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l0vew0rm · 3 years ago

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Anneliese (07-Ghost OC)

this lovely character sheet was made by my dear friend and 07-ghost artist @neromori on instagram ! i highly recommend checking his work out and giving them a follow, they deserve all the love and appreciation for their art <3

i tried to write anneliese as if she were a character that really existed in both the anime and manga. i envision she only appears from kapitel 1 to 25 of the manga (or episode 1 to 25 of the anime) and is only mentioned from then on by her older sister auguste, also featured in this character profile. i have plans of making auguste another original character, but i resolved to only start writing her after i finally read the entirety of the manga and get a good grasp of where she might be in the story ^^;

— Sister Anneliese.

Characteristics

Full Name: Anneliese Elisabeth Schafer Species: Human Gender: Female Sexuality: Bisexual Age: Early 20s Birthday: November 12 Height: 176 cm (5 '9" ft.) Weight: 55kg (121 lbs.) Hair Color: Dark Brown Eye Color: Dark Brown

Personal Status

Status: Alive Relatives:

Heinrich Schafer (Father)

Emmeline Schafer (Mother)

Auguste Schafer (Sister)

Amalie Schafer (Sister)

Antonie Schafer (Sister)

Albrecht Schafer (Brother)

Professional Status

Occupation: Nun Affiliation:

Schafer Family

The Barsburg Church

more under the cut, but please be informed beforehand that this character profile includes mentions of parental and familial neglect, underage smoking and drinking, and suggestive themes, as well as minor spoilers for kapitel 7 (episode 9), kapitel 19 (episode 20), and kapitel 25 (episode 25) of the 07-ghost anime and manga. this character profile also contains links to the 07-ghost wiki, which also contain spoilers.

Sister Anneliese, born Anneliese Elisabeth Schafer, is a nun of the Barsburg Church, located in District 7 of the Barsburg Empire. Like her fellow nuns, Anneliese performs various odd jobs around the Barsburg Church such as cooking, cleaning, gardening, and manual labor—though she has a reputation for being a rulebreaker due to her habits of drinking, smoking, and general disregard for Church rules.

Anneliese is a member of the Schafer Family, an aristocratic family based in District 1. She is the youngest daughter of Lord Heinrich and Lady Emmeline Schafer, the younger sister of Auguste, Amalie, and Antonie Schafer, and the elder sister of Albrecht Schafer. Sometime in her mid-teens, Anneliese became a ward of the Barsburg Church after being sent there as punishment for her rebellious behavior. When she was allowed to return home to her family years later, Anneliese—then a novice—spitefully chose to become a sister of the Church instead, effectively severing her ties with them.

Appearance

Physical appearance

Anneliese is a tall and slim woman, standing at around 176 cm and weighing around 55 kg. In contrast to her elder sisters, who all inherited their father Heinrich's features of fair, straight hair, light-colored eyes, and pale skin, Anneliese bears more of a resemblance to their mother Emmeline, with olive-toned skin, naturally curly dark hair, and dark eyes. Anneliese appears to be in her early twenties but is often mistaken to be older because of her tall stature and prominent features—several of which include upturned, cat-like eyes, a sharp, V-shaped jawline, and her tendency to rarely ever smile, instead almost always appearing solemn.

Clothing

Anneliese wears a modified version of the typical habit worn by nuns at Barsburg Church. The most significant alteration to her outfit is a figure-hugging sash around her waist that reaches halfway down her lower leg. Another modification Anneliese had made to her habit was a slit she cut on its skirt that showed part of her leg, but after several complaints made by scandalized churchgoers and her fellow nuns, she was made to stitch the slit closed—and the stitches (though now frayed and slightly loose) remain visible on her habit. Anneliese appears to be the only sister of the Church that does not wear a veil, as she often struggled with adjusting it on her head due to her hair.

In the past, Anneliese wore clothing typically worn by most nobility residing in District 1—intricate, embroidered, fur-trimmed dresses and gowns indicative of the Schafer Family's wealth and status. However, Anneliese despised wearing them and opted to borrow her servant and close friend Klara's clothes to wear instead, much to the chagrin and disapproval of her parents.

