Look what the cat dragged in! | OTA

[gardenplots]

Maggie hadn't phoned. Hadn't called. Didn't want to make a fuss. Briefly, she toyed with the idea of not coming back. But then Sebastian had been utterly sweet and utterly unreasonable and asked her to marry him.

Poor dear. She thought he'd understood.

Then news came of Itchy, and Maggie knew she was needed at home. She packed her bags, patted

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[maskofhearts]

Hadyn had had the luxury of a lecture the night before. Not only on the disappointing behavior he'd been exhibiting of late but also a laundry list of other faults: his public displays of affection, his public arguments, his inability to learn his lines, his emotional outburst over the death of an old man, the fact that he was digressing in his training (which had been spat with such scorn Hadyn thought he'd be better over never lift a sword again than to promise to improve), and lastly that he might well give up the foolishness about medical school. How could the future Ace leave to learn medicine? It was beyond ridiculous to Laureline.

She went on of course, explain yet again why he was meant to be an actor- beyond the obvious talent for it.

And thus his night went.

But today wasn't as bad, he supposed. Except the last person he expected to see when he moved into the kitchens was Maggie.

"Am I still asleep?"

[gardenplots]

Maggie looks over the rim of her glasses and sets down her tea.

"Not that I'm aware of, Dear. If it's any help, your eyes are open. Would you like a cup of tea?"

It's like she never left.

[maskofhearts]

"....I guess so." But he was still not convinced that this was going well.

Frowning, though, he sat on the stool by the counter and waited for Maggie to pour him a cup of tea.

"I didn't think you were coming back."

[gardenplots]

She chuckles and pours him a cup. The sugar bowl and creamer are already out. If he wants lemon, he'll need to do that himself. She sizes him up and puts one of the blueberry muffins onto a plate and slides it over.

"No need to sound so disappointed. I was tempted, but this is my home. I missed my gardens and friends. And how have you been?"

[maskofhearts]

"I'm not." He said, though he more or less focused on his tea more than anything else. He wasn't sure what else he was supposed to say to it.

"Alright, I've been alright I guess." Which was about as much commentary he was going to give on that subject. "Are you feeling better?"

[gardenplots]

She's used to young men and their prevarications. She smiles at him fondly. Poor boy wasn't much used to being teased by an older woman. She doubted Laureline went in much for that sort of thing.

"I am much better, Dear. Thank you for asking. I heard you have a plum role in our next play."

[maskofhearts]

"Mm. Master Henry has decided to put on Hamlet." He said after a moment, toying with the cup in his head. "He gave me Hamlet....I think he was just trying to lure me back to the stage." And less in the books.

[gardenplots]

"Hamlet's a coveted role, yet you don't sound happy with it."

[maskofhearts]

"....I always wanted to be Hamlet." Only now he had it, and well...

"I can't learn my lines." Which is a horror upon horror for him.

[gardenplots]

Maggie smiles encouragement. "Haydn Novak, I'm quite certain you had a great deal of the play memorized even before Henry decided to put it on. From what I've seen, you're quite the accomplished actor."

She butters a scone and bites into it, chewing thoughtfully.

"So it seems to me other matters pressing down on you must be causing your trouble. I don't mean to pry, mind you."

[maskofhearts]

Itchy's death had been one of the factors, his own blunt faced introduction to mortality had been another. There was a whole myriad of reasons, probably. And he frowned for it, toying yet more with his cup of toy.

"I don't know how to fix it," he admitted after a moment- certain that someone has probably already told Maggie about Itchy, and probably even mentioned that Hadyn had been in the hospital for some time out of the blue. She always seemed to be ahead of the game in that regard. "My mother says it is because I try to do too much."

Which...might have been true, really. Or it might have been in part to his heart not being in it.

[gardenplots]

"It's a common condition with Deck children. Families always seem to have expectations. Mine did. I imagine yours is much the same."

"Do eat something, dearest. I'll feel a glutton if you don't." She nudges the plate of scones towards him and considers him kindly. "Was Itchy the first person you remember who's died?"

[maskofhearts]

"No. David--" His let his mouth shut at that, looking up at Maggie in a bit of surprise, wondering if she'd have noted his utterance. They weren't supposed to talk about what happened to his father, after all.

"My father died. When I was eight." It was they they'd changed suits, after all. Laureline had come into his room, just after it- and lifted him out of bed. He wasn't supposed to have looked as she lead Jordan out of the apartments. His head was supposed to have been pressed tightly against her shoulder as she quietly told them they had to be strong- and they fathered had been killed.d

Hadyn couldn't remember feeling....anything, though. It seemed odd now, really. His father had died, and he'd looked at the battered body as if it was nothing more than a sleeping dog. Or maybe he just...blocked it out.

[gardenplots]

Maggie looks at him a long moment. David? What did--? Later.

"Forgive me. You were so little back then I forgot you were much older. Of course Itchy wasn't the first." She'd forgotten Haydn was twenty and not fifteen, to be honest, but he'd no doubt find that offensive. Young men often did.

"Ultimately, you're the one who needs to be satisfied with what you do. Look at me. The people who pressured me are long gone, and I'm still kicking." She wouldn't trade the years for youth and all its tribulations.