hugtopia_logs | birthday # 1 of 10 missed on eos...

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birthday # 1 of 10 missed on eos...

♥ Who: Noctis, Pyra, and… you?
♥ Where: Noctis, Pyra, & Prompto's house
♥ When: August 30
♥ What: A birthday shindig!
♥ Rating: I assume PGish

As someone not especially inclined to throwing big parties for himself, Noctis would have been satisfied by just a chill hang-out with his family at most. Pyra seems to have other ideas about what counts as an appropriate level of celebration, so he's more or less given her free reign to plan out the evening dinner and get-together. The result is very… Pyra.

An invitation to join them would have been sent out or given via conversation to:
-Noctis' friends and family, of course
-anyone in Noctis' communicator contacts
-friends of friends
-....people Pyra just felt like inviting

Really, it's a good thing that the house is quite large, because it's more or less a free for all.

The Decor

Not too fancy, as the house has a mostly-muted decorative style, but there are splashes of colour scattered about. Sylleblossoms in blue, red, and white pepper the house in vases, streamers along the doorway, even some balloons out front. It's meant to be colourful and fun without being too much work, which is Noct's ideal gathering.

The Food

The general theme of the party's cuisine was for the most part "healthy, but sweet". Catered by Affurgato, so of course it's all fresh and delicious! There is lots of meat (adamantoise/turtle and fried tuna slabs especially, among options from the cafe) and lots of dessert snacks and finger food. There's even homemade pocky sticks, of various flavours. Vegetables are available, but mostly in separate dishes or things like fresh fries/mashed potatoes with loads of butter. What kind of monster would make the birthday boy eat vegetables!? (you are welcome to try) Any standard replicator drinks can be provided, and there's also some wine for the adults.

There is also a handmade cake not from the cafe, but from Pyra, with the motif of a carbuncle on the top.

The Atmosphere

1) Dress code is comfy/casual! Dress however you please.

2) People are welcome to bring pets with them. In fact, people are encouraged to bring pets, on the condition that Noctis gets to see and/or pet them!! (please shower him in cute things.) There's space in the yard for them to romp around if they need more room than the house can offer, provided they don't trample the garden.

3) In the main area there's a music playlist playing video game tunes from Noct's home, via his Eos smartphone.

4) As party games, people are encouraged to play Pin The Cat Ears on Noctis! ...You would think this would come with a cutout of him, but since paper is hard to come by in town, you should instead just literally put cat ears on Noctis. Bonus points if you can keep them on him long enough for selfie proof. Another option is to do your very best Noctis impression. What do you get for "winning"? Well, that's up to Pyra. Maybe you'll win some laughter, at least…

Special note! At some point during the party, Noctis will be mentioning that surprise! This little celebration is also meant to be shared with Pyra, as they totally missed her birthday. So wish her a happy belated as well :)

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[The last birthday party Regis remembers his son having was much different than this and much less fitting, if he is honest. What three year old cares about gifts of gems or coins from those who are just trying to win his affection? How many times had he and Clarus had to remove something from the young prince's hands so that it didn't end up in his mouth instead?

Thank the Astrals, parties here are not like that. They are what parties should be. Simple gatherings of friends and family with not a bit of formality to be found. Regis deeply wishes there was a way he could take home a picture of someone trying to pin cat ears to Noctis' head, though. Oh, how he would love to see the reactions people of his time would have to that!

His hands are empty as he approaches Noctis which totally means no embarrassing gifts will be given right in front of everyone, right?]

Happy birthday, son! I hope you are enjoying yourself.

[Oh yes, totally natural of him! Not that Noct would have an issue with trusting his father regardless; he knows Regis Lucis Caelum to be many things, but a source of embarrassment is generally not one of them, besides the fashion thing. And he's mostly gotten used to that here.]

Hey, Dad. No complaints so far, and I'm taking that as a good sign. Sure beats the birthdays at home.

[He's far less suited to the royal spectacle than others of his line or entourage might normally be.]

