[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

[onlytolerable.livejournal.com]

Sophie's had no surprises from beyond the grave. In fact, the only "surprise" she's had so far is a small box of Godiva chocolates (given anonymously by Miss Henshaw) on her desk that morning. That's fine by her. Birthday celebrations are meant for other people, not Sophies.

Over the years, people have forgotten October 1st is hers just as she's neglected to mention it. Tonight, she'll treat herself to two scoops of ice cream and curl up with a good book.

Today finds her conducting her weekly library runs. It's not unusual to drop by and say hello to friends. It is unusual to see the normally unflappable Zoe, well, flapped.

"Zoe? What--you look deep in thought. Is something wrong?"

On second thought, her friend doesn't look flapped at all. She's wearing that carefully still face that Sophie's come to recognize.

[piquedbutler.livejournal.com]

21 divided by 3 is 7. That doesn't Mean much. Divided by 4 is 5.25, which is a Little Better. But 10 times 2 plus 1 is 21, and that... that's just Fantastic, isn't it.

So he'll find her in the morning, at 10:21, like Clockwork. There's a bit of a Crunch, really--there are new Twos who came to the Kitchens during his Absence, and if that doesn't make things More of a Living Hell than is Strictly Necessary, nothing in the universe can--and Supervision is more Required than usual. But it's important he find her just Now, wherever she is, to pass what's clearly a neatly wrapped binder into her hands.

"Mistress."

She'll likely open it later, find the Immaculate but Simple (for Him) paper-cut card on top of the beautifully penned sheet music he's had copied for the binder (http://rlv.zcache.com/spades_binder-p127705733724082128enqy8_210.jpg). Jazz Standards with a touch of Western Classics. Half of them he knows she owns, thought she might like a nearly Illuminated Copy of. Half are guesses, his own inexpert attempt at finding Things She'd Like.

"Happy birthday."

[lowtohigh.livejournal.com]

Mondays, unfortunately, are days when lessons have to actually be attended. But just because there won't be time even to pop around to the Spade Castle for a hug or a handing over of birthday wishes is no reason why a small box with a thoughts (http://www.origami.gr.jp/Archives/People/YOSN_/horseP.jpg) inside and note can't come from the office of the Ace of Clubs to find their way into Zoë's hands.

[bluntforces.livejournal.com]

Being away from home, of course, is no reason to miss a birthday. So the poor new twenty-one-year-old will have to endure yet another box, brown-papered and everything, half a dozen postage stamps splattered across it despite the fact he'd handed it off to a fellow Club to trek back into the Deck for him. Not a small box, either. One about the size of a motorcycle helmet.

And chock-full of Canada's most famous and delicious product (http://ocanada.com.au/shop/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/5e06319eda06f020e43594a9c230972d/K/r/KraftDinner_Lge_2.png). Ou rien KD was going to make it back to the Deck one way or another.

Below the blue boxes, of course, is a smaller jewelry box, bow only slightly crushed and containing a much more sensible gift (http://www.prlog.org/10312695-handmade-jewelry-handcrafted-jewelry-unique-jewelrywholesale-jewelry-inukshuk.jpg) for a young lady. And, of course, a late in the day buzz at her phone.

[maskofhearts.livejournal.com]

Hadyn sent a box (http://www.barneys.com/Manolo-Blahnik-Hangisi/502192128,default,pd.html?cgid=womens-heels&index=47) that was wrapped (http://ohjoy.blogs.com/.a/6a00d8341c6a0853ef0147e0583d54970b-800wi") creatively. There was a note, too. Scrawled in a quick, sloppy French that promised he'd try to find time to see her that night.

And a ticket- to one bar of her choice in town. He wasn't his uncle. He couldn't afford to send them off to Europe for a weekend.

