ArchivedLogs:Catty

Catty
Dramatis Personae Micah, Hive, Lucien
In Absentia	2 June 2014 Coffee shop discussions.
Location <NYC> Evolve Cafe - Lower East Side
Spacious and open, this coffeeshop has a somewhat industrial feel to it, grey resin floors below and exposed-beam ceilings that have been painted up in a dancing swirl of abstract whorls and starbursts, a riot of colour splashed against a white background. The walls alternate between brick and cheerfully lime-green painted wood that extends to the paneling beneath the brushed-steel countertops. There's an abundance of light, though rather than windows (which are scarce) it comes from plentiful hanging steel lamps. The walls here are home to plentiful artwork available for sale; though the roster of prints and paintings and drawings and photographs changes on a regular basis it has one thing in common -- all the artists displayed are mutants. The seating spaced around the room is spread out enough to keep the room from feeling cluttered. Black chairs, square black tables that mostly seat two or four though they're frequently pushed around and rearranged to make space for larger parties. In the back corner of the room is more comfortable seating, a few large black-corduroy sofas and armchairs with wide tables between them. There's a shelf of card and board games back here available for customers to sit and play. The chalkboard menus hanging behind the counter change frequently, always home to a wide variety of drinks (with an impressive roster of fair-trade coffees and teas largely featured) though their sandwiches and wraps and soups and snacks of the day change often. An often-changing variety of baked goods sit behind the display case at the counter halfway back in the room, and the opposite side of the counter holds a small selection of homemade ice creams. At night, the thump of music can be heard from above, coming from the adjoining nightclub of the same name that sits over the coffeehouse, accessible through a stairway in the back of the cafe. Micah has started to make a habit of stopping by Evolve daily if he's in the city lately. Today is a nice enough day for the walk from his parking spot in the waning sunlight and warm breeze. He is still dressed in work clothes, as is often the case before he makes it home on weekdays, TARDIS blue polo shirt and khakis with a bit of dried plaster on the right leg. Stepping through the door, he removes the olive green newsboy cap that kept some of the sun out of his eyes and stuffs it into the messenger bag at his hip. It takes him a few moments to work through the line and chat with the barista a bit before obtaining his spiced hot cocoa and large chocolate chip cookie. There's a faint nudge at Micah's mind. Just a small prod poking prickly-sharp up against it once the other man has obtained his cocoa. Hive is tucked into the back of the room today, in comfortable armchair, scooter parked nearby beside it. He's dressed in work clothes, too, heavy dirt-speckled workboots and plain white tee; he's had a lightweight denim shirt over top of this but has since removed it to crumple it on the seat behind him. At the moment he's focused, as he often is, in on his computer, eyes narrowed and his forefinger tapping restlessly at his mouse. Micah's sudden perk at the nudge that no one else is privy to is reminiscent of a puppy hearing a familiar car coming from a distance. He turns on his heel, regarding the room more closely than he did on his way in. A smile warms his face as he locates Hive's table and ambles over to it, setting his goodies in front of an empty chair. “Hey, hon. How are you?” He doesn't sit yet, rather leaning on the back of the chair. “Y'moved tables t'day! Need me t'snag you anythin'?” "Yeah. New place. Trying out a few spots, you know? Before I settle on a /favorite/ to stake my claim to." Hive minimizes the window of the design he is working on as Micah comes over, dropping his chin into his palm and squinting upward. "Fuck. If you're here that means it's evening, right? I guess Flicker will /probably/ kill me if I don't eat till /he/ gets off work. Do they have broccoli cheddar soup today? Or corn chowder?" He's also nudging his empty coffee mug -- and his wallet -- towards Micah. With a helpful mental reminder. Large. Black. Triple shot. Lucien is only just entering. Possibly just off work /himself/ -- at least he looks overdressed for coffee and /well/ glad to be inside in the air conditioning, dress shirt and tie and dove-grey suit though he's at least shed the jacket, slung over his arm as he saunters in. He examines the selection of baked goods behind he display case /very/ critically without actually yet /joining/ the line, brows raised afterwards in