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

[the_lioness]

Brow wrinkled, Alanna looks past Dinah to the food table. She's thinking.

"It sounds vaguely familiar." And her gaze swings back to Dinah. "I wear armor. That's about as costumed as I get." Beat. "Well. Sometimes I wear dresses."

Sometimes she even likes it.

Re: Mingle with the other guests

[raptorcanaria]

Dinah grins, appreciating the dress remark.

"Armor would be useful. I wear a leather leotard and fishnets. And a blonde wig."

Re: Mingle with the other guests

[the_lioness]

"It can be a bit unwieldy," Alanna admits. "I stick to light mail whenever possible."

Blonde wig?

"But you have lovely hair," she blurts out.

(The leather leotard and fishnets might take another moment to process.)

Re: Mingle with the other guests

[raptorcanaria]

Dinah makes a motion towards her head which might be the nearest thing she's getting to thank you.

(Alanna is clearly touched in the head. Dinah hates her hair)

"But blondes are more noticeable. That way I can disguise my identity."

Re: Mingle with the other guests

[the_lioness]

That's sensible.

(The part about disguising her identity.)

"Ah. I tried to change mine when I was younger because it was so noticeable," Alanna tells her, gesturing to her own red hair and violet eyes. There aren't many people wandering around Tortall with her coloring. "It didn't work, so I wore a black wig when I went out in the city."

Another look at Dinah's hair, and she grins.

Re: Mingle with the other guests

[raptorcanaria]

"The same thing in reverse?" Dinah suggests. "The whole point of the costume is so people don't pay that much attention to my face."

Fishnets do fine.

Re: Mingle with the other guests

[the_lioness]

"Yes." Alanna smirks. "That makes sense, and I suppose I did the same thing, in a way. No one expected to see Squire Alan in a dress."

Imagine what they would have said to see Squire Alan in fishnets!

Re: Mingle with the other guests

[raptorcanaria]

"You were disguised as a boy?"

This, Dinah thinks, is awesome.

Re: Mingle with the other guests

[the_lioness]

"I was, for eight years. It was necessary to try for my shield. Girls weren't allowed."

She makes a rather expressive face to indicate exactly what she thinks of that.

Re: Mingle with the other guests

[raptorcanaria]

Dinah agrees with Alanna's thoughts on the subject.

"They wouldn't let my mother join the police force," she says, comparing experiences. "So she fought crime incognito instead."

Re: Mingle with the other guests

[the_lioness]

A memory of the day she talked Thom into switching places crosses Alanna's mind. It makes her look almost melancholy.

"I wonder if that's what I would have done," she says, "if my brother and I hadn't been able to switch places. Looking back, I think I would've done just about anything to stay away from the convent.

"Why wouldn't they let her join?"

Re: Mingle with the other guests

[raptorcanaria]

"They'd 'already filled their quota for female officers this year'" Dinah quotes with some contempt.

"They just didn't want another Honest Cop like my Grandad."

Re: Mingle with the other guests

[the_lioness]

"Quota," Alanna scowls. "Well, they are clearly stupid.

"Do you work with your mother?"

Oddly enough, there seems to be a faint longing in her voice.

Re: Mingle with the other guests

[raptorcanaria]

"She's retired," Dinah says. "And she never wanted me doing this anyway."

Re: Mingle with the other guests

[the_lioness]

"My daughter doesn't want me doing what I do and certainly never wanted it for herself, though I confess I wanted it for her. I've resigned myself to her choices, but it still twinges."

The same thing but in reverse again? Something like that, anyway.

Alanna gives Dinah a half smile. "Family is hard."

Re: Mingle with the other guests

[raptorcanaria]

Dinah replies with a full smile, tinged only slightly with regret.

"Worth every effort, though."

Re: Mingle with the other guests

[the_lioness]

"Yes," Alanna agrees. "The difficult things usually are."

Curious, she bites back a question about Dinah's family. The subject can be a touchy one, and she doesn't want to be intrusive. It's a compliment, really; if she liked Dinah any less, Alanna would have no problem being frank.

Instead she laughs, "Although I might revise that opinion if my three don't stop clamoring to come back here."

Re: Mingle with the other guests

[raptorcanaria]

Dinah grins. "You have three? That must be a handful."

Re: Mingle with the other guests

[the_lioness]

Tilting her head, Alanna considers this.

"Triplets. They are each a handful. Together they're enough trouble for an entire army to hold."

But she's grinning as she says it.

Re: Mingle with the other guests

[raptorcanaria]

Dinah laughs.

"Do you have an army to help?"

Re: Mingle with the other guests

[the_lioness]

"No."

Beat.

"But it's at least a regiment." She grins. "My husband, thank the Goddess, prefers to stay at home, and we live with my adopted father. Raph is also indispensable. Have you met him?"

Re: Mingle with the other guests

[raptorcanaria]

"Yeah!"

It's possible Dinah has a little bit of a crush.

"He's got that really sweet bike in the gym."

Re: Mingle with the other guests

[the_lioness]

Uh oh. Better not tell Abigail. She'll tease Raph silly.

"Aye," Alanna confirms, though it's a bit hesitant. She doesn't know much about bikes, other than that they defy gravity on two wheels and Goldy dumped her off one. "He's not from Tortall, clearly, but he was staying with us when we got locked out for almost seven years. Raph's family."

Re: Mingle with the other guests

[raptorcanaria]

Dinah smiles, understanding.

"Most of my family aren't actually related to me. My uncles."

Re: Mingle with the other guests

[the_lioness]

"It happens with alarming frequency here," she says. Of course the way she says 'alarming' makes it sound more like 'delightful'. "The only blood relation I have left is my brother and that's... complicated."