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Saganaki has been closed since Lambert's return from the land of the dead, and Jay, aside from crashing in his courtyard for the last three nights in a row before 'moving' out onto someone else's couch, has been trying to keep Lambert company when he is able. A few days of healing up, and Jay makes an attempt at luring Lambert out with the promise of fun. He's still new to the city, so things are still exciting and fun and /weird/. Always with the weird. A subway ride later across the river to Brooklyn and Jay brings Lambert to the Botanic Gardens in Prospect Park.
The winged young man smiles brightly as they enclose on the entrance to the gardens, the light clicking of his flip-flops slow as he peers over toward his friend, hopefully. "You ever been here?"
Frankly, a 'promise of fun' is going to always work on the creature of pure ID that is Lambert, who is even now looking around himself, and breathing in the air "Not yet!" he admits "I kind of got to the city, set up Saganaki, and haven't had a break since. This place is great, actually - look at those domes. What are they for?" He sniffs, deeply, and then he says "…there's aromatic plants. Roses. Thyme. That's good. How did you find out about this place?" Why, by checking a map, or talking to friends, Lambert? Never mind, the chef is grinning, and already looking a lot better - _he_ did not get mashed like Captain Marvel did.
Jay looks entirely pleased when Lambert says he hasn't been here yet. Wings fwip and stretch in excitement. "Ah thought that might be the case when ya said you'd been workin' non-stop to get yer place going. Come on, this is going to be great." Bumping his elbow up against Lambert's, Jay meanders toward the admission booth and pays for two tickets. "They're full of different habitats, if what Ah heard is right. Like deserts and tropical forests and stuff. They gotta keep them in the domes because they don't live here normally. Isn't that neat?" Jay murmurs aside to Lambert, his smile growing into a grin as his friend picks out individual smells. "Ah read about it in one of those 'see the city' pamphlets that they push at tourists. C'mon."
"Dang, science can do that now?" Lambert asks, curiously "I mean, I've known magic to mimic things, but…you know magic can go all kinds of wrong in ways that make doin' it for fun seem dangerous. Well, to me - I don't know any, really." He breathes in again - while his eyesight is not quite as keen as most people's due to the odd pupils, his sense of smell is rather good "Whruf. This is good for the blood." And then he tches "You shouldn't pay for me! Okay, okay. I'm coming - hey, I brought some snacks for us too. And you seem…I dunno. Different." He pauses, glancing at the stretching wings "Hiding yourself less. That's good, Jay. Real good. Next thing you know, you'll be like my friend and working with the Avengers."
Jay shrugs gently to Lambert's awe over what science can do. He's not a botanist. "It's what the pamphlet said. Ah guess we just gotta go see fer ourselves, huh?" Eyeballing the enormous domes as they head toward the entrance, dubiously. "Man, they are big though, ain't they? Don't worry about it, Lambert. It's my treat. Consider it my thanks fer doin' what you did." Jay shrugs gently and tilts his head slightly to the side while they walk. "An' if you don't like that, then consider it because yer mah friend." The mention of his wings make Jay a little self conscious, turning a sheepish smile over toward his friend as the extra limbs compress against his back, though they are out in the open today, visible through the cut out back in his faded forest green tee shirt. Cheeks flush with light color, Jay lowers his voice. "Well, a friend of mine tried t'make a point recently so Ah figured…Ah'd try. It still feels a lot like walkin' around without pants on, though. Feelin' the wind through mah feathers out in public is…weird." And he is catching a fair amount of stares from other patrons from all over. They're not in Mutant Town any more. Mention of the Avengers makes Jay wrinkle his nose up slightly. "No thanks. After that lady from the Avengers came t'ask you about the robbery an' seemed bent on makin' it sound like that mutant was tryin' to murder you, they all sound like a bunch of blow hards. Different how, though?"
"You walk better - your balance is kind of off when your wings are forced into those wraps," says Lambert, thoughtfully "It isn't natural. Besides, I don't know how it all works, but birds need to be free, right? Anyway…though yeah, I do get you about those looks. I can avoid 'em." And he is - baseball cap, sunglasses, and Lambert looks like any other young man, though the pale, odd texture of his hair corresponds strangely with the brown tanned skin "You must have _amazing_ chest muscles, though, for anchors." He grins, and then he looks towards the domes "You haven't been in yourself, right? You don't talk like you have. So who's this friend of yours?" Then Lambert considers, and he says "Lamont? He knows the Avengers. Trains with them, without being one. A while back, I would have been pulling faces at all that work. Now…ehhh. I don't know, Jay. At least, self-defence seems like a good idea. It is a lot of effort though, and the restaurant eats my time - now _there's_ a jealous lover!"
