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| Gentlemen's late lunch; Julian | |
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| Topic Started: Jun 27 2016, 05:32 AM (406 Views) | |
| Pyrrhic | Jun 27 2016, 05:32 AM Post #1 |
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Time: After school but before din Date: April 27th Ros slid a finger underneath the cuff of the crisp charcoal gray shirt that he had received just that day, feeling out the button and opening it. He could dress up nicely when the need called for it. There was always someone getting married or someone dying. Barring those situations Ros had gone to a few plays in his time. You don't just go to a show wearing ratty old blue jeans and a polo shirt. New York City was the home of Broadway where some of the best shows were. That was not why Ros was dressed all fancy today. He was officially seventeen. Julian had invited him to have "lunch" in celebration. That much he was fine with, but the restaurant was pretty fancy. Much fancier than anything he had been to in Syracuse. Not only did he have to wear a tie, he also had to wear a jacket with it. This was the sort of life that Julian was more familiar with. Unbuttoning the sleeves made him feel a little bit more comfortable in his own skin. The host was looking at him in minor judgement. He was a teen here, lacking the air of a business man, and clearly not with anybody. In the hosts eyes, Ros realized, he must look like he was either up to no good, a real dine and dash situation, or was trying to act like he was a hotshot. A hotshot that ultimately would take one glance at the menu and order the least expensive thing and leave no tip. In summary Ros was dressed like he belonged here, but it was obvious that he wasn't the normal clientele. "I uh.. am meeting someone here," Ros said in explanation. He was late getting there, Ros knew that. Unlike Julian Ros didn't have an internship to get him out of afternoon classes. Additionally Ros couldn't drive by himself yet, very soon though, so getting a ride into the city was a bigger delay. Ros had texted Julian letting him know he was going to be a few minutes late. In the end it took him ten minutes more than the agreed upon time. It struck Ros that he wasn't sure who the reservation would be under. Julian, or himself? Or maybe even Ms. Frost. |
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| Julian Keller | Jun 29 2016, 03:42 PM Post #2 |
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Advanced Telekinesis
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Chef’s Table at Salem Fare was exclusive, but not impossible to get into. It helped that he made the reservation from his Frost International account. It was definitely not the kind of place you could go to every day, by any means. For all the horrible things his parents were, one of the only fond memories he had of them were when they would take him and his brother James to fancy restaurants. Even toward the end when he was literally locked in his room under house arrest, they still took him out to summer clubs and bistros. Julian had tried a few times to take Fia out to some fine dining, but it was not really her scene it turned out. She was much more of a picnic kind of girl. Just sitting here in his black suit and tie while he waited for Ros to arrive, resurrected all kinds of memories. He sipped some water as he looked over his phone. What was keeping Ros? Julian looked at the wrapped gift sitting next to him on the table, and thought about the possible follow up gift the Hostess was holding for him behind the desk. Of course when it came time to shop for Ros, his mind went right to a book, but what do you get a book worm, honestly? You have no idea what he has and has not already read, and what he would really like. Ultimately, he had to abandon the book idea. Still, he hoped he found something Ros will like just as much. Just as he was starting to wonder, the hostess led Ros over to the table. Immediately, there was a maître d joining them, to pull Ros’s chair out for him, and to drape a cloth napkin down into the younger teen’s lap, once seated. Julian watched with a smile, and wondered how much of this was a new experience for his friend. “Hi. Happy Birthday Ros.” Julian said with an amused smile. “Just so you know, there are no menus at this restaurant. The options changed daily depending on what the ingredients are in season, and what the Chef can get fresh.” Then Julian’s eyes shifted to the one, leather bound booklet on the table. “That’s just the wine list.” There were also no appetizers for the lunchtime, but no need to tell Ros that. And dinner was a 26 course tasting menu only. That might need to be an experience for another time. The maître d introduced himself as Atherton, and he waved over another finely dressed waiter that had a tray of white, rolled towels, from which steam was lightly wafting. Using a pair of silver tongs, he waiter placed a rolled towel before each of the boys. Immediately, Julian took his towel, and began wiping his hands. The damp heat felt nice on his hand. He motioned for Ros to do the same. As they cleaned their hands, Atherton announced to them the two lunch meal options, in a slight French accent. “Today, the Chef has prepared a Cervena venison with chestnut, farro, gruyere, and cabbage in a black truffle sauce. The venison is very tender. No wine is recommended for you. Also there is my personal favorite and the Chef’s recommendation is the Langoustines shellfish with a sauvignon butter sauce and fresh lemon, spring herb mixed arugula with a balsamic vinaigrette, roasted asparagus. The shellfish is very fresh. Again, there is no wine recommendation for you.” And then the man stared at Ros, expectantly. Julian just smiled from across the table, as he placed his warm towel down on the plate, like a discarded napkin. |
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| Pyrrhic | Jul 1 2016, 02:24 AM Post #3 |
