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"Why would you care 'bout me?" Lori asked icily as she turned her face away from the direction of Lucina's voice, "Ye've ne'er cared before. All ye've cared 'bout is winnin' Mum's favor 'n' marrying me brother."
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"That's not true." Lucina sighed as she looked over at the helplessly young looking girl on the bed. "I fell in love with Adrian, yes but that's not what I came here for. And that's not what I came up here to talk about either however if you'd like to talk about it I guess we can. But I think what's more important of a topic is what has you up here crying?" Lucina asked, her voice remaining calm and what she hoped sounded like vulnerability. The last thing she wanted was for Lori to kick her out.
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"Ye know very well wha' has me cryin' up 'ere. Yer leavin' with Adrian fer th' weekend, meanin' I 'ave t' tell Johnny I can' go with 'im 'cause I 'ave t' stay 'ere with Mum 'n' help 'er 'round th' house," Lori said as she shifted so she could glare at the girl sitting in the rocking chair her father had built, "'Tis no' fair. Me first date 'n' I 'ave t' refuse 'im. Why is it ye always get whatever ye want, but I can never get wha' I want?"
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"Your mother will be just fine here. She might just need some peace and quiet from all the shouting we've been doing lately." Lucina countered, her voice even but never condescending. "And I told Adrian that we should stay if it worried you so much about leaving her but he's as stubborn as a bull. He said that we would go anyways and you would just have to get over this fear of leaving Shinorah here." She explained softly, trying to make amends with her fiancee's sister. "I don't want you to hate me." She admitted firmly, her eyes bravely locked with Lori's as she anxiously awaited a response.
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"Then why do ye do everythin' ye possibly can t' piss me off?" Lori asked helplessly, honestly wanting to know the reason why Lucina insisted on always doing something to make her angry. "Besides, how do you know me Mum will be alrigh' with no one t' care fer 'er. Wha' if she falls tryin' t' take care o' th' animals? Wha' if someone comes 'n' tries t' ransack th' place, 'r tries t' steal th' animals? No one bu' Mum will be 'ere, 'n she can' possibly stop 'em.. With Da' gone, she's only go' me 'n' Adrian; 'n' with Adrian leavin', tha' means she'll only 'ave me."
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"I do not do everything possible to upset you." Lucina countered, biting away the bitterness on her tongue before she can speak it. "All I do is love your brother and try to learn how to live here and you resent me for it. I try to make amends Lori but I don't know how. I don't know how I can make you stop hating me but I am trying." Lucina sighed as she rubbed the side of her head.
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"Try harder, like not jumpin' to conclusions 'bout everythin' I say," Lori said with a laugh, "'n' try no' actin' like ye know me, 'cause ye don'. Yer right, I do resent ye. Ye took me brother, ye became Mum's fav'rite. I'm left with nothin' bu' a girl movin' in on me family, with no one to care 'bout just me. Fer once, I'd like ye t' not be the center o' attention, the main topic o' conversation. Fer once, I'd like it t' be about me, like it used t' be," Lori finished with a sigh before leaning back in her bed and staring up at the ceiling. "God.. I sound like such a spoiled, selfish bra'.. Bu' it's true, it's wha' I want," Lori admitted with a small laugh.
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"Your mother does not love me more." Lucina sighed as she shook her head. "You'll always be your mother's favorite over me whether or not I tried to take her. And I don't mean to intrude, that's the last thing I want. I'm sorry that you think no one care's about you because its not even close to being true." Lucina assured Lori with a sigh as she stood up and moved hesitantly to the bed. "How about we do something to change things?" Lucina asked softly.
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"'n' wha' d' ye suggest?" Lori asked with a laugh as she looked at Lucina, her expression showing that she didn't have much faith in whatever Lucina was about to suggest.
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"Well you want to be the center of attention again then why don't you and Shinorah and Adrian go on a picnic or something?" Lucina asked. "I mean, I can hold down the house for one day surely as long as I don't cook anything." She said with a small smile, bending down to be eye level with Lori. "And then it will be like nothing changed. Like I didn't show up in the first place and it will just be three of you." She offered.
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"But Adrian will be worried abou' ye burnin' the house down," Lori retorted teasingly with a smirk, "It's alrigh'.. I'm gettin' used t' ye bein' th' center o' attention. Besides, Mum would insist ye join, so there'd be no point suggestin' it. 'n' would ye be resented me fer makin' ye miss out on time with Adrian?"
