14086/The Joy of Noodles

The Joy of Noodles
Date of Scene:	24 January 2022
Location:	Skye's Brownstone, Greenwich Village
Synopsis:	Summary needed
Cast of Characters:	Yaozu Lin, Quake

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Yaozu Lin has posed:
Time has come to pass, as often it does -- days and nights slip by, and various time is spent in fulfilling duties that must be tended. Yet friendships are things that ought not be left to grow stagnant. This is something that Lin Yaozu could do to practice more often. The feeding of friendships. With that intention in mind, the avian has taken a small trip to the market at Chinatown in order to pick up some ingredients. Flour, salt, a few different kinds of vegetables (bok choy, daikon radish, snow peas, Chinese cabbage, and carrots) and protein in the form of firm tofu as well as raw duck. With these ingredients tucked safely into a pair of canvas bags, he's then made his way to the brownstone where Skye lives. There was no message to advise of his imminent arrival, for he had intended for it to be a surprise.

It's late in the afternoon, bordering on early evening when he does arrive. He's left a path of his unusual footprints in the snow behind him. Though he's off duty, for this time he's chosen to wear something other than the traditional Chinese robes that he'd come to favour during his off duty times. He's wearing a long sleeved dark blue shirt with a Mandarin style collar, a pair of black jeans, and a long black winter jacket that ends at mid-thigh, all of which have been altered to accomodate for his no-longer-human physiology. His long hair is neat, tidily caught up in a braid that rests over the front of his left shoulder. He adjusts the bags briefly, and then he lifts his left hand to knock on the door.

Quake has posed:
In Skye's life things had ground to a halt. Oh sure had lots to do in her job; she's even started to be in her office.. once or twice a week. People had wondered where had she gone? Some of those closer to her wondered *why* she had gone. A few even wondered was it because she wasn't with Clint? Nobody was certain if they were together, or apart.

They weren't.

Not like Skye was open about that.

Meanwhile, when she was with him, they had an open door policy at their Brownstone - her Brownstone now - and for whatever the reason, whether she forgot, or she kept it going, Skye's door was unlocked.

Skye was feeding the cats at this hour: Grant and Ward. To their incessant moews that they have never, ever, in their life eaten.

Yaozu Lin has posed:
There always seems to be a lot to do where work is concerned. There are times when a lot of it seems to be paperwork, but Yaozu always makes and takes the time for his own physical training. It's always been important to him to be of good physical condition so that he can best do his job when he's sent on missions. Though he hasn't been sent on specific Shield missions, he's ended up on a couple of what might best be called 'unsanctioned' missions. His skills had proven to be useful, even if he had felt his part had been small.

Even though the door is unlocked, even though he's been made aware that this place has an open door sort of arrangement -- Yaozu still knocks. He can't help it, it's habit. He waits for a moment or two after he's knocked on the door, and it perhaps takes him that time to recall that offer from when it had been made to him. He ducks his head just a touch, then he reaches to the doorknob in order to turn it and test the door. It opens when he attempts to open it, and he pushes it open far enough to peek inside, his ear tufts lifting. "Skye? Are you home?" he calls out. Would it be unlocked if she wasn't? It's not the smartest of questions, in hindsight.

Quake has posed:
The knock reminds the cats that someone else can be bribed to feed them more!

"Oh no you're not! One in the morning, and one in the evening. You have all the kibble that you could want! See? Kibbles." She begin to see what the cats were doing with Clint and Skye - eating their bowl up, and then meowing for more with the opposite partner. Which wasn't hard given their schedules.

"The door is open.. and don't listen to the cats. They've been fed.. I'm in the kitchen!" Skye rinsed the can opener off

Yaozu Lin has posed:
Though they might assuredly try to lure Yaozu into feeding them more than what they've already been fed, he's unlikely to follow their feline demands. He doesn't have anything against cats or other pets, but it's often best to leave the feeding of them to those who own them. At hearing Skye's voice as she scolds the kitties, a small smile parts his beak, and he steps quietly inside the house before closing the door behind himself. That had answered the question of if she was home, and quite well.

