Hidden 2 yrs ago Post by webboysurf
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Nathaniel's smile solidified, but he felt his eyes unable to meet Rossweine's. He had managed to catch the prince's words to the others: glowing praise and biting critique all mashed into flowery language. He couldn't help but be impressed. Nathaniel noticed the slight criticisms of his allies, and his words hit their marks. Rossweine was far from the last to have been keeping a clever eye on what was going on. Nathaniel had categorized his mental notes of the various performances, and Rossweine's comments helped to solidify the memories of their duels. Nathaniel hadn't paid much mind to Zenshin Ferros, for he seemed so green to the idea of fighting with a sword he might as well have been the grass in a Grayle field. What Nathaniel had marked was the disrespect of Edwin Giraud, another pompous noble with a disdain for the common folk who ultimately supported his family's station. Zenshin would be ready to face down the Giraud boy come the next tournament, Nathaniel would make sure of that.

The prince's words rung true, and a small glimpse of recognition shot over Nathaniel's face for a moment. The prince was particularly good at reading people's emotions... or perhaps Nathaniel broadcasted his own emotions too freely. His eyes quickly darted to the blonde standing next to the mountainous man. Julian Baker seemed so much more... small, now. Perhaps it was the lack of sand obscuring his vision. Regardless, Rossweine was right: a lesson was taught. The enemies of Grayle were treacherous cowards, and it would be unreasonable to be prepared only to fight the most honorable of opponents. It's a lesson Nathaniel wouldn't have to learn twice. Yet despite the Prince's wishes, Nathaniel couldn't help but feel a simmering rage deep down. To be taught such a public lesson, given such a public humiliation... it is a wound of honor that could not be healed by a few wise words. Nathaniel would still need to issue a challenge against the Baker boy. That much was certain.

To the Prince's request, Nathaniel gave a nod. "Of course, Y-er... Captain." The title didn't quite feel right in his mouth yet, but Nathaniel would honor his squad captain's request. "I will speak to them."

As Nathaniel went to peel off towards two of the last remaining members of the 13th squadron, he was stopped by an excited greeting. He smiled at the introduction and recognized the timid nature of the greeting, but couldn't help but be surprised by the eloquent words. Nathaniel's soft smile grew wider as he gave a short bow to Kaiser Underwall, one far less formal than the one he had given the prince. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Kaiser Underwall. Your adoptive father is spoken of quite highly across the kingdom, and I imagine many will speak highly of you as well." Nathaniel's eyes scanned over the boy's features. Getting a closer look, Kaiser seemed to be every bit as strong and lean as was anticipated. The stranger had a physical advantage, certainly, but not an advantage in height. Nathaniel also noticed the locked legs and hints of blush in the boy’s cheeks. Kaiser Underwall was nervous.

Nathaniel gave a nod of his head in the direction of the prince and the others. "You should introduce yourself to our squad captain, and join us in heading to the barracks. I imagine they’ll be excited to meet you.” He gave a soft smile and placed a hand on the fellow cadet’s shoulder, giving a reassuring squeeze. Kaiser was a bit strange, but he wasn’t bad. With a bit of discipline, he would make a fine knight.

Nathaniel quickly parted from Kai, making his way swiftly towards the last remaining members of the 13th squadron. He quickened his pace, as to avoid keeping the prince waiting. His steps were loud, and his movement swift enough to be easily noticed. As he approached, Nathaniel called out his greeting. “Good morrow, gentlemen!” He lowered his tone to an appropriate volume once a few paces away, placing his hands behind his back and giving a short bow to the two. “I am Nathaniel of House Lothwren, second seat of our squadron.” He paused for a moment, his tongue pressed firmly to the roof of his mouth. They certainly already knew who he was, in hindsight. These second introductions seemed a bit redundant. Nathaniel’s smile remained unwavering as he brushed the thought aside and quickly continued. “Dot Auferrum and Liese Brendorn, it will be an honor to train alongside you both. I would like to extend an offer of invitation on behalf of our squad captain, Prince Rossweine Lupus Grayle, to join the rest of the squadron in our procession to the barracks. It seems we will be leaving momentarily.”
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Hidden 2 yrs ago 2 yrs ago Post by Feyblue
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First Impressions



The change that came over Julian's features at the towering young man's response to her rather halfhearted introduction was nothing short of extraordinary. Mere moments before, she'd been wearing a downcast expression of trepidation and uncertainty, yet that had been completely usurped by a positively glowing grin as she nodded eagerly, mentally cheering that her first assessment of her first friend among the squad seemed to have been correct. Or, well... maybe it was too early to call him a friend. As someone to whom the mere concept of friends was about as fantastical as dragons and ogres, it was really hard for her to say for sure. Even so, between the way he'd taken the time to console her even when he'd been chosen for such a prestigious role, and how he hadn't even hesitated to welcome her a moment later, she was definitely sure.

Even if he's huge, he's not scary at all! He's definitely a good person!

So, trotting hastily alongside him to keep pace, she forgot to even be upset or jealous at how a single one of his steps was worth about three of hers, or at the fact that he still faintly smelled of a delicious sandwich.

"Mmhm! I'll do my best!" She replied so emphatically that one would be hard-pressed to find even a sliver of the despondency she'd shown before. While it seemed that she grew uncertain rather easily, apparently she'd snapped back from that slump just as quickly. And, well... why wouldn't she? With the immediate obstacle to her dreams removed, she felt invincible -- never mind the challenges to come. She was riding along on such a wave of positive emotions that she'd almost forgotten her manners, actually. Come to think of it, he'd given his name, so...

"Ah, right, I'm Jun-- Ehem! Julian! Julian Baker! It's nice to meetcha, Sig!"

Crap! That had been close... Maybe some degree of paranoia was healthy after all. That wouldn't do, getting overly comfortable just because she'd found someone who was nice to her, and letting her real name slip to the very first person she'd met! It wasn't like she'd even been called by her real name much to begin with, so she couldn't even pin her slip-up on force of habit. But, well, even if nobody used it, it was still her name, so even if it did kind of sound similar, it was still difficult for her to get used to using an alias...

At any rate, she'd managed to cover up her mistake decently well. There was an N in there anyway, so it'd just sound like she accidentally stumbled over her words, right? Well, even if he had noticed something off, thankfully, the perfect distraction happened a moment later to take his mind off of it, since a new person entered the conversation and --

HOLY CRAP IS THAT THE FREAKING PRINCE?!

...Well, at least one of them was distracted. It was only just beginning to set in that yes, not only was she going to be training to be a knight, but the leader of her squad was a literal member of royalty. She tried thinking back, wondering if maybe, this group was kind of a big deal... Unfortunately, her knowledge of who was or wasn't important beyond the patently obvious was basically a complete blank. Though, one of the names sounded pretty familiar, somehow. Where had she heard of "Nathaniel Lothwren" before? Hmm... No good. Nothing really came to mind, so she quickly returned to thinking about the much more important fact of reality in front of her -- namely, that Prince Rossweine himself was going to be the head of her squad. Didn't that mean... she was actually pretty amazing? So she hadn't been saved for last because she'd done poorly, but actually because she'd caught the attention of the royals?!

...Well, the fact of the matter was probably just that Tervellan had thought she'd be a good way to motivate Nathaniel to improve and he could get rid of her later, but unfortunately, Julian's view of the world existed only in extremes, and now that she had just finished fearing that nobody cared about her, her unbridled optimism had swelled back to the fore, unchallenged and unstoppable. And, far from quenching this rapidly growing fire, Rossweine's words only stoked it further. "Your ingenuity and ferocity no doubt caught the eye of our esteemed Knight-Commander, who is rumored to possess that same vigor for ascension," he had said -- and she knew what at least some of those words meant! And even if some of them sounded a little bit insulting if she thought about them for a few seconds... nah, never mind that, what he really meant to say was that her plan had been super smart, right?!

"Ehehe~ Er, crap -- I mean, um... Thank you very much for your kind words, Your Highness! I may be new to this, but I'll dedicate everything I have so I won't disappoint you!"

...It was a little rough, but overall, her introduction was a surprisingly competent attempt at polite speech for a supposedly-uneducated child. It would have been altogether too suspicious entirely if she'd bowed properly to go along with it, but thankfully, she'd been too busy nervously clenching at the hem of her tunic to do anything of the sort -- which definitely wasn't because she'd almost instinctively tried to do a bloody curtsy and nearly ruined her whole plan, by the way! Through some stroke of good fortune, though, her lack of practice combined with an honest mistake to create a spectacle more resembling an idiot trying to throw together the most polite phrases he'd heard during a week doing odd jobs at the royal palace than a noble disguising herself poorly.

...Well, to be fair, that was also a pretty accurate description of what she was doing, too... But anyway, the prince seemed satisfied, and quickly moved on to the next group. Not knowing what else to do, she sort of halfheartedly waved while mentally urging her heart to crawl back down her throat and start beating again. Seriously, if she kept almost slipping like this, it was gonna take years off her life. Looking back up to Signar, she gave an uneasy laugh, wondering if he felt the same way as she did.

"So, he's gonna be our boss from now on, huh? He seems nice, but... somehow, working for a prince seems bad for my heart... Ehehehe..."

Glancing back, she noticed that the others all seemed to be gathering up into various little groups of their own... and it looked like some of the squad's chosen officers were trying to assemble them all and get them moving towards the barracks. Their team definitely seemed like the most visually striking, at the very least -- with everything from posh aristocrats to a boy whose wild mane of bluish hair made him look half-feral.

First a giant, then a prince... I wonder who else I'll meet here? It's a little exciting... almost like a fairy tale!

