🎉 if i celebrate, i want to offer my heartfelt and honest congratulations

[nortonnnn]

Who: Norton Campbell, Nagito Komaeda, and open to anyone who'd be willing to offer Komaeda birthday wishes of their own volition
When: April 28, after class
What: 3rd floor, music room

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Arriving

( so, it's like this: nobody likes komaeda.

well, it seems that way a lot of the time, from what norton's observing, and the unfortunate fact of the matter? no matter how absolutely off-his-rocker insane he's been acting, he... well, real or not, he didn't seem to be a bad guy in those memories norton has of him. try as he might, he can't simply act as though they don't exist either. so instead, with a sigh of defeat and an important date that he'd learned in those strange memories in mind, he'll go about collecting those who seem to be... more tolerant (even if that's a generous way to express it) of komaeda lately.

he's already arranged for the most reliable chef he's yet to meet in this school to help by preparing a birthday cake, (and learned quite a bit in the process, actually,) and he's let the others know where they should gather. so, when norton decides it's about time to drag komaeda to the survival club's meeting room for some kind of survival club-related excuse of a reason, there should hopefully already be at least a couple of people there and waiting for them—including one boy holding a white cat who may or may not look a little out of his element.

his voice is soft, but as the cake and the small collection of people he's managed to gather come into view, norton offers a smile. )

Happy birthday.

---

01.) ♡

( so... how will you greet the birthday boy? tag-ins will be assumed to be for komaeda, unless otherwise indicated! )

Comments

[commences]

I know it's hard, but you can treat today like any other normal day.

( it's hard to tell how he feels... appreciative? acknowledged?, even though komaeda doesn't know how to say that forthright because it doesn't come natural to him like anything else. for now, he's passing on this day like it belongs to someone else or it just doesn't exist, but it's hard to turn away at times like this. his reactions are slightly delayed as he seems to be thinking about how to respond, and it's sort of awkward to have an ultimate here wishing him a happy birthday, not only that, lily may cradled right into his arms. )

It's lucky... she never comes around unless I trick her. ( which must be a good sign, ) So it's true, animals are attracted to strong hope... no wonder she's like that with you.

( he's out of his element, not too sure how to go about this especially making idle chitchat with saihara, and where komaeda's ready to fall into complete silence is lily may's perfect encouragement of climbing on him. where her paws fall, onto his arm and then onto his shoulder, there's a slight flinch visible from komaeda (along with a soft, but audible "ow") as he cants his head to the side to allow her full reign. it's almost like a nudge at the end of the day, one where his lips purse into a straight line as he glances off to the side, not too distant, but not too sure where to go from here.

he doesn't know if he should say thank you, or if he should continue to ignore why everyone's here — the loud purring in his ear is a reminder of how difficult it is for him to capture her, and yet they did it with ease. it's done slowly, how his eyes are hesitant to lock back into the ultimate's own, and for once... he feels slightly nervous. he doesn't deserve someone like saihara speaking to him like this, so naturally he feels the need to — )

I'm sorry... For an Ultimate Detective, there isn't much to find here. ( he pauses like he's ready to stop the conversation, but he continues. ) I'm happy that you weren't put off by someone like me. ( that's his way of saying happy to see you. )

[unsurely]

[ There's... almost nowhere to even start with how many things in those statements are wrong. In the first place, the person who even caught the cat had been Norton, and Shuichi only has her because the other couldn't hold her and go get Komaeda at the same time... so to say that his talent has any relation to the matter at all is a stretch. I mean, sure, Saihara's got a history of looking for people's pets and lost items around the school, but... That's not the case in this instance. And secondly: it's a cat. He's pretty sure she doesn't even start to understand a complex human concept like hope.

But anyway. He seems to have gotten more used to just ignoring Komaeda's rambles, because... he doesn't even feel like sighing. ]

No... there isn't really a reason I'd be put off. Since I didn't come here as the Ultimate Detective in the first place, you know?

[ That's the only point he'll challenge, in a gentle voice and with the slightest trace of touch with one finger against his chin as he thinks. He snaps out of it soon though, and looks from the cat perched on Komaeda's shoulder to a chair nearby. No one's sitting in it right now, and so... Saihara turns it, setting it closer as quietly as he can. ]

And... even if you tell me to treat this like just a normal day, isn't the truth of the matter it isn't one? None of us gathered here with that in mind.

[ You don't go to celebrate someone's birthday, no matter who they are, with the intent to have a forgettable time that's just gonna blend into the monotony of the rest of the year. That's the point of doing something to mark the occasion in the first place. As he's making his point, Saihara moves to settle behind the chair, a single hand resting down at the top of the backrest. ]

Sorry, but... do you mind sitting down?

[commences]

( he notices it, the way he specifies his title, or actually, how he separates himself from it — what he knows is that it's not true. as ultimates, all they have going for them are their talents, and they are many symbols of hope for that reason alone. the talented are different from those who lack it, so to hear saihara speak like he's simple like the others brings komaeda to look to the side briefly, before returning his gaze back. one can't just say they don't come as an ultimate for it's what they are, and the concept of being one or the other isn't doesn't fit into place with how his mind works. so the answer to that question is no, komaeda doesn't know, so he'll put that into words. )

The talent I have is useless, pretty disappointing really... So I understand how I don't compare to yours, there's nothing intimidating about it.

( you know, the reason why he wouldn't be put off coming as he is, and he doesn't have to soften the blow of saying what komaeda's already aware — ow, there goes the white cat smacking her tail into komaeda's nose. it ends his little explanation rather quickly, and if his breathing wasn't already a sign that he should stop talking already. his eyes dart to the side to look at "lily may," and in return the feline is looking in another direction that isn't him, but she remains in place without a care. though her meddling isn't enough to stop komaeda in his tracks because he is attentive to what the other ultimate says, and that's because saihara's more thoughtful than some of the others, and so it's worth the time. )

You all came because you heard about it from someone else.

( it's because he doesn't remember telling any of them everything, and he follows with a disappointing sigh. ) I could say "today isn't my day," but that means nothing to you... ah, understandable, listening to someone as worthless as me... why would you? ( that's mostly said to himself with a warm smile — he must believe that, yes, komaeda does actually. once he notices how saihara migrates from one spot to another, and his final destination leads him to a chair where he stands. )

With you right there? I think that's too close...