[M | St Grumble] Friendly Companionship....right? Right!

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The Six Kingdom's most prestigious university and the de facto cultural capital of Anaxas.

The Stacks | Ghost Town | Muffey

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Lilanee Kuleda
Posts: 135
Joined: Tue Mar 05, 2019 6:40 am
Topics: 11
Race: Galdor
Location: Brunnhold
: Let's go on an adventure!!!
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Writer: Raksha
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Tue Jun 25, 2019 9:26 am

3rd Loshis, 2719
BRUNNHOLD| AFTER DUSK
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“Just keep your mouth shut, and you’ll be fine. Yes, totally fine.” Lilanee muttered to herself in the mirror as she leaned forward to put her earrings in, looking over her outfit for the ten thousandth time. The tailor in the Stacks had done a clocking impressive job, especially given the request was entirely out of the ordinary. Her dress itself was simple enough, an officially Brunnhold Approved crimson dress that was fitted to her upper form, flaring out towards the feet with a hint petticoats under the skirt. There were no sleeves, and a high neckline, the lace designed to look like leaves of rose bushes. Chiffon skirt and lace bodice, it caught the light with warm tones, matched easily with a pair of ruby earrings and red ankleboots.

It was the skeletal torso-piece that might cause some comments.

The item was designed out of stiff bone colored ribbon, carefully stitched and cut to look quite eerily like a spinal column and rib cage. There was a small bow against her throat and a series making each vertebrae down her back, with one large feature bow splayed across her lower back. It was a separate item to the red dress, worn over the top and carefully pinned to sit exactly where it should. The placement was clever enough to look like bones and muscle, accompanying the dress like some strange vest. Lilanee had been inspired of late, to express her fondness of the past and the fine physical evolution from their ancestors to today.

It had nothing to do with friends who happened to like that sort of thing as well.

“All you need to do is get there, make it through the first part of dinner, and not make a complete fool of yourself. Completely doable. Doable? Do able. I don’t think that’s a word.” The Hessean continued her exterior monologue as she crossed the room to her doorway, opening it and stepping into the dormitory hallway.

“Friends. Acquaintances. Yes, that’s right. We are friends attending the redtie in necessary companionship to ensure we both have at least one person to converse with.” Walking four steps down the hallway, she immediately turned back to her room, flinging the door open and grabbing a red satin coin purse.

“Focus Lilanee, focus!” She berated herself, reaching up to smooth over long fiery curls that had been tamed into loose ringlets, with the top half pinned back with a rather sharp looking hairclip that looked like a twist of briar thorns. Moving faster now, the ninth form all but jogged down the dormitory towards the doors and down the steps.

The rain had been heavy during the day, calming to more of a thick drizzle by the evening, falling softly on the redbricks of the University and giving everything a glossy sheen in the warm phosphore lights. Taking the undercover walkways to the Great Hall, the blue eyed Hessean nodded at the faculty staff manning the entrance and stepped inside.

Within the dining hall, it was what could be assumed as an inviting affair. Unlike the less formal red ties—if that could even be considered a thing—the entire interior of the building had been decorated with hangings of red ribbon and white painted thorns, lanterns hanging from them to compliment the crystal chandelier that glowed merrily. Students and staff who were still on the campus were seated at tables of white tablecloth, crimson napkins and shining silverware. The room hummed with low conversation, and at the head table the Headmistress watched it all with an eagle eye as she spoke quietly with her companions.

“What the clock--!” Lilanee heard the sneer in the comment before she even caught the owner of the words. Turning her head, the wordy student smiled warmly at Marissa.

“Good evening Marissa! Wow, you look amazing. Did you design that? I really like it. Are you here with—oh Janse. Hello too.” She nodded as the brutish boy joined the dark haired Bastian, his face not at all welcoming.

“What are you wearing?” The Bastian asked with a laugh, looking the other girl up and down with a mixture of bemusement and disgust. Lilanee looked down, brushing her fingers over the sternum of her curious not-overcoat with a smile.

“This? This is an anatomically correct skeletal composition of a galdori torso. Made of fabric. I thought it would be a fascinating representation of th—” Janse snorted, gesturing at the outfit.

“Fascinating? It’s morbid, you freak. They should be sending you back to your dorm.”[/color] Blushing slightly, the teenager made a small self-conscious laugh.

“Yes well…you have your opinion and I have mine. Let’s leave it at that.” She said with a soft hint of exasperation, quite ready to move onto her table, forgetting all at once that she had actually invited someone this year.

As friends, of course.

“I can’t believe her parents paid for that. How embarrassing. My parents wouldn’t catch me dead in something so garish.” Marissa said, not at all under her breath to her partner as they moved on, leaving the Hessean to bite her tongue. She closed her eyes, curling her hand tightly into a fist and running her thumb over the bones, silently saying the names of each one. There were so many things she could say to the girl, she wanted to say, but it wasn’t worth it.

“Table. Find your table.” Lilanee breathed, straightening her shoulders and opening her eyes to look for her table and hopefully Ezre Vks.

Mister Vks, her friendly companion.

They hadn’t really meant to be friends, it wasn’t like they stood there and said ‘let’s form a platonic bond over our common interests and hates’, yet since Clocks Eve and the visit to the crypts Lilanee had taken to sitting at the same table at meal times. Or in their shared history classes. They shared notes and discussed theories, or rather Lilanee discussed and Ezre tolerated. Listened. Same-same? The point was they had developed a tentative connection, and when it was decided that students remaining on campus absolutely must attend the redtie for St Grumbles, Lilanee had made a good case—with footnotes—on why herself and the quiet Hoxian should attend together. Not together together though, no, just as two like minded students who wanted like minded discussion.

Yes, that was exactly it.

“Where are you Ez…” She whispered nervously, blue eyes scanning the tables with only a hint of worry in her field.

Was she really worried he wouldn’t show up? That was silly. It wasn’t a big deal, it was St Grumbles. A forced event.

Back to regular everyday things tomorrow and all that.


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Ezre Vks
Posts: 285
Joined: Tue Mar 05, 2019 11:02 am
Topics: 22
Race: Galdor
Location: Brunnhold, Anaxas
: better with the dead
Character Sheet: Character Sheet
Writer: Muse
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Wed Jun 26, 2019 3:46 pm

the Ball Room
3rd of Loshis, 2719
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The Kingdom of Hox celebrated one major holiday. There were plenty of folk festivities and various small social observations such as births and deaths and harvests and weddings, but, in all honesty, surviving the harsh climate of the northernmost kingdom in any capacity day to day was often celebration enough. That wasn't to say that his people didn't know how to have fun, either. While they were seen as a harsh, stoic people, Hoxians in private and during the proper occasions were just as full of warm laughter and song as any Anaxi, but those occasions simply weren't as often and privacy was a very specific condition.

Since his transfer to Brunnhold from Frecksat for his sixth year of education, Ezre Vks had never been invited to anything of significance and whatever social invitations he'd received, he'd mostly refused. Unless the Gyre or the Crypts were involved, to be fair, the dark-haired boy was frankly disinterested, but he'd also been surprised to find he enjoyed the gardens, the small on campus theatre when the orchestral students performed, and at least one very well-kept dsoh restaurant in the Stacks. Oh, and that rather tucked away chan house that most students he knew had declared too quiet to properly enjoy tea time. Ezre adored that place.

Ghost Town was certainly not on anyone's radar for social events, and, after situations as they went in Bethas, Ezre hadn't returned even on his own, let alone with others.

As much as he hadn't been given much of a choice but to attend the Brunnhold-sponsored Feast of Saint Grumbles dance, the Hoxian had not at all expected to be more formally invited by anyone, let alone Lilanee Kuleda. They had become friends, it was true, sharing interests in things others thought long dead and buried from history to anthropology, anatomy to monic theory. The Hessean was full of a very specific and exhaustive amount of knowledge on subjects that Ezre admittedly found fascinating, though she was also simply full of words and emotions, expressing herself often just as exhaustively where the dark-haired boy was quiet and succinct. He shared selectively, as needed, but hopefully it was obvious to anyone who knew him, herself included, that he shared with just as much enthusiasm despite his well-practiced calm demeanor.

It was somewhat awkwardly but mutually agreed upon that due to their general status in the social scheme of things among their peers, it would be an advantageous strategy to attend this ridiculously mandatory celebration together in a totally platonic and logical effort to maximize enjoyable conversation and minimize awkward ridicule.

And nothing more.

Of course.

Definitely.

Unfortunately or fortunately, depending on your cultural heritage, one of the persistent fashion trends of every Saint Grumbles festivity was the unspoken requirement of wearing white and red. Hoxian formal attire was rarely that color and the Clairvoyant's wardrobe reflected a singular lack of anything even resembling that hue save for the bone white linen of a few shirts and the pale green button-down undershirts of his Brunnhold uniform. Red was, however, well within his repertoire, the color of sanguimancy one he wore with eerie comfort. The traditional formalwear of his people was black, however, dark like Vroh Guar's massive lava-formed silhouette on the distant horizon from his high-altitude home of Kzecka, and Ezre chose not to deviate from this despite the objections he was sure it would cause among those with far more sensitive palettes when it came to adherence to Anaxi rules of fashion.

