View source for 5812/All you need is friends

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2021/04/01
|Location=Shawarma Palace
|Synopsis=Lydia and Sara meet for dinner. Lydia needed to talk about what happened at the Shake Shack the other day, and decided to introduce Sara to shawarma. Things go well and food was enjoyed.
|Cast of Characters=2338,918
|pretty=yes
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{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:2338|Lydia Dietrich (2338)}} has posed:'''<br>Lydia was nervous about calling Sarah. Sure she had said to give her a call if she needed anything, and right now she could use a friend, after yesterday's altercation with Katsumi. The call had gone well, and she invited the policewoman out for dinner at Shawarma Palace, which while may no longer be the best shawarma place in New York anymore it's still damn good. <br><br>So here she is, seated at a small table for two, working on a glass of water, waiting for Sara to show up.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:918|Sara Pezzini (918)}} has posed:'''<br>After the call, Sara grabbed her jacket and headed out to her motorcycle. It was easier to get around New York on it than in a car, and she liked the freedom. Helmet on, she pulled out into traffic and made the trip from Brooklyn to South Midtown Manhatten in record time. Not much speeding, but man it felt good.<br><br>Parking out front, the helmet is removed and strapped to the bike before she heads inside.<br><br>A quick look around gives her Lydia's location and she heads over, offering a wave as she moves. When she arrives she sits beside Lydia, rather than across from her, and lays a hand on her arm as she says, "Hey Lydia, are you alright?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:2338|Lydia Dietrich (2338)}} has posed:'''<br>Lydia offers a little wave when she sees Sara. "Is it that obvious?" she asks morosely. "Thank you for coming. I needed somebody to talk to, and ... well ... you were the first person to come to mind." <br><br>She sighs and runs an finger along the edge of her glass of water. "Yeah. I was out at the Shake Shack last night, after getting off from an interview, which I'll probably never hear back from. So I met this couple... I think they were friends, maybe. One of them was this Japanese girl who just looked /horrified/ to see me." <br><br>"So I invited them over. It's what I usually do because it usually puts people more at ease if they're able to ask questions and learn more about it," she explains. "But the more I talked the more horrified she became until she actually /ran away/ from me." She looks up to Sara, "I haven't had anybody do that to me since I was in high school. She acted like I was," a hand flails about helplessly, "some kind of monster."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:918|Sara Pezzini (918)}} has posed:'''<br>Sara's hand remains on Lydia's arm, not at all effected by Lydia's ectoplasm. She listens intently as the woman speaks, a frown touching her lips at the explanation for the sadness.<br><br>"Okay, I have two answers to this. Gut instinct first," she offers a nod, sort a 'brace yourself for this' pause. "Fuck her. Her parents didn't raise her right, there's nothing wrong with you. You're beautiful, smart and talented and if all she can see is what you look like, she's no better than someone who judges based on the color of skin. So she can go fuck herself with a rotating pastry."<br><br>She offers a smile, then pats the arm she is touching. "Now the more logical response, based off the gut. Most normal people don't get it, but what really sucks is they don't want to get it, so they don't bother to learn manners about it. Until more schools like Happy Harbor exist, around the world, there are always going to be people like this little piece of shit you met yesterday. What you have to do is realize this is not a /you/ problem, this is a /her/ problem."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:2338|Lydia Dietrich (2338)}} has posed:'''<br>Lydia's hand reaches up to the hand that's been patting her arm and takes it in her own, squeezing for comfort. She blushes a bit when she's told that she's beautiful and then snorts in amusement on the rotating pastry part. <br><br>"I know it's not me," She says. "I mean, for the most part these kinds of things don't bother me. I am what I am, you know? I'm used to getting a lot of stares, and looks of disgust because I'm an obvious mutant. But to be treated like a monster? That still hurts." <br><br>"I actually cried after that. I haven't cried about it since high school, either." She reaches out with her unoccupied hand to take a sip of water. "I just... it helps to talk to somebody about it. Keeps me from just replaying it over and over in my head."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:918|Sara Pezzini (918)}} has posed:'''<br>Not minding her hand taken, Sara uses the other to wave down the waiter and order herself coffee, but she keeps her eyes on Lydia while she is talking.<br><br>"Hey, I said call me for any reason and this fits squarely in that. We not be the best of friends, but we did share something powerful and bonding, so that makes us friends." She offers a bright smile now, giving Lydia's hand a little squeeze back.