Family Ties Are Odd Things:
X-Men: Movieverse 3 - Saturday, June 06, 2009, 11:11 AM
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=LG= Los Gatos Cafe - Los Gatos - California
The cottage facade transitions to a warm oatmeal and raspberry decor within. The walls are painted a dark neutral on the lower half with a lighter, print wallpaper above. The fabric is plush and cheerfully crimson against dark wood. The atmosphere is friendly and relaxed, but both food and staff dress code are a cut above the usual. Regionally famous for their breakfasts and pastries, Los Gatos Cafe dresses its employees in white with black ties and aprons. Due to the all too frequent lines that form in the busiest hours, complimentary coffee is available for those who wait near the umbrella-shaded tables on the outdoor patio.
(Exits : [O]ut )
The mid-day rush of the cafe has kicked the formal staff into a frantic bustle to accommodate the influx of patrons, and it took Alex the better half of 15 minutes to get seated. Were he not early a half-hour early, this might have been a problem. He currently sits at a booth not far from the entrance wrapped in a pair of white slacks and a striped polo shirt sipping at what could be coke or iced tea.
Jean is, despite living in and around New York City, the sort of woman who expects that tables will happen in a reasonably timely fashion. In her hands, this is usually due to reservations. In the hands of others... she has faith. Thus, dressed to blend in with the Californian yuppies swarming the cafe, she turns up on time, assures the maitre'd that she's expected by someone, and then appears at Alex's table with a smile, and the greeting of "I see you've found this place too."
"I really like this city." Alex replies a little on the dry. He caves into a natural, warm smile as he rises at the woman's arrival. "Thanks for coming, it's good to see you again." A hand is offered but quickly withdrawn in favor of a small hug.
"It does seem a little, um, tame for your tastes," Jean offers, with a crooked smile and the acceptance of a hug. It's light and quick on her part, contact kept to a minimum to spare her still slightly aching brain, but a genuine hug all the same -- Alex Summers has earned his place on the list of people who get one. She settles in a seat then, one hand smoothing out the cream linen of her slacks, before she studies him with her head canted slightly, and murmurs that "It's good to see you again too. Even if the circumstances are a little odd."
"And you. I know you've been kept pretty busy fixing breaks, I thought maybe we could talk somewhere you could unwind. At least for a little." Alex remarks, withdrawing to his seat and scooting himself in with a few hops. He finally takes the opportunity to reach forward for a roll and tears off a corner to butter up. "How have you been? How are the kids?"
"I never thought I'd regret going to Antigua for a conference," Jean murmurs with wry amusement as she snags a roll for herself, but opts to nibble it dry. "But it would've been nice if I'd been able to turn up in time to -prevent- some of the breaks. I'm impressed at how you all handled yourselves, though... and I'll stop talking about it and let you change the subject," she picks up on the questions, smile gone crooked as she picks at a little more roll before answering. "Running us all halfway to ragged, as usual, but we're managing to stay just ahead of the disaster curve. Nate's nearly finished kindergarten, and is pushing to have Scott and I add a birthday party full of five and six year olds to the chaos this summer. And then there's the dino-dog..."
A thankful smile greets Jean as she eases the conversation away. "It's hard to believe how big he's getting. I also have no idea what 'dino-dog' means." Alex murmurs incredulously, popping the his snack in his mouth and chewing it thoughtfully before he continues. "How are he and Scott doing?" He asks. Unspoken are how long it's been since he's talked to his brother.
"Young mutant with the power to shape flesh made himself a bunch of velociraptors by altering the appearance of stray dogs," Jean sums up. "We ended up capturing one of the dino-dogs, and, well... it's a small dinosaur that has the mentality and sociability of a Labrador." Her voice is mercifully kept low enough that the local yuppies' lattes and tiramisu go undisturbed, beyond occasional glances in the direction of two pretty people with an age difference between them. "Scott's doing well. Still no attempts at girlfriends, but..." Jean trails off, abandoning that line of thought. "He's an amazingly good dad to Nate. And he misses you."
