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

[hugling]

"Yeah, maybe. Here, I have a bunch of last week's LA Times." Teddy crumples up Tuesday's sports section and crumples it into a ball and sets it aflame on top of the charcoal, where it burns brightly for a few seconds and then disintegrates. The charcoal remains cold.

"God damn it." He resists the urge to kick the fire pit. "Stupid fire. I was a boy scout for like two months, you know. I should theoretically be able to do this."

Deep breath. "I'm Hulkling, by the way. And I'm usually better at stuff."

[cazamitad]

"Two months of your life wasted, clearly," she agrees with a laugh. He looks so sad - maybe she should offer to go find some lighter fluid...

"I'm Araña. The Hunter, we talked on the Watch when you posted about this."

She glances around, spotting a couple other grilling groups nearby. "You want me to see if anybody else in the park has starter fluid? I see a couple of families just from here..."

[hugling]

He perks right up at her introduction, even cracking a smile. "Right! It's nice to meet you in real life, Araña. We talked about old Latina neighbor ladies too, I think, like ages ago. That was you, right?"

Teddy glances over at the nearest grilling family, who have been eyeing the crowd of superheroes nervously. "Yeah, maybe. They'd probably be less scared of you than of me."

[cazamitad]

"Dios, you're right, that was you!" She laughs, her nose wrinkling. "I had almost forgotten, probably 'cause you went off to space or classified reasons and weren't around to chat with."

She stands and stretches, waving with a grin at the uncertain soccer mom watching them. With her non-cyborg hand. "I can give it a shot. If they're too nervous, I could always send mija over. A wide-eyed six-year-old can put any soccer mom at ease."

[hugling]

"Yeah! I kind of had to leave that building. I'm really gonna miss Mrs. Benitez; every time I went over to help her with the plumbing or whatever she would give me these amazing Colombian cookies."

Teddy stands up too, waving the newspaper smoke away from his eyes. "You brought--" actually, questioning the safety of bringing a child to this supposedly completely nonviolent and totally chill barbecue probably isn't a great idea. "Uh. That's a pretty good idea. Is the kid your sister, or...?"

[cazamitad]

Oh, she doesn't miss that, considering her own suspicions everything won't stay friendly for too long. She grins. "Don't worry, she can take care of herself until Speed can zip her out of here, should anything go down."

That trail-off is telling, at least to Aña. She's used to things like the assumption of small children being her kids. She's Hispanic, that's just what they're like, right?

She doesn't take offense though - she did just bring up having brought a 6-year-old along, even if she's a little young to have a 6-year-old.

"Yeah, she's my sister," she says, because at least that way people will know not to mess with her. "She hasn't gotten to do anything fun like this in ages, so no way I was gonna make her stay home, you know?"