"They are cunning little creatures and know well how to earn more food for themselves," Lin Yaozu says in a soft tone, a touch of amusement to his voice. He doesn't lock the door after entering, though he does take a moment just within in order to wipe off his feet to keep from tracking snow or wet into the house. He can't really wear footwear -- the way his feet have changed make them ill suited to it. He steps soft through the house and towards the kitchen, his talons making quiet snicking sounds on the floor. Once to the kitchen, he easily lifts the canvas bags up to sit them on the counter. "I hope I am not intruding? I have brought things to make dinner," Yaozu says softly, with just a bit of shyness.

Quake has posed:
"People with dogs don't know how good they have it. They always look guilty." Skye can't help muttering to herself as she *stares* at the cats, who by this time are ignoring her. "Just look at them!"

Her heads shakes at them, as she turns to welcome Yaozu, and *stops* and *stares*.

It had been so long since anybody had dropped in, let alone bring the stuff for a meal, that she was surprised. The last person who had brought something to cook was May.

"uh.. is that..?"

Yaozu Lin has posed:
"Dogs are a different personality than cats, but where food is concerned, I think they are just as opportunistic. Many of them beg for bits and pieces of any meal that their human is having," Yaozu comments, a whisper of amusement to his voice. "I think they are both possessed of their pros and cons, so to speak," he adds, giving a small nod. He looks to the cats, from one to the other of them, studying each of them in turn. His ear tufts lay back briefly, then lift once more. "At least they do not think that I will eat them," he adds, a smile parting his beak. Some species of owls would catch and eat cats.

Yaozu tilts his head to one side as Skye stares at him, the gesture that couple of degrees past human range. "Have I done something amiss?" he asks softly. Leave it to Yaozu to wonder about if he's crossed a line that he shouldn't have. He wears a silver ring one the ring finger of his right hand, perhaps more noticeable when he lifts that hand to move aside the fabric of each of the canvas bags in turn. "I brought vegetables. And I was not sure which you would prefer, so I brought duck and firm tofu," he says, looking to the groceries he'd purchased before looking to her. "I can either make soup bowls with fresh noodles or a noodle stir fry. I brought the ingredients to make the noodles," he adds.

Quake has posed:
Skye shakes her head, clearing it. "No, it's not that. It's that a couple years.." Good lord, was it so long ago now?? "..we used to do suppers all the time. We talked about our missions. It's why it was so easy to make here a fundamental part of SHIELD when we had Kyle in the system."

"No, it's actually good.. And I actually can make the fresh noodles by hand. This is one of the few dishes I can make. From scratch no less."

Yaozu Lin has posed:
The avian seems to relax at her reassurance, and he gives a small nod to her, listening as she speaks. His feathers are slightly fluffed, though nothing that seems out of the ordinary when he's comfortable. And with Skye, he is comfortable. "Perhaps it is a tradition that should be started again, the making of suppers?" Yaozu suggests, watching her for a moment before he glances towards the groceries that he'd brought along with him. "Perhaps we could take turns with choosing what is to be made?" he offers, after a moment.

He eases out of his coat, and then steps aside to hang it on the back of one of the chairs at the table. It's a good enough place for it, for now. Then he starts to roll up his sleeves, to the elbow, though the fact that he does so is something that reveals a tattoo on the inside of either forearm. He doesn't tend to reveal them, which is mostly cultural on account of how tattoos tend to be viewed in China. "We can make them together. From scratch. My grandmother, she taught me to make the noodles," he says, giving a small nod to her. "How have you been doing?" he asks softly, a gentle note to his voice.

Quake has posed:
Skye begins to unpack the groceries to look at them. "We could do that," she says slowly. "There are a lot less of us these days." What with undercover ops and going to different offices to work. It happens.

As she puts each thing on the table, she can't help but notice his tattoos. Not that she point them out, but she notices them.

