#lets be real here azure moon can be UNCOMFORTABLE

[themoomoorn]

I think with Edelclaude, the fact that the two are the way they are is one reason why few dare to criticize it. It also ties back to how their interactions are presented in the game.

Dimiclaude gets praised because the game presents plainly (key word here) facts that they're at least compatible in terms of ideals, and furthermore, they are amiable and respect each other at the barest minimum. Even when Dimitri is neck-deep in psychosis, he spares Claude no thought until Grondor, and even then he will even tell Claude to move, because You Know Boo is his real target. AM has them parting on good terms; VW has Claude mourning for Dimitri when he finds out he's been killed; CF has each of them fighting off the Empire in their own ways, but never each other, and for fairly logical reasons (namely in how the Kingdom and Alliance are respectively run, power structures, etc. etc.). To go meta, on the album cover for the Edge of Dawn/Maiden of Hresvelg single, Dimitri and Claude are amiably talking to each other while Edelgard stares out at a passing bird/the viewer.

The standom doesn't really seem to like how plainly obvious compatibility is visible in characters they don't like, which is the case with Dimitri and Claude. You can also find racist/fetishistic accusations slung at people who like this ship, much like with Dimidue and some of the Petra or Cyril ships.

Similarly, while Dimiedel is far rarer, it's out there, and as one would expect it gets railed against both for the obvious and also as yet another way to warp canon regarding Dimitri's behavior towards her (i.e "he wants to bone her and kill her at the same time"). The game, in turn, presents plainly that Dimitri strictly sees Edelgard as family before the reveal about what she's done, and as an enemy after the reveal, only switching back to seeing her as family on AM per his redemption arc. Edelgard, in turn, sees him as someone beneath her and as a nuisance, with her only real compliment being that maybe he could've been a good king, which in turn is dubious since it's lobbied at him in a gaslighting manner while he's defending his homeland from a conquest she started.

From what little Dimiedel content there is, I see people pair them because it's kinda hot, and to explore the rage mode angle they'd likely have, which, yeah, it is pretty fascinating. It's why I find Edeleth fascinating in the sense that Edelgard covets Byleth as something to possess, not as a person with their own needs.

Because Edelgard (bisexual woman/driving force of the game's main conflict) and Claude (biracial man) fit certain demographics, criticizing them is already thorny, but it gets thornier because unlike Dimiclaude or Dimiedel, the incompatibility that would mire them is not as plainly presented. Edelgard has no respect for Claude and views him as little more than a nuisance and a brat; Claude in turn doesn't hold Edelgard in high esteem either, and states multiple times that her conquering the continent goes against both his moral code and hampers laying down the foundations of what he wishes to achieve. But it's all spaced across the game (Edelgard's comments on Claude are primarily on CF, for one), and you get two throwaway lines about how their ideals maybe aren't so different. They also deal with their respective traumas in "respectable," not-ugly ways (which is just plain gross and abelist, and that's if you aren't someone who thinks Claude wasn't traumatized at all), and what they wish to achieve, while different, are all-encompassing and reek of "LET'S BURN IT ALL DOWN AND START OVER," which is something certain people really like, for better or worse. Furthermore, while this is me stretching, their routes don't involve the player proxy being made to feel uncomfortable, unlike a particular blue-clad prince - and let's be real here, player fee-fees play a role here too.

This is wordy, but I feel like this all encompasses why Edelclaude is almost never put under scrutiny.

(uncensored ship names in the anon lol hence the screenshot - oh hey, I remembered that this time woohoo)

Ahh, was about to say lol the dimi/claude art I tend to see has mostly positive reception, but I don't go to Reddit for dimi/claude art so yeah

But, I will say that I have seen more general fandom-wide dimi/claude criticism - whether dislike of the ship itself or how it's usually portrayed by shippers - more so than I've seen the same for edel/claude, which is mostly from the more EdeIgard critical side of the fandom. Which makes a certain amount of sense given the size-to-canon-material ratio dimi/claude has compared to a lot of other ships in the fandom; it's like, what, the third biggest ship for Dimitri, and the second biggest for Claude? I can see why some could annoyed with its prevalence looking at it from that angle. Compare that the edel/claude which is way smaller, the smallest of the lord x lord ships and by a good bit in fact, I think?

