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Summary: Before a business meeting Tony and Al stop off at the Life Cafe to have a coffee and Tony spots someone that he briefly saw at the Shrunken Head a few months back. Tony invites Erik to come have his tea with them and they talk about various things.
Date: September 1, 2010
Log Title: Coffee and Conversation
Rating: PG
Life Cafe
Located in the East Village, the Life Cafe displays the vibe of area. This sidewalk cafe has a Bohemian feel with posters on the wall, a small bar inside, tables shoved everywhere, and even a secret garden tucked away in back for people to dine. The menu features burgers, chicken sandwiches, and quite the vegetarian enclave.
"No, nothing special this time around," Tony says to the barista behind the counter at the cafe he's frequented several times over the past few months. "Kaji's not here so you don't have to worry about him eating all the scones again. Just going to grab the corner table again if you don't mind,Rachel." With that he snags the small menu from the stack held up between the napkin dispenser and the sugar on the bar. Tony could be easily picked out today as he's wearing a suit, tennis shoes and shades as if he's just come from a meeting. Over at the table he slides onto the booth seat scooting over to the wall and waiting for Al to find him.
Alessia is slightly irked at Tony going on ahead..as usual. Heels click, she's a little more dressy today in a black skirt, heels, and a silky silver button down. No one would ever guess how many weapons she was packing. Sinking into a seat next to Tony, shaking her head at him.
Erik would guess at how many weapons she was packing, but only because he has an easy way to find out. Erik walks in from the outside dressed up as well, although his dress up includes big boy shoes. A suit, not as nice as Tony's but not off the rack; black jacket with a scarlet silk lining to match his tie, black shirt and slacks adorn him as he walks through the door. Just to match a theme, he has black sunglasses on as well as he makes his way towards the counter.
"Menu!" Tony sounds as if he's teeming with enthusiasm already today, and he hasn't even had a coffee yet. Said menu is scooted over toward Al then turned the correct way around. "The actual food I think is on the back but I've never really looked at that side of the menu," Tony comments as he leans back causing him to spot the man heading over to the counter. "Baby, let me out a second."
Only if they're all metal. Which there is no guarantee they are, knowing the redhead. A long glare at Tony, before she slides out of the booth to her feet. "Behave."
Erik does not glare at Tony, as he is ordering tea at the moment, which he moves to pick up and pay for with a wonderful degree of obliviousness.
"Behave? What would I do?" Tony offers up a smirk to Al before he's striding off towards the counter. Once he is nearby Erik he drops a forearm to the counter and leans heavily to the side regarding Erik. "I thought you seemed familiar when you came in. You were at the Shrunken Head a few months back if I recall."
Alessia gives Tony a look he's familiar with, one that means she knows him better than that. She watches him, leaning against the side of the booth rather than sitting back down.
Erik looks over his tea as he preps it to see Tony, and chuckles slightly. "Why yes. I seem to recall something of a fight that you seemed to be involved in at the time." He says, amusedly, as he sips his…tea.
"Dragged into would be a better way of putting it," Stark sighs before looking back towards AL then towards Erik. "Seeing as I never had the chance to introduce myself properly, Tony Stark." His hand is extended towards Erik, "If you haven't a pressing engagement would you like to join our table?"
Alessia is still there. Waiting.
"You're famous enough that I actually gathered that before." Erik says, reaching out the hand to shake it firmly. "Sure, not every day I get to have coffee with a celebrity." He says with a wry smile, moving to follow.
"Well, I remember manners on occasion," Tony chuckles as he leads Erik towards the table. When Tony reaches the table he turns around quirking an eyebrow at Erik, "Still haven't caught your name but Mr. Mystery Man, this is Alessia."
Alessia arches an eyebrow, offering her hand towards Erik, and considering where he hangs out, he might be familiar with a psionic kinda poking around the edges of his mind.
Erik chuckles slightly, and reaches out his hand to shake Alessia's. He is, indeed, familiar with the feeling, and is somewhat trained in shutting down from it. It isn't perfect, but a man who grew up with Emma Frost and Charles Xavier learns some tricks. "Leif Anderson, pleasure to meet both of you."
