I've been reading books of old the legends and the myths

It was utterly remarkable the amount of self-loathing a simple dinner at her older sister's home could bestow upon the youngest member of the Aldersley family. Truly, Piper tried her best to avoid gatherings with her sisters without the saving grace of her parents these days. If her sisters were left unchecked by their parents, Piper knew that the conversation would eventually drift to a place that, ultimately, would have the young girl banging her head against the wall: the concept of Piper's love life. It certainly didn't matter that Piper was independently a success, not as long as a certain finger on her left hand remained bare. Her two bachelor's degrees didn't make up for the lack of a boyfriend. Her master's degree didn't excuse that she was twenty-five years old and unwed. Her successful business didn't pardon her lack of children. Her accomplishments, no matter how impressive, did not make up for the fact that she - as her eldest sister so frequently put it - "had thrown away a perfectly good man". It didn't matter that Piper had been twenty-two and hardly ready to be married, nor that she had broken up with Dawson a full three years ago.

Tonight's family dinner had been no exception to this rule. Piper had been innocently sitting on the living room floor playing the role of the ever doting aunt to Alice, her three year old absolute doll of a niece, when her older sisters had seized the opportunity to prey on the young woman. "When are you going to settle down and have a child of your own?" Poppy had crooned with Percy on her heels. Her response, that Jane Pawston was the only baby that Piper desired, was met with the familiar double eye roll that had been the summary of her childhood. The entire evening continued in such a manner, with her sisters making snide comments about Piper being continuously single and Piper consistently trying to move the conversation back to something other than her so-called 'biological clock'. It was when Poppy announced that she was pregnant - again - that Piper truly thought she'd be free of this line of conversation, but leave it to Percy to make a comment on how it was "such a shame that Piper had yet to experience the joy of motherhood".

Normally, the relentless need for her sisters to point out that she was a dreadful old spinster didn't phase the young woman. After all, she knew that her parents were proud of her, even without a ring on her finger. She knew that she was successful, smart, and independent, but Piper couldn't deny the appeal of her sisters' lifestyles. After all, Piper too longed for someone to look at her the way that Poppy's husband looked at her. And even though Piper didn't really like children, she would be the first to admit that her nieces and nephews were utterly remarkable. And perhaps, one day, she would find someone that paired with her in a way that made her feel whole and fulfilled. And maybe (it was a big maybe) she would decide one day that she loved that person enough to want to have children with them. But couldn't her sisters understand that for the time being, Piper was happy where she was?

By the time that dessert was finally served and Piper was free to leave, the idea of going home to her empty loft was far too depressing for the young blonde. Instead, Piper found herself visiting one of the dance clubs of the northern district that she had frequented when she still lived at home with her parents. It was exactly as she remembered it, from the blue spotlights to the rows of brightly glittering bottles of alcohol above the bar. The bass of the dance music synced up with her heartbeat, the steady beat easy to lose herself in. And lose herself Piper did. Piper blended into the crowd, the dancing bodies pressed against her as she, too, moved to the beat of the music. Piper cared little that she was alone or that she had been relentlessly teased by her sisters. All she cared about was the feeling of the bass rattling deep inside her chest. Piper danced until the need for a drink overwhelmed the need to stay on the dance floor. She emerged from the crowd, making her way to the bar completely unaware of the preying eyes upon her. Piper muttered an 'excuse me' to the girl beside her at the bar, vying to get the bartender's attention.

The sound of those British accented lyrics caused Piper's head to turn, the source of the voice capturing all of Piper's attention. The Englishmen that approached her too much like the men of the novels that she fancied. The charming one in the front, the brooding one in the back. Both handsome and both ensnaring Piper's attention. The very human girl was unaware of that affinity that captured her very emotions, nor the distinct inhumanness of the duo in front of her. Piper's thoughts seemed slower, focused only on the men in front of her despite the thudding bass and roar of the crowd that had been assaulting her senses moments before. With a quick glance at the woman beside her, Piper focused her crystalline eyes upon the Englishman in front of her, a smile spreading across her features. "Hello gentlemen," She said easily. "Which of you came to buy me a drink tonight?"