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

[general_mustang]

His stood with his hands firmly on his hips, surveying the room with an expression that was crossed between annoyance, and pride. Hughes did so well around here, managing to keep up the community spirits. Admittedly, a difficult task - one he wasn't entirely sure he was up to himself.

The thoughts drifted, a conscious effort to stop thinking too deeply and instead enjoying the picnic. It would be nice to see a feew familiar faces and no doubt make a few friends.

[brig_gen_maes]

Maes walked up behind Roy and gave his best friend a very firm, very sudden, pat on the back. "Roy! You made it! Now cheer up and stop glaring at everyone as if you're going to roast them. Go mingle. You do know how, right? It's where you be friendly. Being friendly is shaking hands, smiling..." Maes grinned, ready to duck in case Roy snapped in his direction.

"And you'll want to be careful. Setting the fruit trees on fire would mean less fruit for all of us." Oh yeah, Maes was having fun. But he wanted Roy to have fun too.

[general_mustang]

He definately wasn't expecting the hand on his back, so when he felt the force of it he was lucky he was alert enough to catch himself. He knew instantly that Maes was trying to tease him, and he couldn't help but scowl at the older man, arms folding across his chest as he stood tall.

"Maes, I'm not an idiot." He hissed, wishing he had his gloves with him in order to at least threaten the other brunette.

"... I intend to talk to who I like."

[brig_gen_maes]

"Of course your not, you're Roy." That could mean anything, and Maes liked it like that. He chuckled at the expression on Roy's face. "I'm glad you came, though. It means a lot."

He gave a nod at Roy's comment, smiling impishly again. "And then some of us whom you don't like can ambush you along the way! But I'll leave you to it." Maes wandered off, ready to tackle greet more people.

[brig_gen_maes]

Maes grinned at the young man. He hadn't seen Naruto in quite some time, months, really, due to all that had been going on, but he was glad of the chance to talk to the blond again.

"I take a lot of pride and joy in my work, and since I don't really have a job here, my work can be having fun and making others have fun. I'm Maes! Welcome! And, as you can see, young Mr. Sasuke is unharmed." Maes winked. He knew it had to have been obvious he was no threat to the boys. Either of them would be more than capable of killing him if they wanted.

[brig_gen_maes]

"Yeah?" Maes studied the young man. He had a lot more maturity now that he'd grown a little; he was certainly Kakashi's student. "Thank you. I'm glad so many showed up. And I'd be glad to see more people helping others around here."

"It's nice to meet you again too, Naruto. And he's been upset for a while. It was about time he got pulled away to be happy for a bit."

[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!"

[hainyan]

have finally been allowed out of the clinic she was exploring these "new" lands and happened upon this gay little event. Curiosity ever the better part of her she goes to investigate, and rather loudly.

Oi! What's going on here?! A party?

[brig_gen_maes]

Maes joined the two of them, grinning ear-to-ear. "Welcome to the picnic! It's something like a party, yes, Ma'am."

He nodded to the man. "I'm hosting a picnic, sir. And yes, there are a lot of us. I'd estimate around a hundred and fifty, all told. I'm Maes! Let me know if there's anything I can do to help!"

And with that he was slipping off to let the two of them mingle while he made sure everything ran smoothly.

[hainyan]

"OO!! A picnic! I wonder if there is sake...?"

she turned to look tot he man who had walked up.

"You're rather funny looking.... I'm Juuban tai Fukutaichou, Matsumoto Rangiku of Soul Society (10th Division Lieutenant)."

[ore_no_machi_da]

Kuro was willing to admit by now that not all adults were totally useless, especially when this Hughes guy had gone through all the trouble of going out to pick him up - literally, and his pride stung a bit at that, but there was no other way that Killua was letting him out of that place - and bring him to this picnic thing.

As Hughes walked up and set him gently on one of the laid out blankets, Kuro peered around the orchard curiously, sniffing the air and gaze falling, inevitably, on the food. He'd never seen so much all in one place before...

[brig_gen_maes]

Maes was only glad to get Kuro out and about, especially when the young man so clearly wanted to be. He didn't think Kuro asked for things often, not from adults. The young man even seemed bothered by adults. But that could be left alone until and unless an adult showed up from Kuro's world, if there were issues there.

He beamed as he saw Kuro's gaze. If anything could cheer up someone, it would be food. "Would you like me to grab you a plateful? What sort of things do you like? We've got all sorts of salads and deserts and something that's close to chicken but doesn't quite taste like chicken, and a fish that's almost salmon-like!"

[ore_no_machi_da]

Kuro stared blankly up at Hughes for a moment before what he'd asked really got through to him. He bit down on his first reaction to snarl that he wasn't helpless and could do so himself because, really, could he? Certainly, the short distance was enough that traversing it wouldn't aggravate his stitches any, but what would he do when he got there? There was only so much you could hold with one hand; he'd learned that before the hard way.

"... fruit." He said grudgingly, chin dropping to his chest and watching the other picnic goers with wary, half lidded eyes.

[brig_gen_maes]

Maes sighed, crouching down before he went to get the fruit. "You're not a baby and you're not being a burden, Kuro. But when someone is injured, shouldn't they get the time they need to heal? Anyone who gives a care about them owes them that much. I don't know all of what happened to you, but this isn't babying you. This is friendship. I fully expect you to be back on your feet and fending for yourself soon. You defended your entire town, right? Something like this won't keep you down long."

Pushing himself back up, Maes went and filled a plate with the different fruits already there: watermelon from his garden, a late orange, a caramel apple from Kenta, and the berry mix his house had put together with a light glaze. He held the plate out upon his return. "Here you go."