Low Profile

[Luxanna Viera]

She supposed she could understand that. At least, she would have had she had anything to lay her claim on. Luxanna wondered if sibling rivalry was truly a thing. Naturally, she wouldn't know. But it was still something she'd ponder about once the evening settled down.

The brunette turned her head towards her father, who just disappeared from behind the bar. She shrugged her shoulders lightly. "My mother died when I was very little and I have no other siblings." Though, despite her father's love and care, she knew that it worried him.

She turned back towards the blonde. "I am still hoping for my father to remarry, though." It was a selfish wish. Of course she wanted her father to be happy, but she didn't want to be stuck here for the rest of her life.

[Carter de Chevelle]

That response felt honest. Carter watched for any kind of difference in her face; the simple fact that she had felt the urge to look away expressed that it was a tender subject. The loss of anyone often was, regardless of the time in which it happened.

"Is that because you want him to be happy?" He asked then, but he waved his free hand a second later; "Of course you do. In part. Look at you; I doubt there's a malicious bone in your body."

And then he leaned forward in his seat, taking a generous sip of the drink she had provided before he settled it on the table. His attention settled easily in the palms of her hands. It was almost unfair, "When you were a girl, I doubt you dreamed of running a haven for drunken, negligent husbands. What was there, really?"

[Luxanna Viera]

Luxanna's eyes narrowed briefly as she looked at the man. She studied him this time; closely. First, she started with the eyes, searching for any clues within them, though found them to be hard to read. It... Annoyed her.

"Partly," she replied simply. "But mostly because I don't want to spend the rest of my life here." She saw little reason in lying about it, though, she didn't feel ready to admit that his words had irked her.

Did she really seem so weak in other people's eyes? Perhaps it only showed what she really thought about herself. Regardless, hearing it being said out loud didn't exactly feel flattering.

So what else was there? She felt the sudden fear of the man's opinion of her growing further. "I've always wanted to see the world - and by that definition, I don't mean through a window or through other people."

[Carter de Chevelle]

For Carter, remaining pure in a world so sullied was a kind of courageous act within itself. At least she could admit despite his assumption that there was a little intent behind the belief. It would be easy to find a way out if someone else cared as much as she did.

Hopefully, they would. And having the dream of seeing more than Goldcrest wasn't rare either.

"You want to go somewhere." He denoted then, and a life lost seemed to colour his almost-dull eyes. It had always been a dream of so many, but the means to do so was often never achievable. And it wasn't just a monetary issue; it was everything. Life. Love; usually, family.

"Well... Where?" Carter asked then, "If you had the choice, I mean." As so few did, but he supposed there was nothing wrong with dreaming.

[Luxanna Viera]

The question was simple, yet it had the young brunette mulling it over. She had never really offered the idea much thought, simply because she knew that it wasn't for her. At least, not unless she forced it to be.

Maybe he was right. Maybe she was too selfless. And for once, Luxanna realized that perhaps that wasn't such a good thing.

"Everywhere," she replied then, with a hint of embarrassment. "I want to see the Silvergate Castle of Astilon, the kennels of Ederhund, the savage lands of Terra Nullius, the isles of Abrea and the monuments of Therin. I want to see the world." It was a very scattered and little descriptive answer, but it was an honest one. Luxanna wanted to see it all.

[Carter de Chevelle]

The thought of running was something most people experienced with such ease. Here, in the life they all carried out, there was an obvious sense of control to each and every move made. Everything felt speculated over. If she ever tried to run, every person would ask her so many questions about it. So it was easier to stay behind. It was always easier.

Everything she listed was every place people told stories of. They felt like dreams. She spoke of them like they were, shrouded in a type of embarrassment.

Carter leaned forward in his seat, intent to give a set of words designed for no one else in the busy room.

"Well, I could help with at least one of those." Though really, he could help with all of them. He had the capacity to take a person to more than one overt location, if time wasn't a relevant factor, "I'm from Aubrea."

[Luxanna Viera]

A frown formed on the brunette's face as she looked at the man. Silence fell over her like a veil and she waited. She waited for him to tell her that he was joking or for a smile, a hint, or anything to show just that.

But there was nothing. His blue eyes seemingly pierced her soul, though she wasn't quite sure whether it was intentional or not.

"What?" she asked then, her brows furrowing. Confusion lit her eyes. Why would he do something like that for a person he'd only just met? The concept was rare - she didn't often meet people who did things out of the kindness of their hearts. Unless there was an ulterior motive, but Luxanna couldn't see any. "Why?"

[Carter de Chevelle]

It was the first genuine piece of information Carter had willingly gave her. Despite how he had learned to keep everything close to his chest when dealing with the masses, this felt different. Different enough that he could at least give her something real to hold onto.

