raijintosworn

[raijintosworn]

Ryoma was technically off the clock. However, he would never say no to lending a helping hand, especially not to a student. He could go on and on about how the youth were the future, but that was a rant for another time, perhaps.

“Of course I’m available,” he said. “However, the only weapon I truly know well is a sword.” He could attempt a lance - it couldn’t be that different from naginata - or perhaps, if he were lucky, he could shoot some arrows and have them land on target. As he was chosen by Raijinto, there was little use learning anything but the blade.

“What would you like help with in particular?”

what's the weapon triangle again?

[raijintosworn]

basil : does your muse have a love - hate relationship with anyone or anything ?

botanical headcanons ; accepting

We’re all in agreement this isn’t an edgy answer right? Right.

It’s himself.

It’s really an uphill battle for him right now. He’s never had many issues with self loathing. Self doubt? Yes; there’s reasons why Ryoma didn’t just take the throne outright when he came of age. But he’s not a man who lived with regrets, and tends to learn from his mistakes. He’s always seen himself as proud and strong.

But I think he’s also shed a lot of that pride and strength since coming to the Academy. I think him losing the war and stripping himself of the title of crown prince has also stripped him of his pride. It’s stripped him of a lot of that strength that held him together.

I don’t think he sees himself as a bad person, just a very flawed person with a great many fuck-ups. Right now, he wants to atone. He wants to like himself. But it’s hard looking himself in the mirror at the moment.

But, perhaps someday.

[raijintosworn]

belladonna :   how does your muse respond to silence ? do they take comfort in soundlessness ,   or seek to fill the void with noise ?

botanical headcanons ; accepting

Oh, Ryoma loves silence. He’s not the type of man to demand silence when he’s around, but if he’s by himself? There’s comfort in silence. There’s peace in it.

I think he likes taking that silent time to reflect and meditate on whatever is on his mind. It could be work. It could be family. It could be the cringe thing he just told someone at the market. Either way, it’s perfect for deep introspection.

And you might think because of everything, he might shy away from that metaphorical mirror. If anything, he enjoys reflecting more because of it. He’s got much to think about.

I don’t think he enjoys places full of noise particularly, but he can absolutely deal with it. It just means when there are periods he can sit alone, in silence, it’s all the more important. If he invites you to sit in silence with him, just know there is a deep trust between the two of you. He enjoys chatting to people, but there’s a time and a place for it, and that ain’t here.

[raijintosworn]

mint :   does your muse view themself as virtuous   &   moral ?  what do these words mean to them ?

botanical headcanons ; accepting

Oh you asked this to the right character - unfortunately.

Ryoma did see himself as virtuous and moral. To him, as high prince of Hoshido, he must embody those words at all times. No one wants to follow a corrupted prince - what is he, Xander? (His thoughts, not mine.)

Those words really are just synonyms for the same thing, but still. What they mean to him is to do the right thing: at all cost. And he will sacrifice almost anything for what he thinks is right. The right thing is pushing back against Nohr. The right thing is not going down without a fight. With Hoshido being a smaller nation, they really have to give it their all to push back against Nohr.

We could argue all day about whether what Hoshido does and doesn’t do is moral or not. At the end of the day, Ryoma argues he does have the moral victory, as Hoshido never started this. Garon did. The moral victory isn’t much though, really.

The problem is, Ryoma did fail Hoshido. He failed in his duty. Can he really call himself virtuous? Moral, perhaps, as he feels he ended things the correct way, but no longer virtuous I think. I think he conflates virtuous with infallible.

[raijintosworn]

How, indeed, had he survived. He’s been alive for some time now, and still, he cannot figure out how. He’s asked the universe that question a thousand times, and has asked around, but his search yielded no results. There is no reason for him to still be here. Yet he persists.

He doesn’t know why. There must be a higher purpose, a higher reason for his survival.

Ryoma has shared none of these thoughts with anyone; not his mother, not his sister, and he certainly would not share them with Leo.

Leo pointedly did not invite him to sit - Ryoma sits anyway. He does not need an invite from some boy.

