Lady Clair

Nina wasn't a bad thief, not at all-- in fact, she thought she was pretty good at what she did. So, the fact that they were able to catch her throws her off entirely. Then again, it was a secret shop...they were probably used to thieves sneaking in.

Before Nina could speak her defense, claim that she had an invitation, make up some excuse that would at least give her time to come up with more, they gave her her in.

"Listen, kid...if you really want to come in, just come back with your partner, eh?"

It was perfect, almost too easy. All she had to do was bring her partner and she could see what was inside!

...Except...she was single. Like, painfully single. Did that mean there was no hope...? Maybe trying to sneak in again would work, but...

Her eyes scan the area, watching as, as the shopkeep had said, couples were pouring into the building without any sort of push back. Maybe, then...

"You--!" Her voice is a bit loud as she hones in on the only person that seems to be without a partner...who...wasn't male. Not that she would mind, but...she'd rather see them link arms with someone else.

Naturally, one’s curiosity would only increase at such a condition. What wares lied inside that could only be viewed by those in romantic entanglements? Tragically, it seemed as if Clair might never know. For she, as surprising as it may be, had no such partner to call upon.  

This would be when many gave up, content in the mysterious allure of the shop itself. Clair, however? Well, she hadn’t raised her white flag just yet. Not that she had a strategy to enter just yet either. It would be simply unladylike to waltz up to someone with such a request. And yet… her gaze remained on the shop, filled with curiosity. It would be uncouth to betray the law of the shop and yet… she sighed. There must be something she coul—hm?

Turning to face the rather sudden appearance of another lady, Clair curtseyed. “Salutations, my lady!” she greeted the other, ready to converse, when she brought up an offer Clair couldn’t turn away from. Her eyes shone with both curiosity and caution. A mix any good lady should have. 

Time with a dear friend, however, is far too precious to spend puzzling over the motives of a disagreeable ghost. Obligingly, as per Clair’s suggestion, the cleric tries to keep her toes turned towards her partner… but then, how is she supposed to step forward without toppling them both over? 

Well, she certainly isn’t stomping all over Clair’s shoes anymore. Nor is she going much of anywhere, though, as she simply sways back and forth.

“I first arrived in Fodlan on its west coast,” replies Silque with a smile, “and I spent most of last year traveling through the Faerghan countryside. It’s not so grand as this monastery, that’s for certain!” A girlish laugh as she adds, gentle but with conviction, “The land is… difficult, but the people are kind. As people are, everywhere.” 

She listened carefully to her friend’s words, seemingly enraptured by her adventures away from the Monastery and the Deliverance. The west coast, hm? “I see, it seems like quite the fruitful venture! Perhaps you would regale me about your interactions with the people there over some tea sometime?”

 Of course, Clair paid full attention to the journeys of the land her friend went through. And, of course, Clair showed great interest in them. However, nothing could quite capture her brightness like speaking of the skies could. Perhaps dancing or shopping could come at a close second and third. 

“I’ve spent many a day gazing upon Fódlan from above. The Pegasi here are quite skilled. Of course, that is only natural for an Academy of this nature—still! While this could not reach the One Kingdom’s comforting skies, it is always so very… thrilling, yes, I believe that to be the word for it! It is thrilling to soar across the skies and find a new spot within Fódlan. I do believe I have spotted many of the upcoming stands in the market as well!”

"So I've heard, in the recent books illustrating Valentia's history," Tsubaki hums, "Your experiences with civilian hostages, however? It's one thing to lead a battalion of soldiers in war, to navigate yourselves through uncertain terrain, and another with domestic terrorism… They are toying with civilian lives, after all, and you are a student sworn to my care."

But denying Clair's participation would be the equivalent of stunting her academic pursuits, no? Thus, the dilemma within Tsubaki grows. He cannot deny her the on-site experience that her education here demands. Likewise, he cannot let her be another uncontrollable factor complicating circumstances further.

For the moment, she considered it to be the latter and remained quiet. Refrain from… heroics…? Her brows furrowed, there was hardly anything elegant nor proper in acting villainous. Heinous, even. Were Sir Tsubaki paying careful attention, he could perhaps see the wheels turning within her mind. 

Their present actions would be considered ‘heroic’ so he couldn’t be considering sacrificing anyone for the cause. That must mean ‘heroic’ meant something else to Sir Tsubaki. Perhaps it was a distinction made with experience. “… I see. Understood, I swear I shall do my utmost to follow your orders to the letter, Sir. For a graceful rescue.” Perhaps then she would understand him better. Understand how to be a better knight.

“I have no further inquiries at the moment, let us venture forth.” 

