(no subject)

[golden_lyre]

The door to the bar has been showing up less and less for Orpheus and, to be honest, he hasn't been seeking it out much. Despite the (overwhelming) cold, he's enjoying Steve's world, enjoying living there with Steve, at least.

That doesn't mean he doesn't want to see the bar again, though, and when he shuffles his way in this evening, fingers cramped and frozen in his fingerless gloves, guitar slung across his back, frost in his beard and eyebrows, he heaves a sigh of relief and smiles, heading for the bar.

"Something warm, please?" he murmurs, voice gruff, smiling a bit more when a steaming mug of Mexican hot chocolate shows up.

Comments

[equal_of_any_man]

Daoud sits a little way from him, nursing a hot apple tea. He watches the young man come in from the cold. "Sir, do you play?" He nods to the guitar.

[golden_lyre]

Orpheus glances over at him with a wry smile. "If not, wouldn't it be rather strange of me to cart this around?"

[equal_of_any_man]

"Forgive me, sir. It was a foolish question." He ducks his head. "It is only that I... I find the quiet here distracting."

[golden_lyre]

Orpheus' lips twitch a little, and though his fingers ache a little from the cold still, he says, "If you wish a song, you need only ask."

[equal_of_any_man]

Daoud reaches for the few copper coins in his pouch. "Sir, will you play for me?" He holds out his coins, hoping it is payment enough. "When you are warm and ready, of course."

[golden_lyre]

Orpheus waves him off. "Keep your money. If you wish to pay me, you may buy me a drink."

[equal_of_any_man]

Daoud nods his thanks and pockets his coins. "Thank you sir. What would you like to drink?"

[onceaviking]

It has been a while. A century at least.
It shows in Eric's clothes and his hair cut.

He nods at Orpheaus' hands. "Looks like it's too cold to ply your trade outside."
If he's in luck, the sanctimonious soldier will have gone to dust by now. And he'll be asked round for dinner.

Eric has the one track mind of any large predator.

[golden_lyre]

No such luck for Eric, sadly, though Orpheus does smile at him as he flexes his fingers to get some warmth back into them before touching his mug. "It's not the sort of weather I prefer."

[onceaviking]

"I rather like it," Eric says, leaning on one arm. "It reminds me of home. And I don't feel the cold anymore."

He looks cheerful.

The soldier's likely still alive, then.

Oh well. Eric orders a glass of blood with a pained air.

[golden_lyre]

"That must be nice," says Orpheus, who has spent some time in Eric's home and not been terrifically fond of it.

[onceaviking]

"Do you miss your warm sun, white beaches and spirits that taste like licking a pine tree?" Eric guesses.

[golden_lyre]

He laughs. "You've been drinking the wrong liquor, I think."

[ostro_goth]

"I know not if you can catch cold," Teja says, stopping as he passes with his harp, "but you might wish to be careful. There is one spreading here that makes men believe they are not themselves."

He points at a sign on the notice board.

A delusional Orpheus would probably have some quite unpleasant effects on people.-

[golden_lyre]

And if anything could sour his return...

"I can't," he says shortly, glancing briefly up at the goth and then back to his drink.

[ostro_goth]

"Good," Teja says. "One would hope it remains that way."

He briefly nods to Orpheus.

[golden_lyre]

"I suppose we'll see," he answers, nodding in return.

[ostro_goth]

"If you feel any signs of cold after all, please make sure you find a doctor," Teja says.

[golden_lyre]

"I'll be sure to do that," Orpheus says dryly.

[thekidfrombrooklyn]

Steve comes into the main bar from the Milliways gym, still wearing his workout clothes and still glowing a bit from exercise.

He gets a big grin when he sees Orpheus at the bar, and comes to him with a soft, "Hey, sweetheart."

[golden_lyre]

Orpheus turns to smile at him, his cheeks red, the frost melting in his beard. "Hey," he says, holding out a hand to Steve.

[thekidfrombrooklyn]

"Oh, my God," Steve says and lays his hands on Orpheus's face to warm him. "What have you been doing, you madman?"

[golden_lyre]

Orpheus reaches out to curl his hands around Steve's hips, careful not to touch bare skin. "Playing," he says.

[thekidfrombrooklyn]

"In this weather?" He unzips his sweatshirt and stands between Orpheus's legs so he can wrap them both in it. "I came here because it's so cold in New York."

[golden_lyre]

Orpheus leans against him, arms sliding around his waist. "So did I," he points out with a smile.