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]

"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).