TDM 016 & 4th WALL EVENT: NO WALLS BETWEEN US

[erkumods]

TDM 016 & 4th WALL EVENT: NO WALLS BETWEEN US

00. An Arrival and a Broken Wall?! You should be coming out of the water, the Nameless Island's own inherent energy drawing people in. It's like being suspended between realities and abruptly pushed from behind through a rift in dimensions. It may make you sick, or that might be the motion of the ocean, lifting you to the surface and carrying you to shore. Waterlogged and covered in sand, new arrivals should be greeted by robots who welcome them with towels and bracelet devices. The A5 card already loaded up, and if you don’t manage to get away from them quickly enough, they should usher you toward the Laid Bare Spa, where new arrivals will be offered free massages, a sauna, hairstyling, and their clothing may come up permanently missing. But you should be given a complimentary towel to leave with if needed! Should. That’s how things are for newbies - and maybe today, some newbies will arrive the usual way. Others might be surprised to hear that there is another "you"... already here! If and when you finally meet this other "you," there's simply no way to agree on who the so-called real version is. Your histories may be the same or they may be wildly divergent, but those little differences don't change the fact that you are who you say you are. Some islanders might even find themselves running into a much older or younger version of themselves. Duplicates and doppelgangers, you say? People who look and sound familiar but are just a little bit off? What strange anomalies have washed up from the ocean! On the other hand, maybe you’re not new here at all, or so you think. You’ve definitely been on this Island for months already. You can't exactly remember what you were doing here before, but you have the modest home and personal effects to prove that you existed. You’ve always been someone who greets new arrivals at the shore. You know very well how things work on the island, and how many of the buildings are abandoned and in dire need of repair. You know that beyond the city lingers a thick fog that obscures much of the wilderness from view. Wander too far into this fog, and you will find yourself mysteriously looping back to where you began, your memories of what you were doing and how you got there erased. You know all of this. You’ve already claimed a place to live in the now, whether a rundown apartment in the City, a tent on the beach, a bed in the barracks, or your own space at the House of Worship. You’re a veteran at this by now. Aren’t you? ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● I. A WHOLE NEW YOU The fog has thickened off the shores of the Island and in the areas that have still been obscured. So thick that it looks not unlike the heavy clouds of the recent storm. But late into the night and early into the morning, the fog seems to encroach on the Nameless City even more, blinding and catching Islanders traveling through in areas normally free of its effects. Anyone who gets caught in the especially heavy mist might find themselves suffering from more than just the usual amnesia. The fog no longer only takes memories, but can also alter your memories... and you. You may forget your time on the Island. You may forget your life before. But you’ll remember something else. You’ll remember a life entirely different as if you lived it yourself: you are a merperson who has always lived here, in the waters around the Island. Those grand underwater cities look like ancient ruins to others, but to you? You still see them as beautiful and palatial as the day they were built. You are a Native whose memories are fuzzy, but you certainly remember living your entire life here in great happiness and luxury. And once you step out of the mist, you might even find yourself physically changed to match what you recall, with fins or tentacles and gills to allow you breathe beneath the waves. You might be completely transformed, or just enough to make life underwater as easy as it's ever been. Someone else attempting to free you of these delusions will find that the more they try to force you to remember your true life, the more real and convincing your undersea life begins to feel. You must embrace this new (old?) life, embrace this new you in all ways and live it to its fullest. Completing Auspicious Acts will help bring out glimpses, hints, flashes of memory and recognition that perhaps this is not who you once were, and allow you to return to your former self. But the longer you take to embrace this, the harder it might be to let go. Some of these changes could become permanent. ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● II. LET XXX BE YOUR GUIDE Things have been strange, not just for the people of the Island, but the robots as well. The typically welcoming robots that offer their assistance in guiding new arrivals or encouraging Islanders to visit the various locations seem to be scarce. There are fewer of them running around the entertainment district and other establishments. To ensure that new arrivals continue to have a pleasant Island experience, robots will be recruiting Islanders as mentors and guides: mentor guides, if you will! Volunteers will lead other Islanders around the Island as a means of helping them become better acquainted with the locations available here for your fun and entertainment, and they will be rewarded with credits for their hard work. Guides and sightseers alike could be someone fresh and new to the Island, someone who insists they’ve been here for years, or even someone that a robot randomly dragged off the street. Mentor guides will all receive a very form-fitting and revealing uniform - no two are the same! - and, of course, a glossy paper map of all of the available sights on the Island. The pictures are big and detailed, and cute sex toy icons point out various key sights such as the recreation center, the bath house, and the library. There are even suggestions for which Auspicious Acts are the best for each location! Strangely, none of the maps list the same suggestions, so each map encourages its own unique experience. Mentees will also find that their mentor’s voice is very appealing. So appealing that just listening to them speak is enough to get you feeling some kind of way. The more they talk, the more of a reaction you have. Your body begins to burn or itch and it’s very hard to pay attention to their words when thoughts about all the things you could be doing to them instead keep coming to your mind. The only way to relieve these thoughts might be to make your mentor stop talking altogether, or follow through with some of those helpful map suggestions. Maybe you need them to mentor you in more ways than one? ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● III. SITCHES GET GLITCHES You’re walking down the road, or in your own home, or visiting a friend and suddenly something happens out of the corner of your eye. There’s a soft pfzzzzzzt and the feel of static on the skin. You turn and realize that the wall is suddenly gone. Or, maybe the glass in a store window disappeared. Perhaps someone’s clothes just vanished off of them in the middle of the street, or the chair you were sitting in at the cafe suddenly poofs right from under you. It’s as if the world around them is malfunctioning - little glitches that can last for seconds, hours, or even days before returning to normal on their own. Nothing that could seriously harm someone, but enough to be quite inconvenient. At least completing an Auspicious Act in the affected area or with the affected person seems to put it to rights immediately. Unfortunately, this doesn’t stop these glitches from happening again. You may be concerned, and the robots understand, but if asked they will insist it’s just the world adjusting as the Augur welcomes so many new people! Nothing to be worried about, obviously. It will take time for fluctuating energy levels to adjust, that’s all. Some robots might even say it’s the perfect time to enjoy having so few barriers between you. Embrace the open nature of the Island and share yourself and your home with others. Walls are only meant for keeping out what you could be letting in! ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● OOC Notes: Enjoy a mini Fourth Wall event, Islanders! As such, this test drive meme is open for anyone to create top levels, not just prospective players. Current player characters, characters you want to play in the setting but can't app full-time, drive-by castmates, duplicates, canon AUs, characters that normally would not be allowed such as fandom AUs and genderswaps (not including characters under 15), formerly dropped characters, etc. are all encouraged to come in and play! As all other test drive memes, this one will be game canon. Characters who fourth wall but do not app will disappear after a few days to a week, along with their home (if applicable) and all of their possessions. Please label your top levels as to whether you are test driving [TDM] or fourth walling [4W]. (Of course, you are allowed to change your mind! But our rules regarding appable characters will still apply.) Since auspicious acts are an integral part of this event, potential and current players can swap one Auspicious Act on their card for one of their choosing, if needed for any of the prompts. As usual, prospective players can use an Act and swap it onto their card if they choose to app into the game. If you have any questions, please ask them below. ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● N A V I G A T I O N

