Fabric wrapped around a heart

equestrian embellishment

The Havers of Rideable, Sizeable Equestrians (also known as HORSE) have posted fliers around campus advertising a competition: whoever can dress up their horse (or other mount of their choosing) in the prettiest, most dashing accessories will win a grand prize—unknown for now. You don’t actually have to own a mount to enter, as you can “borrow” one from the stables. Find some flowers and get to braiding that mane and see if you have what it takes to win! [Grants Riding +1]

Spotting a figure near the stables, Shigure approaches the blonde with the simply adorable outfit and bows in greeting. “Excuse me, but might you be Forrest? I was told you were to be my partner for this competition. I hope we can get along… if your taste in clothes is any indication, you must have quite the eye for aesthetics, and I think we’ll work well together.”

Part of the reason he entered the contest is that the teen is very familiar with animals; he spent much of his time back home helping his caretakers with their mounts, hoping that one day he might earn one of his own. His singing, as his friends have teased, entices animals towards him, along with his calm and gentle demeanor, or so they say. It seems to be true here as he approaches the monastery mount that has been reserved for him and his partner in the task: the beautiful white mare knickers at him and nuzzles his head. The bluenette chuckles in delight. “Well, hello there. It’s lovely to meet you, Pearl. Shall we make you look your absolute best?”

He offers a single apple from the basket held in his left arm to the horse, who chomps down on the treat while Shigure checks over the basket to see whether everything he brought is in order. Fresh flowers and silk ribbons lay piled up, all in shades of blue and yellow, his favorite colors. Oh, but I wonder if Forrest brought anything… if he didn’t, I wouldn’t mind sharing. “Um… did you bring anything to help dress her up? I have ribbons and flowers here, though they’re all either blue or yellow…” If one or both colors clash, he has no issue leaving those particular items out; what’s most important is creating an aesthetic that is cohesive and pleasing to the eye.

@musing-fabric

Forrest waited at the stables for his partner to come. He made sure to come an hour early to make sure he had everything he needed- also so he could spend time with his petty horse, Delia. She never liked the idea of Forrest being around other horses and always decided to have an attitude when he did- which was why he wasn’t surprised when Delia began to ignore him.

A sigh left him as he walked away from her. “I’ll wait until you are done with attitude of yours, Delia.” Forrest decided to stay beside Pearl, checking her measurements over and over again. Upon hearing someone speaking he turned around. The boy in front of him looked exactly like Aunt Azura....did she have a son?

“You are correct, I am Forrest Dragmire. I believe we will get along just well.” He takes a moment to look him up and down, inspecting him. He dressed like Azura as well. Forrest hums for a second lost in thought until he heard the male beside him speak again. 

He laughed a little. Who would he be to not bring something? That would mean he was lazy and Forrest was anything but that. “Of course I brought something. I even did a bit of sewing for Pearl. Let me go get it real quick.” When passing Delia, Forrest noticed her eyes narrowing at him and he glared at her before smiling. He would not put up with her behavior today. “You can wait.” 

He walked to one of the corners of the stable and grabbed a pink basket full of stuff. Once he made it back over to Pearl he placed it back onto the floor. “I stayed up since three this morning preparing.” He wasn’t fully satisfied but it would do. He patted Pearl’s head before looking over at the boy beside him. 

All the Missions look really good- but there are some I really find interest in.

Riding Prompt- Forrest dresses his horse up on the daily this is nothing new but he would love to see what others do (Taken: Shigure)

Faith Prompt- I love this one- Forrest does believe in fate and destined love 

princepsumbra​:

Leo appreciates having a clean area, though he won’t go through the entire process his son endures every time he sits down. The monastery keeps their grounds plenty clean—including the dining hall tables. 

He’s unnerved to realize he doesn’t know why Forrest has such a strict routine. He files the question away for later. There is much they have to catch up on. Even after the dust of war had settled, there was never enough time for mundane things. That, or Leo simply put off more meaningful hours with his son out of a misguided fear. 

This third? Fourth? Chance at attempting to permanently repair their relationship should not be squandered. 

