lucetilogs | Happy Birthday to You...

Entry tags:

Happy Birthday to You...

Who: The Everdeen sisters and whoever knows them (plus dates, if applicable)
What: Belated birthday party for Prim.
When: Starting Saturday evening (6/8), around 5 PM.
Where: House 43
Summary: Thanks to the spirit possessions, Katniss cancelled the original party she had planned. Time for Surprise Party #2!
Rating: PG/PG-13 if any fights break out?

She had gotten up early to make certain everything was perfect. Double checked that all the bedroom locks worked, moved all of the valuables out of the living area and into Sharpe's bedroom. And then she cleaned the house more thoroughly than she had in a long, long time.

Hours later, with Aang's help, everything seemed perfect. The inside of the house was decorated with crepe streamers. Though there was an emphasis on blue, she made certain to alternate with other colors: whites and greens and purples and reds. Balloons floated along the ceiling, interspersed among strings of twinkling lights. A huge banner reading "Happy Birthday Primrose!" hung across the space between living room and kitchen.

Food covered every available surface, bowls and plates and bowls of punch and other drinks resting on top of blue paper table cloths. Peppermints and chocolates and other sweets covered the dining room table, with a two-tiered cake in the center. It had been pushed against one of the walls to make space for dancing and talking. In the kitchen, various dinners - stews and roasted meats and an assortment of vegetables and starches - covered the counters. Snack type foods were scattered both inside and out, a mix of cheeses and crackers, vegetables and fruits.

Extra chairs surrounded a table in the backyard, which had been equally decorated. Balloons were tied to chairs and a mixture of streamers and lights hung over any tree branches that crossed into the yard. In one corner, a goat stood tied up to a poll with a pink bow around her neck. Space had been provided for a D.J. table if Teddy or Sabriel grew tired of playing.

Everything seemed perfect. She only hoped that Prim would love it, too.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Those who find Prim outside will generally find her with her new goat, pink neck-ribbon and all. She's clearly thrilled about the goat, and has named her India because that place still sounds beautiful, even with all the elephants and tigers and the "bloody heat". This goat is different from Lady. Years ago, that goat came back wounded and in desperate need of care, bartered for by Katniss.

That goat had been the best present Prim had ever gotten.

This year she's gotten her life back; her sister, Buttercup, and people she'd never have otherwise met. It's a month she would not have otherwise have, and she's been trying to live it, though there have been moments that have been less than easy.

This moment right here is an easy one, though. For this period of time, Prim can be found speaking softly to India, soothing the goat, and occasionally checking in on her. ]

[Why is he here? No, seriously. Why is he here?

Oh right, Clove had to show up with her stupid salad thing and save face by being polite....so of course she dragged him here. As her plus one. This is his life. It wasn't as if Clove told him he absolutely had to come...but she's been weird, they've both been weird and he'd rather stay close than be away from her for a few hours to find she's up and died or something.

He's not the most positive of creatures.

Cato has been good though, keeping his mouth shut apart from grunting thanks for the drink he's currently nursing and just...meandering around, avoiding Katniss because God knows they'd manage to piss each other off enough to ruin the night.

Then Clove would be mad.

Outside is better than inside right now and he's just standing there watching Prim pet her goat and he's starting to creep himself out so:]

Nice goat.

[Not the best start but then again, it could be worse.]

[ Cato. Prim's never spoken to the boy, never met him, but she can connect the face and voice to that name in seconds. She didn't go to those Games, but like everyone at home she'd watched them. Praying every second that Katniss would be okay, that the next image wouldn't be her sister, hurt and -

She tried not to think about watching Katniss' Games. Either of them.

It's a bit hard not to think about all the things she saw Cato do when he comes over to her, all the same. Or...says something, rather. It's very strange to be at a party with two people who'd tried to kill Katniss various times, whom she'd seen trying, but - they had been tributes. Even if they'd been careers, if they'd volunteered - that was what happened in the Games. And Katniss had a truce.

Prim just had to keep reminding herself about the truce. And the District Two girl had even brought food. And Cato - Cato had just complimented her goat.

What did you say to something like that? ]

Thank you. [ In the absence of anything else, Prim could fall back on manners. Although she smiled shyly after that, willing at least to take compliments to any of the creatures she adored - and the goat? Was already on that list. ] Her name is India. It's a place Mr. Sharpe went to, in his world.

[Yeah, how exactly did he see this going? Hi, I tried killing your sister but she killed me first. Nice to meet you. It would have been a better idea to just keep the policy of 'talk to nobody' up and running. It'd been working pretty good so far.

He scratches at the scars on the left side of his jaw; a tell if there ever was but Prim doesn't know him and it gives him a certain freedom with behavior.]

It's a nice name -- [Okay he can't do this. He has to say something.] I'm sorry, if you don't want to talk to me I get it.

[ That actually startles Prim for some reason - though why should it? Just because she was willing to attempt to inch around the elephant in the room didn't mean everyone would be, and from what she'd seen (she wasn't meant to think about that part) Cato was straightforward. ]

No, it's - it's okay. [ The words come out on automatic, even if Prim herself isn't sure if she wants to talk to him. But - she's always been the sister more likely to forgive (though she doubts she can forget, and she knows there will always be a wariness about the Two tributes), and she's looking at what has happened so far tonight.

A salad. The girl bringing her sister punch, which she'd spotted from afar. A compliment to her goat.

It's all oddly stilted and awkward against the backdrop of their lives at home (or lack thereof, since three of the four here didn't have anything to go back to), but it signifies...well, trying. They're trying, for some reason. The truce, probably, and Prim feels like she should respect that, even if she's weirded out. ] Thank you for coming. You...didn't need to, but I think Katniss was happy to see her here.