The people with whom she'd be spending her years as a student, striving together to achieve their dreams... She could hardly wait to meet them!
Hidden 2 yrs ago Post by Zombehs
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Signar Wayland

Laughing heartily along with Julian’s enthusiasm, Signar clapped the blonde’s shoulder a few times. With the difference between the two of them, he probably should have held back a bit as each clap felt like it might have compressed Julian’s spine a bit! Maybe it would help if he thought of it as training? Surely he’d go through worse with the Knight’s strenuous curriculum!

If he noticed the slip up, Signar made no comment about it and simply nodded instead. “Aye. It’s quite the strange group we’ve found ourselves in,” he mused as he reached up and rubbed the stubble on his chin. The disparity between the highs and lows of the 13th squad was quite stark, even if he merely judged it from a Valeforian perspective. Maybe they thought that the presence of talent would help pull up those that needed the extra training?

The reasoning of the Knight Commanders was beyond Signar though, and he didn’t dwell on the possibilities for long. The arrival of their newly appointed Captain helped to cut those musings even shorter and he met Rossweine’s gaze as the prince addressed him. Certainly, it didn’t seem like he was looking for a conversation so much as he was making himself known to those under his command. Nonetheless, Signar gave a polite nod to Rossweine as the prince finished. “Of course, whenever you have the time.”

Even if he hadn’t bothered to glance down at the blonde, Signar certainly heard Julian’s somewhat flustered response. That was probably the normal reaction at being addressed by a member of royalty, but it just didn’t really click for him. While Rossweine didn’t seem to mind Signar’s lax response though, he knew that others probably wouldn’t feel the same. A Valeforian treating one of the country’s royal scions so casually? He could imagine the fit some people who were too big on appearances might just throw. ‘Just treat him like a client,’ he thought to himself. Framed in that sense, it made a bit more sense to be put on a more professional demeanour when dealing with the prince.

With a heavy sigh, Signar glanced down and met Julian’s gaze before he looked back up and watched as Rossweine called over and addressed another of their peers. The name came as something of a surprise for him though! Another Valeforian craftsman? What were the odds of that? He knew of the Ferros and their work when it came to alchemy, but the exact specifics of Zenshin’s circumstances weren’t something he knew. He had heard there was a genius among this generation from them though, so perhaps this was an attempt to escape their shadow? Whatever the case might be, Signar would have to find out if the other man had any skills as an alchemist. It would definitely be a boon to his own work if Zenshin was able to produce certain reagents and refiners.

“Well, he certainly has a way with words,” Signar remarked as Zenshin’s confidence soared with little more than some eloquent encouragement from the squad’s captain. “It’ll probably mean more eyes on our squad than usual, but you could always think of it as a chance to make a name for yourself. Maybe something better than Sand Sprout?” Chuckling a bit, Signar was almost certain that terrible nickname would at least get a rise from Julian. With the general aim of the group being steered towards the barracks now that Rossweine had spoken with most of the members, he supposed it was time to get a move on as well.

“Let’s get going, eh? The sooner we’re done settling ourselves in, the sooner we can see what sort of food they’re gonna be feeding us.” The sandwich might have served as a delicious meal for Julian, but Signar needed a bit more than just that to have his fill!
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Dot



Liese was…odd. He was at once exactly what Dot had expected a noble to be like, yet also strikingly different. It seemed to her that he spoke like the mummers at court did to their audiences, with enough zeal and bombast to make up for every poor dejected sod that had been turned away, and he was almost stiflingly proud about it too. But, he wasn’t using that pride like she’d seen some of the other nobles do. Part of her had expected derision or blackmail, instead she got understanding, even empathy. She wondered what the young noble meant about being judged himself, but she wasn’t afforded much time to think on it.

To his last statement she nodded. His ambitiousness aside, he had motives she could certainly respect, and in fact fervently agree with. “I hope we do.” she said, and found she meant it. “And…thank you. For the confidence. I hope I can repay that trust.”

“Good morrow, gentlemen!”

Dot turned to the newcomer, smiling on instinct, until he introduced himself as Nathaniel of House Lowthren, and she realized she was now in the presence of not one but two nobles. It made sense of course. You didn’t fill the second seat at a table helmed by the prince with the ass of a nobody. But, then, why had it been Nathanial? Granted, Dot wasn’t versed in Grayle’s social hierarchy, so there was certainly a chance that House Lowthren was simply just that important, but after only a brief conversation with them, Dot found it hard to believe that Liese wasn’t important either.

Actually, hadn’t Nathanial been the one laid low by the Baker boy? Conversely, Liese had made short work of another noble in his own bout. By merit alone, should it not have been him commanding as second, or third? Adean would have scolded her for being presumptuous, but in the back of her mind, Dot couldn’t help hearing Liese’s words again. Perhaps the boy’s empathy had sincere roots.

Nevertheless, just as Dot knew it would have been rude to turn Liese away, she also knew it would have been just as rude to redirect that unused spite at Nathanial. Even if he was just being formal, there was a friendliness in formality that she was particularly starved of, and while her susceptibility to smiles and kind words was a bit worrying, she decided for now that she’d take them with grace, and reciprocate as best she could. Besides, she’d already been pleasantly surprised by Liese. Perhaps Nathanial would surprise her as well.

“Thank you, mister, uh…second seat. Nathanial. I look forward to learning from you. With your aid the Eastern House will surely flourish.” She bowed to them both, deep and proper like she’d seen the dancers do in the presence of their betters. “At your leave, then. I guess we’ll all be mingling again tonight once we have our quarters…and some food, hopefully.”

With that, she joined the rest of the gathering squadron, who seemed ready to make for the barracks. On the way she passed the blue-haired boy that was their third seat. Kaiser Underwall, another alleged noble from a House whose importance she could only infer from his position. His spar had been…interesting. Very straight forward. She admired it really, how brazenly he’d abandoned his weapon to run his opponent down, almost like a dog. Perhaps it was his intentional self-disarmament that kept him from being disqualified as she had. Regardless of all that, she’d been most impressed by the athletic feats he’d performed during the naming ceremony. She was worried her—admittedly nascent—style would get her ridiculed, but it was relieving to see one of their commanding members shared her penchant for acrobatic flair.

“That flip was really cool,” she said. Something about him didn’t put her on edge the same way the other nobles did. He seemed unkempt. Disarming. “Bet you could get over someone at ground-level with enough momentum, if they were, y'know, swingin’ low or something. Would be pretty sweet…uh, sir. Sorry.”

She bowed her head to him too and kept going, a bit embarrassed by her own informality. Knights were meant to be all prim and proper, what with all their codes and honor and such. But she’d always read how soldiers were chummy with one another, sometimes even their superiors. Was that allowed here? She’d told herself she wouldn’t care about offending nobles but now that she was actually here it was suddenly much harder to actually be rude.

In most cases, anyway.

Prince Rossweine was talking to the others one by one it had seemed. Getting to know his subordinates. Not exactly the mark of a tyrannical, egomaniacal leader. Nonetheless she found her jaw clenching the closer she drew to him, felt that hateful little flame flaring again, and beneath that there was undeniably fear curling her stomach. She tried to keep her eyes low, her face impassive, and whatever words were stewing in the back of her mind from boiling out of her mouth.

Dot passed the prince without stopping, burying herself in the vanguard of the group headed for the barracks. Food, she thought, intensely enough to distract her. Real food. Bed. Warmth. People. This was not a mistake. This was not a mistake.
Hidden 2 yrs ago Post by Zeroth
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K A I

Friends?




@webboysurf"It is a pleasure to meet you, Kaiser Underwall. Your adoptive father is spoken of quite highly across the kingdom, and I imagine many will speak highly of you as well." Nathaniel looked him over--was he sizing him up? If Kai was third seat, and Nathaniel was second...did that mean Nathaniel saw him as less dominant in the group? Kai didn't think he should feel offended yet, because he wasn't actually sure if Nathaniel was doing that. Also, what the other boy said about Gramps made Kai wonder what kind of things people said. He remembered that, back when he had given the proctors his information for the qualifying tests, one of them had said something strange...

"...Sauvage? As in, Sir KYNER Sauvage?" The man looked at the paper in his hand, and then passed it to another proctor. He looked Kai over. "A third son, at his age?" But then the man's look of disbelief faded as he shrugged. "Then again...it's Kyner Sauvage."

"Isn't he supposed to be like eight feet tall?" The second proctor looked at Kai as well. "With hands big enough to crush a man's whole skull in just one? You certainly don't look like you're gonna grow into that, kiddo."

"I'm adopted, though?" Kai mimicked their skeptical looks and shrugged.

"There, see? Also, that's obviously hyperbole, ya dingus! Sir Kyner's not just some tall-tale!"

"I knew that!" the second proctor crossed his arms, though neither of them had noticed Kai copying the gesture. "Obviously nobody could do ridiculous things like...cook raw chickens just by slapping them!"

"Well o'course he could do THAT, ya nimrod! That's just Fire magic!"

"Um, can I go?" The question was barely out of the bluette's mouth before they waved him away and went back to their argument about which of Sir Kyner's supposed feats of bear wrestling, beard-punching, and Daemon-slaying were the least realistic.


"You should introduce yourself to our squad captain, and join us in heading to the barracks. I imagine they’ll be excited to meet you.” Oh right, Nathaniel was saying something. Kai felt the other boy's hand settle on his shoulder, and looked at the limb with curiosity. Then the 2nd Seat made a quick step to some of the others, and introduced himself to them as well. Most everyone seemed to be moving in the same general direction of the barracks as they talked. Kai followed along with the crowd, keeping an eye out for the Prince like Nathaniel suggested, but someone else spoke to him as they passed.

“That flip was really cool,” said the slender, cloaked kid who had been up on the other post. “Bet you could get over someone at ground-level with enough momentum, if they were, y'know, swingin’ low or something. Would be pretty sweet…uh, sir. Sorry.” Were they sorry because they'd interrupted him going to speak to the Prince?

