milliways_bar | EP: Kate Barlow | Main Bar, Library (age spell plot)

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EP: Kate Barlow | Main Bar, Library (age spell plot)

It had been a quiet day for Kate when the loud BWA-BOOOOOOOM shook the bar. She'd just settled down after her nightly chores in the stables, easing the tension out of her back in an armchair by the fire, sipping on a hot tea with bourbon in.

(It's getting close to All Hallows' Eve, and that's making her anxious.)

However, she didn't have all that long to think about the approaching holiday before she was seeing the room from an even lower vantage point, face scrunched in distaste at the liquor on her tongue. She blinked at the teacup and quickly set it down, jumped to her feet, and looked around the strange room.

" ... Daddy?"

Kate Barlow, aged twelve, was off in search of her father.

What she found instead were the libraries.

Now, far calmer, a young Kate sits amid a pile of books, occasionally sweeping cautious glances around the room. She's finding the words of Jules Verne to be a comfort at present. Clearly she slipped and bumped her head during chores, or stumbled onto a glorious vessel somewhere in deep space. She isn't quite sure what to make of it right now, but anywhere with an endless supply of science fiction can't be all that bad.

[ooc: open forever! you may find Kate in the library or the main bar. if your character wants to be in on a heist, they can take this opportunity to meet Kate. the actual heist will happen in a later post, so it's not required you tag this one (I'll update all interested parties once it's all in place). if you'd like me to send Kate round to one of your posts, just let me know!

tiny!tag: age spell plot]

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It's weird. Like a vague sense of déjà vu when she puts her hand in his.

He shakes off the feeling when she asks her question.

"Mmm, I dunno, a lot of 'em were good. I liked the ones with train robberies, those're always exciting. Oh and I liked the ones where Silver would save someone's life."

Kate's eyes light up. Silver, the horse, could also save people's lives?

"That one! I'd like t'read that one. I reckon, since y'don't remember which one it is, though, I'll hafta come back for it."

She eyes the comic in her hands for a long moment, chewing on her bottom lip. Eventually, she decides it's okay to start from the beginning.

"All right, let's go."

"Oh, Silver had his own special comic books, too, and so did Tonto! They should be easy to find right here in the Lone Ranger section."

He can't help the grin that tugs at the corners of his mouth. It's kinda cool to know a girl who likes cowboy stuff.

And with that, they make their way through the expansive library hand-in-hand, and eventually out into the main bar. Tommy could've sworn he saw a TV set behind the counter.

He's almost right-- it's not a TV set, but a flat screen that's sleek and black, not boxy like the thing he has at home in his living room. Also, where are the rabbit ears? And the knobs?

He stares at it.

"Whoa. I think this TV's like, from the future! Wonder how you turn it on--"

A remote control with a complicated multitude of buttons appears on the bartop.

So many comic books! Kate's practically dizzy with all the potential. She can't imagine a whole series based on a horse — actually, she can, and it's wonderful.

"I think I'll read them all!"

Why not?

His awe is a little lost on her at the sight of the TV. It's strange and ordinary when it's turned off. Just a dull black box. The remote control is far more intriguing.

"What's that?"

Tommy lets go of her hand and picks up the device.

"It's a remote control for the TV, but-- the one I got at home only has, like, ten buttons or something. Mm, well. Here's the power button. Let's see..."

He aims the remote at the black screen and presses the button, and the screen flickers on, in the middle of-- what else?-- a black-and-white episode of The Lone Ranger. The Lone Ranger and Tonto are on horseback, racing alongside each other as they attempt to catch up to a locomotive that's been ambushed by a gang of robbers.

It's like the bar is reading Tommy's mind. O_o

Kate bounces on the balls of her feet, too overcome with excitement to mind her manners.

"Lord Above, would y'look at that? Look! S'a real live train job! Heavens to Betsy, how excitin'!"

Tommy has to giggle at her reaction.

"Well, it's sort of a real live train job. They're all actors, and this was filmed a long time ago-- at least, a long time ago from my time. But it's still exciting to watch, that's for sure."

But it looks so real.

"An' you have one of these tee-vees in your house? So you can watch this anytime y'like? What extravagance!"

"Yeah, but it ain't as-- uh, futuristic. It's a big heavy box with knobs on it and antennas sticking out on top of it, and the picture ain't nearly as clear as this. Sometimes you can't get a good picture at all, and that's when you gotta move the antennas around, or sometimes my dad just hits the side of it and cusses."

He adds the last bit with a chuckle. It may give Kate a hint as to where he picked up that language.

"It all sounds pretty futuristic t'me. We don't even got a phonograph, an' no electric lights."

Just oil lamps and fireplaces, and books to keep them entertained. Sometimes her daddy plays his violin, and Katie sings. Sometimes he talks her into doing needlepoint.

"What other things do they make movin' pictures for?"