Personality

Initially, Anneliese possessed a cold and unfriendly demeanor, often speaking in a blunt, harsh manner seen as rude and unbecoming of a woman of faith such as her. Despite her occupation as a nun of the Barsburg Church, she is far from pious and devout, and her lack of dedication to her work and faith has earned her a reputation as a rulebreaker among members of the Church's clergy. She frequently avoids attending and participating in Church activities unless they happen to interest her, steals communion wine to hide under her bed and drink in secret, and has been caught wandering around the Church at night in search of hiding places to smoke.

Although her disobedient tendencies and distant nature towards others seem to say otherwise, Anneliese cares deeply for the well-being of the Barsburg Church and her fellow clergy members, considering it her home and sanctuary after being banished from her real home by her family. Openly expressing feelings such as affection and care is difficult for her, but to those who have managed to grow close to her—namely the three Bishops Frau, Castor, Labrador, and eventually Teito Klein—recognize and appreciate her efforts to show genuine kindness and compassion.

Towards the end of her arc, Anneliese is shown to be significantly more open and amiable towards others. She also appears to have developed a genuine sense of faith, as indicated by her last appearance when she prays to the Chief of Heaven.

Most of Anneliese's initial personality and tendencies can be attributed to her upbringing and difficult relationship with her family, particularly with her parents. She describes her relationship with her family before being sent to Barsburg Church as tense and her current relationship with them as "good as dead"—but has expressed regret over her decision to cut them off.

History

Anneliese was born Anneliese Elisabeth Schafer to the affluent Schafer Family. At the time of her birth, the Schafer Family were respected for their aristocratic status but were also derided for being "tryhard opportunists", particularly because of their repeated and unsuccessful attempts to forge an alliance with one of the Seven Houses of God (or God Houses) through marriage. Though the Schafer Family had considerable influence and wealth in their own right, their place and rank compared to the countless other upper-class families and noble houses across the various districts of the Barsburg Empire rendered them more or less insignificant, especially in the eyes of the immeasurably powerful God Houses.

Determined to secure an alliance by marrying one of their children into a God House, Lord Heinrich Schafer and Lady Emmeline Schafer, Anneliese's parents, raised their daughters to become the perfect potential wives—well-mannered and exceptional in talent, intellect, and beauty. However, this led to Heinrich and Emmeline putting immense pressure on their daughters, subjecting them to grueling hours of training, education, and discipline to ensure they were the most perfect they could be at the cost of their senses of self-worth, self-esteem, and the ability to openly bond with one another.

In Anneliese's words, the Schafer sisters "almost loved each other" in their youth, but because they were all determined to become the chosen daughter to fulfill their parents' dreams, their shared bond swiftly became strained and fiercely competitive.

Eventually, three out of the four Schafer daughters grew up to be exactly what their parents wanted them to be—exceptional and remarkable in their own unique ways. Auguste Ilse, the eldest daughter, was discovered to be a Zaiphon wielder, and attended the Barsburg Military Academy to hone her skills, graduating and joining the Barsburg Imperial Army in her adulthood.

Amalie Olga, the second eldest, developed a talent for the performing arts and became an accomplished multi-instrumentalist, performing as a member of various high-profile musical ensembles and orchestras throughout the Barsburg Empire.

Antonie Ulrike, the third eldest, became renowned for her praiseworthy beauty (which was often described as being "otherworldly"), as well as for being a noted scholar well-versed in the subjects of philosophy and the sciences—though she was more well-known for her beauty than for her intellect.

Anneliese worked hard to fulfill her parents' expectations and match her sisters' excellence, but always found herself falling short of achieving anything significant. Though initially encouraging of their youngest daughter, it did not take long before Heinrich and Emmeline grew disappointed in Anneliese's supposed incompetence and began to neglect her, believing her to be a lost cause who did not need prioritizing because of her mediocrity. Having been rejected by her parents and unable to turn to her sisters for any sort of comfort, Anneliese consequently grew up feeling miserable and isolated.

Noticing her sorrow and loneliness, Klara, a young servant girl of the Schafer household, befriended Anneliese. Klara kept Anneliese company, allowed her to borrow her clothes, entertained her by playing the guitar, and eventually taught Anneliese how to play the guitar (it is later revealed that Klara taught Anneliese how to play under the secret instruction of her older sister Amalie). Klara's generosity and kindness towards Anneliese despite perceiving herself as an unremarkable failure led her to develop feelings for her, and though she never admitted these feelings to Klara directly, she often wrote of them in her diary.