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"Thanks, you too," Ros said, then paused in confusion over what he said. It was like when you go to the movie theatre and the ticket person says to enjoy the show, and you tell them to enjoy it as well. They were not about to spend an hour plus in total darkness eating popcorn and trying to suspend their disbelief. Today wasn't the day that Julian had made his arrival on this planet, or successfully managed to go around the sun one more year without dying. He wasn't the one who earlier in the day had walked around for hours with a trail of bows on his back like dinosaur spines unaware. Ros's roommate was very stealthy, and when caught up in a book Ros was very oblivious. This was Ros's birthday alone. Well there was probably someone else who's birthday was today as well, there definitely had to be. Not Julian though. After being introduced to their maître d, a man who's name Ros couldn't figure out how to wrap his tongue around. Thankfully he was not likely to have to call for them. Warm towels were brought out for them to wash (?) their hands on. If it was an issue of cleanliness there was probably a bathroom in here that they could have used. It was just one of the more peculiar parts of fine dining that Ros wondered about. Personally Ros felt that the warm towel was less than refreshing. To him it was like trying to dry his hands off on a sweaty gym towel. Did anyone really think that it felt good? Without a menu in front of him Ros had to rely upon Atherton's descriptions of the specialties. Only problem was that he listed it all as if any of it really made any sense to a first time visitor. Venison Ros knew, and he knew what some shellfish tasted like. It was all of the other parts of the two meals in between that Ros couldn't comprehend. The individual parts made sense. Cabbage, arugala, asparagus, chestnuts, those were all things that he had encountered. The different combinations of flavors though he didn't know. Of all the books that Ros tackled with ferocity, cookbooks weren't one o them. Reading a set of instructions didn't do anything for him. What Ros needed to know to cook he had been taught, not read about. "I'll have the shellfish I suppose." The thing that Ros had latched on to was the repeated line of "No wine is recommended for you". Of course it made sense that neither one would be offered wine. They were both under age after all. Yet knowing that they were both underage the wine menu had been left on the table. With great effort Ros managed to keep his laughter contained while Julian placed his order and they were left alone. "No wine recommendation for you" he said to himself, doing his best impression of the soup nazi from Seinfeld. Then like he got struck with lightning Ros sat up more alert. It was his birthday yes, but that didn't mean he was only going to be accepting gifts. It was his personal opinion that a birthday is best spent when it is given away. Reaching into his jacket he felt about in the inner pocket until he came up with something for Julian. It wasn't wrapped or anything, the tissue paper that it had been in had gotten special treatment from Blue. So there was no surprise of what he had for his friend. It was a parachute chord bracelet, black and shades of gray, with a little compass on it. "Told my mom that you had gone on a long field trip and she got this for me to make for you. She's not into this kind of thing. Tadah. A survival bracelet." |
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| Julian Keller | Jul 8 2016, 08:03 PM Post #4 |
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Advanced Telekinesis
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Julian had to stifle a laugh as well. It was clear from his expression that Ros was not quite sure what he was ordering. Maybe he should have prepared his friend a bit more, for such a place. Still, Ros did a pretty good job for his first time, and Atherton didn’t treat the younger man any differently. “And I will have the venison, thank you.” Julian said. Making a small bow, Atherton turned and hastily, but not hurriedly walked away. “Well, looks like we will be drinking water.” Julian said, jokingly. He knew that the waiting staff was used to making wine paring recommendations with the food, but they should maybe come up with other beverage options. “Langoustines Shellfish are like smaller lobsters. It’s Mediterranean.” He explained to the other immortal what it was he had just ordered. This was kind of fun, meeting for lunch. He gets to introduce someone to the kind of world he came from; which while it has its pitfalls and dark sides, can be quite magical at times. Ros produced something from his pocket, and passed it across the table. “Ros, this is your birthday. You aren’t supposed to give other people gifts.” Julian said with a smile. He took the bracelet into his hands, and looked at it. The little needle in the compass bobbled a bit, as it waved northward. It was actually pretty nice, as he listened to the explanation. “You made this?” The older teen immediately put it around his left wrist, and clicked the little plastic buckle shut. “Is this supposed to be my moral compass?” Julian asked with a laugh. “Thank you Ros.” It was a genuine thank you. The gray clashed with his suit a bit, but he didn’t even care. It was fun and very Ros-like. Recent events have taught Julian who his friends were, and how important they were. “Well, since we are doing gifts now, I got you this.” And with that, the other immortal pushed the wrapped gift across the table to the birthday boy. Inside the rectangular box was something that probably required a lot more explanation. Actually, the box had directions and information, but Julian was a little too excited not to tell Ros about it. “It’s a presonal planetarium.” He said, as Ros held the strange black visor in his hands. “You stick you smart phone into the top of it, there. Then when you look at the sky at night, it actually highlights the constellations and tells you other information about the stars. It will show you close up pictures of the planets you will see. It’s pretty incredible. I think I heard you were into stargazing.” Julian cleared his throat as he looked past Ros. The hostess was watching and waiting with the other gift. Young Master Keller waved her over, and the woman came over and placed the smaller, wrapped package on the table. She also gave a small bow, and then returned to her post. “And, I wasn’t sure if you had a smart phone or not, so I went ahead and got you one. Top of the line.” A simple look let Ros know that is what was inside the newly arrived gift. “Hope you like it.” |
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| Pyrrhic | Jul 29 2016, 05:44 AM Post #5 |
