We Need To Talk

Bean Scene Cafe


Bean Scene is a small coffee shop and cafe that caters primarily to a younger crowd. The cafe has always been at least a year late in joining any given fad, and in the past it's been done in western-style, set up as a beatnik hangout, a go-go disco, a fern bar, and once even attempted to cash in on breakdancing. A plaque has recently been placed above the door, and says, "No fad is dead until it appears to Bean Scene".

Case in point, the cafe has a grungy feel to it.A grey brick facade has been placed over the walls, the flooring looking more like a worn down metal grid, complete with old sewer grates every few feet. Tables and chairs set about the cafe are quite casual in appearance, made of metal meant to look rusty and splattered with multi-colored paints. Metal street signs hang from the wall amid images of garage bands. Behind the counter is a black chalkboard displaying the available items and costs.


Errands. Things need to be ready for the potential meeting this evening, as well as setting things up to go to the day spa with a potential new friend. Chloe is in a hurry, but as usual, the Bean Scene is not going to comply to her schedule. There is a line, though it's a bit shorter than usual. She's second from the counter. The person in front of her seems to be ordering coffee for half of Dallas, however, placing order after order.

She doesn't exactly look to be in the best of moods, though she's by no means actually angry. Slightly irritated at the holdup in the line, but it can't be helped with the midday coffee shop traffic.

The door jingles as it is pushed open, revealing the tall, exhausted form of Ivan Fontane. With a shrug, he allows his grey jacket to slide off of his shoulders, smiling with faint enjoyment as he is hit with the aroma of coffee beans. He sighs, and without waiting for a second moment, without even bothering to inspect who happens to be standing in the line in front of him, just waiting to hate on him.

It had been a great day. And now, it's about to come to a screeching end.

Chloe, like any snoopy American, turns to look over her shoulder to see who's coming in the door. Spying Ivan, she frowns a little. When he steps behind her, she looks forward again. "We have to talk," she says. It's as simple as that.

Then, Mr. I'morderingforallofDallas finally finishes up, and she steps forward. A glance at the menu, and she makes a face. "Large black coffee, in a to-go cup please." A few bills are placed on the counter, and she moves to the side to wait for Ivan. Oh yes, that's right. She's /waiting/ for him.

Ivan doesn't realize who Chloe is until it is much too late. Up until the moment that she has already spotted him and given her grim summons. Well, that's a buzzkill - slowly, she prompts his contentment to slip, slip, slip away… "…Well. Evening to you, too. If it has something to do with senators, then I don't want to talk about it. In fact, if it has anything to do with politics at all, I don't want to talk about it." He's firm about that, decisive. It is his day off, damn it, and he wants just one day to himself. That's all. Just one.

Eventually, after ordering his own coffee without any enthusiasm whatsoever, he takes the order and sullenly peers to the red-head, jaws clenched. "Well…shall we?" He deadpans, nodding to a vacant booth.

He's going off on a mini-rant, and Chloe just rolls her eyes ceilingward. She waits until he's finished, and says, "It's about that little trick you played, and Rose." At least she's being honest. Except that it's potentially about leaving her alone as well. Eyes dart toward the booth, and she nods. She stops just long enough to grab a stir stick and one of those free papers, then slides into the booth.

"I'm aware that you're meant to be caring for her. I think I can help her. Problem is, there are some that are messing with her head, and it's not helping anything at all." Right down to business she is.

Ivan settles down into the opposite booth, appreciating her frankness on the matter. He's not in the mood to dance around - not tonight. With his eyes fixed on her person, narrowed in clinical, scientific study, he takes a sip of the joe. "Alright. And we'll throw your abilities on the table too, just for shits and giggles." He speaks, lips pursed slightly. After all, he should get some sort of reward, for putting up with her third degree. "Rose…What's messing with her head? And how can you help her, exactly? How much do you…know? Let's start off with that." Beat. "I think she mentioned you, earlier today. Or your brother - the big guy at the club? I'm not sure."

"Bobby," Chloe answers, choosing to discuss her brother first. "He's not involved in any of this, and it's going to stay that way," she says firmly. Then she peers at him. "I know everything I've read, and everything I've seen. It's like, well…" She considers how to explain it. "You know when a channel isn't coming in clear? That white noise? She's got a lot of that. She's also been bitten by a vampire who did something to her, and a few black holes from another attack, not the one that put her in this state to begin with." Frown. "Other than that, I'd really prefer not to discuss anything about myself without the presence of Mr. Grant." Beat. "He wouldn't like me to."

