2007-03-16: Peter Petrelli's Posse

Starring:

Jane_icon.gif Alyssa_icon.gif Adam_icon.gif Peter_icon.gif Elle_icon.gif Elena_icon.gif Drake_icon.gif Lissa_icon.gif Zac_icon.gif Jack_icon.gif

Summary: Jane goes to Starbucks with the hope of delivering a message. She finds Alyssa there, they meet a professor she calls Stan. After Stan leaves, Peter Petrelli shows up with Elle Bishop and a veritable posse comes out of the woodwork.

Date It Happened: March 16, 2007

Peter Petrelli's Posse


Starbucks, New York City

It's Starbucks. There isn't much more you can say about it. If you're here, it's probably for the trendy atmosphere, the inclination to be out of the cold, or the drinks. Today holds a fair amount of all three, all sitting in their places and indulging in their motivation of choice.

Considering that Alyssa is pulling away from the counter with a hot chocolate in her hands, she's likely in either category two or three. There may be some overlap going on. What /is/ known is that she blows softly over the top of the applied whipped cream, angles herself towards her usual table near the window and expresses for anyone caring (or not), "Boy. It's almost like it's strange to be out of that bookstore."

Unless you've come to maybe make amends, as well as get coffee of that trendy sort. Jane steps in, carrying her guitar and backpack, wearing jeans and some type of hoodie, and lets her eyes wander around the Starbucks store. They settle on the counter and look over the baristas, when she doesn't spot the one she hoped she would they close for a moment. A breath is taken, and another, then she steps up and quietly orders a vanilla mocha.

Yeah, people in New York have a way of making their own categories. Unconcerned with this social breakage, Alyssa gathers up a copy of the day's newspaper that's lying about and brings it with her to the table. Her typical backpack is absent today, so the newspaper's funnies are going to have to be enough reading to last a whole hot chocolate mug's worth of time. She gets organized in her place, snaps the paper to attention… and then drifts off to eyeing the people also there in the store. It's this way that she spots Jane. Several noises of 'look at me' escape her throat before she can fully vocalize, "Hm! Doc Ock! Hey!"

The sound catches her attention, and the guitarist turns slowly to face the source. Jane studies Alyssa for a moment, trying to place her, trying to remember if this one might be someone she encountered during the fog she believes resulted from drug use, and all she pulls up is a time playing guitar and a woman with a video camera. Hoping she hadn't wronged her in some way during that time, a step forward is taken. "Hey," she replies, with a somber expression.

"Heeey," Alyssa repeats once it seems that the alloted time to place her face has gone by. She waves her hands in the air eagerly when she reports, "Outside the club, right? I went back there but there was totally another guitarist playing instead! Did you guys not work out after all? I totally thought that keyboardist was digging you and everything." This, it would seem, is a completely normal-life conversation and the banality of that idea inspires a new rambling tongue in Alyssa. She brushes her hot chocolate and newspaper to one side and pats the table to indicate that Jane should join- whether she wants to or not.

"I remember," Jane replies quietly. "It did go really well, but then I wasn't able to make a meeting with them, and they don't want anything to do with me now. I wish it weren't that way, that I could make amends, but all one can do is try." She nods at the patted seat, holds up a finger to say silently she'll be right there, and turns back to both receive her cup and pay for it. Once that business is concluded she's on the way and sliding into the seat. "Thanks."

The entire business with the musicians makes Alyssa squirm a little in her seat, the agitation getting her to grab up her hot chocolate without much ado for a large sip that's sure to come back to haunt the roof of her mouth later. "One meeting and they shoot you down like that?" She demands, managing to wait until Jane has sat to announce her thoughts, "They sure are pickier than even I thought if that's so. I mean, talk about high expectations. Anything could've happened. What /did/ happen? Oh man. I'm going back there. I'm gonna talk to the guy."

"Don't, please," Jane asks quietly, looking up to make eye contact. Her face is slightly pale, nearly back to normal color now two days after her cold turkey experience ended, but the face is still gaunt. Her eyes betray shame, the sentiment of a woman who speaks to that moments later. "I've made some errors," she admits, "some bad decisions, and I think that's one of the consequences I have to bear. The important thing is I tried to make it right." She blows across her cup slowly to try cooling it, and doesn't elaborate on what she spoke of.

Alyssa appears at first as though she's going to argue, her lower lip jutting outward in a vague sort of pout before she gives a shrug, "Your choice," It's said a little softer, at least, in respect for the quiet way the guitarist is speaking, also. "Seems to me as though the bad choices are usually punishment enough. Talking to these guys could actually help you get back on your feet. Isn't /that/ the important part?" Another movement of her shoulders and then she indulges momentarily in her own drink, dipping down to retrieve that last section of whipped cream before it melts into the drink fully.

With her guitar propped against the table and a backpack on the floor by one foot, Jane shares a table with Alyssa. She's got a cup of something in hand and is blowing on it gently from time to time so it can cool enough not to burn her mouth when she sips it. "It's a possibility," she admits, "I could at least offer free legal advice on any contract they get offered, point out how not to get ripped off and make sure they always own whatever they create." Alyssa is studied for some moments, when the silence is ended she offers "Thank you for not asking what I did. It's not something I want known to anyone who doesn't already. I just can't believe I'd ever in my life go that way, but I know I have."

The door to the coffee shop opens, and then closes just as silently. In steps a man. An ordinary man. This is not the evolved fugative you are looking for. Adam glances around briefly, mainly for police and such, before stepping to the counter. "Coffee. Black. Grande." he orders, waiting patiently for the beverage to be poured into it's vessel for transportation. "You guys really should start serving warm sake. You'd make quite a killing." he comments offhandedly.

A quirk of a smile upturns Alyssa's lips as she nods, leaning her elbow upon the table and then her cheek upon her palm, "Sometimes it's just better to not have fifty million people dwelling on it, too," she comments. This is a new kind of growing up for her. The question, more typically, would have been lingering on her lips and would've made it out eventually, despite Jane's thanks. For now, however, she seems content to let it be. "I'd say something is at least something. Probably better ever than leaving this dangly ugly thread of a broken relationship there. I hate that kind of thing. Loose ends. And the longer it goes, the harder it is to get up the courage to /bother/ with it…" She sighs, gesturing back and forth to indicate the two sides. As her gaze also bounces from one side of the coffee shop to the other, she spots Adam's back and leans over in her seat to try and confirm this identity before shouting at him, too.

"Maybe," the guitarist replies simply, her eyes focused on the cup as she lifts, tilts, and sips from it slowly. Carefully. "A lot of this is about courage, and purging remorse for misdeeds." If someone were familiar with how twelve step programs work, it wouldn't be a stretch to decide Jane is at least partly following one. She seems about to say more, but doesn't, when Alyssa tries to catch Adam's attention.

The teen behind the counter looks repulsed at Adam's suggestion, even if it is just an offhand comment. "Then we'd have to have a liquor license. And Starbucks would have to fire half the staff. We wouldn't be able to provide you the fine coffee products we do now, sir." the teen responds. Adam snickers and shakes his head. "You know, when I was your age, I was already drinking and partying." come the witty retort and he sighs. "Pity. I miss those days, sometimes. Cheerio!" Money is laid on the table as he turns around enough that Alyssa can confirm his identity so he can scan for an open table.