His black outer coat was high collared and wide-sleeved, long and far boxier than the current Bastian-inspired jackets that were all the rage in the Stacks. In ivory thread on each sleeve and at the back of his neck was a small embroidered rendition of the Vks family crest in a circle, and the coat itself was held in place by a silver chain just below his chest from which dangled a silver-dipped skull of a small bird. The surprise, of course, was that the interior of the coat was trimmed in the same ivory as if he'd considered dressing for the festivities and simply turned his outfit inside out. A second layer wrapped beneath, one hem folded over the other in deep red, held in place by a wide belt of ivory fabric and a thinner cord of black that was tied in an impressively ornate knot. Had anyone known the details of Hexxos culture, which Ezre suspected no one did, the knot was one used when binding the finally prepared bodies of the dead before the cremation ceremony and it was, in his opinion, one of the most beautiful of cord tying techniques, second only to the hand-fasting knot found at very traditional galdori weddings.

In order to perhaps add his own sense of style to it all, he'd had tailored in the same deep black as his outer coat the more acceptable narrow-legged trousers found in the Midland Kingdoms instead of the loose, flowing almost skirt-like pants more common in Hox, though the side hem of each was decorated by a very thin ribbon of the same deep red. Instead of boots, thin black socks and black lacquered sandals so common among his religious order hid the inked lines on his feet, though he made no effort to hide the tattoos on his hands, especially considering the flowing nature of his outfit often allowed the dark line that ran up his arm to also be visible when he gestured.

His surprisingly long, dark hair was worn up in a very simple, extremely formal topknot, held in place by a silver clasp as if that was at all enough to ward off the damned Anaxi humidity of rainy season. It would simply have to do.

The flutter of nervousness was a strange sensation for Ezre, the boy not prone to social anxiety because he'd been well-nurtured and accepted in his homeland and even in Frecksat despite his isolated, religious upbringing. Here in Brunnhold, his experiences had varied, but for the most part, he was quite adept at ignoring the disapproval of what felt like the entire future Kingdom. He was not concerned about what he wore, but he realized as he made his way across campus in the drizzle and the fog, he was perhaps far more concerned than he should have been about what his friend, Lilanee, would think of his company for the evening. She had, of course, invited him. Forward, which was her nature, and yet insistent this was not the kind of date where one had more emotional expectations.

Had she meant that? She must have thought fondly of their friendship, so quick as she was to defend its integrity in a way that he understood, but for some reason even that had flustered him. Perhaps it had been the sheer volume of words it had taken to invite him, but Ezre felt as though there had been something curious about the tone of her voice in the asking.

And he found he was intrigued by the mystery.

The Hoxian entered the dining hall, dark eyes taking in the Saint Grumble-themed festive decorations and the other students while their gazes lingered on his dark presence and took in how his choice of attire stood out in a sea of white and red. With his field gathered politely and his facial expression one of well-practiced neutrality, Ezre made his way through the crowd toward his assigned table, quite certain he was both famished and also not at all hungry and unsure of what to make of the sensation.

A few students parted for him, and if they made comments in his direction, he did not hear them, for he found himself staring at the most interesting use of ribbon he'd seen in his young, admittedly morbid life. Lilanee's back was to him, but he recognized her tamed curls worn up in a briar-like hair clip, his light, airy Clairvoyant mona-laden field brushing hers that felt so much heavier with Physical mona in almost unintentional greeting because his gaze was following the curious skeletal structure that had been fashioned into the outer layer of her deep red dress.

It was genius and most likely extremely scandalous.

Ezre smiled, delicate features just barely upturned in a warm but subtle expression of familiarity without breaking rhakor,

"I see we have both decided to appropriately ignore convention in silent protest against mandatory participation this evening. Your efforts are superior to mine, however. I hope I'm not the only one who appreciates your attention to anatomical details. You have a very patient tailor." Had the Hoxian boy been a weaker example of his culture, he would have blushed with the obvious compliment. As it was, however, he just felt warm and his inked fingers moved to fiddle with the silver chain clasping his coat hems and holding them in place,

"I will attempt to portray the proper manners expected of me as a young male in Anaxas and now offer to seat you, Miss Kuleda."

There was a hint of very understated mischief in his tone as he nodded toward their table and raised an elbow in her direction as any Anaxi would to escort her, not oblivious to the new glances from the slowly settling crowd.
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Lilanee Kuleda
Posts: 135
Joined: Tue Mar 05, 2019 6:40 am
Topics: 11
Race: Galdor
Location: Brunnhold
: Let's go on an adventure!!!
Character Sheet: Character Sheet
Writer: Raksha
Contact:

Mon Jul 08, 2019 9:33 am

3rd Loshis, 2719
BRUNNHOLD| AFTER DUSK
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L]ilanee turned slightly, her wide blue gaze sweeping around at the brush of a familiar field and the soft tones of a Hoxian tongue. Her hands were clasped tightly around her coin purse, half smile on her lips half ready to launch into a wordy retort only to feel her heart jump like a trained chrove into her throat as she finally saw Ezre in all his not-white glorious attire. The Hessean let her eyes take in the details, from the peeking of white lining to the crimson of the layer beneath to the delicate silver chain holding the jacket closed. It was entirely the wrong choice of color, black in a sea of white, but for the redhead it was almost as though he’d read her mind and ignored the Brunnhold requirements in favour of a statement. The student looked so much older in his traditional garb, dark hair tamed so sternly into a topknot, face pale and barely hinting at a smile. Lilanee’s smile had disappeared as she looked him over, and an unwarranted nervousness settled in to turn butterflies in her stomach.

For once in her life, Lilanee was speechless.

Blinking as though to break a trance and looking down at her curious skeletal ribbons, the young woman laughed quietly, entirely weak enough to let a robust blush sweep from her face and disappear under the throat of her dress.

“I..uh…yes a…yes.” Clearing her throat, the Hessean looked at Ezre and offered him something between a bow and a curtsy, trying hard to find her voice.

“A patient tailor with an eye for detail. Look, see, these pieces make the clavicular notch and actually pivot where they join to the clavicle. And thirteen ribs, as opposed to twelve, as we both know the galdori prior to our own were a little taller given the artwork in the Tor region depicting…uh…” Her eyes had trailed to the piece, fingers moving along the structure as she spoke, loosing herself in the ramblings of her anatomical mind. Dropping them again with another laugh, the teenager gestured dismissively.

“I am fairly certain you are the only one in this school outside of the faculty that has any clocking idea what bone goes where, and that the ankle bone is not connected to the knee bone.” The student almost visibly shuddered at the reference to a well known children’s rhyme, the idea of an ‘ankle bone’ enough to send her mind racing with the correct terms for each tiny little piece that in fact made up the ankle. Straightening her shoulders, Lilanee nodded at his own choice of attire.

“Whilst I might be wearing the fabric bones of our ancestors, you’ve outdone yourself Ez. Is this traditional Hoxian attire? It’s stunning, so impactful with the black and the red. If I didn’t know your field I may not have recognized you. The cut compliments your form perfectly.” Her eyes widened slightly, wishing the last of her words back into her throat.

“I mean you look good. It looks…good. On you. The outfit looks good on you—ohlookisthatwine—” Shooting a hand out as one of the passive staff walked by with a tray of crystal flutes, the red head snatched one and took a large mouthful of the beverage whilst she glanced around the room to avoid meeting the other students eyes, full of awkward embarrassed words that refused to work the way they should. A small cough wrestled in the back of her throat, cheeks bulging slightly.

Truth be told, she didn’t drink. She didn’t actually know what First Light tasted like till….oh just about now.

There was far too much wine in her mouth to be any form of proper at this moment, and she wouldn’t dare spit it out. Swallowing the fruity, slightly acidic pale fermented liquid with a gulp, Lilanee made a face and shuddered a little.

“Lovely vintage.” The Hessean said weakly, as though she knew a single thing about wine, raising it to her lips to take a mature looking sip. She hardly even twitched this time.

"I will attempt to portray the proper manners expected of me as a young male in Anaxas and now offer to seat you, Miss Kuleda."

Wide blue eyes snapped back to the dark robed Hoxian, glancing first at the table, then down at his offered elbow, before setting on his face finally with stunned silence. A moment of pause, the connections firing in her brain slowly, before Lilanee stepped back to place her half drunk wine on one of the tables beside them, returning to the teenagers side in the blink of an eye and carefully winding her arm in his to rest her hand gently on his forearm.

“Offer accepted, Mister Vks.” Lilanee said with a slow smile, painfully aware of the eyes that looked at them, the whispered words already inventing rumors that would be sworn truths by the time the morning came. The red head Hessean looked down at the floor as they walked, biting her lip to hold back a plethora of words that were dying to escape.

“Thank you for agreeing to participating in this with me. I know it’s mandatory to be here, but at least now we can formulate some healthy discussion between like minded people. I mean, I doubt that anyone here is going to want to speculate on the burial rituals of the galdori in Naulanon.” When they reached their table, they would be faced with four other students and two faculty members. The students were familiar in so far as Lilanee had seen their faces from time to time, but they weren’t anyone she could name. The two professors, Madame Arcadia and Professor Holly, Intermediate Scrying and Advanced Biology respectively, sat with all the air of chaperones who were more than ready for the evening to be done. Slipping into her chair, should Ezre draw it out for her, the young woman smiled at the table. Without her glasses the Hessean could see things when they were close, but no so great far away. She nodded to the vague people around the white cloth, tucking her crimson folds under her.

“Rather morbid choice of dress, wouldn’t you say Miss Kuleda?” The Biology professor said quietly, a mild tone of disapproval in his voice. Even if she was a bright class member, the young Hessean should know better as a woman of Anaxas. It was improper, the ribbons clinging too reminiscently of feminine curves and bows drawing the eye downwards. It was not at all what he would consider proper dress code. The teenager laughed softly, picking up a freshly filled flute from before her, deciding that First Light was actually pretty alright. She picked up the one that sat before Ezre and held it up so he would take it, feeling inappropriately unbalanced being that she’d already guzzled half a glass and he’d had none. Her eyes met his and the Hessean tapped her glass against his gently.

