#support: hubert

[flowerofiris]

We'll See Her Again Soon (Hubert & Nino)

@vonvestra

Mist was out on another errand entirely, meaning that Nino was all on her own for sword practice. She was starting to get the hang of this whole thing; she did have the prior experience from watching her family and other sword-wielders in the monastery, after all. She had moved on from swinging her sword to improve her technique to attacking a training dummy. It wasn't as big of a change as she imagined, but it was nice to see how strong her sword arm had gotten.

She swiped at the dummy's chest a few times, dancing around it swiftly as if the dummy would spring to life and attack her any second now. Before long, she hurried to the back of the dummy and stabbed it as hard as she could! She managed to run the sword all the way through it, too! "Yes!" She cheered in triumph. And then she pulled her sword out- er... She tried to pull the sword out, but it was proving more difficult than she imagined. She tried tugging with both arms, but the sword really got stuck in there...

Unbeknownst to Nino were two previously-bored Almyran soldiers watching her, snickering to themselves as she desperately tried to get her sword out. They decided to approach her, a gesture which Nino noticed due to their footsteps. She hurried her motions to try and get the sword unstuck, to no avail.

'Hey, relax, kid.' 'What's the hurry?' Nino whimpered slightly in response. "You... You both are here to make fun of me, aren't you? You've all been heckling us from the start... can't we just get along?" The two soldiers laugh. 'You know what? The kid's got a point... why don't we just get along?' Nino could sense the sarcasm. 'Easy. Because she's inexperienced compared to us. Weak.' Nino lets go of the sword, huffing. "I'm not weak!" She protests.

'Oh?' One of the soldiers raises an eyebrow. 'Then how about a little contest? You beat the both of us in a fight...' Nino winces. '...With swords. I'm sure you'll do fine, right? You'll get your sword stuck inside me, and I'm sure he'll fall over and die of laughter as you try to get it out of my ribs!' The two soldiers start losing it with laughter, making Nino start to step back. The soldiers started to close in on her. 'Whaddya say, kid?' 'Come on, you're not gonna chicken out, are ya?'

Nino trembled in fear. Why did they have to be so unnecessarily mean? If she accepted their challenge, she'd certainly get hurt... maybe too hurt to even help with the tiger monster. But they weren't going to take no for an answer... would they just beat her up anyway? Nino opened her mouth, sucking in air and trying to relay her answer, trying to hold back the tears forming in her eyes...

[aegisshielded]

two emo boys does not equal one babygirl || Hubert & Felix

As the most successful scammers of the group, “Marth” and “Roy” are your biggest targets. A chance encounter in a large town brings you face to face with the two, but things turn complicated when a crowd forms in support of the imposters. A gaggle of fans proudly support these “down-to-earth princes”, viciously defending them against your supposed slander. Try as you might, just one sensuous “babygirl” from Marth is enough to rally the crowd against you. The puffed-up “Roy” goes as far as to say they are undefeatable in their strength and purity of heart… but can they prove it? [Grants Sword +1]

Of all the people to get paired up with for this stupid mission… 

While Felix, himself, tends to be the brooding quiet member of the Blue Lions students, he could never hold a flame to Hubert’s own dark, doom, and gloom aura. Perhaps it is the piercing eyes that seem to see through your skin and straight to your soul. Perhaps it is the fact that Hubert hardly ever looks pleased to see anyone do anything but meet misfortune (at least, as far as Felix is concerned). Regardless, being around the guy simply gives Felix the heebie-jeebies, and now he has to ignore it for the sake of getting a job done. 

Now tasked with tracking down and dealing with the latest criminal attempt at garnering fame and recognition through lies and deceit, the two dour boys make their way into town where it seems the enemy is going to make it easy for them. Already, a crowd of naive townfolk is gathering to grovel at the feet of what would appear to be—at least, to anyone who hadn’t bothered to read any kind of history book—Marth and Roy. Both royal men also happen to be members of the Blue Lions house, and these two imposters are not them, not by a long shot. 

