(mingle) It must be party time

[forethinking]

Who: Ren Amamiya, Wanda Maximoff, you!
When: 12th of September
Where: Good Harbor Beach
Summary: Here's the barbecue log! Eating, playing games, having a bonfire and sleep-over on the beach!
Warnings: Alcohol? Ghost stories?



ɪ. ᴡᴇʟᴄᴏᴍᴇ

Congratulations, you've made it to the Good Harbor Beach September barbecue! With the weather cooling, but still pleasant enough, it's a pleasure to have a hangout involving ADI's residents and those who live at Bonnie's. There are still so many people who don't know one another, and many to strengthen bonds with, so the hours your dearest Wanda and Ren spend cooking and flipping and seasoning are nothing but rewarding! Seeing people enjoying themselves is great and it's motivating for them to keep doing these encounters every now and then.

On the menu, we have:
- Burgers;
- Steaks with jacked potato sides;
- Ribs;
- Zucchini-and-Pecorino fritters;
- Several different salads, including ovcharska;
- Aubergine kebabs with charred onion salsa;
- Salmon yakitori;
- Takoyaki;
- Cupcakes
- Apples and honey;
- Cherry dumplings;
- Sarmale filled with rice;
- Bundevara (pumpkin pie);


For drinks, there's a selection of alcohol, as well as coffee, water, tea, and a variety of sodas. Take in the nice view, jump on the ocean, sink your toes in the sand and enjoy yourselves. There aren't any usable tables, but there are several blankets on the floor for your perusal.

ɪɪ. ᴛɪᴍᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴘᴀʀᴛʏ

With bellies full, now it's when the real fun begins. There are a few decks of cards being passed around, as well as one of their single tables now organized to a beer-pong competition. Individually, games such as Never Have I Ever, as well as Truth or Dare can be seen, and those who wish to use their skills for entertaining are more than welcome to do so.

A little bonding here, a little drunken chatting there, this is your time to shine!

ɪɪɪ. ᴀ ʙᴏɴꜰɪʀᴇ

With those who have a curfew to worry about in mind, a bonfire is lit, and a few tents are set around the beach (may have to be shared). If anyone's got a nice story, now it's the time to share it, or perhaps if anyone can play an instrument, it's about time to break it out of its case. The night will be lively until the early hours of the morning, and of course, mindful of those who couldn't stay up this late.

The next morning, everyone will be properly thanked for their attendance and tupperwares will be distributed with leftovers for those who'd like to take some food home, the beach will be cleaned impeccably and everyone will go their own way, hopefully with smiles and a new sense of unity and connection from the amazing night they've just experienced.

ɪᴠ. ᴀ ʟɪᴛᴛʟᴇ ᴏᴏᴄ ɴᴏᴛᴇ

(Please put in your top-level subject line or prompt line whether it's okay to threadjack! Just to keep things more dynamic, we encourage it!)

Comments

Meredith Idlewild | OTA | CW: bad emotional reaction to water, possible injury mentions

[henchgal]

1. Memories I'd Sealed Away
Meredith's not that hungry, at least right away, and can be found instead on the edge of the water, wiggling her toes in the sand and looking out toward the waves. There's still some of the weird feelings left from being a selkie, and being this close to the water's rubbing up against that, but she'd rather challenge herself.

That's what exposure therapy is about, right? Force yourself to endure the big scary thing until you literally can't anymore and you're shaking but you can't make yourself step back away from the water somehow?

Oh, it's not? Well, maybe someone should tell her that.

2. L'Shana Tova
Something Meredith hadn't really spoken with anyone about is the fact that she's Jewish. Well, technically Jewish, it's not like she's all that observant. But the high holiday season came and she didn't mention missing family dinner or services to anyone. Not really, not aloud.

But she brought apples and honey, and is sitting on a blanket with some now. A small paper bowl of honey and a sliced apple. And quiet words not really meant for anyone to overhear: "Y'hee ratzon mi-l'fanecha, Adonai Eloheinu v'elohei avoteinu v'imoteinu sh'tichadeish aleinu shanah tovah um'tukah"

For anyone who understands Hebrew, that's 'May it be Your will, Adonai, our God and the God of our forefathers and foremothers, that You renew for us a good and sweet year.'

