ACTION -- OPEN EVENT. (forward-dated to sunday)

[nippy]

[ early on Sunday morning, a message goes out across the Warp Band network:

PARTY TODAY @ THE PARK

- come hang out with everyone and relax - it's going all day + into the evening, turn up whenever - try to bring something! food is always good but otherwise you can just bring a picnic blanket + napkins and stuff like that - totsuka's doing music things, music people should bring instruments - fireworks at night!!!!! - ATTENDANCE IS MANDATORY, I WILL FIND YOU - see you there, have fun :)

attached is a picture of the particular park that the party is taking place at, as well as a general description of where it's located. ]

MORNING / DAYTIME / EVENING

Comments

MORNING

[nippy]

[ there probably aren't too many people here yet, and things are still peaceful. not much is set up at the moment, except for some streamers tied to trees - Jack is working on all of that now, and he invites anyone who turns up to assist with this. otherwise, feel free to just sit around and enjoy a quiet chat with whoever else is here early, before the party turns livelier as the day goes on. ]

DAYTIME

[nippy]

[ activate maximum party.

food is out and being passed around or left on the designated table for anyone to grab; Jack is encouraging everyone to play sports, or to start party games; this is generally the high point of the party, in terms of volume and energy. given how hot it is, there might even be cause for a water fight, especially from Water-types and those with Water-type companions... ]

EVENING

[nippy]

[ as night falls, there is excitement drummed up for the promised fireworks, and here characters may stand together and watch the fiery explosions. in addition to this, however, Jack is also making a call for all Fairy-types to take the opportunity to show off with a little lightshow demonstration, so everyone can enjoy their extravagant sparkly bullshit abilities. he will repeatedly mention that Lux is going to do some "because she's the best." ]

OTA.

[ladyofluminosity]

[ Even with her arm in a sling, Lux was in surprisingly high spirits. She had a rather important job, after all. The blond waits eagerly for nightfall, practically bouncing as she waloked. She was told that there were going to be fireworks alongside the fairy-type light show, and she could hardly wait. She did love fireworks, after all.

Pacing back and forth, she gestured with her left hand, occasionally turning and mumbling to herself, the bracelet on her left wrist occasionally glowing faintly. ]

ota

[nippy]

[ while Jack is trying to decorate - and you may notice that he's kind of terrible at it, because he has no idea what he's doing here - he seems to be having other difficulties. there's a Froslass clinging to his front, and... something under his fancy new blue cloak? there is a serious hunch on his back, and there might also be claws peeking out from underneath, at his neck. ]

Man, I told you to stay at Lucca's if you didn't want to come! The party did not need Union's two biggest downers to attend. [ those claws dig into him and he laughs. ] I'm just saying, it's weird to be here just so you can, what - hang off me all day? And that includes you, Princess.

[ between his lack of eye (and care) for decorations, and his two Pokémon attachments, this could turn out to be a mess. come rescue it? ]

[nippy]

[ Jack has been vibrating with excitement ever since the sun started to dip below the horizon, and he inevitably gravitates towards Lux. his entourage of clingy companions is with him as always, either trailing along behind him or tucked into every available space of clothing and body parts. ]

Ready for your big performance, Sir Knight?

ota

[untalented]

[Parties like this were typically the opposite place to find Waver. They were loud, boisterous, and actively encouraged anyone and everyone to get so much sun exposure that they risked getting second degree burns and at least a week of discomfort in the aftermath. For a young man who was accustomed to books, it was the antithesis of the word 'fun.'

But, just because his trainer preferred to go hide somewhere in the shade with a good book and a cold drink, that didn't mean the pokemon couldn't come out to play.

The tiny Foongus, bedecked in the fanciest tie he could find in his size, toddled around underfoot looking for some new friends. With all this commotion, there surely had to be someone around who would want to dance a few rounds with him!

...If no partners were to be found, the snack bar looked really, really appetizing. Don't mind the little mushroom staring up at you and waving it's stubby arms, as if asking for a lift or a little morsel.

Anyone who observes the Foongus closely would notice a tiny, meticulously written note folded up and pinned to the back of his little tie. It was written in tight, cramped letters, but it was still wholly understandable:

'This is Orpheus. Treat him well. If he gives you problems, go to the gazebo at the far end of the park and bring him back to me.']

OTA

[schmott_guy]

[Gil is no fairy type, but that doesn't mean he can't make a show. He has some more conventional fireworks. The kind of black powder and rare earths that change the color.

They're...pretty damn impressive. Each one shoots so high up that you might think it failed to go off at all, just before exploding in rings and flowers and showers of colors. Some make pictures in the sky (mostly of stylized pokemon, a few of the Wulfenbach family crest or other recognizable logos.), some play music, some fly in elaborate and improbable paths, swooping back down to almost within arms reach of the ground and showering everyone with clouds of colored smoke.

Behind it all, Gil is managing them going off in the proper sequence from a control booth, and laughing like a madman.]

[ladyofluminosity]

[ Hearing Jack, the blond turns, giving him a smile. ]

I think so! I've never performed before, so I'm a little nervous. How big is the crowd?

[heartandsoul]

Those streamers look about as sad as the Pokemon hanging off of you.

