[Rina]

So March 16 has finally come. Today is an ordinary day to most, unless one would know what's going on.

On this day. someone out there gave birth to this dark wizard. While his temporal clock has ground to a halt, he is still living.

Sadly, it seems Schezo also thinks that it's just an ordinary day, but Lemres is aiming to change that. Setting up the streamers and the setpieces, it's going to be a little house party for him. The comet warlock is the only one present, and he even has the cake ready for him. A lovely little chiffon cake, topped with fruit. Lemres didn't peg him to be the type of guy to be too fond of sweets, so he whipped up a cake that is lighter on it. The cake itself is delicately sweet, but the fruit should help enhance it. Though the icing color isn't exactly to Schezo's taste, the thought of having a homemade birthday cake is what counts to him.

"Top it off with a chocolate star...and done~"

Now it's just a matter of time for the guests to show up before the birthday boy himself. There aren't as many guests to expect considering the last party he attended, but that's okay. Something smaller and private is a nice cozy change.

[TheSpatialWeeg]

"May I?" cue the voice of the fighting queen, looking very proper for the party at hand. Wearing the same evening gown that she used in Arle's birthday party, Rulue stepped on the apartment. "We've seen to come by earlier than expected, it seems." She commented before turning to acknowledge...someone accompanying her. "Thanks for the invitation, Arle. I figured I should participate to see if I could cheer him up." Rulue said.

Some moments later, another figure would politely knock on the door. "Excuse me, is this Sir Schezo Wegey's house? I have been invited to his birthday party." Came the voice of a man. "...Well, if you wish for me to be more accurate, I have accepted the 'open' invitation to the party." The figure had revealed himself to be...Corrin! The fateful prince would probably be but a distant memory to Schezo by this point, but...he wanted to check upon him. It was only natural of him to worry about his allies.

[Mari]

Stepping around Rulue to reveal herself, the striking vision of a well-primped Arle came into view. She looked a bit flustered, but her presentation was on point! She was wearing a beautiful blue and white evening gown, simple yet elegant in its appearance. It was very flattering to her figure, hugging her torso to make the most of her meager bust and hanging very loose around her hips to leave plenty left up to the imagination. Her hair had been lovingly styled and a very subtle amount of makeup had been applied to take advantage of her naturally good looks without quite losing the natural feeling. ...Arle hadn't done any of this herself, of course. She didn't know how; her mother hadn't quite been around long enough to teach her. This makeover was courtesy of Rulue. She had allowed the fighting queen to have free reign over her appearance coming into this, something that spoke highly of her opinion of Rulue. She hadn't even let her mother help her once she'd been taught to get ready for the morning herself. Self-reliance had been a point of pride for her, but circumstances had changed and that hour or so of letting Rulue work on her felt ... good? It was hard for her to describe, but being taken care of like that had felt... right, and she certainly felt good about how she looked. She still smelled of curry powder of course, but she wasn't even aware of that. She'd gotten used to the somewhat pungeant 'natural perfume'. "Of course! I figured we've all been through a few adventures together. You made for the perfect +1~" Arle would offer in reply, beaming at the other.


And finally, not long after, Raffina arrives in style as expected. Much like Rulue, she was sporting the same lovely dress she'd worn to Arle's birthday party. Unlike Rulue, however, Raffina had to stop and do a double take on the other guests. The first thing she noticed was that absolutely everyone was looking quite refined tonight, as opposed to Arle's birthday party where people simply wore whatever. Well--Maybe not Lemres, but she wasn't about to be critical of the host. Besides, if she was being perfectly honest she quite enjoyed sticking out at times. "Hello Lady Rulue." Raffina would greet cordially, her gaze sweeping over to Corrin. She didn't recognize the ...style of his ...outfit, but it certainly worked in a formal setting. Except for the ... lack of shoes, but she resisted the urge to stare and quickly allowed herself to forget them. Whatever you do, don't mention that you're a damned prince. Don't do it man. It ain't worth it! Her gaze then drifted to the unfamiliar brunette standing very close to Rulue. She was a pretty little thing, but... who the hell was she?! Before Raffina could embarass herself by asking, Arle would wave and offer a goofy smile along with a greeting. "Hey Raffina! Glad you could make it." Arle would greet, and the look on Raffina's face was priceless as she recognized Arle's voice and her mind suddenly started noticing the resemblance. She was silent for a moment as she tried to process how exactly Arle had managed to pull off a look like that. How come Arle couldn't have shown this much enthusiasm for dressup during their slumber party?! Taking a deep breath, Raffina regathered her composure after the moment had passed. " . . . Glad I could make it. You're looking quite nice tonight, Ms. Arle." Raffina would reply in a knowing tone, unable to resist encouraging the mage. She wasn't sure how Arle had done it, but it certainly made her question a few assumptions she'd made about the other. Perhaps she'd have to invite Arle shopping with the fashionistas next time. Turning her gaze back upon Corrin, Raffina decided to acknowledge the elephant in the room. Or rather, the dragon.