Plus, well, Reddit will Reddit and from what I've seen Dimitri's popularity there is. Uh. Something that could be higher, at least in some subreddits lmao, so that'll also bring over some negativity. And the popular idea that Claude would team up with EdeIgard because "similar ideals" which would then make it "make sense" that they could be a good couple (imo they have AMAZING vibes as a bitterly divorced couple, which is way funnier than what I usually see from the ship lmao). So I can see why dimi/claude would get more criticism/dislike tossed at it than edel/claude; doesn't really bother me that much lol, like it can be a bit annoying at time sure but overall it's kinda 🤷‍♀️

[agent-cupcake]

Can I ask your opinion? So, I feel like everyone into 3H is in love with Dimitri, but I can't connect with him. I don't dislike him, but I feel like there isn't much to his personality without all his various mental health issues. It's hard to get a feel on what he's really like, so I end up just seeing him as a walking ball of trauma and not a three-dimensional character. Do you have any thoughts on Dimitri himself and how to separate him as a person from his psychological issues? Thanks!

Hmm, I guess my first thought is that everyone resonates with characters differently and so if you don’t particularly feel connected to him, that’s not wrong. Fictional parasocial relationships are very similar to real-life relationships, so it follows that nobody is going to like every character. I can’t say that a portion of my love for his character doesn’t come from his mental issues because that’s something I personally relate to and feel drawn to in others. That’s just who I am and how I build relationships. There is also something to be said for the unavoidable way mental illness informs a person’s behavior and character, it’s as much an aspect of them as being born with blond hair or losing an eye.

That said, I will do my best to explain why I think Dimitri is wonderful. Not in spite of his mental illness, but because I don’t think that’s all he is.

So, Dimitri is, as he says, a very clumsy person. This unfortunately extends to his social skills. He has a lot of very socially awkward tendencies and a general lack of self-awareness. This contrasts with his innate desire to please people, or at least avoid upsetting anyone. The thing is, Dimitri doesn’t always completely understand what upsets people or how exactly they might feel. His childhood isolation left him rather emotionally unaware and desperate for the acceptance and approval of others. That’s not to say he doesn’t try to understand other people’s feelings, but it’s not an intuitive process. He has a habit of saying kind of dumb or uncomfortable things out of nowhere, which is most likely his real feelings coming out in rather inept ways. He means well, but he’s just so dang clumsy.

The desperation to be included and validated I mentioned, I think, can be seen in the way he tries so hard to make the other Blue Lions see him as a peer and equal all the while keeping himself rather closed off from them. Dimitri approaches conversations as a means of focusing on the other person, trying to make an appeal to them rather than as an interaction where both parties could be seen as vulnerable. Of course, just like most other socially awkward introverts, he opens up when he feels closer to the person, but that takes a while. Gotta unlock the supports, you know? Although it’s not necessarily obvious, his incredibly stiff behavior (especially pre-timeskip) and the way he switches between overly formal and awkwardly friendly in his interactions with people as he tries to figure out how to socially and emotionally navigate relationships really gives me the impression of someone trying desperately to fit in without even the faintest clue of how to actually manage that. He also does his best to avoid social situations, which, mood. Basically, Dimitri’s a big dumb massive introvert trying to act like he’s not.

