View source for Jai - Sugar Lumps/Log

Joel is at the pick up window pickin' up chicks who are pickin' up pizza. Liane has approached this area, and Damian is standing there like a noob because he hasn't posed in.

Damian shoves his way into the fine and upstanding Pizza Palace, unburdened by backpack for once but carrying a small plastic container. He is tired but not exhausted, with that little 'rock in my shoe' step to his movements.

"B-both, please." Liane says, plopping all her paperwork on one side of a tray. She's looking at the counter and the little offers of X cinnastix for Y amount! "A-and t-two orders of th-these." She says, pointing to that offer. Damian is unnoticed, since her back is towards the door!

"Garlic bread, salad, cinna-stix." Joel leans over the counter to inspect the sign for this item, which is right near another sign advertising that Pizza Palace's special of the day is the Lindsay Lohan special. Order a small pizza, get free coke. "That's kind of a ripoff," Joel announces about the cinnastix, but adds them to a little slip of paper. "Damian!" He's been spotted. "You want food?"

Jai enters just a few moments after Damian, apparently trying to be stealthy about it; he catches the door behind the guy and slides in without opening it further, then attempts to catch up to Damian silently.

Joel is at the pick up window scrawling an order on a little notepad to satiate Liane's uncontrollable need for garlic bread, salad, and cinnastix. Damian has just come in with sad charlie brown music playing over his head, and Jai has arrived shortly thereafter.

"Yeh." Damian says while yawning, one hand politely covering his mouth. "I mean, yes please. Thank you." He moves to sit down at some random seat where he can set his container down and unlace a boot, sock limping to a garbage can after wards to pour out a small mountain of sand. And also a rock. "How are you two doing this evening?"

Not long after Jai comes Petra, and though she doesn't appear to be pulling a sneaky Jai, she doesn't announce herself, either. She brightens a bit when she notices who's in front of her, and then her eyes go over to the counter, looking for-- aha, Joel! Ooh, and bonus: Liane!

Liane looks back and notices Damian- then Jai- and gives a little wave towards the two. "H-h-hello." She calls out, which for Liane means speaking at a conversational level, and then notes that despite being the bonus, and not the main attraction, she still seems to be a bit happy when she spots Petra, her wave increasing in oscillation.

Joel tears off the sheet of paper with Liane's order, scribbes some Mystery Item for Damian since he didn't specify what food he wanted, and then looks up to grin at Jai and Petra. "Approach, supplicants," he grins. "What do you want to eat?"

You know the whole reason they put Joel at the counter is because some chicks dig being called supplicants.

This is the pick up counter, bitches, you're not even ordering right.

Jai catches up to Damian, standing behind his chair, and is reaching into his coat for something when the other guy gets up and heads to the trash. Well, damn. He glances over to the others, giving them a bright grin, and then follows Damian again, reaching up when he's behind him there to dangle a sparkly tinsel pompom on a string over the guy's head and in front of his face.

Joel is at the pick up counter, which is not technically where you're supposed to order, but he's taking orders anyway! Damian is sitting at a table, Jai is near this table dangling a sparkly tinsel pompom on a string over the guy's head and in front of his face. Petra and Liane have yet to be seated.

"Why hello thar," Petra says, and waves at Liane and Joel. She definitely seems to be in a good mood, grinning quite cheerily. "No pizza for me, thanks. I had enough fattening food last night. Water, though, with this delicious new invention I've heard of-- ice!" She glances over at Jai and Damian, smiling over at them and not ruining whatever moment might be going on.

"It's extra for ice," Joel informs Petra with a grin. "Not usually, you know, but there's a Petra tax. Did Jai want something, do you think, or is he just here to text Damian's reflex reaction to shiny things?"

Damian has moved next to a trash can at the front of the Palace, dumping sand out of his boot into a vile pit of despair and half eaten pizza, burst open soda cups and.. whatever the hell that pink shit is. POM POM OVER HIS HEAD! Suddenly and thoroughly distracted, Damian accidentally lets go of his boot, and it dissapears into the Lovecraftian horror being formed there in favor of attempting to catch the sparkling silver with a very serious expression, not even thinking to turn around and assault Jai for murdering his shoe.

Liane watches Damian and Jai play dangle-and-flirt (such a male ploy) with a sort of little half-smile as she waits for her food. She picks up her tray, however, and heads towards a seat near the counter, where she can shrug out of her coat and such, leave her bag (after taking out her wallet) and all the rest of her things. "I th-th-think he's t-testing r-reflexes." Is all Liane opines.

Beck enters the pizza palace, motorcycle helmet swinging from her hand. She gives the room a quick once-over, from Petra to Liane to...what the fuck is Jai doing to Damian? She shakes her head and heads up to the counter, giving those two a wide berth.

"Pretty good reflexes," Joel decides, having watched this unfold. "Sucks about the footwear, though." He points and calls out, "Get your shoe outta my trash can!"

Jai jerks the string a few times, just to give Damian a bit of a challenge, making the pompom jump out of the way and then back, and then letting him catch it about the time he can't keep from laughing. "So I saw this and thought it might look really good all lit up by those candle things you had," he says to him by way of greeting, and peers into the trash. "Um. Sorry about your shoe."

"Petra tax? Damnit. Normally, I'm the one who's unfairly taxing people! In fact, I must assess a taxation tax! Which conveniently is twice as much as the Petra tax!" And she walks up to the counter, holding out her palm like she really expects to be paid.

Joel hands Petra a straw, blatantly defying the taxation tax, then disappears briefly into the depths of Pizza Palace to deliver the various orders he's collected. He returns in time to see Beck come in, whom he greets. "Oh, hey, Motorcycle Beck." This is clearly how she's stored in his brain. "You here for some food?"

Beck grins at Petra. "You need to become a mechanic. You get to charge people all KINDS of extra fees they never dreamed of." She winks and then looks at Joel and nods her head. "Yes indeedy. What's your favorite kind of pizza, oh mighty purveoyor of grease-laden nutrition?"

"Hawaiian," Joel answers Beck promptly. "I like the pineapple tidbits. They're literally called tidbits, says so on the can."

Joel apparently works here and is on the Bidness side of Pizza Palace (PP Palace... DAMIAN) taking orders. Jai and Damian are currently involved in some kind of complex mating ritual involving silver tinsel and a shoe in a trash can. Liane is sitting at the long counter, and Petra is being Petraful.

Catching shiny things (in this case, a silvery pompom being dangled over his head by Jai near a trashcan that now contains his boot as well as a bunch of gross stuff) is serious fucking business, and Damian looks both delighted and enraged by its existance, swiping at it a couple times before Jai lets him have it finally. And once he finally gets it the bastard thing has the life crushed out of it with both hands. "..Huh?" he says, only just now aware of Jai's existance, "Wha.. Awwww hell no." he says with a Look at the garbage can, the horror of it all enough to actually make him use a teeny swear word.

"A STRAW! Just what I always wanted! And now I have something to poke you in the eyes with!" Petra says, weaponizing her straw. She leans up against the counter and waits patiently as Joel heads into the back, then greets Beck with a little chin-nod of greeting. "I don't think I'd like being a mechanic. I like the idea of unfairly charging people, though."

"You c-could g-go to N-new Y-y-york and become a p-police off-f-ficer. You c-can carry a b-big stick as w-w-well." Liane murmurs. She was lucky enough to find a way to the nonsticky section of the counter, and now just waits patiently for her salad. And garlic bread. And cinnastix. Oh so patiently.

Narisha enters the Palace and heads to the cashier. She waits in line to order a slice, offering some small waves to people she knows from school or other places.

Jai peers into the can to see how bad the fate of the shoe is. It isn't looking good to him, that's for sure. "So, uh. What size shoe you wear?" he asks Damian sheepishly.

Beck nods thoughtfully at Joel. "Hawaiian, really?" she asks with a bit of a curl to her lip. "Well, so much for asking the opinion of the dude behind the counter," she adds with a wink. "I'd love a slice of the Meat Disaster, though." She looks at Petra and shrugs her shoulders. "Damn, there goes my hope for you as a new recruit."

"Oh, Petra does know her way around a big stick," Joel agrees with Liane's suggestion. A non-Joel pizza minion finally comes forth with her order, and at last, Liane can enjoy her garlic bread, salad, and cinnastix! To Beck, Joel grins and scribbles down the order. "Haters gonna hate. Find someplace to sit, it'll be out in a minute."

"Like.. eleven or something." Damian says, sighing for his lost shoe and just... Counting it as gone, for now. He is NOT going after it. Sock-and-booting his way over to the counter to drop into a seat next to Liane, who would totally never abuse his shoes, he thrusts the plastic container he brought with him at Jai and says, "You can make it up to me by going and giving Joel the traditional pre-game dessert." Which is cheesecake. What with all these people he knows, he decides to just wave at the store rather than at any individual.

"Yeah, a big stick, and a big GUN. BAM!" Petra says to Liane, warming to this police officer idea. She laughs at Joel's comment and lightly punches him in the arm. "Hate to disappoint you," she says to Beck, though she really doesn't sound all that sorry.

Non-Joel Pizza Minion (NJPM) trots out to Damian with a foil dish, its edges folded over the top to keep the contents inside and warm. Baked Ziti! "Are you Domiun?" He can't read Joel's writing. NJPM also frowns at the trash can. "Gross, dude."

"Pre what game?" Jai asks, accepting the container and obediently carrying it over in Joel's direction. "I'll get you a new shoe, man. Well, shoes, I guess, I don't think they're gonna let me get just the one." And as long as he's headed up to Joel, he probably might as well order something, too.

Beck shrugs at Petra. "I shall, with luck and perserverance, survive the disappointment." She grins at Petra before nodding at Joel. "You bet... Add a diet Coke to the order and I'll even pay you for it."

"I like money," Joel grins at Beck, shortly producing a diet Coke and also Petra's ice water, each beverage set before the person in question. Next in line is Narisha!

"Oh, hey Nari," Petra greets the woman, only now seeming to notice her. She was pretty caught up in this policewoman idea, after all. "I like your articles!" Her eyes shift back to Joel as her water is handed to her, though she doesn't sit down still. Nope, she stays leaned up against the counter, though at least she leaves room for other people to come up and order.

