[ open ] gonna keep movin', gonna roll to town

[falcony]

WHO: sam wilson and OPEN
WHAT: various prompts, some closed, some open! (open log for oct/nov)
WHEN: End of October/November
WHERE: cadens, desert around the city, horizon, etc.
WARNINGS: n/a atm but will update

Comments

closed { marlo

[falcony]

[ it didn't take very long for sam to reach out about contacting prime minister marlo - he hadn't had a reason to, since arriving. cadens was doing just as marlo said they would - they welcomed the summoned, and sam found easing into the community as easy as it took him to introduce himself, to start up a conversation. honestly, sam's time in cadens has been enjoyable. despite the fact he always carries with him the stress of getting home, a routine within the city was easy for him to pick up.

sam almost found himself attaching onto the city, the people, the streets and jobs and things he got caught up in. he knew there were larger issue at play, knew that with ambrose and the mages in thorne, the singularity and the horizon, there would always be something to do - but sam, almost selfishly, had been enjoying the sense that maybe he could just work on one thing at a time. getting settled, looking after his people, keeping everyone connected.

then there were the newcomers - faces that sam did not recognize, has not seen. faces of new summoneds who did not know what the castle thorne even was. geralt had been out to the barracks and had come back with information, sam had caught some of the faces on the streets of cadens themselves. he hates the feeling, like something is wrong, like he's been lied to. but before he can allow himself to get too caught up in it, sam requests a meeting. he decides that after their first meeting, after all that marlo offered up for him and the others, he wants to know what she thinks.

for a city that they'd been told wants to destroy the singularity, who is moving beyond magic and the need for it, what use would they have for more of them. before sam can get upset, before sam can get angry, he takes a step back. decides, instead, to hear her out. to try and understand. and then, after that, he could hopefully talk to her about it. talk her through the reasons why this wasn't acceptable and work from there.

he's relieved to find out his request for the meeting was accepted, which is what leaves him here, waiting in the small room outside of her office, just like he did those first few days. ]

[abraxasnpcs]

I'm going to have to make this quick, I'm sorry. But sit down, let's see what we can get done while I have a minute.

[Much like before, Marlo offers a tired but friendly smile and instructs Sam to sit a soon as he's ushered into her office. The hunting dog in front of the fire barely lifts his head this time.

There's no indication the prime minister is bothered by this meeting, or worried about what Sam may want to talk about.]

[falcony]

[ the friendly smile he gives in return feels a little less genuine, or perhaps just a little less, than sam would like. a voice in the back of his head says he should have come before now, should have there be some kind of repertoire that they're building on, rather than just showing up and expecting anything to change.

get better he tells himself, stepping inside and moving over to the same seat he'd taken last conversation. ] That's fine- I don't want to take up all your time. [ he waits until she makes it to the other side of her desk and begins to sit herself before he lowers himself down in the chair, though his posture is straighter than before. not stiff, necessarily, but he's come with a topic and he's feeling a certain kind of way about it. ]

But I'll get right to it. [ a beat, a small frown. ] Do you know what is happening in the barracks outside of Cadens?

[abraxasnpcs]

[There's a small nod in return and a knowing look from the Prime Minister. She doesn't appear to be upset or bothered by the subject brought up. Or how quickly the subject was delved into.]

I do. And I'm sure it looks bad from where you're sitting, but we're not trying to repeat what Thorne's doing. What we are trying to do is figure out a way to make sure everybody ends up where they ought to be. If we could do it with a wagon, we would.

[She leans back in her chair, her body language and expression remaining friendly but a bit tired.]

And I can promise you this: no one who ends up here while we figure this out is going to be mistreated. No one's getting locked up. No one's being interrogated. No one's ending up stuck here and having to fend for themselves or prod at the Singularity for us.

[falcony]

[ he appreciates how professionally she reacts to the question, if only because it takes away from of the uncertainty he'd had in how to approach the subject. now that they're into it, sam seems to not necessarily relax, but get to business. ]

Yeah- no offense, ma'am. But it does look bad. Really bad.

