[Semi-Open] Oh, would you look at that. It's Joshua Day.

[reasonandrime]

Who: FF16s and anyone who has positive CR with Joshua is invited (friends of friends can also drop by!)
Which: Semi-Open Log
Where: Starflower Cafe!
When: Backdated to March 25th
What: Once upon a time, some people looked at a baby and said, "You are Joshua." Today, we celebrate the 29th anniversary of that occasion.
Warnings: None!

It's early evening, and the golden hour sun shines gently through the windows of the Starflower Cafe. There's a modest array of red, white, and black decorations strung from the roof and set upon the tables to catch the flickering flames of lantern centrepieces, but the overall ambience is simple and warm, reminiscent of Rosarian hospitality.

Clive and Jill extended invitations earlier in the week, emphasising that the celebration is a surprise for Joshua. Guests are encouraged to arrive early, whereupon Jill will guide them not into hiding, per se, but at least to places where they can't be spotted through the windows. Meanwhile, Clive will be escorting Joshua to the party under the pretence of treating him to a name day dinner.

As such, guests are also encouraged to surprise some JOY into Mister Phoenix Boy when the brothers arrive.

Once the excitement of the surprise subsides, all guests will receive a softly glowing phoenix feather imbued with healing dreamotion. Joshua is handing them out personally as tokens of gratitude, so come and get yours!

Early mingling will happen over the appetizer buffet, which features potato croquettes, charcuterie boards with a heavy emphasis on cheese, various veggie platters with dips, and small cups of ice cream. Or, guests can sit down and chat over dinner: a roast with all the fixings.

After dinner, everyone will be escorted outside to where a bonfire has been set up. There, guests can enjoy roasting marshmallows, s'mores, and other sweet treats over the fire while watching a fireworks show to end the night.

TL;DR it's a party. So, like, party y'all.

(Clive and Jill will be around, but they'll be busy ensuring everything goes off without a hitch, so they won't be interacting much. Please feel free to assume that introductions have happened & that everyone present has been invited to their wedding, where they will be much more present!)

Comments

hiyori iki | noragami (slams into this with starbucks)

[wwtd]

a) YOU ARE STILL JOSHUA.

[ hiyori wouldn't say she's a party girl, but she could say she's a girl who appreciates her friends. new and old. honestly? she's just glad she didn't have to practice dancing for a flash mob. even if, in the end, that had been really fun. if embarrassing...

once she got over herself.

she sets her gift (THE LITTLE NOTE DOES NOT SAY DARLING it probably says "happy birthday, joshua!! from, hiyori iki") where the other gifts are and mingles until bday boy arrives. she does her best to keep yato out of trouble, too... but that's an ongoing, everyday struggle. sigh.

once clive approaches with the man? boy? MALE of the hour, hiyori hushes the rest of the partygoers herself and ducks down into hiding. untttilll!! the door opens. CONFETTI ABOUND. ]

Surprise!! Happy birthday!

[ life goes on, doesn't it? no matter where they are. no matter who they're with. the best they can do is enjoy it. for now, her life is here in reverein with the friends she's made. who deserve to know others so cherish them.

ah, she has a lot of confetti and glitter in her hair. so does everyone. she laughs and starts picking it out of her hair then turns to who is nearby. ]

You've got some... [ GESTURES ] In yours, too, hehe.

a) PHOENIX UP.

[ it's been a while since she's seen fireworks. sitting by the bonfire, making s'mores, hiyori watches the spectacle with bright eyes and a small smile. if only yukine were here. he would enjoy this. they could enjoy it together. he and joshua would get along, too. there probably isn't anybody yukine wouldn't get along with.

times like these make her miss home. she misses everyday things like going to school and seeing her friends. she misses seeing her mom and dad and her older brother around doing chores or just existing. she misses delivering her grandmother's coffee to her and listening to an anecdote about her life. she misses stopping by kofuku's and spending time with everyone. she misses being with the people she loves.

all her friends in reverein keep her happy. yato keeps her sane.

.... and insane........

ANYWAY, HEY, HOW 'BOUT THEM S'MORES!!! hiyori is staring at the fire for perhaps too long, lost in her thoughts because her marshmallow melts right off the sick and plops sadly into the flames. burnt to a crisp. ]

GAH!!! N-nooooooo....!

[ notice the similarities between our beloved noragamis??? yeah, they're all IDIOTS. every single one. ]

A

[empyreancatastrophe]

[Hiyori’s quick hushing works wonders. When Joshua arrives with Clive and is met with such a spectacular ensemble, the (happy) shock that washes over his features is nothing short of genuine. His friends got him good!]

[All smiles and laughter—a sound rarely heard from him, let alone loud enough to be heard in a crowd—Joshua begins to make his rounds. In one of the lulls between greeting friends, he notices a familiar teenager and makes his way towards her.]