Through Klara's encouragement and teaching, Anneliese grew skilled at the guitar. When she finally felt that she was proficient enough, she requested that her family be her first audience, performing in front of them enthusiastically. At the end of her performance, when she looked up for any sign of approval or applause, she was only met with blank, disapproving stares, particularly from her parents. Anneliese was crushed and cried in her room afterward, as the true extent of her family's disregard for her finally sank in.

Tired of how she was being treated and thinking that she might as well make the most out of being the family disappointment, Anneliese soon became rebellious. She began to sneak out at night, traveled elsewhere in the daytime without permission (often accompanied by Klara), and picked up the habit of smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol. Heinrich and Emmeline were furious and demanded Anneliese put a stop to her misbehavior before she could tarnish the family name. In response to their anger, Anneliese retorted "Haven't I already? Why do you only care now?"

To curb Anneliese's troublesome behavior, her parents arranged for her to be engaged to Vasily Petrov, the son of another aristocratic family. Though Anneliese found Vasily likable, the prospect of being engaged to him and eventually marrying him displeased her, as she loved Klara and not him.

Vasily, on the other hand, was deeply enamored with Anneliese, but his affection would soon turn from simply being smitten with her to a growing obsession and possessiveness over his fiancée. Vasily's irrational jealousy eventually led to him betraying Anneliese when he discovered her diary and entries about Klara, revealing her secret to Heinrich and Emmeline behind her back.

The discovery of Anneliese's love for Klara was the last straw for her parents. As punishment, Klara was subsequently fired from the Schafer household, and Anneliese was sent to Barsburg Church against her will to be disciplined and to "correct her misguided ways". Heartbroken, Anneliese was resentful towards the clergy of the Church who had taken her into their care and attempted to escape before being caught by Frau, who was then an apprentice Bishop.

Instead of berating her or threatening to report her to Church authorities like she expected, much to Anneliese's surprise, Frau reacted casually and offered to help cover up her escape attempt once he had persuaded her not to leave. Subsequently, Frau became the first—and for a time, the only—member of the Church that Anneliese trusted and fully befriended him upon becoming a novice.

After several years of living as a ward and eventual novice of Barsburg Church, Anneliese received a letter from her eldest sister Auguste. In the letter, Auguste had written about the birth of their brother Albrecht Emmerich, though more importantly, about their parents offering to allow her to return home. Believing that their parents were being disingenuous about their offer, Anneliese furiously wrote back that she refused to return home and would instead become a sister of the Church, effectively and permanently severing her ties with her family.

Shortly after her last letter to Auguste, Anneliese followed through with her decision and officially became a sister of the Church. Though she continued to possess much of her rebellious streak from her younger years, Anneliese is shown to grow and become more dutiful and dedicated to her work. Her last appearance is of praying to the Chief of Heaven for three things—for Teito to be kept safe by him, for her family to be well, and to be reunited with Klara someday.

Relationships

Family and Associates

Heinrich and Emmeline Schafer

Lord Heinrich Schafer and Lady Emmeline Schafer are Anneliese’s parents. Anneliese is bitter and resentful towards them, having never forgiven them for their neglect and eventual decision to send her to Barsburg Church against her will. Anneliese remains firmly convinced that her feelings of contempt towards her parents are mutual and that their offer for her to return home was insincere.

Unbeknownst to Anneliese, however, is that they truly were sincere, having grown to regret their rashness at having sent her away. In official portraits of the Schafer Family, Heinrich and Emmeline request every artist to paint Anneliese with them, though she often appears as a teenager because the last of her pictures kept in the household was of her at that age.

Auguste Schafer

Auguste is Anneliese's older sister and the eldest of the Schafer siblings. Anneliese considers her the sister she was closest to, briefly corresponding with her through letters during Auguste's first year as a soldier of the Barsburg Imperial Army. After being sent away to Barsburg Church, the sisters lost contact for several years, until Auguste sent Anneliese a letter detailing their brother Albrecht's birth and their parents' offer for her to return home. Following her indignant response refusing the offer and informing Auguste of her decision to become a nun, Anneliese deliberately chose to cease contact with her.

Despite this, Auguste continued to write to Anneliese, sending her letters and pictures of their family, greeting her during holidays and her birthday, and wishing her well. Though Anneliese has never responded to any of her letters, she has read and kept all of them. During a conversation with Teito Klein, Anneliese expressed her regret at ignoring Auguste's attempts to reconnect with her, remarking that "She was the only one I tried to be a sister to, and she's the only one who tried to be a sister to me. And I hate that I... can't bring myself to be one to her anymore."

