armwriostle | ♦ [INBOX] ♦

Rest assured, I find myself with quite the excess of free time.

( unfortunately he has not learned to 'slut it up' yet and therefore remains with a wealth of free time on his hands. )

But are you certain you wouldn't mind? I wouldn't wish to impose.

[Wow, when will Neuvillette let him help him with getting into his slut era???]

Why would I mind?
Should I be more forward?
Neuvillette, join me from tea. I enjoy your company and hope you will indulge me.

I have months worth of time to make up for the lack of meetings together after all.

[Wriothesley isn't quite saying it out right, but he missed Fontaine and he missed what he had Fontaine, so having a bit of that here now has him craving it a little bit.]

( when he stops being helpful in every other way, wrio has done too much!!! )

Shall I schedule a recurring meeting with you then, so that we might make up for lost time?

( not a joke; he WILL send an invite for a series of recurring meetings if wriothesley says yes. once he figures out how to, that is. if only sedene were here. )

But very well. In that case, I will see you in thirty minutes.

( why thirty minutes? stay tuned. )

[But he wants to help. Especially with the slut era part.]

Do you think I would say no to that?
Watch out. I'll start asking about if you slept around for that week.

[The text seems to be teasing, but there's some legitimate concern on Wriothesley's side. He knows that the suits are rather temperamental, but keeping them at bay and taking care of one's health requires having sex regularly.]

?
Well, that gives me time to prepare tea and snacks.
See you soon.

[Sir? He will not ask. Maybe Neuvillette needs time freshening up or getting ready. He doesn't know what skincare routine he might have.]

( three things happen within the span of the next 30 minutes:

the first is, as promised, a recurring calendar invite sent some ten minutes after his last message (because he'd needed to flag down someone for assistance in puzzling out yet another function on his watch). set for a duration of an hour, it's simply titled TEA TIME, with wriothesley and neuvillette as the attendees, and a rather thorough description with various (official-sounding) notes that include the option to lengthen or shorten the duration of the meeting, the option to invite other attendees as needed, and the understanding that either party might be allowed to miss the meeting should extenuating circumstances arise.

you can take the man out of court but you can't take the court out of the man.

the second is a much shorter message sent some fifteen minutes after the calendar invite, briefly informing wriothesley of neuvillette's imminent arrival in approximately the next five minutes.

the third (and last) is the sharp knock at wriothesley's door, signaling the actual arrival of the man himself, dressed down in one of the outfits they'd purchased the other week, a small bag of pastries held in one hand. by way of explanation: )

It seemed rude not to bring anything.

( he'd been assured they were perfectly innocent pastries, so hopefully they aren't laced with anything. )

[How could he not laugh? The automatic invite was funny as much as it was endearing. It screamed Neuvillette to the T, and he could imagine one of the Melusines skipping to him, letter in hand, to inform him of his meeting with the Iudex. Neuvillette truly took it to heart, but instead of finding it annoying, he was merely fond.

Like the sea breeze to the smell of metal and rust, to the sweet notes of a freshly brewed pot of tea; it felt a little like Fontaine had returned to warm even the coldest chill.

It puts him in a good mood to say the least, so he answers the door with little hesitation. He laughs a little. Ever so thoughtful. Had he really grown to miss the people from home that much? He hadn't realized.

Wriothesley steps aside to let Neuvillette in.] How thoughtful. I believe they'll go well with tea. Everything in the living room is set up so you can make yourself at home. [He's pleased to see that Neuvillette had warmed up to his new wardrobe. Wriothesley himself was dressed more casual. He still wore his waistcoats and ornate jackets, but today he was merely wearing slacks and a hoodie thrown over his shirt.]

Let's get settled and you can tell me what's on your mind.

( accepting the invitation to enter, neuvillette steps inside, following the casual instruction given to head towards the living room. He's a little more familiar with wriothesley's suite now and there's no hesitation as he moves through the entranceway and towards the couch. )

Have you been well, Wriothesley? Amidst all the ( a vague hand gesture through the air as he takes a seat primly at one end of the couch ) recent chaos.

( the cherubs, the angels, the way the resort seems to have transformed into a child's play place. )

[Wriothesley had already set up an afternoon tea spread of some kind in preparation. He had chosen a simple peach tea and had laid out some biscuits, not realizing Neuvillette was going to bring pastries. Well, he can just put them back in the tin later.

He does fetch a plate for them to put the pastries on before starting to pour both of them a cup each.]

Oh? Oh, right. This is your first time experiencing one of their games. You get used to them, though it's something new everytime. I'll admit that incapacitating the cherubs was a nice change in pace than hitting a striking dummy or punching bag. [Wriothesley, no.

He laughs a little sheepishly though.] I got engaged once and married once, so I can't say it was bad? [The punishment room that opened up was wild to say the least.]

( he

what?

for all that neuvillette is a dragon, he looks awfully owlish now, lilac eyes wide and blinking, one outstretched arm frozen in midair on its way to fetch a glass of water. barely a month here and he's already been met with as many shocking revelations as the entirety of his tenure as chief justice. )

To...someone here?

