Players:
Summary: So… A mutant walks into a bar…
Date: June 21, 2010
Log Title Shrink My Head
Rating: PG
NYC - Otto's Shrunken Head
Otto's Shrunken Head is a rock n' roll Tiki Bar with a variety of specialty rum drinks served in fun glasses among other liquors. There is no food served here, just liquor. Live music can be heard in back with a D.J. is constantly spinning in front. Zebra print stools sit in front of the bar and red vinyl couches surround tables off to the side. A common nightly hang out for the younger Rock and Roll scene of New York City that is fun for everyone.
It is early evening in the city, with people finding their way to where they want to be in the evening; or where they are going to be stuck, if their surroundings aren't pleasant. Erik, or Leif as he introduces himself normally, is having a decent time; he is in the back of the Head, with a scotch.
After a busy evening the night before, Laura had spent most of the day sleeping, and planning strategy. It was going to be another long night, but before she returned to Edward and the rest of her…team, she's decided to do some of her own recognizance at the local bars. Hoping to find more flyers and bracelets that led to the occult rituals, or raves as they were advertising them. Wearing low hip hugger jeans, a dark navy, and a pale blue tank, Laura slips into the Shrunken Head. Looking much younger then most of those in attendance, she makes her way towards the back, slipping into a stool at the bar. "What ya havin' t'night sweetheart?" the bartender asks, and after a pause, she ordered the first bottle she saw, "Captain and coke…" she murmurs in an undertone, adding a "please.." awkwardly a moment too late. Emerald eyes scan over the crowd, keeping her exits in mind as she looks over those in attendance tonight.
Erik raises an eyebrow as he sees the person who enters in to the bar, doing a little bit of a double take at the sight of her before he looks back to his drink, and takes a quick sip.
The bartender slides her drink towards her, and Laura tosses a few bills onto the counter. Her eyes momentarily fall tot he drink in front of her. Her nostrils flare slightly as she takes an experimental sniff at the rum and coke. Not that alcohol has any sort of effect on Laura, she takes a sip anyway, mostly to fit in - which is pretty impossible. Her gaze scans the crowd again, passing over Erik, but returning to him as he does his double take. Her chin inclines up slightly, a mere gesture of greeting as he seemed to have noticed her for some reason, before she returns her attention to her drink.
Erik gives a little bit of a salute with his glass of scotch. "Evening." He greets. "I think we have some mutual friends, in Westchester." He offers with an enigmatic smile.
"Evening." she murmured back without looking up at first, though as the man mentioned Weschester, Laura's gaze returned to him. She fixed a long, steady stare on him, her head tilting to one side slightly. "Xavier's?" she asks finally a slender, dark brow arching up slight with the question. Laura's back straightened slightly at this, she didn't know the man, personally, but if he knew people at the school this could be problematic. "Were you a student there?"
Erik gives out a /very/ familiar laugh at the directness of that, but he gives a nod. "I'm a professor there currently. Leif Anderson, Government, Politics and Law." He introduces, skipping the Oxford Comma because he can.
Laura's expression goes blank at hearing this, the corner's of her mouth pulling down into a slight frown, as she drops her gaze once again. "Ah. Don't think I've taken any of those, yet." she mutters, bringing her glass to her lips and downing the rest in one quick gulp. "I don't always stay at the school." Yes, this was definitely going to be problematic.
Erik chuckles. "Big drinker." He says dryly. "Well, they're always there if you want them, but I won't drag you kicking and screaming in to class. Not that I think I would have a chance, mind you." He offers in amusement, eyes twinkling.
"Not really." she replies flatly, it was merely something to do to try and 'blend'. Another glance up at the professor, her eyes narrowed slightly now. "I'm sorry, but do I know you?" she asks after a moment, studying his features carefully. His words catching her off guard, which put her on edge immediately. "I think I would have remembered your face, if we'd met at school." Laura stiffened in her seat, her feet skimming the floor ready to be on the move again if need be.
Erik was clearly having a little bit of fun, but sees that now she is on edge and smiles wanly. "I read your file, I'm sorry; I was just having a little bit of fun. I didn't mean to make you nervous." He says seriously. "I'm just a teacher, not an ambush. And I should know better than to tease someone who is so much like Logan."
This had her lips curling back exposing a sliver of ivory, behind full lips. Laura had to take a moment to quell the growl that was trying to escape her. Her feelings on the man who made her creation possible still unclear to her. "I'm not like him." she replied shortly, a hint of indignation in her tone. "I'm like me." As the bartender came around to check, she waved him off, pushing her empty glass back at him. Another long silence, as green eyes rake over his features again, committing them to memory. "What is your name?" she finally asks, a brow arching up once more with the question.