“All for one, as it were.” The freckled creature just about breathed, before turning to look at Professor Holly.

“Only if you choose to see death or decay as morbid, sir. I see it as a chance to read the stories of those long since gone from this mortal plane, to piece together the world in the eyes of our ancestors. Perhaps we can learn more from them; did you know that in Mugroba texts have been found with monite that hasn’t been written into any current grimores? Imagine what those words might say, might ignite when spoken for the first time? It’s fascinating, what we can learn from the dead.” Her blue gaze flicked towards Ezre with a meaningful look, before turning her head at the dinging of a knife against a crystal glass. It was the Lizzie that had been selected from within the Drama Club, a pretty tow-headed Anaxi with a crown of thorns and a white dress far more luxurious than any human or wick would ever own.

“The seventh form Drama Club will be performing tonight’s fugue whilst all guests enjoy dinner, and drinks for the eighth and ninth forms. Once the first act is completed, Headmistress Servalis has advised older students will be allowed to leave the function should they choose, but all names must be recorded on the way out.” A soft murmur of groans followed her words, causing Ophelia to cast a firm golden gaze across the heads of her students. It worked, quieting the dinner guests whilst the lights were magically dimmed. Lilanee turned her head slightly, hiding her lips behind her glass and tilting so she could speak near Ezre’s ear.

“Did you know that there’s a theory that Lizzie was a Hessean, not an Anaxi? How else can the dragon be explained? There are bones of huge winged drakes in the barren lands towards the south of Hesse, which could have been the inspiration for the dragon in the story. Can you imagine seeing that in real life? Have you ever seen a drake? Chroves have nothing on drakes pfft.” Moving the glass to take a sip, the blue eyed chatterbox looked over the Hoxian’s face with raised eyebrows, as though she’d just shared the greatest secret of all time.

Good Ophurs Glittering Grace, she could feel the effects of the wine already. Was this what students did for fun? It was a heady sensation, a tangible pressure behind her eyes and in the outskirts of her field.

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Ezre Vks
Posts: 285
Joined: Tue Mar 05, 2019 11:02 am
Topics: 22
Race: Galdor
Location: Brunnhold, Anaxas
: better with the dead
Character Sheet: Character Sheet
Writer: Muse
Writer Profile: Writer Profile
Contact:

Thu Jul 11, 2019 12:39 pm

the Ball Room
3rd of Loshis, 2719
He couldn't seem to keep himself from staring at Lilanee and her fascinating dress. It wasn't as though he hadn't looked at her before—they'd met in Ophus and here it was Loshis: she'd made a point of sitting with him at lunch whenever possible and they'd shared several trips to the Crypts together—but it felt as though he was seeing her differently. Clearly. He blinked slowly as the freckled young woman began to trace her fingers over the ribbons and talk about the bone structures represented, not unaware of galdori anatomy, following her hand with his gaze and feeling the strangest tingling of—not chagrin, but something else—of warmth as he did so,

"The theory of height only makes sense if we are willing to accept that common ancestry is true. Comparative archaeological studies of burial sites between Gior and Hesse suggest that tall galdori are actually a genetic mutation—" Ezre was smiling, using the opportunity to match Lilanee's studious observations with some of his own even though he'd been staring at her hand, her dress, her body until her laugh drew his attention upward again. He inhaled slowly, exhaling through parted lips, attempting to find some sort of center in the giddy flustered sensation he was experiencing,

"—oh. I would not say I am the only student to be that knowledgeable, but, well, I do know the correct—ah. Me? I. Well. Thank you. Zjai, it is traditional formal wear, though perhaps it could be considered outdated by most Hoxians. I am sure the fashion of Frecks is now quite different from Kzecka. This was my father's. Most of it, anyway, as I have made my own outfit changes as an individual. I feel compelled to refute the opinions of everyone else thus far and say that your dress is most complimentary of your, uh, pleasing figure, Lilanee."

Just as he was attempting to not feel self-conscious and shy in the presence of someone he should have been comfortable around, the Hessean complimented him and stammered over her words. He did his best to return the compliment, though he was quite afraid his words came out more flirtatious than intended. Did he intend them to be interpreted that way? The other student was not unattractive and once one waded past all of the words she readily had on hand, she was actually quite decent company—Still, he would never have thought that his outfit choice would have had any effect on the young woman considering their established friendship had not at all given any indication of any additional interest in his person beyond the platonic. But in her rambling way, she continued to talk and he heard the ringing of self awareness in his ears above his pulse like temple bells at dawn, Ezre's delicate features curling into a very genuine and expressive smile.

Thanks be to the eternal stillness of Bash that she reached for a glass of wine, the Hexxos acolyte's dark eyes darting to follow her hand again, straying back over the bold statement of her dress, lingering on stylized clavicles until he meandered his way back up to her face and offered to bring them to their assigned seats for lack of anything better to do before he misspoke.

He was not unaware of the stares, though he'd prepared himself for being out of Anaxi favor this evening, the swatch of shadow among a sea of white and red. He didn't mind—was not Hox so different from all of the southern kingdoms that it had refused to be a part of the Symvouli for decades? He knew why now, but at the same time, he found such differences so shallow and trivial that it was easy to ignore the whispers of judgment and easier still to not acknowledge those who didn't appreciate the experimental fashion sense of Kuleda-vumien,

"This evening's attendance requirement is only mandatory because of fear. It is most unfortunate." His response was quiet, almost under his breath, and he opened his mouth to say something else and promptly shut it again, lips a thin line. Oh, Naulanon. Ezre looked away at the thought, eyelashes fluttering as he imagined exactly what the galdori of the lost kingdom did with their dead, before he took in their peers at the table they were assigned to, nodding in recognition of Madame Arcadia and Professor Holly. He'd assisted with a few of the Madame's students as a tutor, and while he saw the look of surprise on her face at the pair's choice of meeting the dress code requirements in their own very unique and somewhat unspoken rebellious way, the dark-haired boy pulled out Lilanee's chair for her and seated the Hessean before himself.

Glancing at other Professor and her comment on the morbidity of Lilanee's wonderful originality, he felt the judgment in her tone of voice and in her field, the Hoxian resisting the urge to frown at the overly emotional and unnecessary comment. Everyone had a body and everyone would eventually leave it behind, would they not? Seating himself slowly as if it took effort to say nothing in response, he was suddenly handed a flute of wine,

"Oh, I do not—I am not allowed to—"

But his freckled friend tapped their glasses together in a cheer, to which he had no choice but to respond in kind:

"Zkra't.Literally: When all is one. This is the final pillar of zkratas, the path of living in oneness with all things. According to contemporary Hoxian scholars, an alternative translation of this is nothingness, or the state of being once again part of the Cycle and no longer a separate individual. There is very fierce intellectual discussion over the true meaning of the word."

He glanced down into the crystal flute, delicate features scrunching up for a moment as he could smell the thick sweetness of alcohol. Hexxos did not drink unless it was chan. This was not chan, though the Kingdom of Hox as a whole only had one holiday—Spar Rhavat—while the Kingdom of Anaxas seemed to be full of endless frivolous celebrations. Feast days and folk holidays, Ezre understood, but an entire week wasted in mostly drunken partying for a Saint named Grumble? This was beyond him!

He then glanced at everyone watching him from over the rim of his First Light and with visible hesitation, Ezre took a sip. It was far fruitier than he anticipated and not unpleasant, the effervescence strange on his tongue the way Deftung was strange on the tongues of his peers. He swallowed, keeping the glass close to his lips as if he weighed the choice to take another sip while he added quietly,

"Considering we are celebrating the far more horrific and morbid devouring of a foolish man by a powerful dragon in the form of immature songs and copious amounts of alcohol, I am not convinced that Kuleda-vumien and her choice of attire are at all not within the best possible of fashionable compliments to the Feast of Saint Grumble." The dark-haired boy in his black suit let his dark eyes stare straight through Professor Holly before he took another sip of wine, deciding he could make one personal exception for the evening in the name of cultural understanding. He would have set his glass down, but Lilanee shifted in her seat next to him and suddenly her breath brushed his neck, causing his tattooed fingers to curl a little tighter around the delicate crystal flute.

She spoke of dragons and he bit his lip, containing an amused chuckle at her unasked for but interesting series of totally unnecessary facts blended with very real opinions. Ezre did not immediately feel compelled to respond in the hushed silence that filled the ballroom after the lights were dimmed, but instead of staring at the rather impressive makeshift stage they'd erected for the seventh form Drama Club to perform, he didn't lean away, either, choosing instead to tilt his head in her direction, very conscious about making sure there was barely a respectable distance between them to keep their faces from actually touching. It was a strange challenge, and the dark-haired boy was suddenly very, very aware of the warmth of her vicinity,

"It would not at all surprise me to learn that the Anaxi people stole a story from Hessean legend in order to craft a holiday that allowed a week of nothing but giving gifts and getting guttered." The Hoxian whispered back at her, a smile in the tone of his voice even if the expression didn't quite grace his lips. She was looking at him, expectant, and he shook his head,

"I have never seen a drake, dru—uh—no—but as far north as the Spondola Mountains are, fossils of large creatures like them have been found when carving out new locations. I have seen their reassembled remains and they are very similar to drakes, but current research suggests they may be a different spe—"

"Quiet, you two. The singing is about to begin." Madame Arcadia interrupted, bringing her finger to her lip as an indication that the pair should stop talking. Her tone wasn't angry or harsh however, and there was a flicker of curiosity in Ezre's direction as if she'd never seen the Clairvoyant student so chatty that she actually had to discipline him. It was a surprise to her, though the Hexxos acolyte didn't notice her expression while he sat back up and reluctantly disengaged himself from Lilanee's personal space.

