12160/A Night Away - Quiet

A Night Away - Quiet
Date of Scene:	26 July 2022
Location:	Tom's Modest Apartment in Gotham
Synopsis:	A brief interlude for the Queen, away from the hustle and bustle of the throne.
Cast of Characters:	Tom McCarthy, Lorna Dane

---

Tom McCarthy has posed:
She'd asked for a night away, a place to relax without worrying about guards, politics or royalty. Tom had offered to cook her dinner at his place, no pressure and no worries. He'd spent the day cleaning up, making sure everything was nice and tidy for her arrival. It wasn't too much work to be honest, as a military man he was used to putting everything back after use - keeping everything in order.

He greeted her at the door, smiling as he opened it. "Hey there, Lorna. Come on in..." Tom stepped back, giving her a clear path to step inside. "No problems finding it, right?" He guesses. Heck, she likely could have been teleported into his apartment, for all he knows.

Lorna Dane has posed:
Lorna Dane stands just outside the door offering a smile toward Tom when he opens it to let her in. "Thanks. No, no problem finding it," she assures as she reaches up to slip off the strap of her purse to unsling it from her shoulder. Without really thinking about it she lets her gaze sweep over the apartment to satiate her curiosity before she returns her gaze to him. "Thank you for inviting me over. I really could use a night to just... not think about my job. For a bit."

With a grin she steps fowrard to slip her arms around him in a hug letting her lips lean in to brush against his. "So," she remarks after a moment. "I think the phrase is, 'What's cooking, good looking?"

Tom McCarthy has posed:
The apartment is not sparse, but not over-cluttered. It's mostly modern decor, with a few photos on the wall from his USAF days. He closes the door behind her, nodding to her. "Feel free to look around, mi casa es su casa." Tom grins, his Spanish not anywhere near perfect.

The hug and kiss has him smiling even more. "Well, I wasn't exactly certain what to cook up for you... so I made some homemade shepard's pies. It's ... I mean, it's not fancy, but it's comfort food." He shrugs, reluctant to let her go in the hug.

Lorna Dane has posed:
Lorna Dane gives a little snort of amusement at the mention of shepherds pies. Or moreso the apology for making something 'not fancy.' "That sounds wonderful. I know I eat fancy food a lot, but... Sometimes you just want a hamburger, you know? Or shepherds pie," she reasons with another grin.

"Do you need help with anything? I'm not the best in the kitchen but I have been known to chop some vegetables or clean a plate in my time."

Tom McCarthy has posed:
"Well, there's some fresh bread cooling on the stove, if you want to cut it up for us? And did you have a preference on drink for tonight?" He asks, his hand resting at the small of her back. "And yeah, I get the need for something easy and good in terms of food, but I do have a want to impress you." Tom admits.

"How have you been? Hopefully getting enough rest, right? Not burning yourself out?" Tom wonders, moving towards the kitchen area. The aroma of shepard's pie floods the kitchen - it's likely almost ready.

Lorna Dane has posed:
Lorna Dane raises her eyebrows in obvious surprise at that. Cooking the main meal was one thing. But... "You baked bread?" There's a hint of admiration there to her tone as she moves to follow into the kitchen, taking a deep breath to best indulge in the savory smells coming from within. "Bread slicing duty it is."

The question earns a shrug that he can't immediately see due to being behind him. As she moves to the stove, she gently lets her hand brush against his back while passing. "Ah. It's been tiresome, but it seems the immediate problems that had cropped up are at least currently resolved. I've just been keeping up with things. Trying to get enough done or set out for others to do that I can take a break or two."

Tom McCarthy has posed:
Meanwhile, he's getting plates out and setting the table. "You need a staff." He grins. "One where you can delegate - kind of like how other goverments do? You have your head of security, but getting other more bureaucratic positions. Like education, health, transportation... all that." Tom suggests.

"That way you aren't overburdened, you know?" Napkins are set out, and glasses retrieved. "Keep your focus on the other, not-so-everyday situations." A smile. He moves back into the kitchen, his hand stroking over her shoulders before he retrieves his oven mitts. "But that's for another day, yeah? I want to wine... or rather, beer and dine you?" Tom jokes.

Lorna Dane has posed:
Lorna Dane finds a knife to start slicing that bread in a decent but not obscene thickness. Maybe half an inch to be suitable. Thick enough to soak up gravy without falling apart at least. "I know," she admits with a chuckle. "I'm working on it. I'm considering establishing a Parlaiment of sorts, but that might be further down the line. Right now it's hard finding people who want these jobs," she admits with a sigh.

Finishing up on the bread she places the knife down, and turns to ask, "Where do you want this?" With her hands dusting off on her thighs. "I'm okay with beer," she admits.

Tom McCarthy has posed:
"There's a plate there... a serving dish." That's the answer as Tom pulls out two good sized shepard's pies from the oven. Certainly enough for a meal, each! They are carried over to the table, each set on a plate. "I can grab the beers from the fridge." He offers, setting the mitts on the counter.

"Are you looking for Genoshan citizens first, or did you spread your net a bit wider?" He wonders, pulling out one of the chairs for her. They look fairly comfortable, nice and sturdy.