The Bonfire

Looking to raise spirits after the Halloween Movie night, Cameron has organised a gathering in the park! Open to anyone and everyone, with free food for all. If your character helped set up feel free to write them as having already arrived, i guess!

Cameron wiped the sweat off her brow as she dragged the last of the wooden pallets to the bonfire, which now stood at an impressive 10ft tall. "Has anyone seen my lighter?" She called out across the park. "Could've sworn I had the the darn thing a second ago..."

Anna was finishing the food table, setting some red leaves as decorations and taping them to the table so they wouldn't be swept off by accident. She turned around at Cameron's voice and looked around for the lighter, but she didn't see it. "Sorry, not here," she called back and finished taping the last leaves on. Perfect.

"Hello ladies!" a red haired and glasses wearing woman walked up to their set up with a sling around her torso, holding a smaller person that babbled continuously. Zoe smiled at the women as she stepped up, wearing her best casual wear. "How are you all?"

"I think I know!" Bibi shouted while running after Rose. Finally she caught up and pulled something out of the dog's mouth. Yep. It was the lighter. She came up to Cameron. "Here. I'm sorry for my dog, Miss..."

Mikky may have screwed up a small bit and come a little late, but between picking up Calisto and loading all three of his fluff babes plus food into a car is,, an adventure. With a plate full of food and balls of fluff following at his heels he smiled at Cam as he set it up at one of the tables.

Bea seemed to be sitting in the grass nearby fighting with her hair, she just exists because Anna came.

Anneliese skipped on cheerfully as she approached the current set of people already at the location. "Hi there!" she smiled. "Hope everyone is doing okay. Need an extra hand?" She smiled, extending a bag full of goodies and some extra food.

Lilith entered with a pack of cookies, believing that it'd only be appropriate to provide some sort of desert. "I don't believe i saw your lighter...." She murmured before looking to Zoe and nodding to say she was alright. Oh- she brough a baby? They were very cute.

Nolan was eagerly looking forward to tonight - he'd never been to a bonfire before, but it sounded like a good time. He'd gotten there early to help with preparations like he'd said he would, even if he'd never actually met the candy who was behind the event before. She seemed nice, though. At her question, he glanced about, but the dimming light plus his limited vision did not help his efforts to search for the small item. Just as he was about to suggest the food table, Anna announced that was no - drat. He was thinking of of other locations to search when- oh! It was found. "Heh, that doesn't seem like it'd be too tasty," he joked to Bibi while placing his hand in front of Rose's nose to smell. What a cutie!

Cameron lightly jogged over to the table. "Looking good, Anna! The leaves are a great touch." She took the lighter from Bibi gratefully. "Ah, I should've been more careful. We don't want any furry friends eating things they shouldn't..." Turning back to the fire, she started lighting the kindling at the bottom, blowing on it lightly to encourage the flame.

Riley entered the area, a few boxes of tofu burgers and a disposable barbeque tucked under their arm. They set them down on the table and-- oh shit was that a baby? Their attention was captured by the tiny human, turning excitedly to the woman holding it. "Oh, oh, is that a baby? Hello there-- What's their name? What's yours?"

Davie waddled in at his own pace, dragging a cooler behind him. Someone had to bring the alcohol on a work night, apparently.

Zoe blinked at the colorful person and smiled. "I'm Zoe, and this is Ryn. Say hi Ryn~" and she took Ryn's hand to make her wave as Ryn simply babbled loudly. "What's yours, hun?" Zoe looked to Riley.

Mikky was wiping his hands off after setting everything down while Fudge and Baby laid out in the sun. He glanced to Davie heaving a cooler over and just sorta snorted. Expected. "Well what's your contribution to this family friendly event?" He asked as he made his way over.

When Esther had heard that there was going to be a bonfire she knew she had to go. She loved bonfires and back home they always held big events surrounding the fires, so it was like a slice of home. She had been feeling a little homesick so this would probably help a little. She arrived with a basket filled with boiled eggs, dyed with various colors as she had added beet juice, onions and various other natural dyes into the boiling waters. She cheerfully set the basket onto the table reserved for food.

Anna was satisfied with the table and Cameron's words brought a small smile and a slight red tint to her face. She made her way to Bea, sitting in the grass. "Sorry I took so long."

Lilith shyly came over as well to see the baby. Oh, Riley was here too. She gave them a small 'hello' before looking back to Ryn and Zoe. "Hello there. Ryn, is it? She's very cute." She murmured, a small smile coming onto her face.

Riley waved back at the tiny being in Zoe's arms. "Salutations, Ryn. And Zoe, too!" They stood up straight again. "Riley Van Dijk, at your service-- ah, I guess not at your service? Not at work right now... no matter. Looks like a lot of people have turned up, eh?"

"Family friendly my ass, it's a work party. An' I'm plannin' to enjoy it in my own way." Davie finished dragging the cooler up to the main table, cracking it open and pulling out a chilled beer. "Ya want one?"

After setting her items aside on the table, Liesie caught sight of a familiar face and wobbled on over. "Hey, Esther! Hi there! Oh, I'm glad to see you here! I'm really excited about this bonfire thing. I've actually never been to one before." She giggled.

Zoe nodded to Lilith. "Thank you." then turned back to Riley. "Haha, right. Yeah, looks like a good amount of people. More will probably show later. Thought this would be a safe enough event to bring kiddo here to." Ryn's eyes followed people around as they walked, garbled babbling continuing.

"Haha, isn't she!" Bibi smiled, happy somebody praised her dog. "I fell in love the moment I saw her!"

"Oh no, no! It's me who should've been more careful! She's my dog, after all! Please, don't feel bad!" Bibi was absolutely flustered. Oh! Bibi noticed a familar face and waved at him.

Rose finally decided to show up and, as she said in sugr, did indeed drag Emmett along. True to her inventive nature, she brought several packs of chips.