The moment that Adam turns, Alyssa gives an 'ah' of recognition. Her lips part silently, however, and she first must reach into her pocket for her phone, flip it open, and dial down a few pages to find what she's looking for. Stan. "Stan!" Encouragingly, she scoots her chair closer to Jane's so that there is free enough space for a new seat somewhat across from them. "Another acquaintance," she reports to Jane happily, "Which is funny cause usually I just sit around and do this name-calling thing at the noodle place down… up… wherever," A vague gesture here or there. Anywhere. The newspaper she once was going to read is tossed poorly towards a different table and it drifts sadly to the ground not even quite close to where it was intended to be. Ehhh, oh well.

The guitarist chuckles and raises an eyebrow at the other woman's actions, but doesn't comment. Jane is, in fact, relieved to have the attention taken off her transgressions, it likely means the question she wanted unasked will remain so if the man joins them. Her eyes sweep across the immortal briefly, then return to her cup's contents as she slowly and steadily now imbibes it.

"Ah, there you are!" Adam grins, diverting his course and heading over to the table. "Didn't expect you to get here before I did." he adds, reaching down to pick up the paper and place it on the intended target table. Don't get too excited, Adam's not a tree-hugging conservationist. Just trying to appear as much like a law-abiding citizen as possible. At the same time, he grabs one of the chairs from said table and in one quick flourish has it spun around so he's sitting on it backwards. "Ladies."

"Eventually, even /I/ can get chased out by old book smell…. ah, that's a lie. I was just excited," Having abandoned any semblance of not being a total geek about this, Alyssa jumps quickly into, "So how did everything go with your class, eh? I was totally and completely eaten by life lately or I might've made a better effort to pop in and sneak a peek at people's observations." She goes then for a sip of her hot chocolate and the diversion to that side of the table makes her notice Jane again just enough for her to introduce, "Mm! Hey, Doc Ock, this is Stan, he teaches at N… YU, I think it was. This is, well, her name /isn't/ Doc Ock but, dammit, if I don't remember what it /is/."

She turns toward the man when spoken to, and inaccurately introduced, with a light chuckle. The woman's face holds a slightly lingering paleness and is a bit gaunt, with some lingering emotion that might be shame in her eyes, but Jane tries to cover it up. "Doctor M. Jane Forrest," she supplies, offering her hand toward the man to shake if he chooses. "Pleased to meet you, Professor."

Accepting the shake, Adam shakes his head. "I don't like being called Professor." It's a personal preference for him. "I usually just tell my students to call me Stan. Keeps the atmosphere casual. Easier for learning." Ok, so it's probably not the best cover in the world, but it's held up so far. "It went smashingly well. They loved the books and material to cover that I got from your store. I was hoping to come by again and see if you had more in stock." The last bit is directed towards Alyssa.

The grin on Alyssa's face might suggest that she, personally, had written the books which is why she's now taking such pride in them. But there's also an undertone of serious consideration whenever she turns to Adam, taking in all those features there. Her examination is distracted by the reference to her and she gives a slow but understanding nod, "Oh yeah, speaking on that," She shifts in her seat, twisting to one side and then to the other but there appears to be nothing by her feet for her to claim. Brows furrowing, she looks back up at the others a long second before- "Oh! Left 'em…" Without explanation, she pushes from her seat, gives a 'wait a second' motion and bustles outside- presumably to some kind of storage or vehicle.

"Well enough, Stan," Jane replies as her hand is shaken. The skin is soft and smooth, but the fingertips bear calluses of the sort often found on people who spend a lot of time playing guitars like the one in case and propped against the table. "And I'm Jane." She releases the shake, drawing her hand back, if Adam does likewise, and otherwise doesn't distract from the conversation between him and Alyssa. She goes back to enjoying her vanilla mocha. Until, that is, Alyssa goes to retrieve something. At that point she looks over at Adam again, without speaking, and shows a quiet smile.

Adam starts to starts to say something, but is stopped by Alyssa's abrupt departure to retrieve whatever it is she left whereever. "Pleased to meet you, Jane." he replies, feeling the awkward silence of two strangers alone at a table. It's creepy. And not in the Sylar-esque creey fashion either. He picks up his coffee and takes a sip, diverting his gaze to see where Alyssa went and if she's coming back. Cause if not, he's going to bolt.

"What're you a professor of, Stan?" Jane asks quietly. "My doctorate is in law, a Juris Doctorate, to be precise." Her eyes rest on him as she speaks, it's a calm conversational thing, embarked on as she too feels the weight of unexpected silence and removes it the best way she can. By not being silent. "But honestly, playing music is much more enjoyable for me."

No fear, Alyssa is back! It was just a hop and a skip to her car and as she pushes back into the Starbucks with a sheepish, "I was doing a bit of traveling today so I had everything in the car. Just up and left 'em there, but here we go." At the last, she unloads the three books in her arms onto the table where everyone can oogle at him like she expects them to. Sliding back into her seat, Alyssa takes the hot chocolate in one hand and uses the other to move the small book off the top of the stack. "I don't know if you'd want to /teach/ this one since it's full of some major contested controversies, but it's certainly an interesting read if you're into Kensei… personally." One eyebrow raise of ultimate conspiracy! Or, uh, something.

"Sweet Mary…." Adam says, eyes widening at the books as Alyssa returns. He starts to look through them as he responds to Jane's question. "History. More specifically…" he says, holding up a book on Takezo Kensei, "…Fuedal Japan and the tales of Takezo Kensei." Yeah, he knows it's a little off the beaten path for a university course, but everyone has to have their electives. His attention falls back to the books, and the one mentioned. "Controversial, huh? I might have to read that before I use it." The tone of his voice sounds like he's more interested it for his own personal reasons than using it for a class. At that moment, his phone starts to ring. "Stan Gifford." he answers, and then glancing around. "Right, I'll be there shortly." His gaze darts back up to Alyssa and Jane. "The university. Apparently the professor teaching American Revolutionary history called out sick and they want me to fill in."

"Yeah, all the newest sort of research and rumors that your more official dust-covered authorities haven't bothered to give their approval on yet," Alyssa gives a lame shrug and an eye-roll that shows exactly how she feels about /those/ sorts. As Adam eyes the collection, the writer leans onto the table, watching his reactions almost greedily. The cellphone ring is unexpected enough to make her jump and unwanted enough to illicit a groan, "Well, boo on the American Revolutionary guy. Hmm, well, you coul…." She cuts herself off, considering, and then pulls the controversial text towards herself, using the guide of flipping idly through it, "You know where to find me again if you want a longer flip-through." Ha. No free book lending for you, Stan Gifford.

Her eyes look over the books, and the one Adam holds up is studied a bit longer. Jane speaks only when he takes the call and says he has a class to handle. "Unfortunate, being called in like this. Take care, Stan." And she's back to her vanilla mocha.

