"What did you do on your birthday?" "Got older."

[hermia-sophia.livejournal.com]

Evening of Thursday, September 10, Day 102
Garden behind the Whitechapel Inn

My twenty-third birthday.

Dear Valmont, he is trying so very hard to make this a happy day for me! Waking with a kiss (even though I could hardly sleep last night), flowers on the breakfast table. And telling me that I should take the day off to luxuriate, which was wonderfully tempting, but I had to go back to the library. I did not want to feel that I was being kept away, for if I were, then Lysander would be winning. And I had to make sure that the library would still feel tranquil to me after yesterday - I don't want to lose that peaceful place I have found there.

When I walked in and saw the chaos that Lydia had made, I laughed until I cried. Or possibly the reverse - it was rather hard to tell at the time. And then we straightened the books up, and when I was done, I turned around to find a little book of poetry that had not been there before on the front desk, tied with a bow, and my smile came back.

And then Valmont came to walk me home, and we have kept happily busy and distracted with setting up the party. Through some unspoken pact, we have not mentioned Lysander all day. The thought of what happened yesterday still makes me feel as if I am falling...but I will not fall,and I will not let it ruin today, for today is about my new life and all of the people who belong to it. Valmont. My new friends. And...well, some of those coming are 'people' only in a rather loose sense of the term. But I would not want to risk bringing ill fortune down on myself by not inviting my people's gods! And there's Chester as well, who I suppose doesn't exactly count as a person either. Ah, Excolo guest lists. There's something comforting in that very oddness, though. People, creatures, gods - they are all part of Excolo and my new life. My new year.

The lanterns dance in the trees; the light of the setting sun glints off of the wine bottles and glasses, and I wait in the garden, feeling a little bit of peace. Let today be free of unhappiness, please! Let me be safe in the garden on my own day...

[Open to party guests]

Comments

[kateohara.livejournal.com]

I may be alarmed that Chester can speak, but he seems positively nervous, his ears flattening and his tail waving, and he edges back onto my foot. Poor thing. Almost without thinking, I lean down and pick him up so that he won't get trampled. I hope he doesn't think it's undignified to be held. It's hard to reconcile that deep voice with the soft white fluff.

[a-cheval.livejournal.com]

"I'm keeping well, thank you. I hope the post office is doing well." Smile a bit and nod, but to be honest I ain't asked Samuel how it's going with the numbers in a couple of weeks. "Yes thank you, Miss, doing just fine." Don't count as lying if I say that, mind, does it? "Samuel says he's looking into maybe getting a couple wagons for parcels and deliveries and that, even."

Probably it ain't nice to want to grin at Boku giving the cat a bit of a look, but I sorta want to anyway. Maybe they've met or something when he's off being a cat. Only probably, real cats can't talk to him, so I don't reckon it'd be that much fun. Nervous little thing anyway, and I reach out to pet it a bit, cause I like cats, specially the stable ones.

[chester-excolo.livejournal.com]

Conversation continues, I just have time to realize that I've trod on Kate's foot when she scoops me up into her arms. Oops.Um...A quick wriggle and I'm settled. For now. If I want down, I've got several options, all depending on how badly I want it. No sooner have I managed this then Luke is reaching out to me. I sniff his outstretched fingers, but I keep my eyes on the cat shifter. No telling how he'll take anything I may do with his Claimed Human. Boy has cat shifter scent all over him. And...something else, something that reminds me of Eris...

[bakeneko-excolo.livejournal.com]

As I shake the gentleman's hand I notice he seems a bit uncomfortable, perhaps he is not at ease in a party setting. Miss Kate is quite kind to notice Chester's distress and pick him up. I wonder if she knows of his abilities?

As Luke reaches out towards him, Chester and I keep our eyes on each other. I nod my head and smile in gratitude at his silence regarding my nature. Then again, he may just be keeping his voice quiet in general tonight. I am not sure how open he is with humans.

"Is there somewhere we should be setting Miss Hermia's presents? I hate to interrupt her visiting with friends just yet."

[brotherlaurence.livejournal.com]

Kate picks up the talking cat and I think maybe I have finally gone mad here.

"Is there somewhere we should be setting Miss Hermia's presents? I hate to interrupt her visiting with friends just yet," the Asian fellow says and I look around, the advantage of being tall.

"It looks like the host has taken them inside," I say, noting others have apparently placed theirs elsewhere. My eyes go over the crowd and I catch sight of him conversing with a woman--Eris. Cain and Kaeli's goddess. "Eris is here," I observe aloud.

