Time to live it up in here!

[hiken_ace]

Who: Anyone!
What: Marco's surprise birthday party.
When: October 6th, in the afternoon.
Where: Community Housing 3, Room 40
Summary: It's Marco's birthday. Ace planned a party. Need I say more?
Rating: Uh, PG? Since there will be pirates here, I'm hoping not to go above PG-13. PLAY NICE, KIDS.
[Ace wasn't going to go overboard on the decorating. In fact, he had to leave a lot of it up to everyone else since his injuries prevent quite a bit of movement. But soon enough, there were a decent amount of streamers up, and a nice big banner that says "HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARCO". He had to work extra hard to get the cake to look just right. The cake is surrounded by the presents, and there's a few separate tables for food and drinks. Fruit punch for everyone, and some alcohol for the adults and pirates.

Come on, people, this is a party. Let's live it up a little! And don't forget to embarrass congratulate the birthday pirate. Feel free to leave your own comment below, just for mingling, or just doing something silly, or giving Marco your present! Have at!]

Comments

WILL TAG ALL THE THINGS /like a boss B)

[fierybluebird]

[Before getting back.]

[Having been sent out for groceries, Marco takes his sweet time with it. Including a stop at the library, finally returning a couple dozen books from his room, only to pick up another dozen. And maybe picking up some ingredients for his favorite foods and sushi. Aw yeah. And some sake. Because it's his birthday, and he's a pirate, he'll do what he wants.]

[Surprise!]

[Marco's actually pretty surprised. This far from the Moby Dick, he figured he was safe from such things, and after his fight with Ace, he really wasn't expecting much other than flying and drinks like last year. But as always, his brother came through, because this is exactly what he needed, without even realizing it. Quick, grab him before he gents drunk.]

[Mostly, he's just happy to be surrounded by people. For all his attempts to get peace and quiet, he'll never really adjust to being short 1600 idiots to look after. They get rowdy, and even if Marco's almost the least sociable of all 1600 it's still a lot to suddenly get used to doing without.]

[And if you arrive after Marco does, he's totally throwing an origami flower lei around your neck and then saying something ridiculous. How ridiculous? Well try him and find out.]

[Drunk Marco is drunk]

[Towards the end of the party, he is going to be so hammered. In fact every time Ace can't drink, Marco's just going to grab the drink out of his hand and chug it. He has to protect his baby brother from himself you know!]

[Quick! This is your chance for ridiculousness! Party tricks or questions you know he will never in a million years answer honestly. (Like his age. He's ten million something or other, give or take a few dozen millenium and he dares you to prove him wrong.) Alternately to just get a ridiculous phoenix to be your pet. Though Ace might object to Marco getting stolen.]

[That said, apartment-mates might have noticed a bit of noise by now. Anyone want to come tell them to shut up? Because Marco will almost undoubtedly hand you a drink and tell you to join in.

DRUNK STUFF LATER

[hiken_ace]

[When Marco comes home, and Ace thoroughly satisfied with his brother's surprise, he comes up to Marco with a huge grin on his face. Overall, he's looking damn happy about this.] Happy birthday, Marco!

\o/

[fierybluebird]

[Tugs him around the shoulders into a hug.]

You brat~!

How long did all this take you to set up? [You've been PLOTTING. But no, Marco's obviously really really grateful and happy.]

[hiken_ace]

[He hugs him back, and ruffles his hair just for the fun of it.] I went and asked people to help out a couple days ago.

[fierybluebird]

[Flushes slightly and waves at the hand, more for the sake of it than out of any real sense of aggravation.]

Oh really? Sly kid. [Light-hearted squeeze on that hug.] Thanks Fireworks.

[hiken_ace]

You deserve it. It's not as much as parties on the Moby Dick... but it's something. [He grabs a glass of rum, and hands it to him.] Drink up! It's a party, after all!

[fierybluebird]

It counts for everything, Ace. Seriously, eh?

[DRINKS!! And keeps leaning on Ace in a bit of a hug. Hey, he can barely give Ace space for his parties, it's that much harder for Marco at his own.] Like the one thing I've been missing from home and didn't even know it. [Messes with Ace's hair and drinks some more.] Best present. Thanks, eh?

[hiken_ace]

[He lights up at that, giving an enthusiastic nod and throwing his arm over Marco's shoulders.] I really did hope it would be! I'm glad I could bring a little of home here.

[fierybluebird]

Aye, you did, you did. It's more than I could have ever asked for.

[Picks Ace up and swings him around in a hug.] Thanks Fireworks.

[hiken_ace]

[Normally, he'd get pissed because bro, you're embarrassing hiiiiiim. But whatever, Marco's happy.] Wanna see your cake?