Comments

[nobiliteatime]

"A day or two? Well, it is hard to explain, but from my perspective, it has been closer to five years," he informed her, frowning to himself. "But I suppose that explanation can wait until we find you some clothing."

He realized, of course, that being told five years had passed in the blink of an eye might come as quite a shock to her. But his princess was in need of rescuing. Quickly, he reached for one of the clasps holding his cape to the rest of his outfit and undid it so that he could drape it over her shoulders.

It wasn't much, but it would cover enough if she held it around her. Still, it felt rather bold of him. She was a beautiful woman. Even if she weren't naked, it still would have been an embarrassing gesture for him.

[ladylush]

"Five... five years?"

Manuela had surmised that this wasn't exactly Fodlan, but she'd hardly imagine that she'd slept five years in the aftermath of the battle at Garreg Mach. The shock of that revelation meant there was a brief moment where, if Ferdinand's eyes wandered, he'd have an even better view of her curves-before Manuela snapped out of her stupor and grasped the cape as tightly around herself as she could. Her hands occupied much the same place they had before, but the garment covered things better than she could with just her own efforts.

"You're going to have to explain that to me."

[nobiliteatime]

That brief glimpse of Manuela's ample curves, unintentional though it was, made Ferdinand's cheeks burn all over again. Goddess, how had she not been swept off of her feet by some lucky man by now? Sure, she had a reputation for drinking too much and not having the cleanest living quarters, but those seemed like paltry concerns when one took into account everything else about her.

