strangetrip | [OTA] S'more S'mores, Please (joint EP: Emma and Jag)

Usually when Emma couldn't sleep, she cooked. Last night had been the opposite. She'd started trying out new marshmallow variations, completely lost track of time, and spent most of the night in the kitchen instead of doing reasonable things, like sleep. She'd grabbed a nap in the wee hours, though and another after lunch, and now was wide awake.

She also had batches and batches of homemade marshmallows.

Around sunset, Jag helped her set up a table near the pool and outdoor bar, that she loaded up with the marshmallows, graham crackers and other cookies, chocolate and berries and spreads and bacon. Anything somebody might think of that would make a good s'more, from the traditional basic graham, milk chocolate bar, plain marshmallow, to bourbon marshmallow s'mores with smoky bacon. If the inn was anything like the castle, word of mouth would spread quick enough, and the food wouldn't go to waste.

Jag had started a fire right beside the table, but after having had his own fill of s'mores, he had left Emma to meeting the demand of other hotel residents. He was sticking around to make sure the fire was behaving just right, though. So he was lying on his back a little way from Emma's table, and the fire he was still controling, weaving and sculpting additional fire between his hands, keeping a distracted ear on what was going on nearby.

[tag Emma or tag Jag. food and fire, what could be better?]

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"Oh, um. No, thank you" She offered him a smile as she shook her head. Liz didn't actually even know anyone who smoked back home.

"Do all Roma have powers like you?"

Emma hadn't meant to eavesdrop, but she'd noticed when Jag started looking uncomfortable, and he and Liz were close enough she would have to make an effort not to hear to them.

Until Liz asked if all Roma had powers and Emma eyes widened in shock. She couldn't not say something. At least she still had the presence of mind to switch to Romani, probably helped by Jag and Liz talking about the language. "Did that gadji just say what I think she just said?"

"Yeah, she did," Jag confirmed without looking away from Liz. His chest felt packed with anger, hot and demanding, heart thudding in his chest, but she was just a fucking kid. Ignorant, but a kid. So instead of insulting Liz, he informed her, still sounding far from pleasant, but it was as good as it was getting right then, "That's a fucking offensive thing to ask."

Liz knew something was up when they began speaking another language she didn't know, but it was when Jag spoke, even before he got the entire sentence out, she realized she messed up somehow and the shock was on her face - wide eyed and mortified - and then slightly confused as she had to think about what she just said.

She pushed the next words out, having to fight the urge to apologize and run away from the conflict - "I'm - I'm sorry. I didn't mean..." She stopped because she realized it didn't really matter what she meant or what the intent was, did it? Liz took a breath and her words came out a little less panicked the second time. "I'm sorry."

The muscles in her body tensed as she fought the urge to excuse herself then and there because that would be running away and she didn't want to do that anymore.

Watching Jag more than Liz, Emma could tell from the look in his eyes – his eyes always said what he didn't or couldn't in words – that telling Liz she'd been offensive was all the understanding he had in him, and Emma didn't blame him. But she also believed Liz hadn't been intentionally racist. So while Emma hadn't meant to push her way into the conversation, she felt like she had to say something to explain.

"I know you didn't mean to, but... Sunny has magic, but you wouldn't ask her if all black people have magic, and the 'magical negro' is a longstanding trope. Lillith has it too, but that doesn't mean you should ask either of them if all albinos are magic, even though fiction might make you think so. You know Kitty; she's a jew. Given her as one example, would you ask her if all jews are mutants? Because that's basically what you did to Jag. You met one Roma who happens to have a really amazing power, and asked if all Roma have powers."

She took a breath, holding it a moment while she tried to decide if it would be too much recommending Liz ask whoever was teaching her math (probably Kitty, but Emma hadn't paid enough attention to know) to review Venn diagrams with her. Probably. "Just in case there's part of you considering those other examples, and so you can learn from your mistake - no, not all black people have magic, not all albinos are magic, not all jews are mutants, and not all Roma have powers. It's just possible all gingers are soulless, but I wouldn't risk it."

Edited 2018-06-06 22:21 (UTC)

Jag finally lit his cigarette when Emma spoke again, this time in English, glad to let her handle it. It was an effort to confine the small flame to the end of the smoke, but it was worth not letting it consume it all for the acrid smoke packing his lungs as he pulled angrily on the fag. Emma's words might be explaining shit to the kid, but they just made him angrier, highlighting how fucking racist Liz had just been.

He got to his feet and took a few steps towards Emma, instinctively coming closer to her, before turning back to Liz to see how she would take the explanation, taking another drag as he watched her.

Liz's 90s, New Mexico, small town upbringing was, once again, quite evident as she fumbled with another social interaction she wouldn't normally have in Roswell. She had always thought she'd be okay when she left home to study at Harvard, but there were moments like this, or when it came to real world things that the internet apparently made things easier to get, that she realized she was definitely under-prepared.

Her entire posture was submissive and embarrassed and she felt like maybe she'd suddenly just crumble with how bad she felt about being so stupid. She tried to move her gaze to Jag, but she found she could only hold it for a moment before she felt too guilty and glanced down because she didn't have the right to cry from the panic she felt at that moment. Liz gave a nod in acknowledgement. "What I said was terrible." Yet she knew there was no really taking it back. Even if she hadn't considered what the ramifications or what it meant. She had said it and it was out there. That was the worst part of it all.

She stood up and took a step back from them, head ducked a little, but still looking between them. "I'm sorry, Jag. I, um. I'm sorry if I ruined your night, too. And after you had said never to say that other word..." She pressed her lips together. "If there's a way I can... make things right -" Though Liz wasn't sure there was a way " - I'll do it."

A way to make things right. Jag shook his head. "Just don't say shit like that again. Don't think shit like that."

Definitely a more difficult ask, that second one, but it was the one that mattered most.

She nodded twice, pressing her lips together, wetting them. "I promise I won't. I swear."

Jag didn't think much of her promise, not when she was ignorant enough to ask a question like that. But she was a kid. She was a kid. "All right," he simply said, before turning away and stepping the rest of the way towards Emma.

Not the right Emma. He couldn't step into her space, wrap an arm around her and breathe her in, focus on her fingers running through his hair. So he stopped beside her instead, blowing the smoke out to the side.

Liz gave another nod, silently, then took a step backwards before turning and walking away rather briskly, metaphorical tail between her legs.

[OTA] S'more S'mores, Please (joint EP: Emma and Jag)

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