Stella Nox Fleuret audition

”Stella!”

The voice jarred Stella right out of her thoughts when another young woman walked toward her. “Oh…hello.” Stella knew she knew the girl – or had at least met her before, but somehow she couldn’t quite place her. That was probably what happened when you were thrown in a world and all of a sudden expected to remember the names of seemingly hundreds of strangers. “Ready to here commander Hope say a few words on this whole war mess?” Stella smiled at her words and even nodded her head. “I’m sure that whatever he has to say will be much appreciated by the audience.”, she commented. That could be true, and despite having ‘enrolled’ in the Academy – or so she figured she was – Stella wasn’t exactly sure anything Hope Estheim would say here today would have any effect whatsoever on the people or the current problems that were going on in Gran Pulse.

“Oh yes, Mr. Estheim does seem to have quite the way with words.” The third voice caused Stella’s eyes to swivel yet again, this time to see a slightly aging couple that had walked up to them. With yet another smile on her face, she greeted the couple that she did know a bit more- as they were in the Academy with her. “I’m afraid aside from welcoming me to Gran Pulse, I have not heard really anything Mr. Estheim had to say, especially on this matter.” The woman beside the man clucked her tongue and smiled at her. “Well he is awfully good looking, perhaps what he has to say doesn’t really matter quite so much if you’re young, like you and Hailey are.” Hailey…of course that was the girls name. Stella simply shifted her weight and chuckled softly. “I hadn’t noticed him being above average in looks.”, she commented honestly. “Oh dear me! Of course he’s ‘above average’. Honestly Stella, have you seen him?”

Stella couldn’t help but smile at the way Hailey was going all starry eyed on her. “Yes, of course I have.” At that moment, the wife of the couple near her patted the other young girl on the arm. “Perhaps Stella finds men attractive that look much different than our commander Estheim.”, she said with a knowing look. Despite it being perhaps a bit of an awkward conversation, Stella couldn’t help but find herself enjoying the company of those around her. Lately she’d been bumping into a blonde that called herself Kayla far too much, and so it felt good to talk to humans that were…normal? Stella nodded in agreement to what had last been said though, brushing her hands on her legs – a movement she usually completed to smooth down her skirt – and glancing away. “Indeed I do.”

Stella returned the disbelieving look Hailey was giving her with a bright smile and a casual shrug of her shoulder. “She caught me.” “But…but…” Stella was patting her on the shoulder when the older woman suddenly grasped her elbow. “Perhaps someone that looks like that young gentleman coming toward us. I dare say, he rivals Mr. Estheim in looks. And he’s coming this way!” Stella resisted the urge to roll her eyes in delight and peeked over her shoulder to take a look at this man that the older woman had seen. As soon as she did, Stella froze. “Noctis?” She hadn’t thought she’d actually spoken her words out loud, but by the exclamation of the older woman, it appeared that she had. “Why, she knows him! Well it’s no wonder she’s not partial to our silvery haired Mr. Estheim.” She knew she was staring, but somehow she couldn’t quite pull herself out of it for a moment.

When she did, Stella turned back toward the small group she was standing by. “Excuse me.”, she said breathily, before squeezing the woman softly on the elbow and turning on her heel. “Oh look at him, he’s a very nice looking young man, wouldn’t you say?”, came the whispered cluck of the older woman. It seemed as if she was walking in a dream, unable to control her body that she found herself walking toward the prince she had come to know well – or she thought well – before this whole mess had started.

THIS IS CLEARLY NOT HOW STELLA IS MEANT TO BE PLAYED SHE'S MEANT TO BE CLINGY AND DESPERATE AND AND...

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