#[ class mastery: dancer ]

[allegreta]

galdr of remembrance (dancer mastery drabble, 453 words)

Anniversaries, celebrated upon the year, are of less consequence to laguz than beorc. Years in and of themselves, while recognized, happen in far greater number to a laguz than a beorc, and thus are less significant.

When one follows the seasons as all living things do, though, times of year get associated with certain things. And the nightmares of fire and smoke and screams signify to Leanne that around now is the time of the Serenes Massacre, some twenty-six years ago. It is something she lives with, a scar that has closed and been soothed but aches from time to time, as is the nature of such a trauma.

She is no longer in Serenes to commemorate this as she has each year since she awoken from her slumber, but the woods by the monastery will do. The same moon shines upon them.

In the dead of night, she takes flight, quickly alighting as she reaches the forest grounds. The half moon flickers, nary a cloud in sight, and the chorus of crickets and owls welcomes her.

Slowly, quietly she joins them, her voice a low tone adjacent to sorrow. But not quite. It is melancholy, it carries sadness, but there is a life to it as well, a bittersweetness, as one might say.

The forest has gone silent, but slowly begins to raise its voice again--some in tune with Leanne. It is a mournful song, a remembering song, a song to honor the dead and grant strength to the living. Though the galdr is sung in ancient, its message is in a language universal.

It is about white wings raised in play and the crooning of loving parents. It spans arguments, festivals, and poetry in equal measure. Thousands of wings, thousands of beautiful minds and caring hearts are honored here, released into the wind with each breath. There is space for anger, space for the acrid smoke on the wind and the smell of charred feathers, blood in one's mouth and indignity at the senselessness of the world. But first and foremost, this is a galdr of remembrance.

Leanne carries this energy in her heart, releases it to the forest, to the spirits of those long passed. With the power of galdr, imparted upon her by the very people she honors in this night, she can bring joy and peace--and if it is necessary, utilize it in battle to protect those dear to her. This she promises to those who have gone before her, lost to time or tragedy. It will not end here. It will not end here. We will love and laugh and celebrate your lives, tell stories to our children and our children's children. It will not end here.

[knighteclipsed]

until your eyes are closed.

a drabble: for valter’s dancer mastery. word count: 767 words

Place your hand in its—no, don’t shy away, it is safe to you. Though it is harsh and unyielding to so many around you, you will find no harm will befall you. It is safe. It is safe. Allow it to guide you as you stand, as you walk. One step, then another. You can begin to run now.

Run like the wind does, invigorating your senses and your breath. Walk at your heart’s pace, every beat the tempo to your rhythm. Stand unbending, unbreaking in the face of it all. You have learned to move, to live, to love?

Perhaps not that last one—not that it ever mattered. They say dancing is a communal thing; a thing that is with or for others. You are wiser than that—let it show you to dance: to guide your footsteps, your hands, your weight. One step, then another, until it is all one fluid motion. You have learned to dance now—alone. It suits you.

And what about props? They are not uncommon. If you must dance alone, you may stylize it as you wish. Weapons, though unconventional, work wonders for the task—you have heard of a sword dance, haven’t you? Why not fashion your own with a lance?

Twist like the wind does. (Mind your breathing and keep it steady.) Step at your heart’s pace. (The tempo is even, just follow along.) Pose at appropriate intervals. (This is all a show, after all.) Let your weapon be an extension of yourself and use it to protect yourself, keep your distance from them.

It is by your side, after all—Death, that old friend of yours. Taking your hand and guiding your every step. It is harsh and unyielding, even cruel—to those around you. You are safe from it, so long as you continue to learn.

Death is not a kind teacher, you know. You may suffer one mistake—and it is fatal; you are through. Some lessons are easier to be learned: how to stand, walk, run. Others, you must witness—you must learn from the mistakes of those before you.

Death is not a kind teacher, but it teaches you all the same.  (Twist, step, pose.)

And at last, it releases your hand—you have learned much now, what with your dances. You have learned from Death and so, too, do you now emulate it. It focuses in your eyes, lights dancing in them like upon the tip of a lance. Death is your teacher, and you are its disciple. Were, now you suppose. You are left to fend on your own.

When again you cross paths, that familiar face has not changed—but yours has, worn by years of isolation and contempt. One lesson you learned, however, was to keep fighting for your survival—even against unfavorable odds. Perhaps you were no longer wanted, but if your will died, so, too, would you with it. Step, step—into the next chapter. Tighten your hands ‘till they are naught more than fists.

You see its silhouette again in the eyes of those that you fell: soldiers and knights, common blood and noble. Its tokens are taken gracefully, with all the skill and elegance of an artisan’s dance. You do not face it head-on just yet, however—you only see its traces. (You are untouchable, after all.)

Your final reunion comes upon sandy dunes—the sand is unstable and unfavorable to dancers. Death is a master and is not impeded—it has had much time to learn. You are but a human, and you do not have that same wisdom. You fight for your survival all the same.

Run like the wind does until you are out of breath. Walk at your heart’s pace through the motions—you are growing slower. Stand, if that is possible, but you have grown weary from your dancing. You never quite learned how to take a break, did you?

You may learn that now, first-hand, from an old friend. Place your hand in its—no, don’t shy away. It is futile all the same. (It is harsh and unyielding and would never have spared you.) Allow it to guide you to the after.

One step, another—until your eyes are closed. You do not hear your footsteps, your heartbeat, your breath.

…And then its hand slips away, and you are in a place unfamiliar—to begin the dance anew. Death was not a kind instructor, but it did not lack its own sense of humor. Though it took with it much of what you recalled of dancing, it was not as if you could not relearn it. You can begin to run now, if you so choose.

[burntheedges]

Pas de Deux Chapter 1

Din Djarin x f!reader | 2.9k | fic masterlist | main masterlist | ao3

fic summary: When Din Djarin – principal dancer at Concordia Ballet Company and generational talent in the classical style – suddenly left CBC and joined the Nevarro Ballet Theater mid-season, it shocked the ballet world. You never would have guessed that he would change your life, too.

a/n: here we go! Chapter 1 starts sometime in late fall, November-ish. See my notes on the masterlist about reader in this fic and ballet in general. Thank you @katareyoudrilling for being the best beta, as always!!

chapter tags/warnings: gen, ballet terms (see end notes and the masterlist for definitions), a bit of angst

Chapter 1

“‘In a surprise move that shook the dance world, the Concordia Ballet Company announced yesterday that they have parted ways with principal dancer Din Djarin.’”

You could hear the sudden gasps through the open door of the large studio as you walked towards it. You recognized Clara’s voice as she read the news aloud, you assumed from her phone. 

“‘Djarin, 27, who trained at the rigorous Concordia Ballet School from a young age, has been with CBC for 10 years and is in the prime of his career. He was promoted from soloist to principal two years ago, as is the norm at CBC, where they do not promote dancers younger than 25 to principal. His performances have been highlights on the CBC schedule over the last two seasons, earning many rave reviews.’” 

You turned the corner to enter the studio and found most of the company class crowded around Clara as she looked down at her phone.

“‘The CBC press release did not indicate the reason for the split, which only makes this mid-season decision more disconcerting for fans and donors alike.’”

The group around Clara murmured and shifted their weight. You had just read the article on the bus and knew what was coming next. You slid down to sit against the wall by the door, watching.

“‘This decision comes amidst the company’s preparation for spring and for the last show on their fall schedule, Don Quixote, with no explanation as to how their roster of principals and other dancers may be adjusted to compensate for this enormous loss. Djarin is well known for his powerful physique, technical mastery, and classically perfect performances.’” Clara paused, and then continued, “then it talks about some of his work, we know all of that already, blah blah blah, ok whoa!” She gasped. “Ok. Listen to this – ‘Djarin has not been available for comment, but was seen boarding a flight to Nevarro two days ago before the announcement was made public!'”

You started to put on your shoes for barre and watched as everyone else in the room started to completely freak out.

“Here?!” Owen exclaimed, hand thrown over his mouth. “Is he coming here here?” He gestured around the studio as he asked.

Clara shrugged. “It doesn’t say, look, that’s the end of the article.”

Sophie had started rising up and down on the balls of her feet by one of the barres and you weren’t sure if she was aware she was doing it. Her tone was excited as she asked, “would he come here? Why? We’re, like, not his style.”

The room broke down into several noisy conversations at that point, and you felt your friend Adrian slip down the wall to sit next to you. “So, what do you think?” he asked, nudging your shoulder. 

You shrugged. “No idea. I can’t see any reason he’d even want to come here. CBC is so…” You trailed off, but he knew what you meant.

“Yeah. Traditional. Rigid. Not like us at all.” Adrian waved his hand towards the mismatched group of dancers in front of you and you both smiled. The Nevarro Ballet Theater was different from the Concordia Ballet Company in many ways, and the diversity of dancers in the company was one of the things that set NBT apart the most.

You nodded. “Right. If his flight destination even means anything.”

“If it does, what would that mean for us?” Adrian looked around the room. “We already have a full roster of soloists and principals.” He bit his lip. He looked nervous, and he wasn’t the only one — you noticed Sasha, Lu, Carlos, and Isaac were huddled around the bar, clearly worried. All principals, you assumed they were nervous about losing out on parts. For Adrian, you knew it was because he had just made soloist at the start of the season. A new superstar coming in might shake things up too much.

You nudged his shoulder with your own. “I was thinking about that when I read it on the bus. I don’t think you have anything to worry about. I heard what Karga said, about how good you are.”

He nodded, but didn’t look reassured. “At least you don’t have anything to worry about, Ms. Soon-To-Be-Principal.” 

You rolled your eyes and shoved down the anxiety lurking in your stomach. You’d made soloist a couple of years ago, and then first soloist this season. There were some people (including Adrian) who seemed to think you’d be promoted soon, as early as the end of the current season. But there were at least a few critics who disagreed, and for months you’d been having trouble putting the words of one in particular out of your mind. You could quote it from memory:

“While her lyricism and skill are undeniable, one wonders if she has the artistry or stage presence to carry a narrative. She more than deserves the promotion to first soloist, but is this her ceiling?” 

