Matt Murdock's Surprise Birthday Party

[blondferret]

WHO: Matt Murdock and Friends
WHERE: Derek Matthew's Apartment
WHEN: Friday, December 15, evening
WHAT: Surprise Birthday Party
WARNINGS: possible alcohol consumption



After meticulous planning with Tatsuo, Derek came up with a plan: Use his cousin as bait! Derek called up his cousin, Foggy, and explained that he needed to get Matt over to his apartment for a birthday party but, Matt could not find out. Thus, he needed Foggy to come with him to pick up Matt and pretend that they were having a movie night and he needed Foggy to talk Matt's ear off so Matt would not notice anything else.

The plan was that ten minutes after Derek, Matt, and Foggy, arrive at Derek's apartment, Derek would text Tatsuo and tell him to come down the the guests and the cake. The rest of the food, drinks, and decorations were hidden in Derek's apartment. And then, the party could commence.

A. [Closed to Derek, Matt, and Foggy] Getting the Birthday Boy

Derek and Foggy are driving to Matt's apartment and Derek is giving Foggy some very precise instructions.

"So, Matt cannot find out this is a birthday party. This means, once we are about three blocks away from his apartment, no more birthday party talk. We can't risk it. Just talk his ears off about anything but about the birthday party. Also, Tatsuo's cover is that he is at the dojo, so he won't be joining us until later. Any questions mate?"

B. Guests gather at Tatsuo's apartment. SILENCE!

Meanwhile, Tatsuo has all the guests congregating in his apartment three floors up from Derek's apartment, blasting Queen of the Night from the Magic Flute, and motioning everyone to be dead silent. Derek and Tatsuo had decided on this piece because one, Tatsuo is technically suppose to be a the dojo, so playing any of his normal music would be a dead give away, and also, Queen of the Night has so many high notes it will hopefully cause Matt to try to ignore it.

Tatsuo is trying his best to impress upon everyone the need to be SILENT!

C1: SURPRISE MATT! IT'S A PARTY!

Give Matt your birthday present. It's a birthday party after all, there better be presents for this good looking guy.

C2: General Mingling

Food, drinking, cake, and possible other shenanigans. (Karaoke?)

Comments

Here's the birthday boy who didn't ask for a party???

[blessmefather]

A [CLOSED]

As far as Matt knows he's going to Derek's for a movie he's unfamiliar with. Foggy had volunteered to fill in for the missing descriptive audio track so he could follow along with the action, and he figured with his sense of humor it would be a fun experience whether he was any good at it or not. Derek had insisted they do something for his birthday and this was it. Sure. Why not?

He waits at home in his apartment until he hears a familiar heartbeat approaching the building, then he takes the elevator down to the lobby to meet them.

C1 [OTA]

He still can't believe Derek and Tatsuo went to this length to try surprising him. It wasn't exactly the traditional surprise, he could tell from the sound of footsteps alone when multiple people were suddenly stopping on Derek's floor to leave the elevator and approaching his door. Still it had him laughing when familiar people came walking in the door greeting him with, "Surprise! Happy birthday!"

"Thanks," Matt makes sure to greet each friend. "I'm not used to parties on my birthday. This is... nice."

C2 [OTA]

At least they can taste some very basic foods. Before he takes a bite or drink from his cup Matt pauses to take a sniff of the item, and he looks quite pleased as he eats, perhaps too pleased for someone missing most of their taste ability.

Wildcard

A

[devilsadvocato]

Back in the car Foggy snorted at Derek's reminders. "Don't worry I've got it. No party talk. Simple. We have a grade A distraction with us. We'll be fine!" Foggy waves the DVD case in his hand. Disney's Frozen. "By the time things get going he'll be busy listening to me describe how Hans has the most perfect sideburns."

Re: A

[blondferret]

[Derek snorts.]

Sideburns? Is that a thing for you?

[Noticing they they are only a few blocks away Derek's hands tighten on the steering wheel.]

Alright mate, it's showtime.

[When they reach Matt's apartment building, Derek carefully parallel parks on the side of the street and puts the car in park. Checking to make sure no care were coming down the street, Derek opens his car door.

Alright, let get him.

Re: A

[devilsadvocato]

More like I want to know his technique. [He brushes a finger over the side of his face.] I tried to make 'em work for me back in college. But I guess I don't have that amazing Disney Prince hair game.

[Foggy climbs out of the car and follows Derek inside. Surprise surprise there's the birthday boy waiting for them.]

Hey Matt! Dang. Did you know we were here all ready? Ready to have your mind blown by the latest in pop culture achievements?

