#he's in *valm*

[fore-seer]

tired of other awakening fans shitting on the valm arc constantly you people are the reason there are no fun filler episodes in tv shows anymore

[sieglinde-freud]

oh i love them… princess severa u will always be famous…

[nejackdaw]

Wanna update my Walhart in Feh but also what if they miraculously add Frey soon. On the Fallen banner even. In like a week. What then. I only have so many cav skills

[devotedrigelianflower]

~*~

"...Good idea..." Bercutio said before gently tapping Azalea's cheek to see if she would wake up. Nope, she was out cold and seemed like the shock of seeing Rinea was too much for his beloved. Bercutio gave a sigh as he lifted her up bridal style with no trouble at all. "I'll take her to bed and watch over her. Good Night, Chrom." He said before going to Azalea's room. He placed her on the bed and held her hand for the moment. So much for spending the night cuddling but a part of him wondered which path that Rinea was going to end up with. Would Rinea end up in a world where she lived or face the tragic fate that Bercutio and Azalea had nightmares about. Bercutio stayed close to Azalea for the rest of the night and would be relieved in the morning that Azalea would not recall the incident that happened last night...

~*~

It was night time as the festivities of celebrating Chrom’s birthday were starting to come to an end but everyone was enjoying themselves. A strange light appeared as if a door had been opened from Askr. Rinea had stepped out from it, holding a wrapped present that had high quality gloves made in Rigel that were good for winter. “…This should be the right portal door…I hope.” She quietly made her way to the ballroom area as if she knew the place but it was the strange dreams she kept having. Chrom as her big brother? It was a sweet thought. She took a peek into the ballroom and saw that the few people still there were distracted. Rinea went over to the table and placed her present near where the others present were left. “Another gift for your brother? That’s very sweet of you but shouldn’t you give it to him directly?” Rinea looked over to see it was a guard who had mistaken her for Princess Azalea. “Oh! Yes, it is but I don’t want to disturb him. Please be sure he gets it. Have a good night.” Rinea said as she did her best to remain calm even though she was a little bit confused at what he said. “Yes, your highness.” The guard said before Rinea did her best to make a graceful yet quick escape. When Chrom came back the guard told him about the gift ‘Princess Azalea’ had left him. However, when Chrom sees the ‘from’ part, the name would be Rinea.

Meanwhile, Rinea was trying to figure out why did that guard said that Chrom was her brother? In fact why were some of the guards who did see her treating her like she's a princess? Did she pick the wrong door?

"Where is the portal door?" Rinea said quietly as she touched the wall where the light should have been. "Azalea? What are you doing-...wait that dress....Rinea?!" Bercutio had been sneaking to Azalea's room like he usually did but he ended up finding Rinea instead. "L-Lord Berkut?...Wait...you're not him! Oh no...I did pick the wrong portal door!" Rinea said as she wanted to escape. "Bercutio? Is everything alright?" Azalea said as she came out of her room as she heard him. Azalea then took one look at Rinea and promptly fainted from shock but luckily Bercutio was there to catch her in time. "O-Oh dear! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to frighten her. Goodness she really does look similar to me except with darker blue hair." Rinea said as she realized that Azalea was the princess everyone mistaken her for.

The portal light suddenly reappeared and familiar hand pulled Rinea into the door. "Rinea! What were you thinking-" Berkut said before looking at a very shocked Bercutio holding an unconscious Azalea. "...This was the door we were told to avoid..." Berkut told Rinea who gave a sigh. "...I didn't mean to...they all looked the same. I just wanted to wish Lord Chrom a happy birthday." Rinea said feeling a bit embarrassed. "...We'll just find a version of Chrom that's in Askr..." Berkut said before looking back at his descendent? Reincarnation? He was not sure but at least Berkut was glad to see that the bloodline had carried on. "Sorry for the disturbance...You saw nothing." Berkut said before shutting the portal door leaving a very confused Bercutio (and Chrom lol) behind. This was an event that Bercutio was going to try to forget ever happened...for his and Azalea's sake.

//Happy Birthday Chrom. Wanted to do something funny for his birthday so here you go.

~*~

All is well and going as smooth as he hopes. Parties were not his thing but he would still find them enjoyable to a degree when most eyes are looking away from him after a while.

Chrom kept moving around the ballroom, thanking and greeting guests when he noticed a long blue haired girl leave the ballroom. "Azzy?" he raised an eyebrow. Was she feeling unwell? because it is unlike her to do so. If anything, she is the last one to leave the ballroom. Eyes quickly scanned for another person--he's not here as well. Ah ... well, makes sense now. They are newly married couple, for sure they want their time alone even in a party like this. Ahh..youth.

As he went around, one of the guard told him that his dearest sister had gifted him another gift but she left on a hurry. "Azalea? Gods, she didn't have t--huh ...from Ri-- (Rinea!?)" He quickly looked up at the guard, "Erm, don't speak about this to anyone else, understood?" and there he goes quickly to follow his Askr guest.

Though he was a bit late for Rinea was guided back with Berkut back to Askr. "Wait--!" his steps were halted when he saw his own sister laying between Bercutio's arms. "Azalea!?" he was reassured she was ok, just shocked to see Rinea. "Tell me about it ..." he had seen some...other versions of himself. Not to mention one he rather not mention to poor Azalea--his fallen version. She's probably cry her eyes out for that Chrom. "So, uh ... let's ...pretend this didn't happen, yes? It would be difficult to explain that world to Azalea," a world where her sister is ... her big sister is alive. She's not theirs but ...it is Emmeryn alright.

Chrom looks at the wall where the portal was open briefly, "Thank you ... Lady Rinea. I'll treasure your gift."

birthday ask || accepting || @devotedrigelianflower

[sotiredmostnights]

i really feel like people underestimate the importance of the valm arc in awakening. to me, this arc is essential in chrom's character development as a new ruler trying to determine his place and ylisse's place in the world.

throughout the valm arc, chrom strengthens ylisse's alliance with regna ferox and begins a new alliance with the people of valm who oppose walhart. in addition to this, he also grows on a personal level: he further acknowledges the ways in which his own forms of justice differ from emmeryn's AND walhart's, and as he establishes his own justice, he uses his newfound conviction to liberate those under walhart's oppressive rule.

and then we have the subplot with say'ri and yen'fay. this was a nice little diversion on the surface, but what fascinates me about it is the parallels between chrom and say'ri. they both want to do what's best for their country, even if it means going against the ideals of their sibling (say'ri fights yen'fay head-on, and chrom rejects emmeryn's pacifist approach to the plegian conflict).

needless to say, the self-sacrifice of both emmeryn and yen'fay to ensure the safety of their respective siblings is another key element to the valm arc. here we have chrom, whose sister leapt to her own demise in order to spare him the painful choice of saving his sister or saving his country. on the flip side, we have yen'fay who chooses a more direct approach to saving his kin: he allies himself with walhart in the hopes that say'ri will be spared death at the hands of the conquerer.

this isn't even broaching the struggles lucina faces during this arc. basilio's presumed death really serves as a reminder to her that changing the course of fate is a daunting task, and her failure to convince basilio to stay clear of walhart solidifies the weight of the challenge that stands before her.

tldr the valm arc is incredibly underrated and it's a bit disappointing people often ignore it in favor of the other pieces of awakening's story

[asha-mage]

One thing I can't stop thinking about ever since I finished Awakening is Robin's mother.

Because can you imagine the courage, the strength of will it must have taken to steal away her son from Plegia? To flee?

She was raised her whole life to believe in Grima, in the teachings of the Grimleal, she watched her country burn from the Crusades fought by Ylisse- watched Plegians slaughtered for their faith, watched their country impoverished and occupied. It's easy to imagine her as someone who hated Ylisse, who was a fervent believer in Grima, who leapt at the chance to help continue the Fell Dragon's bloodline with Validar.

And then imagine her laying there after the birth, holding her infant son marked with symbol of Grima and realizing that none of that mattered, not in the least bit beside this tiny life, beside her son. Her son who is their prophesied chosen one, who is the hope of generations of Plegians- who is destined to be the vessel of the Fell Dragon, the herald of the end of days, the bringer of vengeance on their enemies, the remaker of earth. Their messiah. Her messiah.

And it doesn't matter. Because it will mean his death. She dosen't want the rapture if it means he has to be sacrificed to bring it about, she don't want him to be the messiah because she knows that means one day he will be crucified.

And so she runs. She takes her infant son from the cradle and leaves behind everything she has ever known, and everything that might have been- a life as the mother of the messiah, a life of status and riches and comfort- and she goes to the one place the Grimleal will never think to look for them. She goes to Ylisse, where the armies still recall the screams of her people, where the faithful of Naga would cut her son down if they knew the least part of what he was. And she raises him there in secret, for twenty years living in hiding in the country of her enemies, because it's the only place her son will be safe. Because she loves him to much to let him be doomed by fate.

What must it have felt like one day, when he walked out the door and never came home? Did she search for him? Did she fear that the Grimleal had found them at last? Did she hear what happened at Southtown and wonder if he was among the dead: if all that, if twenty years of hiding and running and living in secret- had all ended in nothing more then a random bandit attack and bad luck? Or did she refuse to believe any such thing? Did she keep searching, keep wandering, unable to believe that the prophesied messiah would meet such a ignominious end?

What must if felt like when she heard that Plegia was going to war with Ylisse? Did she consider going back to the country she had abandoned, the people she had betrayed? Did she regret for a moment, that they would not have the vessel of Grima to lend them his strength?

And after the war what must it have been like, for every bell in Ylisstol to be ringing with victory, the new Exalt King riding back fresh from the field of battle, leading the triumphant procession of his soldiers....and beside him is her boy. Shoulder to shoulder, knee to knee as they ride side by side through the streets. Her boy with his silver hair and bright eyes gazing up at the Exalt King, the son of the man who crusaded against his mother country, with such love and devotion in his eyes as few people have ever witnessed. Was she happy? Disgusted? Horrified? Scared for him? Did it click then, the wild tales of the amnesiac strategist that the Shepherds had found in a field- rumors that had begun around the same time her boy had vanished?

Did she ever think about coming forward? When the wedding was announced? When Lucina's birth (her granddaughter, blood of Grima and Naga both, but her granddaughter first) was declared? When war broke out with Valm and her boy took command of the armies marching to defend Ylisse?