Of course there's no free book lending. Adam wouldn't dream of it. Or at least not in such a public location. "Yeah, he's a slacker. I don't know why they even keep him on faculty." he says, standing up and grabbing his coffee. A slow grin crosses his lips and is given to Alyssa. "Hold onto those, and I'll come by the store with money and pay you for them." And now, Jane. "Unfortunate, yes…but the price I pay to tell the tales of Takezo Kensei to the impressionable young minds of New York City." Slowly he back away from the table. "Ladies, it's been a pleasure, and perhaps I'll see you two again sometime." With that, he's headed for the door.

Watching the proclaimed professor walk away, Alyssa gives him a smile and a wave for his pleasantries and keeps up with the view until it is quite gone. Once there's certainly nothing left in that direction, she turns to the table, shuffling the books so recently placed there around as if that'll make them seem more useful. "Even work outside of the workplace," she sighs as though heavily labored. Then there's a pause of general cheek-and-lip chewing and she squints at Jane curiously, "Did that guy seem at all familiar to you?"

"No," Jane replies quietly as Adam departs and she resumes enjoying what's in her cup. "Should he have?" A drink is taken, she swallows, and asks "You're working now? Hopefully something using your video camera skills, Aly. Everyone deserves work they can enjoy, and you seemed to love working the device that night."

"Naw," Is the dismissal, "I just get the feeling. Maybe there's some actor or something…" She takes a sip when the other woman does and a second one while Jane is talking. Swallowing away the warm chocolate, Alyssa gives a playful shake of her head, "Oh, but I do certainly love to capture people with that. Mostly it's for research, though. My job is selling books, which, really, has about as much to do with my great love as what I do with the camera, even if not necessarily the camera itself. Sometimes I like to pretend I'm a great film maker- ah! There I am, spilling about myself." She seems as confused as embarrassed a second and then quickly diverts by asking, "So, what's with the whole doctor thing? I mean, you don't /usually/ see big fancy degree holders out on the streets with intsruments no offense."

"I'm the dutiful daughter of an insurance executive and his wife from Hartford, Connecticut," Jane answers. "I discovered a passion for music a long time ago, but they wanted me to get a law degree, so to please them I did. I graduated Yale law last summer, and now I pursue what I really want to do. I just count myself lucky I didn't get married off to some future senator, or pushed in that direction, but… they are who they are, and there's still time." Her voice is solemn, the tale seems to bring up a renewed sense of shame in her eyes and voice, as if she still feels that sense of duty and whatever she's done would be a disappointment to them.

There is a note of keen understanding in Alyssa's voice when she 'tsk's at the downer Jane has made this out to be. "They will likely never back off as long as there is breath in their body," she begins, which isn't the most encouraging thing ever, but wait for it! "But that doesn't make them anymore right about it. Not to mention, like, any less of a daughter. I mean, seriously, if they're still bothering enough to bother you then your life matters a good deal, eh? I don't know, something like that. I prefer to think so, what with all the crap going on." She trails away, looping her hand awkwardly in the air. Somewhere in there, she lost her train of thought and, therefore, her entire argument. To cover, she makes a grab for her hot chocolate. Yees, the chocolate will refresh you.

"I guess," Jane replies quietly, as her cup is lifted once again and tasted from. She doesn't speak further at the moment, but there's something clearly going on behind her eyes. The wheels can be seen to turn as she, introspectively, ponders the question of how to tell the parents she became an addict and make amends for that. Not to mention how she'll ever manage to forgive herself fully.

The door opens, and is held open for the blonde young woman with him, as Peter reaches the Starbucks that he'd visited on a whim the few nights before. Once she's inside, he steps in after her, touching her shoulders and looking as if he'll help her remove her coat first. "Do you want to find a place to sit and I'll get you something to drink?" In the corner of his eyes, he catches sight of Jane, whom he turns to regard more fully. A sudden drop into guilt and seriousness, follows in the form of a tightening jaw and lowered eyebrows.

While Elle looks like she has stuff on her mind, she doesn't look even the slightest bit guilty. She sees it on Peter's face when they step inside. "Vanilla chai." Noting the look at Jane, she asks, "Something wrong? You know besides us having stooped to ducking into a Starbucks for coffee in New York."

Turns out both girls are quiet, then, because for once Alyssa stops after just a swift, "I kinda know how it goes," and no explanation. Neither seems willing to delve further into either situation. It isn't until the door opens again that monotony is broken and Alyssa glances casually to the side to see what the outside has brought for her to spy on. A continued examination leads her to say, "Don't look now-" which always means 'look', "-but some guy back there is totally giving you the ultimate serious eye. I could call him out," she totally could, "or bitch," that she couldn't, "or something." Her suggestions, not even said like she means them seriously are given only in consideration for how forlorn Jane is suddenly looking. Because the anticipation of someone being bitched out is /always/ cheering, right?

Looking up when spoken to and told someone is eying her, Jane spots Peter and Elle making their way in. Her mood, dark before, seems to lighten a bit on the sighting. Where Pete is lowered and guilty, she rises. It could be the sense of having helped someone which changes the tack of her thoughts and the expression she wears. "No," she replies softly, "it's cool. He's a good guy, Aly." Her eyes look past the woman at her table and sweep briefly over Elle on their way to settling on the junior Petrelli brother. It's a nod of greeting she gives, and an expression of respect she shows.

Peter's got enough guilt in him for half of New York, so there's no need for the young woman with him to keep her mind preoccupied on it. Tugging on the edge of his sleeve idly, he pulls his eyes away from Jane around the time he's been spotted. "I just— that woman over there with the guitar. She was part of Hiro's group. Whatever they did to her— she can't remember what happened. Been meaning to ask you if there was any way to fix that…" So much keeps happening… "Starbucks isn't that bad. Better than the coffee we had at the hotel we stayed in," he adds in defense of the location. Doesn't look like Elena's on duty right now, though…

"She looks alive enough to me. I'd say considering what she was up against, she didn't do too badly," is Elle's response to Peter. She slides on past him towards the counter, "I'll get my drink. Why don't you say hi and find out how she's doing… you know… rest your shoulders a bit from trying to carry the world around on them." It's hard to tell if she's being mocking and nasty or caring and bluntly honest there, given the slight smile she has on her face. Always a mystery. She makes eye contact with Alyssa though and says, "Hey there girlfriend. How's the book business?" Then to the barrista: "Vanilla chai."

"Good guy, huh? That's almost legendary this day and age," Coming from the girl who believes in knights and demons and mysterious samurai. But since Alyssa cannot indulge in a little pretend bitch-out, even, she slumps over her hot chocolate and begins to thumb through the largest of the Kensei texts. There's almost more pictures than words in this one, which is just fine for a wandering mind. And a wandering eye that catches Elle's look. With the edge of her cup against her mouth, Alyssa just sort of stares, unsure. She… knows… that… fa.. "Oh! Hey, yeah, books. Books are good. How's yours working out for you?" That'd be a more significant emphasis and nod if she were any better at that kind of thing. For now she probably just seems overly friendly. Or suggestive. Though how you can be suggestive about a book- maybe Elle bought one of those 'otherworldly special-time exploration' ones from the back.

