[EP] A little fuss - OTA

[st_rikingblueeyes]

Some time ago, Corbie had found a calendar and counted back from the spring equinox. And then ahead from the winter solstice. And settled on a date. And then she’d done it again the next day. And again the next, until she was finally satisfied that she’d correctly translated between calendar systems and definitely had the correct date. Caroline had caught her at it and pried it out of her that Corbie had been trying to figure out when her birthday was and, wheels turning behind her eyes, Caroline had left it there. And Corbie had forgotten all about it.

Which was how she could be surprised now as she was shunted into the cafe that Caroline had bullied cake out of Pike and had possibly bullied other people around the inn to come eat it.

Okay, that wasn’t fair. It was a kind gesture, since Corbie hadn’t told anybody. Hadn’t intended on telling anybody. Growing up, her birthday was only so big a deal. She and Gran hadn’t had very much money for presents or treats, though Gran had tried when Corbie was small; they were both always more concerned with having enough to get by. Birthdays were for rich kids. Or at least bourgeois kids. And then there was just the part where… well, what was the point? They were here. It made doing anything special for anybody kind of hard. If anybody cared enough.

… Okay, she was being entirely unfair, because here were two people who had cared enough and had tried for her and it was incredibly sweet.

Unexpected tears in her eyes, Corbie laughed and flitted to the café door, calling out to anybody in earshot. “Come help me eat cake!”

Comments

[st_illfleshandblood]

Jackson had been on his way to the bar, but he stopped at the call, and looked over at Corbie with a smirk. "Since when do you need help eatin' cake?" People in general, or her in particular, since when did anybody need help eating cake?

[st_rummer]

It was the laugh that caught his attention and had Coby turning toward the cafe, before Corbie poked her head out the door. "Did somebody say cake? You know I'm in."

Yeah, Caroline had mentioned something, but there had been no bullying involved. Still, better to hear it from Corbie herself. "What's the occasion? Or were your eyes just too big for your stomach?"

[st_illfighting]

Dean was never one to turn down cake, or any food really, but especially cake. So when the cute blond asked for help he stepped right up with a wide smile. "Anything I can do to help."

[st_x5_494]

Alec hear the familiar voice and it had also mentioned cake and so he made his way towards the cafe and smiled when he saw Corbie. "I'm always available to help eat cake."

[st_ealthless]

Pike was proud of herself for waiting until after the cake had been presented before finding Corbie to wish her a happy birthday. Caroline had made herself very clear about waiting and she was frankly too scared of her to go against her. So when she heard Corbie call, she promptly collected the neatly wrapped parcel with its pink bow and hurried into the room.

"Happy Birthday, Corbie!"

[st_andingtall]

"Is this a Marie Antoinette thing?"

Not that Marie Antoinette had ever really said the thing about the cake. It had been bread and brioche, probably, and she probably wasn't the one who said it. And Corbie probably wouldn't know what he was talking about anyway.

So he smiled and hoped she didn't decide he was too much of an idiot to repeat the cake offer. He wasn't much for sweets, but if Corbie was sharing, it was probably a special occasion.

[st_oriedqueen]

When Caroline told her it was Corbie's birthday, Regina wanted to do something for her. She thought back to the Corbie she'd known in Gotham. It was harder to remember her as someone different from this Corbie with every passing day, but she did occasionally consult the memory to help her teach this younger version of herself.

Today she consulted her for an appropriate gift. It had never been something she was good at. Gifts. Birthdays. She'd always asked Henry what he wanted and given him that and a few other things. But she wanted to do this right. What came to mind was the wizard rings Corbie had cherished, a gift from Felix. And the ring that Spencer had given her.

Obviously, Regina would not be giving her a ring. Even if she could recreate the ones Felix had given her, it wouldn't be appropriate. But she did remember the stone--lapis, and that amethyst had been in her other ring and was February's birthstone. She went to the boutique for inspiration, but it was all too terribly showy.

Eventually, she settled on a lapis and amethyst version of a pendant she'd seen in Boston, minus the extra diamond, and set in silver instead of gold.

Instead of using magic for the rest of it, she used a box from the boutique (but changed the godawful pink to Regina's own preferred black and an interior silk of royal blue), and put a purple (concession to Corbie's personal taste) around it. Then when Corbie wasn't paying attention, she teleported in behind her, set the box by the cake with a small card that said, "From R with love," and teleported back out to her office. Corbie would know where to find her if she wanted to, and if not, she could enjoy the gift in her own time.

She hoped.