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Homework is done, and while the twins are busy tonight, Vic spends the time alone in the bet way possible: around people. And getting pizza. He sits at a table with a pitcher of beer and a whole pie. Well, three-quarters of one. He's already had one of the big pieces, and he's currently taking up another one. Food goes in the face!
That's right - Vic _does_ eat in astonishing ways. Lambert opens the door and steps on in, glancing around and beaming to himself. He claps his hands together, and is about to head in to get himself a Hawaiian when he recognises Vic - and calls out to him "Hey!" The chef ambles on over "Phew! Getting chillier now, eh?"
Vic turns to see who's heying him, and he perks up, waving Lambert over. Because his boss? His boss is great. "Lambert, hey there! It is. I had to wear a jacket." A leather bomber jacket, to be more exact. Very greaser, nice and stylish. His pizza's plain cheese. Some folks are purists. "You want to sit? I was just hanging around today. Kaleb and Kellan are taking care of something, so it's just me today."
Lambert has his own red letter jacket - and earned well, too. He pulls out a chair and slides into it "Sure! I'm getting pineapple on mine - whoa, pure cheese? How can you go past ham on this stuff though? Ham is the best." He grins "I'm not working tonight and I wanted someone else to make the food. So tell me - how's it goin', my favourite aide?"
Vic beams, and there are dimples. How proud that title makes him! "I might get a ham one to take home," he says. "Good for you taking the night off! I got my reading done early so I thought I'd go out and treat myself." He offers the pitcher of beer over, and he overturns an empty glass. "I can't get drunk anyway," he says by way of offer.
"What…really?" says Lambert, as he holds out the glass "It takes a _lot_ to get me properly shloshed, but…it still happens. Why can't you get drunk?" He tilts his head, confused, and then lowers his voice "Things, ah, at home still working out?"
Vic shrugs as he says, "I don't know. If I had to guess, I'd say it's because I metabolize too fast. Then he grins and says, "Things at home are great. We're going to school, studying hard. Kellan and Kaleb are so smart it's like living in a study group." Something that, apparently, is heaven on earth if the fellow's expression is anything to go by. He pauses, then admits, "Something happened a few weeks ago, when I had to call in. I never did explain."
"Sorry, wait, Kellan and Kaleb - you're, uhhh. Kaleb," Lambert is not so foolish as to say out loud where someone could hear that Vic might be with another man "…which one is it again?" And then he says "Yeah? What happened? Sometimes the odd weird thing does occur in this city. Marcie got held up by some woman with wings the other day who said the street outside her apartment was a no-go zone."
"Kellan," Vic says wryly. It's something he's gotten used to, dating a twin. He grimaces. "Oh no, is Marcie okay? Does she need anything? I can walk her home nights, maybe." He stuffs pizza in his face, eating with some distraction over Marcie's situation. After washing it down with a swig of beer, he says, "Anyway, I died. My dad made me sty home and rest."
"Ooooh, right, Kellan," says Lambert with a saucy grin "Hehhheh. Twins." What is he thinking? Have one simple guess…never the less, he tilts his head, then he says "She should be okay now, the woman said there was something like water in the sewers or…I'm not sure. It's dealt wi- YOU WHAT?" His voice carries. Sharply.
Vic winces at the sudden, sharp carrying of Lambert's voice. "I got hit by a truck," he says. He rubs the back of his neck. This is all so embarrassing, really. "I was killed, but I kind of, um. My body? It repaired all the damage, and I woke up, and my dad was freaked out. I was really tired, and he made me stay over and sleep, so I didn't make it to my shift. I wouldn't have just flaked on you."
Lambert stares at Vic, and after a moment he says "Yeah. If I was your father, I would have freaked out as well. Man, his blood pressure must be on the _moon_. How the heck did that happen, anyway?" He pauses, and he adds "Being dead keeps happening to my friends…and they get better, but it still freaks me out."
"He was pretty stressed out." Vic hangs his head. He didn't want to stress Dad out. "I don't know what happened," he says. "I was all warm and comfortable, and I felt like I was complete, you know? Then I was coming to, and my hip was broken, and I was in pain, and my poor dad was in a twist. Near as we can tell, the energy that suffuses my being doesn't leave when the body dies. It sticks around to fix things." He ducks his head and rubs the back of his neck.
