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Posted: Mon Oct 07, 2024 7:22 pm

Characters: Atlagracia and Clint
Prompt: A cowboy and a detective walk into a game room. Pool and definitely nothing else at all ensues.

Posted: Sun Oct 13, 2024 6:12 pm

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ＤＵＣＨＥＳＳＯＦＳＩＳＣＩＡ

On some nights, Altagracia found herself having trouble sleeping. The sheer amount of auras constantly in her vicinity made it so that even when she closed her eyes at night, she was absorbing so much information. Traces of love, hate, and everything in-between could be found through the halls, and there were new lines to follow each day. Compared to her life before her abilities manifested, it was as though another layer had been added to her peripheral sight, and while she could sometimes act as though the world was as it once was, it was never quite the same. And unlike her normal eyesight, she perceived auras separately; they were always around her. So permeated was her vision with aura that they haunted her even in her own quarters. Despite making sure to keep encounters with others anywhere near there to a minimum, they nevertheless haunted her relentlessly one nights such as this one like ghosts she couldn't lay to rest.

Luckily, she had more than enough casework for her to find things to zero in on most of the time. Since the night of the explosion, there was a lingering tension among the students and faculty that didn't take an aura reader to see. Even so, the nature of her abilities meant that seeing such things was more of a literal experience for her. The various mixed emotions she normally envisioned around her had begun to swell, threatening to swallow Grace's vision whole if she didn't keep track of things. And as useful as following some of those threads would likely be, the young woman nonetheless found herself with almost too many leads at this point.

In times when she found herself too overwhelmed to do any proper tracking, she'd found a few ways to pace herself and escape from it all for a short while. The most common method she used over the years was to put all her brainpower into her puzzle books—crosswords, Sudoku, and the like. Tonight, however, she needed something with a bit more punch to it. Getting herself dressed in something simple, she made her way over to one of the open rooms the school had for leisure. In particular, this one had all sorts of games. From table tennis to shuffleboard, there were an assortment of activities that made enough noise and required enough precision that the spirit detective hoped they could help her calm her overactive mind enough so that she might allow herself some sleep this evening.

Beginning with a dart board, it quickly became apparent to Altagracia that this activity was one that she lacked any natural aptitude for. A couple of her first few throws didn't even land on the board itself, making dents in the wall as the darts missed their intended target. Feeling a bit embarrassed at herself, she took the darts she threw out and put them back away. While she knew that she wouldn't get in trouble for such minor damage, especially considering there were students who'd gone scot-free after doing much worse, she nonetheless found that this wasn't helping curb her overthinking one bit.

Next up, she went over to the pool table. At first, she felt a little silly at this point. After all, she wasn't the only person to use the room; there were many auras other than her own that lingered around here. One in particular looked quite familiar, actually. No, it couldn't be his. I'm sure he has far more important things to do than play games like a kid. Shaking her head to shoo the thought away, she put the various billiard balls into position so she could begin.

She took time to line her billiard stick into what she felt was the correct spot to get a few in on her first shot. Unlike with darts, this at least gave Grace the illusion that she had more control over what was about to happen. She understood that this was also a matter of precision, but the mechanics behind it felt far more tangible than throwing darts. Let's see now, steady...steady....and... With a loud clack, the spirit detective made her first stroke, the cue ball clashing with the neatly aligned triangle of billiards as the latter split apart. To her pleasant surprise, she actually got a couple in. Even better, the 8-ball was still in play.

"Aha! Much better."

Smiling at her small accomplishment, she analyzed the remaining billiard balls as she tried to figure out where would be the best angle to strike next. Her cue ball had landed close to a corner on the opposite side of the table, and there was now a 5-ball close to it but opposite the nearest hole. Other options were farther off, but the angle seemed better off in terms of getting them in. If she could aim the cue ball right, anyway. She could always just move it to a better position, of course, but as far as she was aware, she wasn't supposed to do that freely. And while she didn't exactly have any opponents who would call her out on it, Altagracia nonetheless wanted to face this challenge correctly. It made things harder, which was good as it made her focus more on her next play than on anything else going on around her. Besides, who knows? Perhaps being good at billiards would come in handy in encounters she had with people here in the future. After all, the spider dweeb wasn't the only one who could get valuable information just by interacting normally with people.

Bringing the cue stick back, she focused on her form as best as a novice could as she prepared for her next stroke.

