#contempenitent

[malignantknight]

[ GOSSIP ] - For those who don’t want to be the center of attention, sitting on the sidelines and observing those who do is a time-honored tradition. Exchanging thoughts with another while doing so is a rite of passage for a student—it is a slightly worse look for the staff to take part.

Camilla eyes the on going arm wrestling match, arms crossed and grimacing. She feels another person step up beside her, deep violet towering over her. One of the knights, Mauvier she believes.

"I'm trying to decide if I should put a stop to this." She clicks her tongue as she continues to watch the match. "On the one hand, at least they're staying occupied and not bothering anyone. On the other... I can see both of them getting carried away..."

She watches for a moment more and then makes her decision. "Hmmm nope." She loops an arm around Mauvier's and turns him around with her. "Not our problem. Not tonight. Let's go get a drink." She flashes a smile and tucks a tulip into his suit. "Any chance you know where Niles ran off to? White hair, eye patch, charming smile?"

[mercenarymage]

[ GODDESS TOWER ] - No effort has been spared in surveillance or suspicion this year, and you know as much now that you find yourself alongside another answering to an ornery guard the moment you entered its vicinity.

Mauvier wants to ignore whoever is clearly weaseling their way toward the Goddess Tower. Just for one night. But despite his lack of armor, and no emblem of Seiros on his person, he follows their proverbial scent.

He does not know what lay inside the Goddess Tower, nor what makes it so sacred. Only that students have a tendency to sneak into it during events like this, especially as couples. This time, though, the would-be intruder seems to be alone.

"Excuse me," he calls into the open air, weaving authority into the more casual tone he's adopted for the evening. "I'm afraid that area is off limits tonight. Please return to the ballroom."

When he was hired for the role he’s taken for the night, the biggest surprise for Hugh was the amount of importance surrounding the Goddess Tower. It had been some time since he’s been here, but he swears that the security wasn’t this tight. Actually, was there any security at all? The whole thing feels fishy, so it leads him into seeing what he can get away with.

“Hm, no, I’m…” oh, one look at the person currently keeping watch, and he knows he can’t weave a convincing enough lie. Instead, he decides to comply. (The whole, ‘I really need to get some fresh air’ bit was probably not going to work on him.)

“Aren’t you curious why you’re standing put here?” Hugh asks instead, staring up towards the tower. 

“Couples have been sneaking off up there for years, haven’t they? Don’t you wonder what changed?”

Wait, could he bribe this person? Hugh tries to study Mauvier’s face once more. He’s short on cash, but he was handed that bouquet at the door. Perhaps…

First, he waits for a reply. It’ll give him a better idea on how to respond himself.

[misericordel]

[ FLOWER ARRANGEMENT ] - No matter how many flowers you gather, your bouquet won’t look its best unless you have the skill to make it so. A couple of students have taken upon itself to imbue their peers with the knowledge of flower language and the art of flower arrangement, and as a result the garden has become something of a workshop.

"Lady Veyle." He tries to wrangle to concern out of his tone, but he worries it may never fully wash out, even on a night like this. "Are the festivities to your liking? Do you need any help with your bouquet?"

Hmm. Maybe that came out wrong. "There's nothing wrong with your arrangement, of course," Mauvier amends. "Though there seems to be a...certain language to the way the bouquet is assembled.

Mauvier pulls a pink rose from his own arrangement, holding it out for her. A single thorn remains at the bottom of the stem; he itches to pry it off, but refrains. "I am told this one, for example, communicates gratitude. I am glad that you are here tonight, Lady Veyle. And that you are my friend."

"mauvier!!" veyle smiles in delight at the mere sight of him, bounding to his side without an ounce of hesitation. she blinks at his question. "my bouquet— oh no, i'm sure not a lot of people would—" want to give me their flowers, but mauvier changes his tone and interrupts her.

he hands her a pink rose and gives her a meaning for the flower that has budded so beautifully— as if it had responded to his explanation.

"... hehe, thank you." pink flits at her cheek and she giggles, handling the rose with the caution and care it deserves. "you can have one of my orchids. i don't know what it means, though..."

she hopes it means something nice. like appreciation or friendship.

[aliberation]

contempenitent asked: [ LYTHOS ] - A complicated dance performed by Lythian clerics, incorporating the choreography relayed to the former Divine Dragon Monarch by tales and demonstrations from pilgrims of the main four nations on Elyos as well as those from the Emblems. It requires mastery and control of tempo changes and willingness to move one’s body in many different ways.

Though these steps are from home, Alear almost feels as if they're a little foreign. It's not like she's had much time in her life to do anything outside of leading an army into battle, or simply enjoy the simpler things at a party-- it's only more recently that she's finally begun to settle into a semblance of a normal routine. Even then, her chances to indulge in a dance are few and far between. She still remembers from watching others, though. Some steps she can nail, others she flubs. Overall, though, she lets out a soft laugh whenever her foot bumps against Mauvier's. "You'd think I would be better at this, right?" Alear quips as they turn, eyes sparkling with a mix of wonder and excitement. The music's slowly begun to draw to a close, but she knows it's only a matter of time before it picks back up once again. "I need more practice, unfortunately. But hey- that means I'll just have to keep you for another dance. What do you say, Mauvier?" For that, there's a flower for his troubles. Reaching up, Alear pins it to his lapel, the lily a stark red against his ensemble. "I at least hope you're having fun tonight. You deserve a relaxing time, I think." @contempenitent

[florages]

"Princess Celine!"

