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Beyond The Time
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Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2025 7:30 am

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You've been cordially invited to the wedding between Prince Ryo Fushiguro and Duchess Altagracia Sarmiento. Please take a seat; the ceremony's about to begin.

Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2025 4:53 pm

ＡＬＴＡＧＲＡＣＩＡ ☯ ＳＡＲＭＩＥＮＴＯ
ＤＵＣＨＥＳＳＯＦＳＩＳＣＩＡ

When Altagracia was little, all she wanted to do when she grew up was to be just like her parents. Bravely peering into the darkest corners of Siscia, they left no stone unturned to ensure that the systems in place worked as they were meant to. Alejo and Cruzita Sarmiento were paragons of truth. Silent protectors of the spirit realm. Altagracia's heroes. And yet their own daughter was not within the scope of such protection. Or perhaps this was their way of keeping her safe. Giving her a prosperous life. But it was a life built on lies; did such heresy not go against the very virtues they had once instilled upon her? Or was she just a worthy sacrifice? If so, what could be worth ignoring their child's turmoil? Her agony? Her heartache? Some ill-defined greater good? Greater for whom? Just them? Altagracia had certainly never seen anyone else they were to stand for, that much was for sure.

I guess it's true what they say: never meet your heroes.

Unfortunately for Grace, she wasn't given much choice in the matter. A recurring trend. When she first arrived at Utopia, the former detective had such grand aspirations. A fledgling sense of agency that never had a chance in the seven hells to stray far from the nest. After all, the nest had found ways of keeping close. Unbeknownst to her, Grace's parents had planted spies to keep an eye on her. With abilities that made them imperceptible to spiritual abilities and the otherworldly alike, they integrated themselves into the staff so that they may keep tabs on her interactions with the Fushiguro family. Unwelcome parasites that only revealed their true nature when it was most advantageous for them. Or most pertinent.

Given the multiple precarious circumstances that had plagued the school since the first day of classes, what Altagracia understood as a loose timetable set up by Ryo had been hastened by the real masterminds behind their betrothal. And with the elder prince's birthday soon approaching, the closing chapter of her time as an independent operator ended up getting rushed entirely. Lucky her.

Even now, the duchess considered escaping. But what resources would she have if she did? Where would she even run to? The thought of seeking asylum in one of her associates' kingdoms came to mind, but what if that only caused tensions to rise? Moreover, would she simply become a pariah in her homeland? Her parents held control over the flow of information; while she never thought about it until recently, there's a lot of terrible things that can be done with that sort of influence over the people. Speaking of which, what would become of her own homeland if she ran? If the information her parents had on the queen was enough to arrange all this, then surely it would be a source of great destabilization if it came to light.

And if that is the case...should they have not disclosed such information to begin with? As per their teachings, that would have been the correct path to take if the queen's actions were truly so damning. Instead, they decided to sully their own hands as well. Altagracia's head hung low. Another saying proven true in this case: absolute power corrupts absolutely. The duchess felt numb. She had no tears left to shed for her circumstances. No hoarse shouts to scream out. No rage. No sorrow. Just resignation. This was the end of the line.

Final preparations had been made. A guest list had been finalized. The venue, along with her dress, had been picked out. All without a word to her about any of it. The extravagance of her current attire was the sort of thing Altagracia would normally find agonizing, and she was certain that the decor would be no different. Her parents were big fans of maximalist design, as they called it. Lucky them. But instead of any sort of probing of the situation, Grace had instead found herself just staring blankly at her own reflection. As she did, she felt like she had been transported back to her childhood.

This scenario wasn't far removed from the extravagant uniforms she would be forced into when family paintings or official outings came up. As if she were a doll, they would dress her and pose her and use her as they saw fit. If only she had gotten the inclination then that a doll was all they saw her as. While she hated the feeling, she had simply believed it to be the way of things back then. They would always make her feel better about it afterwards back then. Assure her that they cared. Where was such reassurance now, she wondered. And at what point did her own flesh and blood decide she was better to them as a tool than a daughter?

But then they would have to take their hands off of my strings for a moment. And we can't have that, now can we?

Perhaps it was that underlying disdain for being used that initially put her off from Ryo. If she had been able to see past his cold exterior, to the whatever else is in his soul, would things have gone differently? Would they both be free of their strings already? After all, she was the one who labeled herself a detective. An investigator. But for all the mysteries she had unraveled, the one right on her doorstep eluded her until it was too late.

Altagracia looked up at the clock. Not long now. Aquamarine eyes lazily drew their gaze downward, vacantly glancing at the script that had been sent to her. Inside were phrases, mannerisms and facial expressions she was to use at various points during the ceremony. Pages upon pages written in ink long beforehand so that her union with Ryo Fushiguro would come off as a painting-perfect wedding. And then some. From today to her proper coronation as queen, various scenes had been carefully crafted to make her ascension seem to be a joyous occasion for all involved. While she hadn't been given a chance to confirm, she imagined Ryo had been given similar screenplays.

If there was one thing she was beginning to regret, it was that she was never able to see that Ryo too was a pawn in all of this. Undoubtedly, he would have also much preferred a marriage of his own choosing to the bastardization of matrimony that would soon commence. A puppet master was unlikely to enjoy such a role reversal. In a way, she wished she could apologize to him. To Clint. To Princess Harue. They were as much victims as she was.

