8544/For Whom the Curry Tolls

For Whom the Curry Tolls
Date of Scene:	04 November 2021
Location:	Main Room - Titan's Tower
Synopsis:	And Benadryl is your friend, even to Amazons.
Cast of Characters:	Caitlin Fairchild, Terry O'Neil, Bart Allen, Kate Bishop, Nadia Pym-van Dyne

---

Caitlin Fairchild has posed:
The dinner bell alert goes off around 4:30 in the afternoon. Often it's just an alert that pizza's incoming, or the automat's managed to not burn a meal for people.

Today, the Real Food chime goes off. No automat, no reconstituted rations, no fast food or pizza. Something authentic and home-made!

Caitlin is working in the kitchen as people show up. A complex melange of spices wafts through the main room; mustard, coriander, peppers and some other herbs more common in Asian countries. The remains of a few well-debrided chicken carcasses promise poultry for a protein.

The big oven range is smack in the middle of the island, a convenient place to make food and dish it out for four or fifteen people. Rice steams happily from a couple of pots, waiting for the rest of the curry to finish simmering. It looks like Caitlin's at the point where the work is more 'stir and wait'; she's reading a dense-looking volume on genetics propped up in front of her by a haphazard array of convenient bowls and utensils. In a comfy pink hoodie, grey leggings, and wearing a faded apron with a joke about the periodic tables, she seems quite ensconced in her little happy place.

Terry O'Neil has posed:
"You really should be more careful of your textbooks," comes a voice out of thin air. A second later, the Cheshire Cat appears in traditional form: smile first, then the rest of his body, and he holds out something to Caitlin: A book holder. It's the type you buy for thick recipe books in order to hold them open, but in this case it will work for a volume that thick. "Thought you might be able to use this."

His nose wiggles, and he sighs. "Dear god, what is that heavenly thing I smell? And will I be able to get any before Bart and Irie get to it?" he grins.

Bart Allen has posed:
Speak of the devil. With a blur of speed and a gust of wind Bart, is there at the tower, but he is one room off of the kitchen. He looks over and waves to those there, as he sits some plastic cages down on the coffee table in the main room. He looks down at the cages "You guys ok? He asks to the cages and smiles at them. He looks over, and says "Hey Caitlin" He says upon seeing her "You have any raw veggies in the fridge?" He asks, and he is off and back, drying his hands on a paper towel.

Kate Bishop has posed:
    Real food. That can honestly only mean one thing. Kate stares at the t-comm then taps her tablet to bring up the interior cameras and looks to confirm her suspicions.

    Yup Caitlin has made some sort of serious dinner for the tower. Excellent. She closes up her laptop putting all of her homework on pause now so she can push back from the desk and stretch like a feline.

    Which leads to her prowling out into the main room now hands stuffed in her own hoodies pockets. "They had best not eat it all or I wilk wrekt them." she says dryly to Terry's question then looks over at the cages Bart left.

Caitlin Fairchild has posed:
"New recipe," Caitlin tells Terry. She stirs the sauce a little more and ladles up a spoonful, holding her hand under it so he can get a taste sample. "Madras curry. I'm trying to broaden my horizons a bit. The Sunday Gravy routine isn't going to fly forever."

She grins in gratitude at Terry for the gift, and carefully nudges the book a few inches furthur away from the tall soup pots. It looks unpleasantly dense, the sort of textbook that costs an arm and a leg and is only comprehensible to people working in a narrow field.

Bart and Kate both get a smile of welcome, and she aims the stirring spoon at Bart in a playfully menacing fashion. "You and me eat last," she reminds him. "We get just as much food as everyone else. If you're starving, there are protein shakes in the fridge. And I think there's some summer squash in the larder, you can help yourself."

"Wait, why do you need vegetables?" she inquires, immediately suspicious!

Bart Allen has posed:
Bart Allen looks over and says "Oh food for us too?" He asks "Cool", seems the bottomless pit was not stopping by on the food alert. "I just picked up some new friends, roommates for my apartment, and thought I would stop in and show them off on the way home. It is their first day with me, but they are really cute, and I figured if we were going to be here for a bit, would give them a little treat, help them feel ok around people, and if the speed messed with them. Which it should not have, since it does not mess with people when I bring them with me."

