Aug 04 05:11:07 107 PA.

From Chronicles

Rasputin is out for a very late walk. The night air is chilling this morning, as the click of Rasputin's cane cuts through the evening due. He is smartly dressed, as usual. He is softly humming to himself as he walks down the street.

Rasputin Khlysts is a short man (4'6" / 1.3m), with a young stout strong build. He has thick course white hair, slicked back onto an equally as stout looking head. His skin, in stark contrast with the hair, is a rich olive skin tone. This stalwart looking individual has a well groomed and braided, matching in hair color, beard which is about six inches long. It is tied with a very nice piece of black leather. The leather tie is neatly tipped with silver aiguillettes, which have the smallest pentacles at the ends.

This well groomed individual is wearing a smart looking three piece suit. The suit is well tailored, definitely not an off the rack suit. It is done in soft grays and blacks it has warm but not inviting look to this stern looking fellow. On the left breast of the suit, there is always a fresh looking white rose, delicately pinned to lapel with a silver lapel pin.

The entire outfit is accented by the shinny shoes, and gray gloves. The last touch, being very ostentatious looking cane which the short person walks everywhere with. The cane, has small gems encrusted within it. Gold and silver inlay work twirling around the gems, weaving up to the cane's collar. The collar, supports a wonderful looking handle made of crystal.

Rasputin pauses in his walking, catching his cane in his hand, so as not to break stride. He looks over towards the individual whom is calling out. He doesn't seem to understand exactly what si being said, but smiles and says, "Dobryj vecer to yous." He smiles and nods as he says this.

Libre begins to head toward you at a pace that should allow him catch up and the follow along if it seems appropriate before stating in accented American, "I'm new to town and haven't gotten my bearings yet. Mind if I tag along and ask you about what's going on around here?" The question is clearly hopeful by his tone.

Rasputin continues to walk, he seems to be headed towards a shop on the street. It says above it 'Yakov's Deli' in bold red letters. The individual looks back and smiles, "Da, da. Please, be comink in. I will make you somethink to be eatinks, da." He puts his hand on the door knob, there is a small click, and the door opens. He goes inside the deli, ensuring the door doesn't close right away so you can follow him inside.

Rasputin enters Yakov's Deli.

As you walk into the Deli, next to the door is a small lunch counter which faces out into the street. Opposite to the deli counter are four small booths. Both of these locations serve as eating space for those that choose to grab a quick bite of food or one of Yakov's and Rasputin's famous five meat monster deli sandwiches. Most people don't use these booths, but the lunch counter is constantly being used, as it provides a great people watching vantage.

Libre appears very pleased at the invitation and follows without hesitation. "Thanks." He says as he enters the deli and takes a good look around to examine both the decor and the menu. Refocusing on his new aquiantance he introduces himself, "I'm Libre Guerrero." as he extends a hand in more formal greeting than outside.

Rasputin Khlysts is a short man (4'6" / 1.3m), with a young stout strong build. He has thick course white hair, slicked back onto an equally as stout looking head. His skin, in stark contrast with the hair, is a rich olive skin tone. This stalwart looking individual has a well groomed and braided, matching in hair color, beard which is about six inches long. It is tied with a very nice piece of black leather. The leather tie is neatly tipped with silver aiguillettes, which have the smallest pentacles at the ends.

This well groomed individual is wearing a smart looking three piece suit. The suit is well tailored, definitely not an off the rack suit. It is done in soft grays and blacks it has warm but not inviting look to this stern looking fellow. On the left breast of the suit, there is always a fresh looking white rose, delicately pinned to lapel with a silver lapel pin.

The entire outfit is accented by the shinny shoes, and gray gloves. The last touch, being very ostentatious looking cane which the short person walks everywhere with. The cane, has small gems encrusted within it. Gold and silver inlay work twirling around the gems, weaving up to the cane's collar. The collar, supports a wonderful looking handle made of crystal.

Rasputin comes in, takes off his suit coat, puts it on the coat rack near the enterence of the Deli. Then goes around to other side of the service counter. He puts on a very clear white appron, and with a flip ties it up. He then looks to you and smiles, "Da, da. I am very pleasink to be meetink yous. My name is Rasputin, da. I am the cartaker of dis deli, da." He reaches over the counter and shakes your hand. "Now, what can I be gettink you for eatinks?"

Libre seems appropriately impressed by the sharp attention to detail in your suit and like wise that you do "real work" too. Looking to the menu, he rubs his smooth chin a moment before replying, "I'll take what ever you have as a special. I suppose I need to see what the local food is like too." Libre takes a seat at the counter as he adds. "Ya know if you don't want to get that nice suit dirty, a new guy in town could do some of that for ya."

