|4| [Video]

[wing_attack]

[The video clicks on, and there is... well. There's a Rufflet and an Ursaring in colorful party hats.]

[In an inn room. He finally sprung for one tonight, yeah. Tobias turns the camera around and grins, though it's a little bit of a crooked grin. His last birthday... didn't go so well. Or was that the birthday before? The last birthday he paid attention to the date on, at least. Anyway.]

What kind of stuff do you guys do for your birthday where you're from? I never really did much for mine, so I decided to get a room for the night. It's kind of nice here, though it's sort of expensive...

[... He's probably going to go back to sleeping outside tomorrow night. Oh well.]

... Maybe we'll go out to eat or somethi -

[Aaand the Ursaring tackles him, and Tobias is left flailing under a pile of brown fur.]

Rachel! You're too big now! Get off!

[The Ursaring just laughs and Tobias crawls out from under her, turning the video off as her party hat falls and bonks him on the head.]

Comments

[lieutenantantichrist]

Ah. Family trouble.

[Having to live behind your friend's farm doesn't point to a happy mom and pop background.

Steve gives Blake a thumbs-up on dinner. She's a good judge of these things.]

Well, so much for being normal for now. Sounds like they didn't come with you.

Least it's safer here. No wino is gonna stumble on you sleeping in the woods and steal your shoes.

Just might get tackled by bears now and then.

[wing_attack]

Yeah, but my Pokemon rotate who's standing guard. Most of them are kind of strong compared to the Pokemon in this area so I'm not that worried. And Rachel means well. I think she just wants to carry me like I carried her before she evolved.

[lieutenantantichrist]

She wants to use you as a teddy bear?

[wing_attack]

Or at least give me hugs.

... It's kind of nice. I named her after someone I care about a lot at home who really likes grizzly bears. So it's not so weird to get hugged by her.

[lieutenantantichrist]

What kinda girl likes bears? They're supposed to be into cute things, not wild animals that rip cars open and eat people's dogs.

[Even after all this time spending a lot of nights outdoors, Blake is not really the woodsy type.]

[wing_attack]

[... Tobias frowns a bit.]

That's kind of overgeneralizing, isn't it? They don't have to be into one thing or another. But she's amazing. At least to me, she is. She likes gymnastics and shopping and if you call her girly she's liable to kick your ass.

[lieutenantantichrist]

Ahh, I get it. [Blake nods to himself.] Your girlfriend.

[wing_attack]

[He looks slightly panicked at that word.]

But I didn't say - I mean -

[Rachel the Ursaring just laughs and pats his head. He calms down slightly, though he still looks grumpy.]

I mean... I guess. We don't really call ourselves a couple, but we kind of are.

[lieutenantantichrist]

[Blake chuckles, sounding not that unlike the bear.] Don't worry, I'm not gonna tell your ma.

Anyway, happy birthday, kid. Go out and do something stupid.

[wing_attack]

I don't think you can.

[... Pft. He does grin a little bit.]

Thanks. I'll try.