Intertwined

One

The glass door to her office and a head popped in, but Theia, absorbed in her work, hardly noticed. It wasn't until the visitor cleared his throat that she started, doe eyes latching upon the noise.

"Oh," she stammered, blinking rapidly, "d-does Selene need some-something?"

"Her coffee," Austin replied flatly. Clearly the day was treating him about as well as it was her. When Selene got into a mood, the entire department felt her wrath. "And that portfolio Oliver dropped off about that one designer she wants us to use for next month's issue." He brought his fingers up to his temples, kneading slightly. "And be prepared for a long one."

Theia sighed, picking up the large, leather-bound folder that had been left at her desk before retrieving the iced latte for her boss from the fridge. "Thanks, Austin," she managed to murmur on her way out, wondering how, after her two years at the magazine Luxe, she still wasn't doing something a little more worthwhile than retrieving beverages and running errands.

Though, if she were honest, it's not like she ever really tried to go for an opportunity to do more.

She bustled into the conference room, careful to avoid the sorted stacks of magazines pas and maneuvering the maze of clothing racks before setting the portfolio on one of many and setting the coffee carefully on a coaster.

"You're late."

"I-I-I know, I'm sorry. I-"

"Nope," Selene chided, cutting her off and raising her head from the two scarves she had been examining, "save it. Too much to do; irrelevant words waste my time."

Theia pressed her lips together, bowing her head slightly, her cheeks becoming slightly flushed. Selene Alston was perhaps the only person in the province of Clermont who could silence even King Cyrus with one of her looks. Certainly, she was the only person in Mialdo. Theia, on the other hand, was the meekest person in the city, likely even the whole kingdom of Illéa.

"Do you need anything else, or should I go get Toine for you?" She asked quietly, carefully rearranging the bracelets that had been set upon the table. She tried to keep herself from looking too closely at the clothes hanging from the racks. She would only get sucked in, styling and designing look after look and outfit after outfit, and that was something Selene definitely wouldn't give her the freedom to do.

"Actually, Toine is out," the immaculate brunette commented, preoccupied with belts now, "so you'll be helping to style this issue. Hope you don't have plans this evening because you'll be cancelling them."

Theia did have plans that evening, but she was so ecstatic--inwardly, of course--at the chance to show Selene her styling skills instead of her desk-labor ones that she knew Alezekiel would understand if she called him to raincheck. After all, no one understood her ambitions like her best friend.

~~~

"She WHAT???"

Theia had to hold the phone away from her ear. Alez had enough energy for the both of them, which was good, considering exuberant was not in her top characteristics.