Chapter Text
She shifts a little uncomfortably in front of the mirror, a sea of soft green chiffon and tulle flowing to her movement. The dress itself isn’t necessarily uncomfortable. Quite the opposite really! The fabrics are soft, exceptionally high quality, and far more expensive than anything Jori has ever owned or worn in her life . Its bodice only slightly fitted around her chest, with most of its shape coming from the thin cord of golden thread cinching her waist, the sleeves sheer and loose under the embroidered off shoulder neckline, cuffs equally embroidered at her wrists. And, despite all the layers, it’s incredibly light too. Just… she’s never seen herself like this before and it’s odd.
She fiddles with the skirt, a little scared to mess with the embroidery and flower beading on the cuffs of her sleeve to touch them like she normally would.
“I knew you’d look amazing in it!” A voice cheers behind her.
Jori doesn’t startle, having heard Elphie’s heels clicking as she ran down the hall into the room. She turns to her friend and party member, pink dusting her cheeks. “Ah.. thanks.. and, if you could, send your sister my thanks for letting me borrow this.” She looks her friend over and smiles brightly. “You look wonderful as well, Elphie.”
Elphie beams at the compliment and does a little twirl to let the skirt of her dress flare around her, ending in a playful curtsy. “Thank you! And I will. Oh, here, let me help with your hair.”
“Are you sure? Isn’t the ball starting soon?”
“Yeah, but it wouldn’t be too bad to be fashionably late,” she giggles, waving Jori to sit in front of the vanity, and sets about fixing her hair. “Besides, Morgana won’t mind. She’s always been one to be fashionable.” With brush and expert hands, Elphie masterfully weaves Jori’s hair into an elegant updo, a few strands tastefully loose at the base of her neck.
Still, something in her tone has Jori looking up at her through the reflection, brows knitting in concern. She seems… not nervous, per se, but a little put out. “Did something happen?” Jori asks.
There’s a brief pause. And then Elphie huffs out a laugh. “Nothing gets past you, huh? But well...” She sighs this time. “Erevan has escaped under our noses. I was so looking forward to seeing everybody all dressed up but apparently he wouldn’t have it.” There’s an obvious pout on Elphie’s lips but it falls as she steps back with a bright smile, work complete. “Do you like it?”
Jori stares at her reflection and blinks. Her hair has been pulled away from her face, only a few soft curls falling at the sides to frame her cheeks. She’s not used to being dressed up. To putting this kind of effort into her appearance, and this experience certainly won’t change that but… she has to admit. She did look nice. Morgana had been rather patient with her make up as well, before she was put in the dress. Though that was nothing more than a bit of rouge to her lips and around her eyes.
The question snaps Jori back to herself. “Oh, yes, thanks, Elphie.” She puts on a smile, trying not to feel too abandoned by the news. As much as she liked how she looked right now, Jori would have liked to at least have someone to commiserate with at the ball.
The whole thing is about as uncomfortable as Jori had expected it to be. She’s never been that good with people, made worse by the fact that she’s receiving more attention than she’s really used to. Add to that the feeling of someone staring at her that she can’t quite find, it makes her want to leave. But that would end with Elphie pouting at her and Morgana sighing disappointedly, and the rest of the party being kind of put out.
It’s not even late into the night and already she’s accidentally stepped on a nobleman’s toes when they’d asked her for a dance and she couldn’t say no. Not to mention all the rest that seemed to pop out of the woodwork to talk about themselves at her. Jori would simply avoid them if she could, but there’s too many people and too much noise for her to really notice them like she should.
It doesn’t help that the feeling of someone watching only gets worse when that happens.
She sighs into her champagne flute after managing to sneak away from some lord, finding a less crowded area by the balconies and half trying to hide behind the draperies there. With so much people inside, the ballroom felt far too stuffy, even with how large the whole place was.
Maybe it’d have been better if she managed to stick with Elphie or at the very least one of their party members. Even Morgana would have been nice. But since that first dance, she hasn’t seen anyone.
That staring she feels has only gotten worse too. But when she looks up and out of the glass doors it’s to moonlit eyes from the tree outside. She immediately relaxes, casting a glance to make sure no one saw her before sneaking out onto the balcony. The owl meets her half way to land on the balustrade, silver blue eyes all but glowing.
She pouts at him, even as her hand is already reaching out to smooth her fingers through soft feathers. He leans into it. “You know, I thought I wouldn’t be the only one so out of place here since I had you. But I can’t believe you’d abandon me like that.” There’s a teasing lilt to her voice at the end, but mostly she’s just huffy. “Especially since Elphie, Elliot, and Morgana and them just vanished once it started,” Jori says in jest, smiling a little. In truth, she hated to interrupt and ruin the night for them just because she wasn’t enjoying it.