“I’ve spoken to Camilla.” It was a brief interaction, though he still remembers it. She had angrily thrown her token on the floor for him to pick up during the Ethereal Ball. She’d had the gall to be upset that Ryoma hadn’t been thrilled to see her. He’ll give Leo this: he does not seem surprised by Ryoma’s ire.

“I’m also certain that I have seen Elise, too.” She’s hard to miss, though Ryoma would not speak to her. “I am almost surprised Xander isn’t with you; you all seem to move as a pack.” He’s glad not to see Xander; in fact, he would die happy if he never saw that man again.

You Again?

[raijintosworn]

✧˖°ℙ𝕆ℂ𝕂𝕐 𝔾𝔸𝕄𝔼

The Pocky Game is a game played with two people and one biscuit stick. Each end of the treat in a mouth, inches separating you and the other. Make it to the center first and you win, break the stick and you lose. Meeting in the middle? Well, it's up to the participants to decide what that is.

Roll a d6. Send the result +🍪or [cookie] to challenge my muse at the Pocky Game. The number you rolled is the number my muse must roll above to beat your muse at the Pocky Game. If they tie, they meet in the middle. **By default, the sender is the initiator. Include 🍫 or [chocolate] to have my muse initiate instead.

[raijintosworn]

“Well, unless you’re particularly strong, I can’t see them losing the stick.” At least, he hopes not. All that Ryoma knows of wolves is based on what he knows of dogs. He’s hoping they’re not that different - or at least not so different that it would cause issues. “Are you strong enough to throw the stick so far?” Ryoma would very much like to see that.

Kurthnaga - or Kurth, Ryoma supposes - seems far too trusting. He barely knows Ryoma, and sees him as a friend. It’s all the more reason not to let them down. Kurth seems very sweet.

“Ah, one of the Golden Deer,” Ryoma says. The only house that has a prey animal, instead of a predator, as its mascot. Ryoma finds that interesting, but he can’t put his finger on why. “Why did you come to Garreg Mach?” Ryoma looks at him. “I do hope you aren’t pursuing the path of a mercenary.” Kurthnaga wouldn’t last a day.

Bork Bork Bork. Look I'm a Dog

Anniversary | Riding +1

[raijintosworn]

Ryoma nods as she talks. Blue hair, tall (but then again, who isn’t tall when you’re so little?!), and… a mark? She pushes her hair back to reveal the red mark on her forehead. It means nothing to Ryoma, of course. “Oh, okay. Is it a tattoo?” Wait, no, is that rude? It’s probably a cultural thing; Ryoma doesn’t really leave Hoshido much at all, and outsiders never really visit Hoshido.

He takes her hand - it feels so little in his own. She trusts him. The weight of that responsibility is a great weight indeed, but he’s got her. Ena is safe with him.

“I’m not going to let go,” he says. “If we manage to lose each other, don’t run away, okay? I’ll come and find you again.” He hopes. He hopes he sounds cool and confident; he feels kind of stupid.

Ryoma looks around. No tall men with blue hair and a red tattoo-mark-thing. He hopes the man didn’t abandon her. Maybe if he did, Ryoma can bring her to Mother; he wouldn’t mind another little sister. It’s better than wandering this school without family, too. Whatever happens, he’ll keep her safe.

“What’s your grandfather’s name?” Ryoma asks. “Maybe we can ask some grown-ups if they’ve seen him.”

big brother mode activated

( TOA anniversary board - any skill +1 )

[raijintosworn]

Even as a small child, Ryoma enjoyed training. He suspected he enjoyed swinging the sword around as a child, but now, he enjoyed the physical aspect of it more than anything. Thankfully, his profession helped keep him in shape. He was glad he had taken up a position at Garreg Mach after everything that happened.

Another student came onto the training grounds. It was the end of the day, and there were occasionally students who came in after hours. Some came hoping to find some help with their weapon of choice, and some preferred practising alone. Ryoma couldn’t say he knew this girl, so he doubted she was here for sword practice.

Still, it didn’t hurt to ask.

“Good evening,” he said. “Are you here to train by yourself, or would you rather have a partner?”

