#and I also mean that earnestly when I said I’d happily watch a show centred around Queen Charlotte because I love her costumes and though I

[froggi-mushroom]

I have a couple of personal qualms with Bridgerton’s costumes but because I’m not in the mood to bitch about it and I don’t think I have enough knowledge about regency fashion to accurately critique it, I’m gonna list off a few things I actually like about them instead:

1) For the most part, the costumes do capture the regency vibe and silhouette

2) I like that there’s not just pastels, but a range of colours and patterns. Sure, the majority of the costumes do fall into the pastel colour range but still, it’s nice to see a few darker colours here and there

3) Despite my issue with Queen Charlotte’s wardrobe being painfully out of date, I actually really like her costumes. In fact, I think her costumes may actually be my favourite of the entire show, I like how her dresses look more expensive and extravagant than the other characters. And I like how her style is distinctly rococo but uses modern fabrics, and I love her wigs and how they’ve taken outrageous 18th century wigs and reimagined them to suit how a black Queen would’ve worn them at the time. In fact, had the show been set in the Rococo era and centred around Queen Charlotte, I’d probably have barely any problems with the costumes

[frozenartscapes]

@patricia-von-arundel Funny we got talking about Rhea and Millie because I had this in the works for a few days before that. Now I want to do one for the two of them.

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Edelgard and Flayn didn’t get along too well at first. But Byleth wanted it. So they both begrudgingly agreed to tolerate each other. Edelgard was wary about where Flayn’s alliances lie, and who Flayn is. Flayn had learned more about Edelgard’s motivations, but she’s still not sure if she can forgive the forcefulness in which the Emperor overthrew the Church. But they both love Byleth, and Byleth wants them to get along.

And then a small, fragile brown-haired girl appeared in the Emperor’s life and something changed.

Flayn watched from a distance as the fearsome Emperor of Fodlan laughed and played with her little girl, a broad smile on her face and lilac eyes as warm as the sun. It was a far cry from the cold, merciless war machine she once was. Rather than swinging that monstrous axe around she was hoisting her precious girl high above her head, giggling just as much as the child did. It reminded Flayn of someone she knew, once. Someone she had lost, but tried to remember always.

It turned out Millie liked fishing. Byleth had introduced it to her, and it became one of her favourite non-weapon-based pastimes. It was calming, and Millie would enjoy the peace after a day of training. She also enjoyed learning about the fish, not just catching them. Sometimes she’d even bring a sketchbook down to the river and draw her catches, recording their size and colour for added measure.

It came as a surprise one day when, as Flayn headed down to the river to do some fishing of her own, she heard the sound of happy giggling behind her. She turned to spot Millie racing toward her, fishing pole in tow. With Edelgard.

“Are you going fishing, too, Aunty Flayn?” Millie asked as she skidded to match Flayn’s slower pace.

“I am,” Flayn replied, eyeing Edelgard warily, “Erm… Where is Byleth? Doesn’t she normally go fishing with you?”

“Normally she would,” Edelgard answered, her voice level and neutral, “But Byleth has been called out of town on an unexpected mission. She should be back in a few days, but-”

“But we’re gonna miss the silver-scaled lacefins! They only show up in the rivers around Enbarr twice a year!” Millie interrupted, her voice taking on a desperate edge.

“Ooh! That sounds interesting! I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a fish like that,” Flayn gasped, clasping her hands together in joy at the thought of such a wondrous creature.

“Well, come on! I’ll show you!” Millie cried excitedly, grabbing one of Flayn’s hands and pulling her along.

“Oh! I… Um…” Flayn shot a glance back at Edelgard. She was more than aware that the Emperor was more protective of Millie than a dragon is with its treasure, and she certainly didn’t want to get caught up in anything.

But Edelgard merely smiled and held up a book she had brought with her to keep busy. “You two go ahead,” she said warmly, “I’ll be under that tree if you need me.”

Flayn blinked in surprise. Her mind tried to process what just happened, but Millie tugged on her hand again and before she knew it Flayn was supervising the Emperor’s daughter on the banks of the river. Granted, Edelgard was still within sight, but for once Flayn was the responsible adult in this situation.

If only Seteth could see her now!

Millie had a knack for fishing. For someone with so much energy, she sure could sit still and patient for a long time. She was also gentle. She wasn’t looking to catch fish for food, rather to observe. So once she pulled them from the water she would ever so carefully remove the hook from their mouths and hold them just long enough to get a quick sketch, before gently depositing them back in the river.

“Mama told me we have plenty of fish to eat back at the palace,” she said once, “So there’s no need to needlessly hurt these guys. Even if some of them are pretty tasty.”

“Doesn’t your Mom still fish for food?” Flayn asked with a confused frown.

“Shh! Mama doesn’t know about that!”

The pair remained on the end of the dock on the riverbank for some time, long enough for the blue sky to turn golden in hue. Between the two of them, they had caught quite a number of fish. Including the elusive silver-scaled one Millie had so desperately wanted to see.

“Thank you for fishing with me, Aunty Flayn,” Millie said with a large smile, the gap in her teeth making it extra goofy.

