Origins IC (Story setup for Starfinder game)

[Diachronos]

William Scorn holds out his arms. "This is it, our new home!" He turns with a smile to his wife Bianca and his twelve-year-old son Gabriel. "What do you think?"

The abode is definitely nice, and extravagant as someone would expect of the manor of a member of the Galactic Council, but its small size compared to other estates gives away William's relatively low rank within the Council. Still, William and Bianca didn't let that bother them; William had worked hard to get this far, and the fact that he'd managed to become part of the Council at all is no small accomplishment considering many of its members retain their positions for the rest of their lives.

The Scorns had previously lived in a major trade city on another planet, but in light of William's new career in politics they had made the decision to move to the planet of Kalimdor, the central hub of the Council's activities and the meeting place of its members. Gabriel had been forced to leave behind his old life in the process, though his parents made it known to him that they would have gladly remained on Bes if it had been feasible.

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel gazes up at the home that stands before him. His parents tell him that he has a title now. Lord. What does that even mean? To be respected, simply for his father's accomplishments?

The boy hesitates. He is educated, but not wise. Intelligent, but inexperienced. He has nothing to offer the house of Scorn.

"I...will return later, Mother."

He leaves to explore the city.

[Diachronos]

Bianca moves to stop him, but William shakes his head. "Don't worry, the Prism District is perfectly safe. Let our son wander and get acquainted with the area."

This part of the district is clearly for low-end nobility, but it's far more immaculate than what Gabriel remembers from Bes... then again, that's a low bar to set for a planet that was little more than a ball of resource-rich ice. As the young lord explores the city, he finds himself frequently passing by security drones, which all give him a polite greeting before moving on their way.

There are plenty of places to go: the library, the park, there's a lift going down to the market district... what piques Gabriel's interest?

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel looks around. "What kind of planet entrusts the security of all its most important people to a bunch of robots? ...No room for human error, I guess. But I think human error may be less important than human adaptation."

Gabriel looks at the library. He loves to read, and he is certain to find many new tales and information in this place. However...he foresees himself spending a lot of time here already. Perhaps he should explore more outside his comfort zone for now. He goes to explore the park instead.

[Diachronos]

The park hosts many plants that have been cultivated from other locales and put into specialized artificial biomes to ensure their growth. Aside from that, there are numerous trees lining the paths, providing some shelter from the sun overhead.

Ahead of him, Gabriel spies a girl around his age sitting on one of the benches, reading something. As he approaches, he spots a pair of slender antennae sticking up from her head; it seems that she's a lashunta.

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel grins and approaches her, sticking out a hand to get her attention and call out to her. But he pauses. This...isn't what a noble should be doing, is it? He doesn't want to disappoint his father. He clears his throat and bows as he comes closer. "Pardon me, er...Miss. I was hoping ...wait, no, that's not I should start. What a lovely afternoon it is, wouldn't you say?" Gabriel forces a smile and blinks as he gets a good look at her face for the first time.

[Diachronos]

The girl glances up at him with her bright red eyes. "I... guess. Can I help you with something?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Her appearance is striking, and it catches Gabriel off-guard. He slips out of character.

"No, I didn't want anything! I was just trying to be friendly!"

The boy blinks and covers his mouth. "Wait, that is - I'm so sorry, Miss, what I mean to say is that I saw you sitting alone here and thought the proper thing to do would be to invite to walk you home."

Of course, that's not what he was thinking at all and they both know it.

[Diachronos]

The lashunta girl frowns. "I'm capable of walking home on my own, thanks."

[NeoSeraphi]

"O-oh, I see..." He hadn't expected a flat rejection. This woman is of high birth, is she not?

Maybe he should leave her alone...no! That's not what a nobleman would do. Acquire allies whenever you can!

Gabriel tries to adopt a more casual stance, which he fails to do because he's so nervous. "What are you reading?"

[Diachronos]

"I'm studying some of my father's medical textbooks. Why?"

[NeoSeraphi]

So she wants to be a doctor...

"Your father works at a hospital on this planet?" Gabriel asks.

[Diachronos]

She sighs and puts down the datapad. "Not quite. He's a medical researcher that the Galactic Council regularly consults in regards to things like health care and hospital budgets."

[NeoSeraphi]

Well, she's looking at him now. That's a good sign, right?

"I see! Well, my father was just elected as a representative of the Galactic Council. I hope our families work well together to maintain peace in the Galaxy."

[Diachronos]

"Yeah, I... suppose so. You said you just got here?"

[NeoSeraphi]

He nods. "My name is Gabriel Scorn. I'm a pilot from Bes."

[Diachronos]

"Facia Sanguine. It's nice to meet you, Gabe."

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel blinks. He really needs to stand up and correct her here. Her father may be important but even if he has earned himself a title he still must show respect to the Council. Consequently, his offspring must show respect to her offspring. So she should be referring to him as "Lord Scorn".

But, as her gaze fixes itself upon him, he feels completely disarmed. This woman is unlike any person Gabriel has ever come into contact with. Confident. Poised. Graceful, yet totally apathetic of her own grace.

"It's nice to meet you too, Cia."

The words are out of his mouth before he even realizes what he's said. A moment of silence passes between the two as they both register what just happened.

[Diachronos]

The girl's face slowly turns bright red. "Is... is that what you're going to call me?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel's face matches hers. "N-no! Please forgive me, Lady Sanguine, it just slipped out!"

[Diachronos]

To Gabriel's surprise, Facia starts... giggling. "That's so cute! I never thought I'd meet someone else who hated the way nobles talk to each other!"

[NeoSeraphi]

Her laugh is like a thousand bells ringing at once in perfect tune. It lights up her whole face, and her smile is genuine and affectionate.

Gabriel isn't fully comfortable with the whole thing, but if it makes her happy..."Then, it's settled. I'm Gabe, and you're Cia." This would probably be the only time he even meets this girl face to face. He would rather her be in a good mood.

[Diachronos]

"Well, then, it's nice to meet you, Gabe. What brings you here?"

[NeoSeraphi]

"I'm exploring the Prism District. Trying to figure out what's here. I was going to go check out the market district next."

[Diachronos]

"Ah, I see. I'll go with you!" She stands up and puts her datapad away.

