[SE] you take the cake

Deimos

suns for bones and constellations for eyes

Moments of celebration seemed stark in this portion of the season. What had started as somewhat calm had been parted into segments of chaos, but Deimos was determined not to let the outside forces waylay any of their prior plans. Especially when it came to his family.

Evie was the far better decorator, so he’d left the house to obtain the cakes. With everyone’s favorites in mind, and upon order, they’d been acquired through a series of inquiries about the latest with the Tundra, and decent bits of coin. And some foolish party hats.

Upon his return, he wasn’t surprised to see the fine bits of festive adornments, and while everyone else was busy, took the moments to grab the presents he’d hidden, especially those Amhran, Erebos, and himself had created, amidst hordes of others, neatly piled nearby, labeled and precise. He figured the others would appear when they were ready – and set to work arranging the food, one large party hat on his head for amusement.

the harder the rain, honey, the sweeter the sun

Amhran does indeed arrive when he is ready - having spent the past hour or so in the greenhouse ensuring that the selection of plants he had taken from other regions are growing well, he's hurried back inside and had to pad upstairs to clean away the dirt from his face and beneath his fingernails. When he appears (conveniently after Deimos's arrival with cake) it's in a clean sweater of rich green, barefoot and with his eyes wide to see the decorations, gifts and selection of food.

Not to mention the party hat set at a jaunty angle upon the Sword's head.

"Is this a party?" he asks, somewhat obviously as he draws up beside Deimos, automatically reaching out to help set out the array of food and snacks upon the table. Unable to help himself, a smile begins to sneak across his face. "I like your hat. Is this a custom for birthdays?" he wonders, not knowing, of course, that he is almost certainly going to be wearing one himself very soon.

Evie

And those scars you carry, well those are yours

Evie is indeed the better decorator, and the house has - tastefully, mind - thrown up in shades of green, white, and purple. Amhran hasn't expressed a preference for any particular color yet, but natural hues had seemed like a safe choice. Considering he's bundled in an emerald sweater as he appears Evie would call that guess an educated one. And a win.

Beaming wider than the open tundra, the Evergreen slides around the kitchen island on socked feet with arms wide to catch herself on both pairs of tall shoulders as she uses their bodies to slow her momentum while entangling them both in a hug. "Yes and yes! Happy birthday, sprout," she croons, pressing a quick kiss to the demigod's cheek with a liberal stretch of her legs, toes, and any spare connective tissue available that might help her bridge the distance. 

Party hat already in hand, Evie brandishes it playfully at her plant-son. "But there is always a special hat for the one celebrating their birthday. Lean down, I'm too old to keep craning upward," she bemoans with a cheeky grin, one hand waving impatiently to coax him down - and winking over her shoulder at Deimos, intent on kissing him next. But the birthday boy had to come first.

So wear them with honor, placed over your heart

Deimos

suns for bones and constellations for eyes

Deimos was saved from answering the obvious as Evie made her way in; affectionally snorting as he began to wrangle Erebos from creeping into the kitchen, eyes alight on anything shiny, and into his high chair. Arching his brow at the pinpointed celebrations for seemingly only one of them, he glanced towards Amhran, before sliding a designated gift, marked and labeled, for the demigod. “Strange – I thought this party was for all of us.” Once the demigod took the opportunity to unfurl all the trappings, bows, and ribbons, he’d be able to find an assortment of different plant fillers (designed in various shapes – from alpinas, ningos, and crouching dogs and cats), and a broad stringed hammock – figuring he’d enjoy placing it amongst the greenhouse.

Presuming the younger man would be in on the joke, given the amount of teasing that went on in the house, he shrugged his shoulders, beginning to purposefully slide the intended alms for the Evergreen out of line of sight. “Unless, of course, you don’t want a gift.”

He gave his own wink in return to Evie, with a wry and juvenile wrinkle to his nose, before sharing a present with Erebos as well – carefully adorned and wrapped for the youth so he’d have multitudes of amusement simply in opening the thing.

the harder the rain, honey, the sweeter the sun

Half turning automatically towards Evie as she comes sliding into the room, Amhran grins and dutifully allows himself to be used as a post for the Evergreen to stop her forward momentum. "Thank you," he says, leaning down both for the kiss and for the party hat to be set amongst his unruly curls. "And a happy birthday to you as well. And to Deimos, and to Erebos." Because not only had he also assumed this was a group celebration, but if it isn't true, he is likely to be quietly mortified at commanding all of their attention at once.