"Wowie wow," says Lambert, then he says "…that's got some. Intense implications there. How are you handling those?" He takes the beer, then lifts his head with a smile as his pie arrives. Mmmm. Hawaiian. Lambert puts a hand on the table and he leans in close, then prods Vic, to feel his muscles "…seems normal. But…"
Vic admits, "I'm kinda freaking out inside. What if I don't age? What if I can't die no matter what? I mean that's neat, but it's also heavy, because everyone I know will grow old and I won't. And coming back is the worst pain ever. I don't want to die again. He smiles though, despite himself, when Lambert prods at him. "But that's why I flaked on the lunch rush."
"That stuff is all super heavy," decides Lambert "Too heavy for us to think about too much, and…yeah. I mean, I'm gonna live longer than…" His voice drops "A pure human. But…in the end, I guess…" He frowns, and he looks down at his pizza, and then he says "There's gotta be more folks like you, Vic! We can find them, right?"
Vic shakes his head and says, "Nah, I'm the only me I know of, but it's okay. I've got family, and people who love me. It used to bug me, you know, like I'll never find where I belong." He takes another bite of pizza. After munching it down, he continues, "But the way I figure, I've got a place in the world, and I'm one of a kind. How many people get to be that lucky?" He gives Lambert a friendly squeeze on the shoulder. "I like that you're not 'pure human.' You're one of the coolest guys I know."
"You've got to make your own place, to belong," says Lambert, spreading his hands, and then he says, his voice dipping quiet once more "Check this out!" And he brushes his hair back to show the two little ivory coloured dimpled horns that now poke through "Ehhhh, eh? Manly, right?" A pause "…though the girls get them too, hmm. I guess that's a bit confusing, really. Never mind. I…think you're a good guy, Vic. And if you weren't taken…" He gives a cheesy grin.
Vic's eyes widen. "All right!" he says, enthused but quiet. "Look at those! Looking good." He grins ear to ear. "Those are really cool, man. You're still manly as all get-out. Then he blushes and ducks his head. "Shucks, that's good of you to say," he says. Then, quieter, "If I wasn't taken, I could crush on you pretty hard. Don't tell Kellan that, though."
"I won't," says Lambert "I used to stir a tonne of trouble, now I just don't. It's…I don't know. I don't think I'm any more mature. I do think I'm of the opinion that I used to be more of a jackass." He polishes off Vic's beer, and has finished half of his pizza "Hey, do you need to eat a lot? Like, to fuel yourself?"
Vic sits at a table with Lambert. He's got a cheese pizza and Lambert's working on a Hawaiian. A pitcher of beer has just been polished off by Lambert. Vic grins at something Lambert says. "I think you're great," he says. Then he pats his belly and says, "Yeah, I'm always hungry. I burn a lot just keeping myself going, I think."
"I'm always hungry too, but I have a lot more stomach than you do," observes Lambert with some amusement. He pulls another piece of Hawaiian out, the cheese stretchign a good long way, and then he waves his free hand idly "Nah, I was actually a bit more jerky when I was younger. I could do a lot more, because of luck, and I thought that made me special in ways it didn't really. Nothin' like assuming you're better than most to make you worse, right?"
The bell on the front door jingles and Jay steps in off the street, wandering Brooklyn like a madman, apparently. He looks rather all right, if a little tired, but still with that serene smile painted on his face, giving him that affible appearance the ginger fellow greets the world with. His wings out for the world to see, looming behind his shoulders as he meanders toward the counter, flip-flops clicking with each step. A cursory glance over the other tables, there's a double take when his brain doesn't register a Vic right away, then registers it upon second glance. Goober Jay waves.
"When I was younger," he says, a touch awkward, "I wasn't a very nice guy. I mean I was nice but I wasn't good. But it's because I worried I wasn't good enough." He takes another bite, chewing thoughtfully. He swallows, then says, "I had kind of a rebirth. I'm much happier being who I am now." Then he spies Jay, and he waves him over. "Jay! Hey, this is my boss, Lambert. Lambert, this is Jay. He's one of my housemates and he's great."
Lambert says, in some amusement "I know Jay." He tilts his head to look at those red feathers, that are out there in the open "…that is _great_," says Lambert, without detailing what, exactly, he thinks that type of great is. It does not matter - it is good, nonetheless. Then he waves a hand "Want a piece of my pizza?"
Jay makes a small gesture of apology to the poor fellah at the counter, meandering in the direction of their table. A pop of his brows up when he recognizes the fellah with Vic. Suppressing a smile when Vic introduces them. "That right? Yer boss?" Jay just goes with it, smiling through the joke. "Well, it's great to meet you, sir." Jay holds a hand out of Lambert, eyes dancing with humor. Cheeks flushing with very light color at the compliment, feathers shivering a little bit, fluffing up before slicking down. "You sure?"