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel nods and starts to offer her his arm, but he pulls back at the last second. She wouldn't like that. Instead, he runs ahead and teases for her to keep up.

The two of them make their way to the elevator.

[Diachronos]

Facia looks out the window of the lift as they start heading down. The spot offers a good vantage point of the market district, and in the distance Gabriel can see the Council building and the Academy.

[NeoSeraphi]

"Wow...this doesn't look anything like Bes at all. The view is so..."

He looks over at Facia, then gulps and averts his eyes. "....beautiful."

[Diachronos]

Facia grins and leans up against him. "You think I'm pretty, don't you?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel quickly glances at her neck, her fingers and her wrists. He's looking for any jewelry or tattoos, anything at all that might suggest the young woman is married or betrothed.

[Diachronos]

He doesn't see any kind of mark or jewelry on her. It seems that the young woman isn't spoken for yer.

[NeoSeraphi]

"Cia, I - ow!"

As she leans up against him, Gabriel feels a sudden pain in his thigh. He falls back against the elevator.

[Diachronos]

Facia's eyes widen and she looks down at his leg. "Are you okay?"

[NeoSeraphi]

"It's nothing. There must be a nail sticking out somewhere," Gabriel replies. He nods for them to go out into the market.

[Diachronos]

"I guess so..." She keeps her eyes on him as they wander into the market.

[NeoSeraphi]

At the end of the day, Gabriel walks Facia back to the Sanguine estate.

[Diachronos]

Facia smiles at him as they walk up to the gate of her family's estate. "I had a great time, Gabe."

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel smiles back. "Yeah. I hope we meet again, Cia."

[Diachronos]

"I do too." She waves to him and heads inside.

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel heads back home. He needs some time to adjust, but he'll make his family proud.

[Diachronos]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Two months later~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Gabriel leaves the classroom, having just been released for lunch. It's his first week at the Academy, and getting accustomed to the way things are here has been a little hectic. He'd learned that Facia is about two years older than him not too long ago, meaning she isn't going to be in any of his classes and they likely won't see each other at all outside of their personal time.

[NeoSeraphi]

It's just as well. She's a nice girl, she needs to find a man and settle down quickly before some hooligan hoodwinks her into his crew and takes her halfway across the galaxy.

He gathers up his notes after a long day and walks out into the hallway, brushing into someone as he moves.

[Diachronos]

The person he bumped into growls, and when Gabriel looks up he finds himself staring into the angry eyes of a four-armed young man. "Watch where you're going, you little rat!"

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel puts his hands up. "Hey, calm down, it was an accident. I was just trying to get to the docking bay, I've got a simulation to run."

Gabriel spends all of his free periods flying simulations. He has to get better...he just has to. Gabriel is intelligent but he's average at both math and verbal skills, a completely uninteresting young man. However, the boy has a fiery passion for flying, and he thinks about ways to improve flight performance, turn speeds, and navigation at every hour of the day. Bianca has even had to take away his calculator while at the dinner table because he's busy engaged in all sorts of physics speculation.

[Diachronos]

The boy grabs the front of Gabriel's shirt and lifts him up. "Oh, going to a flight sim, are you? How about a flight out the window?!"

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel calmly places his hand on the fist that's holding him up. "Hey, step off, man. What part of 'accident' do you not understand?"

[Diachronos]

"You ran into me and didn't say a word. That's disrespectful, and I'm gonna teach you some-"

"Is there a problem here?" An older ratfolk man is walking down the hall toward them; Gabriel recognizes him as one of the senior staff in charge of the Academy.

The kasatha promptly puts Gabriel down and shakes his head. "No, sir, no problem at all." He turns around and leaves, but not without giving Gabriel a death glare after his back is to the old man.

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel turns his attention to the staff member. "Ah...thank you. I was a little worried that was going to escalate to a point where I couldn't handle it."

[Diachronos]

The ratfolk clears his throat. "No problem." Without warning his appearance changes; he looks much younger, and his gray fur fades to a mismatched white-and-brown pattern. "Watch your step around Lance, that guy's got a temper shorter than the history teacher's hair." But... isn't the history professor bald?

[NeoSeraphi]

"Erm...thanks. I'll do that," Gabriel replies, slowly working out what just happened. "I'm Gabriel." He offers the ratfolk a hand.

[Diachronos]

"Darven. Nice to meet you." The ratfolk shakes his hand.

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel nods. "So, you can use magic. That's a pretty rare trait in this day and age. Me, I prefer a simple blaster. It's a little more reliable, I always know what its going to do when I pull the trigger."

[Diachronos]

"Magic's not that much different once you understand it. Really, magic and tech are a lot more similar than most people would think."

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel nods. "Well then! Want to join me in the simulator? If you're as good a pilot as you are a mage, you might actually give me something of a run for my money."

[Diachronos]

Darven laughs. "I'm better at seeing what makes the ship tick than actually flying it, but yeah, I'll come along."

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel smiles and the two of them head to the simulation bay. Gabriel hops into the cockpit of the simulation and fires it up.

[Diachronos]

Darven's claim is proven right, as his scores are considerably lower than Gabriel's. Gabriel's are decent, though not as high as they could be.

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel gets out of the cockpit with a frown. "I can't believe I'm still making mistakes! Damn, I'm never going to be able to keep a loyal crew if I keep flying like this. There has to be some calculation I'm not taking into consideration, some speed or vector that has been eluding me this whole time..."

[Diachronos]

"Really? I think you're just trying too hard."

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel blinks and looks over at Darven. "Trying...too hard? What do you mean by that?"

[Diachronos]

"Think about it: you're focused entirely on how you're not doing as well as you think you should be. By doing that, you're stressing yourself out, which makes you more likely to make mistakes. And when you do make a mistake you put yourself under even more pressure because you're getting frustrated, which is just going to lead to even more mistakes."

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel blinks. "You raise a fair point...but if I just let myself get complacent how am I supposed to get any better?"

[Diachronos]

Darven shrugs. "I'm not saying you need to get complacent, I'm just saying you need to relax and stop taking it so seriously."

[NeoSeraphi]

"Relax...relax...I'm not sure how to do that. How do you relax on this planet? What do you do to reduce stress or have fun?" Gabriel asks.

