Warning: Airplane food can kill (attn: therese)
Vaughn slid his card through the reader. Tobi was good at keeping the security online and even making the cards. He and his sister had decided to grace the new passes with custom designs. Glancing down at his, Vaughn laughed to himself. The image was some scientist staring with an exaggerated look of horror at a decapitated woman's head being carried by a mismatched monster. Definitely Tobi's work. He wondered if the choice had signifigance and then decided that it might be best not to know.
Heading into the communal kitchen on the main floor, Vaughn opened the refrigerator and looked inside.
"Do you have any special eating concerns?"
His wife and his daughter would not have eaten even half of the things stocked in the kitchen. It was a good idea to ask such things when it came to the pack.
There was a promise of food. Not that she was a glutton but like any good French woman, she did enjoy eating.
"Non. There are no worries there."Â?
Being familiar with a kitchen she craned her neck to see into the fridge to see what the options were. On a casual look she was fairly certain she'd be able to make something fast and easy.
"Do you cook then?"Â?
If he didn't she would, but it wasn't something you could just offer to do. Not directly. She could, and did, hint at it though.
Vaughn started gathering various items onto the counter and then found a pan. Laying out a couple of plates, he smiled and asked.
"How does an omelete sound?"
He reasoned that the dish was fast but delicious. They were both starving so patience was at a minimum. The long slow cooked meal would be best saved for a later date.
"I do indeed. It was only my mother and I from an early age. I learned to cook in order to help her out. Those skills have served me well over the years."
Finding a couple of knives, Vaughn washed them and handed her one. He knew that it tended to be awkward to watch someone you don't know well do all the work. No doubt Therese would feel more at home being able to help instead of being made to feel like a guest. She was family after all.
"Care to help cut some vegetables?"
"It was my father who taught me."Â?
Too often her mother was busy and needed at some other task. The reversal of traditional rolls had never bothered Thérèse nor did it seem to bother her parents. Although her mother was still very involved with Thérèse's life it had just been in different ways.
If it has far more cheese in it than is good for me it sounds perfect."Â?
She agreed readily. Anything that didn't come prepackaged or have to be heated up in a miniscule oven or eaten with two hundred people she didn't know and wasn't likely to see again sounded perfect.
She took the knife and offered task as an official welcome, confirmation she had a home here. Without further hesitation she found spinach, mushrooms and green onions (her favorite) in the fridge and easily set to washing them before chopping them.
Thérèse was comfortable enough with herself that she didn't feel the need to make mindless chatter. Still it wasn't every day you encountered two vampires or had the alpha's ear. Yet, did either of them want to talk business at this hour?
"Things have gone well here then? Nothing too exciting?"Â?
It seemed a safe starting point.
"I love mushrooms."
He started whipping up the eggs in a bowl and at her request added copious amounts of cheese. Vaughn wouldn't disagree with that choice either.
"Yes, Ma'am."
He considered her question as he poured the egg and cheese mixture into the pan.
"There were some reports from a couple of kumpania that have asked about a few of their family members who were supposed to have arrived. We haven't seen or heard from them."
The lack of information there had caused him concern but up until tonight his first assumption was that they had stopped somewhere along the way before they got to Nachton. Life along the highway wasn't always done on a schedule and if a group was doing well in a city they stayed longer. It had yet to be a great worry.
"Perhaps they had less good fortune with the mulo than you did."
((OOC: Personally, I am not a fan of mushrooms...but I do love the green peppers! ))
It was a small mental block Thérèse had. But, even though she was the one who had said it, she managed not to think about it. They did provide vegetarian dishes with a nice meaty quality when done right though. And while not as aggressive a carnivore as some she appreciated that.
"Any thing else?"Â?
Some people liked their omelets simple some with more things in them than one could shake a stick at. She was good enough with a knife it would be no trouble to add something yet.
She frowned. That was worry some, in fact, she'd be contacting her own family and making sure they were adequately warned. There was always the possibility that one or more of them would look in on her.
"Perhaps, or perhaps it means nothing."Â?
The damned things couldn't be every where and they couldn't come out during the day, Thérèse would remain slightly hopeful.
"To me truffles are worse. Anything that has to be rooted up by a pig doesn't seem like it would be so good."
He looked over at what she had already chopped up. It was already shaping up to be a good omelet.
"Onions?"
They weren't always everyone's favorite and if she didn't like them then they could leave them out.
"Unless you have a hot date later."
Vaughn sighed and nodded.
"I hope you are right and that they turn up soon. Alive and well."
Thérèse laughed. It was a true story though. She and her cousins had actually taken turns one hunting and even digging as a wolf and the other gathering. It wasn't a bad way to supplement your income if you were just arrived in a truffle producing region.
She nodded at the onion suggestion.
