Happy Birthday, Ryoji

[puppy_lancer]

Characters: You know the drill. Lancer puppy_lancer, Ryoji notsogrimreaper, the people they invited between the two of them, and everybody else who just happens to stumble into the party.
Setting: Floor 25, November 17, morning-evening
Format: Open, anything goes
Summary: It's Ryoji's birthday, so Lancer is throwing him a big party. Anyone is welcome in! (And nobody is gonna kick out those who aren't so welcome)
Warnings: None for now

[It's been a long time since Lancer had thrown any parties. Therefore, he's making this bigger and grander than the last two parties he's thrown. It's a good way for him to distract himself from all the emotional turmoil that had popped up during the battle with Sephiroth, if anything.]

[There's two tables laden with food over at one side of the floor. The centerpiece for that is a big double-tier cake with "HAPPY BIRTHDAY RYOJI" written over the side of the bottom layer. The top layer is little more than a glorified candle holder, as several handfuls of candles have been jammed all over that second layer.]

[Over on the other side, there was a variety of party games. They're all old favorites like pin the tail on the piggy (pinning spiraling paper tails onto a "pig" with Ganon's face), apple bobbing (various fruits in a water-filled wooden barrel), and everyone's favorite--the pinata (a scarecrow with a berry-filled paper mache head supposed to represent Jason).]

[In the center of the floor, there is a stage nailed together from wooden boards. A ways behind that, a pile of wood stacks into a bonfire pyre. A turnip lantern leers at the party goers from one corner of the stage.]

[For decorations, there are black feathers and crude little paper doll cutouts resembling angels scattered around on the ground or in the corners of the dining tables. There are also a few more turnip lanterns.]

[And of course, Lancer, like a good host, stands on the stage, dressed like a hobby horse, waiting for people to show up. He's feeling pretty relaxed, if only because the major unwanted guest, Sephiroth, was locked up and in no danger of crashing this party.]

Comments

[notsogrimreaper]

Last year? Did Jason make people sick last year? I wasn’t around for anything like that, but I can imagine it was awful...

[warriorscribe]

*Enoch nods.* It began as any other illness, but those of us who had Jason's disease soon began to see ailments of the mind. A young man I know was seeing a monster that wasn't there, and I, myself, found myself suspecting anyone around me could be in league with our hosts, deliberately trying to keep us here.

*It certainly wasn't the worst experiment by far, but he doesn't like having his perception of other people played with. His faith in people as a whole was temporarily subdued, a part of him muffled for Jason's own ends.*

[notsogrimreaper]

...I hope that doesn’t happen again. An illness sounds bad enough without it affecting everyone’s minds.

[Ryoji also has problems when his mentality is attacked. He has too much experience in it, and it makes him sick how easily manipulable he is. He’s trying to get strong enough so he can always see how amazing the people around him are.]

[warriorscribe]

I hope it doesn't, either. But if we can at least keep ourselves warm, we can help slow the spread of illness, no matter their source.

[notsogrimreaper]

Yeah. That’s a really smart idea. I wish I could help somehow, but I haven’t tried sewing before.

[warriorscribe]

Cloaks are quite simple. I could show you how to make one.

[notsogrimreaper]

Really? I’d like to try, if you could teach me.

And now you are totally free to handwave Ryoji knowing how to make a cloak :3

[warriorscribe]

I'd be glad to. I normally work in the workshop.

Aw, yay! Thank you! Ryoji will put that to good use.

[notsogrimreaper]

Then I’ll come find you sometime soon! Thank you so much, Enoch-san.