Reeve Harroway

“Is that what they’re calling me these days?” Cameron asked, a slight smile playing on his lips. “I’ve been called worse.” 

A long time ago, Cameron would have bristled at the fact that he was well known around the city. If someone would have told him there would be a time that a stranger would have known him by sight he would have laughed at the idea. Of course, times changed. When he and Scarlett began discussing the revolution and changing the status quo, he had made the choice to become the face of the fight, which meant being open and public, something that had taken him a long time to get used to. “I guess you could say that I’m the revolution guy, though it’s not just me voicing for change.” Extending his hand, he nodded at the man behind the lap top. “Cameron Clark.” Though the stranger didn’t seem openly hostile, Cameron never knew if someone was for or against the revolution, and at the moment, he wasn’t really focused on that. He did take breaks from the fight and have interest in other things. “So, I can assume your the graphic designer guy? I didn’t know we had one around town. It’s good to know.” And something Lexi could be interested in. They had been talking about making some posters, giving a visual to the revolution.

“That’s what I call you. I don’t know about everyone else. I don’t really pay too much attention.” He said and chuckled. 

Reeve was sure he had made things a little awkward for the man by recognizing him, but it wasn’t like Reeve actually knew too much about him. He had heard of him in passing and recognized him from the little time he spent on any news sites or passing newsstands. Of course, his previous conversation with Lexi had put a name in his head, but Reeve was still just trying to remain as aloof as possible. He did’t feel like letting on that he knew him too well. 

He reached out and shook the mans hand, “Reeve Harroway. I know, there’s a bunch of you. I’ve talked to Lexi before, too, she’s mentioned you.” He nodded as he spoke and let go of his hand, folding his arms back across his chest. “I would be that graphic designer guy, yes.” He said and chuckled. “I talked to Lexi about doing some work for you guys.” He felt like mentioning it now that he was standing there with the one person he was told he wouldn’t have to deal with too much, but the guy seemed nice enough. Reeve was the one who brought up any revolution talk by recognizing him.

“I think she still needs to run it by you and a few other people, I’m not very involved in all this stuff if you couldn’t tell.” Otherwise he probably wouldn’t have to have addressed him like he did.

Reeve Harroway. No she did not recognize the name, but the man seemed kind enough to put Seema at ease. 

“Ah,” she said with a warm smile, “Perhaps that is why I do not know you. It must be hard to be remain unseen with such talent.” The brunette gestured once again to the image on his computer screen. “Unless you wish to remain unseen.” As he asked her to sit down, Seema nodded. She wasn’t opposed to meeting new people, especially since she planned on making Hestia her home. Though she could be quite shy, she had never been afraid of speaking to strangers, as she had a theory that strangers were simply friends she had yet to make. Taking a sit across from him, she sat her coffee down. “So you have lived here all your life? It must be nice. I have just recently moved here, though I attended the school for a year. Do you like it? The town?”

“Oh, I don’t know about that, I’m pretty good at remaining unseen by people. Years and years of mastering it. Because I do prefer to remain unseen. It’s kind of my thing.” He said with a chuckle. He was so good at it, but there he was sitting there having coffee with her. A stranger. Not that it mattered it would probably remain that way. 

She was pretty inoffensive though. She didn’t come off as someone who was going to pry too much.

He pushed his laptop to the side so he could focus more on their conversation now that he had gotten himself into one. “Yeah, I’ve been here my entire life. I really enjoy it for the most part. It’s my hometown, I guess there’s nowhere else that I really want to be.” It was also easier to be a mutant in a city full of mutants. Though Reeve could probably get away with living outside the town fairly easily with no one knowing he was a mutant. He just preferred to stay.

“What about you? Do you like it here? I mean you must to some extent, but I suppose it could turn out differently than you expect.” He shrugged, he wasn’t sure. Things almost always turned out a little differently than people planned.

Cameron could see that the man was uncomfortable, either due to the fact he was speaking to a politician or because his space had been invaded when Cameron had taken a momentary interest in his work. Truthfully the brunette assumed it was a bit of both. Though there were many people in Hestia who liked Cameron and his stance when it came to politics, there were just as many who thought that he was creating trouble that could be avoided. 

