fandomhigh | Finding (More) New Hobbies, Thursday Period 2

Finding (More) New Hobbies, Thursday Period 2

Hobby class, today, was meeting in a generic classroom. Stark was standing at the front of the room with some books on the desk by him along with a stack of squares of colorful paper. Stark was also dressed in what could charitably be described as 'threadbare' clothing today. There were holes. He hadn't even known he still had this shirt.

“I’m Stark,” Stark said. “If you don’t know me by now. Welcome to a workshop on finding new hobbies. More new hobbies. We’ll try out something new each week and maybe find something we want to keep doing. Or not. Easy enough to never try something again after the first time.”

“I’m looking for ways to help keep myself busy.” Moreso right now than at the beginning of the summer, even. “So I thought I’d share that. I do better when I have things to do. And today’s thing to do is folding paper into shapes. It’s called origami, it’s from Japan, and it’s you make little paper sculptures.”

He held up a small paper frog. “Like this frog. It jumps.”

He demonstrated, then held up a few other shapes including tiny stars. “So, try some things out. And…I suppose we can do introductions? In case not everyone knows each other. If someone would like to start before we start folding? Or you can fold and talk. No reason not to do both.”

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"Always good to have an excuse to celebrate," Stark said. "And if you wanted something small I'm glad that's what you got for yourselves. Very glad. When did you do it?"

"This past Sunday," Steven said. "We extended our holiday. Got back last night. Didn't want to miss your class."

"I'm glad you're back," Stark said. "And in the class. It's good to see you."

"Glad to be taking the class," Steven said. "Sort of regretted not doing it last go round. Pleased you're doing it again. How are you?"

Steven had not caught up on any radio from when he was on holiday, no.

"I'm fine," Stark said with a small shrug.

He was! Generally speaking.

"Trying to keep busy. Wondering where my clothes have disappeared to."

"I wasn't certain if I should ask," Steven admitted. "I take it you didn't intend to dress like that?"

"I didn't think I owned this anymore."

He might not have. It might have just appeared today!

"No. I try not to look...like this. If I can help it."

Years of having no spare clothes would do that to a man.

"Long as you're all right?" Steven asked, looking at him with concern.

"I'm fine," Stark repeated. "Or I will be. Just a thing the island does, sometimes. The clothes. And the laundry machines."

And the people leaving but he wasn't talking about that right now because his friend had happy news and happy news was a much better topic!

Of course, he was going to end up in his leather pants with no shirt soon enough, but he'd still be fine.

"I did spill tea on my shirt this morning," Steven said, indicating the stain. "Thought it was just me being me."

It possibly could have been. Hard to rule out.

The poor girl in the library had ended up wearing half her milkshake. So sad.

"No, it happens."

It was more fun when there were people you enjoyed seeing in various states of undress though.

"Things spill more than usual and things just disappear and sometimes they return and sometimes things just get ruined. It usually ends in a week. Or about a week."

"I see," Steven said. "It's been going on for a bit then? I've not caught up on radio."

"It tends to get worse as the week goes on. Or maybe you just notice more because options for clothing grow increasingly limited. You haven't listened to anything since you left? Steve and Tony had a party, for Steve's birthday. And other people have had clothing difficulties this week. I think Anakin is a cat at the moment so Jaina tormented us yesterday in his stead."

"I knew about the party," Steven said. "That was from before. I apologized that Llewellyn and I wouldn't be able to make it. Rest of it, no. We got in last night and had things to catch up on. You know how it is."

Somehow mentioning the part about not telling Marc until they got home felt too personal to share with anyone.

"I suppose there's some luck that we're in at the tail end of whatever's going on with the clothing?" Steven said. Not that his currently stained shirt would agree, but luckily this was not an event where clothing could talk.

"And all the new classes have started," Stark continued. "Of course. I nearly won paintball this week. Nearly. Raiden opened a brunch restaurant. And...Summer's gone. On a trip. Not gone."

"A brunch place? Oh that sounds nice," Steven said. "Have to give that a go."

Then the rest of the news caught up with Steven. He frowned. "She's on holiday?"

"The brunch was very good," Stark said. "And...she's trying something new. Somewhere else. For a while."

And that was fine everything was fine.

Steven's eyebrows raised. "Is she? Well that's - you said it wasn't forever though?"

Edited 2025-07-10 21:20 (UTC)

"Probably not," Stark said. "She left Pancakes here. And her ship. She'd need to at least come back for them."

Steven's eyebrows came back down into a confused frown. "So she's elsewhere looking to - no, I'm sorry, I don't understand. It still sounds like she's on holiday."

"Hopefully."

Stark shrugged a little helplessly. "I'm looking after Pancakes." It had been 2 days and she'd already done some damage to his wardrobe which was honestly just rude.

Steven's confusion wasn't going away. "Why hopefully? Did she go somewhere dangerous?"

"Hopefully she won't decide to stay forever," Stark said softly.

He shook his head a little as if trying to clear the thought. "It's fine. I'm fine I'm sure she's fine. I shouldn't worry. About any of it. Not my place."

"Is that something she said she wanted?" Steven asked. "Is that why she left? To suss out a potential new home?"

"She needed to do something new. At least for a while. Something different. Something exciting."

She needed to make some questionable choices with new people!

Re: Talk to Stark [7/10]

Re: Talk to Stark [7/10]

Re: Talk to Stark [7/10]

Re: Talk to Stark [7/10]

Re: Talk to Stark [7/10]

Re: Talk to Stark [7/10]

Re: Talk to Stark [7/10]

Re: Talk to Stark [7/10]

Re: Talk to Stark [7/10]

Re: Talk to Stark [7/10]

Re: Talk to Stark [7/10]

Re: Talk to Stark [7/10]

Re: Talk to Stark [7/10]

Re: Talk to Stark [7/10]

Re: Talk to Stark [7/10]

Re: Talk to Stark [7/10]

Re: Talk to Stark [7/10]

Re: Talk to Stark [7/10]

Re: Talk to Stark [7/10]

Re: Talk to Stark [7/10]

Re: Talk to Stark [7/10]

Re: Talk to Stark [7/10]

Re: Talk to Stark [7/10]

Re: Talk to Stark [7/10]

Re: Talk to Stark [7/10]