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xp_logsScott and Jean-Paul catch up over beer at Harry's.
Harry's Hideaway was as busy as usual, filled with locals relaxing, or just hiding from the stress of their everyday lives. The voice of Elvis singing Hound Dog emanated from the jukebox, carrying above the background conversations to fill the bar with a pleasent buzz of sound.
Scott turned away from the bar carrying a pint of beer in each hand, narrowly avoiding a collision with another patron. Scott hopped to the side desperately trying not to spill the beer, "Where's that Canadian got to" he grumbled to himself as he glanced around the room.
"To save us a table, ingrate," Jean-Paul replied, reaching over from the spot he'd found so he could take his beer from Scott. "Where did you think I would go? It is not as though there are so many places to hide here." The Quebecois gestured around them with his free hand even as he raised his pint to take a sip.
Scott grinned apologetically at Jean-Paul, "Sorry, it's alot more crowded in here than I remember". He sat down in the chair opposite Jean-Paul and raised his beer, "Here's to old friends".
Jean-Paul tipped his glass toward the younger man. "And so - how have you enjoyed your time back so far?"
"It's nice to know that people still remember me, although it's been pretty hectic" Scott replied. "So many people to meet, or catch up with" he nodded at Jean-Paul, "mostly I'm just trying to stay above water till I figure out all the changes. And of course I've got to get my babies in working order again. It's nice to get away from it all with a friendly face".
"Change is inevitable," Jean-Paul said, nodding. "I was not gone for so long as you and yet, when I returned, everything was different. Again." Settling back in his chair, he glanced out over the other patrons in the bar, then turned his eyes back toward Scott. "How is Jean?"
"She's ok," Scott replied. "I am a little concerned about her to be honest. She seems really over-stressed at the moment, she didn't even sense me when I surprised her in our suite." Scott took a pensive sip from his beer. "I think she's just tired and over worked at the moment. I knew she was busy but I never expected it to be this bad."
"Mm..." Jean-Paul mulled that over for a few moments, letting the relative silence at their table linger as he took a longer pull from his pint. "It is not so easy, being alone. I think, even though she has friends here, it was not the same as having you. And so you returning - it will be good for her." He nodded, then shrugged. "She has not had so easy a time of it, oui? I was not here for most things - I was away, in Denmark. But I have heard that things were difficult."
Scott leaned back in his chair staring morosely at his beer, "Seems like it's been pretty bad" he agreed. "I just wish she'd told me how bad things were, I could have done something, come back earlier. Still I'm back now, let's hope you're right and she can let off some of the weight". He glanced over and Jean-Paul and smiled. "And what about you? Sounds like you've had your share of adventures since you've been back. How're you holding up my friend?"
"Well enough," Jean-Paul said, setting his pint on the table and tapping his fingertips against the sides. How was he holding up? Worried about his friends, not sleeping because the possibility of having a nightmare made it nearly impossible... "The job in Denmark, it was... a job. And working at X-Factor, this gives me something to do. I enjoy the cases, helping people when I can. I am glad I am home, though."
Scott quirked an eyebrow at Jean-Paul, "I'm glad your home too, but it sounds like you haven't had the best time either" he replied sadly. Taking another sip from his drink he sat up straight, "Do you want to talk about it?" he asked, worry clearly visible on his face.
Jean-Paul suppressed a snort. "Non, things could have been much worse for me, I think. I missed all of the bad things that have happened in the last few months because I was not here." The Quebecois tapped his fingertips against the sides of his glass again, then picked it up and took another long drink. "The attack on the school, Vanessa being abducted and then found again..." He shook his head. "Oui, but I am here now. And so I think I will be staying, if only to make sure I am available to help should something else happen."
"Ah, an optimist I see" Scott deadpanned. "It does sound like it's been a bad couple of months all around, " he continued, "It'll be good to have you around the mansion though, with the attack and the Vanessa thing, people are gonna need a friendly face to turn to." he nodded at Jean-Paul. "I guess we don't need to worry about your commute to District X, or are you coming back to join the X-men?" he asked hopefully.
