#i remember this reyson...

[gloamvonhrym]

claws 🔪

[applesoda-art]

frantically trying to finish playing fe10 before engage releases ahhgh

[dimiclaudeblaigan]

I know you all know by default how much I love this conversation, but in RD at least, a lot of characters fall out of relevancy after a certain point (whereas in PoR you could argue that having full supports prevents this). Shinon is one of the only side characters who doesn't really do this, having three base conversations throughout part three (which is pretty fucking good considering several of the chapters aren't even with the Greil Mercenaries).

Back in PoR, Shinon asks for praise/gratitude. Expects it. By this point he doesn't want it anymore. He didn't want it when he was selling bows for emergency income (which Rolf took up as well) and he doesn't want it here either. His personality has chilled out so much from being a hothead and he's much more expressive of his actual feelings (even if you compare his standard death quotes in both games, he's much more emotionally expressive in RD).

A lot of characters - most honestly, including even the GMs (barring Boyd if he A supports Mist which gives him more content and expresses a whole lot of maturity compared to PoR Boyd) tend to drop off in development. They might stick around (ex. PoR puts all the major groups in the spotlight until the next group shows up and goes through all of them), but the development eventually stagnates outside of supports (including in base conversations, which this one is such).

Since RD doesn't get supports with full conversations, you only get snippets of development/characterization through them, while the base conversations may offer insight into the characters and show you how they've changed over the years but don't truly develop them. Shinon is a very lucky situation for his character because he keeps returning in both games, and it helps develop him across both games with a full timeline (similar to Naesala, who has a fully fleshed out story and personality development over both games and never stops dead at any point in the pair of games).

In PoR Shinon was distant and selectively a bit cold (Greil, Rolf and Gatrie excluded from that, and Mist to an extent as well). RD gives the impression that he just... doesn't care about all that anymore. He's fine where he is and has learned he can live with these people and not have to expect betrayal. He doesn't have to anticipate being on his own ever again. There's no real reason for him to keep up the walls and barriers to protect himself, and he's not living just to survive anymore.

Most times when I end up loving a character it's because of the content given to me and what have I to work with, rather than loving a character and searching for things to love. I fully expect that that's why I finally, after years of being unable to decide who my Tellius favorite was because I loved several of them too dearly to decide, found myself able to settle on Shinon.

When I got older and gave it more thought, considering all the development and traits of each of them and how responsive I was to them, one day I asked myself, well okay, what if someone asked you who your favorite was? What if you still did love the same ones as your number one, all of them, but could only give one name quick and simple? Who would you pick? The first name that instantly hit me was Shinon. That was enough for me to decide okay, there's a reason he's the first person who instantly came to me if I had to truly settle on one. I hadn't quite figured it out yet, but I knew there was a reason that if I had to pick a single standout, it would be him.

A lot of it harkens back to this conversation. It is development in and of itself, and also very expressive of who he is. The fact that he also doesn't fall off in conversations and is more recurring than not also gives me more to examine about him and more to think about. It puts him in a more likely position to think about him and who he is than I would for characters the writers didn't really bother developing (including other recurring characters like Marcia, who keep coming back in both games similar to Shinon, but see no development as a person - unfortunately in her case, in either game).

He has a very rich, detailed and unforgotten-by-the-writers character and one whose story ends on a very high note. I say "ends" in the sense of main story/base content, but it technically continues if he's taken to the Tower and gains the ability to A support various other characters who he otherwise could not support or could only reach a B support with, such as Sanaki, Tibarn, etc. This conversation is like an accumulation of his growth between both games, including the subtle things you can only pick up on through actions/other character lines.

Ike says he (everyone, which includes Shinon) chose to stay with them when he told everyone who their next employer was/what they'd be doing/etc, and Ike gave him and Soren an out if they weren't comfortable with it. They weren't all forced to go. That says by itself that Shinon made that choice on his own. He chose to stay with them when he was not yet totally comfortable with laguz and was still working on that part of himself (the fact that he uses the term "laguz" at all is already a huge step up from where he leaves off on his A support with Janaff, which did not leave off poorly at all).

Last time Shinon was uncomfortable with something in the Greil Mercenaries, he made the choice to leave. When he did come back, he was not exclusively surrounded by only the GMs and otherwise, purely laguz (which prior to meeting Janaff I would argue he was not ready for at all at the time). Here, he was, and he still made the choice to stay with them knowing exactly what his situation would look like.

Another thing worth considering is how much of a hothead Shinon was in PoR, but he still took Rolf on as a student. While I'm not sure exactly how accurate Mist's statement is about "forcing" Rhys to teach her (it's possible she was pushy about it because he didn't want to, such as because it might mean she might end up on the battlefield), we do know Rolf wanted to learn and was accepted.

We can easily infer through their conversations that Shinon would rather teach him to survive and have a safety net rather than worry about him being on a battlefield. Shinon saw that he was motivated to learn and, regardless of the fact that he was still in survival mode himself and not of the mind of "I'll be with these people forever and want to help them", taught him while apparently having told him "things like this happen" with mercenaries (i.e. different employers, separation, etc). If they ended up on opposite sides but Rolf could wield a weapon, that could endanger him, but he does it anyway. His priority is always survival, but it's also the survival of children and anyone he cares about. He also dies begrudgingly in his PoR death quote, which is completely opposite of his death quote against Rolf.

Another thing for me: he's also very confident and aware of his capabilities as a marksman. He knows what he's worth and at this point, he no longer brags about it (he used to all the time in PoR). He sees no reason to have to prop himself up. There's no insecurity in him that makes him feel the need to try to be open about being better than anyone else. He knows and accepts what he's worth without feeling the need to tell people about it.

If someone asked him what he thought of himself/his own worth, yeah, he'd admit his skill and capability without being too humble, but he also wouldn't go overboard with it or say it during instances that don't really warrant it (basically, if absolutely nobody asked, he'd say it anyway in PoR. In RD he doesn't really seem to give a shit anymore about letting the whole world know how good he is). He's lost the whole pick me, look at me sort of attitude. Imo it's also due to a higher amount of respect he has for himself now, and a much healthier one. He doesn't care about being the best anymore (he'd be perfectly happy if Rolf was instead) and is just satisfied knowing his skill on his own. He's satisfied not being alive just to survive, but to be with this mercenary group and actually able to live.

As a side note, we never actually see him having drunk or in the middle of drinking in RD, so... it's also likely he's worked on his possible PoR drinking issue too!

All in all, he's just one of the few non-main characters who came a whole long way with a full story. He feels very different in RD, but not so much that he feels like a different character entirely. For me, I can feel the growth in who he is, and that to me is an excellent handling of a character. When I can feel how different they are from beginning to end, I can feel the intent of character growth behind it. I can't tell you with certainty that the writers took a liking to him and so biasly kept sticking in dialogue for him (and singlehandedly made him one of the solidly best units in RD, for that matter...), but he's definitely repeatedly present and has hefty, story/backstory littered implications.

