#and sorry for hurting rodrigue
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Golden Wildfire Ch 12
My thoughts below. So, about Claude . . .
MAIN STORY
Please just tell me I don't have to kill Felix, Ingrid, Sylvain, Rodrigue, Annette, Gustave, Mercedes, Dedue, or Dimitri :(
Oh, Arval. Forgot about all of that lamo.
Are we circling back to TWSITD and the origins of Shez's powers? It really hasn't played any role in GW so far. In AG, Shez brings it up all the time (with Dimitri always saying it doesn't matter) and in SB the whole "we only promoted you bc we don't trust your power, sorry now we do" thing.
Nadar . . . doesn't want us to call off the attack. He's really a bloodthirsty jerk, isn't he?
Is Claude JUST now figuring out that taking out the Kingdom is a bad idea for the Alliance?
At least Claude's not stupid enough to not realize Edelgard won't take over the Alliance next. Begs the question then, why?
That's what I mean. This is all potentially interesting, I just think Claude's plans are all really stupid.
So, Claude sided with the Empire because he hates the church that much and actually believes all that shit? Or does he really think Edelgard will stop her war when Rhea's dead? (because she definitely does not in Houses when Rhea's captured in her prisons)
I DO like this for Dimitri though. I'm REALLY curious to see what he does. Is it too much to hope that he'll dump the church to rescue his people from war?
IDK, I just love the idea of a Dimitri willing to sacrifice anything - even his sense of right and wrong (since leaving Rhea to die when all she's done is help him IS wrong) to spare his people pain.
But I'm predicting he'll be too stubborn or not trust Claude or Sylvain furious at his father's death will ruin it
But it's also really cool to see Dimitri kinda backed into a corner with no "good" way out.
I can forgive Hopes giving Edelgard a boring af plot, writing Claude like a moron, and making me kill Blue Lions members, but if they miswrite Dimitri here (or Sylvain, kinda worried about that too tbh), I'm really going to be pissed
Also, like if Claude's plan is really just to gank Rhea to stop Edelgard's rampage, that means he really did all this twisting around just to try and stop one woman's murder rampage - why not just, like, take her out? If this is all really about the least death possible, isn't assassinating Edelgard the fastest way to keep more people from dying?
God, please, please, please have Dimitri dump Rhea to spare his people (I'd feel awful for Rhea, but I really, really hope Dimitri proves to be someone who would spare his people any pain, even at the expense of himself - when he's sane at least lamo).
On the flip side, I'm dying to play GW. It's plot may not make any sense and my opinion of Claude has tanked, but you can't say it's not entertaining.
LORENZ & LEONIE B SUPPORT
Kinda sad they only go to B. They were cute together in Houses. Seems some of the ships got turned up to 11 and others got dialed down.
Lorenz is contemplating his existence in a world where commoners don't rely on the nobility.
He's struggling to see from the commoner's POV, so he wants a commoner to serve as an advisor. Honestly, Lorenz, pretty good call.
The way Lorenz talks about Leonie and her choices, it makes it sound like history was trending towards commoners and nobles not being so rigid without Edelgard doing anything.
Leonie turns down Lorenz's offer because she wants to be a mercenary.
LORENZ & MARIANNE A SUPPORT
Lorenz wakes up after getting injured. Marianne thinks it's her fault, which I saw coming.
Lorenz thought he imagined Marianne asking for help, but she actually did.
Marianne realizes she wanted to live, hence why she called for help. So she's feeling guilty that the end result is Lorenz got hurt.
Lorenz is encouraging and is happy Marianne opened up to him.
Honestly, a better support for him than a lot of the Hopes ones.
CAMP/SIDE MAPS
Balthus is . . . really hung up on the idea of wrestling Dimitri, isn't he?
So some NPC talked about how the Kingdom is getting attacked on all fronts. I can't be the only one who finds it amusing that Dimitri with his smaller army and surrounded by enemies is doing a better job than Edelgard with her massive one lol.
When Hapi proves way smarter than Claude, knowing how massively stupid Claude's plan of "let's kill everyone they love and then force whoever is left over to listen to us! I'm sure they'll be thrilled." Hapi's like, eh, not sure this will work.
Man, Ashe is just miserable when you recruit him. I do find it kind of heartwarming in a weird way how miserable all the recruitable Lions end up being (even in Houses, moreso than the other houses at least). Ashe and Felix taking the cake, but Mercedes was regretting her life choices the last SB chapter too.
Aww, Yuri is worried about Ashe and finds Claude cruel for forcing him to fight against the Kingdom.
Holy shit, Shez really spitting facts to Claude's face, telling him his plan is a giant disaster (Dimitri won't fall for intimidation tactics, and Edelgard won't stop attacking people even after she runs out of excuses.) As insufferable as all of the Golden Deer are in this game, at least we've got stuff like this pointing out how cruel and stupid they're being.
Lamo, take only one unit into the map, as if that's a challenge. I literally only use Lorenz. This'll be easy in AG too bc Dimitri's such a beast. Dreading it in SB though.
Annette is still alive here at least :( And Rodrigue. And Gustave. (we're with the Blue Lions discussing Claude being ... GW!Claude)
Sylvain thinks Claude's an idiot lol. Dimitri and Sylvain are sussing him out.
I love how Dimitri is the only character who's goal is to avoid bloodshed among the lords. The other two are, uh, yeah.
Oh.... is Dimitri actually going to run over the church? Like I wanted? When Dimitri's the best character in GW lol.
Dimitri looking out for Sylvain, knowing how angry he is with Claude.
I had to fight Ingrid :(
SHEZ & LYSITHEA A SUPPORT
Lysithea catches Shez assuring a younger girl that she doesn't seem like a child, but an adult.
Predictably, Lysithea gets angry, because it's Lysithea, but to be fair, she's upset because Shez said the same thing and thinks Shez is being insencere.
Shez admits that it's not cool, what she did, but she's bad at advice and keeps using the same lines she's learned from stories lamo. I love Shez.
Honestly, Lysithea is kinda right to get mad here, at least I get it unlike some of the times with her.
Lamo, Shez can borrow another line from a story. I'm gonna piss her off bc I can lol.
Lysithea buys it. I wonder if it's the same line lol.
SHEZ & SHAMIR C
Having mercenary talk. I had Shez choose to ask for help. Shamir offered once she's free.
Shez comments how mature Shamir is. Shamir comments how relaxed Shez is (but it's a positive thing, not like a judgment).
They bond over having lost trusted allies, including the ones at the beginning for Shez.
Kinda boring, but honestly these two are almost too well matched, like not enough tension and just too normal lol
LYSITHEA & HILDA A
Hilda wants to gossip, but Lysithea only goes on about how awesome Holst is, so she's not interested.
She thinks he should be more careful as head of household, but Lysithea points out that he has no choice.
Hilda is worried who Holst is married. There's an ick here where Lysithea thinks that's because he's too focused on Hilda.
Hilda just talks about who Lysithea might marry, which, yeah...
Hilda offers to help Lystheia out, and some, um, implications that she'll be Lysthesia's new family - she says big sister, but there's def some ship teasing
They made Hilda really flirt with all the girls this time lol
CLAUDE & HAPI B
Hapi finds Claude easier to talk to than Edelgard and Dimitri.
Props to Hapi for telling Claude not to unload his trauma on her.
Hapi's like if you're bitching, why not just quit? Lamo.
Hapi says she'll support him.
MARIANNE & BERNADETTA A
Honestly don't remember if I've seen this in SB already or not.
Bernie likes Marianne's painting, but not her own. This is true vice versa, because of course it is.
Marianne compliments Bernie's horsemanship.
Two shy girls compliment each other, then get shy.
Then Bernie asks what Marianne wants to do after the war and Marianne becomes a Disney princess, wanting to sit in the woods with animals. Bernie wants to finish a story. Honestly, both girls picked amazing options I too want.
Bernie's story is about Marianne lamo. But Marianne isn't mad, she just wants to read it.
I really find their friendship cute, ngl.
Also, Bernie supports Dimitri, so there's no way she's NOT writing fanfic about his life because it's a never drying well there.
LORENZ & RAPHAEL C
Lorenz asks Raphael why he didn't just stay at his family's inn instead and joined the war instead
Raphael wants to keep his family safe, and thinks that following Claude will bring peace to the world (lamo) so that's why
Lorenz is more grounded, saying that all he's doing is exposing his family to the dangers of war
Which, Lorenz isn't wrong, but he also starts prattles more about nobility need to do everything and commoners nothing
But like, does Lorenz really think you can make an army out of nobles only, because, like, that just doesn't happen
Raphael is touched lamo, thinking Lorenz is concerned
Raphael just challenges him to a muscles competition
It is amusing to see Lorenz try to give his spiel and Raphael just keeps doing his own thing
Like ALL of Lorenz's supports in this game is this though, he's more repetitive than Bernedetta at this point
LORENZ & CONSTANCE A
Lorenz is bragging about himself, Constance is in the sun so she's . . . not
You know, I was thinking just how insufferable Lorenz would be in my playthrough because he's like 10 levels ahead of everyone, a god on the battlefield, always MVP - he like trounces everyone so he's be bragging and he'd be right - I wish Claude had to deal with this, watching Lorenz win the war for him and have to put up with Lorenz being Lorenz over it
They overdid it a bit with her sunshine personality - like Dimitri and Marianne are very realistic about a lack of self-worth, but Constance just comes across like a joke (and maybe that's all she's supposed to be)
Poor Lorenz is just confused and wants the normal Constance
I do have a soft spot for when male characters are desperate for the snotty side of a female character to come back (like, really just talking about Rutger and Clarine)
This is going on for too long though without any change
LYSITHEA & LEONIE B
Lysithea mistook a mercenary Leonie talked to for a bandit
But he's just someone who loot dead bodies on battlefields
I always found that kind of distasteful
Lysithea feels torn because she wants to learn about commoners more, but doesn't seem comfortable talking to people who steal coins off dead people, which same
Lysithea of course wants to know about commoner sweets
And Leonie talks about how they can't afford noble treats and likes commoner snacks (hopefully different from Chole's folk food lamo)
SHEZ & YURI C
Shez is snooping on Yuri's letter. I love that Shez is a snoop.
Yuri's pissed though, lamo. He threatens Shez's life though. That's a bit . . . much.
I'm going to pretend I didn't read it lol.
OMG YURI HAS A MOM. SOMEONE IN THIS GAME HAS A MOM.
She's ill so he was visiting her.
He's a bit needlessly sometimes.
IGNATZ & LYSITHEA B
Lysithea thinks there's something wrong with Ignatz.
She guesses right that he's unhappy, but guesses wrong that he wishes he ran his father's company instead of his brother.
He slips up that he admits he's only a knight to please his family.
Awww, Lysithea offers Ignatz the opportunity to live in Ordelia territory and does whatever he wants to afterwords.
She was actually really sweet in this support.
Also, anyone else realize that Ignatz is proof that the church/crests/inheritance isn't the one forcing children to do things they don't want to? It's human greed?
CLAUDE & HAPI A
Claude left a meeting because he was bored of people arguing. Hapi also left a meeting.
Oh, interesting, Hapi asks Claude if he would walk away if someone could take his place. Claude says no that he wants to get a lot done and can't let anyone else do it. So a really uninteresting answer.
LEONIE & LINHARDT B
Linhardt got a gift he doesn't want so he offered it to Leonie.
Lamo, Linhardt forgot the meeting he set up with Leonie.
He gives her a notebook already full, so she wants to give him something in return.
She gives him a rock that turns out to be part of an ancient relic and he gets thrilled.
Linhardt comes to the conclusion that they value the complete opposite things, but they decides they're actually not a special pairing lamo.
MAIN BATTLE
Ugh, not looking forward to this.
Wow, imagine that, the Kingdom isn't bringing them a welcoming party. Like, did Shez really expect that?
They're a bunch of psychos. They're all excited to go kill people because they're strong warriors.
"Let's see if a crushing defeat can get through Dimitri's thick skull." Because you like tried talking with him so many times before???
What is Claude smoking? He's never tried anything but bloodshed of innocent Kingdom people to accomplish anything in this route?
I see what people mean when they say this is one of the most unlikeable casts ever.
Gustave's middle name is Eddie. Not Edward. Eddie. Suffering through GW is worth knowing that.
Also, fuck, I don't want to fight Annette and Gustave, who are only defending their home.
Thank fuck, Annette retreated. Having SB flashbacks where I had to kill Annette. Annette.
And thank God that Gustave did too.
On the flip side, I sort of wish GW wasn't so wish-washy and they all died. At least SB has the guts to show there's consequences for your character's actions. But GW like to pretend only Annette and Gustave matter and it'll be ok to slaughter thousands of low born people of Faerghus every single level because they're not named.
Dimitri evacuated his citizens. I think he's literally the only lord who did that lamo. (I remember distinctly Edelgard not doing that in VW, and I don't think Claude did in CF or AM? Could be wrong about Claude).
FUCK. Dedue. If he doesn't retreat, I swear to God I can't finish this.
Oh, God, not Sylvain too.
Wait, what the fuck, Claude. His "defense" against Sylvain accusing (rightly so) Claude of invading his home and murdering his parents is that "we're all risking our lives here." I guess Faerghus is 2-for-2 whenever someone is actually allowed to criticize people who are invading them.
At least Sylvain retreated.
Dimitri appeared to defend Faerghus. I swear whoever wrote this game didn't care at all about the Golden Deer.
Oh, a cut scene. Also pretty sure Shez called Dimitri Faerghus' strongest soldier.
Well, at least Dimitri being an utter and complete badass in this game continues since Claude admitted that he could never win against him. And he needed Hilda and Lorenz to just push him back, not even defeat him.
Oh, great, more backtracking. Claude has to retreat. Does this mean I have to fight Dimitri again?
You're right, Hilda, it's the same thing all over again. God, this gets old.
It would be funny if it was the Empire, but it's probably just TWSITD. It's pretty funny Claude is the one who learns the least in Hopes vs Houses.
At least Annette and Sylvain are still alive.
Gotta love also how damn badass Faerghus is in general, fighting a 3-way battle and not losing.
Dedue is here too, my beloved.
I love seeing Claude taking another L and having to retreat again.
xxx
#golden wildfire#fire emblem#fire emblem three hopes#three hopes#three hopes spoilers#golden wildfire spoilers
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this is a long post talking about my ocs and my wip. feel free to skip!! i just want to get over my embarrassment of talking about them
ok so. to talk about my ocs first i need to talk about the world theyre in. this is still a nameless wip but for now im calling it 'through the mist' while i decide on a better name.
brief explanation about the world: its the modern world as we know, maybe a few years into the future, but its not very important because society and technology are still pretty much the same. the difference is that in this story, the earth was enveloped by a dark and mysterious mist that is invisible to most people. the origins of this mist is still unknown, but what is known is that: 1) it affects peoples health in the areas that the mist is the most dense, and the number of lung diseases and cancer has incresead ever since it appeared. 2) it has some type of dark magic to it. its essence creates demon-like creatures called spectrums (i still want to find a cooler name) that are unknown by most people, but they bring chaos to the world. you can read more about spectrums and understand them better here (please mind any grammar mistakes, it is still a rough draft!)
but there are special people in the world known as the Enlighted that not only can see the mist, but they are aware of the existence of the spectrums and are given special powers to fight them. most of these people are born like normal humans, and only when they grow up they start to realize that they are different and that theres something wrong in the world they live in. once they find out about their own powers, they are located by a institution called Lux Mundi, and they are recruited either to be a scientist and schollar that studies the mist and the spectrums, or to be a warrior and fight the spectrums.
there are three types of enlighted: the lumen (those who are born with paranormal abilities to help them fight the spectrums), the saltium (those who are born with advanced intellect and are able to understand the complexities behind the magic of the mist and the spectrums) and the granum (those who are both lumen and saltium at the same time. they are very rare.)
this is all you need to know to understand the ocs!! i wont say a lot abt their backstories here so to not make the post even longer but if you want to ask me anything about them, feel free!
btw all of these characters are brazilian and the story takes place in brazil bc well. im brazilian and it was easier this way.
also im not an artist so all i have are picrews 💔 sorry for the low quality of some pictures, for some reason tumblr wont show the album i have them saved in when i open the gallery so i had to screenshot.
1. Kaiki Vitorino, 17
she's our main girl! Kaiki was born Salvador, Bahia but moved to São Paulo with her mom when she was a kid. she and her mom were very close, but due to complications caused by a lung disease, she passed away three years prior to the story, and Kaiki had to move in with her aunt (who also lived in São Paulo). Kaiki is very kind and empathetic, she would never hurt a fly and puts other peoples feelings above her own (sometimes a little too much). she loves geology and has a cool rock collection. Kaiki is a lumen, and her powers are called 'Blessed be The Light', which is basically light manipulation. i won't dive in too deep about their powers here, but you can ask me if you want to!
2. Ayla Rodrigues, 17
Kaiki's best friend since childhood (and secretly love interest)! Ayla was born in São Paulo and met Kaiki in school. she has a very complicated family, which includes divorced parents and a dead younger sister, who died in a car accident with her dad when he was drunk driving. she doesn't speak to him anymore, and grief they dont know how to deal with has led her and her mom to a complicated relationship. Ayla is closed off, aloof and even arrogant to most people. When someone wins her heart however, she shows her more vulnerable side: she's a nerd, loves literature, music and cult movies, likes anime, and will do anything for her loved ones, especially Kaiki, who she is so in loved with is embarrassing. she is a lumen, and her powers are called 'Blesed be the Gravity', which is, you guessed! gravity manipulation.
3. Dandara Carvalho, 20
Born and raised at Lux Mundi, Dandara is the Head Trainer of the Lumen's division. Daughter of Eva Carvalho, supreme leader of Lux Mundi's instalations in Brazil, and Isaac Carvalho, Vice-Supreme and Head Counselour for the Saltium's division, Dara is the real deal: strong, disciplined, determined. she has been training since she was a kid, and her mom has always been very strict when it comes to this. Dara was trained by the old Head Trainer before her, an old man called Kaluanã. He was wise beyond this world, but after his passing at the old age of 80yo, Dara took over his functions. Eva wants Dara to be the next Supreme Leader, but all that she wants is to keep training and teaching other Lumens. They have a very strained relationship, but she gets along very well with her dad. Dara may seem intimidating, but she actually has a heart of gold: she's a dork who loves her friends to death and has a loud and weird laugh. she wont stand for injustice and is extremely reliable. shes also extremely, totally down bad for her girlfriend Yasmin. her powers are called 'Blessed be The Fire', but she also knows a lot of different martial arts.
4. Yasmin Senna
Yasmin may not be very impressive at first, but those who know her know that she is, in fact, a genius. Born and raised in São Paulo, Yasmin has always been the pride and joy of her family: as a kid, she was mostly quiet and kept to herself, didnt talk to other kids a lot and prefered to spend the day cracking her toys open to see how they worked. Her bad social skills and reclusion made her an easy target for bullying in elementary school – kids would take her toys away and mess with her all day long. this lead to a fatidic accident where one day she had a meltdown and unleashed her powers, 'Blessed be the Sound', a type of soundwave manipulation, and left everyone in the scene, including her, deaf. nowadays, yasmin uses hearing aids, but she has long ago gotten used to being deaf, and she doesnt mind her disability, but feels extremely guilt for the accident. she's the grandaughter of kaluanã, daras old mentor, but she had only know him as a kid before he moved to Lux Mundi. this is what made dara want to get closer to her at first, but then they feel in love. yasmin is extremely smart – in fact, she is a granum, but she refuses to use her powers, so she only works in the Saltium division.
5. Eric Senna, 19
Yasmin's twin brother, Eric is probably the only out of the Lux Squad that has decent social skills. He's charming, charismatic, funny, smart and has the world's biggest ego. Eric carries a lot of guilt over the bullying that happened with Yasmin, because he feels like he was too weak to protect his sister, so he has kind of become overprotective over her, even this kind of pisses Yasmin off (and Dandara too). he's one of those people that always act like they're the best, but deep down are their own worst enemy. he's talented, has a hundred different hobbies and speaks three languages. eric is always down for challenges and he loves to prank people. he has a cat and dog relationship with Dandara: they're always fighting and bickering, but they truly care for each other a lot. Eric is a lumen and extremely insecure about his powers – 'Blessed be the Thunder', electricity/lightining manipulation – because no matter how much he trains, his powers doesn't seem to get stronger.
