7968/Ramen Rendezvous

Ramen Rendezvous
Date of Scene:	24 September 2021
Location:	Ramen Empire
Synopsis:	Colleen and Mairin randomly meet up at Ramen Empire and a friendship fosters out of a ramen bowl.
Cast of Characters:	Mairin Moran, Colleen Wing

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Mairin Moran has posed:
Mairin Moran sits at the bar of the crowded Ramen Empire. A book open to one side, encouching on the only space at the bar not occupied, and a notebook in front of her that she jots the occasional note into as she reads. Despite the noise, and the occasional bump on the elbow, she seems completely oblivious to the people around her, even one that stands impatiently in front of the lone empty seat for several moments before finally turning to go with his food in an obvious huff.

Colleen Wing has posed:
Ramen. Yes. Colleen was hungry and it had been a while since she had visited the Ramen establishment that was right near her former dojo. Truth be told she had not gone back there since her Dojo had been burned down and tonight she was going to change that. Making her way into the restaurant, Colleen makes her way to the crowded bar, nudging her way between two patrons a muttered word in Chinese to the man who eyes her. He quickly scoffs and stands up, departing after theowing a ten on the counter. She slides onto the seat which happens to be next to Mairin and exhales softly calling out to the elderly woman behind the counter. "Ni Hao Li Jing." The woman turns and offers Colleen a smile and s small conversation begins.

When the conversation is over, her attention is drawn to the young woman beside her, a greeting offered, or what appears to be a greeting. "First time here?" A small cup of tea is placed before her.

Mairin Moran has posed:
Mairin Moran only nudges the book out of the newcommers way to get it out of the way of the tea. Wouldn't want it to get ruined after all. She looks up at the greeting, her eyes a little wide, as if just noticing Colleen for the first time. "Excuse me?" She reaches out to take a drink of her own tea that is quite obviously cold, and grimaces a little.

Colleen Wing has posed:
The grimace is noticed and Colleen does what she can with a few small hand gestures to the woman. It is clear she frequents this place often and takes some liberties with her interactions with the elderly woman whom she clearly knows well. "I have just bnot sene you in here before. And I kind of come here probably more than I should." A new hot tea is placed in front of Mairin as Collen reaches for her own to take a small sip. "Colleen. I used to live around here. And let me recommend the Shoyu Ramen. Okay, I may be a little bias, it is the only one I have tried, but..."

Clearly she does come here often, but in no time at all a bowl of the Shoyu is placed before her, without her ever having ordered it.

Mairin Moran has posed:
Mairin picks up the new tea, holding it as she listens to Colleen, her eyes only leaving the woman's own when her bowl of ramen arrives. "I already ate," She answers simply. "Why do come here so much?" She slides her notebook, that a glance would reveal is filled with design drawings for various armatures and joints combines with complex math equations. None of which is any more complicated than what fills the book that she gently, almost reverently, closes, her eyes never leaving Colleen's face.

Colleen Wing has posed:
"It was close to my dojo. It serves a little taste of home. Comfort food. You know?" She reaches for the spoon to taste some of the Ramen, her eyes going back to Mairin's glance as she chews, waiting until she is done before speaking once more. However, it is clear that her eyes also caught the notebook before it wad closed and Colleen was not going to let something so interesting go. "Wow. That's...advanced stuff. You design stuff like that? Like come up with the equations and how to make those things?" A sip of tea is taken once more and she shakes her head slowly. "You must work for some big egineering company or something?"

Mairin Moran has posed:
"I... Yes. And no." She looks down at her notes and smiles fondly, almost like someone looking at photos of an old friend. "I'm a robotics engineer at Columbia. I'm working on some reasearch with some of the professors there." She pauses and looks up, her brows lowering in thought. "What do you do?" she finally asks, as if just now deciding it's the proper responce.

Colleen Wing has posed:
There is a moment of reflection of exactly how she wishes to reply to the question, but then she finally speaks after a short pause. "I run...well I ran a dojo here in Chinatown. You know, teaching the city's youth martial arts, life skills and all that stuff." That was until recently. Small fire incident and I am currently looking into the rebuild process." Another bite of the Rmaen is taken, taking a moment to chew. "I'll get it up and running again. Ever think of taking martial arts lesson? First lesson is free." She winks as she plugs her business. "A robotics engineer huh? That's really awesome. I have seen robots, but I would not know the first thing about building one. Operating one. Fixing one...really I am completely lost when it comnes to robots." She gives smile to the other woman. "What do you hope to do with your degree?