Re: A

[blessmefather]

[ Matt raises a hand to wave to them and walks over to them. He still can't believe he has been talked into listening to his friends narrate a Disney movie for his birthday. It's not how most men spend their thirty third birthday. He's already smiling and laughing to himself. ]

Yeah I knew you had pulled up.

Ready as I'll ever be. Which movie did you two choose?

Re: A

[blondferret]

[Derek grins.]

My cousin has decided that we should expand your movie repertoire with Frozen of all movies. The only compliment I can give it is the music and the talking snowman.

[Derek opens the car door for Matt.]

Alright, get in loser, we're celebrating your birthday.

C1

[devilsadvocato]

"Better get used to parties thrown for you then. You have a whole group of friends who insist you celebrate." Foggy gives him a friendly elbowing. "Right! I got you something. Special ordered online. Check it out!" He pushes a large thick booklet into Matt's hands. When he skims the title he'll discover that it's a piano music book. This one is "80s Hits Volume 1."

Re: C1

[blessmefather]

Matt turns the booklet over in his hands and runs his fingertips over the title at the top, bursting into laughter as he reaches the end of the title. He skims over the list of songs, face flickering between consideration, surprise, and approval at the selection.

"A tasteful selection including a good number of tracks I have listened to way too many times. Thanks! I am definitely going to play through this later. If I can manage to perform one of them decently I'll have a golem record it and send you the video. Hopefully I won't drive Mary crazy with Old People's Music," Matt says, chuckling.

Re: C1

[devilsadvocato]

"Old People's Music? Matthew!" Foggy gasps and clutches his chest. "These are classics for people of all ages and walks of life. You should know that. You were not a part of the target audience when these were written and yet you know the lyrics to most if not all of the songs in that book. This was the soundtrack of our time in that cabin as kids. True art brings people together. I'm throwing my arms up and shrugging at you. I rest my case Counselor."

[blondferret]

C1: Matt's birthday gift

Derek pats Matt on the shoulder and hands taps a thin box to his chest.

"Here you go mate, happy birthday. So, did we surprise you?"

[Derek got Matt this. It's silk.]

C2: Food and Drinks.

Derek is quickly bringing out the food from the fridge and cabinets. Thanks to the recent change in taste, Derek and Tatsuo had to come up with grain based food for the party. Derek places beer and a wheat vodka, scotch, sake, and whiskey. Hopefully that's enough booze.

For snacks Derek brings, out, wheat thins, pita chips and bread, crackers, pretzels, pretzel goldfish, oatmeal cookies, and lastly, a few bags of popcorn. Derek quickly unwraps one and sticks it in the microwave to pop.

To the people near the table Derek calls over to them.

"Go ahead and help yourself! We will do cake in a bit. It's a white cake."

C1

[blessmefather]

"Thanks. Yeah uh actually you did. I thought it was strange one of Tatsuo's neighbors was having some sort of opera party upstairs." Matt lifts the lid off the box and runs a hand over the contents, fingers instantly coming in contact with smooth cool material. He blinks as he pulls it out and unfolds it, holding it up and feeling along the edge, smiling as he confirms what it is. "A new scarf. Thank you! This is great. Is this silk? It's one of the only fabrics that still feels this smooth to the touch."

Re: C1

[blondferret]

[Derek nods.]

Yeah, it's silk and it is dark grey and black, so it can match with a lot of different things. Hopefully it will be warm enough.

And I'm glad we surprised you, it's was pretty hard. It took a lot of planning.

Re: C1

[blessmefather]

I'm sure it will serve me well.

[ He can always pile on the layers. ]

Sorry this became so complicated because of the whole...

[ He points towards his ear and circles his finger in the air. ]

Re: C1

[blondferret]

Mate, don't sweat it. Look at this way, I was able to surprise a person with your... particular talents, with a birthday party. Obviously if being a CSI doesn't pan out for me in the future, I should just party plan.

Re: C1

[blessmefather]

Who knows. Maybe you should. Watch out for those busybody clients though. Upset parents. Angry brides and grooms.

[thisloveisjustice]

B -- sorry for your eardrums

Tatsuo is sincerely sorry if opera is not to your tastes. But you try masking the heartbeats and other assorted bodily noises of a group of party guests from a guy who can hear a pin drop from blocks away. Infer what you want from the apparent necessity of blasting an aria of a woman asking her daughter to murder her (the daugher's) father with a knife or risk eternal disownment. But there is no denying Diana Damrau hits those high notes like an absolute boss.

Though, if anyone knows some other opera arias with disgustingly high notes to provide a little variation, Tatsuo is all ears. Figuratively.

Tatsuo feels his phone vibrate and glances at the screen.

"Okay, they're picking Matt up now. You have ten minutes until the music starts and absolute silence. So work everything out now. Once the music starts, only one person may move about the apartment at a time. Make sure your phones are on silent, including keystrokes."


