saudade; raiden ei

xxx. birthday

Upon their immediate exit, Y/n and Ei turned away from the main grounds of the city. There was no need to falsify their identities as a result; the pair enjoyed a peaceful, uninterrupted walk, during which they discussed various topics. Eventually, they arrived at the venue.

As Y/n marvelled at the building's exterior, Ei slowly felt herself begin to relax. She held the door open for the soldier, inviting her into the darkness within.

Immediately, a light flickered on.

"Happy birthday!"

There, waiting patiently in the darkness, were all of the people who had contributed to making this day happen. Y/n gave a shocked laugh, kindly thanking everyone for their wishes and efforts.

Miko smirked as she stepped towards the birthday girl. "My, don't you look gorgeous?~ I assume my gift had its intended effect?"

The soldier nodded; they shared a knowing smile. At once, the pair glanced over at Ei. "It did. Thank you, Miko~"

"Hehe, my pleasure. I trust it's to your liking? I'm almost certain that it's in your style, but then again, you have been wearing atypical outfits recently..."

"No, you're right. I adore it. Those outfits are Tenshukaku's only clothing so I really have no say in the matter. I was actually wondering what to wear when you delivered this; it seems you indeed know me far more than I anticipated~"

The kitsune's ears slightly raised in surprise as the girl embraced her, however she soon returned the gesture. Miko hid her amused smile, aware of a certain Archon's vicious glare on her back.

"...Thank you."

Now met with the realisation that this outfit was all Yae's doing, Ei gave an awkward cough. She acted nonchalant when Y/n turned towards her, refusing to fall to the fox envoy's ploy. She huffed.

No matter how captivated she secretly was, Yae Miko would not get ahead of her.

"It seems I left something behind in Tenshukaku... I'll return shortly."

As she dashed away, the Guuji and the soldier shared another glance. Deciding to forget about it for now, Y/n shook her head. She turned her full attention back to the fox envoy beside her.

"So you prepared all of this? How long did it take?"

"Don't you worry about that, little fox. It was a joint effort, after all. Even Kujou Sara pitched in~"

Y/n's eyebrows raised in surprise. Upon inspecting the area, she finally noticed the general, still tied to a post. That surprise gave way to a clear expression of entertainment and understanding.

"I see."

Yae hummed. "Your other guests should be arriving soon, if you would like to greet them as they enter."

Y/n nodded. "I will. Thanks again, Miko."

"My pleasure~"

True to Yae's words, people began to turn up after a few minutes. Y/n shook their hands as they entered, smiling brightly and thanking them for their wishes. She also guided any gift bearers over to a table, where- to her dismay- the neatly-wrapped parcels had begun to pile up.

Watching a young girl attempt to carry a package larger than her own body, Y/n gasped. "Oh my Archons! You didn't have to!"

The girl grumbled to herself. "I know. Guuji Yae forced me to."

Y/n was unsure of whether she had heard her correctly. "What?"

For the first time, Y/n's pint-sized guest met her eyes. She beamed. "Oh, nothing! I just wanted to. I really like your dress by the way."