[Brilliant commentary from Maka on the ground, looking up at him along with Stella standing next to her. She's fortunate, at least, that since evolving into a Meowstic, Stella decided she's too big to hang out on her shoulders, so it's just her own not-as fancy cloak that's there.]

There isn't even a pattern to them, do you need some help up there?

Re: ota

[potentialwithin]

D'you want help?

[Naomi had arrived early, still reveling in the fact that she could leave her house. There's a blanket in her arms as she stops to watch Jack for a while, Cubone standing besides her with a tupperware full of cookies and her Azurill perched on her shoulders.]

[potentialwithin]

[It doesn't take long for a rather energetic Eevee with a giant purple boy to spot the tiny Foongus in a tie. Naomi had shifted earlier on out of habit, and was trotting around when she saw him. She let's out an excited cry, all but skipping over to Fongus.

She's not the best dancer but she'll certainly play with him.]

OTA

[potentialwithin]

[Did someone mention a water fight?

Because Naomi and her Azurill have ducked behind a tree, waiting for any poor unsuspecting person or 'mon to pass by. Naomi has a trusty squirt gun in hand, while Serenity is ready with a water gun.

They aren't exactly good at hiding, though, especially given the fact they're giggling.]

[untalented]

[The Foongus chirped in delight when he saw the Eevee bounding over in his direction. Though there was a distinct size difference between them, he didn't flinch at all--

Rather, he offered an awkwardly charming little bow and held out a stubby little arm.

Excellent choice, young one. Do you want to go fast or slow?]

[nippy]

[ Jack swings out onto the side of the tree, only anchored to the tree by one hand gripping a branch and his foot braced against the bough. (there is some unhappy grumbling from both of his clingy friends at all this movement.) he looks delighted to see Maka, not at all dampened by her comments on his awful decorating skills. ]

Is it really that bad? [ as long as people could see them, he didn't think it mattered what they looked like. ] I've never been to a party, so I don't exactly have a frame of reference for decorations.

[nippy]

[ even though it's a voice he doesn't recognise, Jack immediately scrambles down from the branches to crouch in the crook of the tree he's been decorating; as always, the lure of company trumps all else. and now he has an excuse for it, since Ami had said something about having to be a good host and the party seems to have become his just because he's the one that proposed the idea. ]

Sure! This is pretty boring work, having someone to do it with might be fun.

[windyflower]

[Fuuka was never one for parties but that didn't mean she couldn't attempt to go out and have fun right? While her Pokemon was having a better time than she was, the young woman simply just stared at everyone around her and giggling along with everyone else.

When the fireworks went off though, that's when she finally started to have a good time. As she heard the roar of applause from people, she started clapping along with them. However, that didn't stop her from staring at a man that was...certainly have the time of his life over there...]

[nippy]

[ Jack is the kind of person who picks at his food slowly, never eating more than a mouthful before he feels he's had enough for a while, so rather than stocking up on food at lunch, he wanders back towards the snack table every now and then between games and conversation. when he next passes the table, he almost misses Orpheus down on the grass, but as soon as he sees him, Jack drops down onto his haunches to talk. ]

Hey, little guy! You want to get at the food too?

[ he picks Orpheus up gently and places him on the table, intending to return to the fray - but he catches sight of the paper on the back of Orpheus' tie and pauses. so as not to disturb the Foongus once he's already eating, Jack plucks the note off and reads it while Orpheus has at the food. ]

Huh. Sounds like a real killjoy. [ he turns back to Orpheus. ] What's your friend doing all the way out there?

[untalented]

[Orpheus, with his tiny stubby arms dripping with the juice from the berry he was trying to shove into his mouth to eat in one bite, offered the mushroomy equivilent of a non-commital shrug.

He didn't know, and it didn't really matter. The mageling does what he wants-- Orpheus was just glad that he was alright with the rest of the team going out and having fun in his stead.]

[nippy]

Oh, huge. Like, a hundred people, at least. I'd bet the expectations are high, too.

[ a Floette wriggles out from inside the collar of his cloak. she trills sharply and tugs at Jack's ear, and he waves her off, shushes her even while he laughs. ]

[ladyofluminosity]

Now I'm really nervous.

[ It was hard to tell if she was being serious or not from the eager smile on her face. ]

[indy_wannabe]

[Hark! A voice beneath a large stack of fireworks slowly walking through]

Where do you want these honey?

[nippy]

[ Jack goes up on his toes at the new voice - totally unnecessary, because it's not like he can crane to see beyond the fireworks and he doesn't need to strain to look over Lux's head, but he's excited. ]

Man, that's more like it! [ he leans down to Lux and stage whispers: ] Would this be Perk #2?

[ladyofluminosity]

[ Turning toward Ezreal, she catches Jack's whisper and turns pink to her ears. Did he really have to put it that way? ]

This is Ezreal. I asked him if he could help get some fireworks.

[ She looks over his haul. ]

And I think he went a little overboard.

[indy_wannabe]

Man, I could have made twice this with a little more notice.

Got my hands on some Sanctuary powder. The Calderan stuff is really precise but the Sanctuary stuff has some weird properties to it. I expect the explosions will be very interesting.

...

Who's this?