OPEN 🐶 PET PARTY MINGLE

[starshower]

Who: Anyone!
Which: Open mingle
Where: The Bark 'n Play Dog Park in the Residential District
What: The long-awaited pet party! Tifa and Eustace hold a birthday party for the flower dogs and all of Reverein is invited! Come make new friends, let your pets make new friends, and try not to get blown away in the wind.
Warnings: Cute animals being cute.

[On the very first day of the month, a message went out across the journals from Tifa Lockhart:]

Hi everyone! Tifa here.

Now that we've been here almost a year, Eustace and I realized that the flower puppies aren't exactly puppies anymore. They've grown up quite a bit, and we think it might be fun to celebrate with a little birthday party for them at the Bark 'n Play dog park in two days (on the 3rd) at noon! There will be food, drinks, and games for everyone so please stop by. Feel free to bring your own pets (not limited to dogs), or just yourselves. Animals aren't at all mandatory. Looking forward to seeing you there!


🐕 I. PET PLAYTIME

It wouldn't be a pet party without things to do for the animals! There are plenty of options for fun and games for them all to play with one another or with their owners. If you are without one or would just like an extra nose or set of ears, some of the flower dogs and corgis will be more than thrilled to lend a hand to anyone who asks nicely (a treat goes a long way.)

Thanks to some expert dreamotion, the park has been transformed into a splash park for the day to help beat that sweet summer heat. Fountains spring up from the ground as well as rain down from above. There are plenty of places to climb and leap and take a dip, waterslides to tumble down, as well as small wading pools to lounge about in the sun for the sleepier souls (human and animal alike). There are also some good old-fashioned sprinklers in the grass to jump over! Just make sure to stay back if you'd like to remain dry. They don't call it a splash park for nothing, and this one is filled with eager dogs!

Eustace and Tifa have fashioned a scavenger hunt that will require some sniffing around to find the many treats and toys hidden around the dog park. Stuffed toys, chew toys, squeaky toys, and for the really good seekers, there may be some homemade peanut butter treats tucked away deep in a bush or on top of the highest point of the play park so it's time to team up with a furry friend! A fair warning: if you have any precious items, they may have been mistaken to be part of the game and have been buried somewhere no thanks to Aerona who has a love and a knack for digging. Hopefully you have a companion who can help your search! Happy hunting!

For the more athletic crowd, there is an agility course, an assortment of balls, and several frisbees just waiting to be thrown. Just be careful not to lose them or else you'll have to go find them and return them!

🐈 II. HUMAN MINGLE

Of course, there is lots to do for the humans as well. There is plenty of food and drinks set aside for all. Mainly finger foods like sandwiches and scones, all homemade, but there is a variety of salads and desserts as well, like dog-shaped cookies, cakes, and lemon squares. There are some games that they've brought along as well such as Reverein trivia, charades, and Pictionary—the latter two can be played using dreamotion magic, so feel free to get creative with those!

The splash park portion is not limited to just the animals, so if you'd like, take a dip, cool off, and play around in the water with them!

🐇 III. WOULDN'T BE A PARTY WITHOUT A LITTLE CHAOS

A. DOG GONE-IT. One of the dogs and we won't say who (Edelweiss, otherwise known as Del), has managed to get a hold of one of the sprinklers and is rushing towards the tables and games to get the attention of one (1) Tifa Lockhart who hasn't paid enough attention to him today. Tifa is far too busy to notice, so could someone help catch him before he gets too close and ends up ruining all of the food!? He's fast and elusive though, so he may lead you on a merry chase through the park with the hose and will attempt to spray anyone with it who gets too close.

B. THIS WIND KINDA BLOWS. About halfway through the afternoon, the wind starts to pick up and while brief, it will wreak some havoc on the party. Were you just reaching for that sandwich or that delicious looking lemon square? How about that piece of cake? Too bad, because they are snatched up by the wind too. As will a lot of other things around the park as well—umbrellas, blankets, tablecloths, utensils, plates, and some of the smaller animals. The flower dogs may trigger their defensive abilities: thorny vines, explosive flowers, and rain to help (they really are trying their best) but it will only make things worse, so it's imperative that they are calmed down as quickly as possible before it all spirals out of control.

C. QUICK, I NEED A CLEAN JOKE FOR THIS. After all is said and done, cleanup will be in order. The dog park needs to be left in pristine condition and after that sudden and unexpected windstorm, they can use all the hands they can get. Things have been strewn far and wide across the park and there are even some umbrellas and sprinklers that have made it all the way across the street. Perhaps you've lost a personal item and need help finding it, and there is no shortage of hands and paws to help out.

