eunbixmpâ:
meet the parent;
Eunbi was not used to feeling like she was in the hot seat; and despite the outward civility of the conversation, it certainly felt like that was exactly where she was. But, that was probably to be expected when you met your boyfriendâs father for the first timeâ although, the stereotype had always been fathers being overprotective of daughters, not sons. Assuming Horus was protective, of course. It was hard to get a read on him.
She paused a moment, considering her answer before deciding to reveal just a bit more of her hand. It was not like she really cared if he knew a few details about her life, after all. She just hoped he did not ask who her parent wasâ but she could avoid it if he did. âNot me. No siblings or parents, at least. Maybe some cousins or such, but unraveling a twisted family tree to figure it out seems like more trouble than its necessarily worth.â She knew that she was more or less an outlier, though. Apparently Cao-Guojiu was not as interested in hoing around as a lot of the other gods. She could respect that, and that was the most she could say about her father. âI donât mind it, though. I grew up an only child, soâŚâ
She nodded as he spoke about books, putting on a facade of interest even though she found the subject rather boring. It was not like she was really a book person, after all, much less a classics person. âYeah, most classics are pretty awful, if you ask me. At least things canât be as dull when thereâs a monster hanging around,â she agreed, glancing around the office curiously as she spoke. Professorsâ offices were always interesting, in her limited experience. They were often highly personalized, after all. âI imagine you do a lot of reading, huh? Kind of part of the job description?â
As Eunbi considered her answer, Horus leaned back a little in his big leather office chair and clasped his hands against his stomach, trying his best to look nonchalant as the conversation rolled slowly along, very much like a tiny rowboat knocked about on a huge lazy river. If he played his cards right, Horus would manage to be the river while Eunbi would play the little rowboat. He had no interest in scaring her; the opposite was true. He wanted her to think he was only somewhat paying attention so she would let her guard down and slip up somewhere. No one on this island had as few connections as this girl claimed to have. Hopefully she would reveal the truth herself without meaning to. Or better yet, without realizing she had even done so.
The latter didnât seem especially likely, though.
âWell, you do have at least one parent. Otherwise you wouldnât be here.â Horus snickered almost coldly. âBut Iâm well aware that gods donât usually make the best parents.â In that sense he himself was something of an outlier. Somehow his immediate family had managed to stay rather tight-knit and loyal, relatively speaking. It also struck Horus that, if Eunbi was somehow telling the truth about herself and her family, she must be awfully lonely. In that case, it might actually be quite a good thing that she had managed to attract perhaps the single most familied individual who possibly ever lived. Certainly that was true on this island.
Horus watched the girl speak, becoming more uncomfortably aware at the perfectly neat state of his office. The place was utilitarian bordering on clinical. The walls, though painted a pretty shade of deep muted teal, were mostly bare save for the handful of certificates and diplomas that were relevant to both his administrative and academic posts at the university. There were an abundance of charcoal grey filing cabinets, some even holding flyers or the occasional potted succulent that was gifted to him by a well-meaning colleague or a doting or grateful student. A few wall shelves were home to a collection of books, mostly encyclopedia collections, history books, or very expensive antiques. The room said about as much about Horus as Horus would be able to say about himself: he had responsibilities and he fulfilled him. The lack of any obvious personal items...
Was hopefully nothing that concerned the girl across from him, who Horus suddenly worried would be sizing him up.
âQuite a lot. Not much time for reading for pleasure, Iâm afraid. I read essays-â he held up the stack in front of him that he had just been grading, âgrant proposals-â pointing at a slightly smaller stack beside the essays, âamong other business or academia related paperwork. Nothing terribly exciting. No monsters.â Horus smiled, a genuine attempt at being friendly.