[The existence of the Armiger means that an embarrassing present could appear at any time, but thankfully for Noctis, the only danger of the gift it holds currently is that it may be embarrassingly sentimental.]

I take it my attempts to get you away from those never work out, do they? I hope you were able to get at least a little time with your friends to celebrate.

[Had Prompto, Gladio, and Ignis found a way to do what he couldn't? Deep down, Regis certainly hopes they did.]

May I join you?

[Noctis gestures to the open spot next to him; by all means. It's not a huge couch, but there's space enough for two and then some.]

You tried, but you know how it is. [Duty to the crown, public appearances, blah blah boring royal stuff.] I usually saved September for the real fun until school started back up.

As long as you found some time for fun.

[Regis takes a seat, and then a moment later, a small journal appears in his hand summoned from his Armiger as quietly as possible. The cover is leather and it doesn't take a lot of thought to realize he likely spent a good amount of dora on it once he found it. He holds it out to Noctis, and once opened, the first page will give a much better idea of what is actually inside, as written in Regis' own neat script, is the title, "Relationship Advice from Dad: Read at Your Own Risk."

Should Noctis take a moment to flip through the pages before giving his father a look he will find they are each filled with one piece of advice--once more written by Regis--ranging from the serious Both joy and sorrow strengthen love; fear neither to the more humorous Prepare yourself; she will get vengeance for that.]

[He does in fact give his father a look first, because he's only 20 21 and that's how The Youth are. And really, Dad? Really?

Once he flips through a few pages though, his tune changes. It's a beautiful journal, something he'd noticed immediately; paper and leather, both exceedingly rare in this place. It had to have been expensive. The financial value holds not a candle to the words he finds inside, though. He'd seen that elegant handwriting on formal documents, cards, school reports. Usually brief, as it was easier to speak over the phone or through text to spare his father's tired hands if they couldn't speak in person. There's a deeply personal nature to this that wasn't really present on what came before- he can imagine how each page isn't just advice but an unspoken story, about the father he missed and the mother he never knew.

He only gets a handful of pages in before he makes himself stop, not wanting to consume it all in a rush, wishing rather to treasure every tidbit and what it might represent. His fingers tighten around it, and he forces himself to let go before he can wrinkle the pages, letting it rest in his lap instead. He's shaken, he's touched. He doesn't know how he feels beyond that.]

...Dad...

[Regis coughs into his hand, the action partially hiding the self-conscious look that crosses his face. He knows the gift is kind of corny, but at the same time the topic has been on his mind ever since the party.]

You did ask, and I thought of a few more things that might help. It does say 'read at your own risk.'

[Because there are stories, so many stories tied to those pieces of advice. Does Noctis really want to know them all? Well, he will only know if he asks.]

Yeah...

[There's no subtle way to wipe at his eyes, so instead he just forgoes subtlety and leans over to wrap his arms around his father, burying his face in the man's shoulder. His voice is muffled as he replies.]

It's worth the risk.

[There is relief in the soft smile that crosses his face as he returns Noctis' hug. The gift has touched him, that much is obvious now that Regis lets himself see it. He know that in the future he and Noctis will not get the time they should, but hopefully this can help fill some of that emptiness.]

I love you, my son and will always be proud of you.

Yeah... love you, too.

[Strange, how naturally the words come as an echo, more naturally than it would have months or even years ago. Maybe Pyra's urging to tell people he loves them is finally rubbing off. Maybe saying it to her without any judgment in return made it easier to say to others as well.

He lets the hug linger for as long as he thinks he can get away with, until finally he tugs back enough to hold up the book, tapping the page about vengeance with one finger.]

You've gotta tell me about this one, though.

[A gentle smile crosses his face when Noctis repeats the words. He knows it must be hard considering what they have been through and the fact that he, himself, doesn't know so much of what is to come. The words will be cherished.

Once the hug has ended, Regis sits back, and once more coughs into his hand, expression becoming amused.]

There are several stories tied to that one but let me tell you my favorite.

[He settles back against the couch, casually crossing one leg over the other.]

