5th mistake: the birthday mistake; video

[moralperil]

Hey everyone!

[Someone has given Mahdi a purple balloon. It keeps bobbing when he gesticulates excitedly, because it's tied to his wrist. From the looks of it, he's been partying hard. Receiving sweets and presents. Generally enjoying the air of festivity around the city. This is the kind of thing he lives for, and he's spent a majority of the festival simply people-watching.]

I really love the timing of this festival! It's like everyone's celebrating my birthday, they're even giving me gifts. Complete strangers, how cool is that? And I heard there's fireworks.

Who's going to watch them with me?

Comments

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[realady]

Your birthday's today? [That's pretty unlucky, in her opinion.

But he's a cute guy. She'll let it slide.] Happy birthday, then. How old are you turning?

[moralperil]

Yup! I mean, give or take a few months, with the difference in time between our worlds... that's way too much math.

I'm 25! [And yet 15 would be unconvincing.]

[realady]

[What kind of 25 year old still acts like a kid getting their favorite cake for their birthday?]

Happy birthday then! [She hopes she doesn't have to spend hers here but it's seeming more and more likely that she will.] 25's the Christmas cake age, you know.

[moralperil]

Christmas cake age? That sounds delicious!

[realady]

It means you're going to be unfit for marriage forever, if you're not already married.

[moralperil]

If I have to decide on that right now I'd rather be single forever!

--Besides, it's not true. My oldest sister was over 25 when she married her wife.

[realady]

Her wife?

[moralperil]

Mm-hm! You know, her spouse or whatever. When I last saw them, they were adopting a kid. [A bit of a wistful smile. He has no idea that this information could be the least bit out of the ordinary.]

[realady]

Not a lot of women got married back in Unova, so it's just a little weird to hear. Sorry.

[But that's really cute!]

That sounds super cute though.

[moralperil]

Oh, that's too bad. It's best when people who love each other can get married, right? [He smiles.] Anyway, my kind live a pretty long time... so 25 is sort of just the beginning in life.

Actually, don't humans see it that way too? How could you get married when you're barely more than a quarter into your lifetime?

[realady]

Girls get pregnant at a little less than that back home -- sometimes, anyways -- so it's not as big of a deal I guess. But no one gets married until they're in their twenties or so.

[moralperil]

But doesn't that leave you with only a five year window to get married?

[realady]

I guess, but I think it's mostly a joke, since we're pretty much expected to mature after our journey and get ready to be adults when we come home.

[moralperil]

Your journey? [Headtilt.] What kind of journey?

[realady]

A Pokemon journey. [She grins. It's great.] I'm not too sure how it started, but it's pretty much become a rite of passage. You take a little creature out and do battle, trade, and most important of all -- make new friends. You learn a lot of important things too, like how to manage your finances [she sucked at it], how to tell if it's going to rain [she never got the hang of it], how to live on the road [her favorite]... Things like that.

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[honkalypse]

All kinds of wicked fun to be having right now, brother. I'd be down with getting some looksee at all the motherfucking colors!

[Purple balloon. It has to be a sign. Also, Gamzee really does want to watch fireworks with people.]

[moralperil]

[More people with horns THIS IS SO EXCITING.]

Mother... well I don't know if they're going to be colors like that, but I bet it will be pretty!

[honkalypse]

With colors getting some dancing on up against the sky, it will be all a riot. Not a thing for any brother to be missing!

[He is very, very excited for the fireworks. Colors.]

[moralperil]

I've only seen them on TV before, so I'm pretty excited too. I'm Mahdi, by the way. Nice to meet you.

[honkalypse]

My name's Gamzee! Where 're you going to be getting your watching at? I'll drop my self all down on you!

[moralperil]

Gamzee. That is probably the funnest name I've ever heard before! It's like riding a slide! Gamzee!

Hm, I'm not sure where I'll watch it yet. Someplace high. Do you think they'd let us to the top of the building?

[honkalypse]

Never got to thinking like that, brother! It is! It motherfucking is. Gamzee.

[And his voice goes in a little dip, exactly like the cartoon sound effect of going down a slide.]

And I don't see why motherfucking not. We aren't going to be hurting nothing up there. Just getting our watch on of the righteous show.

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[noble_nate]

[Nathaniel's amused by Mahdi's exuberance]

Is this how your birthday is normally celebrated?

[moralperil]

[Oh, hi Nathaniel. Totally assuming they've met by now since Mahdi probably hangs around to pester the cat.]

No, actually. We don't really celebrate birthdays where I'm from.

[noble_nate]

[Most definitely, Nathaniel checks up on Anders occasionally]

Why is that? Don't your people believe namedays are important?

[moralperil]

Time is sort of less important for us. It's hard to explain.

We just don't celebrate a lot of things that are personal to the individual.

[noble_nate]

That's interesting. My family was never very close, but at least they celebrated the children's namedays with a nice dinner and a small gift.

[moralperil]

It's too bad your family wasn't close. I was with mine, mostly, before work took me away from them. We had small celebrations sometimes, but not for birthdays. It's one of the reasons I like birthdays so much now, I guess!

[noble_nate]

I can understand that. Well, happy birthday to you.

[moralperil]

Thank you. Hey, when are you and Anders...es...es... birthdays?

[noble_nate]

Mine is in Wintermarch, which is equivalent to January here. I don't exactly know when Anders' birthday is, he doesn't really celebrate it.

[moralperil]

Happy belated birthday, then!

I guess I can understand not doing birthdays, though. I think next year, I'm going to try to figure out this Christmas thing and figure out presents!

If... we're all still here then, I guess.

[noble_nate]

It wouldn't surprise me if we were, given how slowly things are going here.

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[aceordisgraced]

If everyone from this building goes to see the fireworks, would that count as everyone from the Initiative watching it with you? I'm going, if I find you around I'll give you a shout.

[moralperil]

What a great idea! They should celebrate with me, I'd celebrate with them.

I'm Mahdi, by the way. Nice to meet you.

[aceordisgraced]

Exactly! It'll be cool, wouldn't it?

Happy birthday, Mahdi. I'm Phoenix. Nice to meet you too!

[moralperil]

Phoenix. That's a really awesome name. Phoenix! I like your hat. It looks both cheerful and comfortable.

[aceordisgraced]

You think so? Thanks! Mahdi's a pretty great name, too, so I hope you like it. And this?

[He smiles rather happily as he touches his hat, making sure his smiley-face pin is still on there.] It's very comfortable. I go everywhere with it.

[moralperil]

I bet. It looks like a blanket for your head. And the silly face on the top of it, that would make me smile every time I looked in the mirror.

[aceordisgraced]

It kind of is like a blanket. It's pretty warm to wear. Maybe you can find something similar to it at one of the vendors or even in a store in the city.

[moralperil]

You wouldn't get mad if I copied you? [He laughs.]

[aceordisgraced]

Mad? No way! We're going to be trendsetters, Mahdi, why would I be mad?"

[moralperil]

I think I'll find one in purple. That would definitely suit me! Maybe you could help me shop for one?

[aceordisgraced]

It would be my pleasure. Pretty sure there're shops around here that have some. I'll even say it can be your birthday present.