#{You may call me Sothis. But I am also known as… “The Beginning”. — IC}

[sublimeflowoftime]

There is something unnerving about this individual, but he cannot put his finger on exactly what. There are people from all different realms and countries, he simply hasn’t met someone like this. Silently, he hands her a button that says ‘likable individual.’ “Here is your prize from this experiment,” he says, and frowns a little more. “Despite making one of your conversation partners adamantly say ‘no’ with a plethora of exclamation marks, we found you were generally enjoyable company. Congratulations.”

Oh. She wasn’t aware she would be getting a reward for this. A rather useless reward, all things considered, but it’s the thought that counts.

“Thank you.” She nods politely, gesturing vaguely to a nearby table since she can’t take it herself. Perhaps she can give it away to someone else with a lesser grade. She’s generous like that.

…Wait why do some people have a higher score. What is this. She’s ‘exceptional’! She’s the model of model of good behavior! Why is she not exceptional?!

“One of your conversation partners adamantly say 'no' with a plethora of exclamation marks,”

……That purple haired little brat—

[sublimeflowoftime]

If she could slam her hands onto this table, she would. Instead, she only mimics the motion (though it looks a bit awkward as she forces herself to stop just before phasing through the table for her own peace of mind), getting up from her lack of chair as dramatically as she can.

“Fine then! Praise your spectators retellings that you adore so much! Just know that all writings are not as they appear to be. Do not be led so blindly.” 

She doesn’t even bother to check if the allotted time is over or not, though it does seem to be, fortunately. She’s not making as much of a fool of herself with her theatrics. Though maybe that’s more unfortunate. After all, that is the whole point of a dramatic exit.

“Ungrateful fool.”

End

"It's not just paper," Erk mutters, resisting the urge to slam his hand against the nearest table. (The last time he had done that, it had not ended up so well anyway, so he refrains.)

"Beyond saints and gods, the divine or whatever, historical records are important! If we don't have records of the past we will only ever end up repeating mistakes our ancestors made, we will not be able to learn from the past!" He hisses out, holding back from glaring at this brat. It's so much more than paper. Would she treat all books like that, or was it just historical records pertaining to divinity? Erk doesn't care to find out anytime soon.

"I don't place power in the belief of others anyway. You can believe whatever you want, I don't care."

[illusionsofdreaming]

guess I like playing with fire;

Notes: You’re on a mission and Claude’s ruining it spectacularly.

FT: Claude

What most people don’t realise is that what separates a good band of mercenaries from the bad are based on the quality of information they have and not the skills they boast. Intelligence on locations, knowledge of the land and insight on their enemies are what keeps the men alive at the end of the day. Any prowess with a weapon are decoration, the icing on the cake, some extra branding for their names. The best mercenaries have learned to hoard information and their information network is often a complex and extremely exclusive one.

For once your infamous mercenary nickname has uses other than to inspire fear and scare naughty children at night. After all who wouldn’t want to get in the good graces and be allied with the child of the Blade Breaker? There’s been rumours of increased monster activities and it just so happens that the rural city you were passing by where the Ashen Demon’s name was popular was also a hotspot for travelling mercenaries as well.

A simple reconnaissance mission was set up - you would hang around the taverns and gather information and return by day, hopefully with new insight regarding the validity of  these rumours, whether or not the resistance should be concerned.

The evening was still young, the tavern you chose had only just started filling. Your current table companions consisted of an axe wielder going by the name of Gildhart, a sharp nosed swordsman with a wicked scar down one cheek and a well built brawler who’s massive red mane was just barely held back by the bandana on her head. Conversation had been slow at first but by the third round of cards, their lips were starting to loosen.

“Damnit! I’ve heard of your prowess on the battlefields but who knew you’d be so vicious on the table too!” Janet scowled as she threw in her cards as you swept your new winnings to your side.

“The name Demon fits you alright!” Gildhart laughed, taking a large drink from his cup.

“Well, our opponent is an incredibly hard person to read, I believe we may have been playing at disadvantage all along.“ Kent, the name of the swordsman you remembered, smiled wryly at you.

“I don’t mind if you wish to try another game instead.“ you offered, palms up in invitation and away from the cards. It didn’t matter which game they chose anyways. You still remembered your father’s disapproval when he first found out, despite its inevitability considering the companions you grew up with.

“If I can’t stop you from cards, least I can do is make sure you won’t lose our entire fortune.”Jeralt had heaved a sigh then, placed you in his lap and proceeded to teach you the ways of gambling. That was the beginning of your colourful journey into becoming a master card shark, but that‘s a story for another day.

“Pah! We’re not cowards! Am I right boys?” Janet’s fist thumped on the table and for a moment you worried the furniture wouldn’t survive the weight of the brawler’s fist.

“Damn right we’re not!” Gildhart boomed and Kent sighed with a shrug, sealing their fates.

“Let me deal this round.” Kent offered with an apologetic smile your way which you nodded, taking no offence.

“So what dangers brings the Ashen Demon to these parts of Fódlan eh?” Janet asked as her companion began shuffling the cards.

You’ve been ready for this question and you gave a nonchalant shrug as you leaned back with your drink. “Trying our luck before circumstances forces our hand to pick a side.” With the war going on, it was inevitable that mercenaries bands would get absorbed into either side. The sympathetic and understanding nods from her companions seemed to agree.

“I have no love for needless slaughter, retirement might be imminent in my near future.” Kent mumbled softly as he dealt out cards.

You took your cards, taking time to organise them before casually throwing out your bait. “I’ve heard stories of problematic beasts cropping up around the area, there could be business in those desperate enough to spare some coin to hire our skills.”

