There is no main restaurant open right now - but out the back here, there are supernatural and mutant people eating and socialising. Not quite a private party, but a small gather for those who do not fit into mundane environments. Amongst them is Lambert, who is sitting back in a chair, drinking some of his fresh honey wine. He sighs, heavily, warmed by the small fire.
Kai is still in his waiter's uniform, though he's taken a much more relaxed approach to the after hours socializing; he lounges at a table, eating and drinking, but then he hops to his feet to bring more food so no one else has to get up. He brings a fresh platter of saganaki and another bottle of wine. "Here we are," he says, doling out the portions. Then he snags himself a glass of wine and meanders over to sit beside Lambert. "I love these evenings after hours."
"Me too," admits Lambert "You know, I used to be off at this time, bedding someone upstairs. But lately, I don't know…I've felt more like just being down here, with the rest of the group. With people to talk to, and food to pick at." He squeezes some lemon juice over the saganaki and pops a piece into his mouth "I suppose we all need time to recall who we really are. And you can only do that when you are relaxing."
"It's important to be part of a group," Kai says. "To belong to a people. I went a long time without that." He munches on some of the saganaki, too. Mmm. "You have a family here," he tells Lambert, "and people. A herd." He taps his wine glass to Lambert's. "One way or another, we're going to get your eyes fixed."
It is delicious, and dangerous to the blood pressure, that grilled, salty cheese. Lambert agrees "It is important. You know, I don't think it's a satyr-kin need at all. It's a human need. We want to be with people we can trust." Out here, in his own place, he can move around, but he cannot account for people. So he sits, and he tips his glass back against Kai's. Dark red wine, rich as blood, a little too sweet. Mule-like kick "I think so. I asked others. People have had operations like this before. If my lenses were shaped normally, it would already have happened."
And in comes the Soldier. Passing for normal, and for once without either girlfriend or Bucklings or Steve in tow. Buck's dressed in his work clothes, thought he's taken off vest and suitjacket - just in a dress shirt and pants, hair tied back. He pauses in the doorway, looking for familiar faces.
Kai's quick eye spies Bucky, and he raises his wine glass to him in greeting. "If they won't fix it in Asgard, we'll find someone here who can design the right lenses," Kai says. "Money is no object. We'll get it. There are smart science types in the Avengers, too."
"Don't they get bitten by radioactive spiders and have super soldiers?" asks Lambert a bit cautiously. The Avengers are clearly good, but _unpredictable_ people. While he does not see Bucky, as far away as he is for Lambert's bad eyes…he does lift his nose and sniff a little. Then he says to Kai, low-voiced "Is that attractive guy with all those brothers here? He's dating…what was her name. Rogue?"
Buck certainly does smell distinctive - that metal arm, and all the weird solvents and oils in it, atop the smoke and booze of a bartender… Spotting Kai, Buck grins,and wanders that way, lifting his gloved left hand in greeting. "Hey," he says, amiably.
"No they got smart guys too," Kai says. The spider guy is super smart." He grins at Bucky and scoots to make room for him. He's already pouring him a glass of wine by the time he reaches the table, and he offers it over. "It's good to see you out and about," he says. "How are the boys?"
"Do you mix drinks?" Lambert asks Bucky out of nowhere, rather curiously. He lifts his hand as well, and then he says "Welcome - I know you've been here before, but you're always welcome to return! Tonight's our…ah. Our night where we have over people who might cause a little bit of concern amongst the nervous, I suppose. It's what we do to catch up with one another, and to relax. Have some of the saganaki."
"I tend bar at Lux, 's my job," Buck says, amiably. He glances around. "It'll be nice to be around….to be where I'm not the most unusual person in the room," he says, as diplomatically as he can. "And the kids are learning English, slowly. It's very weird being part of a pack." His tone is philosophical.
"I wish I could help them learn English," Kai says, always looking for an in with those boys. Because how cool are clones! Right? "But they would only hear Russian if I spoke to them, just like as far as I'm concerned you're all speaking Norse." He takes another swallow of wine.
"Why can't they speak English?" asks Lambert, puzzled "You sound like a native speaker, Mr. Barnes." And he laughs at the diplomacy, and then gestures around "It's my home," he tells him warmly "And if you like being here, why, then, come here. I've been to Lux." Lambert, oddly, frowns a little, then says "I'm not used to getting turned down that often, actually - it's a little hard on the ego. But the clientelle at Lux are…very fancy. Mhm…it's weird? But Kai and I are in your pack, and we're not weird. Though I suppose my pack is very big these days." He brightens at that "Or herd. Whichever. I suppose it's herd for hooves, and pack for fangs, but what do you do if you're from a species that tend to have both?"
That has Buck regarding Lamb, thoughtfully. "Who turned you down at Lux?" he asks, curiously. "And no, it's not the same. I…..I realize….what do you know about me?" He's settled in at their table. Then Kai's comment makes him look over, and he blinks. "Wait, what?"
