13699/A Favourite from Home

A Favourite from Home
Date of Scene:	04 August 2021
Location:	Apartment 214, Hugo Building
Synopsis:	Willow arrives home to find Vitali making pelmeni. He teaches her how to make them, and they talk while they work on making them.
Cast of Characters:	Vitali Svyatoslav, Willow Rosenberg

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Vitali Svyatoslav has posed:
It's somewhere in the middle of the afternoon, and the weather outside is fair. The sky is blue, and the sun is out. The bedroom door to the room that Vitali and Xiang Zhao share is open. The balcony door is open there as well, which has let Soraya out so that she can fly free and hunt. Vitali is home at the apartment, and he's in the kitchen. He's made a cup of tea, which sits on the counter, steaming.

Vitali wears a pair of black jeans, and a blue turtleneck, the latter of which has the sleeves pushed up to his elbows. He has a small wooden rolling pin sitting on the table, and a section of it has been dusted with flour. There are two bowls that sit on the table as well. One has a ball of dough in it, and the other has what looks like a mixture of vegetables with tofu and seasonings in it.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
It was a half day for Willow, which suited her just fine. If she got all her chores done she planned on visiting Pietro this evening. Of course, she meant it as a surprise. She holed it wasn't to forward of her.

The chores first! Including some practice.. Somebody (Dracula) had got her thinking: Did she know *all* the magic she wanted, or..?/r
It was the 'or' that she was hung up on.

She closed the apartment door, and had a big sigh.

Vitali Svyatoslav has posed:
The Siberian steps across the kitchen to be able to see the door once he hears it open. A smile comes to his features and he gives a small nod of greeting to Willow as he watches her come inside. "Good afternoon, Willow," he offers, the words touched with his accent. "Are home early, da?" he asks, a bit of curiosity to his voice.

"Can make some tea, if would like?" he offers, raising an eyebrow slightly. His long black hair is caught in a braid that hangs the length of his back, and he steps back over to the table in the kitchen. Reaching out his right hand, he breaks off a piece of the dough, perhaps a bit larger than a walnut, and then he uses the small rolling pin to form it into a circle. A spoonful of fillinng is put in the middle, then he folds the dough circle in half before turning the two edges in to join them in the centre. It ends up looking sort of like tortellini, and he sets it on a plate where a few other finished ones are.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow blinks, then smiles. "Yes, I'm off early. I didn't expect you home though!And a tea would be delightful."

Okay, if she didn't do laundry, and she had a cup o'noodle while she read, she should still be okay to work on her spells, and do some scrying.. well, sometime tonight.. she should be ok with going to Pietro's tonight.

"Anything I can help you with?"

Vitali Svyatoslav has posed:
"Went out for little while this morning. Need go market, make trade for things for make pelmeni," Vitali says, giving a small nod. "Making kind with no meat. Will make others with meat, after. Will make dough purple. Juice from beets give good colour," he adds, a thoughtful note to his voice. "Are hungry?"

"Will make tea," he says, giving a small nod. He steps back from the table and to the counter, picking up the kettle and filling it with water before putting it on. Then he retrieves a mug and adds some loose leaf tea into it. He looks over to her, watching her for a moment, and then he gives a nod. "Can help with making, if are wishing," he suggests. He returns to the table, breaking off aother piece of dough before rolling it out, filling it, and folding it. He makes it look easy, but he's been making them since he was a child.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
She giggles as her belly rumbles despite her not wanting to be a problem. "Yeeees?"

Let's see. If she got up extra early.. Wait a minute.. should she plan for the off chance that she was invited to stay overnight.. maybe? Okay, tomorrow evening, laundry. And she could have a shower no matter where she was, instead of a bath. Can ask to save a couple of the dumplings, pelmemi?, for breakfast.. wait.. that wouldn't work if she didn't stay home..

Worry about later.

"I would love to help! Show me how?"

Ah heck, we'll worry about the details later.

