Picnic Time!

[brig_gen_maes]

Characters: Maes Hughes (brig_gen_maes) and OPEN TO ALL (no response to Maes' post needed, coordinates and day were public.)
When: All day Tuesday
Where: The orchard at [x,y] about fifteen minutes from Maes' house
Rating: PG now, will up it if anyone prone to using profanity shows up.
Summary: The community needed cheering up, and Maes planned just the thing.

Comments

[female_warrior]

Asuna wandered up with some cookies in hand. Sure, she wasn't very good at baking... or cooking... or anything kitchen-related but there wasn't too much that could go wrong with chocolate chip, right?

She waved as she approached to those who had already arrived. This would, hopefully, be a nice break from the tragedy and heartbreak of the last week or so.

[brig_gen_maes]

Maes waved back to Asuna, coming up to retrieve the food from her and set it out. "Miss Asuna! I'm glad you could come. And thank you for bringing something!" He peeked at it. "Cookies! That will go over well. This way!"

Cheerfully, Maes lead the way over to the rest of the food and put the cookies down with it. "There we go! Would you like a kite, or shall I set up horseshoes or croquet? The set doesn't match, but I found all the pieces!"

[female_warrior]

"You're welcome. I'm... not sure how good they will be," she mumbled, rubbing the back of her neck, "but I figured I couldn't mess up cookies too badly."

Asuna looked slightly flustered as Maes listed off her choices in activities. "Oh, um, a kite, please."

[brig_gen_maes]

"We'll be optimistic. I'm sure you did your best, and they're not black and burned, so we shouldn't have much to worry about. And," Maes lowered his voice to a whisper, "don't tell anyone, but the first time I made cookies, I added salt instead of sugar."

He reached over and grabbed the blue kite, holding it out. "One kite, as ordered!"

[female_warrior]

Okay, Asuna couldn't help herself- she snickered at Maes's admission. "That must have turned out... interesting."

She took the kite with a smile. "Thank you!" There was something about kite flying which relaxed Asuna. Maybe it was because she could imagine herself as the kite, soaring high above the Earth without a care in the world. She stepped back a little from the growing group of people and let out some string. In an instant she was off running with the kite bopping along the ground behind her.

"Grrr...," she grumbled under her breath. After a moment of resting she tried again and this time the kite got off the ground- for a moment. However, Asuna was not one to give up easily.

[notamageiswear]

Negi just stood for a while, watching Asuna drag the kite behind her instead of trailing it along in the air. He couldn't help but laugh. Not that he had ever really flown a kite himself, but surely it wasn't too hard, right? He smiled, though, as Asuna finally managed to get the kite off the ground, briefly, and approached her from behind.

"Asuna-san, do you need help with that?"

[female_warrior]

"I swear, it's harder than it looks," she grumbled, glaring at the offending kite which was now in a pile on the ground in front of her. "Here," she picked up the kite and then handed the spool of string to Negi. "You run with this and I'll toss it up in the air."

Normally, she would have done things the other way around but since Negi was shorter than her it made more sense to have things this way.

[notamageiswear]

"Eeh?" Negi blinked as the spool of string was handed off to him. He was supposed to fly it? He glanced at the kite. Well...it was worth a try. And he could always use a little bit of magic if he couldn't get it into the air.

Negi nodded to Asuna. "Alright. I'm ready!"

[female_warrior]

"Ooookay- start running!"

Asuna had to wonder if Negi had ever flown a kite without the use of magic before. Heck, she wondered if he had ever flown a kite for that matter. It seemed like he had been forced to grow up so quickly that maybe he had never had time to do things like this- be a kid.

[notamageiswear]

And he did. Without using any magic, Negi ran, more at a jogging pace, trailing the string behind him as it unrolled from the spool. He hadn't flown one before, actually; most of his hours were spent studying, so he hadn't had much free time to do anything like this.

[female_warrior]

"Good!" called Asuna. "Keep going!" And then she threw the kite skyward. She only hoped that there was enough wind and pulling now to get it to climb. "Keep running, Negi!"

[general_mustang]

Not many people had brought food, so when he saw Asuna with a plate his curiousity was piqued. Carefully, he made his way over, craning his neck a little to look at what she'd brought.

"Ah... cookies?" He asked, eyebrow arching in question.

[female_warrior]

Asuna was startled by the sudden question from the stranger. She couldn't help jumping a little before turning to answer him. "Um... Yes. Chocolate chip- would you like to try one?"

Well, at least if they were awful she didn't have to face this guy again if she didn't want to even if he was kinda cute.

[general_mustang]

Perhaps he shouldn't have snuck up on her like that? He mused for a while as she spoke, offering a gentle smile the moment she asked if he would like one.

"How kind." He whispered, leaning in just a little to take one and stretching up again, taking an average sized bite. Instantly he grinned, looking back to her and nodding.

"Taste good." He said simply, nodding before he spoke. "I'm Roy Mustang, and you - are Asuna?" He recognised her, but was positive that she had been taken and had come back again.

[female_warrior]

Asuna was taken aback. It shocking that anything she baked might be described as good. Heck, it was a miracle if it got called 'digestible'. Roy must have found the one good cookie of the batch. Oh, how lucky he was.

"Yes, I am. I've seen you on the PCD some I think. And... maybe elsewhere?"

Maybe she had seen him for a moment at the Ai scene the other night. It was possible...