“It looks good,” Cameron said with a nod of his head. He had always been interested in graphic design, and back when he was younger he thought it was a path that he might follow himself. Of course, things were much different now. “I figured you were something of the sort. Obviously not an amateur. It’s also obvious you’ve put a lot of work in it, a lot of passion. People seem to write off graphic design as not a relative art form, but I disagree. It’s just as creative and as captivating as an artist using a paint brush.”

“Thanks.” Reeve said, still a little uncomfortable even with the man’s attempts to make conversation, but he wasn’t going to be unfriendly to him. Reeve was just feeling like his normal awkward self. Awkward wasn’t the bed word to describe him, but it made sense with how he knew he could come off to people. It was the struggle of being the quiet, solitary type. 

He nodded, “Yeah, people tend to write it off. They don’t realize all the work that we do. More stuff is designed this way than people really think about. Shit, the look of your phone probably started out like this.” Everything had a design of course which was why it seemed to go as unnoticed as it did.

Reeve chewed at his bottom lip as he looked down at the computer and he pushed it aside to grab his coffee and sip it, “So, um,” He paused, not really sure of what he should say now. That was always his struggle, figuring out what to say next in the event of an awkward silence like had fallen over them. 

“You’re that revolution guy, right?” He finally just asked.

“Yeah, I get it. Although… you get used to the looks to be honest” She said with a small fainted laugh. Scarlett got used to the stares and the whispers back in high school and even after that and especially after her recent attack; people didn’t stop staring at her as if she were some type of weirdo and perhaps she was. She looked back at the painting as the guy asked if they bought all the paintings they showed and she couldn’t help but smile a little bit at herself before shaking her head, “Actually no. I mean, I’m always up for showing locals or other artists’ work here but most of these are mine… I paint” she said softly.

Once she heard the man said that he was interest in showing his work at her gallery, she smiled a little bit more, “Actually, yeah. I would like that; I mean I can see you are very talented. I would like to see more of your work or the pieces you want to show here… We can start whenever you want” She said as she took another step closer to the stranger.

“I’m Scarlett… Scarlett Maximoff” She said as she reached out her hand to introduce herself.

“That you do.” He said, knowing full well how it was to be stared at. It was just different when you were being stared at by the dead. He could almost always feel eyes on him. There was just something different about it coming from a living person or other beings that made him more hyperaware of it. He looked up at the painting again when she said she painted, “Oh, nice. You’re very good.” Reeve wasn’t always up for complimenting people, but it came naturally when he meant it at least. “How long have you been painting for?” He asked, genuinely curious about her now that he discovered they had something in common to some extent.

“Oh, thanks! Yeah, I guess I’m not too bad. I’d like to feature some of my stuff if you’d let me. I can show you some of what I’ve done.” He said and motioned for her to sit in front of him as he pulled up a folder of his work. He turned the computer towards her. “There’s some photography in there as well. Just go ahead and flip through it all.” He said and smiled a bit. 

“Nice to meet you. I’m Reeve Harroway.” He said and took her hand, shaking it. 

A ghost. Declan practically had to pinch himself to keep from snickering at the joke. If Declan had seen a ghost, he probably wouldn’t have responded in such a visceral way. He had gotten so used to ghosts at that point that sometimes he’d just sit in his office at Atlas and just gossip with a couple of them that refused to cross over. Declan had come to accept that some ghosts were perfectly happy living on this earth just watching people. He could never understand them, but who was he to judge. 

Again, disappointment filled Declan has he once again saw that face that he saw on others. No longer was he his own man, but he was the face of a movement that he honestly wished didn’t have to exist. He missed being unrecognizable. He missed not having to be perfect all the time in fear of someone thinking that his actions were also the actions of the movement. 

Declan missed his solitude. 

He shook his head before laughing a little, “I’m sorry. Your umm… art reminded me of someone I care dearly about, and it was a little… ummm… jarring. The work is good though. I didn’t intend to interrupt you. I apologize.I’m sure you were busy.” 

