victory_road | Rei's First Birthday

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Rei's First Birthday

Who: Rei Ayanami and friends!
Where: Azalea Town
When: March 30th
Summary: Louie Duck has thrown a birthday party for Rei. :D
Rating: PG

Picnic blankets and tables have been arranged in the garden near the Silver Horn Inn. People may bring their own food, so that it can be shared with others. Small cameras, too. Disposable, with film. So that people may make memories, and take them home with them. There is cake, bought from a grocery store, that says HAPPY BIRTHDAY in large, blue letters made of frosting. There are candles in it, which will be blown out.

Rei Ayanami is sitting at a picnic table, the cake laid in front of her. She examines the camera in her hands. She will take pictures of things that she sees, hoping that she might be able to capture the way that she feels.

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Louie is quite pleased with himself. Really, things turned out not only better than he'd expected, but less costly, too. That's a win-win for Louie Inc right there. It's hard to tell, of course, if Rei's having a good time. He wishes he could read her better, but he's pretty sure no level of attention to detail will ever help with that. Maybe it'll just take time, or maybe this is just how it is.

Either way, she's his best friend. (Even if he's still not sure when or how that happened.) And it's her first-ever birthday party! So if he can't tell how she's enjoying it by observing, then you know what? He's going to ask.

"Hey," he keeps it casual as he leans toward her a bit, resting one hand on the picnic table. "So? What do you think?"

Rei looks through her camera. Louie is important to her. She does not know a better word for it than this. He's visible through the lens. So she takes a picture, the button depressing under her finger with a click. A little sheet of photo paper rolls out, and she places the picture to the side of her plate as she lets it develop.

"It is... nice, to be among friends. And it is not too loud."

Friends. People who care for you, and whom you also care for. A little bit of your heart, split in two and brought together again.

There's something about Rei's inexperience with normal stuff that really endears her to Louie. She has no expectations for how anyone or anything should be, and it just works with where he is in life right now; figuring things out and all... And he helps her, too, that much he can read. So it just works.

Louie chuckles warmly as he sits down across from Rei. "Yeah, it is nice, huh? I'm glad you're liking it." Which is what he took away from 'not too loud', anyway. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a Pokeball - a Great Ball, specifically. "Want your present from me now?"

"Yes. If you would like to give it."

She has a few presents now. Gifts she received at Christmas-time, mostly. Wooden carvings of her Duosion and her Dedenne, carved with skill and care by a hand trying too hard to be gentle. A flower, white and pale and pressed dry. A gift certificate, some of it spent. She keeps these in her room, on a little shelf just for them. It helps her to remember the people who gave them to her.

"Okay, cool," he says, unable to keep a little bit of giddy laughter out of his voice. "I think you'll like this."

A gentle underhand toss of the Pokeball, and when the glowing light fades there a Persian sitting there. She's looks very different from Louie's own Alolan Persian, but also a fair bit different from other Persian of her own kind. The difference in color is subtle, but there, and Louie looks so pleased to have given this to Rei; almost smug.

"She's a shiny Persian," Louie explains, hopping up the scratch the feline Pokemon under the chin. From there, he walks back not to where he'd been sitting but to stand beside Rei. His arm goes around her shoulders, but he's cautious about it, not sure she'll care for the casual affection. "So, I know breeders like you can breed more shiny Pokemon when you have one to start with, and I found her in Goldenrod. Isn't she cool? I didn't name her yet, I thought you'd want to do that."

It is a cat. She has a few varieties, but none like this. It is a slightly odd color, according to the pokedex. She likes that. She extends her hand, which the cat sniffs, and then goes back to its urgent business of scanning the grass for bugs and mice to torment. Eyes wide and excited, entranced.

"Yes. I would like to do that." It will take her a moment or two. What is a good name for a cat? "I will name them March." That is the name of the month, after all. The one where she has been given this gift.

"Thank you." She is still not sure how to react when she is touched, when people reach out to her. So she stiffens, briefly, but she continues to sit. Perhaps it is something that she will just have to get used to.

There's an awkward moment, at least within Louie's thoughts, when he feels her shoulders go rigid. But it passes, and his concern goes by with it; he chuckles.

"March? ...Huh. You know, I kinda like that." He withdraws his arm, and hands Rei the Great Ball. "Not that it matters, of course. She's all yours. Happy birthday, Rei."

"Thank you."

She has said it quite a few times now, and she is sure she will say it again. It is a useful phrase, to describe the gratitude she feels. Like a little flame inside her heart.

"When it is your birthday, you will receive a gift from me, as well."

Louie chuckles again, even more warmly this time, and nods.

"Yeah, I'm counting on it," he teases, though he knows Rei won't necessarily catch the playfulness-- It's okay, because he is expecting a gift, truth be told. "April 15th."

"What would you like to receive?"

It is an obvious question, but one she must ask.

