installing | ♨ 1 Apple Pie + Eighteen Apples and Cinnamon

♨ 1 Apple Pie + Eighteen Apples and Cinnamon | Action/Voice ♨

[Back dated to the 11th.

Four. Four birthdays in Luceti. Honestly none of them have ever been very exciting, but maybe it's better that way. Calling attention to age, especially now that she's 20, is a little of a scary thought. Instead she'll act like it's a normal day for most of it. Taking her dog for a walk in the late morning, spending time in the smithy, and even grocery shopping a bit. Eventually sometime in the afternoon, before dinner, she'll ask the village a question:]

A question for everyone: How do you feel about growing older here? Whether you already have or not. Is it scary to think about?
[Families? Relationships? Are they even a good idea? Despite the fact those are things she wants.]

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I could probably replace your outer plating with an alloy used in the northern parts of my country. It's a mix of duralumin and other metals. It should reduce how badly your arm is affected by the cold weather. It's lighter, too.

Ah - yes. Can I ask ... ?

I didn't really mean it like that; I've got no sensation in this arm. [At least, he's pretty sure he doesn't since landing arm-first from a two story jump doesn't send agonizing shooting pains through it.]

But it's a good thing I've got someone who knows their way around patching me up and the best materials for the job.

[He considers this for a moment.]

No offense, but you seem pretty young for this sort of work. [Okay, that didn't come out so well.] I mean, hell, I don't think I know half as much as you do -- but that's why you do what you do, and I do what I do best.

"If". I'm taking it one year at a time.

...You sound like you've given hope on going home.

What? No! I haven't!

...I just would feel like an idiot if we did end up stuck and did nothing with my life.

[And Winry will go around collecting them.]

I don't even like it when Ed does alchemy on my automail, what even gave you this idea!?

Ask what?

It's a family business. I've been helping my grandmother make automail before I was eleven. Anyway, it's probably best you switch out for the winter. The metal attached to your skin could give you frostbite if you're not careful.

[Winry doesn't sound like it's a bad idea or anything. So, Raven nods once, slowly.]

Yeah, okay.

Because a floating automail hand cutting that cake I made for you would have been the best surprise ever! And just levitating it wouldn't give it the nuance to hold a knife unless I rigged the fingers, and that would get you pissed off!

[There, that's the last one them, disenchanted]

Nah, I don't mind. I'd rather get aged up here than end up sixteen for the third time in a row.

[Because growing up's natural. Why fear it?]

I don't know what you're talking about. I'm still eighteen, Miss Rockbell.

'Switch out'?

[His tone holds a hint of wariness, of uncertainty more than curiosity.]

No, I guess it's a pretty normal question. It's your birthday soon, isn't it? [He remembers it was this time last year, anyway...] So you're, hmm...

It is! I am so sorry! I had no idea!

Oh! Um, no problem. [She helped? Yay!]

[He can't help but remember one of the messages that he found on the tunnel wall. "Don't have kids. If only we'd known why before." It was one that definitely stuck with him.]

Like... having a family?

I like to think that with each passing year we grow more impressive. More knowledge, more experience, and through all of life's struggles, joys, and hurdles, we become more complete people. So I like to think of each passing year as a year I've had a chance to grow wiser and be the person I want to be.