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[vecna]

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[vecna]

Sure. But if we go through all these floors just for you to create a portal in an empty building, I'm going to laugh.

[TO THE NEXT ESCALATOR, which is no remarkably different than the first esclator ride, drifting them upwards, slowly...

Though the scent of food starts to waft in the air, catching in their noses. Is this... a food court? Henry vaguely recognizes it.]

Oh, you won't have to cook for everyone anymore. [He's kidding, quipping as he steps off.]

[striketwice]

If the building is empty, I'm not gonna fucking bother.

[ So then they'll have gone all the way to the top for literally no reason. Hooray?

Ah, yeah. He smells the food court long before they see it. Huh. Maybe this is a mall after all. ]

That's a lie and you know it.

[vecna]

What, you don't think...

[Okay, what kind of food is sold at a food court? That, he didn't quite catch during his rampage through Starcourt.]

...mall hot dogs [maybe] can give you a run for your money?

[striketwice]

"Mall hot dogs"? At least try to make it sound appealing, Henry.

[vecna]

Mall... corn dogs?

[He tried.]

I don't know what kind of food is sold in places like these, Alec.

[striketwice]

Okay, okay fair. Guess the only way to broaden your horizons is to take a look.

[vecna]

[Well, then let them see what this place has to offer.

It's big, and empty, filled with neatly-lined tables and chairs currently unused -- a sense of traversing an oddly liminal space does not go unnoticed, at least for Henry. But he drifts off closer to one counter in particular that reads--]

"Mobile order pick-up". [Strains his poor 1950s brain to assume:] We can order from our phones?

[striketwice]

[ Alec is quick to pull out his phone to check, but there doesn't seem to be anything new on it. No purgatorial, extra-dimensional GrubHub. At least not that he can find. ]

Uh, I don't think so. Maybe that's just there for flavor. Besides, I don't see anyone around to even make the food.

[vecna]

[He'll trust Alec on that. What the hell is GrubHub.]

So the menus here are just to tease us?

[He wouldn't put it past this place, honestly. Still... What is there to choose from? He cranes his head up to look at the menus.]

But maybe I wanted... Chinese takeout. [Oh, that's funny. The stuff he used to throw away in the lab.] "Beef lo mein".

[striketwice]

[ You're hilarious Henry. Alec quirks a brow at him. ]

Why? So you can throw it away for old time's sake?

[ Well, whatever. Henry has apparently said the magic words because suddenly DING. A styrofoam container slides out of a little opening in the wall to sit on the pick up counter. ]

... Whaaaaat the fuck.

[vecna]

[And you're hilarious, too, Alec. He opens his mouth to reply, but the ding! draws both of their attentions to the little window-opening, where a neat takeout box is now presented to them.

Oh, yes. That smells like fast, cheap, laughably Americanized Chinese food. Henry does recognize that scent.]

...

[Looking back up at the menu:] ...Beef with broccoli, sweet and sour shrimp, pecan chicken, moo shi pork, egg drop soup.

[ding! ding! ding! ding! ding!

oh my god.]

[striketwice]

[ HENRY? The counter is only so big and Alec has to start picking up containers before they have a trainwreck on their hands. ]

Oh my god! Would you stop?

[vecna]

[ no :V ]

...Orange chicken. Shrimp fried rice.

[Ding! Ding!

Okay, now he'll stop.]

There has to be a limit. I'm testing it.

[striketwice]

[ HENRY! Now here's Alec, arms laden with Chinese takeout containers, looking completely unamused. ]

Yeah, you're also testing my patience.

[ tsun tsun ]

[vecna]

[ c: love ya

What a sight. He's clearly trying not to let his smile run too wide, seeing Alec carrying so many takeout boxes.]

Do you plan on bringing those back to the dorm or something?

[Please note this purposeful application of "you".]

[striketwice]

[ love you too I GUESS

Oh he can tell when Henry is trying to downplay his amusement, and he makes a face. ]

I don't like wasting food. Even shitty mall food.

[vecna]

[Just his default smile.]

Well... Maybe the food court is where you should put a portal, then. It makes practical sense. And then you could drop all this off so you don't have to carry it around while we "shop".

[striketwice]

[ Uuuuugh. He didn't want to work on his portals now, but now he has no choice. ]

I was probably going to anyway. Guess we're taking an extended pit stop.

[vecna]

[Sorry for making your life difficult buddy.

He raises a hand, waves it in a little motion, and most of what Alec's carrying floats up and drifts over to the nearest table. Except for one, which Henry then approaches and takes with his own two hands.]

Then I'll eat while you work. I haven't had breakfast yet.

[striketwice]

[ He's still!! Looks! Grumpy!! ]

Chinese takeout for breakfast? At least grab a fucking Cinnabon.

[ That's all the argument he'll give as he wanders off a short ways to start building his portal. ]

[vecna]

[Some of us are not as picky about what we eat, okay!!

Henry finds the nearest table and sits. There's plasticware and napkin dispensers nearby so he's all set.]

A cinna-what?

[striketwice]

[ Just. Points over to whatever the hell passes for a Cinnabon in this food court. He's about to turn back to his work without comment, then he abruptly realizes he should say something— ]

Don't order the whole menu, okay?

[vecna]

[He glances over at the fake Cinnabon, then back at Alec. Henry's the type of person who, if told not to do something, is more tempted to do the opposite.]

Will your annoyance increase in parallel with the amount of food ordered? I don't see the issue if we're just dropping them off via portal, anyway.

[striketwice]

[ Don't test him, Henry. ]

We're already offloading a ton of food. We don't need more.

[vecna]

[He's thinking about it. Look at this face. You can tell.]

What about one item per teammate?