Monday, December 29th, 2008 Who: Lucas and Bastian What: Random run-in Where: Cafeteria When: End of the lunch hour
While Lucas did not have the adventuresome nature that his sister had, he did have a healthy dose of sense; which told him that if he was going to be here for god only knew how long--he'd better get to know the lay of the land. He'd already met a strange, jumpy vampire, so it could only get more interesting from there, right?
Looking relaxed and comfortable in jeans and a T-shirt, he had a button-up dragged on over that just to ward off the chill on his arms while he made his way through the halls, looking for signs of life. He had the school map tucked away in his back pocket, just in case; but so far he'd had no problems, and had angled his trek towards the cafeteria to go find a reward for his safe travels.
The lunch hour was finishing up and Bastian was in the process of directing the kitchen staff with his preferences. Salad bar items just needed to be covered, ice trays drained and refilled to keep everything cold. The extra desserts were starting to be put away so they wouldn't get that crusty coating, hot bars being wiped down and cleaned up. There was still plenty of food out, but Bastian was working at following the director's schedule. He didn't quite understand why there were set meal times when there were so many classes and varying tastes. Maybe he'd talk to the new one about extending the meal hours.
Speaking of meals, he was hungry so Bastian filled a plate for himself. Turkey tetrazinni, stuffing balls with a thick mushroom gravy, steamed broccoli and carrots to go with his glass of Diet Coke. An excellent lunch for a shifter that burns a lot of calories. He was just heading for a table when he passed a new face coming in. "If you see something you want that's covered, let me know and I'll get it for you," he smiled.
Lucas's strides slowed when he entered the mostly empty room; brows raised. The guy passing him was given a curious tilt of his head, and he spoke as his eyes shifted back to the food lines. "Thanks... guessing it's closing down? I can come back later..." There wasn't much point in unwrapping food just for him; he wasn't starving, after all.
Bastian nodded, setting his plate down on the corner of the table. "Yeah. Not many people around and those that are either make something in the kitchens or get here early." Still, he walked forward towards the new guy. "It's really not a problem. I'm Bastian." He held out a hand in greeting, waving the others at the various bars. Only the salad and desserts were covered, so hot food was still available.
There was little hesitation as Lucas took the other guy's hand, nodding and giving a crooked smile as he shook his hand once. "Lucas. You work here?" He was still trying to get a feel for who did and didn't--everyone tended to communicate with everyone here, without segregation by job title.
"Mmhmm. Just got here about a month ago, took over the kitchens. I'm the one who's going to be making your meals." Bastian grinned, a bit of pride in his work shining through. "So if you have any suggestions, comments or ideas I'd love to hear them."
"Ahhh..." He nodded, smile spreading a bit wider and giving his eyes a merry spark. "I'll be sure to let you know. Although I'm probably not the best judge of food--mostly I just eat what's in front of me." Because he didn't often make his own meals--it was easier to just go with what was there. Nodding to Bastian's own plate though, he continued. "Don't let me interrupt you. I'll just grab a quick plate."
Bastian nodded and turned back to his seat before pausing, glancing over his shoulder. "Why don't you grab something and join me? It's better than eating alone, right?" Of course if Lucas said no, he wouldn't be offended at all. It was just an offer.
"Yeah?" His brows raised, and then Lucas nodded. "Sure. Just a minute." That said, he went to grab a plate and dole out some food for himself. Two servings of vegetables and a helping of lasagna later, he paused to grab himself a soda before walking over to join the chef. "Thanks..."
Bastian had already dug into his mess of turkey and noodles along with the stuffing by the time Lucas had gotten back. "Not a problem. I mean, the place is pretty empty anyways," he chuckled, waving his fork around. "I'd feel pretty ridiculous if you'd felt like you had to sit at a completely different table for no reason."
"I'd have felt more ridiculous sitting in here entirely by myself--probably would have just grabbed an apple and headed out again." Lucas shrugged as he relaxed into his seat and then started in on his meal. "A month, huh? Used to it yet?"
Bastian shook his head, sipping on his Coke. "Nope. Not yet. Then again, I also came in at the worst time. Thanksgiving. Everyone was gearing up for the holiday, and when they got back it was all about the finals." He paused to munch on some broccoli. "So I've basically thrown myself into the kitchens and work here. Trying to get the staff under me used to the way I do things and figuring out what I need to change." He nodded thoughtfully. "Think I almost got it."
