[OTA] Beware of Greeks bearing gifts

[headfollowheart.livejournal.com]

Zoe's twenty-first birthday had started well enough, with murmured birthday wishes from Victor and a promise of dinner tonight before he left to start his day either in his office here or the one over at Club Castle. And it had, for a few hours at least continued well. She dropped in on the accounting office to check on Penelope - she might be taking the day off, but her assistant was still new enough that she liked to check in before disappearing for the day. Then she'd dropped into the Head of Finance's office to hand over the expenditure reports for September and smile at Edison's side-eye. He was a Six, after all, and had some idea that Zoe had plans to challenge him at some point, but there was little he could do about that.

And he wouldn't be wrong, anyway.

The day only went south when she headed down the hall and found a pair of Heart Twos with a box. The library was quiet this time of day, and she hated to let people into Victor's rooms, so she nodded in that direction, letting them put it on a table deep in the stacks and dismissing them before she opened the note. She recognized the handwriting, after all.

Darling, Happy Birthday and a belated congratulations on your impressive achievement of Five. Of course, if you'd stayed put, you could be a Nine with your dear, dear brother by now, but I'm sure you're intelligent enough to not realize that.

I'd hate to leave this day unacknowledged. These are some things I thought you'd enjoy, dear.

Charlotte Huntly Kattalakis

Well, Zoe thought as she picked up the yellowed letters and unfolded the first. They ran the gamut: letters from Charlotte, letters from Aunt Maggie, letters from someone named Maria. Correspondence of a more...professional sort - off-Deck jobs, compensation for them.

It was all supposed to upset her, Zoe thought. And it...didn't, really. She'd known even if she'd pretended not to, what kind of man her father had been. She'd seen things, she thought, and then she blinked when she saw a black velvet box tossed carelessly in the corner of the box, reaching over to pick it up. Inside were earrings, and a note old enough that the paper had started to yellow.

Για Ζωή, για εικοστό πρώτο έτος της ηλικίας της.

"Papa," she murmured, and leaned back in the chair as she looked down at the jewelry. Would he be upset with her for what she'd done with her life? Did it matter? It shouldn't, certainly, especially not after this summer, but...

Well.

Maybe it did, a little.

[Translation: For Zoe, on her twenty-first birthday.]

Comments

[lowtohigh.livejournal.com]

People are looking out for her because they love her. And people are looking out for her because they've lived the life she's on the edge of falling into completely.

It's nice to find both in one person. Also hugs. "An entirely acceptable use of time. I would be inclined to suggest, however, that Sirona will be entirely put out if you've taken the day off and not gone to see her."

[headfollowheart.livejournal.com]

"Do you think so?" They both know so. Sirona has many advantages, but a patient and kind temperament are not really among them, frankly. Zoe considers it to be a charming quirk.

Sort of. "Well, we can't have Sirona getting upset with me," she says as she finishes an ornate flower on what will eventually be a pillowcase. "Evander would likely blame me for it, don't you think?"

[lowtohigh.livejournal.com]

"More likely me, entirely unfairly. He's got a touch of temper." Like the person who had handed him over to her, perhaps. Being ridden by Julien leaves an impression on a horse, apparently. "I do appreciate you sacrificing yourself to help me appease him like this."

[headfollowheart.livejournal.com]

"It's my pleasure. I haven't sacrificed myself for the good of society for at least two weeks and I've been worried about losing my touch." She starts to fold the embroidery, but then smooths it out.

"What do you think? It's going to be a throw pillowcase. Sophie's birthday is also today, apparently."

[lowtohigh.livejournal.com]

Embroidery isn't one of Eileen's strong suits. A person can't be perfect. But that doesn't mean it's not comfortable enough to lean against her friend and study with an untrained eye, just for fun.

"She'll like it. D'you think she'd want to go for a ride?"

[headfollowheart.livejournal.com]

It's fiddly as hell, that's for certain. Good for concentration, apparently, though when Zoe was Eileen's age she was still staining a lot of embroidery cloths.

"She...might. Do you know, I don't know if she even rides?"

[lowtohigh.livejournal.com]

"I'm certain it couldn't hurt to ask." Her sigh is soft, considering rather than much of anything else. "It also couldn't hurt to ask next time."

Evander and Sirona were hardly patient creatures, after all.

[headfollowheart.livejournal.com]

"That's an excellent point, really." And she does fold away the embroidery and stands up.

"I should change before they gallop this way."

[lowtohigh.livejournal.com]

"I'll meet you, then." Nothing wrong with heading down and getting the horses ready, right? Not because there was a rush.

It would just give them more time pounding across the fields and enjoying themselves.

[headfollowheart.livejournal.com]

There's no rush, of course. Except the fun rush. The feeling of her hair getting whipped out of braids and the pounding of Sirona's hooves across the Deck.

"I'll be there in fifteen minutes."