faderift | Well it's time to celebrate your birthday, it happens every year

WHO: Anders, Nathaniel, and invitees!
WHAT: Fancy birthday party in Camp Shady
WHEN: Harvestmere 27, evening
WHERE: Camp Shady
NOTES: Will update.

Since many Wardens moved into the Kestrel House, there is plenty of space in the camp for a big top tent. Finding enough candlesticks, tables, and chairs required a lot of time and a number of bribes to pull off. The tables are nicely draped with fabric lent by one of Anders' patients, and each is decorated with flowers. The tent is alight and smells like good food--more donations from grateful patients.

One of the Wardens is known for her fiddling, and she plays lively dances and crooning ballads. In the center table is an ice sculpture of a cat chasing a butterfly (you guessed it--donated by a mage patient). It glitters spectacularly in the candlelight.

On the menu is a slow-roasted pig, spiced hot cider, spectacular salads, jams, cakes, delectably seasoned vegetables, a lamb-flank, and your choice of wine. There is even a hard-won bottle of Antivan brandy Nathaniel had to win several card games to achieve.

Relax, enjoy, greet the birthday boy, and mingle. The nights will be cold soon, but under this tent, life glows.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"Ridiculous nothing. You are." Purrelden leaned forward, seeking the petting and replying with purring almost right away.

"And let's not get too far ahead of ourselves. It's rather a surprise that I made it to a point where I could pick a birthday. A whole year on top of that is certainly a goal, but it's also a challenge. You don't have to start planning right away. Especially as I've no idea when yours is, or even if the seasons of our world line up with those of yours."

"Now you's getting ahead of themselves? As if I would let you do something foolish enough not making it to next year's birthday so I can give you the companion present," he tsked his tongue at him, practically chiding. "As for my own birthday - Thedas has the same amount of months as Earth's calendar, and generally the same days. So based on that, my birthday is the first month of the year, on the 4th day of the month."

As he talked he continued to scratch Purrelden, working one finger behind her ear and down to the base of her skull.

"I've a habit of... messing up," Anders says as he looks up from paging through the book. "I plan to do something well, something that will help, and it backfires. So it's altogether too easy for me to think that something might come up between now and a year from now. However." He holds up a finger to forestall argument. "I'll grant that I've more people who are friends and wanting something good for me than I've had at any previous time in my life, so perhaps the odds are even. And they're rather good for me making it to your birthday."

She moves with the petting, weaving to keep him scratching down that same path, happy to soak up the attention. She's spoiled. ...And that's all right.

"Trust me, I know that feeling," he put his hand on the other man's shoulder, giving him a small, crookedly sympathetic smile. "But that's what friends are for, you know? We mess up and they help us put things back together, or at least not mess up quite so badly." A squeeze and he retreated, not wishing to stand to long upon a potentially sad topic. Dour birthdays should certainly not be a thing!

"I am just going to warn you now that a kitten is not an acceptable birthday present for me," he warned Anders with a mock scowl.

He meets Kirk's eyes as he talks, gratitude entering his own. All of this evening is nice. Sometimes he feels isolated and like he can do nothing right, and then there's tonight, with friends. He's not alone, even when he feels like he is.

And then they're moving on to joking with that squeeze and his expression lightens.

"Adding kittens to a household that already has cats is complicated. They have to get along, one of them has to establish dominance, it's a mess. I'll not do that to you." He pauses for a beat, smile threatening to widen. "Probably. I mean, I wasn't thinking about it until just now."

"You really should consider writing a 'How to Care for Cats' manual," he chuckled. "I am learning far more about caring for cats than I ever thought I needed to or wanted to. And you can spread your belief that everyone needs a good cat."

And then he paled slightly at the suggestion, cursing himself.

"Don't you dare! Or you will suddenly find a majority of your clothing turned the color pink."

"Mm. I'll put that on the list of books to write," he said with a grin. "There may be a few treatises on equality and education, first. But everyone should know the fulfillment that comes with a cat. And..."

He trailed off, looking thoughtful. "I suppose it would be annoying to have most of my clothing dyed pink. I don't look particularly good in it; it's too pale for my hair and eyes. You're safe from another cat. From me. I can't guarantee anything from any other directions."

"And don't think about using Sam to introduce another one," he wagged his finger at him. "I know you're crafty when you want to be."

"Crafty, me? You wound me, sir." His expression is innocence itself. His voice, not so much. "I can hardly help what Sam chooses to do, especially when he sees you more than I do and would perceive needs far more often. He strikes me as a very caring man."

He sees right through you, sir. Mostly because he has practiced that very look so very many times himself, of course he can see right through it.

"You have been warned, Anders," he said pointedly with mock ferociousness, off set by his gentle scratching of Purrelden and smiling in the end. "But I hope your birthday is a happy one." He waggled his brows at the end and winked. You know what he means, Anders.

"I have, I have," he said, reaching over to rub under Purrelden's chin as well. "And I'm betting Nate has something planned for tonight as well as this evening."

Yep, he knows what that wink is about.

"I'm certain you'll not be lacking either in that area. Shall I let you go and pursue this?"

"It would be very kind of you," he chuckled. "Besides, it's rude to monopolize the birthday boy's time. I'll talk to you later, Anders. We should go riding sometime soon!" He gave a final pat to Purrelden and waved at Anders before making his way across the gathering back towards the food and thus freeing Anders to be pounced upon by the next well wisher.

Well it's time to celebrate your birthday, it happens every year

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