Locke had debated, once work was done, getting fully into character for the challenge. Stetsons, spurs, cowboy boots and all. In the end, though, he wore a navy blue suit with a white button-up dress shirt, with a silver collar pin in place of the tie, and a white pocket square. Well-shined leather black dress shoes completed the look. He walked confidently through the city, into the Marketplace, and towards Expressions of Hope. Once he reached the front door, he banged out his trademark knock, complete with sing-song rhyme. ?Shave and a hair cut...?
Katarina gave her cousin a funny look as she headed for the door. ?Shave an? haircu?? Really?? Chuckling all the way to the door, she opened it as if it was her own home. ?Well, howdy there.? She thickened her accent to a ridiculous proportion, grinning to Locke. ?Come?n.? Ushering him again as if it was her own home, she directed him to the kitchen where they had been talking before smoothing down her cream and floral print dress.
He entered the house, casual as you please, smoothing down the lapels on his jacket. He arched an eyebrow at her response. ?You know, the correct reply to that is ?Two bits.??
"Nah here it ain't." Another grin, "Nice ta see ya, too."
"I suppose this is all rather academic, isn't it? The bet was for Sunday, and here we are-" Locke waved a hand at the air, before continuing, "On a Monday. You would be within your rights to hold me in forfeit, Katarina." The gleam in his eye suggested how well he might take that, though.
Johnny's laugh drifted from the kitchen in response to the banter of the pair. "Ya know, neither of y'all are goin' ta settle th' be' tha' way. Ya wan' somethin' ta drink b'fore ya ge' started tryin' ta twis' yer tongues inta knots or are y'all callin' th' whole thin' off?"
"I dunno, sounds like Locke's ready ta quit." Katie said with a grin despite the look she saw in the ice-elf?s eyes. She reached the table and picked up her glass that was already half empty with cider.
Locke practically sputtered, as he entered the kitchen where they had been waiting for him. ?Quit? Simply preposterous.? He said to Johnny, ?Water, if you would be so kind.?
?Well, yer complainin' 'bout gittin' anotha free day ta work 'n it.? Katie laughed.
?I didn't have the time. We had a pipe burst at work Saturday night, and it ruined one of the suits we were working on.? Locke grimaced at the thought of it.
?'Course. Din' tag ya as a quitter, neither-ways.? That was said to Locke, and there was another laugh as Johnny turned to fetch the glass. ?How's this s'posed ta work??
?We were in the shop all day Sunday trying to make sure this fancy-pants noble bloke got his trousers and suitcoat ready in time.? Locke continued his rant, then gave a glance over to Katarina, waiting to see what she suggested.
?A pipe?? Katarina crinkled her nose, before giving Johnny a sweet smile. ?I dunno, yer th' judge. 'm jist a bystanda.?
?Though' tha' part'a th' be' was tha' ya were tryin' on his accen' too?? Johnny turned to hand the icewater over to Locke with a grin. ?An' if'n yer lettin' me make th' rules, better be ready.?
Katie shook her head. ?Ah nah, I wouldn' make a be' like tha'. I's only Locke.?
Locke shook his head as well, agreeing. ?The deal was only for me to master the famed Smith accent. And here's what I was thinking. You write something down, I read it, and then say it aloud. And you judge if I've spoken it in your accent, or not.?
Katarina was simply grinning behind her glass as she leaned against the counter. Watching this would be worth the loss. Not that she would. Johnny considered Locke?s proposition while he leaned back against the counter. ?Tha' makes sense. Goin' ta hav'ta thin' of somethin', though.... Huh. Katie, ya know where th' pens an' paper 'r at??
?The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plains?? Locke tossed out, as he remembered his stepfather saying it once.
?Nah, tha' ain' no challenge. Th' rain in Spain falls mainly on th' plains - easy.? True enough, as that came out with minimal drawl and little of the trademark slurring. ?Nah, I think I go' somethin'.?
Setting her glass down, Katarina lightly crossed her arms with her smile firmly in place.
?Whay would I know? Ain't mah place.? But she started to go through drawers anyway. Locke sipped some of the ice water he'd been given, then tugged at his gloves and the sleeves of his suit. Nervous gestures, perhaps? ?Here.? Finding both items, she handed them over to Johnny.
?Close 'nough - ya know yer always welcome roun' here. Goes fer ya too, bro.? Johnny gave a quick grin to the pair before he frowned with thought and then set to writing. Katarina tried to peer over at Johnny's handwriting. When he finally finished writing there were several verses of a poem in his almost illegibly bad handwriting, and he handed over the paper with a grin. ?There - bonus poin's if'n ya can rea' th' writin'.?
