Lobster Hut, Friday evening

[willbethenight.livejournal.com]

It wasn't that Bruce didn't want Alfred to socialize at the meet and greet. It wasn't even that he felt it might be too weird for everyone (including both himself and Alfred) to see Alfred as a participant at a party rather than running it. No, his reasons for having a slightly more private meeting with Alfred than the party would allow were entirely selfish. He had spent far too much time in Fandom trying to either pretend to be social or deal with an inability to find time to himself. When the opportunity to get rid of all that and simply be himself around the only person in the world who knew him really well revealed itself, he had to take it.

The fact that he took Alfred to Lobster Hut was just because it amused Bruce to have Alfred be served at a place with "Hut" in the name.

"How does it feel to eat a meal you didn't actually prepare?" Bruce asked.

[OOC: For the butler, but otherwise open for all of your lobster or hut needs.]

Comments

[shudderstothink.livejournal.com]

"I do occasionally eat at resturants, Master Bruce," Alfred said, giving him a look over the, ah, menu. Lobster Hut.

How quaint?

[willbethenight.livejournal.com]

"Is that how you're spending time in Gotham while I'm here?" Bruce asked, smirking a little at the menu.

[shudderstothink.livejournal.com]

Alfred sniffed, not about to allow the name of the establishment ruin his good mood. "When I'm not having a wild night out on the town," he said dryly.

Oh yeah. Alfred was suuuuch a party animal.

[willbethenight.livejournal.com]

"Just try to keep out of the tabloids," Bruce joked. "And do your best to avoid the squirrels around here. It's basically the same thing."

[shudderstothink.livejournal.com]

"...squirrels?" Alfred just had to ask, midway into wiping his silverware clean with the, ugh, paper napkin.

[willbethenight.livejournal.com]

"There are squirrels on the island who record things people say and do so that people can report it on the radio later tonight," Bruce explained. "I'm not sure if it's only some squirrels or if it's all of the squirrels, so it's definitely best to keep sensitive information out of public places."

[shudderstothink.livejournal.com]

"I will keep that in mind during my time here." Squirrels.

[willbethenight.livejournal.com]

"Also, don't be too surprised if anyone here knows who you are," Bruce said. "There are several people here who seemingly know me from their worlds even though I've never even heard of them. I trust you'll be able to play it cool if it comes up."

[shudderstothink.livejournal.com]

"Ah." How else would a British man who helped raise Batman respond to that? "I'll pick up some biscuits for the occasion."

[willbethenight.livejournal.com]

"Everyone will appreciate it, I'm sure," Bruce said.

[shudderstothink.livejournal.com]

Alfred nodded, the beginning of a smile on his face. "It's good to see you again, Master Bruce."

[willbethenight.livejournal.com]

"I'm glad you were able to make it," Bruce said. It made the sting of a weekend devoted to parents much easier to bear. "Everything I tell you about this place should make a lot more sense now that you're actually experiencing it. Now you won't have to wonder if I'm losing my mind."

Not that Alfred would even consider that a guy who decided to go to a certain high school to help him along with his insane plan to avenge his parents' murder by beating up all crime might be even slightly mentally unstable. Perish the thought!

[shudderstothink.livejournal.com]

"I think we're past the point of me believing that," Alfred assured him.

[willbethenight.livejournal.com]

"Good," Bruce said. "Because this place has almost made me question my own sanity on occasion." Alfred was the only person he would ever admit something like that to. "There were unicorns yesterday, Alfred. And they spoke."

[shudderstothink.livejournal.com]

Stiff upper lip, Alfred. Stiff upper lip.

"Was it anything of note?"

Ah, there we go.

[willbethenight.livejournal.com]

"It was cheerful and gave compliments," Bruce said. He felt that said enough.

[shudderstothink.livejournal.com]

"That sounds very kind of them."

It was the best compliment one could give unicorns. Who complimented people.

[doc-lobster.livejournal.com]

It was really only natural that Zoidberg would find himself here this very evening. He wasn't sure why until he was actually inside and then, once there, he combed his scales a bit and meandered oh-so-nonchalantly to the lobster tank on the wall. His tentacles danced a little in an appreciative whistle at the selection available; this was clearly a classy place, and these would take a little bit of finesse.

"So, what you're sign?"

"What's a crustacean like you doing in a tank like this?"

"Hey, baby, don't be shellfish, let's go on over to my place and--"

It was about that point in time where one of the waiters had to come along and politely, nervously, explain to their odd guest that the lobsters were actually for eating.

"What? On the first date?"

No, sir. Not like that.

"WHAAAAAAT? You mean...." Tentacles went flying, claws went clacking. "MURDERERS! MURDERERS! WHOOPWHOOPWHOOPWHOOPWHOOP!"

And, in a side-ways scuttle of rage, Zoidberg left the Lobster Hut, which was probably for the best.

[willbethenight.livejournal.com]

Bruce had been watching the scene with interest.

"It was bound to happen eventually," he said before going back to eating his dinner.