[center][img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/231110/8d749d906d93af45726a04f7ecf5f219.png[/img][/center][hr]To Jannick’s chagrin, the night was not passing as quickly as he’d hoped. It started off fine, his conversation lively, his partners interesting and interested enough, and a little champagne helping to lubricate things never hurt, but as the night wore on, the clock seemed to grind to a halt. The polite giggling of the ladies gradually went from cute to grating, he was pretty sure the band was playing the same dull, droning string arrangement on a loop, and Jannick was starting to get a little tired of polite insistence that his stories really were [i]so[/i] interesting. 

All of a sudden, he jumped at the sound of crashing glass, jerking sharply from his lacklustre conversation with one hand on his holster as he searched for the source of the noise. Not that he should have expected much, but it turned out to be nothing; just a waitress who dropped some glassware and pissed off one of the nobles. Jannick took a breath, playing off his reflex to grab his sidearm by adjusting his uniform jacket as he watched Sir Edmund come to the fair lady’s rescue; apparently everything from his past to his outfit was old-fashioned. Jannick himself would have been content to let the janitor - or [i]scullery maid[/i] or whatever rich people have - take care of it, but he supposed he couldn’t fault the guy for being nice. 

Maybe he was just on edge. A cigarette sounded good; these girls were pretty but boring, and the single flute of champagne that had barely touched him to begin with had certainly worn off by now, as had the couple of smokes he’d had on the way over. Maybe whoever was keeping watch outside would be more interesting to chat with. 

After politely excusing himself, Jannick began making his way out, but not before checking in with his charge. Despite wandering off, he wasn’t a total latchkey Templar; he’d been keeping track of Holly somewhere in the back of his mind, and even better, at an event like this he always knew where he’d find her: hovering around the snack bar. 

With company, apparently. [color=9A906B]“Evening, Dame S[i]ss[/i]…”[/color] Jannick began to greet the accompanying Templar, realizing too late that he forgot her name. Sasha? Sierra? No… Oh! [color=9A906B]“[i]Sssara.[/i] pardon me; strong drinks,”[/color] he excused, gesturing at his head and rolling his eyes before turning quickly to his Scion. 

[color=9A906B]“Everything good over here, Your Holiness?”[/color] he asked Hollyhock, his decorum betrayed by his casual - or more aptly, [i]antsy[/i] - demeanour. [color=9A906B]“Figured I’d check in, but I’d [i]hate[/i] to interrupt.”[/color] He cast a token smile to Sara, although the pleading look in his eye and the way he thumbed the cigarettes in his pants pocket made clear his true motive. 
[hr][right][@OwO] [@Stern Algorithm][/right]