I'm sure you'd be impressed if Edelgard performed some simple trick, though.
[Her tone was definitely teasing. She might have been intimidated by him (might nothing, she very much was) but she could also tell how wrapped up in Edelgard he was.]
Besides, this gave you time to decide if you want one.
[It was a subtle change, the way his brow rose slightly and the corner of his mouth flipped up, but Hubert definitely smiled. The mage gives a low chuckle.]
You think me some sycophant, don't you? You aren't the first.
[Corrin tilted her head to the side as she thought it over.]
Mmm...not exactly? [She finally decided, her hands folding behind her back as she looked back at him.]
Honestly, you remind me of my butler Jakob. He isn't nearly as...intense...as you, but I can see that same devotion in you that I would see in him. And that same lifelong dedication that you have to her.
[There was a sense of absence in her voice as she spoke about Jakob. She tried not to think too much on him because of how much she missed him. It was so strange to know he wasn't there with her all the time, like he had been for most of her life.]
[A butler? What did he look like, a Nohrian citizen?]
[Hubert patiently waits for the princess to mull it over, and to say her piece. He shakes his head softly.]
And if that devotion is as comparable as you think it to be, then you should already know I would judge Her Majesty's "simple tricks" as harshly as anyone else's—perhaps moreso. She's capable of far greater. To shower Lady Edelgard with empty flattery would be to do her a great disservice.
[Though a servile noble Hubert might be, his dedication hasn't been rooted in simple fealty for a long time, despite what others commonly thought.]
[...and though empty flattery was off the table, he wasn't above the occasional facetious teasing. Occasionally.]
You sound like there are only the two options. Either you're critical or you're a sycophant. There's so much distance between those two ideas they're hardly even in the same country.
[Corrin cared a great deal about Edelgard but that didn't mean she would miss that detail.]
I just think you could do with a bit more...relaxed. Let yourself have more fun. Don't worry about 'wasting' half an hour. There's always more time tomorrow.
You said to wait. I'm not even going to pretend to understand your intentions. [A shake of his head.] Perusing the new wares this month at my preferred apothecary, for example.
[Just an example, and of course, nothing festival related. It's no shock that Hubert is not festive.]
[Relax? Ahaha, Corrin's funny. Does this look like a man that's ever relaxed a day in his life?]
[But entertainment and relaxation weren't mutually exclusive, at least.] Reading. Learning. Strategic games. And, I understand this is difficult for you to believe, but I do enjoy the company of others. [Some others goes unsaid. He's picky.]
[Hubert also leaves out that he does rather enjoy spooking others, but only because that would be too close to admitting he plays up the sinister adviser deal more than is natural to him.]
[He keeps moving within the shop, as if he and Corrin weren't in the middle of a conversation. Hubert pauses by the magic batteries, running finger along one thoughtfully.]
It would be prudent to have one or two around that isn't my familiar, yes. [Something else to work into the budget. Maybe he should take a break from his alchemy for a while to pick up extra work.]
History and tactical dissertations, largely. The occasional study of magic or chemistry. [Corrin should know better than to expect anything exciting by this point. His eyes darted in her direction briefly, almost suspiciously.] You're being rather inquisitive. Am I that fascinating, or are you getting something out of this?
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timeasmymeasure
February Intro Overflow
Date: 2020-02-12 04:07 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2020-02-15 05:10 am (UTC)Yes. I'm sure the shop appreciates your advertising. [A slight shake of his head.] At least you've learned something.
I am not so easily impressed by simple tricks.
[For what its worth, his tone is devoid of anything biting. Though that's probably not worth much.]
no subject
Date: 2020-02-19 02:20 pm (UTC)I'm sure you'd be impressed if Edelgard performed some simple trick, though.
[Her tone was definitely teasing. She might have been intimidated by him (might nothing, she very much was) but she could also tell how wrapped up in Edelgard he was.]
Besides, this gave you time to decide if you want one.
no subject
Date: 2020-02-19 02:32 pm (UTC)You think me some sycophant, don't you? You aren't the first.
no subject
Date: 2020-02-19 02:38 pm (UTC)Mmm...not exactly? [She finally decided, her hands folding behind her back as she looked back at him.]
Honestly, you remind me of my butler Jakob. He isn't nearly as...intense...as you, but I can see that same devotion in you that I would see in him. And that same lifelong dedication that you have to her.
