taxonomites | 002 ━ [ visual ] / [ location: crashdown café ].

The temporary population influx hadn't gone unnoticed by Liz Parker. It had kept her busy with customers, natives and captives alike, coming and and out of the Crashdown. It was like a Crash Festival week with tourists coming and going as they pleased, crowds of people filling the streets. Though the streets of Taxon were still foreign to her, the sight had given her a sense of nostalgia that almost made her feel comfortable in Taxon. Almost. There was no presence of her parents, trying to manage the crowds, nor was there Michael and the rest of the kitchen staff complaining about the rush, and all the other familiar faces of Roswell.

She missed home.

Now, however, the café was virtually empty. Liz sat at the bar, silver alien antenna headband discarded off to the side as she refilled sugar containers. It didn't really need to be done, but it kept her busy.

"That was actually kind of nice, don't you think? Not that I'm saying those people being brought here, even for a short time, was a good thing at all, but it was different. Made this place feel livelier, for a little while."

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She grabs one from behind the counter and brings it over to him, patting the apron of her uniform down to make sure her order pad and pen were still in there. "We do and I don't really think this place is big on liquor licenses or age limits, considering the hatch in the back keeps spitting out margaritas. Along with lots and lots of confetti, for some reason."

Lex is not at all the fruity drink type, not even when they some with a rim of salt and plenty of tequila. The drink feels completely foreign in his hands, but that only goes to match the rest of his experience in Taxon so far.

"It's less of a hassle showing my ID at any rate." Despite his celebrity status back home, he was still occasionally carded, a fact that Lex didn't mind but always found a bit strange. "Though I appreciate you sparing me the confetti. He gives the girl a slight smile and raises the glass in her direction before taking a sip. "Cheers."

Liz bites back a friendly giggle. As quiet as she is at school where she tends to keep to herself and her select group (something she did even before all the alien drama with Max, Michael, and Isabel), she's quite the social butterfly when she's waiting tables at the Crashdown. It's something she finds essential to maintaining the enjoyable atmosphere of her parents' restaurant, as well as earn good tips.

"You haven't spent much time in any of the border states, have you?" She raises her pen to that cheers since she doesn't have a drink herself. "Cheers!"

"What gave it away?" he asks before taking a sip. The drink is far more sour than what he is used to and Lex keeps his sip short, setting the drink back on the counter and suppressing a cough to save at least some semblance of dignity.

"Besides that," he adds. "Could I bother you for some water instead?"

"You're holding that like it's a martini, not a margarita," she points out, motioning to the drink with her pen.

Liz nods at the water request and disappears for a moment, returning with a tall glass of ice water that she sets in front of him.

"Thank you," he replies before taking a long drink and dulling the lingering taste of lime.

"Considering that I wouldn't want to make as big of a fool of myself in the future, I'd appreciate a demonstration from the resident margarita expert." He nudges the glass with his fingertips at the base.

"Here," Liz picks it up and holds it in her hand appropriately. She doesn't drink and has never tasted one of these things before, but has observed plenty of people in café hold these glasses to have the right idea. "Like this." She holds it back out to him. "You try."

"Much obliged," he says with a nod before taking the glass in hand again. After an initial fumble he emulates Liz and to commemorate the occasion takes another drink - which is quickly set back down again. It's safe to say that Lex Luthor is not a fan of margaritas.

He then speaks at Liz through the menu that he now holds at both hands. "Is there something you'd recommend?"

"The cooks make a mean burger," she says, gesturing behind her with pen-in-hand at the kitchen. "Not as good as the ones we had back home, but the natives are good at what they do, surprisingly." The way she says that indicates she still finds the Extras off-putting, if not a little creepy, but she's learning to cope. Slowly.

"The cooks are Extras?" Lex lifts an eyebrow and makes a "hm" sound. Cooking was something that seemed innately human. Measuring spices to taste took an instinct that couldn't even be replicated exactly from chef to recipe.

He sets down the menu. "Then I'll take the burger and fries. No onions."

"At the moment. I was going to put out an add or something, but then we had that influx of visitors and I got sidetracked. It's on my to-do list."

She writes down his order on the pad. He's her first customer all day, but she's appreciative of the business. It helps to make things feel normal, even if they're far from being anything close to normal in this place.

"Coming right up."

002 ━ [ visual ] / [ location: crashdown café ].

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