A person’s birthday is largely irrelevant.
Not that anyone has asked him in a while (that mistake is usually made only once every few years), but there are many more significant days! “Being born isn’t anything spectacular,” He remembers saying this once – was Aether listening then? Or was it someone else entirely? “It’s not some great achievement. As for me?” His gaze cut quickly to his companion, void of light but radiant with emotion all the same. “I’m still working towards that glorious achievement. Celebrate me when I’ve earned it, will you?”
Maybe it makes him hypocritical, looking back on that conversation.
“Happy Birthday, Aether,” No. That’s not right. He still feels much the same about birthdays, celebrating only his siblings, whose birth represents the brightest stars in the field of his life. He finds himself smiling something warm, where he’s tracked the Traveler all across Teyvat just to—
What? Wish him happy birthday? At the very least, he doesn’t come empty-handed, food and wine spread across the table. “It’s not all that much,” He admits. It was hard enough to track him down, harder still to plan anything. “But my siblings sent letters. Imagine my surprise! Anyway, it’d be rude of me not to deliver them to you.”
He seems like a good person, you need more of those as friends.
Brushing these thoughts away was easy. After all…he’d come all this way. Maybe Aether would reward him with a fight.
When you’re as old as some of the stars in the sky (the true ones, not the simulacrum hanging over Teyvat), the days you were born passes by quickly. What’s one more year in the face of millennia? Instead, him and Lumine had always celebrated centuries. 100 years feeling like a more significant milestone than just 365 days.
Teyvat was different. Few knew of his true age, many of them believing him to be in his teens, at most. For them, he supposed another year of existence would be a milestone. It wasn’t exactly what he was used to but.. being remembered made him happier than he’d have expected.
What surprised him though, was who ended up being among the first to congratulate him. Hearing that voice, seeing those familiar shades of red, white and dark orange, he felt himself almost reach for his blade. “Tartaglia…!” Staring at the spread before him, the traveler’s eyes twinkled like stars.
“It’s more than enough. Thank you.” A genuine smile, soft and grateful, crossed his lips. “And give your siblings my thanks too.”
“Won’t you sit with me?” He invited the other man to sit across him. Having lunch with a supposed enemy might be foolish, yet. Despite everything Aether did trust Tartaglia… Somewhat. He believed in his morals enough to know this isn’t a thinly disguised poisoning attempt.
“This is more than I could have on my own. And besides..” his expression became a tinge more playful, smile widening into something catlike. “I’d need a good workout after a big meal. Surely you’d be able to help me?” A wink followed, intentions clear.
origamiaround
tangentwithtanner
prguitarman
dededos
dailybridgerton
kianamaiart
2087
