party time (closed-ish)

[cutefaced]

Who: Slaine Troyard (terrantrash), Yona (cutefaced), Slaine's CR, and Slaine's CR's guests (if I didn't send you an IC invite and your character got CR with Slaine more recently, feel free to handwave that Yona peeked at his phone and invited them!)
What: It's Slaine's birthday. Yona stole his phone and read through his contact information to invite everyone he knows for a birthday picnic/potluck.
When: January 11th
Where: In one of the safe-ish areas outside both cities.
Warning(s): Hopefully nothing? It's a birthday party. Behave, y'all.

[It's kind of a chilly day, but not unbearably so. With the help of a lot of the people Yona's contacted on the down-low, they've got this all set up - a tent to provide cover from the sun and/or the rain if it becomes a thing, dishes laid out for everyone to share and sample, some games to play...

Basically, everything that's needed for a nice, enjoyable day. So the only thing left is for everyone to show up and for Slaine to get his butt over here.

When your character shows up, Yona's quick to greet them with a smile and a wave.]

Hello! Thank you for coming!

[And when Slaine finally shows up...]

Surprise! Happy birthday, Slaine!

[NOTE: This is a mingle log, so feel free to post your own toplevels!]

Comments

Birthday Boy

[terrantrash]

SURPRISE

<sub>[The last thing Slaine was expecting was a get together for his birthday. It just hadn't really ever been something that was celebrated. Sure, when he was much younger and his father was still alive, he'd get a present and a card, but those days had been replaced with drudgery and anxiety that came from simply existing. Only Asseylum had ever bothered to ask him when his birthday was, and as soon as he'd ended up on Mars there were no more gifts or well wishes, unless the 'Happy Birthday' came from the princess herself.

Slaine's ever had anything even remotely resembling a birthday party and so Yona's production has him outright stunned. He is, by all measured of the word, surprised - shocked would be a better way to put it. So much so he's standing stiff, staring at her wide-eyed and overwhelmed.]</sub>

...W-What's going on?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

_{[Perhaps the most surprising part (at least to him) are the people that have actually bothered to come. Even more flooring is that they're here for him, technically. It's...a lot to process really, especially for someone so shy. He's never done well being the center of attention, but he knows it's only right to go and greet everyone that's taken the time to celebrate.]}

Um...thank you, for being here. I didn't think anyone would.

_{[Since, y'know, Yona arranged all of this and it's all news to him.]}

BATTER UP

_{[Someone brought a piñata. That someone was Lance. What's inside it is a mystery, but apparently you're supposed to beat the shit out of it with a stick to find out. While being blindfolded, that is. Sure, Slaine might have first dibs on the first swing, but he's more than happy to try and pass off the honour to someone else. Blindfold and stick in hand, if you seem eager he'll offer them both up to you instead.]}

Would you rather go first?

CAKE

_{[Slaine can't remember the last time he had a birthday cake. It must've been when he was really little, when his dad actually had enough time to get him one and put candles on it. The sight of the cake before him is a bit foreboding, especially with the candles lit, that he can't help but waver when it comes to blowing them out. He does though, after a moment, flushed from embarrassment. It's only after blowing out the candles that he moves to cut the cake, putting piece after piece on a plate, holding it out to whoever seems to not have one yet.]}

Did you want a piece?

surpriiiise

[cutefaced]

A birthday party, obviously!

[There are people, food, presents, and cake... so she thinks it's obvious enough. The happy birthday should probably have tipped him off too, but... well, she did intend for this to be a surprise, so his shock is just a sign that she succeeded.

See, she could be subtle. She planned the whole thing under his nose!]

You're seventeen now, right?

[terrantrash]

_{[But it's not obvious...obviously. Not with the way he seems to stare, frozen in spot like a deer caught in headlights.]}

...I am. _{[Seventeen. He hadn't even thought he'd live to see another birthday.]} You organized all of this?

CAKE

[meinwaifu]

[It might just come as a surprise that someone as lean and spooky-looking as "Faust" has a sweet tooth. But clearly that must be the case -- because this is definitely his second time coming around and taking a slice of cake from Slaine... or is it his third? Where is he even putting it all, the man's a stick??]

Ah yes, don't mind if I do!

[terrantrash]

_{[Definitely his third. It's not like Slaine is going to deny him more cake but he is definitely judging.]}

You must really enjoy cake.

hapiba

[gekkajuu]

Of course! It's your birthday, after all~

[Atsushi is entirely too happy about this. It helps that he has (somehow) survived his part of the preparations, and managed to get it done in time: that's a lot of stress that's fallen off his shoulders all at once.]

[terrantrash]

_{[It's been awhile, or at least it feels that way. He wasn't expecting him to be here, but then again he wasn't expecting anyone or any of this in the first place.]}

I've never had a birthday party before...so I feel a bit out of my element.

b-day

[atwo]

[ she really sticks out like a sore thumb right now, not that it can be helped. it's her first birthday party and she doesn't know what she is supposed to be doing. yona did offer her suggestions and mentioned to her what happened to them, buuuuut...

she's still just standing there awkwardly.

at least a2 shows some signs of life when she see's slaine. she shrugs her shoulders. ]

Don't mention it. I only did what was asked of me.

