“Yes, yes, yes ma’am. Alright, no thank you.” David says in to the phone, jotting down a lady’s takeout order. He tells her the total and hangs up the phone, placing the pen behind his ear. He leans against the counter, hovering over the order info, and silently curses himself for his chicken scratch. He sighs, pinning the ticket to the kitchen window, and rubs the back of his neck. It’s just after the lunch rush, so things are slowing down. The crowd is thinning out, and there’s only a few tables still occupied. David is just about to take a quick smoke break when he overhears one of the people at the bar saying they forgot their money.
He places the cigarette behind his ear, throwing a bar rag over his shoulder as he picks their ticket up. “Don’t worry about it. You’re always here. Keeps me in business.” He says, and crumbles the ticket.
“Don’t worry about it,” Johnnie said, hand-waving it off. He watched as the dad settled down and set the little boy on his knee. Cute. Johnnie was sure he had a picture of himself bouncing on his dad’s knee – some picture that was taken over twenty years ago, crumpled and tucked away in a box. “Hey, little guy,” he cooed to the kid. “How old are you?”
Logan licks some of the ice cream from his fingers, before forming a fist and suddenly putting up all five fingers. I’m this old! He announces, waving his hand towards the man. “Gross, wipe your hands.” David chuckles, running a napkin over Logan’s fingers. “What would your mother say if she saw you do that? Huh?” He pokes his cheek, turning to the man as he rests his face in his hand. ‘Do you have kids?”
“ I’m glad to be back- I think that hotel bed was the hardest thing I’ve ever slept on. ” Not true, but it always seemed to set David at ease to hear just how much she didn’t enjoy her time away from home. “ And good lord, they were so uncooperative this time- but, I’m home with my boys, and that’s all that matters. ” She placed her hand over David’s, looking at him with all of the adoration she felt in her body. “ How was your week? ”
“Hm, sounds like someone could use a massage later.” David winks, rubbing circles over her knuckles. He fights the urge to sigh as she talks about her job; he is over it, and he does a good job of hiding it from her, or so he believes. Instead he nods, pressing a soft kiss to her hair. “It was okay. I could have went without all the rain, but Logan loved playing in it. Kept begging to go out nearly every time it started.” He chuckles, running a hand through their son’s hair. “Missed you. Just glad you’re home.”
The sight of Mallory’s always filled Phoebe with a sense of nostalgia, having been the sight of every happy moment in Phoebe’s life. And now, it would be the sight of another happy moment as she and Logan stood outside the cheery red doors.
“ Alright, hǔ zǐ, you know what to do. ” She winked down at the grinning boy who hopped with excitement. It was only when he nodded that Phoebe opened the door, allowing him to dart inside towards where David was working.
As the double doors opened, Phoebe held out her arms, presenting herself to the love of her life. “ Hello qīn ài de. ” She moved forwards, pressing a soft kiss to his cheek as she brushed past him. “ We thought we’d come and have lunch with you today. ” Once inside, she nodded at the few employees around. “ I know you’ve been catching up on things now that I’m back, but we should still have at least one meal together a day. ”
He takes her to his side, pressing a firm kiss to her temple. “Wǒ de ài”, he affectionately calls her. He shuffles the three of them past a few of the lingering customers, and to a small booth towards the back of the diner. “I’m glad you decided to come by.” David admits, scooting in next to her, while Logan sits in his lap. He drapes one arm around his waist, as his free hand goes to rest on Phoebe’s knee, squeezing it gently. “I’m glad you’re back, Pheebs.”
The sight of Mallory’s always filled Phoebe with a sense of nostalgia, having been the sight of every happy moment in Phoebe’s life. And now, it would be the sight of another happy moment as she and Logan stood outside the cheery red doors.
“ Alright, hǔ zǐ, you know what to do. ” She winked down at the grinning boy who hopped with excitement. It was only when he nodded that Phoebe opened the door, allowing him to dart inside towards where David was working.
He’s at the register juggling the phone, jotting down a takeout order when Logan bursts through the double doors. His face lights up instantly when he sees him, and he quickly thanks the customer on the phone and hangs up. David bends down and quickly scoops him up, tickling him to elicit giggles from him. “Hǔ zǐ,!!” He exclaims, pressing kisses to his head and beaming. He is surprised, to say the least. He wasn’t expecting to see him at all today, as he was working later than usual and by the time he would be home, Logan would already be asleep.
