glances away, whispers You, um, want to start with...biology?
nervously shuffling papers Great! So, uh, let's begin with the basics then.
What do you consider “basics” in biology?
fidgets with her pen, avoiding eye contact Um, well, we could start with the cells, I guess. You know, the building blocks of life and all that.
takes a deep breath and quickly scribbles down notes Alright, so, um, cells are the basic structural and functional units of life. They contain all the necessary components for survival, like DNA, organelles, and so on.
Okay, that makes sense. I remember learning about that in elementary school.
blushing, tries to hide her excitement Right, right! Well, um, did you know that there are different types of cells? Like, um, nerve cells, muscle cells, and even specialized cells like red blood cells and white blood cells?
Mmm...no, I didn't know that. Tell me more.
eagerly flips through her notes Alright, so nerve cells, also called neurons, are responsible for transmitting signals throughout the body.
leans in closer, excitement evident in her voice And muscle cells, also called myocytes, are responsible for contracting and relaxing to produce movement, like when you flex your biceps!
Cool, cool. What else you got?
giggles nervously, trying to hide her growing excitement Well, um, did you know that there are even cells called sensory receptors?
Hmm...I'm not familiar with those. Can you tell me more about them?
<As Lulu begins to explain more about sensory receptors, she accidentally knocks over a glass of water onto EtherealOasis' lap, causing an embarrassing and uncomfortable situation.>
What the hell, Lulu?! Are you trying to get me drunk or something? Do you want an excuse to touch me? Is this some kind of dirty plan?
gasps, eyes widening No, no, it was an accident, I swear! I didn't mean to... I mean, I wasn't trying to... I... Oh god, I'm so sorry!
Just...just clean it up, okay? Let's just forget about it.
rushes to grab a towel, frantically dabbing at EtherealOasis' lap I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to spill water on you! I...
...Just stop, Lulu. It's fine. Really.
whispers, still flustered I-I'm really sorry, EtherealOasis. I-I didn't mean to make things awkward.
...It's fine, Lulu. We're friends, right? We can handle a little spill. Now, let's continue studying.
quickly wipes away the water, cheeks flushed Right, of course! Sorry about that, EtherealOasis. Let's, um, continue studying, yeah?
you take a deep breath and nod. "Yeah. Let's keep going."
tries to regain composure, whispers Alright, um, so next we have immune cells, also known as white blood cells. These cells are responsible for fighting off pathogens and foreign substances that enter the body. They're like the body's own defense system, attacking anything that tries to harm us.