livin' for the hope of it all @augustfitzherbert - Tumblr Blog

meet august !!

THE MOST HONOURABLE EARL EUGENE AND COUNTESS RAPUNZEL OF CORONA ARE PROUD TO PRESENT THEIR CHILD, THE RIGHT HONOURABLE VISCOUNT OF TANGLETON AUGUSTUS “AUGUST” FITZHERBERT, FOR THE UPCOMING SOCIAL SEASON. WE HEAR THEY’RE RELIABLE AND SINCERE, BUT CAN ALSO BE AIMLESS AND INSECURE.

#*#disenchantedintro

teddylebouff:

My dear August,

I am unsure how to start this letter… or if it will even reach wherever you have disappeared to, but I will not forgive myself if I did not try. I visited your townhome today in hopes of discussing our feud from last night, if I can even call it that, but your mother informed me you have taken a trip. I am assuming it is a last minute trip, as you often try to inform me before leaving, and hope this was not caused by something I said or did.

Truth be told, last night’s event are a bit clouded for me. I can remember strong emotions and not much else, but after reading Lady Chattermore’s society papers this morning, I know whatever conversation we had must have upset you. And I am sorry, for whatever it is. I was enraptured in feelings I can not quite name myself, and can only suspect I was brash and ignorant to your own. But please know, I did not mean what I said. You are my best friend, and the thought of offending or hurting you in any way is causing me to feel sick.

While you are not currently in Auradon, I feel an uneasy tension between us. Never before have I felt this way when you left to travel, and I fear, if something were to happen on your travels, that this tension would be the last thing we’d feel towards one another. And I can not bear that thought. So please, accept my apology, and when you return from your travels, let us embrace and act as we always have.

So please, stay safe wherever you go, and please return whole and healthy.

Your best friend,

Teddy Le Bouff

p.s. I’ve asked your mother to inform me the moment you arrive back in town, so do not think you can ignore me once you are home. Even if you choose not to accept my apology, I will find you and say all of this again in person.

@augustfitzherbert

🌣 ── ☼ ─ ☀ ─ ☼ ── 🌣

[found, unsent, in the trash in August Fitzherbert’s accommodations abroad]

My dear Teddy,

Miss Le Bouff,

I find it odd that we (as humans) apologize even when we are unsure of the harm we have caused. Not that you have caused me harm. That was simply an observation.

How is Hugh Gothel?

It is concerning that you have no recollection of the words we traded that evening. Is that the case for others as well?

If you remember strong feelings, surely you must be somewhat aware of what has made me take flight?

I do not know that I will be able to embrace as we always have upon my arrival. Actually, I respectfully ask for both time and space as I endeavor to reset myself so that, as per your request, all may be as it was.

Best,

𝓐𝓾𝓰𝓾𝓼𝓽 𝓕𝓲𝓽𝔃𝓱𝓮𝓻𝓫𝓮𝓻𝓽

#* teddy #* letters

lyra-andersen:

To My Dearest Friend,

I am writing you to ask, in no uncertain terms, what on earth you think you are doing, absconding away without telling me of a reason, or where you are going. It was up to your father and mother to inform me that you had even left at all. Imagine this, if you will: that I have arrived at your home as always only to find that you are nowhere to be found!

Strange, wouldn’t it be?

Well strange it was! I had come to check on you in hopes of understanding what it was I had read about you and Miss Teddy in the Chattermore papers. According to them, you were last seen storming away from her company crying.

I adore you, my friend, of this you know. So to have read these words from the papers rather than hear them from your lips? I wish I could be more appalled than I am. Instead, I am simply worried. I am worried for your well being, your health, your everything and I fear that you are not doing your best.

Please, write to me as soon as possible so that I know you are not lost at sea or have been taken away by pirates.

If you have decided to become part of a traveling circus, however, I implore that you invite me to one of your shows.

Yours Forever,

𝐿𝓎𝓇𝒶 𝒜𝓃𝒹𝑒𝓇𝓈𝑒𝓃

PS. Lark and Gwendolyn are engaged to be wed.

@augustfitzherbert

🌣 ── ☼ ─ ☀ ─ ☼ ── 🌣

My dear friend,

I write to you from the circus, though it is one of my own making in which I play the fool.

I do apologize for not alerting you to my upcoming trip. It was hastily arranged and I regret to write that there was simply not time. I likewise did not have the time to read Chattermore prior to my departure. I promise that I will speak to you of the events that transpired that led to my moment of impulsivity, but I have specifically taken this trip to put those thoughts far from my mind. I also brought little parchment, so I must be brief.

Your news about Lark and Gwendolyn is incredibly unexpected, and as I know the general timetable of marriages in the ‘Ton post-engagement, I fear that if I come across poor weather on my return, I will miss the event entirely. As I care for your brother greatly, however, I will do everything in my power to be back in town before the first note of the wedding march.

