What was important to know about Edgar's birthday cake was that it had been made with the best of intentions and a very amateur skill level. And it was supposed to be a hedgehog.
His first reaction had caused Ren to look over in alarm. But the laughter made her grin bashfully. "It's a hedgehog cake." She answered, coming over to view it with him. "It's meant t'look like a hedgehog."
It looked more like someone had melted a hedgehog. "Max made the cake proper, so, that's definitely edible." But the more Edgar laughed, the more she had to resist the urge to laugh along with him. "Look, I ain't never iced a cake before, it was harder then I thought it was going to be."
"It's perfect," he declares, and throws an arm around her. "Best hedgehog cake I ever saw. I dunno what the fuck a hedgehog even is, but this is definitely the best."
If she'll let him, he's going to lean forward and plant a smacking kiss on her forehead.
Ren felt the backs of her ears burn at the praise. She was getting one of those weird stomach flips that she felt sometimes and for the first time she was actually able to place what it was when she felt herself grin at him. Shit. There was a difference between being into someone and getting smitten over them.
Whatever. It wasn't going to hurt anything.
"Hedgehogs are animals." She explained. "People normally think they're cute." She definitely thought they were cute. "This one's clearly been on the piss though." She noted with a laugh.
"Do we take em out first, or what?" He's reaching for one of the biscuit sticks even as he asks; if she doesn't tell him not to, he'll pluck it out, and then a second one for her.
"Aye, not long to Imbolic now." She nodded in agreement.
But on that note, she would shoo him away from the cake. "Breakfast first b'fore you start makin' doe eyes at the cake. You'll do y'self no good eating too much sweet on an empty stomach."
"Right, right." He's perfectly happy to let her fuss him into eating breakfast instead of cake, and lifts the cover on the tray with barely even a token face-making of protest.
(Odds are good that whatever's for breakfast, he'll be as happy with that as with cake. Even the simplest of food still delights him, most of the time.)
Some instincts - fussing over people by making them eat - couldn't be ignored.
Ren took a seat. "Oh yeah, your present is on the table too." She mentioned. And sure enough there was a wrapped box with his present inside. "I made it. Well, the forgemaster made it 'nd let me do the heavy work. But, I helped."
There's mostly meat and fruit on the breakfast tray, which suits Edgar just fine. He pauses mid-chew as Ren points out the wrapped box, makes a muffled exclamation, and hastily chews and swallows before saying "You got me a present and a cake?"
"It's your birthday." Ren rolled her eyes in mock-exasperation. Okay, so, she had grown up with a relatively charmed childhood by Garou standards, a little rough around the edges but with two parents who adored her and wanted the best for her. And that involved getting well spoilt on your birthday. "Don't go spouting any stupidity about the cake bein' a present, 'cos it's not. Besides, I didn't get you nothin' for Yule, so, this can count for that too."
"Oh, not complaining, am I?" He takes a few more hasty bites to finish the chop, puts down the bone, hurriedly wipes his greasy fingers on his jeans, and reaches for the little wrapped box.
What's inside actually silences him for several seconds, eyes wide.
The significance of giving a ring to another person was slightly lost on Ren. Probably for the best.
"They're traditional back home. Most lads 'nd lasses from our part of the world get them when they turn adult. You're a few years past that now but I didn't see any harm in givin' you one."
When they turn adult. It isn't the same as hearing that from Curtis, but still, he can't help feeling warmed by it.
"Never saw one like this before," he says softly, lifting it out of the box and turning it in his fingers. "Claddagh, you called it? What's that mean?"
"Claddagh? It's a place in Southern Ireland. S'where they originate from." Ren explained, nodding towards it. "Ireland is a Island next to from where my family hails."
"They represent friendship, love 'nd loyalty. Here--" Ren stood up to lean over his shoulder to point out the elements. "The hands are for friendship, heart f'love obviously, the crown for loyalty. It's for the things y'want to be brought into your life or the things y'already have."
