In this world, Magic is Everything. All people, all races, are granted with the power to perform mystical and magical feats via grimories, mystical tomes granted to each and every child on their 15th birthday. Those blessed by the mana can have their names written down in legend.
Shattered Grimoires is the work of the mind(s) of Ardere & Shattered Grimoire's staff. All characters and content are copyright their creators, and may not be replicated without their creators' permission. Black Clover is owned by Yuki Tabata and published by Viz Shonen Jump. All images belong to their original owners. The theme you are currently viewing was made by Eliza of ElizaCodes exclusively for Shattered Grimoires.
Post by Genesis Fantome on Dec 5, 2020 4:08:04 GMT -5
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Genesis Fantôme
La Poste
Genesis nearly tripped over her dress when she heard the full name of her invitation sender. Which was quite a feat, as the dress was only to her ankles and not even all the way down to the ground. Hania Ravencrest? For a split second, she was very relieved that she had not turned the invitation down. The last thing she wanted was to offend some high ranking family for standing a prominent member up. But in the next second, her skin crawled in apprehension and dread.
But Ravencrest. Really? And here was she, hoping to stay low profile and unknown. Honestly, how is she supposed to be an anonymous agent if the upper circles knew her? How? It looked like Fate enjoyed toying with her, and had thrown her an unexpected development that she was not sure how to recover from. Then again, she had not connected the name Hania to the Ravencrest’s Hania. She should have known. She should have. But it was too late. She was already here. There was no going back. All she could do was to stay quiet and as unnoticeable as possible...and hopefully slip out as soon as possible.
The maid had disappeared, and before she could look for the helpful servant, a feminine voice nearby caused her to look up. (Alyssa Lilygate❃) Her head turned to see an elegant looking woman dressed in gold, white, and royal blue. The shadow mage recognized her as the new Blue Rose captain, and the guards and Magic Knights around them were saluting her. She was about to step aside to let her pass when she realized that the lady was addressing her. Her escort? She did not have one...oh, she meant Hania. But why was she talking to her and being so helpful? Was it because that ice mage was really that prominent? The commoner was already dreading just what the evening had for her.
Gen only dipped her head in gratitude before she stiffly followed the kind soul up the stairs and into the royal palace, where the festivities were already in full swing. Her chin was up, but her face was expressionless. As she entered the room with measured steps, she drew in all of her mana and shadows within herself, attempting to let herself become as invisible as possible. She was just a passing shadow. Nothing more.
Sharp eyes scanned and captured the area before her, and she unconsciously sought out the most shadowy places within the main hall, if there were any. She also took note of where all the exits were. The doors were the best option, but it was closely guarded. The windows looked too troublesome and loud to break for an escape if that happened. There were other doors within the hall, but they likely led to the more inner rooms of the palace. Were there any other places she could slip out from?
The crimson-haired femme silently picked out those with the most powerful mana signatures. A few prominent Magic Knight squad captains and vices seemed to have joined in the celebration, a scattering of other knights, and an overwhelming amount of nobility. There were also a few commoners, but none that she recognized. There were just so many people packed in the same place—tall and short, stout and sticks...when could she get out of here?
The place practically reeked of superiority, and she was so tempted to challenge some of those high nosed but obviously weak nobles to a one on one combat. But she had to remind herself that this was not her playground. It was so brightly lit, the shadows here were weak. Thus, her magic here was weak, so she could not possibly win here. She sighed silently, but continued following the elegant Blue Rose captain to wherever she led her. At least she would recognize one familiar face here, and that was the one who invited her here.
Speaking of which, she would have to thank him for the dress, and also ask him how on earth he knew of her dress and...body measurements. She also did not know what she was going to do with the dress afterwards. Send it back to him? Or if he was not going to take it back, she would probably sell it. For a split second, her mind was diverted over thoughts of how much yul she could get from this dress. If she could present it well and find the right merchant, she figured she could probably get a very good bargain out of this. On second thought, perhaps she should save this dress if she ever needed it on some future undercover mission.
Did the dress fit her? Admirably so.
Was she used to walking in such fine clothes? Not at all.
Was the dress comfortable? Surprisingly so.
Was she comfortable? Not at the slightest.
Seriously, how did nobles even enjoy this type of gatherings? All these veiled flattery and fake socializing...this was a different type of torture. She had only been in here for a few minutes and already she was hoping she could slip out quietly as soon as she got the chance. For now, her plan was to just observe the people, greet Hania, observe the palace layout in case that ever came in handy, eat a bit of that delicious food over there, observe some more, then leave. That was Plan A, and she did not have a Plan B. Of course, plans rarely followed through exactly as projected, as she has learned from her many odd missions and jobs.
