#and serve the Dukedom and the Kingdom when he can
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Regarding your "recruitment ruins some character writing" post. I agree with the post itself, but disagree with how you used Sylvain as an example. While he does evidently wish to foster peaceful ties with Sreng, he also mentions in his a-support with Byleth that if he thought he could run away from his responsibilities, he would have. He also suffers greatly from the crest system, and in his paired ending with Dorothea, he encourages nobles around him to place less value on crests. And on top of all that, it's shown multiple times he likes to spite his father, a prominent noble of Faergus who supports Dimitri even after the Dukedom exists.
So overall, I agree the recruitment system could be better! But in short, Sylvain has plenty of reason to defect to the empire and the fact he has no supports with Edelgard is a crime.
Hm. Gonna have to disagree on this one.
While he does evidently wish to foster peaceful ties with Sreng, he also mentions in his a-support with Byleth that if he thought he could run away from his responsibilities, he would have.
The idea of running away from responsibility is something we see in characters from Dimitri to Linhardt. What matters is how they continue on in their lives with that idea. Dimitri mentions it exactly once, and as something of his past. Linhardt mentions his distaste for battle and dreams of lazing about, completing his research, at every opportunity. All that to say: I don't think Sylvain mentioning he thought about running from home has any real bearing on his present circumstances, nor does his saying "I'd leave behind House Gautier and the life of a nobleman...and anybody who knew I had a Crest" right after, because he does not act on it even once in his endings. Not even in Crimson flower. Whether people think that's bad for him is up to interpretation, but it doesn't change the fact that he either seems to outgrow his old desire to run from responsibility or suck up his current desire for it. He says he would have run away, sure, but, as is the current theme with this game, what he does is more important: Instead of using the war to pawn off his responsibilities to Felix, or any other neighbouring lord, he becomes the Margrave of Gautier, and changes Gautier for the better.
And on top of all that, it's shown multiple times he likes to spite his father,
Sylvain, at the ripe age of 19-20, five years away from a fun fully developed brain, does not enjoy following every whim of his father, no. But it's not always just because he's being contrary--sometimes the choice just makes the most sense; no one goes into a battle by themselves if they can help it. But all that is also before he, frankly, grows up. What we have in canon is Sylvain thinking about his father when the war breaks out. When he defects from the Kingdom to fight for any of the other three factions, he says he imagines his father being angry and willing to talk mad shit about his son. I, personally, do not think that's outlandish--Three Houses makes a point of driving home the cruciality of nobility serving the people, and how when that pattern is broken, it's inherently a bad thing. I know this fandom loves to take a dump on the parent Gautier(s) whenever they're given the chance, and sometimes it's deserved, but think about it this way: You're seen by both the crown and the people of your territory as the only thing between them and an invasion from an antagonistic force. Your son has shown no indication that he is going to shirk responsibility when the time comes; he's a little bit of a rebel, has an allergy to propriety, but he's shown an active interest in the affairs between you and this antagonistic force. And then he just--turns tail. Fights for the Alliance in Verdant Wind, the Church in Silver Snow. Leaves your people and your territory in the dust. And, if he chose Edelgard's leadership, he is willingly aiding the destruction of his kingdom--all because he believes in the professor. That is absolutely insane. I can see why the elder Gautier, as a father and someone with responsibilities to his people, would be more than a little upset that his son has taken his childish contrary tendencies to a lethal degree.
a prominent noble of Faergus who supports Dimitri even after the Dukedom exists.
I don't . . . quite understand what this specifically adds? Is it because his father supports Dimitri that his rebellion somehow, some way, matters more? How is it a good thing that his father shows more loyalty to one of Sylvain's oldest friends, and by proxy their home, than Sylvain himself?
What adds salt to the wound is that Sylvain shows regret. It's not as though he turned tail and suddenly stopped caring for his loved ones. And it's not as though he views his stance as a grand and noble one, when he's calling the Emperor's right hand an idiot. But betraying his friends hurts him! He says as much! Twice! Why wouldn't it, for a guy we're introduced to as someone who "highly values his friends"? Who cares about them so much he continuously puts his life at risk for them? When Byleth suggests that it may be Dimitri himself leading the mysterious army in Verdant Wind, he hesitates. This is my personal interpretation, and feel free to ignore it, but I fully believe what he means to say is that if Dimitri lived, that means he not only turned his back on Faerghus, he turned his back on Dimitri, whom he cares about enough to start forgiving him for his murderous atrocities after Dimitri shows regret and moves to fix the damage he's cause; whom he treasures as one of his oldest friends. There is also this line, which works to my point no matter the mistakes of its meaning (to be explained): "I hope this all gets sorted out quickly and safely. I'm worried about my father." I believe this is the line that got mistranslated, because the Japanese term for "His Majesty" could be translated into "father"? (If someone wants to either back this or correct me, I'd appreciate it.) This line is locked to the BL/Azure Moon route, apparently, which truly tells me they're willing to bend over backwards to make it seem like recruiting these units won't damage them emotionally. All this to say: When you care for people as Sylvain does (which ranges from "I swear to live with you till I die with you" à la Felix, and "offering you advice that I know will help you" à la Ashe), turning your back on them is bad. Unquestionably. Especially when betraying one person, Dimitri, embodies turning your back on both your country and your oldest friend, when the only reason you outwardly state for doing so is faith in your university prof. We see that in how Sylvain views the toppling of the Empire as an offering to his dead prince. He doesn't just betray Faerghus and face no emotional and psychological consequences. What we see is him doing what he's always done: denying denying denying until he has to confront his reality. He flirted his way through life, but ended up accepting his future as Margrave; he told himself over and over he made the right choice, but he's learned that he made the wrong one, when he showcases doubt and regret for turning on his friends/country multiple times.
He also suffers greatly from the crest system, and in his paired ending with Dorothea, he encourages nobles around him to place less value on crests.
It's great that his ending with Dorothea (that can happen on any route) lessens the importance of Crests! But . . . he also does that in his solo, Mercedes, and Ingrid endings, which ALSO can occur on any route--and it's in his Mercedes ending specifically, the one that's route-neutral, that explicitly mentions a Crest-less eldest child inheriting the territory. He doesn't need to betray Faerghus to implement the changes that matter to him. He doesn't need to betray his friends, nor does he have such a distaste for his father that he's willing to pick a whole other allegiance in the war that's knocking on his door.
He doesn't state Crests, and his hatred for them, as a big motivator for joining Edelgard's (or non-Dimitris') side. He doesn't state a whole lot of anything outside of "I trust you Professor, wow my dad would not like me being here, why can't we compromise with the Empire?" And that's not exactly a stance I have faith in.
Sylvain has plenty of reason to defect to the empire and the fact he has no supports with Edelgard is a crime.
I already addressed the first bit, so I have a question. Where could this support chain possibly go? Edelgard chronically reveals very little, if anything, about herself in her supports. Even if this supposed support were the exception, they have different reasons for hating Crests. Sylvain sees his as the reason people value him, want him as a studhorse, and hates both his Crest and the people for it. Edelgard, I believe, sees Crests as another trickle effect of a "false goddess," and . . . takes away all responsibility from the people who bear them, and give them value, and mistreat other people because of them. Sylvain is constantly confronted with, and the victim of, people's misuse of Crests; Edelgard is arguably the same, but she doesn't see it that way. She places more importance in their Nabatean origins, and how these divine blessings have turned humanity on each other. Which then takes me to: How could Sylvain possibly feel good about spending time with a woman who believes his kingdom to be but a "[mere] offshoot" of the Empire that "pales in comparison"? Where could this support chain possibly go beyond a very shallow "Crests suck." Because Edelgard doesn't do away with the nobility. Several people, Sylvain included, inherit their titles. They benefit from the structure of nobility. I'm going to refrain from going any further, because that's not what this ask is about, but I don't think anyone can ever find true common ground with her, because that's just who she is/how she's written.
So, no. I don't think Sylvain lives his best life defecting to the Empire. Truly, from the bottom of my heart, I believe the list of people that benefit from defecting from their countries is as long as my palm; the list of people that benefit from defecting to the Empire, which wants to do away with every single one of the three opposing factions, is even shorter.
#fire emblem three houses#fe3h#fe#sylvain jose gautier#edelgard critical#because this answer doesn't do her any favours I'll say that much#s responds#gay-sylvain-jose-gautier-truther#fe16
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i m p l i c i t ⏤katsuki b.
p a i r i n g : bakugou x f.reader
s u m m a r y : ever since you were young, you were forced to meet with the person dubbed as your finance, Katsuki Bakugou, a Baron’s son who had quite the temper but peaks your interest in every way possible
l e n g t h : 1.9k
g e n r e : olden days au ; fantasy au ; arranged marriage au ; Bakugou is a tsundere ; and we love him for it ; reader is an amazing bean that can keep up with him ; kirishima is your brother ; best brother ever ; rumours are toxic ; never base your opinions on someone solely on rumours ; you attract a stalker ; it’s not your fault ; he just as a twisted yandere mind ; Katsuki is your hero ; he makes your heart flutter ; and he makes your knees weak ; i really want someone to protect me and say what he said at the end of this
w a r n i n g s : swearing from our lovable explosion murder king ; acts of stalker/yandere ; sword fighting
a / n : i didn’t plan on posting this but mother nature decided to pay me a visit today so i basically lazed around in my bed groaning in pain and half starving bc it was too painful to get out at times for food. instead i started writing this imagine again that i had began months ago. this is inspired by Ranma 1/2, which is an anime that i loved watching when i was much younger, it’s not well edited because i’m kinda dizzy rn but i hope you enjoy it!
— first of all, before either you or Katsuki were born, the arrangement for your marriage to each other was already settled by your parents, hence why you were immediately introduced when you were children
— neither of you knew what marriage or engagement meant but you both associated it with seeing each other
— it wasn’t something Katsuki liked but you didn’t quite mind it, he always gave you really interesting reactions that you quickly came to like
— as the two of you grew up together, you always tried your best to get close to him but Katsuki was adamant at pushing you away and keeping you at arms length at all times
— despite all that, you wanted to catch his attention, which meant that you took interest in all the things that he found interesting too. that included: sword fighting, horse riding, duelling ; spicy foods ; battle tactics ; magic etc
— Katsuki always tried to ignore you but secretly appreciated how skilled you had become over the years. you were still nothing compared to him but you were able to battle against a majority of qualified knights and still be the last one standing
— he only scoffed at you because your talents were wasted; you’re too kindhearted to ever use your honed skills properly - it irritates him that other women push you to conform to etiquette, tea parties and high society when you were better than that
— you’re better than shallow conversations about the latest fashion, or the art of sipping tea, calligraphy and painting because he knows how much you train and how much effort you put into your education outside of such insignificant things
— Katsuki knows that you can handle yourself better than any other nobleman he knows of, he’s seen you help your father with his business and vigorously train with your dukedom’s knights
— what’s the point of all that effort if you weren’t going to show anything for it?
— because of that Katsuki always acted like he hated having you as his fiancée despite your optimism about him, as well as your patience and understanding of his unique way of expressing himself
— because the two of you are forced to spend a lot of time together by your parents, you’ve has been able to understand Katsuki and his mannerisms better than anyone else as your mother has always taught you to be openminded - she’s never been like the other noble ladies of society, hence why your father married her
— now, you were following in her footsteps. there’s been much gossip about your unladylike behaviour but you didn’t care, all you needed were your parents’ love and the love of Katsuki. he still needed some more time to come around but you’re positive you’ll get to him soon enough
— you’re positive there’s a different gleam in his eyes whenever he looks towards you now. it had always been one of hatred when you were much younger but his expressions frequently soften around you nowadays.
— no matter how subtle it may be, you always notice
— many rumours circulated about you the first time you had shown your skills openly amongst the knighthood. it had first started with your knights who praised you highly but, as soon as those whisperings reached outside the dukedom, many noble ladies started to gossip about your misdemeanour.
— surprisingly, those rumours were shut down in under a week and you didn’t know why; usually such good gossip material stayed for months and only faded with the years so it was peculiar to have it die down so quickly
— what was suspicious was that, as soon as your rumours died down, stories about Katsuki surged forward.
— when you conversed with other people, they would say how horrible they feel for you having to marry such an aggressive and dislikable fiancee. they would then over-exaggerate all the belligerent and misunderstood characteristics of Bakugou, even making up disgusting rumours that painted him to be more villainous than he actually was.
— “how shameful,” you spat with disgust, glowering down at the noble ladies frozen in their seats, “how dare you openly gossip about my fiancee right in front of me, the nerve! you should know better than to act like such children. if you have nothing better to do then i suggest you leave the kirishima estate immediately and never expect to be invited back,”
— they tried to beg you for forgiveness, seeing as your father held such power in high society, being one of the four noble dukes of the kingdom serving directly under the king as they all had noble blood.
— nobody expected your father to marry you to a Baron’s son. Katsuki didn’t have a higher title than you but your fathers had gone to war together and remained loyal friends ever since, Baron Bakugou went on to acquire his title of Braon after his service in the war but many people still looked down on him from his commoner origins. to think that such educated ladies of high society would use that as leverage to gossip however they wished.
— word of your actions on behalf of Bakugou spread quickly and the two of you became a couple that shouldn’t be trifled with.
— after that day, you always defend Katsuki and never miss the opportunity to express how much you admire him and care for him even if he doesn’t tend to reciprocate it
— you do this when Katsuki’s friends make an appearance, they consisted of your brother, Eijiro, Denki of house Kaminari (son of Marquis Kaminari) and Hanta of house Sero (son of Marquis Sero).
— they usually don’t visit the estate but this time they decided to utilise the knights training grounds for extra duelling practice and happened to catch you just as you were walking out, having finished your own training
— as soon as introductions and polite greetings were exchanged, came the jokes and jives.
— “I wouldn’t blame you if you eloped with someone else on your wedding day, Lady (Y/N), knowing this guy’s attitude,” Denki snickers as he points his thumb at your fiancé, who growled lowly in return.
— “i wouldn’t dare do something like that because, even if this is an arranged marriage, Katsuki will be the only man for me” Katsuki didn’t expect you to be so forward and couldn’t help the blush that coated his cheeks from your response
— Denki whistled in a mix of astonishment and amusement, “Katsuki’s a lucky guy!”
— “he looks really happy to hear you say that too, sis,” Eijiro teased as Hanta grinned from beside him.
— “shut up! we came here to train so let's train already, you dumbasses!”
— the days go by and life is good; the quicker your wedding day approaches the kinder and gentler Katsuki treats you. it wasn’t until the kindness you practiced with everyone you met, no matter their status, became something more in the twisted mind of an unknown individual that you encountered within city streets, while out shopping
— one act of kindness made the stranger crave for your touch and sought you out in the most deviant method. he sent constant letters multiple times a day and even mailed one with his most intimate item of clothing, not only that but he always stood at the gates of your estate, waiting for it to be opened just to slip in and try to meet you again
— of course, he didn’t get far because of the security brought on by your dukedom’s talented knights stopped him at every devious attempt. each incident was reported directly to your brother, who was training to inherit the duchy as soon as your father retired
— Eijiro was having none of it and devised the best plan of action he could, knowing that his image as the heir of the dukedom needed to be thought of so that his people wouldn’t be against him when he took over his capable father’s place. he resisted the urge for an immediate confrontation to plan with you, about how you wanted to defuse the situation
— however, as soon as word got to Bakugou, he ran over on foot to confront the man at your estate, just as Eijiro came down with a squadron of knights and you at his side
— lost in his own world, your stalker immediately reached out for you the instant he caught sight of your figure. on his face, he had a twisted smile and manic eyes, his breathing became heavy as if to savour the same air you breathed not too far away from him. it was frighting and chilling to see such an unhinged man. he was so deranged, he didn’t mind the swords and pointed glares directed at him by all that were present and Katsuki, who was fast approaching from behind
— “Get. Away. From. Her!” Katsuki shouted in anger as he drew his sword and slashed at the young man, making you jump back with a gasp.
