Party crashers

Party crashers is a Precocious story arc. It is currently running in 2010 and consists of #618-679, and part two in #688-708. (In between the two is the Guest Strip Interlude).

Central character(s)

 * The party "crashers": Bud, Autumn, Jacob, and Tiffany
 * The birthday girl: Kaitlyn
 * The Hu family: Shii Ann, Wen, and Hiram
 * The Copper Road bunch, Yvette, Quincy, Roddy, and Vincent

Overview
Kaitlyn's birthday party unexpectedly hosts the Sapphire bunch.

Action
Kaitlyn, helped by the rest of the Hu family, is setting up for her birthday party. The Sapphire kids show up early and eagerly (apparently on the run), to everyone's consternation: while Kaitlyn had neglected to invite them, neither did they know before coming over that it was her birthday. Shii Ann momentarily confuses them for Kaitlyn's Copper Road pals, while Wen (recalling the Gemstone little league upheaval) quickly flees the scene. Bud commandeers the party preparation in order to employ his baking talents, this time without competition from Shii Ann (who has competely forgotten the bake sale challenge). The rest of the gang helps set up, except Tiffany, who had drifted onto a fort-building tangent.

As Kaitlyn's usual friends begin to arrive, they are surprised at the presence of Bud and company (or as Quincy calls them, "NPCs"). Out of the whole group, Yvette is by far the most shocked, leaving her in a trance state for most of the party. (Someone says "did we break her?")

After the initial unexpected meet-and-greet, Tiffany goes exploring and breaks a lamp, prompting Kaitlyn and Bud to find a way to keep everyone occupied. Tiffany raids the neighbor's shed by accident, and the whole group creates a complex card/croquet/water balloon/frisbee game they dub "suicide kings".

Hiram Hu arrives with pizza, and the group chows down (though Autumn overeats). Dessert results in an argument between Roddy and Bud over the "cupcakes of bliss" Bud made earlier. With everyone satisfactorily stuffed, Kaitlyn jolts everyone out of their "sugar comas" so she can open her presents. Autumn, Jacob, and Tiffany having no gift to give Kaitlyn, opt instead to torment Wen in retribution for his annoying Kaitlyn earlier.

Meanwhile, Vincent gives Kaitlyn his gift: a model of a favorite game character...though the model had lost her head upon Vincent's typical slapstick entrance. Quincy gives Kaitlyn rechargable batteries for the Wii remote he has the tendancy of wearing down, and Roddy tops everyone by giving Kaitlyn a set of professional watercolors.

Shy Yvette can be blamed for the entrance of the most dubious Copper Road character, the On Cue Ball...a white electronic ball which encourages illegal activity and drinking games.

Meanwhile, as the party once again dissolves into typical chaos, Dionne is hunting for a "victim," and employs Max to help her in the search. As all the kids are occupied at the party, they go in search of someone, and find Suzette, who fills them in on the disaster which prompted Bud and his friends to flee to Kaitlyn's party.

After the On Cue Ball narrowly escapes the hammer of an insulted and enraged Shi Ann, Kaitlyn's friends begin heading home, and the foursome realize that the gig is up. Ivy Pingo arrives to "claim their precocious little souls", covered from head to toe in black...something.

The story arch ends with Kaitlyn trying to convince Wen to leave his room, and the foursome being greeted by Suzette, Max, and Dionne holding signs saying "Welcome home, and goodbye!"

External link
Party crashers