fandomtownies | The beach, Wednesday afternoon/evening

After Raven's little revelation on Sunday that she didn't actually know her own birthday, Kathy had immediately started insisting that she should pick one. Because everyone apparently had to have a birthday. Raven could admit it was probably easier than just kind of deciding at some point that she was a year older. So she'd picked Coco Chanel's. Kathy probably would have preferred she picked one that gave her best friend a little more time to shop and plan, but Raven was trying to get her to live a little more in the moment, and come on. Who wouldn't want to share a birthday with Coco Chanel? (And Philo Farnsworth? And the creator of Galaxy Quest? And apparently at least one former president, but whatever. Coco Chanel.)

So the party was a little haphazard and last minute. A few invitations had been sent out on via email, and some nice picnicy provisions had been acquired, thanks to the people over at Luke's. (Who apparently were more than willing to shove armloads of turkey sandwiches as the girls when they'd asked.) Raven had even managed to score them a couple bottles of nice champagne by going to the mainland, shifting into the guise of a little old lady, and going on and on and on about her imaginary 60th wedding anniversary. And lastly, there was a stereo set out blaring a rather odd mix of old jazz standards and modern R&B and hip hop.

She was turning eighteen. Ish. That totally deserved some celebration.

[lalala METHOD RP IS METHOD. If you think you got an invite, you did! If you want to wander by and join in anyway THAT'S ALSO TOTALLY COOL!]

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Whether purposefully or by wandering by!

There's ~~moddable~~ deli sandwiches of every variety (not just turkey)! Sides and salads galore! And a potentially excessive amount of champagne and sparkling cider and soda!

Billie Holiday! Ella Fitzgerald! Nicki Minaj! Janelle Monae!

And maybe the occasional male artist here there, sure.

Do I need more OCD? Does anyone really use more than the arrive and mingle thread in a party post these days?

Are we all partied out as a game?

Kathy arrived with her arms full, balancing a stack of presents over several old blankets. "Hey, hey!" she called. "Special delivery. Where should I drop these off, huh?"

"Oh my lord!" Raven had maybe forgotten to plan for presents. "Here, let me -- I'll spread out one of the blankets, so they don't get all sandy -- Kathy, you really shouldn't have!"

"La la la, I can't hear you," Kathy told her, carefully maneuvering her boxes and things so Raven could get to the blankets. "Careful...careful...the bottom box has your cake in it."

It was a sheet cake from JGoB's because this had been entirely short notice, but Kathy'd managed to find one that fit the day's theme anyway.

"Besides, you only turn eighteen once and I'm making up for lost time and you didn't let me do anything else anyway, so of course you're getting a bunch of presents," she said, pleased with Raven's reaction. "I mean, it's probably best this way because I did put in a couple of calls to see if there were any halls on the mainland we could rent for the day on short notice and you nearly got a miniature horse to show up and give pony rides anyway..."

So be glad it was just a mountain of presents, Raven. This was what happened when your best friend was an overachiever.

Hanna had gotten the invite, tracked down a book for a present, and then headed to the beach, sunblock in place.

"Happy birthday," she called as she got closer. "I brought candy."

"Pony rides -- were you going to bribe Ms. Pie or something?" Raven shook her head ruefully, smiling. "Maybe that was the plan. Keep it short notice so you couldn't go totally overboard."

"Candy!" Raven cheered, and went over to give Hanna a hug. "I knew I was forgetting something. Thanks for coming!"

"You deserve to have a major birthday celebration," Kathy said softly as she set down her pile of gifts. "You deserve to have someone make a giant fuss over you and make a huge to-do in celebration of your existence. And if you think I'm only gonna think that and not do anything about it, you're crazy."

Hanna happily leaned into the hug, laughing a little. "Thanks for the invitation. You didn't say, how old are you now?"

"Well fine, I guess I can't argue with that," Raven said, covering her blush with bravado. "So long as you realize I'm going to do just the same for you when your next birthday rolls around."

"Eighteen," Raven said. "Or thereabouts. Side effect of being blue and scaly, no one ever got around to telling me my actual age. . . ." She shrugged. "How could I have a birthday party and not invite my favorite trainer-friend?"

Jasper had kept a fairly low profile the last couple of weeks. He'd done it in an attempt to impress Melissa Hoover, get her to let him back home.

It hadn't worked and while he'd been angry at first, he was trying to control that anger by suppressing it into a neat little ball.

He would act normal. He'd be a student and he'd do Melissa's little dance and let her see that he didn't need to be here. So, when he got the email, he bought something small and came down. Raven was his big sibling and he'd appreciated her help through his first few semesters.

"You don't have--" Kathy started and then visibly stopped herself. They'd promised no masks, right? "I mean, that would be really awesome if you did and I'd like that," she said instead. "I've never had one before."

"Jasper!" Raven greeted. "Thanks for coming! I wasn't sure if you'd be into a social thing."

"Really?!" But . . . she had actual parents. "Well, it'll be both of our first big birthday party years, then."

Hanna turned a little pink, and set her beach bag down, pulling out a towel to sit on. "I'll be seventeen in ... oh. February." She pulled out her present (http://www.amazon.com/Cleopatra-A-Life-Stacy-Schiff/dp/0316001945), wrapped in shiny metallic blue paper. "I hope you like it. I can get you a different one if you've already read it, though."

Raven unwrapped the present carefully, preserving the pretty paper. "Ooo. I totally haven't! Thank you!"

Jasper shrugged as he walked up, feet kicking sand as he did. "This is more my friend Howie's thing than mine but I told him I'd go to a few parties and do him proud."

Really, anything Howie wanted within reason, he'd do.

"Welcome." Hanna pulled out her bag of mixed chocolates and flopped down on her towel. "You have a gorgeous day for your birthday, too. The Island must know it."

Actual parents, but no real friends, at least before coming to Fandom. And her parents hadn't been really big on the idea of parties anyway. She'd gotten her breakfast miyeok guk, her favorite noodle dishes for dinner, and a tasty rice cake to celebrate--and presents, of course--but never a party.

"Both turning eighteen so it seems fitting," Kathy agreed with a smile. "You, uhh, don't need to get me eighteen presents, though."

Which was her way of acknowledging that she miiiight have gone a little overboard, yes.

"Well, I don't know," Raven teased. "I'd hate to let you show me up." She looked at the pile again and shook her head. "I may have to, though. This is really just incredible."

"Well, if it's the island's doing, I'll have to find a way to thank it. Maybe a ritual sacrifice. Islands like chocolate and champagne, right?"

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The beach, Wednesday afternoon/evening

Arrive/Mingle

Food/Drink

Dance!

OOC

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