But now wasn't the time for him to dwell on the desires of some lovestruck youth. She wanted an explanation, and even if he didn't know all of the details himself, he could at least try.

"I do not know all the particulars of it myself, but time works a bit differently in this place," he began, turning his gaze away so that she could at least be spared from his wandering eyes. "Some of us from Fódlan remember an entirely different sequence of events from others, and some of us have been taken from entirely different points in time as well. I was taken from after the end of the war that ravaged the land for five years... and it would seem you have arrived here from before it even really started."

He was sure she would have more questions, but that was already a lot for her to decompress. He didn't want to overwhelm her with information. For all he knew, she would be horrified just to hear about the very existence of a war.

[ladylush]

After the attack by the Empire, a war that lasted for five years was hardly a surprise. It was much more difficult to wrap her head around the idea of coming from different times... but the physical evidence was before her in the form of Ferdinand himself. It was impossible to deny that the kind of changes he'd undergone could not have simply happened overnight.

Rather than focus on either of those, however, Manuela returned her attention to her present circumstances, reminded of them by the bright crimson coloration of Ferdinand's cheeks. "Those... creatures took my clothing, and as soon as I finally found a new outfit, it disappeared. Is there somewhere I can get clothes that will actually stay?"

[nobiliteatime]

"Ah, yes, I am certain we can find something together," he responded, his mind racing to think of somewhere where they could go. He had some bathrobes at his room that he was certain might do, but the thought of her walking all the way there with him without anything but his cape was... nerve-wracking.

But there was no reason for his nervous was to contribute to Manuela's discomfort. More than ever, he needed to be dependable and responsible. His princess was in dire straits, after all. Managing a smile, he placed his hands on her shoulders gently to make sure that the cape was wrapped snugly enough around her, trying not to think too much about how she was completely naked beneath it.

"Most of the clothing here does not just disappear while you are wearing it, I assure you," he promised, though he made no promises that the Augur wouldn't try to make clothes disappear via other means. That would be a particularly fun conversation to have, too. He could just imagine how scandalized she would be once he started mentioning the presence of aphrodisiacs.

[ladylush]

Following his lead, Manuela fell into step besides Ferdinand, grateful for the hand on her shoulder helping to insure that the cape wouldn't slip off. (Or disappear, like her other clothing, presumably. Unless it could just... fizzle away?) "That's a relief. Having it stolen, or simply disappearing off my back... not exactly a great way for them to make a lady feel welcome."

Granted, the rest of the spa treatment had absolutely made Manuela feel welcome, which was part of why she was only as freaked out by the whole situation as she was-but once they'd found more suitable clothing for her, she was going to grill Ferdinand about every detail. Why were they there? *Who* all was there? And was there any way back to Fodlan? If there was a five-year war coming, she could hardly afford to be on some far-away island.

[nobiliteatime]

Thankfully, Ferdinand knew his way around the island. He also still had another layer or so that he could spare if Manuela started to feel a little too exposed. It would only cover her up top, and she'd likely swim in his jacket, but the idea of draping it over her shoulders... he didn't hate it.

By the Goddess... focus, Ferdinand! His inner monologue chided himself for his wandering thoughts. He hadn't been troubled by such pesky mental images before he'd arrived on this island, at least not to this degree.

"Our mysterious hosts like to put us in these kinds of situations," he lamented softly as he walked with her, his voice soft and calm. "They want all of us to be intimate with one another, and I suppose having clothing spontaneously disappear is their idea of helping."

[ladylush]

"Do they... watch? Or is it for some other reason?" Now Manuela herself was blushing-she wasn't unused to being watched in general, of course, but the Mittelfrank Opera Troupe wasn't exactly the sort that put on those kinds of performances.

The thought made her draw the cape slightly tighter around herself, and a shiver ran down her spine, though more from the idea of these mysterious hosts bringing them together to watch them have sex than the environment itself; for all its purpose was apparently something perverse, the climate of the island had been lovely so far in her opinion.

[nobiliteatime]

"I do not know how, but they derive some sort of energy from it," he explained, though the notion of someone watching was more interesting to him than he cared to admit. He had toyed with such thoughts before during his time on the island, but that was usually under the influence of something that removed his noble inhibitions.

Dwelling on such thoughts would be grossly unproductive, though. Better to focus on the situation at hand.

