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Rudolf let out a startled yelp at Kayden's acknowledgement, muffled into incoherence by the water that submerged his mouth as bubbles frothed up on the surface of the pool above. Why? Of all the times for his unfortunate curse to fail him, why did it have to be when he was [i]naked[/i]? The boy curled in on himself tighter, hugging his knees to his chest and squinting in concentration, as if willing his Crest into being would make everyone miraculously forget he was there. Unfortunately, it seemed the blood of Saint Noa was not his to command, and Kayden's eyes lingered too consistently for Rudolf to have shifted from an insecure little boy to a nebulous bathhouse phantom.

[color=b300b3]"I'd rather not talk to her at all if I can avoid it,"[/color] Rudolf murmured in Kayden's direction as he finally lifted his mouth above the water's surface. The pool was too full. Too many eyes would have picked up at least a vague sense of his person. Any one of those strangers could take a direct interest in him, and then even ducking into the foliage wouldn't suffice to fully conceal him. He was stuck in the midst of an uncomfortable conversation between strangers about Veronica - which he might be expected to have an opinion on as an Adrestian student.

But it wasn't [i]just[/i] strangers. Crown Prince aside, a head of black hair across the pool looked awfully familiar. He wasn't one of the Varley kids that Rudolf could recall, unless the count had a bastard running around that the Adrestian gossip sphere wasn't privy to yet. No, he'd definitely seen this guy before. Formal wear was involved. Probably. Something with a V... Vlad von- no, that sounded like a cheesy play. Victor! Victor von Varley. That still didn't sound right, but Rudolf was out of V names. He'd try it.

Rudolf sunk low in the water again and awkwardly shifted away from the House Leader triumvirate and the probable Gautier bastard, keeping his back to the edge of the bath and his knees up high to cover his... [i]everything[/i] as he approached the arguing trio from outside his class. Whether his escape went unnoticed or not didn't concern him; he had nothing to say to Kayden with an audience present and even less to discuss with foreigners. They'd forget about him in a moment and he'd only have to evade the already-distracted students in the corner to slip away back to his room.

[color=b300b3]"Hi. Sorry. Uh. Victor, right? You probably don't remember me. Rudolf von Bergliez. I think we met at Count Hevring's ball a few years ago. Well, [i]we[/i] didn't really meet, but I was there... in the corner... um. That- that sounds creepy, ignore that."[/color] The pallid boy fumbled awkwardly through his words, only able to maintain eye contact for short intervals before his gaze drifted back down to his knees. [color=b300b3]"Anyway,"[/color] Rudolf continued nervously upon the realization that nothing he'd said so far actually had a point, [color=b300b3]"I just wanted to introduce myself and... say hello. I'd shake your hand but we're... uh... [i]disrobed[/i] at the moment."[/color]

Saints have mercy, a conversation about Veronica would've been a million times less awkward than this. The limits of his own stupidity always managed to astound him; Rudolf had no idea how no one else saw it.

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