Let your body move into the doorway, to the disco inside your head.

[karina_vb]

Karina and Maryk's home,
Evening of Day 83The house is clean, as it always is, but there are candles about, all lit up and bringing a warmth to the house that you can only get from such things. Lena has cooked all day, things we couldn't possibly get from Edmund. There was an order from Edmund, too, which has already been picked up and set out on

Comments

[glass_beddau]

Thought about not coming--nothing personal, just a long tiring week--but was feeling so much better after I woke up this afternoon that when evening sifted in I put on my brown dress and wandered over to watch people for a bit. Can't hurt to do that, at least.

Candles. Well. That's a nice touch. And the air's warm and smells lovely, sauces and spices and meat and bread. Maryk's chatting with Valmont, and Karina with Kate and a whippet of a woman I don't recognize, and Kaeli with Cain. Suppose Miao or Wanda or someone of the like'll be along later; meantime I'm perfectly happy to stand back and watch people move quietly about.

[ella_kessler]

I told Daddy 'bout the party at Karina's an' he told me I should go. He seems real happy that I'm meetin' more people an' gettin' away from the farm more an' more. I get ta Karina's house an' walk up ta the front door. Some tall fella and lady go in ahead'a me an' I follow in behind 'em. I wave ta Karina but don' interrupt her since she's movin' 'round ta talk ta her guests. I'm sure I'll get ta talk ta her soon.

I set the basket I'm carryin' next ta a sofa and see Glass standin' nearby.

"Hiya, Glass. How've you been?"

[glass_beddau]

...oh, it wouldn't be an Excolo party this summer without gods. Well. I turn over the idea of leaving the plant by my feet on a table somewhere and slipping out to the Miskatonic to watch folk, but decide I'll wait a little yet.

"Hiya, Glass. How've you been?"

"Evening, Ella," I say mildly. "Well enough. Getting back to the habit of working at the store, mostly; it's been quiet of late. Yourself? How's the farm passing?"

[ella_kessler]

Glass looks over at the couple that walked in ahead of me before she looks ta me an' says, "Evening, Ella. Well enough. Getting back to the habit of working at the store, mostly; it's been quiet of late. Yourself? How's the farm passing?"

"It's doin' well. The market's helped a lot. I'm good, too, thanks. I'm gettin' inta town more often. Kind'a evidenced by tonight. You known Karina for long?"

[glass_beddau]

"It's doin' well. The market's helped a lot."

"Keeps Main Street busy, surely," I say agreeably, reaching absently up to touch the comb pinning back my hair. Found a jacket there this afternoon, which'll spare me needing to see Dorian for a while yet. "Lord Hughes's finally decided he'll be keeping the Apothecary open Saturdays." Hesitate a moment and then add "He's a pain t'work for, but if you're in town often and looking for work once summer's done..." Trail off and shrug.

"I'm good, too, thanks. I'm gettin' inta town more often. Kind'a evidenced by tonight." Smile a little at that.

"You known Karina for long?"

"Known her to speak to her in passing," I say thoughtfully. And had quite a pleasant conversation with her over the laying out of one of her girls and her boyfriend but that's... I think maybe not quite the thing to discuss at a party. "Wouldn't say I know her well." Lower my voice a touch, if only so that if Ella answers no she'll do it in a tone matching mine and it'll hopefully not carry. "You think she's

[ella_kessler]

"Keeps Main Street busy, surely," she says an' reaches up ta check her hair. "Lord Hughes's finally decided he'll be keeping the Apothecary open Saturdays." She hesitates a bit then says, "He's a pain t'work for, but if you're in town often and looking for work once summer's done..."

I smile at her. "Thanks. I'm usually kept busy right up ta the first freeze of the winter, but I'll definitely keep that in mind."

"Known her to speak to her in passing." I can kind'a tell there's more to it than that, but don't ask. "Wouldn't say I know her well."

Nodding, I say, "I only met her recently. Over at the café."

Glass lowers her voice an' asks, "You think she's like to win the election?"

My mouth twists a little an' I shrug. "Don't know. Did you hear her speech? It was real confident an' strong. I hope she does, but there's sure a lot'a the old minds in town."

That's what Momma called 'em. "Old minds." Mrs. Wilson's one of 'em, but neither her daughters are even close to that.

[glass_beddau]

"Don't know. Did you hear her speech? It was real confident an' strong." Shake my head, remembering exactly how awful I was feeling that Saturday. Hangover from Verdi's whisky'd've bad enough without needing to sort through all the sins I pulled from Dorian on top of it.

"Wasn't well that day, just stayed home. Heard folk talking about it, though. Good things from some, what you'd expect from others."

"I hope she does, but there's sure a lot'a the old minds in town."

