#○˚.•° 𝘭𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘳 ⁺₊

[romaritimes]

about lyney: brother :lyney_tada:

"…Yes, I suppose you could call Lyney my brother. I don't refer to him as such just because I feel as if we've grown out of those terms, and it feels awkward to voice aloud. Me not calling him by that specific title doesn't mean I won't always consider him my family and dear companion."

[romaritimes]

about arlecchino :eyes:

"I didn't interact with Father much before, when she was of equal standing with me underneath Mother. I caught Father's gaze here or there in passing at the time, but she had always terrified me… Today, I know she might be harder on me than she is with the twins, but I know deep down it's because I'm lacking and in need of much improvement. Her way of being firm and tough is to harden me so I can carry out my duties and protect my loved ones. She's done much more for me than I could ever repay her for, and with each passing day her resolve continues to leave me in awe… suffice to say, my current impression of Father is much different from my first impression."

[romaritimes]

[About Ferminet: Macabre] [x]

"I try not to dwell on my missions much. Sometimes we don't have much of a choice in life but to do as we're told, and we have to carry on as if everything is normal after the fact. I try to think of it in this way: if I'm sent on a mission, it's because someone or something is posing a threat to my family and I. In that case, I can't sit idly."

[romaritimes]

[About: Ratio] [x]

"Professor Ratio is very kind… To be honest, he was really intimidating at first, and I almost thought he would have just outright told me off if I had made the slightest mistake, but I'm glad that wasn't the case at all. Still, I find myself unconsciously wincing when he addresses me. Call it force of habit, or maybe it's his tone of voice that sets something off within me."

[romaritimes]

About: Diving Suit Failures

"You don't learn to swim, let alone dive, without a few setbacks. Before I was blessed with my vision and when I was just starting out, I would try to stick to shallower waters… but, honestly, the thrill and beauty of all that lies in the depths of the ocean would draw me in, and I'd find myself diving deeper and deeper. I suppose I'm fortunate to be a child of Fontaine, since our waters are blessed by the Archon, making it low stakes if my diving suit were to fail me. The same can't be said for divers in other nations of Teyvat, I'm sure. I suppose, hypothetically, if something were to go wrong… at least Pers would be by my side."

[romaritimes]

About: Leisurely Otters

"As terrifying as it may be to some, and as dangerous as it is to the many who are uninitiated, there are a vast amount of marvels beneath the surface of the sea, the otters being some of them. They are quite trusting and friendly, and unfortunately that means they can get caught in the middle of some altercations between their less friendly marine counterparts… but if there's anything worth taking a trip beneath the surface for, I'd say seeing the little otters cracking their shells on their bellies is an unforgettable sight."

[romaritimes]

It's certainly a strange sight to see Fontaine's finest Champion Duelist marching through the streets of the Court with a sickeningly adorable penguin plush tucked into her arms. What's not strange, however, is the recipient of her gift-- perhaps to others looking in from the outside, it would be strange that she's offering this small toy to a member of the House of the Hearth... but it's a good thing that she's never cared about the rumors that circulate. "Happy birthday, Freminet," Her voice remains low and measured, conveying her sentiments with a weighty simplicity in her words. There's no expectation of thanks, no flourish of emotion-- just a genuine desire to share something meaningful. The small stuffed penguin is extended to him without much preamble, and though it's modest in appearance, it carries the essence of thoughtfulness. A reminder of her unwavering support for the young man. "I've been reading a bit on the penguins you seem to have an affinity for. From what I understand, they're known to be quite curious, calm, and playful when they want to be-- I find it to be fitting for someone with your personality." A small smile tugs at the corners of her lips as she gingerly presses the plush into his hands. "I do hope you enjoy today. I apologize for running a bit late. May you have fun with your siblings, and remember- do not hesitate to find me if you ever require assistance."

Simply out of habit, there is a certain type of anxiety that strikes Freminet any time he is within Clorinde's vicinity, less a knee-jerk reaction of fear more than it is a lingering feeling of guilt that he hasn't done enough to repay her. Even he can consciously acknowledge that this is unfair to the Champion Duelist; however, instinct is hard to challenge.

The ball of fluff in her arms strikes him by surprise, and he would have kept wondering what it was had Clorinde not handed it out to him. For a moment he hesitates, not sure if he's worthy of accepting a gift from her at all, though he eventually settles on the thought that it would be more rude to refuse, especially given that she had taken the trouble of gifting it to him specifically, and on his birthday, no less.

