[ OPEN ] turkey-time and all that follows.

[falcony]

Who: open to all. (see note(s) below!)
What: it's the time of year and with all these new faces as well as with everything going on, sam thinks it's time for another all summoned not!thanksgiving
Where: sam's horizon
When: end of November/beginning of December
Warnings: will update as necessary.

THE SETUP

As per Sam's invitation, come dinner time, his horizon is going to be full fall aesthetic. The trees will have changed, there will be a slight chill in the air (no matter how it's usually hotter than this in Louisiana in November), and everything will be decorated in prime Fall Decorations - so many pumpkins, so many candles, so much Hallmark Card Thanksgiving, minus any weird pilgrim/puritan bs. Inside the house will be a kind of organized chaos - tables and ingredients and food everywhere. Because while Sam could magic the whole meal together, he's much more about putting in the work, so this not!thanksgiving is old school. If you show up early, you will be assigned a job, and Sam can tell if you cheat and just Horizon something together.

Outside in the front lawn area is a large, long dining room table. Come dinner, it will be a picture-perfect image of a Thanksgiving Meal. Everything you could want and then more will be set out, and there will be a setting for everyone, no matter how many people show up. There's no seating arrangement, so find a place and take a seat, chat it up with whoever is to your right, left, or sitting across from you. The only magic that Sam is going to allow at this point is the fact that the table will always be the perfect size - whether that is smaller or larger. There is plenty of booze, plenty of food, and more than enough desserts, and Sam is really just looking for a casual, nice time of it.

Afterwards, there will be plenty of opportunities for more people to help - just imagine the dishes, y'all. But even then Sam will be playing host, making sure everyone has what they need, even if what they need is an Adirondack chair by a fire pit and a blanket to pass the hell out. Either way, his entire Horizon is open, save for the one room upstairs that is always locked.

OOC INFO

- this is a totally open post! I've got a TL below for various scenarios you can find Sam, but otherwise have fun, meet some people, put up a TL of your own!

- Sam's only Rule is there will be no fighting. You want to duke it out? Take it somewhere else. There will not be warnings or second chances. Don't be an ass. This is his home, respect it, or he'll have your ass thrown out. He's not afraid of squaring up, but you will not be invited back if you chaos too many issues. :)

- this is open to any and all Summoned, no matter loyalties or factions. Sam is going to be going overboard to be welcoming, especially to new faces. Even if your character didn't see the big invitation, feel free to have them invited by word of mouth.

- any questions? message me at disarmingly

Comments

sam!

[falcony]

MORNING - CLOSED: WANDA

[ it's not that sam made the final decision to have this whole thing because he was looking for another reason to reach out to wanda, but that reason fit along with everything else. everything else being a lot of that feeling of things slipping away from him, of the bonds he's had and people he's known getting further and further away. add that in with the general uptick in uncertainty with the locals and the added tension of war and sam realizes just how long it's been since he's had this - a dinner. just a dinner.

so he reaches out to wanda, because she has been on his mind. hasn't really stopped being on his mind since that day in the horizon. this does make the first time since the two of them have been back here, back at his home, and a part of sam wonders if this was a bad idea. the intent is there - to have something casual to do, to have to do it just like his ma taught him, and the rest would fill the space in between. he doesn't have an agenda beyond just wanting to close this distance, so he tries to tell himself it will all be fine, that all of this will fall into place, he just has to keep trying.

which is what he's doing - he's trying - pulling out the recipe book from his grandmother and the ingredients he thinks they'll need and keeping himself busy around the kitchen until he hears footsteps on the porch outside. ]

I'm back here!

MID-AFTERNOON - OPEN: TO ALL

[ sam hadn't really needed that much help setting things up this time around, and a large part of him had wanted to have the chance for wanda to settle before the party really began. he should know better, though, than to think all the people he's met and who have come to events held at the wilson family home wouldn't come by early. wouldn't want to help in some way. so it's somewhere in the afternoon that you'll find sam moving around between the front yard and the house, carrying furniture, setting up decorations.

if he sees you approaching around this point, you're going to get a welcoming smile from him as he gestures you over to him. ] Hope you're here to work. [ he says with that smile, handing you a box full of table decorations before he reaches down to take his own. ] C'mon, we're working on the table right now.

