Colin's posts

"Ah, a fine area, depending on where you go." Hal responded.

"I'm sure Hollie and I would be able to find a nice place for you and Jaden in Wales, should you decide that area of Europe." he suggested. "And I, myself, know of some lovely places in Switzerland and Spain, if those places tickle your fancy." he offered.

"Just some food for thought." he added.

"If you already have a country or two in mind, that's great!" he went on.

"Just let me know if I can help in any way." he stated.

"And again, thank you for the tie, it is absolutely lovely and luxurious. Congratulations on being laden with child, and I hope things continue to do nothing but go up for you." he finished.

Hal shook his head in response.

"Not right now." he said.

"I'm just glad you're doing well, and that things are going well for you." he told her. "Seriously, you deserve it." he said further, before pausing, as something came to mind.

"Ah, one thing." he then said. "Do you intend to raise the child in the suite?" he asked. "Generally speaking, an apartment is no place to actually RAISE a child... usually. Yours is spacious enough that it could be more than doable, but I know some people would immediately want an actual house or something along those lines." he reasoned.

"So do you have an ideas on THAT front?" he asked.

"And if you intend to move, any ideas as to WHERE?"

"Indeed." Hal replied.

"I assume you've told a few select people before me?" he asked. When she nodded, he sighed. "So I assume you've heard the trauma warning and such." he said further. Again, she nodded.

"Well, I won't regurgitate old info." he stated.

"Instead, I will merely say congratulations." he told her with a smile.

"I wish you nothing but the best, and a safe delivery... relatively speaking." he told her further.

"Must not be too far along, given how you look." he then commented. "Still as slender as ever." he complimented her.

Hal raised an eyebrow.

"Riiiight." he said.

"Don't think for one moment, you slipped that past me." he told her with a small finger waggle, before he opened the envelope, and it 'opened up' and 'morphed' into a small box. He opened it, and took out a luxurious silk tie, dark red in colour, and amazing to feel.

"Well, WELL..." he said. "This feels a treat! And it'll go wonderfully with my suits." he continued. "Will be just the right amount of... flair." he commented further. "I LIKE it!" he declared.

"Being CEO and owner has its perks." he chuckled.

"Now. What's this about you being pregnant, hmmmmmm?" he asked her.

Zeke nodded as he grabbed the stuff and made his way to the door as well, switching the sign back to 'free to use'. The two exited the room and looked at each other for a moment, before nodding to each other and going their separate ways.

Zeke was eager to tell Angela about their new future plans, and to give her and Liv the gifts that he had received to give to them, and Desiree making her way to Hal's office, to speak with HIM.

She made her way to Arryn's desk, and when she said she was there to speak with Hal, the elf called him from her desk. After a few seconds, Desiree was given the go-ahead to enter the office, which she did. She stepped through and closed the door, as Hal looked at her with a grin.

"Well, hello again." he greeted her.

"You certainly look like you're doing well." he commented. "And rightfully so." he went on.

"But seriously, how've you been holding up since the news was dropped, and the transfer of ownership finalised?" he asked.

Zeke nodded in response.

"Of course." he replied. "I'll tell Angela if she asks for specifics, but as far as anyone who sees this ascot is concerned... I got suuuuuper lucky at a thrift store to find this knock-off!" he declared.

"It almost FEELS like the real thing." he added with a wink.

"But seriously, secret's safe with me." he assured her.

"And thank you once again." he continued.

"This will be... an amazing stress-reliever for Angela, you don't even KNOW..."

"Desiree?" Zeke addressed her when she reached the door.

"Yes?" she responded, turning around.

"...congratulations." he said. "To everything." he said further. "You are on a financial upturn... or, rather, you shot up one... and you're going to have a child." he continued.

"It's about time that these good things happened to you." he went on.

"...and as your former guardian angel... I couldn't be happier for you." he added, a soft gentle smile on his face.

"But before you go... DO you want Angela knowing about your new fortune?" he asked. "I can pass off 'a friend' to Liv, but Angela is going to want answers, and not vagueness... unless I say the person doesn't want to be known." he reasoned.

"I'm just asking for direct and unmistakable clarity." he then added.

Zeke blinked a couple of times, as what she said seemed to click in his mind, the gears turning slowly.

