siraverage

[siraverage]

"Nanna it is," he says with a smile as he loads his arms with the planters, adjusting them carefully to put the least amount of pressure on his wrist. No wonder she wanted some help - these are pretty heavy, and her arms are already filled with her herbs!

He begins to follow her, peeking around the planters to keep her in sight - and to keep an eye on what's ahead so he doesn't fall - but is distracted slightly when she stops with a gasp and faces him again. "Hm? Oh, no, it's okay!" He shakes his head and keeps his grip firmly on the planters. "I'm alright, one of the healers was able to help a bit, so doesn't hurt as bad as it looks."

Alright, maybe that isn't entirely truthful, but he is a knight and was asked to help, and that is what he's going to do. That, and he could stand to learn his way around here, too. "It's alright, lead on and I'll follow."

green thumb, healer's touch { Stahl & Nanna

in response to: [this]

[siraverage]

Ah, Say'ri has always been a delight, and she still is now! With her arms wide, Stahl steps into them and enfolds her against him in a firm hug. She's small compared to him, but she's a warrior through and through, her lithe frame taut with wiry muscle. She'd been good to have at his back in a fight. He'd trust her in one now, too.

"Good tidings, sure," he says as he releases her and stands up straight again. "Mostly just here to train, get better so I can be a better Shepherd. I want to be as good as Frederick someday." A tall ask, he knows, but he's doing his best to work his way up, be better than he is. It's what the royal family deserves. "I can never know too many styles of fighting, right? Keep any enemies on their toes."

But there's no fighting now, not here. Only ice skating, something he hasn't done since he was young and would go out on the ice with his brother. He wasn't as tall back then, still gangly though, and spent more time fallen onto the ice than gliding the way his brother and mother could.

"I can't say my reflexes on the ice will be any good," he laughs, but holds his arm out for her as she takes a seat, helping her keep her balance on the thin blades. "But yeah, let me get a pair of skates and we'll have at it."

Quickly, he gets a spare pair of skates that can fit him decently well - a little small, but he's used to that when he can't get his shoes custom made - and sits beside Say'ri to put them on. He feels unsteady with such a thin blade to stand on, but, well, he's here now, so here he goes! Standing carefully, he gains his balance as best he can, then holds his arm out again for Say'ri so they can waddle to the ice together.

I won't fall if you don't fall

Spoiler: They both fall Mission board ice skating shenanigans

[siraverage]

May Activity Check

Status: Passed!

Threads: Tracker here Asks: Tag

New classes accessed: N/A Classes mastered: N/A

Activity points: +1, total 2

[siraverage]

"Well met." Innes stands with his back straight, charm sitting in his palm: a little anchor. "Would you care to swap charms?" The whole thing is silly to him, but why not?

Stahl doesn't know this man that suddenly approaches him, but he carries a familiar sort of air about him. Not because he recognizes him, but recognizes that he is a man of status. Although different, he's reminded of Emmeryn and, to a lesser extent, Chrom. Shoulders back, chin held level, his hand almost perfectly extended flat and parallel to the ground. He could imagine the once-Exalt approaching him similarly, though familiarity would have more of a smile on her face.

"Of course," he says, grinning as he fishes one of the pearl charms from his pocket and tucks it carefully into the man's hand while accepting the anchor from him. "Almost done, myself, so thank you, sir. I appreciate it."

[siraverage]

She likes me. Stahl grins and nods. "She does! She's very sweet, but horses need to develop trust with someone first. Isn't that right, girl?" He pats the top of her head, rustles her mane a bit, then pulls his hand back to let Nel be the one leading with the horse now that she's already made progress.

But it's her next statement that draws his attention back to her. A dragon? Stahl has befriended dragons, and fought against them. Nel being a dragon, well...he can't imagine she's anything but the friendly type. Truthfully, he'd never seen Tiki, Nowi, or Nah near any horses, so he can't say if horses react that way to all dragons, or just certain types.

He tilts his head a bit to the side and purses his lips. Perhaps those questions are better left for later, when he knows her well enough to feel like it's appropriate to do so.

"I grew up with them," he says simply, and, in his head, that's all there really is to it, but he expands on it anyway. "My dad, brother, and I all lived in a small village on the outskirts of the capital, and there was a farmer nearby with several horses. My family owns an apothecary, so we also had horses for the times when we needed to rush medicine into town. Or when we wanted to go on rides.