Upon seeing the silvery haired ice mage, the redhead nodded once in acknowledgement. (Hania Ravencrest✾) She had things she wanted to say to him, to ask him, but was not going to do that with all these people around. Then, she felt a pair of eyes on her, and subtly, she turned so she could find out who it was from her peripherals. It was just a black-haired man (Lucius Valerius). She could use a bit of her shadow magic to block his vision, but there were too many people here. Besides, that would give herself away. Instead, she would meet his gaze squarely and unflinchingly, her eyes completely devoid of emotion. A cool tone, then she would turn back to whatever was going on with her escort and the Blue Rose captain who brought her here. It was an odd assortment of people here. People she hoped would not remember her after she leaves.
There was power in anonymity, after all.
Notes & Stuff
OOC: Just walking into the wolves' den, that's all xD
Post by Michail Ravencrest on Dec 5, 2020 17:13:18 GMT -5
It seemed that Michail's question didn't truly register with Julien. Well, whatever. The blonde was honestly in no position to truly care in any case, to begin with. He wasn't asking because he couldn't fathom not having status; it was pretty easy to imagine. It was naught but chance that he happened to be born into the Ravencrest family. But it was because of that chance that he still had every right to flaunt the name--as long as he worked towards the family's goals.
No, Michail asked because he was curious as to the mentality of those beneath him. Did Julien have any affection towards anyone? Or was he so broken that any sort of compassion, any sort of human interaction, any sort of purpose he had in life was meaningless. Though he'd find no sympathy from Michail. At best, disgust--even commoners had more spirit than he did.
So it was perhaps for the best that Julien didn't give him a straight answer. At the end of the day, he didn't care.
"You are right about that, Reinsberg. The Ravencrest truly are the most sublime family in all of Clover. We should all see to it that that legacy remains far into the future."
"But it's not hard to imagine what it's like. You give me too little credit. Perhaps if I wasn't a Magic Knight, I wouldn't have to travel out of the realm to see commoners and peasants, but it's tantamount to basic inferiority. No different than beasts. You're no beast, but you're also not one of us."
"So where does that leave you?"
A pause, but before Julien could answer Michail shook his head. "No. On second thought, I don't care. All that matters is you have the skill to have become a Magic Knight. And to that end, I think of you as an ally--a comrade in arms. Anything further is, as you already know, not knowledge I care about. You can continue to brood, but there a number of high profile people here in the ball that I wish to speak to."
Michail took a large sip of the water from the glass he poured, before putting it back down. "You can come with me if you'd like, just see to it first that that glass is taken care of."
Post by Eve Darkkon on Dec 5, 2020 20:51:41 GMT -5
At first, Eve wasn’t certain what to think; no one in her memory had ever offered to feed her before, and she wasn’t entirely sure how to take it at first. She had asked her to try it, which was obvious, but before she could simply accept it, Satori spoke up, seemingly entirely too amused for her liking. She was relatively certain the massive man was laughing at them. Still, the information provided enough for her to look at June’s face for a moment more and realizing she was blushing, meaning this was yet another form of flirting.
Eve wasn’t certain what to do, so she simply followed her instincts to flirt back the only way she could think of. Leaning over to meet that fork, she allowed one of her hands to move to ‘support’ her as she did take the bite, her hand winding up on June’s upper thigh, her fingertips taking a moment to caress the inner thigh before she leaned back, relaxing and chewing, her golden eyes locked with June’s own for a moment before they suddenly opened wider.
This flavor… it was beyond anything she could have ever dreamed good food was like… and she chewed a few more seconds with a gentle moan and nodding towards June excitedly, but also to check the woman’s reaction. June, despite having been sought after by a few, was not all that experienced when it came to giving that kind of affection to anyone. She had never even been on a date before unless for some reason this particular even counted. Once she finished the bite, which she had eaten the entire egg without problems, she waited a moment.
Would June offer another bite of something else? Did she like the little bit that Eve had done to try to flirt back subtly? Was it too subtle and wouldn’t even be noticed? Why was she worried about it so much? Why did it matter so much to her that it was making her heart start to pound while she waited for a response? Her eyes darted to Satori for just a moment, the uncertainty flashing before moving back to June’s own. If she did nothing it was probably going to make her go insane with a combination of hope, worry, and anxiety. But most of all, she had never had these feelings before in almost anything, and that weird sensation was both offputting and enticing… which only added to the confusion.
