Time For A Moment Of Joy [OTA Birthday Mingle]

[kree_soldieress]

WHO: Everyone, Invited Or Otherwise
WHERE: Pink 13 - Young Avengers HQ and Residence
WHAT: A Birthday Party for Billy and Tommy
WHEN: October 13th
WARNINGS: None Anticipated (add CW to your threads as needed)

It's a surprise party. The word is spread around quietly in the background, passed by word of mouth and private messages into inboxes. Where it spreads beyond those initial invitees has a lot to do with how much people are trying to hide the work they're doing to help Lauri-Ell and Wanda. Word of mouth can easily outstrip intention of course, so there was nothing to say that everyone won't show up at the former store turned residence in time to join the party.

There's definitely a nod to decorations, in the form of colorful flowers and woven streamers of leaves settled with feathers, and and even bits of wrapping paper that Lauri had discovered somewhere and didn't understand the proper use of.

A variety of foods, put together by friends and others who care for the twins are laid out on tables that were carried in for the event, and in the corner stands a karaoke machine that had been hiding in Billy's room. That way they've got food and entertainment covered. Even a few bottles of various spirits and juices have been liberated from the diner and even filled from the orange-drink dispensers on a ship. How much of a party it is, though, will depend on the other guests and whether they bring other treats or entertainment to make it a true celebration. Lauri, after all, barely knows anything about human celebrations.



[OOC: Post your top-levels below, whether they're for planning or for the party itself, tag around, and enjoy a moment of community and celebration with your fellow He Rows. Even the uninvited are welcome to join the festivities, whether they wander by it, helped planned, or just heard someone else talking about it.]

Comments

Lauri-Ell | Marvel-616 | OTA

[kree_soldieress]

1. Preparation of Food | Day Before the Party, Diner, OTA
The good news was that friends would always have Lauri-Ell's back. Included in that were those who knew something about cooking, while Lauri knew very little at all. But knowing that there were those who would have her back, and having scheduled the time in the diner, the woman made her way there early for the preparations.

"Alright, let's do this," she said, clapping her hands when she entered to find her cooking partner. "I do not know much of what William or his brother like to eat, but I'm certain we can do something."

Even if it's only cut vegetable platters.

"Oh, and cake. I don't know if we can make one, but the communications device said there is a plant that tastes like earth pastries a little. Maybe we can make those pretty? Unless you know how to make cake."


2. What Are Decorations? | Morning of the Party, OTA to planners
With a distraction arranged to pull both of the twins away from their home, it was time to make the space festive. If this were an important Kree festival there would be bows of flowering trees hung about, and streamers of metal wires that danced with limitless colors. Here Lauri looked around a mostly empty front room with a couch and the scattered belongings of the twins. What now?

"Um... I brought colorful feathers shed by the birds near the shore. And collected some flowers. What now?"

At least she's tall enough to hang things, but she didn't know what to do. And she bit her lip and looked around. Maybe she'd bitten off more than she could chew.


Her Very First Party | The Party, OTA
Well, here it was. Music, decorations, food. These were all the right pieces, right. They had put together something for the twins, and there wasn't any immediate negative repercussions when the guests of honor arrived, so Lauri was smiling. She was smiling wide and happy and almost radiantly. This as wonderful.

She had one of the small party plates she had replicated in hand, covered with small treats. And she listened to the music and smiled.

"The Kree should have this. Celebrations of life, rather than of victory. This is good."

They should do it more often.

"I think I would like a birthday."

[orangewayfinder]

Terra stood towards the back of the room unsure as to what to do. He'd let people pass by him and hadn't said a word to them because they were deep in their own conversations with each other. So he felt pretty much like a wallflower though his back wasn't to one of them.

He stayed near the back until he spotted Lauri-Ell who seemed pretty happy. So he went to stand at her side in order to observe everyone there. He nodded at the part about how her people should have celebrations like this and that sounded like a great idea.

However, the last part threw him. "You don't know what day you were born?"

DW just fucking notify me geez

[kree_soldieress]

Terra! Her friend. Lauri smiled at him, until of course he seemed distressed by her words.

"No. I was not born. I was created. I am not aware of the date upon which this occurred. Is it common for humans to know this?"

[orangewayfinder]

"Uh.." Terra replied and lowered his head. "We don't usually know that." But if she was created, he didn't even want to think about how that happened to her. Or if it happened to others. And it made him think of Vanitas a minute but the keyblade wielder ended up shaking his head.

"I guess you could pick a day you like and we can all celebrate it with you."