The nuances that Lambert mentions about how Jay walks makes the young man pause and glance down at his own feet, as if he honestly hasn't noticed the difference, blinking a couple times toward his friend. "You know, yer one to talk about hidin' stuff, pal," Jay teases with a kind smile and nudge of his elbow against Lambert's ribs, then inhales a deep breath of fragrant air, letting it roll through him as if it could roll through all his extremities, wings shaking out gently and slicking down again. "Yeah there's somethin' instinctual about bein' able to feel the wind that feels…really good, down to mah bones. It's just weird, not used to it. Or the stares." A small smile curved over toward the capped man next to him, Jay blushes over the comment about his chest and stays mute, ruffling a hand through his hair a few times. "Nah, Ah haven't been in here before. Wanted to fer a while but with everythin' with Kai the last month…" Jay drifts off and shakes his head.
The question over which friend tried to make a point that had him taking that risk today has Jay smiling and shrugging a shoulder. "Actually, he's roommates with yer guy, Vic, at the restaurant. Name's Kaleb. Ah'm actually crashin' at their place at the moment since, ah, Kai needed his place fer some, well, privacy." Making up for lost time. "Wait, oh, yeah, Lamont you mentioned him the other night. Is that Lamont Cranston, by chance?"
"I know," Lambert admits "You know, I guess you _would_ understand that kind of thing - I was raised in Texas in a Greek community, but my family are all like me. The kids at school weren't. I mean, _sure_ my fraternity liked me cleanin' up the track and field, but…look. I ain't had it bad like some have. No _way_. But I guess…" He shakes his head, and then he pats Jay's shoulder, grins at him, and moves towards the dome "See? _That_ - that I know! Sometimes I feel like that when running! And ugh, I know. Stuff got complex. And confusing too." He frowns, and whatever thought he has? He lets it pass, his broad features uncertain, and then he says "Oh! Vic and Kaleb - yeah, they seem nice enough. Vic wants me to give his cash for the week to Marcie. Sweet of him. I like that in someone - decency, you know?" He claps hands together, and then he says "Er, yeah, bet they're shakin' the walls - oh! Yes. I think so! He comes over late on Fridays and eats dessert. We're pretty good friends!" Lambert considers, then adds "He knows some. Different. People. REal different."
Walking toward the first big dome, Jay's gaze is fixated on the marvel for several seconds before he blinks and looks back toward the fragrant, colorful flora all around them. All kinds of butterflies and other pollinators flitting from blossom to blossom. "Magic." Jay murmurs mildly and nods a couple of times, then passes a smile over toward Lambert. "Yeah…Ah ran into Mister Cranston about the same time Ah ran into Vic and Kaleb. Um, some…crazy stuff happened. But, we think Mister Cranston might be in a spot of trouble, actually. Does he seem okay?" Genuine concern for a relative stranger, the red-headed man has no motivation to hide it.
"You should absolutely give Vic's share over to Miss Marcie if that's what he asked. Kel and Kale live in that place rent-free raght now, so it ain't like Vic would be hurtin' for it. Speakin' of shakin walls…" Jay murmurs the last lowly and blows out a breath into a low, looping whistle, his wings fwip gently behind him, some small boy with no volume control pointing and shrieking at his mother about the angel as she rushes him away. Jay's jaw works around slightly, glancing down at his feet for a moment before pressing forward.
"Ah'd like to see you run some time, you know? When people get to do what they're meant to do, it's like watchin' a miracle be born. Mah family weren't always the weird ones, we had to learn how to adjust when Sam, you know, developed. But sure as spit, one after another, we seem to be followin' suit. But family's family, raght? You support each other, no matter what."
"Magic _is_ a bit in the eye of the beholder, I guess," admits Lambert "I mean, I can make alcohol in a couple of days - a week for something of top shelf quality if I want it to last forever. But…it's part of what I am." He leans down to look at the flowers, because he seems to like the different scents, breathing in, and then stretching up "Er…you know, I'm not entirely sure. What kind of trouble? He might not tell me - I tried to tell him I'd do the same for him as Kai, but he sort of waved it off." Lambert considers, then he says "Er, he has been…a _little_ odd lately. In bed." At least his voice is low, and just in a general conversational tone. But he has _no shame_, alas.