Post by Alyssa Lilygate❃ on Dec 6, 2020 16:45:21 GMT -5
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[attr="class","header"]Seasonal Greetings
[break] The Blue Rose Captain looked to the red-headed woman and chuckled a little "You look like a deer caught in a carts lantern light, are you alright?" she would ask from what she could gather from the short time she had been standing there it was like the woman had had some sort of epiphany in regards to the one who had invited her to the ball "I'm guessing when he met you he didn't inform you of his last name." she said starting to walk up the steps at a steady pace so the two women could talk. "I wouldn't worry about offending him, in all honesty, he's quite hard to anger though his tongue does have an icy sting it when he is irritated from what I have been told but he is a very loyal man devoted to his family and the kingdom." she informed her as she continued walking towards the small group of people standing to the side. "Good evening captain Kasai I hope you are faring well on this cold eve." she said giving the man a curtesy before turning her attention to her friend "Lydia you look ravishing as always." she said moving to kiss her left cheek lightly before turning to look at Hania "This young lady was looking for you Hania." she said with a smile allowing him to deal with his date, it was the first time he had seen the teen actually go out of his comfort zone for these kinds of things but then it seemed like it was the first time in as long as she had known him that Lydia hadn't needed to force him to attend a social gathering. [break][break] She turned her eyes towards Lydia "It seems like he's growing up and finally taking interest in something other than tea, books and cake." she teased a little knowing it would make the white-haired ice mage frustrated though give Lydia a chuckle at the same time, then again there was always the chance that Lydia would be surprised that Hania had actually invited someone to the ball as he normally tried to get out of them. She knew personally that the brother and sister were normally quite open with each other even if they didn't share some things not believing it was the right time which was their choice but the woman also believed that something like this Hania may have played close to his chest in case the other didn't turn up which he didn't blame him on that as rejection was never so easy. Her eyes then turned to Tora as she smiled and gave her a small curtesy "I'm sorry I didn't mean to be rude to you, my name is Alyssa it's a pleasure to meet you." her voice was calm as she spoke honestly showing she didn't mean to ignore the woman though she did find it odd that a female would come to a ball wearing a suit like a man but then that was likely because it was one of the few times she could actually dress up and be somewhat girly for the evening before having to go back into her normal life. She realised that when she came in that Lydia and Tora were having a conversation and so didn't want to interrupt or be the third wheel so after the pleasantries were done she done one more curtesy to the group before kissing Lydia's cheek again. "I hope we can catch up soon Lydia but I'll leave you to your conversation." she was fond of the other of course and wanted to stay but there was part of her that knew this wasn't the current time. [break][break] The Blue Rose captain turned elegantly before gracefully heading towards the punch bowl, she didn't drink so she was glad that there was a non-alcoholic alternative. As she got closer she realised that someone was standing by it watching everyone else enjoying themselves, perhaps he was waiting for someone, for now, she thought they may enjoy some company so gave them a curtesy "Good evening, are you enjoying yourself?" she would ask the tall and handsome man in front of her a smile on her face "My name is Alyssa." she was pretty sure due to her family name and her being a squad captain her name was known not just through the clover kingdom but through the others as well, it was a blessing and a curse she supposed but she always believed it was best to introduce herself to others regardless due to social etiquette. She would wait for the other to introduce himself and go from there as it would be easy to tell whether or not he wanted to socialise with her or if he would much prefer to be left alone by the other. She, of course, would enjoy the conversation but she wouldn't force it on anyone, the one thing she kept being drawn to was the man's eyes, like everyone else's they held a story and secrets, of course, she wouldn't pry into that kind of thing it wasn't her place after all but there was something unsettling to her about him then again after the last year she was on edge about most things so believed she was overreacting so just dismissed the feeling to enjoy his company if he allowed it.
Judging by the confusion on Eve's face, June realized that the taller woman didn't understand the meaning of her gesture. Fortunately, Bengal made it crystal clear what the noblewoman had been trying to get at by offering to feed her. The slight flush across her cheeks deepened at his words, further confirming that this was not a platonic gesture.
By the time the tall, purple-haired woman leaned over to accept the deviled egg, June's face was burning. She hadn't expected Eve to be so bold as to put her hand there. The smaller woman stiffened, nearly letting out a surprised squeak at the feeling. The red color decorating her face spread to the tips of her ears and down her neck, broadcasting that the noblewoman was very much effected by Eve's touch.
