let’s hide up here forever [open]

[dedamastai]

Who: Damen (dedamastai), Laurent (crosslaced), and whoever else happens along.
What: It's Laurent's birthday, so a birthday party was necesscary. (Spoiler: it's actually not a birthday party. It's an engagement party.)
When: May 3rd
Where: Islet #1
Warnings: This is going to get Stupidly Sappy. I just want you to know that. (Anything else I trust y'all to warn for as needed.)


If Damen is being perfectly honest, he's not entirely sure what one does for a birthday. It's not that he's never celebrated one - he has. They were just . . . The only birthdays that were celebrated, aside from the days the Gods were born, were when someone reached the age of adulthood. Occasionally his own birthday had been used as an excuse to hold a festival after the harvest, but it's not like Veretian birth customs were something he thought would be necesscary to study. Even knowing Laurent, Damen wouldn't have bothered because it was . . . Well. Laurent was Laurent.

Laurent would probably prefer he didn't bother, but it's come to Damen's attention that people here celebrate birthdays which is convenient because Damen's been trying to figure out how to plan an celebration of their (hopeful) engagement without, uh. Having to scrap it all if Laurent decided to say no because something something marriage is bad or whatever. Damen barely pretends to be able to keep up with half of what Laurent says. He's sure Laurent would have a reason to say no, but he can't fathom what it would be because from his perspective there is no other choice. For as friendly as he is to Prompto, Damen would never - could never - contemplate actually being with anybody but Laurent.

So he mentioned holding a birthday party to the people he knew Laurent was friends with, hoping they would fill in the blanks with . . . whatever people who come from places with witchboxes and other unfathomable things did for birthdays. Because, quite honestly? He just set out some fruits and drinks. That's the extent of his actual planning for this event in regards to it being a party. He put most of his effort into the details of the proposal and then was like "Ignis will probably bring food to the party." Apparently neither of my characters can throw a decent party to save their life.

Comments

[crosslaced]

[He was okay teaching her the coin trick but the fact that she keeps looking for him is starting to freak him out. He can’t… he can’t do children. His Tigerlily goes up to him, annoyed that Laurent's stopped playing, and starts prodding him with a paw.]

Uh- yes. He's a little big, be careful.

[catpiper]

[He can't do Children and yet, here she is. Like a monster hiding under his metaphorical bed, she's here to make his life hell.

Ren's scared of many things, but cat shaped animals aren't on that long list. She knows better than to randomly pet a cat that doesn't know her and decides to watch the exchange instead. There's a huge smile on her face, though. She's happy for you Laurent.]

He wants you to play, so you have to.

[crosslaced]

[The Tigerlily is a spoiled brat and looks like he's almost trying to attack Laurent, grunting insistently, and Laurent has to grab his large paws and push him away. ]

No. We have a guest, behave.

[‘No’ is about Tigerlily’s extent of understanding the human language. It means ‘the human is being a tease’. The big cat mrows, unrepentant, and eventually something sparkles in Laurent's hands. When he throws it into the air Tigerlily JUMPS for it.]

[catpiper]

[The massive size of the creature doesn't change the fact it is, at the end of the day, just a cat and Ren knows the difference between an angry cat and one with the case of the afternoon zoomies.

She lets the interaction happen without interruption, smile across her face as she watches Laurent give in and throw something. It's sparkling and-]

You threw a treasure?

[crosslaced]

Ah-

[PANIC BUTTON PANIC BUTTON

The cat makes it worse by catching his toy- a baube of ice- and CRONCHing on it with great satisfaction. ]

… n- …. you could call it that?

[catpiper]

[That does make it worse because now she feels bad? The cat's munching on his special treasure on his birthday.]

What was it?

[crosslaced]

It's a. Ah.

[Why is lying so difficult? Oh, because she's a good kid and lying to her makes him feel like trash. But he's not sure how to explain his magic and not disappoint her with tricks she can't learn.]

It's an ice cube. He thinks it's a treat.

[catpiper]

Do you have more? Can I throw one?

[She lives with two elves who have magical, mystical powers!! It's fine!!]

[crosslaced]

[mmmmaybe magic is one of his blind spots.]

...let me see.

[He turns around, pretending to check his pockets, and when he turns back he holds out a block of ice the size of a rubik’s cube. It's sparkling, because he's a magical prince and that's how mahou shoujo magic works.]

[catpiper]

[Okay.

Okay it's sparkling? Does ice do that? Ice does that. She's 90% sure it gleams in the light, but it doesn't sparkle. Normally.

She looks up at Laurent and just-

Puts it in her pocket. That's not a cat toy.]

Can you show me another one?

[crosslaced]

You shouldn’t-

[NO

It's already starting to melt, just saying. Laurent is midkey panicking, and also panicking at the fact that he's panicking over a child. Nearby the Tigerlily flops down and rolls over. Nyah.]

The ice will melt if you put it there, Ren. What kind of toy do you want?

[catpiper]

[Water isn't the worst thing to touch her pocket and honestly, that tiny bit of cleaning is needed. You think she washes her clothes? Absolutely not. She plays with the pool of water already forming in there with the tips of her fingers before turning her attention back to him.]

What toy do you want to play with? It's a day for you to get things, right?

[Make something for yourself, Laurent!!]

[crosslaced]

….

[....... what???? toys????]

I um.

[catpiper]

[Oh my god, does he not know what toys are? This is a damn shame. Between this and teaching him games, she has so much work to do. Put her on salary.]

Because you're 'engaged' and it's your birthday. So you should get two toys.

[Helpfully, she adds-]

You can make blocks or a stuffed animal. That kind of thing. [OUT OF ICE. IT'S FINE.]

[crosslaced]

Who told you I was-

[It takes him a moment before he remembers engagement is perfectly child-friendly. Okay. Breathe, Laurent. You can talk to a child on the day of your birth.]

Oh. Where should I find things like that?

[She doesn't. Want a stuffed ice animal, right]

[catpiper]

[It's a party for him!! Those words are getting thrown around left and right. She's bound to pick up on it eventually.]

I can make you a soft animal to hold at night.

[Please don't ask her how she's going to make this. Please.]

[crosslaced]

… that sounds nice… where do you want to get the soft animal from?

[I think we need to have this discussion, Ren. Laurent’s concerned she’s going to hand him a dead rat or something- or a live one. Unsure if that would be better or worse.]

[catpiper]

[That's an entirely valid concern Laurent and yet she doesn't seem to feel the need to explain further. It has to be, hm. A surprise. The Storyteller can conjure up an incredible pokemon specific one and she's unfortunately limited in that respect.]

I'll find things and put them together and make it look like something you can hug.

[crosslaced]

… you’ll show the adults you live with first, right?

[He’s still Concerned, but he’s hoping the walmart elves will at least confiscate anything too catastrophic before it reaches his hands. Or before Ren hurts herself trying to pick up a live rat.]

[catpiper]

I show them all my treasure.

[99% of it, at least. Old fish and medication notwithstanding, so it's fine. It's whatever. Laurent will live and no rats will find their way into his home, probably.]