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Anything But White Party - Stark Industries, Friday Night

The ballroom was once again set up for guests at Stark Industries, this time with a decidedly colorful theme for it. Where the color white could reasonably be avoided it was avoided: from the decorations to the lighting, to the food and drinks provided for the guests.

Because no one enjoyed a nice theme more than Tony Stark.

Steve strode across the ballroom and stared up at the new Chihuly chandelier installed over the dance floor. "When I suggested we switch out the art, I meant the kids' paintings," he said, pointing to the new, very colorful, pictures that had been blown up from construction paper size to 5 foot tall show-stoppers. "I still think the pictures of Princess Thor riding on the unicorn wins, though."

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"Steven!" Travis grinned. "You too. How's it going? Did you bring Watts too?"

"I did. He's over there," Steven said, pointing in the appropriate direction. "Doing well, thank you. And you? How's it been helping out on the mainland?"

"So much better," Travis said. "Although Summer's convinced I've gone full hermit."

To be fair, he hadn't not gone full hermit. He was just also volunteering on the mainland.

"Hardly your fault if you're busy saving lives and all now is it?" Steven said, since he didn't know about the hermit part. "Good reason I would say."

"Thank you," Travis said, with actual relief. "Summer was starting to give me a bit of a complex."

Because, you know, he was kind of a hermit.

"I'd advise not listening to her in that case," Steven said. "Of course it's wonderful to see you when we can, but you shouldn't feel guilty about how you need to spend your time."

"You might be my new best friend," Travis decided. ". . . I mean, you're not, because Vic doesn't need replacing, even if she's not on the island, but -- I'm going to stop talking now."

Steven smiled. "I shall take it as the compliment it's intended. Good friend, shall we say? And I mean in my experience it's no good making someone feel bad for not being about when they are about. Hardly encourages them, does it? If the first thing they experience is some sort of guilt trip."

Not that Steven had needed to learn this lesson about anybody in his own life or perhaps body or anything. Perish the thought.

"Yes, exactly! What is she, my mom?"

Sorry, Summer.

"Wastes time as well," Steven said. "If I enjoy your company - which I do, by the way. Glad to be your friend. - then I'd much rather get to enjoying it while I have it. Besides, long as you're not hurting anyone what business is it of mine if you're busy with other things?"

"You're very wise," Travis said, smiling. "Watts is a lucky guy."

"I like to think I'm the lucky one, but cheers," Steven said with a fond smile in the direction of the beau in question. "But you find it's helping still? Having the mainland to keep you busy with your job?"

Given that he was in a relationship with someone who also had a job which could be very uneventful and thus boring for long stretches of time, Steven was mindful of such things.

"Oh definitely. Easier to keep in practice, too. Helping get people out of your new place went much more smoothly than the fire at the flea market did."

"That's excellent news!" Steven said. "Midnight's doing well, by the way. Being a boarding house and home seems to suit it."

"That's -- good," Travis said, with only a slight hitch. "Weird, but good. Not sure I could stay there overnight, but more power to you guys."

Steven nodded to indicate he understood Travis's trepidation. "It'd be nice to do a party of our own. Nothing so posh as this, of course. But, well, an open house really. Give people a chance to see what it's like now. But of course the bugger of it all is the need to show that is precisely why I suspect some people wouldn't come."

"Yeah." Travis gave him a little shrug. "Give it some time? We might still come around. Some day."

"I honestly don't know how to help that," Steven admitted. "I understand how it is to those who were hurt, absolutely. I'd never rush them or want them to do anything to make them feel uncomfortable. Whatever they feel is best for themselves I fully support, even if it means they'd likely turn us down if we invited them over for dinner. And trust must be earned, of course. But in general I don't know how to help show that Midnight is doing the work if even talking about it gets Llewellyn and I condescending looks.

"Not you," Steven said, to be clear. "Others."

Travis shrugged. "You might just have to . . . deal with it. Give 'em time. And if the condescension continues, then maybe those people aren't worth it in the first place."

"I was hoping you might have some advice," Steven admitted. Sitting and letting things just be was hard for him. Particularly when it came to the idea of someone - or in this case was it a something? - attempting to change the path of their life. He wanted to help.

Again, no reason for that. No other comparisons to be made to anyone else in Steven's life at all. Who would ever think such a thing?

"It's hard to - well let go, I suppose, is one way to put it," Steven said. "Even with people as you say. I mean I know some people can be rude and horrible." His former boss, for example. There were so many reasons he enjoyed working for Blathers now. "Still. I like to think everyone can be good if given the chance. Though I suppose they have to want the chance in the first place."

Steven was reminding himself of this right now as much as anything.

"That they do. And for a lot of people here . . . well. They've been burned by stuff like that before. So they stick to what they know. But I can't imagine no one else around here has had to try to change before. I'm sure most people will come around eventually."

"Hope so. Thank you." Steven gave Travis a grateful look, then an apologetic one. "But here's me turning the topic serious when it's meant to be a festive occasion. Anything in particular you're looking forward to? It's dancing for me. And hopefully meeting people I've not met yet. Events like these are often a good way to do that I find."

"Oh man. I'm just proud of myself for actually getting here. I haven't even thought about what to do now I'm here."

"There's food," Steven said, pointing it out. "Haven't tried it yet but it looks colorful."

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Anything But White Party - Stark Industries, Friday Night

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