savetheearth | 23 | [Action, Open]

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23 | [Action, Open]

Who: Hajime Aikawa, Jackson Isaka, and any other unfortunate patrons of this Denny's.
What: Jack's been stuck as a horrible birdmonster for too long and wants to go out to do things. Hajime won't let him go alone. Somehow, they end up at Denny's.
When: The evening of May 10 at some ungodly hour.
Where: A random Denny's in Locke.

[Closed to Jack]
Hajime thought this was a terrible idea. Sure, he could understand Jack's desire to get out and back into the world better than most, but that didn't mean it wasn't a bad idea at heart. And at least when he'd gone through the same thing, he'd gone on a quiet 2 AM run on his own and kept away from people. This was a bit different.

He was in his own bugmonster form now, the better to accompany Jack's birdmonster form. Couldn't drag his human identity into this. Besides, the public at least kind of knew the Lord of the Bugmen. That didn't mean they were expecting the Lord of the Bugmen and some birdman friend to waltz into that Denny's at...well, Hajime wasn't sure of the time, save that it was very late and he could only give quiet thanks that Jack hadn't wanted to go out in the daytime.

Hajime tried to play it as casual as possible. "Greetings, human," he said to the dumbfounded hostess. It couldn't hurt to stay in character as the Lord of the Bugmen, right? "We need a table for two." Nothing at all unusual about this, just a couple of guys out for some Denny's. Surely they'd seen weirder at this Denny's during Locke City's science fiction conventions.

"J-just a moment," the hostess stammered, staring in disbelief at the pair of them. They weren't paying her enough for this. "I...need to see if we've got a table ready."

[Open Action]
So there are two monster men attempting to have a normal meal at Denny's. One is a peacock man, and the other is a bug man. They're probably from the network; one of them is even recognizable from a TV interview following Wise Snake's defeat. Bother them?

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Amy had been the hostess that seated both individuals first. Naturally, she was very shaken about this, and gone back to see her manager. Somehow, without spilling the fact that she was numbered, she had given him the impression that she had experience with this kind of stuff (barely), which meant that she was left alone to serve as hostess and waitress for these individuals.

On account the rest of the staff was terrified. But throwing them out... was that possible? They couldn't have these "people" rampaging, after all.

Just another reason for Amy to hate working at Denny's.

So, a pleasant expression literally forced onto her face, Amy walked up to them. "So um... what can I get you... boys?" she asked.

Oh god oh god oh god.

Hajime was, for his part, trying to play this thing as cool as possible and feeling very sorry for the poor waitress. He vowed to tip well if he could. "Ah, yes, I believe I will have the Lumberjack Slam. And a cup of coffee. Black." Because caffeine at 2 AM didn't really matter when you had already realized you didn't really need to sleep anymore.

"Uh... huh..."

Amy wrote that down, wondering how this one could even eat or drink these things properly with a face like that. She turned to the other one.

"And you... 'sir'...?"

Edited 2014-05-10 21:04 (UTC)

If she was wondering about the Lord of the Bugmen's face, she'd have all the more reason to be puzzled over this guy's. Was there a mouth?

"Hm." He still had the menu in hand, and seemed to be perusing it without so much as a care in the world. Everything was perfectly normal, here. "The Blueberry Pancake Breakfast. With hash browns and bacon as the sides. Black coffee, as well, thank you."

You see, Hajime? This was going to be perfectly fine.

"... Coming right up."

There's that forced smile again, and Amy can't walk away fast enough. Of course, she has to put the order in, and return with their drinks several minutes later.

Which she does, carrying them on a tray.

"Um, here you go... two cups of black coffee..."

Edited 2014-05-11 13:38 (UTC)

Hajime was quite glad Jack seemed to be relaxed--possibly the most relaxed the birdman had been since transforming--though he did feel a bit sorry for everyone else in the restaurant. It was all he could to do try to maintain that same level of casualness. "Thanks. And could we get some extra napkins?" Because Hajime is going to need those napkins. Need them very badly.

Giant bugs are just messy eaters, so sorry.

Jack had started off this adventure with some misgivings, sure, but he was rapidly becoming convinced that everything was going to turn out fine. "Ah. Good idea..." He wasn't that much more graceful when eating in this form, either. He posed his question with a look to Amy. And then he stared a little longer. Even the eyeball embedded in his chest was getting in on it.

"...I've seen you around somewhere before. I'm sure of it."

It's not in the same imperious tone as before.

Edited 2014-05-12 01:28 (UTC)

"Um, alright. Coming right u-"

Amy froze in her tracks, as she stared, wide-eyed at Jack. That eye on his chest... it was flat out disturbing.

"Um... I can't imagine where we would've met before..."

