The Diner

[Bloodaxe]

The Golden Gate Diner.

Somewhere in Pennsylvania, outside of Philly, is the Golden Gate Diner. You are each are there for reasons known only to yourselves. Some for business, pleasure, boredom.....or just a quick bite. Its getting late, around 10 or 11 at night, the Diner isnt very full. A young couple, a small family, a few guys who look like they just got off work...and you. There are only two waitresses on duty, a young brunette and a loud red-head with hair bright enough to rival a fire engine. A scrawny bus boy cleans up. A big bruiser of a cook in the back, handles order and taps a bell when the food is ready.

Its the typical American Diner you've seen a hundred times before. Some well- worn booths, a few tables (complete with gum underneath) and some stools at the counter.

A copy of the local paper is there, The Morning Call. Same old news ...all bad. Protests about something, arrests and attacks, a chemical spill, something about a "mysterious illness".
Further in there is even something about a UFO. The article says it was a meteor. A local group saying they don't want a medical research facility in the area. Experiments on monkeys, animal cruelty. "Secret experiments".
The world is going to shit....

[Bloodaxe]

The Diner.

[sieg]

Derek looked into is coffee cup, sighed, then looked out the window into the starlit evening. It was far enough away from Pittsburgh that the stars could be seen, though of course the parking lot illumination cut the shine somewhat.

The man grumbled to himself “Jesus, when is Jon going to get back?” John had taken the rental car to reserve a couple of hotel rooms, but should’ve been back by now. Of course, the cheap director Dan Givens at WGON only gave them enough of an expense account to pay for a Hotel 6. ‘Well, at least I don’t have to bunk with John.’ He thought with some asperity. His cameraman was a good guy in general, but after a few drinks he tended to get…ornery. Not at Derek, at least not yet…but obviously something had happened in the photojournalist’s life and alcohol seemed to bring that bitterness to the surface.

Interrupting his reverie, the Hertz sedan pulled into the diner’s lot. Derek waved through the window, and saw John getting out of the car and heading indoors. He didn’t look happy, but then again he wasn’t bruised from a fight or under arrest, so Derek would take a lucky break where he could find it. John walked past the register and nodded at the waitress behind the desk. He stepped over to the booth and flung himself bodily into the bench across from the WGON junior newsman.

“So…” Derek asked, his eyebrow rose in a query. “Did the hotel have any rooms?”

* * *

[Marcel]

Steve B. - Trucker

"....the Hertz sedan pulled into the diner’s lot."

Steve looks out at the car pulling in, "not a Cop" he thinks aloud. Then he gives a cursory glance over at his truck parked facing out wrapped around the Diner's side. Looking at his phone, he notes the time and relaxes a bit as he waves for another cup of coffee.

[DocBennie]

"John":

"yeah, the hotel works...four walls and a roof...heck, the door even locks, and the toilet seems to work...what more could you ask for?"

John worked hard to keep the smile from his face...Derek always had a way of lightening the mood...energetic little guy, kinda like a human Energizer Bunny...hard to stay in a bad mood with him around...


John had taken a quick inventory of the room when he came in...

a couple of non-descript types scattered about the place...a few others stuck in his mind:

the first, a new arrival...a trucker, by the looks of him...denim vest and baseball cap...chain-smoking cigarettes and slamming down cups of coffee...damn, took a heck of lot of willpower to drive like that, day after day...he admired the hell out of the guy for doing something he never could...

two others caught his attention as well...for vastly opposite reasons...

the first, a biker...a huge slab of a man...well over 6 feet, and probably weighing in at 250 or more...a bit of an attitude, sure...but when you are the size of a mountain, you can damn well act however the hell you want...besides, he looked like he could handle himself...good guy to have backing you up in a fight...

the second, a lawyer? no, not here in this dump...probably...a salesman? that breed tended to dress up nowadays...whatever, the guy cut a dashing figure...with his shiny suit and well-groomed goatee...and he looked competent enough, carried himself well...tall and fit...maybe ex-military?


Anyway, all possible threats observed and analyzed...John finally relaxed and turned his attention back to his companion...

"sorry I took so long...had to make a quick stop for a refill..." as he withdrew his hand-engraved silver flask, and took a swig...

"it's all good..."

[sieg]

Derek sighed inwardly, but made no comment about the ‘refill’ of John’s flask. The photographer’s drinking didn’t get in the way of his job so he felt mentioning it would just cause trouble. Besides, Derek really thought John’s photography actually improved after a few drinks. Not that he’d ever tell John that, of course.

