9119/Summer during Winter

Summer during Winter
Date of Scene:	16 December 2021
Location:	Harry's Hideaway (Bar)
Synopsis:	Nathan meets Hope at Harry's for a quick catchup. They run into Monet who is puzzled by the pair. The pair agree to a movie night in the near future.
Cast of Characters:	Cable, Monet St. Croix, Hope Summers

---

Cable has posed:
A portal opens in the parking lot of Harry's and from it emerges a man with white hair, a big brown trenchcoat, a sour demeanor, and an eye that casts a menacing glow.

Nathan reaches into a pocket and produces a smartphone, quickly scanning a few things to ensure he had the time and place right to run into his adopted daughter. He nods affirmation and then strolls toward the front door.

Pushing the door with perhaps a little too much gusto, he slips into the Hideaway. The sounds of bar chatter and classic rock fill the air as usual, along with the aroma of hamburgers and fries. Nathan walks up to the bar to order a pint and once he has it, he retreats to one of the booths on the exterior wall.

Monet St. Croix has posed:
She has gone back to the Mansion. She had filed her report on the -antiquarian-. She had spent some time in her room trying to meditate. But peace would not come, and she didn't have the enthusiasm for trying to research further on that era of the Crusaders that said antique stated to have come from. So now, Monet St. Croix had taken herself to Hary's Hideaway.

So once there, she's sitting over and moving to hover over a drink; something that's likely a bit out of the price range of the norm in this establishment, and is taking the occasional small sip with it. Maintaining a good veneer of holding back her open levels of irritation. Nothing to do with this establishment after all.

Hope Summers has posed:
Hope was early, as usual. Letting Cable get the jump on her would be a disappointment, after all. In jeans and a hoodie, fits in with the teenage crowd, which means no one's going to get her a drink. She's okay with that though. The much more interesting part of this place is burgers and fries anyhow.

She's already claimed a high-top near the bar, a glass of soda in front of her and a phone set on the table top for her to scroll though. Just like any teenager.

At least if no one looks at what she's scrolling through. The intel isn't exactly face-tok-gram-whatever's going around these days.

Cable has posed:
Before he sits down, he realizes Hope is already present at the bar. He frowns and approaches her, looking over his shoulder. "Didn't I teach you not to keep your back to an open room?"

He pulls a stool that is serendipitously close to Monet and straddles it, turning to partially face the center of the room, one boot on a rung and the other flat on the floor. He casts a reproachful glare at his adopted daughter for a moment of strained silence... then abruptly shatters it with a laugh and lean forward to give her a hug.

"How's the timeline treating you, kid?" He asks as he leans back and sips from his pint.

Monet St. Croix has posed:
Monet St. Croix restrains herself from kicking out the stool as it would be taken. Then hearing 'timeline treating you' she would go to let out a sigh with an 'oh bother' expression. Then turning to look at Cable, "Aren't you a little old for this sort of fun and games?" The Morrocan mutant would state.

Going to take a light sip of her far too expensive drink while keepin gan eye over at Hope. Having no clue who Cable is but just ensuring that the other girl seems to have no immediate concerns.

Hope Summers has posed:
"Mirror," Hope replies to Cable's comment, tipping her chin toward a decoration on the wall that happens to be reflective enough to track movement. "For when you don't need to //look// like the least trusting person in the room."

She smirks, closing the app on her phone and leaning in to return the hug. "It's okay. I mean. Yeah. Pretty good, all things considered. No looming apocalypse, limited doom." Peering around the big guy, she quirks a brow at Monet. It only takes a little test of her own powers to confirm her suspicions - always plenty of mutants around here.

Cable has posed:
Cable casts his gaze over his shoulder toward Monet. His eye glows as he offers her a cursory scan. His muted telepathic abilities stretch instinctively toward her before he quickly reins them in.

A grin forms on his rough visage as he comments "Didn't have much of a childhood, so I have to catch up somehow."

He turns back toward Hope and glances toward the Mirror. "That's my girl."

"Limited doom is good. Enough to keep you on your toes, too much peace can make you soft." He takes another long sip.

"Still making friends? Any of them good in a fight?" He turns toward Harry and mutters an order for pretzels.

Monet St. Croix has posed:
Monet St. Croix quickly responds to the light probe by putting up her own mental shields and then giving a firm mental shove back, that if it would work would be like having the door slammed in one's face. Of course, given Monet's limited power, skill, and experience, ti was probably very unlikely to achieve anything remotely like this.

<<Watch where you put your mind or you'll have some of it removed>> Her eyes would flare in anger that would be suppressed.

Hope Summers has posed:
"Pretty exclusively," Hope smirks at Cable, though there's a thoughtful note to it as well. She's had enough time to herself to think about the fact that she //thinks// about whether or not her friends are good in a fight. Even if she's not yet sure what she thinks about that realization either.

"But the nice part is no one tries to make me go to class or give me detention, so that's always nice." Hopping down from her chair, she slides it over enough that her view of Monet isn't blocked by Cable before she climbs up again. "Hi," she greets more normally. "I'm Hope, this is Nathan. Are you with the school?"

