gurabad | 031 » one by one even two by two

That's the point Alphonse, you can't become stronger if you don't challenge yourself. Now, Again!

[Anna had put Robin, one of the few tactician heroes of legend in charge of divising a new strategy for Alphonse. Their foes were getting steadily stronger, and they'd need to adapt for their cause to survive.]

Instead of thinking about the weight of the blade being a disadvantage, think of how you can better use it to your advantage.

[thoroughly called out on his sulkiness, alfonse shoots robin an apologetic look, inclining his head ever so slightly in graceful deference.]

Er... yes, you're right. I'm sorry. That wasn't terribly dignified of me.

[the prince sighs deeply, looking down at the light sword in his hands.]

I shouldn't complain, should I? It would be best for me to be proficient with all sorts of weapons.

[While Robin had been keeping the stern face of an instructor as Frederick had taught him, he couldn't help but smile at Alfonse's candor.]

Don't be too hard on yourself, while it wasn't very dignified, I'm the only one who saw it.

[He didn't think reminding him he had the weight of an entire kingdom on his shoulders would help. If anything it just might add to any anxiety he had.]

Believe it or not, I also use a sword like this back home, so I have some experience with this. Why don't you try something a little different? Instead of thinking of it as a whole different style, use the same technique you'd use with a heavier blade, but faster.

[Robin picked up a sparring blade and made the same chopping motion Alphonse usually used which applied all his strength, then swung back up with a quick flick of the wrist.]

You're one of the strongest hitting swordsman I've ever met, so if you can pull off the brave sword you might become unstoppable.

Do you think so?

[for all his biases against heroes, even alfonse seems slightly embarrassed to be complimented by the legendary tactician of ylisse. sheepishly, he rubs the back of his neck.]

I... I suppose I was taught to strike hard. Not... fast. [he pauses.] Though I must say, I didn't know you were a swordsman as well as a mage.

Edited 2017-05-25 22:27 (UTC)

[Niles has been peering around the corner, half hidden by a tapestry for about ten minutes. He takes Alphonse's words as a cue to reveal himself.]

Does our pretty little prince have difficulty with the unfamiliar?

N-Niles?

[alfonse tries to keep his tone neutral. he fails. when he turns toward the familiar sound of niles's trademark drawl, the prince's expression is tinged with the barest hint of displeasure.]

...I thought, last time we met, I told you not to call me... pretty.

Oh, I get just so many requests from every resident of this castle. It's simply hard to keep them straight.

[He saunters over, standing just inches too close]

Well, are you giving up?

Perhaps you might simply... stop offending people.

[the fact that niles towers over alfonse rankles his pride. unwilling to tolerate the man's proximity for even a second, alfonse casually takes a few steps to his left under the pretense of targeting a different training dummy.]

I would rather not disappoint our Summoner.

Edited 2017-06-07 21:54 (UTC)

I only dole it out to those who deserve it.

[he changes his stance, standing as if he's now just watching alfonse do his thing casually as if he weren't stalking him just a minute earlier]

You have trouble adjusting, don't you? Here, you're taking too wide of a stance and standing too far away.

[He steps up behind him, kicking his feet into place. He wraps his arms around alfonse's, adjusting the angle of his blade.]

A light sword like this is better for thrusting, don't you think?

[the little prince lets out a rather unprincely yelp as niles kicks his feet into proper position. for a moment he expects that to be the worst of it; by some miracle, he manages to strangle the squeak that threatens to emerge from his throat as the one-eyed archer suddenly — embraces? hugs? helps? — surrounds him, ostensibly in an effort to help his bladework.

it is mere politeness that keeps alfonse still in niles's arms, and nothing more. if not for his good upbringing, alfonse would wrench himself out of niles's grip and run for the hills.]

...Thank you. The point is made.

[he says, somewhat stiffly, with an equally stiff and surly expression.]

...You might release me now.

Edited 2017-06-08 19:50 (UTC)

[with a few comradely pats on his shoulders Niles finally steps back to let him go at it again.

though. it was exhilarating, just a bit, to see how far he could push the physicality with alfonse without getting actually lewd. that sound was downright adorable ]

You look rigid enough to break if pressed upon. Flexibility is key to avoiding injury, milord. [he says with a shit-eating grin]

...Sharena has enough flexibility for the both of us.

