9037/The Inaugural Meeting of the Barnes Worriers Club

The Inaugural Meeting of the Barnes Worriers Club
Date of Scene:	02 September 2019
Location:	Hot Food and Grill, Clinton
Synopsis:	Karen invites Steve to meet up and talk about Bucky, he brings Janet along. Good news is shared, dessert plotting done, and Steve is still far more transparent than he thinks he is. At least no one in the restaurant recognized him or Janet, right?
Cast of Characters:	Captain America, Wasp (van Dyne), Karen Page

---

Captain America has posed:
It's definitely not Outback Steakhouse.

It's really not even anything close to the Steakhouse, the 'Hot Food and Grill' place. Even Steve blinks at the exterior, with its lotto signs and cigarette butts lying around the side windows, where someone leaned for their hourly smoke. Still, Karen had contacted to have him meet her there and he's got Janet at his side. Why? It'll become apparent soon enough.

"You don't have to get anything if you don't want to," he asides to the Wasp as he enters first and steps to one side to allow Janet entry, after admittedly sweeping the place visually for any questionable customers. "I heard the fried chicken's not half bad." He does give Janet a small, knowing smile. Ew, fried stuff.

The Captain, in a motorcycle jacket and jeans, t-shirt and a baseball cap (because he's totally anonymous in a baseball cap, of course), leads the way to a small table tucked to the deli with room for four. "Want anything?" he asks, glancing to the deli line and back to Janet, having not seated himself just yet.

Wasp (van Dyne) has posed:
Camoflague is weird. Janet van Dyne isn't going to stand out at all because this isn't the sort of place she'd be caught dead in. Billionare socialites-- Avengers-- don't go to run down corner delis in Clinton.

She's dressed relatively incognito, as well. Anyone with an eye for craftsmanship would recognize Janet's outfit was sewn specifically for her; near-skintight jeans that expose her ankles and her designer heels, black-and-tan with a chunky wedge heel. There's a bit of a New England nip in the air and she's shrugged into a black leather jacket with no lapels or collar, cut so it clings to her frame even if unzipped. A midriff-baring white top is worn under it.

"Oysters," she murmurs back at Cap. Janet looks at Steve, lips twitching in a smile. "But not from here. Ooh! Or sushi. Buy me sushi later, and all this is forgiven." She wraps her hands around his forearm to keep up with him for a few steps, but disengages as they head towards their seats.

Karen Page has posed:
Since it was a short walk from the N&M office here, Karen of course got here first. Dressed in her work attire still -- simple and inexpensive flower-printed white blouse and black pencil skirt, simple black pumps with kitten heels and her ever-present overly large and slouchy bag -- she's waiting for Steve at the pre-agreed-upon table. She stands when she sees him enter, and can't help her eyebrows popping upward very briefly at seeing the brunette accompanying him.

Stepping forward, she offers Steve a handshake like she would any of Foggy or Matt's clients. "Steve, hi. Thanks for agreeing to speak with me." She then offers the same courtesy to Janet. "Hello. I'm Karen Page."

Captain America has posed:
"All the sushi your heart desires," Steve confirms to the brunette on his arm, sotto-voce, on the approach to the table. Karen gets a mild smile from the Captain and he returns her handshake with polite, firm pressure.

"Not a problem, Karen. Karen, this is Janet van Dyne, my girl. Janet, Karen Page, a friend of mine and Buck's. We met at Josie's during a birthday party a few months back." He doesn't seem nervous about having the Wasp along; if anything, the glint of concern lingering in his true-blues is because he's had more than his fair share of news regarding the once-and-Winter-Soldier. What's a proper night's sleep these days?

Wasp (van Dyne) has posed:
"Great, then we're off to San Diego in the morning," Janet whispers. But then introductions are happening, and she fixes a polite smile in place. When a handshake is extended, Janet returns it in kind. A gentle clasp of fingers, the sort of thing done among New England society types.

