#ch: byleth

[strawberrychevalier]

byleth is pretty and i like her

[reimulin]

drops the most insane kin list known to man and dips

[eisbyl]

reading byleth fics where ops make byleth blush and fumble and stutter when shes in love.........none of you GET IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[jackienautism]

[fireemblems24]

Golden Wildfire Ch 11

On we go to ch 11. Things are . . . uh . . . interesting.

MAIN STORY

So if you didn't see ch 10, I failed to recruit Byleth. I retried the level a few time, but honestly I just want to finish this game so I didn't bother.

Plus, the reason I failed was that Claude just sat there instead of moving forward on the escort mission, which got really frustrating, and honestly I didn't want to bother.

Ugh, I don't want to fight the Kingdom.

So those Houses that wanted to defect to the Kingdom didn't because Claude's battle was that bloody in that fire map.

Poor Dimitri and co seems like he's just betting bullied for no real reason by two imperialistic maniacs.

I love how Arval is getting snooty over Shez getting credit for their tactics lamo.

Man, this dialogue is dragging.

So Nadar is going to cause diplomatic chaos by utilizing the Almyran army without getting real permission.

Wait, Claude riled up Sreng? So much for "ending racism" lamo. Wasn't having two cultures not be prejudice against each other like his MO? The writers really just threw him in the trash, hunh.

I feel so bad for Claude fans. He's really a piece of work in this.

MAP/SIDE STUFF

Everyone missing Judith has a lot more punch than Randolph. Even Monica was like "get over it" to Fleche (but nicely).

So, let me make sure I have this right. Mr. I Want to End Prejudice Between Cultures just provoked Sreng into attacking the Kingdom so Edelgard can take it over because Rhea is the reason for everything bad. Did I get that right?

Unlike SB, GW is entertaining as hell, but man is the logic here is just non-existant. And poor Claude RIP.

Like, I know I'm biased and all, but I don't see how you're supposed to be the heroes and not Dimitri here. The people just defending themselves are getting attacked on all 3 fronts for the crime of *existing.*

Not going to lie. I kinda wish Claude didn't side with you in AG either. It would've been hype to kick everyone's ass as Dimitri after getting cornered by all these land-grabbers.

GW!Claude is really just the mean girl's sidekick. 😂

If Felix and Rodrigue die in this chapter I swear to God . . . (I just remembered Rodrigue is dead in SB now 😭 - LET THIS MAN SURVIVE).

I had to fight Felix in a side mission. Lysithea said they had to "defend this place" - like, girl, you are invading.

When the challenge is "you can't dodge" but you're using Lorenz 😌👌 (FYI, he just does not take damage in this game)

SHEZ & HILDA A SUPPORT

They're talking about how Hilda exerted energy in a battle because she worried about Shez.

Hilda claims it's just self-defense bc she was cheering for Shez on the front lines and enemies were there (honestly, this is pretty boring so far)

It's the same-old Hilda claiming she's weak but that not being true.

SHEZ & CONSTANCE C SUPPORT

I know she's an Empire character, but whatever.

She wants to create new magics to restore her noble house and wants to research Shez bc of their weird magic

Lamo, Constance low-key called us dumb

Shez suggests she get her house back through military accomplishments.

Constance refuses to train right now, she wants to at night (it's her dual personality thing, right?)

CLAUDE & LYSITHEA B SUPPORT

Their first one. Claude's unhappy Lysithea charged in the last battle. But Lysithea kicked ass, so she's upset with Claude.

Claude calls her plan dumb and that he thought Lysithea was smarter than that. Lysithea still argues it ended earlier bc of her.

Lysithea doesn't back down.

Honestly, I side with her here. Claude's being patronizing. And it's rich of him not to care about all the other deaths dragging out the battle would cause and only Lysithea dying because she's *important*

CLAUDE & HOLST A SUPPORT

Oof, this one hurts. Claude accuses the church of creating all the systems to serve their own interests, because he doesn't know the truth here. That the Empire actually created most of it, and that all the church ever did was protect a genocided race from being murdered by more power-hungry humans.

It's also hysterical to hear Claude talk about wanting to improve foreign relations while instigating a war between two cultures.

Oof, Holst doesn't care about any of this. He's only worried Claude's going to send Hilda to marry a big, brown, scary foreigner. NOT a good look.

Holst says he cares more about Hilda's future than the whole Alliance. Yikes.

HILDA & HOLST A SUPPORT

They're preparing a feast.

Oh, it's nice to see Hilda's insecurities about Holst's "perfection" come up in this, bc so far she hadn't said much.

After that last support though, Holst is actually a pretty shitty leader.

Holst wants to make the feast all about Hilda instead of himself though. Hilda likes the attention.

Hilda basically had to set up her own feast lol.

HILDA & LINHARDT A SUPPORT

Hilda's cleaning, and Linhardt's honestly upset that he's lost a fellow lazy person.

Hilda claims she never pushes work on people. That, is a lie.

Linhardt is mostly worried how bad it'll look if he's the only one not working instead one of two.

All this support confirms that Linhardt is by far the superior lazy.

LORENZ & LYSITHEA A SUPPORT

Their only support.

So, not related to their support (and watch it counter it), but I find it pretty amusing how getting a leadership position faster matured Felix and Sylvain, but Lorenz is still a bit of a joke and the butt-end of every support he's in.

He's just bragging about how awesome his position and power is.

Lysithea says she's not inheriting her house. She claims it's because she doesn't like what comes with nobility, but we all know why.

She worried that the land will go to chaos without it's leaders though. Lorenz offers help (which, imo, he's actually mature here!)

Lorenz suspects she's turning it down for another reason and encourages her to rely on others to help.

RAPHAEL & LEONIE B SUPPORT

Raphael keeps snapping bows in half when he uses them. Leonie's shocked.

Leonie seems to actually make one and invites Raphael to test it while on guard duty with her.

IGNATZ & MARIANNE B SUPPORT

Marianne found his picture. He puts it down, but she likes it (it's a horse, well a pegasus, but of course)

Ignatz gets carried away talking about it, but Marianne finds it cute.

Ignatz finds Marianne loving pegasus cute. She blushes.

He wants Marianne's help, helping him paint a pegasus bc they don't like men, but if Marianne is around he can get closer and get a better painting. She's happy to help.

Honestly, this whole support is really cute.

MAIN BATTLE/STORY

It sucks having to attack the Kingdom over and over again when all they want to do is exist in peace.

Oh, joy, Nadar wants to plunder Faerghus. I can see why Fodlan is so evil for not wanting to let them do what they will.

GW really had a chance here to finally do something interesting with Almyra. It even marketed itself as a route that WOULD. But instead it's just doubled-down on Almyra being a one-note lawless place full of barbarians. At least we have Brigid and Duscur so the only brown country isn't some racist stereotype. Since it's only 1 of 3, it's not AS bad of a look.

Fuck. I don't want to kill Felix and Rodrigue. It would be one thing if the Kingdom actually provoked this, but Felix and Rodrigue haven't done anything to deserve this.

I get to recruit Ashe again. Is he miserable here too?

Ugh, I was hoping Felix and Rodrigue weren't here. It seems vastly unfair that it's only Kingdom characters who die for reel in this.

Wow. Claude's really an A-class asshole. He told Ashe to surrender because Dimitri wouldn't want him to die. Maybe don't invade for no reason then?

Is Claude also going to single Felix out as a citizen of Faerghus who deserves to live? Or does only Ashe count and not the nobles and unnamed grunts he's slaughtering because he decided to team up with the person who plans on taking over his rule? (not hate to Ashe at all, I honestly feel awful for him in this game)

Ok, so fighting Felix is just a side quest. I'd rather fail a side quest than fight Felix so, going to try to avoid having to kill him. Ugh, he's attacking the engineers. And he's damn right saying he has every right to kill the people who are invading his home.

Thank God, he just retreated.

I still love how Claude got bent out of shape over Ashe, but Lorenz alone has killed 500 citizens of Faerghus this chapter so . . .

Felix is so worried about Rodrigue. I swear the writers wanted you to feel like shit playing this route.

Oh, fuck. Just when I thought I was finished killing people for defending themselves, Daddy Gautier shows up :( He's sacrificing himself to safe Felix and Rodrigue, isn't he?

Oh, fuck. He died for real 😭

It's really hard to like these characters, making mindless chit-chat after killing Sylvain's daddy. I hope Sylvain fucks them up a new one.

I've never wanted to slap a character more than I'd love to slap Claude right now. The moron has the audacity to be surprised people are going to die while he's invading a foreign country. What a fucking stupid moron.

He's also blaming - get this right - chivalry.

I'm like. I'm speechless right now.

That's right guys. Margrave Gautier died defending his king, his country, his home, and most importantly one of his fucking best friends from an asshole invader. But it's CULTURE'S fault he died.

