Happy Birthday, Senku!

[fun_thementalist]

Who: OTA
Where: Dining Carriage
When: Jelly 4
What: Prompts are under the cut. Create your own top levels! Tag around! Get more points!
Warnings: more cake than the recommended serving size

Birthday Prep! (OTA except Senku)


Setting up food!

Plenty of people have offered to bring a number of treats - cookies, savory dishes, snacks ... Gen was placing a half-sheet cake, decorated with planets and with 'Happy Birthday Senku' written in frosting on the table. He looked quite pleased with himself, and would help lend a hand with other food.


Setting up decorations!

There were roughly a hundred origami stars to fold, which Gen would spend most of his time doing, especially if he didn't have any help. But after, he'd be stringing them up all around the dining car, creating an effect like a starry sky from the ceiling.


Setting up party favors!

Then, of course, there were paper flower crowns to fold. Gen had no idea how many people would end up coming, so he wanted a fair number - any extras could sit in the Arms Band or up his sleeves as part of a surprise to spring on people later. You never knew when you needed a paper flower crown!


Setting up the escape room!

This is really what Gen hoped he'd get the most help with. He only had so many math tricks up his sleeve, and he was very certain that Senku knew them all already. At least Nita would be lending a hand! Otherwise, Gen was sure any room he'd make, Senku would solve in minutes.


BIRTHDAY PARTY

Greetings!

Gen would greet the newcomer with a bright smile and an origami flower crown - placed right on their head! He'd direct them to the food, and let them know of the escape room upstairs. Have a lovely time!

Food!

Cake! Cookies! Popcorn! There's some spicy, savory food that's been made by other passengers, too. But hey, at least take a slice of cake. That's what this party's all about!

Escape Room!

Featuring math, puns, and clever little questions fellow Voidtrain passengers could come up with. Of course, anyone can enter and leave as they'd like, but perhaps if they look particularly stuck on a problem, another person could help them out?

Birthday Boy!

Somewhere in this mess, Senku would be available to chat with. Probably. He's not really expecting a party, or gifts, or even a kind thank you - but all would be appreciated.

Comments

[blitzcheer]

...what did Tidus invite here. He didn't know, he should have kept his mouth shut. This is the sort of trivia he has no care for. Space is a giant vacuum?? okkkkk Roland!

But at least Roland goes on, gives him an out at the end there. Shows to Tidus with it the way that this subject can colour Roland's words with a clear interest. Senku wouldn't be the only one to enjoy those books Tidus got him, huh. It's fun to see -- nice. Even if this is only as close to the subject Tidus can get before it goes way over his head.

"We are just people like you guys too, you know." You know. "Maybe you people should be looking into starting up a new game and learning some blitzball yourself! Then guys holding their breath for so long wouldn't be weird."

But he knows it's an exhausted discussion. Different biology, or something. He takes a forkful of his lemon cake and munches it down, getting through the bite quick.

"You can get books on it," he decides to share. "How other worlds did space travel and all that stuff. That's what I got Senku."

Hint hint, nudge nudge.

[adregem]

The poking on his own dessert for more frosting pauses as Roland looks up, brows meeting in the middle. But he's not looking a certain way because he thinks its a terrible idea, no. It occurs to him that with the breadth of resources across the void, all ready for them to take with the points they're given...he might stand a chance at taking such things home with him.

First, second, would it matter? He glances to his right arm, where the hidden Arms Band rests across his bicep. Would this come with him regardless of where the void takes him next? Even on earth?

He's overthinking it, but that's nothing new.

"I...suppose I could. I never thought of that." Roland answers simply, idly nibbling on bits and crumbs. Then, a smile draws up against his lips, like he's just recalled a joke.

"Kind of feels like using a cheat code. Imagine coming back to Evan and asking him to build a rocket ship out of the blue. Everything you need to know about advanced space travel, all in my arsenal. Heh. Where would we even go?"