Clearing her throat awkwardly, June withdrew her now empty fork and reached for her glass of wine. The cool beverage helped the petite Magic Knight to settle down, though the sounds Eve made at the taste of the food made the calming effect of the wine rather short-lived.
The Silva forced herself to take slow and controlled breaths to help calm herself from being caught off guard like that and so thoroughly flustered. Her drink was half gone by the time the redness had faded completely from her fair complexion. Although June wasn't entirely certain how she felt about the taller woman squeezing her thigh, she decided that the only way to decide that was to try again. It was only for the sake of experiment, the petite Magic Knight told herself.
"Have another," June said, spearing another deviled egg and holding it up for the taller woman to eat.
This time, only the tips of her ears reddened as the noblewoman had braced herself for Eve's response.
Fuu stuck her tongue out in disgust at the wine she just spat out. "Why do people drink this garbage?" The dwarf said to herself as she looked at the cup in her hand, still, some of the drink left in it. At this point, one would just dispose of their glass properly...but Fuu didn't care much for that. She just dropped the glass on the ground, causing it to shatter and startle some people nearby. The earth mage didn't think much of what she just did, and was just about to walk off until she noticed that Ravencrest guy making his way back to her. The guy started to speak, and the young Wilhelm already knew where this was going...
The girl furrowed her brows a bit and looked over at the waiter she previously assaulted. The waiter looked back at her from his chair and gave the dwarf a little scowl before turning away from her. She then rolled her eyes and looked back at the Ravencrest. "Well I didn't ask him to "look out for me" now did I?" The earth mage added before placing her hands on her hips with an eyebrow raised. Fuu despises being treated like some child...despite pretty much still being one, and being told what she can and can't do. Although she has learned a bit about teamwork and knowing when to back down from fights she can't win from Artemis, Fuu still has a long way to go when it comes to maturity...
"But right now, you're starting to piss me off a little more than that bozo, so I suggest you move outta my way..." She then got on her tippy toes in an attempt to get on an equal footing as the guy...but it didn't help much. "...or I will move you myself, Ravencrest."
STONE COLD STATS
POW 31 | DUR 18 | SEN 8 | STA 21 | CON 30 | SPD 5 m/s | STR 1/2 junior SKIN senior | HEALTH senior + int | POOL 70/70 | REGEN 10 IC / 20 OOC
Tora perked up and smiled as she was introduced to the man and offered a little curtsy to him. "A pleasure to be sure, sir." She noted warmly, that bright smile of hers perking a bit as she noted that he seemed to be Lydia's boss. Though it seemed the surprises were hardly over. Not long after did it seem another higher up popped onto the scene. Another face she didn't really recognize. She waited patiently as the woman greeted both ard and Lydia, the two seeming considerably close given the nature of the greeting, and the big woman itched her scarred cheek thoughtfully as she looked around at the people surrounding her. It was definitely strange to be in the company of so many famous individuals. However, at the address she received from Alyssa she perked up and chuckled.
"Oh! Hello! Pleasure to meet you Lady Alyssa, the name's Tora Gui." She noted, though she was a little surprised to see that the woman didn't really linger or anything like that. With a bit more conversation and another mouth-suck to the side of Lydia's face, the blue rose captain was off to continue greeting others at the party. Hmm, she supposed some people were like that, or at least, they were obliged to greet as many familiar aces as they could. She could only imagine the number of people around here who knew each other. "Hmm, maybe I shoulda gone for a dress after all." She murmured lightly, as much as she hated the things, it really did seem that she was the only woman around wearing a suit. Though she honestly hated those kinds of outfits given her bust size. She always felt overexposed in those things. Ah well, things to consider later she supposed.
Post by Cooper Ravencrest on Dec 7, 2020 1:59:06 GMT -5
This was in fact the situation that Cooper didn't want to happen but he vastly underestimated the young ladies temper. He didn't want to bet his chance to a fight in fact a lot of the time he would rather avoid a fight if he had to. He had to air on the side of caution and backed up from Fuu. "Well so be it, however from one person to another starting trouble could lead you to be in situations you wish you weren't Ill bid you a good day on that." On that note he would move out of Fuus way. This last thing wanted was ending up in a spot of bother where one of his cousins had to bail him out. As he took a step back his attention was drawn off for short spell as the captain of the blue rose walked in.
