loyaldeserter

[loyaldeserter]

forgotten addendum: i am formally dropping the following listed threads. most of them are already claimable by the three month rule if they've reached the reply minimum (and nw if you already have claimed them). i apologize for taking so long in addressing this. i should have dropped most of these much sooner, but i didn't want to give up on them, or entirely lost track of them.

(standing in front of slightly smaller child) he asked for no pickles with @lycianlynx

exposure therapy with @freliasarrow

snips and scales with @deathsdue

wings of wax with @pirrhyc

oh boy, customer service! (-1HP) (-1HP) (-1HP) with @allyphase

if you have any particular interest in reviving them or threading with heath again, let me know! i would strongly prefer not reviving them, though; part of how i let myself get so overwhelmed was trying to force myself to keep threads alive that i had lost the plot on, and the stress was starting to impact and worsen my real life health issues and prevent me from roleplaying in general.

thank you for understanding!

wanted threads for heath!

hello! i am looking to get some new threads with heath. between my health and activity issues and some drops, he has very few active threads right now, and i would like to rectify this! he is a knight of seiros and thus available for the unaffiliated prompts on this board!

any +1 - become a servant with heath! he is…very awkward, and not the greatest at ingratiating himself with servants, but he also isn't immediately suspicious. is he having to deal with your character bungling things, or is he the awkward sidekick to your character's social butterfly?

lance +1 - heath may not be as intense about forsyth regarding knighthood (which, sidenote, if you want your muse to deal with forsyth being insane about this also lmk), but he has…less than positive thoughts about this book and the ideas that it spreads. perhaps your character is subscribing to these ideas and pestering him with them? or they feel poorly about them and see him as someone who they can complain to? either way, something has to happen to make heath actually do something about it. maybe he can't exist as an obvious knight in public anymore without people making references to the book. a lot of options to set the scene.

faith +1 - heath has a complicated and deeply personal relationship with vigilante justice. he would be inclined to take some kind of action, but how to do so without making the situation worse for those who are suffering? he's a knight, not an auditor, so the actions he can take would be rather…direct. is your muse trying to talk him in or out of something? what kind of interesting dynamics about vigilante justice can we play with?

also, if there are any affiliated-locked threads you would like to pursue with him, give me a holler!

now, some personal ideas.

wyvern delivery service - ever since pelleas brought up the idea of wyvern mail delivery, it's been on heath's mind. it turns out there are some organizations in the area that are glad to get a little extra help. heath isn't quitting his job as a knight, but he's started doing some delivery runs. does your character want to tag along? do they have something they need delivered and just have to personally see it through? do you have any fun ideas to play in this space? let me know!

protecting merchant caravans - a fun little idea which can blend the general roleplay of being assigned to protect a merchant caravan and come up with some fights mechanically and utilize our kits! let's do a garreg mach job! whether you are a fellow knight, a professor, or a student getting some combat experience, the bandit problem needs fixing.

@ me in ⁠the discord plotting channel or dm me! slight preference for dms so they don't let lost, but whatever works best! my discord is NightinGem, but you can dm me on my blog here if that is easier.

[loyaldeserter]

wanted threads for heath!

hello! i am looking to get some new threads with heath. between my health and activity issues and some drops, he has very few active threads right now, and i would like to rectify this! he is a knight of seiros and thus available for the unaffiliated prompts on this board!

any +1 - become a servant with heath! he is…very awkward, and not the greatest at ingratiating himself with servants, but he also isn't immediately suspicious. is he having to deal with your character bungling things, or is he the awkward sidekick to your character's social butterfly?

lance +1 - heath may not be as intense about forsyth regarding knighthood (which, sidenote, if you want your muse to deal with forsyth being insane about this also lmk), but he has…less than positive thoughts about this book and the ideas that it spreads. perhaps your character is subscribing to these ideas and pestering him with them? or they feel poorly about them and see him as someone who they can complain to? either way, something has to happen to make heath actually do something about it. maybe he can't exist as an obvious knight in public anymore without people making references to the book. a lot of options to set the scene.

faith +1 - heath has a complicated and deeply personal relationship with vigilante justice. he would be inclined to take some kind of action, but how to do so without making the situation worse for those who are suffering? he's a knight, not an auditor, so the actions he can take would be rather…direct. is your muse trying to talk him in or out of something? what kind of interesting dynamics about vigilante justice can we play with?

also, if there are any affiliated-locked threads you would like to pursue with him, give me a holler!

now, some personal ideas.

wyvern delivery service - ever since pelleas brought up the idea of wyvern mail delivery, it's been on heath's mind. it turns out there are some organizations in the area that are glad to get a little extra help. heath isn't quitting his job as a knight, but he's started doing some delivery runs. does your character want to tag along? do they have something they need delivered and just have to personally see it through? do you have any fun ideas to play in this space? let me know!

protecting merchant caravans - a fun little idea which can blend the general roleplay of being assigned to protect a merchant caravan and come up with some fights mechanically and utilize our kits! let's do a garreg mach job! whether you are a fellow knight, a professor, or a student getting some combat experience, the bandit problem needs fixing.

