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It's raining the day of Aalto's birthday.
But that's wrong, because it shouldn't be raining today. Mom had always told him that his birthday is supposed to be his most special day of the year, where he gets to eat all his favorite food, gets to play the most games in the local amusement park, and when he finally gets home there's a bunch of gits waiting for him and a big cake with his favorite flavor that would last him an entire week.
He's gripping the tiny flute hanging from his neck, it was one of the gifts Mom gave him on his last birthday. It served as both a flute and a recorder. Aalto always wanted to play an instrument, and Mom gave it to him so he could practice and record his progress, until he was good enough to get one of those big flutes he would see on the shelves of the local music store.
Nowadays, it's just one of the few remaining things he has from when things weren't so gloomy.
Whenever his birthday comes around, it was always sunny and both of his parents are smiling with him.
But today, it's been raining all day and Mom is not here.
Aalto saw both of his parents one night, he woke up because he was thirsty and wanted a glass of water, but instead found Mom and Dad arguing in a low voice, there was a suitcase resting by the main door.
Aalto just watched them from the shadows of the hallway, unable to move away from the scene unfolding in front of him.
They said stuff he could not understand, Mom looked angry, Dad looked sad, they both stood on opposite sides of the living room in silence for what felt like ages.
Mom took the suitcase and left home, Dad just slumped on one of the couches. He went back to his room in silence, he didn't get a chance to drink that glass of water.
He never saw Mom ever again.
Dad changed that day. He used to leave for work everyday and would come back on the evenings, he would always bring Aalto treats on his way back home, and Mom would get mad at him because he wasn't supposed to give Aalto that many sweets. He would watch TV with him, help him with his homework and play videogames whenever he asked.
Now Dad spends all day in his room, sometimes he can hear the sound of glass shattering and his cries in the middle of the night.
Aalto figures the best way to help Dad is to make himself as unnoticeable as possible.
He hasn't had a big feast like he used to, Dad hasn't come out to congratulate him, and the whole house feels like it has been stuck on the night from months ago when Mom left him behind.
His stomach starts rumbling. Aalto figures he should still get something to eat, it is his birthday after all. Their fridge is empty most days, but at some point in the week Dad gets out and buys food when he's not aware, it is Aalto's only indication that Dad is still with him.
But it seems like Dad forgot this week- he's been seeing more bottles outside of his room lately- because their fridge looks as sad as the weather outside, and Aalto can't help but think that this is wrong, because it's his birthday and things should be bright and happy and fun and he shouldn't be hungry today of all days because Mom told him it's his special day.
He sees an apple at the very back of the fridge and picks it up.
It's not a feast, but at least he won't be hungry today.
He washes the apple, because that's what Mom always told him to do.
He sits on the table because Dad would get upset if he ate somewhere else.
Aalto looks at the window, the rain hasn't let up.
He still thinks it's wrong and wants to yell at the clouds to make it stop, because today it's his birthday and it should be sunny.
He suddenly remembers, Mom always told him that before eating his birthday cake, he should sing happy birthday.
He doesn't have a cake, and this apple may not be as yummy as the cakes he used to get, but it's the thought that counts, right?
''Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you...''
The song sounds wrong in his ears, because Mom is not here and Dad refuses to come out of his room even on his birthday, and the happy birthday song is supposed to be shared with people you love.
''Happy... Birthday to... you... ''
He doesn't have presents, today doesn't feel special, it feels just like any other day ever since Mom decided to leave him and Dad.
''Happy Birthday... Dear Aalto...''
He doesn't finish the song, because today doesn't feel like his birthday.
It's when he finally bites into the apple that he notices there are tears down his face.
He turns his head at the window. He grips the little flute again, tighter this time, because maybe if he wishes it hard enough, the rain will let up and Mom will come back with a huge cake before it's not his birthday anymore.
The rain never let up that night, and Aalto was lulled to sleep by the sound of raindrops hitting his window.
''Pleasure doing business with ya, if you ever require my services again you know how to contact me!''
Aalto half yells at the retreating figure of his last client for the day.
All in all, today's been a nice day business wise. A few errands here and there, some people approached him for info he had from tasks he ran beforehand.
Nice and easy money, just like he liked it.
Easy money huh , he can't help but laugh to himself.
Money was the main reason why his Dad kicked him out of his house a few years ago. Aalto no longer a little kid he could use to bribe loan sharks and debt collectors with more time,, his Dad would always say he's so small, and we haven't eaten in days, can you give me a bit more time? I swear I'll pay you back in a month or two but with time it stopped being convincing the older Aalto got.