@Mcmolly"Oh, it's um, no problem." he said, mimicking Dot's bow--it was a lot less stiff than Nathaniel's, but seemed to dip the head lower, too. He wanted to say more, but was only able to get out, "It's, y'know, nice to meet you! Dot, right?" before they slipped back into the crowd. But they had come close to the Prince now--Dot kept going, with head down, however Kai picked up his pace a step or two to catch up.

"T-Thank you your highnesslord-c-captain! I won't let you down!" said the guy Kai remembered being called "Zenshin Ferros." Zenshin saluted the prince, blushing for a moment before he continued on his own way. He carried himself much more confidently now--was it because of something the Prince had said? That made Kai smile--that guy wouldn't have lasted long if he had kept acting like prey that way.

@ERode"E-excuse m-me, your highnesslord-c-captain!" Kai snapped off a salute of his own as he finally caught up to Rossweine. "I'm Kaiser Underwall! F-f-feel free to call me Kai, if you want!"
Hidden 2 yrs ago Post by Izurich
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--Strange Squadmates--


Liese's proud, ambitious smile didn't falter as Dot seemed to be emboldened by his words, very good; even though the dark-haired candidate didn't feel as strongly about her gender as Liese did, with each female proving their worth in the knighthood, it paved the way for the order to eventually accept all candidates based on their worth as a knight alone, certainly culling those who could only use their family's prestige to assert their position, such as the squadron's assigned leader here.

"Tis’ not mere hope, for it's a guaranteed eventuality, Sir Auferrum, and you're welcome."

Then as if on cue, one of the squad's vice-leaders arrived to inform the pair that the group would be departing for the eastern barracks shortly. Ah, it's Nathaniel Lothwren, one of the few nobles whom Liese genuinely respected. Though he lost his debut spar due to naivety, the fact remained that Sir Lothwren owned up to the privileges given to him, his auspicious birth, his noble house, and his talents; the slightly younger boy put the work into his martial and arcane boons, being one of the rare aura users in this generation, he certainly didn't squander any of it. Liese certainly remembered visiting the Lothwren household years ago and watched the brunette training hard.

Thus, he's a worthy noble and one that Liese must treat properly, befitting of his earned station in life, "Greetings, Sir Lothwren, the honor is mutual, we shall achieve greatness together." The blonde did a small respectful bow, from one knight-to-be to another, "Of course, I shall do so immediately, Sir." Without a fuss, he stepped forward together with Dot, rendezvousing with the rest of the squad.

Speaking of the person Nathaniel mentioned though, now this supposed squad 'leader' was the direct opposite of the brunette, and sadly his ilk was more typical in Grayle than the other. An indolent sloth who was called 'prince' simply because he was born into royalty, 'Prince' Rossweine did absolutely nothing to show that he deserved the title, much unlike his older brother, Prince and Knight-Commander Manegold. They said that the apple didn't fall far from the tree, what a load of horseshit as the saying couldn't be further from the truth in regards to Rossweine. Liese didn't need to say anything to him, an insignificant factor in his destiny, and at the end of the day, Rossweine would simply be one of the many who'd be stripped, disgraced, and exiled from the new Grayle.

Liese absolutely had no confidence that the squad would get anywhere if they followed Rossweine's leadership, or specifically, the lack thereof, but thankfully, the vice-captains were more deserving of their roles, yes, even the wild child. Speaking of which, one was Nathaniel, and the other was Kaiser Underwall of House Sauvage, a curious wildling that Ser Sauvage literally found in the wild and adopted. Much could be said about his manners and etiquette, really his behavior as a... person in general. Befitting the rumors of Kai being raised by wolves, the blue-haired boy emulated canine behaviors to some degree, including the jumpy friendliness and eager obedience. Nevertheless, he was willing to work and though his fighting style was unorthodox, it was proven to be effective; the boy clearly had talent in both martial and arcane just like Nathaniel, but considering his lack of civility, could he control the fickle art of aura manipulation? Only time could tell.

The next two squad members both shared a distinctive trait, they both hailed from the lands of Valefor, a sovereign nation for their craftsmanship, which meant they were foreigners and Liese didn't know much about them other than what he had observed so far. Signar Wayland and Zenshin Ferros... Both of these boys possessed a darker complexion than Graylians as befitting their sun-scorched arid nation, but the former certainly was extraordinarily gifted by the God of Strength. He stood at least a full head - and even several heads for some - taller than the rest of the squad, and upon first glance at his torso and limbs alone, one could imagine how terrifying it'd be to face a fully-armed trained knight with such a stature.

As for Zenshin, though he was on the taller side too, he was sadly outmatched by his fellow Valeforian, perhaps Signar's presence had the unfortunate effect of making him appear smaller and thinner than he actually was, but at least, from what limited knowledge Liese had about him, the smaller Valeforian was quite talented at magic, let's see how he'd turn out in the future.

Nevertheless, Liese could respect the tenacity and ambition of these two young men, to brave the journeys of traveling to another country and try their hands at one of the most difficult academies to study in. They were foreigners, which implied whatever heritage they had back in their homeland meant little here and they still qualified despite that so it should mean something.

And finally, the unknown and unlikely commoner only known as Julian Baker, hailing from a family of breadmakers it seemed; a petite and wiry boy who won his debut spar by a fluke, taking advantage of Nathaniel's expectancy of honorable conduct, something that would work only once and never again. Liese had zero expectations for the shorter blue-eyed blonde, he was sure that this Baker boy would give up within the first month of arduous training, and without the backing of a noble house behind him (unlike Rossweine), he would be dropped without hesitation. The only thing worth an iota of notice was the amusing fact that Julian could pass off as Liese's younger brother considering his looks, but that was it, otherwise, a commoner in way over his head, a non-factor in the grand scheme of things.

All of these students together composed what's known as the 13th Squadron of the Eastern House, and he couldn't stand only one of them, a fortunate occurrence all things considered. Liese was more than willing to work together with them so their squad could be the cream of the crop, the pride of the academy, but make no mistake, should any of them prove detrimental to that goal, then he'd have no hesitation in shoving them aside. Graduates would be employed in Grayle's most elite fighting force and those who caved into mere training should never be trusted to be in a real field of battle.

"Greetings, squad, I am Liese Victoire of House Brendorn, ready to depart."
Hidden 2 yrs ago Post by ERode
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It was good. Zenshin looked like he’d make a recovery quickly enough. Rossweine nodded once towards him, noting the transformation in posture that the Valeforan youth had undergone. It was good to have goal indeed, better to have the will to pursue it. He’d go far, if he could sustain what he felt in that moment.

Signar’s stiffer response showed a level-head for one of ‘common’ blood, while Julian was already looking like they were hyperventilating a bit. He could take a more relaxed approach with the Baker boy then, see how that goes for the time being. The position of a prince meant that some artifice would always persist though, no matter how lacking in fame he was. No matter. The two looked like they had already hit it off. They could make up for each other’s shortcomings and gaps in knowledge.

There was still a degree of reluctance that he picked up in Nathaniel’s gaze as the youth turned towards the others. A droplet of malice, crystallized. Perhaps it would slip off as time passed. Perhaps he would have to make his message clearer, or serve as observer and arbitrator of the duel that will come pass between Nathaniel and Julian. If bad blood could not be let go of, it ought to at least be settled in private, under supervision. The Lowenthal child was dutiful though, his every gesture controlled and indicative of his ethics. A Squad Captain as worthless as Rossweine then, felt nothing but gratitude towards the competence of his second seat.

And as for the third seat…

Kaiser Underwall. The Boy from Under the Wall, adopted by the Outride, Sir Kyner Sauvage. He remembered Manegold talking of it, of the stray that House Sauvage picked up, the stray that turned out to be an Aura user. A hilarious story, the start of a fairy tale, really. Like walking out to the field and picking up a diamond the size of your fist. And yet, Kaiser had shown up in the flesh during the duels and had fought in a way that proved his heritage: caught between man-made techniques and beast-like movements, unfettered by societal expectations despite the repute of his House. Of course, also the weirdo who tossed away his sword and wrestled a victory out of his flabbergasted opponent.

An entertaining character, made doubly so when his vocalizations did not match his mood at all. He was mimicking Zenshin, though not out of mockery. Simplicity and frankness would be best then, when speaking with this wolf pup.

“I’ll call you Kai then, and you can call me Rossweine,” the Prince intoned calmly. “When you have time, you should duel Nathaniel. You two can match each other, and the rest of the squad can learn.” He tapped his fist against the blue-haired warrior’s shoulder, before turning to take a quick headcount once more.

The well-esteemed Lightbringer passed by during all that, head bowed, eyes low. A stiffness in her movements, juxtaposed clearly with Kai’s own fluidity and lack of pretense. He would speak to her later, in private. For now, regrettably, he would have to acknowledge Liese’s presence. Marquis Brendorn’s child was, after all, an infamous one. At 16, possessing both the boon of being an Absolute as well as the will and spirit to endure the sort of training that only a Marquis’s firstborn could afford, they were one who possessed plentiful skills and capabilities, and yet sorely lacked in the accomplishments that would grant them any substantial respect. It was without any surprise, then, that Liese brutalized his opponent during the spar, enough so that the proctor had to step in and stop him from continuing.

What was it that Walpurga said again?

Ah, right.

“He’s got a chip in the shoulder deep enough that he’s in two pieces.”

Tread gently, then.

“Good to have you join us, Liese,” Rossweine spoke, his expression as serene as always. “It is a shame that I was unable to witness the full breadth of your capabilities during your duel with the Lachant scion, but you will have a wealth of comrades to hone your skills with among this squad, Light Willing.” A bit awkward, invoking the Light, when its inheritor was right over there. His greetings and readings completed, the Moonkissed Princeling turned towards the Eastern Barracks, stark against the beating sun. It was a good day, and the members of his squad were either entertaining or competent, with one even being both, and if every day were so good, he would have little to be concerned about.

