smash_logs | I'll be there for you

Entry tags:

I'll be there for you

Who: EV ERY ONE
What: Graduation. Prom.
When: The evening of May 31st.
Where: The Stadium.
Warnings: WHO KNOWS

One might find the stadium a little hot and humid for those used to a spring graduation ceremony. This fine evening the Academy is experiencing its first hints of summer, a warm breeze providing relief to those who would sit on the stadium floor, which had been rearranged into a platform overlooking neat rows of chairs meant to seat the gathered crowd of faculty and students. Towards the other end of the complex was the arrangement for the prom that was to follow. Food and drink, chairs and tables, each with a floral centerpiece, and, of course, a dance floor.

title or description

Before everyone could get their party on, however, there was the main event of the evening. From his place at the podium, Master Hand watched students and staff alike find their way into the stadium. With the recent robot shenanigans, there seemed to be tensions in need of dispelling. If the Headmaster knew one thing, however, it was that some silly city antics were not going to ruin this esteemed event. Not tonight. Not if he could help it.

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HEY DUDES! Here's how stuff is going to work. We kick off the log with GRADUATION. This part of the log will be divided into separate threads. I'll post them all at once, so feel free to hop around, mingle, post whenever, wherever.

HOWEVER, once the PROM starts, it will be up to you guys to post your own threads. Please check out last year's log if you'd like an idea of how this works. Everything after the thread titled "DISMISSAL" (I will post that in a bit, so don't post prom threads until I have that up!) will be considered prom, though don't let that stop you from continuing to post in the graduation section.

Please label all your threads appropriately! (Examples: "SHENANIGANS AT THE FOOD TABLE", "DANCE-OFF", "THE PUNCH IS SPIKED", "BOTHER X" In general, a location + what is going on in the thread is the way to go. Obviously, more than one thread can take place at the same location.   Linking back and forth when and if you thread hop is very much appreciated. If things start to look a bit laggy, we'll bump to the next page. Most importantly, HAVE FUN, and let a mod know about any problems or concerns you might have!

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To say it wasn't awkward for her in return would have been untrue. Not too unlike the man who held her arm, Eirika felt all kinds of nerves creep up. Originally, it was easier to classify Connor as a second 'Seth' of sorts. He could be her retainer. That was easier.

But the day she's admitted aloud that she hadn't wanted to categorise him as anyone else, she'd suddenly gotten so much more nervous in his company. Perhaps she had done or said something wrong. She could have understood that. She wasn't graceful when it came to conversation like this.

Outside, she released his arm and looked aside, lifting a hand into her hair, and realising moments later that she was trying to preen herself. Then as inconspicuously as she could, she tried to glance to him sidelong.

"...Yes, Connor?" And she was certain in that moment the bodice to her dress had grown far too tight.

Oh there it was. Connor tried to ignore everything else and just find this thing and give it to her. Maybe it won't be as bad then.

It was just a kind gesture in return.

Out of his pocket came out something akin to this. Except there were less beads and no possible fancy clamps. He made it himself but eh.

"It is not much...someone else from my village would have done far better. This was not something I have done often..."

When she looked, a few different things went through her mind. One being that he was giving her... jewelry. Two... being that he made it. When her eyes caught onto his, she knew there was a lot of confusion.

Why? She'd wanted to ask and she had a feeling her gaze said it for her.

With a great hesitance and care, she reached out to finger one of the feathers before moving her hand over his. I don't understand you. Why are you doing this? What do you think I've done that I deserve this?

And why... was it that the very gesture made her heart ache?

"I..." So she neared him, thankful that there were no prying eyes - as far as she knew. "...With great reverence, I accept this." And she felt as she said such words that she gave something else with them as well.

Why?

Because Eirika...you had given him something. He had friends. And then there was that friend who gave him that great sense of true kindness that warmed his little heart of his.

True good. Pure good. It was Eirika. Eirika was purely good. Connor tried to not feel beneath her but every time he sounded that slightest bit flustered, she turned it down and wanted him to be her equal.

His brain was being very complicated here, but his heart even more so...so he tried to speak with his actions and not his words...which at times he preferred to do.

Something to show how truly grateful he was of her.

"It is with reverence the reason why I had made it."

No, you have to stop.

And it was something she almost said. For him to stop with his kindnesses for her. To stop looking at her with those eyes, because when he did, Eirika felt herself go weak. To stop praising her and lavishing attention onto her the way he did.

