Outside Looking In

by PapayaK

This is a series of one-shots of outsiders observing different members of our team. Can be anyone from any time. or animals. even inanimate objects. I will accept suggestions/prompts, but I make no promises about how my muse will react to them. I am marking this complete since each chapter stands alone, but will continue to add more stories as they come to me. Thanks for reading

1. In the Park

(this might be my favorite one ever)

oO0Oo
In the Park
oO0Oo

"Okay - what about that bunch?" Jenny asked, pointing.

"That's too easy. Totally a group of friends from work." Ann answered.

"Well, what about them?"

"Hmm. Mother and daughter, but the daughter's visiting from out of town."

"How about her? What's her story?"

Ann nodded. "Single mom. At least three kids. This is probably the first time she's been able to sit down all day."

It was one of their favorite games. They'd stop at the park on their way home from school and 'people watch.' Sometimes they looked for cute boys. Sometimes they picked apart people's outfits, and got some ideas for their own. But their favorite pastime was 'Who are these people?' They'd pick someone - or a pair - or a group and try to guess their circumstances.

"Take those two couples over by the pond…" Ann nodded in their direction. "The pair on the left is on like a first or second date. The other two have been together for a long time - but they still like each other."

"Well, that's too easy…" Jenny scanned the park looking for someone more challenging. "Okay… what about them?"

"Hmm… interesting." Ann turned to scrutinize the two men walking together. The taller one adjusting his long stride to match the shorter man's who walked with a limp.

"Where do you think he got the limp?"

Ann shrugged. "Hard to say - he could have been born with it… but maybe… just maybe…" She got the light in her eyes she always did when she was about to spin a fanciful tale.

This was why they liked this game. Every time they played, they started out serious, but sooner or later the stories would start getting sillier and sillier.

Jenny grinned at Ann and waited.

"They're super heroes." She announced. "I mean, seriously - the taller guy is fit, dark and mysteriously handsome. And the way he kinda looms over the littler guy means he's there to protect him."

Jenny jumped in. They rarely saw anyone so perfectly fitted to their game. "Yeah! And the shorter guy is like the mastermind. It's like Professor X walking with Wolverine."

Ann nodded. "Or Cyclops!"

Jenny continued. "He might need his own character - he kinda moves like a panther."

"Ooh - I like it! 'Panther' - that's what we'll call him." Then she grabbed Jenny's arm and pointed. "And look! Here comes Rogue! Or maybe Storm. Only with black hair."

"Well - she's in disguise of course."

And the girls giggled about the unusual trio until they were out of sight...

If the surveillance camera above their heads could have smiled - it would have.