ArchivedLogs:Occupational Karma

Occupational Karma
Dramatis Personae Melinda, Nivekh, Penny
In Absentia	2013-05-21 '
Location <NYC> Evolve Cafe - Lower East Side
Tucked down an alley, this out of the way coffeeshop is easy to miss if you don't know what you're looking for. Unassuming from the outside, its inside makes up for it -- spacious, with abundant seating and plenty of plush couches and cosy armchairs along the room's edges. The coffee is good, the prices are cheap, and there is a definitive alternative vibe to the room, from the music they play to the art that hangs on the walls. The real draw to this place, though, stems from its client base -- one of the very few businesses in the city that is welcoming to mutants, Evolve has become widely popular as a hangout with that crowd, and it is quite common to see them among clientele and employees both. 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. One would think that a coffee slinger would not necessarily choose to go out for more coffee when her shift is done, but that is exactly what one caffeine addicted Melinda Chylds is doing. She's unbuttoning the beige trenchcoat that is keeping the rain off of her magenta short sleeved blouse and gray pencil skirt as she pads in, feet wet and barely shod in a pair of orange flip flops. She heads over to the counter, sweeping her now damp hair into a bun at the back of her neck as she waits her turn to order. Instead of imbibing more coffee, she chooses a whole milk chai, with no water to soften the flavor, asking for a pot instead of a cup, to keep the glorious hot liquid flowing. Once her order has been placed, she moves over to the receiving line and waits for the beauteous substance to be delivered to her. The line is moving well tonight as most of the patrons are starting to head upstairs to the club above. A good sdistance from the upstairs exit, Nivekh sits, his grey body hunched over a cup of hot water. Seeing the woman in the trenchcoat enter, he pulls a slip of paper form under a leather scale and checks the brief description. Nodding to himself, he lifts hsi eyes and says barely audible "Melinda, I presume?" Penny waits until the door is opened by someone else before trying to slip in. She's very careful not to brush against anyone as she walks through, her fresh new backpack settled over the straps that always seem to cover her. The fact that she's allowed in such a place at all has her bouncing from foot to foot excitedly as she joins the queue for coffee and treats. Like watching a large child readying for a christmas present. Nivekh Nivekh is stout and solid. A full 6 feet of mass finds itself compacted into the hunched frame of a 5'4" body. The remains of his grey business suit are only visible on his front side, as the back of his body is covered in thick leathery plates (as that of an armadillo). His face is human aside from a monochromatic grey tone. His hair has fallen out, replaced with thin strips of leather that curve the length of his scalp from hair line to just below his ears. His voice is understandable, though reverberating deep and hollow. Melinda blinks when she is addressed and looks surprised at Nivekh, looking him over for a moment and then adopting a small, professional smile. "Um. Yes. Hello. Can I help you with something?" Her attention is partially diverted as she shuffles forward in the reception line, waiting to grab her tray when it is ready. She receives a medium sized stainless steel pot and a white ceramic glass. The line moves rather quickly for Penny and soon she is at the register. Natalie, the pierced and naturally purple haired barista looks up from her station and smiles at Penny curiously. The woman at the register speaks up. "What'll it be, Hun?" Nivekh waves a hand, gesturing her over. His voice while more confident lacks the strength his body implies. "The streets say you're the one to talk to about getting some work." Inhaling lightly, he soaks in the vapors of his water before taking a sip from the paper cup. Penny has trouble handling things with those talons. She actually has to shake her backpack off onto the counter so she can indicate the pocket a pre-paid cash card is in, and then she starts pointing out coffee pastries. Finally, she indicates the kind of capuccino she wants by pointing at the 'capp' portion of the menu, then holding up three talons to indicate her selection. Then she goes back to bouncing from foot to foot. She's acting like people today! Melinda collects her tray and makes her way over to Nivekh quietly, eyeing Penny as she passes, recognition inspiring a slightly warmer smile. It is brief, as Mel redirects her attention to the other man soon after. She keeps her tray in her hands as he explains his purpose in calling her over. "Oh. Work? What kind of work are you looking for? I have a lot more resources at the shelter, not with me per se." She rests her tray on the table Nivekh is sitting at but doesn't sit yet herself. The woman behind the register is a little confused as she is encouraged to take the card from Penny's bag, but she obliges, repeating back her selection before frowning at the drink selection. "Did you want three shots in one cappuccino, or did you want three cappuccinos?" It is a very pertinent question. "Um, One finger for one drink extra strong, or three fingers for three drinks." Any work really." His eyes fix on the coffee pot briefly. "Call it...seeking to balance some karma. Mostly, though I'd like to help