Vitali Svyatoslav has posed:
There's a brief glance towards her belly when it gives a rumble, and then he chuckles softly. "Mm, batch makes many. Will need to cook in boiling water, with salt," Vitali says, giving a small nod to her. "Can put any filling inside dough. Tradition is meat. In home, would use rabbit, deer, sometimes fish," he adds, a thoughtful tone to his voice. He tilts his head a bit to one side, studying her for a long moment. "Are looking like are thinking," he comments, a touch amused.

He breaks off a piece of dough of the right size, then places it on the table closer to her. Then he breaks off a second piece for himself. The bowl is moved a bit aside. "Da, will show how," he says, giving a small nod to her. He picks up the small rolling pin. "Need for make dough flat and in circle. Make like this," he explains. He uses the rolling pin to flatten it out -- rolling and turning a few times until he ends up with a rough circle. Then he sets the rolling pin aside before picking up the dough circle to hold it in his hand. "Add filling in middle," he says, doing it as he speaks, "Make in half, make closed, fold wings." And with it done, he sets it on the plate with the others.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow watched carefully as he began to run through how to make them. Really, it was sorta like matzoh balls, or Chinese dumplings, or Polish pierogies, or Italian cannelloni.. though that one was a bit pushing the borders.

In other words, everybody liked dumplings.

"My mother would love to watch you do this." Willow nods and attempts to roll out the dough. It's.. not too shabby for a first try. "Do I put in something that you would like?" Sure she is a vegan, but this isn't her meal.

Vitali Svyatoslav has posed:
Every culture has its own version of dumplings, and pelmeni is the Russian (and Siberian) variant. He reaches to the bowl of dough to break off another piece of it, using his fingers to smooth the edges of it a bit. "Babushka teach to make. Have years of practice," Vitali says, a smile quirking at the corners of his lips. It's hard to find someone who doesn't like dumplings.

"Not mind showing, Willow. Maybe have mother come over for dinner, can make as part, da?" Vitali suggests, one of his eyebrows raising a touch. He chuckles softly, then gives a nod towards the bowl of vegetable and tofu filling. "Use same filling. Next batch, purple dough. Have meat filling. Able to tell apart, even when cooked. Will have cream sauce, on pelmeni," he adds with a smile. He might not be vegetarian, but he does try to accomodate when he can so that Willow can eat what he's made as well.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow smiles as she tries to make certain the pelmeni is big enough to put the tofu filling in. "Maybe? My mother and father are kind of disappointed in me. They expected a doctor similar. Instead they got me." Sure she had one of the top SAT scores, but she turned down so many university to be with Buffy..

She shrugs as she puts the tofu in and closes it up. "I bet Pietro would love these though! They would remind him of home."

She wonders if she should take a portion over, or prepare some by herself. Hrm..

Vitali Svyatoslav has posed:
"Is your choice, Willow," Vitali says softly, a gentle tone to his voice. He isn't sure just what the dynamic is between Willow and her parents, but they aren't mentioned very often. He gives a small shake of his head, then lightly brushes one of his hands off before lifting it to place it on her shoulder nearest to him. "Are not disappointment. Are very smart, have good job, have magic, do many things," he says, giving a small nod. Not that he really knows, but that's what she told him!

He gives her shoulder a gentle squeeze, and then he lowers his hand, watching her as she closes up the pelmeni. "Look good," he says, giving a smile to her. "One batch make many. If wish, can take some for parents. Can take some for Pietro. Am not minding sharing. Food always better when shared, da?" he suggests. "Can write down recipe, if want?" he offers.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Her hands lay on the pelmeni. "But you don't see. I have to hide so much of myself. Anything that seems to be magical has to be hidden. That's my job. My friends. My life. All they know is I didn't go off to Princeton, or Harvard, or even MIT. I went to Gotham. Who has marks like mine and goes to Gotham? Who?"

Willow finishes is her sole dumpling.