“Ay, you’ve not heard wrong.” Gildhart coughed. “Although calling them problematic beasts would be an understatement.”

“Oh?” You breathed out, relaxing your shoulders. The wary glance shared amongst the mercenaries was not missed by your eyes. Silence overlapped the table and you played oblivious for a few moments before looking up. “Is everything alright? I understand if I have intruded on something you’d rather deal with yourself.”

“No, nothing like that.” Janet was quick to refute. “We might be confident in our skills but even we know this is not something we can handle.” The mercenaries seemed to share a look between them and some form of agreement must have been reached as they hunched forward in their seats and beckoned you to follow suit.

“They say monsters the size of houses, some with claws and teeth and others with scales appear overnight wiping out villages before disappearing the next day. No one knows where they come from or where they go afterwards. Others have tried hunting them and failed and those that survived an encounter are crippled by fear of what they’ve seen.” Kent relayed this with a somber expression, his eyes taking on a faraway sheen.

You took this in quietly. You understood their wariness, you have witnessed the destruction these beasts are capable of first hand. What concerned you however was their sudden appearances and disappearances. You folded your arms on the table as a frown crossed your face.

“Were the attacked villages known to have frequent monster sightings?”

Gildhart shook his head, rubbing his chin with a grimace. “Not that we know of. Pretty peaceful from what I remembered. The villagers never had any experience against anything larger than a wolf. Some of these men wielded nothing but woodcutting axes against these things.”

Could simple negligence and relaxed security caused the complete annihilation of a village in the short span of a day? Even if it were possible, with how chaotic Fódlan has become, it was common nowadays for simple villagers to be armed with some form of weapon to protect their family and not simple farmer’s tools. Unless... these were men who had been going on about their daily lives, who had been caught unaware and given no time to arm themselves, ambushed by creatures unleashed in the middle of their homes.

You took a deep breath, steadying yourself. You can’t leap to conclusions yet. You needed more information. However before you could ask another question you caught sight of something outside the window. It took your all to resist the instinct to turn around, instead you used your peripherals to confirm your worst fear: Claude Von Riegan, heir to the Riegan house,  leader of the Alliance resistance, lurking across the street just begging to be noticed.

“Excuse me for a while.” you stood up abruptly, shocking your companions who started reaching for their weapons which you stopped with a hand. “Sorry, thought I saw someone familiar. I’m going to step out for a while.”

“What about the game?” Gildhart eyes travelled from you to his hand of cards.

“Play without me.” You untied a pouch by your waist and threw it on the table. “Drinks on me.” And you breezed past them, just barely able to control your pace to a fast walk, despite the strongest desire to run.

“Think its a friend?”

“From the look in the Demon’s eyes?”

“Rest in pieces strang-“ the door closed behind you. You took a deep breath - Sothis knows you’d need it - and scanned the streets. It was almost laughable easy to spot him, wavy hair and green eyes, golden earring glinting in the darkness, smile stretching across face as he spotted you.

His hand was rising to wave but you grabbed him and dragged him away two streets down and shoved him into a indescript alley.

“Whoa teach, at least ask a guy out before-“

“What are you doing here Claude? I thought we’d agreed that you’d wait for my return.” You cut him off, fuming.

“Aw teach, it’s been hours. We’d all rest easier at night if you had someone to watch your back.” He laughed at the wilted glare you sent his way. “Alright so we’re not really worried and maybe I’m just a little nosy.”

Of all the people to come nosing in, it had to be Claude. The most high profile, easily recognisable mascot of the Alliance resistance. While you knew despite his flippant attitude, Claude would never do anything to jeopardise the war efforts, his being here meant he’s comfortable and confident in his ability to get out unscathed.

You sighed and relaxed against a wall, since he was here anyways you might as well pass on what you’ve gathered so far. “I haven’t gotten much yet.” you warned and made sure to direct a pointed glare towards him before relaying what you’ve heard and your theories so far.

He had a hand on his chin as he listened, brows furrowed in a contemplative expression. “Almost like what happened back in the chapel in Garreg Mach...” He was mumbling to himself but the words brought back a flood of memories you had avoided revisiting.

You vividly remembered the ruins, the screams of students and roars of creatures rending the air. The cold and the overwhelming numbness that took you as you held the motionless body of your only family. You were alone, truly alone and the cold was seeping into your blood, your bones, your soul. What little emotions you’ve gained these past few months was being stripped by the cold. There’s no one left-

“___________.” His hand was warm against your skin, a shocking contrast that brought you back, burning away the ice in your veins. His gaze was apologetic and a touch concerned, his hold on you was supportive but not restrictive.

You shook your head lightly, stepping back from his touch and he released you. “I’m fine.” You muttered, brushing a hand through your hair, disappointed for getting carried away.

His eyes watched you, “Of course, teach. I never doubted that.” He said quietly with a smile, the sincerity in his tone hard to ignore and it made the breath in your lungs catch in your throat. There were times like these, where the masks he wore would slip and you would hear the strength of his convictions and beliefs. That truly, despite your lapse in emotions, all your flaws and imperfections, he knew you’d be alright, you’d pull through, even when you don’t believe it yourself.

You averted your eyes. “You should get back to the others Claude.” You were about to shoo him off when you heard footsteps approaching. You panicked. The leader of the Leicester Alliance can’t be seen here, skulking about in dark alleyways like some scoundrel with nefarious intentions. With how tensed and chaotic everything's been with the war, the last thing the Alliance needed was doubt to be casted on their leader's reputation. In a split-second decision, you pushed him against the wall, into the shadows. Your hand wrapped around the back of his neck and pulled him down to meet your lips, purposely angling yourself so that most of your profile blocked Claude’s features from view.

