2025-08-13 - Hide and Seek

Hide and seek is the first time Cooper has really stretched his powers - both the shifting and the clothworking. Up until now, his shifting has been limited to just playing around. But if he wants the power to be actually useful to say, investigate whether the people claiming the people coming after park safety have ulterior motives, he's got to fool people.

It's a test for Parker, too. He can see how well his powers can help him track a shapeshifted person.

The first two rounds, Cooper lost pretty handily. He fled to a food court and shifted into a handsome young man and tried to blend in as a tourist. But because he was about Cooper's age and conspicuously attractive, plus the fact that he was alone, meant he was far too easy to pick out.

The second round, he made the same mistake again, though this time he stood in line for a roller coaster. What tripped him up that time aside from still shifting into someone like him, was his lack of a pass once he got to the front of the line.

The third attempt though - that's more of a challenge. Parker's powers track Cooper to the Mechano-Arcana Midway. It's quite crowded and at first glance, there is no one who fits Cooper's type and is solo. Mostly the square is filled with young families who move in groups. There are a few possibilities, though. There's a security guard standing by one of the employee entrances. There's a maintenance woman repairing a cotton candy machine. There's a guy in a booth outside the arcade dispensing tokens, and there is a young woman talking into her camera as she taste tests donuts from the nearby shop.

Other than that, everyone is either doing a job that Cooper couldn't just jump into, or they're travelling as a group.

Parker has been looking forward to this game as a chance for him to stretch his abilities and, frankly, to get to know Cooper a bit more. He didn't expect for it to work so well at both.

Clairvoyance is one of those powers that's intrusive enough for even him to feel odd using it for long periods. Today, though, he has permission, and so he flexes it in the first rounds to hone in on Cooper in whatever form he takes. Getting a ping on his direction is easy enough, but once he's on scene, it takes more sleuthing.

This round brings him to the bright, loud, and busy Midway, where he stands in his polo and linen slacks, blinking around as if lost. "Where are you?" He eyes the guard first and smirks, but swivels his head around and heads toward the arcade instead. A token dispenser? We'll see about that. "Hello there!"

The young man in the token dispenser hut looks about eighteen. He's got messy, curly, mousy brown hair, eyebrows that join in the middle with a few stray hairs and a face full of zits and healing zits. He's also chewing a piece of gum.

"Sup?" says the teen. "How many?"

He looks pretty legit. The uniform is right, if a bit too clean and bright. Many of the younger employees have faded uniforms because they fade a bit in the wash. It could be he's just new, though.

"Whatever a person who doesn't arcade would need before moving on." Parker doesn't know how many that would be, but figures the answer could be a test, too. Never mind that it sounds a little douchey.

"Been on shift long?" He lifts a brow at the young man, curious, and will await his answer before trying something new, something he didn't poke at during the last rounds: Postcognition. He's going to look into the past to see whether he's telling the truth, or whether there's any suspicious shifting going on around the arcade.

"Look man, do you want tokens or not?" says the teen. He sniffs. "They're like..." and then he hesitates. He doesn't know what the tokens cost off the top of his head. That's a tell.

But the tell isn't even needed. When Parker uses his ability, he sees the teen walk up to the hut about ten minutes prior and take a dusty closed sign out of the wicket before jimmying off a weak padlock to step inside.

"Goddamnit," squeaks the teen. He closes the shutter in front of Parker. When the blind lifts, he's himself again. He steps out of the wicket. "I thought I had it that time!"

"You broke into this?" Parker eyes the nearest surveillance camera and gestures for Cooper to take a walk. If anyone bothers to comment, he can say this is a security exercise, which isn't entirely untrue.

Smirking, he brushes a hand against his shoulder. "I'm just too good. And it's weird, the more I use it, the more solid the connection feels. Maybe I'm imagining it." He gestures between the two of them, brushing his knuckles against Cooper's arm. "Pretty sure people without my powers would be entirely convinced, though. That last one? With the acne?" He grimaces, but offers a chef's kiss.

"They don't use this thing anymore. It's just for show. You have to go in to get tokens." Cooper thumbs towards the entrance. "There's nothing in there but an empty cash register and token dispenser. Not even a cash machine. Honestly, they should clean it up and use it as a photo op for the guests."

