Give you something good to celebrate. [Gathering; Pre-dated to 6/5/15]

[oddthatway]

Tris ought to know well enough by now that I never go back on my word, once given. Especially when it comes to something as important as celebrating her 19th birthday. (And I have no doubt her and Four will find their own ways to celebrate later, but I try not to think about that. For my own sake.) She also still doesn't know that this celebration is about far more than her almost not being a teenager anymore. I'm putting my all into this because, back home, Tris doesn't get the chance to live this long. Back in Chicago, the Tris I've left behind is resting in a morgue.

I have the living room all decked out because of the rabbit. While Tris still isn't here, I'll admit: the damn thing's cute. And at least Tris had the sense to get a pet with Dauntless colors. It makes the whole pet thing seem far less Amity.

I've worked hard, tying ribbons of various colors - vibrant, spring colors like sky blue and lavender - and balloons around every available edge and corner. Behind the couch, I've put a banner that I've painted myself, which is why the writing looks so sloppy. Again, I've used the colors of the ribbons and the balloons, to write a simple message of 'Happy birthday, old lady!'

Not that Tris is old at all. Far from it. But I can't resist a bit of teasing, even for my best friend's birthday.

On the table rests a cake I bought at one of the local bakeries, in the shape of a bird, with some berries on top. It's the kind of quaint that I think Tris will appreciate. Next to it, my gifts: a slinky, shimmery light blue dress, because one can never have too many sexy dresses, and the other, a beautifully designed knife with crows etched onto the handle of the blade. Both were hardly cheap, but for Tris, I would be willing to spend far more.

So now I'm waiting, pacing through the living room, adjusting the various decorations while keeping an eye out for Tris.

I've invited others, of course. It wouldn't do to just be the two of us. Slowly, I'm beginning to understand how much Tris' friends here mean to her. So I've invited as many people as I've been able to get a hold of. Now all I can do is wait.

Comments

[priordivergence]

"Because we've never needed to designate something that's especially going to be hit by sticks?" I point out. "A Dauntless would just hand everyone a blunt weapon and watch." Giving Christina a teasing look, I recall her words about the Ferris Wheel when we played Capture the Flag, "And good look to you!"

I wrap an arm around her shoulders, comfortable enough with Christina to do it without any hesitation. I try not to think of the people who should be here, like Peeta, but I smile. "This is my first real birthday party, you know."

[oddthatway]

"Okay, fair enough," I laugh, recalling all the adrenaline rushes we'd chased as members of Dauntless. Our game of capture the flag comes to mind, first and foremost. The thrill of giving chase and trying to defeat Erik's team. Even if I did let petty jealousy get the best of me. "Maybe I should find some sticks anyway."

Throwing my own arm around her shoulders, I grin. "Not surprised. Abnegation always was allergic to all things fun. And how is being 19 treating you so far?"

[priordivergence]

We were both short sighted then. I was too aloof and ambitious, but we've moved past that game. Now that we've had to do things for real, the mistakes we did in games no longer matters.

"Well, I do seem to have a cake. So not bad at all."

[oddthatway]

It was a different time, back in those days, really. Back when we were both still mostly unaware of the corruption and the deceit going on around us. We had still been mostly naive then, as adolescents.

"You think I would throw you a party without cake?" I ask her, teasing. I made sure to find a decent bakery. It wasn't Dauntless cake, but it was damn good, nonetheless. "That's the real reason for this party to begin with."

[priordivergence]

"Well, maybe before you joined Dauntless." Not even then. Surely Candor has chocolate somewhere and Christina would have made sure it was handy.

"It's a good thing, though. You never know when Uriah could show up hungry."

[oddthatway]

"Hey, Candor might value honesty above all else, but it doesn't mean we don't appreciate sweets," I smirk, falling again into the familiarity of teasing Tris. "We're not Abnegation; we like to enjoy the flavors of what we eat."

She mentions Uriah and I can feel the color drain from my face; his name hits me like a punch to the gut. Not only had I lost Tris back at home, but they had just told us that they had pulled the plug on Uriah, too. And him and I, we had been growing closer. Slowly. But of course, those fledgling feelings had died with him.

This Tris doesn't know that, though.

"Yeah, Uriah and his bottomless stomach," I say, a feeble attempt at hiding the hurt so evident in my expression.

[priordivergence]

"Christina?" I may not be Candor, but I know Christina well enough to guess that she's hiding the truth and nothing but the most dire of circumstances would ever prompt her to do something so intrinsically unlike her. "Something happened to Uriah, didn't it?"

I touch her arm, "You don't have to tell me what happened, not today, but you don't have to pretend everything's fine, okay?"

I don't want to burden her with that.

[oddthatway]

"I will tell you," I say, chewing on my lip before glancing up at her, my best friend who is miraculously still alive in this city. The threat of tears stings at the edge of my vision, and I have to blink several times to clear that feeling. "But not today. Not on your birthday. You deserve to be happy, today. And to celebrate." Not mourn, I think, knowing how much there is to tell her.

"But yes," I manage a nod. "Something happened to Uriah." The way something happened to Al. Will. Marlene. Tris herself. The list of my dead friends kept extending, back in Chicago.

[priordivergence]

I take in a long, tired breath and I know we're thinking the same thing. There's a tally of people who have had something happen. Without thinking, I roll up my sleeves and press my thumb into the tattooed crow that represents Uriah.

"But you don't have to deal with this alone," I promise. She can be truthful, like a Candor, and I will help her with her burden, like an Abnegation.

