Chapter Text
“So…” Slingshot says, handing out tonight’s dinner dishes.
“Hm? What’s up?” Shuriken asks, immediately stuffing his face with food.
“Y’know how I went and gave Katana that little bottle of wine. He asked about what kind of celebrations we do for inphernals’ spawndays nowadays.” He gives Shuriken a knowing look.
“Ooh, wonder why’s he asking that hm..?”
“…Is this a bad time to ask if this is about Katana and Hyperlaser again?” From the day that they saw Hyperlaser walk out from Katana’s room, a sacred place that none of them had even seen before, Shuriken and Slingshot had started devising… theories. Vine Staff has since caught onto their ideas.
“Of course! I mean, isn’t Hyper’s spawnday around the corner? And Katana’s always so nonchalant and doesn’t give a sh- a crap about celebrations and stuff, of course this is for Hyperlaser!” The green ninja says, practically exploding with energy.
“Whadidya tell him?”
“I told him we usually give inphernals gifts and stuff, hold a gathering or whatever. So, surely you know what we need to do,” Slingshot says seriously.
“Guys, please don’t do anything you think Katana would disapprove of… I don’t think I could stop you if I tried wanted but, he’s still our neighbour!”
“Oh don’t worry, he’ll owe us one big time after this.” Vine Staff could only sigh in response, dreading whatever plan her brothers are plotting.
—
A gift.
Katana was never good with giftgiving. He preferred showing his affection to people he cared about by simply doing them favours and just hanging out with them. But if this is what people do nowadays…
The other option was to hold a party- a gathering, as that short blue-horned baker had explained to him. He was even less willing to hold a gathering, after all, he doesn’t have any other inphernals to invite, the only people he knew who he could contact being the trio next door.
And it’s not that he’s annoyed at them or fed up with them, even if they do get up to too many… shenanigans, it’s just that he would like to spend some quiet time alone with Hyperlaser on his spawnday.
He’s aware that Hyperlaser doesn’t really do anything special on his spawnday, but he wanted to treat him this year. Maybe go to his place and play with Princess together after having one too many drinks. Nothing big, just something small that could never truly reflect the love he feels for him.
Walking through the coolly lit aisles of the shop, unfamiliar trending music playing through the speakers, he wonders what Hyperlaser would like.
He knows that Hyperlaser likes drinking. But they buy each other drinks every other week, that wouldn’t feel special. He knows Hyperlaser adores his cat, but getting him a gift for Princess on his spawnday just feels like he’s trying to make the day about her.
…This is more difficult than I assumed.
“Katana! Hey!” He turns his head around, recognising that voice. Shuriken, as well as his other siblings trailing behind.
“Whatcha doing here?” Slingshot asks.
“I was looking for a gift to buy Hyperlaser. You said that’s what all the youngins are doing now.”
“Um. This is a convenience store. They’ll have a few spawnday cards at most,” he says, deadpan.
“Ah. Then I suppose we shall go somewhere else…”
“Ooh I know a place!” Everyone turns to look at Shuriken.
“Um. It’s. Kinda far though. It’s on the complete other side of the city. But I know it has a bunch of spawnday decorations and nice little practical gifts. I think Hyperlaser would like that?”
“Yes, he would like something of use.”
“Well, we don’t have anywhere else to be today, so if you’re free, I guess we could go together?” Vine Staff perks up, mentally looking through her calendar.
“Very well then.” And so, the four of them decide to travel across the city. With Slingshot driving, Shuriken and Katana pass the time with some idle chat. Vine Staff remains rather silent, but her brother tries to include her every once in a while.
As they make it to the store, Slingshot perks up.
“So what does Hyperlaser like?”
“He is an inphernal of few passions. He cares about his cat, and he likes drinking with me, but both facts are difficult to be used to determine a suitable gift.”
“Do you know what he does in his spare time?”
“He rarely gets spare time. All that time is usually spent with me.”
“Maybe he would just like to hang out with you on his spawnday then,” Shuriken suggests.
“Yeah but they could do that any day. His spawnday should be something special,” his brother says.
“Ok well maybe take him to like, I dunno some fancy restaurant or something,” he responds, but looks through the shelves for a potential gift anyway.
There’s cards displayed near the checkout, balloons strung up on the roof, streamers hanging down near the aisles, all in varying colours and shades. But nothing here would please Hyperlaser, the older inphernal thinks to himself.
He glances towards his neighbours, converging together, looking for things to buy, but he turns away. He instead turns his attention to the corner of the shop, where a vintage looking gramophone rests. Playing soothing, mellow music that he could not recognise, Katana contemplates this as a gift for Hyperlaser.
