ArchivedLogs:Cooling off at the Cafe

Cooling off at the Cafe
Dramatis Personae Ash, Jack
In Absentia	2015-05-10 On a warm and lazy Sunday, Ash and Jack chat over iced coffees.
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 all okay. Just send me a text when you guys want to head back," Jack's speaking to someone over his shoulder as he steps into Evolve, waving as he goes. It's after lunch and Jack was out with a few of his fellow students but right now he's on his own as he enters the cafe. The invisible teen's in jeans and a zip up hoodie, perhaps overdressed for the weather. He pulls the hoodie off though, a bright red t-shirt on underneath. "Man...it is way too hot," Jack quietly complains as he moves away from the door and vaguely in the direction of the counter. The afternoon finds Ash hiding inside Evolve, to try to escape the heat. He's holed up in one of the corners with a book with a large glass of iced coffee. He is not exactly locked into the pages, constantly glancing up and around at the people that are entering and leaving the cafe, brows rising and lowering with each interesting individual who comes in, a small smile playing on his lips from time to time. He's reaching for his glass when Jack comes in and his brow furrows for a moment, looking out the door, too, when Jack speaks in that direction. He takes a sip from his coffee as he waits to see what the teen will do. Folding up his hoodie and hanging it over one unseen arm, Jack makes his way up to the counter. He orders an iced coffee of his own and turns to look for a place to sit after it arrives. Once he spots Ash, Jack smiles even if it is unseen. He shifts a little and tosses his hoodie over his shoulder before approaching the corner table. "Hey, Ash," he greets when he's close enough to not have to yell. "What're you reading?" "Hey, Jack," Ash gives alittle wave when he sets down his glass, turning his hand to gesture to a seat. "I'm reading Huck Finn. It's pretty nice, but I don't know. Maybe I've had too much coffee. Kind of hard to focus. Then again, I haven't really tried to sit and read a book since I was in school. And that was a long time ago." He wets his lips and raises his brows. "So, how have you been? Haven't seen you around in a while. School keeping you busy?" Jack sets his coffee down and drapes his sweatshirt over the back of the back of the chair he sits in. "How many coffees have you had?" he's curious. "It could just be the cafe too. I don't think I'd be able to focus on a book either unless I was already really into it," he admits. He takes a quick sip of his drink before answering. "It was. Studying for tests and homework and all that stuff," he says. "And there was some...trouble lately," he says more quietly. "I got hurt and was sticking around campus while I got better." "Umm. Two? I guess this is my third. I just don't want to go out, but also, the coffee is just really good. And the air conditioning," Ash brings up once more, shaking his head. "Can't pay for the stuff myself. After the winter, I just need to keep the bills as low as possible. Going to be spending a lot of time in here - or maybe a movie theater every so often. Those are nice." He closes the book and puts it down on the table. "It's good! I'm kind of into it. I just, I don't know, maybe watching people is slightly more of an imperative now." He sobers up a little when Jack speaks of being hurt, his brow smoothing out in concentration. "But... you're better now? Did you want to.. say what happened?" "Two or three does seem like it'd be enough to get someone a caffeine buzz," Jack remarks. "I'm liking the air conditioning too. Walking around all covered up when its this hot out is no fun," he says. "The heat bothers you a lot too?" he asks, remembering his conversation with Flicker the other day about mutations making the heat and cold worse for some mutants. "Do your bills get higher this time of year?" the invisible teen takes another sip of his drink as he listens. "Watching people can be pretty interesting. Used to do it a lot," he remarks quietly. He's quiet at the question but eventually lets out a breath. "I'm better now. But...did you hear about how Jax got arrested again recently?" he pauses. "It was before that. We got attacked by some...some woman shot us both with arrows." "Well, it's not really what I'm used to, yeah?" Ash offers up a small shrug, the conversation growing more distant after the revelation of Jack's injury. "I come from a pretty dry climate. Any time it got really hot around me, we'd just climb a mountain and get a little bit of relief in a different altitude. Plus, it doesn't get as humid. I'm saying things in the wrong order. I guess, this is all to say, I'd rather be outside than at home in this type of heat - and in air conditioning, when outside is too hot." He wets his lips again. "It was hard to miss - plus he's my neighbor. Arrows? Really?" "Wow, climbing a mountain?" Jack's smile isn't visible but he sounds impressed. "Sounds like a pretty extreme way to stay cool. Did you have to go really high?" he asks. There's a pause, Jack tapping his drink a little before he speaks again. "Yeah, arrows. I mean they started out with punches and kicks then one pulled a knife but...then Jax suddenly has an arrow in his chest. I looked up and got knocked on my