It was a warm, slightly muggy afternoon in Kansas, and the sky was mottled with clouds. Along the ground, the last remnants of the morning's rain were only just present, pigeons were bobbing around in search of something to eat, and a tall young man was ambling along looking mildly perplexed. He had pale blond hair, which exposure to the sun tended to bleach close to platinum in hue, round and wistful lavender eyes, and a prominent nose. This was Ivan Braginsky, who had just moved in from Russia as part of a foreign exchange student program, and he was lost. He'd somehow misplaced his map on the way from the airport, and nobody had managed to convey to him what to do if that happened, so he was reduced to roaming at random in search of landmarks, and maybe a little advice. A coffee shop caught his eye as he paced down the street, fidgeting with one end of the old cream scarf he wore - despite the warmth of the day. He couldn't recall where he'd gotten that scarf, but he wore it as often as he could get away with. It had sentimental value, no matter that he wasn't sure precisely why. Deciding that a nice rest and a drink would be a good idea, and that he might be able to get directions once inside, Ivan entered the store and found himself a table. There were menus of drinks and snacks on each, so he had something to read in order to inform his choice. Now all he had to do was figure out what he actually wanted.

((This thread name is beautiful and I said so out loud))

((Aww, thanks~ By the way, I've realised another 'reason' for Al to have ended up in Kansas: Superman grew up there! Yes, it's silly, but so is he.))

Mildly startled, Ivan looked up when someone gesticulated and spoke to him, unsure at first what was going on. He soon realised that this was an employee speaking to him, so naturally he paid attention, but that wasn't the only reason for doing so. Something about this other young man seemed vaguely familiar, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it, so he looked a little closer.

The American had golden hair, like spun sunshine adorning his head, with a little upright curl. He had bright, shining eyes, which seemed to hold the summer sky within their depths, and his smile was full of hearth's warmth. For a moment, he was speechless, not entirely sure what he was seeing, or why his attention was quite so drawn. He had expected to see the sun when he came to America, but he hadn't expected it to be smiling at him.

Wresting his mind from his bafflement, and trying not to stare, Ivan realised that he had been asked a question. It was one he'd been asked before, so at least he was on familiar ground with something. Hoping that this friendly barista wouldn't find his accent hilarious or off-putting - after all, there were some who did - he answered. "Ah, no offense is taken, I understand why you are asking." He began, before warming to his topic. "You see, I have just flown in from Russia, and I did not expect it to be quite this warm when I arrived. Also, scarf is of sentimental value to me - I like to wear it a lot."

Feeling a little self-conscious, Ivan wondered whether the barista thought  that he was being silly, but he'd had no reason to give less than an honest answer. As he considered this, the rest of the barista's words registered, and he decided to answer those while he was at it. "Art on lattes? That is sounding interesting to me. Ehh, can you do that, please? Nobody has done that to my coffee before, and I am curious."

Ivan paused for a moment, certain that he'd forgotten something, but not precisely what it was. It hit him abruptly, and he hurried to make it known before the  barista could decide to see if someone else wanted something. "Oh, I almost forgot to order!  Ah, may I have this mocha with the cinnamon please?" He asked, pointing to the menu entry. "I haven't been here before, so I do not know what size would be best, so I must trust your judgement on this."

Hopefully, that would cover things, he hoped as he gave the American a slightly nervous smile. He was still a little anxious, but he was calming down now that he had something do to, and someone to talk to. It might be the person's job to listen to what he wanted, but it helped anyway.

The American's grin only grew wider, the blue-eyed blonde nearly standing on his tip-toes and leaning across the counter. "Oh man! Are you a transfer student, because I heard that my school had started one up and it would be super cool to have a transfer student all the way from Russia!" he said excitedly, practically acting like a hyperactive puppy upon learning that the person with the pretty purple eyes was foreign.

"Err, da?" Ivan mumbled, flummoxed by the bubbliness that had sprung into the affable American all of a sudden. "Ah, I am indeed here for the transfer program - though I have lost my map. I do not know where I am supposed to be. What is the name of the place you speak of? I might recognise the name, if it is the right one." He didn't understand why this barista was so enthused over this, but at least it was a positive reaction. It was an honest, happy response, and that made him smile.

