1965-02-02 - Utopia - A Date in the 80's
Summary: Able invites Jean to Dorsia for a romantic dinner.
Related: If there are no related logs, put 'None', — please don't leave blank!
Theme Song: None
able jean-grey 


The Blue's romp in the 80s was memorable, to say the least. People danced and frolicked. Able bought everyone street tacos and hot dogs and falafel until they were all fat and lazy, then organized rooms to relax in. In a way, the trip has been a much-needed vacation for the team, and a glimpse at better things and better times.

Once everyone is settled, he crept down the hall and slipped a note under Jean's door. It's the address of a restaurant they'd passed by that looked particularly promising. He left a box outside the door; a simple, elegant green dress that befits the era.

He arrived first, as he's the one who was prepared for the idea. The cosmopolitan doctor is waiting by the door and looking rather satisfied. And why wouldn't he?


Well, it was fun. It was a grand time, despite Jean masking her worries about the current era, and the things that she has seen so far. But right now? Enjoy the moment! Everyone seemed happy. The news were all about kittens and babies being born, and the new fads of the era and the charitable work that has been done. Could anyone believe that there was no starvation? Jerusalem was no longer locked in the middle of a holy war?

Wow. Just wow.

Then the knock. Then the dress. Jean got dressed for the occasion though felt rather uncomfortable having her arms bared and bosom tucked as it was. A white, silk shaw was taken to cover a little, hair done up in a high bee-hive that was era inappropriate but befitting of the dress. And the heels. It took a minute, but it was good. With a models stature, painted blood red lips and a little blush, wing-tips that were made with perfection. So once she enters into the restaruant, she wasn't out of place.. though.. she didn't know where she needed to be or sit, so.. awkward looks were abound.


Lucky for Jean, Able has been watching for her. She's hard to miss, too. Seconds after she walks in, he approaches and offers his arm to rescue her. He's dressed much the same as always, although his suit is certainly a bit crisper and fresher than it might otherwise be.

"You look amazing," he compliments her with a small smile. "The dress suits you. Come on, I have a table for us."

Gently, he leads them through the dining room toward a small table that's tucked away in a corner. He pulls out a chair for her to help her into it. The table has already been set with a tray of oysters resting on a bed of ice. It's not a traditional offering for the restaurant, but greasing palms can make anything happen. There's also a bottle of crisp white wine; the bottle is chilling and the glasses have been poured so recently that there's condensation on the outside.


The rescuing couldn't have come at a better time, Jean was prepared to wander along the restaurant to accost a few patrons here and there in search of the tall blonde man. But, as her arm is grabbed up, she lets out a smile, her hand capturing his forearm to hold tight as he leads her through, though keeping her pace small and short enough so that she doesn't trip in her stride.

"Thank you. And thank you for picking it out. I didn't know you knew my measurements." It's impressive really. Dresses like these, she doesn't really think to wear them.

But once they were at the table and she was properly settled, the shawl was bunched up upon her bare shoulders, her body nearly curling inward as she looks towards the food there offered. "…what is that?" No, Jean had never seen an oyster before, yet if he knew her history, he would completely understand.


"I'm your doctor," Able scoffs, waving off both the comment and the thanks, but in a friendly fashion. "I know your measurements better than you do."

Still, he seems rather pleased with himself as he takes his seat across from Jean and gestures toward the plate that's between them. "They're oysters. Shellfish. They're fresh. They taste like the ocean in the best possible way. Here, like this…"

Demonstrating, he takes up one of the half-shells and tips the morsel into his mouth. It must be good for what it is, because he closes his eyes while he enjoys it. "Mm," he says once he's finished. "I thought something light would be nice after all the street food. And I know you prefer lighter meals."


His scoffing makes her laugh, she settles more into the seat as she looks around, eying the premises curiously. The decor was out of this world, and so advanced! But as he explains the food, her attention is kept, leaning forward as she watches him eat, then decidedly picks one up for herself.