— “Bakugou!” Kirishima warned as he pulled you into his chest for protection from the clashing of swords
— “Katsuki, be careful!” you cried. confronting someone with such an unstable mind could go horribly wrong and no matter how skilled your fiancee was, you couldn’t help but worry
— Even though this was the first time Katsuki ever showed his feelings for you in such a dramatic gesture, the worry you had for him consumed your joy as his opponent drew out his own sword and started lashing out with worse coordination than your junior knights.
— what he lacked with technique, however, he made up for in agility as well as his own unpredictability. it made it hard for Katsuki to predict the path of his opponent’s sword so for a time, he was constantly dodging his blade. it didn’t take long, however, for the game of endurance and stamina to come into play and slow down his opponent enough for him to fight back with more accuracy.
— “you revolting rat!” Katsuki growled swinging his sword with might only to grind his teeth when his sword is narrowly dodged. not one to give up, however, he goes in once again and finally lands a hit that forces your stalker to crumble to his knees, “you try and pull that shit with (Y/N) again and I’ll be doing more than just beating you to the ground,” it was an obvious win for the blonde.
— “And what would that be?” your stalker still had fight in him that came off as more irritating than anything else Bakugou had ever encountered in his life of servitude as a royal knight and baron’s son.
— just to prove his point, whatever it may be, Katsuki goes to stand beside you and pull you into his chest with his large hand at your waist
— “landing your ugly, disgusting ass in a fucking coffin!” the venom in his voice was evident and it made you shudder, curling up into his chest for comfort, not knowing that the next words he’d shout would have your knees weaker than any training could ever do, “(Y/N) is MY Fiancee! you touch her and I’ll kill you!”
n a v i . | bnha mlist
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the fact that edelgard is the villain in 3/4 routes and yet intsys STILL glorifies her to no end enrages and annoys me. no other villain has been given that perspective of “well actually maybe they arent so bad” except for the hypocritical tyrant. even when she has *literally become an inhuman monster* intsys is still like “oh no dont worry she was right actually!” and it upsets me deeply
It upsets me, too, friend. IntSys seems to really like glorifying people who don’t deserve it, especially in recent games (Walhart in Awakening, Rudolf in Echoes -- I can’t say if his whole ‘orchestrating a plan to have his son murder him’ thing is carry-over from Gaiden or not, but it definitely exists in the recent remake so I’m including it), but Edelgard actually ends up as a bit of a weird case.
(I have a lot of thoughts about this, so I’m just going to cut preemptively.)
Now, I’m actually not opposed to Edelgard being the protagonist of the fourth route in Three Houses. Anyone who’s been here a while knows that I generally see Grima, a figure that IntSys generally tries to paint as a rote villain, as at least a sympathetic villain (and possibly even a secret hero in the events of Awakening itself); it’s entirely possible for someone that’s a villain in most of their appearances to have legitimate reasons for what they’re doing and why, and revealing that in their personal route could be incredibly powerful if done well.
And here’s the thing: Edelgard really is a compelling character, in large part because of her moral ambiguity. I actually agree with her when she says that the Church of Seiros is corrupt at its core and the system needs to change. She’s right about that! While Seiros might have had decent reasons for establishing things this way, over the past thousand years human societies have changed while the church itself remained stagnant -- something potentially exacerbated by her selfish ambition to restore her mother -- and this has led to a structure that once served an important purpose becoming a toxic and destructive mess for humanity at large. Edelgard has a completely valid point there, and it’s something that I could absolutely get on board with if she had gone about achieving change in some other way, because she does have other methods available to her that she writes off without real reason -- and even that can relate back in part to her deep trauma and difficulty trusting people after the betrayals she faced at the hands of her “uncle” and her own father’s powerlessness to stop the nightmare she and her siblings suffered through.
IntSys probably could have crafted a narrative that showed from her perspective why she believed war against the Church was the only valid option available to her. The issue is that she undercuts her own argument by targeting all of Fodlan, rather than specifically going after the Church: she doesn’t give the Kingdom and Alliance a “stay out of my way or else” warning, she literally turns her sights on the Kingdom as soon as the monastery falls and attempts to fully annex it once Cornelia sets up Dimitri’s fall, leaving the Alliance only because she has her hands full with Faerghus. She didn’t have to take Cornelia up on her offer of making the Kingdom into the Dukedom of Faerghus and sending troops to finish the job: she could have just left the woman to her own devices, forcing the Twisted to utilize their own people to maintain and secure full control of the region while she worked on addressing the systemic issues, which would have had multiple benefits:
The Imperial Army doesn’t get overwhelmed and exhausted fighting in conditions they’re not equipped to deal with, leaving them stronger overall while the Twisted forces are potentially weakened by the same
Hubert is able to better assess the threat they’re dealing with, including learning their capabilities and possibly even where they’re coming from before Merceus
Edelgard actually puts her money where her mouth is and ends up helping the people she claims to be doing this for, rather than just using them as fodder for the war to grind up
Unfortunately, the way she’s written ends up just making her an imperialist. She’s not just going after the corrupt core of the Church, she’s trying to forcibly unite the continent and return Fodlan to some long gone ideal where it was all united under the Imperial banner because she refuses to believe that Adrestia could have split by natural causes.
Crimson Flower ultimately ends up being a particularly egregious example of this glorification phenomenon in action because they give her a personal route that makes no effort to critically examine her actions and make her face consequences for them. This, I think, does her a massive disservice as a character, because that aforementioned moral ambiguity that makes her so interesting could have been utilized to great effect -- and the proof is actually there already, because they do it in Dimitri’s route.
Dimitri is himself another interesting character, and outwardly presents as Edelgard’s polar opposite: he recognizes that he doesn’t have all the answers, struggles to figure out the correct course of action when presented with difficult subjects that have no clear-cut answer -- like the fact that reliance on the Crest system is toxic for noble families, but it’s those very Crest-bearers and their Relics that help keep Faerghus safe from invasion by Sreng -- possesses incredible strength but specifically refrains using it in most cases to avoid harming others, and generally takes everyone’s problems onto himself to his own detriment. He’s also deeply traumatized and was never given a chance to deal with it in a healthy manner, which contributes to how he snaps -- and Azure Moon starts with Dimitri being so far out of reach that you can’t unlock any of his supports and can’t even engage with him in the weekly discussions. He’s lost himself to his survivor’s guilt and need for vengeance, considers himself to be nothing more than a monster, and has no qualms about killing if it helps advance his quest; as the story progresses, he faces a direct consequence for this murderous inclination in the form of Fleche who attempts to exact vengeance for her brother’s sake in the same way that he’s attempting to claim it for his family and friends -- only to lose Rodrigue, and have his dying words be a plea for Dimitri to live for himself rather than those who died before him, at which point Dimitri sets his sights on opposing Edelgard rather than killing her and seeing to atone for the crimes he committed. While I think the game made the change a little too abrupt, it’s handled well overall, and shows a real development arc complete with both actions and their associated consequences that directly relate to Dimitri’s growth as a person.
Contrast this to Edelgard in general and Crimson Flower as a route. Edelgard believes that she has all the answers despite not trying to engage with anyone outside her own House, decisively chooses what she believes to be the right and proper course of action regardless of how difficult the subject matter, possesses great strength (both physically and of sheer will) that she uses to dominate others, and forces others to join her in addressing what she sees as problems -- such as her line about making her own people into “worthy sacrifices” for her “higher cause.” Crimson Flower is the only route where her attack on the monastery fails to capture Rhea, but once Byleth returns she sets her sights on attacking and subjugating a territory that has remained entirely neutral through the past five years, turns on the Twisted while she’s still in a vulnerable position which ultimately causes the deaths of at least a third of the forces she left at Arianrhod once they fire their warning shot, lies to her friends and allies about what happened there, murders her step-brother, and allows a city full of trapped civilians to burn unchecked while she deals with what she considers to be the “real” threat on the opposite side of the Faerghus capital -- and all of this is capped off with her never dealing with the Twisted, and cute little endcards that talk about how everything worked out fine and there were no problems ever, The End. Edelgard doesn’t get a development arc in her route: she’s never challenged, she never faces real consequences (and the one she does face she literally lies about to her friends and then leaves as a problem to deal with later), and she pretty much ends the game exactly where she started it: completely assured that she made the right choices. The moral ambiguity inherent in her character is instead cast as “of course she’s in the right, she’s so great and there’s nothing at all wrong with what she’s doing or how she’s going about it, isn’t she wonderful?”
At least in the main game, Hegemon Husk Edelgard is treated with real gravity, shown as the pinnacle of her drive to see her ambition come to fruition and the tragic consequence of her inability to change course and find another path. The Forging Bonds event just takes the CF brush and paints her actions as the right ones, even though what made her so compelling is that her reasons were right while her methods were horrific. Edelgard really could have been wonderful. The potential is right there in her character. But IntSys completely botched the execution of it, so that her route feels rushed, incomplete, and at best unsatisfying (or, if you’re me, utterly disgusting for how it glorifies imperialistic conquest), and her Heroes appearances only make it worse.
#answered#anonymous#fire emblem: three houses#edelcourse#look i really do find edelgard to be interesting#i just find intsys' execution of her character to be utterly terrible#and fandom at large has kind of made it worse#i'm just going to keep the nuance and explore the real consequences#and write a ton of fanfiction to that effect
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the king, a prince and their grand maid duchess
➣ “What of this, have you given this to anyone?” he breathes, thumb still caressing the plush velvet of your lip. Your heart flutters, there’s this nagging voice in the back of your brain that urges to play coy. With any other man maybe you would but with Yoongi it’s different, the voice fades and you find yourself breathing a soft almost silent ‘no’. His thumb ceases its slow trek over your lip, a smirk pulling at his the color of his eyes grows darker at your answer.
❒ pairing: min yoongi x reader, hinted jung hoseok x reader
❒ genre: fluff, slight angst, smut
❒ alternative universe: royals, non-idol verse,
❒ word count: 2.9k+
warnings/disclosures: light angst, light smut, fluff, kissing, dry humping, yoongi is the only true heir, the others are sons of the concubines, king yoongi, prince bts, grand duchess reader, maid reader, her and yoongi have a past, playful yoongi, please let me know if I’ve missed anything!!
*REQUESTS ARE STILL OPEN!*
**this fic is exclusively being continued over on my ao3 only**
The soft scratch of the pen is grating to his ears, a sign that Yoongi is growing weary of all the paperwork that comes with ruling the kingdom. He doesn't hate it but he also wished he could push this work onto one of the princes. He’s sighing for what feel s like the millionth time since he sat down some three hours ago. His attendant Sungmin is tired too, tired that the king is being difficult when he’s been king for the grand total of a year. It's not that he doesn’t sympathize with the king because he does but he doesn't understand why he hasn't appointed any of the six princes to major roles in the palace. He’s sure prince Namjoon would be more than helpful in trying to settle a new tax that will lighten the financial burden on the lower class. But alas Yoongi has yet to decide any of that for his brothers.
“What else is there?” Yoongi breathes as he puts his pen down to rub at his tired eyes. The study feels stuffy, the sun is high in the sky and he doesn't want to be here until sundown.
“All that’s left is the Vermillion palace, your majesty.” Sungmin says a furrow to his brow at the topic.
“Really?”
“Yes, we can’t keep putting it off. It’s been a year and any time it’s brought up you say to save it for another day.” Sungmin says vehemently. He wants to bring up more pressing matters than the Vermillion Palace but he doesn’t think Yoongi will take too kindly to it.
“I suppose you’re right. I want it emptied out, reassign all personal to where they are needed, burn all that is left behind. Then have it torn down, summon an architect after the area has been cleared.” He says, expression cold and somewhat detached at the mention of the Vermillion palace.
“But your highness, where will the concubines live?” Sungmin sputters, baffled at the thought of the other princes’ mothers thrown to the streets so carelessly.
“Send word to the princes, if they wish to keep their mothers in their palaces they may and if not they are to do as they please.”
“If I may, your highness, where will you keep your harem if not the vermillion palace?” Yoongi’s glare is cold, colder than before, a look he’s never seen, especially not directed at him.
“I will lie with my queen and only the queen. The late king chose to lie with other women but I will not so I do not need a harem. If the next king chooses to do so then so be it but during my reign I will not take concubines as war prisoners or any other form.”
“I shall send word to the princes then.” Sungmin mutters taking note to inform the princes of the changes to come.
“Good, now leave and send for her.” Yoongi sighs, relaxing into the plushness of the chair he sits on, the grin that tugs at his lip is hard to miss.
*
There’s a knock at the door, one that had the grin at his lips stretching wider. He gives permission to enter and he’s happy to see her even if she’s wearing the maid uniform of the royal palace.
“You called your majesty?”
“Always ‘your majesty’, it’s never Yoongi anymore.” he chuckles watching attentively as she has yet to bring her gaze up from the floor.
“That would be improper, your majesty, how could a maid to the royal palace dream to address his majesty so casually.” she simpered a smirk tugging at her lips.
“I see, then how are you today Grand Duchess?” he asks, mirth coloring his tone. He watches amusedly as your head finally moves, gaze meeting his in a glare, brows pinched together at the mention of the title.
“I am not the Grand Duchess.”
“But you could be, the title is yours to take.” he quips gaze alight with glee.
“It is also my brothers, I have no need for a title.” His lips fall from the easy smile into a firm line, ‘I know’, he thinks because he does your father the only Grand Duke of the kingdom had willingly offered the title to either of you under the condition that should you ever take it you’d be wed to someone reliable who’d help lessen the burden of overseeing a dukedom.
“Do you remember your debutante ball?” he says instead choosing to redirect the conversation.
“Oh god, not this again.” you laugh hands coming up to cover your face. You look just as stunning in the plain black dress, your hair has been pulled away from your face in a ponytail, he wonders briefly if your hair is longer and still as silky as it looks.
“Yes, this again.” he teases.
“I can't remember who was more surprised by your attendance, your brothers or the ladies debuting.”
“Why do you say that?”
“You can’t have been so blind to the ways all the other noble ladies fawned over your presence.”
“If you insist, I only had one lady in mind. What I would give to see you in a proper dress again.” he sighs wistfully.
“You’re being very bold your majesty, and you see me in a dress everyday.” you giggle hand covering your mouth as you do so.
“The palace uniform is inadequate. I mean a real dress, one made of silk with an embroidered bodice in the colors of the royal family.”
“Is this you saying that you’ve finally decided to search for a queen consort?” you ask tone falling into something soft, not a single hint of affection. One that came with years of grooming to withstand the harsh life of a noble. The one you used when speaking with strangers who were too friendly with you. He did not like it.
“I don’t need to look for one, I have already chosen a consort. Do you remember what I told you all those years ago?” he whispers moving to stand, his legs protesting at the sudden change.
“I do,” you breathe, gaze falling to his desk, “I still don't have an answer.”
“How much longer must I wait?” he starts, then falls silent.
"I don't know.”
“Do you mean that? Do you really not know?”
“Yes, you are in your prime, your majesty it’s why I have urged you to look for a queen consort.” you mutter.
“As are you, why waste your life as a maid to the royal family when you could be Grand Duchess? Wouldn’t you rather spend your time at social gatherings and tea parties with friends?”
“I love the royal family. I will always love them as my own but I have no need for the title, I don't need it.” Yoongi laughs, something so cold almost mocking it makes you shiver.
