(no subject)

[thekidfrombrooklyn]

Steve came to Milliways on purpose this time.

He's outside by the lake, sitting on a rock near the shore. (in the back of his mind, it may be because he has no desire to run into the vampire again.) He's working on preliminary sketches for three different drawings, and singing to himself in a passable baritone.

The first is an oceanscape--the Pacific Ocean on a fine day, the waves rolling to a nearly empty beach. Only one dark-haired figure is one the shore.

The second is a play on one of the Captain America trading cards, with YOU CAN DO IT written at the top in large, friendly letters.

The third, his current project, is of a young man playing guitar. It's the most intense of them all, with dark lines and negative space. The musician's expression is as focused as Steve's.

As he draws, Steve sings under his breath, "'Night and day, you are the one, only you beneath the moon and under the sun...in the roaring traffic's boom or the silence of my lonely room, I think of you...night and day...'"

[ooc: Open all day, though I will be in and out periodically.]

[tiny tag: the Huntsman]

Comments

[the_lioness]

Occasionally, Alanna just needs to be outside. The bar is fascinating, yes, but it can quickly become overwhelming if she stops to think about the people she has met and the stories they have told. Or the myriad ways she might have let her guard down, possibly allowing any of them (Carol, especially) to guess she is not entirely what she seems.

Today she sets out for the lake intent on a few hours of uninterrupted exercise and sword practice. Of course she heads for the beach -- it's warmer there, which will probably help her mood. When she sees the man perched on a rock, she slows and considers whether or not to announce her presence. Sneaking up on people is bad; interrupting them can sometimes be worse.

She decides to call out a gruff "Hullo" as she walks past and looks for a good spot to start stretching -- by all appearances a young lad of about thirteen or fourteen, clad in simple tunic and hose, an expensive looking sword at her side.

Oh, and a black cat wrapped around her neck.

[thekidfrombrooklyn]

"Good morning," replies Steve, looking up with a quick smile.

[the_lioness]

It's a nice smile, sort of inherently friendly, and Faithful doesn't dig in his claws, which is also usually a good sign. Alanna relaxes, letting the automatic tension at meeting a new Milliways patron drain away before she even realized it was there.

She returns the smile, still slightly guarded. "Will you mind if I practice here?" Glancing around she finds a level spot nearby and points to it, turning back to Steve with raised eyebrows.

[thekidfrombrooklyn]

"Go right ahead.

"What are you practicing, if you don't mind me asking?"

[the_lioness]

That gets a slightly wider, if crooked smile.

"Sword forms, mostly. It's more effective to drill against an opponent or use a heavier sword, but I make do."

She doesn't want to go back to the palace for Coram's old sword. Not yet, anyway.

"You?"

She'd heard a little of his singing and seen him sketching.

[thekidfrombrooklyn]

"Oh--ideas for some things I want to give to some friends.

"One of them has never seen the ocean, so I thought I'd draw one for her to take with her. And one's studying at Oxford--it's a real prestigious university in our world--and he's a bit overwhelmed by it, so I thought I'd give him something to encourage him. And this one--" He flips to the last drawing. "I guess it's for me, really."

He looks up again. "My name's Steve."

[the_lioness]

"That's..." She blinks. "Really very nice."

The gesture. The drawings. She's particularly caught by the last and angles her head to get a better look. "Alan," she offers in turn, still distracted. "Alan of Trebond."

Looking up with a grin, "You're good. I'm hopeless at drawing, myself."

[thekidfrombrooklyn]

"Nice to meet you, Alan."

He holds the sketchbook out. "Thank you. I used to do it for a living. You can look closer, if you want. Just, it's really rough still."

[the_lioness]

"And you."

Curiosity wins out over hesitation. She takes the sketchbook with a smile, nodding, and looks at page after page with care. The last thing she wants to do is tear something with her rough, callused hands.

"If this is rough I'd hate for you to catch a glimpse of my stick figures."

Faithful snorts in her ear and twists himself over to the left, almost as if he's trying to see, too.

"What do you do now?"

[realmrsreynolds]

Sallie makes her way outside, a bunch of carrots in one hand and sugar cubes in her pocket.

(She spoils all her loved ones, bipedal or otherwise.)

"Nice voice, son," she offers when she's close enough.

[thekidfrombrooklyn]

"Oh! Um, thanks," says Steve, looking caught. "I didn't even realize I was singing.

"How are you, Mrs. Reynolds?"

[realmrsreynolds]

"...Steve. Sallie please. And I'm good." Holding up the carrots. "Off to ply the livestock and all. You?"

[thekidfrombrooklyn]

"Sallie," he says contritely. "Sorry.

"Just working on a few gifts for a few people. Enjoying the sunshine. Since the last time we spoke I've been spending a lot of time in theaters--it's nice to be outside."

[realmrsreynolds]

"Ever been riding? Today'd be a good day to do it."

[thekidfrombrooklyn]

"No, never. City boy--you know how it is.

"Could I?"

[realmrsreynolds]

"Sure, if you wanted to. I was goin' to take Tequila out for a turn but you could if you'd be interested."

And after Sallie makes sure he won't kill himself.

[thekidfrombrooklyn]

"I'd love to." He gathers his pencils and puts everything away in a satchel.

[the_huntsman]

The huntsman is close to giving in. His clothes are starting to itch again. He's not quite got up the courage to bathe though, not until he's sure of privacy.

For now, he's heading from the forge towards the woods, axe in hand. The singing draws his attention. He's close enough that he can see a corner of the sketch the man's working on, too. Curious, he peers over his shoulder. And then swallows, hard. Brings back rather immediate memories, that does. This one must be friends with Orpheus.

[thekidfrombrooklyn]

Steve says mildly, "Usually people ask before they look, but I'll let it pass," as he glances back with a smile.

[the_huntsman]

"Sorry," the Huntsman mutters, straightening up and looking away. "I was just passing." He rubs the back of his neck, awkwardly. "You're good," he says. "Looks just like him."

[thekidfrombrooklyn]

"Thanks," Steve says. "Oh! You must be a friend of Orpheus's. I'm Steve."

[the_huntsman]

The Huntsman smiles wryly, a little awkwardly. "I wouldn't go so far as to say friend," he admits. "Huntsman." He's stopped giving his name to people - he'd prefer they didn't use it, after all. He answered to 'the huntsman' often enough at home, it's easy enough to do the same here.

[thekidfrombrooklyn]

Steve raises his eyebrows at that. Teja aside, Orpheus seems to have a fair amount of friends and offers no reason to be disliked. It's all very puzzling.

"Nice to meet you, uh, Huntsman," is all he says, though.

[the_huntsman]

He nods. Considering a moment, he sits, resting the large axe across his knee. He clanks softly as he sits down - there's 2 hatchets slung across his back, and a pouch of knives at his waist.

"Have you been here long?" He asks.

[thekidfrombrooklyn]

"Um...today? Just an hour or so. This is my seventh or eighth visit, I think.

"It's hard to say, given how time moves at home.

"What about yourself?"