“Please don’t worry, there haven’t been any mixed feelings on your part as far as I can discern. I value clarity in our interactions, and I appreciate your honesty on love and marriage” she meant these words, honesty was extremely important to her. Sure she did not like that he did not seem romantically interested in her, but she could handle that. It hurt her a bit to see that Atlas had taken her too seriously when she spoke about no one wanting to get to know her however. “Lord Atlas, I must confess, my previous remarks about being undesirable were but joking and whimsy. You need not concern yourself, for I am quite assured of my own worth and capabilities. It was all in good fun.” she chuckled a bit nervously as she spoke. She felt a little bad her joking had made it seem she was not confident in that she was an amazing woman.
The mood shifted, where things had been very playful before, it was now suddenly more tense as soon as Atlas spoke after the dance had ended. “Oh, how kind of you to offer your perspective on what would be more ‘exciting and fulfilling’ for me. I had no idea that my life’s adventures required your expert guidance.” she said sarcastically, being too stubborn to accept his second apology as he had just made things worse for himself. She was most certainly aware that the situation they had discussed would not become reality, it was just something they had had fun with. That was not were her issues lay with what he had said. But clearly he did not understand her at her core, if there was anything she valued more than love it was her freedom. Who was he to decide for her that she should do that with someone she loves only. She could not care less with who it was, as long as she had her freedom and the experience of travel, she was more than willing to sacrifice love. She hated how yet another dance she had enjoyed at moments now would leave a bad taste in her mouth. “I’m sorry,” she said with a hesitation in her voice, “it would perhaps be best if our paths did not cross in conversation once more.”. Before walking away from where they now were, not waiting to hear his reaction, not being able to handle his reaction. She liked Atlas, in a way she had felt connected to him. The combination of his presumptuousness in deciding what is right for her after their dance, and the fact he clearly had stated he neither sought love nor a wife, lead her to walk away from him in more than one way. She knew surrounding herself with him again, it could very well end up in her own heartbreak. Something she wished to prevent from happening. As she walked away, she could feel a tear run across her cheek. She opened the ballroom doors, walking towards the toilets to be able to pick herself up again for a next dance. Tonight had been overwhelming for her this far, she really needed a break.
@sunflowerjm - Atlas
@CerealKiller - Cassian (this is where I imagine Cassian and Albi run into each other, in a quiet hallway with Albi basically crying, just so you know how/where he can approach her when you are done with your interaction)