however many times you fall down, you get right back up

[taishou]

WHO: Nazuna Nito, his friends, and the residents of the Rec U dorms. An invite gets sent out from Nazuna's phone for it, if Nazuna's a friend or your RA.
WHERE: The aforementioned Rec U dorm
WHEN: Backdated to 04/27, early evening
WHAT: It's a special bunny boy's birthday!!! And for as much as he'd love to celebrate with friends, he also isn't about to. So a party has been organized for him.
WARNINGS: The power of friendship.



[ For anyone that's been coming and going through the dorms, they might notice that there's... well, two semi-familiar faces that have also been coming and going. How did they get in, when they're not residents? Don't worry about it, they totally have an inside man letting them in, as things are brought in and set up in one of the common rooms.

In fact, it might just be where Nazuna previously served Thanksgiving. Not that Kuro knows that. It just seemed like the most convenient place to set things up.

Those things include balloons and streamers everywhere in bright, pleasant colors. A gigantic "HAPPY BIRTHDAY" banner is spread out across the wall opposite the main doorway, plain as day for everyone to see. If there was a theme to the whole celebration, it'd probably be - well, spring. The colors, of course, but there's a good handful of rabbit decorations spread out across the room. Especially a large variety of rabbit-shaped balloons, hunted down for the birthday boy in question.

Mingle, have fun, and consider:

a. Eating the myriad of party food that has been brought in, with even some healthy options alongside the prerequisite pizzas that have been spread out on a table that was brought into the room.

b. Music! There's a wireless speaker set up, which can be utilized by partygoers at their leisure. There's an unspoken understanding that everyone will be on their best behavior, but Kuro is but one man, and Leo is... well, Leo. There's every possibility that one of the two orchestraters of this shindig will distract the other, or allow something one wouldn't.

c. Presents for the birthday boy. They can be left on another table, or gifted directly to him when he's eventually dragged in.

d. Ask about the singing cats.

Or create your own fun. Even party crash, if that's your thing, but know it won't go unnoticed. ]

Comments

nazuna;

[taishou]

[ Kuro does much of this unannounced, save to a few people, but nothing moreso than going to fetch Nazuna himself.

Without warning, but with the knowledge that the RA and birthday boy in question has an open door policy, he gives only a brief knock on Nazuna's dorm door before he's swinging it open after the scarce warning. He's definitely positioned himself so that no bunny can escape from the room, just in case Tsuchin is loose at the moment, but, you know. That also includes Nazuna himself, as he hones in on him immediately.

It's for his own good. A decade later, and he knows without a doubt that his childhood friend had no intentions of celebrating his birthday. ]

[pronounces]

[ nazuna is minding his own business when there's a knock on the door--he looks up from his homework and brightens immediately. ]

Kurochin! [ ...hey wait a second. ] ...Kurochin? How did you--what are you doing here?

[ ???????? ]

[espansivo]

[one of the orchestraters..! of course leo is Trying to be on his best behavior, he tries for the people that are important(ish) to him, and nazuna is always good to him anyway. he is going to be good back.

besides he's the conductor for the cats he has to keep them in check. with treats and toys and whatnot. leo's mostly acting under that job, laying on the floor when he's not coaxing them into practicing "Happy Birthday", but he'll certainly making sure there's rarely any trouble.

... he really does not care what you play on the music unless it's Shit frankly, go wild in that regard, just know what he's very into singing the song he knows and pretending he knows the songs he doesn't.]

[pronounces]

a.

[ having been almost literally kidnapped to his own birthday party, nazuna's a little overwhelmed by all of the attention. he's not usually the type to celebrate himself at all, and though he gave both kuro and leo his usual spiel about it, they've surprised him completely and totally.

settled by the food table, nazuna looks pretty warm and soft and happy as he looks out on the party, holding a plate with a slice of pizza, and watching people he loves--his friends--have fun. really, there's nothing else he could want for his birthday than this. he seems pretty content just to watch, which probably won't do for the birthday boy.

at being approached, though, he startles out of it, and offers whoever it is a small smile. ] Oh! Sorry, I didn't see you there...

d.