OOC NOTE: This is a mingle log so top level to your hearts content! All of flower dogs and corgis will be present, so please feel free to interact with and control any of the dogs for all kinds of shenanigans. If you have any questions about the mingle or the dogs, please feel free to poke either myself or Laena on plurk or the game discord!

Comments

EUSTACE & TIFA

[starshower]

[JOINT TOPLEVEL FOR EUSTACE AND TIFA!

Mostly for mingling purposes. We'll try to tag out for actual prompts, but if anyone wants to say hi or drag them into one of the prompts, feel free to tag here! The two will be pretty much everywhere around the park so easy to find. Please indicate if you want Eustace, Tifa, or both in the subject line! If both, we'll respond individually unless you specify that you would like a 3 way.

Note: Since I am on hiatus this month, I will be limiting Tifa to 3 threads under this toplevel, not counting any tag outs around the post, just to keep my load manageable. 😅]

i'm down for either, however or whoever you want to respond :0 i just needed pupcakes to happen--

[judicialassistant]

[ So it finally has a name, huh...? Susato has spent the better of the morning baking, so when she shows up at Bark n' Play, it is not empty-handed. It's true that most of the refreshments and food has been covered by Tifa and Eustace, being the great hosts that they are, but Susato still wanted to bring something special for the flower pups in particular.

That being said, she is actually carrying two specially-decorated boxes of pupcakes: one for the corgis, as pictured, and the other...

The recipe is much the same. There are five of them, but closer inspection will reveal that the frosting has been specially molded into the shape of a specific type of flower (to the best of her ability). Some are more obvious than the others, but the idea should be readily apparent:

- A rose for Rose.
- A dahlia for Dahlia.
- An iris for Iris.
- An edelweiss for Del.
- ...and a valerian for Valerian.

Susato isn't sure where to put the boxes yet, but she carefully makes her way to what looks like a table of food to set them down for a moment. She can't help peeking into the box designated for the flowers, to make sure none of the frosting was damaged during transport... ]

we're gonna go susato → tifa → eustace!

[starshower]

[Somedog must have picked up the scent of the pupcakes because there's a very powerful, very loud bark that startles Tifa into spinning around to see what's wrong, only to have Idris rushing past her knees, almost knocking her right over and into her carefully put together display of sandwiches and cakes. He stops directly in front of Susato and barks again, his round, brown bum wagging violently behind him as he eyes the box she's peering into.]

Idris!

[Tifa sets the plate of lemon squares down with a clatter and follows behind him, leaning down to scoop the corgi up into her arms and searching for Eustace for his help with the dog.]

... Sorry! [She does pause to regard the boxes with curiosity before she's beckoning Eustace over, already handing Idris out to him.] Did you need help with any of that?

/walks in with dreambucks

[flamekthunder]

[He had been nearby when he hears the commotion and is quick to join up—only to have a squirming corgi suddenly in his arms.

Of course it would be this one.

With a firm hold, he keeps Idris in his arms—]

Hey, settle down.

[—and looks over at the two girls.]

...I'll take care of him, go ahead.

[judicialassistant]

[ Susato is pretty startled by Idris! Luckily she is pup-pared, because as Idris (and Tifa, and Eustace) have likely noticed, there are two boxes. There's a sigh of relief that turns into a laugh as Tifa's question finally processes. ]

Oh, no, I've got it. But thank you, Eustace. [ Even though she says this, she regards Idris in his arms. ] Don't worry, there's enough for you, too.

Since it is the flower pups who are celebrating their birthday, I thought I should make something safe for them to eat as a treat. But then I couldn't forget the corgis, so... so I simply made enough for all of them!

...They're 'pupcakes.' [ Ta-dah? She opens the first box to show her hard work! ]

[starshower]

[Tifa's eyes go wide and with a slightly worried crinkle to her brow, she leans in to peek into the box, and her face lights up with pleasant surprise.]

Oh—! You really didn't have to, but... [Her fingers reach out carefully, as if she's planning to take one, but she's quick to retract it.] They're so cute...

[Meanwhile, Idris' nose twitches and he drools and barks and squirms in an attempt to free himself from Eustace's arms. WANTS! TREATS!]

[flamekthunder]

[....She made how many? His look of astonishment is broken when Idris starts wriggling and squirming in his arms.]

Idris—hey—if you don't knock it off I'm sending you back!

