Jul 11 01:05:34 108 PA - Making and Taking Orders Over a Light Meal
From Chronicles
Jul 11 01:05:34 108 PA.
YAKOV'S DELI
It's evening, the Sun is just beginning to disappear below the horizon, and Pavel has returned to a place he likes - where people speak Russian and serve real food. Indeed, though he often expresses disdain for the city itself, Yakov's Deli is a good hangout. Right now, the large man is stuffed into a too-small chair and a too-small table with two large mugs of a honey-colored drink before him, some kind of odd-looking shallow bowl of not-exactly worm-things, a bunch of beets and fresh vegetables in a big pan, and what looks like long pieces of beef in some type of cream sauce. He looks pleased. This may also be because he and the short waitress - Rasputin described her himself as, 'cute as a button' - Anya are chatting it up.
Erica walks into the deli dressed in her usual fatigues. She goes up to the counter and orders herself a spicy sausage sandwich. Once she gets her sandwich and her diet soda she looks around briefly to see where she wants to sit. Spotting Pavel her lips curl into a little smile as she moves over to his table. "Hi Pavel."
This time, Pavel remembers right away that he needs to speak Euro. He does. Still, it's loud and boisterous, as might be expected. << Erica! >> There is no polite standing, but he does sweep a hand toward the opposite chair. << I didn't know that you liked Russian food! What do you have? >> He gazes over to inspect her meal.
"Well this place serves lots of different types of food." Erica says with a little smile before she takes a seat opposite of Pavel. "I just got a sandwich with some of the spicy sausage they have around here. It is pretty good." She says before taking a little sip from her soda.
<< Ah, yes. I was trying to figure out how someone had screwed up a Russian dish and turned it into that. Not that it doesn't look good, just that it's not what I grew up with. No club this evening? Just hitting the ethnic area of the city? >> Big Pavel turns his head toward one of the large windows and pokes a finger. << You probably can't see it from you're sitting, at least not without torquing your head, but the sun's going to slip down in a few seconds. Then it's officially nighttime. Nightlife? >> Anya has been politely staying close the whole time, and her English isn't perfect either, but still is quite sufficient to inquire about Erica's meal.
"I might go out later. I'll see how the evening turns out." Erica says before taking a bite out of her sandwich. "Yes the clubs and bars should fill up pretty soon." She says after finishing chewing, and swallowing her bite. "What about you? What are you up to this evening?"
Pavel allows himself a big laugh. << I'm enjoying real food, but the kind of real food that I didn't need to cook for myself. >> He pauses to wipe away at his face, not entirely properly with a napkin. << My forge, I told you about the one that I built. People are starting to come in. Not big business or anything, nobody coming in because they want their armor patched, but just normal people. Good, salt-of-the-earth people from around who need simple things. You know. Plows, plates, the occasional fence post, that type of thing. It pays well. >> He nods, then quickly adds, << I take pride in my work. Svarog, Highest of the Gods does not grant these things lightly. I don't know why he chose me, but he did, and I follow his teachings. I do what I can to be fair to everyone; the common people get what they need, and I get enough to live a nice life without screwing them over. >> He smirks a little, then scoops up some of that worm-looking stuff.
Erica works on her sandwich quickly taking bites from it. "I'm glad your business is going well. Making credits are always nice. That and it is good to help people out." She says in between bites. "Well you seem to be pretty good at what you do. What kind of goals do you have for yourself?"
Pavel quickly swallows his food and says, << I don't know, really. >> He sounds genuinely, if not confused, then perplexed. << I've never stayed in one place for more than a few weeks. It's just not like us, it's almost breaking one of Svarog's rules. I guess my goal is to live and love. With a very large emphasis on the love part! HA! >> He leans back and thumbs at Anya who is now busy with another patron. << She was the first person in the city whom I met who spoke my language. Running the counter over there at the time. She really is cute as a button, like Rasputin said. Still... >> he trails off before adding, << Rasputin said to stay away from her. Not a personal thing, but I guess she's a gold digger, or whatever the appropriate word would be. Still, it couldn't hurt to get into that skirt once or twice, eh? >> He does an elbow ghost-double-nudge in Erica's direction. << You? You've been here for a long time, yes? You have plans? >>
Erica laughs softly as she shakes her head. "I am sure you will enjoy living here. It is a pretty nice town all things considered." She shrugs her shoulders briefly before she takes another bite from her sandwich. She looks briefly at Anya and then chuckles a bit. "No I don't have any plans. I haven't found any work in quite a while. I need to find a job sooner, or later, but so far things are not looking good."
Pavel looks across the table, stirs his meal around a few times, and looks back across the table. << I can help, if you need it. You don't even need to look at it as a handout; I'll hire you on a temporary basis to help out around the forge, if you'd be interested. >> He then looks over and makes a loud kissing noise that makes Anya blush.
"I can't really do any forge work. That isn't really in my skill set." Erica says with a slight shake of her head. "Thank you for the offer though. That was very nice of you." She smiles briefly at Pavel before taking another bit from her sandwich.
Pavel extends a hand across the table. << I can help if you need it. I wasn't even talking about blacksmith work. Just having someone to carry things, get scrap and such, would be useful. I'm not pushing, just explaining what I meant. I understand if you want to be on your own. >> He dips his head, though his big arm remains across the table like a ham hock. << What *is* your skill set, Erica? Other than looking pretty in the bars, and Moe's, and New Lazlo's soldiers? >>
"Perhaps. I will have to think about it. I might take you up on it." Erica says before she finishes off the last bite of her sandwich. She takes a long sip from her soda. "I'm mostly a soldier. I go out as a scout, and as weapon support. I am pretty good out in the wilderness. So I mostly fight for jobs."
