vrnvuld

[vrnvuld]

HSHQTASK059: FAREWELL !

when did you join ? what made you join ? what do you remember from the plotlines that were current at the time ? where were you in life when you joined and where are you now ?

i'm not entirely sure but i think late 2015. i was a sophmore in high school, i think i was in my high school's computer room killing time and looking for a new group. i don't remember which tag i was in. it could have been #royal rp but atst i don't think it was. i was sold immediately because i thought it would be awesome to play a finnish royal. i messaged the player who had the finnish princess because she had a wc up for a brother. i was so impatient and i didn't wait for her reply but applied for viveka. then she got back to me and i picked up a second character on my third day or something. i was super excited. that was almost 10 years ago. in those ten years i've graduated high school, worked here and there, acquired my master's degree, and now i'm working for the government. it's been an adventure !

which characters have you written over the years ?

viveka, viljo / vaughn, vanamo, viggo, minenhle, arnauld

what is your favourite plotline that you've been part of ?

i think i have three: farnauld break up summer, i think it was different from my usual stuff for arnauld and i enjoyed getting to write him at his most manipulative, and then at his most vulnerable. it was interesting and i was very active ! but i think i will have a massive soft spot for viani. it's so embarrassing that i'm just naming ships but idc, i'm an honest bitch. writing viggo as a young adult into an adult adult was really satisfying and i don't think it would have happened without armani / j. and then i have viveka and imogen. i think imogen was the reason why i stuck around at chambordrp. i really think i might have ghosted without the dynamic. it was the first angsty exes plot i EVER wrote and i was very happy with it. if i now read the stuff, i'm probably shed tears of blood because the writing was so bad. but the ship is also the reason why i ever started listening to halsey lmao kgbdkjgb

what about other people's plotlines ?

i really enjoyed reading annexei. there was a lovely amount of angst. i alsoooooo loved the beginning of layslan. it was full of drama and it was fun to follow ( okay i was a bit involved but i wasn't involved a lot ). there's been so many amazing plots and if someone now gave me a list of all the shit we've written together, i wouldn't be able to keep this section short. i will miss the energy :(

who is your favourite character from the ones you've played ? why ? what made you love them ? what made them so fun to write ?

viveka and arnauld. i think viveka will have a special place in my heart because she is closest to a self insert from all of the characters i've ever written and what happened in her story i sort of learned from ? idk how else to explain it but i feel closest to her and she became a very strong figure in my life despite being fictional. i enjoyed writing her, especially the times when she showed her ugly side. in her i wrote some of my best stuff in the sense that the emotions felt real. arnauld was kind of a caricature so he wasn't that nuanced imo. but i had soooo much fun with him as you could probably see. when i picked him up after a year long break, i was sure i'd lose muse because writing characters in their 40s was not easy in a group with young characters. somehow the group made it work and the political plots also became more important and i could do so much !!! it was fun to write someone truly horrible. someone whose behaviour was disgusting. i am so glad that i was given the opportunities and allowed to write a villain into the group <3

if you could relive a plotline, which would it be ?

this is too difficult !!!! for nostalgia i might choose this one event during chambord that was a trip to paris. it wasn't very eventful but i think... IT WAS SUCH A LONG TIME AGO. i want a piece of that youth.

a plotline that i enjoyed from start to finish would probably be the roman vs romanovs thing. it was complex and it moved surprisingly smoothly. it got dragged out but not as much as it could have gotten. i also loved the short skit when sylvia found the ultrasound pics. it was a funny week. and all of the nye events have been amazing. every first week of the past 8 years have been some of the funniest of my life. i also have a soft spot for the beginning of varbie. it was so natural and i don't think i've written anything like that afterwards. it was us saying yes to each and every idea. i loved their happy moments and their problems. there were times when they felt like real people with real feelings instead of just characters that were used to write a story.

is there a plotline that you'd edit now if you could ?

i wouldn't edit anything but like isa said, i'd finish farnauld quicker. i would have loved getting to write a bit of fluffy farnauld. because it's something we never really got a chance to write because even when farnauld was doing well the shadow of tekla and the croys was present. fanni had a lot of issues, arnauld was busy hiding tobias... i'd also give vanamo and valias more attention. i know we could have accomplished more but my muse was flaky.

