15240/Coffee in the Big Apple

Coffee in the Big Apple
Date of Scene:	21 June 2023
Location:	The Coffee Bean - Manhattan
Synopsis:	Lois and Clark meet Ivory while getting coffee, and Ivory draws them as cats. Lois orders a jacket with that picture on it!
Cast of Characters:	Lois Lane, Superman, Ivory

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'Lois Lane has posed:
What does one do while they're waiting for their coffee date to arrive in New York? Well... it's New York City. So, just about anything that they want to do, but it just so happens that the most convenient thing is shopping since there's a touristy souvenir shop literally right inside!

And so instead of wandering far afield of their designated meeting coffee shop, Lois Lane is standing at a rack of New York City T-shirts, complete with things like the skyline bedazzled in multi-colored gems and the letters 'NYC' underneath.

There are a few others in the shop, too. One that's looking at some of the coffee mugs. A couple of occupied tables. Of course, the baristas themselves. Lois is just lazily shuffling through the hangars, a big, slouchy bag slung over her shoulder and trapped under her left elbow. Occasionally she glances up just to check her surroundings, but for the most part, she seems content browsing.

'Superman has posed:
Clark Kent walks into The Coffee Bean. Dull blue eyes full of wonder and amazing, "Wow. So many people," he says sounding ever so much like the tourist. What makes these words more offensive, Metropolis isn't -too- far off from New York. He should be used to this!

He's wearing a dark gray suit, it doesn't quite flirt with the color black, but it's a nice gun metal color. Like gray trying it's best to become black, but falling short despite good efforts. Royal purple out is a dark blue tie that's not quit polka dotted, but from far enough away it could be mistaken for that. The various designs of light color that swirl about it make it look alright up close, but questionable from afar.

Pressing his thick framed black glasses up on his face, "So many people," he says as if reflecting on New York's imposing form. Like people couldn't take the Kansas out of the man, even if you put him on the opposite side of the world.

He pushes forward just looking around. Clark stands there with the typical bad posture that follows him. He slouches when he stands sometimes. A bad habit from leaning over a computer so much. It may earn him stares, but no one would find the man intimidating or anything.

Clark will stand there looking bewildered, he can't find someone in particular. It's like the crowd somehow consumed them. All the looking is done from the back of the line, which he wanders out of by two feet. Then he stands there for a moment, not realizing he moved. "Oh, this is the line, sorry," he apologizes and waits. Ace Reporter, utter failure in so many other ways.

'Ivory has posed:
Manhatten seems to always offer three smells, no matter the time of day or place: Exhausts from the cars, rancid fast food oil from the thousand vendors and the sour smell of coffee grounds that are this town's lifeblood. But then again, nobody in New York appears to be special unless they are known to be an Avenger or JLA or whatever, so... anonymity! Even for a white haired person as they push in with this day's of cat jacket: a white persian that is bandaged by a tabby while a car tire bumps by. And then... well, they just get into line behind Kent.

'Lois Lane has posed:
It wasn't that Lois didn't see Clark walk in. Even in his dark suit with his slouch, when you know what you're looking for, he doesn't always blend in perfectly with crowds.. and this coffee shop wasn't exactly Times Square. But, she wasn't rushing, either. She watched him for a moment with amusement in her eyes as he adorably bumbled his way up to the line, still a midwestern boy so obviously out of his element.

And then Ivory's entering, starting a line /behind/ Clark, and it's time to stop spectating. Abandoning her search for the perfect touristy t-shirt for now, the redhead steps away from the rack of clothes and judges her purse a little farther behind her elbow.

Instead of trying to push into the line, she queues up just behind Ivory, looking at them rather than up at the suited man in front of them.

"I like your jacket," she comments amiably. Yes, it's New York, and people here don't talk to other people. It's just not done. But, Lois isn't exactly shy, either.

No, Clark doesn't get a greeting, yet, but she was /definitely/ obvious enough for him to spot, now, and she does flick her eyes up at him with a little smile.

'Superman has posed:
The line moves forward more as those in back get closer to the front. Clark will turn toward Ivory, he'll give a polite smile. He has no idea how to tell if something is fashonable. What he does know is, you shouldn't talk to strangers in NY. Even if you want to give them a compliment. So, he's pretty mum.

