Chilly Boulder, Friday late evening

[stykera]

Stark was a little restless today. Tonight. He knew what was coming, who was coming, even if part of him was still somewhat in denial about all of it.

He'd wandered through the park for a while, watching the ducks in the slowly fading light, before heading to the ice cream shop. Something sugary would probably help. If nothing else it would distract him for a while.

He ordered a large sundae, extra whipped cream, and sat down at a table to eat and maybe to wait.

[Expecting myself but also very open should you want ice cream or to talk to an alien or another alien!]

Comments

[thirdscrewscrewed]

You know what was pretty boring? Being dead. So if the opportunity to not be dead for a weekend popped up, he was going to take it, even if it meant hanging out with his bitch of a not-dead sister, then so be it.

Honestly, there were way worse ways to spend being not-dead for a weekend. But as Morty went to go find his sister, he found himself getting momentarily distracted.

"Ooooh. Ice cream."

Summer could wait! He'd been dead, he deserved some ice cream,and so it was with the eagerness of a puppy that he diverted his course into the ice cream shop and gawked excitedly at the menu before putting in a long and rambling and stuttering order, almost got side-tracked by wondering what a Skywalker was, and finally decided on a triple-scoop waffle cone with both chocolate and rainbow sprinkles, and then when all was said and done and it was time to pay?

"Oh."

Eyes wide, lips pursed and slightly drooping, Morty felt around his pockets.

"Oh...oh geez."

He pulled his pocket liners inside out, revealing only pocket lint, a few coins, and, in what was apparently an astonishing bid of confidence at that time, a condom, all of which he frantically scrambled to scoop back up.

"G-geez," he stuttered out again, "I...I'm sorry about that. I don't....I don't have any money! But maybe my sister can cover it? She....she can pay you back later?"

His eyes were big and hopeful, and if that didn't work, he was ready for Plan B: Attempt to Pay with Expired Prophylactics .

[flora_evolved]

"Do you need money, child?" Zhaan asked. She'd taken her seat across from Stark and was happily sharing his ice cream while they talked but that didn't mean she would ignore a boy in distress.

"Stark will help you," she said, smiling at the boy. She didn't need to check with him. She knew he would.

[thirdscrewscrewed]

"Oh," Morty blinked a little at the woman he hadn't even realized was there, red creeping ip on his face a little, he'd been so focused on ice cream that he didn't realize he was probably making an embarrassment of himself. "Uhhh...ummm, n-no. No. It's, uh, it's okay. I'll just have my sis--"

He stopped dead as he got a flash of how that interaction would probably go.

You can't just come back from the dead and make me pay for your ice cream, Morty.

"Umm...maybe the have dishes that need to be washed?" he said hopefully. "It...it's okay! I don't need help!"

But then he sighed miserably, his head hanging.

"Or ice cream...."

Summer probably had some in her freezer anyway, right? But it just wasn't the same...

[stykera]

"You don't have to wash dishes," Stark said. "I can buy you an ice cream. You could ask your sister for the money later but there's no need. It's not a problem. I promise."

[thirdscrewscrewed]

"R-Really?" asked Morty, his eyes widening a little more, but a hopeful smile starting to surface. "Oh...geez. Oh, wow, that...that's really nice of you guys! That's really great! I...Oh, man, I really appreciate that! An ice cream sounds so good right now, you know? And I forgot about not having any money. So that'd be really great! And they...and they say there's not...there's not good people out there in the world, too! Ha-ha, b-boy, you....you two sure showed them wrong, right?"

There was another nervous chuckle and he rubbed the back of his neck, sort of forcing himself to stop or else he'd probably just keep going. Thankfully, he did have an an cream cone to eat now instead of just continuing to babble.

[flora_evolved]

Zhaan did have a fondness for awkward boys with a tendency to babble. She smiled at Morty.

"Really. We wouldn't want you to go hungry. And I know Stark isn't one to deny anyone a dessert."

[thirdscrewscrewed]

Boy, was she sure to like Morty, then!

"Oh, well," Morty gave another, slightly less awkward chuckle, as he took a happy and pleased bite of his ice cream, "I...I don't know of I'd've gone hungry," could dead people starve? Who knew! Morty was not inclined to want to find out!, "but it...it is nice to...to have a little treat! I'm Morty, by the way! I was on my way to see my sister, but I thought....I sure thought some ice cream would really hit the spot first, y'know?"