3. Zzzzzz
Meredith is one of the first to seek out the tents and crash. She's having a bad pain night, mostly her shoulder, and it's time to take some pills and try to sleep it off. She's easily small enough to share her tent with someone, though that may make for an awkward wake-up, especially because she might curl up against the nearest warm body when the night gets cold.

Up for some cuddling? Or some morning embarrassment?

X. Wildcard
Find me on Plurk (darkersolstice) or Discord (darkersolstice#9463) to chat!

1.

[aelwyn_aberration]

[Aelwyn spots Meredith at the edge, with her toes dipped in the sand and sighs.

She shouldn't still feel this guilty. It wasn't like she left her on purpose. She stuck her neck out, she just... wasn't brave enough to go all the way.

But she'll approach anyway. Because apparently she's feeling brave enough for that.]

Meredith? [Her voice is cautious and quiet, like she's not sure if Meredith will suddenly turn back and scream at her to fuck off. Because even after their talk, she still expects it. She's seen what failure results in.] Are you alright?

[henchgal]

Yeah.

[Pause.]

No, not really. But I will be, I think. Probably. I'm good at being fine.

[aelwyn_aberration]

[... You're singing to the choir, Meredith.]

...Does saying that work for you? [It doesn't for her. Not on her own.]

[henchgal]

It's usually enough to fool whoever I'm talking to. That's the part that usually matters.

[But if Aelwyn's asking that question, she's not fooled.]

[aelwyn_aberration]

[She laughs a little under her breath.]

I'm familiar with the tactic. It helps if they think there's no point in asking. People don't tend to ask if you're okay when you're basking in how "perfect" your life is.

I've sort of missed the boat on that one here, though.

[henchgal]

I think we all have. Being stuck here means everyone knows everyone's got at least One Big Problem, right?

[She turns around to face Aelwyn.]

You don't need to feel responsible for me.

[aelwyn_aberration]

... I don't. [It's true, by and large. She doesn't really feel responsible for anyone. Or she tries really hard not to.]

You can make your own choices. I just wanted to check up on you. You did buy me funnel cake. Besides, there's nothing more depressing than being miserable on your own at a party.

[henchgal]

Yes, there is--not making it to the party at all, when you really did want to go. But you're right, I should join the others. Just be gentle with me, it's a bad pain day.

2!

[ployboy]

He hasn't been avoiding her, shut up. It's just been difficult to look her straight in the eyes without feeling that encroaching fluster of someone who's found themselves way out of their depth. A lifetime of privacy does that to a guy when suddenly their roommate is gettin' it on with--

anyway. They're adults.

Tim is her shadow, reaching out to steal an apple slice all sneaky-like. But then the... prayer starts and Tim puffs out his cheeks like the demented chipmunk of a child he is, because is he allowed to be crunching into a juicy apple slice when someone's praying? He does so anyway, his sacred duty as a guy trying to, uh. Not be awkward.

"Happy new year?" Once she finishes up. "I didn't know you were, uh..." Jewish? Religious? Simply observing a holiday?

[henchgal]

"I suppose my love of bacon would have made it less than obvious. And cheeseburgers. And seafood. I'm not exactly observant most of the time. But I didn't want to let the big ones go by without doing something. I might even fast for Yom Kippur."

Don't worry, she's not offended at all, offering the plate up to share. "To a sweet, sticky, messy new year, Tim."

[ployboy]

He has no idea how to be supportive of this new development, has no idea if he even really wants to be. So he pipes up with, "I think Bruce is supposed to be Jewish." as if he's forgotten he doesn't bring up the guy's name around these parts.

And he reaches for another snack, having deemed himself too lazy to make the short trek to the food tables. The snack immediately gets popped into his mouth, but Meredith should be used to a Tim who likes food. When he remembers to.

Anyway, mid chew: "Did you have to say it like that?"

