Laundry at Garreg Mach is normally an ordinary affair, but — surely this is not the laundry that you had set out to dry this morning? Stuck with a stranger’s wardrobe and no other clothes to wear, it’s up to you to find who has mistakenly swapped clothes with you and right this embarrassing wrong before anyone sees!
(starter for @doeofsacae)
It was a task that had been at first simultaneously difficult and mindless, something that she found that she had needed to learn through the doing for other people, in absence of having learned it herself. Why would she have the need? Even a bastard of a noble household was still a noble, and Holy Blooded besides – she had not been treated well, but neither was she a servant.
But in her time at the monastery, it had been something valuable to learn: to serve, to give the time of her labor to a group that not only she was not a part of, but that had nothing to do with her. Linens for the clergy and fellow pilgrims, uniforms for the students, washed, hung to dry, collected and folded for delivery or pickup.
To do her own had become rather a moment of peaceful reflection for her, a luxury that had not been afforded for longer than she cared to recall. On some days, this luxury was better afforded than others.
Her hands worked to put pins to the line of linens, spreading hands over them to smooth out any wrinkles before the sun set in to its work, before reaching for the empty basket to one side.
"Lady Lachesis!" a cleric called from across the cloisters; "I've taken the liberty of pulling your suit and cape as well. I've set them aside for you, when you're done!"
"Ah, thank you!" She had been wearing merely a shift for the chore, and was eager to strip from it and send it to the wash as well.
Fingers hooked a lock of hair behind her ear, glancing out around the space, now filled with the flap of bedsheets steaming with gentle evaporation, and nodded once to confirm there was nothing further needing doing, her steps weaving around the phantoms in the linens to emerge on the other side.
"Ah? Pardon?"
"Hm?" The cleric looked up, turned to face her curiously.
There was only one basket sitting there, and from the barest glance, it did not contain her clothing.
"These..." An arch of a brow, a confused look, her hand coming to rest on the handle of the basket.
"Oh! Oh my goodness, I'm so - " The cleric's hands flew up to their mouth in embarrassment, flush rising on their cheeks. "I instructed the courier but my back must have been turned, I don't – I don't see – oh Lady Lachesis, I'm so sorry."
Only a few days into Sue’s stay at Garreg Mach, and something’s already gone wrong.
It all started when Sue got a knock at her door, but when she went to see who was there… they were already gone, with the only evidence of their visit being the woven laundry basket at her feet.
She swiftly picked the basket up and took it inside her room, ready to inspect its contents. When she set the basket down on her bed, she lifted the sheet off the top of the basket, and her heart sank.
She felt faint.
Her favorite deel, the one she had so many memories with, was ruined.
She gave them specific instructions for how to wash it! She already didn’t trust the staff with her traditional clothing, but they assured her that they would follow her instructions and be extra careful with it. Now, it’s pink!
Sue was about to cover her ruined deel when she noticed floral embroidery on one of the lower items. Her deel didn’t have any floral components…
Upon closer inspection, she was relieved to discover that these were not her clothes. It was a pant suit. A very pink pant suit with a matching cloak. It looked like something a noblewoman would wear, with the high quality make and all of the details.
Just who did this outfit belong to?
Sue had to get these clothes back to their wearer, but more importantly, get her deel back.
There was only one problem… how could she leave her room? Sue couldn’t go out wearing her uniform because she had class the following morning… and it wasn’t like she could leave in her sleepwear… it would be indecent.
She would have to wear the stranger’s clothes. They looked as if they would fit… Sue would just have to be careful as to not ruin the outfit as she borrowed it. That would be easier said than done.
The suit was not loose like her traditional clothing, they were much more restrictive, even more so than her new uniform. Sue didn’t like it very much. It was of fine make, but it just wasn’t her style.
She felt too exposed.
The outfit didn’t have sleeves, and neither did the cloak… but at least it was something to cover herself with. Her red deel did have short sleeves, but they reached her elbows! Not to mention that she wore a black undershirt underneath her it as well.
She had to find this person, fast. She didn’t want to wear this outfit longer than she had to.
With a small sigh and a bit of hesitancy, Sue opened her door and sprinted down the dorm’s hallway and headed for the last place her deel was, the laundry station.