what's a plotline you wish you would have been able to finish before closing or just write more of ?

farnauld. i'm embarrassed since i've given it most of my time here at hshq but i still would have liked to write a bit more.

what is your favourite ooc memory ?

oooooooh it would have to be some of the crazy muns. like at the time the moments weren't funny or nice but the stories are now. and i think it also brought me and j and others closer to each other akfbdsjgbs evy mentioned honesty hours and i agree with that too ! and i have to give a special mention to naomi. idk which particular thing but she has the best energy <3

where can others find you if they want to get in touch ?

i'll be here and on discord so don't be afraid to shoot me a message if you wanna write ! but i do think this might be the time for me to retire from tumblr / rp scene.

what else would you like to say ?

i've known some of you longer than some of my best friends. you know a side of me that no one irl does. i don't think i will be able to express how grateful i am for these years and the HOURS we have spent writing together. not everyone gets to experience this and it's been an honor. i've had so much fun and i honestly don't see myself forgetting this place. i wonder what will be the thing in the future that makes me think of something that happened at hshq. this is a very bittersweet moment for me and this honestly feels worse than graduation. hshq was more than a rp group to me and i love you guys <3

#hshqtask059

[vrnvuld]

HSHQTASK058: THE FINAL CHAPTER !

arnauld felt like a winner for a long time. he had andorra, he had a bit of belgium, he had made a friend out of the swiss, he had gotten the girl. the pieces had all fallen into place.

it's just... inner peace is not a concept arnauld accepts. france was basically bankrupt so he couldn't ( even if he had wanted to ) anger any of his neighbours. but fuck ! rebuilding sucks. it's boring. it takes time. it yields nothing. arnauld needed distractions. it's why he couldn't help himself and caused tension within the french court.

he has julien and fanni thank for surviving himself. julien for beating some sense into him and for putting out fires, fanni for making him likeable and gently guiding him away from harmful habits.

but who the fuck cares about arnauld's career life. it's there, it's not without issues.

arnauld's personal life became a controlled package. leaving the program, not spending time ruminating over fanni, and being able to concentrate on work and having a scheduled life was good to him. fanni's presence in his life was a good influence as well. like i've written before, arnauld views fanni as something kind of holy, he felt like having someone like her by his side, improved him as well. he didn't find it too hard to depend on her emotionally. it was a healthy change in his life. fanni didn't possess the same kind of distaste for weakness as the d'orléans.

the wedding was in august of 2024. the beginning of their marriage was difficult because the timeline of their relationship raised some questions and arnauld struggled to accept his own behaviour. it looked like weakness to take back the woman who had left him. it was an issue he needed to work on... he never did and i think it would have been an issue he'd use as ammo during fights to evoke guilt. fanni's sobriety was also cause for stress. he kept wondering if he had made a mistake trusting a person whose lapse in judgment had been so bad at one point.

but if there was something he could trust fanni with, it was children. fanni was in a hurry to get pregnant, something about the biological clock and what not. so a month before the wedding there was a positive test. arnauld wasn't how to feel. he honestly hadn't expected it to happen so easily. auguste was born in spring of 2025. fanni insisted that they'd have a second child as quickly as possible. laurant was born in late 2026. they were fine with two children, or at least arnauld was... but they ended up with three when odette was born in 2028. it was a difficult and risky pregnancy, which did not please arnauld at all because he was sure two sons was enough.

fatherhood did not come naturally to arnauld. he didn't have that bone in him. he wanted to be a good father because he wanted to be good at everything ! it was a lot more difficult in practice. arnauld essentially made child rearing fanni's task. he enjoyed the nice moments. occasionally it was an issue within their marriage... but they had had an unsaid deal. they were a disgustingly traditional pair and fanni had somewhat accepted the role of an overly present mother.

time caught up with arnauld faster than he would have liked. fanni's youth made him sometimes forget his own age. it was the first knee problems that made scared him. his active lifestyle suffered. this was a small issue though. he could still teach auguste, he could still continue ignoring laurant, he could still admire odette's ambition.