When his order was responded to, Ivan wasn't sure what was meant by 'no big' - perhaps that there were none of the larger cups available? It didn't matter. "That is right. I am thirsty, but not enough for a big cup." He agreed, watching as the bouncy barista began to work on his order. He could well believe that this fellow drank large cups of coffee. It was a good thing, Ivan reflected, that it was not busy - or else he might not be able to have this conversation.

It was vaguely reassuring to him that his point about the scarf was understood - people often just thought that he was being a little bit silly, but this person didn't seem to find his explanation strange. "Life would be a little bit empty otherwise." He agreed, musing over the response he'd received.

Ivan, who was dressed in muted hues of pale brown and creamy blue, had been trying not to look too hard at that apron, so he hadn't discerned the nametag. Therefore, he responded to the introduction having been previously unaware of the other's name. "I am called Ivan Braginsky. Thank you, you are very kind." He stated, pronouncing his first name clearly - though not patronisingly so - in order that Alfred understood that it was not 'Eye-vun' but 'Ee-vahn', with the emphasis lying on the second syllable rather than the first. It was a simple matter, but he was a little weary of his name's frequent mangling. After all, a name was part of what defined one - part of the identity. True, there was little difference, but only one was his name.

"Ah, thank you Alfred." Ivan responded with a slight smile, watching as the fizzy fellow in orange set his coffee down. Peering down at it, his attention was immediately grabbed by the sight of the sunny bloom that had been given form in his drink, and he stared at it for a moment. It was a simple little drawing, but that in itself had a certain charm. What could it mean, the very flower he associated with happiness and sunshine, warmth and light, appearing in the first drink he took in this new land? He decided not to read too much into it, but he had to say something. "I like sunflowers very much, thank you~" He stated softly, his smile widening.

Alfred seemed to light up even more than he had been before. "Ah! I had this weird kind of feeling that you might like sunflowers. Not really sure where it came from but hey, glad I was right!"

How brightly can this one shine? Ivan wondered to himself, watching Alfred brighten yet further. It seemed a little unusual, having so much energy, but some part of him seemed to accept that this was just part of Alfred. Why, he wasn't sure, but he wasn't going to argue with it. "As am I - quite a charming little picture~" He replied, reaching into a pocket to draw out his camera. Sure, it was a bit tourist-like, but he just had to have a picture of this. Once he'd photographed the flower in the foam, and tucked his camera away, he began to sip.

He hoped that Alfred would not think that it was odd of him to record the ephemeral art in his cup, but then again, he'd heard that Americans liked to take pictures, so maybe it would be okay? The coffee, full of chocolatey goodness and cinnamon's warm flavour, was good. That was certainly a relief - it would have been so disappointing if it had only looked good, and he found that he did not want to see Alfred's face fall - as it would likely have if he hadn't liked it. This fellow was so expressive, and hurting his feelings would probably make Ivan feel as though he'd booted a puppy in the rear.

"Is good~" He assured the barista, a foam moustache now adorning his upper lip, and listened to the rest of what Alfred had to say. The sunflower serendipity had been interesting, but it hadn't been the only thing mentioned. "Ah, I think that is the right one! I am going to the same college as you are!" A pleasant surprise, to know that there would be at least one face he'd recognise there, even if he hadn't known Alfred for very long at all - it was reassuring somehow. Besides, he found that he rather liked talking to this enthusiastic American.

"Err, what is the Blue Devil looking like?" Ivan asked cautiously, not certain what he should be picturing. The colours Alfred mentioned held some form of resonance for him, some kind of rightness, but he couldn't quite place it. Perhaps he'd work it out once he got there. Speaking of which... "Ah, I do not know where it is, though - I have lost my map, and I do not know where I am supposed to be."

He was touched that Alfred, upon noticing the care with which he'd introduced himself, had expressed such a sentiment. Many people would prefer to say things the way they always had than be told that they were doing it wrong. "I will, thank you - I appreciate that you do not mind." The last thing that Alfred had to say distracted him a little from his contemplation of names, and he was quick to respond to that also.

