The Deck | Evening | Sunday | July 4

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

Alex didn't tend to celebrate every random holiday that came along but he kind of liked Independence Day. It usually meant he could crash at a friend's and get some free food and, even better, it meant playing with fire. With that in mind, he'd made a trip off island to pick up a few sparklers and some other other things to make the holiday complete.

Sure, he didn't have the food but he had a lighter (which meant he could smoke and set fireworks off) and he had the fireworks so he figured he was doing pretty all right. He wasn't even brooding. Rare thing, that. And probably safe since he was playing with fireworks.

[Deck's open! He's being safe, I promise, so feel free to join in, if you want!]

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[glacial_queen]

Saying goodbye to her friend, roommate, and big sibling all in one day had put Karla into a mood. In true Fandom-fashion, that had practically required a trip up to the roof to brood. While finding Alex up here wasn't much of a shock, she was a bit taken aback by everything he'd collected. "What's all that for?" she asked.

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

"July 4th," he said, lighting a sparkler and letting its bright colors slice through the darkening sky. "Independence Day. Tradition. And because it's fucking cool."

[glacial_queen]

"Can I have one?" Karla asked, since playing with fire was clearly the most important part of this conversation. "It's pretty. Independence from what?"

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

"Britain," he said, tossing her an unlit sparkler (because he wasn't that much of a jackass that he'd toss a lit one) before tossing her the lighter. "Celebrates the day America became it's own country, declared independence, all that shit."

[glacial_queen]

Karla nodded, catching them both, though she fumbled a bit with the lighter. "Know what? I've never used one of these," she said, examining it. She pressed down on the button, glaring at it when it refused to light. "It's broken," she informed him.

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

"It's not broken," he said, pointing to the lit cigarette between his lips. "You think I lit with this magic powers?"

[glacial_queen]

"Maybe I broke it when I was catching it?" She had whacked it a few times in either hand before catching it properly. "And why not? That's what I usually do," she teased, lighting the end of her sparkler with a small tongue of witchflame. "Maybe you secretly have powers that you just don't talk about. Carry around a broken lighter so no one will suspect."

[mathletenomore.livejournal.com]

"I guess that's one way to celebrate the holiday," Lindsay said as she wandered out onto the deck. She almost warned him to be careful with the sparklers, but she stopped herself when she realized she would have sounded like her parents.

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

Alex rolled his eyes at the use of the magic there and stepped forward to snag his lighter. He pressed it and a flame popped up.

"Or maybe it was just operator error," he said, letting the flame go out again. "And don't burn yourself. I don't wanna hear you whining about how it hurts."

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

"You know of a better way?" Alex asked, glancing over at Lindsay and giving her a nod. "I'd have grabbed an apple pie but I'm way too fucking lazy and people can get their own food."

[glacial_queen]

"How did you make it work?" Karla asked, waving about her sparkler and making patterns in the air. "And, believe me, I'm not going to cry over a tiny little burn that I'd get from this thing."

[wesleynotponcy.livejournal.com]

Being a curious newbie and all, Wesley had spent most of the day wandering around campus. Most of the places he'd explored had been secluded, for the most part, so he was surprised to find people up there. He was even more surprised to find that someone up there was someone he'd actually met.

"Hello," he said to Alex politely.

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

"I'll set some of the bigger ones off here shortly," he said, wandering closer and showing her how he'd flicked the button quick and sharp. "Takes a bit of practice. You should take up smoking. You'd get better at it quick."

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

"Wesley," Alex greeted, giving him a little salute. "Survived your first day and you haven't even wet yourself yet."

[mathletenomore.livejournal.com]

"Fireworks are a way better 4th of July tradition," Lindsay said. "Apple pies don't generally explode, for one thing."

[wesleynotponcy.livejournal.com]

"It was a close call," he said dryly.

Glancing at the fireworks, he couldn't help but ask, "Is that - entirely safe?"

[glacial_queen]

"Or I'd just keep using magic," Karla said, leaning over to watch how Alex did it. In her other hand, she wrote her name in the air. "That's what people do back home. Can you show me again?"

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

"Unless you stick some fireworks in 'em," Alex said and now he had ideas. Too bad he didn't have an apple pie. "You wanna light one? Help yourself. Just don't burn your eyebrows off."

[glacial_queen]

"If you are celebrating the defeat of the Britains and the independence of your country, congratulations," Karla said solemnly.

...Her grasp of the holiday was very shaky, yes.

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

"You're gonna owe me a new lighter if I run this one out," he told her but flicked the lighter again, watching the flame jump out and stay there while he held his finger on the button.

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

"Why wouldn't it be?" Alex asked, smirking. "I'm not drunk or anything like that."

[glacial_queen]

"Kiss, kiss," Karla said, waving to the unfamiliar male. "Welcome to the roof, home of brooding, smoking, emo and--for today anyway--fireworks. We are celebrating independence," she added. "But only for this country."

Karla was a little new to the tradition.

[glacial_queen]

"How does it work?" Karla asked, her sparkler holding itself up in the air while she turned to give Alex and the lighter her full attention. She'd want a new one, later, once this mystery had explained itself. "Is it like a tiny little candle? Or oil lamp? There can't be charcoal or wood inside, but I'm not seeing a wick to catch."

[mathletenomore.livejournal.com]

"That'd be too messy. And sure, why not," Lindsay shrugged, reaching for a sparkler. "This way I'll feel like I at least acknowledged what day it is."

[wesleynotponcy.livejournal.com]

"Ah - hello," Wes greeted her. "I'm Wesley Wyndam-Pryce. It's a pleasure to meet you."