[ but he does listen, even if sam's frown doesn't quite go away. tired or not, he isn't sure he's following. isn't sure he gets it. so he waits for her to finish, fully, before responding himself. ]

And where does everyone ought to be, if you don't mind m asking? [ it's asked simply, without any tone or tilt. ] Because if you're trying to find a way for us to head home, that's one thing. One thing that we can probably help with, if you'll let us. But if you're still bringing people here- that forcing people into something they didn't want to be a part of, and getting them stuck here, just like the rest of us.

[ he takes a breath, resituates himself just in case he was coming across as sharper than he needed to. ]

Unless you've found some way to ask these newcomers if they want to sign up for this, you're taking people from their home. Which is exactly what Thorne did, and probably still is doing. [ which is sam's issue, at the end. that all of this had been without consent, without asking. there are kids that need to get home, people who had wars to fight. this singularity business was one thing, sure, but it's the principal of the matter. ]

And don't get me wrong- we are grateful for everything you've done and are doing. You've treated us well when you didn't need to. But bringing more of us here...it sends a very different message.

[abraxasnpcs]

Now if you've talked to any of these folks we ended up with, you'd know we're not making them to do anything. We're even paying anyone who helps out a little on their own accord and making it clear we'll happily provide employment if anyone wants it. And I couldn't tell you where you all ought to be, we don't know that. But we know it isn't in our cities.

[Marlo folds her hands on her desk.]

I already told you that we don't understand the Singularity or what Thorne's trying to do with it. It's a process, and one we're working our way through. But if you all want to get back to your places, you should have realized by now that it's the Singularity that's going to do it. I'm sorry for anyone who's displaced in this process, but we aren't trying to kidnap anyone. This is the problem with magic, you can't predict it.

[The shake of her head and slight irritation that comes into her voice at the end says clearly how the Prime Minister feels about magic.]

[falcony]

I know you're not making them do anything- and that you're offering them work, and a place to stay. Again, we're thankful for your kindness - yours and the whole of the Free Cities. [ because he does - he's been talking to the newcomers, keeping everyone connected. he wants her to know they're all still in communication, that they're all updated. or at least trying to be. ] But that doesn't stop the fact that with these trials, you're still bringing people here against their will, even if it's in the name of trying to send us home.

[ he lets out a breath of his own, here, holding himself back from the sudden urge to rub at his face. sam needs to shift tactics, he doesn't know how much they're going to be able to get done with this. ]

Whether you mean to or not, you are - technically - kidnapping anyone who bring here. I know that's not your intention, but I know how the others like me are feeling, and I can imagine what Thorne is going to do in response to it, and I'm coming to you to try and get ahead of anything that might start up in response to it.

Do you know what's going wrong, yet? Why people are showing up here, instead of anything - I'm assuming you're testing it on things before you try it on people - leaving?

closed { geralt.

[falcony]

[ bandits starter goes here. ]

[gynvael]

[ How is it that Geralt's gone from going a hundred some-odd years never taking on a student, and now he has two within the space of a month? Three, if one counted Ciri, but Geralt doesn't if only because she's entirely come into her own, as far as he can tell.

Sam, on the other hand. There's work to be done. Geralt's offered after the...rising dead situation, seeing as Sam's clearly used to weapons that don't involve a long blade. Which is all that's available on this sphere. He means to teach Jaskier, too. May as well get the most out of the dull training sword he's acquired. (Besides, he owes Sam. For a fuck of a lot more than what a few lessons can cover, but it's a start.) He's considered doing it in the Horizon altogether, but the more they avoid ducking into that place too often, the better. Useful as it is, Geralt prefers not to rely on being there if they haven't got a need for it. And Sam will probably find the weight of a sword quicker to memorize if he can hold it in reality.

They're far enough out of the city, up on the hills away from prying eyes. It's early in the morning; the air's cool and there's just enough light out without the chance of running into any stray wanderers. Geralt's left his own weapon leaning against a tree, tucked inside a leather sheathe meant to sling over his shoulder rather than strap to his back: a more discreet method of carrying that he's found suitable for the city. No point in looking armed wherever he goes, when all he's doing is delivering monster bits.