These are the 5 main characters kf my wip! WOW ok this was. a lot. If someone has actually read untill now. thanks a lot, and let me know if you have any questions about anything in my wip or about my ocs! I love to talk about them!! :D
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Midnight Plays Azure Gleam: Chapter 11
Betcha thought I'd forgotten about this, huh? Just more of real life getting in the way, and me spending most of my gaming time with Dragalia Lost in its waning days of existence (sob). I forgot to mention previously that I am chronically slow with playing through games in general.
This was a very long chapter, so there's a long post under the cut.
The narration says that after dealing with the Western Church, the Kingdom has now set up base in Gerth territory.
Rodrigue's back! He thinks things are finally settled in the western territories, and that the new heads of Houses Gideon, Elidure and Mateus should ensure there's no more internal rebellion.
Ashe is surprised that the rebel houses got to keep their territory. Dedue implies it may be temporary? (His line feels a bit out of place.) Rodrigue says dissenters always arise when the head of a territory is replaced, both among nobles and commoners. Felix is surprised things have gone relatively smoothly, to which Rodrigue reminds him that he has lots of experience with kingdom politics.
(Rodrigue's dad energy is so good. Not just towards Felix and Dimitri but to the Lions as a whole.)
Turning to the war, Dimitri recaps a report from Gustave that Claude is waiting for the ideal time to advance in the east, since Claude doesn't want to face Count Bergliez head on. So the Alliance is going to feign a deadlock and whittle away at the Imperial forces. Which is basically what was shown at the end of the last chapter.
Shez asks if they should wait to advance on Hevring territory until the Alliance can come help. Dimitri says no, since if the Kingdom proves a great enough threat, it will draw more of the Imperial army westward, which will give Claude an opportunity.
Felix wonders if Claude can be trusted. Annette speculates he might be trying to wear the Kingdom down so the Alliance can attack it later. (Again with this stuff. I know Claude's the "schemer" by reputation, but what exactly has he done in this story that makes him so untrustworthy?)
Ingrid at least thinks Claude is on the level, as long as they have the same enemy. ....And then in the next breath says that he's "tricky to pin down." [Sigh] Mercedes doesn't think it hurts to be too cautious. That's not a bad mindset, but this is still coming across as contrived, IMO.
Dimitri offers reassurance, saying that if the Alliance did try anything, Gustave and the Knights of Seiros should be enough to stop it. So we're to proceed with Claude's plan. Dimitri wants to end the war as soon as possible, for the sake of everyone caught in the middle.
Rodrigue asks if Dimitri can "topple" Edelgard. (I'm assuming this is a euphemism for kill.) And he means this from an emotional standpoint, rather than a strategic one. Shez says anyone would hesitate to cut down their own family.
Dimitri asks Rodrigue if he really thinks he's incapable, considering he executed Rufus. He still has questions for Edelgard about Duscur, and then says he's not so different from her in starting wars of their own volition.
(I'm sorry, what? HOW are their actions the same? Dimitri is trying to end the chaos that Edelgard created when she declared war on the Church of Seiros. THIS IS NOT THE SAME THING!)
(I am so effing done with this "both sides" bullcrap. Over and over again the writers keep trying to force this false equivalency between the Empire's actions and the Kingdom's reactions, and it's wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong. There is a HUGE difference between starting a war of aggression and defending your sovereign nation and your allies from that aggressor. IT. IS. NOT. THE. SAME.)
Dimitri says that if Edelgard refuses to yield, then he will take her life. (Shades of Azure Moon. Will we get another parlay between Dimitri and Edelgard in this timeline?) Rodrigue is pleased to hear it, and then hands over a letter he found during his inquiry with Viscount Elidure.
...The letter is from Patricia. Oh no.
Rodrigue has already read the letter, and says it has no new information, but he thinks Dimitri will probably find it disturbing. Dimitri says he'll read it later.
...Which is apparently right now for us, because the scene immediately changes to Shez and Dimitri discussing the letter. It was a missive to Viscount Elidure requesting cooperation in the conspiracy. Patricia/Anselma expressed sympathy for the Viscount's objections to Lambert's reforms, and said the Viscount would have a lot to gain from Lambert's death. Dimitri had the letter checked for any signs of forgery, but it's apparently authentic.
So yeah, Patricia did indeed participate in the Tragedy of Duscur. Ouch.
Dimitri says that every memory he has of his stepmother, she was "looking past" him, like the person she really cared for was somewhere else. But he still finds it hard to come to terms with her crimes, even in the face of solid evidence. He says he counted Patricia among the people he wished to avenge, but now she lies "squarely in the path of his fury."
(Note that Dimitri is sad/regretful as he's talking about all this, not angry. What a raw deal he got; the only mother he ever knew, whom he loved as a mother, cared so little for him that she was willing to sacrifice him in a regicide plot so she could go back to the Empire.)
(Press X to hug!)
Shez unhelpfully calls the whole thing "heavy stuff" and then Dimitri notes that something seems to be bothering Shez and asks what it is. (How typical of Dimitri to be worried about his friend while he's grappling with this awful bombshell. Some things never change!)
Shez brings up Myson and how he was familiar with Shez's powers. Shez isn't sure they trust themselves anymore, and wants to know the truth of who they are.
Dimitri says he trusts Shez. Shez asks what would happen if they suddenly transformed and attacked him (foreshadowing?), and Dimitri says he would stop them, and trails off before actually saying he'd kill Shez if he had to.
Shez says death is a good motivator to get their powers under control. Arval is upset that Shez sounds like they're OK with Dimitri killing them if the need arose. Hm....
Camp (Mideastern Gerth Territory)
Dorothea is worried about "Edie" and outright wonders if she's dead.
An NPC mercenary says a bunch of people have been defecting from the Empire lately. Said mercenary is actually one of those defectors; she chose to fight for the Empire at the start of the war because they seemed stronger, but now her money's on the Kingdom.
Now Marianne is worried about Edelgard. What earthly reason does Marianne have to be worried about Edelgard? They weren't even classmates during the whole month the Officer's Academy was open. What the hell?
Annette feels guilty that we're the ones "invading" now. Yes, that's true from a technical standpoint, but.... (That sound you hear in the background is my teeth grinding together.)
An NPC merchant talks about being rescued by the Knights of Seiros. He says he used to think the Central Church was "garbage" but now thinks he was mistaken.
Balthus and Yuri are bickering like a married couple, lol.
An NPC Kingdom Soldier says Jeralt's group works for Randolph. That guy again, huh?
Petra doesn't think Brigid will be having any relations with the Empire after the war. (Good for her.)
Flayn wants to save the people, even if it means fighting to do so.
An NPC Empire soldier expresses concern for Randolph. It's kind of insulting that this game's insisting Randolph's a good guy I should care about when his most memorable appearance in 3H was when Dimitri directly challenged his hypocrisy. Randolph has never been anything more than a Red Shirt.
Rodrigue wonders if he should've given Patricia's letter to Dimitri. (I think he did the right thing for the record, painful as it is.)
Paralogue: Raiders From the North
Woo! A paralogue featuring Dimitri, Sylvain and Rodrigue!
Shez complains about the cold, and says there's no snow (again). Sylvain says it's often coldest where there isn't snow. (Right, I'm sure the beaches of Hawaii are much colder than the top of Mt. Everest. /s)
(For the record, I live in a place that has long, cold winters and I have no idea what Sylvain's line is supposed to mean. It's true that if the air gets cold enough, snow cannot fall, but the coldest section of my state is the one that typically gets the most snow every winter overall, not the least.)
(In other words, give me my goddamn snow map. Or at least stop treating me like an idiot incapable of seeing through your contrived excuses for the lack of one.)
So this is all about invaders from Sreng, as the title implies. Shez asks if Faerghus and Sreng are mortal enemies, and Sylvain says it's not quite that but that there's always been fighting between the two. When Faerghus won the northern campaign years ago, the Sreng leader offered his youngest son as a POW, and that same son is now leading the current raid.
Rodrigue explains that Margrave Gautier's first wife was lost during the Sreng offensive (this is Miklan's mother), but in an effort to foster better relations, Matthias taught the POW the Faerghus language and customs and treated him well. But the prisoner escaped at the first opportunity.
Dimitri notes that our opponent would know more about Faerghus strategies than a typical Sreng commander would.
Matthias enters, and explains that we're heading for a place called the Ruska Mountains. Rodrigue knows the stronghold and notes that it's like their re-enacting the northern campaign. Matthias apologies for dragging Dimitri into this matter, but Dimitri naturally doesn't mind.
Sylvain cracks a joke about slacking off and gets an (implied) death glare from his dad and immediately walks it back, lol.
Rodrigue self-deprecates that he's just a common military man now, and Matthias calls him out on his false modesty. (These two are great together. You can see where Sylvain and Felix get it from.)
Matthias exhorts everyone to make "our king" proud. But I get the impression he's referring to Lambert, not Dimitri.
Pretty big map, but it doesn't look too complicated. The goal is simply to drive back the Sreng army. Matthias joins us as a green unit, and naturally we have to keep him alive.
Dimitri remarks that his father once stood on this battlefield. Sylvain isn't sure how he feels about repeating the same fight.
Rodrigue says he feels like he's fighting beside Matthias and Lambert again. Sylvain is flattered, but doesn't think he can compared to his dad. Dimitri says he's more than worthy of the comparison.
After defeating the Sreng generals, reinforcements come in, and we're given three strongholds to seize in a limited time.
Sylvain says that the enemy's tactics remind him of his father's chess strategies.
At Sylvain's prompt, Rodrigue talks a bit about Matthias' first wife. She was a classmate of theirs at the Officer's Academy, the star pupil of the Black Eagles. Dimitri says Matthias got his "Wall of Ice" title after her death. Rodrigue affirms this, and says that Matthias was lively and cheerful before that. (So he was more like Sylvain, I guess.)
There, seized the strongholds in time....and a buttload of reinforcements come out. The boss music kicks in as the Sreng leader taunts us. Defeating this round of reinforcements lures him out to play. He makes a beeline for Matthias, but since he hangs out at the center of the map, that's not a problem.
The commander has a little friendly-ish banter with Sylvain after he's defeated. Interesting.
A Rank, once again because of a too-low killcount (1356/1600). Paralogue battles in particular seem to have excessively demanding kill requirements. Dimitri won the MVP, naturally.
After the battle, Matthias says he's never seen this kind of ferocity from Sreng forces before, but says he's still surprised the commander tried to "batter" his way into Faerghus like that.
Shez thinks maybe Sreng saw the war as an opportunity for them. Dimitri wonders if someone from Adrestia incited them to attack, and Rodrigue mentions it could've been Cornelia's allies. (He likens them to a "bad rash," lol)
Matthias says the fault is still his for educating the Sreng commander in the first place. Sylvain says he shouldn't blame himself, and Dimitri points out that because the commander spoke their language, Sylvain was able to speak with him briefly.
Dimitri says he was raised to think of the Sreng people as demons, so even exchanging a few sentences with them feels like a "miracle." Sylvain agrees, as they can't achieve peace without understanding each other.
Matthias gets angry, since he can't see a way to peace with Sreng. Sylvain tells him he'll find a way, even if it takes his whole life. Matthias calls him naive and storms off. Rodrigue runs after him.
Dimitri compliments the earnestness of Sylvain's words. Sylvain reiterates that he's determined to make peace between Faerghus and Sreng somehow. Dimitri agrees that there's no need to use military might if another way is possible, and say he appreciates the way Sylvain thinks. Sylvain says he's impressed with how much Dimitri hates warfare considering he's good at it. (This whole exchange between them is great stuff; it's like the A support they never got in 3H. <3)
Shez asks if the Margrave will be OK. Sylvain says if Matthias really thought he was a naive idiot, he wouldn't have said anything at all.
Cut to Rodrigue and Matthias. They reminisce a bit about their time as students, and Matthias says Lambert wanted to forge peace between Faerghus, Duscur and Sreng. (Knowing that makes what happened to him even more tragic. Ouch.) Matthias remembers calling Lambert naive back then, but now wonders if he's actually the naive one, because he can't see things now as Lambert once did. He wonders if maybe peace with Sreng is possible after all.
Rodrigue says he hasn't changed at all, and tells him that if he regrets what he said to Sylvain, he should apologize. Matthias agrees.
...But we don't get to see that scene, though we get the Lance of Ruin (woo!) which strikes me as a very "Faerghus Dad" way of apologizing.
Really liked this paralogue. The battle was fun, there's some interesting worldbuilding bits and some great character interactions. Good stuff all around!
Battle
So we're taking on the forces of four Imperial houses at once, including Essar and Ochs, who should sound familiar. Dimitri reminds the group that we're the invaders this time. This particular short speech is fine on its own, but since it sits on top of the steaming pile of both-siderisms the game keeps throwing out, I can't help but be a little annoyed by it. Again.
Annette says this battle is the key to stopping the war. Ashe says he believes in this path, and Felix, Dedue and Sylvain chime in with similar sentiments, along with their support for Dimitri. Rodrigue says it's time to show the Empire what happens when they cross the people of Faerghus.
Another very big map, with an intimidating kill count of 2000. (Ugh). Our final Wolf, Constance, is here to recruit, and so is everyone's favorite sleepyhead, Linhardt. Opting to recruit them both requires nearly all of the Strategy Points!
Starting off, it's the usual "defeat the vanguard and seize a few marked strongholds" thing. Mercedes thinks it seems too easy, which is probably a hint that there will be something different on this map soon enough.
Seizing the next designated area now makes Rodrigue think things are going too smoothly.
Ah, now we get to pursue Monica. We also have to seize many more strongholds, some of which are annoyingly behind locked gates. There's a Gatekeeper we have to take out first.
....And of course, it's some kind of trap. Defeating the Gatekeeper spawns Hanneman, who proceeds to start dropping Bolting spells. Linhardt also appears (as a Holy Knight!) with a bunch of reinforcements.
Oh and there's Constance too, jeez. As well as some of the faceless Imperial nobles who sound very eager to bury the Faerghus army.
There, recruited Constance and Linhardt. Linhardt sounds super whiny after being defeated, lol.
The faceless nobles just retreat after being defeated. I'm a little disappointed. If the game wants me to feel bad for invading, it's gotta let me draw some blood, you know?
Oh, we get to actually kill Baron Ochs. Not that it matters since he's not really a character. Monica's reaction to his death is pretty underwhelming too, but she does finally come out to fight.
And Manuela's here now too. Haven't seen her yet at all, I don't think.
Oh come on! Even Monica just retreats. I wonder if she'll be like Ferdinand and Hubert and conveniently die/disappear offscreen. Does this game want me to feel bad about fighting the Empire or not?
So there's a gimmick with Manuela and Hanneman, in that she'll keep healing him when you bring his HP close to zero. There's probably a limit to how many times she does this? I don't know, but Rodrigue points you to defeat her first, so that's what I did. And yup, they both just retreat upon defeat. [Eyeroll] Dimitri speculates we might see them again though, so...maybe that's foreshadowing.
The final boss is Duke Gerth. Why this guy and not one of the characters we actually know? For a "climatic" clash, this is seriously underwhelming in terms of drama.
...Holy crap even Duke Gerth retreats. [Facepalm]
I got the S Rank! I just barely eked out enough kills, 2060. Dimitri won the MVP, yet again.
Post Battle
Rodrigue says the Imperial nobles will battle to the end to fight for their homes (which is why they run away after being defeated, apparently /s), just as the Kingdom would. This is true, and exactly what I would expect. Sylvain says it's exhausting just thinking about it, and Ingrid reminds him that they're doing this to bring peace to Fodlan.
Dimitri says that if the Empire and Kingdom can't coexist, then there's no choice but to fight. Sylvain agrees, since it's obvious what'll happen to Faerghus if Adrestia is left to do what it wants.
Rodrigue is impressed with everyone's resolve, and says the future of Faerghus is bright. (That great dad energy again!) He says that when the war's over, the king's the one who will get labeled as the invader. (That is usually how things work in history.) Felix gets mad and tells him not to put everything on Dimitri. Rodrigue tells him that his duty as the Shield is to support the king. Felix scoffs and says that's obvious.
Cut to Shez and Rodrigue alone. He's up late doing strategy work, so as to make things easier for Dimitri. They both comment on Dimitri's workaholic tendencies, and Rodrigue says Lambert was like that too.
Interesting: Lambert also became king at a young age. Shez asks if Dimitri is that much like his father, and Rodrigue says they'd be hard to tell apart if they were in the same room together now. (D'awww) He does add that Lambert apparently had a shorter temper, but that they're overall birds of a feather, unlike himself and Felix.
Shez says that Rodrigue and Felix actually are pretty similar (they actually are, once you get past Felix's tsundere-ness), with how they both take initiative on important matters. Rodrigue is flattered, and tells Shez to say that to Felix as well, lol.
He says Felix is a lot like him, but in ways he'd hoped they wouldn't be. Shez asks what he means, and Rodrigue says both he and Felix need some greater purpose in life. Rodrigue devoted himself fully to supporting and serving Lambert, and when he died, he lost his reason for living, and had to search for a new one. In the end, he renewed his devotion to Lambert by seeing through a promise he made. Shez asks what that promise was, and Rodrigue says that he was to set Dimitri back on the proper course if he ever strayed from it.
(The feels! If you've forgotten, this is a direct callback to Azure Moon. Rodrigue's promise was expressed/recalled when he died protecting Dimitri after Gronder.)
(...Wait a minute...)
Rodrigue says he won't be here forever, and he's glad Dimitri has friends like Shez. Shez says they feels like Dimitri's the one helping them, not the other way around.
Oh man. Rodrigue says it's not enough to simply stand by Dimitri's side and support him; he "needs someone to grab his hand and pull him in the right direction."
In other words....
[Squeeing noises]
Shez asks if Rodrigue doesn't think he can do that, even with Gustave's help. Rodrigue says he and Gustave are just Dimitri's retainers, and so can't see Fodlan through his eyes. But Shez stands on equal footing with him as his friend.
(Ugh, that line immediately jerked me out of my happy zone. I'm outright starving for any kind of Dimileth crumbs at this point.)
They talk a bit about Shez's background, and then Arval comments that Rodrigue is a true man of character and a wonderful person. (Agreed!!) Then Rodrigue asks for Shez's thoughts on how to stage an ambush, and we fade to black.
I enjoyed this scene with Rodrigue immensely, but it's giving off the same vibe as his late-night conversation with Byleth before Gronder, and we all know what happened there. Should I be worried?
This chapter was very much a mixed bag. The paralogue was great, there were some good side battles, and there's the emotional moment with Dimitri about his stepmother and this moving conversation with Rodrigue. The main battle was fun to play but abysmal in terms of executing the drama the narrative was trying to build, and the attempts to "both sides" this conflict continue to be infuriating, if not outright insulting to my intelligence. [Shrug]
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On projecting onto character;
I am someone who's okay with characters who do bad things it doesn't bother me and my biggest limit is when they hurt children but Miklan makes me so uncomfortable because even though it's not physically abusive i have a less than favorable relationship with my older brother and Miklan is a character i just can't stand to see because everyone around me validated my brothers behavior and seeing the fandom go easy on Miklan is so. . . So what i mean is i understand people projecting onto characters but some people imo take it too far Rodrigue isn't bad as people make him out to be
i saw some people make him out to be abusive and homophobic which i don't understand at all? Yes Felix doesn't have the best relationship with his father but Rodrigue isn't like that from what the game tells and shows us meanwhile Miklan is a character who is in game acknowledged to be bad but the fandom acts like he's a victim it's confusing sorry this ask derailed i am not the best with putting my thoughts into words
That's ok anon! I tend to ramble sometimes too haha.
I think the problem with projection tends to happen when people are no longer able to differentiate between themselves and their experiences and the experiences of the character. Like, they begin viewing the character as an extension of their own personal story rather than as having their own story to tell.