DINNER - OPEN: TO ALL

[ to answer the question you've probably already asked: no, you don't actually have to cook in the horizon. no part of this prep work is actually necessary. but for sam, it's about the work that goes into it, and that means come dinner, you're going to be seeing him rushing around a bit - pointing people in directions to go take things out of the oven, to plate that over thing, to bring the bag of rolls out and no, no that was not an okay to start in on the desserts.

by the end of it sam will finally come to a kind of pause at the head of the table, drink in hand, as he clinks a couple of things together to get everyone's attention. during the small moment of pause he's just going to smile around at everyone and lift his drink. a toast. ]

Thanks to everyone who came, everyone who helped cook, and to everyone else who's going to help clean. I'm glad you're here. Now- let's eat.

[ he'll take a drink from his cup and then sit down, letting out a breath as he turns to you where you're seated at his end of the table. ] Alright, call me selfish, but what's your favorite?

AFTER - OPEN: TO ALL

[ sam does actually relax once the main part of the meal is over, happy to just sort of move from conversation to conversation as the energy of the party slows. this means, of course, that he's going to be going around the event particularly looking for those he hasn't had a chance to talk to yet, introducing himself, asking what they thought, how things are going. the pies and the desserts are important, of course, but they are open grounds for anyone to dive into at this point, so you can expect sam to be wandering around with a plate balanced in one hand and a drink in the other.

he'll figure this out at some point.

or - alternatively - he will be situated right in one of those chairs around the fire pit, looking pretty decently proud of himself for another great meal. wherever it is you want to bump into him, he will give you an easy smile and a laugh, just for good measure, before stretching a bit. ] God, for none of this being real, I'm in a lot of pain from eating too much.

After

[wewillwewill]

[ It's a youthful looking man with silver hair and eyes that seem lit with a rich blue color. Elidibus prefers to make sure his size and appearance in group settings will fit his appearance on Abraxas, so there's no oddities currently in his Horizon appearance. When Sam speaks he will thus be given cause to look at the plate in hand and whatever portion of food happens to be on it. There is speculation about what to ask.

After a moment it's decided it might be rude to point out that the man can simply decide to stop eating. After all it seems one of the highlights of this particular festivity. ]

Do you believe this is not real?

[ A slice of apple pie with a crumble topping rests on a plate in the former Ascian's hands. It has been half finished in the fifteen minutes that it's been in his possession. Perhaps he's savoring it. Elidibus decides his question may need further elaboration. ]

While we might lack our corporeal forms while visiting Horizon, that does not suggest we or it are any less real. One may even support the existence of the other.

[ He takes a small bite of the pie while waiting politely for Sam to respond. ]

Mid-Afternoon, as discussed

[itookashot]

[ Jesper has always tried to show up early to Sam's events whether it's in the Horizon or the 'family' dinners in Cadens. It is definitely the Good Son in him, having learned how to run a household from his mother, and then done exactly that once she died and his father couldn't cope. He helps make things or set tables up, even though it could easily be done mentally, and he stays late to help clear it all too. It's automatic at this point.

He is stepping into this situation with slightly more trepidation though because Jesper knows that Sam is perceptive and it hasn't really been a secret that he's been different lately. On edge. Jesper leaves early and comes back late, always with his trinkets to sell, but he seems tired for someone who usually radiates high energy. He hasn't been himself, not even with the newbies coming in, whereas he used to be one of the welcoming committee.

Maybe he's hoping to dodge the questions or maybe he's coming here to face the music, so to speak. In a way that won't make him fidget and that he can escape if need be. Jesper does bring a giant plate full of vanilla waffles as promised, he can keep it mentally refilling as they go too, with all kinds of sauces that he loves from home.

It's almost automatic now for him to not even need direction, putting out plates and glasses. ]

Is there nothing your world won't celebrate with gigantic feasts?

and wanda!

[carmesi]

[of course he's there—where else would he be? wanda would not be surprised if he actually arrived hours in advance just to make sure he wouldn't miss her.

wanda makes her way through the threshold of sam's house, through the familiar doorways and corridors, envisioning what the place looked like when she was here last. it's still cozy, if warmer than the outside, though there is a distinct feeling of shame that she's not quite able to rid herself of. which is why when she steps into the kitchen, wanda's got her hands poised in front of herself, holding onto them like a child walking in to the headteacher's office.]

Hey.

