People You Could Know PV

date 26 December 2025 outfit speech #24245c word count 820 notes xxx THE CAGE IS OPEN BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW TO FLY @Theodore Alexei Vorona-Russo

And so it begins. Antoine had barely been back from school and his parents had already thrown him into an uncomfortable event. The raven knew he was to entertain, but he simply hated being forced to do so. His mother had given him a smile, saying that they had delayed this dinner especially for him. "They have a son," she'd said shortly, and no further explanation was required. That simple sentence contained all the information Antoine needed to know. They have a son. You are to befriend him, and ensure that the pair of you get along. You will speak to him about whatever he wishes to speak of, and he will leave this manor telling his parents what a lovely boy you are to be around. And why, exactly, did this have to happen? So the Laurent family stayed on their high pedestal, a composed, untouchable woman whose history was never to be discussed, a determined man full of poise, whose poor decisions looked like good ones, and the polite son everyone wished was their own, never saying a word out of line, getting along with everyone he needed to get along with, and being the perfect combination of his parent's pet and his own individual person. Enough to look like he wasn't being controlled, but not enough to look like he was ill-behaved.

All of this may sound a bit too complicated to expect from an eleven-year-old, but it is something that can be done once learnt. And Antoine had had ample time to learn it. And so, he made no complaints as he wore the clothes picked for him, clothes he found rather ugly and, with a sigh, he recalled the freedom of Beauxbatons, wearing whatever he wished. Antoine would describe them as semi-formal, which was a rare treat.

He didn't know much about the family they were entertaining today; he tried not to ask too many questions. It simply frustrated his parents and, besides, all the names would merge together until he couldn't identify them either way. No need to learn anything about them when they'd be gone in a flash and, besides, what can one expect from an eleven-year-old? The age card was something Antoine would quite often use to his advantage. The rare instances of trouble he did cause were small enough acts of rebellion that they were simply put down to the naivete of his age.

He straightened, running a hand through his hair, which inevitably messed it up, before sighing and combing it back. Neat enough. With that, he paced impatiently around his room. The sooner they arrived the sooner they would leave. And, just like that, the doorbell rang.

Antoine walked quickly down the stairs of the spacious manner. Ordinarily, the boy was a stark contrast from his surroundings, the raven's broodiness clashing with the light, intimidating welcome of the manner. The colors one was greeted with were shades of white and gold but, for once, Antoine looked like he belonged here. He reached the door along with his parents.

Ordinarily, this would be the job of a house elf, opening the door and letting people in. However, his father made a point to be the one to welcome in anyone related to business, or anyone he deemed important. And it seemed these people qualified. Antoine's mother fussed a little over his appearance, but the annoyance was short-lived. Soon, the three stood up straight and tall as his father opened the door.

The first thing Antoine noticed was the stark contrast between the parents and son. The parents were dressed in an elegant fashion, while their son wore a hoodie. Perhaps someone like him, but brave enough to do what he wanted to do? Still, one can't judge from appearance too much. Antoine waited as his parents greeted the trio, knowing he was to wait his turn to introduce himself. His father was quick to usher them in and to the dining room, where they would sit.

As always, it would likely become a boring dinner, where he was expected to make small talk with this boy, sitting across from him or next to him at the table, depending on where he sat. And then, soon, his parents would excuse the pair, ushering them to go "play together" and Antoine, not wanting this boy in his room, would take him to the gardens, where they would continue their conversation while the adults talked business.

But, for now, his parents introduced him to the other family, and Antoine smiled his fake smile and nodded politely, wondering how long this would take. Finally, he stepped forward to receive the boy as his parents began to speak to the others and spoke. "Hello. My name is Antoine. It's a pleasure to meet you," he said, his English tinged with a French accent, extending his hand for the boy to shake, mimicking his father's movements.

date 26 December 2025 outfit speech #24245c word count 460 notes xxx THE CAGE IS OPEN BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW TO FLY @Theodore Alexei Vorona-Russo

"Theodore Vorona-Russo, sir." Sir? Antoine raised an eyebrow, his back to his parents, as Theodore shook his hand, letting his forced smile become a genuine one. That was amusing, but the boy quickly corrected his expression. When he spoke, it was always his eyes that gave him away, if only for a split second, and this time was no different. But his parents didn't see him break character, and that was what mattered. He doubted Theodore would say anything; there wasn't anything to say. With those few words, Theodore had already presented himself to be more interesting than most of the robotic conversations that occurred in the Laurent manor. Antoine knew it was just a remnant of the same social training he himself had received, but it was new to him nonetheless. And he respected it.

As they were seated, the adults began their idle conversations, talking of how their business was going and other boring topics Antoine never paid any attention to. He sat across from Theodore, and steeled himself for a night of small talk. But, looking up, he noticed Theodore avoided his eyes. In fact, Theodore avoided looking at him at all. That made him a little uncertain. He could not figure out this boy. Nonetheless, Antoine cleared his throat and spoke.

"So, Theodore, I assume you attend Durmstrang? Must be quite different from Beauxbatons, I imagine." His voice was low, careful not to interrupt any conversation from the older attendees. Despite being seated at the same table, this was to be a semi-private conversation. Unbeknownst to Antoine, his mannerisms resembled that of his father in the way he took a sip of his drink when he was done speaking, allowing the other person to continue the conversation. That was what Antoine preferred. Get the other person talking, and simply make a few comments here and there. He found most people enjoyed talking about themselves but, for some reason, he expected the opposite from Theodore. The boy had already surprised him once. He would not be caught off guard again.

Antoine was curious about this boy. He seemed to want to pass the time in silence. Unfortunately for him, Antoine was unable to do that. His fear of seeming rude and uninterested in front of his parents was greater than the desire to remain silent, which he would happily do if he was alone. Not to mention the boy would consistently get a faraway look in his eyes when he thought of other things and places, forgetting about the people in front of him. It took effort for Antoine to keep his mind from wandering, and to keep his expression from becoming uninterested. His eyes bore into Theodore, not leaving him for a minute, awaiting an answer.