LOG: Warren and Angelo

[x-highflying.livejournal.com]

Angelo and Warren have lunch, and discuss Angelo's plans for the future.

"I need to find out the age limits for running for office", Angelo announced casually, taking a bite of his pasta.

Warren choked a moment on the drink he was taking a sip of, though he covered it with a cough as he put down his glass.

"State or federal?" Warren asked just as casually, though his was far more forced than Angelo's.

"State, I guess." He gave his friend a quick look, not fooled, but let it go for now. "Gotta start somewhere."

"It's 18 in New York," Warren replied. "Chuck Schumer was 23 when he ran for the Assembly, and I think he was the youngest in awhile. And I think you've been a resident of Manhattan long enough to qualify." He took a long look at Angelo, then abandoned his pretense at casualness.

"If this is what you want, you know you'll have my full support. But -- you do realise how difficult it will be? The usual cutthroat nature of politics aside, you'll be running against public opinion the whole time. New York, as a general attitude, does not like mutants." Never mind the rest of the country.

"It won't be yet", Angelo told him more seriously. "I'll want to pass the bar first, then take some time getting known... I didn't really think the limit'd be that low, I figured it'd be at least 30. But that's the thing... after what happened, New York's never gonna learn to like mutants if we don't get out there an' show them we're not all Apocalypse."

"It's 30 for federal," Warren replied absently. "And yeah, you would definitely need to pass the bar first, build a reputation, at least in New York. You've already got the start of one working for Elpis, which will help if you want to go federal, but if you're starting locally, you'll have to win over New Yorkers." He looked thoughtful. "And if you ran for the 64th district in the Assembly, you'd be up against Silver, and I'm not sure you'd want to do that." He drummed his fingers on the table, his meal forgotten. "Maybe 74th. Kavanagh's only been in office six years. But he's also a pretty good guy." Warren blinked a moment, then smiled a little sheepishly. "Sorry. As you said, you've got plenty of time."

Angelo chuckled. "Guess who just got himself recruited as my campaign advisor when I get started. As for the rep, I've got plenty of friends in New York, but pretty community-based. Mexicans and mutants probably won't get me a majority... but I can work on that."

"And you've got the stigma of not being a native New Yorker working against you," Warren grinned. "But whatever I can do to help. I don't quite have the same sort of influence I had before I broke away from the family business and came out, but the Worthington name still has weight." He looked thoughtful. "I know you love working at Elpis, but it might be worth thinking about cutting your hours there and see what you can do in regards getting internships and whatnot in New York itself. City Hall, or with one of the courts."

Angelo nodded slowly. "I actually might. It's not like the early days, when I was actually out there on ground level, now I'm in meetings or pushing paper most of the time. I could train up someone else to do that."

Warren nodded. "If it's not want you want to do for the rest of your life, then it's worth doing. Don't get me wrong, Elpis is a great organization and I think it does a lot of great work. But it doesn't sound like it's where your career is heading."

"I'll always have some kind of tie to Elpis", he agreed. "And God knows I'll always be grateful to Nathan for giving me the start when I needed it, but I know what I'm good at now. I want to push that as far as it'll take me."

"Everyone has to get their start somewhere. And how far you've come will probably count for a lot in certain demographics." Warren grinned a little.

Angelo grinned back, unashamed. "Oh, trust me, I'll be making as much as I can of that. Also I figure if I don't try to hide... certain things... no one can make a huge scandal out of them."

"Admit to your past before anyone can hold it against you?" Warren's grin broadened. "At least the parts that are suitable for public consumption are attention-holding enough that they aren't likely to dig any further than that."

"Probably", he said cheerfully. "I might even win a few votes with it. Underprivileged kid from the bad side of LA makes good given the chance, people like stories like that."

"Exactly. And it'll probably help that your mother is here and such an active part of the community. You've become part of New York rather than just... living here."

"Made the best of it", he said wryly. "There never did seem a lot of point pretending like New York wasn't going to be home."

"I wouldn't put it like that to the press," Warren replied with a smirk. "It sounds far too much like you had no other option."

"True." He considered this. "Something along the lines of New York taking me in, then?"

"And you knew once you were, you'd never live anywhere else. That this was home." Warren grinned. "And so you brought what mattered to you most here to New York. Your mother, Alejandra."

"And this city's all about taking immigrants to its heart", he completed. "Me included."

"And you got all of your education here in New York's fine institutions," Warren continued. "And despite being an obvious mutant, which will win you points in District X, your powers aren't particularly dangerous, at least not obviously so, which will win you points with those who waver on the topic of mutants." Warren grinned. "But hey, we have plenty of time to plan your campaign. We've got to get you out of law school first."

"Nothing wrong with starting early." He ate another mouthful of pasta. "But you're right. I've got all the time in the world."