[FIN] Coming of Age

[Blood_Goddess]

The Jirachi was in the middle of working the sash off of her lower half when she paused in her struggle, tilting her head up at Luke again. From what he said this even sounded normal, like it was supposed to be boring.
"So, a birthday and half Christmas is for boring things?"

"Well... not really, its supposed to be a celebration. Like, its Luke's birthday, and its also the same day as Christmas." Rosie tried to explain, only getting a more confused look from Northern.
"oh- well A birthday means its been a year since you were born, and Christmas is a winter holiday that celebrates... a lot of different things."

"Ohhh." Northern said, squeezing the rest of herself out of the sash and freeing herself from the 'outfit' "So, this is the day to celebrate when you hatched out of your egg?"

Rosie couldn't help a giggle at that,"close." looking over at Luke "Do you want to go sit down?"  

[BlackFireKitsune]

Seeing Northern struggle with the sash and look as if she wanted it off, Nicolette stepped forward to untie it for her so she would be more comfortable. She giggled as well and was about to respond when someone called her name, which was accompanied by something in French. "Oh, I'm sorry," she said quickly, dithering briefly over what to do with the ribbon now held in her hands before giving it to Sera, "but I have to go now!" With a wave and a smile, the girl hurried off to join her parents.

Seraphine merely looked down at the sash that had been pushed into her hands, raising a brow and giving it a look that very obviously said, what the hell am I supposed to do with this.  

[Suudonym]

Luke raised a hand to wave after the suddenly departing Nicolette, returning his attention to Rosie with a somewhat defeated expression, "I think that would be nice." He would have been able to handle it through the evening if his father hadn't been so insistent about getting so much done so quickly.  

[Blood_Goddess]

"Okay," Rosie nodded, then looked around for the nearest place for them to sit down.
It wasn't long before she spotted some, pointing them out to Luke "there are some over there."

At Sera's look, and Northern already floating to the other side of Luke, holding on to his shoulder and eying the sash that Sera had. "I don't want it." she replied to the initial emotional rejection for the article. "Its too itchy"

It was Rosie who held her hand out to her friend, offering to hold onto it for Northern.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

Sera frowned at the Jirachi, wishing so hard she could complain at it or at least grumble angrily, but refrained. Lucky for her Rosie silently offered, and the brunette eagerly passed off the sash to her instead and moved to follow the group to go sit. "How long do these parties usually last, anyway?" If she had to guess, probably at least several hours if people usually arrived within a two hour time-window.  

[Suudonym]

Luke gladly took a free seat when they moved towards them, exhaling deeply. "Everyone's supposed to be cleared out by midnight," he answered. "Most of them will probably be gone a good while before then, though." Silently he wished for the pain medication that had been left in his room that morning; he wasn't quite in pain, but he anticipated that he would be at some point before the end of the night. "It's never been so much work in the past," he complained with a sigh. "Father and Mother always took care of everything. I think I took that for granted."  

[BlackFireKitsune]

Mention of his parents both taking care of everything as well as taking their presence and help for granted brought a similar feeling from Sera, as she remembered how her parents had handled everything, up until the point her father was suddenly killed. As per usual when she thought about such things, her gaze drifted to her left arm, though the missing hand was hidden by the lengthy sleeves of the dress she had gotten from Nicolette. At least it wasn't noticeable to anyone else unless they were specifically looking for it, and for that she was grateful. She didn't have anything to say, though, and instead remained silent for the time being.  

[Blood_Goddess]

Rosie took a free seat next to him, He certainly looked like he had been run ragged.
"Are you done for the night? Or is this going to be something keeping your on your feet till midnight?"

This wasn't a good birthday at all, she supposed it was more for a show to the others then anything, just how Luke had explained it.  

