[semi-closed mingle] kigu party!!!

[spellslots]

who: The IPRE + cr + adjacent cr
what: exactly what it says on the tin: it's a kigu party lads
when: second weekend of march
where: Casa Del Taco
warnings: none atm! will update if necessary


[There's something strange about knowing he's been here an entire year. Twelve months ago Taako stepped out of the portal into this world and while it's tempting to be kind of morose about it (especially after the past month) he's trying to kick things into a slightly more positive gear. The party is his idea but the theme is Hana's, an idle suggestion about how fun it would be to get everyone into a kigu. The best part about the idea is that it requires minimal effort on Taako's party, because for all that he loves going all out for parties, sometimes it's nice to just throw something together. Especially when he's more interested in sorting out his relationship with Kravitz or hanging out with Barry, who he hasn't properly seen for over a decade. So it's a party but it's a laid back party, texts are sent out a week in advance and he spends any free time preparing for the night.

The house is left relatively undecorated aside from the addition of several oversized cushions and beanbags in the living rooms, but Taako also casts Magnificent Mansion to expand the space. He adds two home theatres, for movies, video games or karaoke, depending on who's in control of the room at the time. There are also extra bedrooms, in case anyone wants to crash for the night.

While the theme of the night - wear a goddamn kigu and look cute as fuck - isn't being enforced by Taako, it is being enforced by Hana, so anyone brave enough to get past the door without a kigu might have to spend the night avoiding a tiny meka pilot.

As expected for a party hosted by the twins, food plays a fairly big role, although like the rest of the evening they've gone for a more lowkey affair. Sliders, falafel, tamales, vegetable platters with dips, about five different kinds of fries (zucchini, polenta, kumera, potato, jicama) and mini pizzas; things that are easy to pop on a plate and eat without making a mess, but it's all fresh and delicious. The dessert and snack options are a little more impressive, between the flavoured popcorns and well kitted out waffle bar. There's candy and Taako's signature macarons, along with a veritable selection of wine, beer and punch, the latter both spiked and virgin.

Rather than do something as simple as baking cookies for everyone, Lup and Taako have a much more fun idea in mind. They've prepared separated batches of sugar cookie dough and laid out spices, flavours and additives; there's cinnamon, vanilla, choc chips, butterscotch, lemon juice, and mint, amongst pretty much any baking ingredient (here's some ideas for inspiration). Be careful not to mess up the wet/dry balance of the dough, although ruined cookies can be a bonding experience. Once they're baked (it doesn't take long), there's confectioner's sugar, butter, milk, water for whatever icing characters desire, as well as toppings such as sprinkles and crushed nuts.

There are a few things to keep people entertained throughout the evening. The sun room has been delegated as a mini day spa kind of space, with sheet masks, nail polish, lotions, and an assortment of hair care tools. There's nothing that's too complicated or that'll get too messy, but anyone who wants to get comfy and indulge in a little self-care is more than welcome to kick back and relax.

In those home theatres there are movies, games and karaoke songs from all different time periods and realities. Anything from Taako's media library is available, plus some extra video games that both Hana and Cisco supplied, from racing to PVP battles to VR. And a few very bad dating sims for shits and giggles. In the rest of the house, more traditional games are available, whether that’s board games like Clue and Twister, or party games like truth or dare and two truths and a lie. At one point someone breaks out a bag of marshmallows to play fluffy bunny. (There are so many of these things, make them up, I'm not your dad.)

Despite the general atmosphere in the rest of the Quarantine during Sampremi, the party is kept relatively tame, although some of the games might get a little risqué as the night goes on, it's not as if he can control what people do. So long as everyone's having fun, he's happy.]

Comments

ya boi

[spellslots]

[[first half of the night / second half of the night]]

cookie baking

[Here's the thing, Taako absolutely decided on doing things this way not out of altruism or because he thought it'd be fun for everyone else, but just because he knew he'd get some amusement out of it.

This is why he's sitting on the edge of the kitchen bench, legs swinging lazily as he watches whoever's in the kitchen work on their cookies. At one point, he sucks in air through his teeth, obviously skeptical.]

You're gonna go with that combo? Really?

[It's probably fine, he's just being an asshole.]

dumb stupid fun

[The whole point of a party is that everyone has fun, but it probably shouldn't be surprising that Taako chose things he likes doing, too. He picks out more than a few karaoke songs (he's nothing amazing, but he's not terrible), most of them on the pop end of the spectrum from various worlds. Even some from the worlds they visited during their years on the Starblaster which is sort of weird but... it's okay.