The training sword, though—that, he's placed in Sam's hands. He wants to see what Sam can do, to start with, what edge his combat experience grants him even if he's not learned his way around a sword, so Geralt's simply invited Sam to attack. If there's any hesitation, Geralt will assure him he's unlikely to land a blow. Or at least it won't take anyone's head off if he does. His stance is loose, but there's a sharp, critical look in his eyes, one that suggests it doesn't matter if Sam's never touched a sword in his life. Now that Geralt's given him one, he intends to make him proficient with it if it's the last thing he does. ]

[falcony]

[ a good amount of this is, actually, entirely sam's fault. he'd had tracked down kylo at the beginning of all this for lessons, and had done quite a bit of practicing following each lesson on his own. but then things started to get more complicated, started to get more tense, and sam had - definitely - let it all fall to the wayside. mostly because he doesn't really like the feeling of it, still - even after months in this fantasy land - it feels ridiculous.

he gets some of the basics, kind of knows where to put his feet and how to hold the sword itself. and the strength training he does, actually, work on. can, even out of practice and unsure of the weight distribution and how not to look like a total freaking dufus, he can hold it without worrying about his hands losing grip or his arms shaking. even with a training sword, he knows that the number one way to fail this whole thing is to not expect the weight of the weapon. so at the very least sam can do that.

but there's something about this whole thing that feels vaguely...what? exciting? funny? it's hard to put words to it, but he agrees to the lessons geralt offers and they head out of the city not long after the night of the living dead situation. geralt had mentioned a hunting trip, and hadn't totally balked at the idea sam gave of tagging along. he needed a little fresh air, time out of the city, and a hunting trip - no matter how old school it sounds - would help. (truth was, with the whole thing with mal, the newcomers, the whole thing with ciri and jaskir, his conversation with marlo - sam was exhausted, down to his very bones, and something about camping and hunting and getting away from it all with someone who both understood what was happening but wouldn't, necessarily, make him talk about it sounded a lot better than it had any right to.)

and so they are here, and geralt is weaponless, sam feels absolutely ridiculous - but it's good. it's nice. sam feels himself laughing a little, in the early morning light. ]

I still can't believe you won't cross swords with me, man. [ yes, the joke is lame. give him a break, it's still early, and it still makes sam chuckle a bit to himself before readjusting his grip (he will never feel comfortable holding one of these, he's sure of it) and holding geralt's eyes. he recognizes the sharp edge, the tightness in his look. for all this might be training, geralt does not take this lightly, and while he does joke - sam's stance makes it obvious he doesn't either.

he strikes out wide, first. going for geralt's arm, or shoulder, or really anything along that left side of his. he knows, though, the second he steps into it that he's moving too slow. that it'll be easy to block. but sam is already moving and tries for it all the same. ]

[gynvael]

[ Getting out of the city is, undeniably, a good part of the reason Geralt's out here with Sam. It's difficult to put into words, for anyone who hasn't spent their entire life roaming, but even as large as Cadens is, Geralt still feels locked down—like he can't stray too far, in case something else goes wrong. And he knows he's reaching the point where he can probably venture out again—thought communication across distances helps with that—he's been reluctant nonetheless for the past week. So. Taking Sam out for a hunt less than a day's ride away is a decent option.

Besides, Sam's company has grown familiar now. Simple. It happened when he wasn't looking, when he realized he's come to trust the man with what he does not often trust with others. Geralt's still deciding how he feels about it, if he should feel anything. For now, it means that despite his preference for solitude, Sam's presence no longer feels like an intrusion.

Awful fucking jokes and all. Geralt sighs, casting Sam a look, but his gaze loses a bit of its edge. ] You've been spending too much time with the bard.

[ Sam's posture isn't at ease with the sword as he should be. Geralt's not too concerned; it'll change with time. He does move, though, without hesitating, which is all that matters. Geralt doesn't so much block as he steps out of the way—and for as long as Sam keeps pressing forward, he'll continue to do so, ducking and weaving around each swing. Sam isn't necessarily slow; it's more that he can only be so fast compared to a Witcher. But Geralt's watching every movement, taking it in, and he thinks he's right to feel like Sam has the potential to pick things up quick enough.

Wherever the next blow comes from, Geralt will—for the first time—reach out to catch Sam's arm or wrist, or maybe even the dull blade itself if it gets that close. There's something close to approval in his expression. ] Not bad.

