[ open ] HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA (not you abraxas)

[princessvegas]

Who: Julie + Dean + open
When: July 4
Where: Julie's club in the Horizon
What: June sucked, it's time to party patriotically 🇺🇸 Dean's invite here 🇺🇸 no, the Americans don't care that it's not America, they're doing it anyway (just like real life)



[ Approaching Julie's club on this particular day, you can tell from the outside that something is going on. The pink neon has been swapped for red, white and blue, the pink carpet and velvet ropes changed to the good ol' stars and stripes. The front doors are wreathed in an enormous and very patriotic balloon arch, and they're wide open. American flags hang across the walls of the entranceway, and the music is what most Americans would recognize as July 4th standards.

Inside, Julie has obviously been incredibly hard at work, and the club has undergone its most massive changes to date. The entire first floor has been modified -- where there was once a dance floor and seating, there is now an Olympic-sized in-ground pool, dotted with a variety of American themed floats and balls. The glittering quartz flooring is all gone, now replaced with lush lawn grass, and sensible concrete wrapped around the pool itself. At one end, a truly enormous inflatable water slide can send you flying down from fifty feet in the air, just to land with a splash in the water.

How has she managed that height? Well, where there's ordinarily a roof, there is now only open sky, blue and picturesque with puffy white clouds lazily floating by. The sun is bright but never too hot, and incapable of burning anyone's skin. The only thing between the sky and the building are dozens of red, white and blue decorations, strung from the balconies to overhang the pool.

Don't worry if you weren't exactly prepared for a pool party! Julie, queen of not only parties but also wardrobes, has helpfully converted the warehouse part of the building for this very problem. Racks and racks of bathing suits and beach towels are available for use, with every conceivable style up for grabs. Trunks, one-pieces, string bikinis, banana hammocks, she's got it all! While many match the red, white and blue theme, all types of colors and patterns are present. Grab a towel from a stack, hop in one of the striped changing cabanas, then get to swimming. Don't forget your red, white or blue flip-flops and sunglasses!

Hungry? Well, Dean has you covered. On the lawn, Julie has provided him with a wet dream-inducing grill and every imaginable kind of meat to cook on it. Also in this section are tables and tables full of snacks, desserts and drinks, along with the full bar that is always present. The bartender, Steven, is always ready to make anything you could want. (He is dressed in what is best described as "Sexy Uncle Sam" -- in that it's a star-spangled wrestling singlet, a glittery red white and blue bow tie, an Uncle Sam hat and a small, fake white beard.) Plenty of picnic tables are present to eat at.

As the afternoon passes, the sky will gradually darken until it's black and clear, with a wide expanse of stars, the way Julie remembers seeing night from the empty prairies of Kansas. Between Dean and Julie, there is no shortage of fireworks; as proud Americans raised in places where there's little else to do, they are experts at blowing shit up in creative ways. The tables disappear and are replaced with blankets on the grass, meant to be laid on and shared. An incredible fireworks show rounds the night out, and only once the sky is calm again are people expected to leave.

Or pass out. Getting completely wasted is also an Independence Day tradition. ]

Comments

Julie [ ota ]

[princessvegas]

[ If there's anything that the Summoned of Abraxas need, it's a big blow-out party. As the resident master hostess, that is Julie's official judgment on the topic, and she decided that it was up to her to fix. It was just lucky happenstance that, while drinking downstairs in the tavern, Dean had realized it was the Fourth of July, and between the two of them, they'd pretty quickly managed to throw together the idea of a proper, American celebration. Two American idiots like them have more than enough experience to really drive home the spirit of America, which is mostly explosions and alcohol and forcing everyone else to celebrate their traditions.

The set-up is a scaled up amalgamation of various backyard cookouts and pool parties that Julie has been to, though everything is much nicer than anyone in her life could have ever afforded. The resident clubgoers, all dressed in an assortment of American flag inspired bathing suits and tank tops, swim around in the pool and toss beach balls between themselves to the sound of pop and country music. Most songs somehow work in the word "America" multiple times.

