Jul 25 01:54:01 108 PA - Two Pair Yakking At Yakov's

From Chronicles

Jul 25 01:54:01 108 PA.

YAKOV'S DELI

With things becoming less stressful - relatively speaking, Sage is able to turn her attention back towards things she had been trying to arrange. She sent an invitation to the man who she'd previously had trouble communicating with. She figured a Russian-style deli would fit the man's background and she's taken a seat at one of the tables to await the other man's arrival.

Anyone looking out the Deli's doors might see an unusual sight. Not hovercars screaming past, or Juicers hopping around, robots lumbering their way through the city. No, it's the large Pavel, riding on a very large horse. A black horse much like a Clydesdale, but more defined and obviously more nimble, while maintaining the strength. Perhaps a Friesian? The horse is 'parked' outside, Pavel finding a post to loop the reigns around. He pats the horse on the nose, whispers something to it, and walks inside. Not quite looking for anything yet - save for Anya, Rasputin's self-proclaimed 'cute-as-a-button serving girl.' Sure, Sage can wait a moment or two longer. Chat chat chat.

The stir caused by the large Russian hitching his horse outside draws Sage's attention enough to realize the man has arrived. She offers a wave to attract his attention, but she doesn't seem to mind when he decides to chat things up with the serving girl. Fortunately when the man arrives, she has a pirozhki to tide her over until the man decides to wander over.

Anya is in fact cute-as-a-button, but she's also one who flits around like a butterfly, and Pavel soon simply makes his own order. Pelmeni and stavlenniy myod to wash it down. Before picking up the tray, he raises a big catcher's mitt of a hand and waves it in Sage's direction, and it doesn't take him long to get to her table, though it takes him a few moments to get settled. Not that he asked permission. Polite, yes. Cultured, somewhat. Polished, no. "Allo, Sage."

Valeriya makes her way to the Deli wrinkling her nose a bit as the horse does its business outside. Hope the owner brought a shovel and a big garbage bag. That’s a big horse. The door chimes to signal her entrance and she looks around a moment before pausing. She looks to be considering moving towards Sage or towards the counter.

Sage offers a faint smile to the man as he takes some time to settle at the table, "Hey." She replies, "I have a surprise for you... in a manner of speaking." She mentions, "I've gotten a translator device now, so I should be able to understand you if you feel like conversing in a more comfortable language." She offers, before letting her attention drift briefly to the door as the chime goes off. She raises her hand to wave in greeting.

That makes Pavel pause, fork in mid-air. The utensil falls back into the bow, and he asks, "Vy ponimaete moi slova?" << Do you understand my words? >> He looks to be trying to peer over Sage, looking for a translator. After all, he's never seen one.

At the waves Valeriya decides to try Sage instead of the counter. The dwarf doesn’t look present anyway. Walking over she looks to Pavel as she hears him speak in a foreign tongue and mutters her own foreign phrase. After which to him she seems to speak fluent Russian, and everyone else hears their own home language. "Good day folks. Anyone seen Rasputin lately?"

Sage takes a brief moment before smiling to the man, "Yes." She replies before considering the way that man seems to peer at her curiously. "It's small enough to fit into my ear." She guesses at the man's intent, before she looks over towards the other woman. "Hey Valeriya." She replies, before glancing towards the counter. "I'm not sure if I have..." She comments thoughtfully with a faint frown, "Although, if you're looking for some help, I might know someone else that could offer some."

Pavel smiles, not quite sure whom to speak to first. Sage receives his first words though, and with a smile. And in Russian. << I'm glad that we can talk appropriately. As I've said before to others, my comprehension is just fine, save for a few unusual words here and there. It's just that no matter how many people and in how many ways they try to teach me the grammar, I still find your American very difficult. The verbs, adjectives, the way that things are named; it's all quite different from my tongue. Plus, many American words use sounds that the entirety of the Russian languages doesn't have. Such as... >> he screws up his face and says << ... doh-booyel-yoo ... >> Pavel smiles at himself as even just attempting to explain the sound that he can't say is difficult. Eventually, Valeriya gets a grin, and a wave. << The helper! Hello, Valeriya. I haven't seen Rasputin in a long time. I've been seen quite a bit of Anya, however... >> He chuckles in a deep tone and helps himself to a bit of drink.

Leonard knows of few who can offer better food, and the proximity doesn't hurt, either. He enters the deli with a pastrami on rye firmly in mind. Soon to be in stomach, so he hopes, which is why he promptly joins an line at the counter.