He took another cautious sip of wine because it was still held in his inked hand and settled in for the Drama Club performance, attempting to withhold further judgment until it was all finished.
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Lilanee Kuleda
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: Let's go on an adventure!!!
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Fri Jul 12, 2019 11:28 am

3rd Loshis, 2719
BRUNNHOLD| AFTER DUSK
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"Ah but the fundamental theory—” Lilanee began, halting her rambling as she laughed and looked at the polished floor, missing any awkward glances from the Hoxian student. Taking the opportunity to stick her foot further in her mouth with her disastrous compliment on his outfit, Lilanee felt a warmth run through her veins as the dark eyed boy mentioned her own dress choice was complimentary to her figure. It was utterly impossible to hide the color on her cheeks as she downed the wine and found ways to avoid meeting his eyes.

They were friends, like minded companions who enjoyed each others company and utilized their shared intellect to create intelligent conversation. Complimenting a friend was completely normal and natural, and therefore her heart shouldn’t be racing nor should her field be so eager to mingle with his own.

Nodding to Ezre as he drew the chair for her, settling in and grabbing for the drink that definitely tasted better than the first large gulp, Lilanee ignored his brief protest selfishly. It would look entirely inappropriate if a lady was the only one drinking at the table, and given their company the budding anthropologist was happy to have the fruity beverage in hand.

This was going to be a long evening if all she would continue to do was defend her dress choice.

“"Zzzkra. T." The Hessean repeated slowly, carefully mutilating the word on her first pass. She delighted in the other student’s snippets of his nearly lost language, repeating any unfamiliar ones until she could say them right to him later. Her eyes steered away from the boy, narrowing a little to try and bring Professor Holly into focus. The retort was quick on her lips, and though she smiled her shoulders fell slightly. It was one thing to be frowned on by her peers, but the faculty too? That was disheartening. To her credit the red head blushed, finding the tendrils of doubt curling in as she took another drink of her wine. Drawing it away slowly, she froze when the Clairvoyant student followed up her words with his own.

Kuleda-vumien.

Lilanee bit her lip hard to hold back the ridiculous grin that wanted to break across her features, nodding to the passive that refilled her half empty glass without being asked, her field shifting to encompass the other teenager should he allow it. Across the table, the Professor frowned and raised an eyebrow, unimpressed with being put back in their place by the Hoxian boy. There was a cultural faux pas just begging to be thrown wide open hovering over the table, and the other students looked between the staff member and the teenager, waiting for the implosion. It never came however, and as the seventh form Lizzie called for attention, the freckled galdor leaned over to speak quietly near his ear in an attempt to hide the glorious smile that finally overwhelmed her behind the flute and her unnecessary trivia.

Ezre turned his head just so, bringing them closer together and making the red head extremely aware of just how close they were together. The brunette’s words brushed against her skin softly, and her field pulsed involuntarily. As she lifted her eyes to look over his face, Lilanee could feel her pulse in her ears, blue eyes lingering for a fraction too long on the bow of his lips. Giggling distractedly at his dig at the Anaxi, the Hessean pressed the cool edge of her glass against her cheek, gaze drifting again to the undoubtedly mischievous smirk on his lips. At the mention of bones in the mountains however, Lilanee looked up, the spark of excited fascination brimming within. It was her language, and Ezre spoke it fluently. There was no doubting the way her pulse quickened again and her stomach tumbled full of butterflies. Taking a breath to launch into a detailed interrogation on the fossils, the girl stopped short at Madame Arcadia’s voice. The moment was broken, and Lilanee sat up quickly to stare at the stage, drinking more of the wine that seemed to never empty.

As the performance began, the girl could feel the alcoholic beverage proverbially running to her head, feeling a little giddy and a bit braver than usual. Stealing a glance or two at the Hoxian as the younger students performed the dirge, Lilanee leaned close again.

“Did you say your people sang? I would love to hear it, do you sing? Is it similar to this…entertainment…or is it more of a cultural thing? I can’t imagine how incredible that must sound with voices echoing off mountain rock. I can’t sing. Not a single note. I think its my fathers fault, he’s terrible. Like really, really bad.” Giggling, the girl hid her laughter in her glass, sitting back with a stern look from Madame Arcadia. The singing went on, Lizzie playing her part whilst St Grumble swung his absurd tail, prompting more muttered words from the ninth form.

“In all our histories, there is no evidence of a galdor with a tail. It can only be assumed that his tail is metaphorical, and over time it has become a physical rep—representation wow that is really just all going to my head I need to put that down.” The Hessean said with another laugh, placing the once again full glass of wine on the table. Professor Holly moved to shush her, causing Lilanee to press a finger to her lip, as though to shhh herself. After a few more lines, and a flourish of an ending, the first act was over. Far too loud applause came from the eighth, ninth and tenth forms, those who were done with their mandatory attendance scraping chairs on the floorboards in a hasty escape. The lights dimmed slightly, and from the stage the school band had begun to play gentle background music. Some of the younger students and a few of the staff moved to the polished dance floor, whilst Ophelia watched the older ones file out with a blank expression.

“Well, that was…” Lilanee waved a hand, unable to find the right word to describe the performance without being insulting, the wine well and truly incorporated in her system. Her eyes shifted from the stage, to the students either leaving or dancing, before settling on Ezre.

“Do you want to dance, Ezre? I mean, I don’t know? That was stupid. I…didn’t..or I did. I…clocking hell.” The words almost fell over each other, Lilanee’s cheeks flushing with color and hands suddenly pressing into the fabric of her skirt, shocked by her own words. Quickly, she continued.

“Of course, there’s no reason to if you don’t want to. We can just talk. I like talking to you. With you. I like our discussions. It’s nice to have a friend, even if you’re so awfully quiet and I am so blah blah blah.” She gestured at herself, knowing full well she was rambling again.

Chemical reactions. All of this was just chemicals in her system combined with the alcohol and the delight of hearing someone so like minded in their interest with the deceased. There was a logical reason for the way her eyes drifted to the tattoos on his hands, and her mind continued its thoughts from the crypt. It was silly, but her thoughts had wandered more than once, and with a tispy cringe at herself Lilanee grabbed her wine to use as a distraction from her awkwardness.

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Ezre Vks
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Race: Galdor
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: better with the dead
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Fri Jul 12, 2019 3:40 pm

the Ball Room
3rd of Loshis, 2719
The pair were told to be quiet, sitting there next to each other in the dim lights while students filed onto stage in their ridiculous costumes and festive regalia. Ezre took another sip of wine and realized, much to his surprise, that he'd finished the tall, slim glass. It had been far easier to drink than he'd thought it would have been and, with much chagrin, just as he set the empty thing down on the table, tattooed fingers lingering on the stem, a quiet passive refilled it without a word, silently and gracefully moving around the table to fill anyone's glass that looked as wanting as the Hoxian's apparently had. His dark eyes watched the bubbles and his tongue pressed against the roof of his mouth, that lingering fruity aftertaste not so unpleasant. Neither was the warmth that had settled in his stomach and spread slowly through his thoughts, a looseness not unlike certain strains of chan, especially the fermented kinds that were reserved for specific ceremonies in the quiet mountains of his temple home in Kzecka.

He was very aware of Lilanee's presence once the singing began, the sensation of her field amicably mingled with his and he did not resist such comfortable, admittedly somewhat overly friendly, monic expression of companionship. Did it hold meaning?

Ezre could have asked, but instead, the young woman leaned close again and he felt her whisper as much as heard it, dark eyes straying from his full wine glass to travel over the skeletal shapes of her dress in renewed admiration. He exhaled a quiet chuckle at her question, answering in low tones, "Hexxos hymnals are probably rather esoteric and strange, but singing was a part of my education. Music is an important part of Hoxian self-expression."

The Madame glared at them both, causing the dark-haired boy to smile instead of at all feel ashamed. Whether it was the effects of the wine or simply the ridiculousness of the performance, he couldn't entirely tell. Lilanee leaned away and his hand moved to the refilled glass, considering carefully the pleasant temptation. He'd traveled far from home in order to expand his understanding beyond the limited views of isolated Kzecka, longing to bring back a broader view of Vitan life as well as Vitan death, hoping to one day be fresh revival to a dwindling people. He raised the crystal to his lips, glancing away from the surprisingly emotionless, wooden reenactment on stage made by otherwise emotionally uncontrolled young Anaxi students, letting his gaze linger on the Hessean's freckled face in the dim light, noting she was still smiling.

His dark eyes widened in surprise as she turned back toward him, suddenly chagrined that perhaps she'd notice he'd been staring. He couldn't help the rare, broad grin that crept into his delicate features when she brought up the tail, "I will admit I cannot imagine what this metaphorical meaning may be. There are aspects of Anaxi culture that completely escape me—oh." He watched her set her glass down and while he'd taken another sip of his new one, he instinctually did the same, mirroring her motion while he let his attention return to the stage where—thank the Circle!—the play was ending. Not familiar with the notion of clapping after every performance, it was with awkward delay that Ezre put the palms of his tattooed hands together, softly applauding instead of making all that much noise like his peers.

