(no subject)

[the_lioness]

[OOM: Seventeen]

Today, Alanna decides she's going to linger over breakfast. Here, that is. At home breakfast means well meaning friends, no doubt with gifts she probably doesn't deserve, who will know how she spent her pre-dawn hours. She'd rather avoid the teasing for now.

That's not cowardly, you understand. That's simply taking the time to appreciate Bar's delicious cherry tarts, which she has decided make for an excellent start to her seventeeth year.

Taking said tarts and a large cup of coffee to a spot by the fire, Alanna settles in for a while. She's still dressed in the casual shirt and leggings she'd thrown on this morning, her hair is a mess, and her boots need shining. Nothing about her at the moment would be presentable at court. The thought makes her grin and huff out a laugh.

Oops. Now she has cherry tart crumbs on her shirt, too.



[OOC: Alanna is still very much disguised as 'Alan,' but it might not be as effective in the bar as it once was. Feel free to ping with questions! I'm up and down all weekend, so slowtime is inevitable. Unless you poke me beforehand. Open forever!]

Comments

[freedom_is_grey]

Cherry tarts! Cherry tarts and cat-smell! Hello, new friend! You can surely spare some food and space in front of the fire for an enormous, brown, friendly mabari! Right?

Right!

Fortunately a slim woman in mage robes with a black tattoo over her right eye, pointed ears, and braided white hair is hard on his heels.

"Liranan! Leave the nice person alone. We've had talks about begging, and just because this is Milliways does not mean you can loll your tongue out at anyone with a scrap of food to their name."

[the_lioness]

That... is not a small animal.

Fortunately, Alanna is firmly in the 'both a dog and a cat person' camp, despite her recent unfortunate experiences with wolves. Liranan is welcome, as is the the woman Alanna has not yet met.

Time to fix that.

"Hullo," she says, first to the woman and then to the hound. "You may beg all you like, but I don't know yet if I'm willing to share."

But she can probably be persuaded, if the way she holds out a hand for sniffing is any indication.

[freedom_is_grey]

Sniffing is good! She knows how to say hello. See, Ysalwen? This new person is great!

Ysalwen cracks a grin, sweeping a few stray locks of hair out of her eyes.

"Oh, don't encourage him. He'll beg all day if you let him. And if you offer scritches."

Alas.

"I'm Ysalwen. He's Liranan. I hope we aren't bothering you. He got tired of me reading, I think."

Sometimes Ysalwen needs to be encouraged to meet new people! Liranan is on the job!

[the_lioness]

"Not at all."

What was that about scritches? Whoops, too late. Liranan's ears are definitely scritched.

Alanna glances up at Ysalwen and smiles back. "Faithful, my cat, does the same thing. Only when I leave off the studying or tack cleaning or whatever has him so bored, he curls up and goes to sleep immediately."

Cats are jerks.

She balances her plate on her leg -- only just remembering to keep it out of Liranan's reach -- and points at the black cat asleep so near the fire he is in danger of losing his tail.

"I'm Alan of Trebond. I'm glad to meet you."

She is. It's that kind of day.

[heatherandsteel]

Quentin has mixed feelings on stake-outs, they mean time he can keep an eye on Toby but they're boring. When he enters, his human disguise is up as he comes in, he walks by Alanna and stops at her laugh.

Then he releases his disguise and lops down near her chair, he's in a rumpled t-shirt and jeans, "Those look tasty."

[the_lioness]

"T'are," she agrees with a nod, grinning with her mouth full. "Want?"

Alanna thrusts the plate at Quentin.

[heatherandsteel]

He grins and puts an entire one in his mouth, "Mmm," Its as good as a thank you.

[mighty_avenger]

"Your prince lets you leave the palace looking like that, Squire?" Carol asks, putting on her very best superior officer voice.

She holds a serious look for the smallest moment before grinning and sinking into a cozy chair. She's dressed for comfort today too. Her yoga pants and off the shoulder sweatshirt are essentially a modern version of Alanna's own outfit. (The key is more spandex.)

"Mmmm.... that looks delicious."

Yes, there should definitely be coffee.

[the_lioness]

The key is never any spandex, ever. For Alanna, anyway.

"Jonathan," she replies, withering look included, "has no idea I've left at all. Nor will he."

