---

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Location: Her apartment, 2C then to The Mighty Bean.
Interacting With: Natasha via text -@Lady Amalthea, Dom via text -@Xtreme, Bryant via text -@Universorum

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The day she has been waiting for is finally here. Her birthday. Natalya couldn't really sleep at all last night due to her excitement as she tidied up around the apartment because of that fact. She had the whole planned out for herself and others that were involved as she looked at her list that was displayed on the fridge. Her eyes narrowed the list carefully then she walked away from the fridge then went over to the living area, turning on the stereo and turning the volume up. "You got to fight, for your right, to paaaaaaaarrrrty!" She squealed those lyrics from The Beastie Boys Fight For Your Right song. She was really happy today and nothing could really bring her down, well except for the fact that Dom isn't around for this moment.

With a small sigh, she walked over and grabbed her iPhone6 Plus then found Dom's name and started typing a message. She bit her lip a little nervously then placed the phone down before picking it up then placing it back down on the counter top. Natalya was contemplating on whether or not she should text him first or just wait to see if he texts her first. She ran her fingers through her brunette locks of hair then went over to the stereo and turned it down as Adele's Hello started to play. That was a sign. At least, she thought it was. Natalya started biting her nails as she stared at her phone, pacing from side to side then eventually giving in and picking it up again, texting Dom.

To: ♥Dom♥
From: Natalya
Good morning, sweets! Just seeing how you were doing and I miss you like crazy. Hope you're going to be in town for my birthday. Love ya! ♥

She sent the message then sat her phone back down, looking at the clock. It was still a bit early, like 8:15 early. She walked down the hall and into her room then went rummaging through her closet on what to wear for the day. She decided to wear a pink blouse with a white skirt, that came well above the knee and a pair of her boots to match. She thought the outfit looked cute but of course, there was going to be someone out there that thought differently. Natalya would usually be making her and Dom breakfast right about now but since he was busy climbing mountains or rock or whatever, she'd just have to get something to eat with her girl this morning since it has became like a regular thing between the duo.

Natalya showered, brushed her teeth and applied a small amount of makeup on her face. She then brushed her hair so that it is flowing freely behind her then changed into her outfit for the day. She reviewed herself over in the mirror that was standing in her room then blew herself a kiss in the mirror. Weird but she did it anyway. She bounced through the hallway this time then made her way back into the kitchen, where she grabbed her cell phone and immediately started taking pictures of herself. Some were cute, some were of her making a funny face and some were just downright ratchet. She opened up an app and did a collage of the pictures then uploaded it onto Instagram with multiple hashtags such as: #BDay2day #Feelingmyself #Cute #Morningpost #StoptypingNat #2Excited. Within minutes she received a few likes then smiled and some people even wished her happy birthday. She commented thank you then grabbed her pink and white clutch purse before heading out the door, locking it, too.

She hoped that Natasha was already at the Mighty Bean but if not, she was going to order anyway since she was starving. She walked down a flight of stairs that were by the other apartments in the building then finally reached the bottom step. The door made a ding sound when she opened it to step outside, breathing in the air as her eyes looked up at the crystal clear, blue skies above her and the sun rays were kissing upon her skin. She smiled then shrugged her shoulders while bouncing over towards The Mighty Bean, which wasn't a really far walk. Like a mile or so from their place.

Natalya heard the bell chime overheard and smiled as all of her coworkers eyes were on her. "Happy birthday!" They all shouted and she lit up with glee. She thanked every single one of them as she made her way to the counter, giving them all hugs and such, too. She chatted with them for a little while as she told them her plans for the day and that night. She was having a party that night and everyone who was anyone to her was invited. She was having a Saint Patrick's Day, Mardi Gras party so you have to come in with a speckle of green, just a speck and in Mardi Gras attire or you were going to be removed. She had rented out a local dance hall for her party so there will be plenty of space for her, Dom and her friends to dance and fall over one another since some of them can't dance for real.

After explaining everything, she finally placed her order, which was two scones and a Mocha Latte then even placed Natasha's order since she gets the same thing every single time they come. "Only make my order now. Wait for the other one, please." She smiled as the front cashier nodded and Natalya stood to the side, waiting for her order. She pulled her cell phone out of her purse and texted Natasha then sent the message as soon as she was done typing.

