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!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Shh! Stay quiet! We don't want Kamala to hear anything!

Steven and Llewellyn ~~modded with permission because it's traveling back from Disney day~~ popped their heads in.

"Arden! Hello! Is it all right if we're here?"

"Hi, Steven! Hi, Detective Watts! Yeah, please come in," Arden said, waving them inside if they didn't enter fast enough. "I even grabbed some vegan gyros for you in case you showed up!"

"That's so kind of you," Steven said. They would absolutely be helping themselves to those gyros. Odds were good that Llewellyn was beelining for them already. "And don't worry, we won't stay long. Just wanted to pop our heads in to say happy birthday to Kamala is all."

"Oh, I wasn't worried about that at all," Arden said. "You're both welcome to stay as long as you want. It's nice to have friend around."

"Very kind of you," Steven said. He looked around. "Did you put all this together yourself? It looks wonderful."

"Oh, it was Ellie and me," Arden said. "We're co-hosts! We agreed that we had to throw Kams a party since she was a sloth for hers, and brainstormed what to do. She's on distraction duty upstairs with extra cupcakes, and I got the rest of the food and drinks and did the decorations."

Which, to be sure, weren't much. Some balloons, some streamers, the word happy birthday strung across a wall.

"Do you need any help with anything?" Steven asked. "Bringing in refreshments or the like?"

"You know, if you wouldn't mind blowing up a few more balloons or hanging more streamers, that would be a lot of help," Arden said. "Oh and, uh, we have a magic holosuite, right? The All-Purpose Room?"

"Of course," Steven said. He was going to have vastly more luck with the streamers than with the balloons. "And yes, it does. Do you need it for something now? Easy enough to set up."

"Oh no, not until next Saturday, if that's okay," Arden said, idly taking out her phone and sending a text. "I've got an idea for a fun afternoon."

Oddly enough, a text appeared on Steven's phone just as Arden sent hers! One that said, Surprise party for Cal next Saturday in the AProom.

Steven fumbled for his glasses and his phone so he could read it. He nodded, then sent back, Absolutely. No problem at all. Good to know his birthday is coming as well, cheers.

When Arden would check her phone later, it was the 'cheers' that would send her. Absolutely adorable, Steven.

"I keep forgetting that we even have that room," she said. "I guess, 'we have an extra magic room in our already magic house' just doesn't even register."

[Contents of texts NFB, please!]

"I know what you mean," Steven said. "Llewellyn and I forget about it as well."

Strangely not Marc though. Which was a bet even Steven would've lost.

"If you or the others ever have any other ideas for it, we're all ears," Steven said. "Back when Gonzo was here we'd had some about making it into a theater so he could put on a show one night. I suppose nothing stopping us from making it a theater for a night now, but far as I'm aware no one here does performances? Point being we welcome anyone's creativity about it."

"I mean, a hell of a way to do karaoke," Arden mused. "And maybe Cal or Kamala would like to be able to practice with their powers there?"

"Absolutely possible to do that," Steven said. "It could even help keep them from hurting themselves. If there was a fall from a height, for example."

Arden nodded. And maybe it would help Cal feel less like he was stagnating on the island while he waited for a portal to get back to his own world.

Bad thought, never mind.

"So I don't know if we'll ever get a theater performance night going on, but we can make more use of it, now that we remember it."

"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!

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.

Midnight Manor Boarding House Movie Room, Saturday Evening

Arrive and Mingle (Pre-Surprise)

Re: Arrive and Mingle (Pre-Surprise)

Re: Arrive and Mingle (Pre-Surprise)

Re: Arrive and Mingle (Pre-Surprise)

Re: Arrive and Mingle (Pre-Surprise)

Re: Arrive and Mingle (Pre-Surprise)

Re: Arrive and Mingle (Pre-Surprise)

Re: Arrive and Mingle (Pre-Surprise)

Re: Arrive and Mingle (Pre-Surprise)

Re: Arrive and Mingle (Pre-Surprise)

Re: Arrive and Mingle (Pre-Surprise)

Re: Arrive and Mingle (Pre-Surprise)

Re: Arrive and Mingle (Pre-Surprise)

Re: Arrive and Mingle (Pre-Surprise)

Re: Arrive and Mingle (Pre-Surprise)

Re: Arrive and Mingle (Pre-Surprise)

Re: Arrive and Mingle (Pre-Surprise)

Re: Arrive and Mingle (Pre-Surprise)

Re: Arrive and Mingle (Pre-Surprise)

Re: Arrive and Mingle (Pre-Surprise)

Re: Arrive and Mingle (Pre-Surprise)