VIDEO > ACTION; happy birthday to ris

[higanbana]

WHO: Ris and YOU!
WHERE: Ris' condo, across from Blue Fish Park
WHEN: Video announcement 2/25, action 2/27
WHAT: Birthday party!
WARNINGS: Underage drinking - both references to and potentially actual engagement in. Ris has a lot of bad habits, okay.

[The video feed turns on to Ris, alone in what seems to be a pretty nice place! It's... not particularly decorated, and everything's either white or grey, but all of the furnishings and the structure itself seem to be quality.]

This thing working...? Oh, good, there we are.

Hello there! So, I just got confirmation from my stepfather that he will, in fact, not be home this weekend. As per usual. Which means I've got the place to myself!

And, as it turns out, this Sunday is a certain someone's nineteenth birthday. It would be pretty lame to spend the day alone, I think, and I've got all this space, so I was thinking... why not indulge and actually throw myself a party for once?

Some of you I know, some of you I don't, but no matter— if you can see this, feel free to come on over. I'll have pizza and snacks and whatnot, and don't feel obligated to bring me a gift or anything.

[...]

Buuu~t, if you insist, I wouldn't mind if a couple of you brought over a couple of six-packs, if you catch my drift? It's pretty much the one thing I can't procure for myself, and my usual source has once again dropped off the face of the earth. Probably got himself arrested again. I'm sure I'll get the bail call in a couple of days—

Anyway! If you want to swing by, any time after noon this coming Sunday is probably good. I'm in the condos across from Blue Fish Park— call for "Bancroft," I'll buzz you in.

See you then!

[The video feed switches off, although she'll be happy to answer any questions anyone has!]

Comments

ACTION, 2/27

[higanbana]

[Once people arrive, the condo is, in fact, very nice. Maybe even too nice? It doesn't seem like most of it's even been lived in. But the furniture is comfortable and there's pizza, drinks, and other snacks aplenty.

There's little notices taped to the walls in various spots around the condo, all handwritten in neat print, all with the same text:

RULES:

- don't tear, stain, or otherwise damage anything. you break it, you bought it.
- bathroom is down the main hallway to the left.
- don't go into the closed rooms.
- try not to be the absolute worst.
- don't make my neighbors call the cops.

Ris herself, once the party gets going, can be pretty easily found, just kind of milling from place to place and hanging on the edge of conversations. She'll chime in if she has something to add, but a lot of it is just her quietly observing if no one invites her to speak.]

video | un: blackbirdtarot

[drewthetower]

[August just shakes his head, mildly amused, as the video starts.]

Happy birthday, buuuuut I'm not gonna go to your party only because I would be obligated to stop the drinking because if I didn't, Marianne would kick my ass. She wouldn't even know about it, but she would know I facilitated underage drinking. And apparently I don't count as a responsible enough adult.

[wilder]

[Zelos can't exactly drink or eat anymore, but he'll stop by for a party! And he definitely got the hint and isn't against being a bad influence-- so as requested, he'll get a six pack of quality beer. That good ol' craft stuff that is definitely pricey.

After setting that down, he'll head over to the birthday girl]

My my, it's the glamorous birthday girl herself!

[higanbana]

Mm, fair enough! There aren't many things worth getting your ass kicked over. Least of all something that's supposed to be fun.

[She doesn't seem offended, at least.]

[drewthetower]

Yeah.

[Hm.]

Also, if you're cool with it I have a lot of material I can't use for much else and I can make you, like, an over-the-body bag or purse or whatever for your birthday. Won't take too long, either.

[higanbana]

[Ris genuinely seems to light up when she sees him. Sure, Zelos may be extremely questionable, but he's still someone she would like to consider a friend.

That he stopped by is a tiny confirmation of that, and it really does make her happy.]

In the flesh! Glad to see you made it.

[higanbana]

Oh, goodness, you don't have to do anything for me.

But if you really don't have anything else to use it for, it's not like I'm going to say no.

[drewthetower]

It's your birthday, I'm doing something. Any colors you like or can I go nuts?

[wilder]

[Everyone needs that extremely questionable friend in this life ok]

Of course! I wouldn't miss this!

So how're you feeling? Glad to be older, or feeling your age?

[thavnairian]

[Amal waltzes in fashionably late, bearing his lute slung over his back and a paper bag full of... several other paper bags. He busies himself with unloading his loot on the counter next to the other drinks: some kind of rice wine, cloudy white palm wine, Indian whisky, fancy sake, shimmery liqueur with gold flakes in it, and a big bottle of mixer.

The last thing he takes out of the bag is a leather wrapped bundle.]

Ris! Where's the lovely birthday lady?

[Time to wander around until he finds her.]

[higanbana]

[Siiigh.]

If you insist!

Um... pink, purple, blue... greys and black? I don't know, I'm really not that picky.

[drewthetower]

I can work with that. I'll drop it off in a day or two.

[higanbana]

Ehe, sounds good. See you then!

And thank you.

[higanbana]

Ehe. Well, honestly, it doesn't feel much different, but it is nice to have that number tick up.

One day I'll bemoan my age, I'm sure, but right now I'm happy to be just that much further away from being treated like a little kid.

[higanbana]

[Ris' head snaps up at the sound of her name, looking out from the conversation she'd been standing on the outskirts of and smiling wide when she sees Amal.]

