Delicious Calories

[RAYMOND SEYMORE DUNCAN]

Ray meandered down the street, taking in the sights of his new home. This place would take some getting used to. It was a lot different from his home in an Atlanta suburb. Definitely colder. He had to put on a coat this morning. It had been a very long time since he'd worn a coat. It made him feel bulky and restricted his movement just enough to bother him. Stupid lame marshmellow-like coat. He considered shifting to his animal form, which had a coat of it's own and none of the uncomfortableness, but he'd rather not make a fool out of himself on his first day at Variel. He still had trouble controlling his shift sometimes.

A heavenly sent drifted into his nose. It smelled like fried, greasy, artery clogging delicousness. Fast food. Ray's stomach growled. He looked around, trying to find the source of the smell. He saw a nearby, old fashioned seeming diner and deduced that that must be it. He hurried in at a brisk walk, wanting both a good meal and to get out of the cold.

The diner was like a throwback to the days of poodle skirts and jukeboxes. Booths lined the walls and a bar and stools separated the employees from the customers. Raymond sat at one of the stools, removing his coat and put it the seat next to him.The diner wasn't busy, so he didn't think anyone would mind the loss of one stool. He picked up a menu and admired the 50s decor while he listened to the unfamiliar but enjoyable vinyl record era music. If the food was good, he just discovered his new favorite restaurant.

A waitress appeared behind the counter and asked him for his order. "One double bacon cheeseburger please, and some fries. Oh, and Mr. Pibb to drink." He wondered why the waitress looked at him funny before he remember he was no longer in the south. "Erm, Dr. Pepper I mean." Silly northerners and their sodas with doctorates. The waitress assured him his food would be right out and moved on to another customer.

Ray put the menu back in it's holder and waited. His fingers drummed on the counter. Patience was for those with full bellies.

[CLARA ANN PICANCO]

Clara was impressed once again with the service at this little diner. Yesterday had been her first time coming here, and she had decided quickly that she loved the charm of the place. The music was upbeat and provided a nice backdrop to the otherwise peaceful atmosphere. She recognized a few songs by Elvis and The Beatles, and probably more than most other people her age though couldn't name most of them. "American Bandstand" by Les Elgart, one of her dad's favorite songs, was playing when her food arrived, and about halfway through when a coat plopped onto the stool beside her. She hadn't even seen the guy sit down, but the rush of wind from the careless throwing of his coat annoyed her. Her napkin went renegade, flying away and falling on the floor. She shot him a look that she doubted he saw and continued eating after grabbing her escaped napkin.

Focusing of her own order of cheeseburger, fries and Dr. Pepper, she kept one ear on him, expecting a lame comeback. None came, though she couldn't help realizing he ordered almost the same thing as her. He also asked for a Mr. Pibb, which was rather hilarious for whatever reason, and she snorted while trying to hide her laughter. She had to applaud his choice of Dr. Pepper, even if he originally ordered Mr. Pibb which is not the same thing at all, since it was the best drink ever. She mentioned this to him softly, not even meaning to speak. "You realize Mr. Pibb and Dr. Pepper aren't remotely similar, right?" She cracked a lopsided smile, staring ahead while spoke, inspecting the random posters behind the bar. "In fact," she continued, on a roll now and determined to state her opinion on the rather trivial matter. "Dr. Pepper is waaay better. To order Mr. Pibb first and then 'settle' for Dr. Pepper is practically a sin." For all the attention she gave him during this little speech one might have thought she was talking to herself. She didn't care.

[RAYMOND SEYMORE DUNCAN]

Ray almost jumped when someone started speaking to him. He hadn't even noticed the girl sitting close by him, he'd been too distracted by the thought of food. He raise an eyebrow at her once he started actually listening to what she was saying. Was she lecturing him about a soft drink? "Forgive me my sins, if I had known my order would offend anyone I would have opted for something less controversial, like water. He grinned despite himself at the strange Dr. Pepper fangirl. "Where I come from they don't have Dr. Pepper. Only Pibb. I haven't really ever tried Dr. Pepper, I just know they sell it up here." He didn't know why he explained himself, but the girl made him feel like he did something wrong. She didn't even look at him while she spoke .