"I apologize" Erik offers in return to her indignation. "Leif Anderson." Erik blatantly lies, albeit a lie he is used to at this point in his life. The features are strong, and familiar to anyone who has met Magneto; although not easily attributable as such.
Laura gave him a single nod, as he gave his name, returning with a quiet; "Laura. But I suppose you know that already." Her posture relaxes, though only just. She'd had enough trouble with teacher's lately, and wasn't looking for more. so she returned her attention to the other patrons within the bar. "Do you come here a lot?" she asks, figuring if he did she could at least try and press him for information.
Erik smiles slightly, not seeming like he is going to get too much in her stuff. "A fair amount. I don't know if you're aware, but spending time with students is almost as frustrating as spending time with teachers." He says dryly.
A moment passed, and an almost-smile quirked the corners of her lips, though it was gone again just as quickly. "I'm sure it is. Although, I find teachers and students equally as frustrating, and generally try to avoid both." This was her own attempt at a joke, which would probably fall flat, considering she said it in such a flat, deadpan tone. Laura cleared her throat awkwardly, looking away again as she refocused. "Have you seen anyone in here passing around flyers and bracelets. Specifically, for a… rave, I think it's called." She leaned forward, her elbows pressed against the counter as she asked, her tone dropping slightly, though she kept it loud enough so that he'd be able to hear her.
Erik gives a smile at the joke none the less. He raises an eyebrow at the comment about the rave, raising his eyebrows. "Not that I've noticed anything more than normal, at least; there is always something of this nature going on. What makes this one so special?"
Laura gave a quick half shrug. "There was just a party a week or so ago. Heard there'd be another, so been checking around for it." was her reply. A complete lie, but Laura knew how to control her expression and tone well enough to keep that from really showing. Dragging a slender hand through the mass of dark hair that fell down her back Laura looked away once more awkwardly, trying to think of something else to sell the lie. "It was… interesting." Probably the wrong choice of words, but calling the demonic rave/occult ritual fun was a a bit too much of a stretch, even for her.
Erik raises an eyebrow at that, dryly, but he gives a nod, letting it go. "Well, alright. I'm afraid there is not a whole lot that I can do with just 'a rave with bracelets', but if you can think of more and let me know I'll keep an eye out."
Renate was wandering, a tattered backpack held in her grip and not aided in its dilapidated situation by being drug at her side and scraped along the pavement. It was covered in dirt and sand, showing it had been buried somewhere at some point. She was trying to recall her way back to Salem center and here she was, platform soles of boots that altered her height to a couple inches above 6 foot scuffling over the sidewalk beside the drug along bag. Each long-legged stride carrying her slower and slower, but casual glances over her shoulder were what warranted that.
She was still in the same attire from the club, black on purple webbed and torn stockings swathing pale legs and disappearing beneath the upper thigh ridden hem of vinyl, her torso wrapped in a black and purple corset of liquid attire, lacing up her back.
Renate stopped then, just before the Shrunken Head, peering up at the sign with an incredulous stare. Definitely not Salem Center.
Another shrug of thin shoulders and Laura was making her attempts at another smile towards the professor. "It's not a big deal. I'll locate them one way or another…" Laura trails off, seeming distracted a moment and her chin tilts up. Her nostrils flaring slightly as a vaguely familiar scent trails in from outside of the bar. She turns in her seat - the conversation with Leif momentarily forgotten - pushing up on one knee on her seat at the bar, in an attempt to see the entrance. Her brow furrowing over slightly. She'd never gotten the other woman's name that night, but her scent was easy enough to distinguish.
Erik is about to say something when he sees Laura's reaction, and watches her turn away. His eyes quickly flit to the one she watches, eyebrows raising as he looks at her. The stare becomes that of a hawk, piercing as he takes her in for a moment. His eyes flit away, and he says quietly. "Anything I need to know?"
The bar did not offer scents that Renate could pick up with her typical human senses. Not food, and she was hungry again. That did not mean anything right? If it got her off the open road and into some form of seclusion she took it. Pushing from the wall outside the bar she entered, pausing at the entry as a few looks were tossed her way by others, low murmur's of voices pausing and then picking back up.
Before she even moved forward from the entry, one by one faces were studied, lingered upon for mere seconds and then moved along. She was taking note, and filing away, none of them seemed a threat by what she was looking for, but when she spotted Laura her eyes lingered more than seconds, recognition was obtained.
