The Park, Sunday Morning

[stykera]

Stark had spent a long time on the beach yesterday, enjoying sunshine and fresh air and views that didn't end with cave walls, but had eventually gone inside for the night. But he hadn't slept well (maybe 2.5 weeks underground had that effect, or maybe it was his insistence on keeping the lights on, or maybe it was a combination of the two things and others) and had given up on more sleep fairly early this morning.

He could have stayed inside (maybe taken the time to shave his head and face which were both on the fuzzier side of things after all that time in the hole) but he was still feeling restless. That wasn't likely to end all that soon. Instead he'd gotten up and headed to the Perk. The coffee wasn't really a substitute for sleep but it was better than nothing.

Now he was seated on a bench in the park, sipping his coffee, and occasionally glancing around as if to reassure himself that everything was where it was meant to be. And if he was keeping a close eye on the ground, just in case, who could blame him?

[Open post is open for Park or Stark needs, of course]

Comments

[thedadalorian]

Was Din spending as much time outside as he could? Maybe. Look, it had been a long time in that hole.

A long, terribly boring time. Without any sun or suns.

But also, the kid probably needed to go outside without imminent threat of holes. "Stark," Din said with a small nod as the kid wandered ahead to go look at the flamingos.

[stykera]

No suns, no stars, no fresh air (though if you wore a helmet all the time you might not notice that part as much).

"Morning," Stark offered in return. "We're still up here."

Look, he hadn't been entirely sure yesterday had happened when he woke up. Still being on the surface was worth commenting on.

[thedadalorian]

Hey, he totally noticed in those times he took the helmet off. You know. In privacy.

"That we are," he said, letting out a contented sigh. "I'd like to keep it that way."

If he saw a raccoon, it was getting disintegrated by his rifle.

[stykera]

Well, Din's ship was good for privacy. But it was probably best not to speak of that.

"So would I," Stark said, with another slightly nervous glance around the park because nothing was to be trusted right now. "Didn't want to stay inside today." Or yesterday. Probably not tomorrow, either.

[thedadalorian]

Well, thankfully for everyone involved, Faye had no shame and neither Din, not Stark could make eye contact.

"I stayed on my ship." You know. The space Toyota Corolla.

[stykera]

That helmet was so useful for avoiding awkward eye contact!

"It seems like a good ship," Stark said, taking a very long sip of his coffee immediately after the words left his mouth.

"Was the little one alright while you were stuck?" And all his babysitters got eaten by the hole, one by one, like some very odd horror movie?

[thedadalorian]

"He ended up with Anakin," Din said as the kid looked back at both of them like he was making sure no holes took anyone. Because he'd force choke a bitch. "And with more toys than he started out with."

[stykera]

"Good," Stark said. Not at all hoping Grogu had spent several days tormenting Anakin. Not at all.

"I'm sure he was glad to see you again." Even if Anakin had better toys.

[thedadalorian]

Just a little bit of tormenting! But it was because he was sad.

"I hope so." That kid slept on his chest last night, that's how much he missed Din. "You doing alright other than the outdoors thing?"

[stykera]

Well that was an adorable image, wasn't it?

"I'll be fine," Stark said. "I think." He hoped. "Just going to avoid as many walls as possible, for a while. Are you alright?"

[thedadalorian]

"I'm fine," Din replied. Because, well, his covert had been entirely underground to hide from the Empire. The fact that they physically couldn't leave was the bigger issue for him. "Might need to take a trip off planet for the kid, but other than that..."

[stykera]

"We talked about going somewhere," Stark said. "Faye and I. In her ship. It seems like a good idea."

Put some literal space between them and the hole and go somewhere the opposite of an underground cavern with no way out.

[thedadalorian]

"Probably a good idea," Din replied, looking up at the sky. Well, his helmet tilted that way. "I think we all deserve a little break after that."

[stykera]

"We do," Stark agreed, looking up as well.

Maybe a raccoon-financed all-expense paid vacation for everyone involved?

"Out here is good enough for now. I think. Easier to breathe, anyway."

[thedadalorian]

"Nice to see the sun," Din admitted. "And hopefully the ice cream shop will be repaired soon enough."

[stykera]

"It may need a very deep cleaning." Or to be burned down for the insurance money. "But hopefully soon."

"But I am enjoying the sun. And trees. Clouds. All of it."

[thedadalorian]

Grogu took that as his queue to flop over in the grass and make a happy sound, causing Din to chuckle quietly. "I think that's going around."

[stykera]

Grogu got a bigger than usual smile from Stark for that little action.

"He does seem happy to be out here." And not having worry that yet another adult was going to be eaten by a hole. At least not right now.

"Is he always like this?" Completely adorable?

[thedadalorian]

"Since I found him, yeah." His little foundling that he would cry over giving up.

