ArchivedLogs:Suspended Coffee

Suspended Coffee
Dramatis Personae Anole, Shane, Micah, Jack, Dai
In Absentia	25 January 2015 '
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 not yet dark when Anole comes creeping into Evolve, a little unsure, a little timid as he pokes his head inside. The rest of him is slower to follow, hanging back by the entryway to scan the cafe with bright green eyes. He's not... likely to /endear/ himself to most of the patrons, really; he doesn't just smell /homeless/, he smells like he just crawled out of a sewer. Possibly why he's hanging skittishly near the door, since certainly nobody's giving a second glance to his scaly green skin. He's dressed in ratty jeans, heavy boots, a lined denim jacket thrown on over an also-lined flannel sweatshirt, both of them filthy and kind of threadbare and worn open over a (new! not faded! ... still kind of dirty!) Pippin tee-shirt that reads 'Extraordinary' in spiraling text on the chest. He fidgets uncomfortably from one foot to the other as he looks around the shop. Pretty busy in the shop today, warmer weather and a distinct lack of promised snowstorm bringing a steady flow of pedestrians. Despite the bustle Shane /isn't/ working -- not that you can ever actually tell from his clothes, on-duty or off- he looks about the same. Pinstripe vest. Bow-tie. Slacks. Neatly ironed dress shirt. But just at this exact moment he's tucked into an armchair towards the back, /on/ the lap of a tallllll youth in dark grey trousers and knee-length green tunic-esque shirt; Daiki has an arm slung around Shane's waist, an easy smile on his face as he steals a sip of coffee from the smaller boy. It's a twitch of /nose/ moreso than a glance up that identifies Anole at the door, and Shane throws the lizardboy a briiight toothy grin, lifting a hand to wave, both greeting and invitation -- yo, come over. Micah has a delivery of assorted muffins in a Tupperware to drop off this evening, glad for the lack of snow making it easier to be out and about. He is dressed weekend-like under his coat and scarf and gloves: Firefly hoodie, charcoal tee on which a band of Minions is merrily stealing the TARDIS, patchy jeans, and boots. As he makes his way in the door, he tugs the hood down off of his mussed-mess of auburn hair. He doesn't really stop to survey his surroundings until after he's handed off the goods at the counter and obtained a /tall/ mug of chai with cashew-milk whipped cream on top. Might be he called ahead for this before leaving the Commons, considering how quickly it is in his chilled hands. When he turns, he spots the grouping of teens and waves, approaching with a broad smile. “Hey. I'm not interruptin', am I?” Wearing that bright white coat Billy gave him over some old jeans and simple zip-up hoodie, Jack's got his hood up and head down as he steps into Evolve. His hands are jammed in his pockets both to protect them from the cold and hide the fact that they're not there. His shoulders are a bit tense when he gets there but the tension drains away when he finally gets into the cafe. He looks around and lifts a sleeve to wave when he spots the other mutant teens. Anole brightens noticeably when he sees Shane there, a warm smile lighting his face. He scurries through the cafe towards the back, aaaalmost taking a seat but then frowning at the upholstered seats in the back of the cafe. He looks down at his own dirty clothes with a small frown, and remains standing, fidgeting again from one foot to the other. "Hey guys." His clawed hand lifts in a small wave. "I stopped by your house but B said you were. Well. Obviously you're here." He is still a little bouncy, restless, on his toes, when Micah comes over; the same smile is turned on the older man. "Oh. Hi. No. I don't think? Wait am /I/ interrupting?" Abruptly he moves from smiling to fretting, eyes wider, brow creasing. Off in the back of the cafe with his back still turned towards the door from heading over he doesn't yet notice Jack's wordless waving. "Nahhhh we're good. You're all good." Shane turns his head to give a small-quick /nip/ to Daiki's collarbone before sliding off the other boy's lap, wandering off to a table to drag one of the plain wooden chairs over. He thumps it down beside Anole. "There, dude, you can stink all over that instead of my upholstery. You hungry?" Daiki sits up when his lap is vacated, tipping his head in a small nod to the newcomers. "Anole. Micah-san." The warm charismatic pull of empathy he is always surrounded by is strong, today, a pleasant but rather heavy /tug/ of positive-affectionate feelings towards him. He leans forward to claim a cup of soup off the table, lifting it to the others. "I strongly recommend the curried-lentil-squash soup. It's basically perfect." Shane slumps himself back down onto the arm of Dai's chair rather than into the other boy's lap again, though one leg hooks lazily down over Daiki's. His chin jerks upward once more when Jack enters, a