#fire emblem weave

[lumeha]

Maybe your heart carries a memory of our shared blood

Wikipedia - Sirius // Fire Emblem : Three Houses // Florence + The Machine - Mother // Fire Emblem : Three Houses OST Cover // Jean Giraudoux - La Guerre de Troie n'aura pas lieu // A.E. Waite - The Pictorial Key to the Tarot // Fire Emblem : Three Houses // Pink Floyd - Stay

[prwlnglthr]

miłej kupalnocki, happy midsummer, etc etc etc!

from both me and my favourite slavic-adjacent king!

kupalnocka (noc kupały, kupala night, etc) is the traditional west and east slavic celebration of the summer solstice, love, and cleansing. among a number of other things, women weave garlands of flowers, herbs, and ferns and send them floating down rivers and streams to divine their future luck in relationships. to have it brought back was seen as a confession of love (even if for one night...) and a man would sometimes follow a particular woman's wreath even into deep or dangerous waters to return it. people would head into the forest to search for the legendary fern flower. which does not exist, of course. but who could blame you and maybe somebody of your choice for spending hours, alone, in the woods, all night, looking for such an important, elusive flower...

fun fact: the embroidery pattern is riffed from the traditional handicrafts of a region spread between poland, ukraine, and belarus! most slav per stitch!

[ninadove]

Surely Someday, from Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy (2013)

JP: Miho Fukuhara

ENG: Adriana Figueroa

Not to be emotional on main, but I’ve been thinking about these stories lately — whether it is because of a new release, a new friend, or old movies I rewatched with my sister.

They shaped me as a person, an artist and a writer. Clive taught me to write Felix; now I feel confident enough to write for Clive once more. It’s all coming full circle.

And the coolest thing is: there are so many stories I have yet to discover! Characters to fall in love with! Blorbos to rotate, if you will!

Surely someday I’ll have more love to share. 💛💙🧡

[iturbide]

Whats extra odd about Naga exiling Duma and Mila is in Genealogy of the Holy War's backstory, Forseti, a human loving Manakete at no risk of degeneration and a close friend of Naga, wanted to stay in Jugdral and passively help humans.

Naga prevents Forseti from doing so, making the statement that Dragons have to stay on Archanea and can't live in human dominated continents.

Yet Naga lets Duma and Mila, two Divine dragons whom opposed her and never became Manaketes (as well as the former having rage issues), be exiled to the human filled Valentia and rule as deities.

Either this is the result of Naga being written by someone other than Kaga or Naga is a huge hypocrite whom plays favorites, possibly based on dragon tribes.

This is also going to run into my personal timeline woes about the order of certain events haha whoops

I swear at some point I will shut up about how the timeline doesn't make sense to me, I swear I will. But this ties into the same problem I have with Duma and Mila's exile coming before the degeneration becoming a known issue: it just doesn't make logical sense to go in that order, especially since we very clearly see Duma and Mila with human forms right there??? Are they somehow not manaketes despite looking overall human?? I think Mila has the most visibly draconic features with the wings and tail but overall she looks very human to me.

Also...okay this is weird and pedantic but: did anyone know about the humans on the Valentian landmass? Was Naga aware that there were other civilizations across the sea from Archanea where the Divine Dragons made their homes? Was anyone aware at the time? I honestly don't have an answer to this, but if no one considered that there might be human presence on Valentia then Naga couldn't have known they would eventually become the pillars of the Rigelian and Zofian faiths.

I don't have much insight into the Jugdral entries (other people are much better versed on it than I am) but it might not be so much that Naga was playing favorites with the Divine Dragon tribe as trying to minimize the potential damage done with this interference. She'd already witnessed the destruction of Thabes at Duma's hand, and further had probably witnessed how humans had a tendency to view dragons as gods; giving a blessing to humanity and then stepping back may well have seemed like the best approach rather than involving themselves more directly...and that backfired, too. There's really no right answer for how to handle that situation.

I know I give Naga a lot of flack, but I also try to give her credit where it's due -- and I think it's fair to say that Naga has not been static in her approach to dealing with humanity. She clearly cares about mankind, but also recognizes the danger that dragons can pose to them, whether it's through the threat of degeneration or humans' penchant for elevating dragons to godly status. So she tries different things to try and mitigate the potential damage as much as she can -- to mixed results, each time.

[prncssie]

ONE ⎯⎯ ★ m. list

you’d think when you’re all moved out of your childhood home and sitting on the cool wooden flooring of your own apartment, you’d feel all grown up. granted, you are grown up. however, there’s just something so different, so special and sacred, about enjoying a glass of cheap red wine and listening to the soft sounds of frank ocean, pinkpantheress, and other various artists humming from your red beats pill. this space is entirely yours. it’s your space, filled with the scent of toasted vanilla beans and marshmallows roasting over a fire.

it’s as neat and cluttered as you want it, polaroids of your old life plastered against the walls, floors freshly mopped, dishes cleaned and put away. the air practically buzzes with opportunity, with optimism and hope for the future. you can see it now, your name credited at the end of the newest blockbuster, only after successfully landing a lead role and hitting it off with your co-actors. you can taste it, your dream come true. sweet like syrup, dancing across your tongue with a honeyed sapor. it’s everything you could have asked for and here, in this new city, it’s just within reach. of course, first, you’d have to land a role.

still, that isn’t exactly you’re biggest focus right now. in just a couple hours, you’ll be starting your new job at the local diner. it isn’t something you’re nervous about perse, but there’s nothing particularly enjoyable about a fresh start. your new uniform hangs in your makeshift closet. the stone gray curtains are pulled back to reveal the crisp edges of the baby pink retro-style dress. it’s a cute, little thing. pinstripes from top to bottom, a flare skirt lined with soft tulle, a quaint white apron to match. you’d think it’s something you’d get out of the sexy costume section of spirit halloween. yet, it’s something you’ll be putting on for almost seven days out the week. it’s position in your closet symbolizes something to you. a glowing emblem of promise. it may not be the best item you own, or even the most practical but it means the most and that’s something that matters.

a single corner of your mouth twitches upwards. your brown eyes find themselves wandering towards the simplistic blinking clock on your desk. it’s 12:30. it’s late enough, you think, for you to crawl beneath the thousand count thread sheets stretched across your bed. you toss your head back, downing the rest of the savory wine in a couple of gulps. you practice your newfound freedom by leaving the glass right there on the coffee table and make your way towards your bed. your muscles strain and tremble after minutes of sitting in the same position for far too long. they sing their praises once you reach your plush mattress and bury yourself beneath the sheets. 

⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ ★

“oh my gosh, hello!” the sing-songy voice spouts from a gorgeous dark haired girl, tinted a shade of red resembling a plum. she looks sweet, sharp eyes, a cute round nose. she smells sweet, like a ripe apple spiced with cinnamon on a nice autumn day. she grins at you with glossed pink lips while shoving a notepad within her apron pocket. “you must be the new girl. welcome to bop and bite, darlin’. my name is cherry. braxton told me we’d be gettin’ a new hire today.”

her infectious glee is enough to bring a pleased look to the surface of your face. there’s a bit of a southern twang that weaves through her words. it makes you tilt your head in curiosity but you don’t ask. instead, you run your hands along the skirt of your pressed uniform and grin back. “oh, i’m ⭐︎. it’s so nice to meet you. are you going to be training me?”

