Zari was very fond of Rowan. She thought of the younger woman as a little sister type. Though she did have a younger brother back home, she never had a sister. She felt this was the closest she’d get to a relationship like that. As a result, Zari felt protective of her. She trusted her, too, hence why she was okay with Rowan taking care of Amira.
Now that they were on a glorious vacation on a cruise, she wanted to make sure they got a chance to hang out. She even suggested they do something silly and unlike them. Afternoon tea was not exactly their scene. But it wasn’t every day they were sailing through Alaska, right?
“I wonder if we should have worn fancy hats?” she asked once they were seated.
This seemed like a fancy hat situation.
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Rowan had an older sister, but she felt like she had gained another one with Zari. She respected and looked up to the older woman just like she did with her older sister. It didn’t help that the two were quite similar personality wise. With Brie back in their world, she was extremely happy to have Zari in her life, and back since she had been sad when the dome had sent her back.
The idea was silly, and she loved it. Tea was not exactly her drink of choice since coffee was her life line. Her father would always joke about how her blood was probably more like coffee than actual blood. But she wanted to try as many new and different things as possible while on the cruise. Right now, tea was very different and new for her, so Rowan jumped at the idea, especially when it meant spending time with Zari.
"We should have! Gone all out with the outfit, fancy hat, and everything. I think that means we also need to drink with our pinkie up," she added with a laugh, lifting up her pinkie finger once she was seated. "Are you a tea drinker?" She asked, moving her seat closer to the table. Fancy was very much out of her element, but it was for Zari as well, making this a little easier to deal with because she was not alone in being out of her element. —
Zari was glad there wasn't a dress code. Some people were a little more dressed, but many others were more casual. Zari was still wearing jeans and a t-shirt. No fancy hat this time.
"The pinkie thing is doable," she said, smirking. "And yeah, I like tea. I usually drink it during Ramadan when I am supposed to abstain from caffeine."
There were a few Middle Eastern teas she enjoyed.
"But otherwise, I'll choose coffee. The caffeine fix is a must."
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Rowan loved the idea of dressing up in some of the fancy clothes in theory, but actually doing it? That was a whole different story and would never have actually happened unless it was for fun with friends. Comfortable in a shirt and jeans. A fancy hat was a little more likely than some fancy dress, but she was fine with what they were wearing even if she was a bit sad on the no fancy hat.
“I usually only drink tea when I know I shouldn’t be drinking coffee cause bed is soon.” The emphasis being on know cause even when she knew she shouldn’t be drinking coffee, Rowan often did. Even more so when she had to stay up because of the zoo or for something around school.
“I have to give you mad props cause I could never stick to anything like that.” Rowan added with a small laugh. “I couldn’t give up coffee. It’s my one weakness and the only time I will turn deadly is when I lose that. As the dome saw when it took that away from me.” She was willing to give up pretty much anything such as junk food, meat, or whatever. Coffee? Nope over her dead body was she ever going to give that up. “But I'm with you how caffeine fix is a must!”
—
"I hated Ramadan when I was younger. I didn't understand what the point of it was," Zari explained, remembering those times when she would complain and whine to her mother that she didn't want to. "But as I got older, I understood the importance of it. And I appreciated my mother's insistence that I give it a chance."
Of course, they had to celebrate Ramadan in secret since all religions were banned when she was from. It was nice that she could do so here mostly in peace. Though even that wasn't easy for many.
"But it doesn't mean I don't miss donuts and coffee like crazy during that time."
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Rowan listened to Zari’s brief story on younger her with Ramadan and it was cute. Both the relationship between her mom and herself and with how she ended up appreciating what her mother had done. Reminded her a bit of the relationship she had with her mom before the woman had destroyed it all. Though they were starting to put the pieces back together or they were until mom went off on her honeymoon. Now she wasn’t even sure if they’d get the chance. “I’m glad you gave it a chance and that your mom got you to keep going with it.”
“The only thing I had was church when I was younger. My dad had my sister and I attend, wanting us to understand our religion and to give it a chance. When he ended up deployed, we just fell out of going and never really went back. Or at least I didn’t. No idea what my sister does in her free time,” she admitted. With the two living with different parents or they had anyways, Rowan wasn’t sure what her sister did; however, she was willing to bet church was not something her sister attended.
Rowan laughed on hearing about Zari missing donuts and coffee, nodding hard on the coffee part. “I love donuts, but those I could survive without. Coffee? Nope, I couldn’t do it. I’d last,” she thought about it, pressing her lips together, “I’ll be nice to myself and give myself half an hour and that’s still pushing it.” Hey, she was honest, and Rowan could admit she was addicted to her coffee. It was better than other addictions people her age had. “Next time Ramadan comes around, when it ends I’ll bring you over a huge box of donuts for you to celebrate being done.”
—
"Religion is a personal thing, in my opinion," Zari said honestly. "It is for some people, and it isn't for others. It is never my place, or anyone's, to tell people what they should believe. You don't have to be religious to feel some kind of connection to anything be it god or spirituality or nature."
