edelgard hc:

empathy vs respect

when i first started playing black eagles, i assumed edelgard would be cruel and evil and vindictive, and i would love her anyway, because i like when traumatized women characters (especially wlw) lash out. but edelgard is not a caricature or parody or symbol of that kind of catharsis. unlike all of these characters, edelgard does not believe herself to be a hero, nor does she feel she needs narrative forgiveness or the forgiveness of her peers. she is perfectly and wonderfully human. she does not empathize with the people she hurts. she does not try to put herself in their shoes, or feel what they were feeling. instead she respects them and their will to die at her hand instead of bowing down to her. she thinks it is foolish----to stand against her is foolish as her will is absolute and she will do whatever she needs to do to get ahead---but she respects their freedom to be the person they are, to believe what they do.

edelgard will never tell someone she understands what they are going through. she does not believe that is possible---that she can live their life or feel their unique feelings. instead, edelgard will believe that they are living their life authentically, however misguided they are. even when she believes another person is wrong or foolish---she respects their right to fight on their own terms, for their own goals.

edelgard is not, as i once believed, ‘a child weaned on poison who considers harm a comfort’. she is a child raised in the dark and in blood and death, who believes in the light. not just justice or fairness---and certainly not innocence. but in truth, and living one’s truth, and being their own person, whatever that means to them.

above all, edelgard wants freedom for humanity. and she loves humanity. she loves it so much she’ll kill herself and kill her own chances at being kind and innocent, to take away her own childhood and her chance at a normal life----to right how she believes everyone has been wronged.

she doesn’t try to take over fodlan for her own goals. he really tries to do it for everyone, regardless of culture or class, because she believes in the extraordinary nature of every day people no matter who they are or where they come from---and not the lazy nature of the gods or controlling or lying to people ‘pretending’ to be special. she hates liars. she hates crests. she’ll use both if she has to to do what is right.

Hubert chose the movie so the answer, not good.

Thanks for the ask @dylanmalone14​, hope you enjoy!

----

Black Eagles Horror Movie Night HC’s

Movie: Alien

----

Edelgard

- She seems really interested in the world that the movie has built up, and how everything is building up.

- Until the chestburster showed up.

- She screamed and jumped into her seat, completely shocked by the gore that appeared.

- Then when the Xenomorph showed up, she was trying with all her might to remain stoic, but inside she was saying “NONONONONO-”

- She could barely sleep, always looking at her window and any cracks that those aliens could come in through.

Bernadetta

- From the very start she was one edge. She hates scary things.

- So when the chestburster came out, she closed her eyes and shrieked in terror, listening to the guts fly out and the horrific noises it made.

- She didn’t want to stay to look at the xenomorph, but she wanted to spend time with everyone. 

- She made sure to sleep in Dorothea’s room cause she was so terrified to sleep alone.

Dorothea 

- She thinks its fun to spend time with everyone, but she isn’t a big fan of the gore.

- She isn’t exactly scared by it, but she can get easily startled by all the jumpscares. 

- She laughs when everyone else gets scared and doesn’t mind comforting the others.

- She let Bernadetta sleep in her room, and she basically held onto her like a koala.

- Dorothea didn’t sleep that well because of it, but she didn’t mind either.

Petra

- She loves horror movies, especially ones like these.

- Seeing how these monsters hunt fascinates her, and it awakens her inner hunter instincts.

- While enjoying the movie, she makes mental criticisms of the characters (except Ripley) for letting their guard down around such a dangerous animal.

- She sleeps normally, but her mind races how fun it would be to take it down.

Linhardt

- He’s asleep but is rudely woken up when everyone screams in the theater, and then he sees the blood and just closes his eyes. 

(Linhardt) “Nope nope nope-”

Caspar 

- He loves the thrill of horror movies and the adrenaline it gives up.

- Caspar gets startled but laughs off the jumpscares and loves the action of the movie.

- He sleeps normally.

Ferdinand

- He talks a big game and says he wouldn’t be afraid but that’s a lie.

- He gets as scared as Bernadetta when the chestburster appears.

- And he’s completely on edge when the Xenomorph first shows up.

- When he goes to sleep, it’s with one eye open the entire time.

Hubert

- Enjoys seeing everyone’s reaction, and thinks Edelgard’s is cute.

- Course, he’ll never say that.

- He enjoys the movie but doesn’t think its scary.

- He sleeps very good after having fun that night. 

Can you do a scenario (or hcs if you prefer) and Hubert and Edelgard in a polyamorous relationship with a sweet s/o who gets kidnapped and they (and the eagles) go to save her but she's already killed them all?

Anon, I am, in fact, very, very soft for Hubert/Edelgard anything; you got it!

~Latte ❤❤

Hubert/Edelgard/f!Reader - Her…Saviors?

An Imperial soldier rushed into the throne room, quickly bowing in proper greeting to the Emperor, his breath shallow, “Your Majesty, a messenger has arrived. It appears that one of the court’s ladies has been taken hostage”

Edelgard straightened on the deep ruby throne, her legs uncrossing as her forearms fell to the arms of the chair; at her right, Hubert’s posture stiffened, a general’s stance, hands clasped firmly behind his back

Her voice was level, “Which one?” Please tell me it’s not–

Upon hearing your name, however, both Emperor and retainer felt their hearts drop, though their expressions did not waver; Their lover? Impossible

Her grip on the throne’s gilded armrests tightening, Edelgard responded, “Noted; thank you. You are dismissed.” She addressed the royal guard stationed throughout the room, tone clipped, unquestionable, “Ready the Strike Force. We move at once”

——–

Hubert and Edelgard walked down the palace’s corridor, heels of their boots tapping lightly against the marble floor; Edelgard brandished Aymr, the large Relic twitching in her hand

