So, interesting story: when Nathania's invited over, Gisa isn't actually in the store! She's sitting out in the small backyard, outside the shop, in a small, well, booth. Wooden walls, bamboo 'roof' through which one could see the stars if it were dark. The invite did say to come out back. Gisa's got a cot inside the sukkah, so apparently she, at least, has been sleeping there. And now she's drinking wine and reading, sitting in one of the comfy outdoor chairs which have been placed inside the temproary shelter. Welcome to Sukkot, dolly!
Nathania blinks as she walks into the... well, she isn't sure what it is. "Hi, Gisa." She looks concerned. "Is... everything... okay? Why aren't... you inside?" Dressed for the weather, the dolly looks cozy in a grey sweater and jeans.
"Shalom," Gisa greets contentedly, setting aside her book (it's called "Revolutionary Yiddishland") and rising to her feet, gesturing Nathania inside. "Oh! Everything is fine. It is Sukkot, the Festival of Booths. We live outside in these temporary structures -- we dine in them, at minimum -- to remember the time when we lived in booths after leaving Egypt. It is a harvest festival, a celebration of community, and, in Israel, a prayer for rain. I could not be happier. Please. Sit. May I get you wine? Water? There is cheesecake."
Nathania relaxes visibly and takes off her ever-present messenger bag. "Water, please, and cheesecake?" She looks hopeful as she settles in, finding a place to sit and getting comfortable. "I see. That's a fascinating... tradition. I hope to learn... more about Judaica from... you, Gisa, if that... isn't disrespectful." She inclines her head, and watches the Golem. She knows Golem will get to things in Golem time.
There's a cooler underneath one of the tables; apparently Gisa is keeping food out here when convenient. The cooler is blue, which, for those playing along at home, is the color-coding that Gisa uses for 'dairy.' The golem opens the cooler, takes out a homemade strawberry cheesecake, and cuts two slices. They go on blue ceramic plates, and water's poured into blue ceramic mugs and one's handed to Nathania along with the plate and a small fork with a blue handle. Color-coding! "I am more than happy to serve as a teacher and guide," Gisa agrees. "It is not disrespectful to ask. I would hope you would do the same for me." Settling back in, she adds, "I have something to ask of you, actually."
Nathania blinks. She takes a bite of cheesecake--melting a little at how good it is--before chewing, swallowing, and tilting her head. A thinking tactic! "This is... delicious. I will... probably help you, Gisa, but... it depends on...what it is, of course." Winters be Winters, yo.
"Do you know what a chuppah is, Nathania?" Gisa asks, smiling just a tiny bit -- goylomim don't have big expressions, after all -- as Nathania appreciates the cheesecake. Jewish grandmothers and their cooking pride, yo. Even if this Jewish golemgrandmother looks like she's about 30.
Nathania tilts her head. "I... have heard the term, but I'm... not 100 certain... I'm correct. Please educate... me?" She takes another bite of the cheesecake, small, with slow, savoring bites. Then she hesitantly says, "Is that... what Jewish people... get married... under?" Afraid of being wrong.
Now, for the first time perhaps, Nathania gets to see a golem blush. Gisa's cheeks radiate heat, and literally glow briefly with the fire within growing a little brighter. "It is, yes. It is a canopy, under which we are married. I could purchase one through one of my suppliers, but, I would rather have one made ... specially. By someone in the community."
Nathania blushes a little. "I'd... be honored. What... do you need from... me, Gisa?" She sets the plate aside, only a little reluctantly--it is that good!--and leans forward, pulling a smallish sketchbook out of her purse.
She came prepared! Gisa leans to one side and picks up a folder; in that folder are pictures and diagrams and instructions and patterns. "Of course you will come up with your own design. And I do not know how long it would take you to make such a thing. Usually they are lace. I thought it might be a project you would enjoy." The folder is extended across to Nathania.
Nathania takes the project folder and flips through it, thoughtful. "Thank you for... being so prepared," she says absently as she reads the patterns. "Lace, hm?" She nods slowly as she looks through the folder. "Yes. I will... do this thing." She sets it in her messenger bag along with the small sketchbook, carefully. There is no comment about recompense.
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"Well -- I am a creature of words and documentation," and a soft, gentle roll of laughter comes from Gisa, a subtle sound. "Lace, yes." A pause, and then Gisa adds, "Please let me know what I can pay you." Elementals can be difficult sometimes with reading people, but Gisa did notice that Nathania didn't bring up recompense.
Nathania shakes her head. "I want this to... be my wedding... gift to you, my friend. Not... something you... pay me for." Button eyes glance up, and she's smiling softly. "Please," she adds gently.
It is only then that Gisa extends out one of her broad, warm ceramic hands. "I accept this gift, thank you." The golem's expression is solemn, gentle, soft. "You know -- I had to argue him into it." Pause. "Debate, I suppose. It was not a question of us spending our lives together. It was a question of whether or not marriage was ethical under Western capitalism." Apparently she's totally serious, too. One carved eyebrow lofts slightly. "As if he stood a chance. I've been studying Torah since I could speak."
Nathania accepts the hand, and smiles broadly. "I have... not met... your intended yet." She watches Gisa. "But if he's half... the person you are, you are both... very, very lucky. Congratulations, my dear." And she stands deliberately, offering the golem a big hug. Because, well, is what dollies do.
"I thought you had met Alonso," laughs Gisa, reaching out her arms to hug Nathania, rising to do so such that the dolly doesn't have to bend to hug her. The golem isn't very tall -- only five and a half feet tall. Perhaps that was tall for a woman when she was born, whenever that was. "You must come by for Shabbos dinner some Friday, then. We eat after Iris and I return from synagogue." Hugging a golem is like hugging a very large cup of coffee. A gentle pat on the back, and then she lets go. "Thank you."
Nathania is like cuddling a rag dolly, of course, soft and light as she is. "You're... welcome. Let me know... some Friday, and we... will do the thing." A smile. "Do you want.. this out of Hedgespun materials or mortal?"
The question seems to surprise Gisa. "Oh! Mortal is just fine. I should like to be able to pass it on to our synagogue itself someday, to someone else, without worrying that the item might pass into mortal hands unknowingly and should not." Gisa's shoulders lift lightly and drop, and she sits down to finally eat her cheesecake now that she's no longer nervous. (Was she nervous?) "Any Friday, you are welcome. We eat about an hour and a half after sunset."
Nathania nods. "Sounds... good," she says, sitting down as well. "That... sounds good. Should... I bring, or not bring, anything specific?"
"Nothing that contains dairy, please. We eat meat on Fridays. Well, sometimes fish or vegetarian, depending on whether or not Pilar is eating with us, but." A small shrug, there. "Do you have any food restrictions?" Gisa takes another almost delicate bite of the cheesecake.
Nathania shakes her head, mouth full of a bite of cheesecake. She swallows. "No dairy. I... can do that. Chicken... noodle soup?" She suggests. "It's... getting to be... soup season, after... all."
A roll of laughter from Gisa. "If I did not like chicken soup, I think that they might never let me in to synagogue again," the golem answers. One of their eyeflames winks out, then, and back on again, a gentle sound. "Chicken noodle soup would be delightful, thank you, Nathania."
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