This is where you'll be seated to have your meal. The tables are simply decorated and some nights there is a string band or solo violinist to give the restaurant a distinct and authentic feel.

::The waiter seats Lirie and Nicolette, handing them lunch menus.::

"Would you like drinks?"

::Nikki smiles at the Waiter and nods as she takes her menu.::

"I'll have a sweet tea. Brunhilda, do you know what you'd like to drink yet?"

::She tries to keep a straight face as she looks at Lirie expectantly.::

:: Lirie also tries to keep a straight face, however when it talks it comes off haughty. ::

"Yes, I would like some Long Island tea. Only without the Island. Or the Long. In fact, just tea. Earl Grey with lemon, no milk."

"Certainly."

(I hope you have the tips to make up for your idiocy.)

::The waiter smiles at the pair and leaves.::

::Nikki clasps her hands together and rests her chin on the top of her hands.::

"You know he's going to spit in your tea now, right?"

"Oh, I'm planning on it. In case the 'cockroach in the salad' trick doesn't get us a free meal."

:: Lirie grins, picking up the menu and scanning it briefly. ::

::Nikki giggles, but in a badass kinda way, and scans her menu as well.::

"Evil child."

::She says with appreciation.::

"I think I'll have the baked salmon with risotto. You?"

"I--'ve just had pancakes. Am sticking to the tea."

:: Lirie folds up the menu, putting it down, and stares around the room. ::

"So where are you from, and what the hell brought you to SanFran?"

::The waiter returns with non-spit in teas.::

"Okay. One sweet, one Earl with lemon."

::He puts their drinks in front of them and takes out his pad.::

"Are you ready to order?"

"We are, yes. I'll have the baked salmon with risotto and she'll have the brownie with the vanilla ice cream and hot fudge on top, please."

(I did promise her one and I'm so not gonna be the only one eating. I'll answer her questions as soon as the waiter goes.)

"Ooh, the brownie. Totally forgot about that. Man, you are a cop. They don't make the normal people as honest as this."

"Plus I hate eating alone. Makes me feel fat."

::She folds up her menu, grabs Lirie's, and hands them both to the waiter.::

"Thank you very much, sir."

"Excellent choices."

:: He collects their menus and is off quick to place their orders.::

:: Lirie stares at the waiter as he retreats to wherever waiters tend to retreat and suddenly realized something, turning to Nicolette with a frown. ::

"Okay, I hate eating like normal people. Or doing anything normal for that matter. I feel like we should be fighting the food, killing it and only then cook and eat it. It's a bit weird to be fighting a brownie, but heck, I'll try anything once..."

"Look at it this way: Society has evolved to where you can pay someone else to spend five hours collecting eggs; milking a cow; processing flour and sugar and the various other things needed to make a brownie. You pay for their services."

::She takes a sip of her tea.::

(Fucking Yanks. They never add enough sugar.)

"Plus, I'm sure you know how to make a brownie, and I know how to fish. Let's chalk it up to 'if we ever had to work for our food we could'."

"Yes... I guess I could make a brownie. And if I was in a suicidal mood, might even attempt of eating it, but... I still think society and its approach to food is spoilt. I believe that if you want to eat a hamburger, you should be damn prepared to look into the glossy eyes of that cow and club it to death. Too squeamish to do that? Go murder salary sticks, they don't look back."

::Nikki snags a roll from the comp basket and begins to spread butter over it, not being able to hold off anymore.::

"You really wanna go back to that kind of society? It would kick us back into the dark ages where a woman's place was at home cooking for her man."

"Screw that! Men would be cooking their meat, and I'd be killing my own. The only ones who're allowed to piggybag my loot are the rugrats. All eighteen of them. Up until they turn nine, after which - every man for his own!"

:: Lirie grabs half a roll and munches on it without that butter. ::

"You know that's a dairy heartattack, right?"

"Eighteen kids? Woman, what do you have against your vagina?"

::She takes a bite of her nice buttered roll.::

"I grew up in New Orleans. Food isn't food unless it's milked up, buttered up, or fried."