He beams at the praise and lifts his chin up. "Well, I realized if I just morph into hot guys, you're probably gonna find me every time. Wanna chase me again?" His eyebrows go up and down. He's enjoying this.

"Really?" Parker looks back at the thing, which really could make for a good photo spot, and realizes that he's never stepped foot in the arcade. "I'm surprised it's still up, then." No doubt someone will get around to it demolishing or converting it.

The comment about hot guys elicits a quick laugh. "Is that what you think I do? Just hone in anyone relatively attractive?" It's wouldn't exactly be wrong. "Well, okay. I think I've got one more in me." While he's never overused his magic intentionally before, he doesn't want to tap himself out completely today.

"It's good atmosphere. And the guests probably just believe it's out of order when they're here," says Cooper with a wide grin. "And nooo, I think you know I wanna be hot. So it's smart to look for the hotties."

"Okay, one more then. Look away," he jostles Parker. When he looks back, Cooper's gone, disappeared into the crowd.

After about twenty minutes, Parker gets a ping on his phone.

Come and find me.

This time around, Parker's power points him in the direction of Venture Cove. Like the midway, it's quite busy with lots of people moving here and there. It's busy enough that it's harder to pick out who is alone or not. There are a few though, including a custodian, an older gentleman. There's a man in his early 40s on his phone outside the bathrooms with two kids backpacks at his feet. There's a young woman who looks confused and is wandering around looking for landmarks while occasionally consulting the map on her phone. Then there's about half a dozen people in line to see a pirate taking photos where it's hard to tell if anyone is there alone.

Parker taps the side of his head and mirrors Cooper's grin. "One more." He turns and shuts his eyes, waiting a bit before swiveling to see himself alone. While he waits for the chase to begin, he walks over to a popcorn stand to get the smallest one they offer.

Ding. The text comes through and things are afoot. He immediately extends his consciousness to find the rough distance and direction toward Cooper. And then he's off!

All his popcorn is gone by the time he arrives, and a quick look around directs his attention to the woman who seems lost. He heads her way first. "Need some help?" he offers. Even as he's moving toward her, though, he's looking around, too, in case any other people are glancing their way.

Everyone else seems to be minding their own business. The woman ignores him at first as she doesn't seem to have registered he's talking to her. She's about twenty-three, wearing a white crop top and high waisted loose leg light wash denim with a mini backpack and platform crocs.

"Uh, do you work here or something? The map thingie on the app is not loading. Where's the fish?" She probably means the aquarium.

Where's the fish? This question earns the woman a deep frown; it's the exact kind of thing Parker thinks of when he thinks of typical questions tourists have. "Over there," he says, pointing to a very large building that acts as a kind of centerpiece to this part of the park.

And then, deciding this isn't Cooper, he turns and strides off, aiming for the man on his phone. Is that Cooper's phone? Can he shift the way a phone looks, too, since it's not himself or a piece of clothing? Did he swipe a couple of kids' bags for this charade.

Parker is starting to sound paranoid.

The young woman doesn't even acknowledge Parker with words. She just turns and walks off. She goes the wrong way for a few steps, then course corrects when she sees the GIANT SIGN with sea animals on it.

The phone the man is holding is deeply nondescript. It's a black Pixel with no case. Cooper has an Otterbox case for his phone. He's handsome in a DILF sort of way, with dark hair and silver at the temples. He looks like the type who was a gym rat in his younger days but life means he can't hit the gym nearly as much.

He has been there quite awhile with no sign of the kids the backpacks belong to.

Parker continues to approach the man, tilting his head as he considers the backpacks sitting there. "Everything okay, sir? Enjoying your time here?" There are people who have these kinds of jobs, interacting with the public like this. Personally, he finds the idea exhausting, so when he alters his tone to include the upward lilt he's head some PR people use, it's done imperfectly.

And still, he keeps a bit of attention on his surroundings. Is that person over there watching them? Maybe it's Cooper. This one is actually difficult.

The custodian keeps looking his way as he sweeps, but that could be because Parker keeps approaching random patrons.