Pavel nods his big head a few times, stuffing his face a few times in the process. << Yes, soldier. Like Warlord Romanov and her army. She was a good leader, the only good leader in Russia. Krasny Kut, my home, was part of her domain. We lived 'medieval' but her armies, they were strong, and powerful like you. With your robots, and armor and energy. So much that even the mystics of my land feared them. >> He smirks a little and adds, << I only have a hammer to fight with, really. Of course, it really hurts if I hit you with it. >> Then with a grin, he raises his arm, not exactly in a flex, but close enough that he can tap it with the free hand and nod. << This helps keep me safe, too. >>
"That is why I prefer to do my fighting from a distance. That way I don't get hurt with a blow from a hammer." Erica says with a bit of a laugh in her voice. "Usually there are a lot more jobs about, but lately everything has been drying up. Oh well." She says before shaking her head slightly. "That warlord sounds like a good woman.
<< Yes, she is. Or was. I hope she is. When I was rifted over here, she was under attack by two other Warlords, two very crazy, evil ones. All that I can hope is that my family survived and Romanov won. >> Pavel finishes up one of his meals. << Why have jobs dried up? I know that I've been living in the Federation for the last five years, but even I know that there's constant conflict. Someone always wants something from the other, be it goods, or be it their life. >>
"I don't know. Just not a lot of work for a soldier to do right now I guess." Erica shrugs her shoulders briefly before she sips on her soda. "Hopefully some thing will turn up. I could use a few credits. Not a big deal though. Have to stay positive." She chuckles briefly to herself. "So how much did you say that silver knife was going to run me?"
Pavel frowns and shakes his head. << I'm sorry, I don't know about the blade yet. My guess is seven-thousand, but I can't get my supplier to tell me how much the raw materials are going to run me, so unfortunately, I really don't want to give you a quote, because depending on circumstances, it could be wildly off. But I have been keeping it in mind. Mulling over how to make it beautiful. I promise, you will pay a fair price for it that allows me to make a fair profit off of it - but it will be worth *far* more than the 'sticker price' as they say. A gift. >> He smiles and looks at his empty plates, and is then distracted by the single vid screen, volume low. It's the news. He makes a little flick of a finger, and the volume turns up as it reports on the death of the proprietor of a hair salon. << Strange. >>
"Well don't worry about it too much. I have also been thinking that I might have need of a cross. They are supposed to be good against vampires." Erica says after thinking for a few moment. She glances at the vid screen briefly before looking back at Pavel. "Yah I saw that happening on the news. Bad stuff happening."
Pavel looks back at the screen and the volume returns to its normal level. He smirks and lowers his head like a huge child, even blushing a little. Holding up a big hand, he says, << I have small magic. Nothing impressive, just to help me in the forge. Little things, like knobs, I can turn them, or lift little tools so that I don't have to bend to get them. Other things for the forge. Small magic, nothing impressive. But can be useful in the occasional circumstance. >> He grins sheepishly, adding, << I can't learn more magic, I just have what Svarog gave me. But a cross? >> He straightens up, back to his full proud stature. << Yes, a silver cross, I can make one of those. Big, small... I could even make you some very pretty jewelry to hang around your neck. They say it keeps you from being bitten. >>
"I guess that would work. I don't really have anything to do with religion, but it could be nice protection." Erica says with a smile. "Why don't you make me the cross and the knife. Hopefully it won't be too expensive."
<< Cross. Knife. Small jewelry? I'll find out how much the raw materials will cost before we make an official agreement. Of course, I suppose that I could just keep them as inventory... but most people like their own customized gear. >> Pavel nods once, twice. << Do you know how to shoot an arrow? >>
"No not at all. All my weapons are more advanced modern weapons." Erica says with a slight shake of her head. "Alright that sounds like a good deal. Just get back to me with how much they cost. Make the cross look nice. Maybe some obsidian or something in it."
Pavel asks for clarification. << The cross, you want it made of silver? Because it's my understanding that all crosses harm the undead. It would be cheaper to make it out of a more common metal. The arrows? I can make them do different things. Special things that would make your modern weapons very proud. But, I must admit that while I have been doing this for many years, I do not feel as strong in my profession as I will be some day. Be able to do bigger, better things. I hope that Kingsdale will smile upon me. >> He drinks from his honey-colored mug, and offers the still-full one across the table. << Please, drink with me. There is no alcohol. >>
"It doesn't have to be made of silver. It can be made of copper, or whatever." Erica says before shrugging her shoulders. "I'm sure you will learn more as you work on all this." She takes the mug and takes a little sip from it. "Thanks."
"Priglashaem vas," Pavel says in Russian as Erica accepts the mug. << Good honey. Called 'Medovuha.' Fermented and distilled, both. So a little alcohol, but so little that it is given to all of the children. >> He pauses to swallow. << Every time we meet, you tell me that you have no work. Certainly there must be some kind of work out there? Your kind of work, I mean. It does seem that even in my short time here, there is *always* something going on. >>
"Not that I have found. Just isn't any call for a soldier right now." Erica shrugs her shoulders again. "But who knows what will happen later. Maybe some job will come up." She smiles briefly at Pavel, and then she stands up. "I'm going to get going I think."
Pavel shovels in the last of his own food, then waves Anya over to begin ordering dessert. He might be very friendly, but may also not possess the same polite company manners of others. He waves as Erica departs. << Call me if you go to a club later! You'll have to find me though, because I have nothing to be called on! >> He then turns his full attention to pinching and tickling Anya to get her to giggle and wiggle, squeaking in Russian.