[blissfully unaware that that might sound — to niles's dirty mind — like he's been screwing his sister, alfonse sighs and practices shifting in and out of the new stance that niles has suggested. it is not uncomfortable, but remains somehow unpleasant...]

Why not spend more time with her? She likes Heroes... like yourself.

[and i don't is implied.]

You can barely stand me, yet you'd prefer I spend time with your sister? Careful, milord. This is how in-laws are made.

[his voice drops to just a bit above a whisper]

Especially since you seem to be familiar with her regardless.

[alfonse's stance falters. he almost drops his blade.]

Sh-She knows better than to get involved with a Hero like that! And what are you even talking about?! Of course I'm familiar with her — she's my sister!

[the second implication, plainly, has gone over his head. he sighs.]

Besides, I'm not even sure if that's... feasible. I... don't believe you could sire children with the summoning magic in eff — why am I thinking about this.

[he tuts and crosses his arms]

Mind your blade, milord.

[inward sigh as the implication swishes over his head. oh well.]

Does she? Young women are easily charmed by older, roguish, dangerous-looking men. I hate to smash whatever tales you were told, but there's no magic involved with siring children. I would know.

...I'm not sure whether I should be more disgusted that you are thinking of how to seduce my sister, or that you think of yourself as an older, roguish, dangerous-looking man.

[disgusting. alfonse takes a deep breath and finds inner calm once more. he leaps forward to strike the training dummy — once, twice. he jumps backward, more self-assured than before.]

...I would ask why you're like this, Niles, but I already know.

[he'd comment on the first thing, but the second is way more interesting. his eyebrows bounce in genuine surprise]

Were you asking about me? ...Who did you ask?

I did not need to ask anyone. I asked our records.

[the prince lets out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. coolly, he swings his blade through the air and lets it fall to his side.]

It is the responsibility of the Kingdom of Askr to know about those Worlds whose gates we open. It is the responsibility of the Order of Heroes to know about those Heroes we summon and employ. Or records of you are not as complete as our records of, say, Prince Leo... but I know of you, Niles. I know what sort of man you are.

[he turns his gaze away from the one-eyed rogue, fixing his sights once more upon another training dummy.]

You won't get under my skin.

Oh no, I'm very clearly already there. You would just have me thrust out, yet I find myself very much at home in you.

[His eye narrows and he steps back, though. What an irritating sentiment.]

So you think you know little old me? Tell me what you think you know, then.

Milord.

...

...First... stop talking about being inside me. Please.

Very well.

[ he leans up against a wall, settling in for whatever alfonse had to say with a look of almost gentle curiosity. behind that, he was totally focused and ready to memorize the words for a later date. he holds back the urge to continue the "inside me" thing, as difficult as it is.]

[alfonse sighs. he takes up his blade again, but this time only to hold it level to his chest and stare at its cold steel edge. it is not his beloved fólkvangr, with its stones that gleam like flames, and he feels a little hollow inside, as though he is missing a crucial part of himself.]

...I know that you were abandoned as an infant. That you were taken in by a gang of thieves. That you robbed and you killed — and likely you did far worse things besides. That you were finally abandoned by your fellow thieves when you tried to storm the Nohrian palace. That Leo, in his mercy, took you in.

You were not especially beloved by your associates. Contemporaries described you as a sadist, a scoundrel, a villain, a liar. Enemies were even less flattering.

...And yet, for all that, you made your mark on history. You were celebrated, and there are those that yet sing your praises. You are a Hero as worthy as any of the others here.

[he can't help but laugh. that was his tragic backstory to share, it was strange hearing it from another's lips. His expression tightens. This was a very uncomfortable position.

He had been trying to weeks to dig up everything he could on alfonse with a pitiful amount of information for his efforts. damn him.]

I think your records mislead you. I don't have any live enemies to give an account of me, dear prince.

[he bites his lip. he couldn't just answer with nothing. or worse, flat agreement. he didn't know him well enough to roll onto his back just yet.]

And you. You're such a pure boy. Even-headed and idealistic, yet you take no issue with summoning us from our lives to fight your battles with little to offer in return.

