Inspired by Clark's heartbreak over Alyssea Brown and also the song from Jum Capaldi called "Love Hurts" - [Youtube] [Spotify]
--- ic date: Saturday Feb 14 2025 @ 9am feat npc girl around his age.

Who did that girl think she was? Sure, it had been a good long while since they were together. No, they never dated. No, they never swore they were boyfriend and girlfriend. He was simply just another one of those soulless, heartless and sedimentary rocks that seemed to just grind away at the hurt.

It was an interesting morning, to him, even if the weather wasn’t actually like how he was seeing it through his own filtered and limited eyesight, it seemed to be a cold and grey morning. Clark may have been another year older since he set the Hufflepuff dorm on fire at four in the morning, but despite being away from Hogwarts for so long, he hadn’t matured. He had not grown. He was not wiser.

When other students would talk about Амур (Love), he would think back to Alyssea. It was unfair that Valentine's Day was all about love and romance. What a horrible time to be looking for people to date or be with. Clark had no one.

But a girl walked by, her hair braided. Her outfit was stunningly beautiful, the makeup well-done, the metallic nails reflecting the sky tinted, and Clark couldn’t help but keep his eyes on her. Why did she look so..

With a sharp clattering thud, the small stacks of books that she was carrying fell to the ground, pages of her homework scattered away like a herd of toddlers who were naturally curious and would try to run towards whatever interested them every millisecond.

She went to her knees and picked up her books. In that second, Clark finally opened his mouth to talk. “Эй, девушка, почему у тебя в руках книги? Сегодня нет занятий.” (Hey, lady, why there books in your arm, there no class today.)

“Я просто отнесу их другу. Они потеряли свои книги.” (I’m just taking it to a friend. They lost their books.) She said, now having collected everything that had fallen to the ground, and stood up.

Clark wasn’t letting her go this easily. He shifted his weight and scraped his shoes on the floor to try and keep her from walking away. He couldn’t let her go, not when the universe had the very audacity to send him someone who looked that stunning on a morning like this.

“Look, I..” Clark jumbled his words in his head. “Do you always wake up this early?”

“Мне жаль?” (I’m sorry?) The young lady replied, his primary language countering hers. Clark felt a wave of red go to his face. He spoke slowly, but softly due to feeling a wave of shame, trying to make sure his words were right. “Вы всегда так рано просыпаетесь?” (Do you always wake up this early?)

“Да, это проблема?” A response that Clark wasn’t expecting, he hadn’t learned what problem was in Russian! That last word lingered like fruitflies to a banana in his brain. But, he did understand yes.

“Ты хочешь со мной встречаться? Ты прекрасная женщина. Тебе повезло быть со мной. Очень повезло.” (You want date me? You beautiful woman. You lucky to be with me. Very lucky.) The goblin replied, starting off with a hesitant tone but the last part? The lucky part? He put on mock confidence, to make himself seem greater than he really was.

He stood on his tippy toes, puckered up his lips and leaned in, hoping she would kiss.

Instead, what he got was a slap to the face that practically shattered his eardrums and sent a loud ringing sound through his head. “Нет. Я не встречаюсь с гномами.” (No, I don’t date dwarves.)

With that, that pretty lady walked away with a haste and yet, to Clark, the dignity of a dignified woman. He needed to know more about her, perhaps he’ll go bother Aulis later. He was definitely on a first name basis with him at this point.

What sucked for Clark was the fact that he was unwanted.

Again.

He swallowed hard, and allowed his jaws to tighten. He watched her leave and sadly noted that she never even looked back. Not once. She didn’t seem to care if she may have hurt Clark, and just kept going. Her hair swung back and forth as if like some sort of banner of victory, and he knew Alyssea was like that. A dork, sure, but she was his soulmate!

And he had found another soulmate. He needed to make sure this one didn’t let him go. It was a necessity. He rubbed his cheek, the heat radiating from beneath his fingertips. The ringing had yet to end, and it was like the slap had knocked all of his pride, dignity and sanity out inside him, and it was like he had empty space inside again.

“Гном…” (Dwarf) Clark had repeated solemnly, he was a part goblin for gods sake! He wasn’t one of those trash beings that were played out in Dungeons and Dragons! He was the best race there was out there! He was a goblin! How could someone disrespect him like that?

He wasn’t okay, though. A beautiful lady, Valentines day morning, rejection and a slap, an insult to him.

He exhaled sharply, allowing the air to be forced out of his nostrils. “Fine, whatever. She doesn’t know me.” Clark muttered and straightened his posture. He wanted her to know him. Wanted her to realize that she just made a mistake and to come back and take his hand.

He hated that he wanted her to. He hated that she had walked into his dazed morning like a spark that happened to land on dry wood. He hated that this everloving beautiful, heaven-granted woman had the nerve to look like she was an angel sent from the heavens.

He hated that she had the nerve to remind him of Alyssea, not that she knew of her. But worst of all, he hated that he cared about this. He couldn’t brush it off.

He muttered, staring at the spot she once was. “Love is stupid.”