small twitch pulling at the corner of his mouth. "I don't know what anyone'd be interrupting anyway. Not exactly private here." One of his hands is stretching outward. Hooking grabby fingers towards Micah's chai. Gimme. "Hi, Anole! S'good t'see you, too." Micah takes a swallow from his mug before handing it over to Shane. "Oh, didn't mean that just /anybody/ bein' here'd likely be an interruption. Just that not /all/ teenagers enjoy parent-slash-teacher types 'round while they're tryin' t'relax. Tryin' t'make sure I'm not crowdin' is all." With that invitation, however, he settles into another chair at the table, slinging his outerwear and messenger bag across the back. "May hafta try some of that soup. Bring a few containers home, maybe. Sounds lovely." He settles a little more comfortably into the chair, now spotting Jack once he's turned around and returning the wave. "Y'all headin' up the school t'night or waitin' for the mornin'?" Jack heads up to the counter to order himself a coffee, seeking a nice warm beverage after walking in the cold. Once he's got the drink, he's on his way over to join the group. He's in a pretty good mood right now and his mood is only improving. "Hey," he greets when close enough, unbuttoning his coat. "I'm headed back tonight," he answers Micah's question with a light shrug. "Got nowhere else to be," he adds. "And it's supposed to snow. Pretty bad, so I figure getting back before any of that starts is a good idea." "Oh -- nn -- no," Anole demurs, head shaking slowly as he takes the non-upholstered chair rather thankfully. "I -- don't have. I'm not. I mean I can eat when I get back to school." He's pulling his chair a little closer to the table -- maaaybe quietly edging it just a little closer to Daiki's chair with the resituating, too. He pulls his feet up to sit in a crouch on the chair, one hand curled on the edge of the seat between his boots. "I forget you're a teacher," he admits to Micah with a small blush, a crooked smile. "I mean it's not like you're --" He stops mid-sentence, though, head turning to see who Shane is waving at. His head turns back towards the table quickly, his hand starting to leech black colour from the wood of the chair. "Oh, um." Now his lips have pressed together. "I -- have to. Be back. Before curfew. so." His shoulder lifts, falls, quickly. "Hi, Jack." Shane claims Micah's mug happily, not actually sipping from it, just swiping his finger through the cashew cream to steal a lick of it. /Two/ licks, really, though he offers the second one out to Daiki on a fingertip. "Oh yeah that shit's fantastic today." He rests the cup on his knee, waiting for Micah to settle into his chair before he returns the chai. "Fff, morning, like fuck I'm gonna spend more time in that shithole than I need to. Christ. 'sides Dai had mad fucking homework all weekend so he owes me hella sex when we get home tonight." /This/ response pulls a deep blush from the older teen, Daiki's head dipping as he coughs slightly on his current mouthful of soup. "... we do have. Plans." His eyes have screwed up juuust a little bit tighter. A /prolonged/ wince. His head tips after this, brows lifting to Anole. "Are you sure you wouldn't like food? It's a long ride back to Westchester. I'm sure we could --" Now /he/ breaks off, too, tipping a briefly puzzled glance up to Jack. "Hello. Have -- ah," he seems to answer his own question even before he begins it, blushing just a little deeper. "Good evening, Jack." Micah nods at Dai's response to Anole turning down the food. "If y'wanted some soup, sure we got y'covered, sugar. Don't worry 'bout that none." His eyebrows raise slightly at the lizardboy's incomplete sentence. "Not like I'm... Do I wanna know the rest of that statement?" The question is asked entirely with amusement, lips curled upwards, and no accusation. "Mmn, yeah. I tend t'forget about curfew a little since we kinda bring the twins in with us a lot. So it gets 'bout half-ignor...ed." The hitch in his word comes in time with a rising of blush in his cheeks at Shane's unfiltered honesty about his plans. Conveniently, there is now a huge mug of chai in his hands to put in front of his face. Mmm, chai. Jack frowns at Anole's reaction to him and his shoulders slump a bit as well. "Hi," he greets awkwardly. He watches Anole for a moment before looking down into his drink. "You're cooler than any teacher I had before...y'know," Jack offers towards Micah. The talk of food has Jack's stomach giving a little rumble and he takes a sip of his drink. Turning an unseen smile Daiki's way, Jack offers a hand...or rather an empty sleeve to shake. "Nice to meet you," he says. It can't be seen but Shane's honesty has him blushing as well and he quickly takes another swig of his drink. "I had a cooler teacher than you once, back home." Anole tells Micah this kind of /apologetically/. His cheeks are darkening, a deeper flush of green. "Oh -- oh." His eyes lift to Daiki, then Micah, quick and