driftfleet | Video. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOOOOOU

Who: Edwin Jarvis and you
Broadcast: Fleetwide
Action: Tourist, or visit him at The Melting Pot if you'd like, aboard the Iskaulit!
When: After they leave the spooky cannibal planet.

[It has been... the longest few months in his entire life, or maybe competes with the top months. The prior month particularly, and that's not even counting being stranded on a planet full of cannibals. Regardless, Jarvis has been kind of... working on keeping things together. It does nobody any good if he openly mopes or worries -- he has The Melting Pot to tend to, better stocked now since Lyuku. He tries not to seem too distracted there. And The Tourist will, of course, continue to have its routine offered breakfasts and dinners...! He's not one to give in on his usual duties just because something's dampening his spirits.

One morning, he finds a crate in the Tourist's cargo bay, and dreads the fact that his name is written on the shipping label. The last time he'd actually opened one of these, it had been... flamingos. Plastic flamingos that inadvertently turned into a galactic fashion statement. He will not make the same mistake again...!!! He shows up on his feed, hand on his hip, looking displeased.]

I don't know if you've noticed, but...!! There's a rather large box here for me in the cargo bay. When have these ever been a good thing, I implore you to inform me? I've learned quite a number of things through life here. One -- don't fiddle with your augment implant. Two -- people can apparently survive being asleep for ungodly periods of time, and three -- do not trust anything the Atroma send you! I'm not falling for it aga--

[There's a sudden explosion of confetti, the walls of the crate falling open as Jarvis yelps in a high and rather unflattering timbre, and behind him stands a cake nearly his height -- with HAPPY LATE BIRTHDAY in huge letters, as well as a banner that subtitles: sorry about being trapped on a cannibal planet. Jarvis leaps back to standing upright, adjusting his riled tie and crooked reading glasses -- and looking alarmed. And covered in confetti.]

... Dear god no.

[NO NOT HIS BIRTHDAY]

That--

That is the most hazardous and ugliest cake I've ever seen in my life!!

[Oh, come on, Jarvis, it's not that--

Ohmyword.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Food is intended to maintain your body's function. Must it be entertaining?

[Justice considers this perhaps more than he should. He just does not understand mortals.

But he does understand this is meant to be a celebration, so...]

Happy belated anniversary of your birth.

[Almost got it.]

[He can't help but smile at that, and tries his best not to look amused because of Justice, rather than amused by the situation. And hey, it's a unique way of saying it; he's not about to correct him.]

... Thank you, Mr. Justice. As much as I loathe to admit aging another year...

Sometimes one must remember and be thankful they have another year to start with.

[Well, the man is smiling, so Justice probably got it right. Probably.]

Indeed. It seems strange to grieve one's aging considering the alternative.

Although perhaps that is simply easy for me to say. [After all, Justice is ageless and doesn't have to live with the specter of the eventual breakdown of his body and his inevitable death.]

True enough... Everyone is a bit different, I suppose.

Some see it as getting closer to death. A bit too morbid, isn't it? Though mortality is something most have to come to terms with.

Edited 2017-12-01 09:31 (UTC)

If one wishes to see it that way, I find it strange to see an anniversary as a milestone closer to death. Mortals draw closer to death every moment, not simply once a year.

[This is him when he’s trying to be friendly. The spirit is hopeless.]

And even then, avoiding the anniversary of one’s birth is only attainable by dying during the year, so I find it odd to take it as a reminder of mortality.

It's not... simply that. It's also a celebration of life... not just for a terrible reason -- but also for the fun of those who care for you, reminding you that each year of your time on earth is invaluable to them.

That seems like an appropriate reason to celebrate. Do you intend to celebrate, or is the cake celebration enough?

... Really, the cake's a bit much.

I -- tend to avoid my birthday. My wife and boss usually enjoy reminding me, anyway.