"Not an angel, just a nice guy," Lambert says, nodding to Jay and grinning at the kid, and then laughing out loud at the whistle "Oh! Well…I'm no stranger to that. But I hope you're gettin' your beauty sleep, eh? Flyin' must take so much energy. And yeah, sure! Heck, I'd love to do it in the park here, outside the domes - but it attracts attention, a bit. Hmmm…" He considers "Family _is_ family - but. Jay? I don't know if 'no matter what' is always wise. Sure enough it is for most. But some…people go bad. I ain't saying your family is! Or would! I just…yeah. Marcie…"
Sure, Jay might be learning a thing or two about what's going on around him, but /that/ drop of news, or perhaps the personal nature of it and the casual manner of speaking about it has Jay practically getting whiplash with the look that he gives Lambert, shocked, his lips part with a silent 'o' as he stares at the man stopping to smell the flowers. Literally. It takes a couple seconds, but his face burns with color brightly and tell-tale feathers begin to rise into a fluffy red mass. They reach an apex of fluffiness and shake out, slicking back down. "Oh. Uh. Ah didn't know that—" Jay coughs and dips his head, smiling bashfully over to Lambert. "Well. Ah don't know. But, uh, the day Ah met him, somethin' happened t'him an' Ah had to extract him from the situation. It's like he weren't there behind his eyes at all. He blinked out of it later, but he was just…gone." He shrugs. "Billy said something about inter…dimentional dream things. Ah dunno. It was all Greek t'me." Jay shrugs, then smiles broadly to Lambert. "Hell, sorry. That's sorta funny because yer…yeah." He chuckles in a whisper of sound and inhales a deep breath.
The mention of getting his beauty sleep has Jay rolling his eyes. "Man…Ah wish. Ah sleep in the livin' room just outside their door, y'know? Ah actually went out t'sleep out on Kaleb's balcony instead 'cause Ah just…couldn't." He smiles a little over to Lambert. "Been a little too long t'listen to all that. An' it ain't like Ah'm flyin' a whole lot lately, anyway. Ah haven't really flown since, well since Ah extracted Mister Cranston." The mention of family and people going bad is an unpleasant thought, looking over toward Lambert. "Ah'm…not real sure what yer gettin' at there, 'Bert."
Lambert claps Jay on the shoulder, and he says mildly to him "Magicians - all types - let go of…ideas about some things bein' wrong early on. They gotta. And, well…" And well, he is what he is. But while _he_ may be casual, he is not without empathy, and he says "Er, sorry - I shouldn't treat you jus' like you're family. I'll be a little less…" Lambert ponders. Less what? "Less," he says, merrilly, and shoulder checks Jay, before he says "It's okay. I do a _lot_ of…things most no one knows about. But…hmm. Oh really?" His expression turns bland and amused "All Greek, is it? You know, that's worth checkin' up on. Let's see if we can get it out of him. He was worried about you too. When Kai was gone. Everyone thinks you're real nice."
Lambert muses "I can imagine bein' in the 'couldn't' state myself - sorry, half the time my own room is, er, in that state. You haven't flown that much? That's a shame - why don't we go out somewhere, find somewhere you can fly, and _I_ can run. Bet I can beat you." Not that he can, but the boast is there, already, and Lambert finally says "…ugh. It doesn't apply to you - or much to me. I just. You know. Sometimes. Families stay by someone when that person ain't never gonna earn it. Like Marcie's husband. Well, screw him anyway, he's gone now. And good riddence. That's all I meant."
For all the things that he's had to learn how to make peace with lately, Jay seems to be coming along pretty okay with the homosexual thing. From accepting that love between two men is actually possible to tentatively 'maybe'ing Lambert's proposal the other night to any number of other things he's been working on, he still hasn't managed to get the 'casual' part about it entirely down. The empathetic look is appreciated while they walk along the paths, though the mention of being 'less' makes Jay's expression turn a little maudlin. "Ah'm banished t'the kiddie table again, huh?" He heaves a heavy sigh and tosses Lambert a helpless smile. "Dang." He's actually pretty damn solid when Lambert shoulder checks him, gaining a warm little smile for it.
Surprise once again has his brows lofting upwards. "He was worried about me? Ah only met him that once, Ah thought…" Jay squints, trying to recall running into him before. "Everyone?" More curiosity burning away at the young man with a whisper of feathers rubbing against one another. "That's awfully kind of them."