[There was a sense of absence in her voice as she spoke about Jakob. She tried not to think too much on him because of how much she missed him. It was so strange to know he wasn't there with her all the time, like he had been for most of her life.]
no subject
Date: 2020-02-20 06:31 am (UTC)[Hubert patiently waits for the princess to mull it over, and to say her piece. He shakes his head softly.]
And if that devotion is as comparable as you think it to be, then you should already know I would judge Her Majesty's "simple tricks" as harshly as anyone else's—perhaps moreso. She's capable of far greater. To shower Lady Edelgard with empty flattery would be to do her a great disservice.
[Though a servile noble Hubert might be, his dedication hasn't been rooted in simple fealty for a long time, despite what others commonly thought.]
[...and though empty flattery was off the table, he wasn't above the occasional facetious teasing. Occasionally.]
no subject
Date: 2020-02-25 06:00 pm (UTC)I don't know.
[She finally decided, mostly just thinking out loud.]
I bet if she was excited about something she did, even if was something silly and trivial, you would encourage and compliment her for it.
no subject
Date: 2020-02-26 04:16 am (UTC)[He shakes his head slightly again, one of his hands settling idly by his chin.]
Truly, if you think me no sycophant, then what makes you think I wouldn't be critical with her?
no subject
Date: 2020-02-26 04:21 am (UTC)You sound like there are only the two options. Either you're critical or you're a sycophant. There's so much distance between those two ideas they're hardly even in the same country.
no subject
Date: 2020-02-26 04:41 am (UTC)[Now they're just being pedantic.]
At the very least, Lady Edelgard would've informed me instead of wasting my time, [Hubert says dryly.]
no subject
Date: 2020-02-26 06:15 pm (UTC)[Corrin cared a great deal about Edelgard but that didn't mean she would miss that detail.]
I just think you could do with a bit more...relaxed. Let yourself have more fun. Don't worry about 'wasting' half an hour. There's always more time tomorrow.
no subject
Date: 2020-02-26 07:52 pm (UTC)That's not my point. At the very least, I could have done something—perhaps even something I enjoyed—with that time rather than waiting pointlessly.
[Hubert turns away, starting to walk towards the shop to investigate for himself.]
Rather like how this conversation is beginning to go.
no subject
Date: 2020-03-01 03:38 am (UTC)[Corrin hurried to catch up, falling into step next to him.]
What would you do that you enjoyed?
[It was a completely innocent question, just because...it was hard to picture him enjoying anything.]
no subject
Date: 2020-03-08 04:23 am (UTC)[Just an example, and of course, nothing festival related. It's no shock that Hubert is not festive.]
no subject
Date: 2020-03-08 03:24 pm (UTC)But what do you do for fun? To relax?
no subject
Date: 2020-03-08 05:48 pm (UTC)[But entertainment and relaxation weren't mutually exclusive, at least.] Reading. Learning. Strategic games. And, I understand this is difficult for you to believe, but I do enjoy the company of others. [Some others goes unsaid. He's picky.]
[Hubert also leaves out that he does rather enjoy spooking others, but only because that would be too close to admitting he plays up the sinister adviser deal more than is natural to him.]
[He keeps moving within the shop, as if he and Corrin weren't in the middle of a conversation. Hubert pauses by the magic batteries, running finger along one thoughtfully.]
no subject
Date: 2020-03-08 06:35 pm (UTC)[Corrin agreed with a grin.]
Oh I was using one of those earlier. They seem pretty handy.
[She tapped one of the batteries.]
So what sort of books do you read?
no subject
Date: 2020-03-08 06:49 pm (UTC)History and tactical dissertations, largely. The occasional study of magic or chemistry. [Corrin should know better than to expect anything exciting by this point. His eyes darted in her direction briefly, almost suspiciously.] You're being rather inquisitive. Am I that fascinating, or are you getting something out of this?
no subject
Date: 2020-03-08 07:37 pm (UTC)You're important to Edelgard. So I wanted to get to know you.
no subject
Date: 2020-03-09 04:03 am (UTC)I see. ...Were you anyone else, I would presume you held ulterior motives.
no subject
Date: 2020-03-09 02:26 pm (UTC)Thank you? [A beat.] I think?