#[:softsmile:]

[allyphase]

CHANGED! ^_^

She couldn’t stop crying. Elimine’s grace, she could barely see what she was doing. But if she paused, she would be found, and her opportunity would be lost. 

She shoved whatever she could think to take with her into a bag, anything that wouldn’t be missed more than she would be. Books, her extra set of clothes, a folding chess set - all she had with her. The thin blanket from her bedroll was rolled up and stuffed into the bottom of her pack. She wiped her eyes on her too-long sleeve and glanced around the dark of the tent. 

She wouldn’t be coming back here - she might as well look around one more time. She wished she could see it a bit clearer. She raised her hood, slung her bag over her shoulder. She was halfway out of the tent before she even remembered she’d need food. Quiet slippered footsteps took her close to the supply tent. 

She could hear the soldiers still awake and talking on the other side, and she forced herself to breath evenly, to keep her voice from hitching and sobbing. She reached into the tent, through a gap in the flaps, and wrapped her hand around a bag of rations. She tugged, blindly, but the bag didn’t budge. Another tug, and it shifted. A third tug, and it slid out into her bag, but there was a crash from inside the tent as whatever had been pinning it fell to the ground, taking whatever it could with it. 

Her entire body ran cold as the talk of the soldiers quieted. Someone called out, and she didn’t dare reply. She could only crouch down and press herself to the back of the tent, hope they wouldn’t notice. As footsteps approached, her eyes, still unadjusted to the dark, darted from tent to tent, trying to make out where the flags of Bern ended and the plains began. Where she could escape. Panic rose in her stomach, burning the back of her throat, and she could feel her eyes welling with tears again-

There! A path, straight through the tents, that would keep her hidden. Her hand tightened around the strap of the bag as she checked her work once, twice. A deep breath, a count of three. 

One.

Two... 

Three. 

She slipped away from the supply tent, melting from shadow to shadow like she belonged there. The soldier’s voices faded behind her, and as the flag came closer, her tears returned. So close. Just another step...

The flag was bigger than she remembered, cast a larger shadow in the moonlight than she thought. She paused, looked up at the flag, watched it wave in the breeze. Then, with a soft breath, a final sniffle, she picked up her pace, running off into the night, onto the plains.

[firelles]

She was one who was strong of will, who reached between the bars of a cage to offer comfort whilst in combat. He knew little else about her, having fallen too fast. It was a shame, for she seemed to be one to know of gentle strength- to comfort and protect, and to defend. As he, again, casts a glance in concern of her wellbeing, he notices the flowers that decorate her attire- delicate, yet remaining. They suited her, he felt. Both in her performance in combat, and her attempts to free their captive ally.

“Greetings- I must apologize for the late introduction… I hope I am not remiss in my approach. I am called Sephiran.” He inclines his head. She seemed to have a bearing of nobility, or perhaps that was simply her spirit, so he will give her the proper respect as deserved. “Your performance last round- as much as I could see- was impressive. Might I ask for your name in return?”

It is he who had fought with her just as strongly, tearing apart the lock with willful fibers of their beings until it no longer remained an obstacle. His instinct to free their caged comrade first and foremost— That in itself said plenty of a kind character. There are a number of faces in the heat of battle who prioritize victory over everything else. Such is the fate of a poor leader, resigned to failure of their land. But here, amidst this group, she does not sense that. Actions alone speak volumes, that much she knows.

Thus, understanding envelopes her face as her hands clasp neatly in front of her. "Worry not. The blame can fall on I, just as much. It ill-suits me to fight alongside you all without passing on my name, of all things!" A petite giggle leaves her lips, upholding herself to remain within the grace of Firene's princess. Taking hold of the ends of her skirt, she slightly inclined into a polite bow as greeting. "My name is Céline. I know not what lies ahead for us in the upcoming battles, but you can rely on me all the same."

[valflaame]

She recognizes him in the way one might a memory, for this is a man that she has known all her life, and yet not the one she had seen when last they met.

He is younger by some years, and he is unmistakably living. The latter of which Ishtar finds to be a comfort more than anything. They had been likeminded, and she had hoped that the two of them might could have helped to bring an end to all of that suffering.

In the end, fate had other plans.

"Lord Arvis," she bows as mother had always taught her to, lips drawn into a small smile to contrast the sorrow that lingers in her gaze, "it has been... quite some time."

Her fingers twitch, wishing to busy themselves with something. Has time spared him the knowledge she holds just as it has his age? As it had Lady Deirdre?

"I cannot express how grateful I am to see you well."

He does not immediately recognize the woman in front of him. He's startled at first, but years in court have shown him to keep his expression even and controlled no matter how confused you may be.

But then it hits him. His eyebrows raise and he remembers Ishtar, much younger than she stands before him now. Julia has grown as well, and his son has become older than he remembers. It should make some sort of sense to him that this is not a place of logic.

"Lady Ishtar," he greets, and mirrors her bow in greeting. "I'm pleased to see you as well. I did not know you had arrived here, or I would have welcomed you myself."

He folds his hands behind his back. "You've grown quite a bit since I've last seen you."

[rozyrne]

𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐄𝐄 𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐄𝐑𝐒 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐆𝐎𝐋𝐃𝐄𝐍 𝐃𝐄𝐄𝐑 !

rivalries are put aside, and camaraderie takes their place. and for the golden deer, pulling neck and neck with the eagles and lions despite having the fewest contestants in the ring is all the reason to celebrate! or so rosado and hortensia thought. at the post-tournament grand banquet, the elusian pair have set up a golden deer corner, complete with yellow and cervid decor and drapery, and both hosts arrayed in house colors and face paint. "three cheers for knoll! three cheers for hilda! three cheers for eliwood!" "fear the deer!" a celebration lifting up the class heroes who'd carried them from underdog into the spotlight, and for all the deer who cleared the way valiantly to let them get there: —hip-hip hooray!

FOOD & DRINK:

—  CUPCAKE DECORATING  ╱  from yellow-sugar icing to pretzel antlers to cookie toppings shaped like deer, there's no shortage of supplies to make your cupcakes look any which way you want.

