10905/Noodles Soothe the Soul

Noodles Soothe the Soul
Date of Scene:	24 April 2022
Location:	Royal Dragon Restaurant - Hell's Kitchen
Synopsis:	Cael and Jon talk about their trauma, their needs, their upcoming vacation - and the fate of one Donna Troy. Noodles are eaten.
Cast of Characters:	Cael Becker, Jonathan Sims

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Cael Becker has posed:
    Stepping through the door Jon creates in her apartment wall is a surreal experience. She //should// be stepping out into mid-air. She knows this. That was an exterior wall of her apartment - and she is //not// on the ground floor. Instead, she finds herself stepping out into the sights and sounds of Hell's Kitchen, and she looks around in bemusement, even as the poor, confused pup at her side looks around, steps back into the apartment, and comes back out again, turning full circle to take in his surroundings.
    "I know, Bear," Cael reassures him. "Magic is weird." The pup, in his brightly colored service vest, cocks an ear at his person but - since Cael doesn't seem upset by this inexplicable occurance - he decides he's supposed to take it in stride. Only once Jon steps through and closes the door behind him, to the bafflement of the passers by who know the door shouldn't be there does Cael remark, "Isn't the Royal Dragon more than two blocks... THAT way?" She points in the appropriate direction, after taking a moment to think, and offers Jon a smile of amusement before linking arms with him.

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    "Oh bloody fucking hell," Jon grumbles. He's still got lingering frustration, clearly, or maybe it's more that he's /been/ having frustrations for a while now and he's only just letting himself feel it all. He smirks at Bear and takes Cael's arm gladly enough, turning in the direction Cael indicates.

    "It's only about a block. I'm still used to this... portaling business. I didn't exactly frequent the Royal Dragon when I was spending a bunch of time around here... I'd have gotten us on the nose if we were going for kebabs or hot dogs." The closest thing Jon might have to Cael's noodle obsession is street food; the man knows every cart in the neighborhood, it seems, and at one point recently informed Cael /precisely/ which vendors hadn't come back with the evacuation over.

    "How're you feeling?" Jon peers down at Cael as they start out for the short walk to the Royal Dragon. Concerned, after everything.

Cael Becker has posed:
    "It's a nice day for a stroll," Cael reassures Jon - seeming more amused by the inaccuracy of his portal than anything else - and she backs those words up by gently squeezing his arm, walking towards the restaurant with Bear trotting at her side. She takes a few steps then adds more quietly, "If you'd rather have a kebab..." There's nothing to say they have to always catter to her noodle obsession. Or that she couldn't get her noodles as take-away.
    She doesn't immediately answer his question, though - letting her gaze drop to the pavement as she gives the query several long moments of introspection. How //is// she feeling? "I don't really know," she admits. "I- I know Chas's mind was violated... just as badly as my own. Possibly more. I know he didn't //want// what happened. I know he feels bad about it all. I know it's Michael's fault, and that there's no way to just... fix what happened, or undo it, and beating the shit out of Chas really doesn't fix any of it. I know all that. I know he's your friend, and you'd like for us to- to get along. To be able to work together, but- I can't look at him without- that moment, rising up in my mind and..."
    Her steps falter for a moment, and she holds tighter to Jon's arm, while Bear makes a worried sound at her side, his head nuzzling into her leg. "I'm not alright. I don't know when I'll be alright."

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    Jon listens quietly as they walk, still headed for the Royal Dragon. When Cael falters, he slows, stops even, keeping pace with her. Sighs softly, and squeezes her arm with his own. He's let the magical arm disappear, and didn't bring his prosthetic, so he only has the one arm for now. No other hand to squeeze hers with. But the sentiment is there.

    "I'm not mad at you." They say this firmly, with conviction, and they can't lie anymore, after all. "I'm... a little frustrated with Chas, but mostly that he still thinks this is all on him. That he doesn't see how much was done to him. But that's not on you to fix. I don't..." They sigh. "I don't want to come across like I'm trying to force you to be okay, or trust Chas, or be around him. Just because I want my girlfriend and my best mate to get along doesn't mean you two have to accommodate me. So it's okay that you're not alright. It's okay if you're never alright. You are under no obligation to be alright. I will deal."

