#// come bernadetta........... let us skip class together!!!!!!!!!!!!

[pridelessdaydreamer]

She hadn’t meant to scare her on purpose—though, Lin was also aware that sometimes it was part of the course. Mage didn’t exactly make a habit of making herself known before entering or exiting locations (mostly for the ease of leaving, if desired), and to one who’d been successfully avoiding human interaction for who knew how long, perhaps Bernadetta had simply forgotten to keep her ears open?

Or she just startled easily; it could be either or. (Or both.)

All the same, Linhardt is… “‘A sneaky garden snake, but fluffier.’” (So Bernadetta had described.) “Huh,” is all they reply with. A moment passes to ponder what was said.

Then, a nod. If she means my hair, then green isn’t an uncommon color for a snake, even if it’s typically not this precise shade. At the least, it would certainly elaborate what she meant by ‘fluffier.’ “I see.” Moving on:

“Anyways, I’m not going to tell the professors or anything—since nothing bad has happened to you, I don’t see why I should.” Stepping forth to squat down next to the plants, they look over the collection Bernadetta has been caring for, noting each of the various species and their types. “I’m not exactly fond of going to class either, or talking to others all too much.”

(A gentle poke at one of the safer plants.) “I must say, I never expected you to be a gardener though.” A closer look is granted to the closer ones, checking for signs of good care or poor health. “From the looks of it, you’ve done a good job too.”

Then the boy stands up, then finding a spot against the wall and laying against it. With a stretch, he continues: “Don’t mind me though. I’m just here for a nap.”

[ 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 ] : sender has just found the receiver who's been missing for weeks.

“Hello again, Bernadetta.” (Though they do not smile, there is a hint of amusement in their voice.) “I imagine your sudden disappearance was on purpose?”

Lin wouldn’t be surprised if so—with how often Bernadetta took to her lonesome, it was only a matter of time until she vanished without a word. (Or maybe there was a word—just not to the masses of Garreg Mach.)

Of course, it also could’ve been that she was kidnapped and just recently rescued. Linhardt wouldn’t know.

“So, how was your time in perfect isolation?” he continues, hardly taking a moment to pause. “Find any new hobbies? Sculpting, perhaps?”

* for you i would.

i'm learning to become all the space i need.

"more water for you, less water for you—a cute little bug for you, and a sprinkle of fertilizer for your neighbor! wow, that stuff's stinky. almost as stinky as that owen dart guy." and bernadetta gets professor dark's name wrong on purpose just because, a jolly little hmph and hum in tow as she tends to her plant children. so caught up in herself she is that linhardt's presence sneaks up on her like an afternoon shadow.

"eep! lin, li-linhardt!" she sputters, watering pail fumbling in her hands; it jostles between her grasp a few times before she finally catches ahold of it, both arms crushing the tool to her chest with a heavy slosh. bernadetta spins around to him with puffed cheeks and a tiny stomp of her foot.

"bernie almost had a heart attack! how are you so quiet, huh? like a sneaky garden snake, but fluffier!" all huffed without any real bite—if anything she's more embarrassed that he might have overheard her gibberish.

come to think of it, though, linhardt is probably the first person she's really had to speak to in... how many skipped lectures was it now? probably longer than what was socially acceptable. simmering down some, bernadetta sets down the watering pail and fiddles with her thumbs behind her back, swaying in place while avoiding his gaze.

"well, um," she starts, miles gentler and with a tinge of shame, "yes? uh-oh, you're not here to tell me our professors are upset, are you? and instead of new hobbies, it's more like bernie's been hiding with old ones..."

like gardening, an arm meekly gestures. "... but you found me, so now what?"

[crackimagines]

Megumi Sakura as a Professor AU (Time-Skip)

Geez, ya’ll are evil, you know that?

—–

School-Live! AU Masterlist Here

“Five years have passed since Garreg Mach had been invaded.

So much has happened since then. 

The Church of Seiros, Holy Kingdom of Faerghus and the Adrestian Empire have delcared war on each other, meaning that a majority of our students have become people we have to fight.

And k

Megumi’s hand stopped when realized what she was about to write.

(Megumi) “…And kill.”

(Megumi) …Killing the children…

Her students were no longer children, but the fact remained that they had to harm people she cared so much for.

Megumi couldn’t bring herself to finish the journal. 

She had dusted it off after leaving five years ago. She was amazed it was still here after all this time. Though it seemed a little pointless now since she couldn’t even write in it.

With a sigh, Megumi closed her journal and set it back onto the table, cleaning up her desk a little.

Megumi looked off to the window where she had put the new flowers in. 

The ones the Black Eagles class had given here had obviously wilted away, and felt appropriate to replace them to help her feel at ease.

Though truth be told, no amount of redecorating would make everything feel the same. A majority of the Monastery was in ruins with debris from the battle everywhere, and only now were soldiers trying to clean up some of the blood that was splattered here and there.

She remembered the battle like it was yesterday, trying to evacuate as many of the students as she could before making her escape with the rest of the church forces.

Megumi was willing to die for the students if it meant saving them, but luckily it had never come to that.

When Imperial forces isolated her in the monastery, they were planning to keep her prisoner until they realized that she wasn’t a combat instructor, and Edelgard personally came to speak to Megumi.

(Edelgard) “Megune-…Professor Sakura. Thank goodness you aren’t hurt. Men, release her immediately.”

The soldiers let go of her arms and nodded.

Megumi knew the rest of the class was with her, but it seemed Edelgard and Hubert were the only ones who knew she was still here.

(Hubert) “Worry not, we do not plan to kill you…Unless you cause trouble for us, of course.”

(Edelgard) “Bluntly put but…not inaccurate. I would never want it to come to that. Professor Sakura, I can only give you this advice, stay out of this war. This is not an order but…a request from your student. Please.”

Megumi had done a very good job of that, helping out any wounded in the Church. She was never on the frontlines, nor did she think she ever could.

The idea of killing someone was sickening to her, and she refused to even think about hurting her former students.

She only returned to the Monastery because of a promise she made five years ago. The classes and their professors wanted to return in five years for the festival to have a big class reunion. 

They originally made the offer to Byleth, but Megumi was quickly dragged into the discussion, alongside Manuela and Hanneman.

Even though she knew the state of the Monastery, she wanted to keep that promise.

And she was glad she did, because Byleth was still alive after all that time.

A knock on her door brought Megumi back to the present, and she turned to the door.

(Megumi) “Come in!”

When the door opened, she involuntarily jumped seeing Byleth come in. She wasn’t used to his green hair back then, and she certainly wasn’t used to it now.

(Byleth) “Hey, Megumi.”

They both smiled at each other, and Byleth sat down on her bed as she turned around in the chair.

(Megumi) “What do you need, Byleth?”

(Byleth) “I’m just checking up on you.”

(Megumi) “M-Me?”

(Byleth) “It’s good to see you again after all these years but…where have you been?”

(Megumi) “I mostly stayed in Church and Kingdom territory helping out any churches or medical facilities as much as I could.”

(Byleth) “Were you able to find any of our old students?”

Megumi stayed silent for a moment. She had wished to see Mercedes or Manuela or anyone, frankly, but…

(Megumi) “No there…There wasn’t anyone I recognized.”

(Byleth) “I see.”

(Megumi) “Ah, but I’m happy to see you all now! If it meant waiting five years to see everyone healthy then it was well worth the wait-”

(Byleth) “You don’t have to pretend you’re okay with me, Megumi.”

Megumi’s smile slowly went away as she stared at the floor.

(Byleth) “These last five years, you’ve been all by yourself?”

(Megumi) “…Yes.”

Her voice had become quiet all of a sudden.

(Byleth) “And now you’re caught up in this mess too…”

(Megumi) “I…I can’t leave any of our students behind, Byleth. M-Maybe you can convince them to join us! That way we don’t have to hurt them and-”

She looked up from the ground and at Byleth, and saw the face of someone just as broken as she was.

(Byleth) “I want nothing more than to go back to those days, Megumi, but…”

(Megumi) “It’s impossible, I know…”

She looked back at the ground, her vison going blurry.

Byleth noticed that she was shaking now.

(Megumi) “The students, they didn’t deserve this fate…!”

(Byleth) “Megumi…”

Her fists started to curl up as teardrops landed on them.

