The Beach, Monday after classes

[iwishiwasbig.livejournal.com]

The last twenty minutes were kind of a blur for Dave. He'd just been going to the beach for some fresh air at the end of summer when some people he was pretty sure worked as npcs clerks at local businesses brought over a grill and some food and set up a volleyball net and, you know, other various beach cookout things. Dave somehow immediately ended up working the grill even though he didn't know anyone's name.

Of course, then the people heard about another party on the mainland, so off they went, leaving Dave and the food and the everything else behind.

Dave had even grilled a veggie burger for someone, which wasn't even a named thing yet back in his time. "Well, they're not getting any of this food back, I can say that for sure." That's right, he was going to get his revenge by continuing to cook food. That would show them. And it would also feed anyone who wanted to come to the beach for a Spontaneous Labor Day Beach Party.

[OOC: Open for anyone who might want to spend their Labor Day at the beach!]

Comments

[ihavediabetes.livejournal.com]

Stacey had been planning on bemoaning the last day of summer (shut up, Labor Day was so the end of summer) by spending it on the beach. She wasn't surprised to find anyone else here, but she was surprised that there was grilling.

"I didn't know there was a barbecue," she said.

[iwishiwasbig.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, I was kind of... recruited into being a party cook," Dave explained. "And then the party left. But at least that means there's food."

[ihavediabetes.livejournal.com]

"The party left the food on the beach on Labor Day?" she said, while looking over what there was to see if there was anything she could eat.

[iwishiwasbig.livejournal.com]

"Apparently they had a better party to go to," Dave said. "Oh, uh, we have burgers, veggie burgers, chips, pretzels, dip, potato salad, but I think that came from somebody at the pet store and he smelled funny."

[ihavediabetes.livejournal.com]

"...You have some weird friends," Stacey decided.

[iwishiwasbig.livejournal.com]

"They're not my friends," Dave said. "I just kind of got... pulled into it somehow. I'm still not completely sure on the details."

[ihavediabetes.livejournal.com]

"That's definitely more interesting than my day." She had to admit, she was a little jealous. "I think I could have a veggie burger?"

It was all vegetables in there, right? That wouldn't hurt her. She'd just feel like Dawn, only way less annoying.

[iwishiwasbig.livejournal.com]

"Great! I have a couple of those made already," Dave said. "I should warn you that I come from a time before they, um, existed, so there may have been a learning curve. You know what, you should probably just take the second one I did. Just in case."

[ihavediabetes.livejournal.com]

"Is there a third one you did?" Because Stacey was not above making others go out of their way for her.

[iwishiwasbig.livejournal.com]

"Not yet, but I can," Dave said, because he was a bit of a doormat. "I mean, they left plenty. It'll just be a couple minutes."

[ihavediabetes.livejournal.com]

"Great, thanks." He did get that out of her, at least. And because she didn't think she knew him yet... "I'm Stacey, by the way."

[iwishiwasbig.livejournal.com]

"Oh, sure, I know who you are. I think we had a couple classes together last spring," Dave said. It was three. Dave was easily forgotten. Sad. "But you probably didn't recognize me with an apron on. I'm Dave."

[ihavediabetes.livejournal.com]

"Oh, right! So this is just the first time we get to officially meet." She hoped, at least, otherwise that'd be embarrassing.

[iwishiwasbig.livejournal.com]

Dave was pretty sure that was true, at least. "I like looking at it that way. It kind of means I have a lot more opportunities to meet people than i thought. Officially, at least."

[ihavediabetes.livejournal.com]

"I know, right? Even in a town this small, it's nice to know there are still people out there I haven't met yet," she said. "I'm from New York, so I'm used to that, but it's cool to see it happen in a small town."

People should just drink every time Stacey says she's from New York.

[iwishiwasbig.livejournal.com]

"I'm from just outside Milwaukee, so it's a lot like that. But much, much less," Dave said. "And probably with more snow."

[ihavediabetes.livejournal.com]

"We get a lot of snow," she said. "It turns into slush, but it's still snow..."

[iwishiwasbig.livejournal.com]

"No offense, but that's New York snow. I'm talking about Upper Midwest snow," Dave said. He had to live in that snow, damn right he was going to take unreasonable pride in it.

