Foreign Affairs ❥ lrh

Chapter Nine: Killer Culture

Judy Farling's eyes scanned over the small stack of eight and a half by eleven, single-spaced, size twelve font pages that detailed the Burlington siblings' interview with the Princes, with great scrutiny. Her eyebrows furrowed with concentration and tight judgment. The expression had Violet shifting nervously in the seat across from her, restraining the urge to bite her nails anxiously.

"Hm," Mrs. Farling pondered with an unreadable tone.

"It can be a first draft," Violet offered nervously. "I can change things; whatever you want."

"Have you no faith in your writing?" She asked, looking up from the article Violet had finished just hours before. An eyebrow raised in her direction almost like a challenge.

Violet sat still, unsure what response Judy was looking for. She knew better than to be recklessly honest; after all, she was Connor's mother and had known Violet practically all her life. Not that nostalgia would matter in this situation. Judy took her magazine, Killer Culture, more seriously than anything else- including her son.

"I want to make sure it's worthy of publication," Violet resolved to answer. "I know that-"

"I appreciate that," she interrupted. "I have a few revisions for you, but this is impressive for your first article." And paused for a moment to look back down at the papers in front of her. "Quite impressive actually."

"Thank you," Violet treaded carefully, bracing herself for a backhanded compliment.

Internally she prayed to a god she didn't believe in, that Judy's strained relationship with Connor meant that he hadn't told her about the ball. And she was immensely grateful that he knew nothing of the afterparty and therefore couldn't have spilled any details. And that Judy's office doors and walls were made of great, strong wood with no way for her regular writers to see, nor hear, their conversation. It would bring questions of why Violet had been allowed to cover such a regal subject with no experience. Why Violet only had to ask once and was granted the opportunity.

"I'll pass this along to my editors," Judy sighed, setting Violet's draft aside. "I'll fax it to you either tomorrow or the day after. And I expect that it will be fixed and finished by Monday."

"Yes, of course," Violet nodded alongside her promise.

"Now," Mrs. Farling moved on. "Killer Culture aside, I saw you at my son's gallery opening."

Violet remained collected, trying not to change her expression. But, there were few things she wanted to discuss less with Judy than her somewhat estranged son's nude portrait series and she was sure that was where the conversation was headed. She couldn't help but clear her throat and cross one leg over the other in an attempt to stop it from shaking against the floor.

"There was a photograph of him," Judy began, trying to remain casual. "There was... a man. Wrapped around him." Judy picked up a glass of ice water off her glass desk and took a sip.

Violet sat, neutral and unmoved. She could tell that Judy was trying not to let disapproval sneak into her tone. Should she have been open with her disfavor, it would have closed Violet off. During a more rebellious time in Violet's life, she had been open about her bisexuality; though she had never spoken of it with Mrs. Farling, Violet knew that her parents had griped about her 'change in lifestyle' to many of their friends. The Farling's and Fei's both included. Despite Burlington's effort to gain sympathy from them all, Sage's family, the Fei's, had stepped in and taken her in as a second daughter. The Farling's... did not.

"Have you met him?" Judy inquired, her voice strained.

"No," Violet answered honestly. "I didn't know about him until I saw the photos."