"Pleased to meet you, Leif." Tony waves a hand towards the corner table before sliding onto the bench and scooting to the far side to rest up against the wall. "I wanted to thank you for what you do that night at the bar but with everyone dispersing as they were I lost sight of you." Tony pulls off his glasses to set them down atop the table, and smiles at Alessia as he points out what he's intending to drink when the server comes over to their table. "You want to share a turnover, Sia? Don't think it would be wise for me to eat the whole thing."
Color Alessia dubious, as she slips in to sit next to Tony. She orders a chai for herself, a glance at Tony. "Ah was thinkin' about having one of the vegetarian dishes, actually."
Erik will color Alessia anything she wants. "Oh, I'm not sure I did anything besides point out what was happening. Really kind of a newscaster to the whole thing." He says dryly, looking at Tony out of the corner of his eyes for a moment as he sips.
"Hmm, guess I'm eating the whole thing after all," Tony says glancing down at the menu and then to the server ordering said pastry and their largest coffee with several shots of espresso. As the server walks away Tony drums his fingertips against the table with his right hand as he looks over at Leif who is sipping his tea. "Perhaps I am mistaken in whom it may have been that blanked out the electronic devices in the bar. No matter, we're in the present now and apparently bar fight free." Quickly he turns his head to offer up a sheepish grin at AL, "I honestly didn't start that fight at all. Nor did I actually get into it."
Alessia lifts her eyebrows, a look that tells Tony she's not buying it, before she's hiding her smirk by turning to look around the cafe. "So, what do you do, Mister Anderson?" She does not do the creepy Matrix voice thing on his name.
Erik is a hacker, clearly. Black shades, slick clothing, magic powers…thats what hackers look like, right? "Just a very dangerous thing to be accusing someone of in public, Mr. Stark. I may have been known to go through cell phones fairly rapidly, however." He says dryly before he looks to Al. "I teach Politics and Government."
The server appears with the drinks, and Tonys pastry then vanishes again to check on Al's order. "I am not concerned but if I've put you on edge because of my public thanks I apologize."
Al turns her eyes on Erik, watching him seriously for a long moment. "Ah don't think Tony was accusing you, so much as admiring what he believes your talents to be, Mister Anderson." She knows, from his earlier attempts at deflection, that he's no innocent.
Erik shakes his head. "I didn't say he was, just commenting." He offers in return, looking to Alessia. "And what is it that you do, then? I'd ask Mr. Stark, but that would be somewhat redundant." He says with a wry smile.
The server returns setting down Al's dish tossing the table a grin before she bounds away to the counter again. Tony simply breaks off a piece of his pastry and pops it into his mouth as he continues to idly drum his fingertips to the table.
There's a clenching of her jaw. "Ah'm head of security at Stark Towers, as well as one of Mister Stark's personal bodyguards." There's a sharpness to her gaze with that.
Erik gives a nod. "Well it's a pleasure to meet you." He says, as he sips his tea. "So what can I do for you, Mr. Stark?" He inquires of the billionaire. Perhaps hoping it is 'Hold this ferrari indefinitely'.
Tony sets his coffee down to cup between his hands. "Leif, I invited you over simply because I wanted to offer my gratitude and to perhaps strike up a casual conversation. I have no agenda other than that, however, knowing that you are a teacher of Politics and Government I'd like to hear some of your opinions about the state of things." Tony looks across his shoulder to Al and smiles warmly, "That any good?" Of course he's going to attempt to steal some, it's Tony!
Alessia gives Tony a look. "Yes, and no you can't have any." She's just a big meanie.
Erik chuckles a little bit at the play between the two of you. and nods. "Well, which state of things. Lots of different things in lots of different states to comment on." He smiles.
Tony pouts at Al hoping that it works in his favor before he breaks off another piece of the pastry to emphasize with. "You've got a point, Leif. Maybe politics is too heavy a conversation to have over coffee. After all, we've just met. If you don't mind me asking; Where do you happen to teach?"
Alessia is resistant to the Tony-pout, quietly eating her dish. Eyes lift to look at Erik, one brow arching. Now that's a question she'd like to hear the answer to as well.
Erik smiles. "I teach at a small, private school." He says, offering nothing further, and smiling at Alessia, one white brow slightly quirked. "And I didn't mind politics, Mr. Stark, it's just such a large field to work on without something specific to start at."