To: Tasha :D
From: Natalya
Where are you?! Don't tell me you forgot about our daily breakfast. D: Get here when you can. I ordered your usual, too.

She grabbed her food then sat at one of the booths nearby. Their usual booth was taken and she gave the guys a scowling look as she past them. Natalya sat down at the booth and tore a piece of scone off and started eating. She couldn't wait for Natasha to get there and knew she was going to have something to say as soon as she came in and saw her eating already. It was okay though because Natalya had a comeback ready for her and she couldn't wait to use it. While waiting, she pulled out her phone again but this time to send a message towards Bryant.

To: Bryant :)
From: Natalya
No birthday text? Did you forget? Really?!

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The trip was supposed to be longer; at least a week. Dominic had already been gone a month and was desperate to see Natalya. There was no chance of him missing her birthday. He sat the end of the block, admiring his thick reddy-brown beard in the rear-view mirror. No doubt she’d make him shave it off later unless she had finally came around to his mountain man look. Dom wasn’t exactly dressed for the San Francisco heat. Having spent four weeks on a mountain he was dressed in thick hiking gear, he’d make sure to swiftly change when in the flat as he hadn’t really had a chance to change since landing back in California. A chime in to his right alerted Dom to a text, it was from Nat.

From: Natalya
Good morning, sweets! Just seeing how you were doing and I miss you like crazy. Hope you're going to be in town for my birthday. Love ya! ♥

This was it. It was a bit of a dickish move but if he told her he was home it would ruin the surprise. Opening up his messenger he sent her a quick reply;

To: Natalya
Hi babe, so sorry. There’s a bit of a snow storm here, they’re not letting us leave just yet. Looks like I might miss your birthday. I hate this. I love you, try and have a good day and I’ll see you soon

While still on his phone, Dom had a quick look through his Twitter and Instagram. Damn his girl looked good today, he loved that white skirt. His girl had legs for days and he loved it. Finally he watched as Nattie left the apartment, obviously on her way to meet Tasha at the coffee shop. The girls had a routine and they stuck to it religiously. Pulling the truck out of park, Dom moved slowly crept up towards the little red building he had called home for nearly two years. It was a pretty old building with a lot of character. Dom loved it, in fact the entire street had very similar architecture and it was all amazing. Of course someone was parked in his spot, they always are. You go away for a month and someone jumps in your grave.

After finally finding a nearby parking spot, Dom had the arduous task of moving all of his hiking gear up to the top floor of the Red Building to Apartment 2C which he shared with Nattie. Luckily for them, they had a little storage cupboard with just enough space for all of the mountaineering equipment Dominic used. Boy did it take him some time to convince Natalya to let him use the space. Thank god they were both neat freaks or this relationship would’ve been over a long time ago. Reaching into one of his bags, Dom pulled out what looked like a navy blue leather suit case. Placing it on a nearby side table, he opened it up to reveal an old style record player. Nat had wanted one of these for months, hopefully she’d like this one. He had made sure to have it inscribed with her name on the inner lid.

After a quick shower, Dom opted not to shave. Reaching into the cupboard above the sink, he looked at the array of pills in their assorted containers. He hated this part, he really, truly hated this part. One by one he opened each tub and popped two pills from each. There were green ones and black ones and two tone ones and even some pink ones….all to keep his flawed heart healthy. Exhaling deeply, Dominic stared at his reflection, wiping the condensation from the steamed up mirror. It was hard when looking at himself like this not to see what might have been if he hadn’t been diagnosed with his condition. He was so close, so damn close.

Now it was time to choose some clothes to wear to meet his lady love. Sticking with the simple was Dom’s motto. Some jeans, his boots, a buttoned down black shirt that always look so much better on Nattie than it did him and his dark denim jacket with the fur collar; effortlessly cool or at least he liked to think so.

Walking back outside, Dom leaned into the back of his car and pulled out a fantastic bouquet of flowers. He had picked all of them himself during his trek on the mountain and brought them down specifically for Nattie’s birthday. Dom never ever said much, is actions did most of his talking for him he liked to think. Moving down the street with a grin on his grizzled face, Dominic felt happy. Sure he felt alive in the mountains and on the peaks but being home and being able to see Nattie and his friends just elated his damaged heart.

