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It's Saturday night, and Nico Minoru could not get access to the phone at her building. It's a party line, of course. The cheap rent they pay does not allow for a phone in each apartment. In Los Angeles Nico had a phone in her bedroom ― her parents were that wealthy ― but when you put aside the fruits of evil, your options are somewhat limited.
Rather than waiting until Mrs. Lee (no, the other Mrs. Lee, the septuagenarian from Korea, not the forty-something busybody from Shanghai) got off the phone, Nico decided just to catch the bus to the village. For once she's got a few dollars that are not earmarked for rent and food, and she thought perhaps she'd surprise her friends with Chinese food ― they treat her so often, after all. But after lugging the bags of food to the Village and up several flights of stairs… it appears Tommy and Hope are not home.
Sad.
Nico returns to ground level and drops onto a bench outside a coffee shop with far too much Chinese food. She opens a container of shrimp lo mein, fishes out chop sticks, and digs in while she decides what to do with the rest of her night.
*
Kamala Khan has arrived.
*
Kamala Khan is sneaking out.
There's literally no way Abu would let her out this time of night, especially not during Ramadan. But she has to…she left her book bag at a bus stop near here, and there's no way she can replace schoolbooks! Not without more trouble than school is worth.
"Come on, come on, where are you?" she asks, searching the bus stop desperately. It's unfortunately quite obvious, very quickly, that the bag isn't there. Knew that the instant she'd arrived. Doesn't mean she can't keep looking, ducking and trying to hope against hope that it's slid under a seat or something.
Looks a bit odd from the nearby coffee shop though, I'd imagine.
*
The bench Nico's sitting on shifts slightly as someone sits down next to her―it's Sunny! A voluptuous young brunette wearing a sundress that's…not like anything Nico's probably seen outside of slips…smiles brightly to her and readily strikes up a conversation with a cheery, "Hello. What's got you down?" This girl has a sort of…glow to her. Even now, at night. The air surrounding her seems fresher, somehow, cleaner… Should Nico's muscles be tired, or her feet be sore, from walking a long way and climing all those stairs with heavy bags of Chinese food, these aches will begin rapidly dissipating the longer she's next to the zaftig teen. "Do you mind if I tell you that you've got the most beautiful bone structure? Your face is so lovely," she smiles, tilting her head a little to catch Nico's face from another angle.
*
Nico senses the change in the air (a welcome change, really, though having lived in cities her whole life, the city air is nothing strange to her) before she notices the young woman beside her. She flashes a smile at Sunny when she speaks, though ― for all that she's dressed in black, she's not a mopey, angsty sort of goth. "I'm fine," she assures. "I dropped in on some friends for dinner and they weren't home ― so I have far too much dinner to share. And thank you. You're very pretty yourself." She pauses a moment before reaching into one of the bags and extracting a small bag made of waxed paper. "Egg roll?" she offers.
She pauses a moment then, eyes flickering toward the bus stop. "Now her ― she might be in some trouble," she observes, lifting her chin toward the place where Kamala's hunting for things that aren't there.
*
The brown skinned girl doesn't even notice when he headache vanishes, given her preoccupation with the lost and hoping to found mission she's on. "And I'm going to spend the next year in prayer studies," she announces mostly to her own exasperated self as she plants her fists on her hips, shaking her head in obvious annoyance. She flops down on the seat in the bus stop, harumphing with all the sloped posture of the young and annoyed. Doesn't act like the normal Muslim kids, definitely.
*
Sunny's smile brightens even more―how is that even possible? She looks down at the bags of food that sit at Nico's feet and she makes a sympathetic face when the cute goth girl shares her disappointment at having missed her friends. "I'm sorry to hear they weren't home. I'm sure it's their loss! Maybe they're on their way home, though, and your trip won't have been for nothing," she says with warmth. At the offer of the eggroll, Sunny looks delighted and happily accepts, "Oh, thank you! I do adore cabbage. It's such an underrated vegetable."
Sunny's stuffed half of the eggroll into her mouth when Kamala is pointed out, looking slightly comical as she looks around for the girl Nico's pointed out. Around the eggroll, she smiles to Kamala and waves at her with big arm motions―as though she were greeting a well-known friend that she'd been waiting to see. Chewing carefully, but quickly, Sunny swallows and says, "My, she does seem a bit distressed, doesn't she? Do you think she got doped up on LSD? I heard from a girl, Trisha Perdo, from my old school, that sometimes people get dosed with hallucen…hallucen…drugs that make you see pink elephants and think you can fly," she says rather seriously, delivering the message like a PSA.
