Luke's, Thursday

[betterthanaplan]

So apparently Duke's entire waitstaff thought they were in a Broadway musical.

"Look at Lulu, Lulu's stopped her crying. . . ."

. . . Maybe an off-Broadway musical.

"We don't need the needle
We don't need the needle
We don't need the needle to be freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!"

Off-off-Broadway.

"You know, as the son of a junkie hooker, I think I'm offended."

Greg scoffed. "You just don't like musicals."

". . . Yeah, Greg." Duke rolled his eyes. "That's the problem here."

Today's specials
CATCH OF THE DAY
Beer batter fish and chips

Luke's was open. And playing eight shows weekly, apparently.

Comments

[okteiviakom]

Octavia had had a tough but probably ultimately good session with Claire earlier. And all she wanted right now was a simple, quiet lunch with her snogon and some space to process her morning.

So of course what was happening at the diner was... that. She paused in the doorway, seriously considering turning on her heels and texting Duke to maybe bring her something at the ship instead.

But in the end she just sighed heavily and came in, anyway.

[betterthanaplan]

The hostess was stepping up for her big solo just as she did.

"Wasn't long ago my soul was . . . dying. . . ."

"Nope!" Duke grabbed her from behind, hand clamping down over her mouth. "Go let your soul die somewhere else." He swung her around and handed her off to Ali.

"Wasn't long ago, I thought," she sang, the moment he let go of her mouth. "That life was too absuuuuuurd!"

Ali, bless him, dragged her into the kitchen. And then put her in the freezer.

Duke let out a breath, then gave Octavia a bright, only slightly forced smile. "Hey. How's it going?"

[okteiviakom]

"What's going on?" Octavia asked.

Against her better judgment, really.

[betterthanaplan]

"Apparently the gremlins are feeling especially bitey right now," Duke said. "They got my whole waitstaff."

Or possibly they just got a few and the rest decided to just roll with it.

[okteiviakom]

Octavia glanced towards the kitchen. "How can you even tell?"

... Mean, Octavia.

[betterthanaplan]

"Mostly because Greg told me," Duke admitted. "Apparently they think they're in a musical called 'East Hastings'?"

[okteiviakom]

"Never cared much about musicals," Octavia noted, and shrugged a little, looking back at him. "What's for lunch, snogon?"

[betterthanaplan]

"Fish and chips. An old British standard. I'll ask Greg to fix you up a plate."

[okteiviakom]

"Mochof," Octavia said, a little softer. (No, it had nothing to do with Greg.) "And a milkshake?"

It was barely noon, and she'd already had a long day.

[betterthanaplan]

"And a milkshake. I've been told my strawberry milkshakes are excellent."

Mind you, Nina was enthusiastic about most things. But still!

[okteiviakom]

Octavia nodded. "So I'll take one of those."

Then she nodded towards a corner table.

"I'll be over there."

[betterthanaplan]

“I’ll tell Billy to steer the dance numbers away from you,” Duke said, then leaned in for a quick kiss before heading to the kitchen.

[okteiviakom]

"Chof," Octavia muttered as she kissed him back.

And then went over to her table, sort of mildly eyeing the general direction of the kitchen. She wasn't entirely convinced she shouldn't have convinced him to play hooky instead.

[betterthanaplan]

It wouldn't have been at all hard to do.

He came back with her milkshake pretty quickly and set it down in front of her before sliding into the booth across from her.

"So. How's your day gone so far?"

The last time they'd been here, they'd had a pretty big fight. Duke was trying really hard not to think about that.

[okteiviakom]

"It's Thursday," Octavia said, reaching for the milkshake. There was something faintly wry about her tone. "So... Big and emotional and exhausting?"

[betterthanaplan]

"Yeah, sounds about right," Duke said. "At some point, I'm told, it does get easier. Not sure when, though."

[okteiviakom]

"We're looking into antidepressants."

So, hey. That might make something a little easier.

... Also apparently she just wanted to get that out there right away.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke pressed his hand over his mouth, not sure what it would do with his reaction to that.

He wasn't 100% sure what his reaction to that even was. This was good, he knew it was good, but part of him was still horrified that he wasn't enough to make her better all by himself.

"What, uh. What do you think of that?"

[okteiviakom]

Octavia lifted one shoulder in a half-hearted shrug.

"Seems worth trying," she rasped. "Claire says it's not a miracle cure, and might take a while to find one that works for me, but..."

Another vague shrug.

"I don't know. Seems like a start."

[betterthanaplan]

Duke nodded. "Definitely." He dropped his hand and let himself give her a little smile. "That's what this is all about, right? Taking steps."

[okteiviakom]

"Feels like cheating," Octavia admitted. "Or like a shortcut." Or like admitting she couldn't do this by herself. "If it works."

Because she didn't want to get her hopes too hgh, just yet.

"But it's... It's something."

And she felt just a little lighter than she had in weeks.

[betterthanaplan]

"Try thinking of it more like . . . a tool." He'd almost gone for weapon, but she had Opinions about using anything other than knives lately. "It's not cheating to use a hammer on something instead of your fist, right? Not everything requires a hammer, but the stuff that does really does."

[okteiviakom]

"I guess," Octavia said, her gaze dipping down to her hand around the milkshake. "It's just a weird feeling."

[betterthanaplan]

"I believe it. I've taken plenty of pills recreationally, but I've never had to go on anything like that."

[okteiviakom]

Octavia snorted as she looked up at him again. "So this isn't going to be like molly, huh?" she rasped, wryly.

That felt like it had been ages ago.