A man knocked on my door today. He was here to deliver some equipment that I had ordered long ago. I didn’t handle it with the care that I should have, I suppose. Damn it, man, what are you doing? You’re supposed to be a well-respected archaeologist, not some bumbling fool who can’t handle a courier!

-From Professor Shokolov’s Journal, 20th Entry

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY!” screamed someone as they riled AxEl from his slumber. He jolted up in his bed and almost crashed into the tray held in front of him by his own mother.

“W-what?” he asked belatedly. His eyes were unfocused, but he could still see the wide grin on his mother’s face.

“It’s your birthday?” she said, confused by the reaction. AxEl recounted the date of the previous day and realized with a bit of embarrassment that it….technically was. How he forgot such an important occasion is incredible. Despite that, however, he looked on at the tray and felt his stomach rumble.

Grilled Sausages, soft and savory pancakes of all sizes and shapes, along with a large glass of his favourite orange juice were displayed in front of him. FenEl layed the feast down on his blankets and kissed AxEl on the forehead.

“Take as long as you need today, okay? No working,” she said, and moved to close the door. She knew that he preferred it that way, so AxEl was thankful.

“Thanks…” he muttered.

He dug in with all the appetite of a man who had gone to sleep hungry. After setting aside the tray on his table, he put on a comfortable pair of clothes that he had bought recently and headed down the stairs where the rest of the day awaited.

His mother had left, which dulled the mood a little. Though that was soon forgotten once he found a couple hundred Laros on the counter, along with a note.

Sorry I couldn’t stay around, AxEl. I’ll be back for dinner, and I’ve got a surprise for you, so why don’t you and Nook go enjoy yourselves at the arcade? I’ve left some money for it. Love you.

It was simple and to the point, but when AxEl looked at the number of bills in his hand, he chuckled. That….sure is a lot, he remarked sarcastically. His phone rang and he was about to pick it up, but something stopped him.

The handwriting on the note. His mother’s lettering wasn’t the best, mostly because she tried to write down everything as fast as possible. When she took the time, however, AxEl had found it to be some of the most beautiful he’d ever seen. The note reflected that. She’d clearly spent a lot of time on it….all for him.

You should enjoy yourself. It’d be good for you, a voice sounded from inside his head. He let his arm drop and turned towards the door, putting on his best shoes. No phone for the day, that he’d decided already. It would stay within the house.

****

The sounds of the arcade were loud. FenEl found it annoying, but to people like AxEl and Nook it was the sound of joy. Blinking LEDs shined on arcade cabinets, near the attractions and on every wall.

The game they were playing was a racing one. They were head to head, racing with held breath against the other.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“You got to drift!” Finn shouted from behind Nook’s seat, who looked a bit annoyed with his audience.

“I’m trying! AxEl took the good wheel!” Nook replied.

“Sounds like something a loser would say,” HinEn chided. That distracted Nook long enough that AxEl could overtake him. His car shot forward towards the end of the track, where the path ended in a straight line.

Nook hit the wheel with his elbow in frustration as AxEL crossed the finish line before him. “You did that on purpose!” Nook accused.

“What? No…” she replied, barely hiding the smirk on her face.

“He’s right, you know. You broke the sacred agreement.”

“What sacred agreement? I never signed up for anything like that. And besides, weren’t you giving him tips too?” HinEn fired back.

“Hey, that was useful!”

“For all the help that was…” Nook muttered, miffed with his loss. He was turning the wheel around in his hands. AxEl from his own chair and walked over with a massive grin on his face.

“Should have preserved that Firewire Boost for the last turn. That one loses you a lot of speed,” AxEl said, patting Nook on the shoulders.

“Whatever. That’s not even how it works in real life,” Nook replied. They left the arcade soon after, since HinEn wasn’t particularly interested in any of the games they had.

“Should we get something to eat, then?” AxEl asked.

“Oh, you don’t need to worry about that, AxEl,” Finn replied.

“Huh?”

“We’ve got a surprise for you. Wait here,” Finn said, then took off with the other two. AxEl sat in the open plaza, watching the sky darken. People walked by, crowding up in the area. It was one of the only areas in Barksight that people could find enjoyment, after all.

Instinctively, he tried checking his phone, but stopped himself in the last moment. It wasn’t in his pocket at the moment. He took his hands out of his pocket in time for Nook and the rest to come back. In their hands was a plastic box with something hidden inside.

“Happy Birthday, AxEl,” Finn said with a genuine smile on his face. He flipped open the flap of the box, revealing sweet tarts placed inside. They were dusted with sugar and were coloured perfectly golden brown.

“You…brought that for me?” AxEl asked.

“Well, lemon tarts are your favourite, right?” Finn asked.

“Yeah, yeah they are.” AxEl stood up and took one in his hand. He bit into it and flakes of the pastry fell onto the floor. “It’s delicious,” he simply said as he devoured the rest of it in an instant.

The rest of them joined in, laughing and talking all the while they finished the pastries. AxEl was sad to see it go so soon, but his joy outweighed it. Isn’t this so much better? A voice said inside his head.

“It is,” AxEl whispered.

“Did you say something?” Nook asked.

“Ah, nah.”

But their day came to an end and Finn and HinEn were forced to leave. Nook and AxEl were all that remained, and there was nothing to be said between them. Nook simply nodded in his direction, said goodbye, and left the plaza as well.

AxEl went home too, finding his mother there. They shared a much more intimate birthday celebration, with her cooking him his favourite foods and giving him a small present. It would be nothing substantial to anyone else, but to him it meant the world.

His body fatigued, he rushed to his room and leapt into bed. But before sleep could claim him, a sound came from his bedside.

Ringing, again.

“Huh?”

He picked it up off the top of the table, finding numerous missed messages from his dealers, from BannIh and even from Anagen. He flipped through each of them, but replied to Anagen first of all.

He was being called. He picked it up and answered, finding the familiar voice on the other end.

“AxEl, we’ve got to talk about your payment of the workers. I was talking to your drivers, and they all want the same deal you gave to the first few ones you recruited. When are you going to be free to talk about it?” Anagen asked, giving him barely a moment to take it in.

“T-tomorrow. We can talk about it tomorrow. Is that all you wanted to ask me?”

“Well….It was your birthday today, wasn’t it?” Anagen asked, more softly than she had before.

“Yes?”

“I hope it went well for you. Would you want me to keep BannIh and the others from bothering you?” she asked.

“Yeah, I’d like that. Thank you, Ana,” AxEl replied, then turned off the phone once more and threw it back onto the table from whence he’d picked it up. He stared up at the ceiling, but his eyes wouldn’t listen after a while. He didn’t realize once he’d already fallen asleep.