[sam wouldn't have been behind the number of people who had asked her about whether she was going to stay for dinner. would he?

she glances over at the counter, and sounds a little hopeful as she asks:]

—that's a recipe book, right?

mid-afternoon

[industries]

[ Despite Steve's assurances, Tony is – for once in his life – not late.

That might be a red flag by itself, but it morphs into a full-on klaxon alarm when combined with the furrow in his brow and the slight erratic pattern to his stride as he makes his way up to the house. He stops here and there as his eyes scan the faces of the handful of people currently helping move furniture and festive pumpkins to the house and porch – some familiar, some not, and none belonging to the specific person he's looking for.

Sam emerges from the house with a box in tow and Tony swallows. He jogs over. As he nears, Sam might notice the obvious differences between this Tony and the one in the waking world – no scars, no bad eye, a little more blond, and a little more salt than pepper in his beard.

But that doesn't seem too important compared the words that next come out of his mouth. ]

Hey. [ He takes one more visual sweep of the yard, motions. ] You seen Peter around?

MID-AFTERNOON

[widows_kiss]

[ Funny, how mere days after her arrival, there's an excuse for a big family dinner. Not that she's complaining. She can't think of a better way to spend some time with old friends. And potentially make some new ones at the same time.

She's spoken to Sam ahead of time, of course, and knew the deal for today. Still, she shows up far earlier than the planned dinner itself, dressed casually in a pair of jeans and an oversized sweater, and bearing a large foil-covered casserole dish. Spotting him setting up a long table on the front yard, she heads in his direction with a crooked smile on her lips, calling out to him teasingly in greeting. ]

Are you sure you're going to have enough chairs for everyone? You did invite everybody, after all.

mid-afternoon

[rinwell]

[ Being able to access the Horizon again comes at almost the perfect time, it seems.

There's a polite tap of knuckles at the door to Sam's dreamscape house. Rinwell missed the initial broadcast, her connection to the magical fabric of the world still stunted by the after effects of the summoning pool's magic. But given who she lives with again, it doesn't take long for word to be passed along.

It may not look anything like the homes styled on Dahna, but like Sam, it is warm and open, a reflection of its owner. There's a chirp at her shoulder, a soft rush of downy feathers against her jaw, before Rinwell gives Hootle a smile and adjusts the large container of icecream in her arms. ]

Hello? [sure, the door's open, but that doesn't mean she'll go in uninvited.] Anyone here?

ᴍɪᴅᴅᴀʏ

[tobeclosetohim]

It's not lost on Jo how fucking weird it is to lay on her bed meditating—not getting up, getting dressed, going out into the city—to be bright and early to get somewhere. It's still fucking weird. It might go on forever, being fucking weird. But she's there, in bed, with her hands on her stomach, and she's here, in the Horizon, appearing in a very new, very different place.

It's hard, late fall, and it's South. All warmth, and a riot of color, with that curl of chill at the edge snap of the air; nothing like the Midwest would have been by this time. But it's also not her domain and there's no telling whether it's set to mimic the natural season or a specific memory of one fall. In the end, that probably doesn't even matter.

Jo heads for the house,

"Hello, hello. Anyone home?"

"I've got a delivery for one, Sam Wilson."

probably like the latest after

[princessvegas]

[ Julie has not been her usual self. To be fair, none of them have been recently been anywhere close to their usual selves, but Julie in particular has been quiet over the past month. Once the Halloween party passed and she didn't have something to devote all of her attention to, she didn't know how to keep her mind free of what happened.

The emptiness of the place she was trapped. The droning of the blob, the way it shook the earth when it got loud. The clouds that hung static in the sky, the endless abyss in the gaps of the ground. The colors and deafening noise that got stuck in her head when she barely brushed her fingers against the blob's tendril.

Overwhelming fear, terror that she would be trapped alone forever. Her continued awareness that something very different is going on with her than with the others. What that could mean.

After the party she threw, she's been attached at the hip to either Geralt or Nadine, practically 24/7. When she can't be with one or the other, she stays in the real world, in well-populated places. Her visits to the Horizon have become a tortured thing, shorter and less frequent. But for Sam, she shows up. Plasters on a smile so sincere that it's almost harder to believe it's a mask. Runs the bar, albeit with a more sedate selection of drinks than normal. When Geralt arrives, she sticks close to him, and when he leaves, his wolf stays with her.