"I... I..." he stammered.

He then got up and made his way closer towards her... and as she stood up to meet him, he wrapped his arms around her and held her close. She could almost feel him shaking, and swore she heard him sob lightly.

"Desiree..." he whispered.

"Thank you." he said to her.

"And... and I'm so happy that things are looking up for you." he went on. "I'm so happy your fortunes are finally turning upward."

Zeke did as instructed, and found said earrings and choker... both looked exorbitantly expensive, and far more luxurious than they had any right owning. And Desiree could tell it was blowing him away.

"Wh... wh... th... I... y..." he stuttered further.

"Didn't cost you a DIME?" he asked.

"How!?" he exclaimed. "D-Desiree, how is this possible?" he asked her. "I mean, I know this is your mother's company." he then said. "But I also know the chances of you getting anything from it are... were... 1 trillion to 1." he stated further.

"What's going on?" he asked.

Zeke looked at the box confusedly for a moment, looking all over it. It seemed like a plain ordinary box, but there was a tiny marking on it. One that was easily missed, but very identifiable.

He saw it briefly, before looking at her, stunned.

He then quickly opened it, and saw that there was an extremely luxurious ascot tie inside it. It was a little-known fact about Zeke that, while he normally preferred casual clothing, he had a weak spot for ascot ties. He didn't know why, he just loved them.

And when he felt it, he could tell this was high quality. And that it was from Mariana's, as the emblem was easy to see on the item, itself.

"D... D..." he stammered. "M-M-Mariana's?" he asked.

"This alone had to cost close to 1000 dollars, Desiree..." he said further.

"Well... I mean, yes, yes she DID get Honours, and she was the valedictorian." Zeke confirmed. "But... they'll know this wasn't from me." he told her. "They already know we can't afford such a trip..." he said further, before checking again, his eyes widening.

"Especially THIS level of upgrade!" he exclaimed. "Desiree, this is... this had to be obscenely expensive." he commented.

"HOW on Earth did you afford these!?" he asked.

"...also, if you don't want them to know it was you, tell me." he then told her seriously. "No, I mean it. Do you want to remain anonymous on this?" he asked. "I can easily say this was left for me by an unknown person, claiming to be a friend." he went on.

"I won't lie to them, unless you specifically don't want this to be known."

Zeke was about to say something, when she handed him the envelope.

"Eh?" he mumbled. "What's this?" he asked, accepting it.

"Something for you and those you live with." Desiree responded. "Did you not hear the first time?" she asked him. "Maybe you should see someone about that." she then suggested, feigning concern.

"Oh, all right, enough." Zeke muttered. "Playful gaslighting is STILL gaslighting." he reasoned, opening the envelope and looking inside... only for him to completely become dumbfounded.

"Wh... I... th... this... I mean... but..." he stammered and stuttered, before looking right at Desiree.

"These... these are tickets." he said. "But... even the base trip for ONE costs far too much money..." he commented.

Zeke was silent, but just nodded.

The two then stepped through the doorway, with Desiree and Jake waving to each other as she went with Zeke. The two started to walk down the hallway, with Zeke looking... quite awkward and stunned.

"Ah..." he then stammered.

"Let's... use one of the smaller conference rooms." he suggested. "Just so we have some... privacy." he said further.

"Sure thing." Desiree responded with a small laugh, as they reached the room in question, stepped in, and Zeke changed the sign on the one side to 'in use', before joining her at the table in the middle of the room.

"You... you're laden." he then said.

"When?" he asked.

The boys looked into the bags they had been given, and Jake raised an eyebrow.

"...that muffin place is... well, it's expensive, innit?" he asked. "Like, these muffins are are... what, 15 bucks each?" he asked.

"$17.20 with taxes." Desiree stated matter-of-factly in response.

"...well then." Jake replied with a laugh. "I'll gladly accept." he told her.

"Y... yeah, same here." Zeke agreed. "But... but I mean... is it... because..." he started to ask further, as Jake just shook his head lightly.

"All right, all right." he said. "Desiree, you can go on in and help the stunned guy come to terms with this." he told her, digging his own muffin out of the bag and smirking.

"I'LL get to know THIS tasty morsel." he commented further, before stopping and looking at her.

"Congratulations, by the way." he said sincerely.