Sooraya and April | Kitchen Introductions
Jan. 6th, 2022 01:00 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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xp_logs(Backdated) April follows her nose and finds Sooraya in the kitchen, cooking up a delicious lamb and rice dish. Introductions are made, and April ends up volunteering for dish duty.
April had spent her days since being released from medical mostly exploring the mansion and the grounds as she met people and got settled in. Today though, she was putting in the effort to work on her powers, determined to get back the control she'd had before she'd ended up here. She was focusing small at first, mainly keeping the tendrils of black that liked to manifest near her hair calm while she worked at smoothly transitioning between human nails and longer, sharper claws. The scent of something cooking changed her direction, feet moving towards the kitchen while her eyes stayed focused on her hands.
"That smells great," she said as she came into the room, a friendly smile ready for the woman in front of her. "I don't think we've met yet. I'm April." She checked to make sure her nails were their normal human bluntness before holding a hand out.
"Thanks." Sooraya glanced up from the pot where she was prodding a piece of lamb, then put the spoon down when she indeed didn't recognize the woman in front of them. "Looks like we haven't had the chance yet, though I recognize your name from the journals. I'm Sooraya." She quickly lit another flame and put down a pot with rice to steam. "Have you been settling in okay?"
"It's nice to meet you." April took a seat nearby, not wanting to hover. "It's been... interesting? I've been exploring the grounds, mostly, and trying to figure out what's the same or different here. It seems mostly the same, but people with the same names as the ones I know are younger. Or just still alive, in some cases. I feel like I got blown into my own sci-fi novel." She shrugged, deciding to focus on one claw at a time while she talked. "Some people are more cautious than others, but everyone's been polite enough so far."
"I heard a little bit about how you came to the mansion." Sooraya turned the heat to low, turned around and pulled out a chair to join April. "I don't want to pry, but I imagine it must be really strange to see and hear about people who are familiar in a way, but also really different at the same time." She smiled sympathetically. "I'm glad though you seem to be finding your way around."
"I'll tell you if you ask something I'm not comfortable talking about. It's very different, knowing there's a guy with a similar name and similar powers to Dad, but he's closer to my age. The political landscape seems less open to people with powers, too. Things look pretty similar, some of the political names and figures are the same, or are names I remember seeing in a history book at some point. And it seems like the city is very similar. Layout's the same, but what's where is just.. a little bit off." April spread her hands in a 'what can you do' gesture. "Everything about my existence is weird. I can roll with it, or I can let it overwhelm me. And you're all fairly friendly and helpful so far, which is helping. Weird, but helping."
Sooraya shook her head ruefully: "A weird existence, huh? In that sense you'll fit right in. We've all faced our fair share of the weird and unusual. And just to give you a fair warning... I think it's almost guaranteed that more weird things will come your way if you stay here..."
"That's fine. It'll be nice to maybe fit in someplace. My family did a lot, but.. it's that same sort of just a bit off, being able to remember something you weren't physically present for. Your own memories, but not."
"Having something that seems like it's yours, but isn't really yours? It sounds pretty complicated." A quick wince stole over Sooraya's face. "I might be making it heavier than it really is. What kind of things do you enjoy doing?" A pan lid started rattling and she quickly rose to stir the rice.
"It was pretty rough the first year or so while we adjusted. Eventually it became the occasional normal family friction instead," April acknowledged. "Hobbies, uh... I liked working on my motorbike. Got it after graduation, learned how to do the basic maintenance on it by myself. Sketching is nice. I'm not the best at it, but it's great for focus or getting things out. Tennis is good too."
She watched Sooraya stir the rice, nose twitching in appreciation of the smells filling the kitchen. "What about you?"
"Uhm... cooking is one of my favorites." Sooraya made a small gesture at the pots bubbling away. "But I also love to go horse riding, especially if the weather cooperates. Otherwise... hmm... maybe some reading and going out to dinner with friends. I enjoy trying new dishes."
"I'm not a very good cook, but I love trying new food. What do you like reading? I mostly stick to lighter novels for pleasure reading because they're fast, but I like getting recs too." April propped her elbows on the counter, leaning forward. "Horses don't like me. The few times we've tried to introduce me they've spooked pretty terribly even from me just walking past, so I admire them from a distance."
"It's a bit of a mixed bag to be honest. I just finished a book of Persian fairy tales and I am about to start a biography from one of Afghanistan's first female parliamentarians. But I also enjoy Rumi's poetry a lot, for example." Sooraya finished adding some spices and retook her seat. "How did you get into the stuff with your motorbike?"