Now, she sits in a chair in front of the fire with a mug of hot rum punch, the wolf at her feet. She's stolen a blanket from inside to wrap up in -- the inside blankets are fluffier than the outside blankets. More cozy. Most people have left, but if Julie leaves, it means she has to make sure she won't be alone out there first. It's safer to wait a bit. ]

steve rogers | open to all

[assembles]

preparation; mid-afternoon

[ Steve is here early, both as part of his plan with Sam to hopefully encourage Wanda to stay for dinner, but also to help where he can. Food preparation is not part of that, however, and so he steers away from the kitchen for the most part (unless he's called in). There are plenty of people here who are actually competent in the kitchen; he doesn't want to inflict himself on any of the dishes that people are putting their hearts into making.

Thankfully, all of his fellow Avengers accept this implicitly.

There's plenty of other things to do to get the house ready, though, whether it's setting the table or putting up decorations (both inside and outside) or greeting any other early arrivals. If someone walks up to the front door, Steve will wave them in with a reserved smile and a nod, unless they're someone he knows well, in which case he'll stride up with a warmer greeting.

If the new arrival has a dish in hand, he'll quickly lead them over to the large dining table where they can set it down. Sam will figure out what to do with it.

No matter who it is, he'll say this much: ] Thanks for coming. Sam will be happy you're here.

dinner

[ By the time that dinner is served, the whole house smells amazing, and the spread on the impossibly large dining table is impressive — like nothing Steve's ever seen, honestly. There's a whole variety of food, some of it familiar and some of it foreign, and he's interested to try a little of everything.

(Unless Viktor brought slugs. Sorry, he's not that adventurous.)

The seating arrangements change around throughout the meal as people relocate frequently to talk to friends, meaning that he's able to chat with a variety of Summoned.

He pauses in eating, well aware that he needs to pace himself through such an involved meal, and turns to the person currently seated next to him. ]

Is this all new to you, or...?

afterward

[ Tempting as it is to simply lay out on one of the couches after a meal like that, Steve opts to help with cleaning up. He knows that they could just wish everything away with a thought, but he also knows that the rituals of the holiday are important too, and that Sam is trying to recapture that.

So he'll help with the dishes (washing or drying), even with putting away food if there are any leftovers — will the Horizon remember a detail like that? That there's sliced turkey in the fridge?

Once that's done he heads outside to walk off the meal as best he can, wandering among the trees or down near the docks. He's open to company as he stretches his legs.

At the end of the night he'll settle into a chair by the fire pit, watching the flames with a thoughtful expression. There's plenty to occupy his mind, and with the festivities winding down, it's easy to lapse back to considering his current list of worries. ]

preparation; mid-afternoon

[theidlemaiden]

[ Sam encouraging Hilda to not just bring, but bake, her favourite sweet buns from home hadn't landed. It wasn't like she didn't consider it. She had thought about it more than she would have liked to admit before deciding against it. The thought of her friends trying them and realizing it wasn't a faithful recreation of them, or a stranger trying them and realizing they were awful sent her into a cold sweat.

That didn't mean she couldn't help in other ways though. Hilda may have been lazy but if someone she knew needed help setting up for an event, she'd be there. Better to break some imaginary plates than bake some awful imaginary buns, right?

After being greeted by a hulking blonde man who reminds her vaguely of Raphael, she had immediately been recruited to help set up decorations outside. The box given to her is absurdly large and her brows are knitted as she tries to figure out the best way to get it outside. She could drag it but she doesn't want to jostle whatever is inside which left carrying it. Could she carry it herself? Yes, absolutely. Does she want to? Not really.

Everyone else around her seems busy with something else, and she doesn't want to bother Sam of all people. And that's when her gaze settles on the man from before. Maybe he had Raphael's temperament along with the muscles to match. She waltzes up to him with a cheery wave and a dainty clearing of her throat. ]

What is Sam putting in these boxes? They're so heavy!

afterward

[widows_kiss]

I can practically hear your brain working overtime from here.

[ There's fond amusement in Natasha's tone as she saunters over to where he sits beside the firepit. Holding out one of the two beer bottles she'd brought down with her, she lets him take it before she settles in comfortably next to him, stretching her legs out as she relaxes into the large adirondak. ]

It's a holiday. Sort of. Aren't you supposed to be relaxing? You did know how to do that once upon a time.

