Players:
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Summary: A typical Monday morning begins and around lunchtime a rather unique group of people meet at a mutant friendly cafe.
Date: June 28. 2010
Log Title Lunch Meetings
Rating: PG-13
NYC- Stark Towers - Personal Residence and nearby cafe.
About mid day on a Monday Stark Towers seemed a bustle of meetings. The only one not tied down in the minutia of the corporate world was Stark himself. Instead the CEO of Stark Enterprises was in his apartment tinkering with the Avenger communication system. His runner from the 20th floor had been kind enough to hit a grocery store for him but in Tony's world there was no time to spare for such trivial things as eating. No, he would remain on the couch working on the communications network in his favorite jeans and t-shirt.
She was not the runner sent to the grocery store, but she does come up to his personal floor instead, bearing said groceries. She clears her throat as she heads for the kitchen, keeping her eyes down. "Are you actually gonna attempt to cook somethin', Tony?" She's dressed in black slacks and a proper button down, red hair loose over her shoulders.
Tony doesn't glance up from the current screen he's staring at but he does hear Alessia as she walks past him. "Me? I thought I covered that I can't cook. With the traffic I have going through here these days I figured someone would raid my kitchen and offer me something. Not sure if I want that particular person to be Kaji. Don't think it'd be edible."
"If ya wanted, Ah could give ya some lessons. Basic stuff. Pasta, for instance, is kinda hard to muck up." The redhead moves to put things away as they should be, chuckling. "It was why Ah took over for the runner, actually. To see if ya were hungry, for one, and if ya wanted to learn, for two. Ah mean really, ya can invent all manner of amazin' things. Cooking shouldn't be that hard."
“The two disciplines do not, unfortunately, work well together." Tony sets his things down on the glass table in front of the couch. He leaves the couch to come over and into the kitchen, probably getting in the way of Alessia putting things away. "I'm sure I could prove you wrong but I'm willing to give it a go. Worst thing that could happen is you get half crunchy and half floppy noodles."
There's a hint of a flush to Alessia's cheeks when Tony joins her, and she has to shift to work around him. "Well, you're good with math. Ah've heard stictly followin' receipes works, yanno. Half cup of this, tablespoon of that…it's not how /Ah/ cook, but it can be done." She finishes putting things away, looking up at him. "What would you like to eat? Or am Ah giving ya your first impromptu lesson?"
"As I don't know what got put away, surprise me!" Tony smiles as he finds a corner where the counter tops meet to stick himself in. "I could measure out ingredients. That might be about as much as I'm capable of doing. I think I could actually burn water if I tried."
"Ya could burn water if ya walked away from it, but if you're there payin' attention, it's not that hard. Honest." Al smiles, moving to get a box of angel hair down, before she's pausing. "Butter an' garlic or regular pasta sauce? Ah don't know your palatte yet."
Tony clears his throat slightly. "Alessia, you realize my attention span is non existent. You do, don't you? I thought it was common knowledge. I've been known to play Farmville during stock holder meetings." He looks at the things she is pulling out of the once barren cabinets. "I prefer the garlic to anything else."
Al pauses in filling a pan with water, adding a pinch of salt. "But Ah'm sure those meetin's are boring. Cooking is interestin'. Fire and heat, an' ya get food out of it." She teases, getting out another pan. "My homemade pasta sauce has plenty of garlic.Never had ta worry about vampires, at least. An' those Facebook games are addictive." She's digging into the fridge now, humming.
Tony is sure that cooking may be interesting to some but he had yet to find anything other than building things that could keep him interested. Other than women, other than a woman cooking in his kitchen. Maybe cooking wasn't so bad after all? "What is my part in this? I don't want to steal your secret sauce recipe." He's waiting for him to slap him for ogling her instead of paying attention to the cooking lesson.
Alessia laughs, shaking her head. "No secret. That's my gumbo an' barbeque." A wink for him, perhaps not truly aware he's ogling. "Ah thought Ah'd be nice this time, an' just let ya watch. Ah didn't think to write anythin' down for ya to follow." Her hands come up as she backs away from the stove to tuck red hair behind her ears. "Spaghetti is somethin' Ah could do in my sleep."