Location: Recreation Room
Company: Alone
OOC: Outfit

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Posted: Thu Oct 17, 2024 6:57 pm

Game Room ✭ Altagracia

When he'd heard whispers from the dead about a - how did the say it again? 'Girl too young to be a lawyer but definitely looked like one' playing darts in one of the game rooms he frequented, the last person in the school he'd expected to see was his brother's intended. Then again, he hadn't expected her to be playing pool either based off of the whisperings of the ghosts in the halls. That was what he got for making a pit stop for a beer. Leaning on the door frame, he crossed one foot over the other and folded his arms over his chest to watch her as she delivered the break shot of the game. The sickening crack of the cue ball hitting the triangle made him smile as he watched two of the numbered balls roll into the pockets and several of the balls bounce off of the rails.

As she moved to line up her next shot Clint let out a low whistle. "Nice shot." Bringing the bottle up to his lips, he watched her fumble her next shot. It was almost cute watching how she startled. Smothering the laugh that had settled deep into his chest, pushed himself off of the door frame and entered the room proper. "Think you have room for one more?"

Despite asking he didn't wait for an answer. Instead he strode across the room to set the bottle on the rails of the table and pick up a cue stick of his own. Rubbing chalk on the tip, he leveled a lopsided grin at Gracie. It would be nice to get to know the woman who would become his sister-in-law a little better. They'd only ever met, what, a handful of times at Sismas balls he'd been called home to attend. All dressed up and miserable while watching her being pushed into Ryo? No, this was far better than any of the times they had gotten to talk at home.

Nodding toward the table, Clint called it. "That makes you solids then." Which meant he was stripes. It took him a minute to analyze how the balls had landed, then he approached the table. "Ever played before? This is called Muse Doubles. Just means we alternate after every shot, regardless if we bank or not." His height meant he had to lean over deeply to line up his shot, but he did and managed to get one of the stripes in a pocket as he did. Picking up his beer, he stepped back to give her space at the table. Taking a quick drink before leaning lightly on his cue stick, he leveled Grace with a curious look. "Couldn't sleep or something?"

Posted: Thu Oct 24, 2024 10:01 pm

ＡＬＴＡＧＲＡＣＩＡ ☯ ＳＡＲＭＩＥＮＴＯ
ＤＵＣＨＥＳＳＯＦＳＩＳＣＩＡ

Ok, just like before. Steady...steady...and...

"Nice shot."

"AH!"

Missing her stroke completely, Grace nearly tripped herself over as she frantically got shaken up by the mere sound of Prince David's voice. Even more frantically did she straighten up, blowing a loose lock of hair off to the side as it had fallen into her face. Despite the aura she noticed earlier to so obviously be his, she hoped from the bottom of her heart that for once she was wrong. Perhaps if she were less desperate to find something to help her get in the right mindset to go the ******** to sleep, she would've been more careful. For now, however, she would have to deal with the consequences of her actions. And with Prince David here, it wasn't likely that she'd do so very well.

"Think you have room for one more?"

"O-of course, my prince!"

It was silly, really. Altagracia knew that. This was probably the first time she'd ever had a direct conversation with the man, but with how red her cheeks had gotten before he even entered her line of sight, you'd think he'd done everything in his power to charm the socks off of her. She was smiling so very awkwardly, both moving around too much and too little as he walked over to the pool table. Her fingers couldn't stop clattering about her cue stick, keeping it loosely upright as she let it come down to the floor, but she was otherwise super stiff. It was the best she could manage given the circumstances, but Grace knew she must've looked like such a fool.

She'd always been a fool for Prince David, though, even if he didn't know it. He was her childhood crush; from the first time he saw him, she was utterly smitten. She was quite little, no older than 9. It was the kind of crush where she hoped to carve their initials onto a tree, attend a ball together, and hold hands as they talked about their lives for hours on end. David was only a year older than her, but even then he looked so much more world weary than she was.

When she developed her ability to perceive aura, those feelings only intensified. She spent days on end trying to decipher what her powers were showing her every time she saw him from across the grand ballrooms and event halls they'd both be at. Altagracia only ever got to see him at Siscia's biggest events, given that he only came back to the capital for the most important of circumstances. From an early age, the younger of the two princes of spirit had been sent away to the countryside to better control his abilities. In that sense, the duchess felt as though she could relate.

