168/Time for another Post learning beverage

Time for another Post learning beverage
Date of Scene:	28 February 2020
Location:	The Coffee Bean
Synopsis:	Mike meets Sanjeev
Cast of Characters:	Michael Hannigan, Sanjeev Bassi

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Michael Hannigan has posed:
It is once again a Thursday night near Empire State University and like with all Thursday nights near a college campus during the school year, things are packed. Not a table is without someone being seated at it. But, college folks can be sociable folks and it's leading to people mingling that typically wouldn't. All in the name of getting one of the empty seats positioned at the occupied tables.

Mike Hannigan, a performer under the name of Nick Drago, is not by any means a college student persay. But he does take vocal coaching on campus from time to time. And tonight would have been one of the nights and due to the mixed success he's had hiding his identity with the fledgling beard and short haircut, he's gone back to wearing a knitcap over his hair. All he needs now are some thick rimmed glasses and then he can go around telling people how he was drinking hot tea before it got cool.

...

But right now before he can do that, he has to get the hot tea, and the line is a little lengthy.

Sanjeev Bassi has posed:
    Despite the noise going on in the coffee shop on a Thursday night with the accumulated masses from the nearby university, it seemed that an oddball of sorts had managed to find his way through the veritable throng of college students to procure a spot at a table in the corner of the establishment. Judging by the slightly damp state of the leather satchel next to the wooden chair he was seated in and the light showers on the street visible from the window, the young man must have arrived almost an hour ago.

    His back resting against an overcoat that had originally been folded neatly over his chair, it appeared that the cacophany created by many different conversations happening simultaneously had not dissuaded the Indian man from flipping through the pages of Ramamurti Shankar's "Principles of Quantum Mechanics," the bright red hue of the cover probably causing him to draw inadvertent attention to himself.

    Strangely enough, Sanjeev had not come to this busy coffee shop for coffee at all. In fact, he disliked the java addiction that was so prevalent in society. Despite his ludicrously busy schedule, he did not find it logical to mortgage his body's resources with large amounts of caffeine in order to keep going. However, there was just something about the liveliness of cafes that he found appealing. They were ideal places for people-watching and to feel connected to society. Still, he could not in good conscience take up a seat at such a busy hour while not monetarily patronizing the store, so there was a half-full bottle of water before him that he had been nursing for a very, very long time.

Michael Hannigan has posed:
While Mike may be of the frugal type, he's very good at compartmentalizing when it comes to finances. Since he came out of a vocal coaching session, in his mind, the hot tea he's planning to get is considered a necessary expense. So, fine. LET him get the the 10 cent teabag and hot water for the markup of $3. Nick Drago's paying for it, not Hannigan. HAH.

He sighs, making a few more steps to the counter, taking a moment to see where the potential seats are. His glance sets upon Sanjeev,all the space around him, and that RED book. Hmm. Wonder what he's reading?

Attention switching back to the counter, he puts in an order for hot tea. Ooh. And maybe some of those honey st-

He pauses, looking to label indicating the additional ingredient in it. Ok... maybe just the hot tea.

Sanjeev Bassi has posed:
    Brushing a stray lock of dark hair from his forehead absentmindedly, Sanjeev was absorbed in his book. The dampness of his fingertips from the earlier rain in his hair barely registered, and only enough to brush them against the side of his dark slacks before using them to turn the page of his book. The bottle sat forgotten before him on the table, thankfully with its top covered in order to ward off potential watery accidents that might spread across the table. The lacquer-sealed wood would surely suffer no damage from a little bit of water, but the moisture wicking from the surface would most likely find its way directly onto the lap of the person sitting there.

