[014] [video/action] happy, happy birthday, from all of us to you

[complexing]

[The video starts up and Touya looks rather intensely into the camera. For having just turned 21, he looks fairly grumpy.]

Okay, so my birthday only comes around once every four years, technically, so I figure I get a free pass at this. It isn't a joke, nobody laugh.

The person... people... [He huffs in frustration and decides to keep this simple.] The person I'm with wants to take our relationship to an intimate level and I don't know how to make it special or memorable or nice or whatever. Can anyone give me some advice or something?

[A fairly hostile video for a request but... the subject has clearly been on his mind for a few days. Long enough that he's so desperate for advice, he's gone public.]

[Action]

[Even though it's his birthday, Touya isn't making such a big deal out of it. He goes to work at Seventh Heaven, picks up some groceries (ingredients for one of his favorite meals), and walks home. Meanwhile, he's pondering the responses he's received from the network and, oddly enough, thinking about his mother. Had she ever thought that she would see her son turn 21? It wasn't much of a milestone, honestly, but Touya always tended to think about his mom on his birthday, and all of those small celebrations he'd had when he was younger. And how annoyed he was when his dad explained why Touya's birthday wasn't always on the calendar.]

[Some of these memories have Touya smiling at times when maybe it wasn't really appropriate to smile, but he isn't thinking about everyone else at the moment.]

Comments

[Action] 1?

[i_speak_softly]

[What? His mate is speaking to the other male? NOT ACCEPTABLE.]

[Action] 2/?

[i_speak_softly]

[Don stalks through the house until he finds Robert, snatches the scientist's journal away from him --]

[Video] 3/3

[i_speak_softly]

[-- then looks into the camera of his own journal and snarls.]

Mine.

[Video]

[complexing]

[Touya watches and listens to this, thinking vaguely that at least his birthday is interesting this year. Must have been because it was actually the 29th and not the 1st of March.]

I think he's doing fine vocalizing, it's verbalizing that he's-- [OH GOD, SUDDEN TURTLE AGAIN.] Oi! Are you seriously grabbing-- [Facepalm, it never ends.] I have someone I'm happy with, that was the whole point of this. I wouldn't have even known he was your partner-like-that if you hadn't just pointed it out.

[complexing]

Always? [Touya tilts his head slightly, smile fading into his usual neutral expression. He watches the tops of the buildings go by for a minute, then he smirks softly.]

So I should work on learning how to fly.

[Video]

[semper_cogitans]

[Robert's voice cuts in again, mostly as he tries desperately to rationalize with Don.] You h-heard him, Don. He is... n-not a threat...! And, at a-any rate, I am merely speaking to h-him and nothing is happening...!

...

[... Already this is mentally exhausting. Is he going to have to deal with this for the whole month?]

...

... P-Please... excuse us b-both. He... is not n-normally nearly so... a-aggressive. [The word has a slight note of disdain in it, though mostly Robert is just stressed.]

M-Might I have my journal back, p-please...?

[winged_moon]

[Yue glances sharply toward Touya again, startled with just a hint of dismay that disappears quickly. He knows that Touya doesn't remember the particular experiment when he could do just that, but... really, if the wings would cause the rest of his, well, behavior then Yue would much rather he stay earthbound forever.

Experiments are experiments, though, and the guardian turns back to watching where they're going with a small shake of his head, noting the house coming closer a little faster than he might have liked.]

...or I could share the sky when you wished it.

[Video]

[i_speak_softly]

No.

[Don hoards both of the journals. He doesn't care who Touya is or isn't interested in - he has two mates and Don needs to figure out how to get at them.]

[Video]

[complexing]

Hey, jerk!

[Okay so. This really isn't Touya's business, and he really isn't angry about being growled at over the journal system or being accused of stealing someone's boyfriend--but he does take offense when he sees someone pushing their significant other around. That isn't right.]

Stop bullying him and give him back his journal! Are you really that insecure? I'd be exhausted too if my boyfriend was this inconsiderate.

[Video]

[semper_cogitans]

[To be fair, Robert is pretty easy to push around. And Don is in exactly the mode right now that would make him the most liable to push others around... but this still doesn't particularly justify any of it.

Robert, for his part, doesn't really know how to deal with this...]

