[ it's not necessarily followed by an of course. the cora who went to high school would of course remember the birthday of one of her friends — and her supposed boyfriend — but the cora who had nothing at all, not even a friend to embarrass her when she didn't want to face the day she aged without her family celebrating with her, never really took to making a show of remembering. each birthday she'd spent had been alone, wishing a happy birthday to a ghost who wasn't as intangible as she had been lead to believe. but adam's a little different, as he's alive, even if barely, and sometimes it never quite hurts to act as though someone matters. ]
[ it's a little difficult for cora to shrug things off, even if she pretends otherwise. boyd continues to matter, even after he'd gone limp in her arms. erica will always matter, even if she had been someone she could touch again in wonderland. and adam, despite what he may believe, matters in his own way, even if he's sometimes as stubborn and as aggravating as trying to move a rock. she knows if she tries to push him she might end up hurting herself, but stubbing her toe against this particular stone may be worth it. it's a little difficult to even shake the feeling like this is an important day away. it'd mattered to her in an alternate universe; for some reason it matters now. ]
[ rather than take to audio, or even video, cora chooses to do something simple. it's long-lasting, if he doesn't delete it, and it doesn't mix any messages up, either. ]
Happy Birthday.
[ she wants to add in a joke, perhaps a one more year until you're legal, but she doubts a reminder of what it is neither of them have is the best way to colour his day. ]
[Adam has to give his device a double-take before he processes what he's reading. Birthday wishes are the last thing he wants to see, the very last thing. It's a cheap shot, one he's not prepared for.
No one here knows him, he hadn't been close to any of these people in his real life aside from John (and he'd remembered Adam's birthday sporadically at best, his phone calls coming less and less), so how--? Then he sees who'd sent the text. Cora? How?]
How did you know?
[He shoots a text back, not because he wants to admit she's right, but to voice the question he's asking himself in his mind. Does anyone else? Are more lousy reminders headed his way?
That's the important thing here, the only important thing.]
[ that's the simplest explanation. it avoids any other questions of how? being asked when it's laid out there on the table for him. she knows because in some alternate universe, she cared enough to want to know. she knows she would've made a big deal about it, as that cora had a social life this cora lacks. but it's easier to joke about it, even if she doesn't find it all too humourous right now. ]
[ maybe there's something wrong with cora in this universe where she doesn't want to know. shouldn't she? adam's a friend, one of the only few in wonderland she actually seems to keep an eye on. isn't it normal to want to know when their birthdays are? but it's easier for her to keep on trucking on without making those kinds of attachments. she seems to come and go; not even beacon hills can manage to hold her for too long. ]
Something I remembered. Kind of hard to forget when that me would've made a big deal about it.
[ and this cora wouldn't, hence the rather impersonal text. ]
[The fake memories. She's talking about the fake life they'd believed not that long ago.
It's possible, Adam realizes. Those little details had been a... are... a part of his life, just like when Cora had called him a medical student. He'd almost forgotten about the event, so eager to box all of that time up and lose it in the darkness of his memory. It goes without saying that anyone who'd known him might know things about him he hadn't told them.
Adam's chewing that unpleasant idea over even as he replies.]
None of that matters and it's not a big deal.
Forget about it.
[All of it. They'd agreed to forget, and forgetting is exactly what he's going to keep on doing.]
[ cora's not going to become overly defensive toward adam's response. it's the kneejerk reaction she has, but, it's not really her place. if he doesn't want it to matter, that's on him. cora doesn't particularly care. what does she lose if he doesn't want to face the birthday candles? nothing. but she loses if she doesn't send him some sort of message, anyway. maybe he'd appreciate it, maybe he wouldn't — and it's the latter. she knows what it's like to be forgotten; is it so bad she didn't want someone else to feel that exact same way, too? ]
[ pick your fights. she doesn't particularly want to argue over his birthday. did she want to celebrate hers? no. but it was nice to know derek at least remembered. ]
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text »
[ it's not necessarily followed by an of course. the cora who went to high school would of course remember the birthday of one of her friends — and her supposed boyfriend — but the cora who had nothing at all, not even a friend to embarrass her when she didn't want to face the day she aged without her family celebrating with her, never really took to making a show of remembering. each birthday she'd spent had been alone, wishing a happy birthday to a ghost who wasn't as intangible as she had been lead to believe. but adam's a little different, as he's alive, even if barely, and sometimes it never quite hurts to act as though someone matters. ]
[ it's a little difficult for cora to shrug things off, even if she pretends otherwise. boyd continues to matter, even after he'd gone limp in her arms. erica will always matter, even if she had been someone she could touch again in wonderland. and adam, despite what he may believe, matters in his own way, even if he's sometimes as stubborn and as aggravating as trying to move a rock. she knows if she tries to push him she might end up hurting herself, but stubbing her toe against this particular stone may be worth it. it's a little difficult to even shake the feeling like this is an important day away. it'd mattered to her in an alternate universe; for some reason it matters now. ]
[ rather than take to audio, or even video, cora chooses to do something simple. it's long-lasting, if he doesn't delete it, and it doesn't mix any messages up, either. ]
Happy Birthday.
[ she wants to add in a joke, perhaps a one more year until you're legal, but she doubts a reminder of what it is neither of them have is the best way to colour his day. ]
text;
No one here knows him, he hadn't been close to any of these people in his real life aside from John (and he'd remembered Adam's birthday sporadically at best, his phone calls coming less and less), so how--? Then he sees who'd sent the text. Cora? How?]
How did you know?
[He shoots a text back, not because he wants to admit she's right, but to voice the question he's asking himself in his mind. Does anyone else? Are more lousy reminders headed his way?
That's the important thing here, the only important thing.]
text;
[ that's the simplest explanation. it avoids any other questions of how? being asked when it's laid out there on the table for him. she knows because in some alternate universe, she cared enough to want to know. she knows she would've made a big deal about it, as that cora had a social life this cora lacks. but it's easier to joke about it, even if she doesn't find it all too humourous right now. ]
[ maybe there's something wrong with cora in this universe where she doesn't want to know. shouldn't she? adam's a friend, one of the only few in wonderland she actually seems to keep an eye on. isn't it normal to want to know when their birthdays are? but it's easier for her to keep on trucking on without making those kinds of attachments. she seems to come and go; not even beacon hills can manage to hold her for too long. ]
Something I remembered. Kind of hard to forget when that me would've made a big deal about it.
[ and this cora wouldn't, hence the rather impersonal text. ]
no subject
It's possible, Adam realizes. Those little details had been a... are... a part of his life, just like when Cora had called him a medical student. He'd almost forgotten about the event, so eager to box all of that time up and lose it in the darkness of his memory. It goes without saying that anyone who'd known him might know things about him he hadn't told them.
Adam's chewing that unpleasant idea over even as he replies.]
None of that matters and it's not a big deal.
Forget about it.
[All of it. They'd agreed to forget, and forgetting is exactly what he's going to keep on doing.]
no subject
[ pick your fights. she doesn't particularly want to argue over his birthday. did she want to celebrate hers? no. but it was nice to know derek at least remembered. ]
Fine.
No problem.
Have a boring Manic Monday.
no subject
Thanks for not asking.