Fandom Island Museum, Thursday Daytime

[hasaknightjob]

Once again, Steven had a hungry cat to thank for making sure he woke up in time to make it to work. Of course Steven still had to run over to his flat to get ready and quickly eat some cereal for breakfast.

He ran out so fast that he forgot to bring a cup of tea with him. So he was actually grateful for the polar bears who had set up outside of the museum and were currently handing out bottles of soda.

"Cheers," he told them. "You're not related to the ones who were performing out here a few months ago, are you? No? All right then. Laters gators!"

With that Steven set himself up inside behind the Welcome Desk. He tried to focus on work, and not any nerves he felt about who may or may not be stopping by that day.

Though of course anyone who wanted to stop by was welcome, planned or not.

[open!]

Comments

[pocketpretzels]

Come lunchtime, there was a particular planned visitor. Though as per usual, said visitor wasn’t here for the exhibits so much as the fellow behind the welcome desk.

“Hello, you,” Watts greeted, arms full with both the takeout and the bottles of soda the bear outside had insisted he take.

(Friendly as it seemed, Watts wasn’t about to turn down something a polar bear handed him, no sir.)

[hasaknightjob]

Steven smiled back. He immediately went to put the sign on the desk that said he was taking lunch. "Hello, you. Bears still outside?"

[pocketpretzels]

“Indeed they are,” Watts reported. Honestly, it was a small miracle he’d managed to dodge the bears up until arriving just outside the museum, or he’d be stuck with more than just two soda bottles.

Hands full as they were, he awkwardly stuck one elbow out for Steven to take, completely forgetting the fact that his hat was still upon his head.

[hasaknightjob]

Steven was happy to take the offered elbow, though he still had to ask, "Can I help with carrying anything?"

[somethingwithturquoise]

Summer couldn't imagine why anyone being nervous about her stopping by. Look, she even brought donuts!

"I brought donuts," she announced, by way of greeting, coming in and dropping the bag in front of Steven on the desk, before taking a moment to look around just a little, because she'd never actually bothered coming in here. "Although I will say now that if this whole 'squirrel-proof' location you've got is just an attempt at trying to murder me, my boyfriend does know my location and who I intend to be with and has a relatively fool-proof Turing test ready to go if you try to replace with me with a robot."

Just to get that out there.

[hasaknightjob]

"I don't kill anyone," Steven said, as though that was the point. "Don't know how to make robots either, for that matter. Am I all right to say thank you for the donuts? I can see you got vegan, cheers."

[pocketpretzels]

“If you would,” Watts said gratefully.

[somethingwithturquoise]

"It would be extremely dumb of me to bring donuts that weren't," Summer pointed out, but at least Steven didn't hit her with a look who's not a moron! You!, or something.

"And you don't need to know how to make robots," she added, because apparently that was the point. "You just need to know someone who does. But, hey, I'm sure you're super busy here at the museum, so let's get this big, weird secret thing out of the way and get on with our lives."

[hasaknightjob]

"Poor Llew," Steven said. He reached over to take the bottles. "At least the bears are generous?"

[hasaknightjob]

"All right if we go upstairs?" Steven asked, pointing to the staircase not far from the welcome desk. "That's the art exhibit. It's a bit more private than out here in the lobby."

So were the other exhibits but Steven got the impression that Summer would prefer efficiency to options.

"With that and the little rum bottles I've brought we should be all right far as radio and all."

[somethingwithturquoise]

Summer shrugged. "It's your big, dark, dramatic secret, man," she said. "Not mine. Whatever floats your boat."

[hasaknightjob]

"Right," Steven said. Luckily he hadn't been in such a rush that morning that he'd forgotten to put the various things he needed today into his satchel. Case in point, the tiny rum bottles he lined up beside the brochures on the counter. That done, he led the way to the stairs. "There we are. This way then. How's your day been by the way?"

