Welcome to Gaia! ::

Caoimhe is turning sixteen -- at least according to her -- and your Fa'e has been invited! (So make with the presents! :< ) Whether they have met her or not, all Fa'e received a charming invitation with two palm trees on the outside, declaring a Beach Bonanza that positively required their attendance. The only handwritten additions were the name "CAOIMHE" scrawled in sloppy handwriting across the top of the card and then "FREE FOOD!" in equally sloppy handwriting just at the bottom. Beach attire is recommended (beach party, that it is) and anyone not bringing a present will be receiving dirty looks.

The party is being held on Gambino Isle at a rented out beach house that is secluded at the tip of a narrow peninsula, surrounded by water on three sides. The house is quite nice and has been featured on several reality shows, for you television-savvy Fa'e. At the door, there is a man wearing all white whose sole job is to collect the presents and put them on a table in the living room. His name is Vlad. He does not seem like a particularly happy person; do not make too much eye contact. Once you enter, the house itself appears to be an odd smattering of classy mixed with cheap -- plastic flamingoes are scattered across the floor and giant lighted palm trees tower in every corner. It seems as though someone simply purchased every single cheap, gaudy beach-themed decoration and threw them around the room, which is pretty much precisely what happened. The caterer, a stout woman named Helen, appears particularly disatisfied by the decor. She is manning the buffet line -- and quite a buffet it is. Very expensive, very tasty food with an apparent seafood and barbeque theme with everything ranging from whole lobster to baked beans.

The main foyer opens out onto a wide porch that runs right into the beach sand. The beach is white-sand with clear waters, a great swimming spot, but not enough waves to go surfing, unless someone wants to use some magical power or something to make them. There are outside shower stalls and patio furniture galore, as well as a small hot tub for those Fa'e who don't like the ocean or are too young to be left there alone. Most of the doors in the downstairs are locked -- by the owner, no doubt -- but, if you take the staircase up, there are several open bedrooms, a library, a study, and another porch. All guardians will be invited upstairs to enjoy wine and food separate from the Fa'e. If you have a Fa'e who is very young, you might consider having your guardian appoint an older Fa'e to look after him or her for the duration of the festivities.

The party planner, Carmichael, is flitting about everywhere, offering to get people more food and constantly promoting all the fun games that he has planned -- kind of like a cruise director. Caoimhe pretty much hates him and does not listen to him at all, but he is still there, desperately trying to put the party on a schedule. He had been her guardian's idea really, someone to make sure that Caoimhe had all her t's crossed and i's dotted. OH WELL. So bring your Fa'e on over! They can do whatever they want pretty much, but make sure they get there before the sun goes down.

Wouldn't want anyone to miss the late night festivities...

Caoimhe had been saving up all her profits from Jewels of the Sea (as well as her side jewelry project with Dustin) for almost three years. She had planned to buy herself a jet ski after discovering an Xtreme Sports! show on TV that featured jet ski stunts and tricks. Once she had enough for the jet ski, she decided that she wanted a motorcycle too. After she had enough for both of those, she decided that it would be cool to have her own personal chef -- or perhaps just a pool of chocolate pudding. After all those years of saving up, the teenage Fa'e had never been able to make up her mind long enough to actually buy anything, which kept her bank account swelling but little else. Then this whole "I need to have a Super Sweet Sixteen[sup]TM[/sup]" came along, and for once in her life, Caoimhe actually followed through. She followed through so well that she had effectively drained every last cent she had ever saved up.

This had better be one hell of a party.

Padding barefoot over the tile floors of the Estate's foyer (it was her party after all), Caoimhe gave a once over to all her decorations. A coconut bra was draped loosely over the marble bust of some old dead guy. A blow up alligator was lounging on the chaise. Cheap grass skirts covered each ornate table. It was perfect. Vlad stood in the doorway, face blank, shoulders squared -- with an armload of multi-colored leis covering both arms. Caoi slid across the floor, screeching to a stop in front of him. "Vladdie," she began, the man grimacing at her voice, "make sure that every one puts on a lei. Every one. It is a requirement." Caoimhe herself already had on two leis -- one blue and one green -- as well as a light-up headband that flashed the words "SWEET SIXTEEN" in a repetitive purple light. She wore a brown sarong with a teal tribal print tied around her neck in a make shift halter dress, the straps of her brown bikini visible under it. The idea of a bathing suit was still a pretty foreign concept to Caoimhe. The only "suit" she ever wore was her own skin. After several complaints from fellow sunbathers, Caoi learned to cover up, but she still felt ridiculous being in the water with clothes on.