Seeing everyone's aura when her powers first manifested was like overstimulation far beyond what a normal person could experience. It wasn't the same as her senses taking in too much information; she'd gained a new sense altogether, and her body had to adjust. Not only that, but the things she'd perceive changed her worldview forever. Up until then, Altagracia experienced the world at face value. What people said was what they meant, and where they went was where they said they went. People could lie, of course, but this was more than just deciphering truth. All around her, everyone's soul constantly showed their true colors, no matter how hard they tried to conceal their intentions from the material world. It felt as though she had a kick me sign on her back for all of her life, and she only then got told about it.

Even her own parents, who swore they'd always be honest with her, wore masks around her. Being nicer about things than they really wanted to be, or being dismissive when all they really wanted to do was shout at her. Everyone was lying all the time, and when Grace would look into the mirror, even her own reflection didn't show the depth of emotions her aura could convey. It was maddening.

She didn't go to any formal events at that time, her parents fearing the densely packed galas and such would be far too much for her. In her seclusion, Altagracia often wondered what Prince David's aura might be like. For a lot of people, her perception of them and their respective auras was like night and day; would he be the same? Or did his soul ring true? Such people were a rarity, so it was really just wishful thinking. Still, that same thinking helped pull her through her initial adjustment period. She reasons to re-acclimate to society beyond him, of course, but the thought of laying eyes on her prince once again nonetheless was a major component in her rehabilitation.

When she finally did get to see him again, however, the experience was nothing at all what she expected it to be. Laying eyes on him from a seat far from where the royal family sat, she let out an audible gasp when she finally got to see his aura. It was so dark, so tortured. What had they been doing to him at that ranch to make him so sullen? He'd always looked reserved, but this was far beyond what she had expected. After the event, she begged her parents to urge the king and queen to let David come home again. Surely he had gotten a grip on his abilities by then; there was no reason for him to continue experiencing whatever hardships he was going through out in the countryside!

Altagracia knew she was being selfish back then, of course. She could see it every time she saw herself. It was around that time that she came to understand that one's aura and one's physical self were simply not always aligned with one another. It brought her greater self-assurance in this new world that she lived in, which felt nice in a way, but it did nothing to save her charming prince. Her parents were no help either, the two of them telling her no so resoundingly that even their auras showed there was no chance of them doing what she asked of them. They were frightening enough before when they got series, but now? When both body and spirit were in agreement with one another? She knew all too well that there was no chance they'd change their mind.

It wasn't long after that when her parents told her the full extent of their relationship to the Fushiguro/Westbark family, informing her that she was to be betrothed to the elder of the two Siscia princes instead of her darling David. Grace begged and pleaded for them to do something about this at least, the young teen admitting how she pined for him for the first time. Her face was beet red, just as it was now, but her parents paid no mind to her feelings. And why would they? She would be Queen, the highest honor she could ever get to have, and she wanted to try and throw that away for someone she'd never even spoken to? That was the first time the foolishness of it all had ever really been pointed out to her, and it hit her hard.

The more she had thought about it, the more she began to question what feeling she could even have for David if she hadn't spoken a word to her. The most interaction they'd had at that point were fleeting curtsies and bows, and yet she spoke of him like they spent every waking moment together. It was so silly when she thought about it like that, but it was hard to let those feelings go. Even worse was the prospect of marrying Prince Ryo instead; to say their first proper interaction with each other went poorly was putting it very lightly. Nevertheless, the would-be spirit detective tried her best to leave her childhood crush in her childhood as she transitioned to adult life.

And yet here she was, 20 years old, barely acting any differently at all from when she was a schoolgirl. It didn't help that David had only gotten more and more handsome as the years went by, even if his current taste in fashion was a sad reflection of the life he'd been forced to lead. Still, black was a good color on him; that much Altagracia could not deny. But while his appearance had changed, his aura was the same. No, not entirely. The spirit detective couldn't be sure, this being the first time she really got to take a good, long look at it, but her gut was telling her that his aura felt heavier than before. Time had only deepened the abyss that was his sorrow, and no amount of cheap beer could take that away from it.

"Couldn't sleep or something?"

"Eh?"

Ah, right. He'd been speaking to her. Altagracia had gotten so lost in reminiscing about their lack of a past together that she almost missed what he'd been saying. Luckily, some part of her had gotten the gist of his words.