    A glance down at Cael, and a smile. "And I said I was in the mood for drunken noodles, right? Well, that's Thai, but whatever, I /want/ noodles. Spicy noodles. Szechuan works just as well."

Cael Becker has posed:
    "I know," Cael answers softly. "I know you wouldn't. I... //want// to try to find a way to be okay with him being... around. I just... I don't know right now," she explains, while trying to steer her mind away from the memories that still have so much power over here.
    Think about... puppies. Think about noodles. Think about lying in Jon's arms and listening to their voice. Think about //anything// else. Smell the scent of damp asphalt, and the hotdog vendor across the street, and listen to the sound of a busker playing a five gallon bucket with a pair of sticks. Feel Jon's arm gripped in both of hers, while Bear whines with concern.
    "I wish beating the shit out of him had... fixed something. Maybe it was stupid of me to insist on doing that."

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    "I probably shouldn't be as willing to say 'go ahead and slug it out' as I am, but I find..." Jon purses their lips. "Sometimes, it actually does help. Sometimes someone just needs a punch in the face. Sometimes, for some people, it's easier to express emotion through sparring. Sometimes it's what's needed to open the floodgates."

    He sighs. "But... all too often, it /doesn't/ help. Holding onto anger tends to just keep you angry, and hitting someone, as good as it might feel in the moment, doesn't really get rid of the anger. But when someone's convinced they /need/ to throw that punch... sometimes they just refuse to believe there's another option until they do."

    A smirk. "Usually I have people print out a picture and put it on a pillow, or /really/ visualize whoever they're wanting to punch, mind you. Most people won't /agree/ to let someone hit them. But regardless, most of the time, people come to realize... well... something I keep saying. Vengeance solves nothing. Revenge is hollow. Justice is not about either of those things, and forgiveness is something else entirely--and something that's for /you/ and not /them/. Reconciliation? A whole separate can of worms."

    He frowns thoughtfully. "Maybe... that's a start. /Forgiving/ Chas is not the same as being okay around him. You could be okay to be around him and still be angry at him, still want revenge on him. And you can forgive him, let go of your anger /at him/, and not really be ready to reconcile. And I think... maybe you're conflating the two, a little bit. Because in some ways it sounds to me almost like you /have/ forgiven Chas. And maybe that's why hitting him didn't really help."

Cael Becker has posed:
    "He fucked up," Cael says - neither agreeing or disagreeing with Jon explicitly. "We all fuck up, sometimes. But he... //really// fucked up." Her grip still doesn't loosen, and it's a bit awkward - walking towards their destination while holding herself as closely to Jon as she is. "I just- I want it to stop hurting. But I'm not sure that's a realistic goal - even in the long term."
    She takes a deep breath in, letting it out slowly before she adds, "I'm trying to be okay. I know we'll figure it out." After a few more steps, though, she asks almost cautiously, "Are //you// okay?"

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    "He did, indeed, fuck up. I would argue that justice, at least, has been paid--he wasn't exactly /happy/ while he was up there. Vengeance? Not really. And whatever you might need...? Clearly not." Jon sighs. "I wish I knew what to do, to help, beyond saying I'll be here. Beyond saying... it's okay to be afraid, and hurting. It's all okay."

    They frown thoughtfully as they keep walking. "I'm o--" They stop. "You don't need to--" They stop again. Growl, actually /growl/, deep in their throat. "Fuck. Fine. No, I'm not okay. But that's not your fault, or Chas' fault, it's... I'm just..."

    They've arrived at the restaurant; Jon stops a moment to stare up at the sign with a frown. "Things are supposed to be getting better. People aren't supposed to be... missing. /Peggy/ isn't supposed to be..." He snaps his mouth shut. Had Cael even heard about that yet?

Cael Becker has posed:
    Cael turns to stand in front of Jon as they arrive, finally lifting her gaze from the pavement, to look up at them. Her expression is serious, sad, and concerned as she studieshis features. "It's okay," she finally tells him. "We can be a mess together. We can find our way through this together. We need each other... and that's okay." She lifts one of her hands to brush irritably at her cheeks. She hates weeping - especially in public, but sometimes... there's nothing for it.
    "We're stronger together," she reminds Jon quietly.
    "...what happened Chief Carter?" She's taken time away from SHEILD to recover - and it's clear, that no. She hasn't been paying attention.

