Colin's posts

Jaden was silent as Desiree and Max entered, before leaving with the two other females.

Once Max and Desiree were alone, he sighed.

"Would you like a drink?" he asked.

"Water, pop, juice, lemonade?" he offered further.

"Plenty to choose from." he added with a small chuckle... but it was clear that there was nervousness and trepidation behind the small laugh.

"Well, anywhere the children can't overhear us." Max responded.

"Inside, over to one of the deserted parts of the yard, doesn't matter." he said, before thinking.

"Actually, inside would be better." he then said further.

"We'll go to the kitchen." he told her.

"...psst." Jaden whispered to Sydney, upon seeing this.

"Looks like it's happening."

Max nodded.

"You're welcome." he replied.

"......" he was then silent, seeming to be more than a little awkward now.

"Desiree..." he addressed her.

"Can... we talk?" he asked.

"I feel there's something we need to discuss."

"Yeah..." Max said.

"I've not seen him this happy in a while." he commented.

"Good." he echoed.

He was then silent, before Jaden spoke again.

"Right." he said.

"Guess we should make sure the food is ready for them." he told them.

"They'll be famished after all that exercise."

"WOAH" Leon yelled.

"This is AWESOME!" he called to her.

"So fun!" he said further, as the children clamoured around, wanting their own turn.

"Heh." Jaden chuckled, as he, Max, Sydney, and Cheryl watched from a distance back.

"She really knows her audience." he commented.

"And her mana control is supreme." he added.

"............" Max was silent as Desiree said what she did.

"Right." he said.

"All valid points." he told her, as Leon dashed outside towards them.

"Guess he wants to play outside." he commented, before a couple of children followed.

"Oh, the guests are arriving!" he said.

"Good timing." he added.

Jaden was silent as all that was said, before making his way to a window, and looking at the backyard, where Max and Desiree still were.

The stage was small, indeed, and easily moved. It had been moved over towards a shadier part of the yard, and the area where the show would go on was set up.

"Right." Max said.

"The party guests should start coming in very soon." he told her.

"How are you going to do this?" he asked her.

"Are you going to mingle about, interacting with the children, or hide and make a grand entrance when they're all here?"

Jaden listened to the two females talk, before sighing.

"I wonder what's going to happen..." he then said.

"Is he going to say anything to her right now? Or wait until after the show?" he asked.

"I can see reasons for both..." he mumbled, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Suppose all we can do is wait and see." he then added.

Jaden was silent as he heard all that.

"So this birthday party is just a clever ruse?" he asked, before pausing suddenly.

"Wait. That sounds... bad." he realized.

"A convenient excuse to have this rendezvous?" he then clarified.

As he spoke, he couldn't help but be impressed with the planning and forethought that Cheryl had put into this. This was an expertly executed plan, so far.

Jaden jumped a little when Cheryl made her comment.

"Geez, you're like a ninja!" he said to her.

"And.... daughter?" he then asked.

"Wait, what? They're father and daughter?" he asked further.

"....right, something tells me there's quite the story behind that." he then said with a small sigh.

Jaden just rolled his eyes.

"I'm infamous. Of course people know me. For better or generally worse." he said.

"And yeah, it was more him." he went on.

"Also... you DO seem to know more than you're letting on, and you're speaking in riddles." he commented.

"You normally don't act so... well... blatantly mysterious."

"Well, come on." Max told her.

"I'll show you to the backyard, and you can pick the best place for your show." he said.

With that, the two of them stepped outside, and Jaden looked at Sydney.

"Hey." he whispered.

"Did it seem odd?" he asked.

"Max and Desiree seemed to be... awkward... around each other."

"Outside would be preferable." Max told her.

"We have a small stage set up for you." he said. "Feel free to inspect it to make sure it's up to your standards." he said further.

"Come on." he then said, as he started to head to the door which led to their backyard.

"How much set-up do you need?" he asked her.

"Guests will start arriving within the hour, I would say." he then added, looking at the clock.

Jaden shook his head.

"Firstly, you flatter me." he said.

"Secondly, this is a party for a 5-year-old." he told her.

"My act is... NOT child-friendly. In fact, it would probably scar them." he admitted bluntly, scratching the back of his head a little.

"I'm here as a favour to my mother, and to Max." he then informed her.

"Crowd control, essentially."