Ko-lee and I walk into Vista, and my eyes immediately swing over to look at the namesake of the restaurant. A 70 foot curved window is positioned to perfectly display the Earth; sunlight creeps over the edge of the planet, lighting up the atmosphere, giving it an ethereal look. Ko-lee grabs my hand, pulling my attention first towards her, then towards our squad sat at a table close to the window, where they are waving to get our attention. I wave back, and we walk over to the table. Before I even have the chance to pull out my chair, Rease leans over and slaps me on the back. "Dude! That was so cool!" he exclaims. The other two women in the squad don't seem to agree, based on the daggers their eyes are shooting at him. "No," says Ko-lee, her tone as icy as the surface of Venus. "It wasn't cool, Rease." Rease just gives a shrug, seemingly unaffected by the pair's ocular bombardment.

  "I mean, sure, getting chewed out by Deacon Ravon sucks, but the way you snatched the grenade out of midair like that?" Rease makes a quick striking hand motion, mimicking what he'd seen during the incident. "It was so fast, I barely had time to process it!" His enthusiasm is contagious, and I do my best to avoid the infection, feeling the presence of my girlfriend beside me. "Yeah man, me too," I tell him, sitting down at the table. "The whole thing happened so fast, I didn't get a chance to think about it. If I had, I probably would've hit the deck with the rest of you. Just... instinct, I guess." I give the group a shrug. "Apparently," says Caz-V, "there is some sort of device that makes it so grenades can't go off on our side of the berm. So, no need to play hero." I sigh, trying my best to let the frustration I feel bubbling roll past me. "I know, I know. Ko-lee already explained it to me," I say. I make sure to lock eyes with everyone. "Seriously guys, I'm sorry. I imagine Ravon was a bit heated after that, and this whole thing is on me. It was an accident, and it won't happen again."

  "That being said..." I say with a thoughtful expression, "isn't this sort of what training's for? Unlearning bad habits and all that?" Rease chuckles at my question. "Well, I don't know about the rest of you, but I don't have a habit of snatching grenades out of thin air," he says with a wide smile. "Maybe that's why you couldn't get your hands on the ball at last night's Lunaro game," says Caz-V offhandedly, and I feel relief as the conversation moves on from my explosive faux pas. I take a few minutes to decide on an order, then place it using my headset, no longer needing to use the screen embedded in the table. I tune back in to hear Ella talking about Tactics. "I mean, when you think about the Tenno, you think about the warframes, right? I guess I just never took the time to put two and two together," she says with a pout. Ko-lee gives her a sympathetic nod. "I get it. It's why I wanted to be a Tenno when I was a kid. I mean, what kid doesn't, really? You hear about these superheroes; people who can make miracles happen, perform what seems like magic. They can rain down fire, heal any wound, that sort of thing. Who wouldn't look up to someone like that?"

  Rease nods, a lecherous grin on his face. "Yeah, I used to look up to the fire one. Every night, before bed, I'd look up at the poster on my bunk roof..." he says, his gaze off in the distance. Ella looks aghast, while Ko-lee just seems bemused, and Caz-V snickers, doing his best to hide his smile. I have no idea what I look like, but I imagine it's conflicted. "Duuude! You... no!" I say, trying not laugh at the absurdity. "Ohh, what," he responds, rolling his eyes at me. "Everyone's got a favorite. Personally? I like when they're..." His hands draw an hourglass figure in the air, and Ella scoffs, before smacking him on the shoulder, to little reaction. "Don't be gross!" she says. Rease just gives her a look. "Oh come on, mouse. Now you gotta tell us your favorite," he says teasingly. Ella just just shoots him a look of frustration, her face slowly gaining color, before she hangs her head in defeat. "The white and green one," she mumbles. We all share confused looks with each other, and after a few seconds of silence, she looks up at all of us. "The one with the... he can grow stuff? And he has the... the horns?" she says, desperately trying to explain.

  I run over the roster in my mind. "White and green? Nobody's green, 'cept for Hydroid sort of? Maybe Titania OH-" I make the connection pretty quickly. "Oberon!" I shout, a touch too loudly. I receive a non committal shrug in return. "I guess, I don't know what he's called," she says. "But I had heard others in the colony talk about him. To be able to command nature like that..." Her gaze wanders, clearly lost in imagination, in a mirror of Rease from a few minutes prior. I look between the two of them, then shift to Caz-V. He just shakes his head. "Yeah, not really part of my childhood," he explains, and it takes me a second to realize why. When I do, I give him a look of sympathy. "That's a bummer man," I tell him. "You'd probably like... " I can't think of a warframe that would fit his hedonistic personality, and so I hem and haw, before somewhat lamely finishing with, "...one of them." I briefly consider just picking one for him when I see his crestfallen face, but he quickly covers it up, and I decide to spare him the indignity. I turn to look at Ko-lee instead. "What about you, love?" I ask. "I've heard you talk about your childhood, but I don't think you've ever mentioned a favorite."