"Wow... No electricity?" His eyebrows shoot up. It's hard to imagine real life without it, but here she is, flesh and blood, straight out of a time where his own modern conveniences just don't exist.

He figures out which buttons on the remote to press and starts flipping through the channels, curious as to what else he might find (and if the bar is still reading his mind).

"You can watch the news, and sports, and shows called soap operas, which my mom watches, but it ain't got nothin' to do with soap or operas, it's just sappy love stories and sh- stuff like that. Ooh, and cartoons!"

He's come upon a Bugs Bunny cartoon featuring his nemesis Yosemite Sam. The bar is obviously sticking to a theme today.

She shakes her head, too distracted by the television to look at him.

"Some say it's the Devil's work."

Her daddy doesn't, but they don't have the means to afford such extravagance, either. Besides, they do just fine the way they are. Katherine finds it all rather exciting just the same.

Her eyes widen at the cartoon.

"Oh, my. Wouldja look at that? They're so colorful. Look at the li'l one's silly mustache."

She stifles a snicker.

He slants her a sudden glance, brow knitted with a mix of curiosity and amusement. "The Devil's work? The nuns at school never said electricity was the work of the Devil."

Turning back to the cartoon, the mustached cowboy starts throwing one of his shouty hissy fits when that rascally rabbit gets the better of him.

"That's Yosemite Same, the rootin'est, tootin'est bandit in the West, but Bugs Bunny always outsmarts him with tricks an' stuff. It's pretty funny when he does."

Kate's surprised to hear this. Why, even their church in Heyser — which isn't that big of a town — gave a sermon on being cautious.

"Oh, yes. I don't think so myself, but it is kinda like witchcraft how y'can control the light like that. They say it's invitin' bad spirits into your home."

She blinks at the pint-sized hissy fit, once again muffling laughter with her hand.

"What's he doin' fighting with a rabbit? That's just silly."

He has to chuckle at that.

"Bad spirits? Oh, c'mon. Everyone knows electricity ain't got nothin' to do with witches or bad spirits. It's all about-- y'know, science."

Not that he can explain the science behind electricity, but he's aware that there's quite a lot of it involved. He paid attention in class for about half the lesson before he excused himself to go to the bathroom out of boredom.

"It's silly, but that's what's so funny about it, ain't it? Me an' my brothers an' sisters watch these cartoons every day when we get home from school."

"Well not everyone, obviously."

What a big head he's got on those shoulders of his, gracious.

But then he's talking about brothers and sisters, and now Kate is looking at him, albeit a touch wistfully.

"Every day?"

"Uh-huh, every day-- well, 'cept on weekends when we don't have school, but on Saturdays there's cartoons on almost all day long."

He turns his attention from the cartoon to Kate when he notices her looking at him.

"Do you got brothers an' sisters?"

She starts a little.

"No. My mama died four years ago."

It's just her and her daddy. She looks away, quickly blurting out her next words.

"There's lots of people on our ranch, though. They're practically like family."

"Oh."

It's an awkward but sad and sympathetic sound. He has no idea what else to say to someone who's lost a parent. He can't imagine what that would even be like.

He also looks away, picking at a crease in the wood of the bar.

"Well-- that's good that you got other folk around, I guess. You all get on okay, though, right?"

"The world doesn't stop turnin' just 'cuz someone you love dies. An' my daddy does good business."

It's the kind of strong talk that gets learned from a parent rather than what comes natural. She wonders what he means by asking, but she doesn't wonder for long. The Bar is starting to ripple with color.

She hops back, blinking at the shining wood. A napkin pops up, warning the boy to stop tickling Her.

It does sound like something a grownup would say.

But he doesn't have time to dwell on it when the bar...comes alive? He immediately pulls his hands away as if he'd just been shocked (he hasn't), and the note is enough to convince him that this thing isn't just an object that makes everything you want appear.

He looks to Kate, wide-eyed as if asking if she saw what he just saw.

"Um-- sorry?" he says to the bar.

She looks at him, expression just as surprised, confirming that she did see what he just saw.

The Bar ripples back to a shiny maple, accepting his apology by way of another napkin.

"I didn't know it could do that," she whispers.

"Me neither."

A pause, as he eyes the bar warily.

"It seems nice enough but I wouldn't wanna make it mad."

Another napkin pops up, and Tommy hesitantly reaches for it and reads it.

Why don't you two go play outside?

Just like a mother would say. And to emphasize her point, the TV shuts off.

Kate jumps.

"Y'still think electricity ain't like witchcraft? Let's get outta here."

She doesn't wait for him, but as she moves toward the back door she holds her hand out again.

She's got a great point.

He bounds after her, taking her outstretched hand, and hurrying toward the back door, they burst through into the open air. Tommy doesn't stop-- with a whoop, he hops down the porch steps and breaks into a run, headed for the lake. Still grasping Kate's hand, he glances at her with a face-splitting grin, challenging her to keep up.

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