“The whole thing just makes me feel out of place, even with the dress.” She sighs, fingers slipping away from his feathers to fold her arms on the balcony. “Not to mention the attention I’ve been getting from some of the nobles.. it’s… not bad, I just.. it’s weird. They keep talking at me about their achievements and interrupt me when I try to say anything.” Her brows furrow together, frowning properly as she looked out into the lavished gardens. “Plus, I kept accidentally stepping on their feet when they asked for dances and I feel kinda bad. I’m not even that bad of a dancer! But this whole ‘waltz’ thing is too… stiff.”
Jori sighs again, more heavily this time as she sinks into her arms. This whole noble thing seems exhausting. These balls are supposed to be fun, according to Morgana, but Jori’s been nothing but an anxious ball of stress to even be able to enjoy it properly. This is supposed to be for them too, for saving the local Lord’s child. Honestly, she would have much preferred something more private than this.
“I probably sound like a child complaining about this, huh?” She chuckles softly to herself, fingers wringing together.
“You don’t sound like a child.” Feathers rustle next to her and, as Jori looks up, a hand settles on top of her head. Erevan meets her eyes, understanding and a little guilty. Oops… she hadn’t meant to make him feel bad about it. If anything, she could have easily done what he did and sneak out whenever she wanted. She says as much when he tries to apologize.
Erevan huffs, shaking his head. “Still, I should have come to see if I could have snuck you out as well.” His hand drops, and he bumps into her side.
She laughs softly. “I’m pretty sure Morgana and Elphie would have thrown a fit if that happened.”
“They are rather persistent. Along with Elliot and the rest. They’d gotten me into this Gods forsaken suit.” Erevan scowls, but it’s exaggerated more than anything and has Jori snickering.
“Well, considering its state now, I take it this isn’t the full suit.” She gives him her own little bump.
He shakes his head, the edges of a smile on the corner of his lips. “No. The whole thing was far too constricting.”
“I can only imagine!” With what she saw Elliot and Titus in, she wouldn’t be too surprised if it was that constricting. She’s more than a little glad not to be in something like that. Though the dress she’s in did also feel too exposing. She chuckles. “How’d you get out then?”
As he goes on to explain the escape in quiet tones, Jori takes in Erevan’s appearance in full, even as she’s listening to him. He’s cleaned up well. Not that he’s ever been one to look unkempt but dressed as he is, dress shirt pressed neatly under a fitted vest, his sleeves rolled up to his elbow and putting the tattoo on his right arm on display. It kinda makes her feel a little better at the way her own tattoo peeks up above the hem at her back. That aside, it’s juxtaposed a little with the way his hair is as it always is, partially pulled back with braids at the sides with the rest wild and free and… he looks handsome like this. Far more than when they travel.
Then again, he always is striking , she thinks, flustering a little at the thought.
And then even more so when she realizes Erevan has caught her staring at him like an idiot. Jori blushes and scrambles mentally for an excuse, but he beats her to it.
“Are you cold? Perhaps you should go inside, I’m sure it’s much warmer in there than it is here.” Erevan says with quiet concern, brows slightly furrowed.
“N-no! No, not at all. I’m used to the cold anyways. You know this, since my clan lives in the mountains all winter…” His brow only goes up, and she curses her lighter complexion that she knows is growing redder by the second. Still, at least she can save face a little. “I.. I don’t want to go back in…” She says more honestly, voice quiet as she looks away.
Quiet settles between them for a moment. Long enough that Jori is prepared to simply suck it up and go back in and assure Erevan that she’s fine--which is true--not wanting to worry him. But she’s stopped with a warm hand over hers, squeezing lightly.
When she looks up, Erevan isn’t looking at her but out to the vast garden that surrounds the manor. “You don’t have to go back in, if you don’t want to,” he tells her, equally quiet. Then, glancing her way with a small, slightly mischievous smile, he adds, “Plus, the gardens seem far more interesting, don’t they?”
It had caught her eye when their party first stepped into the manor as the Lord’s guests with how meticulous and maze like it seemed on the outside. From where they stood, she could see the center of the garden.
She squeezes his hand back, heart softly fluttering in her chest as she smiles brightly in return. “They do.” A thought occurs to her and she looks down to the ground below and back into the ballroom still full of people. “How do we sneak down though? There’s no good foot holds, and I don’t think going out from inside would be easy. I’d fly with you but… well…” Jori glances over her shoulder where the embroidered hem of the dress goes far over where her wings would be.
“That’s alright, you can just ride me.” Erevan suggests, hand slipping from hers as he steps back. With a grunt, he crosses his arms over his chest and curls in, nature magic causing the air around them to swirl a little as he beastshapes into a giant owl. He ruffles his feathers, shaking himself out and hooting softly at her.
