who's a special boy

[heartsteals]

Who: Lupin, Akechi, Caramia, Akira, Guren, Minato, maybe others?!
Where: Ruga, Lupin & Akechi's house
When: Backdated to 5/25
What: Akechi said nobody ever celebrated his birthday. It's not actually his birthday, but Lupin is going to celebrate it.
Warnings: embarrassing a teenage boy



[ the idea itself came from the quest posted to the forum not too long ago, although Lupin remains unconvinced that two "reds" can fulfill it; after talking with Akechi, however, it turned from checking off a box to a personal mission. Who could listen to a friend talk about how they'd never had a birthday party before and not immediately want to throw one for him? Not someone as extravagant as Lupin, certainly.

It's a bit of a tight operation. After all, none of them exactly have a fixed schedule, and there's no way of knowing when it will start raining blood or when the bricks will start talking to them or who knows what else. Still, he's something of a pro at making these things work. A few days after he's sent out invitations, he waits for the perfect moment - when he knows Akechi will be out and not come back for some time - and then gathers the troops. All four of them.

So it may not be a big party. But he has a feeling that Akechi would probably prefer it that way. When he returns to his home, he'll find it strangely quiet - at least until he turns into the kitchen, at which point Lupin (and maybe some of the others) jump out quite excitedly. ]

Happy birthday!

[ there aren't any decorations or anything like that - just a few friends with a few presents and a bit of time to share with him. ]

Comments

[swordfucker]

[Guren doesn't jump out or show much excitement at all, but he is here! He steps out to stand more in the open and goes through the effort of wiggling his fingers a little, but he looks ridiculous doing it. Anyway, the point is, immediately after the "surprise" has been yelled, he moves forward, dropping something that he was holding in his hand over Akechi's shoulder like a sash.

It's a lightish enough gray that he was able to write on it with something colored "BIRTHDAY BOY" in large lettering. He immediately places his hand on Akechi's head afterwards for a hair ruffle.]

Happy Birthday.

[Enjoy that!

And, now that the birthday boy has been Greeted, he is here to be the worst party goer ever. He exists, doesn't talk much unless spoken to, but still eats any and all of the food that he can. Say hi?? Compliment him on his genius gift? Help him keep Akechi wearing it for the day? Whatever you want!]

[doublecrowss]

Ah--!!

[ At first, he was only going to protest the sash, but then Guren takes advantage of the moment he looks down to check what had been written on his so-called present to bash his skull!! So mean!!

... okay, no, it was just a hair ruffle. But some skull bashing would have been easier to handle. It probably wouldn't make him so flustered, either. ]

Thank you, Guren-san, but... You do realize this isn't my real birthday, correct...?

[swordfucker]

It's your chosen birthday, so it's good enough, right?

[Haha, it's cute when Akechi is so flustered. Guren won't push it much further than that, shoving his hands in his pockets.] I couldn't find anything useful for you as a real gift, so letting you really celebrate the day should be good enough.

When's your actual birthday?

[doublecrowss]

That's rather pointless to know when we have no calendars or any other method to track our days here, isn't it?

[ That, and he doesn't feel particularly inclined to share this information, still; he will tell Lupin, because he had asked earlier, and he has earned the right to know by giving Akechi a happier memory to associate this day with.

But that aside? This day has never been special to anyone-- not even to himself, as it only ever reminded him of how much his birth was never wanted. ]

I'm grateful that you thought of bringing me a gift, but it was hardly necessary, either. Honestly, this party alone is more than enough.

[ It might be too much, even. ]

[swordfucker]

Really? You're going to be secretive about something like a birthday? Fine, fine.

[He doesn't get it, but he won't push when Akechi is being so Akechi. He glances at the sash again, admiring it.]

The party wasn't my idea, so I don't get credit. "Showing up" isn't a gift, either, so don't try to say it is. I just felt like it.

[heartsteals]

[ at least one of us enthusiastic about jumping and yelling SURPRISE, gosh!!

of course, he politely waits until Guren is done giving Akechi his birthday present and birthday headpat to approach him later, a rather devilish smile on his face. ]

I knew you'd come up with something or other.

[ challenging him was the way to go. ]

[swordfucker]

Shut up.

[What a way to introduce himself! But, with tone here, it's clear that he doesn't mean it aggressively. It's a playful answer, if anything, and he turns to give Lupin his attention with his own smirk in place.]

You must be Lupin, right? I did the only thing I could think of.

[heartsteals]

[ he likes it, bro. With a nod, he extends his hand for a handshake, gentlemanly as ever. ]

That's right. Arsène Lupin, at your service. Thanks for coming. [ he can tell that Guren isn't the party type, so he actually means that more than he might usually. ] As for the gift -- well, I think it conveyed your feelings to him well enough. We'll see if we can't get him to keep it on.

[swordfucker]

[Guren's not really a handshake guy, but he still knows how to do it if he has to, so he'll accept that with a firm grip. That name, though... He recognizes it, but he's so lame and tired, all he's going to do is pause briefly before dropping the shake.]

Haha. Thanks for hosting it to begin with.