The man by the bathroom looks up, his brow furrowing. "Uh, yeah? Kids just made a mess with cotton candy." Then he looks at Parker more intently. "Is...something wrong? Are you with the park or something? I swear, my wife's just in there with two kids..." he motions behind him at the door to the ladies' room. "I'm not some kind of creep."

"I am, actually." Parker doesn't have a badge or anything, but perhaps the truth will carry over in his confidence in this, at least. "Just checking in to see if everything is alright." He glances toward the bathroom with mild suspicion. "Thanks for cleaning that up."

This may not be the shapeshifter he's looking for, so he flashes a forced smile and steps away, turning on his polished heel to meet the custodian's gaze. "That spot looks well-swept to me," he says, tone a bit more confrontational now, like he really can't keep up the PR pep for too long.

The custodian looks at him with a furrowed brow. And then, without another word, he hurriedly walks away and disappears through one of the staff access doors with a keycard.

Cooper's keycard would let him through the same door, but why would he run away if it was him?

Then, from behind him, there's a voice. "Do you give up?"

It's the "dad" from the bathroom. He's holding the two backpacks which looked like they had something in them as they sat on the ground, but hang kind of limp and thin from his hand. On closer inspection, the pattern is off and so is the stitching. It's not the kind of thing anyone would notice unless they got up close.

Parker looks ready to follow the custodian into the tunnels when he hears the voice behind him. Turning once more, he stares at the older man with the backpacks. The backpacks! Of course they were magically stitched together.

"Ugh!" He lets his head fall back, then roll around in a pleasant stretch. "Yes, you got me. You've burnt me out." With another step forward, he smirks and lets his gaze settle on daddy. "You know, you're better at this than you probably think."

It dawns on him then that the custodian was a park employee. "That guy's going to report me, isn't he?"

Cooper-in-disguise smiles broadly. "I'm starting to learn what I need to do to blend in. It's all about not looking conspicuous, not just like I belong. And like I have a purpose. I watched some online acting classes about how to be an extra or in a chorus. They said to have 'business' which means stuff you're doing so you're not just standing there."

He cranes his neck towards the door, then looks back at Parker. "Not if we move along before he finds security. I guess there's really not a way to interrogate strangers without coming off like a weirdo."

"You're really going all in." Parker nods at this, seeming impressed. "You know, I didn't expect you to be so ambitious. It's a nice surprise." With a glance back at the door, he considers the custodian and his own behavior. "No, I guess there isn't." Not the way he's dressed, at least.

Getting a move on sounds smart, though. "Lets head back." He starts a slow walk away from there, slipping one of his hands into his trouser pocket. "Are you up for it, then? To try and blend in with the protestors?"

"What did you expect?" asks Cooper. Since they're in the middle of the park, he can't shift back to himself quite yet. As they walk by a garbage can, he does a subtle move that transforms the backpacks into just scrap fabric which he drops into the garbage. It takes effort to make fabric look good, but if he just wants it different, it consistently works.

He ponders the question. "I think so? I'd want to do as much research as possible so I wouldn't get caught red handed. Do you think I'll fool them?"

The illusion is pretty perfect. He's got small details like fine lines around his eyes and a small stain on his shirt. The jeans look a bit too well-fitted, is the only too-perfect thing about the disguise.

Parker opens his mouth for a quick retort, but thinks better of it. The question pings around in his brain a bit before he answers. "Honestly? I expected not to get to know you at all." He follows Cooper along to the bin and notes the seeming ease with which the packs become tatters.

As the pair continue, he doesn't hesitate to say, "I think so. In the beginning, at least. Probably long enough to learn something." Even though he sounds confident, he does take another close look at the illusion. "What made you think of this? Who's the inspiration?"

"Mhmm, fair. And same," replies Cooper. "But then you called me into your office like a naughty student." He grins. "Anyone who goes onto a hookup app expecting a connection is just asking for disappointment." But then he adds, "...it's nice when it happens though."

As for his inspiration? "Oh, I watched Thunderbolts the other day. Reminded me of my crush on Bucky growing up. But I couldn't exactly walk around looking exactly like Sebastian Stan so I made a couple tweaks."

