Luke's, Thursday

[betterthanaplan]

Duke had an appointment this evening with a new therapist Lucifer had oh so handwavily found for him in Baltimore.

He was very, very busy right now Not Thinking About That, though, so he was throwing himself wholeheartedly into finishing up the final touches on the rebuilt diner.

"No no no," he said. "The tie-dye has to go behind the lunch counter. The netting goes over the nook by the window."

Greg sighed and rolled his eyes. "I liked it better when you just ordered us around in the kitchen."

"And I liked it better when I trusted Sarah with a hammer, but we all see how that went, don't we." He pointed to the corner booth where two of the servers were icing each other's heads carefully while a third bit her nails and hovered anxiously. "You can go back to cooking when we're done."

"When's the grand reopening?" Georgie asked.

"Never," Duke said. "We've been open for an hour."

Today's specials
CATCH OF THE DAY
Crispy beer battered white fish

Luke's was open. And newly beachy-themed! Woo!

Comments

[okteiviakom]

Octavia turned up around lunchtime, because while the diner might change, that clearly didn't.

"... Huh," she said, her first comment after a little look around the place, from just barely past the doorway.

[betterthanaplan]

"Tavi!" Duke greeted, arms out. (He wasn't being a little manic, you're being a little manic. Shut up.) "What do you think?"

[okteiviakom]

"Looks like the Gull."

Yes, well done, Octavia.

[betterthanaplan]

"It is . . . Gull-esque," Duke agreed. "Just, you know, without the nice bay view."

Much more him than the old decor was. Especially once he started putting up photos again.

[okteiviakom]

"I think I like it better this way," Octavia said. Then paused, and clarified: "I don't men that about the nice bay view." Because a bay view absolutely would be nice. "I mean, this looks more like you, now."

[betterthanaplan]

Duke's smile lost some of the manic edge. "Yeah?" he asked. He looked around and nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, it does, doesn't it."

[okteiviakom]

Octavia shifted closer to him, so she could wind an arm around his waist. "Do you need any help with anything?" she wondered. "I know you already have everyone here, but..."

[betterthanaplan]

"I think we've got most of this stuff covered. . . ." Duke said, leaning into her a little. "But please, feel free to order them around a little if you want to. Keeps them on their toes."

[okteiviakom]

"Thanks," Octavia muttered, leaning up to press a kiss against his cheek, "but I'm not qualified."

And also had recently freaked out over orders, a fact she was trying very hard not to think about right now because this was not the place for that conversation.

"I'll just stay out of the way, that's my contribution."

[betterthanaplan]

"Well then, I will . . . take a break and join you."

"Oh thank god," Greg muttered.

"You know that means he's just going to make you rehang anything you put up while he's not looking," Ali pointed out.

"That means we're taking a break too," Greg shot back.

"You want some fries?" Duke suggested, ignoring them. "Let's get some fries."

[okteiviakom]

"Is a milkshake on the side too complicated an ask?"

She liked classics, sue her.

[betterthanaplan]

"For you? Never," Duke said, tugging her towards the lunch counter. "What flavor do you want?"

[okteiviakom]

Octavia was perfectly happy to follow.

"Strawberry?"

[betterthanaplan]

Duke feigned surprise. "Really? Not, like, chocolate? Maybe Oreo? Strawberry. Alright, I'll see what I can do. . . ."

He was already pulling a container of strawberry ice cream out of the lunch counter's little built-in freezer, yes.

[okteiviakom]

Octavia rolled her eyes at him. But in a good way.

"You can throw some Oreos in there if it makes you feel better about me being predictable."

[betterthanaplan]

“Nah. Oreos are best if you really want them. You are my strawberry gona and I accept no substitutes.”

[okteiviakom]

"Okay," Octavia replied, amused. "I was just making sure I wasn't depriving you of anything."

[betterthanaplan]

“Nah. You haven’t done that in ages,” Duke assured her. “We’re all good on that front.”

He would not do her the disservice of pretending it’d never happened. She might have to point out he was lying and put a damper on the mood.

[okteiviakom]

Well, she might not have done that when the topic at hand was milkshakes and -

"Can I still get an Oreo just to eat?"

[betterthanaplan]

“Absolutely.”

Duke was maybe being a little extra cautious. Especially today.

“I can even deep fry one for you if you want.”

Because American food was ridiculous.

[okteiviakom]

Octavia's face scrunched up.

"... Please don't."

[betterthanaplan]

Duke chuckled. “I had a feeling that was a long shot,” he admitted.

He put the milkshake ingredients into the blender and grabbed the Oreo box, opening it and setting it in front of her. “For you to eat at your leisure.”

[okteiviakom]

"I'm only going to eat like one or two, anyway," Octavia admitted. "These start to taste weird if I eat more."

She was picking one up right now, though.

[betterthanaplan]

“Eh. You’re welcome to as many or as few as you want,” Duke said. “Though . . . weird how?”

[okteiviakom]

Octavia gave a little shrug. "Like it... gets more obvious I can't even tell wht these are really made of?" she offered. "I don't know."

Highly processed food could be a little weird for her, that's all.