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

[complexing]

[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.]

Comments

[meteorical]

[Don't mind her laughing a little bit. It just sounds so funny to her.]

Well I think for being a five year old, you're doing very well for yourself. You should be proud.

[complexing]

[Frankly, Touya's laughing too.]

Yeah, right? Got a job, got a boyfriend, got a house... It's got to be a record somewhere.

[meteorical]

Nothing I've ever seen before, that's for sure.

So. How long are you going to dance around the subject of the other question?

[complexing]

[...crap.]

Look, you don't need to think about stuff like that. You're young. [He laughs nervously.]

[meteorical]

Yeah? And just how old do you think I am?

[complexing]

Like... [This is so dangerous. Girls always got mad if you thought they were older than they were...] Fifteen? Sixteen...?

[meteorical]

[She laughs a bit, gently, but also a bit sadly.] I...was fifteen when I first came here, yeah. I'll be nineteen in April, I guess.

[complexing]

[Oh... wow. Touya's silent for a moment, wondering just how anyone could live in Luceti for four years. But he guesses he's going on two now, so...]

When in April?

[meteorical]

[To be fair, it's only been a little over three. She got hit with a birthday shortly after arriving in Luceti. But it's not like that makes it much better.]

The 23rd. It's still a while away.

[complexing]

I'll write it down. Do you like cupcakes?

[meteorical]

Yeah, I do, but you don't have to do anything. It's okay. Besides, shouldn't you be focusing on your own birthday?

[complexing]

My birthday's today, yours is a few months down the line. I don't think it's bad to think about a friend's birthday on your own birthday.

[meteorical]

...you're sweet, you know that? Thanks, Touya.

You sure you don't want some advice about the other thing?

[complexing]

Don't let anyone else hear you say that. I'm always cast as the 'cool' type, Yuki's the 'sweet' one.

...I don't know if I'm sure or not, about that other thing. But I guess younger people were giving me advice too. You just remind me of my sister and that... that scrambles my brain.

[meteorical]

Secret's safe with me.

Your sister's a lot younger than you, right? [She's not sure if she finds that cute or kind of unsettling. Either way, she just grins.] It's not like I've never been in relationships before, you know. [Not to the point of sexual experiences, granted, but she's not stupid. And she likes giving advice okay.]

[complexing]

Yeah, she's eleven. Or, she was when I last saw her. ...Not that I think you're eleven. Or have never been in a relationship. [Man that's awkward.] She was always really positive and smiling. Like you.

[meteorical]

[She can't help but laugh at his fumbling a bit over his words.] Well...we all need a little positivity, right? It's the only way to get through all of this. Believe me...optimism was the only thing that got us by for a while. [And by us she means her and the boys, but. Details.]

Let me ask you something. How long have you been in this relationship?

[complexing]

[Touya's quiet for a long time.]

...

...Like, three years...

[meteorical]

...well, you've got time on me. My relationship was only a little over a year before the Malnosso sent him away. The other one was for a while, too...maybe seven or eight months. But I think I can still help. You want to make it really special, right? Something incredible and memorable and the best imprint of your life.

[complexing]

[Touya doesn't say anything for a while. It must have been hard, having someone you cared about disappear after only a short while. A year wasn't long enough, eight months was too short too.]

I'm sorry. [And he sounds sorry too.] You sure you want to help? I'd understand if you didn't want to think about it.

[meteorical]

[It was kind of her own fault that she dated them almost back to back. She should have expected Jacob to leave after Sora did...but she's had time to move on. It was okay.]

It's okay. I mean...at least one of the boys? The one I was seeing for over a year...I'll see him again someday. We're from the same world, he's my best friend. Has been since we were five. [She's rambling. Why is she rambling.] I'd love to help, especially if it means you'll be happy.

[complexing]

[Probably because emotional pain inevitably led to rambling. Touya knows, unfortunately.]

It seems like a lot of people I've met are waiting to go home to the people they love. [He sighs softly.] If you're okay helping, I definitely think I need it.

[meteorical]

[So understanding, Touya is~]

What does that tell you about people, then? [It's a rhetorical question, at best.] Totally okay. So what do you have planned so far?

[complexing]

[Losing your mom at a young age makes you pretty understanding.]

Uh... [Touya fishes in his brain for an answer.] Like... dinner? Sanji-san said I need to show him 'the depth of my feelings'.

[meteorical]

I mean that's one way to get the point across, yeah, but you don't want to make material things the focal point. Nice dinners are great, but focus on the real reason why you want to take the relationship further. ...why do you want to take it further?