What are the odds? Laura thought, her lip curling back again and a low grunt passed between slightly clenched teeth. She looked -exactly- the same as the night of the rave. Same clothes. Same everything. "Great.." she mutters as Renate and her make eye contact. She can see the flicker of recognition int he other woman's eyes and she gave a short, single shake of her head, before Laura turned in her seat again, casting a glance back towards Leif, and repeated the motion. "I do not understand." She replied flatly, her eyes drifting down to the worn bar top. Another lie, and this one not so smoothly given, she pressed her lips into a tight line, her fingers knotting together in her lap. "Why do you ask?"
"I ask because you look like you're going to jump out of your seat." Erik responds simply. "And she…" He says, eyes flicking back to Renate for a moment. "Well, she's got some extras lets say." He offers quietly. "Is it going to be a fight>" Erik asks simply.
The shake of Laura's head had Renate's tilting, but she understood. To attempt to cover the acknowledgment of faces she yawned and with that motion her oceanic eyes moved on, landing on the bar keep and making way towards him. It was hard not to notice the white hair of the woman amongst a sea of blonde and brunette, the tender saw her coming and was waiting with a cleaning towel in his hand, blinking as Renate spoke. "Nahrung, bitte."
A shift of eyes and she spoke in English, lapsing her languages when she was not set into one for too long. "Food?" The man replied. "We have chicken wings, buffalo, barbeque, plain.." His stare was the same she had given the sign. "All?" And as she spoke she fished the money from its tucked place beneath torn corsetry where dried blood was only left in small fragments, holding out the wad that had a few hundreds, twenties and ones. Thankfully the man was honest, he took a 20 and walked off.
Renate slid into a stool now, glancing back and focusing on Erik instead of Laura. He was with her and studied before the flicker of eyes dropped and fell away, back to the bar tender who also brought her a glass of water. "Danke."
"There won't be a fight." was her only reply, distracted as her ears perked, listening to the strange woman order everything on the very small food menu they had here. Laura peeked up through feathered lashes watching Leif as his gaze returns to Renate once more. "Just recognize her, is all." Which was true enough. Laura flagged down the bartender once more, ordering another Captain and Coke, merely for something to do with her hands. Bar's were not her scene, and seeing Renate here had Laura burning with questions for the woman. How much did she remember? OR had she forgotten completely like Star and Jakob? "She's a bit stranger." Laura offers, hoping to shift his attention to Renate completely, and away from her reaction to her.
Erik gives a nod at that, and sips his scotch again. "Well, aren't we all. Fortunately it seems manageably strange, at least to certain abilities." He says, his voice taking on an even greater Magneto like tone when he is distracted or apprehensive. "Well, I will trust your judgment in the matter, until things start breaking or flying around the room." He offers amused.
The grungy backpack was placed into her lap and hugged to her torso, leaning over it slightly she waited, sipping at the water while the rest of the money was tucked back where it came from. Renate had been told to find a hotel and clean up, but she also wanted to find clothing that everyone else was wearing to remove too much attention. As much as possible at least. Here was different than the Battery Park area. Jeans, shirts, accessories.. Her eyes were now trained on a woman down the bar, that was leaned over and pressing her assets forward while speaking with a man, the lean even taking her tennis[like] skirt to new heights.
Needless to say Renate was learning from all the wrong places when it came to this side of town and her studying got her a narrowed glare from the female and an abrupt "What?!" That had her eyes darting back to the worn counters surface. It was better than staring at the woman with knives in her hands and giving something away she apparently did not want.
At those particular words Laura turned her penetrating emerald gaze on Leif. She stared at him for a long moment one brow pushing up slightly with an unspoken question. "No, there will be no fight." she repeated firmly. After all, Renate and Laura had sort of fought on the same side that night, right? Laura turned in her seat once again, to stare at the familiar woman, her head tilting to one side again. She leaned forward slightly , not even bothering to be subtle as she sniffed lightly at the air. Blood. It was the faintest of traces, and Laura had missed it completely at first, but it was still there. After scrutinizing the woman further, she noticed the dry spots of blood on her clothing, and with a quickly murmured, "Excuse me a moment." over her shoulder Laura was out of her seat and moving swiftly through the crowd towards the woman, carefully keeping a small amount of space between her and the rest of the crowd.
Moving up behind Renate, Laura leaned in quickly, her nose wrinkling some as she murmured quietly. "Have you been in those clothes all this time?" Not bothering with any sort of greeting or introduction. She kept her voice a hushed undertone, as she moved to the side slightly to fix Renate with another long stare. "You look ridiculous, and you've got blood on you. I can smell it." Clearly, the professor had picked up Laura's interest, and he assumed he could handle whatever may or may not happened between the two girls if things got unpleasant, may as well prod the woman for information while she had the chance to.
Erik does look remarkably unconcerned. He orders a scotch.