He bends down to let her on more easily, and Jori feels her heart warm, knowing full well it’s a sign of trust from him. It always is. The fact that it’s something he shares with her, out of everyone else in the party…
She smiles, running her fingers through his feathers and presses a light kiss to his head. “Thanks, Van.” And does her best not to accidentally rip the dress as she gets on. But it ends up being a delightful discovery as she notices the slit hidden in the folds of the skirt. It’s enough to let her move more freely.
Erevan glances back at her at the noise of delight she makes. “Ah, there’s a slit in the dress! I hadn’t realized till now. It’s pretty loose anyways, but I’m a lot less worried of accidentally ripping this when I move a lot.” He bristles a little under her hands, much to her confusion. Jori can’t really read him as well as an owl, but she relaxes a little more when he settles her weight on his back and takes off silently.
As short as the flight is--really only a glide from the second story balcony down to the ground--Jori still lets out a soft woop , grinning as they land and sliding off of Erevan’s back to let him dispel the wild shape.
The heels she’s been wearing get kicked off not long after, sighing to herself in relief while Erevan stretches his shoulders a little. They had started to pinch after that dance, and as small as those heels actually are, Jori still felt slightly off kilter in them. Honestly, she commends Elphie and Morgana for wearing heels taller than that and still having the balance to fight. Morgana especially, with some of the moves she’s seen the tiefling do.
“Mh~, this feels so much better!” The grass underneath her feet is cool as she wiggles her toes in it. She already feels a lot more relaxed being so far from the ball.
“I’m glad. I should hope this makes up for my earlier transgression?” Erevan has the slightest quirk to his lips as he teases, hand over his heart.
They start walking around the primed hedges.
Jori gives a thoughtful hum at the question, tapping at her chin as she looks at him. He only smiles, just a little. “I think this makes up for it, yes,” she says with feigned dignity. “I’ll forgive you this once.”
He snorts and lets his hand rest back at his side. “How gracious of you, Jori.”
“Aren’t I just?” She giggles, unable to keep in character.
The laughter is shared as they continue to wander, soft conversation trailing with them. It’s a beautiful night out. The stars glimmering above them in the darkened sky, the moon near full over head to light their way. Not that Jori and Erevan needed much with their darkvision. But it certainly gave a soothing kind of ambiance.
Romantic , as Elphie would say, but Jori quickly shoves that thought away before it can fully take root in her head. No. Just no. She refuses to let Morgana and Elphie’s teasing get the better of her. Not here at least.
Despite her best efforts, though, it continues to linger in her mind, though she tries not to let it show or bother her. It only grows as they reach the central area of the garden.
It’s far larger than what it seemed up in the balcony. Really, this could have been its own separate garden. The hedges mostly encircle the space, giving it a sense of privacy and intimacy. A willow tree stands off at the banks of a large man-made pond with a bridge crossing over it. The pond seems to glow in the moonlight, highlighting the whole scene with a muted blue hue.
“This is pretty…” Though she’s seen much grander views, the garden has a self contained sort of etherealness to it in this light. Enough so that she can’t help but be in a bit of awe about it. Mortal ingenuity at its finest. At least to her.
“For something so artificially constructed, yes.” Erevan states, looking it over with a slightly critical eye.
Jori chortles. “Yeah, but I think that’s the point in this garden. It’s more for looks than anything else.”
“True.”
They explore this little area of the gardens idly, enjoying the serenity of it with nothing but the sounds of night. It’s peaceful. Far more than the crescendo of music and constant conversation that was in the ballroom. It’s a nice change of pace, that’s for certain.
Still, ever so faintly, the songs being played are carried in the wind and picked up by their sharp ears. At this distance, it’s far more enjoyable in Jori’s mind, the melody making her sway just a little. She doesn’t even realize she’s humming it before Erevan clears his throat somewhere behind her.
She turns from where she’d been inspecting the tree--idly wondering if the branches were strong enough to climb on--and blinks. Erevan stands not too far away from her, one arm behind his back as the other is out stretched palm up.
He clears his throat again. “I know your previous dance had ended quite poorly before, and I simply thought it would be a shame if you did not get at least one good dance in, so… will you dance with me?” He’s glancing off to the side before meeting her eyes as he asks.
For a moment, Jori feels as though her heart might beat out of her chest. A soft blush takes her cheeks, flustered, but that doesn’t stop her from reaching out and setting her hand lightly over his. “I would like that,” she answers, watching as his ears flick and he gives her a small smile. She returns it with one of her own.
They press closer together, one as unsure as the other, considering neither of them know how to waltz. Even though Jori has a bit of an advantage, she’s just as clueless as Erevan as they try to see how they fit together. In the end, his hand settles on her waist, hers on his bicep, and their other hands loosely clasped.
They stare at each other for a moment.
