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[from_the_outside]

While T'Challa deals with their unexpected guest, Sharon and Bucky go on a long-awaited diplomatic visit, at the end of which T'Challa gets a firm ally and Sharon gets a new name.
A few weeks later, Shuri has a new arm for Bucky to try. Sharon gets him a present to mark the occasion. Rated B for baseball.

Featuring NPC versions of: M'Baku and Princess Shuri

Bucky is busy today, off with the elders in one of the other villages, and Sharon had opted not to accompany him. It's good to get a little time apart, after all – especially when she has some plans of her own.

She tucks the smiley face napkin into her pocket and focuses, then pushes open the door to the hut, smiling when she sees what's inside. "What do you know?" she murmurs to herself. "It worked."

A few minutes later, there's Sharon Carter at the bar, demolishing what's left of a grilled cheese sandwich – the classic kind: melty American cheese, bread soaked with butter and grilled until golden. 

It's a good day for a bad-for-you sandwich... and some new faces.

Tiny tag: Sharon Carter

 

Comments

[onceaviking]

"That's a tastily wrapped heart attack," a tall man remarks as he leans on the bar next to her.

Tall,blond, muscular.
Pale.
Very pale.

The paleness gets further emphasized by his all black ensemble (tight jeans, tight wife beater, boots).

He sounds mostly American.

[from_the_outside]

Tall. Blond. Muscular.

...Not Steve. Sharon eyes the all-black, skin-tight ensemble.

(Definitely not Steve.)

"Not to worry," she says, lightly. "I'll burn it all off getting chased around by a bunch of kids later."

There's something leonine in the way he leans on the bar. "How's it going?"

[onceaviking]

(Absolutely not Steve)

He smiles. It's a rakish smile, with just a hint of boyish charm.

And just a hint of hunger.

"I'm good. You? I don't think I've seen you around here before."

[from_the_outside]

It's a good smile. Sharon hasn't trusted anyone who smiles like that, with that sharp glint of hunger, since she was twelve years old.

"Only my second time in," she says. "So I'm not exactly a regular yet. But I take it you come here pretty often?"

[onceaviking]

"I do," he says. "I do. I'm Eric. Eric Northman. Hi."

He offers a hand.
It's a big hand.

[from_the_outside]

Sharon's is much, much smaller when she puts hers in his to shake. "Northman?"

Her eyebrows arch and recognition flashes in her eyes. "I think I've heard of you."

[onceaviking]

His hand is cold.
Very cold.

"Really?"
The smile stays in place.

"Anything good?"

[from_the_outside]

"Depends on your definition of 'good,' I guess."

Her handshake is firm before she lets go. "Seems like you have a certain notoriety."

[onceaviking]

"I can't deny that," he replies, and his tone rather suggests that he doesn't mind that one bit.

"Just the usual," he says to Bar and a dark bottle appears. The fairly tacky label proclaims it to be TruBlood.

[from_the_outside]

Vampires? she'd asked, sitting under the shade tree in Wakanda, and Bucky had nodded. Vampires, he'd confirmed. She looks curiously at the bottle and shakes her head as her own plate, now containing nothing but crumbs and the memory of the grilled cheese-that-was disappears back into the bar.

"Pretty handy stuff, huh?"

[onceaviking]

He takes a pull from the bottle, looking at her.

"It's - a necessary evil. But we wouldn't be where we are today without it."

[from_the_outside]

"I can see how that would make sense."

Bucky doesn't care for Eric Northman. He'd tried to be as fair as possible, but it came bleeding through anyway.

She hadn't asked. She's not sure she wants to know. "I have to admit, when I thought about meeting a vampire, I was hoping for more dramatic capes and accents."

[onceaviking]

"Yeah, we get that a lot. What can I say? Not much use for capes in Louisiana."

He leans on the counter.

"Does it improve matters if I tell you I used to be a Viking?"

[wayward_sun]

The devil is in the house, sharply dressed and with not a hair out of place.

He is looking slightly frazzled though, and the double whiskey that is ready for him as he teaches the bar is downed in one go.

"Thank you, love. That was just what I needed. Refill?"

And then he realizes that Sharon is seated next to him and his smile is turned on, a little belatedly. But very, very brightly.

"Sharon! I love seeing a woman with a healthy appetite. That's a rare sight in L.A."

[from_the_outside]

Sharon, glancing up at hearing her name, grins just as brightly as she sets what's left of her sandwich down.

"Never been a problem for me," she admits. "And you just can't get white bread and processed cheese food product where I am right now. How are you, Lucifer?"

She takes in the sharply tailored suit, his just as sharply groomed beard and hair, and the empty glass. "Things any better back home?"

[wayward_sun]

"Yes," Lucifer exclaims and then he amends it to,"Sort of. Mostly. It's - complicated. What have you done with Barnes?"

Very smooth distraction that.

[from_the_outside]

About as smooth as a train derailing. Sharon can relate, honestly.

"Nothing that can't be reversed," she says, amused. "No, he was busy, and I thought I'd come check this place out for myself. See what all the fuss is about."

[wayward_sun]

"Good call," Lucifer enthuses.

"And there is so much to do here. There's the inlet for skinny dipping, there's the magic right here is course," he lets the counter lovingly and downs half of the refilled contents of his glass, "excellent rooms."

Others might have mentioned the library or the stables.

"Oh, and the piano is quite lovely too."

[from_the_outside]

"Only for skinny-dipping?" she says, managing to keep a straight face.

"That seems strangely restrictive for a place where I could just get a swimsuit from the bar."

[wayward_sun]

"That's just what I would do," he replies brightly.

"Why bother with wet fabric when you can just go like Dad created you?"

[from_the_outside]

"Because you were raised in the South by Methodists?" she hazards, but she's grinning.

"Besides, bathing suits can be very cute."

Bucky certainly seems to enjoy her white bikini just fine.

[wayward_sun]

"That sounds depressing," he replies brightly. "But you're right. I do have some very nice bathing trunks. Nice and tight."

He beams at her.

"I bet you look smashing in a two piece."

[from_the_outside]

"I haven't had any complaints," she agrees.

"What was that you were saying about the piano?"

[wayward_sun]

"It's a wonderful instrument," he says. "And beautiful."

He nods toward it so she can see for herself.

[from_the_outside]

"I'll take your word for it," she tells him. "I don't know anything about pianos. Do you play?"