2019-06-25 - Brinner Time

It's late evening on a Monday night, so it's not like the waffle place is packed to the gills right now. In fact, it's quiet enough that the little 'seat yourself' sign is flipped toward the front doors, allowing patrons to do exactly that.

Graham must have been here a little bit already, considering he's hunched over a plate with the remnants of (wait for it!) waffles on it. He's still got his fork in one hand and the little pitcher of syrup in the other, so he must not be completely finished, despite the way the counter-waitress is lurking in the general vicinity, like she's waiting to pick up his dishes. Or is trying to flirt with him. Or maybe both.

Tyler wanders into the waffle shoppe, glancing around. He greets the room with a sigh, and then makes his way to the counter, sitting on one of the stools fairly close to Graham. "Congratulations on still being free," he offers the other young man with a sardonic smile before nodding at the waitress. "Gimme one of those pecan waffles and a Diet Coke."

"First off." Graham tucks the super-syrupy bite into his mouth, saying around it, "I'm actually quite expensive, thank you very much." The waitress that had been trying to flirt with him turns the same beamydreamy smile upon Tyler, too, she's not the pickiest of creatures, and answers about how that order's coming right up, before she and her ponytail bounce off to put it in with the kitchen. Graham watches her go with his eyes moving but the rest of him still - except his mouth, he's still chewing. Once she's gone, he finishes, "And second off, how're you gonna order a diet Coke to go with your plateful of diabetes, son?"

Tyler rolls his eyes, grinning as he looks over Graham's way. "Don't judge me. I'm tired. Some of us work." He runs his hand through his hair, shaking his head. "And anyway, it's not like you aren't eating the same slop yourself." He takes the Diet Coke when it arrives, nabbing a quick drink. "What are you up to these days, Graham?"

After a big drink out of his own soda cup, Graham points out, "I could be working right now, you wouldn't know any different." For example, he leans over the bar a little and watches the girl do stuff to the register, so maybe he's just here casing the joint! But probably he's not, since he fork-cuts another bite and tucks it into his mouth again after a drizzle of syrup. "I'm eating these fucking waffles right now, with some good old-fashioned Doctor Pepper. Other than that?" He shrugs, like what he's up to is just not even worth the effort of answering. "Are you still a fireman?"

Tyler shrugs, kind of humbly. "Yeah. I mean, really, I'm just in it for the free food at restaurants." He laughs, revealing he's teasing, but adds, "I can't remember the last time I paid full price for anything I put in my mouth." He notes, "You still a scoundrel?"

Hold up, Graham's listening. "You get free food?" He looks down at the waffles he's been shoving into his face, gears turning behind his eyes, and he huhs like this is all news to him, pushing at the backs of his teeth with a poke of his tongue. "Any room on that tab for me?" He pastes on a totally charming smile (which should answer the question of whether or not he's still a scoundrel, so he just leaves that one alone).

Harper pushes through the front door and into the space filled with the heady smell of fresh waffles and sizzled pork products. Sure there are dinner-y things offered. But why would a person come /here/ for /those/? She's still dressed from work (outfit, not pb: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/493073859203616380/ ) at the library and has a satchel across her torso and hanging at one hip. As she lets the door swing closed behind her she sways back on her heels a bit, closing her eyes to inhale the sweet scent for a moment. Then, there's a belated inventory of those present as patrons and the lovelorn (who could blame her?) waitress before moving toward a booth. As she passes by the two men, she murmurs to Graham. "The fox runs at midnight." Plus, "Hi, Graham." Then a little wiggle of her fingers to the even younger fireman whose name she doesn't know. When she reaches the booth, pulls the satchel up and over her torso and lets it thunk into the booth seat before sliding in beside it, reaching for a copy of 'House of Leaves' from inside and opening it to a bookmarked spot because librarians DO NOT dog-ear books. She doesn't even glance at a menu. Her order is ready when the waitress finishes drooling, which might take awhile, to be taken.