In Kapitel 19 (Episode 20), Auguste appears as a member of the Barsburg Imperial Army's fleet traveling over District 7. As Anneliese watched the conflict in the skies unfold from the Church walls, Auguste noticed her and attempted to descend to see her, but failed after being commanded to return to the fleet and proceed to Antwort. The sisters share a glance, but because of Auguste's helmet obscuring her face, Anneliese failed to recognize her, leading her to wonder why a Barsburg soldier seemingly wanted to approach her.

Amalie Schafer

Amalie is Anneliese's older sister and the second eldest of the Schafer siblings. Though they were never openly close, Amalie secretly supported her sister through Klara, encouraging her to teach Anneliese the guitar. In the aftermath of Anneliese's performance, Amalie attempted to comfort Anneliese, but open approaching her bedroom and hearing her sister's anguished cries, she could not bring herself to do so. After being sent away to the Church, Anneliese and Amalie lost contact, and have not heard from each other since.

Antonie Schafer

Antonie is Anneliese's older sister and the middle child of the Schafer siblings. Antonie was often antagonistic and cold to Anneliese in their youth, much like their parents, souring their already difficult and practically non-existent relationship. However, when she learned of their parents' plans to send Anneliese away to Barsburg Church, Antonie secretly pleaded with them not to, but her pleas were unfortunately in vain. After being sent away to the Church, Anneliese and Antonie lost contact, and have not heard from each other since.

Albrecht Schafer

Albrecht is Anneliese's younger brother and the youngest of the Schafer siblings. Albrecht was born after Anneliese was sent away to the Church, thus making Albrecht the only sibling Anneliese has never met. In one of Auguste's letters, a page of it included a message personally written by Albrecht himself, enthusiastically expressing his excitement at knowing he had another sister and his desire to meet her someday. Anneliese keeps photos of Albrecht sent to her by Auguste, but does not look at them often, as she feels bittersweet over the thought of knowing she can only get to see him grow up in pictures.

Klara

Klara was a young servant girl employed by the Schafer household and was Anneliese's closest friend and first love. Aside from keeping Anneliese company, Klara taught her how to play the guitar under the secret instruction of Amalie. On Anneliese's birthday, Klara gifted her a guitar that she had spent months saving to buy for her, and it was one of the few items that Anneliese took with her to Barsburg Church.

Anneliese still considers Klara her true love, having never lost feelings for her despite never having seen Klara since she was fired from the Schafer household. Anneliese briefly and vaguely mentions Klara to Mikage Celestine and Teito Klein in Kapitel 3 (Episode 3) and Kapitel 7 (Episode 9), recalling "the beauty of young love" to the pair (alluding to her love for Klara) and when consoling a grieving Teito in the aftermath of Mikage's death, remarking that she had also "lost someone dear" to her and that she felt betrayed by the world after losing them.

In Kapitel 25 (Episode 25), Anneliese directly mentions Klara when she prays to the Chief of Heaven to be reunited with her someday. As Anneliese prays, a young woman with a hood obscuring her face stands up from the pews to approach her. Though it is left vague and ambiguous, there is a possibility that this woman may be Klara herself.

Vasily Petrov

Vasily Petrov is Anneliese’s ex-fiancé and heir to the Petrov Family, a minor aristocratic family based in District 4. Anneliese liked Vasily at first but did not love him, and disliked the idea of knowing she was engaged to be married to him someday. Vasily was infatuated with Anneliese, but this initial infatuation morphed into an unhealthy obsession with her, culminating in him betraying her by revealing her feelings for Klara to her parents.

Anneliese mentions Vasily when she recalls Auguste writing that he had married another woman, joking that she often includes "whoever that poor girl is" in her prayers, as "being married to that guy... that must be a fate worse than death!"

Barsburg Church

Frau

(credits of this gif of frau go to @from-a-distant-end !)

Frau was the sole member of the Barsburg Church clergy whom Anneliese considered a true friend. Because of their similar disregard for Church rules, they often scheme and cover up for one another, trading alcohol and cigarettes in secret, Anneliese taking up library duty to rearrange Frau's stash of porn magazines where they cannot be found by anyone else except the two of them, and Frau distracting the nuns during cleaning days for Anneliese to dispose of the many empty bottles of communion wine she hides under her bed.

