Outside Chilly Boulder | Friday Afternoon

[shapethecentury]

Another day, another thing Bucky didn't completely grasp but was willing to give a shot.

Well, actually, he'd gone into Chilly Boulder to get some ice cream, but after a rather confusing yet charming sales pitch from the girl behind the counter, he'd ended up walking out with something she'd called a smoothie in hand. As far as he could tell, it was sort of like a milkshake? Only with more fruit and no milk. She'd assured him it was delicious, but he still needed to decide that out for himself.

And that was how and why he ended up sitting outside Chilly Boulder, looking thoughtfully at the smoothie in his hand. He coulda thought of a few worse ways to spend his afternoon.

(open!)

Comments

[imafuturist]

"It's better when you drink it," Tony said. Because he had opinions on everything. "Though I'm sure looking has some value."

[shapethecentury]

Tony, no one needed your opinions on drinking.

"It sure paints a pretty picture, sitting in its glass," Bucky drawled as he looked up and gave him a nod. "Good day, Mr. Stark."

[imafuturist]

Lies. Everyone did.

"Tony. Please. I'm not that old."

[shapethecentury]

Bucky snorted in a wry sort of way. "Well, I suppose as far as technicalities go, you must be decades younger than I am."

Because he was pushing a hundred, here. Technically.

[imafuturist]

"You get used to it, old man." Tony no.

[shapethecentury]

"I haven't," Bucky replied. "Not yet, anyway. Maybe in time."

[imafuturist]

"You'll have plenty of practice." Just. You know. Don't turn into an assassin.

[shapethecentury]

That wasn't part of his life plans.

Of course, neither was getting those plans snatched from him, and it was still going to happen.

"If you say so," he said. "At least the smoothies are good. Still don't beat a good milkshake, though."

[imafuturist]

"They're quite the fad. Especially the green ones." That Tony totally drank.

[shapethecentury]

"Green ones?"

Did he even want to know?

[imafuturist]

Doubtful.

"They're healthy." And green. "Full of all the things you need. Like kale and spinach."

[shapethecentury]

Bucky considered that. For about a second, and no longer than that. "I think I prefer milkshakes."

[imafuturist]

That got Tony to laugh at least. "Good choice."

[shapethecentury]

"Thank you." He nodded. "Glad to see I'm not too old-fashioned for this time."

[imafuturist]

"What can I say? I'm a futurist about everything but food."

[shapethecentury]

"And rightfully so." Said the man who continued to be bewildered every time he tried to shop for food on this island. "Aren't some things classics for a reason?"

[imafuturist]

Like polio?

"But there's always room to try new things. Like sushi." Yes, give Bucky raw fish.

[shapethecentury]

Please don't give Bucky raw fish.

He cocked his head. "What's that?"

[imafuturist]

You're not the boss of Tony.

"It's Japanese. Probably more old fashioned there than smoothies here."

So, it had to be good, right?

[shapethecentury]

That wasn't quite how that worked, but okay.

"Feel like I should put that on the list, then."

Yes, he'd started a list of future things. Ha ha, Steve, beat you to it.

[imafuturist]

"The list?" THIS WAS ADORABLE, THOUGH.

[shapethecentury]

"I have a list." Bucky shrugged like it was no big deal, because his way of dealing with feeling self-conscious was to not show it. "How else am I supposed to keep up with all of the futurism that's coming at me?"

[imafuturist]

"Fair point," Tony replied. His Steve didn't do a list. Because he had Tony to shove things at him. "What else is on this list?"

[shapethecentury]

"Things." He shrugged again. "It's sorta private, you know?"

He wasn't sure whether half the things on there were even spelled correctly.

[imafuturist]

"Now I'm just going to assume it's about sex," Tony informed him. Because he was a jerk like that.

[shapethecentury]

"You're assuming wrong," Bucky informed him with a snort.

This might change after he me Irene, however.

[begmetwice.livejournal.com]

Irene felt that after teaching this morning and doing some very vigorous online shopping on her phone afterwards certainly warranted a frozen treat of her own, yes. But when she spied a man sitting there just staring at his smoothie, it gave her pause.

"Did they undermix it?" she asked, hesitating before heading inside. "You know you can ask them to add more milk or something if it's too thick to drink. I've done it. There's no shame."

At least, not if you were her and had no problem bossing people around.

[shapethecentury]

Hey now, he hadn't been staring. Just looking. And contemplating. Very different things.

He looked up. "Huh? No, that's not it, Miss." The smile was reflexive. "I'm just new to smoothies, I guess you could say."

[begmetwice.livejournal.com]

"They are complex things," Irene told him, teasing just a little. "Are you new to town, as well as smoothies? I don't recall seeing you before."

Though he looked a little like a student -- not one she'd had, but one she'd spotted before. But older than that kid. Ugh, Fandom was strange.

[shapethecentury]

Hadn't been the best moment of Bucky's life, running into that kid, either. He nodded. "Could say that," he allowed. "Been here for a while but I've been keeping to myself a lot."

He'd had a lot to wrap his head around.

"I'm seeing the error of my ways right now, Miss ...?"

[begmetwice.livejournal.com]

"Adler. Irene Adler," she said, extending her right hand cordially. "And I hardly would call it an error -- this place sometimes inspires me to stay in and play on my phone all day because leeches are raining from the sky or whatever. If I didn't teach, I don't know that I'd always make it out often myself, Mr...?"

[shapethecentury]

"Barnes." And he got to his feet to shake her hand. He had manners. Some of them, at least. "James Barnes. Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss Adler. You teach at the school?"

[begmetwice.livejournal.com]

"I do, since last fall. And I own Dite's, here in town." She pointed vaguely in its direction. "What do you do, Mr. Barnes?" She knew he didn't teach, or she'd have seen him at staff things. Deductive reasoning!

[shapethecentury]

"Some poor soul thought I'd have it in me to run the candy store in town," Bucky shared with a smile. "So far, it seems they were right. But Dite's, huh? Don't think I've had the pleasure yet."

He didn't know how apt his phrasing was.