[kree_soldieress]

Pick a day she likes? Is it as simple as that? The woman considered it very seriously, and then she smiled. Terra was wonderfully kind to suggest it.

"Does something make a day better or worse for this?"

[orangewayfinder]

He smiled. "Well it's always nice to have people come celebrate with you. It gives you a chance to have a party like this one. But you can have just a few friends and if you can, have someone make a cake and bring some gifts."

Tommy | Marvel | OTA

[doubled_speed]

1. Happy Surprises | Arrival, OTA
It's not that Tommy didn't know this was coming. It was very hard when people were fiddling about the place and you could run faster than most people could begin to perceive. Still, playing at not knowing what was going on was something Tommy was actually capable of doing, shocking right? So he waited, let himself be distracted, and when he arrived hand in hand with his boyfriend, he even looked shocked when he walked in the door and saw everyone.

"Well hell, guys. You do things like this and I might start thinking you don't find me irritating."

Said like he didn't know that he didn't live at this point to support these people, his family, and his friends. Whether he'd signed up for it or not, these people were his, and he was theres and he was happy.

"Thank you. Thank you all. Now someone better come over here and give me a damn hug and tell me I don't look a day over twenty or some bullshit."

Granted he was only 23 now, but still, his point stands.


2. Sing Me A Sweet Song | Karaoke, OTA
"You're going to sing for me, right?" he asked, just about appearing between one second and the next at the elbow of whoever might be looking at the karaoke machine. There was amusement and mischief in his eyes as he glanced over.

"I could pick a song. What do you prefer? Pop? Classic rock? Think you can spit sick rhymes because I know some good rap selections on there too. The machine seems almost limitless. Don't know how. Oh, how about a duet."

Not that Tommy thought he was very good, but fuck it. It's his party, and he'll have fun and egg people on if he wants to.


3. Sipping Red Drink | OTA
Another year here. Tommy had to roll that knowledge over in his mind as he flopped down onto the couch, carefully balancing a large glass of red drink in his hand. The alcohol didn't really do much to him, but hell the light tingle of it sure was helping his mood. He smiled at the person that he flopped down next to and gave a nod to greet them.

"You know what? This? It's actually right up there with the last time, when the Agrii helped. I think I still miss the people. Not that everyone here isn't great."

The last time they'd been in space and he'd been going mad because even on the Agrii ship he was ultimately confined. Last time he'd eaten off of plates with Raph and his brothers on it in something that amused him to no end. Last time there had been Agrii and so it had felt a bit less like family.

"Here's to make it another year," he said, lifting the glass and downing it all in one go.


4. You're Not Good At Distractions | Before Party, Closed to Kyle
Tommy, of course, knew what was up. There wasn't a lot that Kyle really could do to hide it. First of all, it was absolutely Tommy's birthday. Second of all, Kyle so obviously knew it was Tommy's birthday. Thirdly, there was no way that this was how his boyfriend actually wanted to spend Tommy's birthday, right? It was cute, though, because here was Kyle, going out of his way to make time for Tommy so that whatever was going on could, well, go on.

"Dude, not kidding, this tree is nice and all that, but are we really planning on laying under it all day?"

4

[kyley_b]

Kyle has never been very good at deception. It's an issue that's plagued him since childhood, and something people tease him will be a detriment to his career path.

So when Tommy expresses his boredom, Kyle's innocent face is SO exaggerated that it's comical.

"Oh! No, no, I just thought this would be relaxing. But I also thought like, I could show you this really cool building? I'm not sure what it used to be, but it's got a lot of shiny stuff! I think it might be sort of like plexiglass. We should go look at it."

[doubled_speed]

No, how bad he is at lying is almost cute. But Tommy's cool with it. He reaches for his boyfriend's hand and squeezes it, smiling at him.

"Shiny stuff, huh? You sure it isn't left over glitter? Fuck the glitter storm, by the way. Haven't said that recently enough."

[kyley_b]

Kyle squeezes back, smiling. "I'm sure. It's architectural. If that sounds stupid, I could show you something else."

He leans in and kisses Tommy's nose.

[doubled_speed]

Oh this is just so cute. Tommy wonders just how far he can push this. But maybe it's best not to push. Instead he lets his boyfriend kiss his nose and then stands.

"Come on then, let's see it."

[kyley_b]

Kyle takes Tommy's hand as they walk, Kyle leading him toward a cluster of abandoned buildings.

"Thanks for hanging out with me. I know I see you at work a lot, but this is different. I like having most of your attention."