"Lois!" Clark says as if suddenlys eeing her out of nowhere. It isn't until after she speaks and he actually turns around. It dawns on Clark that Lois gave a compliment. "Hello. It is very nice," he says with a warm smile plastered to his face as he greet Ivory.

'Ivory has posed:
"Made it myself!" Ivory answers back to Lois. Sure, people don't talk to others in this moloch, but even less they answer. Like, they always never do but a grunt or nod or something. Right? Well, at least that is what the news wants you to believe.

Fashionable would require a definition of fashion that fits. For Ivory, their sense of fashion was specific. A nieche. Neither a distinct male, nor female set of clothes. Unisex. In between. And most certainly a rainbow colored pin on the lapel, now if one looked. A small rainbow colored ribbon.

"Oh, you know her? Please, order together..." Waaait... a stranger lets someone skip in line?! Was this really Manhatten Island, New York City, United States of America, Earth?!

'Lois Lane has posed:
"Really? It's cute. It's /way/ better than /anything/ back there..." Lois thumbs over her shoulder towards the rack of NYC apparel. "Do you ever sell any?" Said with the predatory glint of an interested buyer in her eyes, and a mischievous glint that Clark would recognize when she's following a lead.

But then there's the offer, and Lois's smile grows a bit in surprise. "That nice of you, thank you."

And... she does. She steps around Ivory and right up to Clark's front, her fingers rising up to his lapels as she stretches up onto her toes, smiling expectantly -- he knew what she wanted. She just wasn't tall enough to /take/ it.

"Clark," she muses, eyes warming. But, presuming she gets that kiss she's after, her attention does go back to Ivory, settling in next to Clark in line, but not having forgotten the lead she was following, either.

'Superman has posed:
"It really is. Have you ever thought about making them?" Clark sees the "lead look" in Lois's eyes. "Careful, you may get free publicity at this rate," he says as if warning the fahionista while keeping it very vague.

Lois moves to his front. She's straightening the coat. "I thought," pause. He thought it was fine, it probably wasn't. Leaning down to give that kiss. Soft, chaste, but it does linger for a few extra seconds to show it's not -so- chaste.

One person and another, Clark's at the front of the line. "Mocha for me. Extra whip?" he oders and then points to Lois. "Whatever the lady wants," pause and then he points at Ivory. "Her, too. They're with me," he says and even stands straight for a brief five seconds before sluch.

'Ivory has posed:
"Actually, that's what I do. I got a website, if you want. Mostly T-shirts." Ivory notes back to Lois on the question of selling, searching for a business card and offering it to Lois. Ivory Valentine, White Persian Cat, an embossed cat head shape and a link to the store.

Following along to the front of the row, Ivory looks over the shoulder as Clark says 'her too', checking if he means someone behind them, then the shop. "You mean me? Sorry, I don't quite do the whole he or she thing. Like, I might wear my girlpants at the moment, but please, it's they for me. But I take a white chocolate moccha, extra foamed milk and cat coffee art."

'Lois Lane has posed:
As self-conscious as he might be, Lois wasn't straightening straightening his lapel -- she was using it as leverage to get what she wanted. Kiss received, however, she /does/ straightening it back flat again from where hanging on to it had creased it a little.

That bit of doting done, though, the red-haired reporter does turn to take the card, smiling. "Thank you. I've been looking for something unique. This might be exactly what I'm after."

She was moving without really paying attention to the line as much as she was Ivory, but when Clark speaks up to order, her attention is drawn back to the counter.

"Black coffee," she orders, apparently more interested in Ivory's reaction to Clark's offer than she was focusing on making sure the barista got that super complicated order right.

"Noted," she says with a nod. She finally takes a longer look down at the card and then back up again. "Ivory, would you care to join us? We were just meeting for a quick coffee break. You're welcome to. I'd like to hear more about what got you so interested in cats and designing clothes around them."

And as if through some magnetic field, Lois seemed to move wherever Clark did, standing just next to him, in easy arm's reach, should he need to.. yank her out of the way of anything unexpectedly. You know. As one does.