Turning back to Kamala, she calls out, "Hey, are you okay? Are you seeing things? Come over here! It's safe over here!" She is /so/ helpful.
*
Nico has scarcely gone a day of her life without cabbage. Underrated? Not quite her opinion, but she hardly minds the stuff. Certainly not deep fried in a wonton skin. She does, however, stifle a chuckle at Sunny's expression with the egg roll half in her mouth, looking around with those wide eyes. "I think she's in distress… but not the drugged out variety," the Japanese girl muses mildly before adding, "Hallucinogenic." Her parents had something to do with the distribution of such drugs back home.
Her reaction to Sunny's invitation is bemused, but she raises her hand toward Kamala in a wave in turn, wiggling her fingers at the girl. "Even if you're not seeing things," she observes. "We're fine with people joining us who aren't seeing things. And I have extra egg rolls."
*
Yes. It's obviously safe over there, with the girl who seems to be on drugs herself. That smile can't be natural. And the pale lady that she's with. Kamala looks over her shoulder, then turns on the bus stop seat. "Hum…" After a moment, she realizes that she's ignoring a possibly valuable resource in her quest for not getting in trouble, and walks over to the pair.
"I see things all the time, but they tend to actually match what you'd expect. I'm Kamala, did either of you see anyone leg it with a canvas book bag from over there?" She thumbs at the bus stop, looking kind of worried still. "I can't do egg rolls, unless they're halal. Are they? They smell incredible."
*
Sunny smiles at Nico as she offers more eggrolls to the girl looking for something that just isn't there. It seems she approves of Nico's generosity, even as she finishes eating her eggroll in record time. Either it's been a while since she ate, or she really likes the eggroll―or both! As Kamala comes over, Sunny makes space for the girl to sit, patting the seat welcomingly. "I donnnnn't thiiiiiiiiink soooooooo," she says, her pretty face adopting a /really/ thoughtful expression. "But, you know, I could've missed seeing it. Sometimes, I get distracted by things―sparkly things, tasty food, interesting people… Like, what's halal? That's all I've got running around in my mind," she admits.
*
"That depends entirely on what constitutes halal," Nico says. "But I've got a ton of Chinese food here, so there's probably something you can eat." Assuming Chinese food is generally Halal. She knows it tends to be kosher. At least, the stuff without pork. And she didn't order pork.
"I haven't seen your backpack, but I might be able to find it," Nico continues. "Um." She glances at Sunny, then back to Kamala. "If you guys gimme a minute."
*
Kamala Khan mumbles something in Urdu, not sure if she's cool to sit with these ladies even if one of them says she can help. Sounds suspicious, if you ask me. "I think the spring rolls are probably okay," she says, having not a lot of experience with chinese food. She's correct, but that's unrelated. Looking at Sunny like she's not sure if the girl is mentally touched in the head, she glances at Nico and then back, and says, "Halal just means permissible, under muslim traditions. Meat has to be killed with the proper blessing, it's all kind of hand-wavey honestly." She flops in the seat, finally, and says, "If you can help, it'd save me a ton of problems, but how do you find someone's missing school bag? Use a ouija board?"
*
If she's offended or hurt by the judgey way that Kamala looks at her, Sunny doesn't show it! She's just as pleasant and placid-faced as ever, smiling and making even more space for Kamala when she finally decides to sit. "Permissible in Muslim tradition," she repeats, sounding thoughtful. "Fascinating. I didn't really grow up with any religion or anything, so it's all news to me! I've heard of Jewish kosher, though, and I guess it's sorta like that, maybe? Which is cool, but it'd make me sad because I'd have to think before I ate something, every time. Can you imagine?" she asks…of the girl who /does/ have to think before she eats something that might not be halal.
Looking to Nico with heightened interest, her brows lift as she asks, "How can you find it? And, oh, my goodness, Janet Hall told me people should never play with a ouija board, because ghosts will follow you for the rest of your life!" Again, a PSA brought to you by Sunny Avalon―everyone can relax, now that they know.