"I know a few teachers and students at various private schools in the area. Seems I run into them more than I do my own employees," Tony jokes. The pastry is pushed aside in favor of nursing the coffee. "I had nothing specific in mind, just anything that you might want to bring up. I'm quite removed from most of it for obvious reasons but as I do work for the government I like to hear others opinions about how things are going. For instance something that is particularly positive or negative in New York." Tony isn't about to give up easily when it comes to stealing Al's food and sneaks a hand across to try and nick the bit at the edge of her plate.
Alessia promptly /smacks/ that hand of Tony's. "Oh? Ah've met some people from private schools. Anywhere Ah might have heard of?"
"Well, you know how many private schools there are in the State. Makes me wish the days when I went to public school, nothing like the fear of getting your ass kicked ot make you tough." Erik says dryly, and obliquely. "Well, I have to say I'm not thrilled by the gun law case out of Chicago, but that is hardly local concern."
Tony recoils his hand with a glare at AL. "I hear that about public schools but I would believe that the chance to get trounced upon would be the same regardless." There is some sort of elaborate hand signal going on between him and one of the servers at the counter. "I am aware of that case, and sadly weaponry issues will always be causing drama regardless of the state. Some think things are too much, others think the laws are not enough." The server comes over with a pleasant interruption and Tony hands over his card. "I've got a few more minutes before I have to cut out for a meeting that my PA insists upon me actually going to. If you're ever in the neighborhood of the Towers feel free to stop in."
"Oh, Ah surely do. But that wasn't an answer." Yeah, hi. She's not that easily deterred. « He's hiding something. » Tony can guess for himself if that's just suspicious cop or wary telepath talking.
Erik gives a nod and a chuckle at that. "Well, it was a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Stark." He says, reaching out to take the card before he looks back to Alessia. "Oh, wasn't it?" He asks, sipping his tea.
Not glancing over at Al, Tony understands the message she is trying to get across. "Was my pleasure, Leif." The server comes over and hands Tony back his card before she bounces back off to the counter to pick up her next order. Tony pockets his card then lifts his coffee up from the table. «I could just poke around and find out on my own. Equally as deceptive, no?» The shades upon the table are picked up and pushed back into place clearly stating that Tony is about to exit the establishment for the torture of a meeting. "Perhaps if we run into each other again he might be a bit more inclined to cough up details."
« You at least offered him the chance to be honest with you directly.» Eyes are on Erik, dispassionate. "You know full well, teachin' law, that it was a non-answer. Pleadin' the 5th, are ya?"
Erik hmms. "Well, we all have things we like to hide." He says dryly, casually tapping his forehead as he looks at you evenly. "I think you can guess where I teach, Miss. There's no need to be explicit about it." He offers in return. He glances down to her fork for a moment, as the center two tines begin to braid themselves together, before pulling back apart.
«That may be, and normally I would blow it off, but it was a rather simple question.» Tony glances down at his watch to see what the time is and mentally cross checks with his database to make sure that he's still got some time before he really has to get going. As the others talk he attempts to ninja what is left on Al's plate and that is how he sees the fork tines braid then undo themselves. "Hmm, definitely an interesting talent."
Alessia rolls her eyes, pushing over her mostly empty plate. "Ya know, Ah pick out what Ah want in the hopes of being able to eat it myself." Said to Tony, before she's looking then at the fork, then at Erik. "Right then. That school."
Erik nods. "That school, as you probably could have guessed. But thank you for not simply going for it." Erik says to Alessia. "I'm not sure I could have fully stopped you; there is only so much training you can have if you're not one, after all."
Success! A clearly victorious Stark pops a bite of food into his mouth and watches the others. "I am once again left out of the loop but I'm not concerned." Nope, he's busy with this vegetarian dish that isn't half bad at that. «Thought it was more along the lines of whatever you order you know I'm going to eventually steal some of.» Tony sips at his coffee then points a finger at neither of them in particular, "That school? Riiight, I was over there the other night. Might have seen my Ferrari. If that is the school we're all not mentioning by name which is rather ridiculous all things considered, and not to mention that we're the only people on this side of the cafe as it is." Yes, all of that was spoken as one long unbroken sentence.
The redhead stills. "Ah don't do that, unless there's a good reason. It's rude, otherwise. " Tony gets elbowed. "Shush. He doesn't /have/ to name it."
