14685/Catching Up With A Friend

Catching Up With A Friend
Date of Scene:	14 April 2023
Location:	Patience's Apartment
Synopsis:	Patience invites Mercy over for dinner and to visit.
Cast of Characters:	Patience Alperen, Mercy Thompson

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Patience Alperen has posed:
Spring is beginning to take hold on Manhattan. The days are getting warmer and the trees and flowers are all stirring, some even breaking into full bloom already.

Feeling a bit stir crazy after what felt like a long winter, Patience messaged Mercy and invited her over to visit and catch up. Nothing fancy. But still Patience has been cooking. The apartment smells of red sauce and salted water for boiling noodles as she waits for her friend to arrive.

Mercy Thompson has posed:
    Mercy is pocking a few bits of tawny colored fluff from her shirt and rolling the hair into a ball to stuff into her pocket as she rides up to the proper floor after getting run in from the desk guy at the first level. Or just buzzed in. However that works in this building. She of course can smell the food from outside and tucks the little tin she has of some sugar cookies done up as eggs and colored with frosting that she has with her.

Patience Alperen has posed:
Patience Alperen offers a warm smile as she answers the door. "Mercy. It's nice to see you. I'm sorry it's been so long.." She steps back, "Please come in?"

Closing the door, she leads the way into her place and quickly checks on the sauce. "I hope spaghetti is okay. For all of the world travel I've gotten to do, I haven't managed to pick up on many dishes to offer to friends when they come over..."

Mercy Thompson has posed:
    "It's fine. Winter is a busy time for mechanics. It's when all the people who do not do their maintenance get to see me anyway." She gives a toothy grin at that and holds out the egg shaped cookies she made. "My offerings to all the girls prettier then I and don't work out half as hard as I." Not sounding serious at all. She makes sure to wipe her feet off before she got into the building and Mercy stops herself from doing it just before she gets into the nice apartment. "It's fine. Besides if it's American style that's pretty New York from what I read. I mean Sphaghettie and meatballs in red sauce were all but made in this city."

Patience Alperen has posed:
Patience Alperen laughs. "Well as long as it's been because we've both been busy in good ways, it's not so egregious I suppose."

Looking at the cookies she pauses, then makes an exaggerated look around the room. "I.. don't see any lazy pretty girls in here.." Turning back she grins a little. "But I'm sure they won't complain if we enjoy a few for ourselves." Then nodding, she smiles. "Well it's sort of what I learned at the orphanage in their attempts to teach us how not to starve when they kicked us out at 18. I guess that means it's a meat sauce" she considers with a bit of a shrug. "If you'd like you can set the cookies on the island. Can I get you something to drink? Everything should be ready in a few minutes. I waited to boil the noodles till you got here."

She gets out a package of freshmade noodles. But before anyone accuses her of making them she clarifies, "There's a great little market around the corner that makes fresh pasta. I haven't dared to try making my own yet."

Mercy Thompson has posed:
    "I won't tell if you won't," agrees Mercy to sharing the treats. She will start to head for the table to set it down. "Oh I'm an easy one and happy to go with water or juice or whatever to drink. I don't want you to go to the hassle just for me."
    Mercy will not take a seat yet, instead looking around the place and the nice view outside. "I admit I'm still not as used to the clear high views you can get in a place like this. I find having a great local place is often better then making it on your own. I mean it's a lot of steps to getting pasta just right."

Patience Alperen has posed:
Patience Alperen promises, "Not a word."

"Well I have those things. But I also have a bottle of wine if you'd like?" It does seem to go with pasta, right?

Glancing over her shoulder as she stirs the sauces quickly before moving to put in the noodles into the water to cook. "I fell in love with the view. Even though it's in the middle of the city, I find it calming and peaceful. Things that come in short supply usually."

As the noodles go in she nods, "Yes. I've wanted to try making my own pasta just to say that I have done it. But I don't think I'd want to go through the process reguarly. Having Maretti's just down the block makes it easier to be lazy.." she pauses. "Oh. I found your lazy girl after all!" she jokes.