I mentioned Raphael. He looks a lot like a guy who used to be very creepy toward me (if you've been following me for awhile, it's the guy I mentioned when I was discussing incels a few months back). Like, it's kind of uncanny. However, I would never argue that Raphael is intended to be written as an incel loser who treats women like sex objects just because he looks like that guy. Did my experiences probably color my view of the character because they have visual similarities? Yeah... but that doesn't mean I can argue that the character is Like That.
I have some of these feelings toward Felix too... I'm not the biggest fan of Dimitri/Felix for a lot of reasons, one of which is that it kind of reminds me of a toxic dynamic I personally had with a former friend... but I'm not going to argue that Felix is exactly like that former friend, either.
Idk, and I feel like a lot of modern fandom culture really encourages this kind of behavior too, with people acting like comfort characters/blorbos/whatever you want to call them gives you some sort of ownership of that character, and therefore people should only depict them in ways you agree with.
Oh yeah and Miklan getting a pass in fandom is something I've talked about before lol. TL;DR: Like... yeah when commit attempted murder numerous times maybe you should be stripped of all your wealth and power. Maybe we don't want literal (almost, thank god) child murderers in charge of things.
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I’ve spent last couple days watching old synchronized skating programs, and then randomly thought to myself “You know what would be neat? Dimileth synchronized skating AU!”... And then decided why not, so here’s the result of this particular brainstorm.
For those unfamiliar with the sport, synchronized skating is a discipline of figure skating in which 8-16 skaters (full team usually consisting about 20-25 skaters) performs as a team. This is what it looks like in practice.
My initial idea was that Byleth would already be an extremely competent skater but a newcomer to synchronized skating - maybe she was a figure skater or ice dancer, but something happened. Maybe she has hurt herself and that means she can’t jump properly anymore, her partner quit or maybe she has just lost passion and isn’t sure if she wants to continue skating anymore. Jeralt and/or Sitri (she’s still alive in this AU) would of course try to cheer her up, they have some quality family time and at one point they decide to take Byleth to watch synchronized skating World Championships with them for reasons maybe Sitri likes to follow it casually, who knows. Byleth has a good time, she enjoys the atmosphere of the competition and there’s one team she takes a specific liking to; this of course being Blue Lions and in the midst of it all she takes notice in one particular skater, who's later revealed to be none other than Dimitri.
The competition is great but tough and while Blue Lions perform well, they can’t do their personal best and end up in second place. Byleth feels a bit sorry for them as she liked both of their programs and their team spirit seemed great, but despite that she had a fun time watching the competition and considers to keep close eye to the sport moving forward. Jeralt and Sitri take notice on how Byleth seems to have cheered up, and some time later ask of her how she feels about quitting skating now - she still feels somewhat lost, but she doesn’t consider quitting anymore. Her parents then tell her that she could try synchronized skating if she’s interested, since the try-outs are open and the teams are searching for new members, Blue Lions included. At first she’s not certain if she should, but she decides to try it anyway because it’s not like she loses anything by simply trying. So when the time comes, she goes to the Blue Lions try-out and finally meets Dimitri; she immediately recognizes him as the skater she took notice of while in the worlds and during the try-out tries to socialize with him. Despite both of them being socially awkward, they get good first impressions of each other and Dimitri says he’d like to keep contact with Byleth even if she didn’t get into the team - not that it’s even necessary, as some time later Byleth gets to know that she was accepted to Blue Lions!
Now when it comes to Dimitri in this AU, he has already skated in Blue Lions for a season or two and he has been a synchronized skater ever since he was a little kid. I came up with a little backstory on why he chose synchronized skating in the first place, and it begun when Rodrigue brought Lambert to watch the Worlds with him years ago because his girlfriend was skating in there. Lambert agreed somewhat begrudgingly because he wasn’t really a figure skating person and would’ve much rather spent time practicing (idea here being that he and Rodrigue were famous ice hockey players in their youth), but much to his surprise he did end up enjoying it and there was a one particular skater in Blue Lions who caught his eye. Rodrigue and his girlfriend then decided to play matchmakers and arranged a meeting for the two; long story short they befriended and fell in love with each other, and after she ended her active skating career season or two later they got married and had Dimitri. As per canon she died when Dimitri was a toddler but since Lambert kept all of her skating memorabilia, Dimitri did know a good deal about her and wanted her to be proud of him - so once he was old enough to put his skates on, he was determined to become synchronized skater, to make her proud. Since pretty much all of the coaches in his club knew his mum back in the day, he was always under self-inflicted pressure to perform well. He has known Sylvain, Felix and Ingrid ever since skating school, met Dedue while they were juveniles, got to know Mercedes, Annette and Ashe in juniors and they’ve been tightly-knit group ever since those junior seasons.
No when it comes to Dimitri’s relationship with Lambert in the AU, I’ve thought that he’d always been extremely supportive of Dimitri, even becoming the caretaker for his teams few times - if we keep the idea of him being a famous ice hockey player in his youth, this would’ve likely made Dimitri something of a celebrity among his peers, putting him under even more pressure to perform well and serve as example to his teammates. Lambert would still die in the AU but it would likely happen a bit later than in canon, maybe when Dimitri is in juniors. It still was a world shattering event to him, and would just add more weight and pressure on Dimitri’s already fragile mental state.
What happens next would be the actual meat of the AU, with Byleth learning what it means to be a synchronized skater and trying to find her place in the team, Dimitri becoming the captain of Blue Lions and struggling with that role along with his personal demons and life, along with Byleth befriending the other Blue Lions and her budding relationship with Dimitri. Of course it will have a happy ending with Blue Lions getting their well deserved WC-win after all the hardships and Dimileth getting together, but feel free to add more into this because all I have is the beginning, basic outline and the end - and there’s still room for 7-11 teammates, so there’s lot to add on.
#late night thoughts#dimileth#fire emblem three houses#fe3h#dimitri alexandre blaiddyd#byleth eisner#dimitri x byleth#despite me using f!byleth this au can also work with m!byleth with next to no changes#the more i think of the idea of blue lions performing synchronized skating programs the more i like it#i can already see annette and ashe being lifted. ingrid felix and mercedes lift annette. dimitri dedue and sylvain lift ashe.#no thoughts just blue lions + byleth and some other performing these kinds of programs#those linked programs are some of favorites through the years. no logic i just love them#note to self - don't come up with au concepts at 2 am if you want to sleep#today in 'i have no clue what this word is in english and take guesses in the dark'
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I think part of the reason some GW defenders are so alright with Clyde killing innocents like he does is because they connect Hopes Claude and 3H Claude as the same character with the same traits. Doing that you can kinda make comparisons to Dimitri in 3H: "if this and that happened to him, he'd act in ways he normally wouldn't"
But the thing is, Hopes!Claude DOESN'T really have the same traits as 3H!Claude. He's not curious, he's far more manipulative and opportunistic, he's far more ready to get innocents killed, he's a lot more closed-minded, he doesn't plan for the future nearly as much - he doesn't have MOST of 3H!Claude's good traits, so there's nothing in his character that could suggest he'd ever grow on from doing these sort of actions. Which can't be said for 3H!Dimitri either, who even in his lowest moments keeps some form of compassion and care (he never hurts others unless they're after him first, he still cares for children, etc.).
So that moment of Hopes!Claude overcoming his low point ala AM!Dimitri? Would never happen. What would make him go through that moment? Not his friends who all either nod along with him or otherwise go along with him. Not the death of Judith even though that was caused by him being overly violent. Not the idea of the war getting worse by enflaming things with Sreng. Not the idea of Leicester losing its independence from the Empire as he actively helps make that a reality. Not the loss of the Central Church who the majority of people rely on for safety. Not the potential worsening of Almyra's reputation. Not wanting to know what could be different. Legitimately, Hopes!Claude has no internal or external incentive to make him want to be better, unlike AM!Dimitri who had the death of Rodrigue open his eyes to his actions. Hopes!Claude is completely stagnant as a character, which is something I don't think his defenders realize.
That's something I've been disputing too. It's not a matter of circumstance changing someone's path, but how he reacts to those things. I think it's worth mentioning that academy phase Hopes Claude has a more mature outlook on everything that happens before the timeskip. He was fine at first, and that's where Hopes went wrong for so many people afterward. His character went backwards based on an existing point in the same game, so instead getting older and more wise, he got older and his character was dumbed down.
Part of this, like people have said, is likely influenced due to the fact that they probably improve upon Edelgard due to her popularity and keep her safe, etc. The problem is that they could've done this without having Claude basically be her puppet. I don't say this as a jab at Edelgard specifically, but as a complaint that the writers didn't just make Claude behave the same way he did in AG when he teamed up with Dimitri and the Church.
Really though there were plenty of moments he could’ve had that turn around and made up for what he did. I’m actually bummed that he didn’t consider the whole “if Edelgard dies, the war ends” thing more, because he basically decided instantly that they’d save her just for a... debt. So basically Claude chose her being in his debt over the thousands of lives that would be saved by the war ending.
Like, I’m sorry, what? He’d rather keep the war going so that someone in a high power would be in his debt? Why would that even matter if she was dead? There was nothing but things looking up for Leicester if she died, but instead he risked the possibility of the war continuing after killing Rhea, which he expected it to anyway. Even if she was in his debt, she would not honor that debt if he asked something like letting Leicester retain their independence post the Rhea battle if Edelgard decided to invade them again.
Basically all she has to do is say they submit to her or they go to war and not honor the debt and that’s that. He can want debts all he wants, but why would he expect the person who began this war to honor them? She started the war for a reason, so why does he think for even a moment that she would go back on her reasons just because uwu debt? If she was that fickle there were plenty of times she could’ve decided to call it quits or try to make amends.
Also, why would she stop at that point? With Rhea out of the way, that’s one less enemy splitting up her forces. With Faerghus weakened and too busy worrying about Sreng, she wouldn’t need to send as many forces to Faerghus to keep them occupied unless Sylvain very quickly successfully managed to get Sreng to stop invading them (possible with Matthias out of the picture, that being, the person in charge all that time is probably someone they don’t like, so they might listen to The New Guy who wasn’t part of that commander’s capture way back when... but it’s also not a guarantee considering their reasons for invasion are survival, versus, you know, Claude’s dumb reasons to invade).
There’s basically nothing stopping Edelgard post GW from starting the war back up between their territories. Also, why would she want to risk whatever Claude has planned for a debt when TWS is still out there? Considering TWS isn’t even dealt with completely in GW (despite Lysithea’s conversation with Claude about them), why would she put herself in a position that might end up being risky for her?
Something I think worth noting between their alliance and AG with Edelgard is that Claude wants her alive because he thinks he can make use of her, and though he takes down Rhea, TWS is still loitering around, doing their thing. In AG Dimitri protects Edelgard because he wants answers from her that she sounded willing to give. Claude is running on guesses and assumptions. He’s running on maybes. Dimitri heard from Edelgard firsthand that Thales killed Lambert and probably realized she had nothing to gain by lying. Thales was clearly attacking her and she thought they teamed up, which meant she was no ally to this man. Dimitri had that definite when he chose to step in between them. He didn’t do it for a “debt” so much as finding out some truths.
Mind you, Edelgard loses nothing by admitting the truth to Dimitri. All she really gets is positives, because now TWS has been out in the open and has made a huge enemy of the Kingdom. Now TWS being Faeghus’ enemy wouldn’t end with just Cornelia the way it otherwise might have. There’s no reason for her to lie to Dimtiri at that point, whereas in GW it puts her in a bad position to owe another territory’s leader anything.
Meanwhile in AG, they could get a temporary ally in Faerghus to defeat TWS, even if it meant going back to war after. In this sense, it could’ve easily been a mutual understanding of yeah, we’ll probably be fighting again after this, but there will be no debts or leashes on anyone. In fact, the only reason we didn’t have the chance for that was because Thales Did What He Did to Edelgard. Honestly, I think it would be a good theory to consider that he may have expected them to try to ally with with each other against TWS.
Basically Claude thinks he has this all thought out and planned, but how can he guarantee Edelgard will keep her word? Honestly, why should she? She started the war, and if Claude tried to use this “debt” she owed to make her stop attacking Leicester or not resume the attack post Rhea battle, she could easily handwave that debt because she didn’t start the war just to take it all back. On the flip side, Dimitri literally said until he got answers from her that nobody was to lay a hand on her.
So in both those cases, Claude is the one disadvantage, yet he chooses to save her and keep the war ongoing despite his many claims of wanting to save as many as possible. The unfortunate part of him saying that is that... it’s all talk. It’s meant to sound good when he never actually does that. Even if that’s what he does want, it’s not what he does do. Even when Lorenz is trying to argue with him precisely to save as many lives as possible, Claude always finds a way to go with the higher death toll. They’re nice words, but not ones he lives by. Unfortunately that’s consistent throughout all of the second half of his story, so his character gains nothing. All of his plans and “schemes” don’t improve on his character.
He doesn’t get worse. He doesn’t get better. He just constantly preaches one thing and does the exact opposite. Like... that’s all that happens in the second half of GW. It’s very unlike VW where you can see actual progression and growth, and where you can look at him by the end and say “that’s not the same boy from the first half of the game”.
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familiarity | feligard
It's been a couple of months since the war ended, and even though the Empire has won, nothing feels the same. Felix stares at the ceiling in his empty house in former Fraldarius territory, sighs to himself. This place used to be a home, he thinks as he glances over towards a painting on the wall, a painting he did as a child of himself, Glenn, Rodrigue and his mother. Now, it's just an empty, barren house – four walls and a roof.
There's a gentle knock on the door, and before Felix can sit up to go and answer it, the door swings open. One of the house's maids, Lenore enters the room, bowing her head. "Sorry to intrude, Master Fraldarius, but you have someone visiting."
"Did you ask who they were?" Felix asks coldly.
The maid shakes her head. "I... don't know who she is, but I think she's important. Imperial." Lenore steps out and walks down the hall, leaving Felix alone again. He sighs, running a hand through his long blue hair. He didn't even bother getting dressed today, still in his pyjamas.
Felix decides to make himself somewhat presentable, washing his face in the sink and finding some casual clothes. If Lenore said that this visitor was an Imperial type, Felix half-expects someone like Hubert or even Dorothea. Not that he wouldn't mind the latter's company right now.
When he finishes readying himself he leaves his room and walks down the stairs, Lenore waiting at the entryway standing next to the visitor. Felix rubs his tired eyes. "Well, isn't this shocking."
"That's not a way to treat your Emperor." Edelgard steps forward into the house, slipping off her shoes and setting them to the side. "Good morning to you too."
"What're you doing in my house?" Felix asks flatly.
"I'm just paying a visit," Edelgard explains. "Plus, you were one of our best leaders during the war. I wanted to give you something special." She walks through the house and situates herself in the living room, settling down on the sofa.
Felix, confused, follows. He has no memory of Edelgard ever visiting Fraldarius, but maybe he was always spending time with Sylvain back in their youth. Felix knows of Edelgard from childhood. This is the first time he's ever truly spoken to her in private.
Felix finds a comfortable sofa to situate on as well. "What did you want to give me?"
"Hubert had one of these magical daggers laying around," Edelgard explains, as she retrieves a sparking dagger from her dress pocket. "It looks a bit like a levin sword, but smaller. I figured you'd want it."
Felix takes the dagger. Huh, this feels familiar. He looks at it closely, sparks of electricity shooting from the blade. Felix knows a decent amount of reason, so he can handle a magical sword harnessed with the power of dark magic. "Thank you," his expression changes into a shy but relaxed smile.
"You're welcome. I also wanted to ask you," Edelgard glances down. "Do you know that Dimitri and I are... were related?"
"Kind of," Felix sets the dagger down on the table. "He didn't say much about you."
"I see..." the Emperor's expression changes as well, almost appearing hurt. "I wonder why that is."
Felix wants to change the subject. Just thinking about the dead makes him sick. He's already witnessed it too much, and has already caused the deaths of so many friends and even his own father. "We'll never know," Felix says flatly. "That goddamn boar is burning in hell is all I know."
#felix's writing#fanfiction#writeblr#fire emblem fanfiction#fire emblem three houses#fe3h#three houses#fire emblem fanfic#edelgard von hresvelg#felix hugo fraldarius#feligard#rarepair#crimson flower au
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fe3h update! well i just finished my first playthrough and i am just sitting here.... the second to last battle was SO hard for me and it was definitely made harder by the fact that i like. played it weird. bc i thought if i just completely avoided her i wouldn't have to kill mercedes so i took all my units on a really weird path and then once i finally killed everyone else turns out. i still had to kill her.
i managed to get to a support between byleth and all of the eagles except linhardt (still mad about that.... i wanted to get the whole set </3), as well as marianne, sylvain, ingrid, and felix (who yeah, i did end up recruiting).
as for my ranking of the eagles... it's really tough to pick! it's closer to tiers for me, bc some of these characters are so close to each other in my ranking. i'd probably go... dorothea, caspar, bernie/hubie/edie, petra, ferdie, linhardt. dorothea and caspar are probably my absolute favorites now. and because of that, i think they're gonna be the eagles i recruit on my VW playthrough (and maybe. all subsequent playthroughs too LMAO) . from the lions, i think i'm gonna take sylvain again bc he's easy to get and he grew on me, as well as mercedes. mighttt also recruit annette and maybe ashe? i barely interacted with them the first time around but i hear ashe is interesting in VW and annette has supports with claude, but i'm also trying to limit myself here lmao. i'm probably not gonna try to recruit both of them, if i even recruit one.
anyway! i'm genuinely sooo excited for claude.... also since i enjoyed marianne so much, i'm excited for her to be like.. more relevant LMAO.
i'm also gonna look into how to like... successfully build my guys this time around because i have a feeling i was NOTTT doing it well at all. which like... i don't need to have the best builds in the world or anything, as long as i'm having fun i don't need to be doing things "right", but like. i think i could maybe be having a bit more fun if i. knew what i was doing lol.
thanks for letting me give you these updates lol! i am having sooo much fun.
HIII OHOHO HAPPY TO HEAR YOUVE FINISHED YOUR FIRST RUN :D AND THAT YOU REALLY ENJOYED IT.... i lowkey forget the second to last battle ebut i assume it was the one w/ dimitri right? or was it the silver maiden one w/ rodrigue? forgive me its been a bit since ive played crimson flower dfgnfg but anyhow! SORRY THAT YOUR DIVERSION MADE THE BATTLE DIFFICULT FOR YOU....AND THAT YOU STILL HAD TO KILL MERCEDES ANYWAY ):
and damn </3 atleast you got thr A supports between the rest of the black eagles! i suppose theres always next route or next CF route that you can get linhardt's... i could tell you the gist of it if you want but im sure youd rather get it yourself. speaking of A supports, which endings did you get :o? like between the other characters i mean?
good tier list<3333 dorothea at the top as she shoudl be. and edie and hubie togehter as they SJOULD be. dorothea snd caspar as your faves are such good choices... quite the duo. and them being the eagles you recruit in your other routes is very respectable as well.. still cant believe that youre willign to Not recruit everyone but i totally understand the mindset as well. angst is good. but it also hurts. MERCEDES..... ooohhh i love her oh so much. she would def be a good choice. good luck limiting yourself btw dfgkdnfg annette and ashe are very good very goodd. im not particularly attached to them as ive talked abt before but theyre both very sweet characters. and have a lot of substance to them. plus their family situations and whatnot are very sad. so yeah! recruiting any of the blue lions to learn more abt them would be a good thing to do! esp if you didnt interact w/ them much in CF
YESSS CLAUDES ROUTE WAS VEYR GOOD.... AND I LOVE HIMS O MUCH ANDHIS RELATIONSHIP W/ BYLETH.... and yessss marianne ): my girl.... i will say that something that happens in verdant wind def shouldve been saved for edie's route but :/ soon enough you'll see what i mean. hope you enjoy verdant wind!!!!
and kfdngdkfg yeah i feel that. its quite overwhelming at times isnt it? as logn as youre having fun though thats all that matter sbut i totally understand wanting to like know what youre doing. a few videos and reading up on classes should help! what were your guys' final classes if you don't mind me asking? if you think youd habe more fun if you knew what you were doing, then id def go for it! good luck w/ everything!
and omg of course!!!! thank YOU for being so kind to keep me updated and whatnot! i always enjoy reading what you have to say and how you've been doing in game and otherwise :] hope you have a good day / night!!!!