something like pleasant surprise. "Gotta lie in all the spots like a cat an' pick the best one. Got it," Micah assesses with a giggle. He gives Hive a fond little ruffle of his hair as he moves in to collect his empty mug, though the wallet doesn't come along for the ride. "Be right back." He slips into the line again, likely beating Lucien to it since he doesn't hesitate in the matter. When he looks back down from checking the soups of the day, he catches the other man's presence. His smile broadens again as he lifts a hand in greeting. "Hi, Luci. This your first foray since the official reopenin'?" "How else are you going to know if you don't test them all out?" Hive turns his attention back to his screen, scowling down at it at the ruffling of his hair. He registers Lucien's quiet mental presence more through /Micah/ noticing him than through Lucien himself; over in his back corner, his lips twitch slightly upward. << Speaking of cats, >> slices sharp into Micah's mind. Lucien has a distinct lack of fur or twitching tail and /yet/. When he glances up with a half-smile warming his features to slip into place behind Micah there is admittedly something rather feline about the light trail of his fingertips against the back of Micah's neck; a small idly possessive gesture like the brush of a tail-tip that comes with a fluttering shiver of warmth rippling pleasurably down the older man's spine. "Micah. Bonsoir. Ah, non, I was --" Though here he stops, presses his lips together briefly, reconsiders: "Oh but, yes, I suppose Jackson's party was not /official/ as yet was it? Things were --" He flutters his fingers towards the display counter. "Different. Your son assured me I would be fine here but I am always rather cautious -- he seems to have been conscientious, though." Micah gives Hive a mental eye roll that manages not to translate itself into a physical one. His lean into Lucien's touch becomes an answering shiver at the additional warmth. "Yep. Things weren't quite fully operational just yet at the party." He nods along at the sesame allergy talk. "He's quite good 'bout doin' things when he says he's gonna. If he said it'd be sesame-free here, I'm sure it is. How are you?" A bit distracted, he fails to step up at first as the line progresses. << Not sure he'd even be offended by the comparison, >> Hive answers Micah's eyeroll with quiet amusement. It comes with a mental image to match Lucien's touch, a sleek Siamese trailing its tail possessively along everything it passes. Claiming Micah as its own. Lucien's fingers press in just a little bit more firmly when Micah fails to move, steering the other man forward by this pressure at the back of the neck. "Enjoying the last quiet I'll have before /all/ the schools are through for the summer. Do your children have plans?" Hive's image earns a breath of almost-laughter, amusement curling his lips upward. Micah stands straighter at the nudge forward, a whisper of pink settling on his cheeks. He does move well before his turn is up and places the order for Hive's coffee and corn chowder. "Shane's here. B's got work over at Stark. Spence usually does a day camp. Sometimes the twins take summer classes, too. An' movin' into the Commons is gonna happen soon. Prob'ly some less workish things in there, but I don't think the fun stuff is on as /formal/ a plan." << Flicker says there's a whole committee. Just for making sure you guys have fun. Think he's been tapped to join. That's as formal as you can fucking -- fucking -- >> Hive's words fumble and trail off, eyes fixing a little uncertainly on his screen. "I haven't yet enrolled the little ones in anything. Sera and Gaetan," Lucien says this almost apologetically, "will likely want to do whatever Spencer is doing. -- Well. Possibly not so much with Jewish summer camp. Science camp, though --" He waits for Micah to pay before placing his own order -- milk oolong, tomato-basil-mozzarella pesto panini. "-- Rumour has it that the Commons is looking breathtaking, these days. When is the housewarming?" << Oh/gosh/, Shane's actually goin' through with that? >> One of Micah's eyebrows ticks upward with the silent thought as he pays and steps aside to wait for the order. "He did really like that last science camp. I'll forward you the details once things're rollin'. Sure he wouldn't mind the company." An emphatic nod answers the comment on the Commons. "It's /amazin'/. Folks are just startin' t'trickle in there, though. Don't know as any sorta dates for shindigs've been planned. I'll have t'ask Hive if anythin's bein' planned on a group basis." Raising a hand, he gestures to the telepath's table to indicate there isn't really a wait for that conversation. << With what? >> Hive's words come