*
"Something like that," says Nico as she hunts through her bag for a minute and extracts a white paper carton. "Here. Vegetable fried rice. No animals were killed in the making of this rice. Fork or chopsticks?" She rises from the bench. "Wait here a minute, alright? I'll be right back. Hopefully with your backpack. Don't let anybody steal the Chinese food." Pause. "Well, you two can steal Chinese food." She wanders toward the entrance of Tommy and Hope's building, pausing a moment to note, "Ouija boards are completely fake. They were invented, like, twenty years ago."
She vanishes into the building and extracts a needle from her pocket. Her new friends are spared the vision of a staff bursting from her chest like an alien creature in a science fiction movie.
*
Kamala Khan wasn't expecting Nico to actually agree with her statement. She doesn't know much about the culture, though she's always admired …just about everyone who doesn't have dumb holidays like hers. "I'm being rude, aren't I?" she asks, kind of slumping in her seat. "I'm sorry, I started fasting days recently and it's making me crabby." This is said to Sunny, since Nico's bounced off into the distance to do magic. Which is totally real. Scarlet Witch does magic! "Is she going to do magic? Halal isn't magic, it's just a set of rules. I think everything that's kosher is also good, to be honest, I just…didn't know you when I sat down and I'm worried."
*
Kamala Khan has partially disconnected.
*
Sunny watches as Nico turns to enter the building across the street, and she calls out, "I won't steal all the food―maybe just some dumplings! And, don't test the ouija board, just in case!" Then, she smiles to Kamala as the girl apologizes. "Ohhh, don't worry! Ted Grainger, a boy I knew back in Los Angeles, has blood sugar issues and he'd get really grouchy if his blood sugar got low! So, don't worry about it. Having to eat halal, you probably have low blood sugar, sometimes. And, worrying about your bag is definitely stressful stuff!" Gosh, Sunny is a wealth of information!
*
*
Staff in hand, Nico regards the spells at her her disposal. It takes her a moment to pick the one she wants just now. Best to use something she won't maybe need in a pinch. Finally the word comes to her that she's unlikely to need on the spot, but ought to do what she wants. "*Duffle.*" Not exactly a spell that's in great demand, she figures.
And there it is, tucked behind a radiator. The Staff of One generally does what she wants. She has to assume this is the right backpack. She picks it up and, still carrying her staff, brings it outside to Kamala.
For some reason the puncture wound on her finger is completely healed by the time she reaches the bench.
*
Kamala Khan is chatting reasonably amiably with Sunny. She's come to the conclusion that nobody that cheerful is any issue, and besides, Jersey girls have to stick together. "My Ammi wouldn't let me near any boys, unless they were at school. And even then, I get some really odd looks. Not a lot of folks like me out there, honestly." She nibbles on the rice, using a fork, and waggles the fork between her fingers. "Got low blood sugar a lot lately though. Ramadan." She says it like that explains everything, and glances up to see Nico returning.
"You found it!" Kamala leaps to her feet, literally, her heels hitting her derierre in the process, and dashes to Nico and to her book bag. "You have no idea, I mean seriously no idea, how much trouble you've just saved me. Allah, I owe you."
*
Sunny looks /very/ interested in what Kamala is saying. How much she understands what the girl says, though, is debatable. Why wouldn't this Ammi person let Kamala near boys? That's just part of life, considering they're half of the species! Why would she get odd looks? She looks great to Sunny! Ramadan causes low blood sugar―noted in her PSA mental notebook!
Then, Nico is back! And, she's carrying this awesome staff thing, annnnnnd Kamala's book bag! "Oh, wow! She /did/ do magic!" Sunny breathes with sparkling eyes. "That's pretty amazing, Allah!" she says, referring to Nico―who she presumes must be called Allah, because Kamala called her by that name. Really, she should've exchanged names with both of these girls before now. Realizing she hasn't done that, yet, she calls out―for all of the people around to hear, "I'm Sunny, by the way!"
*
Nico might blush faintly at the gratitude. "It was nothing, really," she says, handing off the bookbag. She sets the staff carefully against the bench as she returns to her place on it, no more than six inches from where she's sitting and within her sight. She can't afford to lose it. Her mother would kill her, and since her mother is already her enemy… well…
"I'm Nico," she says when Sunny introduces herself. "I think Allah is the Muslim name for God." She glances at Kamala for confirmation of this ― the girl certainly looks like she's from the right part of the world, at any rate.