"I think we are safe with the onions. I am good, but it has been less than twenty four hours since I arrived. Not even I am -that- good."Â?
Besides she could be very picky about her dates. Thérèse was just a bit of a snob, although she preferred to think of it as cautious and discriminating.
Silently she agreed with him. Hopefully it was true for at least some of the missing.
It had been some time since she had run with any one besides her kumpania. She wasn't nervous about it and soon enough she would find her place here, but she couldn't stop her curiosity, gathering information was what she did.
"And what of those who are here?"Â?
It was half her own curiosity and in a very round about way an offer of assistance. Thérèse was always willing to aid the pack.
Once she had cut the onions, Vaughn began to add everything in. He flipped the egg over to cover the vegetables and flipped the entire thing over. Letting it set long enough to cook properly on both sides, he picked up one of the plates. Lifting the pan, Vaughn used the spatula to slide it off onto the plate.
"Voila, Madamoiselle!"
He made no comment on her lack of a date later tonight; though he suspected that it would not be long before the lovely French woman was spending her nights out with someone to proudly keep her company.
Thinking of the camp and those inside, Vaughn shrugged.
"We have to adjust to city life so there are at times some cagey moments. I think some are enjoying the change."
His daughter certainly disappeared often enough and with some distance from her mother it has helped their relationship. They could almost be civil to each other these days.
Thérèse said with a little mock curtsy. It took every last ounce of manners and decorum she had not to dive into the simple meal with gusto and just wolf it down. She would have given her left pinky finger for a glass of wine, but the few bottles she'd brought with her were missing along with her luggage. That, perhaps, was a greater loss than the clothes and other odds and ends.
It was the second time she'd caught, or imagined, a tone from him regarding their location.
"You, I think are not. Not as much as some of the others."Â?
She enjoyed cities. One of her favorite jobs had been as an assistant curator at the Louver. It was not a glamorous job, in fact she'd been little better than a clerk, but Thérèse had adored Paris with a singular passion. But she had been one of the few in the pack who had. That was the case with any large city though. Typically she and one or two others would be sent into the city and the rest would live well outside city limits. It never bothered her.
"What would you like to drink? We have a variety of soda, some homemade cider from one of the kumpania, wine, water, orange juice or some very high class American beer in a can."
He wondered who brought that in. Likely a Nothos, possibly even Thanos but Vaughn personally felt certain the man had better taste. He knew none of the well travelled wolves who would have touched that swill even on a dare. Well, possibly on a dare.
Vaughn folded his omelet over and flipped it. Considering her astute observation, he replied.
"No, but like you said earlier. I have not given it a chance. The cities have been the refuge of vampires for all of my life. It is hard for me to think of them as a haven for our kind. I have grown used to the outskirts."
Of many things, if he were to be honest with himself. Vaughn always seemed to be on the outside looking in. He had gotten very used to telling himself that he preferred it that way, but sometimes it seemed very much like a lie told to make it all more acceptable.
"Perhaps once you've found your way in the city then you can show me the places here that you enjoy. Seeing it from your point of view might make it more beautiful."
((OOC: I meant to get drinks last post, doh! They were pushing me to go and I forgot to add it, lol))
"I do not believe I am brave enough for the later. Perhaps the wine if you would just point me in the right direction."Â?
She'd be happy to retrieve the bottle and pour. Who was she kidding, after the day Thérèse had had she was willing to settle for wine in a box.
That was something she'd not considered. But now that he'd brought it up, perhaps that was part of the reason Thérèse liked cities. To be truly stubborn and contrary she refused to be relegated to the outskirts. If she chose to live there, well that would be one thing, but she disliked being forced to do anything.
"Times change... they should."Â?
They needed too. But that was a political discussion not well suited to a late dinner. Thérèse shrugged it off with a laugh at the idea of playing tour guide to someone who'd been here considerably longer than she.
"It may be weeks before I see anything other than the museum. But I should be happy to if you'd like."Â?
"There is a short rack at the bottom of the pantry."
Finishing his omelete, he slid it onto the plate. Vaughn brought it over to sit down at one of the small tables, taking the two glasses with him as well.
She had a very good point about things changing. It was the whole goal of their mission summed up in four words. They needed to reclaim their right to live where ever they wanted. He could hope that they could do that without conflict with the vampires but in reality Vaughn thought that was as unlikely as it was for him to not change forms on the next full moon.
He smiled and shrugged slightly in response to the warning that he would have to wait a few weeks.
"I appear not to be going anywhere. So take your time."
She poured to glasses before sitting down to join him and trying the omelet. It oozed a satisfying amount of cheese. It was light and fluffy and the veggies were evenly distributed through it. She chewed with a slight smile, very satisfied with the meal.