Seeing a familiar smiling face lit up Esther's face too. "Hi Liesie! Glad you could come!" she greeted the girl and then gasped a little dramatically to the revelation of Liesie's inexperience with bonfires. "AH! Well today is your lucky day! Back in Kompia we hold bonfires about 3 or 4 times a year, and they're always fun! The fire is so pretty when it gets going!"

Daniel wasn't sure what time to show up - the poster he saw didn't give a specific time, but it had to be at night considering this was a bonfire. Whatever, if he was terribly late he'd just have to take all this food he slaved over back home with him. Hopefully not. He sort of put two and two together and walked over to the food table to set his trays down (one with the meats, the other with the sweets), then looked out to the growing crowd of coworkers filing in. He wasn't quite ready to jump into the pleasantries yet, so he just continued to hover by the food table for now.

"That's great! They say there's a perfect pet for everyone. I guess you found yours!" Bibi's happiness seemed contagious, or maybe it was just the general air of the party, because Nolan was smiling right back. There didn't seem to be a 'no' for petting, so petting away the precious doggo he went. And just like that, the fire was lit and the bonfire was properly a go!

Bea looked over at Anna and grinned, finally just shoving the one annoying strand of hair into her braids and no longer caring. "Hey banana, no worries. That's what happens when your on Pinterest mom duties right." She said with a goofy grin, so it was obvious she was joking. "The leaves are aesthetic I appreciate them still."

Mikky just kinda frowned a small bit. "Is it a good idea to start drinking so early." He knew Davie though, this wasn't unexpected. What a dumb green bean he was. "Mama says she wished she saw you this weekend, I think she's ready to throw you into twelve eclipsion sweaters already because she knows you like em so much." He said, preferring an orange soda he pulled from another cooler as a drink.

"I couldn't agree more!" Bibi exclaimed cheerfully and joined Nolan. Oh, that's right! There're other dogs! Bibi began looking around for puffballs to pet.

Cameron made her way back the the table, clapping her hands for attention. "Welcome to all new faces! The fire has been lit, but it may take a while to get going. Remember to keep an eye on our canine friends near the firewood! We don't want them chewing on a flaming stick!" With that, she whistled her own dogs over from where they'd been chilling near the edge of the park, and sat down in the grass to pet them eagerly while she waited for the fire to warm up. If any other dogs heeded her whistle, well, that was just a bonus.

Davie snorted. "The suns have set. Ain't that late enough?" He started sipping his beer as he shoved his way onto a bench, knocking over one of Cameron's bags as he did so. "Tell her I've got enough sweaters to last a fuckin' lifetime. Guess it's a nice gesture though. Callisto doin' alright?"

"Heehee! Of course!" She clasped her hands together, smiling. "Oh really? That sounds so lovely! Makes me even more excited for this!" Her parents had always been so protective, so she never became the outdoorsy type and hadn't really done much like this since she was 8. But the experience was worth experiencing! Her head turned as Cameron made the announcement "Oh there we go! Guess things are getting started now."

Harriet walked in wearing some sort of formal-casual style. She brought several goodies including glowsticks, party items, a harmonica, and some cheap food from the store. It looked like a lot, but most of it she snagged from the dollar store (or whatever the Tanim equivalent of that is) so it really didn't punch a hole in her budget. "Ayyyy, I'm on time? Nice." Her eyes immediately gravitated towards the cooler full of drinks and figured one wouldn't be so harmful, especially since she wanted to loosen up a bit.

Lilith nodded to Zoe, before looking around the area. "I think it should be safe enough for children... I'm a small bit concerned about the dogs that have been brought along, but if they're socializing with people just fine right now, then it's most likely fine, yes?" She gave her input as her gaze took in her surroundings. There were some people she recognized.... There was Liesie.... So was Bibi and Emmett.... Perhaps she'd talk to some of them later....? Oh- apparently the fire was lit- food will most likely be ready soon.... Right? She didn't know, she'd never been to a barbeque.

Nolan turned his head as Cameron made the 'official' announcement. His eyes flicked to the heaping pile of wood and made a curious noise. He kind of expected it to just combust into a high pile of flames once the fire touched it. Shows what he knew. Could they get started eating anyways? Or would they have to wait for the fire to fully blaze? He gave Rose a few last pets before waving both her and her owner Bibi off. "It was nice meeting you both. Enjoy the party!" He wanted to position himself closer to the food table in case there was a line or something.

Daniel's eyes were drawn to a certain cooler sitting on the table. Most of the sodas and other drinks were set up all nicely, so if that's what he thought it was... yEP. Well, there was nothing better for him to do now, was there? He helped himself to a bottle of beer so he could look more the part as he silently judged people from his vantage point.

Anna blushed a little more at Bea's words. "Please, it's not that much... I just thought it would fit the theme." Her words might have been dismissive, but she was clearly proud of herself and her work. She gave a little applause to Cameron's opening words and looked around the park. She happily noted that the table was gathering food as guests dropped their offerings. "I'm glad you came with me," she told Bea, a happy smile on her face.

Esther was beaming as the bonfire started. "I'm excited!" she exclaimed and took Liesie's hands into her own. "I can't wait to dance around the bonfire once the fire gets going!" She pulled the girl into a bouncy twirl, giggling all the way.

"Likewise!" Bibi replied, beaming. And with that, she went on her dog-petting quest.

Mikky shook his head and sat down next to him, but atleast being nice enough to set the bags aside properly. "She doesn't see you often enough to know that, chop chop Davie this woman has claimed you as her own." He laughed a small bit. Calisto popped her way from under them, in which he picked her up. "They don't know what to really do with her anymore, but it sounds like they wanna sign her up for a night study when she has another fit. She ain't exactly tooting the fiddle but atleast in a good enough place where she ain't toeing the graves." He said a bit softly. "How's your lil doing?"