"Thank you," he utters quietly, unable to look her in the eyes when he says it, though his gaze manages to focus on the collar of her coat - an improvement to merely staring at his boots. "I... truly appreciate it, and you."

It's not a lie, but it still manages to make Freminet flush with embarrassment, and he swiftly continues on his route back to the House of the Hearth; he vows to make it up again to Madame Clorinde later, yet another item on the laundry list of things to make up to her.

"Pers, Madame Clorinde brought us a new friend," he announces to his clockwork penguin later when the three of them are alone, a warm smile gracing his usually stone cold expression as he arranges the two penguins beside one another.

[romaritimes]

tada! her dear baby brother gets a treat, of course. doves flutter all around him, chirping their cheerful greetings, and when their little wings flap away, there stands lynette with a large ribboned box.

"happy birthday, freminet. this is from me." and lynette very rarely lets on what she is thinking, feeling, hearing; but today, the warmth in cool violet eyes leaves little room for doubt in terms of her earnestness. freminet is family. lynette will always love family—and her two closest brothers most of all. as for what's inside the box, it's a bundle of gifts that hopefully covers enough bases between practical and sentimental. one is a mechanical saurian toy unlike anything that exists in fontaine—a purchase she had snuck during their trip to natlan—the second is a kit engineered precisely to tinker with natlan's phlogiston-based technology; and the third, another saurian toy...though this one is a soft plush rather than a device. "is there anything you'd like to do today? we can go together... and afterwards, let's have some dessert. it'll be my treat."

The flock of doves come as a minor startle, but not exactly a surprise, especially when they reveal his older sister before him. Freminet takes the box from Lynette's hands, corners of his lips turning up into a nearly imperceptible smile of gratitude, though he knows his sister expresses herself similarly and can read his emotions even if they're not spelled out on his face.

"Thank you, Lynette," he nods. "Yes, Lyney also wanted to go out for a meal, perhaps we can all go, the three of us."

The selection of gifts is revealed to him later that night in the comfort of his bedroom, and he has to admire his older sister's slight of hand to have been able to purchase and stow these away from their Natlan trip without him noticing. Now that he thinks about it, Freminet may have seen her stuff one of the gifts away into a magic pocket, but at the time, the thought had never crossed his mind that it would have been a present for his birthday.

The saurian plush joins Lyney's gift of the clockwork cat companions and his trusty Pers beside him in bed, as well (his mattress was getting a little cramped, but he thinks to himself it is a good problem to have). The mechanical saurian and phlogiston kit neatly sit upon the other tools on his work desk as if keeping watch over them, and he will no doubt enjoy the tinkering and experimenting as much as he did the company of his family for his birthday dinner.

[romaritimes]

in the morning, a small box sits innocently at freminet's door, wrapped in a magician's signature pinks and red. inside are two little clockwork machines the size of pers, made in the likeness of the twins' cats, and between them a small diving helmet akin to freminet's, seemingly just the right size to fit over pers' head.

brother, a note folded up and tucked into the corner of the box begins, a message written instead of spoken, perhaps, because it has been a very long time since they've called each other such, but to lyney it will always be true, happy birthday. some new friends to keep you and pers company.

and whenever lyney runs into his brother later that day, the magician just smiles and tilts his head, a, “happy birthday, freminet!” to accompany the pat of a hand to his shoulder. then, a laugh. “i admit, i'm a little tired of barbecue dinners by now. why don't we go get some seafood later?”

Freminet doesn't need to read the note in the pink and red bag nor inspect his comments to know who the gift is from. When he takes it inside his room, he takes his time to cherish the greeting on the handwritten note; a word he hasn't heard in quite a while, but heartwarming in all the fleeting moments he does get to honor the title.

That day, the mechanical cats accompany Freminet and Pers on their diving trip, and later in the nighttime they will join Pers' side at Freminet's desk, where he will tinker with the three animal companions to further improve them.

But before that can happen, his older brother catches him by surprise as he's holding the two clockwork cats alongside his penguin in his arms, and he gives a nod. "Mmm, let's," he responds. "I'll bring our companions with us, and we can invite Lynette, too." And a brief smile flashes upon his face.

[romaritimes]

a simple approach, a simple blue gift bag, as its contents are truly best left unbound. simplicity here does not betray the thought behind the gesture -- or, at least, she should hope as much. "freminet. happy birthday," and she offers it out, waits for him to accept, then departs as soon as he does so.

contained within is a fine pocketwatch, carefully crafted by one of the most reputable horologists in the court of fontaine. this one in particular comes with a durable titanium chain and waterproof mechanisms designed to withstand extraordinary pressure; something practical, simple, but carefully picked for the recipient.

