estoria | [open] i am sixteen going on seventeen

Entry tags:

[open] i am sixteen going on seventeen

Who: Leia & OPEN.
When: 3/7 IC
Where: The gardens
What: A birthday nearly forgotten.
Rating/Warning: Nah.

a.) i want to play a game (text)

[After the heavy damage and loss, Leia's practically made it a routine to help out where she can: the school and the apartments especially. She knows how important the Residential District is, though she'd be lying if she didn't spend her fair share of time at the Game Center, too.

On the seventh, it's no different, though she finds a slightly different way to help than the usual.]

hey!! （‐＾▽＾‐） wow, everyone's been working so hard lately... look how far we've come! don't forget to rest. if u need a break, stop by the gardens this afternoon for a surprise!

it's also my birthday, if youre into that sort of thing.. but you'll have to find me first (○ゝω・○)ﾉﾟ+.☆ see you there!

- leia ☆

b.) it's a trap! (action)

[For those intrigued enough to come, or even just passing by, they'll find that the gardens aren't quite as pretty as they were before. Nevertheless, the amount of collaborative work so far is obvious. New flowers are budding, pathways repaired, and it's all good enough for Leia. She doesn't need anything elaborate like Natalia's party was; this will do.

A long picnic table is set up, and on top of it is food. Three large pizzas with various toppings, all kinds of flavored chips and dips to go with them, and at the center of it all, a mysterious cake that doesn't actually say anything about her birthday. Predictably it's chocolate, with your standard frosting, decorative flowers, and only two words on its face: "Almost There." Next to the cake is a large knife for cutting it, as well as paper plates, plastic utensils, and a small note propped up like a name tag.]

Need a break? ♥
[. . . but where is she? Feel free to set off to find her, or simply mingle among yourselves and enjoy the free eats.]

c.) where's waldo? (action)

[Deeper into the garden (but not too deep), it won't actually take too long to find Leia; it might just take a little effort. If your character is the type to look high, they might spot her in a tree (don't be surprised if she falls out of it); or for others who want to stick to the ground, they might notice a fast-moving shadow move behind a tree, or a rustling of leaves behind one, if it's particularly big.

If she knows you, she might just might pop up in front of you to yell "BOO," just for kicks. So much for the chase.

Be creative! Or let me make shit up as I go. Your choice. Either way, any characters taking this option will receive a little something for their troubles.]

d.) walking on the wild side (any)

[Anything goes! I'm very flexible and open. You can catch Leia as she's setting up the table(s), or assume she returns to the table(s) after most of the food is gone, etc. if either of those options appeal more to you.]

(( ooc: just a note that leia probably won't be able to reply to option b! it's mostly for mingling purposes if you want it. ♥ ))

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. . . Hey, I can do both!

[She takes the notebook and snaps it shut, tucking it away; but it's true, there really was a lot of debris. And rubble. And general ruin...

. . .]

There's cake on your face, by the way.

[Just a smidge. She points to the corner of her own mouth to indicate, after finally getting a good look at him.]

[IV raises a thumb to the indicated corner. Sure enough, he feels the barest trace of frosting. How humiliating. He wipes it off without visible fuss.]

Chocolate. You're predictable as always.

[Shhhhh.]

Apparently you like it.

[She can tease sometimes, too... and of course in this case, she means the chocolate.]

I just had a taste. You didn't even get that, did you?

[The cake was relatively intact when he got to it. Come to think of it:]

I didn't see your name anywhere. Are you sure this is supposed to double as a birthday party?

[. . . yeah, she thought about while waiting to be found. Not getting a taste (yet) is undoubtedly the worst part so far, but it'll be worth it!!!! She thinks.]

Positive! There are more important things going on, so . . .

[This is how it should be.

Besides, she'd feel weird getting a cake for herself and asking for her own name on it. Come on.]

[IV wouldn't feel weird getting a cake for himself and asking for his own name on it.]

"So"? Good grief, you're as humble as ever.

[He slips a hand into one of his pockets.]

It doesn't matter what else is going on. Today's your birthday according to our calendar. You're not letting my present go to waste, are you?

[That's because IV is weird.

In any case, the sudden fussing throws her for a loop, and noticing him reach into his pocket doesn't help either. She looks surprised, a little pink suddenly (?), but she mostly uses the former to cover up the latter.

He got you something, Rolando . . . don't screw it up. A voice echoes.]

What? No! I wouldn't-- I mean, you didn't have to...

[Her eyes glance over to the box that emerges in his hand, words caught in her throat. Too eager, that same voice warns. It goes on to chide: Wow. You're really nailing this, aren't you?]

[It's a small box typically used to hold jewelry, though its contents can be anything. IV doesn't hold it over just yet in favor of testing Leia's self-control and reaction. In a way, it's entertaining.]

It doesn't matter whether or not I had to. The question is, do you want it?

[Well, she's glad he's enjoying this, at least!! Finally, after shaking off the hesitation, she folds her arms, remembering how much she hates being "tested."]