“You can have the title of Grand Duchess but don’t want it. I offer you myself and the title of Queen and you still have yet to decide if you want it. I told you years ago that I would wait, and I will, if I have to wait many lifetimes then so be it, but I will wait until you are ready to give yourself to me as I have been since you were fourteen.” he says. Your hands have tightened their hold on the skirt of your uniform, fingers turned white at the grip you have of the soft cotton. There’s always been something about Yoongi that made your usual composure crumble, as if he knew which cracks to poke and prod until you were falling apart.
“I will not be Queen only in name -”
“You won't, - ”
“- and I will not stand by as my husband lies with other women who will grow heavy with his children.”
“- because I don't plan on having a harem.” he mumbles rounding the desk to stand before you. You want to move away from him, because being this close to Yoongi never ends well. The heat of his body seaks yours, as if searching for its lover. It’s just your deprived mind you reason, as he moves closer his breath now skimming over your cheeks the hint of mint from his earlier tea present as it washes over you.
“What do you mean?” you whisper.
“I will take no concubines, when I have my queen I will need no one but her. She will be the only one to bear my children. She will be the only one I lie with, the only one I will give my everything to.” Heat swirls low in your belly, a feeling you’re familiar with when in the presence of your king. Yoongi has only grown more handsome since you were fourteen and he’d asked for your hand in marriage, he hadn't cried when you’d stayed silent like you thought he would. No, he smiled promising he could wait because he was a patient man. It was laughable really since he’d only been two years older than you then, the moment ruined as his rambunctious brothers came crashing down on one another from hiding behind a pillar near the garden he’d lead you to. Were you really allowed to believe you could have it all, have him? Surely there was a trick, nothing came that easily.
“Who are you assigned to?” he asks, breaking you from your thoughts.
“Pardon?”
“Which of my brothers do you serve?”
“Prince Hoseok, but why do you ask?”
“Hmm, have you given yourself to anyone?” he says instead, as you sputter to put words together.
“N-no, Yoongi!” you say on instinct the only two words that have come to mind when bombarded with such an intrusive and private question. You almost want to stomp your feet and yell at him for daring to ask a lady that, especially you of all people!
“I was the only true heir to the throne, when my father was on his deathbed.” Your brows come together knowing how much he’d cared for his father despite the slight contempt he held for him. “He could’ve chosen any of my brothers to take the throne, Hoseok would’ve made a good king.” he says, a hand grasping your hip as heat rushes to your face, the warmth settling just beneath the skin heating further as a palm moves to cup your jaw. The slow drag of his thumb across your lower lip pulls your attention. The heat in your belly swirls further pooling in the apex of your thighs, his eyes are half lidded, the rich pools of chocolate darkened to one you recognize easily. It's a look you’ve bore witness to since the two of you have begun this game of tiptoeing around the other. Friends you’d said once but not quite friends either bordering along the lines of something more, something you’ve always been too afraid to touch.
“What of this, have you given this to anyone?” he breathes, thumb still caressing the plush velvet of your lip. Your heart flutters, there’s this nagging voice in the back of your brain that urges to play coy. With any other man maybe you would but with Yoongi it’s different, the voice fades and you find yourself breathing a soft almost silent ‘no’. His thumb ceases its slow trek over your lip, he smirks a the color of his eyes grows darker at your answer.
“Hoseok would’ve made a good king,” he says again leaning in the slightest bit “he would’ve been quick to whisk you away and make you his queen, but I have never been good at letting people take what’s mine.” he growls slanting his lips to yours the feeling familiar. This isn't your first kiss, not with Yoongi anyway. Your first one was when you were fourteen and had shared stolen kisses throughout your life thereafter.
It was innocent at first, just a peck, a soft press of his lips to yours and then as you got older it grew more desperate. His hands tugging you closer as you hid in the apple orchard. It was the introduction of tongue and teeth that always left your breathless, the high collared dresses you wore in the sweltering summer heat of the capital to hide the marks he’d left the last time you’d seen him. Thus vowing to never wear any dresses that exposed too much skin when visiting him again!
This time reminded you of the last, his grip hard as he pulled you into his body, his hips pressed tight to yours. His tongue poked at the seam of your lips pulling a whine from deep within you as you pressed impossibly closer to him. He’s taller than you remember your arms loop around his neck to pull him deeper into the kiss, your fingers tangle in his hair soft against your skin. You tug on it experimentally, a growl tickles your lips before he pulls away. The whimper that comes is involuntary, your body has betrayed you as your arms refuse to let him move even an inch away from you. He chuckles nipping at your lip softly before turning your bodies so that he can lift you easily to sit at the edge of his giant oak desk.
“Is this okay?” he rasps pecking you once, then twice as his nimble fingers skim the hem of your skirt. It’s just like last time the voice says and you nod once because this is more than okay. He’s more than eager to push your skirt up, slotting himself in the space between your thighs and pulling you forward to feel him. You gasp, thighs twitching as his manhood presses to your heat the trousers he wears do nothing to hide his growing desire. The black hosiery you wear is too thin as it grows damp your arousal soaking through your panties.
Yoongi thrusts into your heat, hands dimpling the meat of your thighs as he pulls you closer, rutting into you as if it’ll be the last time. It will be, the voice says, tauntingly reminding you that the first time he’d touched you like this was years ago, reminded you how shame had colored your gentle love stricken heart and had made you stay away from him. Your mind is racing body falling into the steady rhythm Yoongi has set. The hushed tone of his groans spark something within you a shaky whine slipping past your kiss bitten lips. His breath ghosts over your cheeks as he murmurs your name, the fog that clouds your brain is dense, so thick all you can manage is choked gasps. The half words that slide onto your tongue near incoherent babble as the feeling mounts. Yoongi’s grip is tight, trying desperately to angle his hips so that you can really feel him, all of him.
The sweet desperate lilt of your voice keeps him grounded, reminds him that your purity is still intact and he would rather die than take it from you like this. He’s not sure why it turned out like this, he’d only meant to tease you, and yet being able to have you even like this is truly a blessing. Like this he’ll be able to picture what you’ll be like when he can really feel all of you, to truly have you after you have given yourself to him. Your ankles have locked around his hips, the desperate pleas fuel his hunger, squeezing one of your perfect breasts pulls the sweetest high pitched whine from you. A sound he’s much too eager to swallow as he repeats the motion slotting his lips to yours once more as you squeal, oh she’ll be the death of me, he thinks, feeling the press of your hips into his.
“Yoo-yoongi, o-oh, plea-please, oh!” you wail legs twitching around his hips, tightening around him enough that he can no longer pull away from you to avoid his end. Your hips have yet to still, rolling softly into his as he continues to rutt into you with a strangled groan. The fog on your brain has begun to clear, now taking note of the way your panties stick to you uncomfortably. Yoongi’s warmth pressed close, he’s heavier than you last remember, broader too, he’s yet to say anything and fear peaks into your consciousness. Your hands lie limp at your sides though they ache to touch, to feel the heat of his skin, maybe he’s hiding more beneath the shirt, you want to see, you want to feel, you want Yoongi. But you're still not ready, it’s a harsh reality that drowns the warmth you had felt moments ago in chilling waters.
“Stop that.” he sighs, moving to stand, hips still neatly snug between your thighs.
“Stop what?”
“Stop thinking so hard, I meant it then and I mean it now I will wait for you. Just don’t hide from me again.” a sad look colors his features as he says this, reminding you that you hadn’t been the only one affected by what had happened all those years ago.
“I won't.” you whisper rather petulantly tugging a smile onto his lips. He helps ease you from your position against the desk sliding the hem of your dress down over your hips. Your legs are shaky as you stand smoothing some of the wrinkles out of the fabric as he watches diligently.
“I should excuse myself.”
“Is that so, eager to return to Hoseok are you.” he asks around a smirk.
“No, I am still a maid, your majesty.” his smirk falls, eyes narrowing at the loss of his name.
“Fine, you may leave but do not expect to remain in Hoseok’s care forever.” he reminds you as you turn on your heel.
“Of course not my king.” you say closing the door but not missing the way his cheeks color at the term of endearment
#houseofddaeng#bangtanarmynet#heartsforbtsnet#emm writes#mine#mine writings#king min yoongi#grand duchess reader#maid reader#min yoongi x reader#implied hoseok x reader#slight smut#bts#slight angst#fluff#usersuhdays#alternative universe: royalty#100 followers celebration#milestone: 100 followers
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––– i believe that is EVALISTA ROCÍO , the LADY IN WAITING of NABAR. they are twenty seven years old and are known to be very ambitious & onerous though they can also be very vengeful & stubborn. they remind me of building walls around your heart, dark eyes and very dangerous, knowing you’ve won a battle before stepping into the fight.
hello!! it’s me, su, who have been joining imperialrp since 2017. i am addicted to this rp and i am happy to be back here. go under read more to read about my baby eva, she’s a supporter of the bastard king and wants some spicy connections! / @imperialstarters
i. statistics.
here
ii. history.
HOUSE ROCÍO
house rocío is not the wealthiest families in nabar, however they possessed a strong militia power. fathers, sons, and daughters have all served in the army or court and fought in wars and political games for the greater good of the kingdom for generations.. they are a house of fiercely loyal, devoted, and proud people. they do, however, have a speck of taint in their reputation. that being their cruel and sometimes sadistic ways to secure means of power and influence within the court, and underhanded ways to get things done. despite this, they are of quite prominent standing.
when the dispute between the two brothers broke, house rocío was quick to choose their side. it was with the bastard older brother that they stood with. believing in the elder brother’s potentials to be the greater ruler between the two, the house rocío is steadfast in their support for the king esau bastos who they proclaimed as the one true king of nabar and the other : the impostor.
to this day, they are still one of king esau’s strongest supporters.
EVALISTA ‘EVA’ ROCÍO
evalista was born in the house rocío, an old mansion built with large slabs of rocks by the rivers, that runs just a tad too cold at night, and evalista let the cold seeps from the stone floors to her bare feet and to the deep ends of her heart, just like everyone did in this family.
father had a plan for her, as he did everyone in the family. father might be an unscrupulous character and he might be a harsh an authoritative figure in the household but his eyes see no gender and it mattered not that he had no sons yet. his daughters will carry on the rocío name.
when a son finally come a few years after ella’s birth, the treatment towards his two eldest daughters did not change. all of the rocío kids received the same standard of education. they were taught in literature and politics and was expected to be familiar with the saddle and the swords — something evalista truly enjoyed.
mother married into the family, so sometimes it’s a bit hard for her. sometimes the house gets a bit too cold for her. perhaps that’s why she passed on early, shortly after delivering her baby brother xavier, the last of the rocío children. evalista was fifteen by then, and though she loved her mother, she also loathed how evalista always turned her eyes away from her and seemingly distant from the rest of her family. her death was not missed by much in that cold house.
LADY SEVILLE
the war is something truly vivid in evalista’s memories. she was already sixteen by then and arranged to be married to the lord seville. father thought it a good match. he was not the heir to the dukedom, which would allow more freedom for his daughter and whatever ploy the house rocío is up to in the future.
at the urges of her father, her marriage to the seville was ushered forward. both her and her groom was entirely too young to be wed, just kids in a game of chess, only difference is evalista was entirely in control of the situation and consented to it. she was seventeen back then but she remembered the look on her young groom’s face vividly; he was probably the same age as hers, yet his eyes were soft and his gait entirely different than evalista. she thought, oh! how delightful, he seems easy to control. despite having no say in the marriage, evalista was content with her father’s choice.
from then on, evalista was known as the lady seville and moved from the cold family house by the rivers, hidden away by thick foliage and into the sun.
evalista didn’t know much about her husband but there would be time to learn and she intended to learn as much as she could, for ignorance is only a fool’s game.
LADY EVALISTA ROCÍO OF THE QUEEN’S SERVICE
despite the impeccable scheme his father had put in motion for evalista, when the king of nabar passed away, all was pushed into disarray. with the two brothers fighting for their claim to the throne, the family must make a choice.
house rocío chose to stand with the true son of the king, who they put their faith in and believed to be the better choice for king, as he possessed the qualities of a great ruler. this effectively put them in conflict with the house seville.
evalista promptly requested for a divorce after declaring her allegiance to the bastard king. her husband’s family, in order to save himself from the embarrassment, instead annulled their marriage and sent their children out of the seville house. evalista didn’t mind this, one way or another, she had achieved her goal.
at twenty years of age, evalista was stripped from her title as the lady of seville and the rocío house rallied forces to fight with the king esao for his rightful place in the throne of nabar. in the midst of a great war, nabar was fighting internally, and it costed the rocío family their eldest son. lorentz fell in the civil war, fighting in the frontlines, and it only steeled their resolve even more. they had to win this. the cause became more personal for them more than ever.
evalista entered the queen’s service and kissed the ring on her finger, a display of her undying support and devotion to her and swore that she would do what it takes to see that esao bastos is crowned the king of all nabar and to stand by his queen’s side.
iii. wanted connections.
if you’ve read up ‘till here, might as well leave ‘miss americana’ or some hearts in the comment and i’ll give u a surprise too ; )
former husband : of house seville (NABAR). perhaps the second of third born, definitely not up for the dukedom seat. should be around the same age as evalista. would support the SOUTH NABAR. their chemistry and history during the marriage can be discussed, i don’t have a set idea for it yet and i want to give you space to explore your own character — this also goes for their children / if they have any during their marriage or not and who has them now. / reserved for blossom.
information broker: someone she goes to for information from places the ears of a noble can’t reach. probably a shady character, but UTP.
hired hand: someone she hires to do her dirty jobs for her, offing someone, cleaning up her mess, getting rid of inconveniences. is either motivated by money or loyalty to the house rocío.
mentor: i don’t think she’s TERRIBLY good at swordfight but she definitely can hold her own if the situation calls for it. this is someone who taught her the sword, i think her father would train her personally as well, but for the most part it will be this person. can ALSO be someone she just met and decided to brush up her skills with so she doesn’t get rusty.
toxic relationship: a lost flame. probably happened after her marriage until recently. you’re a heartbreaker and she’s not a docile little lamb, no matter how much she liked to play the part. you’re mean and she’s twice as vicious and your relationship is a roller coaster of emotions and toxicity. your passion and love for one another burns brighter than anything else, it’s no wonder it burns faster than lightning too. / taken by petal
the mandatory childhood friend
#imperialrp.intro#wao if u read all this...kudos to u c:#like this or IM me if you want to plot!#will reblog for the night crowd!#━━ ✦ 𝑬𝑽𝑨𝑳𝑰𝑺𝑻𝑨 * study .
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THE STRAIGHT EDGE
The Naval Commander of The Lost Coasts
Name: Kai Ichinose (一之瀬海）
Age: 33
Pronouns: He/Him
Occupation: Naval Commander
Dukedom: The Lost Coasts
FC: Sen Mitsuji
Status: Played by S.
About
You wear your honorific belts and insignias with pride. Once a child lost at sea, you found stability in the naval army. A sense of direction. Serving the Ashbourne Kingdom and defending the Duchy is your life's purpose. Some may call you narrow-minded or rigid, but it is the price of order within the Lost Coasts. Still, you are a person of honor. The growing demands of the Kingdom leave you to question if it is honor, or power, that they seek.
Occupation
The Naval Commander acts as the reigning Duchy's second-in-command. They oversee the day-to-day operations of the naval army, and are tasked with both strategy and discipline throughout the sea. A contentious relationship exists between the naval commander, and the pirate lord.
Biography
In short, Kai’s life before the water is a mystery — for all intents and purposes, the ocean may have birthed the boy itself, as by the time he is found on a raft in the middle of the sea, his parents had long been washed away, leaving behind a boy who only knew to speak his name.
When he is brought back to land, he does not speak. A number of doctors and priests and healers alike poke and prod at the young boy, running their own tests and blessing him with cures for his damned silence, but still, he refuses to utter a sound aside from his own name. Months go by, and a local fisherman takes him into his family and treats him as his own. Jun is a patient and gentle man, and it is with him that Kai learns to love the sea.
