[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

[16autumnroad]

"Your sacrifice is appreciated." Chouji grins back. It still seems strange celebrating a birthday at all when it hasn't been long since his last one at home. Chouji isn't a year older. He's glad to see Ino focusing on something happy, though.

"I did already have one birthday this year." And Shikamaru was there for it. "Is it twice as troublesome the second time?"

[endgames]

"You're asking the wrong guy. I find my own annoying enough." He's reminded of the first time he showed up, however. On the Luceti calendar, his birthday was three weeks after his arrival. "Heh. I'm glad it's you, this time. It does feel weird."

[16autumnroad]

Chouji sounds more amused than unhappy when he admits, "I wasn't sure about the party at first. Ino announced my birthday to the entire village before I realized it."

"It was you, then, last time?" He thinks for a moment. Yes. Shikamaru did mention that the two of them showed up in September the first time. Chouji wants to make a replacement for the gift that he apparently gave Shikamaru then. "You still need to teach me Pai Sho," he reminds his teammate.

[endgames]

"I could draw something. We could annoy Ino by pretending to play board games instead of doing party things."

He strokes his chin, not serious with this comment, but definitely amused at the mental image.

[16autumnroad]

Chouji almost wouldn't mind annoying Ino, if she did in fact get annoyed. She hasn't scolded them lately. Despite the fact that she's been happy and engaged in this party, he knows Ino is still finding her way back to some sort of equilibrium. Lecturing her teammates might help.

He laughs. "We could, if you want, but we'll both have to listen if she gets mad."

[endgames]

Shikamaru laughs, in a quiet breath. "Knew I should've gotten you ear plugs for your birthday. I guess we'll have to so something else."

[16autumnroad]

Grinning, Chouji continues with the banter. "Didn't you read my wishlist, Shikamaru? Those ear plugs would have come in handy!"

To be honest, though, Chouji's wishlist would consist of food and friendship. Both seem to be in ready supply tonight.

[endgames]

"Sorry. Your gift's already got and wrapped." He claps Chouji on the shoulder. "I'm gonna go change and... do the manly form of mingling, if it exists."

[16autumnroad]

Chouji is unsurprised by this statement. He makes a very unconvincing attempt at acting otherwise as he protests, "I thought we just agreed getting back in time was enough of a gift, though!"

He'll admit he's looking forward to it now, not even bothering to hide his smile, but Chouji nods. "Go, change. I'm not going anywhere, and you can give me my present after."

[endgames]

He's gotten so many good gifts for his birthday in the time he's been here - three is a big enough number to count - that he feels he needs to start returning the favor, even if classically parties have never been his thing. He snickers then, and heads off.

Given another hour or two of socializing and snacking, and whatever else Ino might have had planned, he's back for gift-giving time.

[16autumnroad]

Chouji has a ready smile for Shikamaru when his teammate returns. "Did you enjoy the party?" Chouji clearly has. He's probably the most relaxed and comfortable he has been since arriving in Luceti, and grateful to all of the friends that came tonight.

His appetite has apparently lasted the evening, though, and Chouji is still working on another bag of chips.

[endgames]

"It's been more pleasant than expected, given the company."

It's nothing more than a light jab at some of their friends, with their more conflicting personalities among other things. If throwing a party was Ino's idea to cheer everyone else up too, it seems like it's worked well.

"Gotten anything good?"

[16autumnroad]

A quiet laugh is the only possible response to that. There have been an awful lot of overwhelming personalities in the party, but he hasn't witnessed any big clashes.

"Neji and Tenten are out to decorate my room, I think." Chouji is actually delighted that Neji not only came but put the effort into a gift. He takes it as a good sign, cause for hope. "Aang and Saori both brought food, Sakura had a cookbook, and Ikki gave me a mug she made." He's a little surprised at the list, given Ino only announced the party this morning. He grins though, appreciative of the thought as much as of the gifts themselves.

[endgames]

Shikamaru laughs, and takes a drink from the Mountain Dew he grabbed from the fridge. "Wow, look at you. You're this popular already."

[16autumnroad]

He keeps smiling, only mildly embarrassed by all the attention and the gifts. It really has been an excellent birthday. "Half of them are friends from home. And I've never met Saori before tonight!" Smirking, Chouji adds, "I cooked eggs for her when she mentioned them, since we don't eat eggs very often around here." Next to never, actually, if Shikamaru's home.

[endgames]

"Oh. That was... kind of you," he says, trying to sound sincere and not make a face.

[16autumnroad]

He only laughs a little at Shikamaru's expense, shrugging. "You know I like everything."

[endgames]

"You like everything plus extra. You'd be feeding everyone mayonnaise filled chocolates if you could get away with it."

[16autumnroad]

With another shrug, he protests, "Only until they made it clear they didn't like it!"

Chouji still doesn't think there's anything wrong with mayonnaise chocolates, and this is made abundantly clear when he continues, "Those are delicious, though."

[endgames]

Now Shikamaru really does make a face. This isn't the first time they've had this discussion, and it gives him heartburn every time.

"I'll keep that in mind for your birthday gift next year."

[16autumnroad]

It's impossible not to laugh at the expression on Shikamaru's face, so Chouji does. "You probably shouldn't, if you're going to look like that when you hand it to me."

Speaking of which... "And besides, I still don't even know what this year's gift is. It's much too soon for next year." His eyes narrow the slightest bit, smile shifting from amusement to anticipation. He has no guesses, but Shikamaru has teased him him about gifts and wishlists more than once tonight; Chouji is looking forward to the surprise.

[endgames]

"Oh right. I forgot it," he says, voice deadpan and with a shrug as he turns towards the door of his room.

Naturally, he's hinted at something too many times tonight for that to be a legitimate claim. More teasing from him, then.

[16autumnroad]

"Of course. I should have expected that, knowing just how scatterbrained you are." Even without all the teasing tonight, Chouji would never believe that Shikamaru forgot.

He waits.

[endgames]

"Like an old man." He enunciates just enough to be heard through the door. He returns soon enough however, a portable yakinku girll held out before him. "Or maybe not. An old man would probably wrap something like this, but I didn't feel like it."

1/2

[16autumnroad]

"Ah, old age, that would explain it." He falls silent as Shikamaru returns and Chouji catches sight of his birthday present. Is that--?

Wrapping paper is the least of Chouji's concerns. His mouth drops open. "Shikamaru, you..."