And why didn't she come forward? Did she fear sparking him to remember if they met again? Did she fear bringing out the truth with her mere presence? Shattering the strange fairy tale her son had stumbled into? Did she fear what the Exalt King would do if he learned his beloved groom was Plegian, let alone the blood of the Fell Dragon? What would happen to her granddaughter if the faithful of Naga learned she had both the Exalt's brand the blood of Grima? Did she stay in hiding to protect them both, even as the dead ravaged the land and the end of days drew closer, praying for her boy to find whatever happiness he could while he could?

Did she watch the Grimleal march to the Table and know the end she had struggled against had come? Did she see that massive dragon rise from across the horizon and know despair? Did she watch it die, it's skeleton fall to the earth, and grieve, even as the rest of the world cheered and sang of their salvation? Did she walk to that great corpse and weep from the need to lay hands on her son one more time- only to see others crying around the dragon's skull- the Shepherds not triumphant but mourning, calling out for Robin hoping against hope that he still lived? Did Chrom spot her, like a ghost, a phantom, on the horizon, just for a moment before she was gone again?

Did she go back to their hidden home, the place they had lived in secret among their enemies....and find a boy laying on her doorstep with his silver hair and bright eyes but no cursed mark upon his hand? Did Robin find his way back in that moment, to the connection he had forgotten, the mother who saved him from being raised to be a lamb for slaughter?

Did he open his eyes, and with Grima gone, finally remember her?

[real-fire-emblem-takes]

hi to chrom hater anon i'm a professional chrom enjoyer

if you get deranged enough about awakening i think chrom is a very well done character :) he's ignorant but well meaning which meshes in interesting ways. he's not overtly prejudiced to the plegians he knows personally but still *generally* prejudiced because of his upbringing.

additionally in discussions of the ylisse-plegia war he tends to focus on how ylisse came away from it because that state of ylisse is what shaped his formative childhood years (seen particularly in his feelings about emmeryn's early years as exalt). this is UNDERSTANDABLE but still an extremely DEEPLY FLAWED and naive stance when doing politics on a larger scale, which chrom is incredibly ill-prepared for. it's a very childish view of a large scale conflict.

chrom's propensity for violence is a trait that actually deeply fascinates me. he has intense admiration for emmeryn's desire for peace yet he has a very short temper in tense situations (seen in basically all of chrom's interactions with gangrel), and he tends to lash out easily at anyone he views as an enemy. he admires peace but sees no other means to achieve it than violence. isn't that interesting. the implications here. like, he's the inheritor of the falchion, he's the only son in his family, in all likelihood it was expected that HE would take the throne and continue his father's war, but he was so young when the exalt passed that the crown went to emmeryn instead.

it really seems like emmeryn intentionally kept her siblings away from politics, which results in BOTH of them being naive in vastly different ways, with the expectation that she would always shoulder the burden of the crown yet left all the bigger a void when she died.

mind, intentionally being raised to behave this way isn't an excuse either. it's ultimately still something chrom, as an adult, SHOULD examine critically. this is, in fact, a character flaw, and i think its great.

you can then of course do nice little compare and contrast at the shitty dads, i.e. chrom's dad vs validar. robin's first act as an awakened god is murdering validar. robin became the monster everyone saw them as, the one their father thinks they were born to be. it's a neat lil nature vs nurture comparison if you really get into the depths of grima-ology (hi grima ✌️ mutuals).

to dig more into points the chrom hater anon makes.

"chrom is transphobic for killing excellus" do you hear yourself. excellus was an enemy commander. chrom has no personal grievances against the commanders other than they are part of the army with the known intent to raze ylisse.

SAME WITH ROBIN BURNING DOWN THE BOATS. THEY ARE AT WAR. IF ROBIN DIDNT DO THAT THEY'D ALL GET KILLED. they would have to fight the valm forces ON FOOT and BE KILLED VIOLENTLY because they are vastly outnumbered. it would be weird if he WASN'T at least happy about this.

he could stand to be regretful about the massive loss of human life but honestly hashtag robin warcrimes W.

"chrom makes sure to only recruit white ylisseans" i think this is just dev colorism actually. like you know how robin's dad (who is evil) is brown, but robin (who is good) is white? and how that makes no sense and robin should logically also be brown? i dont think chrom would've turned down if like, mustafa joined him. it is simply that intsys was still in their racism era (which is, tbh, only really ended with engage, like, cmon, look at literally all of FE, this isn't a chrom flaw, it's a FE being racist flaw.)

same with the sexism things actually FE is just homophobic and sexist a lot so all the characters are also by extension. this is called doylist analysis

Chrom tells Aversa "One person's life means nothing in the shadow of millions" Chrom is a hypocrite i hope this helps. additionally what aversa is doing is "help the dark god literally causing the apocalypse rn" whereas the sacrifice/save robin choice is "doom people in some hypothetical far off future" which is FAR less personal than "all of humanity RIGHT NOW".

TLDR: the real chrom enjoyers know about his character flaws and love him anyway because it's nice flavor to chew on

also never insult my beautiful daughter lucina ever again. she is deeply compelling even if she is narratively underutilized. anyone who calls themself a chrom fan and hates lucina is a faker and will not survive the winter.

also learn the difference between flaws of the story's writing and flaws of the character otherwise everybody in awakening is sexist.

anon you should read chrom/grima fanfiction unironically we fucking love tearing this dude to shreds for his flaws. this has all been a ploy to say that. chrom is naive and selfish and hypocritical and i love him very much he is my wif e :)

.

[bigfan-fanfic]

Writing Game 1.6: Gift

Prompt: Gift Pairing: Chrom/Robin

Chrom has to admit, he is rather taken with Robin.

Whenever he actually says this out loud, however, it generally earns him a slap upside the head from Lissa - "Of course you are! He's your husband!"

Chrom will laugh, and it is as if the situation strikes him anew; that he not only loves Robin with all of his heart, but that he is lucky enough to be wed to him!

It's not only a wonderful outcome for the fact of their love, either - Robin is exceptionally good at filling in all the gaps in Chrom's capabilities, off of the battlefield as well as on it. Robin brings not only knowledge and capability in magic to the table, but a proficiency for paperwork that Frederick could only dream of Chrom attaining, and an ability to reason out solutions to problems that make Chrom's head spin - and Chrom's natural tenacity and compassion often help him get to the heart of matters that would otherwise take an age to reach.

But of all things, Chrom is most happy that he excels at one thing that Robin does not. Well, two if you count physical endurance, although Robin does like it when Chrom offers to carry him.

Robin is terrible at giving gifts.

This strange deficiency only occurs when it comes to traditional gift giving times, such as a birthday or the harvest festival - at any other time, Robin is thoughtful and kind. He'll have Chrom's weapons polished and sharpened, or write him a love note, or perform a spell to help him relax - one time Robin went all the way up to Valm just to procure him some of those sticks of incense from Chon'sin just because he wanted to spoil him.

But bring it down to the harvest festival, and Chrom found himself with a crate of oranges, and Lissa baffled by a collection of buttons - Robin floundered with explanations for those.

Robin's unofficial gifts only grew more thoughtful - and his official ones more confusing.

"You know I love you, right?" Chrom chuckled when they finally reached their bed that evening - Robin's gift had consisted of asking Vaike to give a performance for the royal household of a comedy routine he had been devising. Which the Vaike seemed to revel at - for two minutes, before he developed stage fright and began flexing and telling embarrassing stories about Chrom. Lissa had snorted so hard she fell from her chair, but all in all... not a great gift.

"Ominous start." Robin smirked, nestling against his husband's chest.

"Well... can you tell me what you were thinking that made you think this was a good idea? Or, rather, what you were drinking at the time?"

Robin's smirk died, and he narrowed his eyes at Chrom. "I happened to have been perfectly sober." He blushed. "It's just that I have no idea how I thought - I swear, it seemed like a fantastic idea at the time!"

"I mean... any other time of the year, I love your gifts - you always seem to be thinking of me, and I admire that so about you. So... what is it about the harvest? And birthdays?"

Robin groaned. "I'm not sure. Something about the... the requirement of it. I do love you. And doing things for you. But... I don't know, there's some kind of terrible pressure about being expected to. When I give you a gift, it's easy to please you because you never expect it. But then when I know you'll be wanting something good, I can never muster it up."

Chrom kissed him. "You know, for the best tactician in the world, you really are quite a silly man."

"Hey!"

"I don't enjoy your gifts because they're unexpected - I enjoy them because they're thoughtful and wonderful, and oh, that's right, they're from my favorite person in the world."

"Oh." Robin blushed.

"All this time, you thought I was just an easily-pleased buffoon?" Chrom teased, giving Robin a mock-offended pout.

"No, never!" Robin began to protest, before Chrom kissed him again.

"How about we just... keep our gift giving spontaneous?" Chrom suggested.

"You mean... no birthday gifts or harvest presents?"

"Well... I can pick our gift for others out. And we can still give gifts, just... without pressure."

Robin frowned. "That seems a little drastic."

Chrom smirked. "I can think of a substitute for birthday gifts, at least."

Robin tilted his head, before understanding dawned with Chrom's wandering hands.

"That... sounds like a fine idea."

"I knew you'd see reason." Chrom chuckled against his husband's lips. "You know I love you. And your gifts. Even the oranges."