“Have you found anything on our adversary, Hubert?” She was harsh–unintentionally so, he knew; she was worried

“Your Majesty, you doubt me.” He chuckled, “We already have their location pinpointed; the scouts have returned with reports of their numbers–far fewer than our own. This mission should be over before nightfall”

The towheaded woman paused suddenly, the minister nearly knocking into her. Her lavender eyes rose to him over her shoulder, her voice much softer now, “Do you…do you think she’s alright? She never enjoyed the thought of war, after all”

After a brief glance to insure they were alone, he clasped his hands around her upper arms, bending to place his head level with hers. His baritone was easy, soothing, “She will fine, my eagle. She can play her cards well, enough to survive until we can find her”

None save the Black Eagle Strike Force knew of the relationship the three shared; with the Empire at war, it was far safer for all of their positions to remain professional. In brief moments like this though, their titles could be forgotten

Hubert pulled away, far too soon for Edelgard’s liking, looming as her shadow once more; his tone became tactical, “Now, then, I believe the Strike Force is ready to march, Your Majesty”

——–

The Black Eagles arrived at the encampment–her prison, Edelgard noted bitterly–no later than three hours past the order to march

The base was quiet, however, far too quiet; nothing moved, nothing breathed

Color your rescuers surprised, then, to find you calmly exiting the nearest tent, leafing through a crudely bound book

You glanced up, your eyes finding your lovers at the forefront; you beamed, rocking between your heels and the balls of your feet

Edelgard and Hubert vaguely heard Caspar speak–“Wait, she’s supposed to be kidnapped, right?”–their minds caught in several trains of thought

You walked toward the group, closing the book and tucking it into your belt; now that you were closer, they could see dark, ruddy stains along the hem of your dress and sleeves. Blood?

Your lovers shared a glance before Edelgard addressed you, striding forward to meet you, “What happened? Are you hurt? Did you…did you free yourself?”

Your gaze shifted from her, up to the dark bishop, then away from them both, smile turning sheepish, “Well, I…I had to do something. I’m sorry, El”

“No! No.. Don’t apologize.” Her lavender eyes ran over your figure, concern clear as she clasped her hands in front of her, sighing, “I’m just glad you’re alright”

Hubert stepped around the Emperor, past you, gaze evaluating the camp; he turned to you, a small smile on his face, “I must say, I’m impressed; there are no signs of conflict, save your clothes”

You looked down, nose scrunching at your now-ruined dress

“W-wait, she did all of this?” Blatant shock showed in the remainder of the Strike Forces’ expressions; you were well-known among the army as being one of the kindest people, usually found either tending the wounded, retrieving supplies, or playing with the children of Enbarr

Your head raising again, you glanced between the two groups, tone holding a touch of mischief, “I’ve picked up a few things from watching your training sessions”

The emperor laughed, “So it seems.” She took your hands in hers, “Regardless, I think it’s far past time we return home, yes, our rose?”

I know you already did a hc list for el and lysithea which was Big Good, but what abt HCs for if lysithea found out about el’s nightmares? Curious since same trauma gang is a mess but they both want what’s best for everyone else

I’m always here for Edelgard and Lysithea friendship. Prepare for angst!

Lysithea was just heading to her room after late night studying until she heard cries and screams from Edelgard’s room.

She is not one to pry... but those screams of pleading for mercy to leave someone alone... and the mention of madness...

It dawned on Lysithea that Edelgard is just like her. She suspected before but now she knows.

She knocks on the door to wake up Edelgard and then runs off. She herself is not ready to confront the matter.

For the next couple of days Lysithea just silently watches and observes Edelgard.

Sometimes she catches Edelgard watching her with a melancholic look.

Every night Lysithea goes to knock on Edelgard’s door to ensure no one else hear’s her nightmares.

One time she learnt that Edelgard was crying about her siblings.

She went to an Eagle (not Hubert) and inquired if Edelgard has any siblings. They wonder where she heard that and she says she’s only wondering.

When Lysithea was coughing blood Edelgard came over wide eyed and asked worriedly, “Will you be fine Gisela?”.

“Who’s Gisela?”-Lysithea. Edelgard visibly flinched and stammered, “S-sorry I mistaken you for someone else...”

Lysithea now realises why Edelgard is so terrified of rats and chains, and why she is so overbearing with her.

When Claude made a joke about the rats Lysithea gave him a scolding.

One day Lysithea came by Edelgard alone and gave her a concoction, where she explained it will help her sleep.

It dawns on Edelgard that Lysithea is the mysterious person knocking at her door at night to silence her.

Lysithea assures her that she can keep it a secret, so long as Edelgard doesn’t tell anyone that she too has two Crests.

Edelgard promises and Lysithea gives her a hug.

Both start crying into each other and uttering soothing words and promises to never ever let anyone else suffer like them.

Since then they become inseparable friends.  

What if Dimitri Killed Lonato in front of Ashe...

Apparently it is a trend for me that whenever I find a soft pure boi I want to hit them with a frying pan labeled, “Intense Angst and Trauma.” So allow me to Drabble about my take on that one set of HC about Ashe’s reaction to his death.

Ashe laid on his side in his room and simply thought about what he had just witnessed. His own father had led a group of bandits on a raid that he and the rest of the Blue Lions were in charge of disposing. He prayed it didn’t have to come to this ever, but he was now facing the harsh reality of it: he was going to have to say goodbye to his father now.

As the battle had progressed his nerves grew anxious as he and his allies came closer to Lonato. He couldn’t help but keep looking at his father in hopes that he may see him, realize his mistake, and turn back now before anything happened. Soon enough, Lonato was on the front lines facing the Lions now.

