#astroevent001

" jade, johnny, come on, no runnin' off, " frankie calls after his niece and nephew but he's pretty sure his voice gets lost in the noise all around them. with his entire family back in town for the 4th, frankie—despite kinda working right now—has been designated babysitter. he doesn't mind, he likes the kids, he'll take spending time with them over hanging with his brothers any day but they are testing him today.

when he catches up to them, they're queuing for the popcorn stand and already chatting up the person in front of them. " with what money are you guys paying for this, huh ? " he says and the look the twins give him is enough to make frankie take out his wallet. " one bag to share. one. you guys already had too much junk. and then we're gonna go wait for the fireworks, yeah? "

when the kids settle and start talking about stuff he knows nothing about, he turns to the person in front of them. " hope they weren't bothering you too much. they're at the age where they love lying and telling stories. " they take a step forward but the line looks like it's going to take forever. " anyway—enjoying this thing? "

Are you ready for a summer holiday celebration that is truly out of this world? 

Start packing flight suits for the whole family and set your phasers to stun because the countdown to intergalactic fun has officially begun! Skip the crowded Roswelll streets this holiday and blast off into a weekend of patriotic family fun at Astroland inspired by last summer’s box-office smash: Independence Day! Stay for the day or book a room for the weekend when you bring your family down to Intercept this July 4th for a galactic tribute to freedom, fireworks, and funky extraterrestrial neighbors!

What can you expect at Astroland’s Cosmic Independence Day celebration? Everything! 

Every game booth has been outfitted with brand new prizes (the same inflatable aliens as always, actually, but they’ve been adorned with festive flag capes and star-spangled felt tophats) and there will even be some new games to enjoy—this weekend only!

If Whack-an-Alien isn’t your favorite, maybe try your hand at the Nuclear Bottle Blaster or the Mothership Coin Drop! Looking for higher stakes? Word has it that the Astroland crew has captured their very own extraterrestrial! Send it back up before it can take over the planet by hitting the target at the Deep-Space Dunk Tank and do your part to protect humanity!

Think you’ve got what it takes to rally the troops for cosmic combat like President Whitmore did? Swing by the main stage on Friday at 4 pm for our Presidential Speech Competition! We supply the megaphone, you supply the inspiration. What would you say to get humanity ready for the biggest battle history has ever seen? The contestant with the best speech will receive two free tickets to return to Astroland/ All runners-up receive a voucher good for one free pin or patch from the giftshop. Don’t forget to redeem it before you leave!

Temperatures are supposed to skyrocket this weekend, but don’t let the heat scare you away from a good time. Rehydrate and, more importantly, refuel at one of Astroland’s many concession outposts located throughout the park. Treat yourself to a sugar rush with a family-sized bag of fresh-popped kettle corn or a galactic cloud of cotton candy! Or, this weekend only, cool down with a limited-edition, tongue-staining Nuclear Blue Icee! 

As you wander, keep your eyes peeled for the aliens roaming throughout the park. They’ve all been armed with (silly string) lasers and they’ve got one goal: total annihilation of humankind. If you see an extraterrestrial headed your way, look to the ground for the nearest Area 51 Safe Zone. Inside the Area 51 zones, you’re safe from all extraterrestrial encounters. Don’t stay too long, though—there’s vast and infinite space to explore! 

Stick around until the sun goes down on Friday night for a state-of-the-art Alien Laser Show projected over the main stage, followed immediately by our massive Supernova Fireworks Spectacular! 

Children under the age of 8 get in free all weekend! Any guests with the name ‘Will/William’ or the last name ‘Smith’ will receive half-off admission on Friday, July 4th.

✱ OOC :

since his twin had run off somewhere after the dunk tank and he hadn't tracked down any of his other peeps yet, jonah was occupying his time in the games section of astroland ( skee ball to be exact ). he was probably just going to go home and skip the fireworks after too long. to be honest, he's not sure he can get down with the noise of astroland, the extra screaming children, and loud explosions played to shitty overture music tonight. it was an overstimulation nightmare bound to happen. maybe the wolfe's den would be quiet, at least for a little while, until the show was over.

in particular jonah fashion, he was fucking around. juggling three skee balls while talking, not paying attention to who might be listening. "you know when i read children free on the flyer, i thought it meant there would be no five and unders, y'know? but here they all our," he shook his head ever so slightly, trying to keep stormy blue eyes on the balls in motion. "i swear the noise today is goin' to be the soundtrack to my fuckin' hell, that and anything by fucking will smith, am i right?" he snickered.

