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When Wyatt had first arrived at the park, it was to a rag-tag bunch of unmotivated and lackadaisical people who, in the absence of their leader, had let work and maintenance slip from under them. And with some reason. In just the short while that he had been here, however, Wyatt had rallied the troops, re-lit the fire in their hearts, and things were starting to get back in to shape. He had even proposed a few ideas to the owner and was in the middle of brokering a few deals with him that would benefit everyone.

However, Wyatt was no handyman, and the residents spoke to length about one 'Lukas,' who, from what he gathered, had been the one to keep things running around here before. Indeed, as much as they praised Wyatt for his leadership and infectious motivation, they also had no problem with letting him know his short-comings...in a nice way of course. Everyone here was friendly and had welcomed him in like family. He'd never really gotten close to anyone in that manner, so it was new, and he found that he actually enjoyed it. He still held himself slightly apart from them, but he was warming up to them.

It actually came as some relief to hear that prodigal lord of the land had returned. Everyone was quick to set up this weekly pot luck, turning it in to quite the party. And by that he meant they gave him a list of things to cook. Wyatt had been feeding the majority of the park since his arrival it seemed. Not that he minded. Back before the events that had lead to his departure from Destiny City, he had been doing a lot of cooking and had just learned his way around a kitchen and a recipe. Now he was learning to cook for an army, and tonight hopefully it would pay off.

Night had come and the overlook's bonfire was ablaze, tables and lights were set up, some of the residents had come back with drinks and other goodies, while Wyatt was finishing up the cooking. There was chatter and cheer that could be heard from within the small confines of his RV, and the atmosphere made even him smile a bit.

The food~

For the more discriminating pallets - aka those who couldn't appreciate a well-cooked, hearty, meal - he'd cooked up an entire plate of burgers, cut some tomato to go with it, and some of the others were providing the buns and condiments.
However his main pride and cooking joy for the evening was a large beef roast which he cut into thin strips, although some just fell apart in its tenderness. He'd made a gravy to go with it, and had a large tin tray of roasted vegetables a potatoes, which had been drowned in butter and various herbs. There was an equally large tin tray of macaroni and cheese, lightly peppered, and home made rolls - but not your simple lump of dough. No, he had rolled out the rough and tied them in to neat rosettes. Brushed with butter, they sat heaped together now in a large bowl.

With some help, Wyatt emerged from his RV, cargo shorts riding low over his bony hips, and charcoal gray top clinging to his upper body, its long sleeves pushed up to his elbows as he carried tray on top of tray of food in his arms.

"I hope you're hungry, and have your tupperware ready to take the leftovers," he said in his low-tenor voice that carried just a slight nasal resonance, as he set everything out on the table and removed foil covers to reveal steaming vittles.

All the while he was unaware of the ire he had drawn from their guest of honor, and just gave appreciative, albeit kitsune-like smiles to his helpers and those who eagerly came to complement the food before they'd even taken a bite. He appeared to revel in the attention and compliments, although really they did make him feel a bit awkward. He could at least play the part of the confident lord on high, however.

His silvery hair was casually slicked back out of his face, of which there was just something inherently arrogant to it. That diamond shaped face with its high cheek bones, long jaw line, and narrow nose, in conjunction with those rose eyes framed by silver lashes just screamed 'arrogant jerk.' Another role Wyatt had always played in to easily.

He was actively trying to be a better person though. Luckily, none of these people knew who he had been before, which helped. He was trying his best to ingratiate himself to them and best he could, as if that would cement his place here. There was a part of him that was desperate to be needed. He was reaching out and grasping for it like a person drowning at sea who had just been tossed a lifesaver.

Buuuut that was all internal, hidden beneath Resting Jerk Face.

The evening seemed to be going quite well. That was, until at last Lukas finally deigned him worth talking to. Wyatt himself had been content to sit back and keep to himself while exchanging a few pleasantries with everyone here and there. He was still getting used to this group dynamic after all, and as welcoming as everyone was and at good at playing the people-person as he could be, he knew if he pushed too hard he was likely to slip back in to old habits.