—  CARAMEL MERINGUES  ╱  a triple layer of chocolate and caramel in glass containers, tied off with a bit of string attached to a spoon. perfect to grab and take with you, or feed to a loved one.

—  DOE POPS  ╱  cake pops shaped like deer heads! and something sticking out of each one. a paper fortune? what does yours say?

—  GOLDEN SPICE CIDER  ╱  a warm and buzzy autumnal drink, perfect for the season and sure to banish any chills. both alcoholic and non-alcoholic varieties available.

—  CROUCHING CHOCOLATE, HIDDEN STAG  ╱  a culinary minigame? a table is arranged with a terrarium-like miniature woodland display, complete with moss, trees, golden deer flags, and a herd of deer themselves. one item in this display is made of chocolate. how many things are you willing to bite to find which one it is?

ARTS & CRAFTS:

—  THIRTY-POINT CROWN  ╱  craft your own glorious headpiece with paint, twigs, and twine to show off your deer pride! who can boast the most impressive rack? ( of antlers, duh. what were you thinking? )

—  WOOD CARVING  ╱  for the dexterous and crafts-minded, a setup with display and instructions to carve your own wooden deer to take home. organizers are not responsible for injuries.

—  DEERLY BELOVED  ╱  a stack of deer-shaped paper and pens greet you. "write a compliment and stick it onto its recipient!" the instructions say. if you're fast, maybe they won't even know it's you.

—  READY-TO-PAINT CERAMICS  ╱  a station of unfired bowls and plates and small vases invites you to decorate them however you want! several stencils are provided for the uninitiated, or you can go where your hart takes you.

—  DECORATE A FRIEND  ╱  from washable paint to stick-on sequins, glitter bombs and pinnable deer tails. find a willing victim to array in deer spirit — or make one.

GAMES:

—  FÓDLAN CHESS  ╱  a traditional strategy board game using a triangle-shaped board that can be played by two to three people. the objective is to be the first to move all your pieces to one of the other corners by jumping over your opponents' pieces. are you up for the competition?

—  LIMBO  ╱  everyone knows that being a deer isn't just about strength or smarts, but flexibility. challenge mode: wear an antler crown while playing, and don't let it fall off your head!

—  ANTLER TOSS  ╱  you have five tries to land as many rings on the tines as you can for a prize. if a friend is willing, they can wear the antlers on their head for you to aim at instead!

—  DEER PONG  ╱  the classic party game, with alcoholic and non-alcoholic versions. some say that the non-alcoholic one misses the point of the challenge, but at least it lets everyone play, right?

—  HEADLOCK  ╱  in a classic show of strength, stamina, and bravado, it's time to wrestle like the stags do! put on a headdress of real oaken antlers ( not light, that ) and lock heads with your opponent to throw them to the ground! no use of other body parts or implements allowed.

GUIDELINES:

reblog this ask meme to indicate that your muse is participating! anyone who's reblogged the meme is automatically accepting asks, so no need to double-check. 　

please be mindful of not only waiting for interactions to come to you, but try to be proactive about sending to others too. it's not quite polite to always expect others to do the work! 　

muses from any house are welcome! it's a celebration meant for everyone. 　

this is still narratively part of BOEL, but to keep things separate from the BOEL tags, you may use the tag #GDPride2024 for related posts if you wish!

[knighteclipsed]

happy anniversary!!

Celebrating TOA and the people who contribute to make our group what it is. Repost, don't reblog. Only fill in what you feel comfortable sharing! Happy anniversary, TOA! Here's to many more years spent together.

Template originally by Neffi!

Name: Kano!! (i often stylize it as 'kano!!' bc lowercase and exclamations cool)

Pronouns: they/it/he (but really, so long as it isn't 'she/her' and it isn't unclear who is being referred to, i don't really care what i'm called 😂)

Birthday (no year): May 6th!

Where are you from? What is your time zone? I've got Haitian heritage, but I was born and raised in Georgia of USA! Timezone is still TOAST✨

(more under the cut,)

How long is your roleplay experience? As long as my TOA experience pretty much :joy: (So, uh, basically just over 2 years HAHA) I did do some roleplay on like. Amino when I was 11. but i didn't really enjoy it or do it much willingly haha

How were you introduced to roleplaying as a whole? My sister was super baller (she would do Minecraft roleplay on her computer) :sungals:✨

How were you introduced to TOA? Dewa's Dimitri art showed up in Tumblr's Dimitri hashtag!! I scrolled through the blog, saw it was a roleplay one, and my Instagram-pilled mind thought she had stolen someone else's art :crylaugh: (I, uh, quickly realized while trying to confirm that the art style was consistent and the subject matter was too niche [thinking of Dimitri dancing with someone at the Ethereal Ball], so whoever this 'mun' person was must've just been really good haha) Over the course of roughly 4 or so months, I learned how narrative rp worked, encountered some of the other blogs in TOA and even followed the masterlist itself! I ended up joining when I saw the previous Linhardt had just been booted for inactivity fdnsjkfnsd

Do you have any pets? Nope! I do have a plant though. I named her Vyse (yes, after the Valorant agent HER PETALS LOOK LIKE VYSE'S METAL FLOWERS) 💞

What is your favorite time of year and why? (Season, holiday, general period) Spring! Winter is much too cold for my taste, and summer is good but certainly pushes my tolerance for heat haha. My birthday's in spring though, which tiebroke between it and autumn haha.

What is your IRL occupation? I'm a college student! (The job search is real.....)

