十七 ❀ july 4 event - 75% droned

[naicha]

_{[ A Taiwan - no, Xiaomei is standing where Japan, no, Kiku usually is, sweeping the front yard and setting up the cafe early in the morning. She is dressed in one of the more conservative costumes that cover more skin. ... She doesn't know how she got pulled into this whole gimmick, her husband put her up to this, okay. Oh, the things she does for love. ]}

Good morning! Nice weather this year, isn't it? <sub>[ instead of the usual "Hi!" or "Zao an!" ]

[ B Shaved ice. Shaved ice. Was that even a thing? She just wants some right now. On a whim, she takes a trip to the grocery, walking briskly along the aisles for toppings: taro, azuki beans, grass jelly, anything--

She slows down to a stop in aisle 12. ]</sub>



Ah... What was I looking for again?

<sub>[ Well, she has a can of condensed milk in one hand and some strawberries in the other. Can anyone give her ideas?

Alternatively, you may have bumped into her on her search! ]

[ C After tucking her three darling little angels in bed (and it's definitely not strange, how she is eighteen and he is twenty-five and their children are at least twelve, heavens no!) Xiaomei has a cup of coffee while propped up on her bed, reading a book she's certainly never touched. It's hard to focus on the text when what Shiki said this morning still bothers her. ]</sub>



Are they really trying to kill us? ... That's silly. <sub>[ She takes a sip of coffee. It's salty. Strange, she thinks she's never done that before...

Feel free to call her, the phone is on the nightstand. ]



(ooc: Just did this, so I'll be retconning some of her characterization slightly! Not that there's much to change... but shh okay this is a thing I am working on starting now.)</sub>

Comments

[encored]

The drones may smell miserable but at least most of them don't give me headaches when they open their mouths. If you're going to spend the rest of the day being disgraceful and making a nuisance of yourself, you would be better off strapped to a case of fireworks.

[really tough love......]

[naicha]

_{[ Why does everyone keep mentioning fireworks to her today gosh!! They remind her of... quite a lot of things, really. People. Places. It talkes her a while to answer. ]}

I'm sorry, Charles, this has been bugging me, and I know I shouldn't be forgetting things like this! But... do you remember any fireworks shows last October?

[encored]

[oh, he actually has to rack his brain for a moment.... last October seems so far away and it's troublesome sorting through memories of school and band recitals and trick-or-treat before recalling Sergei.]

I can't recall any firework shows from the month of October, but that isn't very surprising. A good number of people were dead before the month was over.

[naicha]

_{That's not true...} Wasn't there any celebration? It was someone's birthday...

[encored]

If fireworks were involved, I'd imagine it'd be one of you lot. Can you recall who?

[since Vietnam celebrated hers in September and he didn't know Taiwan last October he is just completely drawing a blank, give him a second to remember his history lessons...]

[naicha]

_{[Charles you are a smart chap you can do it]}

"Us?" What do you mean? I know for sure that there were two of them! Ehehe, come to think of it, my birthday's on the 25th... _{[she is not a smart chap]}

[encored]

[dronewan did you seriously just forget your birthday for a while there did you]

Yours would be one, then, but I still don't recall any fireworks for it. As I said, most people were dead before the end of October.

[naicha]

_{[ Drones are dumb. Taiwan is a drone. Thus Taiwan is not the brightest crayon in the box... ]}

But you're alive now, silly... _{[ but how he insists that he wasn't a few months ago is starting to scare her. ]}

[encored]

[he kind of feels sorry for her...]

Of course I'm alive now, October was ages ago. If I had been dead that long I'd smell terrible by now. [even though the entire ordeal with Sergei had been miserable, he seems pretty blasé about it.]

You should know well how that works here. How many times have you died?

[naicha]

_{[ Has she died? ]}

... Twice. _{[ That doesn't sound right - she's always been alive! ]}

[encored]

Twice, hm? [he looks kind of impressed, he actually thought she's died more than twice by now... such faith in her abilities.]

You'd do well to remember it.

[naicha]

People keep playing mind games on me. How are you doing it? Do you think it's funny, tricking people like this? Huh?

[encored]

To be perfectly honest I do find it and this entire situation vaguely humorous, yes, but that's likely a reflex to spare you from the utter contempt and disgust I would feel otherwise.

Are you going to buy those strawberries?

[naicha]

<sub>Wait until your father hears about this...

[ Wow when did preteens sound like this, um. Looks at the strawberries. ]</sub>

Um, yes.

[encored]

[artfully ignores the first part!] I like the look of those better than the ones left on the shelf. I'll take those, you may go fetch yourself another.

[he hasn't even looked at the produce aisle yet, he just feels like being an asshat :|]

[naicha]

Hehe, okay!

_{[ Being the gullible drone girl she is, Taiwan gives the strawberries to Charles without a second thought and comes back with another pack like he said. ;u; ]}

[encored]

[oh....

it's times like now that he almost wishes he had a properly functioning conscience to tell him taking advantage of gullible drones is a bad thing. almost.]

And the condensed milk? Were you planning on purchasing that?

[naicha]

Yes...

_{[ Holds it close to her like a mother would a child... ]}

[encored]

You don't really need it, do you? What could you possibly plan on making for Independence Day that requires condensed milk?

[holds his hand out for it...]

[naicha]

_{[ immediately ]} Baobing. _{[ all the while she is thinking what the hell is baobing ]}

[encored]

[looks pleased! any step away from droning is a step in the right direction, though he has a feeling it isn't enough.]

Will you be making enough to serve more than one?