he could hide a sore knee. a slight limp didn't make him any less intimidating when most of the time he just sat at his desk. what he couldn't hide was a shaky hand. he tried, of course, kept it away from fanni's and julien's eyesight. for some months he was successful since the shaking wasn't constant. then during a dinner, fanni stopped to stare at his lap. he resisted a doctor's appointment, unwilling to find out what the diagnosis would be.

one shaky hand wasn't enough to give him a sentence but with the rigidity of his movements, he was diagnosed with parkinson's disease.

the diagnosis started a chain of problems. arnauld did not take the news very well. of course he'd die from a brain disease ! of course his healthy lifestyle had not been able to protect him from a disease so arbitrary ! arnauld's mental wellbeing suffered and he, in theory, would have been fine to continue his work but... the medication stopped him from doing it. the side effects included impulse control issues... and a megalomanic naturally suffered from the side effect.

julien took over auguste. fanni was right by her son's side. even giselle stepped up and became more present in politics. arnauld stepped down behind the scenes but didn't officially give the crown to auguste. he insisted auguste was too young...

once the pr team failed to keep arnauld's condition from the public, arnauld officially gave the crown to auguste. and you can bet it was a bitter moment ! arnauld had planned on holding tightly to the title, he had planned to die with the crown on his head. he had wanted to die a quick and perhaps even violent death — a death that made him memorable, that made sure that his death was just as grand as his life had been. but no, fate would have it otherwise.

he had to accept losing his autonomy. it was the hardest part. when the motor issues became too great, not even fanni's sympathy was enough to distract him for self-pity.

the last years, he could help but to wonder if this slow deterioration was the cost of his crime. his slow death a punishment ?

#i don't want to let go :( #hshqtask058

[vrnvuld]

Louise Glück, Seizure

Andrea Salvatori, Testone

Mikko Harvey, Wind-Related in the Wheatfield

Jane Austen, Letters

Ruth Awad, In the gloaming, in the roiling night

Anne Sexton, A Self Portrait in Letters

Eden Robinson, Writing Prompts for the Broken-hearted

this is like a massive post because this is also our final farnauld playlist that's made of four parts. it's meant to tell their full story <3 can't say we really expect anyone to read through this or even check the songs but if someone wants a really weird playlist, u can listen to it here xx

ACT I: WE JUST PLAY ALONG, COME ON, COME ON

001. TRY TRY TRY --- RACHAEL SAGE. 002. I’M NOT CALLING YOU A LIAR --- FLORENCE + THE MACHINE. 003. COME ON --- WHITE LIES. 004. ON DIRECTING --- TEGAN & SARA. 005. POISON --- VAULTS.  006. EVERY BREATH YOU TAKE --- DENMARK + WINTER. 007. CANDLES --- DAUGHTER. 008. WICKED TEETH --- CIARAN LAVERY. 009. AFFECTION --- AMBER RUN.

this is the part where they get together. they're off-balance. he's playing his own game and she's trying to make everything work together. this is the first time cracks begin to form within the croÿ ranks. this part of the playlist is a mixture of songs that are fairly dark. the most notable lyrics can be found in ' poison ': " we both know you're sweet and blind / palm struck on the floor // won't you let me poison your heart ? ". isa posted this part of the playlist years ago and it's here x.

ACT II: THERE'S HISTORY IN A SCAR

010. PURGE --- ALLIE X. 011. WE USED TO LAUGH / 9 TO 9 --- FLORA CASH. 012. HYENA --- THE EDITORS. 013. LIFFEY --- PILLOW QUEENS. 014. SPIDERS --- THE EDITORS. 015. TIME COMES IN ROSES --- BESS ATWELL. 016. I'M NOT YOURS --- ANGUS & JULIA STONE. 017. PETRICHOR --- KEATON HENSON.