  "I think I'll always have a soft spot for the one that saved your life," she tells me. I just roll my eyes at her. "Seriously." She gives me a cheeky grin for a moment, before something in her eyes change. "The tentacles one," she says, and something about the tone of her words does things to me. "Hell yeah!" yells Rease, reaching over across the table to offer a high five to my girlfriend. Her expression becomes a little more safe for work, and she high fives him back, causing him to shout once more, startling our server who had just shown up with our food. They set down our various meals, and we all start to dig in. The only sound at the table is muffled munching, until Caz-V speaks. "What about you, Annie?" he asks derailing me from my food. "You never told us who was your favorite was." I feel everyone's focus shift from their food to me, and I grin.

  "Don't get me started," I think, but as I open my mouth, I suddenly realize that I don't know how to answer the question. "I mean, pretty much every frame I play came out in the last couple of years, except for maybe Trinity Prime? Trin Prime in all black and purple highlights, with the angel wings, muah! Although I D K when she came out, so eh. Really, it's Xaku, or Octavia, and I'd look like a crazy person even trying to describe them." I chew on the thought for a moment, before another part of my mind nudges me. "Also also, can I really say that any of them are my favorite? In game, for sure, but I R L?" I do my best to suppress the shiver that runs down my spine. "When I know what they are? When I know how dangerous they are?" I respond truthfully. "I don't know." Rease tut's like a disappointed parent. "Cop out answer," he says, taking a bite out of his "Tri Planet Meat-ior" he had been consistently ordering every time we came here.

  I scoff. "Alright man, I'll tell you," I say. "My favorite warframe is Xaku. They're a pluriform, which means they're actually the cast off remains of three different warframes, all stitched together. They're a skeleton, with veins of void energy, wrapped in mismatched armor, and they're literally so hot." My face is deadpan, and the looks I get are a mix of disinterest and confusion, except from Ko-lee. I can tell she's intrigued, and I make a mental note to tell her more about some of the frames that aren't around yet later tonight. "Dude, you can't just make one up," says Rease, sighing. Caz-V chuckles. "You can just say you don't have one," he follows up. I just sigh. "It's the healer frame. The red one," I say, defeated. I catch Ella's expression brighten. "Awww, that's kind of sweet!" she coos, and I feel my face burn red. "Don't 'awww' me! I'm not cute! I'm cool!" I say, feeling oddly put out. I feel a hand on mine, and I trace up the arm to lock eyes with Ko-lee. Her expression is serious.

  A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

  "Antimony," she says, her voice solemn. "Don't... don't say it," I warn her. "You're cute," she responds. I clutch my heart in despair. "No! Noooo! This is... this is the end," I exclaim, my free hand reaching out for the light above the table. They all chuckle at my antics, and with the round of questioning finished, we turn back to our meals.

  "You guys ready for Terror-wins," asks Caz-V, as we hang out in Vista, letting our meal digest. We had learned the name of our PE teacher only in the last few days, around the same time that we had also learned her nickname from recently graduated operatives. She was First Deacon Terrowin, but due to her sadistic streak, she was more well known as "Terror Wins"; a nickname she seemed quite fond of when Rease had let it slip in class the day prior. "No," Ella says, a frown on her face. "I feel like she picks on me the most." Rease gives her a sympathetic look. "It's cause you're so small," he tells her, causing her to roll her eyes. "Picks on, not picks up," she says. He just grins. "I know. I still think it's 'cause you're small. It's easier for her to push you to your limits." Ko-lee reaches over to touch Ella on the arm. "You know, Rease and I play Lunaro in our downtime. You should join in for a pick up game or two, it'll help build your endurance," Ko-lee tells the smaller squadmate. "I'm there too!" says Caz-V, a touch over enthusiastic.

  "Sometimes," Ko-lee amends, to which Caz-V just shrugs. "Well, yeah, no, not always. Sometimes I have work," he explains, partly to Ko-lee and partly to Ella. Ko-lee gives him a look between consideration and surprise. "You work?" she asks, and Caz-V just furrows his brows, as though confused. "Uh, yeah? Of course. Alcohol isn't free," he says, and to punctuate his point, he finishes off his drink. "Wait," I say, cutting off Ko-lee from responding. "What sort of job do you have? How much do you make?" He gives me a casual shrug. "Just some spending cash. And the job is easy enough; it's basically customs. Stuff that is going from orbit to Earth needs to pass through here, so we can make sure that it's not weaponry and the like. 'Cause it's going to settlements and colonies. We also check on stuff coming from the surface, but that's more trying to make sure people don't circumvent taxes."