You wished you’d never read the article, but it had seemed to be the usual season preview and you hadn’t been expecting the targeted commentary. You’d spent the last few months trying not to think about it too much, or you knew you would get all in your head about it.

“Shut up.” You nudged him again and he laughed.

He opened his mouth to respond, but he was interrupted by the door opening next to you. It wasn’t your teacher who walked in, though, and once you saw who it was you both leapt to your feet.

Greef Karga, director of the Nevarro Ballet Theater, looked happy, but then he usually did. 

“Good morning, dancers!’ His voice was deep and loud and you all scrambled into a semi-circle facing him at the door, where your ballet instructor, Alexa, followed him in. You chorused a “good morning” in response.

“I’m sure you’ve all seen the news,” Karga continued, with a knowing smile on his face. “And you must be wondering why I’m here!” You glanced in the mirror and noted that everyone did indeed look both curious and a little wary. “Well, I am very pleased to confirm that Din Djarin will be joining us for the rest of the season here at NBT.”

There was some general murmuring and shock in response, but he was not deterred.

“I know we’re in the middle of the season, with many roles already planned. Din and I have agreed to try not to disrupt that too much this year. We’ll be adding some things to the anniversary gala and the mixed programs.” That made sense — the latter were showcases of the work of different composers and choreographers and could be more easily rearranged to include a new dancer. “We won’t be making any changes to Midsummer, Swan Lake, or Cinderella, which I know we’re already planning for and rehearsing.” You felt Adrian take a deep, relieved breath beside you. He was supposed to be Puck this year for the first time and it sounded like that wasn’t going to change. 

“Din will start joining your classes and the rehearsals for the gala and other programs over the course of the next two weeks. Please introduce yourself and welcome him — we are very excited to have him join us.”

You all nodded, of course, even though you knew a lot of your fellow dancers would be wary of the newcomer. 

“Well!” Karga clapped his hands together and smiled. “I’ll let you get started. Continue with your rehearsals as normal unless you hear otherwise. Have a wonderful day, everyone!”

Alexa moved towards the stereo system in the corner as Karga swept out of the room, and you turned to look at Adrian. 

“Well,” he said, turning towards his usual place at the barre. “This should be interesting.”

You nodded as Alexa turned on the music and you took your usual spot next to him at the barre. It definitely would be.

…

After all that excitement, you didn’t even see Djarin for a few days. He didn’t join the morning company classes right away, but you couldn’t really blame him — moving suddenly across the country wasn’t easy. It didn’t stop you from glancing around every room as you entered, trying to catch sight of your elusive new company member. 

You heard from the others that he’d dropped by a couple of rehearsals, and they’d overheard him talking about plans for the mixed programs with some of the choreographers and other staff, including Talia and Jee. You wondered if he’d ever met Kuiil, the current guest choreographer in residence, who traveled and usually worked with different companies every few years. You somehow doubted it — Kuiil’s style was much too contemporary for CBC.

You’d been in rehearsals for Nutcracker and Midsummer all week, though, so you weren’t really surprised that you hadn’t run into him yet. 

Finally, on Friday morning, you arrived early for class to find a group of your fellow company members huddled by the mirror and staring awkwardly across the room. You followed their gaze and found Din Djarin, in the flesh, warming up at the barre. For a moment you couldn’t reconcile the sight of him in your familiar space. He was tall and imposing, and dressed all in black — black ballet shoes, black tights, black sweats that cut off below his knees, and a tight black long sleeve shirt that showcased the breadth of his shoulders and just how strong he was. His curly brown hair was tousled. His signature mustache, somewhat uncommon in ballet, was in place, though you knew he often shaved for performances — there had been articles about his daring breach of the Concordia status quo when he didn’t. At least at NBT he’d be allowed to keep it, you thought. His face was blank, completely expressionless as he stretched. 

You knew he had to know the rest of the group was watching him, and when you glanced back and found them still huddled you sighed. You felt someone step into the room behind you and turned to find Adrian taking in the standoff. 

He shook his head. “Great start.” His tone was dry, and you laughed under your breath. 

“Should we say hello?” You sat to put on your ballet shoes and Adrian sank down beside you.

“Who, us?” Adrian raised an eyebrow at you. “Do I look brave to you?” 

You laughed again, and were about to suggest going together for moral support when Alexa walked in. She took in the situation and sighed, shaking her head as she crossed the room to where Djarin was still warming up alone.

“Look! Alexa took care of it.” Adrian nudged you and smiled. “No need for us to take one for the team after all.”

The two of you watched as she spoke with him, though you couldn’t hear what they were saying. He nodded at her, and she smiled before walking towards the stereo.

“Alright, let’s get started!” She called out without looking to see if anyone listened, but you all did. You realized as you took your normal spot that you were diagonal from Djarin across the space between two of the barres in the middle of the floor. You’d be able to see him whenever you were working your left side, and somewhat in the mirror on your right. You resolved not to stare.

You only sort of succeeded.

The problem, you quickly realized, was that his movements were beautiful. Even while doing simple pliés or tendus you could see the power in his body, the strength in his muscles, the rigor of his training. Every movement was precise, clean, and perfectly placed. The elegant line of his arm and the curve of his hip drew your gaze like a magnet, over and over again. His effortless coordination and control were mesmerizing. You watched the slow extension of his leg into grand battement until you had to force yourself to tear your eyes away.

Well, you thought, he certainly lives up to all of the hype about technique. CBC had a reputation and he more than exceeded it.

It made you painfully aware of the limits of your own abilities. You knew you were good – you’d made it this far, of course, and now you were first soloist, despite having what was seen as a late start in ballet (at age 7). And despite what the critics said, you were considered to be one of the better technicians at NBT. But you were no match for his level of skill, for the rigorous training you’d heard about at CBC. That much was obvious just from looking at him. 

You tried to clear your mind as the class continued, knowing your worries would start to show in your movements if you let them. It was hard to do that when so much strength and technical perfection stood only five feet away from you, demonstrating the ideal version of every move and transition that you attempted.

As you finished at the barre and quickly put on your pointe shoes to work in the center of the room, you finally put it out of your mind. There was no use in comparison, you’d learned that a long time ago. In the end, the only dancer you could compete with was yourself. And NBT was not a company that encouraged that kind of competition among dancers anyway.

You found your feet going across the floor, letting yourself sink into it as you moved through some jumps and short combinations. You tried to feel nothing but the pull in your muscles and pattern of your breath. By the end of the class you felt a little steadier, a little more centered.

Alexa dismissed the class, and you started to gather your things. As you slipped off your pointe shoes, you felt someone brush past you, heading for the door — Djarin didn’t look back as he crossed the threshold into the hall. You realized as he did that he hadn’t spoken a single word for the entire class. You wondered if he was unhappy to be here, after all. 

By the time you stepped into the hallway, he was nowhere to be seen.

Adrian fell into step next to you as you walked towards the larger rehearsal studios at the other end of the building. He hooked your arms together and looked around quickly to see if anyone was nearby. He leaned in to whisper, “did you see that? He was amazing!”

You nodded. “I know. I didn’t think anyone could live up to all that hype, but he does.”

Adrian shook his head, looking dismayed. “I know they said some roles wouldn’t change but, ugh. I wouldn’t blame them.”

“Hey,” you elbowed him lightly. “Don’t. You’re going to be amazing as Puck. And you know that role plays to your strengths. I don’t see him taking that one from you. It’s not really his style.”

He sighed. “Yeah, I guess. Ok, let’s hurry, I need to tape my knee before Nutcracker.” You winced in sympathy, knowing how much he’d be jumping in practice for both the Russian dance and the jack-in-the-box roles. But his words jogged your memory.

“Shit.” You froze in the hallway. “I left my tape in the studio. Go ahead, I’ll meet you there.”

He nodded, but you were already turning as you said it, waving him on.

You heard him jog off towards the rehearsal rooms behind you as you walked quickly back the way you’d come, turning past the bathrooms and the administrative offices. It didn’t take long and your tape was right where you’d left it. 

Tape in hand, you turned around again and started walking back down the long hall. 

As you approached the offices, though, the sound of Karga’s raised voice stopped you in your tracks, just around the corner from his office door.

“We talked about this, Din. It's part of this company’s identity. You want to break away from them? You need to make a statement.” You heard the slapping sound of one hand against another and imagined Karga hitting his hand with his fist for emphasis. 

“No, Greef, listen. I don’t—“ You startled. It was the first time you’d heard Djarin’s voice and it was much deeper and more pleasant than you would have imagined. 

Karga interrupted him. “No, you listen. Din, you can do this. I know you can. And it will show them everything they’re missing, everything they let slip through their fingers. They are so stuck in their ways, they have no idea what you can really do. What you’re capable of. Let me help you get there.”

You heard Djarin sigh. “This will go badly and I’m going to blame you.”

Karga chuckled. You tried to picture Djarin looking amused, too, and failed. All you could conjure was the expressionless mask he’d kept in place for all of class that morning. Karga continued, “I’ll take it happily. This is going to be great, don’t you worry! We’ll ease you into it. Now, let’s go share the news.”

You heard them start to move around in the office and startled into motion. As you turned the corner, the door to Karga’s office swung open in front of you and Din Djarin stepped out of it. He was moving quickly, shoulders hunched, brow furrowed. He barely glanced in your direction, but when he did, you took a surprised step back at the fierceness of his glare. It was the most emotion you’d seen from him so far, and it wasn’t exactly pleasant. He didn’t stop, though, and quickly turned away from you to move down the hall towards rehearsal. You blinked, frozen mid-step, unable to shake the look he’d just given you. What was that about?

...

| next

a/n: sooo what do you think? ballet terms in this chapter:

see the masterlist for principal, soloist, class vs. rehearsal, season

plié - a bending of the needs (you've probably seen dancers standing at the barre and bending their knees -- that's a plié)

tendu - tight or stretched out - stretching one leg out long, often in brushes along the floor

grand battement - the leg is raised from the hip into the air and brought down again, both knees straight (with apparent ease)

barre - the rail that ballet dancers use in class (don't lean on it!). usually you'd wear normal ballet shoes at the barre and switch into pointe shoes (toe shoes) to do exercises in the center or go across the floor

and if you'd like a visual aid, one of the dancers I'm mentally modeling Din after is Carlos Acosta, who you can see in this compilation (~6:49) doing a variation from Don Quixote.

tag list coming in a reblog!