"Somehow I don't think that's the best idea. The sleeping while cooking bit." Tony pushes away from the counter to come stand next to Alessia. "Do you have to stand here and watch over the stove for more than 5 minutes?" He does know that something like this would take time if not skill. "The truth is, I am always getting called off somewhere. If dinner doesn't exist from a carton or a microwave there's not much chance I'd be able to actually finish the preparation let alone eat it."
Alessia stills as he gets closer, though her expression is calm, bland as of yet. "So you're tellin' me that tryin' to teach ya anythin' is hopeless." A hint of a smile, as blue eyes look up to his face. "Looks like me makin' ya lots of stuff ya can keep in the freezer an' heat up would be my only option to try an' stop ya from eatin' so much take out ya keel over."
"I'm powered by Red bull and msg." He's only half teasing. Take out hasn't managed to kill him yet but he appreciates her wanting to spare him the horors of leftover orange chicken. "I can be helpful when I want to be," he mentions as he disapears out of the kitchen. After a few minutes he appears saying something in French, not knowing if she speaks French, and gently lifts her hair to place a tie around it. "I'd hate for you to have your hair end up in the pot. Its something that would happen to me if I had long hair."
"A little msg isn't gonna hurt ya." Al moves to stir angel hair into the boiling water, humming again as she gets to melting butter and adding some pre-diced garlic. And she's from Cajun country, French is her second language, though hers is somewhat bastardized at times. She freezes again as he ties her hair back for her, biting at the inner edge of her bottom lip. "Ah've always had long hair. Can't seem to make myself cut it." Admitted softly.
The elevator of the floor opens up with a ding, and out walks… a wolf? Seems Kaji's feeling lazy today as he just pads through the apartment. The new voice intrigues him as his ears perk up and the lupine pads over towards the kitchen. He looks up at Tony with an erf before he looks over at Alessia. Tilting his head a bit to show curiosity.
"It would be a sin to cut your hair off. That's just my personal opinion if you value it. That is, my opinion." Tony peers down at the stove to watch the proceedings. "Do I get to taste test during this experience or am I forced to wait till the finished product?" Tony hears the elevator doors open. He wasn't expecting someone to come up. He relaxes a bit when he sees Kaji standing across the way. What terrible timing his furry counterpart has. "It would appear that the garlic has attracted the wolf."
"So Ah've been told before, actually." Stirring pasta to keep it from sticking, checking on the butter and garlic being worked together to go over top of it. "Ya have to wait. Not much to test, right now." Blue eyes widen at the sight of the wolf, a glance at Tony. "Am Ah right to guess this is your bodyguard, then?"
The wolf backs up a bit and then does a sort of bow that horses do when commanded. Except, Kaji just does it to say hello to show he ain't no normal wolf. He sits back down and looks up at Tony, his tongue sticking out at the man before he looks back over at Alessia.
"He is. Pay him no mind as he's still mad at me for leaving him in the Bahamas." Tony finds a spot in the kitchen that's out of the way of Alessia but allows him to glare at Kaji effectively.
"Hey there." Al says to the wolf, because…well, what else is she supposed to do? "Oh dear. Left in the Bahamas. Such a horrible fate." There is sarcasm heavily flowing through those words, as the redhead moves to get a colander to strain the pasta, humming under her breath again. She is oblivious, or at least seems to be, to the glaring going on.
Kaji lets out huff of air before he strolls into spare room, glaring back at Tony for a last second before he vanishes behind that wall. There's a moment of silence from his part of the conversation before he strolls back out, as an anthro wolf in just shorts at the moment. "Hey to yourself."
The information doesn't appear to be forthcoming from Tony. Instead he remains leaned up against the edge of the counter. When he notices that Alessia is reaching for something he turns to pull it down for her. "I have this unspoken rule that when I manage to get to the airport the plane takes off, as I'm normally several hours fashionably late as it is."
Whether or not being done for irritates the little redhead, it doesn't show as she murmurs a thanks, setting the colander into the sink. "Ah see. Though really, worse places to get left than the Bahamas." A last stir of angel hair before it's being strained, Al turning her face to keep it out of the steam. A look to Kaji, a hint of a smile. "Hi. Ah'm Alessia, Tony's hired me to help with Security."