“Oh.” Reeve said and looked at the laptop to see what he was working on, as if he hadn’t just been staring at it intensely working on it. “Sorry it was so jarring, definitely had to be weird.” He said and chuckled awkwardly. He was sure it had to be weird to see and now he felt weird knowing there was someone who apparently looked so similar to his art. 

He switched his tabs and looked back up at the man from where he sat and shrugged. “Busy, yeah, but it’s nothing important. Art for the sake of doing it. I’m not working on anything in particular.” He wasn’t sure why he was giving him so much information on what he was doing, but the guy seemed to just stand there. 

He couldn’t exactly put his finger on why he recognized him so much. He knew it had to be from in passing at the very least. It wasn’t like Hestia was the biggest town and that Reeve was completely oblivious to everyone around him. He had some ideas of people in town. This guy he was almost sure he had seen on the news though, but he couldn’t be too sure. However, he didn’t want to make the guy feel too weird about it though so he didn’t bring it up. 

“Sorry, again.” He said and chuckled a bit.

“Nice to meet you too.” Esmeralda murmured nervously. She hated how anxious she got around new people. One would think that she’d be used to it as a psychiatrist, but there was a huge difference between meeting people on the street and in the office. When she was in the office she had the power in the conversation. When she was on the street she had no idea either way.

She tried to remind herself that she was stronger and smarter than she was when she was younger. She could handle this conversation. It wasn’t like he was asking deep questions. She pulled back her hand before tucking them into her pockets as she thought about the appropriate answer. She had many homes, and she had been many places. “I’m originally from Georgia. I was here for four years while I was at Atlas, and then moved to New Haven, Connecticut for college. I’ve only been back a couple of months.” She was sure that he didn’t care either way where she came from, but at least if he was going to recognize her from somewhere he’d know from where. Though, she sure hoped he wouldn’t remember her from Toccoa or the news.

“You from here originally?”

Reeve picked up on how nervous she was and it made him wonder how to really respond to her. Sometimes the nervousness of others could make him nervous as well. It was his natural lack of ability to be good with people. He just wasn’t. He didn’t always know how to talk to them or keep a conversation going. He would just hope for them to keep it going if they actually wanted to talk to him. Though he usually hoped that they wouldn’t.

He was sure now that he didn’t know her. Even if she had lived here for a few years before. He knew he didn’t recognize her. “Yeah, pretty sure we haven’t met before then. I was born and raised here.” He said and smiled at her a bit. Though he couldn’t get over the feeling she was vaguely familiar he didn’t press it. Based on what she said it was possible he had just seen her in passing before this and he was more than content to leave it there. 

He pushed his laptop aside and looked up at her from where he sat, “Sorry I don’t know you. I tend to try and fly under the radar usually.” He said and chuckled nervously. He wasn’t sure why he was apologizing for that, maybe some attempt to make her feel more at ease with him now that she was there and had gotten caught staring. He knew that wasn’t the most comfortable situation to get caught in.

“I’ll get one to you as soon as I can talk to a lawyer to get one made. I don’t quite know how to make a contract specifically for this, but I’ll have it to you within two weeks. Though, I will need your contact information.” Lexi took out one of her cards and placed it near him on the table. “You can email, text, or call me any time. I have been known to have great customer service.” Lexi playfully winked as she slid the card under the corner of his lap top. 

She honestly didn’t quite know what she wanted from the symbol. She hadn’t even talked to Cameron about it yet. Though, she knew anything that she chose he’d probably like. She was tasteful most of the time. Plus, he had grown to trust her. 

She bit her lip before shrugging as she realized she was in far too deep. “I feel like maybe you should send me some of your published work, so I can show it to Mr. Clark first. I must make sure that he is happy with you too. I also would like to get his opinion on a graphic first. He’s the face of all of this, and I’d like to have his say first. I just wanted to get the ball rolling. I’m sure it won’t be a problem though. We would like a graphic designer that is a…. mmmm I just realized that. You are a mutant right? You’re not a human?” 

