![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
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.]
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.]
no subject
[Still, he looks pleased, even though he's once again looking away... He realizes that and corrects it, returning his gaze to Marianne.]
Thank you for trusting me with it. It's... nice.
[...listen, he's bad at this...]
no subject
It's...it's no trouble. It was, um...really nice to have you do my hair like that. It felt good.
[She doesn't mind if it's simplistic, really. It's nice, and Hubert did it, so as far as she's concerned that's a plus!!]
Shall we be off, then...?
no subject
[He moves so she has enough room to stand, though he offers her a hand anyway. Holding hands where anyone can see them probably isn't a good idea... but given the time of day and how few people will be heading to their rooms, it should be fine. He wants the contact, at least for right now.
Once she's ready, he'll lead the way back to his room. His room is - as always - perfectly neat and tidy, with nothing out of place or much to imply he actually spends time here, really...]
Make yourself at home.
no subject
It's sweet, really. Marianne may truly believe that he's better than he thinks he is, but he's proven time and time again that all of the terrible things he's done isn't all he is. And Marianne appreciates that, when she's in his room again and happy. It's so much less stressful than her own room...]
Oh, thank you. [...is there another place to take a seat here--you know what no, she can stand, it's fine if needed] Your room is always so...pristine and clean. I'm honestly a little jealous of it...
no subject
I've never found it particularly hard to keep it clean, but I suppose that's because I don't have much that could clutter it in the first place.
[There are plenty of books around, and the drawers of his desk are full of papers, but everything is meticulously organized.]
Do you have difficulty keeping things tidy?
no subject
That makes sense. If you don't have a lot to clutter in the first place, then it's much easier to keep clean...
[Oh, uh--]
I-I do, yes. [Marianne's gaze goes down and she fidgets with her sleeves.] It just...seems like any time I try to clean up, everything goes wrong. I try to organize things and they fall over...I try to clean up messes and they only get messier. It's a little frustrating...
no subject
It sounds like it would be. I could attempt to assist you, but I'm not sure how much help I'll be.
[Organizing and cleaning are no problems, but teaching someone how to actually keep things clean seems a bit difficult...]
no subject
Oh, well...I wouldn't mind that. It would be really nice to be able to keep my room clean. It might help me get better at doing chores, too...I can't, um, tell you how many times I've had everything fall over...
[That's Marianne's hopes, at any rate. She's. She's really bad at this.]
no subject
also oh no...]
I'll do what I can to assist you, then. You may have to allow me back in your room to help, however.
[But that can wait for another time. As for now... um. Hmm.]
You're welcome to stay for as long as you'd like, though I'm afraid I'm not used to entertaining guests.
[...what... does he do here...]
no subject
[...Marianne's eyes do dart over to the books, though. Marianne doesn't really mind spending some quiet time with Hubert, but...]
I-It's okay. I'm not exactly a fussy guest. [Marianne looks to Hubert.] Um...if it's okay, do you mind if I read one of the books you have?
[She's not sure if they're off limits or anything. She imagines he doesn't have any sort of storybooks or the like, but Marianne doesn't mind reading too much, at any rate.]
no subject
[There are plenty of books here to look through, though Hubert's definitely right to put it like that. Many of them are on history - not just of the Empire, but of the Kingdom and the Alliance as well - and many of the others on his desk are on tactics and strategies. They're all the sorts of things one would expect from lessons in authority, but they go even beyond that and into historical battles and records. Basically, the overwhelming majority of the books on his desk are practical, given what he's said Lady Edelgard is planning on doing.
The books stacked up on the ledge near the window are also practical, though in a different direction. They're entirely on reason magic - dark magic in particular. Many of them look old and worn, but well taken care of. The overwhelming majority of them don't seem to be from the library at all, though that's probably obvious, given the library doesn't have this many books on dark magic anyway.
...In other words, every single book he has in his room is entirely practical and there is absolutely nothing here that would be for entertainment.]
I suppose I could step out and pick something up from the library, if you would prefer.
[He's fully aware his reading material is a bit Much, okay.]
no subject
Huh. Marianne hasn't seen these around the library before. She's actually going to try to pick one or two of these up...]
No, this is fine. But...I don't believe I've ever seen any of these books before. Where did you get them?
[...She's actually perhaps a little more interested in the dark magic books, if anything.]
no subject
They're my personal collection. House Vestra has plenty of books on the subject, so I brought a few with me here.
[And good thing too, since there aren't many books on dark magic here!!]
no subject
If it's alright then, I...I'd like to read them. I don't have any experience with this type of magic, but...I'll take good care of them and make sure they're back in their proper place.
[Marianne's focus has always been on faith magic, and even her reason magic has been focused towards ice and lightning; this sort of magic isn't something that would be approved of, she's sure, but...
Well. She's feeling a little rebellious. Let her pluck out a few books from that pile too, handling them gently and getting them into a pile as she decides to just. Get back in her spot and sit on the floor like a heathen.]
Have you read through all of these, then? Or are you still studying them?
no subject
Honestly, he wasn't expecting that. It's sort of nice that she wants to look into them, and he finds himself smiling without really meaning to.]
Feel free to look through them. I'm familiar with most of them, though there are a few here that I have not fully mastered.
[He selects the one next to his bed and moves to sit on the floor beside her. This is kind of weird, but sure, why not!!]
Dark magic has its roots in reason magic, so many of the basics are similar enough that it should be fairly straightforward. The more advanced you get, the more they differ, however.
no subject
Of course, Marianne is so focused that she winds up startling a bit when Hubert comes to sit next to her. Only a bit, though; it's very sweet of him to come and read with her, and Marianne's expression soon settles into a smile.]
How do they differ? I've studied reason magic some, and it's, um...a little complex, until you get used to it. This seems like it is, too. But not in a bad way.