Tyler just smiles a bit wider, that boyish grin giving Graham's charm a run for his money. "Public servants get discounts everywhere. A lot of places, especially restaurants, even comp the meal if you're in uniform. You know, you could take the course and test in. They're hiring new recruits at the station. Turn over a new leaf." He chuckles, "I'm told fire fighters are a whole sex symbol thing now, apparently."

The fox runs at midnight? Graham check his watch real quick and decides, "I got three and a half hours left, then." He squints after Harper for a second, trying to place her, and then goes with, "From the boardwalk? With the secret club?" Never mind she's obviously over there trying to read, he'll just interrupt her, though he gets sidetracked from that with the bark of a short laugh at Tyler's suggestion. "Sure, lemme get right on that whole 'test' thing. Sign me up." There's another, quieter laugh about the whole sex symbol thing, and he answers back, "You're told that? 'Cause. I dunno that a few free waffles are worth it, man."

"Look, I'm just callin' 'em like I see 'em," responds Tyler. He glances at the young woman who slips in and then parks with a book, and he looks at Graham, "Friend of yours?" A moment later, the woman is handed a to go bag and she's heading right back out of the diner. Looking back at Graham, he shrugs, "I don't know how you do it. I'd spend so much time watching my back and worrying I'd get caught doin' something that I'd be miserable."

Apparently Harper is a multi-tasker, because she looks up from her book and touches a fingertip to the end of her nose as she looks toward Graham at his observations. The waitress gets around to Harper who promptly orders a Belgian waffle with fresh summer strawberries and extra whipped cream, a side of bacon and a glass of ice water. A warm, little smile to the waitress. "Thanks." She lifts her gaze from her book to arch a brow, looking from Graham to Tyler and back again for the response to that query. Not good at ordering like a girl, or at playing clueless either, Harper.

"Nah, we went to high school together," take a drink, "and then we bumped into her on the boardwalk a couple nights ago." Graham shrugs, like that explains everything, even the fact that they seem to be talking in code. A glance shoots over his shoulder, now that Tyler mentions it, but there's nobody rolling up with a shotgun or whatever (man, if only he waited a minute for the new arrival to pose in...), so he turns back on his stool with another shrug. "You get used to it. Plus, it's not like I just walk around burgling shit all day, man. I'm one hundred percent on the up-and-up."

Okay, so, like, almost none of the back half of what Graham just said was true.

Tyler's waffle arrives. He takes a moment to dump too much syrup on it, and then he shovels a large bite into his mouth. After he swallows, he gives an incredulous look to Graham. "One hundred percent." He rolls his eyes, and then just takes another bite. "I didn't know you knew anyone who could read. That's really impressive, Graham. Maybe there's hope for you after all."

With a half smile curving her lips and a sparkle to her brown eyes, Harper turns her attention back to her book, though who can say how much she is reading and how much she is unapologetically eavesdropping upon? The male-banter may earn the slightest shake of her head as she turns a page in the thick novel.

In through the front door comes Elise, thankfully not rolling up with a shotgun to blow off Graham's head or anything. It's hot outside, so she's dressed for the weather; a blush pink floral wrap dress, the skirt cut above the knee, and a pair of strappy heels. She's got her hair done up in an artful bun, held through with ornate chopsticks. It's .. probably a little too put together an outfit for the fucking Waffle Shoppe, but whatever. "Did you eat already?" Her hand goes smack across Graham's shoulder when she comes up behind him. "God dammit. You were supposed to wait for me." Oh, there were other people here. Tyler gets a friendly smile, and Harper gets finger-wiggles in her direction.

With a jab of his fork in the direction of the book-booth, Graham points out, "You'll notice that she elected to sit over there. So I'm not sure if I know her so much as - ow!" He gets hit on the shoulder, and the look that cuts to Tyler is full of blame: like, dude, he couldn't warn a brother?! "I waited for you. Then I got fucking tired of waiting for you, so I ate some waffles." He slaps his hand on the stool between himself and Tyler, like that was totally planned; "But I saved you a seat." With the charming smile from earlier and the lash-bat at Elise. (He's super-smitten, in case that wasn't painfully obvious.)

