light a spark

azelle velthomer affiliated with toa.

[azelfire]

we used to be friends

cont. from -> 💔

[sacrificialspear]

"I really think there were other hobbies that people could have invested themselves in first." Like knitting. Or reading. Or not having children that they left for others to raise during a war. What little light had taken root for a moment dims again.

None of which will change now, not even with all those who'd been lost back to life and present again. Is it his place to fill in the gaps of what memories were missing? If he were to do so, what would that change? And what decided which of them found their way to Fodlans shores, and which didn't. Why was Azelle here, and why wasn't…

"Hmm?" The mistletoe has long since been discarded, but Azelle talks like it still has any authority over them. He…really doesn't think that kissing is going to stave off any of the misfortune that's clouded both their lives, but if it makes the other happy…Finn sighs before leaning down. "Are you always so needy?"

[azelfire]

“Well, I wouldn't be a Grannvalian nobleman if I were completely agreeable, right?” Azelle jokes.

Finn doesn't need to know the whole encompassing truth that is Azelle's horrible bad luck, or the dark cloud that hangs over House Velthomer almost entirely because of him, now.  The shade wouldn't linger if Azelle hadn't stayed, and his running away hadn't cleared his home's castle from its darkness, either.  Or so he believes.

Still, Finn humors him, and Azelle is happy for it.  He flushes, even, because between the pleasant conversation and the lack of a stronger, secondary protest, this encounter is nice, in a way, and Azelle's romanticism is flying ahead of him at a rapid pace.

Scenes from countless novels flash in his mind's eye, but he doesn't prolong the issue.  He places a chaste kiss on Finn's cheek and pulls away, trying to pretend like he doesn't know his face is darkening.

“Thanks.  Despite the circumstances, it is nice to see you.  Maybe we can hang out some time?”

[azelfire]

we used to be friends

cont. from -> 💔

[sacrificialspear]

That's farther back than Finn expects. His surprise is portrayed only by the slightest lift of his brows. Even after departing from the group to return back to Leonster, Finn had heard tales from others in the days that came later of all that had happened to Sigurd's group since that day. As far as Finn is aware, there are a great number of events that Azelle should remember.

And yet, for some reason, he doesn't. Hmm.

"The battle ended poorly." He answers simply. "You're fortunate, then, to have gotten away so easily." Or perhaps not. Maybe the loss of memory was a sign of something worse. After all, he had been so certain, but Eyvel had protested against his own memories when he had brought them up to her…

Finn shakes his head. "Strange for the both of us. You'd think almost every member of Sigurd's army was as busy making children as they were fighting…" The number of kids who just so happened to be related to his old allies that popped up later on…Finn sighs.

[azelfire]

“Hey!” Azelle protests, in good humor, laughing a bit at Finn's sarcastic remark.  “We spent months in Silesse doing absolutely nothing but staying inside!  Those things are bound to happen.”

Not that Azelle remembers it himself.  He's told Finn what he remembers, but there are gaps going back.  Some things are solid, other things are not.  He knows he spent years with Sigurd's army, but he doesn't know exactly how all those years were spent.  It's fuzzy and distant, yet memories of his childhood, of time he spent in Velthomer, are much clearer.

“But… that's where I am, I suppose…  And you and I still stood under the mistletoe together, and it's okay if you don't believe in the superstition, but I…  would rather not risk anything.”

[frigidsurge]

What a place to find your ghost

[azelfire]

“Yeah, that's right,” Azelle replies with a smile.

It's troubling, all the things he can't remember and all the things that seemingly happened when he wasn't looking.  It's like he'd been removed from the world, frozen in time like a damsel in distress, and the world had gone on without him.

At least as long as Tine has been alive, has Azelle been in some manner of stasis.  It's a deeply unsettling thought, but it's not something that is easily undone.

There's no such thing as time travel, as far as Azelle is aware, so he must make up for it by the future.

“And you know…  It gives us plenty of things to talk about, too.  Like…  What Ishtore and Ishtar are like, or what your grandmother was like!  Right?”

Even as he asks, he's uncertain.  But it's a start.  It's a way to move forward.  That's all anyone can ever do, at their worst anyway, and neither of them are certainly at their worst.

[frigidsurge]

She does her best to not look pained at hearing her cousins spoken of in the present tense.

