(Untitled)

[jackie_zhang]

Week Name/Date/Time: 'The Season Begins' / Wednesday, November 30 / 12:03 pm
Location: Courtyard
Open To: Keiichi, Sean, Akira, Sascha, and Keiichi's other friends
Currently Involving: Jackie et al

((OOC: no posting order due to number of characters))

Comments

[keiichisaitou]

It wasn't a day to stay indoors, definitely not. Sure, it was snowing like the Gods had cried and turned the temperature down all at once, but today... Today, the snow had covered the grounds like a think shield, looking as if it were an endless, not to mention comfortable, blanket of white. It looked much too beautiful for Keiichi to want to stay indoors.

And anyway, he was in high spirits today! It didn't matter that noone had asked him to celebrate - he had put it down to the fact that not many people really knew him, and those who did, were busy with work anyways - for he had popped into the owlery at 9 in the morning and seen the care package from home. A box of powdered green tea, and a huge package of chocolates. Her parents and siblings had even sent him separate birthday cards, so the one from his folks had a long-winded note on it, while that from Kiyoshi and Aiko had multiple cartoon characters and drawings. It made him thankful to be alive.

Walking out towards the courtyard with a half-eaten butter roll in his hands, he pushed the hair out of his face (no more "fountain" today!) just in time to see a trio of his friends with a banner hung from one of the tree. Whoa! Was this... what he thought it was.

His eyes widened by a lot more than he thought was possible, and he skipped the way there, finally landing in front of the group. "My, my, what's this? A party I haven't been invited to?" he asked, eyes twinkling with laughter and amusement.

[jackie_zhang]

Jackie laughed at Sascha's comment as the younger girl came up. "Funny! I don't set up many parties! I think this is my first one this year." She grinned. Before she could ask Sascha how she was doing and if she was ready for the big Quidditch match on Friday, Akira popped in.

"No, you're just in time!" The grin on her face kept growing. "I know it's cold out here, but at least it isn't snowing. Besides, Keiichi likes the outdoors, right? He's bound to show up soon too, and once we start talking and eating, you really won't notice the weather." She winked.

"Keiichi!" Jackie beamed as the guest of honor finally made his appearance. "Happy Birthday!" She gave him a big hug and then went to present the food in a big gesture. "And of course, you're invited! It's your party!" She laughed.

"I hope you all brought your appetites! I haven't had good Chinese or Japanese food in a long time! So, I spent the morning in the kitchens with Sean getting this all prepared for you." She nudged Keiichi in the arm. "I hope you like it!"

[sean_brightwell]

Ah, Keiichi had beat him. Well, it was Keiichi's party, so he supposed that was all right. But still! Way to arrive before Sean, bhoyo!

He stuffed the gift under his arm and strode out behind Keiichi, discarding the gift in an ordained sort of spot and sending a thumbs up toward Jackie to compliment her on how good the party looked. And, you know, that Keiichi had actually shown up, which was a very helpful thing to do for a party in his honour. It was, after all, Keiichi Day.

"Aye, happy birthday!" he shouted, coming up behind Keiichi and draping his arm about his shoulders. "Lots o' food, all poisoned by yours truly, an' really," he went on, gesturing grandly to the pretty picture of a winter wonderland that the courtyard currently presented, "what a romantic looking day, like eh?" He grinned mischievously.

[akirahara]

My, hadn’t the birthday boy arrived a little too early? Where was that snowball ambush they had planned to attack him with first before he could even get a chance to realize it was his party? Woe! The snowball fight would have to come after they ate then, complete with forts and snow catapults and those other snow fight things.

"Happy birthday, Kei-Kei~ Another year closer to the big two-oh, now eh?" He greeted his friend with a tease. He’d hop right up and do the huggle thing like the girls but with Sean still draped around Keiichi, Akira would probably have ended up knocking down all three of them. That would have created quite a chatter, wouldn’t it?

[ooc; zomg, forgive the pathetically short. XO I'm hungry!]

[keiichisaitou]

"My birthday?!" Keiichi exclaimed, jumping backwards a little and almost landing on Sean's huge (there was no other words for them, really) feet as the boy placed his hands on Keiichi's shoulders. "Hey mate, nice to know poisoning me is still your main priority, even on my birthday." He grinned as he surveyed the food. Rolls, rice balls and ... my goodness, were those shumais he saw?!

His eyes widened and he looked up at his friends. "You lot... did all these?" He was feeling just a little surprised at everything. When Akira jumped in front of him, he gave him a "victory" sign (not a TWENTY sign, mind you) and did a little bow, which proved to be a little difficult since Sean still had his arms around Keiichi. "Almost, but not yet. I'm not that old, you know!" He laughed, kicking up a small amount of snow at his friend.

Somehow twenty suddenly seemed like such a scary number.

[jackie_zhang]

"Well, of course it's for your birthday." Jackie laughed at the sight the three boys made. At least, Sascha was there to help level out the boy:girl ratio, but it was still funny the way they horsed around. "Did you think we'd forget?"

"And I made sure Sean taste-tested all the food, so since he's not dead yet, it means we're all safe!" She winked, opening up the packages and passing around the plates. "I knew you missed Asian food, so we made both Chinese and Japanese food, and of course, traditional British grub - just in case Sean didn't want to eat octopus..." She nudged Sean, but laughed at his expression. "KIDDING! There is nothing remotely octopus-like here, or else the Giant Squid would throw a fit!"

Shrimp har gow, shumai, cha shao bao, tempura, vegetable croquettes, tuna, sushi in various forms - dragon, california, eel, salmon, udon, soba, ramen, chow mein, fish and chips, ham, turkey, sandwiches, grilled vegetables, scalloped potatoes, black pudding, chocolate cake, vanilla cake, strawberry cake, mango cake, taro pudding, pineapple buns, soda pop, pumpkin juice, water, and hot chocolate filled the table. Luckily, Jackie threw in a warming spell to keep everything from freezing in the cold outdoors.

Jackie laughed at the idea of 'twenty' being old, poking Keiichi in the shoulder. "Make sure Steven doesn't hear you say that. Speaking of whom..." She pulled out a package from underneath the table. "He sent you this. Said they're books to help you with your training. I told him books weren't good gifts, but he said he'd take you out some other time for a real birthday lunch and these would just tie you over."

[sean_brightwell]

"Ooh, isn't he old, though?" Sean cooed, still hanging on Keiichi. He paused to examine Keiichi's hair for a moment, frowning in concentration. "That a grey hair I spy? Think it iiis," he sang playfully, and then finally let the older boy go, after nearly falling over from his attempted bow. He gave him a nudge toward Akira, expecting they'd want to snog each other's trousers off or somesuch, never could tell with those two

He was apparently incapable of not hanging all over someone for very long, so he hung all over Jackie next, ruffling her hair. "Ah, but I poisoned it all after I tasted it," he said seriously and then conceded to Keiichi: "I admit, though, that shumai stuff is pretty good." Not that he was particularly hard to please when it came to food; so long as it was edible, he was happy.

"But th' cakes are th' real heroes here!" he cried. "Made by yours truly, no doubt brilliant an' incredibly tasty."

Or gross and inedible, take your pick.