Summer Shenanigans, Wednesday, June 26, 202

[sith_happened]

There was an ice skating rink set up in the center of the park, which would be nice of a day like today if center ice hadn't been ominously filled with plastic ball pit balls. There were four laundry baskets spread out equally around the circle of balls, four scooters--red, yellow, blue, and green--next to the baskets, and most disturbingly of all...four hippo costumes.

Anakin, what have you wrought?

"We're playing Hungry Hungry Hippos," Anakin announced through the unnecessary megaphone. "And by we I mean you. Listen for your names!"

TEAM RED
Lydia
Steph
Belle
Arden

TEAM BLUE
Rosa
Vi
Stewart
Beta

TEAM GREEN
Cara
Beaker
Amaya
Kamala

TEAM YELLOW
Dean
Steve M
Don
Eleanor

"You only need to wear the costume while you're retrieving the balls!" Anakin announced like that made it better. He pointed to the boring red, blue, green, and yellow t-shirts next to him. "Just wear the t-shirts for everything else."

Comments

Re: Voluntolds, Come on Down!

[giveittoyoursister]

Vi's guilt complex would argue there was totally a point to her suffering, so good thing Steph had the deciding vote there.

Vi covered Steph's hand and squeezed back. "Yes, boss."

Re: Voluntolds, Come on Down!

[drumsticksandd20s]

Steph half-playfully grimaced at the epithet, but smiled back at her.

"We'll stop and grab some Icy Hot or something for that shoulder after this, and then you're taking it easy the rest of the day."

Sure, it might be slightly more sensible to tell her to just go home and rest instead of partaking of this madness, but it was still progress.

Re: Voluntolds, Come on Down!

[giveittoyoursister]

Look, leaving early was just inviting something even more ridiculous next time.

"That sounds nice." So long as they both remembered to wash their hands before the inevitable fooling around.

Re: Voluntolds, Come on Down!

[drumsticksandd20s]

And Steph knew better than to tempt fate where Anakin's inexplicable whims were concerned.

"I am very nice, as a matter of fact."

Was Vi's narrative trying to imply that Steph would have so little self-restraint as to let things get out of hand when she was trying to let Vi's shoulder have a chance to heal? Gasp.

Re: Voluntolds, Come on Down!

[giveittoyoursister]

Vi's narrative had met both of them.

"So nice you deserve nice things in return."

Case in point.

Re: Voluntolds, Come on Down!

[drumsticksandd20s]

"I mean, I'm not gonna argue," Steph said, waggling her eyebrows before she gently shoved one fingertip against Vi's chest. "But I can also wait on that for a day or two."

Was that growth? Gasp.

Re: Voluntolds, Come on Down!

[giveittoyoursister]

Growth? Or the pride before a fall? Only time would tell.

Vi gently caught her hand, rubbing her thumb over Steph's knuckles. "You're assuming that I want to wait on that a day or two."

Re: Voluntolds, Come on Down!

[drumsticksandd20s]

Why couldn't it be a little bit of both?

"I assume the exact opposite, actually," Steph retorted, attempting to poke at Vi's chest again despite her hand being suddenly caught. "That goes for both of us, by the way. Knowing you're in pain, like actual pain, is not sexy though."

Re: Voluntolds, Come on Down!

[giveittoyoursister]

"It doesn't hurt that much." Never mind Vi would probably say that unless she was lying curled up on the floor, and possibly not even then.

Re: Voluntolds, Come on Down!

[drumsticksandd20s]

"I call bullshit," Steph said, lightly but pointedly. "If it didn't hurt that much I wouldn't have been able to tell."

Which was only because she knew Vi well enough. So there.

Re: Voluntolds, Come on Down!

[giveittoyoursister]

It was deeply unfair of Steph to use the fact she loved and cared about Vi like that.

"I have two hands?" Vi tried instead.

Re: Voluntolds, Come on Down!

[drumsticksandd20s]

Yes, how dare she let that dictate her actions!

"You are taking. It. Easy tonight," Steph said again with a low and slightly pained chuckle. "Promise I'll make up for it with interest later. Just let me take care of you, okay?"

Re: Voluntolds, Come on Down!

[giveittoyoursister]

It was downright rude of her.

"Fine," Vi said with a very dramatic sigh as she tried to pull Steph into a hug.

Re: Voluntolds, Come on Down!

[drumsticksandd20s]

Oh no, a hug!

Steph folded into the hug with an eagerness that was at least half an attempt to keep Vi from actually having to make an effort to pull her in.

"There could even be ice cream and cheesy movies."

They were not watching Vi's favorite movie, because that would be counterproductive.

Re: Voluntolds, Come on Down!

[giveittoyoursister]

The day Vi couldn't give Steph a hug, they were really in trouble.

"How could I say no to that offer?"

Maybe a little.

Re: Voluntolds, Come on Down!

[drumsticksandd20s]

Which was exactly why Steph was willing to put in the extra effort to make hugs happen even if she thought Vi should take it easy.

"I was hoping you wouldn't be able to, yeah."

Look, it had never been productive in the past, why would it start now?

Re: Voluntolds, Come on Down!

[giveittoyoursister]

Vi leaned in to kiss her temple. "Love you."

It wasn't Vi's fault those muscles were so distracting.

Re: Voluntolds, Come on Down!

[drumsticksandd20s]

Steph wrapped an arm around her waist for a quick squeeze. "Love you too. You looking goofy as hell in that hippo outfit --" she said as if she wouldn't look just as goofy -- "isn't going to change that."

Look, that was nobody's fault. Choosing to put themselves in a position to be distracted by them, on the other hand...