children waiting for the day they feel good

[triednottodie]

In theory, birthdays were good things. They meant cake and presents and - if you weren't a complete loner - a party. But, underneath all of that sugarcoated tradition, there was the fact that you were suddenly a year older. And, if you were really lucky, you were a year wiser. Of course, that would've meant subscribing to the theory that age

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[neptune_sleuth]

Dinosaurs on the other side of the fence were one thing. Veronica still had trouble getting used to the presence of Old Lace. Maybe it was the sandwich board. "Waiting for the ferry?" she called, sauntering up with her hands in her pockets. "I think it might be running a little behind schedule."

[triednottodie]

Gert - and Old Lace - looked up and over at Veronica, a wry smile on her face as she shook her head. "Even if there was a ferry, it's not like it could go anywhere," she said. "What's up?"

[neptune_sleuth]

Veronica shrugged. "Well, you could get a few miles out before a storm started up," she said wryly. That much she knew from experience. God, that seemed like forever ago. "The usual's up: approximately nothing. You?"

[triednottodie]

"Birthday," replied Gert, shrugging. She looked back out at the water and Old Lace nudged her in the ribs, probably looking for food that Gert definitely didn't have on her. "I decided to leave the Compound before the jukebox broke out into 'For She's A Jolly Good Fellow.'"

[with_diamonds]

Her search for a dress for had been unsuccessful, but Lucy had managed, with some difficulty, to get her hair up into a ponytail. It wasn't much of one, and the front pieces still hung down around her face, but she was pleased with it. The novelty of the new haircut still hadn't quite worn off yet.

She dropped down in the sand beside Gert unnanounced, leaning back on her palms and casting a glance in Old Lace's direction before she grinned at the other girl. She was still a little unnerved by the presence of an actual dinosaur, but she'd pretty much accepted that Old Lace wasn't going to attack any time soon. "So, now that we've already gone the haircut route," she sighed, and bit at her lip, "what are we going to do for fun around here?"

[triednottodie]

"I've heard tell of a ball," replied Gert, eyebrows raised and her voice oddly lilting in some approximation of an English accent. "Which, considering that it's being held by a former Queen of England and Jane Bennet, might actually be cool," she continued normally. There was, she thought, a certain novelty about going to an old school ball that rescued it from the usual stamp of lame.

[with_diamonds]

"So you're going?" Lucy asked, resting her elbows on her knees as she leaned forward, grinning with something near excitement. "I've been trying to get the box to cough up a dress for that very reason. It's kinda hard to say no to a Jane Austen character and Anne Boleyn, you know?" At this rate, going dateless was seeming like more and more of a good idea. Granted, if Gert was going, she figured it was likely Gert's boyfriend would be, too, but still, the thought of going to the "Bennet-Boleyn Ball" with Veronica and Gert sounded like more fun than it would have been with any guy.

[triednottodie]

"Down girl," Gert deadpanned, waving a hand downwards in emphasis. Unfortunately, enthusiasm tended to be contagious - the mob effect anyone? - and soon Gert was smiling, too. It wasn't a full-on grin but it was close enough. "I'm thinking of going. It all depends on whether or not I can find something that doesn't make me look like a hooker."

[lonewolflives]

There was a dinosaur where there usually wasn't a dinosaur, but one glance told Arya something was up with it; it didn't have a collar, but what it did have was a big sign around its neck.

It also very apparently wasn't eating the girl on the beach, who Arya recalled meeting a while back. She'd mentioned a dinosaur hadn't she? There. Some people, she supposed, would have just panicked, but Syrio had taught her better than that.

So she strode towards the two of them, although she did loop around the dinosaur a little. This was common sense, just like you didn't just run up and pat a horse on the forehead unless you wanted to get bit.

[triednottodie]

Gert blinked up at the girl - Arya? - and waited for her to say something, probably about Old Lace. When she didn't, Gert took the initiative and said, "Hey."

[lonewolflives]

"Hello," Arya said. She seemed to be waiting for something, and then she thought of something. "Is she nice to everyone? What about-"

And there was Nymeria, watching the dinosaur intently. They were of a size, but Arya would have bet on her wolf if it came down to it. Out of sheer stubborn loyalty.

"-wolves?"

[triednottodie]

It was a fucking big wolf but Gert didn't seem overly concerned. Then again, she did have a genetically engineered dinosaur from the 87th century right beside her. That was enough protection to make anyone cool as a cucumber and Gert was hardly the exception. Old Lace perked up at the other animal, though, standing straighter than she had been and she sniffed the air. She made a quiet - well, quiet for a dinosaur - sound, her eyes widening as if to say Who, me?.

"Only if everyone's nice to her," Gert explained. "Or me." Or anyone else they cared for, really. "I mean, I wouldn't count on her shrugging off getting shot."