@zoerouse​

“I think it’s time we talked about what happed, Zo.”

He hated to ruin the mood of their lunch, especially in her place, where she was most comfortable, but he could feel the latest events clinging to her back as much as his. It felt like this was usually how things went when it came to her though, if history had any say in how the Rouse dealt with things; mainly keeping them to herself.

Sometimes he wondered about how much she was keeping from him. Or Halsey, for that matter.

“Can you tell me?”

Zoé’s mind had been so wrapped up in thinking about anything other than what had happened on New Year’s, a brief look of confusion passed over her face before she realized what Silas was talking about. Her gaze shifted down towards her plate, her half-finished Ramen noodles suddenly capturing all of her interest.

“Talk about what?” 

She knew playing dumb wouldn’t get her very far because it never had before. 

The look on Silas’s face made it obvious he was worried, which Zoé immediately attempted to quell with a smile, pointing her chopsticks at him.

When Zo told her parents she was going to pursue a career in writing, which is what she really wanted, as opposed to law, which is what they wanted and it’s for two reasons:

One, it was the first time Zoé really ever stood up to her mother and father because prior to this if Zo’s parents asked her jump, she responded with ‘how high?’. Her entire life revolved around making her parents happy and trying to live up to the impossible expectations they set for her.

Two, it happened in the middle of the graduation party they had decided to throw for her, despite her begging them to please do anything fucking else. So, in front of all their family, friends, and plenty of others that were invited but definitely didn’t need to be, Zo’s parents ripped her completely to shreds and ended the entire tirade with telling her she had to move out that day.

Damon: I do, actually.

Damon: There's this one overly chirpy doctor and I need your sad, mopey energy to cancel each other out.

Zoé: Sad and mopey energy? Is that really what I'm known for?

Zoé: Glad to hear that you're back home safe and sound.

“Is this where were all supposed to cry?” The words that left her lips were full of anything but sympathy for the individual in behind of her. She had been just trying to grab herself a drink when they were going on about the dead french woman found her own restaurant. When she had enough of their water works, Divya turned sharply and looked them straight in the eyes. A clear annoyance in her voice as she towered over them.  “boo fucking hoo, she deserved worse. Now shut up, so I can order my damn chai in peace.”

The woman’s response had been enough to cause the brunette’s jaw to drop. 

Zoé had been grappling with her own feelings about the death of her former boss, memories of the evening at Sisyphos and having a gun pointed at her face again clouding her mind. Loss of life was something any sane person could feel sympathy for, right? Evidently not. The crying woman who was being berated for her tears looked just as surprised at the woman’s outburst as Zoé did. It wasn’t in Zo’s nature to speak up often, if ever, but before she could think to stop herself, the words came tumbling out.

“It’s called having compassion,” Zoé commented, her expression a mixture of disgust and disbelief. “Just leave her be, she isn’t bothering you.”

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@zoro: The closest I’ve ever come to love at first sight since Bowie. Introducing my sweet, wrinkled princess, Ziggy.

“You surprise me sometimes,” he said, shaking off the bewilderment with the raise of his shoulders in a shrug. He could hardly look away from the unicorn horn, nearly missing his mouth as he brought his drink to his lips, but inevitably forced himself to look down at her face. He was glad she was there with him, that they’d be able to grab John in a chat before the end of the year, and selfishly, he was relieved that he wouldn’t be alone.

Then again, with just a glance, he did see a few London managers with eyes a tad too lazy to leave Zoé’s everything. “You know, let’s take a walk.” He tugged at her wig, “How’s work?” His jaw nearly clenched, still finding her new employment a secret stressor.

The brunette’s only response was to slightly wrinkle her nose and smile widely.

This year, even with the much needed upswing towards the end, had been Hell and Zoé was thrilled to finally see it end. Though she hadn’t been able to say the words out loud, Zoé, for the first time since her university graduation party, felt proud of herself. 

She had spent a majority of the last year, the last several years if she was being honest with herself, in a pit and each time Zoé felt like she had finally found a way out, the pit found some way to drag her back down and for a moment, the brunette was content to simply let the pit have her. But eventually, Zoé made the choice to fight back and while it had been one of the hardest battles, at the end of it all,  Zoé had emerged from the pit.

It made Zoé feel even more grateful for the good things that had happened that year, including getting to spend the last few hours of it with her best friend.

