Party Time! (March 1 through 3-ish)

[bemerry]

CHARACTERS: Meriadoc Brandybuck & Anyone who wants food and presents
LOCATION: O₂ Gardens
WARNINGS: nothing that i know of...
SUMMARY: Meriadoc's birthday bash meant as a morale booster for anyone and everyone who wants to pop in
NOTES: There is a starter comment for prep team, everyone feel free to do whatever they want


After the wonderful set-up by many volunteers, and the work of several weeks, Meriadoc's birthday party is finally in full-swing, with plenty of pies and cakes and bread and drinks and cookies and waffles (with blackberries!) and other baked delights. Even with the absence of some he would have wished to be present, he doesn't dwell on it, instead trying to make sure everyone who drops in feels wonderful, and receives a small gift or two, be it a carved spoon or a bouquet of flowers, or something else that could be made easily and quickly with his sometimes-clumsy hands.

It was only proper for the ribadyan to make sure everyone had a gift, after all.

Comments

Preparations

[bemerry]

It is a day before the party, and Merry is working furiously to organize and get the small section he'd set aside for the party decorated ad with tables set out for anyone who wants to attend.

Re: Preparations

[acapriciousthing]

It's nice to have something more pleasant to focus on after all that trouble in Engineering. Death finds baking soothing. Always has since she really took it up.

The end result is that she's got a lot of things that will keep a day or two already prepared. "How many people are you expecting?"

[onetouch]

Ned had come around to take Merry's pie order and to make sure there wasn't anything else he could help with. Digby dog wasn't far behind him, though he sat and panted when they came upon the hobbit, as if waiting for his owner, the pie maker, to finish his business meeting.

"Meriadoc. I'm Ned. Obviously..." Since they had only just spoken on the Network.

[wheeloffire]

This felt familiar.

Despite the walls and the odd smell, things felt suddenly normal as Frodo started to walk through the gardens. There was something soothing about the excitement of seeing a hobbit turn a single year older, the festivities and the parties. He always loved the stories, and the food (especially the food) and just the celebration in general. The thought of it made him homesick enough to where he really did feel sick.

Frodo came, dressed as...best as he could. Not like he could really make himself look decent for a party with the horrible uniform he was given. But it wasn't about the looks now, was it? This would be a good thing, considering everything that has happened. In Middle-earth or no.

He slowly approached his cousin, and tried to give him the most convincing smile he could manage. "A fine, young hobbit you've come to be, Merry."

open to all!

[chambermaid]

Merry had been kind to her the times they'd spoken and when she heard that it was his birthday, Gwen wanted to pay it forward, so to speak. She wanted to wish him a happy birthday and to bring him a gift, another finely made waistcoat. She held the package tucked beneath her arm, glancing around at the lovely party and its on going, taking in the sights and smells, knowing that Arthur would be there as well, it made it easy for her to smile.

[woodlander]

Tauriel did not know Gwen yet, but she had a passing interest in all who passed through the gardens. Knowing that this woman was likely to be one of Merry's friends, she moved closer to her, and smiled in greeting.

She was tall, by human standards, and her auburn hair fell a long way past her waist. It was braided intricately away from her face, and some of the flowers she'd been given when she arrived were twined there. The braids revealed the sharp points of her ears. Aside from that, she looked mostly human - albeit one that was very thin, and dressed in a peculiar green and brown uniform.

"Good day to you," she said softly. "Our host has put together quite a lovely gathering. I have not experienced a Hobbit feast before."

OTA

[woodlander]

Tauriel was not certain what to expect from a Hobbit gathering. It was her understanding that gifts were in order, and that seemed a difficult thing here. Still, over the last few days she had made a small wooden carving, in the shape of a small pony. She thought that it might remind him of home.

Having arrived, however, she'd been given a little bouquet of flowers. It was natural enough to take some from it, and twine them into the braids holding back her hair. This was pleasant. Peaceful.

