Room 414, Monday Afternoon

[solarhippie]

With both her not particularly exciting mainland therapy session and the seriously more exciting flight class over, Karolina had come back to the room, and gotten to decorating her side of it. Nothing extravagant, and not a lot of stuff. But, she'd seen something nice on sale on the mainland this morning, and decided she could spend just a little

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[fewerexplosions]

Liara had not spoken to Karolina in some time. She wasn't sure what drew her to the girl's doorstep now, but there she was, waffling a little until she caught sight of the posters on the wall. "Ah," she said, "You are decorating."

...Yes, Liara. Yes, she was.

[fewerexplosions]

"Commander Alenko mentioned something about a war, but... not a catastrophic one," Liara added. "I... thought it was best if I did not question him too thoroughly about events that are still some time away."

[solarhippie]

"Yeah." Yeah, she could relate to that. And not even fidget for a moment. "I haven't really asked Victor about anything, either. He's from, uh, my future, I guess."

[fewerexplosions]

Liara winced a little. "I may have - how do you humans say it? - put my foot in it, with Victor."

She still couldn't look him in the eyes.

[solarhippie]

"Oh?" Karolina's eyebrows bounced a little bit, with curiosity as well as maybe a hint of concern. "How so?"

[fewerexplosions]

"Artificial intelligences are frowned upon where I am from," Liara explained. "There was... a war, some time ago." She rubbed the back of her head. "I may have discussed this with Evan within Victor's earshot, unaware it was not simply a theoretical exercise."

[solarhippie]

"Ohh." That... did seem like a potentially not-great idea. "I'm sure he wasn't too offended, though. I mean, you couldn't have known. He looks as human as... Well, me."

Looks were deceiving and never the full story, she had learned that first hand.

[fewerexplosions]

"Oh," Liara muttered to her feet, "He was offended. I apologized, but... I am not sure if I can make up for it."

[solarhippie]

Karolina took a seat next to her on the bed. "He seems nice, though," she offered. "I don't think he'd hold a grudge."

Of course, she was an optimist by nature. And her fiancée was going to offend the hell out of Victor.

[fewerexplosions]

"I hope so," Liara said, glancing up at her now that they were on eye level. "Do you two get along well? If... that is not a rude question."

[solarhippie]

"It's not," Karolina assured her, even if she didn't actually have a whole lot to say about the matter. "We don't really talk that much. I think it's a little weird on both sides. He knows me but I don't know him, so... We don't really know how to be around each other."

[fewerexplosions]

She nodded. "It is like that with Commander Alenko and myself," she admitted. "He knows me. But I do not know him."

[solarhippie]

Karolina chewed on her bottom lip a little. Thoughtful. "It's weird, right?" she asked, after a moment. "They know things. Stuff you haven't told them, stuff that hasn't even happened to you yet..."

[fewerexplosions]

"It is very strange," Liara agreed. "Sometimes I wonder if he even sees me... or just the woman he believes I will become."

[solarhippie]

"Yeah." Karolina leaned back against her hands a bit, glancing at the posters. "I think Victor's avoiding me a bit. Or, I'm avoiding him, I don't know. I'm starting to wonder if I should try to, uh, go home. You know, to visit. Maybe I'd catch up with him, and things wouldn't be so weird."

[fewerexplosions]

"Would you want to?" Liara asked, tilting her head towards Karolina. Or was staring impolite? Perhaps she should look at the wall. "Or do you simply wish to accommodate him?"