Mercy Thompson has posed:
    "Oh don't waste wine on me. I'm not a drinker of alcohol and I wouldn't appreciate the price of the wine anyway. But if you want some then go for it!" Mercy has not tried alcohol since college for a very good reason.
    She looks back as Patience offers her joke and grins. "Good we'll have to keep an eye on her and make sure we fatten her up then." She stretches her arms a bit then heads toward Patience to lean against a counter top. "I'm jealous of your kitchen, then again if I designed my own home I think it be like forty percent kitchen."

Patience Alperen has posed:
Patience Alperen laughs. "Alright" she relents while turning to keep an eye on sause and boiling pasta. "The 'fridge has an icemaker and water dispenser.. the glasses are in the cabinet to the left of it. But you can also check the 'fridge and help yourself to whatever you find that sounds better to you. It'll only be a few more minutes on the noodles."

Offering a smile she adds, "Well you'll just have to come over more often and help me use it to cook. I admit it doesn't get as much use as it rightfully should on my own." Pausing to think on it she wonders, "Can't you remodel or add on to your place above your garage? Make the kitchen larger somehow?"

Mercy Thompson has posed:
    Mercy helps herself to finding a glass and then looking to just get only a cube or two of ice and then fills it with water. "I won't prowl my nose in your fridge. My nose is sharper then most and that can lead tome saying some not nice things if I find your dirty secrets in there." Her smile barely hidden by the glass as she takes a drink and leans on the counter.
    "I am more a baker, and if I get in your kitchen I'll chase you out and get territorial. I do my best to not let that get the better of me, but it's a habit I have at times." She shakes her head and says, "I don't have the money for major renovations. Especially with it being a building zoned for home and business. I have to get commercial level contractors to avoid damaging the garage and the systems I have for hydraulics and stuff. The average contractor won't know about all that extra stuff I have in the garage."

Patience Alperen has posed:
Patience Alperen laughs! "My dirty secrets aren't in the 'fridge. But there could be some outdated cheese.." she teases back.

Then she smiles. "Well, I mean, if you want to come use my kitchen to bake and don't -want- my help? I'm just has content to impersonate that lazy girl you think lives here and just sip some wine and keep you company while you slave away all alone.."

She nods to the reasons Mercy's loft cannot be easily updated. "Well then you're just going to have to come over here and see that my kitchen gets used regularly then, it's settled!"

Mercy Thompson has posed:
    Mercy mock points in an overly dramatic way, "ahhhh HA!! So you admit you had a trap in there waiting for me." Clicking her tongue as she shakes her head. "Isn't there a term for that, Patience. Something like 'personal chef' or something?" She shakes her head at the idea of her taking over her friends kitchen.
    "I may do that sometime. As a whole though I'm happy enough with my home. Sure a big house is nice and what I'm used to. But a big house without people in it will just remind me of those lonely nights at times. It isn't like I need space for me and Medea alone. I think if I had people in my home doing work I be pacing and crawling the walls in nerves."

Patience Alperen has posed:
Patience Alperen looks over and smiles cheekily. "Guilty as charged. If only by negligence."

"Personal chef? I'm just offering to let you come bake when you want. I haven't even asked for any of the goodies you might create" she protests. "You're not being nice to me, now.." she playfully sulks.

"And any time you'd like, just let me know. It wouldn't bother me. Honestly I cook things maybe two or three times a month if that. So.." she smiles. "The offer is there if you ever want to."

Then she looks to the noodles, taking one out to check it's state of done-ness. "Oop. We're ready." Switching off the burner, she lifts the strainer insert from the pot of boiling water, shaking it a few times. Then it's off to carefully put the noodles into a large bowl. Setting the strainer in the sink, she takes a bottle of olive oil and drizzles it over the noodles before stiring them around to coat them. "Sticky noodles are the worst."

Then it's to pull the sauce and add it into its own bowl for serving. A bowl of cooked green beans and a tray of toasted garlic bread smothered in melted mozarella is set out.

"Okay. Ready!" She sets a plate for Mercy and silverware. "Salt and pepper... some butter for the beans if you'd like it.. and.. help yourself" she declares with a smile.