Renate's body tensed. She may not be looking at Laura but the approach was heard. No one else had bothered to come anywhere near her so it was easy to distinguish closing footsteps. Even as Laura spoke and sniffed at her her posture righted and her fingers dropped from their clutch on back pack and water while clipped tones replied to Laura's statement, lower so as not to attract any more needless attention though her eyes did dart back to Erik. What role did he play in this?
"You look better?" Sarcasm had been learned and it was thrown at Laura now in undertone. "No other clothes yet, need a hotel." It was stated rather matter of factually before her attention was drawn to the basket of mixed chicken wings brought out to her. Until Laura would back off though she just stared at them, not moving to eat.
Laura followed her gaze back to Leif, and it remained on him as he ordered his drink. "It's amazing what a shower and clean clothes do, eh?" she retorted throwing the sarcasm right back at her. "I'll assist you in finding both but I need to speak with you. Go ahead and eat, I'm not gonna stab ya." Again, a failed attempt at a joke, and Laura didn't even bother waiting for reaction. "When you're through meet me outside in the alley." Giving Renate pretty much no time to accept or decline, Laura flickered another glance at the woman, before she made her way back to her seat.
Erik continues to sit non nonchalantly, sipping the scotch when it is brought to him. He pauses, as if he is going to say something meaningful. "Why am I in the mood for scotch tonight?" He says curiously, apropos of nothing.
No reaction came from Renate to her words save a nod of her head in acknowledgment she had heard. Nothing confirmed she would oblige the girl though. When Laura moved away her posture shifted back to ease and one chicken wing was picked up, tasted slowly and then devoured, picking the bones clean and setting them neatly aside.
( One chicken wing did bring her pause though, a small cough and she was chugging the water to emptiness and pushing it aside, picking through the basket to remove all the Buffalo colored ones and eat the rest, though not finishing. Since Laura had broken her own desire for non approach she figured now was fine to hold up the basket and offer what was left of the wing mixture to them. "Hungrig?" )
As Laura slide back into her seat she gave Leif a shrug. "I'm not sure." she replied honestly. "I don't understand the need for alcohol, myself." she added after a moment, finding that most of it tasted awful, and she couldn't get drunk anyway, so what was the point? As Renate held up her unfinished basket of wings, Laura passed with a single shake of her head, and a mumbled, "No thank you."
Erik chuckles a little bit. "Delightfully numbing for the most part; normally not a big scotch drinker." He says with a shrug, smiling and looking at the offering of food. He looks to the food, eyebrows raised. "Nein, fraulein. Danke schein." He comments in passable German to Renate, who was speaking it earlier.
Renate shrugged then and slid from her seat while watching Erik with a slight raise in brow at his speaking of her language. Part suspicion? Her purpose was done here. She ate, drank, and had to go find a hotel and some new clothing despite her like for what she wore. Anything was a step up from a green jump suit. The basket was carried with her as she made her way for the exit, pausing and turning to do as she had seen others do before at the cafe. Pulling out a few bills with ones on them and leaving them on the bar.
The tender nodded his gratitude while gathering the bills and watched her walk back for the door "Want a to go box?" Renate paused and stared at him as if he had spoken to her in a language she didn't quite grasp. "Ya know…for the leftovers.." He gestured to the basket of wings in her hand and then pulled out a Styrofoam container with a lid, pointing to it. Giving in she moved back slowly, handing him the chicken and nearly reluctant to let go of the basket as he took it to dump the remainders in the box and seal it up.
With her attention mostly on Renate again, Laura sighed quietly as she watched the woman try and take the entire basket of wings with her as she left. "I've never had scotch." she replied, honestly as she started pulling out another few bills for her drink that had gone untouched. A glace flickered back towards Lief and she gave him a slight nod. "It was good to meet you. I'm sure I will see you around school." Not wanting Renate to disappear on her, Laura was eager to leave now. She could track the girl if she really wanted to but, his was much less of a waste of time.
Erik shakes his head at the insanity of this exchange he has been a part of, and nods. He holds up his scotch in salute. "Someday do tell me what the hell happened here, will you?" He says dryly. "And give me a ring if you need help."
Renate was gathering the box now and smiling to the tender, glossed lips peeling away to reveal a flash of ivories and then gone. Holding the box in one hand and dragging the backpack with the other she used her hip to nudge the door open and step outside, casting a glance back for Laura. She remembered what she said despite her silent acknowledgment of it. One more brief flick of eyes fell on Erik before she stepped out onto the streets and was ducking into the alley, waiting.
Laura gave him a noncommittal shrug on both accounts, the corners of her mouth twitching up in a slight smile at the kindness before she turned and began following Renate out of the bar.