"You can have some of mine too if you want," Vic says. It's just cheese, but there's a couple slices left even after he's tucked into it. "I just popped in for a bite because I finished my reading early tonight, and the twins were out, and we ran into each other. How cool is that? Serendipity, you could say." He nudges out a chair with his foot. "I'm going to have to get going soon, though. I want to be home when Kellan gets there."
Lambert does extend his hand, and he shakes Jay's, and then he says "No, seriously - those wings shouldn't be hidden away. Isn't it better out?" And then he nods to Vic "Yeah, I understand! I won't be here for too much longer, but I always like a word or two with this stranger here." He grins, and then he says "Yeah, like I was telling Vic here, sometimes it's really nice not to have to cook, you know? What have you been up to, Jay?"
Jay arches an eyebrow at Vic, corners of his mouth tightening. "Huh, serendipity. Who'd have guessed." He exhales a quick chuckle and shakes his head, finally cracking. "Man, that one was a stretch, Vic. Since when have either of you struggled to polish anything off, though? Y'all feelin' okay?" Jay reaches over to press his palm against Lambert's forehead. Twisting a chair around to sit backwards on it at the table, a patient smile passed to Lambert. "Yer not really the one t'talk about not hidin', 'Bert." Helping himself to a slice of Vic's pizza with a wink of gratitude. "Mm…not a whole lot." Jay flicks his eyes down, his wings fwipping softly. Liar face. "Jus' you know, workin'. Tryin' to keep these jokers in line." Thumbing over to Vic. "What about you, Bert? It's been a while, man. Ah missed seein' ya around."
"Someone has to keep track of us," Vic says. "We're trouble." He then explains to Jay, "I had some Pad Thai before I came here. You should try it. Kaleb and I got some the other day and it was amazing. Not as amazing as saganaki, but you can't compete with fried cheese." He says this as though it were merely one of the facts of reality, inevitable as the tides. Fried cheese > other food. "It's just good to hang out with you, Lambert. I mean just for fun."
Lambert has his own chair there, and he is pulling out yet another slice of pizza "Mmmmhmm?" he says, and then he coughs "Yeah, the thing is that huge wings look awesome. Meeee…well. Actually." And Lambert deliberately lifts his fringe up and pulls his hair back. Jay would have felt it anyway, but now visible through the skin are two bone-coloured slightly pointed little cones of horns. They are no longer just bumps "Heh," says Lambert, clearly outrageously proud of himself, and then he says "Are you bein' a super hero now?" He reaches over to slap Vic on the back as he speaks "No, fun is good - I don't do it enough. Maybe I should have a few more days off. Just. Like, you know. Relax. Actually _check in_ with friends like Jay here."
Jay smiles and shakes his head lowly when Vic explains he's already eaten, licking his lower lip to hide his grin for a moment. "That explains it. Though…Ah ain't exactly sure what it is, Ah trust yer judgment when it comes t'food, Vic." Trust the motemallow. Quieting himself by shoving pizza into his mouth, eyes going wide when Lambert pulls his hair back to show the little peaks of horns. He sputters a little bit, quickly swallowing most of his mouthful. Feathers stand up slightly, his silhouette looking larger for an exciting moment. "Yer kiddin' me! Are those—'Bert! That's cool as get out, man." clearly outrageously prpud /for/ his friend.
Vic gives Lambert a look. Then Jay, then Lambert again. "I'm going to have to bring some when this guy's home, or next time he's by the restaurant." To Jay, he says, "It's Greek fried cheese, and it's served with lemon wedges and you put it on bread, and it's the most amazing thing. Lambert makes the best." In truth, Lambert makes the only Vic's ever tasted, but he has faith in his boss. Then he grins broadly and tells Jay, "Aren't those cool?" He chucks Lambert on the arm amiably.
Lambert grins at Jay in turn "Yeah! Finally - took long enough, but…well." And he takes the jug and pours himself another beer, then salutes Jay with it "I love saganaki. Especially with sour lemon - just as Vic says. It's salty, unhealthy and delicious." Then he colours up slightly and looks down "Aww, guys," he says, and he finally nudges Jay a bit "You _are_ moonlightin', aren't you!"