"Pre-*awesome*-game." Damian clarifies oh so helpfully for Jai. Having taken a sticky spot at the counter, not only is he missing a boot but now there's something sticky on his forearm. Thank god for sweaters and laundry machines. At least his socks are clean. Well, right now, anyway, but is IS walking on the PP Palace's floor, so you never know how long that's gonna last.

Liane smiles warmly at Damian when he sits down near her, and picks up her fork to attack her delicious salad, then changes her mind and drops the fork, picing up her garlic bread and ripping off a piece. She nibbles, then notices Damian's got baked ziti so offers him some of her bread. "W-w-what game?" She asks curiously.

Narisha steps up when the way is clear. She looks at Petra and waves. "Hi Petra. Thanks! How's it going?" Now she is at the front of the line, not ordering while she gabs with Petra.

Beck looks over at Narisha and arches her eyebrow. "Oh, are you the Narisha who writes for one of the papers? If so, I've heard about you. If not, then you're cute. Well, either way you're cute, really."

"Petra, stop waving your pie hole at people I'm supposed to be taking orders from," Joel chastises the Emerald Sweatered One. "You think you're so good, you with your ICE. Get outta the way or I'll make you sing Barbie Girl again."

Narisha looks over at Beck and smiles, flattered she is recognized and flattered again at being called cute. "Oh, yes, uh, I write some columns for the UNM Press. And... thanks, it's good to know people are actually reading them." When Joel admonishes Petra, Nari realizes it is in fact her fault for not ordering in the first place. She quickly remedies that. "Can I get a mini pizza with peperoni and jalapenos?"

Jai leans over to set the cake down in front of Joel, since it doesn't seem like the guy has time to take it from him. "Your pre-awesome-game dessert, sir. Apparently." He steps back behind Narisha, glancing up at the menu for options. "A capella again? I heard you guys have karaoke here."

"It goes, it goes," Petra answers Narisha with a bright smile. And then she looks at Joel and laughs out loud, shaking her head. "I would *happily* fucking sing Barbie Girl again. And you would take it and you would LIKE it." She doesn't move from the counter, either, so apparently he's just stuck with her.

"NO!" Joel tells Narisha, grinning as he's already writing it down. "Yeah. Mini pep with peppers. Got it. Go ahead and take a seat while -- hey! Cake!!" Joel is delighted at Jai's gift. "Where'd this come from? What game are you talking about? And yeah, we do have karaoke, which is how you know I'm a saint, for not shooting half our customers who use it. Some people are actually really good though."

Damian knows ALL ABOUT our karaoke, btw

Damian attends the Pizza Palace Karaoke School for Ungifted Vocalists.

Beck nods at Narisha and gives her a grin. "You ever want to do a piece on a wickedly cool motorcycle shop in town, you should talk to me. I know this place, see. The proprietoress is about my height, has purple hair. Even has the same name as me."

Joel says, "What a crazy random happenstance!"

"I can't take the credit, I am merely the messenger," Jai admits, "It's from Damian. And I don't know what game I'm talking about, except that he says it's awesome and I wouldn't presume to disagree." He grins at Joel. "Does look tasty, though. Makes me want... a Coke, some cinnasticks, and a slice of... whatever's handy with meat on it. That sounds good."

Narisha beleives Joel for a heartbeat, but then sees him taking the order. "Thanks," she says, "Oh, and a diet cola, too? Thanks..." She steps towards Petra to make way for whoever is next. "How's the semester treating you so far?" She looks back at Beck and smiles, "I'd love too! You'll have to introduce me to her sometime." Deadpan, or dufus? It's hard to tell as she manages not to let on one way or another.

"Yeah, like me!" Petra says, of Joel's 'some people are really good' comment. Girl has no shame whatsoever. She glances over at Joel and smirks, saying, "Billy, you're driving a spork into your leg." Then Narisha asks her question and Petra replies, "Oh, it's alright. A lot better than last semester, I'll tell you what. Less random boring shit and more on-focus stuff."

Beck grins at Narisha. "Sure thing. I'm Beck, and funny enough, I'm the awesome owner of Beck's Bikes. Pleasure to meet you," she says, extending her hand. "You may have to protect me from the forces of karaoke, though," she says in a mock-whisper.

"Yeah, me neither, games that start with cake have got to be pretty good games." Joel gets a text message, smiles at his phone, and takes a moment to answer it before scribbling the order down and sending it off into the void along with the orders for Narisha and Beck. Sodas are produced for Jai and Narisha, delivered to them with the speed and alacrity that comes with way too many years of food service. "You know Nathan is teaching this semester?" he comments to Petra, after grinning broadly at her spork comment. To Jai, "Sausage and pepperoni sound good?"

Damian, hanging around at the counter and now no longer attempting to lean on it, wiggles his socked toes a lot and thoroughly examines the sparkly tinsel that he killed earlier, and tells Liane pretty much the same thing he told Jai, an unhelpful, "Awesome game. Olympics or something." Which does make the cheesecake fitting and traditional, assuming Joel were actually going to compete in an olympic sport.

Jai looks at Petra for a moment, and then grins wickedly. "Prove it," he replies to her claim of being good. He nods to Joel, "...Sausage and pepperoni sound awesome, thanks." And now... where to seat himself today? He glances around, considering.

Narisha laughs a bit and says, "On focus. That's funny..." The pun doesn't pass her notice, whether it was intentional or not. She turns to Beck with a grin and says, "Wonderful! That sure was easy. But where'd the other lady that looks just like you go?" She laughs some and leans in, "We can protect eachother. I don't sing for good reason."

Liane smiles at Damian, "All r-r-right." She says, continuing to nibble on her bread, before picking up her fork and mixing the salad before stabbing it a few times and eating the poor leaves which were not fast enough to escape.

"Oh, don't tempt me," Petra says with a grin for Jai. And then she looks back to Joel, nodding her head. "I'm gonna take his fucking class, even. I don't even know what it's about, but it gives me a chance to bother him and ask stupid questions in class." Her priorities are possibly a bit askew.

Non Joel Pizza Minion (NJPM, verify) makes a smashing return to the scene to whisk orders out to Narisha and Beck! How prompt, and awesome! They're probably just reheating stuff from yesterday.

Joel keeps NJPM busy by sending Jai's order out into the void, and laughs at Petra. "Go sing fucking karaoke, you know you want to. Nathan will fail your ass if you mess around though, I'm warnin' you now. He's a hardass teacher."

"But tempting you is so much fun,";;; Jai replies, grinning back to Petra. "And I refuse to believe you without proof. I mean sure, I heard you the other day, but that could've just been a fluke. And it wasn't karaoke, anyway." Hurrah food! He finds himself a good seat where he can definitely see any karaoke that might ensue, and sets his stuff there before sidling back over to Damian. "So... forgive me?"

Beck grins at Narisha. "She was abducted by gorillas. You just missed them break in and steal her away. It was *tragic*." She nods emphatically at the second part. "I'm *awful* at Karoake. Dogs howl and babies cry when I sing."

"Isn't it worth an F, though?" Petra asks with a shrug, not too bothered by the thought. And then, as prompted, she wanders over to the karaoke machine. "Any requests, my delightful minions? Barbie Girl is right out. That's SO 2007."

Damian is a wonderfully forgiving person that apparently enjoys keeping his preferences largely questionable, hugging Jai oh so tightly in a perfectly forgiving manner, lips curved in a friendly smile while saying, "I am going to do the most terrible things to you." Squeeze. Pat on the back. Friendly grin. Impending doom. "I think maybe it was time to replace them any how." He cant help hearing the K word either and leans to tell Petra, "You should, and then force Joel to give you half price on your next meal here. Works, most of the time." And then she's going! Yay peer pressure.

Narisha thanks NJPM and starts to look around for a seat. She asks Beck and Petra, "You two mind if I join you at a table?"

Liane smiles at Jai when Damian sets him free. "C-c-cinnastix?" She offers. Her only sign of interest in the goings-on of the karaoke machine is the glances in Petra's direction. Morbid Curiousity.

Petra is not at a table, but is over by the karaoke machine! So it's up to Beck!

Beck nods at Narisha. "Sure thing," she says before walking over to a table at random and sitting down. She sets her motorcycle helmet on a corner of the table. "I've gotta eat and run, though, hope that's okay?"

''To (Jai, Damian, Joel), Liane pages: Attractive, intelligent women with high libidos in one table, social miscreants and outsiders at the counter! It's high school all over again!''

''To (Jai, Joel, Liane), Damian pages: OH GOD IT IS! *cries*''

Jai meeps and hugs Damian back. "Even if I get you nice ones to replace them?" he asks, "'cause I'm not sure I like terrible things..." He grins at the guy, though, and then heads back toward the table he chose. Which has plenty of room for ladies to join him, incidentally. Just sayin'. "Ooh, sing... hmm. Bad Romance?"

Narisha follows Beck and says, "Yeah, fine. I can't linger long, either." She takes a seat and looks over as Petra heads to the Kareoke machine. "She's actually going to sing..." she grins, waiting for the performance.

''Long distance to (Damian, Joel, Liane): Jai laughs! Well, clearly I shouldn't have sat down.''

NJPM scurries around giving you all whatever you ordered, which is awesome and delicious and/or awesome and refreshing, and Joel disappears into the back to Take Care of Bidness. Or maybe to escape Bad Romance. Ra ra, ah ah ah. Roma, roma-ma. GaGa, oh la-la.

''<OOC> Jai says, "Except of course I forgot it's 2007 again. ;)"<br />''
''<OOC> Jai says, "I suck at anachronism!"<br />''
''<OOC> Petra says, "2008 now, but yeah!"<br />''
''<OOC> Liane says, "You suck at chronism. You rock at anachronism :)"<br />''
''<OOC> Jai snirks. Correction noted.''

Bad Romance wasn't out in 2008, but who cares? Petra totally agrees anachronistically! "Bad Romance it is!" She looks that one up and sets it up on the machine, preparing to sing. And oh boy are you guys in for a show! Not a good show, but a show nonetheless! Because Petra... can't freaking sing! She knows all the words, at least, but good god is she a bad singer. She doesn't seem embarrassed though!

Beck arches her eyebrow at Narisha. "Yeah? What do you have going on?" She looks over, aghast, when Petra starts to sing. "Fuck me gently with a chainsaw..."