Ivan shrugs his shoulders mildly, offering her a nod of acceptance. "Fair enough," he comments on the topic of her brother and he settles down, clenching his jaw to take in the rest of her words. "And, I suppose we don't have to discuss your ability much more. A confirmation that I wasn't insane is all I needed, really." Although, he does file away the information about her correspondence with Mr. Grant. This could be potentially valuable later on. But now, the meat of the matter. Rose….
"What?" Ivan is, very clearly, startled by her knowledge on the matter. "Another attack? By a vampire? Jesus fucking Christ, I'm getting her a bodysuit made out of pure silver. How do you - oh…stupid question. What do you know about it? Do you know who it is? And you said you can help - how do you help that? How do you propose to…fix it?"

The paper is flipped open, a cover as they talk so people don't veer too close to eavesdrop. Chloe lifts the mug of coffee to her lips, taking a small sip before peering across at him. "The names Hiro and Just Michael came up. Apparently the latter has laid claim on her, the other bit her after the fact. I don't know which did what to her though beyond that. But whatever the one did that made her mind black, is really playing games in there. I've already left a message for Mr. Grant detailing this as well."

The mug is placed onto the table and she shakes her head. "I don't know if I can help, but it's like things she doesn't want to remember, like repressed memories? I could try and help her fill in the blanks in her mind, but I'm not good with this sort of stuff. I don't do it."

Ivan sighs deeply, and he closes his eyes, settling back in his seat. Somber, the lad stares off into a distant wall as he registers what she says. "She told me," he gruffs, voice thick. "About the two vampires. Fleetingly. Would it be advisable for her to simply not see them again? Or, will we have to collect the two of them and make them fix the…blackness, so to speak?" The coffee lays forgotten on the surface of the table counter, and beside it, his hand shifts into a fierce fist. "Mister Grant. I believe he knows all the vampires in the area - he will know who they are."

"Well…alright. I appreciate the intention to help, even if it doesn't really play out the way I would like. But…why. Why do you want to help her? And why have you decided to fill me in on the secret now? You were less then enthusiastic the last time we met, as I recall."

"I don't know," Chloe answers honestly. "I don't know much about vampire physiology, or if they'll need to fix it. I do know that she'd probably be better off not seeing them again, but they're vampires, so what're you gonna do." Small shrug. "I know that he knows the one named Hiro, because this Hiro introduced himself to Mr. Grant in front of me. I'm sure even if he doesn't know the other, he can find out." She seems to have a lot of faith in Mr. Grant.

"I talked to Will, and he explained it to me," she says by way of deflected answer. "And mostly because she can't help herself at the moment. I've been there, and I don't wish that on anyone." Beat. "Now explain to me what you did the other night. How you did it. And what you are, because you're definitely not human."

Ivan nods curtly. "Agreed." He deadpans when she mentions her belief that keeping Rose away from vampires is the best course of action. The rest of the words, however, seem to through him through a loop. His brows furrow darkly, and curiosity shines in his eyes as he inspects her. "Will explained what to you, exactly? And…that's fair enough. People think you're crazy too - I can understand and appreciate wanting to help another under similar circumstances." As for his powers. Cue a long, drawn out sigh, during which he takes a sip of his cooling coffee. His mind is a jumble of different emotions as the man attempts to decide what to reveal, a jumble too difficult to correctly read. "Mhmm. I'm special, I suppose. I can…manipulate things. Images. And I assure you, I am very much human. It's blood that runs through my veins. My body is very much that of a human's. I'm just…an individual. Like you." She might pick up on the words 'Umbra' and 'family' and 'magic' but they're faint.

"That you're helping him with something." Easy enough answer. Chloe doesn't smile, for once she just keeps a neutral expression. Her hands cup the mug, drinking in the warmth of the coffee without actually drinking it. "Oh, people don't think I'm crazy," she says, "I /am/ crazy. I literally mean, I've been where she has, and I wouldn't wish that on anyone." Green Oaks and all, though her file will be missing during the investigation, thank goodness.

"Magic," she says, brow raising as the faint broadcast of that word pops out at her. "Like, Harry Potter? Wicca? Satanic goat worshipping?" Okay, the last is just a barb, but she had to throw at least one of those in the conversation.

Ivan rolls his eyes faintly, looking unimpressed by Chloe's declaration of insanity. "You're even less insane then Rose is. And I don't find her insane. She's just disjointed. A bit…fucked with, basically." With a sigh, the man leans in closer to Chloe, eyes narrowed in speculation. "I need a promise, then. An assurance that if I extrapolate, you will stay out of my mind. It's none of the above, though I - what the fuck. I do not worship the devil - guess it's most like Harry Potter? I'm simply special. End story. Like you are." He turns his head to the side, a dry, humorless smile appearing on his features. "Perhaps that makes me 'crazy' as well."

