Private The Birthday Party

[Inanna Harth]

Ashur Harth was turning four. When asked what he would like to do for his birthday, he had only one thing to say: "Dinosaurs!"

On the morning of his birthday, Ashur awoke and padded out of his room. Stopping at the kitchen threshold, he rubbed his eyes, then rubbed them again in disbelief. His home had been transformed overnight into a Jurassic paradise. The living and dining rooms were festooned with dinosaur decorations; the first few presents laid on the table were swaddled in wrapping paper printed with various archosaurs. There was even dinosaur-themed food laid out in sealed transparent containers...

On the verge of overloading from sheer excitement, Ashur turned tail and ran howling down the hall to his parents' room, eager to get the party started.

Cato Harth​

 

[Cato Harth]

Cato and Inanna had been up late into the night prepping the house for Ashur's birthday. Since before he even properly understood what a dinosaur was, the boy had an obsession with them that had never been shaken. Cato understood the hype. Dinosaurs were pretty awesome. They had gone above and beyond to make this a special birthday for him. He was in preschool now, meaning he was smart enough to know what he wanted, and had friends of his own to invite over. Whatever reservations Cato had in the past about being a two-time father, it was days like this that he knew he made the right choice giving Ashur a family.

The parents were unsurprisingly quite eager to sleep in after the late night decorating, but Ashur would have none of it. Cato was already rousing into wakefulness as he heard the boy's excitement approaching down the hall. Clinging onto those final precious moments of slumber, he squeezed Inanna a little tighter and mumbled something even he didn't understand. But before long, Ashur was bursting into the room (after awkwardly trying to open the door and run through it at the same time). "Wake up! Wake up!" He said, slapping his hands on the bed.

Serena emerged from her room shortly after, clutching her blanket and rubbing her eyes. She looked down the hall towards the dinosaur decor, "Wow..." She said. This might not have been her birthday party, but she was going to have fun with it all the same.

Inanna Harth​

 

[Inanna Harth]

Inanna awoke to the sound of the door opening. While Cato struggled to rouse himself, she sat up straight and alert, ready to deal with whatever came. But it was only Ashur that ran into the room, grinning from ear to ear.

“Mommy! Daddy! Wake up!” he exclaimed, racing to the edge of the bed. “It’s my birthday!”

“Yes, it is.” Laughing, Inanna reached down and swept him up into a hug. “Did you see your decorations?”

“Dinosaurs!” was all Ashur managed to coherently squeal in his excitement. “Is it party time?”

“Uh, not yet,” she answered, checking the clock. “But Grandma is supposed to be here soon…”

As if on cue, there was a knock at the door. “Grandma!”

“I’ll get it.” Inanna paused before she left the bed, bending down to kiss below Cato’s ear before departing.

Cato Harth​

 

[Cato Harth]

Cato didn't quite leave his prone position, but as Ashur was lifted up into view, he did crack open a tired eye a smile, "Happy birthday, squirt." The boy couldn't contain his excitement. Serena, who had just come to the doorway, immediately turned and bolted for the front door when Grandma came knocking.

"Hm." Cato grunted in appreciation. He had no intention of laying in bed all day however, and hopped up to get dressed a few moments later. He checked the time. Closer to the party that he realized. Probably shouldn't have come as a surprise, the given the Harths were often late risers for one reason or another.

When the door was opened, Grandma Serena was ready with her arms wide open to hug the kids, "Hello! Hello, babies! Did I hear it's somebody's birthday today?"

Inanna Harth​

 

[Inanna Harth]

"Hello! Hello, babies! Did I hear it's somebody's birthday today?"

"Meeeee!" Ashur yelled, running straight into his grandmother's arms.

Inanna followed the children, enveloping the elder Serena in a welcoming hug. "It's wonderful to see you—not that we don't see you practically every day." Grandma Serena had come early, as she planned to help with the final preparations for the party.

Other relatives were coming from far and wide. Clan Hoole, whom these days either lived on Alderaan or as far as Lao-mon, were making the journey to the Vonnuvi. It might seem crazy to travel such a distance for the sake of a child's birthday party, but for the Shi'ido all family members were of equal importance.

It was then that Inanna noticed a tall, broad shadow standing in the doorway. The figure stepped forward, and she blinked in surprise. "Ayreon?"

The HRD had changed considerably, looking older and more mature. He wore a stylish white and blue suit over his bulky frame. In his arms he carried various gifts, including one large item with the distinct shape of a child-sized speeder bike showing through the wrapping paper. "They only call me that at work," he said. "Most people just call me Jon now."

Inanna couldn't quite fight the urge to give the big robot a hug. "You can put those right over there." She pointed to the pile of presents. "Ashur, what do we say?"

The Chiss boy had been momentarily frightened of Jon Ayreon, though once he caught sight of the gifts he started jumping up and down in excitement. "Thank you!" he exclaimed, waving his arms in the air.