It would likely be the last of those good days.

“Let’s be off.”

With that, he strode for the barracks, steps bringing him to the front of the squad in the graceful maneuver of one who had never had to witness someone else’s back block his view.
Hidden 2 yrs ago 2 yrs ago Post by Feyblue
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Feyblue Lord of Floof

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Mad Because Small



When she had said it was bad for her heart, she'd actually meant that comment in more ways than one. The prince's expression was languid and cool, his voice soft and composed, his bearing loose, yet somehow still regal. The way he moved, talked, and acted -- all of it brought to mind a big cat, sure of its superiority and free to live however it wished, but unburdened by the need to affect any strength -- for its strength was beyond question. Less a lion, roaring and proud, and more like a leopard -- content to lurk, to watch, and to wait, but surely deadly when roused.

...A description which the young, impressionable lass had no doubt derived from the description of the male lead in one of her chivalric novels, because... well... Not only was he a prince, but he looked like everything you'd imagine when you heard the word! Pale, flaxen brown hair with an ever-so-slight curl to it -- eyes as blue and still as the surface of a frozen northern lake -- a slender yet powerful body, perfectly in line with the feline image his mannerisms conjured up in her vivid mind. To put it in simpler terms...

He's so pretty that I can hardly even look at him without feeling jealous! Why?! He's actually a guy, but he'd probably look better in a dress than me!

...That was a dangerous thing she just started contemplating there. Julian shook her head and hastily dismissed the still-hazy mental image before she awakened to something strange, welcoming Signar's remarks as a distraction from this rather concerning line of thought.

...Or, well, at least until he started definitely making fun of her, unlike his honest mistake before!

"Oi. Just who are you calling 'sprout?' I'm still growing, you hear?! Just you wait, I'll be taller than you before you know it!

But the Valeforian youth merely laughed it off and beckoned her onward to dinner, following the others to the barracks with long, carefree strides... even as one very angry munchkin hounded his heels like a particularly small, excitable puppy, practically running to keep up with him and bouncing up and down with each furious step she took -- her voice loudly echoing through the empty courtyard in his wake.

"Don't think you can just buy my forgiveness with food! Take that back! Hey, are you ignoring me? Don't call me smaaaaaaaall!!!"

Even her own echo seemed to mock her, as the word "small" was all that came bouncing back off the high stone walls of the castle.

The Eastern Barracks was, surprisingly, a quite appealing home, despite the sorry state of their division. It was built into the side wall of a large courtyard just off to one side of the main gate leading into the palace from the King's Bridge, meaning it was quite far from the distant waterfalls on the opposite side of the palace grounds, while the rampart above it and the inner castle wall on the opposite side blocked the more severe gusts of wind, save for a gentle breeze that coursed between the twin edifices. It was shady, and already somewhat dark, as the sun was no longer directly overhead and thus its rays were broken up by the towering spires of the inner palace. The courtyard was also, surprisingly, lined with trees placed in the gaps between the shadows, where the light could yet easily reach them. The rustling of leaves and the quiet whistling of the breeze made the overall mood... surprisingly peaceful.

The building itself stood two stories tall, and, judging by a staircase downward to the side of the main entrance, also had some kind of lower cellar area. Of course, Julian had already been down those very stairs, and knew for a fact that the mess hall was located there in the basement -- right next to the storage rooms for food, and the kitchens. After all, she had helped the servants in... pretty much all of those places, actually, over the last week -- as a way to stretch her already meager funds and earn some meals to keep herself going until the results had been announced. The inside of the building itself, however, was a mystery to her -- so, despite her hunger, she ended up following the rest of her new comrades in the Eastern House into the ground floor entrance instead.

The first floor seemed to be taken up mostly by a large, open lobby with some benches, chairs, tables, and other such furnishings -- a common area, no doubt, to encourage intermingling between the various squads while off duty. Off to one side, there was an entrance into the neighboring building, which appeared to house an equipment storehouse and armory, while to the other, there was a door out into the courtyard, facing a few other buildings which seemed to include a stable, an archery range, and a bathhouse.

Directly adjacent to the door, a makeshift receptionist's desk had been hauled in, and a grizzled-looking knight with a scar across one eye appeared to be either attempting to kill the new recruits with his pointed stares alone... or maybe just hand them their room keys. He called out each squad's number in turn, and when its members presented themselves, identified them, rattled off a suite and a room number, shoved a key into their hands, and then moved unceremoniously on to the next name on the list, all while giving the mother of all death glares with his working eye.

Squad 13's turn came after a good twenty minutes of waiting, listening to the awkward squeaks and "Yessir!"s of the other cadets, whose mood was as tense and somber as if they were being called to the gallows rather than to receive a simple key. Julian, for her part, when her squad and name were called, just trotted up to the man and, with surprising calmness, gave him a big grin.

"Present and accounted for, sir!"

The man reached out to hand over the key, muttering irritably under his breath -- then stopped, realizing he was handing the key to thin air. He looked down, then awkwardly lowered it -- and Julian almost managed to not let her annoyance show on her face as she took it. Once again, she was being looked down on! Even so, she could tell. This man was grumpy and tired, but he probably just had a scary face to begin with. There wasn't any overt hostility or disgust in the way he was looking at her -- not like what she was used to. So, it'd be pretty mean of her to act scared or angry at him because of something he couldn't really help, even if he did make her feel annoyingly small.

Suite 13, Room 4, on Floor 2, he had said. 13 4-2. A more superstitious person would have thought that combination of numbers to be a particularly foul omen -- surely a forecast of dire tragedies and misfortune to come. But Julian didn't have the slightest inkling of numerology, nor would she have cared overly much even if she had known. Her mood was soaring higher than it had been in weeks, and no dark clouds on her horizon could even hope to bring her down.

"Thanks!" She called back, giving a hasty wave before trotting across the room towards the stairs. There were two hallways along the back of the building, appearing to lead back inside the rampart itself to where a few of the cadets' rooms were no doubt located. That sounded... pretty horrible, to be honest. No windows, no light save whatever torches or candles you lit yourself, crammed into a dark stone chamber along an equally dark and dreary hall. Just imagining it sent shivers up her spine, and reminded her of... Well, never mind that. There was still a chance she'd end up somewhere better, right? Things were going her way, so this time she tried her best to shake off uncomfortable memories and stay positive.

Her destination was the long upper corridor just along the inside of the castle wall, with doors on each side that she quickly noticed, much to her delight, were numbered just the way she had hoped. Even numbers were on her right... and odd numbers were on her left! Which meant, sure enough, that Suite 13 was... facing the inner courtyard! Opening the door, she strolled inside and looked around, and gave a sigh of relief as she found herself greeted by sunlight -- coalescing into streams that seemed almost solid to the touch as they lit up the dust drifting lazily through the air of the now formerly unused chamber. This was no dark and foreboding prison cell -- it was somewhere she could surely call home.

The central room appeared to be a common room, albeit much smaller than the one downstairs, with two doors on each side and a single window on the far wall. It was mostly devoid of unnecessary decorations, with a featureless red rug, a large rectangular table and some benches in the middle, and a few empty shelves in the corners. It wasn't much, but the atmosphere seemed cozy enough.

Where the problems started was with the personal quarters, though. Opening Room 4, she found it to be... well, extremely narrow and cramped. There was maybe enough floor space for four people to stand front to back, with another window taking up one of the side walls, a few cupboards built into the back of the room, and two sliding doors and a ladder in the remaining wall. Hopping up the ladder, she slid one of these small doors -- almost like that of a cabinet, rather than a full-sized door in and of itself -- open, to find a small bed with blank white sheets. Then, this was where she'd be staying... in this tiny alcove in the wall right above somebody else's bed?

At least there was a shutter, and there even seemed to be a latch on the inside; so she could probably close and lock that if she wanted to undo the bindings around her chest while she was sleeping. But she'd then have to redo them with the door closed in almost complete darkness, because it didn't seem like there was any feasible way she could change or mess with her clothing out in the open unless her roommate had already left. But then again, it wasn't as if she had much in the way of clothing to begin with aside from the somewhat ragged and oversized patchwork of a tunic and trousers she was presently wearing... though there did seem to be two cadet uniforms already folded and placed neatly in each of the cabinets. Just to be safe, she took one of them and placed it inside the upper alcove where her bed was, since she'd need to change into it for the training exercise tomorrow. Thankfully, her eyes were well used to dark places... and even now, she was only a little bit afraid of the way the walls and ceiling of her bunk seemed to close in around her tiny form, as if to crush her.

...Well, it might easily have been better, but things also could easily have been much worse. Maybe it wouldn't be all sunshine and roses like she'd imagined, but... she could do this, and anything was better than what would be waiting for her back at home if they found her out. She just had to tough it out.

...Come to think of it, though, if she was going to be sharing a room with someone, she wondered who it was? Maybe Signar, if she was lucky? He seemed nice, after all, and he was the only one she'd really met in the squad so far. Then again, though... If the bunk bed seemed cramped for her, was he gonna be okay? Maybe they'd made special arrangements for whatever room he was in... but if so, that definitely meant he wasn't with her.

Shrugging, she decided to check, and strolled back out into the common room, where the others now also seemed to be arriving, and glanced at the nameplates next to each of the doors. On Room 1 -- which seemed to have some kind of sealing enchantment hastily inscribed on the door in addition to the lock, giving it a rather foreboding aura -- the plate was labeled with the names of Liese and Dot. She supposed they must have been important somehow to warrant... whatever this seal was supposed to be. Probably some kind of added security or something. Maybe they were worried about assassins? But then why didn't the Prince's room have one?

