fandomhigh | BWI Airport Portalocity Lounge, Saturday Morning

Entry tags:

!event: newbie shuttle

BWI Airport Portalocity Lounge, Saturday Morning

The Khan family was not known for doing the minimum for anything. Which is why the entire family drove down in multiple cars the entire way from Jersey City to BWI. Three hours in the car of her mom and dad asking if she had everything. Asking if she needed anything. There's a Target on the way in case she needed or forgot something. Meanwhile Aamir kept texting her complaints about Abbu's driving skills and asking if Kamala needed anything.

"I'm fine," was the common answer to everything. Again, again and again. Then there was hugs and fussing over everything when they got to the airport and reminders and more fuss. To which everything Kamala laughed and said "I'm fine."

And then they got in their car and left.

And Kamala was standing in the Portalocity Lounge taking it all in while holding her stuffed sloth and a pile of luggage next to her.

Deep breath. "I'm fine."

...

"Why is there so much glitter?"

[OCD Incoming]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Okay, Kamala was not adverse to grand entrances but even that was a lot for her.

"You doing okay?" she asked, wondering if the pulled down hat brim was a cue to be left alone.

But if he did what was with the voguing?

Grand? Ha. That had been, truly, almost achingly boilerplate.

"Inconclusive," Stewart answered, lifting his chin in an almost skeptical way that anyone would even bother asking, which seemed to spark his curiosity enough that he also pushed the brim of his hat back up with a finger to peer with narrowed eyes at his fellow traveler. "Debatable? Answer Tee-Bee-Determined by future events still beyond comprehension. Perhaps even speculation."

He considered Kamala a little more.

"Are you...also bound for scholarly pursuits? At the...hopefully!...rather aptly named...F. U.?"

Had the school's initials been a big factor in his decision to come?

Yes. Absolutely, why wouldn't it have been? The only other one in the running was possibly Concordia University of Michigan.

"Oh. I hadn't even thought of the abbreviation," Kamala said out loud in realization. "But yes! I'm an incoming freshman. I'm Kamala."

She held out her hand for a handshake.

Stewart considered the offered hand for a moment before he took it, not to shake it, but to hold Kamala's fingers delicately in his own hand while he ducked his head in gentlemanly deference, a gesture of his other arm in a dramatic sweep to the side to complete the effect.

"Stewart," he offered back, with just a small pang of sadness for the lack of Roald's shrill growling echo of the name. "Also an incoming freshman..."

And if he sounded a bit bristling about sharing such a status with a person despite a clear disparity in ages....well....

He was just going to remind himself that a tertiary education straight out of a secondary one wasn't for everyone. Some people had been called to higher occupations first. The School of the Streets, as it were, the University of Hard Knocks. The....Tech School of Tribulations....

"Oh."

Did Kamala think maybe he was a grad student? Well. Yes.

Oh, God. Was everyone on this island super old?

"Then I'm sure we'll have plenty of classes together. Do you know what your major is going to be?"

She was just assuming performance art. For certain reasons.

Edited 2024-05-10 14:34 (UTC)

There was a faint pull of a grimace in the corner of Stewart's mouth at that oh, but he'd definitely dealt with worse than being judged by some kid presumably all fresh-faced and new to this unforgiving world.

"I am currently keeping my options open," he said, which was not at all a way to say he had barely given it any serious thought yet! He just....didn't like to feel...locked into anything, at this...juncture. "Though I do admit, I do possess a particular penchant for....chemistry."

There was nothing subtle about that smirk, or the certain glint in his eye.

"Or possibly...music theory. I am, of course, a...connoisseur of the audible arts."

Contain your shock everyone.

"And you? I suppose you feel you've already got it all figured it out for yourself?"

"Uh. Nope. Not at all," Kamala admitted. "I like art and creative writing but I don't think that's very marketable. But I do have an internship at Stark Industries on the island so hopefully that will lead to something."

Dare she dream of being an Avenger someday? Absolutely. Will that happen? Only Kevin Feige knows for sure.

The revelation that Kamala might be another creative soul caught Stewart's attention, and he left out a humming sound at the rest of it. "A true artiste," he advised her, with the air of a person who knew much about this topic, "should never concern themselves with what's marketable..."

Drugs didn't count, because drugs were marketable by their very nature.

"But that still sounds....promising," he allowed. "What do they make, at this...illustrious Stark Industries?"

“Oh, they used to be a major weapons manufacturer but now they’re more about technology and privatized security,” Kamala explained with a lot of gusto for a teenaged girl. “But they also do a lot for energy renewal and research. It’s like one of the best places you could get a job at.”

And maybe lead to being on the Avengers?

Wrong universe, Kamala.

"Mmmm," Stewart squinted a little as he considered this information. "Interesting rebranding. No doubt fortuitous for their HR department. That does sound like quite the opportunity...if you're in to that sort of thing. Good luck. It would be a shame to just go and...squander it..."

And there did actually seem to be a fair amount of genuine sincerity in that assessment, although the rather sinister sort of smile on the end there would probably leave anyone guessing.

There was a lot of verbal inflections and facial expressions going on here.

“Thank you!”

And because… well he was making it weird. “I think? Are you from this planet?”

Look there a wizard right over there, Stewart. The question had to be asked.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

BWI Airport Portalocity Lounge, Saturday Morning

Re: Wait for the shuttle

Re: Wait for the shuttle

Re: Wait for the shuttle

Re: Wait for the shuttle

Re: Wait for the shuttle

Re: Wait for the shuttle

Re: Wait for the shuttle

Re: Wait for the shuttle

Re: Wait for the shuttle

Re: Wait for the shuttle

Re: Wait for the shuttle