The sooner, the better. None of the hostages could await Clair’s confused state transforming to one of understanding. Nor would she place such a heinous feeling upon them without reason. 

(Not that he wasn't already motivated to avoid a scolding!)

Mentally praising her mind and ability to evaluate, plus seeing little to lose, Leif listens to each and every one of her criticisms, mulling them over. So the first woman was defensive and then he'd also committed an extra sin by not comforting her, was it??

“I didn't even realize I'd messed up twice with the first woman...” he mumbles, though he is earnestly thoughtful over it. However, when Clair straightens, Leif does so in return too, mirroring her atmosphere.

“You want me to praise you?” he parrots, trying to process the request. A couple moments passes before he decides upon:

As for his praise… The intonation was fine, the words a bit lacking but they got the point across, she supposed, however… was that all he could come up with? She hummed, shaking her head ever so slightly. 

“No. Your words were… well, they would receive a passing grade, I suppose. Still, there is, indeed, room for improvement. I believe an example is in order, ahem,” she cleared her throat. Typically, it would not be her doing the complimenting but she could adapt, especially to protect any future ladies from his clumsy words.  

“Though we have only just met, you have shown great selflessness. To, with dignity, protect a lady from the possible dangers of the situation is a noble act indeed. Further, your genuine wish to prevent further miscommunication between yourself and others tells me you must hold a deep care for another’s heart, no matter how clumsy the execution. A fitting image for one with an outfit painted with the purity of white.”

Perhaps the last words were a bit unnecessary. Ah, well. A beat passed before she continued this… lecture? Hm, perhaps an advisory moment would be a better fit. “Even so, your words clearly come from the heart, in that sense, they are quite well made. However…” She tilted her head slightly at him.

“j-just—a little off the top,” she wheezes from behind, either delirious enough to try for a joke or lightheaded enough to abandon all fear. “h-heh, heh... urgh...”

luckily for them it might be the latter. because clair counts two, and so does bernadetta. two by sea, and two by sky.

“o-only a couple, huh... o-okay. how about one for you, one for me?” with all her might, she stretches to peek over clair's shoulder and points, elaborating, “if you fly over that ship, i'll jump—sure, why not, haven't i had higher? then you can go take the other one.”

and just why in the world would a cowardly archer willingly volunteer for an up-close-and-personal approach?

“An efficient plan. Please hold on for but a moment longer and we shall return home quickly.”

She gave Bernadetta a second to adjust before flying right over the ship. Fast enough not to incite a cannonball and to make her descent seem all the more threatening. A glance behind her as she jumped down. 

“Now, Bernadetta! Oh, and dear partner of mine, won’t you wait for us above? Thank you.”

The pirates, of course, were quite the horrid hosts. Inelegant in every sense of the word as they staggered closer to the pair. Well, no matter, her lance would be more than enough for these fiends. 

“that's pretty easy!” she does breeze back after finishing her next mouthful of almond-pecan delight. connoisseur of sweets that she is, it's no wonder that she's already got something in mind. “the monastery's peach sorbet is another one of my favorites. oh, but i don't see any out here tonight... i guess the closest thing might be the shaved ice?”

but next to that, she does spy with her little eye:

(BONUS!)  [ TEA ] - Just what it says on the tin! The only teas offered are Mint, Bergamot, Sweet-Apple Blend, Albinean Berry Blend, and Southern Fruit Blend, wrapped in small tea bags. Some students, having anticipated a small selection, bought their own tea.

and bernadetta most certainly did not bring her own tea. but! she is so fortunate enough that the humble selection happens to include one of her favorite blends. after another fond glance at her newly-obtained hyacinth, she motions for clair's attention toward the kettles. “but at least while we're having these, it's great to pair pastries with a nice cup of albinean berry blend.”

there's a pause, slightly sheepish. but then— “um, maybe we can go to the dining hall for peach sorbet another day. i-if you want.”

if clair wants.

“i-if you're free!”

and if clair's free.

Another mouthful (poorly timed on Clair’s part) of the sweet treat just as Bernadetta had offered her some tea. A moment to swallow and perhaps talk without the crudeness of food between her teeth. She smiled. Like Bernadetta, Clair had not brought tea of her own. Perhaps she would at the next ball, but until then, this would do nicely. 

She walked over, pouring herself and Bernadetta a cup of tea. “Here.” While the other spoke, stumbling through an invitation, Clair attempted a sip. The prominent word being: attempted. It was, of course, hot, nearly scalding. Still, a lady would not and should not fumble around with her tea and so… like a brave warrior on the battlefield, she took it with grace. 