I'm really confused what the hell Claude thinks he's doing. Does he REALLY think killing Rhea will magically allow people to live as they please? Didn't he grow up in another country where they had princes and shit and NO Rhea?? All he's doing is making Edelgard's take over easier.

This is starting to feel like a borderline spoof. Look at us end the war by invading another nation!!! I mean???

What's his plan? Kill everyone in Faerghus - profit - "freedom" from Rhea - Edelgard takes over - no profit???

The writing in this route has gotten really fucking stupid. Like, I LIKE the idea of evil!Claude. Either a Claude who wants to take over all of Fodlan or one who's ruthless and will do anything to preserve Leicester.

But what I don't like is really fucking dumb Claude, which is what GW's devolved into.

Oh, God, now we get a flashback between father and son. Sylvain and Gautier :(

Sylvain better not be fucking recruitable in this route.

Now Sylvain's in charge 😭😭😭😭

I'm convinced someone who's a major Edelgard stan wrote the larger plot of this, but then a Dimitri stan wrote the actual dialogue 😅

We really go from one moment Claude being like - it's Rhea's fault Gautier died bc Kingdom culture bad because church bad to Sylvain being like, naw, he died defending his friends.

At the very least, I'll give Hopes credit here. At least they didn't write anyone opposing Edelgard as either evil or like they're idiots for resisting invasion, but I almost feel like they made the Kingdom especially too sympathetic which makes Edelgard look more interesting (since SB is more honest than CF) and Claude just look like a bozo. Rhea just doesn't look like anything since she's not even here.

Though, I REALLY wish Claude didn't side with us in AG. I really wish we got to see Faerghus backed into a corner and kick everyone's asses. They've very much the underdog and watching them do that would've been awesome.

Felix and Rodrigue are beating themselves up over this.

See, this is what I mean - Sylvain just said he's reserving all his hatred for the foreign invaders who take everything for no reason - I really feel like a Dimitri fan saw how everyone collectively decided to take a dump on the Kingdom in the big plot and got revenge by making everyone look like villains (or morons in Claude's case) for doing so in the writing.

xxx

[mousegard]

Hello! I'm a big fan of your Edelgard fics, especially An Eagle Among Lions. I'm almost halfway through my first re-read of it, and I had a burning question about one of your plot points that I could never properly make sense of my first time through.

When Desdinova Claude died in his world, and his consciousness was shunted permanently into 'Fodlan Alpha' Claude's body, eventually causing full ego death for Fodlan Alpha Claude, why or how did Desdinova Claude then have his white hair and the Crest of Flames in Fodlan Alpha Claude's body? It's inconsistent with Edelgard's consciousness transference in that way. I had assumed that the difference in consistency with these two phenomenon is in the fact that Desdinova Claude had died in his world, but I'm just not certain that's the case. An Eagle Among Lions can be intensely cerebral at times, and I think perhaps I missed a detail somewhere? I love this story, and I want you to know that this prodding isn't just seeking to throw a plot hole up in your face, rather it is from a genuine desire to understand your work better. If you do not wish to explain this to me, simply informing me if I missed something or not would would be deeply appreciated, as I am currently rereading this fic (im at ch 38!)

Thanks for taking the time to read this! Have a good day!

thanks for asking! according to eal's timeline hopping mechanics, when the dead half of a time traveling pair takes control of the remaining living body, they are capable of manifesting the physical traits of their dead body. for example, if edelgard died in fodlan alpha and erased ellie after the lizard boot camp arc, it would be possible for her to manifest traits of her dragon form in fodlan beta. on the opposite end, if ellie were to die while in fodlan beta before the crest removal procedure, she would likely be able to manifest edelgard's twin crests in fodlan alpha just as desdinova can.

it's not confirmed that the dead half always causes the ego death of the live half, that was just claude's experience and he's the only data point. desdinova is "trust nobody, not even yourself" personified so it stands to reason that the two claudes ended up in a situation where the two minds couldn't coexist.

i suppose it's possible that a time traveling pair in this situation could end up in a sort of yami yugi situation instead or even a sothis/byleth or arval/shez situation depending on the state of mind both halves of the pair are in at the time. but it's a crapshoot and unfortunately desdinova just spends the entire fic drawing the worst possible hand all the time from a stacked deck until he can be freed from the cycle of the time loop that engineered his existence.

enjoy your reread! have fun with lizard boot camp!

[wolfraven80]

Ch 18: Edelgard and Byleth each face the aftermath of recent events.

[bayalexison]

[FE3H Fic] The Azure Queen, Ch 5

Snow Queen AU for Dimileth Trick or Treat. After their father was murdered, twins Byleth and Reus Eisner travel around Fodlan to investigate. During their search, they got ambushed by two demons and kidnap Reus.

Several years ago Prince Dimitri was sentenced to death, but that was a lie to the public. Instead he's a demon working for Cornelia until he reunites with Byleth. He joins with her group and they go rescue Reus together.

In this chapter, Byleth and her group made it to Fhirdiad and confront Cornelia. While there, they learn what her plans for Byleth and Reus are.

Excerpt: They eventually stopped and Dimitri gestured to the cell in front of them. Byleth's chest tightened as there was no one there. She glanced over her shoulder to see Balthus and Hapi's confused expressions as Dimitri's face stiffened.

"The cell is empty!" Balthus glared at Dimitri. "Are you sure this is the right cell, pal?"

"I am certain," Dimitri said with an unwavering voice.

"Are we too late, then?" Byleth asked.

"Sometimes the guards take Reus to another room for experiments. I have an idea which one. We should--"

"Halt, who goes there?"

You can read Chapter Five over at AO3!

[lilyway]

Heart of the Sea {Dimitri x F!Byleth} CH 1

Summary:

In Dimitri's youth, there were stories of merfolk along the coasts of Fodlan. Creatures of power that controlled the oceans. With a twist of fate, he manages to find himself saved by one. Unknown to him, they keep meeting time and time again. All through his youth, he kept meeting the girl with long pointed ears with eyes that reminded him of the ocean.

She's always there every summer, always as mysterious as the ocean, always fiddling with something. With her disappearance in their early teens, all the prince has is the jewel she left him. He's determined to find her and she's determined to kill the human she found accidentally tangling her fate with. Warnings: Child Endangerment. *Sylvain, Ingrid, Glenn, Dimitri and Byleth are children at the start*

Chapter 1: The Dangers of the Sea 

As the warm winds of summer swept through the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus, the house of Blaiddyd made the trip to their coastal manor by the northern coast. Their manor was in Fraldarius territory, the Duke Rodrigue Achille Fraldarius, was a close friend of the king and they often spent the summers together as one big family. Of course, it was just a refuge from the rigors of their royal responsibilities.

This summer was particularly rough on Faerghus and it made Lambert unable to walk away from his royal duties for a week or two. Such was life when it came to being a king of a nation. Sacrifices had to be made and as much as it bothered his son. Deep down, the crown prince would understand in time. When you’re king, your kingdom comes first before your family. 

That’s what King Lambert would’ve expected his son to do. However, Dimitri was over the moon to have the manor to himself and his closest friends. They would have the manor to themselves until this father appeared in three weeks' time. Until then, Dimitri would be under the care of Duke Rodrigue. Who would bring his two sons, Glenn and Felix. Count Gunnar would bring his daughter Ingrid. Their carriages would arrive days apart, however only Duke Rodrigue would stay as he waited for Lambert’s arrival. Gunnar trusted Rodrigue enough to entrust his daughter’s safety. Margrave Matthias, begrudgingly allowed his youngest son Sylvain to come – he couldn’t deny a request from Lambert. 

Crown Prince Dimitri was the last one to arrive at his family's summer manor. The air carried the sweet scent of blooming flowers, now that they were finally free from the thick layers of snow. Dimitri had his eyes glued to the window of his carriage watching the scenery slowly change to a similar one. 

The large manor quickly came into view as Rodrigue waited outside for the prince with the children waiting a few feet behind him. Ingrid was standing in front of the boys waving at the carriage as it approached. Sylvain quickly joined in and started yelling that his carriage was so slow that he could probably outrun it. His comment made Glenn snicker as Felix seemed ever so stoic. 

The children quickly ran off when Dimitri officially arrived and greeted Rodrigue. They’d hardly spend any time apart outside of getting their needed sleep for the night. Studying, training, and exploring the area around the manor together. The kids were inseparable. Especially Ingrid and Glenn who were engaged by the time Ingrid was born. Sylvain was glued to Felix and Dimitri as the boys led the group. 

During the evenings the children would sit around the fire of the reading room and tell stories. Myths, scary stories, or just whatever fun story they read. They’d take turns every night to spin their stories however they liked and often they were always stories of heroic knights. However, tonight Sylvain had something different in store. The tale Sylvain had spun was one of horror, man-eating monsters that lived around the shores of Fodlan’s coasts. Creatures that ate the flesh of men and made wives into widows. Explaining the dangers of traveling by boat and how the ships were wrecked or abandoned without a soul on board. It had left the trio of younger children shaking and jumpy. 

