fandomhigh | Summer Shenanigans, Wednesday, August 21, 2024

Summer Shenanigans, Wednesday, August 21, 2024

"Today is our last team building exercise of the summer," Anakin announced to the group in the park over the sound of preschool children playing on the playground equipment. "And today I have brought in helpers!"

Oh, good.

"You will be put into teams and work your way through a series of obstacles with the help of a four year old child."

Well. "Help." Anakin knew four year old children.

"Today you will be wearing festive hats instead of shirts!" he added. "They were not at all inspired by my wife watching political conventions the last few weeks."

Lies. There was no other reason to wear a corn hat.

"Listen for your names!"

TEAM LIBERTY
Harley
Hannibal
Kamala
Raiden
Steve M
Eleanor

TEAM CHEESE
Vi
Sam
Stewart
Arthur
Stark
Lana

TEAM LOBSTA
Senshi
Flint
Navaan
Summer
Don
Belle

TEAM CORN
Miguel
Beaker
Lydia
Jon
Gray
Ben

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Eleanor was still pretty new to this selfie thing, so she ironically somehow got more of Kamala in the shot than she had herself. But once she realized that Kamala had tried to photobomb the picture, she just sort of turned her head to look back at her with a grin.

"If you wanted to be in the picture," she stated, "you could have just asked, you know."

And then the tilt of her head took on an inquiring note, the smile just a little more uncertain as she held up the phone again and gestured for Kamala to come into the shot with her this time instead.

"That would’ve ruined the whole point of photobombing," Kamala pointed out with a playful grin. "The idea is to have a nice picture totally messed up by someone being a goofball. But since you asked so nicely..."

She moved behind Eleanor, gently resting her chin on Eleanor’s shoulder and snuggling her cheek against El’s.

On a sudden impulse, Kamala wrapped her arms loosely around Eleanor’s waist.

"Silly face or smiles?" she whispered softly in Eleanor's ear.

Edited 2024-08-21 18:53 (UTC)

Eleanor was going to point out that there was no way Kamala could ever mess up a photo by being in it, but then Kamala was there behind her, resting her chin on her shoulder, an arm around her waist, and she sort of lost track of pretty much any other thought for a moment.

Then smiled and sort of leaned back into her, while trying her best to adjust the phone.

"How about one of each?" she suggested.

Kamala closed her eyes, breathing in softly as Eleanor leaned against her. When she opened them again, her smile grew just a little wider.

"I like it," she agreed with a happy nod. "Let’s start with smiles."

But in a playful moment of mischief, she waited until Eleanor was just about to snap the picture... then tried to tickle her.

And Eleanor had been so focused on trying to get the angle of her phone right for a good picture that she suspected nothing, and, when she squirmed away from Kamala and let out a startled gasp, it was less from feeling tickling and more just out of surprise.

And resulted in a very nice picture of their legs at an weird angle.

And Eleanor, now feeling a little tight and tense, realized what Kamala had been doing and instantly felt embarrassment for her defensive reaction flooding over her. Her head spun a little, trying to figure out whether she should apologize or try to brush it off, and the laugh she tried as a result of that debate came out awkward, and just made it worse and she shook her head.

"I'm sorry," she said quickly, "I just wasn't...you caught me off guard."

But, hey, at least her time here hadn't dulled her defensive instincts, at least...

That was not the reaction Kamala expected at all. She quickly straightened up, looking a bit worried. It wasn’t that she thought Eleanor would do anything—it was just the thought that Kamala had made her feel that way.

"No, no, no!" Kamala blurted out, raising her hands in concern. "You don’t have to apologize. This is totally my fault. I should be the one saying sorry."

She gave Eleanor a sheepish look, her eyes full of concern.

"I just wanted to make you laugh. I didn’t mean to startle you."

She swallowed nervously. "I'm really sorry."

"No, don't!" Eleanor said quickly, panicking for a moment as she saw her reaction to her reaction only making things worse, and she didn't know what to do to make Kamala not worry about it. But she did know what she wanted to do, and so she did that: reaching out for Kamala's hands to reassure her. "It's fine! I know....I know you didn't mean anything by it! I just...I mean...I'm just not use to..."

Feeling herself falter with this route, she tried a different one, her eyes full of apology as they implored Kamala. "It's just my instincts."

She winced, hating that reminder of what she was and where she came from, and having Kamala being reminded of that, too.

"I'm sorry."

She wasn't really just apologizing for flinching and pulling away like that, either.

Kamala understood why Eleanor was apologizing. And honestly, Kamala was the one who started this whole thing. But she knew that wasn’t what Eleanor needed to hear right now.

"It’s okay," Kamala said softly, taking Eleanor’s hands in hers. "You have nothing to apologize for. Not for that. Not to me. Ever."

She gave Eleanor’s hands a gentle tug, ducking her head slightly to catch Eleanor’s gaze. If Eleanor’s eyes held an apology, Kamala’s were filled with warmth and acceptance.

"Should I do a rewind?" she teased with a playful grin. "Or we could just hug it out and hope we don’t knock off our oh-so-awesome hats."

And that, apparently, was exactly what Eleanor needed to hear right then, because she instantly relaxed again, letting out a slow breath and nodding, giving Kamala's hands a squeeze right back and returning her smile.

It wasn't as playful, not by a longshot. It was still a little uncertain and unsure, but it was grateful and relieved, and it seemed to grow increasingly more so the more she looked at her, until she nodded.

"Hug it out," she said, "and then rewind."

Because she still wanted a cute picture on her phone of the two of them, but she also really wanted that hug, too, so that seemed to be the best answer, and she was pulling Kamala into that embrace before her nerves or concerns took over and she changed her mind.

Kamala chuckled and reached out to pull Eleanor into a warm hug. "Come here," Kamala said, feeling a wave of relief wash over her. "And I’d call you greedy, but I want them both too."

And as Eleanor drew closer, Kamala leaned in to whisper in her ear, "Just so you know, I’m making it my goal to make you laugh as much as possible."

Well, if that was Kamala's goal, she was already off to a great start, because that did make Eleanor laugh. Sure, it was one of those awkward, nervous things that you gave when you were coming down from a tense moment, but it was still a laugh, all the same, and she squeezed Kamala a little tighter in appreciation.

"I don't think you'll have too much trouble with that one," she assured her. "Though maybe with less surprise tickling."

Kamala smiled and reached up to straighten Eleanor’s hat, which honestly didn’t need it at all. Really just an excuse to touch her hair and shoulders. “No surprise tickling,” Kamala promised. “Only pre-planned and scheduled tickling that occurs on the third Thursday on the month at a given time. Notifications of said tickling will commence seven days before said tickling as well as an hour and then every ten minutes before the tickling will begin. If you should choose to opt out of said tickling you must announce said preference at any time before said tickling starts.”

She smiled and gave Eleanor a quick kiss on the cheek. “Whatever you need.”

"I might need that all in writing," Eleanor noted, with another laugh and a duck of her head against the creeping green edges of her blush. "But other than that? I think I might be pretty good right now, actually."

A massive understatement, of course.

"Thanks, Kam."

Kamala smiled in response and moved back to where she was before. Chin on Eleanor’s shoulder and cheek to cheek.

“Let’s get that picture now,” Kamala whispered in her ear. “All smiles.”

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Summer Shenanigans, Wednesday, August 21, 2024

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