[ She hasn't seen Katniss react to Cato, but they're pretty much a pair in her consideration, so. ] And I think I should say the same thing.

[ After all, her sister had killed him. And before the games had started, Prim had begged Katniss to come home. ]

[Cato shrugs and it's a full-bodied thing. He's very...indifferent about tonight. Bad blood certainly between them and Katniss but he doesn't think that'll ever really go away. But Clove had reminded him that things were okay, that this was meant to settle whatever was going on between them and Cato wasn't going to argue.]

She was really serious about wanting to be here. It took forever for her to make that...salad thing.

[Because she wouldn't let him help.]

I'm -- [just here because I wanted to make sure Clove didn't get into it with Katniss? Really whipped? Bored out of my mind?

He sighs, gives up on speaking his mind. The more time he spends here the more he's learned to be agreeable.]

Thanks.

[ Prim's actually going to try a more genuine smile now, because the salad thing is actually what she's holding onto, in her mind. They brought a salad. Katniss was happy to see Clove; Clove had brought Katniss punch.

These are actions that back up the truce Katniss had mentioned, even if Prim can't really easily pretend that she doesn't flash back to clips of the arena when she sees these two. The things they did, said, to her sister.

But if Katniss can stand it, Prim can, too. ]

I tried that. It's really good - and she said she got the recipe from you?

[ She's...actually trying to hold a conversation here, apparently. Asking a question. Not ending it. ]

[Before Prim ventures out into the backyard for the first time, Katniss made certain to intercept her sister. She had been easy to spot. Though she had most of the guests arrive before Prim and Richard had returned home, her sister was still relatively easy to spot in a crowd. She'd never mistake anyone else for Prim.

Rushing up beside her before she made it to the door, she slowed her pace a few steps before approaching Prim. And then walked normally over. Hopefully, she hadn't give anything more away.]

Are you enjoying yourself, Prim?

[ Prim's easily intercepted - when she sees Katniss coming over she stops immediately, waiting for her sister to catch up, and smiling widely. Her braid's frayed a little now, wisps of hair out of place from one or two dances, at the inside portion of the party, but while Prim will take the time to rebraid her hair later, she hasn't quite done so yet. ]

I can't believe you did all this! [ She's likely said it before, upon arrival, but...well, she still can't. It's not by any means an accusation or the least bit upset. Just...wondering, and thrilled. ] And all these people - I'm glad I'm getting to meet so many of your friends all at once. I can put names to faces, now.

[ And the party, it's - it's like nothing she's ever been to. The biggest party she'd ever been to was for the wedding, back at Thirteen, and that had been different. She hadn't been the one it was for, and it had been in the middle of a war, where there had been so many people and things they were unsure of. There'd been an undercurrent of tension, there. ]

I can't believe how pretty the fruit and things look. Do you think I could learn to cut them like that? Though I still think they're nearly too pretty to eat.

[And that was exactly why she had told Zevran not to do the gold leaf. If he had gotten his way, if he had made the fruits any fancier than they already were, she doubted anybody would eat them. And that was the point of the food. To be eaten and not just admired. She had found it just as difficult to eat some of the more intricate pieces.

But to see the smile that it all brought to Prim's face? It almost made it tempting to go back to the kitchen and ask Zevran to cut a couple of apples with the gold leaf.]

I think if you asked Zevran, he'd teach you. [She smiled, looking back towards the kitchen where the elf hid. At some point, she would have to pull him out from there. Ask him to dance.] You could make them at Seventh Heaven.

[ Prim hadn't been sure about eating them until he'd told her that was what they were there for, and that the work put into cutting them had been for that reason - and, well, she couldn't let anyone's work go to waste without feeling bad about it, so that had been enough to go on.

And she really just liked fruit.

If she learned to cut them on her own, though - well, she could make pretty things whenever she liked. Prim had never considered the things knives could make that weren't plain useful or needful or hurtful; the little wooden animal carvings and the intricate fruit flowers were proof enough of that answer. ]

I think I'll ask. People would probably really like that, wouldn't they? It could be a specialty, if I managed to get good at it.

[Katniss couldn't imagine anyone not liking them. Perhaps having difficulty wanting to eat such a pretty fruit, but simply not enjoying? You'd have to be blind not to. They were fruits fit for a noble, should Zevran's story be believed. And he had, as far as she could recall, never lied to her before.

She nodded and flashed a teasing smile at her sister.]

I'd come and order them from you.

[ The teasing smile is returned full force, without space for thought. It's instinct. ]

And I'd make you the prettiest ones.

I think I'll ask Zevran, and bring it up to Rin. It'd be fun. I...really like working there. [ Though she'd signed on because they were understaffed and overworked and Nala had wanted to fix it, Prim liked the coworkers she'd been getting to know. Chouji, Makie, Rin. She was learning about them more every day. ]

I'm glad.

[Even if it made her nervous every time Prim left for work, she meant the sentiment. That she worried every time as to whether or not something might happen to her sister while working in the restaurant, she knew she'd worry no matter what Prim might decide to do. She already lost her sister once. And she'd do everything in her power not to let that happen again.

Glancing at the doorway for a second, she then looked back at the girl.] Have you been outside yet?

[ She gets nervous, too, when they're apart. Less so now then she had at the beginning, but...Prim just relies on the fact that Katniss always comes home, and so does Prim. She brings back dinner sometimes, or goes back to make it...and they eat together.

That's something. ]

No, I was just about to go out when you came over, though.

[She slipped her hand into her sister's and grinned. That was exactly what she wanted to hear. If Prim hadn't been out to the backyard yet, she hadn't seen the rest of the decorations. More than that, she hadn't seen the goat Katniss had brought back here.

Grinning, she gave a light tug of her hand.]

We should go then. I have something for you.

no subject

i'm sorry?

you have no reason to be!

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject