A lot could be hidden behind a stony stare, and Jordan had worn his constantly since Ceiro had sent word. It was over, it was ending. He doubted his mother would die, but this was the end of their relationship. He'd ended it when he stepped into her apartments and recorded every word. Still, he couldn't really let anyone know how he felt, and that he knew was part of his problem in the Hearts.
But he couldn't. And the only time his mask cracked was when his mother turned on him. It was only brief, though, and then he slammed it back in place. He let Ceiro hug him, even embraced him back slightly, and then linked his hands behind his back.
Blythe approaches him after Laureline is escorted away, arms crossed over her chest in a familiar defensive gesture from months ago. After a long pause, she asks softly, "How... are you?" It was too familiar - maybe not exactly what Laureline said, but the anger and harshness behind it.
Jordan is in the same defensive gesture, though he likes to think people would have found it casual if that hadn't heard exactly what what Laureline had said about both he and Hadyn. As for how he is, he huffs out a laugh.
She laughs a little humorlessly, looking down at her feet. "I... I know what you mean." Her shrug is small, almost unnoticeable. "Do you... if you want to talk about it or something... I'd be up for that."
Davin hadn't been, quite, sure what he was coming to witness when he'd heard about everyone being called in, about Laureline being brought in under guard.
So he's here. And he hears everything. And the floor drops out from under him.
He should say something, he knows. She's his sister and he loves her and he should defend her. But there's no defense for this. There's nothing he can say that will prevent her banishment. So he watches, face drawn and pale, as she is escorted away.
Avery is the Head of Intersuit Relations, and she's an ex-Heart - so of course she's one of the Diamonds to attend the audience. And really, she hasn't an ounce of sympathy for Laureline Novak, who brought this on herself with every deliberate action, with every nasty, cruel word. Her sympathy is all for Laureline's sons.
And, of course, for her brother.
It's to Davin's side that she drifts to first. Hadyn will soon be surrounded by his friends, and while she wants to be there for him...she can't really stand to watch Davin stand there by himself. So she approaches, and lightly touches his arm. "I'm sorry," she says simply.
Which is, you know, better than pointing out that everybody's sorry but that doesn't change his sister's treason, attempted murder, and that she's banished.
Or that almost any other Suit would have seen her imprisoned and possibly executed for this crime.
The Diamonds would have imprisoned her. Rachel has lost her taste for that kind of punishment after this year, if she ever in fact had had it. But certainly the punishment would have been much harsher. Davin knows that, however. Avery knows he does.
She curls her hand around his elbow. "Let's get some air." Some alcohol, possibly.
Rowan wasn't expecting anything like that. If Ceiro hadn't been as strong and imposing as he had been chances were she would have done something stupid, so she was glad that didn't go that way.
She wasn't glad about the rest of the King's speech though, and it left her silent and toughful.
And silent and thoughtful she was going to stand there for a while.
"You couldn't look more thoughtful and disturbed if you tried." Hadyn said after a moment, trying not to look as out of place as he felt all of a sudden. "You should try to look more...something. In general I think."
Though it was starting to remind him of how the suit felt when they'd first arrived in the Hearts.
"In all seriousness, I don't do thoughtful and disturbed. Gives me nasty neck pains." She did get his point though; she felt like a lot of, well, nothing. It wasn't a good feeling.
"I'll get over it soon. I hope. Are you getting over stuff?"
She breathed in slowly before glancing at her aunt.
Sunnae's eyes were distant for a moment but quietly shook her head when she realized her niece was studying her. "It wasn't as if others didn't see the signs, Sandcastle." She murmurs quietly.
"Signs?" She asks, hands tightening together.
The older Molyneux smiled slightly archly. "Mrs. Novak is a teacher-trainer and high ranked among the Spades." Sunnae lightly swatted at Zharok who sat her other side while he made the 'too much talking' hand flapping gesture, "Or was. Both her children climbed the ranks so incredibly fast. All warning signs. We just thought Jordan or Hadyn would challenge and not... do something so incredibly risky."
Sandy merely nods and quietly watches with the feeling there's more to this than anyone wants to admit. But for now, she will approach Hadyn to see how he's doing when she can.
Hadyn stared, because he didn't know what else to do. He watched, silently as his mother was escorted out of the room, and then stared at the door as if he wasn't convinced she was really gone. Or maybe he was, and he just didn't know how to deal with it yet.
Either way- he blinked a little, before he turned and looked at Sandy and offered her a dim, brief smile.
She hesitates for a moment, then quietly opens her arms in an offer of a hug. It's not much, because she simply cannot even understand the situation that Hadyn and his brother is in now. As much as she wants to give empathy, she can't. She can only offer sympathy and understnading.
He hesitates a moment, before accepting her hug carefully. It wasn't as if he made a habit of hugging people all the time.
