Special Event – MC’s Birthday (Rayco)

“And? What are you going to give them for their birthday?”

Rayco pauses mid-movement, the cloth still in his fingers and the cup he’s cleaning in the other hand. Ada’s question is simple, but it’s one he’s been asking himself for days without finding an answer.

After millennia, humans' obsession with celebrating the day of their birth each year still feels strange to him. Perhaps the brevity of their lives drives them to cling to those moments. Or maybe it’s just another excuse to enjoy a party centred around themselves. But he has to admit, there’s something beautiful in the idea. The birth of a soul deserves to be celebrated.

When it comes to a god with a mortal friend, however, things get complicated—especially when the latter has no idea of the former’s true nature.

What do humans value? An object, a gesture, a memory? After so much time, Rayco has forgotten.

Or rather, he prefers not to remember.

“I haven’t decided yet,” he finally replies before Ada thinks he’s ignoring her.

“Haven’t decided yet?” Ada repeats, raising an eyebrow. “MC’s birthday is tomorrow. You’d better start thinking of something.”

Rayco watches as Ada takes a sip of her drink, using those seconds to search for a response that doesn’t reveal his inexperience. It’s been millennia since he’s been in this situation.

“I... want it to be special.”

Ada sets her mug down on the bar with an audible clink, and Rayco can feel her emotions beginning to swirl in a mischievous storm. The smile spreading across her face doesn’t bode well.

Ada leans an elbow on the bar, leaning closer to him with a playful glint in her eyes. “Special, huh?”

Rayco feels Ada’s attention like a flame at his back, unsettling him. Had he said something strange? Maintaining his calm demeanour, he focuses on placing the clean cup with the others.

“Yes. It’s their first birthday in Sorrol. I want it to be memorable, but I’m not sure how to make it so,” he explains, choosing his words carefully.

For some reason, Ada seems even more excited. She laughs and gets up from the bar.

“You’re stressing over nothing, big guy. Trust me, if it’s from you, MC will love whatever you give them. But if you’re so worried, here.” She reaches into her pocket, pulling something out and flicking it toward Rayco with her thumb.

Rayco catches the small object in mid-air and examines it. A gold coin.

“Buy them something sweet. Something that melts,” Ada finishes.

Rayco blinks, confused. “...Do I buy them an ice-cream?”

Ada rolls her eyes. “Something to make them melt, not the gift. By the Gods, Rayco! Don’t you know anything about romantic gestures?” She sighs, shrugging on her coat as she heads for the door. “Look, I’ve got to get back to the clinic, but tomorrow at the party, MC better tell me about your gift—or I’ll beat you up for being so unromantic, got it?”

Ada waves goodbye, not without pointing a finger at Rayco in a mock-threatening gesture. The purple-haired god stares at the coin resting in his palm for a few seconds, pondering Ada’s words.

“I suppose I’ll have to buy something…” he murmurs.

Wait… did she say romantic?

---

[Some time later…]

Rayco closed the tavern earlier than usual that evening, an unusual gesture that left a few lingering patrons slightly puzzled, but none protested. The small shops of Sorrol, with their lantern-lit displays, were his best chance to find the perfect gift before the owners shut their doors and returned home.

And he tried. He searched every store he could, looking for the perfect gift for MC. But in the end, his mission was a complete failure.

The sun had long since set, and a blanket of stars now adorns the dark countryside sky. The citizens of Sorrol had retired to their homes, leaving only the guards and the occasional villager wandering the streets.

“It can’t be that hard to find something for a mortal, Rayco. Why are you overthinking this so much?”

Rayco feels the light weight of the celestial spirit on his shoulder, her question resonating in the purple-haired god’s mind now that no humans are around to hear it.

“Everything is too generic and soulless. A celebration like this deserves something meaningful for the person,” Rayco replies.

Enid sighs, her expression softening with sadness. “We’re getting too attached to these mortals, Rayco. We can’t let ourselves be carried away by nostalgia. We know it has to end at some point.”

Rayco knows she is right, as always. But precisely because of that, he wants to savour the wonders of the world as much as he can before facing his inevitable end.

It is selfish, but he can’t help wanting to stretch it out just a little longer. Out of nostalgia, as Enid had so aptly put it.

Nostalgia… The word makes something click in Rayco’s mind. His steps come to a halt, and his eyes widen with renewed clarity. Rayco turns his head toward Enid, a smile forming on his face.

“I’ve got an idea.”

And when no one is watching, he takes flight.

---

[With MC, at home...]

You’ve lost track of how long you’ve been staring at the dark ceiling of your room. Tomorrow is your birthday, and the excitement coursing through you makes it impossible to sleep. You’ve always loved your birthday, even back when you roamed the world as a hunter. It brings back happy memories of your childhood in Aelmere, with your mother, and you can’t wait any longer.

Though, technically, it’s already your birthday.

You glance out the window, and by the moon’s position, you can tell it’s been past midnight for a while now. The thought only makes you more eager for the sun to rise. You’re incredibly curious about what your friends have planned for you.

Because they’ve definitely planned something. Oh, you’re certain of that. Ada is about as subtle as an elephant in Albert’s workshop.

Your chuckle is cut short by a series of soft but insistent knocks on the door, making you frown. Who could be at your house at this hour? The thought that something terrible might have happened strikes you like lightning, and your heart tightens as you hurry to answer.

Your fear is replaced by surprise when you find Rayco standing in front of your house, his tall figure bathed in the glow of the lit lanterns, wearing that broad smile that always manages to brighten your day.

“Rayco? What are you doing here at this hour?”

He lets out a brief laugh, a mix of embarrassment and something warmer. “I apologize for disturbing you so late, MC, but I couldn’t wait any longer to give you this.”

For some reason, you hadn’t even noticed what he was holding in his hands, which he now offers to you. It only takes a second to recognize the pale pink of the small flowering shrub, its petals delicate yet resilient. The faint fragrance the flower exudes is a warm whisper that carries you back to your childhood.

“That’s… a Woody Mayflower,” you murmur, your voice softening as you say the words. Your fingers tremble slightly as you reach out to touch the shrub, brushing its petals as if to confirm it’s real. “My mother used to grow these… But they only bloom in Aelmere and the surrounding areas. How… how did you get it?”

Rayco gives you a smile that quickens your pulse. “I have... contacts. I only had to ask for a small favour. Do you like it?”

You laugh, taking the flowers in your hands and admiring them as your eyes grow slightly misty. “Are you kidding? I love it. It’s…” You lift your gaze, meeting Rayco’s intense violet eyes as they look at you with a tenderness that sets your heart racing. Your voice drops to a whisper without you realizing it. “It’s the best gift anyone’s ever given me.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” he replies in the same quiet tone.

For a moment, the world stops. Silence becomes a comforting mantle that wraps around you both as you stand there, gazing into each other’s eyes. There’s something in the air that doesn’t need words, something pulsing between you with the same force as your heart pounding in your chest.