((Authors' Note: The following takes place after "Fallout" and "Ithaca"))
?When friendships are real, they are not glass threads, or frostwork, but the solidest things we know. A friend is the first person who comes in when the whole world has gone out.? - Anonymous
Locke had arrived at the small Marketplace cafe a little early to ensure that he got a seat out on the patio. However, his punctuality had been pointless: spring hadn't quite fully set in yet, and though the temperature outside was fine for him, there was only one other table seated outside, a quartet of burly banker-types in nearly matching grey three-pieces suits and cigars. He had asked the host to seat him as far from that table as possible, which unfortunately left him right in the doorway between the inside and the outside, giving him a front row seat to the petite, crisply dressed, and very frazzled waitress' attempts to keep the table happy. Locke had already ordered a water with plenty of ice and indicated that there would be one more coming, and he was currently sipping from that glass, eyes scanning the sidewalk nearby for the table's missing occupant. He reached into the pocket of his light grey suit to remove his pocket watch, opening it to check the time, and muttering to himself. "...too early."
Johnny shook his head as he left the small and extremely well-guarded store down the street from the caf? where he was supposed to meet Locke. ?Ain? ever missed a paymen? ta him when he advanced th? materials b?fore, an? now he?s actin? like I?m goin? ta cu? an? run with th? stones.? Fisting his hands in the pockets of his pea coat, Johnny kicked a stone planter with one work-booted foot in passing. Dark shadows of interrupted sleep beneath his eyes were brought into more prominence by the close crop of his hair. Still, when he spotted the ice elf seated at the caf? table, he broke into a broad grin. ?Locke! Bro, i?s grea? ta see ya!? He called it as he was approaching.
Locke glanced up at the familiar voice, then shut the pocket watch cover and slipped it back into his pocket. He hopped out of his seat and stepped over the short railing that separated the cafe from the sidewalk, moving quickly to bridge the gap between himself and the silversmith. "Johnny, mate!" He couldn't help but slip into elvish, which he didn't catch until he had finished his sentence. "Nae saian luume'." He sheepishly rubbed his head with his right hand, sunlight glinting just so off the silver bracelet on his wrist. "My apologies, mate. What I meant to say was, 'It has been too long,' savvy?" He held his right hand out for Johnny to shake, giving the man a better view of the new jewelry on his wrist: an I.D. bracelet with what looked like initials engraved on the clasp, with snowflakes and words in another language engraved on the top.
Johnny bypassed the straight-forward handshake in favor of clasping Locke?s forearm and pulling the other man in for a hug with a solid thump on the back. Only when that was accomplished did he pull back and study the silver bracelet. ?Ya ain? kiddin?, bro. Wha?s this bi?a flash?? He looked up with the grin still lighting his expression. ?Ya do some shoppin? in m?store while I was gone??
Locke went with the hug gladly, a bright dimpled smile clearly evident on his face. Once Johnny had pulled away, he held his hand back out again, twisting it this way and that, so Johnny could see it more clearly. The letters "L.D." had been engraved on the clasp, while the thicker surface had several snowflakes and the words "Cormamin salkua ele lee ~ K.S." etched on it. His cheeks colored just a little, though Johnny likely couldn't translate the Elvish written on the bracelet. "It was a gift." Locke's hands went coyly behind his back, as he stepped on his tippy-toes a bit, looking very much like a kid caught misbehaving in school.
?Gif?, huh? Katie-kat belon? ta those initials?? He was still grinning as he stepped over the railing and took the few short steps back to Locke?s table. ?Wha?s th? engravin? mean?? When the harried waitress paused after bringing out yet another changed order for the bankers, Johnny smiled at her and ordered a glass of sweet tea before he swung one of the chairs at the table backwards. When he sat, it was straddling the chair with his arms resting on the back. The offended look of the stuffed shirts was entirely disregarded.
Locke couldn't help but chuckle as Johnny took a casual approach to sitting at the table. It was enough to get him to remove the suitcoat, fully revealing the pale lavender dress shirt and black tie with diagonal white Repp stripes and fleur de lis he had on underneath, and drape it over the back of his chair. He sat and sipped briefly from his glass of water. "You would be correct on that guess, mate. The engraving translates into Common as 'My heart dances to see thee.' " He brushed the fingers of his left hand over the engraving, looking down in a futile attempt to hide the further blush that had turned his blue cheeks a more purple hue. "Quite remarkable, yes?"
Emerald eyes warmed. ?Yeah. Goo? thin? ta see.? He turned it light with a bit of teasing. ?She won tha? be? han?s-down.? When the waitress returned with his drink, he smiled at her with a jaunty salute, then shook his head when she asked if they were ready to order. ?So wha?s th? res?a wha?s been happenin? while I?ve been gone, bro? How?s yer designin? work goin? an? all??
