Summer Birthday for a Sunshine Child

[destiny_key]

Who: Sora and You!
When: Day 147
Where: Somewhere in the Summerlands
What: Sora's birthday party!
Warnings: None~


[An Open Message]

[Sometime early on Day 147, Sora will put out a message over the radio;]

So, um. I've been here a while. I don't really know how long, but um...

I think I might be sixteen, now. So, if you wanna come hang out, that would be cool.

[And that's all he'll say.]

[Sweet Sixteen]

Where has Sora been for the past week? He's been... around. He hasn't holed himself up in his room or anything, been out and doing his job and exploring the area. To a casual passerby, he seems completely normal.

But anyone who knows him, will know that he's been unusually quiet. He's not been as... everywhere, as he usually is. He's not avoiding anything, but he's not running towards it either. It's entirely likely that the radio message he put out will be the first most people have heard from him all week, and that's only slightly troubling.

He's currently sitting in one of the more secluded gardens of the Summerlands, set up almost like a tea garden. Sparky the Shinx is purring on his lap. But aside from Sora himself, there's... nothing. The garden is empty, no balloons or cake, or anything to indicate that there's a birthday happening today. 

He's been doing a lot of thinking, lately, and it seems that's what he's doing today. In fact, he won't even look up from petting Sparky until you approach him.

"Hey," he smiles thinly. "What's up?"


[ooc: Feel free to threadjack! The party portion is an open log, even if it's not much of a party yet. An additional thread will be put up this weekend containing more of an Actual Party.]

Comments

sweet sixteen

[pipers_son]

While Sora is sitting there, petting Sparky, something else will start to slowly circle down....

Until a Dartix is sitting on his head, a pendant in its mouth as it leans over to look down at Sora.

Wassup. Ignore the other feathery asshole sitting in a tree nearby.

[destiny_key]

Honestly, though, he doesn't even notice he's not alone until Dartix starts hopping around on top of his head. Lethargically, Sora reaches up a hand for the bird to hop into, and then brings it down to eye level. Sparky protests only a little from the sudden lack of petting.

Sora takes the pendant from its mouth, and examines it. It's another few minutes before he speaks.

"I know you're there, you know. I can hear you moving around."

radio to prose, eventually

[whattaprick]

[ Here's a voice Sora probably wasn't expecting to hear: the Nightrider, casual as you please. ]

It helps if you tell people where they can find you, you know.

open message

[wild_magic]

Are you gonna have a birthday party, too? Like we had for the rat? [Yes, that is Susan's only experience with birthday parties. Obviously all of them must be like that.]

[pipers_son]

"Naaaaaah," is the lazy response. "I'm practically invisible, but with sound. Can't hear a peep."

Although Feathers is certainly peeping, more than happy to have attention paid to it instead.

[destiny_key]

Sora laughs quietly, and pets the bird gently on the head while it tweeted away happily. Sparky, having lost interest in the current proceedings, stretches and begins to snooze away on Sora's knees.

"Really? Maybe I've got special hearing, then."

[destiny_key]

Oh, uh, right. Sorry.

I'm in the gardens. One of the side ones. I think it's a tea garden or something.

[destiny_key]

Oh, um, I dunno. Maybe? I don't really have anything to throw a party with...

[Sora you're in a magic garden geeze.]

open message!

[flashover]

[HARK! A DISTRACTION!!! JUST WHAT THEY ALL NEED.]

DUDE. Ok, I need to know, for like... reasons. What your favorite flavor of cake is. It's very important!

[pipers_son]

"I wouldn't be surprised. People gets all sortsa special things around here~."

Good. Laughter is good. It's better than the awkward silence that was happening not that long ago. Joker shifts, making himself a little more comfortable, before offering anything else. "It's magic, just so y'know."

[destiny_key]

"Yeah, I know," Sora answers to both questions, still chuckling. His tail waves around behind him, as though adding to the conversation.

The laughter quickly dies, though, and they're back to a lapse in conversation. A summer breeze ruffles through the garden, ruffling the plants and trees and the hair on his head, and Sora smiles, just a little.