“Why, I would love to! We could plan to do so next week, then? If you find that a suitable time, Bernadetta.”

Absentmindedly, she took another sip. Of course, in the seconds she spoke, the tea had not cooled down significantly and thus… Clair bit back a wince. 

In Mila's name, how on earth does Lady Clair know where she's going?

The cleric laughs to herself, a little embarrassed at finding the dance so dificult. She hopes against hope that she hasn't been stomping all over her partner's toes in the dark. "Since we last saw each other, I have mostly been in Rigel healing the wounded. I only recently arrived in Fodlan by complete accident." There's a story to be told there, but Silque merely shakes her head, smiling it off. "You needn't worry, though. Sir Python has already agreed to send word of me back home," she informs cheerfully, "so he's actually very well behaved tonight, hee hee!"

A step and a spin, performed with spirit if not finesse, before Silque lets her voice drop, as if telling a secret. "But is that really the late Lord Berkut? In the flesh? When I spilled—um, came across him earlier, I almost thought him to be a ghost!" Still, ghosts cannot summon black fire, nor can they wear jackets with sleeves to deposit stains on.

… Or so she’d say but it was quite difficult not to wince as Lady Silque stepped on her feet yet again. At this rate, her lovely shoes may be fashioned with mud and dust far before the night could end. May Mila grant her mercy and ensure the damage to be salvageable… please…

Still, her focus remained on Lady Silque. She hummed in thought. “I see, I suppose I should be thankful to Mila for keeping his troublesome nature at bay,” a small giggle ended the comment. The lighthearted tone soon dropped as she only nodded at Lady Silque. 

“I believe so. His attitude and ego are all in place though—he wasn’t cruel to you, was he?” If so, she might find more than enough reason to curse his days to come. “He is here as a student of the Black Eagles for whatever reason. Enough of him, though—ah, Lady Silque, you mustn’t move your steps such as you are, try keeping them in line with your shoulders. Ahem, as I was saying—how much have you seen of Fódlan?”

A more pleasant smile blooms across her features. "That sounds wonderful. Please, lead the way." She falls into step alongside Clair.

There's no helping the fact that she feels terribly foolish for being tricked like that. She's suffered the snide yet polite remarks of Renais' nobility, from those upset at her marriage to a 'commoner', and she has dealt with liars and thieves. So how had this man tricked her so easily?

A nod and Clair turned to where she believed the fruit stall to be. She had come here quite often since finding its discovery. Often enough for the familiarity of the steps to blend in with her daydreams and thoughts. Of course! No lady would allow another lady to fall behind. Against her mind’s wishes, she focused completely on ensuring Eirika would not be sent away by the whims of the crowds.

And so, of course, when Eirika spoke once more, she was not at all surprised. No, no, she did not jolt even slightly. Ahem, she only… recalled the necessity of good posture and stood him straighter for that. Yes! No other reason at all. Ahem…

Warm brown eyes glance behind her as she nodded. The expression upon Eirika’s face… not that Clair was all that attuned to embarrassment—a lady was only the picture of grace!—however, she could recognise the similarities of the feeling upon her gaze. 

In a way, it's a relief. In a way, it's a comfort. And in a way, it makes his back straighten all the more for it, determined to ensure that he isn't amiss a single step and risking the reputation of his homeland. Siegbert guides as expected of him, but he keeps it simple; he is not so overbearing a partner that he drags the lady around, and instead he keeps a watchful eye on her movements, subtly shifting to match.

In turn, Clair ensured her movements were not so stilted as to be difficult to match. It would be simply abhorrent to represent the One Kingdom in such a way! That, and there was a kind of thrill Clair only found in such dances.

“It has been some months since my arrival in Fódlan, has your arrival been recent?” Hmm, what would she prefer? It was only right for him to ask but… ah, well. “Why don’t we begin with your kingdom’s dances? I must say I am quite curious! In exchange, I shall inform you of the many joys of the One Kingdom!” 

still, at the glance she casts back at them as one of the staff calls her attention, they suppose it’s rather pressing now that they’ve gotten their attention. they catch up just to hear the tail end of clair’s response, giving a brief dip of their head as they settle by her side.

“it’s just that gouda boy’s caught her eye, you see,” they continue with a conspiratorial tone. “clair here is an exchange student at the academy. they just don’t have mascots like him where she’s from. she was wondering if you could hire him out for a personal party.”

whether it’s true or not, yuri supposes it doesn’t really matter. they’ve no personal plans to frequent this establishment once they’re done here anyway—though they suppose they can’t really say the same for their partner.