His dialogue feels meaningful to his own personal story in all his conversations. In other words, he doesn't have a conversation that feels devoid of meaning. It comes across more as all of his content exists for a reason/has meaning behind it. There's no wasted dialogue with him. When he's there, it means something for his character (comparatively to other side characters who may have lengthy conversations but you walk away having gotten nothing out of it, be that in PoR and/or RD).

He has fewer supports than most of the cast in PoR, but every single one had some kind of direction to it. Even if you look at his C support with Janaff and go "well that's just classic early PoR Shinon", the point of that is exactly that: that he starts out who we recognize and develops from there. That support alone goes from that to a lot of growth in three conversations, and beneficially so on both sides.

Simply put, he has more content the average Tellius character (including all of his boss quotes in chapter 18), and everything leads up to who he is by this conversation. It's a full story for a side character, later including personalized support dialogue for A supports, and he just happens to exhibit a lot of growth and traits that I already lean toward (hence why he was in my top spot all along, just tied with others. Now he's not tied with others and has the top spot to himself!).

I think it's likely it's the fact that as mentioned, none of his conversations are throwaway conversations. You never walk away from his conversations having gotten nothing (I mean, I'm sure people who refuse to see it don't notice precisely because they are willing themselves to refuse to see it to find excuses to keep hating him). Even in his first RD base conversation, the fact that he acts as you'd expect but drops a "laguz" in there is already a hint for his growth direction on top of being there at all. It's really just up from there, as is the case with all his content.

I tend to lean toward characters with a whole fountain of insightful conversations and depth, and in FE games you often don't find those characters outside of the mains. While I'd argue Tellius is a lot less tropey than modern FE (there were some tropey types like Makalov and Ilyana whose characters are basically nothing without their tropes), a lot of its side characters are still reduced to very surface level characterization with no real growth.

Shinon was very lucky to get as much as he did, and I'd say he has just as much if not more personal depth and lore than even some of the mains themselves. Imo he's a very lucky and rare find in FE games, when there are so many goddamn characters that the writers can't flesh them all out (reasonably of course, but it makes it even more special when it happens for non mains). Even with the Fodlan games and all its content, a lot if not most of its characters are full on tropes with little to nothing in the way of anything else. Engage suffers from it too, with a few diamonds in the rough and not much else.

That's not to say I hate the games or their characters, because obviously I would not still be playing new titles to the franchise if I hated it. I'm saying it makes the ones with as much depth as Shinon a gold mine to be found amidst a very large cast of characters that don't usually get that treatment.

anyway i will always talk abt shinon more when able so this is Not The End but i will end this post here lest it turns into another 20+ paragraphs.

[mikotosredqueen]

cozmez's music is always so hit or miss for me that I often forget so many people in the fandom go nuts for it. Like. Huh? What? You like this? More power to you then I guess.

[bloodlyst]

a man offered a serpent to the sun and prayed for salvation a woman offered a reed to the sun and asked for joy

[ulircursed]

TOA Aniversary Munday

From Neffi!

Celebrating TOA and the people who contribute to make our group what it is.

Repost, don't reblog. Only fill in what you feel comfortable sharing!

Happy anniversary, TOA! Here's to many more years spent together.

Name: eri

Pronouns: she/her

Birthday (no year): 9/30

Where are you from? What is your time zone? Taiwan! GMT+8, currently 12 hours ahead of TOAST. Good news: the apocalypse hasn't hit the future yet!

How long is your roleplay experience? Probably around 10+ years at this point, unless running around as Pokemon on the playground counts, in which case more like 20 years ahaha

How were you introduced to roleplaying as a whole? I'm reasonably certain Fire Emblem was my first foray into tumblr RP, and Emmeryn was my first muse! There was a little indie community that I joined back then, though I haven't kept in contact with them

How were you introduced to TOA? I don't really remember, but all I know is that I lurked around the masterlist around the time of L&K but didn't pluck up the courage to join until nearly a year later when I saw there was a Reyson (shoutout to birdie!)

Do you have any pets? Nope! Moved around too much as a kid and current living situation doesn't support having one. Closest I got was sharing an apartment with my roommate's floofy cat for two years in college; his name's Chester and he was super adorable. I'd like to have a dog someday though!

What is your favorite time of year and why? (Season, holiday, general period) WINTERRRR I am a human furnace and summer is suffering. Every spring I start counting down the days to the next winter ahaha

What is your IRL occupation? I work at the counseling department in a junior college!

Some interests and things you like/enjoy? Learning languages, singing, obscure fun facts and watching Youtube video essays

What non-Fire Emblem games do you play? Used to be a big Pokemon person but I stopped playing the mainline games by Gen VII (not for lack of interest! RL circumstances changed around that time and I just never got back into the habit of buying those games); nowadays I play a few mobile games daily but that's about it

Favorite Pokemon type & Pokemon: Water; too many, but if I had to name just one I will probably say Rufflet

Tell us some funfacts and trivia about yourself! The first fun fact is that the moment I get asked questions like this I immediately go Brain Empty and this is why I rarely fill out toa monthly feedback forms dakfjslfj uhhhh my favorite color is blue! I joined an archery club in grad school (two years ago) to understand what shooting a bow feels like. I love swimming but haven't been to a pool for maybe like 9 years now. I really like going to zoos.

How did you get into Fire Emblem? My older brother introduced my younger brother and me to Japanese FE4 when we were kids, when we knew absolutely no Japanese and just messed around the first map and never beat it. I properly started playing when I was in high school, with FE7 being the first game I beat! I normally count my official FE gaming journey as starting with 7 in high school :'D

What Fire Emblem games have you played? All the mainline ones except 1-3 and Echoes (I'm...... working on it)

First & Favorite Fire Emblem games: FE7; FE3H

List your 5 favorite Fire Emblem characters across the series! You can't do this to me man. UHHH ok Lucius is my very most favorite FE character. Andrei needs to be here. I lump the Heron sibs as one unit for questions like this. Tibarn. Sylvain. There are probably a dozen more but

Who was the first character ever to make you go “ooh I like this one in particular” and why? Can be any context and reason! HONESTLY Andrei thanks to the Oosawa manga. His arc changed my brain chemistry permanently

Any Fire Emblem crushes? 😳 I don't think I've really crushed on fictional characters before ahaha

If you’ve played (or are familiar with) the following games, who was your first S support? Who would you S support nowadays? - Awakening: Chrom I think; uhhhh Lon'qu or Cherche?? - Fates: Silas I think???; I'm currently partway through a Birthright playthrough and I seem geared to S support with Jakob so him - Three Houses: Dimitri; started my first and only Myleth run a few months back and I'll probably go with Miss Thea :flushed: - Engage: None; man I don't know

Favorite Fire Emblem class? Bishop

If you were a Fire Emblem character, what would be your class and stats? Would you be playable? I think I could be a War Cleric wielding a giant hammer. If you don't go to bed on time I will forcibly join your army and make you

If you were a Three Houses character, what would be your affiliation? Blue Lions I guess!