Felix is ready to heave up his lunch as “Marth” winked at the crowd of swooning men and women, earning an outcry of pleas to wed them and quickly. With a scoff, Felix pushes his way into the crowd and points at the imposters just as “Marth” is calling someone “babygirl.” Eugh.

“Haven’t you got any shame? How the hell is anyone supposed to believe you two fools in dress-up are the real deal?” 

Immediately, the crowd is against him and Felix is met with angry faces shouting profanity at him for even suggesting anything of the sort. “Roy” speaks up above the angry voices, proclaiming that the two princes are undefeatable in their strength and purity of heart. Felix rolls his eyes, only to be met with more protesting from the fans in the crowd. With a huff of frustration, Felix narrows his eyes towards Hubert as though to say, “Do something already!”

@crimsonvassalage

[higaneion]

“𝑳𝑨𝑫𝒀 𝑶𝑺𝑻𝑰𝑨”

A scholar of the fiery magicks, explosive such as Bolganone——he applauded it, recalled it and familiarized himself with the scholarly, earnest nature of such a demeanor. Sincerity bled, her sacrifice his greatest boon, lest he have perished in the thralls of a divinity seeking his tainted soul. Unto her, he silently avered his greatest thanks——commended her efforts, her selflessness. 

“You have my sincerest thanks in light of our return.” A hand crossing the sternum, a nod bolstered spoken words. “Being that we share an allyship under our red banner, do feel liberated to speak. Your magicks, I applaud them.”

It is late at night. The immediate trip back to the monastery was a long one, made longer by everyone's sleepy states, but it was best if they made their leave sooner rather than later. They had long overstayed their welcome.

After the group manages to move a good distance away from the village, they take camp to rest for a few hours. Lilina parts from the majority and does not expect to be approached so suddenly.

Hubert's voice is like a wisp in the night—eerie and mysterious, but intriguing enough to follow its traces. Lady Ostia. Yes, she was representing her country and yet her performance yielded very little to be proud of.

"My...?" She mirrors him, hand placed across her chest, almost in disbelief. Of course, she worked to grow her abilities and become stronger, but the past trip, she had reached some plateau she feared. In comparison to her peers, she felt as if she was being left behind, she couldn't even be strong enough to deal real damage to their foe.

It would be rude of her to not answer though, much more to deny a compliment from others. From the bottom of her heart though, she does appreciate it, especially hearing it from someone much more skilled than her.

"Thank you, Hubert. I... have a long way to go still, but I hope that we may cross paths again as better versions of ourselves in the future."

[macnaradhaigh]

"Petra," Hubert starts, announcing himself when quiet footfalls would not. Of course he'd find her studying away even when many of their classmates capitalize on the free time to slack off. He presents a heavy book and slides it across the table to her. "It surprises me to see that you've held on to that old dictionary for so long." He dimly recalls a similar exchange, five years earlier, when he had gifted her the thing as an afterthought to a forgettable conversation. [1/2]

"This is the latest print." And he leaves as quietly and abruptly as he had come. But pressed beneath the hard cover waits a simple card, on which has been written "Happy Birthday" in careful script. [2/2]

Leitmotif (n): a melodic phrase or figure accompanying the reappearance of an idea, person, or situation, typically in musical dramas.

Ocher eyes narrowed in concentration as lips formed silently around the vowels and consonants. Picking up her quill, Petra scratched a quick sentence in the margins: Dark and light is a common leitmotif in songs music. Her gaze lingered. Over the course of five years, her dictionary had become a nearly indistinguishable mess of ink scribbles and makeshift bookmarks, consuming any new notes she made to herself.

But at the sound of her name, Petra’s ears perked up and her gaze was met with a familiar green.

