warmskies: (sassybird) (I'm just gonna ride dicks all the way)
Sawada Tsunayoshi || Vongola Decimo TYL ([personal profile] warmskies) wrote2021-06-09 03:11 pm
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Blue Lions Week, June 11: Campfire Stories

 When she wakes up one fine morning, Ingrid thinks it's going to be another average if fine morning of a free day to herself, and really, she has to admit that was her fault.

How could she have expected that Ashe and Annette would come up to her over breakfast, both of them exchanging odd glances with each other? She doesn't think anything of it, at first, and just smiles up at them in an attempt to not be too blatantly puzzled at the reaction. She always thought she had a fairly good relationship with both of them, honestly. "Hey, you two," she says, dragging her focus away from the plethora of food on her breakfast tray. It's quite a task; she loves breakfast. "What's on your minds?"

Ashe and Annette exchange a look. It's actually really cute, if she were to admit anything to herself. They're both really cute. What is she supposed to do with feelings like that? Die, probably.

"We were actually hoping to ask you a favor, Ingrid," Annette starts, clasping her hands together in front of herself. "But it kind of depends on one really big question."

"You're not afraid of ghosts, are you?" Ashe asks.

Huh. She had to admit that wasn't the question she was expecting this sunny morning, when the dining hall is full of everyone happily chattering away. Somehow, speaking of things like ghosts feels as though it should only be reserved for when the moon is in the sky or, at the very least, when the sun is slowly sinking out of view past the horizon. It's just an - atmospheric sort of thing, she guesses. What it feels like should happen.

Which is silly, she supposes. Anyone can talk about anything at any time in the day. So, after recovering a bit, she shakes her head. "Oh, no, not at all," she answers. "Do you two have to go get something in a dark and old room for a professor again?" She knows how those two get around anywhere sufficiently dark and old.

"Oh, no. No, it's nothing like that." Ashe rubs the back of his neck, fingers curling against the hood of his uniform. "However, well, the two of us were talking, and we thought that maybe we could try to overcome our fear. We can't ask for help every time that we have to go get something... and who knows what might happen in the future? What if we need to help someone, and our fear of some haunted - thing keeps us from doing all we could do?"

Annette leans forward, eyes shining. "But Ingrid, you're so brave, and you never let something like that hold you back! So we thought, if there's anyone who can teach us how to overcome our fear of spooky ghosts, it would be you!"

"Well, I can't say I'm not honored that you both feel like that..." In fact, judging by all the heat she can feel boiling in her cheeks, she's more than just honored, and Ingrid brushes some of her hair behind her ear. "Still, I'm not sure how much experience I have in that kind of thing. Have you thought about asking the Professor? They might have some interesting ideas on it."

There's a shake of Ashe's head. "We considered it, but, well... As a professor, they really are busy. Every weekend, they always seem to be running around, doing all sorts of things. It wouldn't be fair to ask them for help and add one more thing onto their plate."

Ingrid looks over his shoulder, to where the Professor is currently having their second breakfast of the day while staring across the table with blank eyed intent at Dimitri and Felix as Felix no doubt grumbles about being next to Dimitri while also heckling him to eat more. The Professor's plate is already completely cleared.

"Well," she says, "I suppose I can give it a shot. Why don't you two get breakfast, and we can talk about what to do?" That also gives her a moment to consider her plan of action, with Ashe and Annette fetching something from the meal line. However much she might feel honored that she was one of their top choices for this kind of thing, Ingrid has to admit that she doesn't really know all that much about scary or haunted places, either. She may not be afraid of ghosts, but she doesn't really go looking for them, either. However, it hits her that she knows the perfect person who does, and she beams over at the pair when they return to sit across from her. "Oh, I just had an idea! Why don't we ask Mercedes on a location to go to?"

The color drains from both of their faces. "Mercedes?" Ashe squeaks, even though Ingrid thought he had a perfectly friendly relationship with her.

"Wait, what's this about going some place?" Annette asks.

