The Pickle Hut, Los Angeles, Sunday Afternoon

[spin_kick_snap]

Taking a portal back to Fandom was roughly a billion percent better than flying. Rather than getting to the airport several hours early, followed by a long flight in recycled air, indubitably sitting in front of a small child that squalled and kicked and next to a large man who thoughtlessly encroached on her space, Kathy could make her way to wherever the portal was scheduled to open with only minutes to spare, and then boom! She'd step through and be in Fandom. Okay, actually she'd step through, have a few weird layovers and pitstops, and then, boom! Fandom, but it was still better than flying. A layover in the Dimension of Blue was infinitely more interesting than a layover in Cleveland.

On a whim, she'd scheduled her portal to open not far from the diner that Gorgon had introduced her to over Thanksgiving break. It wasn't much to look at, everything scrupulously clean but rather faded and worn. More than one of the booths had rips covered by duct tape, the air always smelled heavily of brine, and the colors and decor looked like they hadn't been updated since the seventies. Between that and the giant neon pickle outside, most people gave the Pickle Hut a pass. Kathy couldn't say she wouldn't have done the same if she had seen it under other circumstances. But the people who judged this book by its cover were seriously missing out on some of the best food in the city. Certainly on the best kimchi Kathy had ever tasted outside of Koreatown.

The Pickle Hut specialized in all things pickled. They had a whole separate menu for different kinds of pickles to try, including a pickle sampler platter and another featuring different kinds of pickled vegetables from all around the world. Pickled eggs, pickled beets, pickled jalapenos, pickled mango sauerkraut...if it could be pickled, it was probably on the menu, somewhere. Even pickled herring, which Kathy was working up her courage to try. Their main menu featured traditional diner food, especially burgers (that often featured pickled whatevers) and milkshakes (that generally didn't, though they did offer a pickle-flavored shake for the daring), both of which were always oversized, really thick, and amazingly good.

If Kathy hadn't spent most nights flitting around the rooftops of Koreatown at an easy jog of thirty miles per hour, she'd probably have to start worrying about how many burgers she'd eaten this trip. And since she had plenty of time before her portal was scheduled to arrive, Kathy had ensconced herself in a booth and ordered a lunchtime special with extra fries and an monster-sized oreo cookie shake.

This was way, way, way better than airport food.

[For the other LA native and open for phone calls]

Comments

[gunslingerpose]

"Welcome to the club," Nick smirked. Because he was terrible. "Now, Petey, man, if you'd be so kind as to get me a fresh coffee, I promise I won't do that again for at least another week."

Petey could not possibly move fast enough.

[spin_kick_snap]

Kathy narrowed her eyes at him. 'I see what you did there,' she mouthed.

[gunslingerpose]

And Nick, he just smirked some more, ascertaining that the worst of the ketchup was no longer on his head, and then...

Looking down and swearing.

"Fuuuck, no."

Yeah, there was ketchup all over his folder, too.

[spin_kick_snap]

"What's wrong?" Kathy asked, craning to see over into his booth. "Ketchup stain your pants or something?"

"Oh, sorry about that honey," Mona said, signalling Petey to bring over a damp rag for Nick. "I didn't mean to get the ketchup all over your folder. Can you clean it off okay?"

To Kathy, she explained, "Nikolai's an agent for a bigshot company over in Hollywood. He's worked with some pretty impressive names."

Yeah, she was proud. Her boy done good.

[gunslingerpose]

Yeah, that was Nick, kind of hissing between his teeth. He knew better than to tell Mona not to boast - she'd practically been family to him growing up, after all. Friend of his mother since she waitressed for her for a few years, back when he was small. And then his mana had gotten a better-paying full-time job, and Mona understood well enough. Raising three kids alone was difficult enough without her holding grudges for doing better for herself, after all.

"Should be able to," he sighed, taking the rag from Petey and trying to get the worst of it off the file. "So long as it didn't soak through. The folder itself isn't what's important."

[spin_kick_snap]

"Really?" Kathy asked, looking over at Nick. "Cool. When most people say they work in Hollywood, they mean they staff a Starbucks or something in the area."

If Sarah were here, she'd be freaking out right now, asking Nick all sorts of questions about who his clients were and could she meet any and would he accept her headshot. Would he be willing to wait for her to go get a headshot for him to accept. That kind of stuff. Kathy was a lot more...circumspect.

Or, y'know, shy. One of those.

"I bet it's, umm, interesting?"

Sorry she wasn't more impressed, Nick.

[gunslingerpose]

"It has its moments," Nick said, giving Kathy a wry smile even as he sank a little bit lower in his seat. She might not be impressed, but there were a few people in the room, the non-regulars, who were turning to look his way.

Oy.