There's plenty of quick jobs out there for that kid of yours, he could make you some money. We gave you enough time he had caught one of the loan sharks say one time, Dad had to come up with a story on the spot about Aalto having a chronic illness to get them off his back that day. Dad was a shitty father, but if nothing else, Aalto was grateful he never forced him into whatever idea of a quick job those bastards meant.
Aalto tried to get some jobs on the commercial street, but noone wanted what could still be considered a child to work for them. You'd only bring trouble to our business if the authorities catch you working for us a shopkeeper had told him one time, and he completely dropped that idea.
Things started to get rougher and rougher, the days between meals became a rare occurrence, sometimes Aalto had to swallow what little pride he had left and ask their neighbors for food, they were understanding and gave Aalto enough food to last him for a week if he spaced out the rations.
Things were difficult, but he was trying his best to hold on.
His entire life was turned upside down one morning.
He woke up, and saw Dad sitting in one of the couches on the living room and told Aalto to pack his things and leave, because he was going to sell the house and didn't have the money to bring him along.
Aalto knew all too well that he was just going to spend that money on gambling and more drinks to get shitfaced.
He just gathered the little clothes that still fit him and the flute that Mom gave him as a gift all those years ago, and left the only place he had called home up to that point without looking back.
For a brief period of time, Aalto didn't know what to do. He was a homeless teenager, with nothing but clothes and some food he had gotten from his neighbors beforehand on his backpack. He could be an easy target for muggers, or worse...
That's when he realized his Resonator abilities came in handy. He was born with the ability to create mist, but he mostly played with it when he was bored out of his mind, never once he thought he could do more with it. He never had the need to.
After much trial and error, disappearing and reappearing, creating distractions and ways to conceal himself, he managed to get a good grasp on how to handle his mist. It was his only ace to survive in the cruel reality of what his life turned into, he was the only one who could protect himself.
He could travel long distances in a short amount of time, he could conjure up fog to hide from thieves or whoever was looking to get some of his stuff, and it was really handy when it came to sneak in, out and around places.
Which is how he got his job as an information broker.
All the things he did to escape from dangerous people and sneak into abandoned buildings to have a roof over his head to pass the night were useful tools when it came to eavesdropping, sneak into corporate offices and go through confidential documents while getting out in one piece.
At first people doubted his skills for the job. He was just a teenager, what could he possibly accomplish? But one look at the tacent mark on his neck and the mist he created was enough to dispel all the doubts in his capabilities.
He was good at his job, too good if he said so himself. At one point he stopped looking for clients and they just came to him instead, which made things easier for him.
But it meant he had to move around a lot, some of his ''clients'' would rather beat up the information out of him than pay what he asked for, and he considered himself a pretty reasonable guy! He needed to keep himself safe above everything.
Which is how he ended up with this place in one of the back alleys of the many towns of New Federation.
He doesn't hate his current situation, it could be much worse after all. It just means all of his relationships are purely superficial, made only with the goal of gathering more info so he can get more money. He has seen fellow brokers get sell out to vicious exile gangs because they decided to trust the wrong people.
He doesn't remember the last time he considered anyone a friend. Aalto discovered his joy for retro video games, so he made sure to pick some whenever he had a lull in between jobs, but after going undercover to some gaming events, he found it more pleasant when he could share his hobbies with more people.
He doesn't remember anyone telling him that this job gets terribly lonely at times.
He gets pulled out of his trip down memory lane when he finishes counting the money from today's business. He locks the front door and makes his way to the room upstairs, only using the first floor to meet clients.
Once he plops down on the bed, he notices the sound of the rain.
His place doesn't give him the best view of the street, but he can see the clouded night sky with no stars in sight, people with umbrellas going on their way and some unfortunate people using whatever they have at hand to cover themselves from the downpour while rushing to get somewhere dry.
He decides to prepare some tea, and while the beverage is brewing, he gets some pastries from his fridge and sets them on the table.
It's when he finally checks his phone, while he waits for his tea to stop being so hot it burns his tongue, that he realizes today is his birthday.
He's long stopped considering his birthday something to look forward to. At first when he had started this profession and had some money for himself he would indulge in eating a slice of cake and take the day off from his broker jobs to kick back and relax. Mom had told him it was his special day after all, he deserved at least that much, right?
He quickly realized he couldn't slack off on every birthday, some jobs demanded his full attention until it was late enough the only thing he could do to relax was collapse on a bed and sleep.
