start to sizzle, she still enjoyed the brief feeling of warmth on her skin. She just couldn't overdo it. Jamie joined her, and requested permission to smoke, which was polite, but Joey didn't mind. Apparently, she didn't suffer from nic fits like her mother, which was nice to know. Nic fits were awful, dreadful things in Joey's opinion, and she really disliked when people made excuses for their addictions. If people had addictions, that was on them in her opinion – it wasn't her business unless it affected her directly in some way, or served to make her life difficult. ”I'm kind of nervous; fidgety. Drawing helps.” Joey replied, confessing more and more little tidbits about herself than she would have thought she'd do initially: while she wouldn't consider herself to be closed off, she certainly wasn't a completely open book like some people. Getting to know people took time for her, and someone taking an interest in getting to know Joey would also take time, and probably a change of venue, if Jamie ended up being interested.

They ended up going to a restaurant that Joey recommended, and after both of them confessed that they were rather hungry, they grabbed a table and ordered drinks. Jamie got a Coke, and Joey decided on some fruity smoothie beverage, because it just felt like spring to her. Sometimes, being whimsical wasn't a bad thing. ”It's nice that you're a woman who actually likes to eat. I like salad and all, but I've never been one of those salad and water only type of girls, y'know?” Joey said when Jamie told her that she had an appetite. With a figure like hers, Joey wondered if she was the type to indulge and just exercise a lot, or if she was more careful about what she ate. The human was fortunate to have a spectacular metabolism, since she had a habit of eating whatever she wanted, whenever she wanted, and wasn't exactly on good terms with exercise and all it entailed. She just didn't like getting sweaty. It was a thing. One day, she'd probably grow out of the phase when she could eat a bag of potato chips with spray cheese and binge on Nutter Butters all while sitting in her comfortable gaming chair playing video games for record hours. ”If you're not lactose intolerant, go with the scampi. They put this great cheese sauce... thingy... with the butter.” Joey said confidently, as she'd actually had that dish before. ”I was thinking maybe the lobster mac and cheese, actually. Because mac and cheese is one of those things you really can't screw up, but then there's lobster, and it just sounds epic.” Joey chuckled a little when her stomach nearly took the cue to respond after she spoke.

”The grumble is now upset with me that I don't have lobster mac for it to consume, and pronto.” Talking to Jamie was certainly easier than she thought, but still, Joey knew that she had to be a little cautious. After all, she didn't really know anything about dating, and this woman seemed... slick. Confident, in a good way, but definitely like she'd done this before. It would be the redhead's luck to be a complete noob and chase her away, so she didn't want to be too lax and end up getting friendzoned. Ah, the dreadful friendzone.

[/justify]

[JAMILA KALIANE ADRASTOS]

Jamie’s nerdier inclinations rarely made a public appearance. They stayed locked away for private consumption, for her to giggle over by herself in the relative privacy of her home where nobody would judge her for having them. They didn’t fit in the ‘suave, cool, player’ box that was her comfort zone, and so stayed stashed away, getting a few uses every now and again. But, it seemed that, in this instance, her nerd card would work to her advantage. Oh, it wasn’t the first time, of course. She’d played the field of the sweet, shy intelligence bunnies before. They always liked somebody who was both imminently cooler than them, but also relatable. Being just a touch nerdy put her on their level, and made her more real and attainable. Thing ‘bout Jamie was, the geekier bit wasn’t farce. She didn’t have to pretend, or study the references these girls would make beforehand just so she could nail them. Because just landing in their bedrooms was never her goal. She liked women, and wanted them to be as happy with their encounters as she was. It wasn’t just about her scoring all the time with a different chick. She just… she tended to get bored after a few incidents with any one woman. There were very few she kept going back to, just for sheer lack of interest. The mermaid had a very limited number that she revisited, but just in a purely sexual fashion. Too bad the one woman she was actually curious about turned out to be ‘straight.’ Wasn’t that joyful? And somehow oh-so-fitting to her wild lifestyle… Still, there was no use moping about it when a very pretty redhead was sitting across from her, making references that she actually understood, and dishing out compliments that she clearly wasn’t used to giving. It just made Jamie smile.