...

[And it's getting someone else involved too, now.]

P-Please, Don... why can you n-not be reasonable...?

[His voice has an almost-pleading edge to it.]

[complexing]

I'd like that. [He nods, also noting the house is getting closer.] Though I guess part of me wishes I didn't have to keep you from the sky. It's another half of the world that's even more different than I'd originally thought. It seems a shame to keep you on the ground if you want to see me. [He smiles, looking back at the sunset.] I guess I wouldn't mind being pulled up here whenever you wanted to hang out, though.

[Voice]

[complexing]

Yeah I agree, I just want to be ready when the time is right. If I do something wrong and screw up, he'll remember it forever. [And no doubt take every opportunity to embarrass Touya with 'Remember the first time we...']

[winged_moon]

[It takes another moment before Yue speaks, but once again it's quiet, as though he finds it difficult to share so much of himself.]

It's a part of me— flying. The sky. All of it.

[And with that admission he begins to descend, wings flaring as he reaches the ground and releases his hold on Touya again, his voice growing softer still.]

...but so are you.

[voice]

[complexing]

I guess we're different people then. [Because Touya's embarrassed himself countless times for Yuki. He's just not willing to do it for something this important and life-changing.]

What would you do if someone wanted to go there with you? And you wanted to, too? Just, in general. Would you just go for it without thinking?

[voice]

[complexing]

I don't want to disappoint him... [Touya was starting to suspect this guy was being difficult on purpose.] But I think there's a lot of space between 'don't do anything' and 'just do it without thinking about it'.

[Private]

[complexing]

[Touya takes notes on the advice, nodding and watching when he needs to (he even mimics the scissor motion under the table, wondering if that actually worked).]

We really haven't talked about who would be where or anything like that... but we usually don't have communication problems. So that's kind of a relief. [He laughs quietly, his voice indicating just how much of a relief it is.]

Okay so, as long as I follow this advice and we communicate, everything should be fairly alright.

[Private]

[deathsdoctor]

It should be. It all tends to work itself out in the end. Don't worry if it doesn't go all completely smoothly - it's not what makes a first time special in the end. It's getting to know your partner on that level for the first time. A few bumps along the road just makes the whole thing more interesting.

[Confiding.]

And you might even find that some of those mishaps are some of your favorite memories later on.

[voice - private]

[concasse]

[... No, he does not know, and he does not want to know, and you're his shitty employee and good lord--

Hnnngh]

Alright, alright! Well, first things first. You got any type of game plan? We'll start with that.

[complexing]

[Touya blinks, slightly surprised that Yue said something like that. But in the end, he realizes it isn't anything that he should be surprised about. He and Yue and Yuki were threads braided together before they'd even realized it. It was a magic Touya was grateful for, because it gave him all of the happiness he'd even wanted.]

Staying grounded is a part of me, too. In more ways than just the literal sense. [He chuckles, reaching out to stroke Yue's hair softly.] But I think I'm happiest when I'm flying with you. Or when you make me feel like I'm flying.

[voice]

[neverplaysfair]

I didn't say don't think about it. I said don't worry about it.

[winged_moon]

...feel like you're flying?

[Though momentarily uncertain at the touch Yue allows it, his eyes lowering in a gesture that might be considered bashful should it be made by someone who wasn't the aloof guardian.]

[complexing]

Yeah. [He smiles, thumb stroking over a lock of Yue's hair. It really was the most beautiful silver white...] Like I couldn't be anywhere more beautiful if I tried.

[meteorical]

That depends. Do you want to make it special, or is the person you're with pressuring you to make it special?

...furthermore, leap year baby, huh. Talk about unfair.

[winged_moon]

Ah.

[Yue's lids lower a little more, then he blinks and glances around them again. They're... out in front of the house. In the open. Not that he thinks anyone is watching, but what if?

He hesitates, then his wings lift, traced in white light for a moment before they fade away. It's clearly a sign he intends to go inside and now, for most of the rest of the time he's reluctant to let them go.]

[voice]

[holyknights]

O-of course I would. [Even if it embarrasses him just thinking about it...!] If they want to and you want to then there shouldn't be any problem. You'll still care about each other no matter what, isn't that right?