through a little bit muddled, and he slumps lower in his chair. He glances back up, though, with a slight pinkening around his ears at the talk of the Commons. For a moment there's almost a smile curled onto his lips, his posture straightening just slightly with a hint of pride. It doesn't last long, though, before he's back to just Slump. << /I'm/ definitely not planning any. Any -- any. Shit. Was I supposed to plan a. I figured getting you all houses was celebration enough. >> Lucien slips his credit card across, briefly distracted from the conversation by an idle exchange of pleasantries with the cashier. He steps aside, too, tucking his wallet back into his pocket and leaning up against the counter. His eyes follow the path of Micah's gesture, slipping over to Hive with a small surprised lift of brows. "Oh. He is /here/. I should perhaps congratulate him, too. That was quite a project. Especially to undertake with -- all the other things going on in life." << With the 'fun committee' thing, >> Micah explains simply. << You're not s'posed t'plan anythin'. Just figured you'd have the best idea of when things'd be ready an' when most folks're gonna be moved in. We can get a little group plannin' the party once we got a when. You get t'rest. >> When the soup and coffee appear on the counter, he moves up again to claim them. "He's takin' up residence here most of the time now. An' congratulations is always nice. S'kinda /crazy/ amazin'." << Oh. That. Yeah. He emailed Flicker yesterday. >> Hive is leaning back in his chair, hand lifting to rub at his temples. << When are /you/ all moving in? Think most everyone's due to be done by the end of next week. But the common house and workshop might not -- not be. Done till. Another -- >> He shakes his head again, eyes closing. Then opening again to look at Lucien. << Do you have any idea what sort of fun Shane is /planning/ for you? >> It takes a little bit longer before Lucien's sandwich and tea arrive, but then he claims them with a nod of thanks, heading back towards Hive's table. "-- You certainly /look/ like you have been putting in crazy-amazing amounts of work," he greets Hive dryly, eyes skipping over the telepath's bony form. "Congratulations. The pups have been raving to Desi about how astonishing your work is." It's just as dry when he adds, green eyes lingering on Hive's fingers where they press to his temples, "I'm glad you lived to see it finished." << Don't rightly know. Depends on when Jax is done with any kinda art projects as need doin' /before/ we move in. I been tryin' t'get 'im t'back away from his original vision. Which was t'mosaic tile the /entire/ buildin'. >> Micah follows along with Lucien to the table, placing Hive's food and drink in front of him before settling into his own seat to sip at his cocoa. << No. I'm trustin' that Flicker'll rein things in a bit. Hopefully. >> A slight cringe comes at Lucien's choice of words in his congratulations. "Oh shit. He'd do it, too. I kind of want to see it. You think he'd mosaic the common house for us? Something. -- Oh crap if I say ridiculous he'd /really/ go crazy wouldn't he." Hive's smile is a little wry. "Merci beaucoup," he says with a lift of his chin to Micah, dragging the cup of coffee closer but just warming his hands on it, for now. His smile thins noticeably at Lucien's congratulations, and he snorts, looking down into his cup. His, "Merci /bien/," is a good deal drier than his thanks to Micah. "Not /quite/ finished, though. You probably just jinxed it." "Mosaic --" Lucien's brows raise, eyes darting between the other two men. He sets his plate and cup down at the table but just rests his hands on the back of a seat, not actually sitting, himself. "I don't flatter myself to think my magic is quite so powerful. Jinxed it more or less, do you suppose, than putting off treatment all this while." His eyes lift briefly to the ceiling, fingers drumming against the back of the chair. He glances back to Micah with his following absent, "-- has Jax been feeling any better lately? Or the rest of his team? With that whole -- ability. Debacle." “Welcome, hon,” Micah answers before nibbling at his cookie. “It'd be one thing t'/see/ an' another entirely t'/live/ with. I've bargained him down t'one large mural per room with smaller accent designs for the rest. I'm sure he'd do up whatever you'll let 'im. S'more a matter of time than anythin'. Mosaics take /forever/.” Nodding at Lucien's question, he works on chewing and swallowing before speaking. “Seems like things're maybe gettin' back slowly? Jax's headaches're back. An' Joshua's sensin' folks as ability-havin' again. Figure it's just a matter of time 'til they're back t'normal.” "Yeah, but /I/ don't have to live in