“Do you know how long it took me to get this wig on straight?” Zoé slapped Silas’s hand away, toying with the colorful wig on top of her head as the pair walked. “Work is work. It’s busy, but it’s a good busy. No day is ever the same and I never know what’s going to happen minute to minute, but it’s everything that I hoped it would be.” Her gaze shifted upwards, because even in heels Zoé still barely cleared Silas’s shoulder. “Only thing that would make it better is if Lenny were here to see it all.”

Olivier grinned as he tapped the shot glass against the woman’s and followed suit in knocking it back. Absolutely fucking disgusting, and his face mirrored hers as he tried not to let the negative reaction show. He wished the trays at least had cards so he could steer clear of any Nymphs that didn’t have tequila and make the night a little more enjoyable.

“They’re absolutely relentless,” he muttered before smiling politely at the server as she walked away. “But doing a wonderful job!” He clenched his teeth and pressed his tongue to the roof of his mouth, trying to get the aftertaste out of his mouth to very little avail. “That was absolutely nasty, wasn’t it?” He pointed toward the nearest bar and took a step in that direction. “I need water or even another drink or something to get my sense of taste back. Am I the only one?”

Zoé did her best to try and stifle the laughter that threatened to bubble up until the Nymph in question had turned her back, walking off in search of other victims. The several shots that the brunette had already consumed were making it difficult to stand upright in her heels, adamant that even one more drink would be what stood between her and falling ass first onto the club’s floor.

“Water sounds like a good idea,” Zoé nodded in agreement, following behind the much taller gentleman towards a more deserted section of the bar. “I know the whole point of New Year’s Eve is that you’re supposed to get completely smashed, but I feel like there should be some sort of ‘Get Out of Jail’ free card for those of us who will most likely have to go to work in the morning.”

She realized, almost as soon as the words came out of her mouth, how ridiculously boring she probably sounded.

@zoerouse·

“Zoé.” He looked her up and down, struggling to find the right words. The MP settled on a quiet, “What the fuck?”

“Silas,” the brunette mimicked his tone, reaching up to fiddle with her unicorn horn headband. “What? Is my horn crooked? Does my wig need adjusting? Are the shoes too much?”

Since arriving, Thomas had been trying to avoid his older brother he’d very reluctantly invited along, and Olivier had been trying to stick by his younger brother so he wouldn’t be a lone former French loyalist in a sea of Rutherfords and Russians. Eventually Thomas won out - and Olivier tried to make his way to the bar in the hopes of seeing a friendly face or at least getting a good vantage point to watch those around him. 

A particularly light-footed Nymph darted in front of him and another person that happened to start walking the same way. The Nymph thrust a tray with shots toward them with a warning that they wouldn’t want to pay the price not to drink. Olivier shrugged carelessly and picked up one for himself. Sensing an opportunity to appear non-hostile to the person next to him, he picked up another for them and offered it with a friendly smile. “Well, Happy New Year’s, I guess.”

It shouldn’t have surprised Zoé that Damon had managed to cram this many people into a room.

Bobbing and weaving through the throngs of people, each seemingly wearing fewer clothes than the last, Zoé gave herself silent praise for somehow managing to remain upright in her heels. Her outfit, which was really more like a costume, was meant to be humorous. The brunette admired the woman who had enough confidence to strut around in their barely-there bathing suits and lingerie. Unfortunately, that kind of confidence wasn’t something Zoé possessed, so a galaxy unicorn was obviously the only option. She’d already downed quite a few shots already, those damn Nymph waitresses popping out of fucking nowhere. Zoé had almost made it out of the giant mass of people when, of course, another fucking Nymph. She looked up, because even in heels most of the people at this party still towered over her, and offered the gentleman standing next to her a reluctant smile.

At least she wouldn’t have to drink this one alone.

“Cheers to the New Year!” Zoé gently clinked her own shot glass against the others and down the shot, doing her best to keep her facial expression as neutral as she possibly could. “I swear, if another one of these Nymphs corners me with a tray of shots I may not even make it to the New Year.”

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@zoro: Weird, that’s the exact same face I make whenever @JHalsey stands too close to me. #MerryChristmas 

For the next time you have a cuppa (I don’t know if your new work mates know how much you love your cat, so I gave you a more subtle option). 

Happy holidays, Zo! May the new year bring you more blessings to come.