Luke's, Wednesday

[vdistinctive]

Eliot had thought he'd spend the day today catching up on paperwork for the diner. Having a pup who could talk was messing with those plans.

"I'm just saying," he said. "Your name is Valentine."

"Yep," said Val, tail wagging.

"Val for short."

"Mmhm."

"But they call you 'Megabyte'."

"They sure do!"

"That doesn't bother you?"

"Why would it bother me? That's my name!"

"No," Eliot said, rubbing the bridge of his nose. Val's tail wagged harder. "Your name is Valentine."

"Uh-huh!"

"'Valentine' and 'Megabyte' don't even sound the same!"

"They sure don't!"

Eliot opened his mouth to argue again when the cook set his hand down on his shoulder.

"She's messing with you, boss."

Eliot looked from the cook down to Val. Val lolled her tongue out the side of her mouth and grinned at him.

"Dammit, Hardison."

Val flopped onto her back for a belly rub.

Today's specials
Grilled "cheese" with carmelized onions and pineapple
Jackfruit pot pie
Coconut milk pudding

Luke's was open and OCD free.

Comments

[geniuswithasmartphone]

"Well," Hardison said, strolling into the diner. "I found the baby hacker that's been tryna get into my stuff." He grinned down at the dog coming to to greet him. "Hey, Megabyte. How's my girl?"

[vdistinctive]

Val popped up on her hind legs, overjoyed to see one of her other humans. It had been ages! At least, like, an hour! "Hi Hardison! I'm so good! Just look at Eliot's face!"

Eliot didn't even bother telling her to get down. He had clearly lost all dog-related battles. (Except for food stuff. He would die on that hill, dammit.)

"You've corrupted my dog. I hope you're happy."

He knew Hardison would be.

[whoisalicewhite]

Parker wandered in from the kitchen, where she'd been shouting things in different languages to see how the staff would react. "How can she be even more adorable?" she asked, getting to her knees to give Megabyte's ears a good scritch. "You're so smart!"

[geniuswithasmartphone]

"It's not corruption," Hardison said, grinning at both of them. "I'm lettin' my goodest girl express herself. Ain't that right, Megabyte?"

Then bent down to kiss Parker on the forehead. "An' my best girl, too," he said.

And then, "Speakin' of girls, yours is here, too," he said, looking up to give Eliot a kiss, too. "Probably be around in a bit."

[spin_kick_snap]

Awhile later, after the judging was over and Ronin had been able to spend some time 'off-duty,' watering leaves and chasing flamingos, Kathy wandered into the diner for some lunch and, most importantly, visiting time.

"Hello hello!" she called.

Ronin's greeting of "Greetings," was much more dignified.

[whoisalicewhite]

Parker waved at her from the top of a booth, where she was carefully and methodically 'accidentally' dropping crumbs from her grilled cheese sandwich for Megabyte. "ELIOOOT. KATHY'S HEEEERE," she called out, grinning over at her.

[spin_kick_snap]

Kathy wanted to see her dad, yes. But she was also not about to pass up the opportunity to see Parker, either. "Hi!" she said, coming over to join Parker' booth, though she sat on the bench, rather on top of it. "How're you?"

[vdistinctive]

"Corrupted," Eliot said. "A man's dog ain't supposed to mess with him on purpose."

Grumph harumph mutter mutter.

[vdistinctive]

"Ronin," Eliot greeted, giving the dog a solemn nod. "Darlin'." Kathy, on the other hand, got a smile and a kiss on the temple. "You coulda told me you were comin' to town."

If she had, he would have gone way, way overboard with the Luke's specials.

[whoisalicewhite]

"Valentine Megabyte, are you messing with Eliot?" Parker cooed down at the dog. "Gooooood girl!" She leaned over to kiss Hardison back, taking a nice long minute over it. "Yay, visits from the next generation."

[whoisalicewhite]

Parker leaned down to give her a quick, hard hug, then pulled herself up again. "Doing good. Watching Eliot lose it when Megabyte tells him things. Missed you. What have you been up to?"

[vdistinctive]

"I'm doomed, aren't I," Eliot said with a sigh. "I'm going to spend the rest of my life surrounded by people who like to poke the bear."

Look how casually he referred to the rest of his life! He couldn't quite help the small smile that crossed his face saying it, either.

[geniuswithasmartphone]

"Doomed?" Hardison asked, with a grin he couldn't hide at the 'rest of my life' comment. "Man, don't play. You love it. You don't know what to do with people who didn't. That's why even your dog is teasin' you. She knows."

He grinned down at the dog. "Don't you, girl? Don't you?"

[vdistinctive]

"The faces he makes are funny," Val agreed. And he never smelled upset, so it was okay!

"I do not," Eliot said. "Y'all are lucky I love you."

[whoisalicewhite]

"Yup!" Parker agreed, ruffling Megabyte's ears. "She's right, the faces are hilarious." Her grin softened a little. "And we're the lucky ones. All of us."

[spin_kick_snap]

"It was a last minute decision," Kathy said, hugging him tightly. "Figured I'd pop over, make sure my store wasn't infested with giant roaches anymore, all that stuff. Ended up getting roped into the shenanigans in the park that I can't tell you about because it'll hurt you in your soul."

[spin_kick_snap]

"Miss you, too," Kathy said, appreciating that hug, brief as it was. "I need to get you guys to come to Limbo City sometime. See our place. I love it. Dante just got me a kimchi fridge, so I've been making some of that. I ended up getting my mom's old recipe, so I've been experimenting. I brought some with me to give to Dad for you all to try."

[geniuswithasmartphone]

"Sure are, mama," Hardison said, giving them a soft smile. "Y'all are my life now an' I wouldn't have it any other way."

[vdistinctive]

"We are such a cute family!" Val enthused, running around in tight little circles. Then she stopped, ears up and tail all standing straight up at attention. "Oh. My. GOD. You guys you guys you guys! I just had the BEST IDEA!"

Eliot's dog was a preteen girl. Because of course she was.

"Well, girl," he said. "Don't leave us hangin'."

Val was practically vibrating. "You guys should do the thing!"

[vdistinctive]

"Oh god." Eliot went faintly pale. "They did something with food, didn't they."

When would they ever learn?

[whoisalicewhite]

"The thing?" Parker repeated, looking over at the guys in bewilderment. "Um. Do you guys know what thing she means? Megabyte, there's lots of things we could do..." Even if they'd already done a lot of things together.

Also, this was the cutest puppy ever, yes she was.

[geniuswithasmartphone]

Okay so Hardison was just gonna get reeeeeal quiet.

In his defense, talking about marriage with Val hadn't been a thing when, y'know, she couldn't talk.

[vdistinctive]

Val looked meaningfully at Hardison. And then turned exactly the same look on Eliot.

"The thing," she said seriously.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Eliot said, in a tone that said he knew exactly what she was talking about.

"Seriously?!" Val asked. "Oh my god, you've only been talking about asking them to marry you for like a month!"

Eliot froze.

". . . Was that supposed to be a secret?" Val asked, tail drooping.

[whoisalicewhite]

"Wait, what?"

Parker looked from one guy to the other, both of them looking shifty, then looked back at Megabyte. "Tell me everything!"

[geniuswithasmartphone]

"Wait a second," Hardison said, turning to look at Eliot with wide eyes. "You have?!"