Beyond their shenanigans, however, Frau and Anneliese share a genuine friendship, with Frau being the only one whom Anneliese has confided the true extent of her past to.

It is hinted that Frau and Anneliese may have been romantically involved with each other, or at least had a physical relationship in the past. Frau and Anneliese often joke about "the good old days" with each other, and also mention Castor and Frau visiting her for "stress relief" after failing the Bishop's Apprentice Exam twice. Anneliese has also been seen leaving Frau's private quarters hungover and complaining about body pain, implying that the two may have late-night trysts—though this could be interpreted as Frau and Anneliese merely drinking together.

Teito Klein

(credits of this gif of teito go to @kittensgifs !)

Anneliese was Teito's caretaker during his first days in Barsburg Church, along with Rosalie, Libelle, and Athena. Having heard of Teito's bratty nature through Frau, Anneliese treated Teito poorly compared to the other three nuns, though not to the extent of blatantly neglecting or mistreating him.

This initial misunderstanding of Teito's behavior and attitude quickly faded and over time Anneliese becomes warmer toward him—eventually growing into sisterly fondness that often showed in the form of her teasing Teito and Mikage (and later Teito and Hakuren Oak). In Kapitel 7, Anneliese comforts Teito in the wake of Mikage's death and later becomes comfortable enough to relay parts of her past to him.

Anneliese thinks of and treats Teito like a younger brother, possibly due to her regret over not being able to care for her brother Albrecht. After Teito departs from the Church and District 7 with Frau in Kapitel 25, Anneliese wishes him well, and—in a rare act of piety—prays to the Chief of Heaven to protect him.

Mikage Celestine

(credits of these gifs of mikage, teito, and burupya go to @kittensgifs and @otakween !)

Though their interactions were brief, Anneliese treated Mikage similarly to Teito, teasing him and joking about "the beauty of young love" to him. While tending to him in bed after he arrived at the Church, Anneliese converses with him on the subject of the Barsburg Imperial Army, where she reveals her sister Auguste's occupation as a soldier in the Army. Mikage tells her that he knows of Auguste, as she was once his and Teito's instructor in the Barsburg Military Academy. Anneliese smiles but does not reply to him.

As Burupya, Mikage is shown to be fearful of her, as upon first seeing him Anneliese grabbed him and jokingly attempted to throw him like a ball, unaware that the Fyulong pup was Mikage’s reincarnation. A running gag between them is Anneliese attempting to redeem herself afterward by giving Burupya treats, and Burupya refusing to accept them, hiding behind Teito’s shoulder whenever she would try to come near him.

Castor

(credits of this gif of castor go to @inahochi !)

On the surface, Anneliese appears to be intimidated or even fearful of Castor, as he frequently happens to be the one to catch her avoiding Church activities, sometimes alongside Frau. A running gag between all three is of Castor physically dragging an unwilling Anneliese by her sash and Frau by his collar back to mass. Though one would expect Castor to treat her similarly to Frau, with whom his patience runs thin, Castor surprisingly tolerates Anneliese's behavior, leading to some bickering between the two Bishops over how Anneliese manages to get off scot-free for her shenanigans whereas Frau has to deal with Castor's wrath for his mischief.

Apart from forcing Anneliese to attend and participate in Church events, they generally get along well with each other, and team up to bully Frau and even Lance on occasion.

Castor and Anneliese are hinted to have had a physical relationship in the past, as in a conversation with Frau, it is mentioned that Castor and Frau used to visit her for "stress relief" after failing the Bishop's Apprentice Exam twice. Castor, possibly out of embarrassment, shut them down before they could elaborate any further.

Labrador

(credits to this gif of labrador go to @oh-those-ocean-eyes !)

Labrador and Anneliese share an amicable relationship. Because of her duty tending to the Church's gardens, they are often shown having tea together and helping each other pick flowers for Labrador's tea. Whenever she suffers from a hangover, she often seeks him out, as he brews her special herbal teas to remedy them.

Lance

(credits to this image of lance go to @otakween !)

Anneliese and Lance’s relationship can be described as antagonistic, but neither of them bear any genuine hatred or malice towards each other. Like Castor, Lance frequently catches Anneliese engaging in her various vices such as her multiple attempts to steal communion wine from the Church sacristy, and even finding her passed out behind the altar with a bottle of wine in hand.

