The Holoscene, Friday Afternoon into the Evening

[afraid_of_marshmallows]

Arden hadn't made a terribly big deal about it, but today was her twentieth birthday. Kind of a shock that she'd only been on the island and out from Callista's thumb - mostly - for only two years now.

Originally, she'd planned to have her party in Midnight, but after everything with Illyana the other day, it felt...rude, almost. To throw a party so close to where she was grieving. Maybe she was just being overcautious and weird? But since she could throw the same kind of party she'd been thinking about in town as easily as she could Midnight, she was going to just be overcautious and weird.

So, welcome to the Holoscene! It was currently configured to look like a cabana on a tropical beach, though the interior of the cabana was a karaoke setup. Again, things she could have had elsewhere, but this ocean wouldn't be whispering Come away, come away... in anybody's ears, and this karaoke setup didn't involve zombies, both of which seemed a perfectly valid reason to use a holodeck program to recreate them, okay?

There was, of course, a whole smorgasbord of (real) food off to one side, with real proper barbecue, along with party platters from Sushi Station, Taste of Thai, and El Burrito Loco, as well as a bunch of pizzas from Pizza Planet and a whole Build Your Own Waffle station, courtesy of Over Easy and there specifically because Gray would never have forgiven her if she hadn't included it. There were floats and kayaks and jetskis out by the water, but no sunscreen because who needed it with a fake sun?

And Arden was just chilling in a beach chair for now, in a bikini, enjoying the view of a glittering ocean in front of her, waiting for people to show up.

[Open! If you have ever, even one time, had a conversation with Arden, then you got an invite!]

Comments

Beach

[afraid_of_marshmallows]

For those who wanna spend some time catching rays and waves!

Re: Beach

[knightinshinarmor]

Oh, like Remy would miss this.

He was here, wearing shorts and a light button-down, bearing a big ol' pot of seafood gumbo.

"I considered trying to get decent barbecue, but figured you might have that handled." He looked at the food. "And you have. Bonne fête, petite!"

Re: Beach

[afraid_of_marshmallows]

"Thank you!" Arden said, giving him a bright grin. "Everybody knows that food is the best part of a party."

Re: Beach

[what_big_teeth]

As if Eleanor could say no to either a beach (even a fake one) or a birthday (especially one not her own). And so of course she was there, with a small collection of nice smelling things from Plant Parenthood (and a few lemons) in a neatly wrapped gift, and wearing the kind of simple,basic, modest swimsuit that had Luma rolling her eyes at her.

Re: Beach

[afraid_of_marshmallows]

"Hey, Ellie!" Arden said when she showed up. "Good to see you! Thanks for coming! I hope a holographic ocean is close to as good as the real one for you."

Re: Beach

[mustbeawitch]

Lydia would freely admit that her dress was not perhaps the beachiest in her wardrobe, but she had been most cruelly foiled the last time she had attempted to go somewhere in it, and had seized this opportunity to show it off.

From under a parasol, of course. The rays of the sun might be artificial, but she was too pale to trust them anyway.

Re: Beach

[afraid_of_marshmallows]

"Hey, Lydia!" Arden said. "Did you bring a swimsuit?" She gestured towards the ocean. "Beach with no creepy voices, just for you!"

Re: Beach

[napking]

Duh, of course Gray was here! And checking out that waffle bar. Ooooooh. Maybe a little bit more chocolate sauce?

No, more than that.

Re: Beach

[afraid_of_marshmallows]

"You know, when I heard you saying things like 'Oh, you're my favorite' and 'I love you so much,' I really thought you were talking to me, but nope. It was your waffles," Arden teased.

Re: Beach

[carbsliftthespirit]

No need for Arden to worry about the food going to waste, because Raiden was here and hungry!

Okay, he was always hungry. Details.

Re: Beach

[afraid_of_marshmallows]

"Hi, Ray!" Arden said. "Thank you again so much for contributing to all of this."