"Ah, I got some money for my high school graduation and saved up a bit from a job to buy it, then decided I should at least learn how to do basic things instead of paying someone else. Some of dad's coworkers were willing to teach me what they knew, and learning progressively more about how to keep it in great condition helped shape what I decided to do once I went to college."
"Ahhh, not just riding, but also tinkering with one. You know... there might actually be a motorbike around in the garage you can borrow if you want. If you talk to Scott Summers, he will probably be able to help you out. It also helps you to explore this new world a little bit better?"
"Yeah, I like getting my hands in it," April grinned. "Thanks for letting me know, I'll have to remember to introduce myself to Scott and ask. How did you get into horse riding? Did you get to learn as a child?"
"I grew up in a nomadic family in Afghanistan. We traveled around with our horses and camels to find new grazing lands for our livestock. I always like to say that I learned to ride before I could walk... okay... maybe run." Sooraya explained with a smile. "One of my first memories is sitting in front of my father on his horse, his arms around me."
"That sounds like a really good memory." April's voice was wistful. "Traveling sounds very interesting, but also hard if you were having to look for good grazing."
Sooraya's graze grew a little distant. "It was all I knew as a child. Looking back it was a hard life, but I've some good memories of it." She blinked once before refocusing on April. "Until a lot of things happened, but that's too long of a story to share right now. By the way, would you like to try some of this?" Sooraya gestured at the food on the stove.
"I imagine it's easier to see the challenges looking back," April replied quietly. "And yes, I'd love to try some of it, if you don't mind sharing. I can help with dishes after?"
"Sounds like a deal. Can you grab two plates from the cupboard over there?" Sooraya nodded at the cupboard before going to grab two serving spoons. "I made chilau, a lamb stew with spinach, rice and lots of spices. Hope that sounds good to you?"
"It sounds great." April stood, reaching up for two plates. "I'll eat almost anything, unless it's hot just to blow someone's mouth out. Well-spiced is lovely, though."
She took the plates from April, scooping up a healthy helping of rice on both plates and topped it with a few spoons of the lamb stew. "It's not the hot kind of spicy though... one thing the English language is kinda a bit lacking in."
"That's true. Does your childhood language have better words for the difference between ah.. herb spice and heat spice?" She accepted the now full plate and sat back down, waiting for Sooraya to sit before taking a bite of the stew and rice. Her eyes closed as flavor exploded across her tongue, and she swallowed the bite carefully before speaking again. "This is absolutely delicious, thank you for sharing it with me."
"Hmmm." Sooraya considered for a moment. "Actually, that's a really good question. I'd have to give it some thought. I'm not sure if herb-spicy is the right word to use either." Her smile grew as she saw April dig in. "I'm glad to see you like it."
"It is easy to like a delicious meal, even if it isn't something I've had before." April considered wording for a minute. "Flavor-spice, maybe? Since that's what it's providng. Warmth, flavor, bit of homey comfort."
"Flavor spice." Sooraya took a moment to feel out the words. "Any English major would probably be wincing right now, I think that might cover it just best. A little like the kinds of spice used in real pumpkin pie if you want to go for a more American take."
"And that is why I went into science instead," April grinned. "It isn't a dozen languages in a trenchcoat plus all of their accessory languages."
"Very handy though, you've to admit." Sooraya grinned back, mixing the rice and stew before taking a bite. "Even if some of them are less handy around here. So is it just English for you then? Or just the infamous Spanish class in high school?"
"The infamous Spanish class in high school, and then a bit of self-study. I'm fluent enough to mostly get through an average day if I'm talking and reading, but my writing's probably..." April trailed off, raising her free hand and rocking it slightly in a "so-so" motion. "Pretty average? Mostly well enough to get my point across daily, but definitely not for professional, formal writing. What about you?"
"Hmmm, let's see... I grew up speaking both Pashto and Dari, the two main languages in Afghanistan and I can read and write in both of them, though I learned that much later. When I came here I learned English and I've gotten to be pretty fluent. Arabic I studied a lot in college. I'd say it's about at the same level as your Spanish? Kinda depends how much I use it from day to day."
"That's really cool. I haven't tried picking another language up, but that's about the same for Spanish. If I'm using it a lot, I get better, but stop for a few weeks and I actually notice my drop in comprehension. Part of why my writing isn't very good, I don't need to use it a lot." April took her last bite, letting out a sigh once she'd finished. "I know I've said it already, but this really was so delicious."
Sooraya had to laugh. "How is this? I try to cook regularly, though I don't always have the time. If you're not in the mood, you can always try to send me a message and I might be able to set some aside for you."