[ballet-symphonie]

In defence of tsiskaridze… he came to the school in 2015, which means he’s been rector for the whole time Koshkarova, Valiullina, Kuprina, Karamysheva, Gritsina, Barinova, Zakota, Solomina, Kishnova, Efimova and others were in the first grade. And they are beautiful dancers, like I think we are overestimating the changes happening. In addition to this, the class that Tsiskaridze took over was a “weak class” (I swear these are his own words from an video with Ilya), and they look good in the exam, even though it’s not pure vaganova. However we don’t know they’re day to day classes. We don’t know if during class they do plain vaganova pure exercises, and then tried something new and a bit bonkers just for the exam. I wouldn’t be surprised, and it would explain why the exam isn’t super clean, maybe they don’t do these crazy exercises every day, just they put on a show for their exam, which is objectively more fun to watch, and maybe it’s more fun for them to execute, like the little variation breaks? Bonkers, but fun! We can’t forget how passionate the Russians are about the art of ballet, they are so passionate and they are risk takers!

I'm not inclined to give Tsiskaridze undeserved credit. Of the four you named who are now relevant rising soloists, they all graduated under the guidance of Ludmila Kovaleva, the same woman who is responsible for Olga Smirnova, Kristina Shapran, Diana Vishneva, Maria Khoreva and Ekaterina Borchenko among other prominent dancers. Kovaleva has been producing world-class ballerinas for over 40 years, her teaching prowess and clear ability to transform students into ballerinas was well-known before Tsiskaridze ever stepped into his role at VBA.

I think Tsiskaridze's main abilities lie in coaching and administration. The way he developed Angelina Vorotsova as well as Denis Rodkin is proof of this. Furthermore, the way he's been able to raise the production quality of the VBA performances in terms of the staging, costuming and venue is remarkable, I'm not sure where he suddenly found the funds but he made it happen. In my opinion, based on the quality of his students, I don't think he's nearly as good a teacher- many great dancers aren't.

As someone who graduated from a prominent ballet academy and is now working professionally in a major theater, I can tell you that they absolutely spend significant amounts of their time in class practicing what they did during the exam. You can't suddenly do a full ballet class nonstop if it hasn't been practiced and rehearsed extensively. If they just suddenly decided to do a whole class of crazy combination sporadically or just for the exam, it would be a complete mess.

Furthermore, exams are not for fun, their purpose is not to entertain an audience. If you want to be entertained, go buy a ticket for a performance. The purpose of exams is to demonstrate the student's progress and assess their mastery of technique. It’s about highlighting consistent and structured training that builds discipline, strength, precision, and artistry over time. If the whole class is dancing better in 'normal classes' than in an exam, what does that say about their preparation for high-pressure moments when working for a ballet company. It suggests their foundation might not be as solid as it should be.

Especially in Russia, passing the state exam determines your grades, your diploma, and your ability to work in a state theater. I personally think it's harder to accurately assess the skill of each individual dancer when the exams are overly choreographed with complex formations that showcase some students and hide others. When exams are so critical to a dancer's future cannot simply be viewed as a showcase for "fun" or "flashiness"—they are fundamentally about the demonstration of technical mastery and readiness to join the professional world.

[ultrakdramamama]

To size up the impact South Korean superstars SHINee have had on music is a difficult task. With a panorama that spans both K-pop and the world’s stage, the band’s dominance has grown exponentially since their debut 15 years ago. With their latest album, it’s also clear that SHINee’s future could only get even brighter. 

When someone goes around muttering, “Hard like a criminal, hard like the beat” under their breath for about two months straight, it’s bound to attract a few stares at the workplace. Especially when you yell, “We go HARD” when your colleagues enquire about your state of mind. But that’s SHINee’s effect for you. The lyrics from the title track of the legendary band’s eighth Korean language studio album, fittingly titled HARD, tend to imprint themselves on the listener’s temporal lobe. But this isn’t a new phenomenon for SHINee. Fifteen years since the band’s debut, it’s safe to say that they have created K-pop’s (and pop in general’s) most satisfying earworms and anthems, from Replay (2008) to Ring Ding Dong (2009), and Amigo (also 2008) to View (2015), to name a nanoparticle of songs off a daunting discography. ONEW, KEY, MINHO, TAEMIN – and the late beloved JONGHYUN – together form one of the finest, most well-rounded groups to emerge from South Korea’s competitive music industry, and their longevity speaks volumes about their talent and relevance. This includes solo projects, too – each of their individual offerings is a class apart.

So, how does one even begin to dismantle SHINee’s hypnotic hold on both their Korean and global devotees? To be honest, there is no need to divide them because once a ‘SHINee WORLD’ (the name given to the band’s beloved fanbase), always a SHINee WORLD regardless of age, gender or geographic distinction. With their vocal prowess, stage mastery, and dexterity of movement, they’ve filled stadiums worldwide through the course of a 15-year-long juggernaut. ONEW possesses one of the most iconic voices known to this oeuvre, with a dominant baritone and operatic tenor. KEY’s aura and presence is impossible to translate into words. MINHO’s a towering personality in terms of both talent and charisma. It’s also not hyperbole to state that TAEMIN is the king of movement – an unparalleled dancer, and a star. Together, they’re extraordinary. Solo, their personalities jump off the screen too. They’re each lovable matrixes of sass, humour, gravitas... clumsiness (the fans will attest to this). If one were to sum them up, ‘real’ would be the word to choose. Even though they’re revered in the industry, and active in all its different aspects – variety shows, musicals, performing on OSTs, solo projects, etc – they’re as humble as the day they started.

In this email interview, three of the band members dive into their music, providing perspective on the landscape they inhabit. ONEW, the leader of the band, is currently on hiatus for health issues. (However, he did send out a message to fans to reassure them of his rest and recovery and his imminent return.) One thing is for sure – it’s SHINee’s world, and we’re happy to be living in it.

You’ve always been completely ahead of the curve when it comes to genre, often blending several sonic elements in one album. In this album, for instance, you have wobbly drum and bass and soulful vocals on The Feeling, a really fresh take on the clear drum breaks of ’90s hip-hop on HARD, and dance-pop on Identity. Yet, you can tell a SHINee track from a mile away. How do you connect so many diverse sounds to the SHINee colour, and what – in the first place – would you say is SHINee’s colour? KEY: Rather than defining SHINee with one colour, I believe SHINee’s colour consists of all the colours each one of our fans sees us as. MINHO: SHINee is quite an interesting team because we have the ability to make any song into SHINee’s own colours. It’s our biggest weapon. We’ve built up this skill since our first album, and it only strengthened as we tried out various genres and concepts. Now, all our members know how to make any track SHINee-like. TAEMIN: SHINee’s colour is a combination of the various music styles we’ve experimented with. Without being limited to a specific genre, we capture several different colours and find SHINee’s own way of uniting everything into one.

Having said that, can you reveal the most “SHINee” song on this album for you, and explain why that would be your pick? KEY: For me, that would be the title track Hard, because it shows best all the efforts we’ve put into the visuals, performance, and recordings to demonstrate the genre of hip-hop. MINHO: It’s hard to select just one track. Many might say The Feeling but, rather than selecting one, I’d like to say this album in itself is “SHINee”, and it opens up our new chapter. TAEMIN: I’d say Satellite, because it shows the harmonious vocals of SHINee.

SHINee has a way of tapping into a collective sense of nostalgia – whether we go back to View, Married To The Music, or 1 of 1 even. Yet, you somehow manage doing this in a future-forward way with both your look and sound. How do you access and communicate a wide spectrum of emotions for people across borders and gender? KEY: Songs and melodies are very effective in expressing emotions and conveying messages to different people and genders. Though the lyrics might be interpreted differently depending on one’s culture, I believe a melody has a relatable power for everyone. MINHO: We try to convey emotions directly instead of hiding them. One of those characteristics is being upfront about how one feels and not hiding one’s emotions. TAEMIN: Even if we do not speak the same language, it’s the energy we’ve poured into this album that makes it possible for us to connect and communicate with those who listen to it.

Often, when you’re with a group of people who end up knowing you inside out, it helps you to see yourself more clearly. How would you say the close bond that exists between all of you has affected or changed you? TAEMIN: I was able to learn a lot from my (fellow band) members since they are all very talented. The bond we’ve formed through our time and experiences together is such a valuable gift to me.

People say there is always one side of the brain that’s more dominant. The left brain vs right brain – largely the analytical vs the creative. The artistes in you must make use of the right brain, but, to navigate this industry and learn from it, the left brain has to come into play. Given your successful ongoing careers, how do you balance the two sides? KEY: Balance is something I’m constantly thinking about not only as SHINee’s KEY, but also as an entertainer on variety shows so that I can continue to better myself and grow. MINHO: This is an interesting question that I’ve never thought of before. I probably use my left brain more since I’m always thinking about things that others might not have done yet or tried before. TAEMIN: When I tested myself, I found that my right brain functions better than my left!

Is it possible, as an artiste, to be happy and satisfied at the same time? MINHO: I’m not quite sure if happiness and satisfaction can be felt at the same time, though it’s different for each person. Even if I’m happy, I might not be satisfied, but I think that’s because I’m a bit of a perfectionist [laughs].

Can you talk about how the performance aspect of music has evolved for you over the years? Does it feel more poignant being on stage together again after a break? [The members of SHINee fulfilled their mandatory military enlistment duties, staggered, over the last five years.] KEY: I’m not sure if this properly explains it, but I’d like to think of our growth as ‘still strong’. As the years add on, there is a sense of pressure from wanting to show our best selves and great performances but, through this album, SHINee was able to show persistence and strength. Whenever I step on stage, it’s an overwhelming feeling. MINHO: You can see just how much we’ve grown through our performances. Compared to before, we’re more experienced so there’s a sense of ease. Yet we do feel more nervous when we return to the stage after a long time. ‘Will I be able to perform well on this stage? What if I make a mistake?’ These are the kinds of thoughts that run through my mind but that’s what brings out a perfect performance. The most important thing in all of this is to look as if you’re not nervous! [laughs] TAEMIN: The K-pop market has grown, and we’ve also benefited from that. The lifespan of K-pop idols has also increased compared to before, but I believe it’s (everyone’s) hard work that’s made this possible.