[Diachronos]

"Well, there's an arcade not far from here. We could hang out there for a bit."

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel nods. "Sure! Let's go!" He grins and starts walking with the ratfolk. His first real friend in the city. This place might not be so bad after all...

[Diachronos]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ One month later ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Gabriel and Darven quickly become close friends due to their common interests in space travel. With Darven's help, Gabriel learns to relax a bit, and to his surprise he finds that it really does help his performance in the simulations when he stops putting so much focus on doing well. The two of them find that they get along well with Facia on the occasions that they meet as well.

One day, Gabriel comes downstairs from his room to find his mother giving a brief tour of the home to a young girl, maybe a year younger than Gabriel himself.

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel blinks and approaches the young girl with a broad smile on his face. "A good day to you, madamoiselle! To whom do I have the honor of addressing? Are you the lady of House Ranier? Or perhaps you are the Lord Senator Faust's youngest? In any case, I, Gabriel Scorn, am humbly at your service."

He bows and takes her hand, bringing it to his lips. As he lifts his eyes to meet hers, he flashes a sincere smile.

[Diachronos]

The girl blushes deeply. "N-no, I'm not-"

"Gabriel, dear, she isn't from a noble house. This is Clarisse, and she's going to be working for us."

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel straightens up quickly. "Ah! My deepest apologies, Mother! I have intruded on your official business as Lady of the House...I am sorry. I thought she was a potential candidate for my hand in marriage."

[Diachronos]

Clarisse's blush deepens, and she looks utterly shocked. Bianca shakes her head. "No, she's simply here to-"

"To serve you, Lord Scorn!" Clarisse bows, nearly tipping over from the motion.

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel blinks. "To serve me? Mother, is that true?"

[Diachronos]

"...Sure, let's go with that."

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel smiles and takes her hand again. "Splendid! It's so lovely to meet you, Clarisse! Please, let me show you all of the areas I'll need you to clean and give you a rundown of all the chores I want you to do." He turns to Bianca. "I can take it from here, Mother! I promise, I won't let you down."

[Diachronos]

Bianca nods and heads about her business. That boy's going to be a heartbreaker, just like his father...

Clarisse looks down at her hand, eying Gabriel's as well.

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel doesn't seem to notice Clarisse's reaction. He yanks her into his room and starts pointing excitedly. "Alright, here are my piloting suits. I wear this one on Saturday and this one on Sunday, I need both of them to be spotless on Friday night. This is my bookshelf. You can dust here, but some of these books are worth over five thousand credits so make sure you don't rip any pages. This is my weapon case, I'll need this cleaned once a week and whenever I have company coming over. This is my desk, this is where I do all of my work. I'll get you a set of spare keys for all the locks..."

[Diachronos]

Clarisse stares wide-eyed at the room. There's so much to take in... She swallows and nods. "Y-yes, Lord Scorn."

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel turns to her with a smile. "Oh, enough of all that! You're living here, you're practically a lady of the house! Just call me Lord Gabriel." He blinks and snaps his fingers. "Oh no! I completely forgot about the visit I have next week! Alright, Clarisse, I hope you know how to cook, because I have a very important guest to entertain from House Sanguine soon."

[Diachronos]

She nods. "I-I know a little bit, Lord Gabriel."

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel smiles and nods. "Very well, then. Off with you for now. I expect good things from someone hand-selected by my mother."

[Diachronos]

Clarisse nods and runs off to the kitchens.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~One Week Later~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Facia smiles at Gabriel as he opens the door for her. "Thanks, Gabe. You really didn't have to invite me over for dinner." The lashunta is dressed in a simple black-and-green gown, one that doesn't quite look "poor" for a noble to be wearing but nonetheless one that likely wouldn't normally be reserved for a social visit with another noble family.

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel glances down at his freshly pressed suit, his one-of-a-kind tie, his shoes that have been shined so bright you could see your reflection in them, and his pants that are still hot off the iron. He chuckles nervously. "...Don't mention it. Well, then. Please come in. Clarisse! Attend to the guest, please!"

[Diachronos]

Clarisse hurries in and offers to take Facia's coat. The lashunta girl doesn't respond, tough; she simply stares at Clarisse, her antennae standing straight up in the air.

[NeoSeraphi]

"Cia, we have a lovely spread prepared for you tonight. Some excellent cuisine from the Dalaran Systems...hm? Cia?" He blinks and snaps a finger at her.

[Diachronos]

She looks at Gabriel. "Huh? Oh... yes, that sounds lovely."

[NeoSeraphi]

"Excellent, now then, Clarisse, if you would be so - argh!"

Gabriel winces as he bumps his leg against the door frame. He grabs onto it and hisses under his breath.

[Diachronos]

Clarisse and Facia both gasp, and Clarisse runs up to Gabriel. "My lord, are you alright?!"

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel nods. "Yes. It's not a problem. I can stand."

He moves slowly towards Facia's seat at the table and pulls her chair out for her. Ever the gentleman, even when he feels like his leg is on fire.

[Diachronos]

Facia doesn't sit down; instead, she stares at Gabriel and crosses her arms. "Gabriel, is this the same thing that was bothering you when we first met?"

[NeoSeraphi]

"What? No, that was caused by you leaning on me. This...just happened."

[Diachronos]

"You didn't bump your leg nearly hard enough to cause that kind of pain, Gabriel."

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel frowns. "Lady Sanguine, I would appreciate it if you would simply let things go and enjoy the hospitality that I and my staff have worked very hard to prepare for you," he replies, crossing his arms.

[Diachronos]

Facia sighs. "Fine..." She takes a seat at the table.

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel sits down at the other end. "Clarisse! Please offer our guest a sample of wine."

[Diachronos]

Clarisse hurries off to get the wine for them. Facia smiles across the table at Gabriel. "Your new servant is cute."

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel waves his hand airily. "Enough. Let us dispense with any formalities. Cia, the last time I was at your home, your mother expressed some...concerns...that I feel I need to bring up with you."

[Diachronos]

Facia groans. "Oh, great, not you too!"

