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Leap year birthdays were always a weird thing, an odd straddle between two days that didn't exist for three years and went one of two ways. They were either celebrated on the two days they skipped over or completely ignored, the former a fine compromise to Abbi but the latter a great travesty. When she had learned that her sleepy eyed friend Stormy possessed that ever elusive leap year birthday, the girl knew she had to do something lest the day pass without extravagance.
In that vein, it seemed entirely appropriate to plan the best surprise party she could, even if it was really difficult to keep it all a surprise. It meant careful planning, careful avoidance of the friend in question and even more careful collection of supplies. That was the most difficult component mostly because it wasn't as though Deus had a Party Supplies Store, or even anything remotely close to it. In the end, the teen had to just sit in her room for hours and glue pieces of construction paper together in the best imitation of streamers she could muster before she finally just chopped the rest up into little pieces to claim as confetti.
She had been lucky enough, at least, to convince someone in the kitchens to bake a nice cake (coughcoughDorycough) and donate enough rations to be considered adequate party food. Though it was a bit of a mystery what some of the items were, they were at least mostly edible...

Still, Abbi had put on her best party dress and was all too happy to greet anyone who wandered into the common room of the dorms, with all its awkwardly placed attempt at streamers and bits of "confetti" that lined the floor.
"HI! Welcome to the surprise party! Its a surprise so NO SPOILERS OK?"

Sherry felt a little bad because she did not have a gift. She'd been busy and distracted and no one ever told her when birthdays happened until too late. It was something she'd have to make up for later, with dinner or something. Eventually, anyway.

For now her offering of chocolates would have to do. A box of fancy truffle-like things she'd bought while off playing tourist were placed on the food table.

"It's cute. I like it," she said, glancing around the room and eying it's decorations.

"I have confirmation from a local European man!" Dakota declared. "THUS IT'S LEGAL."

No shame, no guilt. DRINK AND BE MERRY BROTHERS AND SISTERS.

Thirty seconds later he walked into the room (sporting his beautiful new intermediate jacket) , spotted the alcohol, and headed straight towards it, before stopping because really that's what they consider to be good booze around here?

Sighing, he fished around in his pocket for the flask of whiskey he just so happened to bring with him, and unscrewing the cap, took a swig of that instead, giving Abbi and Dorian both a nod and a lift of his gloved hand in greeting.

"Where's your old man, Princess? Oh oh, wait....Is he the Ice King?" He asked with a smirk, glancing around for a certain death trainee with white hair, and frowning when he didn't see him.

Pulling out his phone, he shot off a couple of texts himself.




Not that he knew anything incriminating, and he most definitely knew what the occasion was because Abbi had told him in her text. The phone went back into his pocket and another swig of whiskey was taken.

It seemed like two seconds later, his phone was buzzing again: this time it was Finn, sprouting some nonsense about incriminating knowledge. He had enough sense left to roll his eyes.



The Trainee spent the next few minutes getting bandaged up by a Lifer that he didn't recognize, and once he was able he went back to his room to change clothes. Changing was difficult, what with the bandages around his shoulder and torso restricting his movements, but he managed. Soon he was on the way to the party, quietly drifting through the small crowd. First stop was to Finn, who only happened to be closer to the door. The other man received a very unimpressed look.

"Your threats are slipping." He informed his friend, offering him the ghost of a smile before he continued through, looking for Abbi. When he found her, she had her back to him; it was nothing for him to quietly step closer and wrap his arms around her from behind, leaning down the slightest bit to rest his chin on her shoulder.

"Hello." He murmured softly, squishing her back against him in a hug, even if it hurt to do so.

Sherry had gladly looked around, nodding to some as they entered, noting the booze and just generally keeping to herself. Their hostess was a charmer, though, and Sherry grinned as she took the girl's hand. "Sherry Greyson! Nice to meet you, Abbi! And I hope so. It's great of you to put this on!" Seriously, if Sherry hadn't noticed the party being set up, she might not have ever known. And that would have been terrible. "Will do!" she replied, noting to bug Abbi if she needed anything.

Sweet as the girl was, she was the hostess, and she seemed to know everyone showing up. Sherry smiled and nodded and let the girl get on with entertaining everyone. Sherry understood how it was. Maybe she'd pin girl down after all the intros were over for some more chatting. She seemed like a sweetheart.

Abbi needn't worry, because Sherry wasn't alone for long. She looked up at the fellow Lifer. "It's entirely possible." She recognized him, she knew that much. With a smile she held out her hand. "Sherry Greyson. Pleasure to meet you."

Evan had heard whispers of a party on his short trek from the portals to his dorm, and while he usually would have ignored them in favor of the shower he desperately needed and the bed that awaited him afterward, there had been a name attached to the rumors that he couldn't easily disregard.

s**t. Is that today? What is today? Damn it, I didn't get her anything!

/Worst brother, heehee~!/

Shut up.

He may have completely forgotten about Stormy's birthday, but at least he could be there for it; a few hours of sleep between missions off-island was the least of what Evan was willing to sacrifice for Stormy's sake. He did take that shower, though, and he was still warm and damp for it when he finally ran into the common room. "I'm not late!" Evan insisted as he skidded to a stop, looking around to judge the level of 'party' in the room. There were streamers, yes, and someone had had the good sense to bring alcohol, and Stormy didn't seem to be hiding anywhere. "I'm not, right?" It would have been just his luck to have missed it completely.