2020-04-21 - Trailer Trash Birthday Bash

A trailer park resident's birthday party? Of course Dahlia wasn't to miss that. If she learned anything from growing up in Huckleberry, it's that they knew how to party and Dahlia was looking forward to letting loose a bit. She'd been keeping her head down, working hard. She deserved a break before Night Bird filming started. Her hair was pulled back in a loose ponytail and she's wearing a pair of ripped jeans with a black halter top. She didn't know Bennie too well side just being a fellow resident of the park when they were younger so she hadn't brought a present of object. Instead she'd brought a big batch of red skinned potato salad - mom's recipe - to go along with the food. She grins at the set up, finding a place to set down the side dish and made her way over towards the birthday queen. "Happy birthday Bennie! Got a pretty sweet setup going here."

Justin turns up in a pair of jeans and hiking boots, a white t-shirt and blue and grey plaid flannel that is left unbuttoned over it, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. And he seems right at home roaming the woods around Grey Harbor, probably from the years of summers spent doing just that. He had a ride drop him off just a bit away, so he could walk up, and not worry too much about needing to stay sober enough to drive home. He sees Dahlia and wanders over to her, coming up behind her to rest his chin on her shoulder and give her a little hug. "Hey Dahl." Then he sees Bennie on her throne and he dips a theatrical bow in her direction, "Happy Birthday, Your Majesty," he grins.

Lyric had been a resident at the trailer park until this year and had came a little early to find a log to sit on, she's there tuning her guitar by ear, no electronic devices for her. She strums a string then adjusts until she's got it just right, looking up now and then to see how everyone else was getting along. It was cool to see all her old neighbors! Dragging one of her bandmates along, because hey, the guy gets to put up the tent, she's kinda sexist like that. He also gets to man the grill. Surprise Ico! There's an ice chest beside the log, there's beer and food and all the things they need for a party. Watching people gather, she grins and echoes, "Happy Birthday!" Over towards Bennie.

A very distinctive red classic Mustang comes softly rumbling down the road. It's a tough car, but not one meant for offroading, though Tor handles it like a champ. It's a car known to most in the town, if only because their pizza or Uber Eats often shows up in it. Tor finds a place a bit out of the way so no one dings it pulling out or in, but close enough to the action to show off the wheels. He gets out of the car, then opens the back door to pull out two large thermal pizza bags. He saunters over towards the action, clad in his usual fuck-if-I-care wardrobe of ripped jeans, a plaid shirt and a beat-up leather vest over it (who wears a vest? "Yo. Pizza's here. Where should I stash it?"

Alisha arrives on the scene carrying a cooler, containing even more beer and some hard liquor. She isn't about to miss the chance to celebrate a sorta co-worker's birthday and drink. Dressed in her signature short black dress with full goth make-up. Setting the cooler down by the other refreshments, she heads over to the beer throne. Joining the others crowding around giving a nod to others. She looks up to the birthday girl "Happy Birthday, Bennie. Hope it's been a good one so far." reaching into her purse and pulls out a envolpe, offering it to her. Just a card and a twenty, she doesn't know the woman enough to have gotten a personal present.

"Justin!" Dahlia grinned as she was hugged. She shifted slightly to kiss his cheek and return the hug one armed due to her position. "Good to see you came out!" She released him after a second longer. "Couldn't convince Hyacinth to come rough it for a night?" A good natured tease. "It's going to be a fun night, I can tell."

At the chorus of Happy Birthdays, Bennie thrusts her hands over her head in a cheerful, "Woo!" of celebration, spilling a little of her drink with a laugh. "Hey, thanks! You should totally try the seven day punch. Seven liquors mixed for seven days, which'll put you seven sheets to the wind."

Those manning the music are well aware others may want to sing or play, and will turn the DJ'd music off when asked.

"My loyal subject!" Bennie greets Justin with a wide grin, and when Tor arrives with Pizza, it turns wry. "Always did have the best service, Pizza Boy." Why does Pizza Boy sound like it's in air quotes.

If he had a choice or not, he doesn't seem to mind being dragged along. Dressed in jeans and a shirt, with his jacket sitting easily over the clothing. Not having been out a lot lately, so not minding getting to get out and meet folks again. Moving along with Lyric, "Happy Birthday." Called out to Bennie as well, with a bright smile. A glance around to the others present as well. Being happy to help out if needed. Glancing to see how Lyric is doing as well, with her guitar.

"Best delivery service in town," drawls Tor back to Bennie. 'Service' gets his own air quotes treatment. She gets a wink, then he starts to offload the boxes on a convenient flat surface. He brought the good stuff. There's the classics for the fussy eaters like meat lovers and cheese, and also vegetarian. There is, shocker, also a vegan pizza that has said label written on the inside of the top of the box. But he's also brought the fancy shit - prosciutto with poached pear and arugula pizza, sundried tomato, artichoke hearts and chicken pizza, and Philly cheesesteak. They all have helpful ingredients written on the inside of the lids.

Despite being very engrossed in his building of a bonfire, which is more akin to a pyre at this point, as witness by his need to crawl up it to continue to stack it higher, Easton pauses at the words "Pizza Boy" floating on the wind. He pauses and looks up, already pretty smudged in dirt from his activities. He decides that maybe this is big enough afterall and clambers down. He heads over to pluck a beer from the throne and crack it open. He leans over to give Bennie a kiss on the cheek, "Your bonfire is all set for later your majesty." He cracks open the beer and gives Tor a feral grin, "Pizza Boy." Managing to make it sound like Tor himself might be on the menu instead of the food he brought. But he just slaps him on the shoulder and moves on to greet others with like-slaps or thumping hugs. Lucky Justin gets a bear hug and a "How's the nose Hollywood?"

With a grin at Ico, Lyric starts playing a tune. It's a Toby Keith song. (UGH COUNTRY I GET IT) But it's totally fitting. While she plays, she continues to watch the activity around. There's already an opened bottle of beer by her foot and she pauses to take a drink from it before she starts playing again, this time singing the lyrics too. Trailerhood.

"My neighbor Carl, he lives next door. Pink flamingos on his porch. At night he teaches driving school. And he sits out by his plastic pool. He takes off his shirt, he opens up a cold one. Ol' Carl Dean's a fool, but it takes one to know one.

Music's playing up and down the block. Mostly Christian, blues, country, folk and southern rock.
It's a little piece of paradise way out here in the woods. There's always something going on down in the trailerhood.
I got her made in the shade with the moonshine lemonade. There's a party going on down in the trailerhood!"

The suggestion to try the punch gets a nod from Alisha. She'll go to do that just that. Cup in hand and looking around for people she knows at least a little bit. Then heading over in Lyric's and Ico's direction.

Waving to Lyric as she approaches. But seems she's doing some singing. Parking herself to the side and at least able to appreciate the song. A nod given to Ico, as she squints trying to place if she has seen him before.

Justin laughs a little at that and says to Dahlia, "Could you see Hyacinth tromping around the woods in her heels where dirt might touch her that she did not authorize? Nope, flyin' solo tonight. You hiding Declan around here somewhere?" His nose is still bruised a bit, but the bruises under his eyes have faded quite a bit. He'll still need makeup to hide it for filming. He laughs at Easton's question and says, "Doesn't hurt anymore. And didn't break it. So, I suppose good as can be expected." He returns the hug and gives Easton a slap on the back, "Nice blaze you got going." He nods to the bonfire.

Bennie hums a little note as she's kissed on the cheek by Easton, "This rugged outdoorsman thing is really doing it for me. I hope you posted warning signs around our tent." She's smirking at the very appropriate song chosen by Lyric as she steps down off her 'throne', going to transfer that smooch to Tor's cheek - and of course steal one of those slices. "Tor, have you met Justin? Justin, Tor's from my neighborhood, Tor, Justin's from Easton's. And a movie star." She adds the last little bit in a stage whisper as she takes a bite of her prosciutto and pear, groaning in obscene pleasure to Easton, "Babe, you've got to try this."

Dahlia giggled again. "Nah, not at all." At the question of Justin she shook her head. "Nope. The job he was working ran late and he's just going to take it easy. So I'm flyin' solo too." She gives Easton a grin as well. "Yeah, looks real good. I haven't been around a proper bonfire in ages." A look towards Justin, "You want anything to drink? I'm going to try some of that punch." And after he gave his answer either way, Dahlia makes her way over to the table where the drinks are so she can get herself a red solo cup of punch and whatever Justin might have wanted.

"That's Doctor Pizza Boy, to you," says Tor in response to Easton's greeting. Then he adds, "Esquire." He returns to setting out the pizza, then trots back to his car for a cooler and a bag with plates and napkins that he sets nearby. Then he's opening his cooler and pulling out a beer. He looks over, eyes Justin, and it takes him a moment to place him. Then he upnods. "Blazing comes later on." And he doesn't mean the bonfire. "We met recently," he says to Bennie, jostling her companionably after the cheek-kiss. "In the old west."

Ico does added some drum beats to any plank or similar that he can, giving some atmosphere to the song. Well, unless he is called over to help out with other things. Giving a nod of his head to Alisha as she comes closer, "Hey." She might have seen him in passing, or at the platinum if she has been there, but the fellow doesn't seem to recognize Alisha right away either, so they probably haven't talked at least. The chorus of the song Ico probably help some with backup song. Probably just unable to help himself rather than anything.

Easton is dressed 'rugged' in the sense that he has a flannel shirt on over a gray tank top and slightly lighter than usual jeans over his boots. He grins at Bennie and says, "I think most people here know us well enough to give that a wide... wide berth." Beaston is not subtle. At all. "Doctor Pizza Boy." Easton corrects himself, "Would that be like a pharmacist type thing?" He asks with interest but doesn't press.

Justin gets a thump on the shoulder and a "There ya go. 'sides, it was a good ride!" The talk of the old west between Tor and Justing gets a quirked eyebrow. "Huh.. well I don't see any bullet holes, so that's good." He shakes his head but doesn't ask for more details. Especially when Bennie's offering food, actual food not meal prepped paleo nonsense or specially formulated smoothies. He accepts it gratefully and finds a camp chair to occupy and enjoy the beer and pizza for a moment.

Lyric upnods as Alisha approaches and continues to play the song, but she introduces the two first. "Alisha, this is Ico, we all went to school together, mostly. He was in class with Park and Scott also." That said, she finishes off the song.

"New tattoos and farmer tans, Rodeo and NASCAR fans. Seattle Seahawks football on t.v! When the storm starts getting bad
You hear those sirens humming Grab a six pack and a lawn chair, there's a tornado coming.
Music's playing up and down the block. Mostly Christian, blues, country, folk and southern rock.
It's a little piece of paradise way out here in the woods, there's a party going on down in the trailerhood!"

Of course she added the Seatlle Seahawks instead of the Dallas Cowboys like the real song went, but hey, it fit. She finishes, winding down the music then puts her guitar down beside her, propping it against the log. "I'm glad you came," she tells Alisha.

Geoff's truck pulls up to release Geoff and Harper to the celebration that's ramping up in the woods. Geoff is in his usual: jeans, boots, and band tee. Harper is wearing a pair of hiking boots, some army-green shorts, a brown leather belt, and a grey tee shirt. Her dark hair is held back by a tied, rolled, blue bandanna. After greeting Bennie, Geoff heads off to set up a couple of chairs before he moves on to admire the pyre-preparation. Harper drops off several dishes where the food is set out. The bottle of Jack stays in her bag which is dropped by the chairs Geoff set up within a comfortable distance of where the expansive bonfire will be.

Pulling a wrapped gift out of her bag, Harper heads over to the birthday girl and slides the gift somewhere out of the way but not where it will be left and forgotten. "Happy Birthday, Sunshine," she sing-songs. She glances up toward the strung lights. "I like what you've done with the place." The place would be nature. Bennie is omnipotent as far as the librarian is concerned. She air-kisses the birthday girl then turns around to punch Easton in the arm as he walks by. Harper then meanders over to Justin to examine his bruised nose, commenting to the man. "I hope you're telling people you won the fight." To Tor: "Hi, Tor. We met at your Resolution Burning ceremony. Harper."

