YEARN AND GLOW !

          the thought of partnership is slightly foreign in nótt’s eyes; the closest connection she would have with the art of teamwork would be with the order of heroes back in askr.  yet even that has its ends and limits.   (   part of her wishes to say dagr, although that would be senseless.  when was the last time that both sisters had traded compliments instead of the sharp ends of a weapon?  even those moments seem almost blurred.   )   despite this, she complies when her professor calls her name alongside another’s for the partnered project at hand.  it’s a name that she hasn’t heard before, even though she took great care to learn as much of her companions and classmates as possible.

          when the class is dismissed to form their pairings, nótt stands from her seat and, paper in hand, approaches the purple - haired girl in the back of the class.  a quick glance to their professor to confirm that she was correct on identity.

          “   miss bernadetta?   ”   nótt smiles down at her, having to strain her head slightly to look at the girl in her desk.  no matter, they would be seated during their research hours, so it’s best to get used to this slight strain now rather than later.  moon’s princess continues,   “   i am delighted to be your partner for this assignment, even if its significance seems odd.   ”   the topic on the board was one of companionship; the pros and cons of forming a close bond with a mount and your classmates.  nótt isn’t sure why this seemed to be the topic but it’s one she has familiarity in!

          she holds a hand out to bernadetta, an attempt to help her out of her chair if needed.  mainly out of politeness.   “   our professor stated that the presentation of our project would be a one - on - one.  again, i fail to see why we are refrained from presenting in front of the class, but if the order is given then i suppose it is fine.   ”

          a quick sigh.   “   either way, for this project, we require a model and some form of demonstration alongside the essay.  if desired, i can write everything that needs to be handed in.  all i ask in return is your determination to finish this, as well as an idea for the other two parts.   ”   or the sides could be swapped but it all depended on bernadetta’s answer.  it is difficult to not voice her confusion on why such a project is relevant to anything concerning their studies but nótt supposes that there’s reasoning that she simply has yet to understand.

"PRINCESS NÓTT!"

The singsong sweetness of his voice is venom to his throat, trickling down from the cavern of his mouth and mixing cruelly with his stomach acid— such frippery makes him want to throw up. But he hasn't forgotten what he's doing this for, and will not do so now. Requesting an audience with a Jötunn princess is no small feat; if he fails now, he's certain he would never get the opportunity to try again.

And so, any and all discomfort is forced down with naught a single huff, and his steps remain confident and clear against the Night Temple's cold floor. His stride is much too small to traverse Jötunn architecture at his normal pace, but after a minute or so of walking, he finally reaches Nótt. Standing by her feet, he swiftly lowers his head to a bow.

"Allow me to introduce myself again," he says, looking up to her, "I am Prince Ótr of Niðavellir. I wish to speak with you."

Ótr pauses. He goes up a step and, taking her hand, presses a light kiss to her knuckles. He gives her a small, almost cloying smile, hoping to the gods she doesn't see the strain in it.

"In private, if possible."

 kiss, kiss   (   pre - canon au!   )

         it’s been questioned before of nótt’s preference for the interior of the temple of night; an establishment given for the safety and sake of her people.  attendants and potentials of marriage.  there they stay, underneath her ever loving eye, but the stronghold’s interior represents too much of the sky and too little of her.  no matter, mother had called her design beautiful upon her first entrance within its walls.  maybe, it’s that reasoning that keeps her from changing anything.

          tonight has been a series of flourishing connections and meetings to represent herself to the community.  to see that underneath this armor and strength, is a woman of trust and compassion.  attendants work and walk in groups, steady to keep everything tidy and lock connections down on parchment and ink.  nótt busies herself with idle chatter, waving forward a few of the attendants and such of who catch her eye, those who seem to have a task in their expression.

          “   there seems to be nothing out of order with him, so he has returned now.   ”   one lady, an axe strapped to her back, bows to nótt before gesturing to austri, who now sits comfortably on nótt’s shoulder.   “   the priestess has been contacted as well and agrees with the former statement.  shall anything seem, still, unusual then please send a letter and i’ll be at your stead.   ”

          nótt nods, a warm smile on her face as she tilts her head,   “   of course!  much thanks for the inconvience.   ”   and there is more she wishes to say but the shake of the temple’s ground, just slightly, ever so matching her own.  she thinks dagr, but it had been too long since her twin sister had shown her face inside her stronghold.  when her attention has been shifted, nótt sees one of the politicians from earlier moving her group away from the entrance, where—

          her name finds a note in the air.  spoken by that of a rough voice, one distant and unseen to her eyes.  nótt frowns, unable to catch sight of whoever yelled her name, but... the voice.  no, it’s one she had heard today.  through the many faces and beings that she had placed herself nearby, there had been one that seemed almost captivating in all of its... was it, awkwardness?  no, difference?  distaste?  either way, she steps from the temple’s back wall and moves to the front, immediately stopping at the sight of someone approaching.  it can only be a man from the height that he stands at, either that or one of a foreign maiden.  and for looks, well, he’s too far for her to see him correctly.  but moon’s favorite does not move, she waits for him to come closer.