There was a brief pause of silence and then, as if wordlessly dismissed, many of the upper form students began to find an excuse to flee the ballroom. It was a surprising commentary on just how willing any of them had been to come in the first place, and while the dark-haired boy didn't disagree with their sentiment, he felt it rude to rush away after he'd taken so much time to prepare for the event considering he’d been so unexpectedly invited. Then again, he wasn't about to rush out to the Stacks and drink away the rest of the evening. He didn't actually have anywhere else to go, having agreed to be here because he'd been invited.

He was now, very willingly, at Lilanee's whim—

"Dance?" Ezre echoed the word and saying it made him feel lightheaded, the warmth in his chest trickling to the base of his skull and crawling over the back of his neck until it reached his face. He blushed as the Hessean fumbled over her invitation, very aware of himself and the rhythm of his pulse in his ears over the chamber music the Brunnhold Junior Orchestra had begun to play. She seemed flustered and while it could have been the wine, of course, something else fluttered curiously against his sternum like a bird was trapped in his body cavity and he laughed. It was gentle and genuine and as it faded, he nodded, reaching to place one hand on hers once she'd finished fussing with the delightfully rich, red fabric of her dress. The motion was sudden, inked fingers light over hers,

"I can, zjai. I have been told that to complete my cultural studies requirements before graduation, I must also participate in Confisalto lessons. To tell the truth, I believe it is because of my—how to put it?—my appropriate stature more than any actual credit needs on my part." He paused to empty his glass of the entirety of First Light that had been poured into it, blinking at the thick, sweet fruitiness that overtook his senses for a moment before he stood. Dark eyes wandered from his hand on hers upward, wandering over ribbons skillfully crafted into the familiar curves of bone, lingering with a slow inhale, the rush of his sudden movement—surely that was it!—feeling a lot like excitement and a little like anticipation, his field awash with the hint of nervousness that he tried to hide from his face like the well-disciplined Hoxian he tried to be.

Meeting her blue eyes, tattooed fingers smoothed over his clothing and adjusted the silver chain that clasped his bold, black coat, thumb against the beak of the bird's skull that dangled there,

"I will dance because you asked me to, Lilanee, not because it is expected of us to do so." Ezre did not care that faculty shared their table, lifting his hand from hers to instead offer it in a more formal fashion, aware enough of Anaxi customs to at least pretend to follow them, though they were uncomfortable and strange. Leaning a little closer than necessary, he whispered, "I am afraid you will have to help me lead properly. This is not—I am not familiar enough with this sort of social situation."

There was a shyness to the admission, but he'd walk them both toward the cleared area that had been set apart for dancing, very aware of the eyes that were on them both because it was impossible for them to blend into what little of the crowd remained. In a sea of white and red, the Hexxos acolyte made sure they stood out like a shadow in bright sunlight, and in the swath of safe, acceptable formalwear, Lilanee's dress made sure they stood out like gilded bones in a Hessean burial site. His metaphorical thinking was rather free-flowing at this moment, and he did not resist smiling, vaguely aware enough that he'd never consumed alcohol before and that his tolerance was nonexistent.

First Light was not known to be the weakest of options, either.

Dark eyes swept over the other students dancing as if he needed references for how to stand and where to put his hands—how could prudish Anaxi justify a dance that involved actual touching was beyond him, honestly—and Ezre realized very quickly that he'd underestimated his decision. This was a cultural exchange, nothing more, but his racing thoughts whispered otherwise as his smile faltered and palm sought its place at a socially acceptable level of totally platonic non-flirtatious lightness on her person, above her hip. He'd touched plenty of bodies, Ezre reminded himself, offering her his other hand with a quick exhale of breath through parted lips that were still attempting to keep a smile, though none of those bodies had been warm, had moved beneath the weight of his hand—

Why that was suddenly something he thought of now? He chewed the inside of his cheek, allowing the young woman her opportunity to correct him should he need it once the took the lead and attempted to find their rhythm among the faculty and students moving to the music,

"Please do tell me if I am doing this wrong. I have no wish to embarrass you." Because, obviously, there was absolutely no reason to be embarrassed anyway. This was totally acceptable and part of the expected course of the evening meant to be spent in celebration of the Feast of Saint Grumble, after all, though perhaps he should not have allowed his judgment to lapse in that second glass of wine. The dancing would pick up and the dancers would be expected to move and change partners, something Ezre knew how to do but was unsure of if he actually desired. How hot it was in here beneath his formal layers! How bright was Lilanee's smile, as awkward as his own though it was in this moment, "We most certainly do not have to stay for the actual dinner if you would prefer to—uh—if you prefer."
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Lilanee Kuleda
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: Let's go on an adventure!!!
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Sat Jul 13, 2019 9:13 pm

3rd Loshis, 2719
BRUNNHOLD| AFTER DUSK
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"Dance?”

Something inside her chest dropped, a sinking feeling that made her breath catch and her cheeks hot. Of course Ezre didn’t want to dance, that was the absurdest idea on the face of Vita.

Well done Kuleda. You’ve successfully screwed up again with your clocking mouth. Great work there. Have more wine, that’ll help!

Lilanee tittered, taking a gulp of the wine and promptly putting it back down again, keeping her fingertips on the stem and closing her eyes with an awkward frown, other hand waving dismissively.

“I know, I know sorry it was stupid. It’s the wine I’m…uh…it’s gone to my head. Sorry I know it’s a silly past time, though the precision of some of the confisalto dancers is quite impressive, given that our bone structure wasn’t intended to support entire body weights on the end of the phalanges on our feet and—” Her eyes lifted at his laugh, seeing the flush of color across the Hoxian’s face and feeling even worse than before, and quickly laughed with him though her’s was perhaps not as light or as genuine. She’d embarrassed him, and the boy was too polite to say so. Frustratingly, the red heads tipsy mind marveled briefly at how delightful a blush was on his usually unflushed skin.

“Yes well. Maybe it’s time to—” Lilanee placed her hand flat on the red of her skirt, with all intentions of standing up and fleeing the scene of the crime, when quite suddenly there was another hand on hers. An inked hand, feather light and warm, resting comfortably on her lightly tanned skin. The Hessean swallowed, frozen in place as though the hand weighed as much as a chrove, blue eyes staring down at it, sure her ears were glowing red as the blood rushed loudly in her veins. Ezre was talking and whilst she could hear him, it was hard to actually listen. Blinking slowly, the ninth form let her gaze follow as the boy stood, looking up at him before gracefully moving to stand, her still open mouth shutting with a smile at his subtle banter.

“Didn’t anyone tell you? The confisalto is less about the dance, and more about whether you’re the right height or not.” It wasn’t really, but sometimes it clocking well seemed like it. She caught him this time, dark gaze sweeping over the skeleton of her outfit, and the flutter in her heart moved down to her stomach. The way he was framed by the dimmed lights, black outfit a sharp contrast against the sea of white and raven hair pulled away from his face to show off the fine bone structure of his Hoxian heritage, classical Anaxi music complimenting their moment, it was almost too picture perfect. The analytical side of her was silenced for a moment, and her head felt funny, the First Light doing its intended work.

Friends…friends felt like this sometimes probably. Lilanee’s sensed the nervousness in his field, her own tinged with similar feelings, though confusion lay there as well. Confusion at how her knee’s almost felt weak when those same dark eyes met her own blue ones, suddenly painfully aware of their hands still connected as they stood together. It felt like hours, but it had been seconds, and with a little jolt the teenager pulled her hand away quickly when Ezre moved his, afraid that she was lingering too long. Oh but then he said such sweet things, of course it was not meant to be that surely, but the girl felt herself almost literally swoon. Or maybe that was the room spinning.

Why, oh why did she have so much wine? Maybe she should have more.

“Thank you, Mister Vks.” She managed to say finally, eyes widening as he leaned closer, trying her level best to remember they were here as a platonic pair engaging in each others company to ensure they both had someone to talk to whilst stuck in the midst of their university peers. A giggle escaped, and Lilanee took his arm, tilting her head slightly to whisper in return.

“I’m afraid I’m not the best teacher for this either, but I know enough about Anaxas that we can make it up as we go.” Drawing back, she offered him a ridiculous grin, before following the Hoxian to the dancefloor.

“No. Way.” Marissa said with disbelief, standing by the exit with Janse’s arm draped around her shoulders and a shocked look on her face. The boy glanced where she was looking, adding his own thoughts to her words.

“Holy clock, the freaks found each other.” The Bastian smirked slowly, drawing away from the boy with a mischievous giggle.

“I feel like staying a little longer. I mean, it would be rude not to dance.” Janse frowned, looking back at the doorway they were so close to leaving through and whining.

“But Aaron and Tamika are meeting us in The Singing Badger…” The dark haired girl rolled her eyes so hard it almost hurt, sighing heavily and grabbing his hand to tug on it.

“My Gods you are dense. Come on, this will be fun.” They moved to join the dancers just as Lilanee and Ezre found their places. The red haired Hessean couldn’t stop glancing at the Hoxian, her smile unshakable and her field warmly mingling with his, the alcohol slowly tearing away at inhibitions her usually sharp mind would be holding onto. They were being looked at, discussed about, but the girl didn’t care. She stood herself before Ezre, also taking a moment to check the other girls so her placement was correct, a small sound of surprise escaping when the almost too warm pressure of a very properly placed hand settled on her hip. Another flush ran to her cheeks and the student focused far too hard on adjusting their arms. Eventually, she let her hand rest on his shoulder with a nervous laugh, and together they moved.