He knows that Hyperlaser quite enjoys rock music, but he also knows that he likes the quiet and low-key energy that resided every time he visited Katana’s apartment. Perhaps he would want the gramophone as a reminder of these times? A reminder of him?
Silently, he walks up to the counter.
“Yo. How can I help ya,” the inphernal at front asks, seemingly desperate to just end the shift.
“The gramophone in the corner, is it for sale?” Katana asks.
“Yep, jus’ gimme a sec,” they say as they disappear into the storage room.
“Hey! Found somethin’?” The green ninja walks over, realising his older neighbour is at the desk.
“It appears I have.”
-
Blackrock was always strict on visitors, especially with Hyperlaser being an important unit for the Korblox Administration, so it would have been very difficult to try meet up at Hyperlaser’s house for his spawnday. Instead, Katana invited him over to his apartment, which he happily accepted.
Dearest Hyperlaser, he wrote.
I hope now is not an inconvenient time. How has your day been so far?
As you know, your spawnday isn’t too far off. Normally, I wouldn’t have brought this up, but I would like to accompany you on this special day.
Hyperlaser, how would you feel about coming to my apartment on your spawnday? I understand you aren’t all too concerned about celebrations like this, which is why we won’t exactly be doing anything special either. I would just like to invite you over to have your presence, that is of course, if you accept.
I wish you all the best.
Yours truly,
Katana
He quickly waxed the parchment as Slingshot offered to deliver it to the post office for him. The answer came a day later.
Now, the three siblings were currently helping with decorations and setting up the place. Nothing big, they all knew Hyperlaser didn’t come here for the decor. Slingshot baked cute little cat shaped desserts, in honour of Princess of course, while Vine Staff and Shuriken hung up a few balloons and a banner after teaching Katana how to wrap the present.
When Hyperlaser shows up, Shuriken and Slingshot giggle at each other, but both bow deeply with their sister anyway. As the trio bids them farewell, Hyperlaser looks around the room.
“Things have certainly changed since the last time I was around,” he says, glancing at the streamers.
“It wasn’t of my own volition,” Katana chuckles as he pours some sake in the two cups laid out for them. Motioning for Hyperlaser to sit next to him, they both drink in silence for a while. Once his cup drains empty, he looks at the small cupcakes perched on the kitchen counter.
“I’m guessing these were made by… Slingshot? Is that his name?”
“It is. He said they are a reference to Princess. From what I know of her, I’d say he was very accurate.”
“Yes, he is. I really should bring Princess out one day for you to see,” he sighs, thinking back on his precious cat. “It’s a shame she doesn’t like leaving the house.”
“Indeed.”
A pause as Katana shifts his weight to stare head on towards Hyperlaser.
“Hyper,” he begins, the nickname feeling natural as it rolls off his tongue. “I believe you are aware of my indifference towards festivities. However, I suppose it is custom to at the very least… acknowledge one’s spawnday.
May today be merry and graced. Please, accept this token of my fondness,” he makes a move to grab the wrapped gramophone from behind the central table.
“Happy spawnday, Hyperlaser.”
“This is… for me?”
“Yes.” He peers onwards as the Blackrockian soldier finds himself opening a present. The last time he was gifted something was when the Korblox Administration tried replacing him with Biografts by bribing him with small gifts, and even then, that was a few years back.
As the final layer falls apart, the dull reddish-brown colour of the box reveals itself.
“…This is a gramophone?”
“I know that you prefer more modern music rather than something you would find on a vinyl disk, but I thought you would like something practical.
…Additionally, I was thinking that perhaps this could remind you of the time that we spend together.”
“I… Thank you, Katana. It definitely will.”
They spend a few hours figuring out how to work the music player and then trying it out, before going back to drinking together for a while. By now, the sun has long since set and Hyperlaser should really get going back to Blackrock.
As he hovers near the door, he eventually turns to face Katana again.
“Hey. I have something to say,” he clears his throat a bit, looking to the floor, something that Hyperlaser never does under usual circumstances.
“I. I just wanted to ask. It… would really make my spawnday if you would want to be my… partner?” Silence hangs over the two of them. Katana remains motionless, as if still processing.
“It’s okay if you just want to stay drinking buddies but. I would like to take that leap forward if you would take it with me?”
“I would love to,” he responds suddenly. Hyperlaser lets out a few breathy chuckles, the nerves finally dissipating. He steps forwards as Katana holds him in his embrace. And they just stay like that for a while. Neither of them saying a thing. Neither of them moving.
“I love you, Katana.”
“As do I.”
Yeah, Katana definitely owed Shuriken and Slingshot one big time.