Luke's, Thursday

[betterthanaplan]

"You caught a swordfish?!"

"What?" Duke gave Tony a hefty amount of side-eye. "No."

"This recipe calls for swordfish."

"It calls for fish steak like swordfish. We're using tuna."

Tony pouted.

"Dude. First, if I did catch a swordfish, I wouldn't bring it in to cook in a diner. Second." Duke patted his cooler. "How would a whole swordfish even fit in here?" He shoved the cooler into Tony's chest. "We're using tuna. Very nice tuna, that has been caught fresh. Now please start cleaning the fish."

Tony took the cooler and shuffled off towards the prep counter, looking put out. Duke rolled his eyes.

"Swordfish. In a diner. Really now."

Today's specials
Catch of the day!
Winter roasted TUNA with citrus sauce

Luke's was open and OCD free.

Comments

[thatwaslucky]

Rey was back, and a little more subdued than usual, thanks to yesterday's surprise and maybe some general nervousness. But she'd said she would come in, and she really did want to get over this, she just wasn't sure how this was going to go.

"Hey."

[betterthanaplan]

"Rey!" Duke flashed her a slighlty awkward smile. "How was your trip home?"

[thatwaslucky]

"Mostly good." The thing that wasn't probably would have happened in Fandom, too, but it certainly hadn't been helpful. "How was your week?"

[betterthanaplan]

"Not bad. We had hummingbirds in class, so that was fun."

She didn't need to know about his brooding meditating at the beach or moping thinking at the bar.

"So . . . we should talk. Right?"

[thatwaslucky]

"Yeah," she said, taking a seat. "I think things got really blown out of proportion."

[betterthanaplan]

"Maybe a little," Duke said, expression going wry for a moment before turning serious again. "And I'm sorry about that. And about making you feel like I was talking down to you."

[thatwaslucky]

Did Rey look relieved? Rey look relieved.

"And I'm sorry I blew up. Or brought it up at all, really," she said. "I just... hate it when you do that one specific thing, apparently."

Which she'd had a problem with without pollen and just hadn't said anything about.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke nodded. "I got that. You know, eventually." The pollen had not made anything about that fight easier. "Is it okay if I explain a little why I did that thing? Which, by the way, I will do my best to avoid doing again."

[thatwaslucky]

"Yes?" she said, warily.

[outofherdepths]

Wearing a new outfit courtesy of Alluka and her shop, Larceny sauntered into the diner feeling very proud of herself. "Hello," she announced, pulling off her thick winter coat and slinging it over her shoulder. "I have, as they say, arrived."

Who were they? Why did they say that? She didn't know. But she'd watched a bunch of old movies in black and white and that was a line right out from one of them, when the pretty lady had shown up at the party and made everybody's mouths make an 'o.'

[betterthanaplan]

That was, in fact, exactly what Duke's mouth was doing right now.

He was very glad she hadn't discovered those sorts of clothes until after the pollen had cleared.

"You have," he agreed. "And you're looking fabulous. What's the occasion?"

[outofherdepths]

"I found a store!" Larceny said, enthusiasm bubbling up and over the attempt at 1950s femme fatale. She walked over to him, striding in heels like she'd been born in them. "It's run by one of my dates! And now I got some new clothes!"

[betterthanaplan]

"Very nice new clothes." Which he was probably going to have to be in charge of washing. "What did you give your date in return for the new clothes?"

[outofherdepths]

Did he want to introduce her to the washing machine?

"I said I have a tab!" She looked very pleased with herself.

[betterthanaplan]

There'd been a time when he didn't have to worry about things like 'is it better to just do the laundry for my roommate rather than risk my washing machine'. He missed them sometimes.

He let out a small sigh and rubbed his mouth. "Okay. So. Tabs. You have to pay those eventually."

[outofherdepths]

This is what you got from rescuing mermaids while sneaking into aquariums, Duke.

Larceny nodded again. "I will write my name again."

Which was what happened on the TV.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke opened his mouth. He pointed at her. Then he dropped that hand and sighed. He closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead.

"Okay, so money. Do you -- do we need to go over how that works?"

[okteiviakom]

It was Thursday, and Octavia needed to complete the set lunch. So there she was, eventually, once the flowers and the customers buying them allowed.

With her tiny smile.

"Ha yun, jaka."

[betterthanaplan]

"Ha yun, gona," Duke said, giving her a fairly doofy smile in return.

"Oh here they go," muttered the cook. Duke flicked him off without turning to look at him.

"How's the post-holiday flower business going?"

[okteiviakom]

"Not a single order for anything red or pink," Octavia was happy to report as she came up to the counter. "So, better than before the holiday."

[betterthanaplan]

"Glad to hear it. Your boss didn't get on you for skipping out last week, did she?"

[okteiviakom]

"Not so far, though the day's still young." She shrugged. "Pretty sure Seivarden doesn't have room to judge, though."

[betterthanaplan]

"Not that that would stop her." Duke and Seivarden got along swimmingly, but that didn't mean Duke hadn't noticed how judgmental she could be. "She was probably too distracted last week to notice anyway."

[okteiviakom]

"That's what I'm counting on." Though only to avoid another fruitless argument with Seivarden. Other than that, she didn't actually care very much. "Anyway. How's your day? Did you catch the tuna?"

[betterthanaplan]

"I did!" Duke said. "Though now I'm a little sad it wasn't a swordfish."

"I knew it!" Tony said from the kitchen. Duke didn't even bother flicking him off.

"We've got them all steaked by now, or I'd invite you back to show you how to clean them. Since we missed that part of our camping trip."