Dinner with Another Stranger PV Antoine de Laurent

date 28 December 2025 outfit speech #24245c word count 319 notes xxx THE CAGE IS OPEN BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW TO FLY @Kira Orlova

Once again, not two days after the first dinner, there was another one. This time, Antoine felt better about it. He was slowly adjusting to his customary duties, and it had been foolish of him to expect that his parents might want to spend his winter break together. Not that he really wanted to be together with just them, anyway. It was unbearable to be with just his parents. They would pick and nag, pointing out every flaw they saw, and once they were done with that, fall silent. Antoine had come to crave those silences, more than anything.

Most of his time was spent in his room, writing poems or notes or journals, anything that fit. He played the piano sometimes, but that was more his parents' activity forced upon him. He thought perhaps he might enjoy it more had it not been instructed and been made mandatory from a young age. But, no matter. Right now, he was expected to entertain.

The trio made their way down the staircase, arriving at the door. Antoine's father, Alphonse, was quick to open the door for the family waiting outside. There were fake smiles and pleasantries, all things Antoine was quite used to and, after being introduced to the parents, he turned to the daughter. She was familiar; he had seen her somewhere before. Perhaps at school? He couldn't be sure.

There was no need to dwell on that now. Antoine stepped forward and gave the girl a warm, inviting, fake smile. "Welcome! My name is Antoine. It's lovely to meet you. Why don't I show you to the dining room?" His parents were already deep in conversation, urging the family to follow, and Antoine wasted no time in reinforcing that. His voice was warm and pleasant, but, to Antoine, it was a robotic, boring movement. Nevertheless, he continued, his warm demeanor something not uncommon, but never to be trusted.

date 28 December 2025 outfit speech #24245c word count 401 notes xxx THE CAGE IS OPEN BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW TO FLY @Kira Orlova

There was something strange about the girl who had entered. She ticked all the boxes: she was polite, engaged, asking him questions. But Antoine was still a little intimidated by her presence. He knew he tended to have that effect on people sometimes, but to be on the receiving end was odd. Still, he would be polite and kind, the way he was supposed to be.

Before he could ask her any questions about herself, she directed one at him. Great. Antoine preferred asking the questions instead of answering them. He didn't like talking about himself, especially not with someone he had just met. But, nonetheless, he had to.

As he seated himself, he finally answered her question. "Beaubatons is lovely, although a bit cold this time of year. That just makes me happy to be back home." The last part of that sentence was almost forced out, and Antoine took a sip of water to reset himself. He was a good liar, but even he couldn't make home sound like a pleasant experience. Before Kira could say anything, he continued. "And what school do you attend?" He almost cringed when the words left his mouth. He should know this. Sure, his parents had told him nothing about this family, but he should've at least made an assumption. He was glad his parents hadn't heard him ask the question. He realized he had no idea where these visitors even came from, much less what school the daughter might attend. She looked to be around his age, so it was safe to assume she was in his year. He almost commented on it, but then stopped himself from embarrassing himself with a false assumption. No, better to just get Kira talking, ask her questions about school and home, and see what happens.

With that, he silenced himself. Silence was something Antoine was good at and, were it not for his Veela heritage, he would perhaps have been unnoticeable in most places. That, and his height, often made him stand out, no matter how much he wanted to stay anonymous. But he would never wish to blend in. Blending in was something Antoine could not do; he firmly believed he was unique, and deserved to be treated that way. Perhaps a lack of self awareness, but a belief nonetheless. He had a feeling Kira was similar, someone who resolved to make herself known.