2013.04.23 - Coffee Shop Interlude

Erik and Olena are sitting in one of the quieter restaurants in New York- it's a quiet place, suitable for quiet conversations that one doesn't necessarily want overheard. A handful of young mutants- some of whom are still in their teens- are loitering nearby. Clearly not a part of the conversation, they still are trying to look worldly and unconcerned. 
"Have you considered returning to school, my friend?" Erik asks Olena, sipping delicately from a tiny cup of espresso. "Education is, after all, the pursuit of a lifetime. You might discover talents you never knew you possessed," Erik encourages the young woman across from him.
Olena is pleased, really, to be seated with pan Lehnsherr, who is quickly becoming something of an unofficial mentor to the young woman. No, she doesn't actively presume upon him, but she's happy to take what time he's willing to spare. At his question, her head cants slightly. "Return to school?" she echoes. The thought brings a squint to her eyes, and a wry smile to her lips. "Can I do that?" The idea apparently interests her. She had put away so many of her dreams. But, this man makes anything seem possible to her. "In Ukraine I study science." A beat. "Before." The single word encompasses the whole sum of her miserable experience between those halcyon days and these days of renewal.
Pepper Potts is busy having a conversation on her phone as she enters the restaurant, but out of deference to the staff and patrons, she ends the call quickly and steps toward the hostess. "Hello. I'm here to pick up a to-go order under the name Potts."
Magneto glances up, once, as Pepper enters. "Of course you can," he nods at Olena, ice blue eyes turning to the Ukrainian refugee. "There are community colleges, correspondence courses- and I'm certainly willing to tutor you on occassion, if you need extra aid with your coursework." Almost delicately, he sips the espresso. "I have long been a proponent of the assertion that knowledge is power- ergo, the accumulation of knowledge is the accumulation of power." He spreads rawboned hands, then interlaces his fingers again. "If you want to excel in life- and not simply rely on your innate talents to carry you- you must expand your mind, body, and spirit in unison."
Olena's head remains canted, but her smile grows a little. "I would like that," she admits. "I wanted to be scientist, once. Physics. I understand physics." Innately, actually. Being able to see and perceive as she does makes it something of an 'easy A' for her, truth be told. But, there's a lot more to the science than what even her heightened senses can perceive. And, thus, a lot to learn. 
Truthfully, she's also become somewhat convinced of the whole knowledge-is-power philosophy. Which means there may be other subjects of equal worth to study. Business and politics come to mind. Her eyes narrow in thought. Slowly, she gives voice to it, turning her head slightly to track Pepper's movements just out of plain habit. "Maybe other subject better, though. Something..." A beat. She looks questioningly at Erik, "with influence?"
Pepper Potts nods to the hostess when the young woman goes to check on her order, taking the moment to look at something on her phone.
Erik grins at the girl, clearly following the track her mind takes. "Well. There are few fools leading the world, all told, and the study of the human condition is not without its own rewards." He sips his coffee, then drums well-manicured fingertips on the table. "I would advise you to study two subjects- one, you struggle with, and the other, one you excel at. If you wish to master your innate gifts, I encourage you to study physics. If you wish to excel socially, then I think a degree in sociology would do you equally well." He lifts a hand in a gesture of question. "Nothing precludes studying both."
Olena considers Erik's words and nods slowly. She's not adverse to hard work. Indeed, given her nationality and background, she wouldn't really accept any less of herself. And, if she's honest with herself, it's far better than being little more than community center volunteer for the rest of her life. She's not without ambition. Merely without a concrete focus -- beyond her personal grudge mission, of course. But, even she will concede there's more to life than that. 
"Sociology," she muses. "Perhaps would be good, da." She switches briefly to Ukrainian, the subject titles coming easier to her there. "Political science. Psychology." She smiles, encouraged. "I will have to think about it."
Pepper Potts frowns at something she reads on her phone and asks the hostess -- who just returned to say the to-go order isn't ready yet -- for a place to sit. She's escorted to a table near where Erik and Olena are seated, and as soon as she's settled she pulls a tablet conputer from her bag and starts tapping at the screen quickly.
