strangetrip | [EP] The Worst Birthday

Of course, everybody had birthdays - even if they didn't know what day it was on the calendar, that didn't stop someone having them. Vax'ildan hadn't honestly thought much about it, until Joanna had got talking when to plant what one afternoon amongst the herbs in her garden. Seasons, months, weeks, days... They were different in this world from what Vax knew. Nevertheless, when he stopped to do a bit of his own math, he thought it must be very near his own birthday in Exandria.

Their birthday. His, by only a couple of minutes, and then Vex'ahlia's.

It seemed a stupid thing to get hung up about. But once it (she) had wormed its way into his brain, his heart, he couldn't get it (her) out, and it became a crushing reminder that Vex could be lost to him forever. He didn't have much in the way of distractions, and the more he tried to forget about it, the worse it had got until he sank into a drowning sulk. He avoided everyone and everything including his mirror-matched room, effectively vanishing for a few days on end, until gravely admitting that the only way out might very well be through.

Which is how he ended up sitting in the one corner of a booth in the cafe, armor exchanged for a simple sleeveless tunic and loose pants from Songrun, staring at the empty seat across from him with arms folded on the table in a bit of a hunch.

"Get us a drink," he told the passers-by mirthlessly, without so much as turning to look at them or stopping to count how many he'd had already. Did it matter? "It's our birthday."

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Alcuin looked thoughtful, not entirely sure how to answer that. "Well, we look nothing alike. She has very dark hair, dark eyes. Beautiful. And clever. She struggled with learning from books compared to me, but more cunning. And though she felt a sense of debt same as I, she was in Naamah's service for the right reasons."

"Sometimes, it's the ways you're different that mean the most," Vax suggested with the unfounded wisdom of the soused. "I'm sure you made a complementary pair."

"Perhaps so," said Alcuin with a little smile. "Do you want to tell me about your sister?"

"I could," Vax agreed, expression growing more earnest. "I could tell you... She's smarter, and more charming, and... More caring than I am. I could tell you... How sharp and witty and cool she is." And how, even for being real, it was part of the front she put up to hide her insecurities behind. How lost and vulnerable she'd been, when they were younger. But always so brave, and loving, and true. "I could tell you how she raised up a baby bear cub that had lost its mother years ago, and that's how she's got an enormous brown bear all in armor that would do anything for her."

He smiled, genuinely, but it still came out painfully sad. "But she really wants to be known as the pretty twin." Which she absolutely was.

The emotion coming off of Vax was heartbreaking and familiar. This was why Alcuin had spent weeks mostly in bed after arriving here. After Anafiel's death. And it gave him pleasure to talk about him, the good things, but also made him so horribly sad.

"She's even prettier than you?" Alcuin said with a little smile. "I hope to meet her."

"Loads prettier," Vax lied pleasantly. They were strikingly similar as far as looks went. But she certainly wore hers better. Vax had never cared nearly as much.

"I hope so too," he added more quietly, letting himself savor the selfishness in it for the moment.

"Do you think she would like me?" Alcuin asked, a wry little smile on his face, a hint of teasing. Not wanting to pull the conversation away from his sister, but wanting to keep Vax out of his own head.

It was a surprisingly impish question, and Vax huffed a soft little chuckle back at him, reaching across the table to cup Alcuin's cheek. "You are possibly the single most likeable person here. You really are." The drink was clearly loosening his tongue, but that wasn't to say he was being insincere. "Of course Vex would like you. Who wouldn't?"

Alcuin hadn't been expecting a real answer, and the sincerity of the compliment actually made a blush spread across his face. Which was easy considering how pale his skin was.

"Oh, I - someone, I'm sure." Which was a weird answer, but he didn't know what to say, except to thank him for the flattery. And meanwhile, remind himself how Vax had no interest in him beyond friendship.

"That's exactly what I'm talking about," Vax thumbed the pink of Alcuin's cheek before letting him go again.

Alcuin smiled sheepishly. "You're very kind, Vax." It made him think again of how in Terre d'Ange so many people only liked him because of his appearance, not knowing much else about him.

Because it seemed a fluid change in subject and maybe Vax could use thinking of something else he said, "And it's nice to be valued for something other than my appearance." Then, because it made him think of him, "Do you know Ignis? Tall... dark glasses... knows how to cook things other than chicken."

"Iggy? Sure I know him," Vax agreed, not knowing how they'd got around to talking about him, but not minding either. "We hiked through the jungle of that other-world, Song... Songrun, it was. And he keeps us fed with all those...non-poultry...foods. What you said."

"Oh that's right," said Alcuin. "I forgot you were both in that group. Well... Ignis doesn't know what I look like." Well, he had a much better guess now, by touch. "I didn't realize how nice that would be, after so long being judged for my appearance - both good and bad."

Vax listened to this, fumbling it over in his woozy mind. "Are you... Sweet on him, Alcuin? Or is it him on you?"

Alcuin blinked at him. Then - "Oh. Well, we're lovers now, but only recently. I suppose the answer is both? Though I'm unfamiliar with that term."

"Really?!" Vax broke a sly grin, forgetting he was in fact Terribly Heartsick for just a moment. "How did you, though? He's so... I mean. I like Ignis. But if he was any more uptight, he'd implode. You're like the opposite of that."

Alcuin was glad for Vax's reaction, if only because he'd apparently hit upon a distraction. If talking about Ignis was effective, he certainly didn't mind.

"How...?" he asked curiously. "It isn't that I mind giving you details, Vax, but I was under the impression that most people here don't talk about sex so openly."

Vax nodded, expression smoothing out. "Most don't. You shouldn't, probably, for politeness' sake." He didn't know if Ignis would mind, exactly - but he did know Iggy was very private by nature, and he didn't want to disrespect that. "Don't, in fact. It just surprised me. But good for you both."

Alcuin smiled gently at him, and nodded. "I feel slightly less lonely. And it was a... step, for me. Someone I chose." Because, sometimes, Anafiel hardly felt like a choice, more an inevitability.

"It's all your choices from here on out," Vax pointed out. "And the more people you meet... The less lonely you'll be, I think." Because who couldn't help but like Alcuin? And he clearly liked people.

"You've made me a little less lonely today, you know. And someone who could do something like that... Well, that's-" He almost lost his train of thought, but managed to circle back around. "Thank you, for that."

Alcuin smiled as if he'd turned his face to the sun. "Oh I'm so glad, Vax. I'm grateful for your friendship, too." He knew that Vax did not want him to feel he owed him for saving his life. But his friendship he would give eagerly regardless, and if it was valuable to Vax then so much the better.

[EP] The Worst Birthday

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