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"I understand that they have to keep up a certain image here, but is it that hard to offer fruit juice?" Ros asked, but he wasn't terribly annoyed by it. He had gone to a school where frequently the topic of conversation among students was how drunk or how high they had gotten. One of the guys in his precalc class had spent an entire class once talking to his friend about Oktoberfest in September. An entire debate broke out about how it couldn't have been Oktoberfest because the month was September, and October was in the things name. Alcohol was about as tempting to Ros as smashing his head against the wall repeatedly and was probably just as effective for the end result, but a whole lot cheaper. "Imagine the possibilities. A lime and coconut blend to have with shrimp, pomegranate juice with stuffed grape leaves. I dunno, I'm not a good cook." There were some basic dishes that Ros could make and he made them very well. Granted a few of them were things really only a part of the Syracuse culture, but salt potatoes could be done wrong no mater how simple the process might seem. In the Sampson household it was Gary who took risks with cooking. He would glance at a recipe in a cookbook at work, but lacked Ros's ability to remember what he read with great acuracy. At times it paid off wonderfully, creating a new and delicious recipe. At other times they ended up going for pizza because what was made was far from edible. Julian understandably objected to getting a gift from Ros. He argued that it was Ros's birthday and that he shouldn't be giving away presents, that it wasn't the way that birthdays worked. Ros did not agree at all with that philosophy. "Bringing in cupcakes for your class, grab bags that get sent home with the party guests at the end of the day. We're brought up believing that you should give someone small token of appreciation on your birthday. I know we aren't little kids anymore, but some things shouldn't be forgotten. Besides, my birthday, I get what I want, and I say hobbit rules apply." Hobbit rules were that you had to have plenty of food and give a gift to the people you celebrated your birthday with. Ros liked giving presents. He didn't have a huge family so he was able to spoil his friends. Giving gifts was something that Ros equated with family. Loved ones gave you gifts, you gave loved ones gifts, and a family was comprised of loved ones. Besides which it wasn't like he had spent a ton of money on the survival bracelet or anything. "I thought you had Ethan and Fia for your moral compass and map. This is just a normal compass so you don't get lost. And the bracelet part is made with parachute chord and's pretty long. If you untie the knots you have some chord you can use in a survival situation." Ros studied the visor that he had been given. The box said what it was, but Julian blurted it out in his excitement before Ros really got a chance to study it. A personal planetarium? Ros opened up the box, expecting to see some sort of light projector thing. Instead it was a visor with a spot for something to slide in. Julian explained how the visor worked, and that it along with his smart phone was like his own tour guide to the night sky. It was single handly the coolest thing that he had ever heard of. Whoever mentioned that Ros liked stargazing to Julian had done well to do so. The gifts continued as the hostess who had been studying him so critically brought over another box. This one had a new smartphone. Nothing was wrong with the one Ros currently had. It made calls just fine, could text, even the screen was in one piece. The only problem was that when Ms. Moonstar had set his background photo to Ros shoving a messy burger into his mouth with the text "Ready for Loving" on it she hadn't realized Ros would have no idea how to get rid of the humiliating picture "Wanted to be an astronaut when I was little. Dude, thank you. This is just... This is too much man. Thank you." |
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| Julian Keller | Aug 1 2016, 06:21 PM Post #6 |
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Advanced Telekinesis
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” I thought you had Ethan and Fia for your moral compass and map.” It was pretty apparent to most people at the school who were around when Julian first got there, that he has changed a lot since. It was also apparent that Fia and Ethan had a lot to do with the more positive changes. Ethan usually let Julian know when he was out of line before he met Sofia. Fia not only kept him in line, but she gave Julian a reason to try and be a better person; someone worthy to have her as a girlfriend. It was safe to say that without them, Julian would have never gotten to be friends with Ros. He could specifically remember a few times when Fia had to force Julian to be nice to the younger man. Without her, If anything, his early bullying of Ros would have only gotten worse. He would have been no better than the Maxwell brothers. It was pretty hard to imagine that now. Some might say that with this kinder, gentler Julian, the teen boy has lost some of his edge. At least Ros seemed to like the gift. Julian was slightly relieved. The former rich boy never had to shop for someone else in his life. Anytime a gift was required, his father’s personal assistant did the work for him. The woman was good at her job, finding a great gift and having it wrapped and delivered and ready to go. All Julian ever had to do was be there to receive the credit and admiration for the extravagant gifts. Even for holidays such as Christmas, and even for people as close as his parents, it was all done for him. Giving was much more stressful when you actually picked out the gift. How did normal people do it over and over again? Shopping for Fia had been easy because he knew her so well, and just wanted to shower her with stuff. “What? ’Too much’? Me? Never!” Julian joked. “You deserve it for putting up with me, but I am really glad you like it.” The Dreadnought seemed like such a long time ago now. So much has happened for Julian since then, but he will never forget how he and Ros had worked as a team, relied on each other. He would always remember how the bookworm had his back when singled out by the Maxwells. The two immortals have talked about it all thoroughly. They reviewed their performance in the simulation and their relationship both before and after the legendary program. They have said their apologies and confirmed their friendship. They have even discussed their near futures, a little. Their paths may part at times in the coming years, but their friendship would last. Just then, a waiter came over and moved the discarded wrapping paper, and also removed the wine glasses from the table setting, which caused a slight laugh from Julian. They were really driving home this no wine thing. Another waiter came by with a small tray. He took Ros’s water glass that remained on the table. Opening a silver bucket, the man took small silver tongs, and pulled out a single, large ice cube that was frozen into the shape of an icosagon. The man then poured some crystal water over the chunk of ice, and placed it back in front of Ros. He did the same for Julian’s glass, before moving on. “Yep, water.” Julian laughed as he took the glass in his hand, and sipped a bit. The glass had already begun to frost a bit. “I have the rest of the evening free. Anything you wanna do after our late lunch?” Julian asked. It was Ros’s birthday, so he could decide. Anything he wanted to do, Julian was down for. The city was their oyster. |
