A few minutes later, Alto and Tegan are sitting inside a VIP room at the restaurant, eating in silence at an awkwardly large table. As for how the date's going...
'There is nothing enriching about this activity at all...'
She casts another glance at Tegan, who's avoiding her gaze with a disinterested expression. Once again, she tries to initiate conversation.
"So, is this a favorite restaurant of yours?" (Alto)
He shoves another piece of cut meat into his mouth, not even glancing at her.
"No." (Tegan)
She sighs internally, fighting the urge to scream at him in frustration. That's probably the eighth conversation starter she's tried, only to be met with an entirely nonverbal answer, a one word response, or at best, a clearly dismissive sentence. She's not sure he could be less enjoyable company if he tried.
'At least he's not undressing me with his eyes, or worse...'
Be that as it may, it's still deeply uncomfortable for her to work this hard to converse with someone. Unfortunately, her father's heavy expectations weigh on her, urging her to do just that.
She clears her throat awkwardly.
"Ehem...err, do you plan to attend the Academy at some point?" (Alto)
Truthfully, she's fairly certain of the answer to this question. She knows that he hasn't attended the Academy yet, and he's almost sixty, so he probably would have by now if that was part of his or his family's plans. But, she needs something...anything, to get him talking.
To her surprise, the question elicits a reaction from Tegan. He raises an eyebrow, his eyes moving to study her intently in silence for several moments, accompanied by a strange expression she can't quite place. When he eventually responds, it seems almost absentminded.
"No...I was tutored in our business's basic subjects as a kid, and Father thinks it's better if I learn as much as possible from 'real' experience. He had me spend two years working in each department of our construction business – finance, engineering, and even as an unskilled laborer on-site. His motto is that if I don't understand who's working for us, no amount of education will keep me from running the business into the ground." (Tegan)
For the first time, her eyes light up with interest, her back straightening subconsciously. His answer...isn't what she was expecting, and it genuinely makes her more curious about their family. She doesn't know much about the Stones, but it's clear the Stone patriarch's approach to business, and his views on those that work for him, couldn't be more diametrically opposed to her father's way of thinking. Yet, the Stone family is just as successful.
She leans forward slightly, her eyes studying him.
"Oh? That's rather interesting...what was it like? Doing all those different jobs, I mean." (Alto)
Tegan purses his lips, his gaze far away. His voice is soft and distracted.
"Enlightening...I guess. At first, I thought it was a waste of time, but now...I don't know how I could have ever run the business effectively without the experience. More than anything, though, it made me strangely grateful for my father. I might have cursed him for making me work myself ragged like a poor commoner at first, but it's thanks to him doing so that I..." (Tegan)
Tegan trails off, blinking as though shaken from a trance. She narrows her eyes at him, distinctly invested.
"You...what?" (Alto)
His gaze moves to her, focused once again. His demeanor cools, his voice turning dismissive as he resumes eating his food.
"Nothing...if you keep asking questions, you won't have time to finish your food." (Tegan)
Alto frowns.
'What is his issue? He was finally not miserable to talk to...interesting, even.'
Alas, she doesn't push the issue, recognizing his words and tone for the dismissal they are. They finish eating, with her trying her best to get a similarly engaging response from him again, but he's like a stone wall. For the remainder of their 'date', one word responses from him become the conversation benchmark, until eventually, it ends.
*****
Entire months pass, with Alto continuing her new, grueling schedule. She continues to make the tutoring-filled trips to Urilia twice a week for her 'dates' with Tegan, and a pattern becomes frustratingly clear to her.
Tegan always sets a date at an awkwardly formal restaurant setting, arrives half an hour or so late, then proceeds to spend the entire dinner sitting on the complete opposite side of the table, engaging with her the bare minimum.
Of course, the waste of her enrichment time aside, she quickly stopped taking his behavior personally. It wouldn't bother her at all, in fact, save for one detail...
Her father.
BANG!
Master Silver's hand slams into his desk, his expression distinctly furious as he glares at Alto. His voice has a sharp edge to it.
"How can you be this incompetent!? It's been months!" (Master Silver)
She flinches slightly at his tone, but tries to limit her reaction otherwise. Her voice is even as she responds, keeping her gaze fixed on the wall behind him.