[he reaches out, placing a hand on alfonse's jaw.]

You remind me of my master, just a bit.

[alfonse finds his chin lifted, but makes no move to break the contact. he stares up at niles defiantly. there is no particular anger or resentment in his eyes, but the sentiment is clear: i'm not afraid of you.]

...Prince Leo seems a good man. I will take that as a compliment.

[it wouldn't surprise alfonse to hear that niles has turned up nothing on him. he has led an essentially pure, righteous life; few askrans would criticize their king or queen; the worst that anyone might say of alfonse is that he isn't very princely, which is to say simply that he refuses to stay safe in his castle and prefers instead to do his part in the war.]

...And — I'm not the one who summoned you. Calling upon the Great Hero was Commander Anna's idea. And Sharena supported it. If it were my decision to make, I would try to settle the conflict with Embla without the aid of Heroes. But their strategy appears to be... effective.

[hmph. saying it just reminded him how much he really did miss leo, too.]

I'll be fair: All of you would have been dead within the week. It was a good move. You should summon Prince Leo... I'm sure he's simply lost without me— As much as you are clearly lost without retainers of your own.

Don't tell me you dress yourself.

You'll have to ask the Summoner about —

[at that last comment, alfonse actually does pull back, but only to give niles an odd, confused look.]

...What? What's that got to do with anything?

You must be under so much stress without a retainer, and I have entirely too much free time without my master. I'm suggesting a mutually beneficial surrogacy.

[he shifts the lean of his hips and bats his eye.]

...I've never had a retainer. I do perfectly fine without one.

[how does he manage to dress himself in all his fancy scale mail and golden wing accessories? the world may never know.]

Niles, is this your strange way of trying to be my friend?

[his back stiffens a little. he wasn't usually called on this. He was usually the person that suggested it— when he was ready, that is. ]

... Would you consider friendship with someone like me?

...

...I... don't mind trying to get along with you, but...

[delicate vulnerability plays on the soft lines of alfonse's face. his gaze lowers to his boots.]

...If you mean to use me as a replacement for Leo, and then, by chance, our Summoner does call him to this world... where does that leave me?

[niles surprises himself as his heart races just a bit. oh... oh no. he's more than pretty, he's cute. he wants to protect him immediately.]

Leo prefers the company of his books. Ever since he started to refuse being tucked in I've been forced to find other things to do... As you know about my past, you must know that he even sent me away for weeks to help his dear sibling.

[sigh]

I think he's outgrown me, Prince Alfonse.

Edited 2017-06-09 19:30 (UTC)

Th-That may be so, but — hey!

[alfonse's small, cute face blushes pink at niles's motherly concerns.]

I'm no child, either! I am not going to let you tuck me in and change my clothes! Remove my armor, maybe, but...

[He leans in. Not way too close, but enough to loom]

But...? Go on, milord?

[instinctively, alfonse takes several steps back. his shoulder brushes past the outstretched "arms" of a training dummy.]

I will be your friend, but not your plaything!

[he leans back with the force of it, then bows his head and chuckles.]

Very well, Prince Alfonse. You have made yourself clear.

[he lifts his head, giving him a smile that he thinks isn't-at-all-predatory yet absolutely misses its mark]

How shall we celebrate our newfound friendship? Have you grown tired of glancing off the poor, battered dummy?

[they're not even five seconds into this strange pact, and already alfonse regrets it. he regards niles as neutrally as he can, maintaining a straight face, but all his trepidation comes out in his voice.]

...Well... I usually spend my time in the library...

[but letting niles of all people read about the heroes of other worlds seems like a bad idea. he'd just use the information to irritate people.]

What would be... more to your taste? Are you the type to drink at taverns?

That's my Lord Leo's favorite place as well. Perhaps you should show it to me.

[grin]

[he would tell alphonse more specifically about his tastes in time. didn't want to push the poor boy to his breaking point so quickly.]

I have been known to spend time in taverns. I have some difficulty imagining you interspersed with the usual patrons, however.

I can handle the occasional drink. It wouldn't look very good if I were to visit the taverns too frequently, though — nor would it be fair if I were to visit any one bar in particular.

