the blonde grinned bright at the people entering the parlour. she was always grinning, always happy to be there, always soft and lovely and kind. that was her role to play, after all, and nessia was trying very hard not to mind it. after all, she couldnāt just defy her parents outright, theyād probably kill her. sheād put on pretty makeup, a nice floral blouse with high-waisted jeans -- the ones that her mother suggested because it made her look like she had something to offer in the body department. really nice, mother. despite the casual barb over her body, nessia tried not to think about her appearanceĀ as the guests were entering. sheād known them for a while -- not sure how long, she recognized their faces and one or two names.Ā
one in particular she remembered better than the rest. konstantin abram bazin. he was a figure that nessia paid very much care to. he was kind, but sad. like her. so when they crossed paths -- a rare occurrence, but one that was still feasible -- she vowed to make him smile. sheād heard rumors of his dark past. it scared her. so, when he entered, she stood.Ā ākonstantin!ā she greeted respectfully, though still excited. she knew her parents were glaring at her behind her back, but she didnāt care. as if she could ever care, so long as it put a smile on the handsome manās face. nessia tried not to dwell on the fact that she wasnāt allowed to use casual names unless they gave her permission, so she knew him as konstantin, nothing more. how she hated all these idiotic traditions. this wasnāt imperial russia anymore, or at least it shouldnāt be.Ā āi havenāt seen you in what feels like forever -- tell me all about whatās happened since then, you must catch me up.ā