He tried to plead with Lonato, but was instead met with him charging after his friends and other soldiers. As quick as he ran however, he was quickly slain. He looked only into the eyes of his now dying father and hoped this was all a dream. His father had muttered something and Ashe could barely make out what it was. As he realized what he said, he fell to his knees and tears began to form in his eyes.

“I love you, Ashe.”

Through his teary eyes, he looked at where his father was wounded and saw a lance. His eyes trailed to the wielded and couldn’t believe his own eyes.

It was Dimitri. His house leader, the one that first approached Ashe about his status in the Blue Lions to make him comfortable, the very person that showed kindness to him in his dark times. His own friend that now held the lance that impaled his father’s chest.

“Ashe... I-“

Before Dimitri could say anything however, Ashe got up and ran back to the monastery, shoving everything and everyone out of his way.

Now here he was, days since the battle and since he’s seen Dimitri. The boy kept to himself in these days as he mourned and sulked over his loss. The other Lions has attempted to cheer his spirits to no avail.

A knock on the door has brought him out of his thoughts and the opening of said door heightened his nerves. He heard the footsteps of his uninvited guest as they closed the door behind them. Ashe didn’t bother to look as he kept still laid there, face to the wall.

“Ashe, I need to talk to you...”

Ashe shuddered as he heard that voice. The very voice he now despised with all his heart. It continued on with its prattle

“Please Ashe... Everyone has been worried over you... You haven’t been out in days and Serios only knows how bad this can be for you... Please Ashe, we care about you...”

“Why would YOU care though...”

Dimitri’s eyes widened at the sudden backtalk. The once sweet boy that was determined to be the top his class, to be the best he could be, now turned suddenly cold and distant.

“W-What...?”

“Don’t pretend you don’t know... Why would you give a damn about me? Why would you?! I have no place here. I’m just a commoner with a pity excuse to be here. You don’t care. You probably never did.”

Dimitri was in utter shock. Never could he have imagined Ashe of all people to be like this. Ashe slowly got up from his bed to finally face Dimitri eye-to-eye. When he did, Dimitri no longer saw the boy Ashe was. His eyes met with someone that was a complete stranger to him.

“Ashe please, you have to believe me! I DO care about you! Please! He was going to kill our friends Ashe! You have to see it this wa-“

*SMACK*

The room froze as the scene unfolded. Dimitri’s cheek now had a red hue to it and anger had formed on Ashe’s face.

“That’s your excuse?! THAT’S YOUR EXCUSE?! You didn’t have to kill him!!! YOU DIDN’T HAVE TO KILL THE ONLY PERSON THAT COULD’VE EVER CARED ABOUT ME!!!”

Dimitri stepped back at the outburst and let Ashe continue on.

“You... You didn’t have to kill him... You could’ve just held back... let me reason with him. Convinced him to stand down and stop the rebellion...”

Tears were now pouring down his face as he spoke.

“But now, I can’t. He’s DEAD Dimitri! MY FATHER IS DEAD BECAUSE OF YOU!!! I came to the academy to make him proud - to make everyone proud! HOW CAN I MAKE HIM PROUD WHEN HE CAN’T EVEN BE HERE?!?! HOW DIMITRI?!”

Dimitri was in absolute awe. He couldn’t form words at all to answer Ashe’s question.

“I-I’m sorry... I really and truly am... I don’t expect you to forgive me, but please, let me do something - anything to leave this behind us...”

Ashe turned away from him and grumbled to himself.

“ ‘Leave this behind us.’ How could I ever forget this... You probably even planned for this to happen didn’t you... Why not kill me while you’re at it... Or would that be a fate too easy for me. No, you’d want me to live with this and suffer with it don’t you...”

Dimitri tried to grab Ashe’s shoulder before he could continue on with his ideas.

“Ashe, ple-“

Time had nearly stopped as tying a went on. Before he knew it, Dimitri was in the floor of Ashe’s room and his nose was bleeding. His sight was blurry and he saw Ashe’s knuckles were dropped in blood. Ashe had punched Dimitri. Ashe grabbed Dimitri’s collar, opened the door and saw the other Lions gathered around his room. They were horrified to their core as they watched Ashe throw Dimitri out of his room before slamming the door in all of their faces and locking it. Mercedes tended to Dimitri as the other Lions stood there, wondering if Ashe was ever going to be fine again.

Two days later, Dimitri was in the halls of the monastery and decided to try to talk to Ashe again. He expected that the result may be the same, but he was willing to take the beating of it ment making amends for Ashe.

He knocked on Ashe’s door, only to find it open. He looked inside and saw it was completely empty of any residence. He entered the room in hopes that it was all some sick joke.

“Dimitri...”

He turned with hope to see Ashe, only to see Edelgard, Claude, Professor Byleth, and the other Lions. They all carried a gloom to them as they also entered the empty room.

“Professor! Do you know where Ashe is?! It’s important!”

“Dimitri...”

Byleth only held out a note to Dimitri. Dimitri looked in confusion as he opened up the letter addressed to Byleth and read it.

“Professor Byleth, I’m certain you know about my condition and how I’m faring after the battle with my father. And I’m also certain you e heard about the incident involving Dimitri by now. What I want to tell you is that I’m leaving the academy. I’m not going back where I was as a child, nor am I going to my father’s estate. I may have nowhere to go, but I know that I can’t be here when the memory of my father will always be tainted by his death and his killer being here no less. I’m sorry that I had to tell you this way, but it was the only way I could do it. A boat to some place far away from here takes a while to come back. Please tell the other Lions if you can about this. I don’t want to have to confront them about this. Feel free to spread the news to the Black Eagles and Golden Deer as well. But I beg you of one thing: please don’t find me. The pain will only be worse if I know you and everyone else is out there looking for someone that has no place here, and will be long gone by the time you read this.

