(open | november log)

[fulgency]

Who: Ozymandias + you (some closed starters as well)
When: Noveuer
Where: Aefenglom (Residential, Aristocratic, and Entertainment Districts), Mhysadei (farmland beyond the Wall), & the Wilde
What: Ozymandias starts surveying and problem-solving for the issues of overcrowding in the Residential District, suffers tea time with old rich women, and tries to do his best taking care of a farm that was left behind. He also has some private 1:1 chats with some folks.
Warnings: Animal death (via hunting) with the Wilde prompt; will update as needed

residential district | aristocratic district | entertainment district (closed) | mhysadei + the wilde
((ooc: feel free to riff off any of the open prompts if you would like. if you need/want to run something by me before you do that, you can either pm this journal or shoot me a message on plurk [rebreather]. same goes with if you would like to have a private starter!))

Comments

residential district;

[fulgency]

(open)

Excuse me. Would you mind settling a debate?

[Up until this point, Ozymandias has been going back and forth with the Naga he brought along with him. It's possible that snippets of their spirited debate traveled far enough that the impending question to settle the debate is probably fairly clear: would you want to live here? Where Ozymandias sees potential, his companion is more doubtful. She thinks the likelihood of anyone with other options would ever consider living so close to the Harbor District. Even with a nicer building to call home than the one that currently occupies the space. Fortunately, the intensity of their debate merely seems to be an affectation of two very loud individuals and not a consequence of mood as neither seems to be more than mildly exasperated that the other cannot be convinced to see it their way.]

[It shouldn't prove too dangerous to weigh in, although the Naga behind Ozymandias wears and amused and certain smile that she's about to be proven completely correct.]

(closed to council members)

Here's another.

[Ozymandias speaks loudly, over the sound of the rain. Most would probably think it insane to be standing outside right now while the rains are beginning to pick up again, but if Ozymandias makes the decision to wait on this, then it will not be until the spring at the earliest. They need to start getting a sense of which lots may be the most...enticing to Parliament to renovate.]

[The "another" that Ozymandias is referring to is yet another lot that is not being put to any use. It's unknown if the building belongs to anyone or not, but the light emanating from one of the windows is far, far more likely that of a squatter than the owner. The building itself seems to be in shambles and cannot be providing much by way of warmth or even dry shelter, having caught fire during the summer under the assault of the pixies that tore through the city.]

That's the fifth one on this block alone and I haven't a clue yet what it is we shall do with those who have been squatting in these homes.

(closed to edelgard)

My apologies for my tardiness. This weather is...

[Ozymandias does not bother filling in an adjective for it, his gaze moving in the direction of the rain beating against the window. What had started off a steady drizzle has now built itself into frenzied sheets and thrown the city into darkness. He managed to just beat the worst of the rain, and most of his person is blessedly still dry. Though his pantlegs and shoes bear some of the burdens of quickly making one's way over uneven coblestone. He'll probably fuss over the mud later, but for now he hardly cares. He's just glad to be inside where it's warmer and much dryer on the whole.]

[The waitstaff pulls Ozymandias' chair out for him, pushing it in as he takes his seat.]

I hope you were not waiting for long. I know it is a bit past when you would normally prefer to retire for the day.

[He turns briefly to the waiter, declining the menu, and provides his order. He passes on the food this time, but orders himself a hot chocolate. He can't bring himself to drink tea today. He's had more than enough tea to last him a lifetime as of late.]

Closed.

[unyieldingmarch]

[Edelgard had been waiting, yes, but not long. The weather made it easier to travel, and her umbrella kept the worst of the water off of her. It'd been simple enough getting here, with enchanted objects like that.

She smiles as Ozymandias sits, already having ordered herself a cup of tea.]

It's quite alright. I can stay awake without any difficulties. I rather like the rain, if I'm honest.

I trust all is well?

[fulgency]

Thankfully, yes.

[The loss of Daenerys was one he was still somewhat recovering from personally, but at least magically speaking, he had already made his recovery from the loss. Having his other Bonded eased the transition for him significantly. Now it was just a matter of allowing things to be as they were, to accept that perhaps his decision to hold back with her had been somewhat a mistake, and to not repeat it again.]

[He smiles, the expression light and mildly amused. With a small chuckle, he says,]

Though I do always hope I am not speaking too soon when it comes to such things.

