|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Sat Apr 16, 2016 3:30 pm
As Vesna realized what Cesc was doing, her face broke into an grin that, try her best, she couldn't quite swallow.
"Oh, yes!" she said, putting on her trendiest voice. "We've heard that this might be the new hot spot in Durem, so we have just been dying to run a feature on you before Restaurant Week." She leaned in and confided, "I'm the art director for the blog, and I already see some very promising shots. Your presentation is too stunning!" Making a rectangle with her hands like she had seen photographers do on television, she said, "Bu-ut, we'll have to work fast, because the lighting right now is just perfect."
Gesturing to Lorenzo and Claire, she added, "We've also randomly selected these customers to interview to get some perspective on the atmosphere of the café from the customers' point of view, so we'll be chatting with them after we check out the kitchen."
Seeing that Vesna was gesturing to him, Lorenzo waved uncertainly.
"They are so excited to be here," Vesna gushed. Offering up Lorenzo's money, she asked, "If we could get the special, a cannoli, and a latte for both of them, we'll just let them make their impressions of that, whip through the kitchen quickly and discreetly, then we'll have about all we need to write a great piece."
This game was so much fun!
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Apr 16, 2016 8:28 pm
Claire folded her hands together on the tabletop as the Raevans made their way to the front - not an easy task in as busy a cafe as this one. Her heart was pattering somewhat nervously as she kept revisiting the worst-case scenario, but.. no. She had to trust that Cesc and Vesna were going to be fine; as they were the ones with the tools and were better equipped to deal with the Essences, it was up to them in this case. A red-haired waitress engaged them with a friendly smile and Claire moved her gaze over to passing employees, trays laden with food. Her stomach rumbled and she pressed a hand to it - perhaps she should have ordered something after all.
Lorenzo moved next to her to wave, and she turned back towards the front, where Vesna was looking at them, all smiles and charm. She flashed a smile and raised her hand in a smaller wave, quite unsure of what was fully going on, but whatever it was seemed to be rolling easily enough between the two of them. They played well off of one another, whatever they were doing. She fished her phone out of her bag and set it on top of her lap, fully intending to text either of them in a moment to get the low-down on what was going on.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Friendly Conversationalist
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2016 10:21 am
"O-oh..." It was weird, normally Scarlet wouldn't allow such a request, only saying sorry with an apologetic smile. However, she felt oddly calm and the boy with pink hair just had the most honest expression. She felt like she couldn't say no. "I guess... I could allow you this one time." She smiled and shrugged her shoulders. "As long as you don't bother the chefs in there! Just let me settle your order and I'll bring the both of you right in." She said as she punched in the order for them.
Then she motioned for the both of them to come around the counter before asking one of the servers to make the drinks and settle the order for Lorenzo's and Claire's table. The other servers as well as the lady behind the cannoli station looked over curiously as Scarlet opened the kitchen door to let Cesc and Vesna in.
Upon entry though, they would see a decently sized kitchen that is well staffed. There is a sandwich station, with two person dedicated to just making them. Then there is of course large industrial ovens with buns baking in them, emanating a lovely scent. All the chefs are busy making food, and a large man with square shoulders were shouting at some of the chefs. He looked over with steely grey eyes when the Raevans entered. "What are they doing back here?"
"Oh, they're writing for a popular food blog!" Scarlet chirped up, trying to justify what she is doing. "They just want a short tour and take some pictures."
If they check the compass, it's still pointing deeper into the kitchen, somewhere around the corner in there.
----------
Meanwhile, two cups of latte were served on Lorenzo's and Claire's table, with lovely latte art - one with hearts going around in a circle, and the other with a fern leaf that unfortunately looks a little like a d**k. "Your cannoli and sandwich will be served shortly." The server mentioned with a polite smile before walking away.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2016 11:00 am
Cesc exhaled slowly as they were allowed back into the kitchen, and he redoubled on his aura as they entered the space. Most chefs were not likely to enjoy random visitors in their space, so he hoped this would go through with as little fuss as possible. He smiled gently, appreciatively at Scarlet.