As for the video games, while not as competitive as some of his friends (or his sister), he can definitely get a little into it. Taako certainly isn't above using magic to his advantage, though nothing too serious; a prod from mage hand, a little flash of distracting sparks, anything to give him an edge in a race or a battle. It's nice to have some zero consequence fun after a shitty month.]

braids

[At a later point in the evening, once he's a little bit tipsy and a little more relaxed, Taako curls up in the sun room to take a bit of a break from people. He's mostly an extrovert, but that doesn't mean he doesn't get overwhelmed on occasion, especially when he's still not feeling 100%. There's a lot to still work through.

Which isn't to say he's opposed to company if it's in a smaller dose. Anyone who wanders in gets an offer:]

Want me to do your hair for you, bubbale?

SLAMS IN HERE

[trashvalkyrie]

[Val's...enjoying herself a surprising amount, considering she's dressed up as a giant fucking pegasus. Liquor and too many cookies have made it a little more tolerable, though, and by late in the evening she's laughing and smiling with the best of them. When she wanders off into the sunroom and sees Taako curled up in there, she grins, and she almost backs out of the room again at his offer, but her face does a funnily little dance of indecision before she shrugs. Fuck it.]

Don't tell anyone.

[She flops down on the floor in front of him, yanking the hair band out of her ponytail. The girl's got...a lot of hair.]

cookie baking ♡

[scholiast]

Yes, really.

(She's giving rosemary a go because she's intrigued by its presence on the table, and adding a little bit of lemon zest. Oh, and maybe there's also a visual element to this too, you don't know her.)

Nobody likes a backseat chef.

[umbrastaff]

Mmmhm, let's make some braids.

[ Lup flops down in front of him and flips down her bird hood, sliding her hair out so he has full access. ]

Have you had fun, Koko?

✅ kigu haters please interact ✅

[bunnyhopped]

NERF THIS

all around
[ Hey, if someone isn't wearing a kigurumi like they were explicitly told to upon invitation?

Expect Hana to slide up to them at some point during the party, eyebrows down and lips pulled into a pout. ]

Hey! What's the big idea? Did you forget about the theme?

[ There will, evidently, be no escape. Because she's even brought along some extra ones for someone to change into in case they, like, didn't know what a kigurumi was or forgot or just plain didn't come in one. ]

Don't worry, I've got your back!

theaters
[ Hana will, naturally, gravitate toward the video games. As someone who previously made a living playing such games at a professional level, she is going to be hard to beat at most games - but especially shooters. It may be best to go co-op with her rather than versus, unless someone is a gracious loser. Or get her to play a horror game. Or a dating simulator! She's mostly a good sport, at least, unless she somehow loses, in which case she will be very very sore about it. After each match, at least, she takes the time to say: ]

GGWP!

[ what does that even mean??

Something that Hana isn't quite as competitive about, though, is karaoke. She's not the most gifted singer out there, but she's definitely got energy and charisma going for her, and even some dance moves! Most music that's familiar to most people across different worlds will be foreign to her, a girl from the late 2070's, but she's definitely been brushing up on K-pop from before her times. So enjoy that. ]

(( ooc: got something else in mind? hit me up at camerata! ))

all around ♡

[scholiast]

(Oh boy. Lucretia holds up both her hands, palms out.)

No, I– it's complicated? (She's got her kigu on, but she's shrugged her arms out of the sleeves and knotted them around her waist instead. She'd wanted to buy a red bird one because the symbolism had been funny to her and thankfully it hadn't been very hard to find one! They'd all had angry faces on the hoods that had seemed a little odd to her at the time but she hadn't really understood until Cisco had dragged her aside and explained. Now she's just embarrassed she bought silly pyjamas based off some kind of phone game... and that's why she isn't wearing it properly.

If she's going to be persecuted for this, though...) Uh, do you have any spares that I could borrow, Hana?

[trashvalkyrie]

Theme?

[Val pauses at the door, glances around at the rest of the party behind the woman in front of her, and feels her heart sink.]

...I thought that was a joke.

[Looks down at those onesies in Hana's hands. Slowly begins to back up.]

It's a joke, right?

[alldenim]

( rockin this bad boi for max cuddlin )

i. start of the night

[ So, they got two members of The Gang thrown in at once. That's worthy of a celebration, right? Sounded fantastic to Barry! He's obviously one of the first ones to show up being a regular occupant of the Taaco household. When he was told that this party was Generally Pretty Chill and that he was going to get to wear pajamas as like.. the theme? Holy shit, he was on board. He's one of the ones helping to finish up the 'decorations' and setting out the beanbags and such in the different rooms. If you aren't a member of the house (or Cisco) you'll get: ]

Oh, hey, how are ya!

