As he made his way to the top of the Genesis Tower, carrying a box wrapped in shiny gold and silver foil, Gaster pushed past a knot of curious humans and stepped into the waiting elevator. He'd expected the humans to be curious; the way anyone would be after seeing so many Zoanoids carrying what were obviously presents up to the top of the Tower. The party was Zoanoids only; unprocessed humans still tended to piss Lord Mirabilis off, to the point where he was willing to kill them just to shut them up.
Bit of a P.R. headache, that; so it was just best to keep the humans out of the party, or just away from Lord Mirabilis entirely.
Gaster leaned back against the far wall of the elevator, holding the present carefully so he wouldn't damage the wrapping paper, and waiting for the elevator to reach the top of the Tower.
-Gaster!-
Hey, kiddo, he thought back, knowing that the kid's Zoalord telepathy, focused as it was on him right now, would be able to pick up on it. I bet you're glad we managed to find the time to celebrate your big day, huh?
-I sure am! I can't wait to open all my presents!-
Well, I'm pretty sure that I'm going to be the last one in, so you'll be able to open them soon. And then you can eat your cake, too. The only thing he received in response to that last thought was the mental impression of Lord Mirabilis' happy laughter. You still with me, kiddo?
-Yeah. Elegen still has his hands over my eyes, though.-
When did this happen?
-Oh, well Elegen put his hands over my eyes so I wouldn't be able to see my presents until all my Zoanoids were all done setting them out.-
Well, if you really wanted to see all of your presents, you could always just tap the senses of one of your Zoanoids.
-Zektor says that would be cheating.-
Gaster laughed outright once Lord Mirabilis had made that particular statement. I guess it would be at that, kiddo.
The slight lurch of the elevator as it stopped at Lord Mirabilis' private office on top of the Tower brought Gaster's attention back to his current situation. When the doors slid open in front of him, he stepped out into the office itself and made his way through the bustling crowds of Zoanoids therein. He could see Lord Mirabilis, sitting at the table he'd helped carry into the office for the party.
Elegen really did have his hands over Lord Mirabilis' eyes. That was kind of funny: seeing a Zoalord in bull battle-dress – cape, armor, the whole works – sitting at a table decorated with ribbons, streamers, and party favors, and with one of his underlings' hands covering his eyes. Elegen looked like he was enjoying himself, especially with Zektor leaning over his shoulder.
Team Five's leader was doing his usual non-verbal direction bit; pretty much a necessity in this case, since he obviously didn't want little Lord Mirabilis trying to guess what his presents were before they'd all been set out. Setting his own present down on top of the pile, Gaster headed over to the table where little Lord Mirabilis and the four remaining members of Team Five were gathered.
"Are you sure I can't look yet?"
"Yeah, kidlet, I'm sure. Your presents haven't all been set out yet," Zektor said. "I'll tell Elegen to get his hands off your eyes once they're all ready, don't worry."
Zektor was the only one who got to call little Lord Mirabilis "kidlet", and he made sure everyone else knew that, too; either punching or severely reprimanding anyone else who tried to use that nickname of his. Not being one to tempt fate, even over something so seemingly small, Gaster just stuck to his own nickname for their little Overlord. Even though little Lord Mirabilis could be cheek-pinchingly cute.
He didn't even seem to be conscious of what he was doing that was so cute in the first place, which of course made it even cuter.
As the last of Lord Mirabilis' birthday presents were set down on the table, Zektor nudged Elegen, and Elegen in turn removed his hands from their little Overlord's eyes. Apparently, their little Overlord had been wearing his sunglasses the whole time. He really seemed to love those things; probably because his dad never seemed to take his own off.
"Okay, kidlet, they're all set out for ya. You can open your eyes now."
"Oh, wow!" little Lord Mirabilis exclaimed, bouncing in his seat. "I got all of those?"
"They're all yours, kidlet."
"Can I open them now?" their little Overlord asked earnestly.
"I don't think that's the best idea," Zancrus said. "Not until you're finished eating. No sense getting cake and ice cream all over your presents."
"Oh, right," little Lord Mirabilis said, giggling cutely. "I forgot. When are we going to eat the cake?"
"I'd say right about now," Zektor said, moth curling up into a small, gentle smile.
And, sure enough, two Standard Zoanoids showed up then, carrying a very large, tasty-looking – and -smelling, for that matter – chocolate cake into the spacious, well-appointed office.
"Here's the birthday boy!" the one on the left called out, grinning at little Lord Mirabilis as he and his counterpart set down the plate of cake they were carrying before the Overlord of Chronos' Africa Section. "How's it feel to be eight years old today, kiddo?"
"His Excellency was eight years old back in June, moron. We're just celebrating it this late because we were all to busy whipping this Section back into shape to set something like this up earlier."
They were probably Alvix models, since those were the most common models in this Section, ever since little Lord Mirabilis had taken control of it. The model was reasonably strong, and easy enough to make from what he'd heard the lab techs saying. Combined with the fact that they'd been designed personally by His Excellency Ingriam Mirabilis, and they were perfect for mass production here in the Africa Section.
Looking back up after being lost in thought for a bit, Gaster saw that the two Alvix had set the plate of cake out in front of little Lord Mirabilis and he'd just gotten himself set to blow out the candles.
"Don't forget to make your wish," Zancrus chided, to the accompaniment of little Lord Mirabilis' giggles.
"I already did that, silly," little Lord Mirabilis said, smiling before he blew out all eight candles with a single breath of air.
There was a bright flash of light, then – combined with the telepathic presence of someone who was obviously another Zoalord – and a figure in full battle-dress appeared just behind little Lord Mirabilis, his arms wrapping around their young Overlord's broad, armored shoulders.
"Happy Birthday, Kenji-chan," His Excellency Lord Imakarum Mirabilis said, as their little Lord Mirabilis stood to embrace his father more completely.
It was Zektor who started applauding, as their little Lord Mirabilis ducked his head slightly and His Excellency Lord Imakarum kissed him on the forehead, but the rest of Team Five started clapping just a few seconds later. Soon, all fourteen of the Zoanoids who had been able to take the time off to come to this party were clapping for their Overlord. Gaster, personally, was particularly happy that Supreme Overlord Alkanphel had had whatever talk with His Excellency Imakarum that the older Zoalord had obliquely referred to whenever their little Lord Mirabilis had asked him why he'd come back.
Or, to be more precise, whenever various Hyper Zoanoids had asked him that question "on behalf of Lord Mirabilis", though he honestly doubted that His Excellency Imakarum had been fooled by those excuses; he'd probably known what they wanted even before the first word had come out of their mouths.
Of course, since they'd all wanted to know the answer to that for their little Overlord's sake, that was probably why His Excellency Imakarum had tolerated being asked the same damn question so many times.