[ OPEN ] i know some places and i've seen some faces

[falcony]

WHO: sam wilson and anyone/everyone.
WHAT: captain america cookout.
WHERE: sam's horizon domain
WHEN: third saturday of september (aka, about 3 weeks after the jailbreak)
NOTES: see below!

HELLO ALL AND WELCOME TO SAM'S CAPTAIN AMERICA COOKOUT!!!!

Over the last week or so, Sam has been going out of his way to contact as many people as he knows to invite them to a cookout at his place in the Horizon. He knows that after the jailbreak, a lot of people were separated, and this was his first thought on how to bring people together. The purpose behind it is simply because Sam thinks that the one thing all of them have in common, opinion on the Singularity and their situations aside, is that they were all brought here and can actually access the Horizon. He sees merit and use in coming together when they can, especially in ways that don't involve the politics of the land they're now living in. So, what better way to do that than around food?

The long and short of it is - this is a peace meal. Leave your issues at the door. Sam has very few rules and there is very little he will give in terms of what this cookout will entail, but three things he will make very clear:

1.) There will be no fighting at his home. You want to duke it out? Take it somewhere else. There will not be warnings or second chances. Don't be an ass.
2.) There is no meeting or serious reason for this cookout. Literally, he just wants people to come together who may no longer be able to see each other due to the travel constraints. It's meant to be fun. Come have fun. (he knows y'all know what that is, even when some of you pretend you don't). Bring food if you want to! There is also a kitchen (if you know what that is) and places to crash. Hope you like seafood!
3.) Anyone who can come into the Horizon is welcome. He'd love it if everyone came, so spread the word.

The cookout itself is set up out front, with picnic tables and chairs and fire pits and lights abound. There are tables set up near grilles if anyone wants to do any actual cooking outside, and a table (probably multiple) set up with sides and napkins and utensils. There are a variety of different places to go and sit and hang out while you're eating. Anything and everything you can want is available - food, drinks, yard games, music playing from out in the trees that will remain consistent unless someone tries to find the speakers and hijack the playlists, etc. If you can't find something outside, you're more than welcome to check the house.

All throughout the party, too, there will be a new friend. Red, as Sam fondly calls him, is a blood-red hunting hawk with silver in between the feathers. He can be found circling around Sam quite often, or perched on his shoulders, but also if you are out and about you can often see him checking up on anyone and everyone. He's a very curious little bird, and also pretty sassy, if you want to interact with him.



If you haven't, or have, been to Sam's domain before, feel free to take a look around. Anywhere is open (save for one locked bedroom) so everyone has open access, but most of the cookout itself will be located in the front yard.

OOC: This is mean to be an OPEN LOG, so leave your TLs or closed threads below! This party will last basically as long as people want it to, but the idea is for it to be an afternoon into the evening. Y'all have free reign save for destroying Sam's home, but if you have any questions, hit me up on plurk (disarmingly or disco (dai#3757). Sam's TL is below, and he will be bouncing around like the good host he is, but lets get a little party started.

Comments

Coraline Finch | Tower | OTA

[not_caroline]

I.

[Coraline hadn't necessarily wanted to come, but Jon had made rather a point of mentioning it to her, and she knows he likes Sam. She still hasn't made up her mind on the man - largely he just seemed like a nosy busybody. But she still respects Jonathan enough to make a point to come to the party: even if she makes a point, as soon as she arrives in Horizon for it, to turn on her Glamour and appear totally human for it, even toning down her punk outfit for something a bit more casual, with no sign of the Tower on it at all.

When she does arrive, rather pointedly without any of the usual company she keeps in the real world, she really does just look like a regular cranky teen who doesn't want to be here. But her hazel eyes are sharp, watching the other prisoners, Welcomed and whatever the hell they all are now with an intense, bordering uncomfortable laser focus.]

II.

[She does duck into Sam's house - but only briefly, so she can take advantage of an upstairs window to climb out onto the roof of the porch, sitting perched with one leg hanging over the edge like a particularly pubescent gargoyle. It very quickly becomes her favourite sitting spot to watch the people beneath her, while latecomers roll in and the particularly antisocial leave.]

III.

[Coraline has spotted the alcohol.

Please try and stop the small teen (who is remarkably stealthy) from drinking the alcohol.]

.

IV.

[And when she's done with all the being social, and gives up on actively giving a shit about anyone else, she retreats to one of the trees, and climbs it with a frankly shocking turn of speed - even if it's not her domain, it's like the tree itself seems to want her to climb it, and she's very quickly nestled in its branches, nearly completely invisible if you didn't know she was already up there; and even then, trying to spot her is like spotting a face in the clouds.

Right up until she gets sick of the music. And then suddenly there's a speaker rocketing out of a tree to crash into the ground with a loud crackle of feedback.]

iii;

[extremethirst]

What's up, kid?

