HAPPY BIRTHDAY REGAN! (Dated 6/20)

[the_trashmouth]

It's Regan's birthday and Richie's determined.

Okay, so really, Regan's birthday was a few days ago, but they've been talking about this for a while, and it seems like the perfect time to do it. Regan is sixteen and school is out for the summer again and everything's pretty great. So Richie is determined that today is going to be awesome.

Except, it turns out it costs money to rent an entire bowling alley. And he already knows from Eddie's birthday that it costs money to buy a cake. And balloons. And all the other stuff that goes into a great birthday party.

So he has to get creative. First, Richie puts on a Voice at the party store. He adds a little Oliver Twist to the English guy, tells the lady behind the counter that the balloons are for his mom's birthday and he accidentally let go of them and dropped the streamers in the mud. He's not entirely sure she believes him, but he does give Richie balloons for free, even if some of them say "HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM."

He shows up two hours early at the bowling alley, before everyone else is supposed to get there, so he can call dibs on the last three lanes. The guy who rents out shoes looks like he's about to get annoyed, and another guy who works there threatens to get Richie thrown out a few times, but everyone starts filing in before he can give away the lanes to a couple of old guys who say the need it for their bowling league.

The cake and presents, Richie actually spends his own money on. The cake is plain, but says "HAPPY BIRTHDAY REGAN" in bright red letters, sparkler candles already on it and waiting to be lit.

It's definitely going to be a good day. Even if Richie can't really bowl for shit.

[If your character knows Richie or Regan, you can consider them invited. OPEN FOREVER!]

Comments

[negative_feedback]

Regan hadn't expected anything for her birthday. Well, that's not true. She'd expected a cake, some cards and maybe a few presents, maybe a gathering at Greta's with a bunch of her friends. She hadn't expected Richie to organize a bowling party. She's never bowled before, and it's exciting and silly and surprisingly touching.

Some of the balloons say 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM' on them, which makes her laugh because she can guess why, but most of them are in her favorite colors, and there's cake, and her friends.

And bowling!

She whiffs the first several tries, but every single failure has her laughing instead of frustrated. It is a good day. How can it not be?

[ find Regan at any point during the party! ]

[lost_boy]

I had really come to love birthdays. My own was fast approaching and that made me a little nervous, because it meant I had to leave the Home, but I still loved the parties. Everyone always seemed to be having such a good time.

When I spotted Regan, I waved, then wandered over to her as I held my arms out for a hug.

"Happy Birthday!" I said, making sure to enunciate clearly so she could see my lips, because I couldn't properly sign with my arms held open for the hug. I would tell her again properly in a moment.

[negative_feedback]

It was easy enough to see what he's saying, and even if it weren't, she could guess by the look on his face when he says it. Regan grins and leans in for a tight hug, rocking them side to side as she does.

"Thank you so much!" she says when she leans back. "Do you like the balloons? I think Richie picked them out himself."

[lost_boy]

"Happy Birthday," I signed when I pulled back, just wanting to make sure. Then I burst into a grin, looking at the balloons, knowing Richie definitely got them based on the writing on them alone.

"I think he did, too," I answered. "Whose mom are you supposed to be?"

I was grinning to make sure she understood I was only teasing.

[forthsofar]

Admittedly, she'd been a little bit suspicious hearing it was Richie who'd organized all of this in the first place, but it's for Regan's birthday and she's hardly going to miss the chance to celebrate with her. The fact that Caleb and Neil are here too, of course--and came together--is only an added benefit.

The balloons have her wondering for a moment if she'd gotten the time or the address or something wrong, and it's a relief to see Regan throwing up her hands in delighted exasperation when her ball sinks into the gutter only halfway down the lane. After waving to catch her attention, she walks over, setting the gift she'd brought down on a nearby chair to leave her hands free. "Happy birthday!"

[negative_feedback]

"Thank you!"

She hesitates for only a second, then pulls Rosie into a hug. It's been awhile since they've really talked, but she still considers Rosie her friend, and she's still glad to see her here.

"How are you? I feel like never see you anymore!"

[forthsofar]

"I know, I'm sorry," she says when she pulls back from the hug, having the decency to look a little apologetic. "School's been mad, and I just got a real summer job, something more than the dog-walking I'd been doing, and of course keeping up with Nick and Sabrina's enough work all on its own..."

