I have seen the future, brother

[cutting_edgex23]

X slips her Security badge out of her pocket and pins it to her belt as she slips through the front door. It's been a long day at home, but a reasonably quiet one, and her shift tonight should be short.

She'll take it.

She stops by the bar to grab dinner (and messages), perusing two notes as she settles down with a bowl of sandwich and some soup.

Old favorites are the best, right?

Comments

[steelartisan]

Piotr often agrees. Which is why he often gets Russian food from Bar. It's comfort food of a sort, and she makes it better than most; it's hard to find good borscht at home without traveling into the city, and he's never managed to cook a version that tastes quite like his mother's.

So he's sitting at the bar right now, with a bowl of it and bread.

X gets a casual glance. And then, on its heels, a closer one.

[cutting_edgex23]

X's own gaze cuts to Piotr after a moment or two and she goes still.

Very still.

A moment later she's moving toward him, mouth curling up in a hesitant smile.

"Pete. I did not rememb--oh."

She pauses a few feet away, still half-smiling.

"Hello. It has been a long time."

X ages like Logan does. Which is to say 'not at all'.

[steelartisan]

Laura -- in his own time -- doesn't call him Pete. Nicknames are kind of a work in progress, much like jokes.

But Piotr has been an X-Man for eleven years. Some things, he catches onto fast.

(Of course, she could also be a clone, or another alternate version, or a shapeshifter, or about seventeen other things. But there's something of a tip-off in the words here, too.)

"Laura?"

[cutting_edgex23]

"Yes. The Bar is playing tricks again. With time."

She moves a few steps closer, expression gone serious.

"You do not mind?"

[steelartisan]

Piotr shakes his head. "No. I do not mind."

It's weird. And more than a little disconcerting. But that's kind of life as usual for both of them.

With half a smile, "It is good to see you well."

She's well, right?

[taishar_malkier]

He notices her, the instant he steps through the painting from the House of Arch. Of course he does.

The way of moving first, and the identity; after that the shorter hair, and then--

Now that's different.

[cutting_edgex23]

X's own gaze flicks to Lan mere moments after he enters the bar.

It does not take all that long for scent to travel, and some habits are (still) ingrained.

She smiles, small and crooked, and keeps her gaze locked on him. After a few moments she tilts her head, inviting his approach.

[taishar_malkier]

Well then.

(Her smile's new, too.)

His eyelids lower briefly in acquiescence, and he turns his steps her way.

[cutting_edgex23]

"Lan," she says, once he's approached near enough that she does not have to raise her voice.

"I do not think I am supposed to be here."

He's still coming in through the House of Arch.

And he does not look--

He does not look right.

[always-okay.livejournal.com]

He's busy doing something -- who the hell cares what -- but he twists in his seat as soon as he notices she's in.

Even if he's older now -- almost 30, Christ -- he still moves with the same supple grace he's always had.

Especially when that supple grace is what allows him to take up an excellent position for grabbing a handful of someone else's popcorn and tossing it in a clean arc right over her head and into her bowl of soup.

Oh yeah, baby. Still got it.

[cutting_edgex23]

X's gaze flicks to him a moment later, and her eyes narrow.

Then she moves toward him, setting down her tray of food.

"You will get me new soup."

Beat.

"I am not the one that likes popcorn."

[always-okay.livejournal.com]

"Hey, don't be such a fussbudget." He pops a few kernels and catches them midair, grinning as he chews. "There are children in Terminal City who would go wild for a gift from the sky like that."

He slouches back in his seat, easygoing in his worn leather jacket. "That's not actually true. I'm way better to TC than that. But you've got to admit, it's a compelling reason not to get your feathers all ruffled."

[cutting_edgex23]

"I do not have feathers."

X's deadpan is still very good.

"And you can have my soup."

She pushes it over to him, flagging down a waitrat.

"Even transgenics cannot survive on popcorn."

Beat.

"The hulls are annoying."

[mitt-mittson.livejournal.com]

Cue a ten year old draining his milkshake, and looking at her critically.

"Hey, lady. Should I know y'or something?"

[cutting_edgex23]

X looks at him. It's not her best quelling look, but it's more deadpan than, perhaps, he deserves.

"I do not know if that is relevant."

She smiles, very slightly.

"You should try harder to place people. It is a useful skill."

[mitt-mittson.livejournal.com]

Cue long, thoughtful glare. "I should know lotsa people. I've been comin' here for a long time, but not all that much, y'know? And if yer extwennythree that's really flaming confusing. Y'got y'hair cut."

And, like. Aged. He doesn't sound quite like he approves.

[cutting_edgex23]

"That is me, Mitt."

She smiles slightly.

"But I have stopped looking older. We checked."

[maxwellsdemon02]

By the fire, someone is mostly sprawled out on one of the couches.

Duo is reading a battered paperback with a skeptical expression on his face. When you're actually in possession of easily accessible inter-colony flights, sci-fi can be a little weird. Despite how good the characterization is.

Anyway, he's not paying much attention.

[cutting_edgex23]

X's attention slides to him and holds.

For a moment she looks startled, but it passes.

Then she approaches, footsteps silent against the floorboards.

And when she's several feet away--

"I did not know you liked tentacle porn."

[maxwellsdemon02]

"Unless someone's changed the cover on me, there's no way you could tell if this had tentacle porn in it or not. And since when did-"

That's when he looks up.

And blinks.

"Uh."

[cutting_edgex23]

X smiles, ignoring the fact that a curl of dark hair has fallen across her eyes.

"Duo. Hello."

Beat.

"It has been a while."

She--is she teasing?

The answer is probably yes.

[director_global]

Coffee at hand, he's perusing what appears to be some sort of schematic. Evidently it's intriguing and not a problem to be resolved, as he looks relaxed.

[cutting_edgex23]

X does not smile when she sees him. She does, however, study him in silence for a moment.

Then two.

And then she stands and approaches.

"Doctor Stark."

Beat.

"Hello."

She looks older--maybe in her early twenties. And her hair is short. But there may be enough resemblance, especially in how she carries herself, to make her look familiar.

[director_global]

Just enough, indeed, and Nathan Stark's eyes narrow slightly as he studies her.

"It's Laura, isn't it?"

[cutting_edgex23]

"Yes."

Her reply is prompt.

"Laura Kinney."

She pauses.

"I will not hit you this time, either."