Eliot still had a steaming jug in his hand when he was suddenly popped out of existence and dropped in the middle of a romantic looking dinner setting, with...candles and with menus and oh god, Eliot was dreaming, wasn’t he? This was one of those weird dreams where he’d look down and he’d be naked or he’d not be able to find a bathroom or something equally as mundane or ridiculous, but when he finally looked up from his still-elevated hand, he saw somebody sitting across from him. He opened his mouth and closed it again, an awkward smile playing on his face as he set the jug of milk down between them, folding his hands awkwardly in his lap. “Um. Okay, so- I...we’re here now, I suppose? This is a thing. That’s happening. I’m Eliot, by the way.”
“Jaina.” This wasn’t really her scene, the candles and the fact that she was suddenly wearing a dress. Atlantis could be pretty weird, but somehow finding herself on a date with someone she hadn’t really even talked to before was bizarre even for this place.
“I guess Atlantis decided it should make some kind of commentary on our social lives,” she added. She wondered idly what would happen if they just refused, got up and went somewhere else, but she guessed sitting here and getting to know someone else wasn’t the worst thing.
“Or lack thereof, in my case,” Eliot mock-grimaced at himself, but he wasn’t entirely sure Jaina was even down for chatting like this. He was fairly sure he knew her - knew where she was from, at the very least, but that wasn’t really one of those things you could straight up comment on. “You look nice, though. Considering you had no idea this was happening,” he was still in his work apron, which apparently Atlantis had deemed suitable for the moment. “I guess- we should order food, or something? I can get the bill,” he flushed. “Not that this is a date, but I’ve been here since I was born? No point in spending your money on something unexpected.”
“Definitely lack thereof,” Jaina agreed. She’d just been in her own work clothes moments ago, doing a little tinkering with a new program for one of the holodecks when she’d found herself here, feeling decidedly awkward about the change in scenery and clothing. It wasn’t that she didn’t clean up well or even that the dress wasn’t to her taste; Jaina didn’t willingly wear dressed often, but she could clean up very well when the occasion called for it. She just happened to be more comfortable in more casual clothing and she was a hell of a lot more comfortable when she was able to pick what she wanted to wear.
“Thank you.” She accepted the compliment with a smile. Diplomacy wasn’t really her forte, but you didn’t grow up with Leia Organa Solo as a mother and not learn some manners. She did try to wave off his offer to pay for everything, though. “How about we split it?” she countered, smiling again to show she wasn’t offended by the offer. “I’ve been here long enough to expect, well, not this, but I know how unpredictable Atlantis can be.”