Table Manners

Summary:
June 22 2014: Following the discussion in the park with Amara, Fenris and Inara return to her apartment for dinner and further discussion

Inara's Apartment

A small two room affair near the M-Town Park


Characters

NPCs

  • Crocuta the Hyena Girl

Mood Music:
[*]


Fenris accompanies Inara back the short distance to her small apartment, smiling a little as he watches her carry little Crocuta. He looks for the animals that usually accompany her. Perhaps they'll be a bit bolder no that the little hellion is asleep. "She looks almost peaceful like that." He says quietly as he opens the door for her.

*

After scooping up the sleeping child, Inara heads over to her small apartment. She puts the girl, as filthy as she is, on her bed. "I'll clean her up later. For now, we should just let her sleep." She gestures to the table, to the chairs. "Do you like tea?" Even as she talks, the animals start to arrive at her window. Cats pop in, nibble at the food, go to sleep on the bed. "I have a question for you, Mr. Wolfson."

*

"I'd love some tea." Jeremiah sits down and takes a moment to make himself comfortable. "Yes, Miss Bahrami?" There's a mild hint of amusement in his voice and the way he quirks his eyebrow. Glancing back he waves to the animals, encouraging them inside. They seem to enjoy Inara's presence as much as he and she seems to enjoy theirs.

*

Inara Bahrami puts the kettle on and gets out a pair of cups. She looks over at the child. "You are more like her then you are like me, aren't you? But wolf, rather then hyena? That's why that wolf called you Alpha of Alphas, isn't it?" As usual, she is blunt and to the point.

*

Fenris seems to consider his answer for a couple of minutes. "Yes, what you say is true, but not the whole truth. You know I am somewhat magical. I was born as I am, much like she, but unlike Crocuta, who is of two natures, I am only of one. Knowledge of that nature can be… somewhat dangerous, and out of respect for you I have avoided directly answering thus far. This is the kind of thing one deserves to make an informed choice about."

*

Inara Bahrami sits down at the table across from Jeremiah. She keeps her voice quiet, not wanting to wake the young girl. "You feel to me like she feels. I didn't know it until I met her. Now I understand why you feel different to me." She gets up and pours the boiling water into the cups with the tea bags, bringing the mugs to the table. "You don't have to tell me. It's enough to know why I feel comfortable around you."

*

Fenris smiles at her trust. "Perhaps one day I will tell you. Things are happening in the world that suggest to me that my time in hiding may be at an end. Until then know that what the wolf called me, he called me because I am. I am very, very old, but I will not bring you to harm Inara. You have my word." He's serious about that too and there may be the sense that he does not give his word lightly about anything.

*

Taking the teabag out of the mug and placing it on the plate set aside for them, Inara starts to sip at her tea. "I am more worried that I will bring you to harm, Mr. Wolfson." She sighs softly, thinking deeply. "It seems that you and I have been made the joint guardians of Crocuta. I hope you don't mind."

*

"I do not." He says simply and with a smile. "Whether you end up raising her or not I will be happy to help you. If she can ever get over my presence that is."

He glances back to the bed and smiles a little. "There is nothing quite so endearing as a lost young one, is there? No matter how wild they may be."

*

Inara Bahrami looks to the sleeping child as well, smiling softly. "No, there really isn't. It makes the maternal, or paternal, instinct kick in. I never thought I would ever be a parent. I don't feel comfortable around other people enough to … well, I never thought I would be in this situation. Maybe that's what I like about her." She chuckles and sips at her tea. "She will come around to you in time. She's a hyena. Women are the dominant gender. She just may never feel that *you* are in charge. Sorry."

*

That draws a genuine but soft laugh from Wolfson. "I am nothing if not adaptable, Inara. It will be fine, I'm sure. As she understands her humanity more things will change anyway, and as she is exposed to others who are not as in tune with the world around them as you or I. Or, attuned in different ways as the case may be."

Another long sip from the teacup silences him. "Excellent tea. She will also have to come to grips with the fact that she straddles not two worlds but three. Not, perhaps, learn magic, but learn what it is and why it should concern her. Which reminds me."

Fenris rises now and walks over to the doors and windows, examining them. "Do you trust me, Miss Bahrami?"

*

Inara Bahrami smiles. "It a special blend my maamaan bozorg sends to my mother. And she sends it to me." She listens and sighs softly, concern on her features. "I worry that I'm really not the person to help her. I know I'm human, but she asks questions that I just don't have the answers for. Like why does she need a name? Animals don't have them for each other. And magic? I know nothing about that. Maybe the school would be a better fit. All I can give her is an outlet for her animal nature."