[falcony]

[ honestly, sam hadn't thought about it before taking this trip, but the need to roam, the need to travel, had also been a fairly normal part of his life back home. whether that had a direct connection to his wings, and how much freer he'd felt knowing he had them to fall back on, but also the purpose that came along with it. bouncing back between missions, dc, delacroix, and god - his minor cross-global trip tracking down the serum and flag smashers just a few months before showing up here. sam has tucked it away as part of the process, how used he'd gotten to being able to travel easily, at any time, and how it has to do with his tech, with the easy modernity he'd been so used to.

it's like being able to breathe a little easier, without realizing you'd been struggling to. like a weight being lifted you hadn't known was there.

sam feels a bit like he can breathe better out here, but he also doesn't know if that's because geralt is keeping him busy. that there's so much to camping, to traveling, to hunting that sam's mind can't afford to wander back. to marlo, to mal, to the growing tension in the air. something is going to happen, he knows it, and it's driving him insane not having a direction to move in yet. too worried about pushing too far in one, not enough in another. with this, with camping, there is always a next step. something to do.

it's enough that sam can feel bits and pieces of himself start to relax, the tension in his shoulders easing. it's just sparring, it's just practice, but sam doesn't carry any of that background worry as he adjusts the practice sword in his hands. ]

Okay- for one? I'm offended you think I get all my jokes from Jaskier. I have my own material. [ he steps in for another strike, or at least an attempted one, because geralt steps to the side or leans just enough that sam just gets air. on the next, and the one following. sam steps back for a moment, recenters, before cracking another smile. ]

But, after seeing you both at Julie's? I get the connection. It looked like y'all had fun. [ which, okay, maybe sam shouldn't bring up the party - he'd managed to successfully avoid talking about how he wasn't quite able to shake the mood there, in the same way he can here, and he's not really in the space to want to talk about it now. not when he's finally getting a few moments to breathe. so he chooses that moment to strike- or at least make some semblance of a fake and strike, which is why it gets close enough, and how geralt reaches out to stop him. he notes the approval, or whatever its closest cousin seemed to be, and feels the prideful sort of warmth spread out in him. ]

Yeah yeah. [ he rolls his eyes and loosens the stance, steps away again to reset. he knows he's doing quite a bit wrong, objectively probably has a better idea of what he's supposed to do than he can really put into practice. but that's why they're here, isn't it? sam breathes for a few moments, rolling his shoulders. ] Well? Hit me. How bad am I?

[gynvael]

[ His eyes Sam for a second when the man brings up Julie's. His lips twitch. He's aware Sam saw because they'd not been exactly subtle, though it isn't like they really. Got anywhere. Thanks to a variety of mishaps that Geralt doesn't particularly mind, in all honesty. It isn't like he hadn't wanted, but. Hm. What's there between him and Jaskier has never given him much cause to push it along or pick it apart. It ebbs and flows, and undoubtedly at some point, it will crest again when the mood strikes them both. Until then, he's content to leave it be.

Besides, he'd gotten his satisfaction at the end of the night elsewhere. That'd been more than plenty for him.

But he hasn't missed that Sam had been a little off that night. Not hard to notice when Sam's usually not like that. Geralt hadn't said anything of it, other than coming up to Sam for a few moments with a drink. He gets it. A lot's happened. And where Geralt tends to sink into a combination of baser instincts and work to get his mind off things, he's caught on Sam isn't the same where the former is concerned. So he doesn't mention it now, either, just lets go of the blade and raises an eyebrow in answer. Sam will handle what's got him preoccupied in his own time. Geralt's just here to make sure Sam can swing a sword while he does so. Maybe take his mind off of what he can't help and put it towards what he can do. Which is learn. ]

You're too stiff. Your footwork falters. [ That's no surprise. Most focus so much on learning their handling, they forget about their feet. Which, to Geralt, is arguably more important. Because you need a weapon to clash with a sword, but you don't need one if you're good enough to get out of the way before it ever comes near.

There's something else, though. Something he isn't sure is a lapse so much as a choice. ] And you don't strike to kill.

closed { jaskier.