This letter may not reach you before I do, but I once again offer my heartfelt apologies.

Yours,

𝓐𝓾𝓰𝓾𝓼𝓽 𝓕𝓲𝓽𝔃𝓱𝓮𝓻𝓫𝓮𝓻𝓽

P.S. Please include news of engagements for those I am close to higher than the postscript in the future. Unless it is news of Teddy’s inevitable betrothal, in which case I ask that you not write of it at all.

#* lyra #* letters

teddylebouff:

✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀

She could see it in his face, his eyes, that he did not want to be having this conversation. And that hurt, truly it did. All she wanted was for August to support her, to share in this happiness and excitement along with her.

Instead it felt like thunder clouds were rolling in. As if something were about to erupt. “We must have this conversation, August. There is no one else I want to speak to in this moment about it. When I realized what this feeling was, I knew I had to find you immediately to share it with you.” She reached out for his hands again, trying to grasp them to keep him in place. She even gave a tight squeeze as she spoke. “You are my best friend and I want to share this happiness with you. Is that not all we’ve ever wanted for each other? To be irrevocably happy?”

Year’s down the line, August had said. And Teddy tried her hardest not to laugh in his face. Instead, she let out a soft laugh under her breath and let her eyes roll slightly.

“August, my dear, we both know that I do not have years to wait. My mamma reminds me nightly how little time I do have to find a husband before I’m considered a spinster. I suspect, taking into account engagements of past couples, we shall be married by the end of July.” She gave a stern nod of her head, as if to set the idea in stone.

“Put it out of my mind? How do you suggest I do such a thing when the mere thought of him and us and our future is all I can think about at the moment? I shall never be able to do such a thing. I do believe he will consume my waking thoughts from this moment until I die. Perhaps my dreams as well.” She turned away from August to look back towards the Gothel that she knew in her heart she was to marry. “Will you be my best man? At the wedding? I know it’s not traditional for a lady to have a maid of honor, but we all know I’m not the traditional sort.”

🌣 ── ☼ ─ ☀ ─ ☼ ── 🌣

August had never been stabbed before, so it didn’t quite have the frame of reference for the feeling, but with each new set of words that tumbled from Teddy’s mouth he could imagine it more and more.

Yet it was complicated. Nothing that she was saying was incorrect, per se. He did wish her irrevocable happiness. He wanted nothing for her more. But it was so sudden, and her entire demeanor so different. She almost felt like a stranger, and August was left to wonder if he was just so poor of a friend that he did not see her prior misery. How ignorant had he been in figuring that she had truly been happy in their time together if this was how she was in moments of pure joy?

Additionally, there were other feelings there... bubbling under the surface. But he could not confront them that evening. It was not as if there was some long-buried box in the back of his mind that would be impossible to come back from, but a thought or two had come into his mind before - largely due to encouragement from Lyra Andersen. He had brushed everything off with humor and wit, with protestations that he and Teddy were just the best of friends, but a comment or two had gotten through and made him question what if before.

Now he was truly given the biggest what if of all.

So instead he simply stood there. Silent. Empty. Both in shock and in contemplation. And then, after he was sure that an unforgivable amount of time had passed, he spoke.

“I want nothing more for you than to be happy. If it means that we are to be out of each other’s lives, I understand. I will consider your best man offer and will write to inform you of my response within a fortnight, if your marriage has not come to pass by then. But for now... I have to go,” he stressed.

And then he left.

#* teddy

teddylebouff:

✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀

“I’m afraid I don’t. But I am sure it’s a lovely name. Dashing and strong, just like him.” Oh yes, she was confident his name was something simple yet honorable. Like Nathaniel, or Charles. A name she would most definitely read in those romance novels of her’s. A name fit for a love interest to a bold heroine. “Well of course not, August. We shall court first, as everyone does. But marriage is the natural progression. And you know my mother’s engagement lasted less than a month. I expect ours will be similar.”

She had not turned to look at her first as she spoke. Instead her attention remained solely on the man across the room, that had taken her breath from her lungs the moment she arrived. Perhaps if she looked at August, she would have seen the pain in his features. But alas, she was much too enraptured with another.

Her brows did furrow at his next words, and finally she turned to look at him. Confusion on her face. “Of course it isn’t. This isn’t a joke August, and I would hope as my best friend you would not treat it as such.”

Did he… did he think she was not good enough for the other man? Teddy’s low status amongst her peers had always been something that she was insecure about. Something she tried to push out of her mind, but also seemed to come back up. To be made aware by those around her, as if she did not know of it herself. As if she was not reminded of it at every event or outing she had.

“I know I have no formal title, but I’m hopeful he will be able to look past that.” She explained, convinced the reason August was acting this was was because he thought she would be rejected by the eldest Gothel.