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    "She's missing," Jon says tightly, frowning down at Cael. "There was an attack on her house. People are on it; they'll--if anyone can get her back, they will." He can't lie and say he's certain. His jaw clenches, and he looks up and at the door. "It's, you know. Snakes. Fucking snakes." HYDRA. But they're in public.

    He shakes his head, and looks back down. He leans down to kiss her, briefly brushing her lips--this /despite/ being in public--then straightens and pushes on through the door.

    "I was going to tell you about Donna Troy, though. /That/ I can do something about, I think. Or, well, Terry asked for help, at least. And he's a mess, too. We can all just be messes together."

Cael Becker has posed:
    "I guess so," Cael agrees, following Jon in with Bear at her heels. The employee inside opens their mouth as if to protest, sees the vest, and closes her mouth instead. Then, responding to Cael's gesture of 'two' motions for the pair to follow her.
    "Right this way."
    Cael remains silent until they're seated with menus, which she glances over, before returning her attention almost immediately to Jon. "Donna was a mentor for you, through all this - wasn't she?" she asks for confirmation. "...what's happened to her? And how can I help?"
    The offer isn't entirely altruistic. If the woman is in trouble... It'll be impossible to get Jon to go on their vacation with a plan and a timeline in place. As she waits for Jon's response, her fingers idly trace over the shape of Bear's head, which he's thrust into her lap.

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    Jon sits down and looks over the menu, drumming their fingers idly with a frown. "I'm not entirely certain. Terry said she's... gone, but she's been replaced with another version. Not an alternate universe? I'm... not wholly clear, but I think Terry isn't either. She calls herself Troia, and is a Titan in the sense of the Greek Titans, the Titans of Myth. There's something odd going on with the Tower, and evidently people are blaming Terry, and Wonderland."

    He sighs. "Terry's evidently tempted to go off to Wonderland and not come back. He... doesn't feel respected, here. I told him I understood the feeling." A glance up at Cael. "Not that I feel that way /anymore/. But I remember what it felt like, to think everyone saw me as a joke, an idiot, useless."

Cael Becker has posed:
    "You've never been any of those things," Cael answers Jon quietly, affirmingly, a small smile playing across her features. "And the haters can go play a game of hide 'n go fuck yourselves, ya know?" Her expression grows more serious as she adds, "I'm sorry Terry's feeling that way. If it helps, he seems very //capable,// in addition to being completely ridiculous. He was instrumental in several of our conflicts with the angels." The menu doesn't get much attention, however, since she already knows what she's getting - leaving her attention to linger on Jon instead.
    "How can someone just be replaced with 'another version' though? How is this version different? Can that happen to... anyone?"

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    "I told him that. I don't know how much it helped. The people he's getting this from are practically family; imagine how you'd feel if Sara was treating you that way, you know?" Jon sighs and shakes his head.

    "As for those details...? I don't know. I get the feeling this is a unique sort of thing; Terry mentioned a prophecy. Which tells me it probably /isn't/ Wonderland's fault; I suggested that maybe, since the answer to the problem is evidently there, someone had gone after Wonderland /first/ before doing something to Donna. Get rid of the solution before springing the trap, you know?" He shrugs. "It... I don't know. It /feels/ right, though not exactly. I just... look, I don't know. I haven't gone and seen. I'm going to; evidently the Titans' normal magical expert is Donna's girlfriend, so she's understandbly... upset. I told Terry I'd go take a look, talk to Troia, see how I can help."

    They shove the menu aside. They know what they want, too. "I held myself together until he left," they whisper. "Then I just... lost it. Cried in the Velvet Room, alone, for a good hour. Terry says they'll get her back, but... gods, Cael, what if they can't? What if she's /gone/?" There are tears dripping down their cheeks. Evidently they didn't get all the crying out, before.

Cael Becker has posed:
    "I hope she's not," Cael answers Jon quietly. "I hope you can figure this out - reverse it somehow. But if she's gone... she's gone. She was here to help you. Here to support you, while you saved reality, yeah? And no fucking... fluke of magic can take that away. She lived. She made a difference - but we're not giving up before we even //know// what's what. Yeah?" she encourages Jon - while Bear lifts his head to redirect his gaze towards his owner's boyfriend, letting out another of his worried whines.
    "Jon's just sad, Bear," she reassures the pup.
    "...no matter what happens, I'm here for you." Her fingers reach out to rest on Jon's arm as she talks - offering support, and consolation.