(Megumi) “Why…? Why do we have to hurt our students?! WHY DO WE HAVE TO KILL THEM?! WHY COULDN’T WE HAVE JUST BEEN ALL TOGETHER?!-”

She wanted to scream more, but her words turned incomprehensible as she started bawling. 

Byleth hugged her as she continued sobbing. Although the way he was holding her was very awkward, he still tried his best to comfort her.

Five years worth of emotional pain was finally being released, and Megumi finally had someone to be there for her, just as she was there for her students.

Deep down she knew how she was hurting was only the beginning.

Now that Byleth was back, the war had truly begun.

And that meant that the students she loved were going to die one way or another.

Blue Lions

Megumi would’ve been absolutely heartbroken seeing how Dimitri was. How someone so caring and sweet turned into such a bloodthirsty person.

When she first tried approaching him, Dimitri cursed at her, saying that she was a pest.

Like Byleth, she desperately wanted to say something to snap him out of it, but nothing was working.

Although hope of seeing the Dimitri she knew would come back was fading, she still persisted.

When he finally did return to his old self, she was sobbing tears of joy. She cried harder when Dimitri came to apologize to her.

As for the rest of the Blue Lions, she was devastated when the news of Dedue was brought to her, but had the same reaction when Dedue finally found his way back to the group.

She was so proud of the others for the people they’ve matured into, and was happy to lend an ear to anyone who came to her.

Of course, the former Blue Lions class still referred to her as Megunee.

Golden Deer

Megumi was thankful that mostly everyone was kept intact despite such dire circumstances.

When Claude started making snarky remarks as the two waited for everyone else to arrive, including Byleth, she hugged him, needing to hear that her students weren’t affected by the war.

By the time everyone had come back, she was thankful to see them all again. Obviously they had troubles and everything wasn’t perfect, but the fact they all matured and stayed together was the only thing she asked for.

Of course, the former Golden Deer class still referred to her as Megunee.

Black Eagles

Against her better judgement and what Edelgard warned her, she wanted to stay with the Black Eagles class when they returned to Garreg Mach and occupied it.

With the Adrestian Empire essentially fighting everyone, Megumi knew that this path was going to be very bloody and that no happy ending would be rearing its head.

Manuela, Hanneman, Catherine, Shamir, Seteth, everyone she worked with and called dear friends were going to be siding with the Church, which meant against them.

She couldn’t bear to face any of them, knowing they’d call her a traitor. At least that’s what she thought, none of them ever got close to Megumi again, since they were mostly killed at the second battle of Garreg Mach.

Since she had stayed at Garreg Mach, Megumi decided to be something of an emotional counselor for the Black Eagles Strike Force.

Dorothea, Linhardt, and Bernadetta frequented her the most.

Of course, the former Black Eagles class still referred to her as Megunee.

[pokemagines]

thorns. (dimitri x reader)

@akumas-stuff: “can i request some after the time skip dimitri angst from an s/o that went the black eagles route ?? 💕”

a/n: this rlly isn’t dimitri x reader/byleth it’s more uhhh unrequited love dimi x reader/byleth and implied el x reader/byleth.... felt like giving a lil more introspection into that scene at the end of the crimson flower route. h*ck yeah its sad hours boys !!!! --mod touko

SPOILERS FOR THE CRIMSON FLOWER ROUTE !!!!

tw: violence

   the rain pours down on the battlefield, chilling you to the bone. conditions are miserable, with some of your most elite soldiers having to retreat in order to lead away the ambush by the beasts that had suddenly appeared on the battlefield. the sword of the creator strikes true even despite the conditions, cutting through anything that happened to be in its path, determined to see dimitri one last time.

   (later, hubert would confide in you that one of those said demonic beasts was actually your old friend dedue. it stung thinking of how loyal he was, up until the bitter end.)

   you hear edelgard’s shouts as she pushes through the fray, following you towards dimitri. her heavy armor makes her sink into the mud, slowing down her pace. ignatz, your adjutant, implored you to wait up for the other troops who had been commanded to go in after the more sturdy units had taken out the first line of defenses. his advice falls on deaf ears, as you continue to cut your way across the battlefield, unbeating heart fluttering when you think of confronting your old friend here.

   this was nothing like facing claude. claude knew when it was time for his final act in fodlan, and surrendered after a rough battle with his alliance forces. he had more cards to play, a birthright in another kingdom that he had been banking on returning to if all failed here. he exited gracefully, promising to return the kindness that was sparing his life with a pained smile and a quick kiss to your knuckles. you knew that wasn’t the last you’d see of claude, no matter what he said.

   dimitri, on the other hand, had nothing else to lose. he had lost his family, his friends, and was on the verge of losing his kingdom, he had no other choice but to fight. either him or edelgard was going to die here, there was no other option. the two siblings were unyieldingly stubborn -- el had come too far in her beliefs to give up now and dimitri was playing the last card in his sleeve.

   one last enemy soldier stands between you and dimitri, and ignatz hits him between the eyes before you have the chance to strike. 

   dimitri’s eye meets yours, and you feel frozen in place. white-knuckling the sword of the creator, you take a step up to the last piece of ground he was holding. it was over already, even dimitri seemed to know it. all around him were the sounds of his troops breathed their last.

   “was this what you wanted?” dimitri grits his teeth, “we could’ve carved our own path together, professor.” the way he spits your title stings like no wound could ever. “but you chose the way of a tyrant, how many graves had you had to tread over to get to this point?” 

   “it’s no use dimitri,” you know arguing with him would get you nowhere. “we both have different ideals...” you swallow the lump in your throat, ignatz’s call that edelgard was approaching alerts you that time was running out. “i wish... well, it’s too late now. we will see who’s ideals carry them through today.”

   dimitri strikes first with areadbhar, so strong you lose your footing. his fighting style was so different from the boy you met all those years ago. it’s almost funny, you think, back then you were so close to choosing the blue lions house. had it not been for bernadetta timidly asking if you would pick her class because hanneman scared her, things could’ve turned out so much differently. one simple action had changed the course of history forever.

   every blow from dimitri’s lance is one that is aiming to kill. he pays no attention to any wounds that befall him when you get a stab in, and instead keeps bringing down his lance with all of his might. it’s not until ignatz shoots an arrow into his calf that he slows down any, edelgard finally meeting up with you. 

   she shoots you a bittersweet look, a quick slip of her mask reveals just how conflicted she is emotionally about doing this. but, as she turns back to dimitri, her resolve is back. you had won. 

   this is how the story would end: edelgard was crowned the emperor, and dimitri was crowned a martyr. she steadies aymr right above his neck, but he isn’t looking for pity. even now, he puffs his chest out and meets her eyes, as if challenging her to do it. el doesn’t back down.

   she raises her blade, and you feel dorothea squeeze your shoulder as if she’s imploring you not to look. but you can’t turn away, this was the path you chose to walk. you would have to live with the horrors you had created. the sounds of edelgard and dimitri arguing pulls you out of your head.

   dimitri, left with nothing, not even a lance in his hand, finally looks over at you. you can almost visualize the thorns digging into his head as he musters up his final words. “professor...” he says it gentler this time. you feel an arm around your waist securing you to your spot: whether it was ferdinand’s, or hubert’s, or dorothea’s you didn’t know. “will they stop now... will i finally be free after i--” your heart sinks, he’s talking about his hallucinations. dimitri had come to you in the middle of the night at the monastery more than once after being plagued by them. he seems to gather himself again for his final words to you. “i wanted you to be by my side, always. if... if i am granted another life, let me be with you.”

   aymr cuts through the night, a sickening slicing noise as she beheads the prince, ending the blaidydd bloodline for good. like father like son, the gruesome thought crosses your mind. edelgard lets the rain wash the blood off of aymr, then slowly rallies her troops. 

   you walk back to garreg mach in silence, the only sound being the pouring rain and the sound of the strike force’s footsteps. edelgard’s trembling hand grips onto yours like you’re her lifeline.

   “thank you,” she whispers it so that not even hubert, who was standing on your other side could hear. “for choosing to walk with me. i-i... would rather not imagine what would have became of me if i didn’t. you really have saved me, in more ways than one.” you squeeze her hand tight. 