🌣 ── ☼ ─ ☀ ─ ☼ ── 🌣

Dashing and strong. Just like him.

August was thankful that Teddy couldn’t read his mind in that moment, because he was cursing the male’s name a thousand times over and it was incredibly unbecoming. Hugh rhymed with Ew. Did Teddy legitimately want to be married to someone whose name rhymed with the universal sound of disgust?

But August said nothing, simply stewing in his anger and surprise grief as he waited for his oldest and dearest friend to stop speaking.

He had always feared that this day would come, in the back of his mind. It hadn’t been too conscious of a thought, minus the day or two when he realized that his future travels with her were not guaranteed. If her future husband did not approve of August, August would not be in her life. It was sad, but it’s how things worked. And if her future husband was a Gothel? Yes, Mother Gothel had raised his own mother to be the finest woman that he knew, but would she have had the same drive to do so when trapped elsewhere for her crimes? Would those stolen (clearly) children not have resentment? He had felt it when seated next to George at the welcome gathering, and he was certain the other siblings felt the same.

With one glance, it would seem, his life was going to fall apart. And she didn’t even know his name.

“I can’t-this conversation. I cannot have this conversation right now,” he murmured, his fight or flight activating and choosing the safest of the two options. He needed to escape. From the girl, from the conversation, from the whole night.

“You know that I care for you, deeply, and that I will support you always, but I-” he stopped himself, her next words shifting the conversation in a more manageable direction. “He should be so lucky to marry you! One day, several years down the line. He has no title either. But there’s nothing to look past, because besides being an indicator of inevitable duties, titles mean nothing. Teddy, just... please put this out of your mind. At least for the night.”

#* teddy

teddylebouff:

✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀

It did not even cross Teddy’s mind that she was holding August’s hands, and that the fact that neither were wearing gloves could be considered a scandal by those nearby. At some point during the night, the blonde wasn’t quite sure, she had discarded her gloves on a table or railing or someplace like that. These fae just seemed more free, much more open, and Teddy wanted to join in on that feeling.

And now she was feeling, all kinds of things. Looking around August’s much taller form for the man who was currently consuming her thoughts, she smiled brightly as she caught sight of him. “I mean exactly as I have said, August! He is the man I will marry, I know it.” Moving to turn August around, Teddy came to his side as she pointed out the man who she had only just laid eyes on. “Do you see him? Right there?” Her cheeks flushed as she took in his stature, his stoic face. Oh how she would like to be the one to make him smile.

Turning back towards August, Teddy was giddy with glee. “I have never felt this way before. He’s taken my breath away. Do you see his hair? It’s so perfectly tousled. As if he road a horse here instead of in a carriage. I wonder if he would like to visit the stables with me? I could show him Achilles. We could ride down by the lake, have a picnic… doesn’t it sound most romantic?” She was already envisioning their next four days out together. In fact, if he did not call upon her by tomorrow afternoon, she might do the most shocking thing and call upon him.

“He is most handsome. Those dark eyes and his strong jaw. My fingers are practically itching to draw his likeness, and we both know I hold no talent with watercolors or charcoal… but for him I will try my hardest.” She sighed, cheeks flushing as she swayed slightly from foot to food. “Do you think we would make a handsome pair? He and I?“

🌣 ── ☼ ─ ☀ ─ ☼ ── 🌣

August could only let himself be turned, trying to play along with whatever odd game Teddy had decided to play that evening. He had never seen her so carefree before, at least when it came to societal expectations. He had thought that she’d been unburdened when they were frolicking in the outdoors, relaxing in a field at sunset, reading together... but he had clearly been incorrect because there they were, his hand holding hers with nary a glove in sight, she excitably spinning him about to clearly gawk at a man, and that man...

No.

That man.

Hugh Gothel.

That man would certainly not be marrying Teddy if August had anything to say about it.

“The... eldest Gothel?” he narrowed his eyes, hurt apparent even though he tried to mask it. “Do you even know his name? Or anything about him beyond how he looks? Teddy, you cannot marry a man you just met!”

August really wasn’t trying to have the male’s shadow-born identity be a part of the equation - that wasn’t it at all. But the complicated family history... that was a little more difficult to navigate. There were so many men at the bacchanal that evening. Why did Teddy have to pick the only one that would undoubtedly get a rise about of him? Was it some sort of joke? A cruel prank just to see his reaction? Was it a test? Why did he feel like the room was suddenly much too small? The air much too thick?

“Teddy, this isn’t funny. Why-why are you doing this?”