Automatically, he places a hand at Forrest’s back, rubbing in a circular motion as the young man coughs. The fit quickly subsides. Leo hides his surprise; he’d naturally assumed Forrest already knew, given how fast the gossip wheel turns. Beyond that, Siegbert and Forrest were supposed to be close. Had that much changed between his family directly under his nose? 

Glass of his own water lowers mere moments after he picks it up. I left Nohr because I was looking for you. Leo’s gaze drops to the scratched table, then back to his bashful son. 

“I owe you an apology. My departure was abrupt. I don’t intend to repeat my past mistakes.” Any of them. Long spells without conversations like these, up and leaving with only a brief goodbye…Leo exhales through his nose. 

“Now that you’ve ended your search, what do you intend to do here?” 

“Father I can’t blame you for the things you have done- neither can I judge you. You are doing the best you can and that is all I ask of you.” He still hasn’t touched his food. Was he even hungry? No, not really but still. 

The smile on his face never drops. “Well... I was thinking about becoming a dark mage. it so cool and i’m no good with my lance sadly. Oh- I have seen so many different outfits and I've learned about so many new fabrics since coming here. So I might work on making clothes from different places.” He took another sip of his water. Seeing so many new people was a bit foreign to him. Different worlds. Different everything. almost. 

To be honest, besides that Forrest hasn’t really thought of what he wanted to do here. There was one thing- or person in this case that has managed to steal his heart a little. Is it a lie or no? 

“The thing about fabric is that its delicate and very expensive. There are different types- each have there own use. Like silk for example, its a fabric but you can’t just go and say ‘I would like to buy silk’ because there are different types of silk. It can be use for many things but you still must be very careful. You can’t buy fabric and then never use it- that’s wasting your own money and you would be known as dumb.” 

Forrest’s eyebrows furrowed as he concentrated on the stitch he was working on. He couldn’t mess up, it had to be perfect. Fixing his hat wasn’t something he had to do often but sometimes things happen. 

He stopped when he felt something softly hit his shoulder. He glance down at his shoulder to see pink hair. It wasn’t hard to find out who it was. “It seems my rant has made you fall asleep- not surprising but rest well.” A small smile made it way onto his face. It was amusing to know she could sleep anywhere without a care in the world.

With his hair finally done, Forrest let out a sigh. Normally it would only take three hours but today was not a good day. He woke up at five and didn’t finish until nine. Many would expect him to be tired yet his day has only started hours ago and he was wide awake.

He checked his outfit one last time, put his hat on and walked out his room. It was only then that he remembered why he hated leaving his room in the morning. While Forrest was fully prepared for Ophelia to start shouting some random nonsense, he was not ready to be picked up. He panicked- screamed even. His voice didn’t even sound like his own. It was too high in pitch. He sounded like a girl.

“Ophelia what the fuck! Do you think this is funny? Let me go this instant! You nearly gave me a damn heart attack!” 

 He pouted as he still wasn’t let down- he didn’t even realize he cursed. He has never cursed in his entire life. What if someone heard- he knew someone heard and yet he wasn’t stronger than Ophelia so all he could do was hide his face as much as he could.

Forrest’s straining to stand at eye level doesn’t go unnoticed by Leo. Fleeting smile flickers to life at the antics—a physical reminder that Forrest still doesn’t count himself worthy of being Leo’s son. 

The young man relaxes, an answering smile softening his features. Huh; Leo and Forrest share the same smile. “You should write her a letter. Let her know of your safe arrival.” A monthly habit he formed soon after deciding he’d stay at Garreg Mach. Responses, of course, were slow, but it was like a ray of sun breaking through the clouds when he received a letter from home. 

Golden curls bounce, flaring in an circle as he spins. Laughter, warm and bright, threatens to crawl its way up Leo’s throat. He forgot how easily excitable Forrest was, how he jumped at the chance to improve their relationship. Elder prince does laugh then, unable to hold back in the face of his sons’ enthusiasm. 

Questions overlap one another, drowning out Leo’s amusement. Mage sobers up, corner of his mouth still quirked up. Forrest gives him no time to answer, instead asking one last question that requires no verbal answer. 

Leo takes a step closer and envelops his son in a much needed embrace. He relaxes, stiffness in his shoulders melting by the time he releases Forrest. “I’ll answer all your questions over lunch.” 