Cable has posed:
The mental door slams but the stoic soldier doesn't seem phased. Already having a lock on his own mind to keep the techno-virus from taking over his body, its not power or skill that protects him, but a kind of mental numbness.

He offers Monet a grin and simple nod of acknowledgement. "Just checking for threats. Looks like you could be one."

Adjusting his stool, he gives Monet a little extra room without blocking Hope. "Ah, yea. Scott runs a tight ship doesn't he? I don't think he'd know what to do with you, Hope."

He nods a greeting to Monet and leans against the bar top.

Monet St. Croix has posed:
The way the man phrases it seems to be a.. Compliment? "Thank you." Monet just decides it's meant as one so replies to it as such. Turning around to look over at Hope and at Nathan, "Lovely to make your acquaintance. I am Monet St. Croix, and I'm.. A resident at the Institute." The morrocan woman would reply.

Her own status simplistic - particularly compared to someone from another time!

Hope Summers has posed:
"He's fine. They're fine. They're just..." Hope rolls her eyes, looking away. "It's the flip side of things being good. They've got time to worry about kid stuff, and I never did kid stuff. We never did kid stuff. And honestly it's a little late to start."

Looking back to Monet, she nods. "Nice to meet you. If you haven't ordered food yet, the burgers here are pretty good," she offers helpfully, just in time for a server to come by the table to drop one off for her, complete with a giant side of fries.

Cable has posed:
Nathan seems pleased that Monet took his comment as a compliment. He offers a brief gruff chuckle and takes another long drink from his pint glass, just about polishing it off. He punctuates the gulp with a gasp. "Nice to meet you, Monet."

He frowns a little toward Hope, "Well, won't say I'm sorry, because we both know there wasn't a choice, but I hope you can make a little room for 'kid' stuff. Not that I'm a shining role model."

Promptly, he steals a half dozen of Hope's fries before his pretzels arrive. He looks to Monet, "What do you think of the Institute? I've only dropped by a few times."

Monet St. Croix has posed:
What exactly Nathan knows about the Institute and her lack of familiarity wtih Hope makes Monet's answer a little warier and thus among the more 'default' lines. "It's among the most prestigious institutes of education in the region. The classes are advanced for those whom have the initiative, and it has excellent scholarship programs to those whom might not ordinarily have the ability to go there, and outreach programs."

A quick evaluatory look is given to Hope as Monet tries to get an idea as to what exactly the dynamic with Nathan is.

Hope Summers has posed:
"And security is top-notch, too," Hope adds drolly to Monet's pitch, one corner of her lips twitching upwards in the faintest of smirks. She allows Nathan's fry theft, given how many meals he skipped for her over the years, but the burger gets slid a little closer to herself.

"Been watching a lot of movies lately," she adds to Nathan. "Conner's got one list. Tim's got another. They are definitely not the same lists."

Cable has posed:
"Nice marketing." Cable mutters as he finishes his beer and taps the glass for a refill. His cybernetic arm is covered by trench coat sleeve and the attached hand in a glove to avoid notice, but as he drums his fingers upon the bar top, the sound isn't quite right.

"I've been making friends too... but no one is offering movie lists." He eats his stolen fries and marvels at that for a moment. The food is so much better in the past. His pint glass is refilled by Harry. He offers a brief blissful sigh, a momentary crack in his stoic demeanor.

"I'll take your short list once you've given things a watch." He declares to Hope as he turns to look at Monet.

"I know everything about that mansion, but.. you are doing the right thing. This isn't the right place for sensitive details." He salutes Monet with his filled glass and takes a sip.

Monet St. Croix has posed:
Hope at least seems to trust the old man, and is a member of the school and so given the lack of anything indicative of wariness, Monet dials back her concerns. THe back and forth between the two indicates familiarity, even if it's relatively confusing.

"I'm not hungry, thank you." Politeness! Monet just debates whether to ask a question about it but decides that..

If someone asked -her- on a nuance how would she respond? So she remains quiet and listens. Taking another sip of her drink, then gesturing for a refill. Calmness at least having returned to her from that irritation from earlier.

Hope Summers has posed:
"Star Wars," Hope provides without a moment of hesitation. "And skip anything in black and white, or anything they call noir, or anything that won an award because they're all depressing." And she's had enough of that in her life already. "I have no idea why people choose to entertain themselves with depression."

She reaches for the burger, pausing to take a bite that is less than polite, but //slightly// above the level of 'shoving it in your starving face,' which is honestly progress for her. "There are plenty of fun movies though. Not the same as a story, of course," she shrugs. "But also not limited by what one person can remember." There's a little bit of a teasing note at the last.

Looking back to Monet, she manages to swallow before she asks another question. "Are you just visiting, or settling in there? You don't strike me as the teacher sort."

Cable has posed:
"Glad my stories hold up against films, imperfections and all. Those little quiet moments we had are some of best memories." He's silent for a moment as the thought of 'Is this my Hope?' crosses his mind, but he quickly casts it away. Its not a helpful thought.

"Well, mentioning Star Wars... The rock is proving to be a half-way decent stomping ground. There are capable people there who... understand our mindset. Its packed with survivors. I could get used to the view." Nathan idly comments over his pint glass.