Another pull from her cup, as Jane looks up at Elle again when she speaks to Aly. It's a calm glance, the sort that comes when someone nearby speaks and knows who one sits with, which moves on without lingering. Her eyes are instead on Alyssa and the books and the introspection is left behind. Alyssa's reaction to Elle draws a quiet grin from the guitarist and relaxed silence, so as not to interrupt their starting conversation. True to her word given to Peter and Nathan when they found her playing, she doesn't let on anything of how she recognizes the man.

"Espresso," Peter adds to the barrista, following behind Elle with the same serious expression. There's almost something vaguely hurt coming off of him, glancing between the book seller and the blonde woman as they exchange words. She bought a book? Letting them talk, though he keeps some of his attention on what they say, he inclines his head towards Jane in acknowledgement, and lightens his expression some. "Hi, Jane. Didn't expect to see you again so soon," he says, seeming to have taken the advice of the woman with him to try and talk to her. "How're you doing?"

"It was an enlightening read," Elle replies with a straight face, clearly making a joke about the name of the store where she bought it. Smiling a crocodile smile, she rolls her shoulders and says, "I'm glad I got a chance to. Anyway, things make more sense now. Have any of those people been in to the shop lately? Did you pass my name and number along?"

There is a soft snort of amused appreciation from Alyssa for the reference to the store. Her attention shifts to the other two momentarily in order to really take in the guy that Jane's talking to now, and then she gestures to the added seat that the good 'Stan' recently vacated, "Hunker down with us?" She suggests, giving a more subtle nod to Elle this time, "No one on my watch, but it's only a matter of time, the way it's been going. Unless the rush is over. That'd be sad and ironic. But, hey, I'll be seeing the boss on the whole thing and you'll surely be mentioned. She had this whole errand thing recently kept her away from shop. Maybe you could even stop by? Who's your friend?" The last could be to either Jane or Elle at this point.

"I'm good, Peter," Jane answers. "You?" Her eyes move across the three others as they speak, and settle on the younger Petrelli. "Aly, this is Peter, Peter, meet Aly." And, turning toward Elle, she offers "Jane Forrest." A hand is held out to shake should she choose to accept it, with nothing said in asking the woman's name, it's left to be shared or not as she wishes.

"Peter Petrelli," he gives for his full name, when she asks for it, though he's hoping not to recieve the same responses he has in recent days. He'd gotten used to being recognized as the brother of the guy running for Congress, but lately he's been recognized as /Peter Petrelli/. "Nice to meet you, Aly," he adds, since he just got her name. There's one name not given out so far, and he steps up and says it, for Jane, at least. "This is Elle," he nods towwards the blonde woman, as he recieves his espresso and makes moves to join the two.

"Oh, him?" Elle looks from Alyssa and her question to Peter. Then, as if realizing he's good-looking realestate, she looks back into Alyssa's face and says firmly, "My boyfriend." Loudly enough that Jane can probably hear it too. As her chai arrives, she slips some money over the counter. "He's kind of like me with the whole special ability thing." She looks over to Jane as she's introduced via Peter and gives her a fingerwave.

The blonde barrista in the counter, Sam, smiles over at Elle and rings up her change. She also works on the coffee/tea machine to get Peter and Elle their respective orders, and slides them over. "Here you go, Miss," she says, handing Elle the correct change and closes up the register. She looks over at Elle curiously. Special ability? But they both look like college students, she probably means one of those honors programs in one of the gazillion universities around.

The back door closes, and Elena emerges from it, for once she doesn't have her backpack, and she's busily unzipping her jacket to toss it in the employee break room and locking up the back door with a click. Sam gets a relieved look on her face. "There you are!" she says exasperatedly. Since the customer has been taken care of, she feels free to move to the back. "I'll be back," she assures the customers.

"It's nice to meet you, Elle," Jane replies, letting her offered hand drop. There's not much reaction to the statement about Peter being her boyfriend, she'd wondered about that when they entered together. She's not thinking of the man in that way, so she doesn't seem worried about arousing jealousy in her. Her eyes were moving on from Elle, in fact, until the remark about special ability. That's got her attention, the gaze shifts back to regard her appraisingly, then Peter himself. Quite apparently, the guitarist had no idea anyone here beside herself was extranormal. Her face suggests she might be about to ask, but thinks better of it. They'll explain, or not. It could, after all, be nothing like what she has.

Whisper-quiet, Jack slips through the door and gives a quick full-body shake. What a weekend. As much as he'd like to go home, feed his cat and lizard, then collapse for approximately 72 hours, he's got one more pressing bit of business to attend to. Just in time to watch Elena slip through to the back, he steels himself, sets his jaw, and strides to the counter determinedly. "Black coffee. Yes, black. No berries, no chocolate, no caramel. Just coffee." Hopefully, it'll be enough to sustain Jack for a little while longer.

Peter'd intended on paying for Elle's drink too, but since she passed money over on her own, he pulls out a few bills and just graciously tips the blonde barrista before she leaves. The boyfriend talk makes his eyes slide down, an awkward hint of embarassment. And the special-ness makes him look up suddenly, surprise washing over whatever awkwardness had fallen upon him, staring at Elle in surprise as he pulls out a chair for her. If he's going to be a boyfriend, he might as well be a polite one. Even if he has no idea really what to say to this.

Heading into the Starbucks is Drake, running a bit late for his four hour shift as he hurries through the door with an apologetic look on his face. Smoothing down his shirt some, his hair appears a bit out of place, as if he just ran a few blocks against the chilly wind outside to try and make it on time. "Sorry, sorry!" He calls over to the blonde behind the counter, who practically gives him a teasing roll of the eyes. As he rounds the counter, he reaches for his apron hanging just inside the wall, then punches in. "I hope it hasn't been too busy. I missed the bus and had to run the rest of the way here."

"And -where have you been-?" Sam tells Drake with a SIGH. But since the young man is going straight to work, she turns back to elena. "I heard you were coming in early," Sam murmurs to Elena in the break room just as she's donning the ugly, green apron that Starbucks employees are allowed to wear. "Are you okay?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" Elena asks distractedly, glancing over at her fellow barrista.

"You know," Sam murmurs, pulling off her apron and getting her things. "The shooting," she whispers. "At your campus."

"Oh….I wasn't there," Elena says simply, a quick frown turning down her mouth. "The Corps had practice off campus that night so I wasn't anywhere near there. Can we talk about this later?"

Disappointed at the lack of details, Sam pouts at her. "I'll hold you to that," she says, wiggling her fingers as she heads out the back door. Elena shakes her head and exhales a sigh, and then moves to the counter. Next customer…is Jack. She blinks at him, and she manages a smile. "Irish," she says. "Hitting the hooch early or something? Hey Drake." She sets Jack the Extra Giant mug she has stowed under the counter, and pours him Just Black coffee. She sees Jane, Peter, and Alyssa in the coffeeshop, along with the blonde with Peter who she assumes is Elle. But she doesn't say anything. It's not like she -could- in public and while working. Leaning in, as she pours her coffee, she murmurs. "You okay? I got your message."