What sort of music are you gravitating towards right now? Do you connect music and movement given how proficiently you link the two? TAEMIN: I usually listen to calm music. I also enjoy humming or dancing along to whatever I’m listening to.

Fifteen years down the line, what is something you know now that you wish you had known then? KEY:��That I don’t need to have any regrets because I’ve done my best throughout. MINHO: There are many things I wish I had known but, since I didn’t know anything at that time, I’d want to keep them a secret [laughs]. TAEMIN: What we’ve learned throughout holds greater value and meaning because of the process. If I were to say one thing to my past self, it would be to travel around the world more and study English.

Does the desire to experiment and the ability to actually be able to follow through with ideas become easier with time? KEY: It becomes harder with time but that’s why I make sure to put in more thought and effort to bring out the best I can.

As the world evolves at an almost breakneck speed, music evolves with it; you’ve also been witness to the shift in the influence of K-pop. How would you say the K-pop industry has also changed over these years as it has become a global phenomenon? KEY: From training to performing, everything has become very systemised and specialised. There’s also a wider variety of messages that can be delivered through performances. MINHO: K-pop has changed rapidly and, as a part of the generation that has seen that process of change, it is quite fast. The best development is the fact that the whole world can see what I’ve uploaded in seconds! TAEMIN: As a person who has been in this field for quite some time, I am amazed by K-pop. There have been a lot of changes through the years, changes that I did not realize at the time!

Looking back to when you started, would you say you are where you want to be as an artiste at this stage of your life? MINHO: I’m getting closer to where I dreamed I’d be when I debuted, but there’s still quite a way to go to get there.

How does the future look? KEY: SHINee will always remain the same. MINHO: The future will always be SHINee. TAEMIN: I’d like to live a happier life by giving back to our fans with good music and maintaining the precious relationships we have together. And I hope to perform overseas more often.

Would you please send a message to SHINee WORLD in India – any thoughts you’d like to share? KEY: I’m very much looking forward to the day we’ll get to meet our fans in person. Thank you for always showering us with love. MINHO: I’ve been to India before, but have not had the opportunity to perform. I hope that chance will come sometime soon, so please wait for us! TAEMIN: I really want to meet our fans in India and I’m sorry we haven’t been able to visit. I promise you we will create precious memories together!

[samuraiskirtsbattledolls]

#SamuraiSkirtsBattleDoll

Roxy "The Hurricane" Wilder

Background: A high-energy street dancer who incorporates acrobatics and breakdancing into her combat style. Roxy has a playful personality and a fast-paced, unpredictable fighting technique.

Abilities:

Spinning Tempest: Spins with increasing speed, creating a whirlwind that damages and disorients opponents.

Flashstep: Quick dashes that allow her to dodge attacks and confuse enemies.

Visual Style: Brightly colored, graffiti-inspired outfit with a mix of traditional battle armor. Her weapons resemble drumsticks that extend into nunchaku.

Character Card: Roxy "The Hurricane" Wilder

Type: Battle Doll

Class: Agility/Dual Weapons

Health: 80

Attack: 60

Defense: 30

Special Ability: Flashstep Mastery - When Roxy uses Flashstep, she gains a temporary evasion boost and can chain into one additional attack without cooldown.

Skill Cards

Spinning Tempest

Type: Attack

Effect: Roxy spins at high speed, striking all enemies in range. Deals moderate damage and has a 30% chance to cause Disorientation, lowering enemy accuracy by 20% for two turns.

Combo Effect: If followed by Flashstep, the damage increases by 10% and the chance to cause Disorientation rises to 50%.

Breakdance Barrage

Type: Attack

Effect: Roxy performs a breakdancing combo, dealing successive hits to a single target. Each hit has a 10% chance to trigger a Stun.

Combo Effect: If Flashstep is activated in the same turn, the Stun chance rises to 20%.

Flashstep

Type: Mobility

Effect: Roxy dashes to a different location, evading attacks for one turn and gaining an attack speed boost of 15% for her next move.

Combo Effect: If used before Spinning Tempest, Flashstep enables a second, follow-up hit that deals half damage.

Street Rhythm

Type: Passive

Effect: Roxy’s rhythm boosts her agility, raising her evasion by 10% each time she successfully lands an attack, up to 30%.

Duration: Lasts three turns and resets if Roxy misses an attack.

Hurricane Finale

Type: Ultimate

Effect: A flurry of high-speed kicks and spins that hits all enemies, dealing heavy damage and applying a Bleed effect for three turns (damage over time).

Condition: Can only be used if Roxy’s health is below 50% or if she’s successfully evaded an attack within the last two turns.

Item Cards

Graffiti Bomb

Type: Consumable

Effect: Roxy throws a small graffiti canister that explodes, covering the battlefield in distracting colors and smoke. Enemies have a 50% chance to miss their next attack.

Limit: Single use per match.

BoomBox Blaster

Type: Equipment

Effect: Grants Roxy the ability to trigger a Sound Wave attack every three turns, damaging and pushing back all enemies in close range.

Bonus: When equipped, Roxy gains a slight evasion increase due to the boost in morale.

Chain Blade Nunchaku

Type: Weapon

Effect: Roxy’s attacks gain +10 attack power and can chain to a second nearby target.

Combo Bonus: When used with Spinning Tempest, deals 5% extra damage.

Status Cards

On a Roll

Type: Status

Effect: Activates when Roxy lands three consecutive attacks. For the next two turns, her attack speed increases by 20% and her chance to dodge increases by 10%.

Duration: Ends if she misses or is hit.

Adrenaline Rush

Type: Status

Effect: When Roxy drops below 30% health, she gains +20% attack and 10% evasion.

Duration: Lasts three turns and can activate once per battle.

These cards make Roxy a fast and tricky character to counter, rewarding players for chaining moves and keeping up a relentless pace. Her combo-focused abilities and reliance on agility reflect her “hurricane” style, creating a mix of offense and misdirection.

Here are the effects for Roxy’s "Graffiti Bomb" item card:

Graffiti Bomb

Type: Consumable Item

Effect:

Distraction Cloud: When activated, Roxy throws a canister that bursts into a colorful, disorienting cloud, covering a wide area. This effect causes all enemies within range to have a 50% chance to miss their next attack due to the visual confusion.

Evasion Boost: Roxy gains a temporary +10% evasion boost for the next two turns as she uses the cloud to maneuver unseen.

Debuff Extension: If an enemy is already suffering from Disorientation, the Graffiti Bomb extends the duration of this debuff by an additional turn.

Duration: Effects last for one turn on enemies and two turns for Roxy’s evasion boost.

Limit: Single use per battle.

Here are the effects for Roxy's "Dress Blade Armor" artifact card:

Dress Blade Armor

Type: Artifact Armor

Effect:

Blade Dance: Grants Roxy a 10% boost to her attack speed due to the armor’s light design, allowing her to move fluidly in combat. This effect enables her to chain attacks with minimal delay.

Deflecting Blades: The armor is equipped with concealed blades that automatically block a portion of incoming melee damage (reduces damage by 20%). If an opponent’s attack is successfully blocked, there’s a 25% chance to reflect a small portion of the damage back to the attacker.

Agility Boost: Provides Roxy with a +15% evasion bonus, making her harder to hit as she weaves and moves in combat.

Special Ability - Hurricane’s Edge: When Roxy’s health falls below 40%, the Dress Blade Armor activates Hurricane’s Edge, temporarily doubling her agility bonus and granting her one extra turn of Flashstep.

Passive Effect: Stylish Combat - Each successful dodge increases Roxy's attack by 5% for her next turn, up to a max of 20%.

Durability: Lasts the entire match, but

Here’s how the Urban Echo card can enhance Roxy’s play style, focusing on agility, disruption, and illusion:

Urban Echo

Type: Tactical Skill

Effect:

Mirage Clone: Roxy creates holographic afterimages of herself, confusing opponents. These clones grant her a 30% evasion boost for two turns, making it difficult for enemies to target her accurately.

Echo Strikes: While active, the holographic clones also mimic her attacks, adding a 10% bonus damage to each of her attacks during this period, as the echoes disrupt enemy perception and timing.

Confusion Debuff: Enemies in close proximity have a 20% chance of attacking a clone instead of Roxy, rendering their attack ineffective and breaking any combos they attempt.

Combo Effect: If paired with Flashstep, Roxy can trigger Urban Echo mid-movement, repositioning herself while leaving clones behind in her previous location, giving her a further 10% evasion boost for one additional turn.

Duration: Lasts for two turns, with the confusion debuff applying once per turn per enemy in close range.

Play Style and Tactics with Urban Echo

Evasion and Disruption:

Use Urban Echo to maximize Roxy’s evasive capabilities. By activating it early in a turn, Roxy can move freely, setting up for her next attacks while making it difficult for enemies to pinpoint her position.

Decoy Strategy:

Urban Echo’s clones act as decoys, drawing enemy attention and potentially causing them to waste attacks. This works especially well when combined with moves like Flashstep, which lets Roxy reposition and leave a clone behind to fool her opponents.

Amplifying Combos:

Pair Urban Echo with other high-mobility moves, like Spinning Tempest or Breakdance Barrage. The damage bonus from echo strikes enhances Roxy’s offense, giving her attacks extra impact while reducing her exposure to counterattacks.

Maintaining Momentum:

Urban Echo seamlessly fits into Roxy’s rhythm by boosting her agility while increasing the confusion on the battlefield. This synergy with her Street Rhythm passive means she can maintain high evasion and attack bonuses throughout the match, chaining her moves without breaking her momentum.

