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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"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."

That made sense. In fact, Parker made sense. Except for those songs, but she couldn't ask about that.

River smiled. "So you dislike any other animals apart from ants?" Hopefully she didn't have a phobia against tentacled monsters.

Parker cocked her head, relieved, and grinned. "No, not really. I'm not fond of voyeuristic squirrels, but if they stay away from me, I'm good with it. And I have a bunny I love." Little bunny foo-foo... Okay, getting off the songs.

"So are we okay?"

"Yes, I believe so," River replied. "Have you tried talking to the squirrels? That seem to make them confused."

Parker blinked, then grinned. "No, but I should. I never even thought of that. Maybe if I offer them bribes next time, they won't go running back to their boss the shrubbery with details of what I'm up to." It was almost, but not-quite, like talking to Angelo. Except Angelo never said anything.

River nodded, looking serious. "Pippi and I talked Squirrel. They got very confused. What about the bunny?"

"Esme doesn't need words." Nudges and pats, bouncing and nose-wiggling, running and hiding and hugs. Words are extraneous. Like when you dance. Feeling and concepts that go beyond something verbal.

River understood the non-verbal thing. "Neither does Berthold," she said.

Parker cocked her head. "Berthold? Is he your pet?"

"Don't know if he likes being called 'pet'. He's the monster that lives under Buffy's bed. We feed him ice cream. And he went rafting with me last week."

Parker gave her a deadpan look. Half her brain was saying Are you messing with me? the other half was saying, Fandom. Totally possible. They both kind of met in the middle in an Enh. Whatever. "Just ice cream? No bunnies?" Her lips twitched. "Was he always there, and no one noticed?" It could happen.

"Don't know," River said. "He was there when I moved in. Or I made him up. Can't remember. He's very shy though, but now he has a blanket to hide under he comes out from under the bed sometimes." She smiled. "No bunnies. He likes Pip's crepes though."

Remembering what a hard time the other River had keeping people out of her head, Parker had to wonder how this River kept track of anything, inside vs. outside. So, yeah. A Monster Under the Bed. "I'll have to keep a look out for him, the next time he goes wandering. And who doesn't like crepes?" Parker paused, thinking, Mmm... fooood. "Speaking of which. I think dessert is in order. Care to join me?"

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Summer Picnic, Main Campfire, Friday afternoon

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