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| Pyrrhic | Aug 4 2016, 02:56 AM Post #7 |
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Ros had never been wine tasting. It was impossible to think of a situation in which he would be doing that. Maybe if someone had kidnapped him, or taken him hostage and forced him into sampling their country's finest wines. We will release our captive when you have given us a cheese that pairs well with our syrah!The boy read a lot though, and he watched plenty of television and movies. He'd seen and read a little bit about the process. This wine joke was not about to die, and given that the waiter had just treated a simple glass of water with the same sort of ceremony that a glass of fine wine would get, this joke was about to get worse. Ros kept a straight face as he nodded his appreciation for his drink. Once the waiter was clear of the table he held his glass of cold water up. First he looked straight down into it, then from the side. He even gave it a gentle swirl. "Poor legs on it, but the color is ideal." Another swirl and a few light sniffs. Ros was following the basic steps for tasting wine, making up a commentary on it as he went along. All of the checkmarks for a good wine would be hard to find in a glass of water. After all watery wine was bad. Even someone who had no interest in drinking knew that. "A crisp smell. Refreshing." He took the tiniest of sips and put on an expression of serious concentration and profound thought. "Subtle taste. I believe that this is a New York twenty fifteen, no wait. Twenty sixteen. A good year." The temptation was very strong to fiddle with his presents from Julian. The personal planetarium would have to wait until night of course. Right now if he were to use it all he would be able to get information about the sun, which he probably shouldn't be looking directly at with the visor anyways, and the moon. The phone had more possibilities at this present moment. As a device to make calls he probably would have to first get it on his cell phone plan. Thankfully the Syracusan had a contract with one of those "bring your own phone" companies. He could still mess around with it, try to set a background image that would be less humiliating. But it would be incredibly rude, even if they were at say, McDonald's. In a restaurant where they didn't even offer juice as a replacement for wine it would have been downright criminal. These days it seemed as if Julian never had a spare moment of time. His internship kept him busy in the city when he wasn't at school. Then he had social obligations with Fia and Ethan. There was also Ahura to spend time with. The little kid was like a brother to Julian. It didn't help matters that Ros had been trying to discretely get a little more space between him and his older friends. They were all hooking up with each other, and he wasn't willing to play the fifth wheel in the last few months before summer would probably separate the older students from himself. No matter how much work Ros put in he felt like he was falling behind, even with a year on Julian, Fia, and Ethan. He was hitting a wall with Mr. Rasputin training wise, but his new mentor wasn't ready for him yet and vice versa. Hearing that he got to have the rest of the day with a friend as close as Julian was probably better than the planetarium. "I'd say we could crash a bar but my buddy in Syracuse didn't send me my fake id in time," Ros started joking, "And as we have just seen I can't even get a glass of wine at a high class restaurant to go with my meal. Given that it's Hobbit rules, I'd say someplace with music and dancing sounds like a good waste of time. And maybe hit up my favorite book store because why wouldn't I?" |
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| Julian Keller | Aug 8 2016, 07:04 PM Post #8 |
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Advanced Telekinesis
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Julian couldn't help but let out a small laugh at Ros treating the water as a wine tasting, in spite of the fact that he was really trying not to laugh. It was not really something men did in a restaurant like this, but Ros was Ros and it really was funny. Finally Julian joined him in his high level water tasting, with the swirling and the sniffing. After a small sip that he held on his tongue for a bit before swallowing, Julian creased his brow. "I am picking up hits of glacier, a bit of a mineral finish. This seems like a late season run off to me, more of a dessert water really." Hellion put down his water glass suddenly and very unsuccessfully tried to stifle his laugh, right as Atherton the maître d returned. The french man cleared his throat. "Very amusing." he said, as if it were not amusing at all. Somehow Julian managed to keep from bursting out and laughing even more loudly. Instead, he just gave a large grin to Ros, across the table, and a slight eye roll. Behind Atherton were two other waiters, both in front of and behind a silver cart that clearly held two covered plates, and a few other things. Stopping, the two waiters each took a covered plate, and placed them on the table, one before each of the immortals. "Your meal is served." Atherton said, and on queue, the two other men lifted the covers from the plates to a small waft of steam and smells of the cooked food. The portions were probably not what Ros would be used to. As was the grand tradition with truly fine dining it was about a journey of senses, of tastes and sights and smells, more than a satisfied belly. Julian's plate consisted of a four medallion slices of pink meat under a brown sauce and a small pile of leafy greens tossed with some kind of dressing, that could be considered a salad. Ros's plate held a modest sized red shellfish creature, head and all, with it's tale already sliced open with white meat rising. It had a butter cream sauce over it. Aside from that was a small pile of different greens, and 3 stalks of asparagus. Additional utensils were placed beside Ros's plate, specially designed for dealing with retrieving the meat from shellfish and other seafood. A steak knife was set next to Julian. Into the center of the table was placed a linen lined basket with a small loaf of a deep brown bread, that was also wafting with heat, it was clearly fresh baked. Next to that was placed a small plate of pads of butter, formed into the shapes of seashells. Finally, the waiters had completed their work. Will small bows, they returned to their cart, and headed back to the kitchen. Lastly, Atherton gave a small bow. "I shall send someone to refill your (ahem) water. If there is nothing else.." and with that, the man left. Julian just smiled. It was actually pretty funny how annoyed people could get, the fancier a place was. He had dealt with this society enough to know there was nothing the restaurant could really do about it. The "Keller" name and the Frost International account was like a golden pass. He could jump up on the table right now and do an Irish jig, the most the waiters would do is politely ask him to get down. The teen cut off a small piece of the meat, and placed it delicately into his mouth. It really was delicious and perfection. That is what they were paying the money for. That was why this was an experience rather than just a lunch, and why they put up with things like only water to drink. "Music and dancing, eh?" He said as he cut a slice of the brown bread, and drank some water. "That can be arranged. There is that club, "The Haven", it's for teens. Bookstore too, I am down. Maybe ice cream later, there is a place I want to try." |