Julie, with the exception of her actual hair, is red, white and blue from head to toe, and can be found in the pool for much of the day, where she alternates between monopolizing one of the floats and sailing down the water slide with a truly impressive amount of speed. But she is still the hostess, and can just as often be seen flitting from person to person (still bikini-clad but with the addition of the shortest pair of denim cutoffs you've ever seen), bringing new drinks and towels and a huge smile with her whenever they seem needed.

Once Dean gets the grill truly going and people actually begin to eat supper, she's on one side of the big buffet table, helping fix plates and explaining all the different dishes to the unfamiliar. Julie herself is an absolutely shit cook, but that's not an issue here in the Horizon, where she produces endless replicas of her large, Midwestern family's classic recipes. Potato salad, macaroni salad, slaw, baked beans. Deviled eggs and succotash. Melon balls marinated in honey and mint. Pies and cakes all decorated in different red and blue berries, with whipped cream stars. Steven mans the bar, but there are also big pitchers of non-alcoholic options, lemonade and sweet tea and fruit punch. And of course there are multiple coolers full of canned beers (only the finest of America's classic, terrible choices for these fine folks) and Coca-Colas. The options seem endless, and they're all good -- Julie's aunts and grandmothers and cousins were all very talented in the kitchen.

When the sky is dark and the pool is mostly empty, Julie claims the blanket she deems to be the most prime fireworks viewing spot. She's swapped into drier but just as patriotic clothes, and she quickly fills her blanket with a bunch of pillows to recline in. Dean may be in charge of fireworks, but she occasionally adds in a shape of her own, just for entertainment. People she knows might catch simple symbols associated with themselves in the sky. ]

[frontlinetitties]

[So maybe she has only an ill-defined knowledge of what constitutes America, and clearly didn't get the memo on the dress code. Ultimately that means sweet fuck all when she's managed to have herself a good time. She must have tried at least one helping of every pie and cake on offer, not to mention a couple of piled platefuls of Dean's noble contribution to the party. So maybe she still doesn't quite get the red, white and blue thing (something akin to official House colours, maybe?), but if it results in feeling full and pleasantly buzzed then America can only be a good thing. Right...?

Whatever. She's managed to hold off on getting totally wasted for one reason and one reason only. The main event, the moment she's been waiting for with hot and sparking anticipation-- the fireworks!! Fucking loud, and colourful may be all she's managed to gather about them, but this description alone is enough to tip her off to the fact that it's gonna be good.

To this end, she's snagged herself a pretty prime location for the viewing, winds up close to Julie. As she settles into a cross-legged position on her blanket and cracks open a beer, she's hard-pressed to contain her excitement. The space around her, it practically crackles with eager tension.]

I'm like, totally psyched for this, not gonna lie.

[princessvegas]

[ If it helps her understanding, there are flags fucking everywhere. Including on Julie's body, as every piece of clothing she has touched today somehow seems to incorporate the stars and stripes. All of her clubgoers are also decked out, and many of them are actually holding small flags on sticks.

Julie is curled up in a heap of her pillows, drinking a cocktail that matches the theme through a silly straw shaped like a star. She turns to look when she's spoken to, and nods through a mouthful of vodka and blue curaçao. ]

You should be. Fireworks are how we celebrate everythin' important back in my world. In America, we do 'em for Fourth of July, New Year's Eve, when you win important ball games, certain days at Disney World... they're just the best.

ᴡɪɴᴄʜᴇsᴛᴇʀ → ᴏᴘᴇɴ

[righteously]

( Parked at the edge of Julie's lawn is a shiny, black muscle car. A couple dozen yards away, its owner stands at the grill sporting a novelty apron, beer in one hand and a set of tongs in the other. He's got a small speaker set up nearby so that the Official Fourth of July Playlist sounds nice and clear even outside.

Dean Winchester is a barbeque dad. We're talking sunglasses, Bermuda shorts, an unnecessarily rapt dedication to cooking meat over fire, the whole nine.