The Herald of Spring Festival requires a specific plant: the lumenthus flower. It’s characterized by its bright yellow petals that naturally glow, many likening it to a firefly. While Baile is able to grow its own supply, Derdriu aims to supplement that with their own yield, being the one location in mainland Fódlan that can support lumenthuses. However, once plucked, unless it’s given proper care under a skilled botanist, the lumenthus flower has an exceptionally short lifespan before it wilts. Cavalry and flying units are given the high-speed mission to deliver these plants from Derdriu to Garreg Mach’s own greenhouse. Just as your group sets to return from Leicester, you notice your supplies for the journey back have been looted and tampered with and some of the mounts in your unit are agitated. There’s no saying who did this, but whispers that the rivalry between horseback riders, wyvern riders, and pegasus knights at the monastery has been getting worse these days… Could this be the result of that petty conflict? And do you even have the time to investigate it as the lumenthus flowers begin to lose their glow? [Grants Riding/Flying +1]
While he is unmoved by the plight that saw him hired, this is still far from the worst job he's taken during his time here. Though he had left his own steed in Aurelis, in the care of those who would remain, he lingers now at the head of the herd at what he can only describe as a leisurely speed. The wind combs through his hair and over the back of his neck, the tail of his borrowed mare ribboning behind him. ( "Wow," the stablehand had muttered, a hand laid to the back of his head, "She never likes anyone..." )
Yet something breaks within that peace, a subtle thing and yet glaringly obvious once his ears had caught upon it. Behind him, the breathing of some horses becomes more labored, the tempo of their hoofbeats just slightly wrong. His mare notices as well, ears flicking increasingly more often.
"Stop!" Throwing out an arm, he brings them to a slow, and then a stop, the actual leader of their mission looking fairly disgruntled.
"Right. You -- what's the meaning of this?" The man's eyes narrow, so fixated on the challenge to authority that he misses the slight but constant tossing of his steed's head. Not even a soothing palm is laid against the horse's neck, and not even while the sounds of discontent grow more obvious against the untrodden path.
"We need to check the horses," Wolf answers, to the man's evident displeasure. Yet to his credit as well, he finally checks. "They're agitated. Something's--"
"Oh-- oh no!" A cry rings out from elsewhere behind them, turning the two men's heads at once. A meeker rider rakes his fingers into his hair, one hand coming away from his pack covered in some thick, dark substance. "My-- my pack! The lumenthus flowers...! W-we have to check--!"
Apparently, students of the Officer’s Academy had to participate in monthly missions assigned by the Monastery itself, Sue didn’t particularly mind this at all, it was nice to be able to get out of those walls and help out where she could.
The mission she had chosen from the list should’ve been a simple delivery mission… something for a festival? She didn’t particularly care for the details, but they were looking for fast riders, and Sue knew she was perfect for the job.
However, something seemed off after the group she was with picked up the flowers.
First off, the packs the cargo were in weren’t radiating much life. Sue could only pick up few and faint voices of the plants, but chalked it up to being because of the thick casings the flowers were in. She isn’t very acquainted with Fódlan’s flora yet, but Sue had been told that the lumenthus flower has a very short life once it’s plucked from the soil, so it could’ve also been they were just dying incredibly fast.
Sue quickly checked one of her cases, all the flowers were still alive.
Secondly, after the hand-over, slowly but surely the horses' formations started to get sloppier and less coordinated. While it’s normal for horses to get tired after a long trip with little rest, the horses were getting agitated with each other, not just the riders.
Sue thought she was the only one who caught this considering she was guarding the rear, she had seen one of the stallions try to kick her mare… which was odd. Normally, the stallions protected the mares, and hers did nothing to provoke it.
Sue made sure to keep soothing her mare as they kept moving, so she did not end up like the rest of the pack.
After about a half a mile later, Sue was knocked out of her rhythm as the man at the very front’s voice called everyone to a halt, much to the actual captain’s displeasure, but it seemed he had caught on to the horses’ plight.
It was only a matter of time until someone else noticed something was wrong, Sue would’ve spoken up sooner, but to the church’s own, a reason such as ‘I couldn’t hear many flower’s voices’ wouldn’t have been enough to justify stopping completely.
It was only a moments later that one of the riders in front of her began to panic at the sight of his hand now covered in some kind thick sludge where his flowers were supposed to be, he frantically called for everyone to check their cases, but Sue knew that for about half of them, their flowers were never there or didn’t make it.