[pocketpretzels]

“Perhaps too much so,” Watts said as he gratefully handed them over. “I spotted several folks on the way over with their arms overflowing with bottled beverages.”

[hasaknightjob]

"At least they're quiet about it?" Steven said, thinking of the bear band again. "Can't say the it offer wasn't appreciated. Forgot my tea this morning in the rush over."

[pocketpretzels]

“I’d apologize for that, but…” Watts grinned as he started to walk towards their usual spot. Yes, with his hat still on. Oops.

[hasaknightjob]

"At least I remembered what else I needed to bring," Steven said, which had been more than just the tiny rum bottles.

Steven had noticed the hat but wasn't sure if Llewellyn had been waiting for a free hand to do something about it. When that didn't look like it was forthcoming, Steven changed hands holding the soda bottles so he could reach up and try to take the hat from him.

[somethingwithturquoise]

"Pretty uneventful," Summer answered mildly as she drifted after Steven. "I tend to sleep in on Thursdays, if I can. Yours?"

[pocketpretzels]

He’d meant to wait for a free hand, yes, but had gotten distracted in all the shuffling and somewhat forgotten the hat was still on his head.

“Wh- oh,” he realized. “Thank you, darling.”

NFB from here please

[hasaknightjob]

"Pretty quiet except for the bears," Steven said.

Once they they were at the top they were in the art exhibit. It had pictures and statues of things related to the island. Was anything here foreshadowing events of next week? Who knows. That's not why Steven picked it.

"There we are." Steven pointed out a bench if Summer wanted to sit. "It's all right to chat here. I've done it before. No problem."

Some of Steven's nerves were coming back now that it was time to talk.

[hasaknightjob]

With a smile Steven took the hat and placed it in Llewellyn's usual spot. "There we are. Safe as houses. Shall we go on?"

Re: NFB from here please

[somethingwithturquoise]

As they moved upstairs and into the area with all the art, Summer found herself idly looking at the various pieces, although, admittedly, she was mostly just trying to find things that might have related to T&C or Caritas.

Then she considered the bench, had a seat, and looked at Steven expectantly.

Then, in a brief moment of compassion, decided to throw the poor guy a bone by at least offering a prompt.

"So," she said. "About you and this Marc guy..."

Re: NFB from here please

[hasaknightjob]

"'Has no fear,'" Steven reminded himself under his breath. As was the usual case, this was more an ironic observation of his current state than anything else. He sat down on the opposite end of the bench, leaving plenty of room between him and Summer. "Right. Being honest. Just coming out with it. I can do this."

Steven paused, realizing he wasn't actually getting to the point. He made himself focus. "The thing about Marc and me is - is we share a body."

Then, because it was Fandom and you did need to clarify, he gestured to himself and added, "This one."

Re: NFB from here please

[somethingwithturquoise]

And here Summer was just about to pointedly check her watch(-slash-tracking device) to start timing how long it took Steven to actually arrive at that point.

"You know," she said, after a moment, "I wasn't even thinking of any other weird connotations to that until you added that last part, but now I sure as hell am.

"That explains why he looks like you, I guess, but also, that sounds super annoying and inconvenient."

Re: NFB from here please

[hasaknightjob]

"It can be, yeah," Steven said, surprised that was Summer's reaction to it. But pleasantly so. Thinking about the day to day details was much better than her reacting in horror or anything like it. "That's why I lose time, sometimes, or forget things I might have said or done. It's like I wake up and I don't know where I am or what I'm doing. Usually when that happens people are cross with me. Or trying to kill me."

Re: NFB from here please

[somethingwithturquoise]

Steven must have missed the part last night where she said it'd take a lot to throw her, huh? Oh, or did he think she was exaggerating?

Although, admittedly, that last part did cause mild alarm with the lift of her brows

"What the fuck is this Marc guy doing if when you come back around to it, people are trying to kill you?"

Like. Hey, sure. They'd all been there, right? But still, seemed kind of rude, like joyriding in the family vehicle, or something.