[loyalflutist]

Stony Expression (F!Byleth x Edelgard)

Rating: General Audience Archive Warning: Major Character Death Category: F/F Summary:  It's a compliment to Byleth. Any sort of emotion beyond the generic smile and cheeky attitude never saw the light of day, even in extreme situations. But in her life, there were only three people who saw through her facade.

A/N: RIP, I had an idea after reading the screenshots of dialogues from Byleth in Fire Emblem Heroes. Decided to write a somewhat... heartwarming... not really... kind of work? (We need more Mama Edelgard, if you know what I’m saying.) Hope you enjoy the work! 

----

“Gosh, don’t you think the professor is scary, Dorothea?”

“How so?”

“She’s never shown any sort of emotion to us!”

“Um… why are you so bothered about it? Isn’t that the point of keeping cool-headed?”

“It is, to an extent.”

“What do you mean?”

“I heard that when her dad died last week, she didn’t even shed a tear!”

“Whoa. Talk about creepy.”

“You sure you’re telling the truth, Ferdinand? You always seem to blow these situations out of proportion.”

“Um, duh, Casper. I’m sure someone else can attest to it.”

“I doubt so—”

“I did.”

“Lindhardt? YOU?”

“I saw it with my very own eyes. Mmgh… I’m gonna skip class and take a nap, ‘kay?”

“HEY! Don’t you leave us hanging like that!”

“Geez, why are you so loud, Petra?”

“U-Um… don’t… you think we should be… you know… comforting her?”

“I would, Bernadetta, but Teach is clearly keeping her guard up. I mean, just… look at her right now.”

Caspar, Dorothea, Ferdinand, Lindhardt, Petra, and Bernadetta shot a glance at their professor. In the classroom where lecture won’t start for another fifteen minutes, the early birds were given the treat to gossip, jest, and horseplay. The perfect occasion for learning about the hottest rumors too. Today, Ferdinand brought up a rather morbid rumor—No, it wasn’t even a rumor. It was facts about their professor, Byleth.

They kept an eye on Byleth. The young woman in her early 20s fingered through the worksheets behind her desk. Based on their observations, their instructor remained the same. Diligent in her duties, attentive to her colleagues, and always there for her students. That’s the Byleth they knew all too well. However, Ferdinand wasn’t wrong from his remarks. The Byleth they envisioned was a bit more… reactive. Byleth’s stony expression and lack of anything beyond her rare, cheeky attitude painted her in a different light. Strange is a euphemism about the older female. Cold-hearted as a dysphemism about the ex-mercenary.

‘ I’m used to it. ‘

Byleth was not oblivious to their dagger-like stares. It pierced her exposed skin and armor without a moment of hesitation. Despite the mental remark, her shoulder’s muscles became rigid, hidden by the worksheets tossed onto the wooden podium.

‘ They’re just like everyone else. ‘

The male student was not wrong with his impression of her. Her father, whom she looked up to so dearly, died in the heat of battle. It was supposed to be a practical lesson in warfare for her students. The once-a-week “field trip” the staffs put together as part of the Officer’s Academy curriculum. Tragedy hardly described the scene that had befallen them.

Byleth and her father were chaperones and commanders of last week’s trip. A simple mission of pushing back the rebels that dare disrupt the peace near the monastery. It was the usual skirmish to counter any troublemakers and doers. Little did they know of the rebel’s leader. It was an old-time friend of theirs back when they were mercenaries. An older male roughly the same age as her father now stood on the opposite end. They tried to reason with him. The students were uncertain of their role in the fight. He rejected their proposal with a spear thrust into her father’s chest.

The spear

that

pierced

his heart.

It was a complete blur afterward. Byleth knew she didn’t lose her composure. That would be disastrous for the remaining troops and students left on the field. In lieu of fury, she coolly commanded the units to defeat the rebellion. Victory was easily achievable… but at what cost?

She shook her head and refocused her attention to the present time. From the far back, the green-haired spotted Edelgard and Hubert make their entrance into the classroom. The chatters from the other Black Eagles simmered down at the appearance of the two intimidating figures. Both the noble Edelgard and commoner Byleth made eye contact. Byleth smiled. Edelgard’s cheeks reddened before hurrying to her assigned seat at the front. Hubert narrowed his eyes at the professor and seated himself in the back. As if the death of her father hadn’t occurred, her classroom ran exactly as how it should’ve operated. Even the addition of a romantic relationship that recently sparked between Edelgard and Byleth didn’t disrupt the natural order for education.

It was

all so normal.

Like he

never

died.

Was this… really what she wanted though? Did Byleth want some sort of validation?

“Good morning, everyone.”

Byleth’s mature voice rang throughout the premise. If there were any remaining whispers and giggles, they were hushed by the more responsible scholars. She approached the podium. Then, with both hands lightly gripping the surface’s edge, she scanned her surroundings.

Nothing out of place. (Right?) Lindhardt was also present, which was a bit of a surprise. Byleth had lowered her expectations ever since he skipped class for a nap in the garden. The fact that he was here was a huge plus. That amusing idea screeched to a complete halt when he began to nod off. The corner of her lip twitched. At least he did try to come to class…

As for the others… Ferdinand was eyeing the white-haired rival with a small smirk. He twirled a feather between his index and middle finger, eyes twinkled in excitement. A typical reaction from their competitive relationship. Petra toyed with her hair and rolled her eyes at the sight of Ferdinand’s obvious reaction about their future lord. Casper stifled a yawn, elbows on the table and chin resting on the palms of his hands. Bernadetta had beads of sweat fly out of her head as her thumbs toyed with one another. Dorothea sat at the front like an obedient puppy. Maybe a bit too obedient since she was clearly shooting heart eyes at the professor in a playful manner… And then there was Hubert. Oh, Hubert. He was always a loyal servant to Edelgard. The man is kind, but ever since Byleth started a private and secretive relationship with the noble, he has been awfully overprotective with the young lady.

Byleth suppressed a sigh. She closed her eyes and, after counting to five, reopened them and flashed her signature smile.

“Let’s review some materials from last week. It doesn’t hurt to get a little refresher after the long three-day weekend.”

The three-day weekend that was partially due to her absence to quietly mourn for her father. Byleth had disappeared from existence to visit his grave. Accompanied by the ever-so-noisy Sothis that she can only see, speak, hear, and touch, the two paid their respect. Numbness. Byleth felt numb during those three days. No—she still felt numb right now.

“I’m surprised you can still hold yourself together, mortal,” Sothis muttered. She crossed her arms and looked up to the female. “But don’t hold it all in. The bottle is going to explode one day.”

Sothis was one of the few individuals who saw through Byleth’s brick-like features. The second person is her father.

She lowered her gaze. Soon, the woman got down to her knees and reached out to touch her father’s tombstone. His name will forever be immortalized on the thick slab of rock. Unfortunately, it won’t be immortalized for a reason worth celebrating.

“…leth.”

The ex-mercenary now found herself staring at an empty desk. This shared office with other staffs not prestigious enough to earn their own office (like Byleth), who were crammed into this one area. Her father was one of them, yet he never complained. In reality, he had actually enjoyed it. The daughter would always hear his jolly laughter and gruff voice echo from within. Students unfamiliar with his booming personality were in for a shock every single time they walk past the room. To Byleth, she welcomed it. After all, he is her father and she is his daughter.

Most of his supplies were placed in a rusted chest box. If there were any supplies to begin with, that is. Her father was not one to possess many materialistic items, save it for his clothes, weapons, armors, and whiskey. There wasn’t even a family portrait in his possession! He was always a firm believer that memories were picturistic enough. Seeking nostalgia? Dig even deeper into the memory zone. Forgot about it? It was probably not important enough to remember!

“By…”

Byleth sat on her mattress, her knees held close to her chest. She hugged them and stared at the somewhat decorated wall. Unlike her father, she allowed a bit of flair to settle in her personal space. Student notes were pinned to the wall. Some portraits and doodles hung alongside with them. One of them was a portrait of everyone in the Officer’s Academy. All three houses were together, and all of the staffs stood for the shot. It took the artist more than five hours to get them squeezed into this magnificent art. The process was excruciating but worth it.

It was the only physical piece of evidence she has in memory of her father. Her heart clenched at the thought of his death. Flashbacks replayed over and over in her head at the time of his doom. She nearly scoffed at mental torment. How much longer was this going to go on?

It

was going to

keep

on

going.

