So he floats over to her workshop.

And in it is Lorica with a four-inch chocolate cake, becandled, and a present. "Happy birthday!"

"Aww! Thank you, my love," he says, floating over to her to kiss her and accept the present.

"...that is so cool, is there stuff on the Yàngbǎn?"

"Yeah!"

"Best girlfriend," he says, and wraps her in a hug.

Hug!

And kiss! And then cake!

Cake for two!

"They keeping you for six more?"

"Five and a half."

"Of course."

"She said I'd have more time to coordinate with your powers or something. Which, well, is true."

"I mean, I coordinate with Dad fine and he's not a Ward, but it's probably slightly less awkward to have me issuing orders when I technically outrank you and in Dad's case they just pipe to his helmet so it looks less weird..."

"Yeah but you don't patrol together and there'll be a lot of training and patrol time with actual adult heroes instead of Wards when I graduate to the Protectorate proper."

"Yeah. It'll be different."

"But we needn't worry about that for another five and a half months."

"I mean, maybe it's worth a week or two of advance worrying."

"Worrying about what, though?"

"Coordinating across team boundaries," she shrugs.

"Well, in any actual engagements we'll still work together, and I don't think we'll actually forget how to in the five months you're still here and we're not on the same team. Assuming they release you immediately upon your birthday."

"I doubt it. They made me fucking captain. They might not keep me for six, but an extra one or two? Unless they have a next candidate in mind and want to give them a while."

"Who knows, though, Armsmaster even complimented you last week with Lung, maybe they'll want to make you a real hero quickly to use your skills more freely."