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A letter that finds its way to the True Order is addressed to Beryl with some tickets to visit the resort again, hopefully with less issues this time around. As well as these tickets, there is a letter with familiar handwriting even if it isn't quite the neatest.
>Hey Beryl,
>I haven't heard from you since that last letter months ago letting me know you're still alive, I hope this actually reaches you. I wasn't sure where to send it, so the couriers took care of it for me. Does the True Order even have an actual address in the first place??? Anyway. I hope you're doing alright, I'm fine over here. You might not recognize me now, though--I had to dye my hair and everything so I wouldn't stand out as a Gautier. I've been living with the Fraldarius family thanks to Rodrigue's good graces.
>But that's not important.
>I hope you like the tickets, I heard your last trip wasn't so great. You should be able to get a suite with the reservation attached to the tickets. Happy birthday!
Love,
Your brother, Sylvain
Happy Belated Birthday Beryl! -- Accepting until 9/20/22 -- @pseudomonarkaerenea
The letter was left on her desk by Faust. As she goes to pick it up, the handwriting is familiar. A small smile forms on her face as she opens it. Ruby eyes read over the contents of the letter, the smiling growing more.
He's never changed... Fraldarius family...? They're still around? I'll have to thank them. Or... Maybe send them something without them knowing.
She's quick to reply back. Neat handwriting dances across the page as she writes. Inside the letter in return was one of the tickets. She would've invited Eicy, but...
>Dear Sylvain,
>I received your recent letter. Attached is a paper written with the 'address' of the True Order. This is where our Outpost is. I've asked Lady Victoria for it.
>I'm glad to hear that you're with the Fraldarius family. They have always been kind to us, haven't they? I remember some of the times you got in trouble, and Sir Rodrigue bailed you and Felix out. Please extend my gratitude to them as well.
>I'm sorry for the trouble I caused you all of these years....
>I'm returning one of the tickets. I--
There's a thick line that goes through some words after 'I'. It starts up again on a new line.
Putting the pen down, she walks away from the letter at first. Could she let herself go and meet him once again? It's been, gods, years since they've seen each other. Would he recognize her? Would she recognize him? She's been with the True Order to keep pressure off of him as much as possible.
"I don't think I'll be able to see him again. I can't... bring him more pain."
"Now Beryl. You're hurting not only yourself but him by saying that."
"I don't--!"
"I know that's now what you mean. You only want the best for him, but you know the Truth now."
".... I.
"I want to see him again, Faust."
She returns to the letter a day later.
>I want us to go. Please reply when you're free.
>Love,
Your sister, Beryl
#✦; beryl: ic#Beryl's Birthday//#∘Alchemy Stars#∘Question#Long post//#pseudomonarkaerenea#FUCKING CRIES OVER THE SIBS AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
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A Cleric and a Prince
Dimitri x Reader
Cannon typical violence, deep splinters, personal threats
Being a healer at Garreg Mach is a challenging job. Working with Manuela in the infirmary is a mixture of emotions. Happy to help others, sad that she has so many personal issues, anxious when someone arrives with serious wounds, hilarious when the students tell you exactly how they become (not seriously) hurt before arriving in the infirmary.
You have not yet been instructed regarding the fine points of battle. If the students need healing battalions, you are part of the Seiros Sacred Monks, helping Mercedes. Your group frequently accompanies the Blue Lions in battles as well as working with them in the monastery, being available to heal them after rough sparring sessions and general needs.
Eventually, a few members of your battalion are assigned to specific members of the class. You are assigned to Dimitri and Dedue. You cannot handle Felix’s antagonistic personality. Sylvain, well, he was given a male healer so that he will focus on what is hurt versus being Sylvain.
After a few battles Dimitri and Dedue realize that you are their assigned healer. It is not announced to the troops, however they notice the same healers heading to assist the same team members. Dimitri asks you to sit with him and Dedue during meals quite often. Dedue speaks with you frequently during your time together in the greenhouse. Healing herbs don’t plant themselves.
You’ve become good friends with both of them. Cheering them both on when they enter the lance tournaments. Joining them in the training grounds, healing their injuries, or the injuries of their opponents more likely, after a long sparring session.
Things fall apart after the battle that occurs in the Holy Tomb. Dimitri is acting strange and distant. Dedue shields you from him at times. Dimitri’s health is suffering, you can tell that he’s not eating and sleeping properly. You help Dedue mix other herbs into the prince’s tea, hoping to get him to sleep occasionally. You find out about Dimitri’s ageusia and load up on the sleeping herbs. Dimitri is a big guy and there are enough herbs in this batch to knock out a horse. He finally sleeps for a night, Dedue cannot force the tea on him every day, he gives it to him as often as he can.
The battle when they lose the Professor is devastating. Dimitri is seriously injured, you keep him from the brink of death. As soon as he is mobile, Dimitri disappears with Dedue following him.
Remaining with the Knights of Seiros you are trained to fight like everyone else. Nearly five years are spent searching for Rhea, fighting Imperial troops, and thieves. Returning to the monastery after the anniversary of the millennium festival, the place is a mess, in worse condition than when you marched away with the rest of the Knights. The Blue Lions return. Dimitri is with them, at least the shell of him is here.
You attempt many times to speak with him while he keeps his vigil at the base of the shattered statue of the goddess.
“The Dimitri you once knew is dead, only this repulsive blood-covered monster remains!” he screeches at you as you enter with a tray of food from the kitchens.
You have learned to bring things that can survive his rage. Any food or drink you bring near him is immediately upended or thrown against the wall. In times of true hunger, the Boar forages, grabbing the chunk of sausage or meat skewers, now stale bread and raw vegetables from the floor.
The times that he is lucid are few. Infrequently, the Professor can have a partial conversation with him. If you catch him while he sleeps or as soon as he wakes, he may let you approach to clean a few wounds and heal him.
Felix scoffs at you, telling you that you are wasting your time and effort on a beast, a worthless animal. Yet Felix is there, every day, just like you, watching over him.
The army heads for Ailell, obtaining additional troops and Rodrigue joins them. Rodrigue can have a few conversations with Dimitri, however Dimitri’s anger still controls him. It is only when they take over the Great Bridge at Myrddin that a change is sparked in him, when Dedue rejoins the Blue Lions.
Now, when food is brought, it is handed to Dedue, who will not allow his highness to throw the trays. Dedue directs the prince not to use his rage upon those that come to aid him. He even convinces Dimitri to remove his armor, a few pieces at a time, to be cleaned and repaired. Dimitri allows the Professor or you to approach, assisting with cleansing his wounds, healing, and clearing his infections.
The army marches for Gronder Field. You stand amongst the troops in his battalion, waiting for the order to proceed. Suddenly it is time to advance. Dimitri and Dedue sprint far ahead of their battalions, they are immediately surrounded by enemies. The battalions fight their best, you alongside them. Perhaps nobody will notice if you cast physic on Dimitri. Dedue is a brick wall, or at least is made of stone, he does not get injured often. The Blue Lions fiercely move forward, Dimitri is determined to reach Edelgard and end her life.
Dedue assists by clearing the last armored Imperial fighter in Dimitri’s way as the leaders of the opposing troops battle. You are fighting Edelgard’s battalion members, preventing them from attacking Dimitri and Dedue. A sudden roar comes from Dimitri as Edelgard is warped away by Hubert. His prize taken from him, Dimitri lashes out at her remaining battalion members, crushing heads and ripping off arms, rending flesh.
The sounds of battle dissipate. You are called to the medical tents to assist with healing. Suddenly the word spreads around camp that Rodrigue has fallen. You cry, not just for Rodrigue, but for Dimitri, whose rage was calming due to Rodrigue and Dedue’s work, and for Felix, who is now alone.
Dimitri solemnly returns to Garreg Mach, Dedue at his side as they escort the body of his dear departed friend.
After the funeral, you march to the Cathedral, arms full of bandages and cleansing cloths. Dimitri would not let you treat his wounds after the battle, during the march or the service. Dedue convinced Dimitri to bathe for the wake. You approach them both as Dedue helps you undress Dimitri from the waist up. As you clean his wounds to avoid further infection, heal him, apply salves, and bandage him, Dimitri looks at you for the first time in forever.
“I am sorry for your loss. I know Rodrigue was like a father to you.” You tell him softly as you wrap a bandage around his left arm.
“He told me I should live for my ideals.” Dimitri swallows, his voice trembles, “Rather than stay shackled by the ghosts of the past.”
“Learn from the past, live for the future.” You smile at him, smoothing some salve to his left ribs. “I know you can do it. Rodrigue believed in you. I do too.”
“My apologies for any problems I have caused you.” He says then hangs his head.
Tying off the bandage on his chest you hug him. “All is forgiven. Rest easy.” You whisper.
He’s not sure what to do, he lifts you into his lap and surrounds you with his arms lightly touching your back, fearful of his great strength. He sobs into your shoulder as you softly whisper comforting words to him patting his back and rubbing his shoulders.
When his tears end, you ask Dedue to get a small towel wet. You place it on Dimitri’s face to cool his forehead eyes and nose. While pressing it to his face, you cast a faith spell to reduce the pain and swelling from crying. After a few minutes you peek underneath the cloth over his good eye.
“How’s it going?” You softly ask.
His blue eye looks at yours. “Better.”
You climb from his lap and he stands, taking a deep breath. “I should probably speak with Byleth.” He coughs into his hand. “Thank you.” He says bowing.
“I’m always at your service.” You smile.
The battle in Fhirdiad is awful. You had not been to the capital of Faerghus too frequently, it is painful to see so many lives ruined, buildings and homes demolished. The citizens are rebelling against the Imperial army, doing their best to help. Although the commoners are brave, you cannot help but feel grief-stricken when they are killed. The people are not trained fighters, however they feel so heart strong for their land and kingdom.
The battle against Cornelia is harrowing, under the tactical eye of Byleth and strong will of Dimitri, the Blue Lions are triumphant. Bells ring throughout the city proclaiming the victory. Citizens are jubilant, dancing in the streets. A celebratory feast is held in the castle.
You are in the infirmary, healing and patching up anyone that comes for treatment. Working long hours into the night, you collapse into an empty infirmary bed for a well-deserved rest. The morning comes quickly. Dedue arrives asking for assistance with Dimitri’s wounds. The serious injuries for soldiers have been addressed, ensuring that the soon to be King is healthy is the next item on the priority list.
“Thank you for coming to my aid.” Dimitri humbly addresses you as you enter his room. “I did not see you at the feast. I was told you were working with the other clerics, healing those that could be helped. I feel guilty asking for your assistance.”
“We need you to lead us.” You smile. “It makes no sense to let you become ill from infection.”
As you treat his wounds and bandage him, you tell him stories of his brave people. How they worked together to aid in the fighting, putting out fires to save buildings, pulling other citizens away from the battles, and how all of them support him.
Dimitri again lets his thoughts go back to when he was lost and out of control. You reassure him that the people have forgiven him. They cannot lead themselves, not yet anyway. Everyone can heal together. Rebuild the city, rebuild the people. Put people into place that are good rulers, good people to look up to and respect.
The conversation goes on, you did not realize that the two of you are talking for hours. It is quite late, he should probably be asleep.
“Come Dimitri, it is time for you to go to bed. Get dressed and I will tuck you in and tell you a story.” You grin at him. He holds you to your word. He calls to you after he is dressed in his nightclothes and under his covers.
You gently tuck him in and blow out all the candles but one. You tell him a fairy tale about a boy, magic beans, an evil goose, and a giant. Your hand is on the bed next to him. Gently he places his on top of yours before the story is done. You take his hand in both of yours, rubbing it warmly between yours as you tell him another story about silly animals that think they can sing and their adventures. When you know he is asleep, you take the candle with you as you leave.
The rest and recovery time in the capital is short lived as the army heads out to Derdriu to assist Claude, the city is under siege. Byleth leads the troops just in time to rescue them. The army turns south to head to Enbarr. One last attempt in negotiating for peace is held with Edelgard, however neither side would give in. Battle is the only way to finish the war.
The battle goes through the streets and heart of the city. So many dead, so much blood everywhere. Everyone gave their all. Edelgard refuses to stand down and her life ends. Dimitri, Byleth, and the rest of the army claim the final victory in the war.
You hound Dimitri for thirty minutes before Dedue steps in, helping remind him that he is injured from the battle and needs treatment. Taking him to a quiet and safe room inside the castle you cleanse his wounds, stitching what he would let you and healing him. You then force him to drink water.
“May I finally return to my duties?” He grumbles.
“Yes, now that I feel like you will not fall over in the middle of them.” You answer. Turning to Dedue you instruct him, “Do not let him stay up all night. He needs to try to eat and sleep.”
“As you wish.” Dedue nods as he follows his liege.
“Wait, you have not been healed as well. Sit and show me your wounds.” You direct him to a chair. Soon Dedue is allowed to follow Dimitri to the multiple destinations on the agenda for the evening.
You head to the temporary infirmary, healing and tending to all the injured, be they from your army or citizens of Enbarr.
Finally, the army leaves for Fhirdiad at the beginning of the Verdant Rain Moon. Everyone is happy to be in the cooler temperatures in the northern part of the continent. You settle in the castle, working in the infirmary, staying in the residence for the healers. In your spare time you volunteer healing the hurt and ailing citizens, working alongside them to help rebuild and recover.
Dimitri’s coronation is a grand affair and a healing event for the city. It is a celebration that proves things are well and that prosperity is just around the corner. You sneak out of the infirmary to watch Dimitri be crowned as King. The cheering of everyone brings tears to your eyes. Their hopes and dreams are now resting on his shoulders.
Finishing work, you arrive at the celebration long after the food has been served, someone had been kind enough to send trays of food to the infirmary and it was shared with the patients that remain there as well. Even the spirits of those still suffering injuries are high and in a celebratory mood.
You clean up, wearing clothing proper enough for a meeting with the king, not really fancy enough for a royal party, it is enough you think as you arrive at the festivities that are ongoing. Dancing, singing, drinking and toasts will most likely continue for the entire night. You look over the crowd, finding Dedue is not difficult, he towers over everyone. You wind your way through the other happy celebrants to stand by his side.
“Good evening, Dedue. Is everything going well?” You ask him.
Dedue leans toward you, whispering. “I am well. His Highness has been quite swept up in the events of the day and should move to retire soon.”
“I agree. It looks like he is being cornered by quite the crowd of potential dance partners, let me see if I can intervene.” You answer with the slightest bit of a grin.
Walking up to the King with an air of authority, you bow and wait for the opportunity to address him. Dimitri appears happily surprised at your presence.
“I am pleased to see you are able to join us. Is there anything I can do for you?” Dimitri smiles, but it appears to be a bit weary.
“My King, as your personal physician, I must remind you that your health is quite important and request that you retire. Your schedule is full of meetings tomorrow and will need your complete attention.” Your attitude and stance are such that nobody wishes to question your authority.
“My apologies, ladies. But I must leave the festivities for now, healers orders.” Dimitri smiles sincerely as the women surround him groan in disappointment and disburse, looking for another noble to taunt.
Escorting the King to Dedue, the three of you leave the venue, proceeding toward the King’s residential area of the castle. Once the three of you are far enough away, he stops.
“Thank you so much for rescuing me.” Dimitri gasps. “I felt like the last piece of meat at a butcher shop.”
“Living up to your name, Di-meat-tri.” You succumb to the terrible pun.
He laughs as you head to his quarters. You excuse yourself as you reach his door.
“No, please, come in.” Dimitri opens the door for both of you. He heads straight for a chair and holds his leg up for Dedue to pull his boots off.
“Ahhh!” Dimitri gasps. “My feet are killing me! I have been on them all day.”
Pain? He has pain?! We can’t have that. You procure a stool and sit at his feet. Grabbing a leg you place the king’s foot on your lap and massage it, noticing the slight swelling at his ankle from being on his feet all day. Using a bit of faith magic and expert fingers, Dimitri is content. You turn and take his other foot in hand for some healing and muscle manipulation. When you are finished, you look up to see one very asleep Dimitri.
Dedue smiles and you let yourself out the door as he takes Dimitri to his bedroom.
The castle calms down over the next few days, a comforting routine takes over. Dedue unexpectedly calls you to the King’s quarters, there was an accident in the training grounds when Dimitri was sparring with Felix. Dedue advises you of the situation and you bring the necessary tools to come to the King’s aid.
Entering his room, you find Dimitri seated by the window at his desk, looking over paperwork.
“My apologies for having to summon you. It is a trivial matter, however Dedue is concerned about infection.” Dimitri looks embarrassed. He is in his undershirt, his left shoulder and upper arm covered in dark streaks, debris, and blood. Imbedded under his skin are many long and deep splinters.
“This doesn’t look like it came from a weapon.” You observe.
“No, Felix knocked me over and I fell into the wall. I did not know the wood had weathered and well, here I am.” Dimitri says sheepishly.
“A steady hand and some antibiotics will take care of this.” You nod, unrolling the pack of sharp tools and tweezers.
Beginning with a bit of faith magic to numb the area, you take into hand a sharp scalpel, cutting along the length of some of the deeper splinters to make it easier to remove them. A tool in hand with a needle like point lifts the imbedded wood while the other hand manipulates the tweezers pulling at a large piece of wood. The easier pieces to remove are no problem as you place splinter after splinter on a piece of cloth on the table. Next it is time to work on some that are deeper in his flesh.
“Come on, nice and easy. You can do it. Mmmmmm” You softly say, coaxing the splinter from his shoulder. “Yessssss.” You mutter with satisfaction as it comes out in a single piece.
Laying the bloody wooden spike on the cloth you look up at the King, rubbing his forearm. Dimitri listens raptly to your chatter as you work. You are talking to splinters, but some of the words and how you say them are…sultry.
“How are you doing Dimitri? Need me to take a break?” You look into his blue eye that is staring at you, not paying any attention to his papers.
“I’m…I’m fine.” Dimitri stutters as he grabs a paper, holding it up to read, hiding his blush from the enticing words you are using to help coax out the splinters.
You nod, getting back to work. “You naughty thing, stabbing our King. Right there, yes, come out.” You beckon the splinters out as you dig them from his shoulder. Giving a happy sigh you place another large piece of wood onto the cloth.
“I’m going to tear apart the training grounds and find every splintery piece of wood and give them a piece of my mind.” You grumble as you go after a smaller splinter. Moving Dimitri’s shoulder and arm, you place his hand on your knee, giving the right flex to his arm to get to the next splinter.
Dimitri turns his head and coughs a few times. “Ahem.” He is quite embarrassed. He tries very hard not to think about his hand and where it is. Papers…supposed to be reading papers, right.
“Are you feeling okay?” You lean forward to rub circles on his back. “You’re not coming down with a cold, are you?” Your voice is terribly concerned.
“No.” Dimitri shakes his head trying to clear his thoughts. It’s hard to think while his back is being rubbed. “You can continue.” He holds the paper closer to his face so you cannot see the pink tint return to his cheeks.
You continue to verbally coax the splinters from his arm, occasionally giving a squeal when you successfully remove a piece without it breaking. Applying an antiseptic salve, you rub it into the wound.
“I don’t want to heal it quite yet. I’d like to check later and see if anything is left in there. I’ll bandage it for now and check before you change for bed.” You announce as you pick up his arm and place his hand on your shoulder.
“Hold it right there so I can bandage you.” You demand as you begin rolling the bandage around his arm several times to keep the salve on his wounds and prevent it from soiling his clothes. You sit down and slowly move your hands down the rest of his arm, lightly massaging it as you go. Massaging the center of his palm you are satisfied that you have removed them all.
“Is there anything else I can do for you, Dimitri?” You stand and slightly bow to him.
He clears his throat, “No, that is all.” He says in his normal deep voice. Then adds a soft, “Thank you.”
Later that evening you knock on Dimitri’s door, beckoned in you see both Dimitri and Dedue looking at the King’s already unwrapped arm.