[NeoSeraphi]

"I just don't understand. Cia, you're a pretty girl. You are well read, quick-witted, and hard-working. Any man in the galaxy would be lucky to have you," he says, not realizing the potential impact that bluntly complimenting her repeatedly when he's usually so reserved might have. "Why haven't you been receiving any suitors since we met?"

[Diachronos]

Facia blushes and picks at the tablecloth. "I just... haven't found any guys that I like... Not any that are interested or aren't already spoken for, at least..."

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel sighs. "Well, I'm sure you'll meet the right guy before too long. In the mean time, if you meet anyone who isn't right for you, just let me or Darven know. We'll take care of anyone who isn't treating you right." His eyes flash dangerously.

[Diachronos]

Facia chuckles. "That's sweet of you. But you two don't need to worry yourselves about me."

[NeoSeraphi]

"I just don't want you to end up like Clarisse. She's so pretty, but she hasn't found anyone to take care of her," he says, glancing at the servant as she enters the room.

[Diachronos]

Facia mutters something, but Gabriel doesn't catch it. Clarisse blushes heavily as she pours wine for the two of them. "I'm sorry for the wait. Dinner will be out shortly."

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel sips the wine and nods with approval. "My personal favorite, a moscato with a bit of a kick that most lack. If that works for you, we'll have it tonight."

He sits back and frowns. "Cia, I've been playing around with you and Darven so much lately, but I don't think that's the right way to bring honor to my house. I'm going to start acting as a suitor on my next birthday."

[Diachronos]

Facia sighs. "Really? Does every noble house have to be so uptight about people just having friends for the sake of having friends?"

[NeoSeraphi]

"I don't anticipate it will affect our friendship in any serious way. At least...as long as my bride isn't against us being friends," he comments.

[Diachronos]

"Knowing the women on Kalimdor, it probably will..."

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel shrugs. "Do you expect me to remain a bachelor forever?" he points out. "I do enjoy a bit of freedom now and again, but I just want a traditional woman to help keep my life in order. Someone I can rely on, someone I can trust to do anything. A woman who isn't above cleaning for me, or cooking my meals, or washing my clothes. I suppose it sounds like a fantasy in this day and age, but there's something to be said for a person who cares about you enough to go the extra mile every day."

He blinks. "Clarisse, are you eavesdropping on our conversation?"

[Diachronos]

"No, I suppose I don't expect that of you."

Clarisse squeaks when Gabriel addresses her. "N-no, my lord, of course not! I-I was just... just standing by in case you or Lady Facia needed anything, that's all!"

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel sighs. "If you have time to stand around, you have time to check on our meal! Honestly, and I gave you a long advance warning that you would be responsible for the preparations this evening..."

He sets his glass down. "My apologies, Cia, but if our meal is not coming out immediately there is something that requires my attention. I trust you will not be too offended if I step away from the table for a brief moment?"

It's not like this is a date or anything. Facia's pretty lax about the whole thing, so she shouldn't be too upset.

[Diachronos]

Clarisse runs back into the kitchen.

"Oh?" Facia leans forward and places her elbows on the table, propping her chin on top of her hands. "And what might that be, Gabe?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel rubs the back of his head. "Nothing major. My mother is leaving for the Undercity tonight and I wanted to go wish her well. Maybe ask a few things about the artifact she's going to retrieve."

[Diachronos]

She sighs. "Can't it wait until after dinner?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel raises an eyebrow. "Uh...sure. Of course. Why, is something bothering you? You're not usually one to stick to formality."

[Diachronos]

Facia blushes. "No, I just... like spending time with you."

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel relaxes. "Of course. Well then, to us." He raises his glass and smiles.

[Diachronos]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ One year later ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Gabriel finds himself lost in the crowd of young nobles. His father had received an invitation to attend a Council ball, and as members of the nobility the Scorns knew that the invitation wasn't so much a statement of their presence being welcomed as it was a statement that their absence would all but destroy their house's image among the other Council members. As expected, the parents had left to mingle amongst themselves in another part of the estate, while the young nobles that had been dragged along by their parents had been left to interact with one another in a thinly veiled attempt to find potential matches for their future husbands and wives.

Gabriel doesn't see any sign of Darven or Facia among the crowd. It's not surprising; while their parents hold respected positions in society, they aren't exactly careers vital to the political climate and they likely hadn't received invitations.

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel looks around with a frown. He's still a bit young, but he's started to notice certain...aspects...of women that he finds rather attractive. These girls are all a bit too thin for his tastes, however.

He sighs and takes a seat with a small glass of punch. How droll...he would much rather be working on his speeder with Darven than be stuck here waiting for his parents to complete their obligations. What does it matter what he thinks of anyone? Any match he likes has to be approved by his father anyway, might as well let the old man set the whole thing up himself. He takes a sip of his punch and closes his eyes.

[Diachronos]

Gabriel soon hears a commotion not too far away.

"He's lying! I didn't do anything of the sort!"

"Hey, just because you decided you didn't like it, that's no reason to call me a liar!"

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel stands up and walks over to see what the fuss is about.

[Diachronos]

Gabriel finds a distraught-looking vesk girl and a shirren boy at the center of the crowd.

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel walks forward. "Excuse me. This is a party, not a bar. If you've got some grievance with this woman, forget it. She's here to have a good time just like the rest of us."

[Diachronos]

The shirren turns to him. "Look, pal, this doesn't concern you."

[NeoSeraphi]

"Actually, whatever you're arguing about has nothing to do with me, but the fact that you're bothering someone at this public event that I also happen to be a part of involves me a great deal. So find a wall to hold up and get drunk like the rest of us. Put your drama in your pocket and take off your jacket. There's dancing and conversation to be had."

[Diachronos]

The man scoffs. "Just because 'Lady' Brecombe is embarrassed to admit that we-"

"I did no such thing!" The vesk's scaly cheeks are starting to turn purple from her blushing.

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel narrows his eyes and sighs. "My lady, I must apologize," he says to the vesk, bowing politely. He grabs his jacket and throws it to the floor, then pulls his tie off. He spins around and slams his fist into the shirren's face.

[Diachronos]

The shirren yelps and clutches at his face as he falls to the floor. The vesk, and everyone around them, looks completely shocked at what he'd just done.