          (   she almost mistakes him for one of her lovers but they had all been accounted for in the space of her office.  only three of them, her harem has yet to grow in size with her constant issue of releasing some of them from her temple’s hospitality.   )

          it takes a minute or two for the man to reach where nótt stands, the top of his head just quite leveled with her chest.  resisting a smile becomes difficult when he bows his head, she finds it even harder to keep herself from reaching down and patting him on the head.  despite the urge, nótt instead focuses on his words, the hue of his eyes when he looks up at her.  a nod; prince of niðavellir, huh.  she cannot remember his face but the title seems familiar.  she opens her mouth to greet him back but his hand closes around hers before she has the chance to voice out the jumble of words in her throat   —   words that are immediately swallowed when ótr’s lips press against her knuckles.  the lightest shiver grabs her shoulders as she blinks down at the prince.

          she almost stutters when she finds her voice again.  although the blush that takes to her face is light and almost too faint to be seen, the waver in her actions is evident.  nótt smiles, warmly, and nods; moving her gaze from ótr’s wouldn’t be seen as disrespect, especially in the place of her temple, and yet she doesn’t.  she can’t pull herself to do so.

          “   ...yes,   ”   is the only word she says for a bit of time, a moment passes and she collects herself.  moving her hand from ótr’s grasp and giving him a quick, gentle pat on the head.  nótt clears her throat and turns to look at the nearest lady,   “   order the men to leave my office.  they will stay inside of the hall for now.   ”   not that there was much other places for them to be whenever not by her side but oh well, she had more significant issues to focus on.  and with that thought, she turns back to ótr.  austri gives a soft caw, muffled by her hair, before he moves off.

goldoandragonprince​:

Kurth stumbled to his feet after Nott practically threw him a good few meters, shaking out the twigs that got in his hair from the bush that he had landed in. He checked himself over, he didn’t seem to have any visible injuries. Good thing that he was made of stronger stuff than a beorc, otherwise that throw probably would have broken every bone in his small body.

“Oh! I’m alright! There is no need to worry, I am not as fragile as I seem.” He took a nervous step back towards her, sighing in relief when he did not seem to activate any more traps.

“I suppose I’ll be relying on you during this. I would rather not fall into one of those.” He stared down at the pit, shivering in fear at the idea of falling deep into a hole like it. What a terrifying idea.

          "   good, i would be quite disappointed to see that the only thing that harmed you had been my own hands.   ”   nótt nods, giving him a pat on the cheek before looking at austri.   “   scout the air for me, darling.  immediately report if even the slightest thing appears wrong.   ”   she’s given a caw in response, soft yet loud.  independent yet solid on her order.  nótt watches him move from her shoulders, heavy steel wings keeping it to a low hover.

          moon’s favorite stares at the ground in front of them and, after taking a step forward, she waits.  holding her arm out behind her to stop kurthnaga from approaching her.   “   yes, falling into one of these doesn’t seem very pleasant.   ”   nothing happens so she beckons him forward and begins to walk normally.  but her size fools her, causes her perception to lower beyond what austri’s is   —   she hears his screech a moment too late.

          “   kurthnaga, MOVE—!   ”   when the ground breaks underneath them this time, there’s something more violent about it.  as if it was intended to catch prey rather than classmates.  and the ground breaks wide.  nótt’s arm slams down against the dirt as she keeps herself from falling entirely, clutching kurthnaga to her side in her other arm.  this pit fall seems endless; but when nótt swings her leg, pain flashes throughout her foot and she swallows the grunt that forms in her throat.   “   i got you, it’s fine,   ”   she mumbles, flashing the man a quick grin before heaving him onto the edge of the pit.  moving her foot around more causes her to realize that there’s a... blade, wedged into the dirt below.  but she’s unable to see if there are many or if it’s only one.

          she hauls herself to the edge with ease, nodding to austri who has landed a few yards away from them.   “   damn these crazed students,   ”   impaling a classmate is their best decision during battle?  to push them into a pit?  what fools would prove such a tactic?  but despite the small injury, nótt pats kurthnaga on the arm and gestures for him to follow austri,   “   do not mind me, i’ll destroy the blades as you continue.   ”

kiss, kiss

          when a man wants to be heard, he yells.  he screams and voices his opinions in a mix of preparing for a battle and a contrast of character.  he does not show truth, nor does he take the time to carefully form an argument.  but morgan... when he wishes to be heard, he pushes forward with the talent of yelling without the volume.  he swears with facts and god his voice is beginning to irritate her.