“Umm. A door? A toilet?” The reporter blinked, then continued. “Please tell me that they didn’t have only one room available?” He smiled and continued. “No offense Johnny, but if I’m sharing a room tonight…you’re not the person I had in mind for sharing it with.”

John’s rejoinder was interrupted by the waitress, coming over to ask if the two men needed anything. Derek ordered some toast, as he wasn’t really that hungry. As John put in an order, Derek looked over the waitress out of the corner of his eye. Not bad, a little chunky but Derek liked some curves on a woman. She certainly smiled a lot at him, so Derek thought he might have a chance. That is, if John wasn’t snoring on the couch or anything! Her nametag said ‘Barbara’… He’d have to give her a nice tip. Maybe his phone number as well.

[Bloodaxe]

Most of the front and sides of the diner are large picture windows. The entrance is a small windowed room with a few candy machines and a video poker game.

Barb a thick brunette and Flo a loud red head serve the few customers in the place. People have been talking about roads being closed, but no one seems to know whats really going on.

Reruns of some old show suddenly go off the air with high pitched squeal. The picture is replaced by a news broadcast.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQKZUHvXQIs

[Marcel]

Steve B. - Trucker

Steve can't help but to chuckle in disbelief at the broadcast. Questioning what he thought he heard aloud, "People biting each other by the hundreds?" He looks at the faces of the diner patrons and gives an equal, curious shrug. He then remembers the headlines in the paper about a chemical spill, he walks over to the biker and asks, "hey fella, are you reading this?"[as he picks up the Morning Call newspaper]

[Bloodaxe]

Steve B. - Trucker

Steve can't help but to chuckle in disbelief at the broadcast. Questioning what he thought he heard aloud, "People biting each other by the hundreds?" He looks at the faces of the diner patrons and gives an equal, curious shrug. He then remembers the headlines in the paper about a chemical spill, he walks over to the biker and asks, "hey fella, are you reading this?"[as he picks up the Morning Call newspaper]

The small family finishes and gets up to leave. The wife and kids go to the car as Dad lingers behind and pays the bill throwing few crumpled bills on the table as a tip.
He walks over to Steve, smiles and hands him a newspaper.
You can have this , Im done with it.
He then heads toward the door.

[OGRE MAGE]

Chingy the Biker

Minding his own business while he eats his burger at the counter, Chingy smirks at the latest newscast. He has heard of a drug known as "Zombie" (aka bath salts) that really messes people up like that. He figures that this must be just a pack of drug addled losers out terrorizing middle America.

As he looks around the room at the other patrons in the place he thinks to himself another bunch of white collar pretty boys that have never lived a day in their lives.

He actually looks forward to finishing his meal and heading out back behind the dumpsters for a few hits before getting back on the road.

As he is finishing up his last "bite" he spies the obvious trucker. After he inquires about the periodico, Chingy just looks at him and nods his head as if to say go for it.

[Chancetarget]

Oh man….I just need some coffee and have to figure out where the hell I am.

Looking around the diner, Chance wearily eyes the rest of the patrons and goes back to his cup of coffee.

Just gotta clear my head…clear my head…. Damn, why did I get into a drinking competition with the other guys. That Jameson goes down smooth but you feel it a little later.

WTF is going on with that news cast? Biting? Who the hell bites?!?

[DocBennie]

"John":

John positioned himself in the booth, placing his back against the wall (his usual 'paranoid' behavioral quirk) so he could observe the entire diner...

he took another quick nip from the flask, then returned it to his jacket pocket...

"Don't worry, Derek, I'm done drinking for the night...wouldn't want my snores to keep you awake again!"

"besides, if you DO get lucky tonight (he had seen the sideways glances his companion had made towards their waitress)...I'm more than happy to sleep in the car...wouldn't be the first time!"


he turned his attention back to the diner...it was slowly clearing out, and a family had just left...

he noticed the trucker showing a newspaper to the biker...which suddenly reminded him...

"did you see this?" he ask Derek...

"here we are, covering the great Tiddlywinks-a-thon...and some local news bozo is making headlines with this 'the dead walk' shit! there is NO justice!!!"


he handed the paper to his companion, then looked again around the room...something was bothering him, but he couldn't figure out what it was...everything looked normal...

then, suddenly, it hit him...

"Derek, remember that family that just left? well, I didn't hear a car start up, and I didn't see any headlights...WTF, are they walking home? we're out in the middle of nowhere!"

"I'm gonna go take a look..."

[Bloodaxe]

John goes outside quickly to look around. The man helps load the kids in the car, then gets in and drives off. Nothing too strange there. The night is quiet and very, very dark. You don't even see any buildings close by, just trees, open country and darkness. The headlights rapidly fade into the distance, getting smaller and smaller until they disappear completely. The diner a bastion of light in a sea of darkness.

