locked to loftiest

[darkseal]

[There are a lot of things Hubert was expecting during his time at Garreg Mach, but this is undoubtedly something he never could have prepared himself for.

Sure, he'd heard about the White Heron Cup, but he hadn't given it a second thought. It seems like the sort of thing that Dorothea and Ferdinand would find interesting, which means it's completely pointless.

When Professor Byleth stopped by to talk to him, he had asked if he'd be picked as the representative. Of course he wouldn't; in a class with Dorothea and Ferdinand and several other nobles, it wouldn't make sense to pick him of all people.

So naturally, the professor had done just that. Despite his confusion, he'd agreed and asked the professor for extra lessons. If he's going to do this (and it seems like he doesn't have much of a choice), then he's going to do his best to win. He isn't just representing the Black Eagles, he's representing Lady Edelgard, after all.

That's why he's out here in front of the Black Eagles classroom with Professor Byleth watching his dance moves. This is admittedly much harder than it would be with a partner, but even that couldn't get his movements to be any less stiff. They're precise and technically sound, but it's almost like there's nothing else to them, just steps following a silent beat. Hubert isn't really terrible, but he's certainly not going to be winning the cup like this.

...It would probably be easier if they weren't doing this in public. Obviously that's a bit of a stupid complaint, considering that the White Heron Cup will be held in front of a panel of judges and the entire monastery, but it certainly would be easier to get this practice session out of the way if he didn't feel like everyone's eyes were on him...

Oh well. There's really no fighting it, is there? Professor Byleth motions for him to run through the routine again, so he does without complaint. Eventually he'll get it; anything less than perfection would be unacceptable, after all.

Though really, this would have been much better if it had been left to someone else...]

Comments

[loftiest]

[ The prospect of spending additional time with Hubert doesn't exactly fill Ferdinand's heart with joy, but he also doesn't feel an immediate sense of dread, for once. That, he supposes, is some sort of progress.

He can't help but wonder if the feeling is mutual, but tucks that thought away, for the moment. He also wonders if this may have been part of their professor's goals; she and Edelgard value cooperation and teamwork, and Ferdinand certainly agrees on principle, though it is not always so simple in practice. ]

I suppose that is reasonable.

[ The evening air is brisk, but not unpleasant, and Ferdinand is glad at least to have an excuse to warm up a bit.

Through movement, of course. Not by being close to Hubert. ]

I'll let you lead tonight, if you wish.

[darkseal]

[He nods at that and considers throwing a jab out there. At this point it's almost second-nature to try to rile Ferdinand up, even when there's no reason for it and it can only be detrimental. But he catches himself, and silently vows not to be particularly rude until at least the halfway point in their session. He can do that much, at least.

Maybe if he stopped and thought about it, he'd at least come to some understanding of why Ferdinand irritates him far more than any of the rest of their class. Even Caspar and Linhardt don't grate on his nerves as badly, and both of them are highly annoying. But of course, Hubert doesn't bother with it, because whatever it is clearly can't be that big of a concern.

And besides, the primary goal here is to win the White Heron Cup. So he'll play nice with Ferdinand for now, because that's what's necessary.

He offers his hand, and once Ferdinand's ready, he'll begin.]

Instruct me as you see fit. I'm aware I still have plenty of flaws left to work on.

[It's true, he does. While everything is still mechanically sound and he can keep to the beat perfectly, even without music, he still leaves much to be desired. He's danced with Ferdinand enough to pick up on the embellishments and flourishes that Ferdinand adds and can accommodate for and copy them well enough, but there's still a sense of rigidity behind every movement. Almost like he isn't relaxed - and perhaps doesn't even know how to.]