The walk to the dining hall isn’t long; they manage to find a semi-quiet seat with lunch trays in hand. Leo unfolds his napkin, placing it neatly in his lap. “I have met some new acquaintances, yes, a few I’d even go so far as to call friend. As for the Hoshidans—I’ve been pleasant enough. Your cousin Siegbert is dating one, after all.” 

He takes a bite of his teppanyaki. “I’ve learned quite a lot about magic here. And what of you? What made you decide to leave Nohr?” He ignores Forrests’ first question completely, unsure of how to answer. 

Many thoughts lingered in the prince’s mind as they walked to the dining hall. He was still in shock that his father actually hugged him-- the poor boy only meant it as a joke. He felt secure during the hug and part of him wanted another. Entering the dining hall was not an issue, keeping up with his fathers pace was. Forrest managed to ignore all his thoughts as he caught up with his father and took a seat at a table with him. 

The prince takes many precautions before eating. Reaching into his back pocket, Forrest pulled out a handful of napkins. He always kept some just in case. The place already had napkins and Forrest was very aware of that. He just like to use his own and not ones others could have put their hands on. ( As much as he tried, his disliking of germs always stopped him ) 

He placed the napkins on his lap before slowly taking off his gloves. On a regular day the prince would eat with his gloves on, but he just made these and would be irritated if he got them messed up. 

He listened to his father silently while taking small sips of his water. Forrest was happy to hear that his father was gaining friends. It wasn’t like he thought his father had no friends- well he did sort of think that but he only thought that was because of how cold Leo could be. 

With a soft sigh Forrest continued to nod his head slightly as he continued to sip his water. He wasn’t too hungry so he didn’t really care for his food at the moment. With the sudden news that his cousin was in a relationship, Forrest gasped and began to choke slightly. 

He could not believe such news was hidden from him. Unforgivable. The prince sat quietly for a moment as he rested his chin on his palm. He simply had no words to say at the moment. He found it not really surprising that his cousin got a lover. It was just that Forrest was surprised that he never knew about it.

Forrest placed his water down and watched his father. A small smile formed on his face. The prince had many reasons to leave Nohr- or so he told himself he did. With a soft sigh Forrest looked away from Leo and spoke, his words held a soft tone and his voice was quiet.

An amused grin painted itself across her face. Azura, to her, had seemed unflappable. Elegant and exquisite, the idea of her partaking in such childishness was really quite delightful. Elincia just hoped Azura didn’t have to nurse an awful hangover the day after.

“There’s no need to be embarrassed,” Elincia assures him gently, tittering lightly at the way he tries to cover his face. It’s endearing but completely unnecessary. “I just confessed to attempting to backflip, I can hardly judge you for running. Although maybe we should both take an oath of a deference to our heels, so this doesn’t happen again.”

She worried when he stumbled though, was his injury worse than he’d made it out to be?

Forrest fell to the floor before she could even attempt to catch him and whilst the young man appeared to still be in one piece, Elincia couldn’t hold back a concerned frown. Instead of nagging like a mother hen, she worried at her lip until he sat up against the wall at least.

“I think we best take this nice and slow,” she offers a hand for him to take, when he’s ready to rise to his feet once more. “You can lean on me for support if it helps at all.”

Forrest looked up at Elincia with a smile. Did the fall hurt? yes- but the prince should have seen that coming. He had no idea how his own hair- the hair he does every morning- managed to scare him. The prince let out a small sigh as he grabbed Elincia’s hand. His grip wasn’t tight, it was loose and he didn’t put much force into it.

Once Forrest gained his balance and stood up, he held on to Elincia’s arm slightly. He felt bad a little for using a female- no, a queen for support. Was she really fine with it? Was she only saying it to be nice? He dismissed the thoughts and stared at the wall for a second before letting go of her arm.

“ Thank you Elincia. But I think I can walk a bit. Besides I wouldn’t want to slow us down. If we don’t do this quickly then we could get caught. I’ll be able to manage. “

His tone was soft and quiet. Elincia was truly a nice person. She reminded him of his aunt Elise. He took a moment to get accustomed to having his foot on the floor before walking inside the room. With a quick glance, he made sure no one was inside and gestured for her to follow. 