Hiyori!

[He chuckles at her gesture and starts to run his fingers through his hair. Sure enough, there’s a cascade of glitter that follows.]

This will take eons to wash out. Although I suppose that just means we’ll have more reasons to keep celebrating.

omg i put a) for both prompts LLKDGLKJSDg what is alphabet

[wwtd]

[ while the party has begun proper, hiyori can't help but glance over every time she hears that burst of genuine, joyous laughter. seeing the person they're celebrating having a good time is enough to keep the smile on her face, too.

she's making small talk, back to him, when her name is called. turning around in surprise, she responds with an equally bright "Joshua!" as he approaches.

from there: ]

I'm sure we can find something to be happy about for however long you have confetti and glitter in your hair. [ she giggles, nursing whatever NON-ALCOHOLIC drink they have available for teens around here. ]

You looked so surprised!! I wish I had a camera, but everything turned out great! I'm glad you have people like your brother and Jill here who obviously really care about you.

the alphabet is a lie!!! (esp because it still registered as a b in my head 🙃)

[empyreancatastrophe]

[It’s the mention of his brother and soon-to-be-sister-in-law that inspires a shift in his countenance from pure delight into something a little softer. Still very much happy, but it’s tempered by the prominent fondness in Joshua’s gaze as he glances over to Clive and Jill. It lingers for just a few seconds before he turns back to Hiyori.]

They truly are amazing, aren’t they?

[Wait!]

As are you and our other esteemed guests! It would not be a celebration if not for my friends.

[What an amazing thing to be able to say he has friends.]

Thank you for coming.

B??? DONT KNOW HER (lmao i'll take it!!!)

[wwtd]

[ the first question doesn't need an answer, so she merely smiles as softly.

and startles! a bit! once he quickly turns his attention back to the group at large. she's getting a feeling... she's understanding the type of person joshua is.

a gentle soul. being around him is easy. it's no wonder she relaxed so quickly the first time they met. ]

You're welcome. I'm happy to be here and celebrate you with everyone else. [ um, um. oh!! ]

Have you opened your gifts yet?

[empyreancatastrophe]

Some of them, yes. Everyone has been exceptionally generous.

[Give him a second to catch onto the implication. Joshua is very much a gentle soul, and, although far from an idiot, occasionally needs a nudge in the right direction when it comes to the social stuff.]

Oh! But I am not adverse to opening more, if you would like to share yours.

[All that royal training and we get… this.]

[wwtd]

[ for what it's worth? hiyori finds it endearing. it also makes him somewhat relatable.

because he was AAAALLL prince charming mega polite when they first met, too. ]

W-well, I wasn't quite sure what to get you so I want to make sure you like it...

[ translation: yes pls open hers ]

[empyreancatastrophe]

[First impressions are very important! Charm ‘em first, reveal the awkward chocolate center underneath the crunchy prince shell.]

[And speaking of awkward… he can’t say anything to Hiyori’s response, nothing to tease her at least. So, instead, Joshua calls upon Prince Charming to swoop on in and save-ish the day.]

As the lady insists.

[He holds out an arm for Hiyori to take (if she’d like!) as he turns in the direction towards the gift table.]

Shall we inspect your gift together?

[wwtd]

[ solid strat, joshua. SOLID.

as pleasantly ruffled as she might be at being called "lady" again (Prince Charming strikes again), she stops and stares at his presented arm.

no need to worry, though. a grin emerges on her face and she takes it, good-naturedly. "playing" along. fine, she'll be a LADY. because this is a fun part. ]

Hehe, we shall. Lead the way, milord.

[empyreancatastrophe]

[As the Rosfield sibling who's usually holding their shared single braincell, sometimes Joshua comes up with some good strats!]

[Sometimes.]

[When Hiyori takes his arm, Joshua grins in return and neatly (but also playfully) walks them both over to the table. Some of the gifts have already been opened and replaced with care. Others are still wrapped and waiting.]

[His elbow slackens just enough for Hiyori to pull away if she so chooses.]

I tried to organize them as best I could based on size and shape.

[wwtd]

[ they're similar in that hiyori holds noragami's single brain cell.

also, sometimes.

they prance!! pretty much (with hiyori trying to smother giggles) on over to the gift table. she doesn't let go just yet as she blinks up at him..... ]

O-oh? [ why are you organizing them that way??? she doesn't ask. ]

Do you like opening them from smallest to biggest?

[empyreancatastrophe]

[Congratulations Hiyori, you've officially Pranced with a Prince!]

[He gently peruses the gifts until he comes across Hiyori's as he listens, and pauses so he can respond.]

I'm not entirely sure.

It's been a long time since I've had a nameday celebration, and I've never opened my own gifts. [Just in case there was malicious intent...]

