"Aren't you hot in that?" Gretchen blurted out, and it was the first time Tak ever noticed her.

It's true, Tak would certainly be dying of heat if it weren't for her PAK's temperture control system. She'd probably be overwhelmed, in her long sleeves and dress combination, lounging about in the sunlit schoolyard. To outsiders she appeared to be sunning herself, but she'd never tan like humans did. Still, pretending to be irritated, she cracked open a kohl rimmed eye in the other girl's direction.

"There's a price to pay for being in style," she said in a careless tone, noting, "But I suppose you already know that, parading around in those big shoes of yours."

"Oh?" Gretchen's face went beat red as she stared down at her knee length orange platforms. "You like them?"

"Well, they wouldn't work for me, of course," Tak cringed at such an un-Irken color, "But given your natural coloring, they look quite nice. Much better than the Gaz-monkey's horrible legwarmers."

Gretchen giggled, and sat down beside Tak. After a moment, the sun's rays warmed her and she lay down alongside the other girl, who viciously tore into everyone's stupid clothes. The words impractical, flammable, hideous, and brain-poop came up quite often. Even though she'd always taken Tak to be the most vicious person on Earth with how she insulted some of the older girls, she was actually kind of normal. It was somehow more surprising than if she'd been insanely weird. The recess passed in a haze of stupid outfits and unstylish hair.

Gretchen reached up self consciously at that last comment, frowning slightly. "It's not like I'm not trying..."

Tak's pale, cold hands wove themselves through the other girl's hair, tugging out the hairbands in a mere moment. As the geeky girl sat there, startled, Tak finger brushed some of it down into her eyes until something resembling side swept bangs were accomplished, then she pulled the rest into two small buns on either side of the girl's head.

"Perfect," the bluenette declared, standing as the bell rang. "Much more complimentary than those lifeless pigtails."

"Really?" Gretchen blushed, feeling her hair gingerly. "You really think I look good?"

"Positively hot, my darling."

And with that, Tak left one very lovestruck, newly discovered bisexual behind her.