The last golden rays of the day are just settling over the Freehold grounds as the Fourth of July celebration moves toward evening.
The air carries the smell of summer cooking, the sound of laughter, and the steady crackle of sparklers as the childlings race around the gathering, Blossom and Rochallor easily outpacing Briar as she attempts to menace them with sparklers but is left catching her breath.
A nearby table groans beneath the weight of the holiday feast. Marigold has provided a spread of elegant snacks, hors d'oeuvres, elaborate pastries, artisanal cheeses... perhaps more suited to a high-class banquet hall than a Fourth of July gathering. Luckily, Madern has balanced things out with the familiar staples, adding hot dogs, burgers, watermelon, corn, and other traditional fare to the table. Several nearby dogs, including Ivan and Muppet, watch the feast with intense interest, though they are far too well trained to approach.
Nearby, Thistle has taken over a sizable portion of the courtyard with a project of her own. The nocker is buried up to her shoulders in a sprawling collection of technical-looking equipment, tools, wires, and assorted components, leaving only occasional glimpses of whatever she is working on.
Perhaps she is setting up an impressive fireworks display. Perhaps she has devised some elaborate new way to make the evening’s celebration unforgettable. There is also the possibility that Thistle has finally snapped and this is her plan to blow the Freehold to kingdom come. Only time will tell!
Gwen watches the project possibly with some concern, while Art studies the scene with clear interest. Around them, the celebration continues as the childlings wave their sparklers through the fading light and the first stars begin to appear overhead.