The children wanted a happy story to lull them to sleep and Glenn was happy to oblige them with the original tale. Glenn gave Sylvain a good headlock squeeze until the poor boy was apologizing to the group. 

The tale went like this. 

During Fodlan’s founding years, there were sightings of merfolk along the shoreline of Adrestia. Powerful creatures were born with an excess of power and an appearance that seemed to lure people into the sea. They were powerful enough to stop any ship from crossing the ocean and controlled the shorelines. 

However, when Nemesis started his war against the cruel and wicked gods of the land the merfolk aided him. They created relics that slayed them with ease and disappeared. Even with their disappearances, they had left them the relics and prayers for their success. 

Sometimes, those with a pure heart may see a merfolk on the coastline of any of the three major powers. 

Glenn's maturing voice seemed to lull most of the children to sleep as Sylvain let out a dramatic yawn. “ Annd , everyone’s asleep. Glenn the sleep master strikes again !” 

The older boys went to their routine of finding something to keep their friends warm and comfortable as they laid on the fluffy rug. “I wouldn’t call myself a ‘sleep master’,” Glenn replied with a goofy smile. “It’s already late and they were already tired.”

“So, you told them that lame story?” Sylvain wasn’t fond of the original tale, it made the idea of beautiful mermaids too appealing. 

Glenn let out a heartful chuckle. “Perhaps, if someone didn’t frighten them. I wouldn’t have to.” 

Sylvain had a grin plastered on his face and it told Glenn he was going to be subjected once again to Sylvain’s mischief. "So, Glenn, do you really   think there are no blood-sucking mermaids out there?"

Glenn chuckled, his perfect knight persona never cracking as he picked up Ingrid. "What proof do you have, Sylvain?"

"The shipwrecks off Leicester’s coast! Survivors said they saw mermaids luring their men into the sea," Sylvain retorted, his eyes sparkling with excitement. Glenn sighed, he really thought that was proof enough to convince him. 

"Those same people claimed they saw sea dragons. Those aren't mermaids, Sylvain. Those are sirens," Glenn calmly explained. There was a part of the squire, who wished to have his friend’s childishness. 

Sylvain dismissed the distinction with a pout, "Who cares? There's no difference."

"There's plenty," Glenn insisted. "I remember my father saying they investigated those deaths."

"Were their bodies ever found?" Sylvain inquired, leaning in with a glint of curiosity. Glenn had to step back to keep Sylvain's face away from Ingrid. 

Glenn, his gaze serious, replied, "No bodies were ever found.” 

“Told you! Mermaids got to them!” Sylvain’s triumphant grin made it impossible for Glenn to respond, telling him how incorrect he was. 

“Just help me get them to bed.” They were about to leave to fetch a servant to help them. When Rodrigue was at the door about to knock, when they opened it. 

Rodrigue took the young prince and left his youngest to Sylvain to carry back. Even though Sylvain was walking a few steps behind Rodrigue and Glenn something was bubbling in his core. Something vile that made him feel incompetent when he stared at Glenn. But, when his eyes shifted to Ingrid there was envy or maybe it was jealousy that she was so close to him. 

All of his friends idolized him, hell, he did too. Glenn was the perfect knight in the making and he was born lucky to have his crest. The crest that was ruining his life, made Glenn even more perfect. Sylvain hoped, maybe the morning would be kinder to him and make him forget his shortcomings. But, Glenn made them difficult to ignore. 

♣

The morning came with promises of taking a trip to the beach with everything it had to offer. This trip to the beach wouldn’t be a normal one, it was an adventure skywards on the backs of pegasuses. Traveling up to the clouds to the caves of the cove. It would be a memorable adventure that’s for sure. 

However, Dimitri and his friends soon discovered these creatures were known to be fickle. Particularly, when it came to men. The preference for female riders was evident, but the children, undeterred, sought to befriend the winged creatures.

Rodrigue, recognizing the need for supervision, took on the responsibility of guiding the children on their Pegasus-riding expedition. Explaining in detail how to gain the animals trust and affection. That it would take time and he'd half expected it to take a few hours. 

It served as a momentary escape from his duties, a chance to indulge in the simple joys of the beach near the manor. The soft sandy beaches and crystal-clear waters created a picturesque backdrop for a cup of tea and a good book.

As the children approached the pegasuses, each displayed their unique approach to gaining the creatures' trust. Ingrid, with her natural affinity for animals, effortlessly mounted her pegasus, showcasing an instant connection. Sylvain, though gifted with horses of the grounded variety, struggled to appease the fickle creature beneath him. Dimitri, embodying a surprising softness, worked diligently to build the trust of his companion. 

Glenn chose to stay by Sylvain's side, a decision rooted in their desire to protect the group. As the oldest amongst them, they felt the responsibility to protect them. Recognizing that they made their decision and chose to delay their fun. As the best swimmers in the group, they positioned themselves closest to the water and chose to act as potential lifeguards. 

Ingrid and Dimitri, with bright wide smiles, sat atop their pegasuses, radiating joy that warmed Rodrigue's heart. The sense of accomplishment was evident as Rodrigue held onto the reins, watching over the children with a sense of pride.

“Felix, are you coming?” Dimitri called out to his friend, who stood on the sidelines with his arms crossed, a clear sign of his reluctance.

Ingrid, always trying to encourage her friends, motioned her steed toward Felix. “Come on, Felix! Stop sulking ,” She scolded, leaning over to offer him a hand up on her pegasus.

Felix, however, remained steadfast in his refusal. "There's no way I'm getting on one of those things," He spat, a stubborn scowl on his face. Even the animal felt bad for the child and nudged him with her snout. 

Ingrid, determined to change his mind, insisted, “She's more than gentle. You're not going to fall, I promise.” 

Before Felix could retort, Glenn, demonstrating his supportive nature, jogged over. “She's right, Felix. You'll be fine. I'll be right behind you.” With that, he effortlessly lifted Felix and placed him behind Ingrid.

"You'll have fun," Dimitri chimed in with a carefree smile, trying to lighten the mood. "Ease up a little, Felix."

“Shut it.” Felix's poor behavior made Ingrid shoot him with a dirty look. 

Felix’s words made Dimitri’s smile widen. “Trust me. You’ll have fun.” 

“Whatever.” 

Felix grumbled but begrudgingly held onto Ingrid as the Pegasus began to move. In the air, surrounded by the gentle beat of wings and the expansive view of the beach below, Felix's initial resistance seemed to fade. Ingrid shot him a look, silently urging him to relax and enjoy the experience.

Ingrid, leading the way with grace and confidence, guided her Pegasus through the open skies. Dimitri closely trailing behind, trying to not be left behind. The older kids watched, their eyes filled with a mix of awe and anticipation, knowing that they too would be able to join in the fun. Sylvain and Glenn, with promises made, prepared to return to their horses and went back to the endless fight to gain their trust. 

As Ingrid and Dimitri soared over the water, they chose the scenic route, the vast expanse of the ocean stretching out beneath them. The horses, if the children were tall enough, they might have been able to graze the surface of the ocean with their hands. The smell of saltwater hung thick in the wind, blending with the excitement of soaring through the sky.

The two Pegasuses raced each other, their powerful wings slicing through the air. Dimitri, focused and occasionally glancing back to check on Ingrid and Felix, as he urged his horse to go faster. The competitive spirit between them made them unable to notice their recklessness. As they traveled further into the open sea, the shoreline seemed to vanish behind them. 

Ingrid had managed to help Felix overcome his initial fear. He was no longer clinging to her waist in terror and looking around him. The group's laughter and shouts echoed over the waves as they reveled in their fun. The group seemed completely unaware of the danger they were actively flying into. 

The once-clear sky began to darken ominously, too quickly to be natural. The black skies formed quickly to consume the bright blues. It was a clear sign to most that the weather was changing and changing quickly. However, the children being too immersed in their fun and giggling failed to notice. 

Finally being able to soothe their mounts, Glenn and Sylvain were quick to mount and chase after their friends. They had to call them back and tell them their trip to the beach was cut short. There seemed to be a nasty storm rolling in and that made travel by Pegasus dangerous. 

The urgency in the older boys' voices cut through their fun. “Your Highness! Felix! Ingrid!” Their voices reached Ingrid and Felix's ears as they raced through the skies. “Turn around! Go back to the beach! It’s not safe!”

The warning reached them successfully,  prompting Ingrid and Felix to turn their Pegasuses around. Dimitri, a few yards ahead, was blissfully unaware of the impending danger as the others desperately tried to get his attention. Dimitri glanced back and realized that his friends had stopped. They had their hands cupped over their mouths, hoping that their voices would reach them. There something was wrong and Dimitri couldn't help but looked up to see the storm quickly rolling in and stopping his mount. 

