JGOB- Thursday morning

[thatwaslucky]

There was a sign outside JGOB today:

SERVING PUMPKIN SPICE BEFORE THE PERK

So that was why Rey was sitting inside in the air conditioning by the window with a drink and a pastry, feeling vaguely disloyal. But you know what, it was a nice distraction from the fact that whatever she'd been expecting the last few days still hadn't happened yet so she had that going for her.


[Open!]

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[stykera]

Stark hadn't slept well, he'd fallen off a bike more than once this morning, the island had felt strange for days, and he'd wandered into the woods earlier to touch a rock for reasons that weren't entirely clear even to himself. He deserved, he thought, a trip to the bakery.

And sure, he'd try the pumpkin spice drink again. They tasted good even if it wasn't fall (because why did it have to be fall for that, anyway?) and it went well with the large assortment of cookies he'd had boxed up. He'd share the cookies if asked. Maybe even if he wasn't asked.

"It seemed like a good day to come in here," he said to Rey. "Even before I saw the sign outside. But I may have too many cookies."

[thatwaslucky]

"There is such a thing?" Rey asked lightly.

[stykera]

"Too many to eat at once," Stark clarified. "It's probably good there's a box."

But also maybe he was going to be eating his feelings and this was exactly the correct amount of cookies. Who could say, really?

[thatwaslucky]

"There's nothing bad about having cookies for later." Especially when there would only be more feelings to eat later! "Would you like to sit?"

[stykera]

There were going to be so many feelings later.

"Cookies are never a bad thing." Except maybe snickerdoodles? "I might even have enough to share, later. I would like to sit, thank you. How are you?"

[thatwaslucky]

"I'm doing okay so far. We'll see how the week finishes," Rey answered. "How about you?"

[stykera]

"Mostly fine. The week has felt odd but I'm not sure it's a bad feeling," Stark said. "Or a good one. Just...a feeling. Almost familiar."

[thatwaslucky]

"I've been getting the same thing," Rey admitted. "Nothing bad. Just... it's a thing."

[stykera]

"I thought it was just me at first," Stark said. "But Summer said the same, yesterday."

[thatwaslucky]

"No, it has to be an island thing," she told him. "But I don't feel like this ends in us fighting anything."

Except maybe personal demons.

[stykera]

Maybe fighting back tears?

"I prefer not fighting things." But ask him again Sunday night, see if the answer changes!

"But this did feel very... insistent?"

[thatwaslucky]

He could join her in fighting punching bags.

"It is that. I've been expecting whatever it is to happen already."

[stykera]

He's probably never punched a bag in his life!

"Maybe it will just be a feeling?" And not heartbreaking at all! "I don't think so. But maybe. I'd like to at least know what it is."

[thatwaslucky]

"It'd be nice. It's also a little hard to focus on other things," she admitted.

[stykera]

"It is," Stark agreed. "Although it's a little better now than it was." Maybe because he'd wandered off into the woods to pet a rock.

[thatwaslucky]

"Is it?" She'd been pretty okay both pre- and post-rock.

[stykera]

"I went in the woods earlier," Stark said. "There was less...pressure after that? Not the right word. Less something."

[thatwaslucky]

"When we way we're all drawn to the woods it does have to sound creepy," Rey realized.

[stykera]

"A little. Or at least strange. But nothing happened there."

Just your standard talking to and petting rocks. Normal stuff.

[thatwaslucky]

Which really just made it stranger.

"I wonder how many of us there are," she said, frowning.

[stykera]

"I don't know. I haven't talked to anyone about it besides you and Summer."

[thatwaslucky]

"And it sounded like we're the only ones talking about it," she said.

[stykera]

"Maybe they're talking to each other and not to us?" Stark auggested. "Or it felt different to them?"

[thatwaslucky]

"Or they just don't want to talk about it," said Rey.

[stykera]

"That could be." Stark nodded. He had plenty of experience not wanting to talk about things.

"It seems like there must be more than just us, though." Weird Fandom things were almost never that specialized.

[thatwaslucky]

"I'm sure. I suppose we'll find out soon enough." Whatever that meant.

[stykera]

"Unless it just keeps going on. Sometimes things last longer."

Like holes.

[thatwaslucky]

"I hope not. I have things to do," Rey told him.

[stykera]

"Good things?" Stark had no things to do, that he knew of.

[thatwaslucky]

"Yeah," she said. "I'm due a trip home. I haven't been back in a while."

[stykera]

"Home is good," Stark said, speaking as someone who hadn't gone home in a very long time. "As long as it's for a good reason."

"Just wanting to counts as a good reason," he added.

[thatwaslucky]

"Then it's a very good reason," Rey said with a smile. "Especially when things have been crazy for a while."

[stykera]

"It is." And it was going to get crazier, even!

"I haven't, in a long time." He'd called several months back. That sort of counted, right? "But I've thought about it. I hope it's a good trip."