"You seem to be familiar to me also - as though I have seen you somewhere before, but I know that I have not." He responded, his posture becoming a little bashful as his eyes were brought up. Had he not had a passing familiarity with the word 'wicked' as slang, he might have been offended, but he understood this to be a compliment, and felt self-conscious. "After all, someone who has known snow-swept land and cloud-gowned sky notices when the sun appears." He mumbled, fidgeting again as his accent began to override his clarity in his embarrassment. More clearly, he addressed the issue of his eyes. "Ah, I think that my eye colour comes from blue, but changed a little, just as did green eyes. I have not seen many with eyes like mine, but I have these from my father."

((Good lord I'm already rolling around from how cute this is

((I know, right? They're such sweeties~))

"Ahh, thank you." Ivan responded, with not inconsiderable relief colouring his tone. It was reassuring to find that this barista he'd met was so easygoing and willing to help out. "I do have some time, or I would be panicking right now. I can wait." He added, grasping that Alfred needed to wait for his shift to end before he could assist him.

The big Russian had to suppress a giggle when Alfred puffed out his cheeks - it was simply too adorable and funny~ He hadn't seen an ex
pression like that for a long time, though he didn't quite know where he'd seen it before. Maybe when he'd been a little boy? That would make sense. "Hmm, that does sound a bit boring." He agreed, when the reasoning behind the pout emerged. "I sometimes end up in the background as well. I am also glad to have come here - I would still be lost and on my own in a new place if I had not. You are being very helpful~"

Friends? Ivan was slightly startled when Alfred spoke that word, unsure precisely why it struck such a chord with him. Sure, he was kind of a lonesome sort, and didn't tend to have many companions, but there was something about this that caused feeling to well up as though he had been much lonelier than he could recall being. Perhaps it was because of jet lag, or being foreign to this place he was newly landed in? He didn't know. He also didn't quite know how to respond to Alfred patting him, but it didn't make him feel as uncomfortable as he might have expected. "Da, making friends is nice." He murmured, feeling like a fool for voicing such inanity. What was he, a primary-schooler?

"Ah, thank you." Ivan replied, reflecting as he took the napkin that he'd been doing a lot of thanking so far that day. He couldn't really blame Alfred for his amusement, considering that he'd been amused by that pout. Besides, he knew that foam facial hair was funny.

Ivan was slightly relieved that Alfred didn't seem to have heard what he had said about him, as he wasn't sure he'd be able to handle the awkwardness if he were asked about it. He didn't know how to explain it to himself, let alone the person he'd spoken of. Somehow, some part of him seemed to equate Alfred with the sun. "For me, it is the other way around - although both of my parents have pale hair. My mother's is paler, though. How long do you have left until you can leave?"

Alfred practically flopped on top of the counter, arms crossed so his could rest his head stop them. "Assuming the guy who is taking the shift after me shows up on time for one about two hours." He puffed out his cheeks again, mostly hidden by his arms this time though. "He can be so late and he's a jerk that's good at fooling our customers into thinking he's a nice guy." He reached out for his abandoned comic book, taking note of what page he was on, before he flipped it shut.

Ivan blinked, bemused by Alfred's new posture. He did not encounter many people who were quite so motile and expressive - though that one guy he'd spotted hugging cats when his family had gone to sight-see in Venice once would probably do much the same. The return of the puffy cheeks provoked the same reaction from him as it had before, but the words accompanying the ex
pression were less amusing. "Then we are waiting for a lazy and irritating person? At least this way I will see who he is, so I will not be fooled, da?" He mused aloud, wondering vaguely why this slacker was not penalised in some way.

"Hmm?" Ivan began, as Alfred began to enquire into his reasons for coming. "Ah, I don't really mind. Is reasonable question." He answered, while being quite strongly reminded of a frolicsome golden retriever puppy by the other's stance, and trying not to stare at the odd position of Alfred's upturned rump. "Mostly, is because I heard that I could be coming here if I signed up - for as long as I can remember, I have wanted to be in a warm place and surrounded by sunflowers~" He wasn't quite sure why he felt that he could voice his fondest wish to Alfred this way, but it felt right, somehow. Besides, it had come true, so nothing he said about it could take away from that.