Mairin Moran has posed:
She slides the book on top of her notebook, stacking them neatly, and turns in her seat to face Colleen directly. "What started the fire?" she asks, her attention fully focussed. "I haven't ever thought about it, it seems very difficult." And then, "Make things better for people." Each answer given as though she were rattling off the answers to a pop quiz. "Why do you teach martial arts?" The question echoes with obvious curiosity, contrary to the almost antagonistic way it could easily be taken.

Colleen Wing has posed:
Colleen now too turns to face the woman, leaning her elbow on the counter. "What started the fire? Well that is still under investigation it would seem." She may actually know, but it is not something she is about to reveal right now. "I have insurance, well a bit. I am exploring options for the rebuild." She sips the tea and continues to speak from behind the rim of the cup. "Teaching martial arts is why I get up every morning. Giving somethin gtot kids who need it, even adults. It's what I enjoy most and its something I have become quite good at. I have always said, if you can make money off something you enjoy doing..you will always enjoy your work."

She tilts her head to the side, studying her a moment as a strand of hair falls in front of her face. "Think about it. Do you enjoy it? When you create something and see it come to life or help someone...does it bring you joy? COme on...think about it." She smiles.

Mairin Moran has posed:
Mairin is still holding her tea, though she seems to have, once again, forgotten it. She tilts her head to the side slightly, but she doesn't even have to think about this answer. "Of course. There's nothing like the thrill of discovering just the right amount of current you need to overcome a tansient barrier. Or watching your first articulated joint flow through its self diagnostics." She laughs a little. "Is that how you feel when you teach someone to punch someone?" Her smile and bright eyes give away the innocent and ignorant nature of the question.

Colleen Wing has posed:
Articulate joints. Tansient barriers. Diagnostic what? Yeah those are worda Collen querries a brow at as shehears them. She may as well have been speaking some alien dialect. "I may have broken someone's articlated joint before." Yes, what this woman before her does is completely out of her area of expertise. She considers the question and slowly nods. "It's more about seeing the change in them. The confidence. The pisitive changes it gives them thorugh learning and discipline." Another sip of the tea. "Okay let's be honest, watching some kid break a board or land the perfect strike is pretty damn cool too."

Another bite of the ramen is taken as she speaks through a dangling noodle. "I bet you could get a really good job with some place here in the city. All sorts of smart robotic type places about."

Mairin Moran has posed:
The laugh that comes out at Colleen's joke seems to surpise even Mairin. But she doesn't shy away from it. But as Colleen describes how she works with the youth, her expression becomes more serious. "You really care about them," she observes. "I've seen that look before." She shifts slightly, her hands moving nervously, and jumps into the topic change. "I've had some people come talk to me. FBI, Lexcorp, Stark, Waynetech..." she lists off most people's dream jobs as if they were her list of top 5 movies.

Colleen Wing has posed:
"My students...yeah. They are my students." She does not comment any further on that as the topic is changed and she starts to rattle of a bunch of A-List companies and organizations that people would give their articulate joints for. "Whoa wait. The FBI? Waynetech? Stark? Lexcorp?" She shakes her head a moment as if to clear it for a moment. "All of them have sought you out? Damn girl you must have a lot of knowledge inside that little head of yours. Seem's like your little ticket has been punched. You just have to decide where you would want to be."

An elderly Chinese man enters and shuffles his way over to COlleen, leaning in to give her a small embrace from the side and murmurs a few words in Chinese. Collen smiles over and gives him a one arm hug in reply before he shuffles off to his regular seat in the corner. "Sorry. Mr. Chen. He thinks I am fluent in Chinese. Yeah...no. Functional at best."

Mairin Moran has posed:
She nods, her gaze taking in the interaction as though memorizing it for furhter study. Then she shrugs. "I suppose. They all have their ups and downs. Some of them have better labs, but others have access to more advanced research. Or more unique research. But none of them have a lot of access to what I really want." She glances back over to the old man, distracted. "Why does he think you're fluent? Haven't you told him you aren't?"

