It was weird being back in New York. The last time he was here, some unsavory things had happened to him. Luckily, the last he heard, there was no trace of Chrys anywhere in the city. Being as successful as he was, he made sure to hire the best investigator to ensure that the woman who had kidnapped, tortured, and tormented him had gone. With the report in hand that there was no trace of her, he breathed a steady, though cautious, sigh of relief. That was one hurdle down. Now he just had to break through the block on his muse.

Standing in the condo he was going to be renting for the next...however long he planned to be here...Akshay looked out the window and over the sprawling city. He wasn’t back in New York City just for the nostalgia, he was back with a purpose, he was on a mission to find his muse, something that will spark his pen and his director’s eye. After all, this city was what started his inspiration last time.

The incident was so traumatic for Akshay that she fled to Los Angeles. There he continued he comic series focusing on his comic (which he renamed Destructica) and creating tons of new stories. For as terrible as his time was, it allowed him to jump into worlds of his own creation, fleshing them out and penning stories the likes of which he never thought he could dream up. In doing so, his tales of adventure and high fantasy soon garnered him attention he never thought he would receive.

Then the film offer came. Then his stint writing the script for “Destructica” and after that, Hollywood wanted him. He worked on many other projects over the years, even being nudged into the director’s chair. Now Akshay was a complete and utter success -- but he was a success that was hitting a bit of a roadblock. His stories, his eye for the camera, it seemed as if the muse was leaving him. And nothing helped. Yoga, spiritual cleansings, wilderness retreats, complete and utterly isolation, deprivation tanks, none of it was doing anything to spark his muse. So he turned to the only place he could think of to try and reinvigorate it -- the last place he felt truly inspired -- New York.

How could he not find inspiration here? It was the mutant capital of the world! All the strange shit happens here! He remembered reading about the incident with the tear in spacetime and alternate people coming in from another dimension. Talk about some wild stuff! Yeah, he had to return to New York. If anyplace was going to stir his muse, it was here.

Leaving his lavish condo with the design furniture and framed comic book art on the walls, the once lanky and nerdish Akshay Malik left the confines of his temporary home and headed out to the elevator.

Formerly his attire consisted of jeans and comic book shirts. Now he was dressed in a nice suit of navy blue with a partially unbuttoned shirt of beige underneath. His formerly short-cut hair was now hunt a little longer and his upper lip was adorned with a thick mustache, while his chin disappeared beneath a beard. The image he presented was purposefully trendy messy, a flare of opulence now hung about his shoulders.

Stepping through the lobby and out through the gilded doors, Akshay slipped on his Gucci sunglasses. With that he turned on his heel and headed down the sidewalk. In L.A. he got used to having a driver ferry him around, or would drive himself. But, in New York, he vaguely remembered that he had to walk everywhere.

With his hands in his pockets, eyes hidden behind glasses, it didn’t take long for him to meld back into a New York state of mind. He smiled and nodded to a few that looked at him, everyone else he carefully avoided a lingering gaze (easy way to get mugged). A whistle caught his ear as he bent down to toss a few dollars into the tin cup of a sleeping homeless man. He turned around, not catching who whistled at him and instead just smirked to himself. He had always had his own brand of sex appeal but the Los Angeles / Hollywood lifestyle (meditation, exercise, and avocado toast) had certainly knocked his “Hotness” meter a couple of degrees.

It may have sounded arrogant but it certainly bolstered his self-esteem.

Turning back around, Akshay sighed as he breathed in the city. It was good to be home. So good, in fact, that as he sucked in another breath consisting of a strange mixture of spices and smoke, he didn’t notice when he collided with another body that rounded the exact corner he was beginning to turn into.

”OOPH!!” he gasped, thrown off his pace. he nearly fell over, planting his hand against the wall. Seeing another body, the person he walked into also falling over, he attempted to reach out to catch them.