"That's gay but ya know I'm glad I came too. Free food right." Bea gave Anna's face a little pap. "So do you know the chick who hosted this thing? I fixed her bike a few days ago but I've never actually seen her face at work."

"Aye, at this rate I'm gonna see your family more than I see my own." Davie snorted, finishing off his beer already. "Glad t'see she ain't doin' too bad. My lil-- oh, Nora? I dunno, was asleep on the windowsill at home last time I checked." He gave callisto a light pat on the head, before looking over across the sea of people. "You know half these losers? I'm not recognisin' many faces."

Riley moved a little away from the table to set up their own disposable barbeque, throwing on a couple of veg sausages. Noticing someone taking a drink from a cooler, they called out to him. "Hello-- sir? Is it only Alcohol in there?"

Cameron noticed one of her department coworkers enter the fray, and waved the shorter woman over. "Greetings! Are those glowsticks I spy? What a fantastic idea!"

Kim turns up late, drinking coffee, and probably dragging an unwilling pop rocks by her arm??? "Hey" She gave everyone who was already there her usual smirk, taking a bit to look around to see everyone who was there... and spotting a few dogs. Oh heck. She jumped back and hissed loudly at the canines, eventually getting her shit back together and coughing awkwardly. "So, hum, food, right? ... Were we supposed to bring shit?"

Lola and Darilyn show up side by side, Lola carrying what looks like way too much food and Darilyn trying to control an hyperactive puppy! There's a lot of people and you can immediately see Dari shrinking in on herself and hesitating to continue, frown on her face as Lola pulls her by a hand-- (Myr might be tagging along??? If so he's NPC until further notice) And then they both freeze upon seeing the bonfire. And stay in place. Far from it. "Ah;; Hello, guys!! Where can we leave this?;; Ah, we're hum-- Probably not moving too close to that fire over there, haha!!!;;" Lola's smile faltered but she kept it strong on her face.

Lucie (maybe dragging Oryn by his arm idk) shows up bursting with energy! She's pratically jumping off the walls, and leaves a bag with food near the rest of it ((is there a rest of it? iné didnt read )), beaming up at the people around her. "It's supermarket bought because I can't fuckin' cook, but I can assure y'all it's damn good food!! 'Sup, what I miss?"

As Nolan walked over to the food table, his eyes landed on a familiar figure - though not one he'd seen at the factory. Wasn't that that crazy lady from the White Rabbit Festival booth? What was she doing at a factory bonfire event? Unless she... well, it wouldn't surprise him, with all the colorful characters that had been approved to work here. He kept his eyes on her from a distance as he made his way over to grab a serving, wondering if Cameron would too fall victim to her strange tricks.

Daniel was shocked that someone actually approached him?? A weird fellow, too. He made a show of digging through the cooler to look for some drink variety, but alas. "Not here, sorry man. I think there's some lightweight stuff set up on one of the other tables." He took note of the barbeque set up he had going, and couldn't help but be curious- what competition did he have for tonight? "Soooo, uh, watcha got cooking there?"

"Ah, well, she does fine around the cats so dogs should be alright. As long as they're not too energetic." she smiled then looked up and waved. "Lola! Dari! Hey!" she motioned for the women to come over.

Pip sighed, seeming very uninterested in this. She eyed Kim as she hissed before speaking up. "Why are we here again??"

"Oh? There's dancing too? How fun!" Liesie followed along with Esther, bouncing and twirling and all full of smiles. It was easy to react to the cheerful energy of others. Looking in the distance, she waved happily to Lola, even though it was strange to see her so far away from the crowd. "Hello Miss Lola!" she waved, ignorantly unaware and slightly confused still. Regardless, she shrugged and continued. "I'm a little bit hungry. Are we allowed to get food yet, or do we need to wait for more people to arrive?"

Harriet turned her eyes towards her co-worker, smirking. "Oh, hey it's you." She took a sip out of her drink, laughing. "Figured we could use some entertainment! I also brought something a little extra special, but might save that magic trick for the end since we'll be using the fire for eating." She winked. Hopefully Cameron wouldn't mind.

"Oh- that's good. They look like good dogs to me, so hopefully yes, it will be alright." Lilith agreed with Zoe, before looking over to who she was waving at. Oh- she'd seen them around before. They looked- kind of nervous, around the fire?? She waved to the two girls politely as well, but. didn't really know them. Lola and Dari? That's what Zoe said their names were, yes?

Riley pouted. "My my, what kind of person only brings alcohol to an event?" (Somewhere from the sides, Davie calls out a disgruntled "hey") "...No matter, thank you kindly for looking, friend! Perhaps I'll search for an OJ when I have time, hm?" They perked up at his interest in their little barbeque setup. "Ah, nothing much, nothing much! I brought my own things, you see, vegan options. Better to cook separate from the rest of the meats. Would you care for a bean burger?"

Cameron laughed. "Looking forward to the surprise! Just, uh, I hope it's a safe one...?" She didn't trust the tone in Harriet's voice, but shrugged it off. Her attention was suddenly stolen by the arrival of the managers and their puppy. Cameron looked at the new arrivals, and back at the fire, and once more at the managers, until it clicked. Hopping up from the grass, she grabbed a couple of folding chairs and jogged them over to the new girls with a sympathetic smile, her dogs following by her feet. "Feel free to sit as far as you want. I can bring over any food and drinks if you need! Whatever tickles your fancy." She turned her attention to Darilyn's enthusiastic puppy. "Oh boy, what's this little guy's name?"