Inanna scooped him up and smothered him with kisses. "Come on, you need to get dressed for your party. You too, Serena..." They were both still in pajamas.

Cato Harth​

 

[Cato Harth]

"Happy birthday, Ashur." Serena squeezed the two kids with a hug only a grandmother could give, then gave a slightly gentler one to her daughter-in-law, "Having an old lady like me around comes quite in handy doesn't it?" She chuckled. Nevermind the fact that Inanna was actually centuries older than Serena, it was a lifesaver having grandma around whenever they needed an emergency babysitter, or someone to help prepare for a day like today. That, and the familial bond it offered, of course.

Cato stepped into the room right as Ayreon arrived. He didn't quite recognize the man at first, until the sudden recognition of a past, pleasurable moment cut short, reared its head. The subconscious association was promptly recognized, though now all Cato could do was sputter a laugh, "Oh hey. Uh, thanks for coming dude." He turned to his mom next, who was somewhat (pleasantly) surprised herself by the return of Ayreon. She offered Cato a hug and greeting next, still glancing over at the handsome, burly man a few times.

Begrudgingly, little Serena and Ashur were taken away to get properly dressed, leaving Cato with Ayreon and his mother. The latter set down a couple gifts of her own with the rest, "So, what're up to these days Ayreon? Jon?"

Inanna Harth​

 

[Inanna Harth]

"So, what're up to these days Ayreon? Jon?"

"I'm a private detective here on the Vonnuvi," Jon replied. "You haven't seen much of me because I spend most of my time on other planets. Mostly Dahrtag and Nar Shaddaa."

In Ashur's bedroom, Inanna helped the boy get dressed. His clothes, of course, were decorated with dinosaurs to go along with the theme of the party. As soon as he was fully clothed, Ashur shot out of the room and bounded into the kitchen, where he made three exuberant laps around the island countertop, zipping past the adults who stood talking there.

Inanna was about to follow him when the door across the hall opened. There stood Serena, dressed in a hodgepodge of her favorite clothes, with sparkly purple eyeshadow and hot pink lipstick smeared around her mouth. Posing like a fashion model with her hands on her hips, she was blissfully unaware of how silly she looked.

Her mother blinked, nearly burst into laughter, but managed to restrain herself to a mere smile. "Ok. Uh, honey, let's go into the bathroom and touch up your makeup a little..." How had Serena even gotten a hold of that stuff? Inanna's mind flashed back to a certain toy vanity that had been given to Serena at a past birthday by a childless friend of the family. Yes, that had to be the culprit.

Meanwhile, there was another knock at the door to the apartment...

Cato Harth​

 

[Cato Harth]

"Oh yeah? How's Nar Shaddaa these days?" Cato probably already knew the answer to that question. He turned around as Ashur returned in fresh, Dino-themed clothes. He also spotted Serena's attempt at fashion design from down the hall, and struggled to force down a smile at the sight.

There was then another knock at the door, "I'll get it," He approached and opened it, "Hello?"

Inanna Harth​

 

[Inanna Harth]

“Crime,” was Jon Ayreon’s simple answer. The knock at the door put an end to any further discussion of Narsh, as Cato went to answer it.

In the hallway outside was a T-rex. Less than half the true size of a fully grown ‘rex, this smaller dinosaur still towered over Cato. It ducked its head to peer through the doorway, jagged teeth gleaming in its reptilian mouth.

“Holy chit!” Ashur exclaimed. He bounded up to the t-rex and fearlessly reached up to pet its leathery hide. “Awesome!”

“How are we supposed to get around you?” a voice asked from somewhere behind the dinosaur. Other guests were waiting in the hall, eager to get inside. The t-rex turned its head, mouth opening in an approximation of a laugh, before it shrank down until it was able to walk easily through the door.

Pygar Hoole, Inanna's adoptive brother, was revealed as the complaining voice. He stood holding an infant girl, a very pregnant woman at his side. "This is my wife Syreeta and our daughter Muriel." When had that happened? There'd be time to ask later.

It seemed the party had reached that crucial hour in which most of the guests converged upon the apartment all at once. Ashur’s friends from school and the surrounding neighborhood had arrived, along with other members of Inanna’s family. Her niece Ashmedai went to greet Cato. “Hey uncle. I heard there was free food here.” Her attempt at sounding cool and aloof was undermined by her immediately dropping to her knees to embrace Ashur with all four arms as soon as he came within hugging distance. “Happy birthday, little dude.”

The apartment was quickly filling up with distant Shi’ido relatives and toddlers running around and screaming. Quite the turnout for a three year old’s birthday party.

Cato Harth​

 

[Cato Harth]

"Ah." Cato replied, having gotten the answer he more or less expected.

