2022-11-18: To Family
- Log: 2022-11-18: To Family
- Cast: Leina Ashta, Renais Cardiff, Sayla Mass
- Where: Renais' Apartment, Tsutsujidai
- OOC - IC Date:18 November 2022
- Summary: Renais and Leina engineer a surprise dinner at Renais' apartment.
<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.
Leina was extremely thankful that Tsutsujidai was a PLANT today more than ever. The low gravity made the trip up the stairs with crutches much less arduous. She'd made a lot of progress in her physical therapy, enough that she didn't need to be in the wheelchair all the time.
She still brought it with her of course for when the pain built up, or she got tired. A useful quality of a psycommu wheelchair is she could still have it follow her around, so long as it was close enough for a connection to be made.
As for what she told Sayla for today? Well simply that she thought it was nice if they both visited Renais together, and that Renais was open to it. And since they were both around...?
She also arranged everything at her usual lightning speed once Sayla accepted, including hotel accomodations, moving around appointments with Sayla's assistants given the short notice, transportation and more. Apparently she really wants this to happen.
It all sounds innocuous enough, and the emotional tenor felt like Leina was really excited for it...
... but beneath it all, there was an undercurrent of anger still. She can't help that.
Leading her down the line of apartments, she eventually got up to the door, "And here we are." Balancing on the crutches, she reached out and rapped on the door a few times, before turning just enough to face Sayla with a wry smile. "Let's see if you can't have a relaxing evening for once. Even when you still had the cast on, it felt liked your schedule was even more full up than when you had two working arms."
And well, she certainly knows why, but it won't stop her from saying that to her anyway.
<Pose Tracker> Renais Cardiff has posed.
There's a vague sense of rush and excitement from the other side of the door. Inside, Renais is putting the finishing touches on things when Leina knocks.
Renais' apartment is a bit bare, though it's not especially unexpected for someone who's lived the life she has. The TV sits across from a relatively nice couch, next to which is a sparsely-populated bookshelf whose contents are about half video and half book--the former mostly tokusatsu and movies, the latter a near-even split between novels and fairly advanced science literature. A poster for Tarabaman Eclatant hangs framed on the wall. There's a coffee table by the couch, upon which sits a slim laptop computer (currently closed), a small sheet of paper with care instructions for a potted succulent, and a book with a bookmark in it. It's about the history of Minovsky physics.
The dining table, though, such as it is, is where today's magic is happening, and things have all been set into place by the time Renais answers the door. It's nothing special in itself--the table and chairs are some sort of synthetic "wood," with a cheap tablecloth. A cute potted succulent (presumably the one those instructions were for) serves as the centerpiece, around which three plates are arranged, along with a covered dish and a bottle of wine in a large bowl of ice.
She opens the door, a small smile on her lips. "Ah! Welcome, come in." The smell of cooking is strong, welcoming, and obvious--a familiar smell to Sayla and Leina, that of paella and pork, though the spices involved may smell a little different. She's wearing the same outfit as always, though with a more normal cooling coat swept back over her shoulders. She steps aside to let them in.
The apartment's laid out in such a way that the dining table is clearly visible almost as soon as one steps in. She doesn't say anything, not yet--merely closes the door behind them, stepping over toward the table with a grin toward them.
<Pose Tracker> Sayla Mass has posed.
While Leina is much more able to move without her chair now, and Sayla's glad for it. But she's still going to follow close just in case- she remembers some of the falls in the early day and while not damaging to Leina's body, thankfully, they were to her confidence. Leina is much more resilient now but.. Sayla's a worrywart sometimes.
Sayla was also happy to take the excuse... She and Leina hadn't spent much time together given everything happening- and given Leina hadn't given her a chance to back out, she wanted to take the opportunity. And she wanted to see Renais too. Something had been nagging at the back of her mind.
Leina's anger was nagging too. And she could understand it but Renais definitely was the focus. The problem is she also understands the cause.
Sayla smirks. "I'm game." For once she seems to be taking in Leina's concerns. "That's because I can operate two keyboards with two arms." That's mostly a lie. "And no business at the table, right?"
The sense of excitement is a surprise- and kind of alien after all her recent encounters in Tsutsujidai. "Renais, it's good to see you again. Sayla's smiling as Renais opens the door, and steps through as invited, before stopping to blink as the smell reaches her nose. She glances to Leina, then Renais, before closing her eyes with a knowing smile. She's been schemed upon. It means a lot right now. She looks around the apartment that is.... familiar. Too familiar. It's layout is almost identical to Ouka's... and even more similar to the one they broke into the real world. Not the same but the same impact. She looks out around at the room- Tokusatsu, Tarabaman, novels, scientific reading... She really doesn't know too much about Renais' interests, does she?