If you were an Officers Academy student, what would be your boons, banes and potential budding talent? Axe boon, Reason bane, Riding budding talent

If you were an Engage character, which nation would you originate from? Brodia

How do you pronounce TOA? TOE-uh

Current TOA muses: Just me and my bow man for the moment

Past TOA muses? Leanne, Lucius, Altena, Nino

Who was your first TOA muse? If you no longer have them, can you see yourself picking them up again? Leanne was my first! Honestly she always lives in a cozy little corner of my head, so she can be back at any moment if RL permits

Do you believe you have a type of character you gravitate towards writing? Nice Girls (gender neutral) who have no quarrel with 99% of the world. As you may be able to see, Andrei does not fit this mold.

Do you have characters or types of characters you don’t think you can handle writing, but wish you could? Flirts. They're so much fun to read but I don't think I could flirt my way out of a paper bag irl so I would never know what to write

What kind of scenes, situations etc do you believe you enjoy writing the most? I honestly love fluffy cozy fun friendshippy situations!!! Again, Andrei is not conducive to this. I mean I do also like painful scenes but--

Do you have any scenario in mind for your muse(s) that gets you thinking “man I hope I get to write this one day”? that Yngvi AU where Brigid never disappeared because things will still go to shit but the circumstances would be so different. Honestly Brigid doesn't even need to explicitly be there for this to work so if any Gen I Jugdrals ever want to do this then I grip you

Favorite TOA-related memories? So many, but the West Faerghus Croc lives rent free in my brain forever.

Present or past tense? I started off with past tense, but now default to present. When the stars align and I notice my partner using past tense, sometimes I will also switch, but not always.

Normal size text, small text, no preference? Small text, though I am happy to switch for my partner's preference if needed!

Got any potential muse delusions to share? 😉 Waves goodbye to my faceless Glenn delusions honestly thank u new anniversary ruling for saving me from those eternal brainworms

[pryings]

TOA Anniversary Munday

thank you neffi for this template!!!

Celebrating TOA and the people who contribute to make our group what it is.

Repost, don't reblog. Only fill in what you feel comfortable sharing!

Happy anniversary, TOA! Here's to many more years spent together.

Name: ruaidhrí (said pretty much like the english name rory and if you want to spell it that way that's fine too, ik irish names throw people off)

Pronouns: he/him

Birthday (no year): 25th of october!

Where are you from? What is your time zone? i live in colorado and my timezone is MST

How long is your roleplay experience? i don't know exactly how many years since i sometimes have years where h don't rp but i've been rping on and off since i was 11-12.

How were you introduced to roleplaying as a whole? oh gosh, so ff.net used to have (maybe still has, i literally have not been on that site in ages) these like... forums? and i joined one for elder scrolls rp a little after oblivion came out. i was far and away the youngest one there but everyone was so nice in helping me turn my character into a proper oc with like... backstory, a real personality, etc. after that, i spent a lot of time using it to try and grow my creative writing skills.

How were you introduced to TOA? honestly i just stumbled across it randomly! i had just replayed a few fe games and was looking through some tags and thought it might be fun to try fire emblem rp (i'd done some on indie tumblr back in the day, as well as in an mfrp a little bit, but never fire emblem exclusive rp) so i sent arden to check it out and, well, here we still are.

Do you have any pets? simon (mini poodle), john hancock (tabby cat), and tim & geeb (fluffy black cats)

What is your favorite time of year and why? (Season, holiday, general period) early spring! i also like late fall for its temperature, but i dislike snow/sleet/wet socks so spring is preferable because it's not very snowy here!

What is your IRL occupation? blessedly unemployed (health issues have prevented me from working aha)... i used to work IT though!

Some interests and things you like/enjoy? i like birdwatching, reading academic articles about ancient civilizations, and making espresso drinks

What non-Fire Emblem games do you play? currently enjoying bg3 + doing a dragon age replay (in preparation for veilguard). outside current, i really like most single-player rpg type games (esp. with customizable character), stealth games (dishonored favorite), and Identity V is the first asymmetrical horror mobile game developed by NetEase for

Favorite Pokemon type & Pokemon: my favorite pokemon ever is alakazam (and its whole line) i've loved alakazam foreverrrrr! favorite type is steel, though! apart from my psychic baby most of my other favs tend to be steel types

Tell us some funfacts and trivia about yourself! oh gosh i'm so bad at fun facts...

- i can put both my feet behind my head but i can't touch my toes - my favorite non-ancient empire to read about is austria-hungary - my cat tim was rescued from Outside

How did you get into Fire Emblem? friend's cool older brother was playing a bunch of the games in a seemingly random order. when i'd hang out at that friend's house sometimes we'd sit and watch. i asked him to lend me some and he did!

What Fire Emblem games have you played? i have now played all of them! (last year when i answered this i hadn't technically played them all, but i'd seen playthroughs and watched let's plays of all of them at the very least)

First & Favorite Fire Emblem games: a bad translation of fe4 was first, por is still my favorite—but tbh there's not really one i dislike

List your 5 favorite Fire Emblem characters across the series! - KNOLL (promoted to number one he's my special guy) - reyson - canas - ashnard - pandreo

Who was the first character ever to make you go “ooh I like this one in particular” and why? Can be any context and reason! QUAN—i have such a distinct memory of seeing him come in but i don't remember my initial thought, only that he would have my heart forever

Any Fire Emblem crushes? 😳 vander. duessel. hardin.

If you’ve played (or are familiar with) the following games, who was your first S support? Who would you S support nowadays? - Awakening: first was sumia! i don't have a set nowadays because i've done a different one on each playthrough - Fates: first was xander, would probably still do xander if i were to replay - Three Houses: first was seteth, if i replay i'll go for hanneman - Engage: first was pandreo! next time i plan to do ivy though

Favorite Fire Emblem class? i like shapeshifter classes! beasts, dragons, laguz, etc. i just think they're fun to play with

If you were a Fire Emblem character, what would be your class and stats? Would you be playable? oh gosh, i'd be an infantry axe unit probably. middling starting stats but high growths if you really work at making me good (there would be heated debates over whether the necessary time investment would be worth it)

If you were a Three Houses character, what would be your affiliation? black eagles!

If you were an Officers Academy student, what would be your boons, banes and potential budding talent? axe boon, heavy armor bane, budding talent in faith magic (could be classed into an fe:a style war cleric and it would be my suggested goal)

If you were an Engage character, which nation would you originate from? i want to say brodia!

How do you pronounce TOA? 🤔 toh-ah

Current TOA muses: just knoll <3

Past TOA muses? robin, niles, almedha, reyson, hardin, iago, perceval, lachesis (i think that's all?)