Re: Beach

[even_bigger_teeth]

Luma was still a little skeptical about Eleanor's insistence that she would be welcome there at Arden's birthday party. After all, she barely knew her, and she was Eleanor's friend, which immediately made her think that she didn't think very highly of Luma. Eleanor had her friends, Luma had no friends, and that was just the long and short of it.

So if she seemed a little more uncomfortable and less excited than she might usually be at one of these parties, that was why. But at least she looked cute in some bright new swimwear and there was plenty of food to focus on to not think about it too much.

Re: Beach

[afraid_of_marshmallows]

"Hey, Luma!" If she wasn't welcome, it wasn't apparent from Arden's greeting. "Thanks for coming! Have you done karaoke yet on-island?"

Re: Beach

[hashtag_chocobro]

Prompto might be a little busy trying to decide if he was actually going to break the news to Noctra that, no, they couldn't actually smuggle a chocobo home with them (thank gods for gift store plushies, though!), but he could at least send off a text.

He hoped!



hey arden! Happy birthday!!! 🎉🎉🥳 sorry we couldn't make it to your party, we're somewhere else doing a different birthday thing. Not mine! Someone else's! But I at least wanted to let you know we're wishing you a great one!

A few moments after that initial message, a second followed, and, if emotions could be felt via text, this one carried with it a certain frantic concern, trying to be Very Casual and Very Normal:

please let me know if you get this!

You really had no idea how happy it would make him to know that texts could get through to Fandom right now, Arden. NO idea.

Re: Beach

[afraid_of_marshmallows]

Not only was there a return text, it was accompanied by a really nicely shot selfie with a backdrop of the ocean and the sun and the white beach. Thanks! I'm having a great party, hope you are too! Happy birthday to your friend!

Look, it wasn't her fault that Prompto made it sound like they were celebrating.

Re: Beach

[hasaknightjob]

Sometime during the early stages of the gathering a package showed up with enough to feed 10-12 people (and a clear note on the instructions that there were to be no marshmallows, thank you).

The note to Arden read:

Sorry we're out of town for your birthday but of course we want to celebrate it. Have a very happy one. Hope you find these to be as sweet as you are. - Steven and Watts

Re: Beach

[afraid_of_marshmallows]

As soon as it was delivered, Arden was texting them a thank you. omg this looks SO GOOD! idk if I'm gonna be able to share or if I wanna eat all this myself. Thank you both!

Re: Beach

[moreofaponchoguy]

Of course Cal and his arms were here, and Cal was being good and not immediately diving into the food. There would be time for that later, once the waffle station was fully warmed up.

"Another year older and another year better," he said, giving Arden a kiss. BD-1 also gave a cheer and... had somehow found tiny sunglasses? Cal wasn't going to ask questions he probably didn't want an answer to.

Re: Beach

[afraid_of_marshmallows]

What Cal didn't know, he couldn't be forced to testify about!

"Second anniversary of running away," she said quietly, wrapping herself in his arms. "Best idea ever." She kissed him again. "You're a close second, though."

Re: Beach

[noonedecidesmyfate]

Belle was lost without the opportunity to arrive and mingle was there, dressed for a day at the beach, and carrying a wrapped gift.

Books. The gift was books. Delightfully smutty romance novels.

"Happy birthday, Arden!"

Re: Beach

[afraid_of_marshmallows]

"Thanks, Belle!" Arden said, with a grin. She had a guess what that gift was, yes. "Glad you could make it, it feels like forever since we last hung out."

Re: Beach

[wildgalegirl]

Charlie was here, obviously, with a selection of music for Arden - including some of hers with the latest band she was playing with.

"Arden! Happy Birthday!"

Karaoke

[afraid_of_marshmallows]

And those who wanna sing their hearts out!

OOC

[afraid_of_marshmallows]

Ha! I have stymied everyone by NOT putting an arrive and mingle thread

Re: OOC

[knightinshinarmor]

YOU SURE HAVE!