"So it felt natural that, when I decided to become a knight, I worked my way up to the mounted cavalry. I've just always had a soft spot for horses, and it seems they like me, too."

old town road

toaball2025 cont. from here

[siraverage]

As soon as Alfred joins him on the couch, Stahl flips the corner of the blanket back over to cover him, reaching his arm over to make sure he's tucked in well enough to keep the heat in. He's lean, and Stahl thinks he could catch a cold easily enough. "There we go," he says once satisfied that Alfred is as tucked as he'll be able to get.

And then he stands, making sure Alfred is still fully covered, before looking around for the flint to start the fire. His muscles ache a bit from the chill that's started to set in, and he misses the warmth of the blanket, of his shirt when it was dry, but he'll be back in the heat soon enough.

It doesn't take long for him to get the fire lit, stoking it for a couple of minutes to get it going large enough to help warm the room. "Ah, excellent. That should help you out." Grinning, he returns to the couch and slips back under the blanket, accepting the anchor charm from Alfred and tucking it into his pocket, where he also retrieves the pearl from his pocket to exchange.

Once the charm is attached to his bracelet, he tucks himself close to Alfred, their arms flush against each other's. "Outside of getting drenched and being stuck next to me, have you been having fun? I'm one of the Knights, so if you need anything, I can try to help."

roasting on an open fire

↪ cont from here .

[siraverage]

Alfred had just left the jacuzzi in favor of something more private, his now-drying cape slung over his arm as he walked throughout the estate. He was now cold, despite having spent the time warming up prior, and sought some other way to warm himself up and dry out whatever crevices were left in his attire. He still had to carry his cape in front of his waist, given the curse that was white trousers still damp from the rain. 

It seemed others had the same idea, curled up as they were on various pieces of furniture throughout the estate, slumbering about or merely chatting with one another in the face of unusual circumstances. 

Logically, the next step was to… get cozy? But how might he do that without a blanket? He could always kindly ask to sit next to someone, siphon their warmth… but wasn’t that indecent? What would Céline say if she found out about him cozying himself up to other guests?

Oh well! He was cold. That was enough for him. He approaches another gentleman nearby as not to make this too awkward of an affair—cozying himself up with a male guest wouldn’t turn as much heads or paint him in a negative light, he thinks to himself—and clears his throat. “Is, uh… this seat taken? I got caught in the rain a while back and am just looking for a place to cozy up, as it were. Oh! I’m Alfred, by the way. What’s your name?”

It's gotten late, and at least parts of the mansion have started to settle down. Some rooms are still rowdy, and Stahl has considered joining in on some of it, but he feels a bit exhausted after the day of dancing, drinking, fishing (he won't get over that, at least not tonight). So he settles onto a couch and tugs a nearby blanket over himself. His jacket has been slung over a hook on the wall, and he's removed his shirt if for no other reason than it's cold, so the blanket helps to lock in what heat he can get.

His eyes are closed and arms crossed loosely over his chest beneath the blanket when he hears someone speaking to him. He opens his eyes again and sees a blonde man standing nearby. He looks cold, which is to be expected after the downpour they all just got caught in, so Stahl flips part of the blanket up, indicating that the seat next to him is definitely not taken.

"Hey, no worries! We all god wet and cold out there, didn't we?" He pats the spot beside him. "My name's Stahl. If you'd like, I can also try to get the hearth going. That'd help a lot, huh." He'd considered it before, but when it was just himself, he didn't care as much to think about it. But being joined by someone else who's smaller than himself, he starts finding other ways to try and help faster.

"Anyway, feel free to sit with me. I like having company."

[siraverage]

Ethereal Ball part 2 plot thoughts

Stahl has been ushered inside with the rest of the guests at the ball, and outside of finding himself trapped in a closet for seven minutes, he's had a pretty free second half of the evening! Let my very tall man join in some more festivities with you. He's fun, I promise! (Unless you don't want him to be)

[ THE DEVIL'S BATH ] - The Viscount's home has a private bathroom with the newest invention in relaxation and funtime— a "jacuzzi" he's calling it. Built into the marble flooring is a large indoor pool of water that has a variety of switches to change the temperature, to add bubbles and whirlpool effects, and to add scents and pretty colors. He's opened it to those who wish to warm up and clean themselves from the storm.

Hop into a hot jacuzzi with Stahl and you'll get bubbles, scents, and effects with his utter delight! Then you can sink in and relax, maybe talk a bit.

[ LAST DANCE ] - The orchestra has retreated inside, and in the mansion's own personal ballroom, they start the music anew. The up-and-coming bard, going solely by the stage name Julian, refuses to be outdone by his rival Delancey's earlier performance, and so sings dulcet tones intended to keep the party going and couples in the mood.

