Donald Duck
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The Quack Attack
"This is very exasperating."
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Post by Donald Duck on Aug 4, 2008 3:19:45 GMT -8
Donald was unemployed (again) and straining to find work. He was too ashamed to inform his nephews, even when they went on a trip to London. When he agreed to allow the boys to wonder off on their own and rendezvous later, Donald slipped his hands in his shirt's pockets and slowly moved along the sidewalk, dragging his webbed feet with each step.
He sighed. "This is the pits!"
Then, just before him, a well-attired gentleman stepped from the door nearest in front of Donald (which turned out to be a restaurant) and frantically looked about. "Good afternoon! Is anyone here an amateur chef, at least? Oh, dear..." He fidgeted as he looked about. He was clearly distressed.
"Hey, what's going on?" Donald asked. "Why are you looking for a chef?"
The man turned to respond to the funny voice, and ended up looking down at surprise to Donald. "Oh! Our best cook has come down with the flu, and he needs to be replaced, just for today!"
"How much would you pay?" Donald asked, cutting to the chase.
"Oh, I don't--a thousand pounds, I should think!"
Donald smiled widely. He was no economists, but even he knew that a thousand British pounds converted rather nicely into American dollars. "I'm your guy!" Donald erupted, saluting like a sailor.
"You?" the man asked. He stroked his chin. "Erm, I don't mean to be rude, but--"
"Tell ya what," Donald said; "gimme a chance to cook you something. If you don't like it, you can throw me out!"
The man chuckled. "Well, all right. We have a deal." He bent over gently and shook Donald by the hand. ~~~~ "How do you like it?" Donald asked. He adjusted the fairly oversized toque on his head.
"Delicious!" the restaurant proprietor responded. "You've convinced me! All right, be our chef for today, and you will be paid handsomely." He smiled.
"Okay!" Donald held up his basting sthingy in a victorious stance. He watched his tentative boss leave the kitchen and... adjusted his toque, when it slipped down over his eyes. "Doggone it!"
Eventually, evening came...
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Post by George Darling on Aug 5, 2008 1:07:10 GMT -8
The stout man hurried along on his way to the restaurant, frequently checking his pocket watch. He was already late by ten minutes, due to the evening's earlier fiasco with the carriage, and the meeting with the spooky children beforehand.
He stopped in front of the doors of the restaurant, adjusting his top hat, dress jacket, and gloves before he entered, his eyes glancing around for any sign of those with which he was meeting; being his employer, his wife, and another high-ranking administrative of the company George belonged to. George's wife, Mary, was currently with an ill relative, which was the cause for her absence.
George could hear a man clearing his throat, causing him to look in the direction of the sound. "Do you have a reservation, Sir?" The man asked. George removed his top hat, holding it in his hands. "Darling. George Darling." He informed the man, who proceeded to thumb through a book.
"Ah, you are the first in your party to arrive. Right this way, please." The man informed him before turning and walking into the seating area. George breathed a sigh of relief to learn that he apparently wasn't the only one whom was running late. He followed the man to a secluded table. The attendant pulled out his chair for him, then offered to take his coat and hat.
"Thank you." George said with a nod as the man helped him out of his coat, taking his seat and picking up his menu as he waited for the others to arrive.
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Donald Duck
Fantasmic Kingdom Admin
The Quack Attack
"This is very exasperating."
Posts: 2,501
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Post by Donald Duck on Aug 5, 2008 1:26:39 GMT -8
Back in the kitchen, Donald cracked his knuckles and shuffled as fast as he could (due to the apron he wore) to the kitchen's swinging doors. Despite his hops, he failed to see beyond the oval windows at the top of the doors. So he was forced to push open the doors--reminiscent of a cowboy--to view the patrons. The duck's blue eyes skimmed slowly from left to right, taking in everyone he saw. The most notable man, he thought, was a very lavishly-attired, portly gentleman, with a moustache and hair as black as licorice.
He grinned. "He's probably gonna order good food, judging from his expensive clothes."
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Post by George Darling on Aug 6, 2008 20:41:24 GMT -8
He glanced up from his menu, looking around impatiently for when the rest of his party would arrive. While his eyes scanned the restaurant, they stopped on the peculiar being standing in front of the kitchen.
He squinted, his mouth gaping a bit. "My word." He muttered quietly when he caught sight of the 'chef'. He appeared to be some sort of duck. A promotional gimmick, perhaps? Maybe the special was duck, so members of the staff had donned costumes.