It always feels a bit awkward, talking aloud when she has to sign something longer than a single word or short phrase, but Rosie's found that for now, it helps her fluidity; fewer awkward and self-conscious pauses while she tries to remember what comes next or if her hands are even in the right position at all. She sighs, shaking her head.

"Lots of things. But how are you?"

[the_trashmouth]

"Happy Birthday," Richie signs with a grin, once there's a moment where Regan's alone. He's glad she's having fun, but wishes he'd caught her first, before everyone else wanted to talk to her.

He looks up at her score, displayed over the lane where she's been bowling.

"It's okay, I suck at it too."

[negative_feedback]

She grins and rolls her eyes. "Whatever, I'm having a blast," she says. "I hope you are, too, even if you think you suck." His score is still better than hers.

She's pretty sure, anyway. She's... not entirely sure how the scoring works, actually.

[the_trashmouth]

"I definitely suck," Richie says, but he's still grinning at Regan, because it doesn't actually matter, as long as she likes the party.

"I'm glad you're having fun," he goes on to say, "Sorry about the balloons."

[finally_ahead]

Stan continues to try-- that is, he's fighting the part of him that wants to just stop, somehow-- and while he's still deeply anxious about the fact that pretty much everyone he knows is older than him now, maybe if he's just a really good friend, it'll be okay.

So he shows up to Regan's party, feeling supremely awkward, but at least that's not new. He's getting taller, at least, so he doesn't look so out of place. There's a little gift bag with him, because he wants to succeed at this, and because birthdays are important.

Sticking to the edge of things, because he doesn't really want to have to put on bowling shoes, Stan finally edges over to where Regan is, and sits down beside her, turning to give her a little wave.

[negative_feedback]

The smile she turns back to him is genuine. She likes Stan, and wants him to feel welcome here. She'd been bowling just a bit ago, but she's taking a break, now. The bowling balls are heavier than she'd expected, and she's not particularly good at it; she's gotten gutter balls more than anything. But she's having a blast even just watching her friends play.

She pulls out her phone, taps out a message, then turns the screen to face him.

Stan! I'm so glad you came! How are you?

[finally_ahead]

Stan flicks his gaze over the phone screen, and gives a little nod as he's practiced this part. He takes out his own phone, and carefully, precisely types back:

I'm okay. Are you having fun?

And then:

Happy Birthday!

He's concentrating hard enough on the actual typing that he doesn't have it in him to try not to look as nervous as he feels.

[healthymalehost]

"Happy Birthday, Mom," Peter read aloud, signing Mom? and looking at Regan with a bemused smirk.

He assumed it was some kind of inside joke, considering Regan's boyfriend was super weird. Weird in a good way, from what he could tell, but still.

Peter didn't plan to stay for the whole party. Regan and most of her friends were younger than he was, and he felt a little out of place, but he wouldn't have missed it. She was a really cool kid, and she deserved to have some fun.

In his hands, he had a package— wrapped immaculately, with Rapunzel's help. Inside, was a small soldering iron to help her with her drone, or whatever other projects she might've been working on. She probably had better ones, already, but he figured it wouldn't hurt to have backups.

[negative_feedback]

"Free balloons are free balloons," she points out, grinning. "And they're cute!" She plans on saving at least one, and making a little scrapbook page, or something. If there's one thing that being in Darrow has taught her, it's that recording stuff as it happens is always a good idea. Some of it is just... so crazy.

When she sees the package in his hands, she smiles, maybe a little shyly.

"You didn't have to bring anything!"

[shadows_have_offended]

Neil knows Regan mostly in passing, her friendship with Rosie more solid than anything, and that's nothing new. Still, having her as an acquaintance has encouraged him to learn a bit of ASL, and he enjoys her company, and when both he and Caleb get invitations to a party, it sounds like a great time.

Plus, Neil loves to bowl.

He's fairly certain he's the oldest person here, but he brought a present and he's ready for a fun evening of pizza and cake and bowling.

[greatamazingfeelingsboy]

Caleb's sitting at one of the little dinette style tables, a paper cup of soda and a plate of pizza next to him. There's a small smile on his face as he watches Neil. It's not, like, a Thing, for Caleb. He doesn't usually objectify people, even people he's, like, with. But Neil moves fluidly, and the pants he's wearing tend to hug close to his ass, and...

Well, look, Caleb's just one guy, right? It's hard not to notice.