“You are very welcome, Millie,” Flayn replied with a laugh, “Though, I hope I wasn’t getting in the way of any bonding between you and your mother.”

“Mama doesn’t really care for fishing,” Millie said with a shrug.

“She doesn’t like fish?”

“She doesn’t like water.” Millie leaned in closer, beckoning for Flayn to do the same. Then she whispered: “She can’t swim.”

“Ahhh. I see,” Flayn sighed, maintaining the illusion of secrecy. Though she really hadn’t known that. To think…the whole war could have been stopped before it began if someone had just pushed Edelgard into the monastery pond…

Footsteps on the wooden dock caught their attention, and they turned to spot the Emperor stretching out her limbs after spending the afternoon seated under a tree. Flayn noted how, despite it being a fairly short dock that didn’t go too far into the river, Edelgard still only had taken about two steps onto it.

“And what might you two be scheming about?” she asked, a sly smile on her face.

“Nothing, Mama,” Millie said innocently.

“Did you see your fish, my little love?”

“I did!” Millie held up her sketchbook triumphantly. “I got lots of good drawings! See!”

“Beautiful, Millie!” Edelgard praised. There was something about the way her smile reached her eyes, the way her voice filled with love and pride that made Flayn’s heart squeeze. “You’ll have to show your mother your drawings when she gets back.”

Millie nodded eagerly. “Aunty Flayn helped me colour this one!” she added proudly, pointing to an illustration that had detailed shading on it.

“You should thank your Aunt for all her help today.” Flayn wasn’t sure what got her more: the fact that Edelgard referred to her as Millie’s aunt or just how motherly her tone was.

She was brought out of her head by a pair of small arms flinging around her waist. “Thank you, Aunty Flayn!” Millie cried happily, squeezing her “aunt” tight.

“Oh! You’re very welcome, Millie,” Flayn replied, hugging back for good measure.

“Now, as much as I hate to break up the fun, we had best return to the palace,” Edelgard said with a sigh, “It’s getting close to dinnertime and I worry that if we’re not back soon Hubert might send out a search party.”

Millie pouted slightly, but began collecting her things without any protest. “Are you gonna come back with us, Aunty Flayn?” she asked earnestly as she stood up.

“Oh… I…” Flayn eyed Edelgard anxiously, who in return was no help in directing her toward a good choice. “I suppose I can head back in that direction. I have to go that way to get home, anyway,” she replied.

That was much to Millie’s delight, and it wasn’t long before the three of them were heading back toward Embarr’s town centre and the main road to the palace. Flayn was heading a little out of her way from her cottage just outside of town, but she was enjoying the company. Millie was ahead of them by a few paces, every so often darting off the path to collect a flower to present to her mother or aunt, depending on who she thought would appreciate it better.

“I have to thank you,” Edelgard said softly, breaking the silence that had been between them since they left the river, “She really was looking forward to that fishing trip and when Byleth got called away… Well, I was not.”

“I suppose it was good fortune that our paths crossed,” Flayn replied, her voice a little stiff from nerves. Edelgard was as impossible as ever to read, and she didn’t want to make the walk awkward.

Still, Edelgard tipped her head slightly in thought, bringing one hand up to her chin as an amused smile graced her lips. “Perhaps it was good for our paths to cross as they did,” she mused.

Flayn raised an eyebrow in confusion, but before she could ask anything, Edelgard continued: “I would understand if you decline, and I wouldn’t want to interfere with any other plans you might have had tonight, but… How would you like to join us for dinner at the palace?”

“R…really? I wouldn’t want to impose!” Flayn gasped, never expecting such an invite from her of all people.

Edelgard nodded toward Millie, who was up ahead, watching a butterfly landing on a carnation. “It would mean a lot to Millie. She adores spending time with you,” she said, the love for her daughter written all over the voice and face. She paused, and she pulled her gaze away to meet Flayn’s eyes. “And… I feel as though we’ve gotten off on the wrong foot. I’d…I’d like to start trying to make amends. And…get to know you. If that’s all right with you.”

“I…I would love that, Edelgard!” Flayn said, still hesitant but feeling a smile growing on her face.

Edelgard returned with a smile of her own, one pure and warm that the stoic Emperor seemed to reserve only for those she cared most about. It would seem that Flayn had made that list.

“Good. And you are more than welcome to join us again, whenever you like,” Edelgard told her.

“As long as I don’t have to cook anything,” Flayn said with a laugh, “I am afraid I couldn’t cook a good meal to save my life!”

Edelgard chuckled in response. “I understand. I myself am no longer allowed in the kitchens after the last time I tried to surprise Byleth with a meal.”

“Was it really that bad?”

“Well… The food might have been fine but sadly one of the kitchen prep tables didn’t survive after I attempted to chop carrots…with an axe.”

Flayn burst out in laughter, unable to contain herself at the mental image. “So we’re both not allowed in kitchens! It would seem we have more in common than I first thought,” she said with a happy sigh.

“Indeed,” Edelgard agreed, “And I look forward to learning more.”

“Me too.” Flayn met the Emperor’s gaze with a warm smile. “Me too.”