[ She'd insisted on it, in fact. Hypocritical as that might be. ]

( dinner )

[politicians]

[ elrond looks a little sheepish, though unashamedly so. the corners of his ears tip back. ]

Is it that obvious?

after!

[carmesi]

[she's been itching to leave for the past—what, half hour? the only reason wanda has stayed is because of those who had insisted she stay, keeping her mind occupied and straying far from those thoughts of abandoning ship.

trying to get away from a rather ongoing conversation about ... something she isn't too familiar with (it's getting pretty heated), wanda spots steve in the corner of her eye just heading outside. is he leaving? —she slinks away from the conversation without much of a word and follows after the man, stepping out and onto the porch, just in time to see him walking down the trail toward the docks, hands in his pockets, looking like he fits right in this postcard picture of golden americana nostalgia.]

Steve.

[—she calls out, following after him, her feet a little rushed as she blazes towards him, pulling at her sleeves down to her wrists to guard herself from the autumnal chill.]

Are you leaving?

afterward

[nadine_he_loves]

[It's funny how the first time she'd attended one of these, Nadine knew hardly anyone. Now there are all sorts of faces she recognizes. Including this one.]

Hey.

[She joins Steve by the fire, dressed for the occasion in a brown turtleneck sweater and jeans. A far cry from her usual bustled skirts and waistcoats. These get togethers always feel both comforting and a little odd at the same time. It's just strange, to bounce between two worlds like this. The 'normal' of before and the reality of now.]

castiel | open to all

[unwings]

drinking;

[ the angel life isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, one of the major downsides being, joy that is eating human food goes completely without the ability to taste for him. When Cas takes a bite of a PB&J sandwich, a decadent cheesecake, or a savory steak, all he tastes is molecules - every minute detail, but not the sum of its parts. It’s disgusting.

Determined to enjoy this bacon-wrapped concept Sam and Dean are so thrilled for, Cas is on a mission to dull his senses. Another downside of angel life is a stupidly high alcohol tolerance, and it usually takes the entire liquor store to get him well and truly wasted. Booze in the Horizon gets a little more inventive, and after a few bottles of the hard stuff, Cas is pretty well trashed.

When it’s time to load up plates, Cas is disheveled and wobbly as he joins the queue, eyes half-lidded, balance on the shifty side, but nonetheless, he slides into line. ]

Pardon me, citizen. [ This may be someone he knows, or a stranger, either way, you’re ‘citizen’ now. ] Though this holiday is an offense to historical accuracy, and a leading cause of year-end heart failure, it is my sworn duty to experience it in full human authenticity.

[ ‘sworn duty’ is perhaps a little dramatic, more like Sam wanted him to know what good food tastes like, and he decided that he should. Cas picks up some metal tongs, angling them at his partner in line before clicking them twice, raptly, expression stony and unmoving. ]

Sans cardiac arrest. I’m not sure that’s physiologically possible. [ His tongs pluck up a side dish, offering, ] Corn?

eating;

[ once everyone’s gathered at the table, and sam gives his toast, cas takes to a mountain of bacon-wrapped everything piled on his plate like he’s having a religious experience. A nibble at first, to taste, and his eyes go wide, and for the next ten or so minutes, castiel is dedicated, body and soul, to enjoying this food.

Eventually, still completely hammered, he comes up for air, and with a gravitas to his gravelly voice, makes a proclamation as if imparting god’s word to the people. ]

The jalapeño popper may be man’s most inspired creation.

[ with his plate polished off, he looks to his neighbor’s. ]

Are you going to finish that?

wild card;

[ hit me with a prompt! cas will be wobbling around the house and out onto the docks (hopefully not falling into the lake, but who knows). feel free to hit me up at wuzzafuzzle if you want to plot! ]

( eating )

[politicians]

[ elrond has kept away from the meats, sticking to the vegetarian options. he's been eating slowly as the food is new and unusual to him and he had never seen such combinations before.

but he hadn't realized his slowness had been noticed. ]

Yes, though you're welcome to a few.

eating

[aquaveiled]

[ For better, or for worse, Himeka has imbibed a bit herself. But moreso, what he offers isn't so much a proclamation but the unabashed truth. Pepper is delicious--deep friend and battered pepper? Wonderful! Imaginative, innovative, never been done before. Remarkable creations that should be heralded and thoroughly enjoyed.