[falcony]

[cointosser]

[While normally going to visit Sam would leave a swelling of warmth beneath his breast, today was far from the case. After nearly an hour of convincing her, he's only just managed to have Ciri swear she will not go out to search for Geralt until he returns. If they are to go searching for the Witcher, it only makes sense they have a companion who can fly.

While he's quite sure he could summon Red to himself, the idea of practically thieving away Sam's companion leaves him ill.

And while he has made a point to arrive with a gift of some sort every time he visits Sam -- repayment for the dinners he's offered, his drinks and treats, and moreso his company -- this matter is too urgent. Jaskier's knocking is loud and insistent, far from the polite, rhythmic taps from any other day.]

Sam! Hellooo? I need to speak with you! It's vital.

[Bless Melitele, he's in. There's a noise and then the door opens, and Jaskier strides right in with the open invitation, his hands moving frantically as he begins to explain.] It's about Geralt. He's gone. I mean -- he's gone, but not in the normal way, that way where he sorts of disappears for a few days hunting. We found Roach, but she'd been out in the desert for at least a day, and I need Red. [It's only here he pauses, swallowing.] We're going out to find him.

[falcony]

[ truth be told, lately sam has been home a lot more than not. he doesn't plan it that way, and honestly doesn't prefer it that way either, would rather be out and keeping busy and not allowing himself the chance to focus too heavily on past events. but sam worries about alina more than he doesn't, and with everything that happened with geralt, it feels...wrong. to spend too much time over there. so sam finds himself here, in this now nearly empty apartment, entirely unsure of what he should be doing or what he should be working towards.

( there are dark moments, too, where sam sits on this couch in the dark and misses steve, with a kind of suckr-punch to the gut pain. he'd have a plan, he'd know what to do, he- )

so, when the knocking comes to the door, sam is of course there. and with the voice that follows sam only needs a couple more steps until he's at the door, pulling it open. it's panic that swells in him first, from the tone of voice jaskier pushes through the door as well as the basically everything that has happened over the last few weeks...sam doesn't like being pessimistic, but considering their track record, something is probably wrong. ]

What happened? [ though the question falls on seemingly deaf ears, as jaskier walks easily right into the room, already explaining, already talking about what's happening. sam closes the door behind them and crosses his arms over his chest, preparing himself for the news.

though even with that preparation, sam isn't actually ready to hear it - geralt, gone. not just hunting, but gone. sam's stomach drops, heavily, and the color drains from his face. it may be a bit of an abrupt reaction, but jaskier says he's gone and sam's mind goes to mal, to peter, to bucky, and the weight of the worst case scenario drops along with his expression. ]

You found Roach? [ because that's what does it - the fact that roach had been alone, the one thing geralt would have never allowed. he's gone. he's gone, and the last thing that sam did...

he shakes his head, turning to the next in the far corner of the room where red had made his home. sam tilts his head and red, awake and aware, glides over to land on his shoulder. sam is tired, exhausted even, but these are familiar steps to fall into. ] Of course you can take Red. I can help too, if you need it. You're going out to the nest, right? Where he usually hunts?

[cointosser]

[He nods. Lost in the explanation, he looks at Sam now. What he expects (what he cannot help but expect) is Sam coming quickly with the reassurances he'd tried to give himself and Ciri -- he's after something good, he doesn't think of letting anyone know, he does not need guardians -- but that isn't what Sam does.

It leaves him feeling as if he'd made a leap over a precipice and misjudged the distance.]

Roach found us, more accurately. [With what Ciri thought was blood staining her flank, but Jaskier simply is skimming over that detail. It doesn't matter.

I can help. And he's not already gathering everything he needs to do it.

Jaskier has been so carefully stepping around Ciri to make sure that she doesn't fuck off and disappear to the same place Geralt has that he has not had time to lose himself in his own worries. He simply does not worry about Geralt. He never has. This, though. It feels different. And they were never meant to be here.]

Yes. Around there. [He looks from Red to Sam, the bird tilting his head as if to signal something. Not that Red needs to. Jaskier isn't a fool.] No, I don't think -- it's not that I don't trust you, because I do, but Ciri is on edge and I've barely managed to stop her by myself.