@ me in ⁠the discord plotting channel or dm me! slight preference for dms so they don't let lost, but whatever works best! my discord is NightinGem, but you can dm me on my blog here if that is easier.

[loyaldeserter]

July activity check: passed!

skill points: 15->16

flying: D+->C

obtained: tbd also claim your b axe too silly

[loyaldeserter]

"I could ask the same of you." Fiora decidedly does not seem like herself, and Heath wonders what exactly she endured in the aftermath of the fall. Or, he recalls the revival magic, if she had survived it to begin with. "I...am about as well as I can be, given the circumstances."

A reasonable response. The unanswered question looms, though, and he can't quiet the worry on his face.

"He went missing during the initial fall. His training is to retreat to the mountains, and while I could fire a return flare here, I don't know if it would reach him." Or if he is alive to see it, goes unspoken. "What about Huxley? Have you seen him?"

It seems more likely that he would be in Garreg Mach, given Fiora's presence, but he doesn't know what training the pegasus received should his master be incapacitated. A heavy silence sits for a second, two steedless riders trying to steer themselves.

"Maybe we could search for them together?" Fiora needs something to do in this state, and Heath can hardly bear delaying his search for Hyperion much longer. "We don't need to enter the mountains themselves, just find a higher vantage point to set off the flare."

Cyclical

[loyaldeserter]

Heath should have expected this--did, really, but it happens sooner than he thought. The sniper's attitude wouldn't be out of place in Bern, though he'd get a thrashing from Vaida if he was under her wing for that kind of outburst. Thus, Heath seems relatively unfazed, though he is prepared for blows come what may.

Before Heath can respond, another resident of the Abyss steps forth. A man of imposing height and build, but a strange serenity above it all, flaxen hair unbecoming of the gloom.

"You're correct on all counts. It was reckless of me to arrive like this, though I'm not sure I completely grasped the situation down here." Heath's own piercing eyes meet the man's. There's a nagging feeling of wrongness here, that this underground is not merely outlaws but outcasts. "I'm not from Fodlan, and my experience with the Church is limited aside from my recent employment."

This place is meant to be a secret, guarded from most. Legault's not shy about letting Heath know where he dwells, but he'd emphasized the hidden nature of these catacombs-turned-slums. It would have served Heath well to be less forward. Too late for that, though.

"I have a friend who lives down here. He has many powerful enemies, some of whom we share." Perhaps he is being too open once more, but there is something about this man that puts Heath...maybe not at ease, but speaking to him feels easier than it should. "I wanted to assess this place, myself."

It's a simple thing, and a story he'd be skeptical of himself. But it's the truth, and he takes bite of the slop-soup. Eugh.

"I don't intend on speaking a word of this place to anyone who doesn't know of it. For it to be necessary..." He shakes his head. Surely there is a better solution the Church could find, or at least they could ensure the Abyss is supplied in a better fashion. "Nothing is ever as it seems on the surface"

oh uh, don't mind me

[loyaldeserter]

Heath's breath catches at the sudden closeness, which is a bit hypocritical considering his own actions. He could and should pull away, but Legault's hands are warm even through the gloves, his eyes moreso.

"Legault..." Heath rolls his eyes, almost grateful for something to scoff at. He can't help but smile, though, the drink enhancing the flush his face betrays. "You could just ask normally, you know."

"I don't know if you want to dance with me, though." Heath is not a good dancer. He is clumsy, inexperienced, and entirely unsuited to it. Legault probably doesn't have much more practice, but he moves with a catlike grace that Heath lacks. "Your feet will end up trampled, if we don't take a tumble into the flowers."

He says this, but he adjusts into a better position as the sound of tuning dies away. Drink softens him, allows him to give into vices. He can regret it in the morning, alongside the hangover.