A very tried, half out of it Greek had only just gotten off from a rather long 14 hour shift and was making her way toward one of her favorite hole-in-the-wall diners. After having tried to survive off of vending machine food for more than a day, she was ready for some real food in her belly and then a nice long nap before her next shift was due to start. With so many people out due to the flu sweeping through the city, and with an already busy ER seeing a boom in other Flu patients they were more than stretched thin. She'd worked longer shifts in the last few weeks than she was used to, and was definitely beginning to feel it. On the other hand, the Smarbucks located within the hospital was loving all of the extra business she was bringing their way.

She lifted her spiced pumpkin latte to her lips again, taking a sip and enjoying the warmth that traveled though her. Thought she has a light jacket on to protect her from the wind chill, she was still in her scrubs from work. The pant and shirt set were pretty and fashionable, but had literally zero ability to keep her warm. It didn't help that she had forgotten to wash the long sleeved shirt she normally wore underneath in colder months. Andrea huddled into herself as much as she could, eyes fixed on her phone screen as she scrolled though the latest police activity reports. She liked to keep herself updated on what she could expect to see on foot, as well as while on the job. It was always handy to know if you needed to expect a higher amount of stabbing victims than normal.

And, like so many other smart phone users, she was so engrossed in her phone she didn't think to look where she was going at all until she literally ran right into someone. "Ah!"

She rocked sideways, sent off kilter from the force. Her phone flew one way, her coffee the other. Unable to stop herself, she was prepared to fall as well until someone reached out to grab her. She was saved from a fall herself, gloved hand curling instinctively around the arm of whoever had reached for her. When she was stable again and had time to process what had happened. "Oh! I am SO sorry!" She floundered for a bit making sure her balance was back, before fixing her eyes on her poor victim. "It was all my fault, I wasn't watching where I was going at all! Are you alright?" Experience had her gaze bouncing around looking for obvious signs of trauma or injury, her coffee and phone forgotten on the sidewalk.

It all happened so fast. The second that Akshay walked around the corner, there was a collision and he felt himself momentarily knocked off his center of gravity. He had been so busy looking up at the passing buildings, reacquainting himself with his city that he wasn’t paying attention. That was what led to him crashing into an innocent bystander. So tragic.

Out of instinct and self-preservation, his arm reached out, catching himself on the wall. In doing so he watched in surprise as the woman he had bumped into also careened sideways. However it seemed that they both avoided an embarrassing fall and, instead, merely sacrificed what they held in their hands. Saddening, but far better than finding both themselves splayed out on the concrete.

As he steadied himself, brushing off his clothing, he looked over to see the woman was immediately rushing into panic mode. Nothing over the top but it certainly seemed as if she were more worried about what she could have possibly done to him and if he had suffered any real harm. He smiled and shook his head. He was going to reply that he was fine but he stopped when he noted the green skin and then the writhing of her hair.

”Oh, I’m fine,” he said softly. It was amusing that she thought she had caused him any harm. He towered over her, after all. But he said nothing of that and instead merely straightened up and smiled. ”Only thing damaged is my pride...maybe my phone…”

He leaned down and picked up his phone from the ground. Also her’s, which thankfully hadn’t flew too far off. After plucking them both up, he turned them in his hands, not really seeing any cracks of damage and handed her phone back to her with a gracious smile while slipping his own into his pocket.

”Doesn’t look bad at all,” he said, waiting for her to take her phone. ”But seriously, I’m okay. Just startled me more than anything,” he said with an embarrassed smile. ”Are you okay?” he asked with concern. ”I didn’t hurt you did I? He looked at the fallen coffeecup. ”Besides your caffeinated sacrifice, that is?”

Akshay watched the woman with interest. She was a mutant, clearly, but the nature of her mutation was unknown to him at first. The green skin and the moving hair, he wasn’t making any connections. Usually mutants always had some commonality with their powers, a connecting factor that allowed them to make sense. But whoever this woman was, it didn’t seem to follow any flow of reason.

Truly interesting. But he wasn’t going to stare at her like she was a lab experiment. Instead the smiling wordsmith merely waited for her reply, looking her over once more at a glance to ensure that she wasn’t hurt.

