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Post by Nadir on Mar 23, 2009 13:49:31 GMT -5
"I'm certain Luis made my breakage policy clear to you," said Nadir in a low, irritable voice. "The price of that glass will be taken from your wages, as well as anything else you are careless with. Three such incidents and you will lose your job here. I cannot afford to employ clumsy boys to damage my china and crystal. Don't let it happen again."
Nadir took a leather folder handed to him by a passing waiter and glanced at it.
"Now get back to work," he said, waving Edward back into the kitchen as he turned to stride off. "Jean-Baptiste, what is this? The third week in a row that they are late with this delivery, and expecting we will pay full-price for their shoddy work? No, listen to me--"
*His voice faded off as he disappeared with the maître d' down the hall.*
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Edward Cullen
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What if I?m not a superhero? What if I?m the bad guy?
Posts: 163
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Post by Edward Cullen on Mar 23, 2009 14:19:11 GMT -5
If Edward had had a soul, it would have felt crushed. Trampled underfoot, offered and scorned by the exotic specimen before him. His first feeling had been humiliation--how would he explain his position, his presence to Nadir, of all people? But it turned out that not being recognized at all was far, far worse.
The man he would have dreamed about if he was afforded the solace of sleep didn't know who he was.
Wasn't that for the best? He mused. He didn't want to get involved. Involved? No, there was no question of that. Nadir Khan was, could be, nothing to him. Nothing but a delicious banquet for all his enhanced senses--er, wait. He had to get out of here. It was the only job he'd found, sure, but it wasn't worth a man's life.
All this musing took about 1/100th of a second and after that he was at Nadir's elbow, a hand on his arm.
"No, you listen to me," he said, turning the man around to face him with inexorable force that, vampire-wise, was quite gentle. "I quit."
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Post by Nadir on Mar 23, 2009 14:28:47 GMT -5
Nadir turned to face the boy, his face an impassive mask. Something flickered in the golden depths of his eyes, but it was difficult to say what it was, exactly.
"I expected as much of you," he said with a sneer. "Be off then, and don't expect pay for what little work you've actually done."
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Edward Cullen
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What if I?m not a superhero? What if I?m the bad guy?
Posts: 163
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Post by Edward Cullen on Mar 23, 2009 14:45:12 GMT -5
"Fine," Edward said, dropping his hand. He hadn't missed the flicker, but it was more of a mental one. Without words, however, it was indecipherable to him. In truth, Edward had washed more dishes (without breaking any) in five minutes than the other two boys would complete in a night. "I said we'd never be friends. I certainly wouldn't have come here if I'd known if was your place. So sorry to disturb you."
Even as he said it, some treacherous part of him wanted to bed for his job back, to torture himself with that scent, to know it might waft in at any moment. It was heady still, this close, and he felt unable to tear himself away.
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Sylar
- Ingenious Pilot -
You have no idea how alone I used to feel. You've given me hope.
Posts: 185
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Post by Sylar on Mar 23, 2009 14:48:27 GMT -5
((0_o Freudian slip much? I assume you meant beg. Also, lol.))
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Post by Nadir on Mar 23, 2009 14:48:52 GMT -5
"Is that what this is about?" hissed Nadir, his frown deepening. "I have a business to run. I can't come running with a bandage every time you skin your knee. We're adults. Try acting like it."
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Edward Cullen
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What if I?m not a superhero? What if I?m the bad guy?
Posts: 163
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Post by Edward Cullen on Mar 23, 2009 14:58:24 GMT -5
((Re: Slip. Haha! Excellent. Yes.))
Edward blinked at him.
"I don't... skin my knees," he said. What an unfortunate turn of phrase. "And I'm not upset. I just didn't know you owned this restaurant, and now that I do, it is clear that this isn't going to work out."
He paused, his eyes gaining a faraway look as he contemplated the lost income and the unlikelihood of his getting to buy that blue cashmere sweater before the store ran out.
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Post by Nadir on Mar 23, 2009 15:04:46 GMT -5
"I assure you, I don't spend much of the evening in the kitchen," said Nadir, rolling his eyes. "I've far too much to do, already. The chefs are quite competent. If you play your cards right, you'll scarcely have to lay eyes on my oozing, pustule-ridden visage. If that's good enough for you, you can get back to work, or if not, you can leave."
