hilda valentine goneril ♡

[ golden deer student at the officers academy ]

[delicatevalentine]

hilda (fire emblem: three houses) ♡ golden deer student ♡ the officer's academy

biography. / mun. / stats. /

[delicatevalentine]

it's not safe to go alone... here, hold this » hilda & marth

As the academic year comes to a close, one too many people have been caught participating in what the Church has been calling ‘unscrupulous’ behavior. An initiative to reform detention into “something that actually works” is underway: a model faculty member or student is paired with a 'problem person’ in the monastery, and the two are magically bound, forced to hold hands for a whole week straight. The close proximity to a good example and threat of being caught in a loop of new handlers every week are theorized to be just what is needed to “fix” these troublemakers. Hope for your own sake that the bound hand isn’t your dominant one…

[radiantlodestar]

Just great… Marth had been going about his day when he found his left hand magically sealed to the right hand of another. Given the fact that he rarely got into trouble, he had never faced any sort of punishment and yet, here he was… in a situation he didn’t quite understand.

The person he was forced to hold hands with was someone with pink hair who was slightly shorter than him. Gods, just what has he done to deserve this other than being a model student… Regardless of the answer, he was now stuck in this situation much to his apparent confusion.

All he could really do in this situation was introduce himself at the very least…

“I’m… Marth… It is a pleasure to meet you… despite the current circumstances.” He replied, gesturing to his left hand which wouldn’t be free for at least a week given how things were going.

[delicatevalentine]

Her partner seemed just annoyed as she was about their current predicament. She hadn't even considered that the "model students" in this punishment hadn't been given a choice in the matter either. Seemed like students were being punished whether they were "unscrupulous" or not...

Well, if Marth seemed downhearted, she'd have to bring enough positivity for both of them.

"So, now what?" she asked brightly, holding their clasped hands up between them. "Show me all of the saintly things you do in your day-to-day life. Let me guess, go to classes? Train? Study?" An angelic smile spread across her face. "Orrrrr... We could skip all of that boring stuff and go find somewhere to sit and relax. What do you say?"

Might as well start wearing him down early...

[delicatevalentine]

girl i'm bored let's kill him » dorothea & hilda

The morning after the Ethereal Ball, a message via messenger owl finds you. It comes unmarked, no indicator of who the sender might possibly be, and when you open the letter, it reads: “I have a compromising video of what you did last night. Meet me at the Amiibo Gazebo after the sun sets today or else.” Do you dare?

[encantresse]

who is she to turn down an opportune moment when it rears its head so perfectly? a chance to bond is never wasted—and dorothea is quick to seize it, doing little to hide how flattered she feels to be called over first.

"always nice to run into you, hildy!" a teasing smile greets the other as she hurries over, quickly smoothing out the front of her blazer. "sure thing. working on something secret~?"

with that quip comes a flash of mirth sparking behind her eyes, and one hand is quick to accept the parchment. but no sooner does she skim over the note's contents than dorothea's coy smile fades, her weight shifting from one foot to the other.

"...hang on. you're being blackmailed?"

her voice registers softly, though with a bite of indignation to it. a swell of anger pulses as she recalls her own would-be exploits at the hands of so-called patrons, and a hardening expression shows just how little she cares for those who coerce.

"where'd you find this?" she lowers herself onto the bench beside hilda, angling her torso to lean in. "and how long ago?"

[delicatevalentine]

"It was just delivered to me anonymously." Hilda turned the page over in her hands, eyes searching for any more information but coming up short. She frowned. "Just before I waved you over..."

The change in Dorothea's tone from her greeting to her realisation was comforting, in a way. Hilda hadn't quite reached the stage of outrage yet, and it was heartwarming to have a friend by her side to get angry on her behalf.

Now that she thought about it, though...

"Like, what kind of sick joke is this?" she asked indignantly. "I don't even know if they have anything on me... I don't remember anything in particular, but I also can't swear that I didn't do anything stupid last night."

She leaned back on the bench with a huff, throwing the letter down between them and crossing her arms across her chest.

"What am I supposed to do here? Risk it and see myself embarrassed in front of the whole monastery? Meet my blackmailer and give them the power? Ugh!"

She turned pleading eyes on Dorothea as if she would have the answers.

