ArchivedLogs:Almost Dinner

Almost Dinner
Dramatis Personae Micah, Jax, Joshua, Horus	2 January 2015 '
Location <NYC> {Lighthaus} - Harbor Commons - Lower East Side
Bright and sunny-light, this house lives up to its name. With a plethora of enormous windows flooding the place with light and an open layout, the ground floor feels more spacious than it is. The small entryway has a closet space for shoes and coats, and doors at either side leading to the neighboring apartments. Past this it opens straight into the living room, a wide expanse of space bordered on one side by a curved set of stairs leading up (with colourful glass tiling on the risers between each stair) and next to these, the half-wall into the kitchen. Cool pale tile underfoot and many dark cabinets with a small walk-in pantry, plentiful custom granite countertops, black and speckled faintly with rainbowy flecks, lots of hanging space overhead for cookware, a large double-oven. There's a strip of rather detailed mosaic-work in the kitchen backsplash, colourful glass tiling depicting strange fantastical herbs and small faeries and firelizards darting among them. In back of the kitchen, a door opens up to a small sunroom, wide and two-stories high with a balcony overlook from the second floor; two of the windows here have cushioned windowseats, and there's a wealth of herbs growing in hanging pots and small window-boxes. The back wall of the living room is nearly entirely dominated by windows, huge and allowing a view of the river beyond with bench windowseats lining the sills. There are plentiful paintings on the wall, surreal and fantasy-inspired, mostly in shades of blacks greys with bright bursts of colour that are mirrored in the decor -- monochrome upholstery on the couch and armchair but colourful throw-pillows, black and white huge corduroy beanbags (and one large red doggie-bed,) soft throw rugs also in mostly black and white with splashes of rainbow woven in. The hand-built furniture -- tall chairs by the kitchen/living room counter, dining table and chairs in the kitchen, low coffeetable in the living room -- has been hand-painted as well, black with bursts of colourful abstract designs. Along the living room's other wall, doors branch off to a full bathroom -- in white and deep blue with one wall of the shower done in colourful intricate mosaic too, an underwater scene full of strange mythical water-creatures; tiny water-sprites have been interspersed at random points in the rest of the wall tiles, as well. There's a small studio space beside the bathroom, large windows as well and a gratuitous amount of shelving and cabinets along the walls; this room has very /little/ colour in it, just white walls and black furnishing. Despite the day being a little warmer /relatively/ than it has the past few, it is still Winter. Micah has only recently emerged from a very-hot shower and dressed accordingly to keep up the Warm: Batsignal hoodie over sky blue henley and Doctor Hooves tee, lined jeans, and soot sprite slippers. His auburn hair is still a little spiky-damp. Curled up in the corner of the couch, he is well armed with a mug of spicy cocoa and a bag of knitting that he hasn't gotten around to opening yet. So far, curling his fingers around the green gradient earthenware mug to steal its precious heat seems to be occupying him well enough. In the kitchen, Jax is just dishing out a second mug of cocoa, pouring it carefully from the saucepan where where he mixed it up. He sets the mug aside, humming quietly to himself as he returns to dinner prep. Spicing a pot of black beans that will eventually turn into stew, after quite a lot of cooking. He's dressed casually after work, magenta-and-black pixie-cut skirt over black leggings, thick scrunchy black-and-purple legwarmers, a soft v-neck black sweater over a magenta tee beneath. Hair in brilliant shades of purple and lime streaked through its black. Tiny metallic dragonflies flit about him as he works, in time with the soundtrack for /Matilda: the Musical/ playing quietly from his laptop. Nearby on the floor, Obie is nosing curiously at one of a set of brightly coloured Tribbles that is poking right /back/ at the beagle. Knock-knock-knock. Joshua hasn't announced himself. He's just here -- /more/ than a little exhausted-looking. Kind of haggard, more than a little shadowed around the (slightly reddened) eyes. He's casual, too. Off-duty in jeans and boots and ribbed grey-on-grey sweatshirt. Not really dressed for the weather, but it's a short walk from his house. An even shorter /jump/. Oh, knocking! That's enough to get Micah to settle his mug down on a coaster, finally, disentangling himself from couch and blankets and knitting bag to lope over to the door. He actually makes it there faster than Obie since he is so distracted by Tribbles. A quick peek through the peephole later has the door flung open, hands waving Joshua inside. “Hi, sugar! Good t'see you. Jax is just puttin' dinner t'gether if y'wanted t'join us.” There is a hug that pulls Joshua inward a little, only further encouraging him inside. Once Obie catches up, he pushes himself into the mix, between Micah's legs and Joshua's, generally becoming a tripping hazard. “Obie...” Micah finds a stray Tribble and /rolls/ it back at the others to send the dog skittering off once more. "Ohgosh who's there?" Jax tips up onto his toes, leaning over the counter to peek towards the door. "Oh! Joshua hi! D'you want cocoa? I spiced it up, um -- spice... ily." His cheeks flush a little bit as he bops back down. "You aright, honey-honey, y'look a little beat. Could add a shot'a espresso t'your cocoa if y'want." Joshua leans into the hug, returning it brief and one-armed. He stoops to scruff at the top of Obie's head before the beagle darts off, staying crouched afterwards to shed his boots. "Oh -- hey. Yeah. That'd be awesome. Cocoa. Coffee. Both, either." He stands, padding further into the room in socked feet, stopping to lean against the counter. "Maybe -- drank too much after I finally got off shift yesterday," he admits with a wry twitch of smile. "And --" He shrugs, watching the dog chase after the tribble. "You guys been alright?" "Those things are the /best/ dog toys. It's like gettin' 'im puppies t'play with without havin' t'actually /get/ 'im puppies. They even bite back when they play-wrestle." Micah pushes the door to and locks it behind Joshua. "S'amazin' cocoa. I was just startin' t'sip on a bit m'self. So's all warm still." He chuckles a little at Joshua's talk of drinking. "Well, s'New Year's, right? People usually go a bit overboard, parties or not. Been doin' pretty okay. Took off work since Wednesday since there weren't no clinics t'staff an' not a lotta patients wantin' appointments. School's on break. Been putterin' 'round the Commons, mostly, m'self." His head tilts a little at that 'and', though. "You been alright?" "/I/ like cuddlin' on 'em too they're pretty --" Jax stops with another blush, adding a can of diced tomatoes to his beans. Some tamari. "... I guess I'm sorta puppyish maybe that's just why." He turns aside to get a shot of espresso brewing. "Been enjoyin' break, yeah. Tended bar at Evolve on New Year's Eve, /that/ was -- a party." The dragonflies around him are fading out as he looks back to Joshua. "Though if you're nursin' a /hangover/, feel like I should supply you with some juice instead." "Some of them turned up in our house." Joshua is still watching the tribble and Obie, though after a moment he shakes his head and looks back up at the others. "I was on my truck all through the night but /yesterday/ finally got over to Geekhaus for -- well, it wasn't exactly a party. Still too much booze." He holds up forefinger and thumb, very close together. "Small hangover. I'll take the coffee though." His eyes drop to the counter, fingers drumming briefly against it; for a brief moment, light and gentle, his mind brushes hesitantly up against the other men's. "Are you guys -- I'm not interrupting, am I? I didn't. Call or anything." "Oh, don't get me wrong. /I/ like 'em, too. They're just /also/ perfect dog toys." Micah giggles a little at this assertion, watching Obie as he /rolls/ through the pile of Tribbles in doggy glee. "Could do juice /also/ rather'n /'stead of/. Also, food. Ain't interruptin' nothin', sugar. I was just gonna knit 