Happy Birthday Xion!

[provenworth]

Happy Birthday Xion!

Characters: Elena, Turk Family, Team Ragnarock and anybody who is friends with the birthday girl
Setting: Floor 62 , November 18, afternoon - evening
Format: Open, anything goes
Summary: It's Xion’s birthday – at least the one selected. So, being proper parents, Reno and Elena are throwing their bitty girl a birthday party on the beach that will bleed into a solstice bonfire later into the evening.
Warnings: None for now

 

[Let the party begin!]

[Solstice Bonfire]

Comments

[Let the party begin!]

[provenworth]

[Anybody who arrives will find that all the work for set-up and preparation has been completed. There’s two pairs of tabled, stretched out side by side, filled with various foods from the cafeteria, drinks are in a large plastic bin, chilling in ice. In the center of the second table is a cake with ‘Happy Birthday Xion’ written in icing.

But there’s more! There’s a giant net set up for volleyball and a ball a short ways away. Even further off is numerous giant logs, set up together to make a large tee-pee that would be burned come nightfall.

So come in, relax, have fun!]

Mingle Thread!

[midgarhorizon]

[You guys can relax. Meanwhile, Reno is sitting off a ways trying very hard to look inconspicuous. He has a gift or two to give Xion, but seems sort of reluctant to come out of hiding.

Which isn't easy because he sort of has two fuzzy fox ears poking up through his hair.

And about nine fox tails.

They're all waving back and forth, betraying his presence. He's gonna need to sew up those holes in his slacks later...]

[bloodyashes]

[Unfortunately, Reno... You've been noticed. And redhead solidarity isn't enough to ward off the inevitable awkward questions.]

This looks like a hell of a story.

[acceptedoblivion]

[Sad to say, Reno, but you've been noticed again. A figure in a black coat has turned in your direction and-

...was that a stifled chuckle?]

Huh. Could have sworn you didn't have pointy ears or tails under that makeshift cloak last time.

[savedbyasong]

Wow they are cute! [Sorry Reno, but you have animal ears and they are the most adorable thing ever. Enough to get a genuine smile from Shion and he even put down his notes! So that he could come and pet them.

Wait...]

What happened?

/insert jaws theme

[provenworth]

[Do you feel it, Reno? That feeling that something is nearby. Stalking. Lurking in the shadows. Watching you. Because its true. Reno is in the process of being stalked by something more dangerous than any of the creatures on this floor.

He's being stalked by an animal-loving Turk!wife who had utilized every skill she had to maintain silence.

An arm curls around his neck, pulling his back against her chest and locking him in. The other hand teases the tip of his ear. Say hi to your waifu, Reno. And don't try to escape because she's got your tails between her knees and she's not one to hesitation to given them a pinch if he tries to get away.]

Now this is quite a look for you...

[gradosfinest]

[Amelia's been in the Tower long enough to know better than to let her guard down... ever, basically. That also means she's keeping both eyes open and watching for anything out of the ordinary, even if she's all smiles and feeling genuinely happy at the moment. And unfortunately for Reno, it's a little bit hard not to notice the ears and tails, something that earns him a brief stare before she actually approaches. No doubt the Tower's to blame somehow, but this seems decidedly less... traumatizing than normal.

Also, the fox ears are kinda cute.]

Afternoon! You're looking, uh... [... there's really no polite way to phrase it is there.] Fuzzier than usual.

[At the very least, her hands are folded behind her back and there's no attempt to actually poke at his ears.]

[heartismyown]

[The invitation to a party is a bit surprising, but Roxas is curious enough to go find out what that is about. It was for Xion who told him she was his best friend, so that meant it was true.

The wide array of food is a bit surprising, although Roxas can't help but think it would be nice if there was sea salt ice cream.

He sees the cake and scratches his head a bit.]

Happy birthday Xion...

[midgarhorizon]

Hey Roxas.

[Reno's wandering nearby, and looks pretty glad to see him.]

Glad you could make it. How's things?

[attheclocktower]

Roxas!

[There's a moment of surprise before she hitches a smile up on her face. For all its hesitance though, her happiness is genuine.]

You're here, too.

[keybearer]

[Whoa, there's a face Riku hasn't seen in a while. When he spots Roxas, he blinks before tentatively wandering closer. After all, the "Roxas" in his universe wasn't exactly friends with him. The previous versions of Roxas have been on somewhat shaky ground at times, too...

But who's to say where this one is from? Is he one of the past versions from the tower? A fresh start?

The least Riku could do is act cordially, and so, after clearing his throat, he gives a light wave of the hand and...]

Having fun?

[...Okay, maybe that was a dumb question, but conversation starters are always tough!

Thankfully, this Riku has some clear visible differences from his canon counterpart to stave off some unease. Though he's now about the same age as his double, his hair's still only down to his shoulders, and he continues to wear the black wristbands and gloves he wore at fifteen. Kairi's lucky charm and a black crown necklace hang from his belt.]

