CLOSED | Dylan's 15th Birthday

[codicies]

Who: Dylan Brock codicies, his housemates, and those invited to the party — which is pretty much everyone he's had a positive interaction with.
What: Dylan's 15th birthday party, a bonfire cookout!
When: October 8
Where: Home of Diana Prince in Little Love, KS
Content Warnings: none (but will label things if asked)

Dylan's 15th Birthday Bonfire

Toplevel Prompts:

SETUP

(CLOSED to Dylan's housemates & anyone who might have showed up early to help prep)

Setting up for the party beforehand.

FOOD

Autumn has set in. The daytime is cool, the evenings are chilly, and there's a bonfire roaring in one of Diana's fields. Dylan's been prepping food for the party all morning — There's sausages, s'more supplies, and shish kebabs stacked with meat & vegetables. There's even some sweet potatoes! He saw a video on Japanese street food and wanted to try cooking potatoes on the fire in foil.

As for drinks, of course water and soda are available, but he managed to borrow some coffee urns from a kind caterer in town in exchange for a little manual labor. Now he's got a great setup for hot coffee, hot chocolate, AND hot cider all evening!

There's also a VERY large sheet cake for serving later. He'd been offered a brain-shaped cake, but the pictures had been a little too realistic, and he didn't think he (or the guests) would find it all too appetizing.

Though he's a little afraid the brain cake is still coming out, whether he likes it or not, but the sheet cake will be what he uses to blow out the candles, thank you very much.

SWORDPLAY

One of the gifts Dylan received was a real-life sword from Diana! He's been taking lessons from her and is ready to try it out. There's a little clearing a little ways from the bonfire where he's trying it out. If you want, you can come and spar — with Dylan, with Diana, or even with each other. With swords, sticks, or even with fists!! Come join the impromptu Fight Club.

EDIT to add: there are real AND wooden swords available for sparring, as well as wooden & straw dummies to practice on as well!

GAME TIME

There are frisbees, a football, soccer balls, even a ninepin set?? Do you have these games in your world? There's all kinds of fun sports gear available. Or you could grab something at random and start a game of Calvinball.

FIRESIDE

With the daylight fading, the fire becomes the center of activity. As you roast marshmallows or weiners (or grab one of those potatoes out of the fire) everyone huddles around, seated on rocks, stumps or lawn chairs as we all sing songs and tell stories.

Any spooky tales from your homeworld? Any songs you'd like to sing? Dylan had gotten a few guitar lessons from Jaskier before he disappeared, so if you start singing, he'll try to follow along with chords!

FIREWORKS

oh my god who brought those. please don't set any crops on fire. EXTINGUISHERS ON STANDBY.

WILDCARD

Any Standard Bonfire Activities I've forgotten, go ahead and throw them in!

After-Party Sleepover

(CLOSED to Dylan's housemates + Nico, Will, Hunter, Hibiki, and Chris Yukine)

Six teenagers sleeping on couches & air mattresses in the living room, watching movies... what crimes will they commit?

Comments

[definecat]

"I wanted to make sure I had something resembling decent company. Maybe even back-up when things get out of control," Sleeper comments, giving a nod of acceptance at the plate of food.

"I hope you aren't feeling out of place. I think Dylan invited everyone he's met."

[robintohood]

Jason lightly snickers as he places the food in front of Sleeper.

"I was surprised but I figured I'd come for your sake at least," he says. He then takes a seat by Sleeper. "So far I'm doing fine and it's nice to see Hunter's made friends with Dylan."

[definecat]

"It's red velvet. Perfectly acceptable to eat without any consequences," they say, amusement coloring their tone of voice.

"Would you like a slice?" It's no effort for them to extrude a couple of limbs to handle the utensils if so, but Sleeper waits to do so. Some people have issues with tentacles for some reason. Although this guy seems to have some extra limbs of his own.

[definecat]

"Dylan is good at making friends. Unfortunately, he's almost as good at finding bullies to make enemies of, but that seems more manageable here."

Sleeper pauses to take a delicate bite of one of the sausages, holding it carefully down with a paw as they chew.

"I haven't met all of the ones he invited yet. Although Hunter clearly is...intriguing." Sleeper has doubts about the pie that was presented earlier.

[doctopoda]

[God, are any of Dylan's friends okay? One of the actuators turns to look at Hunter along with Otto; while it's dark out, being this close to the fire is playing enough tricks on his eyes that he's still wearing his tinted glasses.]

I've lived in large cities most of my life. New York was a lot like Central, in terms of size. They called it the City That Never Sleeps.

[So, obviously: you can't see shit astronomically-speaking!]

Of course, that does have its downsides.

C

[doctopoda]

Oh, yes?

[Otto's interested! The tentacles also appear to be; one of the lower ones is watching the potatoes get thrown like it might try to catch one.]

Sounds like a fun thing to try.

[doctopoda]

Sure.

[He's not really that put off by it! He also doesn't seem to expect to be served; one of his own tentacles reaches out to pick up the utensils, though they transfer them to his hands to cut a slice.]

I'm Otto. Though I take it you know that. [Dylan had; they're both from that same universe with Bowlcut Otto running around, he thinks.]

[definecat]

"I don't really keep track of people who aren't already making themselves a nuisance to me and mine," Sleeper admits. They've seen the news, when Doc Ock was on it, but...well, what is that to them?

"Back home the most I do is maybe walking Dylan to school with Venom. I try to keep out of the spotlight. Family has enough problems."

They settle back as Otto moves to cut his own slice, just reaching a tentacle to snag a plate and move it closer for easy transfer.