“Hubert,” she said, giving him a small nod in acknowledgment. Her eyes followed the Adrestian’s hand as he slid something substantial across the laquered sheen of the library tables. Her vision was blurred, still not having quite adjusted from the strain of concentrating on the small and crumbling font of her well-loved dictionary. She blinked hard. But before Petra could ask any questions, Hubert had gone, with only the new dictionary as proof that he had ever been there.

As quietly as she could, she put down the quill she hadn’t realized she’d still been holding, and opened to the middle of the book. The pages pressed between the hard covers blossomed as she flipped through it fervently, the aroma of fresh parchment and something richer (vanilla? bergamot?) perfuming the air. Against the clean pages of white, the black font sat in stark contrast, not yet muddled by a student’s musings and examples.

In her eagerness, Petra had only just noticed that something had slipped from the book and onto the table in front of her. Picking up the card with two hands, her gaze traced the contours of Hubert’s handwriting as a warm smile bloomed on her lips. She held the card close to her chest, still beaming as she stared down at the two dictionaries.

[macnaradhaigh]

Mid-Wood Dusk

For the last several weeks, hunters from a nearby village have been going missing without a trace. The villagers have warned them of the local folklore, that the forests of the region are protected by spirits sent by the Goddess herself to ensure that the land has time to recover and grow in the springtime rains… You set out to investigate these disappearances, but as you step into the woods, rain begins to fall. [Grants Bow +1]

The journey had been short, as Petra and Hubert arrived at the village nestled in the foothills just south of Garreg Mach. The air tasted sweet as they descended down the mountain, no longer occluded by the smoke from the furnaces keeping the monastery’s residents warm. Still, she found herself wrapping her coat closer around her neck.

The familiar sight of tanning hides and drying meats greeted the team first as a slow trickle of people flowed from the cottages. Exhaustion had found a new home in the gaunt features of the villagers, who saw their numbers diminishing with each day at the hands of an angry god. Callused fingers pointed them towards the forest, offering a prayer of peace as the students embarked on their mission.

A thick line of trees delineated the edge of the village from the beginning of the Goddess’s forest, with a path worn from years of foot traffic deeper into the grove. With a small nod to Hubert, Petra took her first steps into the forest along the path. It had been quite some time since she had last seen him, though she found some comfort in how familiar his steadiness felt. He had been a constant in the tempest.

She had followed the path as far as she could, arriving in a small thicket of juniper trees. Beyond her, lush growth obscured any boot tracks that would have provided any clue to follow. Ocher eyes narrowed, squatting down to get a closer look. Several low branches of the trees to the right of the path had been snapped, suggesting that someone (or something) had moved in a hurry. Petra’s brow furrowed. As she stood to deliver her discovery to her companion, something cold hit her cheekbone, sending a chill down her spine. Fingers splayed and palm faced upwards, a small pool of water collected in the valley of her hand.

“Fódlan’s Goddess is welcoming us,” Petra said, flashing her pious companion a wry smile.

@vonvestra

[macnaradhaigh]

Where the Ocean Meets the Land

Petra had cast aside her boots and socks, leaving them on the shore, as she waded into the foaming tide. Nothing brought her more joy than diving headfirst into the water and staring up at the constellations made by the sun shining through the surface of the water. However, she’d come to learn that Fόdlan’s clothes were better suited for drinking tea and discussing politics rather than embracing the ocean spirits. She recalled when she had first arrived in the Empire, and Duke Gerth had given her a stern talking to when proceeded to get her clothes dirty playing in the large marble fountain at the center of the garden. So for now, a small stroll through the tide would have to do.

She returned to her boots after what felt like hours, though her skin had not puckered from being submerged in the salt. Petra’s eyebrows shot up. Perhaps she had been away for too long, as something had already gotten to her things before her.

Her boots remained a fixture in the sand as she walked down the shore, hands clasped in a small ball. Though the beach had become populated with faced both new and familiar, Petra needed someone specific. Someone knowledgeable. 