Kaji nods his head with a smile towards the woman. "And I'm sure Tony's told you about me. But, I'm Kaji." He looks over at Tony with a smirk, "Ya shouldn't've left when ya did." Then he quirks a brow over at Alessia and says, "Oh, he did eh?"
Tony really shouldn't take the bait that Kaji has set. He figures that he can only resist asking for so long before he must know what befell the poor wolf left stranded in a tropical paradise. "Enlighten me, Kaji. Last time I saw you, you were being carted off by a blonde something or another." Tony begins searching the kitchen for plates. He's sure there are some even if he hasn't actually used any before.
"Nice to meet you, then." Al moves to take the butter and garlic off the stove, swirling the contents carefully. Once tony gets plates down, she'll start putting angel hair on his plate until he signals her to stop. There's a long look at Kaji, blue eyes steady. "Yes, he did. Ah was sent over by the NYPD."
Kaji can only chuckle as he walks over towards the bar, leaning down on it as he says, "Oh. The blond had a good mob of friends." He leaves it at that before he looks over at Alessia and smiles. "Ah, I see." He looks over at Tony, arching a brow with a grin.
Tony places two plates down on the bar and reluctantly sets out one for Kaji as well. "I'm not believing that unless I see pictures." He doesn't wait to see Kaji's expression as he's now searching out glasses. "Or video, bonus points for that." With three glasses in hand he manages to open the fridge and pull something out to drink. A foot kicks the fridge door closed as he sets the items down on the bar. "Oh, I'm good with that," he tells Alessia as he notices she's piled up quite a bit of pasta on one plate.
Alessia ignores talk of blondes, pictures, and video, as she ceases to pile tony's plate with pasta. Instead putting a good bit of butter and garlic over the top of it, before starting to fill another plate with pasta. "Say when, Kaji." He's a guy, she's assuming he's going to want to eat.
Kaji waves a hand over at Tony, meaning 'later' before he looks over at the redhead. "That's good." Less than Tony, but he doesn't want to eat that much. "So, why'd the NYPD send you over to Tony for help with security?
Tony has settled in at the bar on the kitchen side. He would explain if it weren't for the fact that he was too busy eating to bring up that he sought out the NYPD not that the NYPD had offered their assistance to him or his company. There were also a host of things that Kaji had missed in the last week that would no doubt get him killed, so Tony was enjoying his final meal on Earth.
Alessia puts some of the butter and garlic over Kaji's pasta before the plate is handed over. Her own plate of pasta looks pathetic next to the piles the guys got. "Because he sent them a letter asking them to screen potential people to help with security, after the previous team failed to stop someone from marching right on up into Mister Stark's conference room. They sent me over, and Tony decided to hire me."
Kaji blinks a bit as he listens to Alessia before he looks over at Tony. He clicks his tongue a bit before he looks around for a moment. He holds the fork in his mouth before he picks up a spoon and hurls it at Tony. Then he just goes back to eating his food. Shifting does take some energy ya know.
Tony glares daggers at Kaji. Thankfully for the wolf the mans mouth is stuffed with pasta. At least Kaji had the sense not to actually berate him for the obvious. Others would without even blinking, and the venom would be impressive. "Her record is exceptional, and we have an understanding. Also, she makes a mean pasta. This is incredible."
Alessia arches an eyebrow at Kaji for throwing that spoon. Then eyes slide to Tony, questioning the fact perhaps that he's not telling his bodyguard part of the 'understanding'.
Kaji looks over at Tony, as he's already halfway finished with his food before he swallows. "I agree. The pasta is incredible." The mention of her record is noted as he takes another bite before he looks over at Alessia at the brow arch and blinks at her. Voicelessly asking 'what?'.
Tony quirks an eyebrow for no particularly obvious reason. "Excuse me a moment." He's oblivous to Alessia's expression as he's standing next to her. He doesn't leave the kitchen but if one paid close enough attention to Tony they'd notice he was looking thoughtful. A message had been sent to him that Chamber was stopping off at a cafe in town and would like to have a word with him. It made him mentally chuckle, and even cringe that he'd have to go out into the city. "I've been invited to a cafe near here. Would the two of you like to come along? Well mainly I'm asking Alessia. Kaji, you have to come."