For what it's worth to anybody who grabs a burger, a hot dog, a steak, or anything from him really: they're freakin' fantastic. Dean's a hell of a cook.

Later on, he can be found down where Julie's set up her badass fireworks to be launched. Lighter in hand, he sets them off one after another with way too much dedication to technique. Once in a while, during the finale, or after, he can be spotted with his hands in his pockets and a bittersweet smile on his face. )

[frontlinetitties]

[Turns out Gideon's idea of festive attire is pretty much the same as any other kind, but glad rags aside, she's here and she's ready to party. And hey, she knows what she's about. First stop is the barbecue, and she's quick to greet Dean with a crooked smile.]

Yo, grill daddy. Lay it on me.

[She holds out her plate with sparking eagerness-- a girl needs her protein if she wants to stay swole, and it takes a lot to maintain six feet of solid muscle. Magical Horizon protein totally counts.]

[righteously]

( And along comes GI Jane, who looks like she could snap his neck with her thighs and make him say thank you ma'am. None of which he says, but a shadow of a ghost of it is written in the way his eyebrows raise a fraction of an inch for a split second.

Respect.

But anyway, onto more important things: m e a t. )

What's your poison?

( He asks, gesturing absently around his array of Burning Meat Product with the tongs in his hands. )

I got steaks, dogs, burgers, wings, brats. Just about every part of the buffalo over here.

[ordinar]

[The weird thing about the Horizon is that it can look closer to real life than the world outside this pocket of magic. The neon sign buzzing outside the club, the swimming pool boasting a water slide, the drinks served in red (and white and blue) plastic cups, the music floating from the speaker — all of it rings more familiar to Wilhelm than the archaic trappings of Castle Thorne.

The car draws his attention right away. He circles around it with an admiring eye before approaching the man standing guard at the grill.]

Cool car. Is it yours?

[A quick portrait of Wilhelm: he's dressed in a polo, shorts, and fresh white sneakers, all of the kind that could make one reasonably suspect that he's set foot on a yacht before. His hand is wrapped around a drink that he definitely doesn't look old enough for, if American law had jurisdiction here.]

[righteously]

( Oho, see now that's one thing Dean misses — it's been a damn minute since anybody's had a chance to see his car, actually recognize it as a car, and appreciate it for being one of the finest specimen of its species. Dean seems immediately pleased and a little approving. )

She sure is.

( Congratulations, Billy. You just earned yourself two wieners.

Or other meat equivalent. To that end, he points at the grill with his Meat Fork. )

What'll it be, young man?

Jayce Talis | OTA!

[hextechhead]

Jayce has convinced Viktor to come with him for yet another Horizon get-together, but it seems like a really good idea after the nightmares and aftermath has been unsettling for people. He knows nothing at all about this 'America' concept or what anything means, but it seems extremely festive and positive and that is exactly what he is looking for. The decoration is genuinely beautiful in his opinion.

You might find him looking around, turning toward you to ask "so do you know what the color scheme is about?" He is assuming it has something to do with their country, but he doesn't know for sure.

As per usual he can be found at the food table at some point making two plates of food, one for Viktor and one for himself, since that's just how he rolls. Feel free to tease him about the amount of food or notice that he looks confused about some of the dishes, being new to this particular type of celebration. You're welcome to join him at a picnic table whether he's there with Viktor or alone.

Jayce is more than happy to take advantage of the pool when he sees it, although it is designed differently than he's used to. He manages to create his own swimsuit for it, but respectfully uses the red, white and blue theme since it seems to matter. Jayce is very broad and muscular from his work and resists the urge to do laps, which he ordinarily would do. Instead he enjoys the water and would be happy to start conversations while drifting in it. Maybe he throws an inflatable ball to you to get in the spirit. "This is fun, isn't it?" he says cheerfully to the person nearby. He does seem to have a perfect diving technique when he jumps in though.

