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Hera ([info]oxeyed) wrote in [info]paxletalelogs,
@ 2011-07-27 23:09:00

Previous Entry  Add to memories!  Tell a Friend!  Next Entry
Entry tags:hera, sunna

Curiosity killed the cat
Who: Tanya and Lily
What: Tanya is bored. She decides to find something to do.
Where: 605
When: July 27, evening.
Warnings: As of now? Nope.
Notes: This is where I would say something if I knew there was something to say.



Life was settled, the routine was functioning and all was well. Quite frankly, it was boring. Boring never sat well with Tanya. It made her itch. It made her twitch. How very Dr. Seuss of her, right? Too bad it didn't come with a moral attached to it. Boring would be a much more welcome visitor if it offered homespun advice with colorful characters.

Alas, this was the real world, and such things did not happen. No, in the real world a person is left to their own devices to sort out a way to deal with the unwelcome visitor called boredom. Not dealing with it was not an option. It would linger like the stench of burnt popcorn if you didn't do something about it. But what was there to do? It was an odd hour, she didn't feel like going too far. She didn't feel like putting all that effort into booting boring from her apartment. So what to do?

Perhaps it was time to go visiting the neighbors. Most of them appeared either uncultured or stupid. It was a sad lot she had fallen in with. Her next door neighbor...Lily, that was her name. She appeared to have some knowledge of how to handle oneself in public. Perhaps she'd visit her to see what went on on the other side of that wall they shared. She'd need a reason though. She wasn't the type to just drop by for a friendly visit. It wasn't her style.

Malt vinegar. She could knock and ask for malt vinegar. She'd find a use for it down the road, and it wasn't as cliched as asking for sugar.

With a glance in the mirror and a touch up here and there, she made herself presentable. She grabbed a measuring cup and her keys and left her apartment and headed next door. She rapped at the door with her knuckles, waiting patiently to see if her venture was going to pay off.


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[info]solsken
2011-07-28 12:35 pm UTC (link)
Max was gone from the apartment for one of his evening classes and had been gone already when Lily returned home from work. Their weekdays were much like this; never seeming to be at home at the same time. Well, aside from the night hours when Lily slept like a rock and Max was up the entire time, but that wasn't the same.

Lily was sprawled out on the couch, flipping through the cookbook Max had given her for her birthday and marking potential recipes to try over the weekend. The apartment was already filled with the rich scent of slowly roasting cherry tomatoes that were cooking in the oven. It was a favorite meal of the siblings and one they had often during the summer months when Lily's cherry tomato plant went into hyperdrive and produced ripe tomatoes quicker than they could eat.

So focused was Lily on her cookbook that at first she didn't realize there was knocking on her door. Once the rapping broke her concentration Lily slipped off the couch. She mused her curls and tugged on the oversized sweater she was wearing over leggings before opening the door a crack. The surprise that her neighbor had actually stopped by was evident on Lily's face and she quickly opened the door more.

"Oh, hello," Lily's voice was soft and light from the time spent silent that evening. "Uh... How are you? "

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[info]oxeyed
2011-07-29 06:41 am UTC (link)
The surprise was evident and noted. It amused her. She also noted the smell of what she would guess was cooking tomatoes. Curious. Now she was extra interested in getting inside. She loved to poke at other peoples cooking to see their technique and style. Oh, and to critique and reaffirm her own amazingness. It was an added bonus.

Tanya gave her a slight smile. "I'm fine. Yourself? I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

That last part wasn't particularly true. She really didn't care if she was or wasn't interrupting. Her mama taught her manners, though, and it would be a shame to put that learning to waste.

"I need to borrow some malt vinegar."

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[info]solsken
2011-07-29 02:02 pm UTC (link)
"No, no, I'm just relaxing," Lily said quickly, stepping aside and beckoning her neighbor into the apartment. "And cooking, sorry for the smell." Lily smiled lightly as she stepped back and crossed her arms over her chest. The scent of the tomatoes, garlic, thyme and pepper was strong enough for herself to smell it. Surely a newcomer would really catch the scent.

Hearing Tanya's request Lily brightened slightly and made a move towards the small kitchen area. It was neat, everything put in its place, but filled with fresh food and cooking material. "How much do you need? I think I have a full bottle of some," Lily asked with her back turned towards Tanya. She straightened the pile of mail Max had messed up earlier as she made her way into the kitchen. She immediately went to the cabinet she kept her spices and seasonings in, opening the door and digging for the malt vinegar. "So are you settling in all right? I'm sorry I haven't stopped by."

