Happy Birthday My Olde Friend [August 24] [Shepherd's Haven] [Open]

[numberedshepherd]

Who: Lazarus, Nathan, Misa, OPEN to anyone in Shepherd's Haven or who might drop by
Where: Town Hall
When: August 24, Monday
What: Just because Tony stalked off doesn't mean that they aren't still going to be celebrating Nathan's 20th birthday. Look at the kid. You'd have to be a dick to even imply that he was born at an inconvenient time.
Warnings: Probably the most depressing birthday party ever.
Status: Ongoing/Open. Set your own threads here! Have fun! Or try to.



The day before had been a mess. Not only had Lazarus' doppelganger resurfaced after a full year of silence, effortlessly bringing infected sore points to the surface and sowing gleeful discord in his wake, but Tony had left on bitter and angry terms, accompanied by Richard. Understandably, it's cast a pall over the settlement, but as always, there are other things to think about, matters of obligation and the heart.

Nathan is turning 20 today. Lazarus remembers it blearily as he wakes up hungover. Dragging himself out of bed, showering, and dressing, he mentally runs over all the things he needs to do today.

See Misa about a cake. Get some toys from Woodend. Generally announce that this is happening, and above all, don't forget to smile.

He glances at a mirror and gives it a shot. His dry, pale skin, cracked lips and deep undereye circles don't make it look particularly encouraging. He fights back a wave of nausea, taking a quick seat, deciding that he can wait for it to pass before he tackles today's priorities.

Comments

[witnessme]

Misa's doing a great job with the party, and even though the gifts are a little paltry and ill-chosen (how the heck does a person buy presents for a grown-up kid?), Nux thinks that he did a pretty bang-up job, too. She's one of the more cheerful people here, so he automatically gravitates toward her, actually wearing a jacket today (though still no shirt under it.)

"Hey, uh... Misa," he greets, glancing around before lowering his voice. "Haven't seen Tony today. Do you know where he might be hiding out?"

[lovesickkiller]

Misa's expression falls at the mention of he-who-must-not-be-named, and she can't stop herself from glaring at Nux for a moment or two. How can he be so out of the loop after such a public meltdown?

Sighing, Misa cements her smile back in place. "He's not around right now! Don't worry about it, he just needed some time to himself."

[witnessme]

Nux looks taken-aback by the souring of Misa's previously cheerful expression, and he automatically ducks his head and averts his eyes like a rebuked puppy even though she hasn't directly said anything to chastise him.

"Time to himself? But he wouldn't want to miss Nathan's birthday, and... and Nathan wouldn't want him to miss it either, would... he...?"

[lovesickkiller]

"Tony isn't a very considerate person," Misa says through grit teeth, smile still in place. "Let's not bring it up, okay? We should only talk about good things at a party."

[witnessme]

"Huh?" Nux's bright blue eyes widen; he's clearly shocked by the answer. "T-Tony's good, what are you talking about? Why can't we talk about him?"

He sounds scared by this point.

"W-what did he do?"

[lovesickkiller]

"Tony didn't do anything," Misa says calmly. "He got in a bad mood and argued with some people here. He isn't in the mood for a party. It's not a big deal, but it's kind of a downer, right? Let's focus on having fun."

[witnessme]

Nux seems to still not really get it.

"Uh, who did he argue with? Maybe I can fix things. I should go call him. Someone should be fixing this, right? It's not making this birthday any... uh, you know, happier."

[lovesickkiller]

"Leave it be, okay?" Misa insists, rapidly losing her patience for the conversation. "He argued with a lot of people, and he's going to yell at you if you call him. You can't fix this. Just... enjoy the party."

[witnessme]

Nux flinches slightly at the sharpness of her tone. He swallows, averting his eyes, looking guilty and rebuked.

"I'm his friend... I... I have to at least try to talk to him," he says. "How'm I gonna enjoy the party if he feels like he can't even be here? He gave me a chance, he's always given me chances. What would it say if I didn't even give him a chance to explain himself?"

[lovesickkiller]

How is someone this creepy looking so skittish?

"Do whatever you want," Misa sighs, moving to pour herself a drink. "Just don't bring it here."

[witnessme]

To be fair, when Nux was going by the name Luca and carried a lot of chameleon traits outwardly, he looked a lot creepier.

"I... d-don't wanna leave early, but OK. I'll go outside and call him," he agrees, heading for the door.