[novakaiserart]

FE Awakening AU; Verdant Pegasi House

I finished these like 2 weeks ago but I've just been procrastinating lmao Last house‼️ Last three houses can be found here, here and here To the west lies the continent of Valm, home to the ancient gods Mila and Duma. Long ago, King Albein Alm Rudolph II and Queen Anthiese von Lima united the kingdoms to form Valentia. Union wouldn't last after their reign and as such, the continent was divided once again. Small countries throughout the land popped up, each with their unique cultures. 15 years ago, King Walhart Alm Rudolph I sought out to reunite the continent of Valm under one empire, thus crowning him Emperor. Though Valm pledged allegiance to no Gods, Tiki became a symbol of divinity and was embraced. As such, she allowed them one house in her Academy. The Verdant Pegasi gain their names from their vast and beautiful green plains and the abundance of wild Pegasi in many of their regions. They value honor, hardship, determination and kindness. Walhart II: Eldest son of the Emperor, he's determined to continue his father's rule over the continent and keep the empire afloat. Stern and headstrong, he's not afraid of a challenge. He enrolled in the Academy to strengthen his skills and hopefully make new allies. Yuu'ya: Only son of Say'ri, he embodies the image of a warrior of Chon'sin. Opposed to the united Valm, he's secretly amassing a rebel army to go against the foreign occupation of his land. Usually quiet and reserved, he rarely lets his presence be known. Kazu'sa: Oldest son of Yen'fay, he openly rejects his father's submission to Valm. He's growing to detest his father and his actions and strives to free his country. Despite having the same goals as his cousin, he's the polar opposite. Loud, brash and vulgar; he doesn't care for tradition and prefers to express himself freely. Nah: Nowi and Donnel's youngest daughter, she's pretty composed and reserved for her age. Growing up amongst so many other manaketes in the Church has allowed her to understand her culture and come to terms with her human half. Naga's descendants never usually take up any last names, but Nah insisted in taking her father's as a way to combine her two backgrounds. Aurelia: General Pheros's only daughter, she's hopes to become a Knight of Naga after graduation. She dedicates her life to her faith and holds Tiki in extremely high esteem. While she should usually inherit her house, she has stepped away from her noble lineage to pursue her dreams. Benedict: Youngest son of The Great Ignatius of Valm, his father's war prowess inspired him to follow in his footsteps. With great honor, he's taught himself all ways of magic to assist Walhart II in his future endeavors. Rumor has it, though, that he's terrified of boats. Hildegard: Daughter of Commander Farber, she's delicate as a flower. Shy, reserved and unassuming; she enrolled in the Academy to become a great healer to save lives. She fully expects to be married off for political gain, since she's a noble; but her only hope is to help those in need. Gerome: Heir to the Head of House Rosanne, Gerome focuses on his strength above all else. His father surrendering his homeland so easily to Valm has left him estranged from him over the years. He enrolled in the Academy for 2 reasons; to learn from his Mother, who's an instructor and to reunite with Lucina and the others in hopes of gaining their strength to drive back Valm. Crest of Duma: May half damage of an attack. Crest of Mila: Heals 20% of HP at the start of every turn. Crest of Chon'sin: Increases Crit chance by 20% Crest of Naga: Allows wielder to transform into a Manakete. Crest of Rosanne: May nullify effective damage

[pangtasias-atelier]

A Group Of Gourmands

Another commission, this one done for someone who wishes to remain anonymous, involving Sta-hl & Gai-us traveling to Ely-os and meeting a certain chef. This was more like setup than pure expansion and had fun writing mostly dialogue ahbshbasa

“Here, try some of my nettle tea,” His own little cup handed over, Stahl passes the once lukewarm now room temperature beverage. Stahl patiently drums his fingers on the circular wooden table as he waits with a smile; his green eyes the same shade as his unruly mop of hair hidden with his eyes closed, Stahl somehow stares at his partner with closed eyes, his cherubic, slightly filled out face as bright as ever. Stahl forgoes his armor while the two men wait for their room in the quaint small town’s only inn. The armor is a relic of his past now with him traveling all of Ylisse and even Valm. And worlds beyond even that. The Outrealms truly offer him infinitesimal opportunities to explore to his heart’s content. Dressed in modest clothing, the rich brown tunic covers him well; it even helps cover all of the extra bit of pudge he’s gained throughout his travels, the exercise from traveling so often unable to dissuade his body from packing on the pounds with allure of new foods to try each and every day. The loose clothing helps cover any bit of skin that might be exposed, his small yet noticeable pooch for a belly resting comfortably on his widened thighs that’re covered by the comfortable and flexible material of his black trousers. Stahl’s pants fare rather well with him being rather top heavy, his flabby arms just barely beginning to press up against his sleeves the same way his budding breasts do to his tunic, Stahl just barely beginning to encroach on fat territory. Though Stahl’s time as a knight clearly still leaves an impact on him; his own pudge still holds a bit of firmness to it with the bit of musculature he has hidden underneath his chubby figure.

Gaius gives him a small scowl. But he does accept the drink, holding it in his gloved hands, the fingerless material leaving his flabbier fingers exposed. He pulls out his lollipop first, the tinge of spiciness on the orange flavored treat a new experience for him in this expansive desert that is Solm in which the two have purposefully found themself in upon hearing one of their Anna’s recommendation. The place is not all too dissimilar from Plegia back in the world where they hail from. But even with those similarities, the cuisine feels nothing alike, Gaius glad to tag along with Stahl. No longer in his usual thieving outfit, Gaius’ shirt has a much more plunging neckline. His puffy collarbone is exposed. Having gained a bit more weight than Stahl, Gaius’ weight is more readily apparent on his once slim, lean build. Especially in his lower half. Rather bottom heavy, the extra bit of his weight has much more heft to it, Gaius’ fat much saggier than Stahl’s own. And with his slightly shorter stature, Gaius is clearly past being just chubby and well into being fat. The upper curvature of his breasts just barely peek out from behind the low neckline of his light gray tunic. His short sleeves are just barely tight against his puffy arms. A bit of arm flab squishes out the ends of them, most of the rest of his hand exposed with Gaius no longer wearing bracers as well. Belts gone as well, he evidently skips using them with his flabby belly in the way, his stomach spilling past the waistline of his still poofy pants, the extra material invaluable for creating pockets for his sweets. It also helps in slightly hiding the weight he’s gained in his ass and thighs, but barely, Gaius’ thighs closely reaching twice as thick as they once used to be. And the outline of his flabby ass is pressed up against his pants. 

Tasting the tea, Gaius can’t help but roll his eyes. “Tastes pretty damn close to nettle but it’s not the exact same. And make sure you call it the right name next time, don’t want people to think we’re weirdos,” 

 “Mmm,” Stahl simply hums in agreement, taking back and sipping his tea. “Are they still staring at us?”

Gaius’ back doesn’t budge from his chair, having purposely sat with his back to the wall like he always does. “Guess I made it obvious, huh? Must be even more obvious than how much you’ve been enjoying all this food,” Gaius fiddles with his nearly finished lollipop, shifting his gaze back to Stahl for a brief moment. But only a brief moment, the two’s watcher walking towards them from the entire opposite end of the room.

“I had a good example to follow,” Stahl places his hand on Gaius’ own, rubbing his thumb over the back of Gaius’ gloved hand.  ��Especially yesterday. You were rather greedy, even demanding my own pudding. But I’m sure you’re only preparing yourself for the festivals,” 

“Well we better get a good rest here so we can make it to Firene on time. And what can I say? The rice pudding was delicious. And I gave you one of my kebabs so it was only a fair trade,” Gaius’ pudge presses up against the table, sitting up in his chair and resting his flabby chin on the back of his hands as he whispers to Stahl. “Now get ready, it’s just one guy and he doesn’t seem like he could do much to us, but well…”

The duo’s unexpected visitor joins them, the blonde statuesque man standing right at their table. “Pardon the intrusion, but are you two perhaps the ones who defeated the corrupted roaming outside the city?” Despite his own stature, Bunet is rather wide. A bit fatter than Gaius, his imposing height leaves him looking more like a well fed merchant than the hardened great knight he used to be. Round all over, Bunet’s gut comes dangerously close to scraping against the table. He no longer wears the usual attire back when he used to be a retainer. He instead wears his more casual outfit. But much more upsized, the outfit remade to handle all of his girth. The usual purple sash is much more taut against his gut, the usual excess fabric from the knot barely dangling a few inches now. His white apron is as pristine as ever. The fabric is bunched up against his blubbery rolls, the outline of Bunet’s gut visible against the strained outfit. His pitch black pants aren’t much better. His flabby yet somewhat firm ass is visible underneath the flaps of his apron, both flaps of fabric pushed to the side from the sheer size of it. The baby blue of his cravat rests on his bountiful breasts, the ruched fabric pinched in between the flab of his tits.

“And what gave you that idea?” Gaius looks up from his seat, adjusting his lollipop with a grin.

“You smell like them,” Bunet plainly states. 

Stahl lifts up his arm. He gives his long sleeved flabby biceps a whiff. “Do we really smell that bad?” 

“Nah. If anything, we’d smell more like food. Especially chubs with how much meat he eats,” Gaius points at Stahl.

“I eat plenty of vegetables too. Everyone eats too much meat to you when all you do is stuff yourself with sweets,” 

“You like it though,” Gaius winks, unwilling to not have a retort.

Bunet laughs at the sight in front of him. One hand resting on his gut, he remained silent the entire time until now. “I take it that you two are fellow gourmands?”

Stahl smiles. He turns his attention away from Gaius and towards Bunet. He tries his best to not stare at Bunet’s gut, the large belly almost right in his face. No matter how much he wants to touch the soft ball of fat. “You could say-”

“Perfect! As thanks for dealing with the corrupted, allow me to make you two a fine feast as thanks. It’s only worthy for two fellow connoisseurs like yourselves. The innkeeper and I are well acquainted with each other and he owes me a few favors,”

“Hey, blondie!” Gaius calls back for Bunet, not letting him go very far —not that he can go far at his hefty size. 

“Gaius…” Stahl warns him.

“Do you think you could get us a room as well? Innkeeper guy told us he’s all booked but seeing as this is the only inn here. Well, I’m sure you catch my drift,”

“I’ll do my best,” Is all Bunet says, heading back to the kitchen, his flabby body certainly taking up a lot of space.

Gaius reaches into his pocket and pops a couple of gummies into his mouth. “What?” He asks, grinning at Stahl.

“We could get our own room somewhere else. I’m sure someplace would be willing to give us a room. Didn’t you recently say you wanted to share a bed?” Stahl says the last part much more quietly, a faint blush on his face.

“I don't think any sane person would let us use a bed together. And besides, the guy seemed pretty willing to help us. Good idea on taking care of those risen,”

“Now who’s not calling things the right name?” Stahl shifts in his seat, the legs of his chair scraping against the floor as he pulls it closer; his little ball of a belly bumps up against the table.

Gaius scoffs. “Whatever,”

The two of them sit in comfortable silence, Stahl returning to enjoying his now cold tea while Gaius keeps on eating more sweets. And after some waiting, Bunet eventually returns. 