Grogu did that toddler thing of ripping up grass to drop on his little robe.

[stykera]

"You found him?"

Who would leave that little green nugget around to just be found?

[thedadalorian]

"He was a bounty," Din admitted. "Didn't realize it was a kid. Apparently his species is long living. Kid's already fifty standard years."

[stykera]

"I had shipmates, before," Stark said, "who were hundreds of cycles old. Years."

His last girlfriend had been over 800. Faye was a change in so many ways.

"He looks a bit like one of them. But much cuter." And less gross.

[thedadalorian]

"Yeah? Anakin said he knew someone like him too." But much more of a troll. A surly, surly troll.

[stykera]

Rygel was also often troll-like. Because he was a Dominar and better than everyone else.

"Not exactly the same. Rygel doesn't have the ears. He's Hynerian. But green, and short. With a floating chair even."

Should he mention that Hynerians inexplicably fart helium?

[thedadalorian]

"You know how old he was?"

[stykera]

"500 or so. That's what he says." Usually with a pointed remark about respecting his elders or betters.

"I don't think he would have lied about that."

[thedadalorian]

"Huh." Din stared at where Grogu was now bringing a small pile of grass over to share with them. "So, by the time he grows up..."

Din would be long gone.

[stykera]

Aww, Din.

"He doesn't really look Hynerian. Just similar. And not nearly so rude." Rygel is a jerk, really.

"He's really 50 already?" And still eating every random creature that fit in his mouth?

[thedadalorian]

"Well, I'd hope he wasn't rude," Din said with wry amusement as Grogu offered Stark some grass. Didn't he want some grass?

[stykera]

"Thank you," Stark said seriously, holding out his hand to accept the grass.

"See. He's much better at sharing." That was a very low bar to clear, but still.

[thedadalorian]

"Good job, Grogu," Din said, causing those big ol' ears to perk up. "It's good to have plenty of people around that he likes."

[stykera]

Well, look at that face! Who wouldn't want to try and make that baby like them?

"It's always better to have people around you like."

"And you," Stark added, smiling at Grogu, "are quite easy to like."

He'd totally glow at you to amuse you, Grogu.

[x_discospider_x]

Nobody mind Troy. He was just going to stride confidently through the park, drop dramatically on the best patch of grass he could find, sprawl out all his limbs, take a deep, deep breath, and let it out in a looooong, loud sigh of contentment and happiness and just sky gaze for a little bit.

Yes, he had been doing this repeatedly in as many spots as he could since yesterday. No, he had absolutely no intention of stopping any time soon!

[stykera]

It was cuter when Grogu did it, Troy.

"Are you alright?" Stark asked, watching him with amusement.

Had he done something similar on the beach yesterday? Yes.

[x_discospider_x]

Well, sorry he couldn't be as adorable as a fifty-year-old green raisin of a space baby, geeeeez.

But, oblivious to such rude comments about his relative cuteness, Troy just let out another happy sigh and shook his head a little.

"Never better, man," he said. "This is great."

[stykera]

Grogu's cuteness was impossible to compete with, really.

"It is good to be out here," Stark agreed, looking up at the sky yet again. "Up here. I might stay out all day."

Probably without flopping in the grass but the day was still young.

[x_discospider_x]

"The only thing bringing me inside even a little," Troy admitted, "is how much I missed sleeping in my bed."

Sure, there had been beds available down in the hole, but he'd mostly camped out in Groovy Tunes with Astrid and that new Japanese girl out of, like, solidarity, or something, and also to protect everyone from the headphone monster, who, thankfully, behaved.

Or was possibly just a figment of his imagination, but was that a bet you were willing to take??

[stykera]

Stark nodded. "I only went inside to sleep. And then came out here when I woke up. Might do the same again today. Just stay out here." Which hopefully wouldn't make any people haired ladies freak out.

Around this island the headphone monster could go either way. Best not to test it.

[x_discospider_x]

"That's a good plan," said Troy, who took a moment to enjoy reveling in a bit of that outdoor enjoyment a little more. "I'd probably do that, too, except..." His bliss made way for a momentary pout. "I have class in the morning."

His sigh was wistful.

"It was nice not having classes, at least."

Said the boy with strenuous academic demands such as sheep and paintball</i[.

[stykera]

"Maybe it will be outside?"

Stark was considering whether or not cupcakes could be outside Friday, honestly.

[x_discospider_x]

"At least paintball will be," Troy allowed. "And sheep kind of is? But then there's...."

There was a long, miserable pause, that suggested not even being outside could help this last one.

"Poetry..."

[stykera]

Paintball was going to be a disaster this week with all that pent-up aggression.

"I don't have anything until Summer's pie class on Tuesday. Which is probably inside and probably horrifying. I don't think cupcakes can be outside on Friday but maybe I can think of something."