1186/Pastrami Time

Pastrami Time
Date of Scene:	16 April 2020
Location:	Katz's Deli
Synopsis:	Leonid and Amethyst deepen their relationship on their date
Cast of Characters:	Leonid Kovar, Amy Winston

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Leonid Kovar has posed:
Amy and Leonid have been seeing each other on and off for a few weeks now, between his studies and superheroic obligations and her responsibilities as Princess of Gemworld, that hasn't added up to that many actual dates. Still, things have been doing in the right direction.

After a trip to the theater for the both of them, they've taken a late night stop at the deli, getting sandwiches and soda. Leonid went with a massive Reuben, packed with lots of sauce, taking a massive bite as he settles in. He's wearing a tight t-shirt over his muscular frame. He's let his hair grow a little, not quite as militaristic looking as it once was.

"I enjoyed the show, but I do not understand musicals. Why are people singing? It seems very strange to me," he says.

Amy Winston has posed:
    Frankly, the speed of the relationship, as slow as it's been, has really been key for Amy. Often, with her very busy life of keeping up obligations in two worlds, well...it can be overwhelming. So, Leonid is a welcome escape from thinking about the heavy things she tends to be faced with on Gemworld, and the hundreds of little irritations about life on Earth. He's a good man, through and through, who maybe even casts Amy the Goody-Two-Shoes into a slightly greyer shade of hero. Which is saying something.

    After the film, Amy's accompanied him to the delicatessen and ordered a classic turkey club with extra tomatoes, which she eats gracefully and without spilling food all over herself! To his comment, she smiles and considers a way to answer that will make some kind of sense. "Well, a musical is a way to blend theater, like plays in a theater, and opera, which really works well to convey emotion. But, the operatic parts are, generally speaking, in the language of the film. That helps a lot for people watching. Because, while I can enjoy opera in its native language, no matter that language...most people are listening to unfamiliar language being sung. Y'know? It's just a slightly different way of artistically expressing a story and the emotions the characters in the story are feeling," she rambles, finally coming to a stop and smiling brightly as she does. As though what she said totally solves the conundrum.

Leonid Kovar has posed:
Leonid Kovar blinks for a moment as he looks at you, the sandwich frozen in his mouth a bit. "Why didn't I think of that?" he says with a very deadpan expression before breaking into a laugh.

"I appreciate that you have thought deeply on the subject. I did not consider it that way. But then, you understand that different worlds have different rules and such, da? The world is not as straightforward as it might seem."

"Perhaps we should see more, then, so you can teach me. I did enjoy it, even if it did not seem very real. Real is overrated," he says. If Amy is more grey than he, he hasn't noticed it. To him, she has seemed a bright and wise light in his life, a place of comfort as a foreigner in a new land, a sort of anchor that has let him process the changes in his life.

Amy Winston has posed:
    "Actually," Amy admits with a smile, "I hadn't thought very deeply about it until you asked me, just now. I just sort of followed my intuition on different forms of visual entertainment and pieced it together as I talked. I definitely meant what I said, so I wasn't just bullshitting you... But, I certainly hadn't thought deeply about the subject until this moment, with you," she finishes her confession with another smile as she watches Leonid consume his large Reuben in great big bites.

    She often speaks to Leonid in his native Russian (almost as often as Leonid speaks to her in her native English), to give him something comforting and also aiding him whenever he can't quite find the word he wants in English. So, the next comment is said in pitch-perfect Russian. <<As to watching more together, I'm fully in favor of that idea, though not simply for the joys of teaching you -- which, really, is fun, but spending time with you, in general, is great. I always have a good time with you, so thank you for taking me out,>> she affectionately bumps his knee with hers beneath the table.

Leonid Kovar has posed:
Leonid Kovar shakes his head, "I would never think that you were...bullshitting me," he says. He didn't know that word could be a verb and he can't help but be amused at it. English is a very strange language, but it has its charms.