"I keep forgetting that you have always cooked like this. Me? I was raised, essentially, in a group home. And after that I lived by myself in Gretel." Her van. "I never learned to make food. I'm horrible at it. I am good at ramen though." Even if her teacher nearly pulled his hair out in frustration!

Yaozu Lin has posed:
The vegetables are all fresh and of good quality, and have that sort of look to them as though Yaozu hand-picked them himself from the various market vendors. He always takes care with food, or so it might have been noticed. He went to school for nutrition, and that has a way of showing when it comes to his choices where food is concerned. "There are less of us, that is true. But, we are all deserving of good food and good company," Yaozu says, looking over to her and giving a small nod.

His gaze lowers briefly to his tattoos, but then he lifts his attention to look to Skye. He watches her as she unpacks the groceries, and he steps aside to get out a knife and a cutting board, settling them on the counter. A smile parts his beak, and then he gives a small nod to her as he steps a bit closer to her. He lifts his left hand to very lightly touch her shoulder nearest to him, briefly. "I have either always cooked like this or had cooking like this. The food was always homemade, at home, when I was younger. It was only when I went to university that I would sometimes eat out, with friends and such," he says softly. His ear tufts lay back for a moment, and then lift slowly. "I did not eat out very much. There were... rare dates that I would go on, then," he says in a quieter tone, a more shy tone. There is a crimson irridescence that comes to some of his feathers, possibly visible where the collar of his shirt is open. "Many things can be made with noodles. I can teach you other things, about making food... if you wish to know, to learn," he says softly, looking to her.

Quake has posed:
"Really?" It is apparent that Skye isn't too convinced. Sure there's pasta with spaghetti sauce, but noodle in other things? That she could make?? (That was the question: could she make it? With her cooking skills? Surely Yaozu joked?)

"Where I grew up, other than the amount of time when I was a baby, it was cafeteria food at best. Too many kids; too little budget." She shrugs. "It tried to be healthy?" Which was for Skye a very laughable statement; what she had had in her teenage years, and portions of her twenties were laughable compared to the 'cafeteria food' of her youth. She'd found herself going back to Mr. Noodles and chocolate. It was simpler when she worked, and didn't take time.

It also didn't remind her of her times in the kitchen with Clint.

Yaozu Lin has posed:
"Mm," affirms Yaozu, giving a small nod to her. He steps over to the sink in order to wash his hands to start with, and then he gets out a bowl to set near to the cutting board. "Yes. There are many dishes for noodles. Chow fun can be made with any protein but typically with beef and it is a type of stirfry. Reganmian is made with noodles, very popular in the Hubei province, and the noodles are cooked in water and sesame oil and served just so, with garnishes added on top. Biangbiang is from the Shaanxi province and they are cooked with spring onions, leeks and garlic, and some spices. Liangpi are noodles with a spicy peanut sauce. There is also wonton soup, which you likely already know. Lo mein and chow mein other types of stirfry. Dan dan is a dish of noodles with a spicy ground meat sauce. Zhajiangmian is a Beijing specialty, and it is noodles with vegetables, protein and a soybean sauce. These are only some of the dishes for noodles. There are many others, in Chinese and Japanese culture. These, you could make, if you had the ingredients for them," he says softly. That food has meaning to him is more obvious when he speaks at such lengths about it.

He's not a chef nor even of any professional skill where cooking is concerned, but his grandmothers both taught him enough that he wouldn't have to rely on restaurants or other fast food options. "We all do the best that we can, for food, with the money that we have to spend on it. Cafeteria sort of food tends to have a larger overhead picture, of sorts. How to feed many without spending much and do so while trying to be healthy. It is a difficult balance," Yaozu says softly, a thoughtful tone to his voice. "Fast food places offer what I have heard referred to as 'cheap and cheerful' sort of food. It is not necessarily healthy, but it is often better than going hungry," he muses, tilting his head a touch to one side.