“Yes, yes! Why, in Valentia, I have never once heard of merchants or shopkeepers having such ‘mascots’ to bring in business. I’m sure my friends from home would appreciate the surprise addition!”

Whether Clair was truly a gracious actress or simply honestly excited by the prospect, it was… well, not difficult to tell but it may need a moment to settle in. She looked to the worker as if sparkles could be drawn upon her gaze alone.

Hmm, so, I would have to host a party here… ah! Not the purpose of this visit, Clair! Ahem, he works from opening until close, it seems. 

Very little time to spread heretical misinformation, then. “My, he seems quite hardworking,” the statement came rather clearly from her thoughts—return to the matter at hand, Clair, “still, even he must take breaks, yes? Would you know when and where I might find him in his free time?”

...He supposes it's possible? Most of the people he's upset at balls HAVE been women...

“OK. If you're willing to try and help me, I'll try and think. A flower as my thanks.” He offers one of his lilies to the blonde then as he tries to sort his thoughts.

“...Well, one time I tried to figure out what the relationship was between a rough friend of mine and this lady he spent a lot of time with, but she got upset when I described him as I saw him... but she took the blame for it and apologized to me, so I didn't really know what to do... Then another time, a girl I knew bumped into me, but when I tried to tell her it was fine, she didn't seem to believe me...”

He'd been speaking more nebulously when he'd first admitted his reason for coming here, but now that he started going down all these memories, he starts to cringe speaking them back. His words start spacing out farther apart as he ponders each moment of the past.

Whether she meant it for the guard or the other was up to his interpretation. Ambiguity served a lady well in these circumstances, after all! Still, the more he spoke, the more confusion swirled in her eyes. She furrowed her brows.

In some ways, it was as if she had opened the floodgates to his concerns. In other ways… had he truly not thought of the consequences of his actions? Perhaps he truly was simply dense to the emotions of others. 

“I see… With the first, if you spoke negatively of her desired suitor or friend, I believe it may be obvious why she may take offense. If she had apologised, you should have shared the blame to lessen its impact upon her. You would not be so callous as to make her feel worse in this situation, would you?”

Though she had approached this rather humbly, it seemed as though Clair’s thoughts on the matter had grown in confidence. A sure sign of her grand understanding as a lady! 

“In regards to the other two, perhaps it is not quite what you say but how you say them. Compliment me so I may understand what you have been saying to them.”

“Of course! A lady must be attuned to any environment while dancing,” she declared with the kind of certainty only she held. It was most certainly not because she wished to dance with a friend and rushed ahead. No, no, a lady would never be so impatient. Ahem. Still, she led her friend in the dance, excitement thrumming in each step. As always with Clair.

As Lady Silque spoke, her bright smile faded into something just as fond but with some more… grace, she would say. “My brother has been faring well, of course. He is not here but I have been corresponding with him in letters. Of the Deliverance, I have seen a few here and they, too, seem to be faring well. Forsyth, Lucas and Python… Do inform me if he has done anything less than knightly, a sure eventuality with him.” A sigh as she shook her head, even if slightly fond. 

Still, it soured at the memory of one she had much, much, much preferred to forget. However… it would be cruel to keep this from a friend lest they be startled by his appearance. Perhaps they could avoid him together. “I have seen the much less desired sight of Lord Berkut. Mila willing I will not see him ever again… still, he is a student, so do be wary should you catch sight of him.” 

As the music went on, Clair’s expression returned to a smile. “And yourself? I hope you have been faring well, my lady.”

Faintly, he notices the song starting to wind down, heralding the end of this dance, and the coming start of a new one. She compliments him in the meanwhile, and though it's praise he's heard countless times before, he's no less appreciative of her sentiment.

Standing tall and fighting threats wasn't something he did for admiration. He did it because it was what needed to be done, to protect those who couldn't do the same.

"Thank you," he says sincerely, gently stepping out of her hold as the music slows, "it takes just as much courage to fight for your homeland as a soldier, if not more. Commanders are prioritized and protected. You are the ones risking your lives, with no guarantee for safety or return—yet you make the choice to fight anyway. To me, that's admirable."

A second or maybe two after the other seemed to loosen out of her hold, she stepped back as well. A curtsy to end the dance, of course, her instructors would simply faint if she did not. Besides that, it was most expected of a lady!

The praise of her conviction, admiration turned around upon her, it was a strange sort of delight. One mixed with pride. “Why, thank you! It is the duty of a knight to take charge in battle, to strike with full faith in their leader’s command, and mine was quite exceptional.” Both of them. She spoke it as if it were as true as the sky being blue, the clouds being above, the sun shining only in the day. A natural truth like any other. Maybe even more true.