Damian is semi-resistant to bad singing, it's not like he's all that great himself, so he, at least, busts a little bit of a groove in his seat while Petra wails their ears off. His dance would better fit Funky Town, but hey, whatever.

Liane deals with children WILLINGLY. Petra's singing is nothing she hasn't heard before, in more shrilly and numerous tones. And even then, she does seem more resigned as she eats...which is occurring a bit faster than usual. One can't leave until one finishes eating, after all.

Narisha takes a bite of her pizza and is stuck chewing in lieu of answering Beck right away. She grabs a napkin, finishes the bie and dabs at her lips. She answers, "Homerwork mostly. And a study group." She splits her attention between eating, gabbing with Beck and listening to Petra sing.

Jai, for his part, watches her with a huge grin, and cracks up briefly when she really gets into it. And then there is cheering, and a whistle while he's at it. Relatively quiet, though, just loud enough to be heard. As she nears the end, he composes himself, reaches into his pocket, and pulls out his lighter to up the flame.

Petra really sings her damn heart out, too. That's kind of the sad part. She's off key and heartfelt as she sings about the horrible bad romance she's stuck in. And because no song is complete without a little dancing, she sways those hips. That, at least, she's decent at. Insert dirty joke here.

Petra? Decent? That I need to see a roll for.

Beck ahs softly. She finishes off her pizza and drains her soda. "The joys of the college student," she says with a wry grin. "On that note, I'm off. Have a good night!" She stands up and waves at Petra and Jai, then heads towards the door.

Narisha rushes to ask, "How can I get a hold of you? For an interview or writeup of the shop?"

Damian claps as well and with a great grin for Petra's willing public humiliation, all sorts of manic and griny. "Well done! Well done!" he lies convincingly.

Stab. Stab stab stab. Is it just you, or is Liane stabbing a little harder at her plate while Petra sings her little heart out? Either way, the salad is eaten rather quickly (the crunchy leaves and croutons drown out the sound, for those brief seconds), and then Liane turns to her garlic bread, sipping at her glass of iced tea which she TOTALLY got from NJPM. She DOES tip well.

"Thank you, thank you!" Petra says to her adoring fans, blowing kisses all around. And then, thankfully, she sets the microphone down, not launching into any more ear-bleeding tunes. She wanders over to plop next to Liane at the counter after retrieving her glass of ice water. And then, she takes a cool refreshing sip.

Jai waves to Beck as she leaves, and then returns his attention to the performance already in progress. For surely, it is epic in nature.

Narisha sets in to eat her mini pizza. Or maybe just half of it. She can save the rest for later.

"You sing so well!" Damian tells Petra from the other side of Liane, apparently she's a very bad influence on him, teaching him both how to lie and how to be sarcastic, but he makes it sound so honest!

"I know!" Petra agrees with Damian, and she's either delusional or a very good liar, because she sounds honest as well. She reaches over to affectionately ruffle his dreads, then takes another sip of her water. "You should sing something!" she says to both Damian and Jai at once.

"Well, I have well and truly been shown," Jai remarks from his table, grinning at Petra and spreading out a bit on the booth seat since he's all alone. Woe. "Yeah, Damian, you should sing something," he agrees, willfully misunderstanding the multiple-targetness of the comment.

"You know? You're right." Damian has no pride nor shame, so he's basically good with this. Karaoke requires some specialist equipment though, namely a bright yellow scrunchy that's pulled from his pocket and used to pull a good eighty percent of his dreads back into a serious thick but short pony tail of doom. Getting up from the counter, he goes not towards the karaoke machine, but to Jai, poor boot murdering Jai, and leans down to inform him quietly that oh yes, you are totally going with me and my one remaining boot up there and singing.

"You have," Petra agrees with Jai, grinning. She's totally agreeable right now, since everybody's heaping false praise on her! She seems ready to insist Jai return the favor when Damian does it for her, and she leans back in her seat, watching the magic happen.

Liane raises an eyebrow at Damian's agreement, and turns in her seat to watch the show, picking off bits of garlic bread like popcorn as she watches. Of course Damian gets more attention than Petra! Petra isn't as adorably polite! And what's this? Conspiring with Jai? How interesting..

Jai looks wary, but... he DID cause boot-death. Even if it was in the course of attempting to cause amusement and joy. "...what are you making me sing with you?" he asks quietly, though he's already getting up, as... requested.

"I don't know!" Damian answers. He's still got his sparkly strands, they hang out of a hoodie pocket like extremely pretty sparkly pocket lint. He does have good knowledge of what distant pages of the karaoke machine the PP Palace staff hides their good songs on, since they so enjoy embarrassing Damian (who doesn't?) and makes Jai head over and look through them with him. After a second he says, "Oh, I know this one." and taps on the title to point it out to Jai with a smile.

Of course, someone has to yell, "Freebird!" That someone, predictably, is Petra, though she doesn't seem serious. Because really, who wants to hear that? She takes a sip of her ice water before reaching for her tote and pulling out her camera. This shit's gonna be SAVED FOREVER.

Joel returns from whatever he was doing in the back of the restaurant (not that, you pervs), having missed the entirety of Petra's performance by either accident or design. But then of course there's Dai and Jaimian up there on stage, and Joel sinks into a seat next to Liane. "Oh, this can only end in tears," he voices his confidence.

Jai follows Damian, looking mostly okay with things, and then sees the song he's chosen. "...Do I have to do the dance?" he asks him softly, looking at it somewhat askance, and then glancing over his shoulder at the assembled.

Liane smiles at Joel as he sits down, and offers him garlic bread and cinnastix. "I sh-should hope n-not. Very f-few can m-manage to c-cry gracefully." She murmurs.

Damian nods his head just a little and sets a comforting hand on the poor cabbie's shoulder. "Yeah, but it's okay Jai. All the ladies go crazy for your sugar lumps." Some pep talk. He joyously stabs the button that makes things Go and shoves a mic into Jai's hands. And a spare into his own! You know, for those infamous drunken duets that happen.

"One can only hope," Petra nods to Joel in direct opposition of Liane, and focuses her camera on Jai and Damian. Hopefully there's going to be dancing, because she's ready for it! A few test shots are squeezed off, and then she just waits, ever so patiently.

Narisha studiously eats her pizza, drinks her drinks and watches the performes do their thing. When she sees Joel (or that other guy) she tries to get his attention with a small wave of the hand.

"Nobody looks pretty when they cry," Joel replies to both Petra and Liane, watching the stage duo with trepidation. But then Narisha is holla'ing at him, so he gets up and walks over. "Yeees?"

Narisha asks, "Can I get a to go plate thing for the rest?" She's eaten only half of her mini."

"Only if you draw a picture on your table paper," Joel points out the crayons nearby Narisha's seat. He may or may not be kidding. She should have asked NJPM, who is in all things obedient and agreeable.

Jai looks upward as if beseeching heaven for help -- not, of course, to be forthcoming -- and strips off his coat, laying it over something nearby and shaking out his arms a little. And then the words are coming up on the monitor, and the music's starting. "Check it out," he says, "All the ladies are just checking out my sugar lumps," and... immediate dance-break time!

Narisha smiles at Joel and takes up a crayon...

Damian watches Jai as if the poor guy had just succumbed to some sort of strange demon posession. But a groovy one that requires a little bit of background dancing on his part while Jai shows his mad dance skills. This was once a traditional punishment for footware offenders in medieval times, but has fallen out of practice in these modern times.

Yay dancing! Petra snaps off shots of the crazy dancin' fools, grinning widely. She says nothing for the moment, because my god why would interrupt the sweet sweet music they make?

Joel watches Narisha's progres... but Jai and Damian are like a train wreck, and he is shortly unable to look away. They must never do this along the side of the road, there would be accidents. Mile-long pileups.

Narisha draws two stick figures on the table paper: a poorly scrawled cartoon of Joel giving Nari a tray. Bubbles over their heads say, "Here you go, young lady." and "Thank you, kind sir." respectively. When she is done, she sets the crayon down and tugs on the distracted Joels sleeve.

Jai and Damian are up on the karaoke stage, and Flight of the Conchords 'Sugar Lumps' is playing. Regardess of whether it's an anachronism. Jai seems to be singing lead right now, with Damian backup dancing. Jai's actually not wearing his coat, for the duration, and his ears are sort of pink, but otherwise, he doesn't look particularly embarrassed. Though he should. There is a considerable amount of hip movement involved in this particular dance, some silly walking that might vaguely bring Monty Python to mind, and after Jai gets into it more, some use of the side of the counter for further Sexy Moves. He is stellar at neither singing nor dancing, but neither should cause agony. Unless he ends up accidentally kicking someone.

''<OOC> Joel says, "http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ozSSseCh3U For those who haven't seen it."''

Whatever Nathan came in here for, it's a pretty good bet that his attention is drawn by the highly anachronistic display on the stage, and he slows to a stop practically just inside the door. "Huh," he comments to himself. Mildly.

Joel quirks an amused smile at Narisha's drawing, then disappears and returns with the to-go box she requested for her leftover pizza. "Thank you kind sir," he informs her as he hands it over. Then Nathan arrives, and Joel points at the stage with alarm. "I am not responsible for that. I don't even know how it happened."

Nathan's words are directed to Joel, but his perplexed and bemused glance remains directed at the stage. "I came here to talk to you but I can't remember what I was going to ask you now."

Joel says, "You were going to be like, 'Hey Joel, do you use your powers for good, or for awesome?'"

"I'll happily take credit," Petra says cheerily. She's currently seated at the counter, a glass of ice water in front of her and her camera snapping off photos of the craziness in progress.

Narisha laughs and respondes to Joel with, "There you go, young lady." She places her pizza in the tray and makes to escape from the sugar-lump dance before it comes her way. Will she be succesful? Only time (and not much of it) will tell.

Nathan shakes his head just a tiny bit. "No... no, pretty sure that wasn't it."

It *is* a bit of a horror from the deeps beyond the veil of sanity, really. Once Jai's displayed his Super Sexy Dance to the Pizza Palace wimmin like a peacock out to display some righteous cockpeas, Damian joins him in something that's actually a little bit synchronized. It's not like he's *never* watched television before, just.. not a lot, and assists with the back up vocals. Boot Murderer Jai has to take the lead when informing the world that he sees you girls checking out his junk, sees you checkin' out the front of his trunk, checkin' out his rump and then back to his sugar lumps, and assists a little backup vocals to insist that they look so good, that's why we keep them in the front.