[ Since he definitely hasn't met you before. Now for everyone, no matter what, a: ]

Wanna toss me that beanbag?

[ He doesn't need help, he just likes holding all eight of his 'arms' wide open in this thing. ]

ii. dating sim

[ Video games are a new concept to Barry but one that he has quickly taken a liking to. The concept of a dating sim is hilarious to him, especially since they went with Dream Daddy. Whoever put it on as a joke and walked away bored? You now have a dedicated Barold faced with the worst decision of all. ]

Alright. [ He turns to the nearest person, you. ] Which Hot Dad we romancin'?

iii. fortune teller

[ Barry has one of those paper fortune teller things in his hand. He's imbued it with a slight amount of Divination magic. However, it should be noted that is so not his specialty. Still, that doesn't stop him from coming up to you and fanning it out in the signature one-two way. ]

Got a question for it? I mean, this is basically a slumber party right? You gotta. Especially if it's about a crush. Or something.

iv. the kitchen / end of the night

[ The party is winding down. Everyone is getting a little sleepy, but he's now making sure that there's gonna be next to no leftovers for the morning. Casually stroll up and talk with him. This can also be the wildcard option! Any point in the night, go go! ]

ii

[trashvalkyrie]

[Alright, Val is here and she's drunk and she's ready to date some dads. She doesn't know the dude next to her, but she knows that she's drunk enough not to care. She steeples her fingers, leaning forward and surveying the options.]

The blonde one, I don't trust him. Date the fat one. He seems jolly.

iv

[umbrastaff]

You know, that's an excellent kigu. You're a perfect hugger with all those arms.

[ Lup smiles at her boyfriend, sliding up to him as he's filling his plate. She wraps his arms around him from behind and leans her head on his shoulder. ]

Did you have fun tonight?

loki

[dothelokimotion]

( damn straight he is wearing a kigu. fight him )

[ movies ]

[ Loki hadn't been familiar with movies until Taako. Which goes for 95% of his experience with human pop culture. He's not yet the savant his other self is, but Loki picks things up quickly. Today, he's curled up on the cushions with popcorn, watching one of his all-time favourites. Birdemic ]

Personally, I think the highlight of this movie is using coat-hangers as weapons.

[ nails ]

[ Loki is eyeing the various shades of nail polish surreptitiously before picking a few up and showing it to whoever is closest. ]

This one? Or should I settle for green?

[ wildcard ]

[ Loki will be playing bad dating sims or fucking with the twister instructions. ]

nails

[shoplifter]

[Laura stares uncertainly at the nail polish. She's seen painted nails, but she's never particularly investigated very far beyond someone telling her how it's done... She peers out from under her horse hoodie, unsure which to recommend.]

... I like both.

How do you put it on your nails?

we're playing girls club and you can't stop me

[spellslots]

Okay, alright, fuck.

[There's just a veritable platter of boys on the screen, of which none are appealing to Taako.]

I know they're like - teenagers so that's a fucking instant downgrade, but these dudes ain't shit.

[Someone would point out they're very 90s but it's a concept neither Loki nor Taako are familiar with so they just have to suffer.]

movies

[alldenim]

[ Barry is just dumbfounded. He's seen fucking street performances better than this. Illusions more expertly cobbled together from paper and hope rather than fucking magic. He hasn't been in there long. He's been mingling here and there and is carrying a drink and some finger food. It's well gone when the other man speaks.

Loki's comment, though, that's what makes him laugh. A light little snort. ]

I dunno, the believable birds are uh. Pretty fuckin' choice.

nails

[scholiast]

Green. It goes with your... outfit.

(Like Lucretia can talk. She's dressed as a bat, though not by choice.)

I'm going to do mine too; I could do your non-dominant hand, if you like.

nails

[umbrastaff]

[ Lup studies the bottles closely and smiles as she hands him back the purple. ]

The green is nice, but the purple totally rocks with that color change. Kinda goes with your complexion, too... and the dark hair.

[ She pops open the bottle and reaches to take his hand. Apparently she's doing this for him, now. ]

Laura Howlett — pro eater, sleepover novice

[shoplifter]

[Laura is dressed for the occasion, and you can bet she's floating around anything food-related at the start of the party — eating whatever's in her warpath. She's not a picky eater, not remotely, so it leaves for much to be desired.