Nothing like the last month had been. Despite the fact that she was supposed to be thinking on happier times, she found her mind drifting back to Thranduil's capture and escape, and to the danger that had befallen the ship so shortly afterwards. Feeling too restless to sit still, she moved through the party instead, sometimes stopping at the tables of food.

Finally, however, she found a tree at the periphery of what was happening, and she climbed up to rest on it and watch the party from there. Some faces she knew already, and some were unfamiliar. She tried to memorise the latter. In many ways, she felt still like a stranger here, and she wanted to fix that if she could.

[redheaded_rock]

Alexis came almost on a whim: she doesn't know these people well but that's much to be expected. She hasn't been here all that long. She stops under the tree that Tauriel has appropriated and leans on it, arms crossed and expression mild.

Just taking a moment to take a breath and then get back into things. Her lips quirk upward at some thing in her field of view -- someone smiling, talking. It's good to see.

She has not noticed the elf in the tree.

[woodlander]

Tauriel didn't know the girl, but aware of her presence, she looked idly down. Of course, her intention was not to startle, but her movements were quiet enough that it may well come across that way.

"Good day," she said, mildly. "My name is Tauriel, it is good to meet you."

[redheaded_rock]

Despite the mild tone, Alexis startled a little before looking up. Confusion was quickly replaced with a welcoming smile and she offered Tauriel a little wave. She might have been a little startled, but Alexis could hardly hold a grudge if it were warranted.

"Hello, Tauriel." And, wow, such pretty hair; Alexis is a little envious of it. "I'm Alexis. Sorry, I didn't see you there."

[woodlander]

Tauriel shook away the apology. It would be easy to miss her among the trees, after all; her clothes were basically camouflaged to it.

"I was not trying to be seen," she said simply, seeming unconcerned. "Are you one of Merry's friends?"

If she was here, then she probably was, but the invitation had gone out to the whole ship.

[acapriciousthing]

Death tends to keep an eye open for wallflowers. It was just a habit she'd fallen into at parties.

Usually they aren't in trees. Though no reason they can't be.

"Hi there."

[woodlander]

Tauriel looked down. She wasn't being an intentional wallflower, she just didn't know most of these people. And the atmosphere was quite different to anything that she was used to.

All right, maybe she was being a wallflower. She smiled, and inclined her head towards the woman who had approached.

"Greetings to you," she said. "I am Tauriel. It is a pleasure to meet you."

[acapriciousthing]

Death flashes her a bright smile and nods her own greeting. "You too. I'm Death. Some people prefer to call me Didi."

There was never really a good point in the conversation to get that one out there. Beginning was probably better, really. Kept it from derailing anything.

[ryuuzaki]

It was against L's natural inclinations to attend these gatherings, but he knew that it would be better if he made an appearance now and then; observation would help him understand the people on the ship better, something that might be vital in the future. Lately, working in Comms had been an excuse not to go to these things, but this particular party had two extra draws.

One was that Nathan Petrelli had asked him to look into Melkor. This party seemed to involve the people who disliked Melkor, which meant that useful conversations might come out of it.

The other was the profusion of baked goods that the host and his friends had produced.

L pocketed the small carved spoon that Merry pressed on him, then meandered through the tables of food, stacking a few small cakes on a blackberry waffle, enough to supply him for at least a few minutes. Next, he moved to the outer edge of the party, intending to lean against the trunk of a tree while he ate. He could use the time to get a distant view of the group before deciding who to approach.

He scanned the area as he approached it, and almost didn't notice the woman perched in the branches of the tree: one of the elves, watching the party from a distance. He knew why he would make this choice, but why she might make it was interesting. Shouldn't she have been down there with the others?

He glanced up at her from the corner of his eye, with a tilt of his head.

"It's more comfortable up there?"

[woodlander]

The thing about Melkor was, it was difficult to meet him and not dislike him. He was very good at subterfuge, but his true nature would assert itself soon enough. Before he had taken Thranduil, Tauriel had been wary of him – perhaps even afraid of him. She had suspected he would move against them, though not so quickly, and not with such…inelegance, perhaps, as to capture Thranduil and torture him outright.