#* teddy

teddylebouff:

𝔸𝕦𝕘𝕦𝕤𝕥 𝔽𝕚𝕥𝕫𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕓𝕖𝕣𝕥

Teddy’s cheeks were redder then they had ever been. She was out of breath, her skin was buzzing and her heart was beating faster then she had ever felt. It was like she had run all day throughout the park, until she could run no longer and had collapsed from exhaustion. That was how she felt, all because of a man. A man she had never laid eyes on prior to this evening. Had you told Teddy that she would find her true love tonight, she would have laughed at you from behind her hand. She would not have thought she’d leave the Bacchanal with tales of love to share with her mamma.

But it had happened. The unexpected. Didn’t they always say love seemed to happen when you least expect it? Perhaps they had been right. Oh she was giddy. She felt like skipping all around the room. Spinning in circles and giggling until her heart burst. And she wanted to share this feeling with someone else. So she look at those around her, for someone she knew, and almost took off in a sprint when she saw her most dear friend August.

“August!” She exclaimed once she had found her way in front of him, abruptly ending whatever conversation he had been having with whoever. “Oh my dear, August. The most incredible, unexpected, unfathomable thing has happened tonight!” Teddy took hold of his hands, squeezing them out of sheer joy. “I do believe I have found him. The man I am to marry! I do believe my mamma will cry tears of joy when I return home tonight. ” @augustfitzherbert

🌣 ── ☼ ─ ☀ ─ ☼ ── 🌣

Though around him August could feel chaos beginning to unfold, his calmness had not once waivered that evening.

He had taken the invitation at its word and dressed a little more loosely for the night - no cravat, no overcoat - and he was enjoying the freedom that a more relaxed environment brought with it. If there was one thing that he had learned in his travels thus far, it was that the balls that society insisted upon having, the formal structures put in place to keep them all in check, were not all they were made out to be. There was more to life than fancy clothes and polite conversation. The bacchanal was further proof of that. For one night, everyone was just... being as they were.

It was unusual, but it was welcome.

August was deeply engrossed in a conversation about the jungle with a pleasant enough fellow when he heard his name being called, the frantic yet excited energy behind it making the voice almost unfamiliar to him. But how could Teddy be unfamiliar to him? There was no one he knew better.

Offering a few words of apology to the man he’d been standing with, August excused himself to hear Teddy out, eyes flitting down to their interlocked hands as he worked to process what she had just confided.

“Come again?” he asked, disbelief evident. What she was saying simply was not possible. “What are you... what do you mean?”

#* teddy

teddylebouff:

✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀

Teddy’s eyes widened at his words. She had not been aware he had gone traipsing through the jungle. Had anyone asked her, she would’ve suspect perhaps he was climbing mount olympus, or sailing to neverland, but the jungle was just as exciting. “The jungle? What did you see? Panthers? Gorillas? Elephants? Oh how I wish I could accompany you. I know I would be the best companion.” Her mother would never allow it though, and neither would society. An unmarried duo out on adventures? It would be too scandalous, and would no doubt ruin her mother. Another reason Teddy would never expect to leave Auradon City.

She listened attentively as August recounted his tales of the jungle. Gasping when he mentioned a viper that she was sure would make a meal out of August if it had gotten the chance. “How fortunate you were to have had them as your guides. I do not know how I would have reacted to finding out through a letter that my best friend had been swallowed whole by a snake.” Of course she was trying to make light of the situation. If she let herself acknowledge just how serious it could have been, well the night would turn solemn for sure.

As August brought his hand up to silently ask her to join him on the dance floor, the blonde sighed. She looked at him, slight frustration overtaking her features, and ultimately giving in. Only because she knew she could not say no to him. “One day, we shall attend a party and never once set food on the dance floor. I swear it.” Allowing him to lead her out towards the dance floor, the blonde tried her hardest not to allow herself to take in the faces of those around them. She would not let judgement take hold of her. She was already so uncomfortable dancing, stiff as a board, it would not help if she looked at the other women dancing on the floor.

“And how many times have you made your way out here tonight?” She asked, as the music started up and two began to dance. She tried her hardest not to step on his foot. So far, she had just lightly tapped his toe. “I’m sure every lady is hoping to dance with Lord Fitzherbert now that he has stepped down in Auradon. Was there anyone to see you off the ship at the port when you arrived?” Again, the smile on her face was there to let him know she was merely playing.

🌣 ── ☼ ─ ☀ ─ ☼ ── 🌣

Given all of the times that August had wished Teddy was with him on his travels, one might think that he had shared that sentiment with her. He had not. Not in his writings, not aloud, and not even to anyone in confidence. In the past he had offered a reassuring “you’ll see the world someday” or his best “oh, you’ll love it” when the situation called for such words, but... he knew the odds. No matter how much he wanted to take the girl with him, it simply wasn’t done.

Which was why he had avoided explicitly naming things. But something had shifted for him in his last trip. Perhaps it was the near-death viper experience, or perhaps he’d just thought to himself “Teddy would appreciate this view” too many times, but when he’d been worried about a potential future husband disliking his intention of taking Teddy on a trip, the realities of the situation had come into fuller focus for him.

