[OPEN] Arthur's birthday party!

[pratservant]

Who: Everyone! Newly arrived characters are welcome to have found one of the invitations and come check it out! Tag yourselves in, mingle, form new CR and strengthen the old.
When: Evening of 9/29
Where: Second floor Ballroom of the Patrol Headquarters
Format: Whatever you'd like.
What: Arthur's birthday party is a little late, but at least he's

Comments

[supercilious]

[ All right, so Arthur had suspected something was going on. Merlin had done a pretty good job of being sneaky up until today, when suddenly he was all odd disappearances and impromptu baths. But his birthday was over a month ago, so he doesn't actually catch on. Not when Merlin's laid out his best clothes, his new shirt. Not even when he's following one of Freya's ducks down the hall and up the stairs. ]

[ And though Arthur has had many parties held in his name, never before has one been a surprise. ]

[ For a moment he just stands in the doorway, taking it all in with wide, blue eyes. Then he finds he's grinning, huge and happy, and he's not sure he's ever going to stop. A giddy feeling washes over him, and he hasn't felt this way since - well, since his actual birthday and the horrific events that followed it. It's a powerful feeling, even if he isn't sure anymore what to do with his hands, or how breathing works. ]

[ Finally he steps into the ballroom, already trying to work out who he has to thank for which bits, keeping one

[theprettyfits]

[Simon walks up to the young man who just entered the room, looking...not terribly surprised, but happy nonetheless.]

Are you Arthur? I'm sorry, I don't believe we've ever met. Well, happy birthday.

I found one of the invitations to the party, and I'm new to Anatole, so I thought I'd say hello.

[supercilious]

No, I don't think we have.

[ Arthur holds out a hand for shaking. Anatole sees so many new faces, it's near impossible to meet them all, but he never turns down the chance. ]

Thanks. And welcome to the city.

[supercilious]

[ Unless something drastic happens, he's probably not going to stop smiling any time soon. ]

Thanks, Lelouch. Glad you could make it.

[supercilious]

A bit surprised, I suppose. I knew something was afoot, because Merlin cannot keep a secret to save his life-

[ Except for that secret he kept for years. To save his life. But aside from that. ]

-But it's been over a month since my birthday. I hardly expected, well, all this.

[ And he's grinning foolishly again. ]

[supercilious]

[ Very slightly deadpan: ] He is quite excitable.

[ After all, Merlin can get so overjoyed by simple things that people assume he's mentally challenged. ]

There's people at my party I don't even know. [ He gives Lelouch a wry, teasing smile. ] Feels like home.

[supercilious]

Some politics, but hardly anything malevolent. Trevor Belmont once called me a figurehead, and this is the price I pay for being so.

[ A small shrug, because he doesn't mind. Not only is he used to it, he enjoys getting to know residents of a city he has become fiercely possessive of. ]

Thanks for the cake, by the way. I'll take chocolate over duck any day of the week.

[supercilious]

The usual. Playing nice for the sake of the bigger picture.

[ Not that Arthur is good at nice, nor is he forced to do this much given how much closer he is to people here, so he sounds more amused than anything. ]

It's not worth dwelling on.

[ Which is the cue to switch to the other subject at hand. ]

Chocolate is the best category. And yes, Merlin told me. I needed to ensure he hadn't tried to bake it himself.

[supercilious]

He's all right. I suppose. [ begrudge begrudge begrudge. ] If it's the right dish.

But - for Priscilla's birthday, Iolanthe and Sebastian and I had a few failed attempts at baking, you see, and we tricked Merlin into eating the results.

[ By "we" he means "he", obviously. ]

So I thought perhaps he'd attempt revenge.

[isherarmor]

[Would you believe she followed a rabbit? She'd been trying to adjust the sign 'round its neck, but it just kept hopping further and further until...

...welp. Gotta say, the copious amounts of red and gold make her more than a little nervous.]