Participants:
| Scene Title | Taste Testing |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | Elaine brings a friend when she visits Abby and Delilah only to find a job offer and not more temporal shenanigans. |
| Date | September 25, 2010 |
The interior of the dessert bar is lit enough to see the drink menus and the tables but dim enough to preserve the intimate atmosphere that is evident in small tables made for two populate the dessert bar that is Oh So Sweet. Here and there, espresso colored wooden tables are pushed together to seat larger groups, straight backed black chairs surrounding them. Single lights on long cords drop down just out of head bumping range, lighting up the darker regions of the bar.
A massive oak bar takes up one side of the main room, a part of the building from ages past when it was just a bar, mirrors lining behind it to give the illusion of more space and reflect what light there is available. Glasses of varying types and sizes hanging down in holders, stacked against the mirror or under the counter and waiting to be used. And old fashioned looking machine rests in it's copper gleaming glory, capable of producing a variety of drinks like coffee, espresso, latte's, the list is endless. Backless stools line the customer side of the bar, red fabric to match the red damask fabric that hangs down the walls to help dampen the sounds of customers when the place is busy.
Across from the bar runs a glass faced refrigerated counter, shoulder height, filled with just about every possible dessert that one could desire and want, lit up and with little placards dictating what they are. The offerings rotate daily, sometimes every few hours and a door to the kitchen behind them gives access to staff to fill the orders and fill the showcase. The back room opens up to the main area, a small raised area for live entertainment to be had when the times are right. A door marked staff only in the far back leads to the kitchens and another to the restroom's and a private area that can be rented out for private parties.
Really, the dessert bar could open at any time. Except that Abigail's not ready, employee wise nor satisfied with the amount of recipe's that they have. She wants perfect, she wants things ideal and she wants her legal situation to be over and done with and not in limbo, out on bail, keeping her nose clean.
Disappeared for a day, she'd been dealing with a health inspector making their way through and getting the last real official block out of the way. She'd been baking things too, finding out what worked, what didn't, waiting on work of whether Niklaus had made it through the temporal shenanigans and a call to Elaine to please come to an address in Soho. Delilah was in, her and the preggo working to get the non-Nik specialties done.
"I watched top chef, the dessert one" She'll give credit where credit is due. The birds nest of carrots that were dunked into a deep fryer were laid out on top of the little individual carrot cakes with their haze of cream cheese icing on top. Abby knew how to bake, presentation of said baked items were beyond her ken. But she was sure that with some careful studying's of top chef - the winners - Niklaus and the others, she could do it. Maybe she's ask Robert if the Corinthian's pastry chef might give her some lessons. Blatantly use her new husband in such a fashion.
"I like this" Stepping back from the tables all put together in the front of the soon to be dessert/bar. layered shirts, necklace longer and tucked beneath with it's new addition hidden out of sight. Her GPS tracker firmly around her ankle and not in danger of going away any time soon. "Elaine should be here soon. Just need her, and we can really work on getting things ready and planning and… make sure y'all got your proper courses for like working around food and we're good. We're good" She assures herself. For the first time in a long time, she seems downright giddy and happy, like things have settled into place despite the uncertainty that looms.
"I don't know what I'm doing," Elaine states, peering back at Linus as she moves to open the door to the bar. "Last time someone told me to be somewhere and I didn't know what was going on I ended up in 2004…" She comments before she slips inside, blinking around. She takes a long moment to take in the surroundings, then smiles a bit. "Well, this is nice!"
Linus trudges behind Elaine, hands stuffed in the back pockets of his jeans. He looks a little down, but certainly upbeat enough to come keep Elaine company on her mystery journey to an unknown address. "Yeah, that seems to be going around, huh?" He walks inside after her, nodding his approval. "If this is the work of some maniacal supervillain, at least they have good taste."
"Hey now, just because she's got an anklet-" Delilah, though she has been taking a good look at the place from beside Abby, hears Linus well enough then the two come in the front door, and turns to look. A long, paisley patterned skirt and a dark red cardigan are the order of the day; enough to keep her warm, and enough to keep her cool when the air is. Her shoes are flat and rather plain, for once, made for her walking to and fro at whatever pace she wants while she has been helping out.
"Hey guys! Welcome to your next root canal." Ha, ha, dentist jokes.
"Ooh there's a thought, I should put up a board for dentists to put their business card at…" Linus and Elaine making their way in, Abby and Delilah working busy around the table laden with pies, cupcakes, cakes and a very failed souffle. Very failed souffle. "Elaine" The last they'd met, there had been… words, of a sort exchanged. "Hi. Uhmm, you brought a friend" It wasn't Magnes, she was surprised at that. Thoroughly expecting she'd bring the gravokinetic. Delilah's mention of the anklet has her unconsciously shifting one foot behind the other in an attempt to hide it. "Little bird has it Elaine that you like to bake and cook, like… pretty good"
"Stress baking. It's good therapy. I've got a sweet tooth and Magnes never makes anything sweet." Elaine glances back towards Linus, offering him a smile. "Well, you can ask Linus here if my stuff's any good. He's usually my taste tester. I know the peanut butter cookies were good, and then there was the cheesecake I attempted… I think it tasted good, but I wasn't quite happy with the texture." She looks back towards Abby a little nervously. "Why do you ask?"