"...And may I have your name, Sir? I don't believe we've met." Raffina would ask.

[Rina]

The guests are finally flowing in, and Lemres isn't even in the main area! Oh goodness, where are your manners, Comet Warlock? Lemres heard the footsteps come in, making a mad dash to removing the apron and greeting the guests of the party. He isn't even dressed up for the occasion because he was busy in the kitchen too. Whoops! Dusting off his coat and hat, he quickly made his way to see the guests. There was the odd patch of flour at the tail end, but who'll notice? Once he made his presence, he came to say hello to whoever showed up.

All four of them.

"Hello hello there! Thanks for coming everyone! The man of the hour isn't here yet, but he will be at any moment~"

He came to say hello to the familiar ones...

"Glad you could make it, Arle, Rulue, and Raffina."

...Then there was the unfamiliar face to Lemres.

"And who might you be? I've never seen you before."

[TheSpatialWeeg]

"Aw, now I am flattered~" Rulue quipped in response, flashing a genuine smile at Arle, blushing a little. She really appreciated Arle's company these days. She never gave it that much thought, but...it felt really refreshing spending some quality time with your ex-rival. Weird, but refreshing. Before she could sink further into that track of thought, there were the other visitors to greet.

Firstly, she turned to Raffina and made a bow in response. "Looking positively stunning as always, Raffina." she said to the pinkette. Rulue always had appreciated how Raffina was on top on the fashion game. She would then turn her attention to the comet warlock whom arranged the party. "It's a pleasure to see you too, Lemres." She politely spoke.

And of course, there was the intriguing new face.

Corrin already sort of expected them to be unaware of him, so he decided to bring them up to speed. "Allow me to introduce myself." he began. "My name is Corrin. I was born in the kingdom of Hoshido, but I was taken away and raised in the kingdom of Nohr. I've became acquainted with Schezo when we allied ourselves for a mission. Since then, I...held some regret as to the fact I never got into contact with him since, especially since he doesn't seem to be quite all right these days according to what Lemres said in the invitation." the prince explained.

[Mari]

Arle flashed Rulue a bright smile in response, apparently at peace with the world right now. Sure hope no awful demonic fish show up to ruin that peace! ...No? Well alright then. Raffina will perform a curtsey for Rulue in turn, returning the favor with a compliment that made a strong point to acknowledge that Rulue was always stunning. Much like Arle, Raffina seemed to have no qualms with acknowledging another woman's beauty. It probably shouldn't be a surprise, given her fashionista roots, but you never really know, especially with those jealous types. Giving Corrin her attention, Raffina listened to his story. For a moment there she was confused, but thankfully he resisted the urge to properly title himself. "...Well--You seem to have done quite well for yourself, Corrin~ You're looking quite like a gentleman today." Raffina would relent. As much as she really wanted to comment on his lack of shoes, it was hard to do so when the rest of his outfit was on point. Perhaps she'd later come to understand his own personal style. "Not to worry--Today we're here to remind Schezo that we're looking out for him." Raffina went on to reassure, expressing her confidence in Schezo's recovery, given their aid. This startled Arle very slightly, however. "...Hey--Shouldn't we be working out where to hide? Oh! We should hide our presents too. Before Schezo gets here!" Arle asked Lemres before blurting out in alarm, becoming mildly panicked as she began scanning for a place appropriate for box hiding. There were, of course, humble looking presents to be set down.

[Rina]

"Haha, the pleasure is mine. It's a small party, but I tried my best to put it together. I'm even providing the cake- Oh, give me a moment everyone!"

Oh, right. It's a SURPRISE party. Lemres went over to the door and cracked it open to check if the birthday boy is close to the room. He brushed his bangs away so he could see towards the direction of the elevator. While it's not evident that the dark wizard is nearby, there is the distinct sound of a "ding!" that sounded in the hallway. Who could it be? Time to observe a bit...

I see someone...

As the warlock tried to get a better look, he saw someone in purple...
...Black cape...
...onyx crown...

There he is! Lemres shut the door and turned to the crowd to alert the party.

"Everyone, he's coming! Hurry hurry!"

Where to hide though? The bed? Behind the sofa? In the closet? Under the tables? A blind spot on the wall?? As for Lemres, he sped off into the kitchen, retrieving the cake to surprise Schezo with. The rest better get ready!