"Ah, um...my apologies, Prince David. Yes, I'd found it rather difficult to sleep and thought this might help somehow."

Even that sounded silly now that she said it out loud. Despite how small the age gap between them was, she was nevertheless certain that her prince must've considered her rather childish in comparison to himself. Even now, he seemed far more worldly than she was. She'd studied a plethora of subjects and crafts while soul-searching before finally choosing to be an investigator, but David had an air to him that made Altagracia feel as though he'd lived entire lifetimes in comparison to her. She couldn't deny that she'd be curious to learn of all he'd been through at the hands of those horrible ranchers, but perhaps it'd be better not to start with that. For now, she'd simply engage in a little bit of small talk.

"Muses doubles, you said? N-no, I've never played before. This is my first time playing any sort of billiards, actually. Would it be your turn, then? I'd broke, so I've already had one prior. At least, assuming you wanted to play, that is. I know it makes sense considering everything you've said and done so far, but it's like they say, right? When you assume, you make an a** out of you and me. Not that I'd ever even dare call you an a**, Prince David, I just...uh..."

Shutupshutupshutupshutup OH MY GOD STOP TALKING!

"Sorry. I'd been trying this out to avoid overthinking but you can see how well that's going so far. Please, my prince, take your turn."

Ok, that was far too much small talk. Right about now, she was wishing she had a Chronesian friend that could've been there to turn back the clock so that Prince David wouldn't have had to have experienced all that. Unfortunately, it was just the two of them. Then again, that was surely to change; given how she rambled at him like a complete dumbass, she was certain that Prince David wouldn't be keeping her company for very long. Perhaps it had been for the best that she'd never really spoken to him before. At least from afar, she couldn't act like nearly as much of an idiot. Subtly pinching one hand with the other in the hopes that she'd in fact been dreaming all along, she was sad to find out that this seemed to in fact be reality. Her only hope now was that he wouldn't subject himself to her nonsense for long, so that she could go to a corner and scream at herself like she so desperately wanted to.

Location: Recreation Room
Company: Prince David
OOC: Outfit

Beyond The Time
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Posted: Mon Oct 28, 2024 7:06 pm

Game Room ✭ Altagracia

It was nice to know that his sister-in-law spooked like cow in a thunderstorm. The way that she had gone entirely ridged was amusing, if not downright cute. Normally he was overhearing everything he didn't want to know from the dead that lingered everywhere. Who treated everyday life like it was some kind of soap opera that they could watch and comment on and gossip about. But with Altagracia the fact that she'd had a schoolgirl crush on him had been easy to tell. Clint wasn't blind, and the girl had spent entire balls ignoring Ryo to stare at him doe-eyed. Her mooning had been so obvious that despite only seeing each other a handful of days out of the year, even as a boy he could tell. One day she would grow out of it.

Right?

Maybe that was being overly hopeful. Well, not maybe. The stiff clattering of her cuestick as she moved unnaturally around it and her passionate speech about her lack of experience in pool was a sure sign that whatever feelings she'd once had were still there. Clint would have felt worse about his brother's fiance having feelings for him if he hadn't been fully aware of the fact that Ryo harbored no feelings for the girl either. Something about how she didn't like Bubby? As if that made any sense. Bubby was hilarious.

"Sorry. I'd been trying this out to avoid overthinking but you can see how well that's going so far. Please, my prince, take your turn."

Prince David. My Prince. The terms were making his skin prickle with discomfort. She wasn't wrong to call him as much. By blood he was just as much a prince as Ryo. Yet the title had never seemed to fit him right. Not when he'd been the extra who had been so easily traded off for loyalty to the crown. Trying to shake off the gloom that hung over him, Clint took a swig of his beer before setting it down on the bumper. "It's fine," Smiling, he leaned over to line up his shot. "I am an a**. You're just being honest." There was a laugh in his voice as he pulled back the cuestick. Letting it loose pocketed one of the striped balls.

Pulling himself back, he considered if he should say anything. It wasn't like she was committing some horrible crime calling him by his title. But every time she did it was a reminder. Of how unprepared he was for the formal lessons they were all in. How much more comfortable he was out in the barns than in these halls. How he missed the stables where he was just Clint. How little his mother and father had actually cared about him. It was nice actually getting to talk to her for once and not just talking with his brother about how little either of them knew about his fiance for the five hours a year they got to see each other. But trying to talk to her while she tried to be so formal with him was going to become a chore.