“Byleth.”

The older female blinked. Warmth enveloped her entire being in one swoop. Frantic, she rapidly examined her surroundings—until Byleth considered the context of her current situation. Edelgard held her seated mentor in an embrace. The two were safely hiding in the professor’s now-closed office. It was still early evening where students ran amok in the monastery. Musical melodies from talented choir members faintly trickled through the glass windows. A light breeze ruffled nearby leaves of a tree. Birds chirped alongside with the singers as an accompanist. It was a pleasant day.

Well, it was supposed to be for the two. Edelgard fingers began to run through her lover’s hair, nails satisfyingly brushing the scalp. She planted a gentle kiss to Byleth’s head.

“It’s okay to show what you’re feeling, Byleth.”

No—That wasn’t right. It wasn’t Byleth’s nature to show her feelings to the public. The stony expression, the bland reaction to extreme situations… those were compliments. She’s been told that she lacks emotion since she was a little girl! Even the Black Eagles think she is cold-hearted and cruel in the face of battle! Many of the students and paid troops think of her as an anomaly. Byleth thinks it’s natural.

But when it came to grief this strong, Byleth felt her heartstrings tug. For once, she wanted to let someone know about how she felt. It’s not an easy feat, though. The other half of her rational personality scream that she keeps it to herself. There was no use in burdening others of her sorrows and mourns. The death of her mother was a shining example of this. Besides, even if she did try to open up, she couldn’t. This nature of hers was just too ingrained into her system.

Edelgard continued to smooth through Byleth’s hair. In response, Byleth buried her face into the noble’s abdomen. The aromatic scent blossomed in the teacher’s sensory nerves. She gradually wrapped her arms around the student. Byleth deeply inhaled. A shaky exhale. At that instant, the floodgates from her lacrimal glands came loose as she felt her respiration shudder. The mentor slowly shook her head against Edelgard.

“Why did he have to die?”

She bit her lower lip hard. Eyelids stiff, throat scratchy, a choking cry erupted from her lips.

“I should’ve died in his place!”

Edelgard simply ran her fingers through the green locks, her eyes focused on her girlfriend. Soft “shh”s emitted from her lips as she planted another tender kiss on the head. Small whispers of “you’re going to be okay” and “I’m here for you, Byleth” sprinkled during the breakdown. It caused great agony to the empire’s upcoming lord to feel powerless for her teacher. However, unlike Byleth, who beat herself up, Edelgard’s emotional and mental health was far more resilient. Could it be because she was able to properly grieve when the time came? To release her anger unto others in an appropriate manner? Perhaps. For Byleth, she had always held everything inside.

“Oh, I miss him so much!”

She curled her fingers inward and dug her nails into Edelgard’s clothes. A slight wince from the student went unnoticed as she continued to wail uncontrollably. It was so unlike Byleth. If anyone else were to witness this, they would have assumed a trickster replaced Byleth with another person!

This is no good. Byleth is breaking free from her nature. She shouldn’t be venting, let alone blast her emotions to another person… even if that person is her significant other. Yet it was too late for Byleth. She became oversensitive from being honest with her feelings. The fear. The sadness. The grief. Out of all the people that saw through her façade, for Edelgard, she was the third person in her life to have seen through her stony expression.

[lananiscorner]

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, last chapter! The end of an era! *sobs* Seriously though, how long has it been since you started reviewing Houses and Hopes? Two years now? In any case, I'm glad you stuck with it and gave us all an amazing and different insight into how these games land with first time players. And now, once more, thoughts below the cut. :)

Plot bunny after the special chapters be like:

Brainwashed dodo bird sure was A Choice™ to make. It literally took the most interesting thing about her (her sheer will and resolve) and threw it into the trash (together with Claude's common sense lol).

"Dimitri wants to wreck TWSITD and the Empire." - A man after my own heart! Let's fucking go!

Amazing how Yuri and Ashe (two common born characters) are doing so much better in this route!

#IngridForQueen

"Linhardt just said Caspar revels in bloodshed." - Not surprising, just very, very said, considering what his character was like in Houses.

Omg, random Kingdom general, you can't be out here like that, doing that to our hearts. I mean...

There's something truly hilarious about Jeralt telling Byleth he isn't qualified to be a teacher when Byleth literally raised classes full of one (wo)man armies in Houses lmao.

To this day, I maintain that one of Houses strongest points is being able to make you feel Byleth's grief after chapter 9, even if you managed to see Jeralt's death coming from 6 chapters away (and how couldn't you, what with him having no skill sheet, no supports, no meal opportunities, nothing, and then talking about how he was not going to die?)

Dedue and Dimitri continue to be the epitome of dysfunctional heart-warming together.

"Felix is like “I’ve seen all there is of you to see.” So, uh, what does that mean?" - It means whatever you want it to mean. *smirks in Dimilix*

I know I said I wanted Dimitri to get a therapist, but OMG my money would NEVER, not in a million years, have been on FELIX! roflmao

Not sure about the timeline here, because I don't remember how big the time skip is here. If I remember correctly, Duscur happened when Dimitri was 14, his first battle where he violently killed people in front of Felix happened when he was 16 and then another two years later, the Lions went to the academy.

Dimilix shippers really ate good in this game.

OMG, Constance's sorcery school days sound absolutely badass. I'd play a DLC of that, not gonna lie.

I'll have to watch those Constance & Annette supports later - they sound absolutely delightful.

"He insists he must pay for his crimes, which he thinks he never can. He wants to get judged by the law, which, honestly, respect." - Same. It sure sounds like they made Jeritza a much more interesting character in this game than in Houses.

Did you manage to get Shez/Seteth A in the end?

"Dimitri’s talking about severing the past and moving on into tomorrow." - So much for the status quo centrist lol.

Dimitri simply parrying Thales' dark magic will never not be epic.

You really gotta wonder how much of a chance the Empire has after this. I mean, okay, the most competent Eagle is still alive (Hubert), but I'm pretty sure you recruited Petra, Dorothea, Bernadetta and Linhardt out from underneath their noses and killed Varley and Bergliez, so that leaves who exactly to lead the imperial army? Caspar (strong, but hotheaded and dumb as rocks) and Ferdinand (never as good as he thinks he is)? Yeah, not too worried for Farghus here.

If you're considering replaying Houses, I definitely recommend a full recruitment Azure Moon playthrough with the wolves in tow.

Congrats on finally finishing the Fodlan games and thank you for sharing all your thoughts with us! It was a pleasure to follow your journey, and thank you for all your replies to reblogs, too!

Azure Gleam 15 (Final)

As long as this has gone on for, I'm actually bummed to finish this one.

NARRATION

Those special chapters were so weird. It's kind of funny how the plot is like, just ignoring all of that and going back to regular programming. It's like in an old kid's show when they got a dog and then the next episode - no dog anymore. Like there's kinda no point to it.

Ok, so Thales talking to yeeted Edelgard. I will never not get over how funny it is that's the path the writers decided.

Yep, we're really just jumping back into the regular plot. That is so funny. The writing in this game is a clusterfuck at times.

Ok, so we're going to the monastery to save Rhea. MUCH better than saving Bernie's dad.

TWSITD causing chaos again. I feel this route targeted them more than the other two. Like they barely existed in GW.

Everyone's worried about Rhea.

Dimitri wants to wreck TWSITD and the Empire. Let's fucking go!

MAP

No side quests again! Guys, I'm sooooo close to beating this game I can taste it. Both SB and AG have very short final chapters.

Only Claude is annoying, which tracks how this game's gone so . . .

So I've gotten all the supports for: Dimitri, Dedue, Felix, Sylvain, Ingrid, and Rodrigue. Mercedes I'm only missing Jeritza. I didn't use Annette or Ashe, so they're missing a few, but I feel I did pretty good. Hopefully I can get Mercie and Jeritza this chapter.

Ugh, so I missed the opportunity to deepen my bond with Byleth :( Maybe next time.

So in another route, Ashe had no idea what he believed in anymore. In this one, he's confident about his sense of justice.

In another route, Yuri didn't tell me his history with Varley, in this one he trusted me with it.

Ingrid is a queen. She said it's the people who suffer in war, our leaders should reach diplomatic resolutions. Too bad only Dimitri believes in those :(

Aww, Byleth refused to kill Shez during their fight because he could tell she wasn't herself. I soooo wish I'd gotten their supports.