She nods in agreement, several times as she shoves nearly a whole muffin into her mouth, humming slightly muffled by the food.

Pausing mid-chew when he seems to be eyeing her bounty. Now, she's torn between the natural inclination to share and the fact that she is, in fact, going to be finishing all of this. Why else would she have picked it up? Wasting food is really the rudest thing you can do. ]

Ymff.

[ She could have stopped and swallowed before speaking but why do that. ]

Dmm nuu nnh suf?

drinking.

[wiedzminka]

[ Ciri has been indulging in the liquor herself, though not to the extent that Castiel has been -- visibly, steadily and persistently polishing off bottle after bottle of booze. She's fascinated. Yes, after some time, when finding him still at it, Ciri did join him largely to watch and drink alongside him, perhaps making various conversation of the smalltalk variety or some casual dunking on Dean.

Alcohol in the Horizon can be as strong as one wishes to imagine it. Perhaps one can even imagine oneself drunk outright, though that probably ruins the fun. Whatever the case, Castiel assures her it's very difficult for his kind to become truly inebriated in the first place, so instead of pointing this out to him, she just amuses herself with watching the process.

It's a worthwhile venture. He's funny. Probably doesn't mean to be, but he is all the same.

They're in line for food now, and she has no clue what most of what he's saying even means or why he's talking about cardiac arrest, but the corn she will take. Directly with her fingers. ]

Yes, please.

I don't know what half this stuff is.

What's that red jelly-looking thing?

matt murdock — ota.

[catholica]

01 AROUND

( despite his and sam's conversation, matt doesn't bring monopoly only because he can't find the game in any cadens stores and he's not going to build one.

he supposes that, with the magic of horizon, he could just create it but he doesn't know if putting a game of monopoly in front of ultra competitive people would be a good idea.

he does arrive earlier than most because of wanda's request and he helps with putting different place settings out and making sure the table it set.

once people start to arrive, he'll be found at the fringes of the crowd, drinking a beer and looking on. he nods when he notices someone familiar and even chats a bit. when dinner's served, he takes a seat, eats his fill and listens to the various conversations.

and there is a lot to listen to. he doesn't try to eavesdrop but with his hearing, sometimes it's impossible to not hear things. still, he's good at keeping things to himself, keeping secrets. )

02 WILDCARD

( for anything not mentioned above! )

[carmesi]

[before matt arrives, he sends her a message letting her know he's on his way—says something else about wanting to make sure that he isn't intruding on her "sam time", but wanda insists it's fine. when he does arrive, wanda extricates herself from kitchen duty for a moment to go greet him at the door, the familiar tap-tap-tapping of his walking stick directing her to him by the front door.

wanda smiles despite herself, arms crossed, but it's not long before he gets strong armed into helping put things in place. once that is done, and once people start trickling in, wanda thinks she wants to take this opportunity to spend some time with matt before it gets too busy.]

You've never been to Sam's before, right?

[she takes his hand in hers—tugs at him.]

Let me show you around.

[not that...he..can see...but...]

[itookashot]

(Jesper gets there early to help Sam set up and he is glad to see Matt when he arrives, having never forgotten that the guy helped him once from not giving into his worst qualities. Unfortunately he's fallen fully off the wagon on that front recently, but it's still a positive memory. What he is surprised to see is Wanda's response to Matt, and his gaze becomes speculative when he notes the vibe. Interesting.

He watches them over the course of set up and it's nice to see her apparently happy with someone, but of course there's an instinct at the same time to feel very protective. Jesper approaches Matt before the dinner starts since he's by himself and drinking a beer, bringing his own.)

So you and Wanda?

(Jesper has a distinct voice and he lives in the inn so he assumes Matt will probably know who is talking to him, and yeah it might be a bit blunt to jump right to that, but he and Wanda have gone through a lot together. And she's gone through so much on her own.)

How long's that been going on?

[widows_kiss]

[ Having spoken to Wanda a short while ago, it doesn't take Natasha long to approach the subject of at least one of the topics they'd discussed. Whether or not his ears had been ringing when being gossiped about was one matter, but for the moment, Natasha is watching him from nearby. Not outright approaching him just yet but hovering in the vicinity.