“The food should be ready soon. However-” 

“I take it that’s a no on the room, then?” Gaius doesn’t hold back a sigh. He rests back into his chair. His belly jiggles, the bit of heft in motion from his pats.

“It’s fine. Thank you for trying, uhh?” Stahl pauses, realizing they never got his name. “Actually we never got your name. I’m Stahl, and the sweet tooth over there is Gaius,”

“Ah! You’re right. My name is Bunet. And about the rooms, unfortunately the innkeeper is truly unable to help, but I do have my own room. It is rather spacious if you two would be fine staying there with me,” Bunet smiles at them, a faint little blush marring his cheeks.

“That works perfectly fine for me,” Gaius stands up and stretches. Hands above his head, his slightly doughy backside curves as he arches it. The portly lil belly he has presses up against Bunet’s own, his fat sinking into the larger belly as they squish together. And Gaius doesn’t take his eyes off of him, giving him a quick wink as he gives them the short directions to his room.

Stahl speaks once they’re out of Bunet’s earshot. “Of course I knew it,” But he doesn’t complain, instead following Gaius down the hallways.

A whistle rings out as the two enter, the room indeed lavishly spacious with even two beds. “Guess we’ll be able to share a bed after all. Or maybe you’d be fine sharing it with, blondie. I saw the way you were staring at his gut,” With no chairs to sit at, they instead sit at the edge of one of the beds while they wait.

“Maybe Bunet would be willing to share with you. He seemed rather enamored with you,” Stahl retorts back, having gained his teasing nature from being around Gaius so often.

Both of their attention is turned towards the door, heavy footsteps and the sound of rolling wheels sounding out. “While I may have not made all of this, I did instruct the cooks on my recipes,” Bunet waddles on through the doorway, a cart full of food in tow. “I hope the food is to your liking. Especially since you two aren’t from here,”

Stahl speaks first. “Yes. We’ve traveled a long distance,”

“From another world, I take it. You two smell faintly of the corrupted, yes, but more importantly you smell of magic. Just like those portals leading to countless realms,”

“You know of the Outrealms, then?” Gaius wastes no time in digging in. For once in his life, he doesn’t start with desserts  —he does grab a bowl of panna cotta for later however— the wafting aroma of the ratatouille calling his name. 

“Not by that name exactly, but I do. I take it you two are traveling gourmands, correct? Then you must be traveling to experience Elyos’ festivals,” Bunet hands a dish of fried sardine to the patient Stahl, one hand resting on Stahl’s tummy as he waits for an answer.

“We are,” Stahl answers, Gaius too busy stuffing his own face to respond. 

But he isn’t busy enough to urge Stahl, Gaius elbowing him in the arm. “Shtaahl, trah dis! Ish good!”

But Stahl waits. “Then are you also traveling around?” 

“Yes. If you two would like it, I could guide you two around. I’m well acquainted with this continent and while my knowledge on cuisine outside of Solm isn’t as impressive, I can be a culinary guide as well,”

Gaius burps. A hand on his tummy. “Deal. You’ve more than earned your keep with this food alone. And you seem eager enough to travel with us,” Gaius smiles up at Bunet before digging into the panna cotta, the dessert one of many he’s brought closer to himself.

“If you’re willing to help us, then I’d appreciate your guidance,” Stahl happily smiles, looking up at Bunet.

Who takes slow steps towards Stahl, his weight shifting with his slight waddle. He stands right in front of him. His gut tantalizingly close to Stahl, Bunet leans down. He grabs the bowl from Stahl’s hand and lifts a forkful of the fried food to his mouth. “I’d appreciate it too, but what do you want?” Bunet whispers, leaning down as he stands up, his own girth pressed up against Stahl’s thinner, portly self. 

“I’d like your company,” Stahl rests a hand on Bunet’s chest. He opens his mouth as Bunet feeds him, Bunet gentle in his care for him. And he feeds Stahl another. And another. Stahl eagerly opens his mouth in anticipation.  Stahl holds back his heavy breaths, Bunet’s weight pressing up against him. And despite only just having his first dish, the deep fried sardines sit heavily in his gut, the perfectly spiced breading complimenting the natural flavors. And Stahl can’t help but want more, his eyes already darting to the next thing he could possibly have, Bunet’s dishes the finest thing he’s tasted ever since traveling with Gaius. And Stahl lets him know, his pathetic moans weakly coming out as he wants more.

“Here, try the vegetable stir fry. I made it just for you since you should be eating your veggies,” Bunet pats Stahl’s head, slowly maneuvering his bulk off of him. And he goes over to Gaius in a short couple of steps, a large bowl of nut rice pudding in his hands.

“Perfect. I guess you should always trust a fat chef, huh. How much of your own food do you eat? Probably all of it,” Gaius teases, chuckling to himself as  reaches for the bowl of food, only having just barely put away the small bit of tiramisu he finished. 

But Bunet stops him. Getting on the bed once more, Bunet fully gets on the bed, knees on both sides of Gaius —but only after a couple moments of maneuvering, the two’s fat pressed up and bunched up each other— he effectively straddles him. “I do. But thankfully I’ll have you to help me with that,”

“Then what are you waiting for? I still have some room in me,” Gaius leans back, mouth open wide. He accepts the first bite with pure excitement. He runs his tongue over his lips, unwilling to part with a single missing bit of the pudding. “Ough.. this is way better,” He moans, a hand on his now stuffed gut.

“I’m glad. Now, we can’t let this go to waste,” Bunet feeds more of the pudding to Gaius, spoon feeding him the confection, each mouthfull coming faster than the last with Gaius slowing down. “You’re almost there. I’m sure you want it all with how greedy you are,” 

“G-give it…” Gaius opens his mouth, thickly swallowing as Bunet feeds him the last spoonful of pudding. 

Bunet slowly gets off of Gaius, careful to not put too much pressure on his stuffed gut that loudly churns. And turning to Stahl, he sees him faring not much better, Stahl evidently enjoying the food as much as Gaius, his own gut being nursed by his hands. “Hmmm, there’s still food left for you two?’ Bunet teases, grabbing a hefty plate of seafood paella as well as a sizable bowl of rice croquettes 

“You should have it,” Stahl stands from the bed, a few huffs escaping him as he grabs the plate of paella. “You haven’t eaten anything at all,”

Gaius grabs the croquettes from him, doing his best to control his wheezes. “Yeah. Can’t have you wasting away,” 

“I’m sure you’re used to your own food, but you should make sure you sit down and savor it,” The two of them slowly ease Bunet onto the bed, both of them on either side of him. Stahl starts off first, giving him a taste of an actual meal and not the snack that Gaius grabbed. He easily feeds him the first bite, giving him another mouthful before Bunet can properly finish chewing through the first.

“Doesn’t look like you do that either though,” Gaius stuffs two croquettes into Bunet’s receptive mouth, his mouth completely stuffed or else he’d feed him a third. Bunet’s complaints are muffled, his cheeks bulging with food. “You kept calling us gourmands. Wonder what that makes your fat self,” Gaius teases, one hand pinching Bunet’s love handles. 

Stahl and Gaius keep feeding Bunet. The two of them are absolutely relentless, tag teaming him with food always being shoveled into his mouth. But eventually, they feed him the very last bites of the dishes, both of them ending up empty handed.

“I… bwoo-oOURRrp uugghh…” Bunet caresses his gut with both hands. Absolutely stuffed, the two full plates of food sit heavily in his gut. He stays still in his spot for a moment. At least until Stahl gently pats him to scooch over.

“Here, lay down,” Stahl guides him to the center of the bed, coaxing him to rest from his food coma. Stahl also goes to lay down with him, unable to win the fight against his own stuffed state. He carefully gets on the bed. He’s especially careful with Bunet as he curls up against him. He gives him a couple of pats on his belly, Stahl’s own stuffed, taut gut pressed up against the sides of Bunet’s larger belly.

“Yeah, make some room,” Gaius on the other end, he joins them, cuddling up against Bunet with a sigh. “Best to get some shut eye early. We gotta make sure we start our journey bright and early, isn't that right?” Gaius shifts himself. And Bunet as well, draping Bunet’s flabby arm around him as Gaius lays on his side, his belly pressed up against Bunet’s own.

“Y-yes,” Bunet says, stifling another belch as he lazily dozes off to sleep. Forced into the center, the fat chef is in a comfortable pile with the other two while he sleeps on his back; Bunet’s arms draped over them as Stahl and Gaius lay against him, the other bed goes completely unused as they fill up the entire width of the creaking and groaning queen sized bed.

[the-priestess-of-dawn]

Been thinking about a postgame scenario that goes in a direction I don't think canon would ever take in a million years, but like... I think it could be really compelling...

And that's the idea of Chrom becoming Plegia's king after Grima's defeat. And specifically giving up his claim to Ylisse's throne to do it (leaving it to Lucina when she's old enough).

Because here's the thing... The game ends with Grima's defeat/Robin's return in the sacrifice ending. It doesn't address what happens to Plegia at all, and while I personally maintain that Aversa is the most qualified candidate to rule, her canon ending provides that she goes back to the village she was born in. So, fine. Let's give her that.

But SOMEONE has to do SOMETHING because realistically, Plegia is in dire straits. Validar, the king and the leader of the Grimleal, is dead. He gave, like, ALL of Plegia's resources to the Ylissean League (well, okay, we don't know how much, if any, he left in reserve, but... He really needed Walhart gone and it's not like he had any reason to think that anyone would need resources once Grima was running around, so... chances are good there's little to nothing left in the wake of the averted apocalypse). And the population has been utterly devastated, because not only did people (exactly how many is unclear, but presumably it took more than just a couple) have to sacrifice themselves to renew the fell dragon's power, but Grima was also spawning Grimleal onto their back at the final battle. Their losses are so immense...

So first of all, Chrom is definitely responsible for taking all their resources and setting half of them on fire (Now to be fair, Flavia and Basilio are also responsible, but... Idk, I kinda feel like they'd bicker with each other over who has to do the crappy parts of the job and then agree that they should just ask Chrom if he can do it. Like "Haha, if you didn't want to deal with thieves ambushing the Longfort to steal construction supplies, you shouldn't have gone and beaten me at the last tournament!" "Oh, shut up. Let's see if Chrom can send his thief friend over to talk these guys down. Or kill them, whichever." I mean, Chrom is always going to be their guy who knows a guy.) There's just no way Chrom would abandon the surviving Plegians who need help anyway, but especially not when he knows the war with Valm would've ended before it could begin without them.