Kai regards Bucky with innate, default innocence. "When I speak," he says. "You hear your native tongue, don't you? I mean I do speak English, too. Most of the time I'm speaking English, but it doesn't matter if I switch to Norse. There, I'm speaking Norse now." Except he sounds like he's still speaking English. "It's just this thing." He gestures vaguely. "It's the same with Asgardians."
"One of the bartenders, and a couple of the ladies there," admits Lambert "But it's not a big thing. I just usually feel comfortable just about anywhere! But for some reason…not there. Maybe it's because I don't come from money - I mean, we were never poor. But Lux is _very rich_." He gestures, and then he lifts his cup of wine, and he turns and says something to Kai in Ancient Greek. Something filthy. Testing him!
"It's not that. It's that most of the staff aren't human. They're not even of this earth," Buck says, softly. "They're angels, I think. And a goddess," There's an odd softness in his face, as he discusses them. Then he blinks at Kai. "I didn't realize that," he says, with that grin. "That's wild. But yeah. The kids need more formal English instruction." To Lamb, he adds, "The kids….they're not literally my sons. Weird as this sounds, I was an experimental subject for Russian scientists for a very long time. They made these poor guys from me. They're not truly clones, but…."
Kai laughs and shoulder-nudges Lambert. "Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?" He pours more wine, topping up everyone's cup. "Sometimes I wonder what a normal life is like. Normal for a human, for a ljosalfar, any sort of normal. But we've got Russian non-clones and angels and gods."
"Hmm, that might explain it," Lambert says to Bucky, clearly feeling better "Only someone not of this earth could resist my charms. Well. That and you and Kai." He grins a little, and he claps Kai on the shoulder, then reaches out to take another piece of Saganaki "That sounds very, very weird. They were made from you - like the old Greek Gods used to make people from themselves, from their flesh and bone? But why didn't the scientists give them your intelligence?" And he grins at Kai "Yes." Then he says "I think my life is _reasonably_ normal. But my friends make it very interesting!"
"They did. I think they're smarter than me," Buck's reply has no hesitation. "but they didn't teach them English. I don't think they intended to use them in the English speaking parts of the world. Not yet." He gives the elf a sad little smile. "I usedta know. Then I went to war, and it's been nothing but weird since, honestly." A nod to Lamb. "Some science. Some magic. A sorcerer was involved."
Kai shakes his head slowly. "I was born here on Midgard," he says, "Mum and Da kept me isolated from human children. I didn't start to go out and about until I was maybe twenty." He swirls his wine in his glass. "Then they got caught and I was sent to Alfheim to live with my gran. I've only had about thirty years of proper training in culture and customs. Then I did a runner back to Midgard. Most of my life has been fighting for some cause or another. I guess it's normal for me, but I don't think it's all that relatable."
Lambert's tail flicks back and forth, and he stretches, and then he says to Bucky "Those poor kids. Well, I'll put together a basket of food to take back to them. Er. You know. It may be. Well, I guess you know a lot m ore than me, but it may not be possible to bring them back to…normality." He has to hesitate at that, worried about upsetting the soldier. He then says to Kai "You're a bit like me, though I had brothers and sisters to play with. And well, I struck out for here. I like running my restaurant. I know I'm not that powerful. If I become powerful, I've probably got to stop it with the food business. You've seen how bad we are at control." He pauses, then he says to Bucky "He writes poetry."
"They don't have a normal to go back to," Bucky's voice is very gentle. "See, before all the sh- before all the things that happened to me, I had a life. I was somebody that wasn't the Russians' slave. I was Bucky Barnes, I was Steve Rogers's best friend. These guys….they've never known it. They didn't even have names until we gave 'em some. But we're working on it. They know what they like, what they want, and they aren't blind servants of Russia." He gets hi glass of wine, takes a sip. "We've got a kind of bond, though. We can feel each other, even at a distance. A hivemind, I guess?"
"Magic," Kai says. "Or maybe a mutant ability, except you're not a mutant." He takes a swallow of wine, then says, "I would've liked to have had siblings. I still might if Mum and Da get out of prison. And still like each other. Sometimes the heart doesn't grow so fond at absence." To Lambert, he says, "I think it's very nice that you bring food around and send food home for the boys. I bet they don't even know they're eating some of the best food in New York."
"Can you really tell if someone's a mutant just by looking at them? Or maybe it's love," says Lambert, for whom that is a big driver "I'm sorry you had such a difficult life, Mr. Barnes. If it helps, just let Kai and I know and we'll entertain the lads. I promise, no dodgy stuff," he adds hastily "I like my partners fully informed and content, thankyou very much." And then he grins at Kai "Ooh, maybe we should send them something terrible. So they don't get used to perfection and expect it everywhere!"