Dimitri was quick to turn back around and fly back to his friends. The closer he got the clearer the warning became. Dimitri finally saw the concern etched on his friends' faces. Although he couldn't hear their words, the urgency in their gestures made him urge his Pegasus to fly faster. The skies, once clear, began to darken at an unnatural speed, a foreboding sign that echoed Sylvain's tales from the night before.

"Ingrid, turn around!" Dimitri shouted, remembering the stories of mermaids and the potential dangers they might face in the gathering storm.

Ingrid always steadfast kept her pegasus from returning to safety. Waiting for Dimitri even with her own fears telling her to leave. 

Felix, equally alarmed, insisted, "We should go back." The darkening skies and the ominous wave approaching heightened the sense of urgency.

Dimitri, speeding back, noticed something swimming under the waves following him. Whatever, it seemed interested in what was happening above the water. Its presence only seemed to scare the young prince. His mind was already focusing on Sylvain’s story. Made the prince pray that it wasn’t one of those horrific monsters. 

Ingrid, torn between her concern for Dimitri and the impending danger, hesitated. "We have to wait for His Highness," She insisted, Dimitri was on his way back to them and they could go back as a group. 

However, before they could react further, a large wave emerged from the turbulent sea, terrifying the already skittish horses. The sudden appearance of the wave spooked the Pegasuses, causing them to rear up, throwing Ingrid and Felix off their backs. 

The sudden assault of the large wave left Ingrid and Felix struggling in the open sea, their Pegasuses now gone, carried away by fear. Dimitri, too, found himself in the merciless grip of the ocean as a massive wave nipped at his Pegasus's legs, sending it and him plunging into the churning waters.

The young prince, now in the heart of the tempest, fought against the fierce currents, swimming with all his might towards the distant shore. The waves, however, seemed determined to drag him under, testing his resolve and strength. In the midst of this struggle, something elusive swam beneath him, a shadowy presence that avoided his gaze.

As Dimitri pressed on, the ocean threatened to consume him. Felix emerged from the turbulent waters, providing a glimmer of relief. However, Ingrid was still missing, lost to the depths of the sea. The desperation took hold of Dimitri as he screamed her name, his voice carried away by the howling winds.

The older boys couldn’t get there fast enough as they watched their friends struggle. Glenn in his bravery fought the terrified animal and kept moving forward. Sylvain did his best to follow, but he had more trouble controlling the terrified animal. 

"Ingrid! Ingrid?" Dimitri called out, the worry etched across his face. 

Without a moment's hesitation, Dimitri took a deep breath and dove under the waves in search of her. Felix was following behind before Glenn scooped him into his arms and hugged him tightly. He could feel his older brother’s trembling body and couldn’t help looking up at his face. Glenn’s reddish-orange eyes made Felix freeze. He’d never seen the look of pure fear on his brother’s face.  Felix attempted to free himself from his brother's grip, but when he looked back at his brother's eyes – he froze. 

The chaotic dance between the ocean and its unwilling guests continued, each wave carrying the weight of uncertainty and the hope for Ingrid's safe return. Sylvain was kicking himself for telling that stupid story. It felt like the world was punishing him for scaring his friends. It didn’t help that he was terrified and unable to think clearly. 

Sylvain’s guilt only increased when Dimitri disappeared under a wave. He was there a moment ago and now he too was gone. Dimitri went after Ingrid and decided to search for her. They were both nowhere to be seen disappearing into the deep blues of the ocean. 

Glenn, feeling the urgency of the situation, took charge and shoved his brother towards Sylvain's horse before plunging into the sea himself. Sylvain, scrambling to get the wet and shaken Felix onto his horse, could only watch as Glenn swam further out in search of their missing friends.

“Glenn!" Sylvain shouted desperately. "Where do you think you're going?"

Glenn paused for a moment, pointing back to the beach. "Take care of my brother. I'm going to find His Highness and Ingrid." With that, Glenn swam away, following the direction Dimitri had disappeared into.

"I could come with you too..." Sylvain offered, but Glenn had already set his course. 

With a heavy heart, Sylvain returned to the beach as Rodrigue checked over any injuries Felix may have sustained. The fleeting reassurance didn't last long, and Felix could feel his father wrapping him in a cape. Rodrigue leaving his son in Sylvain’s care rushed after the missing children. Leaving Sylvain with his guilt and only being able to keep Felix with him. Fighting him to keep him on the beach with him and not chasing after his father.

♣ 

In the depths of the sea, a curious mermaid gazed up at the surface, her eyes reflecting a certain detachment. It was like she never had experienced any emotion in her life, not even her curiosity was shown on her face. Her grandmother's warning echoed in her mind—never to involve herself in the affairs of the surface world. Yet, a spark of curiosity ignited within her, propelling her to disregard the cautionary words. She quickly found herself following the shadows above. 

She raced through the dark waters, following the trajectory of the pegasuses, oblivious to the invisible barrier her grandmother had woven to protect their underwater realm. The young mermaid swam deeper and deeper, her fascination driving her to breach the boundaries that separated their world from the surface.

As she observed the group above, the mermaid's expression remained inscrutable. She couldn't fathom why these beings would be so foolhardy, venturing deep into the ocean. There were stories of what her grandmother did to fools who trespassed on their territory. The storm that brewed above only intensified her confusion. The mermaid, caught between her curiosity and the wisdom of what was unfolding made her unable to pull herself away. 

It was an unfortunate affair as she watched their struggles from above, unable to aid them in any way. She half expected something larger to fall into the depths and be dragged further under. Instead, a girl, slightly younger than the mermaid herself, with golden hair, was being pulled down into the depths of the ocean.

The helpless girl struggled against the relentless currents, fighting for her life as the ocean threatened to consume her. The mermaid, detached yet not untouched by a sense of empathy, watched as the struggle continued, and the girl eventually succumbed to exhaustion, slipping into unconsciousness.

Intrigued and concerned, the mermaid swam closer, her ethereal form moving effortlessly through the water. The unconscious girl, with her long golden hair, loosened out of its braid, made her seem like she had a halo of her own. The young mermaid couldn’t help admiring her beauty as she approached. She was gorgeous and beloved by the gods to be born with her appearance. Well, she didn't have any other human girls to compare her to. But, she was pretty. 

Don't help her, Byleth. Don't help her. Grandmother will lecture you, Byleth. She was wrestling with her moral compass and the long lecture that would come from helping a human girl. Despite every reason to not help the girl, Byleth chose to. Her empathy and curiosity pushed her to assist and hope she didn’t die by the time she managed to get her to the surface. She did fear her grandmother's wraith when she returned home. But, that was a problem for later. 

As Byleth reached the mysterious girl and grasped hold of her arm, a remarkable change occurred. The relentless current that had threatened to claim the girl's life suddenly dissipated, leaving them in a tranquil pocket of the vast ocean. Byleth's had successfully intervened. But, she wasn't able to celebrate yet. She still had to get her to safety. 

The mysterious girl, now free from the perilous pull of the ocean, floated in the calm waters. Byleth observed her with a mixture of curiosity and concern, wondering about the implications of her actions and the potential consequences that might follow. Her grandmother must've felt her interference with her magic and there would be hell to pay. 

Byleth, swimming towards the surface with the rescued girl in tow, was met with a shocking sight as she breached the water. A young boy, with the same golden hair as the girl and the darkest sapphire blue eyes she had ever seen, stood before her. The currents seemed to have favored him, allowing the girl to be freed but now asserting their force around the boy.

There was another boy following after him with dark blue locks that seemed to almost match the shadows of dark blue sea. That’s when the idea struck her and using a similar current that her grandmother was using pushed them upward. Pulling the pair back to the surface and keeping them there. It allowed her to rescue their friend without the worry of more joining into his potentially watery grave. Byleth would rescue this boy and maybe, tell her grandmother a piece of her mind. This was too cruel even if her actions were justified. 

Byleth, propelled by a mix of determination and urgency, chased after the golden-haired boy. With a hand outstretched to grasp his, she reached him just as the relentless currents threatened to continue pulling him under. However, a strong hit to his hand, the boy’s hand felt limp along with the rest of his body. Momentarily dazed her, it was a harsh hit to the head too. The boy's now limp form was dragged deeper, leaving the taste of iron in the water.

She had to save him quickly. Byleth knew the imminent danger of sharks that would be drawn to the iron in the water. She fought against her grandmother's lingering magic, which sought to keep the boy submerged. Byleth's efforts prevailed, and she managed to release the boy from the grasp of the underwater current. Pulling him into her chest, she heaved upwards, determined to bring him to safety.

Byleth’s powerful tail propelling them towards a hidden cove nearby. The rocky sands provided some semblance of safety against the unpredictable ocean. Struggling against the weight of the unconscious boy, Byleth dragged herself onto the rocks. Byleth struggled to carry him farther, he was heavier than he looked.

In the hidden cove, where the storm's tempestuous reach was held at bay, Byleth took a moment to catch her breath. The boy, now safely on dry land, showed no signs of recovery. Panic crept into Byleth's thoughts as she observed his lifeless form, his condition worsening by the moment. 