"There is... a certain amount of satisfaction to be found in cooking, in making something that tastes good. I find it pleasing, to cook something good to share with another that I care about, to see them enjoy the food. Food is for the body, and for the spirit. The way it smells, the way it looks when it is served," he says softly. He is quiet for a moment, reaching out to pick up one of the daikon radishes to wash it under running water. "I am an only child. My parents both worked. One set of my grandparents lived next door to us. My other grandmother lived with us from when I was little, after her husband died," he explains.

Quake has posed:
Skye knows how to share the kitchen with another, although it wasn't Yaozu. She kept stepping around someone who wasn't there. Who wasn't Yaozu. That he speaks of what was good time for him? And the lack of such for her? Was apparent.

"I would help Clint in the kitchen. Not that we didn't enjoy fast food. Gino's was a favourite. I have been there in a long time. It's right beside Clint's apartment. I figured I would leave him alone while he figured his shit out. Now? Now, it's been so long with no response, no reaching out.. And don't tell me why don't you.. because I did that and he requested to be alone. That's what he needed. Time. Alone."

She shrugged. "At first it seemed okay. Then the weeks turned into months. I used to have longer conversations with him when either of us were under cover. Even when I pretended to break out of the Trisk and change sides to Hydra."

That was so many years ago! Well, at least 3. Maybe 4.

She stares at the vegetables, without comprehension. Which ones? She turns to him. "What now?" And she continues on, "Do you know anything native to Hunan?"

Yaozu Lin has posed:
It's something that Yaozu notices, that she seems used to stepping around someone else in the kitchen. He looks aside to her, watching her for a moment, and then his gaze lowers to the radish sitting on the cutting board. He picks up the knife and starts to slice the radish thinly and on a diagonal. While he listens to what she says, he is quiet, and he gives a small nod to acknowledge what she's shared with him. "Gino's is... pizza?" he asks, looking to her briefly before looking back to what he's doing. He doesn't have a lot of familiarity with the different chains. "My grandmothers would often tell me, 'this is how you learn things, by helping to do them'," he adds, a small smile parting his beak.

"If you wish to go there, but not go alone, we could go together to Gino's," Yaozu offers, tilting his head to one side. "There are times when life becomes... complicated," he muses, giving his head a small shake. His own became complicated when he mutated. And he keeps it secret from his family, to protect them. "It is not my place to tell you what to do, Skye. If he has asked for time and to be alone so he can figure things out, well... it is a request that ought to be honoured. Sometimes, things are best sorted in solitude. It is not always the best way, but sometimes," he says in a quiet voice. He understands, in a way -- there have been times when he's pulled away from everyone to figure things out.

He looks to her, and he tilts his head a touch to one side, his ear tufts perked up. "Now, we prepare things. We make them ready to be cooked. These, sliced this thin, will cook quickly or be good raw along the side," he explains. "If you could get out a bowl, to make the noodle dough in, please?" he requests of her. "Mm, the foods of Hunan, they are often quite spicy. Hunan province is also known for rice noodles," he says softly, going back to cutting the radish. "There are many. Steamed fish heads with pickled peppers, shredded pork with peppers, Mao's braised pork. Changsha stinky tofu. For noodle dishes, there are Changsha style rice noodles, Changde style stewed beef served with noodles, Hunan rice noodles that are often made for breakfast. Many places have gaima mi fen, which is rice noodles with toppings," he says.

Quake has posed:
Skye smiles softly, and shakes her head. "I know I'm welcome at Gino's. He always said I was too good for Clint. No. I don't want to make it seem that I'm checking up on him, and am leaving him his pizza joint. I mean, it's next door! Hell, I could order in." Again she shakes her headr

Given that the vegetables look like they are getting done, she pull out all the ingredients for the noodles and begins to mix them.

Yaozu Lin has posed:
The avian tilts his head to one side as he listens to her, and then he gives a small nod. "What you say makes a good amount of sense," he says softly, his tone thoughtful. A small smile parts his beak, and he lifts one of his shoulders in a small shrug. "I do not tend to believe that any person is too good for any other. To find happiness is important, to find... as it could be said, the yin for your yang," he says softly, watching her. "There have been times when I thought I had found my own yang... but it was not to be," he adds in a quieter tone. His attention shifts back to the cutting board, finishing up with the daikon radish. He reaches out to pick up the cabbage next, rinsing it under cold water before setting it on the cutting board and starting to cut it thinly.