Her dark eyes follow Fenris as he moves around her small apartment. "I know the animals trust you. And as unusual as it is for me to say this, yes, I think I do."

*

Fenris takes a small silver chain off his neck with and holds it and the shard of unworked silver ore in his hand.

"Proteus." He murmurs to himself. The shard shimmers and grows into a short utility knife. Immediately he begins to carve small symbols into her wall.

"Thank you, Inara, for your trust. As for magic, you need not concern yourself with that now. She must first learn to be a person before anything else, and in that I think there are probably few in this world more qualified than you. Certainly no one that I know. Simply keep an open mind. I get the feeling that it will not be as simple as 'School' or 'You raise her'. The school can teach her valuable things but I do not think they can reach her or socialize her as well as you can, whatever their skillset. Not unless you've a twin sister there, at any rate."

*

Inara Bahrami shakes her head. "No sister. I was an only child. My parent moved here to America just to have me in a country that had more freedoms. And to get away from the oppression themselves."

She watches the symbols being etched into her walls. If her apartment was any nicer, she might object, but with the peeling wallpaper, it's hard to worry about a little bit of other damage. "I think perhaps… having her at school for the week and with us for the weekends and holidays and breaks might be the best for her."

*

"Or even coming home in the evenings to you, as a human child might normally. I'm quite sure I could take the time to bring her back and forth if it's too far for regular transportation." It occurs to Fenris that he doesn't even know where the school is. Each symbol he carves is only about the size of a quarter and pulses briefly with light as he does so. He moves on from the door to cover each window.

"It's too early though for such thoughts. Let us teach her how to live among people, and then we can consider more."

*

Inara Bahrami continues to watch the magic warding of her apartment. She tilts her head and smiles.
"What *are* you doing? You are acting like my maamaan bozorg talks ." She keeps sipping at her tea as she watches, interested. She turns briefly to the girl, still sleeping peacefully which is in direct contrast to the dried blood on her face and fingers. "I am no looking forward to bathing her again. The first time was hard enough."

*

Fenris grins a bit. "I am weaving two spells into your apartment walls. One presents a barrier to magical beings attempting to gain forced entry. The other immediately informs me if they succeed. I'm afraid my magical talent is not sufficient to put up a barrier to block everything out. I have the knowledge, but not the power. My strength lies elsewhere." He pauses as he finishes one window. "It will also not keep out anything you invite in, so beware there."

"She is smaller than you are. May I suggest filling up the tub as she sleeps and placing her in it?"

*

Inara Bahrami chuckles softly. "Actually, she is still a child. I'm hoping to use that to my advantage. I got some playthings and water crayons and hopefully that will entice her. I need to take her shopping for some clothes of her own though. And what do I do with her when I'm at work? And will those charms keep out the animals?" She starts to frown, worry creasing her features. She gets up and starts rummaging around the kitchen. "Have you ever had Iranian food?"

*

He shakes his head. "Not in a very long time, no. I've not lived anywhere that it has been in fashion." He finishes the carvings under the last window.

"They will not keep the animals out if they are not themselves magical, so that should be interesting at least. And I imagine Crocuta would find your work quite agreeable. I'd offer to watch her for you but at present I do not think she will bear my presence well without yours."

*

Inara Bahrami starts making dinner, a small affair of rice, homemade naan, and a light stew. With New York being such a mix of ethinicities, finding the groceries she needs isn't hard. As the meal progresses, Cora start to wake up. She snuffles, intrigued by the smell of food. "I was born here in America, but my family made sure I was taught about my Persian roots. Sometimes it's hard, to be proud of being Persian but still being proud to be American. People see me and … make assumptions. So I try to celebrate my roots as much as possible. So, I hope you like koresh on rice, because that is something you will be eating a lot here while you visit. You like goat?"

*

Fenris knows what it's like to have assumptions made about you. "I love goat, though I've not had it in some time. It is not… commonly available here in the States."

He comes to the kitchen to watch her cook. "Yes, humans have a tendency to form divisions based on anything convenient. Skin color, nationality, religion." He gestures to Cora and Inara. "Genetics. They're not very good at looking past differences to see commonalities. Most aren't anyway."