Ok, so I ran into Raphael again and agreed that I didn't like how we were fighting (which, imo, isn't true, but I wanted to see the difference). Shez thinks Edelgard is too cruel, Claude is too haphazard, and Dimitri is too cautious. She pretty much nailed it.

No Arval in the tent :(

Linhardt just said Caspar revels in bloodshed. That's fucked up.

My heart just broke and warmed at the same time. A Kingdom general asked a Duscur general how the people from Duscur pray. He wanted to learn because he lost a lot of good soldiers from Duscur in the last battle and wanted to pray for them in the way their religion would. It's details like this that make Hopes worth it.

Haha, Dedue was fairly chill considering I attacked allies and posed a possible threat to Dimitri. He brought it up, but didn't harp on it.

BYLETH & JERALT A

Man, I'm glad I got this unlocked in time.

Byleth gave Jeralt flowers. First time in Byleth's life lol.

He's trying to communicate his feelings, thankfulness to Jeralt for being his captain and father.

Aw, it's a throwback to Byleth giving out flowers at the Academy.

Lamo, Jeralt just said Byleth may have been a student or led seminars, but isn't qualified to be a teacher.

Jeralt's like, I knew you cared, kid. But I still appreciate it.

Byleth picked the flowers out himself. It's the same kind his mother liked :(((

Jeralt used to give these flowers to Sitri.

Byleth is being so sentimental and sweet. I can just imagine a voiced Byleth saying lines like that in Houses' supports and buying more into the character.

I swear, this game made me really get Byleth more and "buy into" the character. Also, I'm going to cry so hard when Jeralt dies. I still don't really care for Jeralt, but I'm going to just feel so sad for Byleth.

DIMITRI & DEDUE A

For anyone wondering, I purposefully saved this one and Felix A. I've had them unlocked for a while.

Dedue is worried because Dimitri keeps sleeping at his desk. He's grateful or else he'd get sore.

Of course, he had bad dreams about the past.

Ohhhh! Not the tragedy, but arriving home after. Cool to learn some tidbits about that part too.

A child cursed Dimitri after the funeral because his dad died in Duscur and was furious with Dimitri for not killing Dedue, but hanging out with him instead.

Dimitri just ignored him.

Then Dimitri talks about his duty to those who died, and asks Dedue what he would do if Dimitri begged for vengeance while he was dying. OFC, Dedue says he'd do it even if he died.

Then Dimitri asks the opposite, what would Dedue do if Dimitri begged him to live for his own happiness? Dedue said he couldn't.

"I cannot know happiness without you by my side." :(((((((

He'd seek revenge, for his own sake, not Dimitri's.

Dimitri's like, nothing I'd say would change your mind?

Dedue just flips the subject, asking if Dimitri can't just live for himself, and ofc Dimitri says no, he can't.

But imagines another life traveling around as a merc with Dedue or living as a farmer. Dedue's like, why not go?

Dimitri says obviously I can't do that.

So Dedue's like get some sleep.

It worries Dedue every time he sees Dimitri asleep like that at his desk bc he's worried Dimitri died. But Dimitri's like, not why you're here. It won't happen.

Dimitri's like, if I died, that wouldn't go well, so I'll listen.

GUYS. DIMITRI'S GOING TO SLEEP. SOMEONE TALKED HIM INTO SLEEPING. THE POWER OF DEDUE.

They're married, your honor.

DIMITRI & FELIX A

Starts with Dimitri apologizing and promising revenge, killing all of TWSITD no matter the cost.

Felix walks in, Dimitri almost calls him Glenn, but corrects, and apologizes again except to Felix for seeing that.

Felix is like "I've seen all there is of you to see." So, uh, what does that mean?

Dimitri explains that he suffers from a "waking dream," saying he sees the dead like they're real.

Then talks about the violent revenge the dead scream at him.

Felix asks when this all started. Dimitri says 6 years, but the voices started 4 years ago during his first battle? Not sure those numbers line up with lore and age, but I don't know how old they are this time. Anyways, started with Duscur, got worse when Rufus tried to have Dimitri killed by sending him to battle.

The man he killed that freaked Felix out was someone from Duscur, and the voices cheered when he killed the guy.

Felix is like, do you really think Glenn and Lambert would torture you like that? Telling Dimitri he's the one doing it, not them.

Dimitri's like, even if that's true, I can't forgive myself.

Felix talks about how if Dimitri loses his path, he's taking everyone down with him (so Houses, sans AM) and says "keep the whole removing their heads thing in check yeah?"

Felix says it'll be their secret.

"are you offering to let me unburden my heart to you when the time calls for it?" - Dimitri to Felix. Guys, I'm dying a little.

Dimitri credits Felix with the reason he hasn't descended into madness, and asks Felix to continue being his right-hand man.

Hahahah, OMG, Felix picked Dimitri up and is physically carrying him to bed. Dimitri is nearly laughing because he's so much taller than Felix his feet are dragging the floor.

Felix calls him a "sack of muscle" lol

Dimitri carried Felix like this when Felix twisted his ankle. And now is calling this a workout. Dimitri's still massively entertained.

They are also married.

Man, so Dedue got Dimitri to fucking sleep, and Felix got him to laugh.

Ok, this game is really Dimilix, the game. I swear a shipper on deck wrote this. It may also be why Felix was one of the few Blue Lions to survive SB. Writers' bias.

My shipping heart is so happy with both supports.

ASHE & FLAYN B

This is their final support.

They're fishing together. She's trying to reel in a big fish, but it's not working. Ashe gives her tips. And she got it!

Though, it seems like it was a bit of a struggle.

Flayn swore she'd not let go no matter what. Ashe says sometimes it's best to not let go, and suddenly understands Seteth. But still compliments her on her determination.

Flayn thinks her mother would be proud of her for catching this, which is part of the reason Flayn loves fishing.

She flirts with Ashe a bit too lol.

And now she's drooling over the fish.

Ashe says Flayn enjoys him of his sister and really had fun.

But then panics thinking of Flayn in the kitchen lol.

ANNETTE & CONSTANCE B

Constance compliments Annette's performance in battle.

Constance is a legendary alumni at the school in Faerghus.

Stories include turning bossy noble kids into horses. And she started using it everywhere.

She argued magical theory with teachers and won.

These make me love Constance, not going to lie.

Annette is nervous being around someone so famous. Constance calls Annette one of the most talented women in the Kingdom.

Constance loves a book Annette work, but it's mostly a cook book, so Annette doesn't make much of it.

Annette wrote a magical cookbook, and Constance is all about it.

Annette tries to give Mercedes credit because she's the cook.

They both want to get to know each other better.

This was really them geeking out over each other, magic, and Mercedes' cooking.

MERCEDES & JERITZA A

It came down to the lack fucking minute, but I got it. Thank you, Shez, for cooking the perfect dinner.

Jeritza finds and old letter from Mercedes' mother. Or, rather, she wrote Jeritza a letter after Mercie told her that they found him.

They both want to live with him after the war, but he says no.

He can't face her because of his past actions. Doesn't seem Mercie holds it against him. And says neither will her mother.

Then Jeritza talks about the Death Knight persona.

Mercie's like, naw, because you're fine right now.

Jeritza still doesn't give in though. He insists he must pay for his crimes, which he thinks he never can. He wants to get judged by the law, which, honestly, respect.

Mercie decides to support his decisions, even though it makes her sad, and that they'll be waiting for him. No matter how long. Even if they're both old ladies.

I really loved that support. Seeing Mercie support Jeritza's decision, seeing Jeritza take responsibility for his actions. All around good support.

ANNETTE & CONSTANCE A

Glad I got this one. I think Seteth/Shez A is the only other support still within reach.

Constance wants Annette's help conducting an experiment outside. Annette knows how Constance's mood changes when she goes outside. Annette's happy to help.

Obviously now Constance is being down on herself.

Annette volunteered before learning the experiment. Thankfully it's just to try and get all the cats from the area.

It fails :( I want a spell like that.

Constance is obviously moping, Annette gives her a pep talk, but it probably useless bc they're outside.

It attracted bugs, and Constance says the cockroach is a better sorceresses than her lamo. Then they attract angry birds lol.

Once back inside, Constance realizes her spell does sort of work, but they just didn't know how to get cats.

