Feb 05 11:28:11 108 PA - Brief Sampling of Food
From Chronicles
Feb 05 11:28:11 108 PA.
YAKOV'S DELI
It is lunch time on a Monday, and well, the Deli is busy. Super busy. Server's running food, cooks cooking, people talking, and people eating. Just one crazy scene. Rasputin actually isn't cooking, he is directing people as a conductor does an orchestra.
Monday in early February may not only be busy at Yakov's, but it's also still really, really wintry outside. Gabriel slides in the door with a minimum of fuss, but to illustrate how cold it is, even he is bundled tightly. The man who usually doesn't seem to care - and doesn't have magic to not care with. Indoors, he stays with his back against the wall, watching the other customers bustle to and fro, and the hustle of the cooks behind the counters and rows of skillets and pots. This is by far the busiest that he's ever seen the delicatessen - by a *lot.* He just stands back and starts to unlatch his overcoat, his gloves having been removed and tucked away.
Rasputin doesn't seem to notice the recent arrival right off. Though his ear's prick up as he hears the door chime gingle. He smiles as he knows it is another customer who is here for hot food to pick them up. He goes about making sure to coffee, or cafe as he calls it. He also checks the soup levels and then says something in Russian to one of the sous chef to make sure he sets up another pot of soup to prep. He smiles.
The older man is nothing if not patient. You learn that by being a father, you learn that by being an expert at setting ambushes. With a patient smile he simply falls in with the closest thing that he can find that resembles a line. Rasputin's small form is seen, but it doesn't really seem right to wave and make a big fuss of saying hello from such a chaotic distance. Still, Gabriel's nose is clearly enjoying the scents. There goes the line, one more person forward.
Rasputin grins as the lunch rush moves along, one of the first real good Monday's in a while. Apparently, the people with the cold could only keep people away so long. He smiles as people take their coffee and soup. As well as a wide assortments of other food. Sandwiches, steaks of all kinds, and even a few fish fillets. He grins and looks to someone he knows in the line, as he steps up he says, "Greetinks Gabriel. How is goink on dis cool morning?"
As Gabriel finally makes it to the front of the line and up to the counter, he extends a hand in greeting. "Hello, Rasputin. Oochent zanyat segodnya, da?" Very busy day for you. "What's the occasion, it's just.. what, February fifth, right? Did they invent a new holiday while I was... um, well I guess I wasn't asleep... but whatever you call the time that passed before I got here." The older man shrugs with an expression of, 'fuck if I know.' In order not to hold up Rasputin's generous line, he says, "Just give me something with meat, please. And a big glass of medovukha, if you have any."
Rasputin chuckles and shakes his head, "Net, net. Mink thinkink people just finalies got, uh," he pauses, "stirink crazy. Da?" He chuckles a bit, "And are wantink foods. Speakink of dhich, what are you feelink like todays for somethinks to eat?"
Gabriel smiles, shrugs, and opens his hands, palms up. "Like I said, surprise me. Something with meat, and a big glass of medovukha, please." He peers around and says, "Wow. Going to be tough to find a place to sit! Hope you pay your chefs well." He winks at the man who is his friend, both in closer age of maturity, life experience, and of course - Russian and Eastern European culture.
Rasputin chuckles, "Da, da. OK, be goink over takink a seat, uh, somewherese" He smiles and turns around in struct his assistants to make something for Gabriel, then goes out to clear a table off for you to sit at. "Here you are goink." He chuckles a bit, "Dis will be justink a minutes, da? How havink you been? Stayink warm?"
There's a nod and a chuckle. "Goodness, I don't need a whole table to myself. There are plenty of others around. Looks like you even have a few high school lovebirds playing hooky today, my friend. Glupyh detyeí, da?" Gabriel can't help but grin at the kids. So different from when he was a boy of that age. These kids are probably going to be screwing in a few hours. "Yes, staying warm. Though I have to admit, I've needed to break out my extra blankets. Thankfully, they came with me. You? I don't even know where you live, but I assume that it's indoors."
Rasputin chuckles a bit and nods, "Da, da. Mink home dis upstairs, da. Smallink appartment, da." He grins and looks around a bit, "Dhough, beink out in muchink worse,da." He chuckles, "Manies day well low belowink freezink. Buttink was having goodink clothinks. Staying busy?"
"I'm learning how to fly a jet pack! Isn't that very, uh... whatever century this is of me? Miss Erica's teaching me, I don't know if you've met her. Probably, you've been here a lot longer than I have." Gabriel then shrugs. "I have little clearing outside of town. Trees, meadow, little stream, I've told you about it. The trees have been doing a good job at keeping the wind and snow out - why I picked the spot - but the temperature does come down. Still," he shrugs, "Raider training taught us to live anywhere, and with very little. I have a sturdy, long-duration, all-weather hammock, I have a pillow and two wool blankets. A coat if I get really cold for some reason. It's actually very nice, when you're used to it." Gabriel smirks. "I'm sure that you can agree. I know that Russia gets even colder than this. I've been there, lived there." The man's travels still remain somewhat of a mystery.
Rasputin chuckles, "Hammock, da." He thinks about this, "Mink body would net be doink dery wells, center of gravity think." He chuckles a bit, "Buttink da jetpack? At least da snow will helpink breakink your fall, da? Mink never likink heights, beink so low da." He grins a bit, and a waiter comes over with a completely different meal. It is spaghettie with a heavy meaty bolognese sauce. Oh, and there is also the slightest tinge of carbonara in it as well. It has some thick cheese gratted over the top and a large wedge of crispy french style bread. Rasputin grins, "Da, dis is good, da?" He chuckles a bit, "Thought mink be changink it up on you a little bit."
The Kentuckian smiles and leans back as the food is delivered. "Wow, Rasputin, very international of you. Looks -" sniff "- smells wonderful!" As he leans in for a closer inspection, he attempts to explain his living conditions. "It's not a normal hammock, it's designed for special forces like myself to spend extended periods of time without support. You're right, normal hammocks are terribly painful after a short time. This one? It doesn't flex and sink in the middle like a standard hammock." Gabriel stops for a moment to actually taste the meal. "Mmm, oh, my yes this is very good, my friend." His line of speech is unfortunately cut as his military watch vibrates silently on his wrist. "Dammit!" Gabriel shakes his head. "I'm sorry, Rasputin, can you box this up for me? It's a bit difficult to snare things these days. Don't want to waste good food."
Rasputin chuckles and nods, "Da, da." He quickly boxes it up for you and hands it to you, "Should be stayink warm for a bits, da." He puts a large to-go cup of coffee on top, "And to helpink with cold, da?" He smiles and make sure to hold it all for you as you bundle up for the outside.
Gabriel rises, box in hand, the honey-derived beverage on top. "Thanks, Rasputin, always a pleasure. Sorry that I have to cut this short, but I have another job to get to. Time just slipped away from me somehow." The then grins on his way out the door and calls back, "But I freed up another table for new customers!" A final wave, and he's gone.
