[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]

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?

[10_20_15_5_50]

Minus fifty, though record's sitting just under minus sixty. C, mind you.

[And with that, Sam sips at her own milkshake, grateful for Haven's perpetual summer---even if a high of 15 around the Hub doesn't seem all that summery to her housemate,]

[diagnosispuberty]

[Hiro just sort of stares blankly at Sam.]

How...how do you not die?

[10_20_15_5_50]

Dressing in layers? Anyway, that's real winter. How were you gonna define real winter?

[diagnosispuberty]

...when it says "December" on the calendar.

[10_20_15_5_50]

[At that, Sam just laughs.]

At least you get that calendar winter isn't the same as actual winter, even if you're reducing actual winter to one month. January doesn't even count for you?

[diagnosispuberty]

Nahhh, it's just rainy then. It rains until about March, and then it gets warm again and all the cherry blossom trees start blooming.

[10_20_15_5_50]

I'm jealous. Or I would be, but...

[She spreads her hands: but, we're here.]

[diagnosispuberty]

[Heavy sigh, and Hiro actually looks homesick, probably for the first time since he's shown up here.]

Yeah. I know. I kinda miss it.