[delicatevalentine]

free 1-hour relationship trial » hilda & lucina

A special secret shop, somehow miles bigger on the inside than it appears on the outside, has appeared out of nowhere! With incredible deals and a trove of items you can’t find anywhere else, everyone has been scrambling trying to claim some for themselves— but there’s a strange catch. Only those with a special card are allowed in, and anyone else is turned away by the shop’s intimidating network of guards. However, they are making a special exception fitting for the season by granting new cards to people in relationships. For anyone with a special someone this wouldn’t be a problem, but the many people who don’t are now fresh out of options…or at least, 'legitimate’ ones. Be it faking a relationship, sneaking in, or any other schemes one can cook up, there are plenty of ways for the 'creative’ sort to find their way in. But are you curious enough to try?

[delicatevalentine]

If there were anything worth knowing about happening at the monastery, Hilda was usually amongst the first to find out. She treated gossip like a full-time occupation, and today was no exception. Rumour had it that there was a secret, magical pop-up shop selling a wide variety of rare items at suspiciously low prices. She just had to see it for herself.

Lo and behold, there it was, as eclectic in appearance as it had been described. Hilda approached the door with the confidence of somebody who assumed they should be there, excited to see what awaited her in the mysterious shop. A bouncer stepped in front of her before she could pass the threshold.

"Excuse me, miss? Can I see your card?"

Hilda rocked back on her heels, blinking. "My ... what?"

"Your membership card?" he prompted. When Hilda didn't answer for a beat, he continued, "Or are you here to make use of our new promotion?" He looked around. "With your partner?"

Hilda recovered herself and latched onto the opportunity that had been presented to her. "Yes! My partner! Now, where have they got to... Hmm... One second, sir, I'm sure they were around here somewhere..."

She casually sauntered away, looking left and right.

The first person that she saw stood alone, she approached: a blue-haired girl that she didn't recognise. She also appeared to be peering at the shop with interest, so Hilda seized her chance.

"Hey! I'm Hilda." She inclined her head towards the store. "Did you want to take a look inside?" She leaned in and lowered her voice. "They're only letting people in if they're in relationships, so... I know this isn't the most conventional of introductions, but what do you say about a little ploy?"

@falchionchosen

[delicatevalentine]

good person simulator » citrinne & hilda

Many have been expecting to attend the upcoming Herald of Spring Festival, but as invites begin to roll out, something comes to light: permitted attendance is being filtered through unaffiliated faculty, with invites only going to those deemed virtuous enough. That said, all invites are identical, meaning there is nothing stopping invitees from passing their invitations onto others. Maybe you think someone else is more worthy than you are, maybe you think you were unfairly passed over, or maybe you think the staff’s evaluation of virtue ought not play a part in the decision at all. [Grants Authority +1]

[delicatevalentine]

It was an abomination. An absolute disgrace. She couldn't even fathom what was happening.

Hilda Valentine Goneril had not been invited to a party.

It had all started a few days ago with cries of delight in the common room as the invitations began to arrive. The Herald of Spring Festival. An excuse to sail out across the sea, miss some classes, and have some fun. There was just one problem: her invitation never arrived.

Gossip around the monastery told her that the power to issue invitations had been bestowed upon the faculty. They had been instructed, the grapevine said, to send them only to those deemed "virtuous" enough to attend. Apparently, she hadn't made the cut.

She seethed silently. She was virtuous! And besides, what kind of party was made better by everyone in attendance being a morally upstanding citizen?

There was only one thing for it. She had to convince one of the faculty that she was worthy.

She donned her most chaste dress, painted her face with her most angelic makeup, and, most importantly, sought out a staff member with whom she had never interacted.

She walked directly into the knight's path carrying a box of materials, almost bumping into her.

"Oh! I'm so sorry, I can hardly see over this thing," she apologised, eyes cast down. She couldn't, either. She'd stacked the box so high with miscellaneous items that she'd picked up that it was a miracle she'd targeted the right person at all. "So much to do... Have we met, miss? I'm Hilda."

@solucetus

[delicatevalentine]

it's not safe to go alone... here, hold this » hilda & marth

As the academic year comes to a close, one too many people have been caught participating in what the Church has been calling ‘unscrupulous’ behavior. An initiative to reform detention into “something that actually works” is underway: a model faculty member or student is paired with a 'problem person’ in the monastery, and the two are magically bound, forced to hold hands for a whole week straight. The close proximity to a good example and threat of being caught in a loop of new handlers every week are theorized to be just what is needed to “fix” these troublemakers. Hope for your own sake that the bound hand isn’t your dominant one…

[delicatevalentine]

It had to be a joke.