’Alright, yeah, reference point kudos. And thanks, really. I don’t hear that as often as you might think… still never gets old.’ A brief smile graced her lips then as she patted Joey’s arm, actually grateful for the compliment. There was a distinct between being fawned over and being praised, and the artist before her was doing an excellent job of toeing the line. Jamie could be nothing but pleased in that moment, truth be told. All was right with the world, as she returned to her zone. It made her gain some measure of renewed faith in herself, as she talked to this woman. Okay, look, it wasn’t like she’d lost it completely or anything, but Lana’s abject dismissal had been… disconcerting, to say the least. Now, well, she was fixing herself, one savvy sentence at a time. Or so she thought...

Jamie could read the hint of disapproval in Joey’s eyes when a love of reading didn’t pop out of her mouth. But that was a quality about Jamie most women liked, not the anti-reader thing, the honesty thing. If Jamie talked to you, it was because she was genuinely interested in talking to you, not because she had some extra ulterior motives going for her. Joey, she actually wanted to talk to. And it seemed that her fellow redhead was willing to overlook the fact that she was not on the literature bandwagon, which were points in both their favor at that point. Silver lining though, the mermaid got to draw on a recent reference again. ’You’re kidding, right? Your sister’s name is Eliza? Ferreal? Eliza? And she’s another redhead, like you? , no way. Now that, that is funny.’ Somehow, it ended up being good bridge into the fact that Jamie was actually fond of the funnies section of the newspaper, which really wasn’t that different from the author’s comic book format. Joey even gave her a copy. Free. ’You’re just giving this to me? No way, I gotta pay you something. How much these run for?’ The other woman- of course- brushed off her offer of payment, which made the rocker determined to repay her somehow… CD seemed like a good idea.

After that, things migrated from singing to actual migration to lunch at some little restaurant that Joey recommended. It was nice, the transition, because it was pretty smooth. There’d been a bump when the mermaid had decided to take a small smoke break, so to speak, but other than that, no issues. Especially not when they sat down and Joey made a positive comment about the mermaid having an appetite. Hurray, another woman who understood that human beings should not have the same diet as rabbits. Jamie was quite pleased. ’Oh, I know. Girls like that annoy me. I’ve refused- on more than one occasion, actually- to buy dinner for a girl who will go with the standard ‘salad and water’ combo. Only in the hopes that it will teach them the error of their ways, of course…’ she said with a grin as they browsed the menu, looking for something eye-catching. Apparently, Joey was contemplating- but pretty much settled upon- lobster mac and cheese as her dish of choice, and advised scampi for Jamie. It was actually a solid suggestion because well, the mermaid wasn’t lactose intolerant and she did love herself some scampi. ’That actually sounds pretty awesome. I’ll be ordering under advisement though, so if it sucks, you owe me.’ A teasing wink accompanied her words so that her companion would know she was kidding. Another light rumble sounded from Joey’s stomach, and the singer couldn’t help her chuckle. ’Well, mine is equally displeased with me, if it’s any consolation… The only thing I ate before the show today was half a granola bar that I stole out of Todd’s backpack. Whoo, so much nutrition.’

Shortly after that, their waiter returned with their drinks and got their orders, scampering back to the kitchen in a semi-efficient-looking manner, which Jamie was pleased with. After that though, she couldn’t just let their conversation sit there and die. That would just be sad. ’Alright so, we’re gonna play a little game I’ve christened ‘random fact.’ Tell me a random fact about you that I could only get from like, reading your diary. Usually, it’s one that nobody else knows, but since we don’t know each other that well yet, I modified it a smidgen.’ She smiled briefly, before continuing. ’Three rounds of play, and whoever comes up with the most random fact gets a reward of their choosing from the loser. Do you accept the terms of the challenge Cadet Joey?’ The mermaid grinned like a fool and swirled her straw, hoping the silliness would go over well… Here’s hoping.