"Ah, too bad. Tell him I said hey?" Justin says when Dahlia explains that Declan's taking it easy. "And sure, I'll have some punch." He then turns his attention toward Bennie once more and Tor standing next to her. He recognizes him after a moment and then says, "Yeah, actually.. we've met. How's it going?" He shakes his head at Bennie though for the stage whisper, and just smiles a little bit amusedly. "It /was/ a good ride." Then he smirks at Easton and says, "I'm a better shot than that."

"Hell yeah, man. I don't come to a party empty-handed," says Tor to Easton. And he doesn't consider arriving with pizza to be arriving bearing gifts. That's just sort of expected when your family owns a pizza joint. Nimble fingers produce a silver cigarette case that probably doesn't contain cigarettes of the normal variety. But it's spirited away. "Later." He lifts brows at Harper, then fingersnaps. "Right. So we can only talk at parties where things get burned. Noted." He grabs a slice of the prosciutto and pear pizza for himself, then pats himself down. "No holes in me. I did come back smelling like horse though."

Alisha probably has seen him around, not where she is recalling him from though. Ah it clicks into place "Hi. I think we went to school together?" she isn't entirely sure as she speaks to Ico. Everyone changed some much since those days. And well Lyric confirms it. "Oh right, right your Ico. Good to meet you. again. I've heard some good things about you." Still standing to the side until they are finished with the song.

Giving Lyric a smile while she downs some of the strong drink. "I am too. The birthday girl seems very swamped so figured come say hi. See how you've been. No more emergencies with the neighbors or anything else?"

"Of course. Same to Hya., yeah?

Dahlia returns not too long after, handing Justin is cup of punch and taking a long sip of her own. "Oh, shit this is good." She agreed. "Hey there -I'm Dahlia. 'Is offered up to Tor since he seems to know Justin. She swayed a little bit with the music that was thrumming. Not totally her musical taste but it was suitable for the locale and the music. Over all though, for now she seems content to let the music flow through her, sip her drink, and just enjoy the energy and atmosphere.

There is a nod from Ico as Lyric introduces him, "Indeed. Nice to meet you, or well, meet you again?" Since it does sound like they probably has meet in school. As both Lyric and Alisha suggests. "Oh?" Looking to Lyric, "Her or someone else?" He asks with a soft chuckle. "It is nice to meet again, Alisha. Always fun to meet people you went to school with." He offers in turn. "We've had issues with the neighbors." Yup, Ico is oblivious to most things. Leaning back a little to be comfortable. Anyone looking their way will get a smile and nod.

A big, shimmery-orange Tacoma pickup rumbles up to park next to the other cars. Itzhak swings out of it, grabbing his glossy cherry red violin case from the passenger seat. (He's wearing a t-shirt that reads 'RELAX! The fiddler is here'.) There's a lot of people! He scans around to find Bennie, and winds through the crowd to her to offer her a hug and a, "Happy birthday, Benushka."

"That'sWhatSheSaid." Bennie blurts out at Justin's comment about it being a 'good ride' which in turn has her laughing as she accepts and returns the air kiss from Harper, her eyes twinkling with mischief as she sees that present, but is a good girl and doesn't start ripping open paper. Yet. "So glad you came!" Instead she finds herself a seat - in Easton's lap of course - and continues to share her slice with him. "Ooh, is Justin's new movie a Western?" No, Bennie doesn't realize Tor and Justin mean they met in a dream. Leaning up into Itzhak's hug she squeezes him tightly, "Thaaaank you! There's punch, and pizza, and grilled meats and bear and cavorting in the woods. Help yourself!"

"Apparently," Harper agrees with Tor. "We'll just have to make sure things burn on a regular basis. It seems like a simple solution." She considers the designer pizza slice Tor is eating. "Arugula on pizza. I think I forgot my fancy tee shirt." She sounds more intrigued than derogatory. Harper glances over at Lyric with a smile of recognition. The woman was playing at the western shindig not so long ago. Then Itzak arrives. The party clearly can officially begin. There will be cavorting.

Easton gives Geoff an 'appropriate' greeting of a big hug while gripping his butt and lifting him off the ground before tossing his empty in the bin and eyeing the punch. He lets that feeling pass and grabs another beer. He's back in his seat in time to let Bennie claim his lap as his own. He laughs at Bennie's comment, "No, pretty sure that was a veil thing?" He also manages to slap Itzhak's ass in the process of Bennie hugging him. "Sugar bear!" He calls out happily. Clearly Easton did not wait to finish the bonfire before starting to drink. He vaguely recognizes Ico from fight night and Alisha from the drinking contest and gives them the vague nod for someone you kind of know. But the night is young.

"Tor," says the be-vested pizza boy to Dahlia. He folds his pizza slice over and chomps on it, and then responds to Harper with food in his mouth, "I brought lots of boring pizza too if that's your jam." He slurps back a big mouthful of the cheap beer. Gotta get the party going. After swallowing the bite of food he lifts a hand to Itzhak. "Yo, string bean." And then, after his pizza slice is finished, he goes for some of that punch. Might as well start the evening off right and double fist.

"Everyone did change. I realized how much the other day. I was in a dream where I was in high school again. It was crazy." Lyric tells Alisha and Ico. With the guitar aside, she reaches for her beer and takes a drink of it, "We got lots of food to grill if you get hungry," the last there offered to Alisha. "Ico's a pretty good cook." To Ico though, she offers, "Do you want a beer or something stronger?" Because drunk was always better.

Seeing Itzhak arrive, Lyric lifts a hand in greeting, but she doesn't interrupt as he greets Bennie.

Noticing Harper, Lyric beams a smile her way, "Hi!"

Itzhak smooches Bennie on the cheek and offers her her birthday present: a bottle of nail polish, bright gold-red shimmer. "Use it in good health." Easton hugs him, he hugs him back, and yelps a startled laugh when Easton slaps his ass. "God damn Marshall, ya flirt!" Easton gets a smooch on the cheek too. "Hey, Lyric! And, uh, wow, everybody. Dang, this is a big party."

Alisha chuckles "Yeah I guess it is meet again. Not that I really talked to many people back then." she shakes her head as Ico looks to Lyric "Mee mostly. Heard about the band from both of them though. You guys play some good music, not my usual fare. Still good." giving him a smile as well "It is. Still feels like forever ago. Aside from the band what have you been up to Ico?" she has heard a little, still it's only polite to ask. At least she assumes so.

"Really? Geez I wouldn't even want to dream about those days again. Was it a good dream?" she says before finishing the rest of her cup. "Oh you both have to try the punch. Tasty and packs a kick. I'm fine as fair food goes." looking back to Ico at the comment of being a good cook "Really? I might be talked into trying some. Oh, if either of you want some I brought some beers and whiskey. Though seriously the punch is great."

"Nice to meetcha Tor. Punch is great." Dahlia recommends, taking another sip of said drink. She flashes a grin towards Itzhak, giving him a wave when she spots the man. "How you been Itzhak?" She asked, hips moving a little more in time with the music, singing a verse here and there.

Ico will wave to Itzhak as well. Then nodding to Lyric, "I think I could do with a beer, perhaps go boilermaker to catch up to you." He teases. As for him as a cook, he shrugs. "I'm decent. " Harper's look their way has him nodding and smiling to her, but not knowing her. Not right off the bat at least. Looking to Alisha about what he has been up to. "Mainly writing music and working." He admits. There is probably a pile of discarded lyrics back home somewhere. "Sound like an interesting dream, if nothing else. Nothing too bad?" Shifting some, in case people want him to do some grilling.

"I have a big family!" Bennie says to the size of the party after Itzhak mentions it. Point of fact, she has zero actual remaining relatives that she's aware of, but you know what they say, you can take the girl out of Huckleberry, but you can't take the Huckleberry out of the girl. Admiring the nail polish, she likewise shows it to Easton, "Matching pedicures later?" His only take half as long.

"Hi, music-girl-whose-name-I-don't-know," Harper calls over to Lyric as she is greeted so friendly like. Ico's smile is returned. Harper just greets Itzhak across the space, "Looking fine, Rosencrantz." Harper turns her attention back Justin. "So the fight. You're telling people you won, right?"

Justin chuckles at Harper when she examines his nose and says, "Sure, if by winning you mean attempting to take down a mechanical bull with my face." He then nods to Dahlia when she returns with the punch and says, "Sure. I'll tell her that you said hello." He takes a sip from the punch and watches people come and go and talk around them. He gives Dahlia a little nudge with his elbow and says "Dance with me later when I'm drunker?" He flashes her a grin. "Nope," he says to Bennie. "The new flick is a crime mystery thing."

"Lyric!" Easton calls in response to Harper's greeting and he loudly calls, "Which by the way, thank you two for absolutely killing it at the bar the other night. Really, it wouldn't have been the same without you." He says this to Lyric and Itzhak, having never really gotten around to properly thanking them for playing the other night. He agrees with Bennie, "Yea you do." for once not yelling though, just saying it quietly, almost to himself. He then grins and asks, "Red? I thought I was a Winter?" Not that he's really going to put up much of a fight on this one. He then calls out to Justin, "Can I just tell you how badly I wanted to shoot someone in a Dream and that never seems to work out for me? It's weird that I'm jealous. Right?... Yea, that's weird." "

"Buddy over here was hesitating shooting the Dream constructs. I told him I'd haunt his damned ass if he let me get shot instead of shooting the head off a pretend cowboy," says Tor as he nods towards Justin. He swallows a mouthful of the punch, shrugs, swallows more of it. Gotta get the party properly started. What's the point in going slow? He pulls out a cigarette and drops to sit on his cooler. Who needs a chair?

Dahlia laughed, returning the nudge. "'Course. Always got a dance for you Justin." She grinned. "The movie's going to be great. This town's the perfect backdrop with all the shit that goes on. Maybe they'll even spin it off into a series." She mused, knocking back the rest of her drink as she listened closely and curiously to this Western Dream talk. Thankful that she hasn't been pulled into any crazy shit recently. She looks to Easton curiously. "How many opportunities have you had that didn't work out?"

Harper knows how Justin got bruised. She was there with front-row seats. So his forthwith-ness earns him a quizzical bit of a smile. "If you're going to tell the truth you've at least got to crazy it up a little. Add some danger. A damsel or man-sel, whatever you prefer, and a dangerous bet. Or some underworld debt with everything to lose." She glances up and over to Easton and back to Lyric. "Hi, Lyric," she amends with a little grin. "Nice to meet you."

"Pretty damn weird." Bennie agrees with Easton, though there's only fondness to it, as she scratches his beard lightly with her nails. She polishes off the last of her punch, and though few would ever need refills on a drink that strong so quickly, it's her birthday. She's allowed to get Trailer Trash drunk at her own Trailer Trash party. "I need a refill!" And like the true Diva she never is, she hoists her empty above her head and gives it a waggle for someone else to do the honors.

"Well if we end up in one together and there's shooting to do, I'll happily let you have the first shot, man," Justin says to Easton. Then he sighs at Tor and says, "Look, I wasn't going to let you get shot. And I didn't, did I? You're welcome." He then tells Bennie, "Dahl's got a part in it, too. We're finally getting to do a project together. It's going to be a blast." He then tells Dahlia, "Mom got in town yesterday. She wants to do dinner with us before the end of the week if you've got some time." He shakes his head at Harper and laughs. "Mansel? Is that even a thing?"

Itzhak fingerguns at Harper. "Same to you," he calls, grinning like the ridiculous asshole he is, and getting a little red. "That's Lyric," he explains to Harper, kinda too late, "she's the guitarist, and that's Ico, he's the drummer. Hi, Dahlia." She gets a grin too, and further reddening. Easton's thanks gets him another thwap on the back. "Hey, anytime."

