cheerfulpartycoordinator

He decided to ignore that comment for now, nodding at her question.  “Yup.  Name’s Sylvain Gautier.  Don’t think I’ve seen you around.” And he bit bac a comment about how he’d remember someone as pretty as her.  Old habits die hard.

He rolled his eyes and shook his head.  “I don’t wear lipstick.  Must’ve been from a girl I went out with.  But I haven’t been out with a girl in a few months…”

“Aww...that’s too bad, I think you’d look nice,” MC said with a giggle. Maybes he shouldn’t be teasing someone she just met, but that was her sense of humor.

He paused at that, glancing over his shoulder as the woman called out to him.

“…how long has that been in there?” he asked as he quickly swiped it from her.  “Uh… guess I haven’t cleaned my bag out in a while.  Thanks.”

“Um, d-don’t be embarrassed!” MC said quickly, smiling cheerfully. “N-No judgements...sometimes it’s nice to feel pretty!”

“Excuse me! I-I think you dropped this...”

Minji took a second to look at what it was, blinking in surprise.

She nodded.  “Yes.  I’ve read so much about her, I feel as if I know her personally…” There was a wistful smile on her lips as she said it.

“You, um, have a lot in common! She used faith magic, too, a-and she was supposed to be really sweet and kind. My uncle used to read me stories when I was little about the saints...in the books, s-she acted a lot like you do.”

“Well… Felix likes to say that he’s above that, but he gets over-excited sometimes… at least he does have the skills to back it up.” Flayn giggled again before turning to the statue of Cethleann.  “But I don’t mind.  Healing is what faith magic users are there for, after all.”

“Ah, there are spells that can, yes.  Brother has… encouraged me to learn them so I don’t have to chase after people.” She put a hand to her mouth, hiding a smile.  “Some of the members of the Blue Lions do like to run right into battle without thinking…”

MC giggled. “Um, s-some of the Golden Deer do that too...but usually it’s Lorenz because he thinks he can do it himself...”

Ingrid was doing her best to try and keep from being distracted, but it was hard not to watch. Such a look of concentration while she was ‘waving her arms around’ as Felix put it. Every move seemed deliberate and graceful, something she didn’t think she could pull off herself.

Then the aches in her muscles started to fade, every swing was taking less work. Almost as if she had just started her practice all over again only with even more vigor than before. Like the feeling of eating a hearty meal after a long day. Was that really from the dancing nearby? 

Her next swing knocked the training dummy over, she would have to fix it later, for now she held up her lance with a grin. “Wow, I feel like I could run a lap around the whole monastery.”

Minji found herself beaming in return. “Y-You probably could, as long as I keep dancing! Hehehe...”

She spun more more time before ending the dance. The link between them faded, and with it, the renewed sense of vigor. She wiped her brow.

“Ah, it’s more… Cichol was Cethleann’s father, so perhaps that’s translated to him as well…” Flayn looked sheepish, like she was a bit flustered she wasn’t explaining it right.

At the question, though, she lit up.  “I study faith magic.  My wish is to be as good of a healer as Mother was.”

MC’s grin softened into a smile, her eyelids lowering. So she’d lost her mother. Minji was starting to realize just how lucky she was.

Flayn nodded. “Yes. He’s particularly fond of Saint Cethleann. I… suppose because he has a crest of Cichol… he has a surprisingly sharp paternal instinct.”

“Oh, I didn’t know that crests gave you instincts...a-are you sure that’s not just his personality?”

“Okay, sounds easy on my part.” She was curious to see how this was going to work. Would any dance do? Was she going to perform certain movements?Chant a spell?

Ingrid positioned herself so she could still see the girl out of the corner of her eye. Having already been training earlier, she could just put more effort into her movements to try and tire herself.

MC waited as Ingrid began to train, swaying her hips to get into rhythm. Once her companion’s movements began to slow, her feet began to move precisely, forming an invisible circle on the ground.

One foot back, one foot forward, a spin and then...

Flayn’s giggles became louder at that.

“Brother is in charge of much of the monastery’s day-to-day affairs, including discipline of the students… I suppose they’ve learned to fear him.”

“That’s too bad...i-it sounds lonely to have all the students fear him...”

Though she supposed in a school full of nobles, finally out from under their parents’ gazes, shenanigans were bound to happen.

She watched Felix walk off before turning her attention. “He doesn’t like most people, so don’t take it too personally. If you aren’t swinging a sharp weapon and dealing the most damage, he thinks it’s pointless.” 

“I may not completely get the whole dancer thing, but if it will help turn the tides of battle, I’m willing to try new strategies.” She could see the benefits a good morale boost would have. “If it’ll help out, I don’t mind training with you.”

“Oh...I see...”

That was a bit disappointing, but she’d seen similar attitudes before. At least Ingrid was willing to practice with her. Maybe if she could show one person, the others would be more willing.

“Sure! H-Here, I can show you...um...”