They were going to have to craft an elaborate ruse, and his parents would have to be aware, but he was absolutely going to take Teddy on his next excursion.

“Yes - panthers, gorillas, and elephants. And more. It was fascinating. Never in my life did I imagine I’d encounter so many species so foreign to me, let alone so many in the same trip,” he shared, his bright smile fading a bit as he did his best to tackle her latter wish.

“Technically you do accompany me. Via the letters. But I understand it’s not quite the same. Do you think...” he started, pausing in some attempt to work out the exact question he was asking.

“If Lyra created an elaborate explanation for your disappearance from the season for but a few weeks - perhaps a flu or visiting family - do you think it would silence the ‘ton? Agrabah is not far from Corona. And I would very much appreciate having someone to keep me from becoming all-too-easy prey.”

Before she could answer properly, they were at the edge of the dance floor, August having learned enough over the years to know to never lead her to the center. With the music floating over to them, Teddy became more difficult to hear, but it wasn’t so bad as to require their conversation to cease.

“Oh, I am highly in demand. I have been out here more times than I’d like to admit, but you are the only one I have looked forward to dancing with. It is a tradition at this point. And I’ll have you know there was one very charming woman waiting for me - my mother. She misses me the moment I leave and worries until the moment I return.”

#* teddy

jadeofthejungle:

ＡｕｇｕｓｔＦｉｔｚｈｅｒｂｅｒｔ

One of the first things Jade had learned upon entering Auradon was that ladies of respectable nature do not climb trees.

Or. Women of respectable nature do not get caught climbing trees.

Naturally, growing up in the jungle with her parents, Jade was sliding down vines before she could very well walk, so being within tree’s were not sure second nature for her, but they were a comfort. Nothing was better then grabbing one of the handful of books her mother had brought with her to the jungle and climb into a large canopy and sit there for hours. Surrounded by lush green and curious creatures, Jade often retreated to the tree house she and her parents lived in once it became too dark to read by moonlight.

So, always an early riser (she rose with the sun), Jade had made her way to the park with a sketch book in hand and climbed the tallest tree she could find. Normally she would find her way out of the branches once she hear the world around her begin to stir as well, but today she had gotten rather enraptured in sketching a nearby squirrel, that she realized once the sun was high overhead that she was still up in the tree. She knew no one had seen her yet, but sadly if she were to shimmy her way down they would and her Aunt would never let her hear the end of it.

Spying a familiar head of brown locks, Jade whispered toward August with urgency. “Mr. Fitzherbert,” she still wasn’t used to the formal titles, calling him August would be must more preferred. “Could you let me know if the coast is clear to come down? And if not, could I trouble you to cause a slight distraction?”

@augustfitzherbert

🌣 ── ☼ ─ ☀ ─ ☼ ── 🌣

It was a lovely day. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, and August was... pretty sure he was not hearing voices in his head as he paused near a tree in the park that afternoon.

He had been taking a solitary stroll in order to clear his mind, as he was wont to do, when he had heard a vaguely familiar voice specifically say his name. Looking up for just long enough to confirm that he was not imaginging things, it had taken him a moment to place the somewhat concealed face up near the branches with a name. But of course it was Jade Porter-Greystoke. They hadn’t grown particularly close when he’d ventured out to the jungle on his latest adventure, but they had a vague familiarity with each other and they’d certainly gotten along. Enough that he would help her as per her request? Of course. But that didn’t mean several questions weren’t presently competing to be the first asked.

What was she doing up there? How had she gotten up there? How long had she been up there? And, of course, why?

Looking from left to right, August knew that he was checking only out of an abundance of caution. There had been no one nearby when he’d commenced his stroll, and he had not seen a soul for over ten minutes. He had only moderate experience climbing trees, but he knew enough to be aware of the fact that coming down was quicker than going up.

Satisfied with the desertedness of their surroundings, August finally let himself speak, fully focusing his attention upwards. “The coast is clear” he answered only loud enough for her to hear before he turned his gaze back towards the ground. He was sure she would be joining him there momentarily anyway.

“Might I ask what you were doing up there?”

#* jade

lyra-andersen:

╔═══════ ೋღ ღೋ ═══════╗

Lyra watched as he frantically came into the room, dropping himself on the nearest soft cushion and staring at her in that way he always did when she dropped by early and unexpected. It made her laugh, even just a little, to see him so discombobulated.

She listened to his (rather poor) defense as to how things were going with Teddy and frowned. The two of them were getting rather annoying at this point, but especially August. It was hard to hold ill will over Teddy when it was the man who was supposed to be making the obvious moves. And while August was obvious about his feelings to her, she suspected that his best friend was not someone who could see them so clearly. The entire thing was maddening from an outsider’s perspective.