"Hells yea Dr. Pizza." Ooh, someone lost the boy suffix. Easton nods at Tor and barely manages not to give a 'hoorah' at the sentiment, though it's clear he wants to. He adds, "The only way out is through." Okay once Dahlia challenges him on it Easton realizes that he has gotten to shoot someone in a dream. The junkyard one. "A few.. but usually guns are ineffective in there which is just bullshit." He looks at Dahlia, pretty sure he's met her before, "Easton. By the way." There's a good chance he was really drunk when they met so while he's at least only somewhat buzzed he might as well introduce himself properly. "Oh fuck if there is a mansel, Justin I got bad news, you are so fuckin' it." He grimaces and explains, "It's the pretty face." complete with hand motion indicating his own face.

"I just made it a thing," Harper assures Justin, then heads over to grab Bennie's cup. "Punch, right?" She takes it over to refill, then returns it to Bennie. "Hi, Ico-the-drummer." The librarian looks to Dahlia as the woman is named and makes a little mental note. "Drink up, girly." This to Bennie. She starts laughing as Easton calls Justin a mansel. See? It is a thing.

Lyric opens the ice chest and tells him, "Help yourself," a grin to Ico. Alisha gets a nod of agreement before she finishes off her beer and reaches for another one since the ice chest was opened already. Bottles, not cans. A flash of a grin to Itzhak before she turns it on Easton, "Thanks for lettin' us, we had so much fun. Well, I know I did, I think Itzhak did too."

Lyric offers her name to Harper, "Lyric, lived in the trailer park forever." Laughing a little as Harper amends her former greeting. "Nice meetin' you too."

"I can definitely make some time." Dahlia assured Justin. "After all, she's the one that made this happen. And it's been a while since I've gotten to see. It'll be nice." She mused. Dahlia laughs as Easton answers her question. "Probably the point yeah? They liket to screw you and not in the fun way." Dahlia grins. "Dahlia, Nice to meetcha." She offers and the friendly smile is given towards Harper as well. "What was your name again?"

To Itzhak, she gives a wink. 'When are you and Javier going to come by Platinum and see me, hm?" Teasing a bit, because it was fun to see him blush.

"You know what this Doctor doesn't prescribe? Cold pizza. So eat the damned stuff before it starts to get shitty and then you give us a bad review." Tor sounds a little bitter. Might be because of people doing exactly that. "Hot pizza, good. Cold pizza, good. Lukewarm pizza? Sadness." It seems he's going to leave Justin alone for the moment about the shooting thing. He also chugs the rest of his punch and goes back to his beer. He couldn't predrink because he drove here. He's got to make up the lost time and catch up to...uh, someone?

"Huh? Well decent is still better than my skills. Maybe some food to mix in with booze isn't a horrible idea. If you are up to it." Alisha comments. A grin at the work "I heard you do some work at the Cabaret? I didn't know they had male dancers. I might have to go there more often." she winks at him. Going quickly to grab her cooler and returning. Opening to grab a beer gulping it down half of it. Well on her way to a good time and leaves the cooler open if other's want any. Cause hey double the booze is better right.

With the calling to those around her she looks over in Harpers direction. Giving a nod of greeting from the distance to not be too rude.

Justin takes a long drink of his punch and then clutches the cup to his chest, "Oh, Easton. Will you /rescue/ me?" He flutters his eyelashes just a bit, too, for effect, then flips him off -- affectionately. "You.. enough out of you," he tells Harper, but he can't keep a straight face, and laughs a little as well. "That's Harper," he tells Dahlia. "Harper, this is Dahlia." Then he glances toward the pizza. "Want some?" he asks Dahlia. Apparently he's going to go grab some, for both of them if she wants some too.

Harper is an honorary trailer-park girl if Geoff's trailer counts. Which it totally does. "You give great tunes," she tells Lyric, clearly happy to have cross-crowd conversations. "When do we get a fire, Easton? I have a reputation to maintain. And you need to practice losing graciously." She regards the man serving as Bennie's bearded throne for the moment. Harper pivots to smile at Dahlia, not having dived into the punch herself just yet. "Harper Price. It's a pleasure, Dahlia. How do you know Bennie?" She's shut down by Justin and mocks a bit of a frown at him. "I have only begun to mansel. You and your nose will have to deal with it."

Ico offers another nod at the introduction from Itzhak, "Pleasure to meet you." Offered to Harper, and anyone else listening. Moving to grab something to drink. More or less draining a beer with whiskey before taking it a bit easy. Nodding about food and will move to grill for anyone wanting food. "Give me a moment and we should have something at least." Taking another swig of his beer.

Itzhak finished the night of that party having lost his shirt, conquered the Thunder Down Under, and sung some raunchy as hell songs. This party is not yet written in the annals of history. "Uh, possibly never," he says to Dahlia, in a sort of embarrassed honesty. He needs to be drunker to cope with all this.

Well, Dahlia won't turn down pizza. "Sure, I'll take a slice. Surprise me." She's not too picky. A snicker as Harper teased Justin. "I grew up in Huckleberry, so I seen her around." She explains to the librarian. "Also she won a stage dance on the Cabaret's opening night I think it was? I had the pleasure of dancing around her with the other girls." She laughed.

There was a curious look towards Itzhak. "Aww, I'm sorry to hear that." And she'll leave it at that, because - as she continually has to remind herself now and then. Javier's business isn't her business anymore and she shouldn't be prying. "Are you gonna play your fiddle tonight?" Switching gears easily enough as she downs more punch.

"Ooh thanks, you're a peach." Bennie says to Harper as her drink is refreshed, and she doesn't have to be told twice to drink it. The punch goes down WAY too easily. After a few gulps, she's back on her feet, "Play me a tune, Itzhak! I wanna DANCE." Not that the blonde needs the music, as she's already twirling about underneath the twinkle lights. "Let's light up the bonfire and the joints, and toast the end of my twenties in style!" Because this is 'style' to Bennie, being surrounded by people she adores in the wilderness with cheap beer and good music. Who needs champagne and fancy foods when you have this?

Easton's eyebrows raise ever so slightly when Dahlia mentions coming to see her at the platinum. It's clearly recognition dawning on his face. He lets out a soft, "Oh." He thinks about it for a second and adds, "Big fan of your work, by the way." And then he glances at Harper and says, "I am sadly occupied, but my hubby can probably light it up?" He looks over his shoulder, or at least tries to and calls, "Turner? Burner?" Not that he can actually see where Geoff went off to, but a few minutes later the bonfire is lit and starts to grow, slowly, in control. "Harps, would you mind grabbing me a punch at some point?" His second beer is gone and it's a party and.. well it's Easton.

Easton adds to Justin, "Sorry we talked about this. I like 'em a bit rougher around the edges pretty boy. But I'm sure some badass independent woman would love to save you."

Tor finishes Beer 1, and goes for Punch 2, to be accompanied by Beer 2 in just a moment. But he's going to do the thing where you just kind of stare at the fire as it crackles to life. Better than TV. Well. Not...not really, but still fun. He runs fingers back through his hair. "All right. If we're getting to the blazin'." The cigarette case comes out again. He starts a fat joint, takes a pull from it to get the ember going, then offers the first real hit to Bennie. "Blow in your candle, madam."

A stage dance? Harper glances from Dahlia to Bennie, brows tipping upward. "Well, that's not interesting at all. Was clothing removed?" This is asked of Bennie. Say it is so. She watches after Bennie with a warm but thoughtful expression. Easton asks for punch delivery, also. Harper happily retrieves him a solo cup full of the dangerously potent punch. "Why do I feel like I'm aiding and abetting?" The cup is pushed into the man's hand.

Itzhak can't be relied upon to say ANYTHING politely, apparently, which he realizes when Dahlia gives him that look. "I mean! Not because of you," he says, hastily, eyebrows popping up, sort of patting the air at her. "I didn't mean anything--like--you're a gorgeous girl and--" whoo the reddening is happening. "Not that, I didn't mean, I... I'm just...a fuckin' disaster," he concludes in a mutter. Then Bennie gives him a great reason to start getting out his violin and possibly escape his own failures.

So, it's the first time he's really been out in any kind of gathering since that encounter with Megan, and he's begun to recover. But....it's only slowly. Which means that to those who Glimmer and have met him previously, there's something desperately wrong-looking about Joe Cavanaugh.

He's faded - never a bright light or a power the way Itzhak or Ruiz are, but even the amount of Glimmer he's had is gone, worn down to a few shimmering threads.

Oh, he seems healthy enough - hands steady on the grips of that rattletrap Russian sidecar rig he rides, color decent. Not wobbling as he swings off the saddle....but it's still just odd. He takes his time getting his contributions to the bacchanal out of the sidecar - different packs of local cider, it looks like. And then he's looking around, presumably in search of Itzhak, for that's the direction he heads.

Alisha finishing her beer and grabs herself a bottle of whiskey, tossing the empty bottle in the cooler. With total class drinking right from the bottle. Going up behind Ico when he starts to grill. "I've changed my mind. I could go for something hot." before speaking quietly to him. With the sound and crowd not too hard.

Justin does not argue with Harper over what he and his nose will have to deal with. He gives Harper a little amused smile and shakes his head and then goes off to retrieve some pizza for both he and Dahlia, coming back with a slice for each of them and letting her take her pick from which one she wants. He's not terribly picky, either. He can't help but chuckle at Easton, "Yeah, yeah, I know. Always breakin' my heart." He puts a hand over his heart in mock heartbreak.

"Oh, thanks! It was a lot of fun." Dahlia laughed at Easton's comment. To Harper, "Well, not from Bennie. Only some of us girls." She explained. "Thank youuu." She picks up one of the pieces that Justin offers and takes a bite. "Mm, fuck this is delicious." She muttered. Also probably realizing she hasn't eaten since breakfast.

Dahlia's eyes widen a bit when Itzhak start's rambling and maybe blushed a little herself as she swallowed her pizza. "Oh I wasn't, uh, assumin'. It's okay, really." She tries to reassure the man and is also perhaps relieved when Bennie shouts about the fiddle. She takes another bite of the pizza, looking back toward the group. "Ya'll should come to the next amateur night we do. It's always so fun."

Bennie stops in her twirling long enough to take the joint from Tor. "Normally I do my smoking in a bathtub." She says off-handedly, but this is a Special Occasion, dammit, and so she's taking a long hit until the paper flares brilliant red, and she's letting it out in a coughing haze of laughter at the comment from Harper about the Cabaret. "Not on stage. But Easton and I put the bathroom stall to good use, and I probably lost a shirt or a shoe temporarily in the transaction.

"Am I watching you dance or dancing with you in this scenario?" Easton asks of Bennie, taking a big healthy gulp of punch in case it's the latter. He laughs and blows a kiss to Justin over the mansel's heartbreak. He looks around Bennie to see Joe joining the party and he narrows his eyes in confusion, trying to figure out what 'feels' off about him. Are vibes a thing? He laughs at Itzhak's stumbling over the right thing to say and agrees, "Yup" that he is in fact a disaster. At the part about Bennie keeping her clothes on, Easton cocks his head, "That doesn't sound right." But then Bennie fills in the details and he nods, "Oh right.. yea I guess it was a private dance." He holds out his fingers for the join and takes a puff before handing it back to the birthday girl, seated in his lap.

Harper lifts her hands to her hips to give Bennie a full-force Look. "Tell me something I don't know, Sunshine." She upnods with a little smile in Alisha's direction. Joseph's arrival earns her attention and the smile fades just a little, still there, but thoughtful. "What? No slow motion?" she's addressing the faded man. "And the heroic glint is definitely missing."