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel sighs and pulls one of his gloves back into place. "I will not have you besmirch Lady Brecombe's reputation with your wild fantasies. Now then, why don't you buzz off like the insignificant insect you are?"

[Diachronos]

The shirren stands up. "How dare you? Do you know who I am? Who my father is?!"

[NeoSeraphi]

"No, but please tell me so I can inform him that you were trying to start baseless rumors about a young lady while she begged you to stop," Gabriel shoots back coldly. "I'm sure your father would enjoy hearing about that, wouldn't he?"

[Diachronos]

The man wipes his lip before growling and storming off.

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel turns to the young lady and pulls a handkerchief from his shirt pocket. He offers it to her.

"My apologies, my lady, for allowing such uncouth behavior to continue in your presence as long as it did. Are you alright?"

[Diachronos]

The vesk nods, staring at him as she wipes her eyes. "Y-yes, I'm... I'm fine. Thank you, sir."

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel offers his hand. "Gabriel Scorn. I am honored to be at your service, my lady." He kisses her hand when she takes it.

[Diachronos]

The girl blushes. "Christine Brecombe. It's a pleasure to meet you Lord Gabriel."

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel glances at the shirren who had run off. "Honestly, you would think someone would have taught that boy some manners by now. Please, allow me to escort you somewhere away from the chaos."

He leads her onto the balcony and offers her a fresh glass of wine, sipping one himself. "There. Those rumors may be nothing more than baseless gossip, but I still don't want you to sully your ears with them. Let's stay out here for a time and enjoy the quiet together."

[Diachronos]

Christine sips her wine and smiles. "Thank you... it's not very often that someone's willing to stand up for anybody in this kind of thing."

[NeoSeraphi]

"I know what you mean. It seems that exploring the universe has only made the races more divided, not less. But I am not a man who thinks chivalry dies so easily. Please, let me escort you home. I would hate for anyone to bother you."

[Diachronos]

Christine blushes. "Oh, um... I'm grateful for the offer, but I can't leave. My parents wouldn't approve of me departing without them."

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel nods. "Of course. Then, perhaps I might keep you company until the party is over, with a dance?"

[Diachronos]

Her blush returns. "That... that would be nice, Lord Gabriel."

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel wraps one arm around her waist and places his hand in hers, pulling her close to him.

Their dance lasts until it's time for the two of them to leave, at which point Gabriel escorts her back to her parents.

[Diachronos]

The two elder Brecombes look on their daughter and Gabriel with a very no-nonsense expression. "I trust everything went well, Christine?" The vesk girl gives a timid nod before curtsying to Gabriel.

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel bows politely. "Forgive my sudden appearance, Lord Senator. I hope Christine has had a pleasant evening."

[Diachronos]

The nobleman narrows his eyes. "You are... Gabriel Scorn, correct? The son of that newest Councilor who just arrived from Bes last year?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel blinks. "Y-Yes, Lord Senator. My father is William Scorn."

[Diachronos]

"I see..."

Kristine speaks up. "Father, Lord Gabriel stepped in to defend my honor earlier this evening. He is a respectable young man from what I've seen."

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel smiles and nods. "Well, then. I hope to see you again, Lady Christine." He bows to her and returns to his family for the night.

[Diachronos]

As it turns out, Gabriel does get to see Christine again. In light of what had happened at the ball, the Brecombes and Scorns discussed the possibility of matching Gabriel and Christine, and within a few weeks the two of them were betrothed. His vesk fiancee has started taking immense pride in the ring proving their engagement, showing it off whenever she gets a chance and fawning over her future husband whenever they are together.

The sentiment isn't shared with Gabriel's friends, however. Darven doesn't seem to care for the vesk girl, and while Facia at first tried to be friendly with her she'd recently developed a sudden and unexplained loathing for the young woman.

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel manages to get away from his betrothed one weekend and promises Darven that he will test drive the speeder that the ratfolk has been building for him. Of course, Gabriel has no doubt that Facia will somehow learn of this boys' day out and come to interrupt, seeing as he hasn't seen either of them in weeks.

Gabriel heads to the race track to meet with his friend.

[Diachronos]

Gabriel arrives to find Darven leaning over the edge of the speeder's engine compartment, no doubt working on something inside. "He tells me he's gonna be here, then keeps me waiting... I swear, if he blew me off for another one of Christine's piano concerts..."

[NeoSeraphi]

"Sorry I'm late!" Gabriel calls and smiles at his friend. "I know I've flaked on you a few times last week, but guaranteed, it's just you and me, all weekend long this time."

[Diachronos]

Darven jerks upright, only to hit his head on the engine covering. "Ow... Hey, don't worry about it. You ready to give this baby her first test drive?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel nods and hops into the cockpit. "Alright! Commencing startup sequence!" He pulls his helmet into place, straps a pair of goggles over his eyes and clicks his seatbelt tight. He grabs onto the steering wheel to keep himself steady and hits a few buttons on the dashboard to fire her up. "And...go!"

Gabriel presses the last button, which should make him fly down the track quickly.

[Diachronos]

The button does indeed send Gabriel down the track at a fast rate... too fast, in fact. He barely has time to react before he's at the first turn, and maneuvering the speeder nearly causes it to flip over from its momentum being shifted. Just what had Darven done to the bike to make it do this?!

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel doesn't have a choice. He can't fly on an active race track like this. He hits the kill switch and tries his best to get the speeder off the track and out of the other riders' way. When he emerges from the cockpit he raises an eyebrow at Darven. "Okay, I know we're trying to compete here, but we don't need to put my life on the line for it."

[Diachronos]

Darven looks completely shocked. "I swear, I don't know why it did that!" He starts scanning through his notes. "Yeah, I overclocked the engines and acceleration a bit to give it more of an edge at the starting line, but I didn't think that it would cause... oh. That's what did it." Seconds later, a small pop and shower of sparks erupts from the bottom of the speeder's right side.

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel rubs his temples. "You can fix this, right?"

[Diachronos]

"Um..." He consults his notes again. "Yeah, I think so. It looks like the stabilizers needed more recalibration to compensate for the speed increase than what my original calculations said."

Darven approaches the speeder, only to jump back as smoke starts pouring out of the engine compartment with a loud bang.