❝ what time are you off today anyway? ❞ the question comes out half-garbled by a mouthful of pizza ( courtesy of astroland management―as if a couple of slices and a generic can of coke are decent compensation for the chaos they unleashed in the park with this half-baked independence day celebration ) as jay leans forward against the picnic table in the outdoor break area.

it's quieter over here than in the heart of the park, the clamor of the crowd just a faint hum behind the crackle of the radio a few feet away. he'd suggested frankie bring jade and johnny back here for some free food and a chance to cool down before hitting the park rides again, more so he could have a few minutes with his best friend off the clock. his gaze flickers toward the kids briefly and then back to frankie, head cocked in a curious tilt as he tears off a piece of crust.

❝ i assume you're sticking around for show tonight? pretty sure i've seen your whole family roaming around by now plus some and it's only, what― ❞ jay pauses to glance at his watch. ❝ ―one? they're scoping out the place early. ❞ if the fireworks he'd seen in the supply closet earlier this morning were any indication, it was going to be a big display. he supposes he can't blame folks for their excitement, not really. jay half-wonders, though, if the park had enough foresight to have additional emts on hand if things happen to go awry. probably not. the only real silver lining? he won't be here to see it if something does go wrong.

❝ i gotta be at wolfe's, but i was thinking about trying to talk gabe into coming to see them anyway. ❞ there's an unspoken question behind the offered information. you'd keep an eye on him for me if he did? it should seem an outlandish request―his younger brother is thirty-one now, he's a grown man―but some paranoia just never really leaves. ❝ you could come grab a drink after your family heads home. i think dom's running cheap specials all night. ❞

truth be told, santiago was looking for maisie. since they'd come back home to intercept very recently, he'd been trying to make up excuses to spend time with them at any turn. unlike his husband, santi will openly admit he missed them. loud and annoyingly for the whole world to hear if he could. but, he has not had a stitch of luck and found himself getting distracted by the swell of faces that had temporarily rolled into intercept for the event.

it was good to see the park so alive.

maybe he was just getting sentimental as he reached the mid-point of his years on that earth. luckily he was distracted by the thought just as quick when he rounded a corner to see another familiar face. "hey there, mister. i was hoping i would see you out with the gatas this morning. i could've used the help loading things in the truck." santiago greeted and teased the younger man. he wasn't serious, he did just fine on his own. "are you working here today? you should come by our table and grab something to eat."

one of the best things santiago can honestly say about being with his partner, is how well they work together. it is relieving to wake up that morning and know that he didn't have to worry about half the things that needed to get done because linds already had it handled. all he needed to do was finish making all the tortillas and pack the food, cooler, get ready and head out to astroland to get their spot picked out. it didn't even need to be fully set up until later.

what he didn't tell his husband is that he was trying out a new look for the day, complete with wranglers, a belt buckle, boots, and a cowboy hat. this was something he got to surprise him with as he raised from the picnic bench where he'd kicked up to read the book he brought, ( guns, germs, and steel because it seemed fitting for the theme and he hadn't been able to sit down and read it yet ).

"hola, mi amor or should i say howdy?" santi chuckled and removed the hat to greet him, arms slightly opening for an embrace. "do you think it's too much? i figured going partial vaqueras was fitting." and yes, santi did think it didn't look half bad when he left the house that morning but now isn't so sure. "maybe you should wear the hat, mi amor. you're going to become a lobster in this sun." he teased, though there was a moment of worry wondering if his husband had put sunscreen on that morning.

the gum in dixie's mouth had gone stale. she was leaning up against the bar beside the gate to the alien swing ride twirling the cheap chewing gum around her finger, just for something to do. it was the most boring ride to attend because it was just swings in the air for a little bit. no exciting music, lights, or fast motions. and the fact that they are ufos does not change a damn thing, either. she was just there to make sure everyone walking in was tall enough so they didn't slide through the seat when they lifted the swings up.

dixie was fucking bored out of her mind.

that is, until she saw one of her main girls nesrin turn the corner. "oh my god, nesi get over here, right now!" she immediately opened her arms for them so she could wrap them in a big hug when they got close enough, then a kiss on each of their cheeks, of course. "i can't believe you look that good right now! seriously, i'm so jealous. come keep me company? they stuck me on the dumbest ride for the first part of my shift." dixie rolled her eyes and pulled nesrin over to the barricade to sit with her.

you would think with the turnout of family and friends santiago had come to the area he'd picked out ( and spent all day saving so it stayed available ) that he would be relaxed and enjoying it. however, he'd somehow become restless, trying to busy himself with tasks and fussing over everyone making sure they'd gotten plenty to eat. maybe it was just something in the air, because he found himself unable to sit down more and more lately.

"oof, manita, i don't know about you but i cannot wait for the sun to go down and this show to get over with." he looked around a moment to make sure there was no trash he could pick up or food he could cover to avoid any bugs flying into it. "do you think nora would want to go on some rides or play some games? i wouldn't want her to get bored." though he knows for a fact she's probably rode every ride she fit on and played all the games many times by now. "we could go walk around and see what else is going on, i'm sure linds will hold down the fort for us. if you want?"