#athensborn

it was a shame, it really was. just like it was a shame that auburn’s job was out for, hm, similar reasons and beatrice could hardly show kids her home veterinary clinic. she had called theresia, casually asking if whatever her daughter’s newest endeavour was would be kids friendly, but that had been mostly because she had wanted to know what it was. and theresia had not taken more than twelve seconds to figure that out.

‘‘ soooooo. . . ’’ she dragged her words out, far beyond the point she might have been able to call necessary. ‘‘ another niece. should i start to feel jealous, dion? am i being replaced? ’’

[ txt ]  ma gave me your number --- i hope that was alright. [ txt ]  i wanted to ask if you already have a christmas present for her [ txt ]  yes, i am aware that it’s september

[ txt ]  There is a new amusement park opening up and I need an excuse to go. You in, my favorite niece in entire world? Of course, I’m buying and you can bring your roommate too! 👯‍♀️🕴(possibly all three of us at an amusement park?)

the thing with dion was that fay had a feeling that even if she would decline the offer, he would find someone else to accompany him. he had mentioned  another  niece, a while ago --- rather offhanded and she had not asked any questions because this was a topic that had  everyone  on thin ice, but . . . she had been happy for him. he could claim otherwise  ( not that he ever did ),  but she had always had a feeling that deep down, dion was someone who enjoyed having his family around.

fay could not begrudge him that, but it did remind her that sooner or later, she would have to ask questions she was not keen on. one of these days, her tendency to arrive at conclusions and proceed without further consideration had landed her in hot water often enough for her to know better, but . . . she sighed as she picked up her phone again and wandered from the study down to the living room, throwing herself and the device onto the couch.

[ txt ]  i think roxanna would like that. i would like it too, i heard good things about it. [ txt ]  knowing you, you will write an article about one of the restaurants there? [ txt ]  && if you wish, you can make it four and bring a friend? or another family member?

the thing with fay was, and she knew this very well, that she had never learnt to quit while she was ahead. she got too greedy, too proud --- and obsessed with the idea that she could, at no cost, add another ornament into an already complicated matter ------ just to make it prettier, just to make her solution look elegant. and most problems did not have to be solved elegantly, they had to be solved. adding unnecessary pivots to everything was . . . risky, to say the least.

but this was not supposed to be unnecessary yet pretty little trick of hers that she pulled on people who probably deserved better. this was . . . . she did not even know. probably not a kindness, she had not been good at  that  in far too many years. perhaps --- a branch. she had gotten better at  that,  at least.

there was always an element of difficulty in dealing with other immortals, and this difficulty came from just how  impolite  it was to reveal someone else's immortality without first asking for permission. when she thought of the hayden siblings  ( and this would be the term by which she would refer to them for as long as the majority shared this last name ),  it was always par of the course. as soon as someone knew that  one  of them was immortal, it was easy to guess that the other two were immortal, too.

fortunately for her, she had only very rarely shared her last name --- or even a house --- with another immortal. that she was living with roxanna was a . . . change of her usual patterns, was something that would throw most of the others off. and this was just fine by her. it was almost funny to imagine their confused faces.

------  sent  by  @athensborn​

sinking deeper into her chair,  elena sighed.  odalis’ court was much bigger than what she was used to from home, and it was not surprising at all that there were more scandals.  if anything,  it seemed like the logical consequence of so many nobles and so many different interests colliding --- it seemed entirely impossible for her that a place like this could possibly exist without stabbed backs and,  as dion was theorising,  scandals.  now,  elena was the one of the last to put a dagger into a fellow noblewoman’s back,  but even she was curious.

in her --- admittedly limited --- experience on the chessboard of court politics,  it paid off to know what motivated the other players.  and she was not  in the same position as her peer from mazarine;  princess brigid was in odalis to scout for a potential sister-in-law and to wrap up negotiations,  elena was somewhat looking for a husband,  not that she was in a hurry to wed.  but it meant that while brigid would huff at the notion of gossip,  elena was more inclined to listen to it  . . .  if only because it was a diversion between events.

‘ ‘ there is surely a scandal at play in all of this, ’ ’  she responded as she reached for the small silver bowl between them,  retrieving another silver-wrapped piece of candy.  ‘ ‘ i am admittedly less familiar with your countrymen than you are,  but i am not blind. ’ ’

from afar,  she had seen how the older princesses and their retinue had closed ranks around the youngest not long after elena’s own guard had received another security briefing.  and of course, one could question what had truly happened first,  but she had not chosen to question princess eleanor when they had had tea the other day --- there were good decisions and there was the decision to bug someone who was already tense.

pouring them both a fresh cup of tea,  elena smiled at her guest and lowered her voice to a near conspiratorial whisper.  ‘ ‘ that being said,  my friend, ’ ’  she continued as she offered him the sugar bowl and the other with the lemon slices, ‘ ‘ i was hoping that you might be able to put me in contact with princess eleanor?  i know she is a good friend of yours,  and i vow that i have no intentions of embarrassing her,  but i wasn’t able to secure a meeting with her or her father since my arrival and i do have several trade propositions for them from my father. ’ ’

------  sent  by  @athensborn

elena had channeled brigid,  possibly to a nearly unhealthy degree when she had decided that she would be honest about what had occurred.  transparency was important,  nobody had to tell her that,  but there was a difference between being clear about her process when it came to work and openly talking about gaius.  rufus.  it was almost enough to send her into hysterics,  but she breathed through it. 

‘ ‘ well, ’ ’  she said,  painting her words with all nonchalance she was capable of  ( and it was a lot,  she was good at pretending that she was not affected by something that should affect her ),  ‘ ‘ that does set my mind at ease.  i told you to avoid potential . . . awkwardness. ’ ’

she wished,  she realised absentmindedly,  that frédéric would be around to cheer her up with his easy-going nature,  but her best friend was at work.  and he might think about ga--- rufus far less kindly than she did.  she would talk to him later,  but she would probably not tell him where to find her brother . . . otherwise,  frédéric would drop in on him for a surprise visit.   a surprise visit that would probably involve a lot of french cursing.  freddie was the protective sort.  and the sort to jump into the fray at the drop of a hat,  especially if there was nobody around who would seek to tell him to calm down.

clapping her hands,  she took her last sip of coffee and sighed softly.  ‘ ‘ it will be all quite right,  i’m certain, ’ ’ she said,  more to convince herself than to convince dion.  ‘ ‘ clearly,  he and i have centuries of experience in avoiding each other. ’ ’