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[kira-galliard.livejournal.com]

{Early Evening- Tuesday, 29th June ~ Day 394}
{Crossroads DanceHall}

Tonight I'm gonna have myself a real good time
I feel alive
And the world turning inside out, yeah
And floating around in ecstasy, so
Don't stop me now
Don't stop me
'Cuz I'm having a good time, having a good time

It is finally time to open the doors.
The lights are on- thanks to a couple folks from the fair who came out to help me with 'em. And the musics' done warming up now- sounds of instruments tuning and and the player's psyching each other up have given over to songs playing and feet stomping along.
A few brave souls have opened the dancing and there are mostly smiles all around.

So far so good.

A lot of the younger set know me by now from hiring them for the clean-up, and I put up some signs around town, so hopefully we'll have a good turn out.
And now that the greater part of the haying is done, people are in a good mood. People like to dance and come out and see each other when they're happy. Even in a strange town like this that holds true.

Smooth my skirt as I circle the floor towards the drink stand. I'll probably take a few turns of my own tonight, but mostly my job is to meet people who don't know me yet and get them to like me enough to come back. If the night continues like this, I do think it'll turn out fine.

The band starts another song, and I find my smile is genuine.

(The DanceHall is open to all! Come on in and have fun!)

Comments

[tezcatl-ipoca.livejournal.com]

--I don't know if I should have laughed at that or not. "I wanted to forget," I tell him. "Only everyone forgot. I'm sorry about the poker," I add.

I don't know what to say to Hermia, so I just give her an awkward look at sort of bob my head at her before I go back to Faith.

[hermia-sophia.livejournal.com]

Yes. I have - noticed that. Like when the town forgot."

"That was you?" I echo, a stunned second after Valmont. I can see his smile out of the corner of my eye as he says, "That means it's your fault Hermia hit me with a poker."

The poker, of course. It's something to laugh about now - for really, what else can we do about it? I can feel a bit of laughter bubbling up despite everything - and Micah laughs too, and looks a bit ashamed about it.

"I wanted to forget. Only everyone forgot. I'm sorry about the poker."

"The poker was my fault. Well, I was the proximate cause, and you were the ultimate cause, I suppose," I stammer. "But…thank you."

And then the laughter stops, for I wonder - if he had that much power and that little judgment and control before, what might happen now that he is so strangely confused? Dear gods…

"Yes, one shouldn't leave a lady waiting…" Valmont advises. "But we have a lot of things left to discuss."

"We will talk more…tomorrow," I offer, glancing back at Valmont for confirmation.

[valmont-vicomte.livejournal.com]

"Tomorrow," I agree, and watch Micah walk - still with that limp that Lucien worries about - away. I turn to Hermia and sigh.

"My dear," I say, "this has turned out to be another typically Excolo sort of evening."

[hermia-sophia.livejournal.com]

As Micah - Tez - turns away, I let my breath out very very slowly, and step back towards Valmont to close him tightly in my arms. I want to hold onto him, to his solidity and certainty and humanity…

"Yes it has. In quite a few ways." My voice shakes, and I cannot tell whether it is the hysterical laughter coming back, or something else. Fear? Anger? "It was such a lovely dance…"

[valmont-vicomte.livejournal.com]

Hermia presses herself in against me, and I kiss her hair.

"It's still a lovely dance," I say. "And look, Alice is having a wonderful time," I say, nodding over to where she is. "We will work things out, my love. We always do." We've certainly had plenty of experience in dealing with oddities, after all.

[hermia-sophia.livejournal.com]

"She is," I sigh softly, feeling a wistful little smile rise up as I look over at her, turning my head to rest on Valmont's chest. "I'm glad that she can have this night to be happy." Before she finds out that her friend is not what he seemed. Before he goes away and she blames herself...

"I know we'll find a way. It's just going to be difficult for a time before we do."

[valmont-vicomte.livejournal.com]

"Yes," I agree. "Alice will be disappointed, and Micah..." I shake my head. "Lord knows. But for now, let us let Alice have her happy evening, and I would like another dance with my wife, if she's willing."