Cooper of course enjoying a party would enjoy the beauty in which would show up. For Cooper however knew that this idea of even trying anything extra could get him into trouble so he decided it be best to not follow that line of thought maybe a simple greeting later wouldn't hurt. He brought his attention back to his immediate area he trys to get a read of the others in the room he made mental notes of who was present and where they was. Of course he had noticed Captain of the crimson Lion and of the other Ravencrest's present it had been sometime since he had spoken with a good number of his cousins and thought it might be time to correct that. Of course he had to return to what he originally intended to do and that was give at least a small greeting to the head of the house. Hopefully as he walked over to Lydia the little lady didn't have anymore drama to cause for now at least. WC:320 TC:1,523
Post by Satori Ryuutei on Dec 7, 2020 6:28:26 GMT -5
Bengal glanced up as a familiar bassy voice, similar to his own but far more refined compared to his own gravely undertones. Ardere had finally arrived proper after arriving with Lydia, the man had made himself known. Going to get drinks and looking about. Bengal made eye contact with the red head, lifting a hand in greeting from his table with the ladies. A clear silent invitation, if the Kasai wanted a place to come sit away from the major crowds. Either way he offered the man a grin. He'd probably come see him later, maybe mingle a bit.
Though few held his interest here aside those he'd already focused on and briefly greeted. After he was certain Adere had seen him, he would shift his gaze back down toward the pair before him that were flirting like virgins. June's reactions were always adorable, but he hadn't expected her to become as beat red as she had been their first night. So cute. Eve as well was bold, but flustered to all hell.
Thoroughly amused, Bengal reached over and traced a fingertip along June's neck. "Easy, Flower." He murmured simply, glancing about briefly. As amusing as this was he didn't want the two getting two excited here. He could always steal them away out the door, but June had an old habit of taking his advice of "Fuck everyone else, they don't matter" a bit too close to heart. Though he didn't care about the opinions of others, getting randy in the middle of a yule ball seemed a bit extensive.
His gaze shifted toward Eve once she'd taken her bite of the egg. "Eve, do you know how to dance?" He inquired curiously, nodding toward the few couples that were doing so. Perhaps taking them on a quick dance would help them cool their heads. He couldn't perform the high-speed dances that his Clan used here. They didn't even have drums at this ball. But, June had taught him quite a bit of the classical ballroom dances while he was teaching her his language.
Altering it into something he could use to dance with both of them at once should be manageable. They both had sharp instincts, and it should only change how he moved, not so much them in order to keep up with two partners at once.
The other option was to have someone join them that would calm the two down for a bit. He could be stern if he wanted to, but he didn't want to make them feel awkward again. Usually June could handle his rough demeanor just fine. It seemed right now the swell of emotions was throwing her off, better not to risk it. Perhaps he could steal Ardere for a bit. June would behave in front of someone he respected, usually. His gaze lifted once more, checking around for the Kasai.
WC: 514 TWC: 4,054
Statistics
Rank: Grand Fame: Tier 4 Strength: Intermediate Speed: 25m/s
Mana Skin: 24/24 Health: 20/20 Mana: 465/465 Mana Regen: +55/75
Post by Lucius Valerius on Dec 7, 2020 8:13:17 GMT -5
Everything was just as picturesque as he had imagined. These people celebrating their failures rather than trying to make themselves better, and prevent more incidents in the future. Of course they wouldn't dream of bettering themselves when they could just party the night away, and not give a care to those that were so lowly underneath them. The crimson haired beauty that he recognized so easily met his eyes for a moment, and he just smiled at her. That deadpan expression on her face suited her better than any false smile that she could muster. The look of someone without a soul, who didn't care about anyone that she trounced on to elevate herself. Lucius knew the truth, knew what kind of person she truly was, and the Knights that adorned her sides were no different. As their gazes met he didn't falter in the slightest to him this was just a preemptive measure, to know what kind of people he was going to be dealing with.
So lost in thought he almost didn't notice the unknown woman coming up to the table where he was, and getting herself a drink. She seemed kind enough, but when she introduced herself something came to his mind. The name seemed somewhat familiar, he had heard rumors of a new captain joining the ranks of the Magic Knights. A woman, and if his guess was correct she was talking to him so easily, that it almost sickened him. With a polite smile, and a small bow he straightened himself out, and pushed his glasses back up the bridge of his nose.
"Am I enjoying myself? Hmmmm I suppose it depends on your definition of enjoy, but I do like the atmosphere yes." he nodded to her as he scanned the crowd once more. There was a girl who was pushing past some shaky looking guy, the red head was swallowed up by a sea of Ravencrests once more. "I am Lucius it is nice to meet you, Miss Alyssa." his voice was kind, there was no need to be hostile with this woman.