One more dance before calling it all a night isn't a bad way to go! Wet clothes needn't be a deterrent, either! Before getting dry or after (this can be paired with the [TOWEL] prompt, too), get in that last dance with your pal Stahl before splitting off for whatever other festivities you want! (Stahl optional for that part!)

[ 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.

Want to grab a drink or two (or five or-) with Stahl? He's more than happy to! He enjoys some good food and drink, so a bit of a feast to go along with the drinks would be nice, but he's also up for a drinking game or two. It can be fun!

[ SLEEP TIGHT ] - Not knowing how long the storm will last and it showing no signs of abating any time soon, guest bedrooms have been prepared, but there's not nearly enough for everybody. If you want a bed, you'll have to fight for it or else find some couch, chair, or the good ol' floor to claim for the night.

Are you really going to let poor Stahl sleep in an antique armchair, or on some hardwood floor? I mean, he'll do it, he's slept on worse! But this man is warm, and what are platonic cuddles for if not sleeping warmly and maybe making a new friend. Stahl loves making friends!

And we're open to other prompt ideas as well! Feel free to hit me up!

[siraverage]

The sight of him would have stopped her in her tracks, if she were walking; luckily enough Katarina is merely resting in a quiet corner as wallflowers do, so the faint flicker of startled eyes isn't nearly as conspicuous.

Is that--?

But it isn't. His hair rebels far more than Rody's ever has, and besides -- she recognizes him now that it isn't from the corner of her eyes. One of the newer knights, having arrived nearly at the same time as she'd graduated. Maybe that's something they could talk about? After all, she'd made a promise to be more social this year, and it would do her well to live up to it.

"...Stahl, isn't it?" She bobs her head in quiet greeting as she approaches. "You, um... we joined the Knights around the same time. I... wanted to say hello." A moment to fiddle with her bracelet, and she holds a pearl out to him. "...Here, for your bracelet. Is... are you... having a good time at the ball?"

Stahl stands to the side for now. After dancing, horseback riding, and joining Jeralt for bare-handed fishing (he's pretty sure the captain was drunk, or on his way to it), he's ready to simply be on the sidelines and watch for a bit, keep an eye on everyone. He is one of the knights after all, and tasked at least for a while to be on watch.

When he's approached, he turns a warm smile towards the woman. She seems a bit timid or shy, so he turns to face her fully, inviting her to come join him for a bit.

"Yeah, I'm Stahl," he says with a slight bow of his head. "I've seen you around, but I'm so sorry, I don't know your name yet."

As she hands him a pearl charm, he takes one from the pocket of his jacket and hands it to her as well - also a pearl. "I'm having a good time so far, yes. I never really got to join these kinds of events back home. Was always on duty." He laughs brightly at the memories; he didn't hate not joining in. The knights were always having a good time regardless. "So it's fun to be able to join in here.

"What about you? I hope you're also having fun."

[siraverage]

Stahl is patient as Nel takes her time in lowering her hand to rest on the horse's snout. These things can take time, and he isn't going to rush her or the horse into accepting each other. But, it seems, Nel has been accepted. The horse no longer swishes her tail angrily, nor does she glare or bare her teeth, even in a small snarl.

"She likes you," he says happily. "Here, you can pet her, too." He rubs his hand along her muzzle, her chocolate-brown eyes closing as his fingers rub between them. She's a beautiful beast, accepts his touch easily, but he notices that Nel doesn't move her own hand at all. In fact, looking at her face, she looks startled. Maybe a little scared.

Carefully, he rests his hand over hers and applies just enough pressure that she pets the horse beneath his palm. "She doesn't mind you, even if she saw you as a..."

it's a strange word to use, especially since Nel might seem a bit stiff, but not dangerous. At least, not until she's in battle, he's sure. She carries herself with the surety of someone who is good with a weapon, would be talented in battle. But right now, she doesn't seem really threatening at all.

"I guess I don't see why she'd see you as a threat. You're very sweet with her, and outside of trying to win a staring contest with her, you seem fine to me." He shrugs, runs his free hand through his hair again.

old town road

toaball2025 cont. from here

[siraverage]

A summer feh alt for stahl

[siraverage]

A lady in the marketplace. Once he figures his way around here a bit better, maybe he'll also toss some extra coin to her, see if she'll bring some Ylissean sweets here. It'd be nice to see Gaius with the usual that he used to have back home. (There's a lot of things that'd be nice to see from home, but he doesn't dwell on it.)

