damned_institute | Day 35: Twin Pines Restaurant

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Day 35: Twin Pines Restaurant

(From here!)

Artemis walked into the restaurant and glanced around at the decor. He wasn't impressed, but he wasn't disdainful either. He simply smiled. It was nice... for a town with a population of barely three hundred.

The boy smiled up at the person up front. "Two, if you please."

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"Really? I'll just have to appreciate it by proxy, or hunt it down after we get out of here and give it a try." Seiya relaxed a little more as they sat, and Wally placed his orders. It was a relief that he wasn't alienated (heh) by her little fit. It was just all this time cooped up, constantly reminded of the absence of her partners, with just a few moments here and there of furious fighting at night to let out the tension... last night, not even that, just rude patients.

She was glad she hadn't scared off someone she'd actually like be friends with, not for the purpose of a greater plan or banding together for temporary self-defense. "One of us is being generous. I guess we'll have to figure out which one later, once you're done eating." Seiya grinned across the table at him, just taking a glass of water to sip at while she watched him work.

The truth was, she had expected something a little slower than Usagi's maximum speed. Usagi was cute, but watching her eat could be a bit terrifying. This was more than that. Seiya's eyebrows raised, and her jaw even dropped a little, as she watched Wally go to work on the chicken fried steak. Was it chicken, steak, or some unholy combination? Whatever it was, it was disappearing too fast for her to really give it any analysis. Belatedly, she realized she'd given her own cover occupation as a singer, but didn't know a thing about Wally other than the fact that he came from Central City and had experience aliens attacking. Was he a professional speed eater?

Not that she minded. For the duration of the meal, short though it was, Seiya found her worries drifting away in face of the incredible demonstration of one man's ability to annihilate two dinners at a speed that seemed near dangerous. He was oddly neat, considering how fast he was going. Was this how he ate at home? Even the tingling warning at the back of her mind that should have set her at edge was ignored for now. Instead, as the meal/performance came to a close, Seiya began to very quietly applaud.

"... I'm impressed." The words were simple, but the sincerity was heavy. Seeing something like that made Seiya almost want to take up speed-eating herself as a challenge, if she only had a stomach like Usagi's or Wally's. Not to mention the wallet you'd need. He did say it was a medical condition... The man had to have a metabolism burning like a sun.

Wally had been too caught up in enjoying his two helpings of chicken-fried steak to notice Seiya's reaction at first. It was only when she began to applaud quietly that he remembered that he should have been trying to maintain a conversation at the same time. He flushed in embarrassment and gave a nervous laugh. "Guess I was more hungry than I thought, but you did ask to be impressed."

He glanced down at the thoroughly cleaned plates and sighed in disappointment. While he was no longer as desperately hungry as he had been, he wasn't full either. He probably could have happily eaten another couple of helpings before moving on to dessert. Or coffee. Unfortunately it was highly unlikely that any of that would be forthcoming.

Relaxing back in his chair, Wally smiled contentedly and asked, "So, what's your home like? If you don't mind me asking that is. Almost everyone I've spoken to so far seems to come from somewhere really interesting. If one or both of us are from different dimensions, do you think they're really different?"

"Hey, I admire skill of all kinds, and you are a man who is an expert at eating," Seiya answered, raising her hands palm-first. "How were the meals? You remind me of this girl I know... I'd love to see you two have an eat-off."

Usagi had probably taken down more bulk over the course of their 'date,' but she'd also been walking around and taken breaks in-between. Wally definitely had her beat on speed, especially considering the food had to be cut before it was eaten. Somewhere inside, her competitive streak felt just a little bit perversely jealous that this was a field she absolutely couldn't compete in.

At least Wally looked happy, even if his question reminded her of her situation. It's not as though you're much worse off than anyone else here... you're just a little bit more unable to get home than average at the moment, she tried to remind herself, and considered how to answer his question.