“—they’re gone.”
Sue couldn’t help but notice the gazes of her fellow riders snap to her as she finished the sentence for the spooked rider and made her way up to the front from the rear, “I had thought something was suspicious for a while now, I only hear the faint voices of flowers when there should’ve been a lot more…”
“And the horses… you all should be more in tune with your steeds, they’re all riled up…” Sue continued, her green eyes now meeting the observant pink haired rider's at the front, “…except for yours.”
He has this… strangely familiar yet foreign air to him… was he also from the plains…?
“There’s no time to go back if we were tricked, and there’s not enough time to investigate if someone of our group did this—“
Even if she really wanted to—
“…so I suggest we take what’s salvageable of the flowers and make a break for the Monastery… we might be the only ones who can do this,” Sue explained, she titled her head to the rest of the group, whose horses were now growing even more restless, “The decision is yours…”
The Hawk's cry pierced through the gentle winds, echoing across the open field as it announced that the king of the skies was passing through.
Tibarn knew that many beorc found the sound to be beautiful, poetic, magical, inspiring, blah blah blah. At least, so he'd heard. He wouldn't act like he truly understood what was so great about him letting out a battle cry - save for paralyzing his opponents in well-justified fear - or just yelling to the winds for fun as he danced in the skies. But then again, they also gushed so much about the supposed joys of flying, when his flying was just their walking as far as he was concerned...
And if the sight and sound of a Hawk was truly so glorious, why did they spend years hunting and enslaving his kind?
Oh well, whatever. They'd at least learned to know better, and he, in turn, had also grown past sneering at it. Best he not dwell on the past for any longer than he had to.
So he did just that, turning his mind back to the present, especially as he recognized the distinct sensation of being watched. He turned his attention to the ground beneath him, and soon enough - there was someone. The red outfit was not particularly hard to spot. A lady, most certainly observing him.
He huffed to himself. Was it another one of those "inspired" beorc? Usually he just ignored them and moved on with his life, but... he felt as though their gazes met for a split second, even in spite of the distance, and something about it drew him in, prompting him to descend towards her.
"Hello. Did you need something?" He asked as he hovered above the grass in front of her, his Hawk form still unchanged.
The sound of a hawk’s cry is intimidating, yet empowering.
If you are its prey, the sound will be felt in your whole body, leaving you paralyzed in your last moments of life.
If you are its ally, the sound rallies you to arms, vigor now coursing through your veins, allowing you to fight with newfound determination.
But when Sue heard the hawk’s cry— she could only stare at the bird in awe.
The hawk was like none other that she had seen before. Its muted green color on the ends of its body particularly stood out to her, as they were not found on the kind from her homeland… or any kind she had seen in Fódlan so far. Not to mention its size, it was far bigger than any bird she laid eyes on. It was probably larger than a wyvern—
Wait… a wyvern!
Sue had heard of a competition being held by The Officer’s Academy that was looking for the best rendition of the prompt: ‘A wyvern that’s not a wyvern’. Sue had little interest in the competition itself but was interested by the rather small reward for it, she was rather ill-prepared to live in Fódlan it seemed.
She was about to forfeit the idea of even entering because the theme was so… contradictory and she couldn’t think of anything that could fit that description, but it seems Father Sky had favored her today.
Sue didn’t have any ink or paper with her, so she would have to commit this bird to memory— That was until it swooped down and spoke to her.
“Father…Sky…?!” Was the only thing she managed to speak out as she felt her knees about to give out.
No… no. This can’t be Father Sky… he has no form… He isn’t like those Goddesses that people claim to have met. He listens, he watches, he does not appear.
That fact won’t stop her shock from lessening any time soon though.
“I— Can… can I draw you…?” Sue hesitantly asked the majestic bird in front of her, its imposing figure not even on the ground, “It’s for a competition… I’ll only draw you if it’s okay though…”
looking for an honest man but all i can find is this damn gba_boots.png
Sue & Sin // Mission Board: Herald
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?
Sue was in class when she caught wind of the most interesting piece of news from the two girls that sat in front of her. A secret shop had appeared out of the blue, selling weapons and items not sold in the normal market. As she kept listening, she found out that the place was apparently its interior was triple the size than it was on the outside… Needless to say, Sue was very interested.