Though initially stiff with surprise, Claude quickly caught on. It was remarkable how quickly he adapted, tension from his shoulders melting off as he relaxed his hand on your waist, fingers curling on your hip like a possessive lover.

There was a gasp of surprise as the footsteps halted. “Is that-”

A convincing groan from Claude convinced the stragglers to pick up their pace and a few seconds later they were gone.

Immediately you moved away to check but Claude lunged for you, tugging you to his side as laughter crossed the alleyway. With one arm rested against the wall to shield your faces, you had a second to take in his boyish smile before he dipped down to kiss you again, his hand held your chin with surprising gentleness. In return you pulled on his curls just on a touch side of painful which made him grunt, a soft breath of amusement puffed against your lips.

The strangers passed by his back and Claude pressed closer, ducking his head further. It was easy to ignore the lewd taunts and whistles they threw over their shoulders as they walked past when all you could focus on was how soft his lips were, how you’re positively sure all the blood in your body had rushed to your face.

This time when the strangers left, neither of you parted immediately, just to be sure. In the shadows, you counted down seconds and when it seems no further strangers would be passing by, you stepped away.

“Well,” Claude started with a soft laugh but it was strained and for once he seemed to be struggling with his words. “I didn’t know you felt that way about me teach.” He tried to be casual, but his usual flippant tone was ruined by the breathlessness in his voice. This uncertainty from Claude, someone who always seemed to have a reaction and smile prepared for every scenario, was unexpected... and it stirred something uncomfortable in your chest.

“I couldn’t let them see your face.” You explained, ignoring the tingling in your lips and the lingering thoughts of how it felt to have your fingers in his wavy curls. “This wouldn’t have happened if you had followed the plan in the first place.”

He chuckled, mask back on, his arms drew back to cross behind his head in his signature lazy half stretch. “Ah, well, you know me and instructions teach.”

You shook your head as you willed the heat from your face to disperse. “Get out of here before you get caught for real Claude.”

You turned to leave the alleyway but he reached out to grab your wrist. “__________, about what happened-“

“We’re not talking about this.” You whipped around and gave him a firm glare, determined to end the conversation before it started. There’s a ball of emotions curling in your chest that you’re not ready to unravel. You needed time and there’s still a mission to be completed.

His green eyes were bright as he released your hand with a laugh. “Not even a li-”

“No.”

Claude’s smile was knowing as his thumb traced the bottom of his lips, grinning when your eyes inadvertently followed the movement.

“If you say so, my friend.” He hummed, expression thoughtful as he gave a small shrug.

“Go now.” You’re almost impatient to return to the tavern. You’ve never had a preference for drinks, not like your father, but now you find yourself desperately craving for something strong.

“Although your cold dismissal hurts, I shall do as you wish and promptly remove myself from your vicinity.” He swept into a dramatic bow, but its effect was ruined when he looked up not a moment later with a cheeky wink.

He dodged your half-hearted kick and his laugh made him look like he’s never aged a day beyond seventeen and it stayed on your mind for the rest of the night.

You were woken the next morning by the uproar in camp, although not for the reason you’d expected. Apparently words of mysterious strangers hidden in the back alley became the story of the town and soon bards were singing songs of the Ashen Demon’s midnight tryst much to your abject horror and Claude’s great amusement. You knew a betting pool was being set up, something you’re determined to sabotage.

You’re hiding in your tent, with a pounding headache,  not willing to reign in the chaos outside just yet.

A breath of fresh air washed into your tent as someone entered.

“How bad is it?” You threw out before the other could say a word.

He didn’t answer immediately, humming thoughtfully as he set down the tray of food he was carrying on the coffee table. “I think my favourite version has to be the one where the Ashen Demon seduced the local hero, single handedly finish the war with the blessed sword before riding the Immaculate One into the sunset.”

The story was so outlandish you couldn’t even dignify it with a proper response and opted to hide your face in your hands. It’s bad. Really bad.

Claude’s laughter was light and airy, and despite your mood, something inside warmed at the heartfelt joy in his tone.

“This is all your fault.” You mumbled.

“Perhaps.” he allowed with a grin, bright eyes sparkling. “I’ve mixed something to help with your headache, it’s bitter but it should do the trick.” He placed a small vial on your table.

“You did well my friend. Rest up, I will deflect the others from disturbing you for today.” He patted your shoulder and avoided your halfhearted swipe with a smile before pushing outside your tent. You had two seconds to catch sight of all of your ex-students crowded around the entrance before the tent flap fell behind him, muting the excited gossip that grew in volume at Claude’s reappearance.

You sighed against your hands, wishing the ground would open up and swallow you whole. The mess of feelings in your chest was no closer to being solved, in fact it’s getting more and more complicated by the day. For a moment, you swore the ring Jeralt left you grew warm in your pocket.

[frankenby]

Okay, I’ve been playing Pokémon Shield recently so consider this FE3H/Pokemon game crossover idea I had for a moment.

Characters:

As of right now, I’m only going to put who I think would be gym leaders/Elite Four people. I may or may not have given every student (and some other characters) pokémon teams with four pokémon each, except if people don’t care about this then I’m not going to do much more with it except for my own personal enjoyment.

Elite Four

Sothis: Champion I think it’s pretty obvious why she’d be the champion. They’re very respected and powerful, but she’s still given the opportunity to be elusive and mysterious.

Rhea: Headmaster of Trainer School (Explained in plot) and Elite Four Member She’s not as powerful as the champion, but she is still quite powerful. I’m thinking she’d specialize in psychic pokémon or dragon pokémon.

