Fandom High Welcome Picnic, Front Lawn of the School, Saturday, All Day

[bigdamnprincipal]

If anyone in Fandom could control the weather, they weren't doing a particularly good job with it today. It was quite hot and sticky outside, so the lawn was filled with as many pop-up tents as could be acquired to provide some well-needed shade. There were plenty of cool drinks and moddable food that would hopefully survive the heat--it might not have felt like summer would be ending any time soon, but it was time to celebrate the coming fall nonetheless!

[Flying OCD-free! Have at it and stay cool!]

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[stykera]

"Nothing that will melt," Stark said, holding out the plate for inspection.

"Fruit. Little things. Take what you like." As if he'd ever stop her. "The little crispy thing is cheese, I think? I liked it."

[somethingwithturquoise]

She if she'd even feel like she needed permission. Summer's hand, in fact, may have already been drifting out to pluck a strawberry from the selection even before he'd started to answer. And, of course, one of the little crispy things, too, since he mentioned it.

"I don't think," she said, "they've ever missed at one of these picnics with the food, really. I mean, I'd hope not. Food is kind of the whole point."

Well, you know, and greeting and welcoming newbies and pointing to Sidon a lot.

[stykera]

"I do like the food. And I didn't even see anything gross," Stark told her, grinning just a little.

"Not even gross because it melted in the heat. You're all right?"

[somethingwithturquoise]

"And you do know gross when you see it," Summer noted, her grin just a little bit bigger and slightly smug with the fact that that was very clearly her influence.

"And I'm good," she added, with a small nod, although her curiosity about whether or not expressing otherwise might lead into a whole thing of Stark running around to try to make her more comfortable had her wrinkling her nose a little and complaining just a bit. "Little warm, but it's fiiiiine."

Complete with a dismissive wave of her hand and a sip of a drink that had been cold a little bit ago, but was starting to lose that battle a bit.

[stykera]

"I do," Stark said, smirking at her.

"I could get you another drink. Or more ice. If you need it. I know it's hot."

He was going to want snuggles to stay warm over the winter. He could offer cooling options now in trade!

Was it too hot to kiss her? He'd have to think about that. Maybe if he brought over something icy later...

[somethingwithturquoise]

See, now, and that kind of manipulative sense of forethought Summer would also like to claim as her influence in action, and she would have no choice but to be impressed by that kind of long game.

"Mmm," Summer seemed to look thoughtfully into her cup before holding it out, her head tilted and her smile sort of a soft, hopeful one. "Maybe some more ice would be good..."

[stykera]

Stark could be taught!

But he also did have a vested interest in Summer being happy. She was his friend, above all, and then there was everything else.

"I can get more ice," he said, nodding. "Maybe there's even ice cream? Or a popsicle? I'll look and I'll be right back."

And he would be. With a red popsicle and a freshly refilled cup and a hopeful smile.

[somethingwithturquoise]

Summer watch Stark go with a soft, pleased smile on her face. Not a smug or triumphant one, but one wrought from a little stirring of the something that had been brewing somewhere in her chest these last few weeks, that same thing that kept subtly nudging, unbeknownst to her, the needle on that seriousness gauge.

"Thanks, Stark," she said, taking them both and rewarding him for them by leaning in for a quick peck on the cheek, before pulling away again to get to that popsicle. "That was very thoughtful; good thinking."

[stykera]

Stark just wanted her to be happy and know she was cared for.

"You're welcome," he said, ducking his head a little at that kiss on the cheek. "Frozen sounded good for today."

Maybe they ought to try and go to the ice cream planet one day when it was hot. Just for fun.

"Anything else? You're all right? Seen anyone interesting so far?"

[somethingwithturquoise]

Or maybe when it was cold! Because irony!