What begins as an endless expanse of open-mouthed terror becomes the very beast Kai is determined to conquer. Out in the horizon, there is nothing but him and the water, the water and him. He is a child born in the high seas and raised by the sails. There is nothing that could stop him from spreading his proverbial wings and
It is, after all, the sea that teaches him to speak once more.
By the time he is thirteen, he is agile and clever with his own boat, with a sharp wit to match, frequently dodging the acute eye of the Navy and pirates alike. He is a wild thing, unmatched in his ambition and hunger to see the world — however, his gumption is what catches the eye of the aging Naval Commander. Before Kai knows it, he is pulled away from his old life and plunged into something brand new.
For all of his generosity, Commander Liang is not a gentle man. Kai is given a prestigious education and a grander place to live than the old hut he’d shared with Jun, but Liang is strict, desperate to mold the boy into something greater than himself. Even a lost boy with no lineage to speak of could transform into a well-spoken gentleman with the right amount of pressure, and by the time he is eighteen, Kai is set on the path of prestige and honor.
In return, what he loses is his sense of wonder. As he steadily climbs the ranks of the Navy, whatever astounding sense of freedom he’d once felt on the ocean slowly dissipates away. He fights for Ashbourne, of course, and their belief in a unified front against dissent, but what he prizes above everything else is what he’d once seen as a limiting factor to his freedom: order. Now, the ocean is just another territory to place under his thumb to achieve the structure he craves. By the time he is thirty, he is given the role of Naval Commander, the crowning jewel to his success and achievements.
Where does he go from here? Only time and the sea can tell.
Personality
+ Impartial – Above everything else, Kai values fairness, placing matters of the head over ones of the heart. Because of his insistence of a non-partisan approach to any and all issues, he is regarded as an honest commander, and mostly well-liked by his army.
+ Persuasive – With great power comes great responsibility, and Kai has no qualms about wielding his power to bring order upon his homeland. However, Kai is not one to butter on the cloying remarks, preferring to sway his associates and reigning duchy on his impeccable logic alone.
- Disloyal – Honorable as Kai is, there is a price for order, as expensive as that may be. If the Kingdom of Ashbourne were ever to plunge itself into chaos that he cannot agree with, Kai would withdraw his loyalty in a heartbeat.
- Stubborn – Despite this, when Kai has made up his mind on something, it is difficult to put his mind on something different. Though he is open to criticism, one would be hard-pressed to find him changing his course once he has put it to action.
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The Crown Prince of Sealand gives an exclusive glimpse into life on the off-shore platform
AS A principality, it doesn't quite have the glamour or style of Monte Carlo. There's no castle for the Royal Family and even basic luxuries, such as soap, are in short supply. Sealand is, in truth, a rather ugly, lonely pile of concrete and rusting metal which rises above the choppy waters of the North Sea some seven miles off the coast of Suffolk.
Yet the “hard as nails” Bates family have put their lives on the line on more than one occasion to remain the undisputed monarchs of their self-styled kingdom since 1966. For them it’s certainly not just two giant concrete legs rising out of the sea to support a thin metal platform measuring 120 feet by 60 feet – roughly the size of two tennis courts. “There is a very powerful family bond with Sealand which is difficult to explain but it won’t be broken,” says ruling monarch Crown Prince Michael Bates, 68, in a rare and exclusive interview.
He is currently involved in discussions with Hollywood filmmakers planning a movie about Sealand, and a book is published this week chronicling its fascinating history. Suddenly, Sealand is attracting an awful lot of attention, mainly because of a public yearning for wild tales of English eccentricity.
Built in 1942 by British engineer Guy Maunsell, it was one of a handful of his so-called Maunsell naval forts put up off the East Coast to stall a German invasion force which never arrived. Marines occupied the forts to pound enemy aircraft with 28lb anti-aircraft shells, destroying 22 planes, one submarine and 33 doodlebugs, a record which justified the cost of building them.
However, at the end of the war the forts were abandoned. Their purpose had been served and nobody knew what to do with them. For years, they lay empty and unloved, convenient rest stops for passing seagulls.
Then former soldier Roy Bates, Michael’s father, had a brainwave. Injured in fighting in Italy in 1944, Roy hadn’t adapted well to life in civvy street.
After literally hurling his bowler hat and briefcase into the sea near his home in Southend, Essex, he told his wife Joan, a former beauty queen he married in 1948 – six weeks after meeting her at a dance hall – he wanted to lead a more exciting life.
He bought a boat and adapted well to the rigours of North Sea fishing but found it difficult to make a good living. The couple also tried running a chain of butchers and an estate agents, but neither business satisfied Roy’s yearning for adventure.
While sailing off Essex, Roy became fascinated with the naval forts. When he learned that one, Knock John, was being used as a base for a pirate radio station he decided to set up his own.
With the help of some Southend musclemen, Roy turfed off Radio City and claimed Knock John as the base for his pirate station, Radio Essex, which began broadcasting on October 27, 1965.
As the listenership grew, advertisers started coming on board but the authorities took a dim view of his activities on Knock John Fort and successfully prosecuted him for broadcasting illegally.
Paying the £200 fine meant genuine hardship, so, undeterred, he decided to take over another fort, called Roughs Tower, which was further out in the sea and did not come under British jurisdiction.
The only problem was the pirate radio station Radio Caroline was using Roughs Tower as a base. But that issue was resolved when Roy and his mates arrived with iron bars on Christmas Day 1966. Unsurprisingly, the Radio Caroline crew agreed to share the platform.
However, the first chance he had, Roy took the opportunity to seize full control and ejected the competition.
“I was a 14-year-old lad at a private school in Wales at the time, but I loved visiting Roughs Tower in the holidays,” recalls Michael.
Roy certainly needed him to shore up their defences, especially when Radio Caroline unsuccessfully attempted to retake the tower. To deter them Michael tossed molotov cocktails down from above.
A later attempt was foiled when one of Michael’s petrol bombs started a fire on the invaders’ boat. His sister Penny, who was three years older, was also on hand to brandish weapons at any aggressor trying to land on what had now become the self-styled Principality of Sealand.
“One of the guns we had was taken from a German soldier my dad shot while he was fighting in Italy,” says Michael.
“The other was a 9mm Beretta Dad brought back from the war.”
There is a famous picture of Penny brandishing the weapons on Sealand, sending a clear signal to anyone else thinking of muscling in. Force would be met with force.
Other weapons in the Bates’ arsenal included a flamethrower and shotguns. Old gas canisters were strategically placed to drop on unwelcome vessels arriving with the intention of scaling the dangling rope ladder, the only way to get to the platform.
The defiance of 6ft 3in “hard as nails” Roy Bates was drawn to the attention of then Prime Minister Harold Wilson, who instructed the armed forces to switfly reclaim the fort.
But when Royal Marines arrived, Michael and his mother armed themselves with weapons and made it clear they would not leave without a fight. Rather than risk bloodshed, the Marines beat a retreat.
On another occasion, when the crew of a navigational installation boat came a bit too close and made cheeky remarks to a sunbathing Penny, then 19, Michael fired a couple of warning shots across their bow.
However, by then Penny was tired of holding the fort and wanted a more normal life back in Southend.
“My father was very demanding,” admits Michael. “I don’t blame my sister for not sticking with it. It was a strange kind of upbringing for sure.”
Penny told Dylan Taylor-Lehman, author of the new book, that life as a Princess was not all it was cracked up to be. Just getting to the principality was gruelling.
“It was hours and hours on the boat going chug, chug, chug. I used to sit there in a blanket and think, ‘For God’s sake will someone kill me please’. It was horrible, horrible.”
While Michael kept himself busy securing defences and fishing for lobsters over the side, Penny survived on rationed tin food and biscuits made from flour and distilled sea water. When the water tanks ran dry, they had to rely on rainfall.
In the late Sixties and Seventies, Sealand stamps, passports and coinage were produced to satisfy the curiosity of an increasing number of people.
There were also plans to go into business with some Germans who wanted to build a casino, a heliport and duty-free shops.
But while Roy and Joan were discussing the options in Salzburg, the crafty Germans teamed up with some Dutch allies and staged a coup. “I was on Sealand when I heard a helicopter approaching,” Michael recalls. “We had a big mast to stop helicopters landing but they came down on a winch and said my father had signed a contract with them to sign the fort over to them.
“I knew my dad would never do that. I kept telling them I needed to speak to my father. I was armed but I didn’t really know what to do.”
By now, effectively kidnapped, Michael was locked up in a room for several days. When he was finally let out there was a physical fight.
“They tied my ankles together and my wrists and I heard one say they were thinking of throwing me over the side.”
He was forced off the platform and dispatched back to land. But after regrouping with his father and friends, they vowed to take back Sealand and, appropriately, employed a helicopter pilot who had worked on James Bond films to assist them.
“When we took the fort back it was the biggest adrenaline rush in my life,” Michael says. “Sliding down a rope with a shotgun around your neck is very exciting.”
After he fired one shot in the air, order was restored and Sealand was back in the hands of the Prince of Sealand, Roy Bates, who died peacefully in 2012, aged 91.
After the death of his mother Joan in 2016, Sealand was pretty much run by Prince Michael, although Penny, now 70, takes a close interest. Michael’s grown-up sons Liam and James spend time on Sealand, along with caretakers to deter potential invaders.
Through the Sealand website, knighthoods can be purchased for £99.99 and dukedoms for £499. England cricketer Ben Stokes was given an honorary lordship, along with the singer Ed Sheeran. Founder Roy has become a revered figure among Sealand supporters who see him as a patriotic ex-serviceman who fearlessly realised his swashbuckling dream to create his own kingdom, complete with its own black, white and red flag.
When a journalist once asked him why he took over the fort, Roy replied: “I’ve asked myself that question many times and I’m damned if I know the answer. But it was a challenge, and I can’t resist a challenge.”
Michael spends most of his time in Southend with his Chinese wife Mei, who served in the Chinese army. Last year he faced the rather more pleasurable challenge of judging a beauty pageant in China, just one of the many perks of being a Prince.
“Life is a lot quieter now but we’ll never give up Sealand. You never know what will happen but we’re ready for anything,” he says with a laugh. If the movie version of Sealand is made, the scriptwriters certainly won’t be short of material.
#i have this book but havent read it yet im excited that there might be anything new in it!!#anyway i dont notice any fact errors in this article which is (rare) nice!!#sealand
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On October 23 1295 the "Auld Alliance" treaty was signed between John Balliol, King of Scots, and Philippe IV of France.
The treaty stipulated that if either Scotland or France was attacked by England, the other country would invade English territory. However, this wasn't quite as even-handed and mutually helpful as it seemed. For one, because the English had lands in France, all the French were required to do was continue their struggle against the English on their soil.
The cost of any outright war between Scotland and England, meanwhile, had to be borne entirely by the Scots.
But for a tiny nation like Scotland, alliance with mighty France was of great symbolic importance – even if it didn’t stop the English frequently invading Scotland during the centuries the Auld Alliance ran.
If you read my posts you will have seen the mention of battles fought, not only in England, but on French soil, where Scots fought and died, we were regarded as elite soldiers.
Shakespeare's 'Henry V' rightly portrays the Battle of Agincourt in 1415 as one of England's greatest military victories. For the French it was a disaster that led to the near collapse of their kingdom. In their darkest hour the Dauphin turned to the Scots, England's enemy, for salvation.
Between 1419 and 1424, 15,000 Scots left from the River Clyde to fight in France. In 1421 at the Battle of Bauge the Scots dealt a crushing defeat to the English and slew the Duke of Clarence.
Honours and rewards were heaped upon the Scots army by the French. The Earl of Douglas was given the royal Dukedom of Touraine and the Scots army lived well off the land, much to the chagrin of the French peasantry.
Their victory was short lived however; at Vernuil in 1424 a Scots army of 4,000 men was annihilated. As mercenaries they could have expected no mercy and those who were captured were dispatched on the spot. Despite their defeat, the Scots had brought France valuable breathing space and effectively saved the country from English domination.
Many Scots continued to serve in France. They aided Joan of Arc in her famous relief of Orleans and many went on to form the Garde Écossais, the fiercely loyal bodyguard of the French Kings, where they were at the very heart of French politics.
Many Scots mercenaries settled in France although they continued to think of themselves as Scots. One such man was Beraud Stuart of Aubigny: a third-generation Scot immigrant, Captain of the Garde Écossais from 1493-1508, and hero of France's Italian wars. To this day both he and other Scots heroes of the Auld Alliance are celebrated in Beraud's home town of Aubigny-sur-Neve in an annual pageant.
The Auld Alliance wasn't simply a military alliance; it was based on a long-established friendship founded on the Scots love of French wine.
The signing of the Auld Alliance in 1295 might have given the Scots French support against England, but it also gave the Scottish merchants the privilege of selecting the first choice of Bordeaux's finest wines - a privilege which was eagerly protected for hundreds of years, much to the annoyance of English wine drinkers who received an inferior product.
French wine was landed on Wine Quay of Leith and rolled up the streets to the merchants' cellars behind the water front. The wine landed was mostly for the elite of Scottish society, with most commoners drinking whisky or beer, but it seems to have been popular with everyone for Hogmanay celebrations.
Trade, especially of wine, has a tendency to fly in the face of political changes and alliances. After the Reformation, the Auld Alliance was no longer feasible between Protestant Scotland and Catholic France, but the trade in Claret continued. People simply kept drinking it.
An example of this process can be seen in the post-Reformation destiny of St Anthony's fund: a charitable fund raised on the back of the wine trade. The fund was simply converted to Protestantism by King James VI and passed onto the Old Leith Parish Church.
As late as the 1670s, Scots merchants were still going to Bordeaux to get their first choice of wine. Even after the Union of Parliaments with England in 1707, Scots continued to smuggle Claret into Scotland to avoid taxes. Scots of all persuasions, Jacobite or Hanoverian, continued to drink Claret in preference to patriotic Port - especially when toasting the exiled Stuart kings as 'the King over the water'.
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Hello! I’ve been looking for some good books to read and was wondering if you had any recommendations? I seem to just wander around the bookstore not knowing where to start.
I confess I’ve been reading nothing but fics on fics on fics (Drarry exclusively lol) for a good year now, so I haven’t touched original works in ages, though I have several of the latest installments of my favorite series waiting until I run out of good Drarry fic... (please...god...free me from this hell........)
I’ve made several recommendations for excellent M/M original works (you can always check out my reccs tag for any recommendations as well, though it includes original novels as well as manga and fic). I pretty much only read M/M fantasy (with the very VERY occasional M/M scifi or supernatural book thrown in), so I hope that’s what you’re looking for XD
Here’s a “””””””brief””””””” recap of series I particularly enjoy and go back to reread often, along with details on who might like these books and why. They’re all available via Amazon (most as Kindle reads, but some as paperbacks; some are also available from other sources as well in other formats if you prefer, for example, epub) and at reasonable prices (all but one series are under $10 per book, some under $5).
It is entirely possible you’ve read all of these, since I’ve gushed about them many a time before, and if that’s the case, I apologize I can’t rec you anything new! But maybe it’s been a while if you’ve read these before and it’s time for a reread!
The Lord of the White Hell series, by Ginn Hale - [GOODREADS BLURB: "Kiram Kir-Zaki may be considered a mechanist prodigy among his own people, but when he becomes the first Haldiim ever admitted to the prestigious Sagrada Academy, he is thrown into a world where power, superstition and swordplay outweigh even the most scholarly of achievements. But when the intimidation from his Cadeleonian classmates turns bloody, Kiram unexpectedly finds himself befriended by Javier Tornesal, the leader of a group of cardsharps, duelists and lotharios who call themselves Hellions. However Javier is a dangerous friend to have. Wielder of the White Hell and sole heir of a dukedom, he is surrounded by rumors of forbidden seductions, murder and damnation. His enemies are many and any one of his secrets could not only end his life but Kiram’s as well."]
