Can an Asgardian even get high? Who: Angela and Cosima Where: Angela's Apartment, then a random bar When: Wednesday, May 13th
Having decided to try something a little different and possibly FIT IN a little with the others here, Angela swallowed her pride and actually changed into "civilian clothing". Jean had dragged her out shopping one day in a futile attempt to cheer her up, but she'd never actually worn any of the clothing the teen had talked her into purchasing.
Now though, with Cosima being nice enough to offer her company, Angela didn't want the woman to feel threatened, sitting alone with a goddess in full battle armor. So she changed and... was clearly (and hilariously) not happy in the low-riding jeans, tight white tank, and pink cardigan she was wearing. It was a comical sight, really: Angela dressed like a normal, average person, sitting in a chair in her apartment, which was decorated with nothing but swords, various weapons, and trophies she'd taken from multiple hunts across the galaxy. "...I look ridiculous". She said to herself, as she waited for her company to arrive.
Cosima was dressed casually with her hair in its normal intricate dreads and her glasses perched on her nose. Beyond Lauren, she didn't have all that many people in Freedomtown that she associated with, come to think of it, so she was well overdue to make another friend. She lightly rapped her knuckles on Angela's apartment door and called out: "Heeey, it's Cosima."
Angela stood, blinking as she opened the door and took a look at the woman. "You look very.... distracting. Please, enter." Hah! Poor Angela. You could call her a lot of things, but 'smooth' was not one of them. "I believe you said something about alcohol, and using it to temporarily forget my problems."
"I diiiiid, but for that to work we'd have to leave your apartment." Cosima smiled lopsidedly. "I know that there's this new place I've been dying to try."
"I cannot believe I am about to go out into public looking like this. If Quill and the others see me I shall never live this indignity down." Heh. Still, she nodded reaching over to grab... sigh... a small but lethal-looking dagger, tucking it behind her back into her belt. Evidently Angela felt the need to NEVER be completely unarmed. "Lead the way, my friend." The warrior goddess told her, subtly checking her out as they walked. She couldn't help it: she knew Cosima was a beautiful woman, but she'd never seen her look so... sexy! It had completely caught her off guard.
Cosima was used to seeing people 'arm up', so she didn't even bat an eye when she saw Angela tuck the dagger into her belt. "I'm surprised you're so worried about how you look," Cosima commented as she led the way, exiting the apartment and walking on over to the elevator and pressing the call button. "I mean, I for one think that you look awesome in civilian clothes, but you really shouldn't care what other people think, as long as you're comfortable. And judging by your expression, I'm gonna guess you're not." She wrinkled her nose.
"It... has been brought to my attention that walking around here in my usual costume may be alarming for some, and distracting for others." Angela admitted, giving an all-too-adorable scowl. "Alarming I... can understand. Battle armor and weapons can be seen as hostile to some from various worlds. But why is my armor distracting?"
"You're kidding, right?" Cosima glanced at Angela briefly, then pushed her glasses up her nose. "I mean, physically you're very appealing and the armor... well, it doesn't leave much to the imagination." She blushed, hoping that that made sense.
"You.... find me physically appealing?" Angela asked, a lopsided smirk on her face. She couldn't help it... Cosima wasn't exactly her "type" per se, but she liked the woman and could not deny how beautiful she was. "I suppose I merely think of my armor as functional. I don't really think about how I look in it."
"Dude, you're BEYOND attractive, okay?" Cosima replied, stepping into the elevator when the doors finally opened. She waited for Angela to do the same before pushing the button for the ground level. "And that's fair enough, although that does beg the question: how exactly is it functional?"
"It allows completely free movement, protects the most sensitive areas of my body, and allows me to remained sufficiently armed." Angela replied, with what (for her at least) would almost pass for a 'duh' tone. "And... I admit: I never thought of myself as unattractive... but my recent experiences have left me a bit... rattled, I suppose."
Cosima nodded as she listened. She could understand freedom of movement, but damn, the idea of being so vulnerable like that kind of gave her goosebumps. Not that she'd be in a position to be in that situation, but it was scary to think about. "To be fair, I don't think that what Shepard did reflects on you. She just... had someone that she had to go back to, I guess?"