“oh, no. mrs. glen’s gone’ be trainin’ you. she’s super sweet. a real sugar pie. there’s this whole seniority thing and she has really good scores so,” cherry turns away from you, facing her distorted  reflection in the mint green countertops. they’re shiny enough to strain your eyes, reflecting the bright yellow lighting directly into your face. she bends over the open space and, what you’d soon learn as classic cherry fashion, rakes her fingers through her hair with a black elastic held tight within her teeth. “don’t worry, honey. you’ll be in great hands.”

you watch her tie her hair back, looking over the countertops at the empty booths and unoccupied bar stools. perhaps you’ve gotten far too dressed up compared to everyone else but really, can you be blamed for that? you half-assed makeup routine usually consisted of a light layer of a light layer of concealer,  a smooth line of eyeliner on the lower lids, blush, highlight, all the works. you just thought, since it is your first day, why not leave a good impression with a sugared face and an even sugared smile. there’s a second, just one, where you wonder if you went a little overboard, but those thoughts are dissolved the moment cherry looks up at you, placing a soft hand on your forearm.

“you know, you’re as pretty as a peach. you’ll make some real good tips workin’ here, i think. they love a real doll face.” she squeezes your arm before turning and leaving you to your own devices.

you stand there for a moment, glancing around the colorful room. that’s the thing with new places. it’s fun, it’s cool, it’s a change of pace and exciting, but it ends there. you don’t have roots, not yet at least. it causes more breaks in your productivity then you’d like. it’s occupied with nothing but silence and conversation where you can. like any other person, you fill that silence by pulling your phone out of your pocket. the plastic case is cool against your hand and you tap the tempered glass to display your lock screen. it blurs and shifts upon the sight of your face and you’re welcome, unfortunately, by a text message. not one you’re looking forward to.

mom: When are you coming back home? This is a waste of time and you know it

you roll your eyes the moment the words register in your brain. it doesn’t come as a shock to you, not really. if you were going to be honest with yourself, you knew it was going to come soon. the arguments about your decision, their displeasure at your desire to pursue an acting career, them insisting you couldn’t afford to live on their own. of course, they’re right. you can’t. that’s why you’re pulling doubles at bop and bite in hopes of having enough for rent and spare time to make it to casting calls, even if it’s for another mundane background character.

you click your tongue against the tip of your mouth, deciding it’s better off not to respond back than informing her that you are, still, very serious about your commitment. even if it meant you had to live in a somewhat cramped studio apartment until you could afford something better — which will probably be never. at least, not any time in the future that you can see. your thumb swipes against the glass, clearing the message from your screen and hopefully, your brain.

you drop your phone back into your apron pocket by the time the presumed mrs. glen makes her appearance. she looks sweet, as cherry said. a smile, salt and pepper hair, seasoned wrinkles. she wears her uniform all the same, thin frilly socks and little heeled mary ones clicking against the hard floor tiles. her thin gold bracelets dangle as she keys herself in to the register. her hair is pulled tight, flipped ponytail swinging as she saunters.

mrs. glen glances at you, eyes scanning along your frame. you pique her interest. you and you’re . . . smallness. your small personality, the small amount of space you take up. perhaps it’s because you’re in an unfamiliar place but you don’t stand as bold as someone who would need to work here. “you move here from somewhere? ⭐︎, right? you have that newcomer thing about you.”

you are a bit more jittery than you realize or even care to admit. it’s embarrassing how you stumble to turn towards her, hands interlaced in front of your body and palms facing up. “oh, yes ma’am. i moved here from a small town. i actually just settled and everything yesterday.” your curls, tied back neatly in two, spring and bounce in place. you’ve taken great care to wash, detangle, moisturize, and stretch them to have the prettiest impression you possibly could.

“mm, i can tell,” it’s meant to be nothing, words just tossed out into the air but mrs. glen misses the slight twitch of your eyebrow, “anyway, you’ll be following me around today as my shadow. once you get the hang of it, you’ll be taking drink orders and making them. it’s a slow process. customers are picky; they want a particular service. we open in five minutes so stay close. yes?” this time, she faces you. her eyes, dark like sweetened chocolate chips, hold you where you are.

she’s stern, you can tell by the way she just stares at you, expectantly. cherry said she’s “a real sugar pie” but in this moment, you feel more like she’s firmer than a pine knot. “yes ma’am. i’ll be right beside you.”

[plaguelily-art]

Before the heavy rains take their toll, young women hurry to pick the last of the white roses. The ivory buds are woven into garlands and given as gifts to close friends or potential lovers.

(FE Three Houses, Chapter 2: Familiar Scenery, opening quote)

Artwork completed for @ferarepairweek. This was for Day 1, and I went with "Celebration".

For some reason I had it in my head that the garland-weaving was part of festivities for Garland Moon, but apparently the quote from above is actually for Harpstring Moon, and there wasn't an entire celebration associated with it but eh, a celebration is a celebration (also ignore the fact that I did not draw garlands in favor of flower crowns and necklaces). Anywho, this is actually my favorite pairing for Byleth (F!Byleth specifically, but I won't get into my headcaons about the two Byleths), which figures given that the Gatekeeper isn't one of the S-rank options...and doesn't even have any supports in Three Hopes, haha.

I've been experimenting with a new process of sketching, coloring, and shading, and trying to complete all the artworks for this fandom event really helped me test it out. I have to say, cell-shading is so much easier on my wrists (I had a minor wrist injury earlier this year, making art very difficult for a few months). I'll probably be doing a lot of cell-shading from here on out.

—————————————————————————

2023, Fall Digital (Adobe Photoshop) Byleth and the Gatekeeper are characters from the Fire Emblem series, and belong to Intelligent Systems. Artwork belongs to me.

This image (published by the artist to deviantart.com/plaguelily, plaguelily-art.tumblr.com) may not be reproduced, copied, edited, republished, reuploaded, distributed, or redistributed in any way, and I do not give permission for the creation of any sort of derivatives of my work including the use of the work in datasets used for generation of AI art or any other sort of procedurally generated image program or software. Thank you.

[noobsomeexagerjunk]

Personal QSMP design hcs and interpretations (PART 1)

1. q!Quackity

ducktaur. predominantly golden yellow feathers and bright orange duck legs

partial heterochromia (dark brown with bits of bluish-grey)

his wear is different depending on which language he is maining at the moment

Eng!Q has an eyebrow scar, calloused hands, and some browning feathers. Wears religious jewelry and warm-colored clothes.

ESP!Q has ear piercings and blue-dyed feathers. Always has a clip-on tie and cool colored clothes.

Post-Tilin death, he either has their ribbon as a necktie (ESP) or belt (ENG)

has a pin of the QSMP logo always on his person

Brushes his feathers before teaching class

2. q!Jaiden

she is the cartoon character reflected by the mc skin, though is nonetheless perceived as human

she magical girl transforms into the vtuber fit whenever she wants to. Most of the time, it's to fight or to protect Bobby

she transforms using a magical brooch that resembles the emblem on her vtuber fit. she can add stuff on the brooch to alter her transformed appearance (like changing the bird wings to butterfly ones, or having a shiny rainbow mode)

she made a smaller, less powerful replica of her brooch for Bobby so he can get into armor much faster

she "draws" things out of her inventory with her fingers in the air (think the spellcasting of the witches in The Owl House, but with different symbols)

When Bobby died, her transformed look takes on a more dark and brooding appearance

3. q!Roier

he's not a spider hybrid but like, an actual Spiderman—literally got bit by a radioactive spider and everything

alternates between his superhero suit and a civilian fit. like jaiden, he transforms between fits superhero style

can fire webs from his hands, has slight spider sense, and also venomous saliva (so i beg of you, do not get head from this man)

wears natural makeup bc he likes to. he darkens it a little when he feels particularly vengeful (this is canon but yk)

the spiderman traits also apply to Melissa, whose dyed lingerie is literally weaved from spider webs

Post-Bobby death, he wears more blacks (both in civilian and superhero fits) and a lot more eyeliner

4. q!Bad

humanoid looking demon. resembles a void-like shadow in extreme emotional states

distinctly has a glowing halo. it has long horns growing out of it + a shadowy demon tail

has his mc skin's hoodie but sleeveless. collared shirts of any color is usually under that + beige khakis, white socks and various sneakers!