After all they were here to simply enjoy a party, and if anyone tried to start trouble there was no doubt in his mind that they would be quickly apprehended, and shown either to the door, or the dungeon. Not wanting to cause trouble for his brother, he knew what he had to do. So instead he though he would just pretend like the rest of them.
"Tell me...What brings someone like you to this kind of party? Surely you've been to enough balls to last a lifetime, do they not get dreadfully boring after a while, or is there a secret to keep being entertained by them?" He asked her genuinely curious as to how the Knights, and Nobles could stomach these gatherings more than once a year. Was it truly that much fun to stroke ones ego so much? If it wasn't then he needed to understand what purpose these idiotic gatherings held otherwise.
Post by Eve Darkkon on Dec 7, 2020 13:09:03 GMT -5
Eve had to admit it was one of the cutest things she had ever seen when June not only locked up but turned the same hue as a tomato in the process. But the overall consensus of the action itself was not clear. Did she like it? She certainly didn’t seem to be complaining, that was for sure… but she didn’t seem to be complimenting it either. So, as she finally swallowed the admittedly delicious egg, she did her level best to make sure the anxiety and panic didn’t show. She had a pretty damn good poker face, so it wasn’t that difficult to mask that worry. She washed it down with a sip of her wine, which she noted was nearly empty, finishing it off and trading it out again for another glass of sweet red wine and setting it down.
"Have another," was the words that greeted her ears next, and June for the most part was not beat red, but it was an open invitation, and an answer, she was pretty sure. If she didn’t like what had happened, she would not be asking her to do it again, although it was indirectly. She locked eyes with the smaller woman again, and once again leaned over, replacing her hand in the same place, although this time it was a bit higher accidentally. The rubbing, therefore, was a bit more towards a sensitive area, as she slowly took the bite, and took her time pulling away.
As she began to chew however, Satori got her full attention for the first time in the night, her eyes showing excitement at the idea of dancing. “Mmm-Hmm!” she managed, but then held up a finger as to say ‘Please Wait’, then used the same finger to circle around the food they were eating. She wanted to go dance, for sure, but she was hungry, and as much as dancing sounded like an amazing time, she wanted to get try some more of this food… especially if June was going to be feeding her. Eve really liked that.
As she finished the egg she had in her mouth, thoroughly pleased with the flavor, she eyed her own plate and wondered for a moment if maybe she could do the same thing for June. Satori seemed content to simply eat his own food, although he certainly had some things on his plate that she wouldn’t mind trying, she wasn’t so certain he would like the same thing that June did. That, and he was much further away, so it wouldn’t exactly work without almost crawling on top of June to get to it. Then there was also the fact that she didn’t know what June would like, or even what the food was that was on her own plate to offer… except one.
Mimicking June, she took a toothpick and stabbed a piece of chocolate and turned towards her, offering the chocolate truffle. She wanted to try it too, but it was one of the things on Eve’s plate that she had two of, so offering one wasn’t a problem at all.
Eve seemed to hesitate for a moment, but she leaned in to take a bite nevertheless. Her hand firmly grasped June's thigh again, managing to brush against places that sent a subtle shiver down her spine. The petite noblewoman wasn't used to anyone being this forward with her except for Bengal. She hadn't considered letting anyone else be so familiar with her before, except Emily. Emily was different, though. They were both nobles and had connected in a way that was more formal, observing all the unspoken rules that June had yet to impart on Eve.
Eve was more like Bengal. Rough around the edges, straightforward, and unconcerned with all the posturing and stance that nobles used to communicate. Although in the purple-haired woman's case it was more due to a lack of knowledge than a lack of concern. Bengal had become more or less familiar with the layers of formalities that nobles observed; he simply didn't care for them.
June tended to operate within the bounds of the societal rules she'd been raised under, especially in settings like this. Or at least she used to. Balancing her partner's more plain and practical values with her own values of pedigree and complicated etiquette was a challenge.
It all felt so strange now. June plucked the chocolate Eve offered her from the toothpick with her fingers and ate it. Although this experiment had been tempting, she had nearly let curiosity get the better of her.
"Do you know how to dance, Eve? Bengal is rather excellent at it."
The clear redirection was of little help to the taller woman trying to get a read on her. The noblewoman ate a few small things from the various plates laid out in front of her while she waited for Eve to eat her fill. Her words from before had been in earnest. Now that the dark skinned woman was one of her associates at the very least, starving was no longer an option. It was beneath her to have friends in such poor condition and went against the teachings of the Ryuutei.
