No Girls Allowed (Richard)

Decipherer: Artemis hadn't taken immediate notice of the shifting surroundings, and for a moment, he wasn't entirely sure that they had changed at all. His mood had already gone sour by the events of the night previous, and he'd been walking back towards his room when he heard the laughter. He slowly lifted his gaze to seek out the source of the sound, and the familiar Society melted into the view of a courtyard, where children of varying age bounded around, laughing. Most of them, anyways. ''The young child drew in a deep, shaky breath, looking up towards their eldest sister, who rested a gentle hand on their ponytail to smooth out the curls. She flashed a kindly smile and urged them to go forward, and so they did. She kept watch as the scene unfolded. The child bounded towards a group of older boys, presently occupied with... He couldn't quite remember so clearly anymore, but it was some sort of sport. In a voice filled with all the hope it could bear, the child asked, "Can I join you?" The boys turned their heads in near unison to face the newcomer, and their eyes widened at the sight. A familiar face, yes, but with cropped hair held up high, and not wearing their usual skirts; rather, a somewhat oversized waistcoat. The boys laughed, much to the child's surprise and dismay, sneering voices asking each other what that weird girl thought she was doing. One of the boys had stepped towards the strange child, a mocking grin on his face as he jabbed a finger into their chest, sending them backwards. His thick accent shadowed his teasing words, "What d'you think yer doin', there, in that coat, love? Simply ain't right for a little girl like y'rself."''

Tairais:  Richard had initially thought the sounds of children was due to his own imagination. Rounding the corner, however, he saw that was anything but the case. His gaze landed on Artemis first, then slid to the sneering children in the courtyard. The barest flicker of understanding darted in his eyes, and he stood next to Artemis, waiting patiently and slightly out of place. He wasn't entirely sure how to help besides offering support, and so he did his best to portray an air of quiet acceptance and smoldering righteous irritation. Those children were being quite rude.

Decipherer:  Artemis only seems to partially realize that Richard was there, but it doesn't reflect onto his face, and his gaze remains solely fixed onto the scene as the child gets shoved into the dirt. His breaths grow short and weakened at the sight, and he laces his fingers together nervously and twirls the small, silvery band on his ring finger.

Tairais:  Slowly and gingerly, the way one would approach a wounded animal, Richard placed a hand on Artemis' shoulder, not entirely sure what to do. He scowled at the scene before him, the fingers in his other hand twitching with the urge to do something, even if he wasn't entirely sure what. He just wanted to help.

Decipherer:  The touch, however gentle it was, surprises Artemis, and his shoulders tense themselves up in response. It does break his attention towards the scene, and he relaxes upon glancing to Richard. ".. Oh. Hello." He didn't want anyone to see this, lest they pass judgement onto his actions, but with Richard it was entirely new fear. Knowing the extent of his brother's feelings for Richard made him all the more determined to be his friend, even with their few interactions. He desperately hoped this wouldn't stand in the way.

Tairais:  "Hello." Richard flinched slightly, the tentative cadence of his voice unsettling him. A thousand things to say flickered through his mind; Millions of shades of reassurances and the idea to share any one of his similar experiences to extend kinship were entertained as a spectrum of possibilities. In the end, though, he chose the simplest, most honest thing he could say, and hoped it was enough. His eyes flicker to the scene before them again, and his eye clouds with some unfathomable emotion. ".. I u-understand, and I.. e-empathize."

Decipherer:  Artemis internally cringed at the flare of anger towards himself - towards Richard - that came into his chest. Of course Richard understood. Because Richard's seen it all! Richard's been through so much, he knew, and now -- He was watching him whine over what was so little. He didn't want the pity. He didn't want to feel like his emotions were unimportant, but yet, they ... weren't important, were they? Artemis turns his head away from the scene, willing it to let him be - to no avail. "It's not important, really."

Tairais:  Richards eyes remained fixed on the scene before him, and he struggled to choose between the two paths that diverged before him. He could try and comfort Artemis, but that would risk upsetting him further. What was the risk versus the reward, he thought, and for that matter.. Why did he care so much? The answer came to him quicker than he expected, and though it startled him, it was also to be expected: Artemis reminded him of Benediktas: Curly hair, optimistic, driven, motivated to help others. That, and he was very dear to Elias. By extension, some of that emotion filtered down to him. In the end, he said nothing. He had no right to, he felt.

Decipherer:  With no break in the tension, the view shifts to something entirely different, and Artemis gives a visible cringe. ''It was a funeral. It's unclear who for, the text of the gravestone being fuzzy at best; but it didn't matter. The younger Artemis looked up at his brother -- his older brother -- and tugs at his sleeve. Elias, who would appear to be in his teens at best, faces Artemis with a puzzled expression. Artemis leans over, mumbling an "I'm sorry." Elias places a hand on Artemis' head gently, turning to look upon the grave again. "Me too."''

Tairais:  Richard was torn between morbid curiosity and.. something he couldn't quite put into words, though its aches tore through his chest regardless. His hands twitched with an aborted attempt to reassure Artemis again; What good would repetition do? Shifting his weight on his feet, he sighed through his nose, the heavy huff directed entirely towards himself. "I.. a-apologize f-for intruding. If y-you w-would like t-to get away f-from y-your memories f-for a time.. I was on m-my way to make t-tea." ''Why is tea your go-to fix-it-all, you crazy Italian? ''Jack's voice filtered in through corridors of memory, and he stifled the flash of a wry smile behind his scarf, the picture bittersweet.

Decipherer:  "Er- sure." He faces Richard with the barest features of a hopeful smile, nodding meekly. How funny that the psychologist had become the one in need of assistance putting his mind at ease.

Obtained From
Nightmare, or Reality?