Rasputin shakes his head, "Net, net. I am a chef, da. I am linkink cookink." He thinks a moment, goes over and washes his hands. "Would you be linkink somethink heavies or lights? I dis lates, most would be likink light. But I would be askink, just in casink." He smiles, "I could be makink you a steakink sandwiches, or perhapsink some breakfasts? Or, pasta. Or I am havink just finished some dery goodink borshe. What would you be linkink?" He smiles a bit and looks to you as he pulls out a few sharp knives, a pan or two and just prepares for your desire.

Libre takes just a second longer than usual to put you words together. Apparently a second language with an unfamiliar accent can slow ya down a bit. When that second passes the light comes on and he responds with a smile, "I feel adventurous. Let me try the ...uh.. borshe? Never heard of that before." Looking you over once more. "Well sir, I gotta say if the food tastes as good as you dress, I'll be happy with it. I doubt if that's how every cook in this city comes to work." Libre begins to fiddle with the salt shaker as he looks the place over some more.

Rasputin chuckles soflty as he goes to work, "I will be makink you a grilled cheese sandwich as well, da? To dip in the borshe." He doesn't seem to wait for a reply. His hands move fairly quickly as he slices up 3 different types of cheese, grabs some sourdough bread, and throws it all on his grill. Then he goes over and grabs a large plate. He puts a bowl on it, then flips over the sandwich. After what is a fairly short time he flips the sandwich together, fills the bowl with a red looking soup, slides the sandwich and puts it all before you. "Net, dat is dery true of course. Buttink dhis is why I am wearing an appron, da?" He smiles, of course his shirt, approah, pants and shoes are still immaculately clean. "Are are you comink from? You are havink, uh." He tugs his beard a moment, "Southern accent, da?"

It is odd, this individual is short, but when he is behind the counter he seems taller. It is easy to notice that there is a insert around the entire kitchen which raise it all up about 12 inches. So he is almost at eye level, but not quite.

Libre returns his gaze from the room and back to you and replies with "Yeah. I'm from around El Paso. Evidently there are plenty imports around here besides me. Where are you from, Amigo?" He returns the salt shaker to where he found it and begins to sample the exotic food before him. He appears to be surprised that he likes it as much as he does, and judging by his speed is quite a bit.

Rasputin nods slowly, and quickly cleans the grill, knife, workspace, and washes his heands again. As he does so, he says, "Da, da. I am from Russia, da. Took many months dravels to be comink here, da." He smile and goes about finishing up his cleaning, "Dhere is small little Russia in Dregs, da. Net goodink goink, but once dhere goodink place to visits. Many are friendly." He turns, done with his cleaning, "So you are comink from El Paso. Dis it far south from here?"

Libre repeatedly dips the sandwich in the borshe and with some of the bites, closes his eyes to focus even better on this new flavor. "I dios mia! This is really good.", he takes the time to get out between bites. "Nowhere near as far at that but it seems a world away. I guess I'll trade having to spend more time habla American for not worrying so much about vampires. I hear they aren't up this way much." He return his focus to the food a bit but as he slows and the food begins to come close to being entirely gone, "Well Amigo, do you know of anyone hiring? I have something of a theater background but I have a strong back to make due with 'till that pans out."

Rasputin nods slowly and tugs his beard hard at the mention of vampires. He shakes his head a moment, "Da, da. Net as manies as I beink hearink from south, but we are havink problesm with dhem sometimes." He says something under his breath in Russian then shakes his head, "Dhough net in lonik time. Da!" His voice gets a little more up beat, "Da, da. I am net knowing of steady workinks, dhough dhere beink a woman hirinks for helpink a village with a Slaver problems. How is your handink againstink Splugorth?" He smiles.

Libre finishes what is clearly the best meal he has had in quite some time and smiles what can only be considered a very satisfied smile. He pushes the bowl away just a little bit as he takes out his credit chip. "Mi gusta! I am glad I ran into you, Amigo.", Libre says with an enthusiasm that is likely to come off as either infectious or over the top. Hearing of the slaver problem wipes the smile that previously had only been displaced only by a mouth full of food, from his face. It is replaced by a scowl. "I don't really have the guns or armor I'd probably need to stand off an armed slaver but I wouldn't mind cracking a skull or two of that kind of cabrone. Splugorth sounds familiar. That can't be a local gang if I've heard of them."