"Oh Zoe, hi!!!" Lola waved enthusiastically at Zoe and pulled Dari along by her arm, seeming to take a little detour to go around the fire towards the lifesavers. "Oh, and hello to you too!! I don't think we've met--" she waved and smiled back at Lilith, "I'm Lola, concoctionist manager! This over here is Dari, she doesn't talk much and is shy but she's nice, I swear~"

The tall woman gave the pink-haired girl a disgruntled sound, and Lola kept going, now turning to Zoe and Ryn. "Oooohhhh Ryn baby, hello!!! Sweets, she's getting big! It's like she grows more every time I'm not looking--"

And then Cameron came over to them, holding folding chairs and being really nice! Both women blinked in confusion for a second, before Darilyn smiled and nodded back at her. "Thank you. Hopefully... everyone can have... a good time tonight." She had just set the chairs down next to Zoe when the attention shifted to the puppy tagging along. "Oh. Chocolate Brown. ... Long story."

"Hehe, Dari wanted Chocolate, Reeves wanted Brown, a compromise had to be made... Cameron, right? Thank you for hosting this! Oh I brought this by the way, hopefully it's not too much--" And then Lola handed over to Cam the.... big amount of food she brought. "All homemade, no pranks~"

Lucie didn't wait for anyone and attacked the food. Oops.

"Two words, free food. We're here for the food and the food alone. Nothing else. We can leave as soon as we stuff our stomaches." Kim had an arm slinged around Pip's neck and the other on her waist, striking a confident pose despite the previous hissing. "--OY GET OUT OF THE FOOD LUCIE, LEAVE SOME FOR THE REST OF US"

Daniel sort of shrugged and voiced his two cents on the issue. "Maybe they just flat out can't cook and thought something was better than nothing?" Ah, the sad world of the culinarily disinclined. He managed to stifle a grimace at the dreaded word- vegan. Welp, he had no need to fear for his prime cuts being overshadowed by this guy. But still, he was kinda curious. Free food was still free food after all. "Sure, I could give it a shot." Despite the protests his brain was making on the issue - beans and burgers did not sound like a pleasant mix.

Nolan's suspicious squints just drew in ever further as he stalked overheard Harriet's response to Cameron. She was gonna mess with the fire? Hoooo boy, that sounded like a recipe for disaster. He'd heard rumors of a recent event at the factory going south, they didn't need another one going out of control. So he scooched everrrr so close to the lady and awkwardly coughed to get her attention. Maybe if he kept her distracted she wouldn't get a chance to go through with it?? "Didn't expect to see you here. What's up?"

Esther shrugged a little as she released Liesie from her twirl-hold. "I guess? I'm not really sure, but other people are seeming to help themselves," she said as she pointed towards the food tables. "Wanna go and check out the selection?" she asked with a big smile on her face.

"Yes, I've met up with her on breaks for a few times. We actually met while I was on an errand to Business, while my hand was still in the cast. She's really nice," Anna happily told Bea. "She owns a motorcycle? That's...... Really cool." Her voice was sincere, though it took her a bit more to be honest than just say some general pleasantry about it. "Riding a motorcycle at least once is a dream of mine," she confessed.

Cameron chuckled, taking the food from Lola and hopping over to set it down on the table. "Well, Chocolate Brown is a fine enough name if I've heard one! And it's no problem, I'm sure someone will be taking home leftovers today." She sat down on the grass next to the other women, waving at Zoe and Lilith as she did so. "Didn't see you there, boss. Glad you could make it! Is this your little'un?"

Davie noticed Kim & Pip's entrance and stumbled up to the food table, doofy grin and vague alcoholic smell making it clear that he was making quick work of his own beer cooler. "Ay assholes, fiiiiiiiiinally some more familiar fuckin' faces." He blinked lazily as Cameron added more food to the table. "Fuckin' hell, why is there so much? We feedin' half of Tanim?"

Riley smile cheerily, unaware of the snark going on in the other man's head. They took a burger off the grill, handing it over. "Careful, careful, it's a little on the spicy side! It feels good to cook things that aren't sweet for once."

Ah, she- hadn't introduced herself yet at all, hm? Even when she'd first went up to Zoe and her child. It must have slipped her mind. "Ah, it's nice to meet you, Lola. My name is Lilith Eira, I work in delivery. And, nice to meet you too, Dari." Lilith responded to the new duo that came over. Oh- the host of the barbeque is here. Sitting down as well, she waved back politely, before processing the story with name for the dog. "That sounds like a fine compromise - and a fine name - to me."

Zoe chuckled at Lola's energy, finally removing Ryn from her sling. She made sure to lay a blanket she brought along down on the grass before sitting and placing Ryn down, who was ready to crawl! She looked to Cam and grinned. "Mhmm. Spunk and all."

"But I have food at home, there's literally no need to be here..." she grumbled as she was still dragged along. When Davie walked up, her nose wrinkled from the aroma and nodded. "You smell, did someone bring drinks??"

"Oy, fuckin' dumbass is here!" Kim patted Davie's back a little too strongly and released Pip to pretty much put Davie in a headlock, ruffling his hair with a grin and not letting him go. "Bet he brought them! Who the fuck else would?" Then she finally let him go, mischievous grin ever-present. "'Sup, Davie? Oh hey Pip c'mon, there's friendly faces, don't be a butt. You know you can't be holed up forever, right? You're gonna start growing spiderwebs one of these days."

Lucie is still eating don't mind her.

"Oh! Nice to meet you too, Lilith!" Lola smiled back at the girl, attention then shifting to the baby on the grass again as she got off the chair and sat down next to Ryn, playing with her. "Oh hey don't crawl away, haha!"

Meanwhile Dari sighed and stared up at the sky, and the puppy went to jump up at Cameron and try to give her kisses, running around and clearly wanting to play. So much energy...

Liesie looked in the direction of the tables as Esther pointed them out. "Ah, yeah, you're right. Let's go!" She beckoned on forward, curiously inspecting her options there. It was hard for her to decide, between the snacks and the not-so-snacks (and some of the more unique looking options) but she began picking out whatever caught her eyes. She wanted to try a little bit of everything, even if she probably couldn't finish it all.

