[ Rude as it may be, it's a wise decision to cut Riz off, because the moment he starts talking about all the shit he's found in Fabian's house - it's basically an endless wonderland for a Rogue like him - it'll all be over for him for the next five minutes at least.
All thoughts of yakking Fabian's ear off about his on-going map of Seacaster Manor slip away the moment he sees the sight before him, the room decked out in decorations (their colours, Riz realizes), a cake, a banner, it's not often that Riz finds himself at a loss for words, but now is one of those times. ]
Wha -- you --
[ He just gapes, slack-jawed at Fabian, pointing at him, and then pointing with increasing emphasis at the room before him, completely gobsmacked. Not only is it a shock to have Fabian assemble all of this for even something like his birthday, but for this? Valentine's Day? Palentines Day? Is this really okay? Isn't this a day for Fabian and Gorgug?
For the second time in a row, Riz looks dangerously like he's going to burst into tears, but he manages to keep it together, the tips of his ears going a bright red. ]
Holy shit. You did all this? [ He takes a step forward like he's stepping into a Church instead of a random room of the Manor, one hand pressed to his cheek. ] This is the nicest thing anyone's ever done for me.
[ Funny how that works. The briefcase and the business cards just so happen to be the second nicest thing anyone's ever done for him. ]
[ At first he's inhaling in that sort of way that indicates Fabian is about to start bragging about every single detail of this.
But then Riz speaks on, saying this is the nicest thing anyone's ever done for me, and Fabian immediately exhales that breath again before he's been able to even say a single thing. It's a good thing that Riz is standing ahead of him, because it gives Fabian an opportunity to let some surprise and near-fluster cross his face without the other seeing it.
He quickly pushes it down, trying to sound as huffy as he can when he speaks up with: ]
Oh, come on, The Ball! It's just a cake and decorations!
[ .. ones that Fabian worked pretty hard to get and put up, but-- sshh, this is like the gifts all over again. Fabian can't just say these things, not even two years after the initial gift incident. ]
[ That's the thing, though. Growing up, Riz didn't have the cake and decorations, not really, not after his Dad died. Not because his Mom wouldn't have been able to figure it out - she's a whiz with a coupon book, that Sklonda Gukgak - but because he hadn't really had anyone to invite to something like a birthday party after they'd grown out of the tendency to have the whole class over. One year, he'd given out invitations, and...
It was fine. Him and his Mom gorged on cupcakes and soda. And now he has friends to celebrate birthdays with, and they have all the cake and soda they like, and it's awesome, and he's so, so happy about it! They even have parties when it's nobody's birthday, just so they can have fun together! It's the happiest he's ever been in his life! But this isn't that, either. This is for him, and only for him, on a day that Fabian should by all rights be sharing with -- well, with his romance partner. Fabian chose him to celebrate, and it's not even his birthday. He's pretty sure that Palentine's Day isn't even a thing.
Not that long ago, Riz put that necklace on Fabian more or less by force. ]
Hey! Don't you dare call my Palentine's gift nothing! [ And of, course, he whips out his crystal and starts taking pictures of everything. It's all going to get eaten, and the decorations are gonna be taken down, and he wants to remember this, damn it! He's going to have to hassle Fabian into taking some selfies too, he thinks. ]
Seriously, man. Thank you. This is, this is so -- [ he struggles to think of a more masculine word and immediately gives up ] so sweet. [ His smile doesn't dim, though his brows furrow as he asks, tentatively, ] Is this okay, though? I mean, isn't this, like... supposed to be a day you spend with Gorgug?
[ Riz wouldn't have minded. As weird as it is to suddenly become the third wheel, so to speak, it'd bother him on birthdays or the holidays, but something like this? This is for them. ]
[ Somewhere between the copious amounts of photos that Riz is taking and the way he's calling it sweet one of the muscles in Fabian's face twitches.
Not in anger. Of course not. No, this is utter embarrassment. It's a wince out of realizing how cringe this is becoming. Toxic masculinity may be dead and all, and Fabian loves being admired and all that too, but-- gods, if Riz ever brings this up again, Fabian will die. Especially in front of other people. And the problem is that it's definitely a risk, somewhere between the photographic evidence and Riz's motormouth. ]
Yes, of course it's fine.
[ It is the reason he's sounding a little bit huffy as he's saying that - though he does fully mean the words, crossing his arms across his chest. ]
Surely you are aware how long a day is, The Ball. Do you really think I'm not capable of dividing that time up?
[ Riz opens his mouth, then closes it again, not certain what to do when his (painful, embarrassing) earnestness is met with Fabian's huffy loftiness, even after all these years of friendship. Not that he's not able to see right through it - the guy decorated him a whole fucking cake! Holy shit! - but he's not sure what to say even at the best of times. Fabian took his concern (his justifiable concern, when all normal people are spending the entirety of their Valentine's Day smooching and carrying on) and crumpled and up and threw it away like Riz was the one misreading the whole social situation. Which, for once, he wasn't. His expression is sincerely searching as he studies Fabian's expression for any sign of falsehood or exaggerating, if this might really become a problem, but finds none.
