Voice with possible action. (kinda forward-dated a little maybe?) username: ilikehorses

[shoplifter]

[Well, look. Whenever she gets invited to Alphonse's future birthday, she's got a lot to think about.

She must consider this: there will be cake, that is a certainty. Cake sitting on a table, like in Transigen... in front of a deceptive cartoon painting on the wall; ways to trick outsiders into thinking the place is kind to its patients... She's learned at that facility that cake is a staple of birthdays, or rather, from the nurses. Birthdays involve singing, and they all learned the words for Delilah. All for Delilah. But they weren't allowed to have those parties, not after the first and last time; she never bothered asking about them again, because... she knew there would be nothing beyond the question. It wasn't difficult to tell what blowing out the candles and leading them away meant.

She had whispered happy birthday to Delilah on the way out, though.

Really, she's not sure just how normal those birthday choices even were. Outside of the walls of Transigen, what is a birthday like? Is there still cake? Still the concept of presents, or singing? Did the nurses want to try and do something nice but ultimately fantasy? Like Logan had said, ice-cream for bedwetters. She's curious to learn, though. So again, she uses the network for her own gain: this time, birthday information, instead of school.

(I'm sensing a pattern.)

Her voice is casual, but interested. She's not about to ruin the surprise, but she does need to know what she's getting herself into, here.]

What sort of presents are you supposed to give people, for their birthday?

... Toys, no?

[What the hell do adults like to get, for presents? A long pause, and she's not terribly sure of herself.]

Are there fireworks at birthday parties, too?

[Another thoughtful pause, yet again.]

... How do you tell what day you were born? Is it on a special paper?

[Okay, okay, last question there. She bites back more questions. Easy, Laura, easy.]


[ ADDITIONAL ACTION.]

[If you would like to find her out and about, she is wandering the shops for things that might be nice to give to the birthday boy, especially the department stores. Laura also puts on a cool hat and goes to leave without paying for it, of course, so she can be found getting approached by a very unhappy security guard there who is calling out something about a shoplifter. Look ma, it's my username!

... What? Just because she's getting better at being in the real world doesn't mean she's learned the virtue of paying for things.

Her dad stole cigars. She totally saw him do it. Cigars and a phone charger. 

Or maybe you'll find her violently shaking one of those coin-eating candy machines. Stupid thieving machine - she tried to be nice about this and use real money, and see where it got her? Never fear, she pops claws from her knuckles, long and adamantium-silver, and she slices the top of the candy machine clean off, so she can reach inside and take handfuls for her pocket. Man, living the dream over here. Don't bother asking where Linda is, we all know there's a repeating pattern of juking her.]

Comments

video; @crimson.duelist

[verflair]

[ It's not hard for X'rhun to make the connection and realize that "birthday" is just another word for "nameday".

His own home is wartorn, ravaged by civil war and crushed by invaders as a consequence, leaving many children without the luxury of celebrating or even knowing their namedays, so something in this string of questions hits close to home.

He recognizes Laura's voice, but only somewhat, as they've rarely crossed paths in spite of living together. Still, he offers the camera a warm smile. ]

What you get someone for their named-- ah, birthday, depends on the person. It's best to get them something they like, be it toys or books or anything else. That is part of the fun, learning what people like and finding that certain thing that they will enjoy.

And I suppose there is no way to tell when you were born if you weren't specifically told it, but if that's the case there's no harm in picking a day for yourself. Everyone deserves to be celebrated, yes?

video;

[shoplifter]

[Heeeey roomie.

She does listen - in fact, she's very good at listening, at observing. Toys, books, or anything else. Well. That makes the scope very broad and unhelpful; she'll have to do a little detective work, then, to see what Alphonse likes. Maybe it will be fun.]

You can pick a day?

[That's never crossed her mind; it seemed like it would be something specific, something you can't make up, like the data from a chart. Grounded in reality and without the touch of something fantastical, like unicorns. Surely, their dates of... 'birth' are somewhere on file. Somewhere. But she's far from Transigen, now.]

[verflair]

But of course. You age another year whether or not you know the true date, so why not pick one yourself?

[ He will leave out the fact that he's known more orphans than anyone should have to in his lifetime. ]

[shoplifter]

... That's true.

[She's not really sure yet, if she's going to age after a certain point.

But years do pass regardless.]

How should someone pick a day?

[verflair]

Hm.

[ He taps a finger against his chin in thought. ]

However they would like, I suppose. They could pick a day where something special or memorable happened to them. They could pick a day that coincides with a holiday they like, or simply a time of year they like as well. As they say, the sky is the limit.

[shoplifter]

... Something... special. Memorable.

[She sounds like she's racking her head for this very moment.

Maybe the moment she earned her freedom...? What day was it...? She wishes she'd known to mark the occasion.]

What are holidays?

[verflair]

[ There’s a question that gives him pause. Does her world simply not have holidays or is this a product of her upbringing, he wonders? He could see it going either way, but he has the impression that too much prying might be pushing it, so for now he files his questions away. ]

Holidays are days of celebration for everyone that revolve around cultural or historical events. For instance, in my world we celebrate Heavensturn at the start of every new year. All Saints’ Wake is a celebration of life and death held in the fall, where children can dress up in costumes. Those are just a couple of them.

[shoplifter]

[That's interesting; she would like to get into a costume, though she doesn't know many things to dress as -- character-wise, anyway. She would like to be a cowboy, though. After a moment, she follows up.]

What is -- Heavensturn?

[verflair]

Ah, it is a celebration of the new year! A time of new beginnings and looking forward to what is to come, as it were.

[shoplifter]

[Huh... She's quiet for a moment, giving the silence room to breathe.

She's really just getting used to her voice, still.]

What do you look forward to?

[verflair]

New things. New places and foods and experiences. I've spent many years traveling, and even in all that time I have never run out of things to see or do.

[shoplifter]

That's what I'm doing at home.

... Traveling.

[THAT'S A SIMPLE WAY OF PUTIN' IT, BUT YEAH.]

[verflair]

Do you like it?

[shoplifter]

... Sometimes. Sometimes there are... bad people. But there are good ones, too.

[verflair]

As with anything. Have you been traveling alone?

[shoplifter]

Not at home. I had friends I was with...

... I hope they come here. They would like it.

[verflair]

Do you have anyone from your home here at all?

[shoplifter]

[She shakes her head.]

Maybe that is a good thing.

Some people from home are bad people.

[verflair]

[ This is the second time now she's mentioned “bad people”, and something about that makes a frown tug at his features. ]

These bad people, were they after you?

[shoplifter]

[... A slight nod of her head.]

Men with guns. They work for terrible places.

[verflair]

[ He's not good enough with these devices to make the conversation private, so he won't ask her for more details over the network. He'll just make it a point to follow up with her later. ]

My dear, if any of these bad people ever show up, I promise I won't let them harm you. All you have to do is call.

[shoplifter]

... It's okay -- I'll take care of them.

I don't want anyone else hurt.