Second Floor Common Room, Saturday Afternoon

[swerval_zero]

Zero lounged on the sofa in black pants and a Flogging Molly shirt, though even without the green in the shirt she would have been safe from evil pinchers thanks to the hue of her hair. The Pogues were blasting from the stereo, and in the kitchen was a feast of corned beef and cabbage, soda bread, and triple chocolate brownies. So that last wasn't Irish. Neither was Zero.

There was also, in lieu of beer, white grape juice with green food coloring in it.

Come! Enjoy!

Comments

[peter--parker.livejournal.com]

Peter walked down to the common room and smirked. "What did Molly do to you?"

He was proud of this joke.

[swerval_zero]

Zero grinned at him and said, "She stole me Lucky Charms, of course."

[peter--parker.livejournal.com]

"I thought you were an elf, not a leprechaun," Peter said.

[swerval_zero]

"No, Zerbie was an elf. Now I'm Skanky O'Zero."

[peter--parker.livejournal.com]

"I'm glad that I'm already Irish as per fannish theorizing so I don't have to come up with a name like that for myself, Skanky," Peter said.

[swerval_zero]

"My people were your oppressors," Zero said sadly. "Or at least, my father's people were. Not sure what Mum's side was."

[peter--parker.livejournal.com]

"My family's been in America since before relatives I've never heard of. I'll deal," Peter said.

[swerval_zero]

"Swerval," Zero said, toasting him with her plastic cup of green grape juice.

[kawalsky.livejournal.com]

Kawalsky came in, following the smell of food. He was wearing a green t-shirt, pants and a ridiculous green hat. "Top o' the afternoon to ya. Free food?"

[swerval_zero]

Zero giggled. "And free unnaturally green beverage as well," she said by way of agreement.

[kawalsky.livejournal.com]

"Well now, how can I turn down unnaturally green beverage on a day like this?" He went to help himself. "Nice touch with the hair. Think I could get some green going? I wonder if there's any hairspray left."

[swerval_zero]

"You think this is hairspray?" Zero asked scornfully, touching her hair.

[kawalsky.livejournal.com]

"No!" Kawalsky said quickly. "I meant in my room. I have green hairspray."

[peter--parker.livejournal.com]

"Good afternoon, Charlene O'Kawalsky!" Peter greeted. "Do you know where your pot of gold is?"

[kawalsky.livejournal.com]

"Somewhere you'll never find it, Petra McParker. I know you're after me lucky charms. Like my hat?"

[peter--parker.livejournal.com]

"It's very impressive," Peter said. "And it'll keep you from getting pinched."

[kawalsky.livejournal.com]

"My shirt does too! See? Green. I wonder if I can get a green milk moustache. Want to give it a try?"

[peter--parker.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, sure," Peter said. "Pass over a glass."

[kawalsky.livejournal.com]

Charlie made up some green milk and handed Peter a glass. "To green stuff! Like Stickbugs."

[peter--parker.livejournal.com]

"To Stickbugs!" Peter saluted, downing the milk. It left a faint mustache.

[kawalsky.livejournal.com]

Kawalsky drank his green milk and was left with a moustache. "Hey, it worked on you. Kinda. More like green milk stubble."

[once-a-king.livejournal.com]

Peter followed his nose down to the Common Room. "Should I be worried about entering being English and all?"

[kawalsky.livejournal.com]

"Only if you're not wearing anything green. Then I get to punch you."

[once-a-king.livejournal.com]

"Why should I wear green?" Peter replied. "I'm not Irish and I'm not starting to pretend now."

[kawalsky.livejournal.com]

"I'm not Irish either, but tradition dictates that if you're not wearing any green on St. Patrick's Day, Kawalsky gets to punch you."

[once-a-king.livejournal.com]

"I'll have to punch you back then," Peter said. "Tradition says you don't get a free shot. Unless I insulted your sister. Which...I didn't."

[kawalsky.livejournal.com]

"I'd be worried if you insulted my sister. You don't even know her." He offered his green hat to Peter. "You sure you don't want green? It is the Stickbug color after all."

[once-a-king.livejournal.com]

Peter eyed the hat. "I wonder if my ancestors would spin in their graves were I to wear the colours of Ireland."

[kawalsky.livejournal.com]

"Nah, that'd be if you wore orange too. Just green is Stickbug coloring!"

[once-a-king.livejournal.com]

"Very well then. In interests of Stickbug unity," Peter said with a grin. He took the hat and put it on, feeling - and looking - ridiculous.

[kawalsky.livejournal.com]

Kawalsky grinned and slapped Peter on the back. "And hey! Free food."

[once-a-king.livejournal.com]

"Which really ought to be put on the Stickbug manifesto," Peter said. "Free food is always the right thing to do."

[kawalsky.livejournal.com]

"Definitely. Free food, prankery and other cool Stickbug stuff. See, you've worn the green for a while and your head didn't explode."

[once-a-king.livejournal.com]

"My head would never explode from the green of the Stickbugs," Peter told Charlie. "And as for prankery, we need to get on that. If we're to lose some of our brotherhood, we need to make sure we stick in the school's memory."

[kawalsky.livejournal.com]

"I keep sending emails, then stuff comes up. Maybe we just need to pick a day and go for it."

[once-a-king.livejournal.com]

"Think you're probably right," Peter agreed. "Perhaps try to plan something the last week of March then something really big just before exams to leave our mark."

[kawalsky.livejournal.com]

"Good idea. Build up to something big."

[once-a-king.livejournal.com]

"Precisely. The question is, of course, what do we do that's really big and won't get us killed by the kids studying for exams."

[kawalsky.livejournal.com]

"I think we'll need to call a meeting and brainstorm."

[once-a-king.livejournal.com]

"Perhaps next week," Peter agreed. I can send out an email

[kawalsky.livejournal.com]

"Good idea. I think we can come up with something good."

[peter--parker.livejournal.com]

"No green?" the green-shirt-wearing Peter asked. "Time to worry." Peter smiled.

[once-a-king.livejournal.com]

"I'm English," Peter protested. "I can't wear green. It'd be wrong."

[peter--parker.livejournal.com]

"Everyone is Irish today. That's the rule," Peter said. "Or punches."

[once-a-king.livejournal.com]

"Never Irish," Peter said. "We're the superior race...or so I was told. I'm pretty certain it's not true."

[swerval_zero]

"Nah, don't worry," Zero said. "I'm half-English myself."