Bad Reputation [closed RP]
The way she spoke and moved was enough to tell Valentina what sort of relationship she held with her family. As always when she learned of these less-than-good circumstances, she felt pity towards the girl, though a part of her did feel envious and almost angry. She did not know how lucky she was to even have a family, and to think it unfortunate to be with them? Valentina wished to shake her head in disapproval.
Still, like the woman she was, the Queen only listened and nodded when appropriate. Her attentionsâdespite the interesting ensemble the girl wore and the bright colours of the Festival that constantly begged for herâwere turned back to her food, eating as quietly as she could as the girl went on. It was only after she swallowed that she gave a smile to the girl, setting down the skewer sticks in the container she held and bowing her head.
âIt is no problem, really,â she started. âThis bench is free to anyone. I am surprised you came to me at all; surely I⊠stand out too much for you to even think that I am a good choice to sit with. But anyhowâŠâ Valentina turned to properly face Dev, freeing up a hand to brush some of her fiery locks away from her face.Â
âI am having a swell time, though I have been a bit lonely⊠I came by myself you see, from some ways away⊠And I do not think everyone here is too thrilled by my appearance, hah!â The Queen sighed before she took to cocking her brow at the girl. âHave you been enjoying yourself at all? Even with⊠with your family?â
âI study in Zaun,â Dev admitted with a little duck of her head. She peeked up at Val from under her eyelashes as sheâd been taught to do, the shy glance of a girl who did not wish to do anything as bold as making eye contact but still gauge anotherâs mood. It wasnât something Dev did in Zaun but here, it was hard to fight off how she had been trained to behave. âA friend pointed you out to me once on the street and told me about you.â She risked giving a small smile, not sure if Val would like being recognized or not. She might carry herself with pride in Zaun but Ionia was different. Perhaps she didnât want to have her profession associated with her here. Quickly, as that thought occurred to her, Dev half-apologized, half-reassured her, âIâm not trying to blackmail you or anything, just - I wanted to be honest that I didnât pick you at random just because youâre a foreigner and less likely to hand me over.â Not that her aunts or mother would risk pollution by coming too near Val. Theyâd scrub Dev clean as well when she got home, bathe her in tumeric water and ritually cleanse her. And that would be after the scolding she got for ditching her family so rudely and so publicly. Too bad she couldnât just ask the Queen of Whores to take her back to Zaun with her. âI think itâs really cool that you can run something like that without needing a man to back you.â And that nobody stoned Val in the street for it. Or stripped her and shaved her head and ran her out of town. Dev shoved those thoughts away as well, pushing a hand over her carefully styled hair before giving Val another of those half-smiles, painted lips curving carefully (donât smile with your teeth, donât smile too wide). âAnd you look great. Talking to youâs the most fun Iâve had since I had to come back for the holidays.â
















