Oh my twitchy witchy girl, I think you are so nice...

[curiously_cora]

Throughout Coraline's short life she had always been underestimated or overlooked. The Other Mother had thought it would be easy to sew buttons on her eyes, to kill her and to keep her forever. The Other Father had thought she wouldn't hurt him to escape. The Other Mister Bobo thought she could be seduced by the idea of being able to do anything

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[jaffa_notacake]

Although Teal'c had known it was Coraline Jone's 12th birthday for some time, he had no experience of what presents a 12 year old girl would like. Birthdays were something he had only learned about after coming to live with the Tau'ri and he knew enough to know that Cassandra would not necessarily enjoy the same things as Coraline Jones.

However, he knew that she had taken an interest in Jaffa culture, if the greeting she had given him at her previous party was anything to go by. So he selected one of the few white candles he still had left from the hundred he had got in January, found a piece of pink ribbon to tie around it, and brought that as a gift.

"Happy Birthday Coraline Jones," he said, presenting it to her.

[curiously_cora]

Coraline had stopped bouncing on the bouncy castle. It made her feel queasy after a while. All the food and bouncing. Not a good combination for the twelve year old explorer. She had instead decided to start planting, which was almost as fun as bouncing but not as quite. Smiling happily at Teal'c she looked at the candle with a question.

"Is that for me?" Coraline asked with a bright inquisitive grin. "I like candles. Thank you Teal'c! I think it's too big for my birthday cake though."

[jaffa_notacake]

"It is for you." He gave her a small bow and handed it over. "It is not for your birthday cake," much as Teal'c was liking that there was birthday cake. "It is for your room to help you more easily relax. And Kel'no'reem if you wish." Since children were not renowned for their ability to relax enough for Kel'no'reem, she may at least get the benefit of it to begin with.

"What is it you are doing in the dirt?"

ooc: Sorry, I did read that she was on the bouncy castle and then completely forgot it while trying to decide what present Teal'c was going to get her.

[curiously_cora]

"The meditating thing?" Coraline asked thinking of the word and spelling it out in her head. She remembered that from the show but she hadn't been able to remember the words. Since coming to the island Coraline had stopped watching the film reels, it wasn't a very nice thing to do. "We're planting seeds to make a garden. Dad normally lets me order some of the flowers for the garden if I've been really good but this year I got to find them all."

[beentodamascus]

A distraction was pretty welcome. Adam had been amassing quite the collection of Spooks episodes, but he hadn't worked up the nerve to watch any more yet. Still, he could relax at Cora's party. He stood watching her on the bouncy castle, the cat pushing his way around his ankles.

"Come on, birthday girl," he said, beckoning to her. "Sunscreen. Now."

[curiously_cora]

Coraline recognised that tone. It was the tone her mother always used whenever she really meant something. Don't go out into that rain Coraline Jones or there will be Trouble. Unpack those boxes. Don't trek mud into the new carpets. Adam sounded just like that. Like the end of the world might happen if she didn't put sunscreen on it.

Coraline looked at Adam and sighed in resignation before dropping mid bounce onto her bum. Throwing herself across the bouncy castle and rolling down the gentle slope, Coraline rolled onto her feet and presented herself for sunscreen duties. She hated it. It smelled gross. And it made her look really weird and pale.

"Do I have to? Can't I just stay in the shade or borrow a parasol or cast an invisible barrier between me and the sun?" Coraline asked, wobbling her lip in the puppy look that drove her mother insane. "Please? It smells gross."

[beentodamascus]

"Yeah, you have to. Because you won't stay in the shade and you won't borrow a parasol." Adam squeezed some sunblock into the palm of his hand. "And nobody wants you getting burnt on your birthday.

"Just hold your nose or something."

[curiously_cora]

"But I could have superpowers," Coraline argued though sullenly approached Adam. Now that she was twelve (nearly thirteen) she was sure that vegetables and curfew and sunblock would be a thing of the past. Apparently she was wrong about that. "I'll still be able to smell it afterwards and I'll look like Casper the ghost."

[polly_okeefe]

I came directly from the kitchen with a container of sandwiches tucked under my arm, and a pitcher of iced tea. As I saw Coraline, I smiled and thought back to the time _I_ was twelve. How much simpler life was, back then. Before being kidnapped by international corporations, getting involved in South American politics, and the very, very confusing questions about sex.

Frankly, falling into a time gate and going 3000 years into the past was something of a return to simplicity.

But enough of that. I looked at Coraline and I could see bits of me in there. I hoped she could keep that spark as she grew up through the next five years.

But I suspected she would.