"I did say 'should' something else happen, which does not mean that I think it will, only that there is the possibility for it, oui?" Jean-Paul didn't bother to suppress the snort that escaped him at the question of whether he was returning to the X-Men. "And no, mon ami. I do not plan to return to the team. I am working with X-Factor, as I said. It is a good job, more suited to my talents and inclinations - also, they do not make me wear the ridiculous suit that the X-Men always did." Raising a hand, Jean-Paul pointed at the end of Scott's nose and said, "Also, I am living in District X now, and so it is a commute to the mansion, not the other way around. Not that this takes very long, of course. It is an easy flight."
"Knowing our luck, something is bound to happen sooner or later." Scott responded. "And the suits" he grinned at Jean-Paul,"they have their benefits. Still you're living in New York and you couldn't find a better barber" Scott teased waving a hand at Jean-Paul, "you look, what's the word, fuzzy".
Raising one hand, Jean-Paul rubbed his palm over his close-cropped hair and fought the urge to roll his eyes. "I like it this way. It is more... aerodynamic, oui?" Everyone always commented on the hair. It wasn't that big a change. Still it had been over two years since he'd last seen Scott, which he supposed meant there was room for the teasing.
"Aerodynamic, why not just go bald?" Scott joked. "It suits you, makes you look tougher" Scott smiled at Jean-Paul as he looked around the room. He turned back to face Jean-Paul with an evil twinkle in his eye "So Mr Beaubier, up for a challenge?".
"Because I need to look tougher," Jean-Paul said, rolling his eyes a little. He followed the direction of Scott's glance and quirked an eyebrow. "I can beat you at the pool table any day of the week, Summers. Any day."
Scott smirked, "Only in your dreams Jean-Paul". He drained the last of his beer and stood up heading for the pool table.
Jean-Paul shook his head, downed the rest of his pint, and stood. It took him a moment to return the glasses to Harry at the bar and then he followed Scott to the pool tables. This was going to be an interesting evening.
Harry's Hideaway was as busy as usual, filled with locals relaxing, or just hiding from the stress of their everyday lives. The voice of Elvis singing Hound Dog emanated from the jukebox, carrying above the background conversations to fill the bar with a pleasent buzz of sound.
Scott turned away from the bar carrying a pint of beer in each hand, narrowly avoiding a collision with another patron. Scott hopped to the side desperately trying not to spill the beer, "Where's that Canadian got to" he grumbled to himself as he glanced around the room.
"To save us a table, ingrate," Jean-Paul replied, reaching over from the spot he'd found so he could take his beer from Scott. "Where did you think I would go? It is not as though there are so many places to hide here." The Quebecois gestured around them with his free hand even as he raised his pint to take a sip.
Scott grinned apologetically at Jean-Paul, "Sorry, it's alot more crowded in here than I remember". He sat down in the chair opposite Jean-Paul and raised his beer, "Here's to old friends".
Jean-Paul tipped his glass toward the younger man. "And so - how have you enjoyed your time back so far?"
"It's nice to know that people still remember me, although it's been pretty hectic" Scott replied. "So many people to meet, or catch up with" he nodded at Jean-Paul, "mostly I'm just trying to stay above water till I figure out all the changes. And of course I've got to get my babies in working order again. It's nice to get away from it all with a friendly face".
"Change is inevitable," Jean-Paul said, nodding. "I was not gone for so long as you and yet, when I returned, everything was different. Again." Settling back in his chair, he glanced out over the other patrons in the bar, then turned his eyes back toward Scott. "How is Jean?"
"She's ok," Scott replied. "I am a little concerned about her to be honest. She seems really over-stressed at the moment, she didn't even sense me when I surprised her in our suite." Scott took a pensive sip from his beer. "I think she's just tired and over worked at the moment. I knew she was busy but I never expected it to be this bad."