To anyone else, her pose is deceptively casual but Wanda's words had intrigued her and that curiosity was enough to have her hanging back. Not out of hesitation, but he might become aware of an intense sort of scrutiny focused directly on him.

To be fair, Wanda had challenged her to sneak up on him, but there'd been something in the way she'd phrased it that had Natasha eyeing him thoughtfully instead. That being said, she does wonder if he'd even notice. And if he does, how long it will take him. Her own senses tend to warn her of such things fairly quickly, but those had been honed with good reason. ]

wanda · open to all

[carmesi]

A. PREPARATION

[wanda is the first to be here, after sam, having had the undeniable honor of helping with a no-shortcuts cooking and preparation of all the dishes. because it is sam, though, two hours into her being busy in the kitchen, people do start showing up to help out. (who wouldn't want to help sam out? even if the horizon makes everything seem so unnecessary when one could just conjure a picture-perfect placement of every single item.) it's not her place, nor her space, however, so wanda simply keeps to herself as familiar faces and voices start to come in.

she pretends to be busy in the kitchen, chopping at things or grabbing a hot tray from the oven to cool, or just plating things up and setting them on the counter to be taken onto the table. sam's left her alone here while he tends to his guests, and wanda really, really hopes the turkey doesn't explode in the oven.

that being said, she is stretching as far as she can reach with her hand to the top shelf of a cupboard to reach for that one glass to complete the set she's gotten down. her fingers wiggle, and she touches the glass with her fingertips. except she manages to push it back more.]

Dammit.

[—she mutters, easing off and bringing her hand down, scratching at the side of her head in annoyance.]

B. IN-BETWEEN

[wanda really didn't intend on staying here after helping out with the cooking (and after what she knows sam wanted: to talk to her one-on-one). however, she can think of three people whom she would like to blame for insisting she stay for a while. it would be fun, they said; they want you there, they claimed.

she's only slightly appeased when she sees the people in question actually show up. if she was going to be here at all, she would want them to suffer her presence for a while. wanda is reticent, falling back in conversation, lingering in the background with a drink in hand, avoiding the awkwardness of the inevitable eye contact she ends up making with people.

for the most part, she'll be fussing over billy when he does show up, introducing him to her people from home, but for the most part she will be hiding behind the congenial, easygoing social ways of matt—be it sitting beside him, or standing at his side, arm wrapped around his, as she half-listens to the conversations.

sometimes, she'll be on her own, pulling stray strands of hair behind her ears, as she peers at the collection of music CDs on a shelf—]

AQUA? Really?

[—or heads off to find a quiet corner for herself until sam calls everyone in for dinner, only to find someone already there.]

Sorry, I didn't realize someone else was trying to escape the crowd.

C. AFTERWARD

[wanda doesn't think this was all too bad, but she also is feeling her social battery being past depleted. she helps bring some plates to the kitchen, half-tempted to just use the horizon's magic to vanish them all, but she'd hate to take away the job of whichever poor soul volunteered for cleaning duty.

she will linger in the kitchen for a moment, but otherwise she will find herself a spot on the couch close to familiar faces, and she'll watch in on any board game shenanigan may have been brought up. she is somewhat interested, but she is not trying to let that show too much...

even as she stays put even as those playing move on to something else, leaving the game of 'guess who?' on the coffee table.

hmm.

otherwise, she could just step out the door and exit the horizon entirely before people start the awkward dance of saying good bye or getting too horizon-drunk. wanda isn't sure that's possible? but— if she walks straight to the backdoor now, while everyone's distracted, no one would notice her slipping out.]

B. IN-BETWEEN

[widows_kiss]

I was looking for you, actually.

[ Natasha smiles as she glances up and finds Wanda there. She's been here for a while now, having shown up early to help prepare as well, so this isn't the first time she's seen Wanda but they'd all been preoccupied with getting the meal together. Now, though, it's just waiting for the dinner to start so it gave her a few moments to seek the other woman out.

Crossing over to her, she casts her a crooked grin as she gives her arm a squeeze. ] I figured if I staked out the quiet corners I'd catch you in one of them sooner or later. Unless you'd already escaped, and then I was avoiding Sam because he definitely would have sent me after you.

[ But all teasing aside... she searches Wanda's face, her own expression warm. ] How's today been? You look like you've been having fun.