Some interests and things you like/enjoy? Writing. Reading. Roleplay 😂 (Offering actual info: I love programming! I draw a lot. I like making/listening to music. Love and light <3)

What non-Fire Emblem games do you play? Baldur's Gate 3 GWAHAHA. (i have a lot of unfinished saves on other games tho: Hades(? made it out several times tho), Triangle Strategy, and the first Ori fnjkdjskf)

Favorite Pokemon type & Pokemon: i don't. pokemon. i did once use Mew (the discord bot) tho and i really liked my Wartortle :] i also have a giant holographic Espeon card and the eeveelutions are unsurprisingly my bias GWAHAHA Honestly tho my answers are probably the same as last year--dragon and dark. Squirtle, Wartortle, Gible fndsjkf

Tell us some funfacts and trivia about yourself! (Optional bonus challenge: if you filled this out last year, try not to repeat what you said back then!) I shared my programming endeavors last year! Also some math stuff so--I play a shit ton of D&D. I've got three regular campaigns going on; might be four if my workload isn't too much :weary: I DM one of those games and am a PC in the other two--the fourth would also be a game I DM, which is why I'm working with my schedule to solve this fdnsjkfn

How did you get into Fire Emblem? Played Smash Brawl on the Wii, was suggested by Kai (WHO WRITES KLIFF RAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH) to play more characters than just Sheik, and while he was wrong to suggest Ike, he was right about Marth. Later I followed him to Fire Emblem Heroes, then Sacred Stones, and then Three Houses--that's when I properly became an FE fan haha.

What Fire Emblem games have you played? Finished (in order): Three Houses, Sacred Stones, Engage Started (in order): Shadows of Valentia, Awakening demo, Binding Blade in Japanese, Binding Blade in English, SOV again, Genealogy of the Holy War, Awakening (the full game), also Shadow Dragon in English--that's it i think :joy:

First & Favorite Fire Emblem games: First was Sacred Stones! My first finished was Three Houses tho haha. Favorite is one of those two or Engage idk GWAHAHA

List your 5 favorite Fire Emblem characters across the series! I think Valter successfully stole first place, then Dimitri, Amber, Diamant, and then Linhardt or Selena (FE8) fndsjkf

Who was the first character ever to make you go “ooh I like this one in particular” and why? Can be any context and reason! Dimitri! I picked his allegiance in FEH as a joke (I wanted someone to ask and myself to respond 'he's pretty :]' bc imo it'd be MAD FUNNY but then we got 3H for real and I ended up liking him a lot GWAHAH)

Any Fire Emblem crushes? 😳 Dimitri. Diamant. no one else i don't think but maybe if I ever play Fates something might happen with Kaze 😂

If you’ve played (or are familiar with) the following games, who was your first S support? Who would you S support nowadays? - Awakening: N/A - Fates: haven't played but it would probably be Kaze - Three Houses: Dimitri; Yuri is the next on my list but if we aren't looking at my completionist ass he'd be competing with a Dimitri rerun 😂 - Engage: Diamant! And probably Diamant again haha

Favorite Fire Emblem class? idfk i told someone Mortal Savant recently. it might be Wyvern Knight tho they're scrunkly :softsmile:

If you were a Fire Emblem character, what would be your class and stats? Would you be playable? Either a sword user or a mage! I would be playable, and I'd be strong in magic stats while pretty weak physically. (Imagine a swordmaster like that fgndjsfnsdf) No idea what class specifically but I'd probably be unpromoted on recruit!

If you were a Three Houses character, what would be your affiliation? (Black Eagles, Blue Lions, Golden Deer, Church of Seiros, Those Who Slither in the Dark, unaffiliated civilian, other - for example Almyran) Blue Lions. long live King Dimitri 🙏✨

If you were an Officers Academy student, what would be your boons, banes and potential budding talent? Boons - probably Reason and Authority? Banes - Heavy Armor fndjkfn maybe Axes as well!! Budding Talent - Flying (the fear of heights go crazyyyy but i do love the thrill 🥺)

If you were an Engage character, which nation would you originate from? (Firene, the Kingdom of Abundance; Brodia, the Kingdom of Might; Elusia, the Kingdom of Knowledge; Solm, the Queendom of Freedom; Lythos, the holy land of the Divine Dragon; Gradlon, the desolate land of the Fell Dragon) I'd be a Brodian sniveling about the cold 24/7 (affectionate)

How do you pronounce TOA? 🤔(separate letters, to-ah, other?) Separate letters! It's intuitive to me.

Current TOA muses: Valter and Selena (FE8)!

Past TOA muses? Linhardt as of last moon, Colm as of a year ago in two days!

Who was your first TOA muse? If you no longer have them, can you see yourself picking them up again? Linhardt! And I could totally see him coming back, but he'd need a longgggg nap first fndjksnf

Do you believe you have a type of character you gravitate towards writing? (If you filled this out last year, has this changed in any way?) People with really strong emotions seems to be the trend? Even in the case of Linhardt and Selena (who are generally more muted in their expression), they have strong determinations; characters that are particularly tragic are also to my liking. (Also if their dialogue is scaaaaawy I'll probably end up liking them HAHA) Not really changed since last year haha.

Do you have characters or types of characters you don’t think you can handle writing, but wish you could? Not really? Though I will say my ability to write Selena is kind of a miracle; I generally have a difficult time understanding femininity and womanhood, but maybe it's that Selena is trans that makes it a lot more intuitive to me dfnjksf Either way, she's a good bridge into woman writing I like her a lot :softsmile:

What kind of scenes, situations etc do you believe you enjoy writing the most? (If you filled this out last year, has this changed in any way?) Last time I just wrote I like dialogue! With the question slightly rephrased--I like confrontational scenes a lot actually fndjskfnds I realize a lot of folks find confrontation difficult/stressful to navigate, but I am mildly insane and slurp that shit up onb!! Say something absolutely horrendous! Slam someone into a wall (or the floor or some furniture) GWAHAHA!! (For the sake of transparency: Don't actually just walk into my inbox and start fighting my muses. I value the narrative a lot and would rather it come from somewhere and not be Too much fndsjkfnd I talk about this on Valter's mun page especially.) I like when characters don't get along! It's interesting! I love conflict! The big downside to this being my favorite is that you have to be really careful to navigate people's boundaries, but I'm willing to sort that out--just chat with me!! I only bite friends!!