And what of you?

[unyieldingmarch]

Much the same. Things are going generally in my favor.

[Losing Corrin aside, she has Hubert and Byleth around. And both of them are quite adequate, reliable, and steadying presences in her life.]

With Morgana dealt with, my business can resume. And the festivals lately have been pleasant.

[chefalier]

[As he hears someone call out to him, Sanji turns slightly to look at the other man, slightly breathing out a puff of smoke as he observes Ozymandias. Not anyone he's seen before, so guess he just got randomly chosen for this intervention. Fine.]

Yeah, sure. [He looks from Ozymandias to his companion trailing behind him, not quite certain what the debate was even about. But that's okay, because there's only one right way to answer him, no matter what the debate actually was. He settles the umbrella he's holding against him, above his head, before inclining his chin slightly.]

She's right.

[Simple enough to Sanji.]

[fulgency]

[Both Ozymandias and his Naga companion pull a face at that sudden certainty when neither has even made mention to this man what they were discussing, or what their positions are.]

Were you listening to our discussion?

[chefalier]

Nah, didn't need to.

[Somehow, Sanji is completely serious though, his face unchanging despite admitting that he really has no idea what their debate was even about. That's because he has some infallible logic that can applied to every situation:]

The lady is always correct and a real man should always listen to her.

[Yep, he's still completely serious.]

aristocratic district;

[fulgency]

(open)

[Ozymandias nudges his companion beside him gently with an elbow. Laughing amicably at the joke that was told as though it was the first time he's heard it today, his eyes are still trained on the older women at the table. But beneath the table, what he's passing over to the person beside him is a small flask. He's attended enough of these little tea parties at this point to know what's needed to get through the repetitious and yet endless cycle of gossip and polite smear campaigns against the women who couldn't attend today.]

I think there is something we all enjoy about a forbidden love though, don't you think, Adelaine?

[He keeps the attention away so that one might pour a bit of rum into their tea while everyone is focused on Adelaine's response.]

[When not providing a way of coping with the gossip, he does at least provide advice, too, at the beginning or when there's a reshuffling of tables to avoid an entirely unpleasant experience.]

I wouldn't sit there.

[Maybe it's because that's Caryn seat and sitting there will invite a 20-minute long passive-aggressive tirade about the seat until it spurns her fellow ladies to ask you to move only for her to "not really" want the spot. Or maybe Ora will be sitting nearby and no amount of perfumes in the world can mask a life-long habit of smoking. Or you may find yourself subjected to Sabine if you choose to sit there. Maybe not such a big deal for a Witch, but a Monster may find themselves losing patience with her comments. Either way, he provides a quiet explanation and motions for you to find somewhere else.]

(closed to chariot + croix)

Thank the gods you're here.

[Ramesses presses a kiss to Chariot's cheek, keeping his voice low. She barely managed to step through the door before he politely excused himself from his table to help her get settled. Ramesses helps her out of her coat, passing it off to the nearby servant who takes it to hang it up with the others. Taking Chariot's hands into his, he warms them gently with a small spell to start taking the chill from outside out of her. Keeping his voice quiet, he continues,]

Adelaine has told me the story of her friend's granddaughter and her infatuation with a Turnskin that works down at the docks at least three times now while Lucilla keeps "accidentally" moving her foot into my leg under the table. And if I'm not mistaken, she keeps trying to aim higher.

[Put Ramesses in a room full of bureaucrats and statesmen, he shines. Stick him with a bunch of very bored, old, rich women who want to gossip more than they wish to discuss business, and he starts to get a little antsy. Hence why he could not get to her fast enough. Although he did well in making his urgency seem more due to seeing a lover (much to Lucilla's chagrin) rather than a desperate want of escaping the conversation. No doubt the old women are now filling the void with a discussion of Chariot.]

[But he takes a breath. Chariot is here, and he won't have to tolerate this by himself any longer. Even if she's not the most eloquent in these kinds of situations, just having the camaraderie is enough for Ramesses to feel he can be more centered and remain charming as he hears another line about how one of these women lamenting how they wish there was more they could do than merely provide the funds all the while everyone at the table knowing they won't lift a finger beyond that. He smiles, chuckling warmly as he brings her hands up to kiss her fingertips.]

So, it's going wonderful so far.