"I believe he's simply not interested, Father..." (Alto)
He scoffs, his voice turning mocking.
"Clearly...but whose fault do you think that is?" (Master Silver)
She clenches her jaw, choosing not to respond. After all, what could she possibly say that wouldn't anger him? Certainly not the truth.
Her father lets out a frustrated sigh, shaking his head. He begins pacing behind his desk, a thoughtful expression on his face. After a few moments, his steps halt, and his eyes lock on her again, his expression as resolute as his voice.
"You'll simply have to do better...be more proactive in progressing your relationship with him." (Master Silver)
She raises her eyebrows, her voice thick with unease.
"What do you mean?" (Alto)
Her father rolls his eyes, his voice growing irritated.
"What do you think I mean, foolish girl? He's a young man, it's not that hard. Make an excuse and get him alone, hold his hand, kiss him...I don't care how, just make him feel some affection for you, or at least some responsibility. Honestly, if you can't be more appealing than some peasant girl, you're too worthless to be heiress." (Master Silver)
More than she could have expected, her father's comment...hurts. She thought she already knew and accepted what kind of man he is...how she's nothing more than a tool to him. However, even then, she still thought he cared about her, took pride in her, in his own way.
All his investment in her business education, his high standards, his boasting about her being a prodigy...she handled it all in stride, because she's always prided herself on her mind. So, seeing her father put so much emphasis on it too, she felt validated, appreciated...valued. And on some level, because he seemed to share her values, she still respected him as a father despite all his other shortcomings.
But his suggestions just now – that she use her body like a cheap bargaining piece for a man that clearly doesn't care for her, that she's worthless if she fails to do so – they paint a much different picture. A picture of a father who never took pride in her in the first place, who doesn't intrinsically respect her mind or hard work. Any value she has to him starts and ends with how effectively she can further his goals, regardless of the context or methods, and her failure means she and anything she's ever done are worthless.
The realization is like glass shattering in her mind.
'His love, his support, his approval, even his respect...none of it was ever really an option, was it? After all, a tool doesn't earn your love for doing what you acquired it to do in the first place. You expect it to meet your expectations to the fullest, without exception, and as soon as it fails once, it's no longer reliable. It's worthless to you.'
From there, it doesn't take long for her to understand...her life is never going to get any better. This grueling time since her magic practice was taken from her...she's not enduring a passing hardship like she thought. She's rushing headlong down a path of greater expectations, less freedom, and more disappointment. One that can only end in failure by her father's standards. How long, then, before she's deemed useless and disowned?
'There is no future for me here...certainly not a happy one.'
The thought is...terrifying, not liberating. One would think that, realizing the inevitability of her situation, she might feel a kind of clarity, a weight lifting from her shoulders. However, she sees it differently.
All this time, the only thing holding her back from rebelling against her father's wishes, from asserting herself and drawing a line in the sand, is the absolute certainty (imagined or real) that she'd be disowned and made effectively homeless. If that were to happen, she has no skills or knowledge of how to make a living without existing capital, and she'd have no safety net or support to learn.
Now, all that has changed is she feels convinced that being thrust into that scenario is inevitable, regardless of how obedient she tries to be, and her window of time to prepare for it is closing fast.
For a moment, the harsh reality of her circumstances, as she sees them, are...paralyzing. Part of her wants to not face them, to tell herself she's overreacting in a time of emotional turmoil, and to throw herself even harder into trying to meet her father's expectations.
However, right when she thinks that, as her mind visualizes the path before her – throwing herself at Tegan, entrapping herself in a life surrounded by people who don't love her, divorcing herself from the few things like magic that she's felt passion for. Once she really, truly begins to resolve herself to accept and execute what's needed, her heart and mind recoil with a forcefulness she's unprepared for. She feels a revulsion for her situation that's so deep, so visceral, that...in that very moment...she aches to throw herself headfirst into disownment.
But, that's not who she is...
So, she lets that moment pass, she fixes her expression, and she steels her resolve. Then, she finally bows her head obediently at her father, despite the fact that the very act makes her soul scream in protest, and she responds with a calm voice.
"I understand, Father. Rest assured...I'll do whatever I have to." (Alto)
*****