"A change of pace is nice. Learning new things, being surrounded by new people. It's different, but not in a bad way. It'll make me more useful in Ylisse, whenever I go back." He misses everyone there, but at least there's quite a few of them here. It makes things a little less lonely.

"But maybe having a familiar face will be nice, eh?" He grins and points to his own face before laughing. "Your old pal Stahl can be relied on for a lot of things, you know? If you need anything, I'm here for you."

Long time no see

Gaius & Stahl

[siraverage]

In all honestly, Stahl doesn't know how he got here. One minute, he's walking around the Viscount's mansion, admiring how glamorous the place is, the next he has hands tucking him into a closet and giggling. Is this some sort of game, or a prank? That hasn't happened since he and his brother would play tricks on each other when they were younger, and Stahl had finally grown taller than his family and could escape their attempts to trick him.

He tries to push on the closet door, but it doesn't budge.

And then he realizes he isn't alone in here. "Oh, uh. Hi." He can't see who they are, so he cautiously reaches out to try and find their shoulder or hand. "Sorry, I don't know how I got in here. What...what's happening? Are we supposed to try to find a way out?" He tries the door one more time, but it's still not moving.

Seven minutes...where?

Ethereal Ball prompts, round 2, fight!

[siraverage]

“ Are you looking for someone? ”

Leif asks simply, having been at the buffet spread they offered outside, looking at the man on the opposite side of the table as him. It's a brief pause while Leif's looking for what food to grab and pile on a plate, but he finds his curiosity too massive to not get the better of him here.

“ You've been looking around for the past while, so I thought you might have. ”  Then and only then, he resumes grabbing small desserts, but he still keeps glancing back up to the tall man in bemusement and intrigue alike.  “ Or are you looking for a specific charm for your bracelet? Is that why you keep looking out and down?? ”

Stahl's plate is filling up as he walks up and down the buffet table. Having this much food at the ready, seemingly endless, gives him and his stomach hope that he might be full before the end of the night. Which would be nice - he rarely feels full anymore.

He glances up when he's addressed, offering a quick, "Hm?" in question. "Oh, I'm not looking for anyone in particular, no. Maybe just people that I know." He laughs and stacks more food onto his plate. It's beginning to teeter, but that's alright, it's all going into his stomach soon anyway.

"But I do need to trade some of these charms, huh? I forgot about it." He laughs and fishes one of his own out of his pocket, a small pearl that feels like it could get lost in his palm. "Do you need this one? You can have it."

[siraverage]

[ SPLASH ] - For the daring, the ocean on its own can provide a stage for those who wish to swim! What better way to train the body than in these conditions? Or perhaps you’re thinking more along the lines of pranking another party-goer…

There aren’t many opportunities for Jeralt to enjoy the atmosphere of the coastline. The times he’s gone out fishing are normally by rivers and lakes–places that are more surrounded by forest than the wide expanse of sand and sea. Which is why hanging out by the beach makes him curious whether it’s actually possible for him to snag a crab or two with his bare hands.

If he’s a sensible person, he would’ve refrained from risking the possibility of getting his suit wet, especially at such a large formal event like the Ethereal Ball. Yet the slight buzz of alcohol lingering in his system tells him to try it anyway.

And so, here is the Captain of the Knights of Seiros, one leg over a rock and very adamantly eyeing the shallow waters flowing between the stony shores for any sign of aquatic creatures to capture.

As he’s in the middle of his venture, he hears soft footsteps approaching. Jeralt doesn’t even turn his head to see who it is. “Hey. Help me out, will you? I’m looking for something to catch. I’ll give you my charm for it.”

It's the sight of the captain precariously balanced on and around the rocks that makes Stahl come closer, a bit concerned about what's going on - or what could happen. It isn't really safe to be around such wet and slippery rocks, but Stahl isn't sure if the captain wants to hear it.

"Sir," he starts, but is interrupted by Jeralt asking for help. Not to get off the rocks, but for something to catch? Well, being from the countryside, it isn't like Stahl hasn't done similar things. Usually in clothes a lot less nice than these, but hell, how often will they be able to come back here?

Removing his jacket and rolling up his pant legs, he carefully steps onto the rocks as well, grateful that his shoes have good treads that catch on the grooves in the rocks.

It's getting too dark to really see what's moving in the waters below, but with his eyes adjusting, he's able to catch glimpses of movement. "I haven't done this since I was a kid," he says, rolling up his sleeves as well. "My brother and I would have competitions to see who could catch the biggest fish with our hands." Dad liked that because it meant they usually ate well.