The mention of Lambert's room frequently being in that state makes Jay smile and shake his head lowly, amused more than anything else over his friend's brazen activity. "Well, Ah don't have a room currently, so sittin' in the livin' room listenin' to someone else gets frustratin'. Couldn't lay there all night. Ah think Ah'm gonna be spendin' a lot of time takin' cold showers while Ah'm livin' there." Jay takes a glance at a posted map while they pass it, resting a hand on Lambert's elbow as he squints, straining to read something on it. Perking up, the musician smiles at Lambert and tugs him down another path. "Hey, Ah wanna take you somewhere. Ah got an idea."
"Bet? Bet what, huh? Put yer figurative money where yer mouth is, Bert. If yer gonna bet, then you better make it interestin'."
"I make sure the kiddie table gets the best food," Lambert confides, before he shrugs "Nah, it ain't that! I just prefer to operate at…the comfort level of who I'm with, right? It's _sensible_ that way. Otherwise I'm, er, unbearable." He reaches up to the baseball cap to tug a furry ear "Ungoat…no. ODesn't work." Then, suddenly, he laughs "Oh, hell yes - you're a sweet, fairly bright lad from outside the city, and you're kind. Honestly, folk'll respond to that. Not all of 'em…kindly. But. Respond they sure do." And then he wrinkles his nose, and he says "Tch. I can tell 'em to knock it off a bit, heh. Or you can come crash at my place…wait. That won't help. _Well_ you know? While it's warm you're welcome any time in the courtyard. Why don't I set up the outdoors swing there, and you can be all nested up with pillows. Like an eagle."
Regardless of whether eagles use pillows, Lambert just seems content to have his elbow held - though admittedly he is continental, and more used to displays of perfectly friendly affection between men "Oh ho! Bet. I bet…I bet a day for a day. That is - I'll come and help you for a day, no questions asked, no nothin', on _anythin'_. And if you lose, you come for a day with _me_. How about that?" His eyes glitter with mischief "I got family coming by soon, can't help but think that'd be _hilarious_ to watch…take me anywhere you want, man," and he is boasting again "I'm good for it!"
Pale pink mouth flattens itself into a thin line, holding back a broad grin that shines bright and warm in Jay's eyes anyway. "Were you gonna say 'ungoatable'?" Jay lets that lurking smile slowly appear, broad and amused, one unsymmetrical dimple appearing on his left cheek and eyes turning into amused little green crescents. He's just about bursting, loving that /horrible/ joke. Scratching the back of his head, his smile turns a little bashful. "Yeah…if yer room is just as active, that really ain't too helpful, Bert. Though Ah appreciate it. You don't gotta go out of your way t'put anything up for me. Ah'll figure it out one way or the other. Ah'm not gonna tell a guy what he can or can't do in his own place, after all. Ah'm lucky enough that they took me in like they did, Ah'm just bein' ungrateful." Casting an apologetic smile in Lambert's direction, he shrugs, his smile a constant—a blushing constant when Lambert gives him that praise. "Yer too kind to say all that, Bert." His fingers squeeze on the goatish man's elbow. The grip doesn't last forever because, well, Jay is less well-traveled and guys just don't hold contact for that long where he's from. A squeeze and his hand falls away again, but the young winged man lingers close by, his shoulder almost bumping against Lambert's as they walk down that new path.
"A day fer a day?" The bet is an intriguing one, Jay's eyes alit as he searches his friend's hidden expression. "How do you mean, like help at the restaurant and stuff?" Not quite understanding the niche about his family and whatnot, but he seems intrigued. Jay doesn't seem like much of a betting men, but he also doesn't back down to friendly competitions.
"Oh, it isn't out of my way - you're a friend," says Lambert brightly "And sometimes it's active - and sometimes it's not. You know, sometimes it's empty, and if you want somewhere to sleep where there's a private place to wash and somewhere to think? That's fine too. If I knew how to get ahold of you, easier, I could give you keys to it." His voice is earnest, trusting, really, and then he says "Do you think I could get a job as a comedian? I sometimes think I would be _perfect_ at it." He folds his arms, pleased with himself, and then he says "No, no, it's frustrating. I get it. But, well, you sound like you're gettin' grounded in your understanding of who you are. And I hope that helps you." He glances at him, and he grins all over again - but, ah, those teeth are sharp inside the mouth. Everything else is round and friendly…except for those teeth. He is content to stay close as he moves on by and he says "Haha! No, to help me take my visiting family members around the city. Man - you didn't say by any chance you knew cowboys in your family, right? I figure herdin' would be a useful skill. These guys. _These guys_. Oh God, they're _so much more trouble_ than I could ever be!"
