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[hardwearing]

@david.washington | ■ ▲ ◌ ▼

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text; @david.washington

[hardwearing]

[ Wash is heading out for a run before work when he nearly trips over something left just outside his and Carolina's door... he's wary initially, doesn't touch it, but when he peers inside the bag he recognizes the box and picks it up. It's the cat he was looking at in the shops. The high end model, that he decided not to waste the money on because there was stuff they needed, other stuff he wanted, it was just a toy.

...but it's an adorable toy.

He takes it inside and decides to skip his run, instead going through the little cat's manual and getting it running. Carolina gets a message not to freak out if she sees it in the apartment -- apparently it has a very simple AI kind of like a robot vacuum where it'll get used to the things in the apartment and be able to jump on on objects and interact with them. Wash sits and watches the robot kitten explore, smiling faintly. It really does move like a cat, if nothing else. Even if it doesn't have fur to pet, it responds to being touched.

And there's only one person who might have known how much he wanted one. He debates it for a minute, then sends Angela a very simple text. ]

Thank you.

[unlucky7]

For what?

[hardwearing]

The kitten?

[unlucky7]

You got a kitten?

Picture. Now.

[hardwearing]

[ Wash oblige, a picture of the little electronic cat with its front paws on the couch as if it were stretching on a scratching post. ]

Someone left it on our doorstep. I don't know what to name her yet.

...seriously, though, I hope it was you or I have a stalker.

[unlucky7]

[AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH PRECIOUS!!!!!!!!!]

That is ADORABLE. You have permission to send me cat photos whenever you want.

All right, guilty as charged. I don't want you to worry about having a stalker.

[hardwearing]

Don't tell me that, you might wind up with daily ones.

Thank you. I did want one, it just didn't seem worth the money. You'll have to come by and say hello.

[unlucky7]

You say that like it's a bad thing.

So I'm off the hook for a birthday present, right?

I'll drop by when I'm free.

[It's a start?]

[hardwearing]

There was no birthday present hook in the first place, but yes. Definitely.

If you give me a heads up I can even make sure we're here.

[ It's a start!! ]

[unlucky7]

When is your birthday anyway?

Sure, sure.

You two doing okay? Apartment working out?

[hardwearing]

April 4th.

We're okay. The apartment is great, thank you for that too. I feel like we must owe you a dozen favors by now.

Where are you staying now?

[unlucky7]

Wow, coming up. Guess I got lucky.

[But good to know.]

No problem. Who's really counting?

[Well, probably all of them. Ginia knows she could ask some major favors with all that's happened, but there's nothing she really wants to cash in on either. Maybe in the future, but she's not quite keeping track either.]

I'm sleeping around.

[hardwearing]

I guess you're right. I haven't told anyone, though.

[ Wash is totally counting. And he hopes she doesn't mean that like... "sleeping around" just to have a place to stay. She definitely doesn't. But he's still going to offer. ]

If you ever need somewhere, you can knock on our door.

[unlucky7]

You don't strike me as the kind of person that likes surprise parties, so I'll keep it to myself. I'm guessing Carolina knows though?

[Belatedly, Ginia remembers "sleeping around" is a secondary meeting. Oh. Well. Oops. It's too much effort to correct any possible misunderstand.]

I'll remember that.

[Though it's unlikely she'll ever collect on that offer.]

[hardwearing]

I wouldn't know, really, never had one. I have no idea who you'd invite, though, I don't know many people. And Carolina... might remember? Probably not. I don't make a big deal out of it.

[unlucky7]

I'll still get you a cake or something.

Do you like cake?

[hardwearing]

You don't have to do that, but if you do you'd better stay to have some. Who doesn't like cake?

[unlucky7]

I bet if you asked on the network, someone would say they don't like cake.

I can maybe be convinced to stay for a slice. We'll see.

[hardwearing]

But would they be telling the truth or just being contrary?

Okay, we'll see.

[unlucky7]

Some will probably be contrary, some will be honest. Test this, for science.

Take care, okay?

[hardwearing]

Should that be the whole post?

CAKE Y/N

[unlucky7]

Ambiguous, open-ended. May attract its share of trolls. Could be worth it.

[hardwearing]

Or could be really not. I wish there was still a way to post anonymously, like when we first got here.

[unlucky7]

Yeah, I miss that. Or even a way to make a burner account or something. But that's the price you pay when everything is tied to the implant, I guess.