Hajime still hasn't gotten used to that freaky eye in Jack's chest, and he's also a horrible monster-thing. Discomfort with it is perfectly acceptable. "And here you told me this was your first visit to this human hive."

Jack shifts in his seat and huffs, plainly irritated and put on the spot. That staring chest-eye darts away to stare innocently at the ceiling. "There is such a thing as research." And then he's lowering his voice to a harsh whisper, head tilted slightly towards their waitress as he pulled his cup of coffee in closer.

"Numbers? Does that mean anything? I might be mistaken. Never mind it, then."

Amy's eyes widened. They... they knew her from the network? Well, of course they pretty much had to be, but when had she-

Oh. She hadn't shown her face, but... they could have recognized her build and her voice from that one time.

"... I am afraid that I can't discuss such matters on the job," she said, looking around nervously as she wrote something on her notepad. Which she then held up, displaying:

"MY BOSSES DON'T KNOW I'M NUMBERED"

"Research. Of course." Hajime knew when to back down; the last thing he needed was his cousin getting even more irritated with things than he already had. That was how they'd ended up at the Denny's in the first place.

But as for the rest of what was going on...Hajime read the writing on the notepad. "Completely understandable, that you couldn't discuss whatever sort of research my colleague might be considering." But she was handling herself well enough even having some idea of what was going on, and there was something to be said for waitstaff who could deal with high levels of ridiculous rolling on into town...but how was he supposed to get her number without raising suspicions?

Jack had been more recognizing tone of voice and the general impression of a person. Had she shown her face on the network, he'd be far more certain. He had been spending a lot of time staring at what was happening on it, cooped up as he had been.

He understood the writing on the notepad perfectly well, and gave a nod to indicate it. "More than understandable. This is a place for pancakes, not politics." Cough cough harumph oh God why did he just say that? He picked up his cup of coffee, lifted it to take a drink... and the rim just sort of bounced off of where he had expected his mouth to be. Alright Jack, focus, focus... you're not human, things don't quite work the same...

"...I don't suppose I could have a... straw?"

Amy breathed a sigh of relief. There was enough going on without her coworkers thinking she was a freak too. So, she eased up a bit... just until Jack asked for a straw.

"Err, here you go," she said, handing him one from the fanny pouch she had. "You won't... need anything special to eat, will you...? Because I can probably figure something out..."

Was that... concern for these guys? At the very least, she did feel a bit bad about the fact that Jack might not get to enjoy his food...

"We do well enough on regular human food with regular human utensils," Hajime reassured her. "We just need...napkins. Lots of napkins." He was going to be so sorry about that; there were some things that could not be helped. Like his own extreme sloppiness when trying to eat in this form.

Drinking coffee through a straw was hardly optimal, but sometimes one had to make do. He accepted it (with really surprisingly long talon-fingers, there's something else to get all weirded out about), plunked it into the coffee, and sipped very carefully.

"He will probably need the napkins more than I would...." It seemed that the political situation was tense between the bug people and the bird people. Or maybe Jack was just being kind of an ass.

Amy nodded. "Oh, right... just a second..."

She hurried off and returned quickly, giving them another napkin dispenser on top of the one that was already at the table.

"You need anything else...?"

"Thanks, thanks..." It was clear from the way Hajime was drinking that coffee that these napkins would be a definite thing at this table. "I think we're good for now."

Before the network and the numbers, Shou wouldn't have stepped foot in this place. He was a bit of a health snob when it came to food and Denny's might have okay food, but it wasn't the healthiest. But now, with the wonky way his schedule had gotten, the fact that Shiro had left to help out his family, and Shou's own changing taste, a lot of fast food places were becoming normal stops for him.

This time, he wanted pancakes. He never really liked them before, but for some reason pancakes was needed and needed now. Not only that, he also got eggs and bacon and decided to get the pancakes with cinnamon but hold off on the icing. As much as his taste changed, he still avoided too much sweets, especially since the caramel coffee he ordered was sweet enough.

And then the bugman and birdman walked into the door. Shou scrunched up his nose, took a sip of his coffee, and then tossed a crumpled up napkin at the bugman's head.

"Hey! You were suppose to call!"

Hajime's horrible bugmonster combat reflexes kicked in, and he easily snatched that napkin out of midair. "We didn't exactly plan anything. Just happened to be in the neighborhood."

Great, wonderful, he'd been hoping to get out of the restaurant without actually running into anyone he knew. Sure, word of this was going to get out and then he'd catch hell for it then, but now? Just one more thing to worry about.

Jack didn't have any horrible bird-monster reflexes to speak of, but his regular old startled guy reflexes were enough for the situation. He jolted back slightly, and snapped his head first to look at Shou, then back at Hajime.