Arriving at the Mighty Bean, Nat was already in a booth with Tas. Oh joy. Of course Tas there, she was always there. Coming up behind them, Dom placed the flowers on the table in front of Natalya.

“You really think a storm can keep me from that smile?”

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Connor looked down at his phone as it buzzed with a text, then checked his watch. 10:15, there was no reason for someone to bother him, at least not right then. He hopped up from his computer desk, and threw on one of his collared shirts, and a pair of jeans, wondering who was texting him and trying to remember if he had any obligations that day. Frowning, he picked up the phone and his eyes grew wide as he read the text from Natalya. “Oh, fuck me runnin- Wait! I got her presents a few weeks ago. That’s that genius mind coming into play, I guess…” Smiling slyly to himself, Connor left his room and reached hit a button on his phone, turning on the surround sound he’d long ago had added to the apartment. Slowly, he moved his head to the music as it filled the rooms, “Hail mary,” he muttered along to the lyrics, walking over to the sign he had hung on the wall that boldly declared “Days Since Last Incident.” Happily, the man reached up and rubbed the 5 out of 995, and changed it into a six.

The sign was an indication of the last time he’d had to speak with his parents, or family in general. He was very happy to be so close to day 1000, but he had decided that he’d save the celebration for the moment he got to add a fourth digit. Smiling to himself, he wondered if he’d be able to convince Sam to bake him a celebratory cake when the day came. ...After a few moments of consideration, he decided that probably. He probably could. Sliding his finger around on his phone, he typed out a message to Nat:

To: Natty

What?! Me?! Forget your birthday and prepurchase your expensive birthday gifts weeks ago to avoid this very issue!? Never. ;) See ya soon, bud. Give Tas my love and a wink.

Dragging himself over to the hall closet, Connor opened it and moved a few things around, eventually coming to his target: a large paper bag that contained three presents, wrapped in incredibly tacky wrapping paper, with pictures of puppies and kittens on it and one envelope. The envelope had a birthday card that he’d thought was positively hilarious, and 3 twenty dollar bills, and two quarters, one New York and one California. The boxes contained: what he considered the essential kung fu movies: The Protector, Enter the Dragon, The One, Hero, and the Forbidden Kingdom, a boxed set of IMDB’s top romance films, and an expensive, high quality scrapbook.

It was an oddly sentimental, expensive gift set, but Connor thought that with their past relationship, it was fitting. He’d explained to Dom that he and Natalya had known each other when they were younger, but had never really given details other than that they were friends. Putting the presents to the side, he punched in another text on his phone, this time to Tas:

To: Dr. Chill

Hey, baby. Is the Dominator there? Should I do a present drop and run? I still gotta do my morning workout… I don’t wanna miss it. I’m bad at situations like this. Guess I could do it a little later and make a breakfast appearance. What’s my play?

Sighing, he pulled on his expensive shoes, already knowing what the play was. Without waiting for an answer, he began to stroll toward the Mighty Bean, bag of presents in hand. Though he knew his phone would buzz soon, probably with responses from both girls, he felt he already knew what he had to do: spend the entire day celebrating his friends birthday.

Where? Currently @ The Seaside Creative Group Office
With? @Lady Amalthea

Location: 2A
Interacting with: @Aewin

Eva Jones

Location: 3C then out for work
Interacting with: @Turnaround Amy and @HushedWhispers

---

[/hr]
Location: Apartment 1B
Interacting with: @Lady Amalthea(By text)

Benji Graham

Location: 2A, then 2B, then the Bean
Interacting With: Eva via text - @Aewin, Nat - @HushedWhispers, and everyone else in the Bean.

