Battlefield Birthdays

[walking_nuke]

Who:	Residents of 847 Goldberg (Balin, Virginia, and Caesar), as well as any guests (Utsuho, others depending on what happens!)
What:	Balin has the unfortunate predicament of having been born right before April Fool's. He's 28 today!
When:	Friday, March 30, 195X+4
Where:	847 Goldberg Street
Warnings:	Nukebirds in boxes? Nah, probably nothing serious.

[For soldiers deployed overseas, celebrating birthdays is hard enough. In the AFS, though, practically everywhere is the front line. With Earth gone, there's no relatives or friends from home to send you birthday wishes or throw a party for you when you come back—you're lucky if any are still alive and deployed on Foreas or Arieki. Still, soldiers find ways to party.]

[In Balin's case, though, he's now been stuck in Mayfield long enough to grow a year older. It dawned on him in a conversation with Virginia earlier in the week, and now ... he's really not sure what to do for his birthday—somehow, being stuck in Mayfield feels even more limiting than living among the militarized remains of the human species. But maybe Virginia or Caesar have an idea in mind ...]

[(Note: This'll be a multi-thread log, for various interactions and tags throughout the day depending on what happens.)]

Comments

[walking_nuke]

[Still having visibly mixed feelings, at least at the open admission from Caesar that he'd actually bother getting him a present.]

Guess at'd depend on'a books'ey got here. I never really looked, you know? After hearin' things about'a Library I wasn't sure Mayfield stocks anything actually interesting to read.

[Which begs the question—kind of things would a droned kid get for their "father?" Maybe some ties or clothes or something.]

[commentboxtroll]

I keep getting books from home... [Too many history books. Too many!] And I'm working on fixing that library problem.

[But that's a different discussion! He can't help but notice Balin seems less than thrilled at the thought that he would have actually gotten him a present... or maybe he just doesn't believe the gift from the drone is harmless.

There's no way to be sure, so Caesar doesn't bring it up.]

Well? Are you going to open it?

[walking_nuke]

[Balin looks up at Caesar. He doesn't look startled, but something in his eyes almost suggests that kind of expression, like Caesar calling the gift to his attention had jostled him out of a train of thought.]

Oh! Uh—yeah. Sure.

[And he's going to get right on unwrapping that thing!]

[Seriously this is the most awkward birthday ever.]

[commentboxtroll]

[What is with that look, man?]

Is something wrong?

[He's only now starting to wonder if they're going to be at odds forever here. Even over this! Oh, but now he's opening it, so he leans over to watch. What is it, what...

...

A... a 'World's Best Dad' mug.]

Wow. That's awful.

[walking_nuke]

Nah, it ain't anything—

[He looks back down at the box, now that he's opened it.]

... Pfft.

[Balin pulls the mug out of the box to get a better look at it.]

"World's Best dad." I dunno, does havin' a kid when you're ten really count?

[commentboxtroll]

Would it only be ten? I thought you were older than that.

[Like super old.]

[walking_nuke]

I toldja I was pushin' thirty, right? I'm 28 today.

[Beat.]

How old didja think I was?

[commentboxtroll]

Did you? I figured it was somewhere between thirty and forty, I guess.

[Not really, but whatever whatever.]

[walking_nuke]

[Ouch, man. Ouch.]

Yeah, don't you remember? You were all like "that's your first mistake" when I was wiggin' out about it.

[commentboxtroll]

You expect me to remember your first mistake?

['...but you make so many of them' isn't said. It's Balin's birthday. Caesar is attempting some level of politeness.]

Sorry. I don't.

[walking_nuke]

[Balin's face falls a little.]

How many mistakes do you think I made?

[Seriously he can't remember that much!]

Well, okay. You really don't remember? You were askin'a bout'a Cold War an' Commies an'shit. The mornin' I first woke up here.

[commentboxtroll]

I don't keep track. [Or actually know, but shh.] Huh. I remember the stuff about the Cold War, but nothing about your age. It probably didn't seem important at the time...

[Caesar shrugs and shuts his book.]

But I guess today it does. Do you have any plans?

[walking_nuke]

Eh, well, I dunno. I mean it'd be kinda nice, but I dunno what all there is to do in'is town. Yanno?

[Maybe Caesar's Greaser days could shed some grease light on possible ideas!]

[commentboxtroll]

Not at all. [Nothing he would suggest, Balin, nothing he would suggest.] Most people your age go get staggeringly drunk on days like this, I think.

[walking_nuke]

[Balin scoffs and smirks.]

Most people back home did period. I dunno if they'd let you do'at here. You're not 21 yet.

[But neither is Virginia, right? She doesn't look much older than Caesar, to Balin at least.]

[commentboxtroll]

That's the drinking age? [Huh.] As if that's hard to get around. There's a liquor store, isn't there? Not that it matters. I never said I was going to go get drunk with you.

[walking_nuke]

Eh. Yeah. Alcohol ain't nearly as fun without some buddies.

[commentboxtroll]

I guess. You do have friends, don't you?

[Don't tell him you're a friendless loser, Balin.]

[walking_nuke]

Back home? Yeah, I had friends. Here? ... I've talked to a lotta people outside'a house, but I dunno if I can really call any of 'em friends yet.

[commentboxtroll]

Then we're out of luck if your heart is set on the bar, not unless there's a non-drone working it today. Then I could just lie about my age...

[Because who cares?]

*crawls along*

[walking_nuke]

What, you really considering'at? I thought you said you weren't gonna go drinkin'.

[Not that Balin really has his mind set on getting plastered, but what else is there? Feed Okuu the ducks?]