John J. Rambo (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
theydrewfirstblood) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
ph_logs2024-08-23 10:45 am
theydrewfirstblood) wrote in ph_logs2024-08-23 10:45 am
we stand shoulder to shoulder (veteran's social)
Who: John Rambo (theydrewfirstblood) & The Pumpkin Hollow Veterans' Association
What: Leveling up veteran's poker night with a barbecue
When: post-Blight
Where: Baker Ranch
Warning(s): General warnings for John's canon: violence, police brutality, PTSD, torture, etc., and likely similar for many other veterans here, check for further warnings throughout
(NOTE: Treat this as a gathering, but I personally will be backtagging into this for the duration of September, so don't be a stranger!)
Poker Night is something John looks forward to every month, but he got it into his head that it could be fun to do a little more, so he talked to a few people, did a little extra work...
...then the damn Thatcher's Blight hit and everything went to absolute shit.
Fortunately, the whole thing's blown over now, and once he's sure everything around the farm is as clean as it's gonna get? John goes through his stores and decides he's got enough food and drink for all--and tacks up a notice on the bulletin board just below that for the regular poker night, with a date and time as well as his phone number and address.
VETERAN'S SOCIAL, BAKER RANCH--BBQ & DRINKS, POTLUCK OPTIONAL
The event starts a few hours before dusk. John's set up a ways from the house with some tables, chairs, and blankets for those who want to go full on picnic style. It wouldn't be a veteran's night without poker, so there's a game going at one of the tables while another holds plates of food--regular game coming off the grill, along with a few other pieces of meat he picked up for those who aren't fans of game.
And, because Co is around, there's no visible chicken on the grill. Ever the pragmatist, there's a couple casseroles of simple baked chicken on the table, alongside some sides John's put together or any offerings that come along as part of the optional potluck. There's not a lot of alcohol, but John's got the last bottle or two of his little dandelion wine experiment available, as well as a couple other things. Mostly it's water, tea, coffee--tamer offerings.
Speaking of the animals, John's turned loose the ones he treats as pets: Sam the rooster spends the whole night chasing after and trying to wrangle Co, who makes no bones about harassing newcomers for adulation. Those she knows, if they sit still too long, will end up with a happy chicken nesting in their lap...one that will remain quiet only so long as you offer the bare minimum of scritches and pets. Dare to ignore her, and angry clucking will ensue. John's mare, Helga, can also be seen grazing around the goings-on, shy but not unfriendly. If a hot breath puffs on the back of your neck, she's just curious--if you pet her, she'll swish her tail happily and move on.
There's also a newer member of the family, whose only just getting big enough to let socialize: Bao, a female cottontail rabbit whose still young, but no longer too much of a baby to keep isolated. Though she spends a good portion of the night in John's arms when he's not busy, she does hop around loose, sticking close to John and to Co, who can be found very rarely nesting in a patch of grass with Bao tucked against her feathery side, gently attempting to "preen" Bao despite her lack of feathers.
And while this is, ostensibly, the veteran's social, any of Baker Ranch's varying degrees of resident are invited to the party, so if there's new faces about? Relax, they don't bite--unless you have food, then watch your hands. They're probably teenagers, and they don't discriminate when it comes to their appetites.
theydrewfirstblood) & The Pumpkin Hollow Veterans' AssociationWhat: Leveling up veteran's poker night with a barbecue
When: post-Blight
Where: Baker Ranch
Warning(s): General warnings for John's canon: violence, police brutality, PTSD, torture, etc., and likely similar for many other veterans here, check for further warnings throughout
(NOTE: Treat this as a gathering, but I personally will be backtagging into this for the duration of September, so don't be a stranger!)
Poker Night is something John looks forward to every month, but he got it into his head that it could be fun to do a little more, so he talked to a few people, did a little extra work...
...then the damn Thatcher's Blight hit and everything went to absolute shit.
Fortunately, the whole thing's blown over now, and once he's sure everything around the farm is as clean as it's gonna get? John goes through his stores and decides he's got enough food and drink for all--and tacks up a notice on the bulletin board just below that for the regular poker night, with a date and time as well as his phone number and address.