Much like me, your mother really didn't care for most of the trappings that came with being royalty; however, she did have one guilty pleasure. She loved keeping her fingernails long and fancily painted. Of course, she never shied away from work that needed doing, which means her nails often needed to be repaired or just flat out redone.

When she was being schooled in Altissia, she met a stylist who she absolutely adored. Not only did her personality match your mother's, but she was also extremely skilled in her craft. When Aulea returned to Lucis, we reached out to the stylist and she relocated to Insomnia to work for us.

One day, as a gift, I set up an appointment for your mother to try a new style that I had heard of recently.

[Regis chuckles then, his hand rubbing at his neck for a moment.]

You see, I have more than one small scar created by those nails from when she reached out and was not quite as careful as she could have been. I thought I would get a little payback. The style didn't exist. Instead, it was just what looked like a pattern of random letters. Those with a sharp eye for letter puzzles, though, would have little trouble realizing the letters unscrambled to read, "I need a scratching post."

Needless to say, you mother did figure it out. She actually wore the nails until they needed to be replaced, but for several months thereafter, her 'accidental' scratches of me increased as if to remind me cats tend to scratch up the things nearest to them, and for her, that was me.

[Impossible not to grin at the story, and Noctis shakes his head at the nerve his father had, as well as the very clear relationship dynamic he'd had with his wife. As ever, he's thirsty for stories about his mother, any stories, and this one speaks to her wilder side as much as the tales Cor had offered.]

Sounds like she did get vengeance, then. I should take this warning for what it is, to spare myself the extra grief.

[And let Pyra do as she pleases, in other words. Not that he doesn't mostly do that already.]

Maybe you should've let the stylist do your nails instead.

[Regis chuckles at that.]

Oh, she tried a time or two. Nothing too fancy, but she did manicure them. Unfortunately, my nails tended to get damaged even faster than your mother's thanks to all the training I did. After a while, she gave up and only worked on them before big events. A king must always looks his best while he greets people he doesn't really like at parties, you know.

Got that from you, then.

[Noctis idly brushes his hand over the writing on the page; his nails are neat and short but clearly not by any means manicured. Hair, face, fashion- absolutely, he's all for maintaining an aesthetic. But good luck with the rest of him. There's no way Gladio would have let him get away with fancy nails with his regiment of weaponry and survival training.]

Wait, does that mean you used to wear nail polish at parties?

[MOM WHY DID YOU LEAVE THEM]

Per...haps?

[Regis runs a hand through his hair, suddenly self-conscious.]

She had a clear polish that she would often use on my nails to hide dullness, nicks, and scratches caused by training. I'm not certain if that counts or not. There was one time she actually had to get creative and cut down a couple of the bases for your mother's nails because Clarus caught me hard across the hand in training during a disarm attempt.

[He holds out his hand an motions to his middle three fingers with the other.]

Cracked and broke back these three. My fingers hurt, but were not broken so I refused a potion just for aesthetics. The stylist covered them with cut down fakes just for the party. They felt so strange.

[Regis wrinkles his nose like a disgruntled child might.]

I took them off right afterward. Your mother laughed at me the whole time.

Nice.

[To hear his father sounding so petulant is honestly the funniest part of the story. He'll have mercy, though; it's his birthday after all. He's feeling good.]

Only got roped into that kind of thing once- Iris bullied me into letting her practice on my nails while I waited for Gladio to come back to his place for training. I thought for sure he was gonna laugh me right out of the house, but she'd done worse to him.

[Oh, wait. Is that a spoiler? Iris isn't even born yet, is she.]

Oh, that is wonderful! They do have the second child they are trying for then.

[Regis can't help but smile widely at this particular "spoiler." It's nice to hear some good news for once.]

I can only imagine the kinds of things she did to him. I suspect that boy will be wrapped around her finger before she is a day old.

[Look sometimes the "big brother" vibes are just that strong.]

Edited 2020-10-15 07:21 (UTC)

[Heck. He's glad he can at least give his dad good news about the future for once.]