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Location: Apartment 2B
Interacting with: @Raxacoricofallapatorius @Turnaround Amy

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Location: The Mighty Bean.
Interacting With: Natasha-@Lady Amalthea, Dom-@Xtreme, Bryant via text-@Universorum, Eva via text-@Aewin, Benji-@Raxacoricofallapatorius, Didi via text-@lopsided

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Her eyes peered up towards the door when the bell chimed again and saw her friend walking through it though she had to announce herself, too. 'Typical Tasha.' Natalya thought to herself then saw the wrapped gift being plopped down on the table. She hugged her friend then watched as she sat down, listening to her talk about work today. She let out a soft chuckle then eyed the box as Tasha pushed it closer and even more closer as she smiled widely. "I wonder what this is." She said while grabbing the box and carefully and perfectly peeling off of the wrapper then opened the box. Her eyes widened at the camera as she stammered to find the right words to say. Her hands wrapped around the camera carefully and saw her mother's name on it.

"Are you sure, Tasha?" She questioned her in an almost hushed tone then placed it back in the box while looking at her friend. "I mean, of course you are sure but are you really sure?" She said with a sigh then lowered her head a little. "Sorry." She muttered softly while taking another bite from her scone and sip of her coffee then looking down at her phone, seeing Dom's name scrolled across the screen and his picture in the background. A soft smile spread among her lips as she unlocked her phone then read his text message. "You've got to be kidding me!" She somewhat shouted as she plopped her phone down, not even replying to the message as she sighed. "Dom is stuck in snow and won't be here for my birthday!" She continued to shout towards Tasha as she sighed again. Natalya leaned back in her seat then folded her arms over her chest.

Her eyes then peered towards flowers being sat on the table and a familiar voice making her ears twitch as the words reached them. "Dom!" She sprang up and out of her seat, hugging him tightly then placing a kiss upon his lips. "I thought..." She thought a moment then punched him playfully in the arm. "I hate you. You know that." She said while sitting down, waving for him to sit down, too as she scooted over even more closer to the window. "Love the flowers, baby." She kissed his cheek then grabbed his hand underneath the table, smiling brightly and blushing then looking at her phone as the text tone went off. It was Bryant. She picked up her phone and read the message, laughing a bit as she went to typing a reply.

To: Bryant
From: Natalya
Mhm. Whatever. You're coming to sit with us at the Mighty Bean though right?

"I think Bryant is coming. And he sends his love, Tasha. Well, you know." She waved her hand then smiled towards her then eyed Dom. "So, how was the mountains this time? Sorry that I had to work and couldn't come this time." She pouted a little bit then eyed Tasha after her snarky comment. Again, typical Tasha. Her phone chimed again and it was Eva, wishing her a happy birthday and that she was excited about the party that was being thrown tonight.

To: Eva
From: Natalya
Thanks, hon. And yes, I am excited, too!!

It was a simple message but she was awfully busy with her baby, Dom, her friend, Tasha and everyone else that might be dropping in at their favorite hot spot in the area. Her eyes looked at Benji as he joined the group and wished her a happy birthday. She didn't know why but when people said that to her now, she'd do nothing but blush and smile then tuck a few strands of her hair behind her ear. "Thanks, Benji. And I cannot wait to see what you got me." She smiled over there towards him as her phone chimed again.

To: Didi
From: Natalya
Thanks! Hope to see you before the party soon?

She sent the message then started typing a message to send to Eva, again. Since her message was so simple the first time, she'd thought that she'd just invite her to the Mighty Bean and hangout with them. Hope the others would approve of her. "I'm inviting Eva here, everyone." She muttered then started typing a message.

To: Eva
From: Natalya
You're welcome to come to the Mighty Bean and chill with us. :) <3

She sent the message then placed her phone down as she smiled towards everyone. "Is it bad that I have no idea what I am wearing to my own party? Serious opinion answer, Tasha." She teased towards her then looked over towards Dom. "What are you wearing?" She asked while jumping slightly at her ringtone. She answered the phone and it was her caterer for the party tonight. But of course, something just had to go wrong as the caters messed up the order and she said that it was alright and thanked them anyway, even if they didn't deserve. She sighed and ran her fingers through her brunette locks of hair then sent a message towards Samson.

