Luke's, Thursday

[betterthanaplan]

So. Lucifer had questioned how fulfilling running a diner could be, last week. And it had lived in Duke's head, rent free, ever since.

Which might explain why he shoved his cook aside in the kitchen today, throwing himself into chopping fresh fall vegetables straight from the farm and searing thick, juicy salmon fillets.

"Ha. I am so totally fulfilled," he muttered. And glanced over his shoulder to see his staff all standing there, watching him and muttering. "Are you kidding me over there? Get back to work!"

Today's specials
CATCH OF THE DAY!
Seared salmon with fall vegetables and apple brown-butter dressing

Luke's was open and ocd free.

Comments

[my_own_advocate]

Between the mojo thing and Eric's troubling questions about just how many gifts one parent could possibly give their child, Lucifer was... well, he was repressing. A bit. Maybe.

And what better way to distract himself from all that than barreling right into the thing totally not keeping him up at night?

"Where's Duke?"

[betterthanaplan]

Before the staff could answer, Duke himself could be heard from the kitchen, demanding more turnips.

[my_own_advocate]

"Is he genuinely cooking with turnips today?" Lucifer asked the closest staff member whose name he didn't know. "What is this, the 16th century?"

[betterthanaplan]

That got an eye roll and a shrug from the staff member.

"Luce?" Duke leaned through the doorway. "C'mon back, man, I'm cooking."

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer shook his head at said staff member, but he moved towards Duke obligingly, stepping into the kitchen. "Are you actually doing something to turnips right now? Because I do know a fair few wonderful jokes about those."

[betterthanaplan]

"Yes, I'm doing something with turnips. It's a fall vegetable dish. Turnips and brussels sprouts included." Duke gave him a fond smile. "But by all means, let's hear your jokes."

[my_own_advocate]

"Brussel sprouts aren't as funny," Lucifer said. "Though I have seen people use them for similar reasons as the turnips."

He leaned against the counter, torn between going to tug Duke into his arms and... well, standing here snarking, he supposed.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke had his own opinions on that, as expressed with him reaching for Lucifer with the hand not stirring vegetables.

“That sounds like a recipe for infection in uncomfortable places.”

[my_own_advocate]

"That's never stopped anyone from putting anything anywhere," Lucifer said, and stepped towards Duke. Because now not doing so would be a rejection, and he was absolutely not doing that.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke appreciated his refusal to reject him. He shifted to wrap his arm around Lucifer and give him a quick kiss on the cheek.

“True. People are deeply silly that way.”

[my_own_advocate]

"So I take it today has been productive," Lucifer said, faintly amused (and not at all going back and forth about asking Duke about the mojo'ing again, no).

[betterthanaplan]

Of course not! He was clearly totally past that. Much like Duke was totally past obsessing a bit about Lucifer inadvertently questioning whether Duke’s life had purpose.

“I’d say so.” He scooped up a bit of his apple brown butter vinaigrette and offered it to Lucifer. “Here, try this.”

[my_own_advocate]

Because clearly purpose was the same thing for mortals who'd been born thirty years ago and immortals who'd been created at the dawn of time! They were both being terribly logical beings.

"If you insist," he said, leaning over to taste it. "... All right, that's quite nice. Makes me crave pie, honestly."

[mother_love]

Billy had spent far more time on the island in this single day than he had the last few weeks he had been stranded here. He had finally started back towards the cove when he passed by the diner and realized how hungry he actually was. One more detour wouldn't make much of a difference at this point, so he walked in and took a seat. As he caught one of the staff's attention he figured now might as well be as good a time as any to start asking around and so he inquired if they knew someone named Duke here on the island.

[betterthanaplan]

Said staff member gave him a long look to see if he was kidding, then lifted his chin.

"Duke! You've got a visitor!"

"Why are we yelling?" Duke yelled back, and leaned through the door. "Huh. I don't know you."

[mother_love]

Well, that had been a lot easier than Billy had anticipated, even for this being such a small island and all. He gave Duke a small nod.

"No, no you don't. Sorry to interrupt, I had just been told you are something of the local boat expert here on the island?"

[betterthanaplan]

“In that I live on one of the few on the island, yes. I guess I am.” Duke shrugged. “You having boat issues? Or were you hoping for some kind of cruising tour?”

[mother_love]

"Boat issues of the 'no matter what I fix something else seems to go wrong' variety" Billy said with a sigh. "Boat's been busted since I ended up here a few weeks ago. Normally I'm pretty good fixing it up, but this time... can't get it to start no matter what I do."

[betterthanaplan]

“Ah. Was wondering about the new boat,” Duke said, nodding. “I mean, I can take a look for you, but if Fandom decides you’re not leaving, you’re not leaving. Working boat or not.”

[mother_love]

"Yeah... I'm starting to get that vibe from the island already" Billy said rubbing the back of his head with a sigh. "I mean, I'm sure this place is great... but it's not the Bahamas," Billy said with a sigh.

[betterthanaplan]

"That it . . . really isn't," Duke said, wondering a little at this guy showing up with a not too dissimilar aesthetic to his own, with a boat and a Bahamas preference of all things.

This must've been how Kanan had felt when Duke first arrived.

"But yeah, it can grow on you after awhile."

[mother_love]

"We'll see" Billy said with the resigned tone of someone almost ready to accept his fate but still not too keen on the idea. "Could be worse places to be stuck I guess..." (at least there were no mutant monsters or anything running around, so that was a plus).

"Take it you've been here a while then?"

[betterthanaplan]

“Few years now, yeah, off and on. Sailed in to refuel after leaving Rio, only to find out I was scheduled to teach of all things. Stuck around and even got to like it after a bit. The people tend to make up for the island’s, uh, strange habits, if you ask me.”

[mother_love]

"That is.... quite the welcome to the island. At least you arrived by choice, if not forced to stay at first. I was heading out of port and hit a storm, next thing I knew, was run aground here on the far side of the island. Quite the welcome this place gives at times" Billy said with a shake of his head.

[betterthanaplan]

"Yeah, I'm going to say there are far worse ways to come out of a storm at sea."