Pulling herself upright, Byleth wasted no time. She placed an ear on the boy's chest, listening intently. The slow and weakening heartbeat and the rapidly dropping body temperature heightened her concern. The urgency of the situation pressed upon her, and she knew that swift action was required to save the boy's life.

With determination, Byleth placed her hands on his chest and began compressions, pushing down on his ribs. The rhythmic compressions were a desperate attempt to expel the water from his lungs and restore the breath of life to his unconscious form. Even with all her effort, the boy didn’t improve. 

In a desperate attempt to save the unconscious boy, Byleth drew upon the cherished story of her grandmother saving her father. A tale of a mermaid’s blood being able to save those on the edge of life and death. A mermaid’s blood is stronger than any healing magic. The tale, a favorite from her childhood, filled her with hope that her blood might possess similar life-saving qualities.

Resolute and determined, Byleth cut her palm with her sharp nails, allowing her blood to well up. Holding onto the faith instilled by her father's story, she carefully let a few drops fall into the boy's mouth. As the droplets touched his lips, she could only hope that the mysterious properties of her blood would work their magic and bring him back from the brink.

In a moment of determined resolve, Byleth, drawing upon the intriguing tidbits of human anatomy her father had shared, took a direct and unconventional approach to ensure the unconscious boy swallowed the life-saving blood. With a wry acknowledgment of the practicality in her father's seemingly useless knowledge, she licked her wounded palm, tasting the iron that had accumulated, and sucked on it, preparing herself for the critical task at hand.

Her own discomfort was a fleeting concern in the face of the urgent need to save someone else's life. With a gentle lift of the boy's chin to create a slight tilt to his head, Byleth leaned down and sealed his lips with hers. She had never kissed another person before and the action felt beyond strange. 

As Byleth pushed her blood into the boy's mouth, the culmination of her efforts manifested in a blinding light. A sapphire gem appeared, resting on the boy's chest, radiating an otherworldly glow. It was a moment of enchantment and made Byleth reach out to touch the jewel. The gem was cold and hurt to the touch. However, the boy seemed unaffected. Placing it back into his hands and curling his fingers around it. 

Byleth could feel her magic intertwining with the boy's life, a dance of energies that defied explanation. The jumbled and tangled sensations filled her with a burning feeling in her chest, making each breath a challenge. Enduring her own pain, she watched as the boy's chest began to rise and fall. The magic had worked, and she had somehow managed to bring him back. She really had the same magical blood as her grandmother. 

Pride and joy swelled within her as she realized the success of her unconventional efforts. However, the imminent arrival of footsteps and voices reminded her of the harsh reality that humans were not always kind to her people. With a sense of caution, Byleth retreated to the sea, hiding behind a rock to observe what would happen next. 

An older man rushed to the boy's side, lifting him up and dragging him out of the cove. Byleth, hidden yet observant, slightly followed their route back to the beach. She watched them until they all left the bridge. The older boy was holding onto the golden-haired girl tightly. A younger boy, perhaps a sibling, held onto his brother’s soaked shirt looking at the sea with anger. Byleth watched as another boy with flaming red hair, kept his head to the ground as he jogged up to their caretaker. 

Observing from her vantage point, Byleth noted that they all seemed to be alright. The older boy with dark blue hair appeared overjoyed when the girl regained consciousness. As her eyes scanned the surroundings, Byleth seized the opportunity to make her exit. She swam away from her safety rock, diving back into the ocean with a splash.

Though Byleth's departure didn't go unnoticed, the girl, still struggling to focus her eyes on the ocean, tried to make sense of what had happened. In her shaky vision, she thought she saw a tail attached to a human torso. Coughing and uncertain, she couldn't be sure, and her consciousness faded once again at the lull of her friend's beating heart.

Byleth had no idea what she caused with her good deed. 

If she had the knowledge of what she would cause. 

Maybe, she would’ve left them to drown. 

[jtavington]

Opening of Ch. 11

Not really much going on but the Catholic in me has been wanting to write these paragraphs for a While.

“So, as you can see, the liquid holds great potential. It’s ability to power devices such as forges far outclasses simple firewood.”

“I see.” Edelgard could almost see Byleth’s brow furrow. “You say previous archbishops forbade research into this…oil, was it? Did they give a reason?”

“According to the records, they were afraid we would blow ourselves up or kill ourselves fighting over the deposits. Not dissimilar from the worries about modified saltpeter.”

“I see,” Byleth said again. It was impossible to discern her tone. “We would fight over it as we do farmland or water now. My predecessor was right in that it could cause unbelievable strife.” She paused. However, this oil could alleviate want in other ways. The Goddess created all things in heaven and earth. This was found in the earth. Therefore, it cannot be evil in and of itself. We will praise the good and censure the evil done with this new invention, but the church will no longer forbid knowledge outright. This goes for all previously forbidden research.”

Centuries of tradition changed with a word. Edelgard wished she could see the faces of those in the audience chamber instead of being squished behind the throne in case Byleth needed her. Byleth rarely did these days. Becoming Archbishop in truth had imbued her with fire and certainty she hadn’t had at the Academy. There had been exhortations to welcome the foreigner, and Cyril had become the first Almyran to be laid to rest in the Tomb of the Knights. A vast number of clerics from families of no special distinction had been tapped to fill leadership roles left vacant by the war. Edlegard had been the one to force her to get some sleep as she worked on an encyclical stressing the primacy of bodily autonomy. She was, in short, busy creating the sort of world Edelgard had hoped to forge.

With two exceptions.

The church was not extinct, nor subservient to the Empire. In some ways it was stronger than it had been at any time since Wilhelm. That Empire was beaten. If it hadn’t quite been subsumed into the Kingdom as Rhea had wished, it at least took its orders from Kingdom generals. Its de facto monarch was the head of the church Edelgard had declared war upon in the first place. The world had gone topsy turvy and Edelgard was as lost as everyone else.

[kaiser-loki]

I made the bio cards for Brother Leir Brutan, Sir Glevus Glow, and Priska Sigeian, the surfacer disguises of the leaders of the Agarthan Resistance from my Fire Emblem Three Houses fic Time Is Not A River. Still no portraits because I still can't draw. So far only Leir Brutan has shown up - first in chapter 13 as his real self, Silenos, and later in chapter 15, both as his disguise and his real self.

Fun facts:

Priska is the oldest and Glevus is the youngest (though he's still around 300 years old), but the age gap between Priska and Leir is *far* greater than the age gap between Leir and Glevus.

All three's true identities are connected to one of the noble houses of the region they oversee. I tried to hint at which ones via their likes and dislikes.

Silenos actually bears a Crest (mentioned in ch.15), but just like how Edelgard's Crest of Flames and Lysithea’s Crest of Gloucester don't show up until they’re revealed, and like Byleth and Marianne's Crests are obfuscated, it's not shown on his disguised bio.

[my-personal-place-to-write-blog]

My opinion for FE Engage

When this game originally got leaked last year in June, I genuinely did think that it was fake. Then the September 2022 direct came and actually confirmed it. Back at the time also I didn’t really know if I would’ve picked it up or not (it definitely didn’t inspire me story wise, and I am overall an huge FE fan), but with information coming out I started to think that this game might’ve been actually worth it after all. And it is.

The story is fine while not being anything spectacular. The plot is really predictable, and the execution could’ve been better definitely. If you care more about the story, it’s probably better to play other FE games or other games in general (there are definitely better game for this particular aspect in the series). The writing in the support is extremely silly, and thanks to this I can definitely say that 90% of the playable cast are complete goofballs.

The UI and menus are fine overall, but there are definitely some things that I didn’t like. For example, in combat why is the Engage option on top instead of the one for regular attack? since I’m here, I will also mention this: in the menu supports and bond supports conversation are under a voice called reference. This isn’t intuitive at all: instead, they definitely make harder to find this specific two option while maybe they should’ve been easily visible.

As for the gameplay, it’s overall really good and I enjoyed it. The map design is unique for every map, but I definitely wanted to see more map with a different objective than “kill boss” which is the most common one (fog of war and escape maps do exists, but there are just few of them in the game). That said, the bosses are well designed and fun to kill.

The map design in this game is overall great: from the introduction up to Ch. 11 the map design is simply amazing; as for the midgame map, Ch. 12, 13, 14 were ok in my opinion, Ch. 15 and 16 are simply bad (Ch. 16 might be my least favourite map in the entire game). After that things starts to get better again, and it stays like this till the end of the game overall. Some of these later maps have some bullshit mechanic, but they are generally well thought (then again, Ch. 25 exists, and that map needs to be warp skipped, there are way too many reinforcements. If you don’t do that, that chapter will be extremely bad and difficult).

The game on hard already does offer a good challenge (definitely in my top 5 FE games mostly because of its gameplay), but I need to see how the challenge changes in maddening; so, some of my opinion (for the map as an example) might change in the future.