Do you have any scenario in mind for your muse(s) that gets you thinking “man I hope I get to write this one day”? Two answers for my present muses: for Valter, I want him to betray Maria (bc he's a fucking asshole and I want him to deal with the consequences of that fndsjkfns); for Selena, I'd really like a Glen here :oldplead: (this is not a scenario but genuinely if she found out Glen died actually she would be very sad!! get her with the emotions 🫵)

Favorite TOA-related memories? Nat and Dewa recognizing me as the Linhardt reserve just because I kept liking all of Dewa's stuff (including an arena thread with Nat's Linoan) 😭😭😭, Sirius rolling Valter as his liege in KKE, Colm getting dressed up by old ladies par Lloyd (Midsommar), Ree asking N if he was okay with writing body horror (Unscripted), Selena failing to kill "Vigarde" (AO), Valter and L'Arachel taking a million years to leave a burning classroom!!, Linhardt's Whole Friendship with Sophia, Linus slamming the Moonstone into a wall (and the floor), Valter getting chased by a giant Pikachu (Midsommar), Selena and Mlear :softsmile: (and by extension: Selena meeting Flear :crylaugh:), Valter beefing with EVERYONE (and also maybe stabbing Alfred? (he didn't)), Colm and Pelleas friendship 🥺, and the list goes on!

Present or past tense? Generally past tense? It changes mid-post a lot though; actions my muses are actively committing as present tense, but actions immediately past are generally. past. fndsjkfn It makes sense to me i prommy 🙏✨

Normal size text, small text, no preference? No preference! But I write in normal text unless asked to write otherwise; I don't take issue with the default size

Got any potential muse delusions to share? 😉 Chat y'all already know.

[inserviceto]

Hero's Proof

Hero Mastery WC: 1,469

If you had asked him what a hero looked like as a boy, Harken would have been able to spout off several names and details in quick succession. Knights that he grew up hearing tales of, had even seen with his own eyes on the special occasions that brought many to castle Tuscana.

They were brave and true, strong and tall, indomitable in his memory. 

He had been told he was to follow that same path, and he had been excited to do so. His brothers were knights, his father was a knight. It ran in their blood. He dreamed of swearing his oath to the Marquess and serving honorably like the rest of his family.

It had been his only goal in life. 

Harken can’t say if he ever considered himself a hero while serving in Tuscana. Perhaps the closest he came was after first swearing his sword to the old Marquess. Things were peaceful under his rule, and the most they had to deal with were skirmishes with brigands. Harken had been proud to follow in his father’s footsteps, to serve unfalteringly to a lord that cared so much about his people.

But the Marquess had not been long for this world by the time Harken had been knighted, and not very long after his own father’s passing, the Marquess was claimed by old age and illness. In his stead, his son rose to take the reins of Tuscana.

Things were never quite the same after that.

The young Marquess enjoyed what power he had, and if he could flaunt it or lord it over those who had not, he would do so. Taxes steadily increased and wore down the common folk, money used for frivolous things like tourneys and lavish banquets. The knights were no longer protectors of the realm, but enforcers of the Marquess’ will. If you refused or could not pay, the knights would come calling and leave only after the debt had been satisfied – ransacking homes or bringing struggling people into the stockades.

The knights themselves were kept in line by severe punishments should they speak out, and intense competition within their own ranks for rewards from the Marquess. Where once they had been comrades, now they were rivals. 

Even his own brothers were not immune to the pressures of it all.

They all did terrible things to survive. Many people turned to savagery just to feed themselves and their families, and inevitably, the knights were deployed to beat the people down for it.

Innocent blood on his hands, all because he bent the knee and said some words that were hardly being honored anymore. A true hero would stand and disown such behavior, fight to right the wrongs that were being made against people who had done nothing to deserve such treatment. But Harken bowed his head, and followed orders, and dirtied his hands and soul for the lord he was sworn to.

It didn’t last long. It couldn't have lasted long, with how everything was falling apart.

The Marquess was fond of inviting his peers to the castle, throwing raucous events and allowing quite a number of visiting lords to get away with almost anything they pleased while within Tuscana’s borders. 

But there were some who looked upon the debauchery and wrongs with a critical eye, and they wouldn’t stand by while people of Lycia – even ones outside their territories – suffered.

The first time he’d spoken with Marquess Pherae, Harken had been so thoroughly worn down by everything that he’d not really realized the gravity of the situation. Lord Elbert had promised his aid, in whatever way was necessary, and Harken had been dulled to such a degree that understanding had not sunk in until his own lord had called him to attendance and proceeded to humiliate him in front of the court. He’d been stripped of rank and title, dishonored and thrown out. And through the shellshock of it all – the sneering and the shameful looks from even his own brothers, doing nothing for him that might draw the ire of their lord – Harken was laid bare to everything he had done.

There were no heroes here, and he was no exception.

Tuscana’s fall and rebirth were quick. Lord Elbert of Pherae had kept his word, and rallied several other territories to remove the current Marquess from power. He would not be disposed of peacefully. Battle sprung forth like fire on a dry plain, and while the knights of Tuscana stood by their lord – not out of love or loyalty, but by strongarm – they could not fight off attacks on several fronts.

They would put up enough effort to drag the conflict out for a time, but none of them wished to die for the lord that had mistreated them so.

For his part, Harken had been approached by Marquess Pherae again. He had been Marquess Tuscana’s preferred knight – always there to please, always there to torment, never speaking out or acting up. He knew all the knights that sat opposed to them, knew their skills and the strategies likely to be deployed. He was of use, and he could finally do what he should have done so long ago: help the people that had looked up to him as a knight.

Lord Elbert had been kind to him in the little time they had engaged with one another, and even through the weight of despair and guilt, the light of the other man’s words got through to Harken. It would never make up for the things he had done, but he could put a stop to the suffering so that recovery could begin.

They fought their way through the ranks of Tuscana’s knights, Harken joining Sir Marcus in flanking Marquess Pherae. They were trying to end this as quickly and with as little bloodshed as possible, Lord Elbert hoping to talk sense into Marquess Tuscana now that things had escalated.

But Marquess Tuscana would not hear any of it. He struck out at Marquess Pherae as he offered out a hand of peace, and as Sir Marcus rushed to his defense, Harken felt a blanket of calm drape over him. He stepped forward to cover the other two, sword and shield at the ready and his former lord’s screaming face set firm in his gaze.

