The Park, Saturday Afternoon

[actingltcrumpet.livejournal.com]

Archie had gone all the way up to the East Attic to pick up Veronica for their date. That was what she called it, anyway, but he liked to think of it as very special play time, and that was why he had two toy boats with him as they approached the duck pond.

"Will you show me how this one works?" he asked, indicating the remote control boat. "I don't know how to play with it yet."

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[marsheadtilt.livejournal.com]

"Sure!" Veronica said, holding out her hand so she could look at the boat. "Does the 'mote have batteries?"

[actingltcrumpet.livejournal.com]

Luckily enough it did, and Archie gladly presented the remote to Veronica with all solemnity due to a Very Important Occasion such as a toy boat's first cruise. "Do the batteries make it go?" he asked, watching in rapt fascination.

[marsheadtilt.livejournal.com]

"Sorta," Veronica explained. "The batteries make the 'mote work. And if you push this button, that'll make the boat go frontways. And if you push this one, it'll make it go sideways. And this one makes it go faster."

She grinned. "You should put the boat in the water and try it."

[actingltcrumpet.livejournal.com]

"We should do that!" Archie said happily. He sat down very carefully on the grass and removed his tiny boots and socks, then rolled up his trouser legs as fastidiously as only a very young boy could. Holding the boat in both hands and staring at it with fierce concentration, he waded into the duck pond up to his ankles.

"There," he announced, setting it down on the water. "Now we make it sail?"

[marsheadtilt.livejournal.com]

Veronica was a young lady and young ladies did not take their shoes and socks off and wade in duck ponds. Even though she thought it looked really fun.

"Yep," she said, handing the remote back to Archie. "Just push the buttons!"

[actingltcrumpet.livejournal.com]

"All right!"

And Archie pushed all the buttons. At once. The boat started going in very rapid circles, and he crowed with glee. "I don't think it's s'posed to sail like that, but that's funny!"

[marsheadtilt.livejournal.com]

"You're not 'apposed to push all the buttons at the same time!" Veronica said, giggling at the boat going in circles.

[actingltcrumpet.livejournal.com]

"You're not? Oh." Archie stopped pushing two of them, and the boat just started going sideways instead. He looked wistfully at the wooden yacht. "I wish that boat could do this too! This is fun."

[marsheadtilt.livejournal.com]

Veronica nodded. "It's a really neat boat," she said.

[actingltcrumpet.livejournal.com]

"I made it," said Archie proudly. He looked down at his muddy toes and frowned. He'd already taken two showers today and was going to need a third! And getting up on tiptoe to reach the knobs was so scary.

"Oh," he exclaimed as his little stomach grumbled. "We forgot to get food!"

[marsheadtilt.livejournal.com]

"Oh yeah!" Veronica said. She tilted her head. "Well, if you put your shoes and socks back on, we can go to Luke's. He's nice and he'll give us food!"

[actingltcrumpet.livejournal.com]

Archie's stomach grumbled again and he clapped both hands over it, dropping the remote. "I like it out here, too. Can we bring the food back here and eat with the duckies?" he asked.

[marsheadtilt.livejournal.com]

"Sure," Veronica said. "We said we were gonna have a picnic, right?"

She reached out to take Archie's hand. "Let's go! (http://community.livejournal.com/fandomtownies/798782.html?replyto=31232830)" she said.