"Oh- thank you, Father," he responds, a small smile gracing his lips as he takes the bag with a bow of his head. He's more surprised than anything that she's around for the occasion, thinking that she may have been too busy for something insignificant like his birthday; her presence, however brief, and remembrance of him today in and of itself is gift enough.

Later that evening, as he opens the remainder of his presents in the privacy of his room does he finally lift the pocketwatch from the fine tissue paper protecting it. Freminet turns it around in his hands a few times, buffing out any of the fingerprints he happens to be leaving as he does so with the hem of his shirt.

Through force of habit alone, he pulls his toolbox and box of spare parts out and begins prying the thing apart to examine its inner workings, looking for any possible enhancements he could make... only to find that the pocketwatch was perfect in each and every way. Freminet lets out an exhale of incredulity at Father's thoughtfulness, wondering how much she must have spent on something like this, and all for him...?

He hugs it against his chest and sets it beside Pers and his pillow when he goes to sleep that night.

[romaritimes]

"Mr. Freminet? Just a moment, please."

Upon spotting the young diver on the shore, Neuvillette walks over towards him in casual steps. Once he is close enough, he nods in greeting, before holding out to him what appears to be a hand-made coloring book. Perhaps a silly thing to receive from the Iudex - until one remembers the ones he calls family.

"I was in Merusea Village yesterday, and, well... A while ago, the Melusines there found out about a certain young diver and his fascination with the underwater Melusine village, and that his birthday was fast approaching. So, they got together and made this, and asked me to give it to you should I run into you."

Indeed, within the book, Freminet will be able to find all sorts of colorful pictures of the place that, to most humans, exists only in beliefs and fairytales. The underwater tunnels with glowing plants, the blue and pink little houses with round entrances and Melusines smiling and waving eagerly in front of them, the calm creek flowing through the middle of Merusea; all colored carefully in pastel, and adorned with hand-made stickers.

"Some people say that Merusea Village is just a fairytale and doesn't actually exist," Neuvillette continues. "They don't know that Melusines are very unhappy to hear such claims. So in addition to a birthday gift, consider it their thanks for your faith in them."

And mine, too, although he leaves that part unspoken. With that, he nods. He is aware that the young man is not fully comfortable in his presence.

"That's all. If you'll excuse me."

He initially thinks he's in trouble; there's still a part of him that's quite fearful of the Iudex, even after their encounters that had shown him more of Monsieur Neuvillette's kindness. Retreating would be quite rude, especially when he's being specifically addressed, so he cautiously approaches the other, mentally preparing himself for a scolding.

Beyond his expectations, his ears perk up at the mention of Merusea Village, and his eyes widen in wonder as the Iudex speaks. His fingers timidly reach for the book, almost feeling undeserving of taking something so precious upon him. He's at a loss for words, and is just barely able to mumble out a "thank you" as his eyes shyly flit from the cover of the book to the Iudex's face, and anywhere else his gaze could possibly land.

He'll have to make a note of Monsieur Neuvillette's birthday to repay the favor. For now, he hugs the book to his chest, his boots leading him back to the House of the Hearth slowly, then with a faster pace as his excitement builds (and after he's out of earshot of others) to examine it in the comfort and privacy of his room.

[romaritimes]

[S'MORES] - A classic treat, easily made in the bonfires that crop up as the sun begins to set, and perfect for sharing.

freminet is still in her good graces for now, unlike another brother who had thought it wise to pelt her with water balloons. so lynette wordlessly holds out a skewer, marshmallow caught on its tip. the marshmallow is also on fire. freminet has seconds to put it out before it becomes well over well done. a mouthful of ash is probably not within his interests.

"L-Lynette–" He blows at the marshmallow on fire in a panic to no avail, his breath only serving to stoke the flames. Freminet acts before the marshmallow is converted to something more akin to charcoal than anything remotely edible, retrieving Pers and using him as a sort of makeshift catalyst to channel his Cryo energy at the marshmallow.

What happens when you combine fire with ice? Well, in this case, you get a marshmallow burned to a crisp that's now also fully encased in a thick layer of ice. You can't even count on being able to treat it as a popsicle, however; the outer layer of Cryo ice has crystals so jagged it would almost certainly shred the inside of your mouth if you tried, not to mention the ensuing ice burns.

Freminet says and does nothing but look at their utterly ruined treat on the skewer wistfully.