Cafe Fina, Sunday

[puppy_fair]

One could not be upset that one was missing a brunch for work when one just so happened to have the most awesometastic mentor keeping one company while at work! Nope, no way!

Even the dishes were absolutely enthralled!

"It's so big," a saucer breathed.

"I want to touch it," a butterknife murmured somewhere among the crowd.

But none were brave enough, because, for as nifty as the giant sword was, the guy who was wearing it on his back was far, far too scary to seem approachable to all sane persons.

"And this is where I usually sit customers before the place starts to fill up at lunchtime," Zack chirped, cheerfully oblivious to this fact. "The dishes say it's because it's closest to the kitchen, so the food doesn't have to travel as far, but I like it because I can swing by and talk to people! Oh, and over here? This is where I'm supposed to wait for customers to come in when the place is quiet, but I never do, because there are all of the dishes in the back, and they make for great company!"

... Fina was open, and someone was entirely too excited today over his guest that he might have completely forgotten to update the specials board.

[Just like I'm putting a nix on the OCD today. Mwahahah!]

Comments

[firstclasshonor.livejournal.com]

Angeal was aware of the murmurs, and was giving the eye to any dish who got a little too close.

Nobody touched the sword not dirty.

"In other words," Angeal said dryly, "you ignore your assigned task in favor of socializing? I would never have guessed."

He was teasing. He was just a dick that way.

[puppy_fair]

"Well, people still come here on Sundays, so I figure I'm doing something right," Zack replied, grinning. Was there teasing involved in all of that? He totally hadn't noticed! "Really, I think more people are put off by the dishes than by me. I, uh..."

He leaned in a little, to whisper.

"I think most customers think that the silverware is kinda weird. And they'd rather be served by me than by a pepper shaker that keeps making eyes at them."

[firstclasshonor.livejournal.com]

"You have to admit, the dishes are ... unusual," Angeal said. "Tell me you don't mean 'making eyes' the way that sounded?"

Angeal was now watching the pepper shaker uncertainly. Did the pepper shaker see this sword? Angeal was willing to use it.

[puppy_fair]

Zack just laughed and straightened, giving his shoulders a shrug.

"He thinks he's a real ladies man, man!" Bounce. "And I guess it mostly works out for him. There are some napkins that giggle about him when he's not around."

... Well, okay, they were laughing at him, but Zack was trying to be nice, here.

[firstclasshonor.livejournal.com]

"You realize," Angeal said, "you're giving me gossip about the love life of a pepper shaker."

Angeal had not known how astonishingly weird Zack's boarding school was going to be.

[puppy_fair]

"Well, it could be worse," Zack mused. "I could be babbling about the alligators again."

Sometimes, Zack could even acknowledge that he babbled, yes!

[firstclasshonor.livejournal.com]

"I didn't realize pepper shakers ranked higher than alligators," Angeal smirked.

[puppy_fair]

"And they both rank higher than mysterious comas," Zack noted, vaguely.

He was not a fan of the mysterious coma.

"This place keeps us on our toes. The alligators were fun, but I don't have to work with them every weekend."

[firstclasshonor.livejournal.com]

"Have there been comas?" Angeal asked, frowning slightly. Anything that could knock out a SOLDIER member was a bit troubling.

[not-jaded-yet.livejournal.com]

Jennifer came in, and smiled. "Zack?" she said, hoping he'd be her waiter.

[puppy_fair]

"Oh, hi, Jen!" See Zack. See Zack bounce. Bounce, Zack, bounce!

... It mattered not who was keeping him company today. Some things were always a given.

"How are you? Are you having a good weekend so far?"

[not-jaded-yet.livejournal.com]

"Well, my weekend is fine," Jennifer said. "No dad nosing in on me, which helps."

[puppy_fair]

Zack nodded, giving her a bit of a wry grin, at that.

"My parents aren't here, either," Zack replied. Beeeeecause he'd kinda made sure they wouldn't get an invite, because if they did they might try to convince him to come home or something, and that just wouldn't do. "But my mentor in SOLDIER, Angeal, is here!"