He hoped she wasn’t here to learn archery; Ryoma wasn’t much for archery, himself.

@flowerinbattle

what's the weapon triangle again?

[raijintosworn]

what's the weapon triangle again?

[raijintosworn]

abatina :   is there anything in life your muse has changed their mind about over time   (   due to becoming more educated on the topic ,   certain experiences  ,   etc .   ) ,    or that they   would   change their mind about under certain circumstances ?  

botanical headcanons ; accepting

I’m trying really, really hard to avoid the obvious. Unfortunately, there’s only one answer for Conquest!Ryoma: the Nohrian royal family.

I don’t think Ryoma blames the people of Nohr as much as he blames those royals; even then, the blame is mostly on the older three (because what power does Elise truly have?). The issue is, Ryoma doesn’t have their experience. He doesn’t know the life they’ve lived. He truly thinks they all just back up Garon 100% without so much as a thought.

I’ve talked about this with Sam a little bit, and I know Ryoma can at least change his mind on him. I feel like, with enough time and communication, he could change his mind on the older two, too. I know he does in Revelations, but this ain’t that, sadly.

I know it’s a really short, really obvious answer, but it’s truly the only thing I can think of 😭

[raijintosworn]

“Ah, so you do know.” Even if it was the ‘wrong’ Shiro. It was still so strange to him that there were people from home that were not from home. In a sense, it was better: facing them would be much more difficult. “I’m unsure which timeline he comes from. He referred to Hoshido being ‘fine’, and that’s all the information I received.”

But then, if Shiro truly disliked Ryoma, then it would make sense why he was so sparse with information.

As for why Shiro might hate him? Well, it sounds rather juvenile and whiny when he said it out loud. “Perhaps hate is a strong word,” he said, “but I don’t get the sense that he and his father are particularly close.” We get along, Shiro had said. Ryoma couldn’t imagine saying that about any of his parents.

“We met because he couldn’t go fishing unchaperoned. I volunteered. Of course, I didn’t know who Shiro was at the time.” But Shiro did, naturally. “The first time he saw me, his reaction was to yell ‘no’ - quite forcefully.” Poor Ryoma hadn’t understood why at the time. Now he felt ridiculous for not noticing it sooner.

“But that’s enough about me, surely you have news as well?”

mommy's precious little flower

( anniversary board - axe +1 )

[raijintosworn]

Oh - she’s shy! His baby sister’s shy too, but she’s a baby. This girl - Ena? - is a little older, at least. Not that he can’t deal with Sakura, because he can, but Ena can talk properly, even if she’s talking about herself weirdly.

“Your grandfather?” Ryoma tries to think. He hasn’t seen any old men or anything around the school, but that doesn’t mean he’s looked everywhere. “I can help you find him.”

He doesn’t like the idea of leaving this little girl all by herself. Sure, his parents are going to worry when he comes back late, but this is far more important. What is he missing, anyway? History lessons? Boring. Dull. Awful. He doesn’t want to do any of that. But even if it was something more fun, Ryoma would still help her.

“Do you want to hold hands?” he offers his hand to her. “Then we won’t lose each other.” He’d feel awful if he promised to help her, only to immediately lose her at the first corner. Plus, he thinks some kids like holding hands. He remembers being little and his parents holding his little hand, after all.

“And what does your grandfather look like?” He imagines his old man, back broken with a cane, and a beard practically down to the floor. He doesn’t have grandparents, so he can’t even imagine. Plus, his dad is already so old - surely any man older than him would be dust!

big brother mode activated

( TOA anniversary board - any skill +1 )

[raijintosworn]

Ryoma looks down at his hands. Perhaps he is trembling a little bit. Still, he’s perfectly fine. He tucks his hands into his armpits.

“Nonsense,” he says. “All I need is to warm up my hands. You may be surprised by how much warmer you’ll feel if you wrap up your extremities.” It doesn’t help as much as he’d like. He won’t freeze to death though, he knows he’s completely fine how he is. As long as he doesn’t move and allow the cold to seep in, anyway.

