ArchivedLogs:Invitations

Invitations
Dramatis Personae Hanna, Jackson, Melinda
In Absentia	2013-12-18 '
Location <NYC> Village Lofts - Lobby - East Village
Bright and sunny, the lobby of this apartment building is clean and unassuming. Requiring an electronic keycard for entry, the pair of elevators dings cheerfully when one arrives. A small sitting area has bright yellow couches and small coffee tables, though the nearby vending machine is perpetually running out of /something/. Tall windows let in plenty of light during the daytime, and the building maintenance keeps the common areas spotlessly clean. A bank of mailboxes near the sitting area collects mail for the building, a recycling bin right at hand for the unwanted spam. Beside the mailboxes, a large corkboard serves as informal meeting space for the announcements, perpetually flyered with notes and notices from the various apartment residents. Jackson has had a long night, finally arriving home with Micah (and Flicker and the twins, who while not arrested were /waiting/ for them all night) only around sunrise. Even now after being home for several hours, he /looks/ like he's had a long night -- at least in his tired kind of dragging step and the heavy slump of his shoulders. He's bright otherwise, in colour if not in posture, glittery makeup, lime-green hair streaked with black, a lavender t-shirt illustrated with designs from the Lorax ('Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better, it's not', reads the text woven in between the illustrations), a short purplish skirt printed with a starry design of the horse head nebula, silver leggings beneath that, bright multicoloured socks. He's trudging across the lobby towards the front door to let in a FedEx delivery man waiting outside, stifling a yawn as he signs for the large boxy package. Melinda kept up with the day and night's activities as much as possible, heading over to the Lofts to lend a hand wherever and however needed after hearing about the protest. She did, however, need to disappear in the early, early morning, before the sun showed any signs of rising, to open the cafe for the day. Employees were a precious and until she could get to hiring again, a limited resource that had to be spread thin and evenly. Only when the lunch rush has ended and the cafe falls into a manageable lull does she get sent home to check up on friends from the night before. Texts are read and replied too, but even still, Melinda finds herself at the Lofts at the same time as the Fed Ex delivery person. She pauses in the doorway, seeing another figure over his shoulder, and waits for Jackson to open the door. She only makes herself known when the delivery person has moved on, her well bundled form stepping forward to catch the door before it closes. "Hey Jax," comes the voice from behind the baby blue polar fleece scarf, her yellow hat pulled down low over her forehead. "I was just coming to see you," tottles the Gore-tex swaddled body, every bit of her covered in water repellent cloth. "You okay?" With all the events in New York lately, Hanna has been somewhat scarce around the apartment building the past week or two, leaving early and arriving late as she attempts to get her bakery back into regular operations. Making her way up the stairs behind the delivery man and Melinda, Hanna has one hand burried in the pocket of her bubblegum pink wool coat, while the other hand grinds out the remains of a cigarette into a melty patch of snow atop of a trashcan before tossing the extinguished butt into the trash. The normally exhuberant baker looks more than just a bit worse for wear, her dark hair showing just a few straggling strands of silver that stand out in stark contrast to the rest of the long ponytail, and seemingly perpetual dark circles under her dull, brown colored eyes. Her dark wash skinny jeans are smudged with flour and powdered sugar, tucked into the tops of her black, fuzzy edge winter boots, and a thick fluffy rainbow scarf wrapped several times around her neck to ward off the chill, partially obscuring a white button with a red 'NO' sign slashed through the word 'registration'. She carries a small reusable bag over one arm, presumably with her near ever-present supply of baked goods. There's a tired smile and wave as she notices Jax and Melinda's presence at last, before shoving her hand back into her pocket for warmth, stepping aside to let the delivery person pass. "Heya Mel, Jax," Hanna greets, her voice tired. Jackson shifts the box to tuck it beneath his arm, thanking the delivery man then taking a step back, holding the door open wider to let the man back out and the two women in. "I'm --" There's a distinct hesitation before he answers this question, single eye flicking from Mel to Hanna and a quick warm smile lighting his face. "Long night," he says, light, with a hint of laughter in his voice, "s'over now, though. How're you, honey-honey?" He shifts his grip on the box to let it rest more comfortably at his hip. He looks over Hanna with a small crease forming between his brows. "You don't look none too hot, neither, miss." Melinda raises an eyebrow, but only succeeds in tilting part of her hat in response to Jackson's laughter. She then reaches up and begins unwinding a bit, stuffing scarf and hat into oversized pockets, with long loops of material showing which pocket holds the scarf. "I'm okay. Maybe a little sleep deprived, but nothing a night off won't help." She slips her gloves off her hands and stuffs them in the jacket as best as