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[installing]

[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.]

Comments

[installing]

Wait, how old are you again?

[menial]

Well, it must be 18 now...

[installing]

Sorry if it was a weird question.

[menial]

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...

[installing]

Yeah, well... My birthday is today, actually. I'm twenty this year.

[menial]

Oh, right.

Happy birthday then, Rockbell. And I guess that means you're still what any relative of mine would call way too young to worry about this crap...

['Even if you did break up with Haruhi and cause no end of difficulty over it. Yeah.']

[installing]

Thanks Kyon, but going from teenager to adult in this place is not something to "not worry about," I think.

But really, thanks. For the "happy birthday."

[menial]

Well, considering our typical lack of family here, it's not like we don't have to act kind of like adults anyway. I think it's more symbolic than anything. But sure.

[installing]

It's more than that, I think. Kind of a reminder how long I've been here, and... how much longer I might be here.

[Everyone goes home eventually, she thinks, but some people have to wait longer than others.]

[menial]

How much longer do you think that is?

[installing]

Who knows? It could be another four years.

[menial]

Well, why's it matter? They're borrowing the time. You'll get it back. Right?

[installing]

Yeah, but I don't want to be wasting that borrowed time, yeah? Staying stagnate doesn't seem... right.

[menial]

['You seem to move pretty fast to me, Rockbell.']

So you want to do something?

['Maybe take up superheroing again?']

Like what?

[installing]

Anything I'm thinking about wouldn't happen too soon, would be long term, and a bad idea.

[menial]

['... A baby, right? Baby-crazy.']

If it's a bad idea, I'd suggest not thinking about it any more.

[installing]

I know, I know. I just-

I need something to take my mind off of it. A project or something. [All of her just making prototypes and tinkering is just too easy to be distracted from.]

[menial]

So build a robot.

[installing]

That would be great if I could get the parts.

[menial]

Well, make a parts factory, then?

[installing]

I'd have to check to see what materials I'd need to be making. Honestly I don't think we have the means in Luceti for that kind of stuff.

[menial]

Well, better to try than to just figure you can't, right?

['This is the most hypocritical speech ever.']

[installing]

[She laughs.]

Is that really you on the other end, Kyon?

[menial]

..Yeah, I ended up in a weird place with that. Forget it. Just sleep in all the time.

[installing]

It's not like I can't sleep in and get work done. There's something comforting about working late into the night and sleeping in the next day.