She is unmistakeable, if not by her clothes, than by the way the sunlight frames her like the flowers of her kingdom. Mauvier has never forgotten the Firenese Princess' kindness, the ear she bent for him as he spoke of his childhood. That she had searched so fervently for the hill of his most precious childhood memories...

But of course, she had taught him, even inadvertently, that the memories were precious because they were just that. His.

Mauvier bows to her, as he had her brother, helpless but to smile and bask in her presence. "I pray you've been well. I hope the monastery is kind to you, and if you need anything, know that I am never far."

"Mauvier!"

The appearance of the knight had come as a surprise, though not a great one—she had known of other Elyos royals who'd come to Garreg Mach before her, one of which being the Fell Princess herself. Despite his Firenese heritage, he was never far from Lady Veyle, the true liege of his heart. "What a joy it is to see you."

Hands delicately folded at her midsection, golden tresses bounce lightly with her nod. "I have been quite well, thank you. And at the risk of sounding presumptuous, you seem rather lighter yourself."

Not the abundant sort of joy Céline herself felt wary of, but... "Less burdened. Happier, I might dare say."

She smiles, "And endlessly generous, as always. I would not call it a need, but... let us sit down for tea sometime, and catch up. Underneath a broadleaf tree, perhaps, with a warmly baked meat pie."

[warpaway]

Mauvier has never spoken to Linhardt, and only knows their name from passing mentions, but he can still plainly tell when a fellow passenger isn't at their best. He's not sure if it's seasickness or lack of restful sleep (with which Mauvier can commiserate, but perhaps in a different way), but the cause does not matter. He longs to do something to ease a student's troubles.

"Sir Linhardt, pardon," he murmurs, hoping not to look too intimidating. "You seem uneasy, so I've made you a gift." He pulls a little palm-sized pillow from his sidepouch (truly, it was a leftover from a previous attempt at a pincushion) which has the visage of an eagle earnestly but hastily embroidred onto it with red thread. "There's lavender sewn inside. I hope it can calm any nerves you may be feeling. May we travel safely."

“sir…?” linhardt murmurs.

they stand to appreciate the large knight's offering, and their vision turns dark for a moment with the effort.  they'd been feeling fine, but it seems like his concern was more warranted than they'd considered.

he accepts the tiny pillow, feeling it crinkle gently under his finger.  as he manipulates it, it releases a soothing scent.  how interesting.

linhardt's mind churns ahead of reality.  they forget to say thank-you, because they have something else in mind.

“do you make charms like this often?  have you made good luck charms before?”

[aliberation]

The boat to Jugdral is certainly full of new faces, but there is one visage that Mauvier would be able to recognize from any angle or distance.

"Divine One."

Amidst the clamor of others getting to know each other, over the dull sound of the lapping waves, Mauvier's voice feels like a foreign croak. He remembers Alear's words, her kindness, her assertion that he was good. But had she only said such things to keep his blade sharpened for her?

No, certainly not. She is a strong leader - a loyal friend, even. He must not let his judgment be clouded.

"I didn't expect to see you here. I pray you've been well?"

Glancing up at his face from her perch on the railing, Alear offers a small wave and a bigger smile. He's as stiff and as formal as ever, she notes, a small laugh escaping. "Mauvier! It's good to see you, though I wish it was under better circumstances." She motions to the clamor of the crew on the deck, a small sigh escaping. "It seems every time we get to speak, we're about to head off to another battle. After this, we need to change that!" After all, there's plenty of things they can indulge in both inside and outside of the Monastery. She's only begun to scratch the surface of what Fodlan has to offer, and surely they could use it as a means to relax...? "I've been great! Busy, of course, but that's not necessarily a bad thing." A nod of her head follows as she pushes herself off of her makeshift seat, stretching her arms high above her head in an attempt to loosen up. The rocking of the boat always made her muscles involuntarily tense up, both from a combination of wanting to stay steadied and the light hint of nerves. "What about you? I hadn't realized you had come to Fodlan as well. It's... a relief, if I had to be honest." "It's great to have another reliable friend here. Do you know anything about the place we're heading to...? Jugdral, if I remember right?"

[deadlyminded]

♡

●○○○○ | ATTRACTION ○○○○○ | AFFECTION ●●●●○ | INTEREST ●●○○○ | LOYALTY ●●●●● | TRUST

“We have much in common, Mauvier and I.  That is, at least in the context of the war we partook in.  He is not the sort of man that allows others to know much more than that.  We have this in common, too.  I have a passing interest in if the similarities end there, but there is also a part of me that is fine with never knowing.”