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lettersforbloodThis story is set in the 'verse of a story tentatively titled "Legend". Prompt is from here.
~*~
"A year today."
'Draya looked over at Max. "Sorry?"
Max shook her head and went back to her reading. "I was just thinking."
"About what? A year today since what?"
Max shrugged. "It's nothing."
"You sure look somber for it being nothing." Axel had stopped swimming and was resting his arms on the side of the pool, his tail lazily swishing through the water.
"Just... a year. That's all."
"A year what?" 'Draya asked again.
Max's mouth twisted. "I'm a year old. Again. In our terms."
There was dead silence for a minute. Then: "Oh," from both of them.
Max leaned back in her chair. "It's not a big deal. It's not like anything's really changed."
"Feels like it should, though," Axel said. He flicked his tail up out of the water, flinging drops at them. Both girls jumped back and glared at him. "I mean, we have to break in here after it's closed just for me to go swimming. You don't eat, you're learning magic, 'Draya's seeing the future every night... But we're all... us."
"Because we were always like this. Nothing changed." Max waved a hand. "Look, it's not like I really died. I just changed. Can we just pretend I never said anything?"
"But it's your birthday, Max!" 'Draya laughed teasingly and hugged her sister. "The anniversary of your Change. You're a year old! You're such a big girl!"
"I will hurt you," Max warned. 'Draya laughed again and stepped out of reach.
Max smiled reluctantly. "My birthday. I guess it is."
"A year today."
'Draya looked over at Max. "Sorry?"
Max shook her head and went back to her reading. "I was just thinking."
"About what? A year today since what?"
Max shrugged. "It's nothing."
"You sure look somber for it being nothing." Axel had stopped swimming and was resting his arms on the side of the pool, his tail lazily swishing through the water.
"Just... a year. That's all."
"A year what?" 'Draya asked again.
Max's mouth twisted. "I'm a year old. Again. In our terms."
There was dead silence for a minute. Then: "Oh," from both of them.
Max leaned back in her chair. "It's not a big deal. It's not like anything's really changed."
"Feels like it should, though," Axel said. He flicked his tail up out of the water, flinging drops at them. Both girls jumped back and glared at him. "I mean, we have to break in here after it's closed just for me to go swimming. You don't eat, you're learning magic, 'Draya's seeing the future every night... But we're all... us."
"Because we were always like this. Nothing changed." Max waved a hand. "Look, it's not like I really died. I just changed. Can we just pretend I never said anything?"
"But it's your birthday, Max!" 'Draya laughed teasingly and hugged her sister. "The anniversary of your Change. You're a year old! You're such a big girl!"
"I will hurt you," Max warned. 'Draya laughed again and stepped out of reach.
Max smiled reluctantly. "My birthday. I guess it is."