Jay doesn't debate the merits of Lambert putting a swing up for him. Kai's done good work at trying to beat polite denial out of the young man, and while he hasn't made great progress, Jay has learned when it's okay to just shut up and smile when someone's trying to do something nice. He reaches over and lightly squeezes on Lambert's elbow again, then slides both his hands into his pockets. "Well, if you got a number fer Vic, you got th' number fer me, raght now. But, in case…" Jay pulls a small notebook with a pen out of his back pocket and reaches over to take Lambert's palm, scrawling a phone number on the man's palm rather than writing it on a piece of paper from his small book and tearing it out. Murmuring while he writes. "Yer funny enough for it, Ah think. Yer delivery is really good, though jokes like 'ungoatable' wouldn't really fly unless folks knew, dig?" Clicking his pen away with a small smile, Jay glances back to Lambert and puts his writing supplies away in his back pocket again.
"Grounded? Ah…don't know. Maybe. A little bit?" Jay admits with a tiny smile, shy in nature, casting a sidelong glance in Lambert's direction. "Everythin' still feels new about it, an' everyone Ah know is kinda paired off. So. Ah guess Ah'll just figure it out when it comes down to it." His cheeks pink, Jay's gaze tracks down to those fanged teeth. The color deepens across his face and feathers rise on end once more, his silhouette growing in size on the sidewalk in front of them. A hard shake out and wings reset themselves as Jay quickly changes the subject toward Lambert's family. "No," Jay clears his throat with a smile and head dip. "Ah, we don't got any cowboy sorts like Texas. We're from a minin' town, so most of us are miners, but, you know, herdin' is a skill Ah got with all my little siblin's and cousins." Brows slooooowly arch upward, his imagination working over time to imagine what could make Lambert say someone is trouble. "More trouble than you? So. How much of yer family is visitin?"
Lambert claps his hands together "Great! You're gonna love it - I love to cook breakfasts, but most people always want the same stuff, right? So I get to experiment on you guys!" He ducks his head at the touch, and then he says "Thanks for the number - this way I can check up on you, heh. Kai tried to make that my job, he was worried that without him you'd be in trouble. But you're a grown man. And _everyone_ needs friends, you know?" He looks down at his hand, and he waggles his eyebrows at Jay, then he says to him "Really 'fly', eh?" Now he elbows Jay in the ribs a bit, before he sighs "Oh, man, I love being out here, though. And look at those butterflies. Here, come and sit down. Can we eat in here? I've got some pressed sandwiches."
"Yeah you mentioned somethin' like that the night Ah came by," Jay shrugs gently. "Lucky you, don't gotta keep me out of trouble now that Kai's back. That's the real reason you went off t'go get him, huh?" The red head drops his head back emphatically and /laments/ the discovery, pulling upon every syllable while he ribs Lambert. "/Now/ Ah get it." Whispering into a soft chuckle that his shoulders shake with it, glancing aside toward the gote fellah. "Yeah. Fly." A cheeky smile sloooowly spreading across his lips, oofing playfully when he's elbowed. "Yeah we can eat out here, but wait-wait-wait." Jay glances around a bend in the path and spins around to walk backwards in front of Lambert, practically begging as he grabs for his friend's wrist. "Just…hold on, okay? We're almost where Ah wanted t'bring you, then we can sit down and eat, yeah?" The ginger young man brightens, eyes wide and gleaming with excitement. "Seriously, man, it's just around the bend an' down the stairs. We'll stop there, yeah?"
"Tch, you got me. I thought: Can't make goo goo eyes at a guy who're you're supposed to be protectin', even if he is a dang grown up who can do it himself, seriously Kai. So that's why I went to get you. Now I can make those eyes without guilt," grins Lambert, and he pauses, and he allows Jay to take his hand. Most of those bruises are just multicoloured now, everything faded, healing well on the way and everything going as it should be. After all - Lambert also has friends, like Jay, checking upon him "Okay! Okay. Now I'm curious," he says, eyes narrowed, as he tries to peer around "So what is it? The butterflies were pretty cool, I thought."
He still smiles and flushes a little bit over Lambert's flattery when he takes Jay's joke and runs with it, though the young man seems just a little more sly. "By the sounds of it, not a whole lot stops you from makin' goo-goo eyes at someone, Lambert." A smart red eyebrow perks upward above its brother, teasing the id consumed man for his active bedroom."The butterflies were cool, but Ah think you might like this. Hold on." His fingers eventually slip away, but not cleanly; Jay's soft hand curls along Lambert's palm and plays off his fingers as he lets go and leads onward.