They dislike each others’ personalities—Anneliese for her mischief and Lance for his flamboyant, dramatic tendencies—and frequently butt heads often. For the sake of petty revenge as well as laughter, Anneliese tends to pull pranks on him and bully him, with Castor often being Anneliese’s accomplice in bullying him. However, when they aren’t rude and snubby towards each other, they act surprisingly civil, albeit begrudgingly so.

Razette

Razette is one of Anneliese's fellow nuns in the Barsburg Church. Anneliese attempted to be Razette's accompanist during mass but discontinued the role after the sound of the organ Razette played overpowered the sound of her guitar. Though no longer Razette's official accompanist, Anneliese sometimes joins Razette for casual and impromptu duets by the Church fountain, with Razette singing and Anneliese playing the guitar.

Rosalie, Libelle, and Athena

Rosalie, Libelle, and Athena are Anneliese's fellow nuns in the Barsburg Church. Anneliese occasionally pairs up with them when doing chores and manual labor around the Church, but does not spend much time with them beyond work.

Though Anneliese regards all three as mere work colleagues, Rosalie, Libelle, and Athena seem to be fond of her, with Sister Athena often embarrassing her by sharing stories of Anneliese's antics during her early days as a ward and novice of the Church.

Trivia

Due to the strict training and education she received for much of her childhood, Anneliese is particularly well-versed in literature and the art of singing and dancing, alongside being a proficient guitarist.

Anneliese has considerable knowledge with wines and alcohol, with white wine being her drink of choice. However, due to the Barsburg Church's restrictions on the clergy leaving its premises, Anneliese is limited to drinking communion wine and vodka—shared with her by Frau—instead.

Because of her status as a high-profile ward of the Church, Anneliese was given her own private quarters to live in, allowing her to live alone even when she became a novice—which is quite peculiar seeing as novices are made to live with roommates, similarly to apprentice Bishops having to share rooms while residing in the Church in preparation for the Bishop’s Apprentice Exam.

Anneliese is fond of children, but the children that visit Barsburg Church and reside in the Church orphanage are often afraid of her due to her intimidating appearance.

When with close associates and friends, Anneliese is unintentionally physically aggressive. A running gag is her often elbowing, shoving, or thwacking others upside the head when laughing, always resulting in them wincing in pain and suffering from visible slap marks or even bruises.

The Schafer sisters—Anneliese included—dreamed of marrying into specific God Houses. Auguste desired to marry into the Hausen House, Amalie the Reuen House, and Antonie the Barsburg Royal Family. Anneliese's own God House of choice was the Oak House.

Anneliese has a sweet tooth, with a preference for chocolates and strawberries. Even though Labrador brews her sweeter tea as she commonly requests of him, she always adds several more spoonfuls of sugar into her tea to taste.

#07 ghost #07-ghost #07 ghost oc #original character #oc #character profile #character sheet #frau #frau 07 ghost #teito klein #mikage celestine #castor 07 ghost #labrador 07 ghost #lance 07 ghost #razette 07 ghost

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l0vew0rm · 4 years ago

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dance with me ( eula lawrence )

synopsis: fate has a funny way of granting your wishes when you least expect it—like a dance with the infamous reconnaissance captain of the knights of favonius. pairing: eula lawrence x gn!reader word count: 1.9k warnings: alcohol consumption inspired by: dance with me by beabadoobee

a/n: just a small piece i’ve been meaning to write for my beloved main. <3 i’ve loved eula ever since getting her by chance and i’m glad i finally got to write something for her. (bonus: this fic is loosely connected to my previous work wine so if you manage to catch the small reference i’ve written in you’re cool and i love you)

the knights of favonius had decided to host a banquet and an accompanying ball to celebrate the arrival of a diplomatic delegation from fontaine, and unsurprisingly, eula was nowhere to be found.