"I suppose I made a mistake in thinking a mortal could grasp a concept as complex as true commitment." She sighed, before raising an eyebrow in apology. "No offense, of course."
"None taken," Cosima replied, fluttering a hand to say 'it's cool'. When the elevator finally dinged she stepped out on the ground level and lead the way. "I'm not gonna lie. I have someone back home that I'm completely devoted to, but for me," she made a face, "when I'm with someone I'm with them, but... I've been here for almost a year. At what point do I give up the ghost? At what point do I accept that I might never see her again? What if I do meet someone else who's... I guess I'm making your point for you. Sorry. I guess my mortal life is so fleeting compared to yours. And before I came here I was terminally ill, so how do I go from 'I'm gonna die at any moment' to living a full life without having her in it?"
"I don't deny that the bond Jane and.... Liara...." Heh. Listen to the venom in her tone saying the woman's name! DAMN. "have is strong. But is it truly so common for mortals to so casually abandon a lover simply because someone they loved previously appears? Is there no loyalty?"
"You're speaking in generalities here. No two humans are alike in the way they approach things, or even in..." she almost said 'DNA' there, but stopped herself since she was a clone and all, "but I don't know that it's a common thing. In the end, love is love. Who are we to deny that?"
"We were not... together... for long. Perhaps I'm making a bigger deal of it than I should. But... between you and I... I miss the feeling of having someone at your side. The feeling of electricity when someone so longingly touches you..." Angela admitted, looking almost ashamed of herself for feeling this way.
"I totally get that," Cosima replied, nodding. She led the way out onto the street, then down onto a path to this new bar that she'd heard of. "But I'm sure that you'll feel it again, with someone that's truly deserving of you." She had to ask: "You've not felt something like that with someone before?"
"Don't misunderstand: I certainly find people attractive. Present company very much included." Hah! Sadly, that was about as flirty as she got, folks. Move along. "But that pure, savage bond that forms when you truly allow a person into your heart? I'd not felt that in what for you would be many lifetimes."
"...Well, that sucks." Cosima pouted. She wasn't of the mind that everyone deserved love, but some kind of happiness wasn't too much to hope for. "And on that note..." She made a game-show hostess gesture at the bar that she'd heard about, having found it quicker than she'd anticipated, "ta-da. Alcohol. The cause of, and solution to, all of life's problems."
Angela had to smirk there. This woman was clearly giving her all to the task of cheering her up. She wasn't sure why Cosima was so determined to the cause... she just knew she found it entirely endearing. "...you truly are a wonderful person, Cosima. I am lucky to count you as a friend."
"Awuh. Well, that totally goes both ways. Now c'mon," she tugged at one of Angela's hands, "I'm bound and determined to drink you under the table."
"And what would you do if you got me under the table?" Angela asked with a flirty little grin, clearly not quite getting the meaning if the saying. Aw well. She was trying to flirt a little. Hush.
"I hadn't actually thought that far ahead," Cosima admitted with a wrinkle of her nose, just going with it. "I totally wouldn't make a good villain, would I? Those guys always seem to have plans."
"No... if we are going by typical story protocol, you more fit the description of the damsel in distress: gentle and beautiful enough that all who encounter you wish to defend you." Ladies and gentlemen? There it was: the closest thing to 'game' that Angela had ever shown! SOUND THE TRUMPETS!
Cosima blinked at her. That was oddly... "Sweet. You're sweet," she said, looking away briefly to hide her blush as she led the way into the bar and found them a table to sit by.
Angela sat down gracefully at the table, staying silent for a long moment before asking something that had been niggling at her mind since they'd started talking. "So... if I'm not being too intrusive... tell me about the person you have waiting for you in your world?"
Cosima motioned for a waiter to come over and serve them, figuring they could probably stand to eat as well. "Delphine?" She asked, turning her attention back to Angela. "What did you wanna know about her?"
"Just.... what your relationship is like? I suppose I'm just curious. Do you seclude yourself and your heart in the hopes of one day returning to her? Do you move on, forge a new future? Or do you temporarily move on, until that person comes to you?" She asked, as though something was going on in her mind that she wasn't indulging.