However… there was an issue. Those girls had mentioned that she would need a special card to get in, and they were only handed out to couples.
Love was something Sue hadn’t thought too much about— the war and the restoration of her tribe took priority in her mind, but her mind is much clearer now that she was in Fódlan, there could be room for thoughts of a possible romance…
Though, she couldn’t imagine faking an emotion like that. Lying to someone and keeping them from finding a partner who truly loved them… that was unforgivable.
…but her only option was to get someone to help her get that card. Luckily, she knew just who to ask. Once class let out, Sue immediately rushed out of her classroom and headed out to find the only person she could trust to do this— Sin.
He was, admittedly, the only friend she had in Fódlan, though that’s not the reason she approached him specifically.
When she first heard about the place, she wanted to get him something— a new weapon, a useful item, anything, that he could use for himself.
Sin never complained about his orders and made due with what he had, never asking for more, but… Sue couldn’t help but feel a little guilty. He had done so much, but she could barely do anything for him back. She always relied on him— and she needs his help again just to get into the shop…
Hopefully the shop has something that catches his eye… or her plan would be pointless.
“Sin!” Sue called out instinctively when she spotted the man in the empty stables, “I… want something, but I need your help to get it…”
“There’s this shop some people in my class were talking about… apparently it sells weapons and items not found in normal shops, but they require a special card to get in, have you heard of it?” She asked, looking up at him and waiting for an answer, “They also said they’re handing out cards to people in relationships… so, I have to ask…”
Sue was really glad he was in the stables, that way no one would listen in on their conversation, it was already growing too embarrassing for her.
Sue had never been in a relationship nor confessed to anyone in her life, but fake or not the embarrassment of the whole situation was really getting to her. Sue could feel her face start to flush, and she really hoped he wouldn’t catch that.
“So… um…” Sue started, her voice so soft she had hoped it would get lost to the wind, “Would you… go out with me…?”
Curses.
He definitely heard.
“I-it’s just to get the card! And… it’s not like it’ll be real or anything—” Sue scrambled, frantically trying to explain herself, “But if you have someone already… I’ll ask someone else…”
looking for an honest man but all i can find is this damn gba_boots.png
Sue & Sin // Mission Board: Herald
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?
HIII EVERYONE!!! I'm planning on taking a bit of a backseat this month when it comes to the mission board because I have other threads and I don't want to fall behind on replies, BUT I do want to do this one so here it is!
As the weather gets colder with the coming of winter, a small group of Garreg Mach's residents seek to solve an issue: housing for stray cats that call the streets their home. Entrepreneurial as they turn out to be, one of them has brought as many cats as he can reasonably house into the cafe he owns, announcing the town's first "cat cafe"! The additional furry faces generate no shortage of work, an increasing demand for attention, and a mighty hole in the pocket— signs outside make it clear that customers and volunteers are both welcome.
Idk man Sue likes animals, I love cats, I just want to do this prompt T^T.
Taken by Nyx💜
As said before, I am working on responding to my other threads, so I'd really appreciate if whoever takes this wants to take the lead and write the starter for it, just to give me a bit more time to catch up on other responses. Please dm me here if you're interested!! <333
[ PHOTO-ARTIFEX ] - The ever-popular photo-artifex makes its annual return, allowing users to capture pictures in as little as a flash of light and a moment. Take home something to remember the event by!
It's by no means a forceful collision, but Sara ought to learn to mind her surroundings. The magic projection box eclipses her face as the strange girl strolls the venue without a care in the world, peering through the viewfinder and misjudging the distance to obstacles along her path.
"Oh, I failed to notice you standing there," she mumurs, lowering the device to observe the person she bumped into while wandering blindly. "Would you like a turn? I'm sure you'll understand seeing it yourself and as an apology, I'll even give you one of my flowers. How does that sound?"
Feeling something collide with her side, Sue looked down to see a little girl with long, light purple hair, her hands carefully holding a box that looked almost a little too familiar.
The girl gazed up at Sue through her bangs, but her eyes looked as though they could piece right through you, peek into your very being.
Sue had great senses too, but this girl’s aura was overpowering… and yet, it radiated warmth— sincerity, but the flowers at her side meant death…
Just who is this girl?
