Birthday Party for Laura/X-23

[noteful]

It's a pretty low-key party, all things considered, and not significantly different than the one Parker or Meg would have thrown in a dorm room for a friend at home, not-exactly-traditional menu not withstanding.

There's music, low enough to talk over (and maybe with a little more folk in the mix than one expects to find a party). Balloons and streamers in purple and blue and red. A place to leave presents. People to meet or catch up with.

And, most importantly, a chance to wish X-23 (or Laura) a very happy birthday.

Comments

Re: Mingle with the other guests

[gavemea_45]

"Okay, I guess."

Sam gives her a quick once-over, followed by a rueful smile.

"I see you're off the crutches. I'm guessing I don't need to ask how your ankle's doing, huh?"

Re: Mingle with the other guests

[noteful]

"It's getting better. I still have to be careful, but I'm really, really glad to be rid of the crutches.

"Other than that, how have you been?"

Re: Mingle with the other guests

[gavemea_45]

"I can imagine. Crutches would drive me crazy pretty quick."

Not to mention how much of a problem they'd be in his and Dean's work, but that's beside the point.

"Pretty good. You? And, um, can I get you punch, or something?"

Re: Mingle with the other guests

[noteful]

Forget the problems it would cause with his work. He'd have to deal with the running commentary from his brother.

"I'm good.

"And that would be nice, thank you. I think the closest we did to punch was lemonade, but that's be good."

It's not exactly a typical birthday party menu.

Re: Mingle with the other guests

[gavemea_45]

"Glad to hear it," he says. "Back in a sec."

It doesn't take much longer than that, either, before he's back with two cups of lemonade and handing one to Meg.

"Here you go."

Re: Mingle with the other guests

[noteful]

"Thank you."

This is the part where she looks for something to say.

Because, well, previous topics have dead-ended for the moment.

"How's your brother?"

Re: Mingle with the other guests

[gavemea_45]

"Dean's okay."

Sam shrugs.

"Working on the Impala, I think."

Re: Mingle with the other guests

[noteful]

"That's his car, right?" Meg asks.

She thinks that's the car.

At any rate, it makes more sense than the idea that Dean is working on an African antelope.

Re: Mingle with the other guests

[gavemea_45]

"Yeah, that's his car."

He's grinning, now.

"He's pretty fond of it."

Re: Mingle with the other guests

[noteful]

It's something about the grin . . .

"Oh, dear," says Meg.

(But she's grinning, too, a little.)

Re: Mingle with the other guests

[gavemea_45]

"Yep."

Said with the sort of mischievous cheer only a younger sibling can properly appreciate.

"So I figured I might as well cut out for a while."

Re: Mingle with the other guests

[noteful]

It's definitely a younger sibling talent.

"Probably a good plan.

"And good timing, because you came during a party."

Everyone wins.

Re: Mingle with the other guests

[gavemea_45]

"No kidding. Looks like I was lucky this evening."

He glances around the room.

"You've got a lot of people here."

Re: Mingle with the other guests

[noteful]

"Laura has a lot of friends.

"And fortunately, we didn't have to have an accurate count for a caterer. Or make all the food ourselves. So . . . I'm thrilled that this many people came."

It's Laura's first birthday party. It should be An Occasion.

Re: Mingle with the other guests

[gavemea_45]

"That sounds like it'd be complicated, yeah."

Party planning is not really something in Sam's experience.

Re: Mingle with the other guests

[noteful]

"We'd have to ration the root beer floats," Meg says, and her face and tone are serious, but her eyes are rather less so.

"There could be riots."

Re: Mingle with the other guests

[gavemea_45]

"And then you'd have to have someone to deal with crowd control," Sam says, without missing a beat. "Messy."

Re: Mingle with the other guests

[noteful]

"Especially with this crowd."

Meg is reasonably certain there's not a single person in this room she could physically stop from doing much of anything.

(Glare down, maybe. But not physically stop.)

"And then you have to call security, which is Laura, and that just casts a pall over the whole event."

Re: Mingle with the other guests

[gavemea_45]

"Just as well you didn't have to worry about it," he agrees.

For more than one reason. This many people in a room, if things go wrong -- it could get messy fast.

Re: Mingle with the other guests

[noteful]

"Bones could get broken," Meg says, with a perfectly straight face.

Well, all right. With something that's probably intended to be a perfectly straight face.

(The actual execution leaves something to be desired.)

Re: Mingle with the other guests

[gavemea_45]

Sam gives a theatrical shudder.

"Not again. I think we've both had enough of that."

Re: Mingle with the other guests

[noteful]

"I know I have. To last me for a good long while."

A pause.

"So, have you done anything interesting since the last time I saw you?"

Re: Mingle with the other guests

[gavemea_45]

"Nothing more than the usual stuff," he deadpans. "You?"

Re: Mingle with the other guests

[noteful]

"Classes, mostly, at home. Studying. I went to a play, in French, which . . . if nothing else taught me that my French is not quite up to Molière."

There was a fair bit of "else," actually, but Meg will skip that part.

"Oh, and I learned that visiting Milliways on Mardi Gras gets you a costume. Even if it's not Mardi Gras in the world you left."

Re: Mingle with the other guests

[gavemea_45]

"... a costume?"

He can imagine, he just doesn't want to.

"Think I'm just as glad I missed out on that."