"Did I tell you about Pietro?" That's smart. Change the subject. No one will notice.. NOT.

Vitali Svyatoslav has posed:
There's a part of what Willow speaks of that Vitali has no way of understanding simply from his perspective and his life being what they are. His brow furrows a little bit, and he gives a small shake of his head. "Should not have to hide. Magic is part of you, da? Should be proud of having, proud of using," he says softly, sounding a bit confused. "Am not knowing Princeton, Harvard, MIT... not understand why are important. Not knowing of marks, have not seen," Vitali says. His understanding of marks is different than what Willow's is. "Have marks, on ski," he adds, though he doesn't go into detail.

He reaches for the rolling pin to roll out the piece of dough, forming it into a circle before lifting it from the table and settling it in his hand. He sets aside the rolling pin, then uses his other hand to break off another piece of dough which he places on the table near her. Then he fills his piece before sealing it shut. "Nyet, did not tell of Pietro. Is first am hearing name," he says, a touch of curiosity to his voice.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Ah. He doesn't *quite* understand.

She explains. "They are the top school in the country. When they look at you, instead of you looking at them, it's a big deal. And I turned them down. Even MIT." That one still hurt a little.

"And there is no way I can show them my real self. My mother tried to burn me at the stake until I erased her memory."

"Definitely can't tell her. Or my dad."

Willow waits until he has another pelmeni shaped and takes up some tofu and vegetable, and begins to shape. "Pietro is.." Does he fit 'a boyfriend'? Definitely a friend. A very *good* friend. As she thinks about that, her features are all blooming. "..my boyfriend. At least I think he is."

After all, they haven't used the words.

"He's from Russia. But, I don't really know if he considers his childhood happy. I have let him take his time in telling me. But food would probably be welcomed!"

Vitali Svyatoslav has posed:
When it comes to school and the importance of it here in America, Vitali doesn't understand. He lacks the frame of reference. Where he grew up, he didn't go to school. Or at least, not school as it's known here. He learned things, but it was through experience and by doing them repeatedly until he knew them. His brow wrinkles a bit as he considers what she says, and he gives a small nod towards her. "Will need to take word for it, about schools," he says softly. "Things very different, here. Not like home. At home, be told, 'go with uncle and other hunters, learn from them'. So, go with. Take weapons. Learn, hunt things. Hunt maybe good, maybe bad, but always learn something. Other times, go with others and learn different things," he says, lifting one of his shoulders in a bit of a shrug.

"Is not a fair thing, Willow. To not be true, real self," Vitali says softly, giving a small shake of his head. His magic runs in his family so it's never been a taboo sort of thing, and the concept of it being so is an alien one to him. He reaches out to break off another two pieces of dough, setting one near to Willow and then using the small rolling pin on the other to make it into a flattened circle.

One of his eyebrows quirks as he watches her expression as he speaks of Pietro, and he chuckles softly before he gives a nod. "Da, would think so, from way are glowing. Am glad, are deserving many happiness," he says, giving a nod to her. "Will give some pelmeni, da? Batch makes many," he adds, a smile finding his features again.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
But what /is/ Willow's own true self?

Up until recently she's been running away from herself. Now? She doesn't know what to do. Lately she has been feeling down. All her friends have moved on, while she was stuck in the same old rut.

She takes up the dough and proceeds to shape it. "Could we have both kinds? That way we can have me over." Oh yes, she's glowing. "I still don't know why he likes me. Most of the people find out I'm smart, and snub me. I usually don't get to say the other parts of me. But, it's hard. The smarts, and magic /are/ the two biggest parts of me."

Vitali Svyatoslav has posed:
Finding one's own true self can be a journey, and it is an individual one for each person. What works for one person may not work for another. "Take many things to make up one person," Vitali says, glancing towards her. He reaches for the stuffing, spoons out an amount, then tucks it into the dough before neatly folding it and setting it aside on the plate. "Sometimes is like jade, da? Not know inside of rock until cut and see. Not know if is useless rock or if have jade inside. Find self by look inside, sometimes. Meditate," he muses, a thoughtful tone to his voice. "Not work for all people, maybe help."

