(no subject)

[thekidfrombrooklyn]

Steve has been in the bar for a few days, laying low as ordered. This has meant equal parts lazing about (well, as lazy as you can get with an enthusiastic and athletic lover) and working out, and so it's with a healthy appetite that he comes down to the bar tonight.

He's mostly done with his pastrami on rye when the familiar napkin pops up. Steve wipes his mouth and says, "Sure, ma'am, no problem," before he vaults himself over the bar.

(What? Showing off? Captain Steve Rogers? Never.)

It seems wisest to keep things simple.

TONIGHT'S SPECIALS
Mulled wine
Irish Coffee
Hot chocolate

He's got his sketchbook out to keep himself occupied while he waits for customers.

Comments

[sunbaked_baker]

Rae has to use the bar for balance as she scoots onto one of the bar stools. They are frustratingly tall for a ten-year-old.

"Hot chocolate, please," she says. It's one of those kinds of days. The dark cover of the book she sets in front of her proclaims itself to be, rather grimly, Blood Lore XVII. A rather incongruous-looking postcard with a peaceful winter scene on it is being used as a bookmark.

[thekidfrombrooklyn]

"Hi, Rae," Steve says as he starts putting her drink together. "That's a very... grim book you're reading, isn't it?"

[sunbaked_baker]

"Hi, Steve," she replies with a slight smile. "It is, but it's one of my favorite series."

No matter how much her mother disapproves.

"Each volume's a collection of scary stories about Others."

[thekidfrombrooklyn]

"Don't you get enough of that in real life?"

[sunbaked_baker]

Her smile falters slightly, awkwardly. "The stories help."

"They're... comforting?" Is that the word she's looking for? "It helps to know I'm not the only one who imagines scary things."

Maybe it doesn't make sense - it certainly doesn't to the exasperated Sadie Seddon.

[thekidfrombrooklyn]

"Oh," Steve says thoughtfully as he places the mug of cocoa in front of her. "I guess that does make sense.

"Would you like marshmallows or whipped cream on top?"

[sunbaked_baker]

"Marshmallows, please," Rae replies.

"Mom doesn't like me reading them, but I bought them with my own money while she wasn't looking." It's a point of pride, being able to buy her own books. Even if, to judge from the book currently in front of her, the books themselves are nearly four times older than she is.

[thekidfrombrooklyn]

He drops in a few mini-marshmallows. (Okay, more than a few.)

"Will you get in trouble if she finds out?"

[sunbaked_baker]

Rae smiles slightly. "Well, she did try to get Mr. Mitchell to buy them back when she found out I'd gotten them, but he said all sales were final."

Okay, maybe not-so-slightly. Sunshine giggles a bit, grinning, a kid sharing a secret. "Mitchell's is one of my favorite stores in Old Town, full of old books and odd things, and Mom'd left me to look around while she went next-door. These books were always in a reaaally big pile, and I had saved up my allowance to get some of them. I'd been trying to get one of the earlier issues of Vampire Tales and Other Eerie Matters out from the pile, but they all fell. It might've really hurt me, but it didn't, and Mr. Mitchell said he'd give me a really good price on the lot if I promised not to tell Mom about the pile falling over."

There is no down-side to this, in her opinion.

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

Thank God for Milliways medicine; the baby (could be six months, could be eight, hard to say) Ellen is toting is feeling much better now than she was yesterday. Still, she's not quite ready for Ellen to take her back to the Wasteland, so she's more or less strapped into a sling across Ellen's Vault-suited torso when Ellen comes up to the Bar. "Hi, Steve," she says. "It's been a long couple of days. Can I just have some coffee, please?"

[thekidfrombrooklyn]

"Of course," Steve says after he's gotten over his surprise at seeing Ellen with a baby. "Who's this little thing?"

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"This is Marie," says Ellen. "She's the first baby born in the Pitt in thirty years who didn't start degenerating or getting horribly sick from the place's toxins within a month of being born. I'd ask her to say hi, but she's not really speaking yet..."

[thekidfrombrooklyn]

"She's a bit young for that," Steve observes and picks up the coffee pot. "Do you want room for cream?"

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"That might be good," says Ellen. "No sugar, though. Someone else can have mine."

[thekidfrombrooklyn]

He pours her cup, leaving room for cream, and gives her the cream pitcher along with the cup.

"I think there's plenty of sugar, though," he says. "The bar has all of the universe to draw from."

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"Well, yes," says Ellen. "Sorry- Marie here's been keeping me up at night for a while now and I haven't been as good with my words as I should be."

At least she's careful with pouring the cream.

"It's only for a few months, though. After that she's either going home, or her mother's coming down to the Capital to take care of her there for a while."

[thekidfrombrooklyn]

"Have you been looking after her long? She seems pretty comfortable with you."

[golden_lyre]

[ooc: Way, way late, but would you take an Orpheus?]

[thekidfrombrooklyn]

[ooc: Always :).]

[golden_lyre]

[ooc: :)]

"Ooh, mulled wine sounds perfect, my love," Orpheus says as he slides onto a stool.

[thekidfrombrooklyn]

Steve's face lights up at the sight of him. "Coming right up," he says, but leans across the bar for a kiss first.

[golden_lyre]

Orpheus is only too happy to oblige.

"Is that my payment?"

[thekidfrombrooklyn]

"Yes," says Steve and kisses him again. "And that's my tip."

[golden_lyre]

"If you're very good, you might get another one later," Orpheus promises.

[thekidfrombrooklyn]

Steve grins and goes to the kettle with the wine.

He returns with a glass with a little curl of lemon on the top.