(no subject)

[little_pieces_of_time]

Max is mildly but pleasantly surprised when she is greeted with a bright blue cupcake with a small lit candle stuck into it, when she approaches the Bar to ask for some tea. It was her birthday a few weeks ago, in her world. Now it is her birthday at the end of the universe? Wasn't it just recently Spring here?

So weird. But then, what isn't, these days?

In any case, she should probably think of a wish before the candle burns down too far.

Comments

[wayward_sun]

"What flavor is the frosting?" Lucifer asks, standing right beside her.

He doesn't mean to sneak up on people. He is just quiet when he moves about.

"Coconut?"

He is dressed in a slim, dark grey three-piece suit, with a bright pink shirt and a matching pocket square.

He looks impeccable. But although his smile is bright, it is also a little brittle.

Having Mom around is taxing.

[little_pieces_of_time]

The girl startles a little at the unexpected question and sudden proximity, completely forgetting what she'd been thinking about wishing, but she rallies valiantly. It's not Lucifer's fault that Max is easily startled.

"I've no clue yet," she admits, smiling a little. "Might be coconut, might be plain vanilla... Could be anything, knowing this place."

She swipes a tentative finger through the edge of the cupcake's frosting, and tastes it.

"Oh - it's tart!" And good, from her tone. "That's... That's blue raspberry!"

[wayward_sun]

"Nice," Lucifer says. "A little tartness to offset the sweet is always a good idea."

He leans on the bar, looking at her.
"Is it a birthday cake?"

Could be. It's got a candle.

[little_pieces_of_time]

"Apparently!" She gives a slight laugh. "It was my birthday nearly a month ago, back home, but I guess this place is a few weeks behind. Or nearly a year ahead..."

It hadn't been a very good birthday. No cake, for one. And no one to share it with. Lots of things to wish for, though.

[wayward_sun]

"Go on then," Lucifer urges.
"Blow it out."

He's a little hazy on the specifics of birthday cakes, but it seems like the first logical step.

[little_pieces_of_time]

Max nods, then hesitates a moment, thinking. "Um."

... "Okay." She has her wish.

Leaning forward, Max blows out the tiny candle. A little wax has dribbled down its side, but not terribly. It comes away with the candle when she plucks it from the cupcake's icing.

"I'll split it with you, if you'd like some of it," she offers, brightening again. "Birthday cake's always best when shared, even if it's small."

[wayward_sun]

He beams.

"I couldn't agree more. Good things should always be passed around."

Cake.
Drugs.
Orgasms.

Bar provides an extra plate and a dessert fork. And a glass of whiskey.

"Changed your mind about the art show?" Lucifer asks, as he eyes the cake.
One side is bound to have a little more frosting.

[little_pieces_of_time]

To judge from her momentary confusion, their previous discussion had completely slipped her mind.

"I've not... really thought about it," she admits, feeling the echo of how it felt to give Mr. Jefferson her excuses about the photo contest. "Time has been... weird, lately. Not just here. Too much drama to have much headspace for art."

It has been a very long day.

[wayward_sun]

"Tell me about it," Lucifer sighs, which of course means the complete opposite.

"You wouldn't believe the week I've had."

[little_pieces_of_time]

Of all the people Max has met, Lucifer is the one who would most likely believe her if she did tell him about it. He has seen what she can do (or rather, seen what she tried to do, which didn't work on him).

But despite all of her social awkwardness, Max does pick up on some social cues. Getting a table knife from the Bar, she cuts the cupcake in half and offers Lucifer his choice of halves. "Oh, I don't know. I'd probably believe it, if you wanted to tell it."

[wayward_sun]

Does he ever.

Luckier maps the bigger half (he's got a great eye for that sort of thing) and says, "Mum escaped from Hell. Looking after her is a full time job. One I did not sign up for by the way."

He takes a bite.

"Mmmm. This is good."

[little_pieces_of_time]

There is still a moment of staring, even if she does believe him.