While she couldn't discern any visible injuries at least, her inner medical professional still refused to drop the subject. She didn't whip out the tiny flashlight that was still in one of her pockets to shine it in his eyes or anything, but she kept a close eye for any signs that he had bumped his head to hard or sprained anything. She knew from her work that a lot of people tended to ignore or wave off possible signs of injury until after the fact, and she certainly didn't want someone she had potentially injured ending up passed out on the sidewalk or worse when it kicked in eventually.

She inwardly rolled her eyes at herself, hearing the giggling voices of some of her co-workers tittering about her being a mother hen. "I'm glad you are OK." She said instead, a genuine smile replacing the look of concern that had settled on her face.

...Until he mentioned his phone. The look of absolute horror that flashed across her features may have gone unnoticed by the man as he kindly bent to retrieve both his phone and her's, but as swiftly as it had come it was gone. Both of the devices looked fine, her's was certainly no worse for wear... but she had been petrified for a moment there that he had one of those πphones everyone was into that were exorbitantly pricey and broke if you even breathed on it wrong.

She tucked her phone away with the barest of a glance. Sloth, the longest of her snakes poked his head up from behind her right shoulder to see what all of the ruckus was. The smaller snakes were still gently entwined within her hair, which she braided back for work. A slim pink tongue slipped out and flicked at the man from the confines of the soft suede muzzle wrapped around his head. "I am okay. Other than flailing about like a loon for a moment there, no bodily harm done." He pointed out her fallen coffee, which she turned to glance at. If she were your average city goer the sight of the toppled cup with its pumpkin guts spilled out and dribbling into the nearest gutter might have sent her into a fit. (as she had witnessed many, many times) Luckily she was the type to not place much importance on material things. They could be easily replaced in most cases.

"Ah, well it must not have been meant to be. Perhaps it would have given me food poisoning had I finished it? Let's chalk it up to you saving me from an unpleasant evening." She gestured vaguely down the street, where at least a dozen other coffee places surely existed. "Besides, there is still plenty of time time to get another."

Akshay was fine. He didn’t fall, he didn’t hit his head, nothing like that. The only malady he suffered was a slight scraping on the palm of his hand and his fallen cellphone. Both were minor inconveniences at most, and nothing that required the fear and apologies that the young woman was offering. Besides, if anyone could have gotten hurt, it was her. This was especially true given that her coffee had been sacrificed in the process.

But what was altogether more interesting was her appearance. Akshay wasn’t one to gawk. He had been in New York (and California) long enough to know not to stare. This was especially true for mutants. He had been fortunate enough to not suffer physical changes, but not everyone was as lucky as him. Some people faced ridicule, others faced fear, but from Akshay, they would only get respect and some slight interest in their story.

And a story was what he sought from this lovely young woman.

He smirked. “At least you didn’t topple,” he chuckled. “If a little ‘loon flailing’ is all it takes to prevent that, then loon away.”

Akshay loved to meet people. It was the reason he loved working in his comic shop. The number of people he got to meet everyday was amazing. And so many different kinds! It was probably that which made him unshockable in most cases when dealing with fellow mutants. However, the one thing he wasn’t prepared for was the beady eyes and the pink tongue of the snake that slithered out from her hair.

His head tilted. That was an interesting one. However he was shaken from admiration when the woman announced that her coffee was nothing to cry over her. With a gesture she pointed out that there were plenty of other coffee shops in the city.

He was about eighty-percent sure that she wasn’t hinting that he should purchase a new coffee for her, but really was only fair. With a smirk he turned to face the coffeeshop and gestured towards it.

“Say, that’s a great way to make up for my clumsiness,” he beamed innocently. “Please, let me assauge my guilt and purchase you another? Honestly, I could use a coffee myself. And seeing as I just arrived in town a few days ago, I could certainly use a kind person to show me the better coffee establishments in town.”