"Buuut, the things people won't tell you from my part of the world is the secret meanin' behind them. Y'wear it on your right hand with the heart in, means nobody has y'heart yet. Heart out, means someone's captured it 'nd you're not looking to share it with anyone else. Left hand with the heart tip point towards y'fingers means you've given your promise to someone. Left hand with the heart pointed in means you're someone's better half." Ren leant over and twisted it the various ways to show him what it meant.
"Nah, fun open secret, nowt serious." She reassured him. "And 'cos there's hardly anyone 'round here that'll know what it means, unless y'fancy tellin' them." But it wouldn't have felt right not to warn him just in case someone did know and he was wearing it the wrong way.
"I guess 'cos they've committed their hearts t'each other--" Ren gave a thoughtful hum. "On the left hand. The heart's point is outward 'cos you ain't tryin' to take in anythin' else. But Rowan don't know nothing about Claddagh-" she laughed. "-they're way to Southern for it."
Ren had been attempting to school her reaction while he figured it out which way he was intending on wearing it because - hey, no need to be weird about it. But she wasn't able to hide her satisfied grin.
"Ah good, it fits proper, grand. I had to try and figure it out off the cuff."
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
no subject
"What the fuck is it, I love it," he manages after a few moments.
no subject
It looked more like someone had melted a hedgehog. "Max made the cake proper, so, that's definitely edible." But the more Edgar laughed, the more she had to resist the urge to laugh along with him. "Look, I ain't never iced a cake before, it was harder then I thought it was going to be."
no subject
If she'll let him, he's going to lean forward and plant a smacking kiss on her forehead.
no subject
Whatever. It wasn't going to hurt anything.
"Hedgehogs are animals." She explained. "People normally think they're cute." She definitely thought they were cute. "This one's clearly been on the piss though." She noted with a laugh.
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
Cronch. Eating something sweet is a much better way to celebrate getting older, all things considered.
no subject
But on that note, she would shoo him away from the cake. "Breakfast first b'fore you start makin' doe eyes at the cake. You'll do y'self no good eating too much sweet on an empty stomach."
no subject
(Odds are good that whatever's for breakfast, he'll be as happy with that as with cake. Even the simplest of food still delights him, most of the time.)
no subject
Ren took a seat. "Oh yeah, your present is on the table too." She mentioned. And sure enough there was a wrapped box with his present inside. "I made it. Well, the forgemaster made it 'nd let me do the heavy work. But, I helped."
no subject
no subject
no subject
What's inside actually silences him for several seconds, eyes wide.
"It's a ... a ring?"
no subject
The significance of giving a ring to another person was slightly lost on Ren. Probably for the best.
"They're traditional back home. Most lads 'nd lasses from our part of the world get them when they turn adult. You're a few years past that now but I didn't see any harm in givin' you one."
no subject
"Never saw one like this before," he says softly, lifting it out of the box and turning it in his fingers. "Claddagh, you called it? What's that mean?"
no subject
"They represent friendship, love 'nd loyalty. Here--" Ren stood up to lean over his shoulder to point out the elements. "The hands are for friendship, heart f'love obviously, the crown for loyalty. It's for the things y'want to be brought into your life or the things y'already have."
"Buuut, the things people won't tell you from my part of the world is the secret meanin' behind them. Y'wear it on your right hand with the heart in, means nobody has y'heart yet. Heart out, means someone's captured it 'nd you're not looking to share it with anyone else. Left hand with the heart tip point towards y'fingers means you've given your promise to someone. Left hand with the heart pointed in means you're someone's better half." Ren leant over and twisted it the various ways to show him what it meant.
no subject
"Is that secret like nobody's supposed to know, or ...?"
no subject
no subject
A pause. "How d'you wear it if it's, like ... you're with someone but not exclusive? Like Max and Lucas and Rowan?"
no subject
no subject
And despite every effort not to, he can't help glancing up at Ren to see how she reacts.
manipulation botch to not seem overly pleased
"Ah good, it fits proper, grand. I had to try and figure it out off the cuff."
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)