Read this if you like... magic and science working together, religion-borne racism and the difficulties of interracial as well as interreligious relationships, snarky aristocrats and a good mystery. And read the second book in the series definitely if you liked Yokozawa Takafumi no Baai or Sore Nari ni Shinken nan desu (I've found I really like stories where the rejected third-party from the main series gets his own happy ending, and Book 2 of this series is one such, building an entire new couple with the midway-through-the-story return of Book 1 couple so you get the best of both worlds.)
The Magpie Lord series by K.J.Charles - [GOODREADS BLURB: "Exiled to China for twenty years, Lucien Vaudrey never planned to return to England. But with the mysterious deaths of his father and brother, it seems the new Lord Crane has inherited an earldom. He’s also inherited his family’s enemies. He needs magical assistance, fast. He doesn’t expect it to turn up angry. Magician Stephen Day has good reason to hate Crane’s family. Unfortunately, it’s his job to deal with supernatural threats. Besides, the earl is unlike any aristocrat he’s ever met, with the tattoos, the attitude… and the way Crane seems determined to get him into bed. That’s definitely unusual. Soon Stephen is falling hard for the worst possible man, at the worst possible time. But Crane’s dangerous appeal isn’t the only thing rendering Stephen powerless. Evil pervades the house, a web of plots is closing round Crane, and if Stephen can’t find a way through it—they’re both going to die."]
Read this if you like...magic and 19th century UK settings and snarky aristocrats who guard their hearts fiercely. The dynamic is fantastic, and the writing itself is gorgeous.
Whyborn & Griffin series, by Jordan Hawk - [GOODREADS BLURB: (Summary of Book 1) “Love is dangerous. Ever since the tragic death of the friend he adored, Percival Endicott Whyborne has ruthlessly suppressed any desire for another man. Instead, he spends his days studying dead languages at the museum where he works. So when handsome ex-Pinkerton Griffin Flaherty approaches him to translate a mysterious book, Whyborne wants to finish the job and get rid of the detective as quickly as possible. Griffin left the Pinkertons after the death of his partner. Now in business for himself, he must investigate the murder of a wealthy young man. His only clue: an encrypted book that once belonged to the victim. As the investigation draws them closer, Griffin’s rakish charm threatens to shatter Whyborne’s iron control. But when they uncover evidence of a powerful cult determined to rule the world, Whyborne must choose: to remain safely alone, or to risk everything for the man he loves.”]
Read if you like... magic and the supernatural and 19th century US settings and Eldritch monsters and mystery and intrigue and adventure and era-appropriate treatment of homosexual relationships but with happy endings (and also couples of all types).
The Nightrunner series, by Lynn Flewelling - [GOODREADS BLURB: "When young Alec of Kerry is taken prisoner for a crime he didn’t commit, he is certain that his life is at an end. But one thing he never expected was his cellmate. Spy, rogue, thief, and noble, Seregil of Rhiminee is many things--none of them predictable. And when he offers to take on Alec as his apprentice, things may never be the same for either of them. Soon Alec is traveling roads he never knew existed, toward a war he never suspected was brewing. Before long he and Seregil are embroiled in a sinister plot that runs deeper than either can imagine, and that may cost them far more than their lives if they fail. But fortune is as unpredictable as Alec’s new mentor, and this time there just might be…Luck in the Shadows."]
Read this if you like... magic, spies, fantastic female characters, adventure, and intrigue. Read also if you love looooong series, as it's complete at 7 books!
Scarlet and the White Wolf series, by Kirby Crow - [GOODREADS BLURB: "Scarlet of Lysia is an honest pedlar, a young merchant traveling the wild, undefended roads to support his aging parents. Liall, called the Wolf of Omara, is the handsome, world-weary chieftain of a tribe of bandits blocking a mountain road that Scarlet needs to cross. When Liall jokingly demands a carnal toll for the privilege, Scarlet refuses and an inventive battle of wills ensues, with disastrous results. Scarlet is convinced that Liall is a worthless, immoral rogue, but when the hostile countryside explodes into violence and Liall unexpectedly fights to save the lives of Scarlet's family, Scarlet is forced to admit that the Wolf is not the worst ally he could have, but what price will proud Scarlet ultimately have to pay for Liall's friendship?"]
Read this if you like... weird twists on old fairy tales with amazing world-building, provided you're willing to put up with a little bit of a slog until the couple really gets on the same page.
Captive Prince, by C.S.Pacat - [GOODREADS BLURB: "Damen is a warrior hero to his people, and the rightful heir to the throne of Akielos, but when his half brother seizes power, Damen is captured, stripped of his identity, and sent to serve the prince of an enemy nation as a pleasure slave. Beautiful, manipulative and deadly, his new master Prince Laurent epitomizes the worst of the court at Vere. But in the lethal political web of the Veretian court, nothing is as it seems, and when Damen finds himself caught up in a play for the throne, he must work together with Laurent to survive and save his country. For Damen, there is just one rule: never, ever reveal his true identity. Because the one man Damen needs is the one man who has more reason to hate him than anyone else..."]
Read this if you like... phenomenal skill with the written word (I mean REALLY TOP NOTCH), fantastic characters with real evolution in relationships, amazingly intricate political intrigue (guaranteed to keep you guessing the whole way), enemies-to-friends-to-"I think if I gave you my heart, you would treat it tenderly"-to-...well, I won't spoil things 8D Please note the 'slavery' aspect that is heavily featured in Book 1. There is NO RAPE between the main characters, but there are forced sexual scenes between Damen and another minor character (n.b. minor as in not major, not minor as in a kid), and well, Laurent just isn't a very kind 'master', nor does he pretend to be. This is not your typical 'omg the slave falls in love with the master and vice versa!!' dreck, but do be aware that the first book deals intimately with those themes as Damen must play his part.
Wytch Kings series, by Jaye McKenna - [GOODREADS BLURB: (Summary of Book 1) "Prince Garrik is the Heir Presumptive of Altan, next in line to be crowned Wytch King. There’s only one problem: in order for Garrik to be crowned, he must possess Wytch power of his own, and thus far, whatever power Garrik might possess has shown no sign of awakening. As things stand, it is Garrik’s younger brother, Jaire — a dreamer completely unsuited to wear the crown — who will take the throne after their father. Concerned about the future of his kingdom, the Wytch King demands that Garrik’s power be forcibly awakened. Hoping to protect his brother from the burden of rule, Garrik allows the attempt — with disastrous results. Now, Garrik must learn to control the fiery dragon that rages within him before he destroys everything he loves. Wytch Master Ilya has been alone for years. Learning to control the icy beast slumbering within him has already cost him his family and his lover, and Ilya will never open himself up to that kind of pain again. Summoned to Altan to avert disaster if he can, Ilya has no intention of allowing anyone to thaw the ice in his heart. When he meets Prince Garrik, sparks fly, and Ilya finds himself fighting feelings he thought he'd buried, long ago. Can Garrik’s fire melt Ilya’s icy heart? Or will Ilya be forced to use his ice to quench the flames that burn within Garrik once and for all?"]
Read if you like... DRAGON SHIFTERS. There's really not much more I can say to encourage you to read this series (there are five so far!) other than to say HERE THERE BE DRAGONS, AND LOTS OF THEM, AND HOT GUYS WHO TRANSFORM INTO THEM. The plots are interwoven, with side characters from previous books showing up as MCs in subsequent ones, so you get to see major characters fleshed out, even if not right away.
Mermen of Ea series, by Shira Anthony - [GOODREADS BLURB: (Summary of Book 1) "Taren Laxley has never known anything but life as a slave. When a lusty pirate kidnaps him and holds him prisoner on his ship, Taren embraces the chance to realize his dream of a seagoing life. Not only does the pirate captain offer him freedom in exchange for three years of labor and sexual servitude, but the pleasures Taren finds when he joins the captain and first mate in bed far surpass his greatest fantasies. Then, during a storm, Taren dives overboard to save another sailor and is lost at sea. He’s rescued by Ian Dunaidh, the enigmatic and seemingly ageless captain of a rival ship, the Phantom, and Taren feels an overwhelming attraction to Ian that Ian appears to share. Soon Taren learns a secret that will change his life forever: Ian and his people are Ea, shape-shifting merfolk… and Taren is one of them too. Bound to each other by a fierce passion neither can explain or deny, Taren and Ian are soon embroiled in a war and forced to fight for a future—not only for themselves but for all their kind."]
Read if you like... MERMEN SEX. Again, not much more I can say to encourage you to read this XD There's mermen having sex in mer form, there's mermen having sex in human form, there's just lots of mermen and rather a lot of sex too. But there's also interesting plot! Though lbr if you're going to read this, it's for the mermen XD
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☯ ☺ ♨
ooc questions
☯ Is there a muse you’ve always wanted to play?
Oh ho ho,I have a url and a theme for a Rome blog. He was supposed to add to my ancients canon, and work as like, a default for the rest of my blogs (since all of them have Rome as a big part of their histories). I had this image of him being inextricably linked to the city itself. He wouldn’t have died during the fall of Rome, but would’ve withdrawn and, I imagined, tried to do penance among the Papal states. IDK how that would work out with like--family lines, but he’d fill a hole in my current like--idea of the Italies as a conglomeration of the old city states, and I got as far as finding a FC for him, but I never typed up the history pages and got overwhelmed by like--
the amount of Reading I would want to do before I could actually pull off something like that was overwhelming, just because I’d want to do like--historic blurbs and and everything and try to trace a big, long character progression through history, but like--
Y’all ain’t gonna read those pages, and I haven’t even finished doing that with Maia’s pages. And her history isn’t nearly as broad or involved.
☺ (blushing smiley face) What’s a character that you desperately want your muse to play with? Why?
Ooooh ho ho, here’s a short lil wishlist:
I would adore some North African countries to interact with for Viola. There’s some really nice history there, because Sicily served as a sort of gateway between Africa and Italy, and it’s something I’ve just never gotten the chance to really explore.
My only wish for Jacques is that he finds some folk he hasn’t screwed over in the past, and who doesn’t make him feel guilty all the time, so he can relax.
I’m always looking for more Ancients with Maia, and a Carthage she could get a proper “friendly” rivalry with would be lovely.
Byzantium still needs a dad, too--a solid Rome that she can bother and watch the descent of while she swears to outdo him one day. More siblings/kids that she can ruin are also fun, too.
♨ What’s a muse that you wished had lasted, but didn’t?
I used to have a muse for Hungary, and she was a lot of fun to play. I played her on and off, and she was a lot of fun, and had a great personality, and she was great for some laughs and japes and gags, but I dropped her a little while ago, when I changed my approach to building characters. Maybe one day I could get into the history and culture and stuff again, but lordi be I don’t need more blogs right now, and I’d have to do a nice, big overhaul and just like--never touch canon. Except maybe for icons. Maybe.
I’d have to pick a particular kingdom to follow after Charlemagne went and created those dukedoms, I’d have to figure out what to do with her during that period where Hungary was almost entirely ruled by foreign kings, and don’t even get me started on the empire. That alone would not ingratiate me with folk, I think. IDK
#ooc: out of coffee#IDK why that emoji just isn't working out#but anyway ye thanks for asking hon!#derhaifischderhattraenen
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Amalgus 7
Eventually, Jazz had to turn and looked at Prowl. He told himself he did not like the look of the mech. Sure, he was handsome enough, those doorwings were a nice bit of kibble, but did the Praxian even know how to smile? How to laugh? Did his face form any other expression than a frown? Jazz liked them loud, playful, creative.The strong and silent had never been his cube of engex. So he looked at Prowl, detached, unaffected by the purus’ untouched spark and frame. Completely unaffected, he watched the mech test the berth before laying his bitlet brother onto it, unfolding one of the blankets, and laying it over the recharging sparkling. It did not matter to him at all how carefully Prowl handled Bluestreak, Jazz wanted use of his processor, not his spark and frame.
“Those doors buggin’ ya again?” He asked, without thinking.
“They are only mildly stiff,” Prowl said. He lied.
“I can fix that,” Jazz offered. This was fine.Since he was not attracted to the mech, it was not weird to touch him in a therapeutic way, it did not affect him at all.
“I suppose that would be wise,” the Praxian said. It almost sounded stilted, and for some reason that amused Jazz, but not in a malicious way.
“Not sure ‘bout how it feels?” The amalgus asked, conversationally as he put his servo between Prowl’s shoulder plates.
“It is an unusual sensation,” Prowl replied, and he stood very still as Jazz activated the magnets in his palm. As before, the plating under his servo was hot, a sign of stress in the struts and joints beneath. He focused on those hots spots, and rolled his servo, massaging the plating. Prowl was absolutely silent throughout the massage. After a klik Jazz stepped back, and watched the Praxian’s doorwings droop.
“Seem like a lot o’ trouble, doorwings,” Jazz said.
“They provide a sixth sense,” the Enforcer explained, he moved them in slow circles. Mildly stiff, eh? “It is not precisely sight, or sound. It is almost like echolocation.”
“Can ya go ‘round wit yer optics closed in still get around?” The saboteur asked.
“Depending on the setting of the sensors, such a thing is possible,” Prowl said. “However the higher the level of sensory input, the more sensitive the plating and the joints to misadventure.”
“Are more Praxian’s like ya or like Blue?” Jazz asked. “Don’t think I seen his stop movin’.”
“Bluestreak is still young, and he is still being trained,” the Praxian replied. “I am more judicious than others in my movements. Beyond their sensory capacities we use them in a form of chirolinguistics. Bluestreak speaks without thinking. Some mature Praxians do as well, but Bluestreak will be trained until he develops a strong buffer.”
“Why?” The amalgus asked. “Why does he gotta be... quiet?”
“He is our originator’s heir,” Prowl explained. “There are more stringent expectations of dukes.”
“He’s heir... to a duchy,” Jazz said. “But, why not ya? Frag, why are ya an Enforcer.”
“I am inadequate,” the Enforcer replied, an his doorwings dipped, and his lipplates formed a tight line. He was upset, but doing a good job disguising it. “There are certain requirements that must be meant in accordance to the Functionalist laws. I do not meet them.”
“Ya look perfectly functional to me,” the saboteur said.
“I have a glitch,” Prowl confessed, his doorwings dropped a little lower. “As such I am barred from succession. I serve the Enforcers because I cannot imagine sitting about doing nothing.”
“Don’t seem right,” Jazz replied, with a grimace. “Don’t look like it stops ya.”
“Functionalism strives for perfection,” the Praxian said. “I cannot be perfect. I have known I would not be duke from my earliest memory. I do not begrudge it. I do not believe I would be satisfied in that function.”
“Don’t sound like my kinda life,” the amalgus agreed. “Ya like Enforcer work.”
“I do not enjoy the politics,” Prowl said. “I am better at yielding authority than obeying it. But I find metaforensics fascinating.”
“Y’re good at it, I hope,” Jazz replied. “Those younglings been missin’ for quartexes. The circus swerved up north to drop my brother ‘n his mate in our village. My brother in law was almost mobile when I left. My brother in and out o’ stasis.”
“It sounds like they were grievously injured,” the Enforcer said.
“They took’em apart,” the saboteur hissed, and he clenched his servos. “Ripped every piece o’ plating off Ric’s frame, took pieces o’ his protoform. Ya can‘t just replace an amalgus’ parts, we gotta regenerate. They still ain’t sure he can do it. He ain’t dead yet, ‘n that’s somethin’ but he’s got so much more healin’ to do. He just. He might not be able to do it.”