Who was your first TOA muse? If you no longer have them, can you see yourself picking them up again? my first muse was m!robin and thankfully i am spared any temptation on picking him up as he is currently being written.

Do you believe you have a type of character you gravitate towards writing? (If you filled this out last year, has this changed in any way?) i'm kind of all over the place, aren't i? i like characters where i can poke at hidden depths but ones who aren't too closely guarded. i like characters who are shy, withdrawn, standoffish, guarded, etc. in some way but who open up when spoken to. i don't think this has changed since last year, i've been writing for a long time and kind of know my comfort zone.

Do you have characters or types of characters you don’t think you can handle writing, but wish you could? boisterous/loud and over the top characters always challenge me, but i've never really managed to make them work, which is a shame because i tend to enjoy lively characters!

What kind of scenes, situations etc do you believe you enjoy writing the most? (If you filled this out last year, has this changed in any way?) -i love writing threads where setting/scenery is a focus, where i get to sort of use the landscape as a bit more than set-dressing - i enjoy throwing my muse at characters who mistrust him for whatever reason, and like to explore the kind of slow, mutual understanding that comes from two people getting to know one another - i really just like putting him in situations in general, forcing him to socialize—he's a very withdrawn character so any excuse to have him meet new people is very enjoyable

Do you have any scenario in mind for your muse(s) that gets you thinking “man I hope I get to write this one day”? nothing specific! i have kind of an arc for him but it's loosely-defined right now

Favorite TOA-related memories? HAPPYLAND WAS SO MUCH FUN. sincerely i loved the interactions he had there <3

Present or past tense? i default to present, but adapt to what my partner prefers on this!

Normal size text, small text, no preference? small text, bolded dialogue. just easier for my eyes to take it in that way.

Got any potential muse delusions to share? 😉 oh gosh. i recently had to go down to just one muse because my health is not so good, but i will admit i already have a few delusions. if i can get myself back to a spot where i feel like i can write a second, someone may return.

[corvuschriisti]

i can feel all my bones coming back & i'm craving motion.

dancer drabble for mastery

i.

He is part of the psithurism, the sound that slips through the trees and sings under his wings. A bird in flight, one that finds the wind and shifts through it -- his beak pierces through, adding to an echo of all that would care to listen. He somersaults through the sky, cutting apart the tides of the air he swims in.

When he rolls, he feels his heart reverberate against his ribcage and sing to those with hollow bones. When he lands, he looks at those he loves and finds the herons and the ravens and even the hawks. They're in the shapes of the leaves, the hollows of trunks, and the winding way the vines cling to anything eager to travel up.

He remembers: -- Leanne's laugh, adding to the music around him. -- Reyson's smile, bright as the sun.

He thinks this all with his hand on Andrei's hip. This is not his first time dancing, nor will it be the last.

ii.

A raven is a playful thing, creature of movement and life and cunning. Naesala is no different. He is the best of the raven laguz, the strongest and the smartest. His life began with a flap of his wings, the rush through the tree branches and into the depths of any forest or cliffside or seacoast. He balanced the line between music and sound, straddling it on a tightrope. Susurration. He always was, always will be, dancing through it all.

Even when the dance turned sour, Naesala's movements became a practiced act of precision. Any tango or ballet with its accompanying symphony became a ballroom waltz. All the better to impress and distract the senators who saw the ravens' dance as childish and without order.

But Naesala never saw it as that.

Naesala saw the way the ravens stole to survive, their rapid tap dances as they distracted with quick wings and even quicker tongues. He saw the fusion, the interpretive, the modern -- he saw the fluidity in the voices and their legs and their heart. He saw the slip of feathers through thin fingers, unable to be grasped.

It gave him hope. He would not give up on the ravens so long as they still sung their song.

iii.

'I care about you' was a thought that crossed his mind one too many times. A chorus that bloomed, fists that slammed inside of his ribcage and spoke with certainty: I am alive, I am alive.

He spins through the air, and this time he does not imagine those he loves on the ground. Instead, he feels them beside him. His eyes close and he lets the wind carry him through. Beside him, languid and graceful and more beautiful than anything in the entirety of Tellius are the herons. Leanne and Reyson's smiles are enough for an encore.

He spins Andrei around in his arms, picks him up and imagines the flush on his cheek as he continues his aerial journey. He reaches out to let the beorc fly alongside of him -- L'arachel, Deirdre, Beowolf -- for Cranberry to hold tight as he too learns the movements. He beckons those he loves, those he would perform ancient and ceremonial dances beside. He calls for Nealuchi, for Kurth, for Dheginsea, for Tibarn. He holds them, and the solo dance becomes something much bigger than himself.

To express love you must dance. To dance, a raven must fly.

iv.

They could be subjugated. Ripped and torn apart, threatened and told that they must obey. They might become slaves in all but name. But as long as the ravens had their wings -- in joy and in grief and even in their death rattle -- there would be movement.

[theia-eos]

So, what about Tellius in particular got you hooked on it?

TL;DR Everything. The Tellius games are very much my comfort games.

I think part of it was definitely the fact that the worst years of my life, so far, were from 2002 to 2006, and those games came out in 2005 and 2007. The messages of the games, the way Micaiah, Ike, and Elincia deal with their tremendous burdens without losing themselves, was something I desperately needed at that time in my life. Honestly, playing through those two games did more for my mental health than therapy was (recommendation: find a therapist who is a good fit for you. I have one now. She is amazing).

Beyond that, the world is just so interesting to me, there's so much to it and the characters feel very well written. Soren's adaptation from his childhood, Reyson and his combative personality, Jill unlearning her prejudices against the laguz, Shinon and Janaff's relationship, Skrimir's growth as a wiser leader. All of the character writing hits pretty hard, honestly, and there are no moments I can recall where I feel like "there is no way an actual person in that situation would say or do that," and the trauma responses felt both pretty accurate and treated with respect, not as over-top humor that falls flat. On the writing, there is just so much lore and so much to think about and before those two games, I'd never seen games with such world building or thought out characters before. I'd read books like that, of course, but to have this intersection of visuals, music, writing, and interactivity was truly captivating to younger me.

Speaking of the art, I've always loved the CG renders and how much they draw me into the world. I used to draw a lot more back when I was playing the games for the first time, and that style is something I very much used to want to emulate. The music is iconic to me as well, in that I can hear any song from the game and remember the feeling and image of the game when I was playing it and hearing that song originally, I can't do that with full game soundtracks normally. For years, I would play the galdr songs to soothe my anxiety, calm my mind and get to sleep.

The Tellius games, and Fire Emblem as a whole, are games that my spouse and I talked about a lot while we were younger and just beginning to date, and our mutual love of the series is very much a cornerstone of our relationship. My spouse has a very lovely singing voice and would sing the galdr to me if I was struggling with my mental health, or do the funny voices used for reading the scenes to lift my spirits when I was feeling down back then when the games were still new.