She's also playing that dating sim Taako's got going on, but she looks utterly lost. This shit is harder than Pac-man by far. How does she answer any of these questions? Even worse, the sheet masks and nail polish and hair tools come out as well — and she stares at them with absolutely no recognition, and ends up watching from a distance to try and figure this whole scene out. It's like a nature show guide watching creatures in their own environments — only the creature is watching the nature show guide.

Is this was the girls at school talked about? Hair and nails and make-up?

Fun things, maybe, if she understood them and their purpose.

... Maybe she should watch a movie instead....]

dating sim

[spellslots]

[Taako feels like these kind of games are either for teenage girls or drunk adults, and Laura is neither of those categories. So while he's pretty happy just chilling on a bean bag watching her play, he does feel like he should offer:]

There are other games if this one isn't quite your style, bubbale.

[Like Mario Kart. Everyone loves Mario Kart.]

skeletor

[rapsheet]

[ Ever seen the Grim Reaper in a kigurumi? Now you have. ]

ia. videogames

[ For essentially a very old man who'd never heard of videogames before coming here, Kravitz finds that he becomes surprisingly good at them quite quickly. He's not going to beat anybody with much experience, of course - but he holds his own much better than a scrub like him should be able to. Another surprise is that he gets quite heated when it gets down to it, taking the competitive element almost too seriously, and in those moments he reads very much like someone who's going to be actually mad if he loses... except that he never is. Snaps right back into being politely cheerful the moment the 'game over' screen pops up. ]

Ah, almost - one more time?

ib. videogames 2 - the gamening

[ Dating sim games, Kravitz doesn't end up actually playing himself. What he does instead is backseat game quite a bit with other people's runs, usually in the form of pointing out plot holes and wondering aloud about characterization. It's not exactly great literature. ]

Is the player's character always this unlikeable..?

ii. sun room

[ There isn't much hair care you can really do on a casual level for a man with dreads, though Kravitz will surrender to having his nails painted, if only out of idle interest. Mostly, though, what he goes in there for is a minute away from the main thrust of the party itself. A second to process the 'this is my life now' of the entire situation. To that end, most of his time in here will be spent visibly spacing out, in doing so inadvertently looking very intent on his casual perusal of these bottles of... whatever it is. ]

iii. wildcard

[ Honestly Kravitz can be talked into participating in almost anything - in fact he wasn't initially decked out in the kigu, though at some point somebody must have talked him into it. He does more nibbling at finger food than you'd expect of a guy who doesn't need to eat, and at some point will absolutely cheat at high-stakes chubby bunny. ]

u cant put a chubby bunny option and not expect me to take it

[spellslots]

[If he's being honest with himself, Taako had been a little worried that Kravitz might not have fun here; it's not as though he needs any kind of approval, but it'd just be kind of disappointing if he managed to throw a party even his future boyfriend couldn't enjoy.

He's been pleased to see Kravitz actually getting into the swing of things, but walking into the living room to find the grim fucking reaper with a mouthful of marshmallows is too much. Taako loses it, nearly doubling over with giggles. He's valiantly resisting, though, because he needs to take out his phone and snap a picture.]

I'm getting this tattooed on my fucking body so I can show bird mom when we get back.

[Lup did this. Lup did the "bird mom" thing.]

ib

[scholiast]

(Lucretia had been entirely uninterested in the dating sim games but turns out the joke is on her, because Taako has, as per usual, catered to her particular interests. She's settled in a beanbag, fully immersed in a game of Black Closet, and utterly ignorant to the world around her. When Kravitz speaks, she actually starts a little, glancing over her shoulder. Perhaps she should feel guilty for curling up by herself with video games and not engaging with anybody. She might, if she wasn't having such a good time.

Glancing back at the screen, she selects an option for the main character to harass a fellow student.)

You think she's unlikable? She's just trying to do her job.

ia

[umbrastaff]

Hah, beat you again, boss!

[Lup wiggles her brows at Kravitz before setting up a new match for them both. With both of them being competitive, it's almost scary to see them go at it in Mario Kart. Unlike Krav, however, she's not at gracious when she loses, and loudly calls bullshit and demands a do-over.

Still, it's all in fun - especially since they're both wearing kigus and Lup is half-covered in a blanket as well.]

ii

[bythehand]

[ With his own hair as close-cropped as it is, Finn can relate to not having much use for hanging out in the sun room apart from seeking out a little bit of quiet. As much quiet as a person can get at the moment, anyway.