this would be the post-break up era. their numerous conversations and arnauld's relentless bullying. the wounds were raw, incredibly so and arnauld had a need to show her the mistake she had made by cutting him so. fanni on the other hand struggled between feeling proud of her decision and knowing she had let go of more than just a person she loved: it was the opportunity to build a life outside of her family. both of them tormented each other just by existing. it was difficult to hate someone you loved. it was difficult to despise someone you had known so well. the sensitivity eventually made space for some sort of a relationship. they could hold conversations. they could blackmail each other and remind the other how deep their knowledge of the other went. the first two songs most certainly represent fanni and her struggles. in ' purge ' we get the lines: " you went anyway, but all of your chains / and ropes holding me stayed in place " and " every word you told me left such a rancid taste in my mouth / i can't purge you ". we had ' we used to laugh / 9 to 9 " on every edit back in 2019. it was such a perfect song for them at that time. " you said i won't ever leave your side no one else is worth my while no one else is worth my while were you like that all the time ? did you repeat this from 9 to 9 ? never come back never come back you put a hole in and opened up my heart put me down in my darkest dark we used to laugh we used to laugh " then we have the editors songs that got chosen for the darkness. arnauld was doing his best to get fanni to beg for forgiveness. the bitterness was felt constantly. ' liffey ' on the other hand is arnauld's realization that he's not in charge of himself or the situation. he is absolutely ruined and she holds far too much power — it's not just arnauld who knows secrets and ways to manipulate the other, fanni's just as capable !

ACT III: WHEN I LOSE MY HEAD, I LOSE MY SPINE

018. COOL ABOUT IT --- BOYGENIUS. 019. LUCKY FOR YOU --- NOVO AMOR, GIA MARGARET. 020. I MISS YOU, I'M SORRY --- GRACIE ABRAMS. 021. DAYDREAMS --- EXES. 022. SEABED --- NANNA. 023. LATE NIGHT TALKS --- DEPORTEES. 024. HEAVENLY --- CIGARETTES AFTER SEX 025. HOPELESS WANDERER --- MUMFORD & SONS. 026. THAT'S WHEN ( TV ) --- TAYLOR SWIFT.

this part is about their healing journey. when the mind games stopped. when it was just two people. a fairly wholesome part in their story. they had affection for one another and perhaps for the first time they did not have some role to play. it was just friendship ( or at least as platonic a relationship as it could be between these two ). some codependency issues existed, of course. fanni needed a shoulder. arnauld liked being needed by her. ' late night talks ' is possibly the most spot on song in part iii. in it we get: " the phone rings / in the middle of the night / i can tell you're upset / i'm here / and i'm ready to work ". ' seabed ' is incredibly touching too and probably our favourite track. it's a good peek into fanni's fragile state of mind. " and you caught me off guard, and / i was never lonely / but now i'm feeling like an only child / let me sink into you arms / you're the ocean floor / i guess i just needed that ". the songs in this section are vulnerable and beautiful. ' lucky for you ' has a line that made it earn its spot: " and i'm not what i thought i would be without you ".

ACT IV: I'VE OUTGROWN THE PAST

027. I WANT YOU --- MO. 028. YOU'RE SO COOL --- NICOLE DOLLANGANGER. 029. LIGHTS CHANGING COLOR --- STARS. 030. LIVING ROOM, NY --- LAURA STEVENSON. 031. SIGNAL FIRE --- SNOW PATROL. 032. BLOODCLOT / ANDVAKA --- NANNA. 033. CRACK THE SHUTTERS --- SNOW PATROL. 033. SEND FOR ME --- THE NATIONAL. 034. THIS LAND IS MINE --- DIDO. 035. THIS LOVE (TV) --- TAYLOR SWIFT. 036. I WILL FOLLOW YOU INTO THE DARK --- MIYA FOLICK. 037. COSMIC LOVE --- FLORENCE + THE MACHINE. 038. SHALLOWS --- DAUGHTER.

this is the happily-ever-after part because they've been so sad for such a long time. we seriously considered not having them end up together but they deserve each other <3 <3 this section has love songs but we managed to sprinkle a few darker ones too because fanni and arnauld have never been simple and sweet. ' this love ' is probably the stand out song, it seems so fitting ! i mean c'mon: " this love is alive back from the dead / these hands had to let it go free, and / this love came back to me ". not to make things too cheesy though we have ' lights changing color ', which is by no means a negative song but it's more about staying out of one's head and, well, happy ! " when you find that the ones that keep you lifted / love them 'cause they keep you out of your head / they keep you out of your head / they keep you steady ". the songs are quite mellow and sound pretty fragile in a sense, save for a few tracks. the last two songs are more abstract. ' cosmic love ' is possibly one of the most beautiful songs on this playlist and to ever exist. i can see their devotion to each other growing into something blinding. this maybe relates to fanni more, she seems more likely to make love and her life with arnauld the only thing she surrounds herself with. there's just that and nothing else. but... arnauld is not too far from this state. he'll be able to reason with himself and he has his duties, but considering how recklessly he acts all things fanni... " i took the stars from my eyes and then i made a map / and knew that somehow i could find my way back / then i heard your heart beating, you were in the darkness too / so i stayed in the darkness with you... " the playlist ends with ' shallows ' because it was so serene. serene and hauntingly beautiful. it's a sister-song to ' i will follow you into the dark '. when one parts from this world, will the other come find them when it's time ?