Almost immediately, the brunette commented on not wanting to embarrass her, and Lilanee laughed again.

“You’re not doing anything wrong, anything at all. This is all very perfect.” They turned, a sweep of crimson and black in a sea of white, and the Hessean bit her lip and looked at the floor.

“Where…uh…where would we go? I mean, I’m fine if you’re fine. But if you’re not fine, that’s fine. It’s fine. All fine.” She laughed again at her absolutely useless answer, relaxing into the dance with the help of the wine, enjoying the gentle warmth of Ezre’s hands and the closeness of his person. It was easier to see him so close up, and the girl couldn’t resist making comments.

“Did you know, the Hoxian jaw structure has remained mostly unchanged for eons? When reviewing bones of galdori long since passed, against recently deceased, there’s very little difference. One could assume that it has to do with your isolation, which in itself isn’t a bad thing. You also have a curiously developed vocal fold, right here.” Her hand shifted from his shoulder to his throat, fingertips pressing gently beside the laryngeal prominence, lingering for a moment as she continued her rambling.

“It’s not quite an extra fold per say, but it’s a mutation—we’ve discussed mutations before I believe—a mutation that perhaps gives a resonance to your singing that you talked about. It’s rather interesting. Now Giorans, just here—” Light fingers swept to just behind his ear, pressing on the hollow there.

“The mastoid process is far more developed than our own, which could allow for their ability to enter the depths under the…uh…the…” Concious now of the touching she was doing, Lilanee let her hand shift back to his shoulder, exhaling slowly.

“Uh…sorry…you uh…you called me something before. You’ve said it a few times. Kuleda-vuemin? What exactly does it mean? I assume it’s not a bad thing.” Her eyes suddenly widened again.

“It’s not a bad thing, is it? You’re not secretly insulting me are you?” Lilanee smiled wrying, teasing the boy gently. Suddenly something else came to her mind.

“Hexxos. What is a Hexxos? You said that before too, and I should have asked before but I get so many thoughts that want to come up and I file it away for later but then I forget. I forgot so I’m asking now. Is it a type of job? Were you working in Hox as a child? That’s dedication. I—oh.” The dancers were shifting, changing partners, and Lilanee shot Ezre a panicked look before stepping away to sweep into another set of arms.

Oh this wasn’t as much fun.

“Wow. I definitely didn’t pick you for a dancer Ezre Vks.” Marissa said with a wicked grin, holding his hand tightly and stepping on a toe. She was clearly drunk, and her giggle was unkind.

“It’s amazing though, because you’re actually really good. But why Lilanne Kuleda? She’s such a mouth, and you’re so not. Hey, no hard feelings about what happened in the cafeteria huh? Me and the others, we’re going into the Stacks, if you wanna come with us?” The Bastian slunk her arm around his neck, pulling the boy closer with a slightly wobbly movement. From the other side, Lilanee moved woodenly with Janse, skin crawling at the too clammy hand in hers and the hand that didn’t sit quite as politely as Ezre’s.

“Why are you still here, freak? Don’t you have some bone or something to salivate over?” He sneered, stumbling against one of the other dancers without apology. The Hessean looked away, looking for Ezre, her head swimming with alcohol and seeing glimpses of his black outfit in between dizzying white.

“It’s St Grumbles Janse.” She breathed, both as an explanation and an exasperation, leaning away from the waft of the bigger students breath that could have probably set on fire if he was close enough to an open flame. The teenager chuckled, not at all hiding the way his eyes wandered, hand creeping around to the small of her back and tugging her closer.

“Looking for your boyfriend?” The red head looked back at him, frowning, cheeks red.

“Ezre Vks is my friend, and a boy, but that’s all.” Janse laughed, pushing her into the back of another dancer with a sloppy turn.

“Sure, sure. You know he probably feels sorry for you. I mean, don’t get me wrong, your not bad. A bit Hessean for me but all the parts are the same right? But your mouth my Gods. Does it ever stop?” The Hessean made a sound of disgust, letting go of his hand and shoulder to put her own hands on his chest and push back.

“I think it’s time to change partners.” She said quickly, looking around for Ezre again, hoping he hadn’t left already.

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Ezre Vks
Posts: 285
Joined: Tue Mar 05, 2019 11:02 am
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Race: Galdor
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: better with the dead
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Sun Jul 14, 2019 2:14 pm

the Ball Room
3rd of Loshis, 2719
Ezre smiled, chuckling almost shyly at her retort about confisalto, nodding his head in a very obvious mockery of well-calculated agreement even though it was clear by his expression that he knew it was all a joke. The motion couldn't entirely disguise his lingering glance over the meticulous details of her dress, however, and once she took his queue and they made their way to join the other faculty and staff already moving to the music across the dance floor.

It was not a slow song, but one instead that required them both to keep up with the melody. There would be some switching of partners it seemed, in order to keep things as innocuous as possible he assumed, but for a few moments, there was a bit of filler music in order to allow everyone to find their places. Lilanee giggled and smiled at him, although once their hands were properly arranged and their bodies were moving as they should, hers felt lighter, somewhat off-kilter as if she was nervous and the Hoxian would have wondered if perhaps he was doing something wrong a second time out loud had she not assured him.

"I am also fine. Quite fine. We will just see how things go."

Oh, he grinned again, dark eyes studying her face in their vicinity as she'd chosen not to wear her glasses and here he was close enough to her face to meet her pale gaze. While he was aware her vision was not as perfect as his own, her eyes were crisp and clear and so very bright blue, complimented by the freckled, tanned hue of her Hessean heritage-born skin. Dark eyes darted away from her face because surely she would notice him staring, Ezre taking stock of their dancing peers and navigating them toward a collection of other dancers because the music was definitely leading them toward a change soon.

He should have had regrets about that second glass of wine, but everything simply felt more comfortable, and he felt lighter on his feet than he was already. It was nothing like chan, which was a far more introspective sort of intoxication, as the effects of alcohol seemed to make everything more agreeable, social situations like this one suddenly not at all intimidating, and perspectives on things feel just that much more pleasant. Soft around the edges, like the way his field felt mingled with his friend's.

Friend, yes. He wouldn't have known that the gregarious lowering of inhibitions and the sudden warm sense of abundant humor would be called a buzz until later, but for now, he couldn't help but enjoy it.

"Boha sound of surprise or concern—isolation is indeed an understatement, and I—"

Blinking, he slowly returned his attention back to Lilanee as she spoke so intriguingly of jaw structure (he didn't miss her eyes moving over the landscape of his face), genetic isolation (had she known just how isolated his particular people were in Kzecka, would this have interested her further?), and—by the molten heat of Vroh Guar her hand moved! Her fingers were on his throat with a featherlight gentleness and his mouth opened as if he wanted to say something, delicate lips parted just enough for a quick inhale. His eyes widened and she surely could feel just how suddenly his pulse picked up beneath her touch, and he tried very hard to keep them in rhythm, to keep their bodies in proper form, hand at her waist slipping for the briefest of moments and field faltering even though his feet moved exactly as they were expected to. They just felt heavier and his knees felt weaker, especially once her fingers drifted upward—

"—zjai, but—oh—"

He was blushing. Fire spread beneath his golden skin and he was sure he'd never been so aware of precisely the exact amount of space his lithe body occupied, precisely how much of the atmosphere his physical self displaced in all of Vita. Could she feel the change in bodily temperature her touch had so involuntarily produced? Did she notice the dilation of his pupils as he attempted to focus? Could she hear the rush of his heartbeat as it picked up tempo and thrummed so loudly in all of his senses?

She must have, for the Hessean's hand drew away and settled back on his shoulder, and he swallowed whatever words he might have had, suddenly also very sure he knew the exact location of this vocal fold. Lilanee's touch had been unexpected but not unwelcome, and that realization drifted through his thoughts like they drifted over the dance floor. Was he disappointed she'd realized her mistake or was that the First Light making him far less inhibited in public than usual?

"Vumein." He grounded himself again with Deftung, the familiar language rolling off his tongue and unraveling the knot that had been tied there by her fingers against his skin, "It simply means miss in Deftung. It is a term of formal respect. The masculine is vumash. I—uh—it is not anything insulting. If you—if you do not like it, I will stop, Lilanee." She was smiling at him, and it was so very teasing that he almost forgot how to talk again, that fluttering against his sternum swift and fierce, that warmth racing beneath his skin reminding him of their proximity,

"Ah—yes, I am Hexxos." He shifted their bodies, weaving them between a few other dancing couples. Out of the blurred corner of his dark-eyed gaze, he was quite sure he caught a glimpse of students he knew. Or perhaps it was a mistake, "Like the Everine, it is a religious order of sorts, but—wait—"

He'd not been paying enough attention to the shifts in the song, the musical signals that would have otherwise made sure he knew it was time to change partners. The dark-haired boy felt dizzy, disconnected from his ability to properly reason, giddily distracted by the way the young Hessean woman's lips moved when she formed words—so many words—into questions. Ezre had thought to skip the first shift of partners, hoping to just ignore it in favor of answering Lilanee, but instead he was forced to let go by the sweep of other dancers and a cold hand gripped his far too tightly.

The Hoxian felt their mingled fields separate as they were pulled in opposite directions, an untangling of something comfortable leaving him feeling almost instantly colder. Then again, it could have been the sudden imposition of Marissa's forceful aura. Her sudden proximity and wicked grin caught him off-guard, the touch of her hands unwelcome and the dark-haired boy's stomach turned, a flash of memory of the drowned man's face from Ghost Town flooding his vision as his body tensed involuntarily.