Confusion seemed to rip through her expression, and Carter looked at her like he found it endearing. He completely understood that trusting a complete stranger was a stretch; he expected the reaction he got, which was why he didn't look affected by it. "One of those ships in the harbour is at my disposal." He informed her. SO the capacity was completely his to fulfill a mark on that wishlist.

"So why not?" He asked honestly, completely willing to talk through any issues he could.

[Luxanna Viera]

Luxanna sat, staring at the man in front of her. She still couldn't wrap her mind around it. Part of her figured he was kidding, so what was the harm in playing along? But then there was the part of her that was naive and wanted to believe that people were capable of telling the complete truth. And what if he was?

She turned her head then, searching for her father. As if that would help her, but he was nowhere to be seen. She looked at the blue eyed stranger once more, her eyes narrowed. This was what she had been dreaming for all along.

She stood, her fingertips brushing off invisible dust off of her skirt. "I'd rather want to earn it," she spoke. "I'll play you for it."

[Carter de Chevelle]

In honesty, it wasn't the kind of offer that Carter managed to give on a daily basis. Since the disappearance of his brother, he had been far more exclusive to just about everyone in his vicinity. There were no brave faces in places like these, so they were perfect. But company had him intrigued, so there he was, handing out words often made romanticised by easy dreams.

She stared at him with what looked like confusion, and the corner of his mouth was dragging to a broader smile. It wasn't embarrassing to see someone in disbelief, but the look given seemed to fuel the attitude he carried about the whole offer. When he lost her eyes, he dropped his smile, exhaling a short breath for the weight of something just carried.

And then he watched the way she got up. Perhaps that was it then, and he should reside to settling in his seat.

Then it was his turn to look confused, but he didn't move to leave his seat just yet; "Play what?"

[Luxanna Viera]

The way his smile fell, actually had Luxanna's growing bigger. Despite his confidence and elegance she realized there was certain things out of even his control. It made her feel slightly more at ease, though, that was likely because of her own feeling of self worth, rather than having anything to do with him.

She supposed it was unfair.

"Since I'm the challenger, it would only be fair to let you pick the game," she replied with a light shrug to her shoulders.

[Carter de Chevelle]

There was a stint of confidence, he was sure. Something that sparked in this relative stranger that flagged Carter's attention in the strangest way. Truthfully, he preferred the company of absolutely no one as of late. This was a great change.

Then he had all the power. Again. For someone so used to having it, it felt odd in his possession. He wanted to laugh at the thought, but instead he leaned inward to catch or keep her attention. "This might come as a great surprise to you, but I don't dabble in bar games frequently enough to have a clue." He explained, the corner of his mouth dragging instantly into something of a knowing smirk.

"And besides, if I win, what is there to gain?" Carter continued, a sense of cleverness to the entire thought; "I'm offering you what you want."

[Luxanna Viera]

"If I picked the game, that would be cheating and wouldn't mean I'd earned what you're offering," she replied with ease. She supposed that perhaps, she was only being stubborn. She had no right to expect him to play along or even give her the time of day. He'd already showed enough kindness by simply offering.

And yet she found it so hard to believe.

He also did have a point; in truth, there was nothing for him to gain. And like that, Luxanna couldn't help but to feel how foolish she was being. A red tint covered her cheeks and she found herself at a loss of words.

It did make her wonder, though. "Do you often offer strangers their dreams delivered on silver plates?"

[Carter de Chevelle]

Scrutiny clearly coloured the expression given to Carter. Of course, the lone girl had no reason to trust him. He could be worse. Do worse. He could express her dreams to her and rip them away at the eleventh hour as so many did for the hell of it. The only thing he could truly do in a moment of stranger-induced trust was be honest. It was all he had.

He glanced down at the slight way she blushed; how it coloured her cheeks and seemed to have her mind reeling.

"Actually, never." He admitted, and there was a genuine sense to his words. If she could read a person in any capacity, she'd know in a heartbeat that he wasn't lying, "But I refuse to see this break of ritual as anything remotely negative."

[Luxanna Viera]

She looked up then, surprise coloring her features as she studied the man sitting in front of her. He didn't look, nor sound as if he was lying, though, she supposed that might have been her own naivety talking.

She could let this opportunity slip between her fingers and pick the obviously safer choice, or she could take a leap of faith and hope she wouldn't come to regret it. She then turned her head, searching for her father somewhere in the crowd. Perhaps it was for reassurance, but he was nowhere to be found.

"Okay," she finally said as she turned back, her heart throbbing in her chest.