Dedue stands behind his arm as you approach. Dimitri is seated in a chair pulled close to a large candelabra providing sufficient light. Dedue points out two areas that are redder than the rest, some deep hidden splinters as you had feared. Dimitri’s shoulder is a bit warm to the touch, another sign of an infection brewing. You hand Dedue your tools, there is no table nearby. Casting numbing faith magic, you take your scalpel and cut a small slit into one area that is bright red. Holding the flesh apart with the scalpel and edge of the tweezers you see a black bit that must be another splinter. Quickly you grasp the end with the tweezer and pull out an inch long piece of wood.
“That would have festered into a terrible mess. Let me flush it with some antiseptic.” You pour some liquid from the bottle onto the wound, wiping the excess with a cloth to not cause a mess.
The second irritated spot is more difficult to see. Changing the angle of Dimitri’s arm helps, you take his hand and place it around your right hip.
“Keep your arm there, Dimitri. Don’t move while I have this knife in hand.” You warn as you cut into another deep area where you’ve already removed some splinters.
Dimitri doesn’t move, he’s frozen to the spot. So close, his arm is wrapped partly around you and your hip.
You hand the scalpel to Dedue as you carefully pull with the tweezers. This splinter is not as long, but already showing signs of infection, a pocket of pus surrounding the bloody wood. Pouring antiseptic in again to flush it clean you dab the spot.
“I hope you don’t mind a couple stitches.” You announce to Dimitri as everything happens at once.
Felix slams the door open to the King’s chambers, asking the boar if he ever got the splinters out.
Dimitri panics as his arm is around a woman when Felix enters the room, thus he stands up, pulling his arm into you knocking you backwards. Dimitri and Dedue both lean forward to reach for your falling form at the same time, smacking their heads together, hard. Dedue stays on his feet. You fall onto your back onto the carpet, followed by Dimitri who falls crosswise across your chest grabbing his head and preventing it from hitting the ground.
Felix stands with his mouth agape as you ask him, “Did you get any splinters, Felix?” looking up at him from underneath Dimitri’s prone form.
“Tch. No. But you may want to check to see that he didn’t hit his head as well.” Felix grumbles as he backs out of the room, closing the door behind him.
After a moment you heartily laugh at the whole situation. Dimitri and Dedue join in as everyone scrambles to their feet. You make them take a seat as you feel the bumps on their heads. Healing their heads first then stitching and healing Dimitri’s arm you ask if there is anything else needed this evening.
“No, that will be all.” Dimitri says with a soft smile.
You smile widely back at him. “Thank you for letting me serve you, my King.” You bow and leave the room.
The next day you are up early in the training grounds with two carpenters and their wood planes, smoothing every visible piece of wood in the grounds. Returning to the infirmary you continue healing those injured in mishaps around the castle. A young page knocks on the door and hands you a note and a bouquet of flowers. You are invited to tea with Dimitri this afternoon. You advise the page you accept the invitation.
The infirmary workload is light today. Things are slowly settling down after the coronation. Visitors have left and reconstruction is not as desperate as before, thus less injuries. Leaving the infirmary you head to your room, changing into a nice dress and fixing your hair a bit. You are eager to find out what business the King wishes to speak with you about. Heading to his personal wing of the castle, you knock at his door.
Dedue answers, inviting you in. As you enter, Dedue exits, closing the door behind him. Dimitri is dressed casually, no coat or jacket, simply in his shirtsleeves. As you enter the room, he stands to greet you.
“Please, join me.” Dimitri smiles, holding out his hand as he sits at one end of the settee, a large table with a tea service and sweet treats piled high on a tray. You take a seat on the other end, Dimitri pours tea for you.
“I believe Bergamot is a tea you favor, is that correct?” He smiles as he gently and carefully hands you your cup and saucer.
“Yes. It’s my favorite.” You return the smile as you reach for the honey, letting some drip into your cup, leaving the tea on the table as the contents are still too warm to drink.
Dimitri clears his throat. “I suppose I should get straight to the point. I am sure you are wondering why, out of the blue, I have suddenly invited you to tea. Things have been quite busy with ending the war and then plans for the coronation and the coronation itself. Of course, things are always busy as one is trying to set up the government again after so many years of chaos. It seems like there is a never ending list of meetings and consultations and conferences. And I’m rambling, aren’t I?” He coughs into his hand and swallows, taking a deep breath.
You reach out and touch his hand that is sitting on the settee between you. “Dimitri, we have known each other for years. We have fought together in a war. I have seen you at your worst. I am so happy now seeing you at your best. You can tell me what is on your mind.” You smile at him warmly.
Dimitri relaxes a little and takes a deep breath. “Yes. We have known each other quite some time. You have been by my side, helping me and supporting our efforts. You were there when I was so terribly lost. I thank you for that very much. You believed in me when I needed it the most. Now…” He takes your hand, softly as he can between both of his, staring at you intently, his hands begin to tremble.
Time stops as you look at each other in silence. His voice is soft and low as he speaks, “Would you…would you allowmecourtyou?” He sighs heavily, searching your face desperately for your answer.
First you smile, then you nod, he still looks at you. Figuring he wants to hear your answer you lean forward a bit.
“Yes.” You gasp, bringing your other hand over his hands that still hold yours.
“Yes? Oh yes! Thank you.” He grins happily. If he were a puppy his tail would be wagging hard enough to knock everything off the table. He had been expecting a no, so the yes took a few seconds to register. His cheeks are red, his eye sparkles and he laughs a bit with glee. “I’m just so happy. I don’t know what to do with myself. I had been worried and fretting over your answer, I had no idea what to think if you actually said yes.”
“Well, right now we can sit and chat and have some tea. Perhaps you can tell me of some things that you would like me to do to help you. Your day is filled with doing everything for the country. Perhaps some time can be carved out for doing things for you.” You reach for your teacup, taking a sip.
“Going outside sounds amazing. I’ve been cooped up inside the castle every day. I want to get on a horse and ride. To no place in particular, just feel the wind on my face and sun on my back.” His look is far away with a relaxed smile.
“If it is a nice day, we can take tea together in the gardens. The King should have the ability to make time for a ride at least once a week, if it is a nice day. If they give you too much trouble, I’ll ask your clerics to write a note prescribing a required amount of sunshine for your health.” You smile then take another sip of tea.
The next few days both of you take tea in the gardens together. You are happily surprised when he identifies several different plants.
“My interest in plants came from Dedue. He is always gardening in his free time. I insisted that we include some flowering plants from Duscur in the gardens. I would love to see plants from all over Fodlan here, growing together, just like the country.” He holds out his hand so that you can take his. He is still too cautious of his strength to touch you on his own.
The Harvest Festival calls for the city to be decorated in oranges, reds, yellows, and gold. Many displays and booths line the streets to celebrate the great harvest now that the land is at peace. Dimitri invites you to the event and you arrive alongside him in the royal coach. The path before you is cleared by soldiers surrounding the king for his protection.
Dimitri graciously offers compliments and accolades to all that have worked so hard providing food for everyone. His eye goes wide at the size of some of the pumpkins entered in a competition to see who could grow the largest. Often the two of you stop to admire a street performer entertaining the crowd. One of the rear soldiers drops multiple gold coins into each of the receptacles of the performers.
Suddenly you hear a shriek followed by a wailing cry. You dash off into the crowd, your medical instincts taking over. At the base of a tree, you find a woman crying over her son. The rambunctious six year old had climbed the tree, much to his mother’s dismay, to have a look at the King as he walked past. Unfortunately, the boy did not know the branch he was standing on was weak, it broke sending the child tumbling to the ground. Mother and child are crying as you kneel next to him.
“What is your name, young sir?” You ask him calmly.
He stifles a few tears enough to answer. “Jakob.”
“May I see where you are hurt?” You smile a bit, holding out your hands.
He points to his arm, his wrist is already swelling. He tries to lift it and lets out a wail.
“Shhhh. Hold still.” You hold the arm and wrist in yours as faith magic works into his injury. You hold his arm straight and begin ordering anyone nearby to provide splints and bandages. Immobilizing and wrapping Jakob’s arm, you give instructions to his mother. As you stand, you notice Dimitri is at your side.
“King Dimitri, may I introduce you to my newest friend, Jakob. Jakob, this is King Dimitri.” You smile.
Jakob has the biggest smile across his face as he stands and bows before the king. “It is my pleasant honor to meet you King Dimitri.”
The King bows to Jakob, “It is my pleasure to meet you as well. I suggest you heed your mother’s warning when it comes to climbing trees.” He smiles as he ruffles the boy’s hair.
“Yes sir, King Dimitri sir!” Jacob stammers.
“Please bring him to the castle tomorrow morning so I can check his arm.” You tell his mother. She thanks you several times.
You return to walking along the street with the King, admiring the displays and visiting with the people. A street vendor hawking his booth loudly calls out your direction.
“Oi! Your Kingship! Have a try at me booth! Just one throw is all I ask!” The man’s voice calls out over the crowd as he stands juggling coconuts.
You bump your shoulder into his and giggle as Dimitri shakes his head and concedes. “What is it that you ask of me?”
The man bows so deeply his head nearly touches the ground. “Ahh, Your Kingship! So wonderful to be graced by your presence. I only ask that you throw one of these coconuts at the stack of milk bottles at the rear of my booth. Should you knock them all down, you win!” The showman raises his hand to the target with a practiced flourish then both hands in the air as a sign of victory.
“Go on.” You nudge him again. He looks so cute when he’s put on the spot.
“Very well.” King Dimitri takes one of the offered orbs, staring at it for a moment, then hurls it at the stack. Milk bottles fly in six different directions, most of them landing far from the booth as the target is destroyed, the coconut breaks open on the rear wall of the booth and falls to the ground, shattered.
“What an arm! Your Majesty! Congratulations!” The showman scampers over to a special box and removes a beautiful hand crafted stuffed blue lion in all its majesty. A collar around its neck proudly displays the shield of Blaiddyd. “Me wife crafted it herself, she did. She said if you see the King, you must gift it to him, she said.” He bows as he offers the regal stuffed beast.
King Dimitri bows and thanks him for the beautiful gift, handing it to a nearby soldier to monitor while he continues his stroll. At the end of the lane where the festival ends, the King gives one final wave, thanking his people for their faith and hard work.
Returning to the castle, Dimitri must attend meetings, leaving you to your own business. Taking the stuffed lion in hand you dash to the servant’s quarters, asking for a few specific items. You then head to the infirmary to notify them to find you when Jakob arrives tomorrow so that you may personally check on his wellbeing. You trust your replacements in the infirmary, you had chosen them yourself, however Jakob is a special patient.
Returning to your quarters, which now are close to the King’s own rooms, you find the requested items. With a bit of assistance, you complete the project and request it be delivered to Dimitri’s chambers.
Joining the King and the current guests in a large meeting room, representatives of the former Alliance region are here to discuss their budgets and new laws for the expanded Kingdom. There is a break for dinner followed by discussions continuing until late in the evening. The conversations finally wind down and you know that Dimitri is quite exhausted.
“I believe everyone has made great progress today. Let us all sleep on this and take this up again in the morning.” You announce.
Everyone in the room nods as you escort Dimitri to the exit. Walking down the hallway, your hand in his, Dimitri yawns not once, but twice from exhaustion. Dedue opens the door for the both of you. Following you inside the three of you sit and enjoy a cup of chamomile tea, a lovely habit you have incorporated to get him to wind down before bed. You must leave soon, his eyelids are getting heavy, you hope he sleeps well this night.
“Come with me.” You smile as you take his hand and lead him to his bedroom. Dimitri blushes and looks quite confused as you lead him inside the doorway. You point at his bed and then he notices the stuffed blue lion. It is adorned with a small crown, eyepatch and a cape that resembles his.
“It’s adorable!” he exclaims as he puts his hands on your cheeks and plants a sudden kiss on your lips.
“Come again?” you gasp, your eyes wide.
Dimitri stops and blushes in his sleepy stupor as you pull on his collar and place a brief sweet kiss to his lips. Dimitri’s cheeks are a bright red as you step back and bow.
“Good night, my sweet.” You tell him before leaving the room.
“The tea was lovely, thank you Dedue.” You announce as you leave the king’s quarters, walking normally. This is a normal pace? Right? Sure it is. You see yourself out the door. Running into your room you fall on your bed and scream into your pillow. He finally kissed me!
The next morning you stop Felix on his way to bang on the King’s door wishing to drag him out for a morning spar. You require his assistance in accompanying you on a trip to the harvest festival area. He complains the entire trip switching between arguing that he is wasting his time doing this and you must stay closer to him, any madman with a blade could try to attack you. Once your mission is complete you purchase three heavily spiced meat sticks for him to enjoy while you head back to the castle.
Upon your return you are delighted to meet with Jakob and his mother in the infirmary. Jakob chatters the entire time that he is bragging to all his friends that the King had messed up his hair and he is going to grow up to be a knight to protect King Dimitri. Changing his bandages, you are pleased with his healing progress, he can take the bandages off in two weeks as long as he behaves. Before they leave, you had a large basket to his mother, filled with fruits, smoked meats, bread, and cookies.
“Share the cookies with all of your friends and neighbors.” You remind him as you wave goodbye.
The visitors with the king leave after a final meeting, heading back to warmer territory as quickly as possible before the snows cover the land. Certainly, it is not today as the sun is warm and the weather is beautiful. You work on a few projects when there is a familiar knock at the door. Dedue has arrived to fetch you for lunch.
“It is so nice out, I thought Dimitri would want lunch in the gardens today.” You mention.
“His Highness said he prefers to have it in his chambers today.” Dedue answers. He opens the door so that you may enter, then closes it behind you as he remains outside of the room.
Dimitri is immediately on the other side, looking a bit flustered.
He reaches for you, ever so lightly placing his hands on your shoulders, his eye searching yours. “Tell me, I cannot remember if it was real or a dream. Did we k-kiss last night?” His face flushes red.
You nod as pink dusts your own cheeks. “Yes.”
“May I kiss you again?” He asks as he pulls you close. His voice is so deep, with your chest pressed against his, you’re not sure if it is the vibration of his words or the shudder of a thrill racing up your spine.
“Please.” You beg him, your hands sliding up his chest around his shoulders pulling him down to meet your lips. It is a bit awkward, slightly messy, and the best kiss you’ve had since the night before. You hold him tight to your chest as he slowly wraps his arms around you as lightly as possible, resting his cheek on your forehead after the kiss. You sigh happily into his chest.
You try to step back, however he has no intention of letting you go.
“We should eat a bit.” You suggest.
“I am hungry for your lips.” He mumbles into your hair.
“They are not very nutritious.” You tap him on his back.
“You would deny a starving man who has just had a small taste of the most delicious thing he has ever had in his life?” He chuckles.
“You are always negotiating. Would you agree to lunch then perhaps kisses for dessert?” You look up at him and grin.
“One now, then lunch.” Dimitri brings his lips to meet yours once again.
After the most hurried lunch you have ever eaten, you find yourself on Dimitri’s lap exchanging kisses.
A knock on the door alerts the both of you to Dedue’s presence. “Your highness, you have a meeting to attend.” He announces.
Dimitri sighs heavily, “The duties of a King are never done.” He bemoans.
You giggle as you clamber from his comfy lap. “Let me get a comb to make you more presentable.” You offer. After combing his hair and straightening his clothes, you send him off to be bored for the remainder of the afternoon.
Things are busy rebuilding the kingdom. There is always another emergency, an urgent need or any excuse for a meeting. He has been in meetings from early dawn, only returning now very late in the evening. He eats little, his head is pounding from the stress of the day. He hesitates to call you, however he has another meeting filled day tomorrow and must try to get some rest.
You ask Dedue to please prepare tea for the three of you this evening. Directing Dimitri to sit on the couch, you stand behind it and apply gentle faith magic to relieve some of the pain in his head and jaw from being so tense. You then place the footrest at the far end of the couch, coaxing him to lie back and place his head in your lap.
You ask for his right hand and massage the point just above the thumb where the index finger would be carried down. Applying pressure first, then rubbing circles with your thumb in each direction. Placing his hand on his chest you do the same with his left hand.
Next you squeeze the spot on each side where the bridge of his nose meets the bridge of his eyebrows. Applying steady pressure there, then releasing and repeating. Finally reaching around to the base of his skull in the parallel hollow areas between the two vertical neck muscles, you press upward to the top of his head briefly release and repeat.
Removing the hair tie from his hair you run your fingers through it, gently scratching his scalp. You watch his face visibly relax and a soft smile is on his lips as you continue to card through his hair.
“Better, sweetheart?” You softly coo.
“Mmmm, yes. Thank you.” He relaxes.
Dedue brings in the tea service, placing the cups and saucers for three at the table.
You tap Dimitri on the nose. “Diiiimmaaaa. Tea time!”
He sighs then sits up. “Whatever you did was amazing. My headache is gone and I think I should be able to sleep some tonight. Thank you.”
Dedue pours tea for everyone.
“Thank you again Dedue, for a wonderful tea.” Dimitri smiles.
“You’re welcome, your Highness.” Dedue answers.
You take a cookie, taking a bite. “Oh, did you make these Dedue?”
“Yes, I had the time this afternoon.” Dedue nods.
“They are delicious. Hmm, anise, cinnamon, nutmeg, pecans, ginger, clove, molasses. An amazing group of flavors mixed in with love. Thank you so much, Dedue.” Your appreciation shows in your smile and warmth toward the man.
Teatime is very much enjoyed. Dimitri looks like he is relaxed enough to go to sleep peacefully and without a headache. Dedue looks away so you can give Dimitri a sweet good night kiss.
Sunday is the lightest day of work for Dimitri. No meetings if there are no visitors in the castle. The weather is beginning to cool a little more every night. It won’t be long before snow covers everything. Dimitri wishes to take a long horseback ride and invites you to join him. You’ve never really learned the skills of being on a horse, Dimitri is more than excited to educate you. Lifting you up straight into the saddle, he climbs up behind you. Accompanied by a few knights on horseback everyone rides out past the city and into the countryside. His destination is a small area of woods that has a cliff overlooking some of the lands of Fhirdiad. Dimitri discussed the location with Dedue, this spot would provide some privacy, enemies could only approach from one side and the guards could stay far enough away, yet still protect their King.
Dimitri dismounts, lifting you from the saddle. He then unties a picnic basket from the back of the horse and tethers the steed to a tree. Spreading out the blanket you unload the basket to find a delicious lunch, complete with sweet tea.
“This is beautiful, sweetheart.” You smile at him as you place food on your plate. “A gorgeous view and beautiful scenery too.”
Dimitri blushes once he realizes the compliment. His mind then heads straight to places it should not go at such a lovely scene. “I am a beast. I have done horrible things. How can you trust yourself to be alone with me?”
Placing your food on your plate you reach out to cup his cheek. “I have seen you at your worst. I have seen you at your best. You are not a beast. You have come so far making amends for what was done and you will continue to improve. I will be here for you as long as you wish, to help you become the best you can be.”
“Why? Why would anyone want to help me? Some days I feel so useless, that I can’t be the King everyone expects me to be.” He is trembling under your touch.
“I help you because I love you. I know you are a great King, Dimitri. We all know.” You smile, using the thumb that is close by you wipe a tear from his eye.
“You…love me?” Dimitri is shocked.
You fold your hands into your lap and look at them. “I must not be doing a very good job of showing you that I do.”
“Wait! Please, take my hands.” Dimitri begs you. You reach out to hold his hands in yours.
You look into his eye, confused.
“I never thought I could be loved. You have always been there since we met, haven’t you? I have been a monster to you, yet you still came to feed me and heal me. When I had asked permission to court you, I thought you would decline. Every day I wake up and think you would reject me this day. I can’t believe you are still here, with me.”
Dimitri bends forward and pulls you close. Placing a sweet kiss on your lips. Your lips are barely touching his as he whispers. “I love you.”
The next few kisses are not as chaste as the previous one. Plates and food are scattered about the blanket as you hold each other close.
Dimitri’s stomach growls loudly, causing you both to laugh.
“I think we should finish our picnic before you begin digesting your internal organs.” You laugh.
“Can that happen?” Dimitri innocently asks with a look of surprise.
