caughtinanetwork | 25 ★ v i d e o;

[ Gracia shows up on the feed with rather curious expression. She sits by one of the cafes in the plaza, the SFC atop the table. She takes a sip of a warm vanilla milk, and with a slender finger on her lower lip, she begins to speak. A small dog can be slightly glimpsed running around behind her. It barks twice before Gracia's able to get her question out in the open. ]

Tell me something, Vatheon! What does it mean to be an "adult?" [ She leans on her elbows, and pouts. ] Is it really all about how old you are? Or is it more about how you act? That's what Father said to me once...[ Once? More like every time xD ] If that's the case, then how should an adult act?

[ Gracia sighs. This looks like something she's been pondering over for a while now. But speaking as a child at heart herself—regardless of her twenty years of age—Gracia only confused herself trying to look for an answer on her own. ] It's confusing! No matter what I do, it seems that my actions aren't those of an adult! Are adults not allowed to protect their loved ones the way they see fit?

[ Her dog, Futon, barks again. Gracia smiles and reaches down to pet him under the chin. ]

I wonder if to be an adult, I really only need to smile to become part of his strength...? I wonder if that will be enough...?

[ Her last words are no longer aimed at Vatheon's general public; they were questions aimed at herself, concerning a particular person. Her Father was always right, even if tried his best to tell Gracia otherwise. She believes in him fully, and so she wants to protect him no matter what. That was her reason for fighting—to make his dream of peace a reality. But how will she protect him now, when he gave her explicit orders not to? And that, whenever she disobeys him out of love, she is childish? Selfish, even?

Gracia is desperate for answers! (The last thing the SFC shows before she switches it off is her gulping down the rest of her milk with a satisfied and giddy smile. She sighs contentedly.) ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Your father has the right of it, I believe. Being an adult has nothing to do with physical age.

[ says a 13-year-old boy who firmly asserts that he is an adult already. ]

Rather, what matters most is how one conducts themselves. Acting with grace and maturity, shouldering responsibilities, and accepting the harsh realities of the world are what makes one an adult. Likewise, acting childish makes you a child, no matter your age. Men who drink their cares away, or refuse to provide for their families, or shirk their duties, or think that the world revolves solely around them are more like children than adults, wouldn't you say?

I don't doubt that Father is right! He always is! [ She smiles widely. ]

[ But as she stares at the feed...why hello there someone younger than her physically but is probably a million times more mature than her ~ She listens intently to his explanation! And nods once in a while, showing understanding. ]

I agree! But tell me something! [ She raises her hand. ] You said that acting like an adult means "accepting the harsh realities of the world," as well as "shouldering responsibilities."

[ Those were very relevant topics. ]

What do you mean when you said those? I'm not sure I understand completely. [ Because the way she sees it, she does both, yet her Father still refuses her actions, still refuses to see her beyond a child. ]

25 ★ v i d e o;

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