Of course, there's the historical hostility between Ylisse and Plegia to consider, but... If anyone's protesting, it's probably the Ylisseans. Because the survivng Plegians, uh... probably were never Grima's most devoted followers in the first place (if you really wanted to give Grima your life, you'd rush to the front of the line at the Dragon's Table, right?) and even if they used to consider themselves true Grimleal, the religion's leadership is destroyed, and—for the purpose of this scenario, I'm considering it post-sacrifice ending—the fell dragon is gone and not coming back. These people narrowly avoided becoming Grima's breakfast or Grima's meat shields. They all almost certainly know someone who wasn't as lucky. And the one who saved them... Well, it was Chrom, wasn't it? Because he believed in humanity enough to challenge the concept of fate, a fate that the people of Plegia were surely taught was inescapable. Despite their history with Ylisse, it's hardly unreasonable for them to see Chrom as a savior to them specifically. The second coming of the Hero-King who ought for the lives of all humans, really.

And yeah, I'm going here... Chrom is Marth's descendant. Marth was Altean. Former Altea is is modern Plegia, so technically, the people can argue that he's actually theirs.

Doesn't it sort of make sense, even? Plegia is ruined, the god to whom the theocracy was devoted killed. "What we need is to restore the glory of ancient Altea!" And who better to help them than Chrom, Marth's successor in blood and in spirit?

But Chrom would frown and say no. Of course he's going to help them restore their country to prosperity—or at least to independent, peaceful functioning. But king? Sheesh, that's going too far. Come on guys, you don't really want that. Besides, he's already ruling Ylisse...

Except, he's not ruling it as Exalt. At least, not at first he's not. He forswore the title when he started his rule and in canon he is only official welcomed as Exalt after Grima's defeat. But what if he just... continued to not accept it. It's not like he ever wanted to be Exalt. He only has the right to rule because Emmeryn died—because he failed to protect her. It has nothing to do with any of his successes.

But if the Plegians made him their king, then it would be because of his own accomplishments.

And in a way I also can't help but find it heartwarming, because it was the Plegian people who got him to truly understand Emmeryn's ideals. He wanted peace, he wanted to follow her path, but it wasn't until the Plegians took her sacrifice for the peace offer it was and refused to continue fighting Ylisse that Chrom was finally able to comprehend what it meant that Emmeryn believed that all people wanted the same thing, that peace is something for everyone and not just purehearted saints like her who would never hurt a fly. So wouldn't it be sweet to expand on that existing connection? For the people who once bore a grudge against him and his nation to say, actually, our home is your home and you belong with us... For Chrom to reach back and decide that these are his people and that he will protect them...

Especially because that's what he's always done for Robin. Your father doesn't get to determine your path for you, your past doesn't dictate your future, you always have a place beside me because we are two halves of a greater whole. This AU is definitely a chrobin AU, because when Robin gets back I want them to rule at his side (after all, I do have feelings about Grima's loyalty to a people who have been praying to them to end their suffering for a thousand years).

Now, I do think that Chrom would never leave Ylisse while little Lucina was still growing up, but... Honestly it would probably take quite some time to establish a castle for Plegia's new ruler anyway (especially if they go super hard on the Altean revival theme and want it to be IN former Altean territory, which has become the "border wastes" and undoubtedly needs some help... But EVERYWHERE in Plegia needs help, so what better time to give the land some attention?) So when Lucina is an adult she can take over as Ylisse's true Exalt, and Chrom can focus his efforts on the other side of the border. I think he'd still be awkward about the whole thing, approaching it like "Well, I guess I'm here if you all still want me..." but Robin's there to give him confidence and the people there are SO excited for their hero to come and live with them and together they all usher in a new era of peace and prosperity as Ylisse and Plegia themselves become like two halves of a greater whole.

[pikespendragon67]

And Now, an Ode to Priam Fire Emblem: The Decade or So Long Blorbo

As I type this, the Nintendo 3DS and WiiU eShop have legally shut down their Internet servers. Pokemon can still be transferred via the Poke Transporter & Pokemon Bank, and content that was downloaded before can still be redownloaded, but now it is legally impossible to not only buy games, but to also download their free content that was distributed online. For some games, this might not have been utilized or was just a small bonus that didn’t mean much. For Fire Emblem Awakening, it meant access to new maps & somewhat new characters. 

4 of the free online characters were within Awakening’s main story & acted as “what if” scenarios. What if Emmeryn survived her character defining fall that ended a decade-or-so-long war? What if Yen’fay was the Chon’sin royal sibling that survived instead of Say’ri? What would Gangrel do if he lived after Chrom defeated him? What would Walhart do? What would Aversa do if it turned out that she was brainwashed by a cult, realized this, and decided to fight against this? Some were better executed than others, in my opinion, but some of these characters also had exclusive skills, such as Aversa wielding dark magic outside of a Dark Mage/Sorcerer class or Walhart being immune to armor & beast killing weapons, or were just more manpower for your army.

There was one final Spotpass map, though, that acted as a nice free challenge mode (if you didn’t plan on buying the DLC for Apotheosis, of course) : 50 whole units against 26 of your own. At the epicenter of it is Priam, the character I’d like to honor with this memoir. 

Priam is a character not found in the main story of Awakening, and is a dweller of the Isle of Giants in the Outrealms (aka bonus content land oooooh). He’s the leader of a very large army (again, 50 units) consisting of people from every nation within the continents of Ylisse & Valm. He’s supposedly related to a radiant hero of legend, though it’s never officially confirmed. He likes to train, eat meat, and fight strong opponents to better himself regardless of their origins. Overall a relatively simple character to understand. 

For many players, they tend to forget he exists or do their best to pretend he doesn’t exist in the first place. Either they didn’t play his map, his character traits didn’t stick with others as strongly as others, or the big meat and potatoes hot button issue: his relation to Ike. Ike is the protagonist of the Tellius saga, or the games consisting of both Path of Radiance and Radiant Dawn. He does not have a canonical ending where he marries, and within the games, he doesn’t show romantic interest in any female characters. He does, however, have paired endings with characters such as Ranulf (who goes on a journey) and Soren (who accompanied Ike on his own journey, never to be seen or heard from again). And with sources stating Priam is a direct descendant of Ike, rather than an off-shoot through Mist (Ike’s younger sister) and Boyd, many got upset. “How could Ike have a kid? He’s not interested in women. He likes Soren.” is something I see regularly while scouring through Priam’s tag on Tumblr or through comments on Youtube. And I’m not here to argue against that. I do, however, think I have an idea why Priam was chosen to be Ike’s descendant of all the previous lords: Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

Brawl, at the time, was the latest Smash Bros. game when Awakening was in development. Smash Bros. is usually how Nintendo fans branch out from just playing Mario, Zelda, Pokemon, or Kirby and get introduced to series they might not have even heard of, such as Fire Emblem. In fact, it was due to Marth & Roy’s appearance in the previous Smash Bros. game, Melee, that the West got their first taste of Fire Emblem games. However, in Brawl, Roy was removed from the roster and was replaced with Ike. This makes sense, as Path of Radiance was the latest console Fire Emblem game when Brawl was released. (I also wonder if it has to do with the west never receiving Roy’s game, but that’s just speculating on my end). Gotta promote your games somehow. Though from what I understand, the Tellius games did not sell as well as Intelligent Systems had hoped. Additionally, with the following games being remakes of Marth’s original adventures now on the DS, those also did not sell well. Heck, the west never officially got the remake for Mystery of the Emblem. 

This could just be fan speculation ruminating throughout the decades, but it seems to be common belief that due to poor sales, Fire Emblem was almost a goner franchise that probably would’ve remained dormant for decades or even had no games developed for it. As such, Intelligent Systems wanted to broaden the market by appealing to newcomers. Some that may have heard about Fire Emblem through Smash Bros., but never gave it a shot due to the permadeath system that the games were infamous for, or just no real interest beforehand. Awakening exploded in popularity, garnering new fans like crazy. And with Chrom, Lissa, Emmeryn, Lucina, and Owain being descendants of the recognizable Marth (especially as Lucian disguising herself as Marth and even being briefly confused for Marth by Tiki), it would make sense to have a supposed descendant of the recognizable Ike as well. …Although one could speculate that Walhart is a descendant of Alm & Celica, which makes sense given how Rudolf looks… And for more reference’s sake, they threw in a bunch of past Fire Emblem throwbacks in weapons & lore that made writing a worldbuilding-centric fic a fucking nightmare.

So, with all of that, what are my thoughts on Priam being related to Ike? 

…Eh? 

My whole explanation beforehand was me retelling how I got into Awakening in the first place sprinkled in with hearsay I’ve read online, but as I grow older & more bitter at the world, Priam could be related to a shoe for all I care. (Although if Roy DID stick in Brawl, it would be cool to see how his descendant would be, especially if we’re going the route of Eliwood/Ninian having Roy, who then marries Lillina). What I like about Priam is traits somewhat shown in Ike, sure, but it’s also just the missing potential that keeps me coming back to him.

SO, time to get into how I started to like him. I remember when I first played Awakening, I asked a friend if I should pick between Stahl or Lon’qu to marry (as I was aware of the auto-marriage to Chrom mechanic and wanted to avoid that). The friend said Stahl was a better pick, as he was a kind lad that loved to eat & had messy hair like yours truly. Then, when the Spotpass maps were released, I immediately made a new save file so that I could marry Priam. Why? …Because he had a bandana and I liked his English voice acting (for the few grunts & battle quotes that were present). The Awakening Hero armor design is eh, but I liked how his was customized to be, well, radiant. The 3D model was shinier than those of Flavia’s or other playable reclassed Heroes, and I really just liked how he paired a tattered cape with his armor. 

I also remember level grinding for an entire summer just so I could finally take on his map efficiently. Granted, I played Normal/Casual, but when I replayed the map a 3rd time for another save file, my units were barely able to beat him. It was worth it, in my opinion. 