     “Hm… why don’t you try this perfume instead?” The lady’s gentle smile is shared with the heroine, who simply shakes her head and holds a hand up – dismissing the grand offer. “There is no need, for Ophelia Dusks can predict which fragrance that Prince Forrest will appreciate the most! After all,” her fingers thread through her golden locks alongside a flashy flip of those curls, “it remains a task that only someone of loyalty bestowed upon fated blood and titles can complete!”

     There’s a silence that lingers after her words, hanging in the air with a heavy… awkwardness? The lady blinks at her… a pause… before she’s clapping and smiling brighter than before. Simply watching the other’s elated state causes Ophelia’s own smile to widen.

     “You must be a performer, I applaud! Your tone and pose is wonderful!”

     Until the words sink her heart into her stomach and the smile fades into a small pout. Cute, if not for the disappointment tainting her expression. No no, this wasn’t cute at all! How dare she?! A performer – those were fake! They perform, she lives. Her legacy shouldn’t be known as a mere performance. Neither should her name!

     ( Oh, she knows the lies swirling in her head – her foolish legacy is a play in itself! )

     Inhale… exhale. Inhale… exhale. Count to ten, calm your mind.

     It’s on the count of six that she hears a faint clicking and the silvery tone – eyes snapping open on the count of eight. ( You were supposed to count to ten, remember? ) The merchant lets out a hum and stares off to her left, Ophelia following her gaze to a familiar sight of an outfit modified to frills and lace, silk and pink. There’s no longer a pout on her lips, instead, there’s a small smile.

     “Prince Forrest!” Her arms reach out and soon find themselves wrapped around the prince’s torso. He’s pulling into a tight embrace, his cheek pressed against hers as she voices nothing but light laughter. He’s here! HE’S HERE!! Surely, this was supposed to be a surprise – thought of by none other than Forrest himself! Oh, how darling he was to surprise her at such a time of day.

     “I’ve been ever so well, despite the days and nights I have been lacking of your presence – now, those ill times will be left behind! Today is shown with quite the bluest of skies, no?” 

     Ophelia pulls back in the embrace, just enough for her to directly face Forrest without any facial contact. A moment of silence – comfortable silence – until the merchant giggles from behind her. “Ah, so this is the prince you’re purchasing a gift for, am I correct?”

Forrest lets out a small laugh as Ophelia pulls him into a hug. He wraps his arms around her neck and smiles as his cheek is pressed against hers. Just seeing her happy made Forrest smile harder-- if that was even possible. Ophelia was like a best friend to him and seeing her here in person almost made Forrest cry.

“ Those times will forever be left behind because I wont allow us to be separated ever again. “

His grip on her only got tighter as he felt her begin to pull away. He didn’t want to let go-- he wanted to hug her forever, but slowly he pulled away enough to see her face. He glanced at her bluish-grey eyes-- they looked just as how he remembered them.

Forrest forgot the merchant was even there until he heard her giggles from behind them. ‘ She was purchasing a gift, for me? ‘ The thought made the prince’s face heat up as a deep blush appeared on his face. He removed his arms from around her neck fully, using one of his hands to cover his face and let the other mess with Ophelia’s hair slightly. 

“ Ophelia, you really don't have to get me anything. It would be unfair as I have nothing to give you back. “

He looked over his shoulder and at the merchant. He wanted to say something but for the first time in a while the prince was speechless. This was all a bit to much for him to handle-- hell, he couldn’t even handle the news of her arrival but to be hugged by her and to find out she was buying him a gift. Oh- the prince was sure he was going to pass out. Looking back at Ophelia, the prince smiled and tilted his head to side slightly. 

Ophelia’s was loud- much to Forrest’s dismay. The merchant just stared at them, a look of distaste on their face. Forrest didn’t mind the look that the merchant gave them. He was way more worried about Ophelia causing a scene, something Forrest was praying didn’t happen.

“Let's not be so harsh now Ophelia -- I'm sure this was all just a small accident and that the merchant didn’t mean anything by the look.”

The merchant only continued to stare at Ophelia- the stare feeling more like a glare to Forrest. The aura around Ophelia only seemed to darken as she stepped in front of Forrest, returning the same glare back at the merchant. Some words left the merchant's mouth- all of them flying over the prince’s head, but dear god was Ophelia a different story.