Lucas rolls up in his own pickup backing in to the area and moving around the bed to open it up, pulling out a couple coolers and setting them down at the foot of his truck. He smiles and waves in the direction of Bennie as he does. He is dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, for once its not a department issue one, which seems most of the time to be all he wears, but instead a simple white shirt with a large yellow happy face on the front, a small bleeding red dot directly between the eyes.

"Up yours Marshall, who asked you! Pass that shit over." Itzhak bitches Easton out and demands a turn at the joint simultaneously. He's talented. When Joe shows up, Itzhak glances over at him with a quirked, crooked smile. "Hey Cavanaugh. Any requests?" He asks Bennie that while he works on tuning his fiddle.

"Thanks!" Lyric shoots right back to Harper. "Glad you like it. Maybe Itzhak should play something too!" Giving Itzhak a look when she says it, accompanied by a grin. Her attention goes back to Ico and Alisha and she smiles at the flirting. It's how she interprets it anyway! There's a look of encouragement thrown their way as she goes to work on her next beer.

Seeing as Joint Number 1 is making the rounds (and it's a big party) Tor lights up Joint Number 2 and takes a big pull of it himself. He steps up beside Itzhak and nudges him. "Let the birthday girl bogart. Here." He follows it with another few quick swallows from the Punch of Doom. Annnd he'll wait a moment to let all of those substances hit him before he consumes more. But only a moment.

Ico does whistle to try and cheer Itzhak on, as he seem ready to play some music. Getting the grill going as he continues to drink while trying to put some things onto the grill. Probably burgers or similar, corn on the cob and onions might be readily available as well. Smiling to Alisha as well, "Got something coming." He assures her, clearing his throat some at the whispered words. Nodding a bit. Along with a grin. "Burger?" He asks with amusement. Saying something to her in return in a low voice. Drinking from his beer. Smirking over at Lyric as well, noticing her look.

Itzhak gets an upnod and a lazy little half-smile, as Joe deposits the cider where-ever seems most likely to get it distributed - though not without snagging and popping a can open. Then he's lighting up one of those ridiculous black and gold cigarettes as he finds somewhere to stand and listen to Itzhak. Harper gets a faintly amused look, and he notes, "Still payin' off a li'l deal I made with a local devil. Looks like it's gonna take a bit for the bill to clear."

"I'm okay if you just wanna watch, Marine." Bennie says with an impish look to her grin as he steals the joint and then passes it back. Her little hop-skip around the edge of the bonfire draws her near Joseph, and she's going to try to tuck the joint into the near-stranger's lips as if they were Best Friends, giving him a little kiss on the cheek before she spies the wave from Lucas. "Loooooocas! Everyone, this is Firefighter Lucas. Mister July in the FD calendar because he is so HOT." To Itzhak? "Play me something Hill Billy Happy."

"Rosencrantz should always play something," Harper agrees roundabout with Lyric. When Geoff returns from lighting the bonfire she crooks a finger at him with a playful little smile. When he's close enough to lean into she points people out. "You remember Justin from our torture dungeon night. That's Lyric and Ico. Alisha. Rosencrantz you met at the hoe-down." The one with the fiddle. "Tor you know from the 'hood, too. But I don't know if you ever called him for pizza." There was a plan there? She points to Joseph. "That's Joe. I was telling you about him and his helmet." She turns and points at Easton who is too close to point at. "Your husband is drinking punch. And Bennie is about to dance for us."

Eventually Joint 2 found it's way to Dahlia and she took a hit off it before passing it along to the next person who might want it. Her attention flits curiously over towards Lucas as Bennie calls him out. "Oh, no shit. I went to school with him. Kinda." She laughs. Though...that's true for most everyone currently in these woods. She waves towards Lucas in greeting - no idea if he remembers her or not since she was a couple years ahead of him . She finishes off the slice of pizza and looks up towards Justin. "You drunk enough yet?" Teasing some as she finished off her second cup of Punch. Definitely feeling it.

Geoff comes back from standing by the campfire and brushing off his hands, his eyebrows intact and a goofy grin still on his face. Slipping an arm about her waist he looks between her and Easton "So what'd I miss? Any hot gossip? Trying to decide on where I'm going to tattoo Easton?" An eyebrow arching up as if surely /this/ must be what is going on

Lucas crosses to Bennie and gives her a bear hug, "Happy Birthday Ben" He smiles, "I brought Smoked Sausage and beer...in case you didn't have enough"

Well, if that isn't service - he's got a drink and a cigarette and now a hit off a joint. As Bennie comes around and offers it to him, Joe bows his head to take it and take a hit, before passing it back. The kiss makes him smile; he smells like tobacco smoke and soap and that subtle, oceanic aftershave he wears. "Hey there, sugar," he says, amiably. "You the birthday girl, huh? Many happy returns. And thank you." Then he's turning that blue gaze on Geoff - apparently that's piqued his interest. "You do tattoos?" he wonders. Clearly, he likes him some ink, by what's on display on his arms.

Justin takes a hit from whatever joint Dahlia happens to be passing around, and then passes it on, having finished off his pizza and a second drink. He laughs at the question and then slips an arm around her waist. "Sure. Are you?" he asks.

"Same to you buddy!" Easton rejoinders to Itzhak and lifts his cup of punch with a smile. He looks at Joe and then at Harper, and quirks an eyebrow. He doesn't ask though, just nods and says, "Cavanaugh. Nice to see you outside a bar for once." It's not really a dig considering he's a bartender, and frequent bar patron himself. He grins at Bennie and says, "For now I'll play spectator." Adding an echoed "For now" that sounds a little bit like a threat. He looks at Harper when she calls out his punch drinking, "She gave it to me." Look, if she's tattling then so is he. And at Bennie's talk of Lucas, he tilts his head, "Babe, your taste in men... questionable. He's cute but.." he hand wobbles.

"My new bullets are sick Geoff and as much as I want the sleeve, I think it's time we tackle stumpy."

"Hey, Tor, right?" Itzhak says to the guy in question, while rosining and tightening his bow. "I remember your name. Thanks, pal." He takes the joint, pulls a niiiice long deep draw off it, holds it--then exhales a plume of heavy smoke. "Aww yeah. That's the shit." He offers it to Joe, hears Harper praising his name and looks over at her with a lazy smirk. "I like you," he informs her. Then he sets his fiddle under his chin with a practiced little flip of his sinewy wrist. The song is chipper and lively, the kind of bluegrass that wants people to dance.

Alisha keeps half and eye on the rest of the crowd. Looks like everyone is having a good time. Another drink from her bottle and smirking at Ico's clearing of his throat. "I was thinking something a little or a lot longer. But sure a burger works." she says in a amused tone of voice. The smirk not fading at what was said to her. Something said in return.

Looking over to Lyric when she turns her attention their why. Smirking turning into a smile. "You know I really have to make a Karaoke night one of these days. When I have the night off. I keep missing hearing you sing."

"I know it's questionable. I chose you, after all." Bennie sing-songs back to Easton, though she's smiling at Joseph and patting his cheek. "Thanks, I don't look a day over twenty nine. Even though technically it's been several days, but! Hi!" She then gets caught up by Lucas and returns the hug with a laugh. "A girl can never have too much sausage!"

"Just spreading the party favours," says Tor to Itzhak. Then he's stepping away from the fiddler so he's not in the way of a...jamboree? Hodown? What's the technical term? There may now be one in the PNW. He's also not drunk enough to dance yet, though he does let out a sharp whistle in encouragement.

Dahlia laughed with Justin, "Definitely. That punch is strong." She led him just a few steps off from the others - just in case they might be too drunk (unlikely but, you know, just to be safe - don't want to be crashing in to people!) and then looped her arms around his neck - cup still in hand for now. Moving with the lively fiddle music.

Harper leans her back into Geoff's chest, looking to Lucas as he asks Geoff about tattoos. She laughs, eyes sparkling at his question. "Did Michelangelo do a little doodling on the ceiling of a chapel somewhere?" She then adds, "He totally does tattoos." A sidelong glance is flickered to Easton. "I absolutely gave it to you. And don't you forget it." Tackling stumpy? Harper twists to look up and back at Geoff to see his response to Easton's statement. Clearly Itzhak isn't out of her line of sight because his simple statement isn't missed. The librarian flickers a playful look Itzhak's direction, "Good thing. Otherwise me following you around and fangirling might be considered a problem. A stalkery problem." Yes. Somewhere in all that conversation, Harper hears the inevitable statement from the birthday girl about sausage and shakes her head with an amused expression.

It's a good thing he's already had a hit and some of that cider, for the look that comes into Joe's eyes at that comment about the bar.....it's a whole other kind of not-right. Easton, at least, has likely seen that look in guys strung out in combat, ready to crack. "Yeah," he says, more heavily, to the Marine. "'minds me. I'mma need to talk to you 'bout the Twofer an' someone I think might be kin to you. But not tonight, 's a happy occasion." And he's visibly putting away whatever it is, for later consideration. Bennie's comment makes him grin at her. "You surely don't," he agrees. Like he's not gonna humor the birthday girl. Itzhak passes it to him, and he takes another hit and passes it on, back to Bennie.

Justin follows Dahlia off to the side a little bit that they have room. He's got a pleasant little buzz starting but isn't particularly drunk, but then he never really had to be to dance. He slips his arms around Dahlia's waist and moves with her to the music, moving in close. He steals her cup, though, and takes a sip from it, before returning it to her with a wink.

Geoff 's arms come to wrap loosely about Harper as she leans back against him, the man flashing an easy grin to Lucas "Yeah I do tats." with a dip of his head towards Joe he mentions "Yeah, I actually own the shop here in town." Finger trailing against Harper's side he looks tow Easton with a curious expression "What are we going to be tattooing on your stump? Flame and a shark mouth? Make it look like the sarlacc pit? Maybe a pinup girl?"

Itzhak plays that happy hillbilly music, smirking to himself (he can't help it, that's his violin face), swaying and dipping along with his bowing. The joint comes around and he sneaks another hit off it, barely pausing to do so. You'd think he has a lot of practice getting high and fiddling at the same time. Musicians, right? He seems to be enjoying himself for the moment, at least. Don't ask him to navigate social situations, only fiddle. He glances at Joe, though he doesn't quite understand what's going on with him, his head too full of music and THC.

"Obviously." Easton gives Bennie a grin as she sing-songs about him being a questionable choice at best. He catches the look from Joe and his face goes cold at the talk of his bar and relatives. he's pretty damn sure he knows where that conversation is headed, "Another time. But soon. Sure." His voice suddenly taking on a clipped all-business tone that is from a different time in his life. He takes another gulp of punch as if trying to use it to return to the fun light hearted Easton of a few minutes ago. He wants to follow up with Joe, to find out what happened, to curse his goddamn uncle to hell for the umpteenth time, but now is not the time. He shakes his head and is thankful for Geoff's comment, "Nah, we're going to do a forest skyline I think. But with all kinds of shit lurking in the dark."

Ico just chuckles at the teasing, probably replying some. "Burgers are standard after all." Then to Lyric, "What else did we bring? Any ribs or sausages?" He asks, in case some might not want burgers. "Think we brought some veggie options?" Just trying to confirm, and offered to anyone close to hear, if they want some. Not seeming to mind the back and forth. Looking around some to see what else people are up to. Any music probably has him trying to use anything he can to drum along with one hand. Probably the one holding the spatula, which is let go at times to take a sip of beer. Getting the burgers going and flipping them over after a moment.

Lyric grins at Alisha, "That'd be cool. Just sang though too." A motion to her guitar before she finishes her beer and gets another one, "I'll be back." Meandering off to leave the two of them to their whispered conversation, calling back. "It's all in the ice chest, I'll be back for some food later!" A grin tossed back towards them before she scoots off. She'll be back, her guitar is there!