What really made me start up that second save file were his supports with Female Robin. Priam is an unfortunate case of “Avatar-sexual”, meaning he only has supports with Robin & Morgan if he’s his dad (although in the Hot Springs DLC, he does have a nice chat with Yen’fay & tries his damnest to fight Walhart). We only learn small things about him, such as his love for training & how he utilizes breathing techniques that would fit right into Jojo or Demon Slayer. He also gets flustered when someone does something nice for him unexpectedly, such as Female Robin doing his laundry as thanks for training with her. He doesn’t really care about expenses, as he bought a really fucking expensive ring when he proposed to Female Robin and says “I don’t give a damn what you do” when you sell items in his inventory. He’s devoted to the point of letting the world burn before seeing Female Robin get hurt (thankfully not to a yandere-like level). …And you learn he fought a bear when he was 12 if you support with Male Robin. He’s what got me to liking characters that had muscle (yes even though Basilio and Vaike were right there).

Combat wise, he was a good non-armor defensive unit (especially with wielding Ragnell to give him +5 defense), but what I find neat is that he learns weapon breaker skills even in classes he can’t become, like Gryphon Rider having Lancebreaker. He has both Sol and Luna, but not Aether like. This might be so Aether stays exclusive to Chrom, Lucina, and a potential daughter/granddaughter, but I speculated this could be Priam either holding himself back from using Aether’s potential or him still trying to figure it out.

Along with this, if you were a budding mythology/history nerd like I was, you realize he was named after not one, but two! TWO! Important figures in the Trojan War: King Priam and his son, Paris (In Japanese, Priam is named Paris, so yes, go ahead and make the French jokes. His English voice actor already plays the Frenchiest Fry Virion himself). In fact, this was one of the many things that sparked my interest in mythology/history. 

And finally, this was around the time I was starting to get interested in voice acting trivia. This meant I wanted to act as a human IMDB page and go “whoa, did you know such and such shared a voice with so and so?! Isn’t that neat?!” At the time, I didn’t know Jamieson Price also voiced Virion, but I DID know he voiced Iskandar from Fate/Zero and Chad from Bleach. Those were 2 of my favorite characters so I was sold. And then for Japanese, Daisuke Ono voices him. Jotaro Kujo from Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure and Shizuo Heiwajima from Durarara!! Of all things! WOW! 

All of this is really fucking cool shit, and it’s such a damn waste that Intelligent Systems doesn’t do anything else with him! 

To fill in my disappointment, I’ve definitely created a version of Priam in my head that’s drastically different from canon. I’ve incorporated elements from what I’ve continued to read in his supports, inspiration coming from moments & traits from other series that I’ve watched/played that I thought would be cool, and overall just positive things to keep me going when I was going through a rough spot. Canonically, he’s probably like what people expect Goku from Dragon Ball Z to be. In my mind, he’s like a battle-hardened tactician brawler that gets very excited about swords (to the point where he takes up blacksmithing to craft his own), loves to speak about life in a philosophical lens, and experiences a quiet yet extremely unsettling quiet anger when someone he cares about gets hurt. I also headcanon he uses his headband to cover scars from his bout with fighting a bear when he was 12. OH! And he gets to have twin girls: Cassandra and Helena. 

…So yeah, completely different from canon. But with only 3 Cipher cards and 1 appearance in Heroes as I type this to go by, I feel like it’s okay to speculate about what could have been. He could have been in Awakening’s main story as an opponent to Walhart during the second arc, or he could have been a recurring superboss in future Fire Emblem games that somehow always ends up in different dimensions. He could have been a hint for an upcoming Fire Emblem game that explored Tellius 1,000 years in the future much like how Awakening explored Archanaea & Valentia 1,000 years after Marth, Alm, and Celica ruled. (And apparently 2,000 years after Seliph ruled Jugdral? Again, consistent worldbuilding in this series is a nightmare if you try to connect all the games). Heck, I thought that was going to be what Fates was when I saw the cutscene of King Sumeragi shielding baby Corrin from arrows. 

Part of the reason why I’m so attached to Priam is spite from this lack of potential, and the fans mostly ignoring him for their own reasons. Like! We could have had so much more with this guy! And that kept me motivated during dark times in my life. I won’t go into specifics, as it’s quite personal & possibly triggering, but I’ll just say I felt very upset, very angry, and very alone at a certain point in my life. But I kept myself going for the unrealistic but still plausible goal of getting to see Priam get his own game. It might sound dumb, but it kept me wanting to move forward in life. And it’s because of that that I’m here today, and I’ve met other Priam fans online that have their own ways of showing that they like him. They have different reasons than me, and that’s awesome! Priam fans, in spite of their small numbers, exist! When I first joined Tumblr, I unofficially joined a “Radiant Waifu Society” where 3 other people were also Priam fans. I don’t talk to them as much as I did back then, but I do see one of the members post art from time to time & another one makes Fire Emblem Heroes content on Youtube now! I’ve also met one of my best online friends through a shared interest in Priam. She introduced me to many new friends I’ve made over the years, and I still talk with a few of them on a daily basis in friend group servers on Discord. I love sharing cursed voice acting trivia with her and the many other friends whenever I get the chance to, especially seeing their initial reactions when I tell them Priam is also voiced by Jelly Jiggler of Bobobo fame. 

All in all, I’d say Priam, in spite of his controversies in fandom spaces, was a great positive in my life that I can’t help but be thankful for. Intelligent Systems probably didn’t expect someone to care for this one-off character so much, but anything’s possible these days. 

Thank you for being such a positive force in my life, Priam Fire Emblem. With your map no longer being legal to download, here’s hoping you get your own game someday.

[sieglinde-freud]

I don’t CARE how many alt scenarios it would requires at least include lucinas sibling and/or her cousin… bare minimum

YEAH SERIOUSLY and its like. they limited chrom’s support options for a reason. he can only have potentially five other kids anyways. would it be that hard to write a mildly different one off line for each of them just so lucina can bounce off of someone? or just like. owain. hell, you could push tiki’s recruit earlier and let her fill that role instead. its just so weird to start valm’s arc with lucina introducing her character and incredibly tragic storyline only for her to get shoved into the background and just be around for a couple of lines that add nothing to the story. and its like, i understand why the valm arc had to happen, it’s a necessary development for chrom and a decent middle point in the game but i feel like it just wasnt executed as well as it could be. lucina being a big part of that. and i mean, yes i am a big lucina fan so maybe this is just me having personal beef that my favorite character doesnt do much here but its also like… shes pushed as the third main character of the game and yet?? ugh idk. plus if theyre gonna make time travel a huge plot point, maybe show us more perspectives on that like… making another time traveler part of the story so its not just lucina expositioning all over the place when she finally gets to talk

[thedivergingpaths]

Time is Not Linear

Lucina and the other children are split apart further than they could have imagined, but they still do their damnest to make a good timeline.

Lucina and Laurent are the only ones who make it - Laurent is still thrust five years prior to Chrom and Robin finding each other, ans he hides in the desert, and Lucina emerges as Marth with the Risen invasion.

But the pair begin to see traces of their friends in an already altered timeline.

Cynthia was flung far into the past, further than the rise of the Grimleal, but after Grima's released. To the current citizens of Ylisse and surrounding kingdoms, she is a fable.

Oh, she hunted for the dark dragon, to find who he was ensnaring. She never did, but she was remembered fondly through song and story, and she was a tale of hope to sleeping children.

Inigo landed in Valm a couple of decades before Lucina lands in the past. Ylisse has not invaded Plegia - this invasion is still a few years away - and Valm has not yet been re-consolidated under the conqueror Walhart.

Inigo finds his way into Walhart's inner circle, creating a Valm that is strong but not on a tenuous thread of fracturing and being blinded by the Grimleal. Inigo had Walhart's ear - Walhart knows Validar is a threat who is bringing Grima back.

The Grimleal murdered Inigo a couple years before Lucina landed. Laurent is distraught they missed him, because Laurent could have tried to find any others (and gods, his feelings get worse when they discover the fates of other comrades).

But Inigo created a Walhart willing to be an ally to Ylisse, to Chrom and Robin, in the shadow of a coming monster.

But there are more travelers, more children missing. Where have they gone?

Not all were flung far enough into the past to be on the same path as Lucina. Lucina barely made it to the right timeline, because their lives have splintered the coming future.

Owain landed in a peaceful Ylisse, where he is but a baby without dreams of heroism. He takes the name Odin, and bears the burden of prophecy.

The Grimleal start tearing apart the world with Risen and their workings to fully revive Grima, but there is a hero who knows what they want. A hero who will do anything to prevent the dark future.

His story branches on its own. He is alone. He never finds his family and comrades - and they never learn he is the past and the future. Odin is a name remembered forever when the ashes settle and flowers grow again, however.

Yarne is flung far enough back that there are other Taguel, and he has a choice. He could join them, and possibly die when his mother is a sole survivor of a genocide. It could be peaceful for a time. Or he could hide with his head in the sand, away from Taguel and people. This is a crueler time to be a Taguel, after all.

Yarne could also decide to save his people. He could be brave like his friends have encouraged him to be. He could do it - for the honor of Taguel, for his own pride, and to show his mother long gone he can be a brave rabbit boy.

Lucina and Laurent are dancing around Ylisse in preparation to fight Grima, and Valm has sworn to fight the Grimleal on Ylisse’s - Chrom and co’s - side when a small but mighty army appears made entirely of rabbit Taguel. Yarne could not save his mother’s nest, and Panne had believed she was alone in the world, but Yarne emerges a man leading an army of Taguel ready to defend the Exalt with their lives.

Yarne weeps when he sees Laurent and Lucina, and they embrace him. There is still a chance to find their other friends - they can do it together.

They can kill Grima once and for all.

Morgan appears, amnesiac and from another, darker timeline. They join the fight, and Robin begins to plan how to end Grima once and for all. Robin may also be amnesiac, but they know in their bones they are the key to Grima’s awakening and Grima’s slumber. Even if it is just one timeline, one place in the greater universe, Robin could turn the key the other way.

(In secret, Naga confirms Robin’s musings, and they begin to plot behind Chrom’s back when the fire emblem is restored to glory).

When Grima revives with the soul of a future Robin, Lucina thinks the fight is over. When the future Robin releases three thralls to keep the army grounded during Grima’s flight, Lucina knows they have lost.