"Sounds like you've got more of a grip on things than you're giving yourself credit for. Figuring out what you want to change, getting comfortable... all that." Lucas waved his fork once, then stabbed a carrot. "I'm not sure how I'll handle being back in school, myself."
Bastian gave Lucas a quick once over, trying not to look like he was checking him out, although he was. "You look too old for general classes. Something wrong with control or are you just hoping to expand your skill set?" Bastian was by no means trying to be insulting or pry; he was just curious.
"Thanks." His tone was dry, even though Lucas was grinning at the age assessment. "Expanding the skill set--if there's anything to expand, at least. I probably wouldn't have come, but I decided to come with my sister--she's the one who's having some control issues." He didn't dwell on the accident; reliving that phone call hadn't been a fun memory.
Bastian nodded, smiling apologetically at the comment. "Sorry about that. Didn't mean to offend. So may I ask what your skills are?" That was pure Bas. Apologize one moment and continue prying the next. He poked at a larger piece of turkey before continuing to eat.
"No offense taken." Although it had driven home Lucas's initial assessment that he was going to stick out as a student here. But that was alright--he'd get what he needed from it and then move forward. "I manipulate light... absorb it, create it--to an extent, anyway. And you?" Turnabout was fair play, as far as he was concerned.
It was indeed fair play and Bastian wasn't at all ashamed to answer. "I believe the technical term is shamanic shifter." He waited a bit, wondering if Lucas was going to ask for clarification of if he'd be one of the few that knew just what Bastian could do.
Setting his fork aside temporarily, Lucas laced his fingers together and then touched his knuckles to his lips, watching the other man thoughtfully. One brow was arched. "... I have no idea what the shamanic part is, to be honest." Shifter--that he could understand easily enough.
Bastian licked his lips of a bit of sauce that had escaped. "I'm part Native American. My grandfather was a shaman and taught me what he knew. In addition I'm a shifter. Nothing specific, but multiple forms." Reaching under his shirt collar, Bastian pulled out his necklace of teeth and claws. "If I own part, I can become it."
Dark brown eyes darted to the necklace as Lucas considered this. If anything, he looked intrigued. "Interesting... how many different species do you have represented there?" There looked to be several, but he could hardly tell the difference between one canine tooth and another.
Bastain frowned down at the necklace, the combination of white, brown and black standing out against his light blue shirt. "I'm not sure. I never actually counted. A dozen, maybe? Give or take." He shrugged. The number wasn't so important to him. It was the training, the skills and the freedom that came with learned each.
"That's quite the accomplishment." There was no sarcasm in the statement. Lucas was more likely to make fun of himself than others; it was just his nature. Reclaiming his fork, he took another bite of his lasagna before continuing. "Pretty damned cool, even." He wouldn't trade his own abilities away, though.
Bastian dropped the necklace, going back to his own lunch. "I like it. Then again, I don't know any different, so it may not be saying much," he chuckled. He waited in silence for a couple minutes, giving them both a chance to eat while the food was hot. "So what do you think of the school so far?"
"So far?" Lucas took a drink of his soda, glancing around the cafeteria. "Not bad. I'm reserving my whole judgement for when people come back, though. But the layout is sensible, the security measures are decent. People on the boards seem friendly. Ash--my sister--likes it."
Bastian nodded, agreeing. "Yeah. It's hard to really judge the character of a location when it's practically deserted." Just like it made it difficult to figure out what producers and suppliers he should be talking to about fresh products for the kitchen. As for the rest of the staff, "I haven't met very many people I work with. I figured orientation here either doesn't exist or only happens once a year if people come in randomly."
"Sink or swim." Lucas smirked lightly. "You either make friends and thrive or you do your time and get out." He shrugged as he leaned back again, water bottle in hand. "I can imagine all of the regulars would get sick of the welcome wagon after a while, though."
Chuckling, Bastain took a sip of his own drink. "More than likely. I mean, in the short time I've been here I've seen people show up on random weekends and just start classes. There's a few repeating faces I see on the boards so I'm guessing they're the friendly ones, but most of the time greetings are quietly acknowledge." Bastian pushed his plate away since he was nearly done. "Maybe it'll pick back up."
"Maybe. I'm not wholly worried about it--I got some hellos and whatnot, and that's more than I expected." Ash wasn't entirely wrong when she called him antisocial. It wasn't that he couldn't be friendly--he just didn't feel like he needed other people to validate himself.
