(Untitled)

[ikissdhimbck]

Here's a face that hasn't been seen around the bar for a while. Oh, she's been here; but she's been quiet.

For some weeks, the dreams lasted, and she had been quite vigilant in her search for the prince who called himself vampyr - Dracula - Vlad Tepesh. But, quietly the dreams began to fade, the disorientation and the confusion with them, and

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[guppy_sandhu]

"Hey."

Guppy with a small smile, head tilting at her.

"Not seen you for a while. You okay?"

[ikissdhimbck]

"Nice t'see you, too," Kate teases, smiling at him. "Yeah, I'm all right. Been keepin' myself busy."

She sets her fork down, wiping her pink hands on a napkin.

"How're you?"

[guppy_sandhu]

He gives her a gentle hug, if she's good with it.

"I'm good. Alex has developed a sudden obcession with dropping things in the toilet, but nothing we can't handle."

(Urquhart being locked up has helped.)

[ikissdhimbck]

She never refuses a hug from Guppy.

"Sounds about right," she chuckles. "How's he doin'? It was nice bein' able t'sit for him."

Even if he did keep her on her toes.

[docscurlock]

Doc has been edgy all morning, but it's finally starting to fade off. He doesn't like the feeling, but a few hours out in the stables taking care of the stock has distracted him to the point of finally being able to let his guard down.

He needs a break.

His boots echo against the hardwood as he approaches the bar; dropping himself onto the stool at her right, he removes his hat.

"Now just what you got yourself there," he muses, hint of a smile on his face as he eyes the food and considers what he can steal off her plate just to be a brat and glass of tea.

[ikissdhimbck]

"A proper meal," she answers with a gently pointed look.

Her eyes sweep over him, perhaps unconsciously checking for any abnormalities, any signs that something's wrong. She's glad to see the subtle smile on his face, after how on edge he'd been all morning, but now he looks tired. Well, working outside will do that, won't it?

She smiles softly, reaching over to rub his back, rather than make a show of greeting him proper.

"Y'want some?"

[docscurlock]

"Love some. Bar, could you fix me up a plate?"

See? He can be good, and not steal from others. Besides -- Kate needs to eat her food, rather than have him pilfer it. She's still skinny, as far as he's concerned.

A plate appears shortly thereafter with a meal that mirrors Kate's, and a glass of mint tea, with ice cubs floating among the drink.

"Been workin' all mornin' on those troughs," he says, reaching for the glass to have a sip. "Should have the second one finished 'fore nightfall."

[ikissdhimbck]

Her smile widens when he orders up his plate, reaching her eyes this time. He's been doing a lot better lately, but still seeing him eat a real meal makes her pleased as punch. Especially when he's been working himself hard.

"Yeah? That's good."

She turns her attention back to her plate, picking away at it slowly.

"You mean t'stay out all day, then?"

[tragic_mask]

Melpomene's just having a drink, and she notices a familiar face.

She gives a nod, not quite sure about bare-acquaintance-you-had-a-meaningful-discussion-with-but-haven't-seen-in-a-while etiquette.

[ikissdhimbck]

Lucky for them both, Kate comes from the 19th century Victorian era. Etiquette is kind of their thing.

She smiles and returns the nod.

"Howdy, Miss Melpomene."

She's not sure 'Miss' sounds quite right, but how exactly does one show the proper respect for a Muse?

[tragic_mask]

"Afternoon, Kate," she says, uncertainly, wondering if she should be adding a 'Miss' as well.

(She'd been there, in the Victorian era, but it wasn't a good time, so she'd rather let it fade from her memory.)

[ikissdhimbck]

She wipes her mouth on her napkin, putting her fork aside for the moment.

"How've you been?"

[til_it_aint]

Ben ain't been back t'his world in an age, now, or seems like it, and maybe it shows on his face - like he ain't so tired, weighed down, like he's gettin' food'n'sleep'n'company, still keeps t'himself 'cause that's just how things go but he's been more social-like, these last couple weeks. Ain't seen Kate so much though so there's a long slow smile, moseyin' over real careful like from where he'd been knockin' mud off'a his boots at th'door.

Slides onto th'stool next t'her and gives her a smile that looks goddamn downright cheeky, like somethin' she ain't seen on his face before, as he reaches long dirty fingers out for a piece'a th'chicken.

[ikissdhimbck]

Kate looks up when there's movement out of the corner of her eye, catching sight of Ben as he drops down next to her, and before she can smile or say hello she has to stop and blink. Because she doesn't quite recognize him, looking that way, smiling just as careless as... well, as a kid.

Once those brown fingers start stretching themselves out toward her plate, though, her expression shifts. She does smile, a coy little "I-see-what-you-did-there" grin, and glares at him from the corner of her eye.

"Hungry?"

[til_it_aint]

"Why'd y'think that, ma'am?" It's less polite'n'more teasin', like he knows darn well he don't have t'call her ma'am but he's just givin' her a hard time, first time in god knows how long he's felt his age again, like nothin' goddamn matters 'cause no one's askin' him for nothin', makin' him be somethin' he ain't or can't be.

One of the crispy pieces gets snagged, but it's her plate after all so it's just a little one, real tiny, hardly more'n a mouthful. It don't take more'n a minute after he swallows it for bar t'give him a napkin and he swipes at th'grime under his nails.

"Figured I'd just give you a hand, Mizz Barlow. Lotta food for a little woman."

[ikissdhimbck]

"Can't imagine."

She catches the teasing tenor of his voice, and it makes her smile grow into an all out grin, something in her heart going light again for the first time in a long while, because it's good to see him happy. Especially given the way he was last time they saw each other.

"It is a whole lotta food just fer me," she agrees, nodding solemnly. "There ain't no rightful way I can finish all this. Miss Bar?"

A plate pops up, dressed with all Ben's favorite fixin's, and Kate adds a few pieces of fried chicken to it.

"You best get to helpin', Ben," she smirks.

[notabricklayer]

A few barstools down sits a man with a glass of bourbon.

A glass of bourbon, and one perfectly ripe peach.

True to his word, Kirk had indeed sicced the psychiatric team on his crew, making sure no one was teetering too close to the edge after the widespread madness. One suicide is one too many in Kirk's book, evidently, and they've already exceeded that limit.

Not that McCoy disagrees with this order - he agrees wholeheartedly... he just wishes it didn't come with quite so much paperwork.

So, damnnit, he's earned this peach. This one, perfect, Georgia peach.

[ikissdhimbck]

Now, that looks like one fine meal he's got himself, there. Kate eyes the peach in his hands, chewing thoughtfully on her chicken as her mind drifts. The blossoms back home must be all but past by now, and the peach trees should be leafing out, getting ready to produce fruit.

She's hit with an unexpected pang of homesickness, and glances away when she realizes she's been staring, smiling gently.

"That looks good," she calls softly -- and she means both the peach, and the bourbon.

[notabricklayer]

"This," McCoy declares with the conviction of a Southerner very far away from his home, "Is as close to heaven as you can get without dying."

[ikissdhimbck]

"That's what they used t'say about Green Lake," she says with a chuckle. "But then, the best part'a the town was the peaches."

And the onion peddler.