Kjelle, Gerome, and Severa are bound to Grima now. Chrom and Robin, and a select entourage go to fight Grima. Lucina leads the fight against her thralled friends, even as it breaks her heart.

Severa is the first brought down by Lucina’s sword. There is a moment of lucidity. Lucina had been convincing herself that they were Risen, they were dead and gone.

But they’re not, and Lucina just killed her friend.

“Thank you,” Severa sighs as she dies. Lucina stops in the fight.

What sort of future is worth doing this?

Kjelle is taken down in a pile of Taguel, and Yarne hears her last words. She begs to remembered for her strength, for her mother to know she didn’t choose this. Yarne holds her as she dies as herself.

Gerome goes to strike down Lucina, when Laurent brings him down with wind magic. Bones crack and shatter. Gerome’s body is tangled with Minerva the wyvern’s. His last words are not heard, but his face isn’t twisted in the pain Laurent would have expected for such a violent crash.

It is not peaceful but there is almost a satisfaction there. A release.

Grima falls from the sky. Robin turns to ash on the wind. The Grimleal fall apart.

Chrom, shoulders heavy, leads the world into a new era of light.

Yarne takes his new Taguel family and disappears into the woods. His mother and her human lover follow.

Laurent and Lucina disappear from the public eye, and then the historical records.

Nah reappears generations later to make sure history remembers what they sacrificed to bring down a monster once and for all. And then she disappears again, fading into her own myth.

Brady and Noire never fall out of the time stream. They clasped hands, and they are desperately afraid to let go. It may release them back into existence, or they will be alone in the endless fall.

They fall, and fall, and fall.

--

Check out my previous post, Macedon’s Twist of Fate, if you like these “what if” scenarios

** DO NOT USE AI ON MY WORKS **

[unofficialgayawakening]

The Basilio Poll

Here at UGA, I like to make polls for everything! Our latest point of discussion: Should Basilio be allowed to marry the mothers, or would that result in a paradox?

Argument for:

Basilio doesn't die in the original timeline until the war in Valm, against Walhart. We know that Emmeryn was successfully assassinated in Chapter 6 (Forseer) in the original timeline, which led to the first war against Plegia dragging on for much longer, but we don't know exactly how long that would have been. Theoretically, Basilio could have been more involved with the first Plegian war and had a kid with someone before dying to Walhart upon arriving in Valm.

Argument against:

You can't start Basilio's supports until after he would have died in the original timeline, because he isn't in your army prior to this event, meaning it wouldn't be possible for him to be married and have a kid before he was supposed to die originally. If Basilio is supposed to have kids and he hasn't yet, it doesn't make sense for Lucina to be worried about him dying yet. She has evidence death can be delayed, but from her experience it is still inevitable.

If your answer is more nuanced that a simple yes/no, please go into more detail in either the notes or the comments!

[the-werdna]

Title: Robcina Week Day 1 - First Date

Description: They'd been dating for awhile, but in truth they'd never actually gone on a date. Not the kind of normal one you'd expect of the couple in love. So it was, at Morgan's insistence and with their wedding only a few weeks away, the two set about rectifying that lapse.

Notes: Takes place some time after the Valm arc, but before the final Grima arc of Fire Emblem Awakening.

Words: 3637

Robin wet his hair in the basin before dabbing at it, trying, yet again, in vain to keep the wild strands to lay flat and in place. He stared into the mirror, switching to the comb again. Maybe I should have cut it short and been done with it, he mused, his frown deepening. Then he sighed, setting the comb down next to the basin. It was too late for that now, at any rate, meaning he'd have to make due.

He again checked the buttons of the leather surcoat he was wearing, before moving on to the cuffs and collar of the white shirt underneath. He rubbed at a wrinkle in the sleeve with a finger, wetting it in the basin a few times to try to straighten the fabric out. Then he seized his wrist with his other hand, forcing his own arm down to his side with an effort of will.

Relax, Robin, it will be fine. You're fidgeting, this isn't helping, he told himself, trying and failing to take a few slow, steady breaths to calm his nerves. It's fine, you look fine. Lucina won't mind, you look great Stop being nervous and just relax. Relax. Breathe. Relax.

He tried again to breathe in and out slowly. Yet his heart still raced. Involuntarily, he went back to peering into the mirror and trying to straighten his hair. Only, after a moment, did he realize what he was doing and forced himself to stop.

What are you even worried about? You and Lucina have been together for months. You two are already engaged for gods' sake. It's just a date, relax. Just a nice dinner, nothing to worry about, he reminded himself as he began to pace and fidget with his cuffs. This is silly. Why, Robin? Why are you worried about messing this up?

This had all been Morgan's idea, of course, his daughter having set up the whole thing. She'd insisted that he and Lucina just couldn't get married without going on a normal date like normal people would. She'd nagged and begged for days on end to get both of them to relent and give in to going on the 'first date' she'd apparently already made reservations for. Before even suggesting it, mind you.

He reminded himself to consider punching Inigo the next time he saw him. This was his fault. It was because of Morgan and him dating that Morgan had gotten the idea in her head that this was necessary. Only, just as quickly, did Robin also remind himself not to do that. Morgan's inclination was innocent enough, even if the date was ultimately a distraction from far more pressing matters.

Sighing, Robin tried one last time to get his hair to lay in place. Then, seeing the attempt futile, tossed the comb aside. He needed to get going, the reservation was for only half an hour from now. He just hoped his appearance was presentable enough. He was certain Lucina wouldn't mind, but…

I guess I just don't want to embarrass us. I've never done this before and…

Gods, dammit, why did he care so much about doing this right? When he knew full well Lucina never concerned herself about things like this?

Just relax, Robin. It'll be fine. Just fine.

. . . . .

"Don't worry, Mother, you look great! Father will love it."

Lucina frowned as she gazed into the mirror intently.. "Are you sure? Is it not a tad, understated?"

"Do you trust Grandmother? She picked out the dress, not me," Morgan countered, stepping up and giving her several reassuring pats on the back. Through the mirror, Lucina could see her beaming smile.

"I do, but…" Lucina said hesitantly. Shouldn't I be wearing something a bit more regal for such an occasion? she wondered to herself. The dress her mother had picked out for the date was a simple white, with only a few accessories in the arm of two leather belts, one braided and clasped with gold, long enough to wrap twice around her waist, the second shorter and of a simple design with a silver clasp. The jewelry she was given to wear likewise had come from her mother, being a gold bracer and armband to adorn one arm and a silver bracelet wrought to look like a chain of flowers. Unlike the dress, however, these had not been purchased in the past few days, instead coming from her mother's own collection per her position as queen.

Lucina reached up to touch the top of her head, fingers running through her hair as she felt the absence of her tiara. Both Morgan and her mother had assured her several times that she looked fine without it and that it would not go well with the rest of the outfit, not to mention that it would draw undue attention. Perhaps they were right, it would be better that the two of them were not recognized nor stood out too much during the date, as things would certainly go much more smoothly.

Still… Lucina felt oddly naked without it, so accustomed was she to wearing it. However, perhaps the events of just two weeks prior had something to do with her reluctance to part with it. After all, it had been quite the ordeal that she and her friends had embarked on into the Outrealms to retrieve. She is still not quite sure how her replacement tiara had killed those Risen, but that was a moot point now.

Without realizing it, she began to fidget with her hands, scratching at her fingers while wringing them together.

"Nervous?" Morgan asked. She was still grinning even as her eyes looked almost thoughtful as they regarded her.

"How could you tell?" Lucina asked.

"You're fidgeting and asking way way more questions than you usually do. I mean, I'm the one who's supposed to do that. It's like my trademark! It's weird when you do it, Mother!" Morgan answered. She patted her again, this time on the shoulder. "You'll be fine, trust me. I have the whole date all planned out. You just have to go and have a good time. It should be easy. First dinner, then a nice moonlit stroll. Easypeasy!"

"I've just… never done this before," she admitted. She found herself fidgeting again, wringing her hands and staring at the floor. She had no experience with this. Sure, she and Robin had been together for a long while now, but they hadn't gone on anything so formal. How was she supposed to know how to act, how to embarrass herself or him with inexperience?

She shook her head again, failing to shake away the doubts. "How are you sure I won't-" Lucina started to ask.

"Mess up? You won't, mother, trust me. I have been on a ton of dates now and I've never messed up any of them," Morgan assured her. She gave her another slap on the back. "Just relax and remember-"

Somewhere outside, a bell chimed six times.

"Oops, no time! You need to get going now. Don't want to be late for your date!" Morgan exclaimed. She grabbed Lucina by the arm, pulling her towards the door.

"But- Morgan I-" Lucina stammered, mind a whirlwind as she found herself now abruptly thrown to the proverbial wolves.

"Not enough time! Go, go, go! You'll do fine! You don't want to be late!" Morgan exclaimed, twirling around her in a flurry of movement to begin pushing the rest of the way. In moments, Lucina was outside the door. "Have fun, Mother!" Then, with that final exclamation from Morgan, the door was slammed shut behind her.

Thrown out by my own daughter. I do not think that's usually how this is supposed to go, Lucina mused, too stunned for a moment to really know how to respond. She absently reached up to straighten her tiara, fingers passing through nothing but strands of hair. The habit was so second nature that she only now realized how often she did it. She sighed deeply, forcing her hands stiffly to her sides.

I best get going then, Lucina thought to herself at last. Morgan is right about that at least, I do not wish to be late.

. . . . .

Robin hurried through the streets of Ylisstol, occasionally stopping to check the directions Morgan had written him for getting to the restaurant she'd booked for him and Lucina. He squinted at them intently, trying to make out the barely-legible scratches that were his daughter's handwriting. She could write much clearer than this, but only when she actually slowed down and took her time. It seemed, however, that not rushing wasn't exactly in Morgan's nature.

Never mind Morgan's sloppy penmanship, I should be almost there. I can work on that with her later. Date now, don't screw this up. You got this Robin, he told himself as he tucked the slip of paper into his pocket.

Rounding the corner, Robin found the place, a bustling cafe near the heart of the city's market district. The place was already packed, with customers seated at every table outside the building and all those he could see through the circular windows that lined the wall facing him. That explains the need for reservations, Robin noted, peering around intently, searching for Lucina

"Robin, there you are!" came a voice behind him.

