IT R UR BIRFDAY

[powerisyours]

[ the lab is clean, the table's set, the dogs are securely out of the way, and the candle on a small cake sitting on the counter's lit. all that's missing is the birthday girl, and this dude's watching the door like a hawk, drumming his fingers on the tabletop impatiently

because cake

and also birthday!!! ]

Comments

[ridestherider]

Cindy seems to think Ting Yu and I are having a "love affair," for one thing.

[powerisyours]

Don't you have to already be in a relationship with someone else for that to be considered an affair?

[ridestherider]

I was more taken aback by the "love" part, really. Ting Yu and me? Please.

[powerisyours]

He doesn't really seem like the type to settle down.

Besides, you already agreed to marry me.

[ridestherider]

I think she's suspicious of you, too. She asked me if I was "conflicted" about the two of you.

[powerisyours]

Well, all things considered, you're--ah--fooling around with someone who for all intents and purposes looks exactly like me.

[ridestherider]

It's not like I did it on purpose.

[powerisyours]

[ reaching over and patting her head ]

Natsumi has her needs, too.

[ridestherider]

I was starting to think she was misinterpreting me on purpose.

[powerisyours]

It was merely an opportunity that presented itself.

[ridestherider]

To frustrate the hell out of me? Is she normally like that?

[powerisyours]

She is quite plucky. She's also quite smart.

[ridestherider]

She was considerably off the mark.

[powerisyours]

In some ways, perhaps.

[ridestherider]

"Some ways?"

[powerisyours]

I mean this in the nicest way possible, but would you have started your . . . thing with him if he didn't look like me?

[ridestherider]

My "thing" has nothing to do with the fact that he looks like you, except that it's why I spoke to him to begin with. That doesn't count.

[powerisyours]

I'm basing this on the assumption that a person would need to be physically attracted to someone in order to do those things.

[ridestherider]

You realize what you're implying would mess everything up, right?

[powerisyours]

I was only curious. Logically, it makes sense. I couldn't say, otherwise.

[ridestherider]

It wasn't anything I sought out, it just happened. Leave it at that.

[Getting up to clear cake plates.]

[powerisyours]

[ there is definitely guilt in his expression ]

. . . I'm sorry. I pushed it too far again. I'll stop.

[ridestherider]

I'm not mad, just ... I already know it's a bad decision, and getting too far into it about this is only going to make things worse.

[powerisyours]

[ do you have any idea how difficult it is to try to cheer you up without making it sound like I'm trying to tell you to go for it? ]

In the end, it's Natsumi's decision. I'll be here, either way. If I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times: you're stuck with me.

[ridestherider]

[No, I'm a little busy panicking.]

You're not the first one who ever said that.