In fact, Lily hadn't really tried to stop by. She wasn't sure what to make of Tanya. She liked her to an extent, at least in comparison to the other women at Tanya's party, but she did find Tanya to be a little full of herself.

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[info]oxeyed
2011-07-30 09:32 pm UTC (link)
Her eyes went to work, scanning her surroundings to take stock of the set up and decor. Not too bad. It was kept tidy and organized for the most part, which was appreciated. Tanya could not stand messes. She did not appreciate the chaos they offered.

Next she took stock of the smell filling the apartment. The tomatoes were obvious, but she started to sift through the other smells. It was a pretty basic combination, the garlic, thyme and pepper, but it worked well with tomatoes. She was curious about the recipe as a whole. She followed Lily into her kitchen and propped her hip against the counter.

"I've settled in nicely, actually. It's a nice space that suits me well." Tanya was actually rather glad that she hadn't stopped by. She did not like having her space invaded. Uninvited guests always felt like invaders to her.

"Your tomatoes smell good."

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[info]solsken
2011-07-31 02:28 pm UTC (link)
Lily glanced over her shoulder, visibly brightening at the comment as she smiled at her neighbor. "Thank you! We have an abundance of cherry tomatoes so I'm just trying to cook them up before they get bad. I don't want to waste them." She turned back to the cabinet and pulled out a bottle of malt vinegar. Turning to her neighbor she gave a small shrug. "It's a little overkill, we've been eating cherry tomatoes for a week, but since I grew them I feel kind of obligated to eat them."

She offered the malt vinegar to Tanya, allowing her to pour out what she needed, and took a position of leaning back against the counter near the oven. "I'm glad you've settled in. It took us some time to get settled in here but I think that's because we were dealing with each others stuff. If it's just me I'm pretty good at putting stuff away quickly but Max gets distracted." She laughed slightly, giving off an air of ease. The timer let off a solitary beep and Lily made a move for a large wooden spoon. Pulling down the oven door the scent of food came out strong as she quickly stirred the baking tomatoes before closing the door with a bump of her hip.

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[info]oxeyed
2011-08-01 04:01 am UTC (link)
"If you ever need to rid yourself of excess, feel free to send some my way." There was no guarantee that she would eat them until she had tried them and decided they were up to her standards but oh well. Free food was free food, and tomatoes were versatile. It would be foolish to pass that opportunity by.

She took the bottle of vinegar and poured a little into the cup. Not much, since she really didn't need any to begin with, but enough to make it look like she did.

"I imagine it must be difficult to share a space with someone. I don't know if I could do it. I like having my things in a certain way, and I like having them kept that way." Roommates were too unpredictable, sibling or not.

She peeked over Lily's shoulder to see what was going on in the oven.

"What are you cooking them with? I know I smell garlic."

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[info]solsken
2011-08-01 12:49 pm UTC (link)
Lily grinned as she stepped back from the oven, happy that Tanya was showing interest. "Cherry tomatoes drizzled with olive oil, fresh garlic, red pepper flakes, thyme, and some other spices. But I think you're smelling the peppers and thyme as well."

Her face became a little more serious as she considered her history with her sibling and that living with Max seemed simply natural after everything they had gone through. She wondered, briefly, if she should allow this information to be discussed with her neighbor but then she realized that she wouldn't really lose anything if she were to be honest. "Our mother died when we were children so I tried to take care of my brother as much as I could. Max and I have been together for years and lived with an assortment of relatives until we were both adults. He can be messy but it's normalcy to have him around. It'd be weird not to have him close by."

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[info]oxeyed
2011-08-02 01:19 am UTC (link)
She made a list of those ingredients in her head. Very standard, as she had earlier assumed, but sometimes the standards made the tastiest dish in the end. She commended her choices. Of course, she didn't actually TELL Lily that.

"You're right, I had picked up on those as well. Sounds and smells like a solid recipe."

She hadn't been expecting personal information to be divulged tonight. She made a mental note of this tidbit and tried to think of how to respond. She had never had a sibling and had always kept to herself growing up. The idea of having someone close by was foreign to her.

"Sorry about your mother." The sharp pang of loss in her gut at the thought of her father had helped her decide what to say. She could identify with the loss of a parent, though she could not be sure Lily felt the loss of her mother the way Tanya felt the loss of her father. She wanted to pry desperately, but she wouldn't. It wouldn't sit well if someone tried to do that to her, she felt it best to show Lily that same respect.