"I'm a glorified babysitter for twenty-something toddlers, mostly. Pay's okay, though."

[spin_kick_snap]

Kathy caught the curious glances of the other patrons and gave Nick a sympathetic smile. "I guess it's a good thing that today's your day off," she said, loudly enough to be heard by everyone. "So you don't have to worry about getting bothered for your work."

A woman across the diner sat quickly back down again and a man in the back left corner coughed once and turned his attention back to his plate.

[gunslingerpose]

And Nick... he just snorted, shot Kathy a thankful grin, and then picked up and shuffled his folder a bit.

Yeah, no huge harm done, there. Some guy's headshot had a sort of greasy wet smear on it, but it was off to the side, and didn't actually touch his face.

"Yeah, that'd sure suck. Especially since I make extra sure to only find work for the people who contact me through the agency in the first place."

[spin_kick_snap]

"Why would you find work for people who are rude enough to bug you in the first place?" Kathy asked. "It doesn't make any sense. And it's not like you're going to start gossiping about any of your clients. I bet that'd get you fired in a hot second."

Honestly, people. Think.

[gunslingerpose]

"Oh, fuck. People ask me for phone numbers. Like... the hell do they think I do for a living? If one of my clients wants to put their contact information on the internet or something, that's their fucking business. But I'm not the everyman's dating service if they want a crack at Angelina or Brad, here."

Not even remotely.

[spin_kick_snap]

"Well, I highly doubt that Mona will let anyone in here who bothers you about stuff that'll get you fired," Kathy said.

"Damn right I won't, honey," Mona said, giving Nick an apologetic look. "You're practically family. What's a customer or two compared to that?"

[gunslingerpose]

Nick gave Mona a little grin, a sort of 'hey, don't worry about it' without saying as much. He knew she'd get it.

"If they're not the sort to pull crap like that, who knows, maybe they'll be regulars next," he quipped. "Anyway, you know it's the loyal ones that keep this place going. And the finest fucking toursi outside of Greece."

... That might be pushing it.

[spin_kick_snap]

"Don't push your luck, honey," Mona said dryly, even as she brought over a platter of pickles for him to munch on. "Flatterer."

Kathy hid a smile. Mona might be complaining, but she certainly looked pleased.

[gunslingerpose]

"Shamelessly," Nick agreed, laughing and toasting her with a piece of pickled cauliflower. "But people wouldn't keep coming back here if it wasn't true, you know."

[spin_kick_snap]

"He's right," Kathy said. "Well, I don't know about the toursi, but I can tell you there are old ladies in Koreatown who'd envy your kimchi if they ever had it."

For a moment, Mona just stood in place, looking thrilled at the praise and almost embarrassed to receive it. "Oh go on, you two," she said. "Stop sucking up or I'm going to assume you're trying to weasel a discount out of me."

But her smile lasted even after she got back to the counter. "You want more fries, honey?"

Kathy shook her head. "I don't have the time," she said regretfully, starting to stack her books to put them in her backpack. "It's almost time for me to go. I'm heading back East tonight and if I don't leave soon, I'll miss my, err, flight."

[gunslingerpose]

See Nick. See Nick snort into his coffee. Kathy was still shit at lying, poor thing.

"Yeah, airport security is a bitch," he replied. "It's okay, Mona. I'll take her fries."

And then he shot Kathy a grin.

"Safe travels, Superball. Don't get eaten by any of the new kids this semester or anything, okay?"

[spin_kick_snap]

NOT EVERYONE SAW HONESTY AS A CHARACTER FLAW, NIKOLAI.

...Though, with a secret identity and a school of magic, an inability to tell a convincing lie was kind of a detriment, yes.

"You're all heart," she told him, sticking her tongue out at him. "Mona, can I get the check?"

[gunslingerpose]

"Don't give it to her, sweetheart," Nick said, turning a smirk Mona's way. "It's my treat, after that 'tureen my back' thing. That one was fucking golden. I'm stealing it."

Nikolai had few compunctions when it came to stealing. As could be evidenced by the whole meta for Fight Club spiel he gave to crooks as he took their identification and cash.

[spin_kick_snap]

"You don't have--" Kathy began, at least until Nick declared he was stealing her excellent pun. "Punbelievable," she muttered, tossing down cash to cover a generous tip. "Rematch next visit home?"

[gunslingerpose]

"You bet," Nick replied, grinning. Shamelessly. "And I'll kick your ass without the Fifty Shades reference, too."

[spin_kick_snap]

"Well, I figured I was throwing enough shade already, sweetheart" Kathy retorted, sauntering towards the door. "It seemed fitting."

Yeah, she was pleased with that comment.

Kathy paused at the doorway. "Bye everyone! And thanks."