#[ ;; fanni. ]

[vrnvuld]

was she looking for approval ? it felt a little bit perverted for him to give her a pat on the back considering their history. there were lines he refused to cross, lines that she had established — but in order to be supportive, it was almost necessary. in what manner could he successfully send her away without discouraging her ? his reaction was muted if anything. a stray contained smile. " it could be something you deal with once it's necessary. until then, you tell a white lie. ask for privacy. " the croÿs might not know what the word meant but fanni could try.

" thank you, " he said softly. his eyes dropped to follow her hands at work. " i wanted to know. " now he could, with a clear conscience, say that it was not on him. he was not the person responsible for her. he was not the reason if something terrible happened. he was not the only one who had tried to help. his gaze paused on the dessert. of course it was dessert — that was not surprising. the choice for the dessert was. it didn't feel coincidental. what are you telling me ? the question was on his tongue but she spoke up first. her inability to form a coherent sentence made him feel like he was being tortured. she was extending the excruciating period of not knowing what was coming next. the firmness of her gaze was captivating. his eyes measured her. her earnest expression left no room for wrong interpretations. " for those two months, yes. yes, i would, fanni. " the words were out before he truly had time to consider what he was promising. it was foolish and reckless, and he knew painfully well that not a single cell in him would have been able to deny her request. sensibility found itself being discarded. two months or immediately, two months or two years ago, time did not matter. " i love you. i do not think i could pretend otherwise. " she had seen him beg. she had been given so many excuses by him. he was beyond pretending. when it came to her, his pride had already been lost. " you just have to promise me i am not waiting for nothing. fanni, you have to be sure. you have to be sure. the past cannot be repeated. if you ask me to wait, you have to be sure. "

"It was," she confirmed for him. "I don't think I can avoid it anymore. It had to end eventually. I knew that." It had to remain as a phase. She did not want to succumb to the same indifference as Arthur — he could find a reason for the habit or he could find a reason why it didn't matter in the first place! It was such a safe and comforting way to live... but it just never fixed the underlying problem. "I don't know yet. I don't know if I can successfully disappear for two months and not tell Olimpia or my parents." She sighed. "Honesty is probably one of those values I will learn about. I just can't stand the idea of having to see their disappointment — and judgment. Oli can be harsh." She would be able to brush it off but it would still leave a mark, and she already had enough bruises.

"But you know about it now. I wanted you to." Her impatience got the best of her and she reached for the box, taking the top box off. The slice of apple pie looked far from appetizing, having moved around in the box. "I- well-" Anxiousness was making her choke on her words. "I wanted to know if you'd... if you might — if I'm just not too late — if you might still be here. If you might wait for those two months. Just those two months." Her eyes wanted to stray from him but she wanted there to be no question about her certainty. She didn't believe in much anymore, but she could believe in their chances. "If you still think you could love me, if you'd still allow me back, would you wait for those two months?"

#[ ;; fanni. ]

[vrnvuld]

