fandomtownies | Luke's, Thursday Afternoon

Hardison entered a Lukes that had been transformed. Again. But at least it wasn't a jumping puzzle this week. No, today it had been decorated with hanging moons and stars, with the lights dimmed and a disco ball hoisted up to the ceiling spangling bits of light everywhere. The staff were all wearing their finest uniforms as well as corsages and boutonnieres. Cyndi Lauper's Time After Time was playing through the speakers.

"What the...?" Hardison asked, looking around.

"We're having our own prom!" the busboy said from where he was dancing with the dishwasher. "We never get to go to the official one!"

"You ain't students at the high school!" Hardison protested. "Or faculty!"

"Whatever," he said, sulking. "So we're having our own and so there."

Hardison wasn't going to argue. He was just going to grab something to eat and wait for a song to come on that was written after he'd been born.

Today's Specials
Garlic Prime Rib
Sauteed Collards and Cabbage with Gremolata
Swete Potatoes with Toasted Marshmallow Swirls

Luke's was open and feeling nostalgic!

[No OCD!]

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Parker appeared, as she was wont to do. Looking a little paranoid.

"Why are they so happy?" she hissed at Hardison.

Hardison jumped about a foot in the air at her sudden appearance, also as he was wont to do.

"They're pretendin' it's prom," he explained, eyes still a little wide and hand clutching his chest. "Cause they don't get to go to the official one."

"Oh." She frowned, confused. "They didn't go to proms when they were teenagers either?"

That one they'd gone to had been kind of fun. Once they'd gotten the bad guy arrested.

Hardison was also pretty fond of the one they'd gone to last year, too. And that one was a real prom!

"I dunno," he said. "But I think the problem is that they ain't invited to this prom."

Parker squinted at the staff. They defiantly kept dancing to 'Celebrate!'

"...They're not students. Or staff. Or, or anything. Why?"

Last year had been a lot of fun for them (and Eliot!) but why do it twice?

Were they not going to prom this year? Hardison had already picked out his suit!

"Why what?" he asked. "Why do they wanna go or why do they think they should be invited anyway?" Hardison asked. "Honestly, I ain't sure for either answer. Why do they do any of the things they do?"

"I think they do them in order to keep the Island happy," Parker said with surety. "They're really careful to do things that would help them stay alive."

Which would imply there was a Reason they wanted to go to Prom. Hunh.

If they were going to Prom, someone should tell Parker. She'd need new shoes. Dancy ones.

What happened to the shoes she wore last year? He was pretty sure she hadn't gone barefoot.

...But only pretty sure.

"So you think all the crazy stuff they pull here in the diner is some kinda, like, offering to the island?" Hardison looked both dubious and intrigued. "Ain't gonna do 'em much good if Eliot kills 'em instead."

"They might be hoping Eliot can't kill all of them. Or that they'll get into the freezer to hide before that," Parker said, nodding solemnly. "Which is silly of them, but they still don't know Eliot as well as we do."

There had been Thing, and... well. Tiny Ferret Parker had happened to those shoes. So. New ones, probably necessary.

"Nah, even they can't be that stupid," Hardison said. "I don't care how big that freezer is. If Eliot wants to take 'em out, ain't no freezer in the world gonna stop 'im."

"True." Parker contemplated that for a moment, then said, "So, should we go to the Prom? You guys are still teaching, even if I'm not right now."

"I'd like to," Hardison said. "You can be our date. But if you don't wanna go, mama, that's cool. I'll just bring a riled-up Eliot home for you to enjoy."

Because he loved her and sharing was fun!

Parker snickered in delight. "Nah. I'll go too. I want to dance with you guys again."

"An' we probably won't stay the whole time," Hardison teased. "Not if it goes anythin' like last year."

"Good! And this we won't have to try to trick anyone. Plan E was a success!"

Plan E was totally co-opted by Eliot himself. Parker was choosing to just phrase it differently.

Bah! The details didn't matter! What mattered was that it worked. They'd wanted an Eliot and now they had one!

"An' now we get to play with his hair all night long." Because making Eliot melt into goo was always a great time.

Luke's, Thursday Afternoon

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