*

The girl comes off of the bed to come closer to the stove. Inara seems to have been prepared for this and hands the girl a freshly fried naan. She holds it in both hands, growling softly as she eats it heartily. "After that snack, it is bath time before dinner." Cora grunts and whimpers, barking and yipping. It sounds odd coming from the mouth of a human child. "No. No food until you are cleaned up." Inara gives the girl a firm look and the girl sulks, subdued. "Thank you, Crocuta." The girl looks at the tall man from around her protector, wary but not behaving as if she feels threatened.

"You," says Inara to Fenris, "Need to learn where to shop. There are lovely markets dotted all over the place if you know where to look. And that's a good point. How do *I* explain having a Caucasian child as my … dependent?"

*

Fenris smiles, close mouthed, at the young girl. "Do as she says." He encourages Crocuta. "The water will not hurt you and you'll smell nicer afterward."

"I believe in this case you may be able to tell the truth. Well, close to it. Say she wandered into Yasmin's bar and you took her in whilst you searched for her parents. Both Yasmin and I can corroborate the story. She's unlikely, I think, to have living parents, or at least living parents who will admit to her. I'd say given her lack of language skills she must have been orphaned or abandoned at a very early age indeed. Likely she survived because of her innate ability to call dogs. That's a guess, but it fits what we know of her.

*

Inara heads to the bathroom. The tub in there is only a three quarter sized tub. She starts running the bath. She shows the girl the crayons and toys and Crocuta reacts like any child would. The addition of bubbles intrigues her too and she crawls into the tub willingly, clothing and all. Inara sighs.

"Well… I should have known that would happen when I put that on her." She ruffles the girl's hair. "Stay there and play while dinner cooks." She comes back into the main room, able to see the whole apartment from the bathroom door. "So, all finished with your magic charms?"

*

The knife has again become a necklace when she comes back out from the bathroom. "Yes, quite done. Best we can do for now, but a fair sight better than nothing."

His attention now goes to the little kitchenette. "My that smells quite good." He turns his smile on Inara. "My compliments. I take it since I do not hear screaming that she went into the tub willingly?" Seems that way doesn't it. Ah but will she come out willingly? Well… probably yes. There's food.

*

Inara Bahrami nods her head with a wry smile. "Yes. Sadly my linen blouse will never be the same, mind you. I will have to teach her that nudity is sort of mandatory for a bath. But she did get bathed the same day we found her, so it's not too bad. Kids have bathed less often." She goes to stir the stew. "I'm glad you like it. It's not as good as my maamaans, but it's not too bad. And don't worry. Cora is a little naan fiend. I can lure her out."

*

"Perhaps we can find you a new one, even if it won't have been sent to you by your maamaans." He opens cabinets for a couple moments before he locates the plates and cups and begins to set the table for her.

"I believe you could lure a dragon away from it' hoard with this. It does smell quite good. I've some skill at cooking myself but I find that unless the occasion is special I frequently don't bother. And in any case I've never made anything in this style before." He sneaks a piece of Naan. "Nor have I had fresh Naan since… well, it's been a long time. What shall I set out to drink?"

*

And when Fenris looks for the plates and cups, he finds a problem. Inara doesn't get company. She has admitted to not being comfortable around other people. So there are only two of each item. "Do you always flatter a person's cooking like that, Mr. Wolfson?" She laughs softly as another piece of naan is stolen, smirking.

"You remind me of me when I was a child. My maamaan always made extra. And I usually just drink water. There is a filtered pitcher in the fridge."

*

Fenris puzzles over the plate problem and sets the two available out on the table, pouring the water into glasses. While she's busy finishing up the meal and getting everything in order he steps over toward the bathroom and flashes across the street to retrieve another place setting from his own kitchen before returning to set those out too. "I only flatter someone's cooking when I think it smells good." He smiles as he sets the last plate out.

*

Fenris probably shouldn't have gone near the bathroom. He is rewarded for his effort by being splatted by a sudsy terry cloth turtle, followed by a hail of giggles that are unmistakably hyena in nature. Inara covers her smile, not wanting to offend.

"I think she's warming up to you, Mr. Wolfson."

*

The tall man chuckles and shakes a bit of excess water from him. "Oh that laugh. That's going to earn her a lot of friends…" He shakes his head, well used to the antics of cubs in his time. He's seen his share. The table is set though one of them will be using a stool as a chair. Which is fine by him.

"It's just as well if I am to be looking after her as well. Can't have her frightened of me all the time."

