#rcmcntique

[dxncingxnmyown]

@rcmcntique | Javier and Nicola, Two Days after The Explosion, A Tavern in Versailles

He remembers that it hurt - losing her hurt. An inexplicable feeling that is almost lost, between his late parents' rage and Javier's embarrassment. A lion among men was not meant to run about Europe with a splinter in its paw. Yet it is the fate Javier was resigned to. The pitiful, then-Prince that could not keep his betrothed. Much less his parentage alive, or their legacy proud. It is hard to say where heartache ends and the feeling of failure begins. But just as he's prepared to go ten more rounds on himself, with the help of generous drink and dance, Nicola De Medici arrives at the Wagner's Apartments. A stollid look in her eye, a too-dark bruise on her pale skin. In place of anger, something else emerges... A quiet honor, so unlike Javier's larger-than-life persona that it dares eclipse it altogether.

They do not speak for the first two days. Javier is too busy, minding the urgency of issues with his cousin's, the Bourbon's. His family, too, as the dust barely settles on the grief between the Wagner's and the Qajar's. But it is all a means of denial. A way to run from the conversation, that he and Nicola must have. He decides, then, that the best place to talk is away from the Palace walls. Comfortably slotted in the corner of a local tavern, with a glass of wine in hand. It is know he drinks to excess. This time, however, he drinks to achieve answers. Staring back at Nicola - his former fiance, the wreck of his existence, the once-apple of his eye. Javier licks his lips, and lowers the wine glass to the table. "Does it still hurt?" He begins, raising a chin at her arm.

[crxwnedbarbie]

𝐌𝐈𝐀 𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐀𝐆𝐄𝐃 to get lost, and she was dying of a killer hangover. She hardly slept, there was literally an explosion, and she felt so useless… She was with Ruby until she wasn't anymore. She knew she has to look out for her sisters, despite her ill appearance. The Hungarian princess didn't even walk half of the hallway, decided it was a nice spot, and she lay on the floor. Her head was aching so much, due to the amount of alcohol she ingested in the party. She left the ball early that night which wasn't very typical of her. In her mind if she stays where she is, observing people passing she would see any of her sisters. Suddenly a familiar silhouette came into her vision and it was her… ❛ Lili? ❜ This is what she calls her baby sister. She hated when she sees like this… A trainwreck. When she is the one to show an example and protect her.

@rcmcntique 🌸 alina

[rcsplendent]

closed starter — katya lukin. ( @rcmcntique )

location: library, at a chess table.    time : afternoon after the explosions.

with the setback that was his episodes during the explosions, aleksei found himself back at square one — wound-up and unable to self-soothe in the way he had so carefully taught himself to in recent years. so, he finds himself instead falling back on old habits — listlessly roaming the halls of the palace, reading historical texts he's read so many times he has it practically memorized — but, most effective among his attempts to keep his racing mind busy was his beloved chess. he finds himself sitting at a chess board in the library ( thankfully unaffected by the blasts ), making one move & then rotating the board 180 degrees to make another — playing against himself. a mindless pastime; trying out strategies he'll probably never get to use, considering his disdain for ... well ... other people, generally.

that is until he spots her — one of the only people that made him regret holing up in the markov estate all those years following his father's death, disappearing off the face of the earth. not that he'd ever tell her that.  " katya lukin. "  he greets, the corner of his lips quirking up into something that just barely echoes one of the warm, charming smiles he might've worn in his youth, before the life had been drained out of him & left him hollow. on his current visage — gaunt, pale, unslept — it looks odd & rare.  " it's been a long time. "  just a statement of fact — nothing more. and even if they have seen each other in the last ten-or-so years, he's only a shadow of the man he once was: the version of himself she might recognize better. regardless, he makes a cautious gesture to the chess board.  " care for a match ... ? i can clear the board ... "

[bloodycrxwn]

Closed starter for @rcmcntique ( Neena Bedi )

All chaos had broken loose around her and she hadn't been there to see it. Truth was, she was glad that she wasn't, having left early to spend the night with the man she so desperately wanted. But part of her felt bad, guilty for not being there to make sure her family got out safe. Not that she would be able to do much for them, but she would've tried anyways. Seeing her cousin, Devika approached her with a sigh. "Neena, you are safe. I'm glad to see you." She offered her a small smile.

[rcsplendent]

closed starter    —    katya lukin. ( @rcmcntique ) location : the lukin apartments' foyer.  time : 3:42am, 3 hours after the explosions.

" моя дорогая сестра. "  his voice, lower in his native tongue, carries through the foyer as he silently slinks through the door, a wolfish little smile crossing his features at the sight of his dear sister. his lax posture indicates he's entirely unfazed by the entire experience of the ball — the explosions had been unsettling at best, but he'd taken the opportunity to loot half of the guest chambers in the palace, & was now quite pleased with himself, memories of injured guests & crying children already long forgotten. his absence for the last few hours is not a surprise, either — back at home, it is not unlike sasha to disappear for weeks at a time ( only to turn up in some jail cell ). that being said, he imagines it's probably more surprising that he's returned to the lukin family's chambers so soon, but he braces himself for a slew of worried fussing anyways.  " were you injured ? i am fine, before you start asking me questions. "