estoria | [open] Chúc mừng sinh nhật

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[open] Chúc mừng sinh nhật

Who:

theshiningone, and everyone else!

animated counts, it's his B-Day too!
When: 6/21 | 4/13, late afternoon to late evening
Where: The Sanctuary
What: June birthday celebration with close friends!
Rating/Warning: None ~~except possible sadness and robots being real creeps~~

Thank you for coming! Please, enjoy yourself by all means! Remember to say, "Happy Birthday," to Hiro too please.

[ This is the greeting given by the birthday girl. Ai's face is aglow with cheerfulness that couldn't be beat as she welcomes guests inside the Sanctuary where some nice music is playing. It's the most convenient place to set up a small party after all and there's even a few things to do for fun if one isn't sticking around just for congratulatory birthday greetings:

A) FOOD

Where there is Ai Thao, there is food. Lots of it. Starring a peach birthday cake made by the Man, the Legend, Chef Archer. Aside from those, there are some Vietnamese spring rolls, roasted meat, some healthy salads, and colorful cookies and drinks! (Hey, did someone bring hard cider to this party...???)

Ai might even collect your plates and clean up after you isn't she nice? Oh, that's not Ai, it's a robot who's taken on the same skin tone as her owner... Creepy. Ah well, at least it's being helpful although it might say every once and a while, "Thank you for coming to my birthday party!"

B) Piñatas

How cute, there's a few of these cute piñatas hanging around in the ceiling. When you try to bat one down for the sweet candy innards though, they are just out of your reach. Ai Thao (real one, not the similar looking skin robot) giggles because she's passing by you. Ah, she's the culprit. Those guys can't move on their own after all.

"Sorry, sorry! I couldn't help it."

Oh, so that's all... Actually hey wait, some of those piñatas ARE trying to run away?! Try to catch one, but these little bastards are pretty fast for cardboard full of candy.

C) KARAOKE

There is a TV screen, mics, a karaoke box and an endless selection of pop music in all languages. All of them. Try to belt out those tunes, serenade your loved one, get the highest score, no one's going home a winner anyways.

(Ai's robot is sitting at the machine and taking the mic, humming in a voice that sounds too similar for comfort...)

D) Late Evening

Let's settle down. Maybe chat and catch up with other people. It's a good a time as any right? The lights are low, the cake's been served, there's hot tea (and booze still???) and there's a lovely lamp projecting stars onto the walls. What a nice mood!

(It might make your robots, should they come to the party look rather eerie though, especially since they developed that layer of skin.)

]

[ OOC: Robots are free to be at the party and tagging each other is encouraged! ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Surprisingly, Ai hadn't bumped into Hiro that much during the beginning of the party. She was busy going around, saying hello to everyone, thanking them, enjoying food and festivities. The party's come to an end and now it's mostly calm. She's caught one of the stray pinatas in her arms and Ai stops when she sees Hiro sitting own. She hugs the pinata close to her, unsure of what to do next.

It's simple right? Just. Sit down next to him.

Calm down.]

Hi Hiro.

[There she is. She plops down next to him and sets down the colorful pinata on the floor next to her legs.]

Long day right?

[For good reason, Hiro was trying to avoid Ai as much as possible during the party. Otome did say to talk to her, but well... It didn't feel appropriate to get alone time with her until the moment finally presented itself and here they were.

Well, Hiro was no coward even if he wanted to run at times. And this was a situation where he had to take things head on. Though he was not jumping into this gun blazing like he usually does... No, this was going to feel a little different compared to the norm. He forces a smile at Ai even if he really doesn't feel like smiling.]

Yeah... It's been a long party. [A little more forced cheerfulness on his end...] So! How have you been holding up? Did you eat half your weight in cake?

[She makes a gesture with one hand, laughing a little.]

I ate enough. Archer made enough so everyone could have some cake, not just me. [Although her portion was the biggest!]

Ah, are you tired out though? [Did she notice the forced cheerfulness? Is she just asking sincerely? The lines are already blurring.]

I'm sure Blue Man crunched out a little favoritism today. Not that it really bugs me.

[It was more of Ai's day than himself, so he didn't want to hog the spotlight too much. And technically, he can't get tired... At least not as much he used to.]

Me? Well, ah... A little. [Huh? That wasn't exactly what he wanted to say flat out, so he tries to cover it again.] I mean... N-No way! I'm always sparkling and full of energy!

