The Pickle Hut, Los Angeles, Thursday Afternoon

[spin_kick_snap]

The Pickle Hut was quietly popular; it had a normal crowd and a decent-sized rush around lunch and dinner, but there were definitely parts of the day that diners could head in and have the restaurant to themselves. Nick, having grown up not far away, could practically set his watch by those times. They were his preferred times to eat there, since he was getting to be a well-known agent for a very known firm. And in LA, where an agent went, the paparazzi had learned that stars often followed after. So days when Nick wanted to lunch in relative peace, he headed down to The Pickle Hut during one of those empty time slots and enjoyed the peace and quiet.

Those dead times also came in handy when you were a superhero meeting up with other superheroes to discuss a zombie invasion over delicious burgers and brined foods. It was pretty inevitable that they'd all find themselves here; Nick had introduced Kathy to it a year ago and sometimes their schedules overlapped enough that they'd end up catching a meal together. So when Max had started complaining about needing to eat, they'd both suggested The Pickle Hut in unison. It was close, cheap, and filling; Mona was content to leave them alone to talk with only the occasional interruption for refills; and they had the chance to eat truly addictive pickles and talk about hordes of the undead without being overheard.

The Mighty Dragon (who just as often went by George) and Stealth (who remained Stealth and had yet to be seen unmasked), had elected to stay and talk strategy. Zzzap had flown back to Boston or wherever, and the rest of the heroes were still at their day jobs. That left Kathy, Max, Nick, and Josh to head to the diner and continue to go over the information they'd gathered during the last few days--while enjoying amazing burgers, giant milkshakes, and random pickled sides--including authentic kimchi which delighted Kathy to no end.

[For the two aggravated ones, please! Link to Dante at the club]

Comments

The Portalocity Station

[spin_kick_snap]

After a very long layover, Our Heroes are in a truly delightful mood!

Re: The Portalocity Station

[rebelseekspizza]

"We're here," Dante said flatly, stepping out of the portal. "Almost thought it wasn't gonna happen at all."

Ugh, Portalocity. He felt like he had a hangover, and he hadn't even had the pleasure of being drunk for it first, because of that stupid universe without alcohol.

Re: The Portalocity Station

[not_every_mage]

"What, you didn't want to spend the next thirty years losing to me in Twenty Questions?" Anders teased, adjusting his staff warily against his back. "I was having fun."

He was miserable and wanted (not necessarily in this order) a burger; a beer; and a chance to shake Kathy by the shoulders until her teeth rattled.

Re: The Portalocity Station

[rebelseekspizza]

"I wasn't losing," Dante said immediately, pointing a warning finger at him. "I was definitely on top there."

He was not.

Re: The Portalocity Station

[not_every_mage]

Anders patted Dante on the shoulder in condescending comfort.

"Whatever you need to believe."

The Pickle Hut

[spin_kick_snap]

Where Our Heroes can meet up with Our Heroine for what will likely be a touching reunion.

Put the carpet down, Dante.

Re: The Pickle Hut

[not_every_mage]

"We made it," Anders said grimly, as he pulled the restaurant door open. The trip through Los Angeles had been edifying for someone who had never been in such a large city before, but thankfully zombie-free. "Do you think she's here now?"

Re: The Pickle Hut

[rebelseekspizza]

"If she's not, we can ask around," Dante said. He was peering over Anders' head into the restaurant. "It's Kathy. She'll get hungry sooner rather than later."

Re: The Pickle Hut

[spin_kick_snap]

They were met inside by an older woman with ginger hair that was slowly losing the battle with gray, not matter how many times she tried to dye it. "Hello darlins," she said, giving them both a smile. She was tired, in the way that anyone who worked hard for a living was tired, but there was steel there, too. "Welcome to The Pickle Hut. Don't think I've seen you two here before. Y'all want a booth or a table? As you can see, you got your pick of the place."

The only other occupied tabled was a booth tucked way in the back, under a wheezing air conditioner. Four dark heads were bent over the table in a quiet conference with one another. None of them looked up at the guys' entrance.

Re: The Pickle Hut

[not_every_mage]

"Booth is fine," Anders said, squinting at the occupied booth to see if any of those dark heads looked familiar. "Thanks."

Los Angeles At Large

[spin_kick_snap]

On the off-chance our intrepid heroes wanted to go anywhere else.

Re: Los Angeles At Large

[spin_kick_snap]

The hotel room that Kathy let the guys into would look familiar to Dante--at least, it would once he noticed the mirror over the queen sized bed. Assuming he was up for noticing anything after what had happened at The Pickle Hut, which Kathy was not really banking on.