[Releasing one of her hands, Ramesses adjust his hold on her remaining hand to bring her further into the estate to meet with the women holding the purse strings. It's then that he notices someone else just behind Chariot, standing close enough to imply that they came together. He looks from her to Chariot, and then back again. He's curious more than anything.]

Who is this, my love?

[beariot]

[ She'd rarely seen him so flustered and relieved by her presence as she was witnessing then, and it was almost novel enough to feel like she wish she had a way to encapsulate the moment, to preserve it for future generations. She figured this was probably the part of him that Fang loved to tease so much, the part of him out of his element and flying blind. Not that she had any lack of faith in his ability to do so.

Really, the lack of faith was, unsurprisingly, in herself. It was part of the reason she was slightly late at all. Dressing up for the occasion hadn't been the difficult part at all, since she was used to formal dinners to some degree both in Aefenglom and back at Luna Nova. But she's always struggled with the actual social aspects of those events. She always felt awkward, a fumble away from ruining the image of the faculty. ]

R-remember when I said I had a secret weapon, for this little event?

[ And she was remembering, rather distinctly, that she'd completely neglected to tell Croix thus far just how close she and Ramesses really were. Well... she'd settle that cat and bag situation later, she supposed. But it didn't make her appear any less nervous. ]

This is Croix Meridies. She's... a fellow teacher. From Luna Nova.

[roombamastermind]

[Croix stiffens as the scene plays out before her; the sight of someone being so close to Chariot is both alarming and a bit unwelcome to her, for reasons Croix is unable to immediately comprehend. But she's at the very least aware of it enough to force it down where she can deal with it later.

So instead, she simply smiles and lets out a short laugh, and steps forward. Chariot had invited her because she was always better at approaching investors and making deals; this would be no different, and she at least had a vested interest in being on good terms with someone close to Chariot.]

Charmed! Chariot and I have known each other for ages... and yes, I'm the 'secret weapon', as it were.

[fulgency]

[Chariot's words of introduction for Croix are casual, conflicting with her tone which is more aligned with Croix's implication of a long-standing history. Were Chariot's words true, it would not be quite so...unbalancing as failure to mention a co-worker's arrival is not much of anything. But failure to mention someone she shares a history with? Ramesses ultimately had not been surprised by Fang's decision to do so, but he is a little taken aback by Chariot's. It makes Croix's own means of introducing herself prickle at him just a touch, unusually finding it far too casual given his station and questioning just how much of who he is has been shared with this woman. No possibility on that front feels particularly better than the other as even if she has been clued into everything...]

[Still, there is very little sign of any such thoughts crossing his mind. They are in a public setting, particularly one in which there is a great deal riding upon things going well and Ramesses is nothing if not well-versed in how to conduct himself. He may have been raised a soldier first, but he was still always raised a prince. The only outward sign of any potential distress comes in the form in the barest of flickers to his smile, his breath pausing for that moment before becoming subtly audible with his next exhale and shoring his smile back into place. It may very well escape Croix's notice altogether or be mistaken for amusement, but it's possible Chariot catches it before Ramesses tamps it down. This is not the place to discuss such personal matters, and he shall make the decision to trust Chariot's reasoning for now. She is deserving of the benefit of the doubt for why this was kept from him. Ramesses gives Chariot's hand a light squeeze.]

Excellent, [he says warmly, glossing entirely over his own introduction and assuming (or at least hoping) Chariot did that much.] Come, I shall introduce you both.

[He keeps his hold on Chariot's hand as he leads them to the metaphorical lion's den.]

entertainment district (closed);

[fulgency]

(closed to gilgamesh)

[In their lifetimes, it would be somewhat unheard of for two men of their standing to come together like this. It would more likely that intermediaries would speak on their behalf to the other, relaying various expressions of genuine respect or perhaps even backhanded compliments. But it has been so very long since that time, and it really is not the most effective means for either one of them to communicate. And so, all it took was the King of Heroes making the request for some of the King of Kings' time to explain what it is he has missed in his time away from a political perspective. Normally such discussions should perhaps take place over a fine meal and even better wine, but if they were to abandon other trappings of formality, they might as well do away with the whole of it.]

[And so, they are seated amongst the pillows, each with a kitten or two occupying some part of their body.]

I was surprised they were so supportive of the garden. Much of the aristocracy of this city have their own private gardens and what they cannot provide for themselves, they receive from the outlying farms or purchasing through the markets. So, they've little need for a communal space.