Dahlia feigns a shocked look as her drink was briefly stolen. "Thief!" She teases, taking the cup back as he returns it to her. She has zero issues invading his personal space, but that's one of the perks of being best friends for practically forever. "He's really good ain't he?" She asks, nodding towards Itzhak and grinning again. "I'm so excited to start filming again. I've sorta missed being in front of a camera." She turns, one arm still loosely around his neck dancing with her back against his torso for a few moments as she took her own sip from the cup.

He smiles, "So anything special on the agenda tonight, or are we just getting smashed, burning things and howling at the moon?"

Tor may or may not have lit yet another joint and is bogarting it alll to himself. Or if anyone has been taking this one from him, it's made its way back to him quite frequently. Because he's quickly getting baked. Enough so that he starts using his cooler as an impromptu drum to tap along to the music.

Bennie gets lost in the music and the dancing for a moment, happily swinging around with some other random party goers from Huckleberry as they prance around the bonfire joyful and carefree. Punch and weed and dancing in the Spring air does a body good. It's not long before the Birthday girl is dragged off to play a game of Cornhole, tossing beanbags at holes cut into sloped planks of wood.

As the music sifts up into the trees and the tiny lights toss random illumination down from them, Harper settles back against Geoff, tapping along with the music with fingertips against one of his forearms. Easton's plan for a spooky-ass treeline sketches interest across the woman's face. His clipped tone sharpens her speculative gaze. She drags her attention away, however, and looks to Joseph. "Do you have a tat planned out, or were you looking for ideas?" She pauses, then murmurs to the muted man, "Want me to get you some punch, Joe?" Punch retrieval is her specialty.

Someone's a lightweight, when it comes to smoking up. Because Joe's already got that faintly sleepy look.....and whatever grim subject he intends to discuss with Easton, he seems to've set it aside for now. Harper's question has him looking over, blinking like an owl....and there's that crescent half-smile, peeking out again. "Yeah," he says, displaying the back of a long hand to her. "I'mma get finger tattoos. There's an old sailor tattoo - Hold Fast. It'll match the style of my other ink." Man, a little dope, a little liquor, and that already languid drawl slows down like molasses in January. "An' if you wanna get me punch, I'd not say no, not at all."

Alisha nods her head "Burgers are a classic. So are hot dogs and the like." before another pull from the bottle. Tapping her feet at the sound of Itzhak's playing, she can at least enough the beat.

"It's a bit different type of singing. With drunk people and odd choices. Alright maybe it's not that different." offering a grin herself. "Alright." giving her a wave and keeping her grin as Lyric heads off.

Justin grins broadly at Dahlia at her gasping for his thievery. He nods in agreement when she motions toward Itzhak, "Yeah, he is. I've heard him once or twice now. Pretty impressive." He lets her twist easily, hands sliding down to her hips as she leans back against him. "Yeah, I'll admit I'm looking forward to it. It's always more fun when you're in the middle of it all. We're going to have a blast."

Itzhak winds up that song, finishing with a flourish and a traditional-shitkicker-style whoop. "Hell yeah!" He laughs, all loosened up with weed and feeling a lot less social anxiety pain. Letting both bow and fiddle swing from one big hand, he steals Joe's cup of punch for a swig. "You're gonna get knuckle ink?" he asks him. "That'll look so hot." Yeah, don't expect much out of him like this.

Lucas digs into his ice chest, pulls out a soda, and then 20 lbs of Keilbasa, he heads toward Ico and the grill, "I come bearing Gifts Grillmaster"

"It's good shit, right?" calls out Tor as he waggles his joint around. "Good shit," he mutters to himself, then gets up just long enough to fish another beer out of his seat-cooler. He's not being super social but that might be because he's bogarted a fat joint mostly to himself and has been drinking the damned punch. He paws back through his hair, fingers getting tangled. He gives it a few tugs, then gives up and leaves a bit sticking up in the back. Eh. It's dark.

Geoff dips his head to Easton "Man that sounds like it'd be pretty amazing, I'm already brimming with ideas. I can't wait to sit down with you on it, unless of course you've got another artist in mind." he shoots a look at Easton that says he better not have another artist in mind." With an easy going laugh his arms curl tighter about Harper "Why Ms.Librarian that's awfully presumptuous of you to assume I'm going to let go so you can go on an urgent diplomatic mission to retrieve punch." With a burst of laughter he asks Joe "So what is it you do man, I don't think we've met before."

Lyric walks over for some of the punch that was offered earlier. The whole red solo cup drink is a thing! She fills it, silently toasts whoever brought it, then moseys back towards her bandmate, a thumbs up offered to Itzhak when she passes him, for his fiddle playing. Joseph gets a nod of greeting, but she doesn't hang around, just heads back towards her own seat on the log she'd claimed earlier.

Easton laughs a little too hard at Geoff's question about having another artist in mind, "Yea, I decided I wanted to get murdered by my husband so I'm cheating on you with another artist." He shakes his head and says, "You are stuck with me Turner, in many different various and sometimes really sad ways." He grins but it is true, Geoff does still have to deal with Easton's drunk ass showing up though it's a far more rare occurrence than it once was. And usually it's planned. Usually. "Harper, you can keep cuddling my man. I'll grab Joe a drink, it only feels right." That and find some proper whiskey somewhere on the grounds. And he does in deed return soon enough with a cup of punch for Joe and a whiskey for himself and a cigarette between his lips.

Ico does put some of the onion on and the burger meat and all. Getting it ready, if wanted adding cheese as well, and sauce. Offering it to Alisha, "Anyone else?" He asks while finishing his beer. "Want to bring some punch?" He suggests, grinning some. If not he will just grab another beer. Glancing to Lyric as she seem to be returning, somewhat. Taking out any other food stuff, if anyone want it, getting some ready in case. "Come by if you're hungry." He assures all.

Harper twists in Geoff's now-tighter hold to whisper up against his ear. She then settles back to look at Joseph, pausing to clap and whistle for Itzhak's music before telling Joe, "I'll have to get you punch when you distract Geoff a little more. Keep talking ink. That'll probably work." She reaches over and catches at Joseph's hand when he shows her his fingers. Likely he didn't intend to be touched. But unless he's quick or balks, Harper's fingers slide around his wrist and her other hand lightly pins his hand facing down so she can visualize what he describes. "So, one image across your fingers? Or multiple little pieces?"

Joe doesn't even wait for Itzhak to burst in - not even for a look from the musician. He holds up a long palm at the fiddler, as if to forestall his comments (or orders), cigarette smoldering between first and second fingers, even as he sets down the bottle of cider and extends his other hand for Geoff to shake. Only it's caught by Harper, not that he seems to mind. "I'm Joe Cavanaugh. I'm mos'ly retired now, but I was in the Navy for more'n twenty five years, an' for about fifteen of those, I was in Houston working for NASA, mostly as a pilot." He managed not to use either the A or S words. To Harper, he explains, "One letter per finger. The way Itzhak there has STAY DOWN. Only, Hold Fast. It's one of the old ones, intended as a good luck charm from the days when sailors worked high above the deck, changing sails. My first duty station after OCS was the last tall ship in the US Navy, the USS Constitution."

Ico does grin at Lucas, along with offering a nod. "Why would you look at that." Chuckling a bit and nodding, helping to get it on the grill and going, if it is offered over. "I'm Ico, by the way." In case Lucas didn't know. "But I like grillmaster." Having a cheerful tone.

"We're gonna cause trouble all over town and now get in trouble for it this time!" Dahlia laughed. She slipped back around, tilting her cup in offering as the song wound down. Relaxing against Justin for a moment with a contented sigh. "This is a great party." She giggled and straightened up some. "More food? Or drink? ...Joint!" She plucks a wandering joint from a passerbys hand to take a deep hit before handing it to Justin as well.

The spit and crackle of wet gravel ground under the tires of an incoming vehicle might be heard from up the road. Headlights wash through the trees, highbeams switched to low once the driver's reasonably clear he's in the right place. Then the truck pulls off behind another parked car, and the ignition's killed. Doesn't take long at all for a sturdy fellow dressed in a ratty hoodie and dark, fitted jeans shoved into scuffed boots to appear. Something's tucked under his jacket, in against his ribs, and a six pack of beer hoisted into each hand before he elbows the door shut.

Spotting a few familiar faces, de la Vega flashes a quick, cursory smile to those he doesn't know as well; and angles toward Itzhak and Joseph on sight. That is, until he spots Dahlia, and does a little double-take. "Hola, cariño," is murmured in passing.

Eventually, Tor wanders off to get stoned some more, or to talk to someone else he knows, or maybe just take a wander into the dark of the woods because yeah that's a real great idea in Gray Harbor. Whatever it is, Doctor Pizza and Giver of Joints seems to have wandered out of sight.

Itzhak does in fact have those words on his knuckles, faded blue. He wrinkles his nose at Joe and his upraised hand, seems about to burst in anyway, when Harper takes Joe's hand. "Fuck's sake, Cavanaugh." Rolling his eyes, he tucks his fiddle under his chin again and starts up another song, just as cheerful and dancing as the last one.

"I never get in trouble," Justin tells Dahlia with a grin that says he means the exact opposite of that, accepting her cup once more as the song winds down, coming to a stop when the song ends. "You're a terrible influence," he murmurs to her, but not until after he takes the joint that she passes to him. Then he glances around the party and says, "Yeah.. this is fun. Glad that I came." There's a glance at Ruiz as he passes by and he gives a little wave when the man greets Dahlia. "That's..." he trails off. He knows who that is.

Lucas nods and smiles at Ico, "I know who you are, we graduated high school together, I say behind you in social studies" He hands over the sausage, "How you been man?"

"Great to meet you man, and thanks for your service." Geoff says in regards to Joe before carrying on about tattoos "Yeah I'm rather familiar with hold fast, you'd want it done traditionally right? After all if you're gonna go for a piece of history like that you might as well pay it homage." Looking down to Harper he asks her "Just how easily distracted do you think I am ?" Looking Joe over thoughtfully he examines what ink the man might have on display, Geoff himself showing a few pieces along his arms.

Dahlia gives Justin a devlish little look. "But you love me anyway." She teases, head tilting as she heard that familiar voice...caught a faint hint of familiar scent. Speak of the goddamn devil huh? "Hola, Javier." She offers back before looking back to Justin with a wry smile. "Yeah. It is. But hey, look at me! I'm not a total hot mess! Well. Not about that anyway." She ponders. A little more thinking out loud since she's tipsy. "And you." She shifts gears, poking at Justin with a teasing grin. "Are lucky I'm not still single. " She grabs up one of his hands to spin herself as the new song starts up.

Lyric gets back to the log but doesn't seat herself immediately. Tugging out vegetables and condiments she starts assembling herself a burger, adding tomatoes and all the good stuff. Mustard and mayo. Then she has a seat with her punch on that log she claimed. "Ico, you gotta try this punch. It'll make your hair curl." She takes a sip then offers it over, grinning when she hears Lucas. "Oh hey, then you know Alisha too. And I'm Lyric, if you remember me."

Ico ahs and nods to Lucas, "Right, sorry. I never really hung out much with people back then." He offers and chuckles. Taking the offered sausage. "Hefty." He jests. "Quite well, how about you?" Laying it on the grill. Unless stopped. Turning towards Lyric. "Mind grabbing me some?" He asks, giving her his best puppy eyes. Letting Lucas say hi to the others from their school days.

Alisha steps back from Ico as Lyric returns and Lucas shows up. She offers the fire fighter a nod of greeting. Probably having seen him around the shared department. Accepting the burger with her free hand and washing it down with more booze. "Thanks and sure some more punch would be great. I'm working on a very good drunk."

She nods to Lyric and that's where else she knows Lucas from "Hey there. Sorry don't remember your name. I wasn't the most social in school." and she has yet to spot her boss showing up. Probably a good thing for her nerves.