"That I did." Parker remembers the time fondly, actually, which is something else he didn't expect. It makes him immediately agree Cooper when he talks about connecting feeling nice. "It does." Just so they're on the same page.

He takes a few more steps, not in a rush to go anywhere at this point, and watches the path his feet take. "You had a crush on Bucky? Not a bad choice." He smirks and looks up. "You could look like Sebastian Stan, though."

There's something about the way he smiles that is very Cooper despite his disguised face. It's a fond memory for him as well.

"I did. And maybe a little one on Tony, too. Did you have a Marvel crush?" And then the grin gets bigger. "I sure could. But I might get mobbed."

Does Parker's heart beat a bit faster when he spots the very Cooper smile peek through? Oh boy, he's going to have to reflect on that one, because he's smiling right back.

"Captain America," he answers quickly, as if it's obvious. "His movies were the best of them, I felt. Remember the flex when he pulled that helicopter down?" Because Parker does.

"Fuck, yeah!" says Cooper. "That was badass. My favourite is the elevator when he asks all the thugs if they wanna get off. I sure did," he drawls. "Also, I ship 'em together. But who doesn't?" He jostles Parker as they walk.

Then, after a moment, he asks, "Is it weird to talk to me like this? I can duck into a bathroom and..." he makes a whistling sound.

Parker snorts and wavers when he’s jostled, but he’s not going to disagree about it. “I’m pretty sure most of the big fans did. No surprise there.” Which might just include himself.

He thinks about the question when it’s posed to him, as if it wasn’t something he thought about. Then he looks at Cooper and shrugs. “Maybe? I don’t know, I think I’m getting used to it. Things that will always be yours.”

"It's weird. I've never shifted this much in a row before," muses Cooper. He looks at his hands. "It feels...interesting. To exist as someone else. To have people see you in different ways. I guess I'm kind of lucky it doesn't weird me out. Imagine having a power like this and never using it cause you're too freaked."

He puts his hands in his pocket, then side-eyed Parker. He nods towards the nearest washroom. "I could go turn myself into a Chris Evans-alike?" he waggles his brows.

"I haven't, either. It's actually worn me out a bit. Do you have a headache?" Parker lifts a hand to one temple and lets it rest there for a moment, considering the situation. "I don't know if it gets much better with practice, or whether we all have a finite reserve of something."

When he lowers his hand, he considers what Cooper says. "I think it would weird me out, at first. But do you really feel so different when there's not a mirror around?" He's curious, and very unsure of a power so unlike his own. The follow-up offer is tempting, but he rolls his eyes and leans in an inch. "If you feel like you need to shift, why not just back into you. At least for here. You're really not so bad."

"No, but when I was messing around in my apartment, seeing if I could replicate real people it wore me right out. Passed out into a deeeeep sleep. Like, I've been travelling for 18 hours and I'm jetlagged sleep. If I make up a person..." Cooper gestures to himself, "...or change something about myself, it's easy. Don't even have to think about it. I could probably hold this form indefinitely. But replicating a real person is exhausting."

There's a bathroom a little ways up ahead, so he doesn't immediately dart off. He examines his hands and considers the question. "Yeah, it does feel different. The voice in my head is different." His shifted form has a deeper, raspier voice. "I feel bulkier..." he flexes, "...and my centre of gravity is higher because I'm taller. I'm really aware that I'm not me, if that's what you mean. It's sort of like...wearing clothes that fit different or carrying a heavy load you can't quite feel."

He jostles Parker at the sideways compliment and rolls his eyes. "Fiiine. Be right back." He strides away towards the nearby men's room. He's gone a few minutes and when he emerges, he's himself again. He's wearing a Nirvana muscle tee with deep sides and a pair of cargo shorts.

"I don't remember whether I told you that it all started with these visions for me. They really took me out, a full-on blackout." Things have simmered for Parker since, but on days like today, when he uses his powers one after another, it's still tiring.

He supposes he's not exactly sure what he means, though Cooper's explanation makes sense. "Like wearing a big costume." An image of someone tipping over in a cheap Hulk costume comes to mind, and he grimaces. "I don't envy that part of it."