"Ah wasn't aware throwing spoons was a job perk." Al drawls with a warmth of humor to her voice before she's having more pasta. "This is nothin', wait until Ah actually cook somethin' worth it." Her head turns to look at Tony. "If you want me to, and Kaji's…toes wouldn't feel stepped on."
Kaji shrugs a bit as he finishes his pasta. "Depends. Mutant town or no? I mean, I could go to either. The former answer would mean I wouldn't really need to change." He looks over at Alessia and smiles. "The pasta was wonderful." He puts the dishes down upon the counter before he looks back at Tony.
"I don't want a repeat of a few weeks back," Tony holds up his hand to cut off whatever Kaji was about to say. "I know you know better now. I merely want to avoid any more drama. I've had about one night out in 2 months that hasn't ended up with someone bleeding." Tony casts a glance across his shoulder at Alessia. He had thought she might want to come along but if she was really only putting up with him because he was her boss he wouldn't force her to come along let alone withstand his flirting. He could be professional when he had to be!
"Do Ah dare ask what happened a few weeks back?" Al asks, moving to put her empty plate in the sink, a hand checking her lower back, a faint dark shape there that should be easily recognizable as a gun. "Mutant town is fine by me, if it matters." A glance at Kaji. "Since Tony isn't telling you, Ah will. Ah am one."
Kaji lets out a laugh. "Got drunk at a non-mutant friendly bar. Shifted. Bad things happened." He looks over at Tony before he nods. "Well, let me go find some actual clothes to put on. That spare change still in the guest room?"
Tony nods in reply to Kaji's question. "It was a place near to Mutant friendly locations. I figure the volatile people there and the fact that everyone seemed to be imbibing too many drinks…you get the picture." Tony sends another message out to Chamber as to his eta at the cafe. There was also a side note that he would probably be driving a silver Mercedes SUV.
Alessia shakes her head. "Yeah, Ah can see why that wouldn't go so well. Thankfully, Ah get drunk, Ah don't do anything obvious. It's just not that pretty for me." She tugs that tie out of her hair, offering it to Tony with a murmured thank you in French.
Considering it's an hour drive from Westchester, he's been traveling a while.. The reply text assures that he'll be there in fifteen minutes or so depending on traffic. Jonothon doesn't have any special means of travel that are actually fast. He's got to do things the old fashioned way.
Kaji heads over towards the spare room, his tail swishing in contentment before he slips into some normal clothes. The anthro coming back out as a human in some nice street clothes. He's been shopping lately. "I didn't know that the NYPD had mutants on the force." He looks over at Tony and says, "Still say sorry." Then his glance shifts to Alessia and he ask, "What're your powers?"
"De rien," Tony says softly as he pockets the hair tie. There was no sense in walking all the way to the other room to put it back in a drawer. "I didn't mention that she was a mutant because it was her place not mine." Tony wanders off for a moment to find his wallet.
"No one on the force knew about me, might be the reason." Alessia says, running hands through the long red strands, before she's checking the gun tucked at her ankle. "Ah'm a psychic. Empathy an' telepathy."
Kaji ahs softly and then watches Tony for a bit. "Well, I'm ready. How about you two." He slips his hands into his pockets and hms a bit as he waits. A slight rock on his heels as well.
Having found his wallet Tony announces that he's got everything they need to get the show on the road. He's unaware that he may have interrupted a conversation between Kaji and Alessia about her mutation. They take the elevator down into the parking garage beneath the office building.He shows the pair to an SUV that is parked in a cornered off part of the parking garage. With a mental command from Tony the doors to the SUV pop open. "If we somehow end up attacked by aliens or someone pelts us with pastries, I'm all ready saying its not my fault." He hops into the drivers seat of the SUV and waits for the others to climb in.
Alessia didn't have much else to say, falling in behind Tony to get into the SUV. "Ah'm sure ya always say it's not your fault." Seated, buckled up, before she's tucking hair behind her ear. If she's at all nervous at her first outdoor excursion with her new boss, it doesn't show on the surface.
Kaji climbs up into the front seat, buckling in before he says, "It's true. He always says it." He looks back at Alessia with a smirk before he looks over at Tony. "Though I think you'd like the pastry one."
