The man, not the legend.

"I have. So far I've given her only pieces of real things." Steve licks at his lip before he takes a drink from his coffee. "When I gave her the picture of the Chrysler building, I told her I would help her get as many memories of her home back as I could. Once piece at a time. I'm hoping I can convince her to try to bring them out on her own, rather than getting them from me."

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"Ah? Good, good. How has she taken the suggestion of lessons?"

A little magic, a little coaxing, and the band of the ring starts to slowly contract.

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"She said she needed to think about it." Steve deflates a bit at that. "It's the last we've talked about it."

She seemed sad enough after he gave her the picture. A happy-sad? He's not sure, really.

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"Perhaps asking again, when her pain is not so fresh, will yield a more definite result," he suggests, before offering the ring back. "Here, try this."

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"No this is...this is perfect. Have you been to these places? Would you tell me about your adventures there?" S
Steve's like a little kid with his first picture book of Wonderland, all smiles and awe.

"Thank you. Both of you."

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Steve gratefully accepts the ring back, inspecting it before he slips it onto his right thumb with a delighted hum when it doesn't immediately plop right off again.

"You're really handy to have around, you know? Thank you." He gives Schon a thankful smile. "That was the plan, yes."

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"We all have our little talents," Schön demurs, quietly pleased at the gratitude. "Speaking of commissions, have they been keeping you busy?"

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"Verity helped me get a job with a Farmer's Market in the commercial district. I've got quite a few commissions from shopkeeps since. It's good to have money for groceries for a change."

Steve smiles brightly.

"My biggest expense is actually canvas and framing, which is an odd feeling. I enjoy the work."

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"She is very kind," Schön observes, "and I'm not surprised your skill and talent have attracted eyes. Well done."

He chuckles, adding, "ironic, is it not, how the things we love most, the things that sustain us, are often what place the greatest demands upon us as well?"

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"Well, I knew that was a possibility when i agreed to my rent requirements." Steve laughs easily.

"...If I save up enough, I kind of want to get a motorcycle."

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"Indeed?" the thin man purrs, "what sort would you have?"

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"Something American made, if I can find it." Steve smiles down at the ring he's now wearing before looking up again.

"I haven't given it a whole lot of thought yet. I've been saving my money and until Christmas I actually didn't even think about spending more than I absolutely had to to live. It's the first time I've thought about something I want to buy, as opposed to something I need to survive."

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"Ahh, a heady sensation indeed. Well, I shall be quite happy to contribute to the Rogers Motorcycle Fund, when Verity begins her artistic tutelage."

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"Just...don't tell anyone, okay? Everyone's real nice and all--they keep giving me things. Way too much stuff. I want...I want to earn this."

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Schön nods. "Earn it you shall, young man. Mum's the word."

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Damnit, Steve. You're too adorable and if Blaze could she'd be beaming like a lighthouse. Ghost is trying not to flutter so much he dislodges his hat.

"You're welcome, kid. And sure, we can tell you all the stories you like."

"Although there is a lot of fighting and explosions and... general violence," Ghost points out. If Blaze tells the stories her way, that will be most of them. Better check if Steve would rather not hear about it.

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"Well, you guys are soldiers, right? That's to be expected." Steve gives an understanding nod of his head. He'd be a soldier too, if they'd have taken him for the service.

"But, maybe you could each tell me your favorite story of your adventures?" That way if Ghost wants to talk about not death and destruction too, everyone can be happy.

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Blaze considers him a moment, then nods to herself. “I go through a lot of favorite stories. But it’s still gotta be how we and Samus dropped half a hostile Citadel onto Venus.”

“You can see the lower part of it in some of the paintings, actually.”

“Yeah, it’s the ugly floating fortress. Can’t mistake it. Samus is a friend of ours - a warrior we know from the Nexus.”

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"Oh! You know Samus? She's my trainer." Steve nods eagerly flipping through the book to find the fortress they're talking about. When he does he stares long and hard at it, eyes gone wide again.

"You dropped one of these onto the planet? Wouldn't that have caused a lot of collateral damage? Does anyone live there?"

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"You too, huh?" She's surprised, but approving. "Hey, good for you! I've seen her work, she knows her stuff. Looking for combat training like Verity?" Steve's fragile health doesn't entirely disqualify him from combat (bearing in mind that Blaze considers 'sacrificial last stand' a valid strategy), but it does make her wonder what Samus is teaching him.

"Nah, nobody but Fallen pirates and murderous robots down there. I don't think we even hit much of the old colony, and that's been a ruin for centuries." Fallen are people too, Blaze. She lifts her 'drink' to her mouth for a minute before she gestures at the picture. "Thing is, the Citadel's shaped kinda like a tree. That part you can see is like the trunk, but its roots go deep and the upper part spreads out above the clouds. The robots who built it, the Vex, they think things like space and gravity are just little details."

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"Something like that yeah. So far it's been a lot of hand-eye coordination practices and studying." Making a planner out of Steve doesn't seem to be a bad idea, given his physical limitations. He seems to be glad he's able to train at all, really.

"...I...wasn't aware physics was that alright with being treated as trivial. However they did it, it's very impressive." Steve wishes he could have seen it. The pictures are a start though, and they're fascinating enouhg to have him breathless as he studies them. Every detail helps tell a story.

"Did you have fun with that one too, Ghost?"

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"Hmm, makes sense. Gonna have to keep me updated on that, sounds like it'll be interesting." His coordination must be pretty good, she figures.

"

Honestly, it was... terrifying. But it did make for one of the most satisfying moments I've ever had. When we landed I didn't even think we were going to breach the Citadel.

"

"Hey, it turned out easier than we expected. See, this mad Fallen warlord had broken in not long before - and that's a whole other story or two. The Vex had the breach contained when we got there, but with Ghost cracking their quarantine protocols we opened it up again. Found a gravity lift inside that took us right up into the- canopy, I guess you could call it. Only what we didn't realize at first was that a pack of Fallen assassins had followed us in." She chuckles. "That's when the real fun started."

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