" she wasn't, " he admitted. her statement was peculiar. it was calm and it lacked the accusatory tone he had expected. he knew what he had done. he had prepared for anger and disdain. he had known she'd hate him for what he had done. she'd hate his inability to keep to himself. he had waited and prepared for all of that and it never came ! where was it ? she seemed accepting. why ? he didn't know whether to be glad or alarmed. what had inspired this change of opinion ? his eyes stayed glued on her, his intense gaze ready to detect the slightest clue. tell me. speak. say something. when he couldn't understand her, when he couldn't predict her next move, it became unbearable to sit there in silence. he reached for the box. her wanting him to do so was the only clear part about their interaction. she was so few-worded that he couldn't even tell if she wanted to be there talking to him. it made him think she had come to say something that would make him unhappy. he was mildly disappointed in himself for caring so much. they were barely friends — if she now disappeared from his life for good, it'd hardly have an effect on his daily life. the box stayed unopened, his finger running along the sharp edge. in his dismay, he had thrown away the last opportunity to sit down with her and talk about nothing of importance. he should have reconsidered that one midday. but how had he been to know that in two months' time a rescheduling would not be an option ? he lifted his gaze to look at her and made sure not even one line on his face tattled on him. his thoughts would not be expressed in any way. " you know what i think you should do. avoiding it is not an option in my opinion. shame is just part of the journey and you cannot avoid it. " of course there was shame. no matter how she liked to pretend that what she was doing was not wrong, it was. it was ! he waited for her to continue, waited for her to cast his punishment for reminding her of her short coming. it was what she had come to talk about, wasn't it ? " you do not have to explain this to me, " arnauld stated slowly. perhaps he was tired of the excuses himself. fine ! she wanted to let her life go to waste and be angry with him ? it was her privilege ! fine ! she could abandon him over this and remain angry ! fine ! what did he care ? he would be spared from having to hear the same old excuses. as her lips parted once more, he tried guessing her words, her phrasing. 'stop' would certainly be in the sentence. 'my choice' ? 'temporary' ? 'no right' ?

the words flowed past her lips and hung heavy between the two of them. arnauld found himself frozen in place. " this was your decision ? " he would not let himself feel relief until he knew an ultimatum hadn't been given to her by the croÿs. " who will know about it ? "

"Oh." The only surprising part was his honesty. He wasn't jumping to defend himself and his decision. "Ines wasn't the smart choice." She was the comfortable choice for him, but she was by no means the smart nor the best choice. What did Fanni care about Ines's opinion or hypothetical worry? "I never gave you the permission to care." Her voice was low and tired, as if they had been fighting about the subject for hours — in a way, the tugging had lasted for a year. His adamant stance on the issue was respectable in a sense. She would have appreciated it more and she would have been able to see the affection behind the action clearly, had it not been another case of him testing what she'd allow. She felt unable to feel angry at him. The unexpectedness of it all and the knowledge that he was right made it impossible to blow up. She slid the box closer to his side of the table before setting her hands in her lap, tightly kept in place by her knees. "There's too much shame around it. I can't talk about with her. Any of them." She wasn't sure what was left of the image her family had had of her but with this the last remains would disappear. It seemed like too big a goodbye. "And a year ago I thought going home would help. I'd care less. I'd need it less. I'd have enough going on to be too busy to miss it." She looked at him and wrinkled her nose. "Too optimistic." There had been logic behind it. She would have been able to prove him wrong if things had simply fallen into place in Budapest. She would have been able to say she did not have a problem. "I'm admitting myself for two months."

#[ ;; fanni. ]

[vrnvuld]

the shuffling of his security guards on the front lawn made him look up from his book. a faint smile spread onto his face. he had thought she had chosen to skip over meeting him on her visit, but no ! there she was. quieter than usual, more careful than he was used to her. " hello. " he almost made it sound like a question: why are you here like this ? are you happy to be here ? will you tell me something i don't wish to hear ? the moment of silence between grew longer and he became more worried by every second. guessing the cause for the odd behaviour was not worth the effort. she'd eventually part her lips and tell him. eventually they'd stop meeting like this. this was just a phase, a glimpse into what could have been. it was a gross theft and one he should have been ashamed of. he was too old to be holding onto scraps... but it seemed it was unlikely he'd have to make the decision. " yes. "

She set the bakery box on the porch table. The evening sun had coloured everything in shades of orange and red. It even washed out the blue of his eyes. "Hi." She hoped his schedule didn't have an oddity penned in for the evening. She needed all the time the day could give her, and she couldn't trust herself to have the courage if she actually planned a meeting with him. "Did you say something to Ines?" ( @vrnvuld )

#[ ;; fanni. ]

[vrnvuld]

" ah, there it is ! " it was impossible not to expect her negativity once he had noticed how often it bubbled onto the surface. " you're already preparing to lose. that's really no way to start the new year. you should have one plan. it's all i ask. one plan. something simple like starting a new language. it's perfectly doable, isn't it ? "

"Oh careful, you're toying with fire." What power did her words hold when she was grinning so widely? She should have been ashamed of herself. "That was my plan last year. It did not happen. This time I'm trying not to make plans. Tonight, next week, next year. The less I have plans, the less I have expectations and the less I have expectations... the less I have disappointments." And she needed a neutral year.