Zack pointed. And then waved at Angeal. Aaaaaand then he bounced. And then he was waving Angeal over, because, yes, he kinda wanted to show Angeal off. Or maybe he wanted to show Jen off. Or maybe both? It was hard to tell sometimes, with Zack.

[firstclasshonor.livejournal.com]

Angeal was amused. It was a very dry sort of amusement, but unmistakable nonetheless.

"Angeal," he said, offering a hand to the girl. "I'll go ahead and guess that you're Jen."

Since Zack had bounced that detail out when she arrived. See? SOLDIER members were clever that way.

[not-jaded-yet.livejournal.com]

"I am," Jennifer said. She shook his hand and smiled at him. "Did you just get that from Zack shouting it, or has he been talking about me?"

[puppy_fair]

Zack was maybe blushing a little.

"I've mostly been talking about the alligators all weekend," he confessed. And then, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly, he grinned again. "Jen is really nice, though. I'm helping her pick up on swordwork."

He was going to leave out the 'because she needs to learn discipline because she turns big and green, and I might have slept with an alternate version of her in a different reality,' part.

[firstclasshonor.livejournal.com]

"I see," Angeal said. Very amused, now. Possibly by Zack's insistence that he didn't have a girlfriend, earlier, when it seemed that he was certainly blushing enough around this girl, in particular.

"Zack is always willing to help his fellow students," Angeal noted. "Though he tends to be especially accommodating to pretty girls."

Blush harder, Zack!

[heromaniac]

"Zack! Zack! Zack!" Momoko bounced through the door, more excited than usual. "Is she here? I can't find her!"

[puppy_fair]

Zack blinked up, all smiles as Momo bounced in. He'd established with a pretty girl that there was definitely a mutual 'I like you' vibe going on, and Angeal had checked out the place before taking off to get something from somewhere, so he was on his own, but that was fine!

"She? Her? Unless you're talking about Jen or one of the dishes, I haven't seen any girls in here all day," he laughed, shaking his head.

[heromaniac]

No, no, no! "No! Ms Bellum! From my world! She came for parents weekend apparently and I haven't seen her yet, so I was thinking maybe she was lost and I've talked lots about the Fina and I thought she'd totally be here!" Momoko grinned.

[puppy_fair]

"Well, she probably hasn't been by, unless I managed to totally miss her," Zack said, still chuckling a little, "but if I see her, I can call you and tell you to get here quick! Do I have your number?"

He wrinkled his nose a little in thought, pulling out his phone and flipping through his contact list.

[heromaniac]

"Ah! You totally can't miss her! She's tall and has a sexy nice body," Momoko moved her hands to illustrate Ms Bellum's figure, "and lots of beautiful curly blonde hair. She's super nice, though she'll probably be talking on her phone or writing in her datapad; she's always working. I'm surprised the Mayor let her come visit!"

Momoko laughed as she pulled her compact from her belt. "I don't know what she's been doing all this time, since I can't seem to meet up with her. And you should have my number." She rattled it off and asked for his.

[puppy_fair]

Zack made certain that her number was programmed in, and then he rattled off his own, bouncing on his toes the whole time.

"I'll definitely keep an eye out, then!" And he stuffed his phone back into his pocket. "Tall and pretty and blonde and busy! That should be easy enough!"

Even if about 80% of the island's population fit at least three of those four points.

[heromaniac]

Momoko snapped her compact shut after saving his number and gave him a thumbs up. "Yep! That's Ms Bellum! I can't believe how excited I am that someone actually came this year! I didn't think I wanted anyone to, but I'm actually happy that they did!" She stopped bouncing and covered her mouth with both hands, looking hopefully around the cafe for a stranger that maybe looked a little like momma- or pappa-Zack. "Ah! I'm sorry! Did anyone come for you?"

It was rude to be so happy if no one had shown up for him.

[puppy_fair]

Zack gave her that big, happy, doofy smile that was practically his trademark by now.

"Yeah! My mentor from back home came, Angeal! He's an awesome guy! I guess he's here mostly because the Director wanted to see if I'd improved any and was ready to get put on more serious missions. So it's a business call, but he's here!"

Little boogie! Zack had missed Angeal!