"Or business. Or literature, if you like," Erik smiles. "I believe you would enjoy some of Dostoyevsky's work. Or Tolstoy, if you don't mind some work." He sips from his coffee again, then breaks off a piece of what looks like a cookie and takes a polite bite of it. "Anything that lends itself to a study of how people- even mutants- think, act, plan. React." He taps his fingers on the table. "The study of the thinking brain is the study of society as a whole. Once you learn how people think, anticipating them- and outmaneuvering them- becomes second nature."
Again, Olena nods. She lightens visibly, as the world begins to open up a little more to her. She could care less about the Russian authors in and of themselves, but the general idea behind the study resonates with her. "I will think on it," she agrees, smiling now. "When does school start?" I.e. when does she need to decide? 
Her head turns as Pepper comes to sit nearby. She watches the woman industriously typing, tracking her finger movements automatically. It occurs to her to wonder if, were she to become more familiar with English and the US keyboard, if tracking a typist's finger movements would allow her to know what they were typing... though it's not an idea she tests at the moment. 
Pepper Potts finishes whatever had her tapping at the tablet screen, and then she notices Olena watching her and offers an apologetic smile. It really shouldn't have grated on her that a purchase order for Mr. Armorr's new attire would be questioned considering how many OTHER strange requests she's put through without so much as a murmur of protest. And sending angry emails in the middle of a restaurant just isn't very polite.
"Wonderful, modern technology, isn't it?" Erik asks Pepper with a wry smile as she addresses Olena. He gestures towards her tablet. "I remember a time not too long ago when that was the wildest of science fiction." His polished European accent sounds a bit bemused. "Then again, I still remember when the idea of air conditioning was a novel new concept." He sighs heavily. "I'm getting old," he mutters to neither of them in particular, taking a long sip of espresso.
Olena hasn't had her hands on anything resembling a computer -- aside from the cheap burner phone she picked up in case of emergencies recently -- since she was in her mid-teens. So, yes. The tablet fascinates her. As the woman acknowledges her presence with an apologetic smile, the mutant girl returns one of her own. She actually didn't mean to snoop. This time, anyway. "It looks cool," she tells the woman, gesturing to the tablet, by way of explanation.
"Well, it's really a double-edged sword." Pepper swipes her finger along the Stark Tablet screen, unlocking it in 'safe' mode so there is nothing SI sensitive visible or accessible on the screen, then offers it to the young lady to play with. To Erik, she offers, "I remember when my work wasn't able to follow me everywhere and I could actually step away and get a moment's peace every now and again. I suspect things will never be that way again."
"I remember a time when you had to be certain that your neighbor was not lurking on the party line," Erik smiles at Pepper, in a grandfatherly fashion. "Then again, I also remember when country homes rarely had electricity. I believe you have the advantage of an 'off' button, though," he points out, with a wry smile at Pepper. "A useful substitute for distance and disassociation."
Olena's brows rise somewhat in surprise as the woman offers to let her see the tablet. She takes it carefully and examines it, moving her finger over the surface of the screen and activating a couple of the non-sensitive icons just to see what it does. She doesn't do much, however, other than look at the web browser and music app briefly. Truthfully, the girl doesn't really know what to do with the thing, having been out of the technological loop for so long. (Not, mind, that it would take her long to figure it out again.) 
Pepper Potts smiles at Erik, unable to stop from thinking the older gentleman seems familiar, but she can't place why immediately. "Well, the last time I powered off all of my devices, my boss panicked just a little bit and sent out the dogs after me. Figuratively, not literally. So I've learned it's just better to deal with the interruptions than /that/. You know?"
"Ah. Well, I've found that establishing boundaries often solves that problem," Erik suggests in a melifluous baritone. "For instance, if my phone is off, then people understand that I'm busy, and not to be bothered. If my office door is shut, then I am in a meeting." He spreads his hands. "On the other hand, when I am available, all the resources are at the caller's disposal. It makes everything much more efficient- and I've found that, if deprived of a 'safety net', people tend to solve their own problems more proactively."