[NeoSeraphi]

"Alright, not one more step, Darven. I've spent almost all of my personal wealth on this speeder. I need an experienced mechanic to figure this out. But...where would we even find a person like that?" Gabriel muses.

[Diachronos]

"Well... there's always Teira."

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel blinks. "Teira? Who is that?"

[Diachronos]

"She's a mechanic that runs a shop near the docking station. Her business isn't as big as some of the other mechanics in town, but her work's definitely among the best in the city."

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel sighs and scans the damaged speeder back into its container, which fits nicely in his pocket. "The docking station, huh? Alright, let's go."

The two of them get in to their vehicles and head over to the docking station. When they arrive, Gabriel approaches the business Darven points out and knocks on the door.

[Diachronos]

The door opens to reveal a tall, black-haired woman that would put Gabriel's mother to shame with how generously the gods had 'gifted' her. "Oh, hello. Can I help you boys?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel stares for a full ten seconds before he picks his jaw up. "E-excuse me, Miss. I'm looking for Teira."

[Diachronos]

The woman chuckles. "You're looking at her. How can I help you, sweetie?"

[NeoSeraphi]

"My..uh...my...speeder..." He trails off. Her smile is entrancing.

"I mean, my speeder was...overclocked. I started it up and nearly crashed. Can you take a look at it? Er, please...ma'am?"

[Diachronos]

She smiles. "Of course. Please, come inside and we'll take a look."

[NeoSeraphi]

"Thank you."

He enters into the shop and takes a look around.

[Diachronos]

The shop is... honestly kind of a mess. Everything seems disorganized compared to Gabriel's meticulous order of his own workstation. There's a young man behind the counter, who eyes Gabriel suspiciously when he walks in.

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel looks for a place to deploy his speeder, like a hangar or a pit stop, and lets the vehicle out for Teira to examine.

[Diachronos]

Once the speeder is set down in the hangar, Teira gets to work examining it. "Let's see... custom job, everything seems to be put together correctly... gods, these are some expensive parts, too! You must have put a lot of money into this."

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel nods. "That's right. This is my personal vessel when I'm on the ground on a planet. I need it in top condition. Perfect maneuverability, a good shield deflector, maximum acceleration and velocity, and the ability to steer one-handed in case I need to draw my blaster."

[Diachronos]

Teira smiles. "Quite the little daredevil, aren't you? I like that." She makes a few notes. "It looks like this speeder should at least have speed and maneuverability...Oh, what have we here?" The woman lies down on a small board with wheels attached and slides under the speeder. "Ah, here's the issue."

[NeoSeraphi]

"You figured out the problem already? Great! Please take care of it immediately. I'll pay whatever fee you levy."

[Diachronos]

"Oh, I'll have none of that. The damage to the stabilizer is a simple fix, and once that's done I just need to adjust some settings and it'll be good as new!"

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel blinks. "'None of that'? ...You mean you aren't charging me at all for this?"

[Diachronos]

"I told you, it's an easy fix. It'll take me maybe an hour at most."

[NeoSeraphi]

"Ermm...very well, then. Thank you for your generosity."

How does that woman even stay in business if she doesn't charge a complete stranger?

He goes to sit down and wait somewhere.

[Diachronos]

Darven sits down with him. "...Sorry about the speeder."

[NeoSeraphi]

"We all make mistakes. Your heart was in the right place. Don't worry about it. But..is that woman even real? She looks like a statue carved out of a teenage boy's fantasies."

[Diachronos]

Darven shrugs. "Maybe. Don't ask her if they're real, though. I'm not sure whether the last guy who did was more afraid of the look that she gave him or the way her son chased him out of the shop with a welding torch."

[NeoSeraphi]

Her son?

Gabriel glances at the boy behind the counter.

[Diachronos]

The young man seems to be working on something, but he occasionally glances up to look at either Teira or at Gabriel and Darven.

[NeoSeraphi]

"Her son? So she's married...." He sighs in disappointment.

[Diachronos]

Darven raises an eyebrow. "What? No, she's never been, as far as I know. Why are you upset, though? Aren't you engaged?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel raises his hands innocently. "What? Oh yes, of course I'm engaged! I just...had a few second thoughts."

[Diachronos]

"I see... so you like 'em older and stacked."

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel's eyes snap open wide and he punches Darven in the shoulder. "Dude! She can probably hear you!" He looks over at the mechanic with embarrassment and worry.

[Diachronos]

If Teira heard Darven, she doesn't give any outward sign of it. However, when she glances over and catches Gabriel's eye, she grins and gives him a playful wink.

[NeoSeraphi]

I am so screwed...

"Damn, the only thing that could make this worse is if Lady Sanguine showed up right n- ..." Gabriel cuts himself off as the door behind him opens.

[Diachronos]

Sure enough, Facia walks in the door. "I thought I'd find you two here."

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel steps in Facia's way to obscure her vision of the speeder and the goddess that lay beneath it. "Facia! Heeeey, it's been ages! How are you today?"

Facia's impatience with Gabriel has doubtless been even further compounded by the fact that he seems to have "outgrown" her nickname that he gave her last year.

[Diachronos]

Her antennae twitch. Definitely not a good sign. "Oh, you know... thinking about my upcoming tests, being annoyed that after months of barely getting to hang out with you I get excluded the first time you're actually free to spend time with us... you going back to being formal with me..."

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel winces. "Facia, you're not interested in this kind of thing. There was no reason for me to invite you to come along. I mean, you're not even ever planning to leave this planet, are you?"

[Diachronos]

"I don't know yet. I'm not going to plan on staying or leaving until I've got my medical degree."

[NeoSeraphi]

"Then why would you want to sit around and watch me test fly this speeder?" Gabriel replies.

[Diachronos]

She frowns. "Because it would get me out of my house and away from the men that my parents are trying to pair me up with."

[NeoSeraphi]

"...Oh, that's right. Didn't Lady Giselle get married recently? She's a few months younger than you as well..." He looks at Facia with concern.

[Diachronos]

"Oh, for... when are you all going to stop concerning yourselves over my love life?!"

