"Colorful paper it is," he says, with a nod like this has been a serious and businesslike decision. He opens a desk drawer to slide the cream paper into, then sits properly at the desk to start sorting the colored paper into distinct piles. Technically, Allen had mentioned red and gold to him, but there's no harm in slipping in some blues and greens as well, is there? Absolutely not. He's doing it.

He glances up from his sorting. "I've never been to one. At best, I've been to a handful of parties."

Literally, a handful; if he got out more he wouldn't be dressed in grayscale, probably, maybe. "Do you know this one well, then? What usually happens, besides the wishes?"