Happy Birthday, Viatorus!

[westfallcorndog]

Invitations to this party have been written in neatly legible, semi-calligraphic font, hand-crafted with care and talent by Amelia Ronsam. Harrowheart has asked that she create a few more than necessary on the off-chance anyone lost theirs and was liberal in handing them out.

The room mentioned on the card is easy to find with a map of the aquarium: In the Earth wing, past a long series of exhibits, and through a glass hallway over which the water rests and the fish are free to swim. The corridor ends in a dome-shaped room spacious enough for a party of a few dozen. 

The meeting space, like the hallway, is composed entirely of glass walls around which a vibrant array of Earth’s tropical fish drift through bright blue waters. Now and then they dart in odd directions, flashing their gem-like scales as their school is disturbed by the passing of a sea turtle or the flowing wings of a manta ray. Far, far in the distance are the silhouettes of whales that, on rare occasion, shadow the dome as they pass between the party and the far-off source of light above the water. Simpler creatures crawl through the coral just on the other side of the glass: crabs and minnows tease at algae, grinning eels poke shyly from their dark crevices, and anemones dance with the motion of the flowing seawater. The only thing to break the immersion of the scene are the mermaid attendants, glimpses of whom can be caught as they feed the fish while trying their best to stay professionally unnoticed. 

Outside the glass is the beauty, but inside is the party! There are bubbly balloon letters hung from the ceiling reading HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Green streamers dangle from the ceiling like kelp, and someone's even set up a motorized shark balloon to swim through the air. Set up against one rounded wall are two buffet tables of food laid out. Stacks of cheese-stuffed fried peppers, fried chicken, grilled corn cobs, a kind of savory pork stew, something resembling black crab legs that’s been labeled ‘Duskwood Land Crab,’ a fruit and vegetable platter, a single pizza for the guests to fight over, and for the English Birthday Boy, cucumber sandwiches. Drinks are a bowl of punch and a keg of water. Looks like this aquarium party is a dry one. The sweets are cookies and hard candies laid atop a pile of pink candy floss. Then, of course, there is the cake: One large sheet cake of marbled chocolate and vanilla iced with buttercream frosting. On top there rests a little gingerbread man with black icing hair sleeping soundly atop a little frosted bed, a red smile on his face. Four tall candles make the posts of the bed. An unsteady hand has piped along the side ‘Happy Birthday Viatorus!’

Two people beat the crowd to enjoy this quiet afternoon retreat. Harrowheart, who sits at one of the tables in the middle and watches the passing of the fish, is dressed for the tropics. He’s bought himself a Hawaiian shirt to go over a pink tank with a pair of palm trees on the front, and of course he’s wearing his usual cargo shorts and tan work boots. Any rumors of pajama dress code were greatly exaggerated. With him is Amelia, whose garb for the evening is much more demure than her usual. The first sign is her lack of visible weapons. The second is the combination of dark navy jeans and black blouse. Her hair is tied back in a simple braid and the hair pin she's always been so fond of is nowhere to be seen. 

((If you'd like to greet the host and/or hostess or remark on your character's entry, feel free to tag this post. Otherwise, try the Gift-Giving or Free Mingle subsections: Viatorus will accept gifts and well-wishings in the Gift-Giving section, and threadhopping will be with OOC permission. Free Mingle will be a threadhopping-encouraged area for party-goers to interact with each other. Meet new characters, talk about fish, fight about who gets to eat the pizza.))

Comments

[ixis]

Who's fashionably late? Ixis Naugus is fashionably late! Always.

The wizard bursts into the room with a flourish of his cape and his staff held high, announcing his appearance with a loud, "Ixis Naugus has arrived!" You know, in case you missed him kicking in the door like he just did. Fish surely scattered nearby. "The festivities may begin in earnest." Because it clearly wouldn't have begun without him. Now, about that food buffet...

[westfallcorndog]

"Naug!"

Who else would be shouting across the bubble but Harry O'Heart? It's him, of course, and he's striding over on those long Overlander legs. When he arrives at the food he sweeps his arms out: look at my entire buffet.

"It's all good and it's all free, my man. Pick your poison."

[ixis]

Naugus waggles the fingers on his one normal hand, looking over the food before spotting...the 'zza. No one's touched it, so that means it's safe, first of all. Second of all, people are always on about it, so why not try it out and see how it tastes? He's gonna make this a learning experience! He's getting hip!

So how else do you eat a pizza when you're a big old monster man other than fold it in half like a taco and just chow down. You don't. That's the only way to do it.

