EP: Kate Barlow | Outside, Stables / Main Bar

[ikissdhimbck]

It's been a long time since Beaut's had the pleasure of startling the bar with her presence. The front door admits the five-foot cowgirl and her mount, obviously on their way someplace else, depositing them smack dab in the middle of the bar.

Beaut snorts.

"Oh, come now. S'good t'be back, ain't it?"

Kate wins an ear twitch for her trouble. With a chuckle, she sets about navigating the tables and chairs — and waitrats, we mustn't forget them. She'll get Beaut resettled out in the stables and check on the stock, and once she's done there she'll find a calendar. Once she knows the date and has stopped to look for messages in the stables, at the board, or with the Bar, she'll settle in for a while.

Then again, it's such a beautiful evening out. Maybe she'll take advantage of the lingering light and give Beaut a proper ride up the mountain path.


[ooc: I'm so sorry for inundating the bar! I did try to space everything out. ~sheepish~ Post open indefinitely; catch Kate anywhere you like, she'll be making her rounds and she's in a great humor.]

Comments

[a1enzo]

"You mean a graduation party? Definitely."

[ikissdhimbck]

"Yes, a 'graduation party'."

She grins.

"Be sure t'save a place for me."

[a1enzo]

"You got it."

[ikissdhimbck]

"Splendid. An' after you graduate, y'already have somethin' lined up?"

[a1enzo]

"Well, first I have to work at the Port Authority for a while, we all do. Don't know where they'll station me after that."

[ikissdhimbck]

"Port like the ocean?"

[a1enzo]

"Sssssort of."

She may have gathered from the comics that one way in which his world differs from Earth is the geographic, or perhaps structural is the better term.

"Port as in travel."

[ikissdhimbck]

That certainly did make an impression. She's seen pictures of twenty-first century Los Angeles and Manhattan, and never quite gets used to the staggering way buildings and roads are built up and out and on top of each other and under each other and — well, everywhere.

The comics had a similar effect on her.

"So you'll be guardin' the way in an' out of your city?"

[a1enzo]

At least Earth cities have city limits. In cyberspace, they only stop at the energy sea, and the sea is surrounded by the shell of the sky. There is no unsettled land.

"The Supercomputer's a lot more than one city, but yeah. Every Guardian starts at the Supercomputer Port Authority."

[ikissdhimbck]

"Oh!"

Beaut tugs at her reins yet again to get at a tender Spring sprout — perhaps the beginnings of a daffodil or some other early bloomer. Kate indulges her.

"Well, that's a much bigger responsibility than I'd assumed. Are you excited 'bout it?"

[a1enzo]

"It's a shared responsibility, too, but... yeah, I am."

[ikissdhimbck]

"I should hope so, if'n it's the whole Supercomputer," she smirks. "But good, I'm glad. Sounds like things in your world are movin' toward the positive."

[a1enzo]

"Oh, yeah. They have for days... years now.

"How about your world?"

[ikissdhimbck]

"My world? Well — "

She tugs gently to get Beaut moving again.

"Things are good right now. Rachel an' I haven't had any more trouble. She spent a few days, off an' on, convincin' me t'buy new clothes."

[a1enzo]

He nods sagely. "Humans need a lot of those."

[ikissdhimbck]

"Some more'n others."

It's spoken with humor and fondness.

"But there ain't much else t'be done in Galveston, so I'm happy t'indulge the free time."

[a1enzo]

"Get anything nice?"

[ikissdhimbck]

"Some things, yes."

To be honest, she's spending hand over foot. Not throwing her money away, but certainly not being stingy when there's something worth spending it on.

"Miss Rachel's 'antiquated her wardrobe', an' I've added t'my collection of hats. So has a few of my other acquaintances. Y'might know Butch Cassidy from workin' the stables."

[a1enzo]

Shrug. "Not by name."

The mun has been somewhat deficient in making the acquaintance of other stablehands.

[ikissdhimbck]

"You'd know 'im if you'd met 'im."

There's a fond chuckle mixed in with the words.

"He's real friendly. Loves t'talk a blue streak. But he ain't out there as often as I am. Anyhow, he's in Galveston with me, an' he does love a fine hat."

And Kate does love picking said hat off of him. It's a friendly sort of theft game.

[a1enzo]

"Hats can be awesome," Enzo agrees. "If they're good hats."

Some hats are... not.

[ikissdhimbck]

"Oh?"

She arches an eyebrow.

"An' what constitutes a good hat an' a poor one?"

[a1enzo]

Perhaps he shouldn't have said anything...



Sigh.

"Anything besides the hat that's part of my dress uniform."

[ikissdhimbck]

A second eyebrow joins the first.

"Really?"

Paint Kate intrigued.

[a1enzo]

Scowl, scowl, grimace. (He knows what's coming.)