To: Sammie
From: Natalya
Think you can do a favor for the birthday girl? :D

Location: The Mighty Bean
Interacting With:@HushedWhispers @Raxacoricofallapatorius @ChaoticFox

Interactions with: Natasha-@Lady Amalthea, Dom-@Xtreme, Natalya-@HushedWhispers,Benji-[@Raxacoricofallapatorius
Location: The Mighty Bean

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Connor’s phone buzzed as he rounded into the Mighty Bean, the jingle of the store’s bell swishing as he let himself in. He pulled it out and checked it quickly, nodding in satisfaction as he became aware that he had made the correct play. He looked toward the usual booth, and his face contorted in confusion as he realized that neither Natty nor Tas were there, he looked around some more, and then he eyed a man clothed in a huge coat and boots. Dom, the one and only. Grinning now, he strolled over to them, twirling the bag round and round. As he neared, he noticed another person there: Benji. “Hey, man. Good to see ya, and… Tas is gone. How did I not see her? I must have been spacing out thinking about how amazing my presents for you are, Natty.” He explained, placing the bag down in front of her. “There’s more to come, too, but it’s such a big present that I had to keep it in the apartment for now. It’s so mind-blowing,” Connor explained, his eyes twinkling, a massive grin on his face as he built the present up.

Turning his attention to Dom, he knocked his fist against Dom’s in their normal way of greeting, with a very manly, very simple head nod added in for good measure. “My man. We should check out surfing this year, don’t you think?” He asked, grinning as he sat down in Tas’s spot and pulled out his phone, pecking out a text to her as he shook his head, feeling positively betrayed. Then again, they were basically just fuck-buddies and he shouldn’t have relied on her too much for back up here. After a few seconds of dashing his finger along the touch screen keyboard, Connor read over his text and nodded, satisfied.

To: Dr. Chill:

Local Netflix provider abandoned at coffee shop.

Punching the send button, he looked back at up Natalya and his other friends. “So, because I totally did kinda-sorta-maybe-a little blank and almost-totally-completely-entirely forget your birthday is today, can you fill me back in? What’s the plan, Natty? Laser tag? Pizza? Cake? Is Sam cooking? I hope Sam’s cooking? We should make sure we have perfect music,” rambling now, Connor smiled. “Open the card. It’s amazing.” The card inside the envelope included with the presents, had a picture of a monkey and boldly declared: ‘This birthday card is hilarious because it has a monkey on it. Enjoy.’

“Hey, who’s all coming the party? Is that cute girl coming? Er, the one that watches anime with me, not the one that draws on me. ...Evalyn. Yeah, Evalyn. Feliks is coming, right? Have you heard from Feliks at all? Because I haven’t since like… last night, and I worry about him sometimes, he’s my best friend, y’know.” Connor explained, thinking for a few seconds as he looked around the Mighty Bean. Giving Natalya a total of roughly forty-eight seconds to respond, Connor began to speak again. “I am going to get a pastry. I’ll return in a few seconds guy, bee-are-bee.” With that declaration, he stood up and headed over to the counter, eyeing the various snacks.

Eva Jones

Location: At work
Interacting with: @HushedWhispers and @Raxacoricofallapatorius

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The warmth of Natalya’s embrace was all Dominic needed to reassure him that he was probably the luckiest man alive. How could he not believe that? Everything about Nattie oozed perfection to him. He was so damn glad he had answered that wanted ad for a roommate two years ago or he probably wouldn’t be with the love of his life. She hit is arm quite hard, for such a small thing she definitely packed a punch. This was obviously due to his little text earlier. ”I hate you too, sunshine” Dom pressed a light kiss against Nat’s lips and scooched next to her in the booth, wrapping one arm around her shoulder and intangling his other with hers beneath the table as he did so. ”Glad you like the flowers, they’re from the top of the peak, so pretty rare. Your other present is in the apartment” Dominic often brought Nat things back from his trips, it was kind of their thing.

"The Dominator returns from another trek into the wilderness, and we weren't lucky enough to have you break your neck? So disappointing,"

Of course Tas would want to get a word in, she always did. ”Paging Doctor Bitch, the morgue called, few more causes of death just confirmed Tasha Brinne’s bedside manner” He didn’t particularly like this game that he and Tas played, especially when it was done in front of Nattie. ”Sorry babe” He pressed a quick peck against his girlfriend’s shoulder. Gently, the burly Dom caressed his girlfriend’s hand with his thumb. God he missed her, the worst part of his trips were leaving her.