Leaning back against the wall, he took a deep breath. Not yet. Just a couple more minutes of awkward normalcy. "I know a thing or two about having too much on your mind." His eyes danced to the corners of the, thankfully, empty game room. It was part of the reason he liked this room so much, the dead seemed to find it boring. Granted, most of the dead here seemed to be far too invested about who was sleeping with who so a mostly empty billiards room wasn't going to give them a whole lot to talk about. His eyes returned to the duchess with a laugh.

"Or too many voices in your head. Gets hard to focus, then you're stalled out unable to do anything because there's just too much going on all at once. If your idea of re-centering is teaching yourself a game, you're doing better than me."

It was the truth. The real reason he'd even found this room was escaping the incessant buzz of ghastly voices that plagued him. It had become too much to listen to, and Clint had dealt with it the only way he'd ever known how. Holing up in a dark, quiet place and curling into the smallest ball he could get his six foot six body into. This room has started out as one of those holes. But that wasn't something he was about to admit to the brunette before him.

A moment of silence passed between them before he brought a hand up to his mouth, covering it. With a sigh he knew it was time. Time to rip the bandaid off. "Listen, Gracie, we're not at home. You don't have to refer to me so formally." Scrubbing his hand down his mouth and uncovering his face, he reluctantly continued. "The only time I've ever been a prince has been in the halls of the Siscian castle. Normally I go by Clint, but even just David is fine if that's too out of left field for you." The words felt clumsy in his mouth, unused to having to ask not to be called a prince. At the palace he was Prince David, with the stuffy suits and suffocating parties. Overstimulated beyond measure, but a prince none the less. But at the stables? He was simply Clint. No asking required. It wasn't like they had cowboy kumbaya circles to talk about their feelings. Everyone knew he was living there the same as them, his blood be damned. And he preferred it.

Posted: Thu Nov 14, 2024 9:14 am

ＡＬＴＡＧＲＡＣＩＡ ☯ ＳＡＲＭＩＥＮＴＯ
ＤＵＣＨＥＳＳＯＦＳＩＳＣＩＡ

Altagracia blinked, unsure if what was in front of her was reality. In a world where things made sense, Prince David would be long gone. Or laughing at her stupid stammer. Or something else compared to the scene she bore witness to. He certainly seemed entertained, but it didn't seem that his interest in staying here had wavered. In fact, the prince seemed more invested in being here than ever.

Was he just going to rub her behavior in her face, then? Surely Prince David wouldn't...right? Then again, she didn't actually know the man to say something like that. She only had her theories—what her heart wanted him to be. And even that sounds silly. Looking down, the duchess of spirit's expression became despondent as she awaited some sort of chastising. She deserved it, after all. By all accounts, she was to one day be married to this man's older brother. And yet instead of showing any affection to the man who would one day be king of their nation, she had chosen to pine over Prince David instead. Well, it wasn't a choice per se; he made her heart flutter from the moment she first laid eyes on him, after all.

But what was a choice of hers was to stand there like a lovesick puppy in front of a man who'd already suffered through so much in life. Glancing back up at him, her eyes only meeting his eyes for the briefest of moments before descending once more, Grace tried to get a better idea of what was possessing him to keep him from leaving. From that alone, she was able to understand that there was a sort of...fondness? That didn't feel quite right, as they hadn't exactly ever been close or anything. She could also sense a hint of judgment as he sipped his beer, so she braced herself for the worst.

"It's fine, I am an a**. You're just being honest."

"I beg of thee, my prince, ple- eh?"

The spirit detective was at a loss for words. Did he just...call himself an a**? Does he think I think he's an a**? Oh gods he does. Eyes darting up at him again, this time staring for a long moment, her eyes met his, and it was like she was without her abilities once more. The world stopped when she looked at him, or at least that's what it felt like. There was a certain intensity to his gaze, likely born from the torturous years he spent away from home. And right now that scared the s**t out of her.

"I know a thing or two about having too much on your mind."

Adding to her confusion was the fact that her prince was now...relating to her? It had to be pity, no? Although taking a moment to look away and laugh, perhaps to brush away darker thoughts, that heaviness that weighed on him was as apparent as ever. He continued to console the brunette by sharing his own burden. And in listening to him speak of the misfortune his ability brings him, she too felt heard. He understood the constant struggle for peace of mind, having an open door for the vestiges of others that could never be closed. Did he ever have anyone to talk through it with, I wonder? Easing her stance as his words continued to grace her ears, the duchess of spirit met his returned gaze with a wistful smile.