Elle nods to Jane and then Alyssa, before fixing on Peter. There's a warm smile for him as she takes the seat he's pulled out. "You're way too damned modest. Come /on/." Smile souring a little, she asks, "You're like the perfect caring guy. Polite. Gentle. But this seriousness all the time? Lighten up. Do any of these people look like they're dangerous?"

Poor Peter. He didn't want a reaction, but what can you expect? 'Peter's okay. Considering the person, 'Petrelli's likely also safe. But 'Peter Petrelli' together is like its own identity. The sort of silent way Alyssa's been staring at Elle's so-claimed boyfriend ever since he's introduced himself might say something for what she's heard on the matter. It also probably doesn't look too good to the couple. About three minutes too late, she tilts her head slowly and curiously towards Elle and blunders into the conversation with, "Special ability Jane can play the guitar."

As she lifts her cup again and drinks from it, finishing it off, Jane's attention goes back toward the counter and spots Elena. There's recognition of some sort, and that hint of shame returns to a degree in her eyes. The face connects to a name and a number she'd called but got no reply from, she'd come here, in fact, to leave a note for her and attempt to make amends, fearing she'd wronged the latina somehow over the course of her addiction. That there'd been a friendship starting, and she maybe wrecked in, can't remember. But it's put aside, she'll make the try at quieter times and test the waters to see how the latina treats her beforehand. Drawing a slow and deep breath, she focuses back on the conversation at hand.

"I'm fine," Jack carelessly deposits a handful of bills on the counter, far more than what's required for his order. Though Jane and Alyssa are familiar faces, he doesn't have time for pleasantries until after he's attended to his chore. "Scrappy.. I'm sorry," he whispers. "I've been a bloody terrible Uncle Jack, not trusting you to make your own choices." Though he's too far out to catch clear conversation from the crowded table across the way, the words 'dangerous' and 'ability' do reach as far as his ears. He visibly stiffens.

The seriousness doesn't fade completely, even if the compliments make Peter glance away a moment. Does he even have a little color to his cheeks. Moving to take a seat next to her, Peter glances towards the door and spots Drake, whose presense actually washes away most the seriousness with a smile. So that's where the boy works— and he follows his eyes towards Elena. Should have known the two knew each other. Settled into his seat, he looks back towards Jane and Alyssa and nods, "I've heard— she plays quite well." But when he glances at Elle, with a mildly questioning expression.

Zac enters the coffeeshop and looks around in mild surprise. The reaction for those more intuitive might tip his hand that he's not a NY native, and the sheer number of people in any given public place at any given time still surprises him. What would be more obvious for those who can or bother to catch his rather plain, flat midwestern lack of accent when he orders a large slushy chocolate type coffee thingee. No Whipped cream, thanks.

"Hey, Elena! Boy, I got some news to tell you." Drake says as he practically floats on air as he dances with a swaying side step as he walks, giving Elena a bit of a hip bump as he passes her. "Remember that talk we had about destiny, and stuff? I'm gonna throw you through a loop with this one. The mother of all coincidences landed in my lap, and it was awesome." His expression is bright, much more than it has been lately. It's as if he's going back to his old roots, before all the crazy started to happen. "By the way, Jack, I should give you a good kicking." He says teasingly to his friend? Fellow soldier in arms? Acquaintance? With his eyes roam across the rest of the small coffee shop, they land on Peter, and then… Elle?! What th—. ".. Peter?" He asks, raising his brow up slightly as he twitches his lips upwards in a bit of a smile, before cautiously nodding his head towards the blonde. ".. Um.. Hey.. Elle… strawberries and cream today?" He asks as he nears their table.

"Hmmmm?" Elena murmurs, refilling the pot and letting the machine whirr. She sees Jane look over at her, and she can't help but smile, relief assailing her to see that she's alive and intact, at the very least. She'll have to steel herself and go talk to Jane eventually, but at present, she needs to take care of the people in the counter and make sure Drake doesn't blow anything up. She gives Jack a look, and she bites her lip to keep herself from grinning at him. Especially since he looks so serious. But she can't help the next gesture. She picks up one of the brochures describing Starbucks coffee combinations near her, folds it in half, and thwaps Jack gently on the forehead with it. "Don't worry about it," she tells Jack with a wink. "You're older. I'm a teenager, which carries with it a stigma for being dumb. It happens. Seriously. It's all good." And when Drake talks to her, she looks up and she gives him a hint of a smile. "Let me guess," she remarks dryly. "You fell in the mall and you happened to get Heidi Klum to trip on you." And when Drake approaches the table, she pauses…..Drake knew Peter?

Elle's brows go up when she spots Drake. Ha. Small world. And it's getting smaller all the time. She shakes her head and lifts the cup of chai she's cupping her hands so he can see, "No, I'm good." Then to Peter in a harsh whisper, "Does everyone in Manhattan know your name?" Suppressing the urge to put the heel of her hand to her forehead and facepalm hardcore, she just puts on a smile and glances around, perhaps to see who else is paying attention.

"Oh, yeah," Jane remarks, "the guitar. I am fairly good with it. My influences are mostly classic rockers. " She seems content with that explaining the special ability angle, unless confronted with more direct statements or proof. There are many things she's playing close to the vest here, and her ultrasonicity is one of them, believing as she does no one else here has such talents, but she's still curious and alert now. The woman's eyes register each person arriving in the Starbucks as she sits at a table with a guitar propped against it, her backpack on the floor, books atop the surface, Aly across from her, and the pair of Peter and Elle talking with them. An attempt is made to catch Drake's attention as well and ask for a vanilla mocha cappucino.

It is rush hour at the Starbucks, which seems to be increasing the amount of people who recognize each other with every passing moment. The spotting of the newly arrived Jack and Elena, Alyssa shrinks somewhat in her seat. Not so much against them, but the memories that bubble to the surface at their appearance. Carefully, she lands her elbow on the table and puts her hand on it, guarding her face from the rest of the store for the time being- ignoring of course, that she's wearing the usual recognizable grey and pink newsboy cap and some colorfully layered shirts. "She's pretty amazing," the writer decides to inform Peter, "I happened to be there some time when she's showing off to these guys," a painful wince of sympathy for Jane's loss, "and they could name anything and she'd be on it." Her description obviously a bit more elaborate than the guitarist's own. She thumps a knuckle against the thick Takezo Kensei text on the table in front of her. There's two others as well, each boldly proclaiming themselves to have the old Japanese man's life story inside.

Drake's comment about giving Jack a good kicking doesn't surprise the Irishman. Better stand in line, though. When the lad referrs to the dark-haired man at Jane and Alyssa's table by name, Jack quirks a curious eyebrow. Could it be? Nah… Then Elena pops him like a bad puppy, gives him a mock dressing-down, and leans forward to whisper briefly in his ear. A pop-eyed, jaw-dropped expression crawls across his face. Luckily, it only takes a half-instant for him to reassemble his serious demeanor. "Uhh.." he eloquently states. "Well. I'd better go introduce myself, I guess." His hour come 'round at last, Jack seems at a bit of a loss. After all, a great deal of time has been spent planning, rescue-failing, and pounding pavement in the last few weeks. With a shrug, he turns and pads over toward the table.

