sranks | we're flying through the night

we're flying through the night

[There are a lot of things Hubert knows for certain.

He knows that Lady Edelgard will take the throne and usher in a new era for Fódlan. He knows that his duty is to serve Lady Edelgard, regardless of personal cost. He knows that he would do anything and everything for her. He knows that his entire being is devoted to her, completely. He knows that nothing can stand in the way of her conquest or of his devotion.

He also knows that he's been coughing up flower petals for exactly a week now.

Hanahaki Disease is certainly not uncommon in the monastery; most of them are a bunch of stupid teenagers, it certainly isn't surprising that several of them have managed to find themselves developing feelings for someone. Such a stupid, pointless thing should have been limited to the dumb teenagers who have nothing to worry about but grades and their stupid, pointless feelings for one another.

This shouldn't be happening to someone like him. Perhaps he would be taking the situation more seriously if his feelings were for Lady Edelgard - although a situation like that is a bit horrifying to imagine. He would never betray her trust in such a way. He loves her, certainly. But not like that. That would only cause problems.

No, these feelings have come from someone else; someone entirely unexpected.

Marianne.

It's been four months since they met. In truth, he doesn't recall much of their first interaction. Claude had called Lady Edelgard over (which meant he had come with her) to introduce the others in his house as they ate breakfast. All he can remember is assessing the individuals to see if any of them could potentially be useful to the future Empress or if they could pose a threat. Marianne hadn't stood out at the time.

She hadn't stood out much when they'd first ended up talking either. It had been during some downtime, when she was tending to the animals and he was doing his usual patrols around the grounds. He'd startled the horses she was tending to so badly it had taken her quite a long time to calm them down. He had lingered a bit - curiosity compelling him to stay and watch - but he doesn't recall much of their conversation that day. Marianne was just as quiet as he had figured.

They met a few times like that, where she took care of the horses and pegasi and he watched. Despite being the most intimidating student in the academy (because he was certainly more intimidating than Dedue), she had let him remain there without much in the way of commentary.

Eventually, she ended up joining their class. Professor Byleth is certainly a skilled instructor (despite their lack of experience in teaching), so it was no surprise that Marianne had eventually left the Golden Deer to join up with them. Not that he's really aware why Marianne had joined - he hasn't asked her. It's the most logical conclusion, though.

From there, they were set to stable duty together. He'd tried to get the professor to change their mind and stick him with Lady Edelgard, but they had refused to budge. Lady Edelgard also seems to be fine with her current job with Dorothea, so he supposes he can't complain too much... Even so, it's left him with a lot of time to get to know Marianne.

Oh, sure, they don't really talk that much. At first, it was difficult to work with her. She was so quiet and he was completely inexperienced at tending to animals, and the whole thing was a mess. But eventually she started explaining how and why she was doing things to help calm the animals, and while they certainly don't like him, they're beginning to warm up a bit.

He would have just left it at that, and maybe this whole Hanahaki disaster wouldn't have happened. But instead, he decided he needed to be three steps ahead - as always - and asked Marianne to teach him to ride. A horse, of course, he wouldn't dare get near a wyvern or a pegasus. Hopefully no one was aware of that little problem.

Marianne had agreed, and riding lessons have been going surprisingly smoothly. Hubert was taught to ride as a child, but his mastery of horses is... lacking. Desperately lacking. If he has to fight on horseback, he'll definitely die. So learning to train a horse and teach it to respond to his commands is important, and Marianne has been helping tremendously.

Well, she was helping. Before the whole Hanahaki disaster thing.

He hasn't seen her in three days. Not that he's avoiding her. Or keeping track of the days. No, that isn't it at all. It's just that he's been terribly busy with Lady Edelgard's plans - they still can't do anything just yet, but every step is another one closer to her victory. It's slow-going, but it's a necessity.

In truth, he's been distant from everyone, even her. He has work to do, certainly. But he also has to keep these stupid petals to himself so no one finds out. Admitting that he has a problem sounds like a horrible idea. It would just cause Lady Edelgard to worry and the other students of the Black Eagles house to tease him mercilessly. So no, he won't do that. Once he has the time, he'll simply track down Professor Manuela and make her remove this stupid thing. The memories he'll lose don't matter to him.