Room 2, speaking of which, was labeled with the names of Prince Rossweine and Kaiser Underwall -- the second being the squad's Third Seat. It looked like that room was a little bit bigger and more luxurious on the inside, with actual beds instead of glorified... sleeping closets -- one on each side of the room, still leaving plenty of floorspace to access the wardrobes along the back wall. Well, that was just the disparity between officers and everybody else, she supposed... though she did hold out hope that maybe, if she placed well in training, her own room would see some improvements too!

Room 3 seemed just about the same as her own, and was assigned to... Signar Wayland and Zenshin Ferros. She breathed a faint sigh of disappointment, but wasn't overly surprised at what she saw. Peeking in through the partly-opened door as the room's occupants went about settling into their new quarters, she noted that at least they had a rug on the floor, as well as a long, narrow spare bed rolled in under the windowsill to accommodate the room's larger occupant. The pillows and covers on their bunks also seemed a little bit bulkier and fluffier than the ones in her room, but she might have just been imagining things.

That meant the only odd one out was... "Nathaniel Lothwren." Her roommate, apparently. There was that name again, though she still couldn't place why it was familiar... It was pretty strange, though. They'd clearly gotten the worst room of the bunch, but his name sounded... well, big and important. He was probably a noble, right? And he was supposed to be the Second Seat of the squad. So then why had he ended up paired with her? Was he being bullied, perhaps? The thought that he might be meant to keep an eye on a suspicious street rat and impose some discipline on her as a cadet never crossed her mind -- though her initial guess was probably closer to the truth.

At any rate, it wasn't like she had anything to unpack, so, she just sort of awkwardly returned to her room and peered out the window down into the courtyard. It might have been small and cramped, but... the light coming in from outside reassured her a bit, and so she found herself just staring aimlessly, taking in the view -- a tiny, fair form, haloed in the light that illumined all the dancing particles around her and lit up the shadowy corners of the room, bathing it in a fleeting, picturesque radiance. To any who might observe her in this extremely rare, tranquil state, they might see in her an odd sort of elegance, like that of a regal portrait or a scene from a play.

...It was unfortunate, then, that the one who would find himself face to face with her would have absolutely no appreciation for any such aesthetics, in light of his already vehement distaste for the subject of the scene before him. But Julian hadn't the faintest apprehension of who it was she was about to meet... or that this wasn't their first encounter.
Hidden 2 yrs ago Post by Mcmolly
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Dot


“Oh gods

Dot stood before the door to Suite 13, Room 1, red-faced with embarrassment. A noble boy for a roommate, and some kind of marked special-treatment in the form of an enchantment, which may as well have been a sign made of fire saying: ‘SUSPISCIOUSLY DIFFERENT’. She didn’t know what it did, or how to decipher it, but it took a great deal of restraint not to immediately grab something sharp and scrape it off. Her identity as an Alexandrian—and perhaps by extension, a royal bastard—might not have been the most well-kept secret, but it wasn’t her only one, either. The last thing she wanted right now was overt attention.

Well, no. The last thing she wanted was a room with the prince. Instead they were neighbors. If that was fate, she’d be annoyed but unsurprised. If it was not fate, she would remember it. Liese was a comfortable choice by comparison, but despite their amicable introduction, Dot still had reservations about him. Sincerity did not preclude him from the sort of vileness she expected, even if it had not shown itself yet.

But those were concerns for later. For now, it was best to get herself squared away, which likely wouldn’t be too difficult considering she had nothing left to her name but an empty coin pouch and the dirty shirt on her back. One of her other suitemates—Julian, she thought—came out of Room 4 briefly, and she nodded awkwardly to him before he retreated. She did the same, pushing into the room before the rest of the suite would come flooding in.

Small. That was her first thought. Small, but not necessarily in a bad way. Small could be safe, it could be warm, and cozy. The only reference she really had was her room back home, which had been big, yes, but a thousand times more suffocating than this. Regardless of her roommate worries, the idea of sharing a space with someone brought her…relief. Countless times she had woken to the dark and empty. Isolation made her wrong. Ruined her. She would have taken Room 2, if it meant she wouldn’t be alone.

She found uniforms on the beds. She’d change later; Liese knowing who she was meant that she wouldn’t have to sneak around to do it, at least. They didn’t look restrictive, but she’d still have to get used to moving in them as she did with all new clothing. It wasn’t just that dancing in dresses was different than dancing in trousers, it was different from one pair to the next, too. The type and quality of the fabric, the tightness of the waist, the tapering of the legs, it all mattered. The boots she could work with—if she could do aerials in the ratty things she had on, she could do them in these.

Part of her wanted to crawl into the bed and sleep. She was tired and still a bit sore, but not more than she was hungry. A meal would give her energy, then maybe she could fit in a bit of training in the courtyard before calling it a day. After all, it never hurt to be prepared.
Hidden 2 yrs ago Post by Zombehs
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Signar Wayland

If there was one part of Julian that wasn’t small, it must have been the pair of lungs he possessed. Even Signar, whose hearing must have been somewhat damaged by the years of roaring forges and ringing hammers, could still hear the lingering echoes of the blonde’s furious protests. He rubbed his ear as he stood and waited with the rest of his squad to receive the keys for their new accommodations. They were quite nice compared to what he was used to growing up, but it would have been quite difficult to beat the spartan buildings and furnishings back at Lanhelm.

As the minutes started to pass by without any sign of their squad being called up, Signar moved to one of the windows and opened it to let the gentle breeze in. He certainly couldn’t tell if the air was any fresher outside, but the sun’s warmth was welcomed now that the curtains had been brushed aside. With his slightly more comfortable position now, Signar took a deep breath and settled in for a slightly productive way to pass the time.

He drew the steel rod that hung from his belt and muttered a few words under his breath as he ran his other hand over its length. With a slight shimmer, the metal seemed to melt away and lose cohesion as it fell downwards. It stopped after just a few centimeters as Signar’s expression furrowed in concentration, and from there he began to manipulate the liquified steel. It slowly trailed after the path he drew in the air with his finger before he started to mold it into a variety of shapes.

He was almost too focused to miss when his name was finally called out. The lapse in attention caused his current model to fall apart and nearly splatter against the floor, and he had to bite back a curse that was instead muttered under his breath. With another quick few words though, Signar returned the steel rod to its original shape and brushed a few strands of hair aside. The practice tool was tucked away onto his belt again and he quickly approached the gruff knight in charge. Apparently even the slightest of delays warranted an extra pointed glare from the man, but Signar didn’t flinch as he accepted the key before he made his way up the stairs to check out his new living quarters.
Well the furnishings might have been nicer, but the room was smaller than he had expected. The addition of a bed that was meant to accommodate him meant there was barely any room for Signar and his roommate to move around at the same time! Not to mention how he had to duck a bit to avoid cracking his forehead against the doorframe. He could already tell it was going to get old rather quickly in the mornings, and he cut loose a heavy sigh as he rubbed his forehead.

First impressions revealed that the uniform seemed to be a proper fit as well. He had no idea if they’d stand up during the rigorous training he had heard about, but a quick test fit had seemed in order given how much larger he was than the usual candidate. Without any complaints after a little twisting and stretching about, Signar quickly changed back out of the uniform. The fabric had been quite nice and the tailoring solid, but he was going to be in those clothes often enough in the coming days.

@pkken Smoothing out his clothes once he was fully dressed again, Signar finally directed his attention to his roommate. “Signar Wayland. You can call me Sig if you want,” he introduced himself with a grin as he clapped his fellow countryman on the shoulder. “There’s probably a bunch we could talk about, but frankly this cramped room is already getting to me,” he admitted with a shrug before he stepped past Zenshin and opened the door to let some fresh air rush in. “So why not over supper, eh?”

He paused long enough for his roommate to give a response before Signar turned his attention to the rest of his squad mates. “Anyone need a hand with their things?” It didn’t seem like there was much room for personal belongings, but maybe the nobles had gotten cushier accommodations? He also didn’t know what they would have even brought with them to warrant an extra set of hands in carrying, but… nobles. Speaking of personal belongings, he’d need to find some time to head back into town to pick up his personal belongings from the inn he had been staying at. A matter to tend to after supper though.
Hidden 2 yrs ago Post by webboysurf
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webboysurf Live, Laugh, Love

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Nathaniel turned his gaze to watch his squad beginning to form together, gathered around the prince. He couldn't help but notice how unique the squad composition seemed. He had dueled many in the sword schools, but they all seemed oddly similar. Most of the boys were of a similar height and build. They shared the same unremarkable hair styles and facial shapes. He had even been to some small social gatherings among the elite, and clocked the trending hair styles and outfits. But here, in this squad... it was different. To be expected, given the seeming status of the squad. Someone up the chain had placed them all here for a reason, and Nathaniel had a sneaking suspicion of who.

Nathaniel readjusted the simple bag on his shoulders. He knew a uniform was to be provided, and so had only brought the most necessary of clothes with him. The only other thing that filled the bag were simple bound journals and ink: the necessary materials needed to begin logging the strengths and weaknesses of himself and the rest of the squadron. Nathaniel already had ideas on what to list down, but figured the opening exercises as cadets might prove a better benchmark of ability. His work as the squad's tactician could wait another day. He had today to get settled, and eventually fetch his special training sword from one of the local smiths. It had been a special commission placed by his father. They assured him that it would be ready.

As the squad lined up in the barracks and received their room assignments, Nathaniel took his key and moved silently upstairs to the squadron's common room. He paced about the room, counting out steps and measurements slowly in his head throughout. It was a comforting exercise to know how big the room was, and to mark the entrances and exits. It always helped to know how many steps were needed to make a quick exit, in the event... no, it was safe here. The clear enchantment on one of the rooms indicated an exercise of caution. Dot and Liese's room, and not the Prince... a curious choice: one that Nathaniel would have to analyze another time.

