#hshqtask058

[highsocietyhq]

HSHQTASK058: THE FINAL CHAPTER

it's time to write an ending to your character's story ! what happens to them when the program finished ? did they become something great ? did they learn from their mistakes ? did they start a family or accomplish something noteworthy ? who did they become ? post your stories under the #hshqtask058 tag on OUR CLOSING DAY ( later in march but u can write the task beforehand ) !

[niklausses]

klaus, the epilogue: still a moron.

Klaus, once again, finds his glory and path through violence. As the royal son who fought in Basel, his face and image becomes deeply tied to the city and conflict. He becomes somewhat of a hero for the city and many of the soldiers who fought there. Even without having any official title or ownership of the region, his words carry larger weight.

Due to his rank (with the Basel promotion), Klaus is signed on with the military for the next two decades of his life. Now that Switzerland is no longer in active war, much of his work is involved in the rebuilding and revitalization of Basel. He also becomes more of a royal liaison with the military.

He ends up leaving the program as his obligations increase and once Helena wants to leave because of family reasons.

Klaus and Helena do end up getting married. Minimum of 3 times (no divorces in between, just multiple ceremonies). Also, before that, Klaus does end up proposing back at Helena. So, by the time they're married they each have at least 3 engagement rings (the fake ones, the ones from Helena proposing, and the ones from Klaus proposing).

Klaus maintains that he wants to be a trophy husband, but unfortunately, he does not retire until his 40's or 50's from military work. And after that, is a royal's job ever really done?

As part of Basel's revitalization efforts, and to also make it easier to move between Brazil and Switzerland, Helena opens up a new office for Plantinha in Basel and helps put Switzerland on the map for eco-agriculture and eco-animal husbandry.

The couple split their time between Switzerland and Brazil (Switzerland when Klaus is doing military work, and Brazil, when he's off. It just so "happens" to align with when it's summer in each country.)

Klaus' dog food farm flourishes. His friends can still buy a share of the output if they want. Chinchy (and Chinchy's clone) has his own blend.

Post-program, Klaus embarks on his true life's calling, creating a new dog breed: Swiss Bulldogs.

They end up being recognized by a few official kennel clubs by the time he dies.

Klaus falls for a couple different weird "health" and "wellness" gimmicks (think Liver King). Helena is constantly working to prevent more. She's relatively successful. She talks him down from straight up steroids to medically-monitored TRT.

2024 was going to be Klaus' corset era. rip.

At one point, Helena and Klaus attempt a threesome or to be more poly, but quickly realize that they couldn't handle it and call it off before they get to the bedroom.

Klaus is still a menace (I'm so sorry, Arnauld). Helena tells him he's allowed to flirt with other people, and he does. Just no touching.

He boxes a few more times, usually as fundraisers for Basel-related causes.

Even at the World Peace gala, Klaus is never fully trusting or comfortable with the Germans again (though he longs for Berghain...)

Though always carrying the weight of conflict with him (and the names and faces of those lost), Klaus lives a relatively happy life. With his ego being satiated by Helena's attention, the hero worship of war, and the knowledge that he has done something his brothers cannot touch, Klaus isn't as prone to acting out as much (though, again, he's still a moron and prone to attention-seeking). He settles down a bit as he gets older. Still a little outrageous, still seeking reactions, but far more manageable. Also, he now has two different royal press teams to handle his messes, so that probably helps, too.

[lcvcntc]

HSHQTASK058: LEVENTE'S ENDING.

Upon arriving to Budapest, Levente looks around and realizes how his life is nothing but a garbage fire. The worst part? He is the root of it, there's really no one else to blame. Humility has never suited Levente but he learns its meaning the hard way. Through little actions, he tries to apologise to Ines, and does his best to make her happy. He calls Tekla more frequently because he feels guilty for having ignored her so badly before the program. He actually lets Olimpia voice her opinions and instead of shooting her ideas down, at least considers them. He improves his relationship with Milena and does his best to respect the boundaries she has set. He forces himself to accept Fanni's decision. Even if it happens with gritted teeth.

It's through Ines that he really becomes somewhat bearable. He cannot afford to be as selfish as he used to be, and he cannot afford to be as harsh as he used to be. He makes room for Ines in his life and in Budapest, actually stands up for her if it's necessary. He has to, or he has nothing. Whether he wants to admit it or not, he needs Ines. Not for her political power or to appear proper. He needs her for his own sake. When he notices his dependency on her, it frightens him for a short period of time — but he accepts it. There are worse things in life, and he has faith in their relationship.