"You guys hungry?" she asked, figuring food was the safest place to start. Her gi was still lying on the bed and she snatched that up and shoved it into a drawer. No need to have that out and inspiring fights. "Sorry you missed out on burgers, but I can call for pizza."

Or anything else, really, but Dante was here so...pizza.

Re: Los Angeles At Large

[not_every_mage]

"I'm not hungry," Anders said absently. He was still flexing the hand he'd used to hit Nick. "Maker. I was probably 11 last time I punched someone. I'd forgotten it hurt."

Yes, he could heal himself, but whining was more fun.

Re: Los Angeles At Large

[rebelseekspizza]

"Yeah, I guess," Dante said absently. (It didn't hurt, for him, but he could heal real fast and more importantly, he was depressingly used to it.) "Pizza will be fine."

He wasn't paying attention to much that was going on outside of his own head.

Los Angeles At Large - A Club, Somewhere

[rebelseekspizza]

Dante was restless, shit was fucking with him, he didn't even know what had happened that afternoon and while he was beginning to feel slightly uneasy about how vicious he'd been to Kathy... well, it wasn't like he didn't know the root of that anger.

(Just... not how it'd exploded that far.)

So as soon as everyone seemed asleep, he snuck out. Hadn't exactly brought clubbing clothes, but the usual skinny-jeans-and-tank-top ensemble hadn't exactly ever steered him wrong, either.

Within half an hour, he'd found a club. Just any club - hadn't paid much attention to what kind, outside of not-a-lesbian-club. Several drinks later, he was hitting the dance floor, trying to blank his brain as thoroughly as fucking possible.

Re: Los Angeles At Large - A Club, Somewhere

[hollywoodex-tra.livejournal.com]

Max also was underdressed for the club, but he had magic on his side. And magic solved a lot of problems. Glamours were great for for making cash, getting people into bed, getting out of traffic violations; it could definitely handle getting him into a club.

Without paying because who did that? You only paid a cover in LA if your were a fucking chump.

Yeah, technically, he--or, rather, Cairax Murrain--was supposed to be patrolling tonight. And he would! He had no intention of letting LA get overrun by zombies. The 'hot people to sleep with' potential would take a serious nosedive if he did. But that afternoon had given him a puzzle and Max liked puzzles. They were hella more entertaining than searching for dead things with teeth. His life had had too much of that before the walking dead had invaded LA. That's half the reason he'd become a superhero; it was hella safer than what he'd been doing before.

Stalking hot people to a club, on the other hand? That was his definition of a damn good time. Would be even better if he got some answers. Or convinced Dante to come home with him. Or both.

Sidling up to him, he offered a drink that had been ordered for and paid by someone else. "Hey," he said with a grin. "Remember me?"

Re: Los Angeles At Large - A Club, Somewhere

[rebelseekspizza]

Dante was drunk, but not so drunk he didn't recognize that voice. He looked away from his own glass - empty, so it wasn't like he could use that to get rid of the guy - and narrowed his eyes. "Creepy 'Superhero' Number Two," he said, the air quotes audible (though, not that Max would know, not particularly personal). "Are you stalking me?"

OOC

[spin_kick_snap]

Shut up I'm tired.

Re: OOC

[that_oldsaying]

Max! <3 <3 <3

*takes the entirely wrong thing away from this post, yes*

And Josh! <3

Re: OOC

[hollywoodex-tra.livejournal.com]

NO YOU ARE CLEARLY READING THIS WRONG, OMG.

(Secretly, I love Max, the fucker.)

Re: OOC

[that_oldsaying]

I KNOW, AND I'M LOVING THIS WHOLE PLOT. <3 KEEP ON ROCKIN' IT!

(He's one of my favs and he's such a jerkface and that's partly why I love him so much. Hee hee hee!)

RE: OOC

[soniaroadsqueen]

I just wanted to say that I knew that this whole thread would go well and everyone would have a calm, reasonable adult conversation. Thanks for living up to my expectations!

:D

Re: OOC

[spin_kick_snap]

I'm just really proud that everyone was able to come together and really, you know, listen to one another and find valuable feedback and input here.

It's this kind of teamwork that's gonna save LA.

Re: OOC

[nookiepowered]

I love this whole post. Hooray for people being brilliantly and loudly stupid at each other. And yet completely true to their characters.

Re: OOC

[spin_kick_snap]

<3 <3 <3 Thank you so much! It's fun being this brilliantly and loudly stupid, even as it HURTS SO MUCH. I'm so glad you're still reading and enjoying, thank you!