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 Posted: Wed Oct 22, 2014 3:54 am
Al gave Melvin a long quiet stare. Melvin's own mental damage very rapidly calling into question. He watched the man look like he was about to have a heart attack and keel over, but still questioned what he managed to squeak out in reply. "It's... a stain, it doesn't come out. This is the essence of a stain," he didn't point out that he didn't wash the scarf daily. But what was the point in mentioning that anyway? This was his treasure and he was very fond of the fact that even after all this time, it still smells faintly of its previous owner; always watching out for him.
Al continued to watch Melvin's reaction, more curious than amused, but he wouldn't deny the fact he was at least a little amused.
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Posted: Wed Oct 22, 2014 8:29 am
"No. NO. That is NOT the essence of a stain. Any stain can get taken out. Let it sit in detergent. Use Salt. Use baking soda. Use vinegar. You should know by now how to get blood out of fabric with our wor...k." He said, slowly noticing as he looked up at the now very confused waitress who set down the glass of water beside Melvin.
"We're...butchers." He explained, but she didn't seem all that at ease and gave them a small smile before walking off.
He sighed and took the glass of water, looking at the glass and noticing a water spot. Great.
He set it aside and went for his coffee again, taking a sip.
Agitated, he looked back up at Al. "So are you going to get a haircut sometime or just going to let your hair grow out like him?"
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Posted: Wed Oct 22, 2014 3:48 pm
Al just stared blankly as Melvin dug a great big clean freak hole.... and then dug that hole deeper in front of the waitress. When she had finally left he grinned at Melvin. "The ******** was that about man? It's just a stain, it's still clean otherwise." Figuratively. "Way to impress the ladies though," he teased.
Melvin's question and comment though sucked a bit of air out of his sails and he was very clearly about to inch back into one word answers if the line of questioning kept such a tone. "I dunno, no reason to cut it."
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Posted: Wed Oct 22, 2014 4:51 pm
He felt both agitated and insulted by Al saying he wasn't impressing any women with the way he acted. It was an old insult and not one he was unfamiliar with, but having a near-complete stranger tease him only hurt a very old and sensitive topic that Melvin tried very hard to keep either small as to not be made fun of or not visible as best he could let it be.
He had failed in all of that, and a matter of personal shame was being openly joked about.
Angry and embarrassed, he crossed his arms and leaned back. "Shut up." He grumbled and then looked out the window, quiet.
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Posted: Wed Oct 22, 2014 5:03 pm
Al shrugged and then let the silence wash over them, burying them under it's suffocating and uncomfortable vibe. Al took to looking at decorations himself between bouts of casting Melvin curious looks.
He didn't get what pissed him off so much.
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Posted: Wed Oct 22, 2014 5:52 pm
The silence continued, and while it didn't give anything for Melvin to be distracted with, the quiet let him calm down just a little bit.
After a refill of coffee and a few more minutes, the waitress returned, noticing that neither one was talking, and tried her best to smile. "Maine Lobster." She said, and set down Al's dish in front of him. "Clam Chowder." She said, setting down a bowl for Melvin, and then a wicker basket with hot cheddar bay biscuits sitting inside, covered by a fabric napkin to keep them warm.
With that,she left them back to her silence. Melvin took the napkin his silverware was in and set it on his lap before he took his spoon, wiped it off the napkin and dipped it into the heavy, gray-colored soup.
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Posted: Wed Oct 22, 2014 6:08 pm
Al abandoned all manners to reach for a lobster claw. He inspected it and then looked at the equipment that came with the creature. He recognized one as being a nut cracker and took it to the lobster, clearly clueless where to best crack the shell, just clamping it on various places of the shell to try. Thankfully Hunter strength more than compensated for incompetent here and he found the shell shattered and a tender meat within exposed.
It was white, soft, and strangely fragrant flesh. It's appearance a bit of a deterrence but he quickly decided Melvin might become even more irate if he didn't eat the meal he was paying for.
Al swallowed his prejudices and gave the contents of the shattered shell a curious poke with his fork. It crumbled at his efforts. Okay, maybe not a fork... the flakes were so small now that a spoon seemed more appropriate. Yes, he then began trying to eat his lobster with a spoon...
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Posted: Wed Oct 22, 2014 7:49 pm
Melvin watched as Al tried to tackle the lobster with zero experience. Like most, he didn't know what points to crack the lobster, but he was strong enough to shatter the shell.
The spoon though, that was odd.
"You can pull the big chucks out with just your fingers. The tail and the claws have the most. Pincher knuckles too. There isn't much of anything edible inside the main body." He warned, and then gestured with his spoon in the direction of Al's plate where a small, black dish was placed. "And try it in the butter."
He then resumed eating his own chowder, taking slow spoonfuls and savory the warm, hearty taste.
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Posted: Thu Oct 23, 2014 4:05 am
Al mouthed out an 'oh' at Melvin before setting his spoon aside and reaching into the claw. He went to pull out the meat but found it was stuck to something hard and fin-like. He pulled harder, snapping the tendons off into the meat he pulled away. He wasn't aware of proper pulling-apart methods so there they were, sticking out the back as he eyeballed the unfamiliar meat.
He dipped it in the butter then tossed the entire thing in his mouth. Not ba- crunch.
His face scrunched up in clear disapproval. He wanted to spit the whole thing out right then but didn't want to embarrass himself.
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Posted: Thu Oct 23, 2014 2:53 pm
Melvin glanced up only once from his soup with a knowing smile. "That would be the tendon. You don't eat that part." He then took another spoonful of his soup and brought it to his mouth, very pleased with many things.
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Posted: Thu Oct 23, 2014 2:57 pm
Al turnnnned his head and tried to very discreetly remove the offending crunchy item from his mouth then hide it under a napkin as if it never existed. Once it was out of the way he was free to chew and swallow the rest.
He then gave Melvin a sad look, "can you show me how to do it?" He pointed at the second claw with a hopeful stare.
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Posted: Thu Oct 23, 2014 3:02 pm
Melvin looked over at the claw still left and back to Al. "I'm not touching your food, but I tell you."
"Take the claw and break the small pincher part. The tiny part of the claw. It should just snap off. Then take your lobster cracker and crack it down the center. It should just break. Then you can pull the meat out from the claw with your hands or your lobster pick." He said, pointing to the small pronged utensil beside his lobster.
"Nothing should be hard. Lobster meat isn't supposed to be that way."
He took another spoonful of his soup.
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Posted: Thu Oct 23, 2014 3:45 pm
Al slid it back to himself and looked at Melvin for instructions, following along to the best of his ability the whole way. It took a while but eventually he was left with a ball of soft claw-shaped flesh. He dipped it in the butter and then in his mouth. The meat seemed to dissolve in his mouth into soft buttery goodness. It was a little sweet though, a bit of a turn off, but it was mostly salty and unique. He didn't love it but it was good and certainly a great experience. The anatomy also, rather oddly, was not much different from insects.
"Do you want to try some?" He offered.
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Posted: Thu Oct 23, 2014 4:05 pm
Melvin rose his hand, gesturing that he did not want any. "I don't like Lobster all that much. It's too sweat for me. I like savory foods." He also didn't eat after other people.
"It's your meal anyways. That was part of the deal you made up." He said, and went to take a sip of his coffee. "Do you like it?"
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Posted: Thu Oct 23, 2014 4:10 pm
"It's very interesting," Al commented as he repeated Melvin's lesson on the knuckles behind the claws. "I've never had anything like it before in all honesty." He did eye Melvin's chowder with passing curiosity. "Is that good?"
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