His hoodie has a small embroidered symbol of the Order Theoritas, hidden near the collar of the hood

his hair is long and usually tied loosely. wears glasses as well

sharp canines make him look a bit catty

his reaper get-up is well-sewn cursed cloth. wearing the fit makes his halo and tail larger, darker, and more shadowy

there's a block of diamond + an image of skeppy always on his person

He lets Dapper wear the ghost chat bell as a tail accessory

5. q!Spreen

werebear. He turns into a human during sunny daytimes, and is otherwise an anthromorphic bear-man.

black bear, like the mc skin

fashion sense however matches the CC; generally street-looking even with the bulk of armor

canines and claws glow when he's fighting someone in bear mode. he grows them out fighting during his human state

smells like cigarettes

6. q!Slime

a player equivalent to minecraft slime

prefers taking on a humanoid appearance, and has taken it long enough to master recolorization of said state. feels uncomfortable taking any other form as well

experiences pain when shifting (i mean that's also canon but yk)

behaves like a magma cube in extreme negative emotional states. will resemble one if you piss him off enough

he has no actual clothes, he shapeshifts the appearance of clothing. (q!Mariana has noticed, and he doesn't like to think too hard about it) his most external layer is armor and glasses.

he and q!Mariana have each a piece of Juanaflippa's shell on their person

7. q!Cellbit

human. well, not completely according to genetics but is more or less perceived as one.

The CC but wearing the blockman-cubito's fits

wears eyeliner to hide the eyebags. This doesnt work and only makes his eyes more expressive

a shadow looms the upper half of his face whenever he's being super weird and mysterious. It darkens when he's consciously about to do something really bad in a dramatic anime way; this is much more emphasized if he puts on his goggles

he paints his nails and the paint always trails. these glow sailor moon style when he comes into contact with the blood of any living creature

has a caffeine addiction

The chainsaw scars are deep enough that Cellbit doesn't like looking at himself when changing; he forces it though to remember why he's doing anything at all

Taught Richas how to draw the symbol for the Ordo Theoritas. He also has the symbol pressed into the leather of his gloves

8. q!Wilbur

humanoid man of unidentified species. perceived as human.

really is human looking, minus the pointy ears and prismatic irises

wears clear glasses. yellow sweater + sleeveless brown longcoat + grey jeans + black boots

has a black scarf and red beanie both made of wool and embroidered with gold threaded flowers.

always has a guitar on his person. since tallulah entered his life, he's let her put stickers and draw all over it.

They jam together when they can

may or may not have an enchanted singing voice

part 2

[kimium]

Put your Fave playlist on shuffle and post the first five songs that come up!

I was tagged by @m34gs in this post HERE. Thanks for the tag, friend! Like you, I'm making this a separate post just so things don't get too long.

In truth, I don't really have "playlists". It's usually all just thrown into a single playlist that's either My Library or Favourites. So, we're just going to go with my random songs. Also, I'm using my iTunes for this and not Spotify. Besides a few songs missing between them, the playlists are identical.

Also, all my songs ended up being connected to anime somehow. I'm sorry, but that's just how things work with me.

Butterfly 09 - United Forces Airplay Edit by Smile.Dk

Wow, we're starting with a nostalgic song for this list. If you grew up loving anime in the late 90s or early 2000s you could not escape this song. I believe most people were introduce to this song through DDR, but for me it was through AMV edits. I think the first time I heard this song was to a Rurouni Kenshin AMV. That or Sukisho, which according to the rating, at the time I watched it I was too young. In my defense, it's suggestive at best.

Anyways, the reason I have this song on my playlist still is because I like the beat and energy to the song. The lyrics make little sense, but I still adore this song. I don't listen to it often. In fact, I can't remember the last time I listened to it, but every time I do I'm transported back to my childhood days.

Shogeki by Yuko Ando

Going from a nostalgic song to a recent song, Shogeki is the first ending to the Final Season of Attack on Titan. This song is hauntingly beautiful with lyrics that tug at my heart. Even if you're not an Attack on Titan fan, this song is beautiful and tragic at the same time. I highly recommend giving it a listen.

Muspell Theme from Fire Emblem Heroes

This song is mostly instrumental except for the deep masculine voices chanting + the soprano choir nearer to the end. Definitely gives an ominous tone, indicating threat is approaching. Which makes sense as this song is for the Book 2 villains in FEH. Fire Emblem OST songs are always a great time, so even if you think instrumental isn't your thing, check it out.

SKETCH - Kiro Akiyama

Another anime ending song appears on this list! For the one it's the first ending to Season 6 of BNHA (My Hero Academia). I cannot tell you how much I love this song. The lyrics perfectly fits Izuku's character and many themes in the anime. This is also the ending where they changed parts of the anime to reflect the story moments of the episode.

Again, even if you're not an anime fan, this song is fantastic. The regret of the narrator as the lyrics talk about longing to reconnect, regret missing one another, and the desire to correct miscommunications are bittersweet but hopeful to me.

Dearly Beloved - a cover by Amalee but original by Yoko Shimomura

We end our list with another song from a game OST. This version I'm calling out is a cover by Amalee, where there are lyrics. However, the original is the instrumental song that plays in the menu for all Kingdom Hearts games. Amalee's version with the lyrics weaves a tale of love and hope despite distance from each other, fitting perfectly with the themes presents in Kingdom Hearts. So, even if this isn't the original version, give it a listen. Give the original a listen too! It's an amazing song that makes me want to cry every time I listen.

I tag: @a-little-harmed-shinra @someobscurereference @shreedle and anyone else who wants to do this!

[momowho34]

being a fan of fire emblem: three houses on tumblr is great because rather then exploring the interpersonal drama and fascinating nuance provided by the storie’s multiple perspectives, people choose one out of three characters that they find the sexiest and then start tearing each other apart over who was right, bending over backwards in an attempt to exonerate Their Side of all wrongdoing and paint their perceived opponents as villains with zero character or motivation, thus erasing the interesting nuances of the story while everybody says shit like “if you don’t apply complex political theory to the fantasy magical dragon fighting video game the same way i do then you’re fascist scum in real life.” what a tangled web we weave

[imustbenuts]

Fluidity of Fate in eastern concept, a helpful overview for digesting FE’s theatrics

Tl;dr, Western Fate is solid and unchanging (ie destiny), Eastern Fate is mostly fluid.

Also actually a Fire Emblem Awakening post. But if you can digest this, it will be super helpful for any future eastern media you encounter that spams the concept of Fate in it.

Fate is a word that gets dropped often in Fire Emblem, often for drama and flair. It’s often used as a bogeyman of sorts for tragic events that cannot be avoided no matter how hard one tries. Another term we can use for this in 2023 is “canon event”, an incident so crucial to the core of a character that it shapes their belief and their identity.