Eyebrows raising at Deimos as he produces a gift for him, Amhran thanks him with soft and genuine gratitude, carefully unwrapping the present and positively beaming at the plant pots within. "Thank you very much," he gushes, and were it not for the party element of all of this, he might have hurried away to the greenhouse to find homes for them all now.

Luckily, he contains himself enough to move towards one of the small cupboards in the room instead, producing a gift for Deimos and for Erebos, clumsily but carefully wrapped. Evie's of course, are all set out and waiting - providing she does want to celebrate with them, of course.

Deimos will find, within his gift, a stack of carefully curated parchment adorned with pressed flowers. "Because you seem to send a lot of letters," he explains with a rueful smile. And for Erebos, Amhran has procured a smoothly carved luxere out of peppermint bark - good for playing and for gnawing on.

Evie

And those scars you carry, well those are yours

Evie makes a gurgling, scoffing sort of noise at Deimos' teasing, though she waits until Amhran is properly adorned to blow a proper raspberry at her husband. "Group celebration or no, all my boys are special and deserve special kisses, hats, and birthday wishes," she decrees, with a baleful stare at Deimos' hat, which is certainly not the one she'd hand-painted for the occasion. Likely for the best given the various humorous additions she'd placed amongst the imagery of that one. As Amhran opens his gifts she sidles over to Deimos and kisses him next - a proper one, mind - as she puts on her own party hat. "Happy birthday my love."

Then it's Erebos' turn, though he's far more enchanted with the wrapping paper and festivities than his mother's kisses and foisting of hats. "And a happy birthday to my littlest man," she coos. She takes place behind him as presents exchange hands, and she extends her own to coax a few bundles across the island with her magic. If Deimos' presents for her inch closer too it's surely due to proximity to her magical pull. "And I always want gifts, what do you take me for?" Though she doesn't pull them all the way lest he take the opportunity for mischief and withhold them from her even longer.

"I don't know how we all ended up so lucky with the same birth season, but now I feel we'll have to overly plan any future additions to the family so they won't feel left out." Grinning at the idea - though she's envisioning future additions in all sorts, from potential romantic partners for her sons or future grandchildren, more siblings for her boys, or the adoption of various strays - Evie floats the gifts in front of their recipients as a distraction from any groaning or blushing.

Erebos' gift is a rather large stuffed unicorn in shades of black and blue. Amhran's is a cloche with a rare hybrid flower within and a new hand-knit sweater in deep gold with emerald green abstract leaf designs spiraling outward from the heart - with matching mittens and beanie but, of course, no socks. Deimos will find much the same, though in navy tones with subtle icy figments around the edges of the neck, wrist, and torso and with included socks. And much like Amhran's flower, there's an additional gift of extremely fancy chocolates in a luxurious box from the Greatwood. 

The knitted gifts are slightly imperfect given she's only recently taken up the hobby, made clearer by the way she hovers nervously for their reactions and hides it poorly by watching Erebos have more fun with the wrapping paper than any of the gifts within.

So wear them with honor, placed over your heart

Deimos

suns for bones and constellations for eyes

One of Deimos’ ways of expressing his devotion was through bestowals – so his features, when not distracted by embracing his wife thoroughly, was watching the reactions of said gifts. Erebos, for all his affect, was already astounded by the ribbons, and so he shook his head and obliged his son with a little assistance, as the youth unfolded the small, wooden cart, complete with wheels and attached ride-a-long portion, and accompanying squeals of delight. The infant also thoroughly enjoyed the Raeling’s extension of peppermint bark, instantly going into his mouth to be gnawed, and Evie’s proffered unicorn, grabbed in the opposite hand of the chocolate, before his gaze flickered upon Amhran’s response.

His own expression responded in kind to the beaming – content and easing a sigh of relief that he’d gotten the right measure of what the demigod would appreciate and like – before being surprised with gifts extended towards himself. Never much one for offerings extended upon himself, he slowly, with great reverence, peeled away the adornments to find the parchment laden within – extending a laugh at the accompanying statement. “Very true. Thank you.” Though the paper would be much too good for the usual fanfare of political letters; he’d have to save it for special occasions.