What to do. No, really. What to do.

"Will you put it on for me?" A direct question not at all reflecting her insides, which she thought a wiser course of action. It was lovely, but by the Everlasting all of it was just too much.

"Oh. Of course," said Connor simply as he took the necklace in his hand to do so.

He gently placed it around her neck and secured it. In dead silence.

You could hear a pin drop.

He probably didn't feel the same kind of weight that she did when she wore it. Inclining her head, she eyed it for many moments, idly settling her right hand to tap at the beading. What a terrible idea. She'd fiddle with it when she got nervous. And it was extravagant enough just to stand out against her. Which she liked and dreaded all at once.

Looking to him, she tried to collect her words to think of something worthy to his ears, though he likely didn't want or need her words to begin with. This was... not the time to be Princess of Renais. It was a time for her to simply be a... woman, she supposed.

So she beckoned for him to lean in a little closer. "I don't have anything so nice to give back to you..."

He watched her fiddle with the beads. A swift feeling of joy came to him. He had no idea how to really express it other than blatant thanks. He looked down at her, head dropping lower toward her. Did she really like it?

Did she?

Did she really?

"If you like it, then that for me is enough thanks."

Of course he'd say that. Unable to be so clever when she felt so much in the limelight - though it was only him as her companion - she chose to take his words from before.

"Somehow I thought you would say that."

Her chin tipped up and for many moments, she simply eyed him. And what she did that followed wasn't something she considered uncharacteristic. If anything, it seemed only... fitting as per the circumstance.

"I ask beforehand, that you give me pardon, Connor." Yet she didn't tell him why, or what for. As she'd imagined he'd know precisely why the moment she went along with the first plan in mind.

Her hands lifted, found his cheeks with a surprising ease, and only a few moments after that did her mouth follow in suit against his. And the not-so-grand gift he received in return was a simple kiss.

As his lips were attached to hers, his eyes went crazy wide. His mind stopped. His heart stopped. His breathing stopped.

He could only stay that way.

He couldn't move.

Connor was devoid of any action right now.

He just. Stayed there. With his lips on hers.

He couldn't even make an opinion.

She didn't linger long. In fact, it probably felt longer than it actually was. But then that moment was over and she moved on. Leaning back, she looked anywhere that wasn't Connor, because Gods knew she didn't want him looking at her.

Not after that, anyway.

Shame? No. Hardly. The gesture itself had been very natural. Had felt natural, anyway. Nice, even. Something that she didn't know how to interpret. It had seemed right and that was good enough for her.

"What I mean to say is-" she began, putting on those princess airs once more. "Thank you."

Froze.

Connor just. Froze.

He stepped back a little. He didn't say a. Single.

Word.

Not one.

His face was on fire though. It felt like it was on fire anyway.

He could feel everyone he knew looking at him and laughing at him as he was telling himself to DO SOMETHING. But he COULDN'T. He couldn't do ANYTHING.

WHY DID YOU DO THAT....

Great. He wasn't saying or doing anything. That was... swell.

She gave him a few moments longer to stew over what in hindsight was likely not very appropriate on her part. It was true they'd gone somewhere that a lot wouldn't see them. But then she'd gone and...

Basically publicly humiliated him.

"I can go," she offered him quickly. Which was exactly what she had in mind when she turned from him.

"...Wait."

He didn't know why. Why?

Why had you done that? WHY?

The fact that Eirika was acting that way was more disturbing to him. She didn't look at him anymore.

He didn't...want that at least.

"Wait, no...you do not have to."

It wasn't as if she thought there'd be a repeat, because she was pretty sure there wouldn't be one. Not in that evening. Likely not ever again. At least certainly not if Connor was so overcome that way. What had she really expected, however?

Her main concern was that she'd offended him.

So when she turned again, she laced her hands together and eyed the collar of his suit, because that seemed to be a safe place to look. Because she was blushing and unlike him, she couldn't hide it.

"It wasn't my intention to offend you," she explained gently. "I apologise if I did. That wasn't deliberate."

Connor got visibly...sad. He was unsure of how to feel but he was sure he didn't want Eirika to be like...this. He knew for a fact he didn't.

What was going through Eirika's mind right now? And if she knew could she tell him what was going through his, because he sure as hell didn't know.

"If you had offended me at all, I would have told you."

Which she didn't, which he wasn't. His face was solemn still, but he wanted to make her feel...less at unease. So it was warm, and his voice followed up on that warmth.

