23 | [Action, Open]

[chalicejoker]

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?

Comments

[feastorfamine]

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.

[chalicejoker]

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.

[feastorfamine]

"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'...?"

[fusionjack]

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.

[feastorfamine]

"... 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..."

[chalicejoker]

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.

[fusionjack]

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.

[feastorfamine]

"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..."

[chalicejoker]

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."

[fusionjack]

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."

[feastorfamine]

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"

[chalicejoker]

"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?

[fusionjack]

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?"

[feastorfamine]

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...

[chalicejoker]

"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.

[fusionjack]

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.

[feastorfamine]

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...?"

[chalicejoker]

"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."