He puts him down, rustling his hair as he looks past the doors. “Where’s your māmā?” David asks, pushing the double doors open to look out.
Benji looked at the other, faking a sense of incredulity. “Are you seriously checking your phone at the climax of my story? You know what, you don’t deserve to know what I taught my cat to do.” He said, shaking his head as the other made eye contact with him again. “On a totally unrelated note, did I ever tell you that you have the most beautiful eyes of anybody I’ve ever met?”
“Honestly, man, I’m allergic to cats.” David shrugs, chasing the comment with his drink. He is a man of simple taste; a rum and coke, followed by a plate of barely touched bar food. He doesn’t really have an appetite, only found himself at the bar due to sheer exhaustion and boredom. He was only halfway through his first drink when the man next to him went rambling on about some cat. He snickers, popping a fry in his mouth, “My wife would agree with you.”
Nathan stood on the sidewalk downtown, eyes turned toward the sky to watch the setting sun. He had been spending his days roaming around the town, trying to get acquainted with the place combined with the fact he felt some sort of guilt being around Alex at all. So, Nathan dilly dallied throughout Eden with nothing much to do. He’ll probably just end up at some bar again that night, but for now, he was enjoying the sunset and the serenity the town seemed to emit right then. It was only then did someone bump into him, while he was spacing out, eyes set towards the horizon. It pulled him from his thoughts, eyebrows furrowing as he said, “hey, watch it, will you?”
It was just another night for David; just finishing up checking in at the Diner, making calls and finishing up payrolls checks. He got out earlier than expected, so he decided to take a short stroll downtown to enjoy some free time. Logan was with the sitter, as Phoebe was out of town for work again. It’s only when he’s sending a quick goodnight next to his wife, while inhaling a cigarette, does he bump in to someone.
“Shit, sorry.” David apologizes through the smoke, waving his hand to diminish it. He blinks, brows furrowing as he tries to make out his face. He doesn’t recognize him, and so he is left to assume he is new to town. “Do you smoke?” He asks, holding up his pack and offering one to the man.
location: stone road (shopping mall) – food court
status: open @edtstarter
“Hmm?” Johnnie had been a bit distracted, reading something on his phone while munching on some fries and a milkshake. “Oh, yeah, that seat’s not taken,” he said, potentially misinterpreting what the other had intended to say – blame his distraction, again. “Food court’s busy. I get it.”
“Mm, thanks, man.” David tells the other, juggling Logan in one arm while wrestling to keep his ice cream cone from falling. “Here--” He tells his son, settling him comfortably on his knee as he pulls him closer. “Don’t drop it, okay?” He warns sternly, before handing it over to Logan’s eager hands. He settles back in the chair, running a hand through Logan’s hair as he shovels napkins to his cone. “Sorry, he’s harmless for the most part.”
David Zhao is the forty year old husband to Phoebe Zhao, and owner of Mallorys. He is an Edens Town Native and currently resides in the Amber Valley district with his wife and son.
CHARACTER NAME: David Zhao
AGE & DATE OF BIRTH: 40, August 15th
GENDER & PRONOUNS: He/Him
PLACE OF BIRTH: Native of Edens Town
TIME IN EDENS TOWN: His entire life, save for when he was abroad in the Marines.
DISTRICT: Amber Valley
OCCUPATION: Owner of Mallorys
FACECLAIM: Daniel Wu
PAST.
David Zhao was born and raised in Edens Town, North Carolina. His parents were good, hard working people who owned and operated in their diner in town. They named the diner Mallorys so locals wouldn’t get confused and think it was a Chinese restaurant. Because his parents owned the diner, he often helped out once he got to his teen years; waiting tables, acting as a host, cashiering and even helping clean. Everyone loved the diner, and his parents, however his relationship with them, particularly his mother, was tense. She strived too hard for perfection in her marriage, as well as becoming an overprotective mother; always putting his father and himself on a pedestal they didn’t want to be on. It caused them to clash and bump heads, and was eventually the reason upon him entering the Marines, to be able to travel and serve, far away from Edens and his mother. He served for years, eventually being medically discharged due to a raid gone wrong. He came back to Edens, working in his parents diner to readjust. That’s where he met his now wife, Phoebe. She was a regular at his diner for a few years, before the two eventually started dating and marrying, Logan being born shortly after.
PRESENT.
After his parents’ became older, David took over owning and managing Mallorys. It works well with their family needs; as Phoebe travels, he can watch Logan more, and on the nights he can’t, a sitter comes in.