And it's not like he had anyone to wish him a happy birthday to begin with.
He glances at the window again and thinks how ironic it is that it's raining today. He thinks back to the day where he had nothing but an apple as a sorry replacement for a birthday cake, and that wasn't enough to fill up his stomach all the way through the night.
Unable to pry his eyes away from the rain falling outside his window, he grips the little flute around his neck out of habit.
He doesn't want to bring his mood down by attempting to sing happy birthday to nothing but the raindrops outside of his window, a cold room and the mist he conjures.
He finishes his pastries and decides he should head to bed early, because he'd rather be asleep than spend another moment thinking how painfully gloomy this birthday feels.
The last thing he hears before being pulled into a dreamless sleep is the sound of rain.
''Uncle Aalto, happy birthday!''
The moment Aalto steps outside his room, he gets assaulted by Encore's smiling face and sunny disposition.
It's been several months since Aalto stepped up to volunteer as Encore's guardian. He received a notification on his terminal about the position to look after this little kid who was recently orphaned. There was a mention of an increase on the payroll of whoever decided to take up the job, but Aalto couldn't care less about it once he finished reading the report on Encore’s situation. He realized he had a lot in common with her.
He just saw a kid who was alone in the world. Her mom had died in an accident, and her dad hadn't been in the picture for quite some time now. No other relatives came forward to look for the pink haired child, so she was sent to an orphanage in the meantime.
Although their situations were different, Aalto couldn't help but see the himself from so many years ago in Encore. Too lonely in a vast world and without the care or guidance of a parental figure. He doesn't regret his current situation, but he doesn't want any children to experience what he had to go through in the past, when Mom had just left him and Dad was already on his way out of Aalto's life.
A lot of children had their childhood ripped away from them because of irresponsible parents and Tacent Discord attacks.
That's why he worked so hard to make their arrangement as smooth as possible, so Encore could enjoy something resembling a normal childhood, despite being a consultant with the Black Shores.
His moment of shock passes and he sees Encore's Woolies run in circles above his head, their own way of congratulating him for his birthday, it seems.
''Geez Encore, you scared me!'' He kneels down and pats her on the head. ''I don't remember telling you my birthday, though.''
''Encore is a member of the Black Shores! Of course Encore knows when Uncle Aalto's birthday is!'' She puts her hand on her hips, with a proud smile on her face.
''And that you are! Thank you Encore. I almost forgot today was my birthday!'' He doesn't lie, with the years, the date of his birthday completely slips his mind. His work with the Black Shores asking much more of his attention compared to when his main profession was being an Info Broker.
More years than not, he only notices his birthday has passed when he finds himself looking at the dates of his reports for a moment too long, and realizes the day had passed several months ago.
Encore smiles light up. ''Good thing Encore is here to remind Uncle Aalto!'' She starts dragging Aalto by his hand. ''Come on, come on! Encore and Woolies made a surprise!''
He gets a little annoyed by the addition of ''Uncle'' to his name, because he is not that old thank you ver much! But he would let Encore have it just for today.
Aalto lets himself get carried away and sits down in one of the chairs in the living room, their place was assigned to them by the Black Shores so they have somewhere to rest in between major assignments. Aalto's former place used to be somewhere more hidden, but more dangerous for a child. He applied for a relocation once he became Encore's guardian, with the reason being he'd like her to have something resembling a childhood home. His request was promptly accepted.
Encore is in the kitchen adding the finishing touches to whatever her surprise for him is, so Aalto just glances out of the window and notes, it's not raining today.
The sun is shining in the morning sky, and he can feel the breeze coming from outside the open window. Some of the sunshine is seeping into their house, making the day warmer than what Aalto is usually accustomed to whenever his birthday rolls around.
It makes a smile appear on his face.
''Tada! Here it is!''
Encore and her Woolies come out of the kitchen with a birthday cake.
It has a singular candle in the middle of it and the words ''Happy Birthday Uncle Aalto!'' messily written with green icing on top.
''Aww, Encore! You didn't have to do all this.'' He feels a little guilty he took away some of her free time, but the huge smile on Encore's face overshadows that feeling completely.
''Mommy always baked Encore a huge cake for Encore's birthday, so I wanted Uncle Aalto to have one too! Cosmos and Cloudy also helped!'' At the mention of the Woolies names, they started dancing around both of them.
''Heh, thank you two for helping Encore.'' He doesn't know if Cosmos and Cloudy understand him, but the way they jump around Encore afterwards make him believe the message got through.