"Ms. Page," Janet says, and bobs her head regally. "Very nice to meet you. Please, call me Janet-- we're all here as friends, so no point in standing on formalities." She moves next to a chair and waits expectantly as she speaks with Karen. "I hope you haven't been waiting for us long. Crosstown traffic is tough even on a bike."

Karen Page has posed:
Karen's handshake is more like Steve's, whole hand with a firm but not overly tight grasp, but she releases Janet's hand quickly enough before gesturing to the table. "I know this is probably nothing like what you're used to over on the upper east side, but, well..."

She settles back into her seat and nudges her soda slightly to one side. "Their fountain sodas are Manhattan Special, and they have bottles of the espresso soda." But, that's not why they're here. "Steve, I wanted to talk to you about James, I'm hoping it's a good thing, though." No, she doesn't use the nickname Steve does, she hasn't earned it.

Captain America has posed:
San Diego. Steve hides his rueful amusement well enough, apparently, given neither women hit upon it.

He seats himself once Janet has picked her own chair and glances over at the deli again as Karen explains the offerings available. His face turns her, however, at the notation of this conversation being a good thing. A good thing? His eyebrows lift, nearly disappearing beneath the bill of his cap.

"Sure thing, Karen, 's'why 'm here. It'd be nice to hear something good," he agrees quietly, one palm beneath the line of the table landing with familiar, innocent presence on Janet's thigh. A little squeeze is reassurance, if needed.

Wasp (van Dyne) has posed:
"Steve drags me to all sorts of interesting places," Janet tells Karen with a tone of dry confirmation. The hand on her thigh earns Steve a glance and a reassuring smile; she curls fingers into his and squeezes his hand in return.

"Can I ask, though-- sorry, Steve's bad with this sort of thing," she clarifies, "-- can I ask how you and Bu-- er, James, know each other?" she asks, tentatively. A finger wiggles laterally in Karen's direction. "I'm struggling with the idea of James at a party, let alone being sociable at someone there. I can barely get Steve through a cocktail reception without him muttering under his breath," she tells Karen with a conspiratorial tone and a tilt of her pixie cut in Steve's direction.

Karen Page has posed:
Karen offers a hopefully reassuring smile. "Well, I met James at Josie's Bar, just down the block a bit. He likes to hang out there I guess because they let him smoke inside and they don't cut him off when he's polished an entire bottle of Johnny Walker without batting an eye. I've noticed the last few times we've chatted that he's seemed ... lighter somehow. I mean, the other day Kate and I were being completely ridiculous and he just busted out laughing."

She pauses. "I didn't think I'd ever hear that."

Captain America has posed:
Janet is spared more of the equally dry side-eyeing she's getting upon her cocktail party commentary. Steve is quite certain he's not //that// bad, nor does anyone ever understand the Gaelic anyways. When you get approached for the umpteenth time about your history with the ESO tour group and the same old louche come-ons come hand-in-hand, surely you get a Get Out of Jail Card for saying a few terrible things? The Captain's very certain of this.

Karen, however, has him looking over again with a more true surprise. "Oh, no, that's...that's very good to hear, yeah. Not the Johnny Walker bit or the smoking bit, but the fact that he laughed. Good," Steve repeats. A flicker of grief goes across his face regardless. Bucky must not have let anyone know about his latest troubles. They do tend to haunt the metal-armed assassin and, by proxy, his oldest friend in turn.

Karen Page has posed:
Karen nods, and is glad she chose to tell the man, seeing how he looked less concerned, even if only for a moment. "I've already promised him a share next time I make cookies or sweet bread." She glances over at Janet and shrugs. "I bake when I get stressed. Last time we talked, I gave him cookies for Lili."

She looks up as the waiter arrives, and asks for a fresh soda before looking at the others. "My treat?"

Captain America has posed:
"Oh, sure." Steve grins despite himself, a quick little flash of teeth, and glances over at Janet for her order. Both are given and he waits until the waiter walks off before he speaks again. A thumb rises to scratch at his temple, shy of the edge of his baseball cap.