"You clean up well." Might as well really indulge, if he's going to do this. He slowly sways to the incoming rhythm, tugging Legault's silly cravat. "If it counts as cleaning up. Don't know who else could pull off this kind of costume. It suits you."

a gaze that's quite as clear

[loyaldeserter]

June activity check - hiatus

[loyaldeserter]

Heath is quite tired of romance, frankly. It's not that it's an inherently bad think, but he could use some personal distance given the events of the last couple of months. But knightly duty is knightly duty, and guarding a wedding isn't the absolute worst situation he could be in.

Enter the complication known as Sain of Caelin.

"Mmmhm." Heath hardly graces his ramblings with an answer, focusing instead on incapacitating the hostile agents with his own spear. It's odd to move this quickly and lightly, his usual armor replaced with a tuxedo, padded leather beneath still a level of vulnerability that prickles the mind. "A knight's duty is to the people's prosperity and freedom. Our foes intend to limit that freedom."

It's impressive, how much this cause fires Sain up. He's truly a skilled man when he isn't wasting his time chatting up any woman in his vicinity, as these poor sods are finding out.

"Ah...Bern is more practical, when it comes to that kind of thing." Even back in the army, Sain rubbed Heath the wrong way. Overfamiliarity and womanizing are not on the list of traits Heath likes associating with, something the hapless knight seems to either not recognize or care about. Heath sighs, following in lockstep. "Most royal marriages are strategic, and stories focus more on conquest and duty."

Sain's skillset, while questionable, is uniquely suited to this mission. It makes Heath wonder how much of that ignorance is an act; he smiles in good cheer, but he ferrets out ill intent with a frightening efficiency. It's odd that the Knights decided to assign Heath of all people with him. Perhaps they thought the two would work well together given their shared Elibe background? It's a fair, if (somewhat) inaccurate assumption.

"I suppose this wedding reminds me a bit of a story I heard as a squire." Sain won't stop pestering him. He knows this. Giving in will just spare future headaches. It's all practical. "A Bernese princess, third in line to the throne, was expected to be married off to secure an alliance with Etruria. Unbeknownst to the family and court alike, however, she had fallen in love with an Ilian mercenary. Influential, but a peasant ruler and female at that."

The story is clearly a tragedy, a lesson about loyalty that picked up a cult following for its doomed romance. Will Sain pick up on it, or pursue it further? It's all talk for the sake of talk, something to fill the space between crasher brawls.

‧❀༉‧˚ your secrets aren't see-through.

[loyaldeserter]

"I...!" Heath sputters, attempting to maintain a semblance of dignity. The Goddess of Fodlan surely has taken issue with Heath, to put him in this situation. He at least catches himself before he retorts with the (sort of) fact that he has never actually had a committed relationship before.

The woman unfortunately follows up, and then Soren decides to continue to beat a dead pegasus. Heath forces a grim smile.

"You're as delusional as the lady here." Heath ignores her protests, handing her the basket. She pouts about his 'chivalric duty' or something, which she has lost on account of the loony business. "Listen, I don't know what you're getting at, but--"

"Oh! I get it now." The woman's face lights up in a way that does not particularly soothe Heath. She looks at Heath, then Soren, then back again. "A lover's quarrel, now is it? As your destined lover, it seems as if I did not divine the stars at length...but...ahhhh...I see it now!"

Heath tries to slip away as she gazes at nothing, but her hand clamps on his arm in a vice grip. She's surprisingly strong.

"Yes! Oh, my loves...I have found you at last!" She strides toward Soren, handing him the basket and taking his other hand. "And fate compels me to help you nourish your academy! Please, allow me to buy you whatever supplies you wish. Our love will change the world for the better!"

Ah, but that's a wise gambit on her end. To pass up charitable donation, however strange its source, would be foolish.

...and maybe Heath wants to watch Soren squirm a little bit before this is all over. It's only fair.

this (kinda) happened to my buddy karel

[loyaldeserter]

may activity check: passed!

skill points: 14->15

axe: C+(1)->B (monthly)

obtained: tbd

[loyaldeserter]

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. starter for @senerist

Heath can't say he dislikes being an errand boy, all things considered. Yes, he is a knight, but it is a sign of peacetimes for the Church to spare a winged fighter for something as small as shopping on the town (though he knows that Hyperion's carrying capacity is part of why he was chosen in the first place).

It's frowned upon to bring a wyvern directly into the streets, though, so Hyperion's getting some time to stretch his wings in the forest. He'd been whining for food and it's been a while since he hunted, so why not let him have his own version of a day on the town?

That, and it means Heath can take a little time himself. One too many of his friends have told him to slow down, and surely this counts.