[And he has a suspicion Ciri would not be thrilled to have anyone she does not absolutely trust with them, especially if... if something happens. He trusts Sam, but he cannot give him Ciri's secrets.] I'm sure it's nothing. Perhaps he ran into a particularly cranky basilisk. [He doesn't believe that at all, actually.

It's not convincing. He pauses, then takes Sam's hand. The color has not returned to his face.] Are you all right? Don't tell me you'll miss Red that much.

[And there's Jaskier to a T -- the same one who'd made jokes after meeting Lady Death right on the edge of her lands. If anything, the tightness in his chest coils tighter. Something feels off, and it's not only about Geralt.]

[falcony]

[ there is definitely a more sam-like reaction to be made here. something threaded with more optimism and even a joke at geralt's expense about his loner tendencies and how much he likes to add on years to all of their lives, especially considering his own extended one. but the truth it - it's not where sam's mind goes to, first. not to reassurances, or the belief this will all work out. instead, it's to empty apartments, doorways where the scent just ends, missing people and missing faces and the overwhelming, crushing weight of being left behind.

sam nods, a bit distracted, at the sound of the details. of roach finding them. sam is in motion even as jaskier speaks, but comes to a slow stop when he mentions ciri, when he mentions trust. it's not that sam doesn't know ciri doesn't fully trust him, and it's not like he expected anything else, but when faced with no, don't come and the sudden, added weight that he's not needed and there's nothing for him to do, well. it's not jaskier's fault, it's not anyone's fault, so sam just sort of swallows the feeling back. ] Right. No, definitely. And if anything, someone's got to be here if he comes back and you both are still gone.

[ because that's logic, that makes sense. he nods and sort of sets down the pack he'd been carrying - expression still a bit lost as he tries to grapple with...what? the fact that geralt might be gone too? that something in him is screaming that this isn't random, that something has to be happening? he thinks about moving back to the kitchen, thinks about rubbing at his jaw, but in a moment of jaskier seeming to know exactly what sam is planning to do, reaches out to grab his hand. ]

What? [ he blinks at that, some part of him knowing it's a joke but not quite connecting the dots. ] Oh, no, it's not...that. [ pull it together, wilson. sam looks back and sees jaskier watching him, sees the concern and focus and, well. god. he must really look awful, huh?

i'm fine sits somewhere in the back of his tongue, but he's able to catch it before giving voice. knowing how much of a hypocrite it would make him sound. realizing how much he might not be taking his own advice. so sam exhales, trying to squeeze jaskier's hand in a more reassuring manner. ]

Sorry, I just...I can't shake this feeling that something else is going on. [ it's insane, but at the same time, could he really put it past thorne to be pulling something like this? to taking all of them? sam feels a bit like he's crazy, like he's trying to sit at home in this tiny apartment and find clues in something that doesn't exist. maybe geralt just got lost, maybe he got waylaid by more bandits, maybe he's totally fine and the guilt and weight is just sam overreacting again. ] There's just a lot that seems to be happening.

[cointosser]

[He only just bites back an apology, but... honestly, he cannot apologize for attempting to avoid Sam getting involved in their shit, once again. He's done enough. More than enough.]

My thoughts exactly. [He isn't only agreeing to agree. If something happens to Jaskier again, then... they can keep going. He's being realistic. But if Sam were there, if he and Sam were both to be hurt and injured, and Ciri incapacitated somehow -- how is it he's often the optimist, and yet he's already prepared himself for the worst?

Geralt is only missing. Geralt is not gone.

He simply cannot be. They came here together. There's a fucking reason for that. Whether it is Melitele's hands at work, or Destiny, or simply a shitty sense of irony. It's simply how it is.

Jaskier's eyes don't leave his face, attempting to discern exactly what's going on here. Sam is not what he would call laid back. Not in this way. Every time something has happened, he was there. Boundless energy, reassurances. He hadn't even said, I'm sure Geralt's fine.

Usually he doesn't need to hear it, but this time. This time, he really could have used it.]

Something else? [Sam looks lost. Lost in a way he's not sure about. It's true he hasn't seen Sam around their place for a little bit, but... what could've happened? The ghosts? No, he can't imagine it was that. That was really an idle annoyance, if anything.] Hold on. What are you talking about?