- Yours truly, Ashe Duran”

Dimitri stepped back as he finished off the letter and looked up to see everyone else nearly shedding tears as well. Everyone crowded around Dimitri as he finally broke down sobbing over his guilt.

He killed Lonato, his friend’s father. He lost that friend just as quickly as he made him. He forced him to leave because of the horror he committed. Neither boy would ever be able to recover from this.

“I’m sorry Ashe... I’m sorry Ashe... Please... Come back...”

So notes:

I’m- I’m baby 😭 This is the good content I asked for, bless you, I won’t be going hungry tonight.

         𝚊𝚜𝚔   𝚖𝚎   𝚝𝚘   𝚝𝚊𝚕𝚔   𝚊𝚋𝚘𝚞𝚝   𝚎𝚍𝚎𝚕𝚐𝚊𝚛𝚍  .          //          @riestr

cracks   knuckles    OOOH   this   is   a   good   one   but     spoilers  !!!     bc   i’m   gonna   talk   details   about   edel  .               if   you   have   not   reached   the   time - skip     /     chosen   the   black   eagles   route   ,          proceed   with   caution  !!!                i’m   not   sure   what’s   said   or   isn’t   said   in   the   other   houses’   versions   about   the   event   that   takes   place   +   i  mentioned   some   things   that   you’ll   probably   come   to   find   on   the   BE   route   exclusively  ,          or   so   i’d   think  .

              SO  ,          you   could   probably   guess   that   edelgard   has   had   her   fair   share   of   doubts    about   any   number   of   things  ,          much   like   the   rest   of   us  .               she   puts   up   that   steely   front   but   it’s   not   like   she’s   completely   expressionless   or   passionless  ,          she’s   still   human ,          and   feels   things   to   a   great   deal  !               of   course  ,          not   just   any   eyes    see   those   parts   of   her  .               she   just   has   trouble   expressing   herself     —     but   that’s   a   different   hc   for   a   different   time  !             moving   on  !               the   first   example   that   comes   to   mind   is   her   crown  ,          what   it   means   to   truly   be   an   emperor  ,          how   much   she’ll   have   to   give   up   and   take   on   with   this   role  .               sure  ,          she’s   been   preparing   for   this   for   a   good   portion   of    her   life     —     if   not   her   entire   life  ;          but   there   are   some   things   we’ll   never   seriously  be   able   to   say   we   were   completely   prepared   for   after   we   got   to   experience   it   up   close  .               she   anticipated   the   numerous   duties   she’d   have   while   ruling   an   empire   but   not   so   much   the   level   of   intense   devotion   that   came   with   each   &   every   one  .               there’s   a   lot   of   thought   that   not   only   goes   into   the   details   of   every   decision  ,          every   strategy  ,          every   move   she   makes  ;          but   is   required   in   all   of   those   things   to   ensure   that   her   choices   are   the   best   possible   approach  ,          in   really   any   aspect  .               she’s   had   doubts  about   fulfilling   her   destiny   as   emperor   and   whether   or   not   she   was   strong   or   smart   enough   to   carry   out   the   plan   they’d   been   plotting   out   for   months  .               i   mean  ,          it’s   pretty   understandable  ,          it   was   as   big   a   leap   as   it   was   a   risk  .               she   was   going   against   one   of   the   most   heavily   influencing   powers   of   fódlan  ,            there   was   no   certainty   to   how   exactly   how   many   supporters   would   turn   against   the   church  ;          but   that   wasn’t   all   of   it  .               she   was   asking   her   friends  ,          to   be   a   part   of   something   that   would   change   history   for   better  or   worse  .          something   where   bloodshed   was   unavoidable   no   matter   how   bad   edelgard   wished   it   so     /     whether   it   was   the   blood   of   their   own   forces   or   those   of   the   other   houses  ,          the   other   students     —     their   friends  .               she’s   had   and   at   times   still   has   doubts   about   her   relationships  .               during   one   of   her   support   conversations   with   byleth  ,          edelgard   mentions   how   she   is   often   viewed   as   untouchable     /     unapproachable   by   her   peers   due   to   her   high   nobility  .               there   is   also   the   other   side   to   that  ,          where   lies   the   worry   that   perhaps   individuals   are   only   interested   in   the   fact   that   she’s   a   princess   alone  .               that’s   enough   to   make   you   question   just   about   anyone   who   tries   to   get   close   to   you  .          she   tries   not   to   dwell   on   the   thought   of   it  ,          but   it’s   something   that   will   always   float   around   in   the   back   of   her   mind  .              

              AS   FOR   HOW   SHE   DEALS   WITH   IT  ,          she   tends   to   focus   her   attention   on   activities   that   make   her   feel   in   control   and   stabilize   her   thoughts  ;           things   like   writing   in   her   journal  ,          studying     /     note  -  taking  ,          reading  .               sometimes   she’ll   take   walks   to   clear   her   head   and   try   to   work   through   what’s   bothering   her  .               doubts   bring   about   insecurity  ,          and   that’s   something   she   can’t   have   when   it   comes   to   making   decisions   as   an   emperor  .               she   takes   it   easier   on   herself   the   older   she   gets   but   she  is  easily  her   toughest   critic  ,          i  think  especially   when   it   comes    to   her   rule  .              

@obsidiansong [ edelgard + byleth ] my body is my blood, my body is my bones. my body is poison; broken; untold.

Edelgard preferred Heavy Armor for a number of unsaid reasons. If Byleth looked back on it---despite the outfits Edelgard’s classes required of her, she had never seen Edelgard without her skin covered from throat to toe. Even the night she had found her on the battlements---cool breeze drifting into both their faces, the moon lighting Edelgard's back in the same tone of her pale, silver hair---Edelgard seemed to sleep in her uniform, fully clothed, if she slept at all. It was not as if Byleth had not noticed her love of layers and armor. But there seemed to be no reason to ask why.