Maybe they too can be returned to her like Father was?

That is a blessing worth hoping for.

"Yes I love to hear more about her since Mother was mostly focused on you and Uncle Lex!"

She smiles brightly at him, her expression finally filled with the sunny warmth she too often forgets. She longs to treasure this kindness forevermore.

"Did she like to cook? Did you like her cooking?

What was her favorite color? Do you think she would like me? How do I dress?"

[Thread end]

[azelfire]

we used to be friends

cont. from -> 💔

[sacrificialspear]

"Took you long enough." There's enough of a lilt to his tone that he hopes it passes for teasing, even if his expression doesn't change much. Should he smile? Another familiar face has returned after so many years of it being missing and yet…Finn just shrugs. "Do I look that horrible since the last time we saw each other?"

Gods does that feel like a lifetime ago. He shakes his head. "There's no need. We've all…we've all had a lot happen since we marched out to Sigurd's aid. You're not the only one who's struggling."

For a fleeting moment, Finn can't stop himself from thinking that it must be relieving, in a way, to have not had to face the horrors that followed Arvis's rise to power…a feeling that is quickly squashed and shoved away before he can think on it any further.

"What do you remember, in that case? That is probably an easier point to start from."

[azelfire]

You look sad, is what Azelle thinks.  You look tired in a way that years don't supply on their own.

He can't bring himself to say it out loud, though.  It wouldn't be right, or kind, or necessary.  It would only be worse if Finn already knows.

Instead, he answers Finn's question.

“I remember staying at Castle Zaxon, on the Silessian border to Granvale.  Lord Sigurd was branded a traitor, and both Lex's and Tailtiu's fathers were going to march upon us…

“I don't remember how that battle ended.  We were supposed to march towards Velthomer, but I don't remember going home.  It's all… fuzzy.  The next thing I recall is waking up in a bed in Adrestia.  I'd been told they found me unconscious on the beach.  It's… a bit of a longer story how I ended up here.”

He shrugs with a lop-sided, awkward smile.  “I met a girl who claims she's my daughter, and despite it all, I believe her, but…  I don't know.  Suffice to say things have been a bit strange.”

[maerablooded]

ghost supper | arvis & azelle

mission board: aphotic [ sword + 1 ]

[maerablooded]

arvis' eyes are still narrowed, just for a moment, as he processes this. they widen at the words spoken, though.

azelle sounds... nervous.

this isn't unusual for the boy, of course. he thinks this thought with guilt and certainty both, but he doesn't speak for a moment. he wants to calm or placate, to say just the right thing to alleviate the worries of his half-brother, but he can't think of what that might be.

things aren't as they used to be. they cannot be again.

but that said—azelle's reaction, nervous as he clearly is, isn't quite proportionate to what arvis had expected. a small mercy, maybe. he doesn't expect forgiveness or forgetting, but he'll take something as small as this gladly.

he does not wish to be rejected by a loved one, even after all these years.

"i am, yes. as are you."

he enters the room properly and begins surveying it for ingredients. there's a variety, some familiar and some not.

i am being repetitive, foolish, i need to get myself together, he thinks to himself.

"i hope you came prepared. we can talk as we work. i trust you've been well?"

[azelfire]

Is it so natural for Arvis?  After everything that's happened, he disregards it in one smooth sentence, averting their attention to the task at hand.  It's one of those traits of his that Azelle might protest, but is all the more frustrating because it's more logical to hold his tongue.

There's so much that should be said!  Aside from the fact that Arvis, like so many of Azelle's former friends, has aged an indeterminate amount, there were years after Azelle ran away from home…  Years where Arvis didn't write.

And neither had Azelle.

He moves to join Arvis at the counter, though he isn't sure exactly what dish they'll prepare.  He expects to do most of the work anyway - Mama spent more time with Azelle, in the end.

“…Yeah,” Azelle lies.  It feels like bile in his throat.  Here stands a chance to make things right, to change, and he's slipping into the same familiar patterns he always has with his older brother.

“What… did you want to make?  They said anything from Granvale, but you know I'm better with sweets…”

[frigidsurge]

What a place to find your ghost

[frigidsurge]

You cannot know what Mother will suffer.

How badly I wish to see her here again but freed of this burden, making Foldlan into her little paradise.