*
Kamala Khan is staring at Nico's staff as the witch explains to Sunny about Kamala's culture. Which is nice, since the staff is pretty stare-at-able. "God, yes…" she glances back at the pair, adding, "Nice to meet you both did you see this thing? It's got Japanese influence, this is a lot like a ritual staff I saw in a book in the library. It must be worth a fortune, where did you get it?" She goes back to peering at the Staff, fascinated.
But still clutching her bag. "Ngggh…Need to get this home. Soon, actually. My mom won't kill me if she catches me out, but spending a month listening to Sheika Abdullah lecture is almost the same thing…" She has no idea.
*
Sunny makes a pretty ohhhhhhh face as Nico explains that 'Allah' is not her name. "Okay, gotcha! It's great to meet you, Nico, and Kamala!" she smiles brightly, looking back and forth at the two girls. Then, back to the staff. As Kamala drools over it, she agrees―it is /very/ amazing. "It's a great look on you, Nico," she says, nodding her head. As though the Staff of One were a mere accessory! The nerve! Then, Kamala's maybe about to go, and… "Well, darn, that sounds rough. Maybe we can exchange phone numbers or something? I mean, if I could remember my phone number, I would, that is," she grins lopsidedly.
*
Nico peers curiously at Kamala ― clearly she knows far more about Japanese culture than Nico knows about Islam. "From my mother's chest," she says, answering Kamala's question. "It is, in fact, centuries old, handed down through my family." So maybe she can gloss over the fact that it was her mother's torso she took the staff from, rather than a large wooden box in which valuables are stored. "You must be new in the area, Sunny? I can give you my number ― but you're likely to get an old Chinese woman who doesn't speak English if you call it."
*
Kamala Khan is a serious bibliophile. She spends most of her free time at the library, when she's allowed to do so. She's looked into other cultures, but mostly it's the 'comic books' she sees pictures in. But she's willing to take the implied compliment and not mention the comics. However. "That's very cool, all we've got at home is a bunch of shrine gear we only touch once a year."
She thinks a moment, this girl and her friend DID just help her out a lot, and makes a rash decision to trust them. Pulls out her notepad, which is FULL of written things, and opens to a clean sheet. She jots down her phone number, tearing out two of them, and proffers both. "I think you can call, just don't be surprised if a grumpy old man won't put you through. Family's fun!"
*
Sunny, for her part, has become distracted by fishing out the steamed dumplings with their delicious dipping sauce. She opens the container and exhales with relish―this is gonna be good! So, while Nico and Kamala are talking about important historical things, she's practicing her chopsticks skills with the steamed dumpling from the top of the pile. "DARNIT," she whispers very loudly, each time she drops it. Eventually, she stabs one of the chopsticks through the dumpling for a better grip, and smiles triumphantly when she dips it in the sauce. "Ommmmmm," she says appreciatively, like a chant of culinary praise, as she eats it. "Yes! I want both of your phone numbers. I'm happy to make new friends," she says, once she's swallowed her bite. "I'm new here, absolutely. I've been traveling a lot, and I've settled here, recently, because it seemed interesting! I'm originally from Los Angeles!"
*
Nico laughs softly. "Trust me," she tells Kamala, taking her notebook and writing her own number on a piece of paper ― as well as her full name. "I know all about family issues." A dad who won't call his daughter to the phone is small potatoes, in her book.
Her brows arch in surprise at Sunny's statement. "So am I," she says. "I just came out here last fall ― we're both recent transplants." She writes her number on Sunny's page, too, then claims a dumpling of her own.
*
Kamala Khan huh. "I didn't think I'd seen you both about much. I've been in Jersey since my family came here from Karachi. Pakistan, in case the tan didn't give it away." She grins sardonically, nomming one of the remaining few spring rolls, and says, "Thanks for the help! I really do need to go, I heard that Iron Man is going to do a flyover near my house…I can't miss that!" She seems to sigh, almost dreamily, and pushes to her feet. Forgetting her bag as she starts to wave and head off.
*
Sunny accepts the paper with a bright smile and, lacking anywhere practical to put it, she surreptitiously slips it into the confines of her bra―when no one's looking! She hopes. She blushes and laughs nervously. If she doesn't put it away, she'll definitely lose it! "Pakistan! I know that's a country!" Sunny says somewhat proudly. She's not exactly sure /where/ it is, but she knows it's somewhere hot! "I'm so glad I was able to meet you two," she says with feel-good tones, like the camp counselor who leads the group hugs! Then, Kamala's heading off and, before she gets too far, Sunny notices she doesn't have her bag! "Kamala, wait! Your baaaaaaaaaaaaaaag," she calls out, waving the aforementioned bag back and forth in the air, almost spilling the steamed dumplings onto the ground.