"She's just as scientifically minded as I am, so we work well together. She can be... she's done things against my wishes, but I know in my heart that she did those things with only the best intentions in mind. She's funny. She has the most amazing smile. When we're together... it's nice." She stopped when the waiter approached and ordered some food and wine for them. "As for your other questions... I'm still figuring that out."
"Do you think she would blame you if she were to find out you had gotten... intimate with someone while here? Should you manage to return home, I mean." Angela asked, trying to understand the way humans think and feel. She really was trying.
"I don't know. She is French. They can be passionate and wildly possessive people." Cosima tried to keep a straight face, then laughed, smiling brilliantly. "I can't say for her, but I know that if the situation were reversed I wouldn't be happy about it."
"Mm. A shame." Angela said, before giving a slightly lopsided smirk, and reaching over to place a palm gently on Cosima's cheek. "Because you are someone I trust, and like. Very much. And I was going to ask if you would like to come home with me tonight."
Cosima blinked dumbly for a few seconds. "... Would you settle for some friendly flirting and playing footsie under the table? I mean, you know that I find you attractive, I just... I guess it turns out I might be a penguin after all." In that she was monogamous, just to be clear.
"It's alright, dear. I just... I'm tired of feeling alone, and sad. And I find you both trustworthy and attractive enough to... be a delightful way to forget my pain." So, in the Angela-To-English dictionary? She was essentially saying that even if Cosima had no interest in dating her, Angela wasn't opposed to friends-with-benefits.
Cosima took Angela's hand in both of hers and held it for a moment. "Good for the short-term, maybe, but wouldn't that make you feel like ass in the long run?" She asked, quirking an eyebrow briefly.
"I... am not sure. I just know I keep fighting the urge to kiss you and it's a very... strange feeling." She admitted, finding herself fighting off an extremely rare blush. She was never truly forward with anyone, figuring if someone wanted her bad enough, they'd come to HER. Yet she found herself continually flirting (or at least what for her passed as flirting) with this young woman.
Cosima smiled and looked about to say something, but their waiter returned, so she let go of Angela's hand and sat back in her seat, making room so the man could set down a cheese platter and two glasses of wine on the table. "I'm really not sure how to respond to that," she admitted.
"You don't need to reply. I'm not someone who wishes to interfere in others' happiness. If I was...." She sighed, gaze lowering as a rare tone of defeat crept into her voice. "I would fight for my Jane."
Cosima set her elbow on the table, and her palm on her open hand. "I wish I could help you in that way, I mean god knows..." let's not go there, she thought, "I'm here to provide alcohol and entertainment," she said instead. "You might find sex or companionship easily enough, but a relationship might be hard, considering our current situation. Or, the situation of most people here."
"I find it... incredibly frustrating." Angela said with a grumble. "I never cared about 'relationships'. Ever. And yet now... even when in the presence of a woman as incredibly beautiful as yourself... I cannot stop thinking about Shepard. And how badly I want to behead Liara and parade her skull around for all to see." HAH!
Cosima coughed out a brief laugh, but was quick to try to stifle it by bringing her glass to her lips and taking a sip of her wine. "I like how... fierce you are about how you feel."
"And I admire how determined you are to help the ones you care about. It's a very rare, and very attractive, trait to have." Angela told her, drinking the wine as easily as if it were water. "It's just... I still see her in my dreams. And it's quite frustrating."
"And I totes understand that," Cosima replied, reaching across the table to give Angela's hand a brief squeeze. She then reached into her pocket and pulled out a phone, pulling up and image and showing it to Angela: "This is the face that I see. Normally she doesn't look so cracked out, but I might have convinced her to do something that she normally wouldn't have." She set her phone aside and clapped her hands together. "So, I get what you mean."
"She's lovely. And lucky to have someone like you in her life." Angela told her, voice sad but sincere. Right now she just wanted to punch something. Hard. "You're a good person, Cosima. And your friendship is very important to me. I appreciate you trying to pull me from my misery."
"And with that," Cosima raised her glass in a silent toast and took a sip, "let's drink and eat a buttload of cheese."
"...a 'buttload'." Angela repeated, brow creasing as she appeared to be contemplating what that meant. "That... almost certainly cannot mean what it sounds like."
