(backdated to: 10/31) five (video) ♞ ❝this is the last time i let you in my door.❞

[curepotion]

[ the video flickers on--some of the camera is obscured by some books. they're classical novels and manuals for robotics, machinery, and there may be a cookbook and karate in there. someone's been making very good use of the library here.

but besides the book, part of the clock can be seen as it hangs on the opposite wall, reading a few minutes before midnight. not a creature is stirring, not even a...

... no, nevermind, something's beeping. rather loudly--rather annoyingly. it's a grating, hissing sound that would wake anyone up.

there's a creak of the door and a groan and Riku walks out, all mussed hair and tired eyes. in a tank top and bright neon blue boxers, nonetheless. he glares in front of him, then completely bypasses looking at the video camera, right to the culprit. ]

Who drinks coffee at...

[ ding!

the clock strikes twelve, chiming a few times, catching Riku's attention.

... ... ]

... it's Halloween. [ sigh--he runs a hand through his hair. ] Too bad there's no trick-or-treating he...

[ ... ... he stiffens and turns away from the clock. ]

... I'm ... seventeen?

Comments

[endured]

Halloween? ( so many strange holidays he's been hearing of!! ) Oh, um... happy birthday?

video

[fourscience]

What is Halloween? A holiday, I assume? What is its significance?

[A pause, and then she smiles broadly

Congratulations on reaching seventeen years of age!

1/2

[curepotion]

[ agh no ]

... that wasn't supposed to be recording. [ futile effort at pushing his hair down because it might as well be mimicing Sora's. ] Halloween used to be about scaring bad spirits away. Now, it's about giving candy away and trying to scare anyone you can.

2/2

[curepotion]

[ ... ]

Who are you?

[ his voice is confused, rather than accusatory. ]

video

[curepotion]

[ blank staring because oh my god two sets of eyes

it must be hell to wear sunglasses--

no, focus riku, focus ]

I think you're supposed to scare bad spirits away on Halloween. It's a lot more fun just to scare everyone you can, though, and get candy out of it. When you're a kid, you go door to door and you get candy.

voice;

[boughtabookstore]

Happy birthday, Riku.

[endured]

( oh, well... let's shy away from birthday stuff then. )

Huh, so it's sort of turned into something fun. ( Hope is pondering this before the question catches him off guard, blinking. ) It's Hope, my name that is. Hope Estheim. I just arrived here the other day.

video

[fourscience]

Ah! A festival of superstitions! And this is widely celebrated?

[Video]

[feel_nevermore]

It's your Birthday?

[Just like Jinx.]

Happy Birthday, then.

video;

[fortissimos]

Halloween, huh? I guess that'd make it easy to remember. [ She looks tired, but she forces on a smile. ] It's not the best time to celebrate this kinda stuff, but... happy birthday, anyway.

video.

[moondances]

[ a smile. ]

Happy birthday. I'm afraid I don't have a present..

[curepotion]

... Hope? [ eyesquint. ]

You were... here, before. But... you were older.

video

[curepotion]

You could say that. I haven't gone to a place that hasn't celebrated it.

... besides here, anyway.

voice;

[curepotion]

[ lookit, first person who he'd actually accept a happy birthday from ]

Thanks.

[Video]

[curepotion]

[ a little awkwardly; ]

Yeah, it is. And... thanks.

Rather celebrate Halloween, though. Not that we can, here.

video;

[curepotion]

[ oh, tiredness. he could assume it's because of the time, but... ]

Thanks. ... you know, it's too bad. Maybe it'd boost morale if we celebrated Halloween.

[ ... ]

You okay?

video.

[curepotion]

[ an awkward chuckle. ]

I don't usually celebrate my birthday, you know. Halloween's good enough. Besides... this place isn't exactly a great place to have a birthday in.

[Video]

[feel_nevermore]

You don't like celebrating your birthday? That's kinda rare.

[A pause.] ...That said I don't either.

[Video]

[curepotion]

It's not like there's a point in celebrating it.

Everyone's already throwing a party on Halloween. Why add to it? It'd just create problems.

... when's yours?

[Video - Private]

[feel_nevermore]

Most people wouldn't think that way. They'd rather celebrate it twice than none.

Febrary, 5th.

[Video - Private]

[curepotion]

Most people don't have their birthday on Halloween.

Huh. Never would've guessed.

[endured]

Huh. ( one word explanation to everything going on in his head at the moment. )

Are you– ( of course, he's sure. who would just say something like that? ) I mean, uh, sorry... that just sounds really strange.

[curepotion]

[ here, have an incredulous laugh. ]

You're telling me. I'm the one who remembers you towering over my head, and now... it looks like you're tiny.

[Video - Private]

[feel_nevermore]

It ain't such a bad day. Not worse as any other at least.

[A smirk.] One chance out of three hundred and sixty-five.

[Video - Private]

[curepotion]

Silver-haired baby born on Halloween? Let's just say that people tried to stay away from me on my birthday.

Heh. Yeah, point.