Katya and Milena barely fit into the picture. He feels guilt every time he expresses his desire to see or to even hear from them. He never really finds a balance between his children. With bitterness he watches Leonid take the role, Levente hadn't figured out how to claim. It's better for Katya, he tells himself. Katone becomes the center of his universe.

The first real crisis comes in the form of his father's diagnosis. He is dying and no amount of doctors can stop that from happening. Levente who has spent the past decade feeling ready to take the crown, suddenly finds himself doubting himself. He can't handle the work, not with the same grace as his father. The only thing that somewhat softens the terrible news is the closeness of the family. The siblings greet each other with sad smiles. They eat at the same table again. They prepare for the worst together.

Levente's coronation is held but he comes to realize that the new title doesn't necessarily change his work. He still oversees the same projects, signs the same papers — the only difference is the number of papers. He has to let go of his smaller passion projects. It's not a terrible sacrifice but it makes him feel like the world is treating him like a puppet. No will of his own, just a duty to his country.

When the first concerning signs of old age make themselves known, he has to sit down and reconsider everything. He hasn't worn the crown that long, just a few years and a couple of months. But now that his mortality has been made clear to him, he is hungry for more. More seconds, more minutes, more hours, just more. More of his family, more of happy moments, more free time.

He doesn't make it obvious, oh no, his pride would never allow that. He cuts down his hours as much as he can. He doesn't do anything he doesn't have to. He becomes an expert at avoiding work. It's better for his family, it's better for him... and it drives Katone to become conscientious. Levente is not sorry about that in the slightest.

[yvrivic]

HSHQTASK058: THE FINAL CHAPTER.

Roman's house arrest lasts for nearly fifteen years. It's a lot less than what he had expected but it was still much more than what he was prepared for. Fifteen long years with nothing but phone calls, messages, books and tv to keep him entertained. The occasional visits from people who were not afraid to be associated with him were very much the only thing keeping him sane.

It pained him to watch Belarus fall into the hands of the Romanovs. What did it matter if they appointed a Belorussian if the person was nothing more than a puppet? There were moments when he considered regretting his crime but the state of Belarus never let him sway. He had been right. He had been right to try to protect his country. Milena became even bigger an obsession to him. His hate intensified within the stone walls of his house, and if he didn't pay attention to his own wandering thoughts, he found himself repeating the same old mantra: if only I had succeeded.

Margaux was salt in the wound. He could hear it in her accent, he could notice it in the way she phrased her thoughts, he could see it in the way she dressed. The Romanovs had even taken his child from him, and turned her into a pathetic copy of themselves. Giselle's assurances kept him from going out of his mind. She'd tell him over and over again that it was only for a short time. Margaux was only learning to think for herself. Margaux was a d'Orléans, they didn't fall into manipulation like that. Margaux was a Yurivic, she had her heart in Belarus.

He accepted defeat. He really gave up. Margaux had ascended the throne and he was still locked inside. He had barely even seen her during his house arrest. Did she even know who he was? Did she care? His freedom wasn't worth losing a friendship with Russia. Part of him could respect the cold practicality of it but it did little to warm him during the darker days when he could only feel loneliness.

Fifteen years was a long time and it stole his fire. What did principles mean when you did not have a life? What did it matter who ruled of Belarus when he couldn't walk past a garden gate? His passion seemed stupid and useless. He despised his younger self. He was tired.

When Giselle threw her arms around him and sobbed, he thought someone had died. Even after hearing her repeat the news again and again, he waited for another reason. The words just would not reach that right spot in his brain. He could not comprehend anything. Had he really been pardoned?

He accepted his exile without a problem. He did not care anymore. He never should have cared. The world was meant to be experienced. He was glad he could rest. He was glad he had an excuse to step away from politics.

He never gets to step on his home country's soil. He carries a long list of regrets with until the very end. He is not ashamed of anything he has done but he knows if he had known the price in the beginning, he would have chosen differently.

Roman returns to Paris. The city of his youth. The city that had lit something inside of him four decades earlier. The memories of his idealism still warm him. He enjoys walks with Giselle, they are able to retrace the steps of their first date. There's certain kind of sweet cruelty in the way he can vividly remember the lightness of his heart.

He has lost years but at least he knows he can say he knows the value of time.

[rcmvncv]

HSHQTASK058: THE FINAL CHAPTER

While the Romanovs could say they had finally entered an era of peace, stability barely existed within the family itself. Lyosha's and Anya's relationship didn't seem to mend with time, both too certain that they had been treated unfairly and too convinced that the other was wrong.

