10283/A picnic to (Before) a T.

A picnic to (Before) a T.
Date of Scene:	02 December 2019
Location:	North Hempstead, Nassau County
Synopsis:	Rachel and Chun-Li enjoy a picnic out in a quiet park where they initially met. Both learn a little more about the other.
Cast of Characters:	Chun-Li, Raven

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Chun-Li has posed:
It had bene a short time since their last meeting and Chun-Li had tried to stay in touch with Rachel though obviously both had their responsibilities. Now, though, they were able to make time for a get together and simply put, Rachel was told to meet Chun-Li where they had first met. The day was coming toward an end, sun not quite setting yet but it will be there soon enough. The lights of the small park had not yet turned on and right near where she was first practicing, Chun-Li smiles as she whips up a checkered blanket in dark blue and white. She settles on to the blanket and sets down a basket with a smile, stretching out her legs and letting out a pleased sigh as the barest hint of clouds flow overhead and the shadows begin to stretch out toward the water.

Raven has posed:
    This time, Rachel isn't exactly taking any time to ponder the idea of going to this engagement. Instead, she's somewhat distracted by things in the tower. Preparation isn't on her- but either way, she is ever so slightly late.

    Her partner has little warning of her arrival, though. Raven is not one for a particularly showy entrance, except in occasions where it's needed. Instead, seemingly from nowhere, Raven emerges from the trees. Stepping silently into the clearing Chun-Li had set the picnic up in, she approaches with her hood up and her hands in her pockets.

    "This is... Nice. I was worried you'd want to do something more... Martial."

Chun-Li has posed:
    A blink as she looks at the arrival, "Martial? Did you expect I'd want to spar or something?" She laughs softly and then shakes her head, "I did not think that would be something you'd really enjoy. Not like I do." She gestures to a spot on the blanket and nods, "Get comfortable, I brought food."

    She reaches out and opens the basket up to reveal several more things wrapped up. She takes out the frist wrapping, opening it up to reveal a bamboo dish that opens to reveal barbecue pork, then she opens another to reveal spring rolls. Several more dishes and a few utensils come out. She smiles and gestures before looking up, "I'm not the best cook but I like to think I do ok." She nods her head.

Raven has posed:
    Raven makes her way forward, taking a few steps in the grass and then then gracefully- almost as if she doesn't have to obey gravity- sets herself down onto the large blanket the other woman had lain.

    "Oh. Chinese." she states, momentarily somewhat confused. She isn't sure what she expected, but this isn't exactly it- but that doesn't mean she's disappointed.

    "I can't use... Chopsticks."

Chun-Li has posed:
    A smile and she tilts her head, "Don't you do magic?" She asks and tilts her head as she looks down at the food and then back up, "Surely you are good with your hands." She nods and hten she pulls out some regular utensils and winks, "And it's ok, I brought some regular utensils just in case." She then opens up a pair of chopsticks and grins over at Raven, "If you'd like, I can show you though." She takes a pice of barbecue pork fairly easily and mmms as she eats it. She then looks up to Raven with a tilt of her head, "Want me to teach you?"

Raven has posed:
    There is a momentary pause, where Raven gives Chun-Li this... Sort of playful glare of contempt. Idly, following, her brow raises slightly. She regards the chopsticks with this... Neutral expression that doesn't seem expressly friendly, admittedly, but only for a few moments.

    "I never took to it, and never needed it. I don't travel, and just use a fork." There is a silence, then, but the idea of the other woman teaching her is a sort of physical closeness that Raven isn't entirely comfortable with. Yet. "I'll... Pass."

Chun-Li has posed:
    A smile and then Chun-Li shrugs and plucks up another piece of pork and eats it. She mmms as she does before tilting her head, "Suit yourself." SHe clacks the chopsticks once before gesturing to the utensils and the food, "Eat what you will." She nods her head, "I made food enough for more than two people. I can't possibly eat it alone."
    She nods again before she picks up a spring roll and looks back up to Raven, "So, have you had a good week?" She asks and plucks a bite with her lips, looking down at the roll before looking over to Rachel with a smile.