She chuckled along with him, anxiety easing a little due to his pleasant personality. It was always refreshing running into people (not literally) who had a good sense of humor.

She set about mentally preparing a good exit to the conversation so that they could both be on their ways. Maybe a lighthearted laugh, and then thanking him for being so understanding. They'd part with a wave and she'd head off to-

“Please, let me assuage my guilt and purchase you another? Honestly, I could use a coffee myself. And seeing as I just arrived in town a few days ago, I could certainly use a kind person to show me the better coffee establishments in town.”

"Eh?" She fidgeted a little, caught off guard by the kind offer. When had she last gone out for coffee with someone? Even her co-workers! "Oh! Um, sure that sounds fine." She scratched at one cheek with a gloved finger, suddenly very conscious about her well worn scrubs. To distract herself from getting worked up about something so innocent, she focused on the rest of what he had said as she turned and gestured for him to follow. "I know a great little place just down the road that I stop by often on my way to work."

He would have full view of the long, thick braid full of snakes wriggling around, and so would all of of the sleek black serpents have a better view of him. Tiny orange eyes all peered out at him from within her writhing black hair. "I'm Andrea, by the way. You can call me Andy if you'd like." She turned to smile at him, making sure to keep pace with him as best she could while also leading the way.

"So, how long have you been in New York?"

There was a small breath of relief. He was glad that she had agreed to a new coffee. Even though it was really neither of their faults (or both if you wanted to be cynical), he was happy to have the chance to make up for it. Besides, there was nothing sadder than seeing a lovely woman having lost her caffeinated beverage. Truly it was the bane of modern society and it was something he wouldn’t stand for.

She seemed to momentarily pause concerning the notion but agreed that they could go for coffee. At least she gave her name, Andy. Very nice. Locking that bit of information away in his head, he moved to her side as they moved down the sidewalk to the coffee place she now had in mind. He was up for anything, really.

”Lovely to meet you, Andy,” He repeated her name to commit it to memory. ”Akshay,” he said, gesturing to himself. His eyes quickly caught the little orange gazes he was getting from the woman’s hair and he had to smirk. Gorgon? Was her mutation really based after the fabled Gorgon from Greek mythology? Now that was certainly interesting.

He turned back to the conversation, now walking by her side, as she zeroed in on the fact that he was fresh into New York and was looking for some advice concerning his surroundings. He nodded as he moved his hands back into his pocket to stave off the chilly, Fall air.

”Only a few days,” he admitted. ”Used to live here when I was young but, oof,” he squinted in thought. ”Last time I was here was ten, eleven years ago?” he said with a soft smile. ”Used to run a comic shop before I moved out to California.”

Ah, One Comic to Rule Them All. He wondered if it was still standing. The person he sold to before leaving didn’t seem all that interested in keeping it a comic book store and instead muttered about it becoming a regular book store. He would have to wander by and check one day while he was here. But, until then, he shook his thoughts away and returned his attention to Andy.

”And you, Andy?” he asked. ”How long have you lived here?”

Akshay? Now she had a name to his face. She smiled over her shoulder at him. "Nice to meet you too." She listened, remembering to keep and eye on where she was going this time lest she run into someone else and their party start growing some more.

So, it had certainly been a while since he was last in the city. If that were the case he had missed... eh, a lot really. Andrea thought back to all that had happened within the city in the last ten years since she had come here and started to feel a bit sweaty. How would she explain all of that is asked?

Eh... maybe she'd juts gloss over a lot of it.

"Well, you've come at a good time I suppose. While the city is still pretty active things have certainly calmed down a lot." She hadn't been attacked by a rogue police bot in a while now, so definitely calmer. "I've never been to California." She wondered if the rest of states were just as hectic as New York... she had thought about leaving before, especially once he didn't really have any specific ties to the city anymore... but, well, New York had grown on her like a barnacle. It was hard trying to pry it off, so she left left it alone.

