The Park [afternoon]

[rilla-myrilla.livejournal.com]

Marilla Cuthbert wasn't used to not being in Avonlea, first of all, and was even more unused to having time on her hands. With her hair pulled up into a tight, no-nonsense bun (and the room she'd woken up in cleaned to within an inch of its life), Marilla decided to take a walk, which had led her to the benches by the pond, where she was now sitting in her long skirts, looking as unrelaxed as it was possible to do.

"No, I'm not feeding you, little beggers," she scolded the squirrels as they approached her.

[OOC: Oh so open.]

Comments

[andthemoralis.livejournal.com]

"Hey, have you seen any of the students?" Randy asked what he assumed was one of those historical reinactors. "I can't seem to find any."

Possibly because he'd ended up drinking beer rather than searching.

[rilla-myrilla.livejournal.com]

"I haven't," Marilla replied, "but it's Saturday. Shouldn't they be tending their family farms today?"

[andthemoralis.livejournal.com]

"...what."

[rilla-myrilla.livejournal.com]

Perhaps the man was hard of hearing.

"On their farms," she repeated, enunciating more clearly.

[andthemoralis.livejournal.com]

"Oh. Ohhhh." Wow, she was a hard core reinactor, wasn't she? "Sure, on their farms. Where else would they be, though?"

Yes, Randy thought he was being smart.

[rilla-myrilla.livejournal.com]

"On a Saturday?" Marilla pursed her lips. "Perhaps some of the boys could be off fishing. It's seems like a day for that sort of thing."

[andthemoralis.livejournal.com]

"No, Stan's not the fishing type. He never wants to go with me." Possibly because 'fishing' meant drinking a lot and doing stupid things.

Possibly.

[rilla-myrilla.livejournal.com]

"You've misplaced your...nephew, then?" Marilla asked.

[andthemoralis.livejournal.com]

"No, Stan's my son." Though now Randy was going to think he looked so nice that people didn't think he could possibly be a dad. "He's a good boy, though. I'm sure he's around here somewhere."

[rilla-myrilla.livejournal.com]

More that Marilla was hoping a father hadn't misplaced his son.

"What does he look like? I'll tell him to run along home if I see him."

Strange to think she didn't know all of the children of this village by sight.

[andthemoralis.livejournal.com]

"He's about this tall," Randy said, holding his hand up in an approximation of Stan's height. "Dark hair... answers to Stan."

That was helpful, right?

[rilla-myrilla.livejournal.com]

...Sure!

"I'll keep an eye out," Marilla promised. Because she was Canadian Victorian polite like that.

[andthemoralis.livejournal.com]

"Thanks," Randy replied, closing his eyes when he talked because he was smug about being such a good dad.

[rilla-myrilla.livejournal.com]

He was certainly something!

"You're quite welcome."

[sake-shinigami.livejournal.com]

It was possibly the most important mission of Solid Snake's life. So much was hanging on its ultimate success...or its untimely failure. He had gotten this far with success, the path lines with dead bodies and empty shells, and now the only thing standing between him and victory was patience and a good hiding spot.

And that was what brought Snake here. To the park. With a cardboard box.

The perfect disguise!

The would never find him in this box, here under this shady tree. All he had to do now was just wait. And watch.

In his box.

[rilla-myrilla.livejournal.com]

Marilla was going to stare at the man (and his cardboard box) for a while.

Finally: "...Stan?"

It couldn't hurt to check?

[sake-shinigami.livejournal.com]

Inside the box, Solid Snake narrowed his eyes in thought. Stan? Was that a code he had forgotten? It couldn't be. The voice sounded old, and old lady old, and so it was unlikely an operative.

"No," came a gravelly voice from inside the box. "Go away."

Old lady was going to completely blow his cover!

[rilla-myrilla.livejournal.com]

"I believe I was here first," Marilla said.

Beat.

"And I am not living in a box, either."

[sake-shinigami.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, well, neither am I, lady," Snake muttered from within. Because hiding in a box and living in one were two completely different things.

[rilla-myrilla.livejournal.com]

Honestly, the manners of people today.

"Miss Cuthbert," she corrected. "'Neither am I, Miss Cuthbert.'"

[sake-shinigami.livejournal.com]

Was this old lady kidding, or what?

There was a bit of a pause before the gravelly voice responded again, "Neither am I, Miss Cuthbert. Now, can you please leave me alone before you blow my cover?"

[rilla-myrilla.livejournal.com]

"People aren't supposed to be noticing a box in a park?" Marilla sniffed. "Mrs. Rachel Lynde is probably forming a committee to fight this sort of littering as we speak."

[sake-shinigami.livejournal.com]

"I'm taking it with me when I'm done," Snake informed the old bat. "That's not littering. And people aren't going to notice it if I don't have ladies talking to me while I'm inside it."

[rilla-myrilla.livejournal.com]

"I think you're underestimating their curiosity," Marilla declared.

Or perhaps how little there was to do in Avonlea.

[sake-shinigami.livejournal.com]

Yeah, well, you weren't in Avonlea anymore, Toto.

"Yeah, whatever, la--Miss Cuthbert."

[rilla-myrilla.livejournal.com]

"Enjoy your box," Marilla sniffed before sweeping out of the park.