If he were still a human, a Somebody, he supposed this would be what they call his birthday.

Triskix lay in his bed, staring at the ceiling, the early morning sun casting its rays across his walls. It was the two year anniversary of the day he’d been found in the darkness by Axel, and brought to live at Castle Oblivion as his apprentice. Two years, not that it mattered (seeing as he couldn’t age), but still a nice thing to remember.

He smiled a little, thinking about everything he’d learned from Axel so far: how to gather his fire into massive balls of energy, how to throw them, control them mid-flight, and even make them stop on a dime. The practice sessions with the other apprentices were always cruel fun. He would never tire of the look on RaXi’s face as he landed a fireball just a little too close to her face.

The silence was nice, and Triskix planned on basking in it for a while longer. Unfortunately, certain other Nobodies didn’t exactly consult Triskix on his plans.

“Trisssssssskiiiiiiiix!” The voice stretched out his name in a rather embarrassing manner, and Triskix was forced to glance over to whoever had so rudely portalled into his room uninvited.

“Ah-AXEL! Offa me, you crazy pyromaniac,” Tris shouted as the wilder red-head launched himself onto Triskix’s bed.

“Look who’s talking,” said Axel in reply, grinning down at the boy. “Guess what day it is? I bet you don’t know what day it is. Come on, you know what day it is.”

“Yes, I know what day it is. You commanded me to ‘commit it to memory,’ remember?” Triskix rolled his eyes. “Or have you neglected to take your own advice? I wouldn’t be surprised,” he said sarcastically.

Axel shook his head violently. “TRIS! You can’t be all emo on your birthday,” he shouted.

Triskix winced. “One, I am a Nobody. I have no birthday,” he said calmly. “Two, you don’t have to shout. I’m about six inches below you.”

Axel sat back towards the end of the bed, crossed his arms, and pouted. “You’re no fun, Tris,” he said, watching as the boy got up and rifled through his drawers for clothes. As Triskix disappeared into his bathroom without another word, Axel sighed. “Meet me in the kitchen when you’re done,” he called out before portalling out of the room.
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Down in the kitchen, Axel was busy putting the finishing touches on Triskix’s birthday breakfast. With a wave of his hand, he lit the single candle on his birthday cupcake, located next to his birthday eggs, bacon, and pancakes. And to wash it all down, there was a glass of birthday…

Panicked, Axel looked all around him. “Where’s the birthday O.J.? I swear I poured a glass—RaXi!”

Standing innocently a few feet away, RaXi paused, the glass halfway to her mouth and almost empty. “Yesh?” she answered, voice partly muffled by the glass.

Axel clutched at his hair, eyes wide. “You’re drinking the birthday O.J.,” he whispered dramatically, “Triskix’s birthday O.J.!”

RaXi placed the now empty glass back on the counter. “Um…we’re Nobodies. We don’t have birthdays, Axel,” she said, raising an eyebrow.

“That—that doesn’t matter! You drank the birthday O.J.!” The red-head pointed wildly at RaXi and said empty glass.

“Sorry,” said RaXi, moving over to the fridge, “it was just on the counter, I thought it was free game…anyway, why don’t you just…oh.”

Upon opening the door, she quickly realized why Axel was panicking so much: they were all out of orange juice. Turning back to the breakfast Axel had made, she eyed the blackened food warily. “I’m—I’m sure he can do without it,” she said to herself. “It can’t be that bad.”

Unnoticed by Axel, who was now pacing in front of the door, RaXi picked up the fork and stole a small bite of the eggs.

“Ack—auugh—eck—euughh,” she choked, dropping the fork with a clatter and clutching at her throat. Axel whipped around to see the blue-haired apprentice clinging to the counter and gasping for air, coughing madly.

“RaXi? Are you alright?” Axel seemed concerned, but then got a hold of himself. “What am I saying? WHY ARE YOU EATING TRISKIX’S BIRTHDAY BREAKFAST!?!”

RaXi would have answered him, but was still aiming for a good breath of oxygen, so she just aimed a solid glare at him.

“Nevermind that, then. This right here is karma coming to bite you in the butt for stealing the birthday O.J.,” he said, nodding seriously.

RaXi shook her head. “I don’t care, you’re right,” she rasped out, “you need to find some more birthday O.J.”

Axel nodded. “Okay. But Triskix can’t eat his birthday breakfast until I get back,” he said. “You need to run serious interference, alright?”

RaXi agreed, and Axel went off in search of someone he knew would help him search for the ever elusive birthday O.J.