There are things man was not meant to see. From the expression on Nathan's face, it seems he knows he's looking upon one of them. To Joel, "Uh... maybe I'll call you later."

Joel steps out of Narisha's path to fleeing and freedom, since it isn't fair to impede a girl understandably running in terror from Jai and Damian's Sugar Lumps, and he looks despairingly at Nathan. "Some brother you are. I'm trapped, you're not supposed to abandon me in the damn trenches, dude."

Liane looks...it's really difficult to tell. Amused? Shocked? Apalled? Liane's expression is all that and more, with a healthy sprinkling of confusion. "I th-think I am n-n-not s-s-socially aclim-m-mated enough for th-th-this." She says faintly.

Narisha stops near petra an her escape route to the door. She alights a hand on her shoulder and mutters something to her...

Nathan says, "Okay. Fine. But I want you to know it's only because of you that I'm not /already/ three blocks and four shots of whiskey away from this."

Dylan steps in the door, looking around curiously before he starts in the direction of the counter. He's got one hand hooked through his bag's strap, sliding it off his shoulder as he walks.

Without Jai's trench in the way, one can see that... there's STILL not a whole lot of rump to check out. But he shakes it nonetheless! Gotta work with what you've got, right? Right! At one point on the words 'sugar lumps' he gets inspired and snags a pair of sugar packets off the nearest table, holding them in the... appropriate sort of area for the next section of the song. Props! He dances toward the counter, threatening Petra and Narisha with his sexy sexy condiments.

"Oh, GOD," Joel despairs. The sugar packets are too much, they're just too much! "There's a delivery to be done, somewhere. I know it. You're free to run, Nathan, because I'm gettin' the hell out of here."

Nathan just sort of... stares. "Jesus. I'll order a pizza myself if it'll get you out of here."

Liane reaches out to snag Joel's sleeve with her hand, "I c-can use a r-r-ride I th-think," She says, unable to look away. The...wiggling. The lyrics. The dancing. "I w-will buy p-p-pizza for a w-w-week."

Dylan comes to a stop, his foot dragging slightly as he brain shuts down midstep. He blinks, looking around at the goings on, eyebrows diving up towards his hairline. The dancing, the fleeing. He looks up at the menu, then down to the event in progress. "Yeah...not that hungry." and turns, putting his bag back on his shoulder so he can head to the door.

For the newly arrived, yes that's right, there are sugar lumps being brandished about on stage while Damian confides through a microphone that his are sweet, white, and highly refined, and that honnies try all sorts of tomfoolery to get a hold of his family jewelery. The poor tortured souls of the parlor don't have too much to worry about, it's such a short song as it is and so very close to over, but one poor bastard at a booth needs to leave *now*, having laughed so hard he's spilled his beer on the floor and seems to be suffering a mild stroke or something.

Petra grins widely at Narisha, saying simply, "You know it." And then OMG there's sugar lumps coming, and she grins even wider, trying to grab one of them! The condiments, thankfully, not the actual... lumps. She happens to notice Dylan as he comes in, shouting, "Dylan! Yo!"

Nathan says to nobody in particular, vaguely horrified, "I think I liked it better when they were singing about fucking."

Narisha smiles and says, "Cool! I'll call you with the details." And then those lumps just get too close. She squeeks out another laugh and makes for the door.

Joel beckons to whoever is fleeing with him, and runs! TO THE PIZZAMOBILE! There are deliveries to be made. Or actually he might just go cry in his car for a while.

"You don't even have my number!" Petra calls to Narisha with a laugh, though she adds, "Ask Vic for it!"

Narisha calls back at the door, "K! Thanks!" And then escapes to the safety of the street.

Jai dances away, you know, teasing-like, when Petra grabs for the packet, and tries damn hard not to crack up and miss his lines. The female onlookers are again informed that, in fact, he sees them checking out his and Damian's trunks and etc., as he moves back near his co...conspirator.

And for their grand finale, super sexy dancing. Cause there wasn't enough of this already, obviously. Swinging their hands towards opposite hips in a somewhat styleless X while shaking their groove thangs, which are grabbed at appropriate moments. And then it's all over, like a record needle being knocked off its grooves. Just silence. Damian looks at Jai and says, "I don't think I want to be a prostitute. You be the prostitute." Having decided this, he sets the mic down where he got it and leaves the stage as if nothing had happened. Now that there's not such horror going on, it's possible to notice that Damian is missing a boot.

Nathan just. Stands there. Aghast. It's a miracle the Pizza Palace does any business at all.

Liane left with Joel, just so everyone knows! XD And she hurries off to do things!

Petra tries to steal Jai's packet, but when that doesn't happen she laughs and watches the finale. And then, you know, she claps clappishly, cheering wildly. "Woooooo! That was definitely worth the price of admission!" Not that, you know, she ever paid anything.

Jai sets his mic down and gives the remaining audience a big, flamboyant bow, and when he comes up, tosses the sugar packets into the 'crowd' -- one toward the table of the dude who collapsed laughing, and one toward Petra, who gets a wink as well. He reclaims his coat and strolls off the stage, grinning albeit still definitely pink in the ear area. "...man, can we clear a room, or what?" Okay, so it was mostly just their so-called friends who bolted, but still.

"Shorter lines now, though." Damian says to Jai with a shrug of his shoulders, not feeling in the slightest bit bad about having sent folk running screaming for the hills and their respective apocalypse shelters. "Heeeeey!" Damian says with a grin when he sees the semi-lobotomized Nathan, "You're here! I think Joel left to go drown himself or something." he says, having missed the two of them talking a few minutes ago.

Nathan says slowly, as though his brain has been sufficiently bludgeoned as to make him unsure of the English language for a little while, "Yes... I'll call him later."

Petra just barely manages to catch the sugar packet, and of course she rips off the top and pours s bit of sugar into her mouth, in a bit of disgusting innuendo. And really, the implications are disturbing when you think about it. She sets the packet down and laughs, washing the sugar down with a bit of ice water. "That was a beautiful thing. It touched me, deep in my heart, as all music should do." She juts a chin in Nathan's direction, saying simply, "Yo."

Jai laughs at Petra's packet use, ears going a shade pinker, and he slides his coat back on. "Thank you, thank you. We'll be here all week. Unless someone meets our demands." He heads back to his table, but once there, just picks up his food and heads to the counter to claim the seat Liane vacated.

"Oh, okay, good." Damian says with a smile, and starts moving aside to get a small mystery pizza that Joel totally got for him earlier and I forgot about. "I have something for you. I think. But I might not. You're a really good one for making me second guess my gift giving prowess." he tells Nathan, smiling over at Petra and Jai but dropping his butt into whatever random chair happens to be closest to him. And is unoccupied. That'd be awkward otherwise.

Nathan gives Damian a smile. A very slow, careful smile, and he doesn't approach any closer. "I'm sure it'll be awesome."

"Oh hey, that reminds me," Petra says, snapping her fingers and looking over at Damian. "I got a lead on a pedal bike. Just need to pick the thing up-- that is, if you're still interested. I know it's not the hog you'd like, but everybody's gotta start somewhere, right?"

"Hey, Damian," Jai asks, looking over to him while settling in, cinnasticks, slice of pizza, and glass of Coke before him, "...are we even now? Once I get you the shoes, I mean. Or is doom still hanging over me?"

Damian digs in his pocket and profers a piece of paper that's all bent up, turning out to be slightly squished origomi, and hands the slightly bent lion or whatever that thing's supposed to be towards the musician. It is covered in writing, but will have to be de-origamied in order to read it, sadly. "It's.. Well, it *was* going to be traditional pre game cheese cake, but uh. There was an 'incident' and only one piece survived, so. You get this instead. Sorry." Petra gets his attention then, "Oh yes, absolutely. And it is what I want, I'd kill myself to death on the other thing." He nods to Jai, letting him off the hook now that he's taken part of ritualistic public humiliation with him. "Yep. But I do definitely need a new shoe. Otherwise, we're totally square."

Nathan takes the paper with a slow and careful hand. "Cheesecake is good, but lions are awesome. Thank you."

"Okay, well, I'll go pick it up tomorrow then," Petra promises Damian with a smile. "Supposed to be pretty fly. Assuming the listing was accurate, that is." She shrugs, taking a sip of her water.

"Size eleven," Jai says, nodding. "Though if you want, I'll take you to a shoe store when we're done eating. Sit in front and if I get called for a fare I'll just tell 'em you're a trainee." He grins at the dreadlocked guy, giving the origami a very curious look, and then takes a bite of his pizza subtly sneaking his free hand to lightly poke Petra in the ribs, trying to do it without really looking. For innocence and deniability! Sorta.

"Lions are lazy cheaters that should all be pushed into a massive pit full of sharp pointy things. Or put in zoos." Damian opines distractedly, one of the few unkind things he'd ever say about anything, while peeling a... "Why is there a teeny little fish hidden in my pizza? Wait.. Two? Three. Who put all these little water parasites in my food! "Do you want some money?" he asks Petra while laying the anchovies aside with a look of complete disgust. "I have um.. Some." The hell with checking and counting, he's just going to end up proving he cant brain math. "I might have to miss out on the store, I've got some errands I have to run tonight." And he will run them with one shoe!

Nathan says, "Sorry. I meant mountain lions. Other big cats. Can I read it now?"

Petra obligingly jumps at the poke in her side, and maybe she's a good faker, because she actually looks a little startled before laughing slightly. Jai's innocent face earns him no quarter, as she "accidentally" elbows him while reaching for her glass of water. All without looking at him, of course, for her *own* innocence and deniability. She smiles over at Damian and shakes her head, saying, "No no, it wouldn't be a very good present if I asked for money, now would it? When's your birthday, anyway?"

Damian grins at Nathan kindly and nods his head, but says, "Just remember I was trying to be nice and not to yell at me if you don't like it, okay?" He shrugs his shoulders and says, "Somewhere in July, most of the time. Sometimes I pick June just to be squarely in the middle, but July's a more pleasant month all around, I think."

Jai's just picked up his glass, and almost spills it on himself when he's elbowed. A swallow does go down partly the wrong way, and he coughs once, trying to fix that, then glances sidelong at Petra, grinning. "Okay," he tells Damian, "If you're sure. I guess you could borrow my shoes in the meantime if you want, they'll be too big but it beats too small or not there, right?" And while talking to Damian, he 'accidentally' lightly kicks the side of Petra's boot.