[lapinbunwrites]

Title: A Childish Tea Party

Rating: Gen

Warnings: None

Fandom: Fire Emblem Path of Radiance/Radiant Dawn

Characters: Humor, Friendship, Post-Canon

Additional Tags: Friendship, Humor

Words: 795

Ao3 Link

Naesala couldn't remember the last time he had a pleasant conversation with Sanaki. She was always more condescending than he was, and everyone has told him his is the worst. He, for some reason, took great pride in that. But when he heard it coming out of a small child, he realized, it probably wasn't the best thing in the world. Last thing he wanted to deal with her complaining since that she is an Empress, she could do whatever she wanted. Naesala has done it, and it never worked for him so he's a little irritated a child could get away with it.

"Naesala!" Sanaki demanded his attention.

"What?" He said, focusing his attention to her.

"You haven't paying attention like you should," she pouted.

"I'm sorry your royal empress," he sighed, taking a sip of his tea. He was hoping this little tea party of hers would be rather different from what it was. He thought is going to be more pressing than what she wrote him about. "Listening to you talk about the food you've eaten in the last day isn't all that interesting."

She let out a little growl, giving him a stink eye. "Well I think it's better than hearing you talk endlessly about Leanne."

Naesala pinched the bridge of his nose. "That was weeks ago and I'm surprised you were paying attention."

"Well, I thought I could find something to use as blackmail against you," Sanaki teased.

"I'm surprised that you would use it, considering that you have no need for it," Naesala smiled, taking a sip of tea.

"I was hoping for a something juicy so I could try to con sweets out of you," she laughed, trying to take a bit of her treat.

"Well, you can keep trying, but no one is going to say anything," he reminded her.

"Hmph, I could always ask Tibarn, Reyson, or even Leanne," she said.

"They won't say a thing, or at least I hope not," he said, getting out of his chair.

"Where are you going?" Sanaki asked, yanking him back to the table. "This isn't over."

"Well, I have more important things to worry about having a tea party with a child," he said, trying to pry her fingers off of him. "For someone who is only thirteen, you have one hell of a grip."

"I am fourteen now!" She reprimanded him, roughly pulling him back.

"Yeesh kid," Naesala said, using his strength to pull her out of her seat and holding her off the ground.

Sanaki held onto Naesala's arm tightly as she kicked the air, trying to look for the ground.

"What are you doing?" He asked, waving his arm up and down.

"PUT ME DOWN!" She demanded.

"Fine, but I'm leaving afterwards," he sighed, placing her on the ground.

"Why, I thought you were excited to be here?" She asked, smoothing out her clothes. "I just wanted to spend some time with you."

"I didn't think you would enjoy my company," Naesala grumbled.

"I really do," Sanaki murmured, walking back to her seat. "I don't have many close friends, especially many near my age. So I was hoping that maybe you would like to be my friend."

Naesala wishes he could say that he was hard for him to make friends, but he always had Rafiel, Reyson, and Leanne. He's known them since a very young age so he's never had to worry about being alone in his life. He couldn't imagine what Sanaki would of gone through by herself without any friends. She ascended the throne at such a young age without any true childhood to talk about. Most of her life he could imagine that she was in and out of meetings, war councils, and training sessions. It really wasn't a traditional childhood to him so he could see her not having any friends to have. Sure, she had Sigrun and Tanith, but they were more guardians than anything.

He took on deep sigh before letting giving her a smile. "Fine, I will stay and listen to you-"

"Oh, hooray!" Sanaki said with a sparkle in her eyes.

"But," he smirked.

"But what?" she asked, her earth shattering for a split second.

"You must listen to me and what I want to talk about," he bargained, sitting his seat.

"Fine fine! If you insist," she agreed, taking a bit of her food.

Naesala smiled as he ate his food as he listened to her talk. Thinking about it, being in her presence and listening to her talk, wasn't such a bad thing after all. Maybe he will take her up on more of the tea parties she invites him to. Maybe even make it a tradition only to see that smile of hers.

---------------------------------

Consistent writing style, who's that? Anyway here is yet another revenge fic @aptericia! Hopefully this two little bickering duos feel you with the same amount of joy you gave me!

[slyfire]

was thinking about reyson (my beloved) again, and then an epiphany hit me.

alfred & reyson are very similar, character concept wise.

while their personalities are quite different, they are similar in a few things... [spoilers ahead]

homeland's association with 'green' nature. IDK really how to word it, but how firene is full of lush fields and such, and herons resided in serenes forest. both homelands were associated with peace, and would eventually go aflame.

homeland's association with 'green' nature. IDK really how to word it, but how firene is full of lush fields and such, and herons resided in serenes forest. both homelands were associated with peace, and would eventually go aflame.

desire to overcome their physical nature. this one was the key thing that made me think about their similarities. reyson's 'issue' comes from his own physicality/biology of being a heron laguz. heron laguz are pretty fragile. reyson simply punching oliver that didn't give serious damage to the latter, resulted in reyson fracturing the bones in his hand. even bad vibes can make him sick... alfred on the other hand is held back by his illness that he's had ever since he was a child. both characters wish to overcome this, and both have a similar 'ideal' they desire to achieve...muscles. alfred is allllll about muscles and training. most of his supports are about this fact. reyson is a bit more lowkey about it, but it's clear he thinks of tibarn as his ideal. "I wanted so much to be like Tibarn. Big body, strong wings…" (from feh, but i know the 'big body strong wings' is a thing from the actual duology somewhere, i just can't remember where). reyson even tries eating like tibarn, which almost gets him killed. both reyson & alfred cannot achieve their desired state because of their 'physical nature', but they do try.

related to the last point kinda, but both are noted to act atypical of their expected decorum (side note i really like the word decorum idk why). reyson is noted to not act typical of herons. wanting revenge & violence at first at those who burned his home down, acting more aggressive. it makes sense when you consider who he lived with after the serenes massacre... it's also noted how rafiel acts like what's expected of herons, which is contrasted by how reyson acts...well not. for alfred, he is described as 'a barbarian in prince's clothing' by céline. his diamant c support also had diamant doing prince™ things, and alfred's all like "what's your fav muscle 😁."

their designs are also very (very) pretty & on the more feminine side, but their ideals lay more 'typically masculine'. reyson has an androgynous appearance, while alfred has flower motifs + frills and such. these contrasts with reyson's more 'fiery' & 'aggressive' personality, and alfred's thing with muscles (both things are typically associated with masculinity.)

and uhhh yeah. mini analysis over! i've always loved reyson, and alfred just got better the more i got to know him. like i said, they do differ in personality in a lot of ways, but it's cool how two characters with similar setups can be so distinctive.

