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It’s not until he sees the beautiful vase of flowers on his desk that morning that Alhaitham remembers today is his birthday. He’s usually not too fond of bouquets because of their strong scent but this one has a light, pleasantly unobtrusive fragrance. There’s a small note tucked among the Padsirahs and Cecilias:
Happy Birthday, Alhaitham! I hope these flowers brighten your day. I asked some friends to infuse them with Dendro energy so you should be able to enjoy them for quite awhile! Cyno introduced me to them when I asked if he knew anyone with a Dendro Vision, so please pass on my thanks to him :)
All the best,
Nilou
It’s not a short walk to Gandharva Ville and the flowers really are lovely. He’ll have to remember to thank Nilou the next time he sees her.
Next to the vase, sitting conspicuously in the center of his desk, is a small envelope with a green bow. Opening it, Alhaitham finds three papers.
The first is a formal order from his Archon to take the evening off. He notes with amusement that Lord Kusanali has even filled out the official form with her seal stamped on the bottom.
There’s a small note attached:
Wishing our Grand Scribe a happy birthday. There’s a little surprise at the House of Daena for you this evening, so make sure you stop by before heading out. I promise it’s not the type of surprise you’re worried about.
When he sees the last slip of paper he can’t help chuckling:
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Coupon for 1 Vacation Day of Choice
Recipient: Grand Scribe Alhaitham
Redeemable with Lord Kusanali ^_^
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If he has official permission to take off after noon he’s certainly not going to turn it down. Quite frankly, Alhaitham hadn’t even thought about requesting the day off. To him, February 11 has always been just another unremarkable day.
The only exception had been during his early days at the Akademiya before he acquired his notorious reputation. There had been a few misguided attempts from classmates to throw him birthday parties and they had only been an annoyance and given him a headache.
These little gifts though, are something else and it’s a pleasant way to start his day.
~
At noon, Alhaitham wraps up the last few reports and heads out. As he’s walking towards the House of Daena he overhears some guards chatting just outside the doors.
“What do you think the General was doing here?”
“Who knows. Well, whatever he was here for, those last few scholars sure cleared out fast the moment he showed his face. I’ve never seen the House of Daena this empty.”
Curiouser and curiouser Alhaitham thinks, somewhat intrigued. Passing through the doors he finds the House of Daena completely vacant.
There’s not a single person to be seen.
He has an idea of what his “little surprise” from Lord Kusanali is and wonders at it. Even for the Archon, it would be difficult to justify clearing out all the scholars and librarians for a single person’s birthday.
Alhaitham looks around with interest. There's really not that much of a change, but the House of Daena feels different like this.
Peaceful.
He walks over to the northwest corner of the library. There’s a new collection the Grand Conservator has just procured that Alhaitham has been wanting to peruse. On the table in front of the collection, he finds another letter with a green bow on it sitting next to a steaming cup of coffee and a plate of pita pockets.
To our Grand Scribe,
Your gift is exactly what you think. The House of Daena is (mostly) yours for the evening. In your handoff notes to the new Grand Sage, I saw your suggestion for a public forum to give the scholars some guidance on research without the Akasha and to open a discussion about it. I thought it was an excellent idea. We’ve invited all Akademiya personnel with non-critical roles to attend and they will be excused from their duties for the duration of the conference. With Madam Faruzan giving a presentation on the topic and myself leading the discussion, I believe there will be few scholars not attending.
We were already planning to have the public forum so it wasn’t too difficult to schedule it for today. You might find it a bit much, but please think of this as also a belated thank you to the strategist behind Jnagarbha Day and for filling in as the Grand Sage despite your personal reservations. Your work is truly exemplary and I wanted you to know how much you are appreciated.
Sincerely,
Nahida
An incredibly thoughtful gift, he thinks, and finds himself smiling a little. It seems like someone else had their own little contribution to the “gift” as he sees a scrap of paper under the coffee cup.
Haitham:
Collei made the pita pockets for you. We thought it’d be something easy to eat while reading.
I wanted to wish you a happy birthday now, in case I don’t make it home in time tonight. We had an unexpected break in that case I told you about and I’m urgently needed outside the city.
Happy birthday, habibi. I’ll see you at home.
P.S. If the head librarian catches you with food and drink in the library you’re on your own. I will deny any involvement.
The letter is unsigned but it’s clearly Cyno’s handwriting. He laughs quietly at the postscript and folds the letters neatly, tucking them safely into the book he carries in his belt.
Selecting a book that catches his interest, Alhaitham settles down at the table with his coffee. The collection really does have some excellent material and he loses track of time as he reads through the books and scrolls.
The day feels quiet. A silent sanctuary just for him.
The sun is touching the horizon when people begin to trickle back into the library. After quickly hiding the coffee cup and plate in his work bag, Alhaitham stretches and decides to leave for home.
This was the most enjoyable evening he’s has had in awhile.
~
Alhaitham would never admit to it, but he does feel a bit of anticipation when he walks into his house.