"Thank you so much. Our readership will be so excited," he said gratefully. Taking a quick peek down at the compass, he felt a touch relieved--at least it was in the corner, not dead center where the cooks were all working.
"Don't mind us. We'll be out in a jiffy," said Cesc with a smile. "We've heard your food is second to none in this big city, and that's an accomplishment--Vesna, let's keep out of the way, maybe get a few shots from the corner so we won't bother any of the work?-- We wanted to get a quick picture and just congratulate you guys on your standing in the city. Really well-deserved."
He stood his ground by Scarlet, looking genuinely interested and trying to be calmly unobtrusive. He took out his phone and snapped some pictures, then surreptitiously sent a text to Claire: It's in the kitchen…
Geezus he hoped the essence would be an easy snatch for Vesna in the corner…
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2016 1:22 pm
"Oh, this is such an amazing kitchen!" Vesna crooned, only half exaggerating, since before today she had barely been out of Lorenzo's house. Smiling at the large man who seemed suspicious of them, she reassured, "We'll be out of your way just as soon as possible, but it's such an honor to be in the kitchen of the man responsible for the menu here!"
She felt strangely calm despite the fact they could be found out if they pushed it too much- she supposed this was one of the powers Cesc had told them about in the graveyard at work? It was so subtle that if she hadn't known about it, she wouldn't have noticed it at all. Did she have any powers like that? Powers that she and Lorenzo just hadn't noticed? If she did, she hoped they were good for games like this-- She hadn't had so much fun in ages.
Glancing down at the compass, she floated deeper into the kitchen. "I think we should really close in on this shot," she said. "Maybe over here...?"
_______________
Lorenzo watched them go into the kitchen anxiously.
"What's going on?" he asked Claire, and reached for his phone to text Vesna. She'd very rarely been out of his sight since he picked her up on Valentine's Day, and the last time he hadn't been able to keep an eye on her was during the bird attack. She knew that she should text him if there was any trouble, right? He wished they had more of a game plan going in.
He was very briefly distracted by their food arriving, and reached for the Unfortunate Latte, sipping it very quickly before Vesna could instagram it, and leaving Claire with the one with hearts. Getting a warm drink in him made him feel slightly less anxious, but he kept an eye on the kitchen.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Apr 19, 2016 12:52 pm
"Not sure," Claire whispered back to Lorenzo, her fingers clenching on the phone in her lap - the two of them seemed to be much of the same mind. For the time being, they had to trust that Cesc and Vesna knew what they were doing, but she could understand Lorenzo's nervousness - Vesna was his charge, after all, and this was a very precarious situation. She jolted a bit in surprise when the waiter leaned over to deliver their lattes, the phone nearly sliding from her lap, but a quick grab saved it from a nasty fall. "Thank you," she replied to the waiter before he left, all smiles despite the surprise. She did not get to see what was in the cup that Lorenzo grabbed but her smile held at the art crafted from the latte's foam. "Cute."
The phone in her hands buzzed and she jumped a second time, fumbled to unlock it and read the message under the table. There were too many waiters around and she did not want to risk ruining whatever plan the two Raevans had come up with, so she raised the phone with a smile and scrolled over to the camera to take a photo of her latte. Leaning in as though to show Lorenzo, she whispered, "Rhedefre says it's in the kitchen," and snapped a quick picture. Still, though, there was too much that was vague about this situation, and there had to be something more they could do other than sit there, drinking their coffees and the only idea she had was to return Cesc's text to inquire what was going on. She glanced around the busy cafe again, thoughts darting from her grasp before she could catch them.
And then a realization hit her.
Aaron's family's company serviced many businesses in Gaia, but none more than in Durem, where their company headquarters was. Holmes Produce had its thumb in a number of restaurants, groceries, and hotels in the local area and acted as the go-between for farms and businesses when it came to making sure their fresh produce was delivered on time - who was to say that they did not provide here as well? She dashed off a quick text to Aaron under the table, heart in her throat: 'Does Holmes Produce service Cafe Creme in Durem?' Anything to help their cause, after all.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Friendly Conversationalist
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Apr 19, 2016 9:25 pm
As Vesna approached the corner, a lad suddenly came around, giving the both of them a small fright in the process. "Sorry." He muttered before walking off towards the sandwich station. If they would look closely, he was holding a large head of lettuce with a 'Holmes Produce' paper band on it. Ripping it off and dropping it into the rubbish bin, the lad proceeded to wash and peel the leaves to be used in the sandwiches.
