Private Tales Bring Your Daughter to Work Day

[Charity Briarthorne]

Today was the day! Today was the day! Today. Was. The. Day!

Charity was up and going before the first slivers of dawn breached the sky. The excitement bubbled out her as she washed her face in a basin. This was it! No more stealing petty trinkets! No more spying on no-name merchants! Today she was to take her first step into learning the secrets to the inner workings of the family business!

She needed to show Gilgamesh that she was serious about this, Charity was sure of that, and what better way to do that than to dress the part? She was the daughter of one of Alliria's most feared crime lords after all, and so she needed to dress like it. It wouldn't do to be introduced to her father's associates wearing rags. Just imagining the repercussions of embarrassing him like that sent shivers down her spine.

Opening her large wooden chest of clothes, she immediately discarded the numerous shirts and pants with mismatching patches. She held up one article after another and shook her head before tossing it onto the growing pile beside her. Charity's nose scrunched up in disgust when she reached the brand new, never worn dresses neatly folded at the bottom of the chest. She was willing to dress the part, but to go that far? Maybe not. But then again, what better way to show her commitment than to wear something she otherwise wouldn't?

Charity selected a dark dress that didn't seem like it would impede her movement too much and a pair of tights. Just as she had gotten dressed, a knock sounded at the door, and it swung open silently. "Oh! Mornin' Cleo!" Charity turned to greet the newcomer with a smile as she pulled on her boots. "Ah, Miss Charity I see you're already-" Cleo paused as she took in Charity's attire. "Are you feeling alright?" She reached out to touch the girl's forehead. Charity snatched the demon's hand and began tugging her down the hallway. "Yes yes! Never better! Now let's go!" Cleo frowned disapprovingly. "Your mother would like to have a word-" Charity shook her head, continuing to pull Cleo along as the walls of the archives shifted and warped around them. "No! No time for that! Daddy wants to meet over breakfast and we can't keep him waiting! Besides, you know Claus makes the best sweet rolls! I wouldn't want to miss it!"

Within moments, they were seated in a gilded carriage pulled by a pair of jet black horses, on their way to the Briarwood estate. Charity hugged Cleo's arm as she bounced excitedly in her seat, much to the demon's annoyance. What would Gilgamesh teach her first, Charity wondered.

 

[Amadeus Greywood]

Today... is the day.

For all of her delinquency and foolishness, Charity was smarter than he gave her credit for, the name Greywood had found its way to her ears. No small accomplishment. That granted her entry just under the skin of lies and secrets that shrouded the Briarthorn trading company.

Because of her cleverness in weaseling out that name she was about to be opened up to a new world of organized crime, beyond the shadey methods and questionable ethics fronted by the legitimate Briarthorn company.
If Charity is truly ready, Gilgamesh is about to give her new duties and responsibilities.

... Today is the day... But, is she ready to stand beside her sisters?
Gilgamesh contemplated this question. Up till now he'd given her freedom to do as she pleased, and she abused that freedom splendidly as he hoped.
The more she exploited, the more she did to pervert and offend, the more evil and debauchery she caused was food for his soul.
But it was undisciplined and disobedient.
Her history didn't indicate that she was ready to follow him completely.

Gilgamesh limped his way down the hall to the dining room with his creeking gait.
Dressed in his signature black and red suit with his metal leg brace, and walking with his cane.
He wore his usual grim expression as he entered the room and a servant helped him into his seat.
Gilgamesh usually took his breakfast in his office while he worked, but with Charity coming over it was appropriate to eat here.

After he was comfortably seated with a cup of steaming coffee a servant entered with the Allirian news bulletin and announced that Lady Briarthorn's carriage has arrived.
Gilgamesh nodded to the servant as he scanned the papers and sipped the scalding liquid without flinching.

The moment of truth... time to see if Charity is actually ready to serve him.

 

[Charity Briarthorne]

"...And keep those those sticky fingers to yourself! You may well be Gilgamesh's daughter, but that doesn't mean you can do whatever you want around these people! Do you understand me?!"

"Yeah yeah... I get ya." Charity rolled her eyes. "No fighting. No swearing. No taking shiny things that don't belong to me. Just be behave, and follow Daddy quietly, because heaven forbid I do anything fun today." she grumbled.

Cleo released an exasperated sigh, and adjusted her glasses. "See? This is why I said you mother wanted to speak to you before we left. She knew exactly how this whole thing would go!" The demon tucked her dark hair behind one ear with another sigh. "Look you imp, I am trying to tell you this for your own good. You do not want to embarrass your father with your antics. The consequences won't be pretty. I remember the last time Faustian did that and she-"

The carriage rolled to a halt, and Charity bounded out before Cleo could finish her sentence. "Yeah yeah. Okay. Whatever. I will try to be a good girl today." Charity responded without turning. And then she was gone, bolting for the front doors. "OH! And tell Mother that I'm staying at Daddy's estate tonight!" Charity called back with a wave.

