[ They don't speak about personal things much, although there are exceptions. Occasionally, he lobs brief, succinct questions about the circumstances of her death (and that, only after Mosley's broadcast) - or, even less welcome, makes deprecating comments whenever Jaune calls or texts her mid-shift. All of these, Pyrrha handles with extreme care, stuck on a perpetual knife's edge between meaningless indignation at his manner and respect for his intelligence and his work.
When she sees the note on the calendar. though, Pyrrha can't help herself. She spends a week putting small things together, doing her best to gauge his preferences while being aware not to embarrass him.
So, on the anniversary of his birth, he'll find a small card on his desk. With it, a bottle of red wine, neither extravagantly overpriced nor insultingly cheap, and a small tin of ginger snap cookies. The tin and the bottle are wrapped in velvet ribbons, not paper, but the ribbons purposely match the typical colour coordination of his more well-worn clothing.
The card is very austere, the front graphic generic and the manufactured message one of well wishes on a birthday. Below it, in neat handwriting, Pyrrha has left:
Many happy returns, Rideaux. I hope you have a great year following. Sincerely, Pyrrha.
And, rather unfortunately, below that, in thick sharpie:
Me too!! JAUNE ARC (we spoke on the phone)
(That last had not been her idea, but it had been too late to get him another card.) ]
Edited 2016-10-22 00:41 (UTC)
lmao i made it up myself so you wouldn't find it anywhere don't worry
[ normally, rideaux takes pleasure in making sure everyone around him knows when his birthday is coming up, and making them feel obligated to buy him gifts or do special favors for him. with this one, though, everything about it is complicated, and aside from making the note on his calendar, as of this morning, he hasn't said anything about it to anyone yet.
honestly, he really shouldn't even call it his birthday at all when it hasn't been a full 336 days since the last one he celebrated back in elympios; but it is the third day of the eleventh month by this world's calendar, and frankly it's less of a hassle to just go along with that than to keep track of counting the days.
so it's a small solace that he's not really quite thirty, but he's still not eager to publicize just how close he is to it. there is a significant line in between twenty-nine and thirty as far as he's concerned, and as someone who puts a great deal of importance on image, he doesn't want to be seen as being on the other side of that line.
beyond those technical and shallow complications, though, the fact is he's almost certainly not going to live to see another birthday in elympios if he goes back. his life had always been in a precarious enough position that each year -- even as a child -- he had briefly entertained the thought that this one could be his last, but it had never been such a real and imminent truth as it seems to be now. he's never been a remotely sentimental person, and has never wasted time on pointless introspection, but it would be a lie to say that this day wouldn't give him at least a moment's pause.
"a great year following"... that's a laugh. this gift on his desk is probably the last one he'll ever get.
he tucks the card back into its envelope and sets it back down when pyrrha is back in his line of sight. ]
Very thoughtful. Thank you.
I was like "what obscure canon materials are escaping me"
[ The circumstances of his world and his life aren't things he's especially deigned to share with her, even if she has had a front row seat to his spikes of illness over the past few months. Other than that day following Mosley's broadcast, Rideaux doesn't tell and Pyrrha doesn't ask, and vice versa.
Truthfully, she's glad he had appreciated it. Not that she had done it for the praise, but a poorly received gesture could have made her work day (or work week!) a lot more stressful. When he speaks up, she looks over. As ever, he's inscrutable.
Pyrrha chooses to take his words at face value. ]
You're welcome.
[ For a moment, she opts to divide her attention equally between her task and this conversation. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
the date of his birth; gift. (aselia failed me.)
When she sees the note on the calendar. though, Pyrrha can't help herself. She spends a week putting small things together, doing her best to gauge his preferences while being aware not to embarrass him.
So, on the anniversary of his birth, he'll find a small card on his desk. With it, a bottle of red wine, neither extravagantly overpriced nor insultingly cheap, and a small tin of ginger snap cookies. The tin and the bottle are wrapped in velvet ribbons, not paper, but the ribbons purposely match the typical colour coordination of his more well-worn clothing.
The card is very austere, the front graphic generic and the manufactured message one of well wishes on a birthday. Below it, in neat handwriting, Pyrrha has left:
Many happy returns, Rideaux.
I hope you have a great year following.
Sincerely, Pyrrha.
And, rather unfortunately, below that, in thick sharpie:
Me too!!
JAUNE ARC
(we spoke on the phone)
(That last had not been her idea, but it had been too late to get him another card.) ]
lmao i made it up myself so you wouldn't find it anywhere don't worry
honestly, he really shouldn't even call it his birthday at all when it hasn't been a full 336 days since the last one he celebrated back in elympios; but it is the third day of the eleventh month by this world's calendar, and frankly it's less of a hassle to just go along with that than to keep track of counting the days.
so it's a small solace that he's not really quite thirty, but he's still not eager to publicize just how close he is to it. there is a significant line in between twenty-nine and thirty as far as he's concerned, and as someone who puts a great deal of importance on image, he doesn't want to be seen as being on the other side of that line.
beyond those technical and shallow complications, though, the fact is he's almost certainly not going to live to see another birthday in elympios if he goes back. his life had always been in a precarious enough position that each year -- even as a child -- he had briefly entertained the thought that this one could be his last, but it had never been such a real and imminent truth as it seems to be now. he's never been a remotely sentimental person, and has never wasted time on pointless introspection, but it would be a lie to say that this day wouldn't give him at least a moment's pause.
"a great year following"... that's a laugh. this gift on his desk is probably the last one he'll ever get.
he tucks the card back into its envelope and sets it back down when pyrrha is back in his line of sight. ]
Very thoughtful. Thank you.
I was like "what obscure canon materials are escaping me"
Truthfully, she's glad he had appreciated it. Not that she had done it for the praise, but a poorly received gesture could have made her work day (or work week!) a lot more stressful. When he speaks up, she looks over. As ever, he's inscrutable.
Pyrrha chooses to take his words at face value. ]
You're welcome.
[ For a moment, she opts to divide her attention equally between her task and this conversation. ]
Do you have anything fun planned for celebration?