Lambert: Elite Four Member Dimitri will be well-known and respected, considering how powerful his father is. He will also have a lot to live up to. I’m leaning towards making Lambert specialize in ice type pokémon because Faerghus=cold and cold=ice.

Patricia: Elite Four Member Again, having your mother be on the Elite Four will make you well-known. Also, it’s plot important. I feel like she’d specialize in fire type pokémon because... you know. Flame Emperor.

Reigan: Elite Four Member Claude’s grandpa doesn’t have a name, so I feel like he’d go by his last name. Again again, being on the Elite Four will mean that Reigan’d grandson is well-known. I kind of feel like he’d be an electric type gym leader because... I don’t know. Yellow?

Gym Leaders

So I would make the nobles gym leaders, but also there are too many nobles and not enough gym leaders. Here’s what I have so far. My reasoning may be garbage (as you can probably tell from the section about the Elite Four)

Rodrigue: Ice Type Gym Leader I will say it again. Faerghus=cold, cold=ice. I just feel like Rodrigue should be a gym leader.

Holst Gonriel: Fire Type Gym Leader Holst was a General in the Alliance and was respected for that, so it makes sense that he’d be a gym leader. Why fire? I don’t know, but I’ve connected dots that aren’t actually connected in anyway to justify myself for this long, so... He probably has pink hair, pink=light red red=hot hot=fire

Seteth: Psychic Type Gym Leader Okay, I swear I had a reason for making him a psychic type gym leader and not a dragon type one, but I can’t remember it. Please just trust me. Or don’t. Please feel free to argue with me, actually. Also, Flayn would most definitely be like Wally and want to be a trainer, but Seteth would be like, “No. it is too dangerous, but you may have this Togepi.” Then Byleth would beat him and he’d be like, “Having my ass kicked by this child has made me rethink my view point. You may be a pokémon trainer now, Flayn.” And yes, Flayn is referred to as his daughter in this.

Miklan: Rock Type Gym Leader I don’t know. I don’t know why I want him to be one. I don’t know why rocks. Just rocks. “Not bad for your kind. A bunch of rocks.”

Cornelia: Ghost Type Gym Leader Tell me this woman wouldn’t have a Mismagius and/or a Hattrene. It just fits.

Jeralt: Steel Type Gym Leader I originally had this as Gilbert, but I feel like it would make more sense for it to be Jeralt. I guess maybe the reason for him sending Byleth to school/them moving would be so he could be a gym leader. Also, steel makes sense because he was a knight, I guess?

Ladislava: Flying Type Gym Leader I love her, okay? So I put her in here. What are you gonna do about it? Ground me? You can’t. Speaking of ground, I was going to make her a ground type gym leader, but it makes more sense for her to be a flying type because she’s got a wyvern, so flying type.

Judith: Fighting Type Gym Leader Again, I love her. It just makes sense to me for her to be here. Why fighting? She is the hero of Daphnel. She’s good at fighting.

Plot:

I came up with this at midnight when 1/6th of my brain cell was functioning. It’s probably got things in it that don’t fit the lore/are just not good and I’m sorry. :( If you want to add ideas onto anything I’ve put on here, please do. Feedback would make me very happy. Also, I have no idea what I’m using this plot for, it just exists because I made it and I wanted to share it.

What if there was an optional school for those interested in trainers? I’m actually pretty sure something similar exists but I could be wrong. Prior to their journey, they could receive a starter Pokémon and be taught how to strategize. Byleth and Jeralt could move to the nearby village a few months after the school year begins, but Jeralt could convince the headmaster—Rhea—to let Byleth join. Byleth could recieve their starter Pokémon I don’t know what the starters would be and battle against someone maybe Jeritza or Catherine or Shamir idk as a sort of entrance exam.

Upon passing, Byleth could be allowed to join one of the Three Houses. I’ve been considering naming the houses after the legendary dogs, the legendary birds, or the lake guardians.

(The paragraphs in italics are just talking about the potential names for the houses, so you can skip it if you don’t care about that.)

So I feel like Entei, Raikou, and Suicune could definitely work, but I’m not entirely sure how I feel about naming them something like, “The Entei House.” You could, of course, use their titles, but that would be something like, “The Volcano Pokemon House” and im not sure about that either. Still, I know Arceus is rumored to have played a part in these Pokémon becoming legendaries, and Arceus is going to play a part in the plot.

Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres could also work, but again, the names would be weird. “The Articuno House” Or “The Ice Bird House.” I just feel like those are weird, however I do like that the types for each House are different.

Then there’s Uxie, Azelf, and Mesprit. Their colors match pretty well, and the titles of these Pokémon could definitely relate two the House leaders. Uxie is the knowledge Pokémon and it is also yellow. Claude’s color scheme is yellow, and he’s very witty. Azelf is the willpower Pokémon and it is also blue. Dimitri’s color scheme is blue and Dimitri often has to restrain his impulses and strength. Mesprit is the emotion Pokémon and it is also pink, which is pretty close to red and it has red gems. Edelgard’s color scheme is red. The only issue with this is that Edelgard isn’t any more emotional than other characters, or at least that is what I feel. If anyone has anything to add regarding this, please feel free to say so! (Especially if I’m wrong about my Pokémon lore.)

The house Byleth picks would determine who their rival is (it’s the house leader) and who they would interact with more often. (Trainers sometimes travel in groups, so it wouldn’t be uncommon for them to see all of their old classmates hanging out.)

Again, the plot of the story was created by me at 12:00 am after reading a few bulbapedia articles on Pokémon stuff so that I could find the correct Pokémon to use.