Can confirm- he spoils her rotten, and she can get away with almost anything. He even hated me for years, but it was Iris who finally got him to change his tune.

[Spoiler #2: the next generation started off with complicated relationships! Actually, he has no idea when Gladio started to hate him. He sure hopes it didn't start when he was only 3. Still, at least he says it in a mostly airy tone rather than sounding bitter about it.]

[Regis has to frown a little at that. Not all Shields and Kings have gotten along as well as he and Clarus have, but 'hate' is such a strong word. He can't help but wonder if Noctis is exaggerating unintentionally. Surely, it may have seemed like hate to a young boy who had to spend a lot of time with an older one telling him what to do, but was it really?]

It sounds as if there is a good story behind that. Is it too embarrassing to ask the birthday boy to tell it?

[You'd be amazed-]

I don't mind. It's not a very exciting story, though. Iris showed up at the Citadel one day on her own, demanding to meet me. No idea how she got there, she was what, five or so? Anyway, it was agreed that we'd have an "audience", so she was supposed to wait while they went to get me. But she got distracted by a stray cat and started following it out of the castle, and when I spotted her in the garden I followed her... so of course the whole Citadel was up in arms when we both went missing.

[Looking back, it really was irresponsible, but he can't bring himself to regret it, either. He'd gotten two friends out of it, and in his position those were rare enough to treasure. A few weeks of being grounded was nothing in comparison.]

I found her in the rain, lost and crying, so I brought her back in, and Gladio was pissed. He gets mad when he's worried, so he just ends up yelling about it. [He scratches his cheek awkwardly, obviously well acquainted with that particular habit. Not that he's given Gladio cause to worry, no...] Iris looked like she was gonna cry again, so I said I was the one who ran off and took her with me instead of the other way around. Figured that he already didn't like me, so it was fine if he was pissed at me instead of her, right? And then someone grounded me for being irresponsible.

[He gives Regis a meaningful look, though it is accompanied by a little smile. Can't blame his dad for being, you know, a dad.]

Gladio told me later that Iris gave him the real story. She must've really hyped up the heroics, because he was nicer to me after that.

Clarus gets angry when he is worried as well, so I suspect that is a family trait. Gladio should get better at hiding some as he ages.

[Some being the operative word there.]

I'm glad to hear that some important lessons were learned and that no one was hurt. For what it is worth, I apologize that my future self grounded you.

[Regis can't help but return that little smile with one of his own. Dad's gotta dad. It's just the way it is.]

What you did was a very good thing for everyone involved. I am certain your mother would say so too.

Some... yeah, probably.

[For the most part he did less yelling over the years. And at the very least he learned to temper his glares for when they were actually merited. They'd both had plenty of growing up to do.]

I like the sound of that. Think she'd have let me get away with running away from the Citadel every other month?

[he tries to keep it light, his tone somewhat cautious. His father is the one who brought her up, but he's never entirely sure what's safe or not to ask about his mother. He remembers an awful lot of quiet sadness and unanswered questions, but he was a child who had no sense of timing back then, and loads of curiosity to spare.]

[For a long moment, Regis looks serious as if he is really thinking hard about the answer to that question, then he breaks into a wide grin.]

Only if you took her with you.

[Plus extra support if he found a way to make sure dad got to come along too.]

[The idea makes Noctis smile fondly, only half-tinged by the bittersweet understanding that he'd never share such adventures with her. Wouldn't it have been amazing, though.

He closes the notebook as if it were some grand relic from the Citadel archives, resting it in his lap.]

I hope you're ready to tell a hundred more stories, because you just know I'm gonna ask about every one of these quotes.

[Regis sighs dramatically and then presses the back of his hand to his forehead.]

How will I survive? Talking about someone I love? Embarrassing myself over and over. Such a cruel fate!

[He gets about halfway through that before he is fighting chuckles. So much for the drama.]

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carbungle - 2020-11-11 06:50 (UTC) - Expand

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birthday # 1 of 10 missed on eos...

( b. the center of attention? )

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