"That sounds lovely. And I'm happy to help with the prep or do the cleanup in return."
"Sounds good to me."
April had spent her days since being released from medical mostly exploring the mansion and the grounds as she met people and got settled in. Today though, she was putting in the effort to work on her powers, determined to get back the control she'd had before she'd ended up here. She was focusing small at first, mainly keeping the tendrils of black that liked to manifest near her hair calm while she worked at smoothly transitioning between human nails and longer, sharper claws. The scent of something cooking changed her direction, feet moving towards the kitchen while her eyes stayed focused on her hands.
"That smells great," she said as she came into the room, a friendly smile ready for the woman in front of her. "I don't think we've met yet. I'm April." She checked to make sure her nails were their normal human bluntness before holding a hand out.
"Thanks." Sooraya glanced up from the pot where she was prodding a piece of lamb, then put the spoon down when she indeed didn't recognize the woman in front of them. "Looks like we haven't had the chance yet, though I recognize your name from the journals. I'm Sooraya." She quickly lit another flame and put down a pot with rice to steam. "Have you been settling in okay?"
"It's nice to meet you." April took a seat nearby, not wanting to hover. "It's been... interesting? I've been exploring the grounds, mostly, and trying to figure out what's the same or different here. It seems mostly the same, but people with the same names as the ones I know are younger. Or just still alive, in some cases. I feel like I got blown into my own sci-fi novel." She shrugged, deciding to focus on one claw at a time while she talked. "Some people are more cautious than others, but everyone's been polite enough so far."
"I heard a little bit about how you came to the mansion." Sooraya turned the heat to low, turned around and pulled out a chair to join April. "I don't want to pry, but I imagine it must be really strange to see and hear about people who are familiar in a way, but also really different at the same time." She smiled sympathetically. "I'm glad though you seem to be finding your way around."
"I'll tell you if you ask something I'm not comfortable talking about. It's very different, knowing there's a guy with a similar name and similar powers to Dad, but he's closer to my age. The political landscape seems less open to people with powers, too. Things look pretty similar, some of the political names and figures are the same, or are names I remember seeing in a history book at some point. And it seems like the city is very similar. Layout's the same, but what's where is just.. a little bit off." April spread her hands in a 'what can you do' gesture. "Everything about my existence is weird. I can roll with it, or I can let it overwhelm me. And you're all fairly friendly and helpful so far, which is helping. Weird, but helping."
Sooraya shook her head ruefully: "A weird existence, huh? In that sense you'll fit right in. We've all faced our fair share of the weird and unusual. And just to give you a fair warning... I think it's almost guaranteed that more weird things will come your way if you stay here..."
"That's fine. It'll be nice to maybe fit in someplace. My family did a lot, but.. it's that same sort of just a bit off, being able to remember something you weren't physically present for. Your own memories, but not."
"Having something that seems like it's yours, but isn't really yours? It sounds pretty complicated." A quick wince stole over Sooraya's face. "I might be making it heavier than it really is. What kind of things do you enjoy doing?" A pan lid started rattling and she quickly rose to stir the rice.
"It was pretty rough the first year or so while we adjusted. Eventually it became the occasional normal family friction instead," April acknowledged. "Hobbies, uh... I liked working on my motorbike. Got it after graduation, learned how to do the basic maintenance on it by myself. Sketching is nice. I'm not the best at it, but it's great for focus or getting things out. Tennis is good too."
She watched Sooraya stir the rice, nose twitching in appreciation of the smells filling the kitchen. "What about you?"
"Uhm... cooking is one of my favorites." Sooraya made a small gesture at the pots bubbling away. "But I also love to go horse riding, especially if the weather cooperates. Otherwise... hmm... maybe some reading and going out to dinner with friends. I enjoy trying new dishes."
"I'm not a very good cook, but I love trying new food. What do you like reading? I mostly stick to lighter novels for pleasure reading because they're fast, but I like getting recs too." April propped her elbows on the counter, leaning forward. "Horses don't like me. The few times we've tried to introduce me they've spooked pretty terribly even from me just walking past, so I admire them from a distance."
"It's a bit of a mixed bag to be honest. I just finished a book of Persian fairy tales and I am about to start a biography from one of Afghanistan's first female parliamentarians. But I also enjoy Rumi's poetry a lot, for example." Sooraya finished adding some spices and retook her seat. "How did you get into the stuff with your motorbike?"
"Ah, I got some money for my high school graduation and saved up a bit from a job to buy it, then decided I should at least learn how to do basic things instead of paying someone else. Some of dad's coworkers were willing to teach me what they knew, and learning progressively more about how to keep it in great condition helped shape what I decided to do once I went to college."