"We live in a pretty good sized apartment in Tokyo. My bandmates and I, I mean. It's got plenty of sound-proofing so we can practice, and it's close to some really great night spots. I'm the only one who's really into going out to clubs, but the other two come out sometimes despite themselves." Talking about Taiki and Yaten's daily habits wasn't as depressing as she'd thought it might be, although the idea that she was feeling nostalgia for something she'd only been missing a few days was a little worrisome. "They're more intellectual types. I'm the sporty one. But I've already talked a lot about me. How about you? What are things like in your dimension? It sounds exciting, at least... alien invasions. That's a pretty big difference right there." She laughed a little, although it wasn't really funny.

Well, people knowing about the invasion was different, at least.

Wally laughed, mostly out of amusement but also to cover the fact he hadn't actually tasted much beyond a general 'good' and 'want more'. "Delicious. You really should have tried some." Of course, Seiya probably would have had a hard time doing so while he was eating. No one was exactly eager to come between him and food. "I remind you of a girl you know? Does one of your bandmates eat like I do?" That would be interesting at the very least. He'd never met anyone with a metabolism like his. For all he knew there was a universal law of one per planet, lest they eat the world into famine.

He nodded and listened intently as Seiya talked about her home. "It sounds like you really miss them," he said quietly. He felt a little bad for bringing the subject up now. Way to remind her of what she's lost, genius, he mentally berated himself. He was more than happy to let Seiya shift the topic onto his dimension. "Yeah, I suppose exciting is one word for it," he agreed. "I guess it's pretty normal otherwise. Most people just go along with their everyday lives with only the weekly invasions to break things up..." He kept his face serious for almost two seconds before breaking into a huge smile. "I'm kidding of course."

Wally took a sip of his water before continuing. "I work as a forensics scientist actually. Well, mostly basic lab work. Yeah, there's been a couple of alien invasions, but the Justice League take care of that pretty well. And not all of the aliens are intent on invading, which is nice." And other times the aliens turned out to be great friends, almost like family. That was even better.

"I'll make sure I try and catch a forkful before it's gone, next time," Seiya promised with fake-solemnity, then added, "But you do eat like a girl I know. Not one of my bandmates, just someone I took out for a date to an amusement park one Sunday. I swear she ate enough takoyaki alone to make me split, plus four orders of Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki, cotton candy, sports drinks, a candy bar, some sodas..." Seiya paused, trying to remember it all, and added emphatically, "You have to understand, this girl is at least a head shorter than I am, and a little thinner too. That was over the course of a day, but still, I can't figure out where it all went." She hoped Wally wouldn't be too taken aback by the announcement that she'd been on a date with a girl. He seemed like a pretty modern kind of person, for Earth's standards.

Actually, weekly invasions sounded about right, too. She just widened her eyes again, then chuckled appreciatively after at the joke. His job sounded interesting, and his world had friendly contact with aliens? That was something. Even though Kinmoku had been aware of its closest neighbors beyond the system, relations had been at best coolly distant until Galaxia.

"Forensics? So, you mean you do police work in the lab? That's pretty impressive. You make me feel like an idle person, Wally." Seiya smiled a little wider, leaning forward. "So, what are the nice aliens like? Do they look human at all?" Could you take one to lunch and not know it? "I've never heard of the Justice League, either, although I guess the name explains itself. Were those the friends you were going to call?" Maybe it was some sort of police, forensics, detective and other types of 'justice' club. Something like that might come and pick this place apart, at least by daytime.

"Wow, that is kinda a lot," he commented. Maybe a nice lunch and a snack for him anyway. He half wondered if this other girl had superspeed as well or any other reason for needing to eat that much, but it wasn't exactly something he could ask easily. "Sounds like we have that in common at least, though I'm not sure if we'd be able to find a place that could support the both of us eating there." He laughed lightly and finished up his glass of water. Seiya being on a date with a girl didn't bother him at all; he was friends with Wonder Woman, who came from an island populated entirely by woman and had been for centuries, according to her anyway. It didn't take a genius to do the math there.