(Never mind that he could do this at any point and waiting only makes it worse.)

Today isn't really any better than any of the days before it. He can usually get through the days with only two coughing jags, and he's been lucky enough to hide it from everyone. Today continues that trend - but only barely.

It strikes him when he's in the library, searching through financial records for information that could assist Lady Edelgard. The near-choking feeling hits him suddenly, and he coughs up more than a handful of delicate, white petals. The fact that they're still white is good - it hasn't been long enough to risk staining them red. Perhaps that's the one good thing about this - at least he's coughing up light-colored petals.

Linhardt is in the library, but even the rough, nearly-pained sounds of coughing up flower petals isn't enough to wake him. Hubert can be thankful of that much, but he's certainly not wasting any more time in here. He puts the books away, grabs the petals, and leaves. Hubert heads back to his room in a hurry, those petals clutched tightly in hand so no one will see them. No one can know about this.

...He's missed a single petal, but surely that isn't important.]

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[...Marianne can't help but feel nervous, the longer she does this, but...it's nice, honestly, even if he can likely feel her fidget a bit. It's fine, she's fine--]

Oh, um...who taught you how to ride them? [...] Some people really aren't...good at teaching it. It can make everything really stressful, and ruin someone's impression of it...

[...]

I...I am glad that I can help you.

[His hand comes down to hers, to rest gently over them for a moment before returning to the reign. It's his attempt at a calming gesture, anyway.]

My father taught me when I was very young. The lessons... didn't stick very well.

[For many reasons. But he's content to leave it at that.]

You've been patient with me and you're very skilled at giving pointers and advice without making it sound demeaning. I've enjoyed your lessons.

[Oh...that's actually kind of nice. Marianne does calm a bit at that, and she settles against him. It's honestly nice that he's taking the time to calm her at all.

But...then he talks about his father, and even in so few words, it gets Marianne to frown.]

...I see.

[Marianne can glean a few things from that, and one of her hands does separate to go up, briefly patting him on the shoulder.]

I...I, um, don't think that being harsh...allows anyone to learn. That's all. It only discourages them. And that just, um...makes not want to learn it again...

[Her hand goes back down to his waist, wrapping around again.]

And that...helps no one, doesn't it?

Edited 2019-09-17 05:22 (UTC)

[The shoulder pat is kind of nice...]

You're right, of course. It's why the Officers Academy is so highly recommended, I'd imagine. I've heard good things of Professor Hanneman and Professor Manuela, and Professor Byleth is certainly... interesting.

[...is that a compliment or not???]

The overwhelming majority of instructors I had were harsh. What I've seen here at the academy is much preferable.

[...Professor Hanneman is kind of an awkward subject and Marianne is super glad that he can't see her right now. Marianne's hands go to clasp each other around Hubert's waist; she doesn't want to fidget this time.]

...They are very interesting. All of the instructors are. It makes, um, learning at the academy enjoyable.

[...]

I'm glad that you're here. That you can have teachers who aren't so harsh. It sounds like you've been able to learn a lot.

I have.

[He's only going to be more useful to Lady Edelgard now, so he certainly can't complain.]

I'm pleased you're here as well. I'm glad you joined our house.

[It's a little stilted, because expressing emotion is always kind of Difficult, but he means it.]

[same bad at emotions hat..........]

...I am too.

[Marianne's voice is always soft, but it's a little softer at that. Kinder.]

Even if I was worried...you all have been really kind to me. I'm, um, really happy to be a part of the Black Eagles.

[...]

And...with you. Too.

[It gets something that's not quite a laugh out of him, more like an exhale.]

I never would have imagined any of this would happen when you joined us. I hadn't anticipated developing feelings for anyone, but all things considered... I couldn't have chosen anyone better.

[...He's really glad she can't see his face right now.]

[Marianne is likewise glad, believe her. She winds up holding him a bit tighter at that and it'll definitely feel like she's burying her face in his back. Just a bit; enough to ensure that if anyone sees, they won't see how bright red she is.]

I...I didn't, too. It was, um... [...] You were always very imposing. When Claude introduced us to Edelgard. You were with her there, and it was a little...

[...Scary? Frightening? Awkward? All of the above work, but Marianne trails off.]