FURTHERMORE, he is a dork. An absolute goof of a person. Dimitri canonically thinks so-bad-its-good puns and jokes are hilarious. His own style of telling jokes is saying things that may or may not have contextual humor in a normal voice and then claiming after the fact that he intended it as such. Now, his supports with Alois are absolute factual proof of the so-bad-its-good humor, but might I also direct your attention to the scene before the battle against Miklan in Conand Tower (the event name is “Tower in a Storm (Blue Lions)”). Basically, Gilbert is explaining the history behind Conand Tower and Dimitri says, in an incredibly earnest voice, “You’re very well informed, Gilbert. Please, tell us more.” This is a joke. Supposed to be, at least. The delivery is somewhat emphasized, but not in a recognizably sarcastic way. Gilbert, who knew Dimitri very well when he was young, realizes it’s a joke after a second. But there are other things Dimitri says that I believe are his bad “jokes” and since nobody knows him well enough to tell, they don’t call him on it. There’s no proof, but his line in the Lord’s intro where he says, “And here I thought you were acting as a decoy for the sake of us all.” to Claude has to be an attempt at sarcasm. Dimitri is oblivious, but not stupid. In his Goddess Tower conversation with Byleth, when discussing the topic of wishes, he says, “Perhaps it would make more sense for me to wish that we’ll be together forever. What do you think?” In a completely normal voice. Following are two speech bubbles of “...” before he laughs and proclaims that it’s just a joke and that he’s getting better at telling them. Now, this is a two-parter because I see this as both his horribly awkward tendency to say things he feels without thinking too hard beforehand as well as his silly deadpan style of “jokes”. Granted, he does apologize. Dimitri’s got socially awkward zoomer humor. It’s endearing.

Here is a video of Dimitri hitting on Byleth pre-timeskip. I’m not sure how far it goes to endear someone to him, but the mostly awkward and occasionally smooth attempts of Dimitri’s flirtations are absolutely a highlight of his character. 

Now, this isn’t quite as cute as all that, but I think character arc and change do a lot for making a character feel more three-dimensional. Dimitri is hypocritically selfish. Although those are both negative terms, I don’t necessarily mean them as such, at least not in their totality. Both are things to overcome, which he does. And that’s why I feel like they’re a valid point of discussion when trying to explain the allure of his character.

The hypocritical part comes from the way he easily allows and forgives the flaws of others while constantly castigating himself for the same reasons. He says things that show an absurd amount of a lack of self-awareness. For example, he tells Edelgard, “Hm. You will prove a lacking ruler yourself if you look for deceit behind every word and fail to trust those whom you rely on.” All the while straight-up lying to and emotionally avoiding his friends. Dimitri also tells Marianne, when she is punishing herself for putting other people at risk, “What matters is that they came back safely in the end. You shouldn’t blame yourself for that.” Really, his C and B with Marianne is an exercise in hypocrisy. The standards Dimitri has for himself are incredibly, unattainably high. He’s setting himself up for failure in that way and, to an extent, knows what he’s doing because he knows that those same standards are too much for his friends and allies to meet. He wishes to take on everything himself. But, what I find so beautiful about this, is that Dimitri eventually realizes that he can’t do that. He is not strong enough to take on the weight of the world on himself, he comes to understand that it’s something he must allow himself to share with the people who care about him. He comes to realize that, as difficult as it is to accept, he is a weak person. Despite all of his introversion and inability to emotionally open up, he figures out that having a support system and allowing yourself to rely on people who love you is a necessity. Personally, I think this message is incredibly important in real life. Watching Dimitri come to that conclusion and argue it’s importance really rounded out his arc and journey as a person. Now, the relatability of this conclusion will differ, but I don’t think it has to do with his mental illness as much as it is a fundamental aspect of growth.

The selfishness is basically outlined above. Dimitri is selfish about his pain and secrets, purposefully and selfishly driving people away because he wants to keep the burden to himself. His vice is guilt and he indulges in the pain of it like an addiction. Hatred, too, is a drug. He thinks he needs it to keep going, even though all it does is bring agony to himself and others around him. Learning to accept and let go of these feelings is, again, something I think is important and a character arc that I really love, especially when you see him suffer as much as he does. Now, the execution of this is lacking, I admit. But that’s an issue for another time I think.

I am not quite sure if I did much to change your opinion, but this is all I can think of for now. There is probably a lot more than I’ve left out because I think about Dimitri far too much to be healthy. So, I’ll leave you off with some honorable mention aspects of his character that I think are super fun:

Pre-timeskip Dimitri has his hair tucked behind his ear. He can lift a wagon by himself. In the DLC, when faced with an impossible-to-open gate, it was not muscle man Balthus who said he couldn’t open it, but twinkish teen Dimitri. He’s not really smooth with one-liners. Like, at all. Notably, when attacking Manuela post-timeskip, he says, “Perhaps I should have appeared before you holding a bouquet of flowers, rather than the weapon that will end your life.” Adding to this, at one point, Dimitri fucked up a pick-up line so badly the girl came after him. Areadbhar has a mitten on it in the Azure Moon final picture. He breaks everything. His Crest activation ability even supports this, using twice the durability of any given Combat Art. One of his post-timeskip counselor messages is, “I lived in the slums for a long time, and I saw how the people there suffered from poverty and the ravages of war. There must be something I can do to save them." His room in the academy is right next to Sylvain’s, meaning that for almost an entire year Dimitri was a single wall away from hearing whatever nonsense Sylvain was getting up to. Dimitri is the only Lord that takes the throne and doesn’t abandon his people in some form or another.