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| Pyrrhic | Aug 26 2016, 04:57 AM Post #9 |
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The whole water as if it were wine joke was not the most classy thing one could do in a resturant as classy as this one, but it had been fun and wasn't insulting anyone. Julian even joined in with the joke, adding to it a level of paraody that Ros wasn't able to pull off. Julian had probably actually tasted wine before. He probably could even say what kind of wine it was in a blind taste test. Ros laughed, enjoying finding the humor in their situation. When Atherton returned he was far less than impressed with the joke. The dull tone in his voice expressed just how unamused he was by the joke that they had been making. THis meal was just a string of awkward situations, from the judgement when he walked in the door, to the wishing Julian a happy birthday, and now this. Julian was snorting back a laugh and Ros just burst into an even larger grin at the matre d. "Thank you," he said, in reference to the food, not the comment on the joke. When he looked down at their plates Ros couldn't help but feel just a little disappointed. When the choices had been described it had sounded like there would be an actual meal, not just a sample. Three stalks of asparagus? Really? That was enough that it counted as a noteworthy aspect of the meal? No wonder why you saw celebrities thin as a pole. They all ate at places like this and never got enough to eat. Poor Julian had barely enough on his plate to wet someone's appetite. At least Ros's oversized shrimp, (undersized lobster?) was something substantial, ish. Substantialish. It smelled pretty good, not overly fishy and that was a good thing. Ros studied the small amount of food he had been provided to decide what to start with. The asparagus would be saved for a minute, it was what he had chosen the entire meal upon. Using the tiny fork Ros broke things up a little bit. "I don't know, I'm not really the club kinda guy. Plus would Fia be alright with me dragging her boyfriend someplace where girls are going to be hitting on him?" Ros asked. He gave the shellfish a small taste and chewed it in silent contemplation. Not something that he would be eating every day, it was incredibly rich, but for celebrating his birthday it was an alright choice. Ros could tell that it was good, but he would have problem describing it in a way to do it justice. His taste pallet might just be underdeveloped. The fanciest restaurant that he knew of in Syracuse was Steak and Sundae, but even their food was rather bland tasting in comparison to this. "Eh, what the hell. It's my birthday. I'm not dancing in this though." It was fine to dress nicely for an event or a meal in a fancy resturant, but this was a brand new outfit and clubs were a place where things could get messy. If there was a large crowd of people dancing sweat would be flowing. Of course this club that Julian proposed might have a dress code, but Ros thought that if it let in teens it couldn't be that strict. "And we go to my kind of shop. You'd just take me where I can get this exact outfit in a different color. I've got gifts to buy still." |
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| Julian Keller | Sep 19 2016, 03:37 PM Post #10 |
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Advanced Telekinesis
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Julian was glad that Ros at least seemed happy with how the food tasted. No need for the birthday boy to know exactly how much those few bites of shellfish was actually going to cost. At the very least, this would be a new experience for him. A small taste of high society. Julian was actually a little surprised at how much of this he had missed this. His life had changed so much. Once, this was the world he was headed for. A world of wine and etiquette and counter moves. Hidden intentions and shadow deals. The teen was sure that the men in the corner booths were conducting high business deals. For the two boy, this was just a fun break in normal dining experiences. In reality the fine decor, overly ritualized meal customs, even freaking Atherton, it was all just to provide a proper battle setting for the business dealings of the super wealthy. Sure enough, as Julian looked around he could spot at least 5 deceptively calm, tense negotiations between men in tailored suits. Even the beautiful women who were sitting with them, were no more than a power maneuver to intimidate the other guy. It ruined the magic a little, so this is another thing he would not be telling Ros. Julian looked at his wine glass full of water. That is his life now. His mother had insisted he and James learn wine tasting. It was a skill that can be used in such situations as the ones going on just a few yards from where they now sat. It was so important to her that her son's know these things. A private tutor was brought to the manner to train them. It all seemed so pointless in his life now. Knowing a red from a burgundy was not exactly going to come in handy in a battle against Magneto. Julian Keller was just a finely crafted, Waterford Crystal wine flute that is full of plane water. Enough of that. Julian broke his revelry. Today was about his friends birthday. He turned his attention back to Ros, as the boy jabbed at the small lobster with a tiny fork. "Your kind of shop? What does that mean exactly?" Generally, normal kids would hit the mall for club clothes, with it's imaginatively unimaginative chain brands. Either that or, heaven forbid, Wal-mart. However, Julian knew better than to think of Ros as what would be described as a "normal kid". But Ros always seemed to be dressed well enough, so Julian wasn't too worried about