Elena? Knows nothing. So as soon as Jack is given his coffee, she turns away from the counter to tidy up since Peter's got the popular table today.

Zac smiles and thanks the person working the register as he pays them. He takes his frozen coffee concoction and looks around for an available seat. "Christ a'mighty..this place is packed tighter than the Amistad." he says to no one in particular. He slides into a seat, which oddly enough is nowhere near Peter "Mr. Popularity" Petrelli. He takes sips his coffee-thing and looks around.

"You're welcome, sir," Elena says, ringing up Zac. And then? She pulls out her cellphone, which vibrates again and furrows her brows a little bit at the text message left there. She stuffs it back in her pocket, and doesn't reply to it as she wipes down the countertop with a rag.

"I doubt everyone does…" Peter murmurs softly in response to Elle, before he looks between the young spikey haired boy and his 'girlfriend?' The confused look that /they/ know each other doesn't disappear quite as quickly as it should. All the clues are there, but that doesn't mean he understands. "It's good to see you again, Drake. Sorry about last night." Again. He'd apologized before, but— that should give Elle and idea where he knows Drake from, even if not all of it. To explain to Elle, he gives a side comment, "I interupted his date, by accident." His date with his niece. Which he'll leave out. But she might remember he said he was going to go talk to Claire last night… "I'm not really good with instruments, but I'd always meant to learn," he adds, towards Alyssa and Jane, expression lightening towards a smile.

"It's OK. We see each other all the time these days anyways." Drake says with a rock of his heels on the floor, then gives him a smile before heading off to help out Jane with her order, if she hasn't been tended to yet. "Hey, what can I get for you?" He asks with a flash of a smile on his face, giving her a welcoming peek from under his blonde bangs that drips forward into his face. Coming to a stop next to Elena at his own terminal, he gives her a playful elbow in the side, before tapping the screen a few times to log in.

Not disagreeing with Aly's assessment of her ability, Jane looks toward Peter when he speaks of wanting to learn an instrument, and she seems to think this over for a short time. Teaching. Could be interesting to try if time allows. "It's easy to be good when you've been playing for years. I could work on showing you and Elle both the ropes, are you right or left handed?" she offers sincerely, her question meant for both. "Vanilla mocha cappucino," Jane replies when addressed by Drake, giving her order.

Zac casually sips on his drink and people watches. Every once in a while, someone catches his eye and he watches them intently for a short while.

Jack takes a deep breath, then approaches the tableside a trifle akwardly. Though he's met some of these people, or heard of them, he doesn't actually /know/ them. "Excuse me, terribly sorry to interrupt." he murmurs, and bobs a nod to Jane and Alyssa, then a smaller one to Elle. Still, it's clear that his words are directed at Peter. "My name's Jack. We have a friend in common, I think. Little Japanese guy, big cheeks and thick glasses?" With two fingers, he withdraws a pair of white business card from his coat and drops then on the table. On one side they simply read 'Jack,' and on the other a cellular phone number is printed. "One for you and one for him. The three of us should have a sit-down and a pint."

When Drake nudges Elena, she gives him a faint smile, but otherwise she doesn't say anything. She looks a little preoccupied, even as she cleans. Though she's scrubbing on the same spot for a good minute now. Catching herself, she moves to the other side. "So you're dating his niece?" she asks, glancing over at Drake and quirking a brow. "-Claire- is his niece?" Drake told her about Claire before, given she's the only girl her BFF is seeing. So when Peter gave the explanation earlier as to how Drake and he met to Elle, she catches on. "Jesus." She rubs her cheek just a bit.

"What'd I tell you? Destiny. All of our roads have crossed for a reason, for a purpose. We've been united by fate." Drake says with a bolstering grin on his face, softly speaking as he starts to fix up the vanilla cappuccino. "And I'm loving every minute of it." He steals a look over to her, flashing teeth for a moment, then fills up the cup once the brew is complete, handing it over with a smile to Jane. "Here you go. Vanilla mocha cappuccino. Enjoy!" With that, he looks back to his best friend. "But yeah.. Claire is his niece. Believe me, I was just as surprised."

Zac hears talk of crossing roads and destiny, and glances over. Things such as this intrigued him, but he tries to not look like he's eavesdropping. Someone else catches his eye, and he happens to lock eyes with them for a long moment. He gives them an apologetic look, "I'm sorry," he says softly to them, "for your loss." and takes another drink of his coffee.

"Right handed," Peter answers Jane's question, smiling faintly as he gives a nod in agreement. It never hurts to learn, even if he's not sure he'll have the time. It might also help with her 'rehab'. Or at least to figure out who she is. But then Jack interupts, and introduces himself. Okay. Maybe everyone in Manhattan does know him. Thank you, Hiro Nakamura. Again, with the blinking. The cards are taken and he turns them over for a second, looking down at them, before he looks back up and says, "I just saw him today." Elle should have already known this, and he'd called Elena as well, but otherwise he's not sure the group knows he's okay. "I know how to contact him too. I'll be sure to pass the message on. It's nice to meet you, Jack."

"Huh," Elena says, shaking her head at the sudden realization. With everyone else clustering back at the Peter table, she tosses the rags back in the sink and washes her hands. Thankfully save for Zac, no one else has walked in. In fact, she's eyeing the windows quite warily. She wishes the shop had drapes, but that would be suspicious. Even as she works by the counter, and as everyone else mingles, she keeps looking out surreptitiously just in case. Someone had to pay attention while all these people where here and drinking coffee, and Padfoot isn't around anymore to play guard dog. Sniff.

Lissa quietly drifts into Starbucks, moving on automatic as she goes in search of coffee and pastries. She could explain all about double-shifts, or late nights painting, or whatever's pushed her to the edge of tiredness, but that would require her to put forth effort. As it is, she's well into the room before… That Feeling starts buzzing against her skin. And then it kicks up to 11. She stops, some feet from the counter. She stops dead, blinking with wide blue eyes, and she starts to look around. "Oh dear," she murmurs. A Very Strange Day is about to commence.

"And you," Jack nods to Peter now and cracks a smile. "I appreciate you playing messenger. Our friend can be notoriously hard to find, when he wants." He takes a medicinally long swig of his rapidly cooling Black Coffee, then lifts a hand to wave lazily as he turns to leave. "Until next time, boy-o."

The various conversations go by her, some unheard, as Jane waits for an answer to the offer she made toward Peter and Elle. When it comes from him, she nods slowly. "Right handed is easier, you don't need a special instrument or to learn it backwards." Nothing reaches her of the link between Peter and someone called Claire. She's unaware of quite a lot, actually. That her ability was absorbed before, or others are being taken in now, the whole history of it. She just lets her attention switch between the three at her table, with a glance toward Jack as he speaks with Peter. It's curious the attention he gets, but then again, his name is Petrelli, his brother was in Congress, so that he's known is little surprise. And a question goes to Aly. "Would you like to learn too?"

