songerein | [OPEN] A time for celebration!

Entry tags:

[OPEN] A time for celebration!

Who: Aerith, the cast, and all of her CR!
Which: Open Party Log
Where: The Starflower Sanctuary and Café (with permission by the courteous Tifa)
What: It's Aerith's birthday, so it's time to celebrate!
Warnings: General shenanigans

Despite how bustling The Starflower is on any normal given day, this day in particular seems a little bit more lively.

With general contribution to various vendors and pulling some strings here and there, the cafe has now blossomed into a flower wonderland!

title or description

Each guest is greeted with their very own paper flower upon arrival, small enough to be worn as a hair accessory or pinned somewhere on your clothing. (Though some may already be crumbled when received- they were done by hand, after all!) Once equipped, the flower is known to give off a feeling of happiness or light heartedness.

There is also a cake seated at the center of the room, surrounded by all different types of delicacies- both from more heartier meals to a light snack! All are free to mingle, eat, drink, and shower the birthday girl in gifts! However, if you're looking for a little something more to do, look no further than the stations set up on either side of the room for your enjoyment:

Posterboard Doodles 🎨
Sitting against one of the empty tables is a blank canvas in need of your words! Use the brightly colored markers and crayons available to write a heartfelt message, draw, or whatever you like! Leave no space unmarked!

Materia Cornhole (!?)
Is that... actual materia? Don't ask too many questions, just enjoy a friendly competition! (Note: being inebriated has shown to provide better results.)

Party Animals 🐶
You thought you'd come into this café and not get swarmed with animals? The furry friends of this fine establishment have risen to occasion with their festive gear to play alongside all the party goers!

But be warned, just because a party is going on inside, doesn't mean the troubles from the outside can't creep in...! Love is in the air, after all! ❤️

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🌷 i. general

a.[None of this had been what Aerith had expected upon arriving to work this morning, but needless to say, she's been more than happy to throw herself into the festivities! Though it had threatened to be a little overwhelming at the start, she very quickly finds herself in the spirit of things, and makes it a point to track down each and every friend she can possibly find, grinning broadly as she confronts them with her hands on her hips.]

Hey! Did you know about all this?

b. [Of course, the food is a major focal point of the event, and she'll regularly be sneaking her way back towards the refreshments to try various appetizers and snacks that have been set out. At one point, she'll be looking very somberly between a few different offerings, letting out a thoughtful hum.]

I'm going to have to start pacing myself if I'm going to have room for cake... hey, do you know what's so special about a slider? It's just a really small burger, right? Why do they call them that?

[She's out here asking the tough questions.]

🌷 ii. party animals

[Despite the fact that Aerith gets to spend plenty of time with many of the sanctuary's animals while at work, it's not often that she gets to give them her undivided attention, since she's usually keeping an eye out for customers— and lately, she's been giving a lot of thought to maybe bringing one of them home.

For now, she's sitting with three of the teeny-tiny bunnies that live at the café hopping around in one hand, smiling as she breaks up one of the crackers she's brought over from the food table and sprinkling the pieces of it into her hand for them to munch on.]

You guys will eat just about anything, huh? I think you'll probably have to skip the cake today, though.

[They could be fun to adopt— she always gets a kick out of watching them burrow and scamper about, and their attempts to steal food are always entertaining, but she's not sure they're quite the right match...]

🌷 iii. wildcard

[Anything goes! Aerith will be overjoyed to talk to anyone who wants to say hi or participate in games, and will be easily located throughout the day! Find her near the food, playing with the animals, pinning flowers onto people, the works. It's also worth noting that Aerith will be followed around by pink hearts for the entire day, thanks to love being in the air!]

[ This was a big day!! A huge day!! And Zack was going to try and make sure everything went super well for Aerith of all people. So by the time she finally found him the man was seen sitting crisscross applesauce on the floor attempting to blow up another balloon... and popping it. Again.

Welp. ]

Know about it? I'll have you know that I actually played a big role in getting all of this together! [ He won't take all of the credit because this was really just trying to convince Tifa to throw everything here. He was more of the brains behind it all while she handled the more... technical pieces of it all.

Yet, despite how frantic it may have all been trying to put it together, everything was coming along great!

So he gleams up a her, a wide smile across his face. ]

Happy birthday, Aerith! You like it?

[Though Cloud hadn't known about the entire plan, it was hard not to know what his roommate had been the one trying to set everything up for the big day. Zack wasn't the most subtle about this kind of things after all.