"That's actually incredibly horrifying." Alex responds, rolling out a pleasant chuckle. He leans away from the woman as the waiter returns with a pair of menus and vanishes just as rapidly and stares at it thoughtfully before opening it. "I'm not surprised at all. He's an amazingly good person." He says, voice kept at a distractingly low volume. When he looks up to Jean it she doesn't need her special talents to read the concern in him. "Has he been going out to talk to people at least?"
"He's not a hermit -- too many people care about him to let him get away with that," Jean assures, safe topic for sharing while the waiter blips in and out. She studies the menu with honest appraisal and approval for some of the options, a few little self-directed murmurs of "That looks good..." filling space before conversation resumes again. "We're sure to haul him out to Harry's with us. He's just never really been all that good at having ties that aren't Xavier's ones. I think Frost was the one exception to -that- rule."
"Is she supposed to be that other -specialist- that came?" He asks, face falling a little at the name. Short of what the rest of the world knows, he knows surprisingly little. When he finally browses the menu it isn't difficult to make a choice; though, he passes the time silently. "I'm glad he has you guys. All of you. Even Logan." He remarks, corners of his mouth lifting into a small smile.
"Mmm," says Jean, but with a hand motion to suggest this isn't public business. "They were together for a time, a few years ago." The dead neutral cast to her tone really says all it needs to say about Jean's thoughts on the matter, before a smile reappears at the last name dropped. "Neither will admit it, but I think they'd both miss it if the other was gone. Even if -I- might welcome some peace now and again when the war over the bike's gotten too hot." The war over Jean... well, track records suggest -that- prize awards herself.
"I really don't think you factor into the picture. At the heart of it, they're in love with eachother." Alex responds, flashing white through a teasing smile. Emma, and everything about work, is immediately dismissed at the woman's subtle suggestion. "It was kind of surprising to run into so many familiar places out here. I guess it shouldn't be."
"Well, -that- would be a novel solution to my little eternal triangle, at least," murmurs Jean, with a snort of amusement as she trails one trimmed and clean fingernail along the list of menu options, stopping at French onion soup. She peers up over the menu at his reflection and flashes him a smile. "There's still not that many of us out there. Smaller still are the people willing to do what we do... in any organization."
"True enough." Alex replies and leaves it at that. He's growing aware of secrecy all over again. When the waiter returns and Jean makes her order his is quick to follow. "Grilled wasabi jack sandwich." He murmurs, turning back with a tired, more reserved expression. "By the way. You'd think we would have outgrown the same old drama, but. No."
"The same old drama tends to repeat because human nature remains a constant," Jean advises, before blinking at Alex's order and offering up her request for "French onion soup, please," in a tone that suggests she finds it rather prosaic all of a sudden.
"It's difficult being so difficult." Alex remarks blandly, deadpan stare floating across the table as he surrenders his menu to the 'bubbly' waiter. "I suppose I'll just have to resign myself to being beautiful and predictable." His lips purse when serious thought is given to her explanation, though it still seems wary. "What is your professional opinion of these people? Should I be here?"
"In my professional opinion..." Jean trails off, eyes going vague as she draws the gentle mental deflection of a Somebody Else's Problem field around them and their conversation. "This is a government organization. It's ops not open, so there will be more stability than an every-four-to-eight-years wind change, and I trust their motives as well as I can see them... but it's still a government organization, with all the potential risks and rewards of one. I do have to say that they've shown remarkable talent in picking some of their personnel, though, and that, full disclosure, I do a little talent scouting for them myself. I believe that, should things go well, you may put the X-Men out of a job."
"I always hoped the X-Men would be out of a job." Alex remarks, looking down and nodding thoughtfully in consideration of her summary. There is much wisdom in the old woman. "The world Scott always said he wanted was the one that didn't need the X-Men." He remarks, tone and expression betraying fraternal agreement. Scott will not hear of that. "I think this is the next natural step towards a time where we're all relics."
"I admit to some mild not-nearly-old-enough-to-be-midlife crisis moments of envy," Jean drawls, settling back and letting the field fade before their waiter can be thrown -too- off schedule with their food. "-You- get all the fun stuff... but grilled wasabi Jack? Seriously?" Surrounded by yuppies and good food, the conversation goes to simpler and less secretive subjects until it's time for Jean to get back to her chickens.
Family news, first impressions and lunch on Jean's way back to Westchester.