          “   and i never SAID such thing!!   ”   nótt manages to slip in a protest as morgan takes a moment to breathe, the spews of his side of this argument falling faster from his lips than she’s ever seen in a conversation.  she’s shot an irritated look from over his shoulder and she scoffs, a pout pulling at her lips in response.  while she believes in magic   —   an understanding of the mages back home   —   she doesn’t understand the major importance of that advantage versus raw strength.

          of course, it’s this strict view that caused this incident in the first place.

          morgan rounds the table again, having been pacing during the entirety of his speech and nótt apologies to gríðr for being unable to take much more of this man before she reaches out for him.  he lets out a yelp that strings along his words but nótt ignores it and pulls him toward her.  the chair she’s sitting in keeps her from towering over the mage but no matter, even when he’s half pulled into her lap and half standing, she still manages to echo the feeling of a looming power over him.

          moonlight guides her hand to rest behind his head and she kisses him, hard; thankfully their foreheads don’t crash against each other from how sharply the mage had been tugged forward.  and although the action had only been to silence morgan, having enough of his endless irritations and rambling that might have been cute if not for the princess’ attitude, he pushes back against the kiss.  hands finding a restful spot on her shoulders.

          when they separate but a quick moment later, nótt’s hand moves from the back of morgan’s head to his shoulder, stopping him from leaning forward again.  a prideful grin finds way on her face when she sees the frown on his.   “   aw, don’t act so angry.  you can get another kiss after you calm down, this argument will benefit no one.  alright?   ”   a pat to his hip and she lets him go, leaning back casually in the seat as morgan stands there; almost confused but she’d never take him for the type to not recover quickly from shock.

          a moment passes, maybe two, morgan’s staring at her with a smaller frown.  good enough.

"Ah, be careful, Dewdrop. Though, I wouldn't mind if you fell for me again~"

meet and greet!

        gravity proves as her enemy once again.  nótt hadn’t even been running, simply indulging in a walk as lunch was served throughout the monastery.  the dining hall is loud, annoyingly so, and although she’s made herself familiar in court and knowing the techniques of staying level-headed in crowded areas, nótt decides against it.  she isn’t here to please the crowd, unlike dagr, she’d rather stick to her own means until needed.   (   but it isn’t unlike the younger sister at all.   )

         as she’s passing around the corner of a hallway, the jötun princess forgets how easy it is to accidentally crush someone who isn’t as tall as her.  a quick side step keeps her from bumping into a small girl she had been walking towards unknowingly   —   the student yells when she almost comes into contact w nótt’s hip   —   but the force of gravity pushes her weight to sway on the side of her step.  able to gather her footing slightly just as she’s tripping over air and falling into the arms of a man.  she sighs,

          wait.

          nótt stares down at sain, disbelief soon simmering to an evident flush of bashfulness as she comes to the realization of exactly who caught her.  the falter in her attitude only grows when the man decides to speak.  nótt splutters out a protest, straightening her posture and turning her gaze into the weakest of glares   —   her hands refuse to let go of sain’s shoulders, though.  just as his hands fail to move from her hips.

          dewdrop.  he called her dewdrop.  and why does she like the nickname this much?!

          moon’s favorite collects herself before bursting into a fit of giggling, raising a hand to cover her mouth as her laughter grows in volume.   “   ah, you are too cute!  and a beholder of humor, i see,   ”   she wonders, for a moment, if he’s also good at dancing.   “   i grant you gratitude for supporting me but i promise you that i would have been able to do so on my own.  better that than an adorable guy like yourself getting crushed accidentally!   ”

" Please, Nótt, please ... don't leave me here ... I don't want to be alone. "

kiss, kiss   (   cw: death   )

          dagr had always been the immovable object between the two of them.  the sun and moon would always dance to the song of a cycle, ever - lasting, unable to be stopped; dagr was stubborn, that damn lady.  she was stubborn and solid and immovable but nótt forces herself to move dagr with her own hands.  smoke billows around them, cracks from the ground catch dagr’s foot and nótt uses that and a desperate plea   (   not her, please don’t take her, take me   )   to knock the sun’s princess off her feet.  when dagr falls, the sky does not shift.  but the ground does sing in the steps of her abruptness.

          austri screeches at the realization, keen eyes catching what dagr had not been able to.  but nótt decides that, like this, knowing that she’s been able to push her sister out of harm’s way, she can be at peace.  when fáfnir’s claws dig into the skin of her neck, she does not spare askran nor jötun a glance.  moon’s favorite does not fall without a final swing of hrímfaxi; austri answers her call before it’s even settled into the air.

          mother would rather have a daughter die in honor while the other sits atop the throne; exile will never best either.