He was about to pick the knife Cosmos had brought to cut the cake when Encore yelled: ''Wait! We haven't sang Happy Birthday yet!''
Aalto stared at her dumbfounded for half a second, if the idea of celebrating his birthday was almost foreign to him, the idea of singing Happy Birthday today might as well have been an alien concept.
Cloudy suddenly appears from the kitchen, with a lighter floating behind it, and proceeds to make the candle come alive.
The moment the little flame starts dancing, Encore has launched into singing Happy Birthday, with Cosmos and Cloudy doing a cute backup dance behind her.
''Happy Birthday to you~, Happy Birthday to you~
Happy Birthday Uncle Aalto~
Happy Birthday to you! Yayy!! Hurry up, make a wish!''
Aalto had secretly hit the record button on the little flute hanging from his neck, he wanted to have his own personal memento of this day to cherish.
Before blowing the candle on his birthday cake made by the most important person in Aalto's life, he catches the sun shining behind her, illuminating her tiny frame and the whole room in a ray of sunshine. It feels so unlike one of his birthday, he finds he rather likes it this way.
I wish to share more birthdays with Encore in the future was the wish he settled on.
She started clapping enthusiastically after the deed was done. ''Happy Birthday Uncle Aalto! Now come to the living room! Encore and Big Sis Camellya got some gifts for you!'' She started tugging his hand once again.
''Wait, Encore! Don't you want to eat some cake first?''
Aalto doesn't remember the last time he had a birthday like this, but he thinks he should start remembering his birthday from now on if it's gonna make Encore happy.
He will make sure to return the favor on the little girl's birthday.
Aalto was well aware that today was his birthday, Encore always had some crazy surprise prepared for him, and he wanted to be ready for whatever came his way from his little girl.
''Hurry up Uncle Aalto, we're going to be late!''
''Calm down Encore... I'm sorry Mister Aalto, she's so energetic today.''
''You know, I'd be faster if I wasn't blindfolded right now! And I thought I told you to stop calling me 'Mister', Verina!''
What he didn't expect was getting blindfolded the moment he got out of his room and dragged away from their current apartment at Jinzhou to... Good question, Aalto himself also wants to know!
Along the way- Aalto doesn't know at what point exactly- Verina had joined them on their journey as well. He's glad Encore found a friend closer to her age, and especially as one as responsible as the blonde girl.
A blindfolded Aalto was getting dragged by two little girls across Jinzhou City, people were probably giving him the stink eye or laughing at him. At the very least he's thankful that he's unable to confirm those suspicions himself.
''Nuh-uh, can't do! It's a very special surprise after all!'' Encore had just said, sealing the deal.
He resigned himself to his fate with a sigh. If he were to die now, at least it would be by Encore's doing.
After what felt like an eternity of being dragged against his will, Aalto felt his shoes step on cobblestone and grass. Were they in a park?
''We're here! Okay Cloudy, you can remove Uncle Aalto's blindfold!''
His blindfold eventually gets taken away, and the sight that comes into view is something that makes him forget how to breathe.
Under a tree shade, there's a table with a lot of local Jinzhou cuisine, a huge birthday cake in the middle, a few gifts not too far from the table and…
Jiyan sitting in one of the chairs, looking absolutely breathtaking as the breeze made his hair flutter with the wind.
The scene unfolding right in front of his eyes feels like something out of a dream.
He must've stared at the whole thing for a moment too long, because both Encore and Verina go silent, and Jiyan gets up from the table and approaches him with fast steps, wearing a worried look on his face.
''I'm sorry.'' Jiyan says, and his face looks so remorseful it snaps Aalto out of his trance. ''Did you not like it?'' The expression on Jiyan's face is akin to that of a kicked puppy, so unlike what Aalto is used to see on his dear dragon's face.
Aalto has to blink twice to process what he just heard.
''W-what do you mean? What gave you that idea?''
Verina interjects, looking nervous ''You suddenly went silent, Mister Aalto. So we thought...''
He looks down to see Encore's face, she looks like she's about to cry.
''No, no... I don't.. it's just..'' Aalto takes pride at how good he is with words when the time calls, he's managed to get out of sticky situations by choosing the right thing to say. But somehow, his body refuses to cooperate and he's unable to convey how important all of this is to him.
He wants to tell them this is the best birthday surprise he's ever had, because this is the ideal birthday he dreamed of all those years ago, when he was just a little kid who had a broken home, incessant rain and an apple as a substitute for a birthday cake.
