video | i got a pair of wings for my birthday

[lyingheart]

[ Annie has damp hair she's wearing in a braid draped over her shoulder, sitting next to Krieg at a wood table, water glasses and what might be alcohol in frosted glasses before them. They're both facing the camera. Annie isn't smiling, but she's holding her one hand up making a victory sign in the least enthused manner ever. ]

Puck, just take the photograph already.

[ Krieg, bemasked as always although presumably?? Also drinking?? Is a little more into this whole photo session than Annie - he leans in next to his buddy and also flashes a victory sign...behind her head. Classic. ]

You gotta say "CHEESE", Honeyshine!

[ She starts frowning, eyes slanting to look askance up at him. ]

Why the hell would I shout cheese—

[ She's cut off as the sound of singing begins, a cupcake with a candle burning brightly in the middle being placed down in front of her. Puck shifts the camera to show the serving staff gathered behind the two diners, everyone smiling as brightly as the candle burns. Happy Birthday to you~ Annie is almost cut out of the frame, but what can still be seen of her face has her eyes going from blinking down at the cupcake, to wide open with the whites showing. What the legitimate fuck?! ]

Because when you say it you smile! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BIRTHDAY GIRL!!!!

[ The servers finish the song with a loud, “Happy 18th Birthday, Annie!” which anyone who knows she just turned 17, actually, might tip off about why she has a beer. Annie has hunched her shoulders, and the camera's starting to shake as Puck laughs silently. Annie gives Krieg a flat look, plucks the still burning candle out of the cupcake, and without a hitch in her movements, shoves the pretty, frosted cupcake into his masked face.

And blows out her candle. ]

Happy birthday yourself.

[ Krieg, his mask now caked in confectionery, just laughs. ]

PffffmnahahahahAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

[ The video ends as a small, barely there smile curls her lips up at the corners while he laughs and the servers look on in slightly distressed confusion. ]

Comments

[lyingheart]

Yes, you are.

[ she's so nice she doesn't even pause before agreeing. but really, after saying so, she lifts her eyebrow even further, because while "i told you so" is the obvious thing he's acknowledging (since she did), what she ends up saying is: ]

When you're the one closet to something is usually when you're most blind to it. Choosing not to listen...

[ her eyes narrow for a moment... and she shrugs. really, she's glad for him, but that's also a complicated emotion she is absolutely not showing on public feeds. ]

Looks like we'll be sparring when we next meet up.

[bertall]

_{[As she trails off, he offers up an ending of his own;]}

...makes me a colossal idiot.

_{[It's much worse than your garden variety idiot.]}

I'll let Jean know when I go see him later, just so I don't worry him when you keep knocking me over.

_{[He can hold his own against her but in all the years he's known Annie, beating her in hand-to-hand is something Bertolt has never been able to do. But he'd always give her his best, and this time won't be any different no matter how out of practice he is.]}

Do you want me to go all out?

[lyingheart]

[ do you really need to say colossal... she sits back, restraining that sigh so that it remains internal. her gaze is more calm and steady. ]

What's the point in holding back?

[ she's not out to kill, and neither is he. that's all the restraint either one of them need, in her opinion. ]

[bertall]

I'll bring my Glaceon along for after, then.

_{[They might be sturdy and the healthcare in this world leagues better than back home, but they were still only human now. They might need some ice for any and all bumps they get.]}

Oh, and Annie? ...Thank you. For, uh... You know, listening and putting up with me before we sorted it out.

[lyingheart]

Do as you like.

[ Granted, her ice types come in to flavours: very large, and very annoying. Rations is likely to be out with her party at that point regardless.

For what else she says, she simply makes a noise of acknowledgement. ]

Not like I brought it up.

[ in other words, she let him chatter on about what he brought up, and repeatedly told him to deal with it. hardly anything graceful on her part, for all she doesn't refuse his gratitude. she just doesn't say he's welcome, either. ]

[shiro2hero]

I followed you up until the "plastic window jeans".

Is that a thing?

[bent_the_world]

[Korra smiles openly and laughs.]

It all works out! I have pretty simple needs.

And hey, if you need any sweets, I can hook you up.

[fuelthefire]

[Krieg just shrugs. He knows it bugs some people, but it's never bothered him.]

Sometimes it's better not to know.

[And that's not just true for this world's mystery meat!]

[lyingheart]

They exist. If they're a thing or not is something I'm purposefully unaware of. They just strike me as being cruel and unfair to knees everywhere, and the concept of clothing.