After several minutes of standing prone, half crouched, his suit getting wet from the spray regardless of his precautions, he sees something flit into his line of sight and then stop. Swiftly, he snatches his hand into the water and grabs it up, gripping tightly against its flopping in his hand.

Except it's...a piece of fabric, something decorative that might belong to a party goer who lost it somehow. "Aw, damn." He tosses it behind him, determined to remember to take it to shore again and leave it for someone to find. "Alright, here we go again."

[siraverage]

[STABLES] She's seen her fair share of wildlife of various forms; whether it's a tiny mouse sniffling through the underbrush to find some semblance of a meal, or something larger like wolf stalking its prey-- Nel has spent enough time alive to come into contact with a myriad of different creatures large and small. Yet with how quickly her Elyos fell into ruin, the ecosystem being one of the first things to crumble... she feels as if she rarely had time to indulge in the presence of an animal companion. The horse next to her lets out a snort of what she thinks might be indignance as she offers her empty hand to it. If she knew about what she could do to entice the haughty creature, she would've brought something as a method of bribing it. Nel heaves a small sigh as she stares the creature down, whose stare is pointed at her rather defiantly. It seems that she's picked the rather sassy one to attempt to befriend, its tail lashing from side to side as it seems to dare her to try again. Footsteps behind her cause her to turn her head, though, and Nel glances over her shoulder to see who's arrived to disturb the silence. There's a familiar mop of brown hair that catches her eye, and her expression softens as recognition takes hold. "Sir Stahl. A pleasure to see you." Her voice is quiet, almost as if she's making the extra effort to avoid disturbing the steed. "I had not known you were attending tonight; perhaps I would have sought you out sooner if I did."

Unused to being so involved in this sort of revelry, Stahl finds himself a bit tired after a while, and makes his way to the stables. He's comfortable there. He's always been able to befriend horses rather well, which has helped him become more proficient as a knight in battle. Sweeping away enemies with his sword while on horseback had felt so natural for him.

As he approaches the stables, he sees Nel staring down a horse who lashes its tail in retaliation. His steps pick up as he gets closer, hoping to help her make friends with the steed.

"Just Stahl is fine," he says with a grin as he runs his hand through his hair, tousling his already mussed locks that he immediately tries to smooth back into place. He's supposed to look formal, dashing, and his hair doesn't want to cooperate. It's always been a problem, and without some of the hair products he sees so many others with, it seems he's just going to have to live with his hair as it is.

"I've just been exploring a lot. I might've gotten lost in the crowd somehow." He laughs. With how tall he is, it's a wonder that could happen, but there's some with tall heels or boots, tall accessories, things that help him blend into the crowd a bit better.

He moves to stand by her side in front of the horse. "Are you trying to make friends with her? I can help." After gazing at the horse for a moment, he lowers his gaze and bows his head. "Staring down a horse like that makes them think you're an enemy. They're prey beasts. You can't challenge them."

A pause and another laugh. "Well, you can, but I don't recommend it." Finally, he lifts his head to see the horse lowering her head a bit, inviting him to pet her. His rests his hand on her muzzle and strokes. "Good girl. Can my friend pet you, too?"

[siraverage]

It isn't difficult to spot him, what with the towering figure that he cuts. Seeing those shoulders above the rank and file does Libra's heart some good. Though he'd never been close to Stahl, he'd always regarded him fondly.

Libra approaches his old comrade slowly, smiling gently upward. "What a pleasure it is to see you again, Stahl. And in happier times..."

He cannot help the warmth that suffuses him--nor the wild impulse to ask Stahl for a dance. But he suppresses it. It would be a bridge too far.

It is enough, to see Stahl like this.

Ethereal Ball shenanigans

Stahl really was unaware of just how many of his old friends are here, and as the man approaches, he can't help but to grin. Such a sweet, gentle man who saw the war in Ylisse through with such incredible tenacity and determination. It's admirable, though he is the type that Stahl would have liked to protect better. Sometimes he wonders if he'd done enough back then.

But those are thoughts for another time.

"Libra," he says holding his arms open for a hug if the other man will allow it. "I didn't know you were here, too! And in much better times. It's all I can ask for, really, my friends safe and the world happier than it was before."

He rests his hand on Libra's shoulder. He's always been small, but then again, a lot of people are smaller than Stahl. "Hey, maybe this is weird, but would you want to dance? I don't really know anyone, and I feel awkward just standing around. But it's okay if you don't want to!"