When Vesna turned the corner however, she would discover that there is nothing in there except a large metal door into a walk-in freezer. The doors were closed, but it doesn't looked like it was locked or anything, and to her dismay, the compass is pointing right into it.
For a moment, the chef narrowed his eyes and just stared at the pink haired boy that just invaded his kitchen. Then he spoke. "Had you had our food before?" He asked, almost in an accusatory tone. It seemed like Cesc's aura is not working so much on the wound up head chef? Or perhaps he's too far away to be affected?
One of the chefs rang a bell at that moment as he placed a plate of sandwich down right next to it. A server walked in promptly, brushing past Cesc as she went to grab the plate. "One special!" The chef said before going back to his work, making the next order.
----------
"Here is one special sandwich of the day!" The server smiled and served the sandwich to Lorenzo and Claire. "Do remember to take a lovely photo for your blog before you eat it, alright?" She had overheard the conversation between Cesc and Scarlet earlier. "The cannoli will be served shortly." If anything, the speedy and excellent service in this cafe is definitely something to be raved about.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2016 4:25 pm
Cesc met the chef's eye with an expression of cheerful calm, and let out a cheery laugh at the accusation. "Unfortunately not close to everything on the menu," he said, patting his stomach with earnest appreciation. "And that special sandwich you have today looks like a triumph." He turned to look at it with a hungry look as the server lifted it and took it out of the kitchen. In truth, Cesc hoped he wouldn't have to taste said sandwich in order to prove his point--he discovered fairly early on that he had no taste for meat, and the sandwich was nothing if not meaty.
"Like I said, we know you're so busy and don't want to waste any of your time," he continued with a nod. "Don't want to intrude, even though I know we already have--don't even mind us; please, feel free to go back to work. We'll just sneak out. Do you mind if we get a pic of you, too?"
He floated closer to the angry chef with his phone up, hoping that the proximity would at least help the chef unwind--geezus, the man was certainly tense, and hopefully Cesc taking up his attention would give Vesna a chance to look in peace for the essence.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Apr 21, 2016 4:15 pm
Vesna eyed the freezer, trying to think of a good excuse to get in. Pulling the 'undead Gaian' card was probably not a good excuse. From what she knew, the undead were generally considered too unhygenic to be allowed in restaurant kitchens. She could say that she wanted some fresh produce to stage on the counter, but the chef already seemed fed up, and they promised to be discreet.
Behind her, she heard Cesc start distracting the chef in earnest. If there was no danger that the chef would come around the corner, and everyone else was busy working... Well, she could think of an excuse to make if anybody caught her, but by then, she could have already caught the essence!
Not even Cesc's calm aura could totally prevent the butterflies in her stomach but she seized her chance, opening the freezer door and quietly floating inside. Scrunching up her eyes tight for a moment, she tried hard to think about being invisible or at least unobtrusive, just in case she had a special secret power like Cesc did. Opening them again, she took a deep breath, shivered a bit, and checked the compass.
______________________________
"Well, as long as Cesc's in there with her," Lorenzo tried to reassure himself anxiously. It was out of his hands. He sipped his coffee again and tried not to think too hard about it. Cesc wouldn't let Vesna get into too much danger, and if something went really wrong, he knew Cesc knew at least a little necromancy.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Apr 21, 2016 9:27 pm
It did not take long for Claire's text to Aaron to get a response, but her phone's buzz was lost in the sudden arrival of the sandwich. Gripping her phone on her lap she smiled and thanked the server graciously, eyebrows lifting just a touch at the addendum, but her smile held without a waver. "Of course! This looks absolutely picture perfect." Her stomach rumbled as she caught the aroma of the sandwich itself, and she laughed, pressing the hand holding her phone to her belly. "My stomach agrees. Please take your time! We know how busy you are!" Once the waitress was gone, she glanced down at the sandwich then back up at Lorenzo.
