Reception

[fiery_ring]

The reception takes place in the Big Top, which is more than large enough to accommodate the crowd. Outside, a large hog roast is taking place, with food and drinks aplenty.

It's a good time for Carlotta to catch up with her friends from school, most of whom she hasn't seen since the start of the war. A few of them have married in that time and brought husbands, some are in work or still at university. A petite, pretty woman, Alison, has brought a daughter of about two; finally a distraction from an incessant need to worry what her hair looks like. A tall, strapping woman, Mirabel, is sporting a burn scar on her face; rumour has it, she has been serving in combat.

The circus folk mingle among the guests, bringing food and occasionally breaking out into acrobatics. At the front of the tent, Fred the Bouncer sits with Wolf, his large guard dog.

Comments

Mingling

[fiery_ring]

Have at the food, mingle with the guests, and be merry!

Re: Mingling

[ikissdhimbck]

Kate enters on Tommy's arm, only a shade of the cowgirl she usually is.

(But her Smith & Wesson is still tucked away — best not to ask where — so troublemakers beware.)

All gussied up, she moves among the crowd to mingle.

Re: Mingling

[gavin62truck]

"Swear to God, if that monkey followed us in here, I'm gonna punt his hairy little ass across the English Channel."

Annnnnnd he's already grumbling.

Re: Mingling

[ostro_goth]

Teja is not good at mingling with strangers; and all that he knows here, tonight, he has either fallen out with, or they are with others, and he would not cast a pall.

So he stands in a corner, watching quietly. All these, he presumes, are the girls Carlotta went to school with, that she spoke so much about.

Re: Mingling

[ikissdhimbck]

He had been so quiet during the ceremony, and now Kate catches sight of him removed from the party in his somber corner.

She goes to the refreshments and picks out what looks like a decadent cookie, bringing it over to him.

"Evenin', Teja."

She even curtsies.

Re: Mingling

[gavin62truck]

At some point during the reception, one can find the guy who's dressed like an Irish gangster by the tables fetching a couple of glasses of punch.

(He keeps glancing over his shoulder.)

(He's totally not trying to avoid that monkey.)

(Except he totally is.)

The occasional acrobatics distract him, because acrobat chicks are hot.

Action!

[fiery_ring]

"Can I help you?" Fred asks, as a fair woman appears in the doorway of the tent, with a couple of policemen.

"We're looking for Carlotta Francis." the first officer says.

Carlotta, seeing the trio in the doorway, hitches up her dress and approaches. Her face forms a deep frown when she sees that it's Fern, Will's cousin, who has always had a deep infatuation for Will. She hasn't been seen in months, since leaving Little William at Will's parents' house.

"That's me." she says. "How can I help?"

"Can you see your child here, miss?" the second officer asks Fern.

Fern looks around. Little William is sitting with Molly and the other circus babies, playing with some confetti. She marches up to him and picks him up.

"This is my son." she says, returning to the police.

"Mrs Francis, Miss Francis alleges that you have taken her son without her knowledge or consent, and hidden him with your circus for several months. These are very serious charges."

"No no, Fern left Little William with my in-laws and disappeared." Carlotta says. "I've been looking after him on their behalf because they're not really fit enough to be looking after a small child..."

"And did you ask Miss Francis' permission to take William from your in-laws?"

"No but she disappeared..." Carlotta says. "And we believed she was on the run for black market offences."

"Those charges have been dropped." the officer says. "Mrs Francis, you cannot take a child on the basis of implied consent, and have him in a circus."

"Did you think because he's albino you could make money off him?" Fern demands?

"No! I've cared for him the same as my own daughter, Fern could have had him back at any time." Carlotta tries to say, but one of the officers is reaching for the cuffs.

"Carlotta Francis, I am a..."

"STOP!" Will races over from the other side of the circus.

"Will, they're charging me with kidnapping Little William!" Carlotta says. "You have to back me up!"

"Can you provide any evidence that your wife did not take William without consent?" the officer asks.

Will looks from his wife to his cousin with a pained expression. Fern stares at Will, as if waiting for his next move.

"I can prove she didn't kidnap him." Will says, taking a slow deep breath. "I had a drunken affair with Fern nine months before Little William's birth. I'm his biological father, and Fern has said so all along. You can't kidnap your own child."

The room goes very, very quiet. And then, chaos erupts. Fern starts shouting, Carlotta's father squares up to Will, and Little William starts screaming.

"Matta!" Little William wails, writhing out of Fern's arms towards Carlotta.

"You told him you're his mother?!" Fern screams at Carlotta.