It was a clear mimic, the way she eats the food, but she doesn't close her eyes, yet she squints. She was attempting to taste the flavors, even chewing when she wasn't supposed to, and swallows with a quick grab of the wine that was poured and a sip. "It's.. interesting.." She admits. Something to get used to. "We did eat a lot today.. something light though?" She waffles her hands.. "Would this include dessert?"


"Mmhmm," Able murmurs, nodding. He takes up another oyster and downs it happily. Unlike Jean, there's no hesitation on his part. He helps himself to the wine as well. It's a nice chardonnay, something that matches up well with their meal.

Once he has his glass back on the table he tops both of them off. "Tiramisu and cheesecake. I couldn't decide, so I ordered both."


Tiramisu, she's heard of it at least. Tasted it? Of course not. But cheesecake was a staple, it was rich, creamy, and appropriately sweet. In fact, her eyes nearly light up at just hearing the word. Though Jean wasn't much of a drinker, she does take a few sips here and there, trying her best to not go over the top for fear of what may happen and who could be influenced. But.. a nice dinner? A lovely dress? It has her mildly questioning well.. everything.

"Dr. Tithonus." She states, putting her glass aside. "Able.." She clears her throat, then gestures around. "What is this? I mean, this is lovely. The dress is lovely, this place, it's wonderful. The food is great.." One eye squints, even as she leans forward just a touch. "Is this a date? Is that why the others aren't here?"


Able tilts his head an inch to one side. He's smiling, but there's a tentative hint to the expression. It's unlike him to be anything less than bold, but he forges on anyway. "I bought you a dress. I ordered for us. I stole you away while everyone else was sleeping. Yes, this is a date."

Time for more wine. He affects a cough into his fist, then takes a deep drink. He busies himself filling his glass and enjoying another oyster. Finally, he leans in as well and looks up at Jean again. "I thought you might enjoy it. Are you?"


Oh! Well, okay!

It was a date. Jean didn't look too comfortable with it, well.. mostly for one reason. "Yes. Yes I actually am enjoying it. I mean, honestly it's my first time doing this sort of thing. Dinner.. date.. fancy places and.." She takes her wine glass, drawing in a sip, smacking her lips as she gestures. "You're the only doctor I have and am willing to go to, is this even.. right?"


The doctor in question is graced with a brief respite when a server brings over dessert and whisks away the oyster plate. The tiramisu is fresh and the cheesecake looks delicious. It's presented in the center of the table with forks for each of them.

Once they're alone again, he shrugs his broad shoulders. "You're right. Normally this would be considered unethical on my part, but I'm not a regular doctor and you're far from an average patient. Our situation is anything but normal. You looked into my mind, you saw what was there and you're still here. No matter what happens, I'll treat you. No changes there."


Once the cheesecake and Tiramisu were placed, Jean immediately grips a fork and begins to eat. It was no nonsense when it came to the dessert, but she was at least proper enough to keep her bites small. Nibbled. Refined.

"I know.. and you.. you know what I have in here." She gestures towards her chest. She doesn't really know how to explain it, but she did her best. "I guess I just don't want the lines to blur. You already know that I'm broken, damaged, inhabited by some weird cosmic god who makes me crazy and makes me talk to myself when she makes her random appearances.." She stops her rambling, to take another bite, soon hunkering down in her seat to point her fork prongs in his direction.

"..I don't want you to treat me like some fragile thing or going above and beyond to protect me because.. we have feelings for each other." Another bite. She really didn't even realize what she had said..


Now Able's smile is broad and unabashed. As tempted as he might be, he doesn't call her out, he just responds. "No worries there. I always went above and beyond to protect you. I do that with all of my friends, few as they might be."

He takes up his fork as well, attacking the tiramisu first. After a healthy bite or two he dabs his mouth with a napkin and elaborates. "You know, I've never done this either. In either persona." He taps his head to indicate the memories he carries that aren't actually his. "I'm broken, too. I have another person in my head. A sociopath that you've helped me tame. I might understand better than you think. But I know what you mean. When we're in the field, we're part of a team where no one person is more important than another."


