#（◈）▸ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʀᴇᴀᴋɪɴɢ ɢᴇᴀʀs ᴏғ ғᴀᴛᴇ ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ ᴄᴇᴀsᴇ ᴛᴜʀɴɪɴɢ. ( ic )

[heartswayed]

“...i hope you realize just how lucky you are, xander.” 

   your voice is soft, red eye fixed firmly on angry scarlet marks covering far, far too much of your older brother. in your hands is a staff, alight with the soothing glow of healing magic, and for the umpteenth time you wish elise or sakura were here. they’re better than this than you are. they’re real healers, with actual experience... not a beast with a sword and some small capacity for magic. part of you was tempted to let one of the castle healers take care of him, but the showdown between surtr and xander had led to many more injuries than just his... it wouldn’t be right to refuse your part.

   at the least, you can do something until a professional gets to him. you take solace in that. you... you know you haven’t been very kind to him, especially here in embla, but xander is still your older brother. you... do not wish to see him hurt. 

   ( flames still flicker in the corner of your mind, siegfried clashing with sinmara as xander duels the muspellian king. you shield veronica, unable to take your eye off the battle... and in the end she gave herself up anyways, leaving you in the dust with no clue how to proceed. )

“please, hold still. i’m no elise.” 

@valorwilled​ because i have no self control

[heartswayed]

“my apologies, i truly didn’t mean to stare-- your magic is very impressive, is all! i couldn’t help but watch.” 

@stormsiris​ isn’t alone in the training grounds. ♡

[heartswayed]

@reztactics​ sent...  "Ah, Dorothea!" That -was- the Black Eagles' resident spellcaster, wasn't it? Good timing... Christa hurried over, holding the book Annette had found and identified as belonging to the songstress out to her. "You left this in the Blue Lion classroom. We thought we should give it back, glad I ran into you!" (This is indeed for Araceli, Christa is getting voices mixed up)

“oh, um...” 

   you blink, unsure of how to respond to the foreign princess for one long moment. d... dorothea? how could you ( weak, shy, uninteresting, unworthy of your own friends ) possibly have been confused for lively, beautiful, enchanting dorothea arnault-- 

   ah, that’s right. princess christa of altea is blind. she only has voices and names to go off of, and you hadn’t been sitting near her when you’d sat in on professor lilim’s class. an easy mistake... you don’t think lady christa and dorothea have spoken much; it must be easy to get the two of you confused if she hasn’t heard the voice often. you resolve to talk to her highness more in the future; it was very sweet of her to try and return your things, even if the intended recipient was off. 

   ( you wonder why prince dimitri didn’t return it himself, but you suppose the house leaders have more responsibilities than the average student. el’s certainly been busy lately after all... you wonder how much of it has to do with the officer’s academy and rehabilitating monica, but you brush the thoughts aside. it’s not your place to ponder. ) 

“thank you very much! i was wondering where i’d left that theorem on healing magic...” you take the book with a hum of content, followed up by a weak laugh. “there’s just one thing, princess... i’m, um. i’m not dorothea. it wasn’t her who sat in on your class today, your highness. my name is araceli. araceli von krakenburg. in any case... thank you again for returning the book. it means a lot!”

   ... once again, that nagging feeling in your heart tells you to seek out professor lilim. surely she wouldn’t turn you down...?

[heartswayed]

 “are... are you sure this will work?”

@valorwilled​ ( dorothea ) probably has everything under control. ♡

[heartswayed]

“excuse me, lorenz? i’m very sorry to bother you, but would you happen to have seen a hairpin around here? it’s, um, about this big--” you gesture with your hands, “--and it’s in the shape of a butterfly...” 

@ambitionsrelic​ would be a huge help right about now. ♡

[heartswayed]

@valorwilled​ sent...  ❛ i never really belonged anywhere. ❜ - claude ( prompt. )

   though his tone is lighthearted and jovial, the words obviously having been meant as a joke of sorts, there’s a slight edge to claude’s voice, a muted bitterness hiding behind the easy smile, and ice in lovely green eyes. the jest is also a jab at himself, an acknowledgement of a past he’s careful to keep under lock and key lest a certain heir to house gloucester is listening in. you don’t know much about the internal affairs of house gloucester or the leicester alliance, but you do know that lorenz seems to have it out for claude. badly. 

   your book snaps shut, a small ribbon inserted as a bookmark, and you look up at your new house leader with concern. he... has never belonged anywhere? but how could that be possible? surely he belongs with his family-- and if not those in derdriu, with his mother and father... wherever they are out there. you would suspect there isn’t a very good relationship between son and parents but the few times claude has brought his mother or father up, he has spoken with nothing but glowing praise. 

   perhaps... he was bullied growing up? but that makes no sense either. there is absolutely no reason anyone would have picked on claude von riegan: he’s intelligent. he’s cunning. he’s a wonderful shot and a force to be reckoned with in close combat as well-- he’s funny, he’s kind, he’s well spoken, charismatic, and... well, he’s handsome. he carries himself with an easy grace; it brings to mind edelgard and prince dimitri, though... not quite. why would anyone ever have anything against such a well rounded individual? were they jealous...? 

   that has to be it. it’s the only thing that makes sense. 

“claude...” you say, voice soft as you take one of the house leader’s hands and give it a squeeze-- only to drop it with a quick apology when you remember your place. he is not edelgard. you cannot be so freely affectionate with the next sovereign duke. ( ... or the imperial princess. not ever again. she does not want you. monica von ochs is a far better friend than you could ever apparently be. he pities you. you are merely tolerated out of the golden deer’s kind heart, and if you overstep your boundaries he will grow weary of you too. ) “that’s just silly. everybody belongs somewhere... and that includes you. even if people tried to convince you otherwise, you belonged just as much as they did. they were just... horrid, horrid people. and...” 

   you shift a bit, fidgeting with your book. 

“even if i’m wrong about that -- which i’m not -- you belong here. with the golden deer. with professor paimonia.” you shift in place again, hoping he won’t take offense to your next words. “with me, too. we’re... friends, aren’t we? it... it isn’t much, i know, but i promise you no matter what happens, there will be a place for you with me. we’ll always be friends. you’ll always belong.”

   and if anyone tries to give you or him trouble over it, they’ll get magical snow dumped down their shirts.

[heartswayed]

“i didn’t think anyone else would be in the library at this hour. i suppose you can’t sleep either?”

@ordelian​ has found a potential reading buddy? ♡

[heartswayed]

“what if i care both hubert and lady edelgard with all my heart?”

[heartswayed]

“if i might ask... what prompted your interest in crestology, linhardt?”

@tomestobetold​ ( linhardt ) has piqued a curiosity. ♡

[heartswayed]

“bernadetta...?” you rap at the other girl’s door softly, clutching a sheaf of papers to your chest. "may i come in? i think i found something of yours in the dining hall earlier...”

@halycondaze​ ( bernadetta ) is probably missing these... ♡

[heartswayed]

halycondaze replied to your post “   transferring classes, huh…?”

❝ Araceli, you're always welcome to join our class. ❞

“l-lady edelgard?! you-- you were listening just now? um... t-that’s very kind of you, your highness... might i, um, think on it a little more?”

[heartswayed]

“... i hope everyone has a good day today.”

[heartswayed]

“at least he can say he completed the course-- that’s still something to be very proud of! good job, hubert!”

[heartswayed]

"no, you're breathtaking!"

[heartswayed]

“... kitagawa-kun... how much sleep have you been getting lately? i am... concerned.”

[heartswayed]

"ryoma's hair is lovely. you all are just mean."