Mercy Thompson has posed:
    "I'm just being a brat," admits Mercy. "So don't pay me too much mind. Besides this is another check in the 'do not drink alcohol' list." Even as she drinks more of the water. "I'm happy to be social and visit from time to time." She watches the work on the pasta and sniffs the air when the oil is poured. "Got to love the smell of garlic, though I'm guessing your 'job' has you keeping that in stock more then most."
She goes to get toward her seat and hesitates at the flatware on the table. She picks up one to see if the silverware is real silver, not that it bother's her like it does other weres. "Thanks for letting me having seasoning. I tend to either go aggressive or subtle on spices. Depends on how the nose is doing today. I'll try it your way as much as possible."

Patience Alperen has posed:
Patience Alperen also gets out a chunk of parmesan cheese. Dropping it into a hand cranked cheese grater, she offers it over. "Also, you can never have too much cheese with pasta. It's a law somewhere. Even if you are being a brat" she teases.

She laughs, "Yes. Though I keep my 'work' garlic separate from my cooking garlic. Entirely different varieties and uses!"

Mercy Thompson has posed:
    She will add some cheese to the pasta, "I had a friend who didn't know what this was and asked if I used 'pasta sugar' on my Italian food. That always makes me smile at hearing and thinking of." She will lay the napkin on her lap as she gets ready.
    "I know. I hate when I get my oils for work and home mixed up. Do you know how bad 40 weight oil is for baking? I mean the flavor is horrible," obviously not being serious. Hopefully. Maybe.... at least most likely.

Patience Alperen has posed:
Patience Alperen blinks. "That is a food crime. Parmesan belongs on all pasta" she protests with mock indignance. "I hope that you set them straight!"

Laughing at the idea of mixing motor oil and cooking oil she stares at Mercy. "Okay. I call BS on that Ms. Thompson. There is no way a woman of your skills could ever make that sort of mistake!" She laughs a bit more as she begins to fix herself a pile of pasta, topped with meat sauce and, finally, the grated cheese. Beans and bread come along for the ride as she moves to sit as well.

Mercy Thompson has posed:
    "They meant parmesan but didn't know the name. So they called it pasta sugar." Mercy does her best to assure the other woman. "I did tell them the right word for it though, after a fun laugh."
    "Oh I'm totally lying about the oil. Though I have done the sugar/salt goof before when cooking. As well as the baking soda/baking flour before too." She starts to twirl the fork and take small careful bites that she chews before speaking again. "I don't get how some shifters just 'go wild' and give up on all the flavors of food. I mean a hunt can be fun and all, but why would you give up on pasta, or chocolate, or marshmallow?"

Patience Alperen has posed:
Patience Alperen grins at the story. "Pasta sugar is a pretty great second name for it, I'll admit."

Nodding in commiseration, she agrees, "Oh yes. Salt and Sugar. I've taken to taking a quick taste first just to be sure which I am about to use."

Listening to the comments about going wild, she takes a bite herself before agreeing. "I suppose if someone really hated human foods. But.. I imagine I would have a difficult time giving it all up, like you say."

Mercy Thompson has posed:
    "Usually I can tell by smell, but I had the flu and was miserable and wanted to make something to feel better. Plan sort of backfired epically on me." But Mercy can smile about it now and admit it when she's the source of life's jokes.
    She keeps taking steady even bites of her food as they talk, "This is very tasty. The oil adds a note I'm not as used to." She crosses her legs some and leans forward over the table more and to avoid noodle assisted stain splatter. "Then again, it can be hard for me to understand the typical human too. I never was one, and it's hard to relate to a few things. It's taken many years to learn how to blend in and fake it if I don't get it."

Patience Alperen has posed:
Patience Alperen winces. "The flu is never a fun thing to have to endure."

Smiling at the compliment of the oil added to the pasta, she stabs at a few noodles on her plate thoughtfully. "I don't know that it is exactly the way to do it. Those shows all say you're supposed to add the noodles to your sauce so they soak it up. I learned to add a little olive oil to keep the noodles from sticking and clumping together - and if you use quality oil, it does add an extra layer of flavors to the dish. I've come to prefer it."

