The taller blonde fussed with the pop tab of the soda can, cracking the beverage open. Carbonation hissed at her through the opening, and Jack pried further. She sniffed at the drink. The flagrantly artificial and vaguely citrus scent greeted her. Not the acrid chemical scent that she was used to discerning with her antennae. Jack took an eager swig and immediately sputtered. After going more than a decade without drinking soda, even the mild carbonation of orange soda was a little too much.

“Excuse me,” Jack said, grasping for a paper towel. Her nose stung from the sudden cough. She mopped at her mouth in embarrassment, and tried again, this time preparing herself for the sting. It was… good! Harsh and vaguely orange-ish and bubbly.

“The artificial flavoring is usually too much for me… my mutation makes it taste like sludge,” Jack explained. She took another swig. Wow.

Emily rattled off a list of potential things to eat, and sufficed to say, the prawn was overwhelmed by choice. It all sounded amazing. Jack reminded herself that she was in the company of a stranger, however, and eating in their dime.

“Spaghetti would be wonderful.”

Emma casually inquired as to Jack's hobbies, while the would-be prawn idly twirled a lock of hair.

“Exercise…” the woman replied, “And woodworking. I enjoy a movie every now and again, too. You?”

Emma watched as Jack sniffed and tried the soda, which ended in a sputter. Emma quickly grabbed a paper towel as she saw that Jack was reaching for something to wipe her mouth with. After which, Jack explained how her mutation had made sodas not so pleasant for her. It hadn't crossed Emma's mind to realize soda would be really harsh on someone who hadn't drank one in a really long time. "Are you okay? I can imagine how yucky that would be. I forget how abrasive the carbonation can be. Do you wanna finish your soda or would you rather have some water or tea?", Emma asked, wanting to be a good hostess.

Jack had picked spaghetti to eat. Emma was kind of happy because this gave her the opportunity to showcase her Mom's homemade tomato sauce recipe. Emma smiled and then started to get all the ingredients and spices for the sauce rounded up onto the counter. She got the tomato products put into the pot and added garlic, lots of italian seasoning, season all, parsley, and a little extra oregano. She stirred it all together and placed it on a medium low setting on the stove. "Would you like a meat sauce, meatballs, or a vegetarian sauce?", Emma asked Jack. She wanted to make sure that what she cooked would be something Jack would eat and didn't want to offend her if she was vegetarian.

Emma listened to Jack's interest and when asked about hers, Emma responded with, "I like to exercise too. I go for runs and yoga in the park frequently. And I also workout in a gym not too far from here. I like to go work the bag and keep my kickboxing skills fresh. And I'll do some strength training too. I like to listen to music, read and watch movies too. Maybe we can go see a movie together sometime."

Emma hoped that Jack would agree to see her again after today. She really enjoyed having her around and finding out new things about her. It was kind of nice to not always be alone.

"It's fine, it's better now," the blonde said quickly, slightly embarrassed by the fact that she'd choked on soda, "I'm fine. It just surprised me."

The taller blond watched as the other woman worked, flitting about her kitchen. Jack would be lying if she said that her gaze hadn't wandered over Emma as she retrieved spices. Jack had opted for spaghetti because it wa a pretty basic dish... but judging by the degree of spices Emma was fishing-out, Jack might have still walked into a demanding recipe.

"I'm not picky," the prawn said complacently, smiling as she twirled a lock of hair around her finger. She'd hate to ask for a specific sauce, only to have it be something that Emma wouldn't want to eat later...

Jack inclined her head as Emma listed her interests. She seemed pretty well-rounded, honestly. More than Jack anyways. She even offered to go to the movies with her. Jack rubbed the back of her neck coyly. Out to the movies... how? Like a date?

"Could be fun," the taller woman murmured, a smile quirking at the corner of her lips. Something about the offer felt unreal... human skin, a steamy shower, a hot-cooked meal... and now a date?

Emma listened to Jack answer her questions as she finished making the meat sauce, cooked the spaghetti, and garlic bread to go with it. As the food was cooling just a bit before Emma grabbed their plates, Emma walked over and gave Jack a nice long kiss and held her close. She smiled at Jack and said, "This was a much better way to spend the day than what I originally had planned." Emma then walked over to the cabinet, pulled a couple plates down, and grabbed silverware for them. She fixed both of their plates and held one out for Jack to take.

Emma then grabbed the parmesan cheese from the fridge. "Would you like some parmesan, Jack?", Emma asked. Emma then grabbed her plate and and drink and then walked over into the living room. She sat her plate and soda on the coffee table for a moment. She went and placed their clothes from the washing machine into the dryer and turned it on. Next, she walked to her bedroom and grabbed the smal stack of DVDs she had rented from one of the BlueBox's in the city. She walked back into the living room and showed Jack the movies. She asked, "I have some movies I rented from BlueBox if you wanted to watch one while we eat our spaghetti. Which one looks good to you?" She had picked out a romantic comedy, a suspense thriller, and a fast car action movie.