Now, part of him? Part of him wanted to be angry about this. This wasn't going according to plan. Shou was an unexpected variable in this whole half-assed scheme of his. But the rest of him, the human side of him, the side of him that had been getting surprisingly lonely all cooped up in that apartment? It was kind of pleased to see him. He laughs. "I chose the right night to finally do something, it seems!"

Edited (argh, spelling) 2014-05-11 04:22 (UTC)

"The right night is when he calls first so I can get the right entertainment all lined up," Shou said, flicking a finger at Hajime and grinning. What? Him have a problem being associated with all this? Please. Shou pretty much was 'that crazy guy with the fancy car the Lord Bugman was riding in didn't you hear?' He might not be as famous as Hajime's bugman form, but people knew about him.

Oh well, time for him to reprise his role as that crazy guy. Shou picked up his coffee - the rest of his food already eaten - tossed enough money for the bill plus a huge tip and took a seat near the two monster guys so he wasn't shouting and disturbing the serious college students trying to share a plate of fries, cheese and gravy.

"So, who's your friend, Lord? You didn't tell me there were bird people in the sewers."

Hajime glanced back at Jack. Jack had never been a fan of the "Lord of the Bugmen" persona, and while Hajime thought it was a bit silly as well, what was done was done, and it at least gave him a bit of distance between the weird giant bug and the quiet restaurateur. "The Kingdom of the Bugmen makes its alliances far and wide," he settled on for his answer that would be suitable to be overheard by the public, "not just in the sewers."

And hey, that gave Jack the chance to chime in there with his own explanation for this mess. Not that Hajime really thought Jack was in the right frame of mind to make any reasonable decisions about this.

If Jack had eyebrows right now, he'd be arching one at Hajime's attempt to explain who he was. Also, scowling. He'd be scowling if that could be a thing. As it stood, the eyeball in his chest was kind of turned about and glaring. But there was still a point to Hajime's bad, bad backstory... and hell, he could probably make up much better things.

"The... High King of the Avians has... taken an interest in this place." The city? This Denny's? Could be either. He said it with an enormous amount of hammy self-importance, at any rate. And with an equally ridiculous toss of his head, he started for the booth that they were being lead to.

The High King? Shou was good enough of an actor to keep his eyebrows from bounce and to stop himself from laughing outright. This was just hilarious even though he bet that the poor guy in the bird form was stuck just like Hajime had been stuck months ago. Which meant that he was probably going stir-crazy walking around looking like a weird bird thing with an extra eye in it's chest.

"I bet it was the pink snake. Everyone says that birds and snakes do not get along."

Hajime did a slight double-take at the "High King of the Avians." Really, Jack? Really? And to think Jack had been giving him a hard time about being a Lord. High King...

"Neither of us much cares for snakes, really," Hajime commented dryly. "Alliances have to start somewhere."

Yes. Really. Jack's been starting to feel kind of competitive on the being a horrible monster thing, so... High King. He gives no visible response to the double-take, simply standing there with all the pride that a weird peacock-thing can muster. The eyeball in his chest does roll, though.

"There is a long and terrible history of war between birds and snakes, yes..." He sniffs lightly. "It's a fine time for an alliance."

Shou was tempted to stab a straw at that eye. Seriously to see if it was actually a real eye or just some kind of trick eye that reacts to stuff. He knew it was a bad idea, but he really wanted to try. So instead, he took a big drink of his coffee and shook his head.

"Man, just when you think that things can't get any more crowded with this whole mess, here are more people. So do you got a nickname?"

Hajime resisted the urge to give a nickname for Jack, for his cousin was at the moment volatile enough without any needling interference. "An alliance between the Bugmen and the Avians would strike fear into the hearts of any who would be foolish enough to challenge us." He was actually listening to himself and feeling pretty silly, and he did have to wonder if he'd be able to keep his composure up this entire time.

It is probably for the best not to stab an Undead in his weird chest-eye. That way lies madness and violence. "Hrmph." A nickname, great... what in the hell should he be calling himself that wasn't a big stupid title? He cast a look to Hajime. "I wasn't told that we would need 'nicknames' in this place. What do they call you, then, o Lord of the Bugmen?" Ha. Ball's in your court, cousin.

"I only mention it since some humans like to come up with nicknames unless you don't mind that," Shou said, waving a hand at the rest of the building. Hajime was probably around Shou long enough to recognize the hint of a smile on his face - the kind of hint that meant Shou was about to go diving into his brat mode.

"They just call me the Lord of the Bugmen." Hajime shrugged. "Or Lord for short." Hajime picked up on that look of Shou's, but he couldn't think of anything he could do to try to distract him from that.

Crap.

Lucas arrives at the Denny's at the head of a crowd, his face ruddy with illicit alcohol. Half of the people in his party disappear before even coming in, having seen something freaky through the window and not wanting to be part of it. The other half shout and murmur, and as Lucas spots the two strange creatures... Well, they're people, probably... he considers for a moment following his fellow partygoers.

