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

[ellectrical]

Elle is being good.

This should be evidenced by the fact that none of the balloons have popped under mysterious circumstances.

But those balloons do tend to be what her eyes wander to when she's not occupied by something else.

Re: Mingle with the other guests

[raptorcanaria]

Dinah and Elle have not talked - well, at all, Skrull invasions aside. It's the balloon watching that catches Dinah's eye, though.

"Are they evil?" she asks.

Not sincerely.

Re: Mingle with the other guests

[ellectrical]

Elle blinks between Dinah and the balloons.

"I don't think so."

Whether she's sincere is more difficult to tell.

Re: Mingle with the other guests

[raptorcanaria]

"How can we tell?"

Dinah is playing at deadpan.

Re: Mingle with the other guests

[ellectrical]

Elle's eyes stay on Dinah this time.

"How can you usually tell?"

That doesn't sound too deadpan. Between this and a snarky comment and the usual lack of... anything when it comes to balloons, this interests her more.

Re: Mingle with the other guests

[raptorcanaria]

Oh, a real question.

"Usually when they're actively hurting people?" Dinah offers after a moment's thought.

Re: Mingle with the other guests

[ellectrical]

"Then I'm the evil one."





"But I didn't pop any of them."

Okay, that is deadpan.

Re: Mingle with the other guests

[raptorcanaria]

"Then you'll probably get away with it," Dinah admits. "If all you've done is think about popping them."

Re: Mingle with the other guests

[ellectrical]

"That's probably not what they're there for," she acknowledges, sadly.

But it's X's party. It totally should be what they're there for.

Re: Mingle with the other guests

[raptorcanaria]

"Maybe wait until the party's died down a little?"

Re: Mingle with the other guests

[ellectrical]

"Yeah."

She may or may not remember to do that.

Then, sounding curious rather than impatient or bored, "How long do these usually go on?"

Re: Mingle with the other guests

[raptorcanaria]

"A few hours," Dinah says. "I don't know, it's been a long time since someone invited me to a party."

Re: Mingle with the other guests

[ellectrical]

Elle nods. Like she knows exactly what that's like.

Still - "Guess that's why you don't know how to spot the evil balloons."

Re: Mingle with the other guests

[raptorcanaria]

"Well, none of the parties I've been to have been the sort to have evil balloons," Dinah says, defensively.

And adds,

"Grown ups don't have balloons."

Re: Mingle with the other guests

[ellectrical]

"Oh."

Elle... knew that. Right.

"Then why'd they get them for this?"

Re: Mingle with the other guests

[raptorcanaria]

"Because Laura's our age?"

Dinah meant grown ups in the bad way.

Re: Mingle with the other guests

[ellectrical]

Elle is really six years older than X. But she'd be about the last person to realize that.

So she says, "... yeah," as though she clearly knew that the whole time.

And then, admits, "I haven't been to one of these in a while, either."

Re: Mingle with the other guests

[raptorcanaria]

"Me neither," Dinah admits.

"I don't have much in common with the kids at school."

Re: Mingle with the other guests

[ellectrical]

From second-hand knowledge, Elle can get what Dinah means by this.

But, as though she thinks it'll be just as helpful an explanation, "I didn't go to school."

Beat. "Mostly."

Re: Mingle with the other guests

[raptorcanaria]

"Homeschooled?"

Dinah sounds utterly sympathetic. "School's the only thing in my life that's remotely normal."

Re: Mingle with the other guests

[ellectrical]

She hasn't heard that word for it before.

So instead of answering, she asks, uncertain, "And you - like it?"

Re: Mingle with the other guests

[raptorcanaria]

"School?"

Dinah's tone is lightly sprinkled with a round of 'are you kidding?'

"It's alright. I have nothing in common with half of the kids, though."

Re: Mingle with the other guests

[ellectrical]

In Elle's incredibly limited experience, this seems to be a common opinion. But it never ends up beating down her curiosity.

"What, they can't do what you do?" Her tone is somewhat sarcastic, but tempered by the fact that, well, she doesn't know.

Re: Mingle with the other guests

[raptorcanaria]

It's not that Dinah doesn't catch the sarcasm, it's just that that's the point.

"Exactly," she says. "And it's not like I can tell them what I do."

Re: Mingle with the other guests

[ellectrical]

X used to go to some mutant-school-thing. Elle never knows what to expect.

"So they... don't know about things like that, in your world?"