[stykera]

She was! But then Zhaan tended to like most people until they proved they didn't deserve it.

"Morty..." Stark repeated, understanding now. "Hello. I'm Stark."

"Pa'u Zotoh Zhaan," Zhaan said with another soft smile.

[thirdscrewscrewed]

...well, Morty was definitely not going to remember all of that second one, or probably say it right, so he was not even going to try!

Sometimes, he could be smart!

"It's nice to meet you both," he said. And not even because of the ice cream! "Are...are you guys from around here? Maybe you already know my sister? Summer? Red hair? Pink shirt? White pants?"

[stykera]

"Not from here, no. But I live here now," Stark said. "On the island. And I do know Summer. I know your sister very well."

That earned him an appraising look from Zhaan. They had so much to discuss while she was here.

[thirdscrewscrewed]

"You do?" Morty's brows lifted. "That...that's great! So you probably know if she still lives in the same apartment, then? On the first floor of the building over by the...the thing...to....go over to the mainland?"

He was so going to be thrown by how it he didn't remember it being as tall as it was now but, hey, you know, what could you do? He'd been dead, and all that, so.

[stykera]

"She does," Stark confirmed. "I live upstairs from her. You know how to find it? To find her? We're going back there, after this. If you need help finding it."

[thirdscrewscrewed]

"N-no, no," said Morty, "that...that's okay, I can find it. I've been here before."

He might get distracted by another place, though, and need another bail-out.

"T-thank you, though."

[stykera]

Stark was a soft touch, Morty. He would bail you out.

"Right, right. Well. If you need anything...I can help. We can help."

[flora_evolved]

Stark didn't have to wait long before a very familiar blue figure appeared in the doorway. Zhaan had found him. Of course she had.

She walked up behind him and laid a hand on his shoulder, wondering why he wasn't facing that way. He usually did.

"I've come back," she said softly.

[stykera]

Stark didn't turn to look. His eye betrayed him, sometimes. He just lifted his hand to cover hers.

"I thought you were coming," he answered. "I felt it. Will you sit?"

[flora_evolved]

"I'm here for you," Zhaan told him gently as she walked to sit opposite him, moving her hand only when she absolutely had to. "For a time."

[stykera]

Stark pushed his ice cream dish towards her and nodded to it. "You should try this."

He wasn't sure what else to say. Nothing he wanted anyone else to overhear and he could hardly throw himself into her arms in the middle of an ice cream parlor. That would be later, once they were safely home.

"I...I've missed you. Always. And so much has changed since I saw you last."

[flora_evolved]

"We've time to talk of all of it," Zhaan promised, reaching to cover one of his hands with her own. "I'm here for you, Stark. You called me. I came. I am here. For now."

Stark just nodded in return, not quite trusting his voice.

[alwaysonguard]

Dwight looked around as he and Lizzie walked in.

"Go ahead and pick whatever flavor you want, kiddo."

"Two scoops?" Lizzie asked with pleading eyes.

"Oh don't give me that look.... Oh fine, two scoops, why not?"

Dwight couldn't help but smile as he watched Lizzie check out all the flavors there were to choose from. It looked like the Chilly Boulder was a busy place even for so late and as Dwight looked around he gave Stark a smile and a wave.

[stykera]

"Hello, Dwight," Stark said, looking away from Zhaan for a moment to nod to the other man and the child. "No sprinkles?"

[alwaysonguard]

"Oh I am sure there will be plenty of sprinkles, and whipped cream, and chocolate sauce, na probably even a cherry or two" he assured Stark as he watched Lizzie.

[stykera]

"Good," Stark said, nodding more. "There should always be toppings for the ice cream, I think. How are you?"

[alwaysonguard]

"Always toppings" Dwight said with a nod. "And I am doing well. Very well actually" he added with a glance over at Lizzie. "And yourself?"

[stykera]

"I'm..." Stark glanced back over at Zhaan who was still there and still real, "well."

It was more complicated than that. Of course it was. But for the moment he was doing well. As long as he didn't think too hard about what was to come.