"It smells wonderful," she says, getting back to focusing on the meal at hand. She walks over to the table, choosing a seat. Renais is clearly excited to dish up. "...Well played, both of you. I really wasn't expecting this."
<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.
Leina rolls her eyes affectionately, "I'm pretty sure keyboard accessibility wasn't the issue there." She can't help but smile a little though, "None at all." She remarks on the business at the table.
When the door opens, "Renais! Good to see you!"
And inside they go, Leina in the awkward cadence of crutches, Leina takes a glance about, as if trying to catch some insight into Renais' interests at a quick glance at what's there, though she also wonders how many of them are due to her current state of mind. Still, she knows there are many things Akane couldn't strip away, so she decides to just take it as it is, as a snapshot into her life.
"Something smells incredible~"
Leina's voice lilts with a grin to match Renais', not even hiding how Sayla's been schemed upon there. However, she swivels on the crutches as a single eyelid descends into a wink, "Honestly it was all her idea. I just helped."
And one look and Sayla will be able to tell, she's being entirely truthful there. Which, well, the way the grin smooths out into a genuine smile, seems to say it all about her happiness over that fact.
Some things can't be taken away, and how the two of them are a part of Renais' life now is one of those things. Even if she feels she can't leave.
"Mind if I take a load off?" She asks Renais, "Trying not to overdo it. Doc's orders were just a few hours a day."
Which may surprise Sayla a bit, that she's actually abiding by that better than usual... now, given how she overdid things many years before.
<Pose Tracker> Renais Cardiff has posed.
Renais winks back to Leina, grinning. "Now, now, you helped a *lot*. I would've had no idea how to make Croquetas de Jamon without you, or found good synthetic pork." She pulls out a chair for the girl, and is prepared to pull it out of the way if she prefers to use the wheelchair.
Looking over at Sayla, she pulls the lid off the dish on the table, revealing a small pile of nicely-formed croquettes. "And yes, I made tapas as well. I have sodas as well, if you'd rather have something non-alcoholic... but, ah, for obvious reasons, it's probably better if one of you serves that up."
Serving up the tapas, she nods her head toward the kitchen and continues, "The paella is made with synthetic pork, too, and curry spice. I had to use Koshihikari rice instead of Bombas... so it's a little sticky, but the fluffy texture works well, I think."
She takes a seat for herself, finally, but waits for the others to take a taste before digging in for herself.
<Pose Tracker> Sayla Mass has posed.
It *does* surprise Sayla that Leina is listening to Dr Bidan, but she'll take it. She gives Leina a gentle smile and nod of approval. It's noticed, and appreciated. "Consider your joint efforts appreciated." She's not here to let either of downplay themselves. "Synthetic pork, hm? It smells like the real deal." Is Tsutsujidai finding it harder to get the real stuff? No business talk. "Let me handle the wine. Leina, Renais, would either of you like a glass?"
Sayla's actually being careful- she doesn't overpour for any of them, only given herself a standard drink. "Is this a local?" She asks, before returning it to the ice. A normal, everyday dinner. That's the goal. They all deserve it.
She waits until Renais sits down- or she encourages them- to eat, but she starts with the Croquetas. She slices one in half, and pops it into her mouth. She savours it for a while. "Mmm. A nice crunch, and the balance on the cheese in the sauce is excellent." A simple dish, but a classic for a reason. "It's very nice, Renais."
She can smell that paella from the kitchen. "Though now I'm wondering if you went for all the childhood favourites in your explanations, Leina." Sayla, now, finally takes a sip of the wine, before placing her glass down. "Thank you both. This is a wonderful surprise."
<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.
Leina grins back at Renais as she replies, "I'll take credit for that much at least. Got real good at making croquettes for my first boyfriend."
Granted they were Japanese style but the skill transfers well to Spanish cuisine, "And grocery shopping for synthetic pork here was a cinch compared to what I'm used to. Back on Shangri-la it was an uphill climb just to get milk some days."
With the clack clack of crutches she makes her way over to the dinner table, taking a seat at the dinner table and propping them up at the apartment wall.
Sayla gets this smile with a small tilt of her head at her appreciation. "Sure, I'll take a glass." Leina digs in with the croquetas de jamon cutting it into smaller pieces and trying it first without the sauce, and- "Mmm~" A hand touches the side of her cheek, as she chews, trying her next bite in the sauce. "Very well done." Before she then asides to Sayla...
"Mayyyybbeee~" She drawls out playfully, as she takes a sip of wine, dipping another piece into the sauce as then adds, "I made sure to emphasize that each dish should be her own personal spin on them. So look forward to it."