[oddthatway]

I can tell by the way she inhales that she already knows. She's too familiar with loss, and she knows me too well, to not understand the things I've left unspoken. I watch her press her finger to one of the crows on her arm; I wonder what it means. "More birds, huh?" I ask, nodding to her tattoo.

I thought I would have to. Back in Chicago, I had to. Losing my best friend and someone on the cusp of becoming more than that in one fell swoop. I close my eyes and take a steadying breath, myself.

"I know," I tell her, with a small smile. "And I appreciate that. But don't let me bring down the mood for the day, okay? It's your birthday! You should celebrate and be happy."

[priordivergence]

"They're for people I thought I'd never see again after months and months of being alone in this city," I explain. It goes unsaid that one of the crows is for Christina too. Not because she had died but because she had sill been lost to me, all the same. "For Tori and Will. Cara, Fernando."

Even Al. He had been my friend once upon a time.

"I got the first crows for my family. It made sense to keep going."

[oddthatway]

"They're beautiful," I tell her. I'm not selfless enough; I'm not from Abnegation. I would not have thought of using birds to represent the important people in my life on my body. But seeing how much Tris revers her tattoos makes me think I have a good idea of where to start when I go for my next tattoo, which will certainly be sooner rather than later, in this city.

I can't think of any teasing words, so I point towards the cake instead.

"Let's go grab some, yeah?" I tell her with a sly grin. "Before everyone else eats it all."

[priordivergence]

"There's a studio, right by the gym where I work. They have some of the most amazing portfolios." I smile, well aware that it's almost a reversal of old positions. Christina had persuaded me the last time and now I'm the one telling her where to go.

"Should we announce it to the room? Or let them fight it out for themselves?" It's tempting to make another joke about Uriah but the memory of Christina's expression is too fresh.

[oddthatway]

"You will have to show me," I tell her, catching the knowing nature in her smile. It is a role reversal, and one that makes me smile in return. To think that this shy girl from Abnegation would be so comfortable with tattoos and piercings that she could point a loudmouth like me in the right direction makes me happy in a way that I haven't been since well. Since I met said girl on the train into Dauntless.

"I say we grab our cake and then leave the rest for everyone else to fight over," I advise, my smile turning mischievous. "That way I can rate your friends in terms of who not to mess with least."

[priordivergence]

I laugh and glance around the room, my eyes jumping from Allison to Oliver to Nikita and then Cole. "I guess the outcome depends on whether Athos gets to use his sword or not. Assuming he wants the cake."

Without meaning to, we've assembled quite a few people that home might qualify as Dauntless.

It seems strange, but fitting.

[oddthatway]

"Athos has a sword?" I let out an appreciative whistle. "Good-looking, the perpetual grumpiness of a cat, and he' skilled with weapons? Remind me to stay on his good side."

I watch the way her gaze flickers to various people around the room; I can infer that we have a plethora of badasses assembled in one room.

Somehow, if I'd thought to bring a pinata, I suspect the outcome of that game would prove more interesting than most birthday parties.

[priordivergence]

"He's in love with our other upstairs neighbors, don't get your hopes up." I doubt he knows I've realized it, but anyone with eyes can look at Athos and how he regards them with something more. It's the same kind of more that I feel when I look at Tobias.

"You know. Maybe we should run to the store for a pinata."

[oddthatway]

"Way to ruin my entire day," I say, though I'm clearly joking. I doubt I could ever really look at anybody beyond a brief, flirtatious light for awhile. My heart hurts too much for anything more. "But hey, who am I to get in the way of love?" I give her a pointed look, tilting my head towards where Tobias stands across the room.

"I mean, there's one of those superstore centers not far from here," I point out.

[priordivergence]

It's not in my nature to hurriedly look for someone to throw at Christina, but I still can't help trying to sort through the acquaintances I have. Christina could, at least, use more friends in the same way that I'd needed them when I first arrived.

"You're not in the way of anything. Do you think it's rude for the host to sneak out of her own party?"

[oddthatway]

Not that I mind the eye candy visible at Tris' party. Somehow, a fair amount of her friends have wound up being extremely attractive men. I still need her to teach me her ways.

"Probably," I say, laughing. "And your collection of hot men, admittedly, is making it hard for me to want to leave."

[priordivergence]

"They're not my--" I start, then I laugh and can't help glancing around the room again. After Tobias' arrival, I really hadn't thought much about other peoples' looks but now that Christina mentions it...

"I didn't do it on purpose."

[oddthatway]

"They are totally your own. What's the word? Harem? Harem of hot guys," I say, snorting as I roll my eyes with obvious fondness. Tris would accidentally make friends with all of the attractive people without realizing it.

"Hell of an accident," I continue to tease, unable to help it. Honestly, more than anything, I just really love being able to stand here, laughing with my best friend. She's flesh and blood beside me, not laying cold and motionless on a slab of metal.

[priordivergence]

I snort in return and shake my head, gesturing to myself. Do I look like the kind of person who intentionally collects handsome men?

"I'll leave you to them."

[oddthatway]

"Okay, well, no, I never would have thought you, of all people, would befriend all of the hot men in one city," I tell her with a wide grin and a chuckle. "But that's the thing about you, Tris. You keep surprising people. It makes being your friend interesting."

Though she doesn't know the half of it.

"So considerate of you," I say, glancing back at the men. "I'm pretty sure most of them are already taken, though."

[priordivergence]

"But not all of them." I bump my shoulder against Christina's lightly, trying to nudge away any sadness or regret that the comment might provoke.

"You know me. Always so very interesting."

The truth of it is that I know other fighters in this city. That's what drew us together.