And so, Byleth had asked Edelgard to help her in the kitchens, where it turned out Edelgard was very little help at all. While she was trained from an early age with axes and swords---and she always seemed hardened and tough with hardship instead of spoiled like so many noble children---she had never actually so much as cut vegetables herself before. Not realizing the softness of the squash, Edelgard slammed down the knife as if cleaving her axe through an enemy’s throat---and nearly chopped her finger clean off in the process.

She hissed. Not with pain at her own strength---but at the sight of an incoming blood stain bleeding through her glove, red and thick and sticky, spreading quickly. Her breath came out in shuddered gasps. She could not believe she could have been so foolish---she was so dextrous in battle, so even-tempered, so professional and competent. And yet here, she faced a worst wound than she had in any real battle she had faced against any real enemy. The wound would require attention. Immediate attention. She could feel it through the glove, if the rapidly spreading blood stain leaking out on to the counter was not enough of an indication.

But that meant a medical examination. Taking the glove off. Showing so many scars on her hands, so many little pin pricks of the painful pokes and prods of her past, and the petty picking she herself did on the surface of her skin. Her cuticles were not befitting of the Lady Hubert called her--she had never seen a woman with less manicured, less pretty hands. And if someone saw that---what were the odds theat they would not look further up her arms--and legs, and chest, and stomach, and back, and feet? Every inch of her was broken. Every inch of her was ugly and tainted with what they did to her.

And if they knew? That someone had found out through trying to help her and heal her? Edelgard knew not the consequences. And as perfectly meticulous, measured and precise as she was, always prepared with the information needed as she stepped into class or into battle----she did not want to even imagine what way Those Who Slither would choose to punish her.

Edelgard’s breath begins to come out in aching sobs. She hushes herself, with wheezing shooshing noises on every press of her chest outwards, trying her best to calm down---panic gripping her tight to her chest like so her ancestor’s claws. She clenches her hand tight---covers the wound with her other palm. Maybe it is not as bad as it feels---she has dealt with so much worse pain, after all. This is---a mere papercut compared to that! And yet, she cannot look, lest she throw herself deeper into her own anxieties and fears.

“I’m. I’m sorry, Professor,” she says quickly, as she realizes how her behavior must make her look. Like a woman crazed. A wicked monster rampaging through the kitchens. She bites her tongue, tries to breathe quieter, the heat from the kitchen’s oven overwhelming her senses, making her clothes feel too hot and tight. Is she sweating through her uniform? She can certainly feel the outline of the small hairs on her neck bead and drip.... “I seem to have... failed you.” She makes a small laugh, trying to be casual despite her own panic. Everything was going wrong all at once...

edelgard hc:

zodiac ( gemini-cancer cup )

edelgard is canonically a gemini-cancer cup, which makes a SURPRISING amount of sense! (i would’ve pegged her as a leo at first glance.) geminis are widely stereotyped as two-faced, and cancers are widely stereotyped as over emotional, but there’s a lot more depth to both signs than that!!!!!

the gemini sign is an air sign ruled by mercury, which means that geminis, like most air signs, are theoretical-minded and idealistic, and sociable, loving debates and communication. and as they are ruled by mercury/hermes, they incredibly quick-witted, adaptable, and fast.

uniquely, they also love to travel, and are incredibly no-nonsense. they come up with big ideas that they are quick to execute without thinking about ‘feelings’ (especially the ‘feelings’ of others), and sometimes these grand plans can seem unreasonable and even sociopathic to others as a result. 

we can see all these traits in edelgard---from her grand plan to take over the empire and start a war against the church set in motion over a single year, to the way that her canonical hobbies include solitary exploration and ‘nature’ as well as debating history and politics. her love of communication also shows through in her supports---she never minces words, speaking honestly and clearly whenever she can, and valuing honestly and clarity in the voice of others (showing explicit displeasure when this bar is not met).

geminis are often viewed as two-faced---but i believe that that is really because the people around them assume the geminis sociable nature (and love of making friends with new and exciting people, or ‘talented individuals’ and ‘people they can trust’ in edelgard’s case) is not their true face when they see that geminis can also be very reserved/conservative and dogmatic on a personal level, to the point where their strict judgment of others can become giddy and gossipy. 

people who spend time with geminins are prone to feeling like they are just being used/played with, and that the gemini’s grand plans that involve them do not consider their feelings. we can see all of this in edelgard’s relationships with the black eagles (YOU CAN’T TELL ME HUBERT AND HER DON’T GOSSIP AND DRINK WINE TALKING ABOUT THEIR ALLIES LOL), even regarding the black eagles feelings towards her and how they come to respect her despite these more flawed aspects of her character (ferdinand and petra’s in particular come to mind).

but i don’t believe gemini FULLY EXPRESSES edelgard’s character, though she would prefer it to. while edelgard always tries to be strong and fearless---she is not entirely repressed, or entirely emotionless! this is where the cancer comes in! this is also why she is such a mom friend. cancers care particularly about family and matters of the home, and while most cancers avoid conflict, i believe edelgard is on the direct other side of that, a cancer that takes on conflict to help others---and i believe that’s where edelgard’s imperialist tendencies come from at the root. the belief that fodlan is her home and each person within it needs her help to be free. when cancers become prone to patriotism, such as edelgard, helping the people of their country becomes a ‘higher power’ in and of itself to them. this is what edelgard believes in above any church, even though she knows for a fact that the gods are real.

