...how kids plan parties...

[basic_powers]

If they're dreamers, they want bouncy castles and pony rides and giant tigers.

If they're the children of superheroes, oddly enough they still want those things, but you can't find a good pony that resists nuclear radiation as Tyler's learned. So, in the interest of keeping things simple and within his budget, a party has come together in the backyard of the house of one Augustus Fenwick.

Inside, there's plenty of soda in the fridge, and bowls of chips, dips, crackers, pretzels and ofcourse candy and little paper favor bags. The coffee table between the couch and TV already has one large present wrapped in brown paper (decorated with green watercolor cats) and an absolutely HUGE box wrapped in a myriad of wrapping papers next to it.

Outside in the fenced backyard is a good sized stick, branch and log structure, waiting to be set on fire as soon as the sun really starts to set, and that isn't that far off as the afternoon sunlight reveals. There's a kid in a black trenchcoat that looks about eight sizes too big poking about said structure as Tyler holds open the door for the guests. And decorating the walls, counter top are little decorated brown-paper flags saying 'Happy Birthday Nepeta!" in green letters.

Comments

[fiss84]

Her face lights up, as it rarely does, and she waves. "Tyler! I couldn't find any of the gifts you suggested." With the last a hint of her usual nervousness returns.

[basic_powers]

"That's okay, I think she'd be happy with just about anything nice," Tyler grins, trying his best o reassure Julie... "Come on in, there's food and some lawn games set up already."

[nepetaleijon]

You said the magic word, Will: sugar.

Nepeta tastes one, and promptly tosses the whole thing in her mouth and proceeds to crunch its bones.

(Figuratively. Rock candy doesn't have bones.)

[nepetaleijon]

"Ohhh."

She peers at the disc. "So if it's just catch, one purrson throws it and the other tries to catch it?"

[not_his_pa]

It's on a wooden stick which is remarkably bonelike for candy and William laughs at how much she likes it,

"I can get you more if you really like them."

[nepetaleijon]

"You said it's called rock candy? We can purrobably get it from the Bar."

She's tempted to eat the others right there, but carefully tucks them away instead and turns her attention to the books.

[seat_five_girl]

Ako shakes her head.

"That's keep away," she says, "With catch you throw it from one person to another. There's a trick with how you spin it so it goes further too."

[not_his_pa]

"Yeah, you can. I've gotten 'em for my brother there,"

The books aren't too fancy just some dime novels about adventures in Africa and places far from William's Arizona. He picked them because they had big cats on the covers.

[nepetaleijon]

"So ... you throw it to make it easy for the other purrson to catch it?"

That is so weird.

[seat_five_girl]

Humanity does things in groups because that's how they work. Humans are even jerks in groups.

"It's actually harder than it looks to throw it to a person so they can catch it, but yeah," says Ako, "When you have more than two people playing you can change the order you throw in too."

[nepetaleijon]

She nods.

"Should we try and get a team, or just play the two-purrson kind?"

[nepetaleijon]

The big cats are definitely a draw! Nepeta is admiring them.

"Thank you! I'll k33p these in my cave to read before I go to sl33p in the meowrning."

[not_his_pa]

"I hope you like them. They should be good. I read lots of stuff from those authors and the stories are always excitin'. If you don't like them, I'll get you some others."

[seat_five_girl]

"Hmm. We could start at two and then throw it at someone else who is just standing around once you've got the hang of it?"

[nepetaleijon]

"Okay!"

She pauses.

"Do you just throw it like a ball, or ...?"

[nepetaleijon]

Nepeta beams. She loves exciting stories!

(Some of these may find themselves illustrated on the walls of her cave, if they catch her imagination.)

[nepetaleijon]

Well, Julie isn't the only one attending the party incognito. ... sort of.

"Hi!"

[not_his_pa]

"If you do like them, I can get you more too."

[seat_five_girl]

Ako holds out a hand.

"Pass it here and I'll show you."

[nepetaleijon]

Nepeta hands it over, and watches with interest.

[seat_five_girl]

Ako backs of slightly and throws the frisbee towards Nepeta with the classic wrist twist.

Lightly though, because they are pretty close.

[nepetaleijon]

It's easy enough to catch the disc between her hands.

Slightly harder to mimic Ako's twist of the wrist; her own first attempt at throwing is rather wobbly.

[seat_five_girl]

That would be part of doing something for the first time.

"Good," says Ako as she stretches a bit to make her grab, "Now, try again, but a little harder and maybe some more wrist snapping."

Toss back to Nepeta!

[fiss84]

"Cool! Is there any one else I might know?"

[fiss84]

"Hi," Julie replies with perhaps a bit too much cheer as she forces a brave face. "I'm Julie, Tyler's friend."