06-23-2014, 02:38 PM
<small>[[continued from In handcuffs]]</small>
“ONE....TWO...THREE!!!!!”
A lick of salt. And then tequila burning the back of his throat. Ivan didn't have time to wait. Stephania had the lime held between her teeth and he took a bite, sour bitterness chasing the flavors. Laughter and cheers echoed around him, but it was only the high pitched screams of Stephania and her friends that pierced the thump and thrum of the bass at Kafe MIO, near the Gorky Center and Fallen Monument Park. Ivan laughed and then started coughing when Alexei slapped him hard on the back of the chest. Vasily and Liliya were up next.
Vanya was glad it was the weekend. He'd enjoyed his week for the most part. Busted up a few fights, answered a few calls, reassured a few folks on his rounds, did a mountain of paperwork. It was his life, but he was glad for it. The good folks in his neighborhood seemed to appreciate their presence. Most of them did. That was enough for him, for now anyway. He enjoyed being able to watch over the people in his area, even if it was just as a lowly beat cop for now. He had aspirations for more, of course. Most cops did. And that was aside from his....experiences with the Power and Ascendancy. But more would come, he was sure, and he would be patient until then.
In meantime, there was nothing like blowing off steam with some friends to good music, great food and of course, drinks. The place wasn't dark, exactly, but the lights were low, except for the glowing red and yellows that illuminated only portions of the room. Plates filled with the remnants of sushi and sashimi and other bar foods littered the table, along with empty shot glasses. Yeah, it was a good night to be young and out, just his kind of place.
That was his first shot, though he'd had a few beers already. He always laughed at the saying, “Beer before strong, you're all wrong. Strong before beer, you're all clear.” That never worked on him. Worst hangovers he had were the other way around. Following up the lighter beers with the good stuff was the way he did it. And it was time for another follow up.
“All right,”
he said, as he got himself out of the booth and stood up. “I'll get the next round. Who's wants what?”
They called out drink orders. Iced vodka, of course. Duh. Godzilla. Brichmula. Stephania looked at him and said she wanted Ascendancy's Blood. He laughed out loud, though inside he was curious what the man actually thought of a drink named after- in honor of? For? Mockingly? He wasn't sure- in any case, he wondered what he thought about it. That order set off a flurry of laughs and drink changes. But he had a limit. Laughing, he said, “I am NOT ordering the Amulet of Man.”
The looks they would have given him at the bar?....no. No thank you.
Vasily barked a laugh and said, “Nika! I have the Amulet of Man right here!”
And then they all just started laughing. Vanya shook his head, chuckling. Morons, he thought, but good-naturedly. Vasily was always like that, always ready with a good one. It was a good night.
Vanya went to the bar and after waiting around for what seemed forever- the bartender was at the other end, seemingly engrossed in a group of women. Vanya looked them over. He didn't blame the man, not really. But he wanted his drinks. “Hey man! Hey!”
The bartender couldn't hear him, but the hand-gesture got his attention and he came over, seeming not to mind the interruption. Good guy. Vanya put in his order, and then waited. He pulled out his wallet and saw that there was a message from Roman, the desk officer at the precinct. It had come in maybe an hour ago. Curious as to why he didn't get it until just now, he wondered what that was about. Course, he'd been drinking so he couldn't go back out if they needed help. But he couldn't just sit there either and ignore it. He wouldn't enjoy the night thinking that he might be avoiding his responsibilities. “Hey,”
to the bartender. “Be right back.”
The man nodded and Ivan made his way to the quieter outside.
Once outside he dialed in and asked for Roman. “Roman, this is Ivan. Got a message that you called. Everything ok?”
From the other end he heard laughter. “Oh, no worries Ivan. Just thought you'd like to know. The little chickadee you brought in the other day? You remember? Well, she called for you. Sounded important. Made sure that I got her number to give you. Twice,”
he added laughing.
Ivan smiled. “Heh....thanks Roman.”
He took the number down and said goodbye. Wow. Zoya had called him. He really hadn't expected her to. Of course, that didn't mean anything. She might just want to yell at him or something. Maybe rope her into a speech or even one of her causes. He wouldn't put it past her to break into yet another building or other too. He smiled at the thought. She was cute though. Wonder what she wanted?
He dialed the number.