He's rocking his kigu porg-style, which Lup was kind enough to free his hands from, so while he's doing his perusing of. Stuff. He's also occasionally picking up a little bottle of nail polish or lotion or whatever to have a closer look.

Finn doesn't know Kravitz. He's almost positive he's never seen the guy before. But generally when he happens upon someone staring into the middle distance like they're maybe waiting for life to fall apart around them, he's never been able to help a pang of sympathy.

Finn met a lot of people for the first time while he was holding random swap-meet items and mentally falling into the eternal void. It's a mood. ]

Not much for parties?

finn

[bythehand]

[ There are some who say the party doesn't start until Finn walks in, and they're very wrong, he does not impact the party level at all in a big sense. But he does walk in, and he's...... appropriately dressed for the occasion. There is a dress code, after all.

As he's pulling these waking hours in sort of the opposite spirit of his Sampremi rave adventures, Finn is back on balance with his usual attitude and energy. A little high-strung, a little tense. His face is on the easy to read side, though, and all indicators say that he's having a nice time, even if he's just hanging back with a drink and people-watching a little.

Finn wears his kigu with a level of sincerity that maybe goes against the point of having a kigu party in the first place. Well-- there's a bit of a hitch early on. At some point he does walk up to someone. Like right up to them. Finn is a personal space gremlin on a mission. He holds up his hands, which are not visible because someone went the full monty on the porg wings for some reason? ]

I need help cutting the ends of these things off. I can't hold anything like this.

[ Save Him. ]

[ Other possible Find Your Local Finn situations include:

cookie baking, which is predominantly a time of experimentation and shitty decorating. Don't worry, guys. The important thing is he doesn't burn them.

video games, where he mostly ends up sitting on a couch next to someone to offer commentary. Please don't take any of his dating sim advice. Please don't, if you want to win the date or whatever. Teach him to play Mario Kart if you dare. But be prepared to live with the consequences.

Shoutout to anyone who breaks out Monopoly in the board games times though, because Finn can and will get roped in if they're looking for players. And he will deadass look at it as a hardcore strategy game, and he will turn into a ruthless Monopoly monster. Not in like a mean way. It just Happens. He's got a hand on his chin to lean over the board like it's a fucking war room in here. He reads the rules and understands them??? This intersects his not-often-exercised competitive streak and his entire dumb education.

Or we can wildcard basically whatever, I'm always available for plotting and shenanigans. hmu. ]

[umbrastaff]

I got you, dude.

[ Lup moves over with a scissor, but instead of cutting the ends off, she will cut a slice on the inside of the wings so he can stick his hands out without ruining the effect. ]

That is an adorable thing, what is it called?

lup

[umbrastaff]

[birb kigurumi!]

I. Video Games

[ Of course Lup is playing video games, and of course she's very competitive. Whoever let her pick a racing game had no idea what they were getting in to, because she's definitely doing rainbow road, and she's definitely going all out on being mean with her shells.

Yelling and cheering, it seems the woman is absolutely here for the win, and like her brother she's not above some cheating... like tickling her opponent with mage hand in the middle of a sharp curve. ]

II. Cookies

[ It is hilarious to watch people try making cookies, and she makes little warning sounds now and then to distract them - even when they're not actually doing anything wrong.

Prestidigitation is a fun cantrip, so if something smells like its burning all of the sudden, it may or may not actually be true.

Being a baking snob aside, she's happy to help people who have genuine problems, though, and doesn't mess with the kids. Instead she scoots over some glitter sprinkles with a wiggle of her brows. ]

Everything's better when it's sparkly!

III. Chilling

[ Of course this is kind of a sleepover in cuddly character jammies, and Lup takes some time just snuggling up in couches and just enjoying herself. She's still getting used to her body and tends to get a bit of sensory overload at times, so it was super nice to just chill now and then and watch people.

She makes herself a little pile of delicious things and hoards them in her 'wing'. popping a few in her mouth now and then while watching people have fun. It makes her chest feel strangely full to see family and friends together like this - almost like the good years on the Starblaster.

If she sees someone chilling as well, she's not above draping herself over their knee if she knows them well enough. ]

IV. Wildcard

[ Go get her! ]

i

[scholiast]

(The surprise tickle makes Lucretia jerk automatically away with a soft chuckle, and she promptly drives her cart right off the edge when she lurches.)

Lup. (She drops her controller into her lap with a huff, waiting for her character to be rescued.) What gives, I'm already in last place.

(And there goes Lup, sailing past her, lapping her. Ridiculous.)