“No. Just joking!” You laugh.
“You are a cleric and an expert on those things. I suppose my sense of humor needs a bit of work.” He smiles sheepishly as he helps you straighten out the food. Finishing the picnic lunch, he packs the basket onto his mount.
“Wait. I need to get on this thing without your help.” You announce.
Placing your foot on the stirrup you attempt to hike yourself up onto the horse. Mentally you remind yourself you need to do a lot more squats. The third hopping jump you manage to jump/haul yourself up and stand with your left foot in the stirrup, you haul your right leg carefully over the horse and sit crookedly on the saddle, gently moving and wiggling yourself to center while trying not to upset the steed. Dimitri’s long legs are great for having the stirrup low, but then you had to overcome the length of your legs versus his. Maybe if you had a horse of your own it could be shorter. Maybe a pony? You suddenly notice a snickering man next to you.
“What?” You snap at Dimitri.
“Nothing.” He smiles at you, easily getting up and into the saddle as if he flew on wings.
You turn around to look at him again, he still has that silly grin on his face. “You look like the cat that ate the canary.” You frown.
“It is just that when you have your mind set on something, you can be very stubborn.” Dimitri whispers in your ear. “It is very endearing, my beloved.”
Those two words at the end send a shiver down your spine, followed by a second when he kisses the top of your ear peeking through your hair.
Winter in Fhirdiad is cold, nobody can deny that. Early winter the snow falls, then melts and this repeats as the weather has not quite made up its mind. By the end of Red Wolf Moon, the snow is here to stay for a while. Wagon wheels get stuck, so sleighs are used to cart things around in the northern parts of the kingdom until the snow is too high to move anything.
Although it is cold outside, with enough warm blankets, perhaps a warming box under the seat filled with live coals to keep your feet, legs, and posterior warm, you agree to go on a sleigh ride with Dimitri. Wearing your fluffiest warmest winter hat and coat, you are surrounded by blankets and your boyfriend as Dedue drives the horse drawn sleigh through the city and countryside. Dimitri entertains you with stories of snowball fights and building forts and snow houses with his friends.
Dedue even joins in, sharing his experiences growing up. With the water surrounding Duscur, the snow would be so deep that they had doors on the roof of the house so people could get outside and carry on business or shop or just leave the house to play. Winter is also a time for handcrafts, baking, soups and savory stews. Before the end of the ride, he promises to make a Roasted Root Stew for dinner in the next day or two.
The sun sets quickly in winter, the moonlight giving a bluish tint to the snow as it sparkles all around. The trees look like they have their own coats of white covering every branch. A rabbit scampers across your path, its fur turned snow white to help with camouflage. The most amazing thing about snow is the quiet. Not many birds stay around in the winter. Once it is night everyone goes inside as the little bit of warmth from the sun is gone. The only sound is the horse tromping through the snow and the swwishhhh sound of the sleds sliding across the snow. The quiet is peaceful, beautiful and filled with the air of calm.
The snow piles higher and higher around the castle. Time marches along as the citizens and lands rest, healing from the war. The King is healing as well. His nightmares are not nearly as frequent, he does not seem on edge and full of angst by the end of the day.
Dimitri’s birthday is tomorrow and a small celebration is planned. Several of the other Blue Lions will be attending, easily able to traverse the snow. Dedue is pouring chamomile tea as you review what has happened today.
“I was called to the kitchens again this morning,” You dribble some honey into your tea. “The cook’s new apprentice burnt her fingers again. That is the third time this week.” You frown.
“Perhaps you can provide her some training?” Dedue offers.
“I would like to sew gloves permanently on her hands!” You chuckle. “Perhaps we can set up something to develop her awareness.”
“The meetings were light today. Not too many complaints when people have difficulty making it through the snow.” Dimitri muses.
“Tomorrow is the big day, not everyone will have problems getting here tomorrow, I hope.” You smile taking a sip.
“Felix and Sylvain will have no trouble whatsoever. Mercedes and Annette will arrive with them.” Dimitri’s eye shines brightly as he goes through the list. “Ingrid will be on Pegasus, so no issues there. Of course, Ashe is a knight here, so the only concern would be Byleth’s arrival in time.”
“Am I spoiling you if I want to be the first to give you a birthday present?” you ask him just before he must go to bed.
“Sometimes, my beloved, I have noticed that you are not the most patient of women.” Dimitri grins. “I will allow this, only for you.”
You happily pull him to his bedroom door and open it so he can see it.
Normally the proud kingly lion sits in the center of his bed, awaiting his return. Tonight, he sits opposite a beautiful female lion. She is adorned with a circlet of flowers around the top of her head and ears, long ribbons down her back and a clerical cape like yours. The lions face each other, touching noses.
“They are adorable.” Dimitri smiles.
You bend down to the bed patting the lioness on the head. “Oh, what is this? I think she has a present for you.” You softly say as you get down on a knee to reach and obtain a box that is sitting between her front paws.
Dimitri comes closer to join you, only for you to stay on one knee and turn to face him with the box in your hands.
“Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd, will you marry me and make me the happiest woman ever?” You ask, your eyes welling up with tears.
Dimitri gasps and falls to his knees in front of you. “What? Oh yes! Of course, yes!” He declares as he takes you in your arms and kisses your lips and face urgently. Eventually, the two of you have to break apart to breathe.
“You definitely have an impatient side to you.” He laughs, placing his forehead against yours.
“What? I have the patience of a saint.” You giggle. “Saint Cethleann was very impatient.”
“I suppose you are entitled to this.” Dimitri walks to his desk and opens a drawer. He brings a small box to you. “Just to be certain, will you marry me?”
“Let me think.” You chuckle. “Yes. Without hesitation.” Pulling him close you kiss him again.
The day of Dimitri’s birthday is a joyous event for everyone in the castle. Guests arrive and are settled in their rooms. Felix, Sylvain, Annette and Mercedes make it without incident.
“Come on Boar, spar with me. We have time before dinner.” Felix grunts as he shoves Dimitri in the shoulder
You have a cup of tea and cakes with Annette and Mercedes in your parlor, catching up on the latest gossip. You are relieved that they are wearing gloves, you have not had much experience in the high circles of society. It is cold in the hallways, and they certainly help.
“Teaching at the School of Sorcery full time really keeps me busy.” Annette says as she places her teacup down. “It is fun to see the wide eyed new faces get excited about casting their first spells.
“Annie, that is so sweet.” Mercedes laughs softly. “Things are going very well at the new orphanage we started in Fraldarius. We have a huge building and a room for each individual child. We really appreciate the help from Dimitri and Felix. The children are going to write thank you letters soon. I hope you get to see them.”
“That is wonderful to hear. I am sure Dimitri will be well pleased with the news.” You thank them. “Getting the country back on its feet and prospering is his main goal, of course. I hope to see some of these places myself when it warms up in the spring.”
“That would be awesome if you can come visit!” Annette gasps excitedly. “We could have the students show off their talents. Many are working hard to take existing spells and making them useful in every day life.”
“Can someone look into a spell to cast on ordinary items that resist breaking?” You giggle. “I know someone that would appreciate that spell for sure.”
The table erupts in laughter. Girl talk continues as Ingrid joins you. Byleth’s arrival is announced, and everyone heads to one of the comfortable dining rooms that is prepared for the lavish feast the cooks have prepared.
Dinner consumed, the reunited Blue Lions retire to the King’s wing of the castle in a parlor fitted with plenty of furniture to accommodate everyone comfortably. Chairs, lounges and couches are scattered about the room as well as bowls of fruit, trays of cheese and sausage for snacks. A well-stocked cupboard carries glasses, wines, ciders and hard alcohol.
Sylvain makes himself right at home pulling out a large bottle of brandy and filling a few glasses. Annette picks out a fruity wine made with blackberries and between the two everyone has a glass.
“May I propose a toast?” Byleth spoke up and everyone shushed. “Happy Birthday to Dimitri, King of United Faerghus. May he have many happy and peaceful birthdays to come.”
Sylvain let out a whoop, most others give a respectable cheers! Everyone settles into little groups chatting amongst themselves. You lean on the arm of a comfy sofa, talking with Byleth about what is going on in the monastery.
“The rebuilding and repairing is going well.” Byleth shares. “The classrooms are functional, and all of the dormitories are repaired. We are rewriting the curriculum to teach mathematics, reading, writing and other necessary classes for the public. We want it to be a school for the children to learn, leading into better careers than just becoming knights or fighters.”
“That is wonderful to hear!” You excitedly clap your hands together. “A well educated people is a boon for everyone.”
Dedue is on the left side of the room with Ashe and Mercedes discussing recipes. Ingrid, Felix, Dimitri and Sylvain are discussing some recent merchants that arrived in Fhirdiad offering impressive and finely made weapons from Dagda and Brigid, the styles of weapons being the main topic of conversation.
Mercedes sits next to you for a while, speaking with you and Byleth about a recent idea you are testing. Setting up healing clinics in the city in several areas to assist in keeping the people healthy. Byleth approves of the idea and may test some clinics in areas around Garreg Mach.
Sylvain has been keeping everyone’s glasses full. He notices that he really hasn’t had to fill your glass much, however the glass of water next to your wineglass is nearly empty. Leaning over the back of the couch he starts massaging your shoulders.
“Hey.” Sylvain bends over and speaks softly close to your ear. “If you don’t like the wine we have other drinks. Loosen up and have a good time, beautiful. Get relaxed. “He grins at you and then winks.
Before you can turn your head to tell him no, Dimitri marches over and sits next to you on the couch removing Sylvain’s hands.
“Refrain from manhandling my fiancée.” Dimitri growls at him. He then gently places his hand on top of yours that is sitting on the couch cushion between the both of you.
You blush at him as several gasps utter in the room.
“Fian- you’re getting married Dimitri? Congratulations!” Sylvain nearly shouts, slapping him on the shoulder. “Didn’t know you had it in you! When did this happen? Tell us all about it!” He runs around to the front of the couch to take a seat in the chair directly opposite Dimitri so he can watch his friend’s every move.
“I-well. It just happened. We aren’t quite ready to announce it, but then Sylvain…” Dimitri hangs his head down, shaking it while blushing profusely.
You decide to swoop in to save him. “You see Sylvain, when two people like each other and get to know each other well, spending time together, sometimes something special happens. We have been courting for quite a while you know.”
“I know, yeah. But he’s Dimitri! He has no idea how to flirt or capture ladies’ hearts. Has he even kissed you?” Sylvain looks quite shocked.
Dimitri’s face is red all the way to his neck. You take his hand in yours and squeeze it tightly.
“We have kissed. He kissed me first and everything else is our business. Change the subject.” You give him your evil eye look.
“Wow.” Sylvain laughs. “Wah-hah-how.” He stands up and walks to the alcohol cabinet. Felix gives him a punch in the shoulder.
“Shut the fuck up, idiot.” Felix mumbles.
“Felix, do me a favor.” You smile slyly. “Take Sylvain to the training grounds with you early tomorrow morning and give him a good workout. I’ll even tell them to lock you two in there so he can’t escape.”
“It would be my pleasure.” Felix gives a courteous bow and Sylvain a side eye.
“Speaking of sparring,” Byleth says loudly. “I have a few new swords I’ve brought if you want to have a look at them Dimitri. Fantastic workmanship. I hear this weapon maker has some amazing materials that are being shipped in from Dagda.”
You get up to move about the room, talking with Ingrid about improving farming techniques in their territory.
“We always thought Galatea had poor soil because certain fruits and vegetables would not grow well there.” Ingrid sips her wine. “We kept fighting with the land, trying to make it grow what we wanted. Finally, we’re growing what the land wants, what grows in our type of soil in the first place. This is the third year for cranberries and the bushes are loaded. Rethinking our ways has improved things a hundred fold.”
“I love cranberries.” Annette croons. “They make a really tart sauce that is great with bird meat.”
“I like the juice for breakfast, it certainly is an eye opener!” You add.
The conversation quietly moves to anything and everything except for the engagement. Annette heads over to speak with Felix, Ingrid heads to Ashe to discuss something.
Sylvain stands close, but not too close to you. His grin is full of mischief. You dread what is going to come out of his mouth.
“So, when you planning on having kids?” Sylvain not so innocently inquires. “The council has been dogging him about heirs since the day after his coronation.”
“One more word from you and I will have Felix take you to the training grounds now, followed by Byleth, Dedue, Ingrid, Ashe and myself. Am I making myself perfectly clear?” You give a smile through gritted teeth that makes him cringe down to his toes.
“Yes Ma’am.” Sylvain whines as he backs up and heads to the farthest side of the room, only to find Dimitri there, so he splits the difference and heads to a corner furthest away from the both of you.
Sylvain stays in his corner. Ashe approaches him, asking a question. As he opens his mouth you stare at him. Sylvain dutifully closes his mouth and only answers by nodding yes or no. His voice is not heard throughout the rest of the evening. It is a fine party indeed for Dimitri’s birthday.
#fe3h#fe3h fanfiction#fire emblem three houses#fe3h x reader#dimitri alexander blaiddyd#blue lions#fe16
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May I request a small story with Felix x Female Reader where they are friends, then reader is seriously hurt in a battle. Thank you.
Of course! I love Felix, but I don’t think I’ve ever written for him! So hopefully this turns out alright!
I wrote... Almost this entire thing... And then accidentally closed it without saving...
Why Did This Happen? (Felix x Reader)
“I still don’t think it’s a good idea for you to be here, (y/n). You haven’t had nearly enough training, and you’re not ready for a battle like this,” My best friend, Felix, told me, as we and the rest of the Blue Lions walked towards our destination. A huge battle was awaiting us, and while Felix and the others had all had several years worth of training for battle, I had had... Six? Seven, at most. That’s including the five years after our Professor went missing, in which I didn’t really do much fighting of my own.
It was a bit surprising, in all honesty. My family was quite close with the Fraldarius family, and Felix and I were actually put into an arranged engagement as children. Despite all of this, I had never trained with anyone in the Fraldarius family up until I joined the Officers Academy. Not Felix, not Rodrigue, not Glenn, none of them. My first time training with Felix wasn’t until I joined the Blue Lions, and he insisted on teaching me to better defend myself.
“Felix, I promise you, I’m going to be just fine. You and the Professor trained me well, didn’t you?” I said, as I lightly elbowed my friend. The blue-haired man let out a huff.
“Prior to me, you had very little training. I don’t know what the Professor was thinking, sending you along,” Felix argued. “You’re just going to get hurt and slow us down.” I rolled my eyes and shook my head.
“Felix, you are aware that I can take care of myself, right? I’m a grown woman, and I’m fully capable of protecting myself and my friends,” I stated, as we all began to slow to a stop. “Anyway, we’re here. We need to get ready.” I scanned my surroundings, taking note of all of the possible hiding places where our enemies might try to attack us from, and then waited for our Professor to tell us where to go.
“(Y/n), Felix, stay together, towards the front,” The Professor commanded, earning a nod from me in response.
“Yes, Professor,” I replied. However, Felix wasn’t nearly as eager to listen to the green-haired man.
“Professor, why would you put her towards the front? You know she hasn’t had nearly as much training as the rest of us! She’d just end up getting hurt! Or killed!” Felix argued, glaring at our Professor. I sighed.
“Felix, for the last time, I can take care of myself! I’m not going to slow anyone down, and I’m not going to die!” I argued. “I-“
“That’s enough!” Our House Leader, Prince Dimitri, shouted, cutting us off. “Silence yourselves, or my blade will do it for you! Now, kill them!” Dimitri pointed his lance towards the enemy, before charging in. The rest of us quickly grabbed our weapons, hurrying after the Prince and the Professor.
The battle seemed to drag on and on and on, and the longer it went on, the more worried I was that Felix was right. I wasn’t keeping up very well with the others, and the enemies could tell. They kept coming at me, sometimes two at a time. As one came at me from my right, I turned to swing at him, when suddenly, my vision went black.
Thud.
What was that...? Oh... That... Was me...?
I couldn’t move, as pain and heat started spreading through me, mainly on my stomach. My eyes were closed, and I couldn’t get them to open.
“What were you thinking!?” Felix soon shouted at me, as he knelt down beside me. I was currently lying on the ground, blood pooling beneath me from a stab wound to the stomach. However, it only hurt for a moment. Slowly, Felix’s shouting became quiet, and the pain in my stomach faded away, until everything was silent and empty.
“Why...? Why didn’t I stop this...? Why did I let this happen to you...?” Soft cries were the first thing that I heard, upon waking up. I still couldn’t get myself to open my eyes, and the pain from before was back, though not nearly as bad. Mercedes must have healed me, somewhat... “(Y/n)... I... I’m sorry...” The soft voice was back. This time, I was able to make out who it was.
Felix...? Why is he crying...? Felix never cries... Not since he was a child...
“What sort of friend... What sort of soon-to-be-husband am I...? Letting you get hurt like this...? Why didn’t I try harder to convince the Professor to leave you out of this...? Why didn’t I train you, earlier...?” Felix’s voice was trembling, and I knew it must’ve only been the two of us in... Whatever room we were in. Otherwise, Felix would’ve never let his tears out. “(Y/n), please, just wake up... I... I love you...”
Had I been able to open my eyes, they likely would’ve been very wide at Felix’s words. Yes, we had been engaged for many years, but we had only ever considered each other good friends, at least out loud. I felt butterflies in my stomach, as I tried my best to force myself to speak, to give the man I had always loved an answer. However, I was so exhausted that I couldn’t hardly manage to move my mouth.
“Ff... Fe...” My eyes were still closed, as I forced myself to speak. Felix immediately went silent, and I soon felt two, strong hands quickly grab one of my own hands.
“(Y/n)...?” Felix softly spoke, his voice still shaky, and his hands equally so. Slowly, I struggled to open my eyes, which were quite blurry and sensitive to the light, at first, but they eventually focused on Felix. The man had tear stains down his cheeks, and his hair was a mess. He clearly hadn’t cleaned up from the battle, yet.
“Fe...Lix...” I spoke, barely above a whisper. Despite him clearly doing his best to hold it back, Felix failed to stop his tears. More tears found their way to down his cheeks, as he sat down beside me on what seemed to be my bed, and he quickly helped me sit up, earning a slight help of pain from me.
“I thought I’d lost you...” The man mumbled, pulling me close against him and gently stroking my hair. He had given up on trying not to cry, by that point, and his tears were soaking my shoulder.
“Felix...” I finally managed to say, weakly returning his hug. “I... Love you...” The man tensed up, causing me to immediately regret my words. However, before I could say anything else, Felix pulled away from me, then quickly pressed his lips against mine. My eyes widened, but I slowly returned the kiss to the best of my ability. It was surprisingly gentle, compared to what I had imagined, coming from Felix, but it sadly didn’t last long.
“(Y/n)...” Felix started, gently touching my cheek. “I... I love you, too...” He replied, before pulling into another hug. “Never... Never scare me like that, again, alright...?” He mumbled, sniffling a bit. I softly smiled a bit and nodded, cuddling.
“Of course, Felix...”
#Felix Hugo Fraldarius x reader#FE3H x reader#Felix Hugo Fraldarius#FE3H#fire emblem three houses x reader#tw injury#tw blood
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AM review! I loved hearing what you thought of the route, and I was wondering about your favourite quality of each Lion? 👀 - travelling-on-the-octopath (via main)
I am so so sorry this took so long to write, but I really ended up taking my time thinking about what I love about all the Blue Lions so much. Bonus I also included Rodrigue and Gilbert.
Dimitri -
Oh, geeze, only one thing? Well, since I just posted about his sense of duty and how he doesn't pull the "woe is me for being so privileged" card, I'll talk about his compassion instead. I love how this is both his greatest strength and weakness. How he gets so influenced by other people's hurt and doesn't know how to put healthy barriers up. But it's also that side of him that emphasizes so strongly with Byleth and coaxes the emotions out of her, the side of him that finds it in himself to forgive Edelgard. I also love how amazing his character arc is, and how he loves helping people so much, and I could keep going lol.