[JOSEPHINE OLIVIA CAMPBELL]

The redhead could really only nod and blush when Jamie asked about her sister's name. She supposed she should have seen that one coming since it was on the heels of her original reference. But she hadn't. There was something in Jamie's smile, in those ocean-blue eyes that was distracting. Maybe even intoxicating, but Joey rolled with the punches and answered with a half-smile, her lips quirking up just slightly before she spoke. ”Uh, yeah,” Joey said, forcing herself to be a little more literate and scratched her head a little as the implication rolled through her mind. Of course her parents hadn't named Eliza after Eliza Thornberry – more like Dolittle. But that had been before her mother had been just a touch more classy and liked to sit on the couch with Joey on her lap, against her pregnant belly, and watch classic films. ”She's not as gingery and me or my brother, actually. And I think my mom named her Eliza after Eliza Dolittle, since she's way too old to be named after the cartoon. But I can see how that's pretty funny coincidence.” Joey's logic tended to be long and rambling, but if Jamie hadn't picked that up about her by now, she really wasn't paying attention at all. It was a good connection that Jamie had made though, and Joey even laughed a little until the subject changed back to her graphic novel.

The redhead frequently gave out first issue copies for free to new readers. She had taken this marketing class once, and learned that sometimes 'freebies' and other swag was just a really good marketing ploy. Give them something, get them hooked, and then take their money the next time. Not that it was all about the money or anything, because it really wasn't. Sure, Joey liked to have money – it was kind of a necessity, but it wasn't the most important thing. Her little computer and electronic repair 'business' was doing all right, she was going to college on a full scholarship that included room, board, and on-campus meals. The money she made was essentially post-college savings and spending money, but Joey tended to be pretty thrifty except on things she really wanted. Comics, electronics, video games, and other gadgets, mostly. However, she did think it was pretty nice that Jamie was so insistent to fork over some money for a graphic novel that she didn't even know she'd like. ”Not telling,” Joey said in response to her inquiry about the cost. ”If you want to know, go to my website. I sell them from there, and you can buy the second issue... if you love it.” Having fans and a steady base of readers was more important, especially if she wanted to get 'Bravo 18' out there to the mainstream masses.

Apparently slightly unsatisfied with getting something for free without giving anything back in return, Jamie gave her a free CD and a few other small things from their merch table, and Joey really appreciated that, but didn't ever expect anyone to give her gifts or free things. Really, it was a nice gesture, and made her smile more than she'd smiled in quite a while. Jamie even sang a song she chose, directly to her, which made Joey all sorts of nervous and giddy. She thought the other redhead was pretty spectacular, and since she had pretty much outed herself as a fellow gay lady, Joey felt a twinge of something she never really felt with women, even though she wanted to: hope. Sometimes, on her more confident days, Joey thought that she was quite the catch and had a bit going for her that would likely make ladies interested. She was in school, she was nice, generous, passionate about nerdy things, but at least it was some form of passion – she wasn't dead inside. Lots of people told her that she had a good sense of humor, and most of the time, she actually felt inclined to believe them. Sometimes, she even thought she was funny. That was pretty rare, though.

