[video]

[10_20_15_5_50]

[Sam's broadcasting from a seat at Your Place, a milkshake on the table in front of her.]

Having now completed a couple years of it, I'm now pretty sure everyone under a hundred is improvising this 'real adult' stuff. And as for the rest of you? [She grins a crooked little grin, pointing at the camera with a cherry stem.] I've got some suspicions still.

[The broadcast would end there---and does, briefly---but the network's treated to Hiro hijacking Sam's drone to properly inform other Haveners.]

Hey, so, uh, what Sam means is that it's her birthday and she's just being cryptic. So, y'know. Don't let her forget it.

Comments

[diagnosispuberty]

[Making faces now.] Ice cream's good.

[10_20_15_5_50]

[Sam gets up, pats Hiro on the head, and limps over to the edge of the human-sized seating space to call the order down. At least it's not too busy, this time of day; when it's ready, there'll be no hunting for her table. Returning, she plunks into her seat and regards Hiro curiously.]

Kiddo, when's your birthday?

[diagnosispuberty]

[Hiro gets all his gagging/grossed out faces done while Sam's back is turned, then just settles down with his cheek propped on one hand to wait it out until he gets ice cream.

The question gets a pause, like he actually has to think about it.] April 2nd.

[Another pause, then:] Wait, is it your birthday?

[10_20_15_5_50]

It is! Or just past, more like. You know how it is with the long days.

[diagnosispuberty]

[Have a look somewhere between surprised and horrified.] And you didn't tell anyone?

[10_20_15_5_50]

Not outright, but it is why I did the broadcast I just did. I figure it's implied enough.

[diagnosispuberty]

[HUFFY FACE, gonna grab your drone now and mess around with it for a second.]

Hey, so, uh, what Sam means is that it's her birthday and she's just being cryptic. So, y'know. Don't let her forget it.

[10_20_15_5_50]

Not much chance of that. Between you and the tall dudes, I get to seesaw between feeling old and like such a young punk.

[diagnosispuberty]

I don't think you're old. I mean, not...y'know. Comparatively.

[Impatient look over at the ice cream counter.]

[10_20_15_5_50]

I'll take that. You still make me feel old sometimes, though. Mostly on account of the future thing, occasionally cause I say something and sound like my mom.

[diagnosispuberty]

[Have a shrug.] I wouldn't know. I don't remember what moms sound like.

[10_20_15_5_50]

[Open moth, close mouth, shrug concession. It has the potential to be awkward... but it isn't, because it's just a fact of life for Hiro; not a big deal.]

Point. Mostly the 'hey, hey, hey, at least eat those vegetables' and my 'shoes off' moments, and some 'it's okay's.... though, you should know, most of the flak you catch from me is straight Sam. Like 'the groceries come in all in one trip, or not at all'.

[diagnosispuberty]

[See, Sam, this is why Hiro can't have friends his own age, because he always says something awkward.]

The vegetables thing has got to be some sort of brain implant thing that only kicks in when you hit eighteen. Has to be. But the groceries thing is straight-up a matter of pride. None of this weak wimpy "make two trips" stuff.

[10_20_15_5_50]

[Luckily for Hiro, Sam has a knack for rolling with whatever she has to.]

I think it kicked in for me when I was first properly exposed to a southern farmers' market. [Musing, she'll wave over the server who's got Hiro's shake.] The produce here tops that, though. And you see, you see, you understand. Who does two trips? No-one in our house, that's who.

[diagnosispuberty]

[Delicious precious sugary beverage! Praise be to the gods of milkshakes! Hiro slurps down about half of it in one gulp then sighs in relief.] Most of the stuff isn't so bad when it's...y'know, deep-fried and covered in cheese.

People who do two trips won't survive the winter. [Said solemnly, before he downs the other half of the shake.]

[10_20_15_5_50]

[Considering there's caramel, toffee bits, chocolate bits, and a dollop of marshmallow creme, it's certainly sugary; Sam nods to herself, impressed by Hiro's hoovering. She then pulls a face at 'isn't so bad.']

You are seriously underappreciating the quality of the stuff we have here. So's you know. I got a cousin in Kugluktuk and not-great apples are three bucks a pound there.

Even doing one trip, I'd have some doubts about you.... buuut, you're with me. You'll be okay.

[diagnosispuberty]

[Hiro is building up to a delightful sugar coma right now,so he just laughs to himself.] Kugluktuk. Hah.

[And he's about to retort to that very rude/besmirching comment, but then ow, brain freeze.] Ow, ow, ow, jeez...

[10_20_15_5_50]

Statement retracted. [But the witch is not without sympathy.] Try pressing your tongue against the roof of your mouth, it should help it stop hurting faster.

[diagnosispuberty]

[Grumbly sounds, but he obeys.]





Oh, hey, it worked. [Right back to gulping ice cream, though not without a:] Hey, I'm tough!

[10_20_15_5_50]

Yeah, and so's real winter.

[diagnosispuberty]

I've seen real winter!

[10_20_15_5_50]

Oh, really? You'd never left San Fransokyo---y'may've seen clips, but you're not prepared for feeling minus forty.

[diagnosispuberty]

...can it seriously get that cold I thought that was a relic of the ice age.

[10_20_15_5_50]

Dude. Dude. Minus forty is cold enough to bitch about, but it's not even exceptional.

[diagnosispuberty]

What's exceptional, then?