15th Screw - backdated to August 7th

[all_wound_up]

[Action]

[Today is Nano's birthday, but she hasn't told anyone.  She's not really the type to call that much attention to herself over something like this, and it seems sort of insignificant to her compared to all of the problems in Hinoto-Ri.  But two years is a long time - at least, to her it is - and the past year especially has been full of so many chances to learn new things and meet new people, so she feels that she at least owes a little bit of celebration to herself.

And that's why she's at the bakery today, picking out a cupcake to enjoy while she wishes herself well for the next year.  Once she's got the tasty treat in hand, she takes it outside to one of the small tables set up near the street for customers to enjoy their snacks, pulling two small candles out and lighting them with a small fire spell that she learned from Namine.  After she hums a short little birthday song, she closes her eyes to send up a silent wish, smiles, and blows the candles out.]

Comments

[all_wound_up]

A-Atsuro-san...!

[Nano hadn't expected Atsuro of all people to be wandering by right at that moment. And it isn't even the fire spell that she's worried about here, but rather the number of candles in the cupcake. She spends a moment or two awkwardly flailing about in her seat before plucking them out of the cake and hiding them behind her back.

Once he mentions the fire, though, she does seem to calm down just a little. Maybe she can steer the direction away from the embarrassing fact that she's only two years old. She managed to talk her way around it when they talked before at the inn, but a scene like this is a dead giveaway.]

...I've been practicing. I still have a little of Xion-san's memories, and Namine-san has been teaching me how to use the magic from their world.

[otakuro]

[Atsuro pretends to be blind while Nano flails in place and also pretends that hiding still hot candles behind your back is a perfectly normal thing to do. He assumes she is embarrassed about it being a special occasion of some sort...]

Really...? Can you do that?

[He hadn't thought <>that much would carry over.]

Hey, maybe that means I can learn to su...mmon...... Perso -- never mind.

...So what's the special occasion, Nano? Is it an important day for you?

[Atsuro smiles softly while purposefully steering the subject back around to exactly what Nano didn't want to discuss.]

[all_wound_up]

It's taken a lot of training, but yes. I'm even learning to use a keyblade!

[Nano nods, smiling proudly. She's come a long way from that cowering girl panicking in the streets that Atsuro first met.]

O-oh... you mean the cupcake! Um... it's sort of a special day, yes.

[And all of a sudden she's looking sheepish again, scraping the bottom of her shoe back and forth against the sidewalk as she stares down at her lap.]

[otakuro]

Well. ...I'm thinking a weapon would probably be easier to learn than, uh, making fireballs out of mid-air. That's impressive, for sure!

[Atsuro gives a small shrug although hey, it isn't as if he can't make fireballs out of midair with the aid of a handy dandy video game system, so.]

I thought it must be...! You looked like you were enjoying yourself before I came along. Is it... some sort of anniversary? The start of your second year here?

Although... there's still a few months left to that, I think.

[all_wound_up]

I thought it would be a good idea to learn how to fight myself without relying so much on my Persona all the time, just in case. And it's been a good chance to make better friends with Xion-san and Namine-san, too.

[Nano smiles, nodding before her expression turns back to one of slight apprehension at the return to the other topic.]

O-oh! Um... yes! It's an anniversary! That's right.

[Which isn't entirely a lie!]

[otakuro]

...Two weeks since that business with the tournament ended? ...Although there's probably a few days until that, too.

[Atsuro is probably not being purposefully obtuse. Probably.]

[all_wound_up]

Actually, it's... um...

[Nano glances back and forth nervously, as if she's going to see something in her periphery that will provide a convenient cover story. It's not working.]

[otakuro]

((Sorry for the late response! I've been out ill for the last few days. Feel free to ignore if you'd rather not continue!))

[And because Atsuro isn't that much of a jerk especially not to the girl he just turned down a few weeks ago, he will eventually let it slide with a smile.]

Aha, it's fine if you don't want to tell me! Some things are meant to be kept secret...

[Not that he was a total idiot; he had a vague inkling as to what it was Nano was trying to cover up.]

Anyway... If it's something you want to celebrate alone, I'll stop pestering you.

[all_wound_up]

((Never dropping ever))

[Nano lets out a relieved sigh, shyly nodding back at Atsuro.]

It's okay. I didn't mean to react like that. I don't mind if you stay.

[Now that she's been relieved of the responsibility of explaining how old she is.]

[otakuro]

Ah, I don't want to be in the way. You really sure it's alright? I mean, you still have your cupcake to finish.

[Atsuro draws a few steps closer, nonetheless.]

[all_wound_up]

[Nano nods, smiling.]

It's fine. Celebrating with a friend isn't so bad.

[Even if she won't say what she's celebrating.]

[otakuro]

...Ahaha. OK - to Nano's mystery celebration, then! Cheers.

[Atsuro picks up an abandoned half-empty glass of water sitting on another table and raises it. ...Then he puts it back because drinking it would be super gross.]

How's everything been lately? I haven't seen you much since before the whole kidnap thing.

[all_wound_up]

[Nano laughs as Atsuro grabs someone else's water, smiling back at him.]

I've been all right. I can't wait for school to start again!

[otakuro]

...Oh, right. With everything happening, I forget sometimes that things like school are still going on...

[Atsuro laughs slightly as he takes a seat at Nano's table.]

Maybe I should try and enroll in college or something... If it's not too late.

[all_wound_up]

[Nano nods, thoughtfully chewing over a bite of her cupcake before swallowing it down. God only knows what her robotic body does to metabolize food, but she seems just fine with this.]

I think you should, too. It's never a bad thing to learn, is it?

[otakuro]

No, but...

[Atsuro laughs, a little bit flushed.]

I was... I guess I was still hoping to start university back home. It feels strange to try and do it this way.

[all_wound_up]

[Nano nods.]

I think I can understand that... but I don't think it's good to put something like that off. You might be missing out on the chance to learn something exciting or make a lot of new friends.

[otakuro]

...

Do you think what happens to us here sticks when we go home?

[It was something he had vaguely pondered on and off in his spare time.]

I mean... we're growing older and aging here. If we stay long enough, there could be a pretty obvious difference - especially in younger teenagers. I can't see Philemon being sloppy about something like that...

[all_wound_up]

[Nano stops, blinking back at Atsuro. That's something she honestly hadn't considered herself.]

I... I don't know.

[And now that she is thinking about it, she's finding the notion almost too sad to bear.]

I hope it does... I've met too many wonderful people here to just forget them.

[She'll conveniently ignore the growing older and aging part. That's not really a concern for her.]

[otakuro]

Eheh... We've been through too much to just press the reset button and forget about it all. Even if our bodies need to revert back to the way they're supposed to be, I hope the memories will endure.

[Although perhaps he could selectively forget one or two of the more uncomfortable things. He wouldn't miss 90% of Animus.]

[all_wound_up]

I hope so too. I would never want to forget the friendships I've made here.

[otakuro]

...Well!

I shouldn't let worrying about something like that stop me from doing what I want, anyway. I'll see if I can sign up - if not as a full-time student, to take a few classes, anyway.

[all_wound_up]

At least it will keep you busy.

[otakuro]

Aha... I think the demons do a pretty good job of that already. I don't generally go around Hinoto-Ri thinking 'gosh I wish something would happen'.

[all_wound_up]

Busy in a good way?