SUPER BARBECUE SUPER BARBECUE SUPER BARBECUE [open as heck]

[hugling]

Who: SUPER HEROES!!!!!
Where: Ernest E. Debs Regional Park!
When: Sunday!
What: SUPER BARBECUE
Warnings: Superheroes...



It's a pleasant evening at Ernest E. Debs Regional Park, just a couple miles from downtown LA, which can be seen through the haze. Late March means spring is just arriving in LA and the trees are just starting to bud. Unfortunately, the grass is still kind of dead and dry.

The barbecue and picnic area isn't too busy, though the park does have the usual assortment of joggers, dog walkers, and cyclists. There are some balloons tied to picnic tables, and strung between two trees is a very homemade "SUPER BBQ" banner, courtesy of Hulkling and Starbreaker. There's still glitter glue on Milly's apartment floor. There's another posterboard with the rules written on it in big bold sharpie letters nearby, just in case anyone forgets:

• Don't be a jerk!!!
• Keep your weapons holstered please.
• Do not trash the park!
• ABSOLUTELY NO FIGHTING
• Anyone caught fighting will be asked to leave!
• Really don't be a jerk!

[OKAY GUYS!!! mingle! have fun! maybe some THINGS WILL HAPPEN, whoooo knows!]

Comments

[nailsandglass]

Matilda had a costume.

She was probably more excited about this than she should be, but it made her feel validated somehow, it made her feel like she was part of a group. She had Ana to thank for that, mask and all. When she heard about the barbeque she was certain that it would be something only for the older folk, so she was ecstatic when she had been brought along.

Getting a chance to see so many other superheroes was like a dream and it made Matilda realize that she actually could be one herself once she got older. She had never actually considered what she might want to do with her life but perhaps getting to know some other heroes could give her an idea if this was the right path for her.

Of course that would actually involve her having to talk to others and that was easier said than done. If she wasn't sticking to Ana or Tommy she was just kind of lurking off at the perimeter of the festivities.

[hellacold]

Well, that's an awfully small person looking awfully unsupervised. Jon doesn't want to bother her, but he definitely wants to make sure he hasn't gotten separated from anyone. He approaches her cautiously, making sure to keep his hands where she can see them.

"Hey," he says. "Is everything all right?"

[nailsandglass]

She seems surprise by the question, if only because at the moment Matilda is happier than she has been in as far as she can remember.

Jon was met with a smile and she gave him a firm nod. "Everything is great!" She could figure he seemed worried by her being alone--though she wasn't really. She had just wandered away from Tommy and Ana for a moment as she was prone to--even when she had lived with her family she often didn't ask permission to do things. It's not like they had noticed when she was gone.

[hellacold]

Jon can't help but smile at that. He does want to make sure she's accounted for, though.

"Did you come here with someone?" he asks.

[nailsandglass]

"Yea! I came with" And she takes a moment to search through the crowds before pointing out Aña and Tommy. "Them!"

She turned her gaze back to Jon. "They're mind friends." Guardians as well, but given that they were both young too, Matilda thought it best not to add that. She didn't want to get either of them in trouble.

[crotcharrow]

After eating his fill and making sure nobody is going to arrest him, Tommy starts mingling. He lost Aña and Matilda pretty early on, thanks to his insistence to stay vigilant, but he's finally having a chance to let his guard down a little. So of course he makes a beeline for Matilda first when he spots her in the cute outfit that Aña had made her.

Tommy creeps up behind her, and ruffles her hair--something that's become a familiar greeting for the both of them.

"Hey squirt. You look awesome."

[nailsandglass]

Matilda lets out a small squeal of surprise when he sneaks up on her, but then laughs when she sees who it is. She makes a grab for his arm, trying to hold onto it.

"Thank you! Aña made it all. I really like it." Maybe it was a silly thing to be so happy over but well. Matilda was.

"All I need now is a name!"

[crotcharrow]

He lets her grab his arm, but lifts it, in the hope that if she had a good enough grip she'd get lifted into the air.

"She's good at making that stuff, I'll give her that," he says with a grin, swinging her around a little. "I'm better at names. I mean, c'mon. Mine's Speed. How cool is that?"

[nailsandglass]

And Matilda does just that, happily hanging off his arm and swinging her little legs.

"I like Speed. It's simple and fitting!" Cause boy was he ever that. Living with Tommy had given her much more opportunity to see him at work and it was impossible to keep up with him most of the times.

Matilda couldn't really think of anything that was simple and fit her abilities but it'd come to her eventually.

"Do you know any of the heroes here?"

[crotcharrow]

He swings her a few times, laughing, before he puts her back down carefully. He's glad she's seemed to settle in nicely with their little family. God knows what would have happened to her if he'd left her on the streets, plus, having her around was awesome. He'd deny it if anyone asked, but feeling like a big brother was kind of cool.

"What about Mystic M?" he offers, grinning at her before looking out over the heroes that were gathered, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"Not really. I kinda stay away from heroes. They don't really like vigilantes who aren't signed up to their stupid roster. I only came because there was free food promised."

[nailsandglass]

Matilda finds her balance easily once set down, and at the suggestion her eyes go wide with delight. "Oh! That's perfect!" So mysterious! She wondered if an alias would help her much at this point in her life. People would still question why someone of her age was doing vigilante work regardless of how professional she seemed and if she tried to keep up a secret identity.

Still, it was nice to have one, even if it would only really work later in life.

Matilda considered the other super heroes. She had thought that they all got along well, considering they had the same wish to protect innocents but it seemed like it was more complicated than that.

"Why don't they like us? We're just doing the same thing."

[crotcharrow]

"You know why it's perfect? 'Cause it's my idea," he says, smirking at her. As she continues he gives a short sigh and looks over to the other mingling heroes.

"This kinda stuff has rules. And they don't like it when people don't sign up to be part of their gang to follow them."