Louie does have to think about this, because the things he'd want back home don't matter much here, if they're even available at all. But after a moment-

"You know, riding Lexington is kind of getting uncomfortable, and a saddle for her would be great. I've heard they make them for Pokemon like Rapidash, which I guess makes sense." He shrugs, then glances at Rei. "But I don't know how much something like that costs, you know?"

"I will investigate the costs of a saddle."

She will pay them, no matter the expense. Money is relatively meaningless for her. It is just something that you trade in order to relieve other things. Immaterial, unlike the things that are purchased and kept.

"Thanks, Rei," he says, before he walks around the table and sits back down across from here. He picks up the disposable camera at that table setting and turns it around in his hands a couple of times. "So, how have you been?"

He's not expecting a very personal or in-depth answer, but he'd like to know what he can.

She has to think about it for a moment. It is difficult to compare things as they are now to how they were before.

"I have been well. No injuries or illnesses to report."

Yeah, that's about what he expected to hear. He smiles at her all the same, because hey-- He wouldn't want her to have been ill or injured.

"Cool." There's a moment that's just and quiet, then he takes a picture of her and after that asks, "How long have you been here? In Johto, I mean, not Azalea Town."

"I arrived in May of last year, as far as I am aware."

"Yeah, I figured it couldn't be too far from when I got here, since we met up in Azalea Town." He taps at the button of the camera that's now resting on the table once again, never hard enough for a photo to be taken. "So it's not long before we've both been here a year. It's kind of weird to think about."

[When Kazuki got wind of this whole party idea, he did his best to help while also giving Rei the freedom to decide what she wanted out of it.]

[This was a bit... difficult, when Rei rarely asserted her will about anything, but he was least able to put together a decent spread of food for anyone that came to attend. Little sandwiches, snacky chippy things and whatnot. Sticky was a little upset that he didn't get to make a cake (how dare grocery store cake!!!) but Kazuki placated him enough to be okay with just serving tea.]

Happy Birthday, Rei-chan. How old are you now?

It is difficult to know for certain. I believe I am now fifteen years old.

[This is what is listed on her documents, after all. She knows better than to argue with such things.]

That's a good year! You'd probably be starting your first year of high school! Were you looking forward to that, back home?

I was not, as school was not considered a priority.

Edited 2022-04-08 14:10 (UTC)

Mmm. [Kazuki didn't want to bring up any sad thoughts on a day of celebration, so he turned away from a topic that might bring down the mood.] Do you think you'd like to go to school here someday?

Emporio has never been to a birthday party really, and he's not really sure if his own counts, so...

He stands out.

Not too badly, mind- despite the various influences he's bounced around between, he manages to look astoundingly normal in a spring jacket and jeans. It's just, he very clearly has no idea what he's doing beyond bringing a present, setting it somewhere, and...well. Standing around.

On second thought, maybe the fact that it's Rei's birthday party helps him not stand out that much at all. On that note, oops, he should. Probably greet the birthday girl right? Right.

...Right.

"Uhhhh..." ...This is probably her, sitting at the table. "Hi! ..Um...I'm Emporio," he awkwardly greets, fiddling with his cap. "It's uh...It's nice to meet you?"

....

"Happy birthday!"

He nailed it. He's so good at this.

louie he's dying

If it helps, Rei does not entirely know what behavior is expected at birthday parties. So, she does not mind any awkwardness on Emporio's part. She nods her head in acknowledgment.

"I do not believe we have met."

It is possible that they have spoken before, and she has forgotten. If so, it was certainly not in-person, and definitely not at any sort of birthday party. But it is good to meet new people, so she does not mind meeting him.

"Oh! No, Louie actually brought me," Emporio explains, jumping only a little. "I've never actually been to a birthday, so it seemed like a good idea?"

There is a pause, as the boy tries to think of any small talk. "It seems like it's pretty nice so far at least..."

"I have never been to a birthday party, either."

She considers it for a moment. "Yes. I think it is nice, too."

"So I guess Louie planned two 'first time' birthdays then..."

A strange occurrence, that perhaps they both owe him a nickel for. He quickly gets over it though. "He did a pretty good job with short notice huh..."

"...Did he handle invitations then?" It occurs to him that if Louie invited him for the party, that could be the case for the others here as well.

"I was not aware of any plans."

It is a surprise, but a pleasant kind. Relaxing. Not too much or too many. Just enough.

"An even better job then..!" Emporio laughs. "..I'm glad it's working out. ...Uh..."

It occurs to him that he's running out of small talk though. The consequences of...well. Not really having reason to master it. Travelling alone was so much easier!

"So, was the party set up here because you were going to be in the area, or do you live here?" he eventually asks.

"I have been staying at the Silver Horn Inn for some time. I help the owner with various tasks."

It is a place where those out of place can stay and find themselves. Calm and quiet. Piano lessons, sometimes.

The Silver Horn...I've never heard of it, but I think that's my own fault more than anything... [He admits.] What's it like? I'm used to staying in a tent even after I reach a town.

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Rei's First Birthday

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