So Sothis is the champion. Not many people have the opportunity to face her, and she’s very secretive. No one knows how long she’s been the champion, either. So I wanted her to have befriended a legendary Pokémon, but I also wanted her to be immortal (or at least I wanted her to have lived for a long time.) So, I decided to have her befriend Jirachi, the Pokémon that grants wishes. She became the Pokémon champion, but as she got older she wished that she could keep living and defend her spot as champion until someone defeated her in battle. Her wish was granted, and at some point she had children, Rhea and Seteth. I’m not incorporating her other children and I’m keeping their names, too. The Elite Four are the only people who really speak to Sothis, along with her son and granddaughter. They are obviously suspicious of why she looks so young and how she’s been there so long, so Sothis tells them the truth. When Rhea finds out, she is determined to protect her, knowing that being defeated in battle will mean she will die. Patricia, however, wants this power for herself. She secretly forms and becomes the leader of a team called Team Flame wow so creative I know who’s goal is to obtain the azure flute, capture Arceus, then use it to defeat Sothis, as Patricia is unable to defeat on her own. Cornelia, Ladislava, and Jeritza will also be members of Team Flame. Once Byleth defeats/captures Arceus, Sothis will ask Patricia if she really wants to be immortal and watch as all of her loved ones leave her behind. Patricia is remorseful, and Sothis asks her to return to the Elite Four. Once Byleth defeats Sothis, she peacefully fades away and Jirachi also departs.

That’s all I have for right now, but I would love for there to be an open discussion about FE3H/Pokémon because I love both and they are all that’s on my mind right now.

[sublimeflowoftime]

“Sothis,” Sitri greets the ghostly girl, as soft as anything. “I am Lilian. Here is your gift — or the prelude to it.” The creaseless, rectangular card addressed to Sothis is unencumbered by any envelope. Its cream-colored face has been penned with an imitation of Fodlan's native script written by foreign hand, letters unevenly spaced and slanted in odd places. “When I asked around, no one had heard of you. It was almost as though you didn't exist. In this age, there are still people that question whether a tree makes a sound if its fall isn't heard. Do you really exist if you are not known to the world? I believe so. My gift to you cannot be contained in a letter. Tonight, I implore you to look upon the endless expanse of the night sky and revel in being an infinitesimal part of the wider universe." Following the instructions will grant view of a staging of colorful explosions overhead that spell the name Sothis for all the monastery to see, immortalizing a memory once nearly lost to time. Sitri does not leave, but watches the display beside the ghost of the Goddess in silence.

“Oh. Hello.” Sothis hardly notices the card for a moment, startled once again by someone saying her name. She’s not sure if she’ll ever become fully accustomed to being acknowledged.

Peering down at the letter, (and silently thanking this ‘Lilian’ for holding it for her, many don’t tend to have the courtesy to do that), her expression shifts through many different emotions, the most prominent being different forms of confusion.

She had entirely forgotten that she was to get something as well as a part of this. She didn’t particularly bother with specifying what she would want to end up with when she signed up anyway, so that part was certainly the last thing on her mind. Truthfully, it could’ve been a rock for all she cared. She signed up more for the intent of getting something for someone else, not for whatever she would get in return. That wasn’t what mattered to her at all.

Even so, this gift met her only requirements perfectly. She didn’t have to touch anything, and it wasn’t something like food so it wouldn’t be a waste of resources. But beyond that, it was… thoughtful? She had believed gifts were to serve a practical purpose, something to help later on down the line, or in the moment should the case may be, but this…

She can only stare up at the colors above, announcing an existence that even she herself was beginning to doubt not so long ago. She can’t tear her gaze away, can’t blink even long after it stops, just staring at the night sky. Something equally beautiful in its own way. Perhaps that may also be part of the gift.

She feels weird.

She brings a hand up to her face, slightly tapping beneath her eyes. Why does it feel as if her eyes are… leaking, slightly? Is this… ‘crying’?

No. No, that wouldn’t make sense. ‘Crying’ is something humans do in response to sadness. She doesn’t know what she feels, but she certainly doesn’t think it can be described as that. But…

She pulls her hand back and stares at it for a moment, then back up at the sky where the gift once was. She’s silent for a long, long moment. She doesn’t even know how long. Ironic, that someone so intricately intertwined with the flow of time itself can so easily lose track of it.

She glances to the side, flinching and jumping back as she suddenly remembers Lilian’s presence. She turns her face away as quickly as possible, covering it with her hand. “Ah! Uhm. You… did not… um…” She already knows it’s too late, she probably saw. She only hopes this moment of weakness isn’t spread throughout the monastery. That would be embarrassing.

She clears her throat, still hiding her less-than-ideal state with her hand as she fights to make her voice sound normal. “…Should your paths cross with the sender of this gift, do give them thanks on my behalf. I…” She trails off. No, something like this deserves direct thanks. Not one delivered by someone else. “…No. Never mind that. I shall do so myself. Please, do tell me; where might I find them?”

[sublimeflowoftime]

Still grumbling from her prior interaction, she hardly notices the rather harsh wording of the question before them. It is only when this new person speaks up that she finally notices, raising an eyebrow as she rereads the question.

Huh… whoever wrote this clearly had something against pegasi, he isn’t wrong. A shame she can’t tell which of the hosts wrote this, if either did at all. Otherwise she’d be inclined to ask the story behind it.

Oh well. No use lamenting over a dramatic story she will never hear. Would be entertaining though.

“I cannot say I quite understand what could be considered so ‘revolting’ about them, either. They both serve their purpose perfectly well, both in practicality and companionship. The only difference I know of is that the one has wings.”