“And what did you and my brother speak of? Your lack of understanding of the females in your lives? I’m sure it was plenty for you to bond over,” she teased.

When the conversation was turned to her and her (lack of) potential wives, Lyra scoffed and snapped the book she was reading shut. “I have yet to find a woman that is suitable, other than of course Lady Charlotte but she has no interest in me outside of our friendship.”

She groaned dramatically and laid herself across the cushions, bemoaning her existence for a few minutes. “It’s hardly fair. August I am pretty, aren’t I? Tell me I’m pretty.”

🌣 ── ☼ ─ ☀ ─ ☼ ── 🌣

“Society, travel, you...” August drifted off, having listed out all three on his fingers. He knew it would drive her mad to not have any sort of elaboration on the last point, so he waited only a moment before offering a quick explanation.

“I like to think that I have a good understanding of the females in my life, of which there are only three. My mother says what she means, as do you, and Teddy has been an open book to me for years. But if you must know, Lark and I were discussing your season. We simply want to make sure you’re properly attended to, even if he or I are called away... with he being more likely to require leave from the season as he has actual commitments. I recognize my absence is more voluntary. We’ll endeavor to take turns.”

Pausing to consider her words about her lack of proper suitors, August found he could only offer a shrug, her dramatic flopping about before fishing for compliments moments later derailing the conversation that he’d briefly considered broaching about Charlotte.

“You are very pretty, Lyra. Were our interests aligned I’m certain my parents would have hoped that we’d be a match in order to get your genes into the family line. But rest assured that you are not the only one who has yet to find a suitable match. I imagine any young lady out in society for some time may feel the same way. Sadly, I cannot relate. Ambitious mamas are almost breaking down my door to try and marry their daughters off to me. I suppose it’s just the downside to being this charming and handsome.”

#* lyra

teddylebouff:

✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀

Teddy gave August a soft, playful eyeroll at the compliment he sent her way, before sending him a tight lipped smile. August was her best friend, and so any compliment from her felt as if it were coming from a sibling. As if he had to tell her she looked nice, as opposed to actually meaning it. But it did settle the butterflies in her stomach, and remind her that while some people may not think she belongs, she had friends that did. “Thank you. Although, perhaps you should allow your mother to dress you, as I am not sure purple is your color.” It was a joke, one that was delivered with a large smile as to let August know that Teddy was in fact joking. “Did you pick that up on your travels? Is purple the color they are wearing in…where was it you just returned from?”

Whenever August left town and ran off on some fantastical adventure to another land, Teddy always felt a distinct pang of envy. Oh how she often wished she was not born a girl. Not only then would it mean she would not be forced by her mother to find a husband and marry even if she was not content, but she could wander off and see the world. Perhaps join a ship and sail the seas. Become a pirate. Discover a new creature. Write a book series. Become a famous artist. There was so much the world offered men, and Teddy found it a cruel joke those were not an option for her as well. She was told her options were marriage and children, or spinsterhood. Neither were all that appealing.

Although, if she became a spinster, perhaps society would forget her at the age of 30 and she could finally go off and find an adventure.

Hearing August mention the world dance, Teddy’s gaze snapped away from the extravagant room and towards him, and she looked slightly fearful. She was not the best dancer, nor was she as graceful as the other ladies. She and August had been sharing dances every event prior to this, mostly at the behest of her mother who expected her to dance with whomever asked in hopes of finding a potential match. “Perhaps we could just, forget the dance for tonight? Instead, how do you feel about a game of cards in the common room? Or, a better option? We could steal a handful of strawberry tarts and have a picnic in the gardens. I do believe the grounds are quite large, and surely there aren’t enough guards to patrol every location.”

🌣 ── ☼ ─ ☀ ─ ☼ ── 🌣

“Corona, yes. The jungle less so,” August teased in return, relieved to find an easy rapport with the girl even though they had not seen each other in some time. August was keenly aware of the fact that life continued when he was away, and with each new trip a small concern that had lodged itself in the back of his mind grew more and more - what if life moved too quickly when he was gone? What if he arrived one day and Teddy was betrothed, or even married, and things would be forced to change between the two of them? Would Teddy’s eventual husband accept such a close friendship between the pair? Would he accept that August had every intention of inviting Teddy on a trip once he had a better sense of things? There was nothing untoward to worry about, just genuine affection for old friends, but some may not see it as such. He feared the day he returned and was told that Teddy was no longer to be such a mainstay in his life.

But for the moment that wasn’t reality, and thus, with an easy smile, he launched into a monologue about his most recent excursion.

“No, I don’t think anyone would have cared what I wore in the jungle. Things are understandably different there. It’s quite warm, incredibly humid, and difficult to navigate. Perhaps until the very day of our departure I was entirely useless. I fear I was little help beyond my ability to climb trees. I was demoted from leading us through the area on my elected day after we ran into too many spiderwebs and a viper that looked so like a bush that I am certain I would have walked us right into its trap. Though we were certainly aided by the Porter-Greystoke family, in truth, I find that I am not in a rush to return to that particular location...”