“Enforcers should have addressed the attack where it happened,” Prowl said. “Attempted murder, and torture are criminal in all corners of Cybertron.”
“No one much cares what mechanisms do to me and mine,” Jazz replied. “Urayan Enforcers weren’t to worried ‘bout circus folks, ‘n freaks gettin’ jumped. I was on my way there when I ran into ya. I was hopin’ to find somethin’ that might tell me were to find’em. Our ‘creators are already lookin’, they were in Kalis last I checked. The plan’s been for’em to look north, me south.”
“We are going north so that I can interview Artfire,” the Praxian guessed. “That is the correct move. You have no doubt asked your questions, but I need to ask my own, and see the damage myself.”
“That’s what I figured,” the amalgus confirmed. “Found out on deck the circus was headed to Iacon, figurin’ it’d be a safer kingdom to tour after what happened. We might be able to meet up with’em, I hope... maybe one o’ them remembers somethin’ important, somethin’ I didn’t know to ask.”
“You trust them?” Prowl asked.
“They’re good folk,” Jazz replied. “Bunch o’ them got hurt trying to help my family. Few o’em were killed.”
“Travelling circus or no, murder should always be investigated,” Prowl said, sounding audible annoyed. “There should have been an Enforcer response, given the scale of violence. That they were dismissive suggests there might have been some level of malevolent interference.”
“Think they coulda been in on it?” The saboteur asked, optics narrow behind his visor. It was something he had considered, but he had questioned if he had not just been prejudiced against them.
“Or bribed,” the Praxian replied. “It is only a theory. One of many. But it makes the most sense at the moment.”
“Good enough for now,” Jazz declared. “Ferry should be ‘bout two mega-cycles more, ‘n then we gotta heat up. It ain’t the easiest hike, ‘n it’s gonna take a few mega-cycles, lot o’ it off the beaten path. ‘M thinkin’ ya got some endurance.”
“It is vital to every Enforcer,” Prowl replied. “Bluestreak however...”
“I’ll carry’em,” the amalgus said, the purus tensed. “Easier for me than you. I don’t got doorwings. I already bought a harness.”
“I will defer to your expertise,” the Enforcer said, his doorwings dipped a little. “I dislike it, immensely.”
“I’d be disappointed if ya didn’t,” Jazz replied. “Got a few joors left before dark-cycle. Don’t suppose ya know Triad.”
“I do,” Prowl confirmed.
“Great, ‘cause I got a board,” the saboteur declared.
The Praxian did not just know Triad, he excelled at it. Jazz had not played the game against anything close to an even match in ages, and Prowl was more than his match. Tactically, Prowl was brilliant, and he did not stick to standard manoeuvres, and he did not fall for obvious ploys. No, just like the amalgus, he played the long game, and Jazz was actually thrilled. Triad was a fun game in general, but against such a challenging opponent, it was exactly the saboteur’s thing. He dug deep into his bag of tricks, and used every drop of his cunning, and still lost the first game, though not by much. As his final game piece was toppled, he grinned at his opponent. Prowl cocked his helm just slightly.
“I did not expect you to be a sore loser,” he said. “But I did not expect you to be pleased.”
“Haven’t had a challenge in a while,” Jazz replied. “Think y’re up for another game?”
“I am,” Prowl said. “I have not be so well challenged in some time myself.”
Jazz one the next game, switching strategies at the very last second, and winging it. When his final piece fell, the Praxian almost smiled. Over the course of several games, they traded victories, and slowly began to speak, more than just about the game, but in general. Prowl described Petrihex, the dukedom his originator ruled, and as well as the capital where he had moved to serve the Enforcers. He spoke about the Helix Gardens, and the singing crystals, and his work with the Enforcers. In turn, Jazz spoke about Polihex, and about his amalgii kin. As they played he shared stories of his favourite hunts, and near misses. During their forth game, Bluestreak woke up, and as he nibbled on some gels, he settled into Prowl’s lap and watched the game. The sparkling happily chatted about his home, his brother, his origin. In an act of sibling devotion versus tactical savvy, his elder brother allowed Bluestreak to make some plays on his behalf. Though Prowl should have lost horribly because of the little mech’s moves, Jazz could not help but let the pair win. Bluestreak whooped with pleasure, and Prowl actually smiled.
#amalgus#virgin sacrifice#unicorn trope#fanfiction#ficlet#tf prowl#tf jazz#tf bluestreak#bonding over board games
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Verses - mobile link
Main
Full information can be found here. Luna is played heavily canon divergent after the events of Altissia.
Afterlife (wip)
During the events in Altissia, being stabbed by Ardyn and using her life force to save Noctis, Luna dies, but she doesn’t pass on to the afterlife. She exists as a spirit of sorts, still sentient, aware. She exists between worlds, though she can manifest visually for a time, she can speak, and (as seen within the game) she can still even use some of her magic. Her continued existence, however, is far more limited than she was when alive, and though she can speak and use magic, when she does so on the physical plane, it drains her abilities greatly, and she is forced back into the space between worlds.
Final Fantasy VII (available on request)
Luna and Ravus are the children of politicians with strong anti-Shin-Ra ideologies. They’ve spent years speaking out against the use of the Lifestream as an energy source and have garnered a rather large following around them. The Fleuret name carries quite some clout.
When Luna is 17, an attack on her parents’ lives leaves both of them dead. The attack is quiet and away from public eyes, and Luna and Ravus highly suspect Shin-Ra are the ones behind it. But there is little proof yet, and before they can start to amass any sort of theory, thinly veiled threats start coming from from President Shinra himself. (More on this later, but the President’s got a pretty heavy hand in keeping these two so quiet.)
Blackmail is so intense, and so dirty, Luna (at least) has almost no choice but to accept the forced position within the Shin-Ra company under the President’s watchful eye. It is made to look as if she is there willingly, much to the dissent and probably suspicion of many of her parents’ supporters. At first, many most likely believe her to be there by force somehow, but years pass and she is still there, and most come to accept that it is probably by choice.
Most of what she does keeps her from the public eye, staying within the company confines and idling through various departments. Throughout the years (between the time of Crisis Core and FFVII), Luna has worked as an assistant of sort for weapons development (as more of a liaison), investigative affairs (as something of a secretary, never quite getting involved with the Turks), and briefly in space exploration, until it is decided that her skills are better used in the politics she grew up in. She is then assigned a PR position in the Urban Development department to promote ideas of Neo-Midgar.
Her role within the company now sees her travelling to various cities under the watch of armed guards to keep her safe while she delivers speeches and performs all the social niceties to try and garner support for the new city. She’s encountered by a lot of hostility along the way, which she certainly understands.
(Plot dependent) After the murder of President Shinra, Luna is approached by Rufus to continue her work with them, or she takes the ensuing chaos within the company to slip away and make her way into disguises to join the fight against Shinra.
This could be a way into Avalanche and other resistance groups, and opens the way for plotting.
Final Fantasy VIII
Luna is the Duchess of the Dollet Dukedom. Growing up, she learned the ins and outs of running a town whose primary economy is through tourism, and the downswings that come with major storms, off season, and the inverse effect of economic depression during war on the town. She is a woman of politics and a just leader for the city, and she will often find ways to shoulder more of the burden of the difficult times than to put it on the people of the city.
As a distant descendant of the Centra, Luna will go to the Centra Ruins for charity work. At a point post-game, while Luna is there, another Sorceress dies and it passes to Luna. With her family’s status and money, she is quickly and quietly assigned a Knight and sent to Esthar to have an Odine bangle created for her. This upheaval causes much distress in her life, and she works through the anxiety, nightmares, and fear slowly to learn to accept her role as Sorceress, as well as to slowly broach the subject to the public.
Final Fantasy X
Luna is the daughter of a high-ranking clergy member in the Bevelle temple, and is in line to one day become High Priestess to Yevon. Initially slated to be a summoner upon Sin’s return after the Calm (during the events of X), many of those who knew what the pilgrimage ends in discouraged her from making the journey. Though the decision was difficult, and she felt it her duty to try and fight Sin, she listened to them in the end, and has continued her studies and training in Bevelle to one day take her place as needed. She serves as a healer to any who need aid, and she can perform ritual sendings.
She can often be found travelling around Spira, not only to perform sendings and to offer her services as healer, but also to intermingle and meet the residents of Spira. She feels it is part of her duty to visit as many cities, towns, and villages as she can, yet also enjoys meeting people in the hopes of making some new friends.
Luna is also an avid fan of Blitzball, and will attend matches as her time permits. She doesn’t know how to play, and feels she wouldn’t be coordinated enough to really get the moves down, but she loves to watch. (She claims the Bevelle Bells to be her favorite team, though they’ve long since retired; after that, she often finds the Kilika Beasts to be entertaining and fierce opponents.)
During the events of X-2, Luna has left Bevelle in the wake of its fall and continues her journey around Spira to perform sendings as needed while trying to find footing in the aftermath of the fall of Yevon.
Final Fantasy XII (available on request)
Luna was the princess of a seaside kingdom bordering the ever-expanding Archadian Empire. Theirs was a peaceful kingdom whose primary focus was the import and export of goods from across the ocean, including from distant parts of Rozarria where travel by sea was nearly as common as travel by air.
Though surrounded by the comforts of royal life, illness swept through the kingdom and killed many within, including her mother. The ports were temporarily shut down and all trade was closed until the plague was gone and the city cleaned. Luna was only about eight when this happened.
When she is older, they are once again attacked, this time by the Archadian Empire. This attack results in the loss of many lives, including Luna’s father. (Age here can be plotted.)
Terms of peace are offered thus: The Empire will cease hostilities so long as the kingdom is incorporated under Empire rule, and Luna would be married to the eldest Solider brother. With no choice but to accept or risk the loss of more of their people, the terms of surrender are accepted, and Luna is wed into the Solidor family.
(Plot dependent) In the wake of her husband’s murder, one of two things can be plotted to happen: Luna remains bound to the Solidor family and stays on as counsel and for political matters regarding her kingdom; or, her marriage into the family is then passed to Vayne in the hopes of one day producing an heir.
From here, Luna finds an escape within the resistance and joins the fight against the Empire.
Final Fantasy XIII (available on request)
Luna was born into a wealthy family whose name carried influence among others in the city of Palumpolum. When necessary, they were often sought after to influence a vote or draw attention to a political matter. At a young age, Luna became interested in learning the politics her parents were so invested in, and began pursuing a career in it while in school. At the age of sixteen, she began working in the offices as an intern until she finished her schooling, whereupon she received a full-time job. She worked hard and developed her own name within Cocoon’s government, following in the path of her parents’ name and the clout it carried.
As she grew into her role, Luna worked closely with Cid Raines and began to see how corrupt the government was under Fal’Cie rule. She joined his Cavalry and worked undercover to try and bring about the downfall of the Fal’Cie. Unbeknownst to her, along the way, Cid became a l’cie and used her in his plans to bring about the fall of Cocoon and the rise of Orphan.
Later, when Cid is turned to crystal and then revived, in the moments of lucidity when he asks Rygdea to kill him, he also asks hm to keep Luna safe and get her away from Barthandelus. After killing Cid, Rygdea keeps his promise and helps Luna get away. Together, they, along with Hope’s father Bartholomew, begin construction on the Academy where one day Hope begins his studies into the Paradoxes.
During the events of XIII-2, Luna can be found at the Academy. Her work primarily consists of public relations and taking care of the business side of things, but she spends what spare time she has researching Paradoxes alongside Hope to help in any way she can.
After the capturing of Hope and the fall of the Academy, Luna travels for a long time, traversing worlds in the hopes she can help figure out how to bring the world back to normal. Her travels result in few answers, but she researches many other phenomena, like the unborn children never growing, and the minds of the children who are stuck in young bodies. Eventually, she finds the Order who intend to use Vanille, and Luna becomes one of her protectors.
Kingdom Hearts
Luna doesn’t remember the destruction of Eos; she only remembers waking up in an unknown place, another world entirely, her family, friends, and even her enemies nowhere to be found. It’s explained to her where she is and what’s been happening, and while she understands what they tell her, she refuses to believe that Eos is destroyed and, quite possibly, everyone she knows gone. Feeling determined, she sets out to find them.
It isn’t learned until later that the Scourge she healed people of on Eos is another form of darkness that carried over with her into these other worlds, and that her heart has been heavily tainted with it. Each time she had healed someone, she was taking in their darkness in exchange for her light. There is still light in her heart, but continued healing could eventually result in a complete loss of it - though she believes that, so long as she believes and has hope, the light will never truly expire. She is warned, though, that if she should be completely overtaken, she could become a powerful puppet to those in control of the darkness.
Due to the amount of darkness residing within her, she can create weak portals between worlds using it with the understanding that she consumes a bit of darkness each time she does, giving it just a little more strength.
Throughout her travels between worlds, she becomes invested in the war between darkness and light, and will offer to heal those in dire need of help, knowing she does so at great personal risk, quite possibly to her very life. She also uses her magic for healing injuries, and fends of Heartless as best as she can with her trident, knowing that, without a keyblade, she is only temporarily driving them back.
Dissidia (During Dissidia NT) (available on request)
After the fall of Insomnia, Luna is weighed down with a heavy heart and a heavier burden: The ring of Lucis. She keeps it safely on her person as she treks to Altissia where she will give the ring to Noctis, allowing none to see it, none to know that it exists outside the ruins of Insomnia. She takes refuge in unassuming locations, and this fateful night finds her in a small inn off the main roads. Sleep is swift, though troubled, and riddled with nightmares.
When she wakes up, the inn is gone and she is in a place she does not recognize. A vast, dry land stretches before her, the earth cracked and littered only with rocks and perhaps the occasional hint of green struggling against the sunlight. Instinct has her searching for any hint as to where she is, though it isn’t until she is approached by someone who explains what’s happening that she starts to get any answers. (I have written that Cecil is the one who finds her, though this can be plotted differently.)
The summoning of her by Cosmos to bring her here begins the process of taking away her memories, yet what remains fades away the closer she gets to Cosmos. Soon, she is left with nothing but an imprint of who she is. Mannerisms, speech patterns, feelings, things ingrained so deeply through her life are all that remain. This causes a growing bitterness in Luna, an anger she keeps hidden away.
Plot dependent: Luna switches to the side of Chaos, most likely temporarily. In the wake of her anger taking her over, she leaves Cosmos’s champions to join Chaos. She cannot reconcile what has been done to her, to everyone who has been brought here, and though she is unwaveringly loyal, she feels as if they are all being exploited against their will, memories of their lives dangled before them as incentive to fight a war they have no personal stake in. Eventually, she will realize both sides have done the same thing, summoned people away from their homes to fight for these warring gods, and will go back to the side of Cosmos.
She can also be talked out of switching, if someone speaks to her and convinces her otherwise.
Mad Max
In a world torn apart by disease, Luna is one of few who is born pure and untouched by the sickness. As a child, she remains immune, never succumbing to the illness, staying as healthy as one can in such a world. The small bit of what has been labeled ‘Paradise’, Luna is sequestered away by The Chancellor, kept out of the eye of the people, the world, and the sun. She is protected and fed promises that her birth is a sign that she is going to help heal the world, that she must be kept safe and hidden away or others hearing of her purity will try to kidnap her. She is only allowed out once every 28 nights, under the light of the full moon, presented to the people as something to be praised.
For years, she believed the lies, clinging desperately to the Chancellor and the safety he promised her. Yet as she got older, the pull of the outside world called to her, and she began trying to escape. Her first several attempts failed, resulting in harsher punishments each time, until she is bound by a leather and chain collar to the wall of her room. The Chancellor promised her that it was for her own good, yet hatred began festering in her heart.
Eventually, with the help of her bodyguard Crowe, who betrays the Chancellor, she escapes. From here, it’s plot dependent.