it. He could handle anything Ros picked for one evening. "More gifts? Ros, bringing a box of donuts to your class on your birthday does not equate to full on gift giving when you are older." But it was only a half-hearted attempt to convince the other Immortal. He knew better than to waste his breath when Ros had decided to do something. "Whatever. It is your birthday, so I'll humor you." As one might imagine, the tiny meals did not take long to eat. Before much time had past, they boys were finished. Like finely tuned clockwork, the dining staff under direction of Atherton, cleared away the plates, and used tiny little card looking devices to rake away any crumbs left on the table. The quickly placed down a smaller white plate in front of each of them. Upon the plate was a very good looking dessert. "As requested, Mousse au chocolat. Enjoy." Atherton said with a smile and a slight bow, before scurrying off again. "I..uh, knew they didn't have cake. This was their only dessert option. They don't really do candles or singing or anything at a place like this, and I knew you probably wouldn't have enjoyed the public attention anyway, so... chocolate mousse. It's their specialty. The garnish that looks like little orange tomatoes with dry leaves are actually gooseberries. You can eat them too, they aren't actually half bad." It was rather funny that this dessert was in a larger portion than their entire meal had been. "So from here, your clothes store choice, and then to the club?" Julian asked, as he carved a bit of the chocolate dessert onto a silver spoon, and placed it on his tongue. It melted so delicately, and was by far the most delicious thing he had had this late afternoon. |
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| Pyrrhic | Sep 22 2016, 04:29 AM Post #11 |
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There was no doubt in Ros's mind that Julian would flat out refuse to go where he wanted if he just flat out said it. Ros would have been perfectly content with the two of the going to McDonald's for his birthday meal, the chocolate syrup ice cream being enough of a dessert for the teen. Even if he had a smart phone, spending money was not something that came easily for the younger immortal. The contents of his closet were comprised mostly of second hand items that he had either had for years or he had bought under protest. Clothes shopping was a tedious and painful experience for Ros, and even just going to Walmart felt like a waste of money for something that would inevitably end up growing too small or getting stained. It boggled his mind how anyone could hold an article of clothing, shoes included, to such high standards that they would waste extra money on them. Thrift stores had been Ros's choice for clothes shopping for years. There was something about a thrift store that made it such a unique shopping experience. Sure he could accomplish the same goals of getting clothes and random, inexpensive presents to give to his friends at a big name store. Target might be more close to Julian's idea of an acceptable shop, but the store that blasted the color red everywhere felt fake when compared to a thrift store, at least to Ros. You knew exactly what kind of person was going to be getting their clothes from Target. The people who had a little extra money to spare, wanted to look like they stepped out of a catalogue, but weren't wealthy enough to waste forty five dollars on a pair of shorts for a two year old. Thrift stores had a level of mystery to them, they made you wonder about the people walking around the store with you, and the people who had donated the things you were going to buy. How many nights did that teddy bear stand guard against nightmares, what did the room that couch was in look like, and who would be walking down the aisle in the vintage wedding dress hanging on the rack there? These were things that were once loved by someone, things that maybe they had given up because circumstances in their life had changed what they could hold on to, and in the case of something like a teddy bear, things that had been given up in hopes that someone else would love them just as much. "Sunday Morning Breakfast Mission," Ros said. It was a lesser known thrift store, but didn't have the same grittiness to everything that seemed to be the case for Goodwill. Not unlike the smoother texture of this oversized shrimp, (undersized lobster?) that Ros was enjoying. Up until today his experiences with seafood was limited to mostly haddock, and imitation crab and lobster. This was perfection in a shellfish form. Not something that Ros was going to seek out on a daily basis, he'd gain a couple of inches on his waistline if that was the case, but something he would gladly accept for a rare occasion. Like having a birthday with a good friend. Julian was looking about the restaurant, taking in something but trying not to let Ros catch on to it. Call it paranoia, but Ros did glance about. They were by far the youngest in there, but only he didn't look like he belonged. With the exception of Julian, everyone else was what Ros's mental image of a business man looked like. This wasn't his world. Even if he were to take up the mantle of shop owner from his father, Ros would never be a part of this world. It required a certain level of ruthlessness that he didn't feel he could obtain. Could he have been a part of this world if his life had started differently? Normally the concept of his birthparents was so far removed from Ros's mind that he couldn't start to conjure up the idea he had come from someone. On occasion though, especially his birthday, there was that little question of "what if". What if he hadn't been put up for adoption right away, what if he had stayed as J Marsh? Would he have grown up to be the kind of guy who ate like this on a regular basis, and wouldn't dream of cracking jokes about water tasting? "Probably not," he mumbled to himself. Regardless of if he had been raised by his birthparents or was still in the system, Ros wouldn't be the high society sort. Only two great names ever seemed to have come from Syracuse. One was a basketball player who got signed to one of the less talented NBA teams. The other was a celebrity so conceited and annoying that his origins were ignored by Syracuse. Seemed like everyone tried to deny the existence of Tom Cruise. "I'm not a part of a big family Jules, I don't get to give gifts much, and when I do, it's maybe four max," Ros insisted. He was not going to be swayed from giving his friends little trinkets of appreciation. He was happy to know them, and wanted to share the joy of his birthday with them. "Like I said, hobbit rules apply. And they weren't donuts. It was a couple of pretzels." Dessert was brought out, chocolate mousse, and laid down in front of them. Julian felt compelled to explain it to Ros, who had had mousse before. The guy was a bookworm and it was one of the treats in a Barnes and Noble café. Not nearly as fancy looking as this was. He took a small bite of it, eyes growing large as the treat melted away in his mouth. "I'm pretty sure that this has crack in it. It should not be this good if it doesn't." |