But now here was the returning king, and Wyatt was very good at catching tone and inferring the meaning behind pleasant words. In fact, he had somewhat suspected that this highly thought of person may feel some sort of way about how Wyatt had come in and 'taken over' as it were.

Now how to respond....

This was a game he had frequently played, however he decided on a new tactic - truth.

"Yeah, that's me," A pleasant smile, "Everyone got really excited when they heard you were back - I figured I'd go all out with the food. I may have been a bit excessive..." he half-laughed in something resembling amusement and the smile grew a bit more on one side as he glanced over his shoulder at the decimated trays of food.

Now as for his work here...

"I've just been trying to repay the welcome," He shrugged, as if it were nothing. "Everyone here has been so kind and open - I can't say I've ever been treated so well. I finally feel like I've got a home...a community. Something. When I got here, everyone was kind of down and I never really thought of myself as much of a spark to anyone's life-" just a chain to drag them in the direction he wanted them to go... "-but they really lit up and straightened up. It's been nice to bring some life back. I really hope....to keep doing so."

Wyatt was surprised that the more he said, the more he realized how true those words were, about wanting to see this place thrive. True, when he had proposed a few ideas to help the park's finances, he'd been coming from a business side of things, but now...well, he really could say he was doing it from the heart.

His first proposal had been an outdoor theater of sorts - the large blank wall of the central bathhouse, and the rising slope of land behind it was the perfect place. He even said he would fund it. They'd be getting the materials as soon as he had finished calculating everything.

During his first conversation with the park owner, said owner had mentioned how hard it was to keep up business in the winter, but even now the bills were almost a bit much for his...generosity of allowing everyone to live here virtually rent and electricity bill-free in exchange for their work around the park. Things were...dire. It was getting to the point where he was either going to have to sell the park, or make the residents start paying rent. Wyatt's business-savvy mind immediately came up with a few ideas. The park owner and he had a long conversation about those ideas, ironing out a plan, and mulling things over. Wyatt had been adamant, though, that the residents, excluding him, get a cut of the profits, maybe not each month, but quarterly at least. At least, once things were steady.

Wyatt, in just his short time here, had seen how these good people did struggle monetarily. They not just ran the park, but like himself, had part-time jobs. Luckily he had some skills and was able to get a pretty good job, but others were lucky to be working for minimum wage, or just getting odd jobs here and there. They couldn't afford to start paying rent. It would destroy this little community. It had struck a part of him that he hadn't known existed - that little molecule of empathy in his heart. And now that he had finally said what he'd felt, about wanting this place to thrive, it grew even more.

Of course, who knew if this Lukas would take his words for what they were, or assume he was all talk. He wouldn't blame him - he would be incredulous too. Trust didn't come easy to Wyatt. Action was always a better indicator than words could ever be.

Back to how it was eh? Well, good luck with that. Wyatt didn't understand how anyone could just stay in one situation when there was some way to improve that situation. Fear of change was like an invisible chain keeping one from true freedom. And ooooooooooh boy, he could already tell that Lukas was going to erupt as soon as the park owner announced the plans, assuming they'd be approved that he'd made. It was that thought that put a bit of an amused smile on his face. Oh yes, it would he hilarious.

Oh, and it seemed this guy territorial to boot, eh? Well, it wasn't like Wyatt had asked to have this role he'd come in and filled. It wasn't like he waited until Lukas was gone to swoop in and take over. Alas, he'd been burdened with glorious purpose, as it were.

"Well, we'll see how this all works out," He replied, trying to keep the tone of challenge from weeding its way in to his words, but pointedly meeting rose-y eyes with Lukas' cerulean blues to signify that he was not in any way intimidated. Even if this much buffer man towered him in height, and the currently very repressed side of him had some remarks of its own.

But now, no more playing. Wyatt's voice dropped to a quieter, somewhat alluring tone, and you could almost hear the sly smile in his voice;

"I never had any intentions of replacing anyone, if that's got you worried. But you'd be mistaken if you think there isn't going to be any changes happening around here. You can be the head and heart all you want. I'll be the neck that turns that head, and the brain. You can make working together easy, or hard. But trust me - I don't think anyone here wants to see mommy and daddy fighting."

