Jan 29 07:01:14 109 PA - Finalizing Details About Death Froma Dwarf

From Chronicles

Jan 29 07:01:14 109 PA.

YAKOV'S DELI

The deli is getting ready for an early morning breakfast. Though, it is a little light so far at nearly 7:00. Rasputin is singing up a storm, his Russian filling the room like a grand auditorium of old. A bored looking waitress is waiting for a customer or two to show up, while she tries to ignore the singing from the short man.

If there's a tingling bell, it will ring when Gabriel opens the door and steps through. Thankfully the weather seems to be 'nice' meaning that is not actually dumping freezing rain at the moment. He's in all of his snow gear, including the new greatcoat and the ready smile that goes with everything. He seems as if he makes it a point to approach the bored-looking waitress and make her day a little more exciting, doing his best to politely chat her up about the oncoming day while also placing an order for kasha and a whole milk. Rasputin gets a familiar nod and wink, with the forty-something human trying to perk up the younger types first.

Rasputin looks up from the cooking prep work, and smiles, "Mornink to you my friend. Please, comink out of da cold. Warm coffee and what else for you this morning?" He pours a good sized mug of warm brew, the sweet aroma fills the air.

"Good morning, Rasputin. Kasha, please. Coffee would be wonderful, but if you have some fresh whole milk sitting around, that would be grand." Gabriel smiles to the dwarf, one of the few men in town shorter than himself. "If you have some time before the crowds start to fill up the deli, I'd love to bend your ear some more." He chuckles a little. "One of these days I'll need to find a way to repay your time *and* your food."

Rasputin nods slowly, "Da, da." He pours you a nice bowl of kasha, and some whole milk. He takes a moment, puts it all on a tray. Then he puts on an additional glass of orange juice, just in case. He nods to a table, "Please, comink. Be sittink. I have a little times." He smiles and sits at his usual table, his back to the wall.

Gabriel follows the dwarf over to the table, thanking him for the bonus orange juice as he goes. After seating himself, he takes a moment to sample the porridge, declaring it, "Delicious, as always, Rasputin." The coffee is sampled and then sweetened before he makes this a working breakfast. "I think that this will be the last time I'll be bothering you about vampires. At least, with this specific problem. I think that I *might* actually have a modicum of knowledge, so I'll see if I can't show it off. Vampires, they *must* slumber during the daylight hours, even if they're in the deepest, darkest cavern." He hesitates and asks somewhat as a schoolboy, "Right?"

Rasputin nods slowly, "More or less, da. Dhey are dery nocturnal. Day time brings them great struggle to remain awakes." He smiles a bit, "Dhough, dhat doesn't mean dhey are defenseless. Dhey often have guards or somethink to protect them."

Nodding along, Gabriel seems at least a little proud of himself. "Yes, guards. I'll get to that in a moment. The fact is that the vampires themselves must slumber during daylight hours? Something spiritual about the light even if it isn't actually touching them? I'm afraid that this is a rather important point for me to make sure that I'm absolutely clear on in my own head."

Rasputin nods slowly then tugs his beard, "Dhey must slumber, da. But dhey could awaken, if aroused sufficiently enough. And even dhus, dhey are, how you say." He tugs his beard again and ponders a bit. "Sleepy. Dhey won't be as fast as normals, but dhey are net good still. Can do much harm." He shakes his head, and motions for the waitress to bring him something. She wanders over and hands him a tall glass of ice tea, "Da, we are havink an expression, goink in cossacks hole. Dangerious task."

Gabriel nods. "I see. So they must sleep, but with a caveat - they can get up and possibly be somewhat like a human awakening and trying to get around when they're really still too tired to do so. I'll remember that, thanks." The Kentuckian allows a moment to eat and drink, suggesting with a light lilt in his drawl, "You should start making sure that every table has a copy of the morning paper." He finishes it off with a grin, and some more time is taken for food. Eventually, he puts his utensils down on a still mostly-full plate. "I honestly don't know what the real difference is here... but do you know about what I'm told are called the 'animated dead' as well?"

Rasputin nods slowly, "Da, da. Animated dead, are dery different dhan Dhampires. Dhey are like puppets, ah." He thinks a few moments, "Robots, magically created robots." He shrugs, "Dhey can be dery dangerious too, but dhey tend to be net as smart or as strong as real Undead. Real undeads are different, likink Dhampires. Much more dangerous."

"Okay. Well.. do they have any particular weaknesses or invulnerabilities like vampires do? I've been hearing some crossed information about it and again, I needed it right at risk of my life and others." Gabriel explains some details about knowing that body armor still obviously works as body armor, but it's what happens to the creatures themselves that's important.

Rasputin shrugs, "Da and net. Dependink on da typink of animates dead. Dhere are different types, da." He thinks a few moments, "Some fire works, some silver works." He tugs his beard, "Magik almost always works, some psi." He tugs his beard again, "Buttink, dhere are many types, da. One must know dhich is dhich, to know dhich weapon is good."

