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There is a reason that Black Bolt usually wanders off into the mountains when he is on one of his walkabouts from Attilan — few people, not a lot of explaining to do — and his lack of awareness of human culture isn't quite so obvious. So where is he today? He is waiting for a seat at a table at a busy New York City cafe, standing on the street in front of the host stand while people enjoying some of the recent warmth take their lunch beneath the warm sunshine. He has a newspaper tucked under one arm, and has a wallet with his false identification and some cash. He's at least sorted out how to pay for things, so the actual acquiring of lunch shouldn't be too much of an issue.
Art as he's known to his friends has arrived at the restaurant early for a meeting with a movie director. None of the people working in New York on the set or with the movies he's been on know him as Longshot. He's dressed up for the meeting in a black on black suit with his hair neatly cut and combed. Making his way to the host stand he checks with the host only to learn that the meeting and reservation was canceled and a note of apology was sent over by the studio. Shaking his head and frowning a bit he says with a shrug, "Well. I guess it'll be one for lunch."
It's a lot harder to go unnoticed for Alison, and she's wearing a large, wide brimmed hat, large sunglasses, a bright yellow blouse, and black pedal pushers as she approaches the cafe. She's doing her very best to blend in and go unnoticed, but has a really hard time remembering that colors like yellow will often attract attention.
Blackagar is dressed in a well tailored navy blue suit with a white shirt and blue tie, looking quite like he fits in with the rest of the crowd. The woman at the hostess stand begins to direct him to a table with room for four since he is next in line, even though that leaves no other tables for those behind him. Turning, he glances over at Longshot when he overhears that the reservation was canceled. He motions toward the table that he's being directed too with a quizzical glance, an invitation to join, it would seem. The woman in yellow is noticed, because yellow, but there's no recognition there. He might be one of the only people at the cafe who wouldn't recognize Dazzler, even if he knew that was her name.
Hiding his hands in his pockets, Art looks like he'd turn away until Blackagar offers him a place at his table. A smile and a nod is given to the man as Art says, "Thanks! I'm Art…" More looks like it would follow until his blue eyes follow Blackagar's gaze to where Dazzler stands. There is a sudden /deer in the headlights/ look as he freezes, unsure what to say or do other than be stuck in place.
To say hello or not to say hello! These are important questions. Dazzler might be just as caught off guard when she spots Longshot as he is when he spots her. Although to handle it she quickly diverts towards some lucky stranger sitting near by, sliding quickly into a seat before she launches into some quick, quiet explanation as to why she's suddenly inviting herself to lunch.
Blackagar follows Longshot's gaze over toward the woman in yellow and he seems about to wave hello in greeting to her as well, perhaps to invite her over to the table as well, when suddenly she drops into a seat next to someone and he smiles, curiously. Instead, he turns back toward Longshot and begins to sign something, unfortunately about halfway through he remembers that no one but his own family and a few other Inhumans can even understand it. He holds up a finger, instead and pulls out a small pad and a pen and writes on it : "Art? Like painting, and sculpture?" Then he begins to move over toward the table and settles into a chair comfortably.
There is a long look toward Dazzler as she sits with someone else. It looks as if Longshot plans to head over but he shakes that feeling off and turns to follow Blackagar instead. At the table he unbuttons one of the buttons holding the jacket closed, careful to keep his strange four fingered hand mostly hidden as he sits. "Thanks. Yes, most call me Art as in short for Arthur." Smiling he can't help but to pause to look back towards his ex-wife and then back, "Thanks for letting me join you. What's your name? I mean, if we're to have proper introductions that is."
Blackagar gestures toward the other table, as though indicating that if Longshot wants to go and join the woman in yellow, no offence will be taken, the mild smile that touches his lips indication enough. It's the sort of smile that reaches his eyes. But when the man instead decides to settle at his table, he considers the question, glancing at Art/Arthur. He writes then: "My name is Bolt." He's become aware enough, at least, that calling himself Black in this particular time and place is probably unwise. So he chooses to shorten his family name instead. Then he writes, "You're more than welcome. I appreciate the company."
"Bolt?" One dark brow lifts quizzically and then Longshot is grinning. "So. Is this your nickname because you're a fast runner? Some kind of athlete?" There is a wider grin as he keeps his hands hidden under the table. "I do work as a stuntman in motion pictures. I was suppose to meet some studio folks here but they canceled. Its fun work for sure." As a server arrives he turns and orders ice water and a sandwich.