Before she glances back Renais' way back in the kitchen, making this small up and down motion with her fork as if contemplating what's to come, "I know I am after that explanation of what you did with it."
<Pose Tracker> Renais Cardiff has posed.
"Well, I wanted to shop locally," explains Renais between bites, "and I wanted to do something, ah... a bit more sustainable. Vat-grown meat takes a lot less resources than raising livestock, right? As for the wine... it's from Junius, yes." She leans in to take a sip. "Ooh, yes. That's excellent."
A grin is paid toward Leina, as she stands to move back toward the kitchen. "Well, I didn't do much different, really. I'm not exactly the most imaginative cook, really--the local variations are part of it. I wanted to experiment with what was easily available around here."
She sets down a pad on the table and places the pan atop it, lifting the lid to free a plume of steam over a delicious-looking, spicy and fragrant-smelling paella, which she promptly shoves a spoon into, serving some up for the girls as soon as they signal their readiness. The rice certainly looks a bit different. "Sticky rice was a bit of a risk, really. I wasn't sure it would work, but as I said earlier, the texture seems to work really well."
"Leina mentioned that turmeric is sometimes used to give it the color, and I made the hop from there. This isn't just instant curry mix, either--I prepared it proper and mixed that in." She grins, looking a little proud.
"So... Sayla, what do you think so far?"
<Pose Tracker> Sayla Mass has posed.
Sayla decides to keep her mouth shut on this one, and simply nod. It's been a long time since she's had to think about that. "It was a good choice, it carries the flavour well and you don't need too much." She takes another sip as they talk wine. "I agree, and I'm surprised you could get it. There's not much export from the PLANTS, and Junius wine would cost a pretty gilla these days. Something to savour."
Sayla shakes her head at Leina, feigning a sigh. "Clearly I'm a bad influence." Still, it brings up something to bring up with Renais. "That's a good approach. And Tsutsujidai has an interesting range. May as well take advantage of it."
The paella smell fills her nose, and it's delicious. Familiar and new, all at once. "Oh, I see the reason for the secrecy now." Sayla is absolutely ready to dig in already, perhaps surprisingly licking her lips. She takes a scoop on her fork as Renais explains it, biting in and bracing slightly for the spice. Indeed, she has a few mouthfuls before speaking up.
"The texture is fascinating, and the curry powder gives it a nice kick, but through everything- It works especially well with the pork. It gives a good substitute for chorizo." She's taking this carefully. "You get some pockets of spice with the rice, but you've gone for flavour over burn, it works well."
Finally, she looks over to Renais. "It's very nice. I think there's some changes you could make, and some things that will become more natural the more you make them. I'm very impressed. Thank you for the excellent meal."
She takes a few more bites. "That said, did Leina explain why to go with Paella? Or did she just suggest it?" There's a story there, after all, and she wonders if it's been told.
<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.
"Nothing wrong with that." Leina tells her of not being the most imaginative cook, "We're home cooks, we're not trying to earn three Neo-Michelin stars. Besides - there's appeal in the familiar. Comfort. I think what you landed on is incredible for the range of ingredients available here."
As Sayla feigns that sigh, and tells her that clearly she's a bad influence she says a sort phrase in Catalan dialect, "La millor i la pitjor influencia dolenta." Out comes the pan and as it lifts she smiles so big that her cheeks dimple a little. As Leina steals a glance from Sayla to Renais, "Obviously you did your homework far beyond what I taught you in a few hours." There's a soft giggle, "I'm really looking forward to this."
As it's served, Leina takes a bite. She chews, as her green eyes light up a moment before she swallows, "Huh. The sticky rice really works!" Sayla's more the detail oriented one when it comes to evaluating food. Having been raised as an Ashta first, mostly what she notices during meals is 'delicious' even if her palate became more refined after coming into her care. "And I'm liking how it all comes together, it tastes authentic while still having... a distinct personality."
Leina then has this small shake of her head, and a grin at Sayla's overall judgment, before she winks at Renais, "That's a better evaluation than I got the first time I tried to make it. Be proud that you earned such high marks first try."
Sayla asks a question of Renais and... Leina answers in her stead, "I'll answer that, nah. I didn't." There's this sort of subdued smile there now, "I felt you should do the honors, if you wanted her to know that."
<Pose Tracker> Renais Cardiff has posed.
"I suppose that's the important thing... I didn't simply copy out of a recipe book." She winks lightly to Leina's remark about doing her homework as she sits back down. "Well, I thought splurging on an excellent bottle would be worth it." On cue, she takes another sip, spooning herself a serving as she watches both Sayla and Leina savor the experience.