possible, but the pockets are too full now. They hang on by their overstuffed fingertips. Her hands reach up to smooth out messy hair that has escaped a low ponytail. "Do you need anything? Did they hurt you at all?" She turns her eyes slowly to take in Hanna a moment later, her fixation on Jackson slowly lessening. "Hey, Hanna. He's right. You look pretty rundown." Hanna sighs as she steps in through the open door, bobbing her head in thanks to Jackson as he holds it open, "Thanks - appreciate it - saves me from trying to dig out my keys." As she passes by, there is a cold, empty feeling that ripples around her, but it is fleeting, and past as soon as she steps further inside. Once inside, she doesn't start unwinding her scarf, instead keeping her winter gear tight aroudn her for warmth. She furrows her brow right back at him, accentuating the lines in her face, "From the news reports ya been featured in, that seems a bit of an understatement. I caught up in the barest aftermath of that protest on my way home last night. If you need anything at all - I am around, at the very least in the evenings." Ruffling a hand through her graying hair, Hanna shakes her head, "It has been a long, trying couple of months. Bakery got damaged in the looting. We lost two employees to the virus, and another before that to the violence scares. So it's down to pretty much just me and Jayna again. Add to that..." Her voice trails off and she sighs, tucking her hands back into her pockets, "Apologies. I'm a bit off balance, I guess. So's the world, it seems, though." Jackson shivers as Hanna passes him, his grip on his box tightening; for a brief moment there's a dark swirl of shadow that snakes its way up his arms, but this fades away soon, too. "You got the night off t'night? Cuz we could so fill it. Curry an' hot cocoa an' chocolate stout cupcakes?" he tempts lightly. His nose wrinkles up at the mention of the news reports, and he just shakes his head. "Oh, gosh, you know how the police get, they're kinda twitchy at protests no matter what. I've seen it go down /way/ way uglier at environmental or animal rights things and those ain't subjects near so button-pushy as mutant issues. Weren't really an understatement, I spent much longer times in jail over less." His smile is crooked, but relaxed. "Get involved in activism long enough you pretty much get used t'it. We teach whole workshops on dealin' with police at protests." The smile fades, though, at Hanna's news. "M'real sorry t'hear that, miss. It's -- been a mad rough kinda time lately. Think s'gonna take a while 'fore the world gets back /on/ any kinda balance. Same goes for you, y'know, if you need anythin' --" He shrugs a shoulder, looking over Hanna again. "Y'don't got nothin' to apologize for, everything's been all topsy-turvy." Melinda closes her eyes and turns her face away until the moment of stronger emotion passes, her breath becoming the focus of her thoughts for a little while. She turns a grateful expression toward Jackson as he starts offering warmth and comfort food. "Mmmm. That sounds lovely. I'm definitely up for it," she remarks quietly and quickly to his offer, her words under those of Hanna's in tone and volume, as if distracted by them. Her lips purse as she considers, thoughtful and concentrated on the predicament that she discusses. A finger runs across the edge of her own lip as she trails her hand close to her chin. "The holidays don't help much either, but at least it's business. Let me know if I can help too. Or, well, cook you and Jayna dinner." Hanna winces at the swirl of shadow as she passes, closing her eyes as though to block out the visual reminder of just how dark her mood is, "Sor..." she bites the word off and signs the phrase instead, opening her eyes again, her irises now an even darker black brown than before. She takes a step further back, to distance herself and the leaking despair around her from the others. "Stress," she sighs softly, keeping her voice low and looking apologetically at Mel, "Especially for this long, makes it hard to /not/ do that. It's been a long two months - haven't been this bad since my mom died." There's a faint, mischevious smirk to Jackson at the mention of protests and jail time, "Been there before, though never for very long. Admittedly, I haven't gotten quite as involved in New York as I would like to. Yet. That's going to change, and soon, given the current situation." There's a grateful smile to Melinda and Jax, and a nod, "Thanks. And we're getting back to normal, a bit at a time. I somewhat look forward to and dread the holiday rush, if there is one next week. If you know anyone who can bake or operate a register, with decent people skills, send them my way." She starts to respond to the invitation about dinner, but reconsiders, wincing, "I wish I could, but I am a serious buzzkill right now, and don't want to inflict that on anyone for too long." "Well, if y'ever fancy gettin' yourself arrested," Jackson says with cheerful amusement, "I been pretty heavy-involved in the activist scene 'round here for -- well, since I moved. Guess that's comin' up on a decade now." His head shakes at that thought, hand lifting to scruff through his hair. "I'm livin' with a mighty leaky telepath I think I can handle a little spill." His head tips to the side thoughtfully at the mention of baking or operating a register with decent people skills, and a small smile twitches at his lips, though as soon as he opens his mouth to speak he closes it again. "Holidays are anti-rush for me. One