afraid_of_marshmallows | Midnight Manor Boarding House Movie Room, Saturday Evening

As soon as Kamala had turned back into a person yesterday, Arden and Eleanor had swung into action. Arden had contacted Mr. and Mrs. Khan to let them know that Operation Birthday Bash was a go and about what time she'd be by to pick up the cake, and then called Mr. Najaf to see if he would be willing to cook up a whole slew of gyros (including some vegan gyros in case Steven or Watts showed up) for Kamala's birthday the next day. She also messaged Bruno and asked Mr. and Mrs. Khan if they could pass the invitation on to Nakia, letting them know about the party and offering to arrange portal service if they could make it out. After that had come ~~handwavily~~ messaging everybody else to let them know that they were celebrating Kamala's belated birthday at Midnight Manor on Saturday evening.

And lo, now it was the appointed hour. Ellie was keeping Kamala distracted upstairs (Arden was not asking how), and she was here setting out drinks (sodas, though Mr. Khan had sent Arden home with a jug of 'sweet tea,' which she had been very appreciative of and had appreciatively poured down the drain once she'd gotten home), gyros, and setting out Mrs. Khan's cake, leaving a spot in case Ellie had somehow managed to find or invent a Squishie cake. Bollywood movies were playing on the TV (though currently with the volume very low), there was a karaoke machine on standby, balloons and streamers were up, the guests ~~Avengers~~ assembled...

Now all they needed was the co-host and the birthday girl!

[Open! If you're a student, a resident of Midnight Manor, or just think Kamala is cool, feel free to handwave yourself an invite!]

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By the time Ellie came back, Arden had started chatting with someone else, so other than vaguely noting her return, Arden didn't really think much of it.

Some ~~handwavy~~ amount of time later, she dropped onto the couch next to Ellie, completely oblivious to having caused a small meltdown, or even that one had happened at all.

Sorry, Eleanor.

"Hey," she said. She had a cup of soda for herself and a slice of cake she was trying to pass over to Eleanor. "Taking a few to chill now that the hard part is over?"

"Oh gosh, that's right. What, two weeks from now?" Arden shook her head. "That marks my one year anniversary on the island, you know. September second."

"Just be glad you're still in college and your mom can't start on you now that you're, you know...what? A month into having a girlfriend?" Arden teased. "Hurry up, beta! I'm not getting any younger and neither are you!"

"Oh, I am so not ready for that conversation," Kamala said with a shiver. "I'm going to put off having them re-meet Eleanor as long as I can."

But parents weekend was looming so that was a fruitless wish.

What a meet the family that will be! Fortunately, with Arden having no family of her own, she anticipated a nice, relaxing weekend where the worst she had to worry about was Grimm showing up again to fuck Gray's brother.

"By the way, we have a lot to talk about soon," Arden said. "I have a favor to ask you and then...fuck, last weekend was crazy and...not now but soon?"

"Likewise we understand if you'd rather not have old men about when you're with your friends," Steven said with a smile. "Or friends your age, at least. Like to think we're friends regardless."

"Please," Steven said. "Just let me, Marc, or Llewellyn know so we can put it on the calendar. Make sure no one pops in and interrupts if someone is on a date or the like."

Well, that wasn't something she needed to worry about, but there were plenty of other people in the house who might, including the birthday girl.

"I'll pass that along," she said. "I bet we could have a lot of fun with that."

"Wonderful," Steven said. "Here, I'll get started on those decorations then.

There was going to be a barely inflated balloon flying out of his hands in a few minutes. But the streamers would be great!

When Charlie thought sisters, she thought sisters, like her twin sisters. So please forgive her if she was a little slow to catch on.

"It was their job?"

"Figurative," Charlie said, "Or I would not stand here before you. Though the way they go on for weeks after might make you wish it was literal on occasion."

"You have to come home with me sometime," Charlie said. 'The Aunties will take you right under their wings and family you until you cry mercy."

Everybody knew streamers were the most important decoration anyway.

"Well put me down for Saturday," Arden said and went to finish laying out the gyros.

"Yeah, you do really seem like you suffer," Arden teased. "Just terribly."

"I love them," Charlie admitted. "Totally, but boy do they make us all crazy sometimes. Most of the time."

Kamala frowned a bit. "Of course. Whatever you need from me, you got it. Is everything okay?"

"I know that feeling very well."

Arden realized she'd just committed a terrible party foul: making the guest of honor stress. "No, no, I need your help for a good thing," she assured Kamala. "I'd say for shenanigans, but the dean has permanently ruined that word for me. But I need you to be my partner in crime. But like without any actual crime."

"Well, I look forward to getting driven crazy," Arden said with a smile.

“Ohhh, that’s the best kind of crime,” Kamala said with a solemn nod. “I’m in. Whatever it is.”

"Maybe you'llmeet mine at Parent's Weekend," Charlie said. "I usually get a visitation of Aunties that weekend."

"And I look forward to eating popcorn and kibbitzing while you do," Charlie said.

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Midnight Manor Boarding House Movie Room, Saturday Evening

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