"I don't mind when the desert comes to me," Tony comments as the SUV's engine kicks on. "We may need to push two tables together. I don't think Jono was expecting me to bring an entourage." He notices that everyone is buckled in and pulls out of the parking space. He tosses a wave at one of the garage attendants on the way out of the structure. The drive over to the cafe is uneventful, and for the sake of everyone in Starks car they didn't have to suffer through his normal weaving through New York traffic.
"Two people isn't exactly an entourage." Alessia says dryly, a glance to Kaji, a hint of a smile. She doesn't know she should be thrilled at Tony's lack of weaving through traffic. "Have you been to this cafe before?"
Kaji lets out a soft hum. "I don't know. I'm going to have to see it to see if I have or not." He looks over at Tony and laughs. "So, five people for you is a mob?"
Jonothon is already there by the time people arrive, but by mere moments. In fact he's easily over looked.. excepting for perhaps by Alessia. A thin man wearing all black in the middle of summer. Including a leather jacket. Now, for the other telepath in the room, the Brit has a distressingly large psy field. It's not that he's doing anything. He's not reading minds, trying to hurt anyone, or manipulating anyone.. he's just far, far larger than his physical body would suggest. Is looking at his cell phone, frowning somewhat at the display. No, a text from someone else, and he decides to ignore it.
Walking through the cafe door as if he's a conquering Roman Cesar is Tony Stark. He's still wearing jeans, t-shirt, and a pair of dark sunglasses. "I'm sure by the time we get settled in, the table will reach capacity." He notices that Jono has arrived ahead of him and catches the mans attention with an amusing text message. "Anyone see a corner spot?" He asks mainly out of self preservation. If he's tucked away in a corner it would be less likely that a crowd of people would stop by the table.
Robin is also already at the cafe, standing at the counter and placing her order while her blue humanoid puppet, Blank (which, to the telepaths, looks almost like a psychic echo of Robin's mind), receives stares from other occupants of the place. "Um, just a small mocha. And maybe a cookie? That cookie…" She glances behind herself, adjusting her glasses slightly and not wanting to hold up the line, "Um, yeah, that will be all."
Alessia finds her steps pausing, and Jono might feel a tentative sort of poking, like a kid the first time they see a really big bubble. The redhead has managed to not really run into anyone else like her before, at least not to such a level…this? Yeah, kid seeing something shiny. "Sure, Han Solo. Right hand side, in the back."
Kaji hms a bit as he looks around the cafe. "Yeah, I've been here before." He nods a bit after talking to himself before he chuckles at Alessia's comment. He starts to head towards that table she spotted, trying to get Tony over there before that crowd would be able to form.
The auburn head lifts at Alessia's poking. Oh yes, he's like her in many ways. Jonothon frowns to her, picking her out. No anger though, and instead he's curious. Eh? What? He tucks his phone away as his gaze shifts to Tony. There's only a lifted hand in greeting though. In as much as the logo on his shirt has changed, the Brit is wearing exactly what he was the day before. And then he notices Robin. A bit of surprise there, but there's no protest. Summer, she can be down in the city if she wants. «I got a table over there.» A motion to it. Not quite the back, but close? His voice is strange, but there's a clear British accent to it.
"Well, Kaji is after all, a walking carpet. I've told him so numerous times," Tony mentions off handedly to Alessia as they wind their way over to a the table Kaji spotted. Hopefully Jono gets the idea of where they are heading. When they reach the table Tony immediately takes the chair closest to he wall. A cafe attendant comes over to the table with an overly happy bounce to her personality. "Oh my gawd, Tony Stark? In our cafe??!?!" Tony leans back in his chair. "Afraid not dear, I just happen to look like him." He watches her joyful mood fall from about her as she asks everyone if she can start something for them.
"Just so long as ya don't want me to kiss my brother." Al nudges the attendant's mood back in a happy direction, as she takes a seat, shifting to keep most of the cafe, and Tony, in her view. She orders some ridiculous drink with several flavor shots and espresso shots in it, a slide of a look to Tony. "Wish Ah'd known we were meetin' up with another psychic." Not that it would have helped. She's fairly well shielded, but curiosity is hard to contain.