Harper might be the only one present who doesn't know who Ruiz is, all almost-introductions at the hoe-down aside. But she's got two handfuls of Joseph right now and a Geoff holding her up. So, for the time being, she is not passing out punch to random people as she might otherwise be doing in Bennie's honor. "Geoff once threatened my fingers with 'Don't Talk'," she offers in reply to 'hold fast'. "I like yours better. Rosy's? I'll have to get the story before I make a decision. I suppose I'd have to take into account the wild and fascinating music those fingers make, but 'stay down' seems quite cautionary." Harper looks up and to the side with a sly smile at Geoff's query about his distractability. "That depends."

"Fuck, no, dude, thank you. US taxpayers are how I got to go to space three times, your tax dollars at work," Odds are excellent he didn't use the F-word that much when actually addressing the average civilian audience. But then, Joe's got both punch and cider in him now - the new cup lifted in mute thanks to Easton. "But yeah, old sailor style." Now the punch cup joins the bottle of cider, as he does the dance of someone displaying ink - the stuff on his forearms was already visible, but he rolls up each sleeve in turn to display the ink on each deltoid. One has an old warship under full sail, with the legend 'USS Constitution' beneath....and the other has the black and white dorsal profile of a Shuttle orbiter, wound with a banner that reads 'Ad Astra Per Aspera'. All of it done with the flat, simple stylization of old-style sailor ink. "I got more'n that," he tells Geoff, "But I'm not drunk enough to take my shirt off."

He doesn't seem to mind that Harper really hasn't let go of him. Has he even noticed? Ruiz he's definitely spotted, and he grins lopsidedly at the cop. "Javier," he says, tone coaxing. Like the Captain is an upset cat he's trying to lure out from under the couch.

Lyric had just sat down with her food and was about to take a bite of her burger when Ico turns that look on her. Narrowing her eyes, she tries to ignore it even as she stares back. With a growl that's totally playful, she puts aside her burger and punch, "Fine, fine." A grin to lessen the heat of the words. "Does anyone else want punch while I'm going? Lucas? Alisha?"

Lucas smiles, letting Ico have the sausage, and nods to Lyric, "Yeah I remember you, of course" He then chuckles at Alisha, "Not a problem Officer, " He chuckles softly, "I don't bother getting all the names of the little boy blues that work next door to me either" He has a ready smile and holds up his soda, "I am good thanks, driving later."

Easton makes it back just in time for the Geoff to thank Joe for his service which gets a pained scrunch reaction that he can't quite hide. Joe's response gets a smirk and nod. But then he looks around and realizes that he's managed to lose sight of the birthday girl and he should probably go check on her. He slips off to go find Bennie and make sure she's having the best damn 30th he can.

Itzhak is so sunk into his fiddle, working its neck and the bow with fast precise motions to pull out that rollicking bluegrass, that it takes him until Joe says Javier to look up at the sturdy newcomer and flash him a grin that's all sunshine and THC. Tapping his boot rapidly to the beat, he starts playing faster, and faster, just blatantly showing the hell off for Ruiz. He catches Easton sneaking off and yells after him, "You go make that girl happy, Marshall!" Yeah, we've reached the zero-bothers-given portion of the program.

"Driving?" Lyric gawks at Lucas. "You didn't bring a tent or anything to stay? A sleeping bag to put by the fire? THe backseat of a car? The bed of a truck?" Walking backwards while she talks before turning to go back over and get the punch, pausing beside Itzhak and dancing a little. Because there's good music by her bandmate and she can't just walk past music without dancing.

The goddamn devil doesn't linger, though. A brief touch for Dahlia's shoulder, a murmur of greeting for Justin, whom he no doubt recognises from the patio of the Twofer. That one time, with the drinking and the guns and the ill-advised plans. But then he's moving on, hefting the beer he brought onto a bit of free space at a little fold-out table. He snags one, pops the cap, and takes a slug as he wanders in closer to the close-knit gathering. The firelight makes his beard look redder, and the tattoos scrawled up his sinewy arms, denser.

Dark eyes on Itzhak, watching him play, it's the little clutch comprised of Joseph, Harper and Geoff that he approaches. A cat? Maybe. Or an old, wary wolf. He prowls in close, disarms with a smile full of crow's feet and the very tips of canines. "Cavanaugh," is warm, and he's still watching Rosencrantz for the longest while before dragging his gaze to Harper and her hands on the blond's arm. His look? Amused.

Ico beams to Lyric, "Thanks! You're the best." He offers and smiles. Nodding to Alisha as she step back with the burger. Ico focusing on the sausage instead. Humming along to the music and swaying some in time to the music as well. Continuing to grill for now.

"Yeah sure if you don't mind Lyric. Ico did offer and now he's changing his mind." giving a very fake pout.

To Lucas "Without name tags, I barely remember the names of the cops I work with. Save a few." she gives him a little smile "Huh boy blues? Did I leave my strap on by mistake again." she chuckles some herself "Still trying to change all that. So good to meet you off duty Fire Marshal Lucas." teasing him a little.

Geoff smirks at that "Yeah sounds like you didn't exactly get a bad ride out of going to space." Bumping his forehead to the side of Harper's head he says "And I still might ink 'Don't Talk' on your fingers. The kids at the library need to know the lay of the land at a glance. Between your tats and Raz you should be able to hold down the stacks with an iron ruler." The mention of an iron ruler sets the man to thinking

"Twentyfive years of livin' the dream, man, I got no complaints, and all courtesy of Joe Q. Public," Joe allows. Then with his free hand, he's reaching out to try and drag Ruiz into a hug. Itz isn't the only one who has enough THC in him to be made a little more expansive than usual. "Mi Rey," he says, warmly. "C'mon over, gimme some sugar." Presumably he means that in the Southern sense.

Itzhak wraps that song up with a funny little riff (dun-dun-dun-DUN-dun, DUN-DUN!) and finally takes a break. Letting both bow and fiddle swing from one hand, he wipes his forehead. "Hey there," he says to Ruiz, sounding pleased as anything. He's been very aware of being watched by him. "You know Harper? Harper, this is de la Vega." Joe suddenly gets really gay all over Ruiz and Itzhak snorts trying not to laugh.

Lucas nods, "I have my truck, but with half the town out here, someone has to keep Gray Harbor from burning down, and I have the Midnight to Six AM shift at the station" He chuckles at Alisha "Its an expression, and good to see you again too."

With the song over, she moves on. The punch is nearer the other group assembled and Lyric looks at Harper again, a grin given to her, then she notices who she is with. Why it's Geoff! "Hey big brother." A soft laugh, but she doesn't linger there, she nods to Ruiz but doesn't say anything. Collecting two more brimming solo cups of punch, she thanks whoever is in charge of them before meandering her way back over to the grill and Ico, Alisha and Lucas. Once there, she offers the cups over before settling back down with her own and her burger. "With half the town here, you may need to be around in case of a forest fire," she grins at Lucas.

"I think this party is an excellent place to remove shirts and compare ink. You boys do you," Harper encourages. She releases Joseph's hand and wrist as he displays some of his tats. It might be that she's accustomed to conversations such as this. "I like that one," to the latter tat he displays.

Joseph greets the newest arrival with a 'Javier'. Harper's brown-eyed gaze follows after that greeting to the captain, then flickers measuringly between the two men. Leaned back against Geoff, Harper flashes a smile at Ruiz. "Hi, Captain." Because Lilith called him that, and Harper keeps track of such things. "I'm Harper." She tips her chin up to indicate the man standing closely behind her. "This is Geoff." She adds with a canny bit of a smile, "Bennie has all the interesting friends."

Geoff's threat earns him a shake of her head. "Maybe 'READ MORE'. But we're not informing people of my more medieval methods, Turner." Itzhak simultaneously adds in an introduction. "de la Vega," she echoes in a musing tone. "Pleasure to meet you." Joseph knows Ruiz knows Itzak knows Bennie. She's keeping track.

Ico does smile apologetically to Alisha, "Sorry. Someone came by with a big sausage, and I just had to give it my attention." Grinning at her then, and nodding to Lucas. "Think it will take a while before it is done though." Then back to Alisha, "I can make it up to you later perhaps?" Thanking Lyric as she get the punch for them, Taking a sip, "That's great."

What do hetero bros do these days. Fistbump? Grunt at each other? Whatever it is, it's probably not hugging. So when Joe hauls Ruiz in for one out of left field, the cop looks briefly startled. There and gone in a flickerflash, the split second resistance melts away a moment later, and he throws a big arm around Joe. Holds the embrace a few seconds, then thumps his back in a fashion that might be mistaken for hetero, if one squints really hard. A quiet mutter into the man's ear as he withdraws, and a chuckle aimed Itzhak's way. Whom he also mauls with a one-armed hug. Same arm, on account of the right hand holding his beer.

"Yeah, we ah, we met the other night. With the.." He tips an imaginary hat. Cowboy thing. Then swaps his beer, and offers the hand with all the ink scrawled over the knuckles to Harper. "Es un placer conocerte de nuevo." Geoff, too, gets that big hand thrust at him, whether he wants it or not.

Alisha has a few more bites of the burger, finishing it up. Looking back over to Ico with a smirk "Thanks again. I know big sausage is so distracting. Yep you'll have to make it up to me later." looking at what he is grilling next with a quick lick of her lips. Tilting her head back to Lucas "Yeah I know. It was a joke. I thought we all had a good sense of humor. And ouch you got the graveyard shift? I hate those nights. So what you been up to outside of work."

Happily accepting the cup in her burger free hand. Swaying a bit already from her drinking. "Thanks Lyric. Your a life saver. Think I'm going to have a hard time walking back to my car later. So the perfect night." offering her gratitude.

"I do," Justin says to Dahlia with a little bit of a laugh. He follows Dahlia's glance and he gives a nod to Ruiz, remembering him, both from Dahlia and that one time at the Twofer. Though, he laughs a little bit though and murmurs to her, "You are not, in fact, a total hot mess. I'm very proud." He pauses though for that poke, both brows creeping up a little bit. "Am I, now?" he asks her with an amused little smile and leans in to murmur into her ear, "And why's that?" Then he lets her spin away.

Itzhak practically preens, he's so delighted to get a rough one-armed hug from Ruiz. Then he steals that beer from Ruiz with a flick of that fast fiddlin' hand of his and tips it up for a drink. Booze and pot and fiddle, these are a few of his favorite things. He gives it back, though! Some other victims of his thievery are not so lucky. "How's by ya," he says to Ruiz, sly and fond.

Except that Joe is far-gone enough to kick over any pretenses of heterosexuality, at least on his own end, by kissing Ruiz firmly on the cheek during the moments of the hug. "You betcha," he informs the cop, in response to that murmured question.

Then he favors Harper with a dazzling grin. "You think so? Well, you get a li'l more booze into me an' you might get your wish," he informs her. Like him taking his shirt off would be such a favor to her. Only then does he recall his drinks and neatly pick them up from the ground. The cider he dispatches in a long pull, adam's apple bobbing - the cup of punch is what he intends to nurse.

"Anytime. Mostly." Lyric offers to Ico at the thanks. Once she is seated, she takes up her burger again and eats a few more bites. "Such a good cook," she tells Ico around a bite of the food. Lifting her eyes to Alisha, she motions to the tent, "You're welcome to stay here with us. Can't drink and drive and stuff." Noticing her current state, she tilts her head towards the log she is seated on. It's a fallen tree, guys, it's big! "There's lots of room if you three wanna sit down too." Cept Ico, cooking and all. Adding in an aside to Alisha, she grins, "Ico's single, you know." Matchmaking. At it's absolute worst!

Lucas nods at Alisha, "Yeah its going to be a long night." He chuckles, "Mostly work, hanging at my sisters, I made it to that cowboy night last week, the bull cleaned my clock really good."

Itzhak cuts in Lyric's matchmaking to yell, "Ico's BUSY playing THE DRUMS! He ain't got no time for a girlfriend!" Thus speaks Gray Harbor's biggest hypocrite.