Jayce can be found looking through the blankets before the fireworks to make sure he has a good one for him and Viktor, and he'll make friendly talk with anyone there. Feel free to sit nearby for the fireworks show and enjoy the moment. Generally it is easy to spot him everywhere at the party and he's friendly and quick to chat with someone nearby.


[ooc: feel free to wildcard at me too!]

Closed to Wanda and Viktor

[hextechhead]

Jayce and Viktor have settled into the party fairly well, although it's easy to do so with food and entertainment everywhere. Jayce still has a shirt on since he hasn't gone into the pool yet, but he is wearing the red, white, and blue shorts respectfully. He is just about to lean into Viktor and ask if he wants to try the desserts when he spots a familiar red-haired woman. Being tall has its advantages, he usually can see over all heads and faces, and he brightens immediately.

"There's Wanda, let's go say hi!" Jayce takes Viktor's hand and threads their fingers together because this is an acceptable form of PDA as he's learned. He leads his partner past other people in a line straight toward their mutual friend, although he doesn't go too fast. Viktor doesn't have to worry about his limp as much in here, but it's a habit now.

"Wanda!" Jayce calls out to her while they're still on the way so she doesn't wander off, genuinely happy to see her. She was with him when he was very down before and provided some of the best advice he'd ever gotten, and then showed him a TV. She is his forever friend now. "I'm so glad to see you, I wasn't sure you'd be here."

[carmesi]

The reasons why Wanda is here are perhaps... ephemeral at best. Thankfully, it's in the Horizon, so she could as easily blink out of place should she desire it, and—truth be told—she was getting quite close to doing just that. It is lucky that Jayce calls out her name, and she turns in time to see both him and Viktor approach her.

His choice of wear of the American flag colors are... well, a choice. She quirks her eyebrow at that.

"Here I was hoping not to have a reason to stay for much longer," she says with a hint of humor, and her lips uptick upwards into a smile. "I see you guys come in a pair now."

And she is quite tickled at what that means.

Jesper Fahey | OTA

[itookashot]

Jesper is a huge party person and while he did like the concert from earlier in the year, this is far more his ideal type of event. Once he sees the color scheme he immediately changes all of his clothing to red, white, and blue. He runs around with the energy of a very excitable teenager, because technically that is exactly what he is. He is extroverted so if he spots anyone he even remotely recognizes, he'll come over and say hi and chatter. The nightmares are behind him. Time to get back to his optimistic self.

There are a lot of opportunities to see him at the pool. He jumps with a giant splash into the pool, you can hear him whooping with delight on his way down the water slide, he'll keep going as long as possible just up and down a few times. Maybe he'll splash you in the water because he's full of mischief or sneak up on people to dunk them in. Jesper will only do this to his friends, not to strangers, because he's not a jerk. He'll relax on a float at one point with a drink and sunglasses on.

As usual, Jesper is a huge eater and it looks like he's getting enough food for two people but it's all for himself. He grazes there often and tries one of everything, you can find him pigging out and looking zero guilty for it, this is what he lives for.

Jesper wants to reconnect with people so when the fireworks are almost ready to go off, he'll probably walk up to any blanket and the person on it, sitting with them for a few minutes. Maybe you're already friends with him and it's a catch-up, maybe you're a complete stranger, but he'll chat as if you're already friends regardless. When the fireworks start he may not be sitting but walking around, but you can see him pause briefly and look up at the sky, a wistful and almost sad expression on his face briefly. It doesn't last long but it happens. He knew someone who could make fireworks.

Jesper will still be partying until the last crowd of people, his energy is high and he's desperate for some fun. At the end he is definitely a little drunk and forgets to go back to the real world. Whoops.


[ooc: or feel free to just reply as a wildcard.]

hello :')

[ordinar]

As the sky darkens, promising the beginning of the fireworks show soon, Wilhelm scoops up a fresh drink and stakes out a blanket in the grass. Then...well, there isn't much to do besides sip and stew in the niche anxiety of sitting alone at a social event — a precarious balance between hoping nobody perceives you while you look like a loser, and hoping exactly the right person perceives you and, having mercy on your unbearably awkward soul, invites you to join them.