?When friendships are real, they are not glass threads, or frostwork, but the solidest things we know. A friend is the first person who comes in when the whole world has gone out.? - Anonymous
Locke had arrived at the small Marketplace cafe a little early to ensure that he got a seat out on the patio. However, his punctuality had been pointless: spring hadn't quite fully set in yet, and though the temperature outside was fine for him, there was only one other table seated outside, a quartet of burly banker-types in nearly matching grey three-pieces suits and cigars. He had asked the host to seat him as far from that table as possible, which unfortunately left him right in the doorway between the inside and the outside, giving him a front row seat to the petite, crisply dressed, and very frazzled waitress' attempts to keep the table happy. Locke had already ordered a water with plenty of ice and indicated that there would be one more coming, and he was currently sipping from that glass, eyes scanning the sidewalk nearby for the table's missing occupant. He reached into the pocket of his light grey suit to remove his pocket watch, opening it to check the time, and muttering to himself. "...too early."
Johnny shook his head as he left the small and extremely well-guarded store down the street from the caf? where he was supposed to meet Locke. ?Ain? ever missed a paymen? ta him when he advanced th? materials b?fore, an? now he?s actin? like I?m goin? ta cu? an? run with th? stones.? Fisting his hands in the pockets of his pea coat, Johnny kicked a stone planter with one work-booted foot in passing. Dark shadows of interrupted sleep beneath his eyes were brought into more prominence by the close crop of his hair. Still, when he spotted the ice elf seated at the caf? table, he broke into a broad grin. ?Locke! Bro, i?s grea? ta see ya!? He called it as he was approaching.
Locke glanced up at the familiar voice, then shut the pocket watch cover and slipped it back into his pocket. He hopped out of his seat and stepped over the short railing that separated the cafe from the sidewalk, moving quickly to bridge the gap between himself and the silversmith. "Johnny, mate!" He couldn't help but slip into elvish, which he didn't catch until he had finished his sentence. "Nae saian luume'." He sheepishly rubbed his head with his right hand, sunlight glinting just so off the silver bracelet on his wrist. "My apologies, mate. What I meant to say was, 'It has been too long,' savvy?" He held his right hand out for Johnny to shake, giving the man a better view of the new jewelry on his wrist: an I.D. bracelet with what looked like initials engraved on the clasp, with snowflakes and words in another language engraved on the top.
Johnny bypassed the straight-forward handshake in favor of clasping Locke?s forearm and pulling the other man in for a hug with a solid thump on the back. Only when that was accomplished did he pull back and study the silver bracelet. ?Ya ain? kiddin?, bro. Wha?s this bi?a flash?? He looked up with the grin still lighting his expression. ?Ya do some shoppin? in m?store while I was gone??
Locke went with the hug gladly, a bright dimpled smile clearly evident on his face. Once Johnny had pulled away, he held his hand back out again, twisting it this way and that, so Johnny could see it more clearly. The letters "L.D." had been engraved on the clasp, while the thicker surface had several snowflakes and the words "Cormamin salkua ele lee ~ K.S." etched on it. His cheeks colored just a little, though Johnny likely couldn't translate the Elvish written on the bracelet. "It was a gift." Locke's hands went coyly behind his back, as he stepped on his tippy-toes a bit, looking very much like a kid caught misbehaving in school.
?Gif?, huh? Katie-kat belon? ta those initials?? He was still grinning as he stepped over the railing and took the few short steps back to Locke?s table. ?Wha?s th? engravin? mean?? When the harried waitress paused after bringing out yet another changed order for the bankers, Johnny smiled at her and ordered a glass of sweet tea before he swung one of the chairs at the table backwards. When he sat, it was straddling the chair with his arms resting on the back. The offended look of the stuffed shirts was entirely disregarded.
Locke couldn't help but chuckle as Johnny took a casual approach to sitting at the table. It was enough to get him to remove the suitcoat, fully revealing the pale lavender dress shirt and black tie with diagonal white Repp stripes and fleur de lis he had on underneath, and drape it over the back of his chair. He sat and sipped briefly from his glass of water. "You would be correct on that guess, mate. The engraving translates into Common as 'My heart dances to see thee.' " He brushed the fingers of his left hand over the engraving, looking down in a futile attempt to hide the further blush that had turned his blue cheeks a more purple hue. "Quite remarkable, yes?"
Emerald eyes warmed. ?Yeah. Goo? thin? ta see.? He turned it light with a bit of teasing. ?She won tha? be? han?s-down.? When the waitress returned with his drink, he smiled at her with a jaunty salute, then shook his head when she asked if they were ready to order. ?So wha?s th? res?a wha?s been happenin? while I?ve been gone, bro? How?s yer designin? work goin? an? all??