BATTER UP

[emblazes]

[Of course Lance would bring an item from his motherland. Ha ha. Ha. Apparently Keith's just sticking to his streak of Accidentally Trying New Things, as he didn't actually want to participate in the pinata beatdown, but he was staring and now he's being included...]

Shouldn't you go first?

[Birthday laws and such, he's not that ignorant.]

batter up!!

[ofseraphim]

[ Okay so Sorey is completely out of his element here, but he came to party!! He just... might need some instructions... ]

So you're saying you put on the blindfold, and then hit that thing with a stick...?

[ Pardon him for seeming more than a little puzzled. ]

I'm not sure I understand, but... in any case, I couldn't take the first turn on your birthday! Go ahead!

[ Plus, examples are nice. Teach him, Slaine! ]

cake!

[lifespanned]

[ She watches him blow out the candles with satisfaction, quietly wondering what he would wish for, if anything. Actually, she gets caught up in that thought until he asks her if she wants a piece, to which she responds: ]

Well, Misa doesn't usually eat sweets... [ Since she's always in a constant state of watching her figure. ] But since it's your party, I'll make an exception!

[ Carefully, she'll take the plate from him, but makes no motion to eat a bite of it, just studying him. ]

Aren't you going to have any?

sorta surprise wildcard idk

[competing]

[ after slaine gets his bearings and the other attendants disperse to enjoy the festivities and give him some air, lance slinks past to slap a hand around the younger boy's shoulder. ]

So! The big 1-7, huh? How're you feeling?

[ don't mind him, he's just trying to see if you cried and/or are close to crying... ]

Cake

[cariad]

Are you kidding me?

[It's not as if Yamagi's arrived on an empty stomach. There's one exception this particular picky eater usually makes when it comes to food, and sweets are always it.]

I'd love to. I haven't had cake since the last birthday party I've been to.

[bar food isn't quite the same either]

CAKE

[galaxycannon]

Woah, happy birthday, guy. Yeah, yeah, sure. Lay it on me.

[ He may be a little too excited about getting what might be his first piece of birthday cake like... ever... but he is actually pretty happy for Slaine. He doesn't know much but 'hard life' breathes off of him in a way that's too easy for a person like him to read. ]

[underwhelms]

[ After about thirty minutes (or perhaps, a lifetime) of talking, JJ finally gets to this: ]

... You can see where my seventh birthday triumphed slightly over my sixth. I don't really have any complaints about either, but the waterpark definitely suited July better than the amusement park. Canada might seem like a very cold place, and it is, but it gets very hot in the summer.

[ He has one arm draped over Slaine's shoulder as he chats away, sure that Slaine is dying to hear JJ list out every birthday that he'd ever celebrated. Before Slaine can disappear into his happy place (if he hasn't already), JJ deigns to allow the younger boy to speak. ]

What do you think, water park or amusement park?

habby b bay

[likethelight]

? [ Blinking for a moment, Allen tips his head to the side slightly then and smiles. ]

Why wouldn't they? [ And of course since it's Allen he has a plate of cake in hand, but...

He offers it to Slaine then. Look, it's a fresh piece even he got just for you. Maybe. Look, at least it doesn't have a bite taken out of it. ]

Because they're your friends they want to make sure you're happy, especially on your birthday. [ Talking like that isn't something he's part of...? He wouldn't know what you mean... Nevermind that Allen can probably count on his hands the number of birthdays he's actually celebrated, including his own. Not that he knows when it actually is. Shh.

He may or may not be wearing an eye patch over his right eye he most certainly wasn't wearing the last time Slaine saw him. Somehow he doesn't seem bothered by it?? it's nbd ]

[ax]

[ honestly shinji has thought about turning heels and go back the way he came. the party is... a lot bigger than he had anticipated. for someone like slaine, he thought the boy would have only about five friends... or something like that. maybe he should have figured from the way that other girl sounded.

anyway he's here now, bringing a small cake for a present because he didn't think he would have to feed this many people. there does seem to be at least one more cake, so he doesn't feel too badly about it. ]

... Yeah, sure.

Here. [ he offers the box. ] Take it.

some tiger trash

[gekkajuu]

PREPARATIONS

[Atsushi has so many regrets. So, so many. Okay, not really: he does want to make this a great party for Slaine! But he had trouble finding a decent tent to rent, not to mention a little heater to put inside of it that cost a fortune (and still turned out to do very little), and getting the tent (plus a table and some chairs) out of the city and all set up is a nightmare.

Actually, maybe it's doable, but the pressure he puts on himself to do all of this - and do it right! - is borderline unhealthy. He can't not do it, though! Slaine's birthday party depends on it.

So here he is, at the location way too early, and struggling a little as he sets up the framework of the tent. His cub, meanwhile, is being suspiciously quiet... probably because it's trying to get into Atsushi's bag, and snatch some of the food in there.]