Aww, I really liked that support chain.

FINAL BATTLE

How can anyone not tell something is wrong with Edelgard?

It's so weird how they just ignore the special chapters.

Thales is making her fight.

Sylvain said he'll skip the class reunion if this is what they're like.

Ingrid is roaring to go after Thales.

No sign of Claude. Dimitri's trusting him, but I don't know about that. I wonder if he betrays you here too. Though Dimitri makes a good point that if Faerghus falls, Claude's ass is next.

On, cool image! Dimitri giving a speech. It's like a moment in Lord of the Rings before Aragorn and co march on Mordor.

I like this! Dimitri's talking about severing the past and moving on into tomorrow. Good to hear him talking like that.

I only got 40 points too. Guess Claude was the odd one out, getting more points for his battle than the other two.

Kyrona made an appearance.

Felt good to kill Varley for once.

Getting ready to face Thales now. Dimitri about to get his revenge against TWSITD. Feels good.

Shez is reassuring Dimitri that he's not alone. That his friends are here to help. :)

I think I just killed Kyrona for good this time.

Time to kick Thales' ass. Much better than killing Rhea. Again.

We also got to defeat Edelgard. Having a hard time feeling bad about that.

This battle is pure chaos. But in a fun way.

Oh, did I beat Thales? I'm at a cut scene. Shez stopped Edelgard; and Dimitri's marching to kick Thales' ass.

Haha, he just ignored Thales magic like it was nothing. What a fucking badass.

He's not even saying anything, just breathing, and the voice acting is still on point.

Edelgard remembered Dimitri? So he didn't kill her. And outside Rhea, Claude and the Blue Lions are waiting. And sun is about to come up.

This felt WAY more complete than the other two. I was expecting MUCH worse. Maybe if I played the other two first I'd be more surprised, but they set the bar stupid low.

We defeated the Empire, defeated TWSITD - I don't know what would even be left?

I love how hard the narration tries to make it sound like the Empire has a fart's chance in the wind anymore. It's just clean up now.

MVP time. It'll eventually turn into the Dimitri show like SB did Hubert and GW did Lorenz. I suspect it'll take longer though bc I wanted to use the other Blue Lions a lot.

Actually, I lie, it happened like the second I got Dimitri and not just Shez. I think I may just be a stan lol. He's also just so damn strong he killed so much easier and faster than anyone else.

You can tell the chapter Dimitri was missing for since Felix and Ingrid kept trading MVP. Then back to Dimitri.

Hey! Rodrigue got one!

I'm excited for Dimitri's letter. Still wish we got paired endings here though.

Dimitri feels reassured with Shez by his side. He's also the only one who asked Shez to stay in the Kingdom. It's nothing spectacular, but it was sweet.

I'm also a bit sad to see this one end. No more Fodlan unless I replay, but I guess there's still supports I didn't unlock.

Guys, I can't believe I finished. Now I'm finally "free" to play whatever games I want.

Def want to replay Engage and Houses, and some non-FE stuff too. Should I get the Engage DLC?

xxx

[three-houses-text-files]

bernadetta/byleth

c-s support + paired endings + night of the ball

c

NPC: Thank you, Lady Bernadetta. I will take my leave. Bernadetta: Oh, good. Bye! Uh, good-bye! B: Finally… Oh, that was awful. Just terrifying.

>What's going on?

>What's terrifying?

B: Ah! Please don't sneak up on me like that! B: It was nothing big. That lady just wanted me to show her around a bit. B: But strangers are just so nerve-racking. B: That lady asked me to show her around. I tried to be polite, but strangers are just so nerve-racking.

>You've never seemed scared of me.

B: Oh yeah? How about when I first met you and I wouldn't come out of the corner or even uncover my face? B: Actually, now that you mention it, it's funny. Once I started talking to you, I stopped feeling scared. (pre-skip) B: Now that you mention it, I think you're right. I don't know if I ever have felt scared around you. (post-skip) B: I wonder why… B: You know, Professor, you might be the first person I've been able to speak to normally since I got here, and I have no idea why.

>I'm glad, regardless.

B: I'm happy about it too! B: When we first started out here, we had to do drills... outside. I skipped those every chance I got. B: It's a terrible idea—going out in the forest with all these people you don't even know! B: Thanks to you, though, I can actually make it through class now. I'm grateful for that. B: I don't know what I'd do...if you weren't here...

>It's all right.

B: Sorry... I'm OK... B: I am OK. I'm doing just fine. I feel safe here, thanks to you.

>By the way, was that you singing in the greenhouse?

B: What? B: Y-you saw that? Why would you see that?! You were watching me?! B: That crosses the line, Professor! Singing? Me?! Why would I be singing? I'd never be singing! Ah! I've never been so humiliated! B: Useless! Worthless! Unmarriageable! Augh!

>...

——————————————————————————————

b

B: Great weather today. Perfect for shutting yourself inside, don't you think?

>I think I'll head outside, actually.

B: Oh, you go right ahead. I'll be right here.

B: The better the weather, the less crowded it is in here. I can't pass up having all this space to myself.

>Definitely.

B: I'm glad you get it. With great weather like this, there'll be no one inside to bother us.

B: I love feeling like I'm all alone in the world...

>What made you such a recluse?

B: Oh, that. Well, I guess I can tell you, Professor. B: My father's obsessed with money. He's only ever seen me as bait for a rich husband. B: To train me to be a good, submissive wife, he'd do things like tie me to a chair and leave me there all day, challenging me to stay quiet. B: I tried hard to do as he asked. Honestly, I did. B: But before I knew it, I just couldn't bring myself to leave my room anymore.

>Why not?

B: I just had this overwhelming feeling of fear all the time. No matter how hard I tried, my father never thought I was good enough. B: After that, it was just constant scolding. He couldn't say two words to me without mentioning how useless I was. An unmarriageable girl. B: My life was isolated to say the least. I wasn't allowed to play with other kids, let alone make friends. Soon, I stopped wanting that. I was happiest alone. B: But even that made him mad. And when he tried to drag me outside, I kicked and screamed so much I seriously hurt myself. B: He's calmed down a bit in recent years. His constant torment was replaced with complete indifference. He mostly acts like I don't exist now.

>How did you end up at the monastery?

B: If you can believe it, I was basically kidnapped. B: My mother ordered an attendant to stuff me in a bag while I was sleeping. By the time I figured out what was going on, I was already here. B: For a while, I was sure I was going to die. B: But here I am. Look at me...still breathing. B: Ah, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to get you down, talking like that about my past! B: Just forget everything I told you. There's no point in talking about myself anyway. B: Idiot! Oh, this is why everyone hates you, Bernie!

>Don't worry about it.

B: You're the only one who would ever say such a kind thing to me, Professor...

>Thank you for confiding in me.

B: What? N-no, it's not...

B: Oh, Professor! How can you be so kind to me?! I don't deserve it... B: I'm sorry! Please don't look at me!

——————————————————————————————

a

B: I can't believe how long it's been since I left home. Since I was dragged out of the house, I mean. B: Five whole years. It's weird to think about.

>Weird in what way?

B: At first, I remember I was desperate to go back, but now, it's the opposite.

>Do you want to go back?

B: No! But if you'd asked me that five years ago, I'd have said the opposite.

B: I have friends here, and I have you. B: The monastery's become a second home to me. B: Back then, I never would've dreamed a day like this would come.

>I'm happy for you.

B: It's all thanks to you! You've given me a second chance at life! B: If not for you, I never would have gotten used to leaving my room, let alone the monastery. B: Maybe the battlefield's just dulled my senses. B: I'm much better with strangers and new places now though. I don't panic nearly as much as before.

>Could you go somewhere new by yourself?

B: A new place? All on my own?

>I have some independent work for you, then.

B: What? Independent? As in, alone?

B: That sounds like a tough assignment. Where did this come from all of a sudden? Hey, hold on...

B: You're teasing me, aren't you?! B: Please don't joke around like that anymore! It's torture for me!

>All right, all right.

B: You're still not taking me seriously! I mean it. Promise me you won't do that again!

>I can't commit to that...

B: Come on, Professor! I'm begging you! Please promise me you won't do that again.

B: Friends respect each other's feelings, don't they?

>OK. I promise.

