backstreetbard | a lion among ladies

[ Dorothea doesn't exactly love spending time in the cathedral of Garreg Mach's campus, as stunning as the stained glass windows and flying buttresses are to behold. She hasn't put stock in the Seirosi faith since she was six years old.

In spite of that, she can still be seen there often in the days following the mission to quell the Western Church's rebellion in Gaspard territory, her hand rubbing circles in Ashe's back. She understands what it feels like to lose a parent, though she doesn't speak of it; instead, she only listens as he very gradually works his way through the shock and pain. Sometimes the only comfort is commiseration.

It's draining, though. She has to step back eventually, to try and shake off the old familiar feelings that watching another orphan in mourning dredges up in her.

Standing on the bridge that leads to the cathedral, she inhales the fresh mountain air and releases a sigh as she looks out over the scenery. A flash of blue in her peripheral vision catches her attention, though, and she's back on stage, turning to face her new house leader. ]

On your way to pray?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

backstreetbard

[ She seems pretty delighted, too, if the blush on her cheeks is any indication. ]

Of course! You'll be my special guest. I'll turn you into a theater aficionado in no time at all, you'll see. If the first show goes well, we might be able to do a second one before the school year ends.

[ Dorothea knows she could talk about the opera for hours on end, however, and she doesn't want to monopolize the conversation. ]

You mentioned you enjoy horseback riding earlier. Do you have a horse of your own? I'm afraid I have no skill for riding, but in my defense, I'd never ridden a horse before I came here. It was always walking, before, or taking carriages.

From:

hauntedking

I do have my own horse, but she's back in Faerghus right now. There are a few here in the stables at the Academy that are wonderful creatures, though - I'll have to introduce you to them.

[ He seems entirely in love with them, just from the way his tone changes a little. ]

If you'd like, I can give you some lessons on riding. It's a wonderful experience - nothing better for clearing the head, I think.

From:

backstreetbard

Would you? I'd hate to impose, but it does seem like a useful skill. [ And a perfect excuse for them to spend more time together, to boot. ] Horses have always frightened me just a tiny bit--they're so large and powerful--but I know people love them, so they can't be that bad.

[ Dorothea sips on her tea and sighs contently, adding cream and jam to a scone on her plate and taking a dainty bite. ]

As far as animals go, I've always loved cats and dogs. The ones here on campus don't seem to belong to anyone in particular, but they're all so tame. Actually, there's one cat that I think is pregnant. She looks so round, and she's waddling about in this adorable way. We'll have to be on the lookout for the kittens when they arrive.

From:

hauntedking

Well, join me at the stables one day. You can meet the one I ride here. She's a sweetheart.

[ Anyway - on to other things. He takes a little bite of one of his finger foods and chews reflectively. ]

...I like the cats, honestly. I try to give them a bit of attention when I can, but there's so many of them! But - kittens. That sounds adorable.

From:

backstreetbard

Kittens are adorable. They're so tiny--when they're born they fit in the palm of your hand. When I was young, I made friends with a few stray cats, but I feel like they were more welcome than I was in most cases. Restaurateurs rely on them to keep their pantries free of vermin.

[ No comment is necessary about how those same restaurateurs treated the little starving girls they found digging through their garbage bins for scraps. Dorothea had learned early on that you waited until the kitchen staff was truly gone for the night before trying to procure her meals. ]

And what about the dogs? Isn't there a breed of hound named for your family? The... Blaiddyd Rex? Ferdie loves to go on and on about the Aegir hounds and how they're the noblest of all dogs, but he thinks anything associated with the Aegir name is the noblest in any category.

[ Which does earn a little scoff. Such silliness. ]

From:

hauntedking

[ His expression screws up in concentration for a moment. Is there a hound named after his family? ]

There might be. We do keep some wonderful hunting hounds at home. Although... it's been some time since I've had the opportunity to take them out. Still - whether named after my family or the Aegir's, I think most dogs are wonderful creatures.

From:

backstreetbard

[ Dimitri's scrunched, pensive expression makes Dorothea giggle, leaning forward slightly to rest her chin on the heel of her palm. ]

You're right, of course. Dogs are wonderful, so earnest and loyal. I love when they're excited and their whole back end wags along with the tail. Or when you rub their stomachs and it makes their legs kick. Adorable.

[ She looks like she's going to say something else, but she stops herself and sits up a bit straighter, adjusting her uniform slightly. ]

Now, ah, I hope you'll forgive me for making things awkward, but I just want to make sure that I haven't misunderstood things or gotten carried away with wishful thinking. This... this is a date, isn't it? I wasn't just imagining things?

From:

hauntedking

[ Oh. He sits up a bit straighter as well, feeling his cheeks start to burn. He probably shouldn't have assumed, should he? But he does blurt out: ]

I - yes, yes. That's - that's what I'd hoped. I'm sorry for not making it more clear. If you'd rather it wasn't, we can forget all about it-!

[ Dimitri, please. ]

From:

backstreetbard

No no! [ Dorothea waves her hands to clear up the misunderstanding. ] I wanted it to be a date, too. I just had to make sure we were on the same page, that's all--it would have been horribly embarrassing to get my hopes up only to later realize you were just trying to be friendly with me. Please... I'm glad, really!

[ It's embarrassing either way, but far less so now than if she'd spent much time putting more stock in their relationship than it merited. Covering her face with her hands, she laughs for a moment and shakes her head. ]

I've been debating over whether or not it was all right for me to flirt with you.

From:

hauntedking

[ Well - the sense of relief that washes over him is intense and he finally feels himself relax a little as he laughs. They are a pair right now, aren't they? ]

Well - that's a relief. If I'd mistaken it for something that wasn't-

[ Oh. Now he blushes again. ]

Since we are on a date, I... I don't think I'd mind flirting in the least.

From:

backstreetbard

[ Dorothea peeks out from behind her hands, flushed and grinning. ]

You wouldn't mind? Well, then, I suppose it's all right for me to tell you how handsome I think you are? Or how sweet? I know I've only been in the blue lions for a little while now, but I really am looking forward to getting to know you better.

From:

hauntedking

[ Oh, now he really is blushing. More than a little flustered, too. ]

I - I - thank you, for all of that. It's incredibly flattering to know that you think so highly of me already. You - you seem so intelligent and worldly and - you're quite beautiful, I have to say. Spending time with you is a delight.

From:

backstreetbard

[ When he puts it like that, it isn't so surprising that a good boy like him might be drawn to a girl like her. She's seen a lot of the world, including the uglier parts, but isn't it interesting to learn from people whose perspectives are so different from your own? Maybe it's natural that they'd hit it off like this. ]

I feel the same way about spending time with you, and we still have most of the year to look forward to.

[ Though the reception she's received from a few of his classmates has been on the colder side, and she can't imagine that improving in light of this development. In fact, she'd be foolish not to expect some resistance the more time they spend together.

Future Dorothea can worry about that. ]

I don't want to monopolize all of your time, of course, but I'd love to take tea with you... maybe once a week? Or maybe if you can teach me to ride horseback, we could go for picnics in the countryside nearby. There are some wonderfully scenic areas around here.

From:

hauntedking

[ He's not thinking about what anyone else might think. He's honestly just incredibly happy to find that their understanding is mutual and that they enjoy one another's company. That's a win already. ]

I would love that. Let's start with tea and... well, we can move onto horse riding, if you like. It'd give us something else to do, certainly - and maybe you can show me some of your singing?

From:

backstreetbard

[ The suggestion of singing perks her up in an instant. Even though she left the opera, she still loves to sing, and a private little performance in a place like this would be perfect. ]

Of course I can.

[ She stands up, even though he probably didn't mean for her to sing right now. Taking another sip of her tea, she steps back a few paces from the table. ]

This aria is in an Old Adrestian dialect, so you might not understand it, and the acoustics here aren't the best, and it always sounds better with accompaniment, so bear with me, all right?

[ Closing her eyes for a moment, Dorothea's posture shifts from the casual way she stands to reflect that this isn't just Dorothea, student of Garreg Mach, but Dorothea the Mystical Songstress of the Mittelfrank.

She doesn't sing at her full volume, not wanting to draw an audience, but there's a richness to the tone of each note, and every gesture and movement only emphasizes her vocalizations. It's a short aria, only a few minutes long; when she's done, she bows gracefully and the spell is broken. ]

From:

hauntedking

[ Oh! He hadn't quite thought she'd launch into it now, but here she is. He settles back in his chair to listen, eyes glinting in appreciation. He truly never has been much interested in music, but seeing other people do things they're passionate about or skilled at is always a joy to him. Even more of a joy to listen. ]

I'm sure you'll amaze me either way.

[ And she does. He seems a bit rapt with attention as her voice rises and carries the words. It's beautiful, even without accompaniment or anything else. It's just her - and perhaps that makes it all the better. He gives her a little round of applause as she finishes. ]

Wonderful! That sounded wonderful!

From:

backstreetbard

[ She gives one final, sweeping bow before relaxing her posture, grinning and resuming her seat. ]

And you're a wonderful audience, naturally. I'm happy to sing for you anytime. That's actually one of my favorite arias. It's a young woman telling her father that she's in love and she wants to go to a nearby city to buy a ring for the handsome young man that she's enamored with. She says that if her love is in vain, she'll throw herself into the river. It's a bit extreme, but love can drive people mad, I suppose.

[ She shakes her head. ] I can't really relate--the closer I've come to death, the harder I've struggled to survive. That's how I ended up here.

From:

hauntedking

It sounds a little tragic.

[ Dimitri nods thoughtfully. ]

But... love does drive people to extremes. Although I can't say I've ever found myself preferring the idea of death over life. Surviving... that is important.

[ He pauses and there's a flicker of something in his expression. ]

...especially when some people haven't been able to.

From:

backstreetbard

[ Knowing what she knows, it isn't hard to guess at the turn of Dimitri's thoughts. She reaches out across the table and takes his hand in hers, smiling softly at him. ]

We're both survivors, and that's what matters. The people who loved us would want us to carry on, I think--to remember them, to live good lives in their absence. After all, love never really goes away as long as you hold it in your heart. And what are any of us in the end but the stories that people tell about us when we're gone?

[ She squeezes his hand and doesn't let go this time. ]

From:

hauntedking

[ The warm squeeze of her hand brings him back to the present. It chases away the ghosts - at least for now - and his smile grows a little. ]

I think I like that. Stories that we'll tell about them. Stories that people will tell about us.

[ He makes a little 'hmm' noise. ]

What sort of stories would you want to leave to your children? If you - uh - end up having them, anyway.

From:

backstreetbard

Oh, I plan on having a big family. At least three or four, but maybe more. I want to adopt, as well, assuming I'm able to support that many people apart from myself. I want my children to have siblings so they can look out for each other if something ever happened to me, you know?

But I'd want them to be able to tell stories about how much I loved them, more than anything. Not all children can say with certainty that their parents really love them, and I never want mine to feel that way. Beyond that... I'd want to be remembered for coming up out of adversity, I think--so people can feel hopeful no matter how desperate their situation is. I'd want to be remembered for my career as well. I put my heart and soul into every role I play, and I hope to write at least a few more operas and stage shows.

[ She's still holding on to his hand, a pleasant warmth in her face. ]

What about you? What stories will your descendants be telling about Dimitri, the kind and courageous, in a hundred years? Maybe you'll have been immortalized in one of my world-famous operas, hmm?

From:

hauntedking

[ That all sounds delightful to Dimitri. It's something to think about. To aspire to. There's the thought that, somehow, people will still be hearing about Dorothea, long after she's gone. It's almost inspirational, in a way. ]

Oh - I don't entirely know. I haven't thought much about what I'll actually do when I'm king. I want - I want to help people, you know. I want to make the lives of the people under my rule better. But... beyond that...

[ He smiles sheepishly. ]

I don't know.

From:

backstreetbard

But making people's lives better is such an important thing. I can see it now: Dimitri, the king who helped put an end to homelessness and hunger. A king beloved by his people for bringing them stability and safety.

[ This is where Dorothea lifts her head slightly and breaks into an impromptu song. ]

A crown never sat on a brow so fair, his azure eyes and his golden hair
From Fhirdiad the warrior king extends his gracious hand
And people know him near and far, they spread his name throughout the land
Dimitri, king of Faerghus free, a brave and noble spirit
And songs of his great deeds will spread far and wide, wherever ears can hear it

[ She shakes her head and laughs in a way that makes her eyes crinkle at the corners. ]

Not bad for a first draft, but the rhymes need a bit of work.

From:

hauntedking

[ All Dimitri can really think about is how she's singing about him. His cheeks color and he ducks his head, fingers curling around hers where they hold hands. ]

That's - far too flattering, really. The idea of people singing songs about me - it's a bit much. But - I like the thought of you doing it.

From:

backstreetbard

You never know what the future holds, and kings tend to inspire songs and stories. I wonder if there will ever be songs about me. Even if there aren't, I'll sing the ones about you.

[ If she were sitting next to him instead of across the table, Dorothea might try her luck by leaning in to kiss his cheek. As it stands, he's safe for now, but his bashfulness is so endearing that she has half a mind to scoot her chair closer to attempt it.

No, she won't. It's still only their first date, but she's certain she's never been so charmed in her life. She loosens her grip slightly, but only to twine her fingers with his. Though, she's almost forgotten the pretense of their little get together. ]

Oh, goodness, look at us letting our tea go cold.

[ Not that she lets go of him. She can hold a teacup in her left hand, it's fine. ]