other like me." Nivekh leans back at these last words, allowing the lights to reveal the finer details of his hide-armor. "I'm tired of just being a shadow." Penny frowns a little bit at the question and almost starts to drum her talons on the tabletop, but finally holds up one finger to indicate an extra strong drink. Then she leeeeans over the counter... and points at one of the tall stainless steel mixing cups. She follows this by tapping one of her own talons meaningfully. Sturdy container please? And then... she sees the lady who gave her soup. With a sort of insistent manner, she turns, right there in line, and effusively waves her hand at the woman. Well. At least she's energetic. Melinda considers for a moment. "Okay. Any work is good, but do you have any skills you have used before? Something you might be able to do again?" She shifts her weight as she continues to think. "Finding work as a physical mutant is difficult, as a good deal of employers have to deal with the stigma of both other employees and the customers they tend to service. I can put the word out to see if anyone has something that matches your sklls, but if you're looking for /volunteer/ work, I might have a couple options. There's a garden that I work on that grows food for the disadvantaged. I also work in a homeless shelter. It's not glorious work and half the time people well yell at you -- all of us -- just for existing, but it definitely fits the karma aspect." She does catch Penny's persistent waving and waves back, smiling. Penny's enthusiasm is contagious. The clerk looks over at Natalie and raises her brows as she relays the request as best as she understand it. "I think the girl here needs everything in metal, on account of her hands? We can lend her a milkshake cup as long as she promises to bring it back, right?" Natalie looks up from a column of steam she's producing at the espresso machine and laughs heartily. "Yeah, Sure. Just bring it back kid. Restaurant supply stores are a pain in the ass, as I generally go in and end up spending way too much and come out with way too many things." She turns back to making the triple espresso cappuccino Penny ordered. The woman at the register rings Penny up and then presents the card to slide it back in her backpack pocket. "Well, volunteer work is more my goal. I Don't think any employer would want me on their team, just because I stand out. The homeless shelter would probably be the best bet, as I've been on the streets most of my life. I'm sure I could be a big help there." He slugs the last of the water, letting is swirl from one cheek to the other before swallowing it in a gulp. Closing his eyes, he takes a deep breath, and for a moment his bodygives a visible shudder. Penny nods emphatically at the Clerk and even taps herself on the nose to let the girl she 'has it on the nose', then moves so the woman can put her card back and zip it up. She tries one of the few signs she can actually make with her talons: thank you. This done, she prances over to Melinda, having gotten a return wave, and, drawing closer, offers her a much more sedate wave. She points at Melinda, then mimics lifting a bowl to her mouth and drinking with her palms, then quirks her eyebrow. Translation: You're the one who gave me soup, right? Melinda considers for a moment, lips pursing. "Well, the shelter is in Chelsea." She slips her hand into her trench pocket and comes out with a dry business card, sliding it across the table toward Nivekh. "You're welcome to stop by some times. I'm generally there Wednesday through Friday nights, after work, but work there happens nearly twenty four hours a day. Residents can help out, if you need that too, but definitely let them know when you come that you're keenly interested in volunteering first and foremost and they'll put you to work. The shelter remains open to mutants, but I can't vouch for the population always being mutant friendly. It's against the rules to express bigotry, but people are people." She turns to Penny when she comes over, watching her movements with a patient smile, discerning her meaning quietly and carefully. "Yes, I was the one who gave you soup. I hope you enjoyed it. Did you stay that night?" She pauses and looks at the barista station. "Did you need me to help you carry your order?" Nivekh ofers a wry smile, flipping the card over and back again in one hand. "Thank you." The words seem to echo from behind him. Not wanting to take up any more of Melinda's time, he moves to stand form the table, wavers, and thunks back into the booth. "Still weak. Damn." Penny listen quietly until the woman addresses her, then smiles a little wider at the offer of help to carry the treats. She nods emphatically and turns to star bounding back to the station for her order... When Nivekh falls back into his booth. Looking curiously concerned, she clacks her talons together to get Nivekh's attention, then taps the leather-covered portion of her shoulder. Then she points at Nivekh's hand. An offer of help standing? Melinda is just about to turn away to go help Penny when Nivekh falters and sits back down. She looks concerned and turns back toward him, head tilting as she begins making a visual inspection of his person. "Are you okay? Do you need a doctor?" She moves a little closer, resting a hand on the table as she slowly begins to lower herself to his eye level, looking more closely at his face. Nivekh waves a hand lightly for both Melinda and Penny. "No,no. I'll