Zero and Peter's Apartment, LA, Monday Evening

[swerval_zero]

So there was a show about models. Normally Zero ignored those, because the stupid hurt her brain and she'd gotten enough of it that one time she'd volunteered to help out at Claude's show, anyway, but this show about models was different. This show about models had someone she knew in it. A former bandmate, even. So Zero was camped out on the sofa with a bowl of popcorn in her lap and Fish perched on one shoulder, cheering Chad on.

She just hoped being around other models didn't somehow leach his brains.

((Open for phone, e-mail, or either person named Parker who is not a blonde))

Comments

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"I need a job," Parker said, coming into the apartment from the mailbox, sorting through flyers and advertisements, then looking up. "What the hell are you watching?"

[swerval_zero]

"Chad's on TV!" Zero said excitedly.

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"Holy crap. That is Chad." Parker found one envelope addressed, Maureen NoName and started absently opening it as she stared at the screen. "Is this what I think it is? And did that judge just diss his name?"

[swerval_zero]

"They're fashion people. They say stupid things," Zero said dismissively. "Like apparently that girl? Is plus-sized."

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"That girl?" Parker said, pointing to the screen. "The one on the right? Are they nuts? She doesn't look like she needs to eat a cheeseburger, but plus-sized?" She blinked at the contents of the envelope. "Hunh. Jarod's sent me a new fake ID."

[swerval_zero]

"They all need to eat a cheeseburger. According to Claude 'plus-sized' is depressing modelspeakese for 'has breasts.'" Zero gestured at the TV screen. "Case in point."

Awk, case in point, case in point. Are you my mummy?

Zero held a piece of popcorn up for Fish to nibble and said to Parker, "Swerval. C'n I see?"

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"Claude's a genius at more than clothes," Parker said absently, shaking her head at what she saw on-screen. "Christ, by their standards, I'd have to be at ulcer-weight to get work..." She shuddered as Fish asked his perennial question. "He never stops creeping me out with that."

She handed over the ID, which had her face (and a not-terrible picture) on a California Driver's License, with the name "Parker Weston" on it. The attached note said:

There's a girl who looks a lot like you in the SAG database. Easy to fake the documents from that, but don't go to New York for a while, okay?

[swerval_zero]

"Well, there you go," Zero said as she gave Fish a skritch behind his crest. "You're not in New York."

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"Or in London, where the paid impostor is." Parker cocked her head. "This might work out well. And now I can be an over-educated barista somewhere in the L.A. area," she said grimly. "Or something else--oh, for crying out loud," she said at the screen. "His name is a joke. About tea. How stupid are you?"

Chad's expression seemed to be asking the same thing.

[peter--parker.livejournal.com]

After work, patrol, and a swing session back to the roof of their building, Peter made his way down the stairs to the apartment. "Hello, dear. You too, Zero."

Ah, humor.

[swerval_zero]

"I knew you loved Fish more," Zero said, sounding completely unfazed. "Look look Chad's on TV!"

[peter--parker.livejournal.com]

"You just can't argue with that kind of plumage," Peter said. "Why is Chad on TV?"

[swerval_zero]

"He's tryin' to be Ameri-- So you wanna--" Zero held up one finger and said, "Wait, I'll get it." She slowly enunciated, "So You Want to be the Nation's Next Top Model. I think. Chad, not Fish." Fish preened.

[peter--parker.livejournal.com]

"That is a very long name for a TV show," was Peter's first reaction. "And I didn't realize he wanted to be the nation's next top model. It never came up in conversation."

Mainly because most conversations between Peter and Chad involved one of them talking a lot and the other talking very little.

[swerval_zero]

"It is very long. It squalls me up. He has hidden depths." Zero paused. "Which, he's surrounded by models, so probably he's the only one."

[peter--parker.livejournal.com]

"Hey, now, be nice. Models are people, too," Peter said. "They're just people who don't realize they have any depth, hidden or otherwise."

[swerval_zero]

"I was a French model for five minutes," Zero reminded him. "I can say."

[peter--parker.livejournal.com]

"I think that hurts your argument," Peter said. "Those five minutes with you in the industry tipped the whole thing towards the deep end. That's how awesome you are."

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"Fish was pining," Parker told him, eyes still on the television, mostly in disbelief. "How's saving the world going today?"

[peter--parker.livejournal.com]

"Not too well," Peter said. "The world's too big. Saving the kitten from the tree was very good today, though."

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"I'm all for that," Parker said soberly. "Kittens from trees. Rabbits from drainages. Dolphins from... whatever. Though that's outside your jurisdiction, I suppose." She tilted her head, and said, "Do you ever get discouraged? Or is it always reward enough that the kitten's happy?"

[peter--parker.livejournal.com]

"Why would I be discouraged?" Peter asked. "The cat's safe, a little girl is happy, I got to hang around in a tree for a couple minutes, and I couldn't find anyone else who needed help even though I searched for a few hours. That's a great day."

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

Parker considered that, then admitted, "It does sound like a good day. But if I were doing the caped vigilante thing, I'd be pissed off every day I didn't bring down a major crime ring. But that's why you don't have an ulcer, I guess." She pointed at the screen. "On the other hand, I could be these poor people. Aside from Chad, who is still awesome."

[peter--parker.livejournal.com]

"I think the key point there is that I don't wear a cape," Peter said.

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"So your fashion choices are saving you from pointless angst?" Parker asked with a grin.