[fierybluebird]

Absolutely, eh.

It's not shaped like a bird, is it?

[hiken_ace]

[He laughs.] No, it's not! I was going to get a pineapple one as a joke, but I thought of something a lot better.

[He drags Marco over to the table, and gestures to the large cake, shaped and colored exactly like their jolly roger.] It's white cake, your favorite.

[fierybluebird]

Awww Freckles! [askldjalskdj white cake for Whitebeard, yes.]

I can't eat that. [A laugh.] It's too awesome. Here, take me a picture, eh?

[earlier on]

[alabastajewel]

[Vivi waits a little for the well-wishers to thin out before going to greet Marco. She holds a small package, pretty obviously a book, which she presses into his hands with a smile.]

Happy birthday, Marco-san!

[earlier on]

[fierybluebird]

Vivi! Thanks for coming, eh?

[Beams and is obviously surprised by the present.] Ah! You shouldn't have! [Bows his head, clearly pleased nonetheless.] Thank you very much though. What's inside? Or should I just open it?

[alabastajewel]

[She giggles, holding a hand up to her mouth.] Open it, of course!

[When he does, he'll find a nice leather-bound edition of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There. Vivi watches hopefully for his reaction.] I wasn't sure what kind of book you might like best, and I read this last winter and enjoyed it a lot...

[fierybluebird]

[He does, quite happily, tear into it and upon seeing the three books, he just beams even brighter, the last of his curiosity washing off his face.]

New books! Great! [Genuinely laughs with pleasure.] This is perfect Vivi, [And he's really serious about that, because yeah, he's been dying for fresh books, mostly people just ask him what to read so finding new things gets tough.] I was just saying I needed something new to read and I didn't know where to start. Thank you so much! If you liked it, I'm sure I will.

What was your favorite aspect of it? I take it they're a trilogy? They go in this order, right?

[alabastajewel]

[Her smile grows, glad that he seems to genuinely appreciate the gift.]

It's really two books in one volume; Wonderland comes first, and then Through the Looking Glass--they're in the right order there, so you can just read from beginning to end. They're about a girl name Alice who travels to a strange land filled with a lot of eccentric characters and all sorts of nonsense...

[As she begins to describe them, she begins to wonder if perhaps he might find this all too frivolous or kiddish, and looks slightly unsure.] ...ah, well, I hope you enjoy them.

[fierybluebird]

[And I am fabulously fail at reading and somehow failed to get that it was all bound into one book. Apologies for that!!]

Sounds like fun! Like the New World, eh? [He's excited already. You had him at "strange" and "eccentric" and no one anywhere was surprised.]

[alabastajewel]

[She smiles again, relieved he seem to genuinely like the gift.]

I'll have to take your word for it. I haven't been to the New World yet, myself.

[fierybluebird]

Maybe someday, eh?

So who's your favorite character in it, or should I not ask until I've read them?

[alabastajewel]

[She nods.] Someday. I've already been to Mariejois quite a few times; I suppose it's just a few more steps from there. [Metaphorically, at least. Still, she assumes she'll get the chance to cross over the Red Line one day, if only for a short visit.]

Favorite character... Hm. [She reaches out to lightly trace the embossed lettering on the cover of the book Marco holds in his hands.] That's not an easy question to answer. ...in a lot of ways, most everyone in this is more of...mm, I suppose an archetype than an actual character? Really, the books themselves seem to be rather allegorical. [And some of that allegory of course goes right over Vivi's head, considering the difference in their worlds of origin, but she'd still been able to pick up on a good deal of the more universal points, particularly those political in nature.]

[She laughs lightly.] They're a bit hard to describe, but you must let me know what you think.

[fierybluebird]

Allegory, is it? I'm fairly fond of those. [Moby Dick and all.]

[And Marco gives a broad grin.] Will do Vivi. I can't wait to discuss it after reading it. Or even just read it at this point. [A small chuckle.]

[alabastajewel]

[That makes her smile. She'd really been unsure about what kind of book Marco might like, but it seems these were a good choice.] I'll look forward to it!

So how old are you now, Marco-san? [She's not sure she'll get a straight answer, based on some things Ace said, but it can't hurt to ask and if nothing else, she can try and spring it on him again later after he's imbibed in some good old-fashioned birthday drink.]

[fierybluebird]

[Without even missing a beat, he just replies in deadpan.] Twenty-five.

[This is more of a lie than all his claims to be over a thousand.] But don't tell the others, I want them to always respect me as the oldest.

[Seriously, he will never give a straight answer. And it's been different to every person who asked.]