"It is, perhaps, best to give him that space. As you said, Gino's can deliver. Perhaps next time we will have pizza," he offers, giving a small nod. He glances towards the noodle dough that she works on, and a smile parts his beak once again. "It is looking very good. Do you roll your noodles or do you pull them?" he asks, curiosity in his voice. He's been taught different ways of making them, but he's curious about the way that she was taught.

Quake has posed:
"Pull." Like d'uh. She learned to pull them and twist them a number of times, until they were just the right size, and chop (or cut) them to the correct length. "Why? What about you?"

Skye kept on kneading the dough until it was the correct consistency, and put it aside to proof. "It was almost a joke. Really what Gino meant was he approved of me. That's all." She shakes her head. "The pizza wasn't the thing - I could get pizza anywhere. Half the fun of Gino's was Clint. He picked on my toppings - no veggies! We both had a frou-frou beer - that neither of us liked. It was our thing. Not mine."

"What brought you over? You've never done this before?"

Yaozu Lin has posed:
There's a smile that parts his beak in response to her answer, and Yaozu gives a single nod. "Both of my grandmothers favoured making the varities that were hand pulled rather than rolled. They would have more chew to them when made that way rather than ones made by rolling. That is one of the things that I like about them, the different texture that they hae," he says, a thoughtful tone to his voice. "There are some kinds that are made by rolling but I seem to follow in the footsteps of my grandmothers and not make them often. Which kind is used is sometimes a matter of personal preference," he explains.

He continued to prepare the vegetables that he'd brought, each kind going into its own bowl after it has been cut up. He looks to the dough as she finishes with kneading it and sets it aside, and then he gives a nod before turning his gaze back to her. He tilts his head a touch to one side, considering what she's said in regards to Gino, and then he gives a small nod. "It makes sense, I think. I am glad that he approved of you, Skye," he says softly. He falls quiet, looking up for a moment and seeming to be caught by a thought, and then he gives another little nod before his gaze returns to her. "I have heard it said by others that pizza is not made for vegetables. I always get a mixture of meat and vegetables, yet it is something that caters to many preferences. It is very customizable," he adds, a smile parting his beak.

"Places become different when they are shared. When you go to them with someone else and spend time there with them. They... change, somehow. They pick up different layers of meaning," he says in a tone that's a bit softer. He tilts his head to one side, his beak softly snicking as he spends a moment in thought over her questions. "No, I have not done this before. You are my friend, and a good friend. I care about you, and I feared for you when you had been kidnapped. I realized that I have not taken very much time recently to... nurture our friendship, and it is something that I wish to change," he offers, attempting to explain.

Quake has posed:
While he finished the vegetables, she sat on the counter and watched him.

"I never would have gone in there without him. I never had what you might call balanced meals. And I think he razzed me just because. I mean it's not like he ate quite a lot of vegetables himself. Just more than I."

She listened to his story about noodles, and without actually knowing, she smiled. "The chef that I learned off of was the cook of just a tiny hole in the wall restaurant in Hong Kong. And he almost gave up on me trying. He didn't know but I had enough Mandarin that I knew he was swearing. A lot."

Skye has to laugh at herself.

"I'm glad you changed that." She thinks. "I've got some beef in the freezer. I haven't bothered barbecuing. If I'm not mistaken, you can slice it better when frozen?" Well not quite so frozen, but close.

Yaozu Lin has posed:
In a soft motion, Yaozu unfurls one of his wings before reaching out to attempt to lightly brush a touch along her upper arm. If he's allowed to touch her, it's not the sort of thing that lingers, his wing retreating and lightly folding at his back once more. "Each person has their own balance to their meals. Their own nutritional requirements," he says softly, a smile parting his beak. "I have heard it said that boys will most commonly tease those that they are keen or fond of," he adds, a touch of amusement to his voice. "And I think since he ate more vegetables than you that he felt he had perhaps the grounds to tease you for it," he comments, giving a small nod to her.