Sighing, Lori wiped her eyes as she continued to speak, "Besides, Johnny gives me plenty o' attention.. I just wish I could go t' th wat'rfall with 'im tomorrow.. Bu' I can' leave Mum alone.. 'n' it's no' like Mum can stay a' th' Inn with you guys." |
"Adrian will learn to stop worrying so much and I promise not to go with you even if he begs." Lucina said with a small smile. "And as for Shinorah I think she will be just fine here by herself. She's a grown woman and she knows how to take care of her house for a day and I know she wants you to be happy." Lucina said softly. "And besides I think you deserve a day off after all the trouble I've been giving you, intentional or not."
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"Well, a picnic is the least ye can do after takin' th' festival away from me," Lori said with a laugh before drying her eyes completely and looking at Lucina. "Thank you, Lucina. I appreciate th' offer very much. 'n' I'm sorry.. fer givin' ye so much trouble over th' past few months," Lori added with a blush.
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"I'm sorry too." Lucina said with a soft smile. "I haven't exactly been on my best behavior either. So let's make a truce that we'll try to make things more peaceful around here. For all of our sakes." She offered as she extended her hand to shake on it.
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"Truce," Lori said with a warm smile as she shook Lucina's hand. "Tell Adrian I'm sorry, will ye? Fer givin' 'im so much grief over our feud.. I feel wretched abou' doin' tha' to 'im, even if I did think he deserved it a' th' time," she added with a deeper blush.
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"I'll let him know even if he might want to hear it from you." Lucina smiled, glad that things had seemed to simmer down between the two of them. "Now I just have to convince him and your mother to take you out of the house for a day. Maybe if I promise not to try cooking or trying to start a fire they'll be okay with it." She winked as she stood up and strode towards the door. "I'm glad we talked, Lori." Lucina admitted with a small blush as she turned back to Lori from the doorway.
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"Me too," Lori said with a warm smile as she turned towards Lucina, "I'll be down t' help with dinner in a bit. I jus' want t' wash me face first."
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"Alright." Lucina called back before practically skipping the down the stairs where she spotted Adrian. Sneaking up on him, Lucina wound both arms around Adrian's waist and peppered the back of his neck with light kisses. "Hello again." She mused as she rested her forehead against the crook of his neck.
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Wrapping his arms around her waist, Adrian laughed as he placed a tender kiss upon her shoulder. "Ye seem 'appy. Did it go well?"
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"I think so. We made a truce so that's an improvement, right?" Lucina asked as she buried her face into his neck. "Oh and you and Shinorah are taking Lori on a picnic while I stay here for a day." She added with a smile against Adrian's skin.
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"Oh really, 'n' who decided ye weren't invited?" Adrian said with a laugh, "Although, a truce is a very big improvement. I'm proud o' ye fer talkin' t' 'er 'n' comin' t' an agreement o' sorts. I knew ye could win 'er over," Adrian murmured as he captured her lips in a tender kiss.
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"I decided that I'm not invited." Lucina said before returning Adrian's kisses. "Lori doesn't like me being the center of attention so you three are going out for the day without me so she can have a day with just you two again. I promise I can take care of the house for a few hours as long as you promise not to worry about me." She said as she rested her head on Adrian's shoulder, breathing in the earthy smell of him she loved so much.
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"Me? No' worry? 'bout you? Alone in a house? With a fire?" Adrian teased with a laugh as he held her close, "Bu' I don' object. I rather like th' idea o' spendin' a few hours with me sister. If it'll make 'er 'appy, who am I t' object? You sure ye'll be alrigh' by yerself? I mean, we won' be goin' 'til after we get back from our trip, bu' ye sure ye wouldn' rather come with us?"
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"I promise not to start a fire." Lucina said with an eyeroll as she looked back up to Adrian. "You're the one who said I need to make peace with Lori and what Lori wants is time with her family without me. So you're going." She insisted with a small pout. "It'll just be a few hours. I'm not completely helpless." She reminded him.
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"Mmm, but wha' it somethin' 'appens while I'm away.." Adrian said with a sigh before placing a long, tender kiss upon her lips. "Bu' yer right, I 'ave t' start trustin' that ye'll be alrig' on yer own fer a bit at some point, migh' as well be now. Besides, it'll be nice t' see Lori smile again," Adrian added with a warm smile, "That's one thing I've missed the past few months."
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