Raven has posed:
    To that question, Raven shrugs. It's her go-to response. She unsheathes her hands, slipping them out of her pockets and moving them towards the requisites. A healthy amount of rice. A spring roll. A perhaps-unsettling dollop of pork. The aforementioned fork.

    Regarding the food in silence for a moment, Raven ponders what to say- that the week was average? That they weren't called out to beat somebody up -every- day? These weren't great responses to the question. She wasn't even sure the other woman knew who she was. Raven wasn't even sure she had a problem with that.

    "It was... The usual. Nothing to really write home about."

Chun-Li has posed:
    A small smile forms and then she nods a little before considering that a moment, "Well, I suppose that is a safe thing then." She laughs a little before shrugging and then pulling some of her own rice and the like. She takes another bite before saying, "Well, I can say I went on a high speed chase in a sports car." She grins at Raven, "And then I met with pop star and a charity worker." She chuckles, "It was a unique time."
    She takes another bite and then shrugs as she lets out a sigh, "And yet all that time I'll be honest." She smiled at Raven and then back at the food, "I was actually at least partially thinking of this." She shifts slightly and hmms softly as she looks at the tower in the distance, "You're rather unique. I didn't htink just a movie or something would do." SHe looks back at Rachel, "I wanted a date that would do justice."

Raven has posed:
    "Yes. Safe." Raven comments, taking the first bite of the pork immediately after doing so. She chews and swallows, not exactly making a show of it, as Chun had. "That is one of the possible ways of referring to it."

    "That all sounds exciting. I'm glad to have been on your mind, even during all of that." She didn't, for the moment, inquire about -who- the other woman met with. "I would have seen a movie, but this is... Quieter. Better."

    Raven doesn't smile, but the compliment is probably as close as can be to one. So there's that.

Chun-Li has posed:
    A small laugh and then she shrugs, "Less crowded." She nods softly and then tilts her head, "You really don't strike me as a people person." She watches Raven eat and tehn looks at her own food. She takes the chopsticks together again and plucks up a ball of rice, eating it with enjoyment before looking again to Rachel and hmming softly as she looks at her and then looks down a little.
    "So, tell me more about about the mysterious Raven. Last time you said that you could not tell me about your history but you did say you help people." She takes another bite of food swallowing it quickly, "How? You said directly and indirectly. I'm curious. I know you know magic. That much is rather obvious just by your comings and goings."

Raven has posed:
    Raven is silent for a time, which is to be expected. The woman is pretty predictable in that regard- as if exactly -what- to say is always something she has to actively consider at any point in time. "I don't mind crowds. It's conversation that is always... Bothersome." She almost wants to add something about being recognized, but it doesn't necessarily happen every five minutes. Plus, she isn't necessarily looking to clue Chun in.

    Despite that, the woman asks a question. Raven, of course, despises questions- but she isn't going to be so impolite as to answer. In truth, she knows she can't keep it a secret for very long.

    "I live in that tower." she states, gesturing to the giant T. "It's what others would consider an exciting life, but to me it's... Needed." The connotations of the word needed aren't explored- but there are many. It's probably not even the right word.

Chun-Li has posed:
    "Sometimes doing what is needed is hard and it is good that you do that rather than what you might want." She nods and then looks over at the tower and grins a little, "I imagined it was something like that." She states softly as she looks over at Raven and then looks down, "I work for Interpol." She states simply, "Honestly, I had thought about doing some research but, I didn't think it would be nearly as fun as finding out from you."

    She then looks down at the food again but then her eyes linger for a moment. She looks up at Raven before looking back down, considering the food for longer than perhaps she should before saying, "I think we have something in common." She states softly, "What both of us want is often set aside for what is needed." She nods her head as she takes up another spring roll and looks at it. She looks then to Rachel with a smile, "However, I'm glad you could find time to do something you wanted with me."