*
Nico hides a chuckle behind her dumpling, but points to the bag if Kamala looks back toward them, stabbing a finger at it as Sunny waves it back and forth. She might have noticed Sunny slipping the paper into her cleavage, but doesn't say anything about it if she does. Sunny seems very sweet ― if not a little scatterbrained. It's sort of cute. One hand shoots out to snatch away the dumplings before they can fall.
*
Coming back for her bag, Kamala comes to the conclusion that she's an absolute moron, and picks it up as she looks thoroughly embarrassed. "I'm dumb as a bucket sometimes," she says, putting the strap over her right shoulder, snugging it secure. "Welcome to New Jersey?" she offers, in a kind of squeaky tone, before turning and dashing off. This time with her book bag in tow, which is probably for the best. It cost Nico a spell, and Sunny…well, it cost Sunny some of her obviously valuable free time.
Then Kamala's on her way, whistling and wondering why tonight seems so nice now. Must be those two, they seem like good kids.
*
Sunny smiles as Kamala comes back and gets her bag. "Oh, don't worry about it, Kamala! I'd forget my head if it wasn't attached!" she grins. She hands the bag to the girl and watches as she runs off, headed for home. Sunny sits back on the bench and looks down to see Nico's protective hand on the steamed dumplings' container. She gasps, wide-eyed, "I almost knocked them down! I can't believe it! Good reflexes," she praises the pretty Asian girl. "This food is magnificent! You've got to tell me where you got it, so I can be sure to go there to eat more!" she says, settling comfortably and letting her bright, hazel-eyed gaze to wander with people-watching.
*
"Chinatown," Nico replies, now allowing her smile to show as she leans back a little. Her hand touches the staff as it rests beside her. It doesn't seem she's going to need it again just now, so she takes it back. It vanishes into her as if it had never been there. "I have an apartment there. And a roommate." She doesn't get along with her roommate. She's pretty sure. They don't speak a common language. But the roommate constantly does really annoying things. It makes Nico glad to get out. "Where are you living in the city?"
*
Sunny nods with a smile, "Is that the name of the restaurant?" Sunny really is kind of oblivious! Sometimes, anyway. Okay, most times. But, she does her best! And, she does notice how the staff just absorbs into Nico's body, judging by how her eyes widen and she gasps in amazement. She's a magician's ideal audience! "Wow, that was seriously cool," she murmurs, stabbing another dumpling with her chopsticks. "Oh, I'm just staying at a hotel, right now. I'm /really/ new, here. My parents told me to go out and experience life, and share my gifts, so that's what I'm doing! Just kinda exploring and seeing what there is to see, helping people as I go," she smiles. "In the time I've spent with you, I've healed quite a few people. Some minor infections, quite a few headaches, some cuts and bruises, but a big one was someone had some icky stuff in their lungs, so that's gone, now," she says, popping the dumpling into her mouth with a smile. "Do you know of any good places to live?"
*
Nico regards Sunny thoughtfully for a long moment. "I'd invite you back to my place to stay," she says, "in part because it'd annoy my roommate terribly ― I think. I really can't understand a word she says. There are plenty of good neighborhoods in New York, and plenty of bad ones. It depends, mostly, on what you can…" She pauses a moment as the rest of what Sunny has said registers. Raising one hand, she inspects the spot she jabbed to release the staff. The cut is gone. "Huh. Sunny, you so need to meet my friends."
*
Sunny's eyes widen and she bounces on her seat, "Oh, my gosh, really? You hardly know me, but you'd invite me to be a roommate? That is SO SWEET of you," she says in a happy, tear-y voice. In fact, her eyes seem to be glistening a little bit. Wow, this girl. "I'm not really too worried about the neighborhood, because people tend to be really nice to me. Maybe I've just been very lucky, though! I totally trust your advice, though, Nico," she says very seriously. Then, at the invitation to meet Nico's friends, Sunny beams brightly, "Really? I'd love to meet your friends! I've got your phone number, but I don't remember mine at the hotel. It's that big one, with lots of chandeliers? I really should've paid attention to the name of it!" she says, putting a finger to her chin.
