Behind the Meerkat Cabin, late morning through lunch

[izzyalienqueen]

Isabel didn't get to bed till late and didn't get to sleep until even later. She was too busy replaying the evening in her mind and smiling at the memory. Thursdays were workshop free, so she slept in late and then brought her blanket out to lie in shade of the trees behind the Meerkat cabin. The jug of iced tea is cold, her book is incredibly entertaining in that cheesy, this is entirely not plausible way and overall, life is good.

[Feel free to interrupt!]

Comments

[like-a-sponge.livejournal.com]

Funny how Greg happened to be walking by when no one else was there zomg. Totally a coincidence. Yes.

Though there was a gnome clinging to his leg.

"Hi," he said brightly when he spotted Isabel.

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"Hi yourself!" Isabel smiled as she put her book aside. She couldn't help herself and laughed when she saw the gnome. "Did you find a friend? Did he get lost on his way to the theme park?"

[like-a-sponge.livejournal.com]

"I blame you and the other Meerkats," Greg said, rolling his eyes. "I woke up with this thing in bed with me. We all did."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"Us? Why would we do something like that? How even?" Isabel smiled, "Besides, I couldn't have done it. I was out late and then went right to bed when I got home." She patted the blanket next to her in invitation and then, eyes sparkling, asked, "So was he cuddly?"

[like-a-sponge.livejournal.com]

He smiled and took a seat next to her, the gnome never letting go of his leg. "Cuddly's not the word. Clingy might work, though. And I don't know how you all did it, but you totally did."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

Isabel reached over to pet the gnome, leaning close to Greg as she did so. "Clingy isn't necessarily bad. At least you know he's not going to fall out of the bed." She totally ignored the part where he blamed the Meerkats for the gnomes.

[like-a-sponge.livejournal.com]

"Yes, that's my primary concern. Gnome safety," Greg said, rolling his eyes again. The gnome made...odd little happy noises, and Greg stared at it. "No idea how they got there. But Tyler mentioned something about some Meerkats in the library looking up things in the supernatural section."

He shot her a sidelong look, arching a brow.

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"I was just helping Dawn with a research project," Isabel said innocently. "Really."

[like-a-sponge.livejournal.com]

"Yes, of course you were," Greg replied. "A research project about how to get tiny creatures into Stickbug beds." He blushed. "Really, really definitely not dirty."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"Not dirty at all," Isabel said between giggles. She bumped her shoulder against Greg and smiled. "Look at it this way, they're like the weetiny bunnies were. Just slightly less cute. Although I think they're cute in an odd gnomish sort of way."

[like-a-sponge.livejournal.com]

"They're not biting or anything, at least," he acquiesced. "Anyway. How's your day going? Anything exciting?"

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"You're looking at how my day is going. I don't have any workshops so I'm being lazy," she smiled. "Although you're here now, so it's gotten even better."

[like-a-sponge.livejournal.com]

He gave her a shy grin and blushed a little. "What were you reading when I walked up? It looked deeply entertaining."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

The grin is a bit irresistible, so Isabel reached down to take his hand. Then the contagious blushing started. "It's an epic romance by someone who wants to be the next Angelica Desmesnes. It's okay, but it's still not in league with the great romance of the pirate and the ninja."

[like-a-sponge.livejournal.com]

Greg gently intertwined his fingers with hers, and replied, "Well, not everyone can be like the pirate and ninja. Sometimes the less cracked-out stories are better, anyway."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"That's true," she agreed. "Although I did tell you that my favorite story of all time is a fantasy. It's incredible retelling of Beauty and the Beast. I think a magical castle and spells still qualify as pretty cracked out."

[like-a-sponge.livejournal.com]

"Only a little. But it's not like cracked out is bad, either," he replied, smiling at her. "I mean, beauty and the beast, pirate and ninja, chemist and alien girl...."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"It is an unusual pairing. But I like it." Isabel smiled softly and bumped against his shoulder. "So are you going to the luau tomorrow?"

[like-a-sponge.livejournal.com]

"I wouldn't miss it," Greg said, completely ignoring that this was the first he'd heard about a luau. "I've never been to one. Though, knowing how things have been going here, I doubt it'll be anything like a normal luau."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"You're catching on," Isabel grinned, squeezing his hand lightly. "I figure there's going to be some sort of tiki statue there that's going to wind up demonically possessed and demanding a sacrifice. I'd say there was a good chance of a volcano exploding but we did that at the prom."

[like-a-sponge.livejournal.com]

"...there was an exploding volcano at prom?"

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"There was an attempt at exploding the volcano at prom," she explained with a laugh. "Two of the students thought it would be amusing. Parker stopped them."

[like-a-sponge.livejournal.com]

"Why doesn't it surprise me that Parker would wreck the fun of blowing something up like that?" Greg asked, his long-suffering tone not matching his grin at all.

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"She only stopped them from blowing it up in the middle of the Prom," Isabel pointed out. "After the prom was over, she let them take it and blow it up on the beach."

[like-a-sponge.livejournal.com]

"Nice of her," he said lightly, smiling over at her. "I'll have to introduce Parker to the fun of pretty chemicals. I bet she'd be more sympathetic to the plight of the amateur combustionists everywhere."