Celebration
n. the action of marking one's pleasure at an important event or occasion by engaging in enjoyable—typically social—activity.
Midsummer was a beautiful time of year, especially in Hoshido. During that time, the sun seemed to peak, and radiated its intense warmth and heat upon the earth. The cicadas ruled this time, too, as their loud and shrill cries carried on into the darkest hours of the night, buzzing and singing for all the world to hear. And despite the sweltering heat and unbearably active insect life, there were insurmountably beautiful things that existed in the summertime, which put all those unpleasant things to shame.
Like the sky. During the day, the sky was always clear, with no clouds in sight. Then at night, the stars would be seen through the atmospheric veil, and they shone so brightly it was hard to think that there was never a time where they weren't in view—magnificently sparkling like diamonds inlaid in velvet. Shooting stars and other celestial spectacles happened at this time, too, and the summer solstice was a revelation of its own that brought people of all walks of life together in one ceremonious swoop.
That lead to another good part about summer, which were the festivals. It was a Hoshidan tradition to celebrate the Ceremony of the Stars, where modern day life celebrated and remembered the story of Orihime and Hikoboshi: two stars—lovers—that were separated by the galaxies in space, only destined to meet once a year underneath love's embrace. Fireworks exploded and ceremonial robes were worn in honor of them, and people wrote wishes upon slats of paper or wood in hopes that the fated lovers would witness their desire and grant it, too.
But no matter how traditional of a person you were, everyone could agree that there was a certain charm in crowded festival grounds, where there was nothing but concession stands and humid air to keep you company.
Nishiki, of course, loved the summertime. There was something about the way that the warmth settled on his fur and in his skin that made him feel lively—or, at least, more livelier than usual. It helped that his birthday was in the summertime, but he always assured anyone that that was completely beside the point.
But birthday celebrations were so beautiful in and of themselves that Nishiki made a point of celebrating his own every year. The first time he ever spent his birthday away from home was in service to Kamui, and so he wore fox pauldrons and masks in respect to himself, as well as to his fellow foxes back at home. On the one day of the year that should have been his and his alone, Nishiki spent it revelling in all of youko-kind, celebrating his heritage and loving his kin for all the world to see.
And he wouldn't want it any other way.
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Then there was the thirtieth day of October. At this time of year, summer was long gone, having faded into autumn some weeks earlier. The dizzying heat was replaced with chilly winds and fallen leaves, and everything seemed to dry and wait for the ice of winter to settle deeply within. Animals were more tame this time of year, and food was stored away to prepare for the upcoming brutality of winter.
And as beautiful as autumn was, it could be deadly in the exact same way. Because everything was dry, and whenever a rapid wind carried away the sparks of the dying summer, wildfires popped up like a trail behind its leading edge. The chilly winds lashed out harshly, becoming unbearable one day, but disappearing altogether the next. When leaves died and fell off of tries, they flew into people's faces, and made largely cumbersome piles anywhere they went.
The best part of autumn, undoubtedly so, was all the food. For humans, they enjoyed the freshly pickled veggies, as well as the harvested fruit and baked goods. Hearty stews—which became commonplace among the army's mess halls—sat brewing on stoves for hours on end, their thick and rich flavor wafting in the air.
Flannel hardly admitted it, but autumn was his favorite time of the year. He felt the most energy in those fall days, and nothing outdid the experience of bounding down leaf-strewn paths, and becoming part of the crisp yet dying world.
And because he loved autumn so much, one would be inclined to think that his birthday was his favorite day of the year. But it wasn't like this at all. As a garou, such trivial matters are never mentioned, let alone celebrated. Flannel was more interested in finding old buttons and collecting dust bunnies than he was in eating cake or receiving presents. Each year, he did his best to keep his birthday a secret, even if some part of him wished that others would just magically know. He'd be lying if he said he didn't want to have a surprise party at least once in his life.
Even if it was a terrible party, it would have been better than simply watching the hours of his birthday fall away, just like the leaves that Flannel loved so much.
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"Today's your birthday, isn't it?"
Flannel looked up from his beloved collection of dust bunnies, completely surprised by Nishiki's sudden inquiry. He seemed so happy with his question, like he breached some hidden territory that had been kept secret up to now. Even so, there was an unmistakable look of mischief on his face, and Flannel had to be careful, lest he fall into some well-placed prank in the making.
Oh, no, I'm not falling for that one again. Flannel became slightly more wary as he eyed Nishiki, and spoke to him in a tentative voice. "Yeah, and? It's not a big deal to me."
"Are you serious? It's a huge deal to the rest of the world! Your birthday is a special occasion that only happens once a year!"
"But it comes every year. If you celebrated it every time it came around, wouldn't it lose its meaning? Besides, as long as you don't die, you can just celebrate it the next year. "
"That's exactly why you should celebrate every year. You might not know what will happen next year, or if there's even a next year, at all!"
Flannel shook his head, and returned his attention to the dust bunnies before him. "Well, whatever. I don't really care about it either way."