The compliment gets a bit of the response he hopes for, and as Parker waits for Cooper to walk back out, he swipes through his phone for images of the protests that have been happening around the park. "That's not a bad outfit for the big mission."

Cooper scoops his hair back from his face. For the most part, he doesn't have his power activated just going around in the daily life. Except...when he doesn't want to bother with styling his hair. That's why it always looks perfect even if he's been in the guts of some machine all day.

"Oh yeah?" he asks as he cranes his neck to look at what Parker is looking at. "What's the next step, then? Oooh! We should get those earpieces like in spy movies." He taps his ear and grins big.

"I can arrange that." Parker's department may not use spy earpieces, but it's possible there's something to be pulled from the security team. If not, there's always money.

As for next steps, that's a tough one; he, at least, doesn't know where to actively search for the group. "We could wait for another protest. Or hunt online. They seem like people with a forum." It's a distasteful comment, but one he feels is valid. "What do you think?"

"Mhmm, online stuff might be kinda tricky. What if they find out it's from an employee IP address or whatever? But we could definitely nose around and see if they're going to have a meeting or a rally or something." Cooper says that like he has any idea what he's talking about. He knows how to not cut through an ethernet cable but his IT knowledge isn't exactly high.

"I guess if we're gonna do this I gotta figure out a persona."

"You think?" Parker hasn't considered the group to be especially tech savvy, but he may be underestimating them. "Well, then I guess we keep our ears open for something."

As a fan of espionage fiction, Parker can dig into this persona idea. His gaze sweeps over Cooper as they walk. "It's true. What would make you want to join them? Why would you care so much?"

"Yeah, I mean..." Cooper shrugs. "I could be wrong. But without having a way to mask where we're connecting from, we should probably maybe look but not engage? I dunno, might be being paranoid."

Then the question gets him thinking. He digs his hands in his pockets and walks backwards as he faces Parker. He sucks air between his teeth. "Hmm. Well, I guess to answer that, we should figure out why they care so much."

"It's not wrong to be paranoid, to question things, but if either of us start getting weird about it, let's pull each other back. Deal?" There's no point in going crazy over this, probably.

Parker scratches the back of his neck and makes a thoughtful, throaty sound. "Well, they're claiming the company is lying to us about something. That there's a conspiracy. I don't know what evidence they've had, but if security has been managing them, maybe they know more."

Cooper snap-points at Parker. "Good call. Yeah! Like...if we can find someone who was there or a report they wrote up about the event. That'd give us an idea of their motivation. Who brought them together, even. At the very least it'd let me know what I have to pretend to believe to get in there and learn more."

He grins broadly. "Man, are we actually doing this? It really sounds like a movie or something."

Are they really doing this? It's a good question. Parker doesn't know exactly why he's pushing this project and not leaving it up to park security. Maybe there's a kernel of interest in case there really is a conspiracy somewhere. He feels a sudden urge to find out himself. "Now's the time to back out." It could be dangerous, if the protestors turn out to be right.

He doesn't suggest they do so, but he does arch a brow in Cooper's direction. "But I'm game if you are. It'll be interesting to see how security reacts to us asking, at least."

"I mean...it's not that dangerous, probably?" asks Cooper. "I mean...doesn't seem even half as dangerous as visiting words with giant lizards."

He thinks about it for a moment longer, then says, "I'm in. I mean...it'd be good to use my abilities for more than just fucking around."

"Probably not," Parker decides with a little smirk. "Unless our bosses happen to be lizard people." He really hopes that's not the story the conspiracy theorists are trying to spin, but it's kind of funny to consider.

With both of them being in, apparently, it's settled. "Mine, too. Though, I do plan offer it up to Magical Studies." A point he hasn't yet followed up on.

"Dude, at this point, nothing would surprise me. But honestly, if those lizards keep singing my paycheck..." Cooper grins broadly.

"Oh yeah? Gonna side hustle in another department?" He waggles his brows. And then, as a non-sequitur, he says, "Oh! I'm getting my own place. Which'll make it easier to practice and see how long I can hold a form for."

"Yeah, yeah. We'll make sure you keep getting that." The paycheck that is; Parker knows how much Cooper is attached to that (and for good reason).