I ended up actually liking the Engage mechanic more than I’ve expected, it gave me a lot of flexibility to build out the units even in ways that I would’ve considering normally - either focusing more on their strength, or you can use them to help unit gain proficiencies that they wouldn’t have otherwise or you use them just for pure utility (for example with Byleth everyone can be a dancer and dance 4 people in a single turn).

The new break mechanic is a nice addition, it gives a new use to the weapon triangle and you actually need to think which unit you want to use and, more importantly, gives utility to every weapon against their opposing type and this actually makes the second attack in PP much safer. Break is also used by the enemies in this game, so you have to be careful when you put people in their range. The new chain attack mechanic is also fun: oh, I don’t do any damage against this enemy? I’ll just stack some CA and the problem is solved. While weapon durability isn’t there, the weapon itself are overall good and the forging + engraving mechanic is extremely useful and good for differentiating the various weapon even more. Staff are also really useful but balanced.

The ost is definitely good, there are a lot of tracks that I really enjoy and definitely will listen again, even though I do think that some other game in the series have stronger soundtrack overall (for example, RD or SoV). The music remix from the past entries that you hear in the emblem paralogue are really nice and well done as well.

Overall, this game is really nice and you can clearly tell that Engage is meant to celebrate the rest of the series and it definitely does succeed at that, there are a lot of nice reference to the previous entries.

I love this silly franchise a lot :D.

[lyteupthelyfe]

no oh my gosh yes YEs THIS but Anna three houses support chains i would love to see!!! below: Byleth, Linhardt, Caspar, Ashe, Mercedes, Raphael, Hilda, Hanneman, Alois, Jeritza, Constance and Balthus

Anna/Byleth - obv, would maybe be about how Anna previously knows Jeralt, she wants to know what it was like for byleth growing up, some hints as to her own backstory + why she became a merchant, B support locked until after ch. 9, anna mourns and sympathises w/ byleth, some more anna backstory there too, A support could probably be abt anna’s own childhood, her true goal for becoming a merchant, and her aspirations for the future (would probably go to S (for both byleths hehe), in which Byleth tells Anna that she’s a treasure money can’t buy 🥺🥺🥺)

Anna/Linhardt - like chess-blackfyre said, CRESTS. he would be INTRUIGED to find such a rare crest seemingly randomly; C would be that linhardt has heard rumours that Anna has a crest, Anna doesn’t want to talk, B would be her talking it over a little bit with him, tells him that she doesn’t care about her crest; “if people knew i had a major crest, i would stop selling goods and start selling the mountain of marriage proposals i’d have no room for”; A would be more or less her full story, Linhardt understanding that people are not their just their crest to be researched (afaik he doesn’t truly come around to that conclusion in his supports, but feel free to correct me)

y’know what? Anna/Caspar - he would fight off someone who’s belittling/harassing her bc of her prices. because he would. the development would be that we see him realise/be told that Anna’s been doing this for a while, so she knows what’s up. the A support is like they fend off a group of bandits together. they travel fódlan as top-tier merchants with killer prices, and neither caspar nor anna are afraid to take disagreements outside. (that or they travel fódlan, selling their wares, not stepping back from route-blocking bandits at any point)

Anna/Ashe - on the morality of theft, food + ware security and accessibility + perhaps an exploration of ashe’s period in poverty? About how Ashe had to steal and haggle just to get a day’s food, perhaps Anna discusses that her discounts and prices aren’t just to get more sales, but to also, on the occasion, let those who need it get what they need at a price that they’re able to afford, even if that price is nothing. Ashe ends up joining her in her business ventures, and they never fail to make a profit, nor do they fail to provide for those who need it, never wavering in a sense of honour, justice, and fairness.

Anna/Mercedes - Mercedes finds Anna praying alone + at night in the cathedral, asks her why she’s up so late, Anna mentions that she doesn’t want people seeing her like this; is about Anna’s struggles w/ faith + w/ faith in herself, maybe she feels compelled to be a merchant? + mercedes helps her eventually reconcile + “its ok to feel like this/its ok to feel vulnerable”? the A support ends w/ them going to church together, each a comfort and source of strength for the other.

Anna/Raphael - she knew his parents, she suspects foul play in their deaths, she also wants to help him support Maya, and together they gain certainty in the A support that it was gloucester who orchestrated his parent’s deaths, and look to the future with hope and solace in knowing the truth of what happened—perhaps they together seek protections and rights for merchants not just in Leicester, but all across Fódlan.

Anna/Hilda - Anna catches hilda one day making bracelets/charms/jewellery, wants to help hilda capitalise on that, hilda’s not so sure, she does it for the fun of it, for the joy of the craft, and the happiness it can bring her friends, and is half-heartedly encouraged to profit from it in the B support—by the A support it hasn’t gone too well, but hilda has honed her craft and fallen more in love with her hobby, and Anna’s realised that not everything in a person’s life needs to be done for the sake of economic profit.

Anna/Hanneman - like chess-blackfyre said, YES; Hanneman, like linhardt, has heard that maybe anna has a crest, and wants to find out more. anna says no, she doesn’t really want it known, she’s happy living life as she is. this resonates with hanneman, who’s also faced issues w/ nobility + the crest system, and while he’s torn on research vs. knowing that anna doesn’t want to (at least not on hanneman’s terms), he resolves to let it go, sympathising with anna’s position. in the A support, anna approaches hanneman and says she wants to talk, he’s surprised but goes along with it—she then tells him all she knows about the crest of ernest, but as a kind of story, filled in with her personal experiences, no experimentation or crest science involved. hanneman is thankful, but anna realises that he’s taken no notes, he says that if she wants to write what she knows down, that’s up to her; he’s not gonna make that decision for her. it ends w/ anna jokingly trying to charge Hanneman for the information, but the two of them just laugh and leave the crest office, heading out to town for the evening.

Anna/Alois - he approaches her about monetising his jokes. she makes puns back. but says no. he puns back. the b support is alois coming across anna on a soapbox in the marketplace, doing basically standup comedy and people leaving tips—he’s hurt by this and confronts anna about refusing his idea but then just doing it herself. she realises that while she internalised it and reasoned it as a way to make a quick buck, this is something that’s actually very important to him, and quietly decides to stop. in the a support, alois is walking through the town at the base of the monastery (the one byleth wakes up in), and sees the villagers sad and lonely in their work trying to rebuild houses + keep on existing during the war. he strikes up conversation w/ one of the villagers + ends up making a joke; one of the villagers a bit away hears, and laughs, a bit of a smile in his voice. alois, encouraged, makes another joke, and another, and after a short while all the villagers are laughing at his jokes, telling them to each other, but something’s (a je ne sais quoi, if you will) missing. offscreen, a familiar voice makes a punny retort to alois’ most recent joke. the villagers howl with laughter and anna comes next to alois, the two bouncing off each other and bringing a little bit of joy to the villagers’ day, for no profit whatsoever. in the A+, alois and anna are finishing a routine in garreg mach town, and the gatekeeper arrives, commenting on how morale seems to have boosted recently, and he’s not quite sure why. Alois punnily retorts and says that he’s not quite sure either—but after the gatekeeper ponders and leaves, (not before quoting a joke he heard from a friend: its one of the jokes from the A support) anna and he discuss how they’ve been able to make so many people happy recently, and how happy they are because of it. together, the resolve to bring laughter to all those who need it most, even if they gain no coin at all.

Anna/Jeritza - she tries to recruit him for her merchant stuff, bc she’s a bit short on time and staff atm, but he’s not quite suited for it. hilarity and slapstick ensue, but eventually, he proves to rather have a nack for negotiation, and by the end of the A support, his gratitude for being appreciated and thanked for helping with something that isn’t killing shines through.

Anna/Constance - Anna passes by constance a couple times, while she’s talking about wanting to restore house nuvelle. she approaches constance and asks her if she wants to restore house nuvelle for money or for power—constance pauses, not knowing how to answer the question, but responds “neither”. Anna then asks her if she would let her sell her wares in nuvelle territory once its rebuilt, and constance says of course. In the C+, Anna approaches Constance (outside) and wants to give her a whole bunch of money to put to re-establishing the house. Constance refuses, saying that she is unworthy of such generosity and cannot accept. Anna, downcast, leaves. In the B, Anna approaches Constance (indoors) and asks her if she’d like to reconsider her offer. Constance declines again, saying that she must be the one to restore nuvelle, and her alone. Anna asks if this is to prove to herself that she can unequivocally do it, that she’s worthy of the title of Viscountess Nuvelle. Constance half-agrees, saying that she needs to prove to everyone that she’s worthy, otherwise the title would mean nothing. In the A support, Constance finds Anna and tells her that she did some reflection, and found that Nuvelle was the most stable and reassuring time of her life—that’s what she wants to get back. Anna considers this, and asks Constance why does this have to come from Nuvelle specifically? Couldn’t support and affirmation come from somewhere that isn’t Nuvelle? Constance is confused, and says that for the entire past 9 years, her every action has been for the sake of Nuvelle. Anna asks her why she doesn’t live for herself, rather than Nuvelle—move into the future, rather than clinging to the past, to make life as good now as it can be, rather than pretending the past will make things better. Constance admits that she doesn’t know what she would do, but that she’s determined to find out. Anna commends her, and says that no matter what, she’ll be there with her every step of the way.