Taking up the menu, Black Bolt looks over the choices and then when the waitress arrives, he points out a cup of tea and one of the sandwiches on the menu and then gestures to indicate that both he and Longshot will be on his tab. He did do the inviting, after all, and it seems that he intends to pay for lunch as well. Once the waitress departs, he writes: "Like fighting and car chases?" Then he pauses a moment, and beneath that he writes, "More like electricity. Long story. I have a lounge in Midtown — The Quiet Room." There's a little wry smile at that.
Longshot watches as Blackagar orders, looking from him to the waitress and then smiling as he finds the man is paying. "Well thank you. Paid lunch and an invite to the table. You are too kind." There is a grin following those words as he leans back in his chair to think over his next words. "Yeah. Fighting and car chases and all the dangerous stuff. Its a lot of fun to do for a job. There is danger but its fun." Pausing as the waitress places a glass of ice water before him and a steaming mug of tea in front of Blackagar, he gives a nod as she leaves then continues on. "That's funny, The Quiet Room. I'll come check it out."
Blackagar inclines his head to the man across from him, graciously. He then straightens once more, settling back comfortably in his chair, and glancing out onto the street. Now that the bustle of getting a table is over, he seems more comfortable just relaxing there and talking. He writes quickly, deftly, in a neat small script, accustomed to this method of communication, it seems: "I like watching movies. I watched some back home before coming here." He gestures a little bit to indicate New York, or perhaps the U.S. as a whole. "They helped me learn English." He smiles then and nods his agreement when Longshot says he will come to check it out.
There is a nod as Longshot looks to the notepad and the words written on them. Looking back to Blackagar he gives a smile and then says, "Hopefully they were good films. Some of the stuff is odd. But things like Psycho, Spartacus, Lawrence of Arabia… All good and worth watching." Smiling he takes a moment to look back at Dazzler and then shakes his head to add, "Stay away from those like Blood Feast. Such a horrible, horrible, movie." Shaking his head he reaches out to grab his water with his left hand. Lifting it to his lips he drink deeply, nearly draining the water before returning it to the table. He's careful to try to hide the fact that he doesn't have all four fingers but instead three fingers and a thumb.
Blackagar listens to the names of the movies that are mentioned, and he nods when Spartacus and Lawrence of Arabia are mentioned, but shakes his head slightly when Psycho and Blood Feast are mentioned, clearly not having seen those. He takes a sip from his tea and glances over towards Dazzler for a moment, studying the woman where she is chatting away with the stranger that she's shanghaied. He writes then: "You know her? Friend of yours?" Fortunately, Black Bolt's attention is mostly on Dazzler and then on the writing, and not on Longshot's hands, so that secret remains kept — for the moment.
Nodding he waits to speak as their food is put before them and his own water is refilled. "Let me get a tea like my friend Bolt has please." Smiling to the waitress he looks back to Blackagar and thinks over his response. "Yeah that's my ex-wife. I didn't know she was in New York too." There is a moment of hesitation before he shrugs his shoulders. "I should talk to her at some point but right now and right here didn't seem like the right time."
Blackagar smiles to the waitress when she asks if she can bring him another tea as well, and nods his head in the affirmative, having slowly drained most of it while they talked. A brow raises then as he glances over to Dazzler once more, then back to Longshot. He writes: "I was to be married once. An arranged affair. But circumstances have allowed me to avoid it." There's a faint twist to his lips, a wry smile. Then he writes: "I won't be offended if you go. I just haven't met many people, and it seemed you were without a table."
"Nah, later is better. I'd be a mess if I went over there now. Besides, I should meet people too as I'm new to the city." Looking at the sandwich he picks up half of it and takes a bite, chewing with a nod of approval. The bite is swallowed before Longshot asks, "So this marriage… What was the problem? I mean why didn't you want to go through with it?"
Blackagar takes a bite of his sandwich and considers the flavors, taking a moment to peel the bread apart and look at what's inside it, then close it again, before nodding with approval and taking another bite. Once he's set it down and wiped off his fingers, he writes: "I didn't want a lot of things that were chosen for me. I wanted a life of my own. She was a friend, but I didn't feel what I would hope to feel for someone I was to marry." It takes him a little bit to write it out, but he does so, patiently, before setting it down.
Longshot quickly eats half of his sandwich and drains that second glass of water. When his tea arrives he pours a large helping of sugar into the glass and then stirs it while waiting for Blackagar to write his response. He's not in a hurry and it shows as he sips his tea before looking to the pad for the man's words. "Yeah I could see that. It's already hard enough and when it starts bad…" There is a nod before he changes the topic, "This place you own, what is it?"