Still, that seemed rather hokey for an establishment as fine as this, in his opinion. It certainly was a great costume, however; he couldn't spot any zippers or seams whatsoever, and he found himself wondering just how the man's legs could possibly fit into the scrawny legs and flat feet of the costume.
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Donald Duck
Fantasmic Kingdom Admin
The Quack Attack
"This is very exasperating."
Posts: 2,501
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Post by Donald Duck on Aug 7, 2008 2:44:14 GMT -8
When Donald's eyes locked into the patron's, he smiled, waved, and slipped back into the kitchen. Shortly after that, a wine man approached George. "May I offer you a glass of wine, sir?" he asked. "Or champagne? Cognac?"
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Post by George Darling on Aug 9, 2008 23:17:18 GMT -8
Reaching into his pant pocket he removed a white handkerchief and dabbed lightly at his forehead as the waiter spoke to him, his eyes still glued to the area the duck had recently occupied.
He seemed to not be paying much attention to the man, but he in fact heard every word of it. When the waiter had finished, George's eyes met his. "Oh, no. I think I've had my fill of spirits for the evening." He replied to the main, brushing aside any notion of alcohol. "I believe I shall just have a glass of water, if you please." He concluded.
He considered asking the man about the duck in the chef's hat, but thought better of it.
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Donald Duck
Fantasmic Kingdom Admin
The Quack Attack
"This is very exasperating."
Posts: 2,501
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Post by Donald Duck on Aug 11, 2008 1:30:45 GMT -8
"Ah, very good, sir," the wine man politely replied with an equally polite smile. "You shall be served momentarily." He left George alone.
Soon after, the maître d', whom earlier hired Donald as a chef, hastily yet fashionably made his way to the table. He approached the Darling patriarch and clasped his hands together. "Hello, Mr. Darling. I have been informed that your company will not be dining here tonight."
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Post by George Darling on Aug 19, 2008 3:06:11 GMT -8
George looked up at the man with wide, surprised eyes. All of that fuss of trying to make it on time and those whom he was to meet were not even going to bother showing up. "What? Not dining here tonight? Whatever for?" He asked the man in earnest. He tried to keep his anger to a minimum as not to shoot the messenger, so to speak.
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Donald Duck
Fantasmic Kingdom Admin
The Quack Attack
"This is very exasperating."
Posts: 2,501
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Post by Donald Duck on Aug 19, 2008 18:54:48 GMT -8
Despite the unfavorable position he was in, the maître d' retained a polite smile. The smile decreased when he relayed the answer to George. "I'm afraid that there has been an accident earlier; the carriage that was scheduled to transport your company lost control, and ultimately crashed. Fortunately no one was harmed. But as a result, your partners were stranded."
He smiled again, hoping for the best. "This is of course beyond my control, but I am terribly sorry for the inconvenience, sir. I empathize."
Meanwhile in the kitchen, Donald was cooking a large quantity of fancy soup. He skimmed through a cookbook while he did, but at the same time he wasn't afraid to improvise certain ingredients.
He set the cookbook aside and fanned the scent of the soup to his bill's nostrils. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, and then exhaled in satisfaction. "Mmm! This is gonna be great!"
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Post by George Darling on Aug 27, 2008 3:59:00 GMT -8
His face fell at the mention of the carriage which had lost control. Could it have been the very same carriage which had nearly done him in? He preferred not to think of it, and instead focused on the more down-to-earth problem before him.
"Well, it is rather fortunate that no one was harmed." He said, a hint to his tone implying the comment meant more than he was letting on. "Well, since I'm here I may as well have a nice, hot meal." He added, his eyes scanning the empty seats around him. "It wouldn't be a bother if you wished to seat me at a table more tailored for a single person, if you could make better use of this table." He offered. After all, there was no sense in a single man occupying a table which could easily fit five people.
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Donald Duck
Fantasmic Kingdom Admin
The Quack Attack
"This is very exasperating."
Posts: 2,501
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Post by Donald Duck on Sept 8, 2008 19:10:02 GMT -8
The maître d' smiled. "But of course, sir. Please follow me." He dutifully assisted George with moving to a single-person table. At the small table, he noticed and waved to the waiter with the glass of cold water.
In the kitchen Donald had finished the soup, and started work on the sauces. He hummed (quacked?) a merry tune all the while.
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Post by George Darling on Sept 10, 2008 0:41:23 GMT -8
"Ah, yes. Thank you." George muttered, standing from his chair and giving his shirt a dignified tug in an effort to better straighten it as he followed the maître d' to a small, round table which looked as if it would normally be used to seat a romantic couple, which was further promoted due to its somewhat secluded nature.
