and the trouble is

[snoobs]

WHO: HEMALI and VARIOUS
WHERE: All over.
WHEN: The month of September.
WHAT: Getting to know all her new friends.
WARNINGS: Some heavy petting/references to sex.

---

➊ OUTSIDE THE PORTER | de chima ( for SAM MERLOTTE )

[ Hemali had seen the look in Sam's eyes and even through a small screen she could tell what he was really after in this meeting. They might have been on opposite ends of a device, but she has no doubt she had gotten pulses racing and stirred something else — she has that effect on people and she likes to flaunt it when she can. Plenty of women might not have accepted an offer to meet up with a man they had known for all of an hour, but Hemali's not like most where she fears being alone with a stranger. No, she wants to see what Sam might do once he's face-to-face with her. Is he as bold as he is on the network? Only one way to find out.

She's getting free food out of this. Why not?

Waiting on the curb, she glances up and down for any signs of a truck rolling down the street. She's left Sam a message already, so he should be here any moment. ]

➋ A CAFE | maurtia falls ( for ALFIE SOLOMONS )

[ The cafe she's chosen to meet Alfie at is kind of grimy and gives off all kinds of warning vibes. Any imPort who steps in and isn't completely oblivious would notice at atmosphere isn't the most welcoming toward them, with piercing glares directed at them wherever they moved.

Hemali isn't bothered by the lack of manners on the locals' ends and not concerned they might try to intimidate her out using verbal or physical threats. She sits comfortably in the creaky chair, legs crossed neatly and her back pressed against it. She's playing around with the communicator in her hands, figuring out the settings and other applications while waiting for Alfie to emerge through the entrance. ]

Comments

[devoutish]

Do you hold that very much against me?

[snoobs]

[ A measured pause. ]

British Raj exploited my motherland.

[ If it offends her, it's hard to discern; her demeanor is calm as usual. ]

Should I? We're having such a good time together.

[devoutish]

[She's acting just like he would, in her situation. She's acting just like he has in her situation.]

Then I will extend an apology to you, on behalf of the crown and the British empire.

[snoobs]

[ Her expression doesn't change, watching him closely. ]

Really now?

[devoutish]

Mm. My people have also been done wrong.

[Not that that stops him from being casually racist himself from time to time, but hey, he likes Hemali.]

[snoobs]

You might be the first to say it.

[ An exaggeration, but she hasn't met many people from the UK and/or talked about such matters with them. She mostly stole money from tourists or gave them a fright as a cobra when they wandered too far out in the dark. ]

I suppose I'll tell you what I am then.

[ A fair trade of sorts, right? ]

[devoutish]

[He doesn't say anything in response to that - but he stops walking entirely, turning to face her. This sounds like it might be something that deserves his full attention.]

[snoobs]

[ Hemali's attention falls straight ahead like she hasn't heard him, but a few seconds later when she turns her head, her eyes have changed colour from brown to yellow, dark slits for pupils, and riding up the length of her neck are what appear to be dark scales of some kind.

She doesn't say anything, only smirking for another brief moment before those serpentine features fade away. ]

[devoutish]

[Alfie is notoriously unflappable, and overall he's done a pretty solid job of at least appearing to take all the strange things here in stride. He's passable at it now, but Hemali might still notice that his eyes widen briefly.]

Well. Well, well, well.

And you could do that at home?

[snoobs]

I was gifted long before I was brought here.

[ She glances at her reflection in a passing window, fixing her hair quickly. ]

Do you know many Indians worship snakes?

[devoutish]

I don't know very much about India at all. I've never been.

[snoobs]

They make offerings. [ She continues, peeking back at him. ] Some places associate snakes with fertility, death and rebirth. Killing one could mean cursing future family generations.

[ Although there had been some who actually dared to try and kill her at the disapproval of their friends and family. ]

[devoutish]

I will make a point of not killing you then, shall I?

[Though he has a feeling that if he tried, she'd give him a run for his money.]

[snoobs]

I'd kill you first.

[ She says it so pleasantly, as if she's only teasing.

... well, partly. But really, if he made an attempt on her life she would hit him back twice as hard. ]

Let's hope it doesn't come to that.

[devoutish]

Mm. Particularly since, as you did point out, we're getting along so well.

[They're coming up to a cross street. The right fork leads to the denser, more populated center of town, and the left fork leads to the outskirts.]

Right or left, Miss Hemali?

[snoobs]

[ Without knowing what else Alfie is capable of, she opts for the right. The last time she went down a quieter path someone tried to eat her. ]

Right. We have much to explore before resting our feet.

[devoutish]

More unfriendly stares and unspoken challenges, I expect.

[But he turns right without complaint.]

wrap up here y/n?

[snoobs]

We'll manage just fine.

[ She's not so worried about that. ]

o7!

[devoutish]

[And off they go to do exciting things and enjoy each other's company. Congratulations Hemali, you're Alfie's favorite person here so far.]