<Perhaps, next time, I will be bold enough in the darkness of the theater to enjoy your closeness. I have very good manners. I think, sometimes to my detriment.> he teases at his flirtation, reaching across to let his strong hand brush against her fingers as he kneebumps him.

"You think very well on your feet, then. I would expect no less.

Amy Winston has posed:
    Amy can tell she's introduced Leonid to something new by the way his face looks as he repeats the word 'bullshitting,' and it only makes her grin. "I think English is only matched by German for being able to create perfect words for some very specific situations," she shares with a soft laugh.

    Then, to the flirtation, Amy's brows raise and dimples deepen in her cheeks as he hints at being more forward in the dark, "My goodness. I hope so." Her fingers find and twine casually, easily with his beneath the table as his reach out for hers. "Yep, kind of a bonus for being a princess, really. I'm lucky it's a talent I possess!" she says, truthfully grateful for it being an innate skill of hers. "Are you done, babe? If so, let's go for a walk. I like evening walks with you," she smiles and gently squeezes his fingers.

Leonid Kovar has posed:
Leonid Kovar pays the bill. He's old fashioned enough that he always does, even though Amy is by far the more well-off of the pair. To him, it's simply the way things should be and any protests otherwise, while he might regard politely, will never affect his actual behavior.

He leads the pair of them outside and into the street, a hand wrapping around hers as he leads her along, taking in the night air. The massive man gets a few stares on the street, but he's more than used to that. "The season grows warmer," he says. "I admit, I will miss the cold. It reminds me of Russia."

Amy Winston has posed:
    Amy has given up trying to pay for her half of things. She's still trying to find some sneakily clever ways to chip in, though. Like, suddenly acquiring two tickets to a show that were just kindly given to her (by a ticket seller doing their job after she paid for them), and gosh, who will come along with her? It's a creative truth-telling, but it harms no one, really. Does it?

    Now, outside in the still slightly cool night air, Amy takes a deep lungful of the air and exhales with a commiserating sigh. "I will miss it, too. I quite love fall and winter. My favorite seasons. Not that there's nothing good to be said for spring when the flowers bloom, or summer when swimming outdoors is most enjoyable," she smiles and walks closely beside Leonid, her small hand affectionately molded against his.

Leonid Kovar has posed:
Leonid Kovar keeps her close as they walk. No sirens, thankfully, no supervillains demanding attention. Just a chance for the pair of them to be normal people, if only a little bit normal.

"Spring is good. It is a reminder that life persists. But there are many ways to live, including life in the cold. Some creatures adapt best to life in the snow," he says.

"But, then I can always generate my own warmth," he adds, radiating a bit of heat from his inhuman body.

Amy Winston has posed:
    Amy smiles and nods, turning her gaze up to the night sky. Sadly, here in the city, the stars are practically impossible to see. There's too much light pollution, and that's nothing to say of smog. But, she knows they're up there. "It's a shame we can't see the stars," she comments, sharing her thoughts. "One of my favorite things to do is to look up at them at night and just let my mind wander about the people who live on them, wonder if anyone else is looking at us from millions of light years away, thinking the same kind of thing."

Leonid Kovar has posed:
Leonid Kovar considers, "Having been touched by alien power myself, I know all too well that there are people up there. And creatures. Some of them probably very much like us. But some very different. Some will view us as little more than insects. Others might see us as gods, could they reach beyond their own worlds," he sighs.

"Another case of many worlds and many different points of view. Musicals are only the beginning," he smiles.

Amy Winston has posed:
    Amy's soft smile is all that shows as Leonid doesn't consider that she, herself, comes from a different world. True, she's spent a lot of time on Earth, but Gemworld is very far removed from Earth, despite how similarly the lifeforms look. "Very true, babe. Very true," is all she says, her smile warm and affectionate. "Ahhh, it's been such a good night. Thank you so much for taking me out."