your house," Hive says with a thin slice of grin, "so I'll fully encourage any and all muraling inside it." His hand skims over the top of his head, eyes narrowing again up on Lucien. "Still be a while before we can find your brother, if that's what you're asking. We still don't even know /how/ the fuck we're going to --" His teeth grind, slowly. "It will be one year, this month." Lucien's tone is a little abstracted here, too. He tips his gaze back down to Hive, smile very /small/ and proper. "Of course. Though if you could keep me apprised of any progress on that front, I would be quite. Grateful." He lifts his plate again, fingers brushing lightly against Micah's shoulder before he picks up his mug too. "You and Jackson should come by. Soon. Especially if he's been having a rough time." Micah shoots Hive a /pained/ look at that grin. “Here I thought y'were my /friend/. Encouragin' what don't need no encouragement t'begin with.” He shakes his head slowly, taking comfort in the form of more cocoa. His hand moves over Lucien's when it brushes his shoulder, settling on the fabric of the dress shirt's cuff rather than touching skin uninvited. “Folks're doin' what they can, sugar. Any...recommendations y'have we'll hear, too. It's frustratin'. There's P.I.'s on findin' the place, meanwhile.” A small smile and larger blush come at the invitation. “Certainly. Let us know when y'got some time off.” Hive's teeth just grind again, a slow heavy creak of sound before he reaches for his soup spoon. He doesn't actually /lift/ it, just curls his unsteady fingers tight around it. "They are supposed to be having more fun this summer." His words come out through his teeth, the handle of his spoon tapping jitterily against the edge of his bowl. "We'll keep you in the loop. As soon as we /have/ a gorram loop." He finally manages to look back up to Micah with something like a smile. "I'm a supporter of the fucking /arts/." Lucien simply tips his head in a very small nod. "I will be in touch, then." Perhaps this is to Micah or perhaps it is to Hive; it's a little ambiguous as he carries his food and drink away to go claim himself a seat at the faaar other end of the cafe, slipping out his phone to absorb himself in email as he eats. "Oh." Micah's brow furrows at Hive's reaction and at Lucien's sudden departure. "Talk t'you soon, I hope." Once Lucien is away, he tilts his head, regarding Hive. "You okay? Was there a...what was all that?" Hive just looks at Micah rather /blankly/, at first, dull uncomprehending gaze staring almost past the other man before he refocuses to look /at/ him. "-- All what?" His head shakes as he closes his laptop with his free hand, pushing it back away from his soup. Out of /splatter/ range. Which is probably necessary, because his first attempt to eat a spoonful dribbles half the spoon back down onto the table before he makes it to his mouth. “Just seemed like a thing. With Lucien. I dunno, maybe I read it wrong. Things're hard t'read with him around, usually.” Micah gives a dismissive sort of shrug before drinking more cocoa. “You okay, hon? Anythin' I can do?” "The thing where we've known where his brother is for three months and aren't any closer to helping him?" Hive's brows lift, his teeth grinding again. "It's a thing." His spoon clatters back down into his bowl, palm lifting to press to his temple. "Especially when my clock's kind of running --" He shakes his head, one shoulder hitching up in a quick shrug. "And he doesn't really like me. So. A lot of -- thing. How's your cocoa?" “S'he givin' you a hard time 'bout that? 'Cause it's not like there's more we /can/ do.” << An' there's other facilities we /know/ where they are an' we haven't had a chance t'even get t'those yet. >> Micah breaks another piece off of his cookie, chewing quietly. “You ever gonna let anybody /do/ anythin' 'bout that?” he asks softly after Hive's aborted sentence. “S'good cocoa. Spicy. Want some?” The question comes with a slight lofting of the mug in Hive's direction. "Sure I will. Once we have Matt back. And Pennsylvania taken care of too. Then they can slice into my brain as much as I need." Hive shakes his head at the offered cocoa, not trying to lift his mug this time but slouching down to lower his head down to its rim and sip. "One of them we should be able to get if people are getting back into fighting form, at least. But Matt -- fuck. I hope someone has some kind of breakthrough on those chips soon." “Just...feels like it's always another thing. An' you're important, /too/. Is all.” Micah brings the mug to his lips since it's already up. “Maybe. Maybe everythin'll just roll into place now. Gotta hope.” He looks back to the telepath with a sad sort of half-smile. “Love you.”