He remembers nothing of what came next.

A now familiar and precious voice swims in his ears, and Harken comes back to himself as if from a dream. His shield has been discarded, his sword…Sir Marcus has pried it out of his white-knuckle grasp. He blinks, and lets out a shuddering breath; sees the mess of blood on the ground, on his hands, on him–

There is a hand at his face, warm and careful, barring him from looking further. His vision is taken up by blue eyes and fiery hair.

“Are you alright, Sir Harken? Please, come away…The fighting is done.” 

Lord Elbert’s words sink in slowly, and he can dully hear himself asking “What…?” as he is led away. 

He does not remember what happened. Not when he is being cleaned up and checked over for wounds – there are none, the blood, as much of it as there is, is not his. Nor when talks are had, and a new lord is brought up to take the position of Marquess at the Lycian League’s vote. And not yet still, when Lord Elbert takes him back to Pherae and brings him into the fold as one of his knights.

He cannot remember, but the feeling of heroics is not there. Even when people talk of how he had defended Lord Elbert so fiercely, single-handedly engaging the enemy general in combat and slaying him. He did not feel like a hero. He hardly thought he should be here at all, serving such a fine lord as Marquess Pherae. 

He does not feel like a hero, but he comes to regard Lord Elbert as his. And if he can be of any use to the man that took him in, disgraced and bloodied and far from deserving of it, perhaps Harken could earn such rightful praise.

He is here now, bereft of his savior lord and a world away from the place he had come to regard as his home. But…he yet lives, and so too does Elbert’s son. An oath he had sworn again to house Pherae, and he has been neglecting it. He is no hero now, but perhaps, finally returning to face the ones most pained by his failures was a step back on the correct path. 

And he might never be worthy, but…it was time to try again. Sword and shield, heart and soul, devotion was the hero he wished to be.

[fellpurpose]

"Hey, guy."

The seated Owain receives a thundering tap against his shoulder. If he turns around, he'd stare up at a man so large he doesn't just tower over him. He Goddess Towers over him, Duma Towers over him.

"You're not the type to turn down a challenge, yeah? Mama didn't raise you a chicken?" He cracks a smirk. There isn't a soul this side of the country who'd take disrespect to their mama lying down. "Arm wrestle me then, here and now! Some other guys got me fired up, and now I've got to take on anyone who looks like a decent fight."

He swivels to the other side of the table the blonde is seated at, clearing away any food, drink, or personal effects with a broad swipe of his arm. Then, after setting his arm down in a ready position, he places a small bell on his side of the counter.

"This's all yours is you can come out on top."

//he rolled a three. a fucking three.

odin turns with calculated flair, locking eyes with an unfamiliar, yet impressively hulking figure. the sight of the man sends a tumult of adrenaline coursing through his veins, akin to a tempest's fury!

the stranger knows how to grab one's attention — albeit in an unrefined manner, but effective all the same. it ignites a grin upon his lips that rivals the gleam of a moonlit blade. "what's this? a challenge, you say? a gauntlet thrown down, daring the depths of darkness that dwell within? HA! i shall seize your challenge with fervor, as a fated one meets the yawning, abyssal maw of a ravenous beast!

an intense gaze locks onto his opponent. odin swivels accordingly to meet his match. "prepare yourself, noble challenger, for you stand against the unyielding might of ODIN DARK, scion of shadows, wielding the arcane power of heroes past and champions yet to come!"

with a deft flourish, the mage retrieves a pristine white feather from the folds of his cape, elevating it like a sacred talisman before placing it beside the bell. "and let this feather," he proclaims grandiosely, "serve as a memento of the strength you encountered tonight. may it stir the embers of your spirit and IGNITE the flames of your resolve, for within the crucible of defeat lies the seeds of future triumph!"

odin offers a smirk of his own as he aligns his arm with his adversary's. indeed, this was the stuff of shadowed lore! "COME! let all bear witness to our dark duel, and let the earth tremble beneath the weight of our shadowed contest!"

/ WHAT IF I TOLD YOU THEY'RE EVENLY MATCHED LMAOOOOO

WHAT NOW ORO. WHAT DO WE FUCKIN DO NOW!!!!! THEYRE GONNA BE AT IT FOR HOURS!!!!

[motheruin]

He didn't know how to approach this one.

She kept her distance, in general, anyway, but in combination with her naturally unsettling aura and her performance on the field of battle, Dimitri found himself...hesitant.

Still, he reminded himself with a short, reassuring breath, it was a task that needed to be done, and she deserved her due as much as any other.

"Excuse me...er...sister-mother? Lady Eremiya." A good start. He grimaced, turned the frown into an awkward smile. "I wanted to thank you, for fighting for the Lions. You had your choice, and you could have fought for another house - you have my gratitude, you strength was invaluable."

He had seen what the woman had done, had said to Edelgard. It twisted his gut into knots, the imagery she was hearkening, but he stifled his discomfort a moment longer.

"I know that we did not secure the victory overall, but I hope that, should you choose to compete in the future, that the Blue Lions would once more appreciate to have your strength by our sides."

DESPITE THE PREDETERMINED FATE SET BEFORE HER, the bishop was all but numb to the force in which the eagle had knocked her back with. in truth, the ache does not settle beneath her skin until she is far from the battlefield, silent in the face of raised banners, gentle as she handles herself without either guide or nurse. light splits from each wound, flickering through the grime and blood until it tucks itself safely under the broken skin to mend it overhead alike a blanket above a mattress.

eremiya hears him above the thrum of light magic in her ears, not as kind to the clumsiness of his words; repetitive and awkward. all she wishes to stray from as of the battle's resolution. to announce this distrust, as pledging her allegiance in blue was merely the means to an antagonizing end, she does not startle nor bristle, intent on cleaning herself rather than offering companionship.

invaluable strength, yes?