"No worries! It's totally safe, I 100% guarantee it." Her arms gestured wildly as she spoke. "I personally feel like no bonfire is complete without it!" Then again, maybe she was over exaggerating. It was in her nature to. Harriet waved the woman off as she went to take care of the rest of the guests. Of course, her little conversation was cut short when she turned her head to see a sort of familiar face. It took her a moment to recognize the guy, but she happened to recollect her little stunt during WRF. Uh oh. Might as well play it super casual. "Oooooh, hey there buddy! Fancy meeting you here! I didn't see you as the factory workin' type, but guess you could say the same about me. Truth is sideshows are just a side job of mine. My real passion is sitting in boring office spaces doing accounting and sighing about work."

Davie just kind of... let himself be manhandled, a tad too tipsy to complain. He stumbled a little as Kim released him. "Fuck yeah I did, someone's gotta liven this shit up." He fished thought the cooler with one hand, pulling out a cider and cracking the lid off with his teeth. "Shit, Pip's growin' spiders? Or something? I think I missed somethin'. Whatcha' need them for?"

Cameron accepted the affection from the puppy gladly, laughing a little. "Lively, isn't he? And that one, too." With a gesture at Ryn. She noted Darilyn's quietness and gave her a light pat on the knee. "It's nice to see you here, you know."

Daniel's eyebrows arced upwards at the guy's warning - hey, at least he liked spicy food, so this wouldn't be a totally wasted experience. He gave it two seconds to cool off, but bravely chomped down on the thing. Huh. It wasn't terrible - definitely had no right to call itself a burger, but he didn't spit it out! He chewed thoughtfully and appreciated the spices while he listened to the guy's other comment. With a remark like that, he probably was..."So you're a concoctionist? Figures someone like you can make vegan taste good." He spoke through a still full mouth. His interest was renewed- his gross fascination with the CC department was peeking through.

Nolan lightly chuckled at the woman's joke, though he still felt pretty warry. At first he didn't get it. His time at the factory had been anything but boring office spaces and accounting- but then he remembered that the business department existed. Wow, talk about unexpected field right there. "Sounds riveting. You should try my job - you never know what kind of stunts the CCs are gonna try to pull through inspection." Like a certain someone I know, He thought, but didn't dare say out loud.

Zoe smiled and had to gate off Ryn with her legs, nodding at Cam. "Sooo much energy. The kind that makes her not want to sleep." Ryn saw Lola come down her level and babbled wildly, crawling over, tripping, and faceplanting into Lola's skirt.

"I'm not growing spiders. I'm doing research for something important... more important than being here with noisy people and drunks..." she grumbled out the last part, huffing. Honestly, she also wasn't sleeping much so she might be a tad bit grumpy.

"Ah, that must make it difficult when it's time for her nap, or when she's supposed to go to bed." Lilith watched Lola play with little baby Ryn with a bit amusement. She'd like to play as well, but.... well, she wasn't around kids a lot, so, suffice to say.... she didn't know how. So she's just kind of watching and listening to everything around her. Oh- she just tripped- is she alright? Most likely, it didn't look like that bad of a fall?

Esther was happy to tag along with Liesie to go check out what else than her treats had appeared on the table. She let the other girl pick out her food while she inspected the offerings- And noticed the Kim-Pip-Davie trio being loud right next to the table. She pulled Liesie's sleeve a little to get her attention. "Isn't that blonde guy the soorzie from sugr?" she asked in a quiet voice, very eager to avoid him and giving him constant glances to keep track of him.

"Hey, there aren't any drunks yet. I'm still ballparkin' in tipsy. And the noisiest person here is your own damn girlfriend." Davie snorted and took a deep swig of his cider. "Drink a lil' and maybe you'll stop bein' such a grump, ay?"

Riley gave Daniel a goofy salute. "Aye aye, sure am! Only a recent recruit, but trying my best." They shuffled a few tofu dogs onto the barbeque, and went to put their own burger in a bun. "It's no secret that most don't agree with the flavors of vegan cuisine-- and I'm okay with that. Personal choice, ja? ...What about you? Which department do you sail under? I don't recognise you from the factory halls, but, ah, my facial memory is a little poor."

"If they were spiders I can guarantee I would not be sleeping in that house until I was sure they were all dead." Kim made a grossed out face at Davie before the smirk returned, softer this time. She moved back over to Pip, put an arm around her shoulders again and lowered her voice. "Hey, let's have fun just tonight, alright? Then I'll let you do your thing in peace and not annoy or drag you more. C'mon we don't even gotta stay the whole time if you don't want to." And then back to Davie, "gimme one o' those-- but jUST ONE."

"Ah, oh no, Ryn!! Haha, come on baby get up!" Lola laughed a little when Ryn fell face-first on her legs, carefully picking her up and giving her little kisses.

Darilyn was obviously not in her element. She never dealt well with social gatherings and lots of people outside of work, and there were multiple other sources making her uneasy. She was a little distracted when Cameron patted her knee, pulling her back to reality. "Oh" She gave her a small soft smile, looking nothing like the tough strict security manager people in the factory knew. "Thanks"

Liesie, holding a plate full of snacks, turned her head in shock at the change of demeanor in her new friend. "Huh? I think so? I've never really talked to him." She looked back and forth between them, slightly confused. She didn't check sugr as much as she should have (kind of nervous to, since the last time she used it was when she was sick and made such an embarrasing show), so she didn't really know about the details of what happened. "Is something wrong? Did he say something to you?" She looked concerned, placing a hand on her shoulder. Liesie didn't want her new friend to be hurt or bullied or anything!

Harriet laughed. "Oh so you're like one of those taste testers! Like checking for poison before it sells off to the market, eh? That does sound exciting." She laughed. "I personally like to know what's in my food before putting it down my throat, yeah? You got an adventurous spirit. Gotta hand it to ya there. No wonder you made such a great assistant!" She laughed, nudging him. Ahahahah. She couldn't tell if he was amused or... not so amused. Not being able to see his face was kind of throwing her off.

