[OTA] Up and Down and Up Again

[headfollowheart]

It can be said, at least, that for as strange as the last few weeks have been - snowstorms, friends leaving, upper Spades leaving and sending accounting into a frenzy - it's unlikely that Zoe's going to wake up tomorrow morning hungover, with Elisha on the couch, a broken coffee table, and Victor with a separated shoulder

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[elani_songbird]

Elani didn't really have an excuse to be here, unless being here to visit a friend counts.

It totally does.

Still, she pauses in the doorway and waits for Zoe to finish before she begins applauding.

[headfollowheart]

"It is," and really, Elani is one of the few people who probably understands that Victor can be very nice when he wants to be.

"So," she says, "why don't you tell me about this person who thinks you'd be a beautiful storyteller."

[elani_songbird]

Well, she's not really ever had much opportunity to see his not-nice side.

"What?....oh. Well. I was just talking to Alasdair? From the hearts? About the Aladdin play I'm helping Hadyn with and somehow we started talking about the Arabian Nights in general and Scheherazade came up and yes. So there was that. Right?"

[headfollowheart]

"Alasdair DeWitt? Teaches...English, I think?" Spends all his time otherwise writing, as far as she remembered, and had dated a string of sweet, artistic girls.

Hmm...

"Do you like him?" Yes, that way, Elani.

[elani_songbird]

Elani nodded in confirmation to the first part. "That's the one."

As for the question..."he's very nice."

[headfollowheart]

"He is. It's been a while since I talked to him, I'm afraid." She smiles, though. "He's very handsome."

[elani_songbird]

She pushes Zoe lightly, the tips of her ears flaming, "you're teasing me, aren't you?"

[headfollowheart]

"Of course I'm not." Have the big, wide, innocent eyes, Elani, that get Zoe out of most tight spots. And then she ruins it by laughing.

"Well, he is handsome."

[elani_songbird]

Well, at least that gets Elani laughing too, shaking her head at herself.

"He is, isn' the?"

[headfollowheart]

"Mm-hmm." He was, in the sort of geeky academic way. "Are you...hanging out, some?"

[elani_songbird]

She nods, "some? We started talking about books a couple weeks ago? And he got stuck in the castle when there was snow so..." well.

"...we had a nice talk over hot chocolate?"

[headfollowheart]

"I would have hated to have been stranded somewhere during that," Zoe says, making a face.

"Though I suppose hot chocolate makes up for a lot."

[elani_songbird]

"It really, really does. And the fireplace. And blankets."

Doesn't that sound cozy, Zoe?

[headfollowheart]

"It sounds kind of romantic." Her eyes sparkle a little wickedly. "Not that it was, of course. But it could have been."

[elani_songbird]

You are a terrible, evil, horrible friend, Zoe.

"We were just keeping warm!" she protests.

And then how that sounds occurs to her and she just buries her face in her hands. "Not. Like. That."

[headfollowheart]

Oddly, Evan says exactly the same thing about her. She doesn't understand it at all.

But she does start laughing. "I know, but still. Hot chocolate, a warm fire, blankets? It's straight out of a romance novel, Elani."