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It's a hopping night at Saganaki. The main restaurant is doing pretty well. There's a golden-haired blonde man singing and playing guitar. It's that time of night though where things are slowing down enough a head chef can catch his breath. Back here in the courtyard, things are nice and easy. It might have gotten around certain places in Mutant Town that the courtyard of Saganaki is open to the weirdos and freaks. As long as everyone is nice and respectful, one can let it all hang out. No need to hide.
That said, Lindon looks about as normal as normal gets. A little pale, a little on the tall and skinny side, but no visible mutations. He's at a table with an array of things to nibble on and a cup of wine. It's a long table with places for more than a few people to sit and get comfy. To Lamont, Lindon is saying, "So then I told him, 'it's bound to happen.' Get it? Because it's a book.'"
Right now, Lambert is in the restaurant, yelling his head off, and his hapless kitchen boy is scrabbling. A pot of soup has been upended, and while the satyr is generally a genial type, apparently that does not extend to mercy for someone who is going to disappoint his customers.
Yuliya had started her night inside the restaurant, having dinner with some people she knew. After dinner was done, the bills paid and the group splitting up, she decided to stay behind to drink a bit more and no doubt check up on the rumours she had heard in Mutant Town. She makes her way out into the courtyard, dressed in her usual business style clothing while her pale cheeks carry a faint blush from the drinks she has had earlier. She moves to one side of the door, though the sound of yelling from inside does cause her to glance back in.
Glass of wine in hand, Lamont is listening to the joke with an air of tolerant affection. At the punchline, he does laugh, a low, throaty chuckle. There's enough wine in him to bring a flush to his cheeks, so usually pale. Tall, if not quite as much so as Lin himself, and definitely older than his companion.
Elmo arrives, looking like he's feeling some complicated mix of emotions of which 'worried' takes the top tier. He goes up to Lindon and Lamont, joining them at the long table. "Hey guys."
"It just came out," Lindon says, grinning as Lamont laughs. "It occurred to me, so I said it." As though telling a joke were some marevelous, mythic thing he had no idea could really happen. He shifts a little where he sits, not exactly anxious but carrying a lion's share of awkwardness. He glances toward the restaurant at the yelling. "Wow, he's really giving it to him," he says. His head turned that way, he notices both Yuliya and Elmo arrive. He waves a little to the stranger, then averts his eyes because stranger! Then he sneaks a smile her way. To Elmo, he says, "Elmo! Come sit, we have food. How did the party go?"
The noise stops, and Lambert and Sam are both on hands and knees, cleaning up the mess left. Then Marcie, who is a bit of a peace keeper, is out to hand everyone in the restaurant wine and bread. This era? Shouting at staff, alas, is a thing. Nevertheless, soon Lambert is back, with a second pot of soup on, and awkwardly patting Sam on the shoulder "Next time, don't leave the broom in the doorway," he suggests, as he turns around to carry a large tray out to the back. Bowls of warm olives, bitter cooked vegetables, and Greek pasta with tonnes of tomato. A huge ceramic jug of wine in the center "Good evening everyone, is - oh, hello," he adds at faces both old and new.
Monty lifts his drink in cheerful salute to the proprietor. "Evening, Lambert," Then he's making space for Elmo, offering him a little smile. No hint of jealousy in that greeting. Lindon's comment about Lamb's treatment of the staff has him gazing down into the wine glass with the air of someone restraining a smile.
With no threat in sight, Yuliya relaxes and takes a sip of her wine. She does notice the wave from Lindon, so she returns it with a waggle of her fingers and a friendly smile of her own. Though she does peek back inside, just to make certain nothing is going on, and she makes certain she's out of the way when Lambert carries out the tray of food, and jug of wine. However it seems that she's not going to be a wallflower, and so she makes her way over towards the group. "Hello," she offers to them all in a faint Russian accent. "Would anyone object if I join you all?"