Urban Echo plays into Roxy’s strengths, making her a harder target while adding extra damage and disruption. This card is ideal for players who favor high-speed, evasive play and want to keep opponents guessing with Roxy’s elusive tactics. Let me know if you’d like to develop more cards that could synergize with this one!

Here’s a concept for a Battle Doll that would complement Roxy’s play style, creating a duo that thrives on speed, agility, and disruption:

Battle Doll Concept: Kaida “The Silent Storm” Tanaka

Type: Battle Doll

Class: Stealth/Support

Health: 70

Attack: 50

Defense: 40

Special Ability: Shadow Step - Kaida can disappear into the shadows for one turn, avoiding all damage while setting up for her next attack, which gains a critical bonus on reappearance.

Skill Cards

Silent Strike

Type: Attack

Effect: Kaida silently closes in on a target, delivering a swift blow that has a 40% chance of stunning. If used right after Roxy's Graffiti Bomb is active, the chance to stun rises to 60%.

Combo Effect: Gains extra critical damage if used immediately after Roxy’s attack in the same turn.

Echoing Shadows

Type: Support

Effect: Kaida creates shadowy duplicates that confuse enemies, similar to Urban Echo. All enemies in range have a 25% chance of targeting a shadow instead of Kaida or Roxy.

Combo Effect: If used in the same turn as Roxy’s Urban Echo, both Roxy and Kaida’s evasions increase by an additional 15%.

Smoke Screen

Type: Tactical

Effect: Kaida deploys a smoke screen, reducing all enemies’ accuracy by 20% and granting Kaida and Roxy a 10% evasion boost for two turns.

Combo Effect: If used after Flashstep, the accuracy debuff increases to 30%, making it even harder for enemies to land attacks.

Shadow Dance

Type: Passive

Effect: Kaida gains a 5% evasion increase with each successful dodge, stacking up to 20%. When paired with Roxy, Kaida’s dodge boosts also increase Roxy’s evasion by half the amount.

Duration: Lasts for the entire match but resets if Kaida misses an attack.

Void Strike (Ultimate)

Type: Attack

Effect: A powerful shadow-infused strike that deals heavy damage to all enemies in a line, with a 50% chance to apply Silence, preventing targets from using special abilities for two turns.

Condition: Can only be used if Kaida is at full health or if Roxy has successfully dodged two attacks in the last turn.

Item Cards

Shadow Cloak

Type: Equipment

Effect: Grants Kaida an extra 15% evasion boost and allows her to apply Disorientation on a successful dodge, further confusing the enemy.

Combo Effect: If Roxy’s Graffiti Bomb is active, Kaida’s Disorientation chance doubles.

Dagger of Echoes

Type: Weapon

Effect: Each attack from Kaida applies a bleed effect, dealing minor damage over time. Increases damage by 10% if she strikes a target already affected by a debuff.

Combo Effect: If used right after Roxy’s attack, Kaida’s next attack ignores 10% of the enemy’s defense.

Tactical Combination with Roxy

"The Double Mirage": With Urban Echo and Echoing Shadows active at the same time, enemies are constantly misdirected by afterimages, giving both Roxy and Kaida high evasion and multiple targets for enemies to misfire upon.

"Shadowed Tempest": Start with Kaida’s Smoke Screen to lower enemy accuracy. Then, Roxy uses Spinning Tempest to hit multiple targets while staying protected by the evasion boost.

"Silent Hurricane": Kaida uses Shadow Step to go invisible, allowing Roxy to attack freely with her combos. When Kaida reappears, she follows up Roxy’s assault with Void Strike, adding heavy damage and Silence to debilitate the enemy team’s special abilities.

"Graffiti Shadow Dance": With Graffiti Bomb and Shadow Dance both active, Roxy and Kaida gain high evasion while constantly disorienting and applying Disorientation to any enemy that attempts to attack them.

Kaida’s stealth, evasion, and disruption abilities mesh perfectly with Roxy’s agile, distracting play style. This duo forces opponents to deal with constant misdirection and evasion, making it tough to land hits while chipping away with high-speed, low-cooldown attacks. Let me know if you’d like to add more to Kaida or if you want to develop another Battle Doll concept!

Here are the details for Kaida's Shadow Cloak item card:

Shadow Cloak

Type: Equipment Item

Effect:

Evasion Boost: The Shadow Cloak grants Kaida a 15% increase to her evasion, allowing her to slip through enemy attacks with ease.

Stealth Mode: When activated, Kaida can enter Stealth Mode for one turn, making her untargetable. While in Stealth Mode, her next attack deals an additional 20% damage.

Disorientation: Each time Kaida successfully dodges an attack while equipped with the Shadow Cloak, she has a 30% chance to apply Disorientation to the attacker, lowering their accuracy by 15% for two turns.

Combo Effect: If paired with Roxy’s Graffiti Bomb, the cloak’s Disorientation chance increases to 50%, making it highly effective at reducing enemy accuracy in chaotic or crowded environments.

Duration: The evasion boost lasts as long as the item is equipped. Stealth Mode can only be activated once every three turns, and Disorientation applies each time a dodge is successful.

Tactical Uses

Surprise Attacks: Use Stealth Mode to get Kaida into position without being targeted, setting her up for a powerful strike on her next turn.

Crowd Control: With Disorientation active, Kaida can create confusion among multiple enemies, particularly in combination with Roxy’s disorienting abilities.

Evasion Chain: Paired with Kaida’s Shadow Dance passive, the Shadow Cloak allows her to stack dodge-based boosts, turning her into a nearly untouchable attacker.

This item maximizes Kaida’s stealth and evasive potential, letting her disrupt opponents while staying elusive and setting up high-damage attacks. Let me know if you'd like to add more abilities or if there are other items to develop!

Here’s how the Flash Bomb item card can amplify Roxy and Kaida’s play style with effects focused on disruption and evasion:---Flash BombType: Tactical ItemEffect:Area Stun: When activated, the Flash Bomb releases a blinding burst of light, stunning all enemies in close range for one turn, preventing them from attacking or using abilities.Blindness Debuff: Enemies affected by the flash are blinded for an additional turn after the stun, reducing their accuracy by 20% as they recover.Agility Boost: For one turn after activation, both Roxy and Kaida receive a 10% boost to evasion, capitalizing on the enemies’ impaired accuracy and allowing them to move freely across the field.Combo Effect: If Flash Bomb is used immediately after Roxy’s Graffiti Bomb or Kaida’s Echoing Shadows, the blindness debuff’s accuracy reduction increases to 30%, making it highly effective for prolonged evasion.Cooldown: Once used, the Flash Bomb has a three-turn cooldown.---Strategic Uses with Roxy and Kaida1. Ambush Setup: Begin with Kaida’s Echoing Shadows or Roxy’s Urban Echo, creating duplicates and confusion. Follow up with Flash Bomb to stun and blind enemies, allowing both characters to reposition, set up attacks, or dodge easily.2. Hit-and-Run Tactics: Use Flash Bomb to initiate an attack, temporarily disabling enemy responses. This allows Roxy and Kaida to attack while under the cover of the stun, then evade incoming strikes with the agility boost.3. Enhanced Accuracy Debuff Chain: Combine Flash Bomb with Roxy’s Graffiti Bomb to stack accuracy debuffs, making it nearly impossible for enemies to land hits. This strategy is especially useful against opponents who rely on powerful but inaccurate attacks, turning them into wasted moves.4. Escape Mechanism: If either Roxy or Kaida are low on health, Flash Bomb can be used as a tactical escape tool, giving both a window to evade, heal, or reposition without fear of immediate retaliation.---The Flash Bomb is ideal for quick, disruptive, and evasive play, allowing Roxy and Kaida to dominate the battlefield through stuns, blinds, and agility boosts. Let me know if you’d like more items or tactics that align with this strategy!

Here’s how the Flash Bomb item card can amplify Roxy and Kaida’s play style with effects focused on disruption and evasion:

Flash Bomb

Type: Tactical Item

Effect:

Area Stun: When activated, the Flash Bomb releases a blinding burst of light, stunning all enemies in close range for one turn, preventing them from attacking or using abilities.

Blindness Debuff: Enemies affected by the flash are blinded for an additional turn after the stun, reducing their accuracy by 20% as they recover.

Agility Boost: For one turn after activation, both Roxy and Kaida receive a 10% boost to evasion, capitalizing on the enemies’ impaired accuracy and allowing them to move freely across the field.

Combo Effect: If Flash Bomb is used immediately after Roxy’s Graffiti Bomb or Kaida’s Echoing Shadows, the blindness debuff’s accuracy reduction increases to 30%, making it highly effective for prolonged evasion.

Cooldown: Once used, the Flash Bomb has a three-turn cooldown.

Strategic Uses with Roxy and Kaida

Ambush Setup: Begin with Kaida’s Echoing Shadows or Roxy’s Urban Echo, creating duplicates and confusion. Follow up with Flash Bomb to stun and blind enemies, allowing both characters to reposition, set up attacks, or dodge easily.

Hit-and-Run Tactics: Use Flash Bomb to initiate an attack, temporarily disabling enemy responses. This allows Roxy and Kaida to attack while under the cover of the stun, then evade incoming strikes with the agility boost.

Enhanced Accuracy Debuff Chain: Combine Flash Bomb with Roxy’s Graffiti Bomb to stack accuracy debuffs, making it nearly impossible for enemies to land hits. This strategy is especially useful against opponents who rely on powerful but inaccurate attacks, turning them into wasted moves.

Escape Mechanism: If either Roxy or Kaida are low on health, Flash Bomb can be used as a tactical escape tool, giving both a window to evade, heal, or reposition without fear of immediate retaliation.

The Flash Bomb is ideal for quick, disruptive, and evasive play, allowing Roxy and Kaida to dominate the battlefield through stuns, blinds, and agility boosts. Let me know if you’d like more items or tactics that align with this strategy!

Here’s the breakdown for Kaida’s Dress Blade Armor card, focusing on its specific effects, strategic uses, and how it enhances Kaida’s role in a game alongside Roxy.