He bites his lip when he realizes Neil catches him, and he blushes and grabs his soda for a long drink.

[shadows_have_offended]

Neil absolutely catches Caleb glancing and he smirks a little bit. Everything is fresh, bright, new. They just talked about things earlier--Caleb's ability to feel Neil from across a room, feel anyone; the possibility of things being more than just friendship; the truth of Neil's arrival, and the pail that throws on the vhs tape he found in the second hand shop not even a week ago.

It's all a lot, isn't it? But Caleb's still looking at him.

He comes over while the rest go through their turns on the lane. "You're going to embarrass yourself."

[greatamazingfeelingsboy]

Caleb isn't shy about coming here with Neil. Their... relationship... is just a few hours fresh, but it feels right to come here together, as More Than Friends. Even if he knows that Rosie's going to be playfully, delightfully smug at him the moment she sees him. He'd realized only at the last second that it was a birthday party as much as a school's end party, so he'd swung into a drug store to get a generic birthday card for this person he's never met.

And she's Deaf. Which he isn't expecting and feels like an asshole the minute he tries to introduce himself, but she's cool about it — she probably gets it a lot — and thanks him for the card with a message on her phone.

There are enough people here that it isn't long before Caleb needs to step back out of the bowling alley for some air. Even with Neil there, keeping everything a nice, mossy green, it's still a lot, and he pulls out his flask for some tea.

[ find Caleb at any point during the party! Since he and Regan are both my pups, feel free to introduce a three-way conversation between them if you'd like, or just poor dumb Caleb ]

[forthsofar]

One of the best, worst things about what Caleb can do is knowing that because of it, there's almost no chance of surprising him. He and Neil walk into the party together, and she sees them, and from the look on Caleb's face, he's already realized it. It really wasn't fair at all.

It's her turn to bowl only a minute later, so she leaves him be for now--and then for a little longer than she intended, when she falls into conversation with a few of the other partygoers about one thing or another, trading complaints about the school year just past. Seeing him making his way to the door, Rosie glances up at the roster on the screen above the lane, making sure she's not up next once again before she follows him out. She won't be able to sneak up on him like this, either, but so be it.

"Fancy meeting you here," she says when she gets outside.

[greatamazingfeelingsboy]

Caleb doesn't jump, exactly, but there's a noticeable startle in his shoulders and arms. He nearly drops the flask, and huffs a laugh.

"Shit, hey," he says, faux casually, because he knows she knows that she got him. He points at her sternly. "Don't get used to that. There's a lot going on in there!"

[the_trashmouth]

It turns out a hell of a lot better than Richie thought it would, even if a lot of people have questions about the balloons. Richie figures this will go better the next time someone has a birthday, once he has more money, once he doesn't have to bargain for Mom birthday balloons. Still, Regan looks like she's having a good time, which makes everything okay.

He's looking for a bowling ball the right weight, picking them up and swinging them a little, one by one. He finally thinks he has one, then puts his fingers in the holes, only to find they don't come out right away when he tries to take them out.

"Shit," Richie says, looking a little panicked, hoping nobody's noticed.

[radio_gaga]

It's maybe a tiny bit weird that Robin keeps getting invited to birthday parties for people she doesn't actually know that well. In Darrow, the social circles overlap a lot but while she's at least familiar with Regan, it's really only Richie that she's gotten to know, and pretty recently at that.

But bowling, at least, is pretty fun. By now, she knows more people than she did at Eddie's birthday, so she's hoping a nice gift and some reasonably good bowling skills will smooth over any awkwardness. Maybe.

"Is it too late for me to join someone's team? Or game? Whatever."

[forthsofar]

She's been doing terribly, her ball winding up in the gutter more often than it makes its way fully down the lane. Even when it does, it manages to knock down only a few pins at a time. But even if she's failing, Rosie's failing with enthusiasm, which has to count for something.

She hopes.

Robin wanders over just as one of the girls she'd been sharing a lane with leaves to get food at the little snack bar at the front of the building, and Rosie looks up with a smile. "We've got space," she says.

[radio_gaga]

"Really? Thanks." Robin's smile is a little uncertain but everything she knows of Rosie suggests that she's a truly friendly kind of person and she has no need to be wary. She takes a seat and bends down to retie the laces of her rental shoes.

"Am I waiting for the next game or am I subbing in for her?" she nods in the direction of the girl who's left to get food.