Hm.

[She glances back at her hands in her lap, wondering about what to say next. The light from the lamp bounces off her hair, creating star-like patterns.]

... You know? To be honest, I didn't think about whether I'd stay long enough for it to be my birthday. There's a lot of things like that I overlooked.

I think a lot of people would overlook stuff like birthdays. Considering where we are, it's not often that we actually sit back and go "How old am I again?"

[This all felt like the calm before the storm. Hiro was used to having some small moments of happiness in the chaos that he's had to deal with. Though it was because of those precious moments why he could fight as hard as he could.]

[Ai nods in agreement, still looking at her hands as she turns them over to look at her palms instead.]

We'll all have to go someday. Do you think so too?

[Her voice is hushed, making it sound even more melancholic.]

Well, that's a given. They can't keep us here forever and everything has to come to an end eventually.

[On the other hand, Hiro is sounding equally melancholic as he looks into the lamp. You'd say that he'd say something more idealistic than that, but not quite. He wasn't oblivious to the fact that they'd all go home someday.]

[Geez kids, lighten up a little.]

Well, they're definitely trying aren't they?

[Ai smiles.]

But they definitely can't put me down.

Same here! I'm not losing to those guys either!

[He lets out a relaxed sigh as he stretches his arms and legs. His smile wasn't forced this time.]

But you've gotten stronger since we've first met. I think you were here before I was, so you must've been through a lot.

[Her relaxation is more visible and she leans back in her seat to look up at the ceilings where the star lights are projected.]

It was definitely a bumpy learning process. But I managed somehow. Mostly because there's been so many people who I got to struggle alongside with.

[What if her life was just that mountain commune? What if that was all she knew? No wonder why she struggled with doing nothing. There was always more to see.]

... I didn't tell you before right? I lived with other psychics in a commune based in Vietnam. We were hidden around the mountains.

Yup... I remember you saying that you lived in a commune. But I didn't know that it was hidden in the mountains.

[These stars were making him feel a little uncomfortable. But that's why he could focus more on Ai than anything else.]

Living with people like you has some perks, but other times... [Hmm.] It'd feel like living together with multiple versions of myself. As fun as that would be at first, I think I'd get bored of it quickly.

[Oh...]

The longer I stay here... The less I miss my old life.

That said, I'm not ungrateful. It's where I was born after all and the people who raised me all did their best, I'm sure.

[A beat.]

And the others like me, the one's I called my sisters and brothers, they've been doing their best even with someone like me.

[Hiro just lifts his hand up as if he's in a classroom.]

Question! What makes you so different compared to your sisters and brothers?

Oh. Well, simply put, I'm the best result.

[Her smile, is only slightly pained in contrast to what she thought she'd feel like when the topic came up. And this is the first time...]

Remember when I said I don't have parents? That's because I'm a copy of someone else. In my world, the woman I originate from is someone I'm identical to.

[She sinks her head back after looking at Hiro, focusing her gaze on the ceiling instead.]

Well. It was an attempt anyways.

["Best result?" "Copy?" Hiro couldn't help and feel a little shocked at this new information. He's looking calm, but there's definitely surprise in his eyes. Because when he thinks back on it, there was what he saw in the mirrors that day...

Those reflections that looked similar to her and the reason why she didn't have any parents... Now things were finally starting to click.]

Wait a second... You're saying that you're a clone, Ai? Then what I saw that day in the mirrors, they were...

[There's no judgement in his tone, but there's definitely some disbelief. Like she was just making up a plot from a sci-fi movie. But the more that he thinks back on it, the more legit that everything was starting to feel.]

Edited 2016-04-18 00:45 (UTC)

[There's no response from her at first. She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, her chest rising and falling with that sigh.]

You're right. It's exactly what you're thinking.

[Another few seconds of silence passes as her eyes, still fixed on the ceiling, open up again.]

... There's a story where I'm from; or rather it's probably considered a fairy tale at this point in time.

[It was a story she heard many times when she was young, a story that was too old to be confirmed as valid, but the only explanation that seemed to ring true to the reason for her existence.

Her voice is quiet as she reveals the tale:]

Once upon a time, there was a beautiful land that could be found through the mountains, a place where fairies, heavenly immortals, could be found.

[Ai sits up straight, with a contemplative expression.]

There was a human who was fortunate enough to gain the favor of one of these fairies. He even lived among them at the time. Happy, loved, and surrounded by unimaginable beauty. And yet...