[ It may be simply due to his true sight -- or maybe, it is his skills as an archer -- that he is able to grab the back of her shirt before she gets too close. ]

What's the matter? Want to get drunk? Party that boring for you?

[ Nero lets go of her clothes; he cocks his head as he looks her over. The expression that he gives is one that says he'd be willing to give her one of the aforementioned bottles but just wants to hear why she wants it so bad. ]

[not_caroline]

[Coraline can't help the small squeak of surprise when she's nearly yanked off her feet, but she recovers hastily and instead turns to level an even, cold stare at--

oh it's that damn psycho elf. Fuck. She's not sure if him giving off that telltale Desire glamour, that nosy curiosity is good or not, but she tilts her chin up and folds her arms with a sly little half-smile.]

What does it matter to you? You think I'm gonna listen to you telling me I can't take a drink if I want?

[extremethirst]

It would be funny if you did, wouldn't it?

[ Nero turns his head as he starts spitting out his laughter. It would be funny if anyone acquired any good lessons from him. ]

I'm just curious. Because ... nothing here means anything.

[ His expression becomes clouded as he looks around at the scenery around them. He has no love for the Horizon. To him, it is just a playground while the real world is still spinning and waiting for them. Even if there is infinite power here, so what? ]

So, what do you think that you're doing?

[not_caroline]

[The fabric in Nero's hand is suddenly as slippery as oil, and Coraline twists sharply away and out of his grip, taking a few steps sideways so she can straighten up her collar all casual-like. One eyebrow is arched and her tone remains haughty when she looks back at Nero.]

I think I'm gonna try something in a place where there's no consequences and see how I like it.

[extremethirst]

[ Nero pulls his hand back as he also jerks backwards. He makes a disgusted sound as his face morphs into an expression of disgust. ]

Yurk! [ The noise resonates as he wipes his hand on the back of his jacket. ] Gross!

[ He shoots her a dirty look; he keeps wiping his hand on his clothes. ] Fair enough. You should go for it. [ His tongue slips out of his mouth as he keeps mumbling, "gross, gross." ] It's more the feeling, you know? It's like feeling a huge wad of --

[ Nero closes his mouth as he looks away, not finishing his sentence. ]

[not_caroline]

[Coraline wrinkles her nose at Nero's comments. She doesn't want to read between the lines there. His Glamour feels rancid.]

That'll happen again if you try and grab me. [She looks away, but her attention stays on him out of the corner of her eye, as she picks up a can of beer. She's pretty sure her dad liked this brand.] I'm not a fan of people thinking they can lord it over me like that.

II

[stealsthetruth]

[Kay, being an irritatingly extroverted ball of sunshine, absolutely loves parties, and has no desire to remove herself from the event long term. However... She ALSO loves high places, and clambering up to them, even if said places probably aren't really meant to be perched upon.

Coraline gets a bit of a reprieve because Kay can't immediately manage to tear herself away from whatever it is she's doing at the time she spots the other girl taking up post, but it's still not long before she makes her way over there herself. However, rather than taking the indoor route, she uses Horizon logic and just. Does something akin to a video game wall jump off the side of the house? And lands on the roof next to the other girl.]

Heh. Sweet perch you've got! You know you don't need to take stairs in the Horizon though, right?

[not_caroline]

[Coraline doesn't mind Kay's company, funnily enough. She has the same level of energy as Coraline does, and really it's just nice having someone her own rough age.

When Kay reaches her she just smiles brightly, and it's mostly genuine.]

Maybe I like stairs. Maybe I'm planning to change my entire domain to one of those inside-out staircase pictures so I can do it all the time.

[She leans back on her hands, crossing one ankle over the other.]

Besides, it feels like B-and-E, and that's always fun.

[stealsthetruth]

[Kay laughs at the stairs comment, trying to imagine making one of those whacked out pictures a reality. She's pretty good with constructing stuff here in the Horizon but something like that is probably beyond her. The construction would be so complicated...

The last thing Coraline says throws her. She cocks her head and frowns blankly for a moment, uncomprehending.]

Bee and Ee..?

[...The Legendary Great Thief Yatagarasu, everybody.]

[not_caroline]

[She raises an amused eyebrow at Kay.]

Breaking and entering? It's stupid but it's funny to me, that like- we can just walk in and out of people's places here however we like. So it's like we're always committing little crimes.

[stealsthetruth]

Oh! Right. Heh, I totally blanked on that for a second there. [There's a tinge of bashfulness to the smile she cracks now.] To be honest, I may be a Great Thief in name, but I've never really done an honest to goodness breaking and entering before. I mean, I'm kind of still in training, so...

[not_caroline]

I haven't really done it much. It's way easier to get people on the street, 'cos then you've already had a chance to get to know the area, you know? If you get caught in someone's house they've got the advantage cos they know how all the doors work and where all their shit is, stuff like that.

