(all rp in this initial post was done offsite by the relevant players to be posted as part of this rp thread)
Bea hurries back to the Den, clutching a basket full of flowers from the local flower shop. She looks up to the sky; it appeared to be half past noon or so. She picked up the pace; she didn’t like making people wait for her, but today especially it would not do to be late. At last, she shuffles inside the main hall and down to the game room, she looks around at the work everyone has been doing.
Gorbash is in the main hall, adorning the walls are various horns, skulls, and bones. Colorful feathers, stones, and flowers hang from the recent adornments. Giving the look of oddly accurate, if a bit macabre plants. The smell of roasting meat hangs in the air, as the werebeast slowly turns a whole pig at the fireplace. He wipes sweat from his brow with a rag, he has obviously put a lot of effort in blending his people's ideas and his new family's for what a celebration should look be.
Cynder helped Gorbash with the decorations, though she had to be reminded on one or more occasions that red was not the only color that represented the Benevolence Society. Begrudgingly, she added green paper streamers to her already hanging red ones. She added her streamers to the already placed skulls, feathers, and stones, as well as a few of her own golden scales that had been recently shed. A bit macabre, indeed, but they did seem to compliment the already placed ornaments nicely. Once she was satisfied with their work, she started tidying up the main hall by sweeping and putting away all the extra decor they may have had. It was right around then that Bea entered, obviously to admire hers and Gorbash’s hard work and good tastes.
Toka squeezes past Bea in the doorway with a pouch filled with white crystals all strung in lines. He takes one line at a time and places them on the windows, refracting light around the room, shining off of Cynder's shed scales and brightening the room just a little bit more. Toka pauses while hanging the last string, gaze fixated at the ground outside the window. "Rocks say Alley-toes will be here soon."
Opi keeps the door to the Den slightly ajar, alternating between peering out of it and glancing back at his friends every couple of seconds. Seconds after Toka mentions Alathos arriving soon, Opi spots a glimpse of him coming around the corner towards the Den.
“He’s almost here!” Opi shouted. The decorations and food were incredible, and he only hoped that the activities he had planned for the party would be engaging enough, and that Alathos would like the gift he had prepared.
Bea scrambles to find a free vase amidst the chaos of the final stages of decorating. As she puts the blossoms into their container as quickly as she could while still minding the delicate flowers, she takes a final glance around the den. She’d only ever been to a single party before, the Nexsus Ball, so she didn’t have much to compare the Benevolence Society’s efforts to, but even with that in mind it still looked fantastic to her. “It figures Alathos would be early,” she mutters after Toka and Opi’s announcements. “And right after we finalized one o’clock with Abel and Claudia, too.” She finishes arranging the flowers and sets them on the table. “Everyone remembers what we’re doing, right? We’re going to wait until Alathos enters the room, then yell ‘happy birthday!’ got it?”
Gorbash still slowly turning the roasting pig, gives a nod. Speaking over his shoulder, not taking his eyes off of his task,"Aye, but don't ye be 'spectin Gorbash te 'ide like some thief. 'E 'eard folks 'ide then jump out fer surprise parties." With that he takes some herbs and spices in a claw, and sprinkles them over the turning pig.
“You don’t have to hide for surprise parties, at least I don’t think so—” Bea’s voice trails off as she hears the front door open. “Shhh! I think he’s here! Everyone get ready!” she whispers.
"Well it is the Third's Ninth..." Bea starts with a chuckle. Her excited expression falls as she takes in Alathos' demeanor. "I---I apologize, if I overstepped by saying when your birthday is. The party doesn't have to be about your birthday...but it --- that is to say, you've been doing so much lately, you deserve to have some time to celebrate your accomplishments and to relax, regardless. So yes, this is for you."
At that moment kicked in the door behind them and shouted, “Happy birthday!” As if to directly oppose what Bea had said just moments earlier. In the Satyr’s arms sat large a metal box that he seemed to be patting with no small amount of affection. “Sorry for the delays! My gift required a bit of… EXTRA attention.” He found a suitable table and set the mysterious metal box down, quite literally wiggling with excitement.
Gorbash stands, and stretches, his back gives several loud pops. Turning to face everyone, with a smile on his face,"Food's done!"
He rushes off to the kitchen, and brings out plates, cups, and a few covered platters. After hastily setting the table, he goes and retrieves the drinks. Setting a jug of milk in front of Alathos.