Where the dark lord was now, she did not know. No doubt he was biding his time. She would be. He had abandoned the pretence of patience, but he would live still on a ship full of other people. His position would not be an easy one. She was rather lacking in sympathy for that, at the moment.

Before L spoke, she had been looking out over the party, not really focusing on anyone in particular. When he hailed her, her eyes moved very quickly to him, and there was a moment of hesitation before she smiled a little. She inclined her head, the slightest little bow of greeting.

“Sometimes it is better to watch than to wander,” she said. “Few people here are known to me – and a gathering like this is not one I have seen before. It seemed…appropriate, to sit back and listen.”

[onetouch]

Ned looked up and smiled, recognizing the elf, of course, but also smiling for her position. "Tauriel, was it?" A beat. "I brought pie."

[woodlander]

Tauriel returned the smile, though to her it was natural enough to sit here. Most of the food was unusual to her – more homely and Hobbit-like than what the Elves would eat.

“Hello Ned.” She remembered him from her first week here. Though they had not spoken much, it is comforting to see at least one face that is familiar. “Which pie is yours? I have not tried this kind of fare before. I would not know where to begin.

[onetouch]

"The ones with the logo on the box." He gestures, looking around the tree for a way up. "Would you mind if I joined you?" She had the right idea, hanging out above the party.

[thebreakingwave]

Right then. Fireworks. Not really his sort of magic, but Harry had reviewed the books he had and after some less than successful trial and error came up with a few charms that ought to do the trick. It won't be on par with the Quidditch World Cup halftime show, but what else is?

He's enchanted little balls of glass to glow with a warm, golden light and can be found carefully tossing them up into the trees and spelling them to stay in place. It's not particularly flashy magic, just a modified version of a nightlight spell that he'd learned for Teddy, but it works well-enough and is easier than stringing up fairy lights. For later, he's planning to cast a few more traditional looking firework-like spells in the shape of mythical animals that move or roar.

ota

[fertilefeet]

Birthdays are not really a thing among her people. It becomes pointless to celebrate something each year when you're going to live forever. Then again, Merry isn't an elf or immortal, so Lúthien doesn't know exactly how things work for mortal races. She knows, at least, that gifts are given to the one who is celebrating their birthday though. And while she doesn't have the skill to make anything elaborate, she could at least grow flowers to weave into a crown.

It was the best she could do, realizing she didn't have any skillset particularly suited to making gifts for others. Perhaps another time though. For now, she moved quietly and looked around.

[summerlord]

Elrond has done much the same here: moved around and watched the proceedings quietly, speaking here and there as spoken to. When he sees Luthien, he makes his way over to her and offers a simple, wordless gesture of greeting.

[fertilefeet]

It's hard to resist smiling when she sees him. Especially knowing what she does now. Looking at him with this new knowledge, it's hard to see just a friend or ally instead of family now. At least it gives her more reason to spend time with him.

"Elrond~"

[summerlord]

Would that he knew what she knew; he is still of the mind to keep her in the dark about certain things. He returns her smile. "My lady. How does this day find you?"

ota!!

[onetouch]

Ned is wielding several pies for the birthday boy, all hand-painted with the Pie Hole insignia. He whistles the tune to Happy Birthday as he sets them down on the table and puts his hands on his hips. He surveys the room, all decorations in place, and is reminded of the City and its grand parties. He feels, strangely, as though his life on the ship is beginning to come back on track. Because of pie and a hobbit turning a year older.

Despite the strange way in which he seems to have reached such a conclusion, it doesn't change the result. Where the City was once his home away from home, perhaps the Tranquility could now be his not-home away from his home away from home. It was a tall order to fill, but it was certainly better than milling through his days here without a purpose. The pie maker greets everyone he happens upon with an almost-blindingly bright smile.