earlymorninstar

[Beneath a moonless sky] 18+ [Arista x Earlymorninstar]

Clara had finished straightening her mess up as Ryanair already headed out the door. She’d heard a bit of conversation in the hall, and waited a few moments before she decided she wouldn’t be interrupting anything. It was true, she had seen the crystal left in her room the night before and had made her assumptions - they all should have had the crystal on each of them to prevent any further complications. So, she had found one of her old necklaces and she used the chain to work it around the crystal. It stayed concealed beneath her shirt, but she made sure to follow orders and keep it on her person.

Clara soon headed out of the room next to Ryanair before they made their way down the hall and back downstairs. The smell of food was tempting, but then again, the temptation to spar was right there along side it. Perhaps she could teach Ryanair a thing to two.

She was the first to step into the kitchen and grab a plate for herself before she handed one to Ryanair. Filling up her plate, she seemed quite pleased with herself before she headed into the dining room. Christian had still been there, sipping a cup of coffee before he glanced at Clara over the rim of his cup. A brow raised, noticing how she seemed a bit - different than usual. Hell, she seemed more content than he’d seen her in a long while.

“You seemed to have woken up on the right side of the bed for once.” He commented, placing his cup down. Clara only rolled her eyes at him as she sat down at the table next to him. “Piss off.” She murmured. “I’m just in a better mood today, is all.” Christian had given her a look at her language, but he chose not to press it. Better not ruin the mood and stay quiet about it -- whatever it was that seemed to have perked her up could continue if he had anything to say about it - especially given the circumstances surrounding all of them.

@Arista

[Beneath a moonless sky] 18+ [Arista x Earlymorninstar]

Clara hadn’t expected him to be as pleased as he was, but then again, she hadn’t taken into consideration that it had been quite a while since he’d had his hair cut. She hummed quietly to herself as she straightened up in the bathroom. She heard his words and had went to turn around, but his arms around her had her surprised. She blinked and stiffened slightly again, still not used to such affection, but after a moment Clara had relaxed. When Ryanair had released her, she turned with a small smile and a tilt of her head. “Glad you like it that much.”

Once he’d left the bathroom, Clara followed behind him. It was still early in the day, and if she remembered correctly, there was supposed to be a ceremony for those that had been killed the night before. Clara frowned at the thought -- it was something she hardly wanted to take part in. She was never one to deal with loss very well, furthermore, to have to deal with it around a group of people.

She idly grabbed the chair that Ryanair had been using before she lifted it once more to put it back in its place. Again, she stretched her arms over her head for a moment before she heard his question. “Spar?” She asked, thinking about the possibility. She could use a good spar -- it was a way to get her frustration out effectively, that was for sure. She just had to keep in mind who she would be up against, and would have to hold herself back in the slightest.

“If that’s what you’d like... given that they wouldn’t miss us.” She commented. Her arms crossed upon her chest for a moment. “And - maybe after a bit of breakfast first.”

@Arista

[Beneath a moonless sky] 18+ [Arista x Earlymorninstar]

Well, it took longer than expected for Clara to wake him. Her fingertip continued to grace in between his brow and the bridge of his nose until she smiled when Ryanair scrunched his nose in return, finally registering the sensation. The small smile remained as he greeted her and she moved to sit on the edge of the bed once he pushed himself up and out all at once. "Morning." She responded quietly and her head tilted as she watched him move around almost in a daze. Clara couldn't quite stand the mornings or to get out of bed, so she pitied him while it was clear that he was at least a little reluctant to wake up fully.

"Yes; Your hair needs to be wet so I can cut it." She shrugged, and with that he was off and into the bathroom. Clara had finally yawned, Ryanair's yawns having been quite contagious before she fell back and stared up at the ceiling in the meantime. Everyone was probably already up and moving – she could smell coffee and breakfast on the air and her stomach rumbled in the slightest.

Once Ryanair had soon made his way out of the bathroom, Clara had glanced over to him and forced herself to sit up. Once she stood she stretched with her arms over her head, moving to fins a small chair in one of the corners of his room. She picked it up and placed it in the middle of the room, pointing for him to sit before she disappeared into his bathroom, only to come out with a towel. She went back over to the side of the bed to collect her scissors and when she approached Ryanair again, she draped the towel over his shoulders – dropping a second onto the floor to collect any hair that might fall.