"Yeah, uh.." Linus looks awkwardly at Abby and Delia. While he has seen both before, he certainly doesn't know them. He raises one hand in a shy wave before quickly lowering it. "Hi. I'm Linus. If you want to laugh at that, go ahead and get it out of your system now. I know it's a silly name." He nods to Elaine, smiling. "The cookies were good, yeah. I don't even normally like peanut butter cookies, so that's saying something there."
"Cheesecake is fun- but I think I make it too fluffy. With our powers combined?" Delilah shoots at both a hint and a gesture that she appreciates teamwork, her hands connected by fingers under the curve of her bump. "Nice to meet you, Linus." She smiles, though looks at him with a small squint at the same time. "Have we met before? I feel like I know you from somewhere." Dee even puts a hand to her chin, looking between Elaine and Linus. "I remember my first taste tester…"
'With our powers combined, you both could make a cheesecake that will take Manhattan" The corner of Abigail's mouth creeps higher. "Hi Linus, I'm Abigail, that's Delilah." She nudges some of the stuff towards the other two, a clear indication that they're taste testing, that's for sure.
"I got a German, in the kitchen. Well not right now. I figured.. that you might, if you didn't already know it, might enjoy having a native speaker jibbering at you while you helped make cakes and cinnamon buns and the like, you know." Abigail's hands go behind her back, one in the other and looking a bit sheepish. "That's a job offer actually, if you haven't… picked up on it" Not for Linus though, unless he's desiring something. Which she looks to Linus. "If you need one, I could use some front folks, and the like, you know, if you need a job. Make the coffee, serve drinks, the like…"
Elaine looks surprised. And rather pleased, as well. "I haven't learned German yet… that would be wonderful." She blinks for a moment, peering towards Abby and Delilah. It was a little surprising of an offer, but the redhead's smiling. "That… that sounds really nice, actually. I'd really like that. I started classes, at Columbia, though, so I can let you know my schedule but I can push other stuff aside, everything else in my life is pretty flexible."
Linus lets out a very muffled squeak when Abby turns to him, the gears in his mind turning to place her face in his memories. "Y-You were at that bar.. Old something or other, when people starting pulling guns and stuff!" He stares blankly for a moment, then turns red. "Er, no. I have a job, but thanks for the offer."
"I'll have Nick when you're not here, and I'm not sure he has much to do with himself." Delilah positions a platter of tarts front and center on the table and quirks an eyebrow at Linus. "These are some of the best ones I've ever made, I swear." Her voice is almost sing-song, and she seems very keen on at least feeding them.
"Oh! That must be where I've seen you-" Delilah starts laughing when Linus stammers out the bit about the old bar, trying to stifle it with only mild luck. Instead, she picks up the plate of tarts and blatantly offers it to the duo. "I don't think there'll be that problem here, if it helps."
"Old Lucy's?" Abigail glances to the others then back to Linus, frowning for a moment before blue eye's widen and she's back to smiling. "That night. Yes. Well. I'd just had a bartender killed the week before. Folks were a little… twitchy" Her way of apologizing. "Roberts not in the habit of pulling guns on people, sorry" Yes he is. Sometimes. Abigail claps her hands together, then gestures to the chairs and spare plates. 'Sit, we're tasting! Seeing what stays, what will go, what needs improvement. And it's okay. The place won't be open all day. Only from like just after lunch until evening, and if things work out and if we don't go under, maybe mornings. For now though, most of the stuff will be prepared the night before and made in the morning and then out to eat in the afternoon and evening, so school schedules can be accommodated"
"Sounds like quite an adventure…" Elaine points out, then nods a bit. "Tasting sounds good to me." She moves to take a seat. "Plus Dee makes good baked goods, so…" She smiles warmly. "I'm sure it's all fantastic. I'm going to get so fat from this."
Linus just sort of nods at Abby's explanation, shrugging a little helplessly as he moves to the gestured seats. He sits down with a stretch, looking at all the goods. "Well, I really don't have much of a sweet tooth, but I'm here.. so, why not, right?" He chuckles a little nervously, which is weird considering he's only in a dessert shop. Not like he's in a fight for his life.
"Unless you have bad teeth or you're diabetic, you'll be fine." Delilah moves behind his chair and claps him on the edge of his shoulder. She glances up at Abby, expression lit up. "That's something else we should do. Make sugar-free sweets, I know that sounds silly not on paper- maybe gluten-free too. The other big one is vegetarian, but I really don't know any of that kind of baking."
Dee sidles past the table, and away from them to locate what seems to be a small notebook, when she finally comes back a minute later.
"I've got so many recipes and don't know what to use. I think I might use some of the best ones for specials, Abby."