Anna/Balthus - Balthus approaches Anna and asks her to help pay off his debts. She’s skeptical and reasons that wouldn’t this just put him in debt to her instead? Balthus retorts that he would rather be in debt to anna than anyone else, because she’s nothing if not fair. Reluctantly, she agrees, but there’s a hint that she has more thoughts on the matter. In the C+ support, Balthus rushes to Anna in the marketplace and thanks her for paying off his debts, that he wouldn’t know what he’d do w/o her. She goes like “shush not so loud otherwise everyone’ll want their debts paid and I’ll go bankrupt” and he’s like “oh” but then she also says that he can’t come running to her every time he has debt, since that’ll just end badly for them both. He asks her what can he do, and she begins laying out a self-sustaining plan for how he can pay his debts, or even avoid going into debt in the first place—Balthus is a little concerned but agrees. In the B, Anna’s doing some business in Abyss and runs into Balthus, who’s hiding from a debt collector. She’s annoyed, and Balthus protests that he’s been trying, but it’s been hard to make things work. Anna says that things will only work if you want them to work, but that that also doesn’t mean that Balthus isn’t trying to get out of debt. The collector finds them (and is known to anna), and on the spot, Anna immediately stands between them, insisting that all Balthus’ current debt and credit score be cancelled/reset, so that he can properly start fresh. The collector’s confused, that won’t this just encourage him to go back into debt? Anna says no, that she believes balthus has the capacity to properly manage his finances, he only needs the chance to do so. The collector is bewildered, and asks her how she’s going to do all this—“i know a blacksmith who needs an apprentice” is all she says, before taking balthus with her and leaving abyss. in the B+, Balthus is busy forging a sword byleth left at the smithy, while the blacksmith critiques his form; “no, you have to go at a measured pace”, “not all at once,” “you need to know the right tool for which task”, “think, what are you trying to get out of this weapon? this tool? how do you want it to end up looking? think ahead and act with patience—the sword gets forged eventually”. Anna arrives, and asks Balthus how he’s been. He says he’s surprised by how much forethought needs to go into blacksmithing and weapon forging, and he’s gotten a handful of coin, too. he mentions that because of the hours, sometimes he hasn’t been able to stay at bars all night, because of the hours at the blacksmith, or sometimes he hasn’t been able to put everything on a bet, because he might need that to buy more smithing material later. He finishes by saying that he’s enjoying the work, and Anna agrees, from the sounds of it, before, happy w/ herself, she leaves. In the A support, Balthus runs into Anna around the monastery, and wants to thank her for what she did five years ago. Coyly, she asks what he means, and he replies that working at the smith, which he still does, helped him realise that while the here and now is important, there’s more to life and more to consider than just now. Anna smiles and says he’s welcome, although she taught him nothing—he did that all himself. Balthus realises what she means, and beams from ear to ear—their drinks that night, he proclaims, are on him.

You know, not having Anna have any supports with anyone was a wasted opportunity. If only for Linhardt and/or Hanneman to go "hello mysterious mercahnt with the crest of Ernest, a crest no one seems to know anything about, may I, perhaps, research this??" and for Anna, who throughout the FE series has been at vaguely implied to be some sort of dimension hopping god/eldritch being who is aware of the Fourth Wall to go "lol maybe if you pay me"

Seriouslyyyy. I never do much with Anna because I'm in this game for the supports and she has zero of them but if she did, there would certainly be so much hilarity.

[fireemblems24]

Golden Wildfire Ch 15 (Final)

Guys, I think this is finally it, the last chapter

MAIN STORY

We're . . . not going to get an answer about Shez, are we? Would I if I recruited Byleth?

Which, now that I think about it, that was really anticlimatic death.

Also, Claude wants Dimitri and Faerghus to survive, but Rhea to die. Edelgard doesn't want Dimitri and Faerghus to survive, but also wants Rhea to die. So why the hell is Claude letting Edelgard right Dimitri while he fights Rhea? What's stopping Edelgard from killing Dimitri and taking all the Faerghus land she desperately wants? He knows Rhea was only an excuse for her.

I guess just another "Claude is an idiot" point or the writers not giving a single shit about him or this route and only caring about Dimitri and Edelgard.

Claude is suddenly reading Dimitri's mind. He thinks Dimitri wants him to dissolve the central church. This is . . . beyond stupid. Claude is literally imagining the enemy wants he wishes the enemy would want. This is such a stupid thing to do in war. Dimitri has never showed signs of wanting the church dissolved.

Also, blaming all of Fodlan's problems on Rhea is so dumb and such childish thinking too.

They really were like, go Claude, we'll give you nothing! in the writer's room.

If I cared about Claude, I'd be livid. I doubt many Dimitri or Edelgard fans are upset though.

Man, the character list is so much smaller in this route.

MAP/SIDE BATTLES

So annoyed this one has a bunch of side quests. I'm sooooo close to finishing this game.

Aww, an Alliance NPC talked about how much she likes Seteth and hopes he survives.

Ouch! Yuri! When he questions the validity of Claude's plans, Shez assures him it's the only way to pave the future, and he has the audacity to say "I guess now isn't the time to be wondering who exactly is included in this future we're dreaming about." He's calling Claude out on his shit big time. Yuri just does not fit here.

Ashe keeps talking about Dimitri. He's miserable.

Hapi doesn't want to kill Rhea :(

Ohhh, interesting, so Raphael doesn't like how we've been fighting. Shez can agree or disagree. I agreed in both SB and GW. In GW, she says their actions are too haphazard, but in SB, she says they're being too brutal and not letting anyone surrender. Curious differences (ofc Raphael just wants to eat and party, that's what he disagrees with, it's Shez's perceptions that made me interested).

Gilbert and Dimitri talking. Dimitri arriving has boosted moral. But it's the same for his enemies.

Dimitri's concerned about Rhea and learns that they're prepared for battle. Dimitri can't help them :(

Dimitri ordered his citizens to evacuate because he's worried about what the Alliance will do, but isn't convinced Claude wants to destroy his Kingdom.

I love Dimitri doubling down on protecting his people above all else here. Gustave is upset about abandoning Rhea. Dimitri is too, but he's willing to be the bad guy if it saves a single life in Faerghus.

A side mission involved defeating Cyril :( And now Flayn :(

SHEZ & RAPHAEL A

Soldiers are happier. Shez can guess war turning in our favor or pay raise.

If you ever needed proof that Raphael is an idiot, he argues that wouldn't make sense because not everyone is motivated by money. Like, seriously, tell me a single soldier there who gives a flying shit about what some king says. The only route this wouldn't be true in is AG since they're fighting for their lives.

Anyways, it's actually the food.

Shez talks about how a good meal rather than scapes is a good motivator. And honestly, good point.

Raphael talks about being an innkeeper. Honestly, he'd be such a fun boss to have, but he'll need to hire someone to handle the logistics lol.

Raphael asks Shez to tag along. I can either be nice and agree or not make promises. Being mean to Raphael is basically bullying.

Shez either way still considers being a mercenary, but I love the idea of Shez and Raphael running an inn together.

LYSITHEA & RAPHAEL A

Wonder why they choose Lysithea of all people to reach A with Raphael.

She studied too long and is out after dark, so obviously scared. She tries to convince herself the weird noises is Raphael.

But it's not this time, bc he shows up and asks what's the creepy noise lol. Poor Lysithea.

Now she's properly freaked out. Poor girl.

It's probably just a cat, but she thinks it's a ghost.

Lysithea goes to investigate too or else she'll be alone.

I guessed wrong. It's a puppy, not a cat. Poor doggy is hungry, and Raphael knows the dog.

Lysithea is like, if you knew the dog, how come you didn't know that? lol.

HILDA & DOROTHEA B

A fan gave Dorothea a bracelet, and she appreciates the support. Hilda wishes she had one too.

Dorothea tells Hilda no one is better in the whole army at makeup and accessories.

The support addresses how Hilda makes her own accessories.

Dorothea talks about plant design trends. So like real life lol.

Hilda asks Dorothea about her makeup. She tries to stick for ones that are actually good for the body. Which, is really good considering what they used to use for makeup.

They want to keep chatting over tea.

Honestly, I love seeing two girls just chat about girly things without anyone putting it down.

It's nice, in general, how the Fodlan games don't put down the women who are really into fashion and the ones who don't care. Everyone is allowed to just exist, and it's great.

LYSITHEA PARALOGUE

Does she get her own because her paired up one is in SB?