#[ ;; fanni. ]

[vrnvuld]

on one hand, arnauld was grateful of the opportunity to exchange more than three words with the future king of slovakia... but his trust in ignác whatever-his-name was nowhere close to his trust in giovanni. having to censor himself would take the fun out of the game. " there's certainly room for a third. please, have a seat. " it was an unnecessary instruction: ignác was already seated. " we should explain the rules to the newest player. for every question you refuse to answer, you drink. would you like to start ? " [ ;; @ignvc ]

" this looks INTERESTING ! " ignác exclaimed as he sat himself and his glass of whiskey at the table. " i hope you don't mind a third participant. " he directed his attention to the younger king. " and i should congratulate you. the crown suits you better than your aunt. " [ &&. @giorxcci ]

#[ ;; ignác. ] #[ ;; giovanni. ]

[vrnvuld]

arnauld set two pairs of schnapps on the table before sitting across from giovanni. " it was entertaining the last time, was it not ? " [ ;; @giorxcci ]

#[ ;; giovanni. ]

[vrnvuld]

" then you shouldn't have accepted the dance. " an easy smile settled onto his face. perhaps this was something to be grateful of: how easy it had become to be with her. excuses and reasonings were unnecessary. just wanting to dance a bit was good enough a reason to walk up to her. " what do i get out of that ? it sounds like i can only lose. " he lifted his arm to send her into a controlled twirl. " i'm planning on calling it a night a bit after midnight. last time things didn't go according to any plan. "

"You don't need ulterior motives to get me into trouble," Fanni pointed out, completely ready to admit that the roles could be reversed. Her hand slipped into his with practiced ease and she got onto her feet. "You know we should be smart this time. Make a preventive plan in case we're both drunk at 3 AM and lonely." She said it lightly as if it was all in good humour but part of her would feel more confident in their chances of not repeating past mistakes if she heard him promise her to be responsible. She didn't trust her self-control that much.

#[ ;; fanni. ]

[vrnvuld]

" come take a twirl on the dance floor with me. " he offered her a hand, leaning down just a bit to be almost at eye level with her. " no ulterior motives. " [ ;; @fannicroy ]

#[ ;; fanni. ]

[vrnvuld]

" i didn't expect it, no. " considering the moment they did, they'd lose the role of the righteous victim. arnauld couldn't tell if the king was making a joke at his expense. a forewarning would have been polite considering arnauld would have to adjust his plans because of the swiss. arnauld smiled tightly and reached for his coffee cup. " she's kept them there for a considerable amount already. i don't think the eastern border will be our tripping point. " arnauld sighed and shook his head slowly. " the upcoming year will decide the ending for this, i suspect. it's our resources i'm most concerned about if we have to face the whole strength of the german army. "

"Of course," Max nodded in thanks, raising his glass before taking a sip. "We have no current plans to follow them across the border, if that's what you are asking. However, please do not change your plans on my account." He could play gracious, but watching the nobility who'd plagued his nation for a year and a half scramble and suffer was a far more compelling reason to subtly encourage the French. "I cannot promise how long Elyse will keep her forces at the eastern border, but it would be unwise for you to ask her to extend it now that Basel is no longer threatened." A genuine warning, he knew his cousin better than anyone - and she might turn on the French as soon as aid them.