But that is not the reality she faces right now.

"You cannot undo the past."

I cannot undo it.

"But I am free now; you hadn't failed me."

Did she go too far with this reassurance? Does he really put blame upon himself, or would he only do so in the face of her bringing it up?

"Growing up with Emperor Arvis must have been strange, wasn't it? Arthur and I had unfortunately grown up apart, but I was never alone."

She slumps against the wall, completely exhausted, with no more tears left in her.

"I had my cousins Ishtore and Ishtar; they truly were kind to me even despite all the ways Freege felt more like a living hell."

Freege is mighty, large, refined, and brutal.

It is that Freege so many outstanding generals abandoned when their loyalties and morals could not align.

"We might not have gotten to be a family the way we should have been."

The way we deserved to be.

"But we are one now right?"

He's assured her of that already, and yet she still needs to hear it again.

[azelfire]

“Yeah, that's right,” Azelle replies with a smile.

It's troubling, all the things he can't remember and all the things that seemingly happened when he wasn't looking.  It's like he'd been removed from the world, frozen in time like a damsel in distress, and the world had gone on without him.

At least as long as Tine has been alive, has Azelle been in some manner of stasis.  It's a deeply unsettling thought, but it's not something that is easily undone.

There's no such thing as time travel, as far as Azelle is aware, so he must make up for it by the future.

“And you know…  It gives us plenty of things to talk about, too.  Like…  What Ishtore and Ishtar are like, or what your grandmother was like!  Right?”

Even as he asks, he's uncertain.  But it's a start.  It's a way to move forward.  That's all anyone can ever do, at their worst anyway, and neither of them are certainly at their worst.

[azelfire]

did you know i can cook an egg in my hands? it will explode and hurt everyone involved

+sword || aphotic

[contempenitent]

Ah, it would make sense that someone hailing from a desert-adjacent locale wouldn't be very experienced with making soup. He feels a bit put on the spot, but it will certainly be no trouble to step into a leading role.

This soup had been one of his go-tos when the task of cooking fell to him in Elusia. The other Hounds usually refused to cook, and they insisted he didn't have to 'lower' himself to such a task, but there were things Mauvier enjoyed about cooking. There was a meditativeness to it, a calm and resolute march toward a clear goal.

Marni always asked for seconds when Mauvier made it, even when Zephia teased her for it.

"It's been a little while, I'm afraid," says Mauvier, "but I'm sure it will come back to me." Normally he'd use a little meat mallet, but he's not about to scour an unfamiliar kitchen for one. So he settles for pulling a large chef's knife from its block, using the back of it to smash the garlic cloves. The fragrance alone is really bringing him back.

"This releases the flavor," Mauvier explains, like he's guiding young Azelle through a combat drill. "We'll need to add all the aromatics to the pot before we start the simmer. Does this kitchen have galangal? If not, ginger will have to do."

[azelfire]

“Uhm…  I'm not sure what galangal is, but here's your ginger," Azelle replies.  Mauvier seems to be taking the initiative to prepare the spices, so Azelle will let him do it.  He's never heard of galangal before, but he remembers working with ginger, especially during their stay in Verdane.

“Yeah, my mother would always put it all in the mortar and pestle, so that all the spices we've ever used would get put in as well.  I traveled a bunch in the past, and I tried to use it when I could find it, because then it really became like I was putting the taste of one place into that dish.”

He laughs a little, fondly at the memory.  Back then, not every one knew how to cook and he had his hands a bit full.  It'd be fun then, but in a very busy way.

Since it seems his task will be getting everything together, he starts getting out a pot to put the eventual soup in.  “This is exactly the sort of pot that does the same thing, too!”

[azelfire]

we used to be friends

cont. from -> 💔

[sacrificialspear]

It's Finn's turn to stare blankly at the other as he tries to defend himself while reiterating the request again. Is this meant to be a joke of some kind? Had Lex put him up to this? Finn didn't know the other as well, but it seemed like the sort of thing he might think was funny.

Eventually, with enough staring at Azelle's face, it clicks. The other looks younger than him now, and not in a way that could be written off as time just being kind to him. Finn sighs heavily and turns away to pinch at the bridge of his nose. "Do I really look that much different…?" He doesn't want to think about what time and travel and war has done to his face, thank you.