"You don't?" Nishiki asked, eagerly so. "Then you won't mind if I decide to throw a party for you, right? Or give you a gift for your special day?"
"Parties aren't really my thing," Flannel insisted. He poked at one dust bunny very intensely, until it fell apart and scattered into tiny specks of dust matter. "And as for gifts, well, if I don't like it, then I'm giving it right back to you!"
Nishiki guffawed. "Is that a challenge, then? To get you something you like? I accept it!" Then he sprung up suddenly, eyes alight with a million possibilities of what he could give Flannel for his birthday. With the other's eccentric tastes, he was sure that anything would suffice, so long as it was broken or discarded in some way.
But still, he had to get his share of the fun, too! With a wide smile, he added, "By the way, how old will you be turning?"
"Seriously?" Flannel pouted, as if the question was entirely offensive to begin with. "I'm old enough."
"So you don't even remember how old you are, huh?"
"No, that's not it at all!" Despite his refusals, Flannel's face lit up in embarrassment. "I remember! I'm just saying that it's not important! It's rude to ask a garou their age, I'll have you know!"
Nishiki laughed, whimsical notes escaping his mouth like unwarranted music. It was much more appealing than his laughter in his youko form, which even Flannel admitted sounded scary, at times. "Sorry, I had no idea. Tell you what, I'll get you a present that'll really amaze you! And if you still don't like it, somehow, then I'll take it back and repay you, instead. Okay?"
"Okay," Flannel conceded. "Just promise me you won't give me that overly-sugary stuff that they're always baking. It makes me sick."
"Of course, of course! I'll see you later, Flannel!"
Nishiki ran off to get started, but he came back just as fast with a wide smile on his face—almost forgetting his greeting to the birthday boy, himself. "Oh, and happy birthday!"
Flannel, in spite of everything he just said, smiled softly at him. His gratitude almost sounded genuine, for once.
"Thank you."
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Hours passed since Flannel had that conversation with Nishiki, and he was starting to worry that the other had forgotten his promise. Not that I care, Flannel thought to himself. It's really not that important, anyway.
Although a present might not be too bad…
Flannel groaned, and thought to himself with a bored look on his face. Maybe it was because it was his birthday today, but he spent the whole day collecting treasures and doing nothing, as not even a small task was given out to him to perform on that day. Normally, he would be happy with not having mundane chores to do, but the lack of activity or contact with anyone—however forced it may be in a given situation—made him lonely.
And even if they didn't really celebrate birthdays all that much back home, there were so many wolves around that it would be impossible to ever feel left out.
He considered going out to hunt, when he suddenly felt someone's presence appear behind him. He turned around, and was face-to-face with Nishiki himself, who smiled so triumphantly, as if emerging victorious from a recent battle. "Well," he said, "it's time!"
"Time for what, exactly?"
"Here, close your eyes! It's a secret~"
"Uh, you know that I can still tell what you're doing even with my eyes closed, right?"
"I know! Just pretend that you have no idea what's going on, okay?"
"Oh, fine."
Flannel closed his eyes, and focused on anything but Nishiki's movements. Instead, he thought about his dust bunnies, and how he wished he didn't accidentally crush all of them only ten minutes ago. He thought about the wishbones he collected, too, and about the pretty napkin that Prince Leon left behind at the dinner table, and the escapade that Flannel had to go through in order to steal it away from the cleaning crew…
Before he knew it, he was lost in his own thoughts, and Nishiki's playful voice had to bring him back to his own reality.
"Flannel?"
"Yeah?"
"You can open your eyes now."
"Okay..."
When the wolf opened his eyes, he was surprised to find himself submerged in darkness. It took a few seconds for his eyes to adjust, but after that he could see in the dark easily, just as if he were in the light. And yet, the room slowly lit up, with light that helped him finally understand what was happening.
They were settled in a dark room—one of many in the abandoned fort that Kamui's army currently used as one of their bases—but it became illuminated by floating lights, which upon inspection, turned out to be small spheres of fire. They pulsated and glowed with golden flecks of color, and Flannel stood agape at their sheer, ephemeral beauty. He managed to draw his attention from the lights long enough to examine his so-called "presents," however.
On the center table laid an array of different gifts. There was a makeshift cake, in mock form of the popular human confections, that was actually a decorated slab of meat. There was also a small, oaken jewelry box, which was opened to reveal several pins and ribbons within. Lastly, there was a strange medallion, seated squarely on its own wrapping paper, completely pristine and untouched otherwise.
Flannel immediately started fiddling around with the objects, while Nishiki explained their meaning and origin.
"The cake is from me! Humans make theirs with milk and other stuff, which I don't really like, so I made a substitute!"
"Yeah, what kind of weirdo drinks another animal's milk like that? I'll never understand it." He sighed, but then moved over to inspect the meat. "This smells good! What is it, kinshi meat?"
"Mmhmm! I saved it from the last hunting party we had. And the box over there is full of pins and ribbons! Those are from Sakura and Elise!"
"The princesses?" Flannel asked, holding up the box curiously. That would explain all the pretty yet superfluous colors, at least. "They knew it was my birthday? Did you tell them, or something?"