“i have no time for such frivolous affairs,” was the spindrift knight’s sharp and honest reply to your question of whether or not she would be in attendance. “and besides, seeing as my reputation has a habit of preceding me, i’m quite sure the acting grand master would be content to send me off elsewhere where i can’t sully the good name of the knights by simply being there.”

while you weren’t necessarily surprised at her response, it still didn’t make it any less disappointing for you to hear it, nor was it any less disappointing for her to not be there among the crowd of knights and diplomats you’d been surrounded with all night. despite this, you tried your best not to let it get to you, even if your mind did occasionally linger towards the thought of the spindrift knight, among other things.

shaking your head, you try to distract yourself by surveying your surroundings. glancing upwards, you’re met with the brilliant light of two golden chandeliers that hang from the ceiling, warmly radiating a bright yet soft glow that accentuates the elegant attire that your fellow attendants are currently wearing. at the opposite end of the banquet hall is a string quartet seated atop a small stage, providing mellow background music to the abundance of excited chatter being exchanged between knights and diplomats alike. in the back of your mind, you’re very briefly reminded of all the fairytales you used to read as a child of grand balls filled with beautiful princes and princesses, but your thoughts quickly dissipate the moment you feel your shoulder be tapped and a familiar voice hum low in your ear.

“good evening, sir kaeya,” you greet the blue-haired cavalry captain with a smile and a raise of your goblet. “i trust you’ve been having a good time tonight?”

kaeya playfully tsks at you. “how many times must i tell you that we’re well past the need for such formalities?” he grins, though he returns your gesture by raising his goblet of wine—which you note is practically filled to the brim to the point of overflowing—at you. “though to answer your question, yes, i have been having a lovely time indeed.”

“that’s good to hear.”

the two of you start exchanging chit-chat, and continue to do so for some time. kaeya’s halfway through telling you about his curious encounter with a drunk lieutenant earlier in the evening when he pauses at the sound of the string quartet beginning to transition into a waltz. it only takes one shared glance between the two of you before the captain graciously extends a hand to you with a smile on his face.

“care to dance?”

you smile back at him, and take his hand. “i’d love to.”

after placing your goblets elsewhere, the two of you proceed to the center of the banquet hall, taking each other’s hands and beginning to dance to the music of the string quartet. everything should have seemed perfect—the atmosphere was merry, the crowd was lively, and you and kaeya were dancing gracefully across the room like a pair of professional ballroom dancers. but despite all that was happening around you, something just…

“is there something bothering you?”

you blink up at kaeya, his star-shaped pupil looking upon you with concern. “pardon?”

“i apologize, since i know it’s rude to assume,” kaeya begins, but the sudden shift to a shit-eating grin on his face tells you he isn’t one bit sorry for what he’s about to say next, “but you’ve seemed pretty preoccupied all night.”

“it’s nothing, i just—”

“you miss the reconnaissance captain, don’t you?”

kaeya’s grin only grows wider at the sudden flush that overtakes your face. “i knew it.” the cavalry captain watches you try and stammer up excuses, but after a minute of nothing but gibberish escaping your mouth you decide it’s better to give up and give in. “i wasn’t surprised that she wasn’t attending tonight, but i… i wanted her to. i wanted…”

“you wanted her to dance with you?”

“as if she’d ever dance with some amateur like me,” you try and joke, but it falls flat with the weight of your somber tone.

“you’d be surprised to know how eager she is to do so, actually,” kaeya nearly fails to suppress his laughter at the sight of your eyes widening to the size of saucers at his remark. “eager in her own vengeful little way, of course.”

“and how do you know that?”

“i just do.”

you’re just about to start going off on a tirade before the sound of the cathedral bell rudely interrupts you—that, and the suspicious smile that lights kaeya’s face hearing it.

“ah, just in time,” he says, and you quirk a distrustful brow at him. “what? don’t you know what time it is?”

“no?”

“why, if i recall correctly, the reconnaissance captain and her scouts should be back from their mission at around this time. i could be wrong, but seeing as i was in charge of having personally arranged the mission in question…”

“and what do you mean to accomplish by telling me this?”

“that’s up for you to decide.”

the music comes to a stop. kaeya gently lifts your hand to kiss it goodbye. “farewell. i hope you have a pleasant rest of the evening.”

“kaeya, what—”

with a playful smile and a wink, kaeya walks away, leaving you and disappearing into the crowd.

after downing a few more goblets of wine to quell the growing unease in your chest, you decide to call it quits for the night.

outside, the streets are quiet, almost eerily so, with not a single sound to be heard except for the evening breeze whistling a bitingly cold tune. you express your gratitude towards the few passersby you encounter by waving politely at them—at least, to the best of your ability considering your slightly tipsy state.

you continue onwards with your walk to nowhere until you find yourself at the plaza. you wander over to one of the many stone benches in the area and take a seat, sighing in relief at your legs finally being able to catch a break from all the stairs you had just climbed. the warm glow of the street lights surrounding you, lovely as they are, are dim; so dim, in fact, that you fail to notice the sight of a shadow approaching you from the corner of your eye.