When he felt satisfied, Nathaniel finally entered his room: the last on the list. The room was more spartan than he was used to, but that was far from a complaint. Luxury would only make men soft. He stood in the doorway as he watched his roommate, Julian, walk to the window and stare out. In the moment, most would have to acknowledge the beautiful way the light caught Julian's hair. But Nathaniel only saw a spotlight on a coward, a thief of honor. He strode into the room, sliding open the lower sleeping compartment to get a good view of where he was to rest. Without even looking in Julian's direction, Nathaniel's words were monotone. "I've sparred with a lot of people, Baker. Never once have I sparred with someone like you."

Nathaniel moved to the back of the room, removing his clothes from his bag and stuffing them into a cupboard, before stuffing his journals and ink into another with a swift intent. After that moment of pause, Nathaniel turned back towards Julian. His mouth was turned into a frown, his eyes narrowed in on the boy. "I do not see any other means of recourse. I formally request a rematch, Julian Baker, to be held at our earliest convenience. A fair duel, between men. You stripped me of honor and dignity in our opening spar. As cadets, and future knights, I hope you have at least one honorable bone in your body to grant me a chance to win it back."

@Feyblue
Hidden 2 yrs ago 2 yrs ago Post by Zeroth
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K A I

Bed!



“I’ll call you Kai then, and you can call me Rossweine,” the Prince intoned calmly. “When you have time, you should duel Nathaniel. You two can match each other, and the rest of the squad can learn.” He tapped Kai’s shoulder before turning away. Nathaniel had touched his shoulder too. So what did that mean? His braid tapped the same shoulder from the back side, like a ticklish paint brush.

"Greetings, squad, I am Liese Victoire of House Brendorn, ready to depart." said the intense blonde before Kai could muster a response to the prince. Raw Swine (why did he want to be called that? Kai thought he could come up with a better nickname) kept his expression the same peaceful, in-controlled facade, but there was just a moment–a micro-change so subtle even Kai’s focused observation almost missed it. It seemed that maybe…Liese and the Prince didn’t like each other? Why was that?

“Good to have you join us, Liese,” said the squad captain. “It is a shame that I was unable to witness the full breadth of your capabilities during your duel with the Lachant scion, but you will have a wealth of comrades to hone your skills with among this squad, Light Willing.”

@Izurich“Ooh, ooh!” Kai started to bounce on the balls of his feet with a wild grin. The Prince had told him to fight with Nathaniel as a form of training–maybe he could do that same thing here, since they were talking about Liese fighting too! He suddenly set both of his feet in place, hands on his hips, with a confidently furrowed brow to match Liese’s own as he raised his voice. “I am Kaiser Sauvage, of House Sauvage! When you have time, Liese Victoire of House Brendorn, we should duel! We can match each other to show the full breadth of our skills!” His braid was poking up behind his head and “wagging” furiously.

But it seemed that the rest of the group was fully on their way, and no one wanted to be left behind.

“Let’s be off.” said the prince, turning that tall back. He strode for the barracks, steps bringing him to the front of the squad in a graceful maneuver. Kai watched his feet with a raised eyebrow, struck by how smooth that motion was. But then another, far less skillful, movement caught his eye.

"Don't think you can just buy my forgiveness with food! Take that back!” A very angry munchkin hounded Signar Wayland’s heels like a particularly small, excitable puppy, practically running to keep up with him and bouncing up and down with each furious step. Kai grinned from ear to ear and bounded after them, shadowing Julian Baker’s movements. The bluette’s hair twitched playfully from side to side between his shoulder blades. Julian’s tirade continued, “Hey, are you ignoring me? Don't call me smaaaaaaaall!!!"

Kai snickered to himself. Despite all the people around, he was starting to feel at ease again–and he already felt like he had the promise of two challenging opponents. He couldn’t wait to see what else was in store…


The wall their barracks was built into cast a shadow over the courtyard, and the inner wall on the other side limited the view of the sky from some angles. There were trees, but they weren’t big enough or thick enough to provide good cover. It felt…simultaneously too restricting, and yet too exposed. A boxed in cage where you had nowhere to hide from anything that might swoop down above, and no escape from anything else trapped in there with you. It made Kai feel itchy. But he told himself that Gramps’s house had felt like this too at first…maybe he just had to get used to it. Maybe if he needed fresh air he could just…scale the walls?

He looked at the bricks, with their smooth stone surface and mortared gaps. Then his gaze traveled upward to the ramparts, and the machicolations, and the arrow slits between the crenellations. It seemed a much harder climb than the trees.

The inside of the building didn’t make him feel so itchy, but it definitely didn’t feel like Gramps’s house either. He tried to remember the times since Gramps had brought him back that he was made to be around such large groups of people, or to be around smaller groups for a longer period of time. His squad seemed like a medium between the two–not a huge number of people, but he was going to be around them for much longer. It turned out they were even going to share rooms together! The man handing out keys seemed to get angry when Kai closed one eye to mimic how the older knight glared at everyone, so maybe he should avoid that in the future. He scampered off like a dog with a treat as soon as he was given his key, and upon finding his room looked carefully at the sign. Rossweine? Ooooh! That was why the prince wanted to be called…Hm.

Kai shook his head. He could still come up with a better name than that.

But with his new living quarters identified, the bluette wasted no time in running inside and haphazardly checking all the containers, the side doors, the bathroom, et cetera et cetera. After several rapid circles, he then leaped onto the comfy bed. The sheets were tucked too tightly–he had to loosen those up. There was only one pillow, so he rolled up the comforter to make another one. The headboard and the room’s wall made a nice corner he could put his back to, so he bundled everything into that and then wriggled his way into the wadded mess of blankets.

After several moments, his head poked back out of the pile. His braid lay alongside his neck and shoulder, and repeatedly curled itself in content. He blew air between his lips with a soft “boof” sound.

Then Julian passed by the still-open door, and Kai’s braid pointed straight up as his head snapped towards the blonde. But Julian was already gone, and his ponytail dropped back down. Nonetheless the bluette kept watching to see if anyone else might look into the room, or if the Prince was coming…
Hidden 2 yrs ago Post by Izurich
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--Home Sweet Home--


Unlike the dark-haired Alexandrian exile, the taller blue-eyed blonde kept his emotions mostly neutral when the prince addressed him for one specific reason, he already knew who Rossweine was beforehand, have met him before during one of the balls held by the royal family, and though they clearly had no meaningful personal relationships beyond knowing each other's name, face, and general reputation, they clearly knew of each other's existence. Thus, despite the young prince being one of those nobles that Liese firmly believed was preventing Grayle from reaching its fullest potential, he wasn't taken off-guard, he expected to encounter him sooner or later, proven to be the former now that they were squadmates.

"I'm sure you'll have plenty of opportunities to do so in the short future, Your Highness," This was just typical banter of the nobility, he and Rossweine knew it, in fact, the prince was a natural at doing this, empty words and platitudes that had no deeper meaning behind it other than fulfill the old Noblesse Oblige, "I certainly hope that you will do your older brother proud as well." If Rossweine had the spine to turn himself from an indolent hedonist into a true noble warrior just like Prince Manegold, then credit where credit's due, Liese would genuinely reframe his image of him.

Just as they were departing for the barracks, two things happened at roughly the same time. One was that the Baker commoner boy threw a little tantrum, being self-conscious of his lacking size it seemed, although he certainly wasn't making things any easier for himself by standing in the immediate vicinity of Signar, anyone would look small when right next to him. Liese shrugged, the matter not even worth anything beyond a simple notice, although the second event was... since he was directly subjected to it and all.

Liese quirked an eyebrow as the blue-haired swordsman-brawler wildling approached him - just as he did to everyone it seemed - and excitedly introduced himself. He had to admit that his sheer enthusiasm for the prospects of training and eventually knighthood was something he could readily appreciate, the blonde allowed himself to curl an approving smile, similar to the one he gave Dot, "Most certainly, Sir Sauvage, and may the best man wins."

With that, off to the barracks they went...

The Eastern Barracks, purpose-built and designed to house soldiers (or would-be soldiers in this case), and thus was unsurprisingly quite uniform with its siblings. Liese had been here before amongst many of his tours through the kingdom's capital, and it looked like things hadn't changed much, why would they really? He had dreamt of one day taking residence among one of these dorms, as one of the knights, and it looked like it'd be coming true today. He received the key to his assigned room from the veteran eye-scarred knight without any issues, the blonde didn't even register the death glare as anything particularly special, some older soldiers - not just knights - tended to have that air about them, something about being so used to battle and war that they were always in "fight mode".

Key received, Liese made a beeline to check his room and store his personal belongings, not much, just the essentials such as functional spare clothes and such. He carried no personal heirlooms or other frivolous things, those belonged in his family's estate, not here. Hmmm... Though one thing he immediately noticed was the enchantment present on Room 1, her assigned suite; none of the other doors had this. peculiar, what was it for? Fortunately, it only took Liese for a moment to put two-and-two together, he was assigned with Dot, and well... as much as he hated to admit it, it was reasonable to think that the higher-ups pulled some strings to place the two girls together and, in all of their 'chivalry', decided to 'protect' the girls with this security measure. He didn't yet know the exact effects of the enchantment, but it didn't really matter, its purpose was clear.

Well, just goes to show that things really needed to change in this bigoted kingdom, one step at a time...