After the show was finished, Joey found herself actually looking forward to this date, and her nerves were actually subsiding. Only a little, though – Joey was still way too much of a spaz to be feeling completely cool and confident. But she was confident to make a restaurant suggestion based on a few key things she took from Jamie's explained preferences. When they got to the restaurant and sat down, Joey was even noticing that she was opening up to Jamie, joking a little about women who liked to stay to a 'salad and water' diet. ”Really? You do that? Well, I'm going with the lobster, then. Maybe steak and lobster,” Joey said, completely joking. The bright smile on her face showcased the very hint of dimples in her cheeks, and she really felt happy and pretty comfortable with Jamie sitting across from her. Or, at least, as comfortable as Joey Campbell could be. They still hadn't really discussed who was paying. Joey was happy to go Dutch and pay for herself, but since it was a 'date' she was feeling just the slightest twinge of anxiety about the inevitable check dance that would accompany the end of their meal. She hadn't really ever done the dating thing, but she'd taken her siblings and friends out for dinners and whatnot, and deciding who paid in those situations was always pretty easy. The other day, she'd gone for coffee with Bridget, and they'd had a rather awkward 'who pays' moment – Joey ended up buying their coffees, and Bridget seemed to look at her slightly different for the rest of that afternoon. She didn't know why, but it was definitely there.

”How about... if it sucks the meal's on me?” Joey said, putting a stipulation to Jamie's comment about ordering under her advisement. It seemed to relieve the pressure and anxiety from Joey a little bit, at least, but she didn't know how Jamie would respond.

The two women ordered their various meal choices, and Joey knew her stomach was totally looking forward to that lobster mac. As they settled in, though, Jamie proposed they play a little game. Joey liked games, so she wasn't opposed, just interested in what kind of game it was. 'Random fact' apparently, which sounded intriguing enough.

”I not only accept, but I'll go first,” Joey said. Why not? You only live once, after all. Although she kind of hated that phrase after she found out that young people started turning it into a disgusting spoken acronym and putting it on the most random things as some sort of life slogan. ”Okay, here goes... I once spent 45 hours straight playing an MMORPG, and after that binge, I swear I was afraid that someone would come behind me and do a destruction spell to the back and poof! That'd be the end of Joey.” It was super nerdy, sure, but she hadn't even told Ryan about that particular binge day. He'd be all worried about her health and lack of sleep, but it was just fun. And her Guild members were pretty awesome, too.

Jamie kept up with a fact that made Joey laugh so hard she had to take a sip of her water to calm herself, and then went on to her next fact. ”Okay, okay... so this is one my siblings know, so you can disqualify it, but it's pretty random. After I got my tattoo of the Flash symbol, I tried to see if it would make me run any faster. Right? So. I was running, not really that much faster, but I didn't see this giant ditch, and just kind of... ran right into it. Broke my arm. At eighteen years old!” Joey paused for a minute before telling the rest of her story. ”I graduated from high school with a cast on my arm. Pretty awesome, right?” It was embarrassing now, but it was a memory that very few people shared, especially not for her reasons. Their food came then, and the game was put on pause for a moment, but just a moment. Joey found that she was really looking forward to Jamie's next 'fact,' but also, with any luck, spending more time with Jamie.

[/justify]

[JAMILA KALIANE ADRASTOS]

She decided, then and there, that this little freebie concert had been a good idea, and was glad that she had let their manager talk her into it. Not only did it seem as though they would add quite a few more fans to their ever-growing collection, Jamie had scored herself a date with a pretty girl with a great smile and sense of humor. Okay, she wasn’t Jamie’s usual type- not that she had much of one- but she was a lovely option. She gave Jamie free shit, fer crying out loud. Nevermind the fact that Jamie had repaid her with a CD and a song, because the other woman hadn’t been expecting that. And Jamie gave out free CDs to quite a few random people. So the gesture, of Jamie’s gift- though it may have been the same marketing tactic that Jamie herself often employed- was very much appreciated. It led to the lunch date at some little nearby restaurant the redhead had never heard of, but was glad that Joey seemed to like. She wanted her dates to be comfortable, and putting them in surroundings they were more at ease in was always a good idea.

