ABIENCE \\ tony stark's daughter

05 // headphones

EDITED: 20 June, 2021.

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August 26, 2007. 5:32 A.M.

It had been six years since she'd been placed with her father. Her twelfth birthday had passed in March, a mostly uneventful day despite her dad taking her out for an extremely public dinner. She'd smiled dutifully as they walked through the entrance, her dad's hand wrapped around her shoulder as he waved brightly. Since her first media interaction, she'd learnt it was better to just push all the sound and flashes away.

Nevertheless, she hated it.

She'd be in a car soon, heading to the airport for her flight to France for the school year. Altaira had been stuck in the townhouse in Upper East Side of the isle of Manhattan for weeks. It was lonely, just her and Jarvis. She may have had a housekeeper and a cook here, but she had spent most of the time on her own. Either walking through New York City, hat pulled down over her face and head tipped down or hiding in her room and the piano room. Her father was travelling in Asia for business with Happy, Pepper and even Obadiah. This summer had been a mess and, frustrated with everything around her, she'd refused to stay in the Malibu mansion near him.

And the fact that he seemed relieved that she'd rather spend time in another house didn't hurt at all, it didn't matter.

She'd learnt how to fit in with her new life, smiling happily and enthusiastically for anyone who knew her well enough to recognise the developing hate she had for being around others. She'd learnt her lesson years ago, to not put her trust or hope in another being. People were self-centred, focusing on their own needs and wants; untrustworthy. It was better to be alone (with Jarvis), then to have to prepare herself for disappointment.

She didn't need any more disappointment after her father missed Christmas.

She could hear the housekeeper moving around somewhere on the main floor, alone. Altaira had told the cook that there was no need to wake her early, she'd just eat on the plane. The woman had been grateful, earnestly wishing her a safe trip.

Altaira preferred to be in the melodramatic environment of her school, surrounded by other rich brats and children of powerful individuals. In some ways, she felt sympathy for them. Many, if not most of them, all had serious issues with parental figures (whether from them always being absent, abusive or placing extreme pressure on the 'heirs'). But then she remembered how spoiled and arrogant half of them were, despite barely being older then toddlers, and that sympathy disappeared (and reappeared instead for the teachers that had to deal with them and act as parental figures for those who had none).

Similarly, her father wasn't the best role model with him constantly getting into dumb dramas and relationship conflicts that the entire world happens to hear about (why is everyone so interested in a dumb billionaire's party life?). She'd go to her ninth-grade class the next day, all her classmates who were at least two years older, whispering and giving her amused or disgusted glances.

Thankfully, most didn't bother to mention her father to her, each having their own issues with their parents. Plus, most of what he did wasn't anything new. Everyone got bored once they realised that stone-faced Altaira Stark wouldn't provide a reaction, not even a blush to her father's extremely publicised adventures.

Her old therapist had mentioned her worries for being placed in the custody with such a destructive parental authority, but Altaira had shut that down quickly (she'd also stopped seeing any therapists after the comment).

What good would being moved do?

She'd likely moved to another family that was either abusive or one that would not be emotionally invested either.