[gloamvonhrym]

I’ve noticed multiple fic writers remark that they find reyson’s voice a little difficult to get a handle on, and I have written So Much reyson content. so I wanted to vomit my thoughts on what stands out in my mind when writing reyson :3 (this isn’t intended as a “how to” or whatever, just my personal perspective. enjoy a long thing)

PATH OF RADIANCE

reyson is a very temperamental character, but he is also quite proud and well-spoken. even at his worst, experiencing some very extreme emotional states, he is almost never incoherent with rage or grief. the closest he gets, that I can remember, is in PoR ch 15, when naesala shows him the still-desolate serenes forest, he comes out with a few trailing fragments (after which he regains some composure):

“The voice of the forest is still. Why... How did this...”

he also doesn’t threaten very much, compared to most other characters. he’s fiery, and he might sometimes say that people (humankind, eg, or izuka) will “pay” for their past actions, but he’s probably conscious of the fact that he can’t really back up physical threats. instead, when enraged, he tends to curse eloquently:

“...Unforgivable. How...how can they do things like this. Cursed humans ... What did this forest do? What did my clan do...” - PoR, ch 15 “Naesala, you wretch... Curse your eyes! How dare you do this to me...” - PoR, ch 16

he does, however, often falter. I know ellipses are basically their own character in the tellius games, but reyson’s PoR dialogue often suggests to me that he is muttering passionately to himself, or else forcing words out with some labor.

he also lapses into Ancient, seemingly at moments of great shock or disorientation (when he reunites with leanne, eg, or the same scene as above, when he sees serenes). re: this and the above, it’s worth remembering that the Modern Tongue is his second language. I like to think that his frequent hesitations may be an aspect of this.

his pride has some notable and obvious weak points. in PoR, he objects heartily to tibarn sending janaff & ulki along to protect him. after that, ike mentions to ulki that reyson “kept apologizing”. indeed, reyson seems like a bit of an over-apologizer - when it comes to tibarn and the hawks specifically, although he also humbles himself before naesala in ch 15 (whoops). in some cases, his apologies seem proud enough - it’s a noble thing, after all, to be able to apologize when necessary, as well as to have a strong sense of obligation (to the hawks, also to naesala, also to ike). but that he “kept apologizing”, over something that wasn’t even his decision, suggests something a bit more pathological. reyson presents as a proud creature, but his survivor’s guilt, and his sense of being a defenseless burden, are made obvious. and he displays particular deference to tibarn, whom he seems to regard as an authority figure - although not so much of an authority figure that he can’t be argued with or gainsaid. (see below.)

ymmv on this, but related: I interpret reyson as something of a people-pleaser, especially as of PoR. in addition to the apologizing vis a vis the hawks, it’s almost heartbreakingly easy for naesala to manipulate him throughout their whole arc. anytime reyson criticizes him or expresses doubt, all naesala has to do is invoke their old friendship, and reyson seems to fold more or less instantly. (reminder: reyson is a heart-reader. naesala engages him in all this nonsense with the intent of tricking him and selling him to a slaveowner. reyson is 100% correct to have doubts, and should know this. naesala is gaslighting him. but he wants desperately to believe that naesala is his friend.)

Reyson: Naesala! Naesala: Yes? Reyson: Thank you. For everything you've done. I... I appreciate it. Naesala: Don't be ridiculous. We're old friends, are we not? Reyson: Right you are! Old friend.

abandonment issues are a real bitch, huh

after leanne is kidnapped by the black knight, tibarn approaches reyson, and verbally takes responsibility for the incident. reyson attempts to tell him that it’s fine, but tibarn brushes him off, perhaps out of shame and guilt. this follows:

Reyson: Tibarn, may the fortunes of war be with you. Tibarn: And you as well. Don't try anything too dangerous. (Exit Tibarn) Reyson: ... Ike: ...Reyson? Reyson: My apologies, Ike. Though I knew this was coming... It's still... difficult. Ike: Don't apologize. You've nothing left to prove to me. Reyson: ...Ah... ... Ike: ...

this little moment is somewhat opaque to me. when reyson says “I knew this was coming”, it’s kind of unclear what he means. but he’s very affected: I think this is the most lost-for-words we ever see him. it seems like he’s referring to tibarn’s rather brusque departure, but he and tibarn have already been separated prior to this. it might be that he finds it exceptionally difficult to be on the receiving end of tibarn’s guilt and accept his apologies (“wait a minute I’M the one who apologizes to YOU”), and is upset that they’ve parted on such unsettled terms. (he also apologizes to ike here, for no overly apparent reason - for being lost in thought, I guess)

reyson is also: very stubborn. despite his moments of overapologizing or lowkey fawning, once he gets an idea in his head, it is difficult to argue him out of it. eg: when he learns that naesala is on the battlefield, he refuses to speak a word to him. eg: tibarn, upon delivering reyson to ike as a party member, drily remarks that reyson insisted upon this “quite unreasonably”. see also:

reyson & tibarn’s reunion in serenes forest, in PoR ch 17 pt 4, I think makes for a good reytib case study re: pre-canon and mid-PoR rey:

Tibarn: Reyson! Are you well? Reyson: Tibarn! How did you-- Tibarn: Nealuchi told us everything. Reyson: Oh... Allow me to apologize. I left on my own without a word to you, and this is what happened. Tibarn: As long as you're unharmed, all is well. Let's go home.

(despite having been the one victimized, reyson’s first reaction - after establishing how tibarn found him - is to apologize to tibarn, sort of stiffly; implicitly for the recklessness of acting without leave, and/or the inconvenience of needing rescue. tibarn reassures him.) (one must wonder if they’ve had similar conversations before.) (they have definitely had similar conversations before.)

Reyson: Please, give me a little time. I cannot allow these humans to remain in the forest. Tibarn: I understand how you feel, but we're completely outnumbered. Let us wait for another day-- Reyson: Once I stand at the altar, I can take care of them. Every one of them. Tibarn: You can't mean... Are you thinking of using the forbidden magic? Reyson: ...Yes. I will sing those monsters the dirge of ruin.

(chilling calm, on reyson’s part - he outlines his plan with self-assured clarity, as if reassuring tibarn in turn: “no, see, it’s okay, I can simply commit an affront to nature and destroy them all, every single one, and also myself, and then things will be fine” babygirl things will not be fine)

Tibarn: Are you mad?! You mustn't! I can't allow it! Reyson: With permission or without, I do what I must! It is retribution for genocide! Retribution for this forest!

(tibarn reacts with outrage, and attempts to assert authority. perhaps this isn’t the response reyson wanted or expected - despite his apologetic demeanor just moments ago, he is provoked to righteous anger. he counters tibarn passionately, and directly states his intent to disobey. stubborn lad fronts like he defers to tibarn, but doesn’t, really. (see also, again, reyson making tibarn bring him back to ike)

Tibarn: Reyson! You must not let yourself be ruled by despair! Each member of the heron tribe is an embodiment of balance! Do this, and you warp your very existence! Reyson: That's what they all said... My family. My tribe. And then...they died. The humans were drunk with joy. They laughed! They sang! ...And then they slaughtered us like livestock. My mother, my brother, my elder sisters... Even my infant sister, Leanne! All killed in a single night. Tibarn: Reyson... Reyson: I know. This thing I intend to do brings dishonor to my house. And yet ... I cannot forgive. And their past actions weren't enough; now, they violate the sanctity of the forest without a trace of regret! Accursed humans... I will never forgive them!