In fact, when one of her professors had outlined her punishment, she'd laughed. Oh, ha ha. Seriously, though, when is my detention?

She'd refused to believe it until the spell was completed, and, after an experimental tug, she found her right hand well and truly sealed to that of another.

"Really?" she called after the mage, who was already scurrying away. "All of this for lying to get out of ball clean-up?"

She was not graced with a response.

Heaving a sigh, she turned back to her "role model", as they'd called it. Truth be told, if she was going to be forced to hold hands with anyone for a week, she could think of worse faces to have to look at. The blue-haired student that faced her had handsome features and kind eyes. Having her hand in his gave her a strange sense of security; she had the immediate impression that he was the protector type.

"Well, nice to meet you. I'm Hilda. I'd offer you my hand, but, well..."

@radiantlodestar

[delicatevalentine]

it's a saw trap, isn't it? » diamant & hilda

There are copycats trying to capitalize on the fear stirred up within the nobility, and one letter sends you straight to a “fun house” full of swinging blades, hidden traps, and pits filled with acid. You fell into this trap because the lead you received was too enticing, but maybe you and your ally can work together to escape unscathed. If you don’t kill each other for this blunder first. [Grants Axe +1]

[heriteur]

"Hm." He scoffs, "I'd rather not rely on luck."

But she had a point. There were three paths presented to them, and no indication as to where any of them might lead. The natural assumption would be that another exit could be found on the lower floors, as opposed to the second—

Yet why make the staircase so obvious? Who would be curious enough to venture further after being shot at?

"...We take the stairs. Something will be obviously waiting up there, but we might stumble across something important too. I did say I wanted to investigate..." He glances at her, "Of course, if you'd rather take another path, I won't object. I won't force you, or intentionally bring you to harm."

[delicatevalentine]

"I had a bad feeling that you might say that," Hilda said with an exaggerated sigh.

Too late, she remembered that, while Diamant had always done a great job of protecting her, it was usually from danger that he had walked them into. It was like he was innately driven towards trouble in case there was anything he could do to resolve it. Hilda, on the other hand, would prefer to run in the other direction.

But not alone.

"What, so you want to leave me by myself in the creepy murder house?" she demanded. "Come on, let's get this over with. You first."

If he was dragging her into this, he may as well act as her shield.

As they began to ascend the stairs, Hilda kept her guard up, her head on a constant swivel and her ears straining for any noise that might be out of the ordinary. It was eerily quiet and still after the shot that had been fired.

They were about halfway up the staircase when Hilda spotted something amiss.

One stair appeared different from the others: its centre was dominated by a slightly lighter and almost imperceptibly raised wooden panel that looked as thought it would depress if one were to step on it --- which Diamant was only moments away from doing.

"Professor, wait!"

She grabbed onto the back of his cloak. She was hardly strong enough to stop him in his tracks, but she hoped the attempt would give him pause.

[delicatevalentine]

girl i'm bored let's kill him » dorothea & hilda

The morning after the Ethereal Ball, a message via messenger owl finds you. It comes unmarked, no indicator of who the sender might possibly be, and when you open the letter, it reads: “I have a compromising video of what you did last night. Meet me at the Amiibo Gazebo after the sun sets today or else.” Do you dare?

[delicatevalentine]

The letter dropping into her lap caught her by surprise, and she looked up to see the messenger owl already swooping away. Was it Holst writing to her again? She sighed as she flipped it over; it had only been a week or so since his last. But as she examined the letters on the front spelling out her name, she frowned. Not Holst's handwriting... How strange.

She opened the envelope and pulled out the note. It was short and unsigned.

“I have a compromising video of what you did last night. Meet me at the Amiibo Gazebo after the sun sets today or else.”

She flipped it over to see if there was anything else, but the page was otherwise blank.

Leaning back on her bench with a huff, Hilda thought back to the night before. The Ethereal Ball... Had she done anything compromising? She didn't think so. But a video being publicly released to the contrary would be a less-than-ideal way of jogging her memory.