It appeared to be working, as they bantered back and forth, commiserating over stupid stick figures. Jamie laughed brightly at Joey’s overcompensating ‘order’ and question. ’Of course. Don’t I look like a woman of my word? They need to be taught the better way of things. Glad to see you got some sense though.’ The first bit had been a tease laced with truth, but the latter had lowered Jamie’s voice to something just a little more sultry. She knew the tone had been taken well by the sweet smile Joey graced her with, a hint of teeth and dimples. The mermaid approved, very much. And decided to say so. ’You must get complimented on your lovely smile all the time Joe. It’s pretty.’ She grinned, softly stroking her companion’s hand for a moment in an affectionate gesture. They were joking, laughing, having their cake and eating it too. Jamie had been on more than a few dates in her existence and she would say, without a doubt, that this one was going quite well. Except for Joey’s expression when the mermaid mentioned her owing the singer one if the meal sucked. Clearly, she had sparked some little worry in the other woman’s head, which it chewed over for a second before offering to pay if it sucked. Jamie couldn’t help laughing brightly, the low tone was and amused. I present a counter-offer. The meal sucks or succeeds, I pay, since I invited you out on this little date.’ It didn’t really give Joey the space to argue with her, because she had covered both sides of the possibility coin. Placing their orders, they were left in that wait time-space that had the propensity to become uncomfortable if one let it. Jamie was not one to let it, and initiated a little game that she was rather fond of.

Joey was a wonderfully amicable partner, daring to go first with a factoid that made her laugh. ’Forty-five? Oh my word Joey, what the hell could you have been doing for that much time?’ The mermaid chuckled again and shook her head for a moment. ’No wonder it intruded on real life, you were probably so sleep-deprived you started hallucinating shit…’ She stuck her tongue out, definitely teasing her companion as she considered her own fact. Finally, she had one, and one literally nobody knew. ’Okay, so I also have siblings. Three, actually. I’m the second baby, and my older sister is turning into a carbon copy of my bitchy mother. So… in classic, childish tit-for-tat retaliation- for an act I will not mention- I slipped green hair dye in her developer before she re-bleached that fake blonde hair of hers. She was so mad. We called her the Grinch for six weeks!’ Her laugh was light and infectious, sparking one in Joey that she hadn’t expected. Not because she didn’t think that the situation was funny, but because Joey’s laugh was so nice, unrestrained. She smiled brightly at the other woman, and tilted her head. ’Of course they all suspected me, but they couldn’t prove anything, as we all have reasons to detest the eldest occasionally. I got away with it.’ Her accompanying smirk was cocky, as Jamie was inclined to be, before she asked her next question. ’Alright miss Joe, who do you consider the winner of that round?’ Truth be told, Jamie didn’t really care about the winning. The game made for a fabulous ice-breaker and time-killer. After hearing her companion’s response, Jamie chuckled, sipping her drink with a shrug. ’Well, that is only fair. Your turn again darlin’. Joey’s next admission was entertaining on quite a few levels. ’Oh this totally counts. I cannot believe you have a Flash tattoo. I gotta see this. Come on. Where is it? Combine that with the speed test? Totally counts. It’s got all the highlights of a good story, premise, highlight, tragedy, happy ending. I don’t know if I can beat that… ‘cause yeah, that’s pretty awesome.’ Jamie traipsed through her memory bank, searching for something comparable… and then she had it. ’Okay so, this is kinda embarrassing, but that’s only appropriate. So, when I was little, I was obsessed with the Powerpuff Girls, okay? And for Halloween, I would dress up like Blossom- I’m totally a Buttercup, but I looked more like Blossom, so I let my mom talk me into it. I have been Blossom, every Halloween, for sixteen years. I just can’t stop! In that in-between stage, it was really lame, but now? I’m like a vintage throwback and everyone loves it. came full circle, and I can’t say I’m disappointed. Still have my first Powerpuff Girls poster in my bedroom. Granted, it hides in my closet now, but still. I even wrote a song about ‘sugar, spice, everything nice, and chemical x.’ It’s bad…’ It was a twisted version of the show, turning those goody-goodies into hookers on drugs, but still. The premise was the cartoon, and she knew it. Now, so did Joey… who hopefully didn’t think her totally lame. They all had their strange fascinations, she supposed. ’I still think the Flash-break wins though, gotta admit.’