And, finally, he is pretty sexy. And that’s all that really matters, isn’t it?

[starneko123]

Purest Pupil

OC Characters Involved

Selene ♔ Tethys

Tethys belongs to @ren-meteor! Selene belongs to me!

Tethys had been thinking about this for a while. She had prayed many times but this particular prayer required some rare tribute. She had heard tales, myths, and supposed acolytes talk about Selene. She had many names and that was for certain. She went by Harbinger of Dreams to children to scare the big and bad monsters in their nightmares. She went by the Mother of Light Magic that brings light to the Dark Magic. Maiden of the Moon, was obvious since she was the Goddess of the Moon.

The last name that Tethys had heard was that she is the Mother of the Divine Children. It threw her off entirely because she didn't know how to think of the title. More than likely she was a mother. 'Don't think too deep about this Tethys.' She scolded herself as she got on her knees, remembering a position that Kung Lao had taught her so that she wouldn't be uncomfortable. 'Yes, child don't think about it.' Tethys froze the only thing she could see is the ground and her chest move up and down as she tried to calm her breathing like Raiden and Fujin taught her.

'She's already here? But I haven't even said the prayer yet.' That was a test question. She read the books and listened to the stories she knew of Selene's many powers. But she didn't get a response at least not right away. Tethys continued to walk the misty forest determined to find the praying shrine. She absentmindedly stepped on a twig. Keyword absentmindedly. Not even a second later she heard an animalistic growl.

Her first instincts was to fight even though she didn't know what she was fighting or she couldn't even see what she was fighting. So she ran. Her speed picked up when she could clearly hear footsteps. Footsteps meaning plural! Tethys didn't like that. 'You should run faster.' Tethys didn't know if the voice came from her head or around her but she was too busy running to find out. The voice clearly belonged to a woman. But she had no choice but to shrug it off as she arrived at Neoma Shrine.

Neoma was just another name for the moon. She liked it. She got on her knees, lit a white candle placing it in front of the shrine then took put pendant that moon design aligned with little stars. She placed it around the shrine and finally, she poured some water in a bowl because this was apart of the prayer. If the water turned white like milk that means that Lady Selene appreciates your offering and praise your prayers will be answered soon. But if the water turned it was simple, you have now angered the moon goddess.

Unbeknownst to Tethys Selene herself was sitting in a tree close by. She was always interested in all species coming to pray to and for her specifically. Selene had heard about Tethys but never seen and she was a beautiful woman! But still a child in Selene's eyes, she didn't mean to mess with her mind a few moments ago, Selene was just trying to warn the girl before her darling white wolves would have gotten her and ripped her to pieces whether she was half god or not.

Selene teleported behind Tethys waiting for her to finish the prayer. Selene waited until Tethys finished preaching to her or for her. Tethys opened her eyes and took off her hood she looked at the water and it was white! Tethys clapped her hands in excitement and then dipped her fingers in the water and the texture was surely- "It's bad luck to dip your fingers in the offering water." Selene informed and she watched as Tethys stood up grabbing her blade from her holster then and tried to strike Selene.

Selene caught her hand but did nothing more than speak "You're not an assassin because you would have reacted faster and much earlier. Are you a priestess may be a simple traveler." Selene knew who she was but she wanted to hear it come from Tethys mouth. She knew who those seafoam eyes belonged to. "Tell me who you are, if you wish to live to see another day," Selene said as she let go of her wrist and she wasn't going to hurt Tethys. It was against her morals and her vows.