But what kind of creep would try to blackmail somebody like this? Had they done it before? Would they do it again? How could she stop them from getting away with this without putting herself in danger?

As she mulled over what she should do, a familiar face entered the courtyard. Hilda's eyes lit up. If there was anybody who she could trust to listen without judgement, keep something quiet and help her to brainstorm a plan...

"Dorothea!" Hilda waved her over using the parchment. "Could you take a look at this?"

@encantresse

[delicatevalentine]

go hard then go home » claude & hilda 

Many people are still missing after the Fall of Garreg Mach. Now with the monastery reclaimed and a sense of burgeoning tranquility for the next while, the Church is able to spend time sending search parties to look for these missing persons. With formal classes put on hold, this just might be the time to look for your loved ones and reunite with them, letting them know that there shall be a place to return to soon.

[failnaughted]

As Hilda cheered right back up at the sight he pointed out, she seemed just about ready to storm off in the right direction, and Claude prepared to follow closely behind, his thoughts immediately focused on ensuring they don't get lost; but then, suddenly, she slowed down, and the words she said took him a moment to process.

Most of the time, Claude lived in a well isolated bubble, a cage of his own making. It was a solid, sturdy cage, well-designed, ornate and designed with taste, and all of his own, belonging to him and him only. But it was a cage nevertheless, and he'd sat inside it for so long that he had begun to associate it with safety. He hardly ever so much as slide the door slightly open, much less allowed anyone a peek inside.

He could not recall how long it had been since he let anyone in to such a degree as he did now with Hilda - without even realizing it. The first realization startled him, prompting him to freeze before he caught himself and relaxed a little; and then came the new wave of awareness as he slowly but surely understood... he was fine. It was just a friend reassuring him she would be there for him after he'd opened up a little. Nothing awful came out of it. He'd given her the same earlier, too - why did he fear it?

Now, it felt a little silly, actually.

Claude verbalized none of it, only giving Hilda a light smile before she ran off in the direction of the footsteps. Only after her back had turned away, did he allow himself a deeper inhale and a slow exhale.

"... Thank you," he whispered under his nose, before finally breaking out into a run to catch up with her.

It wasn't long before he heard the same she did. "Yep, that's voices alright," he nodded; he made it a little further, before finally calling out aloud.

"Anyone there? We're a rescue party!"

A moment of silence followed before a mixture of gasps, shouts and a child's laughter followed. Grinning, Claude turned in the direction they came from and let out a long, melodious whistle in order to summon Nadia back to his side. Now that they found survivors, they would need the wyverns for transport. It was time to think about the good things.

[delicatevalentine]

What followed their discovery was a whirlwind of activity that Hilda remembered afterwards in snapshots.

The overjoyed expressions on the villagers' faces when they heard that they were rescued, tears streaming down many of their faces at the news. The conversation with the group leader who reported that, despite the treacherous conditions, they had succeeded in not losing any lives. The flurry of organisation to get the lost villagers home (they couldn't very well transport all of them on two wyverns; in the end, Claude took the weakest back to the village and returned with help, while Hilda circled overhead to mark the location).

It wasn't until long after the sky had darkened that the two of them bid farewell to the final villager. The relief and adrenaline that had flooded Hilda for the last few hours seeped out of her, and she was left feeling exhausted.

"Claude... I..."

She couldn't form the words to say how nervous she'd been to return to Goneril, how scared she'd been for her people, how exhilarating it had been to track them down, and how grateful she was for his presence throughout it all.

She just met his gaze, and hoped that he knew.

[delicatevalentine]

june activity check. ♡

skill points.

activity — passed [any+1]

allocation.

riding — [ D → D+ ] total — [ 80 ]

thread tracker.

it's a saw trap, isn't it? — waiting on diamant (23 june) it’s not me, it’s you — waiting on l'arachel (23 june) go hard then go home — waiting on me (23 may) glass body gold heart — waiting on ferdinand (9 may)

[delicatevalentine]

[ SEQUESTER ] - Some rooms remain unused, and while by the padlocks on their doors you suspect they are meant to remain that way, some poor sap seems to have forgotten to make sure they were locked properly. They make for an excellent space away from the chaos of the rest of the ball—though you may not be the first one there.