Robin turns her head towards Jonothon as she hears his voice and she says, "Oh, hi, Jono. Thanks." After he catches her attention, she pays a bit more mind to the surroundings, both her and Blank looking around in synch with each other. "Oh, is that Tony Stark?" she whispers to her old squad leader, as she adjusts her glasses "That's pretty crazy."
Kaji glances back at Tony with a smirk. "Walking carpet? Riiiight." He glances over at the two other ones, before he looks over at Jono as he speaks. "Guess he found us a table. … Is that the guy we're meeting with?" The question is posed towards Tony before he looks back over at Jono.
Jonothon orders nothing, but he does seem to be trying to snag a Robin. «Come sit with us?» The Brit asks her. There's a smile as she whispers and a nod, «Just keep it quiet, eh? Come on, gel, let's meet the man. Don't forget your drink..» With that Jono heads to the table, pulling over an extra chair for Robin. Eyes Alessia with curiosity, but isn't at all trying to get into her head. Even his telepathic speach is a general broadcast and not a mental invasion. Very easy to block out. Since Tony is distracted he offers to Alessia and Kaji, «My name is Jonothon Starsmore, and this is Robin.»
Tony waits for the attendant to make her way around the table till she is ready for his order. He orders something that has considerable espresso shots and several of their sugar crusted pastries. As she walks off he notices Jono has arrived with a young woman he is unfamiliar with. "Hello," he greets the young woman with Jono before shifting his gaze to Jono. "Sorry if I forgot to mention I was bringing a few people with me. I hope you don't mind."
Alessia can't help her fascination, though she doesn't stare at the brit. There's a nod and a murmured hello for Jono and Robin both, before she's glancing back to the other psionic. "Ah'm Alessia Fiore.Pleasure to meet you."
Robin grabs her drink and cookie quickly and she chimes in once seated, "Robin Keen, it's nice to meet you all," placing her order on the table. Her puppet follows after her, looming behind her chair and featurelessly staring at the other occupants of the table.
Kaji looks over at Jono and blinks a bit. Having not been talked to by a telepath before he gives a wave. "I'm Kaji Aldewolf." He looks over at Robin and smiles, giving her a nod before he sits down at an empty chair. Not really hungry or thirsty, but that's for now.
«It's no trouble.» The extra people he means. «This isn't exactly the setting for what I wanted to ask, but that certainly isn't the end of the world.» Jonothon shrugs. His mouth does move as he speaks, and yet there's no sound for it. In fact he doesn't breath, doesn't have a heart beat, and his scent is faint. «I was wondering if I could get your help with something. And no, it's neither money, nor tech.» There's a smirk there. Considering what he has access to at home, the Brit doesn't need Tony's fancy toys. «I've found some troubling things concerning the attacks on mutant town. Someone's finding multiple groups to go out and hunt mutants. It's their technology that worries me though. You have means of tracking down such information that I couldn't come close to.»
Tony has the feeling that Jono had just said quite a bit as he looks about the table to gauge the reactions of everyone present. He waits as the cafe attendant drops off everyone's ordered items before he sends a txt over to Jono. /I need to really work on a better way to communicate with you. I have no idea what everyone just heard./ He frowns at Jono. He suddenly doesn't feel all that hungry and pushes his plate of pastries over towards Robin. "Have at 'em." He smiles to her.
Tony shouldn't be hungry, with the big plate of pasta he'd just been fed! Al sips at her coffee, keeping silent verbally, though her shields thin a bit more, still curious about Jono.
Robin waves her hands in the air in front of her, "Ohhh, thank you, but no thank you." She gestures towards the cookie she already has, grabbing her glasses by the painted lens and shifting them slightly for comfort. "I should work on my own food, first." She does eye the pastries, though, and then the cookie previously purchased.
Kaji just settles in his seat, watching the people walk by. The people inside and the people outside as well. "Least it's a good day today." Just making idle conversation.
Jonothon's phone buzzes in his pocket and he pulls it out to look at it. There's a blink of surprise as it was from Tony, and he looks to the man incredulously. Not because of the telepathy issue, but because Tony sent a message without typing. That's when the bulb goes on over his head and he touches his collar bone. The comm there. The reply is typed out on his phone, the Brit ignoring people a moment, /Can you link with my comm? It can translate my telepathic speech into data./ As for Alessia, he really doesn't at all try for her mind. That's rude! In fact the man almost never links with people. Just does a general broadcast. Doesn't mean he isn't noticing the attention though, and as he types he eyes her. Mostly in amusement. «You can ask questions you know.» Then, «Robin, just save it for later then.» To the girl with her puppet.
