12020/Resupplying

Resupplying
Date of Scene:	17 August 2020
Location:	Arty Mart - Salem Center
Synopsis:	Nick and Bucky encounter art supplies and run into paparazzi
Cast of Characters:	Phantasm (Drago), Winter Soldier

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Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
In the picturesque area of Salem Center, it is easy to lose track of time. There are plenty of stores and restaurants to choose from and a sizable number of the businesses are locally owned. The prices are a little higher than the large name brand stores but there is less of a crowd in some of the more highly specialized stores.

Take Arty Mart, the more visual cousin of Music Center. This place offers up a pretty nice selection of art supplies, including large zippered portfolios to carry around the large scale art projects. The prices here are higher up than other places, but the quiet atmosphere with the gentle background music filtering on a small radio behind the cashier area more than makes up for it.

The inside of the store is quiet today. With the exception of the owner manning the register, Nick is currently serving as the only customer at the moment. Dressed for the summer, his knitcap has been traded in for an old baseball cap. His hair is tucked in as much as it can be to give the illusion of a short hairstyle. And the lack of a jacket makes it easier for the scar on the underside of his right forearm to be seen. On his back is a bookbag, loaded with items of varying shapes but based on how the zippers are tied together, it probably hasn't been opened since coming into the shop. The only thing really odd about the attire is the lack of pattern to all the itmes in it. No designs, just basic solid colors, somewhat symetrical in appearance.

Nick sighs, seemingly looking through the large assortment of sketch pencils of varying sizes.

Winter Soldier has posed:
    The bell above the door rings as the new customer comes in. It's that kind of shop. An oasis of creativity condensed into the mundane form of commercial premises, a tableaux reminiscent of... well, a shop, really. But a good one, and more importantly, one that sells what an artist needs. And aspiring artists. And art students. And really, anyone who feels like picking up a brush, or pencil or pen or any other means of transferring ideas onto paper... and canvas... Suffice to say, the Arty Mart sells what you need, when what you need in your life is to make art.

    Which might leave it as anyone's guess what the new customer is doing here. In his leather jacket, wearing leather gloves, hard wearing jeans, motorcycle boots and an expression that is more typically found as the subject of a painting that the one behind the easel, he seems more like the type to rob a store than to actually use any of the tools of fine art contained within.

    Still, Bucky makes his way along the merchandise until his eye falls on the pencils. Possibly looking to see which one would sharpen better to commit murder, because he really, and I cannot stress this enough, really does not look like the type to enjoy sitting down with a sketch pad and brighten up the world.

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
There are a LOT of pencils. There are a lot of different brands. There are a lot of different sizes. There are a lot of different levels of softness. There are a lot of different colors. And that's not even counting the boxed sets off to the side. So the amount of time Nick spends in front of the display is understandable as he locates the spot for the preferred combination for this particular transaction. Of course near the floor.

"Shit."

They don't have it in that brand.

Muttering under his breath, he kind of waddles over to the next brand's assortment of pencils to try his luck again, not even bothering to stand up as he does that. How he doesn't fall on his butt with the oddly placed weight on his back while moving in that odd position is a miracle.

He pauses, Did it just get darker in here?

Winter Soldier has posed:
    It is, admittedly, not every day that someone waddles sideways in front of Bucky. Especially not while he's scrutinising the point of a pencil, squinting along the point for reasons that perhaps he alone can fathom. He's not the tallest of people, at a mere six feet, but that tends to leave him half a head taller than most people are comfortable seeing. Especially with those impassive pale blue eyes, and that semi-permanent scowl.

    "I know they're good, but would you like me to move, so you can see them better?" He's not exactly intending to loom. It's just happens. He's an accidental loomer.

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Hearing the voice above him, Nick, still crouched down , shifts the lower part of his body forward, to allow for him to tilt his head back to look up to the larger man. There's a pause as tired pale blue meets impassive pale blue in an assessing glimpse.

"Ah, so you're why..."