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    "Terry says she... she never existed. And I know... I know that's not true, but..." Jon's shoulders shake. "I... I was going to... to go tell her about... the end of things. How she was right. She... she's the only one that would've... understood what I did, in the end. With Michael. Forgiving him, and... everything." They tend to cry quietly, and it's that way now, tears pouring down while they sit at the table, shaking. "And she was already gone when... when I did that."

    He closes his eyes, and sniffles, and actually slides his arm off the table and reaches out to Bear, letting the dog nuzzle his way under his hand. "I'm not giving up. Th-that's... that's why I'm going to the Tower. To talk to Troia, get her statement, try to help. But... but I just..."

    He draws in a long, shuddering breath. "I wouldn't be here without her. I wouldn't have saved the universe without her. How can... how can she not have /existed/?"

Cael Becker has posed:
    Bear nuzzles into Jon's hand, and then shifts away from Cael, to lean his weight up against Jon's leg, trying to provide comfort and distraction the way he's been trained - while Cael shifts her chair closer, to allow herself to wrap an arm gently behind her boyfriend - her touch light enough to allow them the choice of leaning into it, or pulling away.
    "I can- I understand it. Some at least. I'm sure she would have been proud - and I hope she //will// be proud. She existed, though - you remember her. She changed the course of this reality. She existed, and whatever has happened, that //fact// can't be erased. If she was that instrumental in making sure you're here today... Then I owe her too. So once you have it all sorted out, you let me know if I can help."
    There's concern, and sympathy in her eyes. Why do the blows just keep landing? Why can they get no peace?

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    "Sorry." Jon reaches up to wipe tears from their eyes as Bear leans in, sniffling. "Sorry. I didn't mean, umm..." Another sniffle. As if half in answer to Cael's internal wonderment, he says, "Life... goes on, you know? The world turns, people get hurt, people die. When this is dealt with, there'll be something else. That's just how it goes."

    He frowns down at the table. "Doesn't stop it hurting, though," he murmurs.

    Then he shakes himself. "Anyway. Umm. I don't know if there's much you can do? Unless you /want/ to go to Wonderland, I mean. The Titans are on it, mostly, but Terry asked for my help, so... I will."

    They look up at Cael and smile. "Maybe you could tell Terry you believe in him, if you get a chance. He's, umm..." They laugh. "It's funny, he's /so/ different from me, but I'm rather fond of the kid, you know? I felt, umm, protective when he told me Raven had been giving him shit." They shake their head in wonderment. "Don't know where I get it, really."

Cael Becker has posed:
    "And we'll be there for each other, as long as we can," Cael agrees. "I'm here. And don't you dare fucking apologize. Huh?" She ignores the servers - who are doing the best to ignore their table, and give the couple their space. A few lookie-lous have a little less consideration.
    "And no, it doesn't. It keeps on hurting. I guess that's how we know we're still alive - but it isn't all bad stuff." Since Jon hasn't flinched away, she gives them a squeeze with that arm she wrapped across their back, and then lets her fingers reach up to bury themselves in Jon's purple locks.
    "I'll talk to Terry next time I see him," she agrees. "And if you think I can help in Wonderland... If you think I'm needed, or if //you// simply need me there..." She leaves the offer dangling, while Bear continues to lean in - nuzzling at Jon's torso, and adding a lick or two with his long, wet tongue.

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    "Cael," Jon says, firmly, but with a vague twinkle in their eye, "are you /sure/ you want to volunteer to go to Wonderland? I mean... I've joined with Terry's mind. I have some idea what it must be like. If you think /my/ magic is bullshit... going to Wonderland would be like getting comfortable in the manure pile at a rodeo." Well, then. "I'm not saying no. I'm saying you don't have to be there physically to have my back, so... think about it, before you volunteer."

    They sigh. "Let's order, hmm? I'm hungry." They pet Bear's head a few times, then pull their hand back up. They don't seem to have noticed the people watching, or if they do, they don't seem to care.