But the concept of Fate between western and eastern is… actually different. 

West:

If we dig back into old pagan (gee i hate this word for some reason) religions, Fate is usually anthropomorphized as a God or Goddesses who weave and construct the lives of mortals. Because it’s constructed by a higher being, Fate is considered something set in stone before a person is even born. Fate in Greek and Norse religion & myths are rock solid and unchanging, a destiny meant to be manifested, an inevitability as decreed by the Gods.

Though it’s so long ago to us now, Monarchs in the old western world liked this idea so much it fed into their systems and power structure. The Divine Right of Kings had this to thank for keeping the plebs in line. The goddesses of fate from Greek and Norse were absorbed into the singular catholic god over time as the basic idea was repurposed to pretty much keep people in order.

(The Three Fates of Greek mythology as they appear in Shin Megami Tensei V)

So to fight against this destiny might be seen as folly. If it cannot be changed, and if the gods will it, then that’s that. 

I also don’t need to tell you how much that Manifest Destiny idea is baked hard into the minds of Americans, but, yeah. The concept of 'manifesting' even today; this is where it comes from. 

East :

More accurately, I’ll be referencing the Chinese concept of Fate first, then bridge that in to Japanese and back into Fire Emblem. This is a linguistic, myth and culture crash course all smoshed into 1 dizzying pile so bear with me.

So, in Chinese, the word for Fate is yuan 缘. On its own, it means fate. Breaking this character down, it has the radical of thread 幺 in it, and is used for a variety of words & concepts further relating to the more eastern concepts of fate. 3 words for this crash coruse today: 亲缘 qīnyuán , 人缘 rényuán and 缘分 yuánfèn. all hold this 缘 yuan word, and they are actually used commonly in casual daily life conversations. 

Examples of how and what:

亲缘 qīnyuán - affinity with others. “I have no 亲缘 qīnyuán with Chrom.” = I have no affinity/nothing in common with Chrom, so we cannot click or start a conversation.

人缘 rényuán - relations with others / popularity. “Robin’s 人缘 rényuán is really good” = Robin is really good at establishing and maintaining relationship with others and is therefore popular.

Notice here how much the Fate here is used to refer to the threads of relationships. Yes, the basic idea is that relationships are what gets you to places in life, even to some extent determines who you are, and is therefore fluid and very different from the western concept. 

Incidentally then, it also holds the nuance of luck.

The logic being that each individual and our minds are dynamic, we can then affect the outcome of meetings to a certain extent. If a person meets a kind helpful person and keeps them around by not being an asshole, then it’s yuan in action and thus good luck, baybeee.

But that doesn’t mean Fate is 100% a changeable thing. There are things that are way out of our control in life, such as the inevitability of death, natural disasters, freak accidents, etc etc. We could even jokingly refer to them as the aforementioned "Canon Events". Yuan in Chinese can be best summed up as the idea of being swept through a river of inevitabilities, but trying to maintain some control during the journey down into the ocean. (This is river thing is taoism too.)

In terms of myth and religion, there isn’t a defacto God that controls Fate either. The closest I’ve got is the concept of The Red Thread of Fate (wiki) whiiich yeah also has the word 缘 in it. 🙂 

Then there’s the concept of Karma from Buddhism. Aaand surprise, the Chinese word for Karma can also be 缘.

(*inception blaring noises bwaaaaa*)

And so to the final word in the 3 examples I’ve given: 缘分 yuánfèn. This is the word for Fate. With everything I’ve explained above, the destiny being referred to here is the specific, the fate/chance that brings people together. Karma. 

Not set in stone, not fully predetermined, somewhat dynamic. Fate is thought of in this way in many parts of Asia. And of course,

Japan.

Japan copied a lot of stuff from China and integrated it into their society. Culture, language, even religion. Part of this process also involves being influenced by all these concepts of Fate, with the word for Fate in JP being….

縁 en.

It’s the same exact word, and with it, all the same nuances that I’ve explained above. 

So when characters like Lucina yell, “I challenge my fate!”, the writers are playing with both the Greek/Norse idea of fate and the East's, to say that the predetermined inevitability can be challenged and changed if one is determined and crazy enough to try. 

And when Robin says this in FEA chapter 14*:

The writers are saying, and telling the audience, to challenge our own lives and try meeting more people, in hopes that it will help us control our own lives. To do something rather than to be swept away and just roll over.

Because the alternative might be to end up in a state similar to Grima.

A state of complete isolation and self destructive loneliness.

Or, simply, how much the idea of interdependence and Buddhism is so entrenched into the language and consciousness of an insanely large group of people spanning over millennia.

(*i also realized robin has accidentally attained enlightenment part 1 of ??? here lmao)

And that's it. Thanks for reading that entire wall of text!!

[lumeha]

You are carrying a future too heavy for you. And yet, despite it all, you are still here. Maybe it is rotten luck.

T.S. Elliot - The Waste Land // Fire Emblem The Sacred Stones // Florence + The Machine - Queen of Peace // Wikipedia - Three of Swords // Fire Emblem Heroes // Pink Floyd - Sorrow // Cormac McCarthy - No Country for Old Men

[kunosoura]

I think the next evolution of fire emblem games should have actual 3d map design. It doesn't even need to be in like some super complicated way just like. 2-3 layers. Imagine if those castle maps had under-layers of tunnels where you could actually get to those archers sniping at you in those sealed rooms. Pathways weaving through each other to more organically offer multiple ways to an objective. Image a level where you have to fight through to the other side of a tunnel system and your options were to try to push through the central tunnels as fast as possible while risking getting overwhelmed on all sides or methodically clearing out monster nests to buy yourself some room to breave. Imagine if it was standard for every outdoor map to have a sky portion so your pegasus knights and wyvern knights and etc had to be deployed to prevent getting trampled in the sky, instead of just crazy daisy chained lord rescue/drops.

[prevazilazenje]

ST BRIGID’S CROSS

St Brigid, also known as “Mary of the Gael,” is an abbess and patroness of Ireland. She is furthermore the founder of the first Irish monastery in County Kildare, Ireland. Born in Dundalk in 450 AD, St Brigid is accredited with first creating the unique cross which bears her name.

The distinctive St Brigid’s Cross design, made from woven rushes, is thought to keep evil, fire, disease and hunger from the homes in which it is displayed. The tale of its origin as we know it is as follows....

There was an old pagan Chieftain who lay delirious on his deathbed in Kildare (some believe this was her father) and his servants summoned Brigid to his beside in the hope that the saintly woman may calm his restless spirit. Brigid is said to have sat by his bed, consoling and calming him and it is here that she picked up the rushes from the floor and began weaving them into the distinctive cross pattern. Whilst she weaved, she explained the meaning of the cross to the sick Chieftain and it is thought her calming words brought peace to his soul. He was so enamoured by her words that the old Chieftain requested he be baptized as a Christian just before his passing.

Since that day, and for the centuries that followed, it has been customary on the eve of her Feast Day (February 1st) for the Irish people to fashion a St Brigid's Cross of straw or rushes and place it inside the house over the door.

This rush cross, which became St Brigid’s emblem, has been used in Irish designs throughout history, with many modern stylists using this now popular Irish symbol within the designs of Irish jewelry and Irish gifts.

This cross is normally hand created from rushes however occasionally straw is also used. The rushes were collected from wetlands and cut into pieces, 8-12 inches long. Rushes can be hard to get for city dwellers so ordinary drinking straws are a good substitute. Use rubber bands to tie up the ends.