So instead, his worried expression melts into one of those grins they seem to see less and less as time goes by, spread so wide that the gums above his fangs are visible, his large eyes narrowing into crescent moons above his cheeks. ]
Sorry, Fabian. I must have forgotten you know how to do math.
[ It's probably a better thing to say than hey, if you're going to be really sweet, you can't get embarrassed when people notice it, but his tone is so knowing that it might actually be worse. And Riz kind of wants to give him a really cool, masculine hug, but he thinks that might tip Fabian's pride over the edge, and so decides to approach it strategically at a later time. That just gives him more time to plan.
To cover up this sinister plot, he turns his attention back to the cake. ]
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no subject
All thoughts of yakking Fabian's ear off about his on-going map of Seacaster Manor slip away the moment he sees the sight before him, the room decked out in decorations (their colours, Riz realizes), a cake, a banner, it's not often that Riz finds himself at a loss for words, but now is one of those times. ]
Wha -- you --
[ He just gapes, slack-jawed at Fabian, pointing at him, and then pointing with increasing emphasis at the room before him, completely gobsmacked. Not only is it a shock to have Fabian assemble all of this for even something like his birthday, but for this? Valentine's Day? Palentines Day? Is this really okay? Isn't this a day for Fabian and Gorgug?
For the second time in a row, Riz looks dangerously like he's going to burst into tears, but he manages to keep it together, the tips of his ears going a bright red. ]
Holy shit. You did all this? [ He takes a step forward like he's stepping into a Church instead of a random room of the Manor, one hand pressed to his cheek. ] This is the nicest thing anyone's ever done for me.
[ Funny how that works. The briefcase and the business cards just so happen to be the second nicest thing anyone's ever done for him. ]
no subject
But then Riz speaks on, saying this is the nicest thing anyone's ever done for me, and Fabian immediately exhales that breath again before he's been able to even say a single thing. It's a good thing that Riz is standing ahead of him, because it gives Fabian an opportunity to let some surprise and near-fluster cross his face without the other seeing it.
He quickly pushes it down, trying to sound as huffy as he can when he speaks up with: ]
Oh, come on, The Ball! It's just a cake and decorations!
[ .. ones that Fabian worked pretty hard to get and put up, but-- sshh, this is like the gifts all over again. Fabian can't just say these things, not even two years after the initial gift incident. ]
That's nothing!
no subject
It was fine. Him and his Mom gorged on cupcakes and soda. And now he has friends to celebrate birthdays with, and they have all the cake and soda they like, and it's awesome, and he's so, so happy about it! They even have parties when it's nobody's birthday, just so they can have fun together! It's the happiest he's ever been in his life! But this isn't that, either. This is for him, and only for him, on a day that Fabian should by all rights be sharing with -- well, with his romance partner. Fabian chose him to celebrate, and it's not even his birthday. He's pretty sure that Palentine's Day isn't even a thing.
Not that long ago, Riz put that necklace on Fabian more or less by force. ]
Hey! Don't you dare call my Palentine's gift nothing! [ And of, course, he whips out his crystal and starts taking pictures of everything. It's all going to get eaten, and the decorations are gonna be taken down, and he wants to remember this, damn it! He's going to have to hassle Fabian into taking some selfies too, he thinks. ]
Seriously, man. Thank you. This is, this is so -- [ he struggles to think of a more masculine word and immediately gives up ] so sweet. [ His smile doesn't dim, though his brows furrow as he asks, tentatively, ] Is this okay, though? I mean, isn't this, like... supposed to be a day you spend with Gorgug?
[ Riz wouldn't have minded. As weird as it is to suddenly become the third wheel, so to speak, it'd bother him on birthdays or the holidays, but something like this? This is for them. ]
no subject
Not in anger. Of course not. No, this is utter embarrassment. It's a wince out of realizing how cringe this is becoming. Toxic masculinity may be dead and all, and Fabian loves being admired and all that too, but-- gods, if Riz ever brings this up again, Fabian will die. Especially in front of other people. And the problem is that it's definitely a risk, somewhere between the photographic evidence and Riz's motormouth. ]
Yes, of course it's fine.
[ It is the reason he's sounding a little bit huffy as he's saying that - though he does fully mean the words, crossing his arms across his chest. ]
Surely you are aware how long a day is, The Ball. Do you really think I'm not capable of dividing that time up?
no subject
So instead, his worried expression melts into one of those grins they seem to see less and less as time goes by, spread so wide that the gums above his fangs are visible, his large eyes narrowing into crescent moons above his cheeks. ]
Sorry, Fabian. I must have forgotten you know how to do math.
[ It's probably a better thing to say than hey, if you're going to be really sweet, you can't get embarrassed when people notice it, but his tone is so knowing that it might actually be worse. And Riz kind of wants to give him a really cool, masculine hug, but he thinks that might tip Fabian's pride over the edge, and so decides to approach it strategically at a later time. That just gives him more time to plan.
To cover up this sinister plot, he turns his attention back to the cake. ]
I almost don't want to eat it!
[ He can, and will, eat the entire thing. ]