"Ahhh, not just riding, but also tinkering with one. You know... there might actually be a motorbike around in the garage you can borrow if you want. If you talk to Scott Summers, he will probably be able to help you out. It also helps you to explore this new world a little bit better?"
"Yeah, I like getting my hands in it," April grinned. "Thanks for letting me know, I'll have to remember to introduce myself to Scott and ask. How did you get into horse riding? Did you get to learn as a child?"
"I grew up in a nomadic family in Afghanistan. We traveled around with our horses and camels to find new grazing lands for our livestock. I always like to say that I learned to ride before I could walk... okay... maybe run." Sooraya explained with a smile. "One of my first memories is sitting in front of my father on his horse, his arms around me."
"That sounds like a really good memory." April's voice was wistful. "Traveling sounds very interesting, but also hard if you were having to look for good grazing."
Sooraya's graze grew a little distant. "It was all I knew as a child. Looking back it was a hard life, but I've some good memories of it." She blinked once before refocusing on April. "Until a lot of things happened, but that's too long of a story to share right now. By the way, would you like to try some of this?" Sooraya gestured at the food on the stove.
"I imagine it's easier to see the challenges looking back," April replied quietly. "And yes, I'd love to try some of it, if you don't mind sharing. I can help with dishes after?"
"Sounds like a deal. Can you grab two plates from the cupboard over there?" Sooraya nodded at the cupboard before going to grab two serving spoons. "I made chilau, a lamb stew with spinach, rice and lots of spices. Hope that sounds good to you?"
"It sounds great." April stood, reaching up for two plates. "I'll eat almost anything, unless it's hot just to blow someone's mouth out. Well-spiced is lovely, though."
She took the plates from April, scooping up a healthy helping of rice on both plates and topped it with a few spoons of the lamb stew. "It's not the hot kind of spicy though... one thing the English language is kinda a bit lacking in."
"That's true. Does your childhood language have better words for the difference between ah.. herb spice and heat spice?" She accepted the now full plate and sat back down, waiting for Sooraya to sit before taking a bite of the stew and rice. Her eyes closed as flavor exploded across her tongue, and she swallowed the bite carefully before speaking again. "This is absolutely delicious, thank you for sharing it with me."
"Hmmm." Sooraya considered for a moment. "Actually, that's a really good question. I'd have to give it some thought. I'm not sure if herb-spicy is the right word to use either." Her smile grew as she saw April dig in. "I'm glad to see you like it."
"It is easy to like a delicious meal, even if it isn't something I've had before." April considered wording for a minute. "Flavor-spice, maybe? Since that's what it's providng. Warmth, flavor, bit of homey comfort."
"Flavor spice." Sooraya took a moment to feel out the words. "Any English major would probably be wincing right now, I think that might cover it just best. A little like the kinds of spice used in real pumpkin pie if you want to go for a more American take."
"And that is why I went into science instead," April grinned. "It isn't a dozen languages in a trenchcoat plus all of their accessory languages."
"Very handy though, you've to admit." Sooraya grinned back, mixing the rice and stew before taking a bite. "Even if some of them are less handy around here. So is it just English for you then? Or just the infamous Spanish class in high school?"
"The infamous Spanish class in high school, and then a bit of self-study. I'm fluent enough to mostly get through an average day if I'm talking and reading, but my writing's probably..." April trailed off, raising her free hand and rocking it slightly in a "so-so" motion. "Pretty average? Mostly well enough to get my point across daily, but definitely not for professional, formal writing. What about you?"
"Hmmm, let's see... I grew up speaking both Pashto and Dari, the two main languages in Afghanistan and I can read and write in both of them, though I learned that much later. When I came here I learned English and I've gotten to be pretty fluent. Arabic I studied a lot in college. I'd say it's about at the same level as your Spanish? Kinda depends how much I use it from day to day."
"That's really cool. I haven't tried picking another language up, but that's about the same for Spanish. If I'm using it a lot, I get better, but stop for a few weeks and I actually notice my drop in comprehension. Part of why my writing isn't very good, I don't need to use it a lot." April took her last bite, letting out a sigh once she'd finished. "I know I've said it already, but this really was so delicious."
Sooraya had to laugh. "How is this? I try to cook regularly, though I don't always have the time. If you're not in the mood, you can always try to send me a message and I might be able to set some aside for you."
"That sounds lovely. And I'm happy to help with the prep or do the cleanup in return."
"Sounds good to me."
