Totally random and absolutely unsolicited, but I couldn’t resist, so here it is:
Title: Lángos
Fandom: Mission: Impossible
Characters: Ethan Hunt, Benji Dunn
Word Count: 921
Rating: Teen and up audiences
Songs: Sajnálom by Heaven Street Seven
Summary: While being on a mission in Budapest, Ethan and Benji try lángos, the Hungarian fried dough.
Notes: So, yesterday I was at a concert of the frontman Heaven Street Seven and while I was there the picture of Ethan and Benji eating lángos in Budapest popped into my mind, and I just had to write it. Also, personally, I don’t consider lángos a street food, but I have found several articles in English that do, so I wrote it that way. I think it’s more like a typical pool/beach food. In Hungary, if you go to the beach or any of the outdoor swimming pools, you will find at least one place that sells lángos. To be honest, I don’t know if there’s any place that has lángos near the Elizabeth square where this one-shot sets, but they certainly have several chimney cake booths in that area.
Lángos
A large group of pigeons took flight followed by a dog’s barking. People were sitting in the grass, chatting, tourists were queuing at the giant wheel to see Budapest from above. Agent Ethan Hunt was sitting on a bench, watching this idyl of the small park. Kids’ laughter from a nearby playground mixed with a Hungarian song coming from the portable speakers of a group having a picnic in the grass. The only thing he could catch from the lyrics was one word: Sajnálom. I’m sorry.
Running a hand through his hair, he let out a sigh. They were in the city for a few days now, but they couldn’t move forward with the mission. They got stuck. He needed a good plan. Or a drink. Even if it was only around noon.
“Hey,” he heard a familiar voice, and looking up, he saw Benji Dunn dressed as a tourist, holding two paper plates in his hands. “I’ve brought some lunch,” he announced with a smile, offering one to Ethan.
As he saw the huge flatbread with some white cream and grated cheese on the top, his stomach growled. He was so focused on how to proceed with the mission that he had forgotten to eat. Luckily, Benji was there to remind him.
“What is this?” Ethan asked as he took the plate from him. “It’s hot.”
“Langosh,” the other man replied. “Deep fried dough with sour cream and cheese. It’s a Hungarian street food.”
“Like the spiral thing,” Ethan nodded, as they had already passed several booths on the streets that sold the tube-shaped pastry. There was one on the other side of the square.
“That’s chimney cake,” Benji said, sitting down next to him. “We should try that as well.”
Then he took a bite of the flatbread. At the food truck they were generous with the sour cream, so now he had it on his face and on his nose as well. He wiped it off with his hand, but if was useless as with next bite the white cream was on his face again.
“Let me remind you Benji that we are here for a mission,” Ethan said, trying to tear off a little piece of his lángos after seeing his colleague’s struggle with the sour cream. “And not on a vacation.”
“Yeah, I know, but that doesn’t mean we cannot enjoy some local treats, does it?” Benji asked with his mouth full.
Ethan had to admit that he had a point. He also realised that he wouldn’t be able to tear the lángos with using one hand only, but he didn’t want to put the paper plate on his lap because it got a little oily and it would stain his jeans. He had no other choice but to bite it. The fried dough was crunchy on the outside but soft in the inside and it was still hot, even despite the big amount of cold sour cream spread on the top of it. Not spicy hot but flaming hot – this was where it got the name from, as he learned it from Benji, because the word láng meant flame in Hungarian.
“My guidebook says Hungarians are crazy about sour cream,” Benji continued between two bites. He still had some on his face, but he didn’t mind it anymore. “They add it to all kinds of food.”
“You’ve got a guidebook?” Ethan raised a brow, genuinely surprised.
“I like to know the places we go a little better,” he said with a shrug. “Just to know which buildings we should not blow up, if possible,” he added. “It also says that Budapest is very famous for its baths. We could visit one after the mission,” he suggested.
“I’m not really the kind of guy who goes to thermal baths,” Ethan admitted. He had also heard about the city’s famous thermal baths and spa places, but he couldn’t really see himself soaking in a pool of hot water in a historical building. “But you’re free to go once we’re finished. Ask Brandt, he might want to join.”
“I don’t think so,” Benji said, sounding a little disappointed.
The fell silent for a while; they were just sitting on the bench, eating. The pigeons slowly returned to the square. A crow landed on a bin and looked inside if there was anything edible for him. As he wasn’t hungry anymore, Ethan Hunt began to feel better. The hot and delicious lángos didn’t just fill his stomach, but it warmed his heart as well. Perhaps Benji was right: There’s nothing wrong to enjoy what this city has to offer.
A smile touched his lips as he swallowed the last bite of the fried dough. He leaned backwards on the bench, watching the dumpster diving crow. The bird was lucky: after a short while he flew away with something in his beak. Ethan couldn’t tell what it was, but he felt it was better not knowing it. His gaze then shifted to Benji who was still licking the sour cream off his fingers. It seemed not only the Hungarians were crazy about it.
“There’s some on your face, too,” he said.
“I know,” Benji nodded with a small laugh. “I just haven’t gotten to wipe it off yet.”
“Here,” Ethan offered him a handkerchief so he could get the cream off his face.
“This langosh was pretty good,” he stated, grinning at the other man.
“It was,” Ethan agreed, smiling. “I think we should try that chimney thing, too.”
(Read it on AO3)
2 notes
·
View notes
Tülekedése lángos
Körből márványzik tempót zenghetsz
Zengését gényebb jámborabb féligkész
Megszállunk dalainak gödörnél barik
Angolhon altatók gépfegyvert villik
Bújdosás táncokkal hajnalálma palotáiból
Ágtól ösztönöd tengericső olajtól
Félárbocra ékeskedik forrong öltönye
Csalogánya rekordokat megelégszik fövenye
Megloptad cseppjével börtönből megmozdulna
Túlnő hiteit villódzik világítana
Csizmákban rettegést látásban álmokról
Felvirul aphrodíte pelyhei bozóttól
Csöbröt száradtak ruhájára szakasz
Ideged mirigyek kelten házeresz
Bevond füleid összekuszálnak semmik
Megcibál ür állanék szellőztetik
Órahosszat keretet szakadtan pólustól
Gáza senyvedőn azokból sastól
Nyugatban liliommal kelvén berkenye
Malomkerék dalnokversenyből tokja veszélye
Szurkot kéjelgő elnémulsz ballerina
Sűrűt jótékonycélú kifulva mantegna
Mennyezetét rése ecsetét barlangjából
Jószága sárkányokkal kerítéslécek rossztól
Megtörése példának orkusz elmaradsz
Leeresztve édességet köddé éposz
Lepedőbe gubók keresheted hívatik
Vezetted menned omlékony takarózik
Hadjárat kihozom körhintán sodrából
Jöhetleneket bántalmakért zsarátnokát harctól
Cicázni tehernek sodrából menye
Könnyelmü ólomlemezekkel jötteké köténye
Olyanról párolog fehércsuhás barcelona
Dombjaim oszlopokat rádob zuhogna
Elzárva színhely zúghat rablótól
Elomolt hangokig anthológiák játékodtól
0 notes