She apologizes to Count Glouster for all the chaos Ordelia causes, but he apologizes for not taking care of it. She understands how important it is for him to protect the bridge.

Her father is buddies with Lorenz's father.

Shez comes with news about Ordelia under attack.

No one else can help. Lysithea says she didn't realize how Claude could be so cruel. Shez tries to defend him by saying she's all the way out here, and Lysithea claps back. Team Lysithea here.

Shez thought Count Glouster would we dead weight. She was right. Idiot almost died. Shez and Lysithea were fine.

He looks forward to the day both aren't leaders anymore so they can just be friends and thinks Lysithea would be a worthy heir :( Poor Lysithea, she faltered at that.

Glouster did nothing to help Lysithea's father because he led the pro-Empire nobles.

MARIANNE & YURI A

Yuri sees Marianne out late and worried that she was going to leave like she thought about, but she was just walking her horse.

Then we get the classic "..." and "..." response. Since the ye ole days characters have done that in FE supports.

Marianne is like, why were you worried, then goes off how she's just a burden, and Yuri is like stop that, now.

Yuri is allergic to horses and cats? :((( Poor guy. That would suck.

That's why he was always giving Marianne funny looks, because he was about to sneeze and she's always around horses, lamo.

It's nice seeing Yuri be nice. But if he was mean to Marianne, like how can you be mean to Marianne?

Yuri dreams of being able to spent time with the animals he's allergic too, so he accepts Marianne's offer to use magic to try to help. I hope it works.

HILDA & DOROTHEA A

Hilda is trying to figure out what's wrong with one of her accessories. She thinks it's missing something.

Dorothea offers to help out, and is really impressed with Hilda's craftsmanship. And honestly, there's a picture and it looks pretty.

Hilda likes Dorothea's suggestion.

Dorothea also offers to buy the accessories for the opera, and use that to advertise them too.

Hilda is more than happy with that suggestion.

Hilda actually wants to open her own school to teach people craftsmanship, and thinks she can partner with Dorothea on that too.

MARIANNE & IGNATZ A

A pegasus that Ignatz was helping said "bring me more hay, four eyes." to Ignatz, Marianne interpreted. She rightly called it rude lamo.

Ignatz used to ride pegasus with his mother, she used to be a pegasus knight. I wonder if that's why he wants to be a knight.

He was really impressed with the view, understandably.

It made him want to become a pegasus knight, but they're sexist lol. Women only.

That's why he wants to help with the pegasi so much, it's the closest he can get.

Marianne is like "I can feel your feelings in the paintings" and Ignatz freaks out until she keeps going and saying she can tell how much he loves pegasi. I wonder what he was so worried about . . .hmm . . . Liking Marianne just proves taste though.

Marianne thinks that maybe the pegasus will accept Ignatz. But I don't think it went well lol. She grabbed his clothing with her teeth, not on her back. OMG, poor Ignatz.

It ends with Ignatz begging for Marianne's help lamo.

MAIN (& FINAL) BATTLE

Alright, guys, this is it. 2/3 done once this battle is over. Sadly, I'll probably have to kill Rhea though. But who knows, she got to be the hero of SB in the end, maybe GW too, or is that asking too much?

Rhea's like I should've killed these bitches years ago (rather than protecting them after turning her genocided family into weapons, poor woman has seen some shit).

Rhea thinks she'll have the goddesses' protection. Too bad Sothis is dead :(

It seems like Rhea is expecting to die. She's telling Seteth and Flayn to run. And saying her time is at an end.

It's funny that Rhea also thinks she's fighting for the future and humanity because she thinks she knows what's best. She and Edelgard (and Claude in this route) are really the same. Then there's Dimitri, the only sane one who doesn't have a bloated ego that thinks he knows best for every living soul in Fodlan, in some case, without ever even talking to some people from a particular country (looking at you, Edelgard, ding dong thinks she can rule Faerghus better than Dimitri without ever even having bothered to TALK to someone from Faerghus).

OK, so why did Edelgard only get 40 points, but Claude gets 70?

OMG, one of Claude's tactics is to burn the enemies alive (elite archers turn enemies into ash, not sure how else to see that).

I don't want to kill Cyril two times in one night :( Thankfully, he retreated.

Great, now Alois is here, claiming he'll fight to the death, which seems major OOC even with Rhea under attack. This game really forgot that he had a family, didn't it? I think he, Claude, and Caspar got the biggest downgrades in writing.

Oh, shit, he died for real. And he mentioned his family this time.

I had to fight Seteth too, but he retreated, thankfully.

DON'T MAKE ME KILL MERCEDES!!!!

Oh, fuck, Cyril died :((( God.

Jeritza came to save his sister :(((( So he turned against the Empire in GW. That's kinda touching, much better than in Houses. Seems Mercedes is now flipping, better than having to kill her like poor Cyril and Alois.

Now I have to fight Flayn :( Thankfully, she withdrew.

Now I have to fight Seteth and Flayn again, but on the upside, Rhea did badass magic and took away my captured strongholds.

I'm not clear if Flayn died or retreated, but Seteth is pissed off at me.

Oh, thank God, they're both running away.

Time to kill Rhea :(

Cut scene time. Wow, Claude, that's rich. He's telling Rhea to go walk away. But, to like where? The guy's been hell bent on killing her and blaming her for everything from racism to arranged marriage this entire game?

Why the random flower getting crushed? Usually that's a sign of crushed renewal, not a brand new world like Claude's been blowing smoke about this whole route.

Lololol Idiot just realized Rhea's the Immaculate One.

Lamo, even in the final battle Marianne's not convinced Claude not coo coo for coco puffs.

More cut scene. Shez and Claude killing Rhea. Shez turned into Arval. Wonder what happens if you recruit Byleth.

This was such a watered-down version of SB's final battle. They both had Rhea as a final boss, but SB got Thales too and it was A LOT harder because of that. Either that or Lorenz is really that silly stupid good.

Another abrupt, non-ending.

Claude wanted the war to end, and shock of all shock, killing Rhea didn't work!!! The idiot. All those people died, for nothing. I also predict greedy assholes will still enforce hierarchies and be racist, even without Rhea.

This ending may have been even worse than SB's? Because at least Edelgard still has a goal she's working towards, it just cut off mid-way. Claude accomplished his and nothing changed - he only made the world worse.

Are either GW or SB better endings if you get Byleth? I'm betting that's what happens. Because that can't be the real ending, lol.

MVP time. Wonder when it'll turn into the Lorenz show. As soon as Ch 5, pretty much no one but Lorenz got MVP. He's just absurd, but in a boring way. He's invulnerable to damage, but doesn't play very fun. If I ever did GW again, I'd main Lysithea. She's a unit type I like way more, hella strong and fast, but low defense. Lorenz made GW super boring to play since I didn't have to think at all. He's that good of a unit.

It's funny seeing nothing but Lorenz's face on an endless scroll (except paralogues or like, women units only battles)

I can't believe I'm getting a letter from Lorenz. If I knew I'd get a letter, I would've picked a character I actually liked, like Marianne. Hubert's letter was better. Lorenz's was really generic.

Still pissed there's no paired endings.

And these endings are so bad, wtf. I'm glad I did this twice so I know AG is also just going to randomly end.

xxx

[wolfraven80]

ch 14: Byleth arrives in Enbarr for the coronation.

[voxmilia]

So I did both! @shackld, @remyfire

4. Ch. 2 of the Corrin/Odin support rewrite

“Patience, patience, my noble pupil!” Odin grins, waggling a finger at the princess – in an act that would surely earn him an earful from Lord Leo but, gratefully, Lady Corrin merely waits with wide, eager eyes. Deftly, the mage bends down from the pile and plucks the first tome from the stack – a [tome] of simple fire spells, newly purchased from the armory. “Might I have your hand, Lady Corrin?” Her confusion is palpable, from the furrowing of her brow to her teeth worrying at her lower lip. But eventually, Corrin acquiesces, extending her hand toward her brother’s retainer. Gently, Odin takes her wrist, tugging her closer until her palm lays flat on the spellbook’s cover. He lays his hand atop hers, praying to Naga and all the gods of Nohr that Lord Leo wouldn’t see or hear of this. He holds the [tome] in his other hand, effectively sandwiching it and Corrin’s palm in his grasp.

6(.9). The monster Hubert/Byleth aftercare fic

All the while, her eyes remained locked with Huberts – citrine against sapphire. “I don’t want Ferdinand,” she murmurs so softly that Hubert can barely hear her against the slight sloshing of water as he moves as close to her as possible. “I don’t want Ferdinand or El or whoever you think would be better for me. You don’t get to make that choice for me. I want you, Hubert von Vestra. I love you. And the only thing you get to choose on the matter is if you want to love me back.” He's powerless under her gaze, pinned like a butterfly to a corkboard. And there was no place he’d rather be

someone pick a number 1-6 to help me decide which pwp to work on for a bit tonight