    It was true that Sanjeev had an almost singleminded focus when it came to his work, able to block out all distractions. However, the book he was reading was held more importance to him than a simple professional curiosity. Due to the accident that gave him these strange abilities a couple years ago, he had been left with more questions than answers in trying to determine exactly how they worked. And a lack of understanding meant that there would be a lack of ability to control them. Over the last year or so, he had made sure to make meticulous notes on his self-testing using the scientific method. It had lead to many different discoveries in his field of study as a side benefit. He had become one of the foremost experts in the fabric of dimensions and dimensional theory due to simply studying himself. However, as he progressed further, he needed to study more about other disciplines to see how they related to his own. Some of them may lead to a key in order to progress further.

    It was not that the young Indian man lusted for power. In fact, it was far from it. Deep in the pit of his stomach lay the gnawing fear that if he did not understand his abilities, they were more likely to go out of control and hurt people in his surroundings. The sooner he understood these things, the better.

Michael Hannigan has posed:
As Sanjeev continues diving further into the topic matter in hand, Mike dives into his pocket, fishing out the money for his order. After a bit of exchange and a drop of something into the tip jar, he steps to the side, allowing for the next person to be rung up.

He knows he's got about a minute so he wanders over to the table where he saw the most available seats. "Hey," He greets, looking to Sanjeev, "Would you mind if I sat at your table after my drink is ready?"

Sanjeev Bassi has posed:
    Where was that section... Time-Independent Perturbation Theory? If applied correctly, could he correctly calculate where to apply a fourth-dimensional field instead of just on an object to send multiple objects into the fourth dimension? That could lead to some distinct possibilities, though that would also necessitate being able to not only have better control over his abilities, but to be able to calculate complex quantum equations on the fly. If that field was to protect him from...say...bullets, there was adrenaline to consider as well. Mistakes could end up being fatal. Well, it was a good thing he wasn't using these powers in potentially lethal circumstances. He did not know how these heroes could do something so stupid as risking their lives--

    Breaking out of his focused state at the words being spoken right next to him, Sanjeev reacted with a start of surprise as he blinked. Closing the book, but leaving his right index finger between the pages to mark his place, his chestnut-hued eyes focused on their surroundings once again. Had the cafe gotten even more busy than when he had sat down? How long had he been here? Shifting his gaze from his surroundings, he took in Mike's appearance. Knit cap, shaggy features. Probably another coffee urbanite looking for his caffeine fix.

    "Of course," the Indian man replied, gesturing to the worn wooden chair across from him with his free hand. "It would be my pleasure."

    Interestingly enough, despite the avid interest he had in the book he was reading earlier, he did not return to it. Instead, he stayed engaged in the conversation--a sign of manners that had been trained. Even though he did not know Mike personally, he had learned that it was important to treat everyone with the same respect whether they were a dignitary or the common man. After all, in the end everyone wished to be treated the same, didn't they?

Michael Hannigan has posed:
Pale blue eyes look back to the chestnut. He doesn't sit, and instead gives a small smile, "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."

"Hannigan!" The barista declares aloud.

He gives a nod to Sanjeev, "That's my drink. I'll be right back."

Moving over quickly, he takes the hot drink, mumbling a word of thanks before he heads back to the table to sit down, having gotten permission earlier. "Thanks. I wasn't sure if there would be any seats left with the size of the line."

The cup lifts up, a tag hanging out from under the lid, revealing it not to be coffee.

Sanjeev Bassi has posed:
    Seeing that the liquid being brought back to the table was tea and not coffee, Sanjeev smiled gratefully. The truth was, the smell of coffee tended to give him a headache. Yet, he placed such a high value on people-watching and the connection he felt with society here that he still chose to frequent coffee shops. Setting the book down flat on the table, the young Indian man removed his finger from its pages, letting the book close fully. An indication that he placed his conversation with Mike over continuing his reading. The page he was on was already memorized anyway.

    "It's quite fascinating when you think about it, isn't it?" Sanjeev replied, shifting his position to lean his shoulder against the wall and look out over the line at the register that had grown so long people were already waiting out the door. "As a society, we've placed such a high value on coffee that people are willing to spend large amounts of time waiting for it." Shifting his gaze from the line to Mike, he looked between his table-mate and the tea before him. "At least you waited in line for something more palatable," he joked, a wry smile crossing his lips.

