Dealing With Failure [Solomon/Violet]

Damn. Maybe she should have kept her mouth shut. It had been years since she went to any sort of fair, and the last time was a complete bust. If he didn’t pay for any ride tickets, she wasn’t going to be able to get on any. She wouldn’t be able to play those rigged fair games either! Violet did her best to let that go. No point in begging when she had an appearance to keep up! Be nice to sweet blond boy.

Violet wiped the flicked area with her wrist. "Alright, alright... I'll attempt all of this then," Violet stood up and gestured for him to lead the way. "To the fair it is then..."

To tell the truth, he had no intention of allowing her to pay for anything. He simply voiced those words to force her to brush past the denial phase. Solomon was a natural-born gentleman. It was not proper etiquette to make her pay a single dollar if he could help it. Stepping through the door, Solomon would take a moment to allow the woman to close and lock her door proper. When that concluded, he motioned for Violet to follow him as he placed his hands in his pocket. It would take them a few moments to get there, and although he humored the idea of holding onto her and utilizing Hirenkyaku to shorten the journey, some casual conversation certainly didn't hurt.

"Have you ever been to a fair before, Violet?"

When they left the house, Violet was very cautious about locking up. The back door was checked, the windows were all checked, the side gate was checked, and the front door was double checked. She didn’t leave anything but the chimney unchecked. Once satisfied, she walked along with Solomon, a small smile barely gracing her lips. Before she could make something up to talk about, he spoke up.

"Oh, uh... Not really, no. I saw them around where I grew up, but never got to go," Violet explained, glancing off to the side with an irritated expression. "Dad was kind of a dick about it all. 'Violet, summon your bow and we can got to the fair all day.' Asshole... Obviously, never got to go. You know he canceled a birthday party on me as punishment for failing an verbal Quincy history test he made up?"

"So... what about you? Uh, is your family a big deal among Quincy?"

Solomon listened to the woman in composed silence. Each revelation that graced his ears wasn't particularly welcoming information. Solomon understood the concept of a reward system, but not even his parents were so relentlessly overbearing that they forced him into missing out on precious memories like his birthday. At the very least, he was reward for his efforts no matter what. What a detestable man. This conversation would prove depressing if it maintained, but thankfully, Violet shifted the point of focus onto him.

Turning his head toward the sun as they walked, Solomon took a moment to pars her question. He supposed they were reputable enough, but he wasn't so bold as to presume they were a big wig family among the rest that still occupied the living realm. Their lineage spanned several generations, from past to present, accounting for multiple members, to say nothing of their generational wealth.

"I believe so. My family makes it a habit of supporting and funding the Vandenreich and other notable quincy families as a whole, offering any resource necessary to maintain good relations between all parties. Our lineage spans several generations as well, tracing back to the distant past."

Solomon didn't want to really speak too deeply on his family out of a select few, and so he turned back to Violet, motioning for her to pick up the pace as they neared their destination. They weren't too far from the desired location now.

"Your father sounded like an insufferable man. I can't imagine living under his household was pleasant to any degree at all. Even so, I hope I'll make this experience a pleasant one. I have many things to show you. The games, the rides, and the concession stands are pretty remarkable, too. We have plenty of chefs who've gathered together to provide food for the event."

So, Solomon had a family wealthy enough to buy her a house and support the Vandenreich? Violet was silently impressed, and maybe a little jealous. Her parents were well off; obviously they did not share that wealth with her. But Solomon did...

Violet stared at him while they walked, her mind wandering in different, unexpected directions. She was brought from her thoughts when he wanted to pick up the pace. She could see, hear, and smell the change in the air, so she hurried on.

"Mother says that the Quincy line skipped him or something, and that's why he was so focused on me doing it. He wasn't considered anything special, so I had to be. Biggest disappointment of his life... But no more of that; I don't want to keep talking your ear off about my stupid problems. Tell me something I don't know about you."

Solomon pondered her question for a moment, relieved to move past the frustrating revelations of her father. It almost reminded him of his father to an extent, but even that man initially possessed some modicum of respect in his heart. What did he feel comfortable with revealing to Violet?