Despite the display of decent balance, Nick's hat is a little less gifted as the tilt of the head combined with the amount of hair tucked inside causes for it to slide back and flop on the floor behind the musician. Well, at least there aren't any papparazo INSIDE the store. "Uh. Sorry. Didn't mean to cut in front of you."

Winter Soldier has posed:
    "Pretty sure you didn't intend, no." is Bucky's reply, sounding almost amused, with a lift of his eyebrows. Obligingly, the man steps aside, having selected half a dozen pencils and a pencil case to store them in. Shopping for the basics then, it seems. Luckily for Nick, Bucky isn't terribly current on the music scene, an unfortunate side effect of having been born when Jazz was considered to be rowdy. There's been decades of music, decades of art, and after a while it becomes hard to keep it all apart.

    "Mind your back, you want to take off your pack before you start moving around like that. Do yourself an injury."

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
"It's not that heavy." Nick replies, still glancing up. "Mainly just a couple of used pads, some sticks, pencils and pens in there. Also it's staying on my back to keep the shopkeeper at ease."

With a twist of his weight he turns his body, grabbing his hat before he turns back around to grab a couple pencils from the same row. After quickly checking them, he springs up quickly, coming to about two inches shorter than Bucky in stance. There's a slight thunk of something long and narrow smacking the fabric of the bag from within. "Thanks." He states to the larger man, turning to look over before adjusting his glance to look up a bit more.

Winter Soldier has posed:
    Indulgently, Bucky smiles as he looks fractionally down. He gets this a lot. Standing next to his best friend, he tends to look short, and then he's forcibly reminded that he tends to be taller than most people. Constant small reminders like that sometimes make it difficult to remain grounded, but it's hard not to like the young man in front of him. Eager, full of beans, bit goofy. Reminds him of someone else. "No problem. And don't tell me people come in here to steal pencils? Not that, surely?"

    Yeah, he's of a time where a shopkeeper could ask a customer to mind the store for a few minutes, and come back with everything scrupulously in order. Shaking his head, Bucky starts to browse the sketch pads, looking for one that's not going to end up getting pulped if he looks at it wrong, and not so large that he has to wear a backpack just to lug it around. In short, he's looking for the exact same pad he's always bought.

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
"It's a store." Nick replies, "It's going to probably be a concern. Even if they don't state it aloud." He tilts his head, looking over to the man curiously as he's focusing on the sketch pads, "Looking for a particular type of pad?"

Winter Soldier has posed:
    "Yeah, same as usual. Moleskin, A5, semi-recycled." Not an expensive one, then. The kind a student would favor... or someone who sketches on the go. It doesn't take Bucky long to find what he's looking for, only now having to choose between three brands. Go with the usual, the newcomer, or the middle of the road? Decisions, decisions...

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
"Ah. So Hobby level?" Nick assumes, based from the description. He glances to the ones that Bucky seems to be looking behind. "The brand on the left's been a bit inconsistent recently. Pages tearing too easily."

Winter Soldier has posed:
    "Has it? Thanks for the tip." That's the middle of the road out of the running then. But that's the problem with compromise... something eventually gives. And now it's a toss up between new and old, and Bucky is drawn once again to the same brand he's carried since the late thirties... of the previous century. The odd thing about living this long is that decades come around again, hard to believe it's 28 once more. The pad feels familiar between his fingers, and for about a moment or two a wave of nostalgia threatens. Just as quickly as it comes, it goes again, and all it's left the Winter Soldier with is an idea for a sketch.

    "An' yeah, hobby. I like drawing, but you can't make a living doing it."

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
"Yeah, it's hard to make money with just that." Nick agrees, "But, it's kind of like with performing. You just keep hustling. You don't do the one job. You do several. Do enough of it. You'll get by."

Talk of performing reminding him, the musician reaches over to the shelf, putting the pences on the ledge to free up his hands enough to gather up his hair and tuck it back in under the ballcap.

"On the bright side, even if you don't get money for it, sketching is pretty therapeutic. Just tune out the world for a bit."