  I feel a nudge, and turn to meet the eyes of my girlfriend. "What do you need money for?" she asks. "For..." I start to say, before I realize I'm drawing a blank. "Man, what do I need money for? What do I even do?" Most of my downtime was spent rewatching lectures from Scientia, or catching up on Sol history, or fiddling with the seemingly infinite options in my headset. If I was feeling particularly motivated, I'd spend a day working out, before remembering that I hated it. None of those needed cash on hand. "Other than drinking with Ko-lee and Jae in the Unum, or playing Komi with the other skinners, I don't think I've ever really done anything... fun. I was working to get to the Unum, and before that I was hiking to Cetus, and before that I was training to hike to Cetus, and before that I was trying not to die in a forest. I have no hobbies," I realize. "I should take up whittling. Or... something. But whatever it is, I'll probably need some money."

  I close my mouth and give Ko-lee a shrug. "Just a bit of spending cash, I guess," I tell her, stealing Caz-V's line. "Maybe I'll buy you a birthday present." As the words leave my mouth, I feel a shock go through me, and my eyes open wide. "Oh my god I don't know when your birthday is," I whisper in horror. A booming laugh emanates from Rease. "Kubrowhouse!" he exclaims, eliciting a smile from the other squadmates. I look at Ko-lee, who just gives a small shake of the head, along with a little shrug. "I don't know," she says, and I don't immediately understand her response. "What? What do you mean?" I ask. "We didn't keep track of that sort of thing at home," she explains. I'm left speechless for a moment, and from a glance at the others, I'm in this boat by myself. "Wait, do you all not know how old you are?" I ask, my voice a few semitones higher than usual. I get shakes from everyone else. "I know how old I am," Caz-V tells me. "Me too," says Ella, "although, I'm not surprised. I've heard some of the outer settlements on Earth just don't keep track of the calendar super closely."

  The entire idea is so absurd to me, that for the briefest of moments I'm convinced that I'm just being gaslit by the entire group. "So, you have no idea how old you are," I say, turning my attention back to my girlfriend. She gives a so-so gesture with one of her hands. "I mean, I mostly know how old I am. I don't have an exact number, but mid 20s," she tells me, unconcerned. "I could of guessed that!" I exclaim. "Just... how am I supposed to buy you a present," I say, feeling slightly bummed. "What if... you picked a day?" Ella says, after a moment of silence. "Something with meaning to the both of you." I feel a jolt of motivation, and I look at Ko-lee. "It's up to you love," I tell her, trying not to unduly influence her with my excitement. From the amusement in her eyes, I doubt I'm hiding it as well as I mean to. "Okay," she says, and I do my best to keep my exuberance subdued. She goes quiet for a moment, clearly thinking, before asking, "What about the 42nd of Terra?"

  The calendar system was one that had taken me quite a bit of time to adjust to. Luckily, lots of different factions use their own, and so there was an entire tactics class about it, among other things, and -- due to it being a modified version of the Orokin calendar -- it was very easy to remember. Seven days in a week, seven weeks to a month, and seven months to a year, with 30 hour days to top it all off. The seven, seven, seven thing was reference to The Seven, as in Ballas and the other six Orokin people who I can't remember the specifics of. "I don't think they're literally the head of the Orokin, but it's something like that. Super ego's for super pricks." Apparently the rotations of all the planets were adjusted to fit the day, while the orbit of Earth specifically was changed to fit the year. From what I can tell, the months are based on planet names, and the days are based on warframes, although I'm unsure if the second part is a Tenno thing or an Orokin thing. In any case, I do some quick math to figure out how far away we are from 42nd.

  "That was like... five months ago," I say, trying to recall if anything notable happened then. "It's about when we left Sharip," she tells me. My eyes grow wide, and she gives a sad smile. "It was kind of like being born. A rebirth." I feel the immediate rejection on the tip of my tongue; I want to tell her that her day of celebration shouldn't be one filled with the memory of so much death and misery. I take the impulse out behind the shed and put three rounds in it's head. "It's a plan then!" I say, with a smile I don't feel. "I'll get a job with Caz-V, and then I'll buy you a present." Rease nods, with an expression of uncharacteristic seriousness. "And me," he says. It takes me a moment to realize that he's joking, and the second I do, I break down laughing. "Sure, Rease," I tell him, feeling my tears stain the inside of my headset, before they're immediately removed by some sort of tech. "You too. I can get everyone a gift for their birthday's. Sounds like a plan."