The waitress delivered his meal, along with the nucleus of his and the girl's conversation, if it counted as a conversation, the Dr. Pepper. He picked up the drink and took a gulp. It tasted kind of off to him, but it wasn't unpleasant. "You're right, this isn't anything like Mr. Pibb, but it's not terrible." He took another drink and then began chowing down on his food. It came in a basket lined with checkered white and red paper. The fries were thick with just he right amount of salt, and the burger was tender and juicy. It was delicious. He'd definitely found a new favorite place to eat.

He wondered if random girl was a regular. Perhaps she'd lectured another about his or her drink choice. Maybe even their food, seeing as she ordered a cheeseburger too, so that must be an acceptable choice. Maybe she was a fast food vigilante, sworn to correct all those who dared eat or drink anything unwise at this diner. He was glad he didn't order chicken strips or a hot dog. In his ponderings he realized that random girl would probably have a better name than random girl. "I'm Ray Duncan, by the way," he said, hoping she would reply with her own name. He actually looked at her while he spoke, unlike his neighbor.

[CLARA ANN PICANCO]

Clara nodded at his excuse, accepting it. She made a mental note to eventually find out where he was from so she could go there with a truck of Dr. Pepper and show them what they were missing. When he drank some of his Dr. Pepper she watched his reaction, audibly gasping when he said 'it's not terrible'. She just felt like being overly dramatic today. "Well of course it's not terrible! It's amazing." She drew out the word 'amazing', tempted to use jazz hands but somehow resisting. She frowned slightly. "I guess you'll just have to get used to it." A small smile tugged at the corners of her lips.

The silence that ensued wasn't uncomfortable surprisingly. He seemed to be enjoying his food almost too much, though she couldn't blame him. All the food was perfect here she imagined, though she was a burger, fries and Dr. Pepper kind of person. She rarely tried anything new, and wasn't about to start any time soon. It was always when things changed they got worse. Then again, staying in a rut your whole life you'll never know if that road less traveled really is worse.

She was drug out of her random thoughts on life by the Pibb Fan, or Ray as he introduced himself. She turned her head, amused, and hummed a little of a song off of The Sound of Music. More specifically the line: "Ray, a drop of golden sun!" out of reflex. She laughed softly at her own joke before turning completely around and introducing herself. "Clara Picanco. Nice to meet you Ray of the Pibb Fanclub." Feeling as though she needed to add more to the conversation she continued. "I'm guessing you're new here? I just got here a couple days myself."

[RAYMOND SEYMORE DUNCAN]

Ray chuckled when Clara gasped at his "not terrible" comment on Dr. Pepper. It seemed a little extreme."I suppose I will have to get used to it.. He sighed audibly, following her dramatic lead. He stared dreamily into space. "I will miss you, Mr. Pibb. Maybe someday we shall be reunited." He took another drink and frowned into his cup, before smirking at Clara.

Before she could act outraged he said, "Nice to meet you too, Clara of the Dr. Pepper fanclub. And you guessed right, I'm brand new." Ray told her. "A few days, eh? Do you have any tips for a new Variel resident or are you just as much of a newb as I am? He finished his sandwich and move on to his french fries. He almost mourned the burger when he realized it was gone. It was so delicious. He would have ordered another if he wasn't near bursting already. Why did burgers have to be so filling? If only he could eat as many burgers as he wanted without ever getting full. Well, there was a way, but that would make him bulimic. Not so nice. He forced his mind off food. It probably wasn't healthy to think about food so much you start thinking of eating disorders as possible solutions to your cravings.

Ray was almost finished with his fries, and he was beginning to wonder what he was gonna do once he left the diner. He could continue sight-seeing, but he wasn't enjoying the cold at all. Maybe he could head to the forest and shift there, away from witnesses to his feline antics , so that he could stay outside without dealing with the cold too much. He didn't really wanna go home to the dorms. He wondered where Clara was headed. Would that be kind of creepy to ask? He didn't want to seem like a stalker. That would be a bad first impression. Hm. Maybe she would mention a place in her 'tips for a new Variel resident.'