Elmo flashes Yuliya half of a quick smile. "Hi," he says to her. "You got somethin' to eat." It's a statement, not a question, because they're at Lambert's place and everybody having something to eat is a fact. He kisses Lindonkind of awkwardly because it's in front of Lamont, but Lamont's acceptance earns him a grateful lookand sits with the other two men. "Hey, Bert." Jay calls him Bert, so now Elmo does too. It's transitive. "Party was great. Kai knows how to throw parties. JP got in a fight. I tried to keep him out of it, but the guy he was fighting with was an angel or something?" He shrugs. Angels in New York, whaddaya gonna do.
Lindon returns the kiss, less awkward than even his greeting to a stranger on a winter's night. After all, it's safe back here to kiss someone who wants kissing. He makes room as well, and he gives Elmo a squeeze around the shoulders, all tender affection. Then Lamont gets the same. Then he's smiling up at Lambert as he brings food over. "Of course," he says to Yuliya. Please, we'll never finish all this food and wine on our own." With only a slight stammer, he says, "I'm Lindon. This is Elmo and Lamont, and that's Lambert." At the mention of the fight, with an angel, Lindon sits upright and presses a hand to his throat as though he were clutching pearls. "Oh my, is everyone all right? This angel, was he… are you speaking figuratively?"
"An angel?" says Lambert, pouring wine and setting it down in front of everyone - and topping up Yuliya's while he is about it "Judeo-Christian mythology is making a comeback, eh?" says the somewhat pudgy chef rather brightly. And then he passes out things, and he leans down to pat Lindon on the shoulder, before he says "Lamont! Elmo…and I don't know your name, eh, pretty lady?" A broad wink to Yuliya. Lambert seems almost human, save for the horizontal pupiled eyes he has. Everything else is hidden under his chef's costume and hat. He says "…I can't work out how _Lucifer_ is in this city and no one is frightened. I am slightly frightened."
The hug doesn't make Lamont flinch. This is a safe space, relatively speaking. The comment about an angel has his brows up. He doesn't seem to disbelieve the comment about the angel. Lambert's, however, makes him peer sharply at their host. "Who?" he says, blankly, as if hoping it'll prove to be a mistake. Yuliya gets a polite nod from him, at his name, and he rises to offer her his hand.
"Spasibo," Yuliya offers to the group with a soft smile, as she sits down at the table. "I think I can fit a little bit more in." she listens to the introductions taking place, and she blushes softly at Lambert's compliment, and ducks her head down. She does glance back up again, and she seems surprised by Lambert's eyes and offers a friendly smile, before glancing towards Lamont. She also rises up, and firmly returns the handshake. "I am Yuliya Moscovitch," she offers to the group. However talk of angels does make her go silent as she listens, though she does look slightly confused at the mention of Lucifier.
Elmo backs Yuliya up, saying, "She was at the mutant Christmas thing. She's good people." He doesn't know her, but anyone who feeds hungry mutants is now good people to him. "Yuliya, this is Lindon, my boyfriend. This is Lamont, /his/ boyfriend. And this is Lambert, …also his boyfriend?" He's not clear on that one and hitches a shrug. Picking up the wineglass with thanks to Lambert, he hikes an eyebrow at Lindon. "Figura—nah, he had wings and was lightin' up with all these runes and whatnot. That's pretty angelic, right? Oh," he remembers, "same guy as was here last time, putting his hands all over Jay. Michael?"
"Our boyfriend," Lindon says, lowering his gaze to his hands. "Lambert's our boyfriend." He shoulder nudges Lamont to indicate who 'our' are. His cheeks flush, and he tells Yuliya, "We're, er, I mean that, that is to say, um. I'd like to think I have a lot of love in my heart." Then he groans. "Oh, Michael." He looks at Elmo, tracing a mindless pattern on the table with a fingertip. "He and I are sort of, er. We're good friends."
"Apparently there is the Archangel Michael and his brother is here, who is some sort of evil god or something," Lambert says to Lamont, as he pushes over a bowl of warmed olives "And maybe the kitchen sink, eh!" Then he says to the magician "I am not sure they are real, or if they are shadows of a real thing - like that Plato allegory. You have heard it?" His accent is mostly American. Only a tiny bit Greek. And when he beams almost indulgently at Yuliya, his teeth are very sharp as he says to her "Welcome! Yes, yes, I am full of love in my heart. _So much love_ to give here too." Finally he says to Elmo "Huh…that sounds very like it. Also the whole halo thing - surely, right, they would stop anyone else doing it?" He is uncertain about that, though, glancing at Elmo worriedly "JP? Oh, friends. I like friends." Again the grin returns, easy-going and far, far too mischievous.