"In fact, when we experience disturbances like this here, performing what they call an 'Auspicious Act' usually alleviates the symptoms for a time," he continued, looking around them to make sure they didn't have too much in the way of company. This was an embarrassing topic, at least to him, and Manuela was a lady. "I am certain you can imagine what sorts of acts those are."

[ladylush]

"The 'intimate' ones you mentioned, I assume." The entire thing sounded very... well, perverse, frankly, but considering her experience on the island so far that was hardly surprising at this point. "Which means they want me to-that-with somebody to get my clothing back?"

Being a lady wasn't actually what was holding Manuela's speech in check, as it turned out. Ferdinand hadn't seen just how crass she could, at times, but that was the same reason she held back now-five years later or not, he was her student, and that required some level of decorum, current circumstances notwithstanding.

[nobiliteatime]

Decorum was something that Ferdinand understood. It was why he found himself so flustered so often in this place, much to the amusement or frustration of his partners. Edelgard had no need of it, Dorothea actively enjoyed breaking it, and Constance was... well, Constance. This, Ferdinand considers Manuela's willingness to dance around the subject with him an act of mercy on par with Saint Cethleann herself.

"That may indeed be their aim, I am afraid," he confirmed, though he wouldn't out it past the Augur to simply be a happy accident. It was hard to say at times. "Regardless, distasteful though it may be at times, this place serves as a bit of a respite for those of us from Fódlan, in a strange way. There are people from the Empire, the Kingdom, and the Alliance here, as well as Flayn and Seteth. We have all left the hostilities of war behind us, though the fighting has been over for quite some time for me personally."

[ladylush]

"Seteth and-Flayn is here?" Goddess, that seemed inappropriate. Frowning sharply at the thought, Manuela shook her head. "I hope that she is left out of the pressure for these 'auspicious acts.' Some peace sounds like a reprieve for those of you who come from war, though." So there were benefits to being here, even if it wasn't home. And required appeasing some perverse beings.

Though she had never had much chance to interact with Constance, Manuela would've been unsurprised to hear those assessments of her students. "I suppose that, at the very least, is something to thank our hosts for. Peace despite a home embroiled in war."

[nobiliteatime]

Ferdinand was of a mind to say that he doubted Flayn felt much pressure at all, besides the pressures inherent with an overprotective older brother being present. But that wasn't his place to say, nor was it his place to share what he'd learned about the true identity of both Flayn and Seteth. One revelation at a time seemed like plenty, anyway.

"I am certain you would have no difficulty finding potential partners if you wished, of course," he said without so much as a trace of doubt in his voice, the redness on his cheeks betraying that perhaps he would number among them even if he would never dare say such a thing out loud. "But there is no punishment or penalty for not engaging in such acts so far as I can tell... well, besides losing some clothing, apparently."

Maybe some men saw a slovenly rose with too many thorns, but to Ferdinand, Manuela was always going to be that singular songstress who so captivated him in his younger years. It would take quite some doing to erase that image of her from his mind.

[ladylush]

"I've never had trouble finding partners for that-not for just that, at the very least." Manuela had had plenty of trouble forming lasting relationships with men, of course, but she'd never lacked for attention of the more immediate, carnal sort. "But the fact that we're being... 'encourage' to, if not forced, by an outside power is disconcerting."

When she had more time to think on it, Manuela would likely realize it wasn't actually all that different from how she'd come to see Fodlan-that she needed to use her looks and charm to ensnare a man and ensure her future. But in the moment? It all felt highly inappropriate.

[nobiliteatime]

Ferdinand realizes he probably shouldn't probe too much into Manuela's personal life. He wouldn't judge her, and he wouldn't have any room to, either. Goddess, if she knew half the things that had happened on this island, she would never look at him the same way again. Still, he is a mature young man, and he knows that there's no escaping talking about this sort of thing on the island.

"I share that sentiment," he confessed, his cheeks still a rosy shade of red as he remembered his own... adventurous moments, whether facilitated by the Augur or not. "That sort of intimacy is something beautiful that should be shared completely willingly. We may not be able to control our impulses when the island is toying with our inhibitions, but we can at least choose to share that intimacy with people we hold dear."

They weren't far at all from the building that he and Edelgard had fixed up when they first arrived on the island. It had been pretty run down back then, but it was downright livable now, looking more like the hotel it had once been. ...He just hoped he didn't need to explain to Manuela why his bathtub was shaped like a heart.