[ why this. why are there singing cats in the dorm. nazuna's left staring at them, and he can feel an incoming headache.

...even if they're really cute.

eventually, a little despairing, as if asking whoever's nearby: ] How did he even smuggle them in here...?

wildcard.

[ towards the end of the evening, nazuna seems pretty sleepy: he's always been a firm believer in an early bedtime, because someone told him once that kids who sleep early grow faster. besides, he's a busy, busy guy--with the end of the school year coming, he's approaching maximum velocity of exhaustion, and maybe the best present of all is this.

it's the fact that he's asleep on the common room couch, tsuchin and the newly obtained jimechin (thanks, retrospec) asleep in his arms. he's utterly at peace. ] Zzznn...~ ♫

[ this is not his room, though, so maybe wake him up. ]

wilcard ii.

[ got any other ideas? hit me up here! the birthday bun, here for your birthday bun needs. ]

d

[adoringpast]

...I'm not surprised.

[ sort of. he's still going to kill leo for this, though. so annoying...! ]

This isn't the first time he'd done this though. Both in that life and here.

[pronounces]

[ nazuna looks dismayed. i'll probably get a 3B memory from this so thanks. ]

He had a cat chorus in the other life...? [ how. ]

[adoringpast]

[ no prob, boo ]

Not sure about an entire gaggle of cats, but he did have a cat friend back then. It's really fat and squishy.

[ shrugs ]

And you already know how the other one kept pregnant cat in these dorms and that she gave birth to kittens during the fallout last August. Guess that's one of the most consistent things with him.

[pronounces]

[ of course... nazuna looks at the cats, who are even mostly congregated together, still. it's supposed to be impossible to herd cats, isn't it?

he sighs. ] At least some things don't change. [ because his leo is clearly a lot different than the leo that they knew before...and the leo from sena's memories, perhaps. ] I guess I can't blame him. I got a rabbit from Retrospec the other day, so...

[adoringpast]

A rabbit? Again?

[ there's a line between his brows as he takes a sip of orange juice because it's the only drink he can have as usual. ]

What, you used to sneak animals into that school too?

[pronounces]

No! [ ...okay, he definitely snuck jimechin in, but, well, mizuki doesn't have to know that. ]

Tsuchin's a therapy rabbit, so I had him registered with the dorm. It's all legal here...~! Not that it really matters, I guess, since I'm graduating in a few weeks.

[adoringpast]

Right, you're finally getting out of here...

[ smirks. sena's going to be a junior next school year though, so he still has a way to go.

sometimes it's hard to tell who's the older one of the, tbh. ]

It's like what I said on the network - you'll def find a job that'll suit you. But are you sure you want to stick being a kindergarten teacher? I don't even know how to handle a room full of them, let along trying to make them focus on the board.

[justchords]

(sup nazuna, it is yet another guilty party of this... well, party. apollo has been more than content to spend the evening watching nazuna mingle with his guests, actually let go and enjoy himself instead of fussing over everyone else.

apollo greets nazuna with a wide smile, a bit of a rare sight even for nazuna, looking absolutely delighted at how everything came together because of kuro and leo.) Having fun?

[pronounces]

[ oh... that smile makes nazuna warm up even more, and even though his cheeks pinken a little with all the attention, he ends up smiling back at his best friend. ]

Were you part of this~? Apochin, sneaky, sneaky...~ ♫

[justchords]

(it's a relief to see nazuna so happy for a change, letting people take care of him and fuss over him and spoil him the way he deserves. apollo tilts his head, his grin turning mischievous, a rather rare sight for him.) I refuse to testify on the grounds that it may incriminate me.

(that's a yes.)

[pronounces]

[ cute... that makes nazuna even more fond, and he reaches over to give apollo a pat on the head. it's not patronizing; he's pretty pleased, actually, with the party and everything they've done today. ]

Well, incriminating or not... it was really sweet of you. I even got a gift from Retrospec, did you know?

[ a good one! he puts a hand to his mouth, as if conspiratory, trying to keep it secret...~ ] Do you wanna see it?

a

[stressweets]

You're fine, Nazuna. [ he looked so content, after all... ♪ but tsukasa's here for a reason, he's holding out a rather stocky card—similar to what he got for white day.