HOW TO MAKE ST BRIGID’S CROSS

You Will Need

16 Reeds (or Straws)

4 small rubber bands

Scissors

What to Do

Hold one of the reeds vertically. Fold a second reed in half as in the diagram.

Place the first vertical reed in the centre of the folded second reed.

Hold the centre overlap tightly between thumb and forefinger.

Turn the two rushes held together 90 degrees anti-clockwise so that the open ends of the second reed are pointing vertically upwards.

Fold a third reed in half and over both parts of the second reed to lie horizontally from left to right against the first straw. Hold tight.

Holding the centre tightly, turn the three reeds 90 degrees anti-clockwise so that the open ends of the third reed are pointing upwards.

Fold a new reed in half over and across all the rushes pointing upwards.

Repeat the process of rotating all the rushes 90 degrees anti-clockwise, adding a new folded reed each time until all rushes have been used up to make the cross.

Secure the arms of the cross with elastic bands. Trim the ends to make them all the same length. The St Brigid’s Cross is now ready to hang.

[the-hermit-at-midnight]

Exploring the Enchanting Realm of Brigid: Celtic Goddess of Fire and Wisdom

In the pantheon of Celtic deities, one goddess stands out with her multifaceted nature and captivating presence—Brigid. Often hailed as the Triple Goddess, Brigid embodies the realms of fire, poetry, and healing, weaving a rich tapestry of significance in Celtic mythology.

The Triple Goddess:

Brigid's trinity nature manifests in various aspects:

1. **Goddess of Fire:** Brigid is closely associated with the element of fire, symbolizing its transformative and purifying qualities. Fires were lit in her honor during festivals, and she was invoked for protection against destructive blazes.

2. **Goddess of Poetry and Inspiration:** Brigid is a muse to poets and bards, inspiring creativity and eloquence. Her influence extends to the written and spoken word, and she is revered as the patroness of the arts, encouraging the pursuit of knowledge and expression.

3. **Goddess of Healing and Fertility:** Brigid's healing touch extends to both the physical and spiritual realms. As a guardian of wells and springs, her association with water links her to the rejuvenating aspects of healing. Additionally, she is connected to fertility and abundance, fostering growth and prosperity.

Celebrating Imbolc:

One of the most prominent festivals dedicated to Brigid is Imbolc, celebrated around the beginning of February. Imbolc marks the halfway point between the winter solstice and the spring equinox, symbolizing the impending arrival of spring. During this festival, devotees honor Brigid by lighting fires, crafting Brigid's crosses, and engaging in rituals that invoke her blessings for the coming season.

Symbols of Brigid:

Several symbols are associated with Brigid, each representing different facets of her character. The Brigid's Cross, traditionally woven from rushes or straw, is a symbol of protection and is often hung above doorways. The flame, representing her association with fire, is a potent emblem of transformation and inspiration. Additionally, the well symbolizes her healing and life-giving attributes.

Brigid in Modern Context:

Beyond ancient mythology, Brigid's influence endures in modern times. Many people still celebrate Imbolc and incorporate Brigid's symbols into their spiritual practices. The revival of interest in Celtic spirituality has brought Brigid to the forefront, as seekers explore her timeless wisdom and connect with the enduring spirit of this enchanting goddess.

Brigid, the Triple Goddess of fire, poetry, and healing, continues to captivate hearts with her enduring presence. Whether through ancient rituals or contemporary spiritual practices, Brigid's essence resonates, reminding us of the timeless qualities that inspire creativity, healing, and transformation.

Prayer To Brigid

Weave a web and tell a story, oh Brig, so that those who weave as well may understand.

Blessed Brig. grant your peace and patience across the land

Every hill, every valley, every river and stream shall sing your praise.

Lady Bríg. I call to you.

Come into my home and sit upon my hearth.

Bless my home and family with the protection you have to offer.

A bed is always here for you.

Lady Brig, if you would have it.

I call to you as I weave my web, paint my picture, and write my story.

May your blessings be ever present in my life.

[eternal-love-song]

Monsters Out Of The Box

Kokichi and Maki accompany Kaede into town. As expected, disaster strikes.

In an other kingdom, Miu embarks on a mission that has far reaching effects.

[Kokichi & Kaede, Kokichi & Maki, Kaede & Maki, Kaito & Miu] [Fire Emblem AU, Fantasy AU, Magic, Monsters, Mild Injuries]

Previously: Children of Blood and Blades Point Your Blade Toward Freedom

The room was dark. The curtains had been pulled closed for privacy, the thick velvet material blocking out the sun. The only light in the room was the glow from the cleric's staff as she stood over the queen's bed, illuminating the prone form of the Queen and the worried prince hovering behind her.

Miu couldn't help but fidget from her place at the door. It was always awkward to be on guard duty for these visits. She never knew what to say at times like this and she knew that if she opened her mouth she would end up saying the wrong thing. So she just… waited. And tugged at her hair, and shuffled her feet, and…

"How is she?" The prince questioned once the glow from the staff had begun to wane.

"Not well," the cleric admitted. "My magic is keeping her from getting worse, but the sickness has progressed too far for me to truly cure her."

Miu couldn't see the prince's face in the darkness of the room, not from this distance, but the sound of his voice made it easy to picture the heartbreak that he must have been wearing. "Is there nothing that can be done?"

"Well…" The cleric hesitated.

The prince took a few hasty steps forward, hands falling heavily on the clerics shoulders. "Please, if there's anything that can help…"

"It's just a rumor my lord."

"Anything!"

The cleric hesitated a while longer. She was a newcomer to their kingdom, someone that had been called in because no one in the kingdom had been able to restore their queen to health. She wasn't sure how the prince had heard of this cleric, but her reputation was said to precede her. Miu wasn't very impressed so far, though her next words had Miu leaning in a bit closer.

"There are these jewels, powerful things that can increase one's magical abilities by enormous leaps and bounds. If I were to have one, the boost it would give me would surely be strong enough to allow me to conquer this malady."

"Do you know where I can find these stones?" he asked.

"I have an idea," the cleric told him. "There is one… the dark stone, known to banish dark forces. And the bright stone, which can purify any force. I'm sure either of those would work to heal her."

"Miu."

Miu snapped to attention at the prince's voice. "Y-yes? What is it?"

"I want you to gather a team. You will be leading this search mission, understand?"

"Y-yeah. You can count on me!" She stood up straighter, placing her hands on her hips and projecting all her confidence outward. "The gorgeous warrior Miu will find your rock without fail!"

"They're jewels," the cleric corrected.

"Whatever."

Miu was glad to be dismissed, turning on her heels and going out the door immediately. She had no desire to listen to them discuss the boring details. She'd gather her soldiers and then wait for the prince to tell her where she needed to go. Easy peasy. With any luck, the queen would be up and well within the week.

OoOoOoOo

There were two spellbooks hidden under the folds of Kokichi's cloak, one for lightning and one for wind. He had sown the large pockets into the folds of his outfit himself, testing their durability by running through the castle from the guards that he played pranks on. They were sturdy and thick enough that even when he ran they barely moved and they didn't make much noise even when they slapped against his body. He had a fire tome as well, mostly for emergencies, that he was flipping through idly as they rode.

The bright red of the tome, along with the purple of his hair, where the only things that stood out about him. His clothes and cloak were black, with light blue seams and lining that the king had weaved a protection into for heat and cold. There was a hood on his cloak that he could draw up to hide the brightness of his hair, which would make him inconspicuous and easy to overlook. No matter how plain he looked however, it would be impossible to blend in when he was riding behind someone draped in eye-catching pink silks.