"I'm Nomad-" Selene put her hand up to stop Tethys "Your real name. Do not make me repeat myself." Tethys would be lying if she said she wasn't intimidated right now the woman was smaller than her but she still had higher authority over Tethys. "My name is Tethys. I came from my village in Earthrealm. I trained under Raiden, The White Lotus, and the Shirai Ryu. I seek you now." Tethys declared. Selene smiled and tilted her head to the side "Do you know what you truly seek, my dear? I have had the dissatisfaction of meeting your father a time or two. Apologies." Selene laughed slightly to change the atmosphere because things had gotten so serious so quickly.

Tethys giggled "Well, I'm not offended I have never met the Almighty Poseidon either. Not much I'm living for." Tethys finished her sentence with a soft but sad smile. "Walk with me, raindrop," Selene said beginning to walk anyway, and Tethys collected her things not taking any notice to the love name that Selene called her then did a small jog to catch up with her. "My temple isn't far from here. You may stay the night if you'd like and as I can see, you are well packed." Selene said raising her brow gesturing to her bags.

"Me meeting you tonight was pure luck, Ms. Selene-" Selene had cut Tethys off again "Don't say luck. Luck is such a boring word to use at least in this situation. I would call this destiny...because neither of us know what the future holds now, do we?" Selene said and took that moment to look up at the sky and then back down at Selene. She could see everything so clearly. Selene had snow-white hair, pale skin with full lips, azure eyes that had no pupil showing another trait of her divine rights. She was wearing a pure white jumpsuit with a cape attached that was flowing behind her even though there was no wind and to top it off she was wearing boot heels that seem to shine and sparkle every time Tethys glanced at them.

Selene raised her hand and waved as blue magic started to whirl around the both of them. Selene then swiped her hands down, and Tethys closed her eyes thinking she was going to hit her. "Open your eyes, raindrop." Tethys could hear the rich laughter in her voice. Tethys did so and she was fascinated at the temple she was in. Just like her outfit, like her hair, and her outfit it was pure white with some black and blue of various shades. "Come. I'll show you to your chambers." Selene was already walking up the stairs. Tethys followed after with a big goofy smile on her face.

"Selene-" Selene cut her off "Don't take my kindness into something to be looked over Tethys." Right she was an elder compared to Tethys and she had to show respect and use the honorifics. "Lady Selene this happening fast I-I think we should talk more! I would really like to know more about you." Tethys spoke truthfully, and they reached a door. "And I you but from my perspective, you don't look in the best of mind to speaking to me in this time. Tomorrow." Selene told her and all Tethys could do was nod.

She had worn herself out collecting information and trying to find this location. Plus she still needed to send word to Raiden or Fujin that her travels were victorious or that she was safe. Tethys snapped out of her gaze as Selene opened the door. "I hope it is to your liking," Selene said and Tethys examined the room she did that with every room she walked in. She could tell immediately that this room had mot been tampered with or...ever used in the first place. She was the first one to enter this room. But other than that it was extravagant. Truly deserving of the meaning spoils of my wins.

Selene had teleported away and she was on top of the temple. She had to think and relax her body before something else internally would happen. She looked up to the moon. It was a full moon. "Who made you complete?" She questioned to herself with a chuckle.

Tethys watched as Selene left and had an overwhelming feeling of guilt. Was she mad that she didn't compliment the room or thank her for the hospitality? She shook her head trying to clear it of wandering thoughts. She set down her stuff then climbed in the bed herself.

By the gods, the bed was pure too!

Don't worry this is getting a part two.

[handofcards]

Character Sheet: J’kuvasie Zhula

The Basics

Age: Adult

Birthday: 27th Sun of the 6th Umbral Moon

Race: Miqo’te Seeker of the Sun

Gender: Female

Sexuality:  Bisexual

Marital Status:  Single

Server:  Balmung

Physical Appearance

Hair: Black

Eyes: Azure

Height: 5′2

Build: Lean and toned

Distinguishing Marks: Various tattoos, facial markings, a few faint scars around her arms, legs and torso

Common Accessories: White face faint across her cheeks and forehead, a feather earring with a silver clasp, feathers twisted in her hair, indigo feather earring with a silver clasp

