Alain's birthday

[key-youth-bert.livejournal.com]

It's almost sunset, and the preparations are almost finished.

Cuthbert, Lilly, and the waitrats they've roped into helping out have set up tables with food out by the lake. On one of them, there's a small CD player currently playing The Beatles.

A few games are set up in the surrounding area--the kind you'd find at any country fair or picnic--but on the whole, there's nothing elaborate.

All that's needed now is for people to show up.


[Summary: Alain has a birthday party. Roland, Cuthbert, Susan, Lilly, Faith, Ace, Meg, and Gavroche attend. There are snow cones and lovely presents and a general mood of "there's doom all around, so let's make this one thing tonight happy and fun".]

Comments

[sai_delgado]

Susan smiles at her as she approaches, and it's bright and real.

"Goodeven, Lilly."

[awesome_lilly]

Lilly's smile is just as bright and genuine in return.

"What up, sai? It's good to see you, Susan. Want a sno cone?"

[sai_delgado]

"A -- a what?" Laughing a little, say true. "Mayhap in a moment--"

Susan hugs Lilly, then, and tells her softly,

"I'd thank ye, for helping Cuthbert plan this for Alain."

[awesome_lilly]

Lilly hugs back, still smiling.

"You're more than welcome. Alain rocks and I owe him anyway, and well, I figure parties that will involve most of my favorite people in bar are never a bad thing, do'ee ken?"

[sai_delgado]

"Aye, never in life," Susan says. "And ye've a skill for it, I wot."

[awesome_lilly]

"I like to think so," Lilly says, laughing. "And if not, I'll just have to keep practicing with more and more parties, and there's nothing wrong with that either."

[sai_delgado]

She shakes her head, and then her smile turns to pure mischief.

"Although mayhap ye'd best not-- tell me ye've no plans to surprise Alain like ye did sai Bernard, with Xander?"

[awesome_lilly]

Lilly is startled for a second and then beams at Susan.

"Actually," she says, leaning closer as her voice bubbles over with mischief, "Koosh mentioned the same thing. He nearly dared me to try to get Alain to strip. What do you think my odds are?"

[sai_delgado]

Susan's eyes widen, and then she's laughing, oh aye-- and shaking her head hard enough for her braid to fly.

"Nay-- I can't imagine-- never in life, Lilly, say true. Not Alain."

[awesome_lilly]

Lilly just grins at her.

"Maybe not tonight, Susan. But don't count me out totally. I have some pretty amazing powers of persuasion, after all."

[sai_delgado]

Susan puts one hand over her eyes as if to block out the image.

"Lilly... "

[awesome_lilly]

Lilly blinks innocently.

"What? Nothing wrong with Alain having a little naked fun if he wants to."

[sai_delgado]

"Ye're talking about Alain, and stripping."

Susan shakes her head firmly.

"He's not Xander, do'ee ken?"

[awesome_lilly]

"I kennit, yar," Lilly replies, grinning. "But there's no harm in laughing about something even if it's probably never going to happen, right?"

[sai_delgado]

She just winces.

[awesome_lilly]

"Oookay," Lilly says. "Moving on, then? You're Kooshbert's girlfriend, any chance you can talk to him about the whole hat thing?"

Topic-changing isn't Lilly's specialty, but she'll make the effort for Susan. They're in the same club, after all.

[sai_delgado]

And oh, she appreciates the effort, even as she seizes quickly on the new topic with a smile.

"What-- what hat thing?"

[awesome_lilly]

"The hat thing that has descended upon his head, and occasionally his face. He's not going bald, right? Because that's the only way I could see him inflicting that kind of horror on all of us."

[sai_delgado]

She giggles, shaking her head.

"Nay-- he's not going bald, Lilly, say true. His hat-- it's been with him for a long time, do'ee ken? He's-- he's attached to it."

She's fond of it herself, oh aye."

[awesome_lilly]

Lilly nods sadly.

"I figured it might be too late for him. Haberdashery abuse is very difficult to kick in its later stages. Poor Koosh. Poor, poor Koosh."

[sai_delgado]

"Haber--" She breaks off, shaking her head, guessing from context.

"Nay, Lilly-- it could be worse, do'ee ken?" A beat. "And it's not that bad, really."

[awesome_lilly]

"I suppose it could," Lilly says thoughtfully. "He could have one of those big jester hats with the bells..." she trails off, then smiles wickedly.

"Susan? When's Koosh's birthday?"

[sai_delgado]

And at this question, a very strange expression crosses her face, and Susan looks away, out toward the lake.

"I-- I don't know, Lilly." Softly.

[awesome_lilly]

Oops, Lilly thinks.

"Luckily, ugly hats need no occasion," she says cheerfully. "It can be a random surprise some time, switch the hats while he's sleeping."

[sai_delgado]

A very wry smile curves her lips.

"Ye never-- ye weren't here for the ka-mai Fair-Day, were ye?"

And oh, but she seems very amused at something now.