King Xander of Nohr (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
advancements) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
sranks2019-09-23 03:02 am
advancements) wrote in sranks2019-09-23 03:02 am
advancements) wrote in sranks2019-09-23 03:02 am
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[This is the sort of thing he's been trained for, though tonight isn't about making connections or finding a suitable wife. Tonight is about forgetting the rest of the world, for allowing everyone to have fun for once.
It's the question that gets a short laugh from him.]
I suppose that much must be obvious... Yes, I am having fun. Tonight has been... really nice.
[He certainly can't deny that Claude is a huge part of that. He was having fun before, sure, but there's something really charming about taking to the dance floor with someone who can keep up.]
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It sure looks like it. I don't think I've ever seen you this free before.
[Claude's head tips up a bit, gesturing at Lorenz's expression; at his laughter, at the amount of merriment that he's feeling right now.]
It's not a bad look on you. [...] Guess even you can let down that air of nobility every once in a while, huh?
[This is the least noble Claude has ever seen Lorenz, and really, he can't say he minds in the slightest.]
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But Claude has been nothing but helpful since Camilla was taken. He went out of his way to rally the rest of the Golden Deer behind him to pursue them, even knowing that they were walking into a trap. He continued to search for information on House Krakenburg, to lay the foundations for a plan that really had no hope of success, just because he wanted to help. No, it wasn't just for Lorenz. But the fact that he'd go so far out of his way for Camilla, who has never been particularly close to him, means more than Lorenz can ever express.
So even though it doesn't take all that long for him to find the words, the fact that he trusts Claude with them speaks volumes.]
Perhaps I can permit myself one night to put aside the duties of nobility.
[It isn't nobility he has a problem with, it's his father, it's the other nobles, it's everything that has allowed a horrid man like Duke Krakenburg to rise to power and remain in power despite everything. It's everything that has made that much untouchable. It's everything that let him drag Camilla away and keep her there, and hurt her and break her until she became exactly what they wanted, for whatever nightmarish reason.
But for now... For now he can enjoy himself, and push all of that aside, and come tomorrow morning, he'll get back to work and do what he can for Camilla and the people in House Gloucester's lands. He certainly can't rely on his father to do the right thing anymore.]
You seem to be enjoying yourself more than usual.
[And even though he's opened himself up and displayed his trust so freely, he desperately tries to pin the conversation back on Claude, to focus on that rather than everything that has been building beneath the surface since learning about what happened to Raphael's parents.]
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Claude was never one for looking out for anyone but himself, for the longest time. Ever since leading the deer, he's grown to know these people so much more. He's gotten to a level where he could almost say he trusts them, and he's definitely to a point where he considers them his. The deer are an eclectic bunch, but they've always worked to build each other up instead of breaking one another down as time went on, and they almost feel like family, in a sense. Like they're a family that has found one another, who are living proof that the blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb.
And Lorenz...Lorenz is probably the biggest surprise of all. He's no fox trying to take advantage of everyone; he genuinely cares, for the others, for his retainer, and for the Alliance as a whole. His opinion on Lorenz had started to shift beforehand, as time went on, but when Camilla got captured and he spent all of the time he had scheming with the Gloucester heir, looking for some way, any way to get revenge on the old bastard who had stolen their friends--
He can't deny that his opinion has shifted entirely in the opposite direction. Where annoyance once laid, there was friendliness in it's place. Where bitterness, however slight, may have laid? There laid something fond, almost. Because Claude wasn't doing this for himself; this was for the deer. Their family.
And nobody gets left behind.]
Man, nothing escapes your sight, Lorenz. [Claude snickers, honestly.] I'm definitely enjoying myself. This ball's still way too stuffy for me, but I can't even deny that. You've seen it yourself, right? How everyone's dancing without a care in the world, like nothing actually matters but wild time they're having. Like they've all put aside their status for the night...
[He sees it while they dance; people dancing all around, several of the deer dancing with one another, people from different houses dancing together--all of it.]
It's got nothing on a good old fashion feast, but it's pretty great.
[That's mostly a deflection to hide how open he just was. But then again, Claude's been pretty open too, hasn't he?]
Especially when I'm sharing a dance with my good buddy Lorenz. That may have just made my night.