“and here i thought you were above some dimwitted drunkard too inebriated to care about their safety being exposed out in the open. hmph. to think i taught you to be better than this.”

you nearly fall over in shock at the familiar voice that interrupts the slow slurring of your thoughts. “eula?”

“who else would it be?” the spindrift knight huffs, crossing her arms over her chest as she draws nearer to you. you pray to barbatos that she assumes the flush on your cheeks is from the wine and not the fact your heart is threatening to beat out of your chest at the sight of her.

“but really, just what are you doing out here by yourself so late at night? aren’t you supposed to be attending that banquet over at the goth grand hotel? gods, i practically made a fool out of myself barging in there unannounced just to look for you! and the fact you had the audacity to worry me when i couldn’t find you… mark my words, i’ll make sure to—”

“you… looked for me?”

“what? just what kind of question is that? did you think that i wouldn’t look for you?”

“...no?”

“hmph! preposterous! absolutely outrageous! the fact you’ve had the audacity to not only wander off elsewhere without me to protect you, and for you to assume my actions and feelings unprompted… you’ll pay for this!”

you chalk it up to the alcohol meddling with your brain, but in that moment, the wildest idea pops up in your head. a wide, dopey grin etches itself onto your face as you lift a hand out to the reconnaissance captain standing before you.

“say… what if i paid for my transgression with a dance?”

the look on eula’s face instantly makes you regret your words. this time, in addition to your flushed cheeks, the blood in your veins runs ice cold with dread and embarrassment, and you quickly withdraw your hand from her reach to sheepishly rub the back of your neck with it.

“or maybe we could just settle the score with some good ol’ sparring, hah… m’sorry that i asked you that so boldly, i know that you don’t take kindly to—”

“i’ll take it. let’s dance.”

you blink. “what?”

“you wanted to pay for your misdeeds, yes? i accept your means of payment. now get up. let’s dance.”

“but i don’t—”

“know how to dance? then i’ll teach you.” you once again chalk it up to the alcohol, because you refuse to accept any other explanation for the sudden soft shift in eula’s tone. hesitantly, you get up from your seat to approach her, gingerly holding her gloved hand and trying not to let your breath audibly hitch at the feeling of her hand on your waist.

“grip my waist a little tighter,” eula instructs you, repositioning your hand against her side. “i won’t break. now follow my lead. one, two, three, one, two, three…”

the first few minutes the two of you dance is painfully awkward. all of your previous grace and elegance from that earlier dance with kaeya have all but disappeared, your dancing skills reduced to nothing and your movements limited to stiff shuffling and careless swaying. eula seems to catch on to this, judging by the way her grip on your shoulder tightens ever so slightly—not enough to cause significant pain or discomfort, but enough to steady you as the two of you waltz across the plaza together.

eventually, the two of you manage to fall into a slow and steady rhythm, dancing along to the sound of your shoes clacking against the cobbled plaza floor. impulsively—you make a mental note to apologize to her for it tomorrow when you’ve sobered up—you lean in and bury your face into the crook of her neck, pressing your bodies together closer than you’ve ever been.

“i… have something to confess,” eula tells you, and you hum into her shoulder.

“mm?”

“i wasn’t supposed to return from my mission until dawn, but i requested i be able to return early, because i…”

eula’s hand lets go of your shoulder, and her arms slowly begin to wrap around you in an uncharacteristically warm embrace.

“i wanted to dance with you.”

your breath hitches, but it quickly melts away as you smile into her shoulder. for a moment, you’re tempted to say it—the three words you’ve longed to tell the beautiful reconnaissance captain you’ve loved since the moment you laid eyes on her—but in the end, you choose to sink deeper into her arms.

“thank you.”

eula lets out a disgruntled huff, but the look of love and care in her sunset-colored eyes says otherwise.

#wendy writes .#genshin #genshin impact #genshin x reader #genshin impact x reader #genshin imagine #genshin imagines #eula lawrence #eula x reader #eula x y/n #eula x you #eula imagine #eula imagines

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