Tyler slouches his shoulders just slightly, surprised at Elise's entrance. "So you know EVERYONE?" he asks Graham, with some playful annoyance. "Are you assembling a posse?" A little laugh escapes his lips as he smiles widely, "Is this like a Charlie's Angels thing? You're assembling your criminal organization and it's only beautiful women?" He glances at Elise, "Hey."

Harper slides one leg over the top of the other as she reads-slash-listens. "More comfortable here. But I can hear you just fine." From over the top of her book, Harper watches Elise arrive with skating little smile. She suspects how this will go, and isn't left disappointed. Just then her waffle of many pleasures arrives and is set before her along with a side of bacon and an ice water, just as requested. "Perfect!" she tells the waitress. "You even remembered the extra whipped cream. Thank you." She has to set the book down to one side as she unwraps a napkin and picks up a fork, eyeing her food the same way that Graham eyes Elise.

"I told you I had to go home and get changed first. I mean it's the Waffle Shoppe, Graham, you can't come here looking like a bag lady, and I can't just snap my fingers and look this good," there's not a whole lot of heat in Elise's words at least. She makes like she's going to flick him behind the ear, but leans to smooch him on the cheek instead. She may also pull the hair on the back of his neck, but well. She's a bit of a child. Then she comes to perch, canting her head to Tyler as her brows climb. "Why do you think he's the leader of the organization? Maybe I'm the crime lord, and I'm surrounding myself with pretty men," she smirks.

The two pages are stapled together and pristine white and held carefully in fingers with a little pink around the fingernail cuticle like remover had just recently been used. Dressed in a pair of black jeans and a white button up t-shirt with a lace collar she is wearing her absolute Sunday best as she marches into the door like she doesn't know anyone there. Or maybe more like no one here knows Lyric and how she usually dresses. To the counter, she asks for a manager. The manager is out. "Can you give this to them when they get back?" Lyric is applying for a job if her sliding the application across the counter to the waitress is any indication. Right through a blob of jelly. Dammit! But too late, the waitress has it and nods, "I'll leave it on the desk." With an exhale of breath, Lyric's shoulders sag. "Thank you." Then she turns around to see who all else is here. ALL the persons of interest.

"Evening, Elise," Harper adds just before lifting a forkful of strawberries and whipped cream to her mouth. Tyler's commentary earns him another amused glance. "I think you got it wrong. I'm pretty sure Elise is 'Charlie' and Graham's one of the angels. But I wouldn't really say he's a beautiful woman." A wave of her fork to add to her friendly greeting to Elise once her mouth is full and she murmurs a little sound of pleasure in her throat. Because fresh strawberries AND whipped cream. Not even waffle yet. Lyric's arrival and request to someone working in the place this evening is observed and noted.

Graham's brows climb way, way up at Tyler's criminal organization comment, and he'll just be over here clearing his throat for a a second and pounding some Doctor Pepper, thanks, while Elise makes with the complaints about how she told him she had to go home and get changed. He says into his cup (because he's not brave enough to say it right to her face), "And I told you I was hungry, so." He slides his plate, with all two bites of waffles left on it, toward Elise like that will make it better? "What the shit? When did this become Fuck Graham Monday?" Hold up, he stares off into the middle distance for a second, like maybe that's not so bad... anyway.

Tyler takes the last bite of the waffle and then washes it down with the last of his soda. He grins at Elise, "Well, I hope you and your angels have a great time, then." To Graham, he reassures him, "Relax. You can keep your man card AND your street cred. I won't tell anyone." He smirks, "Though," and he nods toward Harper, "She might." He laughs, and then hops off the stool. "I'm due at the station soon. You all try to stay outta trouble." He pauses, and then reconsiders, "Well, try not to get caught, at any rate." With that, he turns to head for the door.