"What kind of comic books did you used to sell? I've never been in a store like that." She admitted with a chuckle, justifiably ashamed at the notion. Aside from the few fantasy books she liked to indulge in, she had never gotten into graphic novels of any sort. Hadn't appealed to her back then, and now she hardly had time to read anything other than her medical journals and paperwork.

"Oh, me?" She pressed a gloved finger to her lips as she silently counted. "I have been here for ten years now. As you probably have guessed by my accent I am not native, I moved here from Greece." She smiled again, pausing at the curb to let a car pass.

"Like so many others I got stuck here and now there are too many roots to try and move."

He smiled thinking about his old comic shop. He really used to love it. Sucked that he had to give it away. But with everything that happened with…her...he didn’t regret the decision either. He needed space between himself and the place that had offered him so much grief. And now, assured that she was gone and disappeared, he felt a little more at ease walking through the streets of New York. Not fully calm, but better...and enough to allow him enjoy a reunion with the city that he loved.

Staying at Andy’s side, Akshay made sure to pay careful attention to where they were going, hoping to avoid another run-in like they had just had. He gave her a bright grin at saying it was nice to meet him, and bowed his head in reply. He loved making new friends. Especially when they seemed as interesting as her.

As they walked she gave him the lay of the land. Essentially he had been away for quite some time and a lot had happened. That wasn’t surprising. It was New York City, chances are that if something strange were going to happen, it was going to happen here. What he wasn’t prepared for was the mention of bots. He had thought he heard something about that but figured it was little more than a robot or two planted for the sake of publicity. Seemingly he was wrong.

He remembered reading about the METAbots and their obvious defects, but a refusal to remove them from the streets. A few innocent people were attacked but luckily it seemed like it wasn’t anything too severe. Still, he knew people were just waiting for the day when that headline appeared.

But, that seemed to be a calmer situation, something he was thankful to hear.

He nodded. ”California is beautiful. Also a lot warmer,” he smirked. ”Wouldn’t believe how crowded the beaches can get during the summer time.”

Andy asked about his shop. What he used to sell, or what kind of comics at least. He was surprised by how many people didn’t know about comic books. The movies were all over the place, some of which he even worked on. “White Leopard”, “Captain Goldfish”, even “The Revengers: Homestretch”. Though he guessed he couldn’t blame them. Comic books had been around for a long time and only recently were exploding onto the scene with cutting edge movies that can capture the true feel of them.

”Oh the usual mainstream ones...B.C. comics...Visage comics...couple of indie ones...usually superhero, horror, and some literature based ones,” he shrugged his shoulders. ”It was a good living. I afforded me the chance to write and draw my own so I loved it.”

But he wanted to know more about her, about her time in New York. It seemed that they had just missed one another as she arrived here around the same time that he had left. That made him grin a bit as they came to a stop at the sidewalk, waiting for the light to change. Though originally from Greece, she came here and now has so much attachment to this place she hasn’t been able to leave.

”I can understand that. New York has a way of getting into you. You know originally I was born in Buffalo, but moved out here when I was 12. Been here ever since. Grew up on these streets. Loved it heartily.” He sighed deeply, his gaze turning to the towering buildings again, before returning to Andy. ”But seems if you aren’t here 24/7, you’re liable to miss a few things. So much has changed. Thank goodness I have a guide, right?”

She found herself absently wondering about a few things as he spoke, one of the most prevalent being the super hero comics and whether or not he had sold comics about her ex husband or not. She had seen a few pop up here or there, mainly some issues with him being a sidekick for the Blue Torch or something of that nature, but she had never actually read one of the stories. There was still too much untouched bagged attached to that particular subject. She did however hope a caricature of herself had never ended up in any issues of the little known publishers books. That would be super embarrassing!

"Ah, that sounds quite lovely. I have yet to really get into comics or superhero's myself, unfortunately... too many textbooks to read through first." She chuckled softly, gently pushing sloth back over her shoulder and off of the strap of her messenger bag. "What kind of stories did you come up with on your own if you don't mind me asking? I have never had much of an artistic flare myself, so it is always fascinating to me hearing what other people are capable of."

