ArchivedLogs:Being Here

Being Here
Dramatis Personae Jax, Micah
In Absentia	21 May 2015 '
Location <NYC> {Lighthaus} - Harbor Commons - Lower East Side
Bright and sunny-light, this house lives up to its name. With a plethora of enormous windows flooding the place with light and an open layout, the ground floor feels more spacious than it is. The small entryway has a closet space for shoes and coats, and doors at either side leading to the neighboring apartments. Past this it opens straight into the living room, a wide expanse of space bordered on one side by a curved set of stairs leading up (with colourful glass tiling on the risers between each stair) and next to these, the half-wall into the kitchen. Cool pale tile underfoot and many dark cabinets with a small walk-in pantry, plentiful custom granite countertops, black and speckled faintly with rainbowy flecks, lots of hanging space overhead for cookware, a large double-oven. There's a strip of rather detailed mosaic-work in the kitchen backsplash, colourful glass tiling depicting strange fantastical herbs and small faeries and firelizards darting among them. In back of the kitchen, a door opens up to a small sunroom, wide and two-stories high with a balcony overlook from the second floor; two of the windows here have cushioned windowseats, and there's a wealth of herbs growing in hanging pots and small window-boxes. The back wall of the living room is nearly entirely dominated by windows, huge and allowing a view of the river beyond with bench windowseats lining the sills. There are plentiful paintings on the wall, surreal and fantasy-inspired, mostly in shades of blacks greys with bright bursts of colour that are mirrored in the decor -- monochrome upholstery on the couch and armchair but colourful throw-pillows, black and white huge corduroy beanbags (and one large red doggie-bed,) soft throw rugs also in mostly black and white with splashes of rainbow woven in. The hand-built furniture -- tall chairs by the kitchen/living room counter, dining table and chairs in the kitchen, low coffeetable in the living room -- has been hand-painted as well, black with bursts of colourful abstract designs. Along the living room's other wall, doors branch off to a full bathroom -- in white and deep blue with one wall of the shower done in colourful intricate mosaic too, an underwater scene full of strange mythical water-creatures; tiny water-sprites have been interspersed at random points in the rest of the wall tiles, as well. There's a small studio space beside the bathroom, large windows as well and a gratuitous amount of shelving and cabinets along the walls; this room has very /little/ colour in it, just white walls and black furnishing. Jax has been -- mostly quiet, since returning from The Future. A fair amount of time spent at Geekhaus. An inordinate time more spent in his studio, save for emerging (a little reluctantly) yesterday for Flicker's graduation. No graduation /party/, though one was originally planned; its cancellation means there are a ridiculous amount of cookies and cupcakes still scattered around the adjoined homes here. He's been in his studio for a while, tonight, though now is slinking out again, largely because of Obie snuffle-whining at his door for a while. There's a small grimace at the wet weather outside before he heads towards the door -- starting to go to get the beagle's leash but ultimately just sliding down to sit in the doorway, letting the pup climb into his lap as he scruffs at Obie's head. Micah has been tucked away at his desk upstairs, continuing his seemingly endless toying with computer models of tentacles in the deep stages of development for the upper extremity prosthesis. He is dressed simply in a chocolate brown tee (on which a stegosaurus curses a T-rex for its 'sudden but inevitable betrayal') layered over a long-sleeved white shirt, patchy jeans, and socks with more colourful dinosaurs marching about on them. He has the look of someone who's been spending too much time staring at a computer screen, rubbing at his eyes with one hand and carrying an empty tea mug in the other. Seeing Jax sitting on the floor interrupts him on his way to the kitchen, diverting his path instead to the door. He tries to hide the concern in his features, but his brows still knit slightly. "You okay, honey? Anythin' I can get you?" he asks softly, moving to his husband's side. "It's really gross out," Jax answers, face mooshing down against the top of Obie's head. "I don't got a fur coat." His head turns up, eye flitting up towards Micah. "How's your work goin'?" “It is,” Micah agrees, nose crinkling. “Cold /and/ wet. Not fair when it's almost June.” He settles onto the floor next to Jax, mug beside him to free up his hands to pet at the back of the other man's neck. “I can take 'im out if you want. Or we can just let 'im run in the back yard for a little.” His hand slips down to Jax's back as he looks up. “Good, actually. We should be ready t'start tryin' out actual-physical prototypes soon. Havin' Taylor t'do the modellin' was a world of help jump-startin' the project.” "Prototypes -- oh! Oh. Right. Right, Flicker -- right." A blush spreads up Jax's cheeks. "I don't know if he wants to go out or not. I think he wants attention." He sounds a little uncertain, though. Still scritching at the beagle's head. "Can he use the new -- arm if he still ain't managed the one he got? I don't know how this works." "There's still a lotta steps 'fore we go hookin' anythin' onto a person. There'll prob'ly be /several/ prototypes 'fore then. We gotta get it workin' well with a computer first, an' then make sure it's safe for human testin'. Wanna control as much as possible for adverse effects," Micah reports, petting at Jax's back as Jax pets the pup. "I should hope in the interval he could take t'the current one. We really oughtta arrange a meet with me an' his doc an' his therapy team with 'im t'figure why this'n's givin' 'im trouble. Might be some adjustments can be made t'the prosthesis or the therapy approaches that'll help. The plan's been t'base the interface for this'n on the one he's got so's he'd only need the one surgery. So the basics of operation'll be the same. Just with a different...end product." He looks down at Obie, assessing. "Looks like he's good with the scritchins for now, at least." "I should have asked. Future-him. How they got it workin'. I jus' forgot --" Jax frowns, muscles tense as a small shiver runs through him. "Shoulda asked." He huffs out a breath, releasing Obie to nudge the beagle back onto the floor (where he promptly flops over for belly rubs.) "I mean it'll be rough if he moves t'Seattle without --" His head shakes. "... did you have dinner?" Micah's arm wraps around Jax at the shiver, more of a hug with a petting of his opposite arm. "Y'all had a lot on your minds. Don't know if /I'd/ even've thought t'ask were I there for more than remote-sightin' future me on just the raid part." That gives /him/ a little shudder, too. "We'll figure it out, sugar. It's tough adjustin' to a new model of prosthesis entire. 