Personal

Profession: Merchant, Botanist, Performer

Hobbies: Dancing, reading, exploration, treasure-hunting, alchemy, fishing

Languages: Common

Residence: The Goblet (to her dismay)

Patron Deity: Lylmlaen

Fears: Spiders

Relationships

Spouse: N/A

Children: Daughter named J’zhelle Nhexah

Parents: Deceased

Siblings: Missing (open to pre-established)

Distant Relatives: Unknown

Pets: Cerulean butterfly familiar and griffin

Traits

Extroverted / In Between / Introverted

Disorganized / In Between / Organized

Close Minded / In Between / Open Minded

Calm / In Between / Anxious

Disagreeable / In Between / Agreeable

Cautious / In Between / Reckless

Patient / In Between / Impatient

Outspoken / In Between / Reserved

Leader / In Between / Follower

Empathetic / In Between / Apathetic

VERY Optimistic / In Between / Pessimistic

Traditional / In Between / Modern

Hard-working / In Between / Lazy

Cultured / In Between / Uncultured

Faithful / In Between / Unfaithful

Loyal / In Between / Disloyal

RP Hooks

Sea Dog: Kuv has spent her fair share of life on the ocean. She's been apart of a couple of crews and is a common frequenter around around major ports. Perhaps your character ran into her on one of these journeys or saw her on a stop!

Wares for Sale: Throughout her travels, Kuv sells all sorts of hard-to-get items. From specialty cloths and herbs to rare artifacts, Kuv will set out to gather just about anything money will buy. She is also known to offer various herbal remedies and homemade cosmetics.

Entertainer: Although the prevalence of her performances has since decreased drastically, Kuv was a songstress and dancer many years past. These days she mostly offers spontaneous performances at port cities during her travels when there's a need to pass the time.

Contact Information

I’m easily contacted on tumblr. This is my main blog, so go ahead and throw a message if you’d like!

In game my character’s name is J’kuvasie Zhula on Balmung.

Discord is given upon request.

OOC information

Separation of IC and OOC: All actions and stories are purely on an IC basis. By no means do the thoughts and actions of my character constitute something I personally believe and/or would do in real life. This being said, I will give you the respect you deserve to keep IC and OOC completely separate. In kind, I expect the same.

Role Play Styles: I am comfortable role-playing any style and story so long as it makes sense for my character to be in that situation. With that in mind, anything that skirts the line on more of a darker theme should at least be discussed beforehand. Consent is key.

Life Happens: I am currently in my senior year of college and on the search for a full time job. I have other obligations outside of the game, and there may be long periods of time where I am unable to get on. Please bear with me in this case and I will happily work out some sort of arrangement to keep the story going so much as I am able. I'm more than open to Discord RP's, and if that is something you are interested in, please let me know and we can exchange handles. I offer you the same respect.

We're all Human: Basically I will give you courtesy and respect and I expect the same in return. If there is ever a time when you feel uneasy or uncomfortable with something, please simply communicate with me and I will do the same. We're all here to have fun writing and developing stories, so let's do just that, yes?

Thank you everyone and I really look forward to meeting some wonderful new people!

[irandrura]

I will aim for three posts, I think, trying to give some general feelings on Three Houses after completing one route (Azure Moon). This post will be on world and plot, and will have a mixture of things I liked and things I thought could be improved. The second one will be on characters and will be mostly positive. The third one will be a grab bag of other thoughts on mechanics, tone, where I think 3H fits into the series’ overall trajectory, and other things that occur to me.

It’s also worth noting that at this point I think I’ll grant myself license to read spoilers for the other routes. This is mainly because I don’t think it’s reasonable to need to play dozens more hours, many of which just repeat content I’ve already done, in order to get a full picture of the plot. That said, I realise that reading a wiki and skimming the odd chapter transcript are not substitutes for the experience of actually playing a route, so I will not make any judgement on the other three routes in terms of quality. I do intend to play at least Crimson Flower and Verdant Wind at some point, and that should be a richer experience than just reading, but I probably won’t start another forty-to-fifty hour journey straight away.

So, world and plot!

I think worldbuilding is one of Three Houses’ strengths, and is definitely a big step up after Fates and Awakening. Fódlan’s worldbuilding is not perfect, and sometimes has a few cringeworthy elements – in particular the King Lear references in the Alliance are a bit cheesy – but for the most part it successfully presents itself as a rich, interesting world, containing diverse cultures, and a complex history.

