video/action; happy birthday detective

[jurisdick]

ᴠɪᴅᴇᴏ

[ and due to a horrible streak of bad luck, while akechi is sitting (extremely cramped) in the catbus on the way to the actual lodge, his fidgeting fingers along the device happen to click it on at the most inconvenient time. perhaps it's the world playing a cruel trick on him. who knows. either way, the feed shows the brunette hunched up in the back of the bus with a few others, face contorted in discomfort. under his breath he's saying something that sounds genuine and a lot like ]

...I don't even like my birthday but this is an absurd way to spend it.

ᴄᴀᴛʙᴜs - ᴀᴄᴛɪᴏɴ

[ if you're in the catbus, feel free to harass him during the ride, or you know, hear him say it's his birthday. or scroll through the feed and hear it on there and then angrily turn around when you realize he hasn't told anyone before this.

it's really cramped in here. ]

ᴄᴀᴛᴄʜ-ᴀʟʟ - ᴀᴄᴛɪᴏɴ

[ akechi will be rooming with stefan, so feel free to barge into his room at any point. other than that, feel free to bother him (he'll likely be reading by the fire with hot chocolate), or standing around the entrance of the lodge "admiring" the snow. he isn't planning on going out into it except for the snowball fight, so he won't be lost at all in the storm. ]

Comments

[stefanged]

Even if you can't, that's okay. I can teach you.

[ He can take no for an answer, if it turns out that his roommate has more than a slight aversion to the slopes. Unfamiliarity is one thing; sheer terror would be another. Stefan can't exactly teach around that, and he's far from the kind of person who'd drag someone totally out of their comfort zone. ]

Actually, no. [ He holds it out, as he would hand over any other present, ] I might've overheard your broadcast, and I figured... it never hurts to have one of these around.

[jurisdick]

[ he stares at the offered journal as if it's the strangest thing in the world. his brows shoot up his face and he's silent for a moment. he's not used to gifts. he's not used to people actually "caring" enough to go through the ritual and dance of birthdays as a whole. ]

To record my thoughts. [ he supplies the point of the gift with a tiny nod. ]

This will... come in handy. Thank you. [ he hesitantly reaches for it, the smile still in place, but it's slipping, just a bit. he looks a tad lost, fascinated. ]

[stefanged]

Your thoughts, your to-do lists, your roommate's terrible taste in tea...

[ Stefan's joking as he parts with the gift, but he catches that hesitation all the same. Maybe this had been a bad idea. Stefan certainly doesn't celebrate his birthdays like he used to, but... birthdays are important. They mark another year that someone's been on this Earth.

It's a ritual he'd gladly perform, over and over again, if given the chance. ]

You're welcome. [ . . . ] I know this isn't exactly where anyone would want to spend it, but I hope it's a good one.

[jurisdick]

[ how much he hates his friends? can he write that down in the journal, too? no? okay. ]

To be honest, I don't really celebrate it in general. So, apart form the obvious change in environment, this is in general is all new to me.

[ he doesn't sound upset about it, merely inquisitive. it's remarkable how stubborn his teammates are about celebrating his birthday, even if it's just over sweets. how anyone can be so tirelessly kind is beyond his comprehension. ]

My.... teammates, seem to be unable to pass up any opportunity to celebrate.

[stefanged]

[ His teammates? Stefan furrows his brow at that word choice - he hadn't taken Akechi as the athletic type. ]

That's part of being a team, I'd think. You celebrate everything together. Good, bad, and even the mediocre. [ He tilts his head thoughtfully, as if just realizing something, ] You haven't been on one before, right?

If their gifts don't overwhelm you, take it for what it is.

[jurisdick]

I wouldn't necessarily call me a true part of the team. There are... extenuating circumstances.

[ he says it pleasantly without a drop of venom, despite the churning in his stomach. it's a temporary stint. that's all it is. he isn't attached to any of them. this is just a necessary means to an end. ]

But yes, thank you. I'll be sure to use it often. [ a beat. ] Thank you.

[stefanged]

You're welcome.

[ That admission sounds painfully familiar. Stefan pauses, knowing that he probably can't discern what Akechi's feeling. If it were him, though.. ]

Even if your team's only temporarily.... it's better than not being there at all. You'll warm up to them, or they'll warm up to you, or... you'll meet them in the middle.

[ “You won't be alone forever.” ]

[jurisdick]

That's assuming things go according to plan.

[ he smiles politely, though, and takes a seat on the edge of the bed. ]

It's moreso a team built on convenience and circumstance rather than anything else. It's temporary.

[stefanged]

But aren't all sports teams built on convenience?

[ Stefan folds his arms, trying to imagine other context for "team". None are coming to mind. ]

Look, I don't know what you play, but even if it's just for a season? They've still got your back.

[jurisdick]

[ .... he's not quite sure about that, but it's a pointless, silly argument to get into. ]

Perhaps that's the case. [ he tilts his head to the side curiously. ]

No team of your own back home?

[stefanged]

Well... I played varsity football, back in high school. [ He grins, flopping onto his own bed and pulling one leg up under him. ] But otherwise, I kept to myself.

[ Immortality will do that to a person. Prevent him from growing too close, for fear that they'll grow jealous of his inability to age... Or maybe he's grown too cynical. ]

I moved around a lot, growing up, and it was easier to hole up in the library than get out and make friends.

[jurisdick]

That I can empathize with.

[ can he really? well, maybe. ]

I moved around a lot between foster homes growing up. I got to see a great deal of the city that way, but it really didn't afford me much time to focus of anything but my studies.

[ to put it lightly. ]

[stefanged]

[ He's quiet for a moment, regarding his roommate with new understanding. ]

That must've been rough. [ No wonder Akechi didn't celebrate his birthday, let alone seem to expect presents. ] My parents aren't in the picture either, so it was just me and my brother for a long time.

[ Even then, he and Damon tended to spend whole decades apart. ]

But... you seem pretty strong, despite all that.

[jurisdick]

[ .... interesting. he's known a few people back home that had lost one parent or another, but no one really spoke that deeply about it. after all, being an unwanted child, being a product of the foster care system, wasn't exactly an honorable title. ]

Hm. I'm glad you think so after such short encounters. [ a smile despite it all. ]

I never saw the point in crying over spilled milk, as the saying goes.

[ that's entirely a Lie. ]

[stefanged]

Not even once? [ He raises his eyebrows, though he's more concerned than anything. As lonely as Stefan is, he still has his brother. ] That's... wow.

You must be adjusting to Wonderland fairly easy, then.

[jurisdick]

I've definitely been an adjustment.

[ but that's not really a hard yes or no, is it? ]

Knowing people certainly has helped the process. [ .... sure. ]

[stefanged]

Right, your team. [ Which he still thinks is a sports team. ] It's a lot easier when you're all in the same boat.

But uh, where's home for you again?