'til dinner was ready. Then we're gonna food. Which y'could also do. Speakin' of which, I /do/ still owe you a dinner. Just lemme know when y'wanna go." Micah doesn't resist the mental brushing at all, just nudging back into it like a cat responding to a hand near its head. "Sure ain't interruptin' nothin', honey-honey. Once I'm done seasoning 'em these beans jus' gotta sit here for an hour anyway." Jax tips a little bit of the cocoa back into the saucepan, setting the mug under the espresso machine to add the shot straight in. /His/ mind, in contrast, pulls back in on itself at the touch, steeling up with a /brighter/ flare of its already too-bright tones. Vivid-glaring splashed starburst-loud over the surface of his thoughts, temporarily obscuring whatever lies beneath. "Wait, you was at Geekhaus? That's -- but they been -- I mean, Hive been -- d'you know how's he doin'? He kinda -- not been lettin' nobody /in/ much." His blush returns, head shaking briefly. "'pologies, sugar. What's it on your mind?" Joshua is quiet at first. Watching /intently/ the preparation of Hot Beverage. /Flinching/ at the brighter flare from Jax's mind. Staying silent until it is actually in his hands. "Oh -- oh. Yeah. I was there. Hive's." He shrugs a shoulder, looking at his drink. "Cranky." He finally takes a seat at the counter stool, drawing in a deep breath. "It's just. You've been fighting for -- kind of a long time, yeah? I mean. With the X-Men. Prometheus. All --" He stops, frowning at a buzz in his pocket, pulling out his phone to check it. "... that. Superhero. Stuff." Is finished both quieter and a lot more wry. Though Micah had managed to resist /asking/ after Hive himself, he isn't able to keep from perking up about the ears when Jax asks for him. “Cranky is still /present/. An' Hive-like,” he observes, stepping away briefly to retrieve his own mug of cocoa. Unaware of what's going on inside Jax's head, he assumes Joshua's wincing has to do with the hangover. He makes his movements a little quieter as he takes a seat next to Joshua, his voice a little softer when he speaks. Though there is less speaking, just now, that question clearly directed more toward Jax. Jax returns to his pot after sliding the mug to Joshua, teeth clicking against his lipring as he adds seasonings to it. There's a faint furrowing in his brow, his head dipping in acknowledgment of the answer about Hive. "... good. M'just. Glad he's been havin' /some/ company at least." And then quiet, too, to listen to Joshua's question. "I -- guess? I don't know. Feels like a lot longer'n it prob'ly has been, I ain't that old. I guess -- since I was 'bout seventeen." "Some level of present, anyway." That answer is a little more gruff. Joshua answers his text first, takes a small sip of cocoa next. Then another. Careful and hesitant for the heat, but clearly quite eager to /have/ the beverage. "But -- why. I mean I get how people get started in all this, I just -- what makes you /keep/..." He trails off, eyebrows hiking up. Up up up, as his phone continues to buzz. "... uh." His brows are now pulling back in. Together, slowly. "Is Horus, um --" But this trails off too, thumb swiping against the screen of his phone. “S'been folks over there,” Micah reassures softly. “Flicker an' Isra, usually. An' Joshua, sounds like, now. Just...mostly only the ones livin' there.” He does poke in from time to time to talk to Flicker and Isra, after all. Though his visits are limited to the main floor. He just nods at Joshua's clarification. Then starts to break out a worry-face at the rest of it. “Is somethin' wrong. S'Horus okay?” He /might/ be peeking at the phone just a little. "Makes me?" Jax frowns at the question, giving his head a small shake. "Nothin' makes me, nobody --" Though in direct contradiction to this his next words are: "I have to." He shrugs, stirring at his pot and setting the lid atop it. He turns the flame up to high to let it boil, getting another mug out after to tip the last dregs of cocoa into it. "Everythin' terrible goin' on an' /knowin'/ about it an' -- with what I can /do/ how could I... I mean, I'd want t'be an activist nohow but some reason God seen fit t'give