[jealousbitch]

[ It's been a hot second since Lloyd has made his way over to Sam's domain, mostly because so much has been happening and his attention span is short. The barbeque had been fun, and he'd had room to let loose and actually chill. Sure, Sam may have been disappointed with him and Julie cutting loose (he doesn't have any evidence to support this) but he'd never actually said so. Most people are disappointed in Lloyd for one reason or another, so it's whatever. As that familiar house comes into view, something in his chest loosens that he hadn't even realized was there. He knows he's welcome to drop by whatever, so he's got no problem knocking on the doorframe to announce himself before opening the door. ]

Yoo-hoo, anybody home?

[ Even if he's not immediately available, Sam will show up eventually and have a visitor. ]

[falcony]

[ there is a good chance that sam was, definitely, a bit disappointed in lloyd and julie by the end of the night. but there is an equal chance that really, sam was fine to let it happen. just to let everyone kind of chill. he'd managed to mitigate a lot of the dangerous side of things, managed to help avoid any real fights or violence, and by the time the end of the night rolled around he was pretty decently cool with anything that wasn't going to kill anyone (with the added knowledge that even if they did, it was the horizon. what did it matter? none of it was real.)

but the actual truth that stayed from that first group-trip into the horizon, and then through that barbeque, and after still was the big ole welcome mat outside his front door. did sam actually expect them all to keep in constant contact? no. but his door would be open, if they did find their way here.

which also meant that sam may or may not be spending a bit more time in this house - finding things to do, wasting time, just on the off-chance someone might come by. just because there is the potential of this exact moment coming up, where sam is sitting at his kitchen table, bits and pieces of a drone scattered across, while he'd been 'fixing' some horizon version of redwing from back home, just for the feel of it in his hands. ]

Back here! [ he calls out without thinking too much about it - finishing up with a last wire, connecting a last bit. when he glances up to see it's lloyd who is stepping through the threshold, sam's face breaks out into a kind of grin. ]

Took you long enough to show up.

[jealousbitch]

[ At the end of the day, white trash is going to act just so. Not an ounce of class and a mouth that runs even when he can't back it up. Besides, everybody needed to have a chill time and they were trying to bring it to the party. That, and fuckin cool fireworks. But those aren't called for outside of a barbeque, so it's just Lloyd by himself. Maybe that will make things awkward since he hasn't really seen Sam much on his own and things have kind of shifted since then. He doesn't know.

Lloyd hears Sam holler through the house and follows the voice into the kitchen where he's got.. whatever the hell he's got strewn across the countertop. His attention flits quickly from what Sam's working on to his face, and Lloyd takes a moment to look affronted. He puts a hand over his chest in mock-hurt. ]

Party don't start 'til I walk in, and that's a fact!

[falcony]

[ maybe it'll make things awkward, but the things is, it's almost hard to b awkward around sam. he doesn't hold expectations for these people and knows that all he can do is open up a place for them to come, and see about maybe, slowly, figuring out how to help. they're all in this together, after all.

so when lloyd shows up, looking affronted, sam gives him a single arched brow. a snort, too, for good measure. ]

Yeah, okay Keesha. [ and then he's gesturing to the fridge, his hands still picking away at the wiring and pieces of the drone. ] Beer's in the fridge if you want any.

[jealousbitch]

[ Lloyd waves him off with a grin and saunters over to the fridge to pull out a few beers. Of course he wants one, what kind of person did Sam think he was? Making his way back over, he sets one on the counter by Sam's elbow. Never let it be said that he never did anything.

He watches over Sam's shoulder, not really sure what he's looking at. ]

So what're you even doing?

[falcony]

[ sam finishes up whatever he's doing on his pretend version of redwing and sits back in his chair, taking the beer and holding it up as a semi thanks to lloyd before opening it up and taking a pull from the bottle. ]

Working on a kind of drone I had back home. His name's Redwing. Or- [ he looks across the table at the mess of wire and electrical insides. he gives a sigh. ] Or he is when he's put together. I felt kinda restless so figured I'd find something to keep my hands busy.

[ the look on lloyd's face is answer enough, but sam asks all the same. ]

Guessing you're not a tech guy?