"He's always been a sucker for sweet things -- cookies especially. It was a treat when his neighbor would have leftover baklava on Sundays." Back when, of course, when Brooklyn was no less busy but far less modernized. "It's good to see him...see him find those little enjoyments again." His hand, still rested on Janet's thigh out of sight and holding her own hand, shifts so he can brush a thumb back and forth.

Karen Page has posed:
Karen's eyes light up a bit at the mention of baklava. That's not something she's attempted before, but it seems like a good challenge. "I'll see how good a baklava I can make then. Give me a reason to hit up the farmer's market a few blocks away and see what kinds of honey they have." She also places her order with the waiter -- shocker, nothing fried -- before looking at Steve again.

"What about you guys? I'm going to guess that you're not the pie type." She knows she's not the absolute best judge of character, but she can usually place someone's baked good preferences moderately well. Janet -- easy. Some hoity toity high-end fancy pants meringue thing, or those petit four things that are annoying as hell to make because they have to be tiny and perfect. "Let me guess... carrot cake."

Captain America has posed:
"We're good, just the drinks, thanks," he tells the waiter before looking back to Karen. Again, there's the mild smile, with a hint of gratitude in it and in his eyes. "You manage to get some good baklava to Buck, he won't complain a whit. There're some good honey stands around here, from up north."

Janet is given a look at the guess at carrot cake. The Captain doesn't //quite// smile, but it's there. His gaze leads his turn of head back to Karen again. "I'm more of a brownie person myself, though there's nothing like a good summer-berry trifle. Thought I'd about died 'nd gone to heaven the first time I tried it while on tour with the ESO."

Karen Page has posed:
Karen grins at that, nodding and rocking a bit in her chair. "Berries and chocolate, huh? I have just the thing. If you want to make something simple for yourself, make a chocolate ganache and dump it over a bowl of berries. But if you want to go fancy... I have a recipe for a trifle with white chocolate, Irish cream, and all the berries. And I might have to dive into Google, but I think I remember seeing a brownie recipe that used berries in the batter."

She takes a sip of her fresh soda and leans back in her chair to try and seem a bit less ... enthused about the whole baking thing. "I know what James does to decompress, I'm guessing you have different coping strategies?" Yes, she knows some of the history about Captain America, but she's not some vapid tween. She knows that the persona and the person holding the shield are almost never one and the same. Look at Matt, for pete's sake.

Captain America has posed:
Steve nods. "Berries and chocolate sound good, but the recipe I'm thinking of is angelfood cake and vanilla pudding, no chocolate in it. It's lighter without it, makes me think more of summer. Chocolate can stay in the brownies," he opines, grinning mildly.

With his own soda in front of him, an old-style rootbeer, the Captain settles back a bit more comfortably in his chair. So far, no one's noticed or identified him OR Janet, which is a blessing -- even the Wasp has her admirers which put a damper on conversations now and then. Still, Karen's line of questioning takes him off-guard. He glances aside for a second and then flicks his eyebrows. "Deal with stress about the same way most folks do. Exercise, sleep when I can. Draw -- I've got a sketchbook," the super-soldier offers by way of his own habits and hobbies.

Karen Page has posed:
More mental notes taken about Steve's dessert preferences. Angel food cake and vanilla trifles, too easy. Maybe she'll make one batch straight up, and then start experimenting, maybe with different varieties of vanilla in the pudding. THAT should make it more nuanced.

"You can draw? Now I'm a little bit envious Even my smiley faces and stick figures are completely wonky. But, I'm working on teaching myself shorthand. Because my handwriting?" She wrinkles her nose and shakes her head. "Miss Manners would be horrified. Honestly, I think the ballpoint pen is to blame, but I don't have the time or money to deal with those fancy things I see on TV shows."

Captain America has posed:
The old-fashioned rootbeer is...not half-bad, given Steve's thoughtful flick of tongue to his upper lip before he sets his drink down once more. He laughs quietly and shrugs his shoulders.