[sieg]

Derek:

Wow, figures David Barrows would get this one.” Derek wasn’t jealous, exactly. On the one hand this sounded like another big hoax or flash-in-the-pan event getting blown out of proportions. Much like the Miami “Flesh Eater” story a few years ago. Still, you wouldn’t catch Barrows covering Tiddlywinks… that’s for dam sure.

John muttered something about a family outside, and the reporter nodded absently as his friend headed out into the parking lot. Something bugged him about that report, other than the obvious. He wondered if there had been any reports in this area? There was that guy at the tournament claiming his neighbor went batcrap crazy on him, but as far as he could remember there were no injuries, the EMT’s had just strapped the lunatic to a gurney and took him away.

He shook his head, trying to get his mind back on more important things. Like the fact he was going to have to share a room with John. Again. Sighing, he turned back to the booth and his coffee. He performed his reporter trick of looking at everyone in the diner without being obvious about it. A few folks, probably locals, were talking about the report on TV. The trucker and the biker seemed to be exchanging a newspaper; nothing exciting there. The guy in the Brooks bros. Suit seemed nervous… Did he know something about Barrows’ info? He glanced back at the paper John left on the table, wondering if it would be worthwhile to canvass the locals, get some first person perspectives on the wild report out of Wisconsin…?

[Marcel]

Steve B. - Trucker

Steve tunes the diner chatter out as he reads the paper with deep interest. "What the fuck?" Confused by the craziness going on in the news stories, he downs his coffee and returns the paper near the biker, [to Chingy]"Crazy, shit going on brother. I'm going out for a smoke, your welcome to join me?" As Steve exits the diner, he says to the waitress as he waves his cigarette, "fill it up, I'll be right back". [outside] Steve lights-up as he sees John watch the family drive off. [looking for someone to talk to try and make some sense out of the crazy stories] "Hey buddie, you need a smoke?" he says to John.

[DocBennie]

John:

John watched the family drive away, their car lights fading and finally disappearing completely...

"Why the heck am I so on edge?" he wondered..."too much coffee, not enough alcohol, maybe?"

His musing were interrupted when someone exited the diner...


In the dim light from the parking lot and diner sign, John recognized the trucker. He had just lit a cigarette, but paused to ask John if he needed a smoke.

"No, but thanks for the offer...I prefer to drink myself into an early grave...can I offer you a nip?" He said, pulling the flask from his jacket pocket..."helps to take the edge off of this chilly weather"

[ybn1197]

Tucker Riley - Nightwatchman

Tucker walked out of the men's restroom in back waving his wet hands in the air. The towel dispenser was empty and the air dryer was still broken. Probably been that way since before he started coming to this diner. He went back to his stool at the counter and dried his hands on his pants. Being a nightwatchman had one perk - nobody cared what you looked like. He took another couple of bites of salisbury steak and looked around the diner. The Ozzy and Harriet group had left already but it looked like another couple of people had walked in. That was good, there had been many a night he had stopped in for dinner prior to his shift and the place was dead. Least Flo and Barb would bring home more tips tonight, that was always a good thing for them.

[Bloodaxe]

The diner is pretty empty, its a little after midnight. Two men are chatting in a corner booth and you can overhear snatches of their conversation. One looks like a redneck, the other looks like he is wearing some kind of uniform. Maybe an EMT?
....rabies....out of control....New York....riots....warzone......

The TV screen goes blank and then goes back on.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niMb-hR6gZ0


OOC- the only people in the diner are the diner staff, the player characters and the two guys talking in the corner.

[OGRE MAGE]

Chingy the Biker

After the truck driver offers him the smoke Chingy replies gruffly I don't smoke.......and I sure as hell ain't yer brother!

After the newsflash is over Chingy stands up off his stool and loudly says What the FUCK??? He then pulls his neck rag up over his nose and mouth, going all old west bank robber style, and nervously looks about the room, studying each patron and employee carefully.

If the language is too offensive to anyone just say the word. I got no problem toning it down. Just trying to play the part.

[Marcel]

Steve B. - Trucker

[outside]Steve replies to Johns offer for a swig, "no thanks". [hearing large engines rumbling from down the street] "What the hell," Steve says confused. [hearing the biker inside go ape at the news broadcast] Steve spins and looks in the window at the biker with his bandanna over his face, "holy shit, that duechbag biker is robbing the place,"he says to John. Steve then heads to his truck for his Tire Thumper out of his tool box.