all these children growing up so fast

[amadaman]

WHO: Ken and YOU.
WHERE: around the imPort cities
WHEN: June 24, 25 -- the weekend.
WHAT: Catch-all for Ken's birthday weekend.
WARNINGS:

[THE KID'S TURNING 13 ON FRIDAY. And he's kind of over it because June has not been a great month but he's going to try to make the most of it. There's no big party like there was last year, but Ken will be out and about, and he'll also be open to being invited to hang out, or seeking out close friends to ask for their company. When they're not doing anything in particular, he and Koromaru can be found at their usual hangouts such as parks, and parks, and parks... and rooftops. They spend a lot of time running around parks. ]

(( This is a catch-all log for any interactions Ken has regarding or related to his birthday! It's not really an open prompt log because there's nothing he's publicly announcing to let strangers know, but if your character knows Ken or Ken's birthday and wants to do something, this is your place. You can hit me up at squigstuff if you would like to plan out and have me put up a starter for you too. ))

Comments

Kaneda's present

[rassera]

[Honestly, Kaneda didn't know. He'd done it on a whim--one of those 'see the thing in the window as you walk past, back up and go buy' kind of things. Call it his lucky day, but that would require him actually being aware of it. No, on this day...Ken's birthday, Kaneda sneaks an orange vespa into the shed in the backyard, locking himself away in it for a few hours to do a little beauty work to it. If he really put his all into it, he could certainly finish this before long. And with Ken being an introvert by nature, he never really questioned why Kaneda ever went out. Perfect for getting the job done. The soft hiss of spray cans sounds if you listen closely, but he works too diligently to keep anyone suspicious for long.

Thank god he's already made street cred with his designs.

It's around 1pm that he takes the vespa out again, setting it right by the koi pond with it's newly painted design in white on both sides. Perfect for someone like Ken. And even more ideas for that helmet of his.


Should he have run this by Jaime? Meh, he'll do that later. Was this technically illegal? Yeah, probably.

Who cares.



The job was done, all that it needed was to be given. And after Ken gave him that game system (and a matching one for Tetsuo...), it was the least he could do. That...that and he kind of wanted Ken to have his own set of wheels.


Right now, he rushes into the house to search for the boy.]

Oi! KEN!!

[amadaman]

[ Does Ken remember that it's his birthday? Yeah. Did he care? Yeah. But did he want to announce it to people and have them acknowledge it? Nah, he's too introverted for that. He's playing Critters Crossing while lying on his floor with his legs propped up on his bed, head propped up against Koromaru, when Kaneda comes barging into the house calling his name.

He's too lazy to get up immediately so he lets Koromaru bark back an answer instead.]

[rassera]

[Thankfully, Kaneda's become quite fluent in Koromaru's bark, and answers as he makes his way to the stairs, his footsteps as loud and confident as ever. Well, the ones that make it to the floor, anyway. The boy vaults up the banister like he usually does, vaulting over the top and making his way to Ken's room.]

Hey, don't make Koro answer for you~

[Without even knocking, he wanders in, looking at him from an upside down angle with his hands on his hips.


Honestly, what is he going to do with you...]

Pan's present

[dreamshades]

[ Pan has been leaving them alone for the most part. Nonah 5 has yet to feel the full might of his wrath from helping utterly defeat him. From being in prison, to being out and nullified, to now having magic he has waited a while even for him. He wants this particular knife, this particular brand of vengeance to come from nowhere. Unnoticed and completely unguarded. What better way than on someone's birthday? Who would have their shields up around such a momentous time? Ken, for all his bluster, seriousness and adult facade is still a child.

A child who may have experienced his fair share of things but Pan is confident the boy wouldn't guess he'd be struck on his birthday. He wants to inflict a wound on the boy's very sense of safety. To just make Ken a little more afraid of the knives in the dark. If he couldn't do that? Well the added side benefit would be to upset the entire household. Kaneda would be distraught if not horribly upset that his "little brother" of sorts was hurt on his watch. Tetsuo would have a renewed fear of his own well being, of never truly being safe. The Bull? Well, Pan figures it might make them angry, not being able to protect someone in his household.

But, he wants his words to have weight, for those who've crossed him to know he isn't just all talk. There were worst fates than death and he planned to make the boy suffer as long as he could. Death would be no release for this boy, just agony until the poison ran it's course or it was undone. He may not have dream shade anymore, but centuries of living in a jungle gave an immortal time to dabble in poisons if he so chose to.

