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“Damien, what in heaven’s name are you doing down here?”
Pressing his lips together in a rueful smile, Damien looked up toward the stairs of the cellar and chuckled self-consciously at the sight of his sister, cider in hand. He had hardly seen her since he first arrived for the Christmas party; she and Mark had been joined at the hip, greeting all of their guests. It was good to see them getting along so well for once. Perhaps it was the magic of the holidays.
“Hello, Celine,” he greeted from where he sat on the floor, tucking his shoeless feet underneath him. “You look beautiful. Mother’s dress suits you.”
Celine smiled a little, ducking her head and smoothing her free hand over the crimson velvet. “Well, thank you, but flattery won’t help you avoid my question. What are you doing down here? You are the newly-elected Mayor and several other officials are upstairs. You should be socializing, building a rapport.”
“There’s only so many speeches and congratulations I can endure before I need some time to enjoy my drink in peace,” Damien sighed, rubbing a hand fondly against the cool floor and then swirling his nearby glass of cider. “This seemed like the most secluded place.”
“Unless you wanted to brave the garden,” Celine pointed out as she approached. “We ought to find someone who can properly deal with the spiders.” After a pause, she shifted uncomfortably and then reached out. “Come up, Damien. I haven’t seen you in what feels like ages.”
Damien looked her up and down for a moment or two and then accepted the hand, but instead of letting her help him up, he scooted back and pulled her down, much to her surprise. “You see me now,” he reminded her with a benign smile. “Perhaps it would do us both good to take a breath.”
Celine seemed unsure of herself for a few minutes, cupping her drink tightly in both hands and giving him a wary sideways stare. Damien demonstrated, his smile widening as he picked up his glass and wordlessly toasted her. When she realized he wasn’t about to go anywhere, she relented, sighing in fond exasperation, slipping her heels off, and tossing them aside.
“A toast to your social instincts then, brother, but I do hope you’ll learn to let others in eventually,” she remarked before sipping her cider.
“I will…once they learn to let me in,” he replied simply. From then on, they stayed quiet.
Day 12 of the 25 Days of Ego Christmas: Cider. Damien counts as an Ego too and he needed some quality time with his big sister <3 Also, enjoy or hate me for some of that foreshadowing…

Description

“Damien, what in heaven’s name are you doing down here?”
Pressing his lips together in a rueful smile, Damien looked up toward the stairs of the cellar and chuckled self-consciously at the sight of his sister, cider in hand. He had hardly seen her since he first arrived for the Christmas party; she and Mark had been joined at the hip, greeting all of their guests. It was good to see them getting along so well for once. Perhaps it was the magic of the holidays.
“Hello, Celine,” he greeted from where he sat on the floor, tucking his shoeless feet underneath him. “You look beautiful. Mother’s dress suits you.”
Celine smiled a little, ducking her head and smoothing her free hand over the crimson velvet. “Well, thank you, but flattery won’t help you avoid my question. What are you doing down here? You are the newly-elected Mayor and several other officials are upstairs. You should be socializing, building a rapport.”
“There’s only so many speeches and congratulations I can endure before I need some time to enjoy my drink in peace,” Damien sighed, rubbing a hand fondly against the cool floor and then swirling his nearby glass of cider. “This seemed like the most secluded place.”
“Unless you wanted to brave the garden,” Celine pointed out as she approached. “We ought to find someone who can properly deal with the spiders.” After a pause, she shifted uncomfortably and then reached out. “Come up, Damien. I haven’t seen you in what feels like ages.”
Damien looked her up and down for a moment or two and then accepted the hand, but instead of letting her help him up, he scooted back and pulled her down, much to her surprise. “You see me now,” he reminded her with a benign smile. “Perhaps it would do us both good to take a breath.”
Celine seemed unsure of herself for a few minutes, cupping her drink tightly in both hands and giving him a wary sideways stare. Damien demonstrated, his smile widening as he picked up his glass and wordlessly toasted her. When she realized he wasn’t about to go anywhere, she relented, sighing in fond exasperation, slipping her heels off, and tossing them aside.
“A toast to your social instincts then, brother, but I do hope you’ll learn to let others in eventually,” she remarked before sipping her cider.
“I will…once they learn to let me in,” he replied simply. From then on, they stayed quiet.
Day 12 of the 25 Days of Ego Christmas: Cider. Damien counts as an Ego too and he needed some quality time with his big sister <3 Also, enjoy or hate me for some of that foreshadowing…