Listening to the experience of not being a typical human, she smiles with some understanding. "I can imagine. I... well I felt like I was isolated and shunned when I was a girl. Then the Church came and.. collected me.. when I turned 18 and informed me that my grasp of my place in the world was not only entirely wrong, but extremely small minded and insignificant to the reality they presented to me. That. Was a difficult time. Trying to just come to grips with the reality of my family line. What I can do. What I was expected to do." She shrugs. "But. We all learn how to make our way the best we can. And anyone who tries to judge us really should just worry about getting their own life straight."

Mercy Thompson has posed:
    "That sounds hard. I always have to be careful with my faith. I am faithful but there are a lot that take it really too..... intense? I don't know if that is the word. They twist it and uses it as an excuse to be jerks. Last thing I want is a mob after me with guns."
    Mercy is being a bit of a shifter and her meal is rapidly disappearing as she eats though. "For me the hardest part was when I learned that it isn't common to see ghosts. I grew up with that and honestly it wasn't until I was in college that I learned everyone else can't see them." She shakes her head. "I still don't know if my roommate thinks I was just drunk, crazy, or if she believes me." Mercy picks up some of the other things to try and sop up all the flavor she can for the meal."We definitely should do this from time to time. If you aren't squeamish I could always bring some game meat for us to eat."

Patience Alperen has posed:
Patience Alperen smiles as she winds another bite of noodles and sauce around her fork and listens to Mercy.

"Yes. Regardless of the religion there are those who have and will continue to try and twist it to their desires and for their own power. History has many and we see it even today sadly."

If anything, she is delighted that the meal has the seal of approval from Mercy's tummy. As that plate gets empty, she gently eases the pasta and sauce over to let her friend have more if she wishes.

"I can imagine that would be a shock. For you and for her. I don't see ghosts. But seeing demons in their true forms is, well, not something I'd wish on anyone else."

"Oh yes. We will do this again. I've never good game meat so you'll have to help me. I've had bison before but I haven't tried to cook it. It's so lean I'd be worried I'd ruin it" she laughs. "But sure! I am always happy to try new foods. Unless they're alive and wriggling. Then I will graciously decline."

Mercy Thompson has posed:
    "I love history, it's why I thought I was going to be a teacher of it in schools. Just imagine if some of the school board learned of my situation?" Mercy grins at that and finishes her water for now as she licks her lips.
    "I love fixing cars thought, and yeah. She went off for the 2.5 kids and the white fences, not kept in touch. I have a hard time maintaining long term relationships. Fortunately for me, ghosts just look like people. Least they normally do."
    Mercy shakes her head, "I mostly hunt rabbit and smaller game. I have brought down deer, but it is dangerous and hard. A stag looks a lot bigger when you are coyote sized and I don't have other wolves to help harry one down." Laughing she shakes her head, "Even I don't go Golem on my food. Though I find I don't mind 'raw' as much as most do for meat and situations. Paws aren't good for fire building."

Patience Alperen has posed:
Patience Alperen listens. As Mercy talks of bringing down deer or catching rabbits, she blinks. "Clearly we need to hang out more. I haven't gotten to the point of realizing when you mean bringing meat for a meal that you mean you're going to go out hunting for it and catching it.." she says with a laugh. "That doesn't bother me, it's just a different perspective than I am used to. Rabbit is good. I have actually had that in Europe before. It can be amazing when prepared properly."

Laughing she shakes her head, "Other than sushi, I am not usually a girl who likes her meat rare. THough I have had the miss? fortune of trying steak tartare before. It was interesting to experience it prepared that way. But yeah.. I imagine paws and fur are more likely to get burned than succeed in building a fire.."

Mercy Thompson has posed:
    "Well that's the way I often hunt, but I do have a rifle and a license as well. Both because of practical uses and to cover why I show up with game meat after my sometimes weekend hikes." Mercy grins, letting her teeth show to make it a bit more fierce. It's something she has to THINK to do really. Her smiles almost never show teeth, it's a bad habit for around werewolves.
    "Pretty sure my perspective on rare and raw meet is different then any human's would be. But it isn't something I enjoy in this form as much as the other." She tips her head in thought for a moment before she stands to start taking her dish to the sink. Both to get more water for herself from the fridge and to rinse her plate out. "She who cooks does not do dishes. Not when there's others who took in the meal at least. I think that's the twelfth commandment. In the Mercy Pawprint edition of the bible."