"Azelle, please don't tell me I'm that unrecognizable after a decade." His hands drop back to his side with a sigh. So what is it, he wonders. Another ghost come back to life? Something else? If Azelle is younger than him now…well, what he chooses to pursue in his free time is up to him.

"Do you need a help figuring it out? I always thought you were one of the smarter ones among the group." At least, he assumed all that time reading tomes instead of training or sparring translated to some kind of intelligence.

[azelfire]

The familiar way he's spoken to does not let up.  If anything, it gets worse.  It turns into an expectation, as though this could get any worse, and Azelle fidgets with his hands in front of him.

He knows Azelle's name.  He thought he was one of ‘the smarter ones’, whatever that means.  They knew each other ‘a decade’ ago?  That can't possibly be.  Azelle hardly had friends when he was ten, and though the number grew, he'd count them among his friends now the same.

Azelle decides to stare rather than stumble over his words.  Yes, the face is familiar to him, but distantly so.  Blue hair, thin jawline, deep-set eyes…  His blue eyes look sad in a way that Azelle has familiarity with, but that mismatch those with blue hair he knows.

“A decade…” he repeats, then realizes that it had been so long with Lady Deirdre, and perhaps even longer with Lady Edain.  With that information…

“F-Finn?” he attempts, eyes wide and innocent.  He's not sure if the guess is remotely right, and it shows plainly in his voice, but that's the best guess he can give right now.

And now, if he's wrong then he's proved he's really not all that smart - !

Lose-lose situation for Azelle…  “I-I'm sorry, there's…  There's a lot I don't remember happening right now…”

[frigidsurge]

What a place to find your ghost

[frigidsurge]

-if you want me as your father-

-missed the chance-

as if she could want anything else, as if he was ever truly at fault for not being there for her.

She's blamed him sometimes in the depths of her misery; she has blamed every single person even remotely responsible.

She has raged within her mind against Emperor Arvis for choosing her father out of the sea of spares the previous Duke Velthomer left him saddled with and yet not protecting him from his own actions.

Whoever took him away from her, were they truly loptyrs devoted or simple Velthomer soldiers that once upon a time defended him?

Her eyes flash with rage for a moment before she manages to flood it all with further tears.

It's calculated in a way she sobs and hiccups to buy herself time.

To think

as in a horrible twist.

She doesn't know how to respond.

How to say that ugly truth.

"You say you don't know how to be a father, but I can tell you you're already doing a better job than Uncle Blume ever did."

It's an odd way to start a jab at the dead somebody whose her feelings on swing wildly from day to day.

"It is simply that i-i already came in demanding so much, and there's so much to say and and...

I don't want to scare you off.

There are things I don't feel ready to tell you about.

Things I wish Arthur was here with me to explain."

[azelfire]

“Arthur…?” Azelle repeats slowly, almost afraid of what that name means.

No, why would he be afraid?  Two children from a future he'd never seen is hardly any different than one!

“You… don't have to be afraid of me, you know,” he says, changing the topic before some one named Arthur even has the chance to comedically enter the scene.  "I know that the Freeges can be… rough.  I know what Tailtiu went through, at least as much as she's seen at my age.

“I wish I could say it surprised me, that her brother's like that, but…”

He sighs.  “And from the moment we met, I was worried you'd been through that…  Just because I can tell you've got Fjalar blood, too.  I'm sorry you had to go through that.  I wish… I could have done something.”

Who was this Azelle that abandoned his family?  Tine, Tailtiu, and whoever Arthur is… If they're his family, he should have protected them.  Tine should be telling him about all the warm memories they shared under Velthomer stars or roasting marshmallows with magic fire.

What happened to him?  What will happen?  Augh, it's all confusing and frustrating!

[ulirblood]

im back in the fucking BUILDING AGAIN — azelle & edain

[ulirblood]

“hey, wait up!” the stranger shouts from behind but azelle seems intent on ignoring him, so edain at first plans to follow suit. "yes, please. we have a lot to talk about—" unfortunately for them…

“what, don’t tell me this is your man? he’s so… scrawny!” the stranger points down at azelle with questioning brow and edain bristles hearing such open insult to a friend she considered like a younger brother. it doesn’t matter whether azelle minds or not for edain turns to face him with a clearly angry expression on her face. she can take plenty of nonsense from men when it comes to herself, but when it comes to a friend she so dearly respected….!