“A lawyer should know what to do.” He said and reached into his laptop bag for his own card and passed it over to her. He caught her eye and smirked, “Good to know. I’ll be sure to get to you should I need anything.” He said and picked up her card. He looked over it for a moment before shoving it safely into his bag should he need it later. Granted, he didn’t know if he would be calling her for anything. He usually avoided that for the most part.

He jotted down a few of his own ideas for the symbol, just based on what he knew of their side of the revolution. Most of what he knew was in passing since he didn’t like to give politics too much of his attention. He couldn’t help finding them quite boring, but this would be a decent enough job and a steady stream of money for some amount of time. 

“Of course, I’ve got a few things I’ve worked on for businesses that you can check out.” He said and brought his attention back to his laptop. There was really plenty he could show her and send her way. “I’ll email you a few of the things I’ve done for you to show him.” He said, moving his attention back to her. “I’m a mutant, yeah.” He confirmed, he didn’t usually talk about it too much, but he knew that she probably wanted a mutant more than anyone else to be working with.

The redhead was replacing some of the paintings around the café and gallery when she noticed a guy sitting on a table absolutely lost in his work, she let her eyes linger on the screen for a moment until he looked at her and spoke.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to stare” She said as she took down another painting and shook her head, she didn’t want to be invasive. “Sorry for staring at your work… you’re good” She said and looked back at him after she hanged the new painting and nodded with a small smile on her face.

“Don’t worry about it, just felt eyes on me, you know?” He asked and offered half a smile to her. He shrugged, “But thanks.” He, of course, would take the compliment. It was always nice to hear that people thought your work was good. Even if he avoided interaction with people.

He gave his attention to the painting she was hanging, wondering now if they hung up art by local artists or if it was just random art they bought. It seemed like a good way to make a little extra cash if they then went on sale. He watched her as she finished hanging it and smiled a bit. “Good job hanging that.” He said and nodded at the painting, “Do you feature local artists much or is it just stuff you guys buy?” He asked and sipped some of his coffee. He pushed his laptop to the side a little bit, he wasn’t going to invite her to sit with him necessarily, but he had a few questions. Honestly wondering about having his own art put up in the shop.

“Because I could be interested in talking to one of you about having my own stuff hung up in here if that would be alright.” He said and shrugged again.

Persephone opened the door to the coffee shop and inhaled deeply as the sweet earthy smell of coffee beans hit her senses. She smiled and bounced up to the counter to order a sugary baked good and a hot cup of coffee. Although she couldn’t get nourishment from that kind of foods and beverages, she still enjoyed the taste and the warmth that came from it. It was kind of comforting to feel something nice and happy in her stomach. She just wished that she didn’t have to have the other nutrient source as well. 

Persephone ordered a big, caramel flavored coffee drink with lots of whipped cream on top and a scone with fruit filling and powdered sugar. Hopping slightly on the balls of her feet, Seffie tried to patiently wait for her order to get ready. As she paid her bill, her eyes wandered down to a man sitting at one of the tables with a laptop computer. She looked at him closely, trying to decide if she’d ever seen him before, but finally decided that he had to be new in town. Persephone smiled apologetically when he spoke. “Oh, no. I’m sorry for staring. I was just thinking that you don’t look familiar. I don’t believe I’ve ever seen you around before and I’ve lived in this area for quite awhile now.” 

Reeve had just gotten that feeling of being watched. Granted, he almost always felt that, but it felt different from ghosts. There was always something different about being stared at by other mutants or humans or other beings. 

Reeve looked up at her from where he sat, not sure if he had ever really seen her either. As much as Reeve liked to remain unknown to people he also liked to keep people pretty unknown to him. He knew he couldn’t always avoid conversation though and he shook his head, “Well, I’ve lived here my whole life. Guess I’m doing a good job of avoiding people.” He said and shrugged. He picked up his coffee, drinking some of it not sure if he should just turn back to his work or continue talking to her. He never knew what to do in these situations. He just didn’t find himself feeling particularly friendly just about ever.

“Uh,” He paused, “How long have you lived here?” He asked.