ArchivedLogs:Steely Determination

Steely Determination
Dramatis Personae Lucien, Steve
In Absentia	2017-07-28 "{It will be the first time in a while I have prayed for the good health of a law enforcement officer.}"
Location <NYC> Dogtown - Midtown East
A small nook of a joint in Midtown, Dogtown is decorated with little thought to class or style. Cheerful, with black and white tiled flooring, bright red tables, bright yellow walls, menus plastered on peeling sheets over the counter, the walls are papered in an assortment of photographs -- smiling patrons who hold records for successfully eating six or more hot dogs in one one-hour sitting. The menu here is simple and solid -- hot dogs both beef or vegan with a huge array of toppings, fries, slaw, chili. It's not haute cuisine but the dogs are good enough to draw large crowds, especially late at night. It's quite late into the night -- there's still a decent crowd inside Dogtown, but the line is no longer wrapping out the door. It hasn't taken particularly long for Lucien to obtain his food, at least. He is casually dressed as he slips into his seat at a corner booth -- a pale green jacquard short-sleeved button down paired with light grey twill trousers, both neatly tailored. The hot dog in front of him -- topped liberally with scallions and hot peppers and tomato and pickle and mustard -- as well as the rather ridiculously large portion of fries smothered in vegetarian chili -- for the moment he ignores, in favour of uncapping a cold bottle of root beer. Taking a long pull as he settles back into the bench, a faint weary slump in his posture before he straightens. "No deaths?" His brows lift once he lowers the bottle. "{Please} at least tell me nobody died." Steve follows close at Lucien's side, likewise nicely if casually dressed in a blue-and-white stripe short-sleeve seersucker shirt and classic-fit jeans. /He/ has two hotdogs -- both vegan -- one topped with saurkraut and the other with relish, mustard, and hot sauce. His coke is already uncapped, and he takes another sip of it as he sits down across from his companion. "No one has died," he affirms. Then, after beat. "/Yet./ One of the cops is in critical condition. None of the other injuries are very serious, last I read." He plucks a fry from the mess of chili and pops it into his mouth. "They shut down /all/ of the bridges out of Manhattan for a little while. It was a zoo out there, especially with all the stranded tourists who thought it was another quarantine." Lucien's eyes close, for a brief moment. When he sets down his drink his hand starts to reach toward his phone. A reflexive motion; he taps the screen on but stops short of unlocking it, exhaling slow and quiet as he sets it down beside his tray. "Yet." He echoes this a little wryly. Picks up his bottle again for another gulp, eying his food without touching it. His eyes lift to Steve afterward. "{It will be the first time in a while I have prayed for the good health of a law enforcement officer. The man was Promethean, did you know?}" Mild. Almost offhand. Steve takes a big bite of his kraut-dog. Chews meditatively. Washes it down. "There's still a terror alert on. Increased patrols at the bridges, tunnels, and various points of interest. The whole city is on tenterhooks." His eyes drop to Lucien's phone and then lift back up to the other man's face, a thoughtful crease between his brows. "{I didn't know. But I'm sure it's going to be all over the news once they identify him.}" The frown deepens. "{Jax's trial starts Monday...}" Lucien finally reaches to pluck a fry up out of the goopy mess of chili. "{Really, his timing could have been --}" The fry doesn't make it all the way to his mouth before he is setting it back down, a quick warm smile banishing the previous weary expression from his face. A trio of college-aged youths waiting for their food have spotted the table -- though two of them are still holding their /Lost/ Playbills they seem a bit overwhelmed in eager excitement and uncertain of who to approach first. The flurry of conversation that follows is light, largely unmemorable -- the show, /Steve's/ favourite shows, whether it's true (as Lucien earnestly alleges) that Steve has a promising career on Broadway waiting if he decides to give up Heroism. When their food arrives and the small contingent of fans heads out with their food, Lucien's smile does not immediately fade. He plucks up the fry he'd previously discarded, finally popping it into his mouth. "{I suppose this will be a busy weekend, then.}" Steve's smile lingers, too. "{For some of us more so than others, and busy by /your/ standards, no less.}" He raises his coke bottle in Lucien's direction, like a salute. "{I don't know how you do it, but you've got my admiration -- /and/ my support. However I can.}" Picking up his hot dog again, he makes ready to devour the rest but first adds, "{For you all and for him.}" "{A whole lot of rehearsal,}" Lucien answers easily. "{Not to mention excellent wardrobe.}" He draws his hot dog closer, starting carefully in on it. Dabbing lightly at his lips before continuing: "{He'll need it from you, I suspect. I will be there, but -- these things are never easy.}" "{You left out steely determination and evidently never sleeping.}" Steve finishes his first hot dog and picks up his coke again. "{It'll be a lot easier with you, I'm sure. And I don't just mean your /skills./}" His smile returns, but different -- slightly lopsided but gentle. "{I mean /you/.}" The twitch at the corner of Lucien's mouth is very faint. He takes a slow bite of his hot dog, washes it down with root beer. "{I fully intend to sleep once the trial begins. Mondays are my day off, you know.}" "{I can believe you /intend/ to, but following through?}" Steve lifts one blond eyebrow, gives a quick half-shake of his head. "{/Those/ things are never easy, either. But I applaud your ambition.}" He raises his soda to Lucien again. "{To getting some sleep.}" "{You said yourself.}" Lucien raises his bottle, clinking it lightly against Steve's coke. "{Steely determination.}"