Olena closes the programs she opened and, with a smile, hands the tablet back to Pepper. "Thank you," she says politely, glancing to Erik and smiling a little at his words. She's seen that in action. She has no idea, however, who Ms. Potts' boss might be... mainly because she's yet to become very familiar with the Big Names in NYC or America. And Stark Industries wasn't exactly a household name in her world prior to now. 
Pepper Potts takes her tablet back -- the Peppermint Patty wallpaper very much visible -- and stows the device back in her bag. She tries to not let her amusement at the thought of leaving Tony to his own devices show. "Well, there is the word 'assistant' in my job title, and I wouldn't be fulfilling that role as well if I were closing my door and telling my boss to deal with it."
A smile flits across Erik's face, one he shares with his mentee across the table. "Well. Even assistants deserve a day off, now and again, do they not? Still- one can hardly fault you for doing your duty." He sips the last of his coffee, then beckons the waitress over for a refill. "As they say, duty makes nor needs no excuses." He quirks an eyebrow at Olena. "Though, that rule doesn't apply for students attending on their instructors." He smiles at the younger girl in a benevolent fashion.
Olena looks up at Erik, as he instructs her. She actually flashes a smile at that, her dark eyes dancing. She is settling in quite nicely to his company, and the company of those he calls allies, it seems. Certainly, within the sphere of his protection, she looses much of the haunted street scrapper that is normally her cloak against the outside world, becoming instead the avidly curious soul her parents would have better recognized. Turning to Pepper, her head cants. "Who is boss?" she asks presently. 
Pepper Potts had actually been privately hoping neither of them would ask that, but she did set herself up for it. "Tony Stark of Stark Industries. He is ... accustomed to having someone at his beck and call." She's making sound like a bit of a cad, but she doens't mean to. Honest.
"Ah, Mister Stark." Erik smiles at the waitress as she brings him a fresh espresso, then taps his nails thoughtfully against the white cup. "Yes, I've heard that about him, though I admit I've not had the chance to meet him face to face, yet. I believe I've seen him at a few social events around town, but we've yet to be formally introduced." He glances at Pepper, then clears his throat and inclines his head in a slight nod. "And my apologies- Erik Lehnsherr, at your service. My friend, Oksana Balanchuk. Forgive my lapse," he apologizes.
To be fair, Pepper doesn't really have to do much to make Tony Stark sound like a cad. He's already got that reputation. Olena isn't that familiar with it, mind, but she's heard his name mentioned often enough on the gossip shows that inevitably make up most of television broadcast in public places to know that much. Nevertheless, the girl smiles as Erik introduces her. "Nice to meet you," she offers lightly. 
Pepper Potts smiles and nods to Erik then Oksana in turn, introducing herself as well. "Pepper Potts. A pleasure to meet you both." And of course, NOW she places Erik -- he was at that Hellfire club, and then again at Thor's spring party. Seated at a table near the pair, she's waiting for a to-go order to be completed with a glass of water given to her by a passing waiter.
"Miss Potts, a pleasure as well." Erik sips his espresso with a casual ease, his every motion conservative- an economy of motion. "So are you working today, or did Mister Stark give you some leave time?" he asks, in the tone of a man making casual conversation. "He seems a fellow ill-turned towards being indisposed, however temporarily."
Val Armorr enters via the to go entrance. With Pepper right there, its not hard to spot her. "ahem.. Ms. Potts. it is exceedingly difficult to keep yoy safe if you leave without me." His gaze lifts towards Erik and he offers a polite nod.