Alessia isn't trying to read his mind! Really! It's more sort of fragile feeling along the edges curious as if about a breakable work of art. She blushes, eyes lowering a moment before she's back to watching the crowd, doing her job. « Ah've never met…before. ».
Tony nods to Jono before going about making the proper connections so that he will be able to communicate with the X-Man's comm unit. /I hate to have you repeat things, again, but I'm still in the dark over here. Why in the hell am I thinking at you?!?!/ If text could read exasperation, the last message would sound that way. "Sorry, I have fixed our minor problem." He knows no one at the table will have picked up on it and its quite embarrassing. Stupid psi blocks are turning out to be causing more harm than being useful.
Robin nods at Jono and she wraps up her cookie in a napkin, instead opting for one of the offered pastries. She looks quickly between Tony and Jono, her brow raising slightly. "Umm, did I miss something?"
.
Kaji glances over at the conversation that seems to be happening on another plane of existence entirely before he says, "… What." Of course, he heard it. But he didn't pay attention as it seemed it was directed at Tony.
/It's alright. I've learned to live without a lot of things in my life. What's one more?/ A smirk there from Jonothon. Why is Tony thinking at him? /That's what telepaths do, remember?/ Get thought at. And with that he repeats what he said about asking Tony to try and track down that money and tech. For Alessia, the Brit tilts his head, tucking his phone away. His words for her are private, «It's alright. Can be disconcerting I know.» Meeting another telepath. «Mr Stark can't hear me.» Said with amusement to Robin's question.
The fact that there might be multiple groups of mutant hunters running around the city unsettles Tony enough. The fact that they may be utilizing tech to accomplish their gains only makes the situation worse. "I will look into it, further." He had all ready been keeping tabs on the situation in general. "I apologized because I am not a telepath. I simply slipped into conversing with you via your communications device instead of like this." He knows that the likelihood of him confusing the rest of the table is possible. He changes subjects quickly by asking Robin if she attended Xaviers.
Alessia sips her coffee, eyes still on the move. « Just a touch. Ah'm not used to anyone else knowing about me, either. » There's a brief smile shared with Jono, before she's looking away again.
Furrowing her brows slightly at the discussion, clearly baffled by what's going on due to secret conversations happening, Robin nods at Jonothon, "Ohh," she says after a moment's hesitation, even though her puppet still acts confused, betraying her actual emotional state. She takes a bite from her pastry and mid-chew processes that Tony asked her a question. Her eyes widen slightly and she says a bit awkwardly, "Ohh, um, yes. Sorry, you caught me off guard. That's not something I'm usually asked."
Kaji ahs softly at Tony's explanation before he goes back to people watching. He's keeping an ear out for questions pertained to him, but it's really between Tony and Jono for this meeting.
If Jonothon could snort, he would. /For so smart a bloke, you are a bloody idiot./ But he doesn't explain it, and he means it as a joke. Of course only Tony can hear that reply. His attention is drawn to Alessia in full however, and he frowns at her and says privately, «Gel, you touched me first.» He's puzzled by that comment, not angry. «I wouldn't have known if you hadn't.» Honest that, for the Brit keeps out of other people's heads as much as possible. Too much to be honest. «I'm sorry, but now I'm confused.» Doesn't hurt to admit that. Then to Robin, again, more public, «It's not trouble, Robin. At least, you're no trouble. That Mr Stark can't hear me is a problem however. I think we solved it though.»
"I'm sorry if I've put you on the spot. I simply assumed that you might attend the school that Jono is affiliated with." Tony sincerely apologizes if he has put Robin on the spot. He's also very curious about the thing that's near her. He's not quite sure what to make of it. He notices that his normally talkative bodyguard is remaining silent. He wonders if Kaji is actually pissed at him for leaving him behind in the Bahamas. He did send the jet back, eventually.