"I don't know about side hustle. Maybe. It's a little selfish, but I found out that I can looking into another world from this one, as long as the portal there is open." Without clairvoyance, people aren't able to even look past the portal doors. "I can be nosy and peek in on things."

This perks him up, as does news of Cooper's new place. "Yeah? That sounds like exactly what you hoped for. Do I get to take the tour?"

"Yeeah, that definitely sounds like a thing the Magical Studies folks would want to know about! If you offered to help them, I'd imagine they'd have to say yes. That sounds hella useful and safer than sending people through blind."

Cooper is not in a particular hurry. It's a lovely night and now that he's not shifted, he's starting to relax. "Yeah. I went back and forth on it a million times. Then I realized it isn't a permanent decision. If I find it's too hard to make ends meet or I don't like living alone, I can always get a roommate. But like..." he hesitates, "...I've kind of had enough of living with roomies to last a lifetime. And there's nothing really to see yet. I don't have much stuff and I just got the keys."

It would be safer. Parker's thought about it through that lens, figured it would be a key point in any compliance documents that his team may eventually piece together regarding world exploration. "They're going to have to make it a safer experiment after stories like yours."

As interesting as the fantastical elements of work at Spellbound is, there's comfort in discussing the mundane, too. Balance. "Nothing ever is," he says of permanency. "And that doesn't mean you can't offer me a tour," he says, nudging Cooper with his elbow. It is a nice night, and a nice meander through this part of the park.

If there's anything that is going to keep them all grounded in the face of magic powers and others worlds, it'll be the mundane parts of life. Cooper nudges Parker back. "You trying to angle an invitation? I suppose I could impress you with my empty space."

Then he rubs the side of his neck. "Thinking of having a housewarming before I fill it up with stuff."

"Might be," Parker admits, his sly smile returning, "but I'm not going to beg for it." A breeze picks up just then and rustles his hair enough for him to reach up and tame the wild, blond tendrils. "I don't think I've met any of your friends?" He knows they've never been out with other people, but it's a small town and they could know the same people. "But a party in an empty apartment sounds...fun."

Cooper returns the sly smile with a cheeky grin. "You and I have that in common. Neither of us want to beg." He leans into the rustling hand and grins up at him.

"I haven't met any of your friends, either. If you wanted, you could invite them along. I'm planning on it being a pretty open thing. Friends of friends welcome and all that." Then he grins again. "Did you mean the housewarming party sounds fun, or a party right now sounds fun?" And then, unless he pulls away, he takes his hand.

"And why would we, when we can just take what we want?" There's an edge to Parker's voice just then, not a stark contrast but slightly sharper. Talk of his friends doesn't exactly blunt it, though.

"I don't have many friends around here," he admits, leaving it at that unless prodded. "But I'll come, at least." When Cooper takes his hand, he immediately weaves his fingers between the younger man's, enjoying the warmth he feels there. "It all does. And you know...I haven't said that here very often."

"Can we? I've gotten in trouble from doing that in the past. Just taking what I wanted," Cooper says slyly.

He grins as the hand-hold is reciprocated. "Good. I throw a damned fine party if I say so m'self. The best weed. A mini keg. And absolutely killer seven-layer dip. And...as long as you don't mind a mattress on the floor and hardly any furniture, I'd be happy to give you a tour."

"Well, we can work on that." Parker offers his own sly look at Cooper, half-lidded and a little dreamy. "But I think you have to take things in life. You certainly can't count too much on others."

He seems content to walk a bit hand-in-hand, his attention split between Cooper and the variety of people, attractions, and distractions around them. "Ok, I've heard about seven layer dips before, but I can't say I've actually seen one. And you still have those nice sheets, right?" Very important questions.

"You're such a capitalist," says Cooper in a playful tone. He lifts his chin and grins. "Not that that's a bad thing. I think we both understand ambition. A man who knows what he wants and goes after it is a sexy thing."

He shifts a little closer and bounces their shoulders together. "I do. Also made myself a couple of beanbag chairs out of thin air until I can get a couch. Not much of a secondhand furniture market in this park and shipping shit from the mainland is a bitch. A co-worker is going to drive me to IKEA in a few days. It'll be the first time I've left the park since I got here."