After that first encounter, Hilda had succeeded in avoiding her stalker for the majority of the night. There were enough people and enough dark rooms for slipping by unnoticed to be a simple feat, whenever it was needed. But her luck was bound to run out at some point --- and it seemed that time was now.

Still dressed up as one of the recruiters, the stalker stood between Hilda and the only exit from the room, scanning faces with sinister interest. There was no time to waste. The only other doors in the room led to dead ends, but with any luck, she wouldn't think to check them.

One problem: they were padlocked.

Hilda rattled a handle desperately... And was pleasantly surprised when the padlock dropped to the ground, the door pulling open under her hand. She had no time to think what that meant as she hurriedly picked up the padlock, put it back on the handle, and slipped inside.

She backed away from the door in the dark room, trying not to make any sound that might alert the revellers to her presence inside...

... And collided with a body.

She stifled a scream and whipped round.

"Claude!" she whisper-shouted, batting at him with her hand. "You scared the life out of me!" She composed herself with a huffed breath, straightening her dress. "What are you doing in here? Up to no good, I presume..."

[delicatevalentine]

it's a saw trap, isn't it? » diamant & hilda

There are copycats trying to capitalize on the fear stirred up within the nobility, and one letter sends you straight to a “fun house” full of swinging blades, hidden traps, and pits filled with acid. You fell into this trap because the lead you received was too enticing, but maybe you and your ally can work together to escape unscathed. If you don’t kill each other for this blunder first. [Grants Axe +1]

[heriteur]

"Fun house" was an interesting proposition, in the context of murder.

But of the many threatening and inflammatory letters that had been sent to the noble houses, this particular one had managed to stand out, if nothing else. Every threat was of course being investigated by Leicester and the church, but Diamant had specially requested to look into this one. Partly? Because of curiosity.

The other part? Because Hilda, of all people, had volunteered.

He wanted to be proud of the thought that she was finally taking more initiative—perhaps more so since this was a crisis affecting her homeland. But he's had enough interactions with her to know it probably wasn't so simple.

There was probably a catch, somewhere...

"Quite the chipper mood for something you think will be a waste of time." That was it. That was the catch. "But whether it is or not, I plan on investigating this lead to the best of my ability. I expect you to take this seriously too. Now, come on."

Diamant steps through the door before her, eyes scanning the dimly lit entrance hall. It was, expectedly, empty, with nothing to light it but torches fastened into the walls. Though the fact that they were lit definitely meant—

There's a sudden whir past his ear, pain exploding along his shoulder as something sharp and cutting grazes it. Grimacing, Diamant reaches for Hilda's arm behind him, the front door loudly slamming shut as he pulls her against the wall and positions himself in front of her.

"An arrow," He shortly explains, looking to the projectile now embedded in the wall, right where she had been standing. "We're definitely not alone here."

Fun house, indeed.

[delicatevalentine]

As they entered the building, they were immediately met by the sight of an empty hall. The walls and floor were both made of unadorned wooden panelling, and it was empty of furniture except for lit torches.

From the shrewd look in Diamant's eye, she guessed that he had come to the same realisation as she had: somebody had to have lit the torches. But, if you were going to try to mislead someone, Hilda reasoned, it only made sense to go ahead of time to create the illusion of a promising lead.

Hilda hadn't even taken a step when she was attacked by a battering ram. Wait, no, it was Diamant's arm. And an arrow sat prettily where her shoulder been a mere moment before.

"Could it have been a trap we triggered...?" she ventured. Though, the aim was suspiciously good...

She tried the front door, deciding that she'd rather not find out.

Locked. Of course.

"We'll have to find another way out," she grumbled.

Ahead of them, a plain wooden staircase led to the upper floor -- where she guessed the arrow had come from, but it was too dimly lit to tell -- and two identical closed doors, either side of the stairs, offered options to explore the lower level.

"Pick a path, Professor," she said. "Hope you're feeling lucky."

[delicatevalentine]

it's not me, it's you » hilda & l'arachel

Sent off on duty into town to check off the academy’s growing shopping list, you find yourself trapped between a clingy lover and a hard place. This clingy lover has been looking everywhere for you. Yes! You! And, well, they also happen to have an eye on your friend, too. Go on a shopping trip, but make sure you appease the lover-you-never-asked for, or else they’ll make your life a living hell.