Al looks at Jono again, brows arched, « It was sort of instinctual, Ah'd never felt anything quite like it before, and then boom…Ah wouldn't know if Ah could keep everything contained enough in my head to pass undetected or not. »
"Oh, no, there's no need to apologize. I was just surprised! People don't really know to ask that question, but I guess if you know Jono…" She shrugs and takes a sip of her mocha, glancing between Alessia and Kaji and then back at Tony. "But yes, I've attended Xavier's."
Kaji isn't pissed, he just isn't that talkative at the moment as he's kind of not all here. Seems he's just having an off day before he looks back at the conversation and catches Robin looking at him for a second. "Don't worry. We're with him." He looks over at Tony and says, "Sir, I'm going to have to leave you in the hands of Alessia. He stands up, and walks over around to Tony, whispering into his ear before he heads out of the cafe.
Jonothon does add through the comm, /I'll send you what little information I have on the shootings./ Tony can decide whether or not to do anything about it. The Brit will take whatever he can get. He answers Robin before Alessia. «Dr McCoy is an Avenger, Robin. Mr Stark has worked with McCoy for years, and knows about the school. Probably more than you do.» A little smirk for that. Meaning? It's okay to speak a little of it here. Jono trusts Robin not to go too far.
After that he looks back to Alessia. Again, his words to her are private. «That may be an issue with others, but not me.» Jono claims. «I shut out most everything excepting for basic speech. I'm mute physically, so it's the only way I have to talk. I swear, I won't be reading your mind, or taking things you aren't willing to share.» Can't give her more than that. He stops there, watching Kaji leave.
"I haven't been over there in a long time. I may have to stop by soon." Tony takes to sipping at his coffee before it winds up cold. When Kaji announces he has to leave concern flares up rather dramatically in Tony. The whisper to him confirms his feelings. He would check in on Kaji later to make sure his friend is all right. Tony fidgets in the sudden silence, and busies himself with one of the uneaten pastries near Robin.
Alessia looks up at Kaji, then at Tony as she feels that flare in his emotions. "Trial by fire, is it?" She murmurs to Tony, as she breaks off a piece of pastry to nibble on. Eyes track back to Jono, a smile « Well, let's hope Ah meet any of these others, Ah can keep them out, huh? Not that there's much in my mind that would make for an interesting read. »
"Please do!" says Robin, smiling slightly. She sips from her mocha and crosses one leg over the other under the table, careful so not to bump it. "I guess I wasn't thinking of Dr. McCoy being an Avenger. I don't think I'd be really well suited to the whole Avengers thing, myself, but that would be neat."
/I'm sure Hank will enjoy seeing you./ About visiting the school. Jonothon's attention doesn't linger on either Tony or Kaji long though, for this conversation with Alessia has proven interesting. Hasn't met too many telepaths either, for all he's probably met most the world's best. «I know we've just met, but would you like my number? Can't talk on the phone, but if you want to talk more, or just ask some questions, feel free.» Offering, then letting her decide. If she accepts, the man gives Alessia his phone number. Otherwise, he totally doesn't push it. «Heh.» For what Robin says. «You and me both, gel.» He doesn't think he'd be a good Avenger either.
The Brit soon rises to his feet. «I'm afraid I have to be going. Thank you for seeing me, Mr Stark.» Repeats this through the comm for the man, but doesn't want everyone cut out of his farewell. «It was good to meet you.» To Alessia. There's a smile to Robin and an assurance to see her later. «Cheers.»
There's not much hiding the flicker of interest and hope in blue eyes. She's always eager to learn more about what she is, the possibilities, accepting that phone number gratefully. « Ah'll do my best to not let questions wait so long you forget who Ah am. Thanks for not getting in an uproar at me bein' curious. It was nice to meet you, too. »
Tony sighs heavily, "Its neat for awhile until every day you wake up expecting the pizza man to bring you breakfast, and you wind up with a super villain trying to laser your hair off." There is a hint of a smile given to Robin that belies the serious tone he spoke with. "I would love to come over and annoy Hank, Charles, and the teaching staff. I will probably be punted off the property but I'll make sure to say hello before it gets that far." Tony is not concerned about being left at the cafe by his personal guard. Tony rises from the table, for manners sake, as Jono prepares to leave. "Anytime, Jono. I will keep in touch."
