[ 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

[not_caroline]

Why didn't you just get your beautiful Homelander to get you out? I'm sure he'd have been happy to let you fuck your way to the top.

[She's not stupid - she's one of the lucky ones, in her Durance, because she didn't have to do that, but she's fully aware how close she came to it. Of what would have happened if her Keeper didn't keep His promise.]

You're not any better than me. You don't know anything I've been through or how long I've had to fight for everything I have, but you sure won't shut up about yours. Like it makes you special because you suffered, like the rest of us don't know what the word fucking means. Get over yourself.

[gardienne]

He…
[She trails off. Homelander had never once offered to try to get her out. Well, only to fuck. He’d spent most of his time making her beg for food or attention and debase herself. Then he’d laughed.

Eponine’s cheeks blush an angry red.]

Is it you telling everyone I am a whore? Because all through the dungeons… it ain’t nice, you know? And so - so what? If it gets me a blanket or some sweets? So what?

[She tried to keep her chin up, to look fiercely proud, but her lack of eye contact and the tremor in her voice gives her away.]

M’sieur Nero loves me, you know? Not - not as a whore. He says I’m his pretty girl. He said I was beautiful, that he’d remember me forever. So there. I am better than you.

[not_caroline]

[She just scoffs loudly.]

I don't care that you're sleeping with people for shit, and honestly I didn't know until you literally just told me and made it sound like some oh so adult thing, that like-- [and here she puts on a high, simpering little girl voice] Oh, I'm just too young and naive to know what sex is.

[She gives Eponine a flat look, and when she talks again it's in her normal voice.]

Nero's a psychopath. He's only saying that because he knows you want to hear it, and as soon as it stops working he's going to walk away and he won't give any more of a shit about than Homelander, or your dumb know-nothing Jon or your parents or anyone fucking else.

[gardienne]

[And yet again, she's being laughed at. It's okay when men laugh at her. She knows that. She's accepted it, both from her male peers and the more genteel class.
But for Coraline to be laughing at her is crushing.
Anything Eponine says is wrong. She gets that. But Coraline's laugh, her scorn only drives Eponine's chin higher, makes her sound the more obstinate. The tremor in her fisted hands probably gives Eponine away, the high pitch to her voice probably indicates the stress that she feels. God, she'd love to be Coraline, so pretty and sure and with friends. She'd love to be Coraline's friend, to count her as a peer. And yet, Coraline's laughing at her.]

I... I didn't say nowt of it. It's just not conversation for polite company, is it? Though how stupid of me, for you are not polite at all. So horrid are you that you deserve all of the bad luck in the world.

[She hoiks her saliva and spits hard at Coraline, aiming for her face.]

Nero will care for me. I - I were his first.

[No he won't. He'll use her and dump her, like everyone else. She knows it but she's denying it.]

He... He loves me.

[the_archive]

The moment Coraline lifts her arm to respond to that, there's a hand on her wrist, and Jon pushes a cloth into her hand as he inserts himself between the two girls. A good many of his eyes are open, including two large ones on his throat, all narrowed in their many colors.

"Right. Miss Thénardier, is it? You should make yourself scarce before more bad decisions are made."

[not_caroline]

Coraline doesn't care what else Eponine has to say, after she spits in her fucking face.

She doesn't immediately wipe the hot glob off: instead she goes to raise her fist with fire in her heart at not having acted first--

--and Jon surprises her, grabbing her wrist and getting in the way. She just glares at him, before she whips the cloth at the eye on the back of his neck and storms away: she just uses her sleeve to scrub her face clean.

[gardienne]

“Me?” Eponine replies angrily, surprised to see Jon come from nowhere.
“You see what the little trollop says to me and it is me in the wrong?”
It’s not fair. Of course Coraline has a man to defend her. Of course there’s someone to step in and send Eponine packing. And of course, it’s Eponine who is the villain once more.

“Sir, that child is dreadful.”

[the_archive]

He looks after Coraline, some of those eyes rolling in forbearance before he turns back to Eponine with a tight frown.

"I didn't say anyone was in the wrong. But you're the one who took it from words to worse, and you're the one who will regret it more."

[gardienne]

"You threaten me?" Eponine looks at him, considering and then laughs. "I didn't think you should have it in you, Sir. But me, I am harmless. That Coraline is a monster. She has told such stories about me, and laughed and - and -"

She shakes her head and leans back on the wall. "What do you care anyway? You are her protector, no? You care for her? You shan't believe me anyway, so what is the point in protesting?"

[the_archive]

Jon sighs, running his nails through his hair. "I'm not threatening you. I just stopped you from losing an ugly fight, that's all."

[gardienne]

"With that Coraline? Pah!" Eponine wrinkles her nose. "Sir, I am skin and bones I know, but even I have the strength to defeat such a brat as her. She is no bother, just priss. A good hard slap and she should be in tears and skulking back to you, and honest, she deserves it."

[the_archive]

Jon snorts, shaking his head.

"Believe what you want. But I didn't step in to protect her from you, I know her too well."

And maybe he shouldn't have bothered, considering they can't do anything permanent to each other here. But he didn't want Sam asking them to leave, either.

[gardienne]

"She has you under her thumb, I told you! That horrid thing, pretending to be so awfully good. Me, I were only thanking her for letting me be her servant in the castle on that day. I never got the chance, for the guards were that cross when they found out. And then she calls me whore."

It might be true, but it stings all the same. "I were hoping to be friends, Sir. But perhaps for me, friends are no."

[the_archive]

He holds up an open hand, two eyes narrowly open in the scarred, turned up palm. "Miss Thénardier, no one can pretend anything to me," he sighs. "I am being polite and not looking too deeply at your conversation. But yes, I think you have burned that bridge with her.

"Anyway. She's gone. I don't think she'll be returning tonight."

[gardienne]

"What are you?" Eponine asks curiously. "You look like such a thing I thought I saw back in Paris when I were that hungry, I were dizzy. I used to see monsters then - or thought I did. They were in my head, not real. But you are, no?"

She scowls. "Always it is me burning bridges. Never her. She is the one what calls names, not me. Would you stand and take such a slur? Though perhaps you are stupid enough to let her away with it?"

[the_archive]

"I'm an Archivist," he says tersely, without explanation. "But the eyes are just what this place gave me."

"I'm not talking to you about what I think of her behavior. But I believe we're done. Enjoy the party, if you can."