Ingrid raises a finger, smiling. "Well, the way that I think is the best way to get over a fear is to challenge it head on! So if we went to a really scary place, and came out of it unscathed, it would do a lot for your confidence, and lessen the fear you have on ghosts. And the person who knows the most about scary places and stories would have to be Mercedes! So I thought she would be the perfect person to ask."

At least, that was Ingrid's thought, but she's kind of rethinking it with the way Annette and Ashe look at each other. "I... suppose facing our fear head on isn't a bad idea," Ashe concedes. "There are definitely no tales of knights who ran away from ghosts..."

"But maybe not Mercie," Annette suggests, biting down on her lip. "It's not that I don't think she's anything less than one hundred percent super duper amazing, but she... kind of gets really excited about things like ghosts? And I think she might try to get us into ghosts, and, well... We just want to not be scared of them anymore. I guess what I'm saying is, she might be a lot for this kind of thing? Ooooh, I'm sorry, Mercie, I love you and you're amazing!!" Annette buries her face into her hands, leaving Ingrid and Ashe to pat her shoulders, reassuring her that she's still a good best friend.

Still, that kind of puts Ingrid's original idea into a pickle. Who else does she know of that would have a lot of ideas on creepy places they could tackle, head on? That doesn't seem like something a lot of people in the Blue Lions house would know about...

Oh. Ingrid grins. "I have an idea for an alternative. Let's hurry and finish breakfast, and I'll ask Dorothea where to find him."

And really, the best way to find Hubert von Vestra is to find Edelgard, and Dorothea absolutely knows where she is at all times. He's looming in the background as she does axe practice against Ferdinand, and his gaze slides over to the three of them trot over. "Good morning, Hubert," Ingrid says politely, because she likes to think she was raised well enough in that aspect, at least. Annette and Ashe hang about behind her, like she's a shield. "I'm sorry to trouble you this early in the morning, but I was hoping to ask you for a favor."

In that absolutely creep way he seems to be far too good at, Hubert chuckles darkly while raising a hand to his chin. "A favor? Do you truly wish to be in my debt, then?"

From the depths of her heart, Ingrid desperately wants to ask if he pulls this same kind of nonsense during meals and someone asks him to pass the salt. However, she was raised with manners, and how to do etiquette from her mother, so she refrains. Anyway, you don't insult someone you're asking a favor of. "I was just curious if you knew of any scary or haunted places in or near the monastery," she asks, completely skipping over the line about debts. "We want to go visit one."

Very pointedly, she doesn't mention about why they want to go, and how it pertains to Annette and Ashe. Hubert has always seemed like the kind of weirdo who would do weird things with anything he knew about another person, honestly, and Annette and Ashe's fears about ghosts seem easy to exploit just to be a jerk.

Well, he probably already knows, but... There's a chance he doesn't, and Ingrid doesn't plan on handing that information over to him.

Hubert just eyes them for a moment, who knows what thoughts curling about in his head, before Edelgard's voice rings out from the sparring area. "Are you going out for the day, Ingrid?" When Ingrid looks over, the one-day Empress is wiping sweat from her brow, and Ferdinand looks like he's trying to pump himself up for the next round. She wasn't paying attention to who won, really, but the answer tends to be obvious in moments like this. Edelgard never feels the need to pump herself up, not from what Ingrid has seen. 

"That's right." Ingrid smiles over at Edelgard. Unlike her retainer, Ingrid has never had a problem with her. Much like Dimitri, she lives up to the title she's been given as the head of her house. She understands that the politics over in the Empire are... complicated, to put it lightly, but she has hopes for Edelgard taking the throne. "We have something we want to look into, so we thought we would ask Hubert if he knew of any places."

"It's a shame you're going to somewhere dark and dreary; I'm sure Dorothea would love to go on a picnic with all of you on a nice day like this. Maybe you'll be back in time for lunch and can do it." There's a slight nod over to Hubert.