It doesn’t matter. Sue won’t judge her for her aura… she knew what it was like to be judged… though that won’t stop her senses from telling her to run away.
“I… That… that’s really not necessary…” Sue reassured, her voice soft and hesitant, almost as if she was intimidated by the strange girl, “But… um…. if you insist…”
Gently taking the box offered to her, Sue held the box up to her face, cautiously looking into the box to see…
Here goes nothing.
She was surprised to see that she only saw what she normally was looking at through the box. Checking a few times by bringing the device up to her face and bringing it down again to see with her own eyes, she concluded that through the device, distance was distorted.
No wonder she had run into her.
Sue turned to the girl with purple hair, holding the device to her eyes, and looked at her through the lens. The girl was still staring up at the plainswoman, the same as she did before, and was as still as a doll.
Sue was so startled by the girl, she gripped the device for dear life and felt her finger push something, causing a bright flash of light to come out of the box.
“What was that—” Sue started as she looked into the device once more, and she saw that it had… changed. The image inside the box was of the girl, looking up at her while holding her bouquet of the lilies of death, “Oh...”
Then she felt the strange device in her hands move, shaking up and down as something came out of the bottom. It was the image of the little girl.
“…You can have this,” Sue said as she handed the box and the image to the girl, “Oh… thank you for the flower… take one of mine as well…”
[ MOVIE - FARCE ] - A techno-magical reproduction of a performance following the double lives of two young noble men who so happen to share a name.
Ah. So this is the power of the device she shattered.
It captured the moments it saw and played them back, allowing an audience to watch what the device “remembered.” In this case, she was watching a performance a theater troupe had previously put on, a play about two noble men and their double lives.
The concept made her think.
“Since we are so far from our homes, leading lives we never thought possible away from the people who knew us, would we be living double lives?” Sue wondered aloud, grabbing the attention of the gentleman she was seated next to, “The people here could know a completely different side to us than what others know at home.”
Sue thought she would always be seen the same… a savage from Sacae just because that was her home. She was pleasantly surprised when the people didn’t hold any of that prejudice against her because they weren’t aware of it. It was like a slate wiped clean.
What about the man next to her? Did he feel the same? Was his canvas blank since coming here?
It wasn’t her business.
“…It’s just a thought.” With a small hum, she took a hyacinth from her bouquet and held it out to the man beside her, “We most likely don’t share the same name as the two in the play, but let us exchange flowers, as a token of our meeting. I am Sue... thank you for listening to my rambling.”
[ SLIP-UP ] Even in the dark there is no mistaking that build or that long green hair (did she ever wear it loose before...?), let alone the Sacaean style of dress. Alas for Ninian, her friend is swallowed up by the crowd before she can reach her... but she sets off in pursuit, calling louder than is her wont:
“ Ah...! Wait a moment... ” The crowd parts and her hand brushes the stranger’s shoulder, because it is a stranger, and so she lets slip only, “ Lady — ”
That she literally bites her tongue is a small price to pay for the avoidance of further embarrassment, she thinks while feeling the sting and the accompanying flush that crawls from the nape of her neck to her cheeks.
“ ... Ah... ... I... Forgive me, I thought... ” Too mortified to finish, she busies herself with freeing a purple orchid from her bouquet. “ Please accept this... to, ah, make up for my mistake, my lady... ”
‘Lady…?’
It wasn’t the first time tonight Sue was mistaken for someone else, but the previous girl never mentioned a title when calling out to her.
Was the person she was confusing her with a noble of some kind? In the Kutolah, there were few who used such titles, for everyone was considered family. Sue looked very Sacaen, why would she of all people be confused with a noble?
When Sue turned around to meet the soft voice that gently brushed her shoulder, she was surprised to see a beautiful— no, ethereal woman, the blush on her face deepening as she apologized and handed her an orchid for her mistake.
Sue had seen this woman during the ball, it was hard not to notice her actually, her dancing was almost otherworldly— she seemed otherworldly— everyone froze at the sight of her on the dance floor, yet few had the will to approach.
So why would she chase after Sue? Just who was this person she was being confused with and what was their connection to this woman?
“…There’s no need to apologize…” Sue tried to reassure the mysterious woman in front of her that she took no offense to her mix-up, “It’s hard to see in the dark for most people… It’s only natural to get confused…”
As much as Sue tried to spare the icy woman even more embarrassment, her face was still as red as flames and she was still holding out the purple orchid to her as only what Sue could assume was an apology.