"That answers that," she whispered. With how much social media drove promotion nowadays, she had to give it to Cesc and Vesna for thinking of that one on the spot. Far be it from her to ruin the facade, she unlocked her phone (ignoring Aaron's reply for now) and took another picture. She cycled back and read the reply quickly: 'We do, why do you ask?' Claire's eyes flickered over to Lorenzo again as he tried to reassure himself, and she once again leaned close under the guise of showing him the photo she snapped and whispered, "My husband's company services this restaurant, perhaps that'll help them." With another glance at her phone, she hammered back a 'Stopped here for a moment, was just curious,' and then paused, sliding over to the message from Cesc and replying at last: 'Aaron's company services the restaurant, bring up Holmes Produce if you get in a tight spot.'
With that out of the way, all that lay before them was the dolled-up sandwich sitting on the plate, minding its own business. The kitchen staff had graciously cut it in two sizable halves. Despite the nervousness of the whole situation, Claire could not deny her hunger and following this, there might not be time. She shrugged and smirked over in Lorenzo's direction and added quietly, "we might as well - it'll look weird if we don't," before picking up one half of the sandwich.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Friendly Conversationalist
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2016 8:48 pm
The chef's brows were still tied together in a knot as Cesc came closer. There was a moment of silence as he considered the Raevan's request for a photo. Even Scarlet had backed off a little, feeling a little uncomfortable even with Cesc's aura around him.
"Fine." His expression soften as he stopped frowning so hard. Turning back to his chefs, he saw that they were watching as well, hands stopped moving. "Stop watching and continue cooking!" He barked before turning back to Cesc. Straightening his posture, be crossed his arms and looked at the Raevan with a closed lip smile, his brows still furrowed a little. Truth to be told, he actually look not bad in a manly, confident way. "How's this?"
The whole hoo-ha was distraction enough that no one noticed Vesna entering the walk-in freezer.
The inside of the freezer was very cold, white mist were evident as the two fans on the far wall hummed gently. A display screen right next to the door states that it had been set to a freezing temperature. Racks lined the walls, with fresh produce and frozen meat arranged neatly in them in trays or boxes. The freezer looked fairly clean, there were no disgusting moldy food or frozen leftovers. The fresh produce were delivered daily as well, as stated on the stickers on their respective boxes. It seems the cafe is pretty good with food hygiene.
Thankfully for Vesna as well, the freezer is empty. As she passed by one of the racks, the needle began to swerved in the direction, pointing straight at it. It is a rack filled with fruits kept in bags. But on the rack to Vesna's eye level are a few large ice trays, with a large tub next to it filled with ice cubes. It seems like the cafe makes their own ice for their cold beverages as well. The ice trays were huge though, being able to make up to 50 ice cubes at once. However, curiously enough, three of the squares in a corner were still in liquid form, even if the rest of the tray had frozen solid.Fel Essence #67  Reversed States
The states of water are taught in grade school science classes all over the world and no doubt any 1st grader would be able to tell you that water turns to ice when cold and steam when hot. As an Essence, it seems this innocuous pint of the most prevalent liquid on earth has got it backwards. As the temperature climbs, the water freezes rock solid into ice. On the other hand, when the mercury falls it vaporizes into steam. Best to keep it at room temperature at all times to avoid any mishaps!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2016 9:19 pm
There was a steadiness to the man's gaze that Cesc couldn't help but admire; he knew that if some blogger had talked or charmed their way into Vermillion's kitchen and Shep were around, he probably would have been just as annoyed as this guy was. But luckily--well, and guiltily, if Cesc was honest with himself--his own sustained aura was helping the guy unclench a bit.
Ah, well, Cesc thought. At least they'd feel refreshed after this ridiculous encounter? He held up his phone and smiled at the chef, taking a few pictures. He was absolutely going to have to write something, somewhere, about this stupid cafe. He'd inconvenienced everyone enough. "You look great. This kitchen is amazing," he said.
