Luke's, Thursday

[betterthanaplan]

"Right," Duke said, looking around at the various coolers in Luke's kitchen. "So, last week. When I said 'what did you catch?' That wasn't, like, a challenge or anything. I was just being a dick."

"I knew that," Ali said, giving Greg and Tony superior looks. "You were a total dick."

Duke sighed. "Not actually an invitation to call me a dick, Ali." He rubbed his forehead. "Right, so. We've got tuna, crab, and -- what'd you get, Tony?"

"Octopus!"

". . . Like, the edible kind, or the fancy pretty kind that can kill you?"

Tony blinked. "Uhhhhhhhhhh. . . ."

"I mean," said Greg. "He's not dead."

"Right," Duke said. "So probably not blue-ringed octopus. I guess we can just go from there, then."

Today's specials
Catch(es) of the Day!
Grilled tuna steaks with sesame crust
Crab spring rolls
Mexican style octopus ceviche

Luke's was open and OCD free.

Comments

[white_oleander]

The weather today was putting a bit of a damper on Astrid's plans, which mostly involved sitting around outside and sketching, something to pass the time that didn't involve being around the dorms too much. But there were plenty of places she could go that were inside to pass the time, too, and she hadn't really been to Luke's again since she got back, so it looked that that was her choice to wait out the rain today.

Even if she did consider just turning around and heading right back out when she saw who was there, or who it looked like, anyway. The man from the volcano. She'd been mostly able to avoid nearly everything about the volcano since they left it. But it had been a month, and things like to move fast in Fandom, so perhaps it wasn't even him. Even if it was, would he even recognize her? There'd been a lot going on at the time, plenty of other kids, most of them were gone now, and she...was a ghost. So she kept moving into the diner with a determination that it didn't matter, put her bag on one seat before sitting on the one next to it, and immediately digging out her sketchbook and her money so she could buy something to avoid being accused of loitering.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke had honestly figured Astrid must have been one of the ones who'd gotten the hell out of Fandom after the volcano, so he was a bit surprised to see her show up in the diner. And maybe a little heartbroken for her to see her still looking as . . . detached . . . as she'd been in the caldera.

"Hey kid," he greeted. "Long time, no see. What can I get you?"

[white_oleander]

So much for that theory, but Astrid wasn't going to acknowledge the familiarity if she could help it, still considering the money she'd collected in a month of working. She had the cash from Ron still, of course, tucked away inside the frame of the Dürer rabbit, but it never hurt being frugal.

She considered the specials board for a moment, too, and the ceviche had its appeal, but she was in the mood for something a bit more...mundane.

"A club sandwich, maybe?" she asked, looking back. "With a Coke?"

[betterthanaplan]

"Sure thing," Duke said, and even managed to add "Fries with that?" without feeling too much like a food services cliche.

[white_oleander]

"Sure," said Astrid, "that sounds good."

She considered her sketchbook, reached for a pencil, before adding, "Thanks."

[betterthanaplan]

"No problem." Duke went to place her order with every intention of staying out of her hair while it was being prepped. He definitely wouldn't have reacted too well to a well-meaning grown-up trying to 'check in' at her age.

He couldn't help but glance down at the sketchbook as he dropped off her drink, though.

"You're good."

[white_oleander]

And here Astrid was mostly just doing warm-up sketches, in part because she didn't know what she really wanted to work on yet, but mostly because she wanted to avoid comments like that when the drink and the foods eventually came around.

She kept drawing, though--a discerning eye might recognize the duck pond in the park--and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Thanks," she said. "I've taken some classes."

Well, at least that one was one thing that hadn't changed, her ability to completely downplay her talent. But there was significantly more self-aware irony to it than there may have been before.

[betterthanaplan]

"Yeah?" Duke said. "I was always crap at classes. But learning drawing would probably be fun. . . ." He trailed off, tilting his head. ". . . And I'm interrupting your drawing time. Sorry about that. Food should be up in a few. Let me know if you need anything else, yeah?"

[white_oleander]

At least he seemed to recognize it. Astrid looked up a moment and nodded. "I think I'll be okay," she said, "but I will."

And she almost said 'thanks' again, but she realized that it would have been her third 'thanks' since this whole exchange started. So she lowered her head again toward the drawing, though she'd barely set the pencil back to the paper again before she had another thought.

"Actually," she said, "can I also get two glasses of water? Different shaped ones, if you have them?"

[betterthanaplan]

"Sure." Duke looked over the glassware and picked out a pint glass and a classic soda glass, neither of which matched the cup her soda was already in. "Ice or no?" he asked. "You thinking of doing a still-life?"

[white_oleander]

"No ice," Astrid said, who then danced her eyes upwards and around a little at the other question, taking a moment to consider the lighting. "And I might." She did enjoy sketching water, and the brightness would be interesting to work with. "But they're mostly for an unrelated project."

[betterthanaplan]

"Oh yeah?" Duke asked, filling the glasses and bringing them over. "Mind if I ask what?"

[white_oleander]

Astrid kind of did, but then that would also be like minding that a fish got caught on a hook. She was the one who mentioned it.

So she shrugged a little, flipping the sketchbook to a fresh page. "It's something for a class," she said, even though it wasn't. Not really. Not to her. "An exploration of non-violent, pacifist activities."

That she half-wondered if Mae had already forgotten about, but she'd been slacking on her research, and it seemed as good a place as any to start.

[okteiviakom]

Octavia needed a break from the flower shop, and lunch was always a convenient one.

"I'm tired of holidays."

... Also sometimes the best greeting was no real greeting at all.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke had to think for a moment what holiday might be harassing her right now, then shook his head at himself for forgetting. "Valentine's Day must be a special kind of torture in a flower shop."

[okteiviakom]

"I forgot it was coming up." And she'd preferred it that way, judging by how heavy on the drawl her voice seemed to be right now. "Until the flood of orders started coming in."

[betterthanaplan]

"Hell, I forgot it was coming until right now," Duke said. "And I used to actually celebrate it." Evi had been big on Valentine's Day. Duke had been looking forward to not doing anything for it this year. "So I'm guessing you won't be upset if I don't get you a dozen roses and a giant teddy bear?"

[okteiviakom]

"If you do, I'm not going to be happy." A beat. "Especially if you ordered from Covent Garden."

So that probably made her stance pretty clear.

[betterthanaplan]

"Man, what a raw deal would that be, having to arrange and deliver your own flowers." Duke shook his head. "No making Valentine's Day a 'thing' for us. Sounds good to me."

[okteiviakom]

"I's enough of a thing at the shop," Octavia assured him, shaking her head a little. "And one that I don't entirely understand, so... I'm not going to miss it."

This time, the head shake was a little sharper, like she was shaking that topic (and the thought of how badly the phone at the store even now) off her mind for now. She even took a deep breath.

"Anyway. Ha yun, snogon."

[betterthanaplan]

"Ha yun, ai snogon-gona." He was just making grammar up as he went along by now. "So other than trying not to murder customers, how's your day been?"

[okteiviakom]

They were the only two Trig speakers on the island, and Octavia would allow it, so...

"Busy, but otherwise pretty unremarkable," she said with a tiny shrug. "Kinda like it that way, though."

Last week had been eventful enough.

[betterthanaplan]

"Makes the time go," Duke said. "The slow days can really drag."

[okteiviakom]

"Mm." With that tiny non-committal noise, Octavia leaned against the counter a little. "How's your day been?"

[betterthanaplan]

"Apparently I was enough of an asshole last week that my kitchen staff thought they had to go fishing this morning to make me happy," Duke said. "So . . . that's a thing."