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| Julian Keller | Sep 23 2016, 05:20 PM Post #12 |
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Advanced Telekinesis
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"Sunday Morning Breakfast Mission." Julian just blinked. What was Ros even talking about? There was no follow up explanation to clarify. Did he want to do breakfast on Sunday morning? That seemed to be it. Funny to call it a "mission" though. "Breakfast on Sunday?" The older boy looked at the schedule on his phone calendar. "Yeah, I should be able to do that. Or, oh! We could do brunch at the Marriott. I haven't done sunday brunch in a long time. We could invite Fia." Ros did, however, explain his compulsive need to buy gifts for others. The telekinetic still did not agree or fully understand, but that was okay. He didn't have to. Ros was his friend and it was his birthday, so he was going to just let Ros be Ros. The younger man has been getting a look into Julian's world, here with this restaurant. Maybe it could be fun looking into Ros's world, with this clothing store idea. "Well, there is no crack in it, but it cost enough that there probably should be." He smiled, as he took a bite. It was the fine, rich taste of the life he had to leave behind. He savored each bite, letting it roll around in his mouth before swallowing. He was glad that Ros enjoyed it so much. Finally the little, black leather folder came out, and was placed in front of Julian. He did stop to wonder how they knew the check should come to him, and not Ros. For Julian, it just seemed natural but how would they know? It was customary to place the check in the center of the table, so that either party could reach for it. It was a slight lack of respect to Ros, that Julian hoped the younger boy did not know enough to recognize. It was also normal to let the check stay where they set it till you were ready to leave. Putting his card in now would be a signal to the staff that they were ready to leave. For now, the Immortals were enjoying their desserts. "So, you going to be asking girls to dance with you at this club? I mean, we are friends and everything, but I am not going to dance with you." Young Master Keller could only smile incredulously at the thought of him and Ros dancing together. Following the Dreadnought there was already enough rumor going around the campus as to the nature of their relationship. In fact, it was probably only Julian's relationship with and obvious love for Fia that kept the rumors from going very far. Jason Maxwell still tried to spark the rumors back up now and then, but nobody was really paying attention anymore. Teenage gossip has a high turn around rate. Julian picked up one of the gooseberries by the dry leaves, and bit it off. It was a mild sweet that offset the mousse perfectly. "Don't worry. I will help you find a dance partner. I am an excellent wing man." he said this last bit with a mischievous smile and a wink." |
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| Pyrrhic | Sep 26 2016, 07:20 PM Post #13 |
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"First of all, it's the name of the store, not a suggestion of what we should do," Ros said with a smile, "Secondly I've got to train. A lot. I'm not free Sunday or any other day next week. Thirdly, I'm honored that you'd offer brunch, but I don't like being a third wheel. Don't tell me you wouldn't be calling each other lovey names, or kissing, or holding hands. Take Fia to brunch if you want though, like I said, I've got plans." Part of the reason why Ros had to ramble was because he knew that he would get interrupted otherwise. Julian probably would have said that Ros wouldn't be a third wheel in this hypothetical brunch. Fia and Julian were obviously in love. If most high school romances ended with broken hearts or straying away, Julian and Fia would be the one couple that actually stuck. Didn't say much for everyone else's chances though. And Ros really did have plans. What he didn't tell Julian was that this was his one cheat day, the only day he wasn't going to allow himself to go train. Each day the teen was pushing himself harder than the day before. It he didn't train he felt like he was wasting his time, and when he did train it wore him out so much he crashed hard at night. The year's end was coming up and Ros was determined to see improvement in himself, more than just better aim and better endurance. With no mentor's powers matching up properly with his own it was hard to tell just how far he had come. It was all guess work and looking at what he had done already. "We should probably stop saying 'crack'," contemplated Ros as he enjoyed yet another bite of the chocolate mousse. The stuff was seriously more delicious than should be legally allowed. Health code violations could close a restaurant down if the food was bad, in the spoiled way. What happened when the food was good? Extra stars probably but other than that nothing? It just didn't seem right. "Or we should say it really loudly and make everyone else feel awkward." "Of course I'm going to dance with girls, if they want to dance with me," Ros said. He was aware of the attempted rumor that had been said about him. Just because he was the only one in the summer gang that wasn't going girl crazy didn't mean he wasn't interested in the idea of a girlfriend. There were just more important things to do right now. "I like dancing. I mean I'm not good at it or anything, and the whole grinding against someone thing is not only disrespectful but also disgusting, but I like to actually dance." |
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| Julian Keller | Oct 6 2016, 02:20 PM Post #14 |
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Advanced Telekinesis