But I believe some perceive themselves as charitable and are willing to act with whatever minimal amount of generosity is required to maintain such a perception.

[He pauses a moment there to allow the King of Heroes to mull over his words and take a sip of his coffee, which he has been balancing on a raised, bent knee with his free hand. The other pets the kitten that's decided to occupy the c circle of his folded leg and sleep soundly, exhausted from its earlier play.]

(closed to sylvia)

How are you, Sylvia?

[Ozymandias recognizes that the question is likely a loaded one for a number of reasons. For one, he is her boss and any question he asks seems to come with a certain degree of implicit pressure to her. For another, it is his understanding that one of the recent losses among the Mirrorbound employees was known to her. (Ozymandias never quite sussed out how they knew each other, of course, finding it to be hardly a concern of his, but he at least noticed their familiarity with each other.) So, he does not anticipate an easy or quick answer from her even with a small lull between rushes. It still seems important for him to ask, however, and that is precisely what has him leaning on the opposite side of the counter from her to ask.]

[stardustish]

[ Sylvia is pretty out of it while working during this particular shift. Yoosung was her housemate and someone she considered a friend, and given the amount of housemates she's lost recently (on top of other things) she's really not in the mood to talk about it much. Still, though, she finds it hard to lie to Ozy since he's her boss, and she's in the middle of drying one of the dishes when he addresses her. ]

How am I?

[ A pause, then: ]

I'm alright. Hanging in there, haha -- but that's like everyone else, right?

[ These past few weeks have been a lot. ]

What about you, Boss?

[fulgency]

[Ozymandias trusts her answer. Not that it's the full truth necessarily, a true full inventory of her life as it stands right now, but this precise moment that she is alright. So, he doesn't scrutinize it or press for more, nodding instead to her question.]

I am doing well. I have quite a bit to occupy my time.

[Staying busy, he finds, always helps with grief. Gives it somewhere to place the energy. But in general, for Ozymandias, he does not do well with remaining idle. Sylvia herself has perhaps observed on a few occasions where Ozymandias seems to look for things to do even when he already has something before him.]

There is something I would like your assistance with as my time is somewhat limited right now with my responsibilities to the Council, but I acknowledge that it may be a bit of a sore subject for you right now. You need not accept it if you truly do not feel able right now.

[gilgamess]

[ indeed, this manner of political transaction, were one to classify such a casual-seeming encounter through the language of formal terms, would be highly unusual in Uruk. though both men are given to indolence and pleasure, a meeting of Kings would occasion finery and luxurious indulgence -- wine, feasting, entertainment from singers and dancers, to name merely a few of the pleasures that two kings might enjoy when conducting a political correspondence between their nations in more ancient times.

in Geardagas, Gilgamesh is, once again, bereft of his vault and his wealth. of course, viewed from another perspective, these are merely physical trappings: no worldly power may remove what makes the core of a man, and the King of Heroes is far more than glitter and gold. as one who ruled in his earlier life as an autocrat, he is also unused to playing nice with others. but he is (for all that it might not be readily apparent, given his demeanor) more than capable of pragmatism when necessity dictates. the King of Heroes can acknowledge that this Mirrorbound Council is, at the least, an intriguing experiment on behalf of many who were once kings and emperors in their own lands, as well as certain among the citizenry who simply evince a desire to bring about change to the city. there is a certain ambition to that which stirs his own interest.

moreover, whatever tension they may hold as former Servants who might have faced one another in a Grail War, as well as ancient heroes and kings with enormous and often conflicting egos, Gilgamesh does respect Ozymandias as much as he is capable of respecting a man. considering all of this, and considering that there is no other immediate method for effecting change within the city proper, he is willing to attend such an audience. his abrasive temperament may seem to soften, if slightly, amid the ambience of the coffee smell (a drink which he also partakes of) and the soft purr of the kittens. ]

Ah, but that is to be expected, is it not? [ for his own part, Gilgamesh's pose looks something like this, as he unhurriedly strokes the cats, often looking down at them as his hands brush over their heads. ] In your own kingdom, Sun-King, though many of your monuments may have been to your own glory, certainly many among your public works were done with some thought towards procuring loyalty among the lower classes.

