xp_logs | Sue and Sooraya: first meeting (Reply)

Sooraya handling some groceries leads to meeting one of the mansion's new inhabitants.

Carefully tucking her own package of halal meat in a corner of the bag along with one or two kosher things she had picked for Mr. Haller, she started making her way to the mansion. Three shopping bags on each arm and a box with several packages in her hands...

It took a lot to feed the crowd of mansion folks and it was going to be a miracle if she managed to make it to the door...

"You know, you don't need to carry that all in one trip right." A voice piped up as a pair of hands appeared from behind Sooraya and plucked a handful of bags from out of her hands. "Oooh, what are you trying to feed an army with all of these?"

"How about an entire mansion?" Sooraya retorted from behind her box. "You would be surprised how much gets eaten here. And I wasn't in the mood to walk twice?"

"I dunno, seems like it'd be a really good way to get your daily exercise, you're getting a work out for your lower and upper body. I mean what more can you ask for?" Sue retorted with a smile.

"This works just as well as exercise, only more for your upper body then my lower body." Quickly cutting around the mansion, she entered the kitchen through the porch, putting the supplies down with sigh of relief. "You can put it down over here if you." She indicated the space on the counter next to her with a gesture.

"I don't know, don't people tell you that you're supposed to lift with your legs not your back. I think you might be doing it wrong there," Sue noted with a teasing smile, "Don't they have delivery people who can bring in the food? just taking it back and forward for everyone here must be pretty much a full time job."

"Oh, we have those as well. These are just somewhat more unusual things. And there are more people who take turns, so nowhere near a full time job." Sooraya start to pull the things that had to go into the freezer or refrigerator from the stack, intend on putting those away first. "I am Sooraya by the way."

"Sue," the blonde replied, nodding her head in way of greeting and handing out items from the bags, she didn't know where they went but she could help sort them at least. "I just got here a few days ago so the kitchen is perhaps the one place I can always find. There's always something nice smelling around here."

"We are lucky enough that we have some people very at home in the kitchen. And who enjoy doing it as well." Sooraya poked up her head out of the freezer and noticed what Sue was doing. "Would you mind tucking the various bread in the bin on the counter over there? Do you enjoy cooking?"

The blonde turned to do as requested with a laugh, "My cooking skills go as far as throwing something in the microwave or more commonly the phone. I do make a mean salad though, from the bag to your plate in no time flat."

Sooraya shook her head, a playful look in her eyes. "That is a sad state of things, Sue. What will you do when you find yourself somewhere without a microwave or a phone?"

"You suppose I'll ever end up anywhere without at least someone else able to cook. I can't think of too many reasons to go wandering around the Sahara desert. Besides," she grinned and tapped her pocket, "these babies can pick up a signal all over the world."

"Yeah, but which restaurant is going to deliver in the middle of the Sahara..." Sooraya tapped her chin wonderingly, pretending to figure it out.

"Oh the Desert Oasis Rose restaurant," Sue replied off hand, "their prices are a little steep, but their food is literally to die for when you find yourself stranded out there. Or you know, I hear the US airforce and SHIELD have some pretty mean chefs on call too."

"I did not know they actually had delivery services." Sooraya mock exclaimed. "I guess their prices must be pretty steep? Or is it only for a very select number of customers?" She shook her head slowly, grinning in the mean time. "Such a pity."

"Well you have to watch yourself," Sue replied getting into it, "but the price is worth every last penny. People stake their lives on it."

"Stake their lives on it? I would call that a pretty steep price for some food. Even if you are stuck in the dessert." Sooraya smiled. "For that price, I think they should at least add some transportation back home, first class."

"Those who taste it say it's the best they've ever tasted, even the water is like an ambrosia to them. I mean who could turn that back," Sue grinned, "Transport is always an option, depends how good you are at wrangling camels though."

"Sorry, camels I don't do, but horses I know very well." Riding... that had been a long time since she had done that. An easy one to remedy though. "I learned that one when I was very young." And something she was going to remedy this afternoon or tomorrow.

"I've ridden camels on holiday, you now back and forth along a beach, same with horses but," Sue shrugged, "not really my thing. Now wave power or engine power I can do."

"Okay, I can see engine power, but wave power?" Sooraya eyed slightly quizzically, not quite placing it. "But don't underestimate riding. It is an amazing feeling, working in conjunction with another living being while you race over the land, so to speak.

"Surfing!" Sue exclaimed happily, "I mean sure riding you're working with another living creature but surfing you're working with nature itself and the sea in order to move, and there's nothing that can beat that feeling."

"There isn't really a place for surfing here in New York though. Much too cold for one." Sooraya pointed out. "Where did you learn? Or were you able to learn at the Hamptons or a similar place?"

"That's not strictly true," Sue objected, "I learned in California but there are plenty of surfing spots in New York. It's cold water surfing but long island has some amazing waves. You ever thought of giving it a try?"

"Cannot say that is something I have ever thought about, to be honest. I'm not too crazy about the water." Sooraya smiled. "I have friend though, Angel. She is a real water rat and she might enjoy learning one day. You ever thought about learning to ride?"

Sue laughed, "You're assuming that I don't know how to ride," she pointed out eyes sparkling, "I may not be in love with riding like some of my friends but I can handle my way around a stables." She had better, her grandmother had dragged her to a stables everyday until she wasn't going to disgrace the family name.