Raven has posed:
    "Yes." The response is quick, and then shortly afterwards, she continues. "It isn't hard as much as it can be... Strenuous. There are a lot of expectations that we... Have to live with. Sometimes we can't." Listening, for a moment- and trying to stop herself from crawling back into her own psyche, Raven offers just a couple of nods. "You mentioned that. I have come to understand it is a difficult job. A lot of travel." A pause, "You maybe should have done some research. Just to make sure that I was someone that wasn't a threat." To be fair, Raven didn't do any research.

    Then again, Chun-Li was human. Raven was not.

    "I have a good amount of free time, but... Never really know when it will happen. I may have... Bent the rules a bit, but I wasn't entirely required. This was... More important."

Chun-Li has posed:
    That last line gives Chun-Li a full smile with teeth. She actually seems to move just a little closer, her body turning slightly so her left leg is stretched out and her right leg tucks up slightly. She looks up at Raven's face, smiling at her and then she shakes her head, "I mean, I suppose I could but I am not a soft flower." She grins, "I can handle myself against those that are dangerous.

    "I wasn't terribly worried." She then looks down at her food again, her eyes lifting back to Raven briefly before she looks back down, "I am glad that I warranted rule breaking." She chuckles softly and then looks to Raven, "I had to put aside special time for this as well." She then leans over toward Raven a little, "This was important to me, too."

Raven has posed:
    The forces of heaven and earth bow to Raven's will- at least to some degree. "There are degrees of dangerous." Raven's gaze holds on the other woman's eyes, when it can. Sometimes, she's snapping down to look at her plate. These gazes are pensive. They linger, as if the food on her plate helps her think.

    "I'm... Glad. I know that more than anything else, I am sure that your schedule is... More than busy." For some reason, she pauses there. Raven looks at her plate, and then there is a deep breath, that she takes. As if she's realized something somewhat important. "I apologize if I may seem cold. This will be... A slow road. I hope that you will understand."

Chun-Li has posed:
    "Nothing that has ever had any worth is ever able to be done quickly." She nods her head as she nods her head and then shrugs, "Besides, it is endearing in its own way and will mean that perhaps one day I will see a side of you that few others ever do." She shrugs before Chun-Li looks down again and finishes the last of her rice before getting another scoop.

    "And yes, I do often have a lot to do but in a weird way, being part of Interpol gives me more freedom than most police officers who would need to spend more time on piles of investigations." She nods her head, "I am more often assigned things that take time to investigate and I move at my own pace. Often things that I am assigned are not on a time crunch which is both sad and understood."

Raven has posed:
    "Well," she begins, after listening to Chun-Li speak, "That's good. Not everyone is understanding. I don't... Open up, often. It's rare that I get to spend time talking about much of anything with anyone else without feeling like it's... More of an obligation."

    Taking a moment to actually eat- Raven had only taken the one bite so far- she spends that time thinking. Raven rather easily gets lost in herself- this is one of those times. It lasts only about half a minute, but... It's still pointed, in that she allows that lull in the conversation to last.

    "What do you... Typically work on?"

Chun-Li has posed:
    She takes that time to eat as well, smiling a little at the lull in conversation to know that Raven is thinking and whatever it is, she'll let her. She just peeks up once to look at Raven's face before returning to eating. Her gaze going over her food till she heats the question and it breaks her from her own eating.

    She looks at her directly and then grins, "Drugs." She states simply, "Though I suppose it is more the drug runners and manufacturers that are my targets." She nods her head, "Not necessarily just the street dealers or anyone just taking them." She shrugs, "It's my area."

    She takes another bite of food, letting out a contented sigh before looking back over, "Surely you don't just sit around meditating all day. What do you do for relaxation, Raven?"

Raven has posed:
    Raven is... Patient, in waiting for an answer. There are a few more bites, as she takes a moment to watch the other woman eat. This is the most awkward time, of course- as Raven likes the silence, but understands that it shouldn't last. Eventually, Chun answers.