Of course, nothing can ever go to plan.

"Oh, my love. It was foretold in the stars--I've been searching for you for so long!" All he'd done was help a woman who'd stumbled and dropped her basket of fruit. How did it lead to this? Heath is doing his best to ignore her, but she's making it very difficult. "Truly, the fates smile upon us today."

"I...uh. Think you may have me mistaken for someone else." Heath dusts off the last apple, offering the groceries back to her. Deep breaths. This will be over soon. "Some of these might be bruised, but they should all be good to eat."

"That silver streak...your striking eyes...I'd know them anywhere!" Okay, that's weird. Has she been watching him? The thought is uncomfortable, at best. There aren't a lot of other people with hair like his. "Please, let's not squander this."

Pedestrians are giving them a wide berth, which makes sense as this is happening in the middle of the road. It is terribly embarrassing, and Heath is stuck with the damned grocery basket. He can't just up and leave with it! But the woman refuses to budge. It's a ridiculous impasse.

One onlooker in particular seems to have taken interest in the spectacle, and Heath feels an icy pit in his stomach as he locks eyes with a piercing red gaze. He and Soren had done a good job of avoiding each other since that fateful night, why now...?

this (kinda) happened to my buddy karel

[loyaldeserter]

[ STABLES as well ] She should have guessed that there would be stables at the ball's venue -- or rather, at a viscount's estate -- but the thought simply hadn't occurred to her. If it had, she might have ridden Cookie all the way here! Wouldn't that have been fun?

But alas, she had not; Maria is left with her elbows on and outer gate and her chin in her hands, staring wistfully at wyverns and pegasi in a rare moment away from the hustle and bustle. Whenever one glances at her curiously, without fail Macedon's youngest princess makes a kissy face and wiggles her fingers quite happily in response. She's in the middle of kicking up a foot behind her when she hears someone shuffling around.

"Oh!" Cheek presses into shoulder, a tumble of florid hair and round, rosy eyes peeking toward the source of the sound. Seeing a knight (presumably), she pushes away from the stable wall, floating over curiously. "Hello! Are you friends with one of the creatures here?" Her head tilts, then her whole body follows suit as she pries a pearl charm from her bracelet. As if it is only natural, she holds it out for the other to take.

"My name is Maria! What's your name? Oh! And their name too?" She's too polite to ask the question, but the bursting, overwhelming affection in her eyes suggests she might be dying to pet them.

Heath isn't the only one visiting the stables at this hour. A young, friendly voice calls out to the wyverns with no fear at all, and...is that Hyperion's snuffles he recognizes? Yes, indeed it is. A young girl with red hair to her chin playfully jokes with Hyperion, demonstrating excellent understanding of wyvern body language.

"I am indeed." She's so cheerful, like a princess from a story that birds flock to. Except instead of songbirds, it's scaley, fearsome wyverns who relax in her sight. Her smile is infectious. "I'm Heath. My friend Hyperion is actually the scoundrel you were just making faces with."

At mention of his name, Hyperion chitters. That big old doofy smile is normal on him, but multiple other wyverns seem oddly friendly around her. It's fascinating.

"Ah, thank you. I have a seashell, myself, if you'll have it." She's a good lass, this Maria. He can't help but be reminded of a different girl with red hair who Hyperion had taken a shine to.

[loyaldeserter]

[ MINT CANDY ]　/　"so. here's the thing." the young fae's voice and expression carry all the weight of the world. furrowed brow. pinched frown. eyes set on the green-haired knight's without wavering an inch. the other man now held one of his precious starfish charms, even——payment, he'd insisted, for the problem that needed his, and only his, help to solve. no one else could do it.

now, he produces something else from his pocket, presenting it forward with straight back and unfurled palm as though it were the evidence to the world's deepest mystery: a single, striped mint candy.

"see it? mint candy. looks harmless, right? wrong. what i've heard. . . " he lowers his voice, casting a surreptitious glance around in case of eavesdroppers ; he takes one soft step closer to the guy to whisper closer to his ear. "call me crazy, but there are people saying that it's an aphrodisiac for wyverns."

with a deep inhale, he leans back again, eyes studying the man's face for his reaction. would it be disbelief? horror? fascination? disgust? any rainbow of possibilities had occurred to him before he made the decision of who to bring this fact to. with the same seriousness as if confessing witness to a murder, rosado continues profoundly: "i wanted to let you know because i know you're a wyvern rider too, like me. and, the thing is, carmilla. hates. mint. so there's no way for me to know for sure."

he could see where this was going, right?