He chuckles softly, and then he gives a nod to her. "Da, can have both kinds. Will give both. Each in own container, da?" he suggests, watching her briefly before he breaks off another pair of dough pieces. "Are smart, Willow. Are pretty. Have good sense of humour. Are supportive and kind. Many reasons for liking you," he says, rolling out the dough piece into a circle.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"Meditate?!" Willow knew all about that, but never in this context before. "In pagan rituals they ask us to reflect, to meditate. I guess I never thought of it before." There was certainly a difference between meditation on your spiritual self and who should I be in general.

..or was there?

The shape is round enough (or so Willow thinks) and she scoops the filling in. "So you say." And Pietro , as well! "You don't want to date me. It's really simple to have a friend who you say all those things about, when in fact, they aren't things you think about in a partner." Like Buffy, for example.

Vitali Svyatoslav has posed:
"Da, meditate. Is helpful, sometimes," Vitali says, looking to her and giving a small nod. He was taught how to meditate when he was young, though his own meditation can serve more than one purpose. "Make for calm mind, calm body, calm spirit," he adds, glancing towards her before looking to the pelmeni that she's making. Since he doesn't offer any corrections on what she's doing then she must be doing it well. The dough doesn't need to be a perfect circle, so long as there's enough to close around the filling.

"Da, am saying so. Have many things in you for people to like," Vitali says, a smile tugging his lips. And then comes her comment about not wanting to date her. And he blinks, and he blinks a second time, his brain momentarily stalled by the statement. His cheeks flush with colour and he ducks his chin and he focuses, for a moment, on the dumpling that he's making. "Is not same thing, Willow," he says quietly, looking down to his hands and watching what he's doing. "Have not dated before. And heart is given," he adds.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"I meant I have meditated, but for spiritual means."

As he carried on her face fell. "I know I'm not your type. I'm not a boy. But I could get boys /or/ girls, and it doesn't matter. They still didn't pick me. All those thing that you said were great, but aren't things that either sex like in a partner."

For right now she's not including Pietro as her boyfriend, after all, they haven't worked it out yet.

Vitali Svyatoslav has posed:
"Da, meditation good for spirit. Help for make or find balance in spirit," Vitali agrees, giving a small nod. "Was taught for using to regain energy, if not have time for sleep," he adds. He finishes with the dumpling he'd been making, then sets it aside on the plate.

"Willow," Vitali begins, pausing and turning his dark gaze to her, studying her, "things am saying, things am seeing in you, are things looked for in others. In partners. Are picked now, da?" He falls quiet then for a moment, looking down to his hands for a moment before he reaches out to retrieve another piece of dough. "Why are thinking is bad thing for not being picked in school?" he asks in a soft and curious tone of voice. He's older than what she is, and he's never dated anyone before -- which means not being picked by anyone, either.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Amazingly, Willow dumpling looks pretty good. Of course that doesn't mean that it will cook up alright!

"Because everybody pats me on the head, and it's Buffy who always gets the partner."

Vitali Svyatoslav has posed:
"Velikiye dukhi daryat mne mudrost'," Vitali says quietly as he looks up for a brief moment, his voice near a whisper in volume. He looks to her and studies her for a long time, and then he gives a small shake of his head. "Have never patted on head, da?" he points out, raising an eyebrow and looking to her.

"Why are comparing self to Buffy? Pietro pick you, Pietro choose you, nyet? Not choose Buffy or anyone else. You," he says, taking a moment to brush his hands off from a bit of flour. "Would be like me, compare self to brother, Dmitri. Dmitri have wife, shaman for another village. Have twins. Expecting other baby. Maybe, I think. Vision not clear. Me? Have nothing of same. No wife. No child," he says. And given his preferences, he's quite unlikely to father any children. There will be no heir for his magic to be passed on to.