Kate Bishop has posed:
    "Smells great Caitlin." then Kate archs an eyebrow at the cages and Bart's mention of friends for his apartment. Okay now she is totally curious. It has her walking over to where the pet carriers were left and she crouches down to peer into them one at a time.

    "aww.." she carefully opens one of the carriers up and ever so gently pulls out a very young guinea pig craddling it. "I always wanted a pet.. .are you really going from like no pets to this many in one day for your apartment?"

Caitlin Fairchild has posed:
Caitlin's eyes widen. "Wait, is that a--"

She whirls away from the fresh-made meal and grabs a kitchen towel. It's only just in time, and the sneeze she lets loose is almost as loud as a gunshot.

"It's a guinea pig! I'm aller-- aller--"

Caitlin manages to partially pinch her nose, face screwing up with the effort. The sneeze comes out with significantly less force and she mops at her nose.

"Bart, I'm allergic," she tells him with a distressed expression. "Rodent, ragweed, sunflowers, and lavender." She sniffles hard, eyes watering, and heads towards the women's side of the dorms. "I'll be right back, I just need my allergy meds," she reassures everyone, and steps around the corner.

There's another HA-CHOO and a loud *thud*, possibly caused by sneeze-induced recoil throwing a redhead into a wall.

Terry O'Neil has posed:
"Oh. Guinea pigs..." Terry says, eyebrows raised. "I guess they're a good beginner pet, but they have the personality of a potato. They're just little sacks of meat, food delivery for predators," he chuckles. Of course the cat would say that. He's about to say more when-

"GESUNDHEIT!" Terry says, and winces at the thud.

"Wait. If she's allergic to rodents, does that mean we need to wrap Kaida up in a hazmat suit...? Cait, are you alright?" he calls.

Bart Allen has posed:
Bart Allen winces a bit and epps. He looks over to Terry and Kate and asks "Should I take them on home? I can if I need to, I didn't think about anyone being allergic to them." He frowns a bit and then to Terry says "They can have personality, depends how socialized they are, part of why I brought them, wanting to work with them getting used to people, so they are not freaked out like most in pet stores, thats also why I got young ones. " To Kate he will say "I have a terrarium with snails back at the roost, but these guys are for my apartment, and I have a set up all for them. I got guys and girls I could spend time with but who would also be ok with either their own company or alone."

Kate Bishop has posed:
    "You should probably take them home Bart, people can visit to socialize them and help you out I am sure. Also you should not put coed rodents together if that is what you are sayingf.. that would cause an explosion of rodents... I think. Like you know. How bunnies are right?"

    She again, has never had pets. She is pretty sure that is right. She moves to put the cute Guinea pig back though and heads towards the women's dorms. "I'm going to change my shirt and wash my hands... Cait seems very allergic..."

Caitlin Fairchild has posed:
"No, it's OK. I just-- hang on." Caitlin stands in the hallway, staring at the ceiling and walking a little unsteadily. She's currently managing the task of putting in eyedrops and trying not to blink away the tears. Then a nasal injector, once in each nostril.

And then four allergy pills, which she washes down with a sip of water.

"I'm fine," she repeats, and daubs the saline away from watering eyes. "I only take my allergy meds during the spring. It'll calm down, I promise."

She makes it back to the kitchen and starts doling out bowls of food, pouring the yummy curry over a bed of jasmine rice for people.

And Bart gets a little extra in his bowl, apparently to make sure he knows Caitlin doesn't hold any grudges.

"You and Kaida /bathe/, Terry," she reminds her fellow redhead. "It's the pet dander, it just--" her face screws up for a few tense moments; when no sneeze materializes, she lowers her weight back onto her heels and sighs in relief. "Gar went through a gerbil phase. Took me forever to realize why I was sneezing all the time."

Terry O'Neil has posed:
"Yes. I bathe. Quite regularly. I also clogged up my shower like, ten times. I only shower here now..." he says, smirking. "Cait, want me to jaunt over and get you some Benadryl? Thank goodness you're not allergic to cats. I haven't met anyone who's allergic to cats yet. Hey... wouldn't it be hilarious if Batman turns out to be allergic to cats?" he winks at Kate and Impulse. He doesn't mention he's met Batman without the cowl. So it doesn't count.

Bart Allen has posed:
Bart Allen looks over and says "You sure? Cait, I can take them home and be right back in ten or fifteen minutes." He offers and to Kate he says "I am considering raising them, but only letting them have like one or two litters a year, they normally only have two or three babies per time." He is ready to head out to help Cait it seems.