Bastian chuckled, remembering his own welcome. "That's more than I got. Of course, I also asked people to fill out a brief survey about the status of the food here and I believe I got exactly two back." He shrugged, using his fork to draw patterns in the gravy before smearing them again.
"Might have been because they doubted the truth of your words. Call it... cynicism. They'll get over it--I'd try the survey again after you've proven that you are making changes." Lucas smiled lightly as he spoke, glancing towards the food bars. "Hard to believe that you're going to get steak when you've only ever been getting slop."
Nodding, he sighed. "Yeah, I know. Not that we could really afford decent steak here for everyone, but maybe steak quesadillas one night." Sure he understood the statement for its metaphorical purpose, but Lucas was talking to a chef. Mention food and Bastian's mind was off and running figuring out how to make it, stretch it for a crowd and deal with any resulting leftovers to minimize waste. It's just what he did.
Lucas realized this the instant that Bastian's mind appeared to drift, and grinned, watching the other man assessingly as he raised his water bottle up for a drink. "If I mentioned having your cake and eating it too, would you tell me your favorite recipe?"
Bastian's brows rose as he was jerked back from his musings. "Hmm? Oh no, I wouldn't give you the recipe," he smiled. "But I might tell you that there's a couple slices put away in the fridge that I could pull out." Now that Lucas had mentioned the idea of dessert, the shifter suddenly found himself in the mood for the rich, moist cake chilling.
"Ah, that's right." Tone knowing, Lucas chuckled. "Don't ask for secret recipes." He tapped his temple with his fingertip. "Should have remembered that one. And of course you have your favorite kind of cake stowed away--no point in letting everyone else eat all of it and you don't get any. But two slices? That's just greedy."
Bastian laughed, enjoying this lunch much more than the silent ones he'd had recently. "I meant I make sure it's on the bar." He waved a hand back at the lines which were still being cleared and readied for dinner. "How can I steal a slice if it's not a staple in the kitchen?" The offer for two slices was because he was going to gift one to Lucas. But now, he wasn't so sure. Just to be teasing.
Lucas hadn't had much enjoyable conversation with people outside his family in months. Bastian wasn't the only one enjoying lunch. "Well this is true." He paused a beat, and then shot the shifter a mock-disappointed look, gaze darting to the dessert bar and back pointedly.
Bastian leaned back in his chair, absently waving his fork around until he noticed Lucas' expression. "Oh," he commented innocently. "Did you want something?" It was difficult to keep the straight face, the corners of his lips twitching with his mirth.
"You have a horrible poker face." His previous expression split into amusement, and Lucas shook his head as he took another drink of water and muttered to him. "Tease."
Bastian nodded once. "Only when I'm not trying. Play with me sometime and see." It was a dare. Bastian knew how to keep stoic and hold his cards and thoughts. He'd made more than a few dollars with co-workers and late night games in the kitchens when they were done cleaning. Chuckling, Bastian moved to his feet. "You like red velvet cake?"
"If you can provide a decent game of poker, I might enjoy this place more than I initially thought." It was one thing he'd been tempted to ask about, but hadn't, to those who'd messaged him. He let the mountain come to him, so to speak. Lucas grinned then, and nodded as Bastian stood. "That I do."
"Definitely. I'm sure we can scrounge up a few other players around here to make it more interesting." Poker with two was only fun when the point was to either fleece or strip. Since Bastian wasn't a fan of the first and doubted Lucas would be the second, more players were needed. Grinning, he dropped his fork back to his tray. "Good man. I'll be right back." With that, he strode off to the kitchens, returning a couple minutes later with thick slices of cake, three layers high. Moist, dense and slightly fudgey with a thick, rich and slightly tart cream cheese frosting and white chocolate shavings. "Here you go."
For the first time since arriving, Lucas was genuinely pleased. He kept that to himself for the most part, other than a looseness to his entire stance as he waited for Bastian to return. Once he had the other man straightened in his seat, gaze alighting on the slice of cake. Both brows raised. "Now that is a slice of cake. Thanks."
"So maybe I had a couple slices tucked away here and there," Bastian teased with a wink. Most of the time the cake wasn't cut quite this thick, but it was the holidays and very few people were around. If he didn't want to lose it, it needed to be cut into thicker slices. And then wrapped and stored in his personal freezer, just in case. Sitting down, Bastian licked his fork clean of the gravy and waited for Lucas to try it first.