Though he had been given the opportunity to ramble on and on, he had not forgotten the offer he had so recently made. As he drifted off, he offered out his hand. She could try and evade things all she wanted, but when she returned home and her mother asked her if she had been asked to dance by any fine, eligible gentlemen, he wanted Teddy to be able to give an honest yes.

Plus, she had always been his favorite partner. Even if she didn’t always move as quickly or sharply as those nearby.

“Why not all?” he asked, glancing down at his outstretched hand before looking up at her. The message was clear. “One dance and then I will give you the satisfaction of decimating me at whichever card game you select. If we’re stealing tonight, we might as well combine the two activities and do the game in the garden with the tarts.”

#* teddy

lyra-andersen:

Lyra was more than comfortable at August’s home. She had come in, unannounced, and sat herself comfortably down in a chair as she waited for him to come out of his chambers. It would not be the first time she had frightened him by showing up unannounced.

She pulled out a book, lounging as she flipped through the pages. Truthfully she wasn’t that interested in what she was reading. Coming to his home had been a byproduct of her intense boredom. There was only so much singing out of the window one could do before they grew impossibly bored.

When he finally arrived Lyra offered him a brilliant grin, “Ah! August! Good morning to you! How was your experience at the ball? I feel like we hardly got a moment to speak. Were you too busy with you future wife to spend time with me?” she teased.

Lyra knew that Teddy was, well, a somewhat sensitive subject but she had been pushing the two of them to get together for some time. There was nothing she wanted more than to see one of her dearest friends happy and he was getting in the way of it.

@augustfitzherbert

🌣 ── ☼ ─ ☀ ─ ☼ ── 🌣

August had learned after many years of friendship with Lyra Andersen to always expect her when she was least expected to arrive. That bright and early morning was no exception to the rule.

He really should have been more prepared, but alas. It was early.

Upon receiving word of her arrival, August had rushed to toss on his nearest clothing, the bright sunlight streaming through his windows after he tossed back the curtains waking him up more and more as he readied himself to face his dear friend. He had caught her eyes on him when he and Teddy were sharing a dance at the Welcome Ball, and he had no doubt about at least one reason for Lyra’s visit.

She had been the biggest champion of a union between he and Teddy for some time. As per usual, he would have to provide only disappointing news and evasions. It was the same old song and dance, just one society season later.

“You and I may not have, but rest assured that your brother and I were able to speak,” August answered with a shrug instead of a greeting, strolling further into the room only to collapse onto the chaise next to her selected chair. “I assume you do not mean to suggest that I take Lark as my wife.”

He knew what she was getting at, of course, but he would not give her the satisfaction of getting a rise out of him. He did not want to risk Lyra coming back at him with a simple ‘the lady doth protest too much, methinks’ - something that would surely elicit even more protesting.

Teddy was his very best friend. While she may have been the person he always looked forward to seeing when he returned from his travels, and while he occasionally even made sure to write to her while he was away, and while he found her to be quite pretty when allowed to dress herself... they were simply friends. Nothing more.

“I believe I was quite available, actually. At least, outside of my usual dances with those who are asked with less frequency. Were you too busy with any potential wives of your own to speak with me?”

#* lyra

discnchant:

If there was one quality he possessed that he figured was most enviable, it was likely Lark’s easily compatible nature. He did not struggle to make friends, or to blend into social groups. Even if he struggled now to balance his sailor’s attitude with polite manners, he still was decently good at assimilating into society again. He figured he got it from his father, who was himself a rather charming and warm man. And then there was his mother, who was spirited and free and, perhaps in his biased opinion, one of the most wonderful ladies to grace Auradon society. All in all, the Andersens were a friendly bunch.

The same could not always be said of other members of court, though Lark wouldn’t say that where August Fitzherbert was concerned. The Viscount of Tangleton was among the other gentlemen at court that Lark felt particularly at ease with. He was younger, but a good kid and Lark likened him to the younger brother he never had. All in all, he found his presence to be a far better option than, say, Lord Citrouille, and any chance to talk with him was welcomed. Especially during this ball where he’d grown tired of the dancing and flirtatious banter he unwittingly found himself in at times. Curse the good wit and charms that sometimes caused him to seem far more interested than he was.

When August approached him and remarked on his surprising attendance that evening, Lark had leaned back and let out a hearty laugh, one he figured could be heard across the room. He’d just refilled his glass with wine and was feeling a little more spirited than he had for a bit. “Ah well, it is always my aim to surprise, Fitzherbert,” he jested.