"it did not matter in the end, did it?"

crushing the wings of a house leader to mock the existence of others?

eremiya rises to stand, her gaze dark with an unfaltering apathy when she meets his eyes. raspy and drawling, she utters through a statue's pursed lips, "your gratitude is unnecessary, boy. i did not compete for sport nor thrill. it was simply obligation." as all things are. the existence of the hero-king, clad in blue, meant blending into his footsteps and cape until she found enough satisfaction to forget the apparitions. and she had not.

the boy is given a slow blink, a curt onceover, before the bishop pities him with, "the blue lions are desperate little things, inept in battle." children swinging toys about and wearing paper crowns. "i will stand within your ranks for as long as necessary." because promising a longer, fuller term allows the possibility of trust, and that is not a luxury neither she nor he can spare.

whether he be an awkward prince or a distrustful one, she reads the tense curl of his lips with a voice of her own and, thus, leaves him to wallow in his thoughts.

[justicefanged]

[ Spaghetti and Meatball ] She knew. He told her what he planned on wearing. But she laughed it off. A joke, for sure. It had to have been a joke.

It wasn't a joke.

When she sees him, her face turns as red as the dress she's wearing. She tries so hard to keep her eyes on his face but it's difficult. Even if his outfit is ridiculous, he's still so hot.

"S-spaghetti!" Altena manages to stammer out as she slams the plate she's carrying down on the table in front of them. "Ah I mean...I'm not going to lose this year. When I win," brown eyes flick down to his legs before going back to the safety of looking at his face, "when I win, you're going to sit in a snowbank."

Anyone else in his position might feel a fool or embarrassed, or something of the like -- but Linus had confidence, or foolishness, in spades!

Plus, it was just too funny to see reality hit Altena in the face when she saw that he was, in fact, not joking. She's staring -- in a not at all subtle way -- and her face matches her dress in color the closer she gets. Silly as the whole thing may be, it sure is a delightfully good ego stroke to see that she's hardly put off.

Linus smirks, letting his gaze roam from her beautifully flushed features to the dress that she'd worn so well last year -- a low whistle of appreciation on his lips. "Don't really care for this sorta fancy party, but Saints, you do look good in that," he says, finally letting his eyes land on the plate of spaghetti as she slams it down between them.

The fire in his eyes shifts into something more mischievous and competitive now.

"Tryin' to take my crown from last year? Ya know I won't make it easy for ya, right?" he barks out a laugh, settling down across from Altena, more than ready for round two of their little betting competition. "Oh, yeah? Sheesh, gettin' me back for the fountain thing last year, huh? Well, when I win, maybe you'll just have to make a snowball and throw it at someone while they dance!"

Dice Roll: 13

And, just like last year, the poor plate of spaghetti didn't stand a chance -- though, he was a bit off his game this time, watching Altena more than where he was putting his fork.

[revelale]

TOA Anniversary Munday!

Celebrating TOA and the people who contribute to make our group what it is.

Repost, don't reblog. Only fill in what you feel comfortable sharing!

Happy anniversary, TOA! Here's to many more years spent together.

tagging: you? :0)

Name: lilly!

Pronouns: she / they, big they though!

Birthday (no year): april 4th!

Where are you from? What is your time zone? pst, lmao. gmt-8, i think?

Roleplay experience: roughly like 20 years now? lmao, cringe.

Got any pets? yeah, my little buppy, max. he's a demon.

Favorite time of year: winter!

Some interests and things you like: cooking, baking, rhythm games, sleeping, lmao.

Some funfacts & trivia about you: i'm double-jointed in one hand; i tend to only bake cookies in batches of like 7 dozen or more; i've killed at least like six different succulents this year alone; every so often, i'll think about spider-man and its various iterations and fully forget what i was doing before i started thinking about it.

What non-Fire Emblem games do you play? the more recent persona games, a truly insane number of otomes, i still have not finished yakuza 0, pokemon, dress-up games, lmao,,,,,

Favorite Pokemon type & Pokemon: dragon, dragonite!

How did you get into Fire Emblem? ......... wanted another dating sim real bad and my friend told me to play awakening please do not judge me—

What Fire Emblem games have you played? everything post-awakening, lmao,,,,, except for sov, which continues to elude me in completion for reasons beyond my understanding

First Fire Emblem game: awakening!

Favorite Fire Emblem game: would it be bad if i said none of them—well, okay. technically, i think an awful lot about fates, but i don't necessarily think it's my favorite? ..... but i do think about it a lot.

Any Fire Emblem crushes? nnnnnnot that i can think of?

If you’ve played the following games, who was your first S support? wwww, awakening was chrom ( by accident ), then olivia ( intentionally lmao ); fates was takumi; three houses was claude lel; engage was pandreo, to no one's surprise.

Favorite Fire Emblem class: KINSHI KNIGHT NATION RISE!!!!

If you were a Fire Emblem character, what would be your class? villager, and i would have died four times before you recruit me.

If you were a Three Houses character, what would be your affiliation? golden deer, probably, lmfao.

If you were an Engage character, which Emblem would you Engage with? none, i'm firmly of the belief i'm an ultra npc.

How did you find TOA? chuu! had severe 3h brainrot, and chuu already was in the group and told me it was like full of people who didn't need me to be Online All The Time! it's funny because i ended up not even apping for someone from 3h either, lmao.

Current TOA muses: pandreo!

Who was your first TOA muse? If you don’t have them anymore, could you see yourself picking them up again? cynthia, my silly little horse girl, lmao. i always think about picking her up, but it's always a debate of if i've done enough on her or not. easily my favorite character to pick up and start running with, though.

Have you had any other TOA muses? shigure, lon'qu, CONSTANCE VON NUVELLE, m!byleth, shiro, kiragi,,,,, i think that's it, actually? i don't remember any of my other ones, oopsie, lmao.

Do you think you have a type of character you gravitate towards? i tend to generally write characters in my wheelhouse, though i think i have deviations now and again lmao. like, who would think i'd write shigure, right? but, mostly cheerful characters, i think. mood-makers, the kind of people who would set a scene, but also be enough of a backseat player to the driving force where any protagonist or antagonist would take up the reins more comfortably? i think they tend to get written off as genki or filler characters, so i like kind of prodding at their insecurities and seeing what makes them tick instead.