Raising his head up, the mountaineer heard the oh so familiar sound of one Benji Graham making an appearance at the Mighty Bean. Dom offered a courteous nod. Ben and Dom had a very simple relationship, Benji talked, Dom listened and poured drinks. Simple, powerful and effective. It was a good deal.

"So, how was the mountains this time? Sorry that I had to work and couldn't come this time."

”You were missed but it was good. One of the guys had a bit of a fall, broke his ankle on the fifth day but other than that, it was a solid trip A light, quick smile jumped across his bearded face before he looked up and watched as Tas made her exit to go clean herself up. She had obviously just gotten back from a shift and hadn’t had time to change. As much as they battled, Dom had nothing but respect for her. She did a job he could never do.

Hearing the chime of the café bell, the Minnesota man grinned as his boy came into the shop. One bro fist and head nod later, Connor began.”My man. We should check out surfing this year, don’t you think?” This was the beauty of the bromance; Connor and Dom pushed each other to the limit athletically. Sure he had lost a step due to all the medications inhibiting his performance but with Connor, Dom always managed to forget about that and keep moving forward. It was obvious both Nat and Tas worried when the two men trained together, worried that Dom might push himself too far and that his heart might just give in. It was hard to convince them to let him be as he could just never find the right words. ”Definitely man, we can try it”

"What are you wearing?"

Dom returned his attention to Nattie and after a few moments that felt like an eternity lost in her bright smile he replied.

”Clothes, Nat. I’ll wear clothes

Benji Graham

Location: The Mighty Bean
Interacting With: @Universorum

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[/hr]
Location: Apartment 1B
Interacting with: @Lady Amalthea, @lopsided (via text)

Interactions with: Benji-@Raxacoricofallapatorius, Natalya-[@HushedWhisper]
Location: The Mighty Bean

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Connor looked down at Benji with a look on his face that very blatantly asked ‘Seriously?’ He rolled his eyes when Benji added things to his order, without the patience to even truly wait for an answer. He took the pastry offered by barista, and gave her one of his classic charming smiles, placing money on the table, leaving her a large tip. Biting thoughtfully into the donut, he considered his options for a few minutes. He could just let Benji burn, as punishment for never paying him the money he owed back. But, that wouldn’t be very nice, and unfortunately, Connor was a nice guy, deep down. Very deep down. Grumbling, he reached back into his wallet and pulled out four crisp fifty dollar bills, holding them out to Benji. After the other boy took them, Connor rubbed his hands together.

“Alright, broski. Here’s what you’re gonna do, alright,” he leaned in, whispering to Benji as he thought about what he knew Natalya liked to do and what her hobbies were. It took the man a few minutes of silent, careful contemplation, before he gave a nod. “Alright. You’re gonna take the money, go down to the mall. You’re getting her two gifts: one gag gift, because that’s the kind of person you are and she’ll expect it 100%, and then one real gift. For the gag gift, you’re gonna get her something to clean with. Like… one of those Mr. Clean Magic Erasers. For the real gift, go simple, she likes coffee so get her a fancy pants French blend, something really expensive and exotic sounding. After that, head to the anime store and get me something to watch with Eva. Then, you’re going to go to the front desk and grab me two packs of the gum I like. I’m almost out. After that, you’re gonna come back here and I want exact change, I’m not a bank.” He patted Benji on the shoulder, and took another bite from his donut, chewing it thoroughly before he spoke again.

“Look, and you don’t have to wow her, alright? You’re not her boyfriend, you’re not her best friend, and I’ve known her for ages. So we kinda went all out, you don’t have to make it too amazing. Now, go my Young Padawan. I’ll cover for you at the table, alright? Make sure you’re at the party, you’re not gonna wanna miss it, trust me.” With that, he gave Benji another pat on the shoulder, squeezing it reassuringly, and retreated back to the table where his other friends were.

As he sat down, he licked the donut glaze off of his fingers and looked down at his watch. “Hey, Benji’s gonna go pick some stuff up for me from the store, alright? Supplies for your party, I really blanked this time and kinda messed up… My bad, Natty, don’t blame him. Anyway, where were we? Right. Who’s gonna be there? Everyone, right? That’s important for the extravagance and epic power of my gift.” Connor explained, smiling at Natty as he rolled his eyes.

Location: 1B
Interacting With:@Universorum @ChaoticFox