Cable looks Monet over in thought. "Don't be so quick to judge her, noone would look at me and think 'teacher', but you know better, Hope."

Monet St. Croix has posed:
Monet St. Croix would look back and froth between the two, eyes following the banter. "I am currently.. A resident of the mansion and living there. I graduated wtih a degree from the college program. I am.. Still working on where I wish to go in my next steps." Honesty, without any sort of barbs in the matter.

Maybe it's that there are no preconceptions in this. No notions beyond what they see. "Teaching would be a waste of my time." There's that ego just a bit out there..

Hope Summers has posed:
"You're not a teacher, you're a drill sergeant," Hope snorts to Cable around another mouthful of burger, though Monet gets a more measured look at her answer. There's something just a little odd about that look - like she's surprised, but less by the content of the statement than by that she's //surprised// by the statement. "So many people here," she murmurs to herself, shaking her head slightly.

"What's the story there, anyhow?" she asks Nathan, nodding toward the sky in reference to said rock.

Cable has posed:
"What's worth your time then Monet?" Cable asks with some genuine curiosity. "You good in a fight?"

He snorts at being called a drill sergeant. "And drill sergeants are powerful teachers... for a certain skillset."

Nathan casts his glance toward the ceiling. "Its an interesting pack. Kind of a clan of fringe elements. I met a reformed eco-terrorist who's interesting."

He pauses in consideration, "Deadpool is up there though... I ever tell you any stories about the merc with a mouth? He's.. umm.. an acquired taste."

From his expression, that's only the tip of the iceberg.

Monet St. Croix has posed:
The strange look from Hope confuses Monet St. Croix, but she doesn't inquire on it and her features quickly smooth over before the expression goes too far. Then as 'Deadpool' is mentioned the expression comes out fully.

"Is that the type of pack one wishes to elaborate on while in the presence of impressionable children?"

Hope Summers has posed:
"He wishes I was impressionable," Hope snorts back a laugh at Monet's comment. "But yeah, we talked about him. He was one of the ones who-" She stops herself, waving a hand. "Him and Logan, not the sort of people anyone ever really gets rid of." That about covers it.

"The last spaceship we were on was all right. I think it was just a little unsettling up there because it was //so// much like San Francisco. Which probably doesn't mean much to you. Or does it?" She looks up from her burger with a frown. It's always hard to keep those alternate timelines straight.

Cable has posed:
Cable glances toward Monet and cracks a laugh. He waves a hand dismissively then gestures toward Hope when she makes a comment regarding how 'impressionable' she is.

"I want to restore the Graymalkin and maybe dock it with the rock. Not sure how I will pull that off, but I think it would be nice to have a piece of something that feels like home." Nathan comments and shrugs at the San Francisco comment. "Best not to dwell on what's unsettling unless you can do something to settle it."

Monet St. Croix has posed:
As the talk goes on about things like spaceships and other things Monet St. Croix's migraine begins to ring once more. "Thank you for the company." The girl would leave her half finished drink at the bar, go to pull out some cash to leave as a tip, and then go to depart, walking out with intent to return to the Mansion and hoping this attempt at meditation would go better than her last one..

Hope Summers has posed:
"Well I'm glad you found a place you like," Hope smiles faintly to Nathan. "I can't say that's something I ever really expected for you. So that's a good thing." She watches the other woman leave, pensive.

"I don't remember ever meeting her," she says, now that Monet is gone. "Or people talking about her. Part of me wonders what that means about what happened to her in my time. Part of me is just glad that whatever it is, it didn't happen here."

Cable has posed:
"Funny how having a glimpse of the future can be a crutch isn't it? And when things don't match up, its like someone kicked that crutch out from underneath you. Between you and me, I wish I understood the critical deviation in timeline that brought about Superman. Someone like that... couldn't have gone unnoticed." Cable seems just a little perplexed.

"Means we can't take much for granted. As for the rock, the amenities are good, and the defenses are nigh impregnable. Though there are some very big personalities... Speaking of which, I'm due for a patrol, don't want to upset the new landlords." He drains his glass, folds up the paper around his pretzels to pocket them and puts a few bills down.

"Food is on me. Always good to see you, kid. Let's meet up again for story time soon."

Hope Summers has posed:
"Wow, they got you on the //rotation//." Hope teases, but it's clear enough that she's surprised he's bought into it this far. Even more things to think about. "Good to see you, as always. Let me know when you've got some free time, I'll pick out one of those movies. Might be able to bring you by to meet some of the team. With appropriate precautions, of course." She's...probably kidding?

Cable has posed:
He offers a shrug in regards to rotation. "I started doing it out of habit, so they made it official. Less scary for the residents to think of me as security, then a big man with a bigger gun."

Cable considers for a moment, "Probably should stage a non-lethal ambush for your new clan and see if you really past muster." He should be kidding, but he wasn't.

"Let's figure out movie night, might be fun for someone else to tell the story, even if its a terminal screen." He reaches out and tussles Hope's hair. "See you around."

With that, he heads out the door and rounds behind the building. After a quick chat on a communication device, a portal opens and the grizzled soldier steps through.