She'd already pulled gently at a strand of hair and she scrunched her nose. "When was the last time you had someone cut your hair?"

None the less, with a shake of her head Clara soon dove in. A snip here, a snip there – it took a little bit of time, and quite a bit of hair – for her to finally be pleased with the outcome. It wasn't too short – long enough that it could be styled whichever way he wanted to. She ran a hand through it to mess it up a bit more before she felt satisfied.

"There you go." Clara smiled and pulled the towel from his shoulders, making sure to brush away any extra hair from his neck and shoulders before she collected the other towel. "All finished. Hopefully you like it." She tilted her head at the thought, but soon moved away from him to discard the towels in his bathroom.

@Arista

[Beneath a moonless sky] 18+ [Arista x Earlymorninstar]

Much to her surprise, Clara had somehow managed to slip off to sleep that night without the help of (at least a bit of) alcohol in her system. It didn’t take long at all for her to fall, curled beneath her covers. However, come morning she’d awoken with her usual start: a quick jolt of her body and sharp breath in as her eyes opened, before it took her a long moment to register that her regular nightmare had woken her up, and she was still in the mansion. At least she’d fallen asleep on her own - the damn nightmares were another problem she had to figure out how to rid herself of.

Clara fought to even her breathing as she rolled on her stomach with a groan. She shoved her face into her pillow, still far too tired for her own good although she knew she had to wake. After all, she had to cut Ryanair’s hair - even if that was all she would manage to get done that day. Even so, she buried her face into her pillow further, trying not to slip right back into sleep as she relaxed. It took a moment or two before she huffed at herself and pushed herself away from her pillow and sat up, her arms stretching carefully over her head before she looked around her room sleepily.

Part of her felt lighter that morning - as if the horrible weight of her past hadn’t quite been as heavy. The realization had left a small smile on her lips before she shoved her blankets aside and moved to the shower.

The hot water was more than welcoming and perhaps she’d stayed in there a little too long before she’d decided to climb out and get dressed. She tossed on a quick t-shirt and cotton pants before she brushed through her long wavy hair, letting the damp locks fall down her back and around her shoulders freely. After she’d been content with herself, she dug around her room and bureau drawers in search of scissors.

Eventually, Clara had crept out of her room with another small yawn before she headed to Ryanair’s and she knocked quietly. The door had still been closed so she’d assumed he hadn’t gotten out of bed yet. After a long pause, she carefully opened the door and peeked inside, seeing the ball underneath his sheets. She carefully slipped passed the door and quietly placed the scissors on a night stand before she looked to see where his head might be under the sheets.

After a moment of hesitation, she slowly peeled back the sheets and bit her lip, reaching a finger out to just barely graze the tip of his nose -- once, twice... Waiting for him to register the feeling and wake up. Christian used to do it to her all of the time - an annoying little way to make sure someone had always gotten up.

[Beneath a moonless sky] 18+ [Arista x Earlymorninstar]

Clara was a bit quiet as she fell in step with Ryanair, both heading to their own rooms. It was an odd sort of feeling – how she felt in that moment. Part of her had felt almost…. Happy – content with what had just occurred between the three of them. She knew they still had a long way to go, especially to try and patch anything between her and Kieran, but Ryanair should have been easy. She'd met him on bad terms, judged him and hated him for something he couldn't even control. Now, things were starting to grow between them. They'd had a commonality in that Kieran had hurt both of them – intentionally or not, it didn't quite matter. And it was through that that she felt the need to protect – she hadn't quite expected him to warm up to her just as quickly, however - -she'd given him no just reason to.

Clara continued along quietly as she tilted her head to look at him while he spoke. Given how exhausted he was, she assumed he would probably sleep in far later than her, especially considering she'd still had terrible insomnia and was awoken by night terrors far too often. At the thought, she'd glanced down at the glass of wine in her hand before she'd looked back to Ryanair. Perhaps she could try to sleep that night without the aid of alcohol… It was a thought, at least.

