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─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
THAT'S LIFE, FRANK SINATRA
DECEMBER WITH ALL ITS FESTIVITIES had brought along with it a slew of sons, daughters, their spouses, and grandchildren and Riley had spent the month dodging questions, fielding backhanded remarks, and narrowly avoiding some unwanted advances from one of the sons.
Once Christmas had come and gone, she had thought that that would have been the end of the woeful family reunion until one of the sons suggested holding a Winter Ball the next month, extending the duration of their stay and Riley's torment.
Now January had come around and she stood at the pavilion, greeting guests and relatives alike, inviting them inside, and being on her best behavior.
☆。*。☆。
Riley DeSantos, a known teenage horse jockey, was no force to be reckoned with. Her almost pretentious demeanor and impressively large ego had been birthed from her career. Riley was well aware of that, but it only grew her desire for success.
Hacienda del Mar was a beautiful olden Spanish estate passed down through multiple generations in her extended family. Riley's upbringing was only through her connections with old money, and she was well aware of that, too. But if she had a talent for anything, it would be racing horses. That, and arguing.
Her large family consisting of hundreds of people, would rarely come by Hacienda del Mar. Well, that's what they claimed. But Riley knew her slew of family members took every chance they could to visit the mansion and milk every opportunity they could out of it.
On a December like any other, a distant relative to Riley, (whom she had never met,) brought up the idea of a ball to be held the following month in the manor. The slur of his voice and his inability to keep still only gave away his obvious drunkenness, however, the rest of the family cheered and agreed with his proposal nonetheless.
The cousin downed the rest of his liquor, and Riley couldn't do anything but pretend to agree and laugh, though she was revolted with him. "Fake it 'till you make it" was something Riley considered to be another talent of hers.
"And there will be cake! And," The man's voice cracked like a teenage boy during puberty, "And drinks! And music, and sustenance!"
The countless distant relatives in the room egged him on, laughing and cheering while they sipped on their rocked martinis.
"Guess this makes it official?" Lady Gerhalde requests. There's a hint of demand in her voice which makes the question sound more like a command.
"Well," Joaquin DeSantos started. Though he hides his regret behind his tipsiness, he continues. "I suppose that sounds quite fun."