The sense of history is particularly important to me, especially compared to the last few games. I’m glad that the game goes to some effort to give Adrestia, Faerghus, and Leicester a sense of a shared past, full of rivalries and alliances. I can imagine setting other stories at different points in Fódlan’s history – Loog’s revolt, the occupation of Brigid and invasion of Dagda, the Almyran invasion, etc. – and those stories still being interesting and fun to play. I can imagine using Fódlan, perhaps centuries in the past, perhaps in the future, as a D&D campaign setting and it being quite interesting. That to me is a sign of good worldbuilding. If the world could easily play host to many different stories, not just the one I’m currently playing, then it can probably stand on its own quite well. This contrasts strongly with, say, Nohr and Hoshido, which felt like they were really just built for Corrin’s adventure.

I also appreciate that it’s not just ancient history that matters, but also the twenty years or so before the game begins. The heroes did not burst on to the scene ex nihilo, but all come out of particular historical situations. Events like the Insurrection of the Seven or the Tragedy of Duscur give you context for what happens in the game. The heroes generally have parents and families, and those families are relevant. They all come from somewhere, and while the details often aren’t described, what you get is enough to start imagining their home lives, and what might be going on elsewhere in the world. I really liked that and felt it was missing from the last few games. Can you imagine asking most of the Shepherds about their familes, or about the lands where they grew up?

Similarly, the range of visible cultures is one that I quite appreciate. Even outside Fódlan itself, mentions of Dagda, Brigid, Sreng, and Almyra help to make the world feel populated. That’s only the other regions that we know much about: there’s also Morfis, Albinea, and Mach, so the world is clearly quite large. Further, these different regions all have some noticeable cultural traits: the people of Brigid are animists and believe in many spirits, the Almyrans are a warrior culture and seem vaguely Persian, and so on. Within Fódlan there are visible differences as well, so the titular three houses are nicely differentiated.

The role of crests in shaping the continent also appealed to me. I believe I commented before that it reminds me of Birthright, an AD&D setting from the 90s that I have a soft spot for. While crests aren’t quite as powerful as Birthright’s bloodlines and don’t have exactly the same effects, the idea of aristocrats with real superpowers passed down in the bloodline, but which if abused can twist people into horrible monsters, was quite reminiscent of that setting. It’s a premise I’ve always found relatively intriguing, and I like that Three Houses does spend a little while exploring the social stratification that crests have produced. There are some interesting marriage politics going on because of crests; that’s really fun for me. Nonetheless I think the game also takes the right approach by not making crests too overpowering, and by firmly asserting that a person’s worth is not dependent on whether they have a crest or not. If it hadn’t done that, crests might have had some uncomfortable implications.

That said if I have one quibble it would be etymological. I understand that the Empire is vaguely Germano-Nordic, Leicester is vaguely English, and Faerghus is Franco-Celtic, but these aren’t always incredibly consistent, and names can sometimes be a bit surprising. The name ‘Dimitri’, for instance, stands out as being slightly out of place. I suppose its origin, ‘Demetrius’, is a Latin name and thus appropriate enough, but today I hear ‘Dimitri’ as Slavic, which doesn’t fit the established pattern for Faerghus. Still, this is a minor quibble.

The one exception to my general praise for the worldbuilding is the church, which I think is a huge mess. Maybe another route fleshes this out, but from what I played, it is extremely unclear to me how the church actually works. Was there a previous archbishop, or has Rhea been succeeding herself over and over, changing her name each time? How has the church been involved in history? We’ve had the occasional mention of cardinals, possibly with secret identities, but they’re entirely invisible and don’t seem to do anything. I would have liked more details on the church and how it fits into Fódlan’s history, because right now it feels like the anomaly, to me.

Moving on to the plot…

This had a number of issues, in my opinion.

