Backdated to Wednesday! Open Party RP.

[dice-addict.livejournal.com]

October 25th.

The date flickered into Ryuuji's head, letters of bright blue against a black expanse of nothingness, then circled themselves insistantly in red, demanding his attention.

October 25th.

His eyes suddenly widening, Ryuuji uncurled, standing up without any problems and dusting himself off. To Terry and Oz, he announced (without any seeming surprise at their presence), "It's Seto's birthday today. We need to throw him a party."

Pause. "And then I ought to probably check on Kaiba Corp. Seto's going to kill me if he comes back to find out his company went under because nobody was running it. And make sure his board of directors don't find out he's popcorn because then they'll just try to start another hostile takeover."

Tone absolutely normal, plucking at the hoodie he was wearing as if not quite aware of it specifically but subconciously not happy with the unfashionableness of his attire, "Oz, can you command the House Elves to get a cake ready? They'll probably listen to you since you're a Prefect. Terry, you can help me decorate the Popcorn Room with streamers and stuff, right?"

Ryuuji hadn't been in there since seeing Mokuba's and Seto's names on the plaque.

Comments

[dice-addict.livejournal.com]

"Which is why I'm going through the same warm-up exercises that I do whenever I come out of stasis." Ryuuji retorted, pulling one arm behind his head and trying to tug it as far downwards as possible. "Though it's not quite the same, since at least I'd have been lying down for that instead of all curled up."

He dropped it, then paused for a moment to shoot Terry an amused look, "More pleasant, sure. Back to form? Doubt it. A happy boneless puddle on the floor sounds more like what'd happen if I let you have your wicked way with me."

[tomorrow-knight.livejournal.com]

"Boneless puddles are fluid and full of stealth." He sat up again and pushed himself to stand, running a quick hand through his hair to smooth it.

"But since we're not going in that direction. What sort of decorations again? Silver foiled with little Japanese characters? Little kid streamers. Possible teddy bears hung from the ceilings?"

[dice-addict.livejournal.com]

"Boneless puddles lack motivation to do anything except maybe ooze happily." Ryuuji pronounced, trying to walk on his hands.

Five steps.

Six.

Seven.

Annnnd tumble because the alternative would have been to fall. Better a controlled tumble than a fall any day.

Sitting on the floor, the undersides of his feet pressed together, Ryuuji pushed down on his knees to try to make them touch the ground. "I think colorful streamers and helium balloons would be best. Teddy bears don't sound like Seto's style and shiny things are more my speed than his."

[tomorrow-knight.livejournal.com]

"Teddy dra-" He cut himself off. "Corporate sharks?" He slid his hands into his pockets, waiting to make sure he had every instruction. Or at least that was what he was telling himself. Underneath that was hesitation to leave Ryuuji at all.

[dice-addict.livejournal.com]

"I say we skip the stuffed animals completely. They're really not my style in the least, and I doubt that they're Seto's either." Ryuuji laughed, thinking about Seto's reaction to a birthday party with lots of stuffed animals involved. "Balloons and streamers ought to be enough, even though they're not really his style either. But you need them for a party."

[tomorrow-knight.livejournal.com]

"Maybe I'll make them all blue and white and have a color theme." It was a sentence that needed a grin, but Terry didn't give one.

Instead he stepped closer and watched Ryuuji another second, before reaching out to brush hair off his face; the most he'd let himself touch right now until he knew how things stood.

[dice-addict.livejournal.com]

"How clever of you. Blue and white are definitely a good combination for Seto." Ryuuji grinned, even though Terry didn't, and let Terry step in and touch him. He didn't protest the touch but instead, nuzzled into it, kissing Terry's wrist lightly and casually without any seeming hang-ups or frightening neediness.

Just the kind of easily affectionate kiss that was standard for the two of them, a quick tender expression of love.

[tomorrow-knight.livejournal.com]

It was enough to make Terry lean forward until their foreheads were almost touching. "Missed you." He said it softly. The feeling in it transcended volume.

After a moment he stepped back. "Be back soon. The House Elves are sure to know where things like that are stored."

[dice-addict.livejournal.com]

"I didn't go anywhere." Ryuuji replied softly, letting one hand ghost over Terry's arm in a reassuring, very-much-there touch. It was tempting to kiss him, but it didn't look like Terry was quite open for that yet and besides, if they started, they might not stop. And Ryuuji did intend on throwing Seto a party.

