[open] BIRTHDAY PICNIC

[tinged]

Who ꕤ EVERYONE
What ꕤ zelkova's picnic-birthday bash!
When ꕤ oct 3
Where ꕤ Holzig Camping Grounds
Content Warnings ꕤ some grief, probably



PRE-PICNIC

[ The invitations have all been sent out, but there's still prep work to be done. The food and drinks have to be made, the decorations crafted and set up along with the tents and such. An eclectic mix of players are organizing this event: Mr_Misteaks, tylorific, Vogel, Mithrun1, and tabibito. Hien (!) has kindly (tabibito's phrasing) volunteered to help them set up. Though in the end, it's more like four capable adults and two problem children (who have stringent orders to stay AWAY from the knives).

Should anyone else choose to come early to help out, they'll be welcomed with smiles. There's joy in the air, though loss tinges it at the edges.

Before the party starts, however, Hien will be gone. And before that, the group presents Hien with a small "cake" of his own: a savory spring galette. ]

HAPPY, SAD BIRTHDAY

[ At noon is when the guests are told to arrive, with the party lasting until sunset.

Holzig Camping Grounds looks a little different! The decorations are simple and colorful; banners of varying quality hang over the tents and weave through the trees. Most notable are the silver and gold balloons that read: Happy 0 Birthday! There are thick logs for seating and some foldout seats for those with sensitive bums around the lone campfire, lit and flickering wildly.

The tents are also set up for some reason! (They're for naps.)

There are multiple picnic tables. The first and smallest provide finger sized portions of tamago sando and fruit sando. The next couple of tables are bigger: build-your-own bars for sandwiches, salads, hotdogs, burgers, and s'mores! There is, of course, a table for alcohol and other drinks.

At the center table is a cake, German chocolate and winter-themed with five little fondant ornaments placed by five different hands, and strangely enough, there is a dish of roast pork with parsley sauce right next to it. If asked what the dish is, tabibito will answer with something that sounds like "Steak Flakes Persimmons" at first before they pronounce it properly and fluidly: Stegt flæsk med persillesovs.

Eat up! Have fun chatting! And don't forget to dedicate a toast to Zelkova! ]

A BREAK

[ A little out of the way, in a small clearing, guests will notice there are a couple of ugly pinatas strung about: there are exactly three of them and they're all the letter C in a putrid green. Guests are encouraged to use their own weapons, though a wooden stick is provided.

If piñatas aren't their thing, there's also a giant watermelon, a blindfold in the design of an angry pomchi, and a wooden baseball bat. Ok, so watermelon smashing is a beach thing, but why not take their anger out on something right? They've all been through a lot. ]

SHE DANCES ON THE WIND

[ Midway through the party, tabibito calls for a moment of remembrance for Uta. tabibito will toast to her memory with a quiet smile because she was all smiles all the time and so full of drive - but everyone is free and welcome to honor her memory as they wish. ]

Comments

[deto]

[ just giving him a look ]

Yeah.

[justonezero]

Confusing...

[But not terribly upsetting, either.]

[deto]

You think?? Well, maybe you understand it a bit better now. So I guess… that’s something…

[justonezero]

I'm still not sure what part's upsetting, though.

[deto]

I know this guy, right? And he’s my friend. We’re pretty new friends, though, so I don’t know a lot about him. But I do know… people have been awful to him again and again. And he just lets them. I like my friend, that’s why we’re friends, obviously. So it makes me angry that he’s treated like this. He says it’s okay, but it’s not okay with me.

What do you think?

[justonezero]

[He looks like he's about to respond... but then he just falls silent.

We are experiencing a logic error, please hold.]

[deto]

[ sighs and eats his hotdog. at least the blush is going away a little ]

[justonezero]

...

[After a long, long moment:]

I think you deserve a better friend.

[deto]

It’s too late. I’ve resolved to stick with him and I’m a man of my word, you know. It’s done - we’re locked in. And he’s not so bad. He worries about me and he’s gonna help me level up and everything.

[justonezero]

[...

His sense of time's been fuzzy since they all got trapped here, but he's pretty sure it hasn't been a full week yet. Maybe that's why...

...

Yeah. That's got to be it.]

Do you want to do that after we're done eating?

[Taking another bite of hotdog.]

[deto]

[ oh, that smile. hm. he doesn’t know how to feel about it but right now it’s leaning toward dislike ]

Yeah, we’d better. I gotta catch up. But you said you wanted to hang out here for a bit first, do you can do that.

[justonezero]

We've been hanging out a long time now. I don't mind going!

[deto]

If you change your mind, just let me know.

[ looking down at what’s left of the food ]

There’s still the salad and the burger after this. Do you wanna keep splitting the rest or should we each finish one thing?

[justonezero]

Keep splitting! I don't want either of us getting stuck with just salad.

[deto]

Whoa, salads aren't that bad? This one's kinda bomb. Look - there are these little crunchy bits - some kinda nut I think.

[ not sure, but he'll eat anything ]

[justonezero]

I don't want to get stuck with too much salad.

[His diet is terrible...]

[deto]

Is this too much salad? [ a portion for one! ] What if we split three-fourths? I’ll take a fourth of hamburger and you take a fourth of the salad.

[justonezero]

Are you sure?!

[Leaving him with all the good stuff... sounds unfair!!]

[deto]

I’m not picky. I do it for my little sister a lot to get her to eat more of everything.

[ it’s fine ]

[justonezero]

You're an older brother? No wonder you're the responsible type.

I'll take it!

[deto]

[ deto does take very, very good care of his sister ]

Yeah, she just started elementary school, so it’s all about what pretty scrunchies her friends are wearing and such. Real cute stuff.

[justonezero]

Aww.

[Super cute. Although...

...]

She must miss you.

[deto]

Yeah. She sleeps with me at night [ he says it without any shame ] so I’ve been kinda worried about that, too. But I ask one of the admin guys to send her a message for me. Told her that I’m alright, I’m gonna come home soon.

[ a bite of the salad ]

I don’t really know how much she understands about hospitals.

[justonezero]

Oh, you mean Hien? He's nice. I hope he was able to get a message to them.

[deto]

Yeah, he did something. More than I can say for that other guy.