...

          it’s the numbness that she awakes to.  the ringing in her ears, the wetness sticking to her face   —   whether or not these are tears or sweat, or a mix of the two, she isn’t sure.  nótt’s shoulder is nudged, the feeling hits her as specks of a faint touch; austri...

          “   ah... a-austri,   ”   wasting her breath would do nothing but quicken her entrance to hel and yet, she finds herself unable to stop.  austri makes a noise that nótt isn’t fully able to discern from a caw and a sigh.  she smiles, blood pressing a dangerous accent to her features.  but austri moves away, as if hesitant, as if something was—

          the ground shakes and nótt is suddenly pulled upwards, cradled in the hands of her sister.  oh... oh.  this look of grief tainting the sun’s face.... nótt hates it.  hates this; but this was the right choice to make, she could never regret taking the blunt of a king’s fury in exchange for her sister’s life.  yet dagr does not agree.  tears trace the fronts of her cheeks, hanging from her chin as if desperate to stay alive.  stay... huh, that’s what she’s doing.

          “   dagr,   ”   searing pain digs into her chest, clogging her throat and causing the name to fall in line with a series of coughing.  dagr seems to become hysterical at this, clutching onto her harder and sobbing against her hair.  lips press there, on the crown of her head, but nótt can barely lean into the embrace.  when was the last time dagr kissed her?  hugged her?  nótt can only smell smoke and the raw smell of the blood clotting on her neck and collar and she takes it in with disgust; a silly, foolish princess had hoped to be able to smell her sister’s scent in her final waking moments.  and it’s then that she hears dagr fully.  it’s then that she recognizes the tears burning at her eyes.

          she doesn’t want to let go.  she doesn’t want to leave.  but better her than what the sun favors.  what she favors.

          “   you’re... you’re never a-alone,   ”   her breathing is becoming too slow, too soft, she can’t feel anything in her chest.   “   jötun... heimr has always been... at your side.   ”   because if she is to go, then she cannot let dagr feel alone.  never alone, never by herself.  no matter the distance a mother’s hand wedged between them, it had been passed over years ago.  neither of them knew, then.  but nótt knows, now.

          take the throne.  take the throne for yourself, do not do it for me.

MISSION TASK BOARD: Ancient carvings point you in the direction of a pristine lake, supposedly untouched by humans for millennia. According to a Faerghus anthropologist, the carvings and preliminary excursions into the area have a very strong connection to an ancient tale from the days of Saint Seiros. The Lady of the Lake is said to dwell in crystalline waters, offering a golden axe to those she deems worthy or a brutal death in steel to those who trespass her domains. While there is no one else here, you do manage to spot a golden axe shimmering underwater, nestled in the lakebed. Of course, the longer you stare, the more you notice the shape of something massive slumbering at the bottom of the lake, its scaly skin scarred by battles past. [ Grants Axe +1 ]

          there is much that nótt has been taught on the favors of gríðr.  she remembers sitting in her mother’s lap, feet pointed downwards as she attempted to hold the poise that stjarna wielded with ease.  without hesitation.  dagr had been no where in sight but stjarna said that she wouldn’t enjoy the story either way; nótt hadn’t questioned it, mother was right, dagr would have preferred anything but sitting in their mother’s lap with her.  so when her mother began speaking of gríðr’s favor, the lessons she hadn’t been taught by her instructor, nótt was starry-eyed.  a teenager with hopes too dashing, a heart too cracked, a mind too alike her mother’s.

          while the deity has legends piled beneath the honor she’s made for herself, nótt knows of the originating form of history.  and it’s because of this knowledge, this dance of memory that she has clutched to her heart, that the jötun princess finds herself following after the foreign carvings alongside the almost cluttered path of stone and a void of light.  through this cave, she ventures, holding tightly to the hand of the bright - haired queen, elincia; she forgets exactly what had brought the two of them here.

         classmates, from what she remembers, had left a map in the library but the next day, when nótt attempted to hand the curled parchment back, it seemed as though the two classmates never existed.  their names unknown and there she was left, standing on campus, with the gracing of unfamiliarity in her hands.