It got quiet for a moment, with Altagracia cautious about speaking up in case she went full blabbermouth mode on him again. It was clear to her that he hadn't come for such annoyances. For now, she would lend him her ears. She could offer him that at least, right? At least until she felt confident that she'd regained her composure.

"Listen, Gracie, we're not at home. You don't have to refer to me so formally."

However, that would be easier said than done. From the moment he referred to her as "Gracie," her face went red again, and she could no longer hold a gaze with him. With most people, she'd correct them and have them refer to her as "Grace" should they wish to use a nickname with her. Her family could call her Gracie, and those closest to her, but no one else. She'd probably be furious if it were Prince Ryo who referred to her as such, the snake that he was. But coming out of Prince David's mouth...it felt nice to hear.

"The only time I've ever been a prince has been in the halls of the Siscian castle. Normally I go by Clint, but even just David is fine if that's too out of left field for you."

Altagracia nodded enthusiastically, still over the moon at how sweet he was being, even when correcting her. Just how were he and Ryo related? "N-no, it's fine. If it's Clint that you prefer, then it's Clint you shall be," said Altagracia quietly, shyly looking towards him before returning her gaze towards the safety of the floor. She'd clearly caused him some discomfort, and he was the one person she'd never wish to hurt. He'd been far too hurt already.

"It's just, well..."

Nervously bringing her lower lip in to bite down, she felt stupid for even attempting to ask. Could the investigator in her not shut up for just 5 minutes? Was she really so pretentious to think that she could be of use to a prince? Her prince? Then again, it seemed as though he hadn't had many people within the palace who cared much either, with the way his aura wavered as he spoke of it.

"Forgive me if I'm overstepping, but...it just doesn't seem right. What they did to you, that is."

Perhaps it was bitterness from her own circumstances that granted her a brief respite from the butterflies that had been fluttering in her stomach since Prince Clint entered the room. Slowly, she moved to make her next shot as a way of dissociating from her words for a moment. "I'm sure there was reason placed into sending you away...and you don't have to speak on it, of course, but I..." As she went to shoot, her hands got a bit shaking. The confidence was beginning to dissipate just as quickly as it had formed, but she'd already gotten this far. She'd have to follow through now, right? Taking a breath, she eased her hands, straightened her cue stick, eyed the ball she meant to pocket...and went for it.

The cue ball connected, but not in the way she'd intended. She had in fact pocketed the ball she had her eye on, but she had put too much power into her stroke; the cue ball fell in with it. It had flown too close to the sun...and so had she. It was a premonition, a fate that she hoped that she still had time to avoid. Somberly, she retreated back to a straight stance.

"No, I shouldn't be bringing such things up. I have no right. We're just meant to be escaping it all, playing Muses Doubles. I...I'm sorry, Clint."

Her voice was shaky and her body followed suit. Prince Clint didn't know her at all; how could she be so insensitive? They weren't anything to one another. She had no claim to his heart; in fact, this was the first time they were actually speaking to one another aside from the handful of formalities they found themselves in over the years. How could she be so stupid? Prince Clint was no a**, even if he'd been humble enough to position himself as such. She was. Eyeing the doorway, she knew she should probably just head back to her room. At least if she made a fool of herself there, no one else would be harmed by it.

"If you want...I can leave. This was your space anyway, I'm just intruding."

Location: Recreation Room
Company: Prince David
OOC: Outfit

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Posted: Thu Nov 21, 2024 8:53 pm

Game Room ✭ Altagracia

The drop of her eyes told him what was coming. The fussing of her lip, the way she began to shake. If there was one thing that his brother's fiance was not, it would have to be subtle. Or maybe that was just the effect he had on her. It was hard to say. A knowing smile crossed his face as Clint waited patiently for her to just spit it out.

"Forgive me if I'm overstepping, but...it just doesn't seem right. What they did to you, that is."