(tibarn invokes the Heron Ideal, what herons are “supposed” to be like - creatures who don’t defend themselves. this most of all seems to trigger reyson, who now describes the most traumatic event of his life in a succinct rhetorical monologue, in order to explain why he must act. the fact that he knows what tibarn is going to say before he says it suggests, again, that they have had similar conversations before. tibarn was going to make an appeal to honor, which hawks value; reyson brushes this off, so implicitly he 1) values revenge over the ideals of his people, and/or 2) thinks himself an unfit representative of heronkind anyway. self-destruction and disregard for his own safety is a major theme in his character arc & history - see also his supports with ike - but it seems he habitually goes about it in considered, methodical ways: even acts that might seem impulsive still have logic and thought behind them, albeit very skewed logic. he is not being portrayed as a lunatic here. even in the throes of self-destructive fury, he elucidates himself eloquently. like a prince, one might say.)

Tibarn: Don't you think we understand that? Reyson: ... Janaff: That's right! Prince Reyson, there's no need for you to reject your honor based on the likes of them! Ulki: The tragedy of the herons... The horror and pain of that night...lives on in all of us.

(tibarn coming in with the counterargument of all time: “yeah dude I know.” also I like to imagine tibarn just elbowed hitherto-silent janaff & ulki in the ribs to get them to chime in. to this, reyson says… nothing. ymmv on why, but to me this indicates some self-absorption: it’s difficult for him to see beyond his own pain. the suggestion that the hawks, too, grieve the serenes massacre - that he is NOT in fact alone in his suffering, that retribution doesn’t rest solely on his shoulders - is disruptive to him, and perhaps causes him to shut down a little.)

Tibarn: Let's return to Phoenicis, and think of a plan. You are right. This will not stand. The full power of the hawk nation is behind you. The humans will pay. Reyson: ...As you wish...

(from here tibarn is able to get reyson in hand - by offering empathy for his pain, promising to appease his desire for revenge, and suggesting that this is only a delay; in short, by further establishing that reyson isn’t alone. it seems only semi-successful, though. reyson capitulates, but only reluctantly - he may or may not believe that what the hawks promise will be adequate.)

RADIANT DAWN

in RD, we get less of reyson (boo scrapped supports booo) but the reyson we do get has undergone some visible growth while still retaining key aspects of his initial character. overall, he seems a more self-assured, confident, stable person. his purpose is in family (both hawks & herons) and friends, rather than the grimdark stuff. he still displays plenty of his signature stubbornness, and pride, and a bit of temper. he’s also at his best and most physically/magically powerful throughout a lot of RD, thanks to ashera’s judgment. some notes:

his chief attribute seems to be stubbornness: when he goes to check on tibarn following the phoenicis massacre, he comes in dashing ahead of janaff and ulki, who are begging him to wait and leave tibarn alone for a while. his concern for tibarn overrides all other considerations, including, seemingly, tibarn’s own will (also results in the infamous had-to-tie-him-to-the-bed joke).

he is still well-spoken; he exhibits more focus and restraint when he curses people, although he does certainly still curse people (naesala)

instead of apologizing to the hawks for being a burden, he seems to have developed a more conscientious sense of loyalty (a hawkish sort of honor, one might say). his empathy for the phoenicis massacre, as a survivor of genocide himself, isn’t really explicitly unpacked, but afterwards he refuses to be escorted to safety in gallia:

Reyson: I've lived with the hawk tribe for twenty years. They are my family. I'll... I'll stay here and fight.

tibarn no longer openly orders janaff & ulki to guard reyson. instead, the two beg ike not to let reyson know their purpose, and to just play it off like they’re joining the mercenaries. it seems that reyson, despite no longer being self-destructive, still doesn’t like being babysat. if he knew, would he be apologetic about it again? or would he get annoyed, which the hawks don’t want because they’re all heron-whipped by now? I’m inclined to think it’s the latter these days. (worth noting that tibarn is knowingly going against reyson’s wishes here. worrywart)

before singlehandedly reviving duke renning - an unprecedented act- reyson reassures tibarn, saying not to worry for him because he’s “grown a lot”. contains multitudes

something more often neglected: reyson in PoR displays some kind of sad naïveté, especially where naesala is concerned; conversely, in RD, he has moments that are almost childlike, with a much happier affect. this exchange between him and tibarn often gets eclipsed by how fuckoff gay they are, but I like the implication that herons are a little bit incomprehensible to normal people, and this can manifest in a bit of cloud cuckoolander behavior (I wonder how else it might have manifested in all those years he was less stable):

Tibarn Reyson! Where are you!? Reyson: Over here, Tibarn. Tibarn: What are you doing so early in the morning? Reyson: I'm hunting for treasure! Tibarn: Could you repeat that?

last thing: reyson is interesting in dialogue with ashnard as well as micaiah. he doesn’t exactly argue with them, nor do much raging. if given the opportunity, he questions them almost socratically - he asks ashnard what he believes and why; he does the same thing with micaiah when they’re at odds, and then presents his own thesis (more gently and sympathetically with micaiah than with ashnard, obviously):

Reyson: I am Reyson. My brother told me about you. That is why I'm here. Please pull back your troops. Our enemy is not Daein. This is not your fight. Am I not correct? Micaiah: I know how you feel... (…) But I must keep fighting. Reyson: Why is that? Micaiah: This fight is my king's will. (…). I believe that our king will lead the people of Daein to happiness. Reyson: ...I see. I understand your position. Please accept my apology for asking the impossible. Micaiah: What? What do you mean? Reyson: You are fighting to protect your beliefs. I understand that now. But remember that we also cannot, and will not, pull back. We both carry a heavy burden. That's why we're here.

I just think it’s fun, the difference between mid-PoR “blinded by hatred nobody-could-possibly-understand-my-pain” Reyson, and end-PoR/RD “let me make sure I have my enemy’s rationale down correctly so I can respond with devastating precision” Reyson. (notably, in PoR, he extends this courtesy to naesala after the summit.)

anyway that’s a big mess of a post but maybe someone will find it a little inspirational or something if they feel like writing reyson. & pls do write about reyson, whether you take my analysis into account or not. pls. inflict situations on my most precious boy. 🕊️

[enbyleighlines]

Reyson/Tibarn home

Ooof. For this prompt, I can’t help but remember how Reyson lost his home. And yes, he eventually recovers it, but it will never be the same, not like it used to be.

Some people say that home is where the heart is, and Reyson wants to believe it.

Yes, Tibarn is the closest thing he has to a home after the burning of Serenes Forest, but it’s not the same, and he feels bad about it, guilty that when he hears the word “home”, all he can think about is the forest, the people, the buildings.