[Akechi deserves it. He tosses the birthday boy in question a glance from wherever he's wandered off to.] Think you can help with that? He wants to rip it off, it's written all over his face.

the birthday boy!!

[doublecrowss]

i. The surprise
[ Well. Akechi has been through a lot since he came to this weird place, but this? Might as well have been the greatest shock he's had so far. ]

Birthday...?

[ He's just standing there in the kitchen threshold for a while, lips halfway parted open and a pair of alarmingly wide eyes scanning the room for answers, instead only finding a few familiar faces and a selection of meals. By all means, this looks like a party, but... Is this a party for him? ]

But-- I'm--

[ Congratulations, everyone, you've managed to render this usually talkative boy into a speechless mess. ]


ii. Taste testing
[ In all honesty? Akechi doesn't care for the taste of food. Back home, he's used to frequenting fancy restaurants and trendy spots, but it's all for the sake of popularity and having conversation starters. Food is an universal topic, after all.

But today? Guests can spot a quiet boy by the table, trying out some of the food on display-- food that has been made especially for him, no less-- with a smile on his face. It's small, but unlike most he's offered before, it's genuine.

Today, he thinks he rather likes the way the food tastes. ]


iii. Mingle and ready to stay single?
[ Okay, so now that most of the scare has worn off, Akechi will be going around the area (wearing Guren's godawful gift sash, upon demanding requests - and a bit of bullying) trying to be a good host, tentatively approaching party guests for... conversation? Gift receiving? What... did people even do in birthday parties, really?

For someone who always craved attention, he sure can't handle being the center of it. ]

Hello. [ He offers a polite bow of his head. ] Thank you for coming.


iv. Wildcard!
[ Wildcard the wildcard, follow your kokoro, etc etc. ]

ii

[ifionlyhadthecourage]

Is it good?

[ Look at this beaming sunshine dad coming to check up on the birthday boy! He seemed quite proud of his work- a lot of the food he brought, after all. Especially since Lupin told him food would've been important. Caramia wasn't going to turn down a chance to cook for people.

Beyond that, he had a gift in his hands, a small one, wrapped in what newspaper he could find. ]

Sorry for the extra company. [ Kyrie, mostly. Well. Actually, just Kyrie. He wouldn't ever apologize for Ochako coming along. He even told Lupin he intended to, but Kyrie? Always apologize for Kyrie. ]

[doublecrowss]

Ah, there's no need to apologize. It wouldn't be much of a party without people, after all.

[ And while that is true - Akechi's social circle isn't exactly very broad, and the fact that he even has one at all is a novelty - maybe Kyrie wasn't the best choice of plus one Caramia could have brought along, especially considering a certain... incident from not very long ago.

Ah, well. Just one more thing to add to the awkward list. ]

The food is rather delicious, too. Did you make these, Caramia-san?

[ He knows Lupin isn't very good at cooking, so that narrows his options down. ]

[ifionlyhadthecourage]

Technically speaking, you only need three to party. But, 'the more the merrier' definitely stands here. [ Kyrie... was an outlier, though. But it was nice that he wanted to come? Maybe he was just trying to do something nice for Akechi.

It was unlikely, but Caramia was hopeful. ]

Most of it! [ Maybe all of it? Who knows... ] I worked hard to make sure you had plenty to make up for a lack of cake.

[ And beyond that... ]

But moreover, I wanted to give you a little something more on top of your gift, since I can't say it's very good, by any means... [ He fiddled with the newspaper-wrapped object in his hands. ]

iii

[theshowsover]

[The sash... is cute...

He still can't believe Guren would do something like that except... he can. He completely can.

But the sash is not why Akira approaches now! Rather, the small bag in his hands is why he approaches. It's not particularly decorative, though Akira did try by borrowing some paints from Yusuke. On the outside it says "Happy Bday Akechi" in English.

There's also a card. He holds both out to Akechi.]

Happy Birthday.

[doublecrowss]

[ The sash is ridiculous. Akechi looks ridiculous. Why is his life like this.

But this? Getting a card and a gift from what's likely going to be his next victim, on a day that isn't even his actual birthday? That's beyond ridiculous. It feels like a bad joke, a prank that the world keeps playing on him-- really, on the both of them, if he's being entirely honest with himself. It's unfair, and not funny at all.

So if he stares at the proffered card and package for a little too long, he hopes Akira can chalk it up to legitimate surprise and nothing else. ]

Thank you. [ He finally reaches for them, though, with a sheepish chuckle that still borders on embarrassed. ] Although it still feels a little strange, to celebrate a birthday like this. Honestly, that Lupin-san...

[theshowsover]

[Akira gives a shrug as the items are finally pulled from his hands. He's been patiently waiting, and he doesn't fault Akechi for his reluctance now. He knows this must be pretty overwhelming for him.

The card is a simple thing. Akira isn't much of an artist, but he doodled a little purple cake in paint and a black cat face with ink. All it says is "Happy Birthday, Akechi," signed with Akira's name.

