Special Event – MC’s birthday (Luca)

Luca has been standing in front of the mailbox for a while now. His gaze is fixed on the letter in his hands, the paper slightly crumpled from holding it for so long.

"Maybe I shouldn’t have written it..." he mutters to himself, pursing his lips.

Today is MC’s birthday. Luca isn’t someone who cares much about birthdays, so he hadn’t planned to do anything about it. But Lavina’s insistence got on his nerves so much that he agreed to buy a gift, if only to get his sister off his back.

After spending the whole morning—and skipping lunch to spend part of the afternoon as well—searching for something suitable for MC, Luca ended up deciding that writing a birthday letter would be the best option. After all, why would a mage like MC want a new sword?

But now that he’s written the letter and is about to send it, Luca isn’t so sure.

He tightens his grip, crumpling the letter a bit more. "Maybe I should take out that last part."

A sudden slap on the mailbox startles Luca. When he looks up from his hands, he meets Omar’s amused, smiling face.

“Well, well! What are you doing here?” The doctor wraps an arm around Luca’s shoulders. “I was actually looking for you. Since it’s MC’s birthday today, I was planning a party at the tavern. You in?” He then notices the letter in Luca’s hand and eyes it curiously. “Hey, what’s that?”

Luca abruptly pulls away from the man. "None of your business, Omar."

“If you want to send it, you’ve got to put it here.” Omar snatches the letter from Luca’s hand before the warrior can stop him, and Luca watches in horror as the doctor slips the paper through the narrow slot in the mailbox. “And there it goes.”

“No!” Luca shouts, grabbing the mailbox in desperation. He turns to Omar, fury flashing in his eyes. “I didn’t want to send it!”

Omar blinks a few times, confused. “Then why did you write it?”

“Go plan your stupid party and leave me alone!” Luca growls.

Omar raises his hands. “Okay, okay. Damn, someone’s in a mood today.”

But Luca is too busy trying to figure out how to get the letter back out of the mailbox to listen to Omar’s muttering as he walks away. Out of the corner of his eye, Luca sees the mailman turning the corner, heading toward his spot to collect the mail.

It’s already too late to rip the mailbox from the street.

---

[With MC, at their home…]

You arrive home from work with some effort. Your superior, along with several coworkers and a neighbour or two, stopped you on the street to give you birthday gifts. Balancing bags and boxes, you somehow manage to open the door to your house and drop everything near the entrance.

“Gods, I can’t feel my arms,” you sigh in exhaustion.

Out of the corner of your eye, you see a couple of letters in the mailbox. You grab them before closing the door and collapse onto the couch to rest while you read them. It’s not often that you get mail.

The first letter makes you laugh out loud. You recognize it immediately, though Omar’s handwriting is a nightmare to decipher. After a few minutes of struggle, you manage to understand that he’s organized a party for you at Tamarant.

You smile, picturing the scene. But before heading out to join them, something about the second letter grabs all your attention. It’s a simple white envelope, with no distinguishing marks beyond your address. You slip the paper out slightly, and as you read the first lines, recognition hits you.

"Happy birthday, MC. Out of all the strangers who’ve shown up looking for shelter in the village this past year, you’re one of those who’ve made the most difference and improved this place.

The village guard would be full of incompetents if it weren’t for your skills, and by now I probably would have killed my partner if it wasn’t you."

A sly smile spreads across your face as you recognize the neat, firm handwriting. You can almost hear Luca’s voice as you read, and then laugh when the idea of framing the letter to tease the warrior every chance you get crosses your mind.

That would probably make him regret everything he’s written, but just seeing the look on his face would be worth it.

You pull the letter out fully to find a frame, but a line at the end makes you stop in your tracks.

“I’m glad you stayed in Sorrol.

With love, Luca.”

Your heart skips a beat, and everything you were feeling a second ago fades away. You read the line again, and then once more, almost in disbelief. You feel something warm begin to bloom in your chest, and a different smile, softer, less playful, appears on your face. For a moment, all you can do is laugh and press the letter to your body, as if you could feel Luca’s presence through the paper.

In the end, you get up, not to look for a frame, but to store it safely in your bedside drawer. You’d rather the contents of the letter stay private.

Just for you and Luca.