Reyson tries to make it work in Phoenicis, he really does. And it’s not like he hates it.

Over time, he does become fond of the island nation. The climate is different, and the vegetation is kind of sparse, but the hawk laguz are kind to him, and they do their best to make him feel at home.

But it never becomes a home for him.

Tibarn tries to understand, tries not to take offense. Because more than anyone else, he wants to make Reyson believe that he belongs in Phoenicis. He wants to become home for Reyson. But he can’t, and it hurts.

When Reyson makes the decision to live in Gallia with his sister and father, it’s for the sake of his father’s health, yes, but he also misses living in a forest. And Gallia’s sea of trees isn’t the same as Serenes. Gallia is far more humid, with rainforests and jungles. The spirit of Gallia’s forests don’t speak to Reyson, not like Serenes. But it’s still a welcome relief.

As much as Reyson misses Tibarn, he much prefers to stay in Gallia.

Tibarn has a different way of seeing things than Reyson. He is not nearly as reluctant to leave Phoenicis in order to start a new nation within Serenes, because for him, home is his people. His home is wherever the hawk laguz reside.

And of course, Reyson is also part of that. As far as Tibarn is concerned, Reyson is one of his, an honorary hawk. And more than just belonging to the hawk tribe, Reyson belongs to Tibarn, just as Tibarn belongs to him. So while Tibarn occasionally misses Phoenicis, he adjusts to his new life in Serenes rather quickly.

As they rule Serenes together, Reyson finally feels… not entirely content, but close enough.

He will never feel fully at home, not when he looks around and sees traces of what Serenes used to be, or when he remembers that the heron tribe has all but gone extinct, but he learns to live with that.

Thanks for the prompt!!

[sereneshymn]

hc + loss

one word headcanon prompts | accepting

────── ❀•°❀°•❀ ──────

Heh

At the risk of exposing myself, suffice to say I'm currently in the middle of writing a drabble that will showcase how Rafiel handles loss (once it's posted, I will edit this reply), but to put it simply, he generally handles it in a typical Heron fashion: badly.

Herons are highly emotionally attuned and negative emotions, both in themselves and in others, tend to translate into suffering and illness in them. Their intensity will vary depending on exactly what happened and how heavy it was, and it can range from headache and nausea, through collapsing and being out of commission for a prolonged period of time, all the way to death.

In the story, we mostly see the more extreme end of this spectrum, as the main mentioned loss that the Herons had to deal with was the Serenes Massacre, which... well. Yeah. We don't know a lot in canon about how Reyson took it in the beginning, but we know that King Lorazieh ended up comatose and was bedridden for more than two decades, and as for Rafiel...

The way he describes feeling as though he got possessed, and the way he doesn't remember at all how he ended up in the Desert of Death while attempting to get to Serenes (which, looking at the map of Tellius, is in the completely opposite direction), rings of essentially going insane. This is on top of the fact that he was supposed to have already lost the ability to fly at that point - although, considering that he may have had to make it through freakin' Daein to get where he got, I'm gonna say that he most likely regained it temporarily during that time. Not that going so delirious that he forcibly pushed himself past a disability speaks well of how well he took it. The fact that Nailah was able to bring him back from the brink is nothing short of a miracle.

So yeah! He handled it better than expected, considering he didn't die of all that grief at the very least, but he certainly did not handle it well. And while it can be said that participating in the war may have made him stronger in some aspects, it's unlikely that it has made it any easier for him to deal with matters such as loss going forward.

[calamitaswrath]

Cal Lucia plays Fire Emblem Path of Radiance: Chapter 15

Oho, more bird lore. Or, well, more like characterization.

You know, I do actually remember that that friend of mine who is Normal™️ about Nasaela also likes shipping him (big shocker, of course). But what I don't remember was whether it was with Tibarn or Reyson. . .

Ah. Here's Oliver. I guess I can imagine where this is going.

And we're getting another mission. This really does turn into an extended stay, hah.

Now, base conversations!

Pfft, if nothing else, then Makalov is at least funny so far. Not in the sense that he himself is funny, but rather in the sense that there is fun to be had at his expense. I love how Ike breaks it to him that he's gonna be working for free.

Another conversation (with Sigrun) that puts gameplay mechanics into things that are actually explained in-universe! That is nice. And I guess I'll have to stay on the lookout for hidden items in this upcoming map. . . wait, is this also the map where there's this guy you recruit by standing in an absolutely random spot in a corner?

Conversation with a servant guy, which. . . isn't really anything to write home about. Something about ruins and a bit of worldbuilding. Which is nice and all, don't get me wrong, but I think the conversation with Sigrun already mentioned that.

Also did some supports:

Nephenee and Brom have a cute one, talking about their village life. It's also slightly amusing to see the German localizer try their best to give her a more country girl way of talking.

Jill and Lethe also got an interesting one, where she Jill tries to overcome her prejudice. Shame I won't be able to see it through to the end, since I intend to go for her and Mist's A support.

Oscar and Kieran continue to be hilarious.

In preparation for the desert map, I used bonus experience to bring Jill to level 20, and then promote her, which MAY be overkill. But since I better not bring Titania, I need someone for this.

So, I get bonus experience for killing as few units as possible, and I already looked up that I can get a really obscure guy on this map. . . well, let's see how this all works out.

Welp, things were going well, but then I left Marcia in the range of a guy that ended up transforming in that enemy phase. Starting again!

This chapter seems like hell to get all the bonus experience for. Do it in seven turns, don't kill any of the enemies, all while trying to get all the hidden items. . . yeah, no. I tried to spare as many enemies as possible, but it weren't many.

I did get Stefan, mind you. And the guy starts out with a 60% crit rate due to his class and weapon. . . lol.

Oh, the boss joins us? That's a bit of an uncommon turn of events. And he comes with a free kid!

Nasaela taking Reyson to Serene's Forest before helping Oliver take him in. . . getting the distinct feeling that if PoR/RD were generally more popular, Nasaela'd get similar treatment to Kabru Dungeonmeshi. Curious to see where his character arc still goes, though.

[yukyunotabibito]

📋 fluffs my wings at u sweetly

Name: Leanne.

Age: 71, appears youthful

Gender: Female.

Class: Golden Deer.

Notes:

The young heron princess, one of the only remaining members of the heron clan. I can still remember my surprise at learning that there had been another alive along besides Prince Reyson. She is a sweet girl though, and incredibly innocent. Perhaps her naivete will fade with age, as she has not spent much time in the world outside of her safe haven - nor has she spent it awake. She is surprisingly more like Prince Reyson that one would expect. They are both far too stubborn and headstrong for my tastes, even if she is by far the more toned down of the two. I imagine Kurthnaga gets along with her quite fine though. (Scribbled at the bottom, almost illegible) It has been quite some time since I was able to speak the old tongue with another. Perhaps she would appreciate that?