[attheclocktower]

[Reno had pestered her into coming early to help set up for the bonfire (or so she believes). So when Xion walks in the door, she's entirely unassuming. Under some strange fit of instinct though she wore her yellow dress, with a sweater she'd been making on top. A celebration was a celebration right?

Thus, she's puzzled when it looks... like everything is pretty much set up already. There's food and games and a ca-

Xion stops dead, her hands flying up to cover her face. But... but she'd told them... and they'd...

Say hello to a very surprised, very flustered birthday girl?]

[midgarhorizon]

Xion!

[Have an affectionate head ruffle.]

Ya like? This's all Elena's idea.

[savedbyasong]

Xion! [Have a Shion, have a Shion running up behind her though he makes sure she has turned and seen him before he hugs her. No traumatic flashbacks on birthdays!

Also it's a one handed hug because he is carrying a cake, an ice cream cake to be exact.] Happy birthday!

[bloodyashes]

[Asch, for his part, will hang back until the worst of the birthday greetings are over. He's started wearing his cloak again for the winter, which, helpfully, hides his hands as well as any potential presents.

That said, he is giving the whole proceeding one of those rare, can't-get-caught-being-happy smiles.]

So, how old does this make you?

[He can't help but be curious; the Luke in his world would be closer to eight than seven now.]

[oathshackledbird]

[Despite trying not to stick out, Diarmuid is well aware that he probably does. Not only is he an unknown face to many people here, well...

...lets just say Reno isn't the only person at the party with animal ears and a tail anymore, though Diarmuid would have to say he got lucky. His brown puppy ears and tail don't stick out nearly as much as Reno's fox ears and tails do.

As he stands off to the side near a table after giving his best wishes to Xion, his eyes sweep over the floor. He is still amazed that no evidence of the fight that took place here just a few days ago remains. Amazed and grateful. He would not have wanted that to interfere with this happy occasion for Xion.]

[acceptedoblivion]

[An invitation to a birthday party was the last thing that he ever expected. Did they not know of his "allegiance" with one of their enemies? What this could risk if he was found among them? But, she is his sibling replica...

In the end, he decided the risk was worth it. The admins had given him one of those "coats", after all - while the glamour was in effect, he'd be invisible to detection of the dark kind, and without they couldn't sense at all. Why not use what was given?

Even if he had no idea from his own experience what volleyball was or who most of these people were. Or the fact he was a cloaked figure just standing awkwardly in the corner with a small pouch in his hand trying to act like he wasn't unsure about half of the people here.

At least he knows Xion has people who care about her. Maybe that'd be enough.]

[poisonousflame]

[The invitation to Xion's birthday had been ... surprising, to say the least. Not that something being surprising was really a surprise anymore. Not since he'd woken up here not even a week before.

[But what else was Axel to do but show up? He's a little out of practice with the whole birthday party thing. It's not like he's been to one since ... well, since he was human. He doesn't have a gift (not that he'd know where to get one), he's dressed in his usual black coat, he doesn't seem to know quite what to do with the crowd, and really, maybe it would've been better if he'd just wished Xion a happy birthday privately, or something.

[Only problem with that is, if Xion's having a party, Axel wants to know who's at it. Call it being a good friend. Or a little protective. Whatever.

[At least Axel can appreciate the location. And maybe he can find something for Xion somewhere along the shoreline. Which is where he'll be, scanning the sand while staying just out of the water.]

[keybearer]

[Like others, Riku hadn't anticipated a birthday invitation. Tower life's so hectic that the idea of slowing down and celebrating often slips his mind, regardless of occasion. But, coming off the heels of the meeting and right before a Jason month, he can hardly explain. Besides, Xion's a sweet girl. One he could stand to know a little better.

So, here he is, striding down the beach and soaking in the surroundings. Upon spotting the volleyball net, he stops, blinks, and chuckles. His Ryu Dragon, who decided to accompany him, queaks and starts scrambling for the net to investigate. In order to save the other partygoers from unneeded destruction, he wraps both his arms around the dragon's tail, pulls him back, and tries ushering him towards the food table.]

See that? It's cake, and if you keep your act together, you might actually get a bite.

[The dragon squeaks, scoots up to the table, and stares intently at the cake. It would seem Riku's found a good distraction for his Dream Eater...