[curiously_cora]

"Hi Polly!" Coraline said bouncing off the bouncy castle. Well more like falling off it but Dick had taught her well and falling was followed by rolling and landing okay. Not like other times when falling led to cuts and scrapes and crying and visits to the the clinic. "We're planting a garden! Is that food? Yum! Thank you, you're the best! Did you see what Dean brought me? He brought me a whole bouncy castle which is so much cooler than a real castle. In a real castle they wont' let you touch anything or run or play in it but this one is bouncy!"

Coraline although now twelve years old and a mature almost woman. She was also quite definitely hyper.

[polly_okeefe]

I remember being twelve, but I don't remember being that hyper. Then again, I _do_ remember Mother collapsing onto a chair, exhausted, and I am beginning to understand the way she felt.

"Yes, I brought sandwiches," I said. "And the bouncy castle looks like fun." I looked around. "Are people here or am I early?"

[curiously_cora]

Coraline felt like she could possibly eat at least four of them. Well, at least when her tummy stopped feeling like a washing machine.

"Mmm Adam's here and Teal'c and Bridge and loads more," Coraline looked around for the sight of her other-not that other- father Cain but she couldn't see him. Frowning a little she shook her head before smiling brightly. He'd be here. She knew he would. "Are you expecting someone?"

[aly_brighteyes]

Aly's own twelfth birthday had been an interesting affair. She and her twin had raced their horses round the property just to drive the servants a bit mad, wondering where the birthday children had got to. Aly, for her part, had also done it because she'd woken up cross. At twelve, she'd known her whole life that her mother would be in and out of her life as the king's orders carried her, but that didn't mean she couldn't be quietly peevish that Alanna the Lioness was on the Great Progress instead of home for her daughter's birthday. So instead of complaining, and being told she was being sullen when her mother had work to do, she'd gone riding with Alan until their Da had caught up with them and given them a proper scolding before sending them to the servants for baths. Later that day, he'd given her a handsome dagger as her gift

[curiously_cora]

"Hi!" Coraline said at the ooh new person. Coraline liked new people. They always had such interesting stories and names and information. And they never realised, like most of her other friends had by now, to not let her ask a string of questions. "Do you want to join me on the bouncy castle? You have to take your shoes off but it's fun!"

[aly_brighteyes]

Aly laughed. "That sounds like a fine idea," she agreed, toeing off her leather sandals and taking hold of them then and there. It was a good thing the clothes box had been kind enough to provide her with a pair of loose trousers with several pockets down each leg; it would have been quite a difficulty bouncing around in a sarong. "I'm Aly," she added, following the birthday girl.

[curiously_cora]

"Aly? That's a really nice name. I'm Coraline, Coraline Jones. That's Coraline. Not Caroline. People always get them confused but they're not the same at all." Coraline said bouncing up and down happily on the bouncy castle. Unlike some of the others there Coraline had more coordination as she had been quite eagerly training and practising tumbling and falling and fighting for some time now. She was almost starting to get very good at falling down and not hurting herself. "I'm twelve today. We're planting a garden."

[spd_green]

Bridge had a busy day today. He'd done most of the planning for his date with Polly in advance, and set things up so he could just go home and get ready, but he still wanted to make the most of the party. It was for Coraline, and he liked Coraline a lot, so it was only right to have fun at her party.

Making the food had been easy and now, thanks to Ric appearing yesterday, there were tunes to be played in the background. He didn't have any CDs for the robot dog's CD player, but he had uploaded a bunch of music into his mainframe, just for such an occasion. Master and dog grooved through the party, Bridge's moves much smoother than Ric's but both looking like they were having a good time.

[curiously_cora]

Coraline had finished bouncing. Bouncing plus food had led to feeling sick. And whilst Coraline didn't mind crying (because it was her party and she could cry if she wanted to), she didn't want to throw up. So she'd started to help with the planting so the garden would be beautiful and perfect and growing. Like at home. She was distracted however from her current task by the cat hissing at something before making a beeline for Coraline before climbing up her back and flattening itself against her neck.

"Stop that you, no claws." Coraline said reaching round for the almost feral, haughty looking thing and pulling it down into her arms. Coraline soon saw what had caused the hissing though. "Hi Bridge! You brought a friend. The cat doesn't like dogs but he'll get over it the big wusspuss."

[spd_green]

"Hey Coraline!" He smiled as he gave the girl a little wave, then repeated the movement, only smaller, for the cat. "I thought maybe the cats would react differently to a robotic dog, but I guess not. I've already told Ric that he needs to be on his best behavior though, so he won't be chasing him. Will you Ric?"

Ric looked from Bridge to Coraline and shook his head emphatically.

[curiously_cora]

"I wouldn't chase him even if you were allowed Ric, the cat helped me defeat the Other Mother and she was quite fearsome. He's quite brave for a wusspuss," Coraline said with a smile as the cat made a face at her. Even for a cat, the cat was quite intelligent. Well, speaking cats usually were. "Can I pat him? Did you make him? Is he from the future? Or from space? He's... brilliant!"