“No, though I think they think themselves cunning in trapping me here for the season. But I shall have to disappoint them – I’m simply here for my sister, to be perhaps a far less intimidating chaperone than our father would be. No wife for me. I suspect you will settle down before me.” Without a thought, he retrieved a fresh glass from a servant carrying a platter about and handed it to his friend. “And you? Are you here to court any particular ladies or are you committed to bachelordom as well?”

🌣 ── ☼ ─ ☀ ─ ☼ ── 🌣

“A bold suggestion,” August pointed out, a hint of a smile peeking through his faux-offended expression. “But I am glad to hear that you will be here. Even if it is merely temporary. Between your moments spent running interference for Lady Lyra to keep her from an unsuitable match, your assistance would be most appreciated in dancing with the wallflowers. It’s a practice that has been instilled in me by my parents, and I’ve realized as of tonight that it’s become a habit. Unfortunately there are now too many for me to get to each one over the course of an evening.”

Accepting Lark’s offered glass without a second thought, he immediately took a sip from the flute before continuing to, essentially, monologue. It was something that he rarely did unless in the presence of great friends, and any who may have been seated near him at dinner or watching him throughout the evening may have found themselves in shock at how much he was speaking at that point, but around a longtime friend like Lark he simply could not be stopped.

“Full disclosure, I do not know that I’ll be in the ‘ton for the entirety of the season, especially as my travels kept me away for the majority of the last, but for all the events that I am made to attend, please know that I am more than willing to fill in as a substitute if you likewise require leave. And might I remind you that my parents have never cared much for the whims of society. As you do, I don’t feel a particular pressure to be married off. I am but one-and-twenty. I believe myself to be very early in my bachelordom.”

Pausing to take another sip of from his glass, August let one final tease drop before he turned the conversation over.

“Especially because, even though you protest, you remain on the marriage mart. Why go for a young viscount with only a rudimentary knowledge of the world when one could attempt to ensnare a seasoned viscount who also holds the position of Captain? You are the dream of ambitious mamas, Andersen.”

#* lark

FITZHERBERT FAMILY AESTHETICS #1/-

it’s hard to imagine a home more loving and supportive than that of the earl and countess of corona. the viscount, augustus fitzherbert, has always been encouraged to pursue his passions, the fulfillment of dreams a guiding principle for the family. if only august knew what he wanted to do with his life.

#disenchantedtask #*

dropcal

If there was one person that August was anticipating would sit the season out yet again, it was Lark Andersen.

August had always looked up to the man, having been around Lyra quite often during their formative years. Lark had always seemed to be the supportive, interesting older brother, and as an only child who so desperately needed social time outside of his parents, August had always craved some form of brotherly attention from the male.

Luckily he had received it. At least enough for August to have never felt like he couldn’t seek advice from the older male.

They had resided on opposite sides of the kingdom, but the long trek in between lands hadn’t stopped August from maintaining the brotherly relationship over the years, all the way up until Lark departed for the navy. But even then, when Lark made his way back home and August was given word he had made sure to pop over to Tirulia every now and again to check in (and to see Lyra too).

Without his encouragement and knowledge of what lay beyond Auradon’s borders it was possible that August may never have thought to travel as a means of continuing his worldly education. And without Lark being willing to share a small portion of his impressive seafaring knowledge, August may never have even been allowed on a ship in the first place.

But August could both like and know the male quite a bit and still be caught off guard by his presence at that evening’s festivities. Luckily their longstanding relationship allowed August to voice his thoughts without reservations.

“I must say I’m surprised to see you in attendance tonight. Is this the season that your parents finally convince you to settle down and take a wife?”

@discnchant

#* lark

Insanity was doing the same thing but expecting different results, was it not?

Then perhaps August could be considered insane, because it had been but an hour since dinner and he was already working up the courage to approach the person who had been identified to him as a Gothel... specifically the one that had been seated next to him who he had purposefully avoided conversing with thus far.

It wasn’t that he was scared, per se, but rather that he had picked up on the energy that the other was emitting and had made the choice to honor what was clearly their wish to be left alone.

The First-Name-Unknown Gothel had not yet uttered a single word to him. But as the night wore on, August found himself growing more and more curious about the newcomer. In particular, he was vexed by their apparent aversion to him.

His parents were not the ones who had kidnapped a child, holding her hostage and making several questionable-to-downright-awful parental decisions in an attempt to preserve eternal youth. How could such a clear series of events have been twisted to villainize his parents? And what had the Gothel children, of which there were apparently three (were they... biological or likewise stolen) been told?

August would never know if he never asked, and thus with a mild amount of feet dragging and a shot of whiskey just hitting his system, he finally decided to speak up.

“I believe we may have gotten off on the wrong foot. Please allow me to introduce myself. I am August Fitzherbert, Viscount of Corona. I believe we may have some matters to discuss.”

@cnceuponadream

#* george

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