"Thank you, by the way," she says, glancing up at him, that warm smile lingering on her lips.

'Superman has posed:
"They," Clark corrects. His way of saying "Noted," too. Dull blue eyes stare in wonder. He will take his drink, but the coffee art has his attention.

The man waits to see what it will look like. Clark doesn't notice that Lois moves with him, but he does notice the warm smile.

A blush runs through his face, "You umm. . .uhh. Welcome," he's not sure what Lois is thanking him for.

Clark will just wait for the duo to find a spot to sit. Then he will join the pair.

'Ivory has posed:
Offering a smile at the correction of Clark, Ivory nods and brushes their hair back. "Thanks for the coffee and courtesy. Hard enough these days." they say, checking out the places. Lois and Clark? Ivory does get what's going on between them, giving them both a tiny pointer towards a free table. Sweethearts got only eyes for each other, aye?

"So, in for something unique? Hmmm, if you were a cat, what would you be?" Ivory muses as the strange group finally settles, somehow managing to get a small pad of paper and a pen to the hands from seemingly nowhere. Or the hammerspace known as inside pockets.

'Lois Lane has posed:
"For the coffee." There's clear amusement in Lois's eyes at Clark's confused expression, and she touches his arm briefly. "Keep up, Kent."

There's a final wink, then, and she's moving with Ivory to the table they spotted. "Tell me about it. I spend most of my time in the worst of the worst of the situations. These normal, everyday moments, when I get to have them... I try to appreciate them."

All said as she's walking, and when she reaches the table, she takes a moment to settle in. Her purse is set on the floor just to the side and in front of her chair where she has clear sight of it, and her jacket is slipped off and draped over the back. Finally she sits, crossing her legs and pondering that question for a moment.

"Abyssinian."

And then there's a little tilt of her head that shifts her ginger hair a little against her cheek, a curious expression that seems genuinely interested in Ivory's reaction to that.

'Superman has posed:
Clark is about to sit down, when the words and wink come from Lois. "Got it. For the coffee," he says cathing up. Finally.

Sitting at the table, he's happy to be a fly on the wall. However, his phone goes off. "Excuse me," he says and rises up from his spot. Pressing a finger to the other ear to listen. Then he ends the call, "I've got a story lead. I got to go," Clark's hurried motions, Lois can tell it's not a story. "Ivory. Lois," he says to the pair and pauses and gives them a wave. Then the slouching man hurries off.

The coffee doors chime as he leaves.

'Ivory has posed:
"A Ginger would be a ginger, how classic. Hmmm, and your boy? Could be a tux, but I get Russian Blue vibes." Ivory muses, the pen hitting the paper to sketch out something simple. A little cat face, a craned head, then it becomes a rather demanding, regal feline posture. Blue sticky ink on paper turning art.

Then, Clark dashes off. "Looks like he's awfully busy, hm? Is he always like that?"

'Lois Lane has posed:
Lois's lips curl into a broader smile at the mention of the 'Russian Blue' vibes. She watches the sketching, too. "I like that," she agrees, happily settled into the seat for a moment.

But then Clark is coming over and she's looking up to him saying his goodbyes, a note of recognition and concern flickers across her features. Instead of doing anything more, she simply nods and watches him go, a bit of resigned wistfulness in her features.

"Constantly," she sighs, though there's a little smile on her lips.

"I'll go get the coffees."

Then she's rising, leaving her purse where it is, and walking back up to the front. They hand her the three cups, and she brings them all back over to set them on the table, Ivory's complete with cat art and Clark's with extra cream. Lois's was literally just black coffee.

"I'll keep it for now, in case he spontaneously reappears," she says once she's reclaiming her seat.

"So, what got you into this profession?" she asks, exactly like a professional journalist might, then takes a sip of her coffee.

'Ivory has posed:
"He's big, friendly and have you seen those shoulders? Quarterbacks would kill for them. And he doesn't have Maine Coon hugger or Norvegian Forest Cat loner vibes, so Russian Blue." Ivory notes with a chuckle as more pen streaks are added to the pad, forming a much larger cat but leaning down to do what the smaller one with distinct abyssinian shape was seeming to demand. Nose-to-Nose.