school goes on break for two weeks, the other for near a month. Not real sure what things'll be like at the Clinic, admittedly, s'only been open a couple weeks, hard to tell what a holiday schedule's gonna look like." "Holidays in the medical field are busy, if I remember correctly. People are generally too distracted with holiday 'cheer' to drive well, not walk out in traffic, and a number of other seasonal issues - holiday parties, extra drinking to stay warm, things like that. Then again, the clinic will mostly be for mutants. Registration... oh. shit. Here I am rambling about misery." Melinda shakes her head and turns her attention to Hanna again. "I understand if you don't want to be around people, but if it's just to spare them, listen to Jax. I think we can handle some depression until the chocolate does its magic." She smiles a little and reaches up to rub at her temples on one side. "Besides, if I'm the least tired of our lot, it might be an early night." Hanna chuckles and smiles, her demeanor seeming to brighten a bit, "Mm, it's been a long time since I been arrested. Heh, damn I'm old - that was at the bar, just before I met Jayna." She smiles, her eyes actually flicking with color briefly for the first time in the conversation, shaking her head and shrugging, "But, really, if you happen to be planning another one of these in the near future, let me know? I'll bring baked goods enough ta share." The mention of the leaky telepath gets a head tilt, and a concerned look, "How is he doing? The last time I ran into him, he could barely move," she raises a hand to her temple, a faint wince at the memory, "Or, ah, talk much." There's an eyebrow at Jax's still busy sounding schedule, an easy smile on her lips, "Well, if you know anyone, I'd love the help. Well, Jayna needs the help during the winter, more than ever. Poor thing handles the cold worse than I do. But anyway - we pay decently, for being a small business and all. Mutant friendly, too." She takes a deep breath, apparently attempting to center herself again, "If y'all wouldn't mind it, Jayna and I might stop by for a bit? I think I might have been sequestering myself a bit /too/ much lately." "Well, the Clinic isn't really a place for emergency services, so I'm not -- /entirely/ sure how the holiday chaos will affect things," Jackson admits thoughtfully. "I imagine holidays'll have a lotta people not showin' /up/ for regular appointments like physicals an' therapy an' such. We ain't a hospital -- ain't equipped to provide a lotta hospital services. Though a lotta mutants can't /go/ to a hospital an' try comin' there /anyway/ so --" He shrugs a shoulder, his teeth scraping against his lower lip. "Just hafta see, I guess." The question of Hive earns another shrug. "He's home. S'pose you'll see him if y'come up for dinner." He gives her a quick smile, shifting the box under his arm again. "Wouldn't mind none at all. Got a /pretty/ full house right now -- Hive's place lost their heat so they're all crashin' with us -- so a couple more here an' there don't tend t'make no more trouble." His weight shifts, kind of swaying from one foot to the other, and he shakes his head quickly. "Though I should prob'ly get back on up if I want to get nothin' productive done 'fore dinner. See you around -- say, seven thirty?" Melinda's eyes slip over toward Hanna as she speaks, nodding slowly as she considers, looking to Jackson when it's his turn. She's a little distant, letting the other two talk more than speaking up as well. When the time for dinner is announced, shechimes in from the side lines, smiling tiny and warm."Seven thirty works for me." She starts extracting her cold weather gear as she turns to leave again. "If you need me to pick up anything from the store, shoot me a call or a text, okay?" Hanna nods solemnly, shifting her bag up higher on her shoulder, "I'd heard rumors about the heat being out. Still no word from anyone official about it?" She sighs, glancing towards the outside and the cold beyond the door, "Our heat's still functioning for now, which is good - we've got a spare room and a couch if anyone else needs it, for as long as our heat holds out." The buzz of her phone in her pocket gets her attention, and she jumps slightly, before pulling the device out to check the message, "Ah, bother, I should be getting back. Had hoped to drop these off before I went back, but it was nice to catch up with you." She glances at Melinda, a faint frown creasing her brow at the distance, but apparently chalking it up to not wanting to interact too much with the oversharing psionic. Taking a deep breath, she nods and smiles to Jax, "That works. I can pick up stuff, too, or bring things from the bakery, if anyone would be interested. It's good to see you are both reasonably well, after all that has happened. Take care, alright?" She shuffles her scarf a bit tighter to her neck, and glares out into the cold, "I'll see you both tonight, 'round seven thirty." Hanna nods, and starts to head back out, waiting to hold the door open for Melinda if she is leaving at the same time - the chill of depression notably less as she passes by. "Ain't been able to get in touch with nobody official for nothin'. Not even paying my rent." Jackson's smile is a little wry. "S'alright, you don't need to bring nothin'. You both take care, aright?" He reaches out to give Melinda a quick hug, studying her face thoughtfully as he pulls back. "See you tonight." His smile is still warm, and he turns to head into the elevator as the others leave.