<br><br>"If I had been there, I likely would have ended up embarrassing the hell out of you because I would have called the little twerp out on her over reacting. I can't even begin to fathom the level of pain something like this causes Lydia, but I can tell you it's not right that you are subjected to it. Even if you were one of the very select few out there who deliberately did something to get 'super human' powers of some kind, that reaction is /still/ not acceptable."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:2338|Lydia Dietrich (2338)}} has posed:'''<br>Lydia manages to give Sara a smile back, her mood beginning to lift. "I would like us to be better friends," she admits. "You were the first person to come to mind when I wanted to reach out to somebody. I don't know why, but you fit the bill." <br><br>She snickers and shakes her head, "I think I would have liked to have seen that." She takes a deep breath and lets it out as a big sigh. "Thank you," she says. "I feel better. Do you want to get something to eat?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:918|Sara Pezzini (918)}} has posed:'''<br>The coffee is set down and instantly cream is added, not a lot, but it has to be a certain color. When Sara is happy with that color, she looks to Lydia.<br><br>"I have never eaten here," she answers with a slight shrug, then her eyes shift to a man sitting across the restaurant from them. She doesn't full on look at him, it's more of a quick glance then watch from the corner of her eyes. "Feel free to order aything you like, but two of them so I can try it, and I'll pay."<br><br>There is no warning, no indication of what it was Sara had been looking at the man about. Her trained observation skills as a police officer noted him when she came in and had kept note the whole time they were talking, and now she seems to have had enough.<br><br>Looking right over at him she says loudly, with authority in her tone, "You have a problem, sir? Something you'd care to vocalize?" The man looks shocked and terrified at the same time, not having expected to be caught at what it was he had been doing. He rapidly shakes his head, gathers his food and heads out the door. Sara looks back to Lydia, the smile right back in place. "Food is a yes."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:2338|Lydia Dietrich (2338)}} has posed:'''<br>Lydia nods, and finally takes her hand away from Sara's so she can pick up the menu. "I've had Shawarma before, but not from here. Let's see what they've got..." <br><br>It's while she's browsing the menu that Sara, musing over her choices that Sara notices the guy and confronts him. She looks up, at the guy then at Sara. "Was he staring?" She asks. "Sorry. I didn't notice. Too wrapped up in myself. People stare all the time and it stopped bothering me long ago."<br><br>The server comes by to take their order, looking apologetic about the other customer. "Let's start with a hummus platter," Lydia orders, "Two shawarma combo platters, and two baklava for desert." When the server nods and disappears into the back to have the cook prepare their order she turns to Sara. "Let's see how good their hummus is. That's really the mark of a good Mediterranean place. I make it at home all the time so I have pretty high standards."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:918|Sara Pezzini (918)}} has posed:'''<br>Sara nods a little, "It was more of a 'are they going to kiss' sort of stare, mixed with, 'oh hey look a mutant'. Just thought I would nip it in the bud before it became anything else."<br><br>She looks at the menu herself, mostly to see what is offered and get a feel for the place. "You make humus?" is asked with surprise in her tone. "By yourself?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:2338|Lydia Dietrich (2338)}} has posed:'''<br>Lydia bursts out laughing. "I can think of worse people to kiss," she admits with a blush. "But I don't think we're there yet." Oh God. Did she just say that? Inside voice, Lydia. <br><br>She nods, "Oh yes! Hummus is really easy to make. Some garbanzo beans, some tahini, olive oil, salt, and I like to add garlic in it for taste. Whip it all up in a blender until it's nice and smooth and you're done!"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:918|Sara Pezzini (918)}} has posed:'''<br>Both brows lift into Sara's hairline for a moment, and a hint of a rosing happens to her cheeks for a second, but she owns the compliment in the end. "Thanks Lydia, I do like to keep in shape." This from a woman whose armor makes her shape obvious to everyone.<br><br>"I can't cook, I burn water and I don't usually have time for serious attempts. I nuke a burrito and call it good most often, or order out from the station. My mother gets on me about it, a long list of reasons why not being able to cook and being so devoted to my job means she will never have grand children."