ArchivedLogs:Alpha Bits

Alpha Bits
Dramatis Personae Alexandrine, Dan, Logan
In Absentia	2013-03-10 Dan meets the competition.
Location <NYC> 215 {Alex and Ezekiel} - Village Lofts - East Village
It's a small two bedroom, but it's tidy and clean. The furniture is simple, a cozy sectional in an 'L' shape, with a coffee table set before the television mounted on the wall. The bland off white walls are dressed up a bit by art, primarily street scenes of New Orleans. The shelves hold plenty of books, and there is no shortage of scented candles scattered about throughout the apartment. The kitchen is a cozy place, a small table with two chairs by the windows, and a small copper pitcher filled with flowers. The cushions on the chair match the dishtowels, everything in shades of spring green and soft yellow. The hallway is short, with the bathroom on the left, a bedroom across from it on the right, and the master bedroom at the end of the hallway. It's Sunday night, and after a long day of cleaning, running to the grocery store, and working out... Alex has settled into relaxing. There's some fresh baked cake cooling on the stove, the scent of baking mingling with the soft scent of vanilla candles. The redhead herself is sitting on the couch with a book, damp red hair curling and gleaming in the lamp light. There's a glass of bourbon resting on the end table, a hint of lipstick on the rim. The knock at the door is heavier than one might expect from an average human. It's the kind of knock that is gentle - and yet still has the hinges rattling juuuust a tiny bit. Accompanying the sound is the spicy scent of cigar-smoke, and what is probably the 'psychic turbulence' or 'troubled aura' of Logan's mind. The man has a six-pack of beer under an arm, and is dressed in a long-sleeved, comfortable shirt and jeans (with boots of course). "Lex, ya there?" he asks unnecessarily - he can hear and smell the goings-on beyond the door. Alexandrine starts, setting aside her book and starting to rise. She's not expecting anyone, so she does lower her guard to check. At realizing it's Logan, she looks around as if to make sure everything is picked up just right, even if she'd just cleaned earlier that day. A hand runs through her hair, and there's a tug at the hem of her fluttery blouse - Spring green paired with gray leggings, fuzzy socks in gray with the same light green polka dots. The door swings open, and she has a smirk on her face. "Ah know ya know Ah'm home, Logan. Why don't ya come on in?" There's just a hint of nervousness sliding through her. "Smells good," is all the hairy fellow says as he walks inside. By the time he reaches the bench in the kitchen, he remarks: "Dunno if you like beer - know *I* do, but... well, it's good stuff." He frowns, casting a glance back over his shoulder at Lex, a speculative expression on his face. The nervousness isn't lost on him, but he says nothing about it for now. "How ya doin'?" he asks rather lamely. "Waitin' for the cake Ah made to cool so Ah can frost it. My little bit of bad diet habit for the next couple days." Alex moves to pick up her glass of bourbon. "Ah like some beers jus' fine. Already started drinkin' the bourbon tonight, though." She flashes him a smile, a glance down the hall. "My roommate isn't home, or Ah'd introduce ya. Nice guy. Maybe some other time." There's another smile, as she curls up on her couch again. "You want anything? Eat, drink...whatever?" She shrugs. "Ah'm good. Been keepin' busy, a lot. Been handing off my weekday classes at the dance school, so that when Ah start out there at Xavier's, there's no issues. How have you been?" Dan...does not knock. There is a rattle of the doorknob, and a fall of tumblers, and suddenly the door is swinging open, and he is there. He's wearing a grey plaid flannel shirt over a white t-shirt and jeans, although most of his torso is hidden by a bag of groceries. "Hey, baby," he calls, shifting the bag and moving into the apartment without looking. "Sorry I'm late. Billy was late relieving me at work. I got some of that stuff I saw on your list the other day. I figured you didn't go to the market ye--" he breaks off as he turns, his expression darkening a bit at the sight of the strange man in her apartment. "Who's this?" is almost a growl, although he offers the standard chin-jerk 'hello-I-am-watching-you' look as he moves into the kitchen. Somewhere in the room... ...a pin drops. And Logan, of course, hears it. The grizzled-featured man goes deathly quiet, the moment Dan enters the room. His nostrils flare - detecting jealousy & suspicion in the air (his own, as well as Dan's) - and