[There are definitely grumblings and whines as Idris seems to argue at Eustace—and he is! Come on Dad put him down!! HE WANTS THE GOODS!!

Eustace manages to get his arms under the corgi and hold him up high where his long body dangles and his short, stubby legs can only kick helplessly about as Eustace starts to move him away.]

You're not getting one until the others get a chance.

[At this point Idris is howling, so really his wait might not be too long as the other dogs have certainly heard the commotion by now and are running towards them.]

[judicialassistant]

[ It was a lot. She couldn't show up empty-handed for all of the lovely humans who made this gathering possible, either--but they'll get to that. Tifa's reaction is enough to bolster Susato's confidence. She chuckles, Idris calling her attention again with his howling.

Aaaand here they come. By now, she's seen a similar doggy-stampede from dog-sitting, so she's better prepared than she would have been a month or two ago. ]

Alright, alright. [ There is so much tailwagging and jumping. ] Birthday boys and girls first. Mind your manners. Just like with Ori, remember? Ah, watch it! [ Feeding time was... well. A time. Luckily the table is high enough. Susato reaches into the box meant for the flowers, taking out the first specially-crafted one. If the flower-shaped frosting was not enough, Susato has also scribbled their names on the bottom of the wrappers. ] Here, Rose.

[starshower]

[Tifa does waggle a finger at the desperate corgi, and he whines and pins his ears back, working the puppy eyes at her as he kicks his little legs helplessly as Eustace holds him suspended in the air. It's not going to do the trick... Not this time while he howls and howls desperately for the treats, so loudly that she can hardly hear Susato over them, and a couple of the other dogs have joined in the lamenting chorus.]

Enough, everyone!

[But it doesn't work. Not when there are treats on the line, and Rose is the first one to get them! They're likely whining about how that's not fair!

Del, on the other hand, isn't going to whine, but is going to take charge and shove his way past Eustace, then Tifa, and then all of the dogs to get to the front of the line where he barks at Susato.

CHAOS.... UTTER CHAOS.]

[flamekthunder]

[Their mother should be the first!! ...Though it was probably tactical, because once she gets that cupcake, she gives Susato an appreciative wag and brush of her head against the girl's leg, dropping a candied rose for her... Before escaping.

You can take care of them now, she's raised them long enough!! Time for some well deserved break—or it seems like she's saying as she trots over to an isolated shady area to enjoy her treat.

By now the chaos is enough that it really makes no difference if Eustace holds onto Idris or not, so he just sets him down and watches all of the dogs with a frown, hands on his hips before he sighs and grabs the corgi box to drag it over to the other side of the table.]

Corgis, here. Cadoc, Rhonwhen, Caerwyn, Aerona to me. Tifa, take Ivor, Bri, and Idris.

[Maybe if they're split up like this they can get through this faster??? At least the corgis will split from the Flowers and older ones will definitely listen to Eustace. The younger ones...well maybe. Depending how fast Tifa can get those cupcakes out—]

[judicialassistant]

[ CHAOS INDEED. Where is Ori when you need her? Susato can hardly hear herself think, but she has to laugh at the familiarity of it all. As Susato tries to hand off another one, she can see the candied rose. She's hardly able to process what it is, she just wants to get it off the ground so that the dogs can't get it. Especially Del, who suddenly seems a lot closer than before.

Thank goodness for Eustace taking the corgis' pupcakes, because that's enough of a distraction that it gives Susato some breathing room. There's a sigh of relief, though how long that will last, who can say. She looks at the pupcake in her hand and finally things quiet down a tad with Eustace taking charge. ]

Iris, you can stay with me. Dahlia, you're next. If you have flowers growing on your fur... sit! And stay.

Everyone will get their share.

[starshower]

[Del is just going to choose not to listen to any one of them and will remain firmly planted right where he is... ... ... until Tifa groans and steps over the dogs to scoop him until she can tuck him under one arm. He doesn't squirm or protest much, but his tail is wagging, and he continues to drool all over her as she tries to line up her dogs.]

Ivor, Bri, Idris... over here please. Del, you'll have to wait.

[Last, because that's what he gets for being naughty and pushing to the front of the line!

The three others are fairly well-behaved, if not a touch too eager for their treats, but Tifa hands them out with minimal issue. The only thing causing her any sort of trouble is Del, who is still tucked at her side, barking at his siblings and trying to snatch up the pupcakes as she gives them to each dog. Bri runs off with hers, Ivor trots to the other side of the table to enjoy his in peace, and Idris gobbles it up right where he's seated.