          “   the lady of the lake,   ”   she muses quietly, glancing back down at the notes pinned to the map.  a lady of strength, divinity in her favor; there is something so... supreme, believing in a deity who’s aims reached the sky and clouds, and following after a legend of one for preferred the means of water and land.   “   in jötunheimr, we look to gríðr for strength and blessings, as it’s because of her that i’ve been gifted with my companion, austri,   ”   in response, austri caws ever so softly, nestled comfortably on nótt’s shoulder and head.

          nótt turns to elincia and smiles down at her,   “   please do not worry, the map tells me that the cave ends soon, just a bit further ahead.  but besides our destination, i’m curious.  what of the deities in your home country, queen elincia?   ”

          (   queen... the word feels bitter on her tongue.  almost as if its mere letters were too heavy to say in one single breath.   )

Oh no! - MARINA

One track mind, one track heart If I fail, I'll fall apart Maybe it is all a test 'Cause, I feel like I'm the worst So I always act like I'm the best

Crush - Tessa Violet

And yeah it's true that I'm a little bit intense, right But can you blame me when you keep me on the fence, like And I've been waiting, hoping that you'd wanna text, like

Primadonna - MARINA

Would you do anything for me? Buy a big diamond ring for me? Would you get down on your knees for me? Pop that pretty question, right now baby

Karma - MARINA

Real hearts don't lie Take it from me (I know) You'll see in time Take it from me

Criminal - Britney Spears

I know you told me I should stay away I know you said he's just a dog astray He is a bad boy with a tainted heart And even I know this ain't smart

Judas - Lady Gaga

When he calls to me, I am ready I'll wash his feet with my hair if he needs Forgive him when his tongue lies through his brain Even after three times, he betrays me

Come back home - ONEUS

I don’t want to sleep, moonlight wakes me up That sweet smile before my eyes Same prayer every day, filled with tears I can’t reach you

War of Hearts - Ruelle

Grumbling and griping the whole way, Dagr trudges her way over to the Black Eagles classroom. It’s a weird place for her mom to be, but who was Dagr to judge? Stjarna had probably taken a liking to he Black Eagles — it is the house that seems to attract the prim and proper crowd.

Dagr spots the jötun right away: it’s a hard sight to miss with the way the woman towers over the bookcases. A long plait swings down her back, but the color is off … Dagr frowns, heartbeat beginning to quicken. She hadn’t seen that shade of mint green in a long while, and she didn’t think she’d ever see it again. As if to answer her wonderings, the jötun turns around and Dagr leaps backward in alarm, toppling over into a row of desks.

“NÓTT?!”

It can’t be. It’s not true. This isn’t my sister . She’s come back to haunt me. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.

“Is that you? Wh — wh — what the fuck are you doing here?!” Dagr shouts, hauling herself back to a standing position. “It’s not fucking funny, you know, don’t mess with me like this! You’re — you — if you’re really Nótt, where the hell have you been? You died! I watched it happen! Wh — you — I’ve been fighting for my life in Jötunhemir’s court, you know! You couldn't've come back and lended me a hand? You were the one who wanted to be queen sooooo bad!”

          the professor desired for her to retrieve and set out the handbooks for the next class period and, although it wasn’t a class that she would be attending, she decided to aid the kind lady with her wishes.  nótt works quietly, humming the broken melodies of a children’s song she only memorized half of during her childhood years.  after a certain age, mother stopped reading the two sisters stories and singing them lullabies before they slept.  but nótt was always given a lullaby if she asked; she never did.

          after placing materials onto each desk, she moves towards the teacher’s podium.  a stack of worksheets is placed there, too, and she makes sure that everything is accounted for on the clipboard.  the door opens somewhere behind her but she pays it no mind   —   nótt had been told that some student was going to come by looking for his belongings left behind during the morning class.  but there’s silence afterward.  as if the person was simply stalking by and doing nothing else; she can’t hear any rustling or rummaging.  nótt turns around and

          dagr.

          the papers slip from her grip, hands numb, fingers twitching.  no, this... the letter had been true.  dagr had ran here... but why?

          then, as dagr hauls herself to her feet, nótt remembers the fury of a sister.  the insensitive prick of loss she felt when being summoned to askr   —   dagr has taken the line for queen.  something nótt had fought so hard for.  traded a little girl’s will to live and breathe for.   “   what am I doing here?!   ”   nótt scoffs, hands curled into fists by her side; she ignores the way her gauntlets crack at the grip she lies upon them.   “   you’ve won, dagr!!  i should be killed simply for the fact that someone besides myself has the throne in their—   ”

          and although both voices echo throughout the classroom and crash violently into one another, nótt hears dagr.  her words fail to be drowned, to be defeated; the realization sinks her heart into her stomach.  the rest of dagr’s words lower to a simmering ache in her head.  austri is immediately by nótt’s side, a soft caw in his voice as jötun princess sways on her feet.