[CLARA ANN PICANCO]

Clara simply rolled her eyes at Ray's dramatics, though really she knew she was acting just as childish. She smiled some when he returned her greeting, liking the imaginary Dr. Pepper fanclub. "Newb? Pretty sure I've never heard anyone actually speak that word." Even though she didn't spend a ridiculous amount of time on the computer, she knew 'chatspeak' to an extent. 'Newb' was something used often in the realm of nerdy kids who have no life, but not in the real world. Never in the real world if you wanted to be accepted by the general public. She was tempted to tell Ray this, but decided against it and just gave him a weird look. She probably wouldn't hold it against him. Maybe some good ammo later. Back on topic, she shook her head slowly. "Can't really think of any good tips. Except maybe don't get eaten. That's probably a good tip." She ate a couple fries slowly, relishing the last few that she had left. "Speaking of, I imagine you can shift, but what into? Bird, cat, dog, fish?"

She didn't realize until she had asked it that she would probably have to answer the question too. Suddenly she wasn't so happy with her weak little shift. It was all fine and dandy to turn into a four inch tall bird by yourself, but actually telling someone else that she turned into a four inch tall bird was different. It suddenly dawned on her that absolutely no one knew she could shift. At the moment she had a dorm room to herself so no one to tell when she had moved in. She hadn't made and friends here either, and the friends back home couldn't be told. Suddenly shy, she focused on her food and finished off the remainder of her fries while listening to whatever Ray had to say.

[RAYMOND SEYMORE DUNCAN]

Ray just shrugged when Clara made fun of his chatspeak. He already knew he was a nerd, and he accepted the fact. No use hiding it from the world. Speaking of hiding things from the world, Ray suddenly felt embarrassed when she asked about his shift. Tiny felines with disproportionate ears aren't the most desirable animal forms. That didn't change the fact that he loved his animal form, not matter how puny it was, but it didn't keep him from wondering what it would be like to shift into a more intimidating feline. Maybe a tiger, or a lion complete with a mane. That would be nice.

He stopped daydreaming eventually and answered her question. "That is a good tip, though I don't know if anyone would eat me... I don't think I'd be very tasty." He grimaced at the mental image of a gray wolf or some other canid backing him into a corner while he was shifted. He hoped Variel Academy wasn't that dangerous. "Anyway, I shift into a sand cat. It's like a tan colored house cat that likes to dig in the dirt, really. It's only about this tall. I'm just little." He gestured with his hand above the counter, demonstrating his shift's short stature. Might as well admit it now.

Chuckling awkwardly, he asked, "So what's your shift? I bet it's a bear, or something else big and strong, just to make me look bad. You jerk." He smiled playfully. In the back of his mind he realized that Clara was the first person he'd ever talked about shifting with. It was strange, but in a good way. It felt good, like he was finally getting something off his chest. In a way, he was. Variel suddenly become a lot less scary and foreign. For the first time since his original shift, he almost felt like he belonged.

[CLARA ANN PICANCO]

Clara's fries seemed to disappear faster than they should. She didn't have an excuse not to talk... but then Ray told her his shift. A sand cat? At some point she probably had learned about them, the name seemed familiar. Sure enough, once he motioned how tall the cats were and a vague description it came back. Her mouth twisted sideways in a barely suppressed grin. He seemed rather proud, and to shift into a cat was neat, though a sand cat less so. They were... adorable. She couldn't help but picture huge tan ears on him and a tail. The smile grew as she simply stared at him, afraid to speak, for surely if she opened her mouth she would laugh. Taking a deep breath she took a swig of Dr. Pepper and turned back to him, composed. After all, she had no right laughing when her own shift was hardly impressive.