Lucas had a similar job, removing the last remnants of lasagna sauce from his own fork before he took the first bite of cake. It melted in his mouth, blending perfectly with the icing, and he was silent for a moment before he looked at Bastian and nodded. "S'fucking good." He wouldn't be more eloquent than that, especially with a mouthful of cake, but it was obvious he really liked it.
Smiling and nodding a thanks to Lucas, Bastian tucked into his own dessert, making sure to get every bit of frosting off his fork. "I'm glad you like it. I need honest feedback on what's served so I can fix what's enjoyed." And it never ceased to thrill him to hear how someone enjoys his meals.
"I am nothing if not honest." Okay, so that wasn't entirely true, but Lucas wasn't about to split hairs over things he would or would not lie about. Instead, he was going to enjoy the slice of heaven he had in front of him, right up to the last chocolate shaving which he got off the plate with his fingertip.
Bastian didn't bother to comment, just merely raised a brow in question. Most people were honest, but they had moments where they lied, fudged the truth or decieved. Being a shifter he was a bit more aware of when someone was lying, but he didn't bother to point it out, instead making sweet oral love to his cake with every bite until he was sucking on his fork to rescue the last tastes of icing. "Yum."
Seeing that raised brow, Lucas paused, and considered. Then amended his statement. "You know. About food. No one's honest ALL of the time--just by having supernatural talents we're turned into liars in some respects."
Bastian nodded, accepting the change with a smile. "I was gonna have to say. I'd hate to call out someone as a liar the first time I meet them. Even more so over cake." Still, he wasn't too worried about it. Done with dessert, he stacked his dishes on the tray, leaning back in his chair and sighing happily. A full stomach was a happy stomach.
"That would definitely put a strain on any newly formed association." Lucas tipped his fork to Bastian, since he had no hat, and then neatly stacked together all of his own dishes. "Think I'll have to mosey this way more often--and by that I mean all of the time, since I can't cook worth a damn."
Laughing, Bastian nodded. "Sounds like a plan to me. I haven't learned yet when the kitchen closes down, and I don't fix every meal every day, but they are of my design." Stretching his arms over his head, he grunted with the motion. "Feel free to message me any time for that poker game if you'd like."
"I will." He'd look his information up in the directory; that was simple enough. "I'm probably going to need a good game going at some point." Otherwise he was liable to go slowly insane from boredom. Cards were how Lucas unwound from the day--he'd already taken up with internet poker over the past few nights. As he spoke he tipped his head to the side, stretching either side of his neck before settling back in his chair once more.
"Then sounds like we've all but a date set. I've got chips, cards and a table." Bastian chuckled a bit. "Hell, I'm sure I can provide snack food and a couple beers if needed." He was assuming that Lucas here was over twenty-one. Bastian had no desire to lose his job before even really getting started.
"Well hell if you're providing all of that, it's only fair I provide the beer." Had he heard that train of thought, Lucas would have been amused at least. It was Ash that was the illegal drinker, not him. "Although you're right, we're going to need more players."
Bastian nodded agreeably. "Fair enough. If you're bringing the beer you may as well bring some friends too. Though I've heard some guys on security can usually be down for a game or two." He'd have to ask around at some point. Maybe later.
"I'll see if I can rustle up some, then." It couldn't be too hard--as Bastian had said, some of the security folks tended to enjoy a game here and there, as well. Lucas nodded once, then leaned forward with a soft exhale to settle his finally empty water bottle on the tray. "Well. I should probably let you get back to what you were doing."
Bastian crinkled his nose at the thought of having to get back to work. "Yeah, probably though I'm not looking forward to rearranging the stocked shelves." Dinner wasn't going to be too difficult since it was most likely the same meals out on the bar again. When no one was here, it didn't make sense to make up multiple dishes for a crowd when they wouldn't all get eaten. "Feel free to show up early for dinner. Chances are things won't be out too long with everyone being all over the place." Rising to his feet, Bastian collected his tray and headed back towards the kitchens. "I'll see you around, Lucas."
"I'll be early this time, I promise." Lucas chuckled as he slid to his feet, grabbing his own tray so he could bus it. "See you around." He did stop to grab an apple quickly, though, before he finally left the cafeteria.