If it would make her feel even a little better about the situation, she will gladly take it.
Sue gently took the flower she held out to her and replaced it with one of her own hyacinths, “I’m sorry I wasn’t the one you were looking for… but please take one of these with you.”
HIIII EVERYONE!!!! I've gotten to a point where I'm able to manage a bit more writing so I'm happy to announce Sue's inbox is back open!!
You can send asks abt the ball if you want but idk if I'm going to be able to get back to them in time, but I'll try my best(lmfao)!! Normal asks are always welcome too!! <333
While many are using this new technology for leisure, the church has found a more practical use: surveillance. Tired of students traipsing about the Goddess Tower in droves at the annual ball, the monastery staff have set up devices that keep watch over forbidden grounds even when no one is around to see… which you only find out once you realize you’ve accidentally broken one. Two roads lie ahead of you—the one where you come clean about what has transpired and risk an Ethereal Ball under watch, and the one where you do not and risk expulsion for lie by omission. [Grants Gauntlets +1]
As the Ethereal ball drew closer, it was all the students talked about. Sue heard the name wherever she went: her classroom, the stables, the town, and even the training grounds, where she was currently practicing with the bows. She had no interest in the event, but there was a name that kept popping up in every conversation she unwillingly overheard: The Goddess Tower.
What was so special about that tower? Why were the students so obsessed with the inside of it?
Having heard about it enough, she decided that she needed to see this place. Without any hesitation, Sue left the training grounds and began to make her way toward where she thought the tower would be. The cathedral.
She didn’t even realize that she still had her practice bow and arrows with her until she got to the gates of the cathedral.
Swiftly making a more than needed direction change due to her blunder, she made a left, following down the path toward wherever it led. Fortunately, it took her to the place she was looking for.
She was… underwhelmed with the sight of The Goddess Tower, it didn’t look like anything special to her. Dissatisfied with the place, she decided to go back to the training grounds, though as Sue took a step backwards to leave, she felt a chill go down her spine.
She didn’t need the winds to tell her she was being watched.
The doe quickly scanned the area, eyes traveling from one direction to another, until she finally spotted a box-like object placed behind her, on the high-right corner of the wall near the side entrance to the cathedral. She had never seen anything like it.
Was it magic…? More importantly, was it malicious?
She couldn’t tell. Though she saw the way it focused on her when she made eye contact with it, almost as if she was the one being hunted by the strange device. Gripping her wooden bow in her hands, she without hesitation, readied an arrow and fired right into its supposed ‘eye’.
It shattered on impact.
The device was watching. She had to shoot it.
The winds told her— no. She listened to her own voice and acted on impulse and now… she has broken something, and by the way the students were describing it, breaking something— especially in relation to The Goddess Tower, was a big deal… one that could inconvenience everyone at the Ethereal Ball.
Even if she was risking a severe punishment, she had to turn herself in. She wouldn’t be the one who ruined an event her classmates were looking forward to all year, so she quickly made her way to the only place where she knew a professor would be: The Officer's Academy. More specifically, the Golden Deer Classroom.
When she opened the doors to her classroom, her eyes immediately scanned the room for a professor. Sue wasn’t acquainted with too many teachers at the Officer’s Academy, and it looked like none of which she recognized were here.
At the front of the classroom, there was a man writing lesson plans on the blackboard. Sue could only assume he was a professor or at least some kind of assistant because he wasn’t wearing the uniform of the Academy.
He would have to do.
As Sue approached the professor to tell on herself, something about this man seemed familiar to her.
It was his fiery red hair.
Sue couldn’t see this man’s face because his back was turned, so she couldn’t confirm anything just yet, but she couldn’t help calling out to him anyways, “…Master Roy?”
Oh. This was not Master Roy.
The two had the same hair and eye color, but that’s all Sue could tell they had in common at the moment.
“I… mistook you for someone else,” Sue said as she noticed the confusion on the man’s face, “I’m sorry.”
Curses.
Sue didn’t know what to say after that, but she desperately needed to say something, anything, after that embarrassing mix up, but if she said what she came here to own up to… that would make it so much worse. But it had to be done.