Summer smiled a little as she nodded. "I'm good," she assured him. "Thank you. And, you know?" She took a second to look around the park again. "A lot of the usual suspects, as far as I can tell. Well, except maybe the little guy with the nose. At some point, I have to try to track down Belle, since I'm officially a ~faculty advisor~," look at her, and all her new fancy titles this semester!, "so I'm supposed to show her the ropes, but, I mean, easy peasy, she'd already been a student here, you know?

"How about you?"

[stykera]

"Another job," Stark said fondly. "You weren't busy enough?"

Oh, Summer.

"I haven't talked to anyone yet, really. I've just been looking around. I always look in case there's someone from home...or someone else come back. I haven't seen anyone yet. But I always look."

[somethingwithturquoise]

"I like to keep busy," Summer said, with a dismissive little shrug.

It helped stave off the existential dread!

"And I always like doing the advisor and teacher buddy stuff, too. I mean, I've been here long enough to know, you know? And it's a good way to meet new people, or more people, and really help them out, if I can. But, you know, whatever. If you do end up seeing or talking to anyone new or interesting, you'll have to let me know about it. You should, talking to new people is good for you!"

[stykera]

"I know you do." Stark nodded. "It helps, sometimes, staying busy."

Stark might need some new activities to keep himself busy!

"And you're good at helping. I've always thought so. And...I know. I'll look for people to talk to. I went to see Travis, yesterday."

[somethingwithturquoise]

"Yeah?" asked Summer, head tilting curiously. "And how's he been doing? Besides being a total fucking hermit, anyway."

[stykera]

"He mentioned being a hermit," Stark said. "And that you think he is one. I told him he doesn't need to be. I suggested maybe we could do something."

In a friend way. Not a friend way.

[somethingwithturquoise]

But even if it was in a friend way, that would be...erm...good.

Right?

"I am always telling him he should get out more," Summer confirmed with a nod. "What do you think you guys'll go do?"

[stykera]

Stark wasn't in the market for another friend. He was very happy with the just the one.

"I don't know. I just said we ought to. And that I ought to be a better friend especially after he rescued me from the House that wanted to torture me...Maybe
I can eat least get him to come to the bar on Wednesday? Or on Mondays."

[somethingwithturquoise]

"Tell him," said Summer, "that if he does show up to the bar on a Wednesday, I promise I will not give him crap for being such a fucking hermit. Maybe that'll add a little extra incentive."

And her smile was a bit apologetic. In part because she did tend to sort of harp on him about that whenever she ran into him, but mostly because she still felt kind of bad that she hadn't done more to rescue Stark from the house that wanted to torture him.

Though not for want of trying! She just got it wrong!

[stykera]

"I'll let him know," Stark promised. "And I'll...offer to buy him a drink." Or several.

"Maybe that will help. It shouldn't hurt. Unless you make him try all of the jello."

[somethingwithturquoise]

Summer made a little face at Stark, because, like, how even dare he.

"And what if," she said, lifting her eyebrows and her chin loftily, "I just so happen to make all good jello shots? Then he could only be so lucky to try all of them."

[stykera]

Stark just grinned at her.

"Then he'll be lucky," he said. "Just...not so lucky as I am."

[somethingwithturquoise]

"Why's that?" asked Summer, with a faint tickle in her brain that the answer could wind up being awkwardly sincere, but she apparently decided she'd deal with that if it were to be the case. "Because then you won't be stuck having to try any gross ones that night?"

[stykera]

"You know why," Stark told her, smiling softly.

"Nothing to do with not having to try gross jello at all."

[somethingwithturquoise]

And that was a sincere answer without being directly so, which Summer actually really appreciated, and so there was a soft smile back and maybe, just maybe, even a little bit of pink rising up to the surface of her face, maybe.

"I think," she said, "I might have an idea. That has nothing to do with the fact that you actually fucking love all that gross jello."

[stykera]

"Is that what I love?" Stark asked. "All the gross jello?"

He did love seeing it even if he didn't always love tasting it. But he'd do it gladly for the reactions it got.