Winter Soldier has posed:
    "Do what you need to live? Not a bad philosophy." Bucky is, after all, someone who did just that. And still does, in a way, do whatever he needs to. But some things you just cannot discuss in a shop with a complete stranger, affable though they may be. So he takes his items to the cashier, paying for them in good old fashioned cash from a money clip he appears to keep in the recesses of his jacket. There's a distinct impression that anyone trying to pickpocket him would regret that for a long time.

    "Or put the world into perspective. I find it makes more sense when it's on paper."

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
"Also, in essence, therapy." Nick comments, giving a nod in agreement once the hat is secured again. He grabs the few pencils he's accumlated to head over to the register. Honestly not following Bucky but well. Less to shop for. "Yeah, it does help with collecting thoughts."

Winter Soldier has posed:
    And never will Nick know just how accurate that statement was. For a long moment, James Buchanan Barnes looks over to the other man, looking for any sign that the comment had been more than off-hand, but fails to find any after two seconds of close scrutiny. "Yeah. It does that too..."

    Getting his purchases in a neat paper bag gets his attention back to the cashier, and he gives them a friendly nod, taking his things from them. "Thank you." Always be polite, unless you have reason not to be.

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Nick sets the pencils down on the counter before he starts to fish out several loose bills from his pocket, turning to smile to the cashier as his purchase gets rung up. "No bag needed. I'll use mine." He slides the book bag down, loosening the bind on the zipper for the outermost pocket to allow enough space for the pencils once the cashier is done with them.

He looks over to Bucky, giving him a nod, "Happy drawing."

Winter Soldier has posed:
    The paper bag is transferred to his left hand, although it's unlikely to survive very long. He'd taken it out of sheer politeness, but its contents will soon be disappearing into pockets. He lets the other man go first, holding the door open. "Without a doubt. Have yourself a good day."

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Nick slides the pencils into the bag and ties the zippers back shut as he walks towards the door. Attention more on securing the bag instead of what's outside the store, he glances up to Bucky, giving a tired, relaxed smile, "Thanks. I'll try."

Task accomplished, Nick slides his backpack on and starts to head off to enjoy hi-

FLASH!

Nick stops suddenly, bringing up a hand to block the flash as he backs away from the source of the irritation, "Oh come on!"

"Nick! Is it true you got cast in From The Ashes?!"

FLASH! FLASH!

Winter Soldier has posed:
    Slipping out after Nick, Bucky has exactly half a second of peace before the flash goes off.

    Luckily for all involved, he's no longer suffering the crippling flashbacks he was a few months ago. Even luckier still for the poor photographer, he has a firm grip on his own combat trigger, so that he doesn't instinctively draw and put three rounds through the source of the sudden flash. Because that could have been an option.

    Instead, he takes one step and reaches for the camera. Reaching is perhaps the wrong word. His arm practically blurs as it moves, right hand clamping over the camera, eyes on the reporter.

    "Did you just take my picture without my permission?" Glare. Full on Winter Soldier glare.

    "You do not take my picture without my permission."

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
So intent on getting the shot, the papparazi didn't take into account any others that may be leaving the store. That is until the back of the camera thunks him in the face in the process of Bucky grabbing the camera. "HEY W-" The man pauses, seeing the dark glare. "F-" A look of disbelief forms on his face as his glance fixates upon the soldier. "I-i-i wasn't- I was taking his-Damn Drago when did you get a bodyguard?!"

Considering the camera man is not focusing on him, this would be a good time for Nick to take his leave but the interaction right now... He looks to the camera. "It's digital." He states to Bucky, trying to keep his tone as calm as possible, "He can show you the images and delete them in front of you and walk away. Is that good?"

Winter Soldier has posed:
    "That would work." Bucky intones, his voice nowhere near as jovial as it was in the shop. There's a rough, gravely quality to it now, devoid of emotion. At no point does his grip on the camera loosen, and it doesn't look like he's even making that much of an effort holding it there, and yet it's stuck as if held in a hydraulic vice. "Or I could crush the camera with my bare hand, that would work too. Both of these options would work to my satisfaction."