[JOSEPHINE OLIVIA CAMPBELL]

So far, this had been the best 'date' that Joey had ever been on. Really, though, it was the only 'date' she'd ever been on. She lacked the confidence to ever ask somebody out, and found herself with a distinct lack of women who were attempting to break down her door to take her out on one, either. Maybe that was why she'd been so flattered when Jamie had actually done it, even though the human had basically no expectations about where it would all lead by the end of the meal. If nothing else, she was just happy that someone so beautiful had taken an interest in her and had been confident and bold enough to let her know about that interest. As nervous as she thought she'd be upon going on her first date ever, especially with someone so beautiful, Joey found that she was actually less nervous than expected. Something about Jamie made her feel... comfortable, and that might have been because Joey really wasn't expecting more than a great meal and good conversation. Now, if she starts making physical moves, you'll be a wreck.

[/color] Joey's thoughts were racing, but her initial fears subsided, especially when Jamie was complimentary and nice to her, even complimenting her smile, which she didn't think was that great – kind of like the rest of her; average, really.

”My smile? No. No, nobody's ever really.... thanks, though.” Her voice betrayed the nerves that were starting to surface when the other redhead launched a veritable life-ruining smile that made Joey's knees weak even though she was sitting down. Then, she touched her hand affectionately, and Joey felt goosebumps rising up all over her body – oh yeah, this was why she'd been nervous about actually dating girls. Her character pursuing a girl on an MMORPG every now and then was much more confidence-inducing because they couldn't see her, didn't know her, and couldn't make her completely forget how to speak the English language by doing something as simple as touching her hand. For cryin' out loud. The human attempted a confidence booster by saying that if the meal sucked, she'd pay, just so she could have some sort of leverage and wouldn't seem (hopefully) like a complete noob. But Jamie thwarted that, giving her butterflies by saying that she'd pay, as the date was her idea. Joey grinned again, suddenly conscious of her smile that Jamie seemed to like so much, and tried not to stutter when she thanked her a second time. ”That's really nice of you. You're... you're really sweet.” Was that too stupid of a compliment? Too basic? Should she be prepared to combat Jamie's attempts by telling her that her eyes were so blue that Joey felt like she was drowning? Or that touching her hand made her leg spasm under the table because she lacked in lady-contact for basically her entire life? No, because that would permanently put her on noob status.

Her date likely sensed that she was nervous because after they ordered their food choices, she initiated a little game that was probably some sort of ice-breaker, but Joey was grateful for the suggestion and really liked games. She told Jamie about her experience with a 45 hour MMORPG gaming session with her guild, and was surprised not to get the 'judgey face' that she expected whenever someone wasn't as big of a nerd as she was and wouldn't understand the benefits of long-term gaming. ”Actually yeah, there was a little bit of hallucinating, but my guild and I just downloaded a new expansion and had to play the crap out of it, naturally.” It wasn't the most interesting tidbit, and the information that Jamie shared about sneaking green hair dye into her sister's blonde bleach was pretty hysterical, prompting a series of giggles from the human that were completely approving, despite the devious nature. From the way Jamie told it, her sister seemed like she deserved it. ”Damn, remind me not to mess with you, okay? Although... don't ever plan on dying my hair, which means you'd have to get more creative.” Then, Joey got a great idea for a compliment that she actually didn't think was lamesauce. ”You're really, really pretty when you laugh.” She was always really, really pretty from what Joey could tell, but the fact that literally all of her features lit up when she laughed just made her more appealing. Jamie asked her then which story should win round one: Grinch or hallucination via gaming? Her answer was obvious, and Joey was a little surprised when Jamie let her decide the winner. ”Oh, you win – hands down. I'll have to dig deep to beat you next round.” That was how she decided to tell her story about the ditch and her desire for superpowers that ended with her graduating high school with a lovely cast as an accessory. It must have been a good choice, because it made Jamie laugh even harder and got her interested in another part of Joey's story: her tattoo.