"Where's the man of the hour?" He finally says once he's swallowed that first cheesy bite. "I suppose I should extend my congratulations at some point. How old is he now, anyhow?" Probably, like...15, right. Viatorus is so small and so young.

[westfallcorndog]

Harrow's mouth gapes at Naugus eating the pizza. The whole pizza. He lifts a finger, then lowers his eyebrows and shuts his mouth. You know what? He's not going to correct the guy. There's no wrong way to eat a pizza and, hey. If you can beast a 6-person meal alone, go for it. It's the American meal, it's the American dream.

"H-how old is he?" Harrow asks, laughing nervously. He glances over his shoulder at Viatorus, innocent creature that he is, then back to Naugus. "Like... N-nineteen?... I think?..."

He doesn't sound too confident in that. Because he's not! He has literally no idea how old Viatorus is. Nineteen seems like a compliment.

[ixis]

Hey, when you get your carbs, get them all. His mouthfuls aren't small either, because his mouth is not small. Each one leaves a jagged chunk taken out thanks to those shark teeth too.

"Nineteen! A fine age, a proper step into adulthood. I'm sure his parents are quite pleased with his direction in life."

Haha, hooboy.

[westfallcorndog]

Harrow returns his attention to the direction of Viatorus, though watching Naugus eat that pizza is entertaining as Hell. He smiles proudly at the sight of his friend and nods slowly along with what Naug's got to say.

"I remember when I was nineteen. Workin' the fields, becomin' a man. Had a girlfriend, thought about gettin' married and bein' a dad. Glad I didn't though, girlfriend turned out to be real weird."

He turns back to Naugus with a laugh and an awkward smile."...Come to think of it, nineteen was a real weird year for me all around. Shoot. I think Viatorus is gonna have a better time than I did. He found another world, met all sortsa cool folks, had an underwater birthday party. I bet this is gonna be a good year for him."

Then, eyeing Naugus, he asks, "When's your 'Emerged fully formed from a cave' day, man?"

[ixis]

"I think his discovery of the Nexus will be nothing but enriching for the young man. He got to meet me, after all. The sorcerer supreme and last of Ixis! Anyone with magical schooling would be gratified with that." Sure, Purple Pizza-Eater.

At the question of his own age, an ear twists in consideration. "Hm? Oh, I don't recall the exact day. Why would I? Sometime in the summer, I suppose. You can pick a day if it matters at all to you. It doesn't to me."

[westfallcorndog]

Harrow's floaty hand demands a high five from the Naug-man. "Summer birthday buddies. I don't remember mine either, though. There was a whole lot of us kids, though, so we kinda just did four birthdays a year, one for every season."

His other hand is busy pouring a glass of punch, which it delivers to Naugus. Dude's gonna need something to wash down all that Entire Pizza.

"You're the last of 'Ixis'? So Ixis is a title? I thought it was... Mages like you, y'all always use titles. Archmage on my world, usually. And you're the last? What happened to the rest? Ya eat 'em?"

[ixis]

Naugus will play along and five that high, though he may look a little confused about it. He's got his hand free either way, it's fine. The claw is now a pizza-pincher.

He's drinking the offered punch when the questions come. One last gulp and he's ready to answer, "It's a title, yes. Ixian magicks, the controlling of elements. Who knows what happened to the rest! Maybe I did destroy them, maybe I didn't. I don't recall." Wow, way to say that so nonchalantly. At a birthday. "I don't see why I would, but given how we've discussed my past is a blank slate and all."

[heirtothearcane]

The fish aren't the only ones who are startled. Viatorus jumps when Naugus appears, bold and loud. It takes him a minute to recover and then he smiles as he approaches the other mage.

"Naugus! It's good to see you!"

[ixis]

"And wonderful to see you as well! It feels like it's been quite some time." He offers his hand for a shake, one that is probably way too firm and squeezed way too hard. Poor, tender Viatorus fingers.

"Harrowheart and I were just realizing we don't even know how old you are now! Unless that's a secret. Don't worry, I don't know my age either."

[heirtothearcane]

Viatorus will persist on smiling through the rough handshake and subtly massage his fingers afterwards. Not an impolite word is said on the matter. "It feels like it has been. I'd been meaning to talk to you soon too."

"I'm twenty-four," he answers, his smile more because everyone is treating it like a potentially private number. "I'm glad Harrowheart didn't put twenty-four candles on the cake, though. It would have melted the frosting."