I

[gardienne]

Hello.

[Eponine's stood with her back pressed against the house, unsure whether she should be there and quite intent on not being seen by Julie. They've clashed every time they've been together and Eponine has definitely come off the worse. Her voice is quiet, subdued the more than when Coraline fetched her from the dungeons that time.]

I never got the chance, Miss, to thank you, did I? Not proper, like. So... um... thank you. For taking me out of it a while.

[not_caroline]

[Eponine approaching her makes her brush her hair back behind her ears immediately, self-conscious that her worry her Glamour's failed - but when Eponine is only calm and demure she unclenches, and gives an uncertain half smile.]

It's fine, you know? It's nothing. None of us deserved to be there.

[The fidgeting with her hair turns into tying it into a loose bun as she talks.]

You're not still in Thorne, are you?

[gardienne]

I don't know, you know? That dreadful Julie, she deserves to be there. She needs locking up, that one. She's dangerous.

[Eponine leans away from the wall, looking to see if she can spot Julie anywhere - but no. She purses her lip and replies bitterly.]

No. I am in Nott, not so far from Thorne. I went with Nadine. Pah. I were stupid to do such a thing, but here I am, stuck in Nott. Where did you go?

[not_caroline]

[Coraline gives her the appropriate sympathetic face for that obvious grudge, but when Eponine takes the moment to look around for her it drops, to give the other girl a flat look, one eyebrow raising with her unimpressed mood.

But she's schooled her face back to warm again when Eponine turns, tying off her bun so her hands are free.]

Me and a couple of the boys went to the Free Cities, we're moving to stay in Libertas. All the guys who were in my old cell are there now, Geralt and Majima and Alucard. And Jon.

[gardienne]

[Eponine doesn't notice her abrupt change in expressions - probably a good thing, too! She smiles wistfully.]

And they're good to you? That is nice. I am with those in my old cell too - Julie, Flagg, Nadine - she weren't but she may as well have been - and Susan too. And Julie's fellow. I think this is us all. Them that follow M'sieur Flagg and them what were tricked into it. Is it nice in Libertas then? Perhaps I shall go there if it is better than Nott?

[not_caroline]

It's... busy, mostly. There's always people working on stuff, trying to invent or paint the next big thing that'll make 'em rich and powerful. And it's so hot, all the time, even though it's a big city.

[Her own smile is a little bit fond too.]

The guys are all really good to me. They all make sure I feel safe, and have somewhere to get back to and be, like. Sheltered, without smothering me. It's nice.

IV

[aquaveiled]

[ Himeka had taken a special interest in the trees when she had arrived and, with her self-appointed chef duty now completed, she decides to explore them for herself. Even the smallest variances between the domains is a point of curiosity for her and she tries to land where she had seem fauna like this before. Somewhere in the Shroud, mayhaps? Though not exactly...

And it's all a rather peaceful walk until something loud and sparking lands just a few fulms beside her.

Himeka spins around and, on instinct, summons a wave of glowing aether that she hurls like a baseball at the speaker. (An unruly cast of Glare without a proper cane.)

The poor thing explodes. ]

...

[ Well, it had it coming. ]

[not_caroline]

[The tree that the speaker fell down from is almost conspicuously quiet, not a single twig or leaf moving, like it's afraid to move in case Himeka strikes again.

It makes Coraline's slight movement, leaning forward a little to look down at the totally destroyed speaker, all the more obvious from the speaker's previous home on a low branch. Amazing, how hard it was to spot her until she moved.]

You know, that kind of feels like overkill.

[aquaveiled]

[ To her credit, Himeka doesn't look...exactly proud of what she's done, but she isn't remorseful, either. She frowns.

That is, until she hears a voice. Himeka blinks, looking up and around to try and find out where it's coming from. (Thankfully her response to that isn't to shoot another Glare in the general direction.) How could she have missed the young girl up amongst the leaves? But she clearly had.

Not that it would have really mitigated how she treated the speaker. ]

I don't think you're wrong.

[ Himeka can admit that much. ]

Erm...was it yours?

[ Please don't say it's yours. ]

[not_caroline]

If I say yes, will you keep blowing stuff up?

[The shit-eating grin that the question makes light up her face suggests she'd very much like to say yes.]

[aquaveiled]

Well...

[ Himeka purses her lips as she thinks, poking at what's left of the speaker with the toe of her boot. ]

Sam did ask that we behave ourselves here.

[ A beat. ]

...But we're not exactly fighting, are we?

[not_caroline]

[Correct response. Coraline grins, and jumps down from her perch over seven feet up to land silently and easily next to the dragon-girl.]

I'm Coraline. How did you do that, the-- [And she mimics, intentionally poorly, Himeka's shoddy magic throw. The thing.