Jay leads to a smaller side garden cut down a set of stairs and inset into the ground in an oval shape. Wings whispering their hopeful excitement, Jay heads through the entrance, framed by gates with a dianthus motif crawling around the stone. Surrounding a flagstone walk and central lawn are four large, elevated beds contained by high stone walls, cutting the space off from the surrounding gardens nearby. A small fountain with a stone figure of a youth inset into the far wall is byset by two benches. But the visual may be somewhat lost on Lambert and his eyesight, but the scent may just make up for it. The garden is full of aromatic flowers and plants, separated into those four central beds.
The first bed contains brilliant blossoms, all fantastically arromatic with their own unique scents which vary in intensity and type. Though they aren't all sweet smelling blooms, either. At further inspection, one of the small elevated gardens is full of those nice, earthy kitchen herbs that undoubtedly are familiar to the chef. From basil to fennel to rosemary and hyssop. Arromatic cullinary plants in one plot. The second full of plants with visibly fuzzy, soft or silky broadleaf plants along side more curiously textured and scaled plants; Lamb's ear, horehound, cinnamon ferns and others. The final raised garden plot is mostly greenery, but the leaves can all be touched and carry a scent on them after being rubbed or touched, which all the patrons are welcome to do here.
Jay's found a garden that was purposely built to stimulate other senses than sight, for Lambert.
"Actually, there's about one thing that will," Lambert admits, his voice serious a moment "If someone don't want me doin' it. I _will_ stop. Okay, and they've gotta be fun folks. I'm no creeper. I might be a _sleazeball_, but I'm no creeper." Still, no one _here_ has told him to stop, and he says "I always hope that they kinda live a little longer in places like this." At the prolongued touch, his eyes narrow, thoughtfully, and the side of his mouth quirks up into a smile a shade warmer than usual. Then he turns his head, and he examine the garden, padding down the stairs with a slight limp that will be gone in a matter of days. Lambert lifts a hand up to take his baseball cap off, and he lets his ears flick out, all fuzzy, so he can hear the slight sounds of the water dripping and the scent of the freshness of it's movement. Then he wrinkles his nose, curiously, and he says "My God, this is just like Grandpa's garden back home - how did you know?" He half-turns his head to Jay, curiously, before - ignoring all now - he steps out with his fingers first. They are broad, well used hands - he might be a creature of gluttony, but sloth is not his sin. And Lambert runs them over the lamb's ear, and laughs "It's soft," he admits "Very much so. Wait, humans made this, right? This is _lovely_. I _love_ it!"
Jay leads Lambert down into that space and stands aside to see if he gets it immediately, or if his surprised falls flat. A little bit of anxiety with his excitement, Jay walks between the four raised gardens, pausing just enough to rub his fingers against a little leaf marked 'chocolate mint' in the touch garden, grinning widely when he brings his hand up to his face to sniff at the mint. Eyes brighten a bit when Lambert takes his cap off. "Is it? Ah didn't know it'd be like his garden. But…" Quickly those flip-flops click back to Lambert's side. "It's called the fragrance garden. Someone made it for folks who can't see so well, so they could enjoy the garden, too. Everythin' in here can be touched or smelled or tasted. Ah know yer not blind, but yer eyes don't always work so well." He shrugs one shoulder, smiling at Lambert, all light and warmth. "Yeah, well, Ah mean, they said humans made it." Jay hums as he looks around again at the little space he's lead them to. "It's one of those gestures where ya know people really can be good. Goin' through all the thoughtful effort of makin' some place like this where someone can enjoy a garden where they might not normally."
The young man adds mildly with a hopeful look, "So, you like it?"
"Ha ha! Yes! I don't see so well - I mean, it's not…bad, right? It's how I'm supposed to be. It's not like I'm blind, I'm just not as good as a human at seeing - a true human." Lambert sniffs, breathing in, and then he moves to the side, to crouch down "They have three types of thyme. I guess the climate in these places is protected - it's hard for me to mimic out at the back of the restaurant. Yeah. I dig this kind of thing - it's groovy, Jay - that people do stuff for others. Because they _can_, and because it's right - spread a bit of joy, give a bit of help. I dig it. This is a great place - that's my philosophy, you know?" He rises, and then he comes closer and he slides an arm around Jay's waist, under those feathers, and tugs him close "Yeah. I like it." The squeeze is warm, and Lambert's laugh is low, enough of a ripple to go through his whole body "I'm gettin' ideas. Well, not just those ones. Also some about new recipes. I could _eat_ the way this smells if I tried, I reckon."