"We're almost there," Kaede said excitedly. The princess was dressed well in white and pink silks with a long shall over her shoulders and a jeweled headpiece on her forehead. She looked flashy, which was appropriate for a dancer, but she didn't look royal. In fact, with Kokichi riding behind her as they traveled by horseback, they didn't stand out more than any other traveler might. As much as his cloak would normally be camouflage for him, Kokichi himself was serving as camouflage for her.

"Don't get too excited," he told her, looking up from his tome to the scenery around them. They were almost at the town, the trip more quick and painless than he had anticipated. They weren't that far from the castle, but the more excited Kaede was, the more he thought that something was definitely going to go wrong.

"Aren't you looking forward to this?" she asked him, looking at him over her shoulder. "This will be our first trip on our own!"

"Your first trip on your own," he corrected. "Maki and I have been here before."

She huffed, like he knew she would, and he did his best not to snicker at her expression. "You don't have to rub it in, you know."

Kokichi laughed at her pout, closing his book and tucking it away into one of his pockets. He searched the skies for Maki, locating the pegasus riding ahead of them and scouting the path. She was easy to spot, the red of her armor standing out against the white of her pegasus. That was by design though. Maki had decided that, should anything happen, she would play decoy while they tried to escape. She had been very hesitant when the queen had insisted on teaching her to ride one, but the pure enthusiasm of Queen Sonia was pretty hard to resist. Ultimately though, it was Kaede's refusal to learn that had spurred Maki's acceptance. She didn't want to be responsible for breaking the queen's heart when she was so excited to teach someone.

Maki's pegasus turned around, lowering until she was able to fly beside them. "There's a stable near the town entrance. You can leave your horse there."

"Alright. Thanks, Maki!" Kaede smiled at her brightly and Maki turned away from her, flying ahead of them.

"Whatever. No big deal."

Kokichi wasn't all that enthusiastic about visiting town, not like Kaede was, but he was more interested than Maki. Even though it had been five years since they came to the castle, Maki was still a bit nervous whenever they left it. He imagined it would have been worse if they had left like he was thinking about. Maybe Maki's paranoia would have been too much or maybe it would have been the thing to save them from their past catching up to them. Kokichi wasn't really worried about it anymore. Five years was a long time. He wanted to believe that it was long enough.

Kokichi hopped off the horse as soon as they'd reached the stable, watching as Kade talked to the stable boys and got the horse settled. Maki landed beside him, sliding off the horse and looking in the opposite direction. It was almost second nature by now, watching each other's blind spots.

"Not gonna doc it?" he asked.

Maki's eyes cut over to him, frowning in disapproval. "You don't 'doc' a horse, Kokichi."

He waved her words away. "Whatever, you know what I mean."

She looked away again, her hands tightening on the reigns of her horse. "No. If something comes up, one of us should be able to move quickly."

"If that's how you felt, we could have just all rode on your pegasus in the first place."

"No," she said immediately. "I'd be too tempted to push you off if you annoyed me."

He spun to face her, immediately sniffling and making his eyes water. "No way, you wouldn't do that to me, would you Maki?"

Maki sighed. "Don't you dare."

It was already too late though. He tossed his arms around her and wailed loudly. "No! Maki doesn't love me!"

Keeping hold of her pegasus only left her with one hand to try and push him off of her, but he didn't let her. "Let go of me, you damn brat."

"Waaahh! Say that you love me!"

"No!"

"Maaaakkiiiii!"

"Get off!" she pushed harder.

"What are two doing?" Kaede asked when she returned to them.

Kokichi let go of Maki so quickly that she almost stumbled from the change in weight, his expression going from sad and teary eyed to smiling. "Just waiting for you," he told her.

Kaede giggled at them both before running ahead. "Come on, let's explore!"

Kokichi ran after her, keeping on her heels, while Maki walked along behind them. While Kaede's goal was just to enjoy the freedom of being on her own, Kokichi and Maki had the responsibility of keeping her safe. The princess at least didn't make it very difficult, linking her arm with Maki's as she walked or grabbing Kokichi's hand when she needed to rush off to look at something.

The spent a majority of their time checking out market stalls, ducked into a tavern to have lunch, and then Kaede ended up putting on a performance near the town square when someone asked about her skill. There was a decent crowd gathering around her, one that Kokichi and Maki lingered on the fringes of.

"Not so bad, right?" Kokichi asked, looking up at Maki.

"Better than I was expecting," she replied.

Kokichi put his hands behind his head, grinning widely. "We're the best bodyguards ever."

Maki rolled her eyes, putting her hand on the back of his head and pushing him hard enough to make him stumble. "Don't get cocky."

"Hey, is it a crime to have faith in your excellent skills as a pegasus rider?" he asked. "I'm sure if anything were to happen, you could throw us both over your shoulder and carry us to safety."

Maki scoffed. "I'm not Akane."

"Well not with that attitude you aren't!"

Of course, the peace couldn't last long, evidenced by the fact that someone started screaming not long after. Kaede stopped dancing and all head's turned in that direction.

"M-Monsters!" Someone yelled as they ran past.

"Monsters?

"What?"

Confused whispers swallowed the crowd, but it was only a minute or two before the subject revealed itself. It looked like someone had pulled an eye from a giant, the large eyeball floating in the air with tendrils like veins dangling out of the back of it. It had a red pupil which glowed as it squinted before unleashing a strange magical ring that attacked the nearest thing to it. This, of course, caused the panic that the earlier warning hadn't managed to garner as people fled and ran around them.

The red eye wasn't alone however, as shortly after something else flew into the town as well. It looked like a stone carving came to life. The gargoyle was gripping tight to a spear and as soon as someone was within reach, it dove down, impaling them through the chest. There were maybe a dozen of these creatures that Kokichi could see and he hoped that there weren't too many more that he couldn't.

Kaede took one step in their direction before Maki grabbed her wrist. "Don't."

"They're hurting people!" she objected immediately.

Maki pulled on her wrist harder, making Kaede stumble back a step. "Let me deal with this."

"But--"

"You barely know how to fight, Kaede," Maki said sternly. "Find somewhere to hide and stay out of the way." Maki glared at her, making sure that Kaede wouldn't try to immediately defy her before she released Kaede's wrist. Maki swung herself onto the back of her pegasus, gently patting its side before looking down at Kaede. "Hide," she said again. Then she tugged on the reins and her pegasus jumped into the air and took her toward the flying monsters.

They both watched her as she rose into the air. Kaede didn't even turn toward him as she spoke. "You know that I'm not going to hide, right?"

Kokichi sighed. "Yeah, I know."

Kaede nodded. "Good."

"But I don't want you fighting either."

Kaede turned to face him with an almost betrayed expression.

He pat her arm as he walked past her. "Listen to me," he told her. "We stick to the shadows to get the jump on them. I'll use my magic and you'll use your dancing." He turned to look at her. "Agreed?"

Kaede seemed to relax once she knew that he wasn't going to try and stop her from helping. "Alright. I'll follow your lead Kokichi."

"Good."

Fighting wasn't really Kokichi's strong suit. He was barely more practiced than Kaede was, if he were honest. But he was observant, cool headed, and a good problem solver. Kokichi didn't think he qualified to be called a tactician, though that is what the king had dubbed him. He didn't have that much experience with leading multiple people, but it had worked between him and Maki previously. He thought that he'd be able to make it work between him and Kaede too.