Eventually, his (not-so-) casual people-watching turns up a familiar face. Only, it takes him a long moment to place it. Because the last time he saw this face, it was twisted in pain and pale as death. The memory slides into place and Wilhelm nearly fumbles his drink in surprise.

As the young man approaches — Jesper, he remembers as if the name is seared into his brain — he realizes he needs to do something other than gape up at him.

"Hey," he begins. "Um...how is it going?"

[itookashot]

Jesper is drastically different in reality than when he was in the nightmare. He is confident and social and has an expression that always seems ready to laugh. He is vibrant, larger than life. That is why it was so drastically different, to be someone devoid of his spirit. He spent some time flirting with pretty much everyone he came across and he turns his full smile and attention to the new boy sitting by himself.

Unlike Jesper, Wilhelm does look like he did in the nightmare, so for a moment when he recognizes him, it's as if he took a slap to the face. His smile fades but it's like a hiccup, it lasts a second before it's back like nothing happened. He's inwardly wincing, because it's a bit odd, asking a stranger to kill him. Shepard he felt much better about it, since she does know him.

"Oh, you know, not turning the world into dust! So much better than the last time." Jesper is not someone to beat around the bush and so he simply sits down onto the blanket across from Wilhelm, crossing his legs underneath him. He's in red, white, and blue shorts and a cheesy t-shirt, very unlike his normal style, but when in Rome. In Julie's Rome.

"Sorry about pulling you into that, pigeon. None of that really happened, by the way. It wasn't a memory."

Pool

[a_better_man]

Mat has no idea what this festival is all about, has never seen a swimming pool before, and quite frankly doesn't know most of the people here. But he doesn't quite care, because this is quite a good time. He isn't even embarrassed about the swimming wear he'd be given - a whole piece of clothing just for swimming??? - which happens to be a speedo. It's black and has bananas on it. It does what it's supposed to do, and odd as it is, who is he to judge other world's customs?

The pool is just spectacular. Big as a pond, as far as he's concerned, and he's spending a great deal of time in it.

He wastes no time in making his way right over to Jesper, grinning, wet curls plastered in a messy mop around his face.

"Isn't this fantastic?"

[itookashot]

Jesper's never been in something like this either, they have lakes and oceans and ponds, but this is the height of luxury in his opinion. He's really offended that so many of his friends seemed to have very shiny and exciting worlds; after seeing the Citadel, he's fairly certain that he belonged in modernity. Ah well. Everything is so bright, so colorful. Usually he misses Ketterdam's grittiness, but he can stand this.

He whistled as soon as he saw Mat in his speedo because the man looks good and he sees no reason not to. Jesper decided to go with the long red, white and blue trunks because he thought they were wonderfully tacky. He used to swim in ponds all the time as a kid, but has only been in Ketterdam's water out of necessity. So it's fun to do it for leisure.

"It is! Very glad there's no salt getting into my eyes or stinky fish." Jesper reaches out to run his fingers through Mat's wet hair and smooth his curls back a little.

Nadine | OTA

[nadine_he_loves]

[Last month was, to put it very bluntly, a very shitty month. One Nadine hasn't quite recovered from. And while the Fourth of July has never really meant much to her, she has relatively fond memories of the neighborhood block parties from her childhood - at least before the children's home. New Hampshire, like all New England states - and many elsewhere - went overboard for the Fourth. Whole streets decorated, potluck barbecues, fireworks lit right in the closed-down road. She can vaguely recall her brother - who passed when she was so little she can't even recall his name anymore - handing her a sparkler.

Besides, it's Julie's party and Nadine attends all of her parties. And a day of pushing reality aside and drinking and barbecue sounds just fine. She even makes an effort with what she wears, keeping to her casual preferences but trying to avoid looking matronly. And in honor of the holiday, her pearlescent horns are wrapped with red and blue ribbons. If nothing else, this is a day to celebrate freedom. And god knows she needs to remember she is free. At least for now.