his eyes harden. With a slow, deliberate motion of his hand, he releases the six-pack of beer he had only just placed down on the bench, and shoots an accusing glare - firstly at Dan, and then at Lex. And, just like that, the moment of animalistic, territorial ire... is gone. At least, on the surface. Understanding remains. "Nobody, Bub," he says flatly to Dan. "I'm on my way out." Alexandrine gets to her feet, sure she'll have a headache in no time. "Ah didn't know you were comin' over." She looks at Logan with a steady blue gaze. "This is Logan. He's one of the teachers at the school Ah'm gonna be startin' at. He pretty much helped me get the job." Blue eyes shoot over to Dan, and if he's smart, he'll know that he'll risk off pissed off redhead if he's a jerk. "Logan, ya just got here. There is no reason for ya to be headin' out, just because Dan has no manners, from time to time." Her chin is thrust out just a bit, lifted. She seems adamant there is no leaving, just because of an arrival. Dan is an old hand at angry redheads, and he immediately relaxes at that pointed look, lifting his eyebrows and offering a more polite sort of nod to Logan. "Dan Rourke," he says, offering a slightly guarded smile. "Sorry. I just got off work. Still a bit keyed up." It /sounds/ earnest enough, though there's a cold stab of worry beginning to eat at the back of his brain as he moves into the kitchen, setting the bag on the counter. "Alex is right," he calls. "Looks like you came to visit, and I smell cake. You should at least stick around for /that/." "Cake..." Logan repeats, still watching Dan - and Lex - with some... wariness. "Sure, why not." He casually pulls a bottle of beer out of the six-pack and tosses it toward Dan without ceremony - or prior warning. The second bottle he pulls out is placed on the table, and a nod is given to Lex. The third, he takes for himself - cracks it open and starts drinking. "So, what's 'work'?" he asks Dan pointedly. Well, immediate violence has been averted. Alex will consider that a point in her favor. She picks up her glass of bourbon to take a sip, watching the two of them. Oi, why was she attracted to the slightly rough around the edges ones, again? There's a lift of blue gaze to the ceiling, before she joins them in the kitchen. << You going to tell me what the heck is goin' on in your noggin, Logan? No need for you to leave. >> Dan catches the bottle almost negligently, snapping it neatly from the air and twisting the cap off. Looking at the label before lifting it to his lips, his eyebrows lift appreciatively. "Good beer," he says when he lowers the bottle, setting it on the counter. "You're a man with good taste." He goes back to unpacking the groceries, giving Alex a bright smile when she joins them. "I'm a security guard for the Plaza," he answers Logan with a lift of his shoulder. "Tonight. Some nights, I'm a bartender at Molly's Pub." Once the groceries are put away, he leans against the counter, reclaiming his beer. "You teach at Alex's school, huh? What's your field?" << Whaddya expect when Loverboy here, shows up and acts like I just pissed on his tree? >> Logan flicks the thought back at Lex with just a hint of venom, before his mood cools again and he lets out a visible sigh. << Girls go for the guy who turns up, >> he offers a moment later. << I get it. >> To Dan, he lifts his chin and crosses his arms over his chest - one hand still holding his half-empty beer bottle. "Art," he replies archly - cocked eyebrow and everything - although it's obviously a lie. He snorts in derision, and tosses the other man a rueful smirk. "And P.E. The physical stuff. So you're a Mall Cop - how's that treat ya?" He doesn't sit down, but leans slightly back against the bench, clearly keeping some small amount of distance between himself and the other two people in the room. <<It... it isn't like that. Not at /all/. Ah meant to just get to know him.. thought he was a mutant hater that could maybe get turned around... you can't say anything, but his little girl /is/ one of us. He asked me out on an actual date. Things.. happened. >> Alex is blushing, but she's not ashamed. << Ah.. we haven't like... slept together or anything. And it doesn't make me like /you/ any less, and christ that's confusing as heck to me, Ah've never... >> She blinks, a look at Logan. << Ah babble. Sorry. >> Her jaw tightens as the boys poke at each other, and she downs a goodish swallow of bourbon, and heads for the cake and frosting waiting to go on it to busy her hands. Dan offers a half-grin for the obvious lie, and a nod for the second answer. "I would have guessed