Entering his room, Liese deftly set up his half of the room, setting up his things and such. He did see the uniform but decided to wear it tomorrow when training began, the sensible thing to do. Right now, he figured it was time to acquaint himself with the squad, and what better person to be the first pick other than his own roommate? After done with his personal belongings, the blonde would approach the Alexandrian exile, wherever she might be, and cordially greeted her, "How do you like your accommodates, Sir Auferrum?" He paused, "Since we'll be living in the same room for the foreseeable future, I must express to you that if there's anything you need, just tell me, I will at least listen to you and if it's within my power to assist, then I will do so." Dot was an exile here, and as her roommate, this was the least Liese could do.
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It was an adequate construction, but that was to be expected.

Though the Eastern House may be largely unimpressive, its Knight-Commander one who had yet to prove himself in any meaningful way, it was important to at least establish a veneer of equality between all four Houses. The distance from the waterfall made for an easier sleep at night, and its positioning meant that it would stay cooler during the summer months. A tranquil courtyard served as a place of respite; the ramparts offered vistas of the new world that they would inhabit.

Rossweine took his key without comment, deigning to nod once at the scar-eyed knight who was relegated to such a meager duty. It was too long a day for too pointless a job. It would have been simpler work for only squad captains to be called up, given keys to distribute and rooms to announce. Pointless busywork, but times of peace called for justifications of employment, and perhaps the walls were already full of knights, Royal or otherwise.

The other members of the squad were eager enough to get going, of course. Julian moved with a haste just slow enough that he wouldn’t risk incurring any collisions along the way, the fair Dot was so swift that it was a blink-it-or-miss-it moment, Signar’s length of stride propelled him naturally to the vanguard of his peers, and neither of the three ‘prodigies’ of Squad 13 looked to wish to be beaten when it came to arriving at their dorms either. It left Rossweine with Zenshin in the end, and after a slow dipping of his head, the prince too strode off, his steps unperturbed by the chaos that was new initiates in new territory.

A view of the inner courtyard was to be pleasant, and outside of one particular duo, the rooming arrangements were predictable. Rossweine paused briefly outside of Room 4. Nathaniel and Julian. A blighted couple, especially when the son of the Lothwrens was already pushing for a duel of honor. A pity. From behind Nathaniel’s back, the prince caught Julian’s eyes, just long enough to shake his head once. Then, he strode off once more, seeking his own room.

14-2-2.

So he would be with the boy from under the wall. Beds on both sides, and more importantly, separate wardrobes. There was space too, beneath the woodframed beds, to fit his cases, and there would be room on the walls to hammer in some racks. Small, of course. Smaller than even rooms that housed the servants back in the Welrimelle Estate. But there was a window, and the barracks were only two stories tall to begin with. He turned to Kai, bundled up already in the bed he claimed as his own.

“Hello.”

And then, Rossweine opened up the windows, letting in the aroma of sun-kissed pines into the stale, stony place. A deep breath. Just one to clear his thoughts and reaffirm the present that he lived. With the exhale, he extended his head out of the window and looked upwards. Ramparts above, fortifications made smooth by the stonecarver’s labour, then picked away by the passage of time. One hand stroked the work, skin snagging against the rough textures.

Indeed, adequate.

He pulled back into the room, a faint blush over his cheeks.

“I won't be here often, Kai, so treat it as yours. But leave my wardrobe alone.”
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Zenshin Ferros


Zenshin was still in a trance, it felt as though everything had been moving so fast for him. First making the knights, then being placed in the princes squad, then meeting the prince itself. Now he is making his way through the eastern barracks, taking in the nice scenery of what would be his new home. Speaking of home he would have to send his parents a letter letting them know that he managed to join the ranks. They’d definitely be surprised, perhaps even relieved that their son managed to do something worthwhile.

Nahhhh

They most likely would just be waiting for the inevitable to happen, such as Zen getting kicked out of the knights and awaiting his return home. The boy sighed before slapping his cheeks together. He looked towards his fellow squad mates before clenching his fists in reassurance.

I can’t afford to get kicked out, not only for my own sales but Prince Rosseweine, Vice Captain Nathaniel, and Vice captain Kai’s legacy . If I don’t become a full fledged knight I’ll leave a mark on his legacy. They’ll seem unfit to lead!

While Zen was locked inside his head he hadn’t realized he made it up to the front of the line. The boy managed to zone back in as he received his key but he missed which number he was in. Zen nervously scratched the back of his head, “Hehe…excuse me? Would you be so kind to say that again?” the man seemed incredibly annoyed as all he did send a bone chilling glare followed boy a feral growl at the boy. Startled, Zenshin backed off ”Nevermind, it’s okay I’ll sleep outside who needs a room anyways amiright?” he said as he managed to catch Signar’s brawly figure turn a corner. He quickly started after the large Caledonian managing to shadow him back to the room, not that he would’ve cared anyways but Zen had to save face somehow.

Upon entering the common room, Zen was happy to know there would be a private meeting place for their squad to communicate and speak amongst themselves. He then made his way to wear each of the quarters were, relieved that the rooms had name plates. Liese Brendorn and Dot...Captain Kai and Prince Rosseweine....aha! Zen would be pleased to know that he would have Signar as a roommate, despite being rather intimidating he seemed like a decent guy. The room itself though was incredibly small, despite being not as burly as Signar. Zen was one of the taller people within his squad if not the second tallest behind his roomate, perhaps they could have at least made a special accommodation for Signar at least. The best they did was provide a narrow spare bed for good reason, the beds themselves were not much better if you could even call it that. Sheesh, a coffin might give this bed a run for its money at this point. The boy thought to himself. Well he couldn't complain, the boy was glad to just be here. Inside he found his uniform which was a relief because he was on his last set of clean clothes.

Zenshins attention was adverted to his roommate who was formerly introducing himself before clasping his hand on the boys shoulder. The boy managed to mustered out a "Zenshin Ferrors, but I go by Zen." Struggling to not show himself in slight distraught by his roommates friendly gesture, Sig then offered to talk over supper as opposed to inside their cramped room.

"Sounds great, I'd love to join you for dinner Sig." Zen said rubbing his shoulder as Signar left the room. Sure he may look scary but he seems like a genuinely good guy, hopefully I don't have to spar against him anytime soon. The boy said following his roommate out, willing to provide additional assistance if anyone needed it.

@Zombehs
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...Who Are You Again?



Julian's thoughts had been elsewhere -- a combination of somber recollections and future hopes that swirled and blurred until it all became indistinct, leaving only the view of the courtyard below and the specks of dust that floated aimlessly in the half-light. In such a state, it took her a moment to even realize she was being spoken to -- as Nathaniel neither looked at her directly while he spoke, nor did he use a name that was familiar to her. "Julian" was close enough to her own name to be familiar, but it took her a moment to associate "Baker" with herself. Just as soon as she managed to connect those dots, however, she realized that the rest of his words didn't make sense to her either.

He was talking about... sparring, or something. But then why did he call it a rematch? They hadn't even had their first day, so how would she have -- Oh. She hadn't really bothered to remember the face of her opponent in her debut spar, but the name "Nathaniel Lothwren" had sounded familiar, so then obviously...

"Eh?! You're that sucker from last week?!" She exclaimed.

...Unfortunately, at times like this, Julian's mouth moved a little faster than her brain. Her tone, for what little it was worth, was incredulous, yet matter-of-fact. She didn't draw out her words to mock him, or feign politeness and beat around the bush, or laugh or even seem overly satisfied with herself -- that was just genuinely the first descriptor that came to mind. A naive, careless, overconfident opponent expecting an easy win, who had, in turn, presented her with an easy dupe. She'd feigned timidity and fear, then raised her sword as if to make a reckless charge, luring him to try to block her head on -- then, the moment she got close, she'd let loose the handful of sand she'd slipped into her pocket, blinding him and then disarming him the moment he flinched, instinctively loosening his grip on his weapon to try to rub his eyes. A few quick blows and it was over, and beyond that, she'd hardly bothered to remember it. The name and face of the boy she'd defeated... Those things hadn't been important to her. Since any opponent she faced would no doubt be far superior to her in training, she hadn't even bothered to ask around or find out if her defeated adversary had even been someone of note. After all, the mountain standing in her path was already far taller than she could fathom -- what good would it do to know its exact height or the futility of trying to scale it? Those things would only have held her back. So, she had just marched resolutely forward, until the mountain gave way and she found herself standing at its summit.

But unfortunately, it seemed that her opponent hadn't felt the same way. He berated her, with the spite born of his wounded pride only barely concealed beneath a thin veneer of dignity, speaking of "honor" and demanding the opportunity to "win it back." Julian's shoulders slumped. She hadn't thought of that, but she supposed she should have anticipated this. This boy wasn't some nobody. Whoever he might have been, his skills or family prestige had earned him the position of Second Seat despite his failure -- and at the Prince's right hand, no less! So then... how much higher might he have been allowed to soar had she not bested him so disgracefully? This cramped room, this painfully obvious attempt at provocation by the higher-ups... It was all to rub salt in his wounds and remind him of that failure, then -- of the way he'd been held back.

Julian wasn't without sympathy. She knew how it felt to have an unattainable dream, and to be derided by others for circumstances beyond one's own control. Never once had she stopped to think, either, how struggling for her own sake to grasp that dream would affect others around her. She had never considered that her own victory meant someone else's defeat, or that her success would leave someone who shared her dreams to wallow in miserable failure. Surely, he was... No, rather, he had every right to be angry. She'd have been pissed as hell, had she been in his shoes.

...But even so...

Even so...!

"...Why would I do that? That's stupid. I'm supposed to spar you again now that you know exactly how I fight, when I don't know the first thing about you or what you can do?"