"Well I don't turn into a bear per say." She pursed her lips, preparing herself. It made it easier that he didn't turn into something big and strong like a bear. She held up her hand, stretching thumb and forefinger apart as far as they could go. "Finch. Gouldian finch to be precise." She smiled awkwardly. "Four inches of pure awesome." She felt better now, less nervous with the lame joke at the end. At least the first person she talked to didn't turn into a wolf. Then again, the first person she talked to did turn into her own shift's natural enemy. Cats. She never did like them much. Better than a hawk, but not as cool as dogs. Dogs loved everyone. Cats were loners and generally hated the world. Always off in their own little corner and watching slyly. She looked at Ray skeptically. He didn't seem very cat-like, which was probably a good thing once she thought about it.

[RAYMOND SEYMORE DUNCAN]

Ray felt his face get hot when he noticed that Clara was trying to suppress laughter. "You've heard of sand cats before, haven't you? She'd discovered his gravest secret. His shift was cute. Of all the felines he could have turned into, he had to be a poofy, fluffy, big eared ball of fur. Life could be so cruel. His embarrassment subsided when she told him her shift. Four inches? "I don't feel so puny anymore," he said with a smirk.

The smirk disappeared once he thought about her shift. A bird. A tiny one too. He remembered grimly how many times he'd caught himself chasing birds in his sand cat form. He'd never caught one, but it still made him feel uneasy. In his mind, he became the one backing another shifter into a corner, and this time the one that was trapped was a bird. He mentally shook off the mental image. That wasn't going to happen. "Mental note, don't try to catch any gouldian finches. Especially the ones that are fans of Dr. Pepper," he half-joked. "So, what does a gouldian finch look like? I've never even heard of it before." It'd be good to know what she looked like, just in case. Plus, he was curious.

Ray finished off his fries and Dr. Pepper and pushed them away. The waitress noticed and cleared the counter, telling him the cost of the meal. He handed her some cash, got his change, and put his wallet back in his pocket. Now he didn't really have any reason to stay, but he didn't want to leave the diner either. He was enjoying Clara's company, which was kind of weird for him. A loner through and through, he usually avoided conversations instead of sticking around to continue them longer. Maybe it was because he was talking to another shifter that he didn't mind it? Or was it after-greasy-food buzz? He mentally shrugged. Oh well. He leaned against the counter now that it was free of food. Comfortable, he listened to Clara tell him about her animal shift.

[CLARA ANN PICANCO]

Downing the rest of her Dr. Pepper, Clara followed Ray's example and paid for her food, talking as she did so. She shuddered slightly at his joke, wondering if he had ever eaten any birds before. She didn't dare ask though. "You couldn't take me if you tried anyways little sand cat." She smirked and quickly moved on. "They're kinda hard to describe. Bright is the best description. Small, as you know." She paused a moment, trying to think of a description. "Each bird is unique I think, if only barely. Then there are drastic differences in colors between the subspecies. My shift has a red head and purple and yellow front with a green back. A little more complicated than that, but you get the idea." She was tempted to ask about sand cats just to hear him describe his shift, but decided that was too cruel. Everything paid for, she picked up her, rather thin, coat and shrugged it on.

She stood awkwardly near her seat, staring at her sneakered feet for a moment before looking back up at Ray. "Have any plans for the rest of the day? Sightseeing? Visiting friends?" Pitiful smalltalk this was, but she didn't want to leave just yet. For one it was warm inside, and two she thought of Ray as a possible good friend already and didn't want to lose him before she even knew him. What was his favorite color, game or food? Essential things that founded every friendship in kindergarten. Those were simpler times, kindergarten. When you made friends just by waving enthusiastically and yelling 'Hi!'. As you got older you actually had to socialize. This was not a strong point for Clara. She usually resorted to making fun of the opposite party just as she planned to do with Ray. After all, any person who couldn't take a joke she couldn't stand to be around. "If you have nothing to do, I don't either. So we might as well do nothing together. Understand if you have places to be, people to see though, kitty cat." She smiled, daring him to rebuttal.

