[Open to all] - Generic Fireworks Post (Because who gives a shit about canon?)

[reluctantaccessory]

The woman found herself eagerly digging through the plastic bags that were placed in front of her. Most of what was inside were different types of snacks and a few cans of tea and coffee but she pulled out a few packages of sparklers and her eyes widened. She holds them up and finds herself too stunned to speak. She had never played with fireworks before, though she had went to one display as a young kid, and she waves her arms a little too eagerly and is chattering in quick German that even an experienced speaker could probably miss parts of what she is saying out loud.  But judging from the smile on her eye and the grin that anyone could see in her eyes, she obviously wants to just tear into them now and set them off - who needs to wait for the public shows to start? Who needs to wait to watch the people who were a little ways away set off the aerial ones they were bragging about and screaming over and the dozens of bottle rockets into the street.

Sparklers were low key and even she knew that, but she liked that she didn't have to watch these from a distance. They were for her to play with too. She sets the packages down to the side and keeps digging through the bags to see if there were matches or a lighter. It was still plenty light out, but the sun would soon be setting. Besides, she hadn't eaten much all day. Even just a few bites out of a sandwich first. But she keeps chattering about how excited she was to get to see fireworks for the first time since she was a kid and even to get to set some off on her own. 

She doesn't care much for the loud music that everyone is blasting or the food, but she does seem to like the fact that people were getting together and just having fun. Neighbors or friends, no one she knew well, but there were parties all over the place from the sounds of things. It was enough to keep the small part of her that was extroverted entertained and excited. She had wandered off and spoke to a few people here and there who greeted her and gave her well wishes, at first rather nervous that someone had paid her mind - she had gotten used to thinking she blended in perfectly to the scenery. But, after a little while, it was like riding a bike and she enjoyed being able to revisit the "old days" where she could talk to someone if she had felt like it.

She had to be reminded to wait  a little while longer and her brilliant smile dims a bit. 

"But, now...it'll be fun...why wait? It's getting dim out...."

Comments

[brokenweapon]

Jason doesn't like crowds (except for hiding in) or loud noises (except as a distraction), but Marie had been so excited about coming out to this, he hadn't been able to resist. And truly, he's been enjoying himself well enough, especially just watching Marie get into talking to people again. He's still a bit too introverted for that.

"I think you should do it," he says, smiling at her. "We can always get some more and do them in the dark later." Sparklers are a weird fusion of memory for him - they trigger flashes of both signal flares and half-remembered summer evenings in his childhood, wisps of recollection.

[reluctantaccessory]

Marie was someone who liked going out into crowds, she liked knowing she could go "home" once she felt tired enough, but she liked being able to lose herself and sometimes meet new people or shop or just be apart of the crowd and just seeing what was out there in the world. She had been slowly going a little stir-crazy the last few weeks. It was nice being alone, but even she had her moments where she couldn't stand it anymore. She knew better than to expect to make any "friends" but she was happy to just be able to see things that were "different". To her - this was living. This was how to live.

But she hadn't really spoken to him other than when they were in the store. That realization was enough to make her slow down a bit and start thinking some.

"Oh..."

She glanced back down at the packages of sparklers and then back up at Jason. After a moment she finds herself finally able to ask, "Are you sure all of this is okay?"

She had (and she was damn aware of it) been a little pushier about this than she normally was when she wanted to do something and now that the excitement was fading slightly and she was settling down some, she was starting to see how this could end badly. so, when she asked this, she was actually asking him if he would be okay with staying out here setting off sparklers and watching a display. She really hadn't thought of how he would take it when she asked, rather acted forcefully to get them to go out.

Then she looks down at the sparklers still smiling a little bit, then a thought comes across her mind and wonders if he had let her win this round because she had wanted this badly enough.

"Maybe...there were a lot of them left back there, right?"

[brokenweapon]

"Sure," he said, trying to be encouraging, and actually letting himself smile. "And yeah, this is okay. I'm fine, Marie."