Michael Hannigan has posed:
Mike lifts a brow a bit as Sanjeev shares his thoughts upon the merits of tea versus coffee. "Well, then for your sake I'm glad tonight was a tea night." The musician offers in response as he sets his cup down. "I also am one to get coffee when I need it which, truthfully, is often. But I just finished with voice training so it's hot tea for right now."

He holds a hand to his throat rubbing it slightly in indication of his reasoning before lowering his hand.

The musician looks to the book and then to the water. "So would it be the social pull that brings you here if it wasn't the highly valued coffee? Or perhaps the music they play on the speakers for the background noise?"

Sanjeev Bassi has posed:
    Sanjeev's eyebrows raised when he heard that Mike was a coffee drinker as well. Hopefully, the young Indian man hadn't put his foot in his mouth and offended the man seated across from him.

    "Oh, I didn't mean any offense," he began, raising his hands before his chest. "It's just a little good-natured ribbing from a person who has dealt with coffee drinkers his entire life asking him repeatedly how he manages to get things done without it." Placing his hands on the book before him, the young Indian man continued.

    "Tea for your voice, huh?" he asked absentmindedly as he stared off to the side, memories of his own singing in the past coming to mind. "I've heard that's supposed to be good for singing. Though, when I used to I couldn't stand it. Maybe I'm a strange case, but it's always been cool water for me that worked the best."

    Light coming back to his eyes once again, his gaze caught Mike's once again. "It most definitely isn't the stuff they play through the speakers that brought me here," he said with a wry grin. "Sometimes I just want to feel the pulse of society. Do you know what I mean? And it seems like everyone comes to coffee shops. Maybe it makes me feel like I'm a part of things." And it didn't hurt that it allowed him to keep testing to see if his social analysis skill kept working. "You know, without having to always /be/ a part of it."

Michael Hannigan has posed:
"Oh you're fine." Mike replies, chuckling a bit, "As for drinks and voice, I heard it depends on the person a lot. Which makes sense, considering all the different types of people out there."

He tilts his head, seemingly listening to the background music. "The background noise of restaurants do make for a nice distraction. Especially when quiet has a tendency of digging up long buried memories out of the blue."

Speaking of background noise, the old old OLD stylings of a Nokia ringtone errupts from Mike's pocket.

Giving a mild groan, Mike hangs his head, before giving an apologetic smile, all while tugging out a very old style Nokia phone. Screen smushed, but very obviously still able to receive phone calls. "I'm sorry. But it looks like my tea is now a 'to go' order."

Sanjeev Bassi has posed:
    "It's probably just as well," Sanjeev replied with a sidelong glance at the growing crowd at the door to the coffee shop. "It appears that it is about to become even more congested here. One of the professors must have assigned a research paper that is due tomorrow, and the entire class procrastinated on it as per usual." Turning his attention back to Mike, the young Indian man stood as he realized he had not introduced himself previously. And since the man across from him was getting up to leave, introducing himself from a different height just would not do.

    "I do wish you well," he said with a warm smile, extending his hand toward Mike to shake from across the table. "I realized that I never introduced myself. I am Sanjeev Bassi. It has been a pleasure to share a table with you."

    It was quite possible that Mike would not know the Bassis by name, but they were a family that frequently were a part of high society in the country. They did not have their name plastered on a corporate building, but they were wealthy nonetheless and part of the medical sector.

Michael Hannigan has posed:
Mike, holding phone in one hand, looks to the extended hand before offering his free hand over. "Mike Hannigan, " He offers in return, not recognizing Sanjeev's last name. Typically when he's in a hospital he's a little worse off than he is now and reading placards isn't top on his list. "And thank you for sharing your table, no matter how briefly it was."

The phone continues its song, leaving for the musician to grab his tea once the handshake is complete. "Best wishes with your studies as well."

Parting words given, the musician moves away, answering the phone on his way out the door.