Del... Oh, her sweet baby Edelweiss...

Tifa pokes him on the nose before lifting him up and turning so she can look at him.]

No butting to the front of the line. You know that's rude.

[He barks and looks at Eustace with an uncharacteristically pleading look while Tifa turns her attention to Susato.]

... Sorry about him.

[flamekthunder]

[Eustace is able to hand off his share of the pupcakes, the older dogs trotting off to their own places to enjoy their tasty treat. Clapping his hands free of residual pupcake, he looks over at the remaining pups...the younger ones already coming back for more. Oi.

He'll just be the quiet guy and while the girls chat, he'll deal with the remaining brats to try and keep them away.]

/slides in very late! Down for both or just Eustace for this, whichever you guys want.

[stillarhino]

[If there was one thing that Beat was grateful for about this place it was that it had quite a number of parties and celebrations and festivals or whatnot. And that meant that there was always a lot of food for him to chow down on. The fact that there are dogs and cats and all sorts of pets too was just the icing on the cake.

Regardless, he had been piling his plate high with food, putting an extra slice of a sandwich onto it despite already having a half-eaten one on it. He was just in the middle of munching on that same slice when suddenly he gets completely doused by water, causing him to drop his entire plate in surprise. What a waste of food.]

Yo, what the hell's with the sudden shower?!

[A dog barks close to him, a hose and sprinkle hanging from his mouth as he wags his tail at his latest victim. Enter one (1) Edelweiss trying to get people's attention. He looks so smug about what he's just done too.

Canines of this world: 3, Beat: 0

Beat stares the dog down for a second before he starts running off to do more mischief.]

Yo, you seriously think you gonna get off that easy? Wait 'til I get you! [And there he goes, chasing after the canine.]

[starshower]

[Of course, where does one go when they are being chased by a big scary human? To where they feel safest... So, after leading Beat on a merry chase through the park and spraying several other unsuspecting and innocent victims, Del finds the singular person he's been looking for. Tifa's just returning with a large plate of fresh watermelon that she's just sliced for the party when she feels something wrap around and tug at her ankles. If it weren't for her impeccable balance and reflexes, she might have tripped right over it, but she manages to catch herself just in time with a stumble.]

Del! What are you...!

[He drops the sprinkler on the ground, spraying both himself and her entire back, so that he can growl at Beat from behind her legs as he approaches... COME AT HIM NOW, HUMAN.

And Beat will arrive just in time to see several of those beautiful, juicy, pink slices of watermelon slide off the plate and land with an unceremonious plop on the wet grass... :(]

What's going on!?

[stillarhino]

[During the entire chase, Beat is far too distracted to take notice of the people who had been sprayed by the sprinkler as the dog runs past them. His focus is purely on trying to catch the dog, completely tunnel-visioning on this sole objective. There are a few times he thinks he can catch up but Edelweiss had turned to spray the sprinkler at him more than once, keeping been thoroughly doused and aggravated the entire time.

Finally he stops as he finds the dog hiding behind someone, yapping and barking at him from behind them.]

'Bout time you stopped runnin', punk.

[Yes, he's... talking to the dog. There's so much wasted food around. :c He'd notice the watermelon slices if he wasn't so adamant about catching the little troublemaker. But he does turn his attention to the woman, not looking her in the eyes as he speaks.]

Stay outta this, yo! This is between me an' the dog.

[Tifa, you seem to have found yourself in the middle of a Mexican stand-off between a boy and a dog. Beat may not be growling but he does have his teeth bared, just like Del does at your feet.]

[starshower]

[If she weren't still holding half a plate of watermelons, she'd drop her hands to her hips, but only one goes, the other propping the plate up over her shoulder as Del tries to make a leap at her legs with his front paws, but she's looking at Beat as if he's just grown another head, with an arched brow and a light frown. Just as she opens her mouth to spout out a protest, she feels the sprinkler loop back around to hit her again, and she gives it a firm kick away.

Del barks and growls at Beat, and the other boy might as well be growling back with how angry he looks, and all she can do is stand in the middle and... sigh...]

You two brought me into it, so I won't stay out of it. And he's one of my dogs anyway.

[Now she's speaking like a mother would her two kids—]

One of you want to tell me what's going on?

[Del barks again. Beat is bullying him, mom!!!]

[stillarhino]

[He lets out a bit of a huff, brushing away some of the matted hair that had clung to his face from the unexpected shower he just experienced. It almost looks like he is about to growl back at the dog but he finally looks up to face Tifa.]

