[party post]

[smithnjones]

On July 4th, there is another wanderer community event for the first time since March when a bomber nearly killed everyone that attended but instead killed two people who chose to sacrifice themselves so the rest could live. These two people were friends of many including Martha Jones, but it is important to move forward and not let grief stop them

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[lil_nellie]

Nellie loves rides. She loves amusement parks. Growing up she always went to them with her nanny and other help from her home, and she never had to wait in lines. It was fun, but it wasn't the real experience.

Here in Chicago she waits in the lines. She waits her turn and she rides with strangers, and she is having a blast. She runs into people she knows and hugs them with a big smile on her face. She's making the best of her day. It's a good day and she just wants to enjoy it.

She's on the Lighthouse ride now. It's the one that you sit on and it raises you up, then drops you down really fast. She may be sitting next to a complete stranger, or she may have found a friend to drag onto it. Either way she's not on it alone, and when it drops she lets out a gleeful shriek and grabs onto the hand of the person beside her.

She already can't wait to do it again.

[thelightofgrace]

Charlie happens to be a poor sucker that she dragged on to the ride. He's never really been one for amusement parks, but he's learning that you can't really say no to a girl like Nellie Lachlan. It just isn't done.

So for right now, he's just letting her cling to his hand as they drop through the air, and tries not to feel his stomach rise in his throat. It's ridiculous, he was in the army in the middle of a war zone, he shouldn't get nervous on amusement park rides, but he closes his eyes as they rocket to the bottom, and only opens them when they still moving for a moment.

"Is it over?"

[lil_nellie]

Nellie tips her head back in laughter at his reaction, and she squeezes his hand tighter. She does feel a little bad, but she also knows this won't hurt him. She knows he'll be okay. And really...it's kinda the most adorable thing she's ever seen.

"I think we're goin' up once more, darlin'," she shouts through the air, as the ride does indeed start to ascend again. "Don't worry, I'll keep you safe."

[thelightofgrace]

"I'm countin' on you for that," he says with a bit of a look as they start to rise. He doesn't know what it is -- probably the idea that he's confined a little more than he should be. "I'd like to make it out of this alive."

[lil_nellie]

She glances over at him at that. "You really think I'd let anything happen to you?"

It's probably best she not mention what other kind of thrill this is giving her right now. It's not something she can control. But feeling a little bad outweighs feeling the other things this kind of adventure makes her feel, and she lets her grin soften.

"Don't worry so much."

[thelightofgrace]

"No, I don't," he says with a smile. "I trust you, darlin'. Don't worry."

And he does. More than he'd care to admit. He trusts her not to hurt him, more than he trusts himself, which isn't really saying much all things considered. But trust isn't something he gives easily, and he's giving it to her.

[lil_nellie]

She's not too sure what she's done to earn his trust, but it just makes that smile grow again. "So don't be such a baby," she replies, her eyes playful.

[thelightofgrace]

"I'm tryin'. In fact this is downright embarassing," he says with a sigh. "Bombs, gunfire -- I can handle that. One little amusement park ride, and I need you to hold my hand."

... That might have been flirting. Maybe.

[lil_nellie]

She might be picking up on that flirting. Just a little. But she wants him to stop worrying so much and just enjoy this day as much as she's enjoying it. She has been needing this for a long time, and whether he will admit it or not she knows he needs it to. Besides, isn't the Fourth a day to show troops your appreciation? She appreciates Charlie. A lot. And she should show him such.

Maybe it's in showing him appreciation or maybe it's to help distract him, she'll never really tell, but either way she leans over and kisses him quickly. Just as the ride plummets down again.

No one can say the girl doesn't have fantastic timing.

[thelightofgrace]

She has incredible timing, and while the kiss may have caught Charlie by surprise, that doesn't mean he doesn't know how to still do it. He leans into the kiss just slightly, one hand coming up to brush against the side of her face.

He doesn't even notice they're falling at all.

[lil_nellie]

Her breath catches slightly when he returns it, and she hopes he doesn't notice. She thinks him noticing might be a little embarrassing actually.

Just as she opens her lips a little more to his the ride stops, but she doesn't pull back. It's too nice and too perfect, and instead of distracting him she has distracted herself completely. Nellie doesn't even notice that they're on the ground.

[thelightofgrace]

Charlie doesn't either, honestly, until he starts to hear wolf whistles from the people standing on line. He pulls back with a bit of a sheepish look, and glances over at them, before waving a hand.

"Alright, alright. We're leavin'."

[lil_nellie]

"Can't take you anywhere, can I?" She smirks at him, before hopping off the ride and wandering away from it. She might let him catch up to her, if he's lucky.

[thelightofgrace]

Charlie's not really one to be allowed to do anything, but he waits until she breaks free of the crowd before catching up with her completely. Longer legs being used to his advantage, he darts around in front of her and raises an eyebrow.

"Now hold on, darlin'. You can't just kiss a boy like that and walk away."

[lil_nellie]

She comes to a stop when he comes around, and tips her head back to gaze up at him. Why must he be so tall? Her eyes are gleaming with how wide the smirk is on her lips. Suddenly there's something so bright and shiny in her happiness that she just can't dial that smirk down.

"Kiss a boy like what?"

[thelightofgrace]

That happiness is catching. He can't help the grin that's on his face, but he doesn't back down from his position. He just looks back at her, raising an eyebrow.

"You know how."