“Your tone only supports my proof -- that you need to be dealt with immediately! Now, face the wrath of M --”

“OPHELIA NO-”

Forrest was quick to grab his retainer’s arm and stand in between the two. “Please Ophelia you are the chosen one -- I'm sure such fate would be, not needed from such a person of low status. Let us leave and continue on with the shopping-- please.”

Forrest was close to the point of begging- speaking with such regretful words. Forrest wasn’t the one to be straight out rude, that was something he’d rather not do. He knew that if Ophelia wanted to, she would pull Forrest aside and continue whatever she was planning to do with that merchant. She was in fact stronger than the prince- but she didn’t.

Status: Passed!

Activity check - Any +2

Allocation - +2 in Faith

Faith improved: D -> C 

| Starter for @sheereccentric

*Click Clack Click Clack*

The sound of heels could be heard as Forrest made his way down the entrance hall. When word got out that his dear friend Ophelia had arrived, Forrest knew he had to speak to her. It's been about a good couple of months since they’ve seen each other or even talked  and, being that Forrest left on such a short notice, he forgot to say goodbye.

Forrest kept a simple expression on his face. His brows furrowed slightly and his lips formed a frown. His steps laced impatience as he hurried along. He didn’t want to rush but he also didn’t want to miss her. It took him a good couple of minutes to even find out where she was anyway and he did not plan on having to do that again. 

After what seemed like forever Forrest finally managed to make it to the end of the hall. The blonde boy hesitated as he reached for the door- it was quite nerve racking. ‘Forrest you spent a good amount of minutes getting here- now is not the time to rethink this. Besides, you wanted to see her for a while now.’

After taking a deep breath, Forrest pushed his hands against the cool wooden doors. The doors opened with a creak and Forrest moved his right hand in front of his face to block the sun’s direct attack on his eyes. Quickly, Forrest took a glance around scanning the place for Ophelia. With the marketplace being not that far ahead, many merchants and people roaming in front of him made his task a lot harder than it needed to be.

Forrest took a couple steps forward, seeing if he could get a better view. The action did help tremendously as Forrest was able to spot Ophelia making small talk with one of the merchants. The frown that was once on Forrest’s face was no more, and he smiled. Quickly, Forrest made his way towards Ophelia and the merchant. 

Elder princes eyes his son up and down, searching for signs of harm or discomfort. A little strained around the eyes, though Leo assumes it’s exhaustion from the journey. Forrest does the same examination in turn, a small pout forming on his lips before being quickly waved away with an airy laugh and a smile. 

Forrest inspects Leo again before speaking. If the latter had any doubt about the former being his son, they’re erased by the little gesture. It’s entirely Leo’s habit to analyze those he speaks with—friend or foe or undecided. 

“Yes, I am,” he replies, tone unguarded and light. Echoes of a long ago promise ring in his ears. I’ll work towards becoming worthy of being a father to such a strong son. Leo hates thinking back on his earlier treatment of his son, a cycle that would have repeated far longer had Elise not intervened. 

“We’ve not spent much time together since the war ended, and I know I left Nohr quite abruptly. I was quite happy to catch news of your arrival at Garreg Mach.” Earlier nerves dissipate the longer he speaks with Forrest. They’ve wasted so much time already; Leo needs to stop being such a coward. “Would you have lunch with me today? I’d like to hear about what you’ve been up to this past year.” 

While Leo was talking, Forrest couldn’t help but stand on his tippy toes as he tried to match his father’s height. The action was deemed rather ineffective as Forrest was still too short, even with his heels on.

Forrest loved his fathers voice as it always held a certain tone that made it easy for him to know that it was Leo talking. The male never held a grudge with his father- in fact he sort of understood how Leo felt when he found out that his son was into wearing and making feminine attire. It was quite random for Forrest to start doing it so suddenly. ‘One day I will be able to meet your standards dear father.’ 