#[ ;; max. ]

[vrnvuld]

no matter how much he had spent on planning the wording of his request, he had not found a way to phrase it in a way that didn't sound harsh and tactless. this most certainly was not ines croÿ's problem and arnauld was crossing a line fanni had very clearly drawn. " it concerns fanni and her well-being. " he certainly wouldn't appear uncaring now. " i don't know if you've noticed or spent enough time with her to be able to tell, but she's been struggling for some time now. " some time. some years. it was the part he struggled to wrap his head around. how was it possible that no intervention had happened already ? arnauld cleared his throat. this was the part that he had not found a way to put it eloquently. " she's regularly using cocaine. emphasis on regularly. " he added it just in case the spanish would find no harm in doing it occasionally. " she won't listen me, " arnauld admitted. an irritated sigh escaped him and he massaged the side of his face to get rid of the tension that had just appeared. " and i'm not in a position to make a difference. i don't know who is, but i think it's more likely that it is one of you. " he did not know how to inform ines that it might not even be the family's words and support that would drive fanni forward — it was the shame she'd have to deal with once the family members knew.

a favour ! they were acquainted, yes, but in what world would the king of france be asking ines for a favour ? not levente, not fanni, not valentina. uttering the name arnauld, in place of a humble 'your majesty', still feels blasphemous from her lips. " oh ? " she's careful to not jump too quickly at the chance. it'll cheapen the value of her good work ! even if she knows there's a very slim chance that she'll turn down this opportunity. " what kind of favour ? "

#[ ;; ines. ]

[vrnvuld]

" do you think we know each other well enough for me to ask for a favour ? " arnauld asked the moment he decided he had participated in small talk for long enough. " it's not a small favour but you are the only one close to the croÿs whose judgment i feel like i can trust. " [ ;; @inescroy ]

#[ ;; ines. ]

[vrnvuld]

it was a lot of uncertainty for things so simple. looking at her, his confusion evaporated and heavy disappointment threatened to pull him down by his chest. far gone was the version of fanni who got up around six, no alarm needed. " no. don't bother. " there were stupid people and then there was arnauld himself. as foolish as he was for orbiting her like the smallest moon of jupiter orbited the planet, he was not unable to read between the lines. fanni must have mistaken his idiocy for gullibility. why did she even bother with the excuse ? " i don't think this is a good day. " it was a shame. it was a damn shame that he had even come. " we can reschedule for another day. we'll have more time to talk. " he had planned on asking her as inconspicuously as possible if she had gotten her problem in check. she had seemed so well. he had expected to hear good news. he had expected anything but this. now he didn't need to hear the truth from her lips. " sleep it off. you'll regret starting your day like this. "

Her head was pounding. That was all there was for a moment: a searing pain that she could have described as pressure and knives. The sound of a conversation was what had pulled her out of her sleep and it was the horrible realization that it was too bright outside that jolted her awake. She reached for her phone — but her hand only slapped the cold surface of her nightstand. The phone was not where it usually was when she woke up. Had she even connected it to a charger...? She didn't have time to fish the memory out of her mind because his shadow was in the doorway and a dreadful feeling was sliding down her whole body. She had really screwed up. "Sorry, sorry!" She made a move to get up but she wasn't completely convinced she'd be able to stay on her feet. She sat on the edge of her mattress, hands securely placed on her knees, supporting her torso. "I must have slept through it. I'm not sure, I might have left my phone in the living room." She shot him the most apologetic look she could muster up in her embarrassment. "I'm so sorry. I think it's the stress. I've barely had time to sleep! I really should have been more careful." The words slipped past her lips with too much ease. It made her nauseous how natural lying had become to her. "I can be ready in fifteen. I'll just put my hair up and fix my face." She hadn't planned this. Not in any way. She had wanted to be sharp and energetic. Have fun while catching up. All she felt was drained and ill. If he hadn't lied to her, the brunch would be brief and he'd be off to his meetings in an hour so. She could survive an hour.

#[ ;; fanni. ]

[vrnvuld]

" will you be concentrating on rebuilding ? " arnauld asked as he poured the wine into the king's glass. " should i expect to see the relationship with germany to be mended next year. your answer will, as you can probably understand, affect my plans a great deal. " [ ;; @maximiliians ]

#[ ;; max. ]

[vrnvuld]

" how long do you think it will take the germans to bring their troops to saarland ? it can't be good for morale to be moved from basel to another front. " arnauld tapped the tip of his pen against the desk. " i want to start haggling but i'm afraid of appearing desperate. " [ ;; @jvlicn ]

#i forgot to make a news post about saarland #but let's pretend it happened #[ ;; julien. ]