fandomhigh | Summer Picnic, Main Campfire, Friday afternoon

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!event: friday events

Summer Picnic, Main Campfire, Friday afternoon

At lunchtime, the campfire area was set up with blankets, baskets, picnic tables, food, and ant problems. The groundskeeper who brought the ants was later sent home for the rest of the day. It turned out that he didn't really like picnics.

[OOC: I suck and completely forgot about this. Sorry about the relative lateness. It's a sunny and fairly comfortable day. I MOD WEATHER! MWAHAHAHAHAHA!]

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Stare at the ants. Do not kill them. They've done nothing to you.

Parker stared at them.

Parker glared at them.

The ants ignored her.

River looked at Parker. "What do you have against ants?" she asked.

"Food-stealing itchy tiny almost-invisible pests." Parker doesn't look away from to see who's talking to her, but she does wave. "I don't want to *kill* them." Much. "I'm just trying to figure out how to keep them over there, and my food over here. Without ever the two meeting."

"Why not eat them?" River suggested. "Extra protein. Moving crunchiness."

Parker looked up, half-appalled and half-amused, then blinked. "River?" Wait. Different River, someone had mentioned that. Parker immediately tried thinking in song lyrics, just hoping River wouldn't be able to read her mind that way.

The ants go marching two by two
Hurrah, hurrah
the ants go marching two by two
hurrah, hurrah...

Ok, this girl knew songs about ants. But River wasn't going to mention that. "I'm River, who are you?"

That had to be a lot more normal.

"Parker." The ants song segued into Dave Matthews' Ants Marching, and Parker cocked her head. "We've never met, I guess. Except I met a different you last fall." Biting her lip, Parker figured she might as well get it in the open, "She could read minds. Can you?"

He wakes up in the morning
Does his teeth, bite to eat and he's rolling
Never changes a thing
The week ends, the week begins

Now River looked very nervous. She could lie. But she didn't expect her mind reading was a secret among people who knew her. And lying about it might make things worse. "Sometimes. A little. I won't read yours if you don't want to."

Why was she thinking about songs?

Dave Matthews slipped into the background, and Parker smiled. "Thanks. I appreciate it." She paused. "You probably wouldn't like half of what I think, anyway. Sometimes I'm not a very nice person." She grinned a little. "And sometimes I'm a heinous bitch."

She took a look at the River-in-front-of-her, and compared her to River-from-last-fall, and found them fairly similar. Although the other one had been more-- scattered? Scared? Something. This one seemed fairly focused.

River shrugged. "People think strange things. Things they wouldn't say." Was that a good thing to say?

She found Parker's thoughs on the other River disturbing and still it made her curious. "What was other me like?"

A little more relaxation at that. "I'm hoping you won't be too upset at anything you find in my mind. And sometimes people have secrets, so...." And she had way, way too many. Jarod and Angelo and -- Angels we have heard on high, sweetly singing o'er the plain-- other things.

She cocked her head, thinking again. "Curious? She seemed--" inexperienced. Shy. Nervy. "--unsettled, here. I don't know if she was happy." And of course, there was always--

You're beautiful, beautiful it's true

That whole mess with Lee.

Parker face-palmed. "Um. Anyway. Possibly there's more than you want to know that I should leave before I can't help thinking of details."

River wanted to ask about Lee, but that would have been too obvious. "I asked you. That means I want to know. If other me did things and people think of her when they see me..." That was such a strange thought. She shook her head.

"You're not her, though." Parker's dealt with John, Cam, Archie, Lee, Dean and Alec, and two Buffys by now. This River is not equal to that River. Different math. "Uh. She kind of grabbed some memories of mine. Sexy ones. Because she was trying to keep someone else out. I was okay with it later, but I'd rather she asked, first."

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"I don't think they care," Zero said, peering around Parker at the ants. "They have wee little brains, after all."

"Hive mind. All of them together, right? They should get the message to stay away from me." Parker waved back at Zero, eyes still on the ants. "How goes it?"

"'Cept for Cally's screamin' fit wakin' me up at early-arse o'clock, swerval. 'Course, I went back to sleep after that, but still."

"Screaming fit? What was she throwing a tantrum about?" Parker moved her drink away from some interloping ants, and gave them a warning look.

Zero shrugged and nudged an ant with her toe. "Nightmare, I guess. Really squalling loud one."

"Hunh. Hope she's okay. Wonder what that was about." Parker glared at the ants again, and some of them started to march by, single-file. "Did you have class today? Constant Vigilance, or another one?"

"Nope, I did nothing an' it was wonderful. I did sorta glare at the mail an' hope Storms of Silver would come in, but no. 'M pretty sure Mum's readin' it."

Parker grinned slowly, and took a bite of watermelon. "Guess who just finished her copy last night?"

"Oh Parker! Please please please and don't tell me what happens on page 226!"

Parker snickered hard enough to almost fall off the log she was sitting on. "You owe me ice cream, but sure. Stop by the cabin on your way back to Pot-Bellied Pig, and you can have it." She smiled widely. "Page 226 does *not* compare to page 312. Just saying."

"Name your flavor!" Zero flailed. "Don't tell me! I'm tryin' not to be spoiled! I mean, um, I read them because they're funny. Yes."