Despite her frequent reservations about getting tipsy in public, Nadine starts things off with a drink and hangs about on the grass, or at a picnic table with a burger. It's nice to just relax and strive for something of a sense of normal.

She even takes advantage of the pool, in a modest two piece that she thinks is relatively on theme. Though she doesn't so much swim as grabs a classic tube-style float and lounges in it with a colorful looking cocktail. But she can probably be coaxed out of her float.

After a few drinks, she does start eyeing the slide...

And of course she stays for the fireworks, stretching out on a blanket pleasantly toasted to just watch the spectacular bursts of color above.]

[frontlinetitties]

[She could sit alone - there's plenty of benches and blankets to choose from - but what's the point in going to a party of you're just gonna keep to yourself the whole night? That old Ninth instinct is there in her, sure, but she pushes it aside when she spots Nadine with her burger, slides onto the bench opposite her. She places her own plate - piled high with barbecued offerings - down on the table, and offers the other woman what she hopes is a winning smile.]

Apparently, Fourth of July fucking rocks. Who knew?

[She says by way of an opening.]

[nadine_he_loves]

[Nadine laughs a little at the comment, and manages a smile back.]

Yeah, it's pretty much just an excuse to have a big summer party. Take away the whole 'everything made by magic' part and this...is basically the real thing. Block party cookouts, pool parties, fireworks. They're all Fourth of July party staples.

[It's just bigger and more fantastical here in the Horizon, without the usual limits of time and money and space. And half the people here have no idea what the US. But that really doesn't matter. As far as she's concerned, there is no US anymore.

Though she supposes the citizens of Boulder would disagree.]

I haven't actually been to one since I was a kid.

[princessvegas]

Hey bitch.

[ Julie drifts close on a float shaped like a waving American flag. In her hands are two fresh drinks, both also layered to be red, white and blue, and she's wearing a pair of red, sparkly sunglasses shaped like stars. As she floats by, she passes one of the drinks to Nadine. ]

I see you sizin' up the slide. No excuses.

[nadine_he_loves]

Mmm, I could probably argue that multiple cocktails and water slides has a good chance of not going well for me.

[But she takes the offered drink. She said she could make an argument, but she's not terribly inclined to. It's a party.]

Honestly? I've just never been on a water slide before. I always wanted to go to Water Country when I was a kid, it was this big water park a couple hours away. Never did. And then I just...didn't bother when I wasn't a kid anymore. Seemed...stupid.

[Being a single adult going to a water park alone just seemed silly to her. A sort of 'what's the point?' situation.]

Loving the pool, though. Really great idea.

geralt of rivia | OTA

[gynvael]

[ Parties are not Geralt's element. Has he any clue what they're celebrating? None. Nor does he care. The point appears to be the drinking and the food. And a light show, supposedly. He's never seen fireworks, but Jaskier has assured him it's delightful.

In any case, he's only here because of Dean and Julie. They've all had a shit few weeks. He can make an appearance for some company and an unholy amount of liquor. He's contributed to the meat fire that Dean's possessively taken over with a portion of deer and absconded with a raw steak for his wolf. Those who have walked past Geralt's domain might recognize the animal as a fixture of his Horizon. Large, white, and marked with scars, the wolf is clearly not a domesticated breed and has a habit of ignoring nearly everyone. It begins the night undecorated, but as the evening draws on you might find a variety of shimmering bits and bobs attached to it. Don't ask. The wolf will wander freely. Geralt seems unconcerned at keeping it by his side, though it returns to him often when it isn't lurking at the edges or chewing on some meat. Go ahead and feed it. If you aren't on familiar terms with Geralt and try to pet it like a dog, you'll get a growl for your troubles. Not to worry. It won't bite. Watch your fingers, anyway.