When Ryanair suggested training with them, Clara had raised a brow. She'd only sparred with him once, and had nearly lost her mind on Kieran another time before – she'd been surprised that Ryanair even suggested it. It would probably do her some good, at least to learn Ryanair and Kieran's style over how she'd been trained with Christian.

"Hm?" She began with the same tilt of her head, her brow raised. "Don't want me to continue kicking your ass, then?" Clara had prodded with that small smile. Something about the light feeling that she still carried with her allowed her to freely joke – something she hadn't quite done in a while.

With a shake of her head at her own teasing, she'd shrugged her shoulders easily. "I suppose I could join you. Will be interesting, considering we've been trained by two very different people…" Clara commented, finally reaching Ryanair's door before her own. She'd paused for a moment. "Get some sleep. If you're still asleep in the morning, I'll wake you and cut that mop of yours…" She smiled again before she turned. "Goodnight, Ryanair…"

And with that, she headed towards her own door before heading in her room, the door clicking closed behind her. Of all outcomes, she'd not anticipated what had actually occurred that night. Part of her had been ready to fight Kieran if she had to- part of her had been ready to defend Ryanair, and yet – there were no arguments, no lashing out .There were simply apologies and understanding – something that once more made her envious of the relationship between the two.

After a moment she'd moved from her door and placed her glass on her own dresser before she slipped into her bed, pulling the blankets around her. The room was already dark as she curled up tight, willing sleep to take her on its own that night. At least she'd felt more relaxed than she'd had been in a long time… She closed her eyes with a soft sigh. Tomorrow was a new day, and perhaps the beginning to a bit of change between the three of them.

@Arista

[Beneath a moonless sky] 18+ [Arista x Earlymorninstar]

It definitely had been a much needed break that relieved at least some tension from around her. Things had been slowly working out between her and Ryanair, and perhaps it was the need to protect someone younger than her, especially from the same person, that had pushed her past their differences. It was still odd- she could care less about him weeks prior and yet there she was, listening to him play for her, It was comforting, and it was probably something she’d needed - especially with all of the hell that was coming down around them. She didn’t anticipate that that relief would come from someone like Ryanair -- or even Kieran for that matter. She’d been purposely pushing others away and keeping to herself all of this time -- even this glimmer of a moment was what she needed.

When Kieran approached her again she’d looked up at him over her knees, and had been surprised that he decided to return the glass of wine to her. For that brief moment, she wasn’t entirely sure that she’d wanted it. That immediate urge to drown herself hadn’t entirely been there, but she’d taken it carefully none the less as she pushed her legs back down so that her feet touched the floor again. She’d not commented after Kieran spoke, although part of her had agreed -- they were much better off speaking than becoming enemies...

She’d watched the two once more and her brow raised as Kieran spoke to her again, a bit surprised that he’d asked her such a thing. Certainly she knew how to cut hair, and honestly, the thought of Kieran trying to cut Ryanair’s hair was almost laughable. Even so, she rose carefully and stretched with a small shrug of her shoulders. “I suppose I could..” Clara began quietly. “Although, that’s probably better left to tomorrow...” She murmured, a faint smile dancing across her lips as she eyed Ryanair while he headed towards the door. He looked as if he would collapse with exhaustion at any passing moment, and she soon decided to follow after him.

“Goodnight, Kieran..” Once more her words were soft as she headed out of the room after Ryanair, a soft yawn falling from her own lips. She still held the glass down at her side while she walked, heading down the hallway with him. “...I told you that wouldn’t be terrible.” Clara commented, glancing to the younger male.

@Arista

[Beneath a moonless sky] 18+ [Arista x Earlymorninstar]

Clara had blinked in confusion as soon as Kieran had approached her, and furthermore, she frowned when he’d taken the glass of wine from her. Her empty hand still in the air she parted her lips to protest, but then Kieran had signaled for her to have a seat. She frowned, her lips pursed while her brow furrowed before she crossed her arms over her chest. Really, she had been ready to head right out that door, leave the two be, and head to her room alone. It was what she was used to -- she was okay with it, although, that probably was more a lie than the truth. So, she quietly made her way to the chair and sat down slowly as Ryanair had left the room.