Parker doesn't argue about being a capitalist; it would sound awkward coming from him, if he did. "We're on the same page about ambition." It's an aphrodisiac he seeks out in people, but rarely finds.

When their shoulders bump and bounce, he squeezes his hand around Cooper's. "That will be an interesting trip, then. It's outside the range of magic, isn't it?" Now that he speaks about the range, he frowns. "Didn't consider that in our plans with the protestors, actually."

"Yeah. I admit, I'm kinda nervous that my powers won't come back, or they'll come back different. And a run to the store shouldn't fuck with my memory. And yeah...no shapeshifting outside the park. If I'm disguising myself out there, uhhh, maybe a fake moustache?" Cooper rubs his upper lip.

Then he gets a bit tense and bites his lip. "So uh, I wanna ask you something and I don't want you to think I'm trying to...get a label or anything."

"I don't think that's happened to anyone." Parker tries to sound reassuring, but they should both know better than to take past experience as hard fact at this point. "Maybe it won't need to go outside the park, this whole thing. Maybe we can discredit their conspiracy like that." He snaps the fingers on his free hand.

The tension is either felt or senses, so Parker tilts his head in Cooper's direction before the man speaks. He listens, pauses, and then gives a little nod. "Go ahead."

Cooper shifts awkwardly and pushes his fingers through his hair. He sucks in air sharply. "Look...I don't need some kind of label or definition of what we've got going on here. But I just..." he grunts softly. "aw, hell...should I deactivate my apps?" He tosses up a hand and then lets it fall.

"Cause I'm trying to find a balance between not getting hung up on giving this a name and not wanting to accidentally fuck this up because we didn't talk about it. Y'know?"

Parker finds the bustle of distractions muted as he listens. And he does listen while Cooper shares his thoughts and feelings, none of which are out of place at this point. "Mhm." A soft sound to show he's paying attention, followed by a quick smile when the apps are mentioned. "I know."

He thinks about the best way to answer this, to proceed. "I have fun with you," he says, which could be a preamble that leads any which way. "You're easy to be around, and that's refreshing." Slowing, he tries to bring their amble to a stop so he can turn and face Cooper. Maybe it's a good thing that he goes for the man's other hand with his own? "I want to take you to dinner, to Port and Portal. A proper date. And if we both have fewer apps then?" He shrugs. It would be something he could try out.

Cooper is nervous and he isn't doing the best job hiding it. He does smile though as Parker talks. "And I don't...we don't need to do more than just keep having fun and see where things go. But yeah I could..." he bobs his head, "...I could turn them off. Not that I've been out catting around but...even opening it to check my notifications hasn't felt right. Cause...oh fuck, this sounds sappy..." he squeezes Parker's hands, then releases one to pinch his nose. "I'd rather...be with you than some rando on an app. And if you want me to iron my best shirt and go to a nice dinner, I'd like that."

Parker feels his skin flush in a distantly familiar way. He hasn't felt this particular grand of giddiness in a while, and certainly never here at the park. As it moves through and across him, he watches Cooper's expression carefully, and ends up smiling at his nervous energy.

"I'd like you to iron your best shirt and go to a nice dinner with me, Cooper. Even if you are a sap." It feels right to seal this deal with a kiss, not a sloppy one like they've shared before, but something nice and gentle, with an added, "You're cute when you're nervous."

There's obvious relief at Parker's reaction. It's been weighing on Cooper's mind whether he fully realized it or not. He returns the kiss and then bunts his forehead against his chin.

"Fuck..." he murmurs, but then it's followed by nervous laughter. "I'm glad I don't turn into a swamp creature when I'm tripping over my words. Though..." he pauses a beat, "...I technically could. If you were in to that sort of thing," he teases.

Parker swings his head back and forth. "I'm also glad you don't get swampy." Who knows, though. In the right context, maybe it'll be impressive.

Relieved, too, to have come at this point, despite not really expecting it, Park turns and tilts his head in the direction they were moving before. "Walk you home?" The edge of his mouth tilts up, his request absent the innuendo in past conversations. Maybe something more will come of the night, but he's content to enjoy the rest of their walk.