The man, not the legend.

"Verity said she doesn't understand art." Steve looks between the two of them, peering over the blanket nest he'd sunk into before.

"So I painted something that can't be misunderstood."

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That's a good place for it. Start each day with a reminder of life, and beauty, and hope.

*Steve gets an approving smile, and her voice has softened from its usual stern edge.*

That is honestly beautiful, in sentiment and execution. I'm grateful to have seen it, and you deserve to be proud.

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"Steve's going to be a famous artist someday if he keeps this up." It's meant as a compliment, and it takes her a moment to realize how that might sound to him. "That's just. If you want to. It's a possibility, it's not future knowledge."

But she's still pretty sure he can and will be considered one of the great artists to grace the Nexus, if that's what he wants to do.

The housekeeper doesn't care much about these things. She just wants to do her job and get out.

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"Thank you." He's blushing and that's not just the fever. He's not used to getting compliments. And Verity is quickly becoming not just the exception. People here are so different.

"My sketchbook's over by the bed." He points to the brown covered notepad on the far table. "You can look through it if you want." It's got more in it than the last time Verity saw it. A sketch of an undead man with a huge smile and unattached hands. A sketch of Verity drinking a cup of coffee, staring out the window of the diner.

And more sketches of his home. Of his mother. Of Bucky. But there's new people too, and that's important to Steve. He has more people to draw, now.

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*Samus takes that as an invitation to look through it, and does so, taking great care not to crumple or smudge the pages.*

Good technique. A realistic, almost formalist style, but there's a spark of life to them, too. Capturing not just what something looks like, but what it feels like. Verity's right, Steve, you are a worlds-class artist.

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Verity wants to look too! She recognizes Harrowheart from the ball and is surprised to see a sketch of herself.

"When did you draw this? Do I really look like that?" It's not criticism. She's never considered herself to be attractive and is surprised he'd want to draw her. She suspects Steve was being generous with the depiction.

This is not a bad surprise.

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Samus and Miss Amelia will have sketches of themselves coming soon. As soon as Steve finds something he wants to capture.

"A few days ago." Steve admits, ducking his head. "I don't think I got it quite right." And before Verity can sell herself short, Steve's talking again. "You always look like you're waiting for something. And despite it, you're so caring to everyone around you. I got the first part, but not the second. Not good enough." Samus will get it, Steve knows.

Verity doesn't see herself entirely. But most people don't, so she's not alone there. Steve certainly doesn't see all of himself.

"I'll have to keep trying."

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Well, I keep expecting the Verity on the page to blink, or breathe, so it's still pretty far into the "good" side of the scale.

*She gives Verity a sidelong glance.*

Somehow, I don't think you'll have any problems getting your model.

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Oh, Steve, you underestimate how fast a woman can sell herself short. But she's blushing now and fiddling with her hair a bit. They're both being much too kind.

"Well, I know I don't dare skip brushing my hair anymore if you're going to be sneaky." It's easier to make the joke than to admit to the feels. She knows who she's waiting for in that picture.

And she knows he isn't coming.

"I'm not. I mean. If you want me to." But she'd be super embarrassed about it until she got used to being looked at that much.

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"Don't worry about it none, Verity." Steve gives her a small smile. "I don't usually stare holes into people and make 'em stay still. I do most of my sketching later, alone. If anything i get a general pose with a few lines, and then work later."

He's never had the luxury outside of classes to have someone sit around and pose for him. He's learned to adapt.

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That you do these from memory is all the more impressive.

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"Okay." She'll take him at his word on that. If he changes his mind... well, he can ask.

"You must have an amazing memory," she agrees quietly. "Have you started the other painting we talked about?"

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Everyone's bashful about the compliments and everyone's so nice to each other. Steve thinks this might be a decent place to wind up, all things considered.

Steve rubs at his bangs and shakes his head before a coughing fit sinks him back down into his blanket for a moment or two.

"N-no. I haven't. Sorry..."

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*Not everyone is bashful, or nice. Samus is still here, after all. Her idea of comforting is to explain how a terrible tragedy was the lesser of two evils. The quality of Steve's memory is definitely being noted, though, and when he's well enough for that training he asked for, memory exercises will be part of it.*

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"No rush. I was just curious." She glances past him for a moment when the housekeeper does something to catch her attention, but when she looks back she's got another smile for him. "I am impatient about pretty things. I suppose there are worse character flaws, right?"

Seems like the housekeeper is done in the bathroom and is moving on to the bedding, if Samus wants to start with the sterilights?

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"To...be honest. I sort of forgot which idea we talked about you're mentioning." Steve kind of had a bit of a breakdown at the diner that day.

"I remember you helping me come up with a lotta stuff, but..then things got kinda heavy."

Cough, cough. Someone's just so tired of being sick and miserable and bleh. Thinking about the diner just makes him sink deeper into the chair and blanket.

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*Indeed, once housekeeping leaves the bathroom, Samus grabs one of those airplane-landing lights and goes into the bathroom to methodically shine it over every surface in there from a few inches away. She'll be a while, but if addressed in conversation (or she feels like interjecting something), she'll speak up.*

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Aw, no, no no no don't be a sad Steve. She did not mean to bring that memory up, and winces when she realizes. "I... I meant the one for Schön, dear. We were talking about it at the party? You don't have to, but I was wondering if you'd had any ideas."

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"Oh, yeah. The one for Schon. I should get to work on that if I'm going to ask him for help finding a place to live." Getting better is going to have to take priority first, because Steve doesn't even feel like sitting up straight, let alone sketching out painting ideas.

He flips through his sketchbook, staring down at the pages listlessly while he sinks deep into thought.

Sounds like quitter's talk, ya punk. You giving up that easy?

"I haven't given it much thought since the party." Steve starts again abruptly, shutting his sketchbook and twisting to meet Verity's gaze. "What did you say he liked?"

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*Samus is keeping an ear out, but has no real suggestions to offer. Verity knows the broker better than she does, after all.*

*Die, germs, die!*

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Samus just really likes killing things, doesn't she?

Verity won't press. While he's quiet she is too, helping the housekeeper make the bed and getting it ready for Steve. Those pillows are being fluffed with love.

"He likes bright colors. Not neon bright, but... rich. Intense colors. And intricate patterns. He would love the peony you painted for me. He might try and fight me for it." That's a joke, Steve. Please, give her a sympathy laugh. "You know those Dutch still lifes? He likes that sort of thing. But maybe, you'd been thinking autumnal, a big vase of branches with different color leaves instead of flowers? Or is that silly?"

She's quite nervous that it's a very silly idea, and that it's rude to even make suggestions.

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"Right! Because it's fall." Steve nods and coughs deeply, grateful to feel things loosening up but also feeling really gross because of it.

"...Mm ah!" He bolts upright and nearly falls out of the chair scrambling for a pencil. His sketchbook goes toppling to the floor along with the blanket.

"What if I had them coming out of a carved pumpkin?"

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*She has a certain set of skills, acquired over a very long career. And right now, she's using them to clean a bathroom.*

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Ver blinks in surprise when Steve jumps up. A quick word to the housekeeper gets the woman heading out; Ver can finish the bed later. "That would be cute," she agrees, although her tone suggests she's fighting the urge to tell him to sit down.

She can't fight the instinct to pick up behind him; when he comes back to his chair she's got his sketchbook and blanket waiting. "Maybe having to relax for a few days isn't so bad?"

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