khajidont | MoM IC Contact: TAKE TWO

[ It's been a hell of a month for, like, fucking everybody, but especially the collective Blue Beetle, so it would certainly make sense for someone to try cheering them up. That is. Not quite what this is.

Instead, on a too-bright Tuesday afternoon, a flat bubble-mailer arrives, addressed in neat typeface as follows:

Jaime Reyes
imPort Housing Unit # 15
Heropa, FL 32921

There's no name on the return segment; the address itself, if referenced, leads only to the same Nonah post office the package was sent from. It is not a bomb.

One opened, the package contains two smaller, flatter envelopes. Each is blue, though different shades; the darker, larger envelope has a # 1 printed on front and back; the lighter, smaller envelope bears a # 2 on each side.

The number one envelope contains a folded, brightly-colored card. A birthday card. Most of the age-numbers appear to have been cut from different cards, as their colors and sizes don't match the card they're on at all, plus they're obviously slightly raised from this card's surface for having been glued in place. When opened, the card begins making a series of really obnoxious noises that could, you know, maybe sound like a birthday song. There is also glitter. There is so much glitter. Why is there glitter? It's all on the floor now.

Written inside the card — on the opposite side of the card's printed It's you!! The birthday hero!!! response, is a handwritten message: ]

Sorry, I couldn't find "Anniversary of Existence" cards, and the regular kind weren't as good. Hope this finds you in time, and in good spirits.

I wasn't sure what games you haven't played yet, so I thought my best bet would be something that hasn't been released yet. Attached is an advanced copy of Sunderthorn. If anybody asks, you didn't get it from me, okay? (´ ᴗ^♡)

I hope 4,673 is a good year for you!
— 龍可

[ The second envelope contains an unlabeled game disc, a gift card for $40 to Bullfrog Grocers, and a sticky-note attached to the gift card recommends getting an ice cream and some crispy snacks while the game is installing. ]

[ Since what happened... happened, Jaime hasn't been going out much. He hasn't been smiling a whole lot either. He primarily walks his dogs, goes to work, and comes home - even his attendance at lectures has been spotty, unable to keep his gut from filling with dread whenever he comes in and sees every head turned his way. So he keeps his head down, his nose to the grindstone, and sticks to himself, just him and Khaji. The same as it was when he'd first arrived, all those years ago.

He didn't expect a package. He especially didn't expect a package for Khaji, on today of all days. Even without her signing the note, Jaime knows who it's from. Who else would know the day Khaji was made? Moreover, who else would care enough to do the math? He doesn't realize he's smiling until he touches his cheek and realizes it's taut. It's just like her, isn't it? For all of their honesty, she doesn't say things so explicitly, doesn't express that she cares save for what she does, not what she says. He doesn't know if the feeling in his chest is because of himself or if it's because of the zingy delight he can feel lancing up his spine, Khaji nearly giddy with excitement he'll never, ever fess up to, but it's good. It feels good to smile again. It feels good to know someone cares, like this, this much. It feels good to feel good again. Coincidence or not, this couldn't have happened at a better time.

Khaji's the most important thing in the world to him. The most important person. And this... it's a lot. He hasn't even been doing the shopping these days, but he winds up straightening his spine and marching out there, because if Ruka can get her act together enough to calculate an ancient being's birthday, he can brave the grocery store, though Khaji makes him start the download first. He sits on the couch and recedes into the back of his mind for the rest of the evening, letting Khaji take the controls manually, but Ruka will get twin texts first: ]

Thank you.

Thank you.

[ It isn't until that evening, when Jaime's lying in bed and he's still smiling, heart beating fast in his chest that he realizes that -- that --

He takes his pillow and smashes it on top of his face. ]

Oh, shit.

[ This couldn't have happened at a worse time. ]

Edited 2018-12-12 04:07 (UTC)

[ Ruka has a normal day. She gets to bed around six am, rouses at eight in order to receive a grocery delivery around nine, and gets back to her projects. She checks the Majority Report again, and the news feeds, and the active network profiles, heartsick and anxious over too many things, zoning in and out of focus for too much time. She loses the afternoon and part of the evening to work, to staring out the window for disaster that's done with, to dozing off at her desk in unintended lapses. It's not until well into the clear winter dark of evening that she catches sight of text notifications; even reading them, it takes her a moment to catch on to what they're for.

She hasn't forgotten sending the package, of course, but it doesn't stop her first reaction from being the momentary question, wondering if they'd meant them for someone else. ]

(1/2) I'm glad it got there okay. Let me know if you like it? I'll get you something else if it's garbage.
(I only worked on, like, two of the bosses, so if it IS garbage, it's not my fault.)

(2/2) Don't mention it. It's the least I could do. Besides, a birthday's supposed to have at least one nice surprise, right?

[ The second text, clearly meant more for Jaime than the first, takes longer to arrive — and undergoes a few moments of the elusive blinking ellipses for a message being rewritten. Words are hard!! Especially when you don't know the guy you're texting is trying to smother himself to death with a pillow and thus can't make fun of him for it. ]

Edited 2018-12-12 08:34 (UTC)

Not garbage.

[ As always, talking to Khaji is a little like talking to a hyper-intelligent toddler. He's busy. He has a new toy to play with! And yes, he frequently gets new toys to play with, but this time, it's a toy nobody else has. ]

Well, thank you anyway. It was sweet of you.