Sothis frowns, bringing a hand up to her face as she continues to stare at the question, as if staring for long enough would force a logical explanation to appear. “…Perhaps they have allergies of some sort? That is the sort of thing that may cause a distaste in certain animals, yes?”

im ngl i think pegasi are ' based '

[sublimeflowoftime]

[ COZY ]: the sender and receiver enjoy a cozy evening in front of a fire, watching a movie together.

Wintery Prompts

What most view as ‘entertainment’ has and likely always will be a complicated topic in her mind, as while she does understand it, she also does not. She had nearly all of her time until recently being forced into a position of simply watching. While it was entertaining occasionally if the interaction she was watching was dramatic enough for no real reason, being trapped and unable to influence even the slightest thing was so endless frustrating to the point that at times it felt like torture.

Yet others do this for fun?? Because they want to??? What is even the point? They should be going outside and interacting with the world! Not obsessing over conflicts they haven’t even the slightest ability to influence!

She frowns as she notices yet another person absorbing themselves in such things, immediately making her way over with the intention on lecturing her on how she’s wasting her time.

But… this is actually kind of a nice environment. The fire seems cozy enough. Maybe she can observe this for a minute. For research purposes only, obviously. To better understand the fascination. Just for a minute.

Until minutes turn into about an hour, and yet she still remains silently watching from behind the girl. She still has every intention of making herself known, of course, she just… needs to see how this conflict is resolved. Though if she had been involved, this would’ve been resolved before it even begun. This is nearly as frustrating as reality had been.

“OH, COME ON!” Another miscommunication causes her to yell out, flying up to the device she doesn’t quite understand to better yell at the people contained within. “How could one possibly be this foolish?! The solution is right there, if you imbeciles would just—!” 

She groans in frustration, before snapping out of her rage as she remembers she isn’t alone, slowly turning to face the wolf-eared girl. “O-Oh. Um.” Well this is embarrassing. She came in here to tell her not to become exactly what she just did! Panicking, she just says the first thing that comes to her mind. “……touch grass.”

[sublimeflowoftime]

[ CHOICE ]: the sender and receiver embark on a mission: getting the perfect christmas tree.

Wintery Prompts

Sothis sighs quietly to herself as she stares at the large expanse of trees, trying not to habitually follow the prince already most likely following her, as to not indirectly lead them in circles. A part of her feels guilty for dragging him along with her— a large part, in fact— but were it not him, it would’ve just been someone else. That was unavoidable, all things considered.

Sometimes she could swear the people giving out assignments such as these must be doing so completely at random. Otherwise how else could they believe that she, the one who cannot even touch a tree in the first place, much less chop one down and carry it back, would possibly be the best person for this job? She can only thank the stars— or the ‘goddess’— or whoever that she just happened to run into the blue lion on her way, and even more thankful to him for even agreeing.

Beyond the obvious physical limitations, she doesn’t even know the first thing about picking a tree for this strange ‘tradition’ some people have. What could possibly make one tree ‘good’ another ‘bad’, when at the end of the day it is just a dead tree with stuff on it. She assumes size is important, if only to fit more on it, but what else? Structural stability so it doesn’t fall over and crush someone?? It seems a deceptively simple task.

She tries subtly glancing at the prince as she goes from tree to tree, hoping his reaction will reveal some sort of indication of if it’s the ‘right’ tree or not. Some seem too thin to be safe, others too dry, but overall neat all of them seem basically the same, as are his expressions as far as she can tell with her quick glances. Though she did ask him to come with her for help carrying the tree, not for a second opinion… Maybe this one isn’t the type to offer opinions unprompted?

She stops in front of a tree that seems safe enough to not be a hazard, and old enough for her to not feel guilty about ending its life for the sole purpose of making it into unnecessary decor as she understands it. She inspects it for another second to make sure it’s not actively occupied by some form of animal, before turning to her tree-chopping partner for approval. “What of this one? Do you believe this shall suffice? I… admittedly lack the knowledge required to say definitively, myself.”

[sublimeflowoftime]

Opaque is the Goal

Starter for @swiftscion

Despite how much Sothis absolutely hates her only partially corporeal form, even she has to admit that it is absolutely fascinating in some ways. She doesn’t fully understand how it works, or why, but that’s all the more reason to investigate. There isn’t much she could think to do on her own when it came to how she interacts with everything, and even with help it’s doubtful she would be able to find anything. That was where she thought her potential experimentation would end. It’s not like there was anything else she could test.

Until someone commented on how she was partially see-through while she was casually hanging out near the small lake students and faculty alike tended to fish at. Glancing down at her own hands, she didn’t understand what they possibly meant by that. She looked normal to her. Why hadn’t anyone said something before? Was this just a prank? Or was she actually transparent, and everyone had just been too polite to say anything before? She just wanted to see the area she had been told the professor she was bound to visited so frequently! She didn’t need this existential crisis!

The student was long gone by the time she had snapped out of her confusion enough to form a sentence. Frustrated, Sothis knew she wouldn’t be able to let the topic go for a while. Scanning the area, she noticed only one other person passing by at the moment. So, obviously, she disrupted the peace by shouting to the stranger.

“HEY! YOU! YES, I AM SPEAKING TO YOU! CAN YOU SEE ME?!”

[sublimeflowoftime]

Turning her head at the sound of approaching footsteps, near equally surprised by the… interesting appearance of her new partner. Though she’s in no place to judge. 

“I am known as Sothis. A pleasure.” She nods and mirrors a smile right back to complete the niceties, though the smile doesn’t last long as the question is read aloud.