*

Inara Bahrami heads into the bathroom, pulling the girl out and drying her off, dressing her in something clean and fresh. When Cora comes to the dinner table, she looks at the Big Bad Wolf with some trepidation. Is he going to hurt her? Growl? Bite? Inara then puts the food on the table. "It's alright, Crocuta. He knows it was all in good fun. He's not mad." She puts the young girl in between the adults, making it so that she has to get used to Fenris.

"You know, Mr. Wolfson, you can call me Inara."

*

"Well in that case." He smiles. "You can call me Jeremiah." He reaches over and playfully ruffles Cora's long, spotted hair. "Mmmm. That will draw looks, little one." He tells her. "But it's quite pretty."

Looking back up he gives Inara a smile and offers to start plating the food, starting with Cora and then her, and finally himself. It really does smell quite good. Goat stew and fresh bread… oh yes. Here's a meal for a hungry wolf.

*

“Very well, Jeremiah. Though Alpha seems to fit you better. Jeremiah just doesn't seem… you. Like something is missing." She looks over at the girl's hair, her mouth pulling to one side.

"Maybe if we cut it short? No, that would make the spots more obvious. Long like this, it just looks like streaks." The meal is good, lots of fresh parsley chopped onto the top. "So, tell me about yourself, Jeremiah? What do you do? You know, other than saving little hyena girls?"”

*

He smiles a bit when she observes about his name. Perceptive isn't she? One day perhaps he'll tell her that the reason is, of course, that it isn't his proper name. Merely one in a long line of facades. "Well at the moment I work for the Forest Service and for Parks and Rec." He says between bites. Clearly, he's rather enjoying the meal. "Part time. I do the usual things. Make sure people are abiding by park rules and steer animals who might have a hard time with people away from them. Bears, in many cases. I've a rather significant advantage there, in that I can simply explain why they should not try to break into the human tents for the food they have so carelessly left out."

Another bite of stew. "And sometimes people ask me to help them. As with Yasmin the other day."

*

Cora watches the two adults as they eat. There is something about there being two of them for her to model herself after that seems to work for the girl. She eyes them ferally and then picks up her fork. Like a weapon, yes, but she tries using it. Stabbing at the meat on the plate, growling. The rice starts to scatter all over. "Well, it's better than yesterday at least." Inara nods, knowing that Jeremiah can speak to animals like she does.

"I find if you just explain to them, they are usually quite responsive. They don't want trouble, they just want the easy meal."

*

"Exactly so." Jeremiah agrees, taking Cora's wrist to halt the attack on her plate and then slowly scooping up a bite of food with his own fork, so she can see how it's done and offering it to her.

"Around my home I do not always feel compelled to help, but there are certain things I take exception to." Going into further detail… might be awkward. But his hunting grounds are, after all his. And things from his side of the curtain do not get to muck about freely. Not without due deference to what the Alpha Wolf feels is his, at any rate.

*

Cora growls at Jeremiah initially, but turns to watch Inara. The dominant female is doing what the male does and so she tries. The grains of rice fall off the fork though and it isn't long before she gives up on cutlery altogether and starts using her hands.

"It's alright," says Inara. "It was better than her previous meal. She's learning. She wants to please me, so she's emulating me as much as she can. Give her time." She reaches over to pet the girl's hair, gaining a toothy smile in gratitude from the girl.

"I am sorry about that first time we met. I .. well, the animals asked for my help. I had to try."

*

Her dinner guest waves it off. "There is no reason to apologize. You were doing what you thought was right. That is all any being can ask of itself, human or not. To act in accordance with what you believe to be right is the only reasonable way to live. I would not have you ignore your friends, nor your conscience."

*

Dinner is finished with continued conversation. Afterwards, Cora goes to play with the cats while dishes are washed and put away.

"This has been a wonderful evening, Mr. Wolf… Jeremiah. Thank you. Would you come by again? When you aren't working?"

Jeremiah gets up and offers to help clean up though there isn't much. Strangely he doesn't go to retrieve his coat. "It would be my pleasure to do so, Inara." He says with a smile and a slight bow.

*

Inara Bahrami nods her head politely in a subtle bow of her own. "I'll look into getting another set of dishes, so you don't have to flash your way home like that. And maybe another chair."

She sighs and looks around her small space. "If Cora is going to be with me… I might need a bigger place."

*

"People tend to owe me favors." He says as makes his way to the door. "Do let me know if you need help looking. And I shall drop in again. Soon."

One more smile, a large and warm one this time. "Good evening, Inara."

*

“Good evening, Jeremiah Wolfson.”


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