[NeoSeraphi]

"Facia, marriage has nothing to do with love. This is a union between your two houses, a symbol of peace and power. It tells everyone else who your allies are, and demonstrates that you are willing to flex your house's power to defend theirs. Love should be the last thing on your mind when deciding a match."

[Diachronos]

"Is it really so wrong to want love too? Is it wrong to want to be one of the few noblewomen who don't put up with a husband they hate just to save face?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel blinks and frowns. "Well, no, Facia, it's not wrong to want that, but how on earth are you going to discover whether you love someone or not in a thirty minute lunch date? You have men lining up from all over the planet to meet with you."

[Diachronos]

Facia sighs. "You wouldn't understand... you've already got a wife lined up for you and you were probably interested in her before that was even brought up."

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel blushes and rubs the back of his neck. "I-it wasn't exactly like that! She just happened to be in trouble and I happened to assist her...I'm a sucker for a woman in need, that's all. That's why you're such a good friend, Facia. You don't need a damn thing from me."

He gulps as the mechanic emerges from under the speeder.

[Diachronos]

"I guess..."

"There, all done! I toned down the speed a bit, but it should keep your speeder from rolling over!" Facia turns around. "Oh, hello! You must be this young man's f- oh, dear, are you okay? Your nose is bleeding..."

Facia covers her nose. "I'm fine! Gabriel, Darven, make sure you invite me the next time you guys are doing something!" She runs out the door.

"Hmm.... well, anyway, your speeder's all set, sweetie. If there's ever anything you need help with on it, feel free to stop by, okay? Even if it's just to visit, I'd love to see you again sometime." She gives him a warm grin.

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel hesitates. "As you wish. Thank you for your service, Teira." He scoops up the speeder and heads back home.

[Diachronos]

Teira winks at him as he turns to leave, before heading back into the rear of the shop as the two boys head out.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Clarisse mutters to herself as she frantically polishes the silverware for Gabriel's dinner date. She doesn't understand; he's always been happy with her service, even complimenting her on it! But lately... lately he's been getting short with her, seemingly holding her to a higher standard than she'd ever held herself to (and her standards were higher than the Scorns at times!).

It has to be Christine. He's been like this ever since he met that vesk.

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel touches his forehead as he looks at the clock. Damn...Christine will be here any minute. He doesn't want to sit through another thirty minutes of Christine criticizing his ability to run his household. She seems to think the only way to be a noble is to be as strict as her father is with her...that's not Gabriel. But he can't have her seeing him as weak or lazy. He needs to make this engagement work if he wants a chance to keep his parents satisfied.

He's especially worried about Clarisse. Clarisse would be the first person to go if Christine had her way. He's always had a bit of a soft spot for the maid, but in front of Christine he's had to be even harsher to her than Christine would be. If he doesn't keep up appearances Christine may demand that he dismiss Clarisse entirely!

Gabriel sighs and puts on his clothes for the evening date, before descending the stairs. "Clarisse? Clarisse, where are you?" he calls.

[Diachronos]

Clarisse jumps and drops the spoon she'd been polishing when she hears Gabriel call for her. "Dammit, dammit, dammit!" She picks it back up and starts over on cleaning it off as she runs to the foyer where she heard Gabriel. "Y-yes, my lord?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel turns to Clarisse as she runs into the room. "Yes, I...What is that? Clarisse, is there dog hair on that spoon? Why is my mother's dog's hair on that spoon that you have just finished cleaning?"

He crosses his arms. "Certainly you do not intend for my fiancee to eat her food this way, do you?" he demands.

[Diachronos]

Clarisse flinches and looks down at the floor. "N-no, my lord... I promise, it'll be spotless by the time Lady Christine arrives..."

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel sighs. "Clarisse, I know you're under a lot of pressure lately but I need you to perform at your best. Your work ethic has been slipping lately, and I've caught you dozing off on more than one occasion. If you would rather be assigned to another section of the household..."

[Diachronos]

Clarisse's eyes widen. "N-no, please! I want to continue working for you, Lord Gabriel!" She bows so low that it's a wonder she doesn't fall over. "My work will improve, I promise!"

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel rubs his temples. "...Take the rest of the week off. It's clear that whatever has been on your mind, it's kept you from sleeping. If you have some personal issue that's bothering you, sort it out. If not, just use the extra time to get a bit of rest. I'm worried about you, Clarisse."

[Diachronos]

Clarisee blushes. Gabriel is... worried about her? Even after how much pressure he's been putting on her? "But... but if I take the night off, who will keep your chambers clean and prepare your meals and - "

[NeoSeraphi]

"You're absolutely right. I'll be forced to make do without you," Gabriel replies. "And it's possible that if your work continues to be this sloppy, that will become a necessity more often. So, do you want the night off, or do you want to work harder?"

[Diachronos]

Hearing him call her work 'sloppy' is like a slap in the face. She'd performed admirably until recently, and if anything she'd started working harder after he started finding faults in her work. What does he expect from her?!

"I... I will work harder, Lord Gabriel. I won't... I can't fail you."

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel sighs. He hopes she's right. This isn't for his sake, it's for hers. "Very well. Then, I will see you in an hour when Christine arrives. Make sure everything is ready by then."

[Diachronos]

Clarisse nods and runs off. By the time Christine arrives, Clarisse has gotten everything in order, even going above the standards that Gabriel has been holding her to. Surely this will be enough to prove that she's competent! Of course, in her haste to make everything perfect, she's become a little disheveled, looking like she's nearing the end of her rope.

Christine smiles at Gabriel as she's let into the manor. "Gabriel, darling, it's so nice to see you again!"

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel frowns at Clarisse as he approaches the hall. Is her skirt rumpled? Her hair is a mess! This woman...he's really starting to wonder if Christine is right about her...

"Christine. Enchanted, as always." He takes her hand and kisses it, then smiles and leads her by the arm to where they will be dining. He pulls her chair out, then sits across from her. "I trust everything is going well at the Brecombe Estate?"

[Diachronos]

"Yes, quite well. Father has been busy negotiating trade agreements with House Veren, and with any luck he will be acquiring the quartz mines he's been coveting for the past month. He and Mother are discussing having a sculptor commissioned to prepare some statues for our wedding if everything with the mines go well." She frowns as Christine approaches with wine for them. "It would be rather nice to see something presentable on our special day, after all."

