JGoB, Wednesday late morning

[stykera]

Stark had woken up hungry only to find his apartment completely devoid of food. There had absolutely been food in there last night. He was not the sort to not have food on hand. And yet here he was, food-free.
He was also, much to his dismay, still mask-free. Which was why he had tried calling for food delivery only to be told there were no delivery people available. Anywhere. He could certainly pick up food though. Which, honestly, he found suspicious but perhaps something was going on today.

So, despite his best efforts to stay inside for the rest of time, Stark had sighed heavily, checked to be sure his ridiculous scarf was securely in place, and headed out the door.

He stopped at Pizza Planet first, reasoning that pizza ought to provide several meals worth of food if it didn't vanish mysteriously, and then headed to JGoB. He deserved baked goods. Many of them.

And once the employees had contained their giggles at his cupcake-swaddled head he was hopefully going to get those baked goods. Eventually.


[we ALL deserve some baked goods, tbh. Very open. Get some cookies or something, stare at the alien, etc. Entertain me?]

Comments

[grenadesandohana]

Steve was, perhaps, a little too excited about having a real case to work, so he was tracking Stark down to get an update.

"Hi!" he said. "I'm Lt.Cmdr Steve McGarrett from over at the Trooper Station."

[stykera]

There was a part of Stark that was alarmed at the idea of someone in law enforcement, or the military, looking for him. Old habits and all. He only flinched a little though and, well, how could you tell with most of his head wrapped up in that scarf?

There was also a part of Stark that was resigned to his ridiculous cupcake-covered fate and of course someone would have found him the first time he ventured outside in days.

"Liam sent you?" he guessed. "About the mask."

[grenadesandohana]

Steve nodded. "He was interviewing the raccoons," he added, "which is a thing we do here. Apparently."

[stykera]

The raccoons are hardened criminals, Steve!

"There were raccoons at Caritas," Stark said. The kind that were usually people, but still. "I suppose they could have run off with it, after. "

Raccoons, meddling kids, what's the difference really?

[grenadesandohana]

"Do you have a description of the person who took it from you to start?" Steve asked.

[stykera]

Stark thought about that for a moment. "He was blond." And a cartoon! "Tall. Fast. Chased me in circles, for a while."

"He had a...something around his neck. Not a scarf. Something smaller." He rubbed at his own neck, where there ought to have been a strap and buckle but wasn't.

[grenadesandohana]

"Neckerchief?" Steve, Navy Guy Who Knew About Neckerchiefs, guessed.

[stykera]

"I don't know. Is that a word?" Somehow, neckerchiefs had never come up before during Stark's time in Fandom. "If that's the word, yes."

[grenadesandohana]

"It's kind of a silly word," Steve admitted, "and deeply uncool, but yeah. Navy enlisted still wear them, along with equally uncool little Dixie Cups hats."

Not sure Stark cared that much, Steve, but thanks for sharing?

[stykera]

"Dixie Cup hats?" Stark echoed. He'd never worn a uniform in his life. He had no idea.

"Why?"

[grenadesandohana]

"Tradition," Steve said. "The Navy created them in the 1880s and won't fix something that's not really broken."

[stykera]

"So you have neckerchiefs and cup hats," Stark said. "For tradition." Militaries are weird.

"It didn't seem to be a uniform. Just the neckerchief. No hat."

[grenadesandohana]

"So he's probably not military," Steve mused, "but I can look for blonds who were okay wearing short neck scarves."

How many of them could there be, really?

[stykera]

"He might not be blond now," Stark pointed out. Or at least not cartoon yellow blond! "I had 2 eyes, at the time."

Which was weird and probably a weird thing to say.

[grenadesandohana]

"Was that really strange for you?" Steve asked. "Bet you weren't used to it."

He grinned ruefully. "I thought I was a surfer named Flow."

[stykera]

"The entire evening seems strange now," Stark said. "Well. Once the costumes stopped being costumes and we stopped being ourselves and started being the costumes." He was never dressing up again.

