riverview | [video] Happy Birthday, Laura!

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[video] Happy Birthday, Laura!

[Laura has not really been on the network much, since the kidnappings had happened. She had been scarce in general; just because she was held captive all her life, after all, did not make it any easier to be thrust back into that terrible sort of world. But now she's back and has at least had some time to try and heal from those nasty little metaphoricalwounds, chewing on her pencil thoughtfully before lowering it and smiling a little from where she sits at a table in the community housing..]

I am twelve now... I have never had a birthday before, so I am not sure what to do other than to say so; since I have been here for a year now, I have decided that August is my birth month.

[She grins a bit, rather impish.]

And since I do not have the exact day, I guess every day in August will have to be my birthday. Gracias.

[LAURA NO—

Oh, the feed ended on that note.

Guess August is National Laura Month, so sorry.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I've never had a birthday before, either, though I've celebrated someone else's before. We did things he liked doing, so that's what you should do for your birthday.

You are very old to not have had a birthday.

Were you held somewhere for a long time, too?

So are you. [Androids haven't been around very long, so twelve would seem old to them]

No. I wasn't born; I was built. And no one really celebrates that where I come from.

That is strange... Are you a robot? Or did they build you out of human parts?

[A strange distinction, but also — that's X-24 in a nutshell.]

I'm an android. We're designed very similar to humans.

... I see.

[She doesn't change her tone much; no judgement here, it seems.]

I am not human, either. Not exactly.

[On the whole, no one really seems to judge him for being an android. He's getting used to it]

There are child androids in my world, but I'm guessing that's not what you mean.

[She shakes her head.]

I am a mutant. The next evolution of humans, they call it.

... It makes us scary to them.

Edited 2018-08-07 07:57 (UTC)

Humans are always afraid of those who are different.

Sí, así es. Many are. There are some good people, but it is sometimes hard to tell which is which.

I was lucky that the human I was with is one of the good ones. He taught me a lot about art and life.

He sounds like a good man. I did not grow up with many good people, but there are quite a few that are kind here. Have you met many people in Riverview?

I have. It was a little strange at first, being able to go wherever I wanted and no one caring that I'm an android.

Was it something like that for you?

I suppose so. When I first came here, I had only been free for a week.

I was not used to being outside of the building I grew up in.

Then I'm glad you became free. That's a good reason to celebrate. What's your name?

My name is Laura.

Do you have a birthday, or are you unsure as well?

Mine is Markus.

I know I have a date of when I was finished being constructed, but I don't know when it was.

I think that you can easily just pick a day.

After all, I do not know my real one, either.

I'll have to think about it. I'll let you know when I come up with one.

Meanwhile, I hope you have a good birthday month. I've never given someone a birthday present before. What sort of things do you like?

[She thinks hard on this, scrounging up things she's learned to love in her year in Riverview.]

I like horses. Most animals are very nice... I like sweets, too. I like magic... and drawing.

Well, I can paint, so what if I gave you a painting of a horse?

You can do that? Paint a horse?

I could. I could paint a whole herd.

[She can't help but grin at that.]

That would be the perfect present.

Then I'll send it to you once it's finished. What color would you like the frame?