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Not that Claude makes the shift in subject any easier, and Lorenz huffs and rolls his eyes at the first comment. He doesn't counter and Claude opens himself up a bit in the process.
Somehow, it hadn't really occurred to him before, but Claude really does trust them, doesn't he? He still has his secrets and he still has motives none of them can quite hope to discern, but right now, he's being remarkably honest. It's charming. It's reassuring.
...It's doing something to Lorenz's feelings that he'd really rather not think about, so he focuses on finding a reply instead.]
Well, it is only fair that you have at least one dance with someone who can at the very least match your skill. If not surpass you entirely.
[Once again, there's no bite in the words. He can't help but smile, after all.]
In fact, why don't you show those skills of yours off once more, so that we can determine the winner? You've seen plenty of my own talent by now.
[Is this a thinly-veiled excuse to keep dancing with Claude? Of course it is. Is he ever going to acknowledge that? Hell no.]
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[There's no bite in Claude's words either, and while Claude's definitely better at hiding his true feelings than most, even his walls have come down. Seeing Lorenz this happy and being able to cause that happiness is making his chest do all sorts of weird things, and...
Claude's content to ignore them. He rationalizes them and stuffs them away, hoping to keep them at bay. He has something else to focus on, something that causes his eyes to glimmer with that scheming little glint again--]
Well, I better bring out my A-game then! Just you watch; I'll have you beat for sure, this time.
[Claude will gladly take the excuse to dance more with Lorenz. Really, he doesn't want the dancing to end, so making this a competition? It's perfect, as far as Claude's concerned. He'll get his hands back into position to lead them through the next song more than easily.]
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Claude is smart, he must know exactly why Lorenz is doing this. Turning it into a competition means they have an easy way to keep going for as long as they want. All it will take is a word here or there to decide he isn't satisfied and pull Claude back in. And Claude is clearly willing to allow it, since he hasn't given up and allowed Lorenz the win. It's... nice, he thinks. It's nice that they can read each other this well and play a game that probably isn't nearly as slick as he's making it out to be.
He doesn't need to consider why he wants to keep dancing with Claude, or why his eyes refuse to leave his partner for even a moment.]
I sincerely hope you weren't just humoring me initially. Do not insult me so this time!
[...On second thought, it's probably very obvious what they're doing given their smiles, but he can find that mortifying later. This is one night to tune all thoughts like that out and embrace happiness where he can find it. Even if that is in the unlikely location of in Claude von Riegan's arms.]
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Humoring you? Oh, no-no-no-no no. See, the trick to any competition is knowing your opponent well, right? I was just seeing what skills you had to offer.
[The song starts to pick up, and the moment is getting just right. This is it, this is perfect.]
I gotta say, I wasn't expecting you to make me get out the big guns this early on.
[Oh no, there's that mischievous glimmer--]
But now? I know I don't gotta hold back.
[There we go--the song gets to a perfect point where Claude can dip Lorenz, and he's going to take that opportunity. Sure, he's never actually tried to dip someone taller than him before, and even when Professor Byleth was teaching him, he's never dipped an actual person. But it's fine, right? It's not gonna end stupidly or anything, right???]
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The smirk doesn't last long.]
And just what do you mean by—
[It's a bit too late to finish asking that question, as Claude moves to dip him and Lorenz realizes three very unfortunate things at once:
The first is that Claude was never taught how to dip an actual person. Oh, sure, the professor taught him the movements and timing and all of that is certainly sound. Were Claude handling an invisible dance partner or even a training dummy, this would work just fine.
The second is that Lorenz has never learned how to be dipped. Oh, he certainly knows how to dip his partner and make it look exactly as elegant as one would expect, but given his height he was never taught how to handle being dipped. It likely wouldn't come up. An experienced partner wouldn't attempt such a risky move, so it was never something he or his tutors considered necessary, as Lorenz had shot up in height very early on.
And the third is that quite frankly, Lorenz has no idea how to deal with this development. Claude is not only making a bold and risky move, but he's also threatening to push that tension between them to its very limit - if he's successful, they'll be pressed almost uncomfortably close together, and Lorenz has no idea how he's supposed to handle that and look Claude in the face and not say something tremendously stupid. It's a thought that's both lovely and mortifying, and if that were to actually happen, he's fairly sure he'd have to flee the ball and bury his face in a pillow and scream until his voice gave out. There simply isn't a way to avoid the feelings that come with being so close to someone you like so, so much.
But the much more real possibility is the one that's happening right now - where Claude doesn't really know how to dip a person and Lorenz doesn't know how to be dipped, and suddenly he's slipping and oh no, there is indeed a fate worse than having a tender emotional moment with Claude von Riegan and it is falling on his ass in the middle of the dance floor and pulling Claude down with him.]
Claude—!
[Too late, he's going down, we're yelling timber.]
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The risk Claude took was calculated, but man is he bad at math.
There are several factors here that wind up making this stupid. There's the fact that Claude's trying to dip a man taller than he is. There's the fact that Claude is trying to dip a man when he has no earthly clue how to dip a literal human person. There's the fact that he's trying to dip Lorenz, and Claude really didn't think before he decided to do any of this. Claude's used to bold and risky maneuvers! That boy lives and dies by them! But this?!
Well, rest in pieces their collective dignities. We knew them well.]
Lorenz, Lorenz--!
[It doesn't take long before the both of them are on the floor, and Claude is confronted with the very real fact that falling into Lorenz is perhaps surprisingly comfortable. He perhaps thankfully doesn't fall onto the rose itself, but here he is, fallen against Lorenz and with the realization that those stupid feelings in his chest are absolutely going crazy right now. Which is about the last damn thing he needs?
So of course, Claude's at least gonna try to lift himself off of Lorenz a bit, looking down at his face and...]
...Okay, so that wasn't exactly my brightest idea. You uh, doing okay there, buddy?
[...Honestly, he's trying not to let amusement creep onto his face, because the more he looks at this situation the harder he's trying not to chuckle? Because of course this would happen???]
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The landing isn't particularly painful, and he has a moment to be grateful he didn't hit his head. Then he's reminded that they did this in the middle of the dance floor, surrounded by an alarming number of their peers, and worst of all Claude is right here in his face.
Honestly, hitting his head would have been a mercy.
Lorenz has gone a shade of scarlet to match the rose that is (thankfully) still pinned to his suit and for a brief moment, embarrassment and horror mingle seamlessly within him, driving him to seriously consider a tactical retreat and doing that aforementioned screaming into his pillow anyway.
And then Claude opens his mouth and completely ruins (saves?) the moment and Lorenz is suddenly laughing.
It's not a short laugh, or even something pretending to be dignified. It's genuine amusement - hilarity, perhaps - and it gets his shoulders to shake and his head to fall back and Goddess, Claude is such an idiot.]
I'd go so far as to call it your stupidest idea! What made you think you could pull that off?
[And even though they're still sprawled on the ground (and Claude is so close, so much closer than he normally would be) there is nowhere in the world he'd rather be.
As their fellow students begin to move away or resume dancing, Lorenz only has eyes for Claude.]
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Honestly, Claude doesn't want to be anywhere else in the world. Lorenz is so close and the temptation to close that gap is right there in front of him, but more than anything, Claude only has eyes for Lorenz in this moment, even as his own face starts to redden and it's certainly the first time anyone's seen Claude flush.]
Hey now, you don't get ahead of the game without taking a few risks! I thought I'd up the stakes a bit in our little competition, and well, you can see how that turned out!
[Claude doesn't even know how he's managing to say all of that without laughing inbetween words, but he does manage to get it out and he's practically wheezing from laughter.]
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[But it sounds delighted instead of... well, anything else. Anything would probably be better than how gleeful he sounds when saying it, though it's admittedly followed by more laughter, so perhaps he can pretend that he's just finding the whole thing really funny. Maybe he can pretend that there isn't anything more to this. Maybe he can pretend that they're really just two friends who have tumbled to the floor in a moment of pure stupidity. Maybe he can ignore the tension that's still there, thicker than before, and maybe he can ignore the temptation to break it.]
I can take some solace in knowing that your pride has taken more your fall than I have, however.
[They're teasing words as the laughter dies down, though the amusement hasn't lessened any. Claude's still so close and he's positively blushing now, and that is completely and utterly unfair—]
I suppose the fall was worth it, if it managed to get you to flush. [He places a hand over his heart.] It is a sight I will take with me to my grave.