Down the road, she comes to find out that The Chancellor was intending to sell her temporarily off to the highest bidders for her to bear them healthy children. Until this point, she has no idea of what he has in store for her, since his lies consist almost entirely of telling her that she will simply purify the world.
Kingsman
Off the coast of Wales in the Irish Sea is a small island kingdom known as Tenebrae, where the Fleuret royal family has lived for generations. With flourishing seaports, they are a hub for fishing and seafood exports, and carry with them a strong economic voice in the United Kingdom. In a bid for power, a commercial fishing company has been trying to partner with the Tenebraean royal family in an attempt to raise taxes on use of the ports. The royal family has refused for many years.
Using hired agents, the royal family is attacked with the intent to threaten them into compliance, but the King and Queen end up killed in the attack. Ravus is taken by the hired agents and fed lies about the political happenings within the kingdom. Luna, age twelve, was saved by members of the Kingsmen, who had intel that Tenebrae would be attacked and were undercover as public relations assistants to keep an eye on the family.
Knowing that the attackers may not stop until the entire family is dead and can no longer claim access to the small kingdom, the Kingsmen keep Luna under their care while she finishes school and proceeds on to college. Being exposed to even the surface of who they are, Luna quickly develops an interest and spends her extra time training to hopefully join their ranks one day. She learns combat, expands on what sword fighting she’d learned from the royal swordmaster, takes dance and gymnastics. At eighteen years old, when it comes time to go through their intensive application process, she gets to the final four, but doesn’t make it further.
However, she also took a great interest in their technology, and has been working under Guinevere, an agent who has been in Research and Development for several years. After not making it past the final four candidates, Luna finds a home working behind the scenes, assisting in creating the technology and gadgetry the agents use in the field.
At twenty-two years old, Luna finishes her bachelor’s in Information Technology and a minor in Weapons Engineering, and is also graduated to the role of Guinevere on the retiring of the previous one. While Luna doesn’t head the R&D department, she has come to have a large presence in the creation and testing of new designs of weaponry and information gathering. She can be used as a field agent when necessary, usually for recon missions.
Even now, years after taking on her role within the Kingsmen, Luna doesn’t know where her brother is, and keeps a constant eye on the state of Tenebrae, determined to see it in the hands of someone who will care for it as her family did, and not in the hands of the corporation still vying for political access.
Detroit: Become Human (WIP)
Luna and her brother, Ravus, grew up in London as the heirs to Fleuret Robotics, newly founded by their parents and passed to them in the wake of their parent’s deaths. Working with some of the best that England had to offer, they developed artificial intelligence at a steady pace, improving and pushing the boundaries of what was capable of their technology. They became the first company in England to develop a functioning robot.
However, their science is limited, and they can’t seem to break through the walls surrounding artificial intelligence. At best, they’ve created an ideal model of android for menial tasks, though it lacks the grace that comes with the more intelligent models created in America and Japan. Luna moves from England to Detroit and meets up with Elijah Kamski to try and work out a merger between their two companies. Eventually, CyberLife absorbs Fleuret Robotics, and they become a subsidiary that works mostly in the design and creation of the android models, as well as basic programming. Luna works more on the PR front, and becomes a spokeswoman that heads the more public side of business, attending press conferences and social events to promote CyberLife.
Luna helps design the early AX, PL, and EM models of android. She assists in making sure the upgrades are stable and the bodies will be suited to daily wear and tear without damage to the internal components and infrastructure, but ultimately, she does best when she’s on the publicity front lines. Though cybernetics and artificial intelligence have created a strong impact on society and are becoming more and more of a common occurrence, there is still strong bias against the implementation of androids for common use in the workforce. Luna spearheads many campaigns for awareness and open-mindedness, but has been on the receiving end of violence and death threats. Appearances are not made without a squad of security to protect her, usually one to stay close, and several others to intersperse among a crowd to keep a more distant watch.
At first, Luna strongly disagrees with the militaristic use of androids. To her, it’s a slippery slope of countries creating vast armies that will ultimately leave behind large piles of machines needing to be recycled, resulting in an endless loop of creation and destruction that, worst case, could cause the downfall of even talks of peace between countries. Eventually, she realizes that, so long as they’re regulated, android military units would cut down on the loss of human life in both domestic and international crime. Further on down the road, after the events at Jericho, Luna retires that way of thinking, realizing that sentient AI is as human as humans are.
#mobile tag: verses#(posting here so I can link in the description of my blog for mobile users)#° Long post
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DESTINATIONS.
(ao3 here)
Her brother moves about the Askran kingdom’s halls as if each footstep was a mighty wave crashing against the shore.
The crowd notices his entrance at once, and seems to recede along the walls to give him space to walk. Olwen notices the nods of deference, the respect given. Her brother finds one of his peers, Camus, the knight of Grust, in the hallway; they exchange pleasantries, and as Camus joins him on his walk they disappear behind a corner.
In Friege, Reinhardt’s appointment as commander of the Gelben Ritter did not come as a surprise to anyone who had witnessed the thunder mage at work. Unmatched in either magical prowess or military strategy, he neither showed off his talent nor tried to hide it. He was the perfect fit for a general with which to flex Friege’s military muscle, and so attracted the attention of Duke Bloom, who appointed Reinhardt as his daughter’s personal guard. There was hardly a soul in Friege who did not recognize Reinhardt’s name.
Their arrival into the Order of Heroes did not come with the same fanfare. Olwen expected herself to go unnoticed, but in their world, her brother was nothing short of a military legend. She had no doubt that someone of his skill would be recognized in a realm where people lauded the tales from myriad other lands. The Hero-King, the Radiant Hero - her brother would fit in.
But where the Askran court often whispered to each other in the halls about the legendary heroes of Archanea, or Elibe, or Tellius, no one seemed to know anything about Jugdral, let alone the dukedom of Friege. Olwen realizes that shouldn’t be surprising - if there is anything to take note of from their continent, it is the Crusades that happened around the time that she was in Thracia.
So she and Reinhardt take their places among the ranks of Askr, two among many, figuring it can’t be too different from any other army. The battles she participates in to free captive heroes from the contract of the Emblian Empire remind her of her time serving under Leif. She doesn’t see her brother much, but he seems to return from every battle with a subtle satisfaction. He tells Olwen it’s an unfamiliar sensation to live without a heavy weight on his shoulders.
Olwen’s glad. They’ve grown apart since the war for Thracia’s liberation, but she wonders if, by this strange twist of fate, the different circumstances this world provides will change anything. Another life , she thinks. Another chance.
Reinhardt certainly makes the most out of it.
It comes as suddenly as a flash of lightning in the middle of a storm. Her brother rises through the ranks here, too. He leads hundreds of squadrons to victory against Emblian forces, and then it is his name that is on the lips of both nobles and other summoned heroes alike. Olwen can scarcely count a day where her brother’s name did not come up in conversation. It reminds her of the days when people likened him to the second coming of Thrud the crusader.
Her brother takes it in stride. Fame and glory were never achievements he pursued. Reinhardt had always told her that what was important wasn’t the rewards one received for their accomplishments, but the path one walked to get there.
Reinhardt had chosen one way. Olwen had chosen another. She thought that was the end of it, that they would arrive at different destinations. But here they were, brought through time and space to the same world. The world that seemed black and white didn’t look so clear to her anymore.
She sits in an armchair in the royal library, the pages of a treatise on strategy open before her. A person’s life was vast, with a thousand times more choices to make than a commander on a battlefield. Olwen wonders if, because of all those possibilities, opposite paths still lead to the same destination.
“Hello, Olwen.”
She looks up. Reinhardt stands in front of her, a copy of the Dire Thunder tome in his hand. He must have just recently turned from an outing.
“Brother.” Olwen’s lips curve up into a nervous smile. She gestures to the seat across from her. “It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”
“The Askran commander keeps us busy,” Reinhardt agrees, sitting down. “There are plenty of new lands to survey and armies to fight against. A massive operation for a place so self-contained.”
Olwen nods. “Everything here is so… lively.”
“Hm.” Her brother shifts in his seat. “Yes, that’s an apt way of putting it.”
They sit in a tense silence for a few seconds, and Olwen notices that she’s kept a hand on the open tome. She moves to put it away, but Reinhardt notices and recognition crosses his face.
“Preparing for your first mission as leader of a squadron, I see. Some congratulations are in order. I’d wondered when they’d begin to notice you.” His eyes are usually dark and stern, but today they look a shade lighter.
“Oh! You knew about that?” She had meant to tell him about it. Olwen wondered where he had gotten the information - she hadn’t spoken to anyone about it besides Titania, one of the cavalry units who would be joining her on that mission.
“Commander Anna spoke to me about deploying other teams of cavalry with strategies similar to the methods my unit uses.” Reinhardt draws his chair closer to the table. “She was intrigued to know that I had a sister who utilizes the same magic tomes I do. ‘If Olwen is anything like you, the Emblians are done for!’”
Olwen’s heard the comparisons between her and her brother hundreds of times, but it doesn’t stop the small twitch in her leg every time someone brings it up. “And what did you tell her?”
Reinhardt smiles - a rare gesture from someone like him, and his smiles are difficult to notice. “I humored her. I said, ‘Let’s just say that the power of thunder you see from me is nowhere near its full potential.’”
A fact clothed in gentle flattery. She knows the tactic from the many times he has used it to maneuver treacherous conversations with Grannvale nobles, but it doesn’t feel like a political ploy with her. Reinhardt had been one of her teachers of magic, and he wasn’t one to conceal what he thought of her progress.
“It’s a little daunting,” Olwen admits. “I’ve been in charge of units before, but we were all little more than cadets in the army. Now my allies are great heroes from all over the realms... To actually ride alongside them…”
“I understand,” is all Reinhardt says. Then, “The scouts say that the newest world that has appeared to us is one that resembles Jugdral. Our own land.”
“Really?” Olwen isn’t exactly homesick, but a part of her wonders if she’ll ever step foot in Friege again. Its rulers hadn’t been the most liked, or the kindest, or the wisest, but it was still home.
“It would appear so. Grannvale, Verdane, Thracia. Familiar sights. I would be happy to see them again.”
“I’d like to go back too, even for a minute,” Olwen admits.
“Does that put you more at ease?” Reinhardt asks.
Olwen smiles. “It does. Though, I know just reminiscing won’t do much good when it comes to the actual battlefield. I just thought… well, when your brother has one of the greatest track records in the Order of Heroes, it wouldn’t hurt to ask for some advice.”
Her brother chuckles, and Olwen lets out a breath she didn’t realize she had been holding.
“You’re looking to play one of those tactics games with me, aren’t you?” There’s a twinkle in his eye and a weightlessness in his voice, a joviality Olwen hasn’t heard from him in a while.
She wrings her hands, pulling up a sleeve. “As a child, one of my goals was to beat you at least once,” she says.
“That day may be fast approaching,” Reinhardt muses. He stares at the table for a second before continuing. “There are new weapons and units that we’ve come across in our time here that we haven’t seen back home. Plenty of material to create new situations for you.” He puts a hand to his chin. “This could be quite exciting.”
Olwen straightens up, and reaches into her bag for a sheet of paper. She hands it to Reinhardt. “I’m ready for anything you throw at me.”
He picks up a quill from a container on the desk and begins to write. Olwen diverts her eyes as he sets up the situation, looking out of the library window into the courtyard. Several heroes walk through the gardens or sit in the grass, conversing with each other.
After several minutes, Reinhardt clears his throat and Olwen turns back to the table. On the parchment, her brother has sketched the rudimentary setup of a battlefield, with the placements of two opposing armies situated on either side of a river.
“You have the first move,” Reinhardt tells her. He sits back in his chair, looking expectantly. “Go on. I want to see how much you’ve learned."
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Do you have any specific plans for how Dimitri's redemption (or at least, getting through some of his problems) would go in Kintsugi? I really enkoy fix-its and you being the one to write it means I'll absolutely love it because I love everything you write!!
Oh I have so many Dimitri thoughts for Kintsugi it’s gonna be a blast (also color me extremely flattered that you’re so looking forward to it like wow that makes me really happy ;v; ❤)
So Dimitri’s recovery arc is going to be significantly longer than the one in the game. I understand that the game had time constraints on it, but the literal 180 after Rodrigue’s death was a little much for me. This is not to say that I don’t appreciate them giving a mentally ill character a storyline that allows for recovery, I just wish they hadn’t compressed that down into the tiniest space possible.
Kintsugi takes a different approach, though it does maintain some familiar elements. Dimitri still escaped Cornelia’s clutches with help from Dedue, and spent several years out in harsh wilds of the Kingdom hunting down the Empire’s scouts and patrols, which started rumors among Imperial forces about a vicious beast roaming the areas that have yet to be incorporated into the Dukedom’s territory. Around the time that Claude reunited with Byleth, Gilbert managed to find Dimitri -- and believing this was some sign from the Goddess, he immediately went about rallying former Blue Lions under a Kingdom banner, using Dimitri as a figurehead for the Imperial opposition despite the fact that Dimitri was clearly unstable and ill-suited for true leadership.
The rumors of the beast begin to travel south with Gilbert marshaling the troops and more or less steering Dimitri’s murderous intent toward the Empire. By the time these rumors reach Garreg Mach, the former Golden Deer have made it their base of operations -- and importantly, they reach the nearest Imperial outpost where Randolph is stationed with his little sister Fleche. When Randolph’s troop goes out and falls in the attack on the monastery, Fleche does not witness it -- but she can only imagine that a monster could have taken her brother’s life, and swears her revenge.
By the time the Great Bridge of Myrddin falls into Alliance hands, the Kingdom troops have made their way deep into Gloucester territory, and shortly after the force from Garreg Mach heads out toward Gronder Gilbert begs leave of the Alliance troops manning the bridge to use it in their southward march. This eventually puts all three armies on the field of the former Battle of the Eagle and Lion -- and puts Edelgard squarely in Dimitri’s sights, which is easily the most dangerous possible thing that could have happened, especially when Gilbert is the one holding the reins.
Realizing that Dimitri is not dead, as the rumors had claimed, Claude and Byleth choose to split their forces: Byleth heads out to confront Edelgard, while Claude goes to try and talk Dimitri down. Given his current mental state, though, Dimitri’s not about to listen, and in fact considers Claude an obstacle standing between him and his goal -- which leads to Claude getting shot out of the sky by an impressively-launched spear. He might have died then and there, no less -- but Byleth managed to force Edelgard’s retreat, and made their way back to help Claude out in the nick of time, using the Sword of the Creator’s whip-like reach to force Dimitri back while they’re still inbound.
This is the first thing that really manages to reach Dimitri. He’s been on a single-minded quest to murder Edelgard up to this point, spurred on by the voices of those lost -- and that includes Byleth. But seeing Byleth so suddenly, and so clearly, really unbalances him, and he tries to explain that he will claim Edelgard’s head for the deaths she’s caused, including the professor’s...and Byleth, of course, has no idea what he’s talking about. Unlike every other hallucination, Byleth remains silent -- they spoke just like the other spirits before, which is strange given that Byleth’s non-verbal, but honestly Dimitri wasn’t in any real state to question that -- and simply puts away their weapon and approaches with an open hand. Dimitri tries to swat it away -- and as soon as he makes real, physical contact with what he believed was a spirit, he pretty much breaks, grabbing for Byleth’s hand and clinging tight to it like an anchor.