That he no longer avoids his birthdays out of fear of realizing just how lonely he truly was when he was a teenager, that now he has people he can share his joys with.
That his birthday started feeling special when Encore started celebrating them.
He takes in a sharp breath and hugs Jiyan, he wraps his arms around his torso and buries his face in the crook of his dearest General's neck and has to control his breathing, because if he slips up he might start to cry, and Mom told him all those years ago that you're not supposed to cry on your birthdays, because they're supposed to be sunny and happy days you share with those closest to you.
Just like today is.
Jiyan wraps his arms around his waist and pulls him closer. ''So, I take that you like it?"
Eventually Encore and Verina make their way to Aalto's legs, and wrap their little arms around them while giggling.
''...I like it a lot.'' He sniffs, and a few tears start to well on Aalto's eyes.
Jiyan pulls Aalto away from his neck just enough to get a good look at his face and grins, brushing a thumb under Aalto's eyes to wipe those tears away.
''Come Aalto, none of that. Today is your birthday, after all.'' He speaks with that gentle tone of voice Aalto has become oh so familiar with.
He can only nod while he lets his General wipe away the few tears that had escaped him.
''Let's get to eat!'' Encore excitedly yells snapping both of them out of their trance, and she claims a spot on the table.
''Encore, wait! Mister Aalto has to make a wish first!'' Verina sits beside her while trying to keep her from chowing down on all the food.
Aalto and Jiyan sit beside each other while Verina and Encore bicker. Cosmos comes outs with a lighter, and lights up the candle. He sees the words ''Happy Birthday Aalto!'' written on top of the cake with icing, with a few doodles of flowers, a dragon and stars. Despite the early summer breeze, the little flame doesn't go out.
Both Verina and Encore start singing in unison, while Jiyan helps them set the rhythm clapping. Aalto makes sure to hit the record button on the flute hiding in his pocket.
''Happy Birthday to you~ Happy birthday to you~
Happy birthday Uncle Aalto~
Happy birthday Mister Aalto~
Happy birthday to you!''
''Be sure to make a wish.'' Jiyan whispers in his ear, a smile adorning his face.
Aalto looks around, and takes in the whole scenery. He's with his little girl, her best friend and his dearnest General, with as much food as he could possibly want, a little pile of gifts and under clear blue skies, he doesn't see any cloud that could possibly start a rain on their little celebration.
Truly, there's only one thing he could wish for in a moment like this.
I wish for every birthday to be like this in the future. He would be greedy to ask for more than this.
''Happy birthday, Uncle Aalto! We worked reeeeeally hard on this surprise!''
''Happy birthday Mister Aalto. It is a pleasure being able to celebrate your birthday like this.''
''Aww, you girls didn't have to, but you spent so much effort on this so I will try my best to enjoy everything as much as I can!"' Aalto's usual cheery self comes back after the initial shock had faded. ''Encore, you can go ham on the food, you've been drooling for a while now.''
''Yay! Verina, try this one, it's Encore's favorite!'' Encore proceeds to hand over stuff to Verina's plate, their attention slipping away from Aalto and onto the food.
He laughs to himself watching the scene unfolding in front of him. A hand grabs him by the hip and pulls him closer to his dearest General.
''I'm glad you enjoyed the surprise.'' Jiyan starts with, making sure he's as close to him as possible. ''Encore told me about your birthday a few weeks ago, and I had to improvise. I'm sorry I couldn't do more.''
Aalto almost wants to laugh. He lays his head on Jiyan's shoulder. ''Are you kidding me? This is the best birthday I've had in forever! I don't even want to imagine what you think could be better than this.''
His dragon grabs one of his hands and squeezes it tight. ''You deserve the best. As a soldier, I'm completely devoted to Jinzhou and it's people, however... You and Encore and Verina, I don't want to miss any moments if i can help it, I want to give all of you as many precious memories as I can, for as long as I am able to.'' Jiyan kisses his forehead and Aalto swears his heart is about to break free from his ribcage with how hard it is beating. ''Happy Birthday Aalto. Here's to many more, together.''
''Hehe, yeah... Together.'' Aalto squeezes back the hand Jiyan had grabbed earlier and turns his head at Encore and Verina, enjoying the sight of the girls talking while eating all sorts of food.
He wonders if this is what Mom had meant all those years ago by birthdays being special days. No TD outbreaks, mad scientists trying to recreate catastrophes or vicious Exiles hunting him down for information.
Just a happy day at the park with the most important people in his life.
It sure feels like it.