What We’ve Been Waiting For

Basileus POV

"Basileus Damien Sayre! Come blow out your candles!" His mom's voice whipped through the house like a whip, causing the smallest lance of dread to shoot throughout his body. Despite his knowledge that in every important combat metric, he exceeded his mom, still her using that tone would always prompt a childlike fear.

Wanting to salvage at least some face in the company of dozens of his extended family, he refused to call out something as pedestrian as, 'Coming Mom.' He forced himself to maintain a proud gait, maneuvering past uncles and aunts and cousins all looking at him with happiness, wishing him a happy birthday. He smiled back at them, thanking them as appropriate and feeling deep awe at the loving support he always received from his family.

He snapped back to reality when he finally arrived in front of the cake his mother made to commemorate Basileus and Benaiah's shared birthday. The birthday was the relatively unimportant aspect of the day, for it was also the day they would both hopefully awaken their vitality and begin their journeys as Architects.

In any case, the cake his mom made for the occasion was a thing of beauty. Standing tall, it was covered in a white icing that was so light and fluffy it resembled creamy clouds. Underneath the icing, Bas knew a rich chocolate cake would be revealed in glory, being somehow light and fudgy simultaneously. The way the cake with the white chocolate icing would melt in your mouth, and yet also have enough consistency to require chewing… Yeah, his mouth was now watering. He had never met a woman who could cook as well as his mother.

To his amused consternation however, the cake only captured his attention for a few seconds. Because there was a figure standing next to it, already in a perfect position for the pictures that, to him, always failed to capture her grace entirely. Benaiah was a worthy prize for kingdoms to go to battle for, in Basileus's humble opinion. She was wearing a modest white dress, complete with frills on the sleeves and the tail that ended right above her knees, only teasing the smooth thighs he so wanted to run his hands across. It tapered closely to her waist, highlighting the outline of a body that most women require corsets to achieve. Her breasts were covered entirely, yet the size of them ensured all men would understand that two glorious mounds were lingering close by, if only out of sight.

Of course, she still has that strange expression on her face. To those who don't know her that well, nothing could be perceived as off going by the smile on her face. But Basileus could tell by the subtle tightness in her cheeks, and the way she carefully avoided all eye contact with him that she wasn't back to normal yet. As Basileus arrived beside her, he could see her eyes flit across his body, finally arriving at his own gaze before turning her head away.

His sister's perpetually strange behavior aside, Bas felt very happy with his last bit of progress these past few months. His dad had led him through the most intense period of physical training he had been through in his life. He felt proud about the effects, however. His bulky frame had leaned down noticeably, leaving his muscles extremely defined, with very little fat held on his body. He has grown a bit taller as well, barely reaching six foot two. His face reflected this progress, appearing more mature as his jawline benefited from the fat loss, its definition and the first beginnings of stubble lining his jaw attested that he was maturing quickly.

As part of the occasion, he was dressed by his mom. She had chosen a pair of dark silk pants, paired with a bright cotton collared shirt with contrasting black buttons. His shoes were a dark shade of brown leather, matched perfectly with his belt, which shared the same color. His wrist wore a tasteful watch, that belied its price, being the gift his father gave him earlier today. It was becoming increasingly more difficult for him to not become vain, because he knew he looks good!

In any event, after a dozen or so pictures were taken by his mom with the twins forced into increasingly ridiculous posing instructions, finally came the time to sing Happy Birthday. Truly a deplorable tradition he has always maintained. No matter who you are, how can you not feel awkward while a group of people are staring at you, smiling at that, and singing an off-tune bastardization of music. After the event came to a blessed close, each of the twins were cheered on to blow out the candles.

As they both leaned forward to blow out the candles, their eyes met. Basileus could honestly state that his sister had never been more beautiful to him than she was at that moment. Her lips were pursed tightly, the sides slightly upturned, amused at the predictable thoughts she knew were occurring in her brother's mind. Her eyes had a mischievous glint, as if to mockingly ask, You're enjoying this right? He could feel her breath softly blow across the side of his face. He shivered at the feeling and the subtle trace he could smell of her breath, minty from her toothpaste, yet retaining that smell that was distinctly her.

Clearing his mind from these unwelcome thoughts, he did his part in the ritual, and blew out the remaining candles Benaiah had missed. The demise of the last candle served as a rallying cry for a chorus of supportive shouts. Interspersed declarations of 'Happy Awakening Day!' and 'Congratulations Basileus/Benaiah' rung in his ears. He smiled and pulled his sister to his side, causing her to let out a quiet yelp at the unexpected contact. She looked up at him meekly, and he mouthed 'smile for the pictures,' to her. She looked up quickly at the camera held by their mom, and pushed everything else away, smiling brightly at the camera, embracing Bas as if the previous distance they've been maintaining had not occurred.

Once the last of the pictures were taken, before letting go of her, he gave her a nudge, prompting her to look up to his eyes. "I know your Awakening will set others to shame, little sister. Always know that I love you more than anyone else in my life." His eyes were shining with passion at his statement, and his hands were grasping her sides firmly, rooting her in her spot of gazing up at him in wonder. Bas knew that there was probably some reason his sister was maintaining her distance, but he decided that he did not want to go into his own Awakening before attempting to express his support for her, no matter if there was a strange tension lingering.