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:2338|Lydia Dietrich (2338)}} has posed:'''<br>Lydia laughs in delight, "My mother gets on my case too. She keeps setting me up with men that I have no interest in, in the hopes that one might finally take and I can finally settle down and pop out some babies for her." She chuckles, "I'm almost tempted to buy her a puppy that she can baby so she can get off my back." <br><br>The server comes by and drops off a plate containing a bowl of hummus and some warm pita bread to scoop it up in. "Here we go," Lydia says in anticipation. "Let's see how this is." She breaks off a bit of the pita and scoops up some hummus on top of that and pops it into her mouth, chewing slowly to savor the flavor. "Not bad," she concludes. "Good texture, nice flavor. I approve!" <br><br>She nods at Sara understanding. "Yeah. I get that. I didn't know how to cook when I got out of high school, and only taught myself when I was in college. Turns out I wasn't bad at it! I should invite you over and cook you something one day."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:918|Sara Pezzini (918)}} has posed:'''<br>Sara laughs along with Lydia over the mother situation, as if that's all daughters were good for, grandchildren.<br><br>"You want to know a little secret?" She offers, as the food arrives and Lydia is taste testing. "I was just dating the perfect guy, I mean... " She makes this face something akin to 'oh my god gorgeous' and 'I died and went to heaven'. "Dick Greyson. I'm sure you've heard of him, everyone has. He's a great guy, a /damn/ good detective, and I had a great time with him. Thing is, he was in love with another woman, but didn't know he was... and to make it even better, she was madly in love with him, but wouldn't show it."<br><br>She takes a bit of the pita bread to try the humus, but holds it for now. "It felt good to smack him upside the head and make him see that he loved her, then send him off to her... the whole romantic garden thing even. And even though I enjoyed his company, and more," she wiggles her brows a little. "It wasn't going to be love, it wasn't going to be a future." Now she tries the bite, chewing slowly to get the taste and textures and nods, "Oh wow, that's really good."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:2338|Lydia Dietrich (2338)}} has posed:'''<br>Lydia can't help but feel a twinge of disappointment upon hearing that Sara was dating a guy. She shakes her head to clear away the inappropriate thoughts. "Yeah, I've heard of Dick Grayson. That's quite a catch!" She can't help be impressed with that. "Too bad about the love situation, though. I'm sorry it didn't work out." <br><br>"My mom set me up with Danny Rand once," she comments, and lets that sink in. "Yes. /The/ Danny Rand. He was the perfect gentlemen, but we knew right off the bat that we weren't meant for each other, so we just sat back, relaxed and had a really good dinner." She takes another scoop of hummus. "Got his number, though. How many people can say that they've got the personal phone number of a billionaire stored in their phone?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:918|Sara Pezzini (918)}} has posed:'''<br>Sara raises her hand in answer to that with a grin on her face and a chuckle, "I honestly don't know how much Greyson is worth or has, but he's a Wayne so I'm thinking, a lot, and his number in is my phone but... Danny Rand?!" She says that excitedly, not loud.<br><br>"You don't have to be sorry, because the truth is, it felt better that he is with the woman he loves. He's a good friend, and always will be, and I helped him find that special someone. That makes it perfect."<br><br>She has a little more humus on pita, then looks at the other items. She's ignorant to the shawarma rules, and has no idea what anything was. "Besides, it was a bad call to be dating while I still have holes in my memory anyway... what exactly is all this?" She gestures to the plates.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:2338|Lydia Dietrich (2338)}} has posed:'''<br>Lydia nods, grinning, "I know, right? Danny freakin' Rand. I don't want to know what kind of strings my father had to pull in order to get that to go through." She nods, "At least you parted with him on friendly terms and he found The One."<br><br>"Okay," Lydia says, pulling out her fork and uses it to point at the shawarma grill. "You see that big rotisserie thing that has the big slab of meat on it? The grill cooks the meat, and then they shave off thin slices of it to put on the dish." She, then, turns her fork to point at the meat piled high on the plate. "It can be all sorts of different meat, but traditionally it's lamb, which is what we're having tonight." She points to the rice, "This is basmati rice with saffron, which is what gives it that golden color and rich taste, and of course," she points at the salad, "Salad." <br><br>She turns to her own plate and spears a thin slice of meat to taste. "Mmm. They nailed the seasoning. No wonder why they say they're the best shawarma place in New York."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:918|Sara Pezzini (918)}} has posed:'''<br>Sara listens through the instructions of what she is about to eat. Lamb, rice, saffron, salad, got it all down and nothing sounds too scary. Even if it had sounded scary, she would have eaten it, she lives on the dangerous side.<br><br>Collectin her fork, she tries a bit of the meat first and discovers that she needs to add lamb to the meats she would kill someone for. "Oh man, I have to bring Angelo here," she mutters after swallowing. "I don't know what those spices are, but if this place delivers, I'm having it ordered to the precinct because it's worth it."