C1 -- happy birthday matt

Once the party is in full swing, Tatsuo brings his gift over to Matt. It is, incidentally, wrapped in the same wrapping paper that had been used on Matt's gift to him this year. Reduce, reuse, and recycle kids. It's a small box with a fitted lid, roughly 6 x 8 x 2 inches. Inside is a pair of cashmere lined leather gloves and a cashmere beanie.

"The gloves are black and the beanie is grey, so they'll go with anything."


C2 -- bread and booze

On the one hand, at least they have something they can taste? On the other, there's a lot of same flavors going on, at least with the food. The alcohol though... after a little head scratching, him and Derek were able to come up with quite a few grain based alcohols. For now, Tatsuo is helping himself to oatmeal cookies (no rasins sadly) and pretzel goldfish. And a whiskey ditch. Because without any greasy foods on hand, all the booze he's going to be drinking tonight is going to go straight into his system.

Good thing he only needs to go upstairs to go to bed.

C1

[blessmefather]

Matt certainly won't be picky about the wrapping appearance of gifts given to him. When he's the one opening something it's more about whether the mystery item is covered successfully so he can't feel it just by holding it. These days he could make some extra accurate guesses though.

He opens the box, he can smell the leather immediately, and his fingers trace over the fingers of a glove first. "Leather gloves. Hold on..." He lifts one of them. It's heavier and thicker than thin leather gloves. Oh. "Nice lining. Feels similar to this..." He pulls out the beanie next and grins at Tatsuo. "Did you and Derek plan this? Your gifts match."

Re: C1

[thisloveisjustice]

"Well, we had to make sure we weren't getting you the same thing," Tatsuo says with a grin. "And we figured any winter stuff you already have might be a bit... scratchy."

It might have been Derek's idea for Tatsuo to get the hat and gloves. A scarf is just a bit too much for Tatsuo's limited fashion sense.

Re: C1

[blessmefather]

Matt sighs and nods at him. "Yes. Sadly a large percentage of my clothing itches. Even fabrics you would expect to stay soft have a rough woven texture to my senses. You can imagine what clothing made of infamously rougher fabric feel like to me now."

He slips on the gloves to be sure they fit. They go on easily and the cashmere instantly warms from his body heat. "Thank you, this is perfect. You two really spoiled me."

Re: C1

[thisloveisjustice]

"Like wearing sandpaper probably. That would drive me up the wall."

Tatsuo is pleased when the gloves fit properly. Hand-size can vary so much from person to person and leather gloves in particular do not have much give.

"And you'd do the same for either of us, if we'd suddenly had all our senses ramped up to eleven."

[matchbreaker]

C2/C1
[ Honestly she was so surprised to be invited to this (did people pull out the receipts on him going to her birthday party? Did they invite her as a gag because she did do that open birthday or because of her showing off about the Ninja Warrior? Maybe they just saw they had talked a few times on the public network?) that she didn't bother to come to the initial surprise part. That... seems better for close family or friends, right? Still, it would be rude to ignore the invitation, and so the woman made to arrive a little bit late and show for at least a moment or two.

... So.

She does! She does try to mingle as best a (5' 41 year old) woman in a nice lavender dress can while being a bit embarrassed about being out of place and needing to wear sunglasses in here. Still, she's willing to talk, might have a drink or two (she does need to drive back) and... she did bring a gift, a small one in a little box she's got on hand initially. ]

[blessmefather]

[ Elda might feel out of place with her glasses on but Matt's friends don't blink twice at an extra person wearing shades indoors. Matt is also surprised she's there (well technically the entire party was a surprise to him) but glad nevertheless. ]

Hi Elda. Thanks for coming. I hope Tatsuo and Derek didn't give you too much trouble while they were setting all of this up.

[matchbreaker]

Honestly, I'd never met either man, so I was surprised by the invitation. I suppose they keep close tabs on who you visit for belated birthdays.

[ She says this with a little sheepish laugh and ... brushing the back of her head in that way that people do when they probably had more to say but didn't have a good way to say it. She's far too old for that but oh well. ]

But if you're thanking me, seems it worked out well. Happy Birthday.

[blessmefather]

Thank you. It's nice to see you. -Well, you know what I mean. [ He smirks. ]

Any big holiday plans coming up?

[matchbreaker]

[ Her cheeks heat up, but it's not because of embarrassment, but it's more because of the idea of ... Well, maybe it's just that there is something so broad as to make her ... it feels weird, delicate. ]

Somewhat, yes. Both of my son's birthdays are quite close to Christmas and for the first time in a while, I'm going to celebrate one of them.