Dress Blade Armor

Type: Artifact/Armor

Effects:

Shadow Weave: The Dress Blade Armor grants Kaida a 10% permanent evasion boost as long as it’s equipped, enhancing her ability to dodge attacks.

Counterstrike: If Kaida successfully dodges an attack while wearing the Dress Blade Armor, she performs an immediate counterattack that deals 15% of her base attack damage to the attacker. This counterattack has a 30% chance to apply a Bleed effect, dealing additional damage over time.

Shadow Step Augmentation: When Kaida uses her Shadow Step ability with the Dress Blade Armor equipped, she gains an additional turn of invisibility, allowing her to plan a follow-up move without being targeted.

Combo Effect: If paired with Roxy’s Urban Echo or Graffiti Bomb, the Dress Blade Armor’s evasion boost increases by 5%, making Kaida even harder to hit.

Strategic Uses in a Duel/Game

Enhanced Evasion Chain: The Shadow Weave effect, combined with Kaida’s natural agility and Roxy’s disorientation moves, allows Kaida to become nearly untouchable. Using the Dress Blade Armor with evasive tactics lets her stack dodges, avoiding attacks and setting up counter opportunities with her Counterstrike effect.

Here’s the breakdown for Kaida’s Dress Blade Armor card, focusing on its specific effects, strategic uses, and how it enhances Kaida’s role in a game alongside Roxy.

Dress Blade Armor

Type: Artifact/Armor

Effects:

Shadow Weave: The Dress Blade Armor grants Kaida a 10% permanent evasion boost as long as it’s equipped, enhancing her ability to dodge attacks.

Counterstrike: If Kaida successfully dodges an attack while wearing the Dress Blade Armor, she performs an immediate counterattack that deals 15% of her base attack damage to the attacker. This counterattack has a 30% chance to apply a Bleed effect, dealing additional damage over time.

Shadow Step Augmentation: When Kaida uses her Shadow Step ability with the Dress Blade Armor equipped, she gains an additional turn of invisibility, allowing her to plan a follow-up move without being targeted.

Combo Effect: If paired with Roxy’s Urban Echo or Graffiti Bomb, the Dress Blade Armor’s evasion boost increases by 5%, making Kaida even harder to hit.

Strategic Uses in a Duel/Game

Enhanced Evasion Chain: The Shadow Weave effect, combined with Kaida’s natural agility and Roxy’s disorientation moves, allows Kaida to become nearly untouchable. Using the Dress Blade Armor with evasive tactics lets her stack dodges, avoiding attacks and setting up counter opportunities with her Counterstrike effect.

Offensive Evasion: The Counterstrike effect turns Kaida’s defense into an offense. By dodging attacks, Kaida not only avoids damage but also deals back a portion to the attacker. This is especially useful against high-damage opponents, as it allows Kaida to chip away at them without direct engagement.

Stealth and Setup: The Shadow Step Augmentation enables Kaida to stay invisible for longer, which is perfect for setting up high-impact moves or positioning herself. This longer stealth duration can be used strategically to surprise opponents or to let her dodge an incoming high-damage attack unscathed.

Bleed and Wear Down: Kaida’s Counterstrike has a chance to apply Bleed, making it ideal for wear-and-tear tactics. As Kaida dodges and counterattacks, she can wear down enemies over time without needing direct confrontation, gradually reducing their health.

Coordinated Assault with Roxy: Roxy’s distraction abilities (like Urban Echo) work perfectly in tandem with the Dress Blade Armor, creating an environment where both Battle Dolls are hard to target. Enemies facing these combined evasion boosts will find it difficult to land successful hits, allowing Kaida and Roxy to control the field and respond with precise counterattacks.

Edge of Invincibility: If Kaida is close to being taken out, she can activate Shadow Step to escape into invisibility, with the Dress Blade Armor giving her an extra turn to recover, avoid immediate danger, or coordinate with Roxy to strategize a comeback.

Usage in a Duel/Game

Defensive Maneuvering: Activate Shadow Step for longer invisibility, positioning Kaida for her next turn. When Kaida is targeted, rely on the Dress Blade Armor’s evasion boost to avoid hits and counter. This is especially powerful when combined with Roxy’s debuff moves, as it creates a high-risk environment for the enemy.

Strategic Pacing: Start with evasion-focused abilities, then shift to counterattacks as the enemy’s attacks grow desperate. This gradually wears them down without putting Kaida directly in harm’s way. Combine Counterstrike with Roxy’s Graffiti Bomb for additional confusion and damage over time.

Draw Out Power Moves: With her heightened evasion, Kaida can bait powerful attacks from opponents, dodging them with the Dress Blade Armor’s boosts and returning fire with counterstrikes. This tactic is useful for forcing opponents to waste energy on high-cost abilities that don’t land.

Kaida’s Dress Blade Armor plays perfectly into a defensive, evasive strategy, allowing her to act as a stealthy, counter-attacking force while maintaining synergy with Roxy’s disruptive style. Let me know if you’d like to develop more cards or strategies!

[theofficersacademy]

Fans flutter, jewels sparkle as they catch the light, and the air buzzes with students’ conversation, nervous and hopeful all at once. The Ethereal Ball has at last come to the monastery’s halls and the rumors that have been whispered all around the academy and beyond — they were all right: the glitz and glamor is a sight to behold.

Tapestries hang from the ceilings, depicting scenes of Fódlan’s most famous tales of chivalry: Wilhelm’s devotion to Seiros, Loog’s faithful service to the Maiden of Wind, the Lion of Riegan’s sacrifice to save Leicester from Almyran hordes, stories of love and loyalty to inspire the students on this unforgettable night. The music grows louder as you approach the Main Hall — the orchestra has already begun playing the first song of the night! You pick up the pace, squeezing past crowds, unwilling to miss a second more.

You're stopped at the door, however, and handed a brooch decorated with one of five kinds of decorations: black feathers, white feathers, strings of pearls, small bells, and teardrop crystals. "Trade your decorations with the other guests," says the door attendant, and sends you inside to socialize.

You’ve been formally invited to the Ethereal Ball

A once in a lifetime experience for students of the Officers Academy, this time an even more magical night full of excellent food and drink, endless dancing, and the highlight of the year for would-be couples and longtime lovers alike.

Not only have the party organizers upped the glitz and glamor this year, but in an effort to study Pasithee's illusion magic, a handful of the church's bishops have set up a magical ballroom separate from the main room where a mystical masquerade will take place.

What’s This Brooch?

Each attendee of the ball finds themselves with a brooch decorated in one of five decorations. See this list to find which one your muse has.

Note: all muses in TOA have been assigned a decoration for ease of randomizing them, but this does not obligate a muse to participate. BOLD your muse’s name on the list if they are participating.

How to Play

The goal is to gather one decoration for each of the 5 decorations represented at the ball, presumably after you’ve had a favorable conversation with the attendee and earned their approval and / or friendship (note: IC interactions do not actually have to be favorable to count toward the goal).

YES: A approaches B with the express intention of making a good impression and trading decorations

NO: A and B decide to ditch the party and make out in the surrounding forest (no mention of the brooch)

YES: A and B decide to ditch the party and make out in a beautiful clearing in the woods, and decide they might as well trade decorations from their brooches while they're at it

YES: A asks B to trade decorations, but B hates A and a fight ensues.

NO: B starts a fight with A for the hell of it, and neither of them mentions their brooch decoration.

Please tag your posts with #toaball2024

A Note on Interactions

This year, do not reblog any of the inbox memes or prompts.

Bold your muse’s name on the decorations designations list to signal to the rest of the group that they are open to ball-related interactions. 

A bolded name means that you are welcome to send any of the memes or prompts without asking beforehand.

You may unbold your muse’s name at any time. This will not affect whether or not they can claim their prizes at the end.

Schedule

New prompts will be released at the beginning of every week until the end of the month. The masquerade will run alongside the main ball for the entire duration of the event.

Prizes

Once you've filled your brooch out with all 5 decorations, you will be eligible to pick one prize from the Spring tab of our prize list!

You will also be eligible for exclusive access to the Dancer class! It will be treated as a Unique class with its own mastery ability. Mastering the class will also grant the character Refresh.

All characters who collect 5 different brooch decorations will receive the prizes.

Prizes can only be claimed after the event’s conclusion.

Please track your decorations somewhere, with the name of the other character (if unmasked) and a link to the interaction. Whether you do it on your blog or somewhere private is up to you, but you will be submitting this to claim the prize at the conclusion of the event

And that’s it! If you have any questions or concerns, please let the mods know!

The Ethereal Ball will run until May 31st at 11:59PM EST! We hope you have fun, and that your characters make a lot of new friends!

- The House Leaders

[homebrew-a-la-traumaverse]

Inspired by this post by @real-fire-emblem-takes, but in reverse.

(Detailed descriptions under the cut!)

(Only 12 poll options, no vanilla extract today :V)

Archer: Rarely get the spotlight, given that they aren't meant to frontline, but they have their moments - 3-13 can attest to that. Fliers are especially vulnerable to their arrows. Usually has the choice of upgrading to the mounted Bow Knight class, which gives it high mobility and swords for self-defense, or the Sniper class, to volley enemies with critical hits.

Barbarian: Fighter, Pirate, and similar classes are lumped with this as well - all being axe-wielding units whose low defenses are offset by massive HP. This is further emphasized by them promoting to the Berserker class, which ramps up their crit rate as well as giving additional skills that play into getting hit, such as Wrath (increases crit rate at low HP), Defiant Strength (increases damage dealt at low HP), or Counter (reflects physical damage taken).

Cavalier: All-around units with good mobility, they're usually reliable choices to invest into. Promotion options include the Great Knight class, which boasts mastery over every physical weapon, or the Paladin class, which gains powerful anti-magic abilities.

Cleric: The classic uwu squishy healer that you need to protect. Some variants also get horses or even flying mounts. Their magic staves provide powerful utility, from healing to teleportation to damage mitigation. They usually get over the whole pacifist thing when they promote, whether it's to the Sage (which gains the ability to blow enemies up with magic), Bishop (which gains the ability to smite monsters with lasers), or War Cleric (which just starts hitting enemies with axes).