phys. ed," he says. "Maybe not so much the art." He tips his beer to his lips, allowing the 'mall cop' to roll over him. He's heard worse /from/ worse. "It pays the bills,' he says, eyebrows twitching quixotically at Alex's sudden blush. He lets it go, though, taking another swallow before continuing. "And it keeps me and my kid in shoe leather, so I can't complain." His own body language is opening up; maybe it's the beer, loosening him up. Logan looks at Lex and motions with a hand at Dan - actually it's more of a 'jut', than a wave. "See? It's fine," he says as if HE were the one trying to calm everyone down, and not the red-headed telepath in the room. << You haven't slept with him, >> he adds mentally - giving Lex a rather obvious 'knowing' eyebrow-bump. << Ya probably done that 'mind-sex' thing with him though, right? >> He gives her a grin, despite the jibe in his thoughts. "We're good," he says out loud. "Bub 'n me can play nice, right?" A look is given sidelong toward Dan, right before Logan drains the last of his beer. He puts the bottle down on the bench and reaches for another one. "How long you had 'fridge-rights' in this place, Dan? I've been kinda busy - saving students from themselves, ya know. The usual." << NO! Good gawd! Hell afire, Logan! >> The redhead gives him a glare, even as cheeks heat further. << Ah kept bein' a mutant from him until... well, like a week ago or so. Ah.. Ah don't use my powers on him. Ah don't even talk to him like this. Ah don't want to freak him out. And.. well, him not bein' one, it didn't seem fair to listen in on him.>> There's a sort of shyness to her mental tone with that, as she's mixing the frosting up in the bowl with some food coloring, turning the soft white sugary stuff a pale green. "Fridge rights? All my friends have fridge rights in my place, they wanna bring stuff, or help themselves, Logan. Though ya figured that out." If Dan notices any eyebrow jumps, he keeps any response kept to a small tightening of his jaw as he takes another swallow. But he nods at Logan's assertion, waving back at the other man with his bottle. "I'm the nicest," he says, and his own grin is a little /too/ wide when he says it. "Logan seems all right. Reminds me of some of my buddies in the Army." This time, the tightening in his jaw is a clenching spasm, and something dark flickers through his face before he lifts his eyebrows and exhales. "Alex and I have been dating a couple of weeks," he says, cutting to the real question, and nodding at Alex as he leans over to attempt a finger-swipe at the frosting. "She's got that Southern hospitality thing going for her," he says with an affectionate grin at the redhead. "Door's always open, and all of that." Logan, at last, seems willing to relax - at least a little - and sits himself down in a chair, sipping on his beer and watching Dan. The mention of 'army buddies' catches his attention and he mouth-shrugs in guarded approval toward the other man. "Speakin' of 'Southern hospitality'," he remarks blandly. "Someone said something about cake. Don't tell me the cake's a lie - not now I'm actually hungry." Lex is given a wolfish half-smirk, followed by a low chortle. "Haven't seen ya 'round the school grounds much, Lexi," he muses aloud in the tone of one seeking an explanation. "Didja catch some o' the new students? We got some interestin'... additions a few days ago." He speaks to Alexandrine, alright, but his eyes are on Dan for some reason. There's a quick, worried glance Logan might catch, from the redhead towards Dan at the mention of Army buddies. There's a tension in her shoulders for a second, before she's smacking Dan's hand away from the frosting bowl by the wooden end of the spatula and an elbow up to shove at his upper arm. "Gawd, let me finish frostin' it, boys. Have a seat, and Ah'll cut ya each up a slab." There's warmth in her voice, humor. She may escape this mostly unscathed. And thennn... Logan calls her Lexi. She's not sure how that will go. "Been getting things arranged here, so everything is here okay if Ah'm not here every night of the week. Ah'm sure Ah'll meet the new students soon. << He doesn't know about the kids there, sugar. Ah wouldn't expose the school like that. >> Dan groans at the joke, even as he's jerking his hand back out of danger and laughing at Alex as she shoves him away. "Just because you said that, no cake for you," he says to Logan, wrinkling his nose. "Only beer." The endearment gets a deep furrow of his brow, but he says nothing, moving to sit at the table and kicking his legs out. "You gettin' excited about the new job, baby?" he asks, with only