Her mind wandered a little, too focused on the topic of cartoons and heroes. Would the kids in NICU like some more of those books? She knew there were a few around from when local big names stopped by to visit and such, but maybe a few more would help ease the boredom of being cooped up in their beds? She filed the idea away for later and re-focused on the man she was giving an impromptu coffee tour to.

She flushed slightly at his good natured comment. Mostly because he had probably happened upon the worst guide in the whole city. "I suppose so, yes." She chuckled again. "while I can't pride myself on being too knowledgeable about the city, I do have- at the very least- a gasp on some of the best places to go."

Being deeply submerged within the volunteering community within her city, she knew off the top of her head at least a dozen or more places that were both open, welcoming, and run by good people. The coffee shop just down the street was a little off the beaten path, but run by a long standing family of immigrants who had settled in the city a decade ago. They welcomed anyone and everyone, and she particularly favored them due to a system they had in place that allowed other patrons to pay for a drink and food item ahead of time for the poor and homeless to come in and get something.

Little things like that simple delighted her and she was more likely to spend her money in that establishment. "Ah, there it is. See that sign down the block?" She pointed down the street at a little neon blue sigh hanging above a railing and set of stairs leading down. "Cup of Kopi. It can be a little crowded during the morning commute, but it should be fine now."

Down the block and one set of steep set of stairs later, she pushed an old, weathered door with a shuttered glass window open and stepped inside. The warm, exotic smell of coffee and spices hit her in the face like a familiar hug. She held the door open for Akshay and smiled.

"Andrea!" A slightly accented voice caught her attention and the Greek turned, smiling and waving at a woman around her age who was puttering about with a serving tray in her hands. "What are you doing here at this time? Shouldn't you have your nose in a book by now?"

Her whole face warmed as she blushed indignantly at the jab. "I do not always have my nose in a book, Annisa!"

The woman simply laughed and waved them in, before heading back to what she had been doing.

The Greek huffed, her hair and snakes puffing up slightly before calming back down. "We order from the counter and then they will bring it out to us. Would you prefer to sit or stand?"

The place was on the larger size for a coffee shop, mainly because they also serves an assortment of small meals and snacks with their drinks. There were cozy decorations scattered around with a flair for both New York city, as well as their homeland Indonesia. The two mixed together in a blend of culture. There were shelves on the walls with an assortment of different coffee makers; different distillers through the ages and from different cultures. The place wasn't packed by any means, but filled comfortably with people in all four corners. Some sat by themselves, others in groups. The gentle lull of chatter filled the air with the soft sounds of music from speakers cleverly hidden around the room.

He used to love his old comic shop. Truly it was heaven for him. It even allowed him the chance to craft his own piece, the title that would grant him his own acclaim in the superhero world. He would never be able to thank “Destructica” enough for opening the doors to life he was leading now and would always hold her in his deepest heart.

His gaze drifted to Andrea again, smirking when she mentioned that she didn’t read comics. That wasn’t an off-putting phrase for him. As a matter of fact, it was something that he had heard often enough. And it was understandable. Before the popularity boom a few years ago, most comics were just thought of as nerd fodder and nothing more. He couldn’t blame her.

”Textbooks are a great and worth use of time,” he smiled. ”But you should let me pick out a couple of comic titles for you. I bet I could make a comic lover out of you.” He then shrugged. ”You may not have heard of my creation,” he said. ”High fantasy, ‘Swords and Sandals’ like comic book called ‘Destructica’. Female barbarian warrior killing monsters. Fans seemed to like it.” Enough to earn him a movie deal -- or so it seaemed.

Really he couldn’t be more thankful for her help. He was away from New York for at least 10 years and already so much has changed. Though she was modest in his hope of her navigational skills, she did accept that she knew a few of the good places -- including the one they were going to now.