it’s that push and pull between the idealistic and ‘helping’ even if she has to do through force side and the emotional side that comes from being part-water sign (and so heavily traumatized in matters of family which again, super important to cancer) that is edelgard’s central push and pull. she often has to repress her emotions, but at the same time, her idealism and moral code and need to help will not let her be truly emotionless. 

her ideals and her emotions are not always in sync---as she would like nothing more than to attack those who slither outright and blames them AS WELL AS THE CHURCH for her and her family’s suffering---but her ideals always take into account her core feeling of what is right and what is wrong and what can be done within her power, leaving her quick-wittedness, adaptability, and cleverness to execute the plan to the best of her ability when things inevitably go wrong, as they literally have from the start. (she’s playing a losing hand here, trying to make the most of the ones who slither until she can try to betray them in secret.)

she may not think of EVERYONE’S feelings when she does things, but because of that cancer patriotism, she’s thinking of how they will feel when the people of fodlan are finally freed from all the church’s bullshit. other people (such as claude & dimitri) may view her as sociopathic for the way her plans actively include hurting people, but even claude admits that they have the same goals, good goals, a fodlan that is free and worth dreaming about.

one last thing: edelgard, as a water sign AND a gemini, is incredibly intuitive. she understands people, even when she doesn’t see eye to eye with them. and because of her love of communication and her understanding of other people and their emotions---it hurts all the more when she is viewed as a monster for doing what she knows will only help the country in the long run. but she still is so intuitive and LOGICAL that she RESPECTS those who fight against her because she knows they are entitled to their feelings, and they should be free to live and die for what they believe in, same as her.

@avosloved [ hc meme ] :  ♡ + dedication for edelgard !

Edelgard is a very interesting character to me, because I think that if anyone else were in her place---they would give up. My Edelgard is tortured from the age of 9 to the age of 13. A lot of her worldview&ideals she has to piece&pack together in a very short time---those who slither do not give her books on history of philosophy, for instance. This is why some of them (the meritocracy for instance bc lbr thats a myth her BEAUTIFUL TALENTED AMAZING ASS sounds like a libertarian sometimes lol) and her quest against the church (instead of those who slither) seem so short-sighted, and slightly naive, especially to the player.

But Edelgard is dedicated to a larger picture in her mind’s eye---one where everyone is free of both The Church and those who slither, and, at least in my mind, the Emperire’s shackles. (She wants Dagda, Brigid, and Duscur to be able to be as free as any other part of Fodlan, and that means they retain their own cultures & sovereignty, which is not like any kind of imperialism I have ever heard of tbh but whatever whatever).

It’s her dream that keeps her going, and she’s completely dedicated to seeing it through to as close as she can get to the end as she can. But the deck is stacked against her from the very beginning---to the point where she has to work with her torturers/abusers for her dream to become a reality. She’s also under a TIME LIMIT that is HER OWN LIFESPAN. I don’t think Dimitri could do that. And I don’t know if Claude has ever dealt with that degree of hardship that would ever even require him to do that.

It’s not an entirely selfless act, working with her abusers. It’s partially for her own self-preservation, and it partially helps her take out the church. But it’s hard, it’s a hard decision to make, to continue to live on and try to make her dreams come true and free the world regardless of the chains still attached to her wings. She’s trying her best, and she’ll try ANYTHING to the point where she literally becomes a monster, and maybe that isn’t necessarily a virtue. But her dedication and the level of work she’s willing to put in for her dream to come true is admirable to me. Even if it doesn’t show outright heroism, and can even be viewed as a flaw---it shows strength.

@honedblade [ many muses ] :  ♡ and the word is 'dessserts!' for any one or more of your muses you like bc I only just recently followed you so i gotta know MORE

(thank you for the ask sorry its taken me so long to respond i can’t wait to interact with u more!!!!

edelgard: edelgard has the sweet tooth to end all sweet tooths. she loves sugary sweets and confections, especially if those sugary sweets and confections have a certain AESTHETIQUE to them, whether that be cutesy & pink or dramatic and gothic. (she especially likes halloween treats.) she’d like to spend all day in bed eating sweets and reading her books (historical accounts, political treatises, and philosophy, of course), but she has no time for such things.

dedue: dedue is fond of making sweets. he doesn’t have to worry about most sweets being ‘too spicy’ for his faerghus peers, so he’s free to experiment as he likes with old recipes he’s learned. he also enjoys making the more tightly rigorous desserts of the andrestian empire--he likes experimenting with different kinds of macarons especially when he feels particularly anxious. all his desserts are wonderfully tasty, but he doesn’t have much of a sweet tooth himself, prefering savory and spicy foods.

enki (f!byleth): enki has no sense of taste or smell, and cannot tell if a dessert tastes ‘good’ or ‘bad.’ because of this, she prefers foods with ‘good textures’ that suit her sensory needs. that means she prefers chunky, crunchy, soft-in-the middle cookies that are the perfect degree of warmth. she does not enjoy hard candies as they hurt her teeth---but she does like lollipops and chewy candies that she can chew and stim with.

dimitri: dimitri also! no sense of taste! but he does have a sense of smell. he loves the smell of baked goods and fruity teas mixed together especially, and he likes, for lack of a better description, food with a texture similar to melted cheese, such as taffy he can pull apart with his mouth.

edelgard hc:

negative coping methods & delusions ( spoilers abound & trigger warnings for human experimentation, skin picking / self-harm, religious fears & trauma, gore/torture, depersonalization, and body dysmoprhia. )

-edelgard does not only carry the crest of flames---her other crest, the crest she was born with---is that of seiros hersef, passed down from generation after generation after her ancestor wilhelm thousands of years ago presumably procreated with rhea and passed it down to select, groomed&perfected descendants.