When the movie was picked, Emma put it in the DVD player and sat back down next to Jack on the couch with their food. She said, "I used my Mom's homemade tomato sauce recipe. I really like it and I hope you do too. If you don't, I can always cook something else for you." Emma grabbed her plate and started to eat as the movie began to play.

Emma had really enjoyed getting to know Jack and cooking for her. It was nice to cook for someone else and not just her and her mom. She really wanted to impress Jack and go ahead and see when she could see her again for her date. Hopefully, Jack did see it as a date and not just hanging out as friends, considering the passionate and steamy shower they had. So there was some attraction and chemistry, but Emma didn't want it to just be a one time thing and then just be friends. Emma wanted to show Jack that those feelings would stay no matter what she looked like.

The taller blonde answered the smaller woman's kiss with slender fingers pushed into Emma's hair. Though Jack would sign to admit it, she missed romance and craved stuff like this, casual affection, like something awful. Spaghetti was served, they migrated into the living room, and movies were proposed. Lavender eyes slid appraisingly over the options… She wasn't much for rom-com’s… Ultimately she requested the suspense thriller.

>> "I used my Mom's homemade tomato sauce recipe. I really like it and I hope you do too. If you don't, I can always cook something else for you."

“I'm sure it will be wonderful,” Jack reassured her host.

The prawn fumbled with the fork momentarily, nimble fingers twirling it too thoroughly. Human hands were perhaps a little too deft. Once she managed to get a forkful of spaghetti, Jack took a bite. It was good! With a closed mouth smile, she nodded encouragingly at Emma. It was good. Definitely good.

Her gaze turned towards the screen, periodically flicking towards the plate to wrangle more spaghetti noodles. Idly, she wondered how long the human form would last… it was a nice respite, and all that accompanied the new look, too. She'd only just met Emma, though. Jack kept mentally repeating that to herself. They'd only just met.

Emma and Jack sat on the couch and ate their spaghetti as the movie started to play. They didn't talk so much for wanting to pay attention and eating, but seeing that Jack really enjoyed the spaghetti made Emma really warm inside. Emma was glad to have someone to cook for and to impress. It was actually nice getting to actually flirt with someone for more than just to try and gain a power. And though Jack turning human was totally an accident, it was the best kind of accident that Emma could have been involved in.

After a little while, they had finished their food and Emma took their plates back to the kitchen. The dishes could wait until later. She had to get back to the movie and her stunning guest. Emma walked back into the living room, quickly gave Jack another kiss and cuddled with Jack on the couch. Emma nuzzled into her and sighed with contentment. Even though they just met, Emma liked how this was starting to feel.

As Emma started to get really comfortable and warm, she ended up starting to feel really drowsy during the movie. She started to recount the activities of the day in her head and she found that she fell asleep with a smile on her face.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When Emma woke up, the movie had already finished. The credits and end music were still playing. Emma pressed the stop button on the remote and noticed that Jack had dozed off as well. She also noticed that at some point during the movie, Jack had also reverted back to her more shrimp like form which didn't phase Emma at all. Yes, it was different from the human form she had been around earlier, but the same woman she was getting to know and really enjoy was still there. She was just much taller now. And to Emma, that just meant she had that much more area and places to kiss and cuddle. Emma sat up carefully, trying not to wake Jack. She smiled, leaned over and started kissing all along Jack's neck. She hoped that doing so would make for a nice little wake up call for Jack.

At some point, the prawn must've dozed-off. It was a bad habit. Movie goes on, attention drifts, eyes close... and sound just blurred into blackness. And, as it usually went, Jack awoke slowly and confusedly. Someone was kissing her. A smile quirked on her maxillae. Zinnia... A hand that was still heavy with sleep reached up to pat "Zinnia's" head, only to meet hair that was very clearly not Zinnia's. That caused Jack to startle.

A spasm went through her, adrenaline causing her to bolt awake. Weird place-- not Zinnia-- where was she? What were these clothes? Who-? Jack's hand had subconsciously clapped to her mouth as she peered at the blond beside her, the gears slowly clicking into place in her mind. Oh yeah... the subway... she'd been human. Jack looked at the dress, which clung awkwardly to her spiny carapace, draped in places it shouldn't have and straining against her robust chest. So it... hadn't been a dream, after all.

"I..." her mandibles flexed awkwardly. It'd been so nice, having a real mouth, "I'n sorry, I sore-got 'ere I was... sore a second, dere."

Her gaze dropped timidly, before simmering towards Emma's face again. Human!Jack would have caressed Emma's cheek reassuringly, but Jack was back in her old shell again, and she wrung her hands. Embarrassment rose in her throat. She'd thought Emma was Zinnia... how foolish was that?

"I'n sorry iss I startled you..." Jack smiled, "Dis has to 'e... so weird... did you see nee change 'ack?"

At least it wasn't when her mutation emerged, bloodly, visceral, and drawn-out. It was still possible that there was some metamorphasis, though-- Jack had been asleep, so she didn't know.