”Top secret location, I'm afraid – nobody's seen it other than Ryan and Eliza, but that was because they went with me so I wouldn't 'chicken out.'” The tattoo wasn't anywhere dangerous, so to speak – it was inked onto her hip, right next to the space that outline the way her hip bones jutted out into the traditional 'v' shape. Joey had always hated her boyish hips, so putting the Flash logo on there made her hate them a little less. ”I've never let a girl... get close enough, I guess, to see it in any way: sexy or not. I'm pretty shy about all of this.” Joey gestured to her body and gave a little smile that was slightly insecure. Jamie continued with her own factoid, and Joey listened intently before breaking out into a huge smile. ”Oh, The Powerpuff Girls were so rad, though! And I totally would have pegged you as Buttercup, too.” Nevertheless, even though the other redhead's fact was supremely interesting and entertaining, Jamie decided that she won that round. And now she had to think of one more fact before they decided on an ultimate winner. Just then, their food arrived, and the game was put on hold for a minute as they both dug into the food before them. The mac and cheese was perfect, just as she expected it to be, and she looked over at Jamie for a minute, wondering what her companion would think. ”Does it suck? How'd I do with recommending?” Jamie's response made her smile, and she took another bite of mac and cheese followed by a sip of her drink and then decided on her final fact.

”Okay, so – last fact. It's not really funny or anything, it's more tragic, but literally nobody knows this about me. My 'best friend'.... well, here at least... is this gorgeous, cheerleader looking blonde who I totally have the hots for, but it's only made better by the fact that she's just as nerdy as I am. You'd think there'd be a happy ending in there somewhere, right?” Joey smiled a little sadly, knowing that it probably wasn't good form to talk about Bridget while she was on a date with another girl. ”Long story short, I've basically been friend-zoned and now I'm convinced that I'll be forever alone.” She took another bite of her food and then met those blue eyes that were watching her intently. ”You asking me out kinda reaffirmed that I'm not a troll person... and... I really like you, Jamie. You're pretty awesome.” The human blushed a little and looked straight down at her food, wondering if she'd ruined everything by her 'confession.'[/blockquote][/justify]

[JAMILA KALIANE ADRASTOS]

Was Joey her usual type? Nope, not really. But so far, that was proving to be a good thing. Her fellow redhead was bright and sweet and eager to please, Jamie could tell. Not all nerdy girls were, but there were totally some that, because they didn’t have much in the way of friends, were more than happy to do whatever the hell people wanted. Now, Joey didn’t seem like she’d take it that far, she had some spine lurking in there, the mermaid could tell. But as for most things, she was pretty easy-going. She also didn’t have much in the way of self-esteem… if the way she easily shot down Jamie’s honest compliment was any indication. Made the mermaid wonder just how many people had told her she was pretty or hit on her at all in her short number of years. Not many, if the crackle in her voice- just barely perceptible to most, but totally obvious to someone as focused on voices as Jamie was- was any indication. It also made the mermaid wonder just how many people the redhead had attempted to hit on herself. Likely… none. Yeah, she was gonna say none. Ouch. That was okay though, since the mermaid had hit on one and all, and succeeded with most. Besides, Joey seemed amenable to her taking an interest, despite the way she totally negated Jamie’s compliment. Yeah, no, that wasn’t gonna fly very far.

