tushanshu | ✦ 014 ✦ [VIDEO] ✦ (Open to ACTION) ✦

[Another day, another morning of having to ration her tea and breakfast. Of residual smoke lingering in the air from the explosions that had gone off down the street. Of the near radio silence and informational uncertainty that came with it. Of having to stare at the ugly remodeled palace and remember that, whatever was inside it, it had been enough to scare certain people into staying as far away as possible.]

[There was something particularly special about this day, however...or, at least, there was supposed to be.]

[The good news was that Zatanna seemed to be feeling a lot better. You'd never know from her expression, though, as she stared dully into the camera for a fleeting moment, before calmly holding up a sign (in English):]

WORST
"SWEET" SIXTEEN
EVER

[It was the most trivial of teen trivial things, but she didn't care. Malicant wanted to listen in on everybody's conversations? Find out what they were talking about? Fine. She would rant and rave all she wanted, and he would have no choice but to listen.]

[Because #F*@kYouMalicant]

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[The sheet of paper Temeraire is holding in his claws is barely legible; writing with a pen is difficult, after all, when your forehands are approximately the size of tires.]

WHAT, PRAY, IS A "SWEET" SIXTEEN?

[It was too easy.]

The opposite of a "Sour" Sixteen?

[He has spent the interval glancing through the previous responses: the phrase is a little clearer, now, but only just.]

I beg your pardon; I ought to have congratulated you on the occasion of your birth. [PAGE FLIP.] But I am afraid I do not take your meaning; is there something particularly special about turning sixteen, in your world?

[This particular set of pages is even harder to read than the last, thanks to tl;dr. Sorry, Zatanna.]

Edited 2014-05-22 01:02 (UTC)

[Eh, she deserved it for the previous joke. Her eyes tried to scan the written words, and she nearly went cross-eyed even before he turned the page.]

Um...could you write that again?

[A slightly baffled frown as he stares down at his sign. He pauses, then:]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

PRAY, WHAT IS SPECIAL ABOUT TURNING SIXTEEN?

[Ah, that was better]

Well, in a lot of cultures, it means you're one year closer to being recognized as an adult. And you can get your drivers' license.

[Which...considering she'd already been driving a motorcycle since before she hit her teenage years...and, you know, could fly...not as huge of a milestone as it sounded.]

[Headtilt. Zatanna does not look like much of a child, to him; she should be old enough to make ensign aboard a flight-crew, at the very least.]

YOU ARE NOT AN ADULT ALREADY?

WHAT DOES THE LICENSE PERMIT YOU TO DRIVE?

Edited 2014-05-22 01:33 (UTC)

Technically, no. And thank you for reminding me.

Cars, mainly. Or a small truck.

IT SEEMS VERY SILLY TO ME, TO DESIGNATE A CERTAIN AGE AS THE BEGINNING OF ADULTHOOD, WHEN ACCORDING TO MY KNOWLEDGEOFHUMANDEVELOPMENT--

[All right, that was unsuccessful. He frowns down at his paper again.]

IT IS A GREAT PITY YOU DO NOT HAVE A CAR HERE, THEN.

[Not even going to bother with the first part of the message. The second, however, brings a warm smile to her face. She might not know this guy...dragon...very well, but he was being sweet to her. For her sixteenth.]

[Now this was a little more like it.]

It's fine. I've learned to make do.

ARE THERE SPECIAL THINGS ONE DOES, ON ONE'S SIXTEENTH?

[There must be something that might be done here, at least. They may be fighting a war, but there ought to be room for the pleasures in life, as well.]

Usually big parties and lots of expensive presents.

[His face falls a little ludicrously at that. So much for trying to find a suitable replacement.]

PERHAPS IF WE POOL OUR RATIONS, WE MIGHT TRY FOR THE FORMER?

[That was the problem with written communication with somebody who wasn't used to her quippy nature.]

Don't worry about it. I was only half joking.

Just getting to see my friends and a lack of explosions would be an acceptable substitution.

[Oh! A joke. It is so difficult for him to tell.]

A LACK OF EXPLOSIONS IS DIFFICULT TO GUARANTEE.

WHAT ABOUT CAKE? ONE EATS CAKE AT THESE SORTS OF PARTIES, DOES ONE NOT?

I would never say no to cake. Or even a cupcake. I'm not that greedy.

THEN I WILL HAVE TO SEE WHAT I CAN FIND IN THE WAY OF FLOUR RATIONS.

Now that's my idea of a SWEET sixteen.

[Again with the wordplay...maybe he'll actually get it this time?]

I DO NOT SEE WHY

I DID NOT SAY ANYTHING ABOUT PUTTING SUGAR IN YOUR CAKE

[Is he playing along, or is he still clueless? MYSTERY.]

Edited 2014-05-26 05:12 (UTC)

You always put sugar in cake. That's the best part of the cake.

[Sage nodding.]

I WILL CERTAINLY KEEP IT IN MIND.

WHAT OTHER THINGS OUGHT TO GO INTO A CAKE?

Don't take this the wrong way, but why would you offer to make something you don't know the ingredients to?

WELL, I DID NOT SEE ANYONE ELSE OFFERING,

AND IT IS ALWAYS NICE TO LEARN SOMETHING NEW, IS IT NOT?

Good point.

Well...you need flower, and eggs and vanilla extract...

[The text continued to magically appear on the paper as she continued with her absent train of thought]

Baking Powder, milk, salt, and shortening and....

I think that's it?

[There's a flurry of glitchy movement as he rushes to scribble all of it down.]

I EXPECT THE VANILLA WILL PROVE DIFFICULT, BUT I WILL LOOK FOR A SUITABLE SUBSTITUTE.

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backwordscompatible - 2014-05-28 01:35 (UTC) - Expand

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