Kate comes downstairs and approaches the Bar, looking tired and a little worn. Her hair is pleated, her typical cowboy hat left upstairs
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"Happy Birthday." Carlotta says, coming over on her crutches and seeing the cake, though missing the reason. She sits down nearby, keeping the cast tucked in.
"No, can't be birthday..." she adds, seeing the cake closer up.
"I s'pose, as a woman, I should take it as a compliment that y'see me as young. Though, perhaps not this young," she says, removing the candle from the cupcake.
She glances sideways at Carlotta. It's been a while.
Carlotta hesitates. She's been telling most people it was an accident, but Kate has that teacher's air to her that makes her not want to tell untruths.
"I was a spy, for the British, in Spain for a couple of months. But I'm not any more." Carlotta says. "After I was shot they said I wasn't any use any more and sent me home."
"I know, but the war broke out and... it all happened rather quickly."
She hesitates, then adds.
"Will and I fell out because I didn't want a baby. He said as he was laying his life down for his country the least I could do was be brave enough to try and give him a child. So I decided I'd show him that I wasn't a coward, and signed up for the war effort. Except they picked me out because I spoke another language fluently and am an acrobat, and sent me off to Spain. It wasn't really planned.
I enjoyed feeling useful at first. But towards the end, I just felt wretched, like it was turning me into someone I wasn't. I got shot because Will's plane crashed across the border near where I was working, and we met up, and the German sympathiser I'd been tailing realised I was British."
It's rather a lot to take in all at once, especially today. Truth be told, Kate's still a little hungover from last night. While Carlotta talks, she quietly reaches for the bottle of bourbon and pours herself a glass, mulling over the war scene as she sips from it.
"Gracious, child."
She's stabbed with sickness.
"You an' Will are married, then? Congratulations," she says, with halfhearted enthusiasm.
She pulls her face into a smile, but it's not the same as her usual fare &mdash it's not even the same as her practiced false grins. She's hurting today.
"Y'didn't spoil my day, sweetheart. I wasn't doin' well before you ever sat down."
The argument over children, the desperate need to show your beau you're not a coward ... they all strike rather close to home, today especially.
"But I am intensely glad that you're all right," she's sure to stress, though something Carlotta said is just now sinking in. "What d'you mean 'heal up in time'?"
Carlotta reaches over and gives her a hug around the shoulders, somewhat awkwardly around the cast.
"Just that it would take time to heal." she says. "And that being an acrobat I must be patient and not put too much weight on it too soon. So I've been walking on my hands, hopping up on a horse, and being awfully naughty but without putting pressure on the leg at all."
"Well Will's family won't let me do too much." Carlotta says. "But as soon as I felt more up to it I kept doing arm exercises. I don't want to lose the strength, it would be very detrimental to my career as a trapese artist. I feel much more tired sometimes though, which is very frustrating."
She sighs slightly, then adds.
"I'm thankful that I'll perform again at all. When I first looked down at my leg, in the hospital, I thought my career was over. And that would be awful, since I want one day to be one of the first female ringmasters."
That, too, is something she understands intimately.
"I'm glad y'don't hafta kiss your dreams away."
The irony of the expression hits Kate only after she's uttered it. She carefully bottles in the fresh wave of sickness, lest Carlotta think she's not interested in what's happening with her.
"No, can't be birthday..." she adds, seeing the cake closer up.
[ooc: Happy Milliversary <3]
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Her lips twitch.
"I s'pose, as a woman, I should take it as a compliment that y'see me as young. Though, perhaps not this young," she says, removing the candle from the cupcake.
She glances sideways at Carlotta. It's been a while.
"What on earth have y'done t'yourself, honey?"
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Carlotta hesitates. She's been telling most people it was an accident, but Kate has that teacher's air to her that makes her not want to tell untruths.
"I was shot. While helping the war effort."
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"Shot?"
Her eyes go wide.
"Sugar, what's a girl like you doin' in a war?"
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"Spying." she says quietly. "I was doing quite well until that point."
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Kate is literally dumbfounded.
"You're a spy?"
She turns cold.
"Or ... you're not a Pinkerton, are you?"
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Certainly they can't be recruiting among the women in Carlotta's world, can they?
"How'd you get shot?"
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She hesitates, then adds.
"Will and I fell out because I didn't want a baby. He said as he was laying his life down for his country the least I could do was be brave enough to try and give him a child. So I decided I'd show him that I wasn't a coward, and signed up for the war effort. Except they picked me out because I spoke another language fluently and am an acrobat, and sent me off to Spain. It wasn't really planned.
I enjoyed feeling useful at first. But towards the end, I just felt wretched, like it was turning me into someone I wasn't. I got shot because Will's plane crashed across the border near where I was working, and we met up, and the German sympathiser I'd been tailing realised I was British."
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"Gracious, child."
She's stabbed with sickness.
"You an' Will are married, then? Congratulations," she says, with halfhearted enthusiasm.
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She catches Kate's expression.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to spoil your day. I'll be all right; Dr Sandhu was confident I'd heal up in time. How are things for you?"
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"Y'didn't spoil my day, sweetheart. I wasn't doin' well before you ever sat down."
The argument over children, the desperate need to show your beau you're not a coward ... they all strike rather close to home, today especially.
"But I am intensely glad that you're all right," she's sure to stress, though something Carlotta said is just now sinking in. "What d'you mean 'heal up in time'?"
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"Just that it would take time to heal." she says. "And that being an acrobat I must be patient and not put too much weight on it too soon. So I've been walking on my hands, hopping up on a horse, and being awfully naughty but without putting pressure on the leg at all."
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"But you're givin' yourself time t'heal, then?"
What she's not outright asking Carlotta is whether she's planning on going back out there to do something reckless, spy or no.
"An' you're likely bein' a whole lot less naughty than I'm known t'be when Guppy gives me instructions," she admits.
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She sighs slightly, then adds.
"I'm thankful that I'll perform again at all. When I first looked down at my leg, in the hospital, I thought my career was over. And that would be awful, since I want one day to be one of the first female ringmasters."
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That, too, is something she understands intimately.
"I'm glad y'don't hafta kiss your dreams away."
The irony of the expression hits Kate only after she's uttered it. She carefully bottles in the fresh wave of sickness, lest Carlotta think she's not interested in what's happening with her.
"Did the bullet strike bone?"
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