Love is in the air

[npc-excolo.livejournal.com]

Sunday, February 14th
Valentine's Day

I sit on my bed with my legs crossed, writing real careful in my notebook. MRS CLARA GRANGER I write, all tidy, then underneath I practice my signature. Clara Granger. That nice man at the market swore it wouldn't take too long for him to propose after he drank the potion. After I practice my signature a few times I write our names together. PETER AND CLARA, and I put them inside a nice big heart.

I hear Momma shouting for me and I sigh. I know she won't approve when Peter and I get together, cos he is a bunch older than me and she says seventeen is way too young to settle down. But I know she married Pop at nineteen, so she's just a hypocrite. And Peter's a real good catch - got his own job, his own place. There's that Maya of course to worry about, I think, and I push my pencil a bit too hard into the page and the point breaks. But once Peter's had the potion he won't remember that he likes her. I just need to work out how to get it to him.

Momma shouts again.

"Coming!" I shout. I know she wants me to go to that dumb Valentine's market and help her sell quilts. Ugh. But Peter might be around town, so I check my hair is nice before I go down.

***

This punch just don't look too appetising. I sigh and shout for Clara again. What is that girl doing? Probably dreaming about that barman. She thinks I don't know she's moony about him. I'm just glad he's got a sweetheart, or else he might go for my Clara - she's real pretty and men like adoring girls. He's much too old for her. I taste the punch and it's real nice, course it is, made from our fruits, but the colour just don't pop. Feeling a bit guilty, I get out some food colourant and drop it in, and it goes a nice reddish colour. That's about right for Valentine's, ain't it? I stopper up the barrel. Clara comes down.

"Get those quilts in the cart, will you?" I say, hustling her out and then getting the punch on the wagon. Roads are clear, so we get set up easy. Just a few stalls for this - jewellery, flowers, all kinds of novelties. I put out the prettiest quilts - maybe some guy'll think one'd make a nice present for his wife, and more practical than earbobs - and set up the punch.

"Free punch, sir?" I say, holding out a cup. After a bit of prodding I get Clara dishing up punch too. Hopefully it'll be a good day.

[OPEN]
[Closed]

Comments

[kateohara.livejournal.com]

"Started with something in passing, over her driving Iago t'loose the rest of his mind. Asked after that thinking there'd... may be there'd been trouble with work, was all I took it for, you see? And she grew shocked over Verdi not giving me trouble, and when I asked what'd been done, she..."

"The rest of his mind?" I say, and then Glass is gathering her thoughts again and continuing. My unease is hardening into worry, a feeling which gets worse as she goes on.

"Called her quick-changing, sweetness and light one moment and threatening t'take after all you care for the next. Warned me against going to the cellar--it's where Verdi brews,'ve never been, though Iago and Thomas go there often enough. And-- she was scattered, a little, you see? Said she'd no mind for what Verdi'd done t'him, but that he'd no problem with it, thought only she'n Thomas were misliking it. But she wasn't particular setting out whatever Iago's not minding. Not sure he told her the way of whatever it was exact, truly."

Things kept secret, and Lannie and Thomas afraid... Oh, I don't like this at all.

"Does Verdandi have some hold over Iago?" I ask. "Maybe she's some way of stopping him telling you more, because it seems so unlike him - you two seem to share everything."

[glass-beddau.livejournal.com]

"The rest of his mind?" and shake my head quick at that, holding up a hand.

"They tease at each other," I say. "Light insult, take turns cheating coin-toss for cleanup... Means no harm."

"Does Verdandi have some hold over Iago?" and think of it, but... "Maybe she's some way of stopping him telling you more, because it seems so unlike him - you two seem to share everything."

"None I know of," slow and thoughtful, and find'm reaching 'cross table for her hand again. "'s why I'm not even sure how much's happening, you see? He's not-- mean, he's not even seeming worried. And think between my being at home and her brewing--" or whatever she does in the basement, where Lannie warned 'gainst-- "'ve not seen Verdi in weeks, so's hardly's if she's hovering over him or..." Shake my head.

[kateohara.livejournal.com]

Glass takes my hand again, which gives me a sense of how troubled she is.

"'s why I'm not even sure how much's happening, you see? He's not-- mean, he's not even seeming worried. And think between my being at home and her brewing-- 've not seen Verdi in weeks, so's hardly's if she's hovering over him or..."

"Maybe you need to speak to Verdandi," I say after a moment. "Carefully. And not in the basement. I'm minded to trust another woman's word on what places aren't safe." I rub my thumb lightly against her knuckle, and then I reach for the teapot and top up our cups. "I saw Dorian," I say after a moment. "The other day. I went to give his watch back," I say. "He left it here when we lost our memories." I don't want to just say I went to see him to tell him off about Glass, and the watch part is true enough. "He's... different, since all that," I say. "He seemed nervous to be around me. It was strange."

[glass-beddau.livejournal.com]

There in quiet a moment, thinking on it all and holding Kate's hand. "Maybe you need to speak to Verdandi," she offers. "Carefully. And not in the basement," and her touch stroking light and warm as summer sunshine 'cross the back of my hand and'm suddenly dizzy and looking aside as she goes for tea and ought be words for this but've no mind for any of it, any at all.

"I saw Dorian," she offers, and close my eyes a moment, some miseried tangle of her and him and all there-not-there, thin conversations around some other matter. Too ragged to sort it out and compose my face and look up. "The other day. I went to give his watch back," and nod. "He's... different, since all that. He seemed nervous to be around me. It was strange."

Thin smile at that, and can fair to see them talking, Kate direct as she's minded t'be and Dorian... well, being as he is, and guessing even the thought of Diego surely not settling him any. "He's afraid more'n you'd think, when you catch him..." Not the right word, shake my head and try again. "When he needs speak t'folk, not play at them? Something of the like."

[kateohara.livejournal.com]

"He's afraid more'n you'd think, when you catch him... When he needs speak t'folk, not play at them? Something of the like."

"I think you're right," I say thoughtfully. "He's always playing a part... When I gave him back the watch, I said I'd seen him be kind, and it - seemed to shake him. He said whatever I thought I knew about him was a lie. But I don't think that's so." I breathe out and shake my head. "You are tangled up with some complicated men, Glass," I say wryly, and I sip my tea.

[glass-beddau.livejournal.com]

Can see Dorian calling kindness a lie--'m not placing him ever having done such a thing exact, but the way've heard him speak of, of such things as Kate does... fits with that. "He's... you know there're t-times you, you want something and choose not t'do it?" and can feel the blood rising in my face but set it aside, carry on. "Think t'him, it's-- he sees it as less true." Consider that a moment and find myself adding sudden "'ve no mind for it, he cares so much for how others see him, tries t'make them look t'him'r me'r--" Break off and sigh, and swallow tea (http://community.livejournal.com/estdeus_innobis/381944.html?view=9807096#t9807096).