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 Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2014 4:31 pm
"I'll give you a hand. If anyone asks, you can say that I'm cooking and I asked you to help." The smile eased into a more genuine expression, because Al getting flustered was always entertaining. "Thirteen, then?" Jordan asked innocently.
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Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2014 4:35 pm
He was definitely becoming flustered, even turning a bit on the pink side. "No, I'm seventeen! I'm not a kid!" He had at this point pulled his scarf down over his face, damn he shouted that a lot louder than he intended. "...Adult," he muttered in defeat.
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Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2014 4:54 pm
"I'm just messing with you," Jordan said, smiling. "I know you're not really a kid. You get so outraged, it's hard to resist teasing sometimes." He eyed the pizza crust in his hand, decided to eat it; a mark of considerable approval if one knew to look for it, since he usually left the crusts on the plate. "This really is good."
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Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2014 5:39 pm
Al looked quite pleased by the remark and recognition that he was in fact not a child. "Good, I wasn't sure if I marinated the chicken long enough..." he was mumbling as he took a huge bite of his slice.
It took a few moments before he had it swallowed down. "Oooh, yes, almost like mums," he closed his eyes and tried to savour the smoldering burn left lingering on his tongue. He opened his eyes again and smiled at Jordan. "Was your birthday nice, by the way? Twenty-four is getting kinda old after all might as well enjoy the birthdays." Two could play that game. Al stared Jordan right in the eyes as he took another bite of his slice.
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Posted: Sun Jun 29, 2014 4:48 am
"I got two cakes, beer, a nice present, and pizza, so I'll count it as nice," Jordan answered, reaching for another slice. "I've managed four birthdays in Sun Division, so that's a pretty good track record, I'd say. I'll take that." He smiled at Al, refusing to get huffy over the age game.
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Posted: Sun Jun 29, 2014 10:08 am
"Damn, I hope my next birthday nets me just half that much," Al was quietly disappointed that Jordan did not play the game. "It's kind of funny. I could almost say I was here double that on my twenty-fourth birthday. I'd have been here seven years." But he had to try at least one more time. Otherwise, he would find a new game - eventually.
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Posted: Sun Jun 29, 2014 10:24 am
"Well, you've been here a year, haven't you? Surviving your first year seems to considerably improve your chances." Jordan thought about that for a moment. "When is your birthday, anyway?"
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Posted: Sun Jun 29, 2014 10:35 am
Al looked a little embarrassed and laughed nervously, "It was back in March, on the 25th." He hoped that wouldn't be a problem since it was sort of his own fault that it was never mentioned.
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Posted: Sun Jun 29, 2014 12:25 pm
"I missed it? Sorry, dude. I'll have to remember for next time," Jordan nodded. He hadn't thought to check, and while he felt a little bad about that, he didn't think that Al would be comfortable having a fuss made over it, either. He'd remember next year. "You don't want me to bake for you, though."
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Posted: Sun Jun 29, 2014 12:28 pm
"Haha, that's okay man. Just whatever you think I'll like would be perfect. Everyone sorta missed it too anyway. I can't even tell ya where I was at the time." He polished off the slice he stole and adamantly refused to take any more. It was made for Jordan.
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Posted: Sun Jun 29, 2014 1:57 pm
"Life here has a weird way of being distracting," Jordan said dryly. "Friend of mine suggested that the assholes in charge might make a point of sending people on missions on their birthdays, which I believe, since I've missed the last two that way." He took another slice of the pizza, finding that he was hungrier than he'd thought he was. Ferros projected a wordlessly sarcastic thought. Jordan returned an image of a raised middle finger. "How have you been doing?" Jordan asked, once he'd swallowed his bite of food.
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Posted: Sun Jun 29, 2014 2:30 pm
"Damn, I hope not. I want to have a birthday this time, especially since..." He straightened and smiled just a bit before flexing his arms - not that it was easy to see. "I put in for a promotion so I'll be higher ranked by then." He assumed wrongly that this meant he may actually matter after that.
"So, pretty damn well. I'm excited to see how that goes."
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Posted: Sun Jun 29, 2014 2:50 pm
"That'll be something to celebrate." Jordan kept his thoughts about promotion missions to himself; he'd been on very few that went as planned, and a couple that had been disastrous or worse, but he didn't want to scare Al. He turned his thoughts deliberately away from the subject; that way lay trauma that he didn't need to dwell on, that could leave him shaky and paranoid if he thought about it too much. Al still had his enthusiasm. Maybe it would go well.
"Good luck," he said, and put on a smile.
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Posted: Sun Jun 29, 2014 4:00 pm
Al was practically sparkling again, it had been a while. "Oh man, I'll need it! I'm so excited. I'll get more rights and s**t and one step closer to being as awesome as you guys!" Sparkle sparkle oh, whoops. He decided not to point out his mis-spoken folly. Let it be forgotten if noticed at all. "In any case, if it goes well enough we should throw a party or somethin'."
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Posted: Sun Jun 29, 2014 4:31 pm
The only indication that Jordan might have noticed Al's mistake was a little tightening around his eyes, not enough to be a frown, or any expression at all, really. His smile didn't slip. "It'll certainly be worth celebrating," he agreed. "You've learned a lot."
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