Luke's Diner, Thursday

[dude_its_jude]

Jude's bags were packed and he was getting really kinda nervous about this whole going-to-Spira thing. And meeting Grampy Cid. 'Cause parents were scary. 'Specially when said parents don't know that there's a 'boy' in front of that 'friend'.

So he was a little distracted while he worked today.

Comments

[sarcasm_guy]

The door burst open and a man in orange marched in as if he owned the place.

"Hey, KID!" he bellowed at the kid behind the counter. "Ya go to school here?"

[dude_its_jude]

Jude jumped at the precipitous entrance, freezing with a cloth in his hand. "Uh . . . yes?"

[sarcasm_guy]

"Well?" Cid demanded. "Which way's the dormitory? 'Oh, just land at the docks,' m'girl says, like it's easy to get to the school from there."

[dude_its_jude]

"You just go up the street and it's the big building at the top of the hill . . ." Jude swallowed. "Are you, uh, Cid?"

[sarcasm_guy]

Cid looked at Jude intently, scrutinizing him head to toe. "You know my daughter?" he asked. "She gettin' into any trouble around here?"

[dude_its_jude]

She broke reality, she broke her mentor's kneecap . . .

"N-nothing she hasn't told you about, I'm sure," he offered with a nervous kind of smile. "I'm Jude. Her, um, boyfriend."

[sarcasm_guy]

"REALLY," Cid said, and examined Jude even closer. "Nah, my girl don't tell me nothin'!"

He raised his eyebrows. "I have to tell ya, you don't look like much, kid."

[dude_its_jude]

Jude rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "That's 'cause I'm, uh, not. Really. Much."

[sarcasm_guy]

Cid stepped forward and laid a hand on Jude's shoulder.

"You're honest, at least. That's good. ...Ya need a drink, kid?"

[dude_its_jude]

Jude tried not to flinch under the hand. "I'm at work. Sir."

[sarcasm_guy]

"I won't tell," Cid replied, in what might have been supposed to be a comforting manner. "You're datin' MY daughter, you NEED a drink. That kid'll be the death of me. Her and her dumb-ass brother."

[dude_its_jude]

Jude chuckled nervously. "Rikku's, um, great. Totally awesome. I can totally deal with the, um, bouncing off the walls and stuff."

[sarcasm_guy]

Cid cuffed him on the shoulder. "I thought you said you were nothin' special, kid!" he said. "That's practically a superpower! Maybe you're all right." He sighed dramatically. "Could be worse. You could be that damn Gippal."

[dude_its_jude]

Jude staggered a couple of steps to the side. "Um. Yeah. Who's Gippal?"

[sarcasm_guy]

Cid watched Jude's stagger and shook his head disappointedly. "Cocky sumbitch. Had his EYE on my daughter." He laughed heartily at that, as if he had said something funny.

[dude_its_jude]

Jude's expression got unmellow. "Hey. Hope he isn't around, 'cause Rikku's totally mine. Um, I mean, if that's okay with you. Sir."