He turned, then froze as he caught sight of her. Lucina was always beautiful, stunningly so, but today she looked particularly gorgeous. She'd let her hair down without any tie or tiara to hold it back, allowing it to cascade around her shoulders in gentle waves. She wore a simple white dress, which somehow managed to accentuate her natural beauty than a more elaborate dress would have.

"I- Hi," Robin said lamely, his heart skipping a beat just as the words caught in his throat. He dearly hoped he wasn't staring too much and appearing as some drooling, love-drunk idiot. "You look… nice…" he managed to stammer out, his words coming in even more of an awkward jumble than his initial greeting.

Really, Robin? "You look nice"? That's the best you could do? He scolded himself, feeling his cheeks burning in embarrassment.

"Oh, so do you. Your outfit I mean, I love it," Lucina answered, her words coming haltingly. Her cheeks flushed as well, matching his. "Um, so do we…" She trailed off, hastily tucking the handwritten note away she'd been clutching. Robin caught a glimpse of Morgan's handwriting on it before it vanished from view.

I guess she needed directions as well. This calmed his nerves slightly, knowing he wasn't the only one going in blind here. "Oh, I almost forgot, here. I got you these." He thrust out his hand, producing the bouquet of white flowers he'd been holding behind his back.

"Oh, Robin. Did you get flowers for me?" Lucina asked, accepting the bouquet. She held them up to her face, taking a moment to smell their fragrance. "These are the same kind, are they not?"

"Yes, the same as when I first, you know, told you how I felt," Robin confirmed, feeling more embarrassed than he probably ought to have. "I thought it fitting, for the occasion. I hope you like them."

"Robin, of course, I love them. That was so thoughtful of you. Thank you," Lucina answered.

There was an awkward pause, neither of them making any move. Lucina opened her mouth to say something, hesitated, then shut it again.

"I…" Robin trailed off.

"So…" Lucina offered, blushing.

"Should we go inside?" Robin asked. He stiffly stuck out a hand, offering it to her.

"Yes! Shall we?" Lucina asked, seizing his hand so fiercely that Robin nearly winced.

They exchanged one last nervous glance, then went inside to make their reservation.

. . . . .

"Oh come on, that was the perfect chance to kiss, you idiots!" Morgan exclaimed from her vantage point on the rooftop overlooking the restaurant. She'd arrived there long before either of her parents, relying on the roundabout directions she'd given to buy her enough time to beat them there via a more direct route.

"Popcorn?" Cynthia asked, offering her the bowl she'd brought along.

"Not now, I need to get these dorks to stop acting dumb and do actual couple stuff!" Morgan fumed, shoving the bowl aside.

"I thought you said it was gross when your parents made out," Cynthia asked through stuffed cheeks as she munched away.

"Well yeah, normally I do. But this is different. Their wedding is in three weeks and they haven't done, like, half the normal boyfriend-girlfriend things that normal people do! This needs to go right before it's too late!"

"Well, I'm having fun either way. Let's just see how this goes and then, if it goes terribly, we step in to save the day and possibly their soon-to-be marriage," Cynthia assured her. She threw the now empty bowl behind her, not even seeming to notice as it shattered loudly against the roof tiles. "Shame Owain isn't here to help. What was so important to keep him from serious Justice Cabal business?"

"Eh, I think Severa took custody of him for the day. Something about needing someone to carry her things on her shopping trip. That poor, poor doomed fool…" Morgan shook her head sadly as she returned to spying on her parents.

. . . . .

"Oops!" Lucina exclaimed, hands shooting upward to hide her face as it turned bright red in embarrassment. She'd accidentally bumped the pitcher of water sitting at the end of the table while reaching for her own drink, spilling it directly into Robin's lap. His trousers and the entire bottom half of his shirt were now completely soaked with water, the rest dripping from him onto his chair and the floor.

"I'm- Robin, I- I'm so, so very sorry. That was dreadfully clumsy of me and- I am truly sorry for-" Lucina stammered through her fingers, feeling her face burning even hotter with every word as a part of her just wanted to curl up and die.

There was a painfully long pause before, slowly, Robin reached for his napkin, mopping up the water as best he could. "It's alright, Lucina. Accidents happen," Robin assured her, smiling gently. He chuckled then as Lucina hastily thrust her napkin into his hands as well, using it as well to dry off. He waved off the waiter who rushed over to help, quickly apologizing on Lucina's behalf. Still mortified as she was, Lucina found herself even more thankful for Robin handling it so as to not cause even more of a scene.

It was only after a few moments longer and when Robin had managed to somewhat dry himself off that Lucina finally worked up the courage to speak again. "Are you quite alright? I'm dreadfully sorry, it was an accident and very clumsy of me. I didn't mean- I hope I didn't ruin your clothes, did I?"

"Well other than the fact water is my one weakness and I am going to melt into a puddle at any moment, I'm alright," Robin answered, his jest certainly an attempt to dispel any tension from the matter. He flashed her a reassuring smile, holding out his palms in a gesture for her to relax. "It's just water, Lucina. It's no big deal, really."

"I know but… now I've gone and embarrassed both of us," Lucina told him, sheepishly, wishing she could hide from the looks the other patrons had given them during the commotion.

"I came in here certain I'd do something to completely ruin the whole date. Since that hasn't happened, I consider this a victory," Robin told her.

"Really, you do not need to jest so, Robin. I admit my mistake and ask for your forgiveness for my lack of coordination," Lucina told him. "I knew this would happen, that I'd mess this up and- make a scene or- embarrass both of us. I hope you can understand, that I am still terrible at this. I've never been on a date before and I wanted this to go well," She looked away fidgeting with her hands as her cheeks flushed again.

His response caught her completely off guard, a deep belly laugh emanating from the tactician. "No, I- I'm dead serious, Lucina. I honestly expected to somehow blow this whole thing, Truly, I've been a nervous wreck all day, terrified. It's still, I know, but…" he shook his head, the gesture carrying with it both bewilderment and bemusement in equal measure. "I am just thankful it seems like we both were driving ourselves crazy over this."

Lucina nodded. "And you are sure then that I am not embarrassing you?" she asked.

Robin reached out, taking her hand. "Of course not. And even if you did, it couldn't be any worse than I could embarrass myself."

Lucina laughed at this, finding herself at last put at ease by both his admission and jest. She smiled back.

It was about then that the waiter returned with their food. So it was that their date resumed, the incident quickly behind them and forgotten.

. . . . .

Morgan peered through the book she was holding up over her face, having ingeniously cut eye-holes to allow her to see through it. Next to her on the bench, Cynthia was doing the same, their disguises having allowed them to move to a spot with a direct view through a window to the couples' table.

"Nice recovery from father, but why are they still not making out? They started holding hands and everything!" Morgan fumed, stamping her foot in frustration.

"You are really hung up on this, huh?" Cynthia noted. She was snacking again, having slipped away to buy doughnuts from a nearby stall. She offered one to Morgan, who again shoved her hand away.

Normally, Morgan would have taken the doughnut, but this wasn't a normal situation. This was serious business after all, so serious that not even a delicious pastry could sway her focus!

"I had a plan Cynthia, and the two of them making out is part of it! This needs to be romantic! Romantic, I say!" Morgan answered, practically shouting. She threw her book up into the air to punctuate her statement, froze, and then scrambled to retrieve it before she could be spotted.

"If you say so… oooh, I wonder what they ordered," Cynthia said, peering intently through the eyeholes in her own book.

As Morgan reoriented her ingenious disguise, she was already planning their next move. Once they finished eating, she and Cynthia would need to get moving. The moonlit stroll was to be alongside the river that ran through the city, meaning before then they'd need to get to their chosen hiding spot. Luckily, there were several large trees growing by the water that would be perfectly suited for that very purpose.

. . . . .

Hand in hand, the two of them walked alongside the cobbled street that ran alongside the river, the way illuminated from the candle lamps that glowed above and the light of the full moon overhead. The air was calm and the riverside peaceful, away from the continued bustle of the market even after sunset.

"I was skeptical of her plan at first, but I think we can say Morgan's idea was a good one," Lucina noted, speaking up after a while. They'd spoken little since leaving the cafe, having been more than content to just enjoy each other's company while on the stroll

"Nerves aside, I agree. I've had a wonderful time," Robin agreed. The two came to a stop, gazing out over the water near a large oak tree. The moon shone bright overhead, its silvery disk reflected as a rippling mirror on the surface of the river. "I hope I wasn't too nervous though. As I've said before, I don't have much experience with this sort of thing and…" he trailed off, realizing he was ruining the moment.

Lucina squeezed his hand reassuringly, turning to look into his eyes. "Neither have I. But regardless, I loved this evening greatly, Robin. I hope we can continue to spend moments like these together, even after we are no longer dating and instead are properly wed."

"I'd like that," Robin agreed. He found himself entranced by her beauty there, her eyes seeming almost to shimmer where they caught the silvery moonlight and the distant flicker of the lanterns.

Slowly, the two of them began to step closer, leaning closer and closer until their lips almost met. There was a gust of wind, dry leaves swirling upon it. Amongst the soft whistle, there was something else. Almost sounding like muffled voices.

Robin stepped back, breaking from soon-to-be-kiss. "Sorry, hold on one moment," Robin apologized, holding up a hand for her to wait. He turned suddenly, sweeping a hand towards a nearby tree. "Elwind!" A vortex of air shot towards the treetops, shaking the branches and sending a flurry of leaves into the air. There were two surprised yelps, followed by the silhouettes of two figures falling from the branches into the river with two loud splashes.

"There we go," Robin said, turning back to Lucina.

"Was that…"

"Yeah…" Robin confirmed. He rubbed the back of his neck. "Morgan and Cynthia have been spying on us the whole date."

"Ah, I suppose we can scold them later then. Provided the unexpected bath isn't punishment enough." Lucina laughed, squeezing his hands tighter. "Now, where were we?"

Smiling back, and satisfied there were no more onlookers, Robin leaned in, his and Lucina's lips meeting in a long, drawn-out kiss. When they at last separated, both were blushing, yet with huge, dumb smiles on both their lips.

"This was nice. We should do it again sometime," Lucina told him.

"Yes. We should," Robin agreed. As first dates went, this hadn't been all too bad.