    "Important work. I... Kind of hate to keep you from it. Have to pause that thinking, probably. Can't let it get in the way." There's a little bit more to that- as Raven reminds herself that it's... Human to prioritize something like a date over work, sometimes.

    "That's... Kind of it. I read, a lot. More than most think is healthy."

Chun-Li has posed:
    A smile and she shrugs, "You're training your mind." She nods her head as she then looks down at her food briefly before looking up, "Hey, think of it this way. You now have three things." She grins and nods to Raven before she looks back down and then states, "And don't worry too much about my work.

    "I can't work on it strictly without relaxing or taking any time." She shakes her head as she eats another bite of food and then looks up to Raven, "You have become something I prefer to do in my spare time." She considers her words a moment and blinks before looking over, "I mean...you are someone I prefer to spend time with. That came out...very wrong." She laughs a little and then blushes, "Sorry."

Raven has posed:
    "I have to train everything." she begins, wishing she had a cup of tea or coffee to stare into. Her reflection is the easiest thing for... Well, reflecting- a pile of pork and rice isn't necessarily what she's used to. It's maybe a little odd, but, it's Raven. She gets used to things.

    "That is why when you asked me out here, I thought you would be asking me to spar. Or meditate. It's what people think I do more than anything else, so they try and wrap it into something like this."

    The slip of the tongue draws Raven to a halt. Her brow raises. "A comical error." she offers, taking a moment of silence to eat some more. "But... I appreciate the sentiment. I'm not the best at speaking either."

Chun-Li has posed:
    A small blush and a smile follow as Raven seems understanding of her words. She then looks over at the girl and then back to her own food as she nods in response to those words before saying, "Well..." She looks over at Raven and then she looks to the food, "Maybe I wanted to throw you off balance a little." She smirks.

    "After all, if you were doing what you were comfortable doing than you might not open up." She chuckles, "And if we were meditating, neither of us would talk much." She nods and shrugs before looking back over to Raven, sitting up some and shifting so her left leg is pulled up a little, knee pointing skyward as her right leg stretches out.

    "Also, thanks for the undrstanding." She grins softly before looking over at Raven and then she looks down to her own food, "So, I hope you are enjoying yourself despite my slip up."

Raven has posed:
    Nodding along, Raven seems to be understanding. She gives Chun some privacy during the blush. Acknowledging it isn't particularly polite, after all. "I admit this is... Entirely different. I probably shouldn't discuss past dates, but this is nice." She's repeating herself, of course- but nobody said Raven was good at casual conversation.

    "You're not wrong. If we were just sitting here being silent, it wouldn't be the right kind of thing for a second date. Maybe a third. I wouldn't object to you being present. You know when to be quiet. That is more of a compliment than you probably realize."

Chun-Li has posed:
    A smile as she looks over at Raven once more and she then looks forward before nodding her head, "Well, then that is at least one idea for a third date." She nods her head, "You and I relaxing and taking itme to meditate." She then considers Raven for a long moment before looking down to her food, "And based on those words, I assueme you are wanting to meet again." She nods her head as she considers something for a long moment. Whatever it is, it steals her thoughts away.

    She lets out a slow breath after and then looks over to Raven, "Well, looks like we are running low on food and I imagine that means this date is coming to a close."

Raven has posed:
    Raven doesn't have much to offer. She nods, of course, finishing her food. Comparatively, she ate little- but it's not an insult. She just... Doesn't seem to eat much.

    "I would like that." she notes, "Maybe next time we stay inside, though. A movie might be nice. Or someplace dark and quiet. I know a couple libraries that are open in the evening."

Chun-Li has posed:
    A smile blossoms and she nods, "Perfect, then you can choose our next date and I'll be there." She nods her head to Raven as she seems genuinely pleased that Raven is coming up with places. She then proceeds to start cleaning up what is left. Looking down at the food as she closes containers and rewraps things. She briefly glances up.

    "I look forward to what you pick out." She nods her head and then starts to stand up and gestures to Raven, "Help me fold this if you don't mind." She gestures at the blanket.