Nathan unfolds the paper carefully, and whatever is contained in the lines and lines of clumsy writing makes him smile. He refolds it, although not into ferocious animal form, and slips it into his pocket. "Thanks, Damian, it's perfect."

Darn these accidents! Though really, it'd be pretty hard to mistake it for an accident when Petra smacks the back of Jai's head softly. Whoops! She takes a sip of her water, smiling angelically, and glances sidelong at Damian. "Oh, you don't know when your birthday is? Or you just like having the date change every year?" After watching Nathan read his present, she can't seem to help but ask, "What'd it say?"

"Oh man, I'm so glad." Damian says with really obvious relief all over his tanned and inked face, "I was so worried you were gonna like, biff me with a chair and storm off to go destroy the world or something." He does not say what the note said at all, instead telling Jai, "Nope, I'm good. I'll deal with the one boot for now, and pitch it later as well, and then tomorrow I'll see you and you'll be all like, 'oh wow, Damian look what I totally got for you!' and I'll beam all over the place and do a little shoe dance." Shaking his head over birthdays he shrugs and says, "Wasn't ever an important enough date to remember. It's in summer, that's pretty much all that matters, I guess. Not like I really celebrate it anyway."

Nathan softens a little. "I wouldn't biff you with a chair." He doesn't answer Petra.

Jai's head moves forward slightly at the little bap, and he grins again, apparently at his plate. He looks over to Petra and observes, "I don't think they're going to tell us. So it's prolly really interesting..." Damian gets a nod to that plan. "Okay. I'll find you later, or tomorrow, with shoes. And you can dance in 'em. Didn't your family care about your birthday, though?"

"Henceforth, I have decided I will celebrate your birthday on July 5th. And lo, it was so." Petra doesn't seem too upset at not being told what the note said, almost like she expected that. She looks over to Damian for the answer to Jai's question, looking rather interested to hear what he says.

The note was probably scribbled with little poofy hearts and sappy professions of undying love or maybe a master plan of duct tape and hair dye for mutual enemies. Damian puts a hand on Nathan's arm to draw him over, whether he likes it or not, to where they can sit and converse comfortably with Jai and Petra. "Nope." he answers her, "There's way more important things than birthdays. I didn't really care about my mom's either, and that's the extent of my family, so."

Nathan, truthfully, doesn't seem too anxious to sit down- didn't he announce his intent to flee, like, twenty minutes ago?- but resistance to Damian is futile.

"Why the fifth?" Jai asks Petra, "I mean, assign him the fourth, and he'd get fireworks every year. That'd be pretty awesome. Also, watermelon, ice cream, possibly a parade." He finally gets around to really eating his now-cold food. "...when's yours?" he adds to her, and then looking to Nathan, "And yours."

"It was a random pick of randomness," Petra says with a shrug. "And if we pick the fourth, everybody would skip his birthday parties to go to barbeques. I can't consign him to that fate. Plus he doesn't seem like the fireworks type." The question about her birthday makes her smirk slightly. "Oh no. If I tell you my birthday, then you'll know Things, and my mystery would be all but gone. What'll you give me for it?"

Nathan looks at Jai faintly askance. "Why? You an astrologer or something?"

Damian helpfully moves the disgusting little finned things off his plate and over onto Jai's before beginning to rapidly devour his pizza in near record speed, folding slices to make them easier to inhale. He's not a sloppy eater, just an extremely paranoid one. Some one could burst in when he blinks, steal his chow, and run off into the night leaving Damian hungry and afraid of ninjas. His apparent obliviousness to the world takes an extremely short break when he looks up at Nathan and says, "I'm sorry, Moth, I don't mean to keep you if you have to go to something important. But if you don't, then I totally mean to." Petra's question to Jai is helpfully answered by Damian, "Well. He could give you sugar lumps."

"Nah, I'm just nosy," Jai tells Nathan with a smile and a shrug, "Mine's December 12th, if you guys want a token of good will. And Petra, they wouldn't skip his party for barbecues if his party WAS a barbecue. But... you might be right about the fireworks, I guess." He takes a sip of his soda while mulling what he can offer Petra, and thus Damian totally beats him to any suggestions for exchange. And also, he almost snorts soda out his nose when it makes his burst out laughing.

Nathan says, "I don't really pay much attention to my birthday. Once you get past age, like, eleven you can't really expect it to be a big deal."

"Oh cool," Petra tells Jai. "December 12th means I just missed it, which means I'm totally off the hook for a whole fuckin' YEAR. You can't beat that." She snorts out loud at Damian's suggestion, shaking her head. "Sugar lumps are a dime a dozen. I need something substantive if I'm going to part with my super secretive secret secrets."

"Why *is* it a big deal, anyway?" Damian asks curiously of all three, "Birthdays, I mean. Is there some point or something? Or is it just a day a year to get people to give you presents or something? Or.. I mean, why's every one make the day you started dying a big important thing?"

Nathan simply says "Everyone doesn't."

"I would never offer you sugar lumps that weren't substantive," Jai assures Petra as solemnly as he can, "Never. I mean, c'mon, I'm so considerate I arranged not to meet you until the whole gift-giving kind of season was over. So, okay, then. What sort of exchange would meet your exacting standards? And then I'll decide if being able to give you birthday presents is worth it to me." He grins at her again, and then tilts his head a little, considering Damian's question. "People like excuses to have parties," he decides, "and maybe it's the day you started dying, but it's also the day you started living, and every time it comes around, you've had a whole new year of... life. And life is awesome."

"Because it's your day to be a fuckin' rock star," Petra answers Damian, then goes on, "Or something, I dunno. I'm not actually usually very big on birthdays and presents and things. I just like fucking with Jai, here, and holding out on him." She glances over at Jai and taps her chin thoughtfully at his words. "You have to teach Damian here how to ride the bike I'm gonna give him. Unless he already knows. In which case, you have to not only buy him the pair of shoes you already were, but also a pair of bowling shoes. Because those are fucking hideous."

Nathan says, "I guess it's nice to have people make out that you're a big deal. Maybe you are, maybe you're not, but it's nice to feel like it, even if just once in a while."

Damian doesn't entirely seem to understand it, Nathan's insistance that everyone doesn't helps a little bit, making it not so everyone-except-Damian where birthay celebrations are concerned. "Well... I guess if it works, then it works. I make a big deal about people whenever I can. It's always nice to know you're special and loved, most days instead of just once a year. Presents too, whenever its possible to give them. I like the way people smile when they're given something, it's nice." A shake of his head and he tells the other two, "I don't know how, no. Zack let me try his, and I did manage not to break it, but I didn't know someone could jog that fast while screaming 'Squeeze the break! The breeeeaaaaak!'. It was pretty neat and terrifying. I liked it."

"Tease," Jai accuses Petra conversationally, "...but sure, why not? Deal. Damian, I will teach you to ride your bike." The last declared with great ceremony. "So it is written, so mote it be. Now, birthday please."

"Yeah, you have a point," Petra agrees with Nathan, giving him a smile. "So you should totally tell us when your birthday is so we can make a fuss. And I promise this fuss will not come in the form of more sugar lumps." Her expression is even sincere! "Well, it appears you're saved the horror of bowling shoes, then," she says to Damian, adding, "And yeah, I think part of it is that people think they can get by with only being nice a few days a year. Act like dicks 363 days out of the year, and suddenly on Christmas and your birthday they're fuckin' saints." She rolls her eyes at the thought, then turns to Jai and says, "It's a deal. But only YOU get the birthday, because you're the only one who paid the price. The others? They're on their own, unless they want to strike a bargain." And she leans in to whisper in his ear.

Nathan says, "Not sure I really want a fuss. I'm /well/ over eleven."

Damian is entirely willing to pay a price! "I am going to tell everyone I can think of that I saw you sitting there with your lips all over Jai's ear. Probably chewing on it or licking his brain or something." he says to Petra. "Don't worry, Nathan. I'll pick a random day for you too and not fuss at all when it comes up."

Nathan nods to Damian with the faintest of smiles. "That sounds ideal. I promise you the same."

"My brain IS delicious," Jai grants, the ear in question (and its mate) both faintly pink at the edge again, "So who could blame her? And... noted. Anyway, I don't see how being nice to people every day, and giving them stuff when you happen to feel like it, is mutually exclusive with also having birthdays. I'm pretty sure I'm capable of handling both."

Grinning, Petra shakes her head to Damian, saying, "No, that won't do at all. I don't know if that was a promise or a threat, but either way-- not my choice. No, I want a poem! Write me some epic ode to my great mysteriosity and grandeur." She even waves a hand imperiously. "Agree to that, and you've earned yourself my shiny birthday date. If it's really good, I'll even throw in some kind of bonus tidbit."

"I'm just saying the thought and the niceness I cant limit to a day a year." Damian says with a shrug of shoulders, pushing his empty plate away, "Man. That was completely terrible." he says of the pizza he just ate, "And I taste like fish now." This will not do, and so he gets up briefly for a glass of water, coming back and dragging from his pocket one of those little travel sized tooth brushes with tooth paste already in it that I totally say exists right now because I can not manage to live just a couple years in the past. While removing the god awful taste of what he just ate from his mouth, he ponders this epic he's supposed to do for Petra. "Can I just recite you something? I cant write." he says around his brush.

Nathan says, "I'm not sure anybody really needs your birthdate /that/ bad. But Damian writes good poetry. Really good."

"Sure, but I'm just saying, birthdays don't mean you have to," Jai replies, shrugging. He picks up a cinnastick and gives Petra a slightly hurt look. "Aw. I want a bonus tidbit. And hold on, you just gave Nathan a note, how can you not write?"

Petra ponders Damian's suggestion, and seems about to reply when Nathan reveals that he can write after all. "You're a fink and a liar, Damian. A fink and a LIAR. So I say you have to write the poem, and Jai gets the tidbit you *would've* gotten. Social justice at work." She nods firmly, taking a sip of her ice-water-now-melted.

Damian bluuuuuuuushes at the idea that he writes good poetry right after he just claimed to not be able to write. "I didn't mean I *cant* write, I just mean I cant write stuff that's good." he clarifies. Damn, he could have claimed a complete lack of education, or that he had someone else write it! Damn you Jai and your observations! SIGH. "Okay fine. I'll write it, and you have to take it and like it. But I'll do it later. And if you don't swoon, so help me I'll... Basically do nothing except stand there and take it."