She was met at the door by a well groomed and handsome young man. "Good morning Lady Briarthorne. Your-" Charity scowled at the man. "Oi! What did I tell you lot about calling me that?" The man seemed taken aback and a bit shocked, but quickly regained his composure. "M-My apologies, Miss Charity. The master prefers that we use proper titles, and it slipped my mind. Your father is awaiting your arrival in the dining room. Shall I escort you?" Charity frowned, more than a little disappointed that there wasn't a cute maid to guide her instead. "Yeah... alright."

"DADDY!" Upon entering the dining room, Charity excitedly rushed to her father's side, putting her arms over his shoulders and hugging him tightly from behind. "Mornin' Daddy! Did you sleep well?" She kissed his cheek before taking her seat across from him. A small plate with sweet rolls and bread, along with a large glass of milk was placed in front of her. Charity's eyes widened and she greedily took a large bite of a roll. The chefs here were almost as skilled as Cleo. Almost.

"Hey! Did ya hear what happened to the twins the other day?" Charity's eyes sparkled mischievously as she spoke around a mouthful of sweet roll and sipped her milk. "Haven't heard about a job going that wrong in ages!"

Cleo's stern warnings echoed through her mind and she cleared her throat, taking a long drink. Charity sat up a bit straighter and wiped her mouth. Gotta show Daddy I'm serious about this! "Um... Anyway... What did you want to discuss Daddy?"

 

[Amadeus Greywood]

"...And keep those those sticky fingers to yourself! You may well be Gilgamesh's daughter, but that doesn't mean you can do whatever you want around these people! Do you understand me?!"

"Yeah yeah... I get ya." Charity rolled her eyes. "No fighting. No swearing. No taking shiny things that don't belong to me. Just be behave, and follow Daddy quietly, because heaven forbid I do anything fun today." she grumbled.

Cleo released an exasperated sigh, and adjusted her glasses. "See? This is why I said you mother wanted to speak to you before we left. She knew exactly how this whole thing would go!" The demon tucked her dark hair behind one ear with another sigh. "Look you imp, I am trying to tell you this for your own good. You do not want to embarrass your father with your antics. The consequences won't be pretty. I remember the last time Faustian did that and she-"

The carriage rolled to a halt, and Charity bounded out before Cleo could finish her sentence. "Yeah yeah. Okay. Whatever. I will try to be a good girl today." Charity responded without turning. And then she was gone, bolting for the front doors. "OH! And tell Mother that I'm staying at Daddy's estate tonight!" Charity called back with a wave.

She was met at the door by a well groomed and handsome young man. "Good morning Lady Briarthorne. Your-" Charity scowled at the man. "Oi! What did I tell you lot about calling me that?" The man seemed taken aback and a bit shocked, but quickly regained his composure. "M-My apologies, Miss Charity. The master prefers that we use proper titles, and it slipped my mind. Your father is awaiting your arrival in the dining room. Shall I escort you?" Charity frowned, more than a little disappointed that there wasn't a cute maid to guide her instead. "Yeah... alright."

"DADDY!"

Gilgamesh looked up from his paper as she entered and greeted her with a fatherly smile.

"Charity. You look well."
Not a lie, she was wearing a dress and had given a thought to present a professional appearance, even if her instinctual exuberance was out of place. Not for the first time in her life, but he wondered how much work it took for Cleo to get her into it.

Upon entering the dining room, Charity excitedly rushed to her father's side, putting her arms over his shoulders and hugging him tightly from behind. "Mornin' Daddy! Did you sleep well?" She kissed his cheek before taking her seat across from him. A small plate with sweet rolls and bread, along with a large glass of milk was placed in front of her. Charity's eyes widened and she greedily took a large bite of a roll. The chefs here were almost as skilled as Cleo. Almost.

He patted her hand affectionately when she hugged him, playing the part of the doting father.

"I slept as much as needed."
Which was to say, hardly at all.
Human flesh required more rest than he did. A slight detail subtly highlighting his inhuman nature.

"Hey! Did ya hear what happened to the twins the other day?" Charity's eyes sparkled mischievously as she spoke around a mouthful of sweet roll and sipped her milk. "Haven't heard about a job going that wrong in ages!"

Gilgamesh nodded in response, though he looked down at the paper he was reading. He was less than thrilled to hear about their bungled heist. They were supposed to make it look like the work of amateurs, so they succeeded there, but they failed to get the document they were sent for.