She couldn’t— no, wouldn’t— be the one who would throw the event into turmoil for everyone.
“I… broke a device near The Goddess Tower. I felt that I was being watched, so I acted on impulse…” She bowed her head in apology, hoping to hide the embarrassment she felt from earlier and the shame that came with it, “I don’t want to ruin everyone’s time at the ball, so please don’t punish anyone else for my mistake.”
While many are using this new technology for leisure, the church has found a more practical use: surveillance. Tired of students traipsing about the Goddess Tower in droves at the annual ball, the monastery staff have set up devices that keep watch over forbidden grounds even when no one is around to see… which you only find out once you realize you’ve accidentally broken one. Two roads lie ahead of you—the one where you come clean about what has transpired and risk an Ethereal Ball under watch, and the one where you do not and risk expulsion for lie by omission. [Grants Gauntlets +1]
[ SWEET BUN TRIO ] - Three delicious, bite-sized buns from Faerghus. The first bun is filled with sweet cream and topped with icing and a candied cherry. The second is a sweet roll filled with almonds, pecans, and dried cranberries and glazed with honey. The third is a bun sliced in half, filled with almond paste and whipped cream, dusted with powdered sugar on top.
“Do you want some?” Leif asks the girl beside him. “I think they purposefully put them out in trios to give people an excuse to hand the ones they don't want to people they don't know yet... but I don't really have a flavor I dislike. So I'll let you take whichever you want.”
‘Is he talking to me…?’
Sue blinked in a quiet shock as a boy standing beside her held out a plate of sweet buns for her to choose from. She had danced all night until now and has begun to grow a bit peckish, so the offer is appreciated even if they had just met.
Though if she was being honest, Sue didn’t particularly care for overly sugary foods and preferred more warm flavors like nuts and honey, but she would eat one and accept this man’s kindness nonetheless.
Generosity being shown to her or any of her people was a rarity, one where you can’t afford to be picky.
“…If you insist…” Sue said softly before taking the bun from the plate and taking a bite.
She made the right choice.
The bun was filled with dried cranberries, almonds, and pecans, which Sue enjoyed a lot more than she expected to— especially the cranberries. They were a nice touch that paired with the nuts really well.
After finishing the bite-sized treat, Sue looked back up at the young man in front of her, “This… is really good… Thank you.”
Before the man could leave, Sue quickly took a hyacinth from her bouquet and held it out for him to take, “I am Sue of the Kutolah Tribe. The people of Sacae never forget acts of kindness given to them… so please, take one of these flowers for sharing your treats with me."
[ SLIP-UP ] - As it turns out, a lot of people at the monastery make for great body doubles in the dark. What do you do when you slap a friend on the back only for you to find out when they turn around that it’s not your friend at all?
Lady Lyndis? It doesn't seem impossible, given that Nino has met other friends here. She has only met a couple of people that hail from Sacae, but from behind, Nino is quite confident that she knows this tall, fur-clad woman.
Perhaps...too confident.
"Lyn!" Nino calls excitedly, tapping the lady on the shoulder. But upon the first glimpse of her face, she realizes she's mistaken. "Oh...I'm sorry! You kinda look like someone I know. Uhh..." Nino glances at her bouquet, hoping to quell the awkwardness. She holds out a vibrant purple hyacinth. "Would you like one?"
When Sue turned around from a sudden tap on the shoulder, she was met with a small girl with short green hair.
Or at least, that’s what she could tell in the dark.
She was fairly confident that was what she looked like, those of Sacae do have great eyes after all.
“I’m sorry I’m not who you thought I was,” Sue couldn’t help but smile at the nervous girl, taking the offering from her and took a hyacinth out of her own bouquet to give to her in exchange, “I am Sue… Thank you for the flower… take one of mine as well.”
That did leave Sue to wonder… Who was the woman this girl confused her with?
No one else in this ballroom that she could see wore something similar to her, and if they did, they would have to be from the plains… Just the thought of another plainswoman left Sue awfully curious.
“Before you go…” Sue started, her voice a little louder than she normally was, “I have to ask, what is your name? And who is the woman you spoke of? Lyn... was it?”
[ OSTIA ] - An Ostian court dance where the leading partner wields a ceremonial sword as a part of the routine. This dance, meant to resemble a knight with his lady, is getting some attention from the students of Fódlan.