Which is where the battle stops: with Dimitri’s effective surrender. Both the Alliance and Kingdom forces set up camp at Gronder, reunions are had on all sides...but Byleth ends up in a quiet place off to one side with Dimitri, who pretty well passes out as soon as the battle’s over while still clinging to Byleth’s hand. Claude sneaks in at some point to apprise Byleth of the Kingdom situation according to Gilbert and the former Blue Lions, and discusses some options for what they could possibly do next. Unfortunately, just reuniting with Byleth isn’t enough to stop Dimitri’s obsession with getting justice for the dead, so despite Claude’s offer of alliance, Dimitri refuses, only agreeing to travel with the Alliance troops because they’re going in the same direction.
Naturally, though, Claude and Byleth both interact with him frequently to try and make him reconsider. This doesn’t have any obvious effects at first, but Dimitri is listening, and whether he means to or not he starts gravitating toward the both of them because unlike Gilbert -- who is mostly pushing him to restore the Kingdom -- or his fellow classmates -- whose reactions run on a spectrum from denouncing him (like Felix), wanting to “fix” him (like Ingrid), or simply following his lead (like Dedue) -- they reach out to him as he is now, with no expectations and no ulterior motives, offering him a kind of stability that he’s long been lacking. His interactions with them are initially rather harsh, but they both take it as a good sign that he’s interacting with them of his own volition at all.
This culminates at Merceus where Dimitri is well aware that both Byleth and Claude are entering as infantry units alongside him. They manage to chase down the Death Knight, though he escapes before they’re able to put an end to him...and that’s where the Javelins of Light come in. Nobody has ever seen anything like this (though there are very old records of something similar happening at Ailell), but Dimitri instinctively knows that This Is Bad. Claude is grounded, Byleth never had a mount to begin with -- so rather than cut and run, Dimitri grabs them and gets the hell out so he can be sure they escape too.
This is a turning point. Because after Merceus’ destruction, knowing now that they’re up against something they can’t begin to understand, the Alliance troops elect to withdraw back to Myrddin and plan their next course of action. The Kingdom forces -- who, again, have no formal alliance with Claude or Byleth -- could theoretically continue south toward Enbarr, and Gilbert in fact encourages this...but Dimitri steps up and refuses. He makes the choice himself to ally with Claude and Byleth, merge their forces, and fight together. This means that the Kingdom troops head back to Myrddin, too -- and from there, Claude elects to send a small force north into the Kingdom, rally the holdouts against Cornelia, and take back Fhirdiad. After all, the Empire’s spread pretty thin between Adrestia and the “Dukedom,” so taking out portions of that army -- especially in the territory where reinforcements will be harder to come by -- will serve to weaken Edelgard’s army for when they finally come back around to marching on Enbarr.
Now, in this northward procession, they still have a small group of camp followers -- and Fleche, unbeknownst to them, is part of this force. She still believes (incorrectly) that Dimitri is the one who killed her brother, since he’s still vicious even on a good day and his stability is questionable at best; all she needs is a clear shot...which comes when they make it to Fraldarius territory and meet up with Rodrigue. Distracted by the reunion with an old friend, Dimitri leaves himself open for a crucial moment, and she makes her attack...but fails: she might manage to bring him down, briefly, but she doesn’t manage to kill him thanks to Claude and Byleth’s intervention; unfortunately, they’re unable to take her alive.
This doesn’t hit Dimitri so much as it hits Claude, whose whole dream revolves around bringing people together. Every death he can’t prevent, every death he causes, is one more person he won’t be able to reach, one more person who won’t be able to see that dream realized, who won’t be able to help bring that world about because he failed to connect with them -- and Fleche was just a little girl. She had her whole life ahead of her, and now she’s gone, and her blood is on his hands and sometimes when he looks down and thinks about the lives he’s taken he feels the weight of his grand, glorious, unattainable, impossible dream crushing down on him...and as this all comes crushing in on him that night as he charts their next plan of action, he pushes himself away from his work and goes outside to look at the stars, because that vast, endless sky always makes his dream feel a little smaller by comparison, enough that he can manage to carry it for another day.
And this is where he finds Dimitri skulking about, and they end up talking a little bit. Claude opens up for once, and Dimitri’s struck by this sudden show of vulnerability: he always assumed that Claude’s careless, casual, carefree demeanor hid a cunning wit and dangerous schemes...but he never expected this to be hiding in there, too. So he opens up a little bit, too, about what drives him (things he’s only ever spoken about with Byleth, and trusted would remain in confidence), the people he’s cared for who have died and who now haunt his every step, and how he lives to see their will done and vengeance claimed...
And Claude looks at him and tells him that the dead shouldn’t get a say in what he does with his life. They’re gone. And Dimitri just kind of stares at him because this is not the usual reaction he gets when he talks about this stuff -- fear, maybe, or pity, sometimes even encouragement...but not this. So Claude backs up a little and comes at it from a different angle, because as he admits he’s never lost someone the way Dimitri has. He can’t speak to that. But he can feel the weight of the lives he’s taken during this war, and he knows that no amount of regret of spilled blood will ever bring them back: it’s just going to cause more pain and end more lives to haunt them in the dark. All he can do is keep moving forward now, trying to reach out to people and bring them together rather than raising weapons to drive them apart. This is the path he chose for himself, and he’ll keep struggling down it, fighting if there’s no other recourse (and gods know there hasn’t been lately), because it’s his choice. No one else’s. And maybe he’s out of line, but he doesn’t think Dimitri should let the ghosts decide his path for him, either: they had their lives, but what’s left now is his, and he’s the only one who can live it.
And this is another turning point. Because Dimitri has never had someone say anything like this to him before -- heck, it flies in the face of everything he’s been told growing up. He needs time to process it all, and Claude’s words keep coming back to him as surely as the voices of the dead do...until there comes a point where, at the end of a battle, he stumbles to a stop and looks at his spear and asks himself: what is he fighting so hard for? So he goes back to Claude, and asks for advice on something he...could do, rather than what he should do, because he feels like he’s coming a bit untethered without vengeance to drive him.
Recovery is a slow process, basically. It’s gradual, it’s non-linear, it tends to be fraught with backslides and stumbling blocks -- but it’s possible, with effort and with help. And Kintsugi is all about tackling that: Dimitri will be on the road to recovery by the time they retake Fhirdiad from Cornelia (and when Claude tries to reassure Dimitri that she must have been lying about Patricia, Dimitri only hugs him silently, grateful for the attempt even though the woman’s words rang true), but even when they take Enbarr it’s still a work in progress, such that Claude purposefully positions himself between Dimitri and Edelgard in the eventual round table between the three Lords, Byleth, and Rhea (with Byleth between Edelgard and Rhea, understandably).
It’s gonna be a trip and I’m still absolutely psyched about it.
#answered#anonymous#fire emblem: three houses#fanfiction#fe:3h spoilers#dimitri#kintsugi#i absolutely love this whole thing i'm so excited about it#i'm not quite at the point where i'm ready to tackle something this huge#and i still need to put together my little dividers that i'm so excited about#but it's going to be an ambitious golden route and i love it a lot
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So I’ve had this idea in my head...
Basically speaking I’ve had this idea in my head for a story, basically, it can best be described as the evil empire before it became an empire with a king who is rather evil but has the best intentions at heart. So let’s begin
This was the day that I had been waiting for the entirety of my life, it was a day that I knew was coming, it was the day that I ascended to the throne, there was a grand feast thrown, wine flowed like water and bread and meat was available on nearly every table. I actually did make sure to taste some of the wine and some of the bread. Special coins were being given out to commemorate the occasion, though what I could do without was the fact that Uncle had deemed his face to be on the gold coin.
I walked through the street at the head of my procession, behind me, the Royal Guard (all twelve of them) all clad in ceremonial steel armour with golden trimmings, the large red plumage of their helmets was the definition of ‘gaudy’ and I had to see about getting those removed. Behind them were my family (My sister, Scarlet, two years my younger, content with her position, didn’t want the Throne. My Uncle, Mansfield, two decades older than me, hated my guts, always wanted the throne) walked as well as my favoured servants (of which I had none, servants were to serve, not to be friends).
My red cloak billowed behind me as I walked, robes pulling taunt as I was rushing forward in order to get to the cathedral first, when I entered, it was filled with courtiers and other nobles, though I knew that most of them were unlanded, such was the sad state of affairs the kingdom was in. The cathedral itself was well decorated, the pillars were solid marble, the white stone reflecting the light of the sun, my procession was moving a top a deep purple carpet that was worth more than an entire street, if there were any doubts about the power of the Nameless One, this cathedral put them to rest. In front of the alter, the Court Chaplain, a rather portly man named Francis, he was lowborn if memory served. Per tradition, I kneeled in front of the Court Chaplain as he held the crown over my head.
“Today is the day that Prince Ross the First, comes of age and ascends to the throne.” He announced his voice ringing throughout the silent cathedral. “Do you swear to uphold the laws of the Kingdom of Starford?”
“I swear it.” I answered, my voice solemn
“Do you swear that you will act with the Kingdom’s best intentions at heart?”
“I swear it.”
“Do you swear to protect the people of the Kingdom from harm?”
“I swear it.”
“Do you swear to defend the kingdom from all harm and strike down our enemies?”
“In the Honour of the Nameless One, I swear it.” I answered solemnly, the kingdom was weak, torn apart by the greedy, led by the craven and on the defensive. This had to change.
“Then, by the power invested in me by the Nameless One, I crown you King Ross the First of Starford.” He put the crown upon my head, it had felt like my head was finally complete. Standing up, I turned towards the crowd of nobles and drew my long sword, holding it to the air, “Long Live the Kingdom!” I cried, my voice echoing throughout the cathedral.
“Long Live the King!” My sister shouted, we did make a show of being rivals in public, but we were good friends.
“Long Live the King!” A noble from inside one of the crowds shouted, a loyalist then, good, I’d need those.
“Long Live the King!” My uncle shouted, even though I knew his words were as hollow as an empty barrel, they did fill me with a brief hope that he approved of me. More voices were added to the chorus and eventually the entire cathedral was shouting it, with varying degrees of convincingness, it felt good to be king…
I take it back, being the king is one of the worst things that happened to me. While my Uncle was Regent, he had pushed through a bunch of reforms that gave the Council more power while cutting me out of the picture, I was little more than a figurehead, it was tantamount to treason, really.
Hadn’t helped that during Uncle’s brief exposure to power, he had utterly failed at defending the Kingdom, the tribes to the North had been overwhelming us and conquering land, to the South, several border counties had gained independence and joined the League of Freedom Cities. To our Western border, a Gaian rebellion had created a small dukedom out of our land.
The League of Freedom Cities was an elective monarchy, well they called their King a ‘Hierarch’, though it didn’t matter, a king who was elected was not a king worth following, following him was blasphemy in and of itself.
The Northern Tribes had succeeded against our armies due to their overwhelming numbers, it didn’t help that their religion pretty much led to good bonds between the soldiers which meant that you had a large number of people who wouldn’t fight each other but had no problem fighting an outside foe.
The Gaian Revolt was a lot more awkward because of the religion, it preached some interesting things about nature and worshiped the earth as like some goddess, their revolt was surprising and more importantly, well-timed, it was sprung while we were dealing with the North Tribes, so they were able to kill some fleeing soldiers and ended up besieging some cities. The dukedom is currently carving out its own little kingdom in the west.
I sat upon my throne, I knew I looked like I was brooding but I didn’t care, the Kingdom of Starford was a shadow of its former self, I realized what I needed to do. The Council needed to be stripped of their newfound power, then there was the matter of conquering the league that bordered us. There were many ways to power and most of them were bloody, I knew that some members of the council were not nearly as smart as they thought they were.
My Marshal, for example for all his grandeur was a man who traveled with very little guards for a man of his station and the roads are dangerous who knows when bandits might strike… especially when, sufficiently motivated.
The Court Mage was ultimately incompetent and thought he was some sort of supreme warlock, to be honest, it’s a miracle that he hasn’t killed himself entirely by accident, or opened a portal to Hell.
The Steward was a known drunkard, if one was to poison his wine then it would likely kill him.
I would always need replacements and I would need ones who were willing to back me up on anything, the Kingdom of Starford was on the path of Civil War and I was leading her into such a path. The things I do for the Kingdom.
#fantsay#creative writing#fantasy writing#original fantasy#original character#fantasy world#noblemen#nobility#muse hates me#worldbuilding#long post#longlivetheking
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From the ashes, rises Amara Jaya Suhanisa (Melisa Pamuk FC), The Weaver of Tales, Secret Keeper of Sandspell. Penned by Kat.
A wealth of knowledge stowed away in her tower, Amara has finally ventured out onto the Kingdom of Ashbourne. But will her wealth of knowledge put a target on her back, or make her the most invaluable resource to aspiring usurpers? That - we can only wait and see! You have captured the essence of our Weaver of Tales wonderfully, and her passion for knowledge and longing for experience leaps through her personality! We can’t wait to see her on the dash.
Out of Character (OOC)
Name/Alias: kat
Age: 26
Pronouns: she/her
Timezone: est
Triggers: none
Activity: I try to be on every night but it can be every other night depending on my work schedule
1.) For a Skeleton Position: In Character (IC)
Character Name: Amara Jaya Suhanisa
Age: 27
Selected Skeleton: Weaver of tales
Dukedom: Sandspell
Faceclaim: melisa pamuk
Pronouns: she/her
Biography
She had always shown promise. At least that was what her parents told her. They weren’t wealthy or influential or anything that would catch the eye of anyone in power. They were working people. Farmers who grew the most beautiful flowers one might hope to see. She remembered summer nights running through the fields as she was chased down by her mother. Moonlit walks by the little pond with her father as he told her fascinating stories of all the creatures that existed in the world. Though they weren’t seen for so long he told them with such detail that she could almost picture them. The laughter and love in her life died as easily as it had come though. Her parents died in a tragic accident on the road to the city and she was left with no one to care for her.
At the age of six she found herself in the orphanage. With no family to take her in and no one to turn to she spent her time in books. Escaping into the knowledge of the past she forgot the troubles of her present. She quickly grew in intelligence so much so that others started to take notice. She was sent to the tower for learning and there she found her new home. It was one that she grew to both love and hate. She wanted the adventure that the spies would whisper to her about as they told her all they knew. She wanted to see the same things that they saw. To enjoy the same freedom that everyone else seemed to enjoy. She was never permitted to leave the tower. The ancient texts were her friends and she learned all that the library had to offer. She knew her purpose in life and she knew that she wanted to be useful.
Now that she has been permitted a sense of freedom she’s halfway between feeling confident and powerful and timid and naïve. She knows that the world can be dangerous. She knows that the secrets and knowledge she carries will make her a target to some but she can’t help but feel a sense of gratitude for finally being free of the tower. She’s heard the rumors from the spies about the unrest and she fears that there is more weight to them than many give them. Her goal now is to gain as much knowledge as she can while giving none of her own away. She intends to get the best outcome for herself and her own land if she can before the world goes up in flames once more.
Personality
+ Curious – both a blessing and a curse she has spent her life just wanting to know more. Wanting to see more. Secrets were never something she wanted kept from her though she revels in the fact that so many secrets are kept within her own mind. She loves to seek out information and she is hopeful that her curiosity will serve her well as she embarks out into the world for the first time in so long.
+ Intelligent. – The trait that served her well and got in her into the tower in the first place. She prides herself on learning as much as she possibly can. There is never too much knowledge in her eyes and she is always ready to learn more.
- Reserved – Being locked away with her books for so long she has lost touch with the charm and natural ease so many have with other people. She prefers to watch and listen before engaging with others. She finds herself nervous when it comes to new people and it makes her uncomfortable to think that she might not come off as confident as she should.
- Unattached – She feels no great sense of loyalty to anyone and is wholly devoted to her work. She finds her sense of loyalty lacking even towards that of her duchy and though they granted her more freedom she finds herself grateful but not moved. She will do all she can for the tower and the secrets that lie within it but she does not see herself going out of her way for many people.
Additional Content: this rp looks so good!
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