Kate Bishop has posed:
    Kate comes back into the main room a bit after Caitlin comes back. She is definitely wearing a new shirt and washed her hands. "I had no idea you were allergic to anything Caitlin.." she notes bemused. It is fun finding out someone so indestructable has such a mundane weak spot.

    "It would be absolutely hilarious Terry." she agrees and then walks over to scoop up one of the doled out bowls. "Why so many pets though Bart?"

Caitlin Fairchild has posed:
Caitlin produces a box from her hoodie pocket and rattles it. Benadryl, or the generic version thereof. "I'm fine, guys. Really. Got the meds, got my eyedrops in."

"Plus, some curry should help," she remarks, and takes a bowl for herself to walk around to the other side of the counter. She claims one of the sturdier stools and perches on it, elbow resting on the counter so she can face the others. "I hope I got the recipe right," she says, and frowns at a loaded forkload of curry. "I got the tumeric at the grocer's, but the recipe calls for some spices I could only get from this little regional shop clear out on Long Island. I'd never heard of most of them before."

Terry O'Neil has posed:
"You know, they eat guinea pigs over in Peru?" the Cheshire cat adds to Bart, "I always find it interesting how pets in one culture are food in another, and vice versa."

Leaning on the counter, he raises an eyebrow at Caitlin. "Turmeric. The devil. I remember the first time I cooked with turmeric and I wasn't careful. Ended up staining my hands yellow and didn't notice until next morning. I forgot it does that and for half a morning I was freaking out because I had jaundice." He chuckles, "I was thirteen at the time, so..."

Bart Allen has posed:
Bart Allen will step out of the room and shake at hyperspeeds to make sure no pet dander on him, before coming back, and getting food. "I am really sorry Caitlin, I figured people would get a kick out of seeing them. You can still see the lizards or the turtles he offers. He looks over to Terry and says "Go to the right place, and most anything is food, but these guys are friends not food." He takes a bit of his food, and to Kate's question he says "Well, one did not want them to be lonely that is why I got two of all but the dragon, and may get a second one of him down the road, and got four different types, cause I know I can be a bit much for some people, didn't want to be to much for anyone of them to handle."

Kate Bishop has posed:
    There is a deep sigh. "No eating team pets or team members Terry... shesh..." she looks back to Bart at the explanation of the pet quest. "Okay... that still seems like a whole lot...do they all actually like sharing room with their own kind.. I know some snakes don't right...?"

    Again this is all hypothetical. She has never had any pets.

    She eats some of the food. "It tastes good to me?"

Caitlin Fairchild has posed:
Caitlin bravely volunteers to go last, just in case the curry is toxic. Someone has to alert the media if she poisons everyone, after all. She grins at Terry's anecdote and shakes her head with a resigned amusement for his story.

Kate's approval prompts Caitlin to take a few bites. "Ooooffa," she says, and fans her slack jaw. "Wow, that is... that is spicy."

The plucky superheroine puts aside her Irish sense of taste and drives on through the well-spiced meal. "Seriously, Bart-- don't worry about it." A grin spreads across her face. "If I couldn't put up with a sneezing fit now and then, I wouldn't have lived in the tower with everyone here as long as I did. I haven't had a flu or the cold in like, ten years. I can live with allergies. It's not like it's hard to keep some extra Zyrtec in my room," she says with a patient tone.

Terry O'Neil has posed:
"Spicy? Oooh... gimme!" the Cheshire approaches, "I love spicy stuff! Even if my tongue doesn't agree..." he pauses, and glances at Kate's line about eating team-mates.

There is a reply that builds at the crest of his consciousness. His tongue is ready. His mouth is ready. The answer is about to come out, and it will be something that will make Caitlin turn red that has nothing to do with the spicy food being consumed-

And then his phone rings.

"Woops, that's mom. Be right back!" he says, taking his phone into the other room to take the call.

Saved by the bell.

Bart Allen has posed:
Bart Allen he will start to eat some of the curry and says "Yea, I made sure the ones I have more than one of will get along well with another. I have been thinking about pets for a while. I considered a dog or cat, but was not sure I would be able to spend as much time with them as they want, plus have Mr Murder Mittens at the roost, sorta a team pet, well Orphan's but she lets us all help and he is a cat, so I am pretty sure he thinks we are all his. I am going to talk to Phoebe and ask her who else would be good to talk to to feed them if I am gone for a bit. I am thinking maybe Chas might do it for me, if I ask."

