2013.08.30 - Two, Mysterious

No doubt it's hardly surprising Sinister spends a large portion of his time in Mutant Town. One could hardly find a more perfect breeding ground for the Mutant Geneticist. In fact, he's set up a little operation deep within the unimaginatively named section of Staten Island -- a free clinic. There, he's known as the unassuming Dr. Milton, a tall, gangly, and slightly pale man. Sinister's hardly bothered to hide his facial features, considering the last person to recognize him from his old life -- or his new life for that matter -- died nearly eighty years ago.

Today happens to be one of the days he's heading into his clinic personally, a fairly rare occurrence, one that only comes up when he needs to refresh his stock of genetic material. He follows a precise ritual, stop by the coffee cart, order a decaf latte, pick up a paper a block from the clinic, and then start work with a smile for Paula, his receptionist. At the moment, he's only made it to the coffee cart.

The philanthropist Loren Jupiter, "the richest man in the world", is well known for his humanitarian and philanthropic efforts. While he gets around, he's just one person. Meanwhile, his daughter -- it's a long story as to those circumstances -- Lilith has the power of teleportation and portals and many other handy things. She's in places when she needs to be. Right now, apparently, she needs to be at this coffee cart. And so, without actually walking up from anywhere, she just appears behind Sinister, as if she had simply come into existence then and there. With a smile on her face, she steps up beside him. "So what's good here? I hear good things."

Gangly Dr. Milton jumps as Lilith seems to appear out of thin air, and he quickly turns his eyes on her, then behind him, looking a little like he's about to bolt, before he offers a nervous smile to her and reaches out to hand the barista a ten. "O-oh. I suppose it would b-be a matter of t-tastes, Miss. I personally enjoy the d-decaf latte," 'Milton' stutters out, looking from her towards the man running the cart, clearly counting the change as it's pulled from the register. "B-but, I hear g-good things about the hot ch-chocolate."

"That sounds really good. I'd like a hot chocolate please." Lilith turns her gaze to the man behind the cart and pulls out a five when the drink is offered, waving after. "Keep the change. Thanks." As if it were a drink or an occasion to toast, she raises it to the doctor. "I'm Lilith," she explains, bringing the beverage to her lips and blowing on it, then taking a sip. "Mm. You're right, it is really tasty. Thank you for the suggestion."

"D-Doctor Milton, uh, but y-you can call me Nathaniel," 'Milton' replies, offering his hand and a slightly less nervous smile, "I'm glad you l-like it, Lilith." As he speaks, 'Milton' glances around the area and takes a sip of his latte, dark brown eyes lingering on the faces of the adults that pass by, "A-are you here alone, Lilith? That's awfully d-dangerous..."

"Nathaniel." Lilith lets the name linger on her tongue for a moment, as if she were savoring it as much as the cocoa. She takes his hand and gives it a little squeeze. Her eyes, that look so unabashedly into this man's she has only just met, are so clear and yet...they must have seen so much in her life, even so far. "I'm not afraid. I'm actually here to meet you. My father is Loren Jupiter, and we've needed to be more active in this district...it's a concentration of so many young people with such great powers. So many people in general. And if you know us, we like to help people. I've heard you do too."

'Milton' blinks at the revelation of Lilith's parentage, and mumbles off some stuttering apology as he straightens out his tweed jacket. "O-oh, I'm -- Well, y-yes, I d-do, but... I mean, that i-is to s-say... I'm just a doctor. One doctor with a clinic, y-yes, but... How many c-clinics has your family o-opened? T-too many to count, s-surely." Finally, he s-stops to take a breath, and presents Lilith with his most assured smile yet -- a wavering, somewhat pathetic affair -- as he tries very desperately to avoid her eyes. "P-perhaps we should go b-back to my office. It's just around the corner."

Lilith shakes her head, still wearing that pleasant, and apparently genuine, smile. "The way I look at it, it takes more courage and strength to open a clinic when you don't have the resources that my father does. And that's how he sees it too." Another sip of her cocoa, and her own smile widens with Milton's. "Oh, sure. Thank you, that would be great! I was hoping to see it..." So apparently, though she came here to meet Milton, she was expecting to meet him at the cart and not at his office. But she lets him lead the way and matches his pace, even in those chunk-heeled go-go boots. "So do you have any sort of superhuman ability? I apologize if that's a little personal."

As 'Milton' walks, he coughs on his latte and glances towards Lilith, raising an eyebrow. "Wh-why would I h-have a superhuman ability?" Just as he asks his question, a mutant looking like he was sculpted roughly from granite walks by them and 'Milton' seems to suddenly understand. "Oh... Well actually y-yes, I do," he taps his forehead and shrugs, "I-I'm a little telepathic and telekinetic. N-nothing special, I c-can barely... Well here." 'Milton' extends his coffee out in front of him slowing his pace a bit as he screws up his face in concentration, exerting an enormous amount of effort for seemingly no effect. At least until the cup levitates about a centimeter out of his hand, wavers, and then drops. He manages to catch it, but it splashes out of the lid and onto his hand a bit. "Owowow," he murmurs as he lifts the affected area to his lips to suck off the hot liquid, talking around the base of his thumb as he does so. "See? Not that g-great."

Lilith patiently watches, but she hurries to step closer as the poor man burns himself. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to make you burn yourself. I only asked because...well...you have some impressive psychic blocks. Usually the way I explain telepathy to people is that most people broadcast their surface thoughts like a television signal. But you don't. You must be a very disciplined person." And maybe a lot more than meets the eye. "I'm not that good with telekinesis either. But then, I never really had occasion to be."

Something changes in 'Milton' as he glances towards Lilith, something in his eyes, and just briefly, in the way he holds himself -- something almost arrogantly sure of himself, and more than a little interested in her -- but then it's gone as soon as it arrived. "O-oh, really? I-I never realized they w-were so good. I had to learn t-to protect myself f-from the telepaths I help w-who try to d-dig the answers out of m-my head when they d-don't like my diagnosis. Hurt the f-first few times." Once they round the corner, the clinic comes into view, a line of people straight out the door. "O-oh dear. Looks like a busy d-day. We m-may have to keep this short."

"That's all right." Lilith tilts her head slightly. Nothing escapes her, but she isn't about to pass judgement just yet. "Here." Reaching into her pocket again, she pulls out a card with a number and an email address. "You can contact me anytime. If I'm not available, just leave a message. It was my pleasure to meet you today, Nathaniel...I hope the next time will come as soon as I think it will." With a little wiggle of her fingers, there's a swirl in what seems like reality itself, like a little spout draining out the last of the bathwater, and after that instant she's completely gone. The scent of cocoa means she surely was more than just a dream or an illusion, certainly not just a projection of will, but actually there. And given time, intends to be there again. Someday soon.