"Actually, no. Elise is just really good at remembering those kinds of things! But it was nice of them to give you something like that for the occasion, don't you think?"
"W-Well, I don't hate it, if that's what you mean." That meant more than he could possibly explain, because objects in pristine condition usually repelled Flannel more often than not. But he couldn't just refuse them outright, so he decided it was okay for now.
All that was left was the necklace. Flannel wordlessly reached for it, and turned it over in his hand. It was made of a nice wood—not the common stuff they used for firewood in the forest, at least. But what was it, exactly? Teak? Alder? He sniffed it for a clue, but didn't recognize the smell. With a shrug, he moved on from the woodwork, and looked at the insignia, instead. There were golden, painted marks on either side of the medallion. One of them resembled a garou of some sort (and not the really stupid drawings that people usually make of us, he thought happily to himself), while the other shape was less familiar. His initial guess was that it was some sort of lizard. He moved his thumbs across the symbols, and then onto the flaxen chain that the medallion itself was hanging off from.
His eyes flickered to meet Nishiki's expectant gaze. "I like this."
"Really? I was worried that you wouldn't, especially since you have pretty weird tastes."
"Yeah, yeah. Did you make it yourself?"
"Only part of it. I had some help with the other parts."
"Who helped you?"
Nishiki was silent for a moment, then he smiled softly at the realization.
"Kamui."
Flannel froze—his fingers ceased their movements—leaving the medallion clutched in his hand. He still hadn't forgiven Kamui for their little transgression, so hearing their name only worked to incite his anger further. He tried not to be so unreasonable, really, but there was no helping it this time.
"I don't want anything from them."
"Flannel—"
"It's my birthday, right? I still haven't forgotten what they did."
"Well, it's from me, too. So think of it as me paying you back something nice on your birthday. Orochi and Tsukuyomi also added some protective charms on it, too."
"Like what?"
"Protection, clarity. It's supposed to clear your mind, and protect your soul, or something like that!"
"Do you think I'm weak, so that's why you had them cast spells on this thing?" He held up the object accusingly, as if its very presence was a challenge to his strength. "Is that it?"
"No," Nishiki insisted calmly. "I think you're strong. So I just wanted to give you this, as a gift for your birthday! You're still mad at Kamui, but Orochi and Tsukuyomi haven't done anything bad to you, right?"
"...They haven't." Flannel conceded. Yet. He hated feeling so indignant at times. Not because it was childish (since he didn't really understand if it was or not), but because it made him feel vulnerable and strange. He was normally an honest person, anyway—almost to the point of being blunt. But when it came to talking about himself, and how he felt, there was just something difficult about having to come clean about things.
And even though he usually disliked pretty objects like the medallion, he admired its make so much that he figured it would be an exception to his strangely specific criteria.
The only exception, too. Quickly, he pocketed the object, and raised his head to meet Nishiki's gaze once again.
"Thanks. For all of this, I mean."
"You're welcome! Does that mean you like these gifts enough that you don't want to give them back to me?"
Flannel nearly forgot that this was a little competition of sorts, to see if Nishiki could give him gifts that he'd actually accept. He didn't want to admit that he planned on keeping everything anyway, so he pretended to be inconvenienced by the whole thing.
"Yes, I'll keep them. And i-it's not because I really like them, or anything, it's just because I don't want to deal with all those people getting mad at me for rejecting their gifts." He frowned, but the expression didn't settle for long as Nishiki's happiness set upon him like a hawk.
"Yay, I'm so happy that you like it!"
"I'm happy that you're happy, I guess." Flannel shrugged, before gesturing to the floating lights, one of which bobbed its way over to him. He tried to grab it, but failed as his hand went through the air, instead. A quizzical look appeared on his face.
"What about these? Are these magical, too?"
Nishiki smiled toothily, and the second he clicked his tongue, all the lights went off. The sudden change in surroundings made Flannel stagger, but he adjusted to it quickly enough. In the cover of darkness, he saw Nishiki's eyes gleaming brightly.
He stared at those eyes for a while—nearly entranced—as the other spoke. "These are actually fox flames! They're supposed to be real fire, but I'm not strong enough to make them like that yet. Still, I thought they'd add a nice touch. You like them?"
"I do. I'm actually almost jealous, 'cause wolves can't do anything fancy like that."
"It's pretty awesome, huh? But hey, I'm sure there's a long list with things that you can do which I can't do. And you know what else you can do? Have some cake! Enjoy your gifts! Cheers, Flannel!"
They didn't have glasses or drinks, though, so Flannel bopped Nishiki's nose with his own, instead. They smiled goofily at one another.
"Cheers! Here's to stupid celebrations that happen once a year!"
"And good friends that give out gifts no matter what!"
"And meat cake!"
"And boxes full of pins!"
"Alright, Nishiki, that's enough."
"Okay, okay. Happy birthday, Flannel."
For the umpteenth time that day—but for the first time that felt really genuine—Flannel gave in.
"Thank you."