Fandom Island Museum, Thursday Daytime

[hasaknightjob]

Most people might not work on their birthdays. But Steven wasn't most people. He enjoyed working at the Museum. Besides, there was a weekly lunch to look forward to.

Blathers had made note of the day, which was kind. He gave Steven an entire breakdown of how birthdays were handled where he was from. It sounded nice, other than the part where people were sort of kidnapped into a birthday party. But Steven supposed if they knew it was going to happen as soon as they stepped out of their homes it wasn't too bad.

After that Blathers went off for his usual daytime sleep and Steven got to work.

[open!]

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[pocketpretzels]

And indeed, at lunchtime there was Watts for their weekly lunch date as per usual. Not so usual was the fact that he was struggling to juggle a takeout bag, a cake box, and his tote bag.

It had been a much slower, more careful walk from the apartment than usual. Good thing he'd accounted for that and left a little early.

"Hello, you."

[hasaknightjob]

Steven's face lit up when he saw his beau. "Hello, you. Do you need a hand?"

It was the little things that told you the difference between Steven and Marc. For instance, that Steven thought to offer.

[pocketpretzels]

"Oh, would you?" Watts said, clearly relieved. Was there etiquette regarding making someone carry their own birthday cake to their lunch table? Because that's what Watts was setting down on the welcome desk, followed by his hat.

[hasaknightjob]

If there was Steven didn't know about it. Besides, he was happy to help his beau however it was possible to do so. "Just this then?"

[pocketpretzels]

Watts nodded, adjusting the bag slung over his shoulder. "If you please."

[hasaknightjob]

Steven didn't know what was in the box but he picked it up very carefully all the same. "Right. To our usual spot then?"

[pocketpretzels]

"Let's," Watts agreed, and after just a moment's hesitation, reached to (carefully, so as not to upset the cake box) hook one arm with Steven's.

[mylandmyrules]

Nell bustled in with a box and a wrapped gift. "Good morning and happy birthday, Steven" She said cheerfully.

[hasaknightjob]

"Nell, hello!" Steven said, smiling when he saw her. "Happy birthday indeed, seeing a friend. How are you?"

[mylandmyrules]

"I'm very well, thank you. How are you doing on your birthday?" Nell asked with a smile of her own.

[hasaknightjob]

"Well, thank you," Steven said, with a smile to show he knew he was echoing her words in his reply. "Blathers even remembered it which was nice. My old boss couldn't be bothered."

[mylandmyrules]

"Really?" Nell frowned. "I'm glad you have a better boss here then."

She handed him a small flat package. "Just a little something for you. And here," she set the box on the counter. "I made you some cupcakes. I'd have made a cake, but I thought perhaps you and the Detective already had plans for one. Also, I know how much you like sharing things, so this way you could easily offer one of these to people if you wanted."

[hasaknightjob]

"Oh cheers," Steven said, touched she would go to the trouble. When he took the package he held it up, "Shall I open it now then?"

[anomaly_research_nerd]

Was it Connor's day to work? Nope, not at all, yet here he was, walking into the Museum to see the co-worker he didn't get nearly enough time to chat with lately.

"Hey Steven, how's it going?" he asked as he walked in, his typical messenger bag slung over his shoulder. "Anything interesting going on today?"

[hasaknightjob]

"Connor, hello!" Steven said. He wasn't going to lead with it being his birthday. That felt a little arrogant for the start of a conversation. He'd get to it in a minute, though. "Good day I'd say. Visitors and all. How are you doing?"

[anomaly_research_nerd]

"Doing well, running some errands and getting a few things for the apartment," he said giving the bag a light pat. "Otherwise, pretty good. Figured I was over on this side of things so wanted to stop by."

[hasaknightjob]

"Good thing you did," Steven said, far too happy about this particular opportunity for the segue. "Since it's been a year since I've seen you."

[anomaly_research_nerd]

"Yeah, been quite a while hasn't it" Connor said with a grin, appreciating the joke there. "Gotta try and get better with that, eh?"

[hasaknightjob]

"Not only that," Steven said, grinning, "but I'm an entire year older as well. It's my birthday today, you see."

[deathsmajesty]

Last week time she had been in the shop, she had talked to Steven-with-a-V about the museum with the sad lack of dead creatures in it. She hadn't anything better to do - in that she had not yet obtained proper staff and didn't feel like going into the shop a second day in a row and so she had gone wandering instead.

A museum full of bugs and fish didn't really match her idea of what a museum should be, but it was at least something cultural, right? And so she glided inside, the purple silk of her gown rustling softly as she went.

[hasaknightjob]

Steven blinked, then blinked again at who walked in. He started to smile and say "Hello, strang - " then stopped himself when he remembered on this island you couldn't make assumptions.

Different tactic then. "Liliana, yes? Not someone who looks like her?"

[deathsmajesty]

Liliana paused, her greeting forgotten in the face of this fresh hell. "Someone who looks like me?" she asked, in the tones of the audacity?!?

Until she thought of the other reasons something might impersonate her and went pale. For a moment, what appeared to be lines of purple were visible on her skin, but they faded quickly. "Where? When? How long ago?"

[hasaknightjob]

"Well - I mean - I meant now. You." Steven said. "Sometimes there's people about who look like other people. Can get a bit confusing. Very funny... well not world, really. Multiverse? No, wait, you had a word for it, didn't you? I remember you did only I can't remember the word."

[deathsmajesty]

"Multiverse is usually what I say," Liliana said, hackles still a bit raised but slowly lowering. "Unless you mean plane?"

[hasaknightjob]

"Plane might be it, yeah," Steven said. Then, as long as they were sort of on the topic, he added, "Sorry - I have problems with my memory sometimes, you see. Forget things people tell me. Or even if I've seen them. We - I've not seen you for a while, yeah? I haven't forgotten?"