But he wants pancakes, and why not come in? He's on the network too, now. It's not that the people he's with are cowards so much as they're other underage drinkers who are too smart to get mixed up in something unpleasant that might get them breathalyzed. He saunters up to the table after they all clear out, eyeing the two of them.

He doesn't even ask to be seated yet, just beams down at the two of them. "Hey guys. How's it goin'?" The casual lope of his shoulders and the slight stumble in his step make it clear enough that he's drunk.

Hajime supposes he should not be surprised to run into a drunken teenager late at night at a Denny's, but he is surprised that this one's brave enough to approach the booth occupied by the Lord of the Bugmen and the High King of the Avians. He looks Lucas up and down and does not seem impressed, because let's face it--it's difficult to be impressed with a drunken teenager making bad decisions. "Well enough. And yourself, human?"

"Pfffhhh." He likes the way it sounds, so he repeats himself. "Pffffffffhhhhhh!!!"

"C'mon guys, I'm on the network, too. I'm not gonna out you but like, you probably started out as humans too, so don't go all formal on me and stuff..." He leans on the partition between the booths. "I mean, otherwise why would I be here? Except that I want pancakes."

He swings his gaze around the room dizzily. "Eh, pancakes can wait. Not gonna lie, I'm jealous, cos I haven't even gotten powers yet."

Jack was just keeping a wary eye on this teenager (a perfectly normal head-mounted one, not the weird one in his chest), very carefully trying to drink his cup of coffee with a mouth that was not designed for coffee drinking. He was just going to let Hajime field this one... until the kid started blabbing about the network. Then he lowers the cup of coffee and speaks.

"We came for pancakes, as well." Well. He did. Hajime came because the family that makes poor life choices together stays together. Or something. "Don't be too jealous, or you might wake up one morning looking like this." It wasn't an outright confirmation of the whole network thing, but hopefully it was close enough to one for the drunk kid to get.

"It is as the humans say. Be careful what you wish for." And Hajime was just going to try to drink a little bit of his coffee, albeit carefully because he had no lips and was prone to dribbling it everywhere otherwise.

He frowns. "So you guys are stuck like this now?" He gets down to his knees and crosses his arms on the table, looking up at the two monstrous creatures. "Like, forever?"

He gives them a little sympathetic moue. "I guess there's more to this whole thing than I thought."

"Hopefully not." The words were out of character with the whole High King of the Avians stupidity, but boy did he ever mean them. And then he attempted another sip of coffee, wound up splashing more of it on himself than actually getting it in his mouth, and snatched irritably for some napkins.

"There's always hope." Hajime was just pleased he'd dribbled less coffee all over himself than Jack. He might have said that he wasn't stuck, but that felt like it would be rubbing it in for poor Jack. "But in the meantime, we have pancakes." Or Jack did. He hadn't ordered any.

"Do you guys wanna straw for that? I could totally get you guys some straws. Even if you don't have lips, you can curl your tongue around and make a seal or whatever." He crouches down and crosses his arms on the table between them, clumsily.

"Oh man pancakes. I gotta get some. I need pancakes." He resists the urge to roll around on the floor. It's dirty, and all. "I guess I should get seated and stop bothering you guys." Pancakes are no fun alone, but he doesn't really want to cramp their animal monster style or anything. Maybe he'll get them to go and eat them on his way home.

"I tried the straw. It's not much better." This is the second cup of coffee, the first having been partially drank with a straw... hot beverages and thin plastic don't play very nicely. But he's going to try, after dabbing away the splashed coffee, to very carefully take another drink... only to be interrupted by all that sprawling.

"....do you mind? What are you doing? Who are you, anyway?"

"And the Lord of the Bugmen does not use straws." Hajime carefully scoots his plate of bacon away from the sprawling teenager. That is his bacon, thank you very much. The Lord of the Bugmen does not share his bacon. "How much have you had to drink?"

"Huh? I'm Lucas, nice to meet you." The phrase comes out by rote. He usually doesn't use his last name when he's wasted... Probably best not to be recognized.

The bacon escapes. He's not gonna go after it or anything, but it's probably best to get it away from his flailing limbs. He looks up at the bugman. "Uh, I dunno. Like... Some beers and a few cocktails or whatever. Oh, and someone brought smirnoffs so I had one of those but I had to be drunk to drink them cos they're gross."

He shrugs. "Sorry about your straw difficulties or whatever. Maybe, uh. Man, I dunno. That really does suck, though..." He's not articulating his sympathy very well. "I guess people chose to be kind of monstery in my past life or whatever, but I don't think you guys did, so that sucks."

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23 | [Action, Open]

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