New Stomping Grounds

Cheesy, upbeat Italian music plays at a fairly quiet volume over the speakers inside a mid-sized pizzeria. Generic 'Italian' themed decor lines the walls painted to look like a stone balcony overlooking the sea. Though there are plenty of seats, and it's currently dinnertime, the pizzeria is occupied only by staff, and one group sitting at a corner booth at the back. Around the circular booth sits the members of Attack on Mango, alongside their plus one, Deena. Arrayed on the table in front of them is a pepperoni pizza the size of a car tire, 2 giant baskets of breadsticks, a communal salad plate, drinks for everyone, and the biggest bowl of soup for one person Asuka has ever seen. She really hopes this place has to-go bowls, because she's not finishing this in one sitting. At the left end of the table, Ruby grabs a breadstick from the nearby basket. After breaking it in half, she looks up at the others. "So, remind me why we came here? Don't you guys usually go to that Tex-Mex place?" Nar's face goes from a pleasant smile, to a pouting frown. "Shifty Sai's is under renovations. Winter storms did a number on their roof, so they're having to remodel entirely." To this, Juno rolls his eyes. "Dude. It's just a month. You act like they're closing for good." "I know, but where else am I going to get my nacho fix?" Then, Ruby chimes in again. "What about that Tino's place we passed on our way from Ponyville?" The response is a shake of the head from both of the guys. "Too expensive." Says Nar. "It's on the other side of the city. We'd have to ride the tram for like, an hour to get there." At this, Ruby blinks. "Aren't you guys practically MILLIONAIRES right now? And don't you have a van?" Juno responds first. "The van is for gigs only. Plus, Vanhoover traffic is HELL." Them, comes Nar. "And just because we're loaded, doesn't mean we've stopped being cheap." Ruby opens her mouth to argue, but she quickly realizes she'll get nowhere, and opts to simply go back to eating. From her spot in the middle of the booth, Asuka growls. "I swear to Solaris. If I hear Funiculi Funicula one more time, I'm going to KILL someone." Deena heaves a sigh as she rubs her temples. "I agree. This music is starting to give me a migraine." Then, Juno turns towards Nar to ask "How the hell do you eat here so often? The portions are huge, and the music is mind-numbing." Nar beams a smile back. "It's cheap, the food is good, and I'm friends with the owner." "Is there a restaurant in the city where you AREN'T friends with the owner?" Asuka groans. "Just the fancy ones." Comes the response. Asuka groans once more, and tries to drown her annoyance in soup. It does not work. Seeing that Asuka is growing more, and more agitated, Deena decides to lighten the mood by breaking some news to the group. Despite the fact that they all lived in the same house, the band always waited until they went out to eat to share news for some reason. "Well. I was hired yesterday. I'll be working in the gardening department for the home store near the house." This seems to instantly brighten Asuka's mood. "Oooooh! I didn't know you'd applied for a job!" Deena nods. "Ruby helped me. The website I used was not very user friendly, but we managed to get it done. My first day is next Monday." The band congratulates their friend on their success, and afterwards, Nar lifts his cup of soda above his head. "A toast, to Deena's new job!" Nobody reciprocates. Except for Ruby. Though she uses a breadstick instead of her water. Nar shoots his sister, and best friend looks before placing his cup back down on the table. He feels Asuka jab a finger into his side, accompanied by playful giggling. "You know, you're such a dork."