[ladylush]

Considering how much he'd helped already, Manuela wouldn't ask or even judge if his bathtub was shaped like some perverse object, let alone a heart. Considering the apparent theme of their entire existence here, at least if the Augur had its way, their amenities being twisted in such a way should hardly be surprising.

"Thank the Goddess that we've not been brought here alone, with that in mind. I don't know how comfortable I'd be being intimate with my students, but even just having some familiar faces present is a blessing. I- is this where you live?"

The building they had stopped at wasn't exactly what Manuela was expecting-though, come to think of it, she wasn't sure what to expect.

[nobiliteatime]

Ferdinand nodded with understanding when Manuela confessed to a certain level of doubt about how comfortable she would be with one of her students in that respect. Sure, it had been over five years since she was one of his teachers, but for her, it was just a day or two. And even with that five year gap, perhaps she would still feel a sense of responsibility for her former charges. She always had taken her responsibilities more seriously than she was given credit for by most people.

"Ah, yes, this building was not much when Edelgard and I first found it," he mused out loud, approaching the front doors. They were made of what looked like metal frames with glass panels and led into a lobby area with some simple furnishings. "But over time, the island has grown more vibrant. Even the buildings have been repaired since then."

He reached for the door handle and pulled it open, then gave a half-bow and gestured for her to enter while he held the door open. He was ever the proper gentleman, though he did have to take care not to look too closely at her. She could be... quite distracting, at least to his gaze.

[ladylush]

The fact that she was still wearing only a cloak surely didn't help with that, either, but Manuela was careful to maintain as much decency as she could even now that they had relative privacy. The glass and metal doors were odd, to say the least, but she assumed that whatever rooms they slept and... were 'intimate' within had barriers that weren't quite so transparent.

"Edelgard... she's here as well, then?" The fact that *that* was true yet they'd managed to maintain peace between people of all three nations was, frankly, astounding to Manuela. So soon after the start of the war, her failure to realize just what was happening within her own class was quite the sore subject.

[nobiliteatime]

"Edelgard and Dimitri are both here," he confirmed with a nod. "Claude has been here as well, but sometimes, people disappear. Perhaps to be sent back to their own worlds, or perhaps for other reasons." There was a bit of a sadness in Ferdinand's voice. Dorothea, Lorenz, Linhardt... many a friend had come and gone. Some more than once.

He needed a change of subject from those thoughts. No good had ever come of dwelling on them. How long had he spent searching for Dorothea the first time she disappeared, only for her to reappear with different memories a few months later? It was both headache- and heartache-inducing.

"A lot has happened in five years, but I am afraid you could ask each of us what happened during that time, and you would get different responses," he informed her as he led her down a hallway with several identical-looking wooden doors, each of them numbered. "In the war that I fought in, the professor sided with Edelgard, and under that guidance, she chose a less destructive path than she otherwise might have. But the archbishop went mad with power, and when it became clear she would lose the war, Rhea set fire to Fhirdiad. But there are those who remember me fighting under the banner of the Kingdom or the Alliance instead, or perhaps meeting an untimely end."

He didn't like to talk about that. Not that it bothered him—the war was over from his point of view, and the Ferdinand von Aegir who died at the Great Bridge of Myrddin was a stranger to him—but he knew how much it had upset Constance in particular when he talked so cavalierly about his own hypothetical demise.

[ladylush]

The two of them both being there-and at peace-was a miracle in and of itself, as far as Manuela was concerned. From what she'd understood (not being present herself,) the battle between them after Edelgard's reveal had been fierce and bitter, and any little bit of reconciliation must have been the work of a dedicated peacemaker, or, perhaps, simply their strange circumstances.

While Ferdinand spoke, Manuela watched the doors they passed, being reminded of some of the more upscale taverns in Enbarr. This, at least, was the tiniest bit familiar, and would allow for some amount of privacy. "I can't say I really understand how that's even possible, but since you look nothing like when I last saw you..." Trailing off, she shrugged, the motion shifting the cloak in such a way that if he happened to be eyeing her Ferdinand would get a brief view of naked flesh. "How many people live here?"

[nobiliteatime]

Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw the way the cloak moved when she shrugged, and he felt something burning in the pit of his stomach, his heart racing. She was every bit as captivating as when he was a wide-eyed boy watching from the balcony at the opera house. But he wasn't just some young boy now. He knew well the touch of a woman, and he'd gotten in touch with some of his less noble-like desires. His imagination raced in ways that would have simply flustered him were they still in Fódlan.

