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Birthdays, in Taako's opinion, were vastly overrated. Why would you need an entire day to celebrate your existence? Certainly not Taako, that's for sure.
(Especially if no one wanted you and you were an accident and a street rat and a murderer. Then birthdays were just a reminder of how much the world hated you.)
So when Angus had mentioned it was his eleventh birthday the day of the wrestling fiasco, Taako had thought nothing of it. It was just another day. Just another plodding day in a plodding life. This one just held sentimental value for his favorite—not that he would have ever admitted it—little boy. So, as they were leaving the ring, Magnus having gotten thoroughly squashed by Jess, Taako was surprised when Merle asked him what he was getting Angus.
"For what?"
Merle had the audacity to look thoroughly scandalized. "His birthday you goon! It's today, or did you forget?"
"Oh. I didn't forget, I just don't see the big deal. I mean," he shrugged, hooking the umbra staff on his arm so that he could freely mage-hand people out of his way, "it's just a day."
"What rock have you been living under?! Birthdays are important for little dweebs like that!" Merle muttered a colorful swear at the aarakocra that stomped on his foot. "You gotta be more sensitive!"
"You're one to talk," Taako muttered. Still...
When he handed Angus a shitty card from fantasy Sheetz that said "Guess who's 2? It's YOU!"—only Taako had scribbled out the 2 and replaced it with 11—Angus looked like he was going to cry. He actually kinda did. Taako wasn't sure how to take that. Maybe birthdays weren't so bunk after all.
When he walked into his dorm one day and got scared witless by a half dozen Bureau members, he nearly used Evard's Black Tentacles to tear apart every last one of them. Especially after the adrenaline wore off and he realized that they were throwing him a birthday party.
"What the fuck is your damage?!" Taako was not a yelling elf but when he was as spooked as he was then, he made exceptions.
(Don't think about their sad faces and how upset and confused they look. Don't think about how Magnus looks like a kicked puppy. Don't think about yelling and screaming and thrown dishes and kicked ribs. Don't think about bright red burns and an angry cleric refusing to heal them. Don't think about broken glasses and bruised knuckles. And don't. Flinch.)
"Well...it's been almost a year since y'joined the Bureau an', well," NO.3113, despite her lack of a face, somehow managed to look embarrassed, "y'never had a birthday party once. Never even mentioned yer birthday."
"I remembered the way you blew off lil Ango's bday 'till I mentioned how important it was to him. So I thought...maybe you didn't have a birthday?"
("A Candlenight's child will burn fast and bright. Beware any who get close lest they take them when they go.")
"Most of it was my idea, sir." Angus's small voice cut through the buzzing static that was Taako's own thoughts. Taako turned to face him and saw the misshapen cake disaster in his hands and froze. "You were so kind to me on my birthday, complimenting me and giving me that funny card, so I thought I should do it in kind. When I couldn't find the date of your birthday, I picked today."
Taako's mouth worked the words a few times before he managed to whisper, "why today?"
"Because today was the day that you started teaching me magic."
(Fuck, he was so earnest! He was looking right up at Taako with those big ol' eyes and a bright smile and fuck, fuck, fuck!)
Taako's vision swam and Angus started, quickly handing the cake over to Carey, running up to Taako and wrapping his little stumpy arms around his waist. "Please don't cry! I'll – I'll put the cake away and we'll all undecorate and you can just do whatever! I didn't mean to make you feel bad!"
He hadn't even realized he was crying. Wiping tears away with one hand, he patted Angus on the head with the other. "No, pumpkin. You...ya did good. I'm...thank you." The last words were whispered, so low that only Angus could hear them. He hugged the boy detective close then shoved him off and loudly proclaimed, "now enough with that mushy shit! Let's dig into that cake!"
"I hope you like it sir! I made it myself!"
"Well it looks like you were asleep wen you baked it. You and whomever watched over you need to have some quality Taako-time because this is a disaster! I'll teach you how to pretty up a cake later. Let's cut this bitch!"
(Maybe birthdays were nice after all, when you had family and friends to celebrate with and a place to call home.)