( ??????? please clarify. )

[The shocked expression Neuvillette has on his face makes Wriothesley chuckle. He can’t help it even if he kind of misled the other. He drops two cubes of sugar into his cup before waving his hand dismissively. He better explain himself before Neuvillette truly takes his word at face value. Catching the man by surprise is enough.]

It didn’t actually happen. Well, it kind of depends on how you look at it. This place has some punishment rooms that aren’t usually accessible, but one opened up and I decided to check them out. I didn’t go alone. [he continues to explain as he stirs a spoon in his cup.] I’m not sure if it’s desire or anything but it felt like a dream. Like we were in a dream of a perfect life and at the cusp of true happiness, they deny you that moment to play out.

[It’s cruel. If he were someone else, he could see having that wrenched out of his hands as devastating.]

I almost got engaged to Clorinde and I almost got married to my boyfriend. [He doesn’t think much about the words that slip from his mouth as he lifts his cup to sip his tea.]

Well, who doesn’t like a bit of a fairytale dream.

( the arm slowly retracts, his hands once again settling into his lap. (the water can wait.)

punishment indeed, to be granted a vision of a future most perfect only to have it so abruptly taken away. though he admittedly can't envision clorinde and wriothesley as a pair together, despite how much he might commend them both as individuals. perhaps his imagination simply isn't strong enough.

his poker face certainly isn't, whatever composure he's managed to reassemble together once again disrupted by a second unexpected piece of news. )

Your boyfriend? So you are seeing someone here.

( there's still surprise, yes, but beyond that is curiosity, a genuine desire to learn more about both wriothesley and the man that's managed to capture the attention of someone as elusive as the duke of meropide himself. )

Oh.

[It wasn’t that he was keeping his relationship with Kizuna a secret, but he also was a private person. He wasn’t the type to flaunt it around and he much preferred to enjoy and appreciate his lover without it needing to be a spectacle. Of course, that meant he also rarely talked about them in such a capacity because it rarely came up in conversation.

It’s not like you want to hear someone was poetic about their lover while they’re having sex with you.

He rubs the back of his neck sheepishly. It’s rare for him to act a little shy.] Yeah, I’m seeing someone. You know the door that goes into another suite? It’s connected to his suite. I spoke about him before, though I don’t know if you two have met. His name is Kizuna.

[He taps his foot against the floor. A small sign of nervousness. It’s less about talking about Kizuna and because Wriothesley hated be the center of attention. That hasn’t changed in the year of being here.]

( without a crystal goblet of water obscuring his face or the physical barrier of an office desk separating the two, his emotions are easy to read, clear as the reflected sky in a still lake's surface.

surprise, wonder, and then true joy, breaking over his face like an early morning sunrise. The smile on his face probably helps too. )

My felicitations to you both.

( the name does ring a bell, and ties together the little pieces he's seen around wriothesley's suite, signs of a life lived that don't fully belong to the man living there. it would have been enough to simply have been the recipient of clorinde's recommendation or wriothesley's, but to have both? the man's intrigue only grows. )

I have not had the chance to meet him yet, no, but Clorinde did say that I would be welcome to call on him should I ever find myself in need of assistance.

( given his connection to wriothesley, no doubt it's only a matter of time before he runs into the other man. )

He must be quite the upstanding person, for both you and Clorinde to speak of him so highly.

( he knows well of wriothesley's reluctance to share too much about himself, a boundary he's not willing to push, but neuvillette can't help but find himself curious all the same. )

[Wriothesley is one to watch a person's body language with a keen eye. It was born for the sake of survival, but now it was more habit than anything. Reading a person is good for him and his role as administrator.

Neuvillette had become a man that he had grown very accustomed to reading, though they were making it quite easy.

What he isn't expecting was the man to look so happy for him. It catches him off guard, even if he knows that Neuvillette has wished for his happiness for quite awhile. Especially because Neuvillette had held onto guilt for his sentencing.

He rubs the back of his neck sheepishly, feeling a little shy about it all suddenly.] Thanks. [Despite it, there's a smile he can't help that he hides behind the rim of his teacup. Still, it was a fond gaze as he thinks about Kizuna. Truly a man so hopelessly in love.]

He would be happy to assist in anyway possible, really. He's got a bleeding heart, the fool. [Though, Kizuna was far from reckless. Wriothesley hasn't even realized that a lot of that was probably because they were together.]

If you need anything and Clorinde nor I are available, you can reach out to him and I'm sure he'll be more than happy to assist. He's kind and sweet. He's quite fond of people. [He doesn't mention Kizuna's empathy. It wasn't his to tell, after all.] He's sharp though. Good at adapting. I didn't realize he came up in conversation with Clorinde. [While Wriothesley is a more private person, he can't help but talk about Kizuna. And well, he has been also trying to become a little more open here and there. To his comfort, of course.]

Edited 2025-03-13 13:39 (UTC)

She mentioned him as someone trustworthy, and someone to turn to with questions if neither of the two of you were available.

