Playing With The Puppet Master

16

"Like them? I love them!" Her lips found mine for a moment as she held the gift close to her chest. "Morgan, its perfect."

"Open mine next!" Jordan exclaimed as she cut the cake. "It's the gold one."

"Mine's yellow!" Adrien exclaimed.

"I got you the red one," Georgia pointed out. Donna's smile radiated throughout the room as she nodded and went toward her gift pile. As Angie ate her cake, Donna unwrapped her gifts. Adrien got a book on exotic plants while Jordan got her a set of gemstones for little collection in the study. Georgia got her a new fountain pen and inkwell. She gleamed at the presents and attention as a piece of cake was handed to all of us. We all piled into the dining room and ate our cake in silence. Donna seemed rather content with her surprise. There were no consequences anyways.

"So, did you want to do something special for your birthday?" I asked her as we all sat empty plates aside. Her eye went to the side in thought as she hummed.

"I don't really do anything for my birthday," she admitted quietly as her attention turned back to me. "We did not even start celebrating my birthday until a few years ago."

"Oh?" I asked.

"Jordan inquired why she never had a reason to make a cake," Jordan laughed as she poked her lover's head. "So, we spent so much time finding Lady Donna's birth certificate to find out it was today!"

"It took us two weeks!" Jordan exclaimed. Her finger pointed toward Lady Donna. "All because you were too stubborn to tell us!"

"Do you not like your birthday?" My attention turned back to her.

"It wasn't that. It had been a long time since I had anyone to celebrate with. Nobody outside of everyone sitting here really ever lasted that long." Donna slightly shrugged. "It is really nice to celebrate though." I nudged at her elbow, and she giggled. "Especially when it is with people I like." Her attention turned toward everyone. "Thank you all for staying around."

"Weeee enjoy life," Adrien admitted with a grin. Jordan swatted her arm.

"We also think you are a great boss," she said as the hand that swatted Adrien's arm connected with her head next.

"Yeah! Of course!" Adrien added as she rubbed the back of her head. I shook my head slightly as Donna chuckled.

"It really is nice having you as an employer, especially compared to your sister," Georgia stated.

"Sister?" I asked.

"Lady Dimitrescu," Adrien added.

"Alcina lives in the castle on the mountain," Donna said as her finger pointed toward the door. "You can see it from the village square." I slowly nodded.

"Do you ever see her?" Donna waved her hand.

"Her and my brothers at the quarterly meetings. There is one coming up in a few weeks." Disinterest showed on her face. "I will never say that I am fond of them, but they are tolerable. Well, Alcina is. Karl does host really interesting torture obstacles for Salvatore and I. Salvatore is...gross."

"Gross?" I asked.

"Lord Moreau is covered in Cadou. So...he really is not that pleasant to look at," Georgia supplied. "He's like a mutant."

"Well, Lady Dimitrescu is fucking ten feet tall!" Adrien stated. "She can turn her nails into claws! I don't think any of them are less than a mutant. Even Lord Heisenburg is probably part metal with how much he bends it." My eye turned toward Donna. If she felt anything, none of it showed on her face. "I think Lady Donna is the only normal looking one of them all."