-edelgard was raised religious. she did not know of those who slither, or of the church’s secrets. she prayed devoutly, and she enjoyed going to the kingdom of faerghus---a holy land. the adrestian empire was always connected to the church, until the insurrection of the 7.

-when edelgard was taken beneath the castle, she prayed. she prayed with all her siblings, as each one was taken from this world, killed or driven mute & blind & deaf. she prayed as her blood was poisoned; she prayed as her back was cut open; she prayed as her heart was tainted; she prayed as her bones were broken; she prayed in so many different chains she lost count of them and yet could tell each one apart as it held her to the ground or so many cold, steel tables. she prayed as organs were squeezed, and magic was used, not of the church and not of this world. she prayed. and no one came.

it is surprisingly easy to convince a child they are a monster, when you are also raising them to be the best. all you have to do is tell them the truth. that they were born of monsters, that they were chosen because of their bloodline---because of dragon gods that plot to control the world---to be tortured to the brink of death, like all their dear departed siblings. she was stronger than them, but she was made to be chained. she was just like rhea. just like the church. she had to be molded to be a heir worthy of the empire---or she would fell the world like so many evil gods.

edelgard would grow up to believe that she needed those who slither, not because she needed to be chained---but because they were the most powerful, fearsome people this earth would ever know, save her own family---not her siblings, the innocent & the dead, but the monsters hidden in plain sight, scorched in light, the church who controls everything, but save nothing. the church that let her siblings die.

UNHEALTHY COPING MECHANISMS:

skin picking. otherwise known as dermatillomania. edelgard picks at the many scars on her thighs and chest and stomach and arms and legs when she is alone in the dark. and yet the sight of her own blood can lead her to have panic attacks or long bouts of further depersonalization/dissociation (a further reason for her taking the heavy armor class despite her small form). her blood is poison and it burns. she wants to leech it, to drain her body, but she has too much work to do, and she will give no one the satisfaction. she keeps gloves upon her person at all times to keep from picking at her skin.

never nude. edelgard is never naked, even in the bath, she wears a swimming suit and washes beneath her swimsuit only in the dark. she cannot stand to see her own body.

mirrors / emotional self-harm. edelgard forces herself to look into mirrors as much as she can despite the fact that they trigger her. she is obsessed with her own presentation, and while looking at herself scares her and makes her dissociate, it is more important to her that she always look her best, and make sure the scars on her neck and throat are covered with make-up and hair. edelgard has heavy body dismorphia, she sees herself as ugly and monstrous and cursed. it pains her to do this every time, and it does not get easier.

DELUSIONS:

edelgard believes that she is an evil dragon in human form. she cannot turn into a dragon---the crest of seiros is passed down from literally over a thousand years ago---but she feels within her blood that she is doomed to become a monster & a dragon and take over the world like rhea did, for all the wrong reasons. she feels obligated to free the world from her own family’s sins, to use her power to protect the world, but she often feels as if she is clinging on too tight just as rhea is. she is single-minded and purposeful, but this can make her even MORE insecure. she knows what she is doing is right only because she has made herself as idealistic and altruistic and KIND as she possibly can. her self worth is almost entirely hingent on being helpful to others in practice / being as morally sound as she can possibly be.

by the end of five years time, she leans into it. she reminds rhea and everyone else that she has a dragon’s blood in her veins---and she wears a dragon’s horns, redder than her blood, truer than her blood, bright and vibrant as a neurotoxin.

a part of her just wants to leave all this behind and be normal. but she only has so much time in this world to make everything right. she cannot waste it.

edelgard hc:

gender

( spoilers and mentions of edel’s trauma under the cut. warning for cis and/or het readers that this may not make sense this is on like eight layers of lgbt-specific experiences. that is not to diss my cis and/or het friends on here. ya’ll know i love u! it’s just kind of complicated and may not make sense to you.)

edelgard is a non-binary bisexual woman, she is comfortable with both she/her and he/him pronouns, tho i default to she/her. this is why she is called the emperor instead of the empress, and why she is uncomfortable being called ‘lady edelgard’ or ‘princess.’ if she must wear feminine clothing, she prefers it to be fancy and extremely aesthetic armor, or a shapeless dress that covers her from head to toe in crimson.

as far as dysphoria goes, her being tortured at the hands of the empire as well as the inherit eugenics and sexism of the crest/noble system have led to her feeling little connection or value with/in her own physical body and her assigned sex roles. she is terrified of getting pregnant with [sylvain voice] crest babies. she does not want to be a mother or any kind of queen or wife to a man. when she pictures her future, or even the person she wants to be---and she is not just naked, broken, and dead, as a result of being experimented on once more as punishment for her actions---she pictures herself in the flame emperor’s garb, with rhea dead in her dragon form as her feet. this alone would not necessarily make her non-binary, but it is a Very Apparent Part of Her Trans Experience.

in addition, edelgard happens to have the typical lesbian/gnc bi woman experience with gender---where she feels that she is only connected to womanhood through her interactions and support and love of women. when compared to cishet women or placed in front of cishet men, she feels like her gender is ‘incomplete’ and ‘not understandable’ to them. if she did not have attraction to men, she wouldn’t call herself a woman at all and would identify gender & sexuality wise solely with lesbianism, but she, unfortunately. IS attracted to some men. (read: she wants to peg hubert & claude lmao.)

her gender is ‘conquerer.’ her gender is ‘revolutionary.’ her gender is ‘vengeance & justice for my family.’ her gender is ‘freedom for humanity and the world.’ her gender is ‘no time for mercy. they did not give me mercy.’ her gender is ‘i may never be loved. but they will feel my hatred at my hand and mine alone.’