At this point, Cloud shouldn't be all too surprised by Aerith's directness yet somehow she's still able to catch him off guard. But he still tries to play it off cooly, in spite of the initial gasp that escapes his lips.]

You could say I had an inkling of it.

[No one had to invite Rufus for him to show up for the party. He just knows these things and given he and Aerith are at least on friendly terms, he could at least show up to wish her a happy birthday.

Of course, that presented another problem and that was that it would be rude to show up without a gift. There is no gift etiquette about what one should get a former enemy who had been held hostage for experiments by a parent and then died and then saved the world. At least, that he knew of.

He ends up deciding that he flowers can't go wrong in this case along with a bag of candied fruit tied with a ribbon.

He's not good at this gift-giving thing but it's an attempt and as far as he's concerned, not a bad one.]

I thought I would stop by to wish you a good birthday at the very least.

[Staying may make things a bit awkward since he knows that he's a bit on less than friendly terms with the rest of the group which wasn't unexpected.]

You should've seen what happened when we first brought them back.

[Tifa's voice comes from behind Aerith, and she approaches with two cups in her hand. A coffee for her, and whatever Aerith's usual choice of drink is in the other that she'll set down on the nearest surface. The ears on them wiggle and their noses twitch at the new scent, and Tifa picks up a crumb and holds it out in her hand, allowing one of them to hop into her palm.]

i. materia cornhole—

[It might come as a surprise to others to see Cloud participating in the party games, but hey, even he has to cut loose every once in a while, right?

Taking one of the materia (where did Zack even get these...?), he lines up his shot and throws it, making it into the hole in one shot. He pumps his fist inward in celebration, looking a little too pleased with himself. But he has the decency to look a little embarrassed if you catch him in the act. To cover it up, he reaches for another "materia" to hand to you.]

Wanna give it a try?

ii. party animals—

[It seems like the effects of the paper flower are doing wonders. Were it any other day, Cloud wouldn't know what to do when one of the dogs, especially Bri, approached him. Today, however, he's down on his haunches, petting Bri and giving her scritches behind the ear. Enjoying the attention, the corgi's tail swishes from side to side, leaning into his touch.]

Been a while, hasn't it, Bri?

iii. wildcard—

[If you want to do something else, hit me up on

riyuji or riyuji on discord so we can talk it out.]

Edited 2024-02-11 03:29 (UTC)

[No one had to invite Rufus for him to show up as if he had been. He even finds the crumpled paper flower rather endearing

He had just intended to stop by to wish Aerith a happy birthday- they were on fairly friendly terms but things were not the same with the others and it would most likely just get awkward if he lingered.

But with the paper flower in hand, perhaps he could stay just a little.

material cornholing

[Surely that's not live materia they're playing with but Rufus decides that if it is, it will just make the game that just more exciting. Selecting one that resembles lightning materia he weighs it in his hand as he evaluates his target seriously.

This may be a party game but when it comes to any competition, he refuses to lose. Only after several moments of careful consideration does he actually take the shot, the materia whirling up, around, and after a moment of hesitation, it falls into the hole.]

So, what do I get for winning?

party animals

[If Rufus has a real weakness it's for dogs. The small dog who runs up to him is the complete option of Dark Nation but he can never resist a cute dog, ever. He misses his Dark Nation so much.

He kneels down to the dog's level, letting it sniff his hand before there are ear scratches.]

Hello there, it's a pleasure to meet you. Are you here to make friends or just interested in the food in my hand?

[He glances around to make sure no one is watching before holding out the bit of meat for the dog to enjoy.]

This stays between you and me, right? Our little secret.

wildcard

[feel free to reach out to me at illuminations/suncatprincess if you would like another prompt.]

[When Sora heard the news that it was Aerith's birthday coming up and there was going to be a party too Sora just couldn't resist! Not only does he love celebrating people on their birthdays he really wants a chance to celebrate Aerith! Not only because they're friends and he's known her from another world- but also because she's one of the coolest, funniest, prettiest girls he knows. Actually probably the most coolest, funniest, prettiest girls ever. ~~he doesn't have a smol crush, you do~~]

Haha! I think I know the answer to that one!

[He happily takes the little burger into his hand and holds it up with scrutinizing look. Then he grins.]

They probably call them sliders because they can slide right into your mouth in one bite!

[And yeah- He's totally opening his mouth and putting the entire baby burger into his mouth and chomping down on it. He gives himself big chubby cheeks as he eats it. But that was totally cool and impressive, right? Right?]