Valeriya turns to look behind her, looking for the bearer of the helper title. Finding no one she turns back to Pavel with a skeptical gaze. "I'm the helper? I thought you thought me a thief?" She asks him before nodding slightly to Sage. "I'm just looking to collect on the other part of my payment from him is all. No rush really. But haven’t seem him at all so I'm hoping he hasn’t skipped town on us."

Sage gives the man an amused look as he mentions talking appropriately, before chuckling as the man tries to explain his difficulty and offers a shrug. "I could always try speaking Spanish to you, if you wanted." She jests, before looking between the two. She raises a brow faintly. "Helper? Thief?" She takes a moment to think about things with a thoughtful look, "Oh... I think I might know." She comments, before nodding to the other woman. "I don't think he would do that..."

Pavel smiles at Valeriya's amusing answer, nodding his head as if allowing her one point. Of whatever the game is. The other fellow is noted as new, but most of Pavel's attention remains on Sage. << I know nothing of Spanish, so that probably wouldn't be very good. This food, it's not perfect, but it's the best I've had since my home. >> He wipes across his face with a napkin, a big wipe, not a polite dab. << So, I'm holding you up. What is it that I can do for you? Other than thank you for getting myself to come down here for a good meal? >> He sits with Sage at a table, looking into the night through a large window.

"I certainly hope you're not a thief," Leonard chuckles after his turn to place his order, "Not when we we're making fair trade arrangements. That would definitely change what you might think is 'fair.'" He has a smile rather than suspicion, which he also directs to Sage and her large tablemate. Valeriya nods to Sage, accepting her opinion of the dwarf for the moment before looking to Pavel again. "So do you still drag the big plate of steel everywhere or have you upgraded to a wheel or two?" She asks before turning to defend herself from Leonard with a smirk. "If I was a thief of any quality, I wouldn’t need to make trade arrangements now would I?"

Sage offers the faintest of shrugs to the man's comment about the food. She hasn't tried the authentic stuff herself, after all. She briefly glances towards the arrival to offer the man a little wave. The topic of trade seems to preempt what she had been thinking of mentioning. Instead she turns her attention to Pavel. "I was thinking of that arrangement you mentioned that day you dropped by my place." She comments, "I'd like to see some of your work so that I could decide whether I would use some of it with my private dining services... figure if we are going to sell things, it might help for some to see it being used as well."

<< Dragging a plate is quite sufficient. Wagons can break an axle, throw a wheel, or get stuck in a rut. A plate? Just hook up a chain and pull. It'll follow. Though now I have Zoyenka ... >> Pavel directs a hand outside where the enormous horse is standing quietly. Then, however, it's Sage who is definitely the center of attention. Right after a few bites of spiced, jellied pork downed with alcoholic honey. << The silverware, plates, cutlery and such? Yes, I can do that. So far, I've mostly just been helping out the folk outside of town. Only requests have been for silver weapons. It would be nice to make a thing of art that wasn't also a thing of violence. What exactly would you propose? >>

Leonard is momentarily distracted when his order is up. When he returns, he answers Valeriya with a smirk of his own. Sage is left to her discussion for the moment, his approach more to the woman beside it. "You would not, so I'm glad that that isn't the case. Speaking of the exchange, you mentioned that you had a location in mind?"

Valeriya grins to Pavel at his steadfast insistence on the uselessness of the wheel. "So you said last time. Just do the rest of us a favor and carry earplugs to hand out the next time you intend to drag it through town. Iron scraping on pavement is not a friendly sound." She requests before turning back to Leonard and moving towards the counter to get her own food. "Yeah, it's not far from here. East and maybe a bit north, a meeting hall of sorts." She explains after ordering. "I wonder how much it'd cost to buy the place. Or displace the thugs that own it.."

Sage raises a brow to the comments about dragging metal around, "Yes, earplugs might be a good idea... but I think it would scratch things up too." She comments, taking parts of her meat pie as she's able to within the conversation's ebb and flow. She considers the man, "Well, I think we'd have to decide whether to simply focus on certain items or make custom orders." She comments, "Either way, we'll likely need the display some of your work... perhaps some decorative and some practical."

Pavel seems to consider Sage's words in between bites. << Not to be confrontational or forward, Sage, but why the sudden change of heart? What has changed for you and your business? >>

"It sounds as if it would work fine," Leonard admits before stepping to an adjacent table. "I would suggest the library, but the enchantments there make any practice impossible." After sitting, he adds, "It is much cheaper to rent, at least in the short term. I've all but given up on purchasing any property in the near future."

