August 7th, loud robot child voice broadcasting via istone

[tomodachi]

Hey, hey! Today is my "birthday"... I think? Or at least I'm pretty sure I remember that Tim guy saying it should be today.

[there's a long pause, and then...]

What is it that you're supposed to do on birthdays, again?

Comments

[postictal]

Do you know why?

[Missing memories - that he understands. A little too well, in fact.]

[tomodachi]

... No. I don't.

[postictal]

[Silence.]

["That must be hard." Except he knows how hard it must be; it's been Tim's entire life."I'm sorry." Except an apology doesn't come close to it. This is supposed to be a birthday, and here he is - fucking it up. Well and truly.]

Kind of thing's never easy.

[tomodachi]

Yeah... but you know what? It's nothing worth getting bent out of shape about. I'm sure I'll find out what happened someday, I just have to work harder to find those memories.

[postictal]

[Simple as that, huh? He'd envy that, if he had the energy to waste on something as nonessential as envy.]

That's the hope.

...sorry your birthday is happening in the middle of all this.

[tomodachi]

[There's a pause, before he waves it off.]

Eh, don't gotta say sorry for that--I mean, who could have seen any of this coming?

[postictal]

Yeah, but it's still not a lotta fun. [Birthdays are supposed to be, to his knowledge, fun. Doesn't know from experience, because he hasn't really had that many that were notable.]

Maybe when this is all over, we can do something...I dunno, better.

[tomodachi]

Yeah... it would probably be better to do something where there ain't a bunch of dead robots hanging around.

[And, you know, his friends slowly dying right now...]

[postictal]

This island will probably be outta here by the end of the month.

[And there is at least one living robot, last he checked. For what it's...worth.]

[tomodachi]

... Good. I hope that happens.

[He's so done with Umui]

[postictal]

Me too, kiddo.

[He covers his mouth for another cough. Then another.]

You're not...you're feeling okay, right? Not...sick or anything?

[tomodachi]

Nah, I'm good. I'm too tough to get sick or anything like that.

[uh-huh, sure Crow...]

[postictal]

Good.

Just...uh, let me know if you start feeling like you are. Okay?

[tomodachi]

... Yeah, okay.

What about you though?

[postictal]

I'm fine.

[He winces, but it goes unseen.]

You don't have to worry.

[tomodachi]

[> PRESS X FOR DOUBT]

If you say so.

[postictal]

[HE'S FINE PROBABLY]

You on the new island right now, or...?

[tomodachi]

Hell no, I didn't want to look at a bunch of dead robots any more than I have to.

[Not exactly a great idea for a robot's birthday.]

[postictal]

Good. That's...probably good if you stay off it.