He's dealt harshly with the twins in the past, because their status as elder sisters places more responsibility on their shoulders.
They are examples to the younger sisters.
But this time he might need to let it slide. A third party got involved that they couldn't have predicted or prepared for, they were lucky to have escaped with their lives.

He didn't know how Charity heard about it, could have been a rumor already circulating amongst the family. Either way, it was a slight enforcement for the decision he was planning to make today.

Cleo's stern warnings echoed through her mind and she cleared her throat, taking a long drink. Charity sat up a bit straighter and wiped her mouth. Gotta show Daddy I'm serious about this! "Um... Anyway... What did you want to discuss Daddy?"

Gilgamesh looked up again as she finished her breakfast.
His eyes searched her like an encrypted document, looking for something he might have missed.
Charity obviously knew that this was an important meeting, she got ready, dressed up to impress him, even if it might have been forced.

As a daughter, Charity was obedient. Her obedience to him was delinquency, she could do whatever she pleased with his blessings and he would play the doting father who can't say no to his perfect princess. Her reputation grew out of that with his protection, cultivation and manipulation.
Her antics have even served his purposes, where she'd cause a disruption at the right time and place to allow her sisters to complete a job.

She's learned about the Greywood side of the family, and with that knowledge comes new responsibilities. He needed to ascertain first that she is willing to give up her relative freedom, and second, whether she's prepared to do anything he asks of her.

"I will be brief, Charity. You've learned about the existence of the Greywoods. Because of that, you are showing that you have potential for more."
He folded up the paper and set it aside.
"However; you do have a choice at this particular juncture. Life as you know it can continue, you can revel in your freedom as you have been, or you can learn more."
Gilgamesh met Charity's gaze expectantly, his expression carefully curated to not betray or hint at which answer she gives would please him more.

 

[Charity Briarthorne]

Gilgamesh looked up again as she finished her breakfast.
His eyes searched her like an encrypted document, looking for something he might have missed.
Charity obviously knew that this was an important meeting, she got ready, dressed up to impress him, even if it might have been forced.

Charity withered slightly under her father's searching gaze. She nervously toyed with the hem of her dress, and her gaze wandered around the room. She knew that look. The same expression he always wore when making a crucial business decision. Was that all this meeting was to him?

Or was he trying to determine how Charity had found about the botched heist? Had she revealed too much by mentioning her knowledge of the incident? It wasn't Charity's fault that Faustian had ranted about it when she had gone over to her sister's for dinner. Charity could only hope that her knowing of it wouldn't impact her father's decision.

"I will be brief, Charity. You've learned about the existence of the Greywoods. Because of that, you are showing that you have potential for more."
He folded up the paper and set it aside.
"However; you do have a choice at this particular juncture. Life as you know it can continue, you can revel in your freedom as you have been, or you can learn more."
Gilgamesh met Charity's gaze expectantly, his expression carefully curated to not betray or hint at which answer she gives would please him more.

'You can revel in your freedom as you have been, or you can learn more' What did he mean? If she agreed to join the family business would she be stripped of her freedom?

Would she no longer be able to run around the city as she pleased? Would she have less time to spend with her sisters? And most importantly, would she no longer be the spoiled darling of the family, and instead be expected to pull her own weight?

What about the friends she had made from other criminal families? Would she be forbidden from seeing them for fear of secrets leaking out?

While she loved the freedom she had been afforded, something in her heart yearned to learn more. What was really going in behind the scenes of the family business? Why were the rest of her sisters so secretive about their work? She was tired of being shooed away whenever the conversation turned toward business!

Throughout these thoughts, a different one kept forcing itself to the forefront. Loot. Secret businesses and shady dealing always meant more money and goods being exchanged. That much she knew for certain. And while she might be considered exceedingly wealthy for a young teenager, there were still numerous times she would ask her parents to buy something for her. With an opportunity like this, she would have the ability to buy anything she could ever want and more without any outside assistance.

Charity knew that this was a huge, life changing decision. She had convinced herself that this is what she wanted. But now she wasn't quite so sure. If only her mother were there. She would know exactly what the right option would be. But she wasn't, so it was up to her. Either she stayed as she was, oblivious to the darker dealings of the family, or she joined the ranks of her sisters, stepping into the complicated world of adults.

Charity held her father's gaze silently as she mulled over her options. She finally made her choice with a quiet, determined hm! Gilgamesh and the family had done so much for her over the years, and it was time to repay them and stop acting like a spoiled brat.

"I want to learn more, Daddy. But where do I even begin?"