"A thousand credits a month to rent it. Not bad for a meeting hall really. We could cover it with membership dues. Maybe even have enough to get a library going." Valeriya notes as her stew is served into a large bowl and a round loaf of bread is placed beside it before being passed to her over the counter.

Sage lets the other man consider as she begins to glance towards the other two people while she devours more of the meat pie before washing the last mouthful down with some iced tea. A thoughtful expression coming, but she soon turns her attention back to the man across from her. "I never said I wasn't interested." She mentions, "I just didn't want to stumble through any related talks with having to interpret what you were saying." She comments before shrugging faintly. "As for myself, I've begun to get a little more time to do things now that a couple things are resolved... and I'm sorry if I left talking to you further about this long enough that you may have considered other options."

Pavel puts his fork down long enough to offer a smile and a pleasantly dismissive hand. << No, no, it's not a problem. It's just that it's been so long that I am getting customers more frequently; though not if we had an agreement to sell things. As far as a partnership in fine goods? I have ample amounts of time and energy to keep you stocked with standard items and take requests as well. With a mark-up of course, one fair to each of us. >> He too has been looking up to the others, the two standing near the counter. However, though he can understand their words.. he doesn't take their meaning. << Sage, next time you come to a Russian deli, you should try some real Russian food. You wouldn't go to a steakhouse and order fish, would you? >>

Valeriya's words strike a thought. One significant enough to halt Leonard in the middle of an attempted bite, no less. "Dues? That is a fair idea. Interestingly enough, I am in the middle of collecting a library. Not a cheap thing to put together, either. I'd intended for it to be personal, but a membership and fees would help defray the expense." He eventually gets to the bite, but now his mind is also chewing.

Valeriya nods, taking her tray to lead on to a table. Her choice isn’t far from Sage and Pavel so she hasn’t cast them off to start avoiding them. Just comfortable space for currently separate conversations. "Yeah, though my next investment is going to leave my funds stretched thin. But then again, I think another investment has just started to show some real potential. Tell me Leonard. Potentially, nothing is certain, do you have anything comparable to trade for the talisman incantation?"

Sage considers the man's response with a thoughtful quiet as she begins to finish up her meal before offering a faint frown to the man. "But, this was a Russian dish." She protests, before glancing towards the drink then the man. "And, it's not like I haven't tried the other drinks available either." She mentions, before shaking that off. "Either way, we should probably think on the typical items... cutlery isn't something that is frequently purchased, after all."

Sage considers the man's response with a thoughtful quiet as she begins to finish up her meal before offering a faint frown to the man. "But, this was a Russian dish." She protests, before glancing towards the drink then the man. "And, its not like I haven't tried the other drinks available either." She mentions, before shaking that off. "Either way, we should probably think on the typical items... cutlery isn't something that is frequently purchased, after all."

The large man pushes his plate slightly away from the edge of the table. << Typical items as flatware and plates? Goblets? Perhaps if the high-quality cutlery and other actual kitchenware was available at least to be seen, it might attract more customers than you believe. Might not, but it can't hurt. >> Pavel pauses to think, then asks, << How typical are you thinking, as far as time, materials and effort? >>

Leonard is halted in his eating once more, now with both brows lifting. "That," he begins, "is a desirable incantation. I would make every effort to find something acceptable in exchange. I'm confident that I could manage, but it depends on the interests of the other party, of course."

Valeriya nods, though isn’t expressing commitment in any form yet. "Yes, though I don’t have the personal resources to use it to its potential. Together we might. It'd certainly be a boon to the school. I'll ask you again when I know for sure. Till then just consider what you might have that could increase my, and the schools resources in a similar manner. Sounds a fair trade to me."

Sage hms softly, "Plates might have competition against China, but trays, silverware, goblets and perhaps decorative vases might be a good trial." She comments, "I'm not quite sure how much stock would be good, but I'm sure we can both agree that a display item is necessary. Perhaps a couple sets of each for stock to begin with and see how demand goes?"

A few nods before Pavel speaks. << Yes, true. But I would put my plates up against any fancy China. After all, most people purchase their tableware in sets, do they not? Matching plates, saucers, cups, goblets, silverware and the like so that it matches. I doubt that people interested in purchasing such fine wares would make the mistake of mismatching the set. No? >> He arches an eyebrow, waiting for more information before continuing.

"It would," Leonard nods, "and we could definitely make full use of it. I'll be considering many things, now. You've got me very intrigued. It is a leap from arranged sharing to some form of school, but it isn't a bad one."