"I bet not like me."Sooraya smirked a little. "Ever made long ride outside without a saddle, truly one with your horse?" She steeples her hands together, staring at the other woman in the kitchen. "There is nothing like it."

Sue arched an eyebrow, "Bet it doesn't compare to carving a 30 foot wave and hearing all that water coming down behind you, not a feeling to match it in the world."

"Ever feel the wind move through your hair as you gallop, feeling the power of another living being beneath you. Knowing that if the horse chooses he could easily buck you off, but instead he works with you." Sooraya arched an eyebrow right back.

"Have you ever just floated there on your board, just you and the sea stretching out all around you completely at one with nature letting the waves rock and relax you? The sense of scale and the vastness of nature, with the sea-wind and the salt air and nothing else. The sense of fear and sheer adrenaline as you face the best nature can throw at you, the thrill of riding and defeating some of the most awe inspiring and terrifying forces on the planet." Sue smirked at Sooraya, "The feeling of knowing that one misstep, a slight deviation from your course could send you flying back into the ocean?"

"That sounds more like a battle then a hobby to me though." Sooraya commented, instead of trying to find an equivalent in her own experiences while riding. Equivalents during some battle she had faced sounded more fitting here, but she did not want to mention the exact circumstances to the blond woman.

"It is a little I guess," Sue agreed, "That's the reason it's so addictive. With a horse there is the feeling of working with something but with surfing you're both working with and at the mercy of the sea. It's the ultimate rush," Almost as good as breaking the toughest security system, but that wasn't a comparison that Sue was willing to make to someone she had just met.

"I am thinking you liking that feeling might come in very handy here..." Sooraya muttered to herself. Louder she continued on: "Ah... I have you figured out. It's all about the adrenaline kick. I should have guessed that."

"A little maybe," Sue allowed, "But that's not really it it's the challenge and self of achievement that really does it for me. The whole pushing yourself to just do a little better and beat the next goal and the goal after that."

Sooraya raised her eyebrow. "That sounds like adrenaline kick to me, only put in different words." She grabbed the fruit bowl and started removing the fruit still there with the intend of putting that on the top. "Want an apple, by the way? No cooking required."

"I can't promise that I won't end up burning it somehow, it's like I've got a special secondary mutation," Sue said with a laugh as she pluck the proffered apple from Sooraya's hands, "I don't know if it's the same thing, and Adrenaline rush is all about the thrill in the moment. This is a little different, it's not about the thrill it's about challenging and bettering yourself."

"No worries. I am used to that. My best friend and roommate does have some skill at that." Sooraya put a few pieces of fruit aside to take with her to her suite and started restaking the fruit bowl. She frowned at several green banana's and look around her. "Sue, you mind handing me that paper bag?"

"Uhh, sure," Toss passed Sooraya the bag in question, "planning on ripening those bananas?"

"So you know at least something about the kitchen, so to speak." Sooraya tucked the banana's in and put them next to the fruit bowl on the counter "And yeah, I was thinking about making some banana bread tomorrow or the day after. Depends on how my current paper goes."

Sue grinned, "Nope, nothing about cooking but everything about science," she disagreed with a smile, "It's the ethylene gas the food gives off, we did a science project on it back in high school. And the paper bag allows for a decent airflow too."

"Everything about science? Including chemistry?" Sooraya asked as she wrote her name and the goal on the paper bag.

"The chemical formula of ethylene is C2H4," the blonde told Sooraya with a grin on her face. "all the science things ever." She confirmed.

"Then learning how to cook should not be too hard for you. It's pretty much a form of chemistry..." Sooraya commented with a sly smile as she stowed the last of the groceries.

"Oh I know the theory," Sue allowed, "but when it comes to practice I tend to get distracted or lazy and it goes wrong."

Sooraya shook her head. "Good thing you live in NY then... City with the most options for take out. Or here, where people might just do the cooking for you."

"Well we have a canteen at work, but you can't have too much takeout," Sue pointed out, "takes away from the novelty of the thing, Like I said, I'm a whizz at whipping up a salad."

"Excellent. I will put you on the list then..." Sooraya commented with a grin as she put the groceries for her suite and the fruit she had put aside together.

"There's a list?" Sue asked in surprise, "Excellent, sign me up!" She grinned at Sooraya, "I wonder how quickly grandpa could get a chef out here>" she asked herself, taking up a mock pondering tone of voice.

"Ahh, but that is cheating. I see you have no sense of fair play." Sooraya mock-pouted. "There is no honor in that! I bet you had someone who cleans as well?"

"Is it though? You never said that I had to do the cooking all by myself," Sue pointed out with a laugh, "besides isn't this just a case of the best tools for the job, besides do you <i>really</i> want to be responsible for giving the mansion food poisoning?"

"It would give the folks in the medlab something to do though." Sooraya painted as serious a look as possible on her head.

Sue nodded sagely, "We wouldn't want them to get too bored cause thigns were going too well here. They might feel lonely." she agreed.

Sooraya let out another laugh and shook her head. "I am afraid I need to head back to my suite. There is a paper that cannot wait any longer..."

"Go go," Sue gestured encouragingly at the door, "I can totally understand that. I've been procrastinating on my own for long enough." She eyed the fruit Sooraya had stored, "On the other hand, just one more day isn't going to really get in the way of anything. And those apples do look pretty good."

"Feel free to take one or two with you." Sooraya gestured with her free hand as she pushed open the door with her shoulder. "I hope to see you later, Sue."