[kateohara.livejournal.com]

Laurence looks at me as if I'm quite mad to be holding Chester. I suppose it is a little strange, but I'd hate for him to get trodden underfoot. He has settled in my arms quite well - shedding a bit of fur onto me, but nothing too terrible - though I have a feeling he's unlikely to want to be held for too long.

"I'm glad business is good," I say, smiling at Luke. "What do you do in town, Boku?"

"Eris is here," Laurence says.

"Oh," I say softly, meaning oh dear. I am quite nervous around her, although she has always been polite to me. "Do you suppose we should all try to speak to Hermia? She seems to have quite a crowd over there, but I feel bad about not having greeted her yet."

[a-cheval.livejournal.com]

Well, I ain't seen Eris in weeks, and I wasn't expecting to see her tonight neither. I dunno though, part of me thinks it'd be nice to see her cause she was always real nice to me, even if I didn't understand what the bloody hell she was on about half the time, and part of me thinks maybe she wouldn't want a normal person just going up to her, cause she's kind of uppity sometimes. And part of me thinks oh shit, Eris, oh shit and I ain't even sure why. She is sorta scary, mind. Look over, and see Valmont don't seem scared of her. Well, that's as maybe, but that's him.

"Um." She does seem sorta swamped, still. "Maybe she's just having fun with her mates. Don't want to crowd her." Do feel sorta bad though, even if I give her a bit of a wave earlier.

[chester-excolo.livejournal.com]

Boku keeps his eyes on mine but gives me a nod and a smile. i start to relax, maybe this won't go so terribly after all. But then Laurence says that Eris is here. I twist a bit in Kate arms and my ears prick up a bit. The nervousness is back of course. Gods can be dangerous. She was nice enough to me that time...but still.

Luke wonders whether we should greet Hermia or wait a bit. Personally I'm all for waiting a little. I glance around the room to see who else is here.

Wanda, Glass, Hermia an Valmont of course. Oh and there's Mab!

I climb up a little higher on Kate's shoulder and wave a paw at the Sheriff.

[bakeneko-excolo.livejournal.com]

"Eris is here," I raise my head at that, seeing both her on Valmont's arm and Kate's expression. That wary caution on both her and her friend's face confirms what I have read regarding Ares' sister.

"Don't want to crowd her." I nod at Luke and ask, "Should we perhaps take a seat near her? So we may greet her once she has a free moment?"

[brotherlaurence.livejournal.com]

Of course the cat is waving at people. I have half a mind to just leave here and head straight to the Tavern, but I won't leave Kate to fend for herself. Eris is with Hermia now, but I look at the young men before us and at Kate.

"If you'd like to go see her, we can." Then I catch sight of the Sheriff. "Or Sheriff Devarn is here," I offer, realizing I would rather spend time with the Law than a goddess that can't seem to make up her mind.

[a-cheval.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty sure the cat just waved at someone. Yep... yeah, cause I ain't even drunk nothing yet and I'm pretty sure the preacher notices too. Giving it one hell of a look, poor bloke, and I can't say I blame him. Bite my lip and touch the back of my hand against Boku's. "Um, yeah, let's do that." Don't really want to talk to Sherrif Devarn neither, and I reckon I'm going to want a drink if there's another one like Boku in town. Dunno why, but I don't reckon I'd like that. Don't cats have territory? Maybe he don't like it neither and that's why he gave it a look...

"Real nice to see you again Miss O'hara," I say, tipping my hat, which I ain't wearing. "And you Brother Laurence." 'm I sposed to say bye to the cat if it's sore like Boku? Only it ain't come out and said that... Bloody hell. Probably just a bloody cat, Luke, you can't go talking to it! Give 'em both a smile and nudge Boku in the direction of drinks and Miss Hermia.

[chester-excolo.livejournal.com]

Laurence makes an off to Kate about going and seeing. Hermia I'm guessing. And Luke is doin' he tipping the hat gesture and saying stuff as makes me think he's taking off. Nudges the cat-shifter, soI turns round once more and say, "Nice ta meet ya both. Have fun!"

[bakeneko-excolo.livejournal.com]

Continued here (http://community.livejournal.com/estdeus_innobis/205512.html?thread=5749704#t5749704).

[kateohara.livejournal.com]

Boku and Luke walk away, and Chester pipes up with a goodbye.

"Well, then," I say, and walk over to the bench nearby and sit down. I gently place Chester on the ground, and brush off the hairs from my dress. I look up at Laurence, inviting him to join us. "It's been an interesting party so far, and I have only got part way up the garden."

[brotherlaurence.livejournal.com]

I nod a goodbye to the pair--not willing to think of them as a couple, even though that's what they seemed like--and follow Kate to the bench. She sits and when she invites me to join her I follow suit. At least the cat's on the ground.