This got him thinking about Mary, and how half of him was pleased that she hadn't had to endure the strange quirks of the evening, while the other half of him wished that someone else could have been witnessing the events and reassuring him that he wasn't going loony. "Thank you, this will do nicely." George said politely to the man before taking his new seat.
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Donald Duck
Fantasmic Kingdom Admin
The Quack Attack
"This is very exasperating."
Posts: 2,501
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Post by Donald Duck on Sept 12, 2008 19:15:49 GMT -8
"But of course," the maître d' replied.
The waiter arrived and rested the glass of cold water before George, and then offered the restaurant's menu. "Here you are, sir."
Satisfied, the maître d' said, "Enjoy your meal," and left George and the waiter.
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Post by George Darling on Sept 15, 2008 8:49:51 GMT -8
"Ah, yes. Thank you." George responded with a polite nod of the head to the waiter whom had placed a glass of water on the table before him. The portly gentleman picked up the menu before him, glancing it over briefly. He quickly concluded that he would start with a bowl of soup before moving on the a main course, as this particular establishment was renowned for their fine soups.
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Donald Duck
Fantasmic Kingdom Admin
The Quack Attack
"This is very exasperating."
Posts: 2,501
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Post by Donald Duck on Sept 16, 2008 17:11:55 GMT -8
Hanging above the pot of soup was a jar filled with fresh cayenne peppers. After tending to the sauces, Donald was chopping fruits and vegetables on the counter. Although he didn't know it, the force he used to cut the food vibrated the small area, enough to eventually knock over the jar of cayenne peppers, dumping the contents into the soup.
Donald heard the splash and stopped his chopping. He climbed the kitchen stool to examine the pot, and found that the soup seemed redder. "Huh?" He slipped a hand under his toque and scratched his head.
After tending to some other patrons, the waiter returned to George. He clasped his hands together and offered a soft smile. He was even more timid than the maître d'. "Hello, sir. Have you decided? Would you care to start with an hors d'œuvre?"
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Post by George Darling on Sept 17, 2008 8:02:32 GMT -8
The fatherly patriarch glanced up from his menu when the waiter approached. "Why yes, as a matter of fact. I hope like to start off with the house soup." He replied in a polite tone to the young attendee.
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Donald Duck
Fantasmic Kingdom Admin
The Quack Attack
"This is very exasperating."
Posts: 2,501
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Post by Donald Duck on Sept 17, 2008 11:58:02 GMT -8
"At once, sir!" the waiter said and turned. He would soon make frequent trips to the kitchen to retrieve orders.
In the kitchen, Donald, with a sthingy in his hand, was about to taste the then blood-red soup. Though it still smelled delicious he knew something was suspicious about it. He brought a sthingyful of the soup up to his bill and slurped the sthingy. At first he didn't notice anything, but then he realized that the soup was far spicier than it was previously, though he only had a small amount and wasn't burned. "Wow," he said with a cough. "Has a little zip to it."
"Is the soup ready?" the waiter asked when he entered the kitchen.
"What?" Donald snapped his head to the waiter. "Uh.... yeah! I followed the directions, so it's ready." He feigned confidence.
"Oh, good," the waiter chirped. He inhaled deeply and smiled. "That smells scrumptious!"
Donald tugged his collar and swallowed. "Uh... thanks."
The waiter picked up a flat, round surface and placed a certain amount of soup bowls on it. With ease, he brought the collection of bowls to Donald. "If you would?"
Donald was a little nervous, but he decided that the customers had stomachs of steel, and could handle a little spice in the tasty soup. He nodded, pulled the ladle from the holder (nobly, akin to a certain future English king), and used the kitchen tool to fill the soup bowls with soup. "Okay!"
The waiter briskly left the kitchen and delivered the hors d'œuvre to everyone who ordered the soup, and ultimately ended with George Darling. "Here you are, sir. Hot out of the pot." He then left the man to tend to other patrons.
In the kitchen, Donald brought the stool to the double-swing doors and climbed to peep through the window, hoping for the best.
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Post by George Darling on Sept 19, 2008 2:13:37 GMT -8
George nodded courteously to the waiter then rubbed his palms together in anticipation. The soup smelled delicious but, for some reason, it seemed to make his eyes water and his nose tickle but being close to it. He took a nearby cloth napkin from the table and gently stuffed it into his shirt collar, making a sort of bib before he took his spoon in hand and inhaled deeply.
His eyes began to water at this point, and he coughed once, mildly. Nearby he could hear a woman entering a coughing jag, but he didn't really put much thought to it. Had he been paying closer attention he would have noticed that the woman now coughing had been served a bowl of the soup just a few moments before him.