Cosima scrunched up her nose cutely. "It really doesn't. I just meant.... let's put our worries aside and have some fun. It's starting to sound like we both need it."
"Is it bad that I have no concept of "fun", other than violence and dismemberment?" Angela asked, in a voice that was so sincere and almost innocent sounding that it was easy to forget how hilariously psychotic it kind of was.
That made Cosima think of Helena and she smiled at the thought of her. "I think it just means that you haven't been exposed to much in your long life." She laughed. "But I'm totally more than willing to help you change that. In wholesome... or, okay, mostly wholesome ways."
"Mostly?" Angela asked with a laugh, raising an eyebrow in curiosity. "And whatever would be going through that devious mind of yours right now?"
"Devious? Naw. I just think that it'd be interesting to introduce a literal goddess to cannabis, because I think that you'd be a RIOT stoned." Well, okay then. Good to see you've got your priorities sorted there, Cosima.
Ok, now... THAT made the Asgardian laugh. She had heard enough to know what cannabis was. It was similar to some of the stimulants she'd seen in some of Knowhere's seedier establishments. "I should warn you... I've heard stimulants tend to make people lose their inhibitions... is that wise around someone who so openly finds you attractive?"
Cosima piled on a bit of cheese on a cracker and munched on it... before almost choking on it at Angela's response. She sipped her wine to clear her throat. "Dude, not with pot. Pot mellows you out and gives you munchies more than anything." She laughed. Well, mostly she thought, but didn't want to encourage Angela here.
"I accept your offer to indulge for an evening in this 'cannabis'." Angela said, ever the motherfucking PARTY ANIMAL. "I think I could use some... relaxation."
"God forbid I introduce you to chocolate. People might not recognize you after that," Cosima replied. Still, she shrugged and nodded in a 'why not?' kind of way.
Angela just grinned, finding this woman to be absolutely charming, in the most adorably awkward ways. She needed this kind of person in her life, she quickly realized. "I admit: part of me wonders if you would see me the same way if you saw me in battle, or on the hunt."
Cosima let her eyes flick over Angela's form and she frowned. "Well, I like who I'm seeing right now. Shouldn't that be all that matters?"
"Somehow... you never fail to surprise me, Cosima." Angela managed to say, a little stunned (in a good way!) by some of the things that the woman tended to say.
Cosima gave her a wavering smile. "Well, I just try to live my life honestly, anyway."
"So. When shall we partake in this 'cannabis'?" Angela asked nonchalantly, honestly having no idea how hilarious it sounded, judging by the rather calm look on her face.
It really was quite hilarious. "How about the weekend? I'll try to shoo my roommate away for a few hours."
"That would be agreeable. It's not as though I have a busy social schedule." Angela joked(!), giving a wry, self-deprecating smirk.
"Well, even if you're busy I'm sure I'd squirrel you away for a few hours." Cosima was really adorable, wasn't she? "So I guess it's a plan."
Adorable might not have been the word Angela would use right now... but it'd do. "You, my dear, are going to be a bad, terrible influence on me." The warrior woman said, mostly joking.
"It seems to me that you could use that right now." Cosima gave her a crooked smile. Oh, she couldn't deny that there was chemistry here, but it looked like she loved Delphine too much to give into it.
Likewise, Angela was incredibly attracted to Cosima, but was still far too broken over Jane to act on it. "I am lucky to have you in my life, Cosima."
"I'm lucky to have met you too. And I wouldn't just say that," Cosima replied, smiling and reaching over to give Angela's hand a brief squeeze.
"Mmm. Now... I believe I need to drink a LOT more of this if you are intending to intoxicate me." Angela smirked, honestly welcoming the possibility of getting a little stupid for a night. If it was even possible.
Cosima laughed and flagged down the waiter. "Your wish? Is my command."
"Mmm. I shall have to remember that when I wish to see you remove your clothes." Angela said with a little smirk. God bless her, she was TRYING to be flirty, ok? She just fucking sucked at it.
Cosima chuckled. "Whoever said you don't have a sense of humor?" She purred.
"I have a sense of humor... it's just not typically in line with what most mortal beings find humorous." Yep. That's our Angela, folks. LIFE OF THE PARTY. "Do you ever get... afraid? Being trapped in this world?" Angela asked, wondering silently if anyone ever really bothered to talk to the refugees about things like this.
