Sep 28 05:59:41 109 PA - Two Old Men and Traitor Talk

From Chronicles

Sep 28 05:59:41 109 PA.

YAKOV'S DELI

It has been a long day for the little chef. He is sitting at his table, the deli all but empty. He is reviewing a few books, and looking over a map or two. He is trying to figure something out, but seems to be a little out of his depth. He has his usual pot of tea, and cup of tea. He is drinking as he works. No one else is in the deli.

Gabriel enters the deli at this late hour looking as rested and fresh as he was in the morning. His uniform is crisp and neat, with all the pleats and creases done up tight. Even his lapel insignia seem shiny. However, the silence of the empty deli has to be deafening even for his short-statured bootsteps. At least short for a human. Rather than allow the bootsteps do the talking, he raises his hand and calls out Rasputin's name, accompanied by a pleasant, "Evening, my friend! We're alive, it was a good day."

Rasputin looks up from his work, "Da, evenink Gabriel. How is goink? Da, was odd day. Soink, whatink happened to traitor type, are you knowink?"

Gabriel makes his way over to Rasputin's table and takes a comfortable chair. "Oh, Jokin? Well. Complicated, y'know? Or do you mean something else?"

Rasputin blinks, "Jokin? Net, net. Mink talkink abouts dhat creature, whatink was he?" Rasputin thinks a bit.. "A Yeno, da?" He shakes his head, "Net good to join, and dhen shottink us in back." He tugs his beard, "Dhough, smoke, bah!"

Gabriel shrugs and blinks his own eyes. "I don't know, never seen anything like him before. I wish that Dr. Ashton hadn't had to run off to business so quickly, I wanted to try and talk to the guy.. what.. what was his name? Ishmael? Something like that. Anyway, I wondered what the ploy was. Sell it, then steal it to sell it again?" He drums his fingers a few times. "Yeah, interesting. Would be nice to trace something like that, if it was anything more than just one bad apple."

Rasputin shrugs a bit, "Mink hopink he net tries to takink revenge against any of us for foilink plan, da. Dhey always seemink dhey blamink dheir bad idea on another persons." He shakes his head and sighs, "Soink, what dis brinkink you here dis evenink, needink somethink to eats?"

"I hope that the hospital will figure out something. I mean, it was left to them, ultimately. Hopefully he found some justice and we won't have to worry about him," Gabriel says, shrugging one positive shoulder. He then waggles a finger. "By which, incidentally, I just want to make this perfectly clear. When I said 'permanent' solution, all I meant was 'not in and out of a cell on a technicality.' I'd never maim someone or kill them in cold blood like Jokin was bitching about. Dear God, that goes against the entire company plan, not to mention my own oaths to God, family, self and country." He sighs and shakes his head. "Sorry. Yeah, some food would be great. I only had time to grab a soda, and they don't make Coke anymore. Heard about your dinosaurs, though."

Rasputin shrugs, "Mink could care less about traitor. He attackink, and did somethink to mink mind." He thinks a bit, "Perhaps someink sort of mental time warp spell, that moves you slow?" He shakes his head, "Net, net. Mink net sure, never hadink dhat happens to me befores." He thinks a bit, "As for traitor, iffink you left him tied up in Dregs, da Dregs would have takink care of him..." Rasputin's tone is NOT a nice or happy one, there is some serious venom to it. Apparently, you could easily get the feeling, being a traitor is very bad thing to him.

Gabriel nods to the wisdom. "I actually thought about leaving him all wound up like Jokin initially had him. But then... I thought, if he was a psychic - which I guess he was? Anyway, if he was a psychic, someone might come along to kill him or something, and he could just take over their minds, free himself and run back to his hole to do it over again to someone else." His own face isn't hard, but it's definitive. "So, something more 'permanent' seemed necessary. But Jokin? I almost fired him on the spot before we started, when he kept arguing that I'm nothing but a common mercenary who gets hired to do whatever and does it for money. That really pissed me off, but I let it slide, even when he threatened to quit if I corrected the doctor again. But then when he started pushing me, well. You can't run a military unit successfully if someone's going to complaining or challenging you at every turn. Treason, basically. Lethal sometimes, too."

Rasputin nods slowly, and smiles, "Da, da. Dis why when mink runnink dino hunt, mink lays back. Buttink if mink gives order, and dis-regarded mink might shoot person in head and be movink on." He says, his tone flat and to the point, "Dis mink save more lives dhen da takink of ones." He sighs, "Buttink needink to gettink more monies."

"Sorry I can't help out with more troops, Rasputin. But... well, truth is the company is still taking very young baby steps, and I just don't have the cash flow right now to outfit people like that, for that long, and that many. But I'll be there. Can't fire a heavy weapon like that, but I can thread a needle from a mile away, and scout ahead." Gabriel smiles and asks, "You remember a woman named Erica who used to be here? Kind of dropped off the radar oh.. maybe a year ago? Little more perhaps."

Rasputin tugs his beard and ponders, "Perhaps, da." He thinks a bit, "Perhaps net. Why are you askink?"

Gabriel closes his eyes and opens them, remembering. "Well, she and Daeni were my first friends here in town. Daeni's dead, she's gone... but I only mention it because she's the one who taught me how to fly the 'pack. Didn't think that was a skill that came through time with me, did you?" He chuckles a little, then points to the counter. "Can I get myself a glass of water?"

Rasputin shakes his head, "Net, net." He gets up and walks over to behind the counter, "So, tea? Milk? Coffee?" He looks around and starts to make you a pastrami sandwich, "And you will be havink a pastrami sandwich, da? Chips or potato salad?" He is already making it, it actually is a swiss and pastrami, and the swiss is melted onto the meat. Oh, and the bread, soon is buttered and toasted.

Gabriel opens his mouth to politely decline, but doesn't step in once Rasputin has already started on the sandwich. Instead, he chuckles lightly, "Yes, thank you. A sandwich and chips sounds wonderful. But really, just a glass of water would do me fine. One of these days I need to go to the library and read up on my monsters or something. Never know when I'll need to spot them myself."

Rasputin nods slowly, "Da, da. Mink could teachink you some of dit, da?" He thinks a few minutes, and says over his shoulder, "Do you readin American? Mink could teachink you, you could teachink mink?" He is magically done, and brings over the food to you. With a glass of water.

Gabriel smiles and waits for the food. "I read English. I suppose that's close enough, right? Maybe we can talk about teaching, sure. I've actually done a lot of teaching here, though nothing scholarly like that." He moves on to enjoy his meal and tries to avoid leaning on the negatives of the day. Just good food, good company and good times. "Thanks for the ice!" Jingle-jingle. Then rather unfortunately, he needs to depart with his food in a carry-bag.