16261/The Arrival of the Aunt... With Food

The Arrival of the Aunt... With Food
Date of Scene:	05 November 2023
Location:	Pezzini House
Synopsis:	Joshua meets Sara Aunt Ruth... and gets her approval.
Cast of Characters:	Sara Pezzini, Joshua Foley

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Sara Pezzini has posed:
Saturday. Ruth Pezzini was well aware that her niece Sara would not be home, despite all of her nagging and complaining about the hours she kept. Sara was too much like her father, dedicated to law enforcement to the point she was part of organizations Ruth read about in the news paper.

So it was that every Saturday, Ruth would go to the store to pick up groceries then swing by Vincent's house, that was now Sara's house, and drop them off. No, that wasn't all she did of course. She was an Italian Aunt after all.

Ruth used her set of keys to let herself in and headed straight to the kitchen with the groceries. The refrigerator for new cream, the old one dumped down the sink. There was also cottage cheese, cheddar cheese, numerous yogurts of various flavors, and a gallon of milk.

Joshua Foley has posed:
Ruth's first clue that things may be different is that someone has been helping Sara keep the fridge in shape. There are not nearly as many to-go containers or expired foods that she may have usually found when she visited in the past.

Having heard the noise from upstairs, Josh had assumed that Sara had gotten off early as he comes padding into the kitchen, dressed in an oversized t-shirt with shorts on beneath it. "Sweetheart? They let out early or chase you off?" he starts to ask teasingly -- then realizes, no, this is not Sara.

A half-step back, and a pause. He's used to the weirdness when he was living at the shop. His golden skin is a little brighter in a blush, however. "Uhm, hello. You must be a relative of Sara's?" he asks cautiously.

Sara Pezzini has posed:
Ruth was in her early sixties, and some said she looked like Sophia Loren. She had a pair of glasses hanging around her neck, her salt and pepper hair pulled up into a loose bun on her head. She wore a floral print button front shirt with a salmon colored sweater over it, and on her legs gray pleated slacks. Over her shoulder she carries a black leather purse, which is where the 45 revolver came from and was pointed at Joshua. She holds it there for only a moment before she slides it back into the bag.

"Sara failed to mention she had company," she says first with a very slight Italian accent and adjusts her sweater. "And such a lovely young man to boot." A charming smile spreads across her face as she clearly judges everything about the man in front of her.

"I am in fact Sara's Aunt, my name is Ruth," she does move any closer to him, but she offers her hand to shake all the same, clearly his skin color and appearance do not effect her one bit.

Joshua Foley has posed:
When she brings out the gun, Joshua holds his breath. He knows he could survive being shot. But it still hurts like hell and he does not want to experience it. His hands rise in the international signal of 'Not Armed, Please Don't Shoot'.

Then Ruth makes her comment and Joshua chuckles faintly, "Ah. Well. It might have slipped her mind?" he asks even as he lowers his hands. "I'm just going to get my phone to text Sara, okay?" Because he needs to defuse this, and fast.

But then she puts away the gun, and he feels a sense of relief. "It's nice to meet you, Miss Ruth." he offers politely. "My name is Joshua Foley and I have been dating your niece for the last few weeks." he explains to her. Probably since just after Ruth visited the last time.

The hand is accepted, he gets her immediate biokenetic feedback on her, before he shakes it firmly. "Is there anything I can help with?"

Sara Pezzini has posed:
For being as old as she is, Ruth is in perfect health, though her heart rate was speedy and is in the process of slowing down. When you have a brother and niece who are police officers, you learn how to remain controlled under pressure, but the heart still likes to beat fast.

"Oooohhhh..." she almost sing songs, "Dating my niece are you?"

She moves then to the kitchen counter to put away the bread, container of home made noodles and sauce, along with some random box of heart healthy cereal. "Do you take care of your things? Keep your room clean? Do your own laundry? If so, then you are already helping. Sara's too much like her father, she never remembers the little things like shopping, laundry, vacuuming the carpet, so I come by and do those things, just as I did when her father was alive."

Joshua Foley has posed:
Releasing her hand, he doesn't come out and tell Ruth that she's in good health. That might freak her out. Instead, Joshua focuses more on the questions.

"I am. She means a lot to me." he admits, clearing his throat. "Yes, since she has asked me to move in with her, I have tended to my room and helping her when I have time off." His hands come together and he presses his fingers together. "That does not mean she no longer needs your visits, though! I'm sure she appreciates them." he's quick to offer.