[RAYMOND SEYMORE DUNCAN]

Ray tried to form a picture of a gouldian finch in his head. It looked a bit like a bird that decided to roll in several puddles of paint. "Colorful. Now you're making my earthy-colored sand cat look very boring." He noticed Clara putting on her coat. Was she leaving? He felt strangely disappointed. He'd planned on continuing their conversation for a little bit longer. Plus he was rather comfy with his arm up on the counter like it was. Loitering all day probably wasn't an option though, anyway. He followed her lead and shrugged on his own coat. He felt like he shifted into a marshmallow in the big bulky thing. So much lame. At least it kept him warm. He almost shuddered just thinking about the chilly weather just outside the wonderfully warm diner.

"Plans? I really don't have any. I don't know what kind of entertainment this town has to offer, and I don't really know anyone yet. He felt kind of like a loser. Moving was no fun, it's like pressing the reset button on your life and losing all your progress. Then Clara rescued him by inviting him to do something. Well, nothing. "Sure, let's do nothing together. Sounds fun," he chuckled. "But only if you promise not to call me kitty cat. Unless I get to call something equally humiliating. Maybe tweety bird, or... what other well known birds are there? Polly? Not really a famous bird, but you get the point." He smirked, either way it was a win-win situation. "So where shall we go to do nothing? I assume you know this place at least a little bit better than me. I'm clueless."

[CLARA ANN PICANCO]

Clara was secretly glad he was a loser like her since then she would have something to do. She started to wander over to the exit as she spoke, moving slow in reluctance to step out into the cold. "I drop the nickname kitty cat, for you are not calling me Tweety even though he is an awesome cartoon character. In fact, a good reason not to call me that is that Tweety is male." She raised a brow at him. "I hope you weren't implying anything? I might have to kick your butt. Wait. Wasn't Polly male, too? That's just not nice." She pouted for a moment before kicking open the door and zipping up her jacket. Wonderful cold wind blew snow into her face and she sneezed, kicking through the deep snow around the door. She waved her hand dramatically over the little path she had cleared. "Ladies first." Smirking, she gave him time for rebuttal and to accept or refuse the path before walking through and continuing on.

She thought for a second, realizing he was relying on her to think of something to do. So far they were just randomly walking. Bringing up her photographic (or close to) memory of a map she'd seen of the area, she realized they were already walking towards somewhere she had been and liked. "Wanna go to the park? Admittedly it may not be very active, but it's still... a park! Nature and all that." She cast Ray a sideways glance, realizing she was kinda rambling. "Do you like nature?" If he said yes then he was immediately her friend, if he said no she would change his mind. Either way it was okay. She grinned slightly at this thought.

[RAYMOND SEYMORE DUNCAN]

Ray laughed and walked with Clara to the door and into the cold. A large part of him wanted to retreat back into the cozy warmth of the diner. He wondered how long he could stay before he got kicked out. Thankfully, Clara distracted before he could think too long about attempting it. "Tweety is a guy? Huh. I wasn't aware of the genders of those birds, but seeing as you just offered to let me pass after you said 'ladies first' they're maleness might be somewhat appropriate. " He put his hand up to the side of his mouth opposite his new friend and stage-whispered, "Don't worry, your secret is safe with me." He grinned and chuckled to himself. He didn't think she'd like that one very much. He tucked his hands in his pockets and strode down the path she cleared. Hey, if she wanted him to go first he wasn't going to argue, even if she called him a 'lady.' He smirked over his shoulder at Tweety Clary, showing her her insult didn't work.

Ray was content to just walk toward no particular destination, but after a while he began to wonder if Clara had a destination in mind. He was about to ask when she started talking about the park. He pulled his coat tighter at the thought of being outside much longer, but he supposed that it wasn't unbearable. "That sounds okay. The less active the better. I don't particularly like crowds," he said. "And yeah, I like nature. It's nice and quiet." Ray continued walking, just going straight unless Clara turned. If she mentioned the park she knew where it was, he assumed.

He let out a puff of warm breath and watched the steam rise in the air to entertain himself while he waited for his companion to say something else. The phenomena was still odd to him. You weren't supposed to see your breath when you breathed it. The north was silly. Puff puff puff. It had it's charm though.

[CLARA ANN PICANCO]

Moving over to the Park >> Children at Heart [open]