Clarisse doesn't make any signs of catching Christine's subtle jab, but Gabriel can tell that she caught it perfectly just by the look in her eyes. Judging by that, the vesk noblewoman would have dealt a less stinging blow with a cat-o'-nine-tails.

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel frowns. "Christine, just ignore the help and focus on me," he replies. He wants to defend Clarisse here, but Christine is perfectly correct that her appearance is unacceptable. Still, he can at least take some heat off of her.

"Well, guess what? I'm excited to tell you that the speeder I've been working on is finally ready for its first race! There's a big tournament coming up next weekend and I was planning on entering as a darkhorse candidate," Gabriel says proudly.

[Diachronos]

Christine smiles upon hearing the news, but Gabriel can tell it's not quite real. "Oh, that's nice. But... Mother and Father were planning to invite your parents to the opera, and of course the two of us would be expected to attend as well."

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel rubs the back of his neck awkwardly and Clarisse can tell he's more upset than he appears. And he appears upset. "Oh...really? Well, I'm sure my parents would rather come watch me race anyway...the Lord Senator won't be too upset if they declined, will he?" he asks hopefully.

Clarisse is watching her lord practically begging his future wife for one day off to do something he's been preparing months for and has spent untold amounts of time and credits on.

[Diachronos]

"Well... I'm sure that Mother wouldn't mind, but Father is very high up in the Council. Even if he doesn't take personal offense to their decision, the news will spread to the rest of the Council rather quickly and it may affect Lord William's image."

Gabriel notices a slight shift in Clarisse's polite smile. He knows that look; his maid is seething right now.

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel winces and looks down at his plate. Christine is basically threatening him right now. "R-right. Of course, the Scorn family is always honored to accept any invitation that the Lord Senator deems to extend to us. ...I guess I'll just...race at the next tournament...next year."

Even though Clarisse thinks of Gabriel as a lord, she can see that there is an even greater power difference between the Brecombe family and the Scorn family than there is between Gabriel and herself. More importantly, it seems like Christine is in a position where she simply doesn't have to show Gabriel any respect at all.

[Diachronos]

Clarisse's jaw drops. "M-my lord, you and Lord Darven put so much work into preparing for-"

Christine glares at the maid. "This conversation doesn't concern you, girl. Honestly, I would've hoped you could at least stay silent like you're supposed to..."

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel clenches his fist under the table. "...Christine, I'm afraid I feel a bit unwell. It's possible this food is undercooked. Please stop eating immediately before you come down with something too. I'll have someone show you out while I lie down for the evening."

[Diachronos]

The vesk sets her fork down. "I thought the taste was off more than usual. I hope that you feel better soon, Gabriel." After saying her farewells, Christine departs for her home, leaving Clarisse and Gabriel alone.

His maid looks visibly distraught. "You're feeling unwell, my lord? But... I-I swear, everything was cooked the way you like it, exactly how you like it!"

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel sighs and sets his fork down. "Clarisse, take a seat please." He gestures to the chair next to him, rather than the one across the table that Christine had been sitting at.

[Diachronos]

The maid pales a little, but she sits down without a word of protest. She bows her head and stares down at her hands, which are trying to smooth out her skirt.

[NeoSeraphi]

"For starters, Clarisse, tonight's meal is excellent. Top quality. I'm feeling very well, and I plan to finish the entire thing once we're done here," Gabriel clarifies with a smile.

[Diachronos]

Clarisse looks as if he'd just lifted a huge weight off her shoulders. "R...really? But if that's the case, why did you tell Lady Christine you felt ill?"

[NeoSeraphi]

"Because I wasn't going to tolerate her speaking down to you one second longer. You may be a servant, but you are my servant," Gabriel replies.

That hangs in the air for a moment and Gabriel's face turns bright red as he realizes how possessive he sounds right now.

[Diachronos]

Clarisse's blush matches his own. "Sh-she's right, though..."

[NeoSeraphi]

"No, she's not. The whole reason I've been able to even finish working on the speeder is because you take care of everything. My schedule is managed perfectly, my food and laundry is always on time and I always know well in advance when I am expected where. That's because of you, Clarisse. I need you."

[Diachronos]

Clarisse wants to feel happy about hearing this, but she just feels... confused. "Then... why has my performance been suffering? I thought I was doing everything just the way you like it, but lately you haven't seemed happy with what I'm doing..."

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel sighs. "...I don't want to explain this to you. Where is my mother?"

He has a servant call Bianca downstairs for him.

[Diachronos]

While they wait for Bianca to arrive, Clarisse looks down at the floor. "...Is it that bad, Lord Gabriel?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel nods. "Yes. It is that bad. You don't seem to fully understand the position that you are in, or the position that I am in. I...lack the political zeal for this kind of discussion. My mother is a very blunt and honest woman, she'll give it to you straight."

[Diachronos]

Bianca doesn't look too pleased when she arrives, which visibly worries Clarisse. "Gabriel, what's the matter? I was in the middle of cataloguing some of the last expedition's finds..."

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel sighs. "Clarisse wants to know why I've been getting more strict with her since my engagement, despite no change in her quality of work."

[Diachronos]

Bianca frowns. "It's simple, really. Christine is going to be Gabriel's wife. Since she is going to be the lady of this house after they're married, you will be expected to perform to a standard that makes them both happy. If you fail to meet that standard, you will be let go."

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel nods. "Right. So as long as Christine is complaining about you, Clarisse, it doesn't matter what I think."

[Diachronos]

Bianca turns to leave. "Honestly, Gabriel, you should have been the one to tell her this."

Clarisse is looking down at her feet, not saying a word.

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel sighs. "Y-Yes Mother. I'll try to be more forthcoming in the future."

When Bianca is gone, Gabriel looks at Clarisse. "That's just how things are. Not every noblewoman is as forgiving as Lady Sanguine. You need to live up to the expectations set by my future wife."

[Diachronos]

Clarisse nods. "I'll... I'll be ready to leave after you're married, then, Lord Gabriel..."

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel shakes his head. "That's not what I want you to do at all!...Ugh. Just...take the week off, like I said before. Take some time to rest and think. Good night, Clarisse."

Gabriel heads back to his room.