"Well, how does a 24 year old Genomorph ailuranthrop start a tiny internet label with androgynous clothes named after a cat breed at 18, manage to keep it alive and secure a tiny joint venture in the 2020 collection? Well, easy: there's precious little one can wear that is made specifically to not match either gender identity and I hit the nieche because I live there." Yep, the whole infodump comes in like one breath like it was a description of how the coffee is at the restaurant two blocks over.

"and you?"

'Lois Lane has posed:
"I've noticed.. once or twice." Lois mentions, smiling over the rim of her coffee cup. She takes another sip and then it lowers back in front of her, her posture relaxed and comfortable, though her eyes are constantly moving. And one of the places they're moving to is that sketch pad, watching the drawing come to life in front of her.

"Ivory, that's...." She seems genuinely taken by it. But then..

"Genomorph ailuranthrope?" Genetically engineered cat? "Oh." She keeps listening then, nodding along. "That's.. quite a life story. You must be very proud of everything you've accomplished." It's sincerity there in her eyes, from a woman that made it in a male-dominated profession to someone gender-neutral who started their own company.

"I'm an investigative journalist for the Daily Planet, though I do stories for the whole of Daily Bugle Communications, based on the need." Should she mention the two Pulitzer prizes? Probably not. She does take another sip of her coffee, though.

"That sketch is coming together beautifully."

'Ivory has posed:
"Quite a life story? Bet you! If you go to school and teachers are confused because during class after you stared school on the boy team you feel, screw it, it's time to join the girl club for the next lesson or vice versa... eh, I bet that's something nobody can relate to. But I learned where to kick a bully so it hurts, so it can't be too bad." Yep, genomorph not as in gene-modified but gender-changing.

"Just something you two inspired. The jackets are kind of a diary. Tell about people I met, you know? As for proud... well, I might have done better. I mean, I could have actually spent time and figured out that I could have studied magic like... years ago? Now I am at lighting candles on a good day."

Yep, it's a pair of cats nose-kissing on the pad. A big Russian Blue with closed eyes and amused smile, and an abyssinian with the whole smug look that they demanded it and got what they wanted.

'Lois Lane has posed:
Lois lifts her eyebrows a little as she listens to the story, though there's not much as far as smiles while it's being told. "I can't imagine what that must have been like for you," she says quietly. There's no joy to it, but there is something that teases at compassion without being overdone.

Her eyes are back on that pad, though, when it's brought up again. She smiles.

"We all make our choices along the way, but they make us who we are. You /should/ be proud of who you are. If you'd studied something else, you wouldn't have all of..." She gestures towards the pad and the jacket. ".. these. And besides. /I/ can't do magic. So you're a successful professional /and/ you can do magic, even if you think it's small. Seems like a win, to me."

A pause.

"Would you mind if I take a picture of it? Just for myself? And.. maybe Clark."

'Ivory has posed:
"Well, it got benefits." Ivory muses, showing off their fingertips to Lois before closing the hand a moment. Totally normal fingertips, yes? Then a flicker runs over their figure and the next time the fingertips are shown, they are distinclty cat-clawed, extending and retracting once. And with another flicker... that's gone again, only to be replaced by the hair flopping up. No, not hair, cat ears turning to Lois.

"If you want that jacket, I could get that done in a couple days... Let the embroidery machine do the patch and put it onto one for you. Or printed T-shirts. But in color and proper lines, not just a pen sketch. How 'bout that?"

'Lois Lane has posed:
Lois /does/ smile as she watches the transformations take place -- the changes subtle at first and then distinctly /not/ so subtle. Especially when the ears pop up out of the hair, and she seems even more impressed.

"/That/ is.. quite a talent." A pause, then. "You're full of surprises, Ivory."

Then there's the question of the picture and she nods, almost looking excited. "Actually, a jacket would be perfect. I'm usually a medium." She sets her coffee down for a moment so she can lean over into her slouchy purse and fish out a business card holder. Flipping it open, she pulls out one and hands it over. It has her full name, of course, as well as /all/ of her contact information.

"If you can send me a way to pay you, I'll make sure it happens. And you can send it there to the Daily Planet, or I can try to meet up with you again and get it from you personally. I'm in New York a lot."