Don't mind the blush, that's rude, he's being rude, he's so

help. "I mean, yeah, the honey's... good." If that was... about honey. apple. snacks.

[henchgal]

"Bruce? He's your...adoptive father?" Of course, on some level she knows that asking is going to lead around to him prying about Michael Belcora at some point, but like. Tim doesn't let things slip often at all, so she's going to call it out when it happens.

[ployboy]

"I told Malcolm I had emancipated," he says for no reason other than... it feels good. To talk. Sometimes. And this is safe, at least, because odd as it all is, it's out in the open.

Tim sits, trying and failing to not get some sand on the blanket. Sorry.

"I did, by the way, but... yeah, he's my father." And Tim's head will never stop spinning. "If Bruce was here, he'd have everything figured out. Trust me."

[henchgal]

"I know that feeling." Regardless of what her boss gets up to when he's not at the office, he's a genius, someone who she can rely on to comprehend things she never will.

"But the people brought here, for whatever purpose this universe has for us, are you and me. And we're not useless, for figuring things out."

[ployboy]

He crosses his legs, because the alternative is to want to knock a foot against her. He offers a short lived, rare half of a smile. It's got hope.

"I know. I also know I said I was going to get us out of here," he says. Meeting this one in a server room? Hard to forget.

Seems like forever ago already.

He needs to get to work.

Jeez.

The smile wanes. They never live long in Tim Drake. "Spill. Who's Belcora?"

[henchgal]

"My boss. Tech CEO. Brilliant man, but very demanding." She can sketch the rough outline, but without those key details, Tim's not getting the full picture at all.

"And you don't need to feel solely responsible for getting us back home. You're helping me while we're here, and that really counts for a lot."

1

[horrifictie]

[ from behind, a man approaches - the same from the circus who sat near her during pyre's performance - and reaches out for her wrist. he sees her shaking and assumes the worst.

EMPATHY [Easy: Success] - You understand how she feels. You too have thought of marching into the sea. ]

Hey, you shouldn't be out here.

[henchgal]

Probably not, no.

[She lets out a heavy sigh, looking over her shoulder at Harry for a moment, then back at the water.]

Sorry, you don't really need to worry about me.

[horrifictie]

Of course I have to worry. You're standing by the sea in the middle of night. That's already very worrying!

[ ok, so he doesn't *have* to worry, but he does. the sea... he looks out to it, as if there is anything waiting on the dark horizon. there isn't. the sea is dangerous. ]

What brings you out here?

[henchgal]

I hadn't been to the beach since the selkie thing a little over a month back. I wanted to see if I could stand it here, by the water. If I wouldn't...freak out or anything. As you see, I'm just fine, just fine.

[There's a level of bullshit there.]

[horrifictie]

[ ENCYCLOPEDIA [Formidable: Success] - You don't know much about the 'selkie thing' she's bringing up. The only point of reference were some files from the ADI to catch you up to speed on what has been going on as of recent before your arrival. From what you can recall of the reading, it was a deeply unpleasant experience.

HALF-LIGHT [Medium: Success] - She is attempting to overcome her fear by exposing herself to the elements. 'Fine' she says, her body shaking like a leaf in the wind. ]

Yeah, you're fine. So, since you *are* fine, you can step away from it now right?

[henchgal]

[She takes a small half-step backwards, and then another, before turning to face Harry properly, taking a slow, deep breath before she speaks.]

Of course I can step away. Probably shouldn't be ignoring a whole party going on, right? Right. Sorry.

I'm not sure I've caught your name, yet.

[horrifictie]

Harry! Harry Du Bois.

[ he grins, grateful she's reconsidered if only for now. she can inflict terror on herself another night when there's less merriment and more alone time with one's thoughts. ]

Though, don't tell the others, not sure how much of a party this is. It's a little too tame, but I suppose there are kids around.

[henchgal]

Oh? How rowdy do parties get, where you're from?

[Curiosity sparks the light in her eyes that had been dimmed by her selkie-related brain gunk, and she straightens a little bit.]