hopeful. "I mean, if you -- don't mind? I wouldn't mind some. Something. I did have breakfast," he admits this in a confessional tone, as though it might disqualify him for being eligible for dinner too? "-- That's Daiki," he adds to Jack. "He went to our school but now he's all collegey." "Not like you're hella fucking old like the Headmaster," Shane fills in glibly. "Not like you have a giant stick up your ass like Professor Summers? Not like you're a fucking jerkoff assface like -- okay, half the goddamn teachers there. Take your pick." He is /entirely/ unapologetic about adding: "But you're not the coolest teacher there, {sorry}." The last word drops into Japanese, briefly. He picks his coffee back up from the table, peering thoughtfully over it at Anole. "... uh, yeah. I'm sure people can. Spot you for. Y'know, just. Pick whatever dinner you want, dude." Daiki's smile curls upward -- warm and friendly and turned towards Jack, it only increases the friendly-magnetic pull of his mutation. He doesn't take Jack's hand, though, lifting his own apologetically when Jack extends a hand. He does bow, a polite small inclination of his head. "We've met. Not formally. I live with Shane and Micah-san. You, ah -- did some of my chores last month." This comes with another blush, a crooked curl of smile. "Aw, thanks," Micah offers in reply to Jack, the faint increase in his blush likely all but imperceptible given what was already there. "But y'ain't gotta apologise for havin' had better-cooler-whatever teachers. It ain't even m'day job. M'glad t'be in the runnin' an' glad there's a runnin' t'be had." He laughs outright at Shane's fill-in-the-blank. "Whoa, stop the presses! That's gotta be the first time Shane's said I'm /not/ ridiculously old." He frowns a little at the negative characterisation of half of Xavier's teaching staff but doesn't press the issue. Instead he just nods to Anole. "Totally good for dinner. Y'know how we are 'round here 'bout makin' sure folks're fed. An' you're not /just/ folks, neither." Jack doesn't seem bothered by the hand not being taken, used to it. He ends up rubbing the back of his neck at the mention of the chores though. "Oh, uh...sorry," he chuckles. "I just wanted to pay everyone back for letting me stay there instead of the alleys and stuff I was in," he says. He perks up as Anole explains things for him and then nods. "What're you studying at college?" he asks Daiki. Shane's assessment of the teachers gets Jack staring a moment and he tilts his head to the side. "So who is the coolest teacher there?" he's curious. "I um..." he pauses a moment and looks as uncomfortable as empty clothes can. "Could I get a little dinner too?" he asks sheepishly. "Professor Munroe," Anole answers immediately, glancing afterwards over to Shane, "But your dad is pretty close for -- I mean your /oth.../" He stops, blushing again, darting a quick look to Micah and then hanging his head. He rubs awkwardly at the back of his neck, eyes fixing on the floor. "Uh -- so... I... mgonnagetfood," he squeaks, sliding down off the chair to dart off towards the line. "Professor Wagner," Shane answers just as promptly as Anole does. "And /hell/ yeah my Pa is definitely like -- way up there for second most badass. Also the hottest." /He/ isn't apologetic about it, either. "Don't worry, Ba, you're ridiculously old, the Professor's just /ancient/." "Jax-san," is Daiki's reply to Jack. Quick, too; it seems everyone has had their minds made /up/ on the subject of Favourite Teachers long ago. "But Professor Munroe is a close second." He gives a quiet laugh at the question of what he's studying, head shaking. "Ah. I only graduated in the spring. Currently I am studying how to juggle my course load with a full-time job and whether they'll expel me if I register." He frowns, here. "... and whether they'll expel me if I do not. Are you enjoying Xavier's?" Shane glances up at Anole as he scurries off, gills fluttering briefly as he watches the other boy. "Mmm. Hmm. Hmm. -- Oh huh yeah I mean, right, sure --" He waves a hand towards Jack. "'course you can. Also. Uh." Though he seems too distracted to finish the end of this sentence, nudging Daiki's leg with his own and slipping into Japanese for a brief exchange with the other boy. Daiki's brows lift at whatever Shane has just asked him, a thoughtful hum in his throat before he replies. Also in Japanese. He sets his soup aside, leaning down to slip a tablet out of his bag and turn his attention to it. Micah nods simply at Jack's food request. "Yeah, sugar, don't worry 'bout it. Figure out what y'all want an' I'll swipe for you." His gesture of moving a credit card through a reader clarifies his meaning. He chuckles at Anole's discomfiture. "It's okay, sugar. I've long since comes t'terms with the fact that Jax is the cool dad. I'm the stodgy-practical," twitching his lips at input from Shane, he adds, "/old/ one. I do at least get some points with Spence for bein' the geeky