[Hm...Marianne will be reading some of the passages over and over again, mostly trying to understand how to call upon it...]
It seems like...you're supposed to call on something different. Than with reason or faith magic.
no subject
[He says all of this like this is a totally normal conversation and not at all horrifying. But really, are you surprised??]
Dark magic requires more focus than most reason magic. It needs to be drawn from within. Think of it as harnessing the darkest corners of your mind; it's the best description I have. The texts will explain it better than I can. I've always had more of an aptitude for dark magic than black magic, so it's a bit difficult to explain.
[He could cast Fire while he was a Mage?? But he's moved on to Dark Mage so he's back to his preferred dark magic attacks. It comes naturally now, and he scarcely remembers a time when it didn't.]
no subject
That sounds...a little scary. I knew about the risks of using reason magic, but...
[Marianne isn't reconsidering, though. Marianne has...plenty of dark thoughts in her mind, and the idea of harnessing them into an ancient, unpredictable magic and using them for something even mildly good is appealing enough.]
It'll just require a lot more concentration, then. I-I wouldn't want something bad to happen, after all...but I should at least try...
[Marianne breathes for a moment, attempting to do as the book says. Miasma shouldn't be too hard to cast, if the book is any indication, but to call upon such dark thoughts...well, Marianne isn't sure what sort of thoughts she should be thinking of, so she thinks of her despair. The thoughts she would seek the goddess's solace for, when they plagued her mind, and she'll try to harness them into something.
...She's not sure if it's working at all, but she's doing her best to concentrate. Maybe Hubert can feel something more than she can, at this rate, but she's got her eyes closed for the moment...]
Is it...is it working?
no subject
You don't have to try.
[With such a simple spell, there won't be a massive backlash. At worse, she'll end up with a headache for a few days, and that's only if she's able to tap into that power to begin with. It isn't easy to find it or to know how to use it if one can find it.
So he's not really expecting much, but he keeps a close eye on her just the same. There is a stir, something that sends pinpricks across his skin, almost like the beginning of casting one of his own spells.]
...It seems you do have a talent for it.
[Impressive, considering dark magic isn't particularly common or easy to learn. He actually sounds excited, and he moves closer. Hubert holds his hands out in front of him, palms upward.]
Place your hands under mine. I'll summon Miasma; if you can feel it, it may help you visualize how to call on it. There isn't any danger, I promise.
no subject
Really? You...you really think I do?
[Honestly, Marianne shouldn't be so excited about the possibility that she has aptitude for this stuff, but--she can't lie, the idea that she could be able to weaponize those thoughts is...actually something that Marianne could get used to.
Marianne does exactly as Hubert says, placing his hands under his, eyes widening and utterly inquisitive at the idea of exploring this.]
Okay, I'm...I'm ready, Hubert.
[She's honestly a little giddy at the idea of this, and she waits for him to summon it.]
no subject
Miasma is not a particularly threatening spell, but the advantage of it is its speed. It can be conjured very quickly, and cast repeatedly. If it feels as though your skin is tingling, that's a good sign. Dark magic can feel a bit like thunder magic, from what I understand, especially with such a weak spell.
Memorize what it feels like. This is what you'll need to call on when you attempt to summon it for yourself.
[He certainly wasn't lying about it feeling like something ancient; though Miasma isn't a particularly strong spell, it almost feels like tugging on it will awaken something immensely powerful. It's a fine line between conjuring the spell and pushing too far, but it is a very controlled feeling. Hubert definitely knows what he's doing.]
no subject
I see...I can feel it from here, and it feels... [Hm.] It feels like every hair of mine is standing up. I think I get it...it's sort of like casting Thoron, but you draw upon something else entirely...
[Marianne studies it intently, memorizing every feeling it gives her to better understand it. It'll take a few minutes, or at least as long as he's willing to sustain the magic, before Marianne nods her head.]
Okay...I think I get it. I'm at least going to...to try it.
[Just let her get prepared for a little bit, just trying to get herself into that mindset again. She closes her eyes to draw upon what she needs to, to create that spark, and she feels her skin tingle as she concentrates that power into her hand--
It's not too long before there's something manifesting in the air--it's weaker than Hubert's, the mass slowly coming into being, but...]
Am I doing this right?
no subject
[He holds it until she gives him the signal, and he dissipates the magic easily. Hubert watches as Marianne prepares, closing her eyes and replicating the feelings and energy necessary for the spell.
It isn't surprising that she's able to do it, even if it is a weaker and less controlled version. His hands come up - not touching hers, but close enough where he can step in if need be.]
You're doing great. See, you've summoned it. Be careful, though; do not let it control you. You are the one who created it, and you are in control. Don't lose your focus.
[That's usually the trickiest part once someone manages to summon the spell, which is why his hands are here in case she does lose control. She's certainly not in any danger or he wouldn't have let her try to summon it, but he's here just in case.]
no subject
...Well, she does lose her focus for a brief moment and her head starts to hurt, Marianne winces before Hubert reminds her not to let it control her. Marianne gets herself and the magic back under control with a little bit of difficulty, but she does get there.]
I-I won't let it control me--I won't lose my focus. I...I am the one in control...
[Marianne keeps that in mind as she pours a little more power into that--weaponizing those negative thoughts and making it stronger, keeping her focus on it to ensure she doesn't lose control.]
I didn't know I could do this...I can hardly believe it's actually working.
no subject
[He watches as she pours more power into it, increasing the size of the Miasma blob between her hands. It's amazing to see her summon it so easily - but that does make him wonder how she's conjuring it. The darkness in her mind must be far greater than he thought.]
I'm impressed. It takes awhile to get used to it, but you're doing amazing.
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)