Lamont has a kind of pokerface on. They've all explained it so much better than he possibly could. There's nothing to add on to that, it'd be gilding the lily. The handshake is gentle enough, though he's got calluses on his hands, as if he did more than office work. "A pleasure, Miss Moskovitch." Then he drops into Russian, «I take it you are originally from Russia?»
Yuliya offers a nod of her head to Elmo, as well as a smile. "Da, I was there. I helped with the cooking," she admits softly. It's very possible as she tries to figure out who is dating who instead of being shocked at the open admission of men having boyfriends. She takes a sip of her wine again, and then titters softly to herself. "I hope you keep all of that written down. I would be confused trying to keep track of that." She purses her lips. With Russian being spoken, she glances towards Lamont and seems to forget about the other conversations for the time being. «Yes, I am from Russia. My family fled when I about sixteen, and we ended up in France,» she casually replies in Russian.
Elmo starts laughing into his hand at Lindon and it takes him a minute to get under control. "Yeah. A lotta love to go around." He gives Lindon an adoring but highly amused look. "I didn't know that," he says to Lamont and Lambert, about their relationship. "Mazel tov. Anyway, I gave that guy Michael a shock, but he didn't even notice. He didn't hurt JP, though, he was just real worked up, I guess? This nice lady Diana had an eye on him, too. Great party."
"He's very gentle," Lindon tells Elmo. "Michael, I mean. He's always so gentle with me. To me. Around me." His cheeks color a touch, and he takes a gulp of his wine. He sets down that cup and smiles at Lamont to hear him speaking Russian with Yuliya, to whom he says, "Writing it down isn't a bad idea. I do keep a journal." He pauses, then adds, awkwardly, "It was nice of you, doing the cooking for that party. A good cause." He takes Lambert's hand as a calming thing. He just needs to ground himself a little. Social situations are hard.
Lambert says to Yuliya "Tch. Romance is meant to be tangled and confusing. Don't you agree? Passion is about wildness, not about anything tame." He finally remembers that he is supposed to be serving things out, and then he says "Are Russians as romantic as we Greeks?" And he tops up everyone else's wine, though there is no sign that he understands the Russian, just looking a little blank "Oh, heh," he says to Elmo "You did? Wait, can you do spark things? Sparky?" Suddenly his eyes widen "You take a look at my fridge, Elmo, it's been on the fritz!" Lambert _beams_ at him, full watt. He pats Lindon's hand, content to be calm out here, and then, from inside…a crashing sound. Lambert's _hat_ twitches, and slowly wobbles back and forth "…what are you doing to my _kitchen_?" he calls back out "Are you raising cats in there? Making sausages? Bringing in wild beasts?!"
He can't help but laugh at this, softly. "I have family in Russia. Or did - my grandmother was Russian. She used to speak it to me, when I was little." One of the old nobility, long, long since ousted. "If he really is an angel, they're well night indestructible," he adds to the pair, still looking thoughtful.
Yuliya dips her head down at Lindon's comment. "It's something I enjoy doing," she admits with a smile. "I'm not just a suit. I can do nice things for those that need it, and if it helps the downtrodden, then I am more than happy to do it." She purses her lips at the mention of a journal, and tilts her head a little to the side. "If it helps you relax, then it is a good thing to have." The question about Romance seems to be lost on her, and she offers a little shrug of her shoulders. "I… I do not know," she replies. Her attention shifts towards Lamont. "I never knew my grandparents," she admits. "Or my actual parents. But it is good that you learned the language from her."
Elmo grins, shyly, back at Lambert, who's just so adorable and effusive he can't be refused. "Sure, buddy. Is it one a' them /big/ fridges? Like the size of an apartment?" Then Lambert's back in his kitchen. "Figure it out later," he says, in the direction of where Lambert's gone, and drinks the wine. "I can see what you like about him," he adds in an undertone to Lindon.