"Ah, it is natural for you to say that - it is your home - and I understand what you are saying. It was hard for me to leave Mother Russia, but I have wanted this for such a long time - I could not pass up the opportunity." He concluded, chuckling slightly, wondering whether it was uncomfortable to shrug while positioned so.

"You will? That is wonderful~ You have my gratitude - I am lucky to have met someone so considerate." Ivan blurted, his eyes having widened at Alfred's declaration. Why was this person being so generous? They'd only just met. Was this how people acted in Kansas, or was this just Alfred? His gut told him that it was the latter - surely nobody else would have such childlike enthusiasm for assisting a new acquaintance. "Where would you like to show me first, once you are free to go?" He asked, taking another sip of his drink.

((Yep, he certainly is))

Alfred beamed at his new companion, laughing lightly. "Yeah, he's real buddy-buddy with most of the managers and the owner of this ship, so he manages to slide away from trouble most of the time," he said with a quiet huff before he straightened up, linking his hands behind his head. For some odd reason he felt the need to file the information about the sunflowers away for another time, his head cocking a little bit at Ivan's question. "Well I'd assume you'd need to know where the college is first of all," he responded. "Especially in relation to where you live, since I doubt you'd be heading there from the coffee shop every day," he said with a quiet laugh.

Well, that answered that question, Ivan mused. If this irritating slacker was close to those in charge, of course he would get away with things. It was slightly relieving when Alfred straightened up, as Ivan had been finding it more and more difficult to keep from giggling.

"This is true." He responded, "Ah, but I am not sure where I will be living, either. Someone at the college is supposed to tell me - I think it depends on how many transfer students have come." He felt a little foolish for not having realised what would have to be first on the agenda, though he couldn't say that the idea of coming here everyday was unappealing.

"Ehh?!" Ivan exclaimed, flushing a delicate shade of pink as Alfred made his next point, amethyst-hued eyes springing open wider as he contemplated the notion. "Bozhe moi! Do you really think so? I am, ahh, not used to that much attention..." The silent question - What should I do? - hung in the air unspoken as he turned imploring eyes to meet Alfred's. Help me? He thought anxiously, wondering whether a flyswatter would actually be a practical option. Would he really be the focus of such attention? He didn't think that he'd really like to be the target of so many people, for all that it would be flattering.

Ivan nodded in agreement when Alfred dismissed the notion of nightclubs - such things made him feel uncomfortable and out of place, and he tended to get a headache from them. "Ah, is there a park near here? I like those." He asked, already picturing such a place. Flowers, grass, open spaces and the sky above - yes, he liked parks.

Alfred nodded at Ivan's first response, smiling. Makes sense. No need for a big building if there's only like three of you," he responded, crossing his arms as he thought a bit, only to be slightly startled out of said thought by Ivan's exclamation and those eyes looking up at him, not unlike a frightened kitten is what Alfred's mind supplied.

It did indeed make sense, though Ivan would have preferred to know beforehand whether he was to stay on campus, with a home-stay host, or in a hostel. Then, at least, he'd know what was going on, and maybe not feel so disoriented.

Alfred's words regarding the division of attention were reassuring, and it set his mind a little more at ease to know that there was someone who would be looking out for him, and he allowed himself to relax a touch. "I appreciate that." He mumbled, his imagination presenting him with a terrifying vision of what might happen if he didn't have Alfred's help - and, for some reason, his mind automatically assumed that any girls pursuing him would be creepy stalkers that got everywhere. Alfred's next action startled him - he certainly hadn't expected the fellow to ruffle his hair - but he found that he didn't mind it. Nobody had done that to him for years, but this felt - somehow right.