[far-from-common]

The tailor’s is quite an experience! L’Arachel watched in fascination as Lucinda picked out dresses of various shapes, colours and qualities. It is quite so lovely to see a fan so dedicated to their icons!

She does raise a slight eyebrow at the outfit Hilda suggests; L’Arachel is quite fond of many, many different pieces of clothing, but that one seemed… a fair bit interesting. Still! If both Hilda and Lucinda wish for it…

Going to the changing room, L’Arachel stares at the dress in the mirror as she holds it up to her body.

It… is not great. Mayhaps she shall have to say something to the others after all…

Just as she considers leaving to say something, Hilda appears, and whilst L’Arachel is taken aback at the intrusion, the demeanour of her friend is worrying, and she is gesturing for the exit.

With no clue as to what is happening, L’Arachel follows her pink-haired friend outside, looking back in concern as they step outside the shop.

“Is everything alright, Hilda? Why are we leaving the tailor’s so hastily? Lucinda is still back there, ought we not wait for her?” Maybe L’Arachel could help with whatever dire issue is happening; her charming, bedazzling personality and incomparable strength could do wonders, after all!

[delicatevalentine]

L'Arachel looked confused at her desire to leave but thankfully followed her without a word; for a moment, Hilda had thought she was about to blurt something out that would alert their stalker as to her plan. Fortunately, she had the good sense to wait until they were outside.

"Because," Hilda said emphatically, dragging her away from the tailor's as fast as her legs could carry her, "that girl is a clingy, deranged nuisance who can't take no for an answer. I've met her before, and now she won't leave me -- us -- alone. We need to get back---"

As they rounded a corner, Hilda collided, hard, with another body.

"Oh! I'm so sorry---"

Her eyes met those across from her and her blood froze.

"I think you accidentally left the tailor's without me," Lucinda said, the twitch back in her eye. "Not to worry: I bought the dresses for us!" She held up three identical shopping bags. "You can pay me back later. For now, where should we get changed?"

[delicatevalentine]

may activity check. ♡

skill points.

activity — passed [any+1]

allocation.

riding — [ E+ → D ]

total — [ 79 ]

claims.

unlocked ability — luck+

unlocked item — playbill of a romance

thread tracker.

go hard then go home — waiting on me (23 may)

glass body gold heart — waiting on ferdinand (9 may)

it's a saw trap, isn't it? — waiting on me (2 may)

it’s not me, it’s you — waiting on me (29 april)

[hresvelged]

@delicatevalentine sent: [ SNEAK ] - Hilda couldn't help but feel curious about why they were keeping people out of the Goddess Tower. With the lights now out, she wondered if she might be able to slip up there under the cover of darkness, just for a second, to see what all the fuss was about.

The monastery staff guarding the entrance were momentarily distracted. It was now or never! She walked towards the stairs, and...

"Oh! Edelgard!"

Hilda tried to look nonchalant. Edelgard wasn't a staff member, but she was a house leader, which was sort of the student version. She didn't know if she would care about her trespassing, but she didn't care to find out; the thought of getting on Edelgard's bad side was a thousand times scarier than whatever punishment the monastery could concoct.

"Cool ball, right?" she said casually, angling her body away from the stairs.

With how insensitively the guards had been chasing people away from the Goddess Tower, it left her to wonder what secrets the monastery was hiding away. Many, no doubt. The ground she stood on was full of them. She could not believe any nonsense reasoning the people at its employ told her— If they did know, they would pretend they didn't. They would usher her to the grand ball; shoo the princess to enjoy her evening and do anything else as long as it wasn't at the tower.

She'd not the thought to head into the tower herself after their tomfoolery, but was plenty content walking around its premise in hopes of observation. It took only but a beat to realize she wasn't alone.

Hilda?

When she heard her footsteps, she turned to face her. What was she doing over this direction? Shifting to block the path forward with her body, Edelgard crossed her arms in study of Hilda: "Yes, but I do believe the festivities themselves aren't exactly here. There's not much to see where we are now."

The wondering manner intertwined with narrowed eyes: "What are you up to?"

[delicatevalentine]

Eek! As Edelgard's eyes narrowed in suspicion, Hilda felt her chances of her transgression going unnoticed slipping away. Something about the House Leader's shift in posture told her that she knew exactly what Hilda had been up to.

