002 ★ video

[nextlineis]

Who: jojo & you
Broadcast: video
Action: optional, but on the caprine
When: rite meow!!!

So, it's September already, which means my birthday is coming up!

I mean, it's technically February back home, but I'm not gonna complain about celebrating my birthday early. Besides, that seems like way too complicated math to try and figure out what it should be.

[It actually is not that complicated. It's the 28th of February where he's from. C'mon Jojo...]

[But then again, this is the guy who struggled at determining the age of someone who was a baby 50 years ago...]

Anyway, I'm gonna be nineteen on the 27th. Just to give you guys the heads up. You know. [He grins.] In case you wanna get me something.

Comments

[nextlineis]

[He just mutely shakes his head. After a beat of silence,]

So? What would it be?

[experiencepoints]

... September 23rd, it looks like.

[nextlineis]

Really?

[He lights up at that.]

[experiencepoints]

Yeah... February 27 to May 13 is seventy-five days. So... July 10, seventy-five days is September 23.

[nextlineis]

Nice! Very nice! Thanks for figuring that out for me.

[experiencepoints]

No problem. It's not hard- Even you should be able to do the conversion now if you need to for anyone else.

[nextlineis]

I hate math.

[And everything else to do with school for that matter. It's a good thing he has his looks, basically.]

[experiencepoints]

Unfortunately, it's necessary.

[nextlineis]

I get along just fine without it.

[experiencepoints]

... This might sound rude, but did you go to school?

[She doesn't mean it badly- half of her team was from worlds that didn't even have schools- but... well, she's her.]

[nextlineis]

Of course I did. Granny would have kicked my ass if I didn't.

[experiencepoints]

[For just an instant, at the mention of 'Granny', Nightingale's face falls, shifting into an expression that looks... blank. No expression whatsoever, with the dull eyes of someone whose spirit is completely dead- Where the body is still alive, but the soul has just been crushed until there's nothing left. (The metaphorical soul, not the literal soul exploding problems she's had.)

But it passes as quickly as it came, like nothing happened.]

Granny, huh? She had the right idea. How did you do?

[nextlineis]

[He notices that blank look and he looks like a mix between concerned and confused. But he doesn't say anything about it, at least not for right now. Mostly because he doesn't know how to talk about something like that and the last thing he wants to do is open his mouth and immediately insert his foot.]

How do most kids who hate school do? I got in trouble a lot.

[...Someone may have been a bit of a class clown. This comes as a surprise probably to literally no one.]

[experiencepoints]

Yeah, you were definitely the problem student, huh...

[nextlineis]

Wasn't my fault school was so boring.

[He shrugs.]

[experiencepoints]

Education is necessary, you know.

[nextlineis]

It's not the only kind of smarts a person can have either.

[experiencepoints]

They're the most useful kind.

[nextlineis]

What good is math going to do me in a fight?

[experiencepoints]

... I use math constantly when I fight, you know...

[nextlineis]

Why the hell would you ever do math in the middle of a fight?

[experiencepoints]

Because I'm my party's strategist.

I have to keep track of my own MP, the cost of my spells, and plan out actions so I don't run out before I have time to stock up again. I also have to keep track of my opponent's HP, how much damage each of my spells is doing, and figure out how to win within my resources. Then there's tracking my inventory, working with experience gains, and all of that.

Winning requires math.

[nextlineis]

...Oooooor you could just hit the other person and win.

[experiencepoints]

...

Or I could stand way back and use a giant column of fire on any target in my line of sight, long before it can reach me.

[nextlineis]

I guess. But I kinda like punching things more.

[In case you didn't pick up on that at all. Because. You know. It was a mystery how he chooses to fight.]