Ah, there it was. As she spoke, Altagracia seemed to slow like molasses. Every movement now shaking and overthought as she dug into the one sore spot he had. Yet, somehow, he couldn't bring himself to mind. Maybe it was the honesty she was offering him instead of dancing around what was very clearly on her mind. Maybe it was the genuine upset in her voice that seemed to cling to her every action. It took a certain kind of sweet girl to be that worried about someone she barely knew. Crushes aside, the duchess didn't have to care a lick for him outside of his face. And here she was so worried about upsetting him she could barely shoot straight.

When her shot finally connected, Clint's eyes followed the cue ball. Watching it hit the ball into the hole and then follow in right after it was like some kind of poetic bullshit that mirrored the situation they were in now. Right? That was how that serendipity s**t worked. Just like how he had decided on a game of pool for the sake of getting away from Hector drooling over some exes ******** about eight rooms down from his had brought him straight into this meeting.

"If you want...I can leave. This was your space anyway, I'm just intruding."

The smile on his face grew, forcing him up to reset the table. "Funny thing is, Gracie," Clint paused to reach down into the pocket she'd just shot into, fishing out the cue ball. Setting his bottle on the bumper, he pulled her free so it was palm up and he could hand her the cue ball to hold. "I'm trying to tell you none of this is my space." He didn't linger, not wanting to set her off further when she already seemed so delicate.

"Pardon my Aloran, but this s**t ain't me. I'm the real intruder here. And you ain't wrong for asking." The last statement had come only with the realization that she would blame herself if he didn't say something. He'd only gotten about half of the balls back into the triangle when he stopped for a moment to scrub a hand down his face. Frustration knit his brows, trying to find the right words to make his meaning come across crystal clear. This wasn't his strong suit, but here they were getting into the touchy-feely s**t he did his damnedest to avoid.

"What my parents did to me was wrong. I'd be lying to both of us if I told you it wasn't. There isn't a godsdamn day that goes by that I don't wonder what I could have done not to be sold like cattle by the people who were supposed to love me the most. But I don't regret it. I don't think there's a way I ever could regret it."

For a moment he stood there, arms set wide so he could lean over the table. It hadn't taken long to reset the game, and all of the balls sat neatly in the triangle with the stripes in the back, solids in the front, and eight-ball in the center. Did Clint really want to admit more to her? At the same time they had already come so far. What was a little more of the truth to shatter whatever illusion of him she had been holding so dear for as long as he could remember?

"I don't know what I'm doing here, Gracie." Emotion welled within him, slipping unwanted into his voice as he continued. "I can't dance, I ain't built for this two-faced bullshit some of these nobles toss around. I don't know the politics of it all. Out there on the ranch? That makes sense. Everything you do has a purpose. In here? Well, I'm just here to support my brother the way he's spent his life supporting me. Naddaha only knows if I'm doing that right."

s**t. That had been too much. So much for not having any cowboy kumbaya circles, because apparently Clint was smack in the middle of one without even realizing it. Pushing off of the bumper, he decided to do what he did best to cover what had just poured out of his mouth. Slipping the triangle off of the table, he hung it back on the hook under the table. "Now get over here and break so we can start a new round." Picking up his beer by the neck of the bottle, he downed what was left. Part of him wished he'd brought more than one bottle to the room with him, but then he hadn't been expecting to pour his heart out to his to-be sister-in-law either.

Posted: Sun Dec 08, 2024 11:59 am

ＡＬＴＡＧＲＡＣＩＡ ☯ ＳＡＲＭＩＥＮＴＯ
ＤＵＣＨＥＳＳＯＦＳＩＳＣＩＡ

Altagracia found herself closing her eyes. Whatever judgment Clint had for her, she did not want to see, nor was she currently capable of handling the aura of swirling frustration that he'd surely have draped around him. It wasn't that rejection was new to her; her pleas had gone ignored often enough in the past that she thought she'd built some resistance to hurting so much from it. But from Clint? Her mystery prince that she'd foolishly fawned over for all this time? To say that the thought was devastating would be putting it oh so lightly. Logically, she knew better than to get so worked up over it. It was clear enough that despite thinking she'd known him so intimately on an emotional level, Grace knew nothing about the details from which those feelings arose.

The enigma that was David Westbark, the idea of him that she'd idolized for so long, was nothing more than that: an idea. The man in front of her now, the real Prince David, was nothing like the David she had imagined him to be. And just the same, she was not the person she thought she could be for him. It had all been selfish, single-minded doting over someone who probably wanted as little to do with her as possible. Indulging her with a game was one thing, but having to put up with her incessant need to look further into things was another issue entirely. With that in mind, she braced for impact.