Lindon gives Lambert's hand a squeeze, then the chef goes back to cheffing, and Lindon tucks in to some saganaki. Mmm, fried cheese. To Elmo, he says, "He's a really sweet guy." There's a little pride in his voice as he adds, "You'll blow him away with that fridge. It'll work better than it ever did." He glances between Yuliya and Lamont, and he says to the former, "That's good to know. Lately, I've been interested in perhaps doing some charity work for disaffected youth."
Elmo's the one Lamont's considering now. He's spent little time with his lover's other lovers, and it's apparently a matter for grave thought. Such a gulf in age between them. He looks back to Yuliya. "I knew it before the revolution," …..which should be impossible. Lamont doesn't look like he's in his fifties, yet, let alone the kind of old age that would have memories of the realm of the tsars.
With Lindon's comment about charity work, Yuliya offers nod of her head. "You should," she urges. "To help out those less fortunate, and to help them strive forward is only a good thing. As I have said, if you need someone to cook, I can make traditional Russian and French dishes. However I am not a professional chef, just a person who enjoys it." She looks in surprise at Lamont's comment about knowing Russia before the communist revolution. "Oppa," she comments in surprise. "You tell good stories, if you are pulling my feet. That or you have aged extremely well for an old man." Another sip of wine is taken, and then she reaches for a stuffed olive. "What is it like back then?"
Elmo, eyebrows raised, seems to agree with Yuliya about Lindon's charity aspirations. "Yeah, you should. Whatcha thinking?" His eyebrows go up higher when Lamont says he remembers the revolution. "Wow," he says, but quietly, so as not to interrupt. He finds a Lindon hand to hold, under the table.
Lindon says, "Lamont looks great for his age." He smiles at the man with fondness. Now that he's talked to Yuliya a bit, he's starting to relax, and it turns out there's warmth under that twitching facade. "We were thinking perhaps a hostel for youths who have been turned out of their homes. Did you know…" He lowers his voice and leans in. "Did you know these children sometimes have to resort to prostitution?" He practically whispers the 'p' word. "We thought somewhere safe for them to go might help them." He glances to Elmo with a secret little smile as he clasps his hand.
Lamont gestures to Lindon. "I am far older than I look, yes," he agrees. "It was….well, a very different place. It had resisted change so long it's not as surprising as it might be that when change came, it was drastic and violent," His tone is musing, soft. Then he's nodding at Lindon's explanation of their intended charity. "It's hard," he says, softly, "To find somewhere safe. Especially if they've aged out of the orphanage system…"
Yuliya goes silent at the mention of youths who are homeless. "It is sad," she replies. "That they have to turn to that. I thought this country was meant to be the land of opportunity, but how can it be when people have that taken away from them before they even have a chance?" She gives a soft snort, and then nibbles on another olive. Her attention then shifts towards Lamont and she tilts her head to the side when he speaks about the Russia that was. "Well, it was the workers taking what was denied to them. If it didn't happen, I think we would have still be using horse pulled plows. I do not think we would have lasted when the Germans attacked, either."
Elmo 's mouth turns down. "Yeah, I knew that. There were plenty a' guys in juvie who did. They weren't even, you know, queer, most of 'em." He can manage to say 'queer' now, in safety, without too much hesitation. "Just didn't have no options and there's always some nasty old guy willin' to pay. Lucky I knew a trade already, to be honest." He shrugs, uncomfortably, and leans his forehead on Lindon's shoulder, hiding in a way.
Lindon presses a kiss to Elmo's hair and slips an arm around him, protective and reassuring. "I figure if it can't be a permanent home, at least it can be a place where they can have a bed and hot meals while we figure out what to do with them. I'll research organizations that might be willing to help. Even if it's something as informal as telling a queer kid the safe places to hang out, like here." He's quick to add, "but any kid who needs help, you know? Mutant kids, too, any kid whose parents dropped the ball."
"That I don't think I can argue," Lamont says to Yuliya, with that wry twist to his lips. "On both fronts." And then he's rising, as if he'd heard someone calling him. "Excuse me a moment."