It’s not as surprising, but still not quite expected when he finds colorfully wrapped gifts covering the living room table.
He takes a seat on the sofa and opens a green bag tied with a large silver bow. There’s a leather pouch inside with a few glowing green bottles, bandages, and medicine bottles packed tightly into it. A medical kit for traveling. But there’s also a few…seed packets?
Alhaitham,
The green bottles are healing salves, instructions are attached. I’ve been experimenting with the recipe so these should be more effective than the standard potions you find at the market. I heard from Cyno that you’ve been making research trips out into the desert so I thought it’d be useful to have. It’s always best to be prepared.
Kaveh actually wanted to throw a surprise birthday party for you, but Cyno didn’t think you’d enjoy it. Everyone else agreed so he was completely outvoted for “No Party”. Honestly, Kaveh probably knows that you wouldn’t like one, but I think he feels we’re not properly celebrating your birthday otherwise. You know how stubborn he is. In the end Dehya and I kidnapped him convinced him not to have a big get together. That’s part of your gift by the way. Kaveh will be visiting Gandharva Ville for 2 days so you’ll have the house all to yourself + maybe one other person ;)
P.S. Don’t worry about Kaveh, Collei thoughtfully reminded us that he would need his sketchbooks and drawing materials so we packed it all up to bring with us.
Enjoy,
Tighnari
A large wooden box covered gaily in red and gold wrapping is next.
Hey Grand Scribe,
Finally met that roommate you’ve all been talking about. He’s a funny guy. Sure has a lotta energy for one of you scrawny scholar types, gave us an earful all the way to Ghandarva Ville. I’d argue he’s got nothing to complain about though. It’s not every day that yours truly carries someone all the way to their destination. Kaveh got real excited when he heard about those ruins we found last time in the desert though, asking me about the architecture. I don’t know any fancy terms but he seemed to be getting something from my descriptions. Started drawing the moment I set him down.
Speaking of desert trips, you remember that old temple you were sulking grumbling about? The one you said was too much of a pain to get to cause it was so far in the desert and you’d have to climb all over to get to your runes since half the walls are collapsed.
Raman and I made a little trip for you. We took a bunch of rubbings of the runes on the walls and arches. Cyno showed us how to make the rubbings and store them properly so here’s hoping we got it right. We can always take you there if you want to see them in person, but I thought it’d be nice to bring a bit of the temple to you. Raman sends you his best wishes.
Many happy returns of the day, birthday boy.
Dehya
There’s more.
Three bottles of wine from Kaveh, a rare vintage that is almost impossible to acquire.
Jars of homemade Henna Berry jam from Candace along with some old records from the Deshret era. I happened to find them when I was cleaning out the attic. Her note says.
You will always be welcome in Aaru Village. No matter the day or time of your visit, you will always have a place with us here.
Alhaitham has always understood that he doesn’t feel emotions as strongly as others. His feelings are muted and he almost never feels the extremes most people talk about: rage, delight, grief, and so on. Since he met Cyno though, things have gradually changed.
Affection. Longing. Love.
If someone had told him he was capable of feeling so deeply even a year ago he would probably have thought them delusional.
Today, he can only say that he feels…moved.
Alhaitham’s eyes feel hot and he blinks in shock when he feels the tears on his face. He can’t remember the last time he cried. The day his grandmother had passed, perhaps.
“Haitham? What’s wrong?”
He hadn’t even heard Cyno come in.
Taking a seat on the table in front of him, Cyno reaches out to gently brush the tears from his face. Alhaitham leans forward into his warmth, hiding his face against Cyno’s shoulder as those small arms wrap around him.
“I'm just….really happy.”
The words are dull and clumsy, unbefitting a Haravatat scholar, but he knows that Cyno will understand.
Cyno hums and runs his fingers through soft grey strands, sitting with him in comfortable silence. The warm arms around him patiently hold him together until he’s composed himself.
Sitting back, Alhaitham raises his head to look into scarlet eyes. Cyno holds his gaze as he takes Alhaitham’s hand to press a kiss to his palm, his wrist, before slotting their fingers together to hold his hand.
“There’s one last present. Do you want to open it together?”
“I’d like that.” Said softly.
Cyno takes out a small package wrapped in blue. Placing it in Alhaitham’s hands, he moves to sit next to him, a long line of warmth along his side.
It’s a book. He’d only mentioned the book once to Cyno, lamenting how rare it was. That it had to be imported from overseas and couldn’t even be obtained through special orders.
Carefully, Alhaitham places the book on the table.
“Cyno,” he says entreatingly as he reaches for him. Cyno is already moving, climbing into his lap as Alhaitham pulls him in with an arm around his waist. Their lips meet in a heated kiss as Cyno cups Alhaitham’s face in his palms. He finds himself clutching Cyno against him almost desperately.
“I know you’ve said before that birthdays don’t mean much to you. That there’s no need to make a big deal of it. But I wanted you to know how much you mean to me. To all of us.”
“Happy Birthday, habibi.”