Post by Satori Ryuutei on Dec 8, 2020 18:26:07 GMT -5
Bengal watched the pair with a smile as they finally began to relax a bit. Lifting a hand up and continuing to lightly caress June along her spine while she fed Eve, before the chuckling at the counter-play by Eve. Curious if his love would take the bait. Instead, she plucked it from her fingers and ate it instead.
Eve's clear interest in dancing was noted, and they seemed to have calmed a bit at least. That was a start. Though he did note that she was glancing at his plate as well, and a bemused smile played at his lips. He didn't really feed June, though she occasionally did him. But he also had no issue sharing. A large hand lifted, moving over toward Eve and suddenly grasping the back of her chair before lifting her and it into the air a few inches. Then placing her at his opposite side from June. Setting her down lightly before pulling her plate over, as well.
Nodding to his own plate as he leaned back a bit. "You're welcome to any of it Eve. There's plenty more, as well." He was still snacking, but he could snack all night. The buffet wouldn't slow until late into the night if it was anything like last years. Something that seemed so far away. His first night bringing June and Emily both to the Yule Ball. Riley having his little fued with his fiance and asking him about advice on women.
He had to smile, thinking of the fact his advice got the kid smacked. Riley's woman hadn't been the type to fall for Bengal's "moves" as Riley had put it. He worried about the kid. Where was he? Missing in action, charging off in a rage to kill the "Daemons". It was just like what he'd done against Diamond all over again. Dumb kid. A soft sight passed between his lips. Emily had refused his invitation, saying that she'd spend time with him and June in private later instead. He didn't mind.
Frankly, Bengal was just glad she was slowly coming out of her shell again.
Glancing down at Eve and June, Bengal leaned down and stole the bite off of June's fork. Grinning down at her playfully, kissing her briefly in apology before straightening and looking toward Eve. Nodding toward his plate. "The Coq au vin is good," He began, then blinked realizing Eve likely had no idea what that was. He understood. When he'd first been introduced to all these overly complicated dishes he'd been dumbfounded.
"The... chicken in broth with the vegetables," he nodded toward the rich dish in a side bowl, adorning his plate. Clearly inviting her to have some. It was hearty and rich, leaning toward savory instead of the sweet that June tended to prefer. It seemed like something Eve would like.
WC: 509 TWC: 4,563
Statistics
Rank: Grand Fame: Tier 4 Strength: Intermediate Speed: 25m/s
Mana Skin: 24/24 Health: 20/20 Mana: 465/465 Mana Regen: +55/75
Post by Hania Ravencrest✾ on Dec 9, 2020 23:22:36 GMT -5
Hania turned his attention from his sister upon hearing Alyssa's voice and smiled as she went through the expected pleasantries of her station as a noble and captain to his sister and captain before turning her attention towards him letting him know that there was a young woman looking for him. His left hand went to his chest while his right was slightly away from his body his hand flat and turned towards them as he bowed a little "Good evening Lady Lilygate, thank you for escorting her here." he said his voice stoic but that wasn't anything unusual for him before standing and looking towards Genesis "Good evening Miss Fantome, I'm glad to see you accepted the invitation." he said with a slightly warm undertone to his voice as he moved towards her dismissing himself from the company of his sister, Tora and the captains so he might solely concentrate on Genesis. He had taken a quick glance over the dress but nothing like the photographer they normally had to deal with had with them "I am also glad to see that my maid managed to get to you with the dress in time." he said turning his head a little as he thought on his next words carefully. "Is the dress to your liking?" he asked looking to her he was worried that she may lie to him if it wasn't given the current situation she found herself in especially since he would likely think that it was some expensive designer dress from a well-known designer.
He gently took her hand and led her away from the crowded areas to a more quiet and secluded part of the ballroom where they could observe without worrying too much about others as they would be able to see them coming. "Please don't worry about offending me if the dress isn't to your tastes." he said honestly leaning against the wall looking out to those dancing seemingly enjoying themselves, he wanted to run away in another direction as things like this to him were nothing but a facade that nobles put on for one another as they would as quickly slip a knife into your back as offer a compliment but still as the heir of his family he was expected to make an appearance "I had to guess what would suit you and what you would agree to wear as I didn't have a clear idea of your normal style when I designed the dress, it took me three days to design something I thought would suit you and you may enjoy wearing every now and then." he informed her as he turned his ice-blue eyes towards her without turning his head. "I went and talked to the staff at the modelling job for your measurements so I could have something fitting as I doubt you wanted something loose and frumpy." he continued being completely transparent with her on a question he knew she was bound to ask him.