...But I'm glad you chose me. And I chose you, too. You're really nice.

[you know, under the five million layers of vampire aesthetic and being an intimidating, looming man]

[O-Oh, it's really nice to feel her against him like that...]

Don't let anyone else hear you say that.

[It's more of a joke than a threat. He can imagine just how bizarre everyone else would find that idea...]

You're one of the lucky few who gets to see that side of me.

[...Okay, that gets a giggle--]

It's okay. I'm good at being quiet.

[This is the most anyone has likely ever heard Marianne talk, in the history of ever. It's just easy to chatter with Hubert like this.]

I'm...really happy. That I get to see it. It's something I'll...cherish.

[As if she doesn't already. This is nice, and ideal. Quiet, private enough, and Marianne is the most comfortable she's felt in her life.]

[Oh, he's noticed. And he would love nothing more than to continue this forever, but...]

I suppose I should return you both soon. It is getting late.

[Not like that's a problem for him, but it's rude to assume she wants to be up all night.]

Would you... care to continue this tomorrow?

[...Ah, shoot, that is true. Marianne does need to...well, at least try to get some sleep. She's never been very good at it, but it's okay, she can probably get some coffee in the morning. Marianne does give the tiniest yawn before answering.]

I'd like nothing more, Hubert.

[...But yeah, let's get back to the stables, Dorte seems to be a little drowsy too. The growing boy needs his rest, and so do these two goblins--]

Hopefully...these flowers clear out from both of us, too. They shouldn't cause anymore problems, now that we've...

[You know, admitted it. Marianne does raise her head a little bit and coughs, though--she's still got quite the mess going on in her chest, but at least it should be fine.]

They should clear up sometime within the next day or so.

[Perhaps a bit longer for Marianne, given the size of her petals.]

If there's anything I can do to assist you until then, please let me know.

[He guides Dorte back to the stables, bringing the horse to a stop once they've arrived. He'll dismount first, then hold out a hand for Marianne.]

[That makes sense...at least they won't be growing further and causing problems. Marianne will gladly take his hand and get down, giving Dorte a pat on the head before walking out with Hubert.]

I'll try. I don't think it will bother me too much, but...I will let you know if there are any problems.

[...She says, not saying a thing about how bad they had gotten, but it's fine, it'll heal.]

...Thank you. For this. Um...I look forward to seeing you tomorrow.

[She's not sure if he'd want to walk her back to her room or not, but Marianne will give a small bow and turn to head back.]

[He gives her a bow as well, though doesn't move to leave immediately. It isn't as though he has anything pressing to do tonight (the only thing on his agenda was to confront Marianne and that went much better than he ever would have expected), yet he hesitates anyway.

Suddenly, he realizes he doesn't want her to go just yet.]

Marianne, wait.

[It doesn't take him long to catch up to her, but even once he does he still hesitates before speaking.]

...Permit me to escort you to your room.

[That sounds less like a request and more like an order, but it's an attempt...]

While the monastery grounds are certainly safe, I would prefer to see you off myself. Just in case.

[It probably sounds like paranoia. Maybe it is. It's easier to admit to that than his more human desire of just wanting to remain with her for a little longer.]

[Marianne jumps a little bit when she hears Hubert ask her to wait--did she do something wrong? Marianne isn't sure at first, but she does turn around and...

...That sounds very distinctly like an order, and she's surprised that Hubert would be worried about an attack happening on monastery grounds. This place is probably one of the safest places to be for them, and yet...

Marianne nods.]

Oh, um. Well, if you're sure...

[It's a simple response, at the very least, and...]

Then let's go back. [...] Should we, um...

[...Marianne holds her hand tentatively out again, fidgeting with her sleeve with the other hand. Sure, they just had a (date) lesson, but she's not sure how private Hubert would want to keep this.]

[For a brief moment, that gets Hubert to relax. The smile he wears is genuine, perhaps a bit too open from someone like him. Then he catches himself and steels it into something a little safer, more guarded.

He takes her hand easily.]

I appreciate it.

[Her offering her and and her allowing him to escort her back, he means. His grip on her hand is perhaps a little tighter than it should be.

Other than that, he doesn't speak; it probably isn't surprising that he doesn't need Marianne to guide him back to her room.]