Bemused, and still slightly flushed, Ivan smiled slightly. He looked bewildered, but not offended. This feeling of camaraderie, so familiar and yet so strange, it was actually somewhat soothing. Deciding not to mention it, in case it made things too awkward and removed the oddly nostalgic feeling, he followed the change in subject.

"That sounds good to me." He responded, watching Alfred bustling about. "Ahh, I like dandelions, and buttercups, and lily-of-the-valley, and chamomile, and forget-me-nots, and little purple flowers whose names I don't remember - I like lots of flowers, so I'm sure I won't be disappointed~ The sunflower is my favourite, but the others are pretty also." It was a little odd, being able to talk to someone about flowers. He'd have initially assumed that he'd be called a sissy for liking them, but it seemed that Alfred was different.

Having finished his drink, Ivan needed another reason to stay in the shop and talk to Alfred, so he decided to ask about the snacks. "Which snacks do you think taste the best from this list?" He enquired, pointing again at the menu. "Since you work here, you're more likely to know."

Alfred nodded with a smile. "Then yeah, you'll like the parks," he told him, tilting his head slightly in response to the question regarding the desserts. "Oh, uh, well doughnuts are the handiest usually, unless they're the glazed kind, but seeing as you're here with a nearly infinite source of napkins I think you'd be safe there." Then he turned to look at the menu, scanning it briefly. "Honestly I personally don't have a favorite. When I get hungry I eat just about anything," he said with a laugh, grinning. "But judging by your choice in drinks you might like cinnamon twists," he responded, pointing to where they were on the menu. "The most mess you have to worry about it is the cinnamon and sugar falling off sometimes," he told him, grinning up at who was quite possibly his new favorite customer. "And then we have chocolate-covered doughnuts and similar twists, but without the cinnamon."

It seemed to Ivan as though he had been right about this place - he'd not been in Kansas for even a whole day, and he was already learning and making friends. To top it all off, flower-filled parks were in the offing~ It was good to know that he'd made the right choice.

Ivan chuckled a little at the napkin comment, recalling his earlier foam moustache, and mused over the options he'd been presented with. All of them sounded so tasty, but it would be greedy to order all of them. "Hmm, I think I would like one of the cinnamon twists you mentioned - though I think that I will try the doughnuts next time." He decided aloud, after contemplation.

"Not bad indeed." Ivan smiled in response, pleased with the way the day had turned out, and settled into conversation with Alfred about that comic book he'd been reading. Ivan wasn't the most familiar with comics, but Alfred seemed to like them, and he wanted to understand Alfred better - after all, wasn't that part of making friends? In any case, it would be a way to pass the time until the end of Alfred's shift, as something told Ivan that the American could jabber about comics for hours if you let him.

((Oh don't even get him started on Captain America eue))

"Ah, my thanks." Ivan responded, taking the twist and examining it to determine the best method of eating it. Deciding that the napkin provided the least messy option, he picked the treat up that way, and began to nibble at it. The dessert item proved delectable, and it showed in Ivan's ex
pression. Had he been as expressive as Alfred, he might have hummed in pleasure at the flavour.

Have I just unleashed a monster? Ivan wondered to himself, beholding the changed ex
pression Alfred was wearing. It seemed as though this person was an untapped well full of energy and excitement - he could probably power at least a city, if there was some way to harness his sheer exuberance.

"There is a character named after your country? I suppose I can see why you would like that. Superman, I have heard of - he grew up in Kansas, did he not? This Captain America, though, I do not know. I should probably know at least a little bit more about these comics you like so much before I think of borrowing any - or I will be very lost, da? What is this American captain a captain of?"

((Ivan doesn't know to steer clear :c) Reckon that slacker should appear soon?))

The American grinned wider, blue eyes practically shining with pure excitement. "He's only the /best/!" he responded, nodding once he remember the first question. "A-and yeah, Superman grew up in Kansas, but Captain America, whose real name is Steven Rogers, was a /supersoldier/!" he told him. "He started off as this...scrawny, pathetic thing until he was injected with this serum." He ducked down to rifle through a couple things, likely reserve comics since slow days happened often. He popped back up a moment later, sliding an issue of Captain America over towards the Russian to point to the cover.