Of course, the first and only relatively ‘normal’ question to be assigned to her, and it’s one she doesn’t even know if she can answer. In theory she should be able to ‘connect’ just fine, and she likes to believe that she has to a certain extent on a surface level with a brave few, but… 

Byleth is likely the closest she has to such a thing, yet even then can that really count? How could one connect to someone on such a deep level, when she herself doesn’t even know who she is? And it’s not as though being inexplicably bound to someone for unknown reasons for as long as either can remember is a usually situation. Meeting more than one person like that is (most likely) completely impossible, she would assume.

There’s no reason to burden one she’s just met with something such as this, though. Too complicated for a first encounter. Or any encounter, really. But especially the first.

“I suppose there is more difficulty to be found in such a thing for myself than that of your average person. Humans tend to fear that which they fail to understand, myself included. Though once that little ‘hurdle’ is ‘jumped’, so to speak, there is not much a difference to any interaction one may have with myself compared to one with a… more regular state of being, such as yourself. So the process of forging such bonds would be much the same as well, I presume.”

☽ ・ uhm. hey god? can i be god for a day please? ━━━ zephia & sothis

EVENT: LOVE HYPOTHESIS 2024 / TOPIC: how do you connect with others on an interpersonal level ?

[sublimeflowoftime]

The Sus Saint

Saint Seiros has come to town! Yep, you heard right. While Garreg Mach’s seen its fair share of impostors in the past, none so far have had the gall to impersonate the church’s founder herself. Whoever this lady is, she at the very least looks and sounds the part - she bears a striking beauty beyond words, and a commanding presence to go along with it. Is she here to stage a coup? Or maybe she’s just after the church-sanctioned taxes… Whatever the case, you need to land this broad and her impressively large following in jail like right this second. [Grants Faith +1]

Starter for @verseandrhyme

The name ‘Seiros’ was one strangely familiar to Sothis, as were many of the names featured in the stories told by the church. ‘Seiros’ especially just felt… different. It was so strange to her. Yet, when she heard rumors of someone parading around as Saint Seiros, she immediately began her search. Who is to say that it isn’t her? Maybe she is somehow still alive. Maybe she has answers.

The excitement Sothis couldn’t explain only continued to build as she asked around. One said they saw her in the market. Another says she’s at the church. No two stories of her whereabouts lined up, which only made Sothis more hopeful that she might be the real deal. Maybe the Saints can teleport or something? That seems magical. Magical is probably close enough to saintly. It’s practically the same thing.

The only thing that was able to get her mind off of her task of finding the self proclaimed Saint was a large crowd that began forming a little ways away. She wanted to investigate and see what all the fuss was about, and this want was only furthered by someone shouting “I LOVE YOU SEIROS” from somewhere within the group. Interest justified, Sothis floated as close as she could without phasing through people (because that was just weird for everyone involved), but she couldn’t really tell who was supposed to be the ‘Seiros’ within the sea of people. Turning to the person nearest to her, whether the student cared about the gathering or not, Sothis figured it wouldn’t hurt to ask someone a bit closer to the action. Even if ‘closer’ only meant a few inches.

“Hey. You there. Do you have any idea which of these people this ‘Saint Seiros’ could happen to be?”

[sublimeflowoftime]

Sleepy Battle Royale

Starter for @velouriavonwolfchild

Sothis didn’t understand many things about herself. She didn’t have to do the same things everyone else had to in order to survive. While everyone was eating, she couldn’t even pick up the food. Everyone else had to get ready for the day, she couldn’t remove even the ribbons in her hair if she wanted to. The only thing that she could do with everyone else was sleep. Even then, she didn’t need to, and she didn’t really know if she was sleeping at all. Her dreams seemed to be more real than everyone else’s. It was like she was retreating to another realm, one where all there was was a throne inside an endless void. A realm where the only other person she seen visit before was the professor she seemed to be connected to for reasons unknown.

Despite how odd the situation was, she still found sleep rather relaxing. Sure, she had to fall asleep twice in a way, but she didn’t have to worry about anything until she woke up. It’s hard to stay awake when one is as tired as she constantly feels, anyway. Not that anyone else at this academy seems to understand that. Whenever she attempts to sleep during the day, it’s always: “You’re so lazy Sothis!”, “Sothis, you’re setting a bad example!”, “Sothis, please move out of the doorway, walking through you is scaring some of the kids!”, Or “Sothis be productive.” Rude.

The workaround Sothis had come up with was finding certain spots that people barely visited. It was a win for everyone! She gets to sleep, and… actually it’s just a win for her nobody else benefits from this. But no one is damaged either! Win!

After a long 2 hours of being an awake and helping out around the academy in her own Sothis way, Sothis was floating happily towards one of her nap spots. It was the closest one to her, a shaded spot beneath a tree hidden behind some buildings that most people don’t bother to visit. The perfect place to just turn off for a minute, and not have to worry about anything. At least, it was until she got there and some random student was already in her spot. How dare. Good mood completely ruined by this complete disrespect to her nap time, Sothis angrily floated towards the girl who had stolen her tree shade.

“Just what do you think you’re doing here?!”

[sublimeflowoftime]

Vicarious Reading Session

Starter for @saionofvalflame

The library was a place that Sothis often avoided. All of the books on the shelves and knowledge readily available to grab only served as a reminder to her that she couldn’t grab it, and there was so much she didn’t know. Both in terms of general knowledge, as well as herself. It was to the point that she had almost convinced herself that she didn’t even know where it was, so obviously she couldn’t go there even if she wanted to! It definitely was not one of the first places she stumbled upon when exploring! What’s a library? Sounds dumb. She would much rather continue to bother the various staff members she could find around the academy.