Cael Becker has posed:
    "Jon," Cael says seriously, her gaze locked onto their face, "I'd sing in public if that's what it took to help you. I'd... eat a slice of birthday cake." Sure, neither of those statements would carry much weight from someone else, but Cael says them with gravity. "If I'd be an asset, if my presence increases the chance you succeed - then I'd go. Because she's important to you." She rubs her fingers against Jon's scalp a few times, keeping her gaze on his several moments longer before looking over towards the servers to beckon one over.
    "Let's order," she agrees, placing her order for the spicy stir fried noodles - shock and amazement! Along with requesting some plain, cooked chicken with a few pieces of steamed vegetables for Bear. She also adds a request for rice wine - apparently opting to forego her usual whiskey for once.

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    Jon sighs a little at the touch, relaxing, and somewhere down the line when he's trying to think of ways to let go of the anger he's going to remember that. Talking about it and then relaxing... helps. "I'll let you know," he murmurs, almost sad when she pulls away.

    Almost. He /is/ hungry.

    He orders hot szechuan shredded pork and spicy pan fried noodles, tea (of course), a bowl of wonton soup. Jon still eats like he's trying to bring his weight back up, and maybe in some ways he is. Or maybe godly metabolism is different. "So... vacation. You're going to insist, and... I do want to go. Mostly. I just need to figure out this leadership business. Do I have a date I have to have it done by yet...?"

Cael Becker has posed:
    Cael adds an order for some dumplings filled with sweet black sesame paste as a dessert course, and watches the waitress retreat, before snaking her hand back around Jon, and into his hair again, her fingers going back to work. It's not like she's blind to the affect that touch has on him.
    "Have I told you yet today that I love you, Jonathan Sims?" she asks casually, before answering his questions. "Look... This Donna thing is important, and so is the leadership stuff. But I'm going to put in a reservation in a week or two... We //need// a break. We'll- we'll have to figure it out somehow."

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    "If nothing else I suppose I can make a door in a snowbank," Jon murmurs, and tenses like he's expecting Cael to react to that. But only shortly; the hand in the hair thing really does do wonders. "Really, though, no, I'll figure it out. Get with Phoebe as soon as I can, make sure things are settled in case there's any minor emergencies while I'm gone." He takes his responsibilities seriously, does His Royal Godliness.

    "Cael," they murmur after a moment, "we're supposed to be /eating/."

Cael Becker has posed:
    Cael give's Jon a look that says 'seriously?' louder than words, and lets out a quiet sigh. "You need to //try// to get away from everything," she chides him. "But... I know you won't really be able to relax with stuff like this... Donna thing looming over you. We'll see how it goes."
    Her fingers continue massaging Jon's scalp as she adds, "We'll eat. When the food arri- Ooo, the rice wine." This she accepts readily, pouring it into two glasses, before taking a sip of her own - and returning her hand to Jon's scalp again.

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    "I know... I should. And I know it matters, to you, and to Martin. I know. So I'll go. And I swear, I will /try/ to just be on vacation. That's why I'm trying to get things in order before I leave, okay?" Jon smiles at Cael, and picks up the wine.

    "I needed to get away from the bloody angels, and they're gone now. It's over. Having things to do... a base to explore, friends to help... it's invigorating. Energizing. I'm going to go, I am, I just..." They hesitate, then say slowly, "Would you understand if I told you I brought a tiny bit of the 'Great God Ra' business back with me? I... /like/ the responsibilities. They feel good, and right."

Cael Becker has posed:
    "I get that," Cael agrees. "But does the Royal Godliness never take time for himself?" she asks in a wry tone.
    Her expression goes serious again as she adds, "I need time off. I... need time with you. And I think Agnes... I mean, I don't know her very well. Maybe I can't speak for her, but I'd think she needs, or at least deserves, a little time to get to know her father." The hand at the back of Jon's head draws him in towards her for a kiss before she adds, "I know you have responsibilities... But try your best. Alright? That's all I can reasonably ask."

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    "I know." Jon looks over at Cael very seriously. "I know that you need it, and I am willing to take the time for you, okay? So if you need me to be devoted to the family and the vacation for a week? That's all I need to hear, and I'll make sure I can focus on that barring some kind of major emergency. You know, the kind that would drag us /both/ back."