He tugged her along into the shadows of the building. She would stand out much more than he would in her brighter attire, but it would still be better than being out in the open where they would be an easy target.

They moved closer slowly. Maki's attack covered their progress as she dove at the gargoyles and swung at them with her axe. Luckily, her pegasus was quick enough to avoid the magic attacks from the eyeballs, but there were too many of them, she would be overwhelmed if they didn't help her soon.

Kokichi pulled his wind tome from his cloak, opening it to random page in the middle of the book as he kept his eyes on the situation before them.

Magic was weird. You could do magic without a tome, without a staff, but you had to do it with the energy inside your own body. That could be dangerous, especially to new mages that didn't fully know how to control or harness their powers. Spellbooks had the energy weaved into them, into the spells, into the pages. When you used one up, the magic disappeared and so did the spell, making it easy to keep track of how much power was left in the book. He didn't know who was creating all these spell books or how. Maybe that was something he should ask the king when they got back.

Kokichi chanted quietly under his breath, eyes focused on one of the red eyes as he chose them for its target. It was blown back as the wind magic hit, but Kokichi could already tell that it hadn't done much damage.

"Idiots!" Maki yelled, driving her axe into the pupil of the red eye before it could attack them. "I told you to hide!"

Kaede twirled in a circle beside him and even without turning to fully face her, he could feel the energy radiating off of her from her dance. Whatever magic she had inside her was strong, "Keep going, Kokichi," she said softly.

He quickly read another spell, this time targeting one of the gargoyles. It was a lot more effective against them, nearly knocking them out of the air and making them grip their spear harder to try and keep from dropping the weapon. Once again, Maki's axe carved a path through the wounded monster.

"Focus on the eyes!" he yelled to her. "I'll get the gargoyles!"

The only indication that she'd heard him was that her next strike was aimed toward another eyeball. Unfortunately, all their yelling seemed to catch the attention of a group of the spear wielding creatures.

Kokichi stepped in front of her. "Get ready."

He could see the nervousness on her face, but her clenched fist spoke to her resolve. He took his eyes off of her to continue calling out spells. They fell into an easy habit, Kokichi turning page after page as Kaede danced around him. The monsters were falling out of the sky dead, left, then right, then left again. Until finally, one of his spells missed. The gargoyle twisted its body to avoid the gust of wind that sought to tear him asunder, diving at them with his spear.

Kokichi didn't think, he dodged.

Lucky for him, Kaede had also managed to dodge, though less gracefully, falling off her feet because of the way her body twisted. He looked down at his book to read the next spell quickly, killing it in one hit as he pushed more energy into the spell.

Kokichi took in several details quickly. There were still two gargoyles hovering near them, Kaede was still knocked on her rear, Maki was too far away to get to them quickly enough to help as she cleaved the last few eyeballs. He jumped in front of Kaede as he read off his next spell, looking up to glare at his target. The streak of wind slammed into the gargoyle and shoved it back, but not far and it didn't kill in one hit.

Without Kaede's dance, he could feel the strain that casting put on him more keenly, as well. Reading the spell made him feel slightly breathless, as if the wind used for the attack was stolen from his own lungs. It took him too long to recover. The creature had already moved close enough for another attack by the time his breath returned. He could sense that Kaede was still behind him, he couldn't afford to dodge. He read off his spell.

The spear jammed into his shoulder just before the wind blasted the monster away and it fell over dead. A second spear rammed into his side. He gasped in pain, clutching his tome tighter. The pain blinded him for a moment.

Then Kaede jumped out from behind him with her rapier and jammed it into the monster's neck. Kokichi read off his spell just to make sure that it was dead. The spear was ripped from his side as the monster was blown back with his spell and Kokichi screamed.

"Kokichi!" Kaede's arms wrapped around him and only then did he realize he was halfway to falling off his feet. "Stay with me!"

It turned out that being stabbed hurt a lot. Who knew?

"Kokichi!" He looked up in time to see Maki flying toward him. He didn't see any other monsters around them, that was probably a good sign. She hopped off her pegasus as soon as its hooves touched the ground, ripping off her saddle bag.

Kaede was lowering him slowly to the ground, but he barely noticed. Magic could take a lot of you, apparently. So could pain.

"Lay him back," Maki commanded. She leaned over him as Kaede laid him out flat and pulled his cloak to the side to reveal his wound. Maki pulled a vulnerary from her bag, pouring it first on his wound and then in his mouth. The cool liquid had his head clearing near instantly.

"Ow," he complained softly.

Maki sighed softly, eyes still trained on his side. "You'll be okay. The wound wasn't that bad."

"That's what ‘not bad’ feels like?" he questioned.

"Let me rephrase," she said. "It could have been that bad, but we were able to treat it quickly, so if I use the last of this vulnerary on the wound in the next few minutes, it should close up like nothing happened."

"Oh good."

Maki looked up to Kaede next. "And you! What were you thinking?"

"What?" Kaede squeaked.

"I told you to hide and instead you decided to rush into battle like some overeager trainee. You nearly got Kokichi killed."

Kokichi had to turn his head to look at her. Kaede was pale, regret chiseled onto her face. "I… I didn't…"

"He could have dodged that blow if he wasn't protecting you, but you were too busy sitting on your--"

Kokichi leaned up, wincing in pain as he did so, to slam his hand over Maki's mouth. "Stop."

Maki's eyes flashed with anger, but he didn't back down. Kaede already felt bad, she didn't need Maki to rub it in.

"This was her first battle, of course she froze," he said. "I froze in my first fight, too. So did you."

Kaede leaned forward, pressing her forehead against his back. The wound in his shoulder throbbed, but it was less severe and he didn't want to bring it up when Maki was still so angry. "I'm… so sorry," she whispered.

"I know," he told her.

Maki sighed, pulling his hand from in front of her mouth. "Don't think I didn't catch that."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Maki pressed her lips together. "I have another vulnerary in my bag."

He smiled, letting his weight fall back against Kaede. She wrapped her arms around him, hugging him close for a few minutes before laying him back down, his head in her lap.

"Let's get you fixed up and then see what we can do about these monsters," Maki said.

"Okie Dokie!"

OoOoOoOo

"Is that it?" Kaito questioned, trying to look over her shoulder at the gem.

The 'dark stone' turned out to be a ring. Or at least, Miu thought it was the dark stone. This was the temple that the cleric had directed them to and the stone in the ring was a dark purple.

"I mean, I guess," Miu shrugged. "It's the only jewelry in this place, so what else could it be?"

Kaito snatched the thing from her hand to look at it himself. "Smaller than I expected."

"Hey!" she grabbed it back, glaring at him. "Go fuck yourself, this is my mission." She slipped the stone into her pocket.

Kaito held his hand up in surrender and stepped back from her. "Hey, no need to be so hostile!" He reached out to pat his wyvern's flank. "So are we leaving or…"

Miu stomped toward him. "Yeah, yeah. Let's get this back to the prince. The sooner the queen is healed, the sooner that cleric can go back where she came from."

Kaito swung himself onto the back of his wyvern, reaching down to help her up as well. "You don't like the cleric?"

"You haven't noticed how she's always watching us? It's fucking creepy."

Kaito crossed his arms as he thought. "Huh, I guess she does."

Miu sighed. It was useless trying to talk to Kaito, his head was always up in the clouds with the wyverns and pegasi. "Whatever, let's just get out of here."

