The Way the World Works
 THE CAGE IS OPEN BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW TO FLY @Vivienne Thorne |
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For once, Antoine wasn't in his room. Instead, he was walking around the gardens carefully, trying not to get any dirt on his clothes. His father would kill him if he ruined the carefully picked outfits he had to wear, especially not five minutes before they were to have guests. In the afternoon, the sun's heat bore down on him, but Antoine didn't care. Instead, he simply stopped and smelled the roses. Literally. Figuratively speaking, there were no roses to smell.
At least he knew who was coming to see them this time. The Thorne family. And they had a daughter. Vivienne, he thought her name was. It had been a while since they've done this, but the family had ended up having breakfast together, and that inevitably led to the matter of having people over for lunch, and that quickly dissolved into a discussion about them and what they all thought about them and their work. And by they all, he meant his parents. Antoine's opinion was not valued; instead it was preferred for him to be silent and listen, something that he had managed to perfect.
Antoine was counting down the days before he was back in Beauxbatons, among students he wouldn't call friends, but who wouldn't obsessively correct everything he did, so they were already better company than his parents. He wondered what the girl would be like, but, then again, it didn't matter. She'd be in and out before he knew it, gone before he could even fully remember her name. In fact, the past few days were beginning to blur together, with his parents taking the opportunity of him being home to invite every family with kids his age they might know of. They really did the perfect happy family routine really well, using the excuse of getting the kids together to discuss business, weaseling their way into every important department.
Antoine knew their play, and he was unhappily playing his part. What other choice did he have? As the doorbell rung, the boy straightened, walking through the golden and white halls towards the door, knowing that greeting at the door was a matter of respect. A pleasant smile spread on his face, completely fake but seemingly genuine. Antoine was ready.
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sta 7 eva 5 str 3 wis 7 arc 7 acc 6
part-veela
part-veela
PC Lucille Rosenhart
The Way the World Works
interacting: @Antoine de Laurent date: 30 Dec 2025 location: de Laurent Manor time: afternoon outfit: vivi's clothes speaking:#8b2909(this) ───────────────── ୨୧ ────────────────Vivienne could count down the minutes she'd spent in the black car on their way to the de Laurent manor. Primarily because she'd been deprived of entertainment and couldn't wait to get this over with.
A trip to France was what they were on. She'd made the mistake of letting herself get excited over it. Upon reflection, she realized it was her oversight to assume that it would be anything like a family vacation. Her parents had been occupied with their own matters for the entirety of the trip, leaving Vivienne to take care of her younger brothers as an act of responsibility in the hotel they had booked. Connections, her father had told her, were what their society was based upon. It was important to have influence and say in things that mattered most; which was achieved partly by their heritage and partly by her parents' insistence on socializing with every powerful witch or wizard alive.
They'd made visiting the de Laurents a bigger deal than it needed to be. Her mother had personally approved her clothes and nitpicked her appearance. Every instruction Vivienne received prior to setting foot in that car was something she could actively recall. They'd do this every time—she was taught how to act no matter how many times she proved that she already knew.
She would've loved to stay at the hotel she had spent her past days in, but it was her father's insistence on her getting to know powerful heirs her age that made her come along. According to him, these visits were 'valuable experiences', which meant they were unavoidable. He had briefed her about the family they were going to meet; told her all about their work and their child she was supposed to get to know. Antoine de Laurent. Only child, apparently.
The conversation her parents were having with her brothers warning them not to cause mischief acted like background noise she gazed absentmindedly out the window. Then the Manor came into view.
It looked exactly like the sort of place her parents would approve of, which meant she already disliked it.
Not that anyone would know.
As they got out of the car, she could already see activity at the door. Probably someone coming out to greet them. A pleasant smile settled onto her features as she followed behind her parents, every movement practiced and elegant. Years of social gatherings had taught her precisely how to present herself; when to speak, when to laugh, and when to remain politely invisible while adults discussed matters they assumed children neither understood nor cared about.
As they approached the door, she spotted a boy she would assume was Antoine, judging by his body posture and demeanor. He was tall; definitely a lot taller than her, and seemed strangely intimidating. Or maybe it was just the fact that Vivienne was seeing him for the first time or maybe that upon looking closer, she could tell that his smile was fake just like hers. Well, observance had always come naturally to her. Whatever it may be, Vivienne diverted her gaze from him and looked ahead.
It was time to put up the pretense.
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The powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse. What will your verse be?