3rd Rifle [Video]

[bronze_flower]

[The feed turns on to show Mami thoughtfully looking at a tarot card, though the way she's holding it only the back can be seen.]It's a little odd that they ignore us on a personal level most of the time, but then they give us these on our birthdays, isn't it? On the other hand, our birthdays are what determines which sign we fall under, so maybe

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[undevil]

Why, happy upcoming birthday, then!

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[bronze_flower]

Ah, thank you. My birthday's today, actually.

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[undevil]

Ah, that's how it works, is it?

Well, even better! I certainly hope you have exciting plans. ☆

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[bronze_flower]

Yes, that's right.

And um, well, maybe.

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[lyricized]

[ He blinks before staring at her and perking up a bit. ]

They sent you a gift? I guess they're not all that bad if they remember our birthdays. What did you get? Let me see!

[ He's hovering with his face close to the device, not bothering to hide his nosiness. ]

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[bronze_flower]

[She nods and holds up the card she got, though still only showing the back of it.]

It's a tarot card, I think, though the imagery is... unusual. More of a suggestion on how to 'worship' than anything else. But perhaps the actual gift comes after you follow the Twelve's 'suggestion'.

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[lyricized]

[ Oh ...it's that kind of thing. He gets a little flustered, thinking he probably shouldn't ask to see. He doesn't want this girl to think he's a pervert or anything, even if he is a bit curious about the 'suggestion.' ]

...I-I see. I guess you have the chance to get something really special if you do it, but you deserve other gifts, too. Oh- and a party and some cake! Do you have any friends on the island?

[ He'd feel bad if she's spending her birthday alone with a creepy card. She should have more fun than that. ]

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[bronze_flower]

Thank you. I have made friends here, and I'm definitely planning on making myself a cake, but I wasn't really planning on having a party, just a quiet dinner with a friend.

♡VOICE.

[freed]

I suppose it is rather thoughtful of them, though given what they expect us to engage in based on these cards, I cannot say it's all that surprising.

Regardless, happy birthday. Do you plan to celebrate the occasion?

♡VOICE.

[bronze_flower]

That's certainly true.

...I don't really have any plans for a party or anything of the sort. Maybe a private dinner with a friend.

[freed]

That sounds very pleasant. Will there be cake involved as well? A birthday should always have cake.

[even N got vegan cake, okay. there is no excuse.]

[bronze_flower]

Ah, yes, that's right. I should bake myself a cake as well.

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[truerhero]

[ he's yet to get a card himself, but he knows enough to have an idea just what sort of thing they entail. as such, he's quiet for a moment before he switches his own feed on, thinking. he had been foolish under the twelve's influence, but even that seemed a paltry excuse for how he had acted. thinking back on how cheesy, how sappy he had been was embarrassing to the highest degree. he wonders, not for the first time, if she had taken his words at face value. he hadn't meant to lead her on - at the time, he had believed everything he said - but in hindsight... ]

You shouldn't feel like you owe me anything. [ he realizes that sounds a bit too much like a dismissal, and softens slightly. ] I wanted to treat you.

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[bronze_flower]

[Mami had some idea that the way he'd been acting hadn't all been his idea - she'd felt the urge to pursue things further with Ivan than she normally would have herself, after all. But she just wasn't sure how much had been him and how much had been the Twelve's influence. Nor could she help the fact that that evening had only made her attraction to him grow.]

I know. I guess... I was using that as a bit of an excuse. The card I was given depicted a certain scenario and - well - if I was going to act it out with anyone, you're the one I'd want to do it with.

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[truerhero]

[ he's not sure he likes the idea of being her first choice - he may not be interested in her, exactly, but he doesn't want to hurt her, either - but he does have a chivalrous streak. it may not be as strong as the last time the twelve interfered, but it's there. so, after a moment's thought: ]

Well, I can hardly turn down a lady in need.

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[bronze_flower]

[So maybe his chivalrous behavior that time wasn't all the Twelve's doing... She gave him a relieved smile and finally turned the card around to show him what it depicted.]

Thank you. As you can see, I'm expected to cook for someone while, well, in the nude. I thought the Twelve would see doing this with another girl as cheating, since I'm not interested in other girls that way, and I didn't want some of the guys I'm friends with to get the wrong idea about how I feel about them, so...

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[vains]

Throwin' out 'presents' like that... kind of feels like they're trying to pacify us. Kinda shitty for a birthday, but I dunno if they get that...

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[bronze_flower]

It could be more tactful, I agree, but... In some ways, I don't think the Twelve really understand the way people think.

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[vains]

Yeah... more people seem to be thinking that way, but it's...

If they're taunting us, or bein' cruel, that's one thing; I can get pissed at that. But for them to be that clueless... I don't know what to make o' it.

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[bronze_flower]

I'm not sure what to make of it, either... Though maybe they're so used to looking at things from a larger perspective, it's hard for them to understand what it all seems like from our perspective.