Inbox: Abraxas

[philancer]

INBOX text / action / horizon Roses are red, violets are blue,
and right now it seems I'm missing you.
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— june 5th, birthday time

[godshattering]

[ On the morning of Sylvain's birthday, there's a bundle placed by his door for when he wakes to discover it. Inside are a few things stacked on top of each other waiting to be unwrapped by their new owner.

Aside from a couple pouches of black tea since searching still hasn't turned up bergamot, first is a fountain pen to replace worrying about having enough quills to write with around. Or better yet, from having to make sure any quill doesn't get damaged while tucked into the bound journal in the package beneath it. It's not a cookbook (this time) as the pages of the journal are blank and unlined, meant for being filled in with words, drawings, or anything its owner might like to place between them.

Something that will certainly help with that is next in the largest box of all. Inside it is a knife sharpener, though granted that it also looks somewhat like a large box with slots that doesn't immediately make it clear what it's used for, there's a couple small notes attached. One reads Knives go here ⬎ next to the slots, and another reads Press this to make it work ⟶ where it's pointing to a switch. If flipped, the sharpener will come to life thanks to the motor inside with the sharpening plates moving enough like weapons maintenance to make it clear this is one less step Sylvain has to deal with before doing something far more enjoyable for him: cooking or preparing ingredients or supplies for his tea ventures.

Also importantly, there's a letter folded inside an envelope, written in mostly neat script:

Happy birthday, Sylvain—

For someone whose care makes the world a better place around them and makes rooms brighter by being in them, and for everything you've done and all you're yet to do.

May this year be full of projects you never dreamed of trying before, but that you have all the time in the world to pursue now to be whoever you want to be.

—Claude.

It's a sentiment not accurately captured in writing, circular as it is in those sentences. But some things are better said in person, aren't they? It'll do until the right time comes and hopefully confirms each gift being chosen deliberately. The other gift is that it was rather early when these were left so no early wakeup time went along with it. All the better for going out to lunch later to further celebrate. ]