"Funny thing is, Gracie, I'm trying to tell you none of this is my space."

"...H-huh?"

Peeking one eye open, she found Clint to be smiling at her in a somewhat sheepish way. There were hints of frustration there, but not the raging inferno she thought it would be. It came in waves, pulsing out but never quite reaching a fever pitch. Was he holding himself back for Ryo's sake? Not that the puppetmaster cared much for her anyways, but perhaps Clint thought it rude to cast aside his brother's fiancée as fiercely as he clearly wanted to.

Has he found a way to curse my existence even here, then?

"Pardon my Aloran, but this s**t ain't me. I'm the real intruder here. And you ain't wrong for asking."

He felt that way about himself? As Clint continued to speak, her understanding of the situation shifted. Instead of trying to find a lighter way to ask her to go away, he instead showed himself to be wavering in regards to the hardships he'd endured. Ah. Even now I've found a way to be selfish towards him. With both eyes now open, she stood quiet and still as Clint continued to open up to her. It was the least she could do. As he went on to reassure himself regarding the life he had led, Altagracia could tell there was more that needed to be said.

The wavering was reaching a fever pitch, like a bomb that was inching closer and closer to going boom. Perhaps this was the struggle she'd seen in him for so long; she'd surmised that he felt like a fish out of water but had confused land for sea. Being so candid wasn't a social norm for the elite, let alone allowing oneself to be vulnerable. Altagracia herself was an existence edited and polished by so many hands that it was sometimes hard to tell which opinions she had were truly her own. She would not do that to Clint; he had dealt with enough people trying to control his life. She would do her best not to add her name to that list.

Clint paused for a moment, to which Altagracia responded with a reassuring nod. "Please, keep going." If he hadn't wished for her to leave, then she wasn't going anywhere. He could speak his truth. With the full attention of her aquamarine gaze, the younger Siscian prince continued to share his doubts of belonging at the school. Of lacking purpose. But he also shared the close bond he shared with Ryo, which he seemed to have taken as a source of strength all throughout his life. Her gaze wavered for a moment, her arms crossing. It wasn't fair to Clint, but it was hard to reconcile the fact that Ryo brought Clint such comfort yet offered her nothing. She'd known for years now how little she thought of her, and yet confronting that never got any easier.

"Now get over here and break so we can start a new round."

Looking over to the prince again, she'd been so entranced by him that she hadn't registered the fact that he was resetting the table until now. A faint smile crossed her lips. "Not a problem." With another nod, Grace took careful steps around the pool table to break once again. As she bent down to aim her cue, going back and forth a few times as she contemplated how one perfects their craft in a game with so many variables, she glanced back at him again.

"And don't feel any sort of way about opening up. It happens. Just don't think things are impossible for you either, okay? You've persevered through a lot in life; you can make it through this. If you ever need any support, there are people in your life that'll be there for you. Take comfort in that, for that is the real truth of it all. Just like how..."

Putting her full focus back on her shot, Altagracia went for the break. The sounds of clattering orbs filled the room, and once again she'd gotten a couple in while ending with the cue ball in a less than ideal position. However, this time that wasn't her problem. "You really might end up losing if you keep worrying about worrying," she said in a soft, coy tone, a teasing smile lightly tracing her lips. Lifting her cue with one hand as she stood up straight again, Altagracia used her free hand to fix up her bangs.

"Best of luck to you, cowboy."

This man might have been removed from the Prince David of her wildest dreams, but perhaps that was for the best. Grace had filled out every detail about that David in her head, and where was the fun in that? Moreover, she owed it to him to cast aside every childish connotation she had written down in her head about him. This Clint was not a fantasy; he was a real person, one with real issues that were likely far from anything she'd made up for him. But investigating was in her blood, and if he'd allow her...she'd like to get to know the real him instead.

The various auras that flooded every foot of this campus were sometimes intense to the point of disorientation, but it was easier when she had one to focus on. Perhaps, in some way, she could offer him the same comfort. She likely couldn't solve all his problems like she could in her dreams, nor could he solve all of hers, but that didn't mean she shouldn't try to support him. He'd treated her fairly despite acting like a lovesick puppy towards him, so it was only fair that she respond in kind.

Location: Recreation Room
Company: Prince David
OOC: Outfit

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