<br><br>Next is a taste of the rice, saffon being the spice she's never had, and a brow raises. "I was expecting... I don't know what I was expecting, but that is /very/ nice. It compliments the spices on the meat really well."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:2338|Lydia Dietrich (2338)}} has posed:'''<br>Lydia nods enthusiastically, grinning as Sara discovers new flavors. "Doesn't it just? Saffron is the world's most expensive spice, so you have to use it sparingly." She chuckles and chews a bit on the salad. "Don't expect much out of the salad, though," she muses. "It's just salad." <br><br>"So..." she says, drawing out the word, "I've talked a lot about my day yesterday. How about you? Did you catch any bad guys?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:918|Sara Pezzini (918)}} has posed:'''<br>Sara does try the salad next. It may just be salad, but the freshness of the lettuce effects the whole meal, and they got this right. It's perfect.<br><br>"Technically, I'm not allowed back ta work yet," she states with a sigh, a slight roll of her eyes. "The psych won't release me back to duty."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:2338|Lydia Dietrich (2338)}} has posed:'''<br>"Oh no!" Lydia says, concerned. "You seem fit to me, especially after how you helped out with the bus. If you handled that, I can't imagine why you couldn't handle getting back on the force." She shakes her head and feeds herself another bite. "Is there anything I can do to help?" She knows that there probably isn't, but it never hurts to offer to help.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:918|Sara Pezzini (918)}} has posed:'''<br>Sara shrugs slightly, taking a bite of the meat and rice together, and chewing it before responding.<br><br>"I don't think there's anything anyone can do. You see, something happened and I don't know what it was, but I woke up in the hospital a week later missing memories. Not just what happened, but bits and pieces of the last year are just gone. I know who I am, what I am," she fingers the bracelet she wears at that. "I know my job, all my training. I knew that Angelo was a friend, like a partner of sorts and that I live with him. The last year of my life is just snippets, pieces, some that make sense, some that don't."<br><br>Lifting her coffee cup to take a sip, she rests it back on the table. "The psychologist who has to green light my return says I may never remember, and until I accept that, he can't green light my return to duty. Well I /can't/ accept it."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:2338|Lydia Dietrich (2338)}} has posed:'''<br>"Oof," Lydia says with a sympathetic wince. "That must be rough." She takes some salad and chews in thoughtful silence. "I don't normally advise lying, but have you tried just telling your psychologist that you'll accept it, and then just work on it on the side?"<br><br>"I mean, you were working during that year, I bet, and getting back to work my jostle some things." She wags her fork at Sara as she thinks out loud. "With every civil service there's a bunch of bureaucracy that comes along with it, so you could take a look at all the forms and stuff you had to fill out over that year and maybe something will come back.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:918|Sara Pezzini (918)}} has posed:'''<br>She continues to nibble at the meal, preferring the combo of rice and meat together for bites, with salad after. Flavors and textures seem most appealing in that order to her.<br><br>Glancing up from the plate to Lydia, Sara chuckles, "You're not the first person to suggest that. Problem is, if I go back to work, I won't work on accepting it. I've already gotten my hands on my notes for most of the last several months. Already followed some leads into looking where I was last seen and such."<br><br>At this point Sara takes a slow look around to see who is where in the restaurant, noting how close they are, then leans a little closer so she can drop to an almost whisper.<br><br>"We found out some of what happened, and why I don't have the memories, it's the how to get them back part that we are drawing a blank on."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:2338|Lydia Dietrich (2338)}} has posed:'''<br>"Hmmm," Lydia says thoughtfully, spearing some more meat for consumption. "I bet a telepath could help, but they're not something you can go and look up in the yellow pages." She's sure that Sara thought of this, too, but still, she wants to help. <br><br>"I'd like to know what happened," she says, lowering her voice to match those of Sara. "But that's perhaps better for a more private setting."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:918|Sara Pezzini (918)}} has posed:'''<br>The last thing Lydia says gets a nod from Sara, but she speaks about the first part. "I thought of that myself, but I don't know any. I don't have any connections to where a psychic might be, and with the implosion of SHIELD, most have gone into hiding again for a little while."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:2338|Lydia Dietrich (2338)}} has posed:'''<br>Lydia nods. "If I come across any that seem trustworthy I'll send them your way." She chuckles softly, "Not that I'm likely to come across any, but..." she shrugs. "I'm a mutant. Who knows?