Translation: Great Spirits grant me wisdom.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"That's not nice, what you said!" No, she doesn't need to translate to know that it isn't nice! As for the rest of it..

"But everyone looks to Buffy, the Slayer!" She exaggerated it. "And I'm just.. Willow. Sometimes I want to be the star, you know?"

Of course she needs to say nice things to Tali."But, you came over here because of a dream! Think about how wondrous that is! Not anyone, but you were chosen. You just need some time to figure it out." For all she knew he'd come over here to have a life with Xiang Zhao. The two of them would be hard to beat, in loves, and in magic.

Vitali Svyatoslav has posed:
"Is not not nice," Vitali counters, albeit mildly. "Is not bad for asking Great Spirits for wisdom. Sometimes, they give. Sometimes, not," he offers, by way of explanation. There are worse things that could have been said, but he's not the sort that seems inclined towards saying truly bad things.

"Are not 'just' anything, Willow. Are many things, inside, outside," Vitali says, his brow wrinkling a bit. "Can understand wanting to be in front sometimes, da. Is balance, sort of," he muses, then gives his head a brief shake.

He came here because of a dream. It's true, and yet he's never told anyone here just what that dream was. Just what the Vision had been. He frowns a little bit, and then he gives a small nod. "Da, came because of dream. Vision," he says softly. He reaches out with his right hand, claiming a bit of the dough and toying with it for a moment between his fingers before he uses the rolling pin to flatten it out. "Saw village, Willow. Everyone dead. Blood everywhere," he says quietly, the fingers of one of his hands faintly brushing over the circle of dough. "Saw alignment of stars. Saw New York City. Knew if did not come then would happen," he adds, still speaking quietly. It's not a very good dream, really. And he still has it.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Oh my! When Vitali had said a dream she had no clue what he meant. Not a clue.

"That's.. horrible." Now Willow felt terrible. "I thought you had a vision of Zhao. I thought, maybe you two were going to be like Dr. Strange. Big! But that sounds.." She doesn't finish her sentence. "I'm sorry."

Vitali Svyatoslav has posed:
And now, Willow knows just what he'd dreamed that had caused him to come to New York City in the first place. Vitali carefully picks up the circle of dough, and then he reaches out towards the filling to retrieve a spoonful of it. He's quiet as he fills the dough circle, replacing the spoon back to the bowl before folding up the dumpling and setting it on the plate.

"Da, is. Is worse to see. Have known all in village for all of life. To see all laying dead, blood everywhere...," he says softly, stopping there and giving his head a brief shake. He looks down, and he brushes his hands off a bit. It's a moment before he turns his dark gaze to Willow, and he gives a small shake of his head. "Nyet, was not Vision of Zhao," he says, a small smile touching his lips. He'd have preferred that. "Is not your fault, Willow. Did not know, da?" he says, a gentle tone to his voice.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Forget about her hands and making them at least passably clean, Willow wraps Tali up in a tight hug. "Anything you can think of to avoid that future, you have my help." Even if she only can help him with crying.

Vitali Svyatoslav has posed:
It's just a bit of flour, with maybe a bit of dough and a bit of filling. It's nothing that Vitali's particularly worried about. When she catches him up in such a hug, there's a flicker of surprise that shows in his dark eyes, and then he slips his arms around her to hug her in turn. He closes his eyes for a long moment, giving her a little bit of a squeeze. "Will be okay, Willow. Came to New York, so... is hope will not. Am not knowing cause of deaths," he says softly. The Vision doesn't show him a lot, alas. Enough for the Elders of his village to have chosen to send him here.

"Am not knowing what is needing to be done for avoiding outcome in village. Am not knowing why am here," Vitali says softly. A small smile finds the corners of his lips as he looks down to Willow, and he gives a small nod to her. "Spasibo, Willow. Am grateful," he adds, his tone sincere.