Patience Alperen has posed:
Patience Alperen smiles. "It's just not a way I am used to thinking about catching game, Mercy. It really doesn't bother me. If we get together and you want to bring something, that is entirely okay with me I promise."

As Mercy talks about doing dishes, Patience laughs. "Tell you what, if you'd like to help then I won't say no. But I would never expect a guest to do the dishes for me!"

As she finishes off her serving, she moves to stand, "If you want to start them, there is dishsoap under the counter. And that is even a fresh dish cloth. The last one was needing a bath of its own" she admits grimly.

Mercy Thompson has posed:
    Mercy will pre wash the dishes but if Patience has a dish washer she won't do a full hand wash. Least not for the dishes. Fancy real silverware does not go in a dish washer. "That's an advantage I enjoy too. Able to tell where the gym sock is, though at times I wish I couldn't. I can not describe in polite company what a group shower smells ike in a college campus." Mercy makes a yuck face and shudders for a moment, and then goes to get the rest of the dishes going. "Want to know a guilty pleasure I do sometimes with my other form?"

Patience Alperen has posed:
Patience Alperen does indeed have a dishwasher. As luxury as this condo is - and admittedly Patience doesn't quite seem to fit in even if she enjoys it - it has all of the expected amenities and many that are beyond.

Moving to help with things, she gets the detergent bomb that goes into the dishwasher and loads it because who would expect a guest to know how to drive one of a half a million different models of dishwashers anyway? Then she lets Mercy work on the loading while she moves to packing up the food before it sits out too long. Mercy might notice that a separate plastic travel container is being filled with a separate serving of noodles and meat sauce.

"Oh.. we're to the part of our friendship where we learn guilty pleasures!" she tease with a grin. "Just joking. But sure? if you'd like to share. It isn't something I'm ever going to experience I don't think. Unless it's true that being bitten makes you change. And then you decide to bite me sometime..." the grin that goes with this shows she is still joking.

Mercy Thompson has posed:
    "This one is 'shop adjacent' as it were. So no big dark secrets yet." But Mercy answer the grin with one of her own. "So when it's spring and the sun is getting warm but it isn't hot yet. Mind you I take heat better then most. I love to shift to my other form, lay on my back against the AC unit vent and just let the sun warm my tummy an fur as the AC keeps me from having to pant." Canines don't have sweat glands after all, so she has to cool down in other ways. "I'm sure someone is going to see me one day, fortunately most don't know a dog from a coyote from a wolf."
    Mercy shakes her head and says, "No. My bite marks just makes holes in people and them to bleed. Good thing too." Mercy once bit Supergirl in a sparing match not knowing it actually hurt the young blonde. "Nobody should want what I am, and I'm almost psoitive it is hereditary from my father's native blood."

Patience Alperen has posed:
Patience Alperen listens and laughs softly. "That sounds like a lot of fun actually." Then she grins impishly. "I bet you also like belly and chin rubs too.." and she can't resist taking it a step further. "I bet your hing leg thumps on the floor with back scritches doesn't it..?"

As the dishes are finished and the food is packed up, she turns back. "Well. I'll be happy to avoid being bitten either way. Given my own lineage I.. have no idea what that would do to someone else.. or to me. I'd as soon not find out."

As everything is finished, she she tips her head toward the sofa. "Want to chat a bit? We still haven't touched the cookies... no meal is complete without dessert..."

Mercy Thompson has posed:
    "Sometimes," admits Mercy. "It has to be someone I am really comfortable with though. I'm not the most touchy of person most times. Survival instincts and stuff." She will admit, "But with the right person it can be nice. Like a massage and a salon hair wash all at once. I would never be so crass as to thump a leg." Mercy's laugh making it hard to tell if she' serious or just covering for her pride.
    "I really want to thank you for inviting me, especially for the cheep price of dishes and talking." She nods her head and says, "Let's get a bit of sweet and we can share old stories." She will eye one of the plush couches to make her way for it and settle in for a nice casual evening.