Trooper Station, Friday

[firstofitskind]

Liam was still in a pretty goddamn good mood as he made his way into the station on Friday morning.

At least, until Calvin and Ralph dragged in several squirrels and a couple raccoons. Apparently they’d gotten into something of a scuffle on the boardwalk when the squirrels discovered that the raccoons were the ones responsible for the the acorn shortage on the island, thus artificially inflating the cost of the remaining acorns (which the raccoons were offering for sale, of course), which was one of the grievances that the striking radio squirrels had regarding their lack of monetary compensation.

“What,” Liam shook his head at the raccoons. “You got tired of the legal beer-brewing business I very generously helped you get all the paperwork done for, so you’re turning back to racketeering? Ugh.”

He was deeply disappointed in you, Fandom raccoons. Deeply.

[ooc: trooper station and post are open!!!]

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[imafuturist]

Tony brought a box of donuts to the station after hearing radio. Because apologies were necessary. So, so many.

"Please tell me you didn't eat that casserole."

[firstofitskind]

"I tried a bite," Liam admitted. Because he had to see if it was really as bad as Beau had warned him. "So did Verity. The mice were far more sensible and outright refused."

[imafuturist]

"He means well," Tony said, offering over the box. "Don't worry. They're from a bakery."

[firstofitskind]

"So I heard," Liam said with a small smile. Which was why even though he'd thrown out the casserole already, he was going to wait a few days before returning the dish. "And really, there's a reason that between Verity and I, I'm the one who decided to learn how to cook." Sorry, Verity. He loved you dearly but he was forever going to mock what you considered 'food'.

"... I am totally going to have one of these now, though," he admitted, taking the box. Because the mice would call dibs on most of it and like the pushover he was when it came to them he would let them.

[imafuturist]

"Please! I owe Beau some as well." Because it's how he rolled. "Congrats, by the way."

[firstofitskind]

"Thanks," and that small smile was back to a beaming grin. "The shiny of it still hasn't worn off yet," he added, a little apologetically. But only a little.

[imafuturist]

"I'm told it wears off once you're neck deep in wedding planning," he teased.

[firstofitskind]

"So far all that's been decided is Verity's bouquet is going to be made of knives," Liam shared.

[imafuturist]

"One thing off the list," Tony said, recovering from that idea remarkably fast. "Next up, the dangerous world of seating charts."

[firstofitskind]

"I guess we should probably also set a date first," Liam mused. They hadn't really gotten that far; just the plan, the promise, to do actually take that step at some point was enough for now.

[imafuturist]

It was cute! Oh, young love.

"You've got time there at least. Island willing."

[firstofitskind]

Younger even than Tony probably assumed, given that Liam was all of seven.

"Location. That's another thing," Liam admitted. "Verity's family is all over the US, but nearly everyone I'd invite is here."

THANKS, TONY. NOW YOU WERE GIVING HIM WEDDING PLANNING ANXIETY.

[imafuturist]

OH PLEASE. TONY WOULD HAVE TO CONTEND WITH TWO MARVEL UNIVERSES IF HE GOT HITCHED.

"Breathe," Tony suggested, reaching over to give Liam's arm a squeeze.

[firstofitskind]

And Liam didn't flinch, exactly, but he did tense somewhat under that touch.

"I am breathing," he insisted. "It's fine. Everything's good."

[imafuturist]

Tony immediately removed his hand without making it a thing. Sorry, Liam. He was a touchy feely person.

"Just don't ask Steve to cater, say 'I do' at the appropriate time, and it'll be fine."

[firstofitskind]

Liam was absolutely touchy-feely... it's just that, for him, the action carried with it a certain level of intimacy that he just did not feel for you, Tony.

"Someone should probably tell him those casseroles are not as good as he thinks they are," Liam said. He was tapping out on that, though.

[imafuturist]

"He grew up in the Great Depression. I think it killed some of his tastebuds."

[firstofitskind]

"It must have," Liam agreed. "There's no way anyone with a functioning sense of taste would actually enjoy... whatever that was."

[imafuturist]

"Also, the MREs didn't help," Tony added.

[firstofitskind]

Liam's expression went blank for a couple moments, his mother's memories of field rations coming to the forefront. "Probably not," he said, after a beat just shy of awkward. "... At least Volunteer rations were just bland, not actively terrible."

[imafuturist]

"I'll try to point him toward recipes that aren't from the 50's anymore," Tony promised. "At least it wasn't jello."

[firstofitskind]

"What's wrong with Jello?" Liam wondered. Nobody had introduced him to the concept of putting things in the Jello.

[imafuturist]

"Well, people used to put things in it?" Tony said, breaking this horrible news to him gently. "Like hotdogs. And canned vegetables."

[firstofitskind]

"...Why?"

[imafuturist]

"I really don't know," Tony replied. "It was a very strange era?"

Might have been all the nuclear testing the decade prior?

[firstofitskind]

"I guess," Liam made a face.

[imafuturist]

"Some of the things he makes aren't that bad?" The boiled things. He boiled things well. "Not that I can really talk, but..."

[firstofitskind]

"I'm not exactly a gourmet cook myself," Liam admitted. "But I'm figuring stuff out, more or less."

[imafuturist]

"I have all the food delivery places on speed dial," Tony said brightly.

[firstofitskind]

"Yeah, that's what we used to do too," Liam shared. "But I've got the time now so I figured why not, you know?"