❀ Episode 06 ❀ [Dictated / Action] - backdated to March 5th

[therealrisette]

Hey, I really don't want to bore you guys and talk about that Holly Peaks weirdness like everyone's doing. I promise, no rambling about being old! I was only a few years older there, anyway.

[Some people have all the luck. Or maybe the castle took it easy on her since last time she was a fairy for almost three weeks!]

But I've been thinking about something for a while, and it's kinda related.

So, I know we don't really age here. Not like back home. But...

[She pauses for a moment, thinking back and collecting her thoughts from the past month or so.]

I've been here for a couple of months. I should be seventeen now. But my birthday's not until June, and I don't really feel any different. But I was really looking forward to it!

[Slow down, Rise, you're starting to ramble.]

I guess I'm just curious? Do you guys celebrate your birthdays, even when the timing is way off? Or do we even celebrate birthdays here at all? I really don't want to be sixteen forever...

[Filter to Yukiko Amagi]

[Now for the really important part... she'd spoken to Yukiko since "the incident", of course, but it wasn't until Holly Peaks that she really started to feel close to her again. Even moreso than they were back home. It kind of made her wonder if they could really be such close friends like that? Without the castle messing with them.]

Hey, it was fun working together, wasn't it, Yukiko-chan?

[The teasing emphasis is just in case, really. She's gotten used to addressing Yukiko that way over the past few days, but she's a little irrationally worried that it might bother her...]

Comments

[not_nikkiheat]

That's an interesting theory. I haven't been here anywhere near long enough to notice a difference, but it does seem logical given our environment.

[therealrisette]

Oh, hey!

[This is an unfamiliar voice, so Rise automatically sidetracks her own topic a bit for greetings.]

Are you new here? Sorry! I usually announce myself over the journal, but this isn't really an exciting topic.

I'm Rise Kujikawa.

[Y'know, just in case she was wondering.]

[not_nikkiheat]

[Kate smiles at the greeting.]

Yes, I'm very new here. I'm Kate Beckett.

[luxe_can_kill]

That is quite a good question. I have never thought of that before... [Come to think of it, her own birthday is just around the corner]

However, I don't see any reason why you cannot celebrate your birthday in here, despite the difference in times.

[therealrisette]

Oh, I was definitely going to do something for my birthday! And my friends', too!

[It'd be far too depressing to live in a place with no birthday parties. Though, she's seen people celebrating their anniversary in Paradisa, too. So that's another option.]

I just... dunno. Can we really say we're getting older here? I don't mind waiting until my birthday here to turn seventeen, if that's what people do, but I don't wanna wait forever...

[Meaning until she gets sent home, of course.]

[luxe_can_kill]

Hmm... I would try and find an answer. I am curious about that thought as well.

[Meanwhile, in Mitsuru's brain: "Should I organize a surprise party for Kujikawa? She might already have plans..."]

[originalcopy]

...

[ok, the voice is familiar but... no way.]

[therealrisette]

[Having a problem, Church?

Rise's not sure if she heard something or not, so she just draws a little question mark in the corner of the page...]

[originalcopy]

[He was just about to put the journal down when he spots the question mark appear on the page. Crap, was that for him?]

... Shit

[This is totally the kind of thing that he would rather avoid. It's not a problem if you ignore it.]

dictated;

[foin]

I don't see why not. Birthdays are birthdays, and they're meant to be celebrated!

[therealrisette]

[Rise noticeably cheers up a bit at hearing Asuna's voice again.]

I guess so!

I just don't know if I can really say I'm seventeen... or if I'll ever be able to say I'm eighteen. Or twenty. Y'know?

[Not that she thinks she'll be here that long, but if she is, she's realizing now that she's been a little older that she doesn't want to think of herself as sixteen for all those years. Even if she doesn't actually visibly change.]

[foin]

Of course you can! Your mind is growing, and you're changing as a person. The outlook you had when arriving versus now can be totally different! That's growth enough in my opinion!

[billiardsplz]

I do. Any excuse to party!

But seriously, even if your body ain't growing up, your mind is.

[therealrisette]

I guess so!

It's just kinda weird at first. I'm not used to thinking I'll look this way forever just yet...

[Though she's not really bothered by it. There are definitely perks to staying young.]

[billiardsplz]

Think of it this way. Imagine all the money you'll save on youth-restoring products that don't work!

Rise;

[scoring]

[ Wanting the castle to not mess with you was like wanting a plant to not grow in dirt. She didn't exactly have high hopes. Nonetheless, Yukiko felt the same; she'd never spent much time with Rise at home, outside of the group, but the girl was still a close friend.

So she actually gets a little bit of a giggle before answering. The outfit, mortifying. But the rest...really, it was just another day at the inn, with more paperwork. ]

It wasn't too bad, actually. You make a good nurse, Rise-chan.

[Yukiko 4ever ♥]

[therealrisette]

[Oh god, that response is such a relief! Rise was worried Yukiko might be more upset about the uniform than that. Sure, she tries to make Yukiko see how attractive she really is, but she wouldn't just throw her in the deep end like that! Getting her into a bikini for a private beach outing is one thing, but that nurse uniform in front of all those people this soon?

Anyway, it doesn't seem like she needs to worry about it anymore. She answers with her own giggle, sounding very relieved.]

Thanks! But I think I'll stick with being an idol!

[Actually, being a nurse there felt really similar to being an idol back home - and living here. Even though she's not performing, she's still helping people!]

Besides, you were a much better nurse than I was, Yukiko-cha-

[Whoops. That one wasn't even her joking around.]

I mean... Yukiko-senpai...

[Crap, she was trying to play it off earlier like she was just joking around, but now she actually slipped. Hopefully, Yukiko won't mind too much...]

iyaaa

[scoring]

[ Friends get a bit of leeway. ]

It's alright. All these time changes are getting a little confusing, aren't they?

[deductiongeek]

[Oi you're worried about staying sixteen forever in the castle? Try being seven.]

Most people try and celebrate by the day on the castle's calendar.

[therealrisette]

Oh, Conan-kun...!

[Okay, now she kind of feels bad for complaining about whether she's seventeen or not yet. Conan's still a kid, but... well, he'll still be a kid no matter how long he's in the castle. He'll probably go back home before then, but what if he's still here in six or seven years? Or ten?!]

Er, thanks! I guess I'll do that, then.

[Awkward... maybe she could try and spin it in a better direction?]

Hey, when's yours?

[Because, you know, what kid doesn't like his birthday? Even if he's not really getting older for a while and might be bothered by that train of thought.]

[deductiongeek]

May 4. [The answer comes grumpily. He didn't really see a point in celebrating it anymore.]

[adorbs]

Um, I've had birthdays here! Even though I didn't look older...

[therealrisette]

[You look a little older to her, Nanako!]

Really, Nanako-chan?!

["Birthdays"? She can't remember if Nanako told her exactly how long she's been in the castle before, either!]

How many have you had?

dictated

[psych0p0mps]

i dont really celebrate them
the alternian calendar is so different from earths that it renders any kind of date effectively meaningless
even when timeline shenanigans arent involved
i think at one point i set an arbitrary date to represent my wriggling day
but then i forgot to do anything for it when it actually came around

[Dictated forever]

[therealrisette]

Aww, but you should do something, Aradia-chan! It's an excuse for a party, at least!

[Come to think of it...]

Hey, I've seen other trolls celebrating the day they came to Paradisa. It was kind of like a birthday party...