[Network & Log] Welcome Back Birthday Boy

[doubled_speed]

WHO: Tommy Shepherd and Everyone (Open for Mingling, so people can make own starters inside)
WHERE: Agrii Ship
WHAT: Birthday Boy Returns and Parties
WHEN: [Backdated] October 12th and 13th
WARNINGS: Potential spoilers for recent Empyre series comics


Network | Video October 12th

[The video goes on and look, it's a face that has been missing for a few days. Looking a few years older, his hair longer, and seeming... Well, he's using the VIDEO function rather than rapid speed texts so many that tells the story better than even the chill and half apologetic look on his face.]

Hey guys. So, apparently I've been missing for a few days? At least it was shorter than Lorna, or the people grabbed by the Graq, right? Uh, so, I'm back? Just, well, older? I got sent home by whoever is manipulating the Agrii for a bit, and a lot happened. But the important thing is I'm back, and it's me and the little bro's birthday tomorrow.

[His fingers slide easily through his far longer hair, offering a smile.]

Listen, I am pretty sure the party here wasn't long ago that Stark and I helped through, but I did wanna do something a bit nicer and more, I guess, intimate for our birthday? This year B and I get to have it together and that doesn't happen often. I'm gonna set up some small things in the cafeteria. No gifts required. I'll arrange everything. Just come share the birthday wishes because we've survived a year here. So join us tomorrow. Or don't. Not my problem.



Happy Birthday Green Boys! October 13th (Feel free to set up your own mingles/starters)

After all of the, you know, happy welcome back statements and that mess, Tommy sets out to spend the whole night preparing for what he wants to do. More 'ice cream'. He works on getting together other foods. He searches boxes in the hold for things to use like streamers. Tommy even rigs up some small decorative cloths that he put the excess not-quite-confetti of tons of small shiny pieces of colored plastic Tony had made at his failed party attempt into so he could pull a string later and make it rain down.

Tables are decorated, and Tommy spent HOURS trying to communicate to the Agrii what he was doing. The importance of solar cycles in his world, and how they were used to celebrate the growth of people. He thought they got the point because they helped him make a cake. Well, not QUITE a cake. It was more like... an oversized, multi-layered sandwich that was actually part ice cream because you know, small victories.

Which ultimately got him to, like, a five year old's idea of a party, so it was time to call in the big guns. One call to his brother, a hurried conversation, a SECOND hurried conversation after the first so Billy could reassure Tommy that it really was okay to want something so silly after so long, and the party theme was set.

Hope someone other than the twins appreciates the Teenaged Mutant Ninja Turtles because there are balloons, and place settings and even Shell backpacks for people to wear. Goodie bags are offered to people with stickers and pogs not that Billy or Tommy know what those are. Hell, there are even Turtles themed snacks like turtle face pizza, cupcakes with the turtle's faces, and frozen Ninja Turtles branded yogurt pops. Oh, and if you wanna make noise, enjoy a noise maker.

And of course the karaoke machine was back, but this time there were other party games, like pin the weapon on the Foot Ninja, a Shredder pinata, limbo, twister, musical chairs (don't worry, Tommy DQ'd himself) and in one corner, a water balloon toss. Because, you know, there's no reason not to enjoy these things, no matter your age. Sometimes turning 20 and 22 meant you were old enough to just own up to wanting that one kind of birthday party you never had before.

And everyone arriving will of course be greeted by the older of the two guests of honor, who is grinning stupidly as he puts a party hat on people's heads, gives them a Ninja-mask and plastic weapons, and offers them a goody bag because he's nice like that.

"Laugh at the theme, and I'm tying you to one of the chairs on the creepy room where the Agri watch the Drift Fleet files. My boyfriend isn't here to tell me to be nice."

Comments

[rage_on]

Raphael picks at the candy he's been holding, taking the wrapper off so he could take a bite of what looks like some kind of candy bar.

"I guess Saki was originally from a rival ninja clan. Hamato's head took him in, so Splinter- before he was a mutant and all, grew up with him. I think things started going wrong when they both fell for the same girl. She chose Splinter- Hamato Yoshi, but Saki still loved her and tried to convince her to leave him. She was real torn up about it because she loved them both, but father was really caught up in wanting to keep the tradition of the Hamato clan. And around then, Saki had found out more about his own clan, the Foot."

He frowns. "You see where this is going, right?"

[doubled_speed]

That’s... a lot. Tommy frowns.

“Uh, no, actually. Sounds like your lives are REALLY different from the cartoons we had.”

[rage_on]

"Oh yeah? Not that it's ever going to not be weird hearing that we're a cartoon or something where you're from, but you'll have to tell me about it sometime."

He might be disappointed that Tommy's more familiar with the dorky alternate versions he and his brothers had met once before. Now that? Was weird.