[blitzcheer]

"Anywhere you want!" Easy, simple, no problem, and Tidus lifts up the pointy end of his fork with the answer. "And what's cheating about it? You still need to build the thing and do it. I wouldn't turn my nose up at some cool new way to play blitzball just 'cause I didn't come up with it myself, you know?"

Is it the same? It might as well be for Tidus, who seems plenty pleased to go on and break off another section of the cake from the rest of what he has left.

"You learn from others, but you make your skills your own," he shares confidently.

Really, it hadn't been where Tidus was trying to take the suggestion, but it Roland wants to go out and build the blueprints for a spacecraft... hey, its Roland's future!

[adregem]

Tidus is a carefree, jovial sort of guy on the outside, but he wonders how many people on the train are actually aware of the depths his insights can go. If Tidus knows of it at all, or is conscious of the things he says that often make Roland stop to think, to consider.

The bite he takes out of the slice is a big one, finishing almost half of it. It's a really good cake.

"Make your skills your own, huh...?" He would have gone in for the rest, but something said tickles his fancy. "What if you used moves from other ball games to be better at blitzball, then? Ever considered changing up your style a bit?" A small grin forms. "Ready to pioneer underwater football?"

[blitzcheer]

Underwater football? Now that's getting Tidus's brow to crinkle, halting any immediate answer as he has to think. Remember what football was about, how it would translate into blitzball. Well, for one thing...

"Isn't the big thing about football the running? You couldn't pass between your legs underwater." That's for sure. "I don't know... what's the difference than the shape? Do you ever kick a football?"

He remembers it's more carrying and throwing, but maybe he's forgetting times feet are used for more than moving around the field.

[adregem]

Roland perks up a bit, remembering rules that he hasn't had to recall for a while now. Though he's not the sportiest looking person in the world, when he does like a sport, he follows it as faithfully as he can. He does it with his own martial art, and maybe even a couple of good 'ol Aremican classics like baseball and basketball too.

He'll chat while picking at the final crumbled pieces of the lemon cake, mostly clumps of frosting now more than sponge held up by cream in between layers.

"You do kick, actually. There are about five times in the game where you can kick the football, depending on where the players are in the field. Punting, during touchdown..." He trails off; the memory that comes with the explanation, a happy one. "The forms are in the book you gave me. It was a nice chance to review them. Another game from home called soccer uses a lot more legwork than football, though. Can't use your arms to hold the ball, just gotta kick and score with your feet. Even your head."

Roland's fork is partly in his mouth already but he retracts it, resting it against his plate for the moment. "Could you strike a goal with the blitzball using your head?" A pause. "Can you bounce the blitzball on your knees?"

Is he asking for a demonstration? Who knows, with this guy. But it's a conversation he's interested in, that much is certain. With or without his slowly whittled down dessert.

[blitzcheer]

Tidus's brow crinkles, mouth tugged aside inside a thoughtful frown.

"You'll need a really good move to get a blitzball into the goal with your head." That's for sure. "There's a goalkeeper you have to watch out for, and even getting the ball to go anywhere using your head..." Is it possible? He's trying to think, but there's only one situation he can imagine working.

"You can get another guy in the face with a ball and bounce it back at you. That count?" Not exactly what Roland was going for, Tidus thinks, but it was a move regardless. "You gotta remember, you're in the water in blitzball. You can knee a ball around out of water, but in... I don't know what good it's gonna be, 'less you smack it after."

He makes the motions, as if to demonstrate: lifting a hand up to mimic the ball coming up, and then jabbing out his hand to make a strike at the invisible ball.

"You can do nearly anything in blitzball, just as long as it works. The goal's to win! Just don't go stabbing anyone and you're fine."

[adregem]

Don't go stabbing anyone? Blitzball rules are pretty lenient, Roland surmises. But it's the underwater part that's tricky, so even as he tries to mimic the motions he knows of land sports - the bouncing of a ball against the top of his head, or landing on the pad of his knee - water will make everything heavier. Slower.