          “   no... n-no, i...   ”   she had died.  she died.  during the collapse of fáfnir’s conquest, she... she had been bested...?   “   i... you’re jesting.  i... i will not believe such DAMNED LIES...!   ”   and she can only replace this lack of memory with her mother’s rage, something she’s learned to conceal.  something heavy.  something broken.  why hadn’t mother told her?  how had fáfnir powered over her?

          (   she has no one to blame besides herself.  why can’t she remember anything of the battle besides the stench of blood and the fatigue that had danced within her mind?  smoke billowing from the debris, the damage; she remembers nothing.  nothing to back her claim or dagr’s.  had she died?  had she so easily been killed in battle?  was it truly honor if she could not remember the moment her knees hit the ground?   )

          when nótt sways on her feet now, she moves with purpose.  a new sense of vigor.  the distance between the princesses is cut within less a second, nótt’s fingers curl into the fabric of dagr’s collar but she finds herself unable to yank her forward nor back.  she bows her head until her chin barely grazes her collarbone, as if the other’s presence defeated her with such ease.

          “   ...what did you do?   ”   fabric tears beneath her grip but she refuses to let dagr go.   “   are you not happy?  you’re queen and now you wish to... burden me with the idea of being... no, isn’t this what you wanted?   ”   she does not look up; fearful that dagr would see the tears burning at her eyes if she tried.   “   i may not remember the duel, but i can see who stands as the victor.  is this not what you’ve wished for?   ”

          exiled.  nótt’s exiled.  the fated loser of the duel would be exiled and... had she lost everything she fought for?  trained for?  is this why mother did not answer her request to see her when she arrived home from askr?  had all of mother’s favor run dry?

goldoandragonprince​:

It’s that time of year once again! The Battle of the Eagle and Lion rears its head on the horizon, and you know what that means: it’s time to booby-trap scope out the playing field ahead of time and see if you can’t give your chosen house a leg up on the competition. Trouble is, it looks like someone’s beaten you to the punch! And these aren’t any old traps either - some of these look downright deadly. Escape the gauntlet in one piece as best as you can! [ Any Skill +1 ]

starter for @hrimfabless

Kurthnaga surveyed the path ahead of him carefully. Oh, how he dreaded even thinking about having to go through what ever gauntlet awaited him up ahead. He had heard from the whisperings of the students that the playing field was always littered with traps, so he had come to see what exactly he would be facing in the future battles, but this certainly wasn’t what he had been expecting. He figured that he would barely even be able to make it through the path to the field with this kind of gauntlet. He felt sick thinking about hurting himself upon one of the deadly traps ahead of him, blood seeping from- he stopped his thought before he could let himself continue. He did not want to think of the worst possibilities. And besides… he glanced to the girl who had followed him out here. A large beorc female, and despite her young age, she towered over him like a monolith. He cleared his throat softly, turning to address her.

“I see we have come out here for the same reason. If we are both here, we might as well brave the trial that awaits us together.” This would surely be more of a breeze if he tested the waters with such a strong looking young woman. Hopefully she would be able to help him, should the worst happen and he fall victim to one of the many traps that littered the road in front of them.

          one of the faculty members, a small lady with brown hair, had come to nótt after her session in the training hall, defeated a swordswoman who had asked to partake in a duel with her moments prior.  nótt had, although it seemed rude at first, kneeled down to listen to the lady clearly; and thank goodness, she did.  while the other was a mage, she wasn’t and due to the strength she shown to behold, she had been requested to observe what had been the field for an event a few days ago.  the battle of the eagle and lion.  from what rumors pass, the lion did not come out of this with victory.  and kind soul that nótt is, she agrees.

          but entering the gauntlet and leaving it would prove to be two very different tasks.

          nótt is unable to see who speaks to her first, until she glances down and catches sight of a man looking up at her.  his voice is... soft, thankfully not too soft else she’d have to bend down to hear him.  kurthnaga is what she remembers the lady having told her; the name of another faculty member who she saw coming out here earlier.  ah, he needed protection!

