Owner Pose
Morgan Finn One of the Embassy staff answers the door and greets Belinda and escorts to the smaller prep kitchen. Dressed in jeans, a plain white T-shirt, and an apron, Morgan is there doing some sous-chef work for Ferdinand. He's caramelizing a big batch of onions in a huge industrial pan, and blanching green vegetables for dinner tonight. The aroma is intoxicating.

The teen demigod looks up from his work. A genuine, warm smile blooms over his face. "Hey, Belinda! I'm so glad you came by. You stayin' for dinner?
Belinda Gutierrez "Would not miss it for the world!" Belinda exclaims cheerfully, eyes alive with joy. She raises a small plastic grocery bag, heavy with the smell of fresh greens and spiciness. "Green chilis," she explains. "Some for me, and some for Senor Fernando. Fernandez? For El Toro to test, and see if their spiciness agrees with regular Amazon palets and cuisine or no. And for record, *again*, I cannot believe that none of them have ever even heard of peppers! It is travesty, I say!"

Setting the bag on the counter, she smiles before she walks over to wash her hands at the counter. "Onions. And...?"
Morgan Finn Morgan occasionally stirs the onions, but largely leaves them alone. Caramelized onions come out best if you don't fuss with them constantly. "I'm blanching some spinach and asparagus for Ferdinand. Basically, I boil them very briefly and dunk 'em in ice water. When he goes to cook them, they'll have a gorgeous green color and be really crispy.

"I was hoping you would...you would come by. I mean, we have some stuff to discuss from the other night. That was a really serious incident and I'm so sorry I got you involved."
Belinda Gutierrez If her ears could slant back in embarassment, they would. Belinda nods, grimacing, stealing a glance to either side, all around the kitchen area-- no witnesses to firm, fierce hug she gives in return!

"I thought you had been hurt!" she exclaims, squeezing tight. "I was always so careful but when that man brandished his gun and I thought he was going to hurt someone and just did not stop to think--!"

She squeezes again, firm-- brief before she slowly lets go. "Then everything was loud, and then it got louder, and..." She trails off, grimacing. "I thought very hard about not biting him. A lot. Because that would not be fair to anyone."
Morgan Finn The aproned demigod wraps his arms around Belinda and returns the hug fully. "Hey," hey says in a low, calm voice, "You did nothing wrong. You were the victim, Belinda." As the hug releases, Morgan trails one hand down Belinda's arm and then gives her hand a quick squeeze before letting go.

"You obviously have a lot going on with that transformation stuff. You should not have been forced to reveal it against your will. You should have had the choice to do it -- or to not do it -- in your own place and time. You have *nothing* *nothing* *nothing* to apologize for."

Then a warm, deep grin blooms over Morgan's face. "But damn, AWESOME! You can turn into a badass wolf!" He gives Belinda's shoulder a nudge with his elbow.
Belinda Gutierrez Belinda's lips crinkle, and she giggles a brief, helpless laughter as she shakes her head. Hugs again, nodding with a brief sniffle.

"Nobody else en ma familia-- in my family can do this," she explains softly, exhaling through pursed lips. "Well, except my great grandpapa, but he is... not well, these days. Fading as time passes, and not long for the world." She squezes again, sighing firmly now. "When I was young, he saw... what I was, somehow. Was going to be. So he trained me a little, as much as he could. He was much sharper then, and much more active for how old he was. I think Papa said he was involved as far as the War, but they never said much more."

She grins, glancing up shyly. "...It *is* badass, no?"
Morgan Finn The young sous-chef (a $50 term for prep cook) gives the onions a bit of a stir. He seems they seem a bit dryer than he wand them, so he grabs a pitcher of water and pours about a quarter cup in and stirs it in.

"Completely badass." Morgan peers at Belinda for a moment. "You probably saved my life." Nuff said about that. He coyly looks to the boiling water and preps another load of asparagus to be blanched. Ferdinand cooks for all of the staff, residents, and guests of the embassy, so that means a LOT of food.