"Oh, you know," Hilda said, chuckling nervously, "with all the surprises the night has had in store for us, I wanted to be the first to see if anything had changed around here."

She put her hands on her hips and surveyed the wider area, resolutely avoiding the stairs to the tower with her gaze. "But, hmm, no... Nothing seems to be out of place. Oh well!"

Distractions tactics were in order! She pulled a lily from her bouquet. "Here! For you. Have a good night!"

She picked up her skirts and hurried back towards the screenings.

Phew! That was close.

[delicatevalentine]

start your engines

white heron cup | round 1 | match 2

[mercenarymage]

When Hugh had first encountered Nyx, he had assumed for her to be young. He's not the first to come to this conclusion, and when she talks of dance as a skill that she hasn't touched upon in some time, Hugh believes that it's all talk. Kids love to say that they've got more experience than they actually have, exaggerating their tales to discourage others from looking down upon them.

But as the curtain rises on their dance, any insensitive quip is hushed by the song that accompanied their footsteps. This is not a dance meant to spread joy. It is a tale of sadness, and Hugh can sense it in the way that Nyx carries herself.

But, Hugh also feels...

Style: 1 | Choreography: 5 | Technique: 9 Total: 15

The constant! Stepping! On his damn feet!

There's a few saves that he has to make to avoid Nyx toppling over altogether. At first, he believes it to be her fault, but as the dance continues, he starts to recognize that it's his own footwork that's too slow. He pauses - he hesitates. The weight of the song stirs up long-abandoned memories, the kind that, unlike Nyx, works against the song instead of empower it.

He thinks of when he was young. He can hardly recall the faces of the two he could call his parents. He had lost them when he was so small. And the person to pick up where they had left off?

By the time the song finishes, it takes a moment to recognize that Nyx is talking to him. He snorts at the suggestion - but it grounds him, too.

"Me?! You're the one who was stumbling all over me. Have you considered wearing heels?" He mentally winces at the idea of being stepped on by those high heels. "Actually, scratch that, that might make it worse..."

@nohrslittleflower @delicatevalentine @nyxanthemums

[delicatevalentine]

Elise turned her opener into a somewhat cohesive dance, much to the enjoyment of the crowd. The judges half-smiled and nodded approvingly as they made their notes, and Hilda actually felt hopeful about their prospects.

... Especially after watching their opponents dance. Hilda wasn't going to kick them while they were down, so she clapped politely, but she silently mourned the health of purple-haired man's feet.

As perhaps was to be expected, the judges' scores came through, and Hilda and Elise were moving onto the next round.

"Yay!" She gave Elise a spontaneous hug. "We did it!"

[nohrslittleflower]

that one middle school square dancing unit in pe

White Heron Cup — Round 2, Match 9

[nohrslittleflower]

Oh, there’s another round.

Oughhhhh, there’s another roundddddd…….

It makes sense now that she’s thinking about it, yeah, but she DIDN’T think about it before! She only prepared the one dance! She thought she’d just have to do that and be done with it!!!!

Oh gosh and they’re going first again too. Oh no oh no oh no oh noooo…

Style: 3 | Choreography: 1 | Technique: 10 Total: 14

Elise raises her arms out in the space before her, spread apart as if to accommodate another person that’s not there — a technique she’d come up with for practicing her footwork in front of the mirror in her room solo when Leo wasn’t available or was insisting something about a ‘break’. A technique that works well for what she needs it to do, yeah, she is killing it on the steps — but one that also looks stupid and she knows it.

She sends Hilda an uncomfortably strained smile as she turns past in a sweeping step for what feels like the millionth time; both an apology and a plea. She is so sorry. Hilda save us.

@delicatevalentine

[delicatevalentine]

How they'd made it through the first round with Hilda's poor attempt at a dance was anyone's guess, but she was pleased all the same.

This time, Elise was up first. She mimed a sort-of ballroom dance without a partner --- certainly well executed but perhaps a little quirky for the judges' tastes.

Hilda strutted on to the dance floor once more and threw in a few more arm movements, pointing at each of the judges in turn on beat, and ending with a little jump and a twirl, her heel lifted into a pointed toe and her hands folded under her chin upon the landing.

Style: 8 | Choreography: 4 | Technique: 1 Total: 13

What she lacked in technique, she sure hoped she made up for in cuteness!