*
Nico is starting to feel a little responsible for Sunny, even. She's sweet. She's innocent ― really innocent. Nico was blind to a lot of things in her life until very recently, but she's not sure she was ever so innocent as Sunny. "I think you could at least crash with me for a little while," she says. "I mean, if you want to. It'll save you some money. Though you'll need to be able to tolerate Chinese girls who speak no English and have parties nearly every night." It strikes her that Sunny might get along perfectly well with her roommate (Xiang? Is that the roommate's name?), even if they don't share a language. "But I'll happily bring you to meet the others. You heal people ― and we can use somebody with that kind of skill."
*
Sunny smiles warmly at Nico, "I'd really appreciate it! I mean, I can afford the hotel, but it's so lonely! I'm used to having people to talk to and, while the hotel staff are really nice, I almost got someone fired because they spent so much time talking to me, once. So, I've had to stop doing that, so they don't get in trouble. Gosh, that felt really awful, almost getting someone fired. But, I insisted that I was at fault and they let her go without so much as a warning," she says, looking relieved by the end of the story. "I don't speak Chinese, but I find that a smile is the same in pretty much all languages. Except some aboriginal ones, because that's baring your teeth and it's /totally/ a challenge that might end up with you dead," she says, sharing more of her trademark wisdom. "But, totally! I definitely want to meet your friends, and I /need/ to heal people. Or else," she rolls her eyes, as though Nico knows exactly what she means.
*
Nico does not know exactly what is meant, but she nods as though she does. "It's a pretty tiny apartment," she warns. "But you're welcome until you figure out where you want to live and all that." Maybe Sunny will take Nico with her so she won't be lonely and Nico won't have to put up with her roommate's all-night parties anymore. That'd be lovely. "And as for my friends, I'll give them a call as soon as I can get access to the phone and bring you to meet them. We help people."
*
Sunny grins, "Well, you don't seem to enjoy your apartment much, so maybe we can find one together or something!" She's not a mind-reader, but she does like the pretty Asian girl and thinks that Nico can only be a good influence on her! "Like, we'll go apartment-hunting and find a really good one. Maybe closer to this place, so you won't have to walk so far! And, we'll get our own phone line, so you won't have to share with anyone except me!" she grins, daydreaming already. "Oh, sure! There's no rush. I come to public places like this when I need a quick fix, because I get a chance to heal people without them attributing it to me. I prefer working as a candystriper for, like, hospitals and hospices, so I can heal people when the doctors can't… Ease their pain. Maybe give them a new lease on life! It feels really good to do! But, people eventually start to notice, if I'm not careful, y'know?" she says, her expression showing how it's a bummer.
*
Nico nods. This time she really does understand. "Yeah, I shouldn't have been so quick to 'find' Kamala's backpack," she says. "But… you two seemed cool. You certainly are, and Kamala doesn't seem the sort to go running off and telling people I'm a witch." She smiles warmly at Sunny, slings an arm around the other girl's shoulders. "Welcome to New York, Sunny. I think we're both gonna like it here just fine now that we're getting the hang of things."
*
Sunny beams a bright smile at Nico and nods, "Oh, yeah, Kamala seems /really/ cool! Way cooler than me, but not as cool as you! I love your fashion!" She squeaks with delight at the mention of Nico's being a witch. "Gosh, that is just the neatest! I wish I were a witch! I'm just… I dunno what I am," she laughs. "But, what I /do/ know…is that I got really lucky tonight when I said hello to you! I knew I'd make a friend, I just didn't know how good a friend it would be," she grins, standing up and wrapping Nico in possibly the warmest, softest hug she's ever had―because Sunny's so plush and a great hugger, and she smells pretty great, too! "Let's go!" she says, looking excited.
*
Nico is not generally much of a hugger. Not that she dislikes hugs ― just, her parents weren't huggers, never hugged her much. She finds that Sunny's soft, warm hugs are possibly the best thing ever, and returns the embrace in kind. She's far leaner and harder than her new friend, but that doesn't seem to be an issue for either one of them. "Probably best to keep your hotel room for the moment," she notes, breaking the hug. "In case you hate the place. But if you really want me as a roommate, I'll be happy to find a place with you. For tonight… to Chinatown!"