me all this power, how could I not --" He breaks off here, too, frowning as well. Though from his side of the counter he can't sneak peeks at the phone. "... s'wrong with Horus?" Something tightens in Joshua's jaw at Jax's answer, his already drawn face getting just a shade more weary. "There is a whole lot of terrible," he agrees, very softly. "I -- don't know, he's freaking out, he. Says he broke the egg." (Horus --> Joshua): I think I did a bad. (Joshua --> Horus): A bad? What's up? (Horus --> Joshua): I might have (Horus --> Joshua): Ruined this help (Horus --> Joshua): Also Ryan says real babies don't even come from eggs (Joshua --> Horus): What? (Joshua --> Horus): You know human babies come from eggs too, right? (Joshua --> Horus): They just stay inside the people. (Horus --> Joshua): I don't know if I was an egg ever (Horus --> Joshua): I might have come from an egg maybe I was never real (Joshua --> Horus): You're very real. (Joshua --> Horus): Egg or not egg. (Joshua --> Horus): Dude what's going on. (Horus --> Joshua): This is bad very bad (Joshua --> Horus): That wasn't very descriptive. (Horus --> Joshua): I broke the egg (Horus --> Joshua): I didn't mean to I'm sorry (Horus --> Joshua): I'm trying to fix it (Joshua --> Horus): Are you at home? (Horus --> Joshua): Yes (Horus --> Joshua): Ryan came here now (Horus --> Joshua): I gave the egg feathers but it's still broken maybe I sat too hard (Horus --> Joshua): help (Horus --> Joshua): You heal things (Horus --> Joshua): Joshua fix it Micah stretches an arm across the counter to pet at Jax's shoulder, though he doesn't /move/ over there because that would stop him from text-snooping. "Ohgosh. Oh/gosh/. Did he drop it? But that's...it's a tough egg. He'd hafta drop it /hard/ to... Maybe it's hatchin'. That /looks/ kinda like breakin'. Is it hatchin'? We should go. We should go help." He deposits his mug on the counter, a little awkward in getting to his feet because he forgot he was on a high stool in his hurry. The stool wobbles and he rights himself with a hand on the countertop. "Whatever's happenin'. We should help, right?" "But it's a whole lotta terrible we can /do/ somethin' about." Jax's eye widens slightly, and now he leans over the counter, palms pressed up against it to pull himself up and look at the phone, too. "Oh -- oh no oh. Wow no that's -- he should. We should --" There's suddenly a twist of uncertainty, nervous and a little sick, coiling up through his. "We should -- yeah no if it's hatching. That's. S'he home, we should." He drops back down, frowning at his pot and then at Joshua. "-- but you wanted. To talk are you gonna be -- alright, honey-honey?" (Joshua --> Horus): It's okay. You didn't do anything, alright? (Joshua --> Horus): Micah and Jax are going to go over. "What? No, I'll be fine." Joshua lifts his cup to Jax, eyes focusing on the photokinetic a slow long moment before he takes a sip. "You should go. Check up on your -- kid. Thing. I'll be good. Thanks for the cocoa." He slides down off the stool, mug still held in one hand. "I'll bring the cup back." “Well, if you're bringin' the cup back anyhow. We can talk later, right? An' I do still owe you that dinner.” Micah nabs Joshua for another quick hug when the other man gets to his feet. “Thank you for lettin' us know what was goin' on, sugar. Promise. Talkin'...dinner. When there's less emergency.” He half-skids to the coat rack by the door to fetch shoes and a coat to throw on for the trip outdoors. Jax's mind has clouded with worry. He scoots out from around behind the counter to press a kiss to Joshua's cheek. The touch comes with a greater influx of concern. In equal parts for Joshua /and/ the Egg -- though some part of his mind is trying to shove back thoughts of Egg. "Hey. Come back an' we'll feed you, aright? An' we'll talk." He squeezes at Joshua's shoulder, slipping towards the door to put on his shoes as well. Joshua just nods to this. He sips slowly at the cocoa, watching the other men get ready with a very small upward twitch of lips. Quietly, he slips around to the kitchen to shut the flame off on the stove, still holding his cocoa as he vanishes from the house.