Ezre hissed at the step on his toe, attention focusing on the face of Marissa as he pulsed his field in annoyance, any flustered rush of excitement draining from his expression as it settled into a deadpan glare. In order to not draw any particular attention to his discomfort or to the situation, the boy continued to move with all the grace he had before, perhaps with far sharper, overemphasized motions as if to signal his displeasure, "My physical prowess is not one to be underestimated, but I think you are already aware of that. I have no interest in observing you or your poor excuses for accomplices with—as far as I can tell—purely sexual benefits get guttered for fun in the Stacks. From the smell of things, you have certainly had enough already."

Ezre's dark gaze shifted to Janse for emphasis, attempting to also make eye contact with Lilanee in an almost protective fashion before he was forced to turn away with the tide of the other dancers in order to keep in proper step and not draw attention to themselves. He let his attention mercilessly fall back on Marissa, emboldened by the slight level of intoxication he'd not entirely realized he'd fallen into himself,

"I find it shocking that someone who clearly has no boundaries with her own mouth, especially when it involves others, has the gall to comment on what an intelligent young woman speaks about at all. I recommend you learn first to keep your tongue to yourself—especially considering boys like Janse are probably not familiar with the concept of fidelity in a relationship—before saying a word about what Miss Kuleda chooses to speak about with hers." The Hexxos acolyte let his insults drip from his delicate lips with surprising vehemence, and had he at all been in the state of mind to pay attention to just how physically-focused his verbal self-defenses were, perhaps he would have been embarrassed. Perhaps not. The Hessean's brief touch had stirred rather unexplored parts of his more animal brain, he would justify later should he remember to do so, and thus his ripostes to the Bastian were hardly intellectual.

Not that she probably understood enough, anyway.

There was another shift in the music, a hint that all dancing couples should once again separate and re-pair, and Ezre released Marissa with a politeness she did not deserve, ignoring the ringing in his ears and the dizzy flutter in his chest as he turned to see Lilanee and Janse, her hands on his chest, shoving him from her vicinity.

He was quick, made quicker by the rush of First Light-inspired bravado in his veins, leaving the other ninth form standing there staring at the dark fabric draped so gracefully over his back, the pale ivory circle of the Vks family crest embroidered in fine detail on the coat between his shoulder blades. With the soft rustle of fabric, he was careful to avoid being snagged by a passing dancer, quick to end up next to the red-head, turning to put himself between her and Janse while the a few students glanced at them, stared at them, giggled at whatever was happening on the dance floor while they all floated by to the tempo set by the musicians,

"We have made a very cursory and valiant attempt at proper, expected socializing." He whispered to Lilanee, ignoring the young man completely instead of even offering him the same pleasure of a snide remark he'd given Marissa, "But as usual, I have found it has left me disappointed on so many levels."

Dark eyes flicked toward Janse then, and much as he had in Ghost Town with Tom Cooke, without even thinking honestly, his tattooed fingers reached out to tangle with hers, warm palm secure in holding the Hessean's hand as he foolishly faced down some danger he knew even less about than restless spirits: his Anaxi peers,

"We should get out of the way of other dancers." He bobbed his head at a passing couple—Professor Crendula of Anatomical Studies and his wife, the concern clear on their faces—tugging gently on the young woman's hand to lead them away from the annoyance of their attempted bullies and back toward their table out of instinct. He was only a few steps away from their seats when he made eye contact with the judgmental glare of Professor Holly, whom he had great respect for in the classroom but now found himself with personal doubts about her integrity of character.

Too close, too full of adrenaline and alcohol, Ezre changed direction more with his body than with just his feet, brushing against Lilanee with an involuntary sigh, wide eyes meeting her blue gaze, "I do not wish to stay for dinner, but I think I would prefer to eat elsewhere in your company."

It was so very forward—an edge of both possessive protectiveness for one of the few people on campus he felt as though he could have a comfortable conversation with and also honest overwhelm at the thought of having to deal with an evening of harassment—but the dark-haired boy did not want to end their evening prematurely when he had nowhere else to go but home to Po and probably chan alone. He lingered in proximity, the tumultuous rhythm of his heartbeat so very loud above the Brunnhold Junior Orchestra and the voices of curiosity from their peers whispered in their vicinity,

"Have you had dsoh before? It is a Hoxian regional dish. I know somewhere in the Stacks where I guarantee even during Saint Grumbles' Feast, we will most likely not have to worry about drunk harassment. My treat."

He smiled: a strange, tingling sensation of rather emotional hopefulness warming his features.

"Speaking of my home some more as you were full of questions I am willing to answer in a timely manner—" Ezre was leading her away from their table with every intention of dragging her away from the ballroom before waiting for a response, glancing over her shoulder with a lingering look at the faces of the students who seemed so bent on causing them trouble. It was difficult to return his gaze back to her face, dark eyes traveling over her dress again while he bit his lip in thought,

"—did you know that due to a life spent almost entirely in high altitudes, the average Hoxian lung capacity is significantly higher than their sea-level dwelling Anaxi counterparts? Unlike Giorans and their echo casting techniques, Hoxian native spellwork and song both rely on very sustained sounds."

Rainy season meant that the exits to nearly every building in Brunnhold were well-stocked with green umbrellas free for faculty and student use, the ubiquitous things wordlessly put out by Gated passives at the first drop of rain and left out everywhere in the red-walled university’s campus. First, however, the pair had to make their way through what was left of the festive crowd of mostly mandatory staff attendees and rules-bound younger students and out of the doors. Given the focus on drunkenness this particular long holiday seemed to emphasize so strongly, Ezre was confident finding transportation would not at all be an issue, but he was also so full of a most unexpected but pleasant sort of bravado that far more seemed possible than his usually very reserved self would have considered at all.
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Lilanee Kuleda
Posts: 135
Joined: Tue Mar 05, 2019 6:40 am
Topics: 11
Race: Galdor
Location: Brunnhold
: Let's go on an adventure!!!
Character Sheet: Character Sheet
Writer: Raksha
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Tue Jul 16, 2019 7:05 am

3rd Loshis, 2719
BRUNNHOLD| AFTER DUSK
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"V​​umein.”
​​
​​Ezre corrected her clumsy attempt at Deftung with a smooth, familiar ease, his mouth forming the word like putting on a well worn set of shoes. Lilanee smiled a little distractedly, eyes flicking between his dark gaze and fine curve of his lips, focusing on him properly with a sharp sound.
​​
​​ “No, don’t stop!” She said too loudly, before giggling into his shoulder and looking around the room, lifting her head and shaking it.
​​
​​ “I mean, I like it. I like it more now I know what it means. Vks-Vumash. The redhead smirked at her cleverness, paying more attention to the teenagers words than anything around them, thrown equally off guard by the switch. As Marissa settled into her place, she laughed at Ezre’s sharp tongue.
​​
​​ “Oh I bet Ezre. I’ve seen you throw Janse, I know there’s more under this ridiculous funeral attire than you let on.” She giggled at his insult, shrugging as if to concede he wasn’t entirely wrong about her and her friends, nor about the level of alcohol consumed.
​​
​​ “It’s St Grumbles, Vks. Lighten the clock up. You should be honored that someone like me is even talking to a foreigner like you. I could make you, like, so popular. Then you’d see that Hessean is—“ Her self-important speech froze on her tongue, mouth hanging open as her brow drew together.
​​
​​ “Hey!” The drunk Bastian protested lamely, shocked by the vehemence in the usually quiet boys voice, letting her hands fall with a huff, cheeks red as she saw people staring at her.
​​
​​ “Take a spectograph, it’ll last longer.” She sneered, crossing her arms with a pout. This wasn’t as fun as she had expected it to be. Frowning at the Hoxian’s retreating form, she stormed back to the exit to wait for Janse.
​​
​​ “No, no. We still have plenty of time together. Come on freak, I can give you something to keep your—” The taller boy slurred inappropriately, stumbling against her shove to catch himself and step forward almost into the back of the Hoxian his accomplice was supposed to be bothering. Lilanee breathed an audible sigh of relief, the smile returning to her face with a nod.
​​
​​ “I agree, thankyou.” She said quietly, eyes dropping to the warm hand that slipped into hers so easily with a flutter in her field. From the outskirts, Janse glared at Ezre, raising a finger to point as he swayed slightly.
​​
​​ “You and me Vks, the Lawn.” He muttered, his field flexing wildly and bleary eyes focused on the Hoxian.
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​​ “I very much doubt that Mister Megiro.” A stern voice said calmly from over the excited muttering of the students around them, Headmistress Servalis appearing in a sweep of white and crimson robes. Her hand fell gently on the boys shoulder, nodding to the young pair as they very maturely moved away from the scene rather than adding to it.
​​
​​As suddenly as they moved, Lilanee found herself being turned again, the brush of the Hoxian’s body as he adjusted course stealing any coherent words from her lips. Her vision couldn’t catch Professor Holly’s gaze, but it did catch the wide dark depths of Ezre’s. He was asking her to go somewhere else, asking to spend time in her company away from this cacophony of noise and nuisance. She should say something intelligent, something clever, something that might get a little laugh.
​​
​​ “Mhm.” Was all the Hessean managed to hum, lost in a fluster of feelings that were not at all friend-feels, not sure how to deal with them as the First Light made her head feel light and her logical thoughts feel rather stifling. Blinking, the red head smiled warmly, nodding her agreement even as they started to move again.
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​​ “Yes. I mean no. I mean…no I haven’t and yes I will.” Lilanee giggled again, the altercation with Janse immediately forgotten in favor of leaving with Ezre, entirely wrapped up with the expression on his face. Approaching the exit, the teenager painfully aware that their hands were still gently clasped together, Lilanee looked down to ensure all her ribs and such were in place. Her ears felt hot and she felt an irrational needed to burst into nervous chatter about the concept of regional dishes and the findings in Western Anaxas regarding remains of ancestral cooking hearths, but then Ez was drawing his lip between his teeth and conversing about the biological adaptions of the Hoxian people and the teenager had to forcefully look away from his mouth with a slow exhale.
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​​ “I…I didn’t actually.” The tipsy, awkward student said softly, jostled closer to the Hoxian as they passed through the small crowd. Resting her free hand on his shoulder as they faced each other, Lilanee finally found her voice.
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​​ “Wait, sustained songs and sound. Do you cast with song? I mean, I’ve heard of echo casting, and of course there’s all sorts of theoretical texts on alternate means of casting, but to do it in song. Does it effect your spell work positively, and is it something everyone learns? Or just certain magisters? I would love to learn something like that, though, like I told you before I can’t sing. So I would probably brail and that would be probably the worst thing.” The other students moved forward again, and the red haired Hessean reached to stroke a curl from her face with a comfortable chuckle, far less nervous when talking shop with the boy.
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​​ “Yes, please, tell me more about your home. It’s honestly rather exhilarating getting first hand accounts of a culture I’m not familiar with, almost like a second-hand expedition. Did you know my father tried to lead an expedition to Hox, but they didn’t make it past the Marshes. Poor preparation there I think, though he brought me back the most beautiful piece of north-eastern Anaxi pottery. He told me it was from approximately ninety eight Before Time, and that it might be a remnant of the War with Roannah. Of course seven year old me believed that, but I know better now. It’s not really. It’s, I’m fairly certain, around two hundred and ten After Time, and it’s a decorative vase depicting the discovery of Time itself. I have it in my room, if you want to see it sometime.” Her mouth moved faster than her mind in that moment, and as it caught up, the young woman winced in self-beratement.
​​
​​ “That didn’t come out right—ohlookaride.” She laughed almost hysterically, waving down the closest school provided carriage and waiting for the driver to open the door. If the Hoxian were to help her in, she would step up carefully, well aware her feet were a little heavier than usual at present. Almost falling into the seat, the Hessean waited a moment, before bursting into genuine uninhibited laughter.
​​
​​ “By the Ten, I promise I don’t usually make so much of a fool of myself. Well not like that. I tend to talk too much, I know I know, but I can usually judge my words a little better. A little.” Lilanee held up her fingers, pinched nearly together and looking at him through the gap, grin on her face. Settling back in the curve of the seat, she waited for the brunette to give their driver directions, letting her eyes slowly drift from his face to their still joined hands. Experimentally, the Hessean shifted her fingers, lacing them between Ezre’s gently and glancing up again.
​​
​​ “I uh…this is…rather...” The flushed ninth form said quietly, very suddenly aware of how close they were to each other in the small carriage. Her bright blue gaze took in the smallest features of the Hoxian beside her, field almost humming with a range of unexpected feelings.
​​
​​ “Cosy.”

