candybox | OPEN POST: Claude von Riegan - Fire Emblem: Three Houses

[Any tension in his body seems to leave him when he spots that it's just Dorothea, and he returns his arrow to its quiver, smiling. There are a lot of suspicious characters around the monastery these days, but he doesn't for a second think she could be one of them.

Unlike him, she wears her heart on her sleeve.]

I could say the same for you, Dorothea. What's a diva doing backstage when the show's long since finished?

[He may not know a thing about opera, but he's observed her and Manuela long enough by now to have picked up a little of the vocabulary.]

[ She blinks at him, a little surprised, but smiles at the way he references the opera. ]

Rehearsing, of course. Just like you, it seems. [ She hesitates for a moment before adding: ] No performance can be perfected, otherwise.

[ She gives a demonstrative swing of her training sword, her movement a practiced combination of elegant and economical. There's no use in pretending that isn't her purpose here, as much as she hates to show her hand. ]

I won't tell if you don't, but I'm curious now. Do you come here often at this hour? I'm surprised our paths haven't crossed before.

Edited 2021-02-13 23:06 (UTC)

[He's smiling, but he can't quite hide the way his eyes are studying her sword movements. Sounds like she's underselling herself, from what he can see.]

Who, me? Nah. Soon as it's past my bedtime, I'm out like a light. Gotta keep up with the beauty sleep, you know.

[And given how easygoing he is about his studies, it's not all that unbelievable.]

[ Now, see, if he'd said you just didn't come here after curfew she'd have accepted it, but Dorothea doesn't believe for a moment that he's a good boy that goes to bed exactly on time every night. ]

Of course. You have great skin, I'm not surprised. What kept you up tonight, then?

A terrible, terrible stomachache. Did you know it was Flayn's turn for cooking duty today? I didn't, until it was too late.

[That story is equally likely to be true as it's likely to be nonsense, from the way he makes it sound. It's a Claude special talent.]

Thought I'd do something productive instead. But why were you trying to sneak off? Thought I was someone else?

[Getting caught by the professor or Seteth would be pretty scary in the middle of the night, all things considered.]

Was it, now? I'll admit I didn't notice. I can stomach just about anything that doesn't have fish in it. At least it's fresh, you know?

[ That being said, she wouldn't have pegged Claude as having a weak constitution, and besides, wouldn't it make more sense to lie down or go get some medicine if his stomach had been hurting that badly? Archery practice doesn't exactly seem like the logical conclusion there, to her.

As for her failed escape attempt... ]

I hid at first because I didn't relish the idea of a lecture, though I'm sure someone like the Professor would have noticed me right away even in the dark. Her abilities seem almost preternatural at times, it's a little eerie.

[ Her free hand absently brushes through her hair as she watches Claude's face in the dim light. She admits:]

I saw it was you, but... [ She pauses here, choosing her words carefully. ]I think you wouldn't want to be caught with me after hours.

[ As much as Claude has a reputation for being something of a shifty layabout, Dorothea also knows what kind of reputation she has managed to earn around Garreg Mach, however unkind and unearned it may be. She knows her social climbing is unwelcome in some circles--circles that Claude will need to move through as the Archduke Riegan. Maybe he wouldn't care now, but she knows how quickly that can change. ]

[Claude can only agree there's something very odd about the professor, but he'll keep those thoughts to himself. He's still sizing Byleth up, and given what it could all mean, the less said about it for now the better.

As for being caught with Dorothea after hours... he just laughs, the implication not lost on him.]

Don't you think you're the one who should worry about getting caught up with me? You might get accused of being my accomplice in some crafty scheme. [He shrugs, carefree as ever.] People are going to gossip about both of us whether we're together or apart, so I honestly don't care. Let the uptight nobles talk.

[Of course, that's easier for him to say with a house and crest to shield him, but less so for her. He'd understand if she did want to avoid him entirely.]

[ In this moment, she thinks she likes Claude easily twice as much as she did even half a minute before. Let the uptight nobles talk, he says, and Dorothea can't help the smile that spreads on her face as she takes a few steps closer. He's right in that it would look worse for her either way: either she's a disreputable girl for having an illicit tryst with a nobleman, or she's a miscreant for getting embroiled in his plans. There's no way to win, there.

Leaning forward, she twists a lock of her hair around one of her fingers, lowering her voice conspiratorially. ]

Do you really mean that? You wouldn't be disturbed if people thought we were involved--just two lovebirds sneaking off together at night to keep their romance a secret...? A nobleman and a common girl struggling under the weight of their feelings for one another?

[ She doesn't wait for him to answer, though, straightening her spine and winking once to show she's playing with him. She doesn't want to see it if his expression shifts in the moonlight to one of disdain or indifference. ]

Just kidding, of course. That kind of thing hardly ever happens outside of storybooks and operas.

[There's no disdain or indifference in his expression at all, just a playful smile on his face. Even if, as always, it's difficult to tell whether a smile reaches his eyes or not.]

Hardly ever, but it does happen. A storybook romance sounds a lot nicer than plenty of the things people say. [He huffs out a laugh, shaking his head.] Still... We probably shouldn't overstay our welcome here. Just in case.

[He goes to retrieve the arrows he'd been using with his training bow from the target, and returns them along with the bow to the weapons rack. As he does so, he's struck with a thought.]

How about you and I catch up over tea sometime? Engaging in polite society can't be too scandalous, now can it?

Hmm, probably not.

[ Dorothea goes along with him, slotting her wooden sword against the rack as well and dusting her hands off on her leggings. Since her arrival at the academy, no one has seen her less than perfectly put together in her uniform, with her makeup and her accessories. This marks a first for her.

It's a first, too, being invited to tea by a house leader. Sure, she'd shared a few cups with Edelgard, but always at her own invitation. The future emperor was obviously a smart and passionate girl, but as much as she seemed invested in her classmates' futures, she wasn't too keen on letting them get close to her, always holding them at arm's length. Will Claude be more of the same, or is there a chance they could actually become friends? ]

Polite society is where scandals are born, but you are my house leader now, so a shared cup of tea hardly seems like it should generate too much idle chatter. I'm free tomorrow after class. Sweet apple is my favorite blend, by the way.

Sweet apple? Noted. [He doesn't have any, but a trip to the market can fix that. Or swiping some from the kitchens, if all else fails.]

All right, we'll meet in the courtyard after class. For now, I'll give you a head start back to the dorms and stick around here a little longer.

[Sure, their rooms are on different floors, but seeing them walking back together still might raise eyebrows. Better safe than sorry, and all that.]

[ The following day, Dorothea is back in her usual attire, primped and polished in a very intentional effort to seem as effortlessly lovely as possible. Different fields of battle call for different armor, after all.

Assuming Claude will provide the tea after her hint the previous night, she still brings with her a covered plate filled with finger sandwiches and slices from a dark chocolate tart decorated with strawberries. It’s as important to be a good guest as a good host, she thinks.

To that end, she’s just the slightest bit early, grinning as she sets her plate on the table and takes her own seat across from Claude. ]

I hope you haven’t been waiting too long.

OPEN POST: Claude von Riegan - Fire Emblem: Three Houses

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