"Your brain isn't human," Chloe points out. She's not even peering into his mind, it's just one of those things she can tell. It gives off a different 'noise' to her than other brains do. "Soooo… you have a wand and wizard robes?" Definitely teasing him now. She clears her throat, and does her best Hermione impression. "It's Levi-oh-sah, not Levio-saw."

Joshing aside, she takes a deep breath. "I doubt it's like that, and you're not crazy. A bit pervy, maybe." Beat. "I swear to goodness if you hurt that poor girl, you're going to have to deal with me. You may have to be looking out for her, but for whatever crazy reason she has, she likes and trusts you and I don't think she can handle another disappointment in her life right now."

Ivan snorts. He cannot help it - it was funny! See, he's not all that unpleasant to be around, so long as she isn't sneering and scowling at him. "I do, in fact. Just not the sort that you're thinking of. I'd offer to show you 'em, but…" He's still Ivan. That sort of raucousness cannot be completely stifled, or he wouldn't be him. However, when she comments on how he isn't human, Ivan frowns. In the end, he finds that he can only shrug his shoulder. "Maybe I'm an alien? I don't know what to tell you. From what I know, I'm a human. With magic…a witch."

The Rose issue is much easier to deal with, and despite himself, he finds his lips pulled into a faint smile of satisfaction. "Ah…she does, huh? You saw that, while you were in her mind? That she really likes me, and trusts me, and…" Beat. "Hey. Listen, crazy, you don't need to worry about that. I'm not going to hurt her. I promised. Also, I'm not perverted. You're just uptight."

There it is. The term she's been searching for. Something she can research and come to terms with. Chloe nods at that, and starts making mental notes to actually delve into something beyond the New Age section at the library to find real information. "Okay, Malfoy," she says, "Just trust me that your brainwaves or whatever, read different."

She sighs. "It's not my place to say, but from the way she talks, it's obvious she feels safer with /you/ than she does with either of those vampires." It's still quite 'ugh' to her, but that she just keeps to herself for now. "I'm not uptight, but I trust my brother's judgment on other men. He says you're one of the ones that goes looking to score at the clubs, and since he sees it night in and out…" She allows the thought to trail while she sips at her lukewarm coffee.

There is a slow, deliberate smile plastered upon Ivan's features, and as he lifts a hand to scratch at the back of his head, he lets out a low sigh. "Really? That's…yeah." He offers, clearly pleased at the news. "So. I guess there's no pressure on me at all, huh? Fuck." With that foray into the world of sarcasm, the man straightens up in his seat, tapping his fingers against the surface of the table. "No, you are uptight. I suppose the difference between you and me on this particular issue is that you seem to think there's something particularly wrong with going to the clubs to…ah…'score'." There's no hesitation in his voice. and he looks absolutely shameless, green eyes dancing over Chloe's expression.

"I'm don't lie to anyone. I don't pretend like I want a deeper relationship when I go out there, I don't force women to do anything they don't wish to, so I don't see what's the problem? If you say the problem is that I'm using them, then I feel it prudent to point out that they're using me right back. In fact, more so, because I end up being the one to pay for all the stuff. There's nothing wrong with having sex if you're not in a relationship."

"Does she understand that, Mr. Fontane? Does she understand you don't want a deeper relationship with her?" Really, it's none of Chloe's business, and she figures he's about to tell her just that. "I mean, I can say generally, you have to do what works for you. I can understand it, though it doesn't mean that I think women should be objectified or played like that." Mostly, because the women she knows would expect something more even if told up front that they won't be getting it. "But I can't say that I believe a hundred percent, that Rose understands that at all."

Eyeing him over the rim of the coffee cup, she snorts. "It's not uptight, it's having a different outlook. To me, it's wrong. Then again, I guess that's because I don't bother dating at all. Makes no sense to when I can tell what they're planning on doing later, and to whom."

Ivan looks confused for the briefest of moments before his mind catches up to the topic of conversation. Grimly, he pulls his lips back into a straight line, brows furrowing in contemplation. "Rose?" Beat. "I'm not talking about her, not about this. She's…different." Yes. Yes, she is. "I meant, chicks that you meet in the club, who are only there with the intention of 'hooking up' themselves. It's completely unfair to judge a man by his behavior at a club - the entire atmosphere promotes that sort of dynamic. And don't play that bull - women objectify men just as much, if not moreso. And the games they play? They're worse." He has been burned once or twice. The memory of it is faded and flashes through his mind, like a wound that has been scabbed over, but is still there.

