whiteoak academy

[oshibana]

The country of Esmos has a proud tradition of raising the children of its noble houses into powerful mages who wield all manner of control over the magic that runs through the world. To this end, the most magically adept (and, typically, richest and most well-bred) children are sent to the prestigious White Oak Academy. Here, they learn how to get along and more importantly, how to mingle and socialize in high society. Etiquette and history classes are held alongside magical theory and combat and it's impossible to tell just which is more dangerous – the magic the students are learning to control or the social circles they're expected to begin navigating. Still, White Oak is known through the land for a reason and with nobles and royalty in attendance, the security and care taken in protecting their students make this the safest place in all of Esmos. Surely nothing could go wrong in a place like White Oak.

Comments

[oshibana]

Mm- it looks as though you've been working hard, so I didn't want to get in the way. But...

[ She holds up her little basket of treats. ]

Mina and I did some baking in our free period today and I was just wondering... would you like some, if you haven't eaten already?

[deadheading]

Ah, I—

[ "did have breakfast for once," was what he was going to say, followed by something about how exercise worked up an appetite anyway, but partway into the sentence he realizes the sun is... not where he expected it to be... ]

...believe I may have missed lunch. If it wouldn't be an imposition...

[oshibana]

[ Her whole face brightens - she still looks a little nervous, but now she's beaming at him. ]

It's not an imposition at all! We made plenty and I'd hoped you might have some.

[ If all the treats in the basket happen to be the sorts of things he's particularly enjoyed in the past, don't think about it too hard. ]

I... can wait for you to change out of your practice clothes? If you like? Ah, or, if that's imposing on my part I can just leave these with you and-

[ She can't very well just ask to eat lunch with the crown prince, however much she might want to. ]

[deadheading]

It's— you're not imposing at all. ...If you don't mind waiting, however, I will take you up on your other offer. I'm hardly presentable enough for a lady's company.

[oshibana]

I don't mind waiting at all!

[ She says it perhaps a little bit quicker than she meant to and she can't keep her smile from brightening even more. It's becoming increasingly more frequent that the two of them are able to sit together over lunch, but it still feels special every time. ]

Please, take all the time you need. I can wait outside until you're ready and we can find somewhere quiet to eat.

[deadheading]

[ "somewhere quiet"— somewhere they'll be alone, in other words, and his smile turns bashful. he likes the quiet enough to appreciate it regardless (and it's a little thrilling, that she knows him well enough to probably make that choice even aside from any desire to have him to herself), but... ]

I wouldn't want to make you wait too long. I'll be right back.

[ and he's off, not quite jogging but definitely not taking his time. ]

[oshibana]

Yes! I'll be right here.

[ She'll politely tuck herself away in the corner so she's not getting in anybody's way (though anyone with good sense is at dinner by now) but she won't be too hard to find once he comes back out. She's... trying to look totally relaxed and at ease, but by the time he arrives, she's a bit of a fidgety mess. Again, it's not the first time they've eaten lunch together but it still makes her feel a little like she's going to pop every time it happens. ]

[deadheading]

[ true to his word, Thanasis isn't gone longer than five minutes or so— somehow, despite that, he doesn't have a hair out of place (or at least not deliberately so) when he comes half-trotting back, only slowing as he approaches her. ]

...Shall we, then?

[ offering her his arm ]

[oshibana]

[ Seeing him return so quick has Lily all wrong-footed - she looks surprised and pleasantly flustered and it shows transparently in the blush she's sporting. For him to have tidied himself up so fast, he must have hurried a bit - for her sake. Even if it's just because it's polite not to keep her waiting it's still... nice.

With a slightly nervous smile, she carefully takes his offered arm. ]

Y-yes! Um... there's a part of the indoor garden that's been refurbished and I haven't seen many other students there lately... would you like to see if it's quiet enough?

[deadheading]

[ that blush. how can she be so cute...?

...and there's that thrill of being known again. he can hardly brighten at this point, but as soon as she says "garden" he perks up in interest. ]

—yes, I would.

[ worst comes to worst, he can make sure anyone else lingering in there has second thoughts about continuing to do so. ]

Did you help with the refurbishing, Lily?

[oshibana]

Mhm! Here and there. Our seniors in the greenery committee did most of the organising, but the manual labor was a group effort - and each of us had our own section to do whatever we pleased... well, within reason, at least!

[ She seems a little more at ease now that she's got onto one of her favourite subjects, at least - and her hard work with the greenery committee is something she can be unabashedly proud of. ]

I'm hoping that seeing our work might encourage more students to join... Or at least to have a little more interest in greenery.

please pretend he used her last name last tag, rip

[deadheading]

[ mission success. ]

Hopefully more people will start coming by, then. Though... if so, forgive me for saying that I hope they'll wait until well after we're done.

[ he says it with a wry twist to his mouth— just making fun of himself again, clearly, not outright saying he hopes lunch remains uninterrupted for other reasons. ]

Speaking of when we're done... if you have the time, would you mind showing me your section?