What do you believe you enjoy writing the most? lmao, lbr i'm made for the clown show. nonsensical moments, increasingly strange meet and greets? but, i like doing big establishing moments that suspend what you know about my characters at face value to explore what's deeper in there. i'll slowburn friendship, idgaf; that's my shit.

Favorite TOA-related memory: lel, team justice is still a highlight in my memory from l&k, but i also remember this very specific combat sequence i wrote with rai in the first major lore event with felix and cynthia that was sick as hell to do! ....... also, probably every piemageddon. it is funny seeing even the serious characters fear for their lives / get uber maniacal in a ridiculous situation.

Got any delusions that didn’t see the light of day in TOA that you’d like to share? do not look behind the curtain, lmao.

[peerlessscowl]

a last kiss before one goes away

They have parted enough now that it speaks to routine, goodbyes in fewer words exchanged for longer looks and hollower absences. Because for all that it should be familiar by now, it is no less dreaded.

And though it goes, as most things between them do, unspoken, Ishtar bears a weight too well balanced to pretend it is hers alone. She sees it in the little things, in the way fleeting touches linger as though they wish to be otherwise-- in the way his eyes cannot seem to find her in their final moments, that habit of his that comes when there is something she thinks he does not wish to face.

It has taken her this long to realize it is not her that he shies from, not in such simple terms.

Late evening air whistles from the stable's open door, stirring the flames of lanterns that have only just been lit. She is stalling, taking too long to fiddle with the leather of a bridle, but she suspects he does not mind. When she is done he will return to wherever it is that he has begun to call home, and she will disappear back into the shadows with the ghosts that have become so easy to ignore in the light that is his company.

Metal clinks lightly, weight settling in her hands from where it has slipped from the horse's soft muzzle. Ishtar studies it a moment, steals precious little more time away from the inevitable, before looping it over a nail and accepting the emptiness of her palms as the first act of tonight's end.

"I should need to return soon," she says, with a reluctance that betrays its origin of obligation rather than want. Pale eyes flicker to him, the stall's latch clicks shut. They are alone here.

Alone enough that she reaches to steal a second more, with a touch that starts with fingers curling around his hand, that accelerates with the thrum of her heart until it is lips brushing the corner of his own, featherlight and for only as long as she dares hold her own breath.

Heels set back on the stone floor, fingers unfurling from where they wish to remain. She manages a polite smile despite the way she can feel her heart flutter still, and takes a step back.

"Goodnight."

It was easier to say goodnight and goodbye, somehow - it was expected that they would part, it was the routine, the natural consequence. Following a pattern with an expected action was the barest instinct, and it was through effort that the closed loop be reopened the next day.

Or. Maybe not the next day.

He hadn't milled about the town square for too long, unwilling to venture too far into the monastery in search of her, lest he need to admit to himself that he was in search. The rumors had been quick enough to spread, anyhow: many denizens of Garreg Mach weren't here, for the time being, called away on some extended mission in the same archipelago where Raven himself had picked up work.

There was a twinge of uncertainty, a strange hesitance that tugged at his gut - was it not around this time of year when there had been those false messages from home, and another shipwreck which had…

But then the word vacation had begun to be bandied about, and Raven withheld a sigh of relief.

In spite of his own experiences with the islands, perhaps at least all accounted for would return intact. Alive.

He kept a sharp eye on the comings and goings, then, any news of the port towns and caravans coming out from them, until at long last, it seemed, a return party ventured through Garreg Mach town and made the long march back into to the monastery. Mostly a tally, mostly to mark the faces that had come and gone during that long month - no longer than usual.

There were some faces unfamiliar to him, of course, and those that were passing familiar during his time at the monastery. Falling into step with their ranks as the moved and milled about was no issue, and eventually he saw her.

Raven reached a hand out before he realized what he was doing, fingertips brushing against the warm skin of her arm before he thought better, thought to retract.

He didn't. In spite of all of the instincts in him barking to withdraw, to keep his distance, he drew in closer, leaning until his cheek nearabout grazed with hers, and the fingers of his hand slid down to intertwine with hers.

Gently, he tugged the hand up, and pressed a kiss to its back.

"Welcome back."

[firelles]

It was with all the grace and strength of the gladiolus flower that she fought. In tandem with the other flier, she battled in both the realm of the sky and of the ground. Her efforts were invaluable in Lilian’s rescue, but also in the defeat of the various foot soldiers they fought at the same time.

Which is to say that when she, too, fell (and not too long after their first), it had been a terrible omen; their fight may be less winnable than initially thought.

Yet here she stood, healed of her wounds just like the rest of them were. Any torn leaves were mended, wilted petals restored, shortened roots rejuvenated. It was an adjustment to realize just how deeply the arena would right its damages. Though their memories were intact and their minds were affected for it, their bodies were just the same as when they first stepped onto the stage.

“Hello,” Fluorspar begins with a curt bow of her head. “I wanted to commend you for the prowess you demonstrated last round.” It was safe to say that Selena would remain safely rooted to the ground, but her two airborne comrades had grown in her a respect for the art—to be flying as though it were second nature, to command the sky as if it were your domain. Though they fought their monster for it, this one especially had not backed down.

“I am Selena,” she introduces, a slight smile, almost aloof, on her face. “It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

“And what is your name, if I may ask?”

It is not her first time she had found herself defeated in battle since arriving to Fódlan— No, she is reminded of a similar venture some moons ago. The training regime on these lands truly was vigorous, but she knew its necessities. Even if she falls, she gets back up. She always does. She always will. She must.

With one fight over, another is to begin shortly. She is never sure what to expect, but she supposes that is the mere realities of any fight. Predictability is not always granted.

She recalled how strong and graceful Selena appeared to be during battle— Truly an experienced soul. Céline offers a smile and small bow, words coated with kindness. "I offer similar words. Without your efforts, I am certain we would have had a much more difficult time," she replied in return.