Rasputin shakes his head, "Net, net. Spulugorth are beink the slavers with the women with net eyes. And floating barges." He shrugs, "We will be goink to try and be helpink, but if net we will be doink what we cans but net more." He thinks a moment, "If you are net havink da weapons or armors, dhen might be too dangerious, da. You could be askink da woman organizing it, da? I could spare a weapon, but I am net havink da armor to be sparink."

Libre sorts through the accent and then translates the "dis-accented" American to Spanish. The light bulb gradually comes on this time. He covers his mouth with his left hand and makes the sign of the cross with his right. "I Dios mia!. These barges have the big eyes and it has a thing with tentacles sitting on top?" He seems to have had some kind of memory of something similar at least. "When I was about 12 we missed a group of those by a few minutes. We got to a town we were supposed to do a show at it was trashed. We started to split and ended up getting caught by some stray shots from a fight between Pecos Raiders and one of those things. It was the most scared I'd ever been." He visibly shakes the memory.

Rasputin chuckles and tugs his beard, "Da, da. Dhose would beink the nasties." He chuckles, "I have only heard tails of dhem, dus I laugh. Butink I am surink dhey are net a laughink matters, da." He shakes his head, "I have seen other nasties, justink not dhese. Dhough, yesink. Dhat is what we would be goink afters. To tryink and stops dhem for taking a village. Da village received word, da. So dhey have warninks."

Libre uses his arm to pull his head over to the left and them right, making several popping sounds in each direction. He follows up by twisting each finger until it pops and then presses down on each one in turn to pop the only joint left in his hands. Perhaps he didn't shake that childhood memory off quite hard enough. His smile returns half heartedly as he quips, "Well, I was just a kid so maybe it wasn't really as bad as I remember." The look in his eye combined with the half hearted smile casts doubt on this optimistic appraisal of his childhood memories. "How big a group of slavers are they expecting? I guess not nearly enough to bring them close to town?" Curiosity, some lingering anxiety and a tad of something else play across his face as he asks.

Rasputin shakes his head, "Net, net. Net Kingsdale, dis smaller village outside of Kingsdale, to north I am thinkink. Erica's is arranging it. Erica, well." He reaches into his breast pocket, pulls out buisness card and copies the information down, then hands you the original. "She is knowink da information, yes. I am net knowink da size. But we are to be helping local milita I am thinkink. To reinforce, yes?"

Libre takes a deep breath while looking up to the ceiling before seeming to exhale himself into a decisionand dropping his eyes to the counter. "Worse comes to worse, no one will be missing me at this point." ,he says almost to himself. Casting his gaze in your direction the smile is almost back to full power. "Hell yeah, Amigo! We are." He draws a lot of attention to the we. "I don't have anything to lose and these poor bastards are about to loose everything. I can shoot straight so I ain't got any excuse not to do my part, right? I know that's what my Padre would say." He reaches out for the card and extends his payment at the same time.

Rasputin nods slowly and tugs his beard. He thinks a moment then grins and laughs a loud Russian belly laugh, "Da, da." He takes your empty plate and bowl away and puts them in the sink, "Well, takink that card. She will be able to tell you wheres and when, da? Likink I sayink I can be loanink you a rifle or pistol. Da?"

Libre places the card in his rear, right pocket as he stands up from the counter. "Aboslutely. Thanks, Rasputin. I'll get in touch with this chica and see if she can get a bit of armor for a poor, widdle, helpful gunman." He adds a bit of over the top puppy eyes to the last bit before smiling and giving a bit of a wink and laughing at his own humor." He has a thoughtful moment before saying, "You do have something to lose.", as he looks around him. "How come you're risking it, Amigo?"

Rasputin chuckles soflty, "Da, da. To be payink back dhose peoples whom helped mink and mink peoples gettinks here. Da. Forwardink goodink karmas, soink to speakink." He smiels and tugs his beard, "Besidinks, sometimes one must just doink right think, da?"

Libre appraises you as he considers your response. He points toward you and dips his head just a bit in your direction. "I knew you were a good guy when I saw ya.", he practically shouts before clapping a few times. "Good man!" He reaches out a hand to shake while reigning in his enthusiasm for your karmic philosophy and says, "A true pleasure to meet you Rasputin, mi amigo. I've got to get out there and do some more job hunting."

Rasputin nods and chuckles, "Da, da." He shakes your hand back, his hand shake is solid. That of someone who uses their hands heavily, and wide palms for such a short individual, "Da. Do svidanija. Takink care, da?" He smiles and goes to start cleaning the plates.

Libre gives one more wave as he heads out the door and into the job hunting wilderness.