    Again, he turns his attention onto the reporter. "Which of these options do you prefer?"

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
And here is where Flight or Fight kicks in. However, that is not accurate as Freeze is also another one of the insticts of survival which the deer of a cameraman is employing right now as he watches Bucky in horror as the threat of the camera being destroyed is brought up. "I'll delete the photos! Oh come on man!"

Survival instinct four. A plea for mercy.

Nick remains in place, but not so much to avoid the soldier's wrath but more thinking back to someone else he knew. Only this version's a bit bigger. "He's doing what he needs to live." He states, looking over to Bucky, "That's his life. Let him delete the pictures."

Winter Soldier has posed:
    "No harm done, I'm sure." It's the verbal equivalent of racking a shotgun as Bucky lets go of the camera, even managing to give the reporter a thin smile. "Thank you for agreeing so readily to removing those pictures. I'm a bit set on my privacy, you see."

    Glare. You see, or else!

    "Most kind of you."

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
The man nods, clutching his camera tightly once it's freed from Bucky's grip. Flipping it down, he presses a few buttons to show just Bucky the photos. While Nick is in the center of the last two photos, there are some glimpses of Bucky in the frame and those get deleted without protest. Once the last photo is of a distant photo of Nick coming out of the music store across the street, the Paparazzi moves the camera away to shut off the screen. "There. All pictures of you gone."

Nick glances over to the pair upon hearing the explanation, giving a small smile, "Okay. Everyone good?"

Winter Soldier has posed:
    "Very kind of you sir." And once again Bucky's voice is that friendly tone that he'd used before grabbing the camera. Like he's a completely different person. "I'll let you get on with your day. Good luck with the photography."

    With a final nod to the man, and then to Nick, the Winter Soldier walks away, towards a parked bike. It fits the man perfectly, and there's no doubt that it's his. It has that same air that messing with it would just not be a sensible thing to do.

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Nick remains still for a few moments, watching as the cameraman runs off, not seemingly wanting to take anymore chances with his camera. He looks over to Bucky. A hand sliding into his pocket, fingers brushing against a small rectangle of heavyset paper, considering things.

He gives a slight nod, "Hey man?" Yep. Still no idea to the guy's name.

Winter Soldier has posed:
    On the bike, Bucky is busy transferring his pencils and sketch pad into his pockets, folding up the bag and putting that in the pannier. Waste not, want not. Besides, littering is just not something he has a habit of doing.

    The keys are already in the ignition when he looks over to Nick, eyebrows raised. "Yeah? Sorry for the scene there, but... my face doesn't fit on a photo, if you understand what I mean."

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
He slowly pulls out a business card modified with his own cellphone number written on the back, glancing down to it before he rips away the portion that lists where he works and the phone number that belongs to Wade. All that's left is about a third of the card.

"There are some things I get and some things I don't" Nick admits, walking over towards Bucky. "Ok. I know this is weird but- If you run out of people to talk to during one of your moments..." He offers up the torn card that just sports the phone number. "It's better than nothing."

Winter Soldier has posed:
    "Is it my aftershave?" With a smile, Bucky takes the third of a business card and glances at it, probably memorizing the number before putting the scrap of card away. "People keep giving me their phone numbers these days. I'm flattered, but I'm taken." This is, of course, accompanied by a wink as he starts the engine, just to show that he was kidding.

    "But thank you. I know what you're saying, I'll keep it in mind."

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
"I get that problem too at times. I think it's the hair." Nick quips back. Stepping back as the engine starts. He gives a slight nod, looking to Bucky. "Be well."

Winter Soldier has posed:
    "And you, Mister Drago. Thanks for the advice." The rest is lost in the roar of the engine as Bucky gets the beast rolling off its stand and then opens the throttle to drive down the street without as much as a glance back, although he does raise his hand in a jaunty wave.

    Strange fish, that one.