Somewhere in the Park, Monday afternoon

[stykera]

Stark was still not back to himself after the events of the previous week. Or perhaps he was back to himself and that was the problem. In any case he he'd found himself with an overwhelming desire to be outside the past couple of days. Somewhere without any doors or walls. The park, having no walls or doors and a lot of greenery, seemed like the best place to be for now.

So he'd stopped at the Perk, asked for something "with lots of caffeine and sugar, but cold" The barista had looked him over, said "I got you" and so Stark was now on a bench with a rather large blended iced caramel coffee. With extra whipped cream.

He'd just be hanging out here, in full sun, sipping his coffee and trying to convince himself things were okay for the moment. He was having very occasional moments of success with that last bit.



[I know. A public post. I'm just as surprised as you are. Totally open for your park or Stark needs.]

Comments

[thatwaslucky]

Rey had decided to cut through the park on her way home from the gym, just to give herself some extra time before getting to her place. And oh look, someone to say hello to to give her more time.

"Hi, Stark," she greeted him with a little smile.

[stykera]

Stark was happy to be a distraction. Or an excuse for procrastination. Or an avoidance technique. Or maybe he was happy to have a person to talk to.

"Hello, Rey," he answered, raising the coffee cup in her direction. "How are you?"

Yes, he was well aware that was a loaded sort of question at the moment. It was still worth asking.

[thatwaslucky]

"Better than last week." True answer. "How about you?"

[stykera]

He nodded. "Better is good. I'm glad. I'm...quieter? Than last week at least." He wasn't screaming loud enough to wake his neighbors anymore. "But it's all still there."

"So." He raised the cup again. "Extra coffee. Which may help."

[thatwaslucky]

"I hope so. I think I overdid it on that at the end of the week," Rey admitted. "Now I have to readjust."

[stykera]

"I didn't need it as much, then. Thought I didn't anyway," he said. "Plenty of reasons not to close my eye and sleep."

He still had plenty of reasons. They just weren't as vivid.

"Would you like to sit?"

[thatwaslucky]

"Thank you," she said, taking a seat. "Aside from last week, how have things been? It's been a while."

[stykera]

He was just going to concentrate on his very sugary coffee drink for a moment before answering.

"Aside from last week..." Which was a very large aside. "Fine, I think. Summer classes were fine. I should find something to occupy my time now that they're over." He definitely needed to not be alone with his thoughts all day every day.

"And you?"

[thatwaslucky]

"Actually pretty busy, most days," she admitted. "Training takes up a lot of time. Any ideas what you want to be doing?"

[stykera]

"Busy is good. I should be busier. Might help." With...everything.

"I used to work in the clinic. Before. I don't know what else I'd do." It wasn't like he'd ever really been in the job market. And Fandom, thankfully, didn't have an overwhelming need for someone to attend to the dying.

[thatwaslucky]

"The clinic is good. We have enough people doing dumb things to need the clinic," Rey said lightly.

But also the statement was true.

[stykera]

"Some things never change," Stark said, almost smiling. "No matter where or when you are. Stitches and painkillers and bandaging are almost always needed."

[thatwaslucky]

Don't forget the condoms at sex pollen week!

"Are you a medic?" she wondered.

[stykera]

"Of sorts," he said after thinking about it for a moment. "Medic is as good a term as any. Stykera."

He reached up and tapped his mask with two fingers. "We're, ah, attuned to the dying. But I've expanded my knowledge base over the cycles. Years. I do prefer people not die if it can be avoided."

[thatwaslucky]

"That's a good goal," Rey smiled. "I'm a big fan of that myself."

[stykera]

"Most decent people are," Stark said. "Or should be. I try my best." Sometimes it worked, even.

"I should see if they need help at the clinic." Or somewhere else. He'd heard wild rumors sometimes people worked more than 1 day a week here. "Later. For now outside is better. No doors."

[thatwaslucky]

"No doors?" she repeated, frowning.

[stykera]

"Old nightmares," he said dismissively. A pause. "Recent too, I suppose. Too much time trapped somewhere. It's easier to be outside right now than in."

[thatwaslucky]

"Ah. I can understand that," she said. "I haven't exactly been in a rush to go in anywhere myself."

[stykera]

That earned Rey a considering 'you too?' look. "I'm sorry."

He'd been saying that so often lately. "Hopefully it fades soon."

[thatwaslucky]

"It'll be okay," she said, because her optimism was constant. "It always is, eventually."

[stykera]

That got a small smile out of Stark. "I don't know about always. Often, at least. More often than I used to think possible."

[thatwaslucky]

"I used to think that way," Rey admitted. "Now I look at it more like, the bad things putting me where I'll need to be for something bigger later."

Funny how that whole trusting the Force thing jived with her natural attitude.

[stykera]

"Something bigger?"

He had witnessed firsthand the very near destruction of his universe. He wasn't sure he wanted to be near anything bigger than that. If there was anything bigger. Of course that had ended the war and possibly created a lasting peace. If they were very lucky.

"I suppose. Sometimes."