"You were such a big help during that whole...everything." Dahlia said as she moved in close again. "I've always had a bit of a crush on you." She laughs, finishing off the last few sips of her drink and passing the empty cup off to a random passerby. Their problem now. "But never wanted to fuck with the status quo, ya know? " She shrugged, looping her arms around his neck and just swayed a bit as the fiddle music had died down but the radios were still going. "Value our friendship too much to mess with it." She tilts her head, scanning over the party crowd briefly and then looking up at him again with a crooked smile.

Harper takes in all the physical greetings with nothing less than a fascinated expression, brown eyes animated but lacking in anything so specific or clear as a verdict. She lifts the hand that grabbed Joseph's wrist to shake de la Vega's. Geoff, too, shakes the man's hand, but Easton calls from somewhere on the other side of the bonfire for Geoff and the man excuses himself to go do his spousal duty.

Wonder of wonders: Harper can stand on her own. But Joseph somehow got punch in the meanwhile. Instead, she settles her weight to one hip and folds her arms across her chest. Does she think so? "I'll work on that, Joe. You want a refill?" Her smile is capricious, brows uptipped.

To Itzhak, Harper states, "Your fingers still smoking from that last number, Rosencrantz? I'd be happy to blow on them." The three men are fascinating. "So, Captain, how do you know Bennie?" Bennie origin stories tend to be entertaining.

Ico rolls his eyes some at the matchmaking, then hearing Itzhak. Raising his cup. "Right, right. Do I drum that much better when frustrated?" He jokes to Itzhak. Then to Lyric, about the log. "I'll join later." Checking the food some. "I think the sausage is almost done."

Alisha shakes her head "Oh I wasn't planning on driving. Just passing out in the backseat. I know better than to drink and drive. If it isn't too much of issue I could crash with you two." she's still somewhat responsible. Not staggering or anything, she does make her way to the log to have a seat next to Lyric. She chuckles at the grin and words "So I've heard. Maybe I don't know, not looking for boyfriend, especially with two potential girlfriends. If it happens it happens. I like having fun though." she replies with drunken blush.

Looking up with sympathy to Lucas "Yep I know those. Wait did I already say that." she shakes her head some "You tried the bull? Hey well good on you for trying. I thought about going but got called in." before just laughing at the exchange between Ico and Itz. "Can't have him all frustrated."

Justin sways a little with Dahlia, the combined drinks and tokes from the circulating joints having left him a little bit liquid in his movements. It does still manage to be in time with the beat of the music, but that's as close as it gets to actual dancing. He smiles a little at the confessions by truck-headlight and says, "Yeah, I get that. Wouldn't want to mess up a good thing, right?" He then laughs a little ruefully, "And considering how all my relationships end up... probably wise." He gives her a little wink and then says, "I need another drink. You?" And he starts to wander in the direction of the booze, bringing her with him unless she seems disinclined.

Oh, fuck, he's getting kisses and fond looks and, well, right up until his beer's stolen (and then returned), de la Vega's about the closest he gets to looking downright shy about it all. Good thing he's one-handing that bottle full of liquid courage right there, once he gets his hand back from the loquacious brunette and her honey bunny. He bids farewell to Geoff as Easton intercedes, and snorts quietly at Itzhak's bellowed proclamation that's the essence of hypocrisy, indeed.

"Bennie?" Harper's question draws him back from his gazing at the bonfire, bottle paused at his mouth, then tipped back with a noisy slug. Pop. "She used to be my girlfriend's partner. On the rig, I mean." A gesture with his beer bottle, like that might help illuminate. "She, ah." There's a twitch of muscle in his jaw, then a flickered smile, like it might help to distract from the moment that nearly became awkward. "How's she know you?" His accent, rough and warm and musical, couldn't be anything other than Mexican Spanish. But with years' worth of effort to try to smooth it away that's been less than successful.

Lyric lifts her head and finds Itzhak, laughing at the addition to the conversation. She mimes playing the drums while sounding out, "Ba dum tss." Going back to her burger, she nods almost absently to Ico at the mention of the sausage. "You may wanna tell all the people to come get food if they are hungry. There's enough smoke goin' around over there for everyone around to want munchies."

When Alisha joins on the log, Lyric gently shoulder bumps her, "Definitely no trouble. I'm a hard sleeper," she grins.

Itzhak, smirking, all too happy with himself, presents his left fingertips to Harper. "G'wan, blow." They're long, those fingers, and tipped with a string player's callouses. Regular callouses, too, on the rest of his hand, along with a full complement of mechanic's scars. It's a hand that does a lot of things.

"Eh, mine ain't much better. Current situation excluded. " Dahlia looks like maybe she could say more but, well, she's not that drunk yet. So she just shrugs and gives a sheepish smile. "Yeah, I'll take another drink." Slowing to a stop as she finally releases him. "Prolly just a beer, yeah? One more glass of that punch and you're gonna have to be carrying me inside the house." She laughs.

Girlfriend. That's the first he's heard tell of any girlfriend...and Joe's clearly curious. He directs a prompting look at Itzhak, though, and doesn't pry at Ruiz directly. Apparently the old compact where he doesn't mention de la Vega's women is still in force. To Harper, he says, "Well, sure, you wanna help out with that, I won't tell you no. I warn you it may take a good long time and a lotta booze to get there, though, my liver's also a veteran of the Navy, too."

Lucas nods and rubs his head, "He was a wild ride, got a mild concussion had to be driven home afterwards, it wasn't great but it worked out well, played a little sympathy with the injury and got a date out of it, so worth it" He smiles and sips his soda.

Ico has gotten a bunch of different things going by now. Hot dogs, other sausages, ribs, burgers. Any really big sausages probably cut into pieces, but any that can fit in a bread probably kept whole. Grinning as he listens but focused on food. "Indeed, food here if anyone wants some." Called out again. Once it all seem finished he will leave it running, but moving stuff so it does not get burned, but kept warm. Eyes still on it but moving to sit some. Drinking more punch. Now with punch in one hand anod beer in the other.

Alisha actually giggles at the shoulder bump. Taking a drink of her punch "Very nice. I mean unless you feel up to joining. Nah you probably don't or would it be awkward being in the same band and all." she considers "Right though deep sleeper. Good to know."

She winces at Lucas' story. "Wow, sorry about the concussion. But hey it all worked out with a date. Who with? Anyone I know...well how would you know that. Anyway at least it has a happy ending."

With Ico's call out and looking for a seat. She pats her lap with a grin on her face. "You can keep a eye on the food from here right?"

Harper regards the trio of men. More specifically she contemplates the more subtle interactions among them, not reticent to let the silence yawn a bit. Harper might be the only one thusfar in the party who hasn't imbibed in one way or another. Bennie. His girlfriend's partner. That starts out fascinatingly vague and turns intriguingly specific. "Of course." Harper might just chose awkward with whipped cream, given the option. "How does Bennie know me? A decade or so ago, we attended high school together. But, more recently? Geoff and Easton got married and -- " yadda yadda yadda " -- now I know her now through Easton." She taps the toe of her hiking boot against the loamy earth.

Itzhak's fingertips! Harper murmurs something playful under her breath that just might contain the words 'Marilyn' and 'Monroe' before she sways forward and puffs a humid breath across the fiddler's fingertips. She arches a brow in query, straightening, but unwinding one arm to reach out last minute to grab the third set of fingers she's clasped in as many minutes. Looks like she gets a glimpse of 'STAY'. Her hand drops away almost as quickly as she reached out, a half a moment of contact and no more. "You going to tell me about those words sometime, Rosy?"

Joseph will let her try. "Just give a little whistle and I'll be there with a refill, Joe. But first, tell me that whatever stole my favorite heroic glint is over and done with, yeah?"

"He's not wrong, you know," de la Vega points out, sucking back more beer before using his bottle to gesture at Joe. "About drinking everyone here under the fucking table. He will." If the man sounds irritated about that, it's only because no Marine ever wants to be shown up by the Navy. It's a travesty he'll never live down, ill-advised though it may have been. Lyric gets a brief flick of his eyes when he spots her in his peripheral vision, and a smile that edges on friendly if she looks over.

Then he digs his phone out as it buzzes, and idly checks the message to see if it's urgent. The hard lines of his profile are limned in firelight as he reads, then makes a low sound in his throat of mingled weariness and irritation, and swipes out a reply. Nope, not saying a word about that girlfriend thing. Though he will watch Harper with her hands on Itzhak this time, with that glint in his eye that's one part curiosity, one part amusement, and a pinch of possessiveness in the way his tonguetip flicks across his teeth. "Cute couple, aren't they." He nods in the vague direction of where Geoff and Easton disappeared off to.

Lyric looks to contemplate the invitation before grinning at Alisha, "Thanks for the invite, but I think I like guys too much to try girls. If I ever do I'll let you know first." Her burger gets her attention then and she munches a few more bites on it, watching the librarian and the guys across the way for a moment before grinning back at Ico and Lucas and Alisha. "This town is so fun." Catching that look from Ruiz she smiles in return. Oh yeah, she definitely smiles in return.

Lucas shakes his head, "No one you would remember, just someone I went to High School with" He winks at Alisha then looks at his watch. "Well I should get going"

Itzhak is high enough that he doesn't even flinch when Harper takes his fingers for a closer look. When she lets him go, he shakes his hand out comically wincing and huffing, like his fingers are just too hot. "Sometime," he agrees to tell her, eyebrows lofting, tilted towards each other like the roof of a lean-to. "Right now? I'm gonna tell you about the Orange Blossom Special, a train used to run from Manhattan all the way down to Miami." He shoots Ruiz a glance, and promptly blushes. Over what? It's a mystery. Before anybody can call him on it, he's swinging his fiddle up and playing a long, wailing train-whistle sound. WHOOOO-ooo-OOOOO! Can't be called out, too busy making train noises on violin!

Ico nods to Alisha, "I can." He agrees, briefly looking as if he will sit on her lap but then ending up next to her and grinning before smiling over to Lyric, "It is an interesting town." He agrees. Nodding to Lucas as well. With punch finished and probably beer and a hot dog in hand currently.

At that grumpy encomium from Ruiz, Joe absolutely beams. "I done it before," he confirms, before finishing his cup of punch and holding it out to Harper, beseechingly. Please, ma'am, may I have another? Then he's lifting his head and sniffing the air like a hound. "Food smells good," he notes, turning to spot the source of the scent. "Might have to go get me some, in a second." Yeah, he's had enough to get the edge of the munchies, at the very least. "Who you textin'?" he asks Ruiz, curious, distracted. Just think, this lush was once at the controls of millions of taxpayer dollars' worth of aircraft.

Alisha does a quick nod "Fair enough. I just like both too much to give up on either. Certainly give me a ring if you do. Oh yeah I never did ask if you were seeing anyone. So my bad on that and I keep forgetting to ask are you ok after that time on the beach?" she says to Lyric.

Her focus going back Lucas with a chuckle "Alright, I get it. Hope you have fun and best of luck surviving your shift." a wave goodbye is given to him. Patting her lap again for Ico as he comes close and sits for a moment. She grins as he takes the seat next to her. Setting her purse phone on his lap "I need to get your number." sitting her drink down to go fishing through to find her phone. "Hhmmm yeah this town is something." said to Ico and Lyric.

It's Run By Bennie'ing! Her laugh proceeds her as she runs around the bonfire, waving to the grill master and Alisha as she darts around, someone clearly must be giving her chase. She skids to a stop though as she sees Ruiz for the first time this evening, giving him a sound kiss on the cheek before she's off again, darting back into the shadows just as someone wearing a full sized Olaf onesie comes around the flames, yelling after her if she wants to build a snowman.

Joseph will drink everyone under the table? "Of course he will," Harper agrees mildly, swaying from one hip to the other as she settles her hand atop her other forearm once more. "If we're foolish enough to give him the opportunity." Harper only catches the last vestiges of Ruiz's expression after she releases her light hold on Itzhak's knuckles. "Not to be contrary, but 'cute' isn't quite the word I would choose." Her words are affable, teasing at the conversation as if it were a game.