Pouring himself a tankard of water, and his master one of milk. He then pours everyone else a drink of their choice. He raises his up, with a booming voice," Gorbash don't know what a birthday is, but y'all seem excited fer it. So Alathos yer a good master 'o te guild, a wise leader, 'n a good friend. If'n we're celebratin' when yer born, it's a good reason. May all yer enemies fear yer name, 'n yer allies always love it. Te Alathos!"
Cynder joined in with the chorus of Happy Birthdays when Alathos at last discovered his surprise. She nodded her agreement with Gorbash. “I also do not know my day of birth nor celebrate, but I see why it would be worth celebrating.” She took a sip of the drink Gorbash had handed her after said werebeast announced his toast to their leader. In her other hand she held a rolled up piece of parchment tied with a ribbon, but waited for the commotion to settle some before doing anything with it.
Alathos takes a seat at the table in front of the tankard of milk, taking a sip along with the rest of the Society. Looking out at the feast spread across the table, then back to the decorations, then back to his guildmates, a smile begins to creep onto Alathos’ face, almost without him realizing it.
“I have to admit, you all really do know how to throw a party,” he begins. “I can’t say I’ve ever seen the guild hall look so magnificent,” he said, gesturing to the werebeast, Zmajite, and Oread, recognizing the artistic style of Gorbash’s ancestors, along with Cynder’s scales and Toka’s family members adorning the room. “And the food! It all smells incredible.” He stands up, looking to his friends one by one, “Thank you all for putting this together, I can’t tell you how much I appreciate all the effort you all have clearly put into this.”
As he sits back down at the table, he stretches his arms out, inviting his guildmates to join him. “However, although it may be my birthday today,” he says, fidgeting in his seat, unsure of exactly how to word his next sentence, “I want this party to celebrate all of us. As the leader of the Benevolence Society, my job would be infinitely harder without the help and support of everyone in the guild. So I feel like we’ve all earned a night of celebration,” Alathos declares as he cracks a huge smile, “for each other, and for ourselves.”
“Well, it’s still your party, but I’m sure we can all enjoy ourselves,” Opi says. “When everyone’s done with the food, I have a new game we can play. It’s like poker, but you get four cards instead of two. I’ll explain it later.”
He pours himself his own tankard of milk, settling in next to Alathos. “This is for you,” he mutters, before handing Alathos a small package. Inside is a small metal wristband which has a small alexandrite stone set into one side, cut into a teardrop shape.
”It’s been a while since I did any smithing,” Opi says. “And the gemcutting was a little harder than I expected, but I figured it out.”
Standing outside of the opened door to the Den, Claudia smiled, tipping her head slightly, resting it against the doorframe as she listened to her guildmates celebrate Alathos. Lifting her eyes slightly toward the sky, twirling a dark brown feather between her fingers, she gave herself a little nod - permission - and then, straightening, she stepped inside, carefully avoiding the ever-moving Krassus, she smiled as she stepped to where Alathos sat. "Happiest of days, my friend," she said, with a slight bow of her head.
Alathos carefully peels open the package to find the metallic bracelet Opi had crafted for him. He smiled at the sight of it, holding it up to the light, watching the candlelight bounce and reflect within the stone before fastening it to his wrist. He turned to his Homunculus friend, “Opi, thank you,” Alathos said with a huge smile, “it’s beautiful, I’ll cherish this forever.” He put his arm around Opi and clanked his tankard of milk against Opi’s in a “cheers” motion.
Just then, he noticed another figure in his peripheral. He turned to see Claudia, whom he stood to greet. “Thank you so much, Claudia,” he said warmly. Alathos was a bit disappointed when he didn’t initially see Claudia in attendance, but he was relieved to see her join the festivities. He leaned in and gave her a big hug before speaking again. “I’m really glad you could come,” he said, softer than before, and with a somewhat somber look on his face. “I haven’t really celebrated my birthday since I lost my parents, so it means a lot that you could be here today.”
The front door of the Den of Fools creaks open, revealing Alathos as he backs into the Den, knocking his boots off at the door before entering. As he shuts the door behind him and turns around, his instincts cause his body to jolt backwards against the door as the cacophony of “happy birthdays” fills his ears, startling him. He looks out onto the elegant—and slightly grisly—decorated main room of the guild hall, and then at all his guildmates gathered in front of him. His expression is blank for a moment as his brain attempts to process the scene he just walked in on. After a beat, he steps forward, looking to his friends. “I don’t… know what to say,” he says, his face now showing a puzzled expression. “Is this all for me?”