one, too, so I guess it all works out in the end." He nods again. "An' it's hard t'argue with how flat-out /impressive/ Munroe an' Wagner are." At the sudden discussion in Japanese, Micah can't help but arch one curious brow. Jack smiles at the quick replies, amused with how close together they were. "All three are pretty awesome," he agrees. His unseen smile fades at the mention of registration and the risk of being expelled. "They're assholes if they expel you for either," Jack remarks. There's a nod to the question though. "I'm enjoying it more than I thought I would. I mean there are parts I'm not enjoying but for the most part, I'm glad I got convinced to go," he says. An unseen smile is sent Micah's way a moment later. "I really can't thank you enough," he says. As Anole scurries away, Jack watches and frowns. "I'll be right back too," he says, heading towards the line to get some food as well. "He /does/ have all the tattoos," Shane tells Micah with a small crooked smile slanted his dad's way, "I've seen at least three television shows that's totally shorthand for edgy." "Edgy?" Daiki looks puzzled at this descriptor applied to Jax. "I am not sure that's -- in many respects he's almost -- conservative." "Yeah, but. I'm pretty sure they'd put someone just like him in a Chick tract warning about how you'll burn in hell if you live an /alternative/ lifestyle. -- I think you earn nerd-points from B, too. Nerd." Shane shrugs, sliding back down off the arm of the chair onto Daiki's lap again to swipe at the tablet, this with a quiet murmur of Japanese again. "I do not see why you couldn't," this reply, this time, is in English. "Other cafes have used similar models, I think. You should bring it up with Aly, I'd be --" Daiki switches languages mid-sentence here, brow faintly furrowed. "Hmm." Shane's head tips back against his boyfriend's shoulder. He looks up at Micah, thoughtfully. Then over towards the line where Jack and Anole are. Back towards Micah. "How often do you get coffee here? How often do you get coffee here and you'd be /willing/ to get someone else's coffee while you're at it?" "I did tell 'im I'd let 'im put one on me if he designed it for me. He hasn't come up with one just yet." Micah just smiles at the nerd accusation, taking it more as a compliment. "Hm...several times a week, at least? An' often enough I /do/ end up gettin' for someone else while I'm here. What're y'all workin' on?" He stands, once the other two are done orderin'. "Hold that thought, I gotta go pay." It only takes a moment for him to swipe, add up some tip, and sign, before returning to the table. "Some kinda suspended coffee plan?" "I think he's busy researching what's good and nerdy enough. I mean if he's gonna ink you he's gotta do it /right/, right?" Shane settles back against Daiki, slipping back into quiet conversation once they're alone at the table. He drops back into English when Micah returns, dipping his head in a small nod. "I think something like that'd work better here than a lot of places? Because the community -- /is/ a community. I mean, moreso than at most coffee shops, right? So like you walk into a fucking Starbucks, people might not even know something like that exists, but here -- the kind of people who come into Evolve are more likely to be actually talking to each other. And the kind of people /we're/ all talking to are -- way more likely to seriously need it." "I can certainly think of a good number of us who would gladly participate. On both ends," Daiki agrees, resting his chin on Shane's shoulder. Anole is slow to creep back towards the table. Hands empty, still, his food is still being /made/. He doesn't take his seat again, just leans against the back of it, eyes darting between the others in curiously. "... participate? In what?" “I did reserve veto power, juuust in case,” Micah admits with a slip of a grin. “I think it's a good idea /anywhere/, but considerin'? Might be needed more here. Like I said, seems more often than not that I end up gettin' things for other folks here. An'...not ev'rybody's okay with askin' /or/ acceptin'. S'easier if it's just at the counter for you.” His hands cup around his chai, warming fingers as he takes another sip. He doesn't answer Anole since it's Shane's project to talk about if he wishes. Jack's a little slow to return to the table as well, only holding his half full coffee still. He stays on his feet as well, listening to everything said. When Micah brings up being not okay asking for help, Jack shifts a little awkwardly. "Bad habit," he murmurs. He's curious about the project too but since Anole already asked, Jack just waits to hear the answer. "Maybe he should just paint things on you. For a week or so. See how you like them," Shane suggests to Micah brightly. "-- um, participate in buying you food." "There's something very intimate about -- turning another person into art." Daiki's hand splays absently against Shane's vest, toying with a