Collab between Ryver and Fox
Outside the Hobbit Hole:
"You're right," he mustered up a smile. "We can only hope not too much time has passed." It was January the 1st of 2013 when they all boarded the Midnight Train. Maybe not a day had passed since then or maybe it had already been years since their departure. Nowhere time (if it existed at all) was both frightening and strange. "Hm, I think what makes a birthday special is who you celebrate it with. That's why we're throwing Ace one," Harper beamed brightly. "Because we're all friends, and we're going home together. Right, Ran?"
"Right you are, Harper." Ran continued nodding out of politeness, but it was evident the adult wasn't paying any attention to the ongoing conversation. In his hands were a huge bundle of multi-colored candles, which the Hooded Figures claimed to be enough. Enough for what? He doubted they believed Ace to be 101 and counting, but he realized she'd be happy with the conflagaration anyways, so it still worked.
"Hurry!" Ran exclaimed suddenly, distracting Harper momentarily. Ran grabbed as many candles as he could hold in one hand out of desperation, because he could see Tasha and Lull bounding off in search of Ace and Inadi (if the celery was merciful enough to let him live). That meant they had less than 5 minutes tops!
The three picked up speed by haphazardly stuffing candles into every visible inch. Some candles were crowded together to form a rainbow brocoli top, while some seemed to grow out the sides of the cake like mushrooms along a cave wall. They threw the remaining candles hapazardly into the basket when someone (most likely C) exclaimed that Happy Boy was here. Ran whistled innocently, as he kicked the basket behind the bushes.
Before the boy could say anything else, Toby signaled them and yelled out a loud 'surprise'! Harper and several others followed the energetic blonde's lead and began screaming birthday greetings of all kinds. The Nobodies looked a tad confused, but said the words anyway. In the meantime, Ran and Luke added to the din by yelling garbled words, as they tried to turn the cake around discreetly, so no one could see the candleless half a foot strip running from top to bottom. The blonde, bubbly culprit was too deliriously happy to remember he promised to help them out. Toby beamed as he tried to tackle Ace from behind, while yelling crazily at the top of his voice.
"Happy birthday, Ace!"
"Hey, you said you never had a birthday party before, so y'know, we couldn't go our separate ways without throwing you one." Riley pulled her friend into a tight hug and grinned. "All of us are going home soon, right?"
"Right!" A cheery Toby and Luke yelled in unison.
"So we need to have fun, make some memories," Riley added in. And when Leila came up to them to greet Ace, Riley paused to stare at her. All of them had really come a long way. Inadi and Leila found themselves pulled in for a group hug and poor Ace was the center of the hugfest.
Harper smiled at the show of sweetness between his friends. "Hey, Ace, Ran made something for you. I tried to make something too," he gestured to the little fondant superhero dressed in red. "But it came out a little deformed, sorry about that."
Ran laughed. "Actually I made something for everyone, but Ace gets the biggest one." The adult picked up a
flame-shaped, red and orange frosted cookie badge and stepped forward to pin it on Ace's shirt. "No hero is complete without their ... crest? Crescent... Moon? I think that's what they're called." Ran finished lamely, feeling ashamed that as a former mangaka's assistant, he couldn't remember anything about super heros other than masks, capes and fighting villains. And big eyed school girls in sailor uniforms, those were a must.
Leaving Ace to her adoring fans, Ran picked up the tray and began handing everyone their superhero crest. Even the baby dragons had a cresr strung round their neck. Finally, only one badge remained. "Harper, here's your going home present. Hope you like it, hero!" He beamed as he put down the tray and pinned it to the boy's shirt.
While the baby dragons tried to chew on their cookie crests, Harper stared at his and beamed. He always thought Ran was a bit eccentric, but the cookie badges were a sweet gesture. "Thank you, Ran." He stared at the sword shaped cookie with white frosting on it. "I'd take a picture if I could, I almost feel bad eating it."
"This is really tasty," Luke said. Instead of admiring the cookies like the others, he had gobbled his the moment he had received it. "You're almost as good a cook as Sacha." The cheery hooded figure turned to Gary, Sacha, and Numair. "What did you guys get?" While the hooded figures conversed C tugged the sleeve of Ran's shirt.
"Thank you, artist man."
Ran pulled the girl into a tight hug before releasing her and ruffling her hair in a fatherly manner. "You're very welcome, Caitlyn." He smiled warmly. "Hopefully we'll meet when we get back. When we do, I'll take you for the best whatever you want!" C was starting to grow on him the way Riley and Toby did, so he wished (secretly) to keep in touch with them. He also had another reason for wishing to do so. From the little he learned about them, he figured that none of them had that happy a family life. Probably none in the group did or they wouldn't have boarded the Midnight Train.
He continued ruffling C's hair playfully, while vowing to find her, Riley and Tobs eventually. Hopefully with some moral support, he hoped these three would blossom into the capable adults he knew they were meant to be.
Ran was so lost in his thoughts that he gasped loudly, when C smacked his hand away and crossed her arms. He laughed guilty, while shaking his very sore hand to numb the tingly sensation left by her hand. That frown looked awfully familiar somehow and he meant it in a good way. "Alright, alright, no more messing with your hair. It leaves a mess." He smoothed her hair down and pulled the hood over. "There ... no more mess."
Garret stood a little farther away from everyone, but he couldn't help but grin. The humans and even the dragons and their riders all looked like they were enjoying the festivities. He looked to Vicky then eyed the wooden chest by his feet. He didn't like being a party pooper but not too long from now he would have to hand them their amulets and give them a mission briefing. The last clock in Nowhere--celery, to think it was more than just a myth.
"Say where's the fire-maker?" Luke scratched his head. He could have sworn he left the matches by the side of the table. He stared at Sacha looking very lost. "How do we light the candles without it...?"
Unknownst to the two Hooded Figures, Tasha was currently placing the stolen box of matches at Ace's feet. The baby dragon swished her tail to and fro proudly, expecting louds of hugs and praises for managing to bring her favorite hooman the pretty red box.