Wally idly toyed with the condensation from his glass, tracing patterns on the surface of the table. "Nah, like I said, I mostly do basic lab work. Nothing too impressive about that, trust me. Not saying it's not cool in its own way though." He glanced up as Seiya leaned closer and smiled. "I, uh, haven't really met any of them. They're all part of the Justice League after all. Mostly just see them on TV. They seem nice enough though. I guess some look more human than others. Like Hawkgirl looks human, just with huge wings, while J'onn's green and can shapeshift." He realised that that might be a little too much for a forensics scientist from Central to know and hastily added, "at least that's what I've heard."

His eyes widened when Seiya asked him if he'd been trying to call the League, and he went back to staring at the table as he tried to think of what to say. "Who, me? Friends with the Justice League? You're kidding, right? I'm not exactly superhero material. I just... heard that they have a line set up for emergencies. I figured people being kidnapped is probably something they'd want to know about." He glanced up cautiously, hoping that she'd buy that.

[I keep totally failing at this post via coding, etc. Sorry. @_@;;;]

Seiya might have wondered if it were related to Usagi's power somehow, after learning for certain that Usagi was Sailor Moon, if she didn't also know for certain that her own Princess Kakyuu was a very bright star and did not require fifteen meals a day to keep moving. Instead, Seiya had decided this was probably some Earth thing, some people here were just born with a natural ability to eat at insane speeds or insane amounts. Or both. And if they were lucky, they'd get someone with money to burn, say an idol singer, to pay their way. Or free coupons, for that matter.

Wally's response to her question about the Justice League hadn't been what she'd expected at all. "What? Superheroes? Sorry, I mean I really haven't heard of the Justice League before." She emphasized it, but with a slightly rueful smile. "For all I knew it was your poker club's nickname, and you guys just happened to win a game with the aliens last week." Well, maybe not, but it could be.

Superheroes, huh...? And those descriptions, definitely alien. How odd, though, the wings manifesting wasn't unusual for high-level Sailor soldiers, but green skin and changing shape? And why would aliens be protecting an alien world from yet more aliens? The same reason she and her teammates ran out to fight off the phage each time Galaxia reared her head, she supposed, it was built in even if they weren't protecting home. The same reason it hurt to run past patients in other struggles here. It was something built in.

"But, if super-eating isn't good enough to make you a superhero, being a forensics lab guy is heroic too, if you're helping solve crimes. And you wanted to report this place, to call in for some help, right?" But he'd said before he'd call friends, now he'd call their 'line'? Maybe he just meant he'd get someone else to call for him. Come on, look at the other people around. He's no more an average lab tech than you're a normal seasonal pop star.

She smiled a little more warmly than she really meant to, and her voice went soft. "Where I come from, there's a saying that everyone has a bright, shining star inside of them. No matter who it is, whether they're a superhero--or not--they have a shine that's distinct and beautiful inside of them. That's true, you know."

"Yeah, they're this really big group of superheroes from all over. They keep an eye on things, help out in disasters, defend the Earth... All kinds of stuff. They, ah, get on TV a lot, so pretty much everyone where I'm from knows about them." He waved his hand vaguely, trying to indicate that knowing a lot about the Justice League wasn't really a big deal. The poker comment got a laugh. "I can't really see J'onn or Shayera playing poker though." J'onn wouldn't see the point (which was probably a good thing 'cause, duh, telepathy) and Shayera would prefer taking them drinking and bar fighting.

He flushed again at being called a superhero and quickly interrupted Seiya. "I'm really not hero material. I mean, sure I work in the police labs, but I'm hardly the only one there, and I don't do as much work as everyone else. And I'm sure I'm not the only one who's trying to call in to the authorities for help, so I really can't take any kind of credit for that idea. Besides, whoever heard of having supereating as a power? It makes about as much sense as you having magical pop idol powers or something." He smiled broadly and tried to stop from nervously fidgeting with his napkin.

Wally tilted his head and listened carefully to what Seiya said about everyone having a shining star inside them. He could understand that; it was a lot like his belief that pretty much everyone was nice enough if you gave them the chance. "That's really nice. And I mean that," he said sincerity ringing in his tone. "And I believe you that it's true. I just wish everyone else could see it," he added wistfully.