She finally takes a bite for herself. It's no surprise to her, of course, but it's still *delicious.* And there's a joy from her, a happiness and warmth, as she watches the other two enjoy their meals. A resting smile grows on her lips.
She's brought them some happiness in a time when it's sorely needed, for both of them. Caring is, at times, a struggle... but it's hard not to think that moments like these are what it's all for.
"I'd love it if you could tell me the story," she nods to Sayla. "Honestly... we did this because I wanted to show you that even if I'm all the way out here, I..." She pauses a moment. "... I care about you. We both do."
<Pose Tracker> Sayla Mass has posed.
Sayla nods in agreement with Leina, before shaking her head again- with a smile on her face this time. She looks over to Renais. "That's a good way to work it out." A pause, about the bottle. She hasn't even finished her first glass- she's drinking slowly tonight. "Every so often, yes. Just don't think you have to do it every time. Or at least let me provide the drinks sometimes." There's an implicit statement there, if Renais catches it.
"To be fair, Renais didn't use unusually crunchy prawns. And you didn't make that mistake again, so it was a valuable learning experience." She takes another mouthful. "Also given you didn't cut yourself with the octopus, I think you did pretty well for how old you were at the time."
Sayla nods to Leina, as she confirms she wasn't told. She's about to start when Renais explains the why, and she stops. She puts her cutlery down gently. For a moment, she's speechless. Then...
"...Thank you both." The explicit statement, something she has to hurtfully deny or accept as true. For a horrible moment, she understands why Leina made that request for Renais... But she chooses to smile. To appreciate what is being offered.
"Well... It's a small story but it's a dear one." Sayla takes another sip- and just a sip- of her wine. "When I was a little girl, paella was my favourite food that my mother would cook. It was the comfort food when things were bad, and a celebration when things were good." Another sip, a little more this time. "When I was... eight or nine, I asked her to teach me how to make it. It was the first dish I asked her to teach me."
Sayla seems toughtful for a moment, as memories of loss creep into my head. "She did, and we made it, and then she asked me if it was missing anything. I told her I'd want some more tomato and maybe some pork neck in there, and that I didn't like the clams so much. And she told me to cook it how I wanted next time." A smirk comes on Sayla's face. "Father loved it, but it turned out the clams were Edouard's favourite part. We came to an understanding after that, though." For once, Sayla is not dwelling overmuch.
"I kept my mother's recipe, and developed my own. When Leina started living with me, it was one of the first dishes I made for her. Eventually she asked me to teach her how to make it, and I did the same thing my mother did. I showed her how, we ate it, and then I asked Leina what she'd change." She leaves that part for Leina to explain. "It felt a bit like passing on a tradition, to me. And now Leina's passed it on to you."
Something finally clicks in her head, and she feels like an idiot. It's that sort of tradition. And Renais... "I don't think my mother would have expected her recipe evolving into this but I definitely think she'll appreciate it."
<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.
Leina lets out a sigh of exasperation, "It was my first time working with shellfish after all." However she finds she's still smiling at the end of it. "Not exactly a Colony staple, that."
Still, if she had anything going for her, she was a quick learner.
Leina finds that even knowing why Renais did this in advance, hearing it again still leaves her genuinely touched. There's still anger, buried beneath it all. However, for the moment it is solidly buried beneath everything. She's here for Renais in the end. It doesn't matter what state she's in...
... she's here for her, and she still cares about her.
Leina doesn't eat as the story is told, there's a certain, reverence for it. The first few time she heard it there was a certain disbelief perhaps, but over time she came to accept it more and more for what it was. A story she's glad exists, that she feels like she's better for the telling.
Her mind has always had trouble at parsing the complex calculus of how its passed down, from Mother to Daughter, to Guardian and Ward. In the end she's only arrived at that it's done for people that care about each other, which is why she didn't mind bringing Renais into it.
Sometimes the invocation of family can be uncomplicated.
When the story is finished... Leina smiles Renais' way, a certain solemnity in her sea green eyes, "My version was served at her birthday. You had the Pinchitos as I recall, so I'll make it for you again sometime. When I first came Earthside, seafood was kind of a wondrous - special thing for me. I'd never had it before. And so I leaned that way with mine."
There's a touch of mirth in her seagreen eyes as she looks Sayla's way briefly, "Even if it was the harder road."
Her center of focus shifts back to Renais, "When I taught you, I did the best I could to duplicate-" Her head tilts towards Sayla, "-Sayla's version with the ingredients we had here."
There's a pause, as she lets that settle in. "There are practical reasons for that here in a PLANT of course, but primarily I did it because... if you were going to surprise her. I wanted her to see what you'd change from hers... not mine."