“I.. will be honest. I had not thought this far ahead,” Erevan says, a little sheepish.
She can’t help but laugh just a little bit, smiling encouragingly up at him. “That’s fine, I don’t really know how to do this either. Maybe we can just..” She looks down at their feet and tries to lead, following the tempo of the distant orchestra.
It’s not perfect. Jori and Erevan stumble and trip over each other as often as they get the dance right. And, really, it’s all the more enjoyable for it as they laugh and snicker at their own mistakes. They, at least, have the spins and twirls down. It’s fun when they decide to pick their own pace without a worry or care. Right here and now, it’s simply just the two of them.
Elphie sidle steps closer to Morgana, taking a sip of her champagne.
“So,” the tiefling starts, inspecting her nails even underneath the lace gloves she had on, “has your little idea worked out, Elphonia?” Blue eyes side-eye her as she looks away, nervously sipping at her drink. “You lost her, didn’t you?”
“I didn’t think it was so hard to keep track of her! I made sure to borrow one of my sister’s more noticeable dresses too!” She crosses her arms. Elphie is definitely not pouting right now.
Morgana just snorts. “You underestimate Jori. Though I don’t see how. She basically acts as our rogue. Unless she wants to be seen, you won’t be able to spot her.”
“Spot who, dear?” A glass of chardonnay gets slipped into Morgana’s waiting hand, along with a swift, careful, kiss to her head, mindful of her horns. It only makes her huff and glare up at Elliot as he takes her other side.
Nonetheless, she subtly leans closer. “Jori. Elphie’s hoping to make a scene from one of those romance novels she likes so much come to life.”
“Is that so?”
“No!” Elphie manages to stop herself from screeching, but only just, blushing and pouting even more at the way both of the other nobles tease her. “I just… I’m only trying to give them a push in the right direction.” She huffs, looking away with pink cheeks.
“Oh? It seems like they’re far more separated now, though. Erevan did give us the slip after all,” Elliot points out, taking a sip of his own glass of wine.
“Please, you and Titus were the ones to lose him, not us. We at least got Jori to dress up and attend.” Morgana smirks.
“Rude.”
Elphie continues to pout, finishing her champagne, but the slight change in the conversation makes her perk, eager to tease someone else. “Well, it’s the truth right? And Jori’s the one who’s sneakier than Erevan.” She adds, grinning now.
“Jori isn’t the one who can change shape at their leisure, Elphie.” Titus gently takes the empty flute from her fingers and deftly switches it out with another glass--sparkling water this time--as one of the wait staff passes by and he settles at her side. “And if you’re looking for our resident Elves, they’re over that way.”
He points over to one of the large windows that line both sides of the ballroom, each of them leading to a balcony. Elphie, Morgana, and Elliot all lean over to look where he’s pointing. Sure enough, through the glass and only a little behind the equally tall curtains, Jori and Erevan are close to the railings, seemingly speaking to each other. What catches Elphie’s eyes in particular are their hands, Erevan’s over top of Jori’s where they rest on the balustrade.
She has to press her hand to her mouth to keep from squeeing.
“Ah, is he finally making his move on her?” Elliot observes them keenly, sipping at his glass again. “Wait, where did his coat go?”
“Not sure. I only noticed them after he got out of his wildshape. One can only assume he left it in his room or it’s somewhere in the manor.” Titus shrugs, leaning back with his arm on the table behind them.
“Well, it had better be in one piece. We paid good money for his outfit.” Morgana gripes, eyes narrowing at the lack of it and tail flicking just a little.
“I’m sure it’s fine. I’m surprised he kept on the ves--” Elphie gasps when they see Erevan turn into a giant owl with Jori quickly climbing onto his back. There’s stars in her eyes and her free hand on her cheek as they watch the two fly off. “Aw, he’s stealing her away~! How romantic.”
“We likely won’t see them until morning,” Elliot chuckles into his wine, a gleam in his eyes as he glances to the rest of their gathered party.
Morgana lets out a snort, drinking from her glass. “Please, if Erevan is as much of a druid as Daisy is, we probably won’t see them till after noon.”
“Could place bets on it,” is Titus’s suggestion, to which Morgana and Elliot seem tempted by.
“That’s only if they confess tonight though,” Elphie can’t help but point out. She’s a little displeased about this devolving to bets, even if she’s placing her own to it.
“Oh, if not, they might still enjoy a bit of a romp.” That smirk is back on Morgana’s face, almost smug. “I know who designed and tailored that dress she’s wearing. They have quite the habit of hiding some rather risqué slits behind the folds of those skirts. Erevan likely won’t be able to resist it all too long. Especially since it seems like Jori’s already found it, trying to get on his back.”
Elliot nods sagely. “He does seem to be a thighs man.”
“So, bets?”