"No, it's you being uptight. But, then again, can I blame you? Not really, I guess. Jesus, what's with Dallas and all this Never Been Kissed bullshit. This city doesn't make sense to me."

Chloe seems to relax a little when he says that Rose is different. Even from a brief meeting, she feels protective of her, but only in the sense that she'd hate to lose a potential friend due to some creep preying on her - there are enough of those to deal with as is. "Fine. I'll give you that the women that frequent The Warehouse are no better than the men, though I'm happy to say that I'm not one of them." The flash of memory that he broadcasts is simply ignored, either that or her meds are kicking in now.

"Never said I hadn't been kissed, said I avoided dating." Nothing like finding out the guy you're with is thinking of his mother while kissing you.

The man is silent for a brief moment in time, eyes furrowed, lips pursed. His thoughts are running at a mile a minute, and though he's persuaded the woman to at least concede ground to his side of the debate, he can reap no joy from it. And this is something he loves reaping joy from. For a moment, he overlooks the direction his life is taking, examining from afar the events leading up to this moment - in particular, his snap decision to aid a nutjob. A cute nutjob, but one nevertheless.
"Huh. Yeah? Well, that's better, I suppose." Beat. "You could probably benefit from getting laid by a stranger every once in a while. You'd be a lot less high strung, I swear. No better de-stresser in the world, I swear."

Sexual advice from a veritable stranger, just makes Chloe frown. Not a cutesy frown either, an actual brow-drawn-down, lips curved into an upside-down u-shape frown. "That likely wouldn't be the world's greatest idea. I don't really like being able to hear when they compare me to ghosts of girlfriend's past." After all, doesn't every woman want to believe that she's special, if even just a little bit?

"I told Mr. Grant. About what you did at the club. I asked him to ask you to leave me alone, and I'm going to ask you the same thing. At least when it comes to those magic tricks, alright?" Beat. "I do my best not to use this crazy curse I have. I take medicine to dampen it. I don't want to hear the things I do."

Ivan quirks his head to the side, a smirk appearing on his features when it looks as though he might have struck a bit of a nerve. He deserves a bit of teasing of his own, considering she had her fun with him. "Why? Worried you're not going to be up to par? You know, there's only one way to get better. Practice. Practice, practice. Take your medicine and go have fun." Go, Chloe! Walk forth and be the slut you know you can be!

"Mhmm. To leave you alone? That's fair. I…" Beat. His eyes shift from side to side before he decides to lick his lips. "I apologize. For using it on you that night. I just had to find out - it seemed like the opportune moment. I could have deniability, since we were in such a public spot, if you couldn't read my mind."

"Wouldn't matter if I'm up to par or not, it's just something of a mood killer." Chloe shrugs, offering a half-hearted smile. Medicine can only block so much, and when someone is a loud broadcaster she can't really block them all that well.

"Thank you for the apology." She knows that took a lot for him to do. "I'll tell Mr. Grant that our differences have been worked out then, since I hate feeling like I owe him." And she already owes him big for pilfering the file for her, as well as sharing the memoir with her.

Ivan shrugs his shoulders, before finally getting to his feet, throwing back a generous swig of coffee. "You're welcome, I suppose. If you're serious about wanting to help Rose, then you deserve that and more. And, tell him. I don't know the exact nature of your…relationship…but tell him that I'll be up to see him soon as well, if you manage to get there before I do. Anyway, I think I ought to get going. Back to work tomorrow, you know the drill." But, then he pauses, turning to really look at Chloe. Suddenly, there's a faint smile on his face, and his hand is stuck out to her. "I don't think we ever properly met, funnily enough. Ivan Fontane. It's a pleasure…now, at least." Formalities must be kept.

The way he implies something about her relationship with Will gives her a slight pause. Quickly Chloe shakes her head, taking care not to blush. "Long story, suffice to say it's only the inkling of a close friendship, nothing more." Mostly because her brother would very likely /kill/ her if she took up with a vampire. "But I'll relay the message when I speak with him." Which will hopefully be later this evening. "Chloe Cornett," she offers, looking at his hand. "I'd shake but you broadcast pretty loud and I'm honestly scared of what I might pick up via touch." Pause. She taps her head to show she means in her mind, and not some weird sexual disease.

Ivan rolls his eyes, though it's good natured. "Don't worry. I use protection - I'm not that much of a dumb ass." And with that drawl, Ivan is off!

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