"you've got to try for me, and let me know. i've given you my charm and everything."

It had started innocently enough. An androgynous young man Heath recognizes from the wyvern stables sidles up to him, offering a starfish charm. Heath already has one, but it would be nice to have one that isn't connected to the...encounter.

Of course, it can never be simple.

"Huh?" To be presented with a mint like it's a lost artifact is one thing, and to be whispered to like he is receiving top-secret intelligence further enhances his confusion. Is Rosado messing with him? "I suppose I've heard tell of there being fake ones that smell awful."

That is not what Rosado is talking about. Heath blinks once. Twice. Nope, he didn't mishear. That is exactly what the frilly wyvern rider just said to him.

"I've heard of wyverns rolling in herbs for recreation, but nothing of...that sort." The wild mints that grow on the moors are a favorite of the beasts, but he's never seen it connected to mating rituals. Are Fodlan mints different?

Is there a way to be stoic and playful at the same time? That's what it feels like as Rosado recites lines that make Heath grateful they're speaking quietly. Oh, saints. He's really going down this path, isn't he?

"That is...surely a hypothesis. However..." Heath does not want to imagine caring for a bunch of baby Hyperions, especially given his current affections for Peaches. What on earth would he say to Altena? The current situation's awkward enough as it stands. "I'm afraid I'll have to decline for now."

He really shouldn't have added those last two words, but those puppy-dog eyes are damn effective. Heath knows he doesn't have to honor deals he didn't agree to in full knowledge, but it still feels kind of bad...

"Listen. If you need another wrangler to test your hypothesis--not on Hyperion--maybe I could lend a hand." This is a terrible idea. Horrible. Awful. He should just walk away, but how would he be able to go to the stables and face this kid? "You know a wyvern in heat is dangerous, right? You don't want to induce that willy-nilly, especially out of season..."

Hey. Rosado was the one who brought this up. He can tell Heath to stop giving a lecture on wyvern reproduction whenever he wants, but it's an important thing to be educated on if he really wants to do this.

(And if he decides to back out, well. Heath isn't going to complain.)

[loyaldeserter]

[ CHAMPAGNE ] - Taken from the Viscount’s personal collection, 70 of Adrestia’s best bottles are provided. The bartenders are under strict orders not to offer any student more than one glass.

Upon spotting Heath in the crowd, the stark white strand standing out amidst a sea of equally brightly colored hair, Eliwood winds his way through the crowds with practiced ease, carrying two glasses of champagne.

"A toast for an old friend?" He hands a glass over to Heath, a smile on his face. It may have been several years since he had seen Heath, but it seemed something here was agreeing with him. "It's good to see you, even after all this time. I hope this land has been treating you well."

That voice is familiar, and the bright red hair leaves no doubt; it is Lord Eliwood in the flesh. Yet another Elibean Heath knows is attending Garreg Mach, and he wonders briefly if some divine force hasn't orchestrated this.

"Of course." Heath accepts the offered champaign, clinking their glasses together with a small smile on his face. Lord Eliwood is the same as ever, earnest and friendly, not forgetting even a soldier's face. "The knighthood here is fulfilling, and there are even wyvern stables."

The sweet liquid burns as it goes down, easing the gears of conversation. Eliwood is a particularly easy person to talk to, despite his station, but it doesn't hurt to have a little help.

"There's a lot of different countries represented here, but it feels like I'm constantly meeting people from Elibe." Heath's eyes can't help but be drawn to the anchor on Eliwood's bracelet. He fidgets with his own seashell unconsciously. "Have you enjoyed your time here so far? How are you doing on the charm collection tonight?"

[loyaldeserter]

"Good evening. I was admiring the style of your hair from afar and was wondering how you acquire such coloring. Is it natural, or do you possess the secret to dying one's hair?"

Zelkov is already placing one of his pearl charms in his palm then presents it to the stranger. "We have been instructed to trade charms, but I have decided to begin trading in return for questions."

Heath blinks, processing the loaded compliment. The stranger means well, surely, but there is something...odd about the way he talks in the first place. Still, it's better than a lot of the the other interactions he's had tonight.

"It's natural. Started when I was a child as a small streak. It's grown but no new patches have come up yet." And there's a pearl, offered quite directly. This guy gets straight to the point, doesn't he? "You sure you don't want a seashell? Can't hurt to have doubles."

This is the last charm he needs, now...or it would be, but he's not sure the anchor counts while in Hyperion's belly. Ah. Well, that's a problem for the Heath of the near future.