Zari wasn't as devout as some, but her culture and religion made her feel more connected to her family, particularly those she lost.
"I think we can agree that coffee should be its own religion, though," she said with a slight chuckle. "And I appreciate any donuts you may give. That is very kind of you."
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Rowan smiled at what Zari said, and agreed completely with everything she had just said. "You’re completely right, and the world is such a big place that everyone has different views, even within the same religion. It’s why no one should ever be judging or being cruel to people from different faiths just because you don’t understand or are too close minded to take the time to understand. You never know what you might learn or be introduced to when willing to be open to new things," she added. Rowan had never known much about Zari’s religion before knowing her, but because of her being open to the idea, she knew some information.
Laughing at the comment about coffee being its own religion, she nodded wholeheartedly to that thought. "I’d be at that church every day and offering up my body to that religion," she joked, "Let me be one with the coffee." Rowan held her arms out only for a moment, as if she was really offering herself up to some coffee god. Deciding to switch the topic off religion, she raised an eyebrow at the other woman. "How’s it going with John as your roommate?" —
"We can worship the princess cat as our coffee god," Zari suggested. "Never mind that she can't even drink the stuff."
It was an amusing thought. They were already wrapped around her little paw.
She turned her attention to Rowan's next inquiry. "Oh, things are fine. Of course we ended up in the same bed because dome, but it could have been worse, I suppose. At least he's a good friend."
She felt waking with a complete stranger might have been more awkward. "Are things good with you and Liam?"
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”Are you trying to get us that spoiled princess back?” Rowan reminded her when the cat had turned into a human and how very bratty and spoiled she acted because of the way they had been with her. One of the lesser fun stunts pulled by the dome though she could blame the two for that. Maybe if the cat had been less bratty, then it’d have been a very different story. “Hey, if businesses can have a mascot that will never touch the food or product, we can have the princess cat as our coffee god.”
Rowan had the image of them offering up coffee as a way to praise the god like sometimes seen in the movies where someone felt they had to make an offering. The whole thing was both awkward and hilarious to think of for even a few moments.
“Yes, it definitely could’ve been worse than that,” She didn’t ask about whether they woke up naked or clothed, knowing it wasn’t her business. Or Zari would probably tell her if she wanted without the question. That didn’t spare Zari from a possible awkward question, and it was one she’d ask her own sister even in the same teasing tone, ignoring how it could be turned right back on her. “Just friends or more than friends?” She asked with a teasing shoulder wiggle. Pretty much the way she would do it if this was Brie rather than Zari.
Even with knowing Liam and sorta seeing him, it was very awkward waking up with him when they hadn’t gone to bed together. “Yes, they are good. Was a little awkward waking up with him since I had less clothing on than normal around here, but I mean it was fine. Though how he still looks so hot even first thing in the morning is beyond me,” she added with a small laugh.
—
"Just friends," Zari replied. "I guess I haven't really thought about anything more than that. Besides, he was more into the other me."
That was quite a strange sentence to say, but she was used to that kind of strangeness even before experiencing the whims of the dome. Of course, in some ways, she and the other Zari were the same person. She hadn't thought about John like that, but she was very fond of their friendship.
She was ready to move on and focus on Rowan's room situation. "I don't know how anyone can pull of the perfect waking up look. I just assume something supernatural is involved."
Which could actually be the case for Liam. "I'm glad things weren't too awkward, though. Liam seems like a good guy."
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“That still has to be a bit weird, then again I guess twins have to deal with that,” she said, working it out herself on how maybe it wasn’t that weird. “But friends are still very important.” They were more important than any romances or at least, Rowan thought so. Relationships didn’t always last, but depending on the friendship, they could last forever.
Rowan laughed on hearing how she assumed it was something supernatural. Maybe considering it seemed people of the supernatural side of things were pretty much all on the side of cute. Not all of them were her type and there was one who had scared her more than she’d ever admit, refusing to give anyone else that power, but she could still admit they weren’t bad looking. “I have no idea but I’m slightly jealous. I’m a cranky mess first thing in the morning until I get my coffee then I’m just a mess,” she teased.
“He’s a great guy and I’m very lucky,” she stated with a nod. “Though I definitely feel bad if things do go further between us on having to deal with people close to me if he hurts me.” Even though she was joking, Rowan also knew it was the truth on how he would have some people wanting to have some words with him. “No, they were only slightly awkward, but it would’ve been much more on the awkward scale waking up with a stranger. So I’d say this was a win.” Rowan pushed a piece of her hair behind her ear.
“But we should order and then you can tell me what you’re hoping to do while on this cruise. Any fun activities planned?”
—
"I'm one of those people," Zari said with a little smirk. Yeah, god help him if he hurts her. Zari was mostly joking about it, too. Besides, she didn't really think there was anything to worry about.
"But you're right. We should order, then we can continue our boy talk," she added with a chuckle. "And cruise activities. There are a few things to check out and some excursions, but we can talk all about it over tea."
That's exactly what they ended up doing for the rest of their tea time. This really was shaping up to be a decent vacation.