There were several things he could divulge, he was certain, but there was nothing that immediately raced to the forefront of his mind. Even so, he hardly desire leaving her hanging on this point of conversation, and so he naturally carried himself forward by offering an admission that meant a great deal to him, even now.

After all, Violet had always viewed him as some rich boy who had always lived a carefree life, free of worry, free of difficulty. The great wealth was always appreciated, yes, and he was not some disgruntled brat about anything in particular with his life, but there were still matters that bothered him now, matters that remain unaddressed.

"Before I settled down into my own home, I lived in a fractured household. My mother and my father divorced over a difference in ideals and ethics. My mother thought all of her children ought to live a life without carrying the weight of entire generations on their back. To live free, that was always what she desired. My father opposed those views, felt that the Richter family and our so-called glory ought to be maintained any way possible. Strong warriors. Capable men, capable women. He was never a strict man, but he always answered to the family prestige, always expounding ideas about our pride and carrying on the family's name for generations. On a lighter note, I have plenty of sisters."


His air was relatively playful in practice by the end. He didn't wish to drown this entire event in poor memory, for him or violet. A summer event ought to be enjoyed freely and abundantly. Thankfully, the fair was within sight. Solomon pulled a fistful of dollars from his pocket, offering it to the vendors at the front, but since he was a member of the Vandenreich, they allowed him and Violet to go in for free. Now, where would they go first?

Violet was so angry with her parents that she happily told the world. She often forgets that not everyone is that open with the details of their past, so when Solomon seemed to hesitate telling her anything, her eyes shifted to the floor as they walked. She felt a little guilty, but mostly curious about what he felt he needed to hide. It’s not like she had anyone to go blab his information to. Luckily, Solomon seemed to find something he was willing to air. It was an interesting revelation…

So, that's how he has such a bright view of things...

Before Violet could put more thought into it, they were at the vendor and quickly allowed into the fair without hassle or even paying. She looked around at the rides, games, and food stands with wide eyes. She wasn't showing it much, but there was a lot she wanted to try. In order not to embarrass herself though, she kept her inner child suppressed and stepped in closer to Solomon to not yell over the crowds of yelling children and carnival music. "I don't know what we should do first... Do you?" Violet asked, still looking around. "Seems like a lot to choose from."

"Hm...."

Solomon took a moment to contemplate where they should go first. There was so much to engage in. There was no wrong or right answer. As such, Solomon chose to go with what caught his eyes most. The ring toss. As a whole, it didn't really require any prerequisite skills as a quincy to enjoy it, and Solomon was fairly confident Violet could perform relatively well throwing a few rings. Solomon respectfully wrapped his arm around her own, pulling her toward the ring toss area. Paying for a set of respective rings, he tilted his head in her general direction with a grin.

"First one to land the most gets a prize."

The unexpected gesture of his arm wrapping around hers, startled Violet. She showed little of that surprise on her face, but as she was dragged along, she stumbled a bit before catching up. At the ring toss, her competitive nature immediately kicked in. She got her set of rings and smirked at Solomon, a fiery intensity in her eyes. She was excited to play the game.

“I can do this. It’s simple enough!” Violet said as the game began. She tossed her first ring and missed. Her second ring went flying and bounced off the top of a bottle. She tried again with her third ring and it twisted in the air, causing it to fall between two bottles, clink, clink, clinking... all the way down.

"Maybe I can't do this," Violet said, two rings left in her hand. She looked to Solomon to see how he was doing, feeling defeated already. She gave a light, almost uncaring, toss to her last two and they both ended up on the bottles. "Well, no prize, but my last two went in...." Violet didn't realize it, but sometimes she tried too hard.

One, two, three, four... At a swift rate and with tremendous focus, Solomon landed each ring around the bottle with relative ease. He turned back to Violet curiously, noting the defeat in her expression as the game concluded. He had a choice of prizes to choose from, namely a bunch of plushies resembling members of the Vandenreich. There were some other cute additions, like animals dressed within the official outfits of the Vandenreich. Since he hadn't really been aiming for any prize, he cocked his gaze at Violet, pointing his finger at the collection of toys curiously.

"Don't worry about it. My intent was to win you a prize, anyway. Choose one."