the /smallest/ emphasis on the last word. "I can drive you up, when you gotta report in and stuff." And a /smile/ for Logan. See? He can play nice. A tiny, disgruntled sigh escapes between Logan's lips - he'd been hoping to cause more of a stir with the couple of words dropped in his comments earlier. The notion of the school, though - that causes him to frown. << I'm not dumb enough to give anything away, 'baby'. >> "Kids..." he murmurs aloud. "Never thought I'd end up workin' with kids. Still - it's better than I coulda done. Lex is the real teacher. How'd you two meet?" "Of course Ah am. Just nervous, especially with teachin' dance here on the weekends and all. Wonderin' if Ah should just give it up altogether." Alex admits, a shrug as she starts getting down plates. "Ah can take the train. Ah know someone else who commutes up that way." There's a sharp look at Logan over Dan's head. << What do you expect, when you call me Lexi, and make him wonder if he has something to worry about from you? You're not exactly the kind to come across as less than an alpha male, Logan. >> "We met at a coffee shop." "Hey, kids are great," Dan says, lifting his beer in salute. "My family is /swimming/ in them. They're a lot of work, but they're worth it." He grins, and lifts a hand in acknowledgment of Alex's explanation. "We met at a coffee shop, then kept running into each other," he says. "So, I had to ask her out so I didn't look like a stalker or something." He chuckles, then turns to look at Alex. "You should stick with it,' he says. "The commute and shit's a bitch, but the job's too good to pass up." He lifts his eyebrows. "I can give your friend a lift, too." Then, back to Logan, like conversational tennis. "How'd you meet Alex? Since you got her the job, I'm guessing it wasn't at the new staff mixer." "Just got talkin'," is Logan's laconical reply to the latter question. "Found some things in common," he explains after a few seconds' pause. "'N the school needed a dance teacher. Just one o' those moments - seren-somethin', whatever." He grunts. Silence, while the grizzled man drinks more of his second beer. He swallows audibly, and smacks his lips. "Good beer - oh, uh... I got my own wheels." The man jerks his chin toward the door. "Bike. But thanks." "We met at a bar, not too unlike Molly's." Alex teases Dan, moving to set sizeable chunks of cake in front of both men. "Ah wasn't meanin' you, Logan. Ah don't think Dan meant you.. or maybe he did, Ah don't know." There's a shrug from the redhead. "But Ah can get me to and fro, so don't worry about it. Wouldn't want you havin' to drive like that, after an overnight shift, and passin' out asleep at the wheel, Dan." "It's good to have stuff in common." Dan't reply is as laconic as Logan's answer, and the look he gives the other man is pointed in its amiability. But then there's cake, and he's focusing on that, waving a fork at Alex. "There /are/ no bars like Molly's," he says, closing one eye in her direction. "Just wait until Frank sells it to me, and you see what I have planned for it." He stabs the cake, pulling off a big piece. "I might actually put good liquor in the bottles." Women's lib gets a roll of his eyes that lands on Logan as if to say 'chicks, man'. "Alex, I can stay up three days before I begin to falter," he says in a patient voice. "I think I can manage an hour drive upstate and back a couple times a week without becoming a statistic." Logan snorts. He might be snorting 'with' Dan, or 'at' Dan - and he probably leaves the distinction dubious on purpose. Up goes the bottle to his lips and he finishes it off in a few swigs. "I reckon--" His cellphone buzzes. "Aw, what now?" he grumbles and pulls the device out of his pocket. << Danger Room issue, >> he thinks, listening to whomever is on the other end of the connection. << Someone's fucked with the settings. Again. >> He listens for a few moments more, nodding a bit and finally grunts a reply of consent into the cell, and puts it away. "Can't get a break," he complains while standing to his feet. "I gotta head back to the school - I'm lookin' after the sport equipment; someone's messed with it--" he pauses. "Good... to meet you," he says to Dan, although his tone might suggest he isn't all that sure of the statement. There's no malice or anything in his demeanour at least. He bobs his eyebrows at Lex. "Be good. Have to have some cake later. I'll... see myself out." And with that he starts off toward the door, muttering curses under his breath about the general incompetence of 'the help' and the lack of cooperation the Universe seems to have for him, personally...