"It felt perfectly normal at the time. The eye. The singing. All of it. None of it does now. Odd memories to have. Used to that, though."

"You didn't try surfing inside the bar, did you?"

[grenadesandohana]

"I didn't," Steve said, "which, looking back, was a wasted opportunity. Kitty would never allow it now."

[stykera]

"No, I don't think she would. Probably best not to flood the bar anyway. Is there even room?"

You could suggest a beach themed party this winter, Steve! With a mini wave pool in the lounge!

[grenadesandohana]

"Maybe back in the lounge?" Steve said, frowning. "They have electronic surfboard games that could fit."

[stykera]

"They do?" He knows almost nothing of arcade games. Hard to go to Dave & Buster's with half a face. "Where?"

Well, if nothing else he's been distracted for a few moments from the lack of mask and subsequent slow leaking of energy out of his face. Thanks, Steve!

[grenadesandohana]

"There is a lot of tourist bars in Hawai'i," Steve said, "which doesn't really help you here but I probably know a guy who could get one."

Kamekona knew everyone in Honolulu.

[stykera]

"Not eentirely sure where Hawai'i is," Stark admitted. He'd seen maps but Earth geography wasn't something he'd spent much time studying. "I don't travel much. Ever. Well, not here." He reached up to touch the ridiculous scarf. "It's hard to blend in, here. Earth here, not the island here. The island is fine, usually."

[grenadesandohana]

"I can see that," Steve said sympathetically. "Hawai'ians are pretty great about minding their own business, though. Have you always had a mask?"

[stykera]

"As long as I can remember," Stark said. "Something of a necessity. Otherwise I have to-" he tugged the end of the scarf gently, "do this. Or similar. Usually not with cupcakes. Usually not at all. Because of the mask."

Careful Steve, he might glow at you.

[grenadesandohana]

Steve nodded, not wanting to appear insensitive and ask too many questions. "Not with cupcakes?" he repeated.

[stykera]

"It was the only scarf we could find." His apartment was clearly just eating random things this week. Perhaps there was a tiny black hole. Or it was gremlins.

[grenadesandohana]

"Well, I like it," Steve said, "it's very jaunty." He smiled. "But we'll work really hard on finding your mask since it'll make you more comfortable."

[stykera]

"More than comfortable," Stark said. "Bad things happen if it's missing too long." Well, that wasn't cryptic at all, was it?

"But thank you. I appreciate it." and the inevitable rickshaw chase to come

[grenadesandohana]

"What kind of bad things?" Steve asked.

[stykera]

"I...leak." Poor human Steve. "Energy. Light. I sort of glow." Like an ambulatory nightlight!

"It's what the mask keeps in. Or the scarf, right now. Scarf isn't as effective."

[grenadesandohana]

"What kind of energy?" Science Nerd Steve asked. "It's not nuclear, right?"

[stykera]

"I'm not radioactive!" As far as we know.

"I'm just me. It's just me. The non-corporeal part."

[grenadesandohana]

"Interesting," Steve said, smiling, "but I can see how that might be something you'd prefer to keep to yourself."

[stykera]

"I don't mind people knowing. Or seeing." He had glowed at plenty of people on this island and off of it. He could even glow at you, Steve.

"It's just hard to contain without the mask. Fabric only goes so far."

[grenadesandohana]

"How far will it shine without the covering?" Steve asked.

[stykera]

"I've never measured." Which might be an interesting experiment if he was convinced this experiment would not lead to being locked up like the last time he was someone's science experiment.

"If I concentrate it's easier to keep contained. Or directed."

[grenadesandohana]

"Sounds kinda tiring," Steve said.

[stykera]

"Extremely," Stark said, nodding in agreement. "I try to avoid having to do it. Especially for this long."

[grenadesandohana]

"We'll certainly try to return your property as fast as we can," Steve promised.

[stykera]

"I appreciate it." Stark's smile was partially hidden by the scarf, but it was there. "Thank you."