"You may call me Céline. I am only a student within the monastery's walls, but I have much to learn." That is part of the very reason she enrolled, for what is an academy if not a place to grow? Her knowledge feels ready for the future, but her heart does not. "Perhaps I may even do so from yourself— From what I observed, there is no doubt you have quite the keen eye."

[machiot]

@arcelerity sent:

Sleeping in the Snake dorms feels borderline traitorous, but the Snakes have been so nice to him, and he's got so many friends here! Plus, he's not sure if Valter will just straight up be a coward and kill him in his sleep, so this is just logical!

Ewan's room is just him and an older dude also from Magvel, it's kind of boring honestly. Surely they won't begrudge him if he wanders away a little and...

"Think fast!"

Pillow in hand, Tormod leaps toward Marni, attempting to thwack her. What's a good sleepover without a pillow fight?

Things are, more or less, pretty quiet after everyone goes their own ways. Some leave feeling guilty. Others feel indignant. Everyone who attended either (or both) meeting leaves feels things differently, but the undercurrent is the same: no one really wants to talk about what happened.

The Snakes dorm is quieter than ever with only five people. Or it should be quieter than ever. Why is it, then, that Marni hears the sound of footsteps running around the supposedly empty dorms even through her tightly closed door?

She gets approximately half a second of heads up after throwing the door open before a pillow whomps directly into her face.

"Pfffghteugh!"

Fabric and feathers are decidedly not the worst thing Marni has ever had thrown at her (that dubious honor went to assorted magic and weapons aimed her way), but to be fair it has been a very long day and she has kept it together remarkably well up until this point.

She was on a Mission when they were in that weird house, so she couldn't pay attention to him then, but sometimes you just wanna chase a guy around with improvised weapons, y'know?

"Think you're sooo funny, huh?" A now empty room means that Marni has three spare pillows to use as ammo. "I'll teach you to mess with me!"

It's been a while since she's done it non-lethally, but she's had years of experience with hitting guys with things.

Picking up the pillow from the bed nearest the door, Marni points it at Tormod like a very floppy axe, "Hey, you run pretty fast, right? You might wanna start running now."

[pridelessdaydreamer]

[ Romanesco Smoothie ] - A sweet milkshake with a pretty green color. The whipped cream and fruity taste mask the fact that half of this was made with broccoli and other vegetables. Good for sweet tooths who refuse to eat their greens.

she's hard for words right now, considering she's recovering from the nightmare of being walt grissney'd, but she has enough spirit (desperation?) left in her to crawl back toward the refreshments.

initially she had gathered two or three cups in her arms to hoard for later—because like hell she's coming out of her room or speaking to anybody after tonight, for as long as she can absolutely help it unless someone else she likes "dies"—but life works in funny ways. tonight, life brings her to linhardt, just as she nearly makes it outdoors.

she looks as exhausted as expected from a social gathering like this, eyes bloodshot and purple hair mussed back to its haggard mop. bernadetta blinks slowly at linhardt. then she looks down at her cradled drinks. back to linhardt. back to the drinks.

after a few seconds of awkward contemplation, bernadetta holds out one of the smoothies. it's pretty, green and fluffy. it reminds her of them. as soon as it's out of her grasp, she pats herself down until finding whatever else she's got: a teardrop crystal. she offers that to linhardt, too.

"... you didn't see bernie here," she wheezes in a breath, like she's been punched. "take this and tell them all i died. so i can't come to class for, um, another month. yeah. okay, bye."

Bernadetta looks like a mess. Linhardt can respect that.

There is a long moment of silence where nothing is said. Bernadetta’s eyes drift between Lin and the drinks. Linhardt says nothing. When the drink is offered, he accepts it, but he still says nothing. It is only after Lin has received the crystal that any words are exchanged, and even then, the mage hardly has anything to say.

“Okay,” is their response. A beat.

A month? (By the sound of that, it sounded like she cast a spell on herself ahead of time to revive at some predetermined time—that, or she was going to enter some sort of coma.) It sounds unlikely to Lin all the same, but she could come up with something better for Bernadetta later.

“Okay.” (At this point, he’s just talking to himself.) Okay.

[knighteclipsed]

"Valter." For the past few weeks, Lyon has been blissfully unaware of the man's presence on this archipelago. But due to circumstances, he (unfortunately) knows. "Tell me the truth: did you do something to Professor Alfred? "

He had not expected the prince of all people to show up. Was this island some sort of Grado reunion? (It only grew more and more interesting with each face that appeared.)

“ Alfred? ” he repeats. He doesn’t know an Alfred– (A moment; a click.) Wasn’t that what—(Rafal, was his name)—had called their intruder?

“ Oh. Him. ” (He hums to himself, not offering any useful information.)

[fluxrspar]

[Wish] "It's a cute little thing they've done, don't you think?" The stars that darted across the sky were made of magic and willpower, but there's a charm that they provide cannot be found by the real thing. It brings mystery and wonder to the already curious night of masks and illusions, and Hugh can't help but wonder what else the night has in store for all of them. "So, if you don't mind me asking...what did you wish for tonight?" With a wink, he draws the black feather he's been tasked to hand out for the night, holding it towards Selena. "If you're lucky, perhaps I can be of assistance?" He's mostly joking, though the offer's still there.

“It is,” Selena agrees, eyes trained on the lights overhead. Watching them twinkle and shine, dashing against the black backdrop of a makeshift sky, Selena realizes there is a poetry one could wax here over the ability of mankind to make its own hope; but Selena is not a poet. (They are lovely all the same.)

“Right, because I am unaware that a wish spoken aloud will not come true.” (But perhaps that is merely superstition—one that, beyond her hometown, her home country, her continent of origin, is scarcely known nor heeded.) Still, her voice is oddly calm as she speaks, amicable despite what is very likely intended by the man’s words—perhaps it is the moons that she has spent at the monastery, time that calls for less vigilance and hostility than that within a proper army.

“That said,”—and here, she takes one of her own string of pearls, exchanging it for his black feather—“it never is a bad thing to have allies when you need it.”

“I am Selena, a Golden Deer professor here. You are?”