[Somewhere in that head of hers, Marianne wonders if Hubert just wanted another excuse to hold her hand...but no, that's probably silly. Still, the man does know his way around the monastery, and Marianne is a little surprised when he finds her room so easily.]

Oh...you know your way around the monastery really well.

[It's not said derisively or anything like that; it's Marianne's ever soft tone that comes out at that, before she fixes Hubert with a small smile.]

Thank you. It was...really nice of you, to help me to my room.

[Marianne will start to unlock her door, letting go of Hubert's hand after some reluctance.]

I'll...see you tomorrow. Good night, Hubert.

Of course.

[It's for Lady Edelgard's sake, of course. The monastery isn't nearly as safe as most students think it is, so it's been his job to prepare for the worst case scenario. As always.

But thoughts like that are far from his mind right now and he releases her hand so she can get the door unlocked.]

Good night, Marianne. And ah... Thank you, again.

[For all of this.]

[And with that began a courting experience that Marianne had to convince herself, daily, wasn't a dream.

Hubert and Marianne were rather quiet people, after all; there weren't many who knew of the fact they were courting one another. She was more than content with small, quiet dates and the like that they took throughout the next couple weeks; things that could wouldn't raise brows. Marianne liked it that way, personally. She was never fond of great, overtly noble or extravagant gestures, not at all. So the fact that they spent quiet time together was something that made Marianne all the happier; they could hold hands and enjoy each other's company, and nobody would be the wiser for it.

Of course, there were some that managed to get to the bottom of what was going on; Dorothea and Hilda had more than noticed Marianne lacking the petals that were choked out of her, and they wondered if she had gotten her feelings removed. Marianne tried to deflect the subject to no avail, and with their persistence, they found out about her status with Hubert and congratulated her. It was the most embarrassing moment of Marianne's life, and yet, she's glad nobody else caught on.

(She can't help but feel Edelgard's eyes on her sometimes, but maybe that's just her imagination.)

Of course, the problems started with the announcement of the White Heron Cup. Representatives from each house were being chosen to compete, and Byleth had decided to choose Marianne of all people to represent them. Of all the things...it wasn't as if Marianne hadn't been taught to dance. The sole problem with it is that she wasn't any good at it. Try as her many teachers, her parents, and her adoptive father might, she had two left feet and she couldn't go a few steps without stepping on someone's foot.

Even with Byleth's teaching--and they were a noticeably far more gentle teacher--Marianne's confidence wasn't high that she could pull this off for the Black Eagles. Even so, she still wanted to try--Marianne wanted to at least find a way to do this right, and maybe bring her new house victory.

It's what sees her wandering around the monastery, looking for Hubert today. She will be looking in quite a few areas--the library, the stables, the training grounds--but if she doesn't find him, she'll be making a trip over to his room to knock on the door of his room. Which...she most likely had to do some trial and error in door knocking to find in the first place, but. Listen. She's far too shy to actually ask okay.]

[In truth, Hubert wasn't really sure what to expect after that night. His first order of business the next morning was to find Lady Edelgard and confess to everything that had happened, along with explaining himself and apologizing for not letting her know about the problem sooner. She had been surprised - of course, she was under the impression she could read him better than anyone else and even she hadn't known that this was happening. After some (pouting, it was definitely pouting, not that he'd ever call it that to her face) resistance, she settled into the idea willingly. She was happy that Hubert was beginning to open up to their classmates, and finding someone he cares about so deeply is really important.

Of course, that can still only be secondary to her goals. She didn't need to remind him of it; he said as much himself during the confession.

They might have been given a powerful weapon with Marianne, though it's still a bit too early to tell. Their plans are moving forward now - still far too slow for either of their liking, but any step forward is a good one, no matter how small. If the opportunity presents itself, he will certainly make use of Marianne.

Not that he wishes to hurt her, of course. Far from it. Those petals never would have appeared if he had meant to use her all along. But he'd be stupid to ignore a potential advantage over the Alliance - even just one small part of it. So he considers, and he plans, and he prepares for the day when Lady Edelgard can put her plans into motion and change the very fabric of the world around them.

