Diarmuid has arrived just in time, it seems.
With the return of an alum and her strange... "photo-artifex", excitement for the upcoming ball seems to be rising with the tide. When he stands watch in hallways, students' chatter reaches him - in the knights' barracks, too, people talk about dates and dances with an excited reverence. Their whispers are hardly hushed, and their excitement is contagious. A ball!
He is not the perfect-courtly prince he'd like to be, but he can't deny the allure of a ball. Would it be odd to go alone? This, he is unsure of, but he does not have to go alone.
It is late when he finds her. Against a fountain, her hair shimmers near-silver in the moonlight, liquid mercury. A soft smile is on his face as he takes a seat on the marble edge, the spray of water against his back.
"Larcei," he says, bearing her name like a gift, familiar-fond and near giddy. "I was wondering if you'd like to go to the ball with me?"
There is little uncertainty in his tone. He has known her and she has known him just like they've known the passing of years. The smile he gives her is a reliable-old thing, shined clear without a hint of rust.
"As friends, of course! Oh, but if you already have someone you're going with, I don't want to impose. You'll have to tell me about them, though, if that's the case!"
He folds his hands in his lap and waits, then, watching her face like a memory, taking her in as if she holds the world.
She wonders if she should take a quick dunk.
Larceiโs day has been a long one. It began with the rise of the early sun, and blazed on through her training, errands, and buzzing around her mother after class had ended. She poured her heart into everything she did, and for that reason, she has decided to take a break by nightfall.ย
Her arms are propped against the fountain, head held back in its warmth and slight-sweatiness. As her eyes begin to wander, they land on the surface of the water. Only stars glimmer in the reflection. It looks soโฆ Cool. So refreshing. A small deliberation goes on in her mind, and she decides that on the count of three sheโd treat herself to a splash. One, two-
Fire toasts her cheeks as she turns to meet the sound of her own name. For a moment, she believes it to be one of her professors. Probably here to scold her for acting like such a child, and rightfully so. But Diarmuidโs familiar features draw a breath out of her, and with it she exhales much of her embarrassment. โYo,โ she greets, with a small waveโtrying to act all cool-like.ย
He goes on, and she listens. But the mention of the ball brings back her discomfort. Her face begins to flare, fingers squeezing into a fist by her side. Is thatโฆ All she is to him? Are they not friendsโhave they not ever been friends? Has Diarmuid only ever seen him as a girlโa potential suitress waiting to be wed? Is he no better than the last guy that tried something like this?
(And seriously, could he have not picked a more romantic setting?)
But just as she is about to open her mouth to speak, he offers the rest. Her heart stills. The last few seconds have been a rollercoaster for her, so when she speaks her voice sounds rocky, like she had nearly gotten the wind knocked out of her, โOh, that? Iโmโฆ Shocked you even heard about it. โNever pinned you as the kind to care about dancinโ, yโknow?โย
She tries a laugh, but even that comes out awkwardly. โSure, Diarmuid,โ she finally just spits, knowing at her core that she wants and trusts him to take her. Anyone she grew up with shouldnโt even have to ask, actually. โIโll come with. As long as youโre by my side though, Iโll make sure you have fun. Got it?โย
Speaking sets things back into place for her. She wears a smile, and unfolds his arms by the wrist. The Sun is then whisked away by the Star, off to go to bed, off to endure the many preparations for their next meeting. They'll need matching suits and a plan of action and for Diarmuid to know how crazy the last few balls have been. But their conversation fades into the background.
The whole while, Larcei subtly shakes her head at herself. Who was she kidding? The guyโs got his head on straighter than most. If anyone is sensible enough to not make stupid mistakes in the name of loveโฆ
โฆStrangely, itโd be him.