[loyaldeserter]

he just wanted to see the horses. he just wanted to see the horses. Ferdinand Von Aegir just truly and sincerely wanted to see the horses. "oh!" and there was someone else in here with him. "hello! fellow beast and steed appreciator, it is very good to meet you!"

his voice was a little loud and jarring for how serene the stables were, but the horses did not seem to mind much. nor the wyvern, for that matter. "I am Ferdinand Von Aegir, first son of House Aegir."

"take this," he handed an anchor charm over proudly. it is, without a doubt, a little exaggerated, and not many would have the means to ignore it. "I am sure us meeting here is just one of many. may our new bond be forged with this then!"

Heath is not the only one taking a break from the festivities at the stables, it seems. A young man with ginger hair approaches him with a loud and friendly greeting, his attention stirred from a rather noble-looking steed.

"Ah, hello." The sudden noise would surely upset at least one of the beasts, yes? Yet they all seem rather...used to this. Comfortable, if not tolerant. "I am Heath, currently a knight in the employ of the Church."

He is entirely fearless around Hyperion, who eagerly seeks his attentions. A 'beast and steed appreciator,' this Ferdinand proclaims he is, and he is given appreciation in turn. Respectable, honestly.

"Oh...thank you." Well, that is rather forward. Heath reaches his hand forward, but not quickly enough--Hyperion lunges, delicately (as a wyvern can) lifting the anchor from Ferdinand's hand with his tongue. No fingers are harmed in the making of this scene. Just Heath's pride and the illusion that Hyperion is well-behaved. "My apologies. Hyperion is a little...excitable, especially around new friends. And things he thinks are food."

Sheepishly, Heath unclips a charm from his own bracelet, offering it to Ferdinand. Carefully. While pushing away a curious Hyperion who has been oh so starved and definitely not fed the highest quality meat by the estate. A token of apology for the wyvern slobber on Ferdinand's pristine gloves, and perhaps of friendship if the young man still so wishes.

[loyaldeserter]

ask from @katabatiic [ GARDEN ] The bustle of the ballroom is distant here, muffled by both the walls and the drum of rain against the glass overhead. It gives the sort of breathing room that Legault would expect a certain wyvern rider to seek out at some point in the night. It isn't easy to find him at first with all of the shades of green about, but Legault's grown to know that specific hue well enough. Deft fingers slip a tiny lilac blossom in beside the shock of white, the touch obscured by a hand on the knight's opposite shoulder as he approaches from behind. "Hey there, stranger. Lovely weather, isn't it?" He rounds to face Heath now, grinning like a fool. He finds it hard not to in his presence. "I'll be honest—when I couldn't find you in the ballroom, I'd worried you'd slipped out to the stables to be with the horses and lizards."

The storm descends quickly, scattering ballgoers left and right. It's interesting to watch from Heath's current vantage point, a mostly-empty greenhouse he'd retreated to for a moment alone. He expects some company, but most seem to have darted straight to the mansion or a structure closer to the dance floor.

It's no matter. The music and rain form a distant rhythm, and Heath lets himself walk among the flowers that remind him of home, hearty flowers of the mountains and moors. His hands unconsciously drift to the pendant he wears around his neck, to the dried Bernese flowers that rest inside the glass locket.

"Wha--Legault?!" Heath doesn't know if he should be mad at Legault or himself for the fact that he recognized the thief's tap before he showed his face. "I suppose I should give up on expecting a normal greeting."

It takes him a moment for him to process the results of Legault's other gesture, his hands brushing over what he assumes to be a small flower. He withdraws his hand carefully, trying not to dislodge it.

"You're not entirely wrong. I've done that a few times." He should probably have a chat with Legault about the guy who's seemingly from the future, but wiping that smile off his face would be downright cruel. He responds instead with a tilt of the head, a little smile of his own. "Would rather look at some greenery than chaperone Hyperion and Peaches, though."

The music is more tolerable here, dampened by the glass panes and the rainfall that strikes against them. The current song fades away, the tuning of instruments heralding a new one. Legault's hair is silky even while slightly damp, the tie holding it in place hanging so loose Heath fears it may slip at any moment.

"You must've gotten here in a hurry." Before he can talk himself out of it, Heath leans forward, hands poised to tighten the bow. His gloves and inebriation mix poorly, though, and instead the tie comes loose altogether, letting Legault's hair out in full, a lavender fan comparable to some of the blooms behind him. The tie itself is now knotted and nearly severed. "Ah...sorry."

a gaze that's quite as clear