"Glad it's good cake," she murmurs, moving to take a bite from her half as well. It is good. The soft, lightly sweet cake is brightened by the sweet-tart icing.

"...why was your mother in hell?"

[wayward_sun]

"Her and Dad had a spat," Lucifer answers, munching.

"I suppose she felt neglected. Like we did."

[alongfallfromgrace]

"Are we setting treats on fire now?" Wei Wuxian asks, as he rummages behind the bar for a new jar of chili oil. His meal, a violently colored bowl of congee, evidently is not yet hot enough for his preference.

Look, he put a lot of effort into regaining his tolerance, and he intends on enjoying it.

[little_pieces_of_time]

"Birthday candles," she replies with a shy little smile, surprised but pleased that somehow the Bar knew it was her birthday. It's already a more pleasant birthday than hers had been in her own world. "You make a wish when you blow them out."

[alongfallfromgrace]

"Does it work?" He asks, curious - it's not a thing he has heard of before, and could be terribly useful. Just imagine - light a candle, make a wish, blow it out, an have your own little bit of luck boosted.

[little_pieces_of_time]

"I'm not sure," she admits, chuckling. "Works as much as any other wish does, I guess. It goes back to... older practices of lighting candles for prayers, I think. You light the candle to open the way, say the prayer or make the wish, and send it by blowing out the candle, and the smoke carries it away."

Max gives a little shrug, catching herself sounding far too whimsical. "I guess if the wish comes true, maybe it had an effect. Would you like some of the cupcake?"

[alongfallfromgrace]

Ah, something more along the lines of a superstition than an actual technique. Ah well.

"I don't believe I have ever had a cupcake. I would be honored." Wei Wuxian decides, bobbing in a short bow.

[little_pieces_of_time]

Max gets a table knife and a saucer from the Bar and cuts the fluffy white-cake cupcake with its tart blue icing in two. It's not terribly big, so each half is perhaps two or three bites at most. She smiles, offering half to Wei Wuxian.

"Didn't actually get cake on my birthday back home, this year, so it's nice to get to share a cake here."

[alongfallfromgrace]

"This is a tradition, then? To have cake on your birthday?" Wei Wuxian asks as he takes the offered treat, honestly curious. It isn't for him, but he's never reached an auspicious birthday other than his first year, and that hardly counts - he doesn't remember it, after all.

[little_pieces_of_time]

"Yep," she smiles a little. "Usually, we'd throw a party and invite a few of my friends for a meal and cake, and maybe going to see a movie."

Not too many friends, else it gets really loud and exhausting.

"Some friends and I went to see The Boxtrolls last year, but ah, this year... I... had just started at Blackwell and didn't really know anyone well enough..."

[alongfallfromgrace]

"Boxtrolls? Are they a sort of spirit? Is this another birthday tradition in your world?" Wei Wuxian asks, very curious, as this sounds like his sort of fun.

[little_pieces_of_time]

"Ah, no, they're the subject of one of the movies," Max replies, then realizes she's probably getting ahead of herself again. "Movies are... a bit like plays, acted-out stories, that have been recorded so lots of people can watch them at different times. The Boxtrolls movie had opened the week before, and it looked weird and fun. And it was."

[alongfallfromgrace]

"Aaaaah, a play." Wei Wuxian nods, understanding - there were dramatic readings or shadow plays sometimes at Lotus Pier, or the inns nearby. He's never seen one about trolls before, but he imagines the idea translates fairly well.

"Sounds like it would be an entertaining evening."

[little_pieces_of_time]

"They are," she chuckles. "You always hope the movie is a good one, but if you're with friends, even a bad movie can be fun. Sometimes they're so bad they're good, so long as they're entertainingly bad."

Max pulls a small metal and plastic device, a flashdrive, from her pocket. "If I had my laptop with me I could show you. Warren gave me a bunch of movies to check out, saved to this flash drive."