...because it is, but instead of any touching and embarrassing words, it simply has "happy birthday" in very neat, careful calligraphy (both english and japanese, obviously from an ink brush) and a flower crown of watercolor daisies around the words. ] This is for you...~ It's not much, but I hope you like it.

[ actually, there's poor pencil drawing of a rabbit ("tsuchintan" is written helpfully on its collar) stuck in the card too but. ahem. he's trying okay leave him alone he's no good at animals and people ]

[pronounces]

[ nazuna lights up when tsukasa hands him the card, opening it to look at it: he looks so happy! ]

Oh, Kasachin, this is amazing! I loved the one you did for white day, too, you're so talented!~ It'd be an honor to hang something up like this on my wall. ♫ [ beaming, he reaches out and up to ruffle tsukasa's hair. ] Thank you.

[stressweets]

[ uwah... ♪ ]

I'm not really...~ But you're welcome. [ ... ] Are you really going to hang it up..? That's so embarrassing, um... [ . . . ] N-niichan.

wildcard i

[espansivo]

[ah, the birthday boy's been tuckered out.

leo leans over the back of the couch, watching nazuna fondly for a bit (he's so cute, so pretty, so peaceful) before petting the two bunnies gently, hand trailing from the animals to the other's cheek for a poke.]

Nazu~. [soft, coaxing.] You can't sleep out here you know. Come on, come on, I'll stay with you tonight, so let's go to bed, okay..? Your little pals are tired too.

[pronounces]

Nnn... [ oh, there's someone there. nazuna's been dozing on and off for the twenty minutes, the voices of the party falling to pleasant background noise. leo being close is new, and he blinks awake, staring up at him with half lidded eyes. there's a pleasant little squeeze in his chest, and nazuna pushes himself into a somewhat sitting position, disturbing the two bunnies as he rubs his eyes. ]

Leoshin...? [ good luck getting any english out of him that makes any sense. ] Wha'timeshhh it? 's...'m wake.

[espansivo]

[he speak sleepy nazunese it's fine.]

It's late for you~. The party ends once you let it, you know? We could keep going on, but it'd feel weird with you knocked out on the couch.

[he's gonna take the bunnies from nazuna, holding them carefully and standing up more.]

You really do fall asleep like an old man, but I guess that's just how teachers are, huh? Mom and Dad... Mmmm, my parents went to bed early too back then. We couldn't stay up very late either.

[even now he doesn't stay up Tremendously late

just later than nazuna]

[pronounces]

[ thank goodness for small favors...

the bunnies don't squirm much--jimechin is well behaved, tucking into leo's forearm, and tsuchin just ignores him, starting to eventually wiggle for his dad. nazuna reaches out his small hands for him and takes him, setting the warm lump over his shoulder and sleepily trying to process everything leo's telling him. ]

Mmm... dun' mind. Party mush ash you want...'sh long ash it's school 'ppropriate. [ amazingly, he can still be a nag half asleep. ] If y'wanna go, we can go...

[espansivo]

Mmm, mmm, it's less of a want and more of a need... You'll hurt your back sleeping like that, you know.

[with one hand free, he'll ruffle nazuna's head gently and take him by the hand, tugging lightly.]

Come on, come on, up and at 'em Nazu. I'll draw on your face if you don't follow Leonii. ♪

[pronounces]

[ the hand finally gets nazuna up and off of the couch. he yawns, free hand coming up to cover his mouth politely as he does so, then moves upwards to rub his eyes. ]

Dun y'dare....and you're not niichan, t'me. [ it's amazing that he can still be a nag even half asleep, isn't it? a nazuna nito special talent. either way, he gives leo back his free hand after a moment, cupping tsuchin close in his arm with the other. ] Should say g'bye...

[espansivo]

[what a special boy..!!!! it's like he's wasted, but not! god! leo should've spiked his drink! that would've been fun, even if nazuna would've killed him!]

You can say g'bye as we leave. [he'll gently lead him along, lifting nazuna's hand.] Let's say bye-bye to everyone, Nazu-tan~. Wave wave~.

[like he's cooing a kid, yeah.]