"'Interesting' is one way to put it," I say. I don't ask if the cat spoke, for if it didn't I would look very strange. I am certain it did, though, and I am surprised that Kate took such a thing so well. My eyes go over the yard again and I note Eris floating out the gate. "'Looks like we're safe from the goddess of chaos for now."

[chester-excolo.livejournal.com]

The Cat-shifter an' his human depart, Kat moves over to a bench an lets me down to the ground, which's relief. She says something about how this evening has been so very interesting so soon. An Laurence, with his greater height notes the departure of Eris.

I sneak a quick glance Hermia's way,oh good, not too many people...

I turn back to Kate an Laurence.

"Excolo's an interesting town, why should its parties be any less interestin?" I ask.

[kateohara.livejournal.com]

"'Looks like we're safe from the goddess of chaos for now."

"That's good," I say. "I'm never sure what to say to her. She puts me on edge. Her and her family." I think of Lugh, who was so very friendly, but seemed like he could become dangerous quite easily, and Ares, who is not a man I would want to cross, not at all.

"Excolo's an interesting town, why should its parties be any less interestin?"

I laugh, and then think how odd it is that I'm laughing at what a cat says. Well, I have seen stranger things in Excolo, and at least this is a benign sort of strangeness. Or at least I hope so.

"A good point," I agree. "So, Chester. I hope this doesn't seem rude - but are you actually a cat who just happens to talk, or are you something else that looks like a cat?" I may as well get down to the business of things.

[brotherlaurence.livejournal.com]

The worst part, I think, of all of this is that the cat is making perfect sense.

And Kate's question to it--him, I guess--is really just the perfect question to ask a talking cat in this town, though it would never occur to me to ask it. I cross one leg over the other, so my shoe almost brushes against Kate and my arm touches her back. So far the cat seems one of the least threatening of the strange things in Excolo, but that does not mean I trust it. I do wish she would be careful.

[chester-excolo.livejournal.com]

Kate laughs at my comment. Ah good, she accepted me. This is why I spoke to her, this is what I wanted from the party. Then of course she has to ask the inevitable question. So, Chester. I hope this doesn't seem rude - but are you actually a cat who just happens to talk, or are you something else that looks like a cat?

I look up at her and Laurence, because he's moved in closer to Kate. I'd guess he doesn't trust me.

"Naw you ain't bein' rude, lady, not for how dangerous this town is gettin'; just cautious." I smile whiskers quivering. "I'm a spirit in the shape of a cat. And before you ask, this is the only shape I have."

[kateohara.livejournal.com]

It's a curious thing, seeing a cat smile - almost unnerving, but not altogether unpleasant. I smile back.

"I see," I say, after Chester says he's a spirit shaped like a cat. I'm not sure I do see - he seems rather too solid to be a spirit - but that can wait. I glance at Laurence and then back at Chester. "You seem quite comfortable in the garden, Chester. Are you friends with Hermia and Valmont?" I can't imagine him being their cat - I'm not sure anything that talks can belong to someone.

[brotherlaurence.livejournal.com]

At least the only shape he has is that of a cat. God help us if he had more, like Eris.

"That's good to know," I say with a bit of a nod. Then I wait for his answer to Kate's question. What can the Inn owner and the librarian have gotten themselves into?

[chester-excolo.livejournal.com]

Kate sounds a little doubtful even as she claims to understand my answer about bein' a cat shaped spirit, but she doesn't pursue the issue as Hermia would and did. in stead she moves on to another question. Are you friends with Hermia and Valmont?

and Laurence has a comment. That's good to know, he nods firmly as h says this. I'm guessing it's about my comment of only having one shape. People here seem quite worried about shapeshifters. I suppose that must be why Boku gave me the looks he did, musta bin worried I'd say somethin' an give him away.

Kate an Laurence both give me their attention, wating for my answer, i don;t make 'em wait long at all.

I sit up very straight tail tucked round my feet. "Yes, I'm friends with Hermia. Valmont...Well He an I are tolerating each other for Hermia's sake. I take you two are friends of both?"

[kateohara.livejournal.com]

I glance at Laurence. He's still worried about shape shifters. As am I... It seems a dangerous thing, the ability to change form on a whim.

Chester sits up straight, and I find myself a little amused to hear his disapproving tone regarding Valmont.

"I know Hermia best," I offer diplomatically. "Speaking of which, do you think we should go say hello to her? And oh look, is she holding a kitten?" I wonder if Chester will be jealous...

[cont here (http://community.livejournal.com/estdeus_innobis/205512.html?thread=5760456#t5760456)]