[the life of a prince is privileged but limited, after all. alfonse folds his arms in contemplation, and then sighs. what do friends do, really?]

...Perhaps we could simply share a bottle of wine in my quarters?

[he definitely doesn't know how that sounds.]

[ stay cool niles ]

[...]

That sounds just enticing. I haven't tasted the wines of this world yet.

[ this time he manages to shake his creepy smile as he fantasizes forward into wine in alphone's room. he's not even thinking particularly sexy thoughts, but he's honestly excited to get to know him.]

I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. Shall we?

[it's a short walk from the training grounds to the prince's bedchamber. the room is guarded by askran soldiers, who salute in alfonse's presence; the young prince shakes his head, smiling, and they return to being at ease again.

"is it not rather early in the day for rest, my liege?" one asks.

alfonse seems to have an easy rapport with his men. "i'm just having a drink with a hero from the world of conquest," he replies. "we won't be long."

the other soldier seems to stare at niles from beneath his helm, but it is impossible to tell what direction his eyes are looking in. "should we allow you other visitors, my liege?" he asks.

alfonse pauses. "sharena, anna, or the summoner may come and go freely," he says, finally. "others will need my approval."

they ascend the staircase to alfonse's room. by royal standards, it is surprisingly plain. blue-and-gold banners bearing the insignia of the order of heroes decorate the walls; his bedsheets and bedcushions are similarly blue. the shelves lining a far wall are filled with nondescript books about governance and kingdoms. the prince's study is graced with ink and parchment; alfonse appears to have been working on an unfinished letter addressed to his mother the queen.]

...Please, make yourself at home.

[niles smiles as he tries to make deep eye contact with the guards. he can't but it doesn't stop him from wanting them to think everything that they don't want to.]

Surely, if it's good enough for the Prince of Askr...

[niles does leo proud by pulling off his boots before he can get any mud on the prince's rugs. he had to remember that he was trying to make friends here.

he thinks briefly that he has been rather lonely as of late. he pushes that thought far aside. No need to be a downer, after all. niles was here to drink wine with the prince!]

What a good little study you must be. Now, you keep your wines by your bedside?

[his eye glances over the books, the paper, the well-kept room. He could feel that even if he had a housekeeper, alfonse surely didn't leave a mess.]

Edited 2017-06-12 04:00 (UTC)

Um... I keep a wine rack and some other things in the adjoining room.

[of course his room isn't just one room. alfonse disappears behind a doorway, where he has a sort of... princely minibar, with a wine rack and a small plate of hors d'oeuvres that serve as snacks for whenever the little prince gets hungry (naturally, they are replaced every day). he doesn't have too many actual wines on his wine rack — some of the bottles are more innocuous drinks, like orange juice — but he has a respectable red and a decent white. he holds both in his hands for a while, reading the labels and trying to decide which one he likes better, but in the end he simply holds them up for niles's inspection.]

Do you have a preference?

Red. [he says, instantly, thinking about the way it will stain the prince's lips]

[he eyes the other drinks on the shelving. he wonders if the few bottles are lack of collecting or a matter of consuming-]

Does our Prince ever find himself drinking alone?

[alfonse busies himself at once. since alfonse is a prince, maybe niles should be expected to do the pouring — but then again, alfonse isn't very princely anyway. he takes up some glasses and pours a half-glass of wine for each of them... though he stares at niles expectantly, wondering if the one-eyed rogue wants a bit more.]

Sometimes, I suppose. Don't we all?

[this sounds a bit sad for a moment before he adds:]

Though if I want milk, I have to get it from the kitchens.

[...evidently, "drinking" encompasses "all kinds of drinking," in alfonse's view...]

[niles can't hold his face together as he laughs raucously and takes his glass. he's so innocent, it's almost too much. He taps it quickly to the one alfonse is already holding before bringing it to his lips. ]

That we do, Alfonse. Cheers.

[he looks around the room, looking somewhat like he's memorizing the layout but trying to stay aloof about it.]

You're very... well guarded, it seems, here.

[alfonse allows his glass to be tapped, then takes a delicate sip of his wine, barely more than a mouthful. it would seem that the prince likes to bide his time over every glass.]

Hm? What do you mean?

031 » one by one even two by two

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