Meanwhile, the special one is simply meandering down the hall, not really focusing on what's in front of him. If he's running into someone, he wasn't really paying attention in the first place. The guy also has the dead-eyed look on his face, feeling rather mopey in spite of the circumstances. Well, he wouldn't know, nobody told him about the party for him after all!

"...I don't understand why he asked me to wear these clothes today. It's not as restrictive as my armor but..."

The clothes he is wearing is, instead, a violet long coat with a split, black tailed cape draping over his shoulders. Sitting askew on his head is an onyx crown, adorned with a heart-shaped gem. The dark wizard's style is distinct, but it suits him.

The birthday wizard inched closer to the room...

[TartoonHand94]

All of the tact and secrecy that went into planning this surprise was about to be put in jeopardy as someone came running up behind Schezo.
It was an angel, dressed in ornate Grecian dress robes, easily assumable for a special occasion. In his arms he carried a long oddly shaped package wrapped under paper and bow.
His wings stretched out behind him, but only to increase the aerodynamics of his running. He certainly wasn’t flying by any stretch of the word.
He seemed to be in a hurry to get somewhere, but what was he late to? 

“Hey! Hold that door!” 

The angel called out to the dark wizard in the black cape and onyx crown. 

Of all people it could be, it was Pit, dressed finer than usual, but his face didn’t look finer than usual.  The poor guy’s been working round the clock to keep Skyworld from falling. 

He had a hundred places to be, and couldn’t help it if he got to ninety-nine of them late.  But better late than never getting to wish a close ally and friend a happy birthday.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, but Please tell me Schezo hasn’t arrived ye-”

“-ellow’s a great color, don’t you think, Schezo?”

Pit abruptly greeted as he skid to a halt, finding out all too late that this was Schezo himself.

“But you are Working that cape and crown today!”

Pit sheepishly complimented, frantically hiding his package behind his wings.

[TheSpatialWeeg]

"I see. I guess I can consider Schezo lucky for having friends like you." Corrin commented, lightly chuckling. Rulue giggled rather awkwardly at the half-dragon in response, glancing at Arle with a face that said 'do I give him the full story?'. Of course, once Lemres told everyone to hide for the surprise party, the two quickly went for it.

"We should keep the presents with us. It'd otherwise arise suspicion by the offchance he ends up finding them first." Corrin suggested to Arle before hiding himself on the bed, with his present by his side. Now to keep himself as stealthy as possible. Shouldn't be too hard.


Meanwhile, Rulue looked around for a place one could hide...and her eyes immediately locked onto the closet. "Hmmm, now there's a good idea." She said, darting off to it...dragging Arle alongside her. One could only wonder what was on her mind to drag the other alongside her. Maybe it was just basic instinct at this point? Who knows. What is known, however, is that Arle got dragged into a closet with Rulue.

Let's hope they have at least some sorta decency to not peek around.

[Mari]

Arle was somewhat oblivious to Rulue's intentions, absent-mindedly giving Corrin her attention up until the point a sharp tug snapped her out of her thoughts and began pulling her along. Arle staggered after Rulue with the tiniest of startled quibbles in the form of a little squeak. She quickly regained her balance however and stumbled to catch up with the other, slipping into the closet with Rulue and closing the door behind her rather haphazardly. The somewhat flustered mage gently fixed her hair in the darkness, oblivious to exactly all of the closet related humor in the situation. She only had Rulue's hand in her own and a sliver of light creeping out from underneath the door to guide her. However, as she attempted to shift and get herself comfortable she felt a sharp tug at her skirt. Arle stopped immediately, not wanting to tear her lovely outfit being rough with it. More importantly though, what was grabbing her? Who was grabbing her?! Closet monster?! ...It didn't feel like her body was being grabbed, though. The point of tension was a good foot away from her. Back at... the door. Oh. "My dress...--It got caught in the door." Arle would whisper in mild alarm, letting Rulue know what was going on so that she wouldn't try and pull the mage deeper into the closet. This closet depth is much more accurate. Cue Seinfled Theme. Hopefully that's last bad joke outta me.

Meanwhile, Raffina takes herself and crouches down behind the couch. She wasn't about to get her dress dirty trying to better hide herself, so she gently tugged her dress closer to her legs to keep it from dragging on the ground as she crouched in waiting. It looked like a mildly uncomfortable way to squat, but for someone like Raffina it probably wasn't that bad. She would just have to hope that she could. keep out of sight until the time was right. ...Hold on--Was that Pit, ruining their surprise party? Oh you better not, you chicken! She'll have some leery looks for you if you say a thing about what's going on here! Unfortuantely it was far too late for Raffina to do anything to stop the disaster, though. She just had to hope Pit would be clever enough to think up an excuse for why he was there, hopefully without confusing the heck out of Schezo.

[Rina]

"Huh?"