"Are you down for talking about it? If it's a subject you want to keep private, I definitely will respect that."
Belinda Gutierrez Belinda shakes her head, moving over to the wall to select one of the aprons hanging there. "I have been quiet about it for years," she replies, grimacing briefly before throwing it over her shoulder, reaching to tighten her hair back in preparation. "And after grandpapa began fading, after I moved to the City...." She smiles faintly, focusing before she tosses the apron on, tying it off with a quick knot. "Not being able to talk about-- I feel like a ballon, getting ready to burst if I don't spill."

She moves alongside, frowning thoughtfully. "Though there is not so much to say. I have been the werewolf as far back as I can remember. Part of the reason I eventually came here, in fact." She half grins, rolling her eyes. "My cousin thought that if I were big and scary, I could bully other kids into giving up their lunch money. So, here I am, and there he was paddled. So very much!"
Morgan Finn When Belinda aprons up and moves in to help, Morgan's expression goes from a warm grin to a genuinely happy smile. "Here, blanche this load of spinach. It wilts almost instantly, so only keep it in the boiling water for about 30 to 45 seconds, then move it into the ice water immediately. It can't stay in as long as the asparagus or it will fully cook."

"I don't know of any other werewolves, to be honest. I didn't even know they were real. So, can you control it? Like change back and forth whenever you want? I mean, it's not related to the moon like in the movies, right?"
Belinda Gutierrez Smiling, Belinda accepts the bowl, moving it over with confidence. "Si y no," she says, "Er-- yes and no. Yes, I can change at will, whenever I want. No, not connected to the moon... I think... But it is easier during time when the moon is fullest, brightest in the sky. Closer to instinct, to home, if that makes sense?" She frowns to herself, working as she studies her own thoughts. "Silver hurts. Certain herbs hurt a lot. And getting set on fire..."

She shudders, shaking her head. "I would rather be shot again! Normal bullets heal quickly, almost as if they do not matter. But fire burns stay; they can take ages to heal. So-- always careful in labs and around hot stoves. No touching!"
Morgan Finn The teen demigod nudges his shoulder once against Belinda's. "Hey, you ever get burned you come see me. I can heal it, like I did when I accidentally almost killed that dude in the warehouse. I'm what's called an empathic healer. I take wounds and illnesses onto my own body, which heals at a very fast rate. You're among friends now. Okay?"

Morgan sets a large mixing bowl on the counter and starts scooping wonder, steaming, brown, sweet-smelling, caramelized onions into it. "These are my favorite. I swear I could eat a bowl of just caramelized onions." He grabs a clean fork and scoops some and holds it up in Belinda's direction. "Wanna try?"
Belinda Gutierrez Belinda giggles, leaning over with a quick sniff. Nibbliong with dainty care, she chews the onions thoughtfully, savoring the taste. "Not bad," she agrees, humming around the bite. "Tame, tender, but sweet. Nice!" She swallows, smiliong with a brief apology. "So much of my food is spiced though. Helps with living so close to so many people, machines, animals, things." She wrinkles her nose with a grin, tapping it with a finger. "The nose *knows* allll the things! So spicies, chilli peppers-- all help keep sinuses clear and smells fresh-- thoiugh I love coffee in la manana."

She stretches back, sighing dreamily. "Or hot chocolate. Or cold chocolate! Ice cream. Breaded chops. All the chicken." She trails off, humming cheerfully.
Morgan Finn Morgan's cheeks flush as he laughs. "Damn, have I met my match with someone who likes to eat more than I do? What kind of ice cream do you like? Ferdinand and I made some yesterday. We made chocolate, Oreo cookie, and coffee ice creams." He gestures around in general. "Everything here is homemade. Ferdinand won't tolerate processed foods."

Morgan starts to gather up bowls. "Here, can you please give me a hand with these bowls? We'll take them into the main kitchen. I'll introduce you to Ferdinand."