He's gathered poisonous plants from where he could find them in the wilderness and has brewed a special poison for the boy. Nothing magical, nothing that could be traced back to him. This had to be a quiet like an assassin in the night. When it's done Pan has slipped it into candy the boy would receive. He would remove any trace of the magic required of placing it in there but that's what was required.

So, a big fat present of delicious candy from someone and slipped in by Pan himself? A very nasty surprise. ]

[amadaman]

[Ken hasn't forgotten for a single day how dangerous Pan could be. Sure, he always talked big. He acted like Pan couldn't scare him or defeat enemies like Kaneda and Tetsuo again. And he meant them. But that didn't mean he didn't view Pan as a threat; he was, and there's always a part of him keeping an eye out for him to show up like he did at the library.

That doesn't mean he's expecting something to be slipped in to food that he got himself. A bag of hard candy at the local candy shop, filled for him by a girl behind the counter. He keeps some in his backpack at all times, so it won't be difficult at all to slip a poisoned one in there. Maybe it's when he's running around with Koromaru at the park, or he's set it down when invited to a game of soccer or basketball. The chances are there.

Ken won't immediately find it, and he won't find it this weekend, but congrats, Pan, you've set the trap.]

[khajidont]

[Jaime does have a present for Ken, of course, but that's going to come later. If he knows Ken as well as he thinks he does, what comes before it might be even more fun -- at least, he hopes he's reading the situation well enough. He had an awfully big day a couple days ago, and honestly, he's still riding too high on it to scream it out to the world, but if anyone deserves to know after Dick and Wally? It's Ken.

Jaime knocks on the door - even if he's been here more often, he's not comfortable just strolling in like he had been at Shinji's house - and the moment Ken answers the door, Jaime doesn't waste any time scooping him into a big bear hug.]

Heya, kiddo! Happy birthday!

[amadaman]

[Ken does open the door, and he also gives a squawk and a yelp when Jaime pulls him up into the mega-hug. One day, he swears, he'll be too tall for Jaime to do this, but a part of him is already realizing that, you know, it probably won't happen. That time when Hiro's machine made him older didn't really do good for his height, so he's probably already doomed.

But while on one hand that's frustrating, on the other hand he really does enjoy these rib-crushing hugs and he laughs and returns the hug once he realizes it's just Jaime.]

Hey, Jaime-san. Thanks. Did you come all the way here just to say that?

[khajidont]

That depends on whether or not you got anything planned for today, [Jaime says, eyes bright as he grins down at Ken. He doesn't think Ken would bother with a party - Jaime hadn't, when everything had been going crazy, and having a big get-together may be a reminder of what Ken still has, but it would also be a reminder of what's missing too - but he has to ask, just in case.]

If you do, then all you get is the happy birthday. If you don't... I figured I could take you out to grab some cake, or whatever you feel like today. Could be anywhere, not even just in this city. You wanna go to Disneyland for a corn dog, just say the word.

[glitterateur]

[It goes against every instinct in Mabel's heart not to throw Ken some kind of birthday party. He's thirteen now! That's a big deal, and everyone deserves to have a kick-butt celebration of their special day every year. But she's learned about the concept of restraint, and respecting people's wishes, and that sometimes birthday parties are a little too much for people. Ken hasn't had the best time recently and he's not the big party type anyway, so better keep it low key.

Which is why Mabel catches up with him in the park, a gift bag on one arm and two pairs of shutter shades perched on top of her head(in pink and orange, natch). Once she spots Ken she hops up on a park bench and waves at him with both arms.]

Keeen! KEEEEEEN! BIRTHDAY BOY KEN AMADA!

["low key"]

[amadaman]

[Mabel's low key will be super mega high key for Ken 90% of the time anyway, so he's not surprised or even upset by the shout that echoes across the park toward him. The fact that Mabel hasn't brought along balloons along speaks volumes about the restraint she's practicing here.

Ken's all smiles as he jogs over to the bench she's on followed by Koromaru.]

Mabel! You could've called; I would've met up with you.

[glitterateur]

[Mabel hops down and leans over to pet Koromaru with her free hand. She follows it up with a quick hug for Ken-- who may be the birthday boy, but there are priorities and fluffing the cute dog's ears will always be first. Sorry, bestie.]

Where's the fun in that! It wouldn't have been a surprise if you knew when I was gonna find you. [Which sounded less creepy in her head, but oh well.] Happy birthday! You're officially a teen now.

[monster_san]

[When Fuu learns what someone's birthday in, she writes that down on her calendar. And she's not sure what to get Ken as a present--this is always the difficulty--but thirteen is important and she's gonna do it.

So! On Friday, Fuu will ring his doorbell with a gift of tea and a box of Caplico ice cream sticks, because those are adorable.]