It must be some sort of subtle encouragement, because Hubert seems to think for a moment. "An hour from the town, there is a large abandoned farm house that should be suitable," he says simply.

Thank goodness for Edelgard; Ingrid doesn't want to think on how long it would have taken her to get through a conversation with Hubert. "Thanks, Hubert - and we'll definitely see if we can't get back by then!" she promises Edelgard. "Good luck, Ferdinand!"

What can she say? It only feels right to give encouragement to a fellow lancer. Ferdinand raises up his lance, bright and cheery as usual. "I will win the next bout, on my name as Ferdinand von Aegir!" he calls out to her.

Annette presses up against her back. "So you're not scared of Hubert either?" she whispers, although Ingrid suspects that Hubert can still hear her. "People spread a lot of scary rumors about him."

In the back of her head, Ingrid wonders how many of those rumors Hubert has spread himself. What she says out loud, with a smile, is, "Oh, I'm not scared. If he ever tried anything, I would simply gut him like a fish!" The fact that he's standing right there in front of her is no deterrence at all. Maybe it will help remind him that he should stop making creepy comments around other people, especially in a school like this.

It doesn't really seem to do anything besides make him raise a not-eyebrow, but that's probably for the better. The three of them promptly have to make their way off, gathering some things from their rooms and around the monastery before they head off. It's a little bit busy, with Ingrid overhearing talk of a group heading out to see if some reports of bandit raids are true, but that's nothing new in Garreg Mach. Something is always happening somewhere within it, especially with how much the Church tries to pay attention to. Instead, she focuses on the practical things, like getting on some of her riding pants, and Ashe ducking over to the armory for a bow and arrow.

"It might be nice to get some hare or pheasant for dinner on the way back," he explains as the three of them head to the stables, smiling. "Or even lunch, for Dorothea! If we really do go on that picnic, anyway."

Who is Ingrid to deny the chance of eating more of Ashe's delicious cooking? So that's part of why Ashe borrows one of the church's horses as he rides down close to the ground, and Ingrid and Annette take on a pair of pegasi. It could be a little bit difficult for them to follow each other, if Ashe goes underneath some trees and they all lose sight... But Ingrid isn't worried. They all have their maps, and ideas of where to meet up in case they get separated. So as the two of them soar through the sky, Ashe a familiar dot beneath them as he trots along.

Compared to a lot of other places Ingrid could be asked to go while on pegasus-back, the farm that Hubert mentions really isn't that far away at all, even with her and Annette going particularly slow in the air so that they don't lose Ashe entirely. Although from the air, Ingrid certainly sees why it would gain a reputation as a haunted place...

"I wouldn't think a farm so near to the church would be in such poor state," she comment once her and Annette have landed, close to the road so that Ashe can have an easier time meeting up with them. "One would imagine someone else trying to take control of that kind of land, or ask the church or local governing body if it's available. But all of the land where the crops were are completely overrun with wild plants, and the buildings further in look to be in just wretched condition."

"Unless it was haunted, and the ghosts of the dead refuse to let anyone on the and again!" Annette squeaks, already looking terribly pale in the warm weather. Their pegasi have already taken to the air, to stay away from anyone that might otherwise steal them, and Ashe's horse is tied up out of sight.

So, really... There's no reason to wait, and Ingrid grabs both of them by the arms before they can reconsider their life choices. "Then that's rude of them," she announces. "But there might be a completely mundane answer to what's going on as well. There's only one way to find out, and that's by going in and investigating ourselves. After this, I'm sure it will do a whole lot of good to how you feel about ghosts!" And so, ignoring their whining and keening, Ingrid drags the two of them along in with her.

Honestly, even with all the neglect and how nature has reclaimed some of its land... Ingrid has to admit that the path through the fields and up to the farmhouse is beautiful. Maybe it's just something about the warm and pleasant day, or the small berry bushes that peek out along the side of the path. Those in particular seem to distract Ashe and Annette's worries, for a moment at least.