What was far more unexpected, was the large dinosaur awaiting him at the door. He had assumed there'd be some surprises in store for Ashur's birthday, but nothing quite on that level. He stepped back instinctually, as if the beast were going to devour him then and there. But a familiar presence (and the strangely docile nature of the giant rex) returned him to rationality. Ashur was not at all perturbed, and only after the initial confusion dissipated, did Cato register the boy's reaction, "What did you say?" He asked, putting his son in check. The dinosaur then shrank down, allowing itself and others to come inside.

"This is my wife Syreeta and our daughter Muriel."

"Oh. Uh, welcome," Cato blinked. Things were moving fast these days, it seemed. Or Cato was just losing track of time. He stepped aside to let everyone in. Before long the place was impressively packed. Perhaps a bit too much so for the size of the apartment. Kids were already winding up. Cato watched on of Ashur's good buddies, and ithorian boy from school, squeeze past the adults at the door and immediately join the mischief. His top-heavy head seemed amusingly incongruous with his little body.

“Hey uncle. I heard there was free food here.”

"Who told you that?" He smirked, "Good to see you Ash."

Before long it seemed most of the guests had arrived. Adults settled in where they could, mingling and grabbing drinks, while most of the children were traversing the entire apartment like a singular, amoebic mass. Cato approached Inanna once the initial greetings had ceased, "Is that everyone?"

Inanna Harth​

 

[Inanna Harth]

"What did you say?"

Ashur paled, looking panicked if not contrite, but was soon swept up in a game with his friends from school.

"Who told you that?"

“Serena!” Ash exclaimed in answer, holding out all four arms as Serena came bounding out of the bathroom with a clean face and slightly toned down outfit. The girl leaped straight into her cousin’s arms, then did some sort of secret handshake, followed by grabbing Ash’s hand to lead her to the promised free food.

Inanna had followed Serena out but lingered on the edge of the party for a bit, looking at all the guests. People had come from far and wide to be there for Ashur’s birthday. She hoped he could appreciate how much that meant for some of them. Her gaze drifted over Pygar, doing a brief double-take at the sight of his wife and kids, before falling upon the T-rex romping around the room. Only an elder Shi’ido could pull off such a large form.

“Hey, Mom.”

"Hello arranda." Lilith Hoole spoke affectionately in Shi'idese, giving her a nuzzle on the head with her dino snout. "I'll be in town for a few days. We can catch up later. Right now I'm in character."

"Is that everyone?"

“I think so.” Inanna turned to look at him and smiled. This party was already legendary—and so was the mess they would inevitably have to clean up after the last guests left. But she didn’t want to think about that right now. They were all together and happy. “The kids should be nice and tuckered out after this,” she remarked brightly. “Maybe we can have some time to ourselves tonight…”

She thought she was being quiet, but then she felt T-rex eyes on her. Inanna grinned sheepishly before her mother went back to cavorting with the children.

Cato Harth​

 

[Cato Harth]

“Maybe we can have some time to ourselves tonight…”

A trademark twinkle entered Cato's eye, "Is that so...?" Of course, that was only he and Inanna weren't also exhausted by the end of this...

The party went on for a good long while, and more or less without a hitch. There were a few moments here and there that momentary drama sprang up among kids over toys or games or whatever else, but it went as soon as it came. Such is the way with kids that age. Ashur got a healthy dose of gifts, more than he needed frankly. And Serena had more than a few jealous glances to offer in return.

When the guests had cleared out, all that was left was a mess to clean. Serena and Ashur helped where asked, but eventually committed themselves to rest. Truth be told, getting them put to bed just made it easier to clean up the rest of the apartment. And brought some much needed peace and quiet for the working parents. "I say next time we rent a place to have the party. Less cleanup for us that way," Cato chuckled as he washed dishes in the sink.

Inanna Harth​

 

[Inanna Harth]

"I say next time we rent a place to have the party. Less cleanup for us that way."

Inanna's head popped up from the living room, where she had been bent over picking up bits of trash from the floor. "Sounds like a plan to me," she said, removing the colorful banner which read 'Happy Birthday Ashur' from the wall. She might not throw it away. Save it as a little keepsake.

She threw her little collection in the garbage, then paused to watch Cato finish up with the dishes. Her fingers crept along his shoulders, first massaging the muscles there before her hands drifted lower, down his back to his waist. She pressed her lips to the crook of his neck, eyelids fluttering shut for a tender moment, before she stepped away and crept toward the bedroom, stepping lightly as she passed the children's rooms.

Cato Harth​

 

[Cato Harth]

There was something to be said about the control it gave to have the party at one's own place. But after today, Cato was ready to thrust the hard work on someone else. Besides, gotta keep things switching up and fresh, right?

Cato jumped lightly at the sudden touch of Inanna's fingers. He smiled, and let himself relax to the slight relief in his muscles, and the tender kiss upon his neck. It seemed they both had just enough left in the tank for a night. He glanced back at her and grinned, before following Inanna to bed, creeping past the children's rooms as he shut the door behind him...

Inanna Harth​