Pip softened a lil, sighing. "Fine..." she leaned into Kim a little, just rolling her eyes. "If you guys actually get drunk though, I'm leaving you here. And I can't drink, Davie."

Zoe grinned and leaned back on her hands. "So what have you guys been up to?" she asked, not addressing anyone in particular and looking at the whole group. Ryn simply squealed when Lola picked her up, before making raspberries with her mouth until drool bubbles showed up.

Lilith just watches quietly for the most part, kind of unsure of what to do or say. Ah, well that happened when you talked to new people, yes? "Um... nothing much.... I finished designing my dress for the Eclipsion though...." She murmured.

Daniel took another bite of the not-a-burger as he took in Riley's responses. "Ah, so you're a newbie." Figures he couldn't recognize them. After all, in his wing, eventually you at least vaguely knew the faces of people and where they belonged from patrols. And low and behold, Riley opened up for him an opportunity to brag about that. "I am a proud member of the security department~ Keeping all your creations safe day in, day out~." He puffed up a bit with this introduction, but honestly it was half-hearted at best.

That was an...interesting way to put his job, but Nolan supposed it got the idea across. Better than he would've thought at the start of his work experience.. "Yeah I am- someone's gotta do it, right? And when you're not sifting through sweet-meat amalgamates, it's actually kind of fun." He kind of chuckled off the awkward reminder of that night, but wasn't as embarrassed about it as he had been in the moment. It was harmless fun after all... Fun at his expense but,, that didn't automatically make her the bully type...right? "Thanks, I think. ...Do you do that sort of thing to everyone you meet? Or was that a special case?"

Davie gestured at the cooler. "Grab one yourself, asshole." He said with a grin, before chugging the remains of his drink and shifting towards the table. He gave a wave of acknowledgement at the nearby janitor girls before grabbing a couple of spare sausages. "Fuckin' bodyswap gave me an actual appetite. Pain in the ass I tell ya."

Riley nodded. "Ah yes, security! I never understood what exactly security was for-- until that sweetforsaken movie night, I suppose." They finished cooking the remainder of their meat-free selection, putting out the coals on their disposable barbeque. "I hope you do your job well, my friend! It seems like the place needs it."

Cameron nodded at Darilyn before standing up and excusing herself from the group. "I almost forgot about the best part!" She stated cheerily, before making her way out towards the area when she'd left her box of fireworks, a good distance across the park for everyone's safety. Within a few minutes, the first one went up. While not particularly large or loud, they did fizzle loudly as they went off, in a range of oranges and purples, illuminating the sector sky in a nice autumnal hue.

Esther hesitated for a moment. "Oh, uh, it's just, I think he doesn't like me because of a misunderstanding over on sugr," she explained to Liesie, thankful of her supportive gesture and placed her hand on top of hers. "I just rather not poke that bear with a stick, if you know what I mean..." She twirled her index fingers around each other as she spoke, a little embarrassed. "Ah, I think he noticed me!" she said, startled, and gently pushed Liesie's back to get out of the situation. "We should go see what the grills are cooking!" She exclaimed a little too loudly, to give a reason for their swift exit.

"Having an appetite is good." Mikky said, coming up behind Davie and giving him a head pat while his other hand balancing a drink and a plate half full of food. In all honestly a majority probably went to his dogs. Though he seemed,, slightly unsettled, and it was the one moment that fudge sat making Lil 'borf' noises as he paced around. The pops of the fireworks making Mikky cringe a bit every so often.

Oh- the fireworks were pretty. Lilith watched them quietly, admiring the sight. Ah- would the people afraid of fire be okay though???

"Oh dang, I heard about that night - didn't go myself, but heard it was a nightmare." Daniel remembered debating to go, but ultimately it didn't work out. Both glad and mad he missed the craze. "Oh, you only know the half of it; I swear, security is one of the few things keeping this place from combusting--" And with that, the first firework went off. It was so unexpected, he actually jumped a bit. But gosh, what a sight. It'd been too long since he'd last seen a good fireworks show. "Alright, now we're talking! Let the night Dazzle~" He wooped and applauded a bit, perhaps to eager for the amateur explosives, but it was all in good fun, right?

Davie grumbled a little, leaning into the head pat. "Having an appetite is annoying as shit. An' expensive." He grabbed another couple of sausages, grimacing a little as his own sour flavor rubbed off on them. He was barely paying attention to the fireworks, but noticed the cringe on Mikky's face and reached up to pat his cheek. "Aye, is the food that bad?"

Riley jumped as the fireworks started. Crepes, give a kid some warning! They quickly became distracted by the colorful spectacle though, joining in with Daniel's cheers. " You're full of beans, huh? Ah, I suppose literally? I can't blame you, though. Didn't know we'd be getting such a show. Fun, fun!"

"Oh no, I'm sorry," she frowned, a bit upset for the sake of the other girl. Misunderstandings created the worst type of conflicts! She was almost tempted to mediate and sort things out for her but Esther was right. Poking the conflict might make it worse and she definitely wouldn't want to do that for her friend! The unexpected shove surprised her, but she followed along, figuring the girl had become nervous over the subject. "Yes, yes! And, um, get a better spot for the fireworks too!"

"It's part of the business, ykno? Everyone loves a good laugh, and sometimes we gotta make ourselves the fool to do that." She chuckled. Laughs bring the best kind of money to the table! "No hard feelings though, yeah?" She really meant nothing malicious by it. Her eyes gazed up in surprise at the first explosion. Aw man, fireworks!? At this rinky dinky gathering? That was even more flashy than what she had in mind! Though, if she knew that was allowed, she would have brought some of her own. "Oh, that reminds me!" She ran off from Nolan and inconspicuously stood by the fire. She figured since most people would be looking skyward no one would notice her little magic trick, but maybe that's what made it more fun! Slipping in a little crystal packet into the flames, suddenly the fire began changing and turning all sorts of colors! Blue, green, red, yellow, purple.... A mesmerizing trick, and easily noticeable to anyone who started to look at it. Hopefully the host didn't mind!