Gabriel lowers his voice to table-level and asks, shaking his head slightly, "I don't suppose that it would be too much to ask, if I get on my knees and pray to my Lord and Savior that for once I can just pull out a standard weapon and hurt the fuckers with it? A laser? One of the Wilk's Blinder grenades? The NTI gear?" He shrugs, palms up. "Any chance of that?"

Rasputin shrugs, "Da, da. Manies will take damages from dhoes weapons as well, buttink many will net." He chuckles, "Dis all dependink on da undead or animated dead."

"Okay. Animated dead. If I throw Blinders and stun grenades at them, will they function the same as they would on a normal target?" Gabriel holds up a hand. "I understand that there are different types. *Everything* comes in different types, and needs different specifics. But I'd like to take only what I would find useful. Anything that you can tell me about dealing with the zombies, animated dead, whatever they're called, would be much appreciated." Only a moment after he stops, he tacks on, "Would a Blinder work on a vampire?"

Rasputin shakes his head, and grins, "Net, net. Most are lackink da receptors to such thinks. No real ears, or eyes to be distacted, da." He thinks a moment, "Net easy to be blindink, somethinks dhich's eyes are only dhere as items. Dhey are magically dhere, is all."

The Kentuckian grumbles a little. Not at Rasputin himself, but at the continuing absurdities of this world. "I see. Well, that's good to know. Won't waste time and money tossing those in! I guess unless there's more that you can offer, that's all that I have to interrogate you with. Master vampire, three secondaries protecting her, eleven zombies protecting *them* and a 'Borg out front of a structure built of armored material that somehow became strip club." With a laugh, Gabriel says, "If I die, I'll go to my grave knowing that I knew just about everything possible to know about it before it gets hit. Too many people have no patience to do things right."

Rasputin's go a little wide, and he tugs his beard, "Did you sayink a Master Dhampire?" He shakes his head, "Are you surink dis a Master Dhampire?" He thinks a few minutes, "A den of three secondary dhampires, and da zombies and da borg." He shakes his head, "You are net goink alone, da?"

"I said master vampire, yes. I know from a variety of sources that I've taken time to reference and cross-reference that it's a master vampire. I know that's bad," Gabriel says with a sad lift of his shoulder. "However, I do know many, many details, because.... well, just take my word for it that I do that kind of thing. I'm not going alone. I have recruited three others, all of them very strong and with different abilities so that hopefully we can't get caught in a metaphysical technicality. Finally," he hods up one finger, "I believe that I will have some additional foot soldiers along, though at the moment, I don't know the numbers. However, I'm under no illusion that it's going to be simple, even with all that I've learned."

Rasputin nods slowly and tugs his beard, "Da, dwell if are wantink anothers, dhen mink be interested." He says softly, "I would be willink to lend mink ability, perhaps passink a few death beyond to peace." He sighs, "Da more on your side would be goodink, da?"

The other man is quite obviously surprised at Rasputin's offer. "Oh. Well, sure! You're certainly the expert, beyond anyone else I've spoken with. Infinitely more knowledgeable than me. I guess I've only ever seen you here serving up fantastic food, not doing fieldwork." Gabriel's eyes are dancing, probably because something just happened that did *not* require him pulling tooth and nail to make happen. "I've spent months on this, nailing down details. I'll be happy to fight with you. Can't give you a date yet, though, there are two things to do. First, I have a meeting with someone who will go unnamed. Second, there is another problem that needs to be wrapped up prior to the main assault." His face sinks a bit. "A problem that will be difficult on me for a variety of unfortunate reasons."

Rasputin nods slowly, "Da, da. Dwell, if you are needink additional informations or perhapsink a hand please askink. Or handink, if needs." He thinks a bit, "Da?" He tugs his beard, "Undeads are net goods. Animated deads are net eithers." He shrugs, "One must makink sure to removes dhem." Rasputin nods slowly, "Da, da. Dwell, if you are needink additional informations or perhapsink a hand please askink. Or handink, if needs." He thinks a bit, "Da?" He tugs his beard, "Undeads are net goods. Animated deads are net eithers." He shrugs, "One must makink sure to removes dhem."

"Please, come along with us. I can't even imagine how helpful you might be," Gabriel says after a spoonful of kasha. "Yes, the natural order of things is either alive or dead. There is not a gray area. Still... I know that I'm going to end up being hated by one, and at the very least, having another annoyed with me. Rasputin, I'm sure that you've made promises in your life. You keep them, right?"

Rasputin tugs his beard and thinks about that question. He nods finally, "Da, dhough sometimes da promises one makink to your life, dis hardest to be keepink." He frowns a bit, "Why askink?"

"Oh, just because there are people - one person in particular who is involved with this project - who believe that I should simply ignore a promise that I made because circumstances of changed." Gabriel gathers his plate and stands. "I believe that it is the promise, not the circumstances. But I can see that your morning guests are starting to come in, so I'll clear out. Thanks again for everything, Rasputin. I'll find some way to repay you." With that, he hands off his tray at the counter and heads for the door.

Rasputin nods slowly, "Da, da. Thanks." He stands, and takes his cup over the counter, "Beink safe, da? Watchink out for da nasties." He shrugs and then goes about catching up on the tall order of meal tickets piling up.

Gabriel smiles, waves and is out into the morning winter.