Room 322, Thursday Lunchtime

[not_every_mage]

Anders had never openly celebrated his birthday at the Circle. That would have been frivolous, and Maker knew apprentice mages weren't encouraged to be frivolous, or to do anything that separated one from his peers for a reason as arbitrary as the date of his birth.

But he'd always recognized it, all the same, if only to himself. (And occasionally with his friend Karl, who tended to indulge Anders' need to feel special.)

Last year, he'd been too confused by the new calendar to figure out which day lined up with 11 Justinian, and had passed from 15 to 16 without much notice. This year, he'd pieced it together, and was celebrating at his desk by eating a cupcake topped with a truly absurd amount of chocolate frosting as he paged through a guidebook to Delaware beaches. He was excited about the upcoming weekend away with Nathan.

[OOC: Cracked door, open post.]

Comments

[halfbad.livejournal.com]

"Hello," Nathan said, appearing in the door quietly. He smiled at the cupcake, shaking his head. "Looking to give yourself a stomachache?"

[not_every_mage]

"Or a nice sugar rush," Anders said, smiling and setting his book aside. "Haven't figured out which yet. Come in, though."

[halfbad.livejournal.com]

"Are you celebrating something?" Nathan wondered, stepping inside. Don't worry, he knew what was being celebrated. Just wanted to play a little coy. "Celebrate it almost being the weekend?"

[not_every_mage]

Anders was ... about three-quarters of the way certain Nathan was joking, which was not quite certain enough to spare a slightly aggrieved look.

"Hmmm. I could celebrate not coming in last in driver's ed today," Anders suggested. "Or ... hang on, I'll check my calendar. It must be some kind of holiday for somebody."

[halfbad.livejournal.com]

"You didn't come in last?" Nathan asked, letting himself get caught up in that before the last part of what Anders said processed. "Where did you come in?"

He'd get back to the holiday in just a second.

[not_every_mage]

"... third out of four," Anders admitted sheepishly. "O'Conner gave us this talking thing to tell us the directions and I kept getting confused. But it wasn't last."

[halfbad.livejournal.com]

"It wasn't last," Nathan agreed, smiling at him. "Don't be embarrassed. Pretty sure you'd wipe the floor with me if I was in that class. I'd be stuck trying to start the car."

[not_every_mage]

"You turn the key," Anders said helpfully. "And step on the right pedal. And -- does Danger Shop give you a headache?"

[halfbad.livejournal.com]

"Haven't really been there enough to know," Nathan said, shrugging. "Probably if I stay there too long or it's a bad day. But, I'd even mess something that simple up. Besides, I don't think it's all that simple."

[not_every_mage]

"Probably not in the real world, but in class it is," Anders told him. "Anyhow, you should give yourself more credit."

[halfbad.livejournal.com]

"For not getting sick in the Danger Shop?" He smiled to let Anders know he knew that wasn't it. "It is pretty amazing, I know."

[not_every_mage]

"It is. Gold star for Nathan Byrn in Not Getting Sick in the Danger Shop," Anders nodded, smiling back. "You really aren't much good with compliments, are you?"

[halfbad.livejournal.com]

"Not used to them," he said, shrugging. "Didn't hear them very much when I was growing up. No one wanted to compliment me."

[not_every_mage]

Anders made a face to show what he thought of that. "You deserved so much better," he said. "I'll have to keep complimenting you until you're used to it. Or sick of them, anyhow."

[halfbad.livejournal.com]

Nathan shrugged again but followed that up with a small smile. "Thanks for doing that, though. And happy birthday."

See, he remembered.

[not_every_mage]

"Thanks," Anders said sincerely. "It still feels funny to have one where I can do whatever I want. Even if it's just eating a cupcake."

[halfbad.livejournal.com]

"Are you thirty five now?" Nathan asked, peering down at the cupcake curiously. "Or forty?"

[not_every_mage]

"I'm still younger than you, you ass," Anders informed him affectionately "Do you want half? I'll give you the part I haven't licked."

[halfbad.livejournal.com]

"No, no, you should have it all," Nathan told him, straightening up. "It's your birthday cupcake, you deserve it. You deserve the sugar high."

[not_every_mage]

"Best birthday present ever," Anders said, and licked a bit of frosting off his fingers. "Do you think that's a real thing? Sugar highs, I mean. Never had enough white sugar at home to worry about them."

[halfbad.livejournal.com]

"I don't know the science of it but it seems like it'd be a real thing," Nathan said, nodding. "That much sugar all at one time has to do something to your body."

[not_every_mage]

"Probably. Seems like a lot of anything is bad somehow," Anders mused. "Even a lot of carrots will turn you orange."

[halfbad.livejournal.com]

"Will they really?" He'd never heard that before (which wasn't strange) but it just sounded so out there.

[not_every_mage]

"It's what I heard, anyhow," Anders told him. "I've never wanted to live on carrots until I found out. Has to do with something about the vitamins in it."

[halfbad.livejournal.com]

"I wonder if it would be permanent," Nathan said thoughtfully. "Not that I want to do that but it's funny to think about. I'd probably end up more brown than anything considering my skin tone already."