    He hesitates, then adds, quite seriously, "I don't know that gods take vacations. They're /gods/. So I can't promise to... stop being an avatar of Ma'at, you know? But I can stop being a leader of the JLD and a SHIELD agent and all of that. I just... I'm not... human anymore, Cael. Not quite. It's..."

    He sighs. "It's frustrating, I suppose, to be told what I need when I'm still figuring that out myself. Not your fault, honestly it's Sara that's the worst culprit." They smirk. "But most people who aren't... normal, in the JLD, they're still nominally human. Their bodies, their minds, they might be /sharing/, or they might have been born different, but they're still however they were born, mostly. I got a whole new body. I'm still figuring out what it needs, what /I/ need. Like, when I sleep, I don't... stop, not mentally. It's like sleep is more about tending the Astral Archive, these days, than anything else. But I'm just as rested when I wake. Moreso, even."

    A sigh. "Point being? The idea of not having a... goal, a purpose..." A pause. "No, that's not even. The idea of not having... people to... help? Serve?" He frowns thoughtfully. "It's easier to think of a vacation as giving you something you need, as that being my... goal, than as 'getting away.' Mmm. Hard to explain."

Cael Becker has posed:
    Cael's attention trains on Jon with serious focus as he talks - actively trying to comprehend all of it, as he intends it. She nods slowly as he finishes, and rests her head on his shoulder while piecing it together in her mind - and how she feels about all of it.
    "I don't understand what that must be like for you. I can't - but I mean to try. And- you're right. I suppose it is wrong of me to tell you what you need - but you know it's because I love you. I want what's best for you. I want you... happy. And well. As much as I can, I'd like to figure it all out... alongside you."
    She reaches up to brush tears that suddenly well up in her eyes away - unexpected, even for her. "But I do need that time with you. I... I'd like it to be helpful, and healing for you too, but..."

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    "Oh, sweetheart," Jon says softly. "It... it will be. But not because I'm... escaping some terrible burden." He smiles down at her. "Because I /do/ need time with you. When I think about it like that? Focusing on you and Agnes and Martin? /That's/ when I see that I need it too."

    He ponders. "Think of it like this: remember that last hour we got, alone on the barque? That's meant to be the Great God's time to himself, to reflect and think before rebirth. I get that alone time that I need all the time. I get it at night. A third of my life, that most people just use to sleep and dream, I get to myself. I get away to my very own oasis."

    He leans down to give Cael a kiss on the forehead. "But time to just focus on my family? I don't get that enough. So. We will. I promise."

Cael Becker has posed:
    Cael nods, wiping at her eyes again, and taking a deep, shaking breath. She seems about to say more when the food starts arriving, and she pulls away finally - ready to start digging into the food. She helps herself to most of the noodles - pushing the remainder towards Jon, and takes a small sampling of his food orders. While she's focusing on this task she remarks quietly, "I'm not okay. I know I said that already - but I'm not. I'm trying to be. I'm trying to get better - I know I //will// get better, but... Sometimes it's hard."

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    "It's alright, love. You can ask for what you need. Tell me you need me to take a week off every month and I'll make it work somehow. Tell me you need me to /retire/, and I'll make it work somehow. Okay? Ma'at and the universe can bloody well wait to get balanced until you're okay. They owe us that much."

    Jon smiles while they gather their own food, and add, "I just... I realized I wasn't /tired/, when I wanted to stop and walk away. I was furious. I've /been/ furious. I just haven't been able to admit that." They sigh. "So... now that I know, I can work on that. And you can help. We'll get through it together."

Cael Becker has posed:
    "I don't think I need anything so extreme," Cael answers in a wry smile. "I need a week with you, in the mountains. I need you to hold me, and sing for me, and stroke my hair, and tell me that you love me. ...I need you to call me out on my bullshit, from time to time. And I'll need a day or two - as often as you can spare them. I'm sure I could manage on my own but- God, I don't want to. It would be so much harder..." Daunting, even.
    After a deep breath in, and out again she adds, "We both have every reason to be furious. We'll stand on a mountain, in the snow, under the stars and scream at the heavens...if it helps." That said - she digs in with her fork, helping herself to noodles first - and then sliding Bear a piece of his chicken.