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]

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?]