'Specially when you're tryin' t'graduate an' dealin' with...alla this /stuff/, meanwhile. Can maybe work more intensively now as he might have a little more time t'do it in." The question earns a sheepish look, Micah chewing at his lip a bit. "I had tea an' cookies an' kinda got absorbed in work. Usually better 'bout timin' food, but when Spence goes for dinner with friends..." "Yeah. Maybe. Yeah." Jax's brow furrows, small and then deeper at the food answer. "That's -- /like/ a food, right? If you're a hummingbird." He pulls away, wriggling up to his feet to pad towards the kitchen. "I can throw somethin' together. Not sure what we got by way of veggies around." "It's certainly food-ish," Micah answers with a lopsided grin. Obie follows Jax into the kitchen since the pettings abruptly stop. Micah completes the parade into the kitchen, leaning against a counter and reaching down to rub at Obie's ears and keep the pup occupied. "Mmn...peppers an' mushrooms, at least, for sure. Always some potatoes an' onions loungin' about. Don't remember how much of what else's left." "I can work with that." Jax is kind of slow as he moves around the kitchen. Plucking up vegetables, getting a cutting board, getting a knife. Sticking a pan on the stove. He falls into silence during this, quiet and kind of methodical as he starts to slice vegetables. "Let me know if I'm more use distractin' Obie or helpin' with cookin'," Micah offers, despite how clear Obie's opinion on the matter is as he leeeeeans against the redhead's leg. He is quiet for a few beats, drawing in a deep breath before addressing the next issue. "Since all this...dream stuff. Seems to've done what it was meant to. I been thinkin' maybe we could ask the Professor t'see if he'd be able to...get through t'Hive. What with 'is ability an' knowin' whatever that device was Hive tangled with." "No, you're -- fine. Where y'are." Then more silence. A small shiver of shadow curling around Jax's arms as he chops, though it fades away soon. "Device?" he finally says. "Huh?" His head shakes, eye flicking up towards Micah. "I mean -- yeah. Maybe. Could do. Luci an' Matt managed it once afore." Micah shifts toward Jax slightly at that shadow appearing, but holds back when it fades. “He an' Flicker went t'the school. Hive used some...psychic /thing/ that Doctor Strange tipped 'im off to. Cerebro? That's when...when he came back like he is now. An' it got t'where folks was goin' /into/ the dreams. You'd think if anyone knows how to...get through...it'd be the Professor. Maybe with Luci an' Matt, /too/. If comin' back's what Hive wants.” His teeth find his lower lip again, tugging at it. “I'm not sure what else t'do. Volunteered t'help sort through the massive amount of data that Dusk an' B brought back.” "I know he done. Cerebro jus' amplifies his powers, that's all. I don't know what it's got t'do with --" Jax shrugs, setting his knife down to raid the fridge again. A block of tofu, this time. His jaw clenches hard, the flicker of shadow returning as he flicks the stove on. “Didn't know if it maybe had an off switch. Reverse mode. Some way of... I'm shootin' in the dark a little. Just figured it can't hurt t'ask.” Micah frowns at the returning shadows. “Apologies, sugar. I can not talk 'bout it. I just... Ev'rybody's been through so much with this...” "It don't -- really work like that." The shadows coil darker around Jax's arms. "Everyone's always been through so much. Don't see as this is much different than the -- entire rest'a our lives." Micah leaves Obie flopped on the kitchen floor to come up behind Jax, giving a little half-hug intended not to get in the way of the task in front of his husband. “Apologies... Honey, I know. I just. Been tryin' t'do whatever I can. T'help.” Jax squirms, tensing at first and then shifting slightly forward, away from the hug though with the stove and counter in front of him there is not really anywhere to escape /to/. "I know," he replies quietly. "Jus'. Don't think -- don't know --" He trails off, sliding onions into the pan to start sauteeing. “Apologies, hon. I won't talk about it no more.” Micah's eyes press closed as he steps back. “Did I...do somethin' I'm not aware of? I just. Ev'ryone's kinda been pullin' away from me lately.” "No." Jax's voice is quiet. The dark shadows still curl around him. "Think there's jus' been a lot on some folks's minds." “Okay. I just...want t'help be there for people. That's all. An' it's been more'n more... If I wanna know what's goin' on with the pups, I'm better off askin' Flicker anymore. /Big/ things, y'know?” Micah leans back against the counter for lack of an...anything to do with himself. “I /love/ you all. An' I'm /here/.” "Okay." Still quiet. The shadows fade away from Jax's arms, though his muscles are still clenched tight. "Only but I don't feel like /I/ am." “Oh, honey...” Micah moves toward Jax again, but only a step before he catches himself. “What can I do? What exactly d'you mean?” Jax shakes his head, adding spices to the pan before tipping the rest of the contents of his cutting board into it. "I don't know. I don't think there's nothin' to do." He frowns at his pan. "Eat dinner, I guess. Once scramble is ready." Micah simply nods at that. “Alright, sugar. Just...let me know. If y'need just hugs or someone t'listen or...somethin' more. 'Cause you are here for me. I wanna make sure I'm here for you, too.”