[codicies]

[ Dylan sets the pie aside on a table and takes the Magic 8-Ball and turns it over in his hands, grinning with absolute delight. He'd always thought these things were neat, but grandpa would have never sprung for one — partly because of his penny-pinching, but mostly because anything even adjacent to the occult wasn't allowed under his roof. ]

This is awesome! Never had one of these before. Thanks so much, Hunter.

[ Hunter seems to think it's real. Dylan knows it's just a toy and isn't really magic, but saying it like that just spoils the fun, doesn't it?

He gives it a little shake. ]

Are we gonna have a good time tonight?

> Aʟʟ Sɪɢɴs Pᴏɪɴᴛ ᴛᴏ Yᴇs

[badbutsadboy]

[It doesn't register that the cities being gone is an immediately terrible thing. It happened before he was bor - ]

[Created. Before he was created. Something Belos did in the earliest days of cementing his power, blaming it all on wild witches. They've at least rebuilt somehwat since then. The towns are growing larger all the time.]

[He looks at Otto a little wide-eyed with awe at the idea of a city so busy it never seems like night. Central isn't quite that way, some places are very run down and not busy even during the day, derelict.]

I like Central. Kind of. It's a little too crowded in places, though.

And it's strange to not be able to just go to the edge of town and see trees. You have those plant islands, parks, but it's not the same.

I'd like to see more of them someday. Like an actual forest. I grew up hearing about them. Green trees and rain you can actually walk in.

[robintohood]

Jason notices the way Sleeper says "intriguing."

"Yeah. He seems really eager to be a good guest for you guys. What'd he do?" Jason asks.

[definecat]

"He brought a pie for Dylan. I don't think any of the humans should eat it, though," Sleeper admitted, quietly. "It didn't smell quite...right."

There wasn't anything that stood out as wrong or poisonous, but even they knew better than to put whole chicken feet in a pie.

[robintohood]

Jason raises an eyebrow with a mix of mildly morbid curiosity and confusion.

"What kind of pie was it suppose to be?" he asks quietly.

[definecat]

"I didn't hear the whole thing. Just was in the kitchen when Dylan came to put it away," they admit. "Pretty sure chicken feet don't belong in any normal pie."

Of course, they could be wrong. Most of their experience is from living in NYC.

[robintohood]

"Yeah, you don't usually eat chicken feet in pie form. Just the feet," Jason says, imagining what the dish must've looked like. "I guess it's nice he put in so much effort. I think he's still getting used to being around humans."

[definecat]

"They are easier to get along with than some species," Sleeper points out. "I suppose I should just be glad Dylan is making friends and not getting beaten up at school."

[doctopoda]

[He smiles slightly at the sight of the tentacle. Is it weird that he feels a bit of kinship with other people who have them now? Maybe it was just inevitable.]

That's probably a good policy.

[He'll never complain about people not being up-to-date with his horrible alternates! He'd honestly rather no one knew who he was at all!]

It's nice that you're here together. It seems like more people have been arriving with friends or family, lately.

[robintohood]

"It happens a lot back home?" Jason asks. He's sympathetic to that. Being a son to Gotham's richest man made him a target at school sometimes but Jason would also make it a point to defend himself in one form or another without blowing his Robin cover.

[definecat]

"Well, Venom and Eddie aren't exactly the same as ours, but it's close enough. But I'm not sure I'd want more of the family to show up," they say, honestly.

"Some of it is sheer laziness on my part. It's so much work to be out there interacting with humans when you're like me. I mean, if I wanted to pass muster, I'd either have to get a partner like Eddie, or create a whole human appearance from scratch."

[badbutsadboy]

[Hunter smiles brightly to see that it seems to work. With all the party planning and people that are probably invited, it seems like it'll be a fun night so the scrying globe saying so means it's probably calibrated right.]

[In fact, his ears even perk up at Dylan's enthusiasm and thank you. While they look like a human's ears but pointy, a witch's ears are a bit more expressive than that, perking up or laying flat based on any of the more extreme swings of their moods.]

I'm glad you like it.

[He looks a little shyer after that.]

Thanks for inviting me. This is the first birthday party I've ever been invited to.

[definecat]

"Often enough. He can't stand bullies. And he won't give up a fight even when he knows he's lost," Sleeper explains. It's...complicated. But mostly Dylan gets in trouble for instigating fights because he picks the wrong ones. Not that Sleeper would say that aloud.

"Boy's got a lot of spirit, just like his father. Not always so good at directing it."

[robintohood]

Jason can't help but make a slight smirk. He's certainly been in Dylan's position before.

"Yeah, it might take some time. He needs to fight smarter," Jason says in a nonjudgmental tone. "Sounds like his heart's in the right place though. That's significant."

[doctopoda]

Well! Otto has resolved himself that it was rude to ask, but as long as Sleeper's brought it up.

"You do seem to take more after Venom." He has no idea what their species even is, to be honest? "Could you create a human shape that would pass?"

[badbutsadboy]

[He nods.]

They are good friends. I don't think - I don't think I'd have gotten away from him in time, if it weren't for them.

I'd probably have wound up dead like all the others.

[It's a slip, but still not one that reveals the nature of the past Golden Guards. They could just be past proteges like Robins.]

[He realizes he's said more than he meant to and briefly glances up at Jason and then back to the potato.]

Did you figure it all out yet? Your next move?

[After all, he could still be in the middle of it and just offering kindness to someone a little less farther along.]

[definecat]

"Venom is our parent. I inherited many abilities from him. And yes, I could, with work and attention to detail probably come pretty close in creating a human form that would pass muster. Whether it would be exact enough that people wouldn't experience the uncanny valley effect is the real issue. There are a lot of details to get right," they say. Also, they don't really see the point.

"But it would be like hiding. And I wish to be accepted for myself, not for a pretense of humanity or any other kind. A reason why I do not make a perfect cat replication, either."