batmanschmatman | 112 [voice]

[Filtered to Kirk, Shego, Claudia, Steph, Kon, Kara, Cassie, Steve, Sara, Buffy and Merlin.]

[Dick's sounding considerably more cheerful than he has over the last couple days, if only because he has an evil plan and doing nice things for other people usually works pretty well in terms of yanking him out of pits of depression.]

So today's is Tim's birthday, I'm throwing him a surprise party, and you're all invited. Meet at my room after dinner, and don't tell him anything. [Or else.]

[Private to Claudia]

Hey. I know you're kind of in a rough place, so no pressure if you're not feeling up to it, but we'd love to have you there.

[Private to Rorschach]

I know this isn't really your thing, but it's Tim's birthday and I'm throwing him a party. I'm just inviting a couple people, so it's not a huge get together or anything, so if you want to make an appearance, I'd be happy to see you there.

[Spam for Tim]

[At some point while Tim was out of his room, someone - cough - has broken into your room and put red, green, black and yellow streamers everywhere. Everywhere. Enough that it almost looks like someone was trying to host a high school dance or something in your apartment. There are also a couple matching balloons.

Oh also there was a note taped to your door in very nondescript handwriting that said "You forgot something, didn't you?" because it's just not a surprise birthday without leaving vaguely incriminating notes taped to people's doors.]

[ooc: If people are interested in doing a log or something, I can throw it together, or we can just assume a fun time was had by all. Whatever works best for everyone. c:]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[The way the three of them refer to each other and treat each other is different than the way his classmates in the virtual reality program and some groups he came across while he was and about. It seems like more than friendship.] Is it common for people who are not related to each other to act like family?

It's not uncommon. Are you asking about me and Tim?

Yeah, and anyone else you know from Gotham. [Can tell that the Babs from his world is important to him but he doesn't dive into that issue.] I'd like to have that kind of connection with Kara.

[Oh Kon. Babs is a whooooole different story.]

It takes time, and not everyone's going to have the same kind of relationship with a family member, blood relation or not, and my relationship with Tim's a lot different from my relationship with our adoptive father, but it doesn't mean I love one of them less. [It's all sort of hard to explain, so.]

What did you want to know specifically?

[You and your lady drama, Dick.]

What are some common birthday celebration customs in North America and why is there such a significance to it? I can understand celebrating milestones but why every year?

Well, sometimes people throw parties. It's usually a bigger deal when you're younger, you invite some friends over and do something fun, like play games or go somewhere, and then people bring gifts and you eat cake and ice cream. Adults usually cool off on it and then only make huge deals out of big landmark years, like when you're turning thirty or fifty, stuff like that. It's an excuse to get your friends and family together and celebrate your life.

I don't really love big parties, and I didn't really have any friends who weren't on the Titans, so growing up it would usually it would just be me, Bruce and Alfred. We'd have a nice dinner, Alfred would make cake, that sort of thing. It's just a day to do something nice for someone you care about.

Sounds nice. [Kon wasn't old enough to have a birthday, though it the day he was created was fast approaching, and when he was fast forward through his maturity N.O.W.H.E.R.E. didn't incorporate any personal milestones in his life. They spent a month experimenting with him in social situations during the virtual reality tests and that was the extent of it.]

What kind of games and presents do you get?

It depends on the age of the person, and, you know, how much money you can spend on it. [Let's just say going from having a cake and some pretty improvised games and stuff to having a basically unlimited budget for this kind of thing was a bit of an adjustment.] When you're younger, people get toys, when you turn sixteen, you might get your first car, that kind of thing, homemade presents are always nice...

I don't know. I'm probably not the best person to ask about a "normal" birthday, since I don't think I've ever really had a typical party.

There should be some sort of compensation, other than "building character", for working jobs as an Inmate. I'd like to be able to earn rewards through it and not have to make requests to my Warden.

[In a nutshell he felt lame having to ask Dean to ask the Admiral for presents to give to people.]

112 [voice]

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