fandomhigh | Summer Shenanigans [Wednesday mid-morning]

Good morning, everyone! It's time for another summer of Anakin Skywalker Thinks This Teaches Team Building and But Mostly Amuses Himself!

Or "Shenanigans."

The bleachers for viewing were set up in the park, close to the pond and near the Belthazor Commemorative Divot. Food vendors had arrived with hot dogs, popcorn, and rum for the squirrels. And coffee. Just...so much coffee. Huge flatscreens were set up facing the bleachers, which gave people a hint that today's event would not just stay inside the park, and the cameras were trained at...well, ankle height or the sky for now because squirrels and rum.

Anakin and his bullhorn were standing behind a folding table stacked high with brightly patterned shirts, and people who had been here before knew that just because the shirts were free, it never, ever meant you wanted to wear them.

"GOOD MORNING!" he boomed through the completely unnecessary bullhorn when enough people were gathered. "Welcome to another summer of team building activities!"

He might be waiting for a while if he was expecting cheers, just saying.

"Today, as has become tradition, we shall conduct a relay race around the island to acquaint you newcomers with where things are!" he said. "Please listen as your name is called and then come up for your team-building clothing."

AKA: ugly Hawaiian shirts.

"You'll be in--" he did a mental headcount at the number of people in the park, "--two groups of 11. Listen for your names!"

TEAM WORRISOME BANANA OBSESSION
Remy
Flint
Steve R.
Henry (male)
Lydia
Jaina
Raiden
Don
Jonathan
Mariner
Henry (female)

TEAM SCREAMING GORILLA
Lana
Steph
Vi
Rey
Hannibal
Eleanor
Quinn
Luma
Stewart
Belle
Steve M.

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Steve smiled. "My time jump was a little bit less dramatic," he said, "but I'm happy to help you adjust. I know what it's like to constantly feel a step or ten behind everyone. The shirt is, well, extremely ugly and on purpose. That's just part of the Wednesday activities. The dean of the school comes up with these weird physical games for everyone on Wednesdays in the summer. If you want to avoid them, avoid the parks on Wednesdays, but I found them a fun way to meet people."

Henry looked at him, and then at everything around the park, and the shirts, and sighed, and said, "I just don't understand why everyone keeps doing this sort of thing sober, I suppose. Because mad as it all looks, I think I may have done worse while drinking, just not..."

He waved his arm.

"Well, like this."

A pause.

"... And thank you."

Steve smiled back earnestly. "Of course. Come to me with any question. I've probably asked half of them." He saw the Chinese restaurant come into view. "Now, have you had shrimp or rice?" he asked as he peered closer at their ingredients.

"Can't say that I have," Henry said, as he began to slow. "But I'd love to try. I'm quite hungry."

When weren't you, Henry?

"Me too, but I need to warn you that cooking is not my strength," Steve said. "I'll eat whatever we do end up with, though. I don't like food waste."

"I'm not exactly a marvel in the kitchen myself, but I'm sure we'll make something out of it," Henry said, with rather unearned optimism. "Right, since you know what all this lot looks like, could you lead and I'll follow along?"

"Sure," Steve said. "We have to tie one of our hands to each other first, though." Experience had him add, "This is a strange thing just for this race, not how we cook now."

"... Would be a bit odd if it were," Henry said. "Imagine trying to knead a dough like that!"

Beat.

"... Right, so we should find some rope."

Steve searched around the station and found it. "Okay. Do you use your left or right hand more? I'm good with both."

"Can't say I've ever truly thought about it," Henry said, looking down at his hands and their calluses. "But I use the right one to use the hammer at the forge, so it's likely that one?"

"Okay, so we'll leave that one free and tie your left hand to my right hand," Steve said.

"All right," Henry said, holding his arm out. "... This isn't some weird ruse to take all of our money, is it?"

"I don't think so," Steve assured him. "Skywalker's more a fan of humiliation, as far as I know."

"Ah, I know the type," Henry said sympathetically. "Though, to be fair, sometimes I wonder if they fully understand what they're doing. Back home there's a noble who made me run after his horse rather than lend me one to come with him, but then he was quite nice afterward, oddly enough."

"That wasn't nice," Steve agreed, glancing over the recipe. "Okay, we need to crack some eggs into the bowl while the wok--this is a wok--heats up."

"Ah, I think I can handle that," Henry said, already fumbling around for the eggs. "Just breaking things."

"Try not to get the shell in," Steve advised.

"Good advice," Henry said merrily, cracking the egg on the rim of the wok. "This sure is a large pan. Where d'you think they find this kind of thing?"

Honey, focus on the work, not the many questions perpetually bouncing around your skull.

"I think they came with the restaurant," Steve said.

Summer Shenanigans [Wednesday mid-morning]

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