"No drunk, dun worry. Just one cider I promise. I'm no good drunk anyway, I'm a grumpy drunk" Kim squeezed Pip's shoulders a little in kind of a half-assed one-armed hug before letting her go and getting a drink for herself. "Oh hey there's food-- looks like they have that fancy veggie shit for people who don't eat meat, if you want that." She had just grabbed a chicken wing when a firework blasted up into the sky, looking up with the wing in her mouth. "Huh. The fuck."

Lucie stuffed herself and even then, she was still holding a plate and eating enough for a small village when she walked over to Bea and Anna. "Heya nerds, what'cha up to? Didn't know you were comin' along" And then up the fireworks went. "oH SHIT FUCKIN' HELL HECK WHAT THE FUCK--" She looked up and relaxed again with a "oh" upon finding out it was just a colorful spectacle. "Oh shit that's cool"

"Oh, kinda been all over the place, really!" Lola cheerfully answered Zoe, still holding Ryn. "You know, planning the wedding, ruining Quality Control, occasional relax time--" Once Lilith mentioned her Eclipsion outfit though, Lola's attention immediately snapped to her. "Ooohhh, you're making your own outfit? That's so nice!! I'm just reusing mine from last year, but it should be okay, haha--" And then the booms started. Lola yelped and covered her ears, Darilyn jumped to her feet ready to fight. With each firework going off they winced, Lola curling up on herself and gritting her teeth with her eyes shut. Darilyn was by now distressed, alarmed, and honestly lowkey panicking. Someone please hold those two so they can make it through the show.

“Well, not, making it exactly. I can’t really sew... but I can draw and design-“ Lilith admitted, before wincing at the two women’s reactions. Okay let’s see what could she do- “um, do you two want to listen to my music? It’ll block out the sound.” She asked, bringing out her earbuds and her iPod. But- Ah- they looked like they needed some emotional support. Lilith bit her lip, but gulped down her hesitation and carefully, lightly held them. “I... it’ll be okay, okay...?” She’s trying. She’s not used to this.

Daniel didn't quite...get the little turn of phrase Riley spout out - but then maybe he wasn't supposed to? Some weird in-joke about the bean burger, probably. What did he expect from such a weird fella? Either way, nothing was stopping him from enjoying his first good party in a long while. "Me neither - don't think they mentioned fireworks on the poster. Whoever decided to throw them in was a genius! Normally we don't see too many of them around here, Sweet knows why." Still it was all good fun. "Got some, uh, good 'beans' on you too...uh... damn, didn't catch your name, did I?"

Nolan supposed he understood her reasoning, though he still couldn't help but feel weird about her getting to decide who played the fool and who didn't. Still, she didn't seem to mean anything by it. "Yeah, no hard feelings." The fireworks took him completely by surprise, but at least he knew they'd be a part of the night - he remembered seeing the box as he was helping to set up. The night was already so far along, and he hadn't even had a chance to grab a bite! Maybe he still could-- crap, he forgot his mission! The distraction was enough to let Harriet slip through his fingers, and called after her as she ran to the fire in vain-- "Hey, wait!!" But too late - would those crystals cause the whole mound to combust?? Or the fumes would make everyone start laughing uncontrollably or choke or-- or maybe the fire just changed colors. Huh. That was...actually kind of cool. Maybe this chick really wasn't so bad after all. He turned his back on the fireworks display and smiled at the simpler but no less fun color effect.

Lola was still tightly curled in on herself, instinctively holding Ryn protectively in her arms, close to her chest. She was still wincing at all the sounds despite no longer covering her ears (arms too busy holding a baby), teeth still gritted and eyes closed shut, little tears coming up against her will and wetting her lashes. She did not react at all to Lilith's music offer, but the hug seemed to do the trick a lot better. Slowly she released some tension from her body, tensing up less with each boom and releasing her breath enough to let out a sob and audible agitated breathing, though clear enough to still nod in reply to Lilith.

Yeah Dari pretty much picked up the dog and is frozen in place looking kinda panicked hugging the dog, tense as a rock.

With a particularly loud bang, the last firework went off, and Cameron made her way back towards the group with a smile on her face. A smile that quickly faltered as she noticed the few people that seemed... shaken, to say the least. Heck. She hadn't considered that some people might not have known that was coming. Feeling a little sheepish about approaching Darilyn and Lola again after causing their distress, she instead awkwardly shuffled to the food table, trying to take her mind off things with a bite to eat and a couple of Davie's beers.

Riley laughed. "Good beans? Whatever you say, my friend! Name's Riley. Riley Van Dijk." Their attention was captured yet again by something new- the colorful flames in the fire. "Would you look at that! What an enchanting touch, non? This keeps getting more spectacular. I must remember to get out to more sector gatherings, if more of them are like this! "

Lilith keeps holding Lola, getting a bit more certain about hugging her. Okay, this seemed to be helping a small bit but- okay that was a sob but she also got a nod as a response. “It’ll be over soon, I promise. Hang in there, okay?” She says to both Dari and Lola. As pretty as the fireworks were, someone please stop them, for the sake of these poor girls... she’d reach up and pat Dari’s arm if she could.

Pip just rolled her eyes and found a place to sit, jumping a bit when the fireworks went off. She looked up to the sky and glared. “Jeez, this is within property lines, I don’t think you can technically be setting shit off….”