Oh. That made her feel worse. He was worrying about her and she didn't want him to. But she was beginning to understand that she didn't exactly get a choice in what he did regarding how he felt for her. How did he feel anyway? She felt rather confused in his company. Gifts of beautiful necklaces and what not.

Kissing him hadn't helped.

"I know that," she replied without thinking. Then she looked back to him and almost immediately began to toy with said necklace. "I mean." Then she softened and gave him a very small - yet sincere - smile. "Sometimes the heart and the mind cannot agree. And sometimes it is better to listen to the heart. I know very well you would spare no words to tell me if I were offensive. But I was too brazen."

Her...heart?

Her heart she listened to?

What? What was Eirika going on about? Was this a "being in the moment" thing? She just went and did something?

Part of him felt like Eirika really did appreciate the gift, and that made him happy. But that was maybe 15% of him. The other was still trying to sort himself out. None of this he tried to show.

"It does not matter to me," Connor said, shaking his head as if trying to knock some sense into him rather than her. He knew it DID matter, but he tried for the sake of this moment. This night. And for some reason he felt, also his friendship. To make it NOT matter.

"It matters to me that you like the gift and understand its meaning."

"Its meaning."

Her head tipped as she eyed him with some thought. "It is-" Eirika cleared her throat and straightened her posture. Settling her hand at the bottom of her bodice, she tried to keep herself steady, still feeling more than a little light of head.

"Where I come from, for a man to give a woman gifts is not something to be taken lightly." Because she was starting to see things for how they were. How they acted with one another. How tense things became with them, but perhaps that was because she was tense.

So why had she thought of it in the first place? Because she was still a princess. And he... was not a prince. Or a knight. Or anything like that. But did it concern her so much? She had to question it, because when he smiled at her in that subtle way of his, she felt so much lighter. That had to mean something.

"You are very important to me, Connor." I'm unsure of how to say anything beyond that. I don't think you understand.

He didn't understand. In no point in his life did he even get the chance to understand. Training, fighting, Templars. Most of his life was centered with all those things. He hardly even visited his village...which in order for him to sleep at night anymore, he tried to not think about it all too much.

Whatever "speaking from the heart" he knew was from his own sense of kindness and good nature. Nothing sort of "charm" or "wooing the ladies".

When it came to that, he was practically at grade school level dunce.

"I had given that to you because you are an...important figure to me as well. Without your kindness and companionship, I am sure I would have been far more lost in this world."

Yeah take that as you will. He took it how you said. Not as what you could mean deeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep in there.

Edited 2013-06-07 03:54 (UTC)

At first she said nothing.

And then she laughed. A little. As if to say she had no other choice than to concede. A bitter surrender. Because she couldn't say anything because she didn't have the right to. It wasn't her place and it seemed... very unfair for her to speak up like that. Regardless of the situation.

I'm sure you would have been fine.

"Yes. All right. If that is what you say."

Maybe he would have.

Maybe that was true.

Okay so...it was totally true.

Connor was a survivor and he would adapt naturally but would he be the same without Eirika around? Probably not. Totally not. Maybe trusting this place would've been harder. Finding any sort of comforts. Learning...how to enjoy something. Someone.

Really enjoy spending time in the company of someone else.

He would not be as well as he could.

"It is what I think. What I know," Connor said straight.

"I am not contesting that," she reassured him gently. "I would never dream of arguing something so sensitive. You know yourself better than I do in the same way I know myself better than you ever will."

Pointing to him, her head tipped, "If you know yourself, then that's all you need to know. There's no possibility of someone ever being able to claim they know you better. There's security in being so confident of yourself."

And she hoped she could be that confident of herself as well. As Renais' princess. As a woman. As a future queen. Confidence would have been good for all of those things. Or perhaps she had it all along and simply downplayed it.

But she wasn't confident where Connor was concerned. And the longer she stood there with him, the more she knew it and was more prone to not saying a word. So once more her eyes moved off of him and idly onto other dancing couples who were farther off. And she felt nostalgic for days that were not so far back in her history.

Connor was at times very confident in himself.

At times. Usually. Mostly.

But not now. He certainly was not confident now. This whole encounter set him back many steps, and he was unsure of himself to begin with the moment he started making that necklace.

That was quite an outburst too. Connor found himself looking at her. Just simply looking for a good few moments.

"I...cannot claim to know you as well as you do," he said.

"But perhaps...we could stand to understand each other better."

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