"Please don't be angry with the staff as you must already know my last name and the weight that comes behind it." he didn't want those they had worked with to gain the ire of the woman beside him over something they felt they couldn't say no to. "No, I don't want the dress returned to me after the ball. No, I don't mind if you sell it, it is worth quite a bit and I will get you the name of the seamstress and the fabrics used if it helps the sale if you want to go down that route." he knew balls and dresses would likely not normally be her thing so it wasn't so big of a leap that she may be wondering what to do with it. He knew that who designed and sewed it could affect the price as could the fabric, its quality and where it came from, the red-head now new of his family so knew that nothing but the best would have been used on that dress she wore currently. "I honestly hate these things, I'd rather be reading a book, drinking a cup of tea and having some cake." he said to her it was very clear he was being honest with her on the matter "I'm sorry I dragged you into this but I at least thought the suffering would be lessened with a like-minded individual however I understand if you wish to take your leave, I wouldn't expect you to stay somewhere you are uncomfortable." he had taken note of her looking around the place and it wasn't hard to put two and two together. "I am glad to see you even if you decide it will be brief more so in something more fitting your beauty than that over the top outfit you had been wearing before." he said closing his eyes briefly allowing her to rebut him if she wanted.
Post by Alyssa Lilygate❃ on Dec 10, 2020 20:58:55 GMT -5
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[attr="class","header"]Regrets
[break] The silver-haired woman listened to the man she had greeted, she had to say she never thought about it in such a manner but had to admit he had a point. "Well said, I have never thought about it in such a way." she said honestly turning to look at those dancing and talking within the grand ballroom for a few moments. "The atmosphere is definitely energetic this evening but there is a good chance that tongues are wagging with the latest gossip or for new alliances to be made against enemies within the noble courts." she said knowing that this was normally the way of things within the higher echelons of society, she didn't agree with such acts as to her it was distasteful even if she could understand the logic behind it but she had neither the time nor the patience to play politics with everything going on within her squad and Raque in general. "It is a pleasure to formally meet you Lord Lucius." her voice was polite as she spoke, she meant no disrespect upon the use of the title 'lord' it was more of a formality due to how she was raised and with them in such a surrounding it seemed only right to use such terminology when addressing the other. [break][break] He listened to his question and turned her attention towards him once more nodding "You are indeed correct, I have been to many balls, dances and the likes over the years and you are also correct I have in fact grown bored of them over that time." she said softly closing her eyes as she let out a sigh before turning to stand by his side looking out to everyone else "I am the head of a household and a captain now so it is part of my duties to be seen rubbing elbows with others. That being said due to my responsibilities as a magic knight it allows me just to be a normal person for an evening..." the former part of her statement was completely truthful as was the former but there was more to it which she would soon get into "However, I would rather be at home in Raque where I am hosting a yule party of my own for those who I employ and those refugees and orphans I have taken into my home after what happened to the town" her voice was filled with sorrow as she spoke those words thinking about what she had returned to after the mission she was assigned was over. "Where three places were attacked in a well-orchestrated plan the royal capital is unphased and why would it be as the royals and nobles would have made sure all damage done would have been repaired by now." she closed her eyes "Raque and Kikka still have a long way to go before life will be somewhat normal from what they had to go through." it was easy to see that she was struggling with that fact and it was like a knife in the woman's heart. [break][break] As soon as I returned to Raque and seen what had happened, I enquired about the now-former captain and vice-captain. No one has any information on our former captain but Hale our vice-captain passed though I have yet to find out all the details on that one given how busy I have been. Her eyes opened "I'm paying towards the repairs of Raque and have requested that others that can afford to do the same, I have even got nobles to agree to take refugees and orphans into their homes during these difficult times which they have though begrudgingly on some occasions." it hurt her that she had, had to have long conversations and full-on arguments with other noble houses for them to act like decent people when everyone in the town needed to stick together "I've also sent some aid to Kikka in hopes to make things a bit easier for them but some wounds are going to take a long time to heal..." she trailed off as if in deep thought "I wouldn't blame those within the town if they didn't trust the nobles or the magic knights in honesty, the town shouldn't have been lost and even if it was an inevitability due to not knowing what we were up against there is no way it should have been lost for so long..." her voice showed honest pain though she hadn't suffered herself, but, she was empathetic to the plight of others. "That was a failing on us and it shouldn't be forgiven easily or forgotten ever." this was the truth of the matter to her some things should be forgiven but history whether good or bad should never be forgotten.