It didn’t take them long to get there. Akshay looked at the out of the way coffee shop and he smirked. Certainly there was a homey feeling about it, the kind that would draw in a cold, drenched wandering looking for a bit of hot, caffeinated salvation. It was the kind of place that Akshay would have called home in his younger days. These days he often relied on assistants or more mainstreamed locales because they were literally everywhere. But this place, it would be perfect for today.

”Cup of Kopi…” he parroted. He nodded in thanks to Andrea and stepped inside, though he did turn back around and hold the door open for her in return until she crossed the threshold. Once she was in he closed the door and turned back to face the interior.

Comfy. Warm. Home. That is what the inside felt like. He smiled a bit to himself and looked when one of the occupants inside immediately addressed like a doting, yet teasing, family member. He chuckled a little, his eyebrow lifting as he shifted his gaze to Andrea once again. Her blush didn’t escape him and he had to stifle a chuckle at the effect the woman’s words had on her. Seemed this was a common place for her.

With his nod of thanks to the employee, he turned back to his guide when she explained a little bit about how things worked and asked if he wanted to sit or stand. After a moment of thought, he nodded to the tables.

”I certainly wouldn’t mind a seat,” he beamed. ”If you are not in a rush, that is? I could use the company.”

Let him pick out a few comics for her, eh? She smiled, gentle and genuine. "I think I would like that Akshay. There's no time like the present, right?" It was so kind of him to offer such a thing! She pondered on it briefly, wondering if this was the beginning of a bright new friendship. It had been a while since she had forged any new friendships.

She scratched idly at her cheek while he explained his creation. It was still rather awkward being more or less blind to most new forms of media this day and age. Her co-workers were always chatting about the latest book and movie that had come out, or what so-n-so had done on the newest episode of whatever show was popular these days. It all went straight over her head for the most part. Andrea, due to her upbringing being fairly strict, was firmly rooted in the past. Not in a bad way, mind you... she just wanted to start with all the great classics first before moving onto what had been inspired all the new generations.

'Destructica' sounded familiar, though she wasn't sure why. Perhaps it was something someone in her social group had talked about at some point, and she had only half been listening. "I'll have to look it up when I get home later. I think I've heard it mentioned, but alas I am woefully lacking by not knowing it." She chuckled, slipping the strap of her bag over her head and off her shoulders, and slipping her thick braid from the loop. "I'm sure I will like it, though."

Andrea re-focused on the man as he spoke, before taking a quick peek at the slim watch on her wrist. Truthfully she should be at home this very minute fitting in as much sleep as she could, buuut... she knew she would end up reading for a few hours anyway before drifting off. Would anyone, including herself, every forgive her for wasting the time alone if she turned him down?

...nope. She'd never hear the end of it.

"I've got some time, so I certainly won't mind keeping you company. I am told I do not get out enough as it is." They'd head for the counter after that to order. He had said that he was buying her a new coffee, but she got wallet out as well. She ordered her usual; nothing exciting this time, just a white mocha. At the end of the transaction she bought two pre-ordered meals and drinks for someone else to use, as per her usual custom.

And then, it was time to find seats. She allowed him to choose seeing as he was buying and new to the shop. She'd follow along to sit, settling her bag down at her feet and slinking one foot through the strap as a safety measure. Once settled in, she returned her attention to Akshay.

"What brought you back to the city, if I may ask?"

He was going to have to pick out some choice titles for her to read. He wasn’t sure just what, yet, but that was what this conversation was for. As they chatted, he would learn a little more about her and manage to get some ideas of what kinds of comics she would like to read. Off the top of his head he could imagine she’d enjoy some of the more indie, literary graphic novels. But he wouldn’t make suggestions until he spoke with her more.

This was a happy accident, though. He hated that he ruined her coffee in such a slapstick manner, but at least he was making up for it now. Who could say no to free coffee? Especially in New York?

When it came to his own work, it wasn’t something that she would know. Destructica was his baby and the film that came out of that series was absolutely awesome, but it was for a very niche crowd. If she recognized the name, it was by a passing thought and little more than that. But that was of no offense to him. He was happy that anyone watched his movie or read his comics.