edelgard hc:

respect (part TWO ramblings)

regardless of how you feel about edelgard or her plans---edelgard has a genuinely positive effect on the people she cares about. bernie post-time skip in blue lions route still hides in her room. bernie post-timeskip in edelgard’s route is proudly out and about remarking on her new friendships and confidence. dorothea’s friendship with edelgard allows dorothea to stop chasing men for financial security. both she and caspar are able to find places in the empire for their skills in battle and war that suit them, all according to edelgard’s dreams of a meritocracy. sylvain is able to help take down the crest system if he joins your party. edelgard encourages petra, hubert, lindhart, and ferdinand all to be better people, and throughout the route, they become extremely competent leaders.

you can say this for all three lords, perhaps. claude also encourages his people. dimitri eventually warms up to his peers. but there is never a time that edelgard does not BOTH expect the people in her life to be their best AND encourage them to be their best while taking them, their flaws, and their strengths into consideration.

i think edelgard’s defining attribute is the respect that she gives to others. even dimitri in her route---she has just as much of a chance to tell dimitri off as dimitri tells her off---but she does not take it. she respects him as a warrior, she respects his will to die for what he believes in---and in the end, she only kills him because he will not give up trying to defeat her.

edelgard is all about improving herself and the world from a place of genuinely understanding it and the consequences of every action. this is partly part of her inherent system of values that is not based on being the flame emperor the ones that slithered raised----but her idealism, her belief that this is how everyone should be treated. underneath that, though, is a life spent under scrutiny from anyone  and everyone around her, being watched constantly, being paranoid that at any moment she could be taken away from a social event yet again and be experimented on/tortured to become the perfect again. as a result, she is overly cordial. a mother hen. she never lets herself rest, always being the perfect friend/political figure. she never knows what will be her last chance. as someone with two crests---she and lysithea BOTH have shortened lifespans.

but there’s a part of her that is still the broken child that spent so much time with dimitri, once upon a time, that merely works so hard because she wants to do and perform every social situation (such as dancing correctly), but really just wants to rest, to eat cakes in bed, to read adventure novels, to braid other girls’ hair. she may never get this chance in her short life----but she will enjoy the time she has with her wonderful, amazing friends for as long as she has it.

edelgard x f!byleth is so good for so many reasons but number one is, despite their incredibly meet cute introduction....

instead of edelgard falling in love with byleth, from the very beginning, when byleth saves edel’s life, she’s still sizing her up, just like the player (who has seen the trailers presumably) is sizing edelgard up. both asking the same question. are you worth it? are you worth it? are you worth trusting? are you worth falling in love for?

edelgard hc:

morality (spoilers/discourse under the cut)

people who think edelgard is some heartless monster obviously havent played through her route bc

1) she shows that she doesnt want to worth with the slithers, she just has to to take down the church which is a true evil that has been preying on humanity for centuries. she wants byleth’s support so she can stop relying on bad people and start having the support of someone she can really rely on

2) she IS an imperialist but she respects the leaders of different countries and the culture of the people of brigid and almyra and is open to settling her disputes with them with diplomacy and not war and only goes after the alliance/kingdom which were once territories of the empire ANYWAY.

3) edelgard wants to help the crestless and get rid of a system of eugenics that leaves hard working common people without any birth rights. she’s not doing it for herself despite the torture she’s been through---she’s inspired by people without any claim to nobility and that’s COOL.

4) edelgard will justify killing civilians if they try to fight her----but that is because she respects them as soldiers with their own belief systems that they believed were important enough to die for. she does not WANT to fight them, and she says that before every battle, and she actively doubts herself and asks u for reassurance (despite saying to the contrary) and has guilt afterwards for what she and the slithers have done.

5) edelgard will own up to the mistakes and the atrocities that she’s done. she feels guilt for it. she’s not a monster. she’s a sympathetic character who wages a war for what she believes in bc she’s a revolutionary challenging an unjust system in the only way that people will listen to her without burning her at the stake for going against the church. because she’s not like claude. she’s not an outsider. her fate is tangled with the church---and if she were to speak out against them on her own, she would surely be killed same as anyone else who goes against the church, or worse, captured and tortured AGAIN.

edelgard hc:

claude comparisons

claude and edelgard directly parallel each other. while dimitri also needs byleth in order to thrive emotionally, the blue lions are almost completely loyal to him---claude and edelgard are both not trusted by their own allies irt their strategies and plans. lorenz never listens to claude. the rest view him as something between a friend and a pest, though much better than the other two house leaders. but edelgard---she has more detractors in her house than she can count, from hubert who places her on a pedestal and constantly disobeys orders to ‘protect’ her, to petra from brigid who is little more than a political prisoner, to lindhart who hates the ways of the empire, and that’s not to even mention ferninand. indeed, her own step-brother refuses to listen to her. they could easily be allies. but they’re enemies instead due to their own personal conflict, too much history and pain between them both to listen to each other now.

they’re contrasted by claude needing byleth for authority and having good strategy, and edelgard needing byleth for strategy and having good authority, but that makes it more interesting. they both lack what the other needs, and together, they could’ve created a fodlan capable of being beyond crests or borders, which is a dream even claude admits that he sees as being similar to his own in his route.

and the parallels go beyond that. they both like doing impressions of those they view as lesser than them---the ‘detractor’s voice’---and it sounds almost exactly the same, an absolutely terrible impression. they both hate nobles and crests, they’re so interested in history and politics and discovering the mysteries of the world around them----

i hc they probably would’ve been closer to each other than either claude and dimitri or edelgard and dimitri would be, and unsaid bond between them, claude understanding edelgard better than she understood herself sometimes as he often does with people, and edelgard appreciating his hidden intellect and having a little bit of a thing for his charm (she is, as she always thinks to herself, unfortunately attracted to men).

they could’ve worked together so well!!!! made a better future!!! but alas.