Nathan says, "She'll swoon."

"Awesome," Jai declares, looking decidedly pleased at the redistribution of tidbits, "...I wanna see it when it's delivered. Swooning needs to be witnessed."

"That sounds amenable," Petra says, grinning over at Damian. Since I think Damian never specifically stated which seat he's in, I say he's on the other side of her, and she leans over to whisper in his ear. Once done, she smirks over at Nathan and then looks to Jai, nodding her head. And it seems she's not done whispering, because Jai gets his tidbit or maybe sweet sweet nothings whispered into his ear as well!

Damian looks deeply thoughtful, brows drawn down into a sandy v and lower lip having its inside gnawed by teeth. He snags a napkin out of a dispenser and a pen from his pocket, and begins scribbling furiously.

Nathan keeps half an eye on what Damian is doing. "You don't have to do it /now/. She'll be fine."

Jai snorts. "Hey, I already =knew= that," he complains to Petra, "I feel highly unsatisfied." At Nathan's comment, he opens his mouth to say something, but apparently thinks better of it and puts some cinnastick in there instead.

Nathan says, "If you really want, I could just look at her student record. But that would be wrong. Probably."

"That *would* be wrong," Petra agrees with Nathan. &quot;And I'm sure you would never cross that line." He gets a grin and then she shrugs to Jai, saying, "Yeah, well, whatcha gonna do? Life sucks, don't it." She arches a brow at Damian's flurry of writing, saying, "Yeah, uh, you don't have to do it now. I'm mostly just kidding, anyway."

Damian makes a buzzing noise and says, "Words!" as his pen moves along. It's nigh impossible to read his hand writing when he isn't being extremely slow and careful with his writing. It takes a couple of minutes, but then he begins to read to Petra from the napkin.<br />
It seems no work of Man's creative hand,<br />
By labor wrought as wavering fancy planned;<br />
But from the rock as if by magic grown,<br />
Eternal, silent, beautiful, alone!<br />
Not virgin-white like that old Doric shrine,<br />
Where erst Athena held her rites divine;<br />
Not saintly-grey, like many a minster fane,<br />
That crowns the hill and consecrates the plain;<br />
But rose-red as if the blush of dawn,<br />
That first beheld them were not yet withdrawn;<br />
The hues of youth upon a brow of woe,<br />
Which Man deemed old two thousand years ago.<br />
Match me such marvel save in Eastern clime,<br />
A rose-red city half as old as time. <br />
Now, Petra said he had to write it, not make it up from scratch, nor did she specify that he had to write of *her* specifically as a person rather than taking the meaning of her name or the name of a very old city.

A sonnet. That should get Petra's birthday and the birthdays of everyone she's ever met. Nathan leans his cheek on his hand, watching Damian as he reads.

"It does not. But you do," Jai retorts to Petra, pouting at her. But then Damian has a poem. Already! He sips his soda while he listens. "....dude. You just wrote that?" he asks, "You're really fast! And good, but... fast."

"That was totally uncalled for," Petra says to Jai with a grin, and he gets elbowed again, SO not accidentally this time. And then, poem! Apparently Petra thinks he made it up himself, because she whistles appreciatively and says, "Damn, Nathan, you weren't kidding! That was sweeeet. And fast! How did you think of all that so fast, Damian?"

"I smoke a lot of pot." Damian answers as if that were helpful in anyway. Aaaaaand his whisper is listened to and accepted! Petra recieves the unreadable napkin as a backup prize, or possibly a birthday present. She will never manage to read it for anyone else, but hey. It's the thought that counts.

Nathan smiles faintly; whatever he might have to say can't possibly top a /sonnet./

"It was totally called for," Jai retorts, but he takes his elbowing, rubbing the spot afterward and looking overly wounded. "Clearly I don't smoke enough. Man. Nice work!"

"Not really as good as things probably could have been if I'd sat around and pondered it like a proper poem golem should be pondered. I mean, really, if you want good work, I need to lay around getting really stoned with a notebook for a couple days doing nothing but thinking about you in a vaguely stalkeresque sort of way. Maybe picture you in the shower a few times. I don't really know *how* that part helps, but I think it's supposed to. Helped the only other time I had to write at length." Damian smiles and says simply, "Thanks."

Nathan says, "I should head out. I'm glad I was here for that, though."

"Have a good night, Nathan," Petra says warmly, coming back from afk. And because she hasn't done anything mean or spiteful in all of thirty seconds, she elbows Jai again.

"Did he make up for traumatizing you with Sugar Lumps?" Jai asks Nathan, as if he himself hadn't been an equal part of that particular travesty. "Nice seeing you ag--Ow!" He wasn't expecting another elbow at all, and not in the same spot as the last one, certainly. "What was that one for?"

"Must you?" Damian asks oh so woefully about Nathan's departure, "Would you be willing to take me part of the way home? I don't wanna walk the whole way this time." he says, wiggling the toes that are wearing just sock, and rinsing his mouth with a swallow of water, and then his tooth brush, before putting it back in his pocket. Good hygiene for the win!

Nathan says to Jai "Damian's complex and strange," to Petra, "See you around," and to Damian, "Sure, I can give you a ride."

"For the heck of it?" Petra answers with a cheery smile for Jai. "Oh, you're going too?" she says to Damian. "Thank you for the poem. And have a good night. Oh, by the way Damian-- do you have a phone number I could reach you at? I want to bring you that bike."

Damian pauses long enough to strip off his only remaining boot, unwilling to take it so far away from its near-twin, and takes it to the trash can where the other one lies in soggy ruin. "Farewell, faithful foot wear, you've seen me through hot and cold, dry and slightly sticky. I shall miss you. Now go decompose somewhere and turn into a tree." Dump. "Uh.. No, I don't have a phone.. I'll... just find you, how about that?"

Nathan holds the door for Damian. "Truck's a block over on Frontier but if I have to I can piggyback you so you don't get frostbite or something."

"How about I bring the bike to Laura's and leave it there for you?" Petra suggests to Damian. &quot;Seems less random and happenstancey. G'night, you two."

"True, in a good way," Jai agrees to Nathan, and then sticks his tongue out maturely at Petra. "...night, Damian. Sorry again about the shoe. I hope the dangly thing at least works for you. And thanks for the dance."

"That'll work. See you, guys!" Jai's given a 'don't worry about it' wave of the hand from Damian and a shake of the silvery stuff that caused the loss in the first place. And out he goes, perhaps to accept offers of piggy backs while Liane's not here to slash furiously. But no seriously, he just walks on his own socked feet.

Petra smirks over at Jai's tongue sticking out, shaking her head. "That's so fourth grade." Because elbowing people is at least fifth grade, by god. She smiles over at him and leans up against the counter, tapping her foot against his chair.

"You're just lucky there aren't any inkpots around for me to dip your braids into," Jai replies, giving her a smile back, and leaning against the counter as well. "Cinnastick?" he offers, pushing his basket of them slightly toward her. "I won't even put tabasco on it or anything."

"Lucky indeed," Petra says with a grin, and shakes her head to the offer of the Cinnastick. "God no. Those things are laden with sugar. And much as I love your sugar lumps, that's too damn much even for me." The two are sitting at the counter, and she's currently idly tapping her foot against his chair.

Beck enters the Pizza Palace, taking off her helmet and peeling gloves off her hands. She shivers a little before heading up to the counter. "Don't you two have lives?" she asks with a chilly grin.

Jai shrugs, and takes a small bite of the cinnastick himself. "Okay," he says, "And I will not even make any jokes about sugar or sweetness or anything like that. Mostly because everything that came to mind was just way too cheesy." He grins, and glances to the door, distracted by the quick breath of cold as it opens. "Of course we do," he answers, opening his eyes wide in faux-innocence, "Petra IS my life." Oh the melodrama!

"I totally went to class today like a good girl," Petra answers Beck with a smirk. "Asking for anything beyond that is really just cruel." She laughs at Jai's answer, telling him, "As it should be. I expect my bed made and breakfast cooked, as well as living room tidied!"

Beck laughs softly. "You heard her, hop to it minion-boy!" She grins and then orders herself some pizza and a diet coke. "I've gotta drive my car here sometime so I can actually drink some beer. Goddamned fucking sense of responsibility and not wanting to die."

"Wait, I get to be there for breakfast? Awesome," Jai replies immediately, turning the grin on Petra again and moving his foot to step lightly on her tapping foot -- not enough to hurt, just enough to shorten the tap and move along with it if she keeps going. "Nah," he tells Beck, "You just have to call me when you want to go home." He pulls a card from his pocket and hands it to her. She may have noticed the freakin' awesome taxi parked outside; apparently it matches to him.

And she does keep going, tap tap tap, dragging his foot along with her. Jai's breakfast comment results in Petra laughing, which must be great for the ego. "I've never been much of a beer fan," she admits to Beck. "And I highly doubt this place would have good stuff, anyway."

Beck shrugs at Petra's words. "Probably not, but beer and pizza can be a magical combination even if the beer's kinda shitty." She grins at the interplay between Petra and Jai. "Maybe we both could be there for breakfast," she suggests with a waggle of the eyebrows.

Jai's ego seems to survive Petra's laughter -- in fact, he actually looks pretty pleased with the laugh, watching it and then turning to briefly grin at his Coke as he picks it back up. "Well, I'll have to check how much Petra's got in her fridge; I mean, there's only so much I can do if there's, like, a bottle of ketchup, one egg, and half a squishy watermelon."

Beck is sitting at the counter with Petra and Jai.

"Tempting, verrrry tempting," Petra says to Beck's suggestion with a grin. And then she looks to Jai, saying, &quot;Oh, my kitchen is fuckin' STOCKED, man. I am, after all, a master chef. How's that for a free tidbit?"

Beck snorts rudely at Petra's words. "Like you're a master singer?" she asks with an accompanying elbow jab.

Jai can't help laughing at that, half-hiding it in another drink of soda. "That's a much better tidbit. I might even forgive you for the last one. Maybe." Apparently he's perfectly happy to have his foot continue to be vicariously tapped, since he hasn't moved it as yet.