BYO NOMS

[Everybody's supposed to bring a dish from home, or so Atsushi's been told, and while he initially thought he'd skip his responsibilities there and focus on the tent, he just can't make himself do it.

On the bright side: his favorite is essentially a leftover dish, so he's just brought some cooked rice and chicken and other tidbits for flavor, plus a magically powered kettle for boiling water. Chuck some things in a bowl, pour hot water on - and hey presto! You got your chazuke right there.

He'll be happy to make some for anyone who seems unsure about what to do with the plain, cold foods.]

byo noms

[middy]

[ When she was around, Euphemia taught Hush how to cook, since he was willing to help her out... especially when she wasn't quite the best at it. She tried! He learned some more things to cook in the meantime, and Hush is simple. For the party, he brought, well, ingredients good for sandwiches, with some already made and cut up to look nicer. A pot of stew seems a bit impractical for a party. ]

Could I try some?

[ He tilts over, looking at Atsushi's setup to make chazuke. Leftovers for it make the dish somehow welcoming and worth a shot. Also he's cold. Handing an empty bowl to the boy, Hush waits patiently. ]

preparations

[cutefaced]

[Atsushi may be struggling with the tent, but he won't have to struggle alone for very long.

Yona hurries over when she sees him working with it, grabbing the other side of the framework to help tug it into place before it can fall over. This does unfortunately, leave his cub free to get into his bag, but they can cross that bridge when they come to it.]

Here! I've got the other side!

[lifespanned]

a. tfw you're three feet tall

[ Misa herself can't really help out with the all the heavy lifting of tables and chairs, but she still wants to help in what little ways she can. Which, by this, she means she's gonna hang up one of the colorful banners laying around to the higher points of the tent, while standing on a stepladder. Honestly, she's not being too mindful of how easy it is to see up her traditionally short skirt (at least her panties are cute??), balancing on one foot to tack the banner in place without a care. ]

Hey, you - [ It might seem like she's accusing whoever is behind her of staring, until: ] Can you hold this? Just for a sec.

[ The small, black, heart shaped bag that's been slung around her elbow while attemping to do this keeps slipping, so she's reaching a hand back expectantly to hand it off. Don't worry, there's nothing that could accidentally kill you in there... but she is wobbling a bit with the continued effort of putting the banner up, so she expects you to take it quickly. ]

b. tfw you're old (but not really)

There sure are a lot of kids here...

[ She's muttering to herself - seeing more than 3 people younger than she is at a time almost makes her feel old. Especially since she brought something pretty homey - sliced apples on a platter, in those little bunny shapes, you know the ones. It's something she definitely spent more than 30 minutes on!!! Definitely.

She'll meander over to the array of different foods set out, half looking for a place to put down her tray, and half looking to see if anyone had brought any alcohol. If you want fruit from her, or are wondering why she's looking so closely at a table not even that big, you'll have to break her Strong Attention somehow. ]

misa-misa is super old (i'm sorry)

[cutefaced]

Ooh, those are really cute!

[Yona is charmed by Misa's bunny apples pretty much immediately - but there doesn't seem to be somewhere for her to put them down, so Yona heads over to the table to start reshuffling some of the other dishes to clear some space.]

You must be really talented to have made those yourself!

NOOOOOOOOOO MISA

[regives]

[ Leanne is probably in the background somewhere looking at Misa fondly, doing her own share of work. Taking a glance away while she prepares a nearby table before she looks again, this time she notices that her skirt is hiking up— ]

Mi— what?

[ The purse is being shoved into her face and she takes it quickly, if only to use it as a heart shaped censor bar. ]

Okay, okay, but work fast. You've got a little of a situation going on right now.

Afterparty Aftermath - Closed to Yona

[terrantrash]

<sub>[It's been...a hectic kind of day. Not in a bad way though, but Slaine isn't used to being the center of attention, let alone for a whole day, and so the surprise birthday party, while going over rather well, has left him feeling pretty tired once evening hits. He's already showered and in his night clothes, his father's pendant hanging around his neck, tucked into the collar of his shirt as he waits for Yona to change and join him in what's now their room. (Technically it's her bedroom and bed, but since he's more or less always sleeping in her bed with her, he might as well have co-ownership of it now.)

When she does enter, dressed in her nightgown, Slaine lifts the edge of the comforter so she can join him under the covers. After such a busy day he's looking forward to winding down and just enjoying some one-on-one, quiet company.]</sub>

Tired?

[cutefaced]

[All in all, she has to say it's been a successful day.

They had a party. People showed up. Slaine got some gifts, and hopefully, he's come to realize that there are plenty of people around here who like him. Yona knows it won't be an overnight thing, but hopefully, at this rate, he'll be able to gather the confidence to declare that he's enough, just by being who he is, in spite of the way people have treated him in the past.

Now, she's a little tired, and she's looking forward to getting to rest. She's attended parties in her honor in the past, but had never had to set any of them up before. Suddenly, she wonders if her servants were ever this exhausted back in Kouka.

She offers him a small smile as she climbs into bed to rest under the covers.]

A little. What about you?