[EP] The Worst Birthday

[st_abby]

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."

Comments

[st_abby]

Oh, he knew that. Vax knew. They bickered like they were still kids, often enough. But it was mostly conversational or some petty sort of thing. It never changed the things that mattered most between them.

"She loves Percival, you know. The one who's here. The... White hair, glasses, makes things, keeps to himself - that's Percy. I thought... Maybe she'd want to start a life with him. I told myself that was alright. I had Keyleth, and after we'd finished with the Chroma Conclave... Vex deserves to be happy." He didn't stop to explain all of what he meant along the way. Either it didn't occur to him in his state that more explanations were needed for it to go beyond gibberish, or maybe he thought it wouldn't matter. "But this isn't that. I wasn't ready for this."

[st_rigaetsica]

The telling probably mattered more than Joanna understanding all the details, and the emotions running through it.

"No. I don't think any of us were ready for this." She brushed a lock of hair back into place, same as she might've with her girls. "For the longest time, all I wanted was for my children to have a normal life and a chance to be happy. You and Vex deserve that too; I'm only sorry I can't give that to you."

[st_abby]

"We've never had a normal life, Vex and I." He blinked his bleary eyes open at Joanna, accepting her touches. "But we managed to be happy together."

He parted his lips as if to say something more, but then pressed them back into a line again. He decided it would be cruel, rather than kind, to suggest that she reminded him a bit of his memory of their mother.

"I like tending the herbs with you," he told her instead.

[st_rigaetsica]

"As do I, love." Vax'ildan wouldn't take the place of her children any more than Joanna could his mother, but she felt much the same, whether they were saying it or not.

Speaking of herbs, she reminded herself to make up a hangover remedy to leave for Vax tomorrow morning. He'd need it, and a tisane was probably better than simply magicking away the effects of today's sorrow drowning.

"Drink some water, yes? And maybe try a bite or two of food to keep company with the bar you've downed."

[st_abby]

Vax picked himself up enough to reach for a hand pie, dutifully tucking in for a nibble. Very wise, was Joanna.

When he was done dying of his hangover, he would have to thank her properly.