Wait, what? There's one more person invited to the party? And he's late? Looks like Lemres has to double-check that guest list... Just as Schezo was about to enter inside, he turned around to notice the well-dressed angel standing before him. Upon his attention being shifted to Pit, his hand was off the door, letting it shut itself closed. The listless dark wizard is not exactly focused on what's going on. Pit telling him to keep the door open simply bounced off of his ears.

"...? Hm? What's going on? What brings you here...er...who are you?"

Now that Pit has his attention (in spite of his memory being a little hazy), Schezo was able to focus a little bit more on what he has to say. Luckily for Pit, Schezo was a little too lost in his own thoughts to pick up on the fact that there's a party waiting for him. His head lolled to the side, only ever picking up on the clothing compliment.

"Is...is it really that nice? I suppose it is."

A smile hasn't cracked from his mouth in spite of him acknowledging the compliment.

---

Meanwhile inside, Lemres was peeking from his hiding place, puzzled as to why the door was shut when he's expecting the birthday boy.

Huh? What's going on? Isn't Schezo supposed to be coming in right now?

[TartoonHand94]

 

“ “Yes it sure is, Scheezo, who is standing right outside the door right now.” 

Pit agreed with a twitching smile. 

“We’re a pair of handsomely dressed guys. Who else makes being about to step into a door look this good?” 

Pit nodded, trying hard not to let his present slip out from behind his wings. 

 

“…Hey since we were both on our way into the room now,
How’s about you and me, two handsomely dressed guys,
 go inside this room together in 5 seconds and counting?”  

Pit suggested with unsuspicious emphasis and volume on certain words.

[TheSpatialWeeg]

Corrin was still hiding on the bottom of the bed, before he noticed Schezo not coming in just yet. "What is going on back there...?" the dragon boy questioned quietly as he kept himself immobile on said bed. He was trying to be careful with his position, not wanting to give away the fact that he was here and ruin the surprise altogether.


Meanwhile with Rulue...things were getting kind of awkward there. There wasn't too much space for them and now Arle's dress was stuck.


"Argh, it's just what I needed..." She groaned as she opened the door just enough for Arle's evening gown to come out intact...and then she closed it. "...Sorry, I was in a hurry to hide." Rulue apologized, keeping her tone down so that only Arle could hear her. "This place is...kind of cramped, now that I think about it..." she ended up adding, rather awkwardly shuffling a little in her place and blushing a little.

[Mari]

Arle gingerly tugged her dress into the closet and held it close to her so that it wouldn't get caught again. Geez, she hoped Rulue was quiet about closing that door, lest someone heard it... Oh well. After the door was firmly shut again, Arle released her dress and turned her gaze up at Rulue. . . . but he couldn't see a thing. She had only the hand she had been given when she was dragged in to go by and the sound of the other's voice. That was alright. She probably wouldn't have assumed anything about Rulue's blush anyway. She was perfectly comfortable being so close to the other. In fact, she relisedh that she could ejoy Rulue's company like this now that they'd made up. It made her heart race at times, but she knew that now was not the time to focus on her feelings, intriguing as they were. At any moment they would have to surprise Schezo, of course. She did, however, take a moment to slip her palm into Rulue's more comfortably, holding the other's hand rather affectionately. It was a silent gesture of trust and kinship, fit for the best of friends. Arle would choose to refrain from commenting on the cramped nature of the closet. She didn't want to risk giving them away.

Meanwhile, Raffina is likewise silent. She very much wished to bide her time and surprise Schezo, feeling rather strongly about making a good impression. Surely he wouldn't be expecting a birthday party, having gone so long without. With any luck, it would be just what he neededed to remind himself that he was a person.

[Rina]

"...I suppose?"

Schezo, feeling more like going inside in 10 seconds, let Pit into his room first before he himself did. Pit's lucky all of his goofs are getting past him, otherwise the surprise party wouldn't be a surprise anymore.

Cue the awkward moment of surprising the late guy to the party. Pit, please...

"Surpri- Wait..."  ......  "Uh...You're not Schezo..."

The wind in Lemres' sails went out incredibly fast, and the party is left with an awkward comet warlock, possibly an angel, and a silence. Lemres let out an awkward chuckle, having almost pulled the popper and jumped the gun, probably ruining the surprise. The door was open, and Schezo could be within earshot, after all; this is supposed to be a surprise party, dangit! If the rest of the party followed suit, then things would be incredibly awkward for both parties, pun unintended. Lemres set this up for Schezo, only for it to be ruined? That'd be a colossal waste!

...but the crisis is eventually averted, as the actual birthday boy came walking in, the pop of the popper snapping him out of his stupor.

"!! Surprise, Schezo! Happy Birthday!"	"Whoah!?"