The idea of them entertaining the kids is enough to make him grin that broad grin. "I…..you should meet them. I think you might get along," he says, slowly. The wine's strong enough to make color come into his cheeks.
Kai clucks his tongue and tells Lambert, "They deserve perfection after what they've been through. In their food at the very least. "I'd like to meet them," he tells Bucky. As if he hasn't said that at least a dozen times. Just in case it might not yet have slipped out. "Nothing dodgy. I can play them songs and tell them stories."
"I'm not sure….well, at least one of them likes music," He sounds so fond of them. Family that was made, not born, but it's his. "And they do love Lamb's cooking," he adds. "You will, soon."
"Who wouldn't love Bertie's cooking?" Kai says wistfully. Wistful even though he is, even now, eating more fried cheese. "Isn't it great, though, that you've saved them from the life they would've had? Now they get to get adjusted to life on the outside, find their own aspirations and dreams. You're their hero."
"No, I'm just one of them," he corrects, with a shake of his head. "That's all. But that's enough. At least one borderline worships Steve." That grin again. "You should see it, it's hilarious," he notes. "And you're right, I don't know of anyone who could resist Lambert's cooking."
Kai rolls his eyes good-naturedly and says, "Of course, it's Steve." He smiles wryly, shaking his head. "You guys come from a different time," he says. "I remember those days. Everyone thinks they were so innocent because it's this generation's parents' time. But Steve? He really is all those ideals rolled up into one man."
Buck nods, expression soft. "He really is. It's hard to believe he's real, sometimes," he says. "I mean, I knew him all along, and he was always that way. All the other stuff, it's just…" He waves a hand. "Icing on the cake. The world sees him, and he is a hero, and he does deserve their praise. But….he was a hero before. You shoulda seen him fighting himself, day in and day out, never giving in."
Kai nods, and he shoulder-nudges Bucky. "Yeah," he says. "No one will ever see him like you knew him first. But it's good that you guys have that. It's something that's yours and yours alone. I admit, I kind of envy you guys, because you had that strong bond when you were so young."
"That was about all we had," he agrees. "Each other. Poor, each missing parents. Orphaned young…and I was old enough to stay when my dad died. I didn't want to go West and live with my aunt and uncle, like my sister Becky had to."
"Did you ever hear from her again?" Kai asks. "I imagine by now she wouldn't recognize you. You haven't aged a day since the Russians found you. I'm assuming that's when you stopped aging normally?" He tops off Bucky's glass again. "It's all right if you don't want to talk about it."
"No," he says. "I need to find her. I thought she'd be safer, happier, if I was gone and stayed gone. I don't know if….if the Russians left her alone." Another mouthful of the wine. "No. I stopped aging during the war. The Germans are the ones to blame for that, truth be told."
Kai says gently, "I'm sure you protected her with your absence. That they had no reason to go after her." He squeezes Bucky's arm. "You'll find out that she's A-okay." He smiles, a subdued but encouraging thing. "It's good to know you've still got blood out there, somewhere."
There's that old haunted look, or the shadow of it. "I hope so," he says. But he doesn't sound at all sanguine about it, tipping his head forward - the old gesture that'd veil his face with his hair. Not that it works now, with it still bound neatly back.
Kai gives Bucky's arm another squeeze. He'll believe it for Bucky, if Bucky can't. "Hey, I might be going to Asgard soon. I hope. I've asked Thor if he'd take us and he's considering it. He's going to help me get my parents out of prison. If the All-Father can be convinced. Thor's good word will go further than mine."
He's glad to be startled out of his own reverie. "For real?" he asks, looking up again. "I…I'm tempted to ask if Scarlett and I can come. We've been meaning to go. And I did swear an oath to the All-father…"
"I would love that," Kai says. "I haven't spoken to Scarlett in so long. Will you tell her that I offer her my deepest apologies for being a poor excuse for a friend, and that I would love for her to accompany us? There will be feasting, too. Feasting for days. If the All-Father is in a good mood, I might even try to introduce myself, since I'm, er, close to Loki."
That smile, incandescent. "Of course. I bet she'd be delighted. Thanks!" Buck says, squeezing Kai's arm in turn. "And you're a fine friend. Things have just been….honestly, weird. The kids, sorcerers, Russia…."
"We could all do with some revels," Kai says. "You more than most. I hope we can bring Lambert, and that the Asgardians can fix his eyes. He's got fine wines to barter. There's no reason they shouldn't help. It's just that the higher realms can get a little strange about mortals." Quickly he adds, "But we'll all have fun."
"What's wrong with his eyes?" He's peering at Kai, in turn. "Is he sick?" Now he's looking around to try and spot the satyr.
The satyr has gone off to do chefly things. "He's got cataracts," Kai says. "Poor thing's going blind. He needs surgery to correct it, but with his weird pupils, they don't make lenses that'll fit him, and the technology is so primitive anyway."