"A-Ah, well, right now, it is fairly sparse," he explained, turning his attention to the door of his room. "Edelgard lives several doors down this hallway, though she is likely not present right now. Constance's room is in another wing. Linhardt was living here as well, but... he is among those who seem to have disappeared from this place."

With that, he reached into his pocket to retrieve a key, then used it to unlock the door. What he gestured for Manuela to enter was a room not like any she'd likely ever seen at Garreg Mach. It was a simple hotel room, with a bed and a small kitchenette, and the soft scent of carefully stored tea leaves drifted throughout the air. There was a bed, clearly big enough for two people, possibly more.

"Please, make yourself comfortable," he responded. "It is not much, but I have a bathrobe and some slippers I would not mind allowing you to have."

[ladylush]

In contrast to the hallway outside, the interior of these rooms held little similarities with inns back home beyond their most fundamental structure. Sure, they had a bed-but there was no chamber pot, no visible tub for bathing (though perhaps that was what was kept behind the other door?), no clear source of heat...

With his invitation, she sat upon the bed, careful this time to make certain the cloak maintained her modesty. "I'd appreciate that, Ferdinand. And I guess to get my own clothes back, I'll have to find... a partner." He'd mentioned Seteth's presence, and though the man had always been... severe, to put it lightly, he was far from unappealing. And there were sure to be others on the island that *weren't* from Garreg Mach that might fit her needs. As of the moment, though, her resolve not to engage with her students in such a way would stand strong.

[nobiliteatime]

Thankfully, no matter what errant thoughts ran through his mind, Ferdinand was a gentleman. His only intention was to make sure that Manuela was clothed and as comfortable as she could be. He could always stay in Constance's room if she needed a place to rest, and he was certain that no matter what memories Manuela had, Edelgard would gladly let her stay at the hotel if she so desired, even if just for a time.

Ferdinand strode to a small door that led to a miniature closet, then opened it, revealing a surprisingly small amount of clothing. He had only a couple of changes of clothes at best, not including the bathrobe that he let out. At least he could be certain that with his broad shoulders, it would more than fit Manuela's more slender frame.

"I wish it were not the case and that you could simply pursue such a relationship for its own sake," he lamented as he pulled the bathrobe from the closet, turning toward her with a sympathetic look on his face. "You have always gone to such lengths to take care of others, both as a teacher and as a healer. I suppose what I am saying is that you deserve better than just some meaningless fling. I hope I am not overstepping by saying that."

He held out the robe for her. It was made from a soft, red fabric, so at the very least, it would be comfortable.

[ladylush]

"You aren't, and thank you." She thought so too, though that wasn't about to stop her from pursuing it for the reasons the Augur had laid out for them. Her years as a professor had been, by and large, a failure in regards to finding a relationship... and she hadn't a clue what she'd be doing when she returned to Fodlan, if she ever returned to Fodlan. People disappearing at least made it seem possible.

Taking the robe before quickly clasping the cloak shut again, Manuela waited a moment before clearing her throat. "If you could turn around, Ferdinand?" Though he'd already had the opportunity to get a view of her unclothed earlier, there was a difference between when rushing to her aid and giving her the opportunity to change.

[nobiliteatime]

There was something incredibly embarrassing about having Manuela, of all people, in his room. He kept it clean and tidy enough, at least when he wasn't polishing what little of his armor had made the voyage to the island with him. But there was still the fact that he was a young man, and she was her. It was hard not to feel a little nervous about it, just like when he'd finally had the chance to share some of his poetry with her. ...Goddess, would she even remember that if he brought it up? He could never tell any time someone from Fódlan appeared.

He didn't have long for his thoughts to drift before she snapped him back to reality, however. "A-Ah, of course," he stammered, growing visibly flustered. "Please forgive me. In fact, I should grant you even more privacy than that." With that, he gave her a very polite, respectful bow before turning and heading for the door. Without another word, he quickly opened it, stepped on the other side, and closed it behind him, leaving her alone in his room as he waited outside.

...It wouldn't take her long to put on the robe, honestly. But he tended to err on the side of caution, especially these days. He'd gotten into quite a few situations on account of certain people showing him more skin than they'd perhaps intended, and it inevitably made for awkward conversations.