( in an echo of wriothesley himself. but then again, the two of them have always worked well together; it's no surprise that their thought processes might occasionally also converge.

but...intelligent, adaptable, possessed of a kind heart. words he could easily use to describe another man in the room, if only he would accept such compliments. though maybe he does from kizuna himself. neuvillette can only hope. it's the least of what he deserves. wriothesley and clorinde both, if he's honest. two of the people he trusts most both inside and out of fontaine, and for whom he hopes the waters will always be smooth and uneventful. )

Was he someone you met when you first arrived here?

Hah, exactly what I said. [His smile is somewhat amused. Of course, Clorinde was likeminded about their opinions of Kizuna. He imagines she wouldn't have been agreeable about his feelings of them if she did not approve of him. Work wives looking out for each other and all.]

Well, I hope stunning reviews from both of us will put you at ease.

[Sorry. He's personally allergic to compliments. He can say them, but receiving them will make him break out in hives or something. Though, Wriothesley has changed and grown since arriving here. If there's one thing that Wriothesley has finally been willing to do was to be more selfish instead of putting literally everyone's needs before his own.]

No, he arrived later than I. I was already here a couple of months before he arrived. [He scratches at his cheek with his index finger. He looks a little embarrassed.] Though, I guess I was already head over heels on our first meet. I didn't realize it though.

[Look, get you a man who literally experiences your memory of killing your foster parents and still being into you. A little unhinged, but apparently Kizuna sees whatever Neuvillette and Clorinde sees in him on the get go. Damn empaths.

Also the true character development is continuing to talk about this and not change subjects. He's trying his best since Wriothesley knows he's the type to carefully lead conversations away from anything pertaining him usually. It's a conscious effort to open up a little even if it's strange to talk to Neuvillette about these kind of matters from his side (he would always be willing to listen to any of Neuvillette's personal affairs if they offer it to him).] Actually, it'll be a year of him and I knowing each other this month.

( proud of you for that character development, king ⭐

the mention of their first meeting has neuvillette smiling, a small and quiet thing. )

It sounds like it must have been quite the meeting.

( for wriothesley to label himself as head over heels. it's not a side of wriothesley he's ever seen before, but he doubts there's anyone in the world who's had the honor of seeing all sides of the mysterious duke of meropide. though with kizuna now in the mix, perhaps things are different.

though once again he's startled into silence, this time less in shock and more in pleasure. )

A one year anniversary of your first meeting....do you plan to celebrate?

( the stream of time has always flowed differently for him, with years often passing as minutes, but as far as he understands things, humans have always liked to celebrate important milestones. )

More than you know.

[He won't get into details since he doesn't want to bring up his sentencing nor did he know how to reveal it without exposing Kizuna's abilities. It would be preposterous to anyone for Wriothesley to open up about that part of his life to a stranger. If not for the circumstances, he wouldn't have in the first place.

Wriothesley looks a little embarrassed though. A slight dusting of pink on his cheeks and the tips of his ears. How often does he get embarrassed?]

I don't think we officially decided anything together. I have just considered spending at least the night with him. [The implication of that probably sounds suggestive, but surprisingly, he just thinks bringing a nice whiskey over and canoodling on the couch is his idea of a good night to spend it.]

We've gotten off topic, haven't we? You came here to talk to me about something. [He's getting shy about being in the spotlight.]

( quietly, almost as if to himself: )

That sounds lovely.

( but maybe he's also biased, as a creature who loves the dark and damp and who prefers to recline in quiet solitude rather than noisy fete. ironic really that he'd ended up as furina's companion for so long, so often dragged against his will into the spotlight by her demands.

and now that the spotlight's been once again beamed back on him, enveloping him in its bright glow, it's his turn to feel self-conscious, neuvillette keenly aware of the oddity of his request. )

I did, yes. Though I'm not quite sure how to best broach the subject. ( though given the subject matter of moments prior, perhaps it might not be so bad? hmmm. ) When you were first getting to know Kizuna, did you find your mind occupied with thoughts of him?

( oh, but this sounds prying, doesn't it? he quickly backtracks, contrite. )

I merely wish to compare my own experiences with yours. You needn't answer if you find yourself uncomfortable.

All the time. There's rarely a time that he isn't on my mind. [A lesser man might be embarrassed to say that, but Wriothesley is ever so honest and he meant it. Kizuna was a constant on his mind. They were someone he thought about casually in passing. Things like what they might be doing or if they've eaten. He has thought of everything at least once when it comes to Kizuna.

And he doesn't hesitate to voice it. If Neuvillette needed to figure something out by hearing his words, then so be it.

Though, he's going to tease a little.] Oh~? Neuvillette~? Have you already gotten an eye on someone here? I didn't realize our lovely Iudex is so quick. [And let him be curious. When and who on Teyvat did Neuvillette interact with that they're pondering over this??

A chuckle.] Neuvillette. It would be almost impossible for you to ask something that would make me uncomfortable. I would like to think that our relationship is strong enough that we can talk freely.

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