Please, Goddess. Don't let him find Milliways now.

"Here." She hands Carol the plate, looking like she's lost her appetite.

[mighty_avenger]

"Ooooh, thanks," she says, with accompanying 'gimme' hand motions.

"You"—bite—"are so damn serious."

She learns forward and lowers her voice to a whisper, "I promise I won't tell Jonathan that you got food on your shirt."

[garde723]

Nearby, a person is looking at a book with odd writing and very large pictures. They also occasionally make gestures that seem an awful lot like various spear thrusts.

[the_lioness]

Anything to do with weapons -- even the mimed use of them -- is like catnip to Alanna. She steals glances in between bites of tart, trying to see the book better, until she gives up any pretense of stealth and openly watches the spear thrust-like gestures.

She's not very good with spears. Maybe she'll pick up something.

[garde723]

It takes Izana a little longer than it normally would to notice they have attracted someone's attention, but once they do they look up, meeting Alan's eyes, before flushing and looking away.

"I am sorry. I was studying and I fear I forgot where I was."

[livinginmyglass]

Viola has certainly contemplated using the Bar as a place she can put aside her boy's disguise for a while, but she hasn't quite convinced herself that it would be safe or wise to do so yet.

She (or rather, Cesario) passes as Alanna laughs, and seeing the spray of crumbs, can't help but ask, grinning, "What? No good?"

[the_lioness]

Wiping at her shirt, Alanna looks up with her own grin. It's a grin that says I am quite pleased with myself.

"Quite the opposite. Have you noticed how good food tastes here? It almost makes a person want to stay forever."

Almost.

Okay, not at all. But it is delicious.

"Would you like to try one?"

She holds up the plate, still brushing at crumbs, and adds, "I was laughing because my knight-master will likely have words with me later for my dishevelment. Alas."

It's clear that Alan -- and she is still disguised for all that she's let her guard down today, even if her attire doesn't immediately read 'Squire' -- doesn't seem very concerned about that fact.

[livinginmyglass]

Viola laughs. Her own appearance is much tidier-- very much the gentleman's servant, well-kept, well-matched. She takes an offered tart with a nod of gratitude.

"I thank you. I had not noticed... I have not been here long-- but it seems I must take care to spend more of my time in eating."

She adds, with a subtle glance at Alan's clothes, "I scarce thought the day of a knight left leisure for tarts."

[athelstanthescribe]

Athelstan wanders over with his nose in a book, settles in his favourite chair without looking - good thing it's empty - and only then realizes he's not alone.

"...hello."

[the_lioness]

Alanna smirks. One chair over and he would have landed on a certain sleeping magical cat. That wouldn't have ended well for anyone.

"Hello, Athelstan. Good book?"

[athelstanthescribe]

"Very." He smiles with faint embarrassment. "How are you?"

[gottadealwithit]

Oooooooooh... those smell delicious.

"Those smell delicious."

See?

Korra is in the orange and yellow robes of an airbender, on her way to practice outside, but she got distracted by cherry tarts and now she just can't leave the vicinity.

Maybe if she says out loud how delicious they are she'll get to share?

[the_lioness]

Probably. Squires are trained to be polite, after all. Alanna smiles and nods, waiting until she has swallowed a too-large bite before she replies.

Polite.

"They are. I don't know how, but Bar manages to make them taste just like the tarts I had as a child. Would you like one?"

There will always be more here. Amazing!

[gottadealwithit]

Yes please! Korra nods her thanks and helps herself, flopping down in a nearby chair to eat it.

"It's amazing, isn't it? She does the best Water Tribe food I've tasted since leaving the South Pole."

Which wasn't that long ago, but it sometimes feels like forever.

[rudderless]

So she does.

Eponine is eyeing the tarts with quiet envy; she's been out back helping her brother exercise the horses and is dirt-smudged, in the rags she arrived in, and positively starving.

"D'you get those from Bar?" she asks Alanna.

[the_lioness]

"I did."

Alanna looks her over with a carefully blank expression. Eventually, she smiles.

"You could get them from me if you like."

[rudderless]

Eponine gives Alanna a crooked grin back. "Only if you're willing to split it," she said. "It ain't neighborly to swipe."