I suppose I just enjoy the way it looks! However, I'm open to any suggestions on how best to open one's presents.

[wwtd]

[ she will write about it in her diary later to commemorate the occasion.

nameday... that must mean birthday in his world. she looks a mix of concerned and confused when he confesses to not having a celebration in a while and never opening his gifts. never? not when he was a child? why? ]

I-I don't think there's a make-or-break best way. Whichever way you want is best. It's your bir-- nameday. You can rip up all the paper or peel the tape away... carefully...

[ trails off. oh. he's found her gift - a neatly wrapped box. ]

B

[amnesiadragon]

[... Yeah, they do have some stuff in common, huh? He smiles a little bit and hands Hiyori another marshmallow.]

Here. ... I like these things. I've never seen such squishy food.

THANK YOU FOR NOTICING IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE "B" LKDKLSG

[wwtd]

R-Ryu-saaaan. Thank you...

[ takes the marshmallow JUST A LITTLE WOEFULLY because of the loss of the first marshmallow-kun. she seems to get over it quickly enough because she smiles at him before long. ]

They're kind of like pillows, huh? [ laughs quietly ]

Would you like a s'more? I was making myself one, but I can make one for you. [ BETTER YET ] Or I can show you how!!

[ it'll keep her mind off things ]

[amnesiadragon]

You're welcome. It's okay.

[He nods at the question. He's curious about this s'more thing.]

Yeah. I've usually just roasted meat or stew or boiled water over a fire, not... um. Sweet things.

[He doesn't have the biggest sweet tooth in all fairness...]

I'd like to learn, though.

[He hesitates a little and then sits down next to her. He's not sure if it's rude but... they're friends. Right?]

[wwtd]

[ no worries hiyori has the requisite sweet tooth

and she seems happy to have him next to her. friends, indeed! she gets to work on finding another stick and marshmallow to hand over ]

Well! You've come to the right place. I'm not an expert, but I've roasted a s'more or two. My family goes on family vacations in the summer and winter. When we go to the mountains for the summer, this is a staple...

[ after saying that, her smile dims slightly ]

[amnesiadragon]

Is that a usual thing?

[He tilts his head a little and smiles a bit sympathetically.]

Are you okay? ... You miss them, don't you? I think we all miss people...

[wwtd]

[ a look of surprise crosses her face and she thinks of smiling it off but... it's true, isn't it? everyone is missing someone. they're all struggling. they're all fighting their own battles.

though she smiles, it's a melancholy one. yet somehow, it reaches her eyes. ]

Yeah. [ she's okay. she misses them. all of the above. ] But having friends here helps and admitting it aloud does, too. Thank you for asking, Ryu-san.

[ with that in mind, while putting another marshy-kun on her stick, ]

Who are you missing?

[amnesiadragon]

Of course. We're friends, aren't we?

[He hopes so, at least. The question has him dipping his head slightly as he takes a moment to think of them.]

Cray and Nina, and Ershin - or Deis - and Scias. Even Ursula... she was ordered to capture me but she's been really nice and helpful. And the good people we've met... they're all precious to me.

[wwtd]

[ a small pause, but her next smile is happy. ]

Yeah. We are.

[ those are a lot of names. one she recognizes -- deis. that was his other half. or something similar? ]

On your adventures, right? [ taking her stick, she hovers it near the fire and hopes ryu will follow her lead. ]

As much as I miss people back home, if I were to leave here I would miss the friends I've made in Reverein just as much...

[amnesiadragon]

[A fellow god. But close.]

Yes. ... And I would miss people here, too. Joshua is... my brother. I don't want to leave him alone. He's got people from his world here now, but... I worry about him. He's so gentle...

[wwtd]

[ dang. we'll get 'em next time.

warmth enters hiyori's gaze. perhaps it's inherited from the bonfire going. it's more likely it's because of ryu's words, though. ]

He is. [ from very, very early on she could tell how soft-hearted joshua was. ]

... What are you worried about? [ as gentle as he is, he doesn't seem like he couldn't make more friends. in fact, joshua could easily be friends with everyone in reverein, in her opinion! ]

[amnesiadragon]

... I just worry that someone might try to... to hurt him. On purpose or by accident. I know he can take care of himself, I just... don't want him to have to go through any pain.

[Ryu's gone through enough, and he knows Joshua has been through some, too. He doesn't deserve to go through any more.]

[wwtd]

[ ... hurt him? ]

Wh-why would someone want to do that?

[ joshua is literally the nicest???? she doesn't want him to go through pain, either. joshua or ryu or anybody here that she's met. ]

I, I know sometimes Songerein can make us do some weird stuff! Especially with the mirrors and the monsters and sometimes transforming into things, but nobody has ever tried to hurt anyone!

[ hiyori realizes she hasn't been here as long as some other people. ]

... Right?