Ingress' 10th Birthday Party Extravaganza!

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Out by the lake, there is a large construction dedicated to the 10th birthday of Lady Ingress of the House of Arch. Ingress has had birthday parties on this site before - there was a birthday princess ball her 7th year, a playground party for her 6th.

This party is different from either of those. Tom, Door, and Ingress worked on the design for

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Hedge Maze

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Enter through a stone archway decorated with streamers, balloons, and a banner that reads, "Happy Birthday, Ingress". The walls might shift on you, but this maze is designed for a gentle stroll, not a vexing challenge.

Re: Hedge Maze

[smallestopener]

Ingress runs past her and then turns around, having noticed her teacher a little late.

"Hi, Zhaan! I'm so glad you could come to my party. Oh, watch out, this one's going to move."

The hedge shifts over to open a new way into the middle of the maze.

"Tom made sure it does that, but it only leads you to shortcuts to get you through to the party."

Obstacle Course

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There are tubes to crawl through, walls to climb, ropes to swing over deep ball pits, curly slides to fling themselves down, and just about anything else you can imagine. It's big enough for adults to manage, too, but they might not be as limber as they hope!

Re: Obstacle Course

[a1enzo]

Enzo is making his way through the course with great glee and skill. The Academy makes its cadets run obstacle courses every so often, of course, but they're meant for training, not fun.

Enzo wonders, as he swings over the balls, whether there would be any way to persuade Coach Hardlink to incorporate some of this stuff.

Re: Obstacle Course

[smallestopener]

Ingress is on the platform where Enzo will land. She scoots over so there's plenty of room for him.

"Hi Enzo! I was hoping you could come to my party!"

Re: Obstacle Course

[a1enzo]

And the cadet from Mainframe sticks the landing!

"Hi, Ingress! Haven't seen you in forever! What's been processing?"

Bouncy Castle

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Oh, Ingress loves the bouncy castle. The roof is taller than it looks, so you can bounce and flip to your heart's content.

You can go in with shoes, too, thanks to one of Tom's charms.

[nomorekaraoke]

It should go without saying that Lorne opts for the Bouncy Castle. He also opts for taking his shoes off beforehand, as he's given to understand shoeless feet enhance the experience. They're very bling-y shoes, this pair. A silver pair that perfectly glitzes in the sunshine, because he remembers Ingress telling him one time he should have glittery shoes too.

Since he does, well... Maybe his favorite birthday girl is a year older now, but he hopes she can appreciate the sentiment. He hopes she'll never be embarrassed by his antics, either.

Meanwhile, there's a green and red demon bouncing like a little kid in a Bouncy Castle. With the past few months (and with the months to come, revealed in OOMs), boy does he need this.

"Wheeeeeeeeee!"

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Ingress gleefully bounces over.

"Lorne, Lorne, hi!!! Isn't this bouncy castle the best thing ever!?!"

She hasn't seen the shoes yet. That will be a happy-making event, too!

[nomorekaraoke]

They'd be in his hands if he wasn't already holding on to a small box with bow and sparky wrapping like his life depended on it. His shoes are hanging on haphazardly from around his neck - shoelases tied together nice and tight... and if they've smacked him more than once upside the head, no one will say a word about it.

"Oh! It's fantastic! It's the best thing since Motown!"

The Birthday Party Clearing

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Once you've made it into the heart of the party, enjoy some refreshments and relax on a picnic blanket or sit in a comfortable chair conjured up just for this occasion.

Guests may mingle here. Talk amongst yourselves and have some cake!

Re: The Birthday Party Clearing

[smallestopener]

You can catch the birthday girl here before she runs off into the bouncy castle, obstacle course, or the hedge maze again.

Re: The Birthday Party Clearing

[kitchen_maid]

Amy came in through the hedge maze. (She is expecting twins in the fall. She doesn't want to imagine what Perry would have to say to her about bouncy houses or obstacle courses.)

But she wouldn't miss this.

"Happy Birthday, darling."

Re: The Birthday Party Clearing

[smallestopener]

"Hi Amy," Ingress beams. She scrambles up from the picnic where she is eating a mid-party snack of pistachio ice cream. Obstacle courses are hot work! She does manage to wipe her hands on her tunic before she wraps her arms around Amy for a big hug.

"I'm so glad you came."

Ingress knows grown ups tend to prefer chairs, but you never know.

Gifts for Ingress and Wizarding crackers for guests

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What did you get in your Wizarding cracker? If it's a hat, you have to wear it. It's funnier that way!

If you have a present for Ingress, you can leave it here.