"Yeah, just like that. Only moreso, though I'm sure you will find it hard to believe, after my amazing performance earlier." Petra grins at the elbow jab, and turns in her seat so she can more easily kick Beck lightly in the shin. She is equal opportunity with her violence! And to prove it, she then turns and elbows Jai, for the heck of it. "You'll forgive me," she predicts confidently.

Marlena makes her way into the restaurant, twisting a bit to make sure that her skirt doesn't get caught in the door as it closes. She may not exactly fit in, but at least she's color coordinated, right? She looks about the place for a second to determine where she should head first in the cacaphony, chewing a bit at the dark stained red of her lip.

Beck groans softly. "Right. The mystery of why you eat so much pizza is thus explained." She grins broadly and then takes a bite from her newly-arrived pizza. "Whoah. Goth chick at 5 o'clock."

"Ow! At least elbow a different spot," Jai complains, and pokes Petra in the ribs in retaliation. Not particularly hard, but it's retaliation nonetheless! "Oh, cool coat," he observes, glancing over when Beck comments.

"I'm not even eating pizza right now!" Petra protests to Beck, holding up her nearly-empty glass of water as though to show it's all she's got. When Beck takes note of Marlena, Petra whistles appreciatively, telling the goth girl, "Nice threads!" Then she turns to Jai and notes, "If I elbowed different spots, you might not be in as much pain. And what good would that do me?"

Marlena notices the staring. She notices and politely ignores as she looks for a seat, because that is the sort of thing that she appears to be used to. She turns though at the whistle, prepared perhaps to give the only male in that direction a stink-eye but then see's that no, it's from one of the girls. Dark brows draw together a moment and then she gets a half smile and dips a little curtsy in recognition for the compliment. She doesn't appear the sort to scream across the room

Beck mm-hmms. "Right. You just come here for the ambience," she says with a snarky poke at Petra's shoulder. She looks back over at the goth chick and then waves her over.

Jai puppy-eyes at Petra, asking very seriously, "Do you really want to hurt me? Do you really want to make me cry?" So much woe! So very unconvincing. Especially when he gives Marlena a friendly grin across the room when she curtseys, and then turns right back to Petra and picks the woe back up.

Petra tips an imaginary invisible hat at Marlena when the woman curtseys, then shrugs and says to Beck, "I don't like spending all day doing boring shit. So I come here to visit Joel and invariably I run into someone else and waste all damn day here. I'm just too popular for my own good." Jai and his woe get a polite smile and the answer: "Yes. Yes I do." And she does it again!

Marlena tilts her head to the side, considering a moment, and then makes her way over towards you three over at the counter. After all, the counter is public and it means not sitting next to that toddler who's hand is far too close to a bowl of dipping sauce. "Ehr." she starts out oh-so-charmingly. "Hi."

Beck grins broadly at Marlena. "Hey, Spooky. I'm Beck, this is Petra, and that dork over there is Jai. We're currently trying to make Jai cry if you want to join in the fun. If not, well, you're still cute and should sit up here with us anyway." She then pokes Petra in the shoulder. "Pass it on."

"Oh, that is IT," Jai declares, and this time, instead of poking Petra in the ribs, he starts tickling them. "Hey," he adds quickly to the newcomer, "'scuse me a few here. Honour thing."

"Heyo," Petra greets Marlena, wiggling her fingers at the woman. And then she's poked, and starts aiming a kick at Jai to 'pass it on' before she's suddenly tickled! She shrieks quietly, and ye gods, she's ticklish. She's completely unable to say anything else because she's busy laughing her head off, though Jai does get that kick after all.

Marlena blinks at the squealing and kicking, eyes widening just a bit more but she pulls herself up onto one of the seats, crossing her legs and perching as if it were a more formal place to rest her rear. She does let her gaze settle on Beck. "Marlena." she offers, both by way of introduction and maybe so that she dosn't get called Spooky anymore. "How badly are you trying to make him cry?"

Beck shrugs her shoulders. "Good question," she says, shoving back against Petra when the laughing woman bumps against her. "Get a room, you two," she suggests with a grin. Back to Marlena, she says, "Apparently we're not trying very hard, unless you've got a suggestion?"

Jai laughs also, tickling Petra mercilessly, if mostly in the same spot. "Aven--ow!" he declares, as the kick lands, and he tries again, moving his leg away a bit, "Avenged! Muahahaha!"

"Badly! Badly!" Petra gasps out in answer to Marlena, and to prove it, she aims a few kicks at Jai's legs. Thankfully, she isn't using her full strength, but it's still a bit harder than she's been kicking thusfar tonight. And then she starts using her arms to fight back, pushing his tickling hands away so she can catch a breather.

Marlena reaches over and grabs the red pepper shaker, it's a pizza place after all, and hands it over. "Blow some in his eyes?" she offers and then picks up the menu, not quite sure yet how to handle all the hijinks and merriment.

Beck smirks at the pepper shaker and wields it threateningly towards Jai. "So, you a student?" she asks Marlena even as she's staring down Jai with the pepper flakes in her hand and a devious gleam in her eye.

"Say uncle," Jai demands teasingly, but he's already relenting, letting Petra have a break to do silly little luxuries like 'breathe', and possibly 'not wet herself'. He glances over to the others, quirking a brow at Beck, but currently is more interested in watching out for Petra. In one meaning or another. Possibly both.

Petra clutches her side once the tickling has ceased, laughing and trying to catch her breath. She says in between gasps for air to Marlena, "I... like the way you... think!" She giggles a little more at some thought and then says to Jai, regaining some of her composure, "Rather die on my feet than live on my knees. You know the saying!"

Marlena smirks just a bit. "Either way is probably bad for your joints." she notes to Petra and then turns back to Beck. "In school, yes. I'm taking a couple of classes at the you, but they're part of the program I'm in at the art college."

Beck snorts and sets down the pepper flakes. "Shoulda guessed art student," she says, spinning on her seat to look at Marlena. "What sort of art?" She takes a napkin and starts to crumple it up into a small ball.

Petra is sitting at the counter in between Jai and Beck, and Marlena is on the other side of Beck. I think. Beck is currently crumpling a napkin up into a little ball.

"I'll take the chicken," Jai replies, as if that somehow made sense as a reply to Petra's quote, and he leans down to rub the shin closer to Petra's chair. "Anyway, we both know I won." He grins at her again, sitting up and glancing at the lone remaining cinnastick in the basket.

"Yeah, you got a point there," Petra says with a short laugh to Marlena. She takes a drink of her water, finishing it off, and smiles at Beck's comments, looking to Marlena with interest for the answer. But then Jai's comment makes her snort derisively. "As IF. I'm just biding my time, waiting for the right moment to take you down. Sleep with one eye open, buster."

Soba pads into the parlor with a couple of wadded up bills in one hand and a fist full of change. She heads for the counter but her boney hip bounces into someone's chair along the way. She starts, curses, then follows that with a, "Shit, sorry man."

Marlena mm's to Beck. "That obvious, eh? Fashion design with a minor in illustration, in case I need something to fall back on." she admits with a lift of her shoulder, like she's not expecting to hear much interest in return. "Yourself?"

Beck shrugs her shoulders. "I build custom motorcycles, fix bikes, and basically do lots of things with and on motorcycles." She stands up. "I'll be right back," she says before excusing herself to the ladies' room.

You sense Soba bumped into you!

Petra is sitting at the counter in between Jai and Beck, and Marlena is on the other side of Beck. I think. Beck is heading to the ladies' room (and afk for a bit) and Soba is just heading in, money balled up in her hands.

"I didn't say I won =forever=. Just this battle. And it was decisive," Jai declares, emphasising it with a gesture of cinnastick. "Oh, really? Cool," he says to Marlena, "Did you design any of what you're wearing/ I mean, aside from, y'know, the ensemble..." He breaks off as someone bumps into him, and looks over, grinning when he sees Soba. "Oh, hey! 'sup?"

Soba has made it to the counter and just bumped into Jai. She blinks down at him, all amused. "Hey there." she greets, then bares her teeth in a feral smile. "How did I know you'd be here?" she slips into a seat next to him, assuming there is one, then drops something down in front of him. She then starts to seperate her coins and flatten out her bills.

"In your dreams," Petra retorts to Jai, and then thrusts her empty glass at him, demanding, "Make yourself useful! Go fetch me more ice water!" She glances over at Marlena when the woman says what she goes to school for and smiles faintly before she notices Soba. "Oh hey there. I still owe you that meal."

Marlena oh's a bit to Beck, not quite sure what to say about custom motorcycles and doing things to and.. on them. But soon enough the woman is gone at least for the moment so she doesn't have to come up with anything snappy in response. And then Jai asks her something that she actually knows and cares about. "Well, I did the corset which.. looks kind of wonky in back, and the frock coat I cut down from a sale when a tux rental place went out of business. The skirt I got at a resale place and then added the trim and the ribbons and the ruching here... it's adjustable." she starts rambling and leans over, plucking at one of the bows at the end of where the fabric is shirred. "See, you can pull this here and that adjusts how far up the skirt is ruched." Like Jai cares?

The door slides open as Dante pushes his way in, the man lingering in he entryway as he shifts his weight from foot to foot as he clasps a fist around his other hand. His initial observation complete, he makes his way in with a quiet grunt as he approaches the counter, his gait slow. He slips into a stool without a word, his clasped hands resting his wrists on the countertop.

Amazingly, Jai does seem to care! "I was saying when you came in, that coat's pretty cool. And everyone likes a corset." He leans in slightly to check out this 'ruching' thing. "Huh. That's pretty cool, you could change the length between places you went." He sits back up, almost running into Petra's glass, and accepts it. "That is definitely not what happens in my dreams," he says, quirking a brow, and then he notices what Soba dropped on the counter, and pales slightly. "Oh, shit. Did you pop my door or did I leave Clara unlocked?" he asks, picking up the ID and putting it in his pocket.

Soba leans forward and peers down the counter at Petra. "Oh shit yeah." she states, "If you're offering? I am so taking you up on it. Cause I only got enough here for a slice. And .. maybe a small coke. If they give me some pennies." she wrinkles her nose at the money then looks up toward the signs. "She was left unlocked. Still is." A glance is sent Jai's way. "Hopefully she is still out there." movement to the side distracts her and she shifts her attention over Dante's way. A moment later and she lights up. "You!"

