15th Letter; text

[discretion]

[The text appears handwritten on those NVs that can process it as such: elegant, slightly stylized, beautiful.]

Another birthday come and gone. It's difficult to believe.

At times like this it's hard not to look backward at all of the things you have left behind coming here, to be buried in bittersweet thoughts of what could have been.

For new arrivals, I know it must be difficult to face. There is a great deal of help out here at the Newcomer Community Center, but the best advice I can give is to put one foot in front of the other. In August, I will have lived in Siren's Port for two years.

I consider it my home now. I know for some it will never be home, and I understand why that is. But I hope if it cannot be your home, that we newcomers can still become your second family. The company is what makes this city bearable.

Take care, my friends. My family.

Comments

text;

[discretion]

See you soon!

[And thus begins a frantic scramble to tidy. Even though he and Daedalus keep a near-impeccable household anyway.]

[action?]

[mediumdrip]

[Blaine turns off his NV and in about an hour later, he is at Franz front door with a birthday cupcake.

He's no Kurt, so the cupcake is somewhat lopsided and not exceptionally pretty, but at least it should taste okay...?]

[action!]

[discretion]

[Franz answers the door in a rare pair of jeans and a button-down.] Blaine, hi! Is that for me? [Perhaps a silly question, but Franz seems genuinely surprised.]

Re: [action!]

[mediumdrip]

[Blaine grins.] Of course it is, birthday boy. Sorry it's so depressed looking. I brought a candle too.

[And he holds up a pink birthday cake candle.]

Re: [action!]

[discretion]

[Franz just grins, giving him a one-arm hug before ushering him inside.] Okay, we can light it up in here...! Put it on the coffee table.

[No Mr. Muggles to snatch food off the table anymore. :( ]

[mediumdrip]

[Blaine grins and puts it down.] I could sing Happy Birthday if you want.

[discretion]

I'd like that.

[Franz smiles and laughs behind his hand, shy.]

I'll get a match for the candle...! [Some shuffling and clinking later, he comes out with a box of matches.] Do me the honor?

[mediumdrip]

[Blaine takes the matches from him and puts the candle in the cupcake before lighting it.

He does sing Happy Birthday. It is just the normal song, but he still puts a little bit of effort into making it sound really good. As he does want to make Franz feel special on his birthday.]

[discretion]

[Whatever you did definitely had its effect, Blaine, because Franz is clapping like a one-man standing ovation.] Bravo!

[He closes his eyes for a long moment, thinking of a wish, and blows out the candle.]

[mediumdrip]

[Blaine grins, pleased.] I'm sorry the cupcake isn't as pretty as I wanted it to be. You deserve beautiful things.

[discretion]

[His glow is totally rosy now.] Shut up...! I'll go get us some plates. [And he is scurrying away, calling from the kitchen:] Do you want tea?

[mediumdrip]

[Blaine is smiling at the color and at how easy it is to tease and compliment Franz, how at ease he feels around the blond.] Yes. That sounds perfect. Thank you.

[discretion]

[Franz flutters about the kitchen a little. He'll never admit the thrill he gets from receiving such compliments from Blaine, mostly because he hates that it's so easy. He's used to shrugging things off, but he can sense Blaine's sincerity and the guy's so handsome it's difficult not to get a little flustered.

When he returns, it's with tea and service and a cake knife to deftly slice the cupcake in half, an even piece for each of them.]

I've never received a home-made birthday cake before! Daedalus got me mille-fueille with strawberry from Gilbert, and it was perfect, of course, but this is so special...!

[mediumdrip]

Kurt hasn't made one for you today? [Blaine asks curiously before the lump formed in his throat.

He shouldn't have mentioned his ex, now he's going to be thinking about him too much when this is supposed to be about Franz. He'll just have to think of a way to distract himself...]

And is 'special' code for 'deformed'?

[discretion]

...He's going to kick my ass when he finds out I didn't tell him my birthday was coming, isn't he? [Franz shakes his head.] I'm really not good at my birthday... [He gently pushes half of the cupcake at Blaine, and politely takes a princess bite of his.]

Mm!

[mediumdrip]

[He will, but Blaine doesn't want to talk about Kurt, so instead he focuses on eating the cupcake. He smiles a bit, pleased that it actually tastes good.]

[discretion]

[Franz continues his ever-so-trained bites, and sips his tea.]

So... how have you been? What have you been up to?

[mediumdrip]

Settling in again, mostly. Figuring out what I want to do now.

[discretion]

[Franz squeezes his shoulder.] Like I said before, if you ever need to crash with us, you're more than welcome.

Speaking of that, sort of, ah, please don't take this the wrong way, but are you part of a church or anything? Here or at home?

[mediumdrip]

No. Not really.

Why?

[discretion]

I thought you might want to come to youth group with me. [He rubs the back of his neck, feeling a bit nervous and embarrassed.] I wouldn't ask you to come to Mass or anything, but everyone's really nice and supportive. They don't care if you're gay, or a newcomer, or anything like that.

[He fiddles a little bit with his half of the cupcake, poking at it with his fork.]

I don't feel like I always have to be brave in church. I never used to believe in anything like that, the church back home was just as bad as the banks or the army or the government, full of hypocrites. But... there are miracles, right? Can't live here without seeing those.

It makes me really happy. Daedalus is too old to go, and he wouldn't anyway, he doesn't get it, he's a scientist. I've been going through some stuff lately and everyone is there for me. I think you could use support too.

[mediumdrip]

I'd love to go with you. [Blaine says honestly.] It might do me some good too.

[discretion]

Really? [He's still so not used to people being interested in the things he likes. He's thrilled, so much he gives Blaine a quick hug about his shoulders.] Great!

[mediumdrip]

[Blaine smiles at the hug] So what do you do with the group?

[discretion]

Um, well, right now everyone's given up stuff for Lent, so we mostly talk about what that's like for us, talk about strategies for coping with it. A whole bunch of the kids were going through caffeine withdrawal the first week or so, that was amusing. [Franz is quiet for a long moment, uncommonly fidgety.] I gave up alcohol. Daedalus has been hinting for a long time that I drink too much, and I wanted to prove to him I could stop if I wanted to.