The gift is a small thing he sewed with help from Minato. He used a large sock (still, for the moment, colorless), stuffing the top and sewing down a head, using different colored thread to sew the outline of little paws on the body (they're a bit misshapen, but he did his best), with little triangles of fabric sewed into the top for ears. Two darker gray buttons of unknown color have been tied into the "face" to give it eyes.

It's overall just a crude sock puppet, but it's the only thing he could really come up with.]

No way of knowing the date here. This was nice of him, though.

i.

[messianic]

[The surprise is...so nice....... it really is nice to see Akechi looking so shocked, if only because Minato knows that means this is something truly meaningful to him. He waits until Akechi's had a little bit more time to process it, but then he comes up to smile, expression small but sincere.]

Happy birthday, Akechi-san. Did we surprise you?

[doublecrowss]

[ Ah, the surprise is definitely real-- along with a small mess of jumbled feelings he can't really name, too. He's puzzled, and guilty, but deep down he also feels... happy?

Huh. ]

Ah, quite so. [ He admits with a small laugh, though this may as well be an understatement. ] If anything I'd say throwing a surprise birthday party on a day that isn't actually my birthday was a very effective maneuver, haha...

[messianic]

[Happiness is okay, Akechi. Embrace the happy feelings.]

You don't know for sure that it's not your birthday, do you?

[No date!!]

It could be any day at all in this place, and we'd never know. Maybe we managed to get it right out of sheer luck.

i

[heartsteals]

[ sorry, Akechi, he's adding one more shock to your pile of shocks here - but he's hoping this is a good one. Lupin's got a big, cheesy grin on his face, even clapping a few times when the birthday boy makes his appearance. ]

Well, you look surprised.

[ he comments with triumphant nonchalance, then props his hands on his hips. ]

I know it's probably not your actual birthday, but I figured I could just take a wild guess.

[doublecrowss]

I suppose that is the end goal of a surprise party, isn't it?

[ But, while it may have been quite the shock - as it's still evident in his face - he can't really say it was a bad surprise, especially when compared to mostly everything else they have been put through in this place. It's overwhelming, sure, and puzzling, but not... bad. ]

I don't understand, though. [ The fluster is still there, but he's regained his formal composure for the most part. ] Why a birthday party, why--

[ Why for him, though he doesn't allow himself to finish that. There's only so much honesty he can show without feeling too vulnerable. ]

[heartsteals]

[ he sure knows how to snap back to bright-eyed and bushy-tailed quickly - or at least look the part. Lupin is most certainly going to keep that look of total, honest shock stored in his memory bank, though.

The question makes him smile wryly. ]

Why? Do you really need to ask? I seem to recall telling you I would grant your wish not so long ago. You may not know this, but Arsène Lupin's success rate is 100%. When I announce my intent to do something, it may as well already be done.

[ a pause for effect; he grins roguishly. With Guren and Caramia around, he's not willing to be open about his thieving ways, but the flavor is clearly there in his words regardless. ]

Even I can't change your past - but I can take your present into my own hands.

II. It's probably poison

[crowsigliere]

Well, Kyrie certainly didn't jump out with the rest of them, but unfortunately he is here. Sorry, Akechi. That's like the worst present he could get by Awash standards.

Still, even if he's a party crasher by definition, at least he doesn't plan to ruin it! He even intends to spend some quality time with the not-birthday boy--and that's what leads him to the first chance he gets to meet with Akechi one-on-one, as the boy settles in to try out some of Caramia's Classic Chroma Cuisine. (Think that'll catch on?)

"I wouldn't be so quick to try everything if I were you," he says as he nears the table, rounding it to stand just opposite him. "Given who prepared it, by all means it ought to make you sick."

...So, of course, the first thing he does is pluck a piece of this mysteriously toxic fruit or something from the table and pop it into his mouth. Hm...

rude!!

[doublecrowss]

[ In all honesty, Akechi isn't surprised to see Kyrie there-- by now, he's fairly sure he and Caramia basically come in a set. And though the man might be difficult to deal with on occasion, he's interesting in his own right, so Akechi doesn't mind having him around.

(As long as they're steamrolling past a certain incident, of course. They are totally steamrolling past that incident.) ]

I trust Caramia-san's cuisine to be safe, especially considering Kyrie-san has been consuming it for so long.

[ He means the time they've spent in this town, of course, but he has no idea exactly how long these two have known each other. Yet. ]

That's Kyrie for you

[crowsigliere]

Oh yeah, they're absolutely steamrolling that. Key to lips, toss it over their shoulders, the whole nine yards.

"You haven't considered I might have built up an immunity to it?" Kyrie raises a brow. "Or perhaps scarecrows are simply unaffected?" Haha hey Akechi, wanna hear about that one time Kyrie ate literal trash? Poison's probably got nothing on him.

He folds one arm over his chest, bringing the other up to hold a hand loosely at his chin. There's a pause, before he seems to sigh, his voice taking on a particularly airy tone, as if what he has to say isn't of any real importance.

"...Still, I suppose I ought to take this opportunity to thank you."

HM. Suspicious. Don't trust it, honestly.