Dante lingering in the door makes cold air from outside noticeable to Petra, and she turns toward the door, watching as Dante approaches the counter. Assuming he glances her way, he gets a little chin nod of greeting, and either way she comments, "Haven't seen you in awhile." Her eyes shift to Jai's ID, which she shamelessly tries to read before he can hide it away out of sight. "Yeah, get yourself some food," she tells Soba. "Something to drink, too. I said I'd buy you food, and now I'm following through. I'm like a goddamn saint over here."

Marlena goes a little quiet once the attention is off of her, and orders a salad, a slice, and a soda since the waitress is working on doing orders right now. Her toes dangle a good few inches above the floor, and she makes shre the counter is clear and leans on it, taking in the sight of people she doesn't know greeting eachother.

"Me," Dante replies to Soba, although his gaze doesn't quite turn to see her - he wears the face of a man that knew she was there all along, but a faint smile hints at the corner of his lips all the same. "Yeah. Other part of town, right?" he asks Petra, his gravelly voice tinged with his hispanic accent. "Yeah, uhh. Bud and..." he looks to Soba, "A large pizza. Pepperoni and jalapenos or..." and back to her, "What'cho want?"

Jai winces a little. "Thanks. I... will be right back," he says, and heads for the door, taking Petra's glass along with him.

''[Jai goes out to replace his ID and lock Clara, then returns]''

Soba brightens up. She's got Petra offering food one one side and Dante on the other. How often does this happen? Not very. "Oh man. I can't decide now. I'm so hungry I could eat a whole pie." A glance is sent after Jai and she smirks but then the petite woman is shifting over a seat to get closer to Dante. "I thought someone went and shot you or something." she admits. "But you're whole!" she gives him a look, up, down, way to familiar to be just friendly. "You've been busy, havn't you?"

Beck returns from the restroom and reclaims her seat at the counter. "So... I miss any good violence?" she asks. "Why was Jai outside?"

Marlena gets her soda and takes a sip, then shrugs to Beck. "Something about his car being unlocked, as far as I can tell." she informs, twirling a little back and forth on her seat which causes her curls to bounce a little.

"Hey!" Petra calls out as Jai leaves with her precious precious glass, though she's smirking a little. "He's so much fun to fuck with," she notes to Soba, still smirking. She confirms for Dante simply, "Yeah, other part of town," before saying to Soba, "Well, you're entitled to a whole damn pie, if you want it. Though if Dante here is paying, I'm fine with that. I don't need to throw away my money if someone else is willing to foot the bill."

"Un poco," Dante asides to Soba as he leans to one side - in her direction, it seems. His pint of budweiser comes soon enough, although the man doesn't touch it right away... or really show much eagerness toward anything at all. "First one's free," her assures Soba as he gives Petra an amused glint of an eye. "We'll make it an X-L then. But the japapenos are not negotiable."

"I can deal with hot stuff." Soba assures Dante. "So long as you get extra cheese. I want it ooey and gooey and nummy in my tummy."; Back toward Petra, "It so is. But he did leave her wide open. I mean, she was whispering to me as I walked by, 'Ride me! Slip into me and feel the Clara experience!' Which is just, you know? Creepy man."

The iPhone rings.<br />
Petra answers her iPhone

Marlena turns to look at Beck with a single raised and questioning eyebrow.

Jai returns, stopping at the counter on the way to get that glass refilled. "Your water, m'dam," he says as he presents it to Petra, "Complete with the finest gourmet ice, suitable for chewing." He reclaims his seat, and gives the last cinnastick a considering glance.

Petra grins up at Jai as he brings her the water, saying, "Thank you, slave. You may live another day." Her phone rings and she slides it out of her pocket, looking at the caller ID before grinning and bringing it to her ear on the second ring. She answers in an amiable tone, "What the hell do YOU want?" Yes, she's one of those people who answers their phone in the middle of a damn restaurant. She then laughs and says into her phone, "Well, that's easily done. Anything else?" She covers the phone and tells Soba, "Good thing Dante's covering. I gotta jet." She smiles over at everyone with a slightly warmer smile for Jai and says, "See ya'll later."

Beck chuckles drily at Marlena's response. "Niiice. Hey, Jai, next time can I borrow your car?" she asks, then looks back at Marlena. "Hey, wait... Can you sew leather?"

Marlena mm's to Beck. "I.. can work leather but I don't have a huge amount of experience with it. I wouldn't trust me with anything really complex, but I can certainly do something simpler, yes." she says, picking up her slice. "What are you thinking of?" she asks before biting into it.

"Clara?" Dante wonders as he lifts a hand up to rub at his cheek. He makes a curious face. "That...somebody I know be introduced to, sounds like?" He lifts his beer up to calmly take a small sip. He makes a frowning face to Petra's news. "So soon? I got some new things in I wanted to show."

"Aw. Life without you will be like a broken pencil," Jai tells Petra, hand over his heart, and then smiles back at her, "G'night." Beck's question gets a quirked brow and a perhaps surprisingly firm, "No. But I'll give you a ride in her whenever." Looking down to Dante, he explains like the nosy eavesdropper he is, "Clara's my cab, you might've seen her outside. Hi, I'm Jai."

Petra says into the phone, "That one's not so easy. I'm afraid you're totally screwed, as I do not have a secret twin. Or even a not-so-secret twin. I don't think the world could handle two of me, though, so maybe it's for the best." She covers the phone again and laughs at Dante's reply, shaking her head. "I haven't even finished off the last of it! I know, I know, I'm totally boring. Jai here might be interested though. He's a brave one!" And he gets a little ruffle of his hair, if he doesn't pull away. And like that, *poof*, she is gone!

Soba holds up her hands and moves them back and forth in a driving motion then honks her horn. "She's a Taxi." is shared with Dante. "Jai's pride and joy. Maybe I shoulda taken her for a joy ride," she glances aside at the taxi driver, "You should protect her better. Someone else woulda just had a little fun."

"Taxi huh," Dante replies quietly, his eyes cast down toward the counter, "Funny name for a cab." His weight shifts a little, his foot never quite staying still as it bounces up and down as it dangles from the stool. At the greeting, Dante's head bobs once as he looks at the man. "Dante," he notes. "You uhh... like good times and stuff, eh?" presumably meaning the just-referenced comment.

Jai sighs. "I was distracted; I saw Damian so I stopped and jumped out to sneak up on him. Then this place happened and I kinda forgot I'd only meant to come in for a second," he explains, but the hair ruffle seems to cheer him up again. "Thanks for not taking advantage," he tells Soba, "...and sure."

Beck sighs a bit. "Damn. I'm hoping to get...well...ever see Top Gear? I need a riding outfit like The Stig's."

Marlena looks to Beck for a moment and then shakes her head. "No, I'm sorry, I haven't seen it.. but if you get me reference pictures I can see what I can do?"

Soba gives Jai a little patpat. "Its alright. Think of it as a warning. I mean, there are all sorts of cars out there getting stolen lately. She could be the next one, yeah?" A wide smile slants across her face briefly but then she is looking back up at Dante. "So. Anything fun happen?"

"For some definition of fun," Dante utters lowly as his head shakes back and forth. Wide-eyed, Dante seems to thing that there might be /some/ sort of story tehre, even if he's not quite up for...telling it. Maybe ever. "Damn. I'm hungry," he complains as his hand clutches his stomach.

"That's how I was thinking of it," Jai agrees, nodding once, and protesting not at all at the pat. He finishes off that last cinnastick, and sighs. "Well. I gotta go buy someone a replacement pair of shoes," he says, "Which I prolly should do before he actually has to walk very far."

Marlena forks into her salad as she watches the goings on from her little bubble of quiet thoughtfulness, occasionally letting her feet kick and swing on the counter stool.

Beck pulls out her G1, which is white, and taps away on it for a second. She then sets it down on the countertop. "Wikipedia page for the Stig," she says. She looks over at Jai and smirks. "Say hi to Crazypants for me when you see him next."

Soba frowns at Dante's responce. "Huh." but doesn't press. Jai gets another glance and a wry smile, "Loose a wager?" but then she is slanting a look at the goth a little way aways. A thought occurs to her and she motions toward Beck, "You were just talking about something in leather, right? Did you go to that new age apothecary place? They have a shit load of leather stuff for sale there."

Marlena takes a look at the pictures, squinting. "ehrm." she says and then sighs. "I can /try/ but .. did you want the white or the black?" she asks as she taps on the screen a bit. "The white doesn't look like it's even leather."

"Nobody wanted pizza afterall. Fuck. An XL too." danet utters as the pizza actually arrives, his gaze cast between Soba and Jai, a little frown given but quickly drowned away with beer. "Leather shit?" Dante questions as he scoops up a steaming pile of cheese and toppings onto the white ceramic plates. Soba's first. Quite the gentleman, this one!

"Oh, hey, right, Zack makes really good leather stuff," Jai agrees, once Soba brings it up, "Like the jacket Petra was wearing, for example. And sure, I'll tell him the limo driver says hi." He grins at Beck. "Nice to meet you, Marlena. And you, Dante. And no, I kinda... made him drop one of his boots in the trash in here. By accident. It's a weird yet not very exciting story." Soba gets a grin as well, and a "See you again later," before he starts toward the door, giving the assembled a wave.

Beck shakes her head at Marlena. "The white one, and the outfit's changed over the years..Now it's more leather. But I want leather anyway, because I ride a motorcycle and...yeah... Leather is a good thing on a bike. Keeps your skin intact." She oohs at Jai. "You'll have to introduce me to him sometime."

Dante gets a flash of Soba's pearly whites then, surprise of all surprises? she leans in to give him a peck on the cheek. "You look beat." she shares, after a moment. When Jai gives a name to the crafter she makes a finger shooting gesture at Beck. "There you go."

Marlena waves and nods to Jai, then turns back to Beck. "Actually, you can get better fabrics for riding than leather. More flexible, better protection. Mixing fibers is also good too. Really, leather is mostly for the tough look nowadays. Sort of like saying you wear fur to keep warm."

"Eh. Life happens," Dante grumbles as he runs his hand through his hair, brushing through errant locks. The pizza continues to steam away - fresh and hot! "Leather stuff eh," he asides as he shifts his stance, "Maybe I should make some jackets. So people know where the turf is, right?" Then he remembers Jai leaving... his hand lifts. "Seeya," he calls out.
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