Colleen Wing has posed:
Colleen shrugs and peers over to the elderly man, waving a finger before looking back to Mairin. "He probably already knows actually and does not have the heart to call me out on it." There is another smile given to her and her tea taken in her hand. "Wait. None of them have access to what you really want? What could that possibly be...I mean except for attractive single employees?" She sips the tea and smiles from behind the rim. "Let's be honest...it is part of the decision process."

Mairin Moran has posed:
Mairin blinks, confused, but shrugs and plows on, setting her once again cold tea on the bar and leaning forward. "Ideally," she says, her voice lowering, "I'd like to work with someone who has as easy access to magic, as they do to technology. I'd very much like to see how they interconnect." She joins her fingers together in a sort of cog motion. "Technology, no matter what the power source or the materials, always has its limits. Everything does. The trick is to find new things that counteract and counterbalance those limits." Her eyes are bright as she searches Colleen's for understanding.

Colleen Wing has posed:
Oh you can stare into COlleen's eyes all you want and you are going to see a few blinks of her own and a slow nod. "I see." It is not that Colleen is not smart, it is just an area she is for the most part clueless about. "Okay let me process this. Technology. Magic. I understand those. You want to work with the marriage of those two things. Like a magical technical piece of...technology." She nods again as if she is trying to appear like she fully gets it. "A weapon...a suit of armor...magically enhanced?:"

Mairin Moran has posed:
She laughs a little, that same almost childish sound. "Anything! There are so many possibilities. It's like..." she searches for an anology. "A katana!"

Colleen Wing has posed:
A katana. Now there is something she is completely acquainted with. Her eyes go wide with a genuine smile. "No that is something I understand. But, mine is not magical or technical. It's just really old." She eyes the girl once more. "You are going to make a name for yourself in this city Mairin. Trust me. I can alreayd tell."

Mairin Moran has posed:
Marin just plows on, ignoring Colleen's compliment. "Or I guess steel in general," she corrects herself. "But anyway, the point is that forged iron is hard, but it has its weaknesses. But when you combine it with Carbon, it forms steel, and that is stronger than either one of them by themselves. And then..." Her pace speeds up as she gets excited and she scoots closer, putting a hand on Colleen's arm. "Then you fold that steel. Like with a Katana, and you get something even *stronger*. That's what I'm talking about. Taking two things that are strong, and making them stronger together. Then using new ideas, to make it even *better*!"

Colleen Wing has posed:
The excitment that she sees in Mairin is contagious and Colleen finds herself smiling as well, even reaching out to put her own hand on the other girl's arm. "Now you are speaking in a language I can understand. I totally get what you are trying to do now. That is a perfect analogy." She watches Mairin for a moment and then softly adds. "You seem like you have a good foot in the door already, but if you ever need anything...seriously." She reaches out for a napkin and grabs a pen off the counter someobdy had left after signing their check, scribbling down her number. "I know some people." She does not elaborate. "Maybe not the right people, but perhaps." She slides the napkin over to her.

Mairin Moran has posed:
Mairin looks at the napkin in surprise for a few seconds, then reaches out and takes it. "Are you giving me your number?" She asks with a forward, almost clinical curiosity.

Colleen Wing has posed:
Colleen shrugs casually and nods once. "If you find yourself needing a lesson in self-defense ever. Or a good restaurant suggesrtion here in Chinatown. I am kind of a self-professed travel guide for this part of the city." She reaches for the tea once more, not sipping yet. "Or if you ever find yourself in trouble." WHat does that mean? Colleen does not even explain.

Mairin Moran has posed:
She nods, apparently satisfied that the motives and situation surrounding the transfer are purely platonic. "I'll let you know. Although, " she shrugs, "I can't imagine what kind of trouble I could get into." She pauses, her mind obviously kicking into high gear again. "Are *you* in trouble?"