Dancer/Songstress/etc: One of the more unique support classes. Combat abilities usually range from minimal to nonexistent, but that rarely matters when you can let your strongest unit take twice as many turns, sometimes with other benefits like healing or stat buffs as well. A special class, most games only ever let you have one. Generally don't promote.

Dark Mage: More durable than your usual mage, but lack the raw offensive power - sometimes due to their combat stats being lower, sometimes just because dark magic comes with significant penalties. Dark Magic has many unique spells, such as Nosferatu (leeches the lifeforce of enemies to heal you), Mire (blasts enemies safely from across the map), Luna (ignores enemy resistance), Eclipse (instantly halves the target's HP)... There's a lot of interesting options for them. Promotion options include Sorcerer, which goes all in on combat abilities, Summoner, which summons phantoms to fight for you, and Dark Knight, which ditches dark magic for some reason to ride a horse and hit things with swords.

Knights... Heavily armored units, but with low speed and mobility. Usually get ignored in favor of flashy, fast units, but there's something to be said about being an invincible wall. Watch out for mages, though. And armorslayers. And poison, and stat debuffers, and true damage, and turn-based reinforcements... Anyways - their promotions include the Great Knight (detailed above) as well as the General, which gets even more defense as well as skills like Rally Defense to bolster that even further.

Mage: The glass cannon of magic builds. High speed and offensive abilities, but unlikely to take many hits, especially on the physical side. Promotion options include the Sage, which further bolsters their magic and gives them access to staves, Dark Knight (though they don't lose dark magic in this case because they dont have dark magic to begin with), and Mage Knight (which I'm pretty sure is also basically the same thing? Magic sword guy with a horse.)

Mercenary/Myrmidion: Two flavors of "person with sword." The Mercanry tends to be more durable and hard-hitting, while the Myrmidon has greater speed and skill for critical hits. The Mercenary can expand ther repertoire on promotion to Warrior, which also gains bows, or Hero, which gains axes; either way, they gain powerful options at range. Meanwhile, Mymidons promote to Swordmasters, with peerless speed and crit rate, or Assassins, who can instantly kill enemies. Occasionally.

Pegasus Knight: Highly mobile due to the horse with the wings, and also boast high speed; however, their strength and durability leave much to be desired. Obviously an inspiration for my own Skywatcher class (though it's not the only one, as it also draws from Fate's Rider class). A favorite choice for speedrunners due to their mobility, being able to outrun just about everything while also flying over obstacles. Some games have them change out their steed on promotion, such as to Griffon Rider, Wyvern Knight, or Dark Flier, while others further empower the pegasus knight as a Falcoknight or Seraph Knight. Also notably are the main source of Galeforce and therefore may or may not have caused an entire generation of eugenics simulators.

Shifter: This is where I'm lumping together all the transformation classes. Laguz, Manaketes, Taguel, Kitsune, Wolfskins, all of them go here. Usually gain massive stat boosts on transformation, but are extremely vulnerable when untransformed. These are also an inspiration for one of my own classes, being the Shifter.

Theif: 90% of the time, they're shady dudes who steal your loot and run away. Weirdly enough, they often lose this ability when they promote - usually to an assassin capable of instantly killing foes, but some games have other options like the Trickster, which also gets support magics like the Cleric.

There are other "base" classes, but most of them are either unique special classes or can be folded into one of the above options.

[losojos-decupido]

activity check: september

-> passed!

total skill points: 12 -> 15

monthly point (authority e -> authority e+)

lance +1 thread w/ @/swordsmanoftranquility ( dropped ) ( lance d+ -> lance c )

riding +1 thread w/ @/verseandrhyme ( completed ) ( riding c -> riding c 1/2 )

classes accessed:

none

classes mastered:

dancer

rank up / mastery / event rewards:

refresh

dazzle

shatter slash

knightkneeler

[ninesnowfang]

Ramble about Sniper in EO4

So i've been thinking more about Sniper in EO4 and how it's one of the most fun classes to use personally. It's an incredibly niche class that works on its own but (like Nightseeker) really enjoys having arcanist around for binds but for a whole different reason, sniper wanting the binds while nightseeker wants the ailments for their boosts. It being based on crits and letting their skills crit is stronger than people give it credit for, especially if you look at how high of a critrate you get just from one buff and a passive, 60% from lock-on and 20% from bullseye alone almost guarantees that you crit and with enlightenment it's just straightup double damage which stacks wonderfully with every normal buff since it's a damage modifier. Then you add snipe mastery which gives you additional crit rate per bind 30% at max level which could let you skip lock-on completely if you have a good enough setup to full bind the enemies, that also boosting divine shot technically but imo it's a waste to get rid of the binds when squall volley does the job just as well for LESS setup. If you do end up using lock-on with snipe mastery you only need two points for max crit rate with a single bind, the bind of choice usually being leg binds so squall volley surely hits even if the base damage% of squall volley is only 50% for a multi hit it's strong enough especially if you consider that the damage gets doubled from enlightenment crits, which a low roll squall volley's damage% outperforms a bushi's max hit multi slash at full HP (low HP bushi outdamaging it however but that's just bushi being bushi) The main Issue i have with sniper is that it really takes until level 20 for them to become decent, unlike other classes that come out swinging right away (nightseekeer, dancer, medic and fortress, Bushi and Arcanist if you do NG+) but that's still not too bad thanks to it being able to fulfill a utility role until then with the bind skills, they just won't do much damage wise at the beginning. IG what i'm trying to say is that i love how weirdly good Sniper is even if it's a little one note if you go for pure damage since you only really go for a bushi subclass and then just have the amazing utility of bushi subclass, while a supportive sniper goes for arcanist where having a main arcanist is just plain better

[optimismxmagicism]

Happiness, to share

Dancer mastery Word count: 1150

“Hum-dee-dum, A market full of food, it all smells so goood~! Shopping’s what I do, classes, I’ll make it through~!” Full of energy, Ewan was strolling down the busy streets of the local market and singing a little song to himself. It was the tune he’d been practicing on during dance classes, though the lyrics were a silly creation of his own. While dancing was his sister’s thing, with him being more about blowing up the bad guys, the ball that happened a while ago inspired him to try something new. Plus, he was the little brother of the best dancer ever, it was practically in his blood! How hard could picking up this new skill be, right?

The answer to that, would be very very hard. From missteps, slipping over his shawl or just losing his balance, it seemed as if he left every session with a new bruise somewhere on his body. It really put into perspective how much effort Tethys puts into her routines, huh? By now it seems as if dancing was like a second nature to her, every movement effortlessly graceful and beautiful. A part of him wanted to give up, it wasn’t like dancing was something he was particularly passionate about, but.. Something piqued his curiosity. A few days ago, when he felt he had perfected his routine, yet the coach failed him regardless. It led to an interesting conversation. “Ewan. Why do you dance? What goes through your mind when you’re on stage?” She asked. “That’s easy! I think about everyone watching me, and It motivates me to do my best! To be like my big sis!” Was his answer. In response, the coach only sighed. “And that’s where your problem lies. Until you figure out a true reason, your dancing won’t rally anybody. Think about it, give it some time.”

He thought about it several days now, yet his answer remained the same. He didn’t even know what was wrong about it! It really stumped him… Suddenly, his expression shifted to the sound of drums. Looking to the side, he saw a group of musicians, all putting on a performance. Hmmm.. He wondered what motivated them.

As he moved to look more closely at the performance, yet another sound drew his attention. This time, it was the crying of a small child. He was all alone, with seemingly no adult with him. Poor guy.. Ewan decided to forget the musicians for a little while, and instead moved to chat with the little boy. The mage stepped up to the child, a friendly smile on his face. “Hey there little guy, what’s the matter? Why are you crying?” He asked, as gentle as possible.

“Uuuuh… M-Mommy… I can’t find her anywhere.. She told me to w-wait, and She’d come back… But she hasn’t yet! Waaahhhh! What if she doesn’t like me anymore, so she left me?!” The child wailed. So, he was waiting for his mom, and she took a while.. Ewan could sympathize, even if he couldn’t really understand.

“Don’t worry, I’m sure your mommy will be right back! No mom would ever abandon their child, I promise!” Though the words were meant to be comforting, he couldn’t deny how bitter they felt on his tongue with how badly he wished those words were true. At least the boy took some comfort in it, from how sobs turned into quiet sniffles. “Y..You.. Are you really sure?” He asked, looking up to Ewan with teary eyes. “Yeah, definitely!” The mage quickly confirmed.

“O..Okay..” The boy still seemed upset, his eyes downcast. Though he stopped crying, his mood hadn’t improved much. 

“Hey, how about we wait together?” Ewan offered. He couldn’t leave this kid alone, not now. Perhaps staying with him would help him feel better too. “Oh, I know! How about we do something fun while we wait? Something like…” 

He wanted to reach for the tome in his bag, for a fun magic trick! ..Unfortunately, he had left his bag at the monastery, thinking he wouldn’t have needed it for minor shopping. Darn it! Then.. then..

He remembered, as well as heard, the sound of drums and wind instruments behind him. “How about we dance?” He offered. Though not his preferred method of cheering someone up, it was the best he could think of at that moment.

The boy seemed curious, though a little unsure. “Dance..? I don’t know how to dance..” Ewan gave him a comforting smile. “No worries! We can dance together, and it’s all about having fun! There’s no need to be perfect. Here, I’ll show you!” 

On the beat of the music, Ewan began to move. Though this wasn’t a routine like he followed during classes. He simply let his body move however it wanted, with large movements, bubbly steps and a lot of smiling. It wasn’t the most elegant of dances, but It didn’t need to be. Tethys was elegant, Ewan’s thing was more conveying high energy and cheer, a style much more focused on cute over beauty.  As this entire time, his movement was guided by one thought. “I want to make him smile again.”

Led by that selfless desire, his cheerful steps were like magic. People were staring, But he didn’t care. The audience that had their eyes on him, mesmerized, didn’t matter at all. All he wanted to do was make that lonely little boy happy.