[ though it was a different context, of course. as a God-King, Ozymandias would have been worshipped by his people regardless.

still, even if they may be tyrant-kings, a tyrant-king who cannot sate at least some of his citizenry's appetites is likely to meet a gruesome end. history taught that lesson well enough. Gilgamesh has no higher opinion of the Parliament than Ozymandias does, but from a strict longevity perspective, it would be foolish not to at least cede some measures to the poor and to orphans. one need not be particularly generous or warm-hearted to see the social value in doing so. thus, in one sense, Gilgamesh is not surprised by this outcome. ]

That said, I shall grant you congratulations on your success, Sun-King. It would seem that this Parliament can be quite resistant to accommodating the efforts of the Mirrorbound Council.

[ now that he is here, Gilgamesh thinks... well, he intends to bring his own sort of rhetorical force and social persuasion to bear. and just how that will turn out... remains to be seen. ]

[fulgency]

[Ozymandias rests his forearm atop his knee, allowing his hand to tip slightly downward with the weight of the mug in his hand. While they may share in proclivities to a great extent, the differences in their philosophies at times appear vast.]

[God-King though he may be, Ozymandias has never viewed his authority as existing independent from the divine will of his gods. Unlike Gilgamesh, he always sought to serve his purpose rather than fight against it or completely recreate it. Thus, it is never a matter of loyalty when he makes the decision to do some form of public work that enhances the lives of those with the least. He is simply upholding ma'at as he was always intended to do.]

I would never tolerate any official under my rule to behave as those within Parliament do. I am not naive enough to believe that they never behave in a selfish manner, but those they have authority over are under their primary responsibility. To abuse them in such a manner as Parliament has those within the Outer City would not stand.

[Even the lowest of peasants still had the ability to petition against the landowners in Ozymandias' courts. And they would be listened to just as seriously as those landowners.]

sphinx kitten rescue!

[velvetshot]

( Yazoo is met with the pleasing aroma of tea and fresh pastries when he steps into the Purramid Cafe, a relatively content, gently twinkling sphinx cat nestled into the cradle of his arms. He isn't entirely sure what he'd expected but it certainly hadn't been this: a light, cosy establishment with floor-to-ceiling windows and plenty of open space, busy enough to feel lively but clearly a place that people come to study as well as to work. When the stranger who stopped him had directed him to the "cat cafe" Yazoo's stomach had immediately sunk, but this? This is nice.

... The sphinxes are even nicer. It isn't the prospect of giving up his new (and in his mind, first) friend that had encouraged him to pay the cafe a visit, but rather an unusual sense of responsibility towards it — and to any brothers or sisters that it might have. Yazoo's understanding of family is perhaps a little different to the more usual definitions, but something in his blood pulls at him around these silly creatures in the same way it does around Loz, Kadaj, or even Sephiroth. While it doesn't yet make much sense to him, it's an instinct he's been unable to ignore.

The dark slits of his pupils widen visibly as he takes in the sight of more sphinx kittens bounding around what appears to be a purpose-built cat tree. The bundle in his arms seems to shiver with recognition as its decorated head turns towards the glitter of the other kittens, and Yazoo has to shift just a little to keep it in the wrap of his arms. As he does so, he's distracted by a flurry movement over by the tree, and he lets his attention drift towards a man with golden eyes being warmly greeted by the sphinxes.

Hm. Perhaps he'll be of some use.

Yazoo crosses the cafe floor, a streak of black and glossy silver against the otherwise light decor. )

... Excuse me.

( Soft, but cool. Yazoo tilts his head just so as he continues: )

Are you familiar with these creatures? They seem to like you.

[fulgency]

[Ozymandias offers his hand to one of the kittens that quickly scales the tree to be close to him. The sphinx does not even bother with sniffing his hand, setting right to full-body rubbing on it. One of its siblings makes the bold leap from tree to Ozymandias' shoulder followed quickly by another while one on the floor winds itself around his ankles. Familiar as the sphinxes are with him, it appears that he is also accustomed to this level of attention from them as he scarcely seems to mind those on his shoulders or the one making it impossible for him to take a step further if that was Ozymandias' intention to do as much.]