          “   i’ve been requested to take care of you during this venture,   ”   nótt says, a small smile on her lips.   “   i’m not sure what may—   ”

          something clicks beneath the spot where they both stand, as if the added weight of kurthnaga moving towards her managed to set something off.  and set something off it did.  nótt shouts for him to move even though she’s reaching out and grabbing his shoulder, yanking him to the side as she steps off the sunken layer of the ground.  just in time, thankfully, seeing as the ground soon gave way and crumbled into what seemed to be a pit waaay too deep.

          nótt carefully pulls kurthnaga from where she almost accidentally sent him flying towards a tree; an apologetic smile on her face.   “   are you alright?  did i grab you too hard?   ”   men are so fragile...

Whilst taciturn, few people or things in this world can render Ares speechless. Yet the way his mouth hung open, jaw wide and agape, made it difficult to physically speak. Not that he had much to say.

A few moments later and he finally picked his jaw up off the floor. The woman, over a head taller than him, cut an elegant and poised figure before him.

"Your lance technique is exquisite. Phenemonal. I've never seen anything like it," Ares sounds breathless as he speaks. "Could... could I trouble you to teach me?"

meet and greet!

         the training dummy is ripped in half with ease, hrímfaxi’s blade tearing through wood with the precision of her companion, austri, before sending the top half to crash on the training hall wall; splinters and shards of wood left in its toss.  practicing on wooden structures seemed... useless, as well.  nótt sighs, steadying her stance and lowering hrímfaxi from its offensive angle.  thankfully, the training hall is almost empty at this hour of night, so there is barely anyone to witness her temper when the next line of training dummies are snapped by her own hand, not her lance.  it only takes that for her to calm down, a smile pulling at her lips as she retakes her form and starts again.

          but she doesn’t get far.  her strike is interrupted by another’s presence and nótt carefully redirects the swing to an idle position, lowering her lance once more to face the person.  the smile that brightens her expression is almost immediate when she looks down and sees the man almost bashful before her.  if anything, she makes a soft noise akin to an awe, at the sight.

          nótt can barely hear him from the airy tone he takes to using so she bends over just slightly to allow for easier hearing.  even though she’s heard it many times, the idea of a man wielding a weapon is still a bit foreign to her.  but no matter, she continues to smile as she sticks her lance into the ground, blade down, and clasps her hands together.

          “   your words make my heart warm!  it doesn’t take a keen eye to realize how grand my skills are but nonetheless, i thank you.   ”   she pauses, turning his question in her head until she’s formed a response.  nótt laughs,   “   if you wish for me to teach you, then i suppose i... can try.  though i’d have to ask something of you in return; a fair exchange, if you think about it as such!   ”

(tee hee they are in the same house so vel could accidentally stumble in like the little idiot she is)

meet and greet!

         nótt returns to her dorm door being unlocked and, whether or not she had been the foolish one to leave it as so, she immediately comes to a halt.  there could be no one inside, or maybe there’s a maid tending to her sheets, but she knows how spotless her room is.  there wouldn’t be a need for anyone to be in there lest it be an intruder simply wishing to benefit from her absence.  nótt carefully sets the bouquet of roses on the ground beside the wall, the roses that she had been given during her trip to the marketplace.

          calling out to someone before entering would prove against her favor.  it’d be easy for someone to ambush her if she made her presence clear.  jötun princess pushes the door open slightly, stepping inside in an attempt to not shake anything or—

          another step and a figure moves from beside her wardrobe; nótt’s fingers immediately close around their neck as she slams them against the wall; the structure threatens to crack beneath the abruptness of the crash.  but nótt holds no mercy for this stranger.  except, when the hood falls and the stranger lets out a yelp, she realizes that it isn’t a stranger.  a classmate; her grip loosens, but does not let go.

          “   velouria?   ”   nótt raises an eyebrow, towering over the wolfskin with ease.   “   explain, what is your reason for being in my room?   ”   she misses how her grip suddenly tightens.   “   how did you enter?  was the door unlocked?   ”

“The sword, though it doesn’t support me.” Joshua laughed once again, short and curt and serious. “It becomes me. I don’t mean to look down on the other students here. They’re younger and haven’t traveled, or fought, as much as I have. Your weapon is your life, and an extension of the self. If it breaks, you’re going to die. They still view weapons as tools. And it’s not that women are inactive…they’re simply outnumbered here, and most other places I’ve been, though the Starfall Coast was an exception.”

Of course, the fact that he was taller and stronger than so many of those other students went unspoken. Nott didn’t need to have that spelled out for her—not when she was as tall and strong as she was. Still, he wondered how much of her prowess came from raw power; talent for battle had led many to neglect any true, painful training. She was self-assured, and part of him wanted to test that confidence of hers. Nott’s hand was warm on his cheek, and the idea of stretching up on his toe-tips to steal a kiss briefly entered his mind.