[amadaman]

[Ken by this point is already seeing the pattern. Another guest, just today? He's already anticipating, but he doesn't want to?? what if people think he's spoiled?? (he is)

But he's all smiles and politeness when he opens the door for Fuu.]

Hello, Hououji-san.

[monster_san]

Hello! [She smiles brightly.] Well, if it's not too forward of me to ask--how does it feel to be another year older, Ken-san?

[stealwithit]

[ Kasumi's present appears out of nowhere right by the door to Ken's bedroom, because of course it does. And while this year's presents may not be a grandiose as last year's, she still hopes he'll like them and find some use out of them. In the two artfully wrapped boxes of presents, Ken would find a pair of hiking boots (complete with orange laces of course), and a photo album. There's a note attached to the box on the top of the stack which reads, in Japanese: "Seems like your friends (she means the Pines twins) like to go on extended and possibly perilous excursions into nature, so I thought you might need these if they decide to take you along next time. And somewhere to stash the cute photographs that come out of that. Happy birthday, Ken!" - K ]

[amadaman]

[Kasumi is the best. He's going to enjoy the heck out of these shoes while also thinking about how he could've totally used these last year while still in Iwatodai. But then he'll decide that these are really too heavy for all the stair climbing he did. He'll send her a picture of himself wearing these boots with a "thanks!" attached as a message. Also with a hamster sitting on one of the shoes.]

[stealwithit]

[ He receives a reply almost instantaneously: "Wait, when did you get a hamster?! How did I miss that last time I was there?"

Probably from how you were all upset, Kasumi.

In any case, the message is quickly followed by a second one: "Can I meet the hamster?" ]

[rideme]

[What the hell is a birthday again?]

[Honestly, Bull would have let this pass by unnoticed if not for, well. His Noticing Things. There's gifts and Kaneda is rushing out and one quick Google search later...]

[Shit.]

[Fortunately, one is not The Iron Bull without one's connections. Of which he has many by now. A few calls and one shop run later, he's collected a cake. One that probably can't fit in the fridge unless they cleared out one whole shelf. There's also a small pie -- but that's mostly just to mess with Dipper if and when he kid shows up.]

[Bull is also kind of an asshole.]

[He's going to put it on the kitchen table, and yell out to the house at large:]

Ken! Dessert's here!

[amadaman]

[Ken is just coming down the stairs to grab a snack, so this is perfect timing! Only seconds after Bull yells out, the familiar blob of orange appears in the kitchen.]

Dessert?

[rideme]

Dessert.

[As he opens up the top of the pink box, to show off the massive cake. Covered in shibes.]

Heard it was your birthday.

Presents!

[justanotherlink]

[Pacifica tracks Ken down at home, with a garment box tucked under one arm and a little bag hanging from her other. She's actually a little excited? She so rarely gets to give people gifts she thinks she'll actually like.]

[So she's waiting outside after knocking on the door, fidgeting almost as much as someone like Mabel would. Almost.]

[amadaman]

[She won't be left waiting for long. Ken's pretty prompt about opening doors for people, and that's no different today. There are some strange sounds (someone yelling? someone squawking? cats?) from the house, but Ken gives her his usual smile when he realizes who it is that's visiting.]

Hi, Pacifica. I didn't know you were stopping by today.

[justanotherlink]

Yes, well, it was...last minute? [Sure why not. She just has no idea how to do this stuff. After an awkward second, she holds out the box.]

...Happy birthday?

presentsss

[hypnotherapy]

[ Magicman makes it a point to remember the birthdays of important people, and Ken is certainly an important person to him.

Which is why he's got...a bunch of stuff. There's some cookies (thankfully with no faces) and a few imported snacks...but there's also a quilt with shiba inu on it, a hoodie for Ken (it's got a big pouch that's the right size to carry Koromaru) and a matching dog-sized hoodie for aforementioned dog. (The dog hoodie has a little pouch of its own, with a little Ken doll inside.)

He's got it all in a large bag, and when he runs into Ken on a Nonah rooftop, there's no better time to give it to him, he guesses. ]

Ken-san! There you are. [ He smiles, warmly, hopping from an adjacent rooftop to greet him. ] I wanted to wish you happy birthday.

[amadaman]

[Ken was using the rooftops to make his way home, but at that moment he was enjoying the slight breeze that kicked up at this height, trying to find some relief from the mercilessly beating down sun when he hears Magicman call his name. He looks over to the source of the voice and smiles when he recognizes who it is.]

Hey, Magic-san. Thank you -- of course you'd remember, huh?