Suddenly, something clicks in his head. He stops and looks at Tidus with an admiration glinting in his gaze, his smile all too genuine despite the straying finger resting beneath his chin.

"...You really are the ace, huh?" He says out of the blue, as if things fell into place at last. Perhaps he's thought about this before, like when he introduced earth sports to Tidus for the first time. But at Tidus's breakdown of blitzball now, at this moment, it occurs to Roland that only a very talented person could do moves underwater and still earn their team victory. He shakes his head, a chuckle following suit.

"You did that spin and kick move back at the gym. I assume that's one of your pro moves? All that while holding your breath for what, an hour? Heh. That's pretty damn amazing. I don't think anything from my world can come close to that level."

He lists off at the top of his head, quietly - baseball? Figure skating? ...Competitive gymnastics? But none of them are underwater...

[blitzcheer]

You really are an ace. Should Tidus prepare to make a joke? The compliment(?) is met with confusion that's not so much disagreeable as it is uncertain. Until Roland explains as he continues on, and Tidus leans back in his seat; mouth ready with something to say, but he waits until Roland's done.

"I tried putting some of my ball moves into my fighting," he admits; not much to do with what Roland is getting into, but he was always proud of that, alright! He folds his arms loosely across his chest. "But as for breathing and moving... that's just what blitzball is about. I admit, sometimes when I'm swimming in water on other planets - there's somethin' different about it. Maybe I'm out of practice," he throws in, since hey, he doesn't get to swim a lot these days! "But you're being wowed by the basics. Which, go ahead! Get into blitzball! I won't stop ya."

Is he ever going to shoot down someone getting into blitzball? Not that it ever goes well on the train, but if there's anything Tidus can't completely let go of, it's the sport that shaped most of his life. Comfortably wearing a smile tugged wide onto his lips.

"Blitz pools are easier to breathe in though, I'll say that. They do something with the water. --Well, it's not really breathing as it is how comfortable it is," Tidus amends. "There's less pressure."

[adregem]

"Hm. I saw that in Irivar. With the troll. You hit them pretty good with that ball, I gotta say. Could've knocked them out, if they weren't built so sturdy."

He's not into second servings of sweet things, so the empty plate is deposited unto the nearest table to free up his hands. Now tucked back under armpits, crossed in relaxing. Though the conversation on blitzball gets Roland more and more curious not just about the sport itself, or how it was played back in Tidus's world, but how it might be made possible now. Today. With what they had. He tilts his head up in that train of thought, piping up afterwards.

"Have you tried asking Gibbs if he can make a blitz pool for you?"

[blitzcheer]

Despite Inigo's belief on Tidus and his stomach, he's not a food fiend. The slice of cake was plenty for him - at least for now, and if that changed, it'd be much later. He's more absorbed in this conversation about blitzball. Surprise surprise.

"Make one?" --but he's especially interested, or confused about this idea Roland's cooked up. Paused, trying to think - a small sound leaving him as he explains, "Blitz pools aren't exactly small... and where would we put it? Keep it?"

He's trying to imagine any of this, but his imagination is drawing a large blank for whatever Roland's thinking.

[adregem]

"You had enough room to practice your moves out of water in the gym. Training area's not bad either." He's getting more and more invested in the suggestion himself, and it's not one he thought would actually lead to anything. But he imagines what they can do, the power he's witnessed from them already something to behold on the battlefield. What's a little blitz pool to what's essentially a mini-god of water?

"Ask him. I'm sure he'll be able to whip something up for you. They're small but they can do magic beyond your wildest dreams, if you ask nicely. And I'm pretty sure Gibbs does like you enough to try, heh."

I mean. The hero did enjoy flooding another car with him the one time. What more creating a floating sphere of water for Tidus to enjoy at his leisure? Roland is smiling, already onboard. It's an uncharacteristic charm he doesn't show often, but he's always happy to indulge things like magical feats of wonder. Can't be too old for that.