Erik chuckles to Tony. "Are you telling me, Mr. Stark, that if you wanted to hear something from several blocks away you would have no way of doing it? Yes, we're all creating inferences, but nothing anyone could act on; after all, it isn't paranoia if they are genuinely out to get you." He says amusedly. "Besides, I couldn't counter electronic surveillance without blowing out all of our cellphones, again, and I just got one I really like."
Tony covers up his side with a hand even though he's not remotely hurt but he is in a rather playful mood today. "Hey, you were the one that wanted to press the matter remember?" To Erik he nods in understanding but offers up, "Not that running around a subject is any less obvious, hmm?" As Tony has no cell phone to speak of he's not concerned but it does point out that he was right all along and that makes him preen a bit. "I'll have to perhaps show you what I'm capable of one day when there are spies about. BUT, if you do teach there do you have an update on Mr. Fegenbush by chance?"
"Ah suspected, an' he knew Ah did. Pay attention, Stark." Al says playfully, sipping at her chai.
Erik mms. "Yes, but legally there is a distinction between having implied it, and an implication is a far thing from an admission in the eyes of the law. At the most we've only created a rebuttable assumption of my employment at the place in question." He explains dryly. "Speaking of which, I do bill two hundred dollars per hour, and round up." He sighs slightly. "I believe Theo is getting better."
Tony has clearly not had enough coffee to keep up with this conversation. Nor is he a big fan of legal /anything/ but he does try to abide by the law for the most part. "Glad to hear that Theo is doing better. I may stop by again sometime this week but I'll call ahead this time. Landing on their front lawn didn't go over very well with the management." Tony sets his coffee down, and picks at the remainder of things on Al's plate. "You're a lawyer on top of being a teacher? Oh dear."
Alessia sighs, shaking her head at Tony. "Double threat. Teach ya 'bout the law, then spank ya with it."
Erik chuckles. "I got my degrees for law before I began teaching. Constitutional law, specializing in mutant civil rights." He says with a smile. "And yes, if the school offered a Faculty of Law, I would jump on it. And yes…the management of the school is notoriously humorless."
Tony snickers before he's able to stop himself. He hasn't met the Headmaster yet but he knows enough people over there that Leif's comment amuses him. "I specialize in getting into trouble. I've got an entire floor in the Towers dedicated to handle my legal entanglements if you can believe that." Though in all truth the trouble seems to find him more than he seeks it out but always there was a legal ramification to go with it. "Like I said, feel free to stop by the Towers. The weekend seems to be quiet but I can't guarantee that the week will be. I tend to get killer robots on Tuesdays and sand people midweek."
Alessia looks unamused at Tony's discussion of his week. "Or, ya know, ya could call from the lobby an' make sure he's not busy."
Erik mms. "Well, the killer robots I could help with. Those are something of a specialty. The sand people I'm not quite so helpful with besides generally; silica doesn't really fall within my boundaries."
A smile twitches at the corner of Tonys lips but doesn't fully materialize. "It's a busy place with some of the strangest things happening on a daily basis but she's right. Stop by the desk at the lobby and they'll call to see if I'm even there. I tend to vanish quite a bit." Tony takes hold of his coffee again and trails his hand along Al's arm, «Got to go before I'm flayed alive by Pepper.» To Leif, "If you'll excuse us, I've got to get to that meeting I mentioned earlier."
Alessia smiles, sliding out of booth to her feet. "Ah'm sure Ah'll see ya around, Mister Anderson. Enjoy your tea."
Erik gives a nod. "A pleasure to meet the both of you as well." He says, leaning back as he reaches for a paper.
Stark waves to those that work at the cafe that know him, and walks with Al out of the cafe towards the car. "That didn't go too bad, but there may not be anything left of me in about five minutes. Good thing I stole the rest of your food, as it may be my last meal as it were." He opens the passenger door for AL then slips into the car firing up the systems.
"You are so over dramatic." Al mutters to Tony, buckling up because she knows how he drives!
Tony smirks as only he can and the car can be seen from where Erik is sitting. It lifts off the ground and Tony pushes the horn, and follows it with a quick wave towards Erik before the car lifts up out of sight heading towards the Towers.