She felt uneasy and unsure, her legs crossed just as her arms had been. Her attention remained throughout the room idly, the silence thick between the two of them. Why couldn’t he just let her run off?

She’d tapped her fingers against her arm idly until Ryanair had returned, and when he did, she raised a brow. She’d noticed the violin as soon as he’d lifted it and she didn’t exactly protest. Clearly he’d wanted to play, whether that was to keep her around or not, she wasn’t so sure. There had been a shift between the two of them recently, and thankfully it had been for the good. She’d regretted treating him terribly at first, although she couldn’t help herself. To see a replacement after being abandoned had not put her in the best position...

He’d begun to play and at first she’d still sat there with her arms crossed, but after a long moment she’d uncrossed them and pulled her legs up to her chest on the chair. She’d wrapped her arms around them and rested her chin atop her knees while she eyed the two of them carefully.

How she ended up there was besides her. About a month ago, she’d been hell bent on destroying the man who had stolen her life -- throughout that month she’d not only saved him numerous times, but she had also began a sort of fondness for Ryanair. The past her probably would have laughed terribly over the prospect...

And yet there she was, listening to Ryanair play.

The frown fell upon her lips for a moment as she mulled over the past and mulled over what future could have met her then. She’d swallowed the small lump that formed back up in her throat, and she shifted a little uncomfortably in her spot. But once he’d finished, she was hesitant to break the silence.

“...What are you boys trying to do?” Clara began softly. “Soften me up?” Even so, a small smile found its way back on her lips. Did she feel a little better? Yes. Were things entirely fixed? No, of course not... Those things would take some time, and inevitably, she would need to have that discussion.

@Arista

[Beneath a moonless sky] 18+ [Arista x Earlymorninstar]

Of all things, Clara could not have expected what had happened next. When Ryanair suddenly stood, she had raised a brow and almost flinched as he’d closed the space between them. She blinked, her form rigid and stiff in his hold, unsure of what to do or how to react. When Kieran had followed suit, his arms around the both of them, she bit her lip. Her hands were still at her sides, trapped in an embrace that felt both awkward and yet necessary all in the same. And without much thought, she’d felt the small lump welling up in her throat - the quick constriction of her throat as she shut her eyes, unwilling to let anything well up, lest it be seen. Perhaps it was what she needed - she needed to be made to feel again, and this was one way of going about it.

One by one Kieran had moved away from her and then Ryanair had followed along. What she hadn’t anticipated was the look of sheer fear and almost regret upon Ryanair’s features. There was tension on the air, almost like electricity, and she couldn’t entirely fathom why. Did they both think she was going to explode? That she was going to curse the hell out of them for even touching her? Her gaze had softened at the thought and guilt suddenly welled up within her.

They’d notice the mix of emotions that continued to dance across her features all the while she remained silent. Clara swallowed again, unsure of what to say or how to react. She would not lash out at them - there was no reason to. And the fact that it was the first emotion they’d assumed she’d react with made her feel like a terrible person.

Even so, she crossed her arms in that new insecurity and she bit her lip carefully as she watched the two. “...Maybe I should go.” Her words were quiet. Yes, maybe she should simply leave the two alone now. Ryanair would be fine, she was certain, and it seemed Kieran would be harmless in those moments. Maybe they could hash things out further... much like she needed to inevitably do.

Clara had nodded in confirmation to her own thoughts and glanced towards the door. “Yes; You two probably still need to talk more.” She continued to offer, and she quickly looked for her glass that she’d discarded - it was a comfort - to be able to drink and forget for a moment’s time...

@Arista

[Beneath a moonless sky] 18+ [Arista x Earlymorninstar]

Any worry of an attack or a negative reaction from Kieran was soon being dashed and thrown away. The man was surprised about everything, absolutely, but he also reasoned and understood how it could have happened after a moment’s thought. His explanation was enough to appease her - Kieran had not been himself and as such, had committed such horrible acts against Ryanair. Idly she wondered how that must have felt - how to be in control of yourself one moment, and the next to lose all memory and recollection of what you’ve done. Furthermore to never realize that part of you truly had been missing until someone had decided to bring it up -- She couldn’t imagine the guilt that would come with such a thing.