B: Good... I'll hold you to that. B: You're absolutely not allowed to send me out anywhere on my own! Got it? B: You would need to come with me. If you're with me, I can go anywhere in the world.

>I'll follow at a distance.

>I'll be with you in spirit.

>We can ask another professor.

B: No, that defeats the purpose! Why can't you get what I'm saying?! B: I thought we were finally getting close. Guess I'm not good enough for that though, am I? B: I'll let you have this one, but you'd better be ready for next time! B: Oh, that's enough. I need some time alone...

——————————————————————————————

s

B: How did you know I was here?

>I thought you might be hiding.

B: You know me too well. That's exactly what I was about to do.

>I've been looking all over for you.

B: Huh? All that trouble just for me?! The truth is... I've been shutting myself away again.

B: Once I got to thinking about the war being over, a lot of my old fears started to return. B: I'm afraid to go home...afraid to see my parents... B: I don't know what to do! Please, help me!

>Come with me.

B: Wait! Where are we going?! Don't make me go! B: The Goddess Tower? What are we doing here? B: This is it... We're all alone... The perfect time... You're going to kill me, aren't you?!

>I would never do that.

B: All right, I've made my peace, and for what it's worth, I'm glad it's— Wait, you wouldn't? B: Of course you wouldn't. I'm not even worth killing, am I? B: I knew it all along. I'll go lock myself away now...

>I love you, Bernie. I want you to have this.

B: Wh-what did you just say? Is that...a ring?! B: Well, um... This is, um... What kind of ring is this? B: When a man gives a woman a ring, it usually only means... Is that what this means? B: I...I don't know what to say! B: I accept! Of course I accept! B: This means...I'll be able to shut myself away in peace again. B: You can go off doing your hero things, and I'll hold down the fort!

>Don't I get a say in this?!

B: What?! Don't tell me you'll want me to keep leaving the house!

B: Fine, but in that case, I have a favor to ask.

>That's not happening.

B: No, come on, please! You just won't let me off the hook, will you?

B: In that case, I have a favor to ask.

B: There's a reason I've been able to cope with going out of the monastery so much. B: It's because I've been with you. B: I'll never completely get over my anxiety...or my fear of strangers...or my compulsive need to run and hide. B: So whenever you tell me to go outside, I want you to come with me. B: Wherever we go, whatever we do...I want us to be together, always.

>That sounds perfect.

B: Because when I'm with you, I feel... B: Wait. Did you agree? You mean it?! Ah, you're the greatest! I...I love you so much! We're going to be so happy together!

——————————————————————————————

paired endings

After ascending to the throne as the first leader of the United Kingdom of Fódlan, Byleth announced his marriage to Bernadetta. Many were concerned that the new leader of House Varley would do little more than hide, but she in fact followed the new king wherever he went and provided him with constant counsel. She never did overcome her shyness, however, and it is said that aspiring advisers who frightened her were quickly turned away. Because the ones she liked performed well in their service to the people, Bernadetta was widely believed to have a discerning eye. (golden deer + church route)

After taking on the role of archbishop of the Church of Seiros, Byleth announced his marriage to Bernadetta. Many were concerned that the new leader of House Varley would do little more than hide, but she in fact followed the archbishop wherever he went and provided him with constant counsel. She never did overcome her shyness, however, and it is said that aspiring advisers who frightened her were quickly turned away. Because the ones she liked performed well in their service to the church, Bernadetta was widely believed to have a discerning eye. (blue lions route)

Almost as soon as Byleth and Bernadetta were finally wed, the battle against those who slither in the dark began in earnest. Many were concerned that the new leader of House Varley would do little more than hide, but she fell in alongside her husband and followed him everywhere, fighting to bring lasting peace to Fódlan. Forced to throw herself into one terrifying battle after another, Bernadetta developed such a tough character, it is said that absolutely nothing could frighten her. (black eagles route)

——————————————————————————————

night of the ball

B: Ah! Wh-what's that?! B: Ghost?! Is it a ghost?! Don't eat me!

>Calm down, it's OK.

B: It'll eat the skin right off my bones and no one will ever— Huh? Oh, it's you, Professor. What a relief.

>It's just your professor.

B: I knew it! I said, Bernie, this place is haunted, you'll just get eaten by the ghost of some dusty old professor or— Oh. Oh, it's you.

>You can relax now.

B: Right. I'm better now. Thanks. But try not to scare me like that again, please... B: With the ball happening tonight, I was sure there wouldn't be anyone here. B: And from far off, you look... Well, you kinda have a spooky silhouette. B: I guess you haven't heard the legend?

>Legend?

B: Oh, so if a couple swears a vow on the night of the ball, the goddess grants their wish?

>That's amazing! Is it true?

B: I guess that's the sort of thing you miss when you spend all your time avoiding people. B: But wouldn't it be nice to spend some time alone with a nice guy in this lonely tower, cut off from all the rest of the world? B: Anyway... B: Oh, Professor! Since you're here and all, could I ask you for a favor? B: As you probably know by now, it's my lifelong dream to live in solitude forever... B: So could you help me to swear that vow?

>Nice try.

B: Saw right through me, huh?

>I can't promise that.

B: Guess you're right. It probably wouldn't work out so well for me, would it?

B: Ah, well. No use complaining. B: Actually, I'm happy I got to see you here tonight. Even if it was just by coincidence. B: Would you mind staying a little longer? B: It's nice and quiet, and the sky's really pretty. I quite like the atmosphere. B: On a night like this, being out in the open doesn't seem so bad...

[gascon-en-exil]

FE16 Black Eagles (Edelgard) Liveblogging

Chapters 15-16. The plot, among other things, explodes.

I was wondering where all the Eagles character paralogues were, and all of sudden come Chapter 15 three of them get dumped on you. Edelgard’s is a fight on the border against Nader and the Almyran remnant. Wyvern riders are unusually overpowered in this game, even as enemies. They’re not a unit type one expects to be so fast. Hubert goes back to the Sealed Forest to save Those Who Slither from their own failed creations. Both of these paralogues play up Hubert’s own talent for slithering in the dark: the first because it’s heavily implied that he poisoned Hilda’s brother so he’d have to rely on the Empire to push back the Almyrans, and the second because he’s been investigating Those Who Slither on the side all the while your army is being strong-armed into doing their bidding.

Petra and Bernadetta’s paralogue meanwhile has been the first map on this route that I haven’t seen before, a heavily forested section of Brigid. Bernadetta’s role there is almost completely random, but it comes together in the end in a way that feels satisfying. The chapter itself on the other hand features a cheap fakeout win condition, thankfully avoidable via Divine Pulse, and another appearance by the OP Catherine.

Playable kills: Flayn and Seteth from the church, Felix and Ingrid from the Lions. Now that the Alliance portion of the story is done I notice that Raphael and Lorenz skipped out on showing up this time, along with Marianne who doesn’t appear in the Lions’ Part 2 either. Actually, I’ve read that she’s the only playable character who doesn’t appear in Part 2 at all unless she’s in your army, with the implication that her depression and/or the dark story surrounding her Crest killed her or drove her to suicide in the timeskip. That’s...something.

I’ve also read that if you don’t recruit Shamir and Alois they show up in Chapter 15 to be killed...and that Manuela and Hanneman only do so on the Lions route in Dimitri’s paralogue for some reason. Weird.

I can confirm that the dark merchant does not sell Dark Seals. He’s only available in the second to last exploration month of Edelgard’s route, so you can’t get much use out of him anyway. Sucks for Hubert, but if I’m understanding correctly how you can buy classes with Renown the next time I use him I can just certify him for dark mage that way and get one seal for dark bishop. 

The brevity of this route sticks out more and more the closer I get to the end. Not so much for the story which is moving along at a brisk pace to match Edelgard’s resolve and concrete goal in contrast to Dimitri throwing everyone off with his unresolved personal issues, but for the gameplay. A bunch of my units aren’t going to make it master classes at this rate, and I’m tempted to not even touch Edelgard’s emperor class when it randomly becomes available after Chapter 15 (seriously, her armor just arrives from the capital? Are we timing lord promotions by the speed of parcel delivery now?) because there’s no timing and making her armored is kind of awful.