"Oh...Down is..." a fairly safe word. Still, he glanced back at the door, before he chewed on his lower lip a little and shook his head. "Don't worry about it. You hit bottom, which means there is only one direction to go from there, right?"
The King of Clubs listened in cold silence as Laureline was accused, convicted, and banished, and he knew that had it been his Suit the punishment would have been on the surface the same and in reality far worse. But it was not his Suit, and his concern was only personal.
He nodded to Jordan, speaking to Blythe, before making his way to Hadyn, whose mask was still in place. Perhaps he didn't have to speak to him here. He'd probably come back to Club Castle tonight. But it seemed important.
"You'd think there would be more dramatics," he said, not really looking at Elisha as he stared at the door his mother had left through. "But...she just left. She didn't beg, she didn't try to defend herself. She just left, like....she knew she was going to do that all along."
It was possibly paranoia speaking, but he wasn't sure how to feel.
"You'd think," Elisha murmured, turning to look at the door. Which he suspected meant she had a plan to return. But for the moment, she was out of their lives. "Maybe it's pride," he finally suggests. "Maybe you could stand leaving more than she could stand begging."
"Or...." he started to say, before blinking and shaking his head. Frowning he looked at Elisha, and then around the room at everyone that was gathered. "There are so many people... I didn't expect. That."
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But he couldn't. And the only time his mask cracked was when his mother turned on him. It was only brief, though, and then he slammed it back in place. He let Ceiro hug him, even embraced him back slightly, and then linked his hands behind his back.
And no, he was not speaking for Laureline Novak.
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"Tired."
That seems to cover all sorts of things.
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So he's here. And he hears everything. And the floor drops out from under him.
He should say something, he knows. She's his sister and he loves her and he should defend her. But there's no defense for this. There's nothing he can say that will prevent her banishment. So he watches, face drawn and pale, as she is escorted away.
And he'll vow she is not left wanting Outside.
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And, of course, for her brother.
It's to Davin's side that she drifts to first. Hadyn will soon be surrounded by his friends, and while she wants to be there for him...she can't really stand to watch Davin stand there by himself. So she approaches, and lightly touches his arm. "I'm sorry," she says simply.
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"You didn't do anything."
Which is, you know, better than pointing out that everybody's sorry but that doesn't change his sister's treason, attempted murder, and that she's banished.
Or that almost any other Suit would have seen her imprisoned and possibly executed for this crime.
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The Diamonds would have imprisoned her. Rachel has lost her taste for that kind of punishment after this year, if she ever in fact had had it. But certainly the punishment would have been much harsher. Davin knows that, however. Avery knows he does.
She curls her hand around his elbow. "Let's get some air." Some alcohol, possibly.
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Rowan wasn't expecting anything like that. If Ceiro hadn't been as strong and imposing as he had been chances were she would have done something stupid, so she was glad that didn't go that way.
She wasn't glad about the rest of the King's speech though, and it left her silent and toughful.
And silent and thoughtful she was going to stand there for a while.
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Though it was starting to remind him of how the suit felt when they'd first arrived in the Hearts.
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"I'll get over it soon. I hope. Are you getting over stuff?"
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"Yes. Because that's really the only option I have."
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Sunnae's eyes were distant for a moment but quietly shook her head when she realized her niece was studying her. "It wasn't as if others didn't see the signs, Sandcastle." She murmurs quietly.
"Signs?" She asks, hands tightening together.
The older Molyneux smiled slightly archly. "Mrs. Novak is a teacher-trainer and high ranked among the Spades." Sunnae lightly swatted at Zharok who sat her other side while he made the 'too much talking' hand flapping gesture, "Or was. Both her children climbed the ranks so incredibly fast. All warning signs. We just thought Jordan or Hadyn would challenge and not... do something so incredibly risky."
Sandy merely nods and quietly watches with the feeling there's more to this than anyone wants to admit. But for now, she will approach Hadyn to see how he's doing when she can.
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Either way- he blinked a little, before he turned and looked at Sandy and offered her a dim, brief smile.
"Hey," he said, "looking down again."
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She hesitates for a moment, then quietly opens her arms in an offer of a hug. It's not much, because she simply cannot even understand the situation that Hadyn and his brother is in now. As much as she wants to give empathy, she can't. She can only offer sympathy and understnading.
And a hug.
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"Oh...Down is..." a fairly safe word. Still, he glanced back at the door, before he chewed on his lower lip a little and shook his head. "Don't worry about it. You hit bottom, which means there is only one direction to go from there, right?"
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He nodded to Jordan, speaking to Blythe, before making his way to Hadyn, whose mask was still in place. Perhaps he didn't have to speak to him here. He'd probably come back to Club Castle tonight. But it seemed important.
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It was possibly paranoia speaking, but he wasn't sure how to feel.
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