 Brushing off the thought, Forrest smiled again. There was no need to be getting sad at a time like this, besides to Forrest everyone deserves a second chance. “You did leave quite abruptly, but I guess that makes us more of the same as I also left Nohr abruptly. I even forgot to tell my dear friend Ophelia goodbye.” Forrest did feel quite bad for forgetting to tell Ophelia about his sudden leave, but sooner or later they will be able to talk to each other again.

Excitement rushed through Forrest as he listened to his father ask for them to go to lunch together. Forrest was so happy he did a little twirl before coming to a halt. 

“I would be honored to have lunch with you. I even had some questions of my own for you! Like did my poor lonely father find someone to love? Did you learn anything new? Have you been rude to any of the Hoshidans- you do be a little harsh at times. Oh- also have you gained any friends? 

Forrest nodded his head a little as he went on with all the questions before coming to a stop. Feeling a bit bold as a smirk formed on the prince’s lips making direct eye contact with his father. The prince then held out his arms and made a small “grabby” motion with his hands.

Wow. Her face felt warm but she couldn’t help but laugh.

“A literal goddess? Better hope the archbishop doesn’t hear you say that,” Elincia joked, not quite sure how to respond to such high praise. She was flattered, of course, who wouldn’t be? A literal goddess he had said, and with a face probably crafted by one personally. She’d assume he was being glib, she was quite used to me with silver tongues but there’s something so gentle and humble about Forrest that made it difficult to doubt him.

“Let’s just agree that we both light up these hallowed halls, okay?” They could stand here and go around in circles, discussing who’s visage was more heavenly and celestial but that would probably lead to them getting caught.

She didn’t really have an answer as to what possessed her attempt a backflip, whilst wearing an evening dress. In the ballroom in front of most of the staff and student body. He’s right to criticise - she had been foolish.

“I think I just got caught up in the drama and theatrics of the moment. We wanted to put on a show,” That they’d definitely managed, just not in the way she’d hoped. “We definitely should go in but… may I ask how your aunt injured you?” She knew Azura - not as well as she’d like but enough to know the songstress was far from unkind. Lady Azura was also, usually, the epitome of grace. 

Regardless, Forrest was holding his foot awkwardly, letting it hover a hair’s width above the ground. She opened the door, and offered her arm to him and returned his smile.

“Shall we venture forth?”

Forrest couldn’t help but smile. Elincia was truly a sweetheart- and a pretty one at that. Forrest honestly liked making others flustered, he even deemed it as somewhat necessary. Besides what was so wrong with giving out compliments? 

Forrest nodded slightly the smile never leaving his face. “That is something I could agree with.” They both had good looks and who knows how long they had been standing there. As much as Forrest wanted to continue giving out compliments he didn’t want to get in trouble- besides he didn’t want to make a bad impression with him still kinda being new to the place. 

As much as Forrest wanted to- he still didn’t understand why Elincia attempted to do a backflip. He understands that it could have felt like the perfect moment to do so, but doing it in a dress was overkill. Forrest held his foot trying to ignore the small ache, but it was quite hard. 

“Oh- well during the ball Lady Azura got drunk. I mean she did have more than one drink, but that's not the point. I was trying to tell her something about Siegbert but every time I got close to her she ran in the opposite direction. She can be such a childish drunk- but I ended up running after her. That was my fault though cause I forgot to take off my heels and running in a dress isn’t such a great idea. To sum it all up I tripped and twisted my ankle.”

As Forrest explained, he couldn’t help but get embarrassed. The blonde male blushed, pulling his hat down to cover his face. It was funny if he thought about it from a certain perspective but he didn’t. Putting his hat back on his head, Forrest gave a small pout before placing more of his weight against the wall. 

Forrest gave a bright smile towards Elincia as she opened the door and  held her arm out for him. Slowly, Forrest reached for Elincia’s arm. He held a lot of caution in his movements. Everything was going great until Forrest felt his hair tickle his neck. The action scared the blonde male making him place his hurt foot on the ground. As a quick reaction kicked his other leg, making the poor boy fall onto his back.

Mindful +25 Do you like who you are right now?

Forrest placed his hand on the left side of his face as he thought. 'Do I like who I am right now?' The question was a bit vague, what did it mean when it said does he like who he is right now? Removing his hand from his face Forrest would stare with a blank expression at his hands for a moment- lost in thought.