Emme had always loved celebrating her friends. Any gift-giving holiday was good with her, but birthdays were her absolute favourite. So of course the moment she’d gotten past the shock of Marlene’s arrival, Emme had already started planning for her upcoming birthday. Carol had to gently rein her in several times. Also a few not-so gentle times. It was a work in progress.
The morning of, she arrived at Marlene’s apartment and gave a loud knock to announce her presence. “I have doughnuts!”
Marlene wasn’t entirely certain when her last birthday had passed. It felt like it had happened fairly recently back home, but then she’d jumped forward forty bloody years, and — well, she was a little lost in time. But that didn’t mean she was going to turn down the opportunity for a celebration now, and she knew even if she’d tried to wave it off, Emme absolutely wouldn’t allow the day to pass without being marked.
So, that made her twenty-two now, apparently. Give or take forty years.
She was already up and headed into the kitchen to scrounge something up, but the promise of doughnuts outside the door had her changing direction and opening it to her best friend — and a little orange shadow at her feet, who quickly trotted through the open door as if she owned the place. Seemed Carol’s alien-cat had decided to accompany Emme next door, how cute.
“Firstly,” Marlene began, “since when do you knock? And secondly, there had better be jelly doughnuts in there.” She grinned, reaching out to snag Emme’s arm and pull her through the door. “No singing, but I’ll allow you to feed me, I suppose.”
“I knock…occasionally.” Emme gave a shrug of her shoulders and a smirk before she allowed herself to be tugged inside. “Besides, for all I knew, you could have had company over for a pre-birthday celebration. And of course there are jelly, I’m not a heathen.”
Emme set the pink pastry box down quickly so that she could properly greet Marlene with a hug and a kiss. “Happy birthday, my love.”
Marlene sank into the hug without protest. Doughnuts could be set aside for hugs at all times, thanks. “Happy birthday indeed,” she beamed, pulling back only to lean in to press a kiss to Emme’s forehead. “Thank you. And I’ll have you know I’ve done no pre-birthday celebrating since I arrived. You and that hot blonde of yours monopolize every bit of my time, you realize.”
She’d gone out and done some exploring herself. There was certainly plenty of possibility out there, and without war and responsibility weighing down her spirit, she could do what she liked. But she’d be lying if she didn’t admit she’d been leaning on Emme and Carol — built-in support system that didn’t force her to get out there.
“Sorry not sorry,” Emme replied with a hair toss. With the amount of people from different times in Vallo, she’d picked up a mish-mash of different slang terms from around the city. That was one that seemed to stick for her.
“You, sit.” Emme gave her a soft whack on the bum to direct her over to the table. “I’ll make some tea while you start on your birthday breakfast. We need to be properly fuelled with both sugar and caffeine for our day today.”
“So bloody bossy,” Marlene grumbled playfully, swatting Emme right back as she passed her by on her way to the stove. She settled on a stool at the kitchen island and popped open the box of doughnuts, removing a jelly one just as Goose hopped up onto the island beside her. She eyed the cat for a moment before deciding her breakfast didn’t seem to be at risk. Yet, anyhow.
“Do I get any sort of hints on what our day’s plans involve? Or will you simply be carting me around the city blindfolded?”
“You know you love it,” Emme retorted as she began filling the kettle with water. She also kept an eye on Goose. The little Flerken had a mile high personality and was not above taking what she wanted. However she did seem to be on good behavior for the moment. She shut off the water and set the kettle on the stove to heat.
“I promise you’ll have an amazing day, but beyond that, these lips are sealed.”
“Amazing, hm?” Marlene cocked an eyebrow. “I’ll have you know I’m going to be severely disappointed if it’s anything but amazing now. You’ve set my expectations.”
She knew Emme didn’t make these promises idly, however. She was sure the day would be wonderful, and even if it wasn’t, she’d have no complaints. She loved any time she got to spend with her best mate.
She polished off her first doughnut and reached into the box for another. Goose was watching her closely, following the path of her hand. “If the plan is just to sit here and eat jelly doughnuts all day, I’ll count that as ‘amazing’, by the by. Less so if your cat pinches them.”
“I’m extremely confident that your expectations will be met and exceeded.” She was too. Emmeline had a whole day of events lined up for the two of them, and she was certain it would be something they’d always remember. Though she’d also make sure they’d have plenty of days for lounging around and eating doughnuts together too. She wanted Marlene to have it all.
“Goose is just supervising,” Emme laughed as she found two mugs and began preparing the tea for them. “Someone has to look after us helpless humans.”
“How generous,” Marlene drawled, swatting at the cat with her free hand. Goose looked surprisingly indignant in response and only took a pointed step closer, as if accepting a challenge, before settling down into a meatloaf position about six inches from the box. “Fine, bloody brat, stay there, then. See if I care.”
She would never get over aliens and cosmic powers, she was certain of it.
“Promise me we’re not doing anything too sweat-inducing, though, yeah?” She turned her attention back to Emmeline. “I’ve barely even left the flat. My blood’s too English for this fucking heat.”
Emme responded with a sympathetic expression. She was just not built for this type of weather. “I promise. Originally I’d planned for us to go to Critical Role land, that theme park here…but given all of this,” she gestured at the sweltering city outside of the window, “I’ve changed things up. We’re going on a little underwater visit to see Atlantis. I figure that should keep us nice and cool.”
Marlene’s eyebrows rose curiously. She’d heard about Atlantis, of course, but she’d never thought it was much of a tourist destination. “I’m not about to say no to a swim, but Atlantis is a bit…deep down there, isn’t it? How are you proposing we breathe under all that water?”
Slender fingers danced along the top of the pastry box as Emme leaned down to pick out her own breakfast. She opted for chocolate icing with sprinkles. As she looked back up at Marlene, her eyes sparkled with mischief. “We go through a magical checkpoint that transfigures us with aquatic features.”
“Oh no. I know that look,” Marlene groaned, picking up her tea to take a sip. She needed something to cleanse her mouth of all that jelly. “What sort of aquatic features? Don’t you dare disfigure me on my birthday, Emmeline Vance!”
Emme scrunched her nose up and gave a short laugh. “What would you say to becoming a mermaid?”
The grimace Marlene wore at the very thought said it all. Mermaids were not attractive creatures in their world. Sure, the fairytale sort were nice, but that was far from the reality she knew. “Sounds like birthday torture is what I’d say.”
Emme snorted at the expression on Marlene’s face. She knew precisely what her best friend was picturing, and couldn’t help but laugh. “What if it were more Little Mermaid than actual mermaid?”
“Stuff it, you.” Marlene couldn’t help laughing back, kicking at Emme’s leg. “I suppose that would be better, yeah? Sea shells and all?”
“I think we can make sea shells happen.” Emme grinned and took a large bite of her doughnut. “Though I draw the line at a singing crab.”
“The singing crab is far too much,” Marlene agreed. She’d only seen the mermaid films since arriving in Vallo — they’d come out after she died — but she’d enjoyed them. Aside from Sebastian; she didn’t care for him and the ridiculous French stereotypes he was meant to portray.
“You’re terrible at surprises, Vanceypants,” she teased, reaching out to snag another donut — glazed, this time. “But taking a swim as a cartoon mermaid sounds suitably amazing, I’ll give you that.”
“Correction, I’m excellent at planning surprises. It’s just the keeping them a surprise part that I need to work at.” She leaned forward across the counter and clinked her doughnut against Marlene’s. “Cheers to an amazing, if not entirely unsurprising birthday.”
Marlene smiled fondly and leaned in to give Emme a sticky kiss on the cheek. “Cheers to that, my love. Glad I get to spend another one with you.”