Jay's all smiles while Lambert discovers the garden, tailing along side the other man at a slight distance and occasionally reaching out to touch something, or lean in to smell a bright summer flower, but for the most part, the country boy is just enjoying watching Lambert geek out and identify the different things growing. He has no idea the half of it, but there's a cool, calm enjoyment that runs straight through Jay. Satisfied. He seems soulfully satisfied and nods. "Mm hm, Ah know." Not expecting the hug, entirely, a soft laugh is startled out of Jay as he wraps an arm over Lambert's shoulders for a likewise squeeze. Feathers shiver lightly up against the arm beneath them, whispering in a tremor of joy. One soft hand pats the side of Lambert's face playfully, casting an encouraging smile his way. "Hey, if anyone could make that work out in food, it'd be you, 'Bert."
Lambert grins at the playfulness, then he says casually "Jay? Let's eat." He settles down in the garden, just with his back against one of the benches, though he chooses one where there is rosemary all about. Bees love it, there must be some of them present, but Lambert also keeps hives, so he just opens out a pressed sandwich - it must have involved most of a loaf of bread, with several kinds of roasted and preserved vegetables inside. Plus cream cheese. He offers a sliced section across, and adds "Orange juice in the flask." And then Lambert kicks back, and he looks across, thoughtfully "This? Is _nice_. You did great, Jay. Hey. I've got an odd question. You seem…between places, a lot. You want help with that? Or do you…mostly prefer to be free?"
He did promise they could eat when they got here, so Jay doesn't seem very pressed to settle in and bust open whatever Lambert brought along. Stretching out next to the chef, Jay's wings fold up and cock out to either side of his shoulders, stretching his legs out casually in front of himself while Lambert unpacks. The bees don't seem to bother him too much, though they earn a glance or two at first, he's not an over-reactor when it comes to the little pollinators. Thankfully. "Wow…" Awed by the 'snack' that Lambert brought with him, though he shouldn't be at this point, Jay takes the offered section, his brows arched upward. "Ah wasn't expectin' all of this when you said you brought a 'snack' along." A smooth smile curving Jay's lips. Tipping his head for a second, probably some short religious prayer, though it's the short and discrete, Jay smiles across the way to the derpy fellow he's with and digs in with a low groan of enjoyment. "This /is/ nice. Good job on this, 'Bert." Casting his attention wide and far over the small corner of the gardens they've hunkered down in. Jay smiles and stretches a little more, relaxing. "It's real nice."
The odd question earns a gentle tip of his head to one side. "Help? Help how? Yer already helpin' me out, Lambert. Yer gonna put up that swing, and you've been real tollerant when Ah crash in yer courtyard." Jay shrugs softly, his eyes lifting upward, following the clouds as they drift through the sky.
"Help like arrangin' somethin' a little more permenant for you, someplace you can store things, or…have a home instead of a bed somewhere - there's a difference, don't I know it," says Lambert "If it's a job, I can maybe ask around, find something you reckon you'd like. Look. It's clear there's tragedy - and a bad one - in your past. You got that look about you, sometimes. Like a full moon on water that only ripples a little, but hell, it's deep." He stretches out his legs, and he looks at the wings, thoughtfully. Those red feathers "Man, those are some handsome things. Bird colours…" He shakes hte idea away for a moment, and then he looks up at the sky as well "Tolerant, tch. You're a friend. I don't know, just…seems like maybe you've had stuff taken away? And you might be a bit unsure of. When it could happen again?" he himself is not sure. His voice is tentative.
The tone of the conversation goes from lighthearted and easy to something more…still. Like Lambert said, it becomes deep and still while Jay chews that pressed sandwich and stares at the sky. Calm on the outside, though his wings twitch with light anxiety. Little ripples. THoughtful, Jay is quiet for a moment, then seems to go on a non-sequitur. "You know how folks pick out second names fer themselves, like how all those Avengers got and whatnot? It's kinda a right of passage when yer a mutant t'pick a codename. Sam got his, an' when each of us started comin' up mutant, it became like a game, but Ah didn't pick mine out right away." Jay looks back to the man beside him, staring straight into Lambert. "Ah never told ya what that was. Would you like t'know?" Leading to seeming to some pertinent point related to what Lambert was asking about.
