Night 56: Whipserain, Mixed Drinks for Movie Night
The Late Night Diner is a part of Rhodes Island's canteen. That goes without saying – to whom had anyone ever heard of a diner in the boiler room?
As the name implies, it opens around midnight. There are only a handful of customers at a time.
Operators off their night shift could take an order and bring back to their quarters. Night owls could sit dining-in while leeching off the Diner's wi-fi. The Doctor would come for instant noodles from time to time.
Drinks are in the cooler. Anyone burdened by their own thoughts could take one and chug it down, anytime.
Menu? No such thing exists. What the Chef prepares is what you get. It all depends on his mood of the day.
Welcome to the Rhodes Island Late Night Diner. In here, you might even meet a familiar face or two.
The operators of Rhodes Island could always enjoy an array of rich entertainment options once they got off work. The most popular one, other than the monthly office chair racing, would be the open movie nights. No matter it was the early black-and-white silent films from the era of the Battle of Four Emperors, or the Wrankwood blockbuster with latest special effects, or even the long running soap opera Shangshu Wife and her Lungmen Man that swept through Yan like wildfire, so long as the show had appeared once upon this land, the Rhodes Island showing room could always somehow obtain a copy.
"Ey Boss, two tall mugs of Brown Sugar Beer!" A young lady who just got off her night shift rushed in and ordered. "Two with cream topping, also warm please!"
"Two Brown Sugar Beer with cream topping." The Chef repeated and turned open the jar of brown sugar, and added two spoonfuls into a small copper pot. "Aren't you the one who came for BBQ fowlbeast drumsticks with your boyfriend last time? Where's the guy?" He asked.
"You got a good memory, boss." The girl smiled shyly. "It's movie night tonight. He went for tickets and I'm in charge of the drinks. So do you like watching movies boss? My colleague in the department knows people in charge of the showing room. I can get a discount for your on tickets!"
The Chef turned up the heat of the stove and melted the sugar, then added in bits of butter and light cream. The melted brown sugar bubbled furiously in the pot, and when he finally turned down the heat and the bubbles had subsided, what left in the pot was a thick, succulent syrup of deep amber color that carried the heavenly smell of butter.
"I gotta take care of the shop at night and sleep during the day. Don't even have the time to check the forums regularly. If some of you guys could help me tending to the Diner, then sure, I could go for a movie or two." The Chef answered, curling his lips. "What kind of beer would you like? I got hold a couple barrels of Landen craft a few days ago, not too strong, fruity taste, just right for you young fellas. Want to give it a try?"
"Sure...Hi, miss Whisperain, good evening!" The girl turned and waved. "You are going to the movie tonight as well right? I heard they are showing a blockbuster."
"Good evening." Whisperain answered quietly. "I indeed received a message from the showing room earlier today. I hope it's going to be something memorable. Boss, I'd like a cup of Lemon Yogurt, and a cup of Hand-mixed Dark Plum with Leeche. Less sugar, please. Thank you."
"Lemon Yogurt and Hand-mixed Dark Plum with Leeche. Sure thing." The Chef was pouring beer into the pot now, and he was also in the mood for gossips. "With a friend today huh? I remember you usually don't even order drinks when watching movies. So let me take a gander here...which guy bought the ticket for you and the seat next to yours?" He smirked.
"Ehhhhh~~Miss Whisperain is on a movie date?!" The girl waiting for her drinks was more excited by this than the Chef could ever become. "Who is it? Who is it? Someone from the Medical as well? Do I know him? When did you two...wait, are you two already a couple?"
"No, no, it's not like that..."Whisperain blushed under the barrage of questions. "He's just a good friend. Both of us enjoy watching good movies, and we thought it'd be convenient to watch one together, that's all. It's not like what you think..."
"OH C'MON!" Hearing this, both the girl and the Chef let out a disappointing sigh. The Chef poured the mixed beer into two tall mugs, then put on top thick layers of whipped cream. He pushed the drinks over to the girl on the other side of the counter. "Good thing nevertheless. Making friends, I mean. You are a lot more outgoing than when you had just arrived here."
"Yeah, you are more willing to mingle with the crowd lately. You were always so quiet and alone before, and would just appear in the break room like a ghost - um, sorry, no offense..." The girl hushed and covered her mouth, then started again. "What I am trying to say is that you can always watch movies and have afternoon tea with us! We all wanted some of your opinions on the films especially with you, miss Whisperain. Truly!"
"Really?"Whisperain asked, sounded hesitant. "I'm...not good at such things..."
"Yeah, really! We'll all be waiting for your! I'm going to meet my boyfriend now, see you around!" The girl said cheerfully, clutching the two tall mugs and trotted towards the showing room.
The Chef cut a lemon in half and squeezed its juice into a cup with yogurt drink inside, then put a fresh mint leaf on top. He then crushed some Yan leeche and dark plum pulp in a small pot, heated them till juices came out. Afterwards he poured it in another cup, added in a few rock sugar and a few drops of osmanthus jam. Golden flakes and specs of soft pulps floated in the magenta drink, the sweet and sour and fresh scent of the fruit flowed free from the cup.
When the Chef pushed the drinks to Whisperain she still carried an uncertain expression and deep in thought. He waved his hand in front of her face and broke her trance.
"I would really love to join the others, it's just..." Whisperain picked up the cups. "It's just that I am afraid of losing those beautiful memories. Like those films I watched before, only stubs to tickets remain with me."
"But if you are so terrified of forgetting to the point of not even wanting to step inside the showing room." The Chef said, passing two drinking straws to her. "Don't that rather miss the point? I'm not one of the long-lived like you, yet I have some years under my belt. What you feared, I could more or less relate."
Whisperain did not answer. She simply nodded her head, then turned towards the door. Before she could reach the exit however, a large group of operators rushed by from the direction of the showing room. Even the young lady from before were in there, and the Chef saw that she and her boyfriend spilled quite some of their drinks in their hurried escape. A short man rushed to Whisperain, and grabbed the Lemon Yogurt drink and downed half a cup in one go. "Ah, that hits the spot! - run away! Good for you that you never made it to the showing room! If anyone asks, tell them I was never there!"
"Robin? What happened?"
"Let's watch a film some other time. I can explain then!" Before Whisperain could realize what happened, Robin had downed the rest of the drink and disappeared at the end of the hallway.
"Um...is the showing room on fire?" Whisperain took out her tablet and ready to inform the Security.
"Eh, it's probably Nian again. She changed the movie tonight into one of her own on a whim." The Chef said, pouring a glass of beer for himself. "Not the first time."