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[info]solsken
2011-08-02 01:43 pm UTC (link)
"Thank you," Lily replied with a grateful smile. Her smile slipped away and she became serious for a moment. "Thank you," Lily repeated, but in a much more serious tone. She was truly grateful for Tanya's sympathy. Despite that now she had lived more than half of her life without her mother, her stomach still twisted when she thought of her. All she had left to remind her of her mother was Max and the necklace she always wore.

After an awkward moment of silence Lily perked up slightly. "Would you like some of the tomatoes that I'm cooking? Just to taste test. I can get you some of the others that we have growing as well."

She moved past Tanya and beckoned her to follow. "I keep a lot of different plants. I like my own homegrown spices and vegetables. I wonder if the apartment ever considered opening up a space for gardening on the roof." She paused by the living room window that was filled with pepper, tomato, and snap peas. "I work with natural remedies and nutrition so I have sort of a sick fascination with food. What do you do?"

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[info]oxeyed
2011-08-04 02:01 am UTC (link)
A taste test would be more than welcome, as it would get her mind off of her father and on to something less upsetting. "I'd love to sample it." Sampling it would be the only way to accurately judge it in the end. It would also give her an idea of the quality of her produce for the future. Really, it was a win win situation all around.

"Growing it yourself is the only way to know you're getting quality produce." That's what her father use to tell her when it was time to harvest. He was always so proud of their little farm. Damn. She was back on her father again. This was suppose to be getting her mind off of him, not taking her further into thoughts about him.

"And there's nothing wrong with enjoying food. Cooking is like a science, but it has tastier, and far more edible, results than chemistry tends to. As for what I do I'm.."

She could be honest. But that would be giving personal things away. It was far too soon for that.

"I'm a waitress."

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[info]solsken
2011-08-04 12:48 pm UTC (link)
"I'll get you a plate before you leave," Lily replied with a grin. She motioned to her couch and looked to Tanya. "Would you like to take a seat? I don't want to keep you if you're busy but you're welcome to sit down and relax."

She took up her own offer and sat down on the edge of her couch, crossing her long legs and looking at Tanya with interest. "A waitress? Oh, I give you so much credit. I waitressed briefly in high school and absolutely hated it. I never knew how horrible people were capable of being until I had to serve them food. I don't think I could ever do it again without getting fired for spitting in someone's food. I hope your experience waitressing is a lot better than mine ever was."

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[info]oxeyed
2011-08-05 02:00 am UTC (link)
"That would be nice, thank you." Rather than respond to her, she just took a seat, perching herself on the edge of the sofa, posture straight and tall. It hardly looked relaxing, but she wasn't here to relax. She did not know Lily well enough to be at ease in her apartment. The other woman was kind and warm, but appearances could be extremely deceiving. She still had no idea what lurked beneath the outer shell. All of their conversations so far had been basic small talk.

"I doubt it. People are rude and impatient, and even though it's not your fault, you take the blame anyway. Most people can't be bothered to tip well, either. But, it makes ends meet." And it got her foot in the door in the restaurant scene around here. It let her scope out her competition in the kitchens around town and gave nothing away. It served its purpose.

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[info]solsken
2011-08-05 12:53 pm UTC (link)
"Well that's good," Lily replied with a warm smile. "I never made much in tips when I waitressed. It was at a small Italian restaurant where the owner would smoke cigarettes while he made all the food and scream at us in Italian. I'm sure there were some health code violations at that place. I didn't enjoy it very much."

She relaxed for a moment, realizing she didn't really know what else to say to this woman. She seemed a lot nicer than the first time she had met her however Tanya didn't seem very willing to suggestion conversation topics and Lily didn't want to push. Luckily the ovens timer went off and Lily got to her feet. "The tomatoes are done, let me grab you a bowl so you can take some home with you."

She slipped back to the kitchen, taking the tomatoes out as they sizzled and popped with a new wave of the drool worthy scent filling the small apartment. After preparing the dish she turned back to Tanya and grinned. "You can eat them on their own or as a dressing with pasta. Maybe even a side to some fish. Whatever you'd like." She moved forward, going back to her neighbor and offering her the bowl. "I have to say, I'm glad that I have you as a neighbor. Some of the other women in this place seem so... loud."

And by loud she meant drunk and rude but Lily wouldn't admit to having that opinion.

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[info]oxeyed
2011-08-05 11:08 pm UTC (link)
Tanya perked up when the timer went off. Taste testing food was far more interesting than small talk about waitressing. She despised the job and didn't care to talk about it if she didn't have to. She was grateful for the conversation to turn back to food once again.