Waving a hand, Raphael just cuts to the chase. "This is all like, way before Yoshi went to New York. It's because of all of it that he went to New York. Saki challenged him, the Hamato Clan's dojo burned, he killed Tang Shen, the woman they'd both loved. Saki thought Yoshi died in the fire. He ended up taking Yoshi and Tang Shen's daughter- still a baby then."

He decides to leave out the time-traveling part. It was strange, seeing Splinter before he was a rat. Stranger still, realizing they were key to saving their father before he even knew them.

"Yoshi thought he'd lost everything. Tang Shen had wanted to move to the United States, so that's what he did. Aaaand then comes the whole buying pet turtles and then meeting aliens and getting mutated. So like, fifteen years later is when we meet Saki, better known as the Shredder. Aaaand he pretty much still hates Yoshi's guts and wants to tear apart our family any chance he gets."

[doubled_speed]

Oh man, that’s a WHOLE lot of stuff. Like, soap opera. No wonder they made a good cartoon.

“Damn, you guys almost sound like your life is more complicated than mine. That’s fucking impressive.”

[rage_on]

Raphael laughs then. "I think having aliens and a psychotic grudge-bearing ninja after you makes for plenty of complications by itself." He gestures towards the pizza- all this talk is making him hungry, man. He doesn't even care any more if it looks like someone's face so long as it's actually pizza.

"Oh yeah, so we also find out we got a sister- Splinter's daughter. Raised by Shredder. For a while wanted to kill us too because she's daddy's girl until she realized daddy lied to her." He rolls his eyes. "Also Leo's got a crush on her. Can't get any more complicated than that."

[doubled_speed]

Pizza it is. Tommy heads right over to the stuff and loads some slices onto plates.

“A sister? Uh, that’s definitely weird. I thought for sure Leo was after the reporter lady though.”

[rage_on]

This is more like it! Raphael tosses the stick under the table so he can have his hands free for pizza time.

"Yeah, Karai. I mean, sure, she's cute and she's pretty good in a fight, but eh. What reporter?" Once he's got a plate of pizza in hand, he's not wasting any time stuffing a slice into his face. "Mmmf. Oh man, after not having pizza in like, forever, this is amazing."

[doubled_speed]

“April?”

Wait, does April not exist? Tommy would be SO sad.

[rage_on]

That makes Raphael nearly choke on his pizza. He laughs. "OH! Uh, yeah, she's no reporter. Dunno how Donnie'd feel about that though- he's had a crush on her ever since we saw her and her dad getting grabbed by the Kraang."

[doubled_speed]

“She’s not a reporter in a yellow jump suit?” Tommy asks.

Wow, his heart is a little broken there.

[rage_on]

"Dude, she's the same age as us. Father did some ninja training with her though." Raphael pauses to eat another slice of pizza. "She's also got some weird, psychic powers because of the Kraang."

[doubled_speed]

"So?" Tommy asks, but then he gets it. She's too young to be a reporter. Weird.

"Dude, they really miss represented you all so bad."

[rage_on]

The turtle shrugs. "I mean, there are alternate worlds of ours out there. I've met alternate Turtles and they were dorks. So maybe it just depends on which of us was actually represented, wherever you're from."

[doubled_speed]

"Dorks? Oh god, what if I watched the dorks?"

No, Tommy is actually VERY distressed by this idea. The turtles are COOL! He doesn't want to like the dorks!

[rage_on]

The look on Tommy's face is priceless. Raphael tries and fails to hold back a laugh. "It's cool, I won't tell anyone you like dorks," he says, helpfully. Because that's totally helpful. That grin? Also helpful.

[doubled_speed]

"Dude, they know I care about my little brother. That is proof enough."

[rage_on]

"Hey, family's different. ...although family can be dorks," Raphael concedes with a crooked smile. His brothers take turns on the dorkiness too.

[doubled_speed]

Family isn't an exception, because he chose to be around his brother.

"You really underestimate Billy."

[rage_on]

Raphael raises his hands. "Pff, hey- if you wanna claim having the bigger dork, you're welcome to it. That's not something I necessarily feel the need to fight for," he smirks.

[doubled_speed]

“Oh I totally have the bigger dork,” Tommy grins. He knows the fight is bound to be won by him anyway. “Love him anyway.”

[rage_on]

Shrugging, Raphael turns to grab more pizza. Given his brothers usually eat at least one a piece, not counting Mikey, he sure hopes it doesn't run out before everyone's had their fair share. Magic pizza or not, it's still pizza, and he doubts it'll be a common treat afterwards.

"Yeah. Sounds about right." It's the same with his brothers for sure. So you expecting us to sing Happy Birthday or what?"

[doubled_speed]

“Fuck no,” Tommy groans. He really doesn’t want that. He’s experiencing a lot of things he didn’t get as a kid growing up today, but that he didn’t want. “Fuck that shit.”