You said he was your dog, right? Punk's been goin' round pointin' that hose at me for the last coupla minutes!

[Beat takes a step forward, trying to psyche Del out. It works as the dog hops back for a second, still in a defensive stance and still barking back at him. It's easy to see that he's looking a little smug after that little stunt of his.]

It's like he has it out for me or somethin'!

[Beat, it's just a dog.]

[starshower]

[Tifa shoots a sharp look back at Del, and he immediately stops his growling and instead whines at her, working his puppy eyes instead. She isn't so easily won over however, so after a moment's deliberation, she bends down to scoop him up under one of her arms while the other still carries what's left of the watermelon.]

I told you, any trouble and there'll be no more treats today.

[She doesn't care if it's his birthday party or not! But Del barks at her, and then at Beat in a "it's his fault!" sort of way, and Tifa turns her attention to him now, the edge in her expression dulling into something more apologetic.]

I promise he doesn't have it out for you. [Del barks in protest, and she gives him a squeeze against her side to urge him to stop. She's trying to defuse the situation here!!!] Can I interest you in some watermelon?

[In other words, would he be so kind as to take the plate from her so that she can properly carry Del back to the party?]

[stillarhino]

[Seeing the situation unfold, Beat couldn't help but smirk a little at the dog, getting some joy at the fact that he's getting reprimanded by his owner. In fact, it's clear as day on his face as Tifa turns to him and only shifts when she begins talking to him.

With everything that had happened, Beat hadn't really paid much attention to her up until this point. He's glad that the chase is finally over though, especially when this entire plate of watermelon was right in front of him. He wasn't able to take a single bite of the plate he'd stacked up earlier because of Del's shenanigans.]

Yeah, thanks, yo.

[Was that for the food or taking care of Del? Maybe it's both. He takes the plate and immediately bites down on one.]

Ya sure 'bout that? Feel like he didn't wanna let up earlier.

[But the way he says that is in jest with a small chuckle, considering his current state, as he takes the plate from her. It's no surprise that small puddles of water were starting to form around him.]

[starshower]

[Del doesn't seem to think any of this is amusing, and the smirk only eggs him on more. He growls when Beat's hand comes a little too close for the plate, and as soon as Tifa has both her hands free, she readjusts him so that she's cradling him like she's carrying a baby...

And he doesn't seem pleased about it at all and glares up at her like the petulant child that he is, but he calms down quickly enough. Almost too quickly considering the amount of energy he was bounding around with only seconds before...

With a grateful smile, she holds Del a little closer.]

He's just looking for attention. [The dog whines and Tifa sighs.] My attention, actually. Guess I didn't give it to him fast enough. You okay?

[stillarhino]

Seems like a lot to get your attention.

[Beat scoffs a little at that, taking another bite of the watermelon he was chowing down on. But he stops aggravating the dog, especially now that Tifa seems to have him under control. Besides his clothes sticking onto him from the number of times the sprinkler was aimed at him, Beat looks mostly unscathed.]

I'm aight. Wasn't expecting a shower when I came down but— [He shrugs his shoulders.] I prob'ly left a mess back at the food table though when that dog a' yours spritzed at me. Sorry 'bout that.

[Is this her party? Someone else's? He's not even sure at this point.]

[starshower]

It's fine.

[Although there is a sense of defeat in her voice, the way it slides out of her on a puff of air.]

When you've got this many dogs, you start to get used to the chaos.

[Except it's usually just them and not a whole lot of other people that Tifa has to split her attention between, and it's less chaotic when Del has to fight with his siblings versus other humans.]

Let's get you cleaned up. I've got some spare towels somewhere back by the tables that you can use... and we can get you a new plate of food. I'll get Eustace to take him.

[Del whines... NO, NOT HIM!!!]

1/2

[stillarhino]

[Unfortunately Beat couldn't relate, not having ever had a pet his entire life. In fact, it's never crossed his mind that he could have something like that in this dream world but he doesn't dwell on this thought for too long. Especially after this encounter.]

I'm aight, yo. Leas' for the towels. Just gotta wait for this to dry out.

[If it weren't for the plate in his hand, he probably would've tried to shake away a bit of the water that had clung onto him and his clothes. Hell, he might've even shook all the dampness away much like a dog.

But he perks up at the mention of more food and it's evident by the small smile that makes it across his lips at the mention of it.]

But I'm down for more food if you got 'em.

[stillarhino]

[But what immediately follows is a furrow of his brow at the mention of handing over the dog to Eustace.]

Wait, you know Wolfie?