"No! I think it's short for Ringmaster, all the kids call me that." Carlotta says... oh crap, looks like Will and her father are going to be in a fight in a minute.

Re: Action!

[ostro_goth]

Either, Fern had not been lying all along; or, William is lying now, taking her lie and running with it, to defend Carlotta.

In any case, this feat is turning ugly very soon, and Teja gets ready to interfere, if needed. Whoever might do whatever, he shall defend Carlotta from it. Carlotta and her daughter are, in the end, all that count to him here.

Re: Action!

[fiery_ring]

The police officers take Fern outside to get some explanation in a space they can hear themselves think.

As soon as the police are out of sight, Carlotta's father punches Will in the face.

Re: Action!

[ikissdhimbck]

Kate doesn't have the same calm as Teja. She rushes up instantly, prepared to either fight or defend.

"Carlotta?"

Fern earns an icy glare.

Re: Action!

[fiery_ring]

The police have held off the handcuffs for a moment.

"I didn't kidnap him, I swear, I was just taking care of him because it was too much to ask of Will's parents."

Will's mum hurries over.

"Yes yes, Carlotta is telling the truth. Will's father has a heart problem, it was very difficult keeping up with a small child. We would have consulted Fern if she had been in contact."

Re: Action!

[wheatencrown]

Demeter is beside Carlotta and trying hard not to do more than she should, so for now she simply yells at Fern,

"You left your child and now you're blaming her for it. Be quiet!"

Re: Action!

[fiery_ring]

"I didn't leave my child with her." Fern says icily. "I left her safely with the aunt and uncle who helped raise me."

"And who made your parents come and pick you up after you were expelled." Carlotta says.

Dancing

[fiery_ring]

Some time after the ruckus, the rest of the party continues with dancing. Rowdy tunes are played on the organ.

Is that a touch of jazz? A splattering of swing? Dance the night away!

Re: Dancing

[wheatencrown]

Demeter is off to the side and smiling, one thing she loves about Carlotta's people is how they work and play hard.

Re: Dancing

[gavin62truck]

While Kate is off mingling, Tommy takes the time to smoke about half a cigarette when he spots Demeter standing by herself. Seeing her in the crowd during the ceremony reminded him how long it had been since they'd first met. Flicking the cigarette to the ground, he stamps it out before making his way towards her.

"Never thought I'd run into a goddess in a circus tent," he greets her, grinning warmly. "How are ya?"

Re: Dancing

[ikissdhimbck]

After pulling Teja from one corner of the tent, and before her little conflict with Fern, Kate makes her way to the dance floor with Teja on her arm.

She may be the more experienced dancer of the two of them, but this time they're dancing to music she isn't familiar with either. Starting with a slow song seems the wisest course.

Re: Dancing

[ostro_goth]

Teja tries not to shuffle his feet too badly, or on the other hand, step on hers. He's still somewhat caught up with the technicalities of this, trying to do it right.

Re: Dancing

[gavin62truck]

A slow song starts up, something jazzy and timelessly familiar, a melody that Tommy's heard playing on his father's radio a long time ago.

And as he sweeps his gaze across the crowd of unfamiliar faces, bodies pairing up to dance, he sees one face, partially obscured by a flowered hat. He then starts to make his way between the couples on the dance floor.

Standing at Kate's shoulder, he wordlessly offers her a hand, a faint smile tugging at one corner of his mouth.

Re: Dancing

[ikissdhimbck]

Her eyes are drawn to the hand first, but once they connect with his they don't glance away again. A lopsided smirk graces her lips.

Just as wordlessly, knowing the motions like a finely-tuned clock, she slips her hand in his and drops in a shallow curtsy, letting him lead her to the floor.


Trusting him to lead her true.

[52_dropoff]

Charlie watched the whole thing rather quietly. This is, after all, the first time he's left the Bar since his resurrection. That kind of overshadowed everything else.

But he's happy for Will and Carlotta. And even a tiny bit jealous.

[fiery_ring]

"Hey, want a drink?" the groom asks, pouring some beer from a keg next to him.

[52_dropoff]

"Half a glass, Will. I'm not much of a drinker." He hopes they don't throw him out of the country for such an offense.

[ikissdhimbck]

Kate has been watching the crowd, looking for familiar faces. Charlie isn't exactly familiar, but she thinks she's seen him around Milliways before.

"Hello."

She smiles warmly, and drops in a curtsy.

[52_dropoff]

"Um, no need to be so formal...

"You're from the Bar, right?" Which only makes sense since he's pretty sure by this time they weren't curtsying in England anymore.