But such lofty thoughts certainly can't color his everyday dealings, and Hubert has settled into a routine. He sees Marianne frequently, sometimes on dates, sometimes just for riding lessons (which are still practically dates), and sometimes just in class. No one else seems to know of their involvement just yet. Well, no one besides Dorothea, who has been shooting him knowing looks and winks and smirks whenever she thinks she can get away with it. She's always got amazing timing, he'll give her that much. Still, he really does wish she'd stop...

And with a routine in place, naturally something has come to upset everything. Perhaps surprisingly, it's the White Heron Cup. Hubert had thought he wouldn't have to worry about anything until the ball, and even then he doubted Marianne would actually want to dance so there seemed to be little to concern himself with there as well.

Unfortunately, the professor had other ideas.

Perhaps they chose Marianne to try to build her confidence, though thrusting her into a contest like this in front of everyone is hardly the best way to do it. Hubert would have gladly questioned their motivations, but Lady Edelgard had suggested he cool his head for a bit before he did anything rash. (She did so with a knowing look, one he felt embarrassed by later. She always has been able to read him better than anyone else.)

So he's let it go, and pretended not to have any interest in any of it. He's been hoping Marianne will give him some indication of what she feels about the whole thing, but he doesn't want to press her on it either.

Today he's in his room, and when the knock comes he's careful to set aside what he's working on (and hide the things he doesn't need anyone to see).]

Come in, the door's open.

[When she comes in, she'll notice that his room is spotless - almost exactly the same as the day he arrived here. There's very little to imply that Hubert actually lives here, outside of the necessities. He's at the desk, back to her as he works on something at the desk. Once she's come in, he'll set the quill aside and turn to her.]

Good afternoon, Marianne.

[As though he knew it was her just from the knock alone.

...Actually he definitely did, because the only people who knock on his door all have a very distinct style of doing it, so it's not really a surprise at all.]

Oh! Ah...

[Marianne wasn't actually sure if that was going to work--the small, startled noises escapes her a little too easily, and she calms herself a bit by clasping her hands together before going to open the door gently.

She's...definitely not surprised by the cleanliness of it, but how clean it is surprises her. It's as if Hubert barely lives here. In comparison to her own room, it's a haven. Maybe she should ask him for tips on how to be tidy, since that book she keeps losing doesn't seem to be working...

At any rate, Marianne does what she can to straighten.]

Good afternoon, Hubert. Thank you for inviting me in. Is the afternoon going well for you?

[Marianne wants to ease herself into the conversation, and maybe make herself a little less nervous about asking for something that'll definitely cause rumors to swirl, but she's likely all too obvious as she fidgets with her sleeve.

She is giving Hubert eye contact, though. That's something she does a little more easily with him, even with her usual tired, baggy-eyed expression.]

[He's noticed, and it gets him to smile. The expression is - as always - guarded, but it's not something most people can get out of him.]

Make yourself at home. [...] Ah, unless you'd prefer to speak somewhere else?

[It only then occurs to him that it might be a little... strange to do this in his room. He spends time in Lady Edelgard's room and sometimes she spends time in his, but their relationship is completely different. While he doesn't care at all about any rumors that might surround him, he certainly wouldn't want to make Marianne uncomfortable.

Oh, but he won't forget her question.]

It's going fine, nothing particularly noteworthy today.

[Which - as usual - means he's been working tirelessly on all sorts of things for Lady Edelgard, because Hubert von Vestra is literally incapable of taking a day off.]

I...I think my legs could stand to rest, from how much I've walked...but...

[...He does have a point, though. If anyone did see her wandering into the room (if anyone saw her playing trial and error with the doors, dear goddess above--) they would suspect something, wouldn't they? Perhaps it would be best to make this quick, then--]

I'm glad that your day is going well. You seem hard at work. I'll try to make this quick...

[Deep breath, eyes closed.]

I, um, wanted to ask you something. For a favor, if that's okay. It's...it's about the White Heron Cup.

[...Marianne's hands clasp in front of her to try and will down her nerves a bit.]

I was, um...Professor Byleth has already given me a lesson, but I...I still don't think I'm going to do well. I've never been very good at dancing. I've had a lot of teachers, but they weren't very...

[You know. Kind.]

N-not that Professor Byleth wasn't, but--I--I think I still need help.

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