In the Courtyard on a Birthday Afternoon

[smallestopener]

The roses have just begun to bloom in the House of Arch courtyard; whether that's due to nature or a charm helping them along is immaterial. Ingress loves the courtyard. It's where she goes for archery and sword lessons, and it's nice, happy place to breathe fresh air. Of course, who knows from which century the fresh air comes; that is immaterial

Comments

[awesome_lilly]

Lilly brings Ingress the same gift every year. Well, okay, not the exact same gift. The glittery blue shoes always have to be at least a size larger, and she always makes sure the style changes subtly too. You can't give a grown-up girl of nine baby shoes, after all.

Ingress beams when she opens them, as she always does, and Lilly smiles (not so far) down at her.

"Happy Birthday, Ingress!"

"Thanks Lilly! I'm going to rock these in Valdemar!"

Lilly laughs at their standing joke, and Ingress gives her a quick hug before running off to show the shoes to Tom. Lilly watches her go, her own smile fading a bit.

Ingress is getting so tall, and she teases Tom, and while Lilly totally approves of that in theory, in practice it means watching the little girl she knew edge closer to being a teenager. It's awesome, of course, because Ingress is going to be a Herald and stuff, and soon Lilly's going to be able to give Tom heart attacks by offering to take her out on the town, but...

After that, Ingress is going to be older than Lilly looks, at least, and well... Whatever. It's fine. She'll just have to get her something other than glittery blue shoes then, that's all.