Cosima thought about her reply. "Well... if I'm being honest, I'm more afraid of the implications. " She waved a hand airily. "But I don't wanna get into that."
"You need to know that... if it comes down to it, I will do whatever it takes to protect you." The redhead told her in (for her) a gentle tone. "As long as I draw breath, nothing shall harm you."
"Do you really think I'd put myself in a position to get into trouble?" Cosima asked, batting her eyelashes playfully. "You're sweet."
"Not... the type you could control, anyway." Angela replied. "I just sometimes fear that all of this... world-jumping could be a sign. One of the children that are here.... the Morales boy... claims that as he was being pulled here, he was watching his entire world about to end. And I suppose I worry that that fate awaits ALL the worlds being jumbled right now. And if it is... I will make sure that if you and Jane are hurt or killed... it will be long after I've taken my last breath."
Cosima pat the back of Angela's hand. "That kind of domino effect would probably cause ripples here and... you know what? Let's not dwell on things that we can't change. That would just," she fluttered her hands, "lead to madness."
"I... am sorry if I upset you." Angela told her with a stern yet... sort-of adorable pout, reaching over to gently place a palm comfortingly on the woman's cheek.
"It's cool," Cosima replied, scrunching up her nose briefly.
Angela sighed dramatically, giving a little scowl. "I don't believe this alcohol is strong enough to affect me. It appears to be time to double your efforts if you wish me to be drunk." The red-haired goddess said with a challenging little smirk. Looked like she did have a playful side... it just came off as odd and awkward.
Cosima chuckled. "I'm a wine drinker, I can't deny it. Still, if you want something heavier I'm sure we can find it," she said, giving Angela that disarming smile of hers before flagging down the waiter to ask for something stronger to drink.
Angela raised an eyebrow when she saw that smile again, smirking to herself as she said: "It... is extremely hard to control myself around you at times." Hah! Again, while she came off as fairly robotic at times, at least she was honest.
Cosima cocked her head to one side. "Well, your self control is really top notch," she joked, that smile of hers widening. Apparently she became a bit cheekier when she drank!
"It's getting much less so as time progresses." Angela admitted with a lopsided grin, finding her attraction to the woman grow the more she got to know her. "You really are quite lovely."
"...Thank you." Cosima couldn't help it but blush at the compliment. "I feel like... I'd like to know you better, I mean. I already know that you have a big heart."
"Anything you wish to know about me... I will be glad to tell you." Angela found herself saying, which surprised even her. She typically didn't reveal much about herself to people, at least not the more private aspects of who she was.
The waiter came by and set a fresh bottle of alcohol in front of them, unlabeled, along with two glasses. "I guess the first one would be... what has your life been like? How were you raised? Did you have friends growing up?" Cosima stopped herself before she went too far. "Sorry, I don't mean to pry or anything. I just think that you're... endlessly fascinating."
"My life has been... interesting, to say the least." Angela told her, forcing a slight smile. "I was raised in Heven, the hidden tenth realm, as an Angel. A warrior, hunter, and one of the galaxy's apex predators. I was always... a little stronger, faster, and more cunning than the other angels. I thought I was just... better. It wasn't until recently that I found out my true heritage. I was born Aldrif Odinsdottir, offspring of Odin and Frigga of Asgard, during their war with Heven. I was thought to have been killed as a baby by the Queen of Angels, but I had actually been saved secretly by one of the angels, and raised as her own. Now... I find myself with no home. No... family. Cast out from the family I knew, and not interested in the family I was born of."
"That sounds... incredibly sad," Cosima replied, falling silent for a moment. She used her middle and index fingers to push her glasses up her nose. "The people here... do you consider them family?"
"I.... suppose. In a way. They treat me the way I imagine a family should. And I even have a.... different version of my brothers here now. One seems actually eager to know me. It's... nice." Angela said, smiling a little. "You know... this is the first time since Shepard terminated our relationship that I've actually felt happy. I enjoy being around you."