A minute or so passed, while Locke scanned the poem, then scanned it again. Periodically, he looked up at Johnny, his face becoming more and more incredulous the further and further into he got. ?You've got to be bloody pulling my leg, mate. What is this malarkey??
Katarina gave her cousin a funny look as she headed for the door. ?Shave an? haircu?? Really?? Chuckling all the way to the door, she opened it as if it was her own home. ?Well, howdy there.? She thickened her accent to a ridiculous proportion, grinning to Locke. ?Come?n.? Ushering him again as if it was her own home, she directed him to the kitchen where they had been talking before smoothing down her cream and floral print dress.
He entered the house, casual as you please, smoothing down the lapels on his jacket. He arched an eyebrow at her response. ?You know, the correct reply to that is ?Two bits.??
"Nah here it ain't." Another grin, "Nice ta see ya, too."
"I suppose this is all rather academic, isn't it? The bet was for Sunday, and here we are-" Locke waved a hand at the air, before continuing, "On a Monday. You would be within your rights to hold me in forfeit, Katarina." The gleam in his eye suggested how well he might take that, though.
Johnny's laugh drifted from the kitchen in response to the banter of the pair. "Ya know, neither of y'all are goin' ta settle th' be' tha' way. Ya wan' somethin' ta drink b'fore ya ge' started tryin' ta twis' yer tongues inta knots or are y'all callin' th' whole thin' off?"
"I dunno, sounds like Locke's ready ta quit." Katie said with a grin despite the look she saw in the ice-elf?s eyes. She reached the table and picked up her glass that was already half empty with cider.
Locke practically sputtered, as he entered the kitchen where they had been waiting for him. ?Quit? Simply preposterous.? He said to Johnny, ?Water, if you would be so kind.?
?Well, yer complainin' 'bout gittin' anotha free day ta work 'n it.? Katie laughed.
?I didn't have the time. We had a pipe burst at work Saturday night, and it ruined one of the suits we were working on.? Locke grimaced at the thought of it.
?'Course. Din' tag ya as a quitter, neither-ways.? That was said to Locke, and there was another laugh as Johnny turned to fetch the glass. ?How's this s'posed ta work??
?We were in the shop all day Sunday trying to make sure this fancy-pants noble bloke got his trousers and suitcoat ready in time.? Locke continued his rant, then gave a glance over to Katarina, waiting to see what she suggested.
?A pipe?? Katarina crinkled her nose, before giving Johnny a sweet smile. ?I dunno, yer th' judge. 'm jist a bystanda.?
?Though' tha' part'a th' be' was tha' ya were tryin' on his accen' too?? Johnny turned to hand the icewater over to Locke with a grin. ?An' if'n yer lettin' me make th' rules, better be ready.?
Katie shook her head. ?Ah nah, I wouldn' make a be' like tha'. I's only Locke.?
Locke shook his head as well, agreeing. ?The deal was only for me to master the famed Smith accent. And here's what I was thinking. You write something down, I read it, and then say it aloud. And you judge if I've spoken it in your accent, or not.?
Katarina was simply grinning behind her glass as she leaned against the counter. Watching this would be worth the loss. Not that she would. Johnny considered Locke?s proposition while he leaned back against the counter. ?Tha' makes sense. Goin' ta hav'ta thin' of somethin', though.... Huh. Katie, ya know where th' pens an' paper 'r at??
?The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plains?? Locke tossed out, as he remembered his stepfather saying it once.
?Nah, tha' ain' no challenge. Th' rain in Spain falls mainly on th' plains - easy.? True enough, as that came out with minimal drawl and little of the trademark slurring. ?Nah, I think I go' somethin'.?
Setting her glass down, Katarina lightly crossed her arms with her smile firmly in place.
?Whay would I know? Ain't mah place.? But she started to go through drawers anyway. Locke sipped some of the ice water he'd been given, then tugged at his gloves and the sleeves of his suit. Nervous gestures, perhaps? ?Here.? Finding both items, she handed them over to Johnny.
?Close 'nough - ya know yer always welcome roun' here. Goes fer ya too, bro.? Johnny gave a quick grin to the pair before he frowned with thought and then set to writing. Katarina tried to peer over at Johnny's handwriting. When he finally finished writing there were several verses of a poem in his almost illegibly bad handwriting, and he handed over the paper with a grin. ?There - bonus poin's if'n ya can rea' th' writin'.?
A minute or so passed, while Locke scanned the poem, then scanned it again. Periodically, he looked up at Johnny, his face becoming more and more incredulous the further and further into he got. ?You've got to be bloody pulling my leg, mate. What is this malarkey??