complexing | [014] [video/action] happy, happy birthday, from all of us to you

[The video starts up and Touya looks rather intensely into the camera. For having just turned 21, he looks fairly grumpy.]

Okay, so my birthday only comes around once every four years, technically, so I figure I get a free pass at this. It isn't a joke, nobody laugh.

The person... people... [He huffs in frustration and decides to keep this simple.] The person I'm with wants to take our relationship to an intimate level and I don't know how to make it special or memorable or nice or whatever. Can anyone give me some advice or something?

[A fairly hostile video for a request but... the subject has clearly been on his mind for a few days. Long enough that he's so desperate for advice, he's gone public.]

[Action]

[Even though it's his birthday, Touya isn't making such a big deal out of it. He goes to work at Seventh Heaven, picks up some groceries (ingredients for one of his favorite meals), and walks home. Meanwhile, he's pondering the responses he's received from the network and, oddly enough, thinking about his mother. Had she ever thought that she would see her son turn 21? It wasn't much of a milestone, honestly, but Touya always tended to think about his mom on his birthday, and all of those small celebrations he'd had when he was younger. And how annoyed he was when his dad explained why Touya's birthday wasn't always on the calendar.]

[Some of these memories have Touya smiling at times when maybe it wasn't really appropriate to smile, but he isn't thinking about everyone else at the moment.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

The more you stress, the less fun it will be.

I guess that makes sense... But it's easy to stress when you don't know what you're supposed to be doing.

Ah, but it's entirely possible to relax and try things, knowing that some of them won't work out. Stressing will just make it unpleasant for everyone. [ He giggles. ]

But I'd rather not make an idiot out of myself to begin with, even if I can accept that some things won't work out. Isn't there some sort of safe route to go by? Something that doesn't require 'trying' anything?

Don't do anything at all. If you're willing to accept their disappointment, of course.

I don't want to disappoint him... [Touya was starting to suspect this guy was being difficult on purpose.] But I think there's a lot of space between 'don't do anything' and 'just do it without thinking about it'.

I didn't say don't think about it. I said don't worry about it.

There's a difference? [He chuckles weakly, a little exasperated, a little amused.]

Plenty. Do you worry about what you're going to eat for each meal?

Sometimes, if I'm the one making lunch or dinner. I'm not the only one eating it if I mess up.

...I think that metaphor got a little weird.

You must have a very stressful life.

Not really... But I'm thinking of 'worrying' as 'thinking about it before it happens' instead of like... being concerned. It doesn't really make sense to be concerned over lunch.

In that case, worry without stressing.

[Touya is silent for a moment, then starts laughing.] That's one of the craziest things I've heard here, and I've been here for a while.

It's not my fault if you can't separate forethought and worry.

[014] [video/action] happy, happy birthday, from all of us to you

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