Main Campfire [evening]

[justwantsquiet.livejournal.com]

Tonight, while there was certainly food at the campfire, Sookie hadn't made it herself. At least in part due to her back still bothering her, and otherwise due to sheer mid-summer laziness, she'd just brought a bunch of moddable food back from the diner with her in the hopes of being able to attract people to a campfire without resorting to marshmallows and hot dogs.

Not that there was anything wrong with marshmallows or hot dogs, mind you.

She was amusing herself by toasting things that probably didn't normally need to be toasted. Maraschino cherries, it seemed, were not meant to be heated this way.

[open like a campfire!]

Comments

[rilla-myrilla.livejournal.com]

Rilla flounced down dramatically. "When do we move indoors again?" she asked plaintively.

[justwantsquiet.livejournal.com]

"In like a week or something, don't we?" Sookie wondered, tilting her head. "It's not so bad, honey."

[rilla-myrilla.livejournal.com]

"It's hot," Rilla said.

As it would be, when one was fully covered at all times.

[justwantsquiet.livejournal.com]

"It's not that hot," she chided, shaking her head.

Sookie, it should be noted, was wearing a sundress with enough leg to horrify Karla a couple times over.

[rilla-myrilla.livejournal.com]

"That's because you forgot to wear a skirt," Rilla said with a tiny smile.

[justwantsquiet.livejournal.com]

"Did not," Sookie said good-naturedly. "And even so, I'm way comfier than you."

[rilla-myrilla.livejournal.com]

"I can't argue with that," Rilla said with a sigh. "I don't understand how you Americans don't just melt away entirely."

[justwantsquiet.livejournal.com]

"This is cool compared to Bon Temps," Sookie said, giggling. "I think you'd just burst right into flames if I took you home with me."

[rilla-myrilla.livejournal.com]

"That would be terribly embarrassing," Rilla said with a laugh.

[boho-to-be.livejournal.com]

"Rilla!" Christian grinned. "How have you been? It's been eons."

[rilla-myrilla.livejournal.com]

"Christian!" Rilla exclaimed, eyes lighting up. "It has been. I've gotten quite ancient since the last time we met. I had a birthday!"

[boho-to-be.livejournal.com]

"Well, many happy returns," Christian wished. "Can I ask which one it was, or are you too ladylike to share?"

[rilla-myrilla.livejournal.com]

"I'm fourteen," Rilla said proudly.

[boho-to-be.livejournal.com]

"Fourteen," Christian repeated. It was a bit younger than he would have guessed, but Rilla was a very sweet girl. "My goodness! I'm seventeen -- you have me feeling elderly."

[rilla-myrilla.livejournal.com]

"I could ask you what it was like when you were my age," Rilla said, putting on an expression that would be suitable for listening to a doddering relative, "and speak very loudly and clearly. And you can complain of your rheumatism."

[boho-to-be.livejournal.com]

"Can I shake my cane at you, as if I'm going to hit you with it?" Christian asked, with feigned enthusiasm. "I had an uncle who liked doing that."

[rilla-myrilla.livejournal.com]

"Only if you preface everything with 'In my day...'" Rilla teased.

[boho-to-be.livejournal.com]

Christian laughed at that. "We're showing a shocking lack of respect for our elders, you know," he said.

[rilla-myrilla.livejournal.com]

"I promise not to tell them if you do the same," Rilla said.

[boho-to-be.livejournal.com]

"I'm very good at keeping secrets," Christian promised. "Besides, I shouldn't like to get hit with a real cane."

[rilla-myrilla.livejournal.com]

"Nooo, I wouldn't like to be hit at all," Rilla declared.

[boho-to-be.livejournal.com]

Christian shook his head solemnly. "I think we can avoid it," he said. "Oh -- I have a bit of news. I'm in a band now."

Which had practiced exactly once, but Christian was still proud of it.

[rilla-myrilla.livejournal.com]

Rilla's eyebrows arched up. "What kind of music will you be playing?"

[boho-to-be.livejournal.com]

"Jono is trying to convince me to sing something called 'grunge,'" Christian grumbled. "I don't mind so much. Some of the lyrics are rather clever!"

[rilla-myrilla.livejournal.com]

"Grunge?" Rilla repeated, her nose wrinkling up. "It sounds rather...dirty."

[boho-to-be.livejournal.com]

"It's not!" Christian protested earnestly. "I don't know why they call it that, but it's -- rather beautiful, in places. Listen."

He crooned, softly and with much better diction than Mr. Vedder,
Sheets of empty canvas, untouched sheets of clay
Were laid spread out before me as her body once did.
All five horizons revolved around her soul
As the earth to the sun
Now the air I tasted and breathed has taken a turn.

[rilla-myrilla.livejournal.com]

Rilla forgot how to breathe for a minute.