He dipped his soup spoon into the bowl, taking a portion of the deep crimson liquid into his spoon before he raised it to his lips and drank it down delicately. He lowered the spoon, smacking his lips a couple of times. His initial diagnosis was that it was delicious, but after a couple of seconds had passed, his mouse began to blaze.
He began coughing, as the woman before him had. His eyes watered as he groped for his water, at last reaching it and downing the entire glass in a quick series of gulp. But that only seemed to intensify the burning sensation. Around him, he could hear other patrons coughing, as well.
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Donald Duck
Fantasmic Kingdom Admin
The Quack Attack
"This is very exasperating."
Posts: 2,501
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Post by Donald Duck on Sept 19, 2008 15:58:39 GMT -8
Donald watched the patrons engage in uproarious coughing fits."Uh-oh."
He jumped off the stool and hastily dragged it back to the pot of soup, which he examined. He grabbed the ladle and swallowed a mouthful of soup. A few seconds passed before he froze. From his toe to the top of his head, his white feathers gradually reddened, as if he was an empty pitcher being filled with tomato juice. When the redness reached his head, steam hissed noisily from his bill's nostrils, and he opened his mouth to spew actual fire.
He rushed around the kitchen and frantically searched for water--anything--to douse both the fire and the immense heat within his mouth. He tackled a faucet and turned the knob to full force on the cold setting, and spent a long moment drinking.
Finally, he had simmered, and he was white again. When he turned off the faucet and exhaled, whatever steam that remained emitted from his mouth. He hurried back to the soup, longing to figure out what happened and quick.
He looked up and saw an empty jar that was tipped over, above the soup. He took the jar and quickly put two and two together. "Cayenne peppers. HOT!"
He slapped his forehead and groaned. "Oh, no!"
The maître d' witnessed the domino effect that was the patrons' coughing, and he was not pleased. He was about to barge into the kitchen and lash out at the cook, but he decided to gain feedback from several customers. One of them was George Darling. "Sir," he calmly said, but with a hint of nervousness, "is there a problem with the soup? Please be honest."
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Post by George Darling on Sept 21, 2008 1:49:37 GMT -8
He turned toward the voice of the maître d', though he could scarcely see him through the tears blotting out his vision. He opened to speak, but no sound came forth except a few, high pitched mumbling noises. He pointed down at the soup and fanned his mouth, insinuating that it was far too hot.
It was mighty tasty, though.
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Donald Duck
Fantasmic Kingdom Admin
The Quack Attack
"This is very exasperating."
Posts: 2,501
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Post by Donald Duck on Sept 22, 2008 0:04:07 GMT -8
"The soup is... hot?" Of course the soup was hot, the maître d thought. But what else could he have said?
His attention turned to a patron who had managed to simmer somewhat. "Merciful heavens," the patron said. "Th... the soup burns! But... but it is delicious."
The maître d raised his eyebrows in surprise. "It... is?"
Donald, still watching, didn't hear the patron; he was too busy praying for forgiveness.
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Post by George Darling on Sept 30, 2008 13:37:59 GMT -8
"My... my goodness gracious!" He managed to say at last, dabbing at the corners of his eyes with his cloth napkin to clean away the last of the tears from his watering eyes. He raised his water glass to his mouth again, only to recall that he had emptied it moments earlier.
"The soup is quite exquisite, however, it is far too hot." He commented, letting out another small cough after he had finished speaking. "In fact, it could very well be the tastiest soup I've ever had, here or anywhere else. If I could even handle another spoonful, that is!" He added.
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Donald Duck
Fantasmic Kingdom Admin
The Quack Attack
"This is very exasperating."
Posts: 2,501
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Post by Donald Duck on Oct 1, 2008 1:31:02 GMT -8
George's opinion was the general consensus amongst the patrons, and the maître d clasped his hands and laughed softly, though with an obvious hint of nervousness.
"Forgive me if the soup was too spicy!" he addressed George and the whole restaurant. "We were, em, experimenting, but evidently we were none the wiser with adding an extra sampling of spice! Ha, ha! Excuse me!"
He walked swiftly to the kitchen.
Donald saw him coming and tried to hop off the stool in time, but the maître d swung open the doors and knocked Donald on his back. He looked down to the duck, pointing an accusing finger to the freelance chef. "You! What was in the soup?"
"I'm sorry!" Donald protested. He wanted to lie, but he couldn't. "A jar got knocked over and--"
"They like it," the maître d said as he helped Donald to his feet.
Donald nearly fell again with surprise. "Huh?"