Emma smiled when she realized that Jack was waking up. She was going to kiss up to her face as Jack's hand patted Emma's head, but then Jack startled awake and seemed like she didn't know who Emma was or where she was at.

Emma scooted back slightly to give Jack some space. She apologized and told Jack, "I just wanted to find a sweet way to wake you. I didn't mean to startle you like that." Jack then explained that she forgot where she was and that's why she had startled awake. Emma laughed for a second and smiled. She took one of Jack's hands and kissed it. "Do you remember now or should I find some way to remind you? We could revisit the shower if you wanted.", Emma said with a smirk and a wink.

Jack then apologized for startling her and asked about if she saw her change back. Emma replied, "No, I fell asleep during the movie too and you must have changed after. I woke up and the movie had gone off and you were your normal self again. I turned the movie off and tried to sweetly wake you. So what would you like to do now? I can go get your clothes from the dryer if you're uncomfortable in that dress now."

Emma hoped that Jack would stick around, but she knew she'd have to go home at some point. She definitely wanted to get her number though and see her again. Hopefully Jack liked her enough to see her again and that Emma hadn't become a one night stand for her. All Emma could do was ask and hope for the best.

Something about this felt wrong, so wrong. Now that Jack had surmounted the "Not Zinnia" panic, something else was nestling in the pit of her stomach, and that was, "Conned your way into a random woman's house for-" the prawn felt her face heating as Emma kissed the interlocking spines of her Jack's knuckle. She melted a bit, at that. Romance always had a way of making her weak. But still, the return of Jack's carapace-clad figure was prompting her to want to leave.

The prawn rose gently from the couch, touching her muzzle to the crown of Emma's head.

"Sorely ten-ting," the prawn rumbled. But intimacy between two human woman felt a lot less taboo than intimacy between someone as horrendously mutated as Jack and anyone else. She'd have to get to know Emma better before possibly agreeing to that. A massive hand smoothed down Emma's hair as the prawn voiced what they were botht hinking, "'ut I gotta go hone sooner or later."

Despite that sentiment, Jack lingered for a moment, as if contemplating kissing the smaller woman again.

"Should 'ro'ly get outta duh dress," she agreed, "I'n likely to rit holes in it at dis rate."

Vaguely remembering the route to the laundry room, Jack padded in that direction, carefully hiking the dress up around her ankles, then her knees, carefully maneuvering it around her jutting hips. The chest would be the wors part, perhaps stretched-out beyond future use. Emma could do as she pleased-- retrieve the dried clothes, watch from afar-- but Jack was halted in front of the laundry room (where there was ample room to move), untangling herself from the maxi dress. Underneath, the prawn was altogether unclothed-- but, in this form, modesty was not a concept Jack was familiar with. After some wrestling with the chest and shoulders, Jack finally was free of the dress, looking rather harried by the ordeal.

She glanced towards Emma, her eyes pinching in a cheeky smile.

"Lots nor iridescent like dis, don'tcha sink?" she said, striking what Jack imagined to be a model-worthy pose.

Emma smiled as she felt Jack's muzzle against the top of her head. She watched as Jack walked over to the hallway and started taking the dress off. She finally got it off and then struck a pose. Emma smirked, chuckled slightly. She got off the couch and promptly walked over to Jack, slapping her on her butt on her way into the laundry room.

Emma grabbed the dried clothes that belonged to Jack and brought them out to her. She smiled as she said, "I definitely like seeing your iridescent side. And I enjoyed spending time with you. I know you have to go home sooner or later, but could I have your number so I could see you again sometime?" Emma looked into Jack's eyes as she said so. She held the clothes out to Jack and took the maxi dress back from her.

Emma stepped back some so Jack could get dressed, but she watched the iridescent places around Jack's body light up as she moved. Emma bit her lip, still taking her all in and the tingly feeling still running all over her body. Jack may not be in a human form anymore, but that didn't change how Emma felt. If anything, it made Emma appreciate her more. It made her wanna work harder to earn her trust and affections.

Jack saw Emma's gesture, but the effect was like someone smacking a tree trunk. The prawn straightened, her eyes following the offending hand. She was spiny all over, and wanted to be sure that Emma hadn't given herself a stigmata by slapping Jack's rear.

Emma returned with the clothes, and Jack gingerly took them. They were still warm from the dryer.

The prawn nodded appreciatively, and began to saunter towards Emma’s room for some privacy to get dressed. She wasn't modest, but she wasn't going to put clothes on with an audience, either. An inquiry floated after her down the hall.

Jack had dropped her clothes onto the bed, and was presently wriggling into a pair of boxers, when Emma spoke.

“Ny nun’der?” the prawn echoed, “Like… my cell sone?”

Now came the cargo shorts, which were work in a familiar kind of way.

“Don't see why not.”

And then the shirt, over her head. Jack sighed. In a way it was a comfort to be in her own clothes, just like a certain kind of solace came from a protective shell. Jack padded back into the hallway, pulling her phone from her pocket. She smiled at Emma. There was something to be said about being vulnerable to someone else, too. Something honest.