So now not only are there people, but they are all attempting to pass by this table at some point to pay their regards. Alyssa tilts her head and half expects that Jack's introduction has 'mr. president' somewhere in it. She stares again, with eyes half-closed, at Peter. Maybe he's the pope of special people. Or, like, they're all at a dinner in his honor so everyone has to stop and try to say 'hi' so they can say they've touched the guy's hand. She's seen that movie before. And if she drifts off enough, she could probably pretend to see it again. She glances between all the people at the table idly and looks right past Jane as the question is posed to her. Slow blink. "Wha, huh? What am I learning?" For a second, she thinks about the whole 'ability' conversation and she stuffs her hands self-consciously into her lap.

"By the way, I owe it all to you." Drake says, giving Elena another hip bump playfully, then drapes an arm around her shoulders. "Ya'know, for giving me the confidence to just go right on up and ask her out. This wouldn't have happened otherwise, you know?" He says with a raise of his brow. "Or at least, it'd have been under completely different circumstances." Giving her a squeeze, somewhat of a half hug, he says, "So, we getting out early tonight I take it? Just do a quick break down of the cafe, and lock up?"

Jack says, "'Mr. President?' All I did was say hello."

"Who am I but a slave to the cosmic winds?" Elena remarks dryly, and spouting out a bit of improvised poetry while at it. She looks at Drake when he hipbumps her, and she smiles, returning the half hug and pecks him on the cheek. She detaches, and hands him a rag so he can start cleaning off the other tables. "And yeah I think so…..which is good. I need a break. I haven't had time to breathe this entire week." Her eyes fall on the table, and then her head turns to regard Lissa as she steps inside. "Can I help you, Miss?" she asks.

Zac hears the bit of improvised poetry and says just in audible range, in the direction of the eavesdropped poetry, "She walks in beauty, like the night of cloudless climes and starry skies; And all that's best of dark and bright meet in her aspect and her eyes: Thus mellow'd to that tender light which heaven to gaudy day denies. One shade the more, one ray the less, Had half impair'd the nameless grace which waves in every raven tress, or softly lightens o'er her face; Where thoughts serenely sweet express how pure, how dear their dwelling-place."

It doesn't seem, to her, the crowd is all that big. She's played before larger audiences than this before there are just eight or nine people present, after all. The baristas, Jane's sure, have also managed larger gatherings before. It's a Starbucks. Remembering this, and that she asked Drake for something, she seeks him out and looks to see if he's coming back yet.

Lissa is having a Moment. Eyes closed, she takes a few deep breaths, calling upon meditation training to swiftly sort out the myriad sensations flooding into her body and over her skin, shoving them into various mental boxes, forcing her consciousness beyond them. Yes, thank you powers, she's well aware of the Evolved in the room. And my, what an interesting assortment of inexplicable new sensations… and at least one familiar one. All of this, she works past, in time to open her eyes and peer at Elena. "Coffee, please?" she asks weakly.

"Until next time," Peter responds politely, watching Jack walk away with that same bewildered expression on his face. Then he glances back to the table and smiles. This is a very odd day, and he's starting to feel oddly— tired for some reason. Looks it too. The espresso he ordered is sipped on in an attempt to get some caffeine to his brain. "Maybe you could give me a way to contact you, so I can get some lessons sometime. I know my brother knows how to find you, but you got a phone number? Or do you often play outside that bookstore in East Village?"

"You okay?" Elena says, looking Lissa up and down. "You look a little faint. What kind would you like?" She takes a cup and is about to mark it, when she blinks at Zac as he says his prose at her direction. Inclining her head, she smiles faintly. "Lord Byron, right?" she calls to Zac. Though granted she's never heard anyone actually quote a huge chunk of one of his most famous poems in one go. Usually people just knew the first line. She then looks back at Lissa, and waits for her expectantly. However, she furrows her brows a bit at the look on her face, or the vibe she's feeling. The girl doesn't sound well.

Giving her a wry grin, Drake chuckles at Elena for a moment, then takes the rag from her, spinning it around in his fingers as he heads around the counter. Sliding it along one table, he scoops a bit of debris into his hand, then lobs it into the trash near by. Humming to himself, he is practically dance-walking as he works his way around one lane, after the other, shuffling his feet a sort of moonwalk, step over step. The drink he made for Jane was served up, and waiting on the countertop, tucked away in a snug, paper sleeve.

All this time, Elle has been quiet. A miracle, yes, but she has, sipping on her chai. Occassionally she offers up a sign of acknowledgement and a smile. She does, however, after some time, lay a hand on Peter's arm to give it a squeeze. The glass with her chai in it is empty and she suggests, "So… want to go for a walk?"

"Bookstore?" Hey, see, look, Alyssa's paying attention now. With the inquiry about lessons momentarily forgotten, she folds her hands in front of her and grins at everyone, "I hope you mean Enlightenment Books because that's totally where I work and I like to have the company around. You been inside?" This goes to anyone, except Elle who she nods at since that visit was already referenced earlier. That's about when leaving comes up and the writer pulls back in her seat, considering the time. "Speaking of which, maybe I should get back there…"

On his way to the door, Jack passes by the counter to grin and wave at Drake and Elena. Realizing that his oversize mug isn't exactly the take-away kind, he pauses to empty it and pass it back to the baristas. Poetry on the left, sick girls on the right. After leaning across to whisper at Elena, now seems a great time for a simple, healthy Irish boy to make himself scarce. Stuffing hands in pockets and hunching against the chill, he steps out onto the street.

"I do," Jane replies. She pulls up the backpack and pulls out a sheet of paper, then a pen, on which she writes her phone number and address at apartment 108 in a Greenwich Village high rise. It's handed over to Pete as she adds "I play in quite a few spots, basically where the mood strikes. It's the purest way to be a pro musician, playing directly to the people who either like it and pay or don't and keep going." She glances up at Elle and offers "Good night, Elle. Glad I could meet you. Good night to you both."

Zac blushes, surprised he'd been busted quoting Byron in her direction. He stammers a bit, "Y-Yeah, that's right..Byron.." he then goes a bit pale and gets a bit of a dizzy look around him. "Oh.." he says softly "That was weird," he says, looking around. He sips his coffee, apparently over it. "But um..yeah." he says, "Byron."

Lissa considers Elena intently, her attention tightly focused upon the one person she's interacting with at the moment. She's very calm, now, as she performs intense mental gymnastics to cope with the almost-overwhelming amount of sensory information available. "Just coffee. Regular, large, black," she declares. "I don't mind if it tastes like sweatsocks at this point."

Accepting the piece of paper with Jane's information, Peter folds it up and adds it to a place in his pocket with Jack's cards. Two people he'll need to meet again later— and a third too. As Alyssa mentions the bookstore. "That's the one, yeah," he answers while he stands up, answering Elle with action more than words, taking his unfinished espresso with him. Good thing he planned to take it with him. "I haven't been in there, but I could check it out." He's always been a fan of books, and that must be where Elle went shopping, by the sound of things. "It was nice to meet you," he adds, before glancing towards the front and giving a incline towards Drake and Elena, before readying for said walk.

