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[valmont_vicomte]

Saturday, May 15th, about 5pm
Valmont and Hermia's apartment and gardenI've never thrown a party for a teenage girl before, but hopefully this will do. Alice doesn't exactly have many friends, and there aren't that many teenagers in town I'd trust to be kind to her and not make fun of her, but she wants a party with people her own age, which makes

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[glass_beddau]

Well, to the good, Cain saw to mending my stove. To the bad, I'm sure enough there's poison catching in my blood; low red streaks along the cuts of my hand, and warmer to the touch than elsewhere. Went to see Lucien over it this morning, and rebandaged now, but really I've no luck to speak of of late.

It's not quite dusk, yet, and the candles're fine now, and suppose they'll be lovely in the dark. Wondering, faint and trying to set it aside, if Iago'll be here. Shrug and shift the parcel I'm holding in my off hand, and glance 'round.

[jaeresteade]

Just finished deciding to be be civil and turn around to see--oh, well, won't this be good practice. Joy. I grit my teeth just a little and force something like a smile. "Glass." Can't say it's good to see her, because it never, ever will be. And can't say she's looking well, not with those bandages.

Finally settle on nodding toward the package in her hand. "What'd you bring Alice?" Don't really care, but I'm pretty sure it won't be anything like as nice as fresh strawberries.

[glass_beddau]

Hear my name and glance over and here's yet another thing to mind. Watch him as he stands there a moment, then indicates what I'm carrying. "What'd you bring Alice?"

"Why?" Can't imagine he'd care for her sake, and sure's hell not for any interest in what I've a mind for.

[jaeresteade]

I don't think she's found any charitable feelings for me since she roused me out of her house. Just a hunch. I shrug. "Something to talk about." Because God knows there isn't anything else. But she probably never learned to make conversation in whatever hole in the woods she was raised in. Can't wait to see how she'll manage at a birthday party.

[shards_of_alice]

There are already people, which has me grinning til my face just wants to split with it, and I run over still with decorations in my hands, pretty colored paper things that we made, all by ourselves.

"Jarmyn! Glass!" I say, my breath not wanting to come from all the run, and looking to the both of them. "I- I got a new dress!" I turn around so they can see how pretty it is - just about the prettiest thing I've ever seen and it's mine - and I've gone dizzy from it, the spinning and the happy feeling butterflying in my chest.

[glass_beddau]

"Something to talk about." Oh, yes, because surely I'm after putting myself out for the sake of your conversation, not that you care to have any.

"The last time we spoke," I say calm, "talking was you thinking I needed to buy word of my husband, by telling you enough to know how safe you'd be to lie. You cared to speak to me since then, I've never been hard t'find." And then Alice comes up, spinning and giddy, and I smile, turning to her.

"You look fine. And my best on your birth day," I say. Shift the weight of the package in one hand, but leave it aside for now. "'ve not seen you since you came by the General Store; did your baking go well?"

[tezcatl_ipoca]

There are always new people here, coming to drink, and mostly I avoid them. But Valmont wanted me to be here.

I know Jarmyn, but not the woman he's talking to. I creep a little closer to hear what they're saying, and they have gifts for Alice, which I don't. I don't think they like each other, either. And then Alice is there herself. She's excited, and I think: she's pretty. Like the decorations, something shiny and fragile. I want to touch her like I touched them, to see if they feel how they look.

I step close enough to talk to them. "Hello, Alice." I want to tell her her dress is pretty, too, but I'm not able to find the words.

[jaeresteade]

I spot Alice coming out just as Glass decides to give me an earful about why exactly she doesn't have to say anything to be at all. And I could give her some reasons of my own for wanting to see the back of her, but one of us has to behave nicely. So I keep my mouth shut, words pressing against my teeth.

Alice spins around to show us her new dress, and seeing her so happy is almost enough to put me in a better mood. "It's pretty, sweetheart." I squat down, the basket on my knee, but she's talking to Glass just now.

Micah's come up so quietly I almost didn't notice. He looks considerable better than the last time I saw him, but still uncomfortable. "How're your feet doing?"

[valmont_vicomte]

I smile, seeing friends arrive.

"Glass, how are you?" She's looking a little pale but it's not polite to say that, obviously. "Hello, Jarmyn." I see Micah looking nervous, and I smile at him and squeeze his shoulder encouragingly, then kiss Alice on the forehead. "You look pretty, my dear." I take a box out of my pocket. "Here's something to go with your new dress. A grownup birthday calls for jewellery, after all."

[shards_of_alice]

Mr Micah comes over not a minute after, saying hello and then Jarmyn's asking him about his feet and Glass is asking about my cake that one time, so I can't give him a real hello, in the middle of it all. But I smile, because I think Mr Micah's my friend now, and give him a wave.