Amal! I'm so glad you could make it!

[She's still all excited as she runs over, although she stops and blinks when she sees all of the Stuff.]

Oh my goodness. You didn't have to do all this!

[ARE YOU ABOUT TO MAKE HER CRY AGAIN SHE SWEARS TO GOD]

[thavnairian]

What use am I if not procuring questionably legal goods?

[He grins ear to ear, and without warning, sweeps her up in a big hug and a spin. Of course he puts her down immediately after.]

Since you're at an age where you could go into a tavern and order a drink, it's important to find what you like. The palm wine is kind of like what we have at home. Mix some brown sugar and cinnamon in with it and drink it warm or cold, it's good.

[He straightens.] Oh, right! Here's your present. [He hands over the bundle. It's deceptively weighty, though not heavy. Upon unwrapping it, it appears to be a leather holster with a set of five intricate throwing knives, perfectly sized for her hands.]

For your lessons.

[wilder]

Ah, right right. You're in that stage!

If it helps, you don't really strike me as a little kid! Just short.

1/2

[higanbana]

[Ris makes a little surprised squeak as she's swept off her feet, but she doesn't struggle. In fact, she pretty much clings to him— at first out of startled fear, but then out of just returning the hug.

Amal Vasiya is going to kill her, and she's going to let him.]

W-warn a girl before you do something like that...!

[...the tsundere act isn't working, Ris. Thankfully, she seems to realize this, and although she's definitely trying to will the blush away from her cheeks, she's otherwise just listening to Amal speak.

...She's not going to tell him she's not actually of age. She seems intrigued by the description of the palm wine.]

You already had me at "kind of like what you have at home," but brown sugar and cinnamon? Say no more, I'm sold.

2/2

[higanbana]

[But then, oh, there's a bundle in her hands. Well, may as well open her gift, right?

She just kind of stares at it in shock for a second. It's not that it doesn't register to her what it is, but...

All of this is just. It's a lot? It's so much. People don't do things like this for her. And it's so hard for her to figure out how to even react.

Eventually, she settles on just numbly setting the bundle aside... and then rushing to give Amal the tightest hug her little noodle arms can manage.]

Amal! You're gonna make me cry again...! Oh my gosh, thank you, I...

[higanbana]

[Ris slumps a little, defeated.]

...Yeah, okay, fair. Curse whatever genetics I inherited that halted my growth.

[wilder]

Haha, yeah. You lost the genetic lottery there. Oh well, at least you can wear heels!

[higanbana]

Just you wait. One day, I'm going to learn to walk in nine-inch stilettos and step on all of you.

[Sure, that would only make her 5'8", but still! That's a lot bigger than she is now!]

[wilder]

[he shrugs with a grind]

Great, sounds hot!

[higanbana]

Ohhh, so you're into that sort of thing, huh? Well, guess I've got a new skill set I'd better work on levelling up!

[...Both of them are disasters.]

[wilder]

Ha, guilty as charge. [He'll give a wink]

But yeah you do that! I'll be thrilled to check out your progress.

[thavnairian]

[Amal simply gives her a sly wink. Nope, the tsundere act doesn't work on him. It just makes her cuter and encourages him to push her buttons more. It's her birthday, though, so he'll resist the urge to ruffle her hair or something. (Plus, she has ice magic and could drop ice cubes down the back of his shirt if she wanted.)]

Just take it easy. Wine sneaks up on you.

[He watches her reaction with trepidation. Is it a good thing to get girls knives? He has no fucking idea. If he was a girl he'd love to get knives, but Amal has no expertise when it comes to Normal People Things. He's been fighting for his life... all his life, and as a seasoned adventurer, his priorities are just a little different than the rest.

He isn't expecting her to throw her arms around him, though. He tenses up for a brief moment, then lets out a little laugh and wraps his arms around her tightly. A year or two ago he might've had a bad reaction to that, but Ris is safe. It isn't the first time a short stack with an icy temper charged at him for hugs.]

No need to cry, snowdrop. But if you want to, I'll be here as long as you need.

[He lightly strokes her hair with one hand, enough to stop if she seems uncomfortable.]

That's a promise.

[higanbana]

[She could drop ice cubes on him, and if she were thinking more clearly, she might just. But right now, he is free.

No, it isn't normal to get girls knives, but honestly, Ris doesn't care. For one thing, getting a normal gift from Amal would probably be weirder. But more importantly, it's a sign that he was thinking of her, specifically.

Normal people don't do that for her. So, no, it's not normal, but it's special, and that's better.

She does not stop him from petting her hair, but she does sniffle.]

I get a nickname, too? You really aren't playing fair today at all. I'm gonna have to come up with something for you, too.

[thavnairian]

[It's one of those things they have in common. Before he started adventuring properly, he wasn't worth anyone's notice, and never received gifts or treats or anything else like that. Never a sign that someone thought of him as... a person, rather than a piece of furniture. Maybe it's that particular experience that makes him try to be there for other people.]

Every pretty girl deserves a pretty nickname.

[Poor girl's sniffling. But if she makes a mess of his clothes, then that's fine. A little snot won't hurt at all.]

You don't owe me a thing. As long as you have fun today, I'll consider that good enough.