Her cheeks took on a slightly rosy tone, though thankfully to Benaiah's pride, the majority was hidden by the tasteful amount of makeup she wore. She may have withdrawn because she was having…questionable thoughts…about Bas, but she still loved him and knew it was important to express that. "I love you more, big brother. You'll be the greatest, I know it!" With a quiet intensity she said this and gave him a brief, but firm hug. It went by much too quickly in Basileus's opinion, as she separated herself with haste, and went to speak about something purposefully inane with their mom.

His other sisters came to furnish Benaiah's absence. Isabella, his youngest sibling who was only nine years old, latched onto his midsection with a cute squeal of glee. "Bassie is gonna be an Architect today!" Basileus could not control the twitch that appeared in his brow, hearing the awful nickname that Isabella insisted on calling him. His heart calmed as often was the case when it involves Isabella. Thankfully, to his already frayed mental well-being, he had no questionable feelings for Isabella than that is not perfectly normal for siblings. Yet she had an effect on him purely by her fairy-like cuteness. He found himself in ordinary situations completely unable to deny her. She had a horrible habit, he insisted, of extending her bottom lip and making her eyes water in such a way that made him capitulate every time he saw it. It is a dangerous ability!

Alongside Isabella was his only older sibling, his sister Anastasia. It amazed Bas every time he was around Ana at just how motherly her disposition was. She was really like a carbon copy of their mom, with her kind and caring nature, combined with an amusing level of innocence. It never failed to make him laugh whenever he would tell a joke that was only slightly dark, and she would react with the most scandalized gasp at his audacity and, in her words, 'completely inappropriate speech!'

Not to be shamed by her own lack of affection, Anastasia jutted Isabella aside and proceeded to hug him softly. "Congratulations, Bas. Ever since I awakened, I knew that you would follow right alongside me. I love you so much and cannot wait to see what you achieve in the future!" She followed this with a soft kiss on his cheek, leaning back still in his embrace, displaying a beaming smile and pride glowing visibly in her eyes, her tangible aura suffusing his senses and calling forth a bout of lightheadedness for Bas, feeling so much of her, from her amateur Aura projection she learned in her studies in the use of Life Energy.

He smiled back just as wide, returning a brief squeeze of physical affirmation to Ana's side, and a series of words of thanks. Desiring to speak to his younger brothers, Bas told the girls that he would hang out with them later and departed to find his brothers. He imagined they wouldn't be hard to find, due to their constant bickering, which despite their never-ending arguments, did not harm the way the two were basically glued to each other's sides. Raising his ears to listen for noises of chaos, he did not have to listen long before finding the source of the sounds.

Huddled together near each other in a circle towards the back of the dining hall were his two younger brothers, along with a couple of Basileus's cousins who were a couple years younger than him. "Here Basileus is, he'll agree with me! Brother, was there anything wrong with the Spanish conquest of the Aztecs? No, right? Cassiel is saying there was!" Dominic, his youngest brother at eleven years old, spoke this imperiously with his nose turned up at Cassiel, the middle of the siblings at twelve years old.

"Yeah, really impressive that you can so confidently speak such worthless bullshit, you little retard." Cassiel said this with a drawl with minimal changes in his calm intonation. Of the three brothers, Cassiel was the most even-tempered, showing only the basic of emotions so as to not be perceived as impolite in conversations. Otherwise, his feelings were locked away tightly. It was really only Dominic who could make him show even the level of emotion he was showing now. "What I actually said is that despite the core of the conquest being justified, there were accidental evils that do taint the whole conquest, especially if some naïve fool like yourself presents it as some wholesome display of the glories of the West." Cassiel spoke this equally as confidently to Dominic, before turning his gaze to Bas. "Happy Awakening Day, Basileus."

Bas smirked at the professional tone Cassiel was using prompting Bas to grab Cassiel's head and give him the most disrespectful move in conflicts: the dreaded nuggie! Once Bas had his fill bothering his younger brother who always pretended to be more mature than anyone else, he looked at Dominic and said, "Neither of y'all are fully right. The answer is in the middle, figure that out yourselves." Cassiel was glaring at Bas as he attempted to fix his hair that was messed up by Basileus's 'completely childish behavior!'

"I am done with this conversation and this party! Good day!" Cassiel said this completely unironically, leaving the rest of the group to look at him in astonishment. One of Basileus's cousins was the first to break the seal with a small chuckle, before the other three began laughing uproariously at Cassiel's expense. His cheeks gained a slight hue of red before he turned on his heel with an embarrassed humph and exited the hall gracefully.

Dominic was rubbing his hands together while his expression was twisted, leaving an evil look on his face. "Now more of the family has seen how much of a cringe poser Cassiel is, I'll make sure he never forgets!" There was nothing that excited Dominic as much as more material to torment Cassiel with. Bas watched this display with amusement, knowing that despite their respective quirks, his brothers are certainly destined to greatness as strong Architects in the future. It's their destiny!

Feeling the pressure of what followed the party, Basileus went to find his mom to inform her that he was ready to go to his room and begin the Awakening ritual. She wished him her own message of support, along with the silent stare his father pierced him with, as if to say, 'This is the moment your Legend begins!' Bas returned a small nod to his dad, before leaving the hall with Benaiah to the sounds of the supportive shouts of his extended family. As they both arrived in front of their respective doors, they locked eyes and hesitated. Finally, after a few seconds of silent gazing, he said, "Good luck." His sister nodded and gave him a small smile before softly closing her door. Bas looked at his own door and his gaze sharpened. Time to begin the tale of my rise!