"You have a good hand with the eggs. It is delicious."Â?
He realized his fork had stopped in mid air while contemplating the label. Finishing his bite, Vaughn set the utensil down on the side of his plate.
Therese commented on the omelete and he shrugged slightly, glad she found it edible perhaps even enjoyable. Though she had was starving and food always tasted better when you were famished.
"Thank you. I am glad they are worth eating. Otherwise I might have had to fall back on the old standby." He paused and looked serious. "The gourmet masterpiece known through out the world as the...grilled cheese sandwich."
He took up the glass of wine and held it up to her in thanks for retrieving it.
"Hmm, A toast? Here's to the wine. May we not regret its consumption." Taking a sip, Vaughn was fairly certain he was not going to have no such luck. Still, it wasn't the worst wine he had ever tasted. "Truthfully though, To new friends and needed changes."
"I do not know what to think either. I have never heard of it. If it is wretched I promise a decent bottle to make up for it... once my luggage arrives."Â?
She was going to have to find some wine shops around here if she were to continue her blog. There must be some local vineyards, there were vineyards every where these days.
More hungry than she had thought Thérèse was doing her best not to wolf down her omelet. She did, however, pause to laugh at his alternative.
"So long as it is not cold cereal!"Â? She said with mock horror. "I could have had nothing to eat for weeks and I still do not believe I could stomach it."Â?
It was all in jest though.
A smile smile quirked her lips up at his 'toast'. She much preferred the other one though and happily returned it.
"Indeed, to friends and changes. And the return of wandering bags."Â?
"Really it could be worse."
He gave her a lopsided smiled and a sidelong glance.
"Though I would never turn down good wine."
After a few more bites of his omelet, he asked about her lost luggage.
"Aside from the clothing, is there anything in there that you needed right away?"
He did not know what she might need. Werewolves were generally in disgustingly good health so it was unlikely that she had any critical medication to be concerned with. If there were anything else then perhaps they had it on hand.
"Also, what airline did you use?"
Although it wasn't horrible. It probably would make a decent everyday table wine if you weren't paying too much attention.
Thérèse found herself hoping he might actually enjoy and possibly know something about wine. Really it was meant to be shared.
"Non. I make it a habit to travel light. Truthfully the only reason I am irritated is the timing. It is not ideal to start a new job under such circumstances."Â?
Especially if one was 'the boss' showing up for work in the same clothes for a week did not create a good impression. Well it was neither here nor there and no matter how irritated she was by it, nothing was going to change. She would call again in the morning.
Around a mouthful of omelet Thérèse muttered the name of a certain Chicago based airline currently working on merging with a Texas based airline. Why she didn't just take a European carrier she didn't know. Well yes she did... the tickets on this one were cheaper.
"You do get what you pay for."Â?
"The fruity quality is better than I would have expected. It is nice and light. I was truly afraid that it was going to be dry."
A good dry wine was a wonderful thing, a cheap dry wine was a nightmare. The Vyusher R'asa had plenty of occasion to try many different varieties of drink. The nomadic lifestyle did have some benefits and taking advantage of the local flavors was definitely one of them.
Vaughn nodded in answer to her response about her luggage. Most of the R'asa travelled light and kept the things valued the most with them at all times, if possible. He chuckled at her scathing opinion of the airline services that had failed to live up to their promises.
"Sometimes they make walking seem like the only wise choice."
He liked the experience of flying but Vaughn was not a fan of the airports, baggage claims and in general the experience of getting on and off the plane. Truly the whole industry had made the prospect of air travel a daunting one. It was tiring just thinking about it.
"When do you start your job?"
She agreed with a small nod. Too often cheap wines could be little better than grape juice. She studied the label a bit closer her brow furrowing in confusion and concern.
"Still you would think they would tell you what kind of white wine it is meant to be."Â?
There was nothing to indicate anything about this wine, not a vineyard, not the type of wine or grapes in it, only a date 2007 and California. It might not make it into her wine journal but the absurdity of this wine would most certainly make it into her blog. Undoubtedly it would amuse some of her readers.
"Believe me if there were not an ocean in the way I would have!"Â?
Thérèse laughed.
She beamed at the idea of her job, quite thrilled with it.
"Tomorrow. I have one acceptable change of clothing and I did manage to see a bit of the museum today. I'm rather looking forward to it."Â?
Opening the door to the rec room on the main floor, Tavi tossed her messenger bag down onto a nearby sofa and headed towards the kitchen. That's when she looked up and saw she wasn't alone. Moreover, her dad was here and being social. She was shocked but it was still cool to see him do more than work. She wasn't sure who the new girl was but Tavi would like to give her a medal or perhaps a public service award.
"Mind if I join you?"
She said as she plopped down in a seat at the table.