“And I’m hardly so fragile that I can’t handle a little cold.” Though, it’s starting to get a little colder. “I don’t believe you are either, but it’s a common courtesy to give you the blanket rather than take it myself.”

Maybe he’s still a self-sacrificing noble at heart. He can’t help himself.

“Or if you are too stubborn to take it for yourself, we could share it. They say sharing body heat is important.” They also say it’s safer to do so naked. Ryoma isn’t suggesting that. He’s hardly ashamed of his own body, but this isn’t so life-and-death that they must get naked for each other. He hopes.

would milord care for a warm cosy blankie

( TOA anniversary board - heavy armour +1)

[raijintosworn]

carnation : what is your muse’s relationship with their gender ? how do they express or not express this relationship ?

botanical headcanons ; accepting

Aw man what a good question! It’s a shame Ryoma’s answer is relatively boring.

Ryoma’s always been secure in his gender. He’s never had questions about himself as a child in that regard. As an adult, he’s happy being a man, and what that means to him. He’s never really wondered what it would be like to be anything else, gender-wise.

I think he does have uh… traditional views on gender, unfortunately. Not quite ‘man strong women soft flower GRRRR’ but I do think he’d have some unlearning to do. But, that’s pretty normal for cis men, sadly. Besides, he’s never really had the time or inclination to think about gender. For himself, he feels like he needs to be strong. He needs to be a protector and a provider.

How much of that is his own views on gender, and how much of that is due to his status, I don’t exactly know. I don’t think he’d know either. He shoulders - or rather, shouldered - a lot of responsibility. Garreg Mach might be the place to make him reconsider gender, but not his own. He’s happy as a man.

Though, if any loved one did transition, he’d be supportive. Clueless at first, but supportive. Just… give him a little minute, okay? He’s millennial aged but boomer spirited.

[raijintosworn]

Ryoma is a little lost.

The monastery is huge - sort of like Castle Shirasagi, he guesses. Well, it doesn’t matter if he’s lost: he doesn’t have school to go to. He can run free, as far as his little legs will take him. There’s only one problem: he hasn’t found anyone to hang around with. Well, that’s fine. He’ll make some new friends somewhere around here, he’s sure of it.

Just as he thinks that, he sees a girl. Her pink hair reminds him of Hinoka, a little, if her hair was a little lighter. She seems just as lost as he is. Perfect chance to make a new friend! He runs over to her.

“Hi!” He knows he should be more polite. He knows he should be more like the Crown Prince of Hoshido, be a perfect little noble, but he’s got all the time in the world to do all that stuff. His dad will die when he’s like, fifty (how old is he, anyway?), and by then, Ryoma will be an adult. Then he can be boring and polite.

“I’m Ryoma. What’s your name?” he asks. “Are you okay? You look a little lost. I’m lost, too.” Hey, maybe they can be lost together! This is a fantastic idea.

@spinnerofhope

big brother mode activated

( TOA anniversary board - any skill +1 )

[raijintosworn]

There is peace in silence if one looks for it. The rhythmic chopping breaking the silence is like a heartbeat. It’s soothing. It’s a respite from the constant hustle and bustle of the rest of life at Garreg Mach. Not that he minds it, but he’s enjoying this moment. He’s sure his partner-in-slicing is feeling it too, as he’s been silent beside him.

Or at least, that’s what Ryoma thought until he opened his mouth. He furrowed his brow.

“I disagree,” Ryoma says. “It may be faster, but it’s far more dangerous. Did you know it takes the same force to cut a carrot as it does to cut a finger?” He looks down at the vegetables. He supposes it could be rather tedious to cut all these by hand. It could be kind of fun to grab a sword and try to cut the vegetables that way. But it wouldn’t be responsible. Responsibility may be boring, but Ryoma is boring.

Yes, he sees Shiro’s point about him being a boring nag. He also isn’t about to change that.

“And don’t you think this is rather relaxing?” Chop. “You should try to get into the rhythm of it.” Chop. “It isn’t so terrible.”

im number two on the fruit ninja leaderboard. get on my level.