"They like the soup," the equally surprised maître d replied. "They can hardly consume it because of its spiciness, but they like it nevertheless."
"Uh... so you're not mad?" Donald meekly asked.
"I would be mad at your blunder," the maître d admitted, "but it was a welcome blunder. That much is obvious. Please, continue your work, but make sure no more peppers get spilled in the food."
"Okay!" Donald exclaimed and nodded. "You bet!"
The maître d turned and left the kitchen. He hastily tracked down the waiter and whispered in his ear, "More water for everyone, please."
The waiter nodded and left to fetch more water, leaving a relieved maître d standing idle beside a table.
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Post by George Darling on Oct 4, 2008 8:11:47 GMT -8
George pushed the soup toward the edge of his table, indicating that he would have no more of it. Though his sense of taste (once it had recovered from the trauma) informed him that it was quite scrumptious, his sense of pain informed him that partaking of any more of the volcanic liquid would not be in his best interest.
When the waiter brought him a fresh glass of water he hastily took a few sips of it, letting out a sigh of relief as he finished and placing the half-empty glass back on the table in front of him. He could only hope that the rest of his meal would not be so adventurous.
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Donald Duck
Fantasmic Kingdom Admin
The Quack Attack
"This is very exasperating."
Posts: 2,501
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Post by Donald Duck on Oct 5, 2008 18:24:12 GMT -8
"Have you decided on a main course, sir?" the waiter ask, readying his pad of paper and a pen. "There will be no surprise spices like in the soup, I believe!"
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Post by George Darling on Oct 16, 2008 2:56:30 GMT -8
"Yes,... yes... I certainly hope not." George said blandly before squinting at the menu for a second longer, then closing it and placing it neatly on the table in front of him. "I believe I shall have the meat and two veg." He concluded, hungrier than ever. Since he hadn't had any more than a spoonful of the volcano soup, he was famished by this point.
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Donald Duck
Fantasmic Kingdom Admin
The Quack Attack
"This is very exasperating."
Posts: 2,501
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Post by Donald Duck on Oct 23, 2008 16:25:19 GMT -8
"A wise choice, sir!" the waiter complimented. He tucked the pad into his apron and smiled. "I will inform the cook of your order immediately." He turned and briskly walked around tables and avoided other waiters. The maître d' returned to the front of the restaurant to greet new patrons.*** Back in the kitchen, after Donald had finished preparing a meal for a different table, he received George Darling's order. "Meat and two veg," he repeated aloud. "Okay!" He hopped off his stepladder and hurried to the refrigerator. "Wait," he mumbled to himself, "what kind of meat? Sirloin? Lamb?" He grunted when he opened the door to the refrigerator and stepped inside, immediately feeling chilly. "Brrrrrr! It's cold in here!" He saw his breath, which convinced him to hurry up and select a random piece of meat. His thoughts were interrupted, though, with the sound of the door closing. The refrigerator's door slammed shut, and unfortunately for Donald, someone had forgotten to unlock it. "Hey!" Donald cried after spinning around. He grasped the handle and tried to turn it, but it wouldn't budge. He banged on the door several times, calling, "Get me outta here! Anybody! Help!" He would be locked inside for a considerable amount of time, long enough for several patrons to check their watches.
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Post by George Darling on Oct 27, 2008 18:48:02 GMT -8
George had waited patiently at his table. At first he merely sat idly with a sort of quiet dignity. After a while, he began to fidget some. By now his eyebrows were furrowed in a disgruntled frown, his fingers absently drumming the tabletop as he waited. How long did it take to prepare the meal he had ordered? He removed his pocket watch and glanced at the facing. His frown intensified when he realized he had been waiting forty five minutes.
"Ahem!" He cleared his throat to draw attention from a nearby waiter.
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Donald Duck
Fantasmic Kingdom Admin
The Quack Attack
"This is very exasperating."
Posts: 2,501
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Post by Donald Duck on Oct 30, 2008 22:05:31 GMT -8
The restaurants' waiters were by then curious as to why they weren't called to the kitchen. The other patrons were feeling just as anxious.
The nearest waiter approached George Darling, affably smiling. "Yes, sir? How may I help you?"
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Post by George Darling on Nov 6, 2008 14:36:05 GMT -8
He drummed his fingers on the table a couple more times as the waiter approached before assuming a more dignified, idle poise. "I hate to keep being a bother, but I ordered my meal forty five minutes ago and I've seen neither hide nor hair of it." He considered for a moment how unappetizing that sounded when used in the context concerning food, then continued. "Is there any way you could perhaps check with the chef on my meal?"
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