Special Event – MC’s Birthday (Gara)

“And? What are you going to give them for their birthday?”

Gara pauses mid-movement, the cloth still in her fingers and the cup she’s cleaning in the other hand. Omar’s question is simple, but it’s one she’s been asking herself for days without finding an answer.

After millennia, humans' obsession with celebrating the day of their birth each year still feels strange to her. Perhaps the brevity of their lives drives them to cling to those moments. Or maybe it’s just another excuse to enjoy a party centred around themselves. But she has to admit, there’s something beautiful in the idea. The birth of a soul deserves to be celebrated.

When it comes to a goddess with a mortal friend, however, things get complicated—especially when the latter has no idea of the former’s true nature.

What do humans value? An object, a gesture, a memory? After so much time, Gara has forgotten.

Or rather, she prefers not to remember.

“I haven’t decided yet,” she finally replies before Omar thinks she’s ignoring him.

“Haven’t decided yet?” Omar repeats, raising an eyebrow. “MC’s birthday is tomorrow. You’d better start thinking of something.”

Gara watches as Omar takes a sip of his drink, using those seconds to search for a response that doesn’t reveal her inexperience. It’s been millennia since she’s been in this situation.

“I... want it to be special.”

Omar sets his mug down on the bar with an audible clink, and Gara can feel his emotions beginning to swirl in a mischievous storm. The smile spreading across his face doesn’t bode well.

Omar leans an elbow on the bar, leaning closer to her with a playful glint in his eyes. “Special, huh?”

Gara feels Omar’s attention like a flame at her back, unsettling her. Had she said something strange? Maintaining her calm demeanour, she focuses on placing the clean cup with the others.

“Yes. It’s their first birthday in Sorrol. I want it to be memorable, but I’m not sure how to make it so,” she explains, choosing her words carefully.

For some reason, Gara seems even more excited. He laughs and gets up from the bar.

“You’re stressing over nothing, big girl. Trust me, if it’s from you, MC will love whatever you give them. But if you’re so worried, here.” He reaches into his pocket, pulling something out and flicking it toward Gara with his thumb.

Gara catches the small object in mid-air and examines it. A gold coin.

“Buy them something sweet. Something that melts,” Omar finishes.

Gara blinks, confused. “...Do I buy them an ice-cream?”

Omar rolls his eyes. “Something to make them melt, not the gift. By the Gods, Gara! Don’t you know anything about romantic gestures?” He sighs, shrugging on his coat as he heads for the door. “Look, I’ve got to get back to the clinic, but tomorrow at the party, MC better tell me about your gift—or I’ll beat you up for being so unromantic, got it?”

Omar waves goodbye, not without pointing a finger at Gara in a mock-threatening gesture. The purple-haired goddess stares at the coin resting in her palm for a few seconds, pondering Omar’s words.

“I suppose I’ll have to buy something…” she murmurs.

Wait… did he say romantic?

---

[Some time later…]

Gara closed the tavern earlier than usual that evening, an unusual gesture that left a few lingering patrons slightly puzzled, but none protested. The small shops of Sorrol, with their lantern-lit displays, were her best chance to find the perfect gift before the owners shut their doors and returned home.

And she tried. She searched every store she could, looking for the perfect gift for MC. But in the end, her mission was a complete failure.

The sun had long since set, and a blanket of stars now adorns the dark countryside sky. The citizens of Sorrol had retired to their homes, leaving only the guards and the occasional villager wandering the streets.

“It can’t be that hard to find something for a mortal, Gara. Why are you overthinking this so much?”

Gara feels the light weight of the celestial spirit on her shoulder, her question resonating in the purple-haired goddess’ mind now that no humans are around to hear it.

“Everything is too generic and soulless. A celebration like this deserves something meaningful for the person,” Gara replies.

Enid sighs, her expression softening with sadness. “We’re getting too attached to these mortals, Gara. We can’t let ourselves be carried away by nostalgia. We know it has to end at some point.”

Gara knows she is right, as always. But precisely because of that, she wants to savour the wonders of the world as much as she can before facing her inevitable end.

It is selfish, but she can’t help wanting to stretch it out just a little longer. Out of nostalgia, as Enid had so aptly put it.

Nostalgia… The word makes something click in Gara’s mind. Her steps come to a halt, and her eyes widen with renewed clarity. Gara turns her head toward Enid, a smile forming on her face.

“I’ve got an idea.”

And when no one is watching, she takes flight.

---

[With MC, at home...]

You’ve lost track of how long you’ve been staring at the dark ceiling of your room. Tomorrow is your birthday, and the excitement coursing through you makes it impossible to sleep. You’ve always loved your birthday, even back when you roamed the world as a hunter. It brings back happy memories of your childhood in Aelmere, with your mother, and you can’t wait any longer.

Though, technically, it’s already your birthday.

You glance out the window, and by the moon’s position, you can tell it’s been past midnight for a while now. The thought only makes you more eager for the sun to rise. You’re incredibly curious about what your friends have planned for you.

Because they’ve definitely planned something. Oh, you’re certain of that. Omar is about as subtle as an elephant in Lavina’s workshop.

Your chuckle is cut short by a series of soft but insistent knocks on the door, making you frown. Who could be at your house at this hour? The thought that something terrible might have happened strikes you like lightning, and your heart tightens as you hurry to answer.

Your fear is replaced by surprise when you find Gara standing in front of your house, her tall figure bathed in the glow of the lit lanterns, wearing that broad smile that always manages to brighten your day.

“Gara? What are you doing here at this hour?”

She lets out a brief laugh, a mix of embarrassment and something warmer. “I apologize for disturbing you so late, MC, but I couldn’t wait any longer to give you this.”

For some reason, you hadn’t even noticed what she was holding in her hands, which she now offers to you. It only takes a second to recognize the pale pink of the small flowering shrub, its petals delicate yet resilient. The faint fragrance the flower exudes is a warm whisper that carries you back to your childhood.

“That’s… a Woody Mayflower,” you murmur, your voice softening as you say the words. Your fingers tremble slightly as you reach out to touch the shrub, brushing its petals as if to confirm it’s real. “My mother used to grow these… But they only bloom in Aelmere and the surrounding areas. How… how did you get it?”

Gara gives you a smile that quickens your pulse. “I have... contacts. I only had to ask for a small favour. Do you like it?”

You laugh, taking the flowers in your hands and admiring them as your eyes grow slightly misty. “Are you kidding? I love it. It’s…” You lift your gaze, meeting Gara’s intense violet eyes as they look at you with a tenderness that sets your heart racing. Your voice drops to a whisper without you realizing it. “It’s the best gift anyone’s ever given me.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” she replies in the same quiet tone.

For a moment, the world stops. Silence becomes a comforting mantle that wraps around you both as you stand there, gazing into each other’s eyes. There’s something in the air that doesn’t need words, something pulsing between you with the same force as your heart pounding in your chest.