Before they could though, the ground started shaking.

"What the hell?"

The ground seemed to rip itself apart next to them. Miu screamed and grabbed onto Kaito's arm. "The fuck are you doing, idiot? Get us into the air, now!"

Kaito tugged the reins of his wyvern and it lifted off the air and made a b line for the exit. More and more cracks were forming in the ground and things were starting to pull themselves free. She couldn't tell what at the speed they were flying, that was, until she looked down and saw a host of eyeballs looking back at her.

Then they were in the air, looking down at the crumbling temple that had been host to the dark stone.

"What were those things?" Kaito questioned as they hovered over the area.

"I don't know," Miu answered. "And I don't want to find out. Let's get out of here and just tell the prince about it when we return."

"Yeah," he agreed. He tugged the reins of his wyvern and they were flying back toward the castle. Miu couldn't help but look back though and wonder what it was that they had apparently unleashed.

OoOoOoOo

Queen Kikyo was very pale, her complexion nearly a match for the white sheets that lay beneath her. The queen had always been of poor health, but she was strong and usually pushed through it. In all the years that Korekiyo had cared for her, all the illness that he had seen her through, she had never looked this pale.

Prince Korekiyo had always feared his potential ascension to the throne, knowing that it would come at the cost of his sister's health or life. Even known, he had accepted regency but had staunchly refused the title of king, vowing that he would see his sister well enough to sit the throne one more. Even if it was only long enough for her to pass the crown to his head, he wanted to see her in her former glory once more.

"Prince Korekiyo." The cleric, Shirogane, bowed as she entered the room. "I'm here to administer her treatment."

"Go on then," he said, taking a step back from the bed.

"Also, I heard that your soldiers have returned from their mission," she said. "No one will speak to me directly, however." The cleric looked rather disgruntled at this, but smoothed over her expression as she approached the bed.

"I will investigate the matter," he assured her. "Your focus must be solely on restoring my sister's health."

Shirogane bowed once more. "Of course."

Korekiyo was hesitant to leave the cleric alone, but she had not done anything thus far to make him mistrust her and she was, currently, his only hope. None of his own healers had been able to make much of a difference to her condition, but Kikyo had been breathing easier since Shirogane took over her care.

Korekiyo went to the lounge afforded to his high ranking soldiers, unsurprised to find Miu and Kaito arguing with each other. Miu could be rather feisty and there wasn't a soldier in his ranks that she hadn't provoked at least a little. Kaito was one of the easier personalities to get along with and when the two worked together there was less conflict than between some others.

"Prince Korekiyo," Kaito greeted with a nod as soon as he entered the room. Miu spun around to face him, pausing her rant mid word.

"Greetings. Shall I assume that your mission was successful?" he asked.

Miu reached into a pocket and held out a ring. The dark stone was set in gold and even without approaching he could tell that it was filled with powerful energy. "Yeah… there's something weird though."

He plucked the ring from her palm, inspecting it. "Strange? How so?"

"That temple that we were sent to, soon as we took the ring all these monsters started to pop up," Kaito explained.

Miu shivered, wrapping her arms around herself. "The ground cracked under us and there were these giant eyes, staring at us. There were these… things… pulling themselves out of the ground. I just wanted to get out of there as fast as possible."

Kaito put an arm around her. "Hey, those things can't hurt you here. You're fine."

"I know that!" she snapped, but she didn't move away from his comforting embrace.

"Interesting," Korekiyo mumbled. "I'll see if our visiting cleric knows anything about this."

"Hey, are you sure we should be working with her?" Kaito questioned. "I mean… whatever those things were, they seemed like bad news."

"I will investigate this matter further," he told them. "Neither of you need to worry about it. Just rest."

Korekiyo took the ring and returned to his sister's room. Shirogane was still in the middle of her treatment, staff glowing as she held it above Kikyo's head. He waited silently until she finally finished, setting the butt of her staff on the ground and wiping sweat from her brow. He held up the ring, watching as her eyes widened at the sight of it.

"They found it?"

"Indeed." He tucked the ring into his front pocket. "I have an interesting account of its retrieval. It seems to have served as the seal to some kind of monster?"

"O-oh?" Shirogane dropped her gaze a bit too deliberately for his liking. "I thought that was merely a rumor."

"You seem to be very well versed in rumors, cleric."

Shirogane twisted her hands around her staff. "The truth is, I've been studying these stones for a long time, trying to learn all that I can. There are a lot of rumors about them. It's impossible to tell what's true and what isn't without investigating."

Korekiyo stepped closer to her. "And you didn't feel the need to warn of such peril?"

She looked up without raising her head, meeting his eyes. "You said anything, prince Korekiyo."

He did say anything. He wasn't even sure that he would take his claim back, knowing of the potential danger. He would definitely approach the situation differently though.

"I think you should tell me more details about these stones, cleric." He turned his back to her. Come, we should leave my sister to her rest."

"Of course, Prince Korekiyo."

[emblematicemblazer]

Fire Emblem Engage Xenologue

The other characters of Xenologue Firene

Jean

Xenologue Jean is not recruited when Nel, Nil, Alear and Zelestia finish collecting the Emblem Bracelet of Firene. There are not the resources to spend on detours nor is there the time to deviate from their goal. There is no way of knowing what Jean was like or how he met his end. Jean is given the opportunity to move on from his father's tutelage and grow as a young doctor by Alear in the main story. In Xenologue Firene, the ill tempered and warmongering atmosphere may have created a more rebellious Jean or a fighter instead of a healer. 

Boucheron

Boucheron is/was Alfred's retainer and friend in both universes. Xenologue Boucheron died defending his liege despite the fact he was confident of victory.

We learn that Xenologue Alfred cherished the memories of fighting alongside his retainer when Boucheron of the main story fights him.

 “I wanted to see you on the battlefield one more time.“

This is a contrast to the support conversations where Alfred joins Boucheron on his day. Alfred wants to relish moments fishing and just spending time with Boucheron, not fighting. This leads me to the conclusion that Boucheron spent more time training than reading and fishing. 

Etie

Etie is/was Alfred's retainer and friend in both universes. Xenologue Etie died in battle despite being confident of victory. 

We learn that Xenologue Alfred thought she was a noble and strong retainer. This hints at her being interested in body building in the Xenologue as well as the main story. Etie used to bring flowers to Firene Castle, in the Xenologue Alfred brings flowers to her grave instead. The flowers Wore brings in the main story are beautiful and bring great joy while Xenologue Alfred cannot even look at the ones he laid at Etie's grave. 

Etie and her Xenologue counterpart were both friends with Celine and both enjoyed drinking tea together. 

Louis

Louis was/is Celine's retainer, friend and brewer of fine teas in both universes. Xenologue Louis died in battle despite being confident of victory. 

We learn that Xenologue Louis, just like his counterpart, used to brew special teas for Celine and it brought her happiness to drink them. Xenologue Celine has been unable to drink the tea Xenologue Louis made for her since his death. This mirrors the support conversation between Celine and Louis where she cannot bring herself to drink the special tea made for her when she learns that he hurt himself collecting them. 

Chloe

Chloe was/is Celine's retainer and friend in both universes. Xenologue Chloe died on a reconnaissance mission. She never returned home.

Chloe may believe in fairytales but when she spoke to Xenologue Celine she did not weave a fairytale of hope that her counterpart was alive, instead she spoke of the reality of her likely death. 

Queen Eve

Queen Eve is dead leaving all the stress and pressure of ruling a country on her children.