Murmur agreement. I'm not particular liking what Reaves has in mind for Excolo; been though too many places that took that line on things, and no fond memories of them. "Least it's been quieter, of late. Gives Reaves less off the fear he's been trading on to work with, I think." It's true; I haven't had anyone to lay out in near to a month (poor Julian), and the mostly-faded black eye from Dorian was the first bruise in even longer.

...such things ought not be remarkable, but strange times.

[ella_kessler]

"Wasn't well that day, just stayed home. Heard folk talking about it, though. Good things from some, what you'd expect from others."

My lips turn down a bit. "'Sorry ta hear that. You look like you're better. Yeah, the crowd seemed ta be 'bout split half'n'half. Nobody caused trouble, which's good. That guy," I look at the man-- can't remember his name-- talkin' to Mr. Laclos, "was lookin' at the crowd like he could take 'em all on if they tried anythin'."

Glass makes a sound of agreement an' says, "Least it's been quieter, of late. Gives Reaves less off the fear he's been trading on to work with, I think.""That's true," I say with a little nod. "There was a while there that it seemed like somethin' awful was happenin' nearly every day

[glass_beddau]

"'Sorry ta hear that. You look like you're better. Yeah, the crowd seemed ta be 'bout split half'n'half. Nobody caused trouble, which's good. That guy," and she glances towards Maryk and Valmont, "was lookin' at the crowd like he could take 'em all on if they tried anythin'."

"Maryk Graeb," I say. "Worked security at the 'Boy, keeps company with Karina." Excellent reminder that folk ought not be trusted to fulfil promises they make at funerals. "Don't know if he could've, sure he'd've tried."

[ella_kessler]

Oh, now I get it. He's her boyfriend and bodyguard. Definitely explains why he was so on edge at the market.

"He must be pretty capable, then, if he'd even try somethin' like that. D'you know where he came from?"

I'm guessin' not, but you never know.

[glass_beddau]

"He must be pretty capable, then, if he'd even try somethin' like that." Shrug and think of how well it'd like turned out if I had been cruel enough to set him after Gaueko. "I recall him being a touch quick t'reach for his gun, but I've seen little enough of him," I say.

"D'you know where he came from?"

Shake my head. "No. Came into town in June, I think; not seen him around afore that." Folk're coming in like that, I suppose. Have been all summer, and time afore that.

[ella_kessler]

"I recall him being a touch quick t'reach for his gun, but I've seen little enough of him."

I raise my eyebrows an' shrug a little. "He wasn't that jumpy at the market. Didn't look like he reached for it at all." I've never had much experience with guns. We haven't ever needed one out on the farm. makes me wonder if that's goin'ta change.

"No. Came into town in June, I think; not seen him around afore that."

"Sounds like a lot'a people. Even some'a the ones here, right?"

I recognize the blacksmith, Mr. Dla'dam, but not the lady with him. Might be the school teacher, but I hear the new sheriff is a red head, too. An' that other couple. Ain't never seen them before.

[glass_beddau]

"He wasn't that jumpy at the market. Didn't look like he reached for it at all." Good. Maybe eased off some since he's left off working for the 'Boy, then. "Sounds like a lot'a people. Even some'a the ones here, right?"

"A few," I say, glancing around the room. "Kaeli Whyte," gesturing towards her, "came in t'teach the school; not sure where Brother Laurence is from, but he's a new one as well. Works at the smithy sometimes. Don't know the woman talking with him and Kate, though."

[ella_kessler]

"A few," she says an' looks 'round at the others. "Kaeli Whyte," she says, indicatin' the red head with Mr. Dla'dam, "came in t'teach the school; not sure where Brother Laurence is from--" I remember hearin' some people talkin' 'bout the preacher-man that came inta town rantin' 'bout the End of the World an' Salvation. Never met him or saw him 'til tonight. "But he's a new one as well. Works at the smithy sometimes. Don't know the woman talking with him and Kate, though."

I look at her a moment, my eyes squintin' a bit. "Oh, I think I've seen her before. Her hair was longer, though. She was at the Carnival takin' care of one'a the machines. I think it was the Carousel."

[glass_beddau]

"Oh, I think I've seen her before. Her hair was longer, though. She was at the Carnival takin' care of one'a the machines. I think it was the Carousel."

"They've been in town uncommon long, the Carnival," I say absently. Of course, if they can't leave... "Don't expect that's like to change." Look at the woman thoughtfully. "More folk hoping Karina'll win the election, I guess." Excolo could be a misery for them if Reaves carries the election.

[ella_kessler]

"They've been in town uncommon long, the Carnival. Don't expect that's like to change."

She's right, I suppose. We've never really had a Carnival come through before that I can remember, but I never really thought they'd stay quite so long.

"Why d'you think they've been here for so long?"

"More folk hoping Karina'll win the election, I guess."

I nod at that. "Karina seemed real sure that she could help the town and the Carnival get along better. I hope that she can actually do that. S'terrible some'a the things that I've heard been happenin'."