[Voice / Action: CH1 Floor 4, 5/1] Birthday Party (Joint post with Ino)

[16autumnroad]

[VOICE, INO]
[A loud, familiar voice would be heard throughout the network today. Good thing it's not so early in the morning when it hollers or there'd be a lot of ruined mornings today despite the important announcement.]

Hey, Luceti! We've all had a lot of drama these past few days so, what do you all say about a little party? It's Chouji's birthday today and, of course, that needs celebrating!

Come by the first community building and you'll find the happenings on the fourth floor. See you there!

[With a little giggle, the announcement ends there.]

--

[ACTION]
It was only a little bit of a surprise to Chouji when he received an invitation to his own birthday party, delivered to the apartment door. These were things you just had to expect and accept with Ino as a teammate. Everyone on the floor along with Kiba and Asuma received paper invitations. Then he heard her network post, inviting pretty much everyone in the village. Ino.

He'd laughed and grinned when he woke up to a knock on the apartment door and the smell of chips that morning, a purple whirlwind demanding entrance to the apartment so she could decorate it. A glance down the hallway showed a trail of butterfly decorations, marking the path of Hurricane Ino.

Chouji gladly spent half of his birthday in the kitchen, likewise decorated with butterflies, cooking for his own party. He'd always been the team's cook, and there was no reason for that to change just because it was his party.

By dinnertime, the common areas as well as Chouji, Shikamaru, and Masaomi's apartment held enough potato chips to feed an army even without all the food Chouji cooked. Barbecue, of course, along with vegetables, rice, fish, chicken curry, miso soup, and one or two desserts. He made sure to include pudding, his thanks to Ino for her thought and effort.

Now they just needed some guests to help eat it all.


((OOC: I am very close to done with the semester and will be back to full tagging speed ASAP! I'll match whatever format you tag me in, prose or brackets.

Open to anyone! Threadhopping and mingling highly encouraged! It's a party.))

Comments

[niceguypose]

That sounds... [He raises a fist and lets the fire rise in his eyes.] simply revolutionary! In that case, I would be honored to practice it!

[medicalpunch]

[Yes, this is definitely better. She can laugh along with him and not think about anything else.]

Then let's do some practicing, hm? I think I could use a drink too...

[niceguypose]

Of... of course! [He calms down and nods with a slight smile.] Let us begin this joint training exercise! [And he stretches his leg out to make an exaggerated first step.]

[medicalpunch]

[Well, she's not going to make the ridiculous exaggerated steps with him, but she'll giggle at him doing it -- not mocking him, but enjoying the joke, as she walks alongside him.

Enjoying the ease.]

[niceguypose]

[It's nice, casual, relaxing. Lee keeps up his big steps that hopefully aren't too much like goosestepping, and he responds to her giggle by facing her and chuckling in turn.]

[medicalpunch]

[This is how it should be, right? Laughing with a friend, treating everything lightheartedly. No grief hanging over them, holding them hostage.

It's what she wants, she's glad that Lee is willing to play along; if they keep smiling long enough, maybe the pain will fade.

In the kitchen, she moves to get a couple glasses down; truth is, she's thirsty too.]

[niceguypose]

[Maybe it won't fade. But if it can at least stay as this little background buzz, maybe Lee can have some kind of good time at his party. And Lee peruses the beverages.]

Sakura-san, what type of beverage should I select?

[medicalpunch]

Hmm... well, I think you know pretty well what to stay away from. The juice looks pretty good, though. I think I'll have some of that...

[A background buzz sounds good -- and holding onto some kind of happiness, finding it where they can, is a good way to help all of this hideous, emotional mess fade into something a little less overwhelming at least. Even if it will always be there.]

[niceguypose]

[He makes a slight embarrassed bow at the head at the reminder of what to avoid. Yes, he must avoid making a spectacle of himself with any alcohol that may be around. But he smiles at her suggestions.]

A juice? Well, that sounds simple, refreshing and nostalgic of youth! [He grabs a fruit punch in one hand and a grape juice in another, comparing and sizing them up.]

[medicalpunch]

[Really, none of them should be drinking anyhow, they're all still underage. But try telling Shikamaru that, apparently.]

It's also good and healthy for you. [And she'll snag some for herself -- pineapple juice, mm.]

[niceguypose]

Health? Yes! Sakura-san, that is very thoughtful and clever! Maintaining the health of youth is vital, after all.

[He slams both of the juices down and instead grabs apple juice for himself.]

[medicalpunch]

It is! And you know I'm going to encourage healthy things -- after all, I'm a medic. So taking care of yourself helps me, too.

[She'll just sip her juice, leaning against the counter. While it's nice to talk easily, she's not sure they should just abandon the way things ended last time.]

[niceguypose]

[He sips at her own juice, briefly focusing his sight on her still-dark hair. With her hair like that, it is hard to disassociate from the memories - of getting that news from her that one time. That prophecy.]

That is true. I - I would not like to be harmed under your watch... Sakura-san.

[medicalpunch]

[She laughs, though, keeping a light mood for the moment.]

You make it sound so grim! I'm not that rough of a medic, am I?

[But she's also not an omnipotent one. People have died.

That conversation still hangs between them. She still wishes she'd never said anything; wishes she'd been able to act more normally, to give Lee no reason to question.]

[niceguypose]

[It is hanging there. And that's what makes his own smile fade for the moment.]

No. I believe that you are someone who does... Everything in your power. If you can save someone, you do.

[As much as he thinks it over, that's the conclusion Lee settles for. He's lived through it now; he knows she couldn't have saved him. It was impossible. But he holds himself to a different standard. He knows he should have shattered impossibility, to race there, to save Neji, maybe even to take that blow in his and Hinata's place. It's his fault.

Then a long, slurping sip of apple juice.]

[medicalpunch]

[She studies Lee for a long moment, hearing a great deal of the unspoken that hangs in the air.

Then, quietly, she reaches out to lay a hand on his shoulder, offering him a smile that's got more than a little melancholy behind it, but more still of (attempted) reassurance.]

And so do you. I've never seen you abandon anyone when your strength could have served them.

[And since she's lived through the same thing he did...]

[niceguypose]

[Her hand and her words, they give some reassurance. But he's still uncertain.]

N-never? Not even once?

[medicalpunch]

Are you saying you did it sometime when I wasn't looking? [She puts some real warmth in her smile, to tell him that she's only teasing.] Not even once, I promise.

You're a good person, Lee, and you're absolutely reliable in battle. I don't think anyone would say otherwise. And... and things that happened recently won't change that.

[There's a hard truth lurking in there, one she's been trying to face on her own behalf and still can't fully. But she won't push it at him yet, aware of the hypocrisy of trying to teach a lesson she hasn't learned.]

[niceguypose]

[His eyes shimmer as he looks up to her. For her to speak that highly of him - it means quite a lot.]

Sakura-san... Your confidence in me is overwhelming.

[medicalpunch]

Well, don't be too overwhelmed, because I'm going to keep right on feeling it, hm?

[Her smile is still shadowed by all the heavy things they've faced, but it's genuine nonetheless; she believes in him.]

[niceguypose]

[A nod. It doesn't change what happened - but it feels refreshing and enriching to know he still has Sakura's faith.]

Very well. I cannot dissuade you from that. I will only have to do my best to keep living up to that faith, eh? And at the same time to believe in you... in the same manner.

[medicalpunch]

That's right. That's what makes us strong -- makes Konoha strong. We believe in each other and we hold ourselves to our companions' belief in us.

[Nothing can change what's past, but they can move forward as comrades and friends. That's still something, at least.]