[ ... Okay, what the hell.

It started as something small, even a little unnoticeable at first. Maybe it was just allergy season? Maybe the apartment was too dusty (how did you even dust, anyway?)? But Zack had been sneezing since the beginning of the month, and eventually petals would appear in its place. He couldn't figure out at first where they were coming from, but eventually putting two and two together came with the horribly realization that it was him.

So good thing this party had a ton of flowers, right? So no one could figure out that it was him— ]

...Achoo! Ugh, this sucks. [ SOLDIERs can't get sick, right? Was this actually a thing? But there wasn't time to worry about that, not when he was still in the middle of preparations for the party!

So with a half weary look, Zack will turn to his party-planner-partner while attempting to cover his mouth with his hand. ]

Hey, Cloud. Did you finish getting those plates set up?

[Oh, he really is doing his best with that balloon, isn't he? She gives him a sympathetic smile after it pops, reaching out to give him a comforting pat on his shoulder.

You're doing great, sweetie.]

Are you kidding? I love it. Hmm, so this was your idea. I had a feeling you and Tifa worked together on this!

[It's got both of their names all over it, and she bites at her lower lip to try and stifle that beaming grin of hers, with very little success.]

You know, I've never had one of these before. This is a pretty great first birthday party.

[Zack, unsubtle? Say it ain't so!

Cloud's reserved response is, of course, about what she expects, but despite the fact that he doesn't offer up much in the way of information, her grin persists.]

An inkling, you say. I see. Very interesting!

[She heard that gasp!]

I spooked you, didn't I? That feels like an accomplishment!

[Well, well— look who it is. Though Aerith is initially surprised to see him, her expression almost immediately softens into a smile, though some part of her can still hardly believe it. They've been getting along surprisingly well since finding themselves in this world, and while she has some understanding of why that is, much of it is still a mystery.]

You just keep turning up in the strangest places, don't you?

[Her tone is light, teasing; she's not at all unhappy to see him, it turns out.]

That's very kind of you, thank yo— [She cuts herself off, eyebrows shooting upwards.] Did you bring me flowers?

[A couple of the pink heart-shaped bubbles that have been floating about her pop in her surprise.]

[Aerith immediately looks up at the sound of Tifa's voice, beaming— her friend's company is always more than welcome, and she offers her a nod of thanks in return for the drink.]

Oh, that sounds like it must be an excellent story. What happened?

[One of the tiny rabbits leaves her to go and collect their crumb from Tifa, with another sniffing its way along behind, and Aerith stifles another bit of laughter.]

They're really not shy about food at all.

[Aerith is always more than happy to see Sora— they're newer friends, from her perspective, but she welcomes any and all friends into her life, especially after going so long without many to speak of. Of course, there's also the fact that Sora's cheerful energy is absolutely infectious; it's impossible not to smile when he's around, and true to form, his explanation and display get a bright laugh out of her as she reaches for one of her own.]

Is that true?

[Even if it's not, it seems feasible enough! She grins broadly as she watches him try to chew the entire thing at once— she's not sure she would call it cool, but she is pretty impressed.]

Hmm... the evidence does seem to support this idea of yours...

[He'll get another guest, and then another, the rest of the corgis all very curious to what their youngest brother is munching on over in the corner.

Tifa, on the other hand, watches from afar for a moment, guarded. And rightfully so. Having Rufus Shinra in her café was not on her list of things she was looking forward to, and she'd insisted at first that he be thrown out. It's only thanks to the insistence of... well, everyone, that he hasn't been. As well as her... strangely morbid curiosity as to why.

She has her own life here now, so far removed from that one she's supposedly still living back on Gaia, so it's become easier for her to keep to herself and keep her distance.

Feels a little strange to do so when he's handing over treats to one of her dogs, though.

So, her voice will come up behind him, some sternness lining it.]

What's your little secret?

[The corgis all stiffen at the sight of her, as if they'd just been caught doing something really, really bad.]

Not at all. But most of the customers love them, fortunately, and are more than happy to share.

[Which is a blessing because they do have a tendency to hop up on tables and try to steal pieces of food from whatever plate has been left unattended by someone's gaze.

Tifa takes a seat beside her and gives the rabbit a little scratch on the head.]

Eustace brought home that plant they live in. [She motions to the tree that sits in the corner near the window.] And while we were talking and getting ready to eat lunch, we started noticing that some pieces of our sandwiches had gone missing. And you'll never guess...