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Ezre Vks
Posts: 285
Joined: Tue Mar 05, 2019 11:02 am
Topics: 22
Race: Galdor
Location: Brunnhold, Anaxas
: better with the dead
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Mon Jul 29, 2019 2:38 pm

the Stacks
3rd of Loshis, 2719
The dark-haired boy had not expected the Headmistress herself to step in, and while he'd gathered his field, feeling his small-framed, lithe body coil in preparation for some kind of retaliation at Janse's threats, the weight of Ophelia Servalis' own aura was impressive and calming. It stole his breath and also his sobriety, the wash of strange emotions sending his pulse racing and filling him with a light-headed sensation that was as enjoyable as it was strange. He shouldn't have had that second glass of First Light, but—

They were leaving. He had no interest in lingering here, and while his mind felt sharp, his body moved somewhat of its own accord, warmly turning Lilanee in a way that brought them together for the briefest of moments. He felt the shift of her field, unable to avoid the sensation of Physical mona and the weight of sentient gravity as it mingled with his own far lighter, far more distant-feeling Clairvoyant mona. Ezre almost reached to straighten her dress with his free hand, suddenly aware of how he'd not released her other hand, but instead he quickly brought up conversation, needing to occupy his thoughts with something else, anything but the dizzying distraction the Hessean had suddenly become.

"Spellwork in the form of song is supposedly from a Naulanese tradition, though many Hoxians entrenched in archaeological academia would debate that origin story strongly. Remind me and I will share more with you from my personal library." The boy didn't understand why it was difficult to string together a coherent sentence, words clumsy on his tongue, smile warming his features at the immediate satisfaction of an intellectual conversation between the two of them, "The Hexxos have kept very ancient records of this practice, integrating some of it into their own exercises of magic. Zjai, the effects can be rather fascinating—"

He led them from the Dining Hall and through the foyer, too distracted to reach for one of those ubiquitous green umbrellas, holding the door for her while they stepped out into the Loshis rain. Campus was decorated for the festivities, little phosphor lights everywhere, but Ezre didn't notice. His attention was very much on Lilanee as hers was on him and had he been capable of thinking outside of the moment, he would have been most flustered by those realizations. As it was, the rain fell gently on them while they walked away from the trappings of social expectation.

Unsure of what to say about her father's expedition that didn't quite make it to Hox or even the Steppes, the dark-haired boy nodded along, listening but also aware of how their hands felt, palms pressed together, fingers entwined. It was all he could do to concentrate on keeping them out of puddles, glancing up to see there were carriages awaiting students in the circular round about near the oldest and most important buildings on campus. He heard her invite him to her room and he blinked, ears ringing while his not at all ignorant young mind traced through the various avenues of meaning those words could totally have held for any boy,

"I would gladly—oh. Well—"

The Hessean was laughing and he lost his words in the flurry of movement, free hand assisting her into a seat with well-practiced propriety while he stepped up behind her, leaning toward the pair of passives in the front under a protective canopy, waiting for his directions. He didn't ask for Regrets Way. He didn't ask for any of the expected student drinking or dining spots. Instead, he gave them a very specific address in one of the quieter parts of the Stacks before tucking himself into the same seat as Lilanee, smiling at her while she fumbled through an unnecessary apology for her rambling. He was very aware that he was quiet, reserved, but he didn't begrudge her the rambling methods that she worked out her thoughts or kept up conversation. He shook his head and flashed her a very unfiltered, very real grin in return, dismissing her as he settled, smoothing over the damp, dark fabric of his formalwear.

She shifted to lace their fingers together more comfortably and he paused, now so very unable to concentrate on anything else than the way his inked digits curled together with her paler, freckled ones.

It was rather—

Forward.

But also? Nice. It was nice.

He liked her touch. It was smooth and warm, alive and welcoming, and his thoughts began to wander into curious places about the soft warmth of another body and what it must have felt like to—

His breath caught in his narrow chest and he licked suddenly dry lips.

Was that the alcohol he'd consumed or his genuine thoughts? The confusion flustered him, the sudden intimacy of a small carriage together as it rattled off campus and into the Stacks allowing the otherwise very well-disciplined Hoxian a moment to be freer with himself. He blinked, quiet for what would have felt to the girl in her lovely dress as perhaps a few moments too long but for him still felt like not long enough, dark eyes searching her flushed face and caprising all of the unspoken emotions in her field.

He smiled, tattooed thumb brushing over the curve of the back of her hand, that soft stretch of skin between her thumb and index finger and then up toward her knuckle and back again, glancing down between them instead of holding her blue hues,

"I appreciate the unexpected depths of our friendship, Lilanee." The words felt like some kind of embarrassing admission, worded poorly, awkwardly spoken while breaking rhakor so quietly. Ezre was definitely blushing, voice dropping as he leaned a little closer, "While I very much enjoy your companionship, I must also admit that I feel as though I am very aware of how pretty you are in this moment and I have no objections to the realization. It is the First Light or the dress, but also it is just you. I enjoy listening to your thoughts on so many things, and while I do not know what that means here on a more intimate level at this time in our relationship as platonic peers, this—"

The Hoxian squeezed her hand and chuckled some nervous, breathless noise of very bold, very outspoken honesty,

"—this is also nice. Do you—would you—Perhaps I am just feeling protective and have been confused by alcohol. That was my first taste of wine—" The boy swallowed, dark eyes drifting over her face, attempting to read her expression so as to not wander over her lips. Sighing, the warmth of chagrin tickled the back of his neck—what had made him so foolish? Too much excitement? Is this why drinking was not allowed by Hexxos? Did chan not also cloud the mind while bringing it so clearly into focus?

"Do you think differently of me than you do your other friends?" Did he think something different of her? Was it wrong to do so? She was not even of his people and did not see the world in the same way he'd been raised to see it. But the reverse was also true. To admit some sort of attraction definitely felt like the wine was making him think and feel things he wouldn't have otherwise, but at the same time, the warmth had been there before. He'd just thought it foolish, trivial. There was nothing wrong with physical curiosity, with finding someone visually pleasing, and there was no particular shame in exploring such things as far as Hoxian culture was concerned. But those thoughts felt too shallow for the way his mind eddied and swirled with various emotions.

Now, whatever her answer might have been, Ezre wrestled with the strangeness of feeling so much anticipation. Yes or no, both were acceptable.
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