Eliot's Place, 75 Godiva Street, Friday

[whoisalicewhite]

So, that happened. And it sucked, but they were all still alive and in one piece each. Parker was wondering if they'd ever go back to their apartment now, because the idea of getting anywhere near the diner kind of freaked her out

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[vdistinctive]

Eliot, on the other hand, was feeling pretty okay. As okay as you could when the world had gone all post-Soviet-nuclear-winter on you, or whatever. He was cleaning and oiling his fighting blades (sword, knives, a few throwing stars, even) and making sure they were nice and sharp. And even whistling faintly while he did so.

Val, on the other hand, was sticking close to people's feet and staring disconsolately at the various entrances to the house.

"Cupboards are mostly bare, darlin'," he said. "You're not going to find anything non-perishable. Whatever this is, it ain't respected my kitchen much."

[age_of_the_geek]

Hardison was not doing okay. Between getting beaten up by a murder hobo on Tuesday and then crawling through vents yesterday and his various nightmares last night, he was doing decidedly not well.

"Can you still make breakfast?" he asked, bleary-eyed, stumbling into a kitchen not unlike a...walking corpse that was decidedly not a zombie. "Outta our perishables."

[whoisalicewhite]

Parker mumbled, "I still can't believe she ate everything in the diner."

Their Kenzi was going to get side-eyed for a while the next time Parker saw her, for that. Meanwhile, she was nibbling on something she'd found in the cupboard. She hadn't squinted at it too hard. And leaning into Hardison for reassurance-exhaustion-almost-hugs.

[vdistinctive]

Eliot shrugged. "There're some eggs from what looks like the remains of a coop on the roof. Can't guarantee what laid 'em, though. Looks like the survivors of whatever this version of the island went through picked this place pretty clean."

Even his safe room. He was going to have to check in with some magic users, see if it could be made "interdimensional incident" proof.

[age_of_the_geek]

Hardison leaned back into Parker, tucking her under his chin and keeping her next to him for as long as she'd stay. "You think it was us?" he asked. "I mean, who cleaned this place out?"

[whoisalicewhite]

"Maybe there was another shelter somewhere. Somewhere hidden," Parker said, wrapping an arm around Hardison's waist. "We should get one of those, after this. Maybe a bunker in the Preserve or something." She was quiet a second, then said, "Eggs sound good. Then we maybe need to go scavenge or find out what's going on."

[vdistinctive]

"Survivors gotta be stayin' somewhere. I should've asked Kathy." Not that he'd had any real idea of the scope of this thing when he was talking to her on Wednesday. He finished polishing his sword, slid it into its scabbard, and strapped it on his back. "Eggs it is. Just don't yell at me if your morning omelet comes out green."

[age_of_the_geek]

"Only if you promise there's ham to go with it," Hardison said, forcing a small grin for his partners' benefit. "You said all the perishables are gone? So then I should still have plenty of Hot Pockets an' Pop-Tarts left."

See? He was joking! How terrible could it be if he were joking?

..Ignore how his smile didn't make it to his eyes.

[whoisalicewhite]

"And maybe some jerky," Parker said encouragingly to him. Really, she was still repressing most of last night's events before getting back to Eliot's as hard as she could. She smiled at Eliot. "Yay you, or other you, both of you, and having eggs."

[vdistinctive]

"And y'all made fun of me for growin' my own food." Eliot shook his head. He knew the other two weren't dealing as well as he was and he tried to keep the rush he was still riding after fighting the sphinx from his face, but he wasn't doing a great job at it. "Val, you comin' with?"

Val glanced back at him, then went back to staring at the door.

"Alright, then. Be right back."

[age_of_the_geek]

"Yo, I do not understand that man sometimes," Hardison said with a sigh. "He just--"

He cocked his head, letting Parker go as his whole body went alert. "You hear that, mama?" he asked. "That sound like breakin' glass to you?"

In the complete opposite direction than where Eliot had gone. Of course.

[whoisalicewhite]

"Who would be dumb enough to break in here?" Parker wondered, then answered her own question. "...somebody who doesn't know or remember who lives here."

EEP.

[emptypark]

Got it in one, Parker.

...the Parker smashing windows just knew that this place had stuff she wanted. 'Stuff' might be one of the only words she had left in her head. That and 'money.'

smaaash Open the window. Eel your way in.

[ageofthemonster]

And right behind her came Hardison, black eyes scanning the room for prey. He didn't care much about 'stuff' or 'money' though sometimes he liked to take home bits and bobs from old and broken computers. No, for Hardison, he just liked flesh. And blood. And fingers.

He really, really liked fingers. Something about the way the cracked and crunched and became useless mangled lumps appealed to him.

His hunting partner inside already, Hardison followed, quiet and cunning.

[age_of_the_geek]

Val suddenly went nuts, a fury of angry barking, planting her feet and taking up a guard position at the doorway of the kitchen.

"That...ain't a good sign," Hardison noted, looking around for something to use as a weapon. Normally, he'd go for one of the long kitchen knives Eliot kept around, knowing they'd be sharp enough to slice the air. But most of the knives were gone here and the ones that remained looked pitted and corroded.

Okay then. Chair it was.

[whoisalicewhite]

Parker got her taser out, then paused, wondering. "Would this even work on them?" She made a grab for Val. "Come back here, don't do that, Val, good dog, but no!"

A frying pan! Yes! That was a great weapon! With Hardison's chair and her pan, they were ready for anything!