"Name." Harper demands of Tyler as he makes motions to leave. As if she were used to people offering up their deets at a single word from her. Clearly, Harper is amused by the direction the conversation over at the counter has taken.

"What? I said you were pretty," Elise remarks to Graham with a bat of her lashes, before the plate of.. two bites of waffles .. is slid in front of her. She looks at the waffle bits, then to Graham, and just sighs as she picks up her fork. "My angel better buy me dinner if he knows what's good for him, or he's not gonna be.. uh, 'fighting crime' tonight," she quips to Tyler, complete with air quotes, before she pops one of the waffle-bites into her mouth and chews. Then she promptly leans over Graham's lap to steal a quick sip of his soda, swallowing it so she doesn't say the next part with her mouth full: "It was nice seeing you around, Tyler." There's a glance to Harper afterward, and she offers the librarian a smile. "Hey Harper."

"Did you know firemen get free fucking waffles?" Graham shares this with Elise like it's the most amazing news he's ever heard, pointing at Tyler before he gets around to waving toward the counter-waitress. Who (surprise, surprise) has been mysteriously absent since someone that's obvious a girlfriend rolled up. "What if we get your waffles to go, and I give you a ride back to the house." With the eyebrows and just the world's most difficult to decipher innuendo there, he's super-sly. Sometime between Tyler getting up and Harper demanding his name, Graham adds, "Good seeing you, man. Shoot me a text, we'll hang out." Then he chin-tips at Harper, in case Tyler missed the demand.

A whole lot of locals like her mostly, if she was remembering correctly, but Lyric only sorta knew them in passing. There's a wave as she meanders through the table in her path back to the door. So many applications! So little time!

Tyler nods, "Alrighty," and he smiles at Harper, repeating, "Tyler." Then he says, kind of to all of them, "Be good." And he heads out the door.

But then Elise provides Tyler's name and Harper seems appeased as she murmurs it herself and cuts into her heavenly waffle through scads of whipped cream and some strawberries, too. The return greeting doesn't go unnoticed while Harper's mouth is full, but neither does she want to invade the deeply infatuated couple's 'date', so she merely adds, after swallowing her bite, "We need to work on a better secret handshake." That's all. She picks up a piece of bacon between her fingertips and nibbles on it. Probably far too late, Harper adds a "Nice to meet you." at the figure already nearly out the doors.

"So do the police," Elise says of people who get free waffles, pausing just long enough for the inevitable 'fuck the police' that she's fairly certain is going to follow that remark. She pops the other bite of waffle in her mouth, considering Graham's offer of food-to-go and a ride back home with a sidelong look as she chews. "Mm. I don't know. That's a rather long ride," her brows climb, "My waffles might get cold and soggy. And the whipped cream will melt all over them." She pushes his plate away with a grin, leaning over his lap again to steal his soda while she tries to get the waitress' attention. Yoo-hoo, she's over here with the pretty boy! "I think I'm just going to have what she's having," she points to Harper, or rather Harper's plate, with the strawberries and whipped cream. Then, to the librarian directly: "There's not really a secret handshake, is there?"

"Not an acceptable one, no." Harper's shared amusement at the thought is visible behind sparkling brown eyes as she finishes the bacon and goes for another bite of waffle with all the whipped cream and some strawberries. "You have good taste." In food or companionship? The librarian is in a typically cheerful mood.

CURVE BALL, Graham eschews profanity-the-police and points out, "I'd look good in a uniform." When Elise throws her order at the waitress, despite all her fussing about how it'd get soggy, he cups his hands over his mouth and calls, "To go!" While those two talk about handshakes and good taste, he settles up the bill. Eventually, the waffles show up, and he yoinks the to-go bag off the counter with one hand, nabs Elise's hand with the other, and lifts their now laced hands toward Harper in a farewell wave. "Enjoy your brinner, new friend. We gotta get started on that long ride home." Subtlety is overrated.