[oshibana]

You'd really like to see it?

[ She sounds surprised, unbelievably, but pleased as well – if a little nervous at the thought of him seeing something she's poured her heart into. It's not quite on the level of what she's sure the palace gardeners can do, but... well. She's sure he'll like it. ]

We could sit there for lunch, if you'd like? It's a bit out of the way, so I'm sure it'd be nice and quiet.

[deadheading]

I would. I'm... sure you worked hard on it, so...

It would be fine even if there are other people there.

[oshibana]

Then we can make our way straight there...!

[ She doesn't quite do anything as improper as starting to pull him along, but she definitely noticeably picks up her pace in her eagerness to show off her hard work. ]

[deadheading]

[ she's still so cute, though?! ...he should really be making more of an attempt to keep his thoughts off of his face, but... she's so cute.

he keeps up with her easily— it's tempting to maybe go a little faster, to try to tease her into into some sort of impromptu race as though they were still children, but... propriety. he matches her pace, instead. ]

[oshibana]

[ The indoor garden's usually at least a little busy during lunch - it's a nice place to unwind and there's no need to worry about the weather turning on a dime. But with the work being done, it seems most of the usual faces have gotten out of the habit of spending time here so when the two of them arrive, it seems blissfully quiet. It makes a sort of guilty relief turn over in Lily's stomach, that she's quick to cover for by hurrying him over to her own section of the raised flowerbeds. ]

It should be right around... ah, it's here!

[ It's not a particularly big plot, but it's very immediately Lily, even with no actual lillies (she couldn't bring herself to be quite so on the nose). It's a colorful cluster of bright flowers, all in shades of blue and purple - none of them would really pair up well individually but somehow, all put together, it sort of works.

She manages to restrain herself for a fidgety moment before glancing up nervously at his face for his appraisal. ]

There's still one or two things I'd like to add but... it's mostly finished.

[deadheading]

[ he makes an appreciative sound under his breath, looking at the flower bed with bright eyes. he's drawn more toward deeper reds and creams himself, as well as being used to more orderly arrangements, but it makes sense Lily would like something both more colorful and chaotic than that. ]

It's beautiful. I can tell it's yours, too.

[ ...those particular shades, though...

he blinks, slowly, and then drags his eyes away. teasingly, to try to cover for the flutter of feeling inspired by his sudden suspicions: ]

...No lilies, though?

[oshibana]

[ At his words, her shoulders visibly sag with relief. She hadn't realized she'd been so on edge waiting for his approval but – well, it's one thing to show something like this to Mina or her friends on the greenery committee. For some reason, showing him feels just a bit different.

She titters, politely if a little nervously. ]

I thought... that might be a bit much. It's not that I don't like them, but... it'd almost be like drawing attention to myself instead of the flowers. And I already had the colours in mind before choosing what to plant... I don't think they would've fit in, even if I'd wanted to plant them.

[deadheading]

[ tilting his head, considering it more seriously for a moment, before shaking his head. ]

White ones might work as far as color, since they'd be fairly neutral, but... you're right that they tend to get one's attention. I was just joking, really.

[oshibana]

That's a relief. You weren't the first one to suggest it and everyone else was quite serious about the idea...

[ The perils of being assigned a floral motif at birth.

She looks quietly pleased, though. She hadn't expected him to give her a scathing critique, but hearing that it's beautiful is another thing altogether. ]

Ah– shall we sit? You must be hungry after practicing for so long...

[deadheading]

[ he laughs quietly, rueful ]

My apologies for jumping on the bandwagon, then...

...I am, a little, but— one moment.

[ letting her hand slip from his arm so that he can take off his jacket and put it down for her. a gentleman doesn't let a lady sit directly on the ground. ]

[oshibana]

Ah-

[ At first, she opens her mouth to protest or maybe apologize. She's so used to sitting with Mina for lunch where neither of them worry about that sort of thing that she'd forgotten to bring a blanket or a sheet to sit on. But it'd be much ruder to protest when he's being so considerate, wouldn't it?

Ducking her head in hopes he won't see just how red she is, Lily carefully settles herself and their food down. ]

Um... Thank you, Your Highness... [ She's a little embarrassed by just how transparently pleased she sounds. ] I-is there room for you too? I should've thought ahead and brought something for you to sit on...

[deadheading]

We would have to sit fairly close together.

[ if only. while he joins her, it's with (just) enough distance to be polite. ]

It's all right. You didn't know I was going to insist on seeing your flowers.

[oshibana]

I was hoping to show them to you eventually. I don't think we're having much in the way of an official unveiling, so you're the first one apart from me and the rest of the committee who's seen it.

[ Which makes her feel a little bad – usually, Mina would be the first one to see something like this, but she's not sure her nerves would have been able to stand waiting too long to show him.

She sets the basket of treats between the two of them and carefully pulls the cloth cover from the top – she'd said these were just leftovers, but there's just under half of a pie left, and enough cookies and sweets to leave them both stuffed. J–just how much baking did she and Mina do??? ]

Here – please help yourself.