“i’m not interested.” edain finally snaps, glaring at him. “i wasn’t interested when you first called out to me, and i’m especially not interested now that you’ve insulted a dear friend of mine like a complete barbarian!”

“wh… you…!” the stranger turns red in embarrassment. “s-shut up..! just because you’re a little pretty you got all high and mighty…!” he hisses, growing agitated from being so openly rejected. 

[azelfire]

“Perhaps a lady such as her wouldn't have to be so cold if brutes like you didn't hound her like the pigs you are!” Azelle snaps.

He can't help it.  It doesn't bother him that this interloper insulted him, but to act as though Edain has a mean bone in her is absurd.

“You'll have more luck winning a woman's heart if you spend even the slightest amount of time trying to understand it!”

The man doesn't seem to know what to do with Azelle's rebuttal, but he also doesn't seem to know when it's time to turn tail and run away.

“You got a big mouth for some one with such tiny arms, kid!” he menaces.

Azelle glances over to Edain.  He'd totally fight this guy if Edain weren't against it.  It's probably against some monastery rule, too, if he could guess, but all it would take is one fireball…

[azelfire]

did you know i can cook an egg in my hands? it will explode and hurt everyone involved

+sword || aphotic

[contempenitent]

Mauvier has never stepped foot in the monastery kitchen before. He'd dabbled in cooking at the Somniel, only because the duty was on daily rotation. But he'd figured the chances of the job falling to him here would be much slimmer, considering the size of the army and the student body.

Alas, he's only been here a collective few months, and maybe he should be grateful that this is only the first time. Mauvier doesn't despise cooking, but his specialties are geared toward his Lady's...eccentric tastes. She has always favored sour and spicy dishes, to a degree that most others he's served them to can't stand. It doesn't exactly make him eager to make food for others, unless he's obligated.

The moment he sets foot behind the counter, he's greeted by a young redheaded man with wide, bright eyes. When he mentions Chicken Tom Yum Soup, well, Mauvier's eyes might reflect that brightness, in a way they so rarely do.

Not only is he on kitchen duty today, but it seems they're preparing the very dish that he had requested. So many new students and recruits have poured in from so many different regions lately that a book has been compiled of one suggestion from every person. Mauvier must have used up all of his life's luck on this coincidence alone.

"I see," Mauvier says, losing himself a bit in reverie. "Tom Yum Soup has origins in the region of Gradlon, but was adopted by Elusia after Gradlon sank into the sea. It used to use prawns, but chicken was substituted, since it's more prevalent in the Elusian countryside. You're going to need fish sauce, garlic, mushrooms, lemongrass..."

He catches a glimpse of the young man's face, and is shaken back to reality. "Oh, my apologies. I am Mauvier, a Knight of Seiros. I happen to have made this dish before, so I'm happy to be of assistance."

[azelfire]

“Elusia,” Azelle murmurs as the knight offers the correct pronunciation.

The larger man seems more than pleased at the dish they're assigned to make, which is wonderful.  Azelle's glad to play even a minor role in lightening the man's day, and he's just as eager to dive into cooking as the older man begins reciting the ingredients.  Azelle's eyes already begin a search to locate each item mentioned when the iteration pauses and the knight finally introduces himself.

“Aha, no need to apologize, I was just as excited to get started!”

He turns, so that he may offer Mauvier a proper bow.  “I am Azelle, Duke Arvis Velthomer's younger brother.  I have experience cooking, but Velthomer is the gateway to the Aed Desert, as they say, so we tend to avoid soups or stews in the daylight hours…  You said garlic, mushrooms, lemongrass…?”

He begins diving for those things in particular, laying them out for convenience.

“Chicken, obviously.  Frankly I've never heard of Tom Yum Soup, so I'm much relieved you're so familiar with it!”

[frigidsurge]

What a place to find your ghost

[frigidsurge]

She doesn't speak for a while.

Words stuck in her throat.

Air refusing to move

How could she react to finally having something she prayed for for so, so long

"i"

She grabs onto him, desperately relishing every little proof that this is no dream or illusion.

"I dont cAre.

I dont exp-ect anything

i never had you; how could i expect more."

Dont leave

dont leave dont leave dont leave donleave

"It's fine; you don't owe me anything i-i jut wanted to know how it feels."