Zoe smiled at Lilith. “Exciting! I’m fancying myself a new dress too for this year. My previous one just doesn’t fit my style.” she grinned, then startled as the fireworks had started. It didn’t take long for Ryn to jump all the same, and with Lola’s fear and anxiety showing through, she began to get upset and cry. Zoe quickly got to her knees to scoop Ryn up, cooing and hushing her while plopping down next to Lola to bump their shoulders together. She spoke softly and soothingly, probably to Ryn but her words may be of comfort to others nearby. “They’re just lights in the sky~ its okay~ nothing will hurt you, mama’s here.”

Liesie happily sat next to her friend, eating snacks and clapping cheerfully after the show ended. "Ah, wonderful, wonderful!" She giggled, innocently unaware of the panic happening on the side.

Harriet manuvered herself back to her previous spot near Nolan, seemingly ignorant of the panicking girls to the side, munching on her snacks and taking another sip of her drink. Her attention shifted as she saw Cameron again and casually came over to her. "Oh, man, fireworks? Awesome idea! I didn't even know that was legal here!" She let out a hearty laugh. "Quite the finale if I do say so myself! You definitely one-upped me there in craftsmanship." She elbowed the taller woman enthusiastically, eyeing her simpler little trick on the ground.

Well, now Daniel just felt stupid. He was trying to communicate with this weirdo, so they had no right to 'whatever you say' to him! Still, at least now he had a name to put this face - strange enough to match them, he supposed. He hadn't noticed their change in attention and tried his own introduction. "Daniel Balcheque, though I'm hoping to establish myself as Daniel Barbeque tonight~ Eheh.." He'd saved that stupid pun the whole night, and only now did he notice his audience wasn't even listening. Dammit. Though he did turn his head curiously to see what he was talking about. What a sight! "I didn't even know fire could do that! Man that's cool. Agreed, the sector really knows how to party."

Well, nothing blew up that wasn't supposed to. And a glance around showed plenty of smiling faces both from the fireworks and the bonfire display. Tonight seemed to be a great success! Except in one area. Nolan's eyes landed on the figures huddled in panic, though he had no idea what was wrong. He had half a mind to just leave them alone - he had no idea who these people were, and there was already people over there comforting them. Heck, it could be a personal matter that had nothing to do with the event, and he'd just be intruding. But he wouldn't be able to leave the night in good mind if he didn't try something. So he excused himself (not really getting that there wasn't a conversation for him to excuse himself from), grabbed a few water bottles from the table, and headed over to scene. He didn't really know how to introduce himself or ask what was wrong, so he just started by handing the bottles to the one who seemed in control of the situation - Lilith. "Maybe...these could help?"

Lilith looked up at the man who came over to them and gave them a grateful glance. "Thank you very much." She murmured to him, before looking to Lola, deciding to start with her. "Do you want a drink, Lola? It may help a bit."

Davie finally found a place to sit (probably dragging Mikky with him?), and despite all the noise somehow managed to... fall asleep. Probably for the best, as it stops him from drinking any more. Someone wake him before the end of the night, at least.

Cameron jumped a little as Harriet approached, snapped abruptly out of her own thoughts. "Huh, what- oh, thankyou! ...I sure hope they are legal, I never thought to check..." She followed the shorter woman's eyeline, surprised by the spectacle in the fire. "Oh, was this your little surprise? What a nice touch!" She patted Harriet on the shoulder encouragingly-- maybe a little too hard, whoops.

"Hm?" Rileys attention snapped back just as Daniel stopped talking. "Ah yes, nice to meet you Mr. Barbeque!" They motioned for Daniel to follow them back towards the main food table, their own food now cooked and ready to be placed there for anyone who fancied something less meaty. "Ja, someone here has an eye for Pyrotechnics, I see! Looks like the work of some sort of copper compound, perhaps?" They hummed a little in pondering. "Between this and the fireworks, I'm feeling inspired for some interesting treats to send QC's way..."

"...Flattered." Daniel really hoped his dumb pun wasn't sticking. That took him back to grade school, a horror that shant be named. His fault for saying it in the first place. He hummed in agreement, though he had the creeping suspicion he wasn't being talked to anymore. Ah well, at least the night hadn't been lonely. Still, he felt another beer calling to him, and the night was... well, it wasn't young but it wasn't old, either. Mid-aged? "So long as there's no fires or explosions in the kitchen we need to worry about," he said, putting on more of a 'security' tone in his voice. "Still, intrigued. I'll keep my eyes peeled for your masterpiece. For now, Ciao, Riley~"

The last loud bang went off and pulled another yelp from the girl curled tightly in on herself, now also covering her ears, trying her hardest to slow her breathing down to calm back down. After a few seconds of no more bangs or booms and with Zoe and Lilith both nearby offering moral support (and hugs), she finally uncurled, shoulders slumped and taking deep slow breaths. After a few seconds she looked back up at Lilith. ".. Ah... sorry about that, I huh-- Don't deal very well with fireworks, haha,," She took the water bottle and drank it down quickly, wiping her eyes with a sleeve. "Mnhg-- Thank you. Give me a sec--" She shakily got up on her feet and went to Darilyn (who was still frozen in place and had a puppy licking her face) and hugged the big woman, voice strangely level for someone who just freaked out so badly. "Hey, it's fine, it's over. It's over Dari, you can breathe now." She picked the poor dog from Dari's grasp and pulled her down to sit down with the rest of them, both of them shaking and catching their breath. "Haha, well I hope next time we at least get a warning--!"

Darilyn just signed back "I don't think this is legal" and squinted up at the sky.

Lucie and Kim were both eating and watching fireworks and Lucie was also chatting with people who are NPC idk they're having fun

With the party winding down and the food slowly disappearing, the night could be considered a modest success. Cameron ended up slinking off relatively early, feeling a little put off after accidentally triggering such panic in coworkers she admired. She'll be back early in the morning to clean up the remains of the bonfire and make things presentable. Davie was carried home, and Riley stayed through till curfew approached, stargazing in silence by the light of the fire.