VETERAN'S SOCIAL, BAKER RANCH--BBQ & DRINKS, POTLUCK OPTIONAL
The event starts a few hours before dusk. John's set up a ways from the house with some tables, chairs, and blankets for those who want to go full on picnic style. It wouldn't be a veteran's night without poker, so there's a game going at one of the tables while another holds plates of food--regular game coming off the grill, along with a few other pieces of meat he picked up for those who aren't fans of game.
And, because Co is around, there's no visible chicken on the grill. Ever the pragmatist, there's a couple casseroles of simple baked chicken on the table, alongside some sides John's put together or any offerings that come along as part of the optional potluck. There's not a lot of alcohol, but John's got the last bottle or two of his little dandelion wine experiment available, as well as a couple other things. Mostly it's water, tea, coffee--tamer offerings.
Speaking of the animals, John's turned loose the ones he treats as pets: Sam the rooster spends the whole night chasing after and trying to wrangle Co, who makes no bones about harassing newcomers for adulation. Those she knows, if they sit still too long, will end up with a happy chicken nesting in their lap...one that will remain quiet only so long as you offer the bare minimum of scritches and pets. Dare to ignore her, and angry clucking will ensue. John's mare, Helga, can also be seen grazing around the goings-on, shy but not unfriendly. If a hot breath puffs on the back of your neck, she's just curious--if you pet her, she'll swish her tail happily and move on.
There's also a newer member of the family, whose only just getting big enough to let socialize: Bao, a female cottontail rabbit whose still young, but no longer too much of a baby to keep isolated. Though she spends a good portion of the night in John's arms when he's not busy, she does hop around loose, sticking close to John and to Co, who can be found very rarely nesting in a patch of grass with Bao tucked against her feathery side, gently attempting to "preen" Bao despite her lack of feathers.
And while this is, ostensibly, the veteran's social, any of Baker Ranch's varying degrees of resident are invited to the party, so if there's new faces about? Relax, they don't bite--unless you have food, then watch your hands. They're probably teenagers, and they don't discriminate when it comes to their appetites.
Radar O'Reilly | OTA
Once the gathering's in full swing, Radar finally stops dashing around long enough to join in. It's his first time really going to one of these poker nights, and considering everybody just worked their butts off to make it through a nasty outbreak, boy is he ready to party.
...well, within reason. Even just sniffing the wine makes him a little queasy, a whole month after the beach party, so he's sticking to his usual seltzer-and-grape-juice concoction that's the closest he can get to a grape Nehi around here. He's more than making up for it by going back for seconds, thirds, and fourths of the barbecue, trying at least a little bit of everything on the table.
If there's something he particularly likes, he might turn to you, gesturing at the dish enthusiastically, and say, "Wow, you had a chance to try that yet? It's amazing! You gotta!"
Poker
So. You'd think a guy who can hear people's thoughts would be great at poker, right?
You'd be wrong.
Radar has absolutely zero poker face to speak of. He groans in dismay when he gets a bad hand and giggles in delight when he draws a few good cards. On top of that, he's got no real strategy -- it's even odds whether he folds or keeps going if somebody's beating him, because look, just because they've got a good hand now doesn't mean they're gonna have one in a few minutes! (Except, oh shoot, they're about to draw the card that'll give them three of a kind, aren't they. Nuts.)
But hey, if you join in while he's playing, you'll be able to brag to all your friends that you beat a psychic at a card game!
Everywhere Else (Wildcard)
No matter where you are around the ranch, you'll probably bump into Radar at some point. Maybe he's running back to the house to grab something, maybe he's taking a moment to say hi to the animals, maybe he's stepping in for a second so John can take a break. Maybe he's taking a little break from the noise, going to a quieter part of Baker Ranch for fifteen minutes to give his ears some rest before he jumps back in.
But wherever you are, Radar'll probably wave and say hello as he goes by, even if you haven't met yet.
[you know where to find me for more wildcard plotting!]
Everywhere Else
During one of Radar's little breaks, John sidles up behind him quietly, tapping his shoulder with the bottom edge of the glass in his hand--seltzer and grape juice. He pays attention, Radar.
"You good?" he asks, keeping his head focused on Radar and nothing else. It's not like he knows for sure, but what Radar can do is pretty clear, and noise is noise.