"We were young," Blackagar writes, and then he easily switches topics, writing beneath: "It's a lounge with a bar, quiet music, a place to hold meetings and talk. Good drinks. Low key. My brother Max helped me get it started. He thinks we should smuggle and sell illegal lizards." He then takes up his sandwich again to continue eating a bit at a time, a clearly amused smile at his brother's desires to 'spice things up a bit' at work.
"Sounds great. I'll definitely come check it out." There is a smile as he rereads the last bit. Shaking his head he reads it again and then frowns. "Wait. Lizards? There." Chuckling he lifts up the second half of his sandwich and poses before taking a bite. "Lizards can't make that kind of money or the kind of money that would make it worth doing, right?"
Blackagar finishes off one half of his sandwich and takes a swallow from the tea. He makes no sound when he laughs, the smile broadening a bit and his shoulders shaking, but that's the only evidence that he is laughing at all. He writes then: "I have no idea. I can't imagine there'd be any profit in it." He gives a shrug then. "Black market exotic pets?"
Laughing with Blackagar and shaking his head, Longshot ends the laughing with a wide grin. "Tell your brother there is much better stuff to get involved in that hopefully will make you guys money. Lizards I fear would just cause trouble and land you square in jail with no profit to show for it." Chuckling softly as he thinks over the whole thing he looks from his sandwich to Blackagar then adds, "Is it busy in there? I think I like the sound of this place."
Blackagar writes: "I think the trouble is the point." When asked if it's busy, he gives a little bit of a shrug and a tilt of his head to one side before straightening. "Depends on the night," he writes. "Some there aren't many people. Some, there are lots of people, meetings going on. Weekends are busier, as one might expect." He then finishes off the remainder of his sandwich slowly, taking time to do so before writing any more. His second cup of tea is then taken into his hands to be sipped slowly.
The second half of the sandwich is finished as Blackagar writes and sips at his tea. Longshot pushes the plate away to the side and then takes his own tea in both hands. "That makes sense. Ok. So I'll plan for the weekend to come and check the place out." Sipping from his tea he adds, "Dress code?"
Blackagar nods his head in agreement when, when Longshot suggests that he come out and visit on the weekend, since that's the busier time for the establishment. When he asks about dress code, Blackagar gestures between them. Suit and tie, as one might expect for an upscale-ish sort of establishment of the era. Then he takes another sip from his tea before taking up the pad and writing: "What is your drink of choice?"
"Suit and tie is easy and good too." Nodding his head, Longshot finishes off his tea and puts the cup back down on the saucer. Both hands slip into his lap under the table as he sneaks a peek back towards Dazzler but tries to hide it like he's just scoping out the place. "Drinks… I like scotch on the rocks or neat. Outside of that I like whiskey too." Pursing his lips he tilts his head back and forth in thought. "Yeah, those two are my favorites. What about you? Favored drink?"
Blackagar catches that glance toward Dazzler again. He studies the woman for a few moments and then he writes: "You should talk to her." Then he nods in regard to the drinks, making a mental note for the bar for later. Both are things that they have, but he'll likely make a couple of special selections for his new friend. He then writes: "Raksi. It is from Nepal."
"Maybe… maybe…" Is all Longshot says at first, deep in thought. Chewing lightly at his lower lip he seems to be thinking through a number of scenarios. "I'll talk to her on the way out. Invite her to your club to meet and catch up… Do you have a card or anything for the place?"
Blackagar reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small case which contains some business cards. He does, in fact, and he produces one. It's simple and white with The Quiet Room written on one side, and a stylized Q and R on the other with an address of the place and a phone number to call to make reservations. He dips his head then and writes: "Yes, bring her along." He then motions for the check, and pays the waitress after examining the bill, leaving a generous tip as well. He writes then: "It was a pleasure meeting you, Art. Until next time." He then offers a hand to the man as he rises from his seat.
The card is taken and looked over as Blackagar looks over the bill and then pays. Slipping it into the pocket of his jacket he stands as his host does and looks to the man's hand. Longshot reaches out and clasps the other hand firmly in his and gives a nod of his head. "Thank you for lunch. The conversation and the card. I look forward to seeing you at your club and, tell your brother there are other ways to have make trouble." Grinning he gives a shake and releases the other man's hand. "Wish me luck." With that said he turns and heads off to talk to Dazzler, the false bravado used as he moves closer a great cover for how nervous he really is.