"Well, good. I'd hate to be a bore or anything," Cosima joked, trying to add a little levity to what Angela had just said. "My home... it's pretty drastically different than yours. I was accepted for who I am. Although I guess a lot of people would have tried to shun me for it."
"I cannot even imagine what kind of person could shun you." Angela said, just being her typically honest self. "You're such a vibrant, positive person... it bleeds through into the soul of everyone around you."
"That's really sweet of you to say. I guess sometimes there are just bad people in the world, although I try not to let that affect me, honestly."
"There are bad people everywhere." Angela agreed, before giving one of her twisted yet sexy smirks. "Those are the ones I most enjoy eradicating."
"Now why doesn't that surprise me?" Cosima asked with a wry smirk. "I... think I'd like to see you at work sometime. ... Something tells me that would be a thing of beauty."
"The first time Jane and I fought side-by-side...." She had to grin a little there at the memory, "We.... MAY have gotten far more worked up than I'd expected. I'm not sure if you want to be there if I get that worked up again. You have someone you love back home, after all."
Cosima sucked her bottom lip into her mouth and nodded. Angela was right to say that. It was probably time to change the subject. "So," she poured herself a glass of the new unknown beverage and did the same for Angela's glass before sipping it and making a face, "whoa, strong." She chuckled and blushed. "So... do you do things beyond fighting and going to war?"
Poor Angela. She actually had to THINK about the answer to that. She pursed her lips, obviously thinking hard. "Honestly? Not much." She finally answered, just kind of realizing that herself. "Occasionally, I will drink or play one of these... card games.... with Lady Gamora and the others, but I don't quite get what is supposed to be enjoyable about it."
Cosima cocked her head to one side. "You do understand competition though? The idea of beating someone else at something... is considered fun," Cosima finished lamely with another cute wrinkle of her nose. "Honestly, I'm better explaining things when I'm sober. "
"I simply prefer more... physical activities." She said, sipping at the super-strong alcohol as though it was water. "Combat, hunting.... I am a very physical being."
"Well there are hobbies that you could take up. I see a group of women running around the park in the mornings." Cosima couldn't be blamed for watching sometimes, okay? She was taken, not dead! "Otherwise there are sports, like lacrosse or even wrestling, that you could participate in?" She suggested.
"Wrestling." Angela repeated, nodding to herself. "A classic gladiatorial sport. I dare say I cannot think of anyone who could best me..." Uh-oh. She was liking this idea.
"Well then, see if someone would be interested in going up against you. You're... you're too good a person to be only limited to one thing in your life, if that makes sense. You shouldn't pigeonhole yourself." Cosima blinked. "No more mystery drink for meee."
"Sometimes... we cannot take the things we want in life." Angela retorted, her eyes meeting Cosima's briefly. "Unfortunately, I have learned this many times, especially lately."
Cosima moved her mouth to one side thoughtfully. "The last thing I want is... for you to make the same mistake in trusting someone who doesn't deserve it."
"More than anything.... I do not wish to cause added pain or guilt to someone I care about." Angela told her, the subtext very quickly becoming, well... text.
Cosima pursed her lips together. What did she say now? "Would friendship be out of the question?" It seemed like a good place to start as any.
"Of course not. Your friendship is a very valuable thing to me." Angela told her, not expecting there to be more. In some ways, she was beginning to feel that she knew her place in this universe, and that there was no room in that place for things like love.
Cosima saw something in Angela's eyes then and leaned across the table, gently taking her hand and giving it a squeeze. "You're important to me, Angela. I hope that you know that."
"And you to me." Angela replied, giving the warmest smile she could muster. This entire refugee situation had brought about so many sudden changes in Angela's outlook and personality... it was hard not to be overwhelmed by it all.
Cosima couldn't help it but think that Angela was an inherently sad being. Still, if she could do anything to help her, she would. She stood on wobbly legs and made grabby hands at the woman. "C'mon. Let's go bowling."
"Ah. Intoxicated gaming. This clearly will not end in tragedy..." Angela chuckled, standing and helping to keep Cosima on her feet. "I warn you: I will NOT wear those shoes. I still possess some self-respect."
"I wouldn't expect anything else." Cosima chuckled and hooked her arm around Angela's waist for balance as they walked out. "I totally get competitive, though. You've been warned."