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:918|Sara Pezzini (918)}} has posed:'''<br>Sara smirks very slightly, then offers a teasing, "What, you don't have connections to all the other mutants in the world just because you are one? What kind of a mutant are you?" The smirk turns to a grin, clear indication she's joking. Now she takes on a hoity-toity tone of upper crust New Yorker, "One would think with your stature and ectoplasmy goodness, you would know /all/ the mutants."<br><br>She chuckles a little, hoping she didn't take that too far because there was not a serious bone in her body to any of it.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:2338|Lydia Dietrich (2338)}} has posed:'''<br>Lydia's response is to grin and chuckle along. "Yes," she admits, "All us mutants know each other. We have a secret website where we keep track of everybody and I can just get one on the phone." There's a pause as she realizes what she just said, and winces, remembering the Mutant Registration Act. "Yeah, no. Let's not go there." <br><br>She purses her lips and finishes off the remains of her food. "In all seriousness, if I come across /anything/ that could help you I'll send it your way. Having holes in your memory...." she shakes her head, "I can't imagine what that's like."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:918|Sara Pezzini (918)}} has posed:'''<br>Sara pats her arm lightly, just a reminder that she's not alone and that there is at least one off duty New York Detective who would go to bat for her any day of the week.<br><br>"I appreciate that, I really do," she offers with a soft smile. "I /know/ there are things that Angelo knows about his last year that he's not telling me, and I've started to figure out that it's because those things relate directly to him, so it's his right to keep those to himself if he chooses. I would just /really/ like to remember.<br><br>Finishing off the last of the food on her plate, she takes a drink of her coffee. "Perhaps one of the days this next week we can get together in a more private setting, you could come by my house if you'd like, and I can tell you all the information we have thus far."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:2338|Lydia Dietrich (2338)}} has posed:'''<br>Lydia can't hide her excitement at being invited over. "That'd be great! I'd love that." She looks thoughtful, "I'll bring some stuff over and will cook for you. Nothing to complicated. I'll keep it simple." <br><br>She finishes off her plate, clearing it and all but licking it clean. "This was a great find," she says. "I'll definitely be coming back here."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:918|Sara Pezzini (918)}} has posed:'''<br>Fishing into her coat pocket, Sara pulls out an old fashioned police note pad and micro-pencil. The pencil may have been longer in a former life, but it is now down to about an inch long with very little eraser left. She writes down her address then tears the page out and offers it to Lydia.<br><br>"I will call you with the best day. Have to make sure Angelo is alright with company. He's out of town and working a lot, so may not even be there, but it's his house over all. I honestly don't think he will care."<br><br>Now she pulls out her visa card and puts it with the check, writing in a good tip before closing the little pleather folder it was in.<br><br>"Should probably get the baklava to go, because I ate too much but baklava I know and love and will devour at midnight with tea." She chuckles a little. "You now know my other secret, sweets at midnight."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:2338|Lydia Dietrich (2338)}} has posed:'''<br>Lydia laughs and admits, "Hot chocolate with the little marshmallows and a warm blanket, for me." She lowers her voice to a more secretive level, "Some days I even put Kaluha in it when I'm feeling adventurous." <br><br>She leans back in her chair and smiles. "Thank you for coming to dinner with me. I really needed it and having you here has made me feel a lot better. I really appreciate it."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:918|Sara Pezzini (918)}} has posed:'''<br>Sara smiles brightly, "That's what friends do Lydia, and that's what we are. I mean that."<br><br>Waiting for her card to come back, she puts it back into her wallet. "I enjoyed a new adventure in food tonight, and am hooked on Shawrama now. I'm glad I could help cheer you up. Just tell yourself, not a /you/ problem and always remember that there is at least one ecto-cheerleader out there who has your back."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:2338|Lydia Dietrich (2338)}} has posed:'''<br>Ectoplasm coalesces into pompoms and Lydia holds her hands up over her head with a "Yaay! Go team!" She giggles and stands to give Sara a parting hug, letting the ectoplasm go back into the swirling mists that constantly surround her. "I'll see you next week, okay?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:918|Sara Pezzini (918)}} has posed:'''<br>Sara stands to accept the hug and return it, the ectoplasm just accepted along with the tingle it creates.<br><br>"I will call you with the day, but pick something easy to cook."<br> <br>
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