button. "With a tattoo needle or otherwise. -- Not just you," he assures Anole. "Socializing food, more like." "Maybe /you/ should paint on me," Shane decides just as brightly, turning his head to peck Daiki on the temple. "What's a bad habit?" He looks confused about this. Daiki has turned his head, too, to murmur something quietly into Shane's ear. His attempts at discretion don't get him very far, alas; whatever he's said it has Shane bouncing up to his feet with a brighter-toothier grin, stooping to scoop up their empty dishes while Dai gathers his things. "{Sorry}," in Vietnamese this time though he doesn't sound sorry at all, "y'all are fun and all but he's going to do sex to me now." This announcement has Daiki looking juuust a little bit pained. Tinybit. "Stop by more often, Anole. -- Jack. Good to -- formally. Meet you." For Micah, a smile, a small tip of head as Shane scoots off with the dishes. "I don't suppose we could get him a muzzle?" "Socializing food?" Anole sounds curious at this, head tilting as he rocks the chair he leans against back on its legs. His cheeks tint deeeep green again after this though. "Does he -- not -- ever --" He wrinkles his nose, shaking his head even as a very amused grin tips his lips upward. "Bye, Shane." Shyer: "Bye, Dai." The chair thumps down onto all its legs. "More like a gag probably? Shane's not the /bitey/ one. -- What would you /want/ a tattoo of?" He turns his eyes back to Micah with a sudden curiosity. “Hmm, that mightn't be a bad idea. I'll bring it up.” Micah nods along with the painting recommendation. “An' they're talkin' about startin' a suspension program. S'when y'buy a coffee or a sandwich or whatever, an' add another one t'your bill for someone t'claim later who can't pay for themselves. Makes sure there's somethin' there for 'em. All they have t'do is claim a suspended item.” He hides ruddier cheeks behind taking a sip from his chai again, though his own reply doesn't make the blushing any better. “What y'all keep in your toy box's your own business.” He chuckles a little at Anole. “No, he's got 'bout no filter. S'always like this. An' Shane's bitey /enough/.” The tattoo question earns a small nod. “I really don't know. It ain't somethin' that I ever...actually wanted t'do. It's less the doin' of it an' more...Jax doin' it. That's the thing now.” Jack shudders slightly at the mention of a tattoo needle. Needles still freak him out. "Being bad about asking for help," Jack answers Shane. "One of many I need to shake," he adds. He ends up blushing once more as Shane announces where he and Daiki are going. "Bye guys," he says, waving a sleeve. "And nice to officially meet you too," he nods to Dai. He ends up snickering at the talk of gags and muzzles, shaking his head. "The program sounds like a great idea though," he says. Tattoo talk gets Jack looking down at his hand thoughtfully. "I wonder if one would even show up on me...not that I'm too keen on finding out." Daiki slips his tablet into his messenger bag, standing and tugging his coat back on. He slings the bag over his shoulder, lips twitching faintly at Micah's reply and the tips of his ears burning redder. And redder still when Anole speaks. "-- Ah. I do already have a gag. Maybe that." He glances to Jack with a brief moment's curiosity at the tattoo talk, but doesn't offer input. "Goodnight." Just a bow of his head, a faint squeeze of Micah's hand in passing (it comes with a -- very /brief/, very /powerful/ surge of /want/ that thankfully fades as soon as he lets go) and heads out after Shane. "... huh." Anole looks intrigued by Micah's description of the program, a small smile touching his lips. "Yeah that sounds -- yeah." His brows pull together uncertainly as he looks back at Jack. "It doesn't seem like it's likely? Tattoo ink goes under your skin right? I mean your blood isn't showing." He turns his head as his order is called at the counter, perking slightly but then just shifting a little awkwardly. "That's. Me. I should probably. Go. Eat that. Food. Um." He is still a rather deeper green than his usual shade, rubbing briefly again at the back of his neck. "Thank you," he adds to Micah with a small smile. "For the dinner." “G'night,” Micah adds to the exiting Shane and soon-to-follow Dai. “You kids have fun.” He stares down at his hand for some time after the little squeeze from Dai. “Hm. Maybe I should get the rest of this chai t'go. An' grab some of those soups t'bring home, too. Y'all are more'n welcome, though. Have a good night, too, okay?” He gives a little wave to the other boys before moving to the counter for to-go cup and soups. "You're probably right," Jack replies to Anole after a moment of thinking about it. "Glad my blood's not showing. That'd just be...messed up," he shakes his head. He glances up when Anole's order gets called, knowing his won't be too much longer. He nods when he looks to Micah. "I'll try. You too, and thanks again for the food," he offers as Micah goes.