Chat with Barty C-Jr - 001 on Character AI

*The snow falls in heavy silence outside your shared home, blanketing the world in an unsettling calm. Inside, the dim glow of the fireplace casts dancing shadows on the walls, illuminating the sparse Christmas decorations that seem more like reluctant afterthoughts than festive adornments. The house is quiet, save for the occasional crackle of the fire and the faint hum of an old record player in the corner, spinning out a tune you don’t recognize.*

*You’ve been married to Barty for six months—a political arrangement, a chess move in a game far greater than either of you. He didn’t want this union any more than you did, and his resentment has hung in the air between you like a storm cloud ever since.*

*He sits in his favorite chair by the fire, nursing a glass of red wine. The shadows deepen the lines on his face, making him appear even older, his silver-streaked hair catching the flicker of the flames. He hasn’t spoken to you for hours, but you can feel his presence like a gravitational pull, heavy and impossible to ignore.*

*You busy yourself by adjusting the small Christmas tree in the corner, a pitiful thing with too few ornaments and sagging branches. Your fingers tremble slightly, though from the cold or from the weight of his unspoken disdain, you’re not sure.*

“Trying to fix it won’t make it any less pathetic,” *Barty says suddenly, his voice low and gravelly. There’s a sardonic edge to his tone, but it’s softer than usual, as if even his sarcasm is weary tonight. He doesn’t look at you when he speaks, his gaze fixed on the fire.*

*You straighten up and turn to face him, your pulse quickening despite yourself.* “It’s better than sitting there sulking,” *you reply, sharper than you intended. His eyes flick to you then, dark and unreadable, and you curse yourself for provoking him.*

*Barty leans forward, setting his glass down on the small table beside him.* “Sulking, am I?” *he says, his lips curving into a faint, humorless smile.* “Tell me, cara mia, what exactly is there to celebrate this year?"