She stood when Lily returned and took the bowl eagerly. If she passed Tanya's taste test, perhaps she would consider talking to the woman about helping her in her own kitchen in the future. Maybe. "I'm sure I'll find a way to make them work, thank you."

At the mention of the other neighbors, Tanya frowned. The other women were crass, crude and lacked any sort of manners. "The other women of this place, so far, appear to have been raised in barns." She tilted her head and pursed her lips, then shook her head. "No, I take that back. We had barn animals that were far more well behaved than these women are. I'd hate to insult the animals by comparison." That woman, Toli, especially got on her nerves. She didn't know why exactly, but she loathed the woman.

"I appreciate that you and your brother are quiet as well."

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[info]solsken
2011-08-06 02:13 pm UTC (link)
Lily couldn't help but laugh at Tanya's description of the other women. "They were quite rude, weren't they? I don't believe I'll be making friends with them any time soon." She laughed once more, shaking her head. Tanya's final words made an appreciative smile appear on Lily's lips.

"Well, if we're ever making too much noise, just let us know. Sometimes I get carried away with cooking and other times, usually at night, Max gets carried away with his games. I sleep through it but I've heard he can make a lot of noise. But let us know and we'll be quiet." She truly meant it, liking Tanya a little bit more and more as they continued to talk, and she didn't want to upset her neighbor with any of their unnecessary noise.

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[info]oxeyed
2011-08-06 07:01 pm UTC (link)
"They aren't exactly the type one can befriend easily, and it really isn't worth the effort." If they weren't someone she could introduce to her mother, they weren't worth the time.

"At least we have each other to rely on for civilized company." Not that Tanya ever needed much company, but it was kind of nice to know the option was there.

"I will do that." Boy would she ever. She may like and enjoy Lily's company, but she wasn't going to let that get in the way of her comfort. So far the noise level had been tolerable but there was nothing saying that would always be the case.

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[info]solsken
2011-08-07 09:53 pm UTC (link)
Lily grinned and knit her hands together but made a small jump when her phone began to ring in her room. "Oh, excuse me, I should go get that. I'll be right back." She turned and slipped out of the room, leaving Tanya to herself while she took the call. It was only a few minutes but Lily returned relatively quickly. She didn't want to keep her guest waiting.

"Well, I don't want to keep you waiting from whatever it is you're cooking." She motioned to the malt vinegar. "I hope you enjoy the tomatoes. I'm sorry if they're a little too spicy. Sometimes I go a little overboard with the spices. It convinces Max that he's not eating something healthy."

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[info]oxeyed
2011-08-09 01:05 am UTC (link)
Ah, yes, time to end the niceties and get back to her fortress of solitude. Yes, she borrowed the name from Superman, but she thought he was quite clever. Who didn't need a good dose of solitude every now and then? Hers wasn't quite as secretive as his was, but by keeping people out, it might as well be.

"Yes, of course. Thank you for your kindness," she gestured with her head towards her handful of goodies. Though with Lily's warning, she wasn't to sure how much of a goody the tomatoes would be. First word that popped into her head was "over seasoned" and over seasoning tended to kill a dish before the first bite was even swallowed. But, she'd give it a chance. Lily had been too kind to her for her to do anything else.

She headed toward the door, juggling her goodies with careful balance. Waitressing did have a few perks, and learning to balance things was one of them.

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[info]solsken
2011-08-10 12:45 am UTC (link)
"Here, let me get that," Lily offered and darted around her neighbor to open the door and hold it back so that Tanya could pass through with ease. She grinned at Tanya, genuinely happy that her neighbor had stopped in to visit, and gave her a slight wave.

"It was nice seeing you. If you ever need anything else just ask. Even if I'm not here Max can figure out where I keep stuff." She would have shaken Tanya's hand if her neighbor didn't have them filled so she only gave her a nod and continued to smile.

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[info]oxeyed
2011-08-10 03:08 am UTC (link)
She returned the nod, and flashed a smile that may have been a tad more genuine than her smiles normally were. She'd never admit to that though, so don't even bother asking..

"It was nice to see you as well." She actually meant it. The visit was brief, but it made her feel more confident in her neighbors. She had seriously lucked out in that department. After seeing some of the other denizens of the building, she felt quite confident in stating that. This did not mean that there were going to be invites over or anything like that, but it did mean that Lily and Max were on her good list, and therefore, should have no trouble from her.

"I will see you around." With that, it was back to her apartment to sort through the things she'd brought home. Those tomatoes were calling her name.

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