Giving Vlad an authoritative tap on the shoulder, she spun on her heel just in time to see Gristla and Mrs. Kates entering through the back doors. "Ain't it just beautiful?" Mrs. Kates said, turning around to face the open patio. The house was built so that the massive glass doors could be slid fully open, giving the impression that the house simply opened onto the beach. From the door, the entire beach horizon was visible, as if it was simply the next room of the house. "It's so inviting, don'tcha think?" At her side, Gristla growled, nails clicking against the tile floor.

Caoimhe looked up to Mrs. Kates. "What's wrong with her?" she asked, pointing at her guardian.

Gristla spoke for herself. "This is such a waste, cub. What is the purpose of this extravagance? I should have never let you have that television in the first place." The Epic Battle of the TV had taken place many years ago, but Gristla still regarded it as the moment in which Caoimhe became materialistic -- a trait that she despised. On Aranorn, the people lived as self-sufficient individuals, only taking what they needed. Caoimhe argued that they needed a television just like she needed this party. Gristla was not convinced then, and she was not convinced now. However, she found it increasingly hard to deny her adopted child happiness -- and so, like before, Caoimhe got her way.

With a dramatic sigh, Caoimhe collapsed on top of Gristla, wrapping her arms around the feline's neck. "Don't be mad," she said in Aranorn's tongue, nuzzling her face in Gristla's fur.

Gristla stiffened, but ultimately began to purr -- like a big kitty! "If anyone calls me a "cat" or mistakes me for some kind of pet, I cannot promise that I will not bite." Getting to her feet, Caoimhe adjusted her leis and headed for the patio.

"Fine with me!" she said, rearranging the tropical flower streamers that hung across the opening. Gristla snorted, and then, as previously agreed, she and Mrs. Kates retreated to the upstairs where they had been commanded to stay for the entire evening.

Plopping down on the couch, Caoimhe propped her legs up on the table and crossed them -- earning a glare from both Helen and Vlad -- and then began humming to herself. Carmichael was no where to seen. He was probably still outside trying to designate areas for the sandcastle building contest. Caoi told him it was lame a hundred times, but he insisted on going through the motions. Oh well. It was his time to waste. As long as he guarded her presents and yelled at anyone who made her mad, Caoimhe would consider it a job well done.

The guests would be there any minute!

Sati had finally managed to persuade Sayuri to go to this party; she knew that Rhiannon was getting out and about more as she slowly got over the loss of her relationship (what was it, Sati wondered, that meant her family seemed to be cursed in love?), and so she wanted her Guardian to do the same as Sayuri seemed to be staying in alot lately.
She'd not managed to get her Guardian to wear anything other than her habitual kimono, but she was at least in attendance.

Sati was wearing 'beachwear', and was far more covered than she had gone around as in previous years. That was behind her she felt, she was a mother and it as time to act her age, at least when it came to dressing. So she was wearing a two-piece swimsuit in gold, around her waist was a long sarong that reached to her ankles and only showed leg when she moved. She also had a top on in the same floaty material that her sarong was made of - long sleeved and tied at the waist.

Tucked under her left arm was a prettily made up small gift box, patterned paper and an iridescent bow stuck on top. She didn't know Caoimhe, but as she had decided to attend this birthday party, bringing a gift was what you did, even if you didn't know the host.

Finally they arrived at the beach house, a prettily situated building that was back and surrounded by the ocean. Sati wondered who else would be there, and as she glanced at Sayuri as they walked up the path towards the front entrance, it seemed that she was thinking the same. They both had people that it might be difficult to see again..and old friends that they missed.

With a roar, silver pulled his bike up to the street outside the house, parking it and turning it off. He looked around, getting a case of the nerves a moment as he got off the bike, pulling a small gift out of the saddlebags of his bike. He was dressed in a pair of pants as was his usual. He slowly walked up towards the door, finally knocking.

(( Just a quick thing -- no one needs to knock or wait to be let in anymore. Just assume that your Fa'e got the same greeting from Vlad -- the doorman -- that Sati and Mikhail got and head right on in~

Caoimhe will be down once a handful of the Fa'e have made their entrances, but feel free to mingle in the meantime. ))

Sati sucked in a short breath when she saw the third person arriving, and she decided that talking to Mikhail would be the easier. She went over, chuckling as she saw him take off his lei.

'Did you not think it suited you then?' she asked, a brow quirked upwards as she rolled a flower from her lei in between two fingers.

'Yes? You think you might look feminine for keeping it on? I think leis are the exception to that rule.' Sati teased him gently, as she didn't know him so well, and what she did know meant she would be careful of what she spoke of to him. After all, she did have a child out of wedlock!

'You know Caiomhe?' she asked, changing the subject, her eyes drifting to the entrance every now and then in case any else arrived.

(( edit: Heading to bed now, so wont be replying till morning, feel free to reply around that fact XD ))