Good. Have fun! You can tell me about it later.

[ It's a little like Rua used to get, in all honesty — hyper-focused on something new and cool and completely useless in any other regard until the novelty wore off. At least, she thinks so; it's not easy to figure out for sure on four words alone, but Khaji wouldn't bother feigning politeness to spare her feelings.

Jaime, on the other hand, seems determined to refuse her mercy to spare her the embarrassment of gratitude. Ugh. The curtness is way easier to respond to; even if it's nice, he doesn't have to say it. ]

Well, you're welcome, I suppose. It just seemed cruel not to do anything, when he went to the effort to tell me.

[ Well, that's only partially true. He gave his own age in exact detail; calculating out when the anniversary would fall was on her — but with the amount of effort it took, it might as well have been an alert he added to her calendar remotely. Besides that... she'd deprived him the chance to give her his name on his own terms. Maybe this could help make up the difference. ]

Did you manage to get anything before you were trapped in game hell?

[ Khaji doesn't respond, of course. Jaime may be in bed, but he's distant from him, occupied with playing his new game remotely, gleeful at the prospect of having an even better chance at figuring out the most infuriating strategies to ensure that he can make as many people as angry as possible in as little time as possible. Pity, really; Jaime could use the pep talk. ]

It's not much effort for him. It's just the way he thinks. He wasn't expecting it but he's pretty happy anyway.

[ It's nice, even with certain -- unexpected feelings involved. Jaime loves it when Khaji's happy. It feels good, like something fizzy rising in him from his feet up. ]

We took your advice on the snacks. He ate some when he took control too but I don't think he totally gets the appeal. I do though.

I didn't mean the math. It's, I didn't ask him for his age. He made the choice to tell me, even though it wasn't necessary for what we were talking about. That kind of decision is an effort. That's all.

[ It's something he and Jaime have in common. Their reasons are very different, but it manifests in similar ways. As far as talking things out is concerned, unless there's some immediate necessity to it, they both want the other person to make the first effort.

But Jaime doesn't need her to tell him about his partner. She leaves the comparison unsaid. ]

Yeah. I guess you're right.

[ Khaji really doesn't share information easily. It is not through careful deception, much like Jaime's isn't. Khaji has simply been let down by enough people before, even though those people had no way of knowing they were dealing with something sentient, to not require people to prove their worth first. ]

Either way, you did good. It's been a long time since I've felt him this happy about anything other than us going to the desert to blow stuff up

So, he'll want paper mache dummies and retired parade floats for target practice for Valentine's day? Got it.

[ Valentine's Day? Why is she bringing up Valentine's Day up all of a sudden??? RIGHT NOW????? ]

Valentine's Day? Is there something going on between you and Khaji I should know about?

[ Joke it off, Reyes. ]

[ it's lucky they're texting so jaime can't see the utterly withering look she gives that reply. ]

Please. I'm not his type.

In fairness I don't think he HAS a type

There, see?
Besides, it's the only other real gift holiday. Isn't it? And I don't think something like obligation chocolate would have much appeal.

Christmas is the other gift holiday! And it's a doozy

Other winter holidays too I guess but I don't really know much about those

Yeah, but I usually skip that one. All the other ones are specific relationships, right? Mother's Day, Father's Day, Secretary's Day, etc.

Why, are you worried?

Well I'd be a LITTLE worried if Khaji was getting all romantic on me and I didn't even know

I feel like that's the sort of thing someone should tell their best friend/partner

[ For his part, Khaji is yelling at Jaime for being an absolute idiot. Shh. Shhhhh. ]

[ Khaji always know what's up. ]

Mm. Well, I suppose I could understand either approach, but if he has a moonlight romance with someone, it's definitely not me. His embarrassing losses in Divine: the Reckoning are completely platonic.

[ "Embarrassing" in that it's one of the only games where her win rate is higher. Luck of the draw, baby. ]

He actually lost? Okay he DEFINITELY never told me that tidbit. He never loses! He won't even play me because of it

Yeah, he's a really tough opponent. Plus he knows your heart and your strategies, so even if he couldn't see your hand, you'd be at a disadvantage. I can still surprise him, sometimes.

[ Case in point: this... surprise gift... but it's probably a surprise that she's that strong an opponent. It never comes up!! ]

I couldn't beat him even if he was just meeting me for the first time. And not only cuz I suck at these things. He's like next level

I knew you worked in the industry but I didn't know you're THAT good

It's not like it's anything important! I just have a knack for them, that's all. I always have.

It doesn't have to be important for it to be cool

You could go pro with skills like that. Though I don't know if that's really your style

No way, I couldn't stand the attention. If I never do another tournament for the rest of my life, it's still too many. Rua was always the one who wanted the spotlight.

Oh so you did do tournaments. That makes sense.

But that's why I said it wasn't your style. You like attention even less than I do. Did he persuade you to do it with him or something?

I don't remember the ones from when I was really little very well, but I know I went to a few. They thought I was a prodigy. But then I was really ill all the time, too, so then I didn't have to do them anymore.

He was never good enough to qualify on his own, and even though he played games with me all the time, he was really slow at getting better. A little before I was imPorted, I was selected to participate in a really big tournament. I didn't want to do it, but Rua did. He wasn't invited, though, so he went in my place. He lost in the first round, of course, but it was really embarrassing.

MoM IC Contact: TAKE TWO

usps delivery; 12/11

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