Alexei never got the words out of his mouth. He was never able to put into words why bringing Anneli back into his life was worth every little and big issue. How could he explain to anyone, let alone Anya who had always had some respect towards their duties, that this was the one last chance to do something for himself. Something selfish and something potentially harmful for no other reason but to have something he wanted. He hadn't wanted to compromise. He hadn't wanted to put his duty first. He hadn't wanted to take politics into consideration. He had wanted his personal life to look like his own instead of being a reminder of all the things that he had had to deny himself.

And occasionally, when things felt just too hard, he wondered if his childishness and weakness of will had been a grave mistake. If Anya had been right. If he had put into motion something so great that not even he and the people around him could contain it.

And then he'd be allowed to stay within the four walls of their room, and for a day, Anneli would endure the heat and the weight without complaints, without demanding any reason. The next day, he'd shower, put an ironed shirt on, walk into meetings, feel present. Then he'd be having a regular meal, and in the comfortable silence between himself and Anneli, he'd stop and realize he had chosen right. What did it matter what happened in the afternoon when he never could control anything? When his kingdom was so big that not even he had a proper understanding of it? What he could understand was what he had around himself — and with that he was quite content with.

It's one morning when he wakes up to Anneli jumping out of the bed much earlier than she's supposed to. It's the sound of retching that makes him sit up. The worry turns into joy a few days later when the bloodwork gives them an explanation. It's not that he thought it impossible, it's not that it's unexpected, but he still feels surprised and lightheaded. They manage to keep the pregnancy a secret for a few months before the family learns and some months later, when it's virtually impossible to hide it anymore, there's an official statement.

Ilari changes quite a lot. The daily schedule, the perception the people have of Anneli, the expectations people have for Alexei. It's easier to slow down now that there is such an obvious reason for it. Elena is born two years later. It's a bit after Elena's birth that Anneli brings up relocation to Helsinki. She wants it a lot. It's important. And a few years later Alexei concedes and agrees to split his time between St. Petersburg and Helsinki.

Living in two places forces him to delegate more of his duties to his siblings, cousins, Zhenya, and Oksana. Those duties keep getting delegated and delegated and delegated. He learns to let go. He learns to stop carrying everything by himself. He learns to live in the moment — and for him, those moments are with his family. It's an afternoon stroll in a park. It's a movie night without a moment of silence. It's a New Year's Eve banquet with his child on his knee opening a present.

It's forgetting to dwell on things he cannot and will never be able to affect.

[vrnvuld]

HSHQTASK058: THE FINAL CHAPTER !

arnauld felt like a winner for a long time. he had andorra, he had a bit of belgium, he had made a friend out of the swiss, he had gotten the girl. the pieces had all fallen into place.

it's just... inner peace is not a concept arnauld accepts. france was basically bankrupt so he couldn't ( even if he had wanted to ) anger any of his neighbours. but fuck ! rebuilding sucks. it's boring. it takes time. it yields nothing. arnauld needed distractions. it's why he couldn't help himself and caused tension within the french court.

he has julien and fanni thank for surviving himself. julien for beating some sense into him and for putting out fires, fanni for making him likeable and gently guiding him away from harmful habits.

but who the fuck cares about arnauld's career life. it's there, it's not without issues.

arnauld's personal life became a controlled package. leaving the program, not spending time ruminating over fanni, and being able to concentrate on work and having a scheduled life was good to him. fanni's presence in his life was a good influence as well. like i've written before, arnauld views fanni as something kind of holy, he felt like having someone like her by his side, improved him as well. he didn't find it too hard to depend on her emotionally. it was a healthy change in his life. fanni didn't possess the same kind of distaste for weakness as the d'orléans.

the wedding was in august of 2024. the beginning of their marriage was difficult because the timeline of their relationship raised some questions and arnauld struggled to accept his own behaviour. it looked like weakness to take back the woman who had left him. it was an issue he needed to work on... he never did and i think it would have been an issue he'd use as ammo during fights to evoke guilt. fanni's sobriety was also cause for stress. he kept wondering if he had made a mistake trusting a person whose lapse in judgment had been so bad at one point.

but if there was something he could trust fanni with, it was children. fanni was in a hurry to get pregnant, something about the biological clock and what not. so a month before the wedding there was a positive test. arnauld wasn't how to feel. he honestly hadn't expected it to happen so easily. auguste was born in spring of 2025. fanni insisted that they'd have a second child as quickly as possible. laurant was born in late 2026. they were fine with two children, or at least arnauld was... but they ended up with three when odette was born in 2028. it was a difficult and risky pregnancy, which did not please arnauld at all because he was sure two sons was enough.

