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"Ah... I know when I am not wanted." Damian rose from the couch rather dramatically, giving a short little bow before leaving the two women alone. "Don't talk about me too much, I get rather boring after a few minutes," he called over his shoulder as he made his way towards the recreational room for a solo game of pool.

Lorey looked at Raquel for a confused moment once Damian was safely out of the picture.
"Are you two together?" she asked, not wanting to sound rude but not wanting to sound like she'd simply let it drop, either.

"Mm..." Lorey had remembered that feel with Richard. It was very brief, but there had been something between them that had sparked into a wildfire, into real love. She didn't know how it happened, but she didn't want it to ever end.

"Well... maybe you should play hard to get or something. You know, really see if he cares. With Richard, I was lucky enough to just find him, and everything went from there... and I don't know why..."
Damian suddenly inspired an anger within her just thinking about all that love nonsense he had spewed out while drunk. Lorey was quite sure she didn't believe it. And if he was treating Raquel in the same manner, then he would fall into 'love' then fall right back out when another new woman came along. This grudge would be hard to get rid of, to be sure.

She sighed.
"On second thought, he'd probably try to buy your affections back, so I'm really not sure. But you said he hasn't touched you yet? Is he being respectful or... just toying with you?"

"No," Lorey said to her comment about being filthy. "If he thought you were really beneath him, he wouldn't even give you the time of day. I've seen him treat people that way. There was one time when he publicly humiliated a woman because he heard she had beaten one of her maids."
Lorey had many, many stories to tell about the Ballroom, but she wasn't sure if Raquel would want to hear any of them just yet.

"So I'm really sure that Damian sees something in you... but remember, his father died, and he's going through a lot. He might take awhile."

"I guess we will." Lorey looked down out of shyness for a minute or two, truly not knowing what to say. There was too much sadness in both of their pasts to start up a normal conversation...

"So, in the meantime, you said you'd like help with reading?" The book on the side table was promptly picked up and examined. Judging from the advanced content, Lorey guessed it had been placed there for decoration and nothing but. even she couldn't wrap her brain around the instruction manual-like drynes of that read.

((posting and then going right back to sleep xD))

"I'll take whatever I can get, and we have online resources, too, so... well, we'll both just try to do what we can for ourselves, right?"
Lorey smiled and popped open the book besides them anyhow. It seemed to be one big oratory on... something. Intergalactic relationships and the quandaries of...
Lorey couldn't make the last word out, and on the very front page.
"How much do you know already? What words do you recognize? Any?"

"Ah..." Lorey watched her carefully, wondering if maybe this 'teacher' was only trying to keep Raquel down by telling her she'd never do well. She had people like that in her life as well. Those who would tell her repeatedly that she could never become smart or refined like the rest of the world seemed to be.
It was all a lie and she knew it.

"Let's start with something small... like... "cat."" Lorey looked about for a pen and a pad of paper, but not finding one, merely looked dejected. "I wish I knew how to teach someone... I barely know how to go about this myself. Maybe Damian could help..."

Meanwhile, Damian was in the recreational room, playing a singular game of pool. He was rather skilled at the game, though his current state of mind was making him miss almost every shot. Raquel, he thought with bitterness. What was he going to do with her?

First of all, she had a terrible reputation. His previous ruse of having her around as a paid date of sorts was falling apart before his eyes. She couldn't possibly be seen at any sort of true aristocratic function without running the risk of seeing a past client. And how would that be reflected upon him? Dating a prostitute... they would never let him live it down.

On the other hand, she was a beautiful person. Strong, in a way she couldn't see, and perhaps didn't want to. As he took another failed shot at the scattered balls, Damian's eyes softened. The way she had cried, and the way she had relaxed into his embrace like everything would be alright... he couldn't take that away from her.

If he cast her aside, she would go back to the streets...
If he kept her around, she would expect a relationship. They were both experimenting with each other, he knew. Nothing scandalous, but they both were not happy. Damian could see that. And yet he couldn't deny that there was a comfort in having her near, and hearing her voice.

He would just have to give it time. Open his heart a bit... let her know she was needed in some way.
But how?