Yuliya offers a little wave to Lamont. "See, I'm usually right," she teases as she watches him go. She purses her lips and considers Elmo and Lindon again, and she arches a brow. It's possible that she hasn't seen public displays of affection like that before, and she's a little surprised. "You know, a couple of tents, a barrel cut in half to cook over, and you have a place to stay," she comments. "It is not fancy, but it gives protection." She raises a hand up for a moment, and then lets it drop back down. "What about an abandoned building? Would it be possible to raise funds for that?"
Elmo shakes his head. "It ain't that simple. You got guys roaming around on the street, looking for people like that. The real protection kids need isn't from the elements—though that helps, don't get me wrong. It's from people who wanna hurt 'em." He perks up a little at the idea of an abandoned building. "Yeah, something like that is what you want, maybe, Lindon?"
Lindon tells Lamont, "All right, love." He's still a bit tentative about all this affection, but damn it, this is a safe space, and hiding all the time his tedious. He smiles a little at his own daring, calling Lamont 'love' under the open sky. He nods then to Elmo's words. "There are predators on the streets looking for kids to exploit or worse. Besides, most of them are probably raised up in houses with no idea how to rough it. Ugh, I get so angry thinking about who would turn their own children out." He takes a deep breath, a calming breath, and nods to Yuliya. "Perhaps we could purchase a building. Lamont is a man of some means, and I've got a trust fund."
"The easiest way to stop someone becoming a victim, is to teach them to protect themselves," Yuliya comments, before giving a soft yawn. "You do not need to be super humanly strong or fast." She takes a deep breath, then final sip from her glass. "I will reach out to some people I know and see if I can find someone suitable for self-defence training, if that might help." At the talk of purchasing a building, she reaches into her jacket and withdraws a business card for a large multi-nation insurance agency. "I should be able to get a cheaper rate on building insurance for you," she comments.
"That'd be real useful," Elmo says, surprised and grateful. "Insurance, /and/ self defense? Schmucks ain't gonna want to mess with kids that can fight back. They do, yannow, sometimes, but usually that makes it worse. If—yeah." He can't make himself talk about it anymore. "Thanks."
Lindon nods to Yuliya and says, "Yes, we should do that. Teach them how to survive in the city. I, er, have no idea how to do that. I've had a privileged life so far, but we could find people who do." He digs in his jacket pocket for a small notepad and a pen. He scrawls down a pair of numbrers and the name Lindon Mills, with the note 'childrens home' on it. This he offers to Yuliya in exchange for her card. "This is great. Thank you so much, Yuliya." He grins at Elmo. "This is really going to happen."
Yuliya takes the offered bit of paper, and slips it into her suit jacket with a faint smile. "Oh, it is my pleasure to help out how I can," she comments. "If it is going to save lives of the downtrodden, then it is simply my pleasure. "Who knows, you might both learn something as well." She glances towards the restaurant and purses her lips, as if considering something.
Elmo looks up to offer Yuliya a lopsided half-grin. "I'm told I need to learn how to throw a punch. That ain't usually how I do my self-defense. So yeah. Happy to learn it." His expression flowers into a full smile at Lindon's delight, and he squeezes him around the waist. "You're a mensch."
"Oh, I don't know about that," Lindon says on being a mensch. He squeezes Elmo back and grins stupidly. "It just seems like a reasonable thing to do when you've got the money to do it with." As for learning something, he tells Yuliya, "Learning is what I live for. I'm not sure how suited I am to self-defense, but the effort will at least be edifying." He's got height on his side, but the man is thin. He probably doesn't have the muscle mass to throw a punch. He follows Yuliya's gaze toward the restaurant. "Penny for your thoughts?"
Yuliya glances back towards Elmo and Lindo again, and she considers them both for a few moments. "If I can learn how to protect myself, then you both can do it, too," she comments. "After all, you don't want people to think that a girl is better, right?" She laughs softly. She slowly stands up, and she considers lindon's comment about a penny for her thoughts. "I need to go to the toilet," she admits as she starts tow alk briskly towards the restaurant again.
Elmo looks at Lindon. "Girls /are/ better, though," he says, like this is obvious. Then he tucks his head under Lindon's chin, clearly still in need of comfort. "What a great guy you are, Lindele," he murmurs.