"easy enough to make flourless chocolate cakes and vegan stuff. That sort of thing. That'll take a bit more experimenting and maybe I'll leave that to you and Niklaus. I'll bake too, some of the girls from Old Lucy's are gonna come work the front. So… you know, no dancing on the bar but.. we'll see, I hope that it will work." She claps her hands, taking a seat, pushing a plate with a carrot cake portion in front of Linus. "No guns this time, i promise"
"I know a lot of recipes can be modified to be vegan… you just have to find substitutes for some of the ingredients… they usually have that kind of thing in stores." Elaine nods in agreement to Abby, glancing over the various desserts. "I really like this idea. How are you in terms of power outlets in here? I bet you could get a big draw from college students studying if you have somewhere to plug in laptops. I know I would come study in a place like this. And drinks and desserts are the perfect study-break food."
"Right. No guns. That sounds like a deal to me." Linus lifts a fork, poking the slice of carrot cake suspiciously. "You're certain there are no guns hiding in this cake?" This is said with humor, as he takes a bite of the cake and chews for a moment. "Mmm. That's pretty good." He nods to Elaine, licking his lips a little. "It's true, sugar does help the brain think. As long as you don't overdue it, anyway."
Delilah helps herself to one of the seats at the table full of taste testing food, sighing a little when she gets off of her feet. In fact, she's sitting sideways with both of them propped out. "If we can hide a gun in a carrot cake, I think we should get some sort of award." She's joking too, but she says it so seriously. "We could get wireless in here, too, and we'd be set. We'd just have to watch for campers."
"Pretty sure there's no guns or mass weapons of destruction hiding in the cake, no. Just a mass weapon of deliciousness to delight the senses. More outlets…" Delilah speaks up with the one concern that Abby would have. "Campers. But, I mean, I can't imagine that past five in the afternoon, folks would still camp out. It's not for a lack of room in this place" Wireless service, maybe. "Something to think of. More power outlets, I think there's more than enough in the walls. We're a great distance away from the school. Something surely to think of, if it doesn't take off right away. I wouldn't know the first thing about such Elaine, I am not the most equipped to deal with technical issues. So unless you got some techy on hand who can do such…"
"Well, the good thing with being further away from campus is that you won't get the freshmen. They're the ones usually living on campus… if you get upperclassmen and graduate students, which are within drinking age and usually live off campus, you've got people who would be more likely to stick around. I think people will stay for quite a while… but you can keep an eye on how long people are here for and make sure if they're gonna stay they're buying something." Elaine notes, glancing to Linus. "I think Linus might know how to set that up. He's a video game tester, and I think he's pretty techy." She pauses. "Plus having people in here isn't a bad thing. If we've got people in here, it will look more popular and draw people in, right?"
Linus almost starts choking when the conversation turns to its tech-related topic, but pounds on his chest until he recovers. "Uh, yeah. I could set it up, really easy. If you're worried about people camping out and mooching off your wireless, I could set up some sort of rotating connection that only allows them to stay on for so long at a time. All it would take is.."
He begins to ramble off with some technobabble, but manages to catch and stop himself when he realizes he's the only person who understands what he's saying. "Oh, sorry. Right. Uh.. yeah, I can do that for you. No problem. Don't worry about a fee or anything, either. If you're a friend of Elaine's, it's on the house." Speaking of Elaine, he turns to her. "Just going to throw that out there, huh? 'Tests video games for a living'. Why don't you just slap a sticker on my forehead that says loser?"
"Oh wow, you test video games?" Delilah is not subtle in scooting her chair closer. Stamped loser or not, she seems interested. A quick lean in, and she looks at the other girls before she does Linus, whispering to him.
"If you test DS games, slip me a copy of the English Pokemon White, would you? Or at least let me play it while you have it! I'd get on my knees but then I'd never be able to stand up again without help, and nobody wants that."
A techie! "I'll pay you. Only fair. That rotating thing though, sounds like a good idea. Like every few hours or such" Or such. She's sure that folks will buy coffee's and the like, especially if that's what they end up serving most during the day. Abigail's making cor a cupcake, desiring something chocolate, finger swiping across the marshmallow fluff topping and popping her forefinger into her mouth to suck it off before she's choking at Delilah and her words.
"That sounds good, yeah." Coffee always sells. People can drink coffee all day long! Elaine gives a nod, looking through the baked goods. Delilah's words are innocent enough.. until Abby chokes. And then Elaine chokes too. Coughing loudly, she clears her throat. "Right, so, desserts!"
Linus doesn't really understand why everybody is suddenly choking, the gutter-minded version of Delilah's comment going right over his head. Still though, people are him are choking and he looks confused. "Uh, are you guys alright?" He raises an eyebrow, but shrugs it off when people don't look like they are dying. "I don't really get to choose what I test. The company I work for is kind of like, an outside company for other developers to send games too for testing. That's not very common, so we usually get.. well, lame stuff. It's really not as great as it sounds."
Possibly Pause