awashlogs | who's a special boy

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who's a special boy

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. ]

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[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!]

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. ]

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...?

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?

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. ]

[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.

[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?

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. ]

[ 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...

[ 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...

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. ]

[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.

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.

[ 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.

[ It's not so much that he doesn't embrace it, actually. It's more like he can barely recognize it. ]

Well, I suppose there is a one in three hundred and sixty five chance that this is the right day, haha!

[ And this is more than he has conceded so far, so! Good job, Minato!! ]

Or, in true fairytale spirit, perhaps we could consider this an unbirthday, instead?

[ ... now that he thinks about it, Lupin has already got the Hat. But how Mad is he? ]

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. ]

[ It's not so much that he's secretive, he just doesn't like to think of his own real birthday, okay!! If anything, he'd rather celebrate this day again in a year, like his own special Chroma birthday. ]

It might not have been your idea, but it would not have been much of a party without people to attend it. So while it isn't a gift, your presence would have been enough to me.

[ It also would've been a lot less embarrassing than this... thing Akechi now has to wear, really. This is embarrassing. Let him take it off... ]

Where did you even find this, to begin with...? [ He's tugging at the infamous sash, by the way. ]

[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.

Yes. It was... very nice.

[ He trails off, idly running a finger over the card he's just been given. A party, and meals make just for him, and even presents crafted from scratch... For the longest time, these have all been things he has always wanted-- to earn people's attention, their affections. If only he could have had some of this sooner, if he had ever met even a single person who would be willing to go through such trouble just to celebrate his existence... would he still have turned out to be the way he is? Would he still have made terrible decisions he can no longer turn back from...?

There's a smile tugging at his lips, small and very fleeting, and perhaps a little melancholy. It's gone in the blink of an eye - and he keeps them shut just a little too tight, just that once - but for whatever that split second was worth, it was definitely genuine. ]

Ah, but-- [ And just like that, the plastic smile and crafted bashfulness are back, easy and natural. ] Should I open this right away? I must admit, I'm rather curious to see what you've come up with...!

Edited 2018-05-30 21:21 (UTC)

[His brow furrows as he thinks about it, and then he offers up:]

Like... 0.3%, or something like that?

[Yeah. He's pretty sure, anyway.]

... Though you're right, an unbirthday seems a lot more likely. Lupin-san could be the Mad Hatter, and Caramia-san could be the Cheshire Cat.

[ It's actually closer to 0,4% but Akechi isn't about to get pedantic over percentages that don't really matter, not when Minato is playing along with his reference. So he only laughs at the comment, and then adds a contribution of his own: ]

Ah, but would that... make me Alice...? [ He even throws in a dramatic sigh, just for effect. ] I don't think I would look very presentable in a dress, but I do suppose I can relate to her insatiable curiosity...!

[ And then, he leans in closer and drops his tone, as though going over secret topics: ]

Off the records? I vote for Guren-san as the Queen of Hearts.

My presence isn't anything special at all.

[It's an offhand comment with more honesty than anything else he's ever bothered to say, but he's glancing off and quickly pushing forward from that. The attention was just directed to that sash, after all.]

I made it. It was a much larger piece of fabric before, so I cut it with my sword and wrote on it. Then, I just tied it there... [It's clean work, weirdly? He actually spent time focusing on this.]

[Oh my god. Minato snorts softly at that, expression amused.]

Yeah, definitely ideal casting there. He could probably really work the dress...

[Who else, who else...]

I guess that makes me the Dormouse.

[He does love sleeping, after all.]

But who's your White Rabbit?

[ 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.

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. ]

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