ass...had an arrow sticking in my side..." he trails off, a hand-shaped impression appearing on his shirt where he presses a hand lightly to his side. "I'd be dead if Jax didn't drag me out of there." "Well, it's easier when you live on one," Again, Ash offers the comment in a distracted manner. "It depends. It's probably a thousand feet, maybe two before the temperatures start to drop. It's not as hard as you think." He reaches for his coffee and takes a very small sip as he listens to Jack's story, a frown starting to pull at his mouth. "You been taught to defend yourself yet?" "I'll take your word for it. Never even tried to climb a mountain before," Jack replies. He turns his cup a few times when that question comes, nodding. He realizes a second later how pointless the gesture was. "I'm taking the self defense course. And learning how to fight better. Got into more fights than I'd like back when I used to live...out there," he replies. "Just...it happened really fast. And the one girl attacked me from behind. Jax shielded me and we were going to go but...the arrows came out of nowhere and after I got hit I just...froze up." Ash says, "It's not like rock climbing, for the most part. A lot of it is just hiking up a hill that goes on forever." Ash folds his hands in his lap, listening intently, eyes shifting down to watch the cup turn. "It's not like normal fights, when you get seriously injured. You actually can go into shock if the injury is bad enough and your body just wants to curl up and not aggravate the wound. Turning the rush of adrenaline into more fighting - well. That takes experience. Experience you shouldn't have to get." He inhales deeply and frowns down at Jack's side. "But you're all healed up now?"" "Well, that sounds easier. Guess I could do it after all..." Jack trails off from that end of the conversation as well. His gaze turns down to his drink and the cup turns a few more times before finally picking it up to take a sip. "I couldn't even get my legs to listen to run until Jax was picking me up. Would've...I wish I could have done anything other than sit there," he sighs. Noticing where Ash is looking, Jack gives an unseen smile and tugs his t-shirt up to show the nothing underneath. "I'm okay. Got my stitches out a couple days ago." "Okay. Well, I ... You shouldn't feel bad about it. It really is a human physical reaction. Being able to do something while being seriously wounded is not ... Jack, you shouldn't have to..." Ash scowls and shakes his head. "Getting hurt is punishment enough. I... am - I'm just glad you survived." He reaches out for his glass and takes a drink, glancing away afterward. "The school is a good place for healing. I take people there sometimes." Jack lets his shirt drop back down into place and returns to holding onto his drink. He watches Ash as he listens to him though. "I...I'm just being stupid and beating myself up again. Trying to not do it," he says. "Thanks, Ash," Jack adds after a moment. "You do? To heal or just to go there?" "Not... necessarily stupid. It's just part of all of this. You have to deal with the fact that you weren't a hero. It's... not how we like to think about ourselves. I have had to be rescued before - carried away like a baby more than once. I guess, I just had to figure out that it didn't define me. It's okay not to be the hero." Ash gnaws on his lip as he studies Jack's .. well, the space where his head should be. "I mostly go there when there are people to heal. Had a friend who spent a long time there and I checked on him from time to time. He's all better now, so I haven't been up there in almost a year." "Any tips on figuring that out sooner?" Jack asks a little hopefully. "Glad I wasn't alone this time at least...even if I really wish Jax hadn't gotten hurt," he says, sleeve lifting as he rubs the back of his neck. He studies Ash's expression while the other chews his lip. The answer has him tilting his head to the side, t-shirt collar crumpling a little on that side. "I'm glad your friend is better," he says. "Maybe...if you ever visit again, we could...hang out sometime up there. Maybe in the town too?" "It's kind of something that you have to keep reminding yourself. I think you start to get used to the idea after a while, and that's maybe how you get better at it. You can also train, if it helps you." Ash leans forward as he reaches for his glass once more. "Maybe. I don't really get out there much. It might just be easier to hang out when you're here." Jack gives a little, thoughtful hum at that response. He finishes off his drink a moment later. "It does help," he replies slowly. "Well, with Summer coming up I can get out here more often," he replies. "Maybe we could...go see a movie sometime even," he adds a little awkwardly and a little nervously. Jack's about to say something else when there's a chime from his pocket. He jumps a little and checks his phone, letting out a faint sigh. "I have to get going. The others are ready to head back..." "Okay, we'll go see a movie some time." Ash smiles as the younger man checks his phone and nods. "Have a safe trip back, okay? I'll see you around." Jack nods, rising and reluctantly pulling his hoodie back on. "I'll do my best. See you around, and good luck beating the heat," he offers as he heads for the exit, smiling as he goes.