ic contact (mask or menace)

[hackitude]

"Hey! You've reached Skye. Leave a message. I mean, if you want to. Or uh, don't. Whatever."

Comments

[vaccination]

He only told me because Joel's is the day before and I asked him to help with that. Weird coincidence.

Anyway, I'm also mad. [Not even a little.] I think he should... have to suffer. With a big cake.

[hackitude]

What, really? That is a weird coincidence.

Hmmm. Yeah, I agree.

What kind of cake, do you think?

[vaccination]

I know, right? Joel didn't say anything about his, either.

[This is a tough question. Isn't this a thing a girlfriend should know?] Um. Chocolate...? That's easy, right?

[hackitude]

Yeah, it's a classic. And at the very least, I know he doesn't dislike chocolate...?

[They ate that box of alcohol-flavored chocolates together, so...]

Hang on. I'll look up some recipes online.

[vaccination]

I've never seen him dislike anything he's eaten, but then again I don't think he'd go out of his way to eat something he didn't like. And, uh, I think even if he wasn't a fan of the flavor he'd at least be a good sport about it.

[... of course you could look up recipes online. Holy shit. Ellie mumbles a "huh" and makes a mental note to look up... everything ever online later.]

So I'm taking this as you never having done a cake before?

[hackitude]

I'm not exactly Martha Stewart, here. But how hard can it be to follow a recipe?

[vaccination]

I don't know who that is, but I'm not her, either.

You're in, then?

[hackitude]

Oh. Right. Uh, never mind, she's not important.

Totally in. One second.

Okay, here's some to choose from: 1, 2, 3. Bonus.

[vaccination]

Oh my god what the fuck is that last one.

[hackitude]

[Also I totally forget this was audio so just pretend Skye sent those links across as a text message WHOOPS.]

Sweet, sweet, diabetes-inducing goodness.

[vaccination]

We gotta do that one. He'll freak.

[hackitude]

It's pretty out there, huh?

Okay, let's do it. I'm psyched.

[vaccination]

You're welcome for the extra girlfriend points.

[hackitude]

Excuse you. I am totally already maxed out on girlfriend points. I'm the best girlfriend.

... No that's a lie I'm totally not.

[vaccination]

I bet he'd argue that. [She'd love to tell Skye how Jesse is helping her pay for Joel's birthday present (meaning he will probably pay for all of it), but she's not sure how Jesse is doing the whoa-I'm-super-rich thing with her.

Anyway, Jesse is too nice.]

Were you planning anything?

[hackitude]

I don't know... I asked him if he wanted to do anything, and he just said he's happy so long as he's spending time with me. Doesn't really narrow down the field a whole lot, you know? I want to get him a present, but I don't even know what he'd like...

I'm officially the worst.

[vaccination]

I asked him and he said parties, cake, and hanging out with friends. [She's reading her texts.] Oh! And to "keep it simple" because it doesn't take a lot to make him happy.

And hey, you've known him for like... what, three, four months? I've known Joel for a year and... I didn't know what to do. I had to ask Jesse.

[hackitude]

Maybe just an old fashioned party at someone's house? You know. Cake. Drinks. Presents. Streamers. We can borrow a game console and play Mario Party, that kind of thing. It's not exactly original, but if he wants low-key...

[vaccination]

That can be all on you. I don't really, uh. Have a clue about that stuff. Orphan and all. But I have a console we could use.

[hackitude]

Heyyyy, orphan buddies! High five.

What about Joel? I'm guessing he's not exactly the type to throw you a birthday party, huh...

[vaccination]

Yeah? You too? [But she seems so... well adjusted!]

We've never talked about birthdays. I'm pretty sure he's going to be pissed I found out when his is.

[hackitude]

[Only because she's had a long time to mellow out.]

Yeah. Me too.

[She doesn't offer any more than that. She doesn't want to make the conversation about her. If Ellie wants to talk more about it, she figures she will.]

Hmm. He might be. But I'm sure he'll be secretly happy on the inside, too. You know, in that gruff, man-bear way of his.

[vaccination]

That's cool. I mean--shitty, but you know what I mean. [It's nice to find people with at least somewhat similar backgrounds.

Ellie snorts.]

Yeah. I hope so.

[hackitude]

... Yeah. I know what you mean. It's nice to know someone else who gets it.

So. What do you think I should get for Jesse? Help me brainstorm here. [That is, other than R-rated favors that she's totally not allowed to mention around Ellie or Joel will decapitate her.]

[vaccination]

[It's okay. Ellie assumes there will be some birthday sex. She doesn't even know what song.]

Hmm... maybe something for his car? I mean, ignoring the car, he doesn't seem really materialistic.

Unless.

[CLIFFHANGER.]