fandomtownies | The Park, Thursday afternoon

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The Park, Thursday afternoon

The weather was very pleasant today and it seemed like a good day for a walk around the island. As usual when Stark was feeling a little restless and in need of a walk he ended up stopping at the Perk before heading to the park.

Having walked enough for the moment he sat on what was apparently his favorite bench near the pond to drink today's very sugary iced coffee (it was pumpkin spice season so he needed to get those while he could) and watch the birds in the water.

[I have another 7 or 8 hours left in my workday and I've been here since 8:30 please entertain me]

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Dwight had been up early that morning and so by mid-day he had finished up the urgent work for the day and decided to take the rest of the day off. So after finally getting Snoopy into his harness and finding his favorite tennis ball to take with them, they headed to the park.

"Hey Stark," he said as they approached. Dwight tightened his hold on the leash to keep the overly friendly pup from attacking Stark with sloppy kisses in case he wasn't in the mood for that just then. "How have you been?"

[Would a cute and a bit overly energetic beagle pup help XD ?]

Stark never minded doggy affection!

"Hello, Dwight. And friend," he added, smiling at the dog.

"I'm doing fairly well. And you?"

Snoopy gladly ran up and greeted Stark with happy barks and licks.

"Doing well, taking the day off so we decided to burn off some energy here at the park," Dwight said with a grin. "Oh and I don't think you two have been properly introduced before. This is Snoopy."

Stark set his coffee down on the bench to avoid ending up with a pumpkin spice puppy and then very happily offered the dog some pets.

"I don't think we have," he agreed. "Hello, Snoopy. Good to meet you."

Snoopy proceeded to roll onto his back, tail still wagging non-stop.

"Oh you might become his new best friend at this rate," Dwight laughed.

"You are teaching again this term right? How's that going so far?"

"I can always use more friends," Stark said as he leaned down to rub the exposed belly.

Looking back up at Dwight he nodded. "Two classes with Summer," he confirmed. "It's going well so far, I think. You have a class too, don't you?"

"Ah teaching with Summer. That must be an experience" Dwight replied. "And yes, just one class. Intro to woodworking. It's been... ummm... interesting. Only have three people since it's a Community Center class and I think two of the three are there just to spite me," he said with a dry laugh and a shake of his head. (Well one of them was there for that reason that much was for sure)

"It's been good to have someone to work with," Stark said. "And she's a very good friend. Even if she does things that lead me to having to eat cupcakes with tuna in them." That wasn't it out of spite. That was just Summer.

"Which students are those?"

"Amaya and Rosa," Dwight said with a slight shake of his head. "Amaya might have a legit reason for wanting to learn woodworking... other than running me out of business" he added jokingly (hopefully?). "But I'm pretty sure Rosa signed up just to troll me as much as she can."

"That does sound like something Rosa might do." Stark didn't know her well (did anyone?) but it still sounded correct.

"But I thought you and Amaya were friends?"

Or 'friends.' Either way.

"Ah yeah well.... we were.... I mean still are sort of," Dwight said, stumbling a bit over just how to describe that relationship anymore because he wasn't even sure he knew at this point. "Things have been, errr.... difficult ever since that AU nonsense that hit a while back. Amaya wasn't thrilled with the shenanigans that weekend and has been a bit... distant... ever since." (Understatement of the century there).

"Oh." Stark nodded uncertainly. "The island can do all sorts of odd things. What sort of things are you making in your class?"

"Yeah odd things like cause you to run off and elope with someone evidently," Dwight said with a sigh.

"But class has been a bit of the basics so far. Should be getting to the projects shortly. Got some simple projects lined up for them to work on so should be good once we get into it."

"Ah. That would be odd. Very awkward. I'm sorry." More awkward than making it with your friend at a wedding and accidentally having both of you realize maybe there were reasons behind that, even!

"I've never tried any woodworking. Just metal, with Amaya. What sort of things are you planning?"

Guess who else was feeling a little restless? This guy! Hence also wandering around and ending up in the park.

“Stark,” he greeted. “Good afternoon.”

"Hello Watts." Stark nodded. "You survived Saturday. Good."

Stark could recognize a fellow Very Awkward person.

“Hm. Yes. It was- not voluntary,” he grimaced. “Which I am told happens frequently.”

"I've never signed up on purpose," Stark said with a little sigh. "Tino just... does it."

“He signed Steven up too.” Which had been the source of some anxiety for a hot minute. “But apparently it is not uncommon to use the event just to socialize.”

"I've never used it for more than just talking," Stark confirmed. "I've never been looking for more than that."

He hasn't been looking for anything ever. Sometimes things just happened.

“I suppose it was. Interesting enough,” Watts conceded, watching a couple of flamingoes stroll by.

"It can be interesting." Stark nodded. "Did you get a chance to meet anyone new? Or talk to anyone you already knew?"

"Several people I already knew," Watts confirmed. "And I met Miss Aloy, who seems quite interesting." And who was just as ~~bad~~ good at small talk as he was, so that worked out nicely. "How about you?"

"Mostly people I knew as well." And one who never showed up.

"I did meet Billy who I hadn't ever met yet. And I talked with Jon and Margo and Constantine. I knew all of them already."

Not wanting to leave anyone hanging like that had been Steven's argument for going through with the dates, and Watts had gone along with that out of a desire to not upset Steven.

"So, a productive evening then." Something caught his eye and he bent down to retrieve a bright pink flamingo feather, sticking it in the band of his hat. "Personally, I think perhaps next time I see that many people in the pub I will make a hasty retreat."

Stark smiled, a little, at the feather. It was charming.

"That usually only happens twice a year. I missed the last one." Very much on purpose.

“I’m not good at small talk for the sake of small talk, and that’s really all that three minutes would seem to allow.”

Well, it was also long enough to figure out if you wanted to have a one night stand with someone, but that was not how Watts rolled.

Stark wasn't exactly prone to one night stands either. Well. Except for with the last two people he'd dated.

"It's not much time for a real conversation," Stark agreed. "Maybe enough to know if you'd like to talk more. But then at least you've met someone. Sometimes I manage not to meet people here even after they've been here for a long time." There were still a few out there he'd never interacted with.

"Yes," Watts nodded. "That is the case with myself as well." He didn't consider that a problem, though. He'd either run in to them eventually or he wouldn't, but going out of his way to meet new people was not, generally speaking, his style.

"There are few enough people here I feel like I ought to at least have met them all. But I haven't," Stark said with a small frown. "Sometimes I'm not good at talking to people. Or remembering not to stay by myself."

He was better about it than he used to be, at least. Because he had a routine now.

"What's wrong with staying by oneself?" Watts wondered. "At least you can be sure the company won't be boring."

"I get lonely. And...sometimes I don't do well if I'm alone too long."

Slight understatements there.

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The Park, Thursday afternoon

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