Nadir turned to go back to his own work, himself, hoping that none of his guests would see the stained and rumpled dishwasher loitering in the hall.
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Edward Cullen
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What if I?m not a superhero? What if I?m the bad guy?
Posts: 163
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Post by Edward Cullen on Mar 23, 2009 15:45:48 GMT -5
Perhaps it was better, that the man hated him. It made it easier, somehow, though Edward wondered if his treacherous, monstrous mind only thought it was easier because it expected to be allowed to kill a man who didn't like him. But the temptation was also so great. It didn't help that Nadir was, in a word, gorgeous.
In a split second, Edward made his decision.
"I'll stay," he said. "And I won't be in your way."
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Post by Nadir on Mar 23, 2009 16:05:08 GMT -5
"Good," said Nadir flatly. "Back to work."
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Edward Cullen
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What if I?m not a superhero? What if I?m the bad guy?
Posts: 163
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Post by Edward Cullen on Mar 23, 2009 16:19:52 GMT -5
It was good, that Nadir was cold to him. Maybe this was a test. Not a test set by Nadir, of course. But the cosmic sort--the kind that the universe sent to keep Edward on his toes. If he could survive this, perhaps, it meant... it meant he was doing as Carlisle taught.
Without a word (though something may have flickered in his gaze, unwanted), he turned and went back to his station, washing dishes with an automatic motion and such grace that it was unthinkable that he'd ever broken one.
((I think I write him... not purple enough. It's not bad enough.))
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Post by Nadir on Mar 23, 2009 16:59:42 GMT -5
((I believe in yoooou! Um...start...making note of how colourful things are. It's like SENSES WOW HOMYGAWD HEAD ASPLODE SUPERLATIVES!))
Nadir went about his business with the restaurant and Jean-Baptiste, trying to push Edward from his mind.
He poured himself a generous glass of cognac as he did.
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Edward Cullen
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What if I?m not a superhero? What if I?m the bad guy?
Posts: 163
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Post by Edward Cullen on Mar 24, 2009 13:01:30 GMT -5
When Edward came back the next night, it was with fresh resolve. Nadir hated him, that much was plain. But he wasn't going to back down. He would not fail this test. Would Carlisle be so proud of him?
He wasn't sure why it was necessary to wear such nice clothes to a job one could not do without becoming soaked and filthy, but he reasoned that the tight-fitting beige sweater would allow freedom of movement. His hair attractively tousled, his amber eyes light (he'd taken care to feed on some wildebeest at the zoo--he wondered if he'd ever get the taste out of his mouth), he set himself to work with diligence. Mostly so he could ignore the sound and smell of Nadir Khan going about his mysterious business. Even the cognac he drank was a torturous perfume to Edward's nostrils, and the other dishwashing boys wondered why the guy had taken the job if dish washing made him want to barf every five minutes.
Edward was so diligent, in fact, that all the existing dishes were done in about ten minutes, and he and the other boys were left with nothing to do but wait for the trickle of dishes that came in as diners finished.
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Post by Nadir on Mar 24, 2009 13:09:12 GMT -5
Nadir paused about his work, seeing the dishboys standing idle.
"What's going on?" he murmured to Jean-Baptiste, who conferred in brief murmurs with Luis before returning to his side.
"They are finished."
"Finished?"
"Finished."
"Ah. Mmm. Very well. Well, we needn't pay them to stand about. You can send the rest home early. Keep the new boy on, to finish things up."
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Edward Cullen
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What if I?m not a superhero? What if I?m the bad guy?
Posts: 163
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Post by Edward Cullen on Mar 24, 2009 13:27:03 GMT -5
Edward, of course, heard the whole thing. And Jean-Baptiste's silent contempt, but what did he care about that? It wasn't like they needed three dish washers, when he was there, and the other boys were split between gratitude that they were now free to go wench and drink and dismay they hadn't any money to do either with.
But it was boring. Not as boring as high school biology, but pretty boring. Waiting for dirty dishes to come in, looking at all the food humans wasted, and within seconds having it shining brightly again. It wasn't even work. It was drudgery.
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