Story/Character observations

Chapter 15 opens with a bizarre interlude of Byleth coming upon Edelgard in her room at night, and an attempt at humanizing her by...telling us that she draws pictures of Byleth. That’s not even organic Avatar worship, come on. From what I remember her A support is more of the same, so I’m not holding out much hope for her big bi S rank.

Thankfully her two dorky subordinates salvage the character-based charm of this route. Ferdinand pokes a hole in the fourth wall and asks Byleth if they’ve thought about a world in which they chose another house or chose to side with the church, and while I can see the similarities with Conquest constantly dumping on Corrin’s choice this incident is isolated enough that I’m not feeling condescended to. Ferdinand’s A support with Byleth reveals that the first king of Faerghus - you know, the one with the very close *nudge nudge wink wink* friend akin to Felix - had a second very close friend who was just as indispensible but didn’t desire notoriety and so didn’t make it into many history books. Ferdinand compares this to what both he and Byleth are to Edelgard (I imagine this support is phrased very differently if gotten on any other route), but my mind went right to Kris, the shadow Avatar at Marth’s side who got left out of the original game historical accounts. While I believe that Byleth’s ending on Edelgard’s route actually is fairly out of the public eye, in other routes they’re either the archbishop or the ruler of the united continent. Byleth is very much not that type of Avatar who can just disappear at the end because how else could they sleep with the whole cast?

I can’t forget about Hubert either. Apparently he’s the one who gives Those Who Slither their infamously unwieldy name - thanks a lot, Hubie - during his investigations on how to out-evil them. When he’s not doing that he’s engaging in absurdly cute support conversations with Ferdinand where they’re both blushing and exchanging gifts with romantic music in the background. I also noted that they’re one of the couples who get special meal dialogue that evolves along with their supports. See, this is what I mean when I say that M/M and F/F subtext are on completely different playing fields. Dorothea will just come out and ask Manuela if they can live together and forget about finding men, or give Ingrid a ring and joke about owning her, etc. For the guys it’s watching them sputteringly make friendly gestures toward one another while blushing, or make promises to die together, or insist on the other using their given name (but in private!) to indicate that there’s going to be dick touching.

Nader dies during Edelgard’s paralogue. In combination with Judith’s death in Chapter 13 I think this is meant to indicate that this is the one non-Deer route that does not feature a large Almyran invasion after the credits roll. Even if you choose not to kill Claude as I did, without any of his close allies (who are also his parents, in the case of those two?) the implication is that he won’t have the strength to pursue his own dreams of continental conquest. Good on him to outright admit that he has them to Edelgard, though.

Speaking of the game admitting things that otherwise only go implied, let’s talk about those explosions. The Black Eagle Strike Force feints toward Fhirdiad but moves instead to conquer Arianrhod, with Edelgard and Hubert’s target being specifically Cornelia. Cornelia in this route hasn’t betrayed Faerghus to the Empire yet, but according to Arundel she was planning to as a member of Those Who Slither despite lacking their characteristic pallor. Arundel responds by using “pillars of light” - more likely those anachronistic ballistic missiles seen in a church route cutscene - to blast the fortress into oblivion and kill a bunch of people inside.I’m ignoring how petty it seems of Arundel/Thales to nuke a valuable military installation just to get revenge on Edelgard for killing a minion who was going to help Edelgard do what she’s about to do in the last two chapters anyway. No, what fascinates me about this situation is how Edelgard and Hubert immediately spin this for the rest of their army, saying it was Rhea’s doing and using it to motivate the Strike Force to conquer Fhirdiad as quickly as possible. Ever since I got her C support I’ve been curious as to why Edelgard harbors so much personal hatred for the church when Those Who Slither were the ones responsible for torturing her and her siblings for Crest research. Here she’s deliberately making that misdirection, which....doesn’t answer my question at all but does at least demonstrate that the writers are aware of it. How it will all play out, or if this is something that only makes sense when considering information learned from the church and/or Deer routes is yet to be determined.

Looking at this from the perspective of the Strike Force though I can see why they’d need some additional pushing to get invested in how evil Rhea is. She’s done very little so far to follow up on her creepy authoritarian vibes from Part 1, and the scene of her grieving Seteth and Flayn’s deaths only makes her regain some sympathy because of how personally she takes their loss. They have to be saving it all up for the finale. There will have to something to the antagonists we’re about to fight, because so far DImitri in this route has been even more of a non-entity. Of course I know that Chapter 17 brings not one but two flavors of gay tragedy, but in-universe I doubt anyone on the Strike force is squeeing over the Tempest King and his very devoted vassal.

[crackimagines]

Black Eagles Farewell Quotes (FE: Three Houses)

So, while I was playing Three Houses for the BE, I realized that this game was basically becoming Trails of Cold Steel (Sen no Kiseki), and I felt that the reason for the timeskip was a bit rushed.

it also wasn’t heartbreaking enough to get separated for me lmao

The below is an alternate take on how the time-skip began, and more importantly, the student that Byleth spent the most time with would have something to say specifically to them, just like how in Cold Steel, the person you bonded with the moment said farewell when you were forced to leave.

TLDR: Alternate take before the time skip

WARNING: Spoilers for Black Eagles below cut!

Byleth flew down the stairs after being blasted by Rhea in her dragon form, underestimating how powerful she was.

(Byleth) “Tch...! I...I WON’T LET YOU NEAR MY STUDENTS!

Byleth rushed forwards ready to take her on, but fell to their knees, unable to go on any further.

“Jeez, even on the brink of death you’ll still go that far for them, huh...?”

(Byleth) ?! “...S-Sothis?”

(Edelgard) “PROFESSOR!”

Everyone ran up to Byleth and got in front of them, drawing their weapons out.

(Byleth) “What are you all doing?! Get out of here, I’ll fend her off-”

(Edelgard) “That’s not happening, professor! You have to live, no matter what!”

(Byleth) “But...!”

Edelgard - "My teacher...You protected me even when I attacked you and the class and...And that is something I will forever remember. Now, I will be returning that kindness. Don't worry about us, I promise to you as emperor that our blades will not break, and our lives shall not fall until we are again by your side!"

Hubert - "I've had my doubts when I first met you, though I'm assuming you knew that. Although you have certainly gained my admiration throughout this year, it was back in the tomb you've gained my trust. Now I humbly request that you trust us. Heh, don't worry, professor. We'll be fine."

Bernadetta - "You're not dying here! I-I'm going to be honest, professor. I'm so scared I could run but...You taught me to stand my ground! Because of you and the others, I can stop running away from the face of danger and...I will use all you taught me to protect everyone, professor!"

Ferdinand - "I doubt you'd just die that easily, but like hell I am going to take the risk. What kind of noble would I be if I were to let something happened to my professor? I, Ferdinand Von Aegir, swear upon my household that I will protect you and my classmates! And don't worry, I haven't forgotten your words. I'll be sure to come back alive as well!"

Dorothea - "Hah, I didn't imagine myself to be in a scene straight from one of my performances...! Although it's not a lover this time, it's someone just as important. I won't let you get hurt, so you have to get out of here...Hey, don't give me that face! Think you're gonna get away from this radiating beauty THAT easily? I'll be back for you so we can have some tea together, so remember that!"

Linhardt - "Oh, what a bother I SUPPOSE I could help you live fight another day...Heh, don't worry. As fond as I am for my naps, you helped me grow fonder of my classmates. Including yourself. I may not be a fighter, but I won't rest until we see you again. No one's going to die on my watch."

Petra - Professor, I will hold most importance of protecting you and the class! You taught me so many things of...about Fodland, and my beloved classmates! You'll will not die on me, not when I have much to learn! P-Please...do not worry about us, you'll see us again. I promise."

Caspar - Hah, showtime! You've saved my butt plenty of times, so now time to show them everything you taught me, professor! All this strength to become the greatest warrior? Now its going to become the greatest shield, for everyone and you! I'll tell you about this fight when I see ya again, and don't you be saying any cheesey crap! You ARE going to see all of us again!"

Before Byleth knew it, they felt themselves being drawn away, watching them fade out.

(Byleth) “WHAT?! NO, LET ME STAY DAMN IT!”

(Sothis) “Come on, we have to go before you’re killed!”

(Byleth) “LISTEN TO ME! THEY NEED ME! NO, NO! LET ME STAAAAAY!”

And in the blink of an eye, Byleth saw them all disappear as they were pulled into a void of blackness, and eventually passed out.