She's been lucky compared to many of her allies  in at least knowing her mother.

So this is purely greed.

"-So-rry for falling apart like tha-t."

She forces herself to separate from him, unwillingly, tears that were uselessly spent on sorrow and rage refusing to stop.

"Sa y we could eat something? My treat."

[azelfire]

“Tine…”

Her name comes out as a tiny breath.  She's the lead in this awkward dance - pulling herself away from him as she puts on a mask of contentedness.  He knows the shape of it well.  Displays of emotions are not tolerated in court, and though he can't possibly know where she's come from truly, House Freege has always been stricter than Velthomer.  This, he knows well from Tailtiu.

“If you want me as a father, please don't hesitate to show me whatever you truly feel, okay?  That's… how I would want to teach my family.  I may have missed the chance, but…”

It's so strange.  Families imprint knowledge on each other from the moment they first know each other, and they know that This Is How Things Are Done.  Azelle and Tine do not have that between them.  Tine's learned things wrong, somehow, if she thinks she has to hide from her father.

Her father…  How strange.  Is he really ready for this sort of responsibility?

“Family falls apart the more you hide from each other,” he says.  This he knows so intimately it nearly hurts to say it out loud.  “Please don't hide from me, okay?”

He offers a smile.  This isn't chastisement, this is encouragement.  He wants her to know that.

[azelfire]

we used to be friends

cont. from -> 💔

[azelfire]

Azelle blinks blankly as the blue-haired man casually reaches up and discards the plant as though it were no more than some mildly offensive piece of trash.  Azelle almost mourns for it, though that ends when he remembers it had been plucked and dying long ago anyway.

The more confusing thing is the familiarity with which he's addressed.  Who is this man to claim Azelle has bad luck?  He's right, but that's not something most people can intuit from simply looking at him.

…Unless it has to do with the color of his skin, but Azelle will give this stranger the benefit of the doubt on that front for now.

“I am not sure where you get that impression,” Azelle murmurs, his words coming out as careful, hesitant steps.  “Still, I, ah…  I don't mean to impose, but perhaps the superstition means more to me than it does to you, and I would greatly prefer not to invite any more bad luck into my life…  If you don't mind… Sir.”

His face is flushed red with embarrassment.  Here's a man much older than he, and he's practically begging for a kiss!  The great house of Velthomer looks upon its youngest with shame today.

Still, Azelle knows his anxiety won't let him rest without a good reason why not if not an outright acceptance.  He holds his ground and waits.

@sacrificialspear

[azelfire]

what could be better than this? just guys being dudes

cont. from -> 👬

[helswathed]

"I mean, MAYBE four months!" Lex quickly corrected Azelle, though in truth he had absolutely no idea if that conjecture was accurate or not. It could have been longer for all he knew. It wasn't that time was going strangely for him while he was here or anything. He just hadn't been paying particularly close attention to its passage. This tended to be the norm for Lex.

"However long it was, it was too long to be away from you," Lex said, grinning up at Azelle. He took the opportunity to wrap one of his arms around Azelle's neck to stop him from pulling away before rubbing his knuckles harshly against the top of Azelle's head. "I missed you, y'know that? Things get really boring without you around!"

That was hardly the only reason he'd missed Azelle, of course, but he didn't need to say the others. No need to get all deep in a silly little chat like this one. If he just started gushing about how great his friend was out of nowhere... well, actually, that would be pretty normal for him, but it still didn't feel like quite the right time to do it. Maybe in a few minutes he'd feel more like it.

"Y'know, now that you mention time seems weird here," Lex mused, a thought suddenly striking him. "There was some kid who looked like one of the Frieges who came up to me saying Tailtiu was her mom. Like, that's total bullshit, right? Tailtiu's way too young to have a kid, and if she did, we'd probably know about it. Like, she couldn't have a kid older than, like, five, right? But this girl was at least a teenager, I think. No way. I figured she was probably just some other Friege who got sick of dealing with Hilda and started hiding behind Tail, but maybe I was off base. Maybe she was, like, from the future or something? Is that a thing that happens here? I dunno. That's probably too far-fetched."

[azelfire]

“AAAAAAUGH HEEYYYYY--!”