[destiny_key]

Um? I... I dunno?

Um, chocolate, I guess?

[You've put him on the spot. Cake flavors are not at the forefront of his mind.]

[whattaprick]

[ Sora, you're making a big assumption thinking that Lambert has any goddamn idea what a tea garden is. ]

That doesn't exactly narrow it down. There any landmarks? Use a light for a signal or something?

[wild_magic]

Well, other people must! Otherwise we couldn't have had one before.

Maybe you could have Twister again? Or karaoke!

[flashover]

Uh chocolate you guess? [Rin says, playfully mocking a little] Are you sure about that? Cause... you know!! You never know what you're gonna get!

[pipers_son]

Well, it's not as if Joker has ever been quiet about the teleportation jewelry he's handed out sometimes. All's well, then.

As the silence falls comfortably over the clearing, Feathers clearly content, Joker lets himself stay quiet for a spell too- a rare occasion. It's not too bad to be quiet sometimes. Still, after a while, he speaks up. "Got a cake lined up?"

[destiny_key]

"Not really," Sora answers, still petting the bird. "Rin asked me what kind of cake I like, though, so I dunno what he's planning."

Sora hadn't planned anything for his birthday, really. Mostly, he'd just wanted someone to sit with. It's lonely, sitting by yourself in a trailer all day, and he was feeling stifled. He wanted to get out and do something, but he's not sure how ready he is yet to actually do things. Sitting here is good for now.

[destiny_key]

Oh, um. I... don't know?

[Sora quickly looks around the area, for some sort of landmark to guide Lambert.]

Um, it's on the far side of the city, I think? Away from the carnival. Kinda near the market, maybe?

[He doesn't know where he is, really.]

[destiny_key]

Oh, um, maybe! But I don't know that this is the place for it.

[How do you tell a kid that you don't really want that kind of party?]

[destiny_key]

What d'you mean?

I mean, I'll eat most cake, to be honest...

[No, he doesn't get it yet.

Well, he does kinda get it. But he's not sure where you're going with this.]

[wild_magic]

I think any place is the place for a party.

[whattaprick]

[ Lambert huffs, slightly. You really can't give him any better directions than that? But chewing Sora out for it is pretty pointless, so he'll simply say: ]

I'll ask around. With hair like that, you'd be pretty hard for the fae to miss.

[ And with that, he's off the radio, hunting out Sora's location on foot. It takes longer than he'd like -- to be expected, with such vague directions -- but he does get there eventually, squinting as he steps into the garden. ]

Sweet Sixteen; I'm late to this I'm gomen

[puddingemote]

After the radio message, Tamaki went looking around. It takes him probably a good hour to find Sora; even after hearing a tea party garden mentioned, it's easy to get lost in the maze of greenery that makes up the Summerlands. But it's not like Tamaki has much better to do than look around and try to find the birthday boy.

But finally he finds him, looking... pretty down considering this is his birthday. Tamaki hesitates for a moment before coming closer, letting Riori, his Oricorio, out of her ball as well. She chirps happily as she looks around, before bounding up to Sora with much less hesitation than her trainer.

"Didn't you say it was your birthday?" he says in response to Sora's greeting. Shouldn't it be obvious what's up?

[pipers_son]

"Oh, that'll be good, then. Rin's good at that sorta thing- I would know." Joker taps his fingers along the tree he's in, thinking of what else to say. It feels a little awkward, now- for more reason than one. Still...

After a second, he tries again. "What do ya think of the Summerlands?"

[destiny_key]

"Oh, it's nice," Sora answers vaguely. "I haven't seen that much of it. I stayed around the carnival until today."

It is awkward, but it feels like it shouldn't be. The two versions of reality are still blurred in Sora's head, and though it's now very obvious which one is the real one, he still remembers things he shouldn't. Little things, like when Tamaki's birthday is, and knowing Joker's favorite food without being told. Or were those a dream too?

"It's quiet here."