”Oh I’m sure you can find a copy in just about any book store,” he said with a genuine smile. ”Just check the Graphic Novel section. There’s a couple of collected volumes that are out. But, between you and me,” he whispered. ”I would go with the ‘Tales of Brightlands’. One of my favorite arcs.”

He really was proud of his work but he knew that it wasn’t for everyone. But he had been surprised before, by fans he never expected to have. Maybe Andrea would fight into that mold too? Guess he’ll have to wait and see; that is, if he ever saw her again.

But now was the time for sitting. She had agreed to keep him company. He really didn’t want to keep her from anything important but he wanted to get to know her a bit more. It wasn’t often he met a woman of her beauty, intelligence, and mutation; that certainly warranted more conversation. However he wasn’t going to keep her if she had other things to do. but once she agreed, he was ecstatic.

Ordering their meals ( he paid, as promised, even though he saw her remove her wallet out of the corner of his eye), they then slipped away to a nearby table where they could sit and enjoy the cozy space. She inquired what it was he was doing in New York again and he sighed with a small, sad smile.

”Oh, looking for inspiration, I guess,” he explained. ”Starting to run dry on some ideas and the last time I wrote really well, I was here. So…” he shrugged. ”...figured I would return and see what New York had to offer in the way of muse.” He smiled warmly towards her before taking a sip of his coffee. ”So far I seem to be on the right track.”

She fished her phone out for a moment to jot down the title he had recommenced in her notes. "I know a really great librarian that will help me track it down. Thank you for the recommendation, Akshay. I am sure it will spice up my usual reading list."

She fiddled with her cup in her hands. Since she had agreed to sit with him for a while, she had gotten hers in one of the cute little ceramic cups they sometimes served the coffee in. A warm smile settled on her features as she listened, while Sloth started trying to peek over one shoulder at Akshay.

"It is a great source of muse, I would say... very busy with so many things going on. The super hero community is still very active lately with all the drama that has been happening." If he had been referencing her as a source of muse, it had gone right over her head.

"Why, just a month ago or so that fellow that calls himself the Blue Flame...or something, he was at one of my hospitals to get an injury treated."

She wasn't sure if she could use 'muse' for her own work... but she was certainly never wanting for inspiration. Her cup always runneth over due to a never ending stream of people needing healed one way or another.

He beamed wide when Andrea pulled out her notepad to jot down the title that he had given her. In all fairness he didn’t think she would be that interested but he was glad that she was. He loved converting new fans, especially when he was there to witness it. There was still that fear that maybe she wouldn’t care for his work but, he would hope for the best.

”Good!” he grinned. ”Librarians are the absolute best resource.”

Would his comic be in a library? Maybe. Some of them were beginning to branch out their collections. If anything he could see a couple of his graphic novels in the New Book sections. That would be a trip, to walk into the New York Public Library and see his work on display. Why hadn’t he done it before?

He smirked, taking a sip of his coffee, then watched a bit of movement from the underside of Andrea’s hair. He tilted his head, watching as the beady, yellow eyes of a large snake peeked out to look at him. Again, he found this absolutely fascinating, to the point that he didn’t fully hear her comment about how inspiring New York could be. That was fine, however, he did already know that, hence his return.

He did snap back to attention when she mentioned The Blue Flame. He knew that hero name from forever ago. ”Really? The Blue Flame was in your hospital?” he asked in astonishment. ”Wow. I’m such a big fan, at least from what I’ve read. I’ve been following a few blogs,” he smirked.

He then watched her, smirking a little. Truly this wasn’t what he came out for today but it certainly seemed as if he found an interesting person. Andrea had an strange mutation but seemed like such a grounded individual. Her’s was a story he would love to hear more about.

”You must certainly live an interesting life,” he said. He then quickly clarified with an almost blushing smile. ”I mean from your job in the hospital,” he cleared his throat. ”You must have seen quite a few things. Especially in this city and everything that happens.”