I should hope so. I am the one who summoned them. [He turns his gaze from the cub on the tree and over toward Yazoo. He does not think much of the kitten within his arms since it is roughly the same size as the sphinxes currently invading his personal space. For all he knows and without counting the kittens, Yazoo merely picked the sphinx up from elsewhere in the cafe before approaching.] I take it this is your first time visiting?

mhysadei + the wilde;

[fulgency]

(working on the farm)

[After the shock of her sheep being slaughtered, Edre's health began to fail. Daenerys tended to the old woman, making sure her basic needs were cared for, and her livestock could find better protection during the full moons. While her strength returned, those who had previously received some shelter from Edre, refugees from Dorchacht, agreed to assist in keeping the farm running while she recovered. When Daenerys and Jorah left this world, presumably for their own, Edre's health took another dip, not so much from a lack of care as it was grief. It's been slow-going for her to recover from that loss, and there are times and days when it seems uncertain if she should ever return to her full strength again.]

[Ozymandias cannot be out there as often he thinks he probably should. Most of his responsibilities, after all, are tied up within the city. But when he is able, he ventures out beyond the Wall to Mhysadei. And he never apologizes for the lengths of his absences or the unpredictability with which he visits her less because of his usual royal entitlement and knowing that Edre would never accept them. It's only at night when he sits with her and she "convinces" him to allow her a bit of wine that they ever stop to reminiscence and regret the loss of Daenerys Stormborn of House Targaryen.]

[The rest of the time, she carries on as if nothing is amiss, barking orders to him as though he were nothing more than a farmhand and seems keen on attempting to run him ragged. Ozymandias does not seem to mind it much though, allowing her to also continue the ruse that she supposedly thinks him a Puca rather than Witch because of his golden eyes.]

[Ozymandias takes the lead from one of the horses, leading it over to its stall. There had been a break in the weather, and the horses had been set to graze. But one of the showers began to build and there was a distant rumble. That was all it took to start quickly getting all the livestock that needed to be indoors in.]

There should be one more. Are you certain the field is empty?

(hunting)

[As much as the farm has recovered, there is still a need to find food elsewhere. The livestock does not, unfortunately, turn over so much product nor profit for things to be easily sustainable. And so, Ozymandias borrows one of Edre's horses to cover more ground in the Wilde. As the terrain shifts from the cold, damp air of Noveuer into the warming spring of the Wilde, he's careful to attend his surroundings.]

[It's possible that you were after the same prey. Something small like a rabbit or one of the smaller fowl. You might have been about to pounce or take your shot, but suddenly there is a blue and gold blur quickly leaping upon its intended target. The struggle is brief, the cub clearly demonstrating training and practice. Nothing about the attack is brutal so much as immediately efficient. With the animal in its maw dead, the sphinx races off toward its master to add it to the collection of smaller quarry currently tied to the horse's saddle.]

[Or, despite Ozymandias' best efforts to keep his attention on his surroundings, he doesn't notice someone else approaching while he is inspecting the young buck he tracked. It had been the weaker of the two that had scuffled briefly over territory and retreated from the much larger victor. From a distance, the beast seemed healthy, but Ozymandias would rather not wait until after he's hauled it back to discover that it had actually been infected. So now he's crouched close to the kill, not really paying all that particular mind to his surrounds.]

Ozy's place, sometime after mirror items

[belligerentwarrior]

[The fierce plummet in temperature and torrential rains have driven Fang to a rare sighting of her in actual clothes; running warmer as a Turnskin and growing up as a desert creature just makes the cold that much sharper, and she enters shaking the water from a thick cloak, clad in a beaten Wilder's leather jacket and a long skirt.]

You got another one, huh? [She calls from the atrium, finding a hook for her cloak.]

[fulgency]

[Fang is not the only one who finds displeasure in the changing temperatures and weather of this place. The sphinxes placed on patrol outside do so diligently, but it is also quite plain that they would prefer to be in something closer to what would be considered their natural environment by the way they huddle closer together. Even the ever-watchful female sphinx that occupies the porch seems keen to avoid the edges of said porch lest she is splashed upon by the rains.]

[And inside the mansion, it seems not only the elaborate murals that intend to call upon the desert. Ramesses keeps it toasty inside between the fireplace and the magitech heat. Even rooms that are unoccupied or unused appear to be receiving similar treatment. It's not even yet winter proper just yet and he's already clearly quite over it.]

[The moment she calls out, the eldest of the sphinx cubs immediately abandons his play and scampers out to great her. He gives a vocal greeting, immediately making himself a tripping hazard in the process as Ramesses answers her.]

