025 [Action]

[fabrecation]

[Sunset of the 21st. After looking in his diary several times to make sure of the date, Luke has practically memorized the exact time it happened. This is the day, and the time, that he and Xion confessed to each other, without the influence of the experiment, and shared their first kiss.

This is the place, too. Luke leans on the railing of the bridge nearest House 14, staring out ahead of him and obviously lost in his thoughts. Even though this is the day, and even though they had been making plans to celebrate it, Luke's sure that Xion won't be able to now. Not with everything that's happened.

Still, that doesn't mean he can't find his own way to celebrate. It isn't much, though; he just leans on the bridge and twirls a blue iris idly in his fingers. Later, past sunset, he'll make his way to Seventh Heaven for the first time in quite a while, only to practice the piano. He's been away from it for a good while, so he's just a tad rusty. But he still manages to get over it after a song or two, and he doesn't mind, for once, if anyone else is there. He'd even be happy to chat it up with someone, whether on the bridge or in Seventh Heaven.

He does seem a tad cautious, though. He hasn't been here for a while for a reason and all.]

Comments

[fabrecation]

I... Huh. I never actually thought of it like that. [He runs his hand through the back of his hair as he looks up at the sky.] I guess... back on Auldrant I'd be... thirty-something? [More like fourteen. But Hiccup does not know this and does not need to know this.]

[dragoneer]

[He can't help a small laugh.] Well, you don't look so old, at least. Besides--we're only counting by Luceti years now, right?

[fabrecation]

Right... Still feels pretty weird, though.

[...

:|a]

... I guess that means I turned eighteen sometime last year. [Huh.]

[dragoneer]

Hey--that's pretty cool! I'm not even sure when my birthday is. But I guess I'm sixteen now. Vikings didn't exactly keep good calendars.

[fabrecation]

I have no idea when my birthday is here... it's so different from Auldrant's calendar.

[Hmmm...] Hey, you wanna help me pick a date? We can do one for you, too!

[dragoneer]

[...He hadn't even thought about that. But it's actually a pretty nifty idea. He wouldn't mind having a birthday.]

Well--yeah, sure! That sounds like a great idea.

[fabrecation]

Okay... Okay! Then... we'll need to find a calendar somewhere. I've got one back at my place, but... [Maybe there's one that's closer? Luke doesn't waaaant to walk that far. ... So he can be lazy when he wants shut up.]

[dragoneer]

[Lightbulb!] Oh--my house is just up the road from here. I've got one in my room, so we could use that.

[fabrecation]

Right. Then let's head to your house! [Just lead the way, Hiccup! He does want to go to Seventh Heaven later, but it can definitely wait for this. This is kind of important and all!]

[dragoneer]

[He nods and grins before starting to walk again.]

Right! It'll be nice to, you know. Actually have a day. I know I was born in winter sometime, buuut...vikings didn't exactly keep records like that. Plus our calendar was different.

[fabrecation]

I...

I don't really know when I was born. So... I guess it'd be nice to just have a day that's really mine, you know? [His. Not Asch's.]

[dragoneer]

Yeah, I get that. I didn't even realize that birthdays were such a big thing until I got here, but now that I know, I want to be a part of it, too.

[A lot of things in Luceti were that way with him.]

[fabrecation]

[Luke can remember back on Auldrant, how he'd look forward to every birthday he had. Though it wasn't really his, he didn't know it back then... and each birthday meant less time to spend in the manor. In fact, he's about to bring that up, but... that would sound odd, compared to what he just said, huh. So, he pauses to think of something else, then smiles when something comes to him.]

When your birthday comes around, I'll make sure you'll get a big celebration, then.

[dragoneer]

[Hiccup laughs nervously--the idea of a whole party just for him seems...well. Strange, to say the least. Snoggletog had been one thing, but that was for all the Hairy Hooligans. Not just him.]

R-right. And same to you. We can make, like...a birthday party pact.

[fabrecation]

[... Oh fff, now it's Luke's turn to laugh nervously, much for the same reason.]

Uh - You don't have to... do that for me or anything. [Back then a big party was expected. But now?]

[dragoneer]

Hey, why not? It'd be fun. Besides, I have a knack for throwing parties, or something.

[After all, Snoggletog had been a success. And Xion would probably want to help out too, wouldn't she? He wouldn't have to sweat it.]

[fabrecation]

I-If you say so... [Aaah this will be awkward. And aaah what if the wrong people come, aaaah. But maybe it won't be so bad... Heck, it might even be fun! Still aaaah]

[dragoneer]

[Hey, at least it can be mutually awkward for both of them? And thereby maybe cancel out the awkwardness? One can hope.]

Any idea when you'll put your birthday, though?

[fabrecation]

... I don't know. I've never really thought about it. Probably not around winter. [Because, to him, that's Asch's time. He should be something else.]

[dragoneer]

Alright, not winter. Uh...seems like it should be a time of year that's pretty important to you, don't you think? Anything big happen in spring or summer, or something like that? Something important?

[fabrecation]

Uh...

[Spring was around the time he cut his hair. The time he made his worst mistake, and promised to atone for it... To remember, each day of his life, those lives that he took.]

... Spring, I think. Or somewhere around there... [He gives a sheepish half smile.] I guess I won't really know until I'm looking at the thing.

[dragoneer]

Right. Well--here we are! Ta da. My house.

[Instead of taking his little elevator up to his window as he might normally, Hiccup heads through the front door and gestures for Luke to follow him inside.]

Are you thirsty, or anything? There's always something good lying around.

[fabrecation]

[Luke glances at the elevator before he follows Hiccup inside. Right, that's the thing he uses to go up to the roof, huh...]

Oh, uh... Maybe just some water. [...] Say, do you have any of those Fig things?

[dragoneer]

[He grins.] As a matter of fact, I do.

[He heads into the kitchen and fills up a glass with water before holding it out to Luke. After that, he'll start fishing through the pantry for Fig Newton's. He's always got a stash in here.]

[fabrecation]

[And Luke will just follow behind him, idly sipping at his water as he glances around, and lifts his head a bit to see if he's close to finding the stuff. He always forgets to get them for himself...]

We should find the calendar after you get those out. Maybe we can eat and pick out something at the same time?