our fair lady — keona's birthday

[Kian.]

[align=center][div style="width: 450px; line-height: 12px; text-align: justify; font-family: georgia; font-size: 8pt;"]KIAN Ó FAOLÁIN — sing me a symphony, one for the lost and in-between
January thirtieth marked an entire year.  Hard to imagine, given his daughter's predominantly young stature.  The mark of a full blooded Fae of course.  Nonetheless, a year had passed.  A birthday was a birthday and Kian planned on making a celebration out of it.

As such, he found himself begrudgingly enlisting his twin brother to keep her occupied for majority of the day, with the added requirement she spend some time with Raziel as well.  Not ideal but he needed her distracted while he set the stage.

Above all else, Kian knew his daughter was not a social child.  She lingered on the quiet side and kept to herself.  Nonetheless he felt the whole crew could do with some celebrating while they waited for things to settle down and return home so he got to work.

Paper lanterns dangled in the trees.  A small bonfire crackled. A small table of snacks -- s'mores, animal crackers and the like predominantly.  Another with drinks -- mostly kid friendly with some exceptions.  Some games set up as well; cards and soccer.  A small stereo played instrumental music with a variety of genres to switch though (currently on some ukulele tracks).  Most importantly he made it easy for everyone to find something to do without crowding Keona. 

Of course, he made sure everyone knew it was her birthday -- invites had been passed with the time and date, and a cookie cake did sit on the snacks table with Happy Birthday Keona written across.  Against a tree, there was a place for presents -- a few wrapped gifts from himself and his brothers already rested there.

As day turned to sundown -- the prewritten time -- he grinned, sitting beside the stereo as he waited for Séamus and his daughter.

[member=483]SÉAMUS[/member] [member=265]Keona.[/member]

[SÉAMUS]

☠

Easier said than done.  Of course, bringing up a willingness to spar and teach the child some new techniques did the trick.  Relucantly, he did pass his charge to his elder brother for some time, of which he checked on his twin, disinterested in the topic of literature that Raziel's presence oft meant.  Not that he didn't enjoy a good book every once and a while -- he simply couldn't let Raziel know he did.

As soon as the sky began darkening, the endfield blinked, wry smile tugging on his maw.  "Time to head back, Sibi." Truth be told, the fae took to his twin's plan a little reluctantly.  One could easily tell Keona kept to herself and spent quite some time alone not unhappily.  Yet a birthday was a birthday, and since it was her first birthday... He decided to go along with it.

He wore a grin as he led the tiny fae back, sea-green eyes bright.  "Lá breithe sona, Sibi."

"word of mouth there's a snake in the garden" —-- Séamus Ó Faolán

[Keona.]

[div style="width: 527px; line-height: 1.4; text-align: justify; font-family: palatino; font-size: 11px;"][align=center]blackbird singing in the dead of night, take these broken wings and learn to fly

Unusual. The strange taste of suspicion rested on her tongue.  Difficult to ignore yet hard to refuse certain proposals.  Willing to be tricked for the potential gain.  Paws buzzing with more excitement than wariness.  Dutiful and attentive, quite pleased to spend the day training.  Memory of previous lessons, surrounded by sand lingered in the shadows of her mind.  Dangerous circumstances.  An unfortunate time now passed, not quite forgotten.

Content to linger with one studious.  Ears perked, pale hues bright with the eagerness of knowledge.  New lessons and stories.  If disappointed in returning to one tricky, not a gleam of it in her eyes.  And still the taste lingered on the very tip of her taste buds.  Like the presence of a shadow.  A tailing presence just out of notice.

The warmth on her back began fading as the sun started to dip.  A pause, eyes blinking sharply as her father announced a turnaround.  Return home -- or rather the temporary home by the railroad.  Even before he spoke, the gears spun, a question building in her throat.  Her nose inhaled sharply the smell of sweets and drinks.  Briefly, brows creased in bewilderment, blinking.

Lá breithe sona.  Oh.  Happy birthday.  She knew, yet the matter seemed small.  Faraway even.  She'd never celebrated a birthday before... Did not know the custom, nor had witnessed it before.  Worse yet, she looked no where near her birth age -- just barely growing out of her kitten fluff -- making matters more confusing.  Yet she stood beside one father, the other only a little away, a whole party thrown together.  So he distracted me.  A soft breath left her maw. "I... A páirtí..?"

A shy smile played with uncertain lips, a long, stripped tail flicking.

[ mobile translations : Lá breithe sona - happy birthday, Páirtí - party ]

✯ — keona sibéal ó faoláin. female. striker of the typhoon. blind. rusty spotted cat.  ref. bio.