That promptly ends when they get to the front door.

Ingrid doesn't see what the big deal is, honestly: it looks like just an old, worn down wooden house with some holes and rotting wood in it. Yet Annette and Ashe cling to each other as they step into the shadow of the building, looking almost like ghosts themselves with how pale they are.

"It'll be fine," she says, reaching for the door. "I mean, look, the door just swings right open. No one has been here for ages, probably." That, and she thinks the handle might have fallen off. Well, it's not as though anyone has been using it... "Come on, you two! You can't let me go in by myself." Of course, Ingrid says that right as she's stepping in by herself, and smiles when she hears their hasty footsteps right behind her.

The inside matches what she could have told of the outside: dust and dirt everywhere, coating practically every surface, with animal droppings here and there from creatures that have made due with the things humans left behind.

There's no animals in here right now, and not much else either. No skeleton slumped in a corner, no blood splatters against the ground. At most, there's just furniture that was left behind like a table that's literally on its last legs and a pot that was apparently too heavy to drag from its place in the hearth. "See?" she tells Annette reassuringly, as the other girl clings to her arm. "Nothing scary has happened! Right, Ashe?"

There's no immediate answer. He's just standing in the small hallway that goes to the side, brow furrowed a little bit as he stares down it. "Ah, no.... I suppose not..."

That's certainly a response. Ingrid frowns. "Is something wrong?"

Shaking his head, he quickly sends her a reassuring smile. "Oh, no, nothing is wrong. I was just thinking that some of the dust and dirt has been moved around strangely, and I was trying to figure out if it was just animals messing around in here before we arrived. Or if maybe someone else came here..."

"Or ghosts," Annette whispers, which quickly makes Ashe freeze up as he remembers what they're here for.

Oh boy. Ingrid tries to cross her arms, and then gives up when Annette's grip on her doesn't budge an inch. "It was probably people," she says. "This isn't really that far from town, so all sorts of things can happen, can't they? I mean, we're here. Maybe some other people came over to investigate rumors of this place being scary and haunted. Or hunters could have passed by this way, and taken shelter because of bad weather or maybe even an injury. I doubt it's anything serious. Although..." Something occurs to her, then, and Ingrid presses a hand to her chin. "...Maybe, just to be sure, we should check out the surrounding area."

The change in her tone has Ashe and Annette look at her, and it says a lot about both of them that they change almost immediately: spines straighten, brows furrow, and they both get prepared as best they can with what they have on hand. In the case of Ashe, that would be his bow and an arrow notched as he exits out a backdoor. Annette just has her bare hands... but even as she pulls away from Ingrid, she can feel wind shift around them independent of any normal breeze.

Nothing is apparently in the surrounding fields, not at first. Not until Ashe silently comes up to her, nudging her shoulder and pointing out some haggard looking horses that were tucked out of sight in the nearby trees - similar to what he had done not that long ago. Ingrid has never really considered herself a commander, honestly. It's not something she knows will be in her future. But she's read tactics for a reason, the Professor expects her to lead her own battalion well enough when they go into battle, and as Ashe and Annette look at her with those sharp and expectant eyes...

Ingrid quietly gives them orders, the three of them tucked into the tall grass, before she sends Ashe off to get the horses and Annette off to check what looks like a storage shed of sorts. And Ingrid?

Well, she goes to the barn, of course.

Some people might be able to be quiet on this sort of thing, or think of a clever way to spring a trap on their enemies. Ingrid doesn't know how to do that, not when it's a barn she's busting into, so she just does the best she can. And the best she can do is kicking open the barn door. "Who's there?!"

Who is there would be a couple of half baked bandits who jolt awake from some old hay piles at her arrival. Clearly they go by a more nocturnal routine; it's still not that far off from when she'd just had breakfast.

