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

Jason Todd | OTA

[robintohood]

A) Food

[Thanks to Dylan and Otto, Jason makes it to the party. He's even bought a present. He puts it down with the other gifts before getting himself a plate of food.

After getting himself two shish kebabs, sausage, and some hot cider, he stays at the edge of the crowd and people watch as he eats]

B) Swordplay

[The chance to further practice his swordplay during a 15-year-old's birthday party is a great surprise for Jason and now he feels less socially awkward about coming. Instead it's been replaced by very mild nervousness and excitement that he might have a chance to spar with Wonder Woman. And even if he doesn't, it would still be worth seeing her spar with others.

He has a wooden practice sword and is making some tentative swings, ready to play and train]

C) Wildcard

((OOC: Hit me! I'm always open to new CR! Have questions or concerns? Go for it! My contact information is on this journal's profile page. I'm also in the game's discord server and I have a feedback post.))

[demigoth]

[ The edges of this party are unusually crowded. Nico’s there too, head-to-toe in black with a skull on his shirt and belt buckle, holding an empty plate. He’s spoiled for choice and doesn’t know what he wants.

And now, he’s too distracted to finish choosing. For the second time in a month, he’s looking at a dead young man. But - not dead? Death still lingers on this one - he’s not near death. He died. Why does this keep happening? Is it Nico? Is there something wrong with Hades throwing off his perception, the way Apollo’s troubles affected his oracles?

Nico is openly staring while he tries to figure this out. ]

[robintohood]

[It's easy for Jason to notice he's being openly stared at. He's not the one who should be the center of attention today. The kid doesn't seem to be hiding it either. Jason calmly finishes a shish kebab before looking back at Nico]

Something wrong?

[demigoth]

You’re alive.

[ He says it plainly, like he’s certain that it should be otherwise. Nico doesn’t want to correct that - he has very little room to judge in the cases of people escaping death. If the guy deserves a second chance at life, good. Glad he gets it. He’s not all that old.

But Nico would like an explanation, thanks. ]

[robintohood]

[That's... an odd statement to make. Is the kid just being weird? However, the vigilante detective part of Jason tugs at him and he has a guess to why Nico said that in such an odd way]

Yes and...?

[Jason decides to feign ignorance for now and see what happens. It's one of those times when Jason doesn't want to be right about what's really happening]

[demigoth]

And… I want to know why. And why you’re here.

[ Fair questions in his estimation. Resurrecting the dead can piss off a number of powerful gods. If this is something new, Nico would like to know before the Furies and an armload of psychopomps turn up. ]

I don’t want Dylan’s birthday party getting ruined because you get drug back.

[robintohood]

[It's serious. Magic isn't his forte but Jason guesses that's how the kid knows his full status. Most people and things don't seem notice.

He remains calm as he doesn't want to draw further attention and ruin Dylan's birthday party]

If you mean "here" as in the party, it's because Sleeper and Dylan invited me and I figured why not. Not often I leave the city. If you mean "here" as in the living world, it's kind of a complicated story. I've been like this for over five years.

Who are you?

[demigoth]

Nico di Angelo.

[ He has no real problem giving his name. While Sleeper and Dylan probably have looser rules regarding who gets invited to a party, they wouldn’t invite someone dangerous. Well, at least not in the stalking and murdering sense. ]

So it’s been five years…

[ That’s a long time to be missing and unnoticed. Nico decides it’s unlikely that anything will come of it tonight. Not his problem and not going to make it his problem.

He takes a shush kabob from the table, waves it at the guy like bye, and takes his leave. ]

[robintohood]

[Too late. After a conversation opener like the one Nico gave, Jason wants to know more. This might become a problem later down the road]

Yeah. Five years and no brain cravings if that also helps. I don't suppose you know about any creepy underground pools of glowing green liquid?

[demigoth]

[ Nico stops. Turns back.

There are five rivers in the Underworld, and one is, in fact, green. ]

What were you doing in the Archeron?

[ Aka the river of pain, the river of woe, the river of lost souls.

There’s a real river in Greece by the same name, but that’s not what he’s talking about. How's your Homer and Virgil? ]

[robintohood]

[The Archeron? Interesting. It's been awhile since Jason went in-depth with Greek mythology or read Dante's Inferno so it takes a moment for him to remember what it is.

Funny. He's never compared the Lazarus Pits to the Archeron but they're not entirely different either]

Don't know if the Lazarus Pits are what inspired the Greeks but I didn't have a choice in the matter. I was dumped there dead and then came out alive again.

[demigoth]

[ Right. Everyone else sees what they expect to see or what their brain can handle. ]

The dead don’t get many choices in the underworld. Heroes can choose rebirth, but that’s not an option for a lost soul like you. Who got you out?

[robintohood]

[It's a fair question to ask. People don't just casually come back from the dead]

Depends on what you mean by that. I came out of the Pit screaming and escaped the compound right after those waters resurrected me. The people who put me in there are the same ones who got me killed in the first place.

wildcard

[trustheart]

[ Chris has been staring at Jason for a long time now; has been since overhearing his voice. Honestly, it's not subtle at all. But in all honesty, something is bugging her. There's just...something familiar about this guy, but she can't put her finger on it. ]

[robintohood]

[Jason caught on early that Chris has been staring at him. He too finds her familiar but isn't entirely sure yet what it is.

For a short while he plays dumb. It's important to play the innocent civilian act lest anyone gets suspicious of who he really is. Then, as he gets himself more food he smiles at her]

Great party so far, huh?

[trustheart]

[ Oh geez he's coming over. Time to start making like she hasn't noticed him at all. ]

Eh? Yeah, sure, I guess. First party of its kind that I've been to, frankly.

[robintohood]

[Chris's voice and her face shape are coming off as very familiar to Jason. He continues to feign innocence though]

Yeah, I don't go to a lot of these either. It's nice they were generous with the invitations.

[Which is the truth. It's been years since he attended a birthday party]

[trustheart]

[ She nodded, continuing to play it cool. ]

Like, I've been to birthday parties, but none with this many people I don't know. Small, private affairs with friends, y'know?

[robintohood]

Yeah. More of a hangout than a full party. I've been to bigger shindigs too but I prefer smaller gatherings. Quality over quantity you know.

[trustheart]

[ Chris nodded. ]

I suppose that's what I prefer too. Though...I'm not against a chance to meet more people, especially now that I'm here.

[robintohood]

[Hmm...]

You're new in town?

[trustheart]

[ She looked to the side. ]

I'm from Japan.

[robintohood]

[Jason nods]

Has it been much of a culture shock so far?

[trustheart]

Not too much. The biggest difference here is how everyone is so frank and familiar. But then I already have a couple of friends that are like that, so.

[robintohood]

Yeah, us Americans are kinda lacking in certain departments. At least you're used to it.

[Jason remembers all the etiquette lessons Alfred gave him that most Americans wouldn't have known]