Mr. Pinstripe Suit: The Gang's All Here

[x-scarletwitch.livejournal.com]

The two sets of dates arrive at the diner after the big dance and now they know, for certain, that something is wrong. Horrible food is ordered and plans are made.



The waitress barely spared the exhausted group a second glance - it was two in the morning and she was used to people dragging themselves in from a night of clubbing and drinking.  Wanda requested water, and lots of it, along with nearly half the menu.  Whatever was going on, it certainly draining on the body, and the last thing she wanted was a repeat of Saturday night.  She'd already spent enough time seeing doctors for a life time in the last week.

She glanced over at the group and grimaced. "We all look like hell," she commented, reaching for the sugar packets.  Her hands were shaking as she ripped into one and tossed it back - that would help stabilize her until the food arrived.

"I need some coffee", Kurt declared, slumped uncharacteristically against the back of the booth.  "A pot of it, black.  And... yes. Water and food. What my friend is having for me also, please."  He was leaving the sugar packets alone, but the rest, certainly not.

"I could eat a...  a...  a very large animal."  Marie-Ange placed a nearly-identical order, and a request for "every tea bag possible." and leaned against Doug, who was leaning against the wall.  "I
do not look like hell. I look fabulous, but very tired.'   She protested, knowing that it was patently false.  She looked exhausted.  "I feel like I just ran a marathon. I have danced this much before, and I was -not- this tired..."

"Huh?" Doug blurted as Marie-Ange elbowed him.  Between being seated and the waitress arriving at their table, Doug had managed to nod off. "God, yes, coffee," he murmured fuzzily.  "And one of everything." Any second now his stomach was going to start digesting his lower brain stem for sustenance.

Wanda waited until the waitress had left before turning back to the group.  "Well, something is..." She stopped to yawn.  "Very wrong in that club.  Did anyone see anything?  We know it's probably not drugs, Emma's people were unable to find anything in me."

"You mean, besides the owner acting very oddly?"  Doug offered around a yawn of his own.  "It's not something I could exactly put my finger on, but something just seemed...off about him.  And he was awfully involved in being around the dance floor the whole time."

"I do not like him", Kurt agreed darkly.  "I could not say why with even as much reason as Doug has, but..."

"There is no good reason that any of us should be this tired..." Marie-Ange's annoyance and mild anger was starting to wake her up. "And if Doug thinks something is odd, I would bet money that the owner is up to something."  She fidgeted with the sugar packets, idly attempting to stack them in a house-of-cards style.  "He reminded me just a little bit of Manuel. But I am not sure why."

Wanda rubbed her chin, looking thoughtful.  "I have been exhausted every time we have come to this thing but the worst night was when I danced with him.  Tomorrow is the last night of the dance -- I think we should pay him a special visit during the festivities."