A finger taps lightly on the stem of the wine glass, as she gives Sayla a smile that seems mildly mischievous, "So I didn't pass it down the same way."
In Leina's sense of logic, in a sense it was like Sayla was the true teacher, and that the recipe diverged from that same link on the chain, to form another divergent recipe, "But... I don't think I did it the wrong way either."
Why did she do this? Well, because Sayla was the one that brought Renais into their lives. And while Leina may have a difficult time grasping how passing down from Mother to Daughter is equivalent to Guardian and Ward. She at least understands that Sayla teaching Renais... even by proxy, feels more correct to her.
There's an uncomplicated sense of rightness to that, that even she can appreciate.
<Pose Tracker> Renais Cardiff has posed.
Renais is quiet as the two talk, and her attention is fixed on Sayla as she tells the story, looking away only to take a sip.
She nods a little to Leina, "If I'd known, I'd have chosen the paella, for sure. I'll have to have it next time." She smiles a little. "I'm not sure mine was quite that significant... but it's mine, right? That's important, in itself." She chews thoughtfully... and pauses, silent, as it hits her just what this is.
A tradition passed down.
A family tradition.
She's not sure what to do with this realization, yet. It's difficult for her to know, with such an inadequate experience of 'family'. But... this means something.
What, exactly, she'll have to figure out.
Her green eyes glisten, reddening a touch. Sayla and Leina may not be able to skim the surface thought itself, but it's clear enough that she's been deeply touched.
"I... really, I don't know what to say," she says quietly, looking between them.
<Pose Tracker> Sayla Mass has posed.
Sayla has always sensed Leina's difficulty with the story. When she looked into the Ashta parents, she felt she understood why, and never chose to push it. It seemed better to let things lie. One day, though, it's a discussion she'll have to have. Not today, though.
Sayla smirks at the mention of Leina's learning method. "And yet she didn't change that part of the recipe." It's another teasing poke, but there's pride in it too. Leina's not one to give up after one failure.
When Leina explains though, Sayla *is* surprised. ...So, Leina must have worked it out before Sayla had. "It's in the spirit, I'd think. It's about doing it your way, after all." She nods to Renais. "...Exactly. It's yours, to take with you and hand on how you will. And I look forward to having it again- after you try Leina's and my mother's."
Quietly, Sayla looks over to Renais. So desperately she wants to squeeze Renais' hand- but this isn't the hospital with the heatpump attached. "That's okay. We've got a pretty good idea how you feel. And I think you know how we feel." She pauses, then picks up her glass.
"I'd like to propose a toast." She charges her glass. "To old recipes, and the connections they make."
<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.
"I did not." Leina responds, proudly, at her own stubbornness... though in this case it was more determination. "Got it right soon enough after."
Leina just gives Renais the sunniest smile, "If I'd known that this day were coming so soon I'd have insisted." A beat, "Next time."
And by next time, she does not mean here. By next time, she means the next time Renais is over. She hasn't given up on that.
She feels relieved on some level that Sayla believes its in the spirit of things. It is so special to her after all, if she'd messed up on this...
"It's yours." Leina echoes, but there is a point of disagreement there, "Feels pretty significant to me."
Because to her, the things people do to care for each other, are perhaps the most significant of all. And she knows that Renais asked to do this because she cares. "Eager to see where you take it from here."
Sayla proposes a toast, and Leina lifts her glass, and hearing what she has to say... she offers her own addendum, "To pork necks, overly crunchy prawns, and sticky rice." Does the content sound irreverent? Not at all. In it, she's celebrating three different ingredients in these recipes that began the process for each of them...
"But also... to us having dinners like this, for many years to come."
<Pose Tracker> Renais Cardiff has posed.
Renais chuckles. "Well, you stuck with seafood--something new and wonderful for you. Where I..." She stops herself mid-sentence, and makes a vague dismissive gesture.
She's the only one in the room who doesn't see that it 'being her own' is significant in itself. But it's OK. Some things take time.
"I see what you mean. It's significant in a different way, maybe... but... it's made with care, for and in the tradition of people important to me." There's a small smile.
"I'll look forward to next time, too." She doesn't know, yet, what Leina means by that--just the promise of next time is encouraging enough, to her.
Sayla proposes a toast, and Renais lifts her glass, touching it to the others' with a quiet clink. "And to..." A moment passes. "To family." It's spoken like something she has some trouble accepting, some trouble believing.
But even here, under the thrall of a girl whose idea of a perfect self is a closed heart... she cautiously welcomes this warmth. Renais' heart is more open today than it has ever been.