There are three total, but it would seem they are arriving one at a time.

[Ramesses pays her very little mind from his position on the couch. He's more focused on manipulating the illusion of an iridescent scarab beetle for the newest addition to the household to give chase. An idle lift of his finger when the cub begins a quick approach and the beetle takes flight to land a foot or so away from the kitten. Its carapace reflects almost gold in the light as it folds its wings in, and the sphinx cub begins its telltale wiggle before a pounce. It would seem they've been at this for a while. Ramesses has a near-finished mug of hot chocolate in his hand and a few slices of honey bread are missing from the tray on the coffee table.]

[belligerentwarrior]

[Fang chuffs a greeting down at the elder cub, her hand scritching lightly at his head before kneeling; with an excited chirp the sphinx awkwardly clamors on her shoulders.]

[Which, a bobcat is far to large to sit on someone's shoulders, but it's Fang, and they can accomplish a decent balance with the sphinx draping around her almost like a shawl and Fang holding a grip on the legs dangling by her chest.]

[And that is how she enters the next room, her leaning so-slightly into the cub's affectionate nuzzles her only acknowledgement of them as Fang turns her attention to the new scene.]

Be happy you're seein' these little guys at all. Who's this?

Purramid Cafe, late month

[bloodypath]

[An individual like Hubert von Vestra did not seem like he belonged in a place like Purramid Cafe. Tall, grave, gaunt, and always sternly dressed like he were attending a funeral (or planning someone else's...), the cats and pleasant décor and pastries seemed like an utterly ill fit for him.]

[And yet, he quietly visited the little shop with some frequency, always ordering a black coffee with nothing to eat and sitting outside away from the kittens, and on occasion, escorted the young Leslie to or from her work, when he wasn't shadowing Edelgard through various activities. Despite his severe demeanor, he was always perfectly polite, if not warm.]

[Which marked today as different. As statuesquely stoic as Hubert tended to be, there was something... particularly dour about him, even by the mage's typical standards. A sharper furrow of his brow, a sunkenness to his eyes, a harsh set to his mouth in place of the usual strictly-polite smile.]

[He waits patiently to the side of the counter, hands folded behind his back and a waterproof folio clutched in his fingers and droplets of rain drying on his cloak, until Ozymandias was finished with the present customers.]

Pharaoh Ozymandias. If I might have a minute of your time.

[fulgency]

[To say that Ozymandias is familiar with Hubert would be a bit of a stretch in the definition of the word. While he is not particularly a stranger to Ozymandias–as he does always seem to be lurking about on one occasion or another–the two rarely ever do speak in the absence of Edelgard or Leslie, limited to polite conversation rather than anything at length. And so although it does not cross his expression, Ozymandias is a bit surprised to have Hubert beckon him independent of the aforementioned company. He takes stock of the other as he offers a nod.]

Of course.

[It's difficult for Ozymandias to gauge what might need a minute of his time beyond that it is serious. Although Ozymandias cannot say he's ever witnessed the Hubert be anything but, it seems a bit more than that by his expression. And so, Ozymandias steps around the counter, giving a light motion to follow. Despite approaching him here, Ozymandias would wager that Hubert would prefer a bit more privacy than nearby the counter offers. He leads them to the back where one employee is in the process of preparing meals for the sphinxes. They turn to look at both Ozymandias and Hubert when they enter.]

Help them out there. I'll finish this. [There is some hesitation as they are very nearly done, but they wipe their hands with the towel on their waist and nod before scurrying out. Ozymandias waits until the door has swung shut before directing his attention back to Hubert.] Now then, what is it that has you seeking an audience with me?

[bloodypath]

[Patient as always, steady as always. He doesn't speak further until the door is firmly at rest before carrying on, posture rigid and straight; his tone is likewise mellow, and far too evenly formal.]

I've come to inform you that Her Majesty, and General Eisner if you were familiar, are no longer in the realm of Geardagas. [Hubert produces that waterproof folio from behind his back, offering it.] Seeing as you were her closest collaborator within the Mirrorbound council, I was of the mind to present you with Her Majesty's work on her motions and projects. I've also amended them with additional thought she and I had discussed, but not yet added to her notes.

Given the frequency of your collaboration, I trust you will do right by them.