Sad eyes turned into surprise. Before slowly, they turned into delight. The boy, who had been nothing but tears up until now, slowly began to smile. Laugh, even. A twinkle appeared in his eyes, one born from genuine happiness. He began to clap along to the melody, swaying his body to the rhythm. A little dance of his own.

Emboldened by the other’s joy, Ewan began to dance with even more fervor than before. He was determined to see the song through to the end, together with his little partner. The music swelled for one last moment, before finally dying down. And with that, so too did he make his last movement, striking a pose as the big finale.

Applause erupted from all sides, much to the young mage’s surprise. He hadn’t even noticed the fact everyone was watching, so focused on  the boy’s smile…

Then it struck him.. This was what the coach meant, wasn’t it? This entire dance, he didn’t think about recognition, or being like his sister. He never needed the eyes of a crowd.. What he wanted, what his dance conveyed, was that he wanted to make someone happy. This dance wasn’t for himself, it was for the little boy that needed cheering up. This dance.. Was wholly selfless.

And what was the result?

A little boy, who found himself with renewed joy, courage and energy. Who could smile again after having lost it. A little boy, refreshed.

[ashes-of-ailell]

Unit Info - Lucien O'Luain

An ex-noble from House Duval who now wanders Fodlan as a merchant. Armed with a sharp wit and a silver tongue, alongside some frustratingly good luck, he's very good at getting what he wants. Originally trained as a healer to help the many people who made pilgrimage through Duval Territory to Lake Teutates, but an incident within his House caused him to flee.

Preferred Class: Trickster (or Dancer)

Birthday: 21st Garland Moon (18/19 - 24/25)

Strengths - Sword / Reason / Faith / Authority

Weaknesses - Heavy Armour / Axes

Budding Talent - Bows

Unique Ability: Snake Eyes - Unit has a chance to reflect half the damage dealt by a foe back to them. Triggers based on Luck/Charm stat, whichever is greater.

This unit possesses the Major Crest of Macuil (A symbol of magic and mastery of the wind. Raises Might by 5 during Magic attacks).

Status - Wandering Merchant from Kingdom Territory.

Personal Profile:

Interests - Reading / Exploring

Likes - Books / Cats / Rare Finds / Sunflowers

Dislikes - Fire / Iron / Citrus

Personal History:

1161 - Born a noble child in House Duval.

1171 - An incident causes him to flee Duval, adopts a new identity.

1179 - Finds Lunaris in Phlegethon Territory, decided to travel to Garreg Mach.

1180 - Enrolls in the Officers Academy at Seteth's suggestion.

Supports:

Lunaris / Maxwell / Tyler

Hubert / Bernadetta / Linhardt / Dorothea

Dimitri / Mercedes / Ingrid / Sylvain / Felix

Claude / Hilda / Lorenz / Ignatz

Yuri / Balthus

Byleth / Seteth / Manuela

Learnable Skills:

Sword: Wrath Strike - D / Grounder - C / Hexblade - C+ / Finesse Blade - A

Lance: Tempest Lance - D / Knightkneeler - C / Vengeance - C+ / Swift Strikes - A

Axe: Smash - D / Helm Splitter - C / Focused Strike - C+ / Lightning Axe - A

Bow: Curved Shot - D / Deadeye - C+ / Break Shot - C+ / Point-blank Volley - A

Brawl: Fading Blow - D / Rushing Blow - C / Nimble Combo - C+ / Healing Focus - B

Authority: Rally Luck / Rally Charm / Battalion Vantage

Reason: Wind / Cutting Gale / Excalibur / Thoron

Faith: Heal / Physic / Fortify / Seraphim / Abraxas / Rescue

Usual Class Path:

Noble -> Myrmidon -> Thief -> Trickster

Favoured Gifts:

Owl Feather

Sunflower

Board Game

Dapper Handkerchief

Ancient Coin

The History of Fodlan

Book of Crest Designs

Tea Leaves

Coffee Beans

Legends of Chivalry

Disliked Gifts:

Monarch Studies Book

Training Weight

Riding Boots

Goddess Statuette

Lost Items:

Blue Stone Pendant - A pendant set with a shiny blue stone, engraved with the Crest of Macuil. Inside is a folded up piece of paper, presumably a note of some kind. It seems very important to someone.

Tiny Cat Cape - A cat-sized cloak, clearly handmade. Has a small green ribbon as the fastener.

Favourite Tea Blends:

Sweet Apple Blend

Rose Petal Blend

Albinean Berry Blend

Mint Tea

Favourite Meals:

Vegetable Pasta Salad

Sweet Bun Trio

Peach Sorbet

Derdriu-style Fried Pheasant

Grondor Meat Skewers

Two-Fish Saute

Super Spicy Fish Dango

"Take a bow!" - Lucien, critical hit quote (Post-timeskip)

[quartzhearted]

ACTIVITY CHECK: MAY

-> passed!

total skill points: 6 -> 7

monthly point (authority e -> authority e+)

classes accessed:

dancer (pending)

classes mastered:

none

rank up / mastery / event rewards:

white beard disguise (pending)

[sayhwaet]

May 2024 Activity Check 

-PASSED- 

Skill Points Earned:   Monthly +1 Sword +1 (x) 13 -> 15

Allocated:  Sword C -> C+

Rank Rewards Earned:  Starry Saddle Blanket (Ethereal Ball) Desperation (Cavalier mastery)

Classes Accessed:  Dancer

Classes Mastered:  Cavalier

[furrylibrarian]

Alright so here's the team I'm taking into endgame for my Fire Emblem Engage Hard Mode run. I don't think any of my class picks are too weird, but I barely did any reclassing on my first run, so it feels significant to me. Units are listed in order of recruitment. I'm putting down a "read more" in case people are worried about getting late-game recruits spoiled, any also just so this big long post doesn't clog up people's feeds too much.

I hope you like Canter, because I sure do

Alear (I named her Syldra)

Sword Griffin Knight; S-Rank Xander; Sword Power 4, Canter

Since Alear gets her Emblem form, I was comfortable switching her off an Emblem Ring. I consider this a pretty straightforward build; Flyer mobility and Canter enable her personal skill very well, and then Sword Power and Chivalry ensure that she'll do solid damage. My only complaint is that I didn't think of reclassing to Griffin (and necessarily unlocking staff proficiency) or of using Sword Power until after losing the first batch of rings, so I didn't get to use Alear in her final form until the lategame.

Clanne

Lance Hero; Sigurd; Dual Assist+, Reposition

I like this setup a lot. Brave Assist, Dual Assist, and the movement boost from Sigurd make Clanne effectively a damage boost for the rest of my army.

Framme

Martial Master; Lucina; Canter, Staff Mastery 5

First and foremost a utility setup. Debilitate with staffs, protect allies with Chain Guard/Bonded Shield, and occasionally bash some kneecaps with Flashing Fist Art.

Anna

Sword Mage Knight; Byleth; Canter+, Momentum

I like Byleth on a mounted character because more movement is good for Goddess Dance. Plus, the big Luck boost helps trigger Make a Killing, which is helpful for me specifically because I am not good at making financial decisions in video games nor in real life.

Yunaka

Thief; Corrin; Canter, Gentility/Bravery+

Daggers+Draconic Hex can cripple most targets, and Fog Dragon Vein+Trained to Kill with a crit-boosting engraving on her weapon means she is occasionally really good at securing kills. Bravery ensures that she can always deal some damage, therefore ensuring that her daggers properly debuff things.

Diamant

Successor; Roy; Canter, Speed +5

Honestly kind of a filler pick when I realized that I had 14 deployment slots for the last few maps and not 12 like I thought. I went with Diamant because he can use S-rank swords and I wanted to start using my legendary weapons.

Ivy

Lindwurm; Celica; Canter, Speed +4

The other character I added to my lineup to fill a newly-acquired vacancy, but unlike Diamant she fills a genuine niche, since I didn't have a good fit for the Celica ring on my lineup that didn't have a different Emblem I really wanted on them.

Kagetsu

Sword/Axe Wyvern Knight; Lyn; Canter, Gentility/Bravery+

Very much a meta pick. I took who seems to be considered the best physical combatant and put him into what seems to be considered the best physical combat class. Lyn ensures that he can double enemy speedsters like Swordmasters and Wolf Knights.

Fogado

Cupido; S-Rank Leo; Canter+, Bow Focus 5

Fogado exists for one purpose and that is to annihilate flyers with the Radiant Bow. Ideally I would have a Claude bond ring for Wind God, but the RNG just didn't pan out.

Panette

Warrior; Ike; Vantage+, Pair Up

Blood Fury+Wrath+upgraded Killer Axe=consistent 100% critical rates. Vantage and Pair Up help to prevent my hubris from killing her.

Hortensia

Sleipnir Rider; Micaiah; Canter+, Staff Mastery 5

Here pretty much exclusively for wacky staff shenanigans, using Micaiah to warp and debilitate en masse. My only regret is that I used up most of my Freeze staffs, and the shop never got them in unlimited supply like I thought it would.

Seadall

Dancer; Leif; Canter+, Quality Time+

Just straight grooving. He gets Leif because I struggle to find another unit that really wants his skillset more than another Emblem's, and Arms Shield protects Seadall from bows and tomes, which are most of the weapons directed at him whenever I fail to move him out of the danger zone.

Mauvier

Royal Knight; Eirika; Canter, Lance Power 4

I gave him a Brave Lance to take advantage of Lunar Brace. I've moved him and Alear to healing duty so that Framme and Hortensia can devote more of their inventories to wackier status staffs.

Veyle

Sword Wolf Knight; Marth; Canter, Gentility/Bravery+

Levin Sword Lodestar Rush goes brrrrrrrrrrr. She can't debilitate as well as Yunaka, but she still can add to poison stacks, which is neat. I also made her Alear's S-Support, and the two of them have tag-teamed a healthy amount of chapter bosses so far.

[lindwyvrm]

may activity check. — passed

SKILL POINTS. 5 → 6

faith e+ → d (2)

INVENTORY & MASTERIES.

accessed dancer class. learned faith spell heal. obtained whisper of ivy.

COMPLETED THREADS.

vine through the cracks. & diamant; 907 words masquerade thread 44. & quan; 628 words