One grabs a sword. The other an axe. Both of their eyes light up when they look over at her, and it takes a second for Ingrid's own gaze to follow suit. "You're the scum from Miklan's gang," she breathes, and feels some incandescent fury light up in her chest. Before she's even bothering to think, she whirls around and yanks out a pitchfork from the pile of hay it was stuck in - forgotten in whatever made the original owners leave this place, not yet broken apart to be used for firewood.

When she was little, she never thought too much about why Sylvain showed up with the occasional bruise or bandage. So did she, after all. She was always running around, getting into trees and tripping over her own feet. She assumed Sylvain was the same, despite being the oldest amongst them, and never thought twice. Her parents seem worried, but said nothing.

But she's older, now, and knows more. Can remember the things that happened at that damned tower even as she swings the pitchfork about and settles it into her hands.

She wants to protect the people close to her so much. A part of her wants to never let them out of her sight, keep them from getting into trouble. But she can't, because Dimitri is crown prince and Felix is fiercely independent and Sylvain refuses to listen to her on his stupid flirting. She can't.

But she can sure as the damned take it out on some of the scum connected to that filth Miklan, may he burn from the inside out for eternity.

No conversation is even remotely attempted. The one with the axe charges her first, and she spins to the side, smacks the metal side of the pitchfork into his back to make him stumble forward. There's no point in going up against someone with an axe, not with her weapon, and not with the fact that it's not even a weapon. Next comes rushing the other bandit; are they even trying? She stabs the pitchfork forward, gets the sword's blade right between the prongs so she can yank it out of his hand, send it clattering to the ground.

A grunt, over her shoulder. Ingrid twists around, leaps away, and an axe smashes into the dirt where she was standing only a moment ago. Dust and dirt rise up in a wretched cloud, making her eyes water. Ingrid blinks them, hastily. Gets the tears out of the way. As the other bandit goes to grab his weapon again, the one with the axe heaves it up again with a grunt and turns to face her.

These aren't good odds for her, but Ingrid isn't the kind of person who quits. Gritting her teeth, she jabs forward with her pitchfork, forces the man to stumble back. He might have a weapon that can cleave her little farm tool in two, but she has speed and reach on her side.

The problem is when the swordsman starts to circle around, tries to approach her from the side with his sword raised-

"Ingrid! Duck!"

She doesn't think twice about it. Ingrid just goes straight into a split before falling forward, palms and pitchfork smacking into the dirt floor. It's not comfortable, not great, but it's better to stay as close to the ground as a roar of wind suddenly bellows through the barn. She hears, more than sees, the sound of two bodies being lifted up into the air and crashing into the opposite wall.

When she looks up, it's clear that one of the bandits has been knocked unconscious, crumpled against the floor. It's the other that's struggling to push himself up, gaze flicking to the side-

An arrow goes whistling through the air and into his leg.

"I got him!" Ashe cries out breathlessly. Ingrid looks to the opening of the barn with a smile. Annette is still hovering in midair, coming down as the magic stops whirling about her, and Ashe is in the process of running up; it says a lot about his skill with a bow that he was able to take such a good shot.

They exchange information quickly enough, with Annette riding hastily back to town in order to get the actual guard and some knights from the church over. The bandits had just recently settled in, judging by how Annette had found many of their things unpacked in the storage shed. With the guard and knights joining them, they're more than prepared when the rest of their bandit cohorts join them... although there's not many of them left, after what happened at the tower.

"Aaaaaah, I wasn't expecting that," Annette says when it's all said and done, a hand at her heart.

Ashe just smiles, relief in every bit of him. "I'm glad we were able to stop them before they could do anymore harm."

"I agree," Ingrid says, smiling for just a moment before sighing. "Still... I'm sorry, you two. I don't think this helped at all with your fear of ghosts..."

"You don't have to worry, Ingrid. We really appreciate what you did!"

"No, I insist. But don't worry!" She gives a small hop, pumping her fists. "I'll ask around tomorrow, and find a completely different place for us to challenge ourselves with!" Beaming, she raises one victorious hand in the air, and doesn't catch the expressions on their faces.