fatherhood did not come naturally to arnauld. he didn't have that bone in him. he wanted to be a good father because he wanted to be good at everything ! it was a lot more difficult in practice. arnauld essentially made child rearing fanni's task. he enjoyed the nice moments. occasionally it was an issue within their marriage... but they had had an unsaid deal. they were a disgustingly traditional pair and fanni had somewhat accepted the role of an overly present mother.

time caught up with arnauld faster than he would have liked. fanni's youth made him sometimes forget his own age. it was the first knee problems that made scared him. his active lifestyle suffered. this was a small issue though. he could still teach auguste, he could still continue ignoring laurant, he could still admire odette's ambition.

he could hide a sore knee. a slight limp didn't make him any less intimidating when most of the time he just sat at his desk. what he couldn't hide was a shaky hand. he tried, of course, kept it away from fanni's and julien's eyesight. for some months he was successful since the shaking wasn't constant. then during a dinner, fanni stopped to stare at his lap. he resisted a doctor's appointment, unwilling to find out what the diagnosis would be.

one shaky hand wasn't enough to give him a sentence but with the rigidity of his movements, he was diagnosed with parkinson's disease.

the diagnosis started a chain of problems. arnauld did not take the news very well. of course he'd die from a brain disease ! of course his healthy lifestyle had not been able to protect him from a disease so arbitrary ! arnauld's mental wellbeing suffered and he, in theory, would have been fine to continue his work but... the medication stopped him from doing it. the side effects included impulse control issues... and a megalomanic naturally suffered from the side effect.

julien took over auguste. fanni was right by her son's side. even giselle stepped up and became more present in politics. arnauld stepped down behind the scenes but didn't officially give the crown to auguste. he insisted auguste was too young...

once the pr team failed to keep arnauld's condition from the public, arnauld officially gave the crown to auguste. and you can bet it was a bitter moment ! arnauld had planned on holding tightly to the title, he had planned to die with the crown on his head. he had wanted to die a quick and perhaps even violent death — a death that made him memorable, that made sure that his death was just as grand as his life had been. but no, fate would have it otherwise.

he had to accept losing his autonomy. it was the hardest part. when the motor issues became too great, not even fanni's sympathy was enough to distract him for self-pity.

the last years, he could help but to wonder if this slow deterioration was the cost of his crime. his slow death a punishment ?

[vstridb]

HSHQTASK058: THE FINAL CHAPTER !

astrid's lack of ambition is the thing that will take her around the world, from one adventure onto another, but it will never grant her the satisfaction of knowing where she belongs.

astrid sails between paris, stockholm, zagreb and whichever city the majority of her friends are in. at one point it's berlin, then nice, then copenhagen... astrid fails to stay still because there is always an offer to come live in a city for a few months. she keeps ilija off of her mind. he's just a friend among many. her lips remain sealed until one evening when she blurts the truth out. she's been foolish and he's been blind.

ilija fits into the picture a bit poorly, it cannot be denied. astrid has, without anyone realizing it, become very much like anton. she's a wanderer, she enjoys adventures ! becoming linked with the crown prince of croatia feels difficult but she doesn't let it bother her. their pace is slow and since they've been friends for such a long time, they don't need to be around each other 24/7. when ilija proposes, astrid knows it's time to grow up. she settles down in zagreb but has an apartment in paris. she's not principled enough to stay away from the city and with ilija's own cousin as the queen, it's perfectly acceptable ! they more or less split their time between the two cities.

she first turns 27 then 31 then 35 and realizes the world around her has changed massively but she... she hasn't. not at the very core. what has changed is the insecurity that was once so tightly woven into her. anxiousness has grown quieter, her mistakes bother her less, and the opinions of others merely exist to guide her now. enjoying life has become easier. there are times when she feels very insignificant compared to the people around her. anton is one of the few people who keeps her sane and keeps her from thinking about getting involved in politics ( she's not genuinely interested nor is she cut out for it ). the toughest thing to accept is ilija's future role as a head of state that he seems very prepared for. his work always serves to remind her of how much time has passed and how far away are the days of their youth.

children, in an odd way, make her feel energized. they keep her busy, especially in the beginning. ilija and astrid's first daughter is born in 2028 and the second one 18 months later in 2029. when astrid gets pregnant, she accepts that it's time to close the curtains on the paris chapter and really settle down in zagreb. she can't have ilija and herself fly back and forth all the time, and she's a firm believer in having her children call only one place home.