"I'm not on such good terms with my vagina. She claims I don't pay her enough attention; I just wanna be left alone to watch my football games. She wants me to think seriously about our future; I wish she had a 'mute' button. She wants all my money to be spent on her; I prefer chocolate bars to tempons. we're considering counselling. Well, she does..."

:: Lirie speaks casually, waving her roll around as she speaks. ::

"Oh, and I knew I smelled Creole blood in you!"

"Freak."

::Nikki muses happily as she tears a piece of roll off and pops it into her mouth. She chases the bit of roll with her tea and turns her attention back to Lirie.::

"You ever been there?"

"In my vagina?"

:: O.O ::

(I already know the answer to that one is no.)

"No, woman, New Orleans. Have you ever been to New Orleans?"

"Oh! Heh. Not in real life, no. Though years ago me and Lestat used to rule that city ruthlessly."

:: Lirie leans aback, stretching her feet out to get the crickis out. ::

"I haven't been able to get past the west coast. Got kind of stuck here, because--"

:: She catches herself about to mention something that isn't quite true anymore. ::

"Well, there were important people here..."

"Were?"

::She asks, suddenly very interested.::

"What happened to..."

::Nikki gives Lirie a look over.::

(Closet case.)

"Him?"

::She tries to hide her smirk.::

"She died. In an earthquake, apparently, while I was out of the country."

:: Lirie replies simply, not giving any meaning to Nicolette's pausing. ::

"Oh honey."

::She adds a tone to her voice to convey that she now feels really awful.::

"I'm so sorry. How long were you two together?"

"Almost two years."

:: Lirie replies, taking a sip of her tea. She hasn't picked up on Nic's misdirected assumtions, and so doesn't make an effort to straighten them out. ::

"She was a redneck too. Had this godawful accent... it was easier to sleep back then knowing she's nearby. She... passed seven months ago, but since I was away and no one bothered to inform me, I was told when I got back. That is, yesterday..."

(Shit, it still hurts.)

:: She hasn't noticed how her hands began to shake until she placed the teacup down and it scraped the platter nervously. ::

::Nikki gently takes Lirie's hands and speaks in an even, comforting tone.::

"Honey that's awful. To lose your lover like that and have no time to grieve. Are you going to have a funeral for her or anything? I'd be happy to help with the details. Give you some time to yourself."

:: Lirie stares at Nicolette as if the woman frew another head, slapped a shiny red wig on it and a honking red nose, and started yodling in the middle of the restaurant. She draws her hand gently out of Nic's grasp, smiling lopsidedly. The ex-cop's supportive 'you can sry on my shoulder' air only makes Lirie feel like a soppy ass, causing the discomforted reaction. ::

"Toots wasn't my girlfriend, but my friend. And... I got all the time I need, I'm just trying to proceed into healthy repression. Sorry, did I weird you out?"

(Yes. Yes you did.)

"No, I guess it's my fault for assuming..."

(The hell is that waiter?)

"So, her name was Toots?"

(Ehh... that was weird.)

"Yeah, it was. Well, not formally, obviously. Formally she had some odd hippy name... Benevolence, Happiness, Tolerance, or some such..."

::Nikki cocks her head.::

"You don't even know her real name?"

(No more sympathy for you.)

"Who do you think I am? Of course I do! I was just being... unfunny, actually."

:: And here is Mr Waiter with the lovely food. He places it in front of them.::

"Here you are ladies."

"Woo, brownie!"


:: Lirie attacks the chocolaty delight with demureness of a behemoth. ::

::Nat's eyes go wide as she watches Lirie pretty much inhale her brownie.::

"You know, if you're hungry, I don't mind getting the tab."

::She gives the waiter a look to say that she's sorry.::

"Mm?"

:: Lirie looks up and blinks at Nikki. Surprisingly enough, there's no chocolate smeared across her face. ::

"Why are you staring? Is there something on my face?"

"No."

(Somehow.)

"I just noticed that you seem to have almost finished your brownie."

(And I haven't even taken a bite of my food.)

::Nikki rectifies this by pinching off a bit of salmon with her fork and popping it into her mouth.::

"Would you like anything else? My treat."

::She says after she finishes her bite.::