[Suudonym]

"Not until midnight, thank goodness, but Father always makes an announcement during these sorts of things, and I'm sure I'll be expected to participate." He sighed reflexively and quietly moved his hand to cover Rosie's. He knew he would be berated later for acting like a wallflower at an event like this, but for the time being he hardly cared. He was content to just pass the time with Rosie and Sera, though it did seem like a bit of waste not to have a dance or two.

The event had already been in full swing for upwards near two hours when Luke was approached by one of the house's servants with a murmured message that his father was requesting his presence upstairs. After politely dismissing the man, Luke rolled his eyes with an exasperated sigh, "Sorry, this should definitely be the last time." He pulled himself up from the seat and, instead of ascending via the visible central staircase at the back of the hall, moved to disappear through an unassuming door off to the side.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

"Man, he should just let you do whatever you want. It's your birthday," Sera countered with a frown. It was his birthday, after all; he should be allowed to do whatever the hell he wanted.

The brunette didn't at all mind sitting around, hanging and talking with her two best friends - especially since the floor was heated and kept her nice and warm during that time - but she aimed a frown at the man that approached, mostly because he symbolized the fact Luke would have to be pulled away again. s**t, couldn't his dad just leave him alone on his birthday? On Christmas? What a jerk.  

[Blood_Goddess]

"good, I'm glad then." That was a relief he could take it easy for a while, and Rosie and Sera didn't have to sit around surrounded by important people and nobles who would probably never even speak a word to them under normal circumstances. It was comfortable with Luke there, the room didn't seem intimidating.
When his hand touched hers she shifted it a little so that her palm was in his.

this was fun, being fancy every now and then was fun, Rosie even had a good time watching the dancing, even if she would have loved to participate herself, she wouldn't ask Luke yet, when he was better though, she didn't forget his promise. But there were some beautiful couples that took to the floor that Rosie just adored watching.

but the time soon came that Luke was summoned away. She hummed lightly, shaking her head and smiling "Nope~ its okay, last time, we'll safe your seat."  

[Suudonym]

It would be another another several minutes before anything came of his absence, but quiet gradually made its way through the hall as Luke and his father appeared at the height of the grand staircase, the former looking nowhere near as comfortable as the latter to stand before such an audience.

Lord Fabre was the one to speak, commanding attention easily with his stately demeanor, "Dear friends, my son and I thank you all for taking the time out of your busy schedules to celebrate not only the holiday but also Lucien's coming of age. We would ask that you also spare a moment of remembrance for his brother, Luke, whose coming of age we would also celebrate this day had his life not been so tragically cut short."

Luke shifted uncomfortably, scarcely appreciating having his thoughts lumped in with his father's with the collective 'we.'

"However, though a day of remembrance, today is not a day of sorrow nor of grief. Today is the day that I have the pleasure of naming Lucien a lord, and," he punctuated his statement with a meaningful pause, "the day that I have the pleasure of naming his wife to be."

The older noble paused for a moment to allow the pleasant surprise and applause of his audience to run its course, apparently taking notice of the dumbstruck and offended looking young man beside him enough to mutter a warning, "I'll not hear a word about it, young man. You would have been informed, had you not skipped all your appointments."

Luke wouldn't have been able to produce any coherent words had he even thought to try, and the cautionary words went without any retort. Apparently satisfied by his son's silence, Lord Fabre raised a hand to gesture a bystander forward.

"Miss Nicolette Lachapelle."  

[BlackFireKitsune]

Nicolette's excitement had long since faded into nervousness and anxious anticipation, and when Lord Fabre gestured towards her, it was with some hesitance that she stepped forward and gave a polite bow, her cheeks flushed. She, unlike Luke, had expected this news, though she hadn't expected to feel quite this nervous about it.


Seraphine had fully expected some stuffy, pretentious-as-s**t speech, but she sure as hell hadn't expected anything like this. Sure as hell did not, and it seemed like Luke didn't, either. For the moment, though, she remained stunned and speechless, her brows raised and lips parted slightly in her utter astonishment. "...what." What? What? No. No, this wasn't allowed - Luke was dating Rosie, and that was all there was to it. Who the hell did this jackass think he was, going around pushing Luke into doing s**t he didn't want to do and telling him who he was gonna marry? Luke was with Rosie; no ifs, ands, or buts about it.

It was then that the brunette stood, her single hand balled into a fist - until she remembered the promise she'd made Luke beforehand, and with an irritated grumble she sank back into her chair, wearing a dark expression. "Can he punch him? Please tell me he's gonna punch him," the girl muttered quietly to Rosie. "Please." If someone didn't punch him, then she was liable to, and though she would if she had to, she didn't want to break her promise to behave.  

[Blood_Goddess]

In the parties chatter before the announcement Rosie had been speaking to Northern who had settled herself in the trainer's lap, sitting at her knees facing the blond and holding her tiny hands up as Rosie taught her time games to pass the time as well as little songs that she might remember for now.
"What aabboout 'Happy Birthday' next?" the blond considered for the legendary, who nodded and lowered her hands.

She didn't get very far into the song when the room started to fall silent, and everyone's attention was moved to where Luke and his father were making their was out to the give what she could only assume was an announcement.
A swell in her chest at the sight of Luke again brought a smile to her face, even though he was across the room.

Northern glanced over her shoulder at Rosie with a confused frown, but the Jirachi went mostly unnoticed. as the lord of the house began to speak.

It was as normal a speech as one could imagine, Rosie didn't know what his speeches were like, but the general thanks for attending and mention of Luke and what this day meant to him, and to Asch.
Her eyes never left Luke the entire time, he looked like he was out of place up there, that was so like him too.

Her eyes only tore away from him with a start, her smile fading very suddenly into something much more confused.
His wife to be? Had his father just said his wife to be?
"What?" Rosie barely breathed, when Luke's father continued despite a clear surprise from Luke, and the name he called was just as familiar, Nicolette.

For a moment Rosie sat there, her brow furrowing as the remained of her smile fading to complete a confused look that shifted from Nicolette who was now walking up the staircase with a nervous smile and a blush, to her amazing Luke trying to make sense of what was supposed to be happening.

Seraphine stood up next to her, she was saying something but Rosie couldn't quite make out what she was saying. and found she had temporary lost the use of her limbs
"Wait... No"

People were clapping, the room was clapping but Rosie just hung where she was still trying to make sense of what happened, an initial stab of surprise in her her chest leaving her uncertain where she sat.
No, this had to be a mistake, they didn't know about her and Luke... they didn't, ... otherwise-
But then again Luke's dad didn't make it a secret that he didn't like her, was this a way to try and drag Luke back? No... No this was a mistake.

Northern made a jerking motion, removing herself from Rosie's lap and away from the girl as she pressed her white hands to her head, giving both her and Sera confused looks as she drifted away from them.  

[Suudonym]

Luke's father continued to speak, but he heard nothing that was said, standing there numbly with a roaring silence buzzing in his thoughts. First and foremost, he was angry. Everything aside, he was confronted with the knowledge that his father had learned absolutely nothing and still persisted under the delusion that he had any right to control how Luke lived. Sure, his father didn't know about Rosie beyond the fact that she existed as a person, but that hardly excused him. Even if there were no one in the world that he loved, he would still have been beyond offended by the unexpected announcement - and the fact that there was someone only made those feelings that much stronger.

The speech apparently came to an end, as indicated by the burst of applause from the first floor, and Luke became aware of his father's voice pressing, "Well? I believe you owe your fiancee at least one dance."

Luke looked to his father for one long, silent moment, his eyes falling briefly to Nicolette, and he turned and move in the opposite direction from the stairs, ignoring the hissing call of his name from behind him as he disappeared through the broad doorway into the corridor beyond.

The general consensus that murmured through the assembly of guests was that he must have been embarrassed.