’Hey. I don’t give out random-ass compliments. I give one, you take it. No questions, and maybe a little more gratitude… Like, physical affection or something.’ Her wink turned it from reprimand to something a little hotter, and blatant. Clearly, blatant was the way to go with this one, since she was totally reading as inexperienced and oblivious. But she was too cute, so Jamie was perfectly happy to play on her level, and leave no room for ‘friendly’ misinterpretation. Nah. She liked this girl enough to take some interest in her, and Joey would be made fully aware of it. Had been, at least a little- clearly- because they were now out at a nice-ish restaurant having a lovely lunch date. And trading stories and details about themselves that were a little more obscure. It was the odd details that really let you know who a person was, in Jamie’s opinion. Not holding their feet to the fire, not figuring out their favorite color or holiday or animal. No, the quirky, hidden, secret details were the ones Jamie wanted to know. That, and their favorite musical artists. But that was mostly just to see if she had an opening with the person she was talking to. Joey, however, had totally nerdy tastes, and the rocker thought it was more adorable than anything else. She wasn’t one to judge a hobby. Hey, if it made you happy and wasn’t illegal- and sometimes even if it was- who was she to judge? Just another indulgent, who didn’t wanna be judged back. So. She reserved hers for the really bad shit, and let the rest of it just roll.

’God, that’s like when I got my new guitar… Played that thing for about three days straight, only pausing to drink water and nibble some cheese so I didn’t die. My roommate had to shove my face in some food and my ass in the bathtub when she thought I was starting to crinkle from weight loss and pickling.’ She snickered softly, remembering. Oh, usually Calla left her to her own devices, but those few days had been exceptional, and Calla had clearly taken exception to her behavior. Good thing, too, ‘cause it pulled the mermaid from her ‘breaking it in’ fog to actually do something that wasn’t sitting on her butt or wandering the apartment with her guitar strapped to her body, singing or not. Gotten her to get out of the house again, too. That was always good. And Jamie hadn’t even retaliated for the impromptu and jarring behavior. Not like with Aquana… yeah. That had been one of her more shining moments. Joey clearly agreed, given the lightly shocked face and the amused chuckle that went with it. The comment was fairly priceless too, actually. And Jamie nodded in response. ’Sure sweetie. But I promise, you’ll never make it to my sister’s level. Trust though, if you deserved it… vengeance.’ The rocker’s nod was pointed, but still sweet and smiling. She was both teasing and not. People who got on Jamie’s bad side really ended up regretting it. But Joey was going nowhere near there, especially when she gave the mermaid a return compliment of her own, making grey-blue eyes sparkle with delight. Alright! Score one for forward behaviors. Her fingers stroked over the back of her companion’s hand- nothing too brazen or disarming, just a little thing, which Joey seemed to like quite a bit- and grinned, basking in the praise. ’Thanks sweetheart. I do what I can.’ It was a soft comeback, she didn’t wanna scare the girl by eating it up with a spoon or totally being a know-it-all bitch about it. That wasn’t cool or her style anyways. Nah. She’d just let the game continue and enjoy the story about the tattoo, huffing a little when the author wouldn’t tell her where it was, but letting it go, and supplying her own childhood memory to compete. Jamie just gave her a dark-ish look at the mention of the fact that she was shy about her body. Really, the girl had a beautiful little bod, she just needed to give it more credit and viewing ability. For now, that wasn’t the mermaid’s business, and she wouldn’t do more to make her uncomfortable if she could help it. Besides, the food arrived after they shared the tidbits, and Jamie happily dug into her meal with a small, close-lipped smile at Joey’s question.

’It’s awesome, silly. Don’t be dumb. You did good. And now you won’t raise any complaints when I pay, so.’ Another little wink- as Jamie was wont to do- punctuated the statement, and they delved back into their game, interspersing bites of food with wordage. And Joey’s next one? Ouch. And while she softened the blow with another earnest compliment, Jamie still felt the comment in her gut. ’Aww, sugar. I got that, right here.’ She tapped right over her heart, and swallowed, taking a sip of her drink, and decided for something a little bolder. ’You’re as far from a troll person as one can be, Joey, and you’re pretty awesome too.’ With that, the mermaid stood up, placed a palm flat on the table, leaned across, and caught the back of her companion’s neck before claiming really soft lips with her own. It was a gentle kiss, but Jamie really hoped it would go over well, and not only because she was a good kisser.