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What kind of name was that for a clothing store? Perhaps it would not be so bad. With a name like that, it was bound to be eccentric. At the very least, there had to be something Julian would not be ashamed to wear to a club. Of course, right now the only thing Julian cared about was finishing this amazing dessert. "Oh don't worry. I will make sure there are girls that want to dance with you. Like I said, I am your wing man. Plus, who doesn't want to dance with a birthday boy." The truth was, Julian had no idea about Ros's dancing ability. It was not really something that came up in conversation, and not really pertinent in a Danger Room session. Julian himself had been trained. Just like with the wine tasting, his mother saw a basic knowledge of social dancing as an advantageous tool in high society. For two whole years in his tween years, he and James had Madam Cole's Dance Academy, right after school. They danced with all kinds of partners and to everyone's surprise, most of all Julian's, he was actually really good at it. It was also when the younger Keller began to realize the effect he had on girls, and the attention they would give him. He grabbed the check, and opened the black case, only briefly glancing at the total. Nearly ninety dollars a plate for each of their meals. In spite of there being more of the dessert, it was not as expensive. In all, Julian would be paying over two hundred. Of course he would not tell that to Ros. The teen Telekinetic knew exactly what to expect in this place. He tossed his credit card into the envelope, and one of Atherton's little henchmen took it immediately and scurried away. They were like cockroaches. They finished their desserts and it was out to Julian's car. He drove exactly where Ros told him to, through the streets of downtown to some outlaying edge of the city. It was not a long trip. They only hit the early beginnings of rush hour. Once they arrived, he texted Fia to let her know what the plans were. Good thing he did that before he got out of the car and looked at the store that Ros had taken him to. The older boy just stood outside the squat little building with his mouth open. "Ros.. where the hell have you taken me? Is this... is this a thrift store?" The look on his face could not have betrayed more disgust. He had heard of thrift stores before. All the clothes in this place were previously owned and worn by other people. They were someone else's clothes. They were worn. "This is your kind of store?" Julian gulped he was reasonably sure audibly so. He was going to have to do this. Once Ros had an idea in his head, he didn't normally let it go, and he was the birthday boy. Julian was going to have to shop in there, and wear some second hand, hole ridden, skin cell infested clothes, probably haunted by their previous owners. "Are you.... are you sure about this, I mean I can afford place with, you know, new clothes." It was a half-hearted attempt to convince his friend, because at least part of him knew it was a waste of breath. Ros was already up to the door. Julian was more hesitant. |
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| Pyrrhic | Oct 12 2016, 03:32 AM Post #15 |
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"Isn't the wingman suppose to be the less attractive, less charasmatic one?" Ros asked. He had gotten some attention from the ladies after destroying the previous record for the Dreadnought, but overall he wasn't the one of the summer group that got called handsome. If one were to put Julian, Ethan, and Ros in a male beauty pagent Julian would get first place, Ethan second, and Ros wouldn't have even gotten onto the stage. He was more along the lines of adorable than sexy. Like a puppy or Ahura. It was fine for acting as a wingman, or striking up a conversation about trivial things, but it didn't really draw in the opposite gender. The charisma thing was certainly Julian's bag as well. Ros didn't have any lines that he used to charm people, didn't have the natural air of overwhelming self confidence, or capabilities of talking in front of a crowd that Julian did. At least not when there was no danger. "I mean it would be nice and all, but I'm not going to be up on stage rapping or anything." That actually made him laugh. Forget about stage fright being a factor, Ros could not rap. He simply didn't have the sort of hardness in him to make anyone take him seriously as a rapper. It would be like watching the newest Disney Channel tv star start rapping about the thug life in the middle of a Christmas special about the perfect evergreen pine. Comical and slightly uncomfortable for everyone involved. He knew a few rap songs, and might from time to time sing them to himself if nobody else was around, but it was a guarantee that he would end up laughing at himself before he reached the end. When Julian opened up the little black folder and slipped in his credit card it didn't go unnoticed by the birthday boy. He quickly averted his gaze. Ros never could quite get use to being spoiled. Giving his friends a present on his birthday. If everyone got to share in the joy by recieving something themselves, he felt less awkward. The total at the bottom of the bill wasn't visable from this angle, not that Ros tried to see it, but when a credit card gets busted out at a resturant that doesn't even list their prices, you know it's high. This was Julian's world, Ros was just briefly passing through it until they could get back to his. And when they got there Julian hated it. Instantly, before they even stepped into the door, before they even got to the door really, he started protesting. Yes it was a thrift store, but there was nothing wrong with those. The clothes inside were no more dirty than they would be in any other clothing store. When you thought about it even at Macy's how many people had tried on the same clothes that you bought? At least here the clothes had been washed before they arrived. There wasn't going to be an excess of dye that would stain the rest of your clothes the first time you washed them, and they didn't have who knew what chemicals from production making them stiff and uncomfortable at first. This store was one of Ros's favorites, and one of the few places he actually would buy clothes at. Ros's ears turned a little bit red as he listened to Julian's complaints patiently. It wasn't Julian's fault he didn't know where most of Ros's clothes had come from. He probably didn't even realize that you could find brand new things in thrift stores sometimes. Brand new with the tags from the store it had been in. Ros on the other hand knew that with discounted places sometimes they got left over stock from big name stores. Stock that had been so heavily discounted that it would no longer turn a profit. In this instance donating the products gave the companies a tax break. His dad did that same sort of thing with books at his store. "Great, so you should be able to afford here." Julian was his friend, he wasn't about to say that he was hurt. "Besides, this place feeds the homeless, provides halfway homes for women, gives men a place to make a change for the better in their lives, and helps support local businesses." |
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2:11 PM Jul 11