Those wandering around the party may spot Riku moseying around, looking for the birthday girl and any other familiar faces. His silly companion alternates between trailing after him and... more staring, as if looking at it long enough will bring the food to him. Sometime during the afternoon, Riku may even try to start a game of volleyball. It's been a while, after all.]

hello a million years late

[humility]

[despite the nature of this place, there's something heartening to Aqua that the people who had been here so long could still do something as fun and normal as a birthday party.

she may not know Xion well or recognize half the faces here, but Aqua's still happy to be here and show support and solidarity.

of course, there isn't much one can do for one another in the Tower - but she's managed to make a special set of beignets for Xion, and a small charm she made of felt - a generic Keyblade with a star-shaped keychain, both wrapped carefully in some colorful cloth she found in the crafting floor.

she greets those she recognizes and politely greets those she doesn't, but Aqua's looking for the birthday girl.]

[Solstice Bonfire]

[provenworth]

[Evening comes soon near the end of the birthday event, but that doesn’t mean the party is stopping. The bonfire is lit, becoming a brilliant beacon on the beach that illuminates the party around it. Maybe somebody has a guitar to play music?]

[GET YER EATS HERE]

[bloodyashes]

[It's not a bonfire without someone cooking something over the fire, after all. Elena's food is good, but it's also cold and hours-old by this point, and the night is chilly.

Fortunately, there is a cooking redhead with some skewers and meat, tucked up near the bonfire in a cloak-bundle, and there's plenty to go around. You, yes you, should definitely take advantage of his relatively good mood to go grab a bite.

If anyone cares to take notice, though, when he's not actively dealing with the food, Asch's eyes are turned out from the fore, scanning the rest of the beach. Someone's got to keep an eye out for monsters, and he's too used to being wary to trust anyone else with it.]

[ACTUAL TURK MEETING THINGS]

[midgarhorizon]

So uh. Glad you guys could make it.

[Clearing his throat, Reno stood as close to the bonfire as was comfortable. He likes the heat more than the cold, at least.

And he's attempting- attempting to look somewhat professional here.]

Seeing this's the first real meeting we've had since the recruitment... some of ya may not know each other, so in that case... introduce yourselves and stuff.

For business, just in case you weren't clear before, we call ourselves Turks. We're just a loose organization of friends and uh, some cases family.

We're here, because the people of the Tower need a couple of good hands around. Our missions will focus mostly on humanitarian relief efforts during bad months, Ruana's games, so on. We're here in case someone needs protection, or monsters get out of hand. There's more to it, but I've already talked with most of ya about that, and for now it's important to focus on learning how to work together, and make living conditions better in the Tower.

First off... I got team assignments. You can put up your own project or whatever, but if there's something important or ya need to file a report or check in, you got your team leader.

First team leader is me. I got Amelia on my team. Second is Elena, she's got Tobias, and Sheba. Third is Shion, and he has Asch and Xion. There's a couple more of us here that're on independent duty, but don't hesitate to call on your colleagues if ya need help. Team leaders should be able to answer most questions, or let ya know if they need a report.

Second, [he pauses, momentarily forgetting what he was going to say, and looks out over the gathered people,] Asch, Elena, Xion and Shion are able to recruit new members as of today. Nothin' wrong with the rest of you, they just have a bit more experience with this stuff. You'll get your chance later.

Third... Xion's started a mission about getting people clothed enough for winter. If you want to volunteer, talk to Xion. She'll let you know what she needs, so let her know if you can gather materials or sew.

Jason's month is December, that's 'bout all most of you need to know what to expect. Get yourselves outfitted first, the temps are droppin' already. You'll be able to work easier.

Fourth, I'm gonna need volunteers for food duty for the rest of this month. Knowing the way Jason handles the food illusions, it's gonna be all just nutrition bars, so I'm aimin' to provide an alternative. This won't be just for us, but anyone that needs food or help getting food.

Working together's going to be the key to surviving here... and I think we got a great group of people here. Let's prove what we can do.

Questions?

[Dealing with Marital Affairs]

[provenworth]

[All in all, this was a very successful endeavor. Xion was given a marvelous birthday party and all the new Turks were brought together for an initial team meeting. There was laughter and fun with a dash of seriousness.

A seriousness that was about to be escalated and for a good reason.

It took her a few minutes to find Reno in the crowd, but she found him eventually. Standing near the fire, but a ways from the large group. Light on her feet, her appearance at his side might have been a surprise if he hadn't hard the shifting of her skirt, the crunching of sand beneath her feet. Arms are across her chest for warmth and her eyes turn to look at him out of the corner of her eye.]

Its nice, isn't it. Being out in the open like this. All the space.

[The last word is emphasized on purpose, and she's watching him closely to gauge his reaction.]

[heartbreak!]

[midgarhorizon]

[He's not reacting, at least not outwardly. After that conversation earlier, he expected something like this.]

Bein' trapped in a Tower, guess even the holograms look good after a while.

[Finishing off the last bit of meat he had left on his stick, which really isn't all that bad. Might have to send off a letter to Asch about...maybe teaching Xion to cook.

Finally, he set the stick down and returns her look, leaning slightly to adjust for height differences.]

You sure you want to start this here?