Who was who could be up for debate....sexual connotations of the use of 'daddy' aside.

Laughter had been one of the anticipated responses. Not high on the list, but it was there.

He could have done without the pat on his shoulder, but given the context, he'd let it slide.

Now, let's see here... Wyatt had never claimed to be nice. Lukas here was making a lot of his own very bold assumptions. Which brought Wyatt to one of his own.

"Wait...he didn't tell you?"

Wyatt tried to look genuinely confused. He wasn't, he was pretty confident in what he had finally figured something out, but for the sake of the act...

"I think..you need to go talk to the owner. I think there are some things you deserve to know that he hasn't been quite....forthcoming about."

Wyatt stood there calmly while Lukas ranted. He wasn't completely without sympathy. Especially since it appeared that the owner really had told him nothing about the state of the place when Wyatt had arrived. And that was wrong. It didn't sit well with him, either. He meant it when he said Lukas deserved to know. A sympathetic grimace made its way on to Wyatt's face before he worked it in to something more resigned to.....irritation? Complete with a light sigh. Not towards Lukas, but towards the situation in general.

"I have no problem joining you for this conversation. It will be harder for him to weasel out of it that way," Wyatt agreed. However, he knew there was nothing to defend regarding himself.

He was, in the grand scheme of things, the whole reason why Lukas even had a place to come back to. After all, Wyatt was funding an entire new feature himself. He was paying his own rent and doing park work on top of a full-time regular job. Despite his own financial stability, he'd taken out a loan for the park. He had brought up ways the park could get loans and grants for improvement. He was coming up with ways for the park to make money so everyone else didn't have to struggle - so they could continue to live rent and utility-free. Wyatt had done what he did best - take on the weight of the world. Seen a problem, and put forth everything he knew to fix it. It was one of his few admirable traits, although not exactly a healthy one.

"Well, I guess me being the mom is appropriate. I do feed this lot often enough," he smiled a little, maybe trying to lighten things up before they got....heavy....er. "Let's go for a little chat, 'daddy'."

Oh. Oh that was weird.

Oh, if Wyatt knew that Lukas even passingly suspected him of seducing the owner, that would be a whole new fight. The man had standards, after all. He didn't just flirt with anyone. Not that he'd seen anything earlier as flirting, so much as just...fun. Word games, psychological manipulation, and numbers were fun. But then again if that wasn't flirting boy was he in for it if Wyatt ever did start to flirt with him.... Not that he had any intentions to. He wasn't...healthy to be with. At least as far as he saw it. The same things he found fun in and romance were a bad combination. He knew that first hand.

But anyway, it was time to confront the owner and lay to rest these accusations.


-

So there, everything was explained. Although perhaps not the most tactful on the owner's part to announce his approval of all the proposed changes, but it could hardly be expected for the slightly drunk man to consider that. Wyatt tried not to appear smug at any of this. Now was also not the time to revel in his victories.

Then there was...a bit of concern as Lukas spoke of finding a new place to set up home - afraid that the man really had been run out. He glanced quickly at the owner, then back to Lukas.

"You're still going to be staying here, right?" the question came with furrowed brows and firelight glinting off of rose eyes.

Despite the earlier harsh words and posturing, he held no ill will, and had actually found it refreshingly fun.

Wyatt seemed a bit taken aback by the complement, but then yelled back in reply to the retreating man, "Hey, I didn't say we could have a divorce!" Granted he wasn't sure if Lukas had caught that...

Speaking of divorce, he needed to get in touch with the courts to see what was up with his own status... He had filed some paperwork before leaving DC. And the city clerk had seemed to accept the explanation. He guessed a lot of people had to file such things with all the 'random disappearances' that happened. Huh. Yeah. He'd have to check on that one...

With that thought, he idly thumbed at the place where a ring had once been, before getting up with a heavy sigh and bidding the owner good night.

He needed to clean up whatever food was left over and whatnot before he, too, could retreat to his RV.

It had been...some night.