[video] they say it's your birthday

[interstices]

Who: Asuka Shikinami Langley
Broadcast: Yes
Action: Yes, on the Iskaulit
When: December 4th

[See Asuka, all scowls and irritation, outside on a bench on the Iskaulit, with a pile of merrily-colored holiday cards messily stacked next to her. There's another sack, too, that looks as if it's similarly saturated with cards. She's digging through the sack diligently as she speaks, scrutinizing each card before adding it to her pile.]

Hey. I got these from a sponsor and I don't want them. They're all blank. If you want a couple of cards, just stop by.

[Digging... digging...]

[And then, after opening yet another red envelope (the glue on the inside hasn't even been licked, geez), she yanks out a large black sticker that she stares at and then tosses long before it's legible on the feed.]

I'm not peddling these around.

[OOC: It's Asuka's birthday, but also my yearly offer of holiday cards, either IC or OOC. Or both. Details in that post, if you're interested!]

Comments

[interstices]

Oh... [Asuka nods, still just surveying her piece with no slight amount of wonder. Real strawberries. Not freeze-dried or imitation. And knowing Shinji, real butter and maybe eggs. She takes her first bite without hesitation. The strawberries, sweet and firm with a hint of give, are a sweet explosion of flavor, paired perfectly with the cake and frosting. She tries not to be a pig about her slice-- there's still plenty to go around, after all.]

[Kaworu's compliment is still taking her aback moments later, while she's basking in Shinji's. An exceptional woman. It's unbelievable that he'd say that about her. It's too kind and too inaccurate. But on her birthday, she can accept it. Even now, it's far too easy to accept the electric sort of (recognition) warmth that came around when she hugged Kaworu, and how it only differs from Shinji's in intensity. She's softening like a rock in a tumbler. She'll have to stop that or she'll wreck herself.]

It's really, really good. I didn't think... I didn't expect anything.

[paraclete]

[Kaworu, who often likes to eat things seemingly without a second thought, is slow when it comes to eating cake. He enjoys letting the frosting melt in his mouth, and the frosting Shinji makes is especially good for that. Granted, Kaworu doesn't really have any other frame of reference, but he doesn't think he needs one, either. A mouthful of frosting from anyone else, anywhere else, and with anyone else just wouldn't meet the standards these recent birthday cakes have set.

While he's been enjoying his frosting, and some strawberries along with it, Kaworu has had his eyes closed. But now he opens them, and—thankfully—swallows before making an announcement of great faith:]

I'm beginning to wonder if the unexpected isn't always so fraught.

[He prods his fork into some more frosting, this time even catching some cake along with it. Then he says, more decisive this time,] It's good to celebrate. I've had fun celebrating with the both of you, so I hope it's fun for you, too. It's nice to be... [He sticks the forkful of cake into his mouth, maybe ruining his ethereal image, as he says,] Together.