Itzhak's agreement seems to be quite enough for Harper. She'll hold onto it to redeem at another time. Momentarily, there's a glimpse of stubborn tenacity from her that melts away so quickly it might have been imagined. Harper has been adjacent to a bouquet of Itzhak blushes in the small handful of occasions that their paths have crossed; but that doesn't make them any less interesting. "Manhattan to Miami? Now there's a drama." She laughs low and warm, quiet and brief at the bow's train impression across the strings.

Joe's wish, well, that's Harper's command. She captures his cup with her fingertips around the rim and excuses herself to retrieve the promised (bottomless) refill. This gives the gentlemen some time to redisperse themselves if they so choose. Either way, Harper will eventually return with more of the deadly everclear punch for the rocket man. "Joe, you never told me your rank. That's required information," Harper inserts quietly as she hands over the solo cup.

Over in their own group, Lyric smiles at the other two. "I don't blame ya," she tells Alisha. "Oh yeah I'm always alright, one way or another." The smile tilting more lopsided. "How bout you?" Really looking over her to make sure she is fine too. The Olaf and Bennie sighting catches her attention and brings with it giggles. "That looks super fun."

Ico nods some at the words from the others, chuckling as Alisha set down her purse on his lap. "Damn, downgraded to a table." He jests. Fininshing eating in a quick manner and sipping some beer. The sigh has him chuckling as well. "Indeed." Replied to Lyric's words.

Ruiz's phone is duly locked again, and stuffed back into a pocket of his jeans as Joe asks his question. A twitch from the cop, like he might bare his teeth at the older man. But it resolves into no such thing. Merely a low, sandpaper-warm murmur of, "Tu mamá," along with a rusty chuckle. Breathing out a contented sigh as Itzhak starts to play, he polishes off his beer and reaches around behind the lanky musician to snag another one. And pops the cap on that one, too, before answering Harper's question himself: "Commander T.J. Cavanaugh of the royal chair force reporting," nearly dissolves into a belly full of laughter. How the hell does he know the man's rank? It's another mystery, of course.

Then Bennie darts by in a blur of blonde hair, being chased by.. Olaf? He gets a cheek kiss out of it, though, and flashes her a dimpled grin along with a salute of his beer.

Oh drive by Bennie and Olaf. Having found her phone she waves back with the phone hand, probably she is already gone. "I'd love to say that's the first time I've seen something like that. Sadly you can only have that experience once." she laughs softly. Tilting her head over to Lyric "Alright. If you ever like to someone to talk to. I know it helps sometimes." she gives a tiny shrug "More or less. I'm pretty used to it by now." retrieving her drink and having some more of it.

"But a rather handsome table. So your number." ready to put it in and leaning in close to make sure she can hear it.

Itzhak's violin makes a startled chirrup as Bennie comes barreling through and he steps aside to give her room, a little alarmed. Then Olaf is rampaging by and Itzhak makes his fiddle wolf-whistle, like he'd been making choo choo train noises a moment ago. "Youse guys are into some kinky shit!" he calls after them, laughing, not missing a stroke as he plays. He plunges into the song proper, even faster than the previous ones, and he plays it with furious accuracy. Yeehaw!

Joe snorts at Ruiz's comeback, and he elbows the cop gently. But pries no further. "Yep," he confirms, as Ruiz volunteers it. "I was Commander, by the time I got hurt bad enough to have to retire." Then he gives the younger man a positively doe-eyed look, feigning hurt. "Chair force? There's no need for name-callin', Javier. I was Navy all the way....and damned lucky to be so."

Then he's accepting the drink from Harper, and lifts it to her. "To your very good health, ma'am," he toasts, before taking a good half of the cup down in a few swallows. He'd surely better've either set up somewhere to sleep before now, or have arranged a ride back with someone more sober, because he clearly isn't riding home like this.

Since Alisha lean in he won't yell the number. Offering it to her, also bowing his head in thanks for the compliment. "Thank you, I do my best." Grinning about Bennie and Olaf. "True, but still amusing sight."

Harper drinks in the dynamics between the men as if she were going to defend a thesis about them later. Bennie's fly-by stops Harper short. The birthday girl plants a kiss on the Captain's cheek and that just adds to the already tangled tale. Harper curves a slow smile and watches as she and her snowman disappear back into the trees. "Happy Birthday, Sunshine," she murmurs mildly. Then, abruptly she lifts her voice, the volume rising with each word, "Don't forget there are presents!"

"Lieutenant Commander. Perfect." Harper echoes with a certain satisfaction as she drags her attention back from the trees. The humor there directed at Joseph is amusing more for the way it plays than its meaning. Kinky shit? Harper keeps her own counsel there, then appears to marvel over Itzhak's fast fingerwork and the way his bow flies over the strings.

"How'd you get hurt, Joe?" Doe-eyed Joseph drags the majority of Harper's attention, even if her intent was to let the gentlemen enjoy their evening. Her health toasted, Harper nods in ready agreement. She'd offer her services for sober driving, but they're intended for any call Benny or Easton might have for something away from the current setting.

"I think I am gonna crawl inside the tent and get some sleep and hope I don't wake up to ten feet of snow outside in the mornin'." It's Gray Harbor, it could happen! Lyric gets to her feet and stretches, finishing off her punch afterwards, then tossing it into a bag that is the makeshift trash can for the night. "G'night. I get to go to sleep to the sound of the fire crackin' and Itzhak playin' his fiddle." A self satisfied smile at that before she walks over and slips inside the tent so she can get to sleep ahead of whatever ruckus will be going on in there later.

Alisha types in the number. In no real hurry before deciding to lean on Ico's shoulder "Doesn't seem to be many takers on the food. Perhaps I should have a little more. Don't want to be out of energy too quickly."

When Lyric gets up she looks over to her "Rest well. I'll try to be quiet, no promises though. With any luck we wouldn't be buried in snow in the morning." Because yeah this town it very well could occur. Adding a wave to the retreating woman.

That look from Joe doesn't fool the surly Mexican, convivial as his smile is, warmth in the creases carved by those heavy crow's feet. "No es insultos si es verdad," he points out with a chuckle, rapping Joe's shoulder with his beer bottle, then murmuring an excuse me as he prowls off to hunt down some food. A big hand's touched to Itzhak's back in passing, and a murmured hola, hola to one or two others who greet him by rank.

Ico does wave to Lyric, "Sleep well." Offered. Nodding to Alisha. "Go ahead and eat up." He assures her. Letting her move to get more while he shifts some to be able to leave in a bit as well. For now listening to what conversations are still going on, and seeing who are still about. He will excuse himself though, after a moment. Heading to take a leak most likely.

Itzhak played that one hot! He wraps it up, although his eyes are following Ruiz away with a definite appreciation. Nice. It's to Harper, though, that he says, "Ain't he interesting?" about Joe, with a note of pride in that razory-sharp New York accent. Setting his fiddle and bow in the case, he goes 'whew' and wipes his forehead. "Thirsty work."

There's definitely a flush on the high cheekbones, a decidedly glassy look in the blue eyes, as Joe looks at Harper. "Well," he says, as if it's taken him a moment to gather his thoughts, "Actually got hurt because of a malfunction in my last landing. Since the Shuttle program ended, the only way both to and from the station is a Russian spacecraft called a Soyuz. When it leaves the station, it has three parts, but only one part is meant to take human passengers back down to earth. When I came down, the parts failed to separate properly. So, we damn near crashed and burned. Mostly due to the skill of the Russian pilot that we didn't. But we came down way harder'n intended....and after a long stay in no gravity, bones and muscle are very weak. I was pretty badly hurt. Took me about a year in hospital and rehab to be released back out to civilian life."

Harper offers a half smile and a nod to Ruiz as he heads off. More seems superfluous. Itzhak finishes his devilish playing and Harper asks him, "Do you even breathe when you play that fast, Rosy?" Shaking her head, she slowly waves away imaginary smoke. Should he ask for it, Harper will happily fetch some punch or a beer. Should he ask nicely she might even find him a shot or two of Jack. She does glance past the bonfire as if to determine what it was that Easton summoned Geoff for a longer span of minutes ago now.

But then Joseph is elaborating. Harper moves half a step closer to the Lieutenant Commander to listen. Malfunction. Soyuz. Failure to separate. "How long were you up there before the ill-fated return?" She's not asking to be polite. It took him about a year? "You seem to have recovered well. That or you mask remarkably well." After thinking on it for a time, Harper asks, "How long ago was that year?" Nothing like a pushy librarian to disturb a potent punch-buzz.

"Only sometimes!" Itzhak answers Harper with a glint of pure mischief. Joe is telling his story, and Itzhak, who hasn't heard it either, falls quiet, listening. As Harper begins asking Joe more, though... "Would you be an absolute sweetheart and bring me something to drink?" he asks Harper, eyebrows going tipped up alllll kinds of poignant.

Joseph definitely needs no help puffing up and being his garrulous self, so Ruiz is not in a hurry to find himself some food and start wandering back. He's taking a giant bite out of the hot dog when he returns to the little clustering of people, and his big shoulders are hunkered slightly as he eats. "You going to play us something else, cariño?" accompanies a nudge of his arm to Itzhak's. He rolls that r like it's the last one his tongue will ever touch, breath fogging the chill air. A quick, wolfish smile, then it disappears into another bite of hot dog while he listens to Harper grill Joe about his time in the military. Hey, at least he hasn't piped up with any more totally accurate commentary.

Alisha gets up herself. Having finished the cup of hard liquor. Nope, she is definitely not driving tonight. She still needs to get a few things from her car. Looking over to the larger group to give a quick nod of farewell to anyone who happen to be looking. Before stumbling out in the right direction, to return later to pass out in the shared tent.

"I was up there about six months," Joe explains. "Year ended about four years ago. Wreck was about five. I had very good care, very good therapists....and now very good pain killers," He doesn't just mean the booze, it's clear. Happy to talk, but for once, liquor doesn't have him running his mouth as much as he generally might. Then Itz is asking for a drink, and he's simply beaming at her, beneficently.

There's no artifice to Harper's interest. She listens to the details Joseph shares, nodding once here, again there. "If you ..." Itzhak asks for a drink. The librarian's gaze flickers from Itzhak to Joseph and back again. "Of course." She asks him what he wants and retrieves said beverage. That done, she reaches out and brushes her fingertips hardly even against the material of Itzhak's shirt rather than touching his person, "If you'll excuse me, I have to see a Marine about an ex-con. It was marvelous to see you both again, and ..." Ruiz strolls back over, hot dog in hand. "-- you, de la Vega. I'll be around if any of you need anything else." To Itzhak, "We must keep meeting like this." Harper pivots and heads around the periphery of the bonfire and off into the darkness of the woods. A sing-song of two whistled notes sounds through the trees.

"Thanks, you are a doll." Itzhak takes the drink from Harper, smiling at her. She reaches out and brushes against his shirt like that and he doesn't know what to do, particularly when she says 'Marine and ex-con.' He looks at Ruiz like he expects something, only to get nudged and called 'carino', and he turns red again. "Hell, why not?" he says, putting a brave front on like he's not beet freakin' red. First, the drink! Then he's setting his fiddle in place, tapping his bow on the strings a few times, and, still blushing furiously, swings into another cheerful jig.

Harper's saluted with about half a hot dog; the other half's most assuredly made its way down de la Vega's gullet. Is he amused by how taken she seems to be with those tall, lanky, gorgeous nerds of his? Well. Maybe a little. Because who wouldn't be? "Buenas noches, señorita," he sing-songs in farewell, then disappears another large bite of hot dog before settling in to watch Itzhak play. Of course his eyes tick over when Harper says the word Marine. It's another one she's referring to, but his gaze follows her nonetheless, until the night takes her.