Surprises

[fatedsacrifice]

Noctis was at the party of course. Not that parties and socializing were really his thing but he liked Tommy and made sure to show up. However, when he saw the other with his boyfriend walking in hand in hand, he had to just grin. That was perfect, to see that happiness and everything like that existed even in a world like this one.

He'd seen that in another world too, but still thought that was something of a dream. And then there was the one with Materia and Spiritus but that was all fighting and trying to get home. The Hiso aliens and Sarah, well nothing like love was there but the aliens had been happy their world was saved.

Seemed like being summoned to save worlds was something of a theme in his life. Or, afterlife.

Still, he couldn't help but smile at Tommy's irritating comment and did move forward to shake Tommy's hand first because hugs and strangers were a bit awkward. "You don't look or act a day over sixteen."

[doubled_speed]

"Dude, don't even start that," Tommy laughed when he moved away from his boyfriend to instead go for a fistbump. Come on, Noctipus, do this right. "I'm old enough to drink."

[fatedsacrifice]

The king laughed and did the fistbump. He was used to that gesture and did it quite often with Prompto. Iggy did that with him too at times, but it was done more often Prompto.

"Well that's good, because I'm pretty sure that's the plan tonight."

[doubled_speed]

Awesome. Tommy even looked super pleased with the fact that Noct knew what he was doing.

"Yeah, maybe for you, Old Man, but me? Immune. My job is to eat whatever they set up for me, tease my brother, and make sure you dorks don't fuck up my house."

[fatedsacrifice]

Noctis had to laugh at the old man comment. Sure he was thirty but he didn't feel as if he was that old yet. Well, unless he looked at the scars on his chest which he didn't generally do anyhow if he could avoid it.

"Make sure you eat plenty and I'm sure no one's going to mess up your house."

1

[out_of_order]

The only parties he'd ever been to had been here, away from a galaxy he knew, among people he wouldn't have met any other way. He could count the number of times on one hand, but he held such experiences close. Now more than ever was he uncertain as to how long such things would last.

Cal smiled faintly as Tommy came strolling through the door, BD-1 perched at his back to glance over his shoulder, trilling a greeting. "Wow, it's been that long?" the padawan said by way of his own greeting, smile twitching up on one end. "Happy Birthday."

CALIENTE!

[doubled_speed]

Tommy grins when he sees his favorite combination ginger and droid (because yes he qualified a lot of people around him to keep himself from choosing one person over others.

"Beady! Caliente!" Tommy grinned, darting forward at offer his friend a high five. And after that a fist bump for Beady. "If you're here I'm guessing that means there's power and all that in the second ruins. Dude, you two are amazing like that."

He wanted to ask how Cal was doing, but man, he didn't think the guy wanted reminding of the loss.

[out_of_order]

Laughing, Cal lifted a hand to reciprocate the high-five, and BD-1 stretched a leg over to offer a return bump with a cheerful beep.

"Hey, we had help. I don't think we could've done anything without the others," Cal said, smiling crookedly. "But we have power up and running. Not everything's connected, but we repaired the main lines around the station. The rest will have to be handled case by case, but nothing's caught fire, so I call that a win. Plus, we got the comms up."

It was easier to talk about work, easier being around others. Coming back from Sh'Ka had been a jarring thing, and he needed the distraction badly. At least there'd be plenty to keep working at in the other city, but Cal didn't want to isolate himself either.

"Sorry we didn't get you anything though," he admitted with a slight shrug. "I've never been that great at figuring out gifts, not to mention it would have been extremely last minute."

[doubled_speed]

See, this is why Caliente and Beady were awesome. Hard working, friendly, and definitely willing to deal with Tommy. Still, the news is of the good variety and he's glad to hear it.

"Guess I won't have to work the greenhouse in the dark then."

But he smiles and waves off the 'didn't get you anything' comment.

"I don't want gifts, man. I don't need them."

1

[tempredmental]

"I do find you irritating," Keith said with a small chuckle. "That doesn't mean I don't like you."

[doubled_speed]

Oh that fucking punk. Tommy flashed forward and waved a finger in his face.

"I could noogie you and you couldn't stop me, man. Don't you challenge me," he teased.

[tempredmental]

Keith just smirked.

"I like a good challenge," he said, and then laughed a little. "Still... happy birthday, man."

[doubled_speed]

Tommy grinned and offered the man a raised hand. He would resist the noogie if Keith let him go for a high five.

"Next party better be your wedding, dude."