[morallydefunct.livejournal.com]

"Hiding on one's birthday is never a good sign." Says the man who just failed to mention when his had been. Still, he placed two (http://www.tiffany.com/Shopping/Item.aspx?fromGrid=1&sku=GRP05413&mcat=148204&cid=287465&search_params=s+5-p+9-c+287465-r+101323351-x+-n+6-ri+-ni+0-t+) boxes (http://www.tiffany.com/Shopping/Item.aspx?sku=18532239&mcat=148204&cid=287458&fromGrid=1&search_params=s+5-p+3-c+287458-r+101323341-x+-n+6-ri+-ni+0-t+) on the table in front of her before he leaned in and kissed her softly.

It was only as he pulled away that he seemed to notice the earrings in her hand. "Should I be worried?"

[chippedcitrine.livejournal.com]

Aoife cannot claim to know Zoë very well but she had made the Spade's flower arrangement almost entirely on her own. She was always eager to play a part in the floral designs of people her own age. Sophie was next on her list; Orla had done hers.

Zoe will have received an arrangement of french marigolds, bronze chrysanthemum and red azalea on a bed of hay. The colours burn in their wicker basket like a compact furnace. Fine ornamental grasses (Arizona fescue and silky threadgrass) loop over the basket like wisps of smoke. At the base of the arrangement is a waterproof container and a moist sponge, holding the plant matter together.

[indeliblespade.livejournal.com]

He'd found her later. Someone had told him it was her birthday, and since he owed his staying here to her, he wanted to do something nice for her. He didn't have a lot of money, but he was able to make her a dozen pieces of home made chocolate (http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-av1T6FeNFcI/TVg4QsdvhmI/AAAAAAAAMuQ/0pTNMBQ2yIU/s1600/homemade+chocolates1.jpg) candies. They looked a mess, but they tasted ok. He'd placed them into a box, and he'd folded a piece of paper into the ribbon wrapped around it.

The paper said "Happy Birthday and Thank you" and was signed on the outside,


Once unfolded it would reveal a charcoal sketch (http://media-cache0.pinterest.com/upload/80009330850271341_lElLsp62_b.jpg) he'd made of her. He carried the box gingerly, and when he saw her he bowed, holding the package out with both hands as he whispered "Happy Birthday, this is for you."

[heart-the-art.livejournal.com]

Sandy couldn't be there right away. There was another Two of Hearts with another package. A legal document sized package that was obviously something framed. There is a note and a rose squiggle.
I'll be dropping by later today! Happy Birthday!

When she has time to open it, Zoe will find It's yet another charcoal drawing, but different from In-Su's. The sketch isn't quite hyper realistic, but the sketch is of a man sitting on steps with a little girl. It was a damn bitch to find pictures of Zoe's father, but not so hard to ask around for photos of Zoe as a little girl. The pose isn't from a photograph of the father and daughter on the steps, but something that seemed nice to Sandy. But there's a warmth captured on Georgios' face and sheer contentment on little Zoe's face. The frame is custom made, too. After all, that's the place where the then Hearts met. Sandy knows Zoe wasn't happy with her father but... sometimes anger just means you still care.

Later, she knocks on the door of Zoe's office, bottle of Cupcake Vodka with ribbons wrapped around it in hand. "Hey there."

[oneirophiliac.livejournal.com]

Annie will come bouncing by in the middle of the day with a pretty box of candied almonds and a card. Or rather, she'll come bouncing by Zoe's office and not find her, which will start a search. When she finds Zoe at last, she'll be starting to droop, but she still has a big smile. "Heard you had a birthday going on."

[allthesamemask.livejournal.com]

She's still waking in the morning hiding her tears in the pillow and letting Säde hold her instead of pretending she was asleep until Säde went away. She knows the date, though. She remembers the first time she came.

So Leigh will be asking around Spade Castle in the afternoon, looking for Zoe. There are cookies that need to be given.

[sirforawhile.livejournal.com]

He doesn't have to take care of the brood in the mornings, and he can spare enough time from actual work to slip over to Spade Castle, so he'll come calling with coffee and pastries. "Morning, Zoe. Chocolate mint or apple cinnamon?"

Present? Oh, yes. That too.