"Well that short interaction with that other mage in the coffee shop, Darlos, got me thinking the arrangement could be wider reaching." Valeriya admits, tearing a piece from her bread loaf to dip it in her stew. "Then I found out that that spell may be within reach. It all just seems to be coming together. I could never hope to orchestrate it so well myself."

"We can put that to the test. So, it seems you have some work to do on an initial set for me to see just how fine your fine wares are." Sage says with a light challenge meant in a friendly way as her lips curl to the thought. "Seems only prudent before we get too far along with this."

Pavel smirks. << My wares worst are never anything less than beyond everyone else's best. I wouldn't make a substandard plow to give to a farmer. If they are interested, and they are looking for the best, they should go to your place, and my goods. >> The large man seems quite sure of himself. << What would you like to see first? Also, as I've asked... just how fine do you want it to be? There are levels of perfection, after all, and in all forms. >> Obviously he takes pride in his work, and though a technological language translator may have a difficult time conveying it.. it is only pride. Not boast. Well, a little bit of boast, but not an annoying amount.

Leonard considers through more thoughtful chewing of his sandwich. "Even if that invocation doesn't pan out, and I hope it does, the rest is still viable. You have a place to meet. I hope to soon have a library that could be shared, and we can both offer our respective experiences to others. So long as the Guild doesn't consider us to be stepping on toes or territory, it would benefit us all."

Valeriya smirks, shaking her head slightly as she chews through the moistened loaf. "Fail to see how we'd be intruding on their territory. Their building doesn’t exist on this plane of existence. It's anchored here, visible. But looking at it with my knack for understanding magic, it is not really here."

Sage raises a brow faintly as the man compares fine work to a plow that likely requires less intricate detail, but she decides to let the comment pass as she doesn't wish to point out this detail without seeing the man's actual work. She offers a faint shrug, "If I were to use it as part of my services, something elegant enough for upscale dining but it doesn't have to be overly elaborate."

The large man shifts in his seat. << I am sorry, I'm obviously not expressing myself properly. What, specifically, would you like me to make for you, so that you could show it off as part of your services and upscale dining? A single vase? An entire table setting and serving trays for a banquet of twenty people? >> Pavel waits politely, though he can't help but glance at others in the deli; there are quite a few people at this hour enjoying good food. << Give me the most detailed instructions that you can, and I will do what I can to please you, Sage. >>

"That's not surprising, though I didn't mean it literally." Leonard shrugs lightly. "It was only a mild concern. I doubt we'd draw their notice, much less any dislike. Still, they are not an entity we'd want to offend, of course."

"Not over something so trivial, certainly." Valeriya agrees, taking up her spoon to fully dig into her stew. She seems to have nothing more to add on the subject for the moment as she focuses on eating. Occasionally she glances at Leonard to see if there is more he has to say right now.

Sage takes a breath and lets it out, likely also glancing around the place including the people she knows that are sitting nearby during the conversation she is part of. "Simply put, let me see a plate setting for one before we start talking about. A big fork, a small fork, a knife, a spoon, a plate, a goblet. If you want to do something decorative, make a vase." She comments, "If I like what I see, you'll be able to see the place where I would be using them." She comments, "So, a sample of your work first before we start getting into quantity. When do you think you might have such a set ready?"

After scratching at his five o'clock shadowed chin for a few seconds, and pursing his lips, Pavel says, << If it were an emergency, I could have it to you in a day, though that would take a lot out of me. If there isn't such an emergency, and I have time to do it right as what is apparently a 'simple' set to prove that I'm not just hot air.. >> he allows a low chuckle << .. a week or so. One place setting, one vase. Would that be acceptable? >>

Leonard spares more attention to his own food, for a time. That and thought. "How many do you think will be interested in this? It could turn out that your hall is too large," he chuckles, "or there could be a line at the door. Either way, it seems we have the beginnings covered, for now." Many thoughts are brewing, but there aren't many that pop up to the front at the moment.

Valeriya shrugs lightly, not looking certain. "Rasputin might be, as might Bernard. Don't know if you know either of them." She mentions, finishing her stew. "Beyond that who can say. But for now I'm going to prepare for a job. Later."

Sage nods faintly, "That will do fine." She assures, before finishing off the rest of her iced tea and setting the glass aside. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have another appointment to attend to." She comments before she begins to rise from her seat. On her way out, she'll drop by Leonard's table long enough to try to muss the man's hair up playfully. "Take care." She offers to them all.