Fόdlan’s mother—the Goddess, if you care for that sort of thing, she heard Duke Gerth’s voice echo—had appeared to hear her request, as her sight set on two figures not too far off. She would give her thanks later. The warrior’s pace quickened, and she offered a small greeting before launching into her request.

“The life here is not like Garreg Mach. Do you have familiarity with this?” She held up her clasped hands. “I do not think my hand is a good house for such a small friend.” Petra’s palms opened to reveal a hermit crab, who disappeared back into its shell at the first beam of light. A small laugh escaped her lips. “Our new friend is like you, Bernadetta—always hiding in his room.”

@minorindech or @vonvestra

[flowerofiris]

Even though his orders to guard her ended when they left Almyra, Hubert finds himself still keeping careful watch over Nino when not occupied by Edelgard's tasks - moments that are growing longer and more frequent as Edelgard spends more of her own time with Mercedes. His realization that today is her birthday comes only from the number of people he has seen deliver gifts to her door (all carefully checked over for poison), so he does not add one with his name to the pile. [1/2]

In fact, he does not show himself at all until dusk falls, although he suspects that she has been aware of his presence long before then. "Nino," he says when they're alone. "Has today felt like you're home again?" [2/2]             

In her joyous moments and in her tired moments where she required a moment of peace, Nino did feel that she had a blanket of complete safety wrapped around her. She knew that it really helped that the monastery was like that to her, but deep down she knew that it was because she was being kept safe. Whereas most people would ignore or even fear the shadows that they swore moved in the corner of their eyes, Nino felt comfort knowing that she was being kept safe by that shadow.

She didn’t even flinch when Hubert appeared, just keeping that tiny smile on her face that persisted throughout the whole day similar to the green bird that stayed in her arms as if cared for like her own newborn baby. She snuggled it closely as she turned her attention to Hubert, her warmed expression almost saying it all.

“Yes... I am home again...” Though the night was chilly, Nino felt as if she were right next to a roaring fire with all of the warmth contained in her body. “Everyone’s been so kind to me... and even remembered my birthday when I didn’t at first. I don’t even know if I said it before to anyone but the staff... but I’m really happy.” Nino’s eyes fluttered shut, taking in the peace of the moment. “Happy... and safe. I know that I don’t have to be scared anymore...” She briefly wonders if she should say that she had a feeling he was watching over her, but she decides against it. However, she does whisper a couple of small words regardless; one that she saved to those who gave her gifts. And Hubert gave her a gift that she wanted so badly for so long.

“...Thank you.”

[flowerofiris]

Despite his lack of familiarity, it does not take long for Hubert to find Nino amidst the chaos of the monastery, thanks to the unique shade of her hair. He approaches her carefully, in full view, so as not to frighten her. “Nino,” he starts. “Lady Edelgard has entrusted your safety to me, so I ask that you stay by my side when our unit departs.” He bows to seal his promise. “I will do what I can to keep you from harm’s way.”

Nino found herself considering all of the tricks she could use to help her in battle; she wondered if any of the knick-knacks she got a couple of months ago would help her. A broom wouldn't be the best help, but a firecracker might be a good distraction... She was lost in thought when she saw Hubert coming. She found herself awed by his presence, but was especially surprised to see him talk to her.

It was a bit embarrassing to admit, but Nino did blush a little bit hearing that one of the people she really looked up to was willing to keep her safe. The whole thing really reminded her of-... well, needless to say, Hubert's dark and intimidating presence combined with promising to protect her was reminding her of someone special. But that wasn’t relevant now; this was the present and Nino cared greatly about Hubert, and all that he does for Edelgard. "I... thank you, Hubert!"

Nino pumped her little fists up to her head. "I'll stay by your side, and I promise I won't cause any problems or make you feel like you're protecting me too often! I'll succeed for everyone's sake!" She felt an immense surge of confidence now, the fear of separation starting to fade away from her mind and be replaced by excitement.