"Oh…th-that's actually a food?" Jay looks back and forth between the two, uncertainty culminating in a sheepish smile. "Ah…thought it was just the name of the restaurant." Admitting his ignorance. "Ah…actually meant pad thai…" Seriously admitting his ignorance. "But hey, fried cheese! Can't go wrong with that. Ah'll have to stop over and beg ya t'make it for me some time, Lambert." Jay mentions around another bite of pizza. He shakes his head slowly, looking to Vic again. "They are. An' about time, yer right, Lambert. But hey, better late than never. Man, they're gonna be so cool, 'Bert." Shifting with the nudge, he blinks, wide eyed and innocent, rubbing some sauce off the corner of his mouth. "What, /Me/?" As if it were impossible to think he would be the one of any of them who'd be moonlighting as a superhero. "Wh-what makes you think that?" oh /gosh/…/do/ go /on/!
"Oh, Pad Thai's, like, noodles with peanuts and a peanut sauce, and it's got chicken and bits of egg, and green onion. I never thought I'd like peanuts in savory stuff, but it's actually pretty good." He stretches, then gets up. "I want to get home in time to catch Kellan," he says, "but it was sure great seeing you two." He grins then at Jay and ruffles his hair. He says nothing, offers no hints. "Lambert, we'll have you over some night for dinner next time you don't wanna cook."
"My restaurant is named after my favourite food, Jay," says Lambert, with brown, twinkling eyes, and then he says "Oh, pad thai - I'm not quite sure what it is, but I'll try anything fifty six times. And sure - next time you're there, we're going to eat saganaki and drink red wine, okay?" He then laughs, despite himself, and he claps Jay on the shoulder with a fond gesture "Mmm," says Lambert, very, very suspiciously. Someone is not buying it. He pours a beer for Jay - the last left - and he says "Okay! See you, Vic. Don't get into, er, more trouble - okay?" And his head noddles "Sounds good! Twins, you say…" Uh oh.
Jay stares at Vic while he explains pad thai, chewing thoughtfully on a piece of cheese and dough awesome. He looks confused, then ruffled, hair falling in his face, which makes him shake his head in urgency, trying to flit red hair out of his eyes. "See ya at the place. Oh. Um, if Kale's still panicking about his boxes, you mind just…checkin' in on him?" Jay winces softly, recalling his best friend's freak out a few days ago.
A quick smile of incredulousness slid to Lambert. "Fifty-six, huh? No more, no less, just to be sure?" Nudging Lambert back under the table with one sandaled foot. "What're you looking at me like that for? C'mon, outa the three of us? Ah'm the dogsitter, remember?". taking another bite, Jay is oblivious and nods to Lambert. "Vic hasn't told ya about the twins?"
Lambert asides to Jay "I've only done _one_ weird thing - ever!" Now, though, he too is offering the last of his pizza to Jay "Aww, you're so -" And they are out here. So Lambert coughs, and does not say 'cute'. Instead he says "Nice. Okay - ooohhh. Kale. Someone I haven't met?" He quirks his lips "Why don't you come around soon? I gotta feed you Saganaki. And admire those wings - I'd like to see you fly sometime, you know?" That said, he rises "I have to head back though. My aunt's staying with me." His eyes get a slightly freaked out look "…she keeps _tabs_ on where I am!"
"Lambert," Jay starts with a crooked smile, licking a touch of cheese grease off his upper lip, his eyes dancing with humor, "Ah want you to know that there is no universe in where Ah believe you've only done /one/ weird thing."
Jay gathers to his feet when Lambert stands, shrugging slightly, not at all catching the hesitation in phrasing. "Kale's jus' one of the twins. Kale an' Kel. Kel's Vic's…" Paaause. Watch as Jay's brain skips and his cheeks flush with color when he too realizes where they are. "Uh. Friend." Smooooth! "They're good guys. Ah live in their livin'room." Jay awkwardly slides his hands into his pockets, his wings twitch, uncontrolled. "Ah'd like that, actually. Comin' by. When yer aunt's gone. Or maybe Ah'll drop by when she's in." Jay grins, brows waggling, impishly. "Aunts love me." Threatening good-naturedly before he gives a shrug and lifts a hand mildly. "Hey, Lambert. It was really nice to see you. Ah miss seein' that smile."
"Friend," agrees Lambert, with a faintly melancholic smile. Where _his_ family comes from…well. He says "Oh, man, Jay. You come around soon, and I will send you back a pack of food, okay?" Then Lambert goes _bright red_ "_No_! Not when she's theerrre," he says, as if he is thirteen all over again. He runs his fingers through his hair "Come by again. Sorry, I got busy. So many things to cater for. I've missed you, you know?" And with that? Off he trots. His player has somewhere to be!