EP: Kate Barlow | Main Bar

[ikissdhimbck]

Kate comes inside trailing clouds of dust behind her. She's been working the stables, as usual. Today was a hot one, and it didn't seem fit working the stock so long as the sun was high, so she set about cleaning and organizing instead. She takes off her hat and sets it on the Bar, wincing apologetically as dirt puffs up and settles on the lacquered surface.

"Beggin' your pardon, Miss. I'll clean it up. Meantime, could I get somethin' cold?"

A pint of peach cobbler ice cream pops up as she settles herself on a stool. She eyeballs it dubiously. How can you put a respectable cobbler in a bucket of cold ice cream? She don't believe it can be done. Naturally, she won't dismiss it out of hand without giving it a fair shake. For science, and all.

She opens a ledger and starts going over notes, scooting the pint closer. Every now and again, her hand strays to her chest, absently playing with the necklace she's wearing. It's strangely soothing.


[ooc: Open indefinitely, inside the bar or outside.]

Comments

[ikissdhimbck]

She hears it before she sees it. Glancing away from the ledger, it takes a moment for her to process what she's seeing.

She starts slightly.

"Jumpin' Jehoshaphat, sentient cutlery is takin' it jus' a li'l too far, Miss Bar."

What's worse is it could be another patron, for all she knows. What to do?

[ellectrical]

"Sorry."

It's just the one word, but she sounds uncharacteristically sincere.

"I didn't mean to..."

Well, Elle's not quite sure what the right word is.

[ikissdhimbck]

Kate tears her eyes off the spoon.

A nearly comical show then takes place, as she glances from Elle, to the spoon, to Elle, to the spoon ...

"Oh! No, no, I didn't realize y'could do that. How were you—?"

She leans closer to the spoon, as if she's going to find tiny strings pulling it along. With a quick smile, she returns her attention to Elle.

"Would y'like some ice cream?"

[ellectrical]

"It's new," she admits.

And though she doesn't answer Kate's question, she does rise from her seat to move closer. The spoon slips away from Kate, and then flops off the bar entirely, into Elle's open hand.

"I - couldn't do it before."

[ikissdhimbck]

Kate slides the pint of Ben & Jerry's closer to the empty stool beside her. It's at that perfect state where it's soft and slightly melty, but still frosty and thick. Just to be on the safe side, Miss Bar provides a clean bowl as well.

(Folk who walk away kissed by Kate Barlow don't fare too well, but we promise she doesn't have cooties.)

"Amazin'. D'you know what caused it?"

[ellectrical]

(Elle isn't afraid to afraid to kiss anyone!)

She slips into the seat next to Kate, and dips the spoon into the slightly melty ice cream.

"My head is different now."

[ikissdhimbck]

She's none too sure when she should press about something with Elle, so she nods, a worry line forming between her brows.

The ice cream is actually quite good, though she'll be hard-pressed to admit it.

"D'you like it?"

The differences, that is. However, if she remarks on the ice cream, Kate won't mind.

[ellectrical]

Elle can at least use the ice cream to give herself a moment to think.

"It's better. Than it was."

[ikissdhimbck]

Better's good.

Her head bobs absently. She smiles — better or worse, it's always good to see Elle.

"S'that the biggest change, or are there other things as well?"

[ellectrical]

Again, she takes a moment to stitch together the right words in her mind.

"I think it's - been a long time. For me, in my world."

For Elle, this always means a lot of changes.

[ikissdhimbck]

"Has it? I've missed a lot, then?"

Time passes in peculiar ways here.

"I reckon the last time we spoke was over the winter. Y'were ill. 'Round about that time strange shadows were movin' in the forest."

[ellectrical]

"Yeah... they got rid of that thing."

Though there's more to that story, Elle doesn't tell it, instead looking to her right wrist, where she's wearing a silver cuff.

"I had help. With a different problem."

[ikissdhimbck]

"An' I'm glad of it."

Kate — strategically decided to be elsewhere during that time, but she's heard plenty about what happened. She's only glad that everyone came out of it all right.

She follows the cut of Elle's gaze.

"What different problem?"

[ellectrical]

"I couldn't - think the way I used to."

Even if she didn't already have trouble with it, it'd be nearly impossible to put this into words.

"So I - couldn't control what I do as well, either."

[ikissdhimbck]

"The sparks y'create?"

Her voice is hushed, gentle. She's not sure if this is leading into another story, and if that story ends with some kind of accident.

"Y'had t're-learn how to manage 'em?"

[ellectrical]

She holds out her wrist, the bracelet glinting under the lights.

"Someone made this for me. It - helps me do that."

[ikissdhimbck]

She gestures, silently asking permission to touch it.

"So, if y'take this off, y'find it harder t'control?"

[ellectrical]

Elle slides it off her wrist, holding it out for her Kate. The moment it leaves her skin, however, sparks start snapping up along her lower arms.

It might be answer enough.

[ikissdhimbck]

"Oh! Good gracious."

Her hand jumps when the sparks start flying. The silver cuff looks finely crafted, but she doesn't see anything terribly unusual about it and doesn't want Elle to go without it. She nods when she's done looking.

"Has it been difficult? Learnin' how t'think differently?"

She's not sure how else to describe it.

[ellectrical]

Elle slips it back on, and the sparks vanish.

"I think I'm getting better at it. I think that's why I..."

She nods down toward the now inanimate spoon.

[ikissdhimbck]

"Really?"

How curious. Then again, being able to do what she did before was curious in its own right.

They might need more ice cream.

"So there's been no trouble t'speak of? Either in your world or here?"

[ellectrical]

... well, there's no way to answer that in the negative and it be 100% true.

"X, um - had something - "

(She feels a little bad about using X so as to not lie about herself, but. Not entirely.)

[ikissdhimbck]

It's a smart move, anyhow. Kate's thoroughly distracted as soon as X's name comes up.

"Oh? When? What kinda somethin'?"

More importantly, is it a something she knows about, or something new?

[ellectrical]

She regrets it almost immediately, her eyes falling to the bar.

"She just - had a problem - with what she can do."

It's... sort of like the truth?

[ikissdhimbck]

Kate's confused by how uncomfortable Elle looks.

"I see."

She figures if X was hurt or in some kinda trouble, Elle would let her know. Since she hasn't, she's willing to let it go.

Right now, she's more curious about the friend beside her than one who isn't here.

"Y'know somethin'? When was the last time you an' I had somethin' fun t'talk 'bout? Seems like our worlds have been pilin' it on lately; maybe you an' I should do somethin' for a change."