"Okay. Good luck." Ryuuji let Terry step back, feeling the familar weight of his wand in one pocket. He could use that to conjure up some tables and games while Terry was gone.

[tomorrow-knight.livejournal.com]

Fifteen minutes after Terry left, the popcorn room was suddenly festooned with high floating balloons in blue and white.

The ceiling was strung with garlands of blue flowers and shining chrome wiring that gleamed like silver.

There were rosettles in white and blue and blue and white, handing from thin strings from the ceiling. The floor was coated in blue confetti like snow and more difted down from the ceiling lazily.

And here and there darting among the ceiling's decorations were little origami cranes.

Five minutes after that Terry made his way back to Ryuuji, pausing when he saw him and asking for approval with a quirked brow. In his hands were a jumble of metallic blue letters.

[dice-addict.livejournal.com]

Ryuuji instantly flung both arms around Terry and hugged him as soon as Terry reappeared. "The decorations are awesome, treasure. Thanks for taking care of it."

He pressed a quick kiss to Terry's cheek, honestly grateful, and stepped back. He'd been busy too, having set up lots of little tables, covered with lace-trimmed cloths, and white wood stools around them, set between the popcorn cases. Glasses rested on them, filled to the brim with drinks of all colors, and little plates of fingerfood snacks.

[tomorrow-knight.livejournal.com]

"I still think everyone should have to turn back the clock for this. But don't make me nine until I've put this up."

He shook the 'Happy Birthday' letters. "I need my arms long." He could have used his wand. But this way he could sneak peaks and see how Ryuuji was doing.

Was a party really the best solution to everything? or would it only work with Seto? If someone else Ryuuji cared about ended up in the popcorn room... what then? A party to celebrate who they were? Or another round in the tent?

[dice-addict.livejournal.com]

"Don't tempt to go find Mokie's age-changing chocolates and age myself down for this. I get the feeling that being seven for Seto's nineteenth birthday party wouldn't be exactly the most logical move on my part." Ryuuji flipped his ponytail and took a step back to admire the letters. "Pretty!"

This party was going to be great, even if only the three of them were there. It wasn't about having lots of attendees, after all. It was about having some form of closure, a neat snap finish that would cauterize the emotional wound and let him function without hurting until they came back.

[tomorrow-knight.livejournal.com]

"Oh I don't know. I think there's some sort of poetic justice to it. You'd make a cute seven year old. You'd probably be a holy terror. But cute."

He slumped into a chair and stretched out his legs. "You'd get more fun out of the games."

[dice-addict.livejournal.com]

"Tch, you just want to stop being twenty. Old man Terry, with hair that's going to turn grey and pretty skin that'll get all wrinkled." He pronounced the last word in a tone of mock-dread, flopping down on Terry's lap without any hesitation and tracing over Terry's cheeks as if to line out where the wrinkles would go.

Lips quirked into an amused smile, he leaned back against Terry and looked around the room, "And you know, my world isn't exactly like yours. Adults and teens can have fun with games and win lots of money for it. Games aren't kiddie stuff there, it's life-and-death." Literally.

[tomorrow-knight.livejournal.com]

"I have a pretty good idea of what I'll look like when I'm old. And I won't end up too badly." He paused. "You're not going to age unnaturally slow, are you? Because then I'll be off young'uns. And that won't be fair to them." Cause he knew that if Bruce could still kick ass into his 80's, he could too.

One arm wrapped around Ryuuji's waist and Terry half smiled at the way his lap had just been commandeered. "And pin the tail on the donkey has never been life or death. Stick the pin back into the old time grenade... now that'll put some life in you."

[dice-addict.livejournal.com]

"Dude, grey hair and wrinkles don't suit anyone." Ryuuji teased, comfortably cuddling into Terry, squirming just a little to get comfortable. The question about aging unnaturally slowly made him pause for a second, because really, that was pretty much hard to predict where he was concerned. Just look at his father, after all!

So instead of answering directly, he brushed a kiss over Terry's lips, "How about we worry about that when we come to it, huh? Worst comes to worse, you get called a pedophile and deal with having a sex drive that's drastically lower than mine."

Pause, and Ryuuji tilted his head to a side questioningly, "Wait, fending off young'uns? What?"

The mention of the grenade made him laugh and shake his head, "Yeah, well, your world just doesn't take games seriously enough. How do you know there might not be dynamite rigged behind the wall so that it'll collapse on you regardless of whether you get it right or wrong?"