Colleen Wing has posed:
Colleen raises a hand to tuck a strand of hair back behind her ear and shakes her head slowly. "Who me? In trouble? Financial trouble perhaps. I mean I just lost my dojo. I got things in the works for that tho. But trouble...trouble?" She looks to her ramen and plays with it a bit with the spoon. "No trouble at all. Life is as good as a well oiled reticulated joint." Did she just make a tech reference? "Sometimes life is so routine it's just boring."

Mairin Moran has posed:
Mairin watches her carefully, but either she sees the lie for what it is and doesn't want to pry, or she takes Colleen's words at face value. Either way, she lets it go. Mostly. "How long will it take to rebuild your dojo?"

Colleen Wing has posed:
There is another shrug given. "I...I am not sure. Working on a few things. Have some options there." She takes another bite of the ramen and then turns her attention back to Mairin. "When it's for the kids people tend to be a little more receptive to helping, you know? There are a few locations possible, but I really would llike to keep it in Chinatown if I can. WOuld not feel right if it were anywhere else."

Mairin Moran has posed:
"That makes sense." She half-turns back to the bar, resting an arm on her book and fidgeting with the corners. "I know it can take a lot of time for something like that to... get back to normal." She chuckles wryly, "Be nice if there were machines that could make it faster?"

Colleen Wing has posed:
Colleen places her plams down on the counter and breathes out once more. "I don;t know. It's still in the works. I have a place to stay with a friend. So that is taken care of. It's just going to take a bit of time to figure it all out again. Optomism is a funny thing. I have it, but don't always believe it." She looks over to Mairin once more. "I don't like taking charity."

Mairin Moran has posed:
Mairin smiles. "That's not a bad thing. It's cliche, but the best things really are the ones you have to work hard for. I had to work hard for everything. I mean... It isn't the same. And it isn't like we were poor. But after they cut us off and we were stuck there..." She shrugs, "You just had to work hard and get what you wanted or give up and..." She shrugs again.

Colleen Wing has posed:
"You make it sound so simple. I mean...solutions and such. It's a little more complicated than that with me. It will all work out. It always does...usually. In time." She looks once more over to the girl, finding her gaze once more. "They cut you off?" She tilts her head again to the side with a quizical expression. "Where were you stuck?" She quickly shakes her head. "You don;t have to answer. Sorry, that was intrusive."

Colleen Wing has posed:
"Ah Gotham. SPent a little time there, but a place I frequent often. Are you looking ot stay here in Manhattan?" She leans her own elbow on the counter. "Seems like we have both come across difficult times. And here we are sitting in a ramen establishment trying ot figure out our next moves."

Mairin Moran has posed:
"Yes," she answers almost immediatly. Then smiles a little. "It might be more accurate to say that we've both experianced hard times at various points in our lives. Mine, in my childhood and yours presently. But the odds of us both meeting and being able to help each other are deffinitly slim." She pauses, her face becoming curious. "*Have* I helped you?"

Colleen Wing has posed:
Colleen is silent a moment seemingly processing what Mairin has said. It is a moment of quiet contemplation and reflection. "Have you helped me?" There is a slow nod given to the other girl. "You have given me a dinner that I otherwise thought would be nothing more than staring into a ramen bowl and questioing if I want desert." She gives a half smile to Mairin. "Not all help comes from force and money." That is her way of saying /yes/."

Mairin Moran has posed:
A look of genuine suprise comes across Mairin's face. "Oh. I'm glad." She smiles and looks down at her book, then nods as if deciding that yes, she is indeed happy to hear that, as surprising as it obviously is. "I really do need to get back home." She stands and picks up her stuff, tucking it under one arm. "Thank you for the company, Colleen," She says, in a tone that has only a slight air of wrote memorization.

Colleen Wing has posed:
As Mairin stands to go, Collen stands up from her own stool and extends her hand. "This was nice. Unexpectedly nice." She looks to Mairin's ramen and gestures. "I got that. Thanks for the company. If you need anything don't hesitate." She gives her a genuine smile and then turns to start to walk to Mr. Chen, saying a few words in Chinese to the now smiling man.

Mairin Moran has posed:
Mairin starts to object, but Colleen hurries off to fast so she just shrugs and lets it go. Sh secures the napkin with Colleen's number in her purse, then leaves, her mind already back at work on power rate reductions before she even passes out the front door.