She looked at him with the expression of one who'd just been told to empty an ocean with a spoon. What he was asking was not only stupid, but was actually just an invitation to make a fool out of herself in front of every single knight cadet in their year, and make the Knight-Commanders question their decision to offer her a spot in the first place! After she'd come this far, there was no way she'd throw the results of her effort away and go back to starving on the streets just to assuage some noble boy's wounded pride, no matter how sympathetic she might have been to his circumstances! He might have said it was "honorable," but all that really meant was that he could do whatever he was good at, but she couldn't use any of her skills to even the playing field. It was an obvious sham, no matter how she looked at it -- a near guaranteed win where all the conditions were now in his favor, on top of the overwhelming advantage of experience he had on his side! Not to mention...

"Not to mention, if you win, you get to make yourself look good. If I beat the same person twice, I get... what, exactly?"

It wouldn't help advance her position, nor was it necessary for her to prove anything when she'd already demonstrated her abilities in their last match. Of course, even if he offered her some kind of material reward for winning, she still wouldn't take the offer -- but that didn't mean she wasn't insulted, either, that he just assumed she'd do something so stupid when he wasn't even trying to make it worth her while to take the bait! "Honor" wouldn't fill her belly, after all -- and judging by the quick shake of his head he gave from behind Nathaniel's back, Prince Rossweine agreed with her decision -- which reassured her that her would-be rival would have a hard time pulling rank on her to force her to comply, either.

...At any rate, if she was going to have to deal with this for the rest of her time as a trainee... This was gonna get really awkward, wasn't it? Geez, that glare... if looks could kill, she'd have been shriveling up right about now. And this was gonna be her roommate? She'd be lucky not to wake up with a knife between her ribs... Well, okay, that was probably unlikely given that the boy was nobility and obviously couldn't hide a body or cover up a crime scene to save his life, and unlike a refugee camp, people would actually care if somebody turned up dead here, but still -- talk about getting off on the wrong foot.
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Dot


Dot sat out of the way as Liese began setting up his side of the room. She wondered what he thought of the accommodations, whether or not he was disappointed. Being nobility, he was surely used to bigger spaces and softer beds, maybe he had servants who brought him supper, or dancers to entertain him. Then again, for all the ways Liese had acted exactly like she expected a noble to act, he was also…strange. Somehow she found it more likely that he would sooner embrace the borderline-ascetic life of a trainee than throw up a huff over the fact that their pillows were a bit lumpy.

Then, as if reading her mind, he asked after her own opinion of the room.

“Oh, uh…It’s nice, I think. Cozy. I’ve never really lived with anyone else, so actually it’s kind of exciting, too. I just hope I’m a good roommate, y’know?”

Liese was very polite, almost to the degree of caricature. It reminded her of the nobles in the books Adean would bring her, schmoozing and obsequious, but their true intentions were always hidden. Was she being fair in assuming that of him? Maybe not, but it was a reflex molded into her. When someone offers to shake, you hope for the hand, but you prepare for the knife.

“I appreciate it, Sir Brendorn,” she said, reciprocating his respect, though she wasn’t sure if they’d earned the knightly title yet or not. “And I extend that same confidence to you. You’ve already shown me more kindness than I expected to find in Grayle. I hope to repay it.”

Outside, she heard the rest of the squad settling in, and caught sight of the giant, Signar, and his roommate Zenshin making their way out. Dot hopped back to her feet, pleased to feel the ache in her leg all but eased away. “But not on an empty stomach! How about we go find out what they feed the trainees? I’m crossing my fingers for 'edible.'

She went for the door, pausing briefly to touch the enchantment laid into it. Her lips pursed, but then she grinned back to Liese. “And maybe you can talk me out of scratching this junk off.”
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--Settling In--


@Mcmolly

The sheer bravery of this girl, evicted from her homeland, carrying nothing but the clothes on her back, likely no more family to call her own, and then still possessed enough willpower to try her hands at being a knight despite the patriarchal bias of the order. Well, never underestimate the tenacity of someone who had nothing to lose it seemed. Liese wasn't conceited enough to not realize that Dot had far harsher circumstances than his; at least he had his family's wealth, reputation, resources combined with his personal talents and gifts. Dot's mere existence pushed Liese to become aware that his conditions were far from being the worst of the worst. Therefore, it would be discourteous of him to not offer assistance, from one 'girl' to another.

"I see... well, there's a first time for everything, aye? And the feeling is mutual." Merely speaking from their short experience together so far, it seemed things were kicking off to a good start, but to say that they wouldn't face issues in the future would be delusional as even the most well-adjusted families had conflicts from time to time. "You're welcome, part of common courtesy since we'll be comrades, and also because I too have experienced loss and grief due to factors outside of my control." He curled a small empathic smile.

Liese's mind was in deep thought when Dot was staring outside of their room and examining some of their squadmates, he debated whether to show that to Dot now or later, however, when the dark-haired girl mentioned the enchantments, he made his decision. "Though I know not for certain the purpose of this enchantment, I may have an inkling to why it has been engraved here... and I have to show you something in order to explain myself." The blonde the proceeded to close the door and lock it, sequestering both himself and Dot in their own slice of sanctuary.

That done, the slightly taller trainee took a step back, "Please, do not be alarmed, I'm not doing this out of any indecent motivations." He spoke firmly, blue eyes locked right onto Dot's lavenders. Once he was sure that she understood him well, he would begin... undressing.

One by one, articles of fine noble clothing fell off his toned frame, his coat, tunic, undershirt, breeches, and everything else until Liese stood as bare as when he was born in front of Dot. There, the Alexandrian could see that the blonde possessed the exact same set of primary and secondary sexual characteristics as hers. Though the noble's bust was modest for his size, they were clearly breasts of feminine shape, and even if she doubted that, what was between Liese's legs shattered any other notion except one, Liese was physically female.

"..." He exhaled once with closed eyes and then opened them slowly, "So now you see, I know very well..." His voice was a pitch higher too now, lower in volume. A slight rosy tint colored his cheeks as the Absolute began dressing up once more in silence.
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Dot


Despite Liese’s forewarning, Dot was still very much alarmed. The moment he began to undress, she tore her eyes away and stuck them squarely to the nearby wall. To her own credit, she had the restraint not to shriek, which would have certainly caused them another world of problems. Instead she stood there, hands on her hips, scrutinizing the woodwork around the room and clearing her throat.

“Oooh gosh. Wow. Okay you’re just gonna—yep, you are. Yooou are. Doing that. Okay.”

When it was done, and she heard Liese’s voice had raised an octave, that and peripheral vision were enough to put the message together. So Liese was a girl, then? The name was feminine enough, though Dot wasn’t in any position to make a judgement call on that. It did put some of their words into perspective though, and suddenly the zeal and indignancy towards the other nobility made a bit more sense as well. So too did the enchantment on the door. Like Liese, Dot still didn’t know exactly what it did, but its meaning was clear enough.

That made her wonder, though—was this truly a secret? Surely as the daughter of nobility, someone if not most people were aware of her. If Liese was out to prove that girls could be knights too, wouldn’t she present herself as…well, a girl? Why hide?

Was she hiding?

This train of thought, blessedly, distracted Dot until Liese had redressed. When it felt decent to do so again, she looked back to her roommate, nodding and pursing her lips and trying to come up with an appropriate response.

“Right. Yes. I think I do,” she said. “I, uh, probably would have still gotten it if you’d just…y’know, told me. But hey, I can appreciate a big, bold gesture too. Sometimes you just really gotta lay it all out there…uh…metaphorically…speaking…”

Dot cleared her throat again. Great, now somehow she was the one making things awkward. That aside though, she’d never been confided in before, and even with the circumstances being as they were, having someone’s faith felt…good. For a moment Dot forgot that Liese was nobility. She smiled.

“I don’t know what you’ve been through, or what you’ve lost—I mean, we basically just met. But you seem nice, and, well, we’re a squad now so we gotta look out for each other, secrets and all. Not that I’m gonna the others! I just meant that your secret is safe with me, is all. You’re still Sir Liese Brendorn until you tell me otherwise.”
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Signar Wayland

Apparently not! It was looking like he would have the most stuff around once he picked them up from the inn, and it was a bit of an odd feeling. Then again most of his squad mates had homes in the country, so it wasn’t like they needed to bring their possessions with them to the Academy. A deep sigh escaped him as his thoughts wandered for a moment before he shook off the sprouting recollections of his past and focused on the present instead.

Liesse and Dot had squirreled themselves away in their room and the protection offered by the magic infused into the door. The specifics may have eluded him, but the arrays were common enough in Lanhelm to be familiar to him. The blend of an academy and production city meant that apprentices couldn’t just be allowed to wander freely as they pleased. While physical barriers and deterences were the main source of security for Valefor as a nation, the extra layers offered by magic were well worth the cost. Access passes allowed passage through some of them, while buildings like the female baths had simple yet stringent requirements. It was a bit odd that their room alone had the enchantment, but it wasn’t his business to dwell on. Seemed more like Rossweine’s to know what made two of his squad members special.

Speaking of their squad leader, Signar peered into the lavish and more spacious room that housed him and the third seat. Kaiser was… he supposed odd was the best word to describe the other boy and his mannerisms. Clearly he had energy to spare given how he had scampered around the entire shared space earlier, but now he was curled up atop his bed like it had become a makeshift fortress. If their eyes met, it was only for a moment as he finished his sweep of the room and turned his attention to the last room of the four.

The absolute glorious mess that couldn’t have been anything but intentional. Whatever the higher ups might have planned, just getting over it certainly didn’t seem to be in the books for their squad’s second seat. From what little interaction he had with Julian though, he figured the blonde would be just fine. As easy as it had been to rile him up with cheap jabs, the other trainee also had plenty of spunk to spare. Hopefully the two could figure something out before it escalated into something actually nasty. Be a terrible way to start off their time together.

“Anybody else wanna head to supper with Zen and I?” He extended another offer to the entire squad, and there was a bit of a pause before he added, “Well, once we figure out where it’s even served. Shouldn’t be too hard if we follow our noses.” with a shrug.
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