@samsa, text

[anthropophagite]

This might be a silly question. But how do you suppose we should be counting our birthdays here?

I technically should be 19 now, I think.
But if it's Halloween, I'm still a bit away from my birthday, too.

Should I be 18 or 19?

Comments

[anthropophagite]

[ robby!!! ]

We can go out. I never went bowling before.

[strongroots]

cool. let me know if you wanna invite anyone and we can meet up when you're ready.

birthday boy.

[ HEH HEH!!! ]

[anthropophagite]

You can also invite people if you want.


And also.

How come that's my name now!

[strongroots]

special name for a special guy's birthday. don't you know?

[anthropophagite]

You are very embarrassing.

[strongroots]

just wait 'til you hear me in person. 😉

[anthropophagite]

I might have to pretend I don't know you.

[strongroots]

i haven't even asked if you want candles on the cake yet

in the shape of your age or your name?

[anthropophagite]

Do you even know how to write my name?

[strongroots]

nope. but i can give it a go in english if you don't wanna tell me

[anthropophagite]

That doesn't count.

[strongroots]

what? doing it in english?

[anthropophagite]

Yes, it's cheating.

[strongroots]

how is it cheating! i never said i wouldn't do it in english.

i don't even know how write the japanese for 1 to 10. and i learned that for karate

[anthropophagite]

Oh, I guess you can't use my name on the cake, after all.

[strongroots]

you're breaking my heart over here, man

[anthropophagite]

It's not my fault, I don't make the rules.

But I will go bowling with you.

[ kaneki can't eat cake, so there is no point in cake ]

[strongroots]

ok ok. text me when you're ready

[ Nobody said he can't bring cupcakes with the letter K on them, however. :) ]

[anthropophagite]

I don't have a lot going on, myself.

Although you always seem busy, Robby. [ with the newcomers thing, and eventually the Halloween party. but what he means is: ]

I'm ready when you are.

[strongroots]

i wish i was busy. but i'll meet you there in an hour.

i'll text if i'm late

[ You know. For reasons.

Because Robby does want to get the guy something, even if it's small. He's not exactly well-versed in gifts, and he doubts Kaneki will mind much; neither of them sound like people with big expectations for their birthdays, or any type of gift giving, and the one thing Robby imagines he could get the guy is, well....kind of not a thing, here.

(Books. Books that aren't blank.)

But he isn't too late heading to the bowling alley. He's got a bag on one shoulder, keeping an eye out for if Kaneki will be waiting outside or inside the bowling alley.

Hello, hello-- where abouts will Kaneki be waiting? ]

[anthropophagite]

[ kaneki did not go inside on his own. Let's be honest, all these places are empty, but it feels a bit creepy to be somewhere that should be full of people, so empty like that. So he stays by the door, waiting.

As usual, he is wearing his eyepatch, and he also brought a bag - he keeps an empty book there where he writes stories and quotes and things he remembers, hoping to compile books out of that one day.

When he spots Robby, he smiles at the other and waves his hand a little ]

Hello. Thank you for meeting me. [ he is always very polite!! ]

[strongroots]

[ What a polite boy he is. ]

Hey, [ returns Robby, voice louder for the greeting, a grin in his voice as well as on his face. He'll nod to the door, while, with that grin: ] Let's go in, birthday boy.

[ :)

The inside, of course, is completely operational, lights on and some random music on play, the lanes and the seats between visible. They'll have to grab their own gloves and shoes, but first, they should pick a table, so Robby can lower his bag and grab out to put on the table--

a card. With written in big, and oh so amateur lettering 'KEN' in katakana (ケン) on the front, with a simple message inside (I can't do any better than ケン. Happy birthday - Robby Keene) and bookmarks clinging to the front and back to act like decorations.

Oh, and let's not forget the box of doughnuts he's also slipping out with that. ]

--Don't know what your favourite flavour is, so I got a bunch of them.

[anthropophagite]

It's not really my birthday.

[ kaneki says, although he has a feeling Robby will keep calling him that. Regardless, he follows after the other - it's the first time he has been to a bowling place like this, so he looks around with some curiosity... and then there is cake.

He blinks, looking at it, before he sees the card. Oh-- he did try, that's sweet!! But he doesn't know what he is supposed to say, either. Besides Hide, no one really cared about his birthday or bothered to give him a card/ ]

Wha---

you went through so much trouble! You shouldn't have! [ oh kaneki feels so awkward, and he is blushing hard as well, mostly because he doesn't know what to say ]

[strongroots]

[ Kaneki's expression is good enough for Robby, delighted to get--what he sees as--a positive reaction. He nudges Kaneki playfully, a satisfied look on his face, and even puts his arm around his back in a fond gesture. ]

I wanted to! You just need to fill up enough of your books now to make the bookmarks worth it.

[ But Robby figures that isn't much of a problem. ]

[anthropophagite]

[ god kaneki is so awkward about this, but he is also very awkward about touching. So when Robby does, he does freeze up a little bit, although he tries not to show it. It;s fine, it's fine.

He smiles at the mention of books ]

I'm trying. Hopefully, I can have a library eventually.

[ still, Kaneki's smile grows wider. it's nice, Robby is a nice guy and ken only had one single person in his life like that before ]

Do you even know how to bowl?