"Chinese food, and Japanese food, often have many vegetables. Even the ones that have noodles," he muses, a thoughtful note to his voice. He tilts his head to one side as he watches her, his hazel eyes showing a sparkle to them. "The little hole in the wall restaurants are most often the best places to go to. They are like hidden gems. I am glad that you had the opportunity to learn at one of them. The kitchens are often minimally stocked with equipment -- they have just enough in them to do what must be done, to create the dishes that are served," he says. He can't help but to chuckle about the swearing. "I think the swear words are often the ones that are learned first, with a new language."

"I am trying to change, yes. I enjoy your company, and I feel comfortable with you," he says softly. He glances towards the freezer when she mentions it, and then he gives a nod. "Yes. Partially frozen, it slices much easier. If you could get it out, it will be ready to cut around when the noodles are ready to be pulled," he says. He's quiet for a moment, and he fills the moment by rinsing off the knife and the cutting board before drying them with a dish towel and setting them back on the counter, ready for the beef. "When I lived in Beijing, I did not... allow myself, or perhaps allow others, to become friends with me as you and I are," he adds, a touch quieter in tone. He worked with them, he lived with them, but it could be said that they didn't know him.

Quake has posed:
Skye jumped off the counter, and headed for the freezer. "It's filet mignon." Meaning it was expensive, and relatively small. Perfect for this. She knew in ramen you only needed just a little bit against the broth. In fact you didn't cook it, the heat from the broth was enough to cook, sliced thinly as it is.

Taking it out, and putting it on the table. "We can soft boil eggs if you want to?"

"I never told Clint that one of my favourite things about this dish was the taste of the veggies and the broth together. well, and the noodles. Of course." D'uh.

As she feels the noodles and decides they are ready to pull, she talks more. "I like you too. I know I'm really not the friendliest of agents, but I watch everyone. I recognize when someone needs, well, a friend.. I know that is a conundrum: Not being friendly, yet realizing you need someone. But that's where I fit in. You know?"

"Help me with the noodles?"

Yaozu Lin has posed:
There's a flicker of surprise that chases through his eyes when she mentions that it's filet mignon, his ear tufts perking up some at that as well. "It has been a while since I have had the opportunity to cook with filet mignon. It will be perfect in this," Yaozu says softly, sounding pleased. It's also a very tender cut of beef. "I have heard it said that filet mignon translates to mean a cute cut of meat," he offers, a bit whimsically, perhaps. He watches as she takes it out to put it on the table so that it can partially thaw for slicing.

"Yes, please. If you have the eggs for it. I like them on top, cut in half, the yolk still a bit runny," he says softly. He's looking forward to the eating the dish when it's complete, but the journey of getting there is enjoyable to him as well. "Do you have ramen bowls?" he asks, curious. Though he could, he doesn't start opening cupboard doors in search of them, perhaps awaiting a direction from her before doing so.

"Mm, yes. The broth partially cooks the vegetables but not fully, depending on how long you leave it sit before eating it and how hot the broth is when it is poured over the top," Yaozu says, giving a small nod. He tilts his head a bit to one side at her words, and then he gives a small shake of his head. "Mm," he muses, giving it a moment of thought. "As you say, perhaps, but I am not certain that a person who could be called the friendliest would collect me into their group of friends, if it might be put in such a way. You are... selective," he says softly, his ear tufts laying back briefly before rising once again as he gives a nod. He tends towards being quiet amongst groups of people. "I am grateful, to have you as a friend. And glad to have been chosen to be your friend, as well," he adds in a warm tone, a touch shyly.

When she asks for help with the noodles, he gives a nod, his ear tufts standing up and a smile parting his beak. "Yes, of course," he agrees readily, his tone a bit eager.