As for Geralt, he isn't difficult to spot in a crowd, either. He mostly keeps to the side with some sort of drink or other. Switches between beer, vodka, the occasional brightly coloured cocktail he's been convinced to try. At one point, an aptly themed ribbon of red, white, and blue surfaces. It's wrapped around the plain leather cord that typically holds back his hair. Whoever put the ribbon on him, Geralt doesn't seem bothered enough to remove it. A fresh healing scar splits his left arm from elbow to wrist—the only outward sign of what happened a week ago.

He'll skip the pool, though when the fireworks start you can find him on the grass. As is his habit, he's sat apart from the others, leaning against one of the tables—but he isn't exactly avoiding people. Just prefers not to be in the midst of things. Feel free to strike up a conversation. He isn't sober, but he isn't drunk. He is, actually, startlingly alert for someone who's not ever stopped drinking once. Perhaps it's Horizon magic, perhaps something else. It's possible he's indulging in excess for reasons beyond the joyous festivities, but what does it matter? Ignore the half-empty bottle he's drinking straight out of. ]

[godshattering]

[ Likewise, Claude hasn't the faintest idea of what's going on here. It's only because he'd been vaguely filled in about America at a very high level that curiosity won out when that invitation appeared. So here he is, having borrowed some of the wardrobe after figuring out it's related to the day itself, or maybe America, or maybe both, and he's currently wearing a truly garish pair of swim trunks in the busiest pattern he could find and a themed pair of flip flops. At least those are consistent between worlds.

The food, however, seems not to be. That part's less a surprise than the festivities actually somewhat matching the feasts he grew up with: lots of food, lots of people, and designed to stretch on for hours at a time and potentially until late into the night. It's oddly comforting, somehow. With the idea that it's best to try a little of everything Claude's loaded up a plate and is at a table testing what's good and what isn't. The wolf has fortunate timing in strolling by because it quickly gets the benefit of everything on his plate he decides isn't to his tastes and is a polite enough companion as it waits for whatever Claude deposits on the napkin he's refashioned into serving the wolf with. (He is minding his fingers. Just in case.)

Just as he's thinking about getting a proper plate for the wolf, someone's shadow passes over him while they're walking by, approaching, whatever else and he glances up with a polite smile of acknowledgement until he realizes that he recognizes this man even without the layer of blood he'd walked into the Inn with. And unfortunately for Geralt, Claude's gaze sharpens with a great deal of interest, plate forgotten. ]

You look a lot better than the last time I saw you.

[ Cheerfully, because he's going to assume the man being in one piece in the Horizon also translates to real life. Also because he'd lived through war and both saw and suffered plenty of injuries himself during and long before it, so that kind of sight stopped fazing him years ago. Still, a pointed look towards the healing scar goes along with it. ]

You happen to need any help healing that?

[princessvegas]

[ Toward the end of the fireworks show, the wolf will return to Geralt, wearing an American flag bandana and a headband with two star boppers on springs. It is carrying a note in its mouth for him, with only one word written on it.

Upstairs.

If he looks up, Julie is leaning on the railing of the balcony. ]

matt murdock — ota

[catholica]

( he doesn't remember the last time he chose to attend a fourth of july party. it's a very visual holiday what with the flags and the decorations and the fireworks and that, combined with living where he did, made invitations pretty rare. when they did happen, he tended to ignore them.

strange to think that the first one he decides to go to in years is one in an unfamiliar place where he's something called a summoned. but, he's here. he supposes that he can't really make himself a hermit especially when he needs to know this place and the other people around him.

he spends most of his time outside, standing a bit away from most people but unable not to hear snippets of their conversations. he doesn't get involved but he picks up some information here and there that he files away. the smell of food wafts over and his stomach growls a bit and matt tries to remember the last time he had a meal.

probably not great that he can't remember that.

later on in the evening, he's still on the lawn but he's sitting now, drinking a beer and peering up. there's fireworks going off above him and though he can't see them, the pop pop pop points to the quality and quantity and he can't help but smiles. he feels young again.

it's not a feeling that'll last but it's nice to feel it for a moment. )