"I take English Lit this semester," Elena tells him, offering up an explanation as to how she knows the prose. "We just finished Shakespeare, actually." She watches when people start heading out, swatting Jack when he whispers what he does to her before leaving and rolling her eyes skyward. She can't help but look amused though. Jane though, gets an unreadable look - somewhat hesitant. Deep down she was afraid of what she would find out if she talked to her. But she can't at the moment, not when the shop was full. She nods, and pours out a cup for Lissa, slipping on the sleeve and passing it onto her. "That'll be 2.75, miss," she states. When Peter and Elle move for the door, she nods almost impercetibly. But there's a small smile on her mouth.

Elle lets go of Peter's arm and nods to Jane. "Good to meet you, too. Hopefully we can do it again someplace less… ah… public." Smiling once more, she takes the lead and heads for the door, opening it and then slipping out onto the sidewalk.

Zac nods, "Ah, I've done a bit of Shakespeare..well, back in my hometown at least. Nothing to write home about, but I'm familiar." he smiles a bit awkwardly and nods, speaking to Elena. He takes up his coffee and sips it. He looks like he wants to head towards the counter, but hesitates.

As Peter and Elle depart, leaving her once again alone at the table with Aly, Jane finally seems to register her comments about being back at work. "Are you leaving too?" she asks quietly. "Maybe I will try again with those guys in the East Village."

"Yeah, it's not a work day but I keep trying to catch Cass for a little talky talk," There's a shrug for this but a grin from Alyssa for the next bit, "Hey! I think that'd be just awesome. Which, of course, means you'll stop by the store later and tell me how it goes." Because now it's cemented that Jane's doing it, duh. As she speaks, Alyssa gathers up her three books, hefting them into one arm and picking up her hot chocolate with the other in order to shake it and test the amount left. Not enough. Giving a nod to Jane, and a "hey, see ya later!" she walks to the door and pauses to drop the cup into an available trash can.

"Cass's bookstore," she repeats softly. That's a place she remembers. Rose the sarcastic fellow guitarist, a dog whistle twice, and the way it hurt. The scene of Jane's first episode. Her eyes close for a moment and she ponders, maybe that was what made her take drugs and become an addict, looking for some way to take care of that unpleasant part of her ability. Several moments pass before she looks up and replies to Alyssa. "Good night, Aly," the guitarist offers quietly.

Lissa quietly offers over the money, and gives Elena a smile. People are leaving the room. Sensory information is decreasing. This is good. She can handle this. "Thank you," she says again, softly. "Trust me, I can use the caffeine. It's been a long day."

"It's absolutely no problem," Elena assures with a warm smile, watching her friend moonwalk around as he cleans. She looks at Zac and she grins. "So you're in theater? That's cool." She hands Lissa her change, and she wipes down the counter again to keep her work area clean. "I dance on occasion, I'm part of my college's hip hop/jazz street team. Not exactly as cultured as Shakespeare or Lord Byron but I think I'd get a mental block if I had to say lines on stage."

Zac shrugs, "That's okay, there's a reason I don't do many musicals." he grins a bit. "I have two left feet, and that's just my hands." he deadpans and shrugs. Then after a second, he grins again. "So the stuff you do, is that like the step stuff I keep hearing about?"

The guitarist stands a few moments after Aly leaves and approaches the counter. Jane's face looks nervous, there's shame in her eyes, the face is somber. Her cappucino is there, she takes that first, and waits in hope of speaking with Elena, but turns away as she sees the latina speaking with Zac the Poet.

"You mean like in the movie Step Up?" Elena laughs, and looks a little sheepish while doing so. Yes, she loves her hokey dance movies, give her a break. "Yeah. We compete with other teams in the area. We're pretty good, we've won a few, but we've also lost a few. New York is teeming with dancers, so….but it's good for us. The more we get beaten, the more we try harder, right?" She smiles winningly at Zac, and since she's done serving up Lissa, she takes a step back from the counter. "Would you guys excuse me for a second? My friend's having a rough day and I wanna go cheer her up a sec." She nods to where Jane is seated….and after folding her rag and washing her hands, she moves for that direction.

Lissa breathes out. Things have gotten ever so much easier to cope with, it would seem. She tucks some change away, puts the rest in the tip jar, and moves aside until her coffee is ready. She listens to the people as they talk, and then turns, peering. She spots Jane, and offers a smile of greeting to the familiar face. "Hello, again."

Zac nods, "Well yeah, and if you can win here, well you can win anywhere." he says, smiling a little more brightly than awkwardly. Then he nods in understanding, "Sure. Um, I hope everything's okay." he says quietly, then sips his drink and gazes back out the window, sinking into his seat a bit.

She returns to her table, focusing ahead, and sits with fingers rubbing the guitar case slowly. Jane's shame is building, now that it's quieter and she's alone again. Lissa gets a quiet smile, and a reply. "Lissa. Hey."

"Thanks," Elena says with a smile. "I'm Elena, by the way. In case you stop by again to get your coffee." And with that, the latina turns to head over towards Jane…but slows when Lissa approaches her. She can't talk openly here, but she does carry with her a plate of warm, chocolate-marble loaf. She walks over to the table where Jane is. She smiles over at Jane. "On the house," she tells her friend, and rests a hand on her shoulder as she leans in to place the warm, rich confestion right in front of her. And then, her phone will buzz again. She pushes away, and walks to the back door to take the call.

Her eyes settle on the cake, and look up at the latina as she sets it down. Jane's eyes close again, she nods slowly and watches the departure.
Long distance to Elena: Jane whispers back in the time she has. "I'm glad you don't hate me, I thought we were becoming friends, but you stopped taking my calls."

Zac smiles and nods, "Elena. I'll remember that.." he says softly.

Lissa doesn't seem entirely intent upon forcing her attentions on anyone. She makes her greeting, and gets her coffee, and then peers around to see who's still remaining. The fact it's calmed down seems to have helped her own mental state immensely.

As Elena busies herself with work tasks, Jane begins to quietly eat the item she was brought, sampling it. Fingers curl around the cup she has, cool air is blown across it a few times. Her phone is glanced at a few moments later, and her mood seems to lighten.

Randall eases his way through the front door, pressing the back of one shoulder against the glass. He's fiddling with a camera phone, which wouldn't be so unusual, except for the chunk of irregular glass duct-taped in front of the lens.

Zac is looking around the place once again, resettled into his seat and looking around quietly.

As she emerges a bit from the mood that gripped her, Jane lets her eyes wander around. Lissa's sighted, and the poet Elena was talking to. Tiredness is upon her, but mental notes are made of what he looks like, in hope of finding him again. Poets might become songwriters, something she could possibly use. Her guitar and backpack are then picked up, and she heads out. "Good night, Lissa," she offers in parting.

Lissa wiggles her fingers at Jane. "Good bye," she replies quietly. She takes a sip of her coffee, and looks thoughtful, briefly.

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