That's not the question.

[. . . She softens.]

Of course I want it.

[Asshole.]

[That's his middle name.]

You don't have to look so embarrassed.

[A birthday present isn't something to ask for – it is given, and the recipient receives it without shame. With that in mind, IV finally offers the little navy box, which houses a gold band shaped at the center to resemble a heart containing an aquamarine stone.]

If you don't like it, you can trade it in for that disco ball you liked so much.

I'm not embarrassed.

[why you lyin', why you always lyin', etc.

She's not subtle in trying to hide the smile that curls on her lips though, after taking the small blue box in her hands. That disco ball really was ridiculous; she still wonders what Ryouga would say about it.

In any case, this is the part where she opens it, so she slowly cups her hand over the lid . . .]

[mmm oh my god, stop lyin'.

Perhaps it's better that Ryouga remain oblivious about the existence of the disco shark ball. Certainly, Ryouga fancies the shiny things, but that was just too much.

IV watches Leia open the box, a corner of his lips twitching in faint amusement with how cautiously she approaches the process. All she has to do is swing the lid up and look.]

[It's fuzzy . . .

It feels nice, but at this point, even she knows she's procrastinating. It doesn't take much, either: just a tiny shift of her thumb and the lid pops upwards like a jack-in-the-box.]

[Despite knowing how these jewelry boxes work, she still manages to be surprised by this. With wide, green eyes, small jolt runs down her spine and there's a subtle jerk of her hand--

But it's nothing compared to what's next.]

[. . . She gasps.]

[It's funny. She's probably had countless fantasies about this very moment as a child; day dreams, sick dreams as she napped away at the clinic waiting for Jude to come back. Yet here she stands before someone else, years later, and . . . she can't even describe it.

She never thought he'd . . .]

You... [She slowly takes the ring out of its slot. She doesn't know much about birthstones, but she does notice the way the bands form a heart around one at the center. Her eyes are bright, and it's clear she's taken with it.] I mean, I--

[WHY IS THIS HARD. Isn't she thinking a bit too much?]

It's beautiful.

[Words seem to fail Leia. It's a good thing that she's so expressive, enough that IV can pick up on her sincere feelings with ease. His expression hovers between a smile and a smirk.]

So you like it.

[He'd anticipated as much, but hearing it more or less from Leia herself puts IV at ease.]

You're lucky I bought that in advance. Shopping for gifts in the colony's recent condition would have been useless. [He overexaggerates, but with so many stores and shops flooded earlier, the deed would have been challenging at least.] Somehow, it survived the flood and damage.

[She may be tearing up a little, alas; and if she'd been pink before, it's probably closer to a shade of red now. Expressive is an understatement, but she promised that she wouldn't be a crybaby anymore, and even though IV never knew that, she's still going to keep the promise here.

She giggles instead, wiping at her eyes before it gets any more obvious.]

Then I'd better put it on.

[Her wiping at her eyes is incredibly suspect; however, IV doesn't comment. That's just her being happy, isn't it? No sense in teasing there. Instead, he lifts his hand with his palm upturned.]

Here. I'll put it on for you.

[That is how a gentleman does it.]

[Her grip tightens around the ring as she stares at his palm. She doesn't trust herself not to drop it, so objectively, it's a good idea to take him up on his offer . . . romantic fantasies or not.

In the next moment, however, instead of relinquishing it, she lunges forward, clumsily falling into him and pulling him into an embrace.

It's sudden, like she's been holding back. She wants to try on the ring so badly, but it could wait just a little longer . . .]

Thanks. Really. I... I really love it.

[It doesn't seem enough just to say that, but at least it's better than the barely-anything he got a moment ago.]

[His entire frame jerks from the pull of the sudden embrace. His proffered hand hangs awkwardly and he almost makes a sound; what comes out resembles a muffled grunt. IV has dealt with touchy fans and he has been hugged by Leia before, but the intensity of this one is far, far up there compared to the first and last time.

He raises his other hand to rest on her back just below one of her shoulders. It's embarrassing to return the hug in full, so he settles with this. It's still apparently beyond his capacity to say, "you're welcome," too, so he settles on a quip.]

Then it's all the more reason to put it on before you lose it. The fountain's not that far from us.

[IV . . . Honestly.

At that, she slowly pulls back to look at his face, with her hands resting on his shoulders. She can't resist: with the hand that's already balled into a fist from holding the ring, she shoves at him with a light punch.]

You're so stiff. Are you sure it won't be you who drops it this time?

[With that, she takes the hand he offered before and turns it over so it's palm-up again; and she carefully entrusts the ring to him.]

[He scoffs, taking mock offense to the unreliable statement. Once Leia relinquishes the ring, he turns it over with his other hand to pinch between his thumb and index finger, then reaches out to hold her hand.]

Don't worry. I'm good with my hands.

[She doesn't know how well he can throw cards. Wait till she sees it one day, he muses.

With that said and done, he slides the ring onto Leia's left ring finger. There's the most sensible choice, or so he thinks.]

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