[ixis]

"Twenty-four! We...both guessed somewhere in the realm of sixteen." Welp, there you have it, Viatorus "Babyface" Durant. "Well, in my defense, I've no real frame of reference for your race's ages. But all the same! A good age to be. Proper into adulthood, finally solidifying your identity...It's only upwards from here, my boy!"

He gives the kid a hearty pat on the back to go along with these congratulations.

[heirtothearcane]

"Sixteen?" He blushes and swallows hard. How did he come across as that childlike? Clearly he needs lessons on how to be more mature. He's not sure he's particularly solidifying his identity, either. Naugus' heavy handed pats knock him out of his thoughts. "Um. Thank you."

"Do... Do you remember being twenty-four?"

[ixis]

"Do I? Vale's bones, no. Who knows what I was up to around that age! I'm sure it was great things one way or another. But that time is lost to me for reasons that we don't have to get into right now. This time is about you!" Wow, Naugus NOT hogging the spotlight? It really is a special day!

"What does an Overlander from your world do to celebrate the passing of age? I ate a strange flat piece of bread with cheese on it. It was wonderful." The whole thing. He ate the whole goddamn pizza. Who's gonna explain to him someday these things are supposed to be done in slices?

[heirtothearcane]

"Um. Usually I just attend a formal party which has dancing and dinner." He pauses and pulls a face when he adds, "And speeches." Focusing on Naugus again, he transforms his frown into a smile. "I much prefer this."

At least Naugus' bombardment of information means that he does tend to indulge the scholar's curiosity. "What do Mobians do?"

[ixis]

"About the same. Or personalized things, like making a day of going to a favourite place. Otherwise, just an opportunity to celebrate. Favourite foods, favourite people, so on, so forth. I never made a habit of celebrating my own but attended a few of the royal court. Though those were the more formal affairs, like you speak of.

"Not a fan of making speeches, I take it?" He gives Viatorus a gentle elbowing.

[conjuredskies]

It would be pretty remiss of Felix not to sneak over to greet Naugus. Always important to pay your respects.

It's also hard not to take note when a grand entrance is followed by the disappearance of a whole pizza. Right in the blink of an eye! Naugus's powers become more fearsome and dangerous to society every time Felix meets him!

Obviously that explains the smile and the bow he gives. Felix probably isn't very good for society either, anyway. "Naugus! I didn't realize we'd have the pleasure of your company."

[ixis]

Ixis Naugus: Sorcerer Supreme, Master of the Elements, Last of Ixis, Pizza Destroyer.

"Of course! I always say us mages should stick together." He only actually started saying that when he came to the Nexus, but whatever. "Viatorus is one I've known for some time now. What sort of beast would I be if I didn't come and give him my well wishes? Not everyday you become...whatever age he is now!"

[conjuredskies]

Well, mages should stick together. If only so the more level-headed calculating among them can keep the others from causing havoc. Well, more havoc.

Non-entertaining havoc at least.

"It certainly isn't. I've only just met him myself, but it speaks well of his abilities if you rate him well."

[ixis]

Naugus looks around and then leans in, putting a big arm around Felix's shoulders to bring him in closer to he can whisper conspiratorially.

"As far as I know, his primary magicks lie in dream-walking, which I still doubt the usefulness of. But I've seen him cast ice magicks as well, so maybe not all is lost."

[conjuredskies]

Oooh! Conspiratorial huddling! Felix loves that. It makes him feel special.

"Really? That is interesting: nobody mentioned he could cast frost spells. But dream magic might have some potential too, you know. I've known... certain people who could put that sort of thing to some curious uses. And I can't help but wonder how akin it might be to our illusion magic..."

[ixis]

That's secondary to mages sticking together; mages gossiping about one another.

The mobian nods. "I don't know how prolific he is at it, but I've seen him use it to move about snow and the like. Babysteps, maybe, but the proficiency is there. An inherent ability. But the fact that so much of it goes to his spectral and dreamtime strangeness...I don't know if it's just his own fondness or just the only thing he's applied himself towards." Because that's the only reason someone can't be good at certain schools of magic; you're just not trying hard enough!

[conjuredskies]

"Well, some of us can have more natural affinity for certain types of magic than others." Says the man who's never gotten the hang of half the things he 'ought' to be good at. "But I expect you're right and what he really needs is motivation to branch out a little."

[smartass_captain]

Jim looks up from his drink, an eyebrow raised. Surely trouble cannot be far behind this meeting....

Or, not. The captain raises his glass in way of greeting before going back chatting up the other guests. Felix is welcome to go hang out with Ixis. Jim's content to not be doing that.