Kate Bishop has posed:
    Another bite of the curry. Kate's palette doesn't seem to be sheltered and she seems to be comfortable with the spicy curry. She takes another one after it. "Poor Terry." she seems amused. "I'm surprised he didn't just say whatever it was..."

    "Maybe I could get a pet here to keep since I couldn't get one at home... well as long as it isn't a rodent..." now the wheels are turning.

Caitlin Fairchild has posed:
Regrettably, Terry's innuendo is so far over Caitlin's head she doesn't even hear it flying past. Instead, Caitlin rolls her eyes and gives her hands a little theatrical toss in the air. "Golly. If you two bring in pets, then Vic's gonna want to bring in a pet, and Gar will complain that HE didn't get to have pets, and then we have the Silkie argument aaaalll over again, AND THEN, Garth is going to reveal to us that his pet Kraken's in the underground cistern."

She huffs, and folds her arms across her chest, giving the others a level look.

"I'm not letting him bring his kraken here again," she declares.

Nadia Pym-van Dyne has posed:
They say hunger draws the wolf from the woods and so it is that the smell of food, having found its way down to the lab, has drawn the Waspette like bees to a picnic.

The elevator dings open and Nadia steps out with a fair amount of pep in her step, yet absent her formerly everpresent coffee. She's wearing her street clothes, a red and black pleated skirt with a touch of lace and a black T-shirt with a stylized neon pink wasp image, over which has been thrown a labcoat almost like extra decoration. "What smells so good?" There is a pause as she registers the conversation, "Wait, pets? Like a unicorn kitty?! Or ooooh I could bring Foss over!"

Bart Allen has posed:
Bart Allen looks over and starts to say something and stops, and looks over to Nadia "Unicorn Kitty?" He will ask the young lady. "I don't think I have heard of such an animal, and I am working at Gotham Zoo, " He then looks to Caitlin "Krakens, I have heard of but thought they were just in Atlantean places." He hmms and says "Honestly if your going to have a pet at a hero HQ, I suggest something small, and something that at least some of your teammates can get along with, unless you go with something that stays in a cage all the time, in your room."

Kate Bishop has posed:
    "Wait... we have a kraken in the underground cistern?" yes that is completely what ate all of Kate's attention from Caitlin's complaining about the team members having a pet.

    Though Nadia disrupts that soundly. "what is Foss?" yes ... yes she absolutely sounds sus about Nadia having a pet. Damnit Caitlin is rubbing off on her. "Look.. I haven't decided on a pet... it just struck me my dad never let me and I could maybe have one here.."

Caitlin Fairchild has posed:
"Had. Had a kraken," Caitlin says, dryly. "It was .... well, it was a whole thing, and it was complicated. If Garth comes back from Atlantis, make sure to ask him about it," she suggests.

Her food's disappeared pretty quickly and she gets to her feet to walk the bowl to the kitchen. She stops there long enough to make a bowl of curry for Nadia, pouring the gravy over the jasmine rice. "Eat up, Nadia, there's plenty," she bids the Waspette.

"All right, that's it for me. I've got to be at work early tomorrow," she announces. Her apron's hung up and she tugs a warm jacket around her shoulders. "I'll see you all later. Have a good night, okay?"

Nadia Pym-van Dyne has posed:
Nadia's face lights up as she accepts a bowl of curry jasmine rice from the departing Caitlin. "Thanks Cait! This smells amazing!"

"Unicorn kitties are not native to Earth." She informs Bart between spoonfuls of Curry into her mouth. While she doesn't compare to some of the more titanic Titan appetites, for her frame the Waspette sure can eat. "Their technical name is Einthera and they live on the planet Rann in Alpha Centauri. One sec, I have a picture." She fiddles with her StarkPhone until a picture appears on the screen of a huge green and purple tiger-like creature with a majestic unicorn horn protruding from its forehead. The flora in the picture is all strange too, it looks like some sort of alien grassland near, a watering hole. "See?"