It was nice that she was concerned, and he found it touching. But he also didn't need to be walked around on eggshells. He'd only get better with exposure, and besides, making Marie happy was good to make him happy, too.

"I'm looking forward to it. I haven't been to one of these in a really long time." Certainly not one that he could remember at all - so that had to have been a really long time, then.

[reluctantaccessory]

Marie frowns a little for a second before she glanced back up and saw that he was smiling. She feels a little bit more at ease with things when she sees that.

"A really long time?" Then she glances back down, "I think I was a little kid the last time I thought I was going to get to see anything like this. I remember one time, I want to think it was New Years or something...I don't remember much of it. I was really little..." She then pauses. She really doesn't want to think back to that.

"So, I suppose it's the same for both of us."

She quickly started to open up the sparklers but before she got too far in unwrapping them, she stood up and took a couple of long steps over to him and gently grabbed for his hand, wanting to him to light a few with her.

[brokenweapon]

"I haven't even seen them for New Year's in a while. This is almost brand new to me," he says, joking.

He notices that she'd gone quiet when talking about her past, and opts not to press the issue. Just as he can't talk about his past, she doesn't want to talk about hers. Which is fine by him, anyway. The past isn't that important.

Jason was a bit surprised when she took his hand. "You want me to light them?" He wouldn't mind, that way she could have more fun waving them around.

[reluctantaccessory]

She figures it's only fair to continue her story just this once . She flashes an almost pained smile, as she glanced down at the ground. Yet, she still tries to make herself sound like it wasn't as painful as it was for her, by trying to chuckle before she looks down and adds with a "no big deal, it's actually kind of amusing" tone of voice - keeping it as vague as she possibly could, "It was a little bit before....well, before I ended up left at my grandmother's."

Marie finds herself nodding a little at his question, but she had wanted him to wave one or two around with her too. The woman looks back up and her smile seems to be a little bit more at ease and real.

"I wanted you to wave one with me..."

She then adds, "It's brand new, right? Then you should...and it's more fun if you lighting and waving them around with someone else."

[brokenweapon]

Jason's then really surprised when she talks more about her past, even just a little. As much as she tries to keep her tone light, he can tell that it bothers her more than she's letting on.

"So we'll make some new memories," he says with authority. "Sure, I'll wave one with you. And yeah...brand new." That makes him smile again, and he gets out his lighter. "Come on, you hold them, I'll light, and then you can give me one to wave, too."

[reluctantaccessory]

Marie frowns. She can tell that she threw him through a loop and she isn't quite sure what came over her, what would make her feel like she had to continue the story - other than having a realization that she should try to finish one of them for a change. But, now she is reminded of why she keeps the past to herself.

It does bother her more than she lets on. It was the one "normal" memory she had of her family - she shakes her head at the thought, then thinks out loud. She almost feels completely better when he tells her that they would just make some new memories.

Softly, she mutters. "New ones would be nice, I think." She nods at the idea and then adds, "Let's do that."

She nods and grabs two of them out of the package before placing the rest down. She gives him an almost painfully brilliant smile when he tells her what they were going to do, and holds the two sparklers out to him. Marie then finds herself laughing softly as she nods again and chuckles softly, "Ready."

[brokenweapon]

Jason smiles. It almost hurts his heart to see her smile so brightly and so true. He's lucky to have her in his life. He wants her to know that more.

So he leans in, but instead of lighting the sparklers, he kisses her on the cheek.

"To new memories."

/okay I didn't wait to do this one... but it was too cute.

[reluctantaccessory]

She blushes (rather she goes entirely red) at this gesture and glances at him, she definitely wasn't expecting that to happen just like that and because of it she nearly drops the sparklers in her hand. Though, she would admit that he was good at surprising her. Marie was usually the one who did things like that. And of course, she would probably say the same about him being there. Just being there.

Marie eventually smiles even more brilliantly than she had before and then nods. "To new memories, yeah? That sounds good to me..."

And then she throws herself into him, in order to give him a hug, of course she accidentally puts all of her weight into it, just like always.