"A team so big sounds pretty impressive." It was odd for guardians of a world to be male, but not unheard of. Maybe instead of true aliens, Wally was just not aware of a stellar court, with the 'aliens' being members of the same system? Seiya reflected that really, she ought to be the one rethinking her perception of the word alien, since even Usagi and her friends should be aliens in a sense to the planet Earth itself. But she doubted Sailor Neptune or Uranus would listen to that line of argument, it'd get her a blast across the head.

"Still, you don't have to be on TV all the time to be a hero. Police and detective work, things like that are heroic too. There's no point in having big superheroes," or Sailor soldiers, "defending the world from evil aliens if the world's too full of crime and corruption otherwise. You understood what I meant before about the light inside of people, right?" And she had the feeling he did, which was a very warm feeling, comforting in a strange place. Like when they'd meet someone who actually heard the message in their songs, or when she was around... well, not exactly Usagi, but Usagi's friends at least. "It's very serious where I'm from." He could think that was Japan, if he liked. "I just think you have a particularly bright shine around you. Even if you aren't a super-hero, or I don't have magical pop idol powers."

She imagined the winged microphone that came to her when she started the transformation, and had to admit, that was fairly 'magical pop idol,' even if the pop idol part had come after the fact. Breaking the solemn tone a bit, she grinned again. "Even if." All that fidgeting... she couldn't help baiting him a little.

Wally grinned. "Yeah, I've always though that the work the police, medical workers and fire fighters do is just as important as what the big guys in the suits do." He nodded agreement when Seiya asked if he'd understood what she'd meant about the light inside of people. "Thanks, but I don't think I shine that much more brightly than anyone else would, given the chance. Though I think I get what you mean; the superheroes aren't any better than the normal guys, right?"

"Hah, well if I ever do wind up with random superpowers, I'll let you know," he said jokingly. He felt a bit bad about having to lie about it, but old habits were hard to break. Even if he wasn't as good as hiding his identity as Batman and Superman, it was still something he tried to maintain, even though it wasn't exactly easy with his diet. "And you have to promise to tell me if you get magic pop idol powers. Mostly so I know what they are, exactly. Do you think you'd just have an amazing singing voice or what?"

"Pretty much... just that some of us get a better chance than others. But everybody gets their chance sometimes, I think. And you shouldn't refuse a compliment, you know. I don't say that to just everybody. If I said you had a cuter face than the other guys here, would you say you don't think it's much cuter than anyone else?" Seiya laughed a little, feeling more relaxed. It was too bad, but she couldn't tell any more easily than he could, even if she was nearly positive now.

"I'll promise only if you do, Wally." She sipped a little water, and added, "Besides, don't underestimate the power of music. You never know. I already have an amazing singing voice, thank you, hours of voice training and practice help make sure of that." Natural talent was nice, and all, but all three of them had worked hard to be professional. They couldn't just be professional, in fact. For their brief moment of stardom, the Three Lights had to be the best, to make sure their songs reached as far as possible, were heard everywhere. "Tell me more about the Justice League? It's interesting. I'd love to hear about the one with the wings especially."

"Hmm," Wally made a show of taking a long look around the restaurant. "I don't know, this institute has a lot of really pretty people in it..." He winked. "But I guess I could say that the prettiest girl is at this table."

He winced and resisted the urge to smack his forehead. Just go ahead and imply that she can't sing amazingly well already, why don't you? "I didn't mean it like that!" he apologised, "I'm sure your voice is fantastic. I guess I meant something like being able to hypnotise people with your voice. That would be kinda cool." He rubbed the back of his neck and hoped that Seiya wouldn't hold that slip-up against him.

Her next question threw him. How much could he tell without seeming to know too much? How much did the average person really know about the League anyway? He was also curious about why she was so interested in Shayera. "Gee, I don't know if there's much more to tell. Shayera's from Thanagar originally. They, uh, invaded the Earth a while back, but she helped us fight them off. A lot of people still hate her for that though." He sighed. Even after Shayera had stopped wearing her Thanagarian uniform and helped save the world several times over, people still wanted to blame her over the invasion. It bugged him, even if she seemed less bothered by it.

"Is there any reason you wanted to know?"

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Day 35: Twin Pines Restaurant

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