[A brief memory flickers in her mind, one where she remembers her "grandmother's" darkened expression when she spoke of this story as if there was a shade of truth to it.]

He missed Earth. And because his wife, a fairy, loved him, she let him return to his home. But he didn't go back to her. He couldn't. He would never be able to find that paradise again. And that's where it's supposed to end.

[Instead...]

Edited 2016-04-18 01:22 (UTC)

... There was a woman who lived in the mountains, older than everyone else, but never aging. She seemed to be looking for someone. But instead, she found humans who had powers, similar to hers, and they all surrounded her, overjoyed that they found the one whom they found solace in. And for a while, she stayed with them. Everyone living and dying, while she never changed. But something did. And now she's gone.

[Melancholy and something that could be called nostalgia is reflected in her blue eyes.]

No one knew what they would do without her in their lives. She wasn't supposed to die. And so they resorted to desperate measures, using whatever they had left to make sure she would remain in some form in the world.

[Ai Thao Kha, finally looks at Hiro, pleasantly smiling.]

What a bad story. Don't you think so? Ah, but I'm not a storyteller. It's the best I could do.

[And yet, it was more than she had ever explained to anyone else ever. But she wanted to tell him. She wanted him to know the very foundation of what she was.]

Edited 2016-04-18 01:27 (UTC)

[Now that was a lot of to take in. The question of if Hiro fully understood, didn't understand or got the main gist had yet to be seen, but the point is that it felt like Ai had been holding all of that in for a very long time and needed someone to hear her out.

And that honor was given to Hiro. Who definitely listened to every word and wrapped his head around it as best as he could. While he was a great talker in social situations, he firmly believed that he was even better at listening. After all, everyone needed a shoulder to lean on and he found himself to be that pillar of support for everything when apocalypse was reeling its ugly head.

There were plenty of things that Hiro could say about it, but there was the most important thing that he wanted to say. So far, his voice is neutral and his expression is indescribable...]

... I wouldn't call it a bad story. It's a bit sad, but not a bad story. There was a silver lining to come out from it.

[With that said, Hiro slowly gets up from his seat and walks up to Ai.]

[And pulling out from his coat pocket is a small red velvet gift box which inside had a special bracelet just for her. Honestly, it was modest, flashy enough and it had his favorite kind of animal. Since Ai had a matching bunnyhood coat, Hiro felt that she could have something else to match along with that.

Compared to the other jewelry that he was looking at, Hiro felt that this would've looked the best on her. Now he's not getting down on knee to propose, but he's definitely giving her a warm smile as he speaks.]

Because you were born. Happy birthday, Ai.

Edited 2016-04-19 04:47 (UTC)

[Admittedly, Ai wasn't expecting a gift from Hiro and she isn't sure why. She takes the box and opens it up. The bracelet glitters faintly as the light hits its surface and the bunny charm seems to twinkle at her playfully.

Slowly, but surely, that gentle feeling of elation fills her to her very core. Her fingers tremble slightly as Ai puts the box on her lap trying to find her words again after saying so much.

Her mouth opens to speak, but it takes a second and her eyes seems to mist up. She's so happy. Happy to be born, happy to be her, and happy to be the one and only Ai Thao that could feel this way towards this special person.]

[A tear threatens to fall out of the corner of her eye, but Ai uses her sleeve to wipe it away, letting her smile through instead. She closes the box to press it against her heart.]

There's no way I have enough thank yous for this. [She chuckles because this moment she'll preserve forever even if later...]

This wouldn't be possible if I didn't have everyone here to share with. Especially you.

[A million thank yous would never do.]

[In his opinion, this was more of Ai's special day than his own. While today was important for her... For him, it'd be just another day that would fade away in the sands of time. When Hiro thinks about it, he'd be seeing a lot of his friends' birthdays pass on and he wouldn't be there to attend any of them.

Physically, anyway. He'd be living on to see his friends celebrate many birthdays and see them past on... And there were no world regressions in the universe that could change that. It didn't matter what world you were in or from... Death applied to all things. Hiro is smiling, but there's something sad about it.]

... I've got some gut spilling to do too. [It was only fair after she told him everything.] Will you hear me out?

... Please.

[Ai nods as she looks up at him. It's clear that she's taking this very seriously.]

By all means. I want to know you too.

d for disaster

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