"I have taken care of most of the cleaning earlier, so if you just want to relax or whatever you want to do so... I mean, I didn't know you were coming or I'd left you something to do!" A joke, clearly.

Sara Pezzini has posed:
Once the dry goods are put away, Ruth sees to the canned goods, mostly sauces to mix with other spices for something better. Not too many, clearly she checks what is there and still good then plans for her next week visit accordingly.

"It's wonderful she found you," she says, closing the cabinet before turning around to look at him more directly. "You do realize that you will have many nights alone, and there are times that she won't be able to call or text, so you won't know what she is doing or where she is?"

Walking over to the coffee maker, she starts taking it apart to clean. "Being in a relationship with a police officer is difficult, but one who is also part of SHIELD and an Avenger... I don't know how she will do it. Personally I think she needs to slow down, take more breaks, stop running herself ragged, so any cleaning you can help with would be amazing."

Glancing over her shoulder she looks him up and down. "You are a bit young though."

Joshua Foley has posed:
"I'm aware. Her job keeps her busy." And Joshua can't tell him for some of that, he's with her out in the field. "As long as she comes home, that is the most important part." he explains as he runs a finger on the countertop. He wiped them down when he cleaned the kitchen this morning, but he's double-checking now. And it distracts him a little.

"I am aware of her affiliations and that it will call her away. I'm studying to be a doctor and currently work two jobs. We cross paths when we can, and that's fine. I'm not worried about her finding someone else while she's away." A shrug of his shoulders.

"I am young." he confesses. "The glow makes me look younger, though." He shoots her a grin at that. "So if I can distract her just a little and remind her that she's human, that would be fine, as well."

Sara Pezzini has posed:
The motion of Ruth's hands in dismantling the coffee maker makes it clear she has done this many, many times. Italians take their coffee seriously and for a good cup, the machine and pot must be clean.

"I am certain you are quite a distraction," she states with a nod. "Whether you glow or not, but that glow does not change your appearance to my old eyes. You look at young as you actually are, I'd say early twenties."

The cleaning solution is vinegar, lemon and water, that she makes herself and starts scrubbing away. "You are studying to be a doctor and working two jobs? What is with children these days!" she snorts. "You need to focus on /one/ thing to become an expert at it, then worry about other things."

Joshua Foley has posed:
"I work at a clinic, it helps me practice what I'm learning and see it in action. My other job helps me with school." Joshua explains patiently as he takes a seat in a stool as he listens to her.

"I am nearly twenty-one." he allows. "I am aware that Pez is older than I am, but neither of us have had a complaint about it." He blows out his breath and leans back.

"Considering that she's a police officer, in SHIELD and with the Avengers, I believe that I can appreciate the large workload she has, as I have one myself, even if it is not as important as saving the world."

Sara Pezzini has posed:
Ruth's hands stop scrubbing and she levels her brown eyes on the young man. "No one said your work wasn't important, Joshua Foley," she states bluntly while staring at him. "Of course it's important, this world needs more people like yourself to step up, to do the right thing, to not just exist but /live/ the life they were given."

She returns to scrubbing, "I merely believe that everyone is in such a hurry these days that they pile on, and pile on, and miss out on the basics of happiness. Do you believe Sara is actually happy with her life as it is, or rather as it was, before you? Is she happy now or is she going through the motions? She is strong headed, willful, stubborn, determined, and far too good at her many jobs... she doesn't know how to be taken care of, and that is exactly what she needs. Someone to take care of her."

Joshua Foley has posed:
Joshua listens to Ruth, taking the storm in stride as he rubs the bridge of his nose as he considers his words. Carefully. Because this is pretty much like asking Sara's family permission to date her.

"I know that she is busy. But I have seen her both genuinely happy and angry. And I have wanted her through both. I know she is happy. I want to keep making her happy. I am also strong-willed. But I have my faults. And she's trying to make me better for them. I am not perfect, but I hope to be what she needs. And that we will take care of each other."

"And I can see my future with her."

Sara Pezzini has posed:
Rinsing the parts off, Ruth dries off her hands with a kitchen towel, then turns to walk over to Joshua. Laying her hand on his shoulder she offers him a smile, "Then welcome to the family son," she offers and then he gets hugged... no, he doesn't get a say in the matter, she hugs him.

Joshua Foley has posed:
There's no choice. The hug is accepted and Joshua returns it after a moment, giving Ruth a gentle squeeze as he returns the smile before he laughs lightly. "We'll talk me joining the family at some point, I'm sure." he offers optimistically. "Now, is there anything I can help with?" Because he can keep himself busy until Sara comes home.