What would a future with them even look like? What would their rule look like? No such notes had been given yet, but Altagracia was certain that plans for the future of Siscia were already in the works. A handmaiden came in, providing the soon-to-be queen with final touch-ups along with her veil before leaving the room. So despondent was she now that not even the thought of Ryo's lips against hers got her riled up. She was out of angles. Out of leads. Out of hope. Instead, she simply awaited the sound of that dreadful organ. While she couldn't be entirely sure, she hoped that none of her associates had snuck into the proceedings. She'd rather them retain the image of her as a person rather than that of her as a marionette. For as she looked back at her reflection in the mirror, that was all that she could see.

Location: Chapel - Waiting Room
Company: No one
Outfit: Wedding Dress, Hair
OOC:

Beyond The Time
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Posted: Fri Aug 01, 2025 3:55 pm

"Ryo" "Bubby"
Stabbing the time prince in the foot was proving to be one of the biggest regrets Ryo’s had, as time was ever the enemy in the race down the aisle. A race in which both parties were trying to crawl at a snail’s pace to get ready, but their master would no longer allow them to make excuses. Ryo was finally of age to start his rule, which meant he needed to make his commitment to the Spirit Duchess, no matter how unwilling both parties were.

His mother thankfully was not in attendance for today’s event. Ryo was sure that his brother would say that it was intentional, but Ryo wanted to believe it was just that she couldn’t bear the thought of him marrying a woman he didn’t love for her transgressions. It felt like almost his entire family was against this marriage from the start, but the prince would do anything to keep his family together. Harue and Clint still had the chance for happy endings, but Ryo’s chance had shattered the moment he uttered his first words.

Today, he would only need to speak two words, but it felt more uncomfortable than having him at the center stage singing for class. Maybe that was because this was a performance of its own. It was open to any of the students at Utopia, not that Ryo had made the matter public by any means, but he didn’t know what Altagracia had said to others. The prince was still admittedly confused and conflicted by his brother’s confession a few weeks ago and wasn’t sure what stung more. The fact that his wife-to-be and brother had an affair behind his back, or that he had painted his future wife to be an evil maestro, only to be revealed that she too was a pawn in the same game as he.

It was easier to think of the duchess as a villainess in the matter, and after learning that she was just as innocent, if not more so, in this arranged marriage. Looking in the mirror, Ryo tried desperately to make himself smile but found himself unable to do so. " Remember when mother used to say that marrying our father was one of the happiest moments of her life? I think I understand how painful that lie was for her to tell now." He spoke, looking to his brother, the only person he had allowed to be with him before the wedding. If Harue were present, he would have kept such thoughts private for her sake, but it was just the two of them, and there was no need for them to protect one another’s feelings or innocence.

OOC: Sorry it is short but I wanted to get something out.
Wearing: x
Thoughts: Is it possible to leave?
Location: Chapel- Waiting Room
With: Clint

Posted: Fri Aug 01, 2025 8:00 pm

chapel - dressing room ✭ ryo ✭ clothes

It would be a lie to say that marriage was some kind of sacred thing to Clint. Sure, he believed in it well enough. Maybe one day he would want to consider settlin' down with a good woman and having a pack of kids or something. That was what people did, right? And he was people. He also wasn't entirely naive enough to think that everyone who married did so out of love. He didn't really have many memories of his parents when he was still living at the palace. They were there, but the memories were whispier than the spirits that constantly surrounded him. Entirely impossible to grasp onto and see clearly. The only times he could remember seeing his parents together were when he was a little older, maybe seven or eight and visiting before their father died.

They never looked happy together.

This wedding was like watching Ryo condemn himself into becoming their father.

Bile bubbled up into the back of his throat from the thought. It was more nauseating than watching this farce play out. The very farce that their mother was forcing the best person in their family into simply to help herself. Just as she always did. The b***h didn't even have the decency to be here, watching as her own son sold his soul for hers.

The tick in his jaw was back. One that he ground his teeth to try to pop out of it. For his brother's sake he'd been trying to keep it together these last few weeks. Really, Clint hadn't realized how much all of this would bother him. Maybe because before now it always felt so far away. Now it was taking every ounce of self restraint in his body not to heft Ryo up under his arm and march out of the groom's dressing room right out the ********' door.

"I'm sure she found her deal fine as gravy cream." The words felt clipped as he forced them out. Once again he rolled his jaw, like it would make it easier to speak as he continued. Unfortunately it didn't. "She was a gull marrying up for status. She wasn't in on any've this bullshit with leapin' the book."

Closing his eyes, he let out a heavy breath. This wasn't getting him anywhere. They'd had this argument a million times and every time Ryo had fought right back with some twisted sense of duty. Like he thought he was doing the right thing by their family. Like the shrew that sat on the throne had ever been any kind of family to any of them.

Bringing his hand up, he scrubbed it over his mouth before resting it on his brother's shoulder. "Listen." Clint knew this last warning would fall on deaf ears. Still he had to try one last time. "I am tryin' to respect your choices. If you want to run, I'm with you. If you're determined to go through with this? I'll do my damnedest to shut my ********' mouth and let you do it. Whatever you choose, you'n Harue are the family I care about and i'll ride the river with you."

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