It was strange for Sue of all people to want to ask someone else for a dance, but something about this dance was intriguing to her.
The swords.
While other dances mimicked a duel, they certainly didn’t have weapons— though in this case, they were merely meant to be used to impress. Nevertheless, she still wanted to dance to this one in particular.
Now as for a partner… she has an idea of who to ask.
Sue had seen a certain green haired man dancing to many different songs with many different partners all night, and he seemed pretty well versed in the art. Though Sue herself wasn’t too skilled at dancing, she was decently confident with a sword.
He seemed to be quite the man of the hour though, she could see people start pushing their way towards him already!
Sue shrugged, “The worst he can do is say no.”
Grabbing one of the swords from a staff member, she quickly made her way over to the man who was about to be asked to dance by about 7 different people, “Please, dance with me. If you are not confident with the sword, I shall wield it instead,”
This was Innes’ happy place. It felt like being home, back in the courts, playing the delicate political games that came with it. For many, this would be their only chance to experience a taste of this life. For Innes, this was his life.
A girl approached him, ceremonial sword in hand. For a moment, he didn’t know what she would be asking for, until she clarified. She wanted to dance with him.
Innes took a moment to look her up and down. He didn’t know who she was, and her clothing gave little of her origins away. She was one of the few dressed for winter, and Innes did have to admire that, at least.
“I am confident in the sword, in lance work and in archery. I can assure you, dancing is but an extension of my talents.” He took the blade carefully - ceremonious or not, it was still a weapon.
Innes offered his arm to her. “Come, let us dance. I am Innes, prince of Frelia. And may I ask for your name?”
Was she new? Gods, he hoped she wasn’t a classmate he had overlooked; that would certainly be embarrassing.
He led them both to a spot where they would have plenty of room to dance. After all, the last thing he wanted was to send anyone to the infirmary at the school dance.
Thinking back, Sue did remember seeing him talk to all sorts of people so easily, dancing to almost every song, and still had yet to tire himself out, almost as if he had attended events like these all his life.
“….I am Sue, granddaughter of the leader of the Kutolah,” she introduced herself as she took his arm, “A tribe of Sacae, in Elibe.”
As all the other pairs started to find their place, she followed the prince’s lead and walked arm-in-arm with him to an area with plenty of room for the dance that was about to begin.
Sue had somewhat studied the ways of dancing before the day of the ball— mostly just by being in the training grounds at the right time, watching others practice this routine together in-between her classes that she was still getting used to attending.
So if she’s remembering correctly…
The girl gently removed her arm from his, and gave him a curtsy to start the dance.
From what she had observed from watching the other students practice, this dance resembles a knight and his lady. The knight had the more difficult part in the dance, having to balance twirling and leading the lady all whilst wielding the sword, meanwhile the person playing the part of the lady had much easier steps, only having to follow the knight’s steps.
Since Innes had taken the ceremonial blade from her, Sue thought that it wouldn’t be too hard to keep up with someone who was as experienced as her partner, when she had the easier part. However, as the music began to play, Sue realized just how big the skill gap between her and her dance partner was.
“…You’re good at this.” The plainswoman complimented the prince as she twirled around for the dance, “If dancing is just an addition to your talents, I wonder if your skills with a bow are as good as you say.”
When Innes mentioned that he was skilled with a bow, she was very interested. She wanted to know more about her partner, even if it was just about combat. Was he like her, and rode a mount into battle? Or was he like another archer she knew, and shot on foot?
She just had to know.
“Do you prefer mounted archery? Or do you shoot from the ground?” Sue asked as she studied her partner carefully, watching his movements and technique with the sword, “…You have great footwork, so I think the latter.”
“I prefer archery on horseback,” Sue admitted to her partner, trying her best to match her steps with the prince’s, “I… attempted fighting on the ground… it’s not for me. Even practicing in the training grounds is strange, since I can’t bring my horse.”
Innes moved better than she observed from afar. His steps were exactly on beat, and he never once fell behind… unlike Sue. She felt more than awful that the dance had just started not too long ago and she was already struggling.
“When this song is over, I’ll give you one of my flowers as an apology…” The plainswoman said quietly, sorry that she dragged the prince into a dance she was not confident in, “You accepted my invitation to dance… I should have been more prepared than this…”
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