Jean shrugs her shoulders nonchalantly; there was some hesitation with attacking the Tiramisu but she does it tiny piece by piece. "So, we're both harboring socipaths." For a moment, she seems to smirk, but the conversation continues on.

"Oh. I mean, I have a boyfriend.. had.." She frowns a little. "We didn't do dates, we mostly just.. sat around, ate regular food, argued about his worth and had a lot of sex." She takes another bite, then shakes her head. "Then, me agonizing over him leaving.. then him returning.. then leaving again.." She glances out towards the window with a frown. "I don't think I want to do that anymore."


"Food and sex and arguing are the backbone of a relationship. So I've been told, anyway. I wouldn't know." Able shrugs again. "But a beautiful woman should have beautiful things and be taken to beautiful places. Perhaps that's why things didn't work out as well as they could have."

More bites. Cheesecake this time. He's stalling, though, and he's not even doing a particularly good job of hiding it. Finally he sets his fork aside and looks Jean in the eye. "I won't leave. I couldn't even imagine it. Here, take my hand." He reaches out to her across the table. "Look into my mind again. I held things back before, but this time I won't. I… You'll understand."


"Yes but.." Still, she was a bit sad. She wasn't going to dwell any longer, however. Though she does give a little nod, she takes another bite of the tiramisu, then a sip of wine, which finally makes her cheek blush a little red. Someone was getting a slight bit tipsy.

Her eyebrows lift as he offers his hand, her own reaching out to grasp his. "I don't know what I'm looking for.." She admits.. and yet, she was already diving in, the only clue that she had done so was the slight-sudden sweltering of heat and the way her green eyes slowly began to bleed white.


"Don't worry. I'll show you." Able grips her hand a little tighter. "I've been practicing."

His thoughts are wildly different from any other person. His brain is artificial and his memories mostly belong to someone else. It takes effort for those to be pushed aside. After that, he and Jean are left standing inside the virtual landscape of his mind, just as they were the first time he let her in.

Still holding her hand, he leads her down a cold, foggy hallway that's lined with prison cells. Each one contains a version of himself. "This is who I was before I met you," he explains. One cell shows him strapped down to a table being cut open and put back together over and over, like a movie on fast-forward. The man performing the experiments is an older version of himself. "Torture and anguish." Another chamber shows him escaping from captivity, but living alone and with no one to trust; little more than an animal. "Fear and uncertainty." A third shows images of him during his time as a mercenary, trying to find some place to belong and finally understanding he was doing all of the wrong things for all of the wrong reasons. "Death and remorse."

He looks up at his companion, then gestures toward a door at the end of the hall. "There's more, but I though it proper to give you a chance to ask questions."


It was different, but much of the same. The unfamiliarity of it all was jarring, which is quite possibly why she doesn't bother to pry anymore. Or the fact that she was just learning to respect the privacy of the minds that were around her.

But it was willingly formed for her. She didn't have to pick and pry, it was there. The journey was fantastical; much like her own. She wasn't being pulled apart, but there were many.. many versions of her on fire. Agony, pain, a worldly knowledge that she doesn't have access too and yet toyed with.

At the end of it all, she looks to him amazed, her head shaking ever so slightly as she releases his hand. The door, it was approached. She had no questions, but she was ready. "The way this all works, what you know, I know. Your mind feeds me everything about you without even you knowing it, in a sense. You direct, I indulge." She reaches out for the handle, twists.. and pulls..


Within are his memories of the last year. Meeting Jean in the university library. Her bringing him breakfast. The first time she visited him as a patient. The first time they fought side by side. Finally feeling like a part of something good and meaningful after she brought him to the mansion. The friends he's made since then. Training with her and cooking her dinner. A stolen kiss on her cheek during a sparring match. Outside, things are dark and frightening. In this room there's light and warmth.

"Out there, I'm alone. I never knew that I could be more than what I was built to be." He pauses to clear his throat. "In here, I feel like a real person. In here, I'm happy. I wouldn't have that without you. I wanted you to see that for yourself."


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