Olena blinks some as Pepper gives them her name. She smiles. "Oh! I have heard of you. I meet a girl who know you." She sits opposite the elder statesman (of mutant kind, that is), engaged in the conversation with the industrialist's assistant at the nearby table. She ponders, trying to remember the other girl's name. "Her name start with M..." Finally, she shrugs. "That's all I remember." Her head turns as Val Armorr walks in and greets the woman as a bodyguard. Her brows rise and she blinks mildly in response. Immediately, she sweeps the room with her gaze, her perceptions heightening somewhat as she does. Just in case. After all... bodyguards are usually a prelude to danger. 
"Are you expecting trouble, sir? Or are you simply one who believes in practical paranoia?" Erik inquires of Val Armorr. He makes a small, subtle gesture to Olena- meant to calm her automatic reaction to Val's abrupt entrance. Erik's sheer presence seems as obdurate as the stone, unruffled by the sudden addition to the restaurant.
Pepper Potts is trying to think of who Oksana might have met that knows her when Val does that sneak up and start talking thing. To her credit, she only startles a little, but what she does do is look immediately looked she just realized she committed a major faux pas. "Oh, Mr. Armorr, I am so sorry. I didn't even think about it." Yes, force of habit kicked in.
Val Armorr nods to Ms. Potts. "Its no trouble.. but I would like to be able to do my job without chasing after you is all." he says before turning his mild blue eyes on Erik. "Hope for peace, but prepare for war sir. I was hired for one purpose. Keeping Ms. Potts safe. I plan on doing that but cannot from across town."
It's remarkably easy for Olena to relax at Erik's gesture. She's under no illusion. That man can take care of any dangerous situation that might come up quite well without her help. He puts her meagre abilities to shame, and she knows it. Thus, she exhales a slow, silent breath in an effort to deflect her automatic paranoia. She regards the focussed young man with some curiosity, however, especially given his attire. 
"A valiant axiom," Erik says, nodding approval at Val. "The key to a long and healthy life, in my opinion." His eyes flash hard for a moment, but the expression comes and goes so fast it's impossible to place. "I take it you're both here on work, then?" Erik says, extending the question to Val Armorr. "And I have to wonder at the kind of work Miss Potts does, if being Tony Stark's assistant merits a full-time bodyguard."
Val Armorr shrugs "Its not my place to say.. even if I did know why. All I can say is Mr. Stark is internationally known. One does not amass the wealth he has without making an enemy or two. Whether they be former customers of his weapon production. . or simply agressive competition. They may to to strike at Mr. Stark by striking at Ms. Potts. I am simply a safeguard against negative action."
Pepper Potts nods to Erik in answer to the question about if they're here for work. "We were having Mr. Armorr fitted and Tony texted asking me to bring lunch back. I placed the order and came to pick it up without even thinking about it." She glances at her bodyguard apologetically. "Today is Mr. Armorr's first full day, and I think it's going to be more of a learning curve for me than anyone else."
Olena falls silent, now, letting the others talk. It's not that she's not interested, it's just that she doesn't have a lot to add and doesn't usually speak unnecessarily. (Well. That's how she'd describe it. Others might disagree.) In any case, once more, she regards the new young man, watching his reactions curiously. 
"Ah, I see. I wish you luck then, young guardian," Erik tells Val. "It's an onerous line of work, but if you have a talent for it-" He spreads his hands. "I suppose we all must serve, in our own way." At that, the silver-haired man gets to his feet. "I'm afraid that I must be on my way. Duty waits not even myself." He smiles politely at Val and Pepper, then more warmly at Olena. "I will see you at the center, my young friend," he advises her. "In the meantime, be safe." He pats her shoulder, then moves to take his leave.
Val Armorr says nothing to Erik. His talents are many and varied, he chooses to do this but the old man cannot know that. Cannot know he is a hero in his own right doing this for money. "If you are ready Ms. Potts...".
As her mentor rises to leave, and the bodyguard makes it clear Ms Potts will also not likely be lingering, Olena rises, as well. "I see you there," she tells pan Lehnsherr before he retreats. Then, she turns to the other two. "Nice to meet you," she says politely. To Pepper: "Thank you for to see the computer." That said, she takes her own leave, heading out and about her own business. 
Category:Log