Azelle protests loudly in response to Lex's roughhousing.  Why he always has to go for the hair is beyond him - but in Lex's defense, he never played too roughly to ruin the car Azelle put in his hair normally.

By the time Lex is finished, Azelle's cheeks are puffed out and his lips are pouting.  He presses a finger into Lex's cheek in revenge.

“Y'know, I think I know who you're talking about,” he says.  “She definitely looks Freegian, but she has Fjalar blood.  I can feel it.  I figured she's one of our half-siblings that Arvis got rid of when he became duke, so I tried not to bring it up too much.  That sort of thing has to be really hard, right?  And just talking to me must be upsetting for her…”

[azelfire]

🎄

mistletoe kisses || accepting until the end of december

Azelle almost doesn’t see the plant before it’s too late. Sir Mauvier shifts, and moves to walk away, but Azelle can’t let that happen!

“W-wait! Sir Mauvier!”

This is… awkward. He’s pretty sure Mauvier is closer to Lady Edain’s age than his (well, before Azelle had stumbled on the time shennanigans), and Mauvier is such an upstanding knight. Azelle has never been the sort that can mesh well with knights, but Mauvier has seemed nothing but nice so far…

Still, the stakes are… worrying.

Yes, it’s almost certainly just superstition, but Azelle knows if he doesn’t fulfill it, he’ll worry himself ragged over it.

“Sorry,” he begins, “we, er, seem to be underneath the mistletoe. I don’t know if you’re aware of the stories, but… To keep it short, it’s bad luck not to show a display of love should two people be caught underneath it. Uhm… That is… Usually… It’s a kiss. M-maybe you don’t believe much in luck and the sort, but I —”

He wrings his hands in front of him, his fiery eyes sparkling despite the concern writ upon his face.

“Do you mind leaning down…? I won’t make it weird…”

The height difference between the two is the second thing that makes it awkward, and even with permission, Azelle needs to stand on his tip toes to place a gentle kiss to the corner of Mauvier’s mouth - that should be enough to ward off the bad luck without seeming too forward for the knight.

After its completed, Azelle offers a warm, yet subdued smile. “Thanks for humoring me… I don’t really need any more bad luck in my life, personally. Haha.”

He tries to force a laugh, it’s meant to be a joke, but honestly he feels so awkward about the whole affair that it isn’t very convincing.

[azelfire]

🎄

She doesn't even notice the mistletoe. She doesn't need a fun little holiday decoration tradition to excitedly run up and throw her arms around her old friend. She doesn't need a little sprig of berries to inspire her to give him a big ol' smooch to the cheek in a merry greeting.

She's just happy to see him again.

mistletoe kisses || accepting until the end of december

                                      “- Whoa!”

Azelle doesn't see who knocks him off his feet.  He's tackled from behind, and with such suddenness that though he stumbles forward and tries to maintain his balance, he ultimately loses, landing forward onto the ground.

A kiss is pressed to his cheek.  Tailtiu? - he wonders, hopes, but when he turns his head he sees pink not purple.

“Ethlyn!” he calls her name just as exuberantly as he would have Tal's, squirming under her grasp to hug her back, even though they're both still on the floor.

“It's great to see you, too!  Could've used some warning, though!”

He's not mad - far from it, and the laughter peppering his words proves it.

[azelfire]

🎄 hey bro did you hear I have a wife? shit's crazy

mistletoe kisses || accepting until the end of december

“Lex!” 

Azelle's already laughing.  Because it's adorable how Lex has told him no less than three times about being married to Ayra.  Because he's still holding up a mistletoe plant, knowing full well Azelle isn't one that's going to break the tradition.  He has enough bad luck to not invite anymore into his life.

“You probably shouldn't be carrying that around, then, you goof!” he responds, as though he doesn't know Lex only brought it out for Azelle alone.  He likely swiped it off a nearby wall to save others the trouble, knowing him.  Azelle can easily imagine him loathing the tradition - as Lex loathes most traditions - but anything to ward off bad luck or fell omens have always been performed by Azelle.

Maybe that's why Lex brought it here, to give Azelle a little good luck, or at least a little hope.

It's a nice thought; one that warms up Azelle's insides.  “Don't tell Ayra.  I like my head on my shoulders.”

With that said, he stands on his tip toes to place a kiss on Lex's cheek, the closest spot he can manage.