Let's all hold hands and sing Kumbaya

[notzubats]

Who: Everybody! It's a planet mingle!
Broadcast: If You want!
Action: On the Holding Hands plant!
When: From June 23 until whenever we need a new mingle.

[At long last, the fleet has arrived to a new planet. This means it's time for a mingle guys! Get in! ]

Comments

[reconstitution]

[ Winter appreciates it, Katie, even if he doesn't say so. ]

I like pie an awful lot.

[flickerflash]

Pie! [She brightens.] Do you like apple pie? Or apricot crumble? What kinds of pie?

[reconstitution]

I've tried apple a few times, but not any other flavors.

[ Really, the flavor was mostly nostalgic, so he'd been content with it. ]

[flickerflash]

Then we can try them all! Come on! {She skips ahead a little. You were totally booking your afternoon with pie taste testing before this, right?]

[reconstitution]

You might have to help me finish them.

[ Well, he wasn't doing anything in particular before. He may as well spend his afternoon with Katie. At least he knows she's not afraid of him. ]

[flickerflash]

[It takes a lot to scare Katie. Of course, the bonus is she got the news given to her by Sam, who is eternally compassionate.]

That sounds like a tough job. I'll give it my best try.

[reconstitution]

I believe in you.

[ Really, what kid doesn't have room for sweets? ]

One of the restaurants should have pie, right?

[flickerflash]

I bet they all have pie. Even the ones that pretend they don't! They just want to have it all to themselves. [Really, who can blame them. Pie is delicious.]

Oh, but I found a place that likes to make meringue! I bet that would be a good place to start.

[reconstitution]

Oh. I'm not sure about that. Let's start where we know there's pie. Meringue sounds good.

[ He'll let her lead the way since she seems to know where they're going. ]

[flickerflash]

[She does. The place she's thinking of is what amounts to a tiny street cafe-- a walkway cafe?-- with a cheerful woman selling a cartload of small, handheld pies of all kinds of flavours. A distinct lack of meringue, though.]

Here! I wonder if any of these taste like blueberry.

[reconstitution]

I'm not sure, but we'll get a few different kinds to start. Does that sound okay?

[ He approaches the stand, handing the woman a handful of acorns for whatever pies that will buy the pair of them. ]

[flickerflash]

[Katie just grins in response, bouncing on her toes as the woman offers up a selection of pies.]

I wonder what alien pies taste like. [Spoilers: Pretty much like regular pies.] Do you want to choose first? Maybe we can find a nice place to sit out of the sun.

[...she said, on a shaded walkway.]

[reconstitution]

Okay. I'll choose.. [ He looks over the pies, picking up one with darker-looking berries. ] This one.

The beach isn't too far away. Neither are the docks.

[flickerflash]

Beach! [She selects one with a distinct blue shade to the berries, and accepts the small cardboard box with the rest of their goodies.]

Didn't we talk about the beach before? I can't remember. It'll be much colder than the ones I'm used to, but that's probably a good thing.

[reconstitution]

The beach it is.

[ They may have talked about it, but he can't remember. He lets her carry the box, leading the way to the beach. Maybe his favorite spot won't be taken. ]

Did we talk about the beach on the ice planet?

[flickerflash]

We might have done. [To be honest, she's not sure-- just that there was a beach in there somewhere.] Have you been to many beaches before this one? Have you ever made sandcastles? Or sand men. Snowmen cousins.

[She happily follows him down to the sand, stealing a small bite of her pie and making a face. Well, it's nice, but it doesn't taste like blueberry. She was hoping.]

[reconstitution]

I remember going to the beach when I was really young- with my family during the summer. Sandcastles, maybe. Probably not a good idea now, though.

[ Kaitie, you might have to be the sandmen builder and he can appraise it from afar or fetch pails of water.

He stops at his favorite spot, just before the tide so they don't get wet sitting in the sand. ]

[flickerflash]

Why isn't it a good idea now?

[She has to ask. Katie tilts her head with a frown.] Can you not make them if your arm's metal?

[reconstitution]

I probably shouldn't get sand stuck in it right now.

[flickerflash]

[Hmm. She gives him a studious look, mulling things over, then offers a tentative smile.]

If you try not to get too much stuck, I bet I could get it out for you.

[reconstitution]

I guess I can't really argue with that, can I?

[ Instead, he's going to eat his pie before sandcastles are a thing. ]

[flickerflash]

[She outright grins, but hey. He has the right idea. She plonks herself down next to him to munch on the pie she has, basking in the warm breeze. She doesn't get to see the ocean often, despite what she says.]

Why is your arm metal, anyway? Did you have an accident?

[reconstitution]

[ The ocean is a rare treat for all of them, so they're excused for being a little selfish in taking advantage of it.

Ah.. He wondered when it would come up. People ask eventually, and he can't really fault a kid for being curious. ]

I fell off a train.

[flickerflash]

[Katie flinches, giving a small hiss of sympathy. That sounds painful as hell.]

Was the train going too fast, or didn't the doors shut? I think they should have seatbelts, you know. [Which she would then promptly ignore, but Katie doesn't have an issue with falling.]

[reconstitution]

It was going very fast. I was trying to help a friend and I slipped.

[ Katie definitely doesn't need to know the why around it, nor what came after. Because 'it was ripped off somewhere between the train and the ground in a fall that should have resulted in death' might be a little much. ]