[lyingheart]

[ she replies pretty quickly with: ]

I'm never opposed to sweets.

[ who has a sweet tooth? this person! even if she can't eat much of anything sweet at a time, she really, really likes the richness of those flavours. like donuts.

oh, donuts. ]

[lyingheart]

[ wordlessly, she flags the server for another round of whatever they're drinking. ]

What you don't know, you don't have to struggle with never forgetting.

[ she agrees. the alcohol comes along not too long after, and she picks hers up, taking a good long drink out of it for everything she wishes she didn't know. ]

[shiro2hero]

In that case, anyone who wears those is not allowed to question my clothing choices ever again.

[lyingheart]

I don't feel like they should be allowed to question anyone's clothing choices. Maybe their own?

[shiro2hero]

[Annie, this is the guy with the oshawott shirt that says "OTTER SPACE".]

Yeah, that sounds fair. Just their own.

[lyingheart]

[ is there something wrong with that shirt other than it's corniness, her height of fashion is hiding in sweatshirts ]

Though maybe the one who came up with the idea is the one who wears them. You could at least admire that follow through.

[fuelthefire]

Or you've already forgotten it!

[Cheers? Cheers! He'll join her and finish off his drink in a solidarity toast. Or. Whatever this has become.

This is nice - he's really happy Annie asked him to join her, even though it also does kind of strike him as a little weird that she'd ask him - surely the friends she has from her world would suit better? Maybe not Armin, he knows there's some tension there, but she seems to get along pretty well with Bert, and especially Marco...

Not that he's going to think about it much. Or at all, beyond just the passing thought, which is already gone.]

What're you gonna do after today? Back to the deep woods camp?

[lyingheart]

[ Her guilt complex with Marco is Magnificent, but it is indeed telling that she asked to spend time with someone not from her world over anyone from there. It's remarkably easier to be around people she has no history with. She'll never have to kill Krieg, has no politics against him or for him, and can take him as whatever he is, in any given moment. ]

Mm... hadn't decided. I should finish up with some of the gym fights in the regions, since I've been training everyone up for the last month.

[ It's kept her and her pokemon busy, rather than being training for something. She glances toward the ceiling. ]

Hadn't spent much time on these islands, so it may be worth looking around while I'm out here. I heard something about Rockruffs that sounded interesting...

[ She takes another drink of alcohol, grimaces a little, and lifts her shoulders in an approximation of a shrug. ]

[bent_the_world]

Then consider yourself hooked up!

Got any favorites?

[shiro2hero]

[Hiding in sweatshirts is perfect fashion.]

Yeah, I guess we have to give them that much, huh?

[fuelthefire]

[Oh yeah, Gyms...those are a thing. He should ask Maya if she wants to try the gym challenge. It might not be as exciting as the Slaughter Dome, but some of the monster battles can be truly epic and are pretty exciting to watch, anyway.]

...That's the scruffy dog, right? What did you hear?

[He has ten more Pokemon in his care than he had planned on acquiring, plus the Zen Doll (though Dolly doesn't have a pokeball and is technically still "wild", meaning he can keep six of his others with him plus Dolly), so he has zero interest in catching any more. But, he's always down for some good monster trivia, because Pokemon are interesting as heck.]

[schachmeister]

I never considered myself your type.

[Not before all of this, but definitely not since he has heard the truths Annie has to tell. Some things are too complicated.]

[lyingheart]

[ she snorts, lips quirking into a half smile. her first thought is: donuts

but that's not what she says, regardless. ]

Anything sweet without too much frosting, if it has frosting.

[lyingheart]

If we're feeling kind.

Off topic, but have you had to deal with any of these new Pokemon that showed up after the crash? Krieg mentioned them to me and showed me the articles.

[lyingheart]

Ah... one of them? Either way, it seems like they might use one of the islands to have Pokemon fighting nights.

[ She tips her hand back and forth, not entirely sure if that's the case or the truth. Definitely is a rumour she's heard, however. ]

Seemed interesting to try and watch from a distance.

[fuelthefire]

[What? What!? Krieg's never before heard such nonsense!!!]

It'd be even better close up!!

[Interest: piqued.

...At least until Adorababy, speaking up for the first time after helping Dolly finish the mask cupcake, trills disapprovingly.]

...But far is probably better.

[Enthusiasm: Cooling.

Status of Psycho: disappointed :c]