Afternoon Tea [Dated to 5/12]

[madeofstories]

It's taken her an entire day and most of the morning as well, but Grace is almost certain that everything is perfect. The table she's borrowed is set up in the clearing between her own hut and the stage, each place setting with its own small plate and tea cup (though some are mugs, as she's had to make due with what she could borrow from the

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[onlyapassenger]

With the amount of time he's spent in England and the number of Brits he counts as friends, Bucky Barnes is well-acquainted with the ritual of afternoon tea, even if he doubts anyone would peg him for the sort to enjoy sitting around nibbling on crumpets (though enjoy's probably not the right word, even so). That said, the invitation had come as a surprise, more so because it was being held in honor of Jason than anything else; he's pretty sure the kid doesn't even own a proper pair of shoes, let alone anything that could be counted as formal attire

[prodigaljaybird]

"What are the saucers for, anyway?" Jason asks, lifting a brow at his own, teacup held carefully in his left hand. He's discovered he likes the tea a lot more than he thought he would, though the sugar he put in it likely helped.

"Why does a cup need a little plate to sit on?" Bucky seems so good at this already, and Jason wonders if parties like this are something he went to back home. It doesn't quite mesh with the Bucky he knows, but then, he's smart enough to know there's a shitton that Bucky will never tell him. He looks comfortable at any rate, wearing his suit so casually that Jason feels better in his own, hoping it makes him look like he belongs like Bucky does. "What's wrong with just putting them on the table."

[onlyapassenger]

"I honestly have no idea," replies Bucky. It's not something he's ever thought to question; teacups go on saucers, it's as simple as that. "It's just one of those things, I guess. A tradition gets passed down long enough, and eventually you just stop trying to analyze it, so even stuff that no longer has a use sticks around... Like a little plate for a cup to sit on."

[prodigaljaybird]

"And wearing a shirt and a vest and a jacket and a tie," Jason adds, grinning openly at Bucky and trusting that he won't retaliate too harshly in the presence of tiny flowered cakes. "Aren't you hot?"

[onlyapassenger]

"Material breathes better than steel mesh and Kevlar," Bucky's quick to point out. Admittedly, he'd be better off in his usual island attire, but it's not the worst heat he's ever felt; the suit's lightweight enough to not be sweltering. "Why, you think you're gonna pass out, kid?"

[prodigaljaybird]

"No," Jason returns with a quick glance around to see if anybody heard Bucky call him kid. He's lost track of the age he's given most people, and it probably doesn't even matter, but he doesn't want them thinking he's soft.

That being said, if he eats anymore of these cakes, he'll be well on his way to a sugar crash. "Mine's not so bad. No vest, no tie. I get to breathe."

[onlyapassenger]

"Then what are you worrying about me for?" Bucky asks, coughing out a laugh. Grabbing a scone, he turns it over in his hands once, then eats half of it in one bite.

"You really think I can't handle afternoon tea?"

[prodigaljaybird]

"I think the only one handling it better is Grace," says Jason with a glance in her direction. She's bustling, he doesn't think he's seen her stand still even once, and Jason wonders if he'll have to trick her into eating something.

"You go to many of these at home?"

[onlyapassenger]

"The English like their tea," replies Bucky, shrugging. "I can't say it's my favorite thing in the world, but experience sort of drums out the whole uncomfortable idea of sipping out of dainty little cups after a while."

[prodigaljaybird]

"Mint kind's pretty good," Jason concedes, even if it's hard to keep his cup full, it's so small. He puts it down again after a big gulp, fiddling with his sleeve after. It barely fits around his cast, and the urge to pull the blazer off completely is getting stronger all the time, but he at least wants to wait for Lux.

Craning his head behind them, Jason wonders aloud, "The hell's my girlfriend?" They're going to run out of cake.

[onlyapassenger]

Even though he tended to keep his distance, Bucky noticed Lux's absence earlier, but hadn't thought to comment on it, figuring Jason must've known where she was; apparently, he'd been mistaken.

"She said she was going to show?"

[prodigaljaybird]

"She will," says Jason, "she said so," but now he's nervous. Half the cakes are gone already, and something in Bucky's response makes his insides twist. Bucky usually knows what's going on, and with better understanding than Jason will admit. If he doesn't have any more clarity on the matter, then it's a cause for concern.

"I mean, why wouldn't she?"

[onlyapassenger]

Bucky can think of a few reasons, but he keeps them to himself, the unpredictable nature of the island not something he wants to discuss when they're trying to forget, at least for a little while, the horror Jason experienced a second time just weeks prior. Forcing his mind into a less pessimistic direction, if only for Jason's sake, Bucky finds himself at a loss. The mind of the modern day teenage girl isn't something he has a lot of experience trying to decipher, after all.

"Don't know, kid," he says, both a truth and a lie. "You want me to go look for her?"

[irisewiththesun]

"Hey, Captain Barnes," Zuko says, when he finds himself seated next to the ITF's co-leader. It's not like it's exactly unusual for him to see James Barnes in a non-training setting, but Zuko does have to admit it's a little weird to be sitting next to the guy who's normally running him through a rigorous set of drills at a fancy tea party.

Zuko can have a delicate hand when he needs to - his uncle saw to that, back home - so he manages to use the fragile cup without much trouble. "This isn't really what I expected when I got an invitation for tea. Tea back home was a little different."

[feel free to ignore if this is too late for you!]

[onlyapassenger]

"Zuko," greets Bucky with a nod, giving the kid a half-smile. He was only just getting used to being called Captain America back home, and having the title attached to his given name hasn't yet lost its novelty. "I don't know about you, but my experience with tea was a little less... Pink."

[irisewiththesun]

Zuko's mouth hitches upward into a crooked smile. "Definitely less pink," he agrees. "My uncle taught me all about tea, about how it's more than just a beverage, it's a ritual. This...is just a different kind of ritual, I guess."