Kate's question about Foss just makes her grin. "Oh, Foss was a present from my Dad, though present feels wrong to say, because I think he is his own ant. Dad asked him to stay with me and help me. He's a male drone ant trained to take a rider, he's been infused with Pym Particles so his size changes more easily, usually he likes to be around the size of a labrador dog though."

Bart Allen has posed:
Bart Allen hmms, and says "Interesting, are they domesticated or wild on their home planet?" He hmms a bit and and thinks about it."I wish I had took more xenobiology when I was still in the tube." He hmms and says "I would love any information you could get on them, and would love to meet and get to know Foss as well." He says as he is eating. "I am trying to be the best I can with my job, and the more I know about animals the better, and I can help my friends with their pets too."

Kate Bishop has posed:
    Kate carries her bowl over to get some more curry, then sets it aside so she can whip herself some milk tea, boiling up some fresh boba while humming to herself.

    "I'm pretty sure that Giant Ant may end up in Kraken Territory for Caitlin. Unless he is a very well behaved ant... and mostly stays dog sized?" she grins at Nadia.

    She does look at the unicorn kitty photo though. "Okay... that is... amazing.. are they sentient?"

Nadia Pym-van Dyne has posed:
Nadia laughs, before shoveling another bite of curry into her mouth and swallowing it down. "Oh, that's not an issue. Foss can't change on his own. He isn't able to control the Pym Particles in his body, it just makes it easier for me or my Dad or someone else who knows how to change his size. He generally stays at the size of a large dog and is really smart, very helpful around the lab. We only ever make him bigger if he needs to take a rider." Just normal Pym Family stuff.

Her grin widens at the questions about the picture. "Oh, one tried to eat Kaida when she got too close, Irie was fine though. They are very not domesticated. The Einthera are apex predators and pack hunters. They like to impale their meals on their horns like shishkababs! I don't think they are sentient, but they also seem to have some sort of psychic abilities, like their roar seems to ressonate inside your mind. Kaida was knocked out cold, but I swooped in to get her. Everything was fine."

Bart Allen has posed:
Bart Allen hmms and nods his head a bit to this and scratches his chin a bit and says "Well other world creatures often have different abilities, I know of the Lightning Beasts of Korbal, but they were in a game I played." He hmms and says "Would love to know more about them, and if they have psychic abilities maybe harder to domesticate, unless you get a telepath to help you with them." He will finish his bowl, and washes his hand looking into the fridge and getting some veggie scraps and moves over to put them in the little cages he brought with him, and refills their waters if needed.

Kate Bishop has posed:
    Kate scoops up her bowl now that her tea is made. "Okay.. yeah that is amazing. Too bad they aren't smart enough to be side kicks though..." she frowns. "Life goals." she notes amused.

    "I should get back to my calculus homework though if I want to go on a patrol tonight." she lifts a hand and waves to the speedster and waspette as she carts her noms to her room in one hand, tea in the other.

Nadia Pym-van Dyne has posed:
Nadia waves after the departing Kate, shoveling the last of her curry into her mouth. While not a speedster, she certainly can make food disappear! "Maybe you can come with us to Rann next time." She grins at Bart. By 'us' she means the GIRL crew off course. "It's not too far, just in Alpha Centauri, basically right next door to Sol."

She walks her bowl over to the sink and rinses it out so as not to incur Caitlin's wrath. "Oh! If you want to learn more about them before that though, I gave Gar a Rannian picture book of different animals for his birthday." Because of course she did. "The text is in Rannian though, so you'd have to figure out how to translate it, but there is a section on the Einthera in there."

Stepping out of the kitchen she takes a moment to stretch her arms skyward. "Anyway, I should get back to the lab before someone gets stung." That's not ominous at all, just what is she doing down there anyway?!

Bart Allen has posed:
Bart Allen looks over and says "I might be able to read it, I can read galactic common, but I don't know if they used part of the Rann language to make it or not to be honest." He hmmms and says "I will have to ask him about it, reminds me I need to ask if he can talk to animals to or just change into them." He hmms and finishes his food, and says "Thanks for the info and let me know when your going again, I might be able to add a bit to your star charts if ya let me look at them. I never got to travel for real in space, but do know the basics where you could get a bus to basically." He tells her. He cleans up his food and the other stuff there as well, before moving to gather his little sneeze machines and the rest of his pets and turns "See ya soon, and don't let them sting you." He says and is off to home with hsi new pets.