"Mm..." Jean-Paul mulled that over for a few moments, letting the relative silence at their table linger as he took a longer pull from his pint. "It is not so easy, being alone. I think, even though she has friends here, it was not the same as having you. And so you returning - it will be good for her." He nodded, then shrugged. "She has not had so easy a time of it, oui? I was not here for most things - I was away, in Denmark. But I have heard that things were difficult."
Scott leaned back in his chair staring morosely at his beer, "Seems like it's been pretty bad" he agreed. "I just wish she'd told me how bad things were, I could have done something, come back earlier. Still I'm back now, let's hope you're right and she can let off some of the weight". He glanced over and Jean-Paul and smiled. "And what about you? Sounds like you've had your share of adventures since you've been back. How're you holding up my friend?"
"Well enough," Jean-Paul said, setting his pint on the table and tapping his fingertips against the sides. How was he holding up? Worried about his friends, not sleeping because the possibility of having a nightmare made it nearly impossible... "The job in Denmark, it was... a job. And working at X-Factor, this gives me something to do. I enjoy the cases, helping people when I can. I am glad I am home, though."
Scott quirked an eyebrow at Jean-Paul, "I'm glad your home too, but it sounds like you haven't had the best time either" he replied sadly. Taking another sip from his drink he sat up straight, "Do you want to talk about it?" he asked, worry clearly visible on his face.
Jean-Paul suppressed a snort. "Non, things could have been much worse for me, I think. I missed all of the bad things that have happened in the last few months because I was not here." The Quebecois tapped his fingertips against the sides of his glass again, then picked it up and took another long drink. "The attack on the school, Vanessa being abducted and then found again..." He shook his head. "Oui, but I am here now. And so I think I will be staying, if only to make sure I am available to help should something else happen."
"Ah, an optimist I see" Scott deadpanned. "It does sound like it's been a bad couple of months all around, " he continued, "It'll be good to have you around the mansion though, with the attack and the Vanessa thing, people are gonna need a friendly face to turn to." he nodded at Jean-Paul. "I guess we don't need to worry about your commute to District X, or are you coming back to join the X-men?" he asked hopefully.
"I did say 'should' something else happen, which does not mean that I think it will, only that there is the possibility for it, oui?" Jean-Paul didn't bother to suppress the snort that escaped him at the question of whether he was returning to the X-Men. "And no, mon ami. I do not plan to return to the team. I am working with X-Factor, as I said. It is a good job, more suited to my talents and inclinations - also, they do not make me wear the ridiculous suit that the X-Men always did." Raising a hand, Jean-Paul pointed at the end of Scott's nose and said, "Also, I am living in District X now, and so it is a commute to the mansion, not the other way around. Not that this takes very long, of course. It is an easy flight."
"Knowing our luck, something is bound to happen sooner or later." Scott responded. "And the suits" he grinned at Jean-Paul,"they have their benefits. Still you're living in New York and you couldn't find a better barber" Scott teased waving a hand at Jean-Paul, "you look, what's the word, fuzzy".
Raising one hand, Jean-Paul rubbed his palm over his close-cropped hair and fought the urge to roll his eyes. "I like it this way. It is more... aerodynamic, oui?" Everyone always commented on the hair. It wasn't that big a change. Still it had been over two years since he'd last seen Scott, which he supposed meant there was room for the teasing.
"Aerodynamic, why not just go bald?" Scott joked. "It suits you, makes you look tougher" Scott smiled at Jean-Paul as he looked around the room. He turned back to face Jean-Paul with an evil twinkle in his eye "So Mr Beaubier, up for a challenge?".
"Because I need to look tougher," Jean-Paul said, rolling his eyes a little. He followed the direction of Scott's glance and quirked an eyebrow. "I can beat you at the pool table any day of the week, Summers. Any day."
Scott smirked, "Only in your dreams Jean-Paul". He drained the last of his beer and stood up heading for the pool table.
Jean-Paul shook his head, downed the rest of his pint, and stood. It took him a moment to return the glasses to Harry at the bar and then he followed Scott to the pool tables. This was going to be an interesting evening.
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