Clara eyed the two carefully, stiffening as Kieran neared Ryanair. When his arms slipped around the younger, she remained just as stiff and had shifted uncomfortably, her attention now focused against the farthest wall in the room. It was clear the man wasn’t going to react horribly anymore - with this little display of affection, perhaps it was time for her to make her exit. Clearly, Ryanair wouldn’t need her support further, although she wasn’t so sure leaving him with Kieran was the best of plans at the moment, despite the fact that the man seemed to have his wits about him.

She’d been toying with the idea of leaving, mulling over her exit as she heard Kieran’s soft apology to Ryanair. Once more she’d felt that cold chill of jealousy rising through her chest, but she did her best to quell it -- what was the damn point?

Her body had shifted in the slightest as she had decided to leave, however, Kieran’s words once more had caught herself off guard. His own apology to her, no matter how small, had not been anticipated. Hell, she figured she’d come in here, patch up what was ailing the two if she could, and she’d run back off to drown herself in the bottle -another vice to get her to sleep at night.

His apology had been so foreign to her, save that one time, that Clara wasn’t entirely sure how to react. Part of her had wanted to throw a fit - snap back at him that he should have been sorry - that he’d broken promises before and this was nothing new to her. That she was used to his cold behavior now; his favoritism...

But where would that get her?

And furthermore, she wasn’t sure that she really wanted him to know how she felt. Lord, she felt almost childish in her own admittance that, at the end of the day, she was hurt that Ryanair had been by his side when Clara stumbled upon him once more; that all of his focus and devotion seemed centered around that younger male -- and that she’d felt much like a piece of trash, discarded on the wind once he was done with her.

She cleared her throat, suddenly feeling the constriction well up within it before she simply shook her head and lifted a hand to wave it off -- as if it were nothing.

“Don’t worry about me..” Clara began, her words quiet as she’d turned her attention carefully back to Kieran. Her focused switched between both males for a moment before settling on the elder. “I’ll be fine. Like I always am.” She shrugged and her arms came to cross about her chest again. There was no anger in her words; no harsh tone with her usual attitude. She simply sounded tired - tired of the games; tired of her own frustration -- she needed to learn to get passed it, and honestly, she needed to grow a pair like Ryanair and simply tell Kieran how she truly felt; how all of it continued to make her feel. But- that was for another day... another time.

@Arista

[Beneath a moonless sky] 18+ [Arista x Earlymorninstar]

As soon as Kieran spoke, Clara had cleared her throat and nearly scoffed into her glass that she quickly raised back to her lips to silence herself. It wasn’t that far-fetched. Clearly in his past when he’d slipped from his own control, he’d made the mistake of changing her and then left her so very quickly that night. Although this was very, very different, it wasn’t as if he wasn’t capable. Still, her eyes closed to keep from catching his own gaze. She’d not exactly meant to make a sound - it was something she just couldn’t help even though it was hardly the time. So, she’d taken to taking another long sip of her wine which was a pleasant distraction from the two. She needed to keep her wits about her, however, so after she’d finished, she’d placed the glass atop the dresser she’d been lingering by before she’d leaned against it.

Clara still kept close enough to Ryanair and could see the exhaustion on his features. She could imagine - it must have felt like a weight had lifted once he’d gotten it all out - as if it all had been a giant secret. It had been the enormous elephant in the room that no one chose to address, but it was necessary. At least then, if Kieran could fight whatever control this thing had over him, he might be able to try and fight against it. At least, that’s what she hoped.

“Ultimately-” Clara began as she crossed both arms against her chest again. She’d looked from Ryanair to Kieran carefully who seemed sincerely shocked at what had occurred without his knowledge. “You need to know so we can hope to prevent this from happening again. Not to mention, now you at least know why Ryanair’s been acting the way he has.” She shrugged slightly in response. Her words were quiet, trying to offer a bit of a buffer between the two males.

She’d still been cautious, unwilling to let her guard down. Kieran had not lashed out, rather, simply seemed shocked and in disbelief over what had happened. The evidence was all there, as Ryanair had so angrily displayed, so there really was no further argument. He simply had to accept it and move on. At least, that was what she hoped he would do.

@Arista