"You should sing all the time," she finally proclaimed.

[boho-to-be.livejournal.com]

"I'd like that," Christian laughed, looking proud at the effect he'd had. "I think people might get a bit tired of it, but it would be fun until then!"

[rilla-myrilla.livejournal.com]

"No one with any taste at all would grow tired of hearing you," was Rilla's completely unbiased opinion.

[boho-to-be.livejournal.com]

Christian settled onto a spot near the fire, notebook at hand. The stars were a lovely subject.

He spotted a jar of pickles among the foodstuffs. "Hello," he said, reaching for it. "How are toasted pickles as a snack?"

[justwantsquiet.livejournal.com]

"Surprisingly not horrible?" Sookie replied, tilting her head. "They just sort of dry out. Deep-frying them is way better."

[boho-to-be.livejournal.com]

"I've never had them deep-fried," Christian answered, as he opened the jar and plucked one out by way of experimentation. "They're good?"

[justwantsquiet.livejournal.com]

"You have to try them," she said, nodding eagerly. "I know, I know, it sounds crazy, but they're so good. Not too healthy, but really yummy."

[boho-to-be.livejournal.com]

"Cucumbers are vegetables," Christian observed, "So how unhealthy can they be, even fried?"

His pickle-on-a-stick was now making its way over the flames.

"Do you know where I'd find fried pickles, if I wanted to try them?"

[justwantsquiet.livejournal.com]

"The diner could probably do 'em for you," Sookie said thoughtfully. "I work there on Tuesdays. Or, heck, I could probably make 'em in the dorms. It's a little hard over a campfire," she admitted. "And I like your logic. Cucumbers are a vegetable. It's like how French fries should count as veggies, too."

[boho-to-be.livejournal.com]

"They should," Christian agreed whole-heartedly, "And chips with ketchup are two vegetables."

"Do you like the diner?" he added.

[justwantsquiet.livejournal.com]

"I actually do," she admitted. "It's nice having a job. Keeps my hands busy and all that, you know? I go a little stir-crazy without that kind of thing."

[boho-to-be.livejournal.com]

"I might get one once summer's over," Christian said. "I don't have classes until Thursday. The first part of the week gets a bit lonely."

[trigons_child]

Raven had heard on the radio that Sookie's trip home had not gone well, so she'd been meaning to make certain she was all right. Even the disaster on Friday couldn't stop her from that. But as she approached the fire, she felt the discomfort in Sookie's back. "You have been injured," she said, frowning. That was Raven for "Hello."

[justwantsquiet.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, but I'm getting better?" Sookie offered, waving. "It's so weird and awesome how you can tell that, though."

[trigons_child]

"What happened?" Raven asked, settling beside her. "You are still experiencing some discomfort. I can take that from you, if you wish." Her request was a tiny bit selfish as well; she needed to reassure herself that her gifts still worked. Shaken empath was shaken.

[justwantsquiet.livejournal.com]

"You can, if you want," Sookie said thoughtfully. "It's mostly just -- itchy, you know? My friend Eric and his doctor fixed me up. I got poisoned and scratched up by something called a maenad."

[trigons_child]

"A maenad?" Raven repeated. She moved closer to Sookie and put a gentle hand on her back as she spoke. "I have heard of those from my studies of mythology. They are creatures of mad passions. Why would one wish to cause harm to you?"

Sookie was right, her back was mostly healed, though Raven was Not Impressed by what had been left behind. She drew the lingering wounds into herself, stiffening a little as she felt them sting her own back, and then they were gone. She couldn't help but sigh in relief; she had no reason to believe she couldn't heal anymore, but it was good to know that she could.

[justwantsquiet.livejournal.com]

Sookie sighed a little in relief, because while her back hadn't hurt, it certainly felt better now. "Thank you," she breathed, before moving onto thinking about the question. "She lives in my woods, I guess. My frien -- well, I guess he's not. A man made me mad. And I wandered into the woods and she got me."

[trigons_child]

"I am pleased that you are all right now," Raven said, relaxing now that she had some of her confidence back. "Was this creature dealt with?"

[justwantsquiet.livejournal.com]

"Nope," Sookie said, frowning a bit. "Bill was more worried with me than with it, I guess. I mean, maybe they took it out and no one told me, but far as I know it's still in Bon Temps."

[trigons_child]

"I hope it does not harm anyone else then," Raven said. "Your brother would not do anything so foolish as to try to hunt it down, would he?"

Then again, this was Jason they were talking about.

[justwantsquiet.livejournal.com]

"Well. On the one hand, he doesn't even know I was there this weekend." Sookie made a face. "Jason's still mad at me. But on the other hand...well, you've met Jason, right? He kind of creates a new low as far as 'foolishness' goes."