"Shorthand's something useful. Drawing's an outlet. I had a brief stint as an advert artist before the war happened. It was..." He tils his head to a few degrees, his eyes going distant beyond Karen's shoulder for a second. "...an experience. Can do cartoons as well as realism. Quiets the mind."

Karen Page has posed:
Karen takes a sip of her own soda, a bright orange color. "That is seriously cool. Have you considered maybe starting an instagram page or something of your drawings? Heck, maybe one of those YouTube channels where all that's visible is your hands and the paper and the pencil, and there's music playing. I think watching someone draw is just... magical and soothing, somehow. Kind of like when you see people in Central Park with their easels set up." She's seen less and less of that anymore, and it's kind of sad to see that disappear.

Her food arrives -- this is her dinner, after all -- and she looks at the pair across from her. "You sure you don't want anything? It's pretty good." On her plate is a good, basic pot roast with a generous pile of vegetables, a bowl of extra juice, wild rice, and what looks like half of a round loaf of bread.

Captain America has posed:
"...hadn't considered that, actually," Steve admits at he watches Karen's dinner arrive at the table. A lifted hand is accompanied by, "Yes, we're sure, thank you. I have reservations at another restaurant in a bit."

In San Diego, apparently, for the West Coast's best sushi.

"Used to be a lot more of the easels around the Park. On nice spring days, when it wasn't too hot yet, folks'd'be pushing boats around on the water in the Park, or walking under parasols. Artists would set up easels, sell their canvas right off the easel. Never had enough for even a charcoal sketch, but it was nice to watch 'em work from the shade."

Steve doesn't mention how he had to balance breathing properly from the simple exertion of walking from the road into the Park proper.

Karen Page has posed:
Karen smiles and nods and takes a polite bite of her pot roast. "Mm, yeah, I used to do that too a lot, when I first moved here. It was a really nice way to spend an afternoon when I was a college student with negative pennies to my name." Of course, now she's too busy with work to spend an afternoon.

To bring the topic back full circle, she asks an innocent question. "I haven't seen James around recently. How has he been doing?"

Captain America has posed:
Janet, at least, will recognize the subtle expression that slips over Steve's face. It's the polite if adamant 'clamming up', where only three people on the planet have managed to prise him up for more details -- and one of them is his deceased mother, bless her heart.

A sip of his rootbeer. "He's been up to his ears in work. Figure it'll pass 'nd he'll be out 'nd about again. You know how paperwork piles up." He grins lop-sidedly, good ol' Boy Scout nature on full display.

Paperwork is such a bland way to describe what could be a suicidal mission demanded by a Trickster God.

Karen Page has posed:
Karen looks at Steve for a moment, and seeing something familiar in his face raises a skeptical eyebrow and giving Janet a look that silently conveys, 'you have to deal with that on the regular, don't you?'. But, despite seeing it, she makes a very clear decision to not call him on it.

"Yeah, I know about paperwork. I'm the office manager for a small law firm, which means I do everything that the lawyers themselves can't or don't have time to do."

She spears a potato and points it at Steve, but keeps it over her plate so it doesn't drip anywhere unacceptable. "Tell him I said hi and I'm starting to go through Lili withdrawl over here."

Captain America has posed:
Such gesturing, much potato. Despite himself, Steve confesses silently that he's hungry now, having been privy to the collection of food on the platings across from him. Sushi might have to wait for a sandwich back at the mansion first.

"I'll be sure to pass on word. Lili'll be wanting more of those cookies you talked about, 'm sure." A squeeze at his thigh has him glancing and then nodding. "Right, it's about time. Good to see you, Karen." The young woman gets an honest grin. "Thanks for spending time with Buck. It's good for him to have friends beyond me 'nd a couple others. You do him good." Chairs scoot back and the two Avengers quietly exit the diner, having had a rewarding conversation without being identified. Sometimes, it's the little things.