her art degree eventually gets dusted off when she sets up shop in paris. the kids are in uni, ilija is a very busy man as the king of croatia. so she picks up a new project: a small gallery not too far away from freja and lucien's old apartment. she's a sucker for nostalgia even at the ripe age of 51. she still visits the same corner cafe that she used to at 20. it's under a new name now but the furniture's practically the same. the menu still holds the only important item: paris-brest pastry.

mira's ( her second kid's ) university graduation feels like a slap in the face. where has the time gone ? it wasn't a long time ago when she was celebrating her own degree. ebba and rohan are getting old and she's not far behind. freja's son is more than prepared to step into his mother's shoes. there are whispers of arnauld d'orléans' deteriorating health. even russia may see a new czar soon... she's lived long enough to know when the wind is picking up. changes are coming and it's no good living in two places.

astrid eventually leaves paris. the people who kept her there are no longer there. the art scene is foreign to her now and void of familiar faces. there's a new generation of art lovers and she isn't quite 'hip' enough. ilija is her home. zagreb has become her home. the glimmer of paris and the art scene has worn off, she doesn't find much worth in it anymore. family is the most important thing to her. always has, always will.

[giselledorleans]

giselle struggles. she struggles accepting that margaux has slipped from her protective embrace. she struggles to watch roman wither away in his house arrest. giselle struggles letting fanni take over the 'lesser duties' that had been once giselle's duties.

and once she's over the growing pains, she begins to suck up to the romanovs. giselle's prideful but she had never been principled. the romanovs do not like her and that does not change but zhenya pities her and anneli sympathizes with roman, and that is enough ! that is enough to make giselle's stays in karelia long and meaningful.

she fights against margaux's brainwashing but the part of margaux that is completely and truly roman, thinks very little of her mother's whining. giselle has always looked down on eastern europe, her stance on russia, in margaux's eyes, differs not from her view on belarus. so why would margaux listen to her mother about this ? russia's been surprisingly kind on margaux and as vitaliya's protege, she even gets invited to the winter palace. to an almost teen that is a privilege and it makes her special. giselle loses the fight against the romanovs' influence before she even realizes there is an actual fight. giselle had thought that margaux would be more influenced by her parents' opinions on russia, but no.

giselle's quite hung up on roman. even without realizing it, she keeps comparing possible suitors to roman and they all fall short. one's too loud. another too short. another seems uneducated. another something else. she always finds a flaw. it's why her flings remain as flings. a month or two but never anything meaningful. it seems too much work and too tiring. giselle already has a family and she already has a best friend. it's alright.

but roman's not alright and it saddens and concerns her. she visits as much as she can and she tries to keep his spirits up. she keeps reminding him that it will only take a year or two for margaux to ascend the throne. he will be pardoned. it will be alright. it's hard work, it brings giselle down a bit but it makes her feel important, like she matters. and she needs that. she has not been needed by her brothers in a long time.

margaux's graduation from high school is a joyous occasion because it marks the beginning of a new era. roman gets to attend the ceremony and the party: that is all anneli's doing. she and zhenya are the only friendly faces. it really feels like a change is coming.

giselle's quite mistaken.

margaux rise to power means almost nothing. de jure power has lost its meaning in belarus and what roman predicted and has feared for a long time, has come true. belarus is barely a sovereign state. russia's footprint is big and its visible. margaux is not equipped to rule a country with a fucking high school diploma and she is not suave enough to handle the russians even if she wanted to. giselle is not sure if she wants to go against them in any form. it worries her. giselle begs arnauld to sway margaux to put more effort into her role as the queen. arnauld tries a bit... and giselle is sure that he tries it in the only way that he can: with his own interest in mind.

giselle pressures margaux into a french uni, to learn something useful about politics. this is when giselle becomes activated in politics again. she doesn't do anything to serve the people but she does everything to gather important, wise and powerful people around margaux.

she works quite tirelessly and just a bit before celebrating her 50th birthday, she gets her birthday presents early in the form of a pardoned roman. roman has no business in living in belarus anymore so he naturally returns to paris.

for the first time giselle feels content. peaceful even. her daughter is doing fairly well as a queen, roman may look terrible but he's no longer verbally and emotionally lifeless, giselle's brothers seem happy and arnauld's megalomaniacal plans have all ended ages ago and he is not bringing problems into their lives.

what else could giselle really need but a happy family and a happy best friend ?