“But as far as it goes, I’m a mercenary. The best that money can buy, in this realm or any other, and I can prove it any time.” He winked with a smile, showing the barest hint of four crystalline fangs in his maw; he wondered if she’d take him up on that double entendre, if she even realized it for what it was? “Love, morals, people, possessions…everything has a price, except for faith and trust. Tell you what, forget the warm-up. Why don’t you come with me? I’ve got an urge to kill, you could use some live targets to practice on, everybody wins. Tell you what, if I kill more than you, I’ll buy the food and drinks for lunch tomorrow. Sound fun?”

His dark green eyes had an edge to them, an understanding that Nott didn’t take him quite as seriously as he thought she should. That was fine—she was only handicapping herself.

          there’s something... odd, with the way joshua laughs.  a form of expression that puzzles nótt in its means of emotion.  but no matter how comical she finds him, his words leave her in the slightest of agreements.  he knew the importance of one’s bond with their weapon   —   funny that this comes from a man, though.  she agrees but it’s her turn to laugh at one of his comments;   “   breaking your weapon, even if its very steel had been manufactured for you, does not mean death.  it merely means that your skill exceeds that of what others think of you.   ”   her earlier strain is relieved and she giggles, softer this time.   “   i wouldn’t expect you to know this, though, so it’s fair that you’re not as keen on this subject.   ”

          ah... a mercenary.  nótt stares at him, almost amusingly, as if she’s watching a jester perform for his queen.  her retort is killed easily by the fanged smile she’s given, the furrow of her eyebrows disappear, too.  instead she stares at him with the same amusement but faded, slightly.  emotions have never been easy to tame.  then the subject is changed and the suggestion is flipped, too, but not to what the jötun princess had in mind.

          “   ...fun?   ”   nótt tilts her head, locks of wavy mint swaying with the tilt.  she cannot deny the slightest flutter of her heart at the mention of servitude.   “   i see no fun in placing yourself in a bet you’ll immediately lose, but if it’ll put you in your place afterward, then so be it.   ”   there’s a unrelenting disdain that slips into her voice, ever so gentle even with it.   “   but... buy?  will you not be making the dinner with your own hands?   ”   also strange.  nótt can cook, yes, but she’d rather cook for someone deserving of it.  or ótr, but the love of her life deserved all and joshua... well, she has yet to decide exactly what he deserves.   (   the voice in her head says nothing.   )

          “   when i defeat more than you do,   ”   when, not if; she’d rather die than lose such a bet to him.   “   you are to cook me dinner and act as my personal servant for the entirety of tomorrow.  in either fall of this bet, you’ll be serving me!  cute!!   ”   how far will joshua go to prove something fruitless to the other?

          an arched eyebrow is pulled at the mention of opponents, a word for warriors, a word that she uses, and her mother and dagr, but not men.  though, there is very little she knows of fódlan and its people.  nótt keeps her hand on his cheek, rubbing her thumb gently against the spot beneath his eye.  and she nods as he talks, more so keeping her focus on his facial features rather than his words.  his voice, a rough timbre of sharpness, one that didn’t surprise her due to his... appearance.

          “   aw, a pity, really.  you need your sleep to stay standing after all.   ”   she could advise him to sleep, maybe politely knock him out if he refused, but nótt immediately gets lost in the sound of his laugh.  joshua continues, though, and nótt almost crushes the bottle in her hand at the instance of vulgarity, yet she doesn’t.   (   she ignores the way that her hand almost begins to grip at joshua’s cheek.   )   bandit-hunting?  as in he was following after them?  her thumb stills against his cheek and nótt pauses, turning his voice over in her head until all is somewhat clear.  it isn’t but she can pretend it is.

          when joshua laughs, nótt laughs too, but for an entirely different reason.   “   you... you are too precious!  is this an attempt to level yourself with the knights?   ”   nótt giggles, tilting her head as her shoulders shake slightly in amusement.  he’s silly!  the idea of it is dangerous yet she can’t help but find it adorable!!   “   i grant you my gratitude for lending me the knowledge of the bandits’ locations.  no need to worry, i’ll handle them for you, alright?   ”

          her final statement comes at the exact moment joshua’s question echoes.  nótt stares at him, confusingly yet somehow starry-eyed all the same, before she falls into a fit of giggling.  but they soon fall silent, followed closely by the stern cut of a frown on her face.   “   you aren’t joking.   ”   as if a statement rather than a question.   “   you want me to... aid you in warming up?   ”

          (   it’s a strange request.  unusual.  definitely not something she’d expect, but... she finds herself less surprised than she should be, as his words finally register in her head.   )