#toa:open

"Tch, what a childish tradition," he mumbled as he tightened his fist around the ribbon. 

[ ☾ ] Oh how exciting it must be, to traverse through new lands and relish in new opportunities. Fortune truly favors the bold, and Clair Estrella Belmont was embarking in a whole new adventure! She couldn’t help but be delighted by how both the commoners and nobility worked side by side in the monastery- ( well, from what her brown eyes could see. ) without complaint or any hassle. Truly, these lands must be far ahead of their time- and Valentia could learn from them. Perhaps this is also why her dear friend was partaking in this schooling as well. For a better future. And that caused Clair to naturally- continued to smile from ear to ear. The blonde pondered among her daily stroll ( One must keep themselves in tip top shape of course! ) what lies ahead in her future. She hardly knew anybody in this academy other than the few she could count on her fingers. “Hmm...There’s Alm and Celica....I think Faye’s here as well and--” Muttering their names one by one, the blonde lost track of where her footing had been and had lost balance and slipped down the grandiose steps right by the corner of the stable- hardly any passersby here at this hour- other than the wandering felines that mewled at her mishap. The noblewoman hissing at her sprain. “Ack! Now this isn’t the time for such nonsense. I got classwork to do....nngh. Oh dear.” Like a injured fawn, the blonde sat delicately on the steps, waiting for the chance to receive aid. There was no way she could manage to stand at this rate. How dreary. Finally, a savior had appeared before her-- “Oh Salutations! I am in need of your assist...” only to walk past; without much thought. “How rude! And you’re going to just let me perish here?! This is all too cruel!” Clair shouts out as the person made their way to the marketplace. Perhaps she ought to bring forth the waterworks, it always worked with her dear brother and Fernand. Unfortunately, they were nowhere to be found.  As time continued to pass (It really wasn’t that long.)- Clair almost opted for calling out for Gray. Of all people! He wouldn’t dare leave her in such a sorry state. Though she much rather had a different farmhand whisk her away. A loud sigh, poor her. Poor, poor her. And here she thought Fodlan was rather progressive.  That was, until another passerby ventured forth into the spotlight. “Yoo-hoo! You there!” Clair waved her arm for their attention. “ Please come over here! I am in need, of your aid!” Finally she added: “I have money!”

A child loses an lost item,a doll-- the ginger would go out of his way to seek it. (Or craft something in it’s likeness himself.) A mewing cat, stuck in a tree- the man couldn’t help but go and fetch it and bring them back down. Bandits harassing the little old lady at the marketplace? The masked knight gallantly chases them off. In truth- the man himself wanted to make use of his life. A silly hidden truth he kept to the world, much like the hundreds and hundreds of notes the rejected crown prince would write down to himself. In truth, he wanted to become something he was not. For beneath the mask, lied a coward. Pfft, surely that was is true namesake, rather than Conrad. So much for being bold- when this prince was frankly nothing but-- Not that anybody needed to know. Especially Her. He had to remain vigilant. Surely, the man himself could find meaning in all this.  In the meantime however, he continued to live. ( For her sake, or for your own? ) Closing his eyes for a brief moment, Conrad allowed himself to dream beneath an oak tree-- leaving his journal of countless tales beside him, out in the open. Ink spilling and smudging as it begun to rain. Oh Conrad, won’t you please wake yourself up?