He also took an unnecessary panoramic and a picture of a server taking the latest plate of food from the kitchen--by then, with any luck, Vesna had done her exploring. He also noted Claire's text on his phone, which gave him another idea (you know, to be nice.) "Well, we'll get right out of your hair now, sir. Thank you for your extreme generosity. I just also wanted to let you know that I did see that Claire Holmes, from Holmes Produce, is out in your cafe right now--amazing to see that even the larger suppliers are taking note of and enjoying the food here. You're certainly not getting lost in the crowd! Great to see how well you guys have been received."
With that last little bit of flattery, Cesc smiled, quite ready to actually head back out into the cafe.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2016 9:38 pm
Vesna followed the compass to a rack filled with bagged fruit.
"Bitter orange?" she guessed quizzically to herself. But the needle swerved away from the fruit and over to some large ice trays. She scanned them and found that while they were mostly full of boring old ice cubes, a few segments at the very back were full of boring old water. She jabbed the compass at the water to check, and, having confirmed, reached for a jar.
"Oh," she said, realizing that the jars were back with Cesc. Well, the radioactivity wouldn't affect her, she supposed, but it was water. She couldn't exactly carry it out in her hands. She thought for a moment, then clapped her hands. Pulling out her new compact instead, she poured the water in it and floated quickly back into the kitchen, waving to Cesc.
"I got the best shot!" she crooned. "This article is gonna be killer." Grabbing his arm and squeezing it in what she hoped came off as an overly friendly blogger way, she led him out of the kitchen. Once they were out of sight of the staff, she took a bottle from him and poured the water in, noticing that out of the cold it was slowly solidifying into ice.
___________________
As Vesna came out, Lorenzo stood up in his seat and joined her.
"Are you okay?" he asked. "Did you find it?"
"Yes and yes," Vesna said brightly. Looking over, she let out a disappointed cry. "Oh! You've already had your latte! I wanted to Instagram it."
"There'll be better lattes to Instagram," Lorenzo assured completely earnestly. "Let's regroup."
"Actually," Vesna said, though it pained her, "We should probably get going before they figure out we're not trendy restaurant bloggers,"
"We're what," Lorenzo asked blankly.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
alpha lyrae generated a random number between
1 and 5 ...
1!
|
Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2016 9:58 pm
Claire glanced up as soon as the kitchen door opened, mouth full of sandwich. She had finished her half in record time, surprising herself (but then again, she had been very hungry). She jolted as Lorenzo hopped up to join them, wiping her fingers in haste as she, too, pushed her chair back and crossed over towards them. For as much as he had tried to appear the professional and cool as a cucumber during their first meeting, he fretted like any overprotective parent, which caused Claire to smile. A feeling she understood all too well.
"Don't worry, I got one picture, at least," Claire interjected helpfully with a smile. "One of the sandwich too." As long as it helped the facade and the mission was accomplished, that was all that mattered. It had been on the tip of her tongue to ask if they had mentioned Holmes Produce but Vesna's second line gave her pause and she pressed her lips shut, humming. "Mmm, yeah.. that, uh, would not look good. Let me get my bag." She hustled back to the table to grab her purse, but as the reality of the situation sunk in, she felt guiltier about not only misleading the staff here but also skimping out on their meal. With a frown, she fished out a small wad of ones and a pen, scribbling a note on the back of a napkin. Satisfied, she returned to the trio with a sheepish smile and set a gentle hand on both Lorenzo and Cesc's backs and nodded towards the door. "Lead on, Vesna."
On the table was a $10 tip and a quickly scribbled note - 'We'll be blogging about you soon! Thank you for the wonderful food and photo op!'
|
|
|
|
|
|
Friendly Conversationalist
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Apr 26, 2016 12:46 am
The waitress who served them was carrying the cannoli to their table when Claire and Lorenzo hurriedly left. "But miss, your cannoli!!" She tried to stop them but they were gone out the door in a blink of an eye.
"Told you, they were just pretending to be food bloggers." Another server butted in as he stood next to the girl holding the cannoli, clearly having a more sarcastic view of the whole situation. "They were real suspicious."
The lady server sighed as she placed the plate of cannoli back onto the counter. "I just hope that Scarlet won't get into much trouble from the boss since she was the one who let them into the kitchen."
(( Please move on to the next location since you rolled for it already ))
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