So he tries to keep the noise, inside and out, to a minimum. Lord knows he gets it, his own nerves a little frayed just from socializing more than he's used to...
He smooths that thought over and focuses on leaning against a fence post next to Radar. There's a distant rustle of wings--Co is somewhere nearby, scuffling around and being a general feathery nuisance of the best sort.
no subject
If he looks a bit worn around the edges, it's offset by his smile. Even with John's arrival, the noise doesn't spike too bad. John's thoughts murmur like the low wash of crickets singing around them, or like a radio crackling with static that's tuned just a little too soft. Something he can let pass over him and lull his own thoughts into quiet.
He accepts the drink with a brief, pleased thanks and fetches up against the post next to him. "Yeah, I'm good," he says. A little rueful: "It's, uh, not like the beach party was."
You know, when he had to be poured into his tent once he finally made it back to the campsite.
no subject
"Fortunately, it's a lesson you only gotta learn once--until the next time." he quips softly. "Just drink a lot of water and it won't be so bad next time. I'll teach you a couple hangover cures, too."
He still can't help but worry, though, so while he continues to try and modulate his thoughts, he reaches over to lay a hand atop Radar's head affectionately.
"How's the rest of your head? World must be a noisy place for a fella like you."
no subject
no subject
"Booze is supposed to shut your brain off--plus I'd wager that many doctors in one place are too wiped out from shifts to be real thoughtful. Here, there's...all kinds. Geniuses like Siebren--the older guy who floats--there's healthier people like you, messed up messes like me...lot more going on upstairs. Plus goddesses 'n ghosts and God knows what else. Just tell me if it ever gets too loud, I'll help you find someplace quiet. Promise."
no subject
A pause, and a little sigh.
"But yeah, I guess that's another thing different between here and home, huh. There's a lot of people and people who aren't regular people, too. Maybe I just gotta get used to it. -- I don't mean you're not a regular people, sir!" he adds hastily. "I meant that more like the goddesses and ghosts and everything."
Since John included himself in the lots of stuff going on upstairs category.
no subject
“I’m not a ‘regular people’—but I consider that a badge of honor.” John assures him with a wink. “And it’s more true now, I think. I got this thing with Serranai now…though sometimes I feel like it helps keep my head more clear than anything. Like being back in the Army, but…easier. Nicer.”
no subject
They were in enough of a rush during the Blight that he didn't really get to ask John about it. Radar sips his drink as he studies him, openly curious.
no subject
“I heard about this thing, being a paladin. It’s like a soldier, but you don’t enlist with the military, you…enlist with a god or a goddess.”
He reaches up to give the glass bead around his neck a tap with one finger, since returned to him post-Blight.
“I did that with Serranai. So I’m a soldier again, but the recruitment oath I chose to swear was to her.”
no subject
Sometimes it's hard for Radar to think of John as regular army, especially when he's working with the animals or making breakfast for everybody in the morning. The little bits and pieces he overhears, too -- it never really sounds like Mr. Rambo enjoyed being in Special Forces. Why would he want to go back to that?
Well, it's Serranai, he reasons. If she asked Radar to do something, he'd probably do just about anything, too, if it meant he'd get to be near her. And John is regular army, kinda. Just not the way Radar's used to.
He leans in, conspiratorial. "So... does that mean you gonna get to see her more?"
no subject
God, he's got a crush on a goddess. What the fuck?...
He shrugs, smile growing at the notion. "I dunno--but I did see Kora at that beach party during the summer. She came to get that little pouch I had around my neck for a while, 'n she said Serranai sent her."
He pauses, tipping his head as his smile turns thoughtful--more deliberately than anything.
"I also swore my oath...'bout a day or so before the whole Blight thing went down."
He reaches up again to tap the bead hanging around his neck--the same one he gave Radar to hold onto.
"And me, serving her, lent you the favor she gave me...neither one of us caught the damn thing. Something to think about."
no subject
"Yeah, I guess it is," he says. "Maybe she's really looking out for both of us, huh?"
Wow. Serranai, looking out for a guy like him. His knees are going all weak just thinking about it. Radar tries to cover by taking another gulp of his drink, and it's only by sheer luck that he doesn't inhale it instead and start coughing.