Dedue -
He's both the gentle giant who loves gardening and cooking, but utterly terrifying and completely badass in his loyalty to Dimitri. I also love how he handles Duscur. He admits to hating Faerghus for what they did, but that doesn't blind him to total prejudice. When confronted by Ingrid, he doesn't feel the need to personally carry the weight of her prejudice and "teach" her differently, letting her come to her own conclusions. I just think it's neat to see a character who experiences racism that isn't the one pressured to change, it's everyone else who has to do that leg work.
Felix -
I love what his character arc changes say about his character and that he even gets them, but that's too long for this. My favorite thing about Felix is how tragic parts of him are. Felix cares about his friends and family with his entire heart, but has no skill at communicating or processing complex emotions. He hates seeing them all hurting, hates himself for being unable to do anything, and ends up hurting everyone he cares so much about. It's what makes his arc so powerful in AM that he matures out of that.
Ingrid -
I love how she takes a common FE character tick (massive eater), but turns it into something serious. But more than that I love how realistic her struggle is. She has her own dreams and passions and naturally wants to pursue them, but actually addresses and acknowledges the benefits of a political marriage rather than just waxing poetic about wanting "romantic love." Bouns points because her struggle isn't "I want to marry for love", but "I want to be a knight" wayyyyy cooler.
Sylvain -
I'm going with the expected answer here with his complexity. His excessive flirting isn't treated as a joke, but a side-effect of a serious psychological damage and treated as a serious issue too, not as a wish-fulfillment trait. But he's also one of the best and brightest leaders in this game, and is so painfully loyal to his friends and family. It's a crime against his character that he's so easy to recruit.
Mercedes -
She embodies that "I'm a healer, but . . ." meme. Mercedes is incredibly sweet and cares about everyone, but she's not a boring or one-note character and her gentleness doesn't make her a pushover either. She is not afraid to share her mind. I also love how she enjoys trolling everyone with ghost stories. You know Annette and Ashe suffered many a night because of her.
Annette -
I love how determined she is once she sets her mind to something. Whether it's her studies or trying to find her father, Annette goes after what she wants and puts 100% into everything. Not being the best at studying doesn't deter her either, she just admires others who don't have to try as hard and tries to learn from them.
Ashe -
I'm cheating and using something from Hopes. I love how Ashe decided to fight for what he believed in. He worried about and considered what Lonato would do, but ultimately chose to follow his heart and do what he thought was right, and that takes a lot of courage.
Gustave -
How he's able to overcome his immense depression when needed. Gustave is still racked with guilt, still believes himself unworthy of his family and Faerghus, but he's able to work through that and ultimately come through in the end.
Rodrigue -
His ability to balance being himself and an effective duke. He seems to know when it's ok to just be a father or just Rodrigue and never comes across either too married to duty or like he ignores his responsibilities for his own desires. He seems quite mature in his outlook on life.
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For the prompt, maybe a fake dating au with dimiclaude? Like academy-era Dimitri decided to go asks girl out (sylvain c/b support ) and when things go out of hand- instead of going to sylvain for help, he went to Claude who suggested fake dating - but when announcing it to the girl; it turns out the entire academy finds out...leading to the king regent (who sends Rodrigue) and Grandpa Riegan to actually sign a marriage arrangement. 🥺❤️
And honestly Edelgard is confused about the development that she doesn’t declare war since the two nations are gonna team up -so golden ending jk
♡ cute idea! The meat of this drabble went a little long, so no specific mention of the royal consequences.
"You did what?" Claude actually had the audacity to laugh. Not one of his usual calculated laughs, either. A bellow of a laugh which shook his whole lithe frame and put an extra shine in his eyes. All at Dimitri's expense, of course. It seemed to be happening a lot lately.
"Never mind. Clearly this is not a matter you are capable of taking seriously." Dimitri turned to leave, but quickly remembered his predicament. On Sylvain's insistence, he approached a female student with the offer of a tea date. Nothing untoward, but it seemed the poor girl thought it to be more than what Dimitri meant it to be. It really was his own fault for taking Sylvian's advice, afterall.
Of course, Sylvain initially offered to help Dimitri hide in his room, and Dimitri had been naive enough to think it would end then and there. Yet, there he was, two days later with the same girl chasing him and Sylvain was… preoccupied doing the very thing he promised Dimitri he would stop.
Claude's room seemed the next logical escape plan. It was merely the convenience of location. Felix was still at the training yards, and even if he was in his room, Dimitri would rather face the advances of Colleen and her friends than be stuck in close quarters with Felix and his sharp tongue. The next closest room was Claude's.
Dimitri was quickly regretting his hasty choice of hiding spots. He was regretting a lot of things.
"I'm sorry for laughing, but you have to admit it is funny." Claude sat down on the edge of his bed and motioned to his desk chair, "You're welcome to hide as long as you need to. Though, perhaps it is best to just confront the whole thing head on and clear it all up?"
Dimitri eyed the chair and considered a moment before sitting. "I have attempted to be direct, yet my efforts are constantly misconstrued."
"You're too nice," Claude said, his gaze intense.
"Too… nice?" Dimitri raised an eyebrow. It was not an accusation often leveled at him.
"I've witnessed some of your conversations with girls and you have a tendency to, well, be too nice." Claude broke eye contact and looked towards the door. "You do not wish to hurt their feelings, so you phrase your rejections so delicately the girls do not take it as one."
"Oh?" Dimitri was unaware of this shortcoming.
Claude sighed and made a vague gesture at the door as a girl giggled out in the hallway. He turned back to Dimitri and said, with air quotes, "There is such love in the world, yet my heart is yet-"
"-I get it.'
"Your beauty is unmatched, and one day you will make the most beautiful bride-"
"Claude," Dimitri hissed. He could feel his cheeks begin to warm.
Of course, Claude continued, his grin spreading as Dimitri shifted uncomfortably. "My heart is heavy at the prospect of you no longer being at my side, and your smile will-"
"Enough!" Dimitri stood quickly and his booming voice drowned out the sound of the chair hitting the floor.
"Colleen!" A girl's voice came from the hallway.
"Oooo, you did it now!" Claude clasped his hands behind his head and looked at the door with far too much amusement.
Dimitri stared at the door with trepidation, debating the merits of crawling out Claude's window. He could hear the clicking of multiple pairs of heels, his time was quickly running out. Returning his voice to a whisper, he turned to Claude and asked, "What do I do?"
"Be blunt and tell her you are not interested."
"I… can you do it for me?" Even facing certain doom, he didn't know how to break up with the poor girl without making it worse. Again.
Claude rolled his eyes. "Riiight, because that will work."
There was a sharp knock at the door, followed by a croon of, "Dimiiiitri! Are you in there?"
"Colleen, it may have been this one instead!"
Dimitri backed away from the door and again wondered if he could fit through the window. He looked helplessly to Claude. He had no experience in such matters, certainly Claude had an idea.
"Do you trust me?" Claude stood from the bed and stared into his eyes. "I have half an idea, but I need you to-"
"Yes. Whatever your scheme is, yes." Dimitri may regret it later, but in the moment his only option was to trust Claude and deal with the consequences later. It couldn't be worse than entertaining the vapid noble girl one more time.
Claude stared into Dimitri's eyes a moment more, his green eyes more serious than Dimitri had ever seen this close. Before he could contemplate Claude further, the look shifted, once again full of mirth.
"Quietly unlock the door." Claude nodded to the door and crossed his arms.
"I-" Dimitri swallowed and did as he was asked. Quietly, he stepped over the overturned chair and flicked the lock. He braced for the next step, it wouldn't surprise him if Claude shouted his location as revenge for all of this. He needed to stop spending so much time with Sylvain.
When he looked back, Claude wordlessly motioned him back to him with the wave of a single finger. Once again, Dimitri stepped over the chair and stood in front of Claude, intently listening to the commotion in the hallway.
Nothing happened for a few breaths, and just a Dimitri was about to ask what the plan was, Claude took half a step towards him.
"Oh! Dimitri!" Claude projected his voice, not taking his eyes off Dimitri.
Well, maybe he shouldn't have expected more from Claude. His initial assessment was correct after all. He sighed, resigned to his fate.
The click of heels returned, and as they approached the door Claude reached for the front of Dimitri's shirt and slowly tugged at him as he took a step backwards. The movement was unexpected and Dimitri stumbled forward, tripping over Claude, and sending them falling to Claude's bed.
Dimitri caught his knee on the edge of the mattress as Claude landed on his elbows.
"Claude? Wha-"
The creak of the door handle turning cut him off. As the door opened, Claude reached back up with one hand and pulled Dimitri closer, and closer, until they were breathing the same air. Everything else faded, all that existed was Claude; his breath smelled faintly of chamomile, and this close Dimitri could count the faint freckles under his eyes.
"Dimit- ah!" Colleen's screech broke the spell Claude cast over him.
Dimitri pushed himself away from Claude and looked towards the door in time to see Colleen running out.
"Uh…" Dimitri said to the empty doorway. He looked down to Claude, "What just happened?"
Claude dropped his hand from where he still held Dimitri, letting it fall to his side. "I wasn't expecting her to run so soon. The plan was to make her think we're together- but she didn't stay for me to tell her that. Hopefully she understood."
He didn't want to end up in another relationship just to get out of the first one. That was a terrible plan, and he was about to tell Claude as such when the boy in question began to laugh. Dimitri became abruptly aware of how close they still were as Claude's body shook with laughter.
Dimitri stood as quickly as his trembling legs permitted.
"I'm sorry, but your face!" Claude smirked up at him, still laying on the bed. "I didn't mean date for real," he added with a whisper, mindful of the open door.
"Oh, I see…" Dimitri did not see.
"It's a farce. A lie. And once she leaves you alone we don't need to pretend anymore."
"She saw… us. In that compromising position. I am free then? Thank you." Dimitri slowly pieced his words together.
Claude hummed and finally sat up. "It may not be that simple. Be prepared in case she doubles down tomorrow."
Dimitri nodded and cleared his throat. His eyes trailed towards Claude's lips briefly before he turned to pick up the fallen chair. "Hopefully I will not require more assistance. Thank you for your efforts, this farce was not something I would have considered."
With a shrug, Claude stood. "Always happy to help. Good luck with-" They both froze as the sound of heels returned.
Dimitri turned to Claude, eyes wide, unsure what to do. His hope of being done with Colleen dashed with the click of a heel.
"Still trust me?"
Dimitri nodded.
"I'm going to kiss you." Claude stepped up to Dimitri and gently placed a hand on his cheek. As the girls stepped into the doorway, he leaned up to press his lips to Dimitri's.
In the few seconds he had to contemplate kissing Claude, Dimitri imagined it would be rough, quick- awkward. It was none of them, and he found himself leaning into the kiss, moving his lips against Claude's like his very soul depended on them never separating. He thought he finally understood Sylvain a little, the desire to experience this everyday, to have someone so close, so intimate, to feel wanted-
But it wasn't real. Claude wasn't kissing him because he wanted Dimitri, he was doing it as a friend, as a favor. Not because he actually desired him in such a way.
"By the Goddess! It is true!" Hilda's sweet voice broke through the moment.
Claude dropped his hand and turned to the door, breaking the kiss. Dimitri could feel the lingering heat on his cheek from Claude's calloused hand, and he let his eyes dart to his lips before reality caught up with him and he looked towards their audience.
In the open doorway stood three of their classmates. Hilda was in the middle, looking like she was solving an advanced math problem. To her right was Caspar, who was more focused on Hilda than Claude and Dimitri. And to her left was Sylvain who was sporting black eye and looking between the two of them with a widening smile.
Sylvain reached around Hilda and closed the door with a wink and an amused, "Have fun, you two!"
Dimitri stared at the door as he listened to them walk away. "Should we tell them?"
"Tell them what?"
"That it isn't what they think? Because otherwise this lie will spread around the whole school."
"Oh, Dimitri. It already has. If Colleen hasn't ran all the way through the monastery by now I'd be surprised." He looked everywhere but Dimitri.
"If we tell them the truth, then she'll find out… and I'll be right back to square one." Dimitri frowned and began to pace.
"I don't mind keeping the charade up. It will keep Hilda off my back about dating someone, too. We'd both be free of the burden of that aspect of social expectations."
"That-" Dimitri's eyes darted to Claude's lips.
"No pressure, man. Wouldn't want His Highness to be uncomfortable, afterall."
Dimitri couldn’t think of a good reason not to go along with Claude's plan. He was sure the consequences would find him, they always did, but he found he didn't care what they were.
He nodded, then realized Claude turned to look out the window while he was thinking. "Yes, I believe this could be mutually beneficial."
Claude dropped back to his bed and picked up the book he tossed aside when Dimitri barged into his room. "Great. Hang out in here for a while to sell it. Want to borrow a book?"
Dimitri settled next to Claude on the bed, "If we are to actually… do this, we should get our story together. I am sure we will be inundated with questions tomorrow."
Claude shut his book. "And he I was worried you wouldn't take this seriously. Alright, let's plan."
-
Thanks for reading!
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Zoom Call | Juniper & Robin Wilson
Featuring: Juni & one of their younger brothers. Mentions of @raj-veerapen, @rodriguegambits
Location: Marquesas Islands | San Francisco, CA
Juniper situated themself in front of the desk in the producer’s bungalow, feeling some anxious-excitement trilling in her chest over getting to see her brother. It felt like it’d been ages since they’d last seen each other. In truth, it probably was the longest Juni had ever gone without seeing or speaking with any of their immediate family members. When Robin’s face appeared on the screen though, the ache of missing him was quickly filled up and overrun by their own happiness.
“Hiii, Robin! Oh geeze, it’s been months. How are you?”
“Hey, June. I’m alright. Same ol’, same ol’ with work. Preparing the dead for their loved one’s last goodbyes. The better question is how are you?”
Juni shrugged, “I’m okay. I mean I’m good, but a little homesick. And I miss you, and Eevee. How is she?”
This time, Robin shrugged, “She’s fine. I don’t speak cat but I’m sure she misses you. She hangs around me a lot more now so that’s gotta mean something, right?”
A sad smile came across Juniper’s face, “Yeah... I think she just doesn’t like to be alone.”
Robin nodded a couple of times and then folded his arms across his chest, “That sounds like something you might be familiar with.” He saw Juni wince and added, “It wasn’t meant as an insult. Sorry. So are you gonna tell me the truth about how you’re doing? That confessional seemed brutal on you and--”
At that, Juniper’s eyes grew impossibly wide and their voice hiked up a few octaves, “You’re watching the show?!”
Barely fazed by his sibling’s shock, he shrugged again, “Yeah. I am. Mom, Clover and Autumn are watching too.”
Juniper nearly fell out of her chair at that revelation but she somehow remained rooted in her seat. “Wh... but why? I mean... why?”
Robin arched a brow at her, “Because you’re there and we care about you? You already know I wouldn’t be watching something like this otherwise. But none of that’s the point. You still haven’t answered my question.”
Still recovering from the surprise that four of their family members had been watching, Juniper asked, “It’s not that I want any of you too... I mean if you did, I know I couldn’t stop you but why haven’t any of you written in?”
Again, Robin shrugged, “And do what? Give the host a chance to prod into your business further or twist something we’d say around? No. Mom’s wanted to write in a few times, but we all talked her out of it. Just know that you have family members back home and in San Francisco who are tuned in. Now. Answer my question.”
To some, well, most people, Robin’s unwavering, borderline monotone timbre and demeanor was either seen as intimidating or uninteresting. Juni was as unfazed by it as he was to their more sunny and varied disposition. They were staring down at the keyboard and opened their mouth but were keenly aware of the camera nearby and shook their head, “It’s nothing.”
“No it isn’t,” Robin stated in his own brand of matter-of-factly tone. “Even if you don’t want to say, June, your feelings aren’t nothing.” He paused and then asked outright, “Is this about you and that Raj guy?”
Juni frowned, “Not exactly.”
“What about that other guy... Rodrigo or whatever his name is?”
Juni’s gaze lifted back to their brother, “Rodrigue? No... it’s nothing to do with him either. He’s been nice to me and flirtatious which is fun. And he was really sweet to look out for me when we were on the yacht. But I don’t know that anything serious is going to come up for us.”
“So. Tell me then.”
Juni took in a deep breath and let it out, deciding that even with the cameras nearly always on them, they weren’t the best liar and the truth would sooner come out from them. “I just wonder if... maybe I made a mistake coming here. You already heard how things went with Raj. And... I’m more okay with him than I was before. It’s the situation that hurt more than he did--I realize that now. I see people coupling up. Some almost right away while others have been able to build something over time while being here. It’s beautiful, no matter how long it took to happen. And I’m happy for them. I just...” They frowned again while their face warmed, clearly embarrassed to admit, “I envy that. A lot. It’s why I came here and it doesn’t seem to matter how much I might want it or if I try to put myself out there. It doesn’t seem like it’s really getting me anywhere. It’s nothing different from the experiences I’ve had back home. I’ve made some friends in people I wouldn’t mind continuing a friendship with back in San Francisco. So... maybe I should just... go.”
Robin studied their face, watching Juni not meet his striking blue eyes the entire time they rambled their true feelings and thoughts to him. A somber expression remained on his face, all the while letting the silence stretch on. He knew that he and Juni were on limited time but he wasn’t capable of rushing his brain to process everything before he’d collect himself and say what he had to say back to them. After seeing Juniper squirm under the weight of uncomfortable silence, Robin finally asked, “Is that what you really want? To go?”
There wasn’t any judgement or pressure one way or the other from Robin when he posed his question. And although Juniper didn’t have a definitive answer one way or the other, it didn’t stop them from saying, “I mean I didn’t expect to be gone for this long. I could end up putting my job at risk if I’m gone for too long and all for the sake of finding a romantic partner? Plus, I really do miss you. I miss Eevee and my fish. I miss work, and the City. And my friends there, and... just...”
Robin calmly urged her, “Take a breather, June.” He unfolded his arms and leaned in a bit, his face taking up most of the screen, “It makes sense you’d miss everything familiar. But you went there with a purpose. And sure, it started out with something that feels familiar but that doesn’t mean it’s going to end that way. You don’t have to end it that way. I can’t make you stay but if you want my advice, then I’d advise that you see this through. If you stay and you don’t end up finding ‘the one’ there, that’s okay. You braved a unique experience to try. And I know you, June. You might not be much of a fighter on most things but you’re more persistent than you give yourself credit for. You don’t have a defeatist’s personality. Don’t adopt one now. Don’t take one on, especially for something that you really want.”
Juniper sat still, absorbing all that Robin was telling her. He’d pinned her with a look that said, “You know I’m right” and Juni didn’t need to say it to him. She wasn’t a fighter, and although she wouldn’t call herself stubborn, she did have a persistent tendency when it came to things that she really wanted and the desire to be there for the people (and animals) she loved and cared for.
“Thank you, Robin. I... I’ll have to think about it. Maybe I’ll still stay. I don’t know if there’s someone here for me, but if not... well... it’s like you said. I’ll have the memories of the experience with me, right?”
Robin leaned back and shrugged. “Right. Just make sure that whatever you decide to do, it’s because it’s what you want and what you feel is the best thing to do for yourself.”
Offering a faint smile, Juni nodded. “I will. Thanks, Robin. Before I go, tell me about the holidays though. What did you do for Christmas and New Years? Did you do anything at Valentine’s Day?”
Robin cracked the smallest smile for the first time while recounting the recent major holidays and how he’d spent them to his older sibling. He could tell that Juni seemed lighter while listening to him.
Before they knew, it, their time to talk was nearly finished. Juni begged Robin to tell their parents, each of their siblings, nieces and nephews “hii” and that they loved and missed each of them. Juni promised to bring something back to Robin, even though they had no idea what it would be, and after waving, their call ended. Juniper thought about the things they and Robin discussed, and while mulling all of it over, Juni rose from their seat and headed out for the door, exiting the bungalow.
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[ 𝖑𝖔𝖌 ] - 07. 𝖕𝖑𝖆𝖌𝖚𝖊.
Although it still ran rampant, oftentimes it seemed like the plague had reached a more manageable point- at least within what Faerghus considered manageable. The country had always struggled with diseases and outbreaks- its bustling capital, Fhirdiad, was nothing more than a dirty nest of rats and illness with raw filth in its streets before Cornelia was admitted as the new court mage and began aiding King Lambert in improving the city’s sanitary problems. Yet this one felt different than the ailments that disturbed the north country of Fódlan, it felt like a product of magic rather than nature’s punishment for living in filth. One much similar to the country’s last documented plague that killed its queen.
