ArchivedLogs:Coincidence

Coincidence
Dramatis Personae Daniel Ketch, Flicker
In Absentia	2015-01-29 '
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. A pair of single-user bathrooms flanks the stairway in back of the cafe; at night, the thump of music can be heard from above, coming from the adjoining nightclub of the same name that sits up the stairs above the coffeehouse. It's a busy night at Evolve. Most of the tables are packed, a lot of bustle and noise -- the muffled thump of club music upstairs in the background underneath the sound of people chattering in the cafe down here. It's late, though, most of the crowd probably lingering after being here a while -- at least there's not much of a line at the actual counter. Which is good, because at the moment Flicker is taking up kind of a lot of the cashier's time. He's dressed in the crisp red and black of the Mendel Clinic guard uniform, a canvas jacket worn over his work clothes and a scarf draped around his neck. No gloves, though; the fact that one of the heavily scarred young man's hands is a prosthetic is easy to see. His order is clearly for significantly more people than just him. A half-dozen coffees, an entire box of pastries that he's hemming slightly about selecting, four different bowls of soup, three sandwiches. The young man behind the counter is patient with his lengthy order, at least. Daniel makes his way inside from the cold, the stink of cheap cigar smoke clinging to the man. He's not overly dressed for the snowy weather, a simple black leather jacket and gloves over a Lucky 13 t-shirt and slim fitting jeans. His hard gaze shifts over the various assembled people before he moves to join the line. He watches Flicker order, clearly trying to place a face. Once the order is finished, he shifts a bit and calls over, "Pardon me asking.. But I know you?" Flicker looks up, a reflexive blush darkening his face. It makes the mottled scars covering half his face stand out all the more glaringly, paler against the reddening skin. His smile is easy, though, bright. Warm. If a little puzzled. "Hm? Me?" His brows lift, eyes shifting. Looking for someone else Daniel might be talking to. He looks over Daniel again after this. "I -- don't think so? Do you? I'm here a lot?" "I haven't been here in a while. Might be it though." Daniel allows, dipping his head in a slight nod. "This is New York though.. See plenty of faces on a daily basis." He brings a hand up to brush against his beard before nodding towards the counter. "Ordering for the other security at the clinic?" Flicker extends a hand -- his left rather than the usual right, his prosthetic arm hanging by his side. "Flicker." The introduction comes with a quick clarification: "-- is me," as though he's /well/ used to people not really /interpreting/ this word as a name. "Yeah. Heading in to work soon. Not just the guards. But yeah. Third shifters -- usually glad for a pick-me-up." Daniel shifts a bit and takes the offered hand with a slight nod. "Daniel. You guys in need of any more guards? Don't really plan on ending up homeless again." He pauses a moment, clearly thinking. "Suppose I'd have to register before I apply." "I -- really have no idea." Flicker ducks his head a little apologetically. "I'm just a junior guard, I don't handle -- any of the staffing. Not sure if we're hiring in security or not." His brows furrow, slowly. "I don't -- /think/ they check if you're registered. It's certainly not a legal requirement. But I don't know? I know we have guards who aren't registered, but they've been working since before registration happened." He shrugs, glancing towards the counter as they start to set out his things. Box of pastries. Soups in containers. The drinks are still coming. "Homeless? You -- uh. Need somewhere to -- there's some shelters that won't turn us away. Well, one at least that I know of." "Nah, I got a bit of cash and can hold myself up right now. Digs ain't the fanciest, but they beat stayin' in that warehouse out near Cypress Hills." Daniel lifts his shoulders in a slight shrug. "Think that fella I met, Jax, works over there. Not sure if I'll run into him or his husband again.. But it'd be worth a shot askin' him if I did. Suppose if I hang around here enough, I'll at least run into Shane." "Oh, you know Jax." Flicker brightens with this, his tone lightening. Small-bounce on his toes. "Shane owns the place so, yeah. You'll see /him/. And if you want to see Jax you just have to watch the news enough." This is just a little wry. He leans back against the counter, one leg bouncing up and down kind of jittery. "But yeah at the Clinic he's sort of one of the bosses. Senior guard. It'd be the head of security you want to talk to, though." Tone here... juuust a little wry. "Ran into him at least once. Easy to remember a face that shows up in the news, or on a few sites." Daniel shifts where he's standing a bit, watching Flicker for a moment. "Kind of glad I don't have that kind of publicity though.. Only time I end up online is when the Rider does something publicly.. Kind of glad I have him in check now. Worst migraines were when I didn't let him have control every so often." He pauses when he realizes he's rambling, reaching up to rub at his neck. "Sorry, I get wordy when I don't have my smokes. Trying to cut back while I'm here. Easier paying four dollars a pack than ten. Anyway, yeah. I'll have to speak to them. If you run into them before I do, tell them Danny said hey. If they don't remember who I am, it's easier to explain that I'm the guy that exploded into a burning skeleton last Halloween." "The... rider?" Flicker's eyebrows lift. Confused. He snorts quietly at the cigarette talk though. "Yeeah my roommate's the same way. Take away his cancer sticks and his brain goes unhinged. -- I live with them. Probably will run into them." He doesn't seem /particularly/ phased by the burning skeleton statement. Just a little 'huh', a crooked twitch of lips. "Halloween? Around /here/?" He waves his hand around Evolve. "Sure that'll stand out?" "They didn't seem very surprised by it. So, likely another day in New York. But if Micah doesn't remember me, he might remember the motorcycle riding, flaming skeleton." Daniel shrugs a bit. "Actually.. The only person that seemed surprised by the skeleton was another smoker I met, Hive, I think it was. Sickly fella, let him bum one of my cigarettes." "Flaming skeleton on a /motorcycle'll/ certainly catch the eye." Flicker's grin returns again. Just for a second, then he's turning to thank the barista and pluck a folded-up cloth grocery bag from his coat pocket. Shake it out so he can stash his food inside. The drinks have their own caddy. "Well, we kind of see a lot of -- Hive?" His smile is fading slightly. Twitching a little crooked. He takes a half-step back. "Apologies, what did you say your name was? Where did you know Jax from?" Daniel raises an eyebrow. "I don't really know Jax. I may have met him once or twice. I know of him because I know Micah and Shane. Met B once. I think it was in Chinatown. Was there with Micah and Shane, after a trial. Think it was a trial." He brings a hand up to rub his jaw lightly. "My name's Daniel Ketch. But, Danny is fine. I really only know them in passing though. Mainly from us happening to be at the same place, they helped line me up with some jobs that helped hold me up until I ended up leaving again. So, rather grateful." "Oh. Okay. Okay." Flicker sucks his cheeks inward. Chews briefly at their insides. "Daniel Ketch," he echoes. "Yeah, they're. Good. Like that. With the helping. Hey, I should probably --" He hefts the drink-caddy in his hand. "Get to work. Before these get cold." He offers Daniel a quick smile. "Good luck with the job hunt, yeah?" "Don't run into people that know you're friends often, eh?" Daniel says with a slight raised brow. "And thanks. You or any of your friends need help, don't shy away from askin'. I'm either around here, or out near Clinton. Have a good one." He offers a quick, two-finger salute before turning towards the counter. "Just a coffee. Black, if you don't mind." "For a city this size, more often than you'd think." Flicker's voice is a little quieter. Little more wry. His chin tips up, and he lifts the caddy higher, kind of a return of the salute. One more smile is flashed towards the barista and then he turns and hurries off to work.