be fine." He turns his gaze to Melinda, "Already saw one. I just sapped my energy pretty bad the other day and haven't regained my strength yet." Sucking in a breath before making another go at standing up. His arms waver, but with a grunt hNivekh manages to get to his feet. "Than kyou again." He flashes a smile to Penny. It was a pleasure meeting the both of you. Penny nods clicks her fingers together encouragingly as Nivekh gives his farewells, then waits for a moment before pointing at him. She makes eye contact with Melinda, and manages to contort her talons into the classic 'O K' sign. In other words, is he? She begins that foot-to-foot bouncing of hers again, only this time it takes on a more nervous texture. Melinda waves goodbye to the stranger with the thick leather armor before turning back to Penny, giving her a large shrug when she finishes asking. "I don't know, hun. I really don't know. But one thing you learn is that you can't help people that don't want help. Let's go get your food and sit down, okay?" She smiles at Penny before looking to the baristas holding the tray for her. Mel gives them a sheepish smile and hurries over, grabbing the tray and carrying it back to the table where Mel's tea is and sits down. "You need anything else?" Penny follows Mel all the way to the counter and back, clicking her talons together repeatedly, then points at the retreating Nivekh and spins a finger around her ear. Crazy? She shrugs though, and spears a pastry to shove in her mouth. The milkshake mixer is lifted in both hands carefully (though it still gets a little scatched up despite her care) and sips from it with a certain gusto. Once this has been taken care of, she declines further help with a shake of her head, then points at the woman with a lift of her eyebrows. "Nah, I was just going to sit and read." Melinda pulls a book from her coat pocket and puts it down on the table next to her tea pot, settling in and pouring herself a cup. "And no, I don't think he's crazy, but it's not actually something you can tell at a glance, nor am I professional who can judge such things." She shakes her head and finds her book mark, opening the pages. It's a book of plays from the Medieval time period. "Just because someone is different, it doesn't mean their mental faculties are not working properly. Time will tell, if he goes to the shelter or not." Penny frowns and, after looking around for an appropriate medium... and finally snips a piece of cardboard from one of her pastry's boxings. She scratches a word on it: ARMOR. Then she holds her hand palm up as if to ask 'why'. Having thus expressed her confusion, she now expresses curiosity by clacking her talons together repatedly, then pointing at the book of plays, eyebrows lifted. Curious indeed. She sips her cappuccino in a sort of slow, pleased, leisurely sort of manner. "I have no idea. The universe just keeps sending us different types of mutants with different types of bodies." Melinda smiles pleasantly, not fully engrossed in her book. Since Penny seems to keep wanting to communicate, she actually slips her bookmark back in and sets the book down, focusing on her tea instead. "I like theater. It's a place where people can act out different people's stories and get messages across for the entertainment of others. These plays are very old and focus mostly on religious themes, but some of them can be quite funny. The one I'm reading, they try to convince a family that their baby has been replaced with a goat because he is the next baby Jesus." She pauses and frowns. "I may not be interpreting it properly." Penny uses her talons next to her head mere moments later to indicate goat horns and lifts her eyebrows in gentle disbelieve. Then she points at the book in question and wiggles her talon in circles around her ear. Was the writer crazy? She certainly seems to think so, anyway. She mimics a pair of praying hands, reaches up, and brings her hands down to indicate something falling to earth, and then makes the 'goat horn' signal with her talons again: Goat sent by god? She scratches another word in her bit of cardboard: ACTOR, then points at the woman questioningly. Melinda snickers at the description and shakes her head. "OH, it's a metaphor for something, I'm sure, but I have to get to the end to figure out why the goat is sent from god. I think it might have something to do with how the husband or wife cheats on their spouse." She wrinkles her nose and shrugs again. "They are funny. There is usually a point, so in the end, I have to believe they aren't all that crazy, just incredibly silly to entertain." She straightens when she is pointed at and shrugs. "I did act, once upon a time. I was never good enough to compete in this town, so I changed occupations." Penny makes the 'goat' sign again, then scratches the word 'devil'. Then on further thought 'cuckhold horns'. For the moment, she has now run out of cardboard to manage. When informed about the woman's lack of an acting career, she waves her hands and makes an expression as if to suggest she could not believe the woman weren't good enough. Apparently giving soup to the homeless also inclines them to think one is some sort of superwoman. She points at the book, then gestures to her mouth as if she were shouting, then points at Melinda. Read something? Melinda nods and reopens the book, moving back to the beginning of the play in question and starting from the beginning, reading aloud to her new table companion.