Edited by Ivan Sarkozy, Sep 7 2014, 09:42 AM.
“ONE....TWO...THREE!!!!!”
A lick of salt. And then tequila burning the back of his throat. Ivan didn't have time to wait. Stephania had the lime held between her teeth and he took a bite, sour bitterness chasing the flavors. Laughter and cheers echoed around him, but it was only the high pitched screams of Stephania and her friends that pierced the thump and thrum of the bass at Kafe MIO, near the Gorky Center and Fallen Monument Park. Ivan laughed and then started coughing when Alexei slapped him hard on the back of the chest. Vasily and Liliya were up next.
Vanya was glad it was the weekend. He'd enjoyed his week for the most part. Busted up a few fights, answered a few calls, reassured a few folks on his rounds, did a mountain of paperwork. It was his life, but he was glad for it. The good folks in his neighborhood seemed to appreciate their presence. Most of them did. That was enough for him, for now anyway. He enjoyed being able to watch over the people in his area, even if it was just as a lowly beat cop for now. He had aspirations for more, of course. Most cops did. And that was aside from his....experiences with the Power and Ascendancy. But more would come, he was sure, and he would be patient until then.
In meantime, there was nothing like blowing off steam with some friends to good music, great food and of course, drinks. The place wasn't dark, exactly, but the lights were low, except for the glowing red and yellows that illuminated only portions of the room. Plates filled with the remnants of sushi and sashimi and other bar foods littered the table, along with empty shot glasses. Yeah, it was a good night to be young and out, just his kind of place.
That was his first shot, though he'd had a few beers already. He always laughed at the saying, “Beer before strong, you're all wrong. Strong before beer, you're all clear.” That never worked on him. Worst hangovers he had were the other way around. Following up the lighter beers with the good stuff was the way he did it. And it was time for another follow up.
“All right,”
he said, as he got himself out of the booth and stood up. “I'll get the next round. Who's wants what?”
They called out drink orders. Iced vodka, of course. Duh. Godzilla. Brichmula. Stephania looked at him and said she wanted Ascendancy's Blood. He laughed out loud, though inside he was curious what the man actually thought of a drink named after- in honor of? For? Mockingly? He wasn't sure- in any case, he wondered what he thought about it. That order set off a flurry of laughs and drink changes. But he had a limit. Laughing, he said, “I am NOT ordering the Amulet of Man.”
The looks they would have given him at the bar?....no. No thank you.
Vasily barked a laugh and said, “Nika! I have the Amulet of Man right here!”
And then they all just started laughing. Vanya shook his head, chuckling. Morons, he thought, but good-naturedly. Vasily was always like that, always ready with a good one. It was a good night.
Vanya went to the bar and after waiting around for what seemed forever- the bartender was at the other end, seemingly engrossed in a group of women. Vanya looked them over. He didn't blame the man, not really. But he wanted his drinks. “Hey man! Hey!”
The bartender couldn't hear him, but the hand-gesture got his attention and he came over, seeming not to mind the interruption. Good guy. Vanya put in his order, and then waited. He pulled out his wallet and saw that there was a message from Roman, the desk officer at the precinct. It had come in maybe an hour ago. Curious as to why he didn't get it until just now, he wondered what that was about. Course, he'd been drinking so he couldn't go back out if they needed help. But he couldn't just sit there either and ignore it. He wouldn't enjoy the night thinking that he might be avoiding his responsibilities. “Hey,”
to the bartender. “Be right back.”
The man nodded and Ivan made his way to the quieter outside.
Once outside he dialed in and asked for Roman. “Roman, this is Ivan. Got a message that you called. Everything ok?”
From the other end he heard laughter. “Oh, no worries Ivan. Just thought you'd like to know. The little chickadee you brought in the other day? You remember? Well, she called for you. Sounded important. Made sure that I got her number to give you. Twice,”
he added laughing.
Ivan smiled. “Heh....thanks Roman.”
He took the number down and said goodbye. Wow. Zoya had called him. He really hadn't expected her to. Of course, that didn't mean anything. She might just want to yell at him or something. Maybe rope her into a speech or even one of her causes. He wouldn't put it past her to break into yet another building or other too. He smiled at the thought. She was cute though. Wonder what she wanted?
He dialed the number.
Edited by Ivan Sarkozy, Sep 7 2014, 09:42 AM.