"Oh, yeah, I know those - I mean, I tend to know…people's real names more than the codes, okay?" admits Lambert "Don't really know Lamont's, nor Kai's…and I don't know yours. Yeah. I _would_ like to know." He leans in, a little, and while the conversation is weighty, almost still? His gaze is steady, pleasant. His ears have canted forward, doubtless to the amusement of anyone who might come in.
He knows the answer already, but the set up at least promotes the option for Lambert to opt out. Jay waits for the affirmative and when it's given, soulful, earthy green eyes stare openly into Lambert's odd ones and there's a gentle, maudlin curve to his mouth as he states, poignantly, "Icarus." Flew too high, fell too far. He's probably thought a dozen times in amusement how his codename came from a greek myth, but now he brings the conversation full circle. Lambert hit the nail on the head more squarely than he may have thought. Jay's gaze rise upward again, disengaging to watch the clouds pass.
"That's not the name of someone who…er, is familiar with Greek legend, right?" says Lamebert hopefully - he does, of course, know who Icarus was. After a moment, he reaches out, though, to touch a feather, and then he says "Why that? You're so bright and red. And you come by your feathers all honest-like. Why did you choose it?" He adds "You know in myth, he was a handsome young man, heh. But. The old Greeks always decided all their heroes were handsome."
The touch against one of his feathers makes the limb shiver a little bit; Jay did say they were sensitive. Still with his face turned up toward the sky, Jay takes another bite and chews thoughtfully, quirking a small smile around the bite when Lambert notes how his namesake was supposed to be handsome. "Yeah. But he wasn't really a hero either, was he?"
"Hmm." Lambert frowns a little, and after a moment, he says "My mama named me 'Lambert' because I didn't look like the others. She wanted a more human son, and I like my name, you know? It's pretty funny." He is looking at Jay, though, and after a moment, he says "Icarus. Well, okay. I won't pry too much. But…you know? Why don't you come by tomorrow night? Warm bed. No noises. I'll sleep on the couch. We can talk. All night, if you want. Or just listen to music on the radio." He considers, then says again "Icarus."
"That is pretty funny." Jay nods a little bit, speaking softly, trying to keep himself nice and levelnice and stillwhile they speak, though his wings seem to twitch a little more distressed than the gentle shiver than before. And each time Lambert says that name, Jay blinks, slowly, not so much watching the clouds pass as he is just staring upward, thoughtfully. As if hearing the name he gave himself stirred something. Jay speaks, quietly, "Tomorrow night. That sounds really nice." Nodding, agreeably, Jay wets his lower lip and hesitates before he carries on. "It just seemed…relevant to what you were sayin'. It sounds dramatic but, in an instant, I felt like Ah knew what must've been goin' through his head when it all hit. T'really feel regret an' panic down to yer bones an' lose everythin' in the blink of an eye. An' to understand that ultimately…it was yer own fault." Jay smiles and turns his attention back toward Lambert, though the expression is taut around the corners of his mouth and doesn't dare to reach into his eyes to try to warm them. The young man with the twitching feathers whispering anxiety around him leans a little closer, dipping his chin to whisper toward Lambert. "Ah don't know why, but Ah really liked hearin' you say that name."
"Oh, man," says Lambert, as he hears that, and he sits up, and he rests both hands on his thighs "See, I've…never really gone through anythin' like that. I mean. Different things. But that's heavy." And in the parlance of the day, he means it more than one way. Lambert frowns a bit, then rolls his head back, resting it in the rosemary, feeling it tickle his nose. And then he takes a breath, and he says to Jay "Maybe it's because it's recognition, too. I mean. I dunno. Seems like bein' a mutant has some serious. Tangles in identity and things - people want you to be what they think you are. Maybe you don't even know yet. Sorting that stuff out…could be hard?" He frowns - those are big thoughts for someone like Lambert, who has never doubted for an instant "Okay, Icarus. Well. You come by tomorrow night. But for now? We've got food, and this place is so good, I don't wanna go away. It's like…a symphony." He grins.
Jay sits back again after that admittance, on both parts, and continues eating the pressed sandwich he was given. "Maybe," quieter now than a few minutes earlier, Jay is thoughtful. he's good at thoughtful. He may not be book smart and a lot may go over his head, but he's a thoughtful person by nature. "People pick their own names when they figure out what they are. Somethin' that…describes what they do or describes a spirit fer what they are. Names got meaning in them." He touches the surface of the subject and blinks back, looking around them again, in the fragrance garden. Quiet for aseveral beats, Jay slowly comes back around, though it's a little more shallow now. Still. He smiles. "Ah'm glad you like it here, Lambert. Ah'm really, really glad."