[ The shoulder pat is well received despite his seemingly murderous attempt on that balloon, but that won't stop Zack from smiling... especially after seeing hers. Or what she was trying to hide of one. It was infectious regardless, and on such a special occasion it was hard not to.

... That was until she spoke up again. ]

Wait, hang on. You're telling me you've never had a birthday party? Like ever?

It seems to be one of my many talents- even I can never predict where I'll end up sometimes.

[Rufus would be lying if he didn't find catching her off-guard amusing and enjoyed it just a bit.

He won't ask if she has decided on whether she's made a decision if she wants to know what happens in the future or not, not today.]

It seemed a little rude to come to say happy birthday without bringing something. And flowers are traditional birthday gifts, are they not?

[Not that he would really actually know, it had been an educated guess, honestly. Birthdays were not something that he had much experience with since they weren't a thing in the Shinra family.]

[Rufus and the nearest corgi share a look before looking back at her. He gives the corgi one last scratch behind the ears as he straightens up once more to look at her, not bothering to dust any of the dog hair which had gotten on his clothes.]

I think they figured out I can never resist a pretty face. [He had never been able to resist Dark Nation's puppy eyes and he hadn't been able to resist the corgies who were now gathered around him.]

I hope you forgive me for crashing for a bit but while I'm here I have a feeling there are some things you wanted to ask me last time we ran into each other.

[Cloud still wasn't one for parties, regardless of the occasion, so when Zack asks him to help out for Aerith's party, he follows his friend's lead. However, it's harder to do that when Zack is sneezing up a storm.

Whatever he had caught had come as a surprise to both of them. Even if Cloud had been helping out with cleaning up the petals left in Zack's wake around the apartment, he still couldn't help but be worried. Had it been a normal bug, he would've chalked it up to stress from the jobs they were taking or maybe some kind of allergy, but that didn't seem to be the case.]

Just about done with them.

[He turns to look at Zack after setting up the plates by the food, his forehead creasing slightly.]

Sneezing still hasn't let up?

[Cloud lets out another breath, almost a scoff at Aerith's teasing. Somehow her comments still catch him unaware.]

Don't get used to it.

[Though it might've been because he'd had quite a few things on his mind. He'd been treating all the party planning much like he would a job, going through a mental checklist on his mind.

On top of that, the lead party planner had caught some kind of odd pollen sickness that neither of them could make sense of. In turn, Cloud had taken more than a few extra tasks off Zack's plate to help out.]

More than an inkling then. Still surprised at how much goes into preparing a party.

... Yeah, while we're not getting chased by an axe-wielding skeleton. Or on Shinra's rooftop.

[She doesn't mean for her voice to come out with such a sharp edge to it, but... could anyone really blame her? Rufus Shinra, the new president and enemy number two was petting her dogs. Rufus Shinra is standing in her café.

Who is... apologizing to her for even being here.

Her arms unfold themselves and drop to her sides, and she huffs out a sharp sigh, only some of that tension leaving her.]

I don't even know where to start...

[Don't mind as Sora struggles just a little bit to get the whole burger chewed properly in his mouth. It's a lot of food to eat in one go. These burgers probably should be eaten in a couple of bites. But Sora was on a mission to prove a very silly point.

He makes a muffled noise before he quickly tries to swallow and he has to pat his chest a bit to get it all down... But he does it! Great success!!]

Yeah! See! No sweat!

[Dear sweet Aerith, don't copy him...]

We can start with a drink and go from there.

[The questions he's sure that she has for him aren't going to be easy to answer so wine was probably the best way to start the conversation.

He goes over to the table, looking back at her as he spots two bottles of wine, picking up two glasses for them.]

Red or white?

[He picks up the bottle of red wine for himself, not bothering to look at the label.]

[Good thing these little rabbits or so charming, or else customers might have complaints to lodge— but most of the people who come here regularly seem to know what they're in for, and are happy for any opportunity to visit with the sanctuary's furry friends.

Aerith grins broadly, absently rubbing one of the rabbits' heads with the tip of her index finger.]

They really made themselves at home right away, didn't they?

[She lifts her hand up to about eye-level, wrinkling her nose at the pair still hopping around in her palm.]

You could ask first, you know. That's polite! Good thing you're all so cute.

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[OPEN] A time for celebration!

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ia! ❤️

i-a

iii because I'm special

ii

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1b 🌸

wildcarding it!

💖

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I'd say I cannot believe him but I can...

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Sora's cuteness is off the charts

party animals!

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it's his brand!! <3

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