[It's supposed to remain teasing. It's supposed to be part of the ridiculous games they play, things that are fun and definitely not flirting.
But the words are entirely too sincere, and for once, Lorenz can't really say he minds it any.]
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[That much is said easily with no bite behind it, and even after the second bit, Claude is more than ready and willing to fire back--
But then Lorenz brings up the fact that he's flushed and suddenly, it feels like his whole throat has closed up. Him, flushing? Like some sort of child?]
Oh, you've gotta be kidding me...
[Ohhhhhh shit, why has his life suddenly taken this turn??? No, no, he can't let his charisma slip, he's gotta keep it up somehow, and that answer comes from looking at Lorenz's face--]
Yeah? Well, you're looking pretty rosy red yourself. I may just have to take that sight with me to the grave and beyond, just for that!
[...That's perhaps surprisingly genuine too, because he doesn't want to forget this sight. As much as Claude tries to hide it behind an amused expression of his own, he's pretty sure his heart's gonna thump out of his chest.
Claude von Riegan may have sincerely miscalculated.]
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[He hasn't missed the way Claude needed a moment, however brief it was. And he does want to keep teasing, to see just how far he can push Claude. He wants to see how far that blush spreads, to see just how red he can make Claude, and that...
That isn't the sort of thing he should be doing here in public, where so many people can see them. It's improper, though more importantly, it looks like Claude is genuinely a bit flustered with this. He's recovering well enough, certainly, but it would be exceptionally rude to continue this and risk upsetting him or genuinely embarrassing him.]
...Though I suppose it is a bit warm in here... Shall we step out for a moment?
[He moves to stand, brushing himself off and adjusting his suit as he does. Of course Lorenz doesn't want to move from their proximity on the floor, but this is for the best. It'll give them both a chance to recover and that's probably what they need most right now. If they want to do anything about this tension, then it shouldn't be in front of so many sets of eyes.
After a moment of thought, he holds out a hand for Claude. Not that Claude needs his help to stand, but it would be rude to do otherwise.
(And maybe he just wants the contact.)]
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[...Of course, shortly after, Claude's flush does start getting worse and he wants nothing more than to peel himself off of Lorenz and flee the scene with a modicum of dignity intact. Even the slightest bit would be nice? Lorenz isn't about to give it to him, he's sure, but he's getting more and more flustered and--]
...You know what, it is getting pretty warm in here. [claude that's just because your face is hot enough to be used as a portable heater] Yeah, let's get out of here.
[Claude gets up shortly after, and he isn't sure what to do with Lorenz's hand when he offers it to him so easily, but...well, it takes a second or two, but Claude takes it gladly. Lorenz is bound to know the best place to step out for a moment and...do whatever...
(Maybe Claude just wants the contact too.)]
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Being alone with Claude right now will either help tremendously or hurt tremendously, and he has no idea which way it will go. He doesn't exactly think Claude is cruel enough to hurt him intentionally, but Claude has his secrets and he has no idea what to expect from them. For all he knows, Claude is entirely too dumb to realize Lorenz's... interest in him. He has no idea where this will go and he's suddenly seized with fear that he doesn't want to know.
Maybe the tension is just fine where it is. Maybe it's best not to ever think about it again. Honestly, that's starting to sound tempting the longer he stares at Claude.
...Oh, right, he should... probably move... Lorenz quickly pulls away and turns, leading Claude out and toward the gardens. It's hopefully good enough to hide how he's somehow getting even more red.
The gardens are empty - though they aren't far from the dining hall, there aren't many students here at this time. The dance is still in full swing, so most people aren't out here. If any are out and about, they're undoubtedly headed toward the Goddess Tower, which is exactly why Lorenz doesn't try to lead Claude there. That sort of thing - making a wish at the Goddess Tower and the rumors associated with it - would be a little... much, he thinks. The last thing he wants to do is frighten Claude into shutting him out entirely.
Because for as many secrets as Claude keeps, he's remarkably open about how he keeps people at arms' length. If he's let Lorenz in this much, then the least Lorenz can do is to be careful with him.]
Ah, it truly is a nice night...
[It's mostly to break the silence as he pauses, not far from the gazebo. He knows Claude is still following him, but it's mostly just pointless words to try to reset the mood to something a little less... embarrassing, perhaps.]