Unfortunately, the staff that she could find didn’t appreciate her genius solution as much as she did. They would often completely ignore her or find some excuse to leave. Not that she really minded. She was bored, and even negative interactions were entertaining. Besides, it seemed like it was a busy day. Despite her complaints, she understood why they wouldn’t entertain her commentary, so she would just find someone else. The current person she was following was walking somewhere, but she didn’t particularly pay attention as to where. It wasn’t until they closed the door behind them as they went to grab a book from the other side of the library did it truly click. Oh. Okay. Sure why not.

Her moment of realization caused her to lose sight of whoever was being tormented advised by her until now. It’s fine, she can just leave. As Sothis reached for the door handle and pulled, nothing happened. Oh. Again. Right. She can’t move anything. Sothis sighed, accepting she was stuck somewhere that didn’t have anything for her to do. Might as well go find the person who led her here. Before she took off on her quest, she noticed a student staring at her. Wasn’t there a class right now or something? How curious.

Sothis wasted no time to float up behind the student, trying to peer over the students shoulder at whatever book was being held at the moment. “Skipping classes, are we? What could possibly be so interesting as to warrant that?”

[sublimeflowoftime]

[Bored]. The receiver rests their arms on the head and shoulders of the sender while pulling a face at the camera

Sothis could hardly suppress a smile when approached by Byleth to take a picture. Sure, they had been forced together by rather strange and potentially unfortunate circumstances, but Sothis truly did enjoy the company of the professor when they had time to spare. Which she did. Quite frequently.

Sothis floated up in the air behind Byleth, following her around being a usual habit for the little ghost NOT A GHOST girl. She pretended to lean her arms against her for the photo, arms actually hovering just above Byleth as to not phase through. Sothis doesn’t actually know for certain if she would phase through Byleth specifically since things seem to be different for her around the professor, but she didn’t feel like finding out.

She stuck her tongue out at the camera, giggling to herself a little. She didn’t know what sort of expression Byleth was making, but part of her hoped it was a serious one. It would be funny if she had no idea what Sothis was doing behind her, although she probably knows better to expect anything else from her.

“Shall we go see our picture, professor? I think you shall find it quite interesting, hehe.“

[sublimeflowoftime]

[SAME]!

Meet Cute/Ugly Prompts

Sothis idly floated down the hallway, glancing into the classroom beside her. She hadn’t expected to wake up in a place as large as this, and she was determined to memorize the layout. She didn’t want a tour guide of some sort, but she couldn’t risk getting lost. Both outcomes would be equally embarrassing for her, resulting in (what she believes to be) people looking down on her. Unacceptable. Even if that weren’t the case, she preferred to do things at her own pace anyway.

She had never seen a classroom before, at least that she could remember, and was rather fascinated. She wished she could reach out and take a book off the shelf, or shift through the papers on the empty desks. It would be truly interesting to see what these students were learning, and perhaps she could get some information herself. Unfortunately, no matter how hard she tried, they wouldn’t budge in the slightest. Pulling out the book, slamming her arms into the side of a stack of paper, blowing air on a random student’s forgotten assignment in an attempt to have it fly away, nothing. Even the smallest feather lost by a stray bird felt as though it was heavier than the world itself.

Sothis let out a sigh. She didn’t want to give up, but she knew she wasn’t going to get anywhere without someone else assisting her, and it’s not as though she would ever ask anyone. That defeats the whole purpose of avoiding a tour guide! Just as she was about to leave the room, she noticed a lance rolling on the ground by the classroom door. “My, my. How curious…” She floated over the the weapon, and reached out, having already forgotten her unfortunate circumstance for what is likely the millionth time at this point. Just as her hand closed around the lance’s handle, another hand phased through hers and grabbed it in the exact same spot.

Surprised, Sothis jerked her hand back, letting go of the lance in the process. “Ah! Sigh… I shall never grow accustomed to such occurrences…” Sothis glanced back up in search of the owner of the hand, and saw an even more shocked student. At least… she thinks that’s a student. It’s hard for her to tell the difference between all these people. “Is that your lance? Really, you must take more care when handling the things that belong to you! Especially weaponry! What were you thinking?!” It doesn’t really matter to Sothis what people do with weapons, they can’t exactly hurt her as far as she knows, yet she still feels that’s probably not a good thing to be careless with. Sothis notices how uncomfortable the student seems, sighs again. It is their first time meeting... Perhaps she can let up a bit, just this once. “It matters not. As long as you have learned your lesson, then it’s fine.” It is then that Sothis is suddenly hit with an idea, and she smiles at the student. “However… you clearly must go over proper safety procedures once more! Do not worry, I will help you. You are most fortunate, for here, in this very classroom, is a book that will be exactly what you so obviously and desperately require! Now, come with me.” Sothis giggles a bit. “I am Sothis. You are welcome, by the way.”

[sublimeflowoftime]

[ Laugh ] - Laughing makes for a natural smile, and so the sender tries to make the receiver laugh for the photo.

Exiting the photo booth, Sothis is almost immediately stopped by a familiar house leader wanting to take a photo. Sure, they may not have spoken much, but why not? She was already here.

What she hadn’t expected from what she thought would be a normal picture was for the student to start telling her absolutely horrible jokes. So bad in fact, that she couldn’t help but laugh, leaving her spot in the picture rather blurry as she had trouble floating in the same spot due to her laughter.

“HAHA…Ha…ha… We must get you a better comedy routine if you are to continue this way. Best not to quit your day job.”