[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

[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.

[10_20_15_5_50]

Only kinda? [It's a gentle question.] I do okay most days, but there are times when I miss home like hell. Couple weeks and I know it's gonna hit hard.

I also know it would hit a hell of a lot harder if I didn't have you around, so. Thanks for that.

[diagnosispuberty]

[Hiro shrugs his shoulders, head down now, staring at the table.] I...try not to think about it too much. I've got other stuff to do, and all.

...yeah. I mean. You too.

[10_20_15_5_50]

That makes two of us.

So! [Sam claps her hands together, setting that conversation aside for Another Time since it---like whatever her Kraken substitute is spiced with---seems to be best dealt with in small doses.] Movin' on to stuff to do. Specifically, December stuff to do. Thanksgiving panned out okay; you in for Christmas?

[diagnosispuberty]

[Thank goodness for Sam's timely moving away from the Grim And Sad topics and onto the greatest of all topics: Christmas.]

Um, yeah, duh, of course, can we start decorating right now?

[10_20_15_5_50]

No. I'm having my birthday first. We can start planning decorating right now, though. Real tree? Real tree. I'm a little torn, though...

On one hand, it would be cool if you and I went and just ourselves got one. Quality bonding time! On the other hand, though, it seems like a shame to chop a tree down, so I'm tempted to just take the top off one big enough to survive the loss.