[ihavediabetes.livejournal.com]

"What's the difference?" Oh, look, something Stacey hadn't learned all about via a children's book.

[iwishiwasbig.livejournal.com]

"About nineteen inches annually," Dave answered. Because of course he knew something like that.

[ihavediabetes.livejournal.com]

"Oh, wow," she said, jaw slightly dropped. "That's worse than when I got snowed in in my car. Nineteen?"

[iwishiwasbig.livejournal.com]

"Welcome to the northern part of the Midwest," Dave said. "You got snowed in in your car?"

[ihavediabetes.livejournal.com]

"My mom and I were headed to a ski lodge and we got stranded," she explained. "It was really harrowing."

It was not.

[iwishiwasbig.livejournal.com]

"Wow. How long were you stuck?" Dave asked. He was genuinely concerned for Past Stacey!

[ihavediabetes.livejournal.com]

"Hours. I don't remember how long now," she admitted. There'd actually been some insulin concerns, but she hadn't been there nearly long enough for it to be a real problem. "But it all turned out okay in the end, right?"

[iwishiwasbig.livejournal.com]

"That's the important thing," Dave said. "You're here and your burger is done cooking. I think."

[ihavediabetes.livejournal.com]

"Aww, thanks so much, Dave." She wanted to call him Dan. She didn't. Because that would be bad.

[iwishiwasbig.livejournal.com]

"Any time," Dave said. "Assuming I have a grill and some veggie burgers to cook."

[dirtiest-skank.livejournal.com]

"...was there a party and no one told me?" Olive wondered, noting the amount of food and whatnot and the disproportionate number of people.

[iwishiwasbig.livejournal.com]

"They didn't really tell anyone. And then they left me here with all the food," Dave said. "But they seemed nice." The smile on his face when he said that was both polite and very clearly sarcastic.

[dirtiest-skank.livejournal.com]

"Rude of them," Olive declared. "It's okay, boy I've never met. I'm here to help you eat this food that you could have easily laced with rat poison. I'm a giver."

[iwishiwasbig.livejournal.com]

"You're sure putting a lot of faith in me after suggesting I might be poisoning people," Dave said, taken aback just a tiny bit.

[dirtiest-skank.livejournal.com]

"You don't look like a poisoner," Olive assured him. "Though really, if you did, you probably wouldn't be very good at it...."

[iwishiwasbig.livejournal.com]

"I think I'm going to focus on the first part and take it as a compliment," Dave said.

[dirtiest-skank.livejournal.com]

"It was meant as one," Olive decided. "Mostly. I'm Olive, by the way."

[iwishiwasbig.livejournal.com]

"Dave," Dave said. "And in that case, I'm mostly flattered. That I don't look like a good poisoner. I'm sorry, but now I have to ask what you think a good poisoner looks like. Is there a type I should watch out for in the cafeteria?"

[dirtiest-skank.livejournal.com]

"I imagine a lot of mustaches that get twirled," Olive mused.

[iwishiwasbig.livejournal.com]

"Wow, you're going really classic with the villain look. Not just settling for a goatee?" Dave checked.

[dirtiest-skank.livejournal.com]

"Nah, I'm going old-school. They need a good laugh, too," Olive noted.

[iwishiwasbig.livejournal.com]

"What, like, 'mwahaHA'?" Dave asked before immediately apologizing. "I'm sorry, that wasn't very evil at all."

[dirtiest-skank.livejournal.com]

"No, that was just silly," Olive tsked. "We were looking for evil, not mockable. To the back of the imaginary line with you."

[iwishiwasbig.livejournal.com]

"At the moment, I think I'm the only person in the line," Dave pointed out.

[dirtiest-skank.livejournal.com]

"That seagull over there seems to be competing," Olive pointed out.

It was actually just making seagull noises.

[iwishiwasbig.livejournal.com]

"Come on, my villain laugh was better than a seagull squawking," Dave said. "You don't have to give me much, but you have to give me that."

[dirtiest-skank.livejournal.com]

"I didn't say that," Olive said, holding up a finger. "I just said there were other competitors."

[iwishiwasbig.livejournal.com]

"If nothing else, I'm sure the Boy Scouts will appreciate that former member is potentially less evil than a bird," Dave joked.