"Not real good," is what I tell Glass about the baking, because it would be a lie to say it was a good cake and also because it would make me feel embarrassed to say what I did to the kitchen. "But they said they were still happy, about it." The effort, I think was the word.

Just when I was talking about him, it's Valmont's turn to come over. He kisses my forehead, a tickling sort of feeling on my skin, and I'm giggling a little bit on the inside when he has this box. Here's something to go with your new dress. A grownup birthday calls for jewellery, after all."I'm confused, a little, because it's a box. He's gotten me a box, small and white in my hands then, for my dress. So I look up at him before I look inside and

[glass_beddau]

"Not real good," she says, and--yes, not entire surprised, but trust there was no harm done. "But they said they were still happy, about it."

"C'n see that," I say. "Guessing you'll do better, you care to try again," and speaking of them Valmont's coming over and I (careful) step back a touch, making sure he's room for speaking to his daughter. Greets me all the same, and I smile.

"Well enough," I say; and yes, some worn but call it true enough. "You and Hermia doing well?" Wondering at the other man here, the one whose shoulder he took; ill at ease, but Valmont's managing that. After asking after him, but then Valmont's offering Alice her gift, and--

"It's so pretty," and then "It's mine?" and smile a little at that. Glance towards the stranger, only curious, and then back to Alice--call this one of the times it's a kindness to watch others, with the look on her face.

[tezcatl_ipoca]

Valmont squeezes my shoulder, and I smile. I seem to have a lot of feelings when I'm around Valmont. I don't always have a lot, the rest of the time.

Alice looks so excited by her present. I wish I had something for her. She must be about the age of Micah's wife. She's not married, though.

Glass. I've been finding I'm not good at keeping faces and names together, not if I don't see people all the time, so I may not remember. I repeat it in my head: Glass, Glass, Glass.

"I don't have anything for you," I tell Alice helplessly. "I'm sorry."

[valmont_vicomte]

"It's so pretty," says Alice, and I'm glad I got it right; I didn't want to buy her anything too grown up, because she is still a girl, but anything too twinkly would be childish, I think. "It's mine?"

"Of course, darling," I say, and take her wrist, fasten the bracelet on. "There."

"I don't have anything for you, I'm sorry."

"That's alright, Micah," I say, smiling at him. "Your company is gift enough. That's the main reason for birthday parties, after all; celebrations are better shared."

"You and Hermia doing well?"

"Excellently," I say to Glass. "It's been a busy week at the inn, and with Micah here - oh, you haven't met, have you? Micah, this is Glass."

[jaeresteade]

Valmont's smoothing everything out and making everyone feel welcome, which is how he makes so much money at what he does, introducing Micah to Glass.

Since it seems to be the time for presents, I hold my basket out to Alice. "Happy birthday. I'll take you to pick some more if you like sometime." Not just me and her, obviously. That'd be strange. Maybe we can convince Hermia to come, or Micah.

That settled, I move off to get a drink. Can see Verite's hair but not quite work up the courage to talk to her. This might be a long night.

[shards_of_alice]

Valmont says it's mine, it really is, and then puts it around my wrist to keep. I can't really breathe - it's like I can't breathe - just then, because I'm happy and I'm smiling and it was a nice thing for Valmont to do, for me, when there's a voice whispering in my ear.

Daddy gave us presents, too.

I want to say shut up, because it's not the same at all, but then everyone's talking again, Mr Micah says he didn't get me anything (why would he have to get me anything) and Jarmyn's handing me this big ol' basket of strawberries and that little voice is pushed away.

"Thank you!" is what I finally say, looking to Valmont and then repeating it for Jarmyn. The strawberries look really good, no matter that I ate not too long ago and there's cake besides, and I pop one into my mouth before I turn to Micah. He looks sad, in a way, and his colors have fallen down. "You can have some of my strawberries." I think that might make him feel better.

[hermia_sophia]

I've found some of the scented candles that Alice liked, and set them out nearest the door where she'll be able to go by them often. And then out to the garden, where the guests are starting to gather.

I see Glass amid a small knot of people - I would want to speak with her anyway, of course, for it has been far too long since we have had a proper conversation. And is that a bandage on her hand? Oh dear. I hope she hasn't been seriously hurt…

But Alice first. This is her day.

Valmont is there already, and Alice is staring at the bracelet with her eyes all alight. Oh, how i love to see her happy! She's been running about all day, trailing pink paper and giggles. We mustn't spoil her, for as much as we might wish that it could, giving her lovely things now cannot erase the horror of her past. But just for now, it makes me feel as if I am glowing too, to look at Alice with that smile