The Sword arched his brow at Evie, willingly continuing with the teasing and taunting above the sound of ripped paper looming from the youth in the highchair. “We would not want to spoil you too much,” he declared, even though they all knew it was the exact opposite. Managing not to flush at the mention of future additions and planning in such arrangements, because gods he was going through that dread and apprehension round again with Family nonsense, he also wasn’t permitting notions to ruin the current mood. Watching as some of the presents began floating, he snorted and pried the offerings for her carefully in his grasp again, ensuring they didn’t flicker near her until they were good and ready.

When she granted her exchange, he did the same – handing over the works. Once she pried away the wrapping, she’d find the artwork done by Amhran, Erebos, and himself – renderings in paint of Michah, plant life, and trees alike in a more formal style by the grown individuals, and then a more familial contortion and creation of evergreens in signatures of Erebos’ feet and handprints, intermingled with the demigod’s and his own digits.

Only thereafter did he take hold of Evie’s presentations – glancing over the navy toned sweater with its icy figments and matching socks, or the aroma of the fancy chocolates that likely wouldn’t last the day. Striving not to become too sentimental in front of everyone, his features still broadened in a boyish, juvenile smile, holding the sweater up to his neck and over his chest with a very proud, distinguished notion. “Thank you.”

the harder the rain, honey, the sweeter the sun

It's a good thing, perhaps, that Amhran has no notion of propriety when it comes to public displays of affection - he's neither gone through childhood nor adolescence to find it gross - and so Deimos and Evie are able to kiss and canoodle without comment from the Raeling. Indeed, he's more interested (overwhelmed, in all honesty) by the continuation of gifts, not having expected anything further, and his soil soft eyes widen as he reveals the sweater, hat and mittens.

"These are lovely," he says, almost breathless as he holds the sweater up to admire the spiral of leaves over the heart. "You made these yourself." It's a statement rather than a question, the demigod having noticed various balls of yarn around the house, though the knowledge only makes the present more dear to him. "Thank you."

Setting down the gift so he might glance back to the Evergreen as their paintings are revealed, Amhran has not discovered nervousness just yet, so he waits with an open smile for her judgement of their work.

Evie

And those scars you carry, well those are yours

Evie grins as Erebos immediately shoves one of his gifts in his mouth, the unicorn she'd gotten for him hanging precariously off the little tray in front of him for all its plushy girth. The touched smiles and small notions of relief on both Amhran and Deimos only melt her grin into softer angles, too sentimental to combat the teasing Deimos gives when she finally turns it on him. "This is spoiling enough. I love this." She loves them, but surely they'll all tire of hearing her say it if she keeps bleating it every half-second at this party alone.

"I did," she confirms, fingers tracing nervous swirls in the back of Erebos' high-chair. "I made each piece a little big to make up for any mistakes, but they each have a small amount of Alpina wool to keep you warm." Given how expensive the wool is with where the Alpina reside she couldn't manage much more than that, but it's worth seeing the way they both light up and hold the garments close. There's no sweater to hold but one of her hands comes up to her chest as if there was, her smile wobbly-edged. "You're welcome," she assures, though she takes up her own gifts in a bustling sort of motion that helps her blink away soft-hearted tears more inconspicuously. 

It's all for naught when she unveils her own gift. Lax lips and wide eyes of initial surveillance swiftly turn to pursed and trembling notions as tears drop off her lashes with each blink. "It's s-s-so pretty," she sob-croons, lifting one hand to smoosh into one eye as if it might stop the maternal weeping (it won't). Leaning sideways somewhere in Deimos' direction where he will hopefully crowd close to coddle away her weepiness, Evie gently holds the painting to her chest and looks up at Amhran with her chin wobbling beneath her smile. "It's perfect. It's - I love it. I want it hung as s-soon as possible." It's too extravagant for the fridge, but surely they'll find someplace fitting. Erebos will get her snotty kisses and gratitude next - the words won't mean much to him, and he seems awfully intent on his peppermint figurine anyway.

So wear them with honor, placed over your heart

Deimos

suns for bones and constellations for eyes

Given his predilection to spoiling anyone in his close sanctions, Deimos snorted, but took the words for what they were worth. He wrapped one arm around her, tucking her in close to his hip, while shaking his head and delivering warm laughter – portions of exactly what was needed as the chaotic events of Deepfrost escalated.

To ward off the rest of any weeping, he angled towards the food. “How about some cake?” They’d all be able to find their favorites, as he’d long since taken orders, and cut them up, slice by slice and piece by piece, and savor them to their heart’s content. A light birthday party, but worthwhile and wonderful nonetheless.

[FIN]