Needless to say, the air was one of pure grief and fear. Entire families wiped, widows and orphans raising in numbers, homeless searching for shelter after theirs were destroyed, the injured and elderly on the brink of death from the shortage of available healers.
It was “manageable”, but the prince couldn’t help but feel like he failed spectacularly at his own job. Helping and aiding his people, ensuring their safety and wellbeing- no matter what he did, nothing worked. He didn’t want to kill those infected in hopes that there may be a way to save them, yet he didn’t want to leave the healthy and innocent to perish. All in all, he felt like he disappointed much more than just his friends or family- rather, he disappointed his country. He wouldn’t be surprised if his own friends and allies began to turn their backs on him after witnessing such poor performance as a ruler-to-be. Such failure from a prince and house leader.
He wanted to be left alone for a bit. It wasn’t the best action, he was well aware- being alone with nothing but his own thoughts was an invitation to unwelcome ideas and voices, but at the same time he felt too ashamed to face others. Icy eyes that usually scouted the area from above were now directed to the found, instead. The blue cape that often blazed brightly under the sunlight was droopy and hidden in the shadows, close to the walls. The confident and mildly fast pace of his boots were now quiet and slow.
The blond hair that was compared to the sun’s mighty rays was obscured by clouds, his posture akin to a withering flower.
Fate had it out for him however, when one of the monastery’s messengers approached. Someone came to visit.
At first Dimitri frowned in confusion, after all who would want to visit him like that? Perhaps Rodrigue, to check in on him? Margrave Gautier? But the plague hadn’t reached the north. Count Galatea? Maybe to report losses and request aid. Maybe Cornelia, to give a detailed report of the disease and discuss what could be done to avoid this type of thing from happening in the future. Of course, all diplomatic matters- although usually directed to the Regent King rather than to him.
What he wasn’t expecting however, was to be sitting inside his room, a tray with boiling hot chamomile tea on the wooden table, two cups, right in front of his uncle- who eyed the room with an arched brow.
He hadn’t seen any signs in the monastery that would suggest the arrival of his uncle. No trumpets, no kingdom soldiers roaming the area, not even the flying units that always accompanied the royal carriages. It was quiet and simple, almost as if his uncle himself didn’t want it to be known that he was here. Maybe that was done on purpose- Rufus was unpredictable as ever. Sometimes he wanted to be received with parties and glamour, other times he’d much rather sneak around the halls like a weasel. He ever chose to meet Dimitri in the prince’s own quarters, rather than reserve a proper meeting room.
“Not bad. Nice non-existent decoration, by the way. Heheh.” A joke that didn’t land, received with silence. Dimitri’s gaze never really met his uncle’s eyes, instead focusing on his cravat, his beard, the teacups or his own hands sitting atop his lap, fiddling nervously with the hem of his jacket.
Dimitri wasn’t sure what to expect from this- it was the first time Rufus had visited him in the monastery ever since the prince left Faerghus for his studies. Did the man come here to scold him? Lecture him? Just hang out? It was hard to tell. Shouldn’t Rufus be at Fhirdiad, acting on his duties and helping to make sure the city was still safe? The prince’s memories went to the response letter Rufus sent after the Church’s complaints about Dimitri’s behaviour in the ball- and the Regent King actively supported his nephew. But now, looking at the older man’s face, Dimitri wasn’t so sure if he came here to support and comfort him...or to yell at him for his incompetence. Or both, or neither.
Another moment of silence, nothing but their quiet breaths and idle noise from outside the room to fill up the void. Old blues lines the details on the room’s stone and wood walls, before stopping at the sight of Dimitri’s form.
“So? How are you holding up?” Rufus tried to strike conversation again, still not touching the steaming cup of tea, nor the sweet buns on a nearby plate. They were all brought from the Kingdom, all things done exactly the way Dimitri would like. The chamomile tea from the palace’s storehouse- the same kind that Lambert would drink in his afternoons, the buns prepared by the royal bakery- with marshmallow fillings, chewy and soft. Their smell was familiar enough for the prince’s own poor nose to catch on their scents, the smell of nostalgia dulled but present.
The intention behind these was still gray to the prince, however.. He reached out for his teacup, gauntlets long discarded, sitting atop his bed. “I feel well.”
The regent’s expression was neutral, unconvinced. With slow blinks, one would think he’s much older than his early fifties. His long blond mane was clearly messier than usual, some white hairs poking out. The blue of his eyes was lined by dark circles, his posture looked both at ease and crumbling down. Stress, perhaps. Exhaustion, unhappiness. Things that seemed alien for the king that would throw feasts and extravagant parties nearly every month- at least from others’ point of view. The Rufus people saw occupying the throne, the Rufus people used to suspect had a hand in the late king’s murder, the Rufus called sleazy and useless.
Dimitri’s silly, rebel uncle and his only family. Two completely different people.
“I…” The prince started again, unsure. “...I feel like I did a poor job.”
“Poor job at what?” The older man’s brows furrowed slightly, confused. “Got bad grades?”
“No, my grades are fine.” At least for now, they looked good enough. “I performed poorly in aiding the people in the Kingdom. So much was happening, there was so much to be done and I could not-”
“You’re not a mage, boy. Not a healer, either.” And you’re not king yet. “There was nothing for you to do there.” Rufus’ words were quick and sharp, spoken seemingly without a care.
As if they didn’t hurt at all, a simple fact. Dimitri deflated, visibly. Noticing that his words were perhaps too harsh, Rufus scratched his bearded cheek, suddenly uncomfortable. “You- train to be a knight, don’t you? So. Unless you walked out there to kill those diseased people, then there wasn’t anything you could do. Maybe stand there and grant the people comfort, but just that.” The more the regent king tried to do damage control, the more salt was added to the prince’s wounds.
Rufus frowned, huffing. Uncle was always horrible at this, Dimitri thought. After a pause that seemed infinite, the older man tried to speak once more.
“What I mean is that-...ugh, sorry boy but there’s no other way to put it. I’d much rather have you doing nothing and being healthy than you running around the diseased and ending up like one too.” Typical of the older Blaiddyd. Dance around the issue in hopes of sugarcoating or changing the subject, only to drop a bucket of cold water- of truth, unceremoniously like that. Dimitri, unamused, finally met Rufus’ own.
“You want me to just stand aside and watch them fall one by one? You want me to watch them die and do nothing about it? What kind of ruler does that to his people?” Icy eyes grew a flame of their own.
“That’s not it at all- listen to my words, Dimitri. It is dangerous out there, even now. As much as I hate this damned building it’ll be better for literally everyone if you stay here.” Both voices were quickly rising in volume- once a quiet and controlled argument, now a potential shouting match.
The prince’s hands were flat against the table, as if he were close to abruptly standing up- to prove a point. Or to just leave the room and be by himself, even though he knew well that Rufus would follow. “I will not sit on my hands and watch the people of Faerghus sink in a sea of torment! Even if I cannot perform healing spells, I wish to at the very least be there for them! So that they know they have someone to rely on!”
“You’ll die out there if you do that! Leave that task to me-”
“-You’re doing nothing about it! Nothing!”
Although slightly taken aback by the shout, it was unclear if the prince’s words hurt Rufus. “Dimitri, think. I’m not telling you to sit and eat imported steak from Almyra next to a dying villager, what I’m saying is that there’s no use for you to roam around in a situation that’s unsafe and that you cannot directly interfere in! Lances and swords can only do so much, you know that better than me!” Rufus’ voice wasn’t a shout of anger, but rather a steady- and loud, command. He was defining an ultimatum for Dimitri to back down and obey. “It’s unfortunate that you had no means or ways to have a say in what happened but there’s no use in moping about it all day.”
The prince seemed to be stuck between curling in on himself and glaring back at his uncle with defiance.
Rufus glared back with a similar fire in his eyes. “Don’t make that face at me.” The regent leaned in the chair, sighing. He finally reached for the tea- still warm, but not as much as before. Dimitri was still silent, immobile in the opposing chair. His emotions were a swirl of anger, grief, outrage and sadness- he felt justified in his points, yet felt that his outburst was horribly childish. Also unfit for a prince, as well as for someone his age.
Old, greyed azures roamed the room once more before focusing on one of the lances leaning against the wall. The lance Dimitri took with him when he left for Garreg Mach, a steel so smooth and clear that the lance was almost white in color with a charming blue decorating its hilt and the middle of its blade.
His vision wasn’t great as it used to be, but he could make out stains around its blade. Blood was a stubborn little thing, sometimes. The hilt was straight and seemed intact, save for subtle indents from what could only be Dimitri’s hands grasping it. Rufus had always supported having the prince learn how to fight, but he couldn’t help but get a grim feeling from seeing the weapon. From knowing that Dimitri was training to kill. It was all expected, but never easy to swallow.
“Fhirdiad was a little nightmare. No disease, but the people were scared. Panicking.” The regent started casually, slightly tired. He took a sip of the tea, then finally grabbed one of the buns and took a bite.
“Did you do something about it, at least? Did you talk to them?” With words sharper than a knife, Dimitri reached out for his own teacup but stopped midway. Depending on Rufus’ answer, the cup could shatter in his hold- which would be quite unfortunate.
“Me? Dimitri, they hate me. If I stepped out of that balcony to say a ‘good morning’ Goddess knows what they’d throw at me in rage.” The older man stated with similar, ominous indifference. It filled the prince with a dull anger, but not enough to justify another fit.
Always avoiding anything that could prove to be inconvenient to you, uncle. The prince wanted to find it disgusting, outrageous, but his heart didn’t allow it. This was family.
Dimitri decided to fully reach for his cup, despite unfavorable feelings brewing in his chest. “I could have gone to Fhirdiad and offered moral support to its citizens, in that case. The lack of my presence is unforgivable. I will be perceived as unreliable-”
Rufus’ hand came down on the chair’s wooden handle, not hard enough to shatter it but enough for the furniture to audibly creak. “The roads to Fhirdiad were crawling with the diseased! Our pegasus and wyvern knights were tasked with transporting medical equipment and food, and the mages skilled enough to cast a Warp spell were too busy trying to find a cure! Even that pink haired witch was too busy! There was no safe way for you to return, Dimitri!” The regent’s gaze was piercing, making full contact with Dimitri’s icy blues- which still burned in defiance, but the flame was weak. “Can’t you see that as much as the people need their ruler, no level headed person in Faerghus wants another royal funeral? You doing nothing and staying alive- nobody will hold this against you, dammit! Nobody here wants you dead!”
Rufus ran his hands through his hair, an ashy golden mane naturally messy that went past his shoulders. “Me included. So stop having those stupid ideas already.” The outburst from before was reduced to a meek, shaky mumble. With his face obscured from view, it was hard to make out his gaze- if it was one of anger, of exhaustion, or one of tears.
It tore a shuddered breath out of the prince. “...my apologies.” If this answer was genuine or performative, it was unclear. “But I...have to disagree with you.”
The regent simply shook his head and leaned back on the chair again, frowning at how one of the wooden handles was now slightly crooked from his fit. It seemed like another moment of silence, except Rufus knew that any time now Dimitri would say something. From the trembling of his lips and how his gaze zipped around aimlessly. Working up the courage to speak, rehearsing words in his brain.
It came out with an audible sob and a wobbly voice that the regent was most definitely not expecting.
“I just don’t want to be like this…” Helpless, useless. “To stand there...with nothing to do- while people-” Die around me. “I-”
“I don’t want it again.” The sentence was slightly mangled. “To have no control on the- the situation and-”
“Dimitri.”
“People keep dying around me and I can’t do anything about it!”
“Dimitri-”
“I’m ne- ever enough to make it stop! It's unfair! Unfair that I get to breathe all day doing nothing and they-”
“Silence!” The prince yielded, but his sorrow blazed on.
“...Sometimes it happens. And there’s nothing you can do about it. Call it fate or the Goddess throwing a fit or whatever, but there’s...there are things we can’t stop.” At first unsure, Rufus reached for the prince’s forearm, rubbing it gently.
“Being royalty, having a crest- none of these things matter sometimes. You’re just a person. And some things are just out of your power for...being a person like any other. Doesn’t make you weak, but...well, it happens. You’re helpless as I am.”
Dimitri replied with silence.
“And if any of your friends give you crap for it, then guess what? They’re not friends.” Rufus still didn’t know who Dimitri was friends with- except from the ones he’d spot on the palace sometimes. The youngest boy from Duke Fraldarius, the one from Margrave Gautier, and one of Count Galatea’s little girls. They seemed like good kids, at least. “And if that happens then- whatever! I’m here! It’s not much but I’m here!”
What could only be interpreted as a meek chuckle was all Dimitri reacted with. A funny thing for Rufus to say, considering how sometimes he didn’t bother to read his letters and never came to visit. He was too tired to confront the man about it however- so he let it pass. Rufus would probably forget about it later, anyway.
“Also can you- ugh, wait.” The regent produced a handkerchief and handed it out. “I know it’s rough and you’re sad but wipe your face? It’s three quarters water at this point. Gross as hell.” The Blaiddyds never looked pretty while crying. Always a red-faced wet mess, yet the redness and the tears made the blue of their eyes jump out exponentially.
“Language, uncle.” Dimitri grabbed the offered handkerchief- it held the emblem of Itha, not of the Royal banner- and pressed it against his face. He didn’t care, blew his nose on it despite an audible sound of disgust from the regent and handed it back.
“...you can keep it.” Rufus’ grimace was enough to finally make the prince laugh softly. A real laugh.
Dimitri sighed, feeling a headache coming in- one of exhaustion, the typical ones after a cry. Instead of looking down, however, he stared at the now cold cup of tea and the mostly untouched buns. “I just do not wish for my people, allies and friends to perceive me as… weak and unreliable. That is all.” I don’t want to be abandoned again.
The older man chuckled. “It’s funny to hear you speaking all fancy after all of that.” Dimitri simply huffed.
“Prince or not, you’re still a kid. Kids aren’t perfect, I bet that princess from Adrestia also has her slip ups as well as the little guy from Leicester you threw hands with. If people cast you aside for a mistake out of your power, then they’re the ones in the wrong for putting on impossible expectations.” Dimitri noddled idly, although he didn’t seem to be fully on board. Stubborn little thing, just like his dad, Rufus thought.
“...I wish to support Faerghus still, however. Even if I could not do much when the disease was out of control...now that everything has reached a more stable point, I would like to help the people in every way I can.”
“And that’s alright. Just don’t skip school and be a good boy.”
“Uncle.”
“What? You can’t be in two places at the same time, Mitya.” That baby nickname was enough to calm the prince down slightly. It was only ever used by his family nowadays- as his friends have all but stopped calling him anything other than Your Highness. It felt a bit embarrassing at times, as if Rufus were babying him, but it also brought comfort.
“I- okay, I yield!” The prince crossed his arms, huffing out. “You are impossible, truly. Quite frustrating, at times.”
“Yadda yadda.” Rufus smirked, sipping on the now cold tea. ”Sheesh, this thing tastes like leaf water when it’s cold. Bad leaf water.”
“That is more or less what tea is composed of.” Dimitri grabbed one of the sweet buns, taking a bit and munching with visible glee once he noticed that the pastries were bakes to fit his preferences.
“Finally, dammit! I thought you wouldn’t eat any of these! Well, you could at least spare one to give to a pretty girl you like.” Rufus winked and grabbed another pastry, powdered sugar lining his golden beard.
Dimitri made noises of disapproval, but preferred to just continue eating. Although his heart was still heavy with uncertainty and disappointment in himself, he felt that at least at that very moment, he could afford to occupy himself with something- or someone else. Other than death and suffering, other than despair.
He’d brace himself for a difficult path, now. One of painful recovery and unfortunate difficulties.
#[ ah this takes me back… ] (drabbles)#[[ yo this got LONG ]]#[[ but now that the month's ending have a lil drabble for dimitri @ the plague in faerghus ]]#[[ and uncle hours? uncle hours ]]
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Different anon from Dimitri anon, but I quite like how you write Sylvain and Felix! Any tips for how? (If it’s ok to ask, no pressure ofc!)
Thanks so much anon! No it’s no trouble to ask, I’m happy to share my thought processes! Sorry this took a little longer but I was kind of busy the last few days.
Felix
1) Felix is an asshole. Not because he’s inherently a bad person, but because he simply doesn’t understand how to process or engage with his feelings.
I’d say Felix uses his assholery as a defense mechanism. If the conversation approaches a topic he’d rather not talk about, his instinct is to lash out to end it. I’d say his Ingrid and Mercedes supports are the best example of this. Ingrid begins discussing knightly duties, something we know Felix is sensitive about because of Glenn, and he lashes out at her. Mercedes begins comparing him to her little brother, and again we know Felix is sensitive to the topic of brothers, and so he rudely tells her to go bother someone else. When people don’t approach topics that upset him (Lysithea, Annette, and Leonie are good examples of this) he’s generally much more pleasant.
I think this is actually one of the most relatable things about Felix, he reacts very typical for a teen/young adult thrust into a bad situation. I think it’s also a great thing to play around with, since you can lay it on or pull back depending on how old he is when you write him and how developed and mature you want him to be.
2) Felix might be cruel sometimes, but he’s not typically violent.
The only instance of him expressing violence out of anger in the game was against Rodrigue, and we only find that out from an advice box message post skip because he’s so torn up about it even all these years later. When I think of him being aggressive I usually think more “angsty teen that yells ‘I HATE YOU’ and then hides in his room”
Which leads me to...
3) Really, Felix is kind of a softie. He’s got a big heart and he does genuinely care a lot for his friends. Even if he’s often a little too proud to explicitly admit he’s wrong.
This does depend a bit on which route you’re writing him for, but personally, as a general rule of thumb, I try not to write Felix thinking about or planning to hurt his friends and family. If he does it’s usually a heat of the moment thing, not premeditated. That’s not to say he never hurts people, or even that he never hurts people on purpose, it’s just that it’s almost always a result of lashing out rather than genuine intent to cause them harm. And, generally, when he does lash out he’ll agonize over it and apologize (or try to, in his very Felix way).
Sylvain
Sylvain is a little harder for me, since I don’t typically write a lot of his perspective, but just some general things I keep in mind.
1) He’s a fuck boy, but he cares.
This might be a little hard to see from just his supports, since things are usually going well for him there, but when the chips are down he’ll do anything to protect his loved ones. We get hints of this throughout, like when he asks to be a Great Knight he basically says he’s willing to throw himself on a lance to protect people, and I believe in Japanese during the Gronder battle he specifically brings up Ingrid and Felix (assuming you didn’t recruit them) as one of his primary reasons for fighting.
When the situation isn’t life and death, I’d classify him as sort of a big brother/older mentor type in a lot of ways. He’s very sweet with Marianne and Bernadetta, for example, and does what he can to make them feel comfortable with him. He also chastises Hilda (while simultaneously taking the fall for her) for lying and being immature, and when he puts his foot in his mouth with Leonie he tries to fix it.
Though I think it’s fair to point out: he feels this way about a very specific, small subset of people (mainly his friends). This does not tend to extend to people outside of his circle. Outside of the people he cares about, he doesn’t really seem to have any issue treating people as disposable.
2) He’s damn smart, even if he hides it. Charismatic, too.
I think this results in a lot of people underestimating him (which I think, on some level, is his intention). He’s got motivations, goals, and drive, and he knows how to achieve them. We even see some hints of him working toward those goals during the academy phase of the game (one of his lost items is a book about Sreng, for instance).
I think the game does a massive disservice by mainly showing him striking out with girls. We know from his endings that he’s gotta be very competent and charismatic, seeing as how he negotiates peace with Sreng with pure diplomacy.
3) He’s also kind of bad with his feelings.
Much like Felix, though instead of lashing out he’s flirty and insincere. This is a pretty frequent hurdle for him, since when he does want to express his feelings or opinions genuinely he either finds it difficult, or the person he’s talking to assumes he’s not being serious. His Leonie and Ingrid supports are a good example of this.
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