Azure Moon was very much Dimitri’s story. In some ways I like that Byleth is simply not very important to the story. You are not the hero; you are the hero’s mentor. Byleth is more active than, say, Mark was in Blazing Sword, but still fades into the background compared to the true protagonist. However, I have to stand by the judgement that Dimitri’s redemption was too fast, and it probably would have been better to drop some of the church-related content for this route and spend more time exploring the characters and relationships that are at the heart of this story. Azure Moon is about Dimitri, Dedue, Felix, Sylvain, Annette, and probably Ingrid at the core: this rising generation of Faerghus nobility, with the long shadow of the past over them, struggling to overcome the sins of yesteryear and the cycle of revenge in order to build a better world. This story is good and I liked it, but a bit more polish and focus could have made it shine.

In terms of actual events, though, I have to say that a lot of things in the story didn’t make a lot of sense. The most obvious case is probably the rematch at Gronder Field. I understand the desire for a three-way battle there as adults, a rematch that contrasts dramatically with the mock battle they fought as students. However, as cool as the scene is, I don’t feel the set-up for it made a lot of sense: in particular Claude and Dimitri have no reason to fight each other. Dimitri might still be bloodthirsty and vengeance-obsessed, but that should translate to a charge straight at Edelgard, and Claude seems cunning enough to let that happen without getting in the way. There might surely have been better ways to set up a conflict there, especially since the writers have the get-out-of-jail-free card of a faction of evil shapeshifters trying to foment conflict. All you need is for a few Slitherers to deliver false messages or instigate a skirmish or two to start a battle based on a tragic misunderstanding.

Similarly, my confusion at the Leicester Alliance disbanding and the Kingdom absorbing the Empire remains present. I can guess that they wanted every route to end with Fódlan united into a single realm, but in this particular story it seemed strange, given how much the story had focused on freeing Faerghus from Imperial occupation and on defeating Edelgard. Dimitri’s ambitions were personal, rather than the grand schemes to reorganise Fódlan politically that both Edelgard and Claude have.

I wonder if there might be an unspoken cultural difference here? As someone from a Western European background, I am quite comfortable with the idea that many different nations can rightly exist on the same continent, and see coexisting self-determining territories as a quite good result; but perhaps in Japan it might be more natural to think that “an empire divided longs to unite”? The game begins with the territories of the ancient Adrestian Empire split into three nations now. Perhaps, like Warring States of either China or Japan, they must be united back into one? Three Houses to parallel Three Kingdoms, perhaps? The Japanese title of the game does not mention Three Houses, to be fair, but the title is an allusion to classical Chinese poetry, so I wonder what assumptions or resonances might be in the background.

Moving along, the logistics of war in general stood out to me as rather odd. I can’t tell whether you’re supposed to be canonically returning the entire army to the monastery in between every battle or not, but even if you’re not, you march all over the continent with very little regard for things like plausible logistics. Invading the Empire, winning a battle at Gronder, and then stopping to run all the way back up to Fhirdiad and liberate it in a single battle seemed particularly odd, especially when you also somehow make time to visit Arianrhod way out in the west. I wouldn’t be that strict about this in most games, but Three Houses does have that lovely detailed map and shows coloured lines with armies moving around, so I felt that it drew attention to one of its own weak points. Here I think the game contrasts negatively with the Tellius pair, which also feature a bunch of continent-wide wars, but generally seem to avoid bizarre logistics.

Finally, let’s talk about the ending. As I mentioned in one of the linked posts above, I was a bit surprised that there was no resolution to the Slitherers subplot in this arc. I liked the scene where Dimitri asks Edelgard why she did all of this before the final battle, but unfortunately they just talk about ideals. If I were Edelgard I might have mentioned the part where I did all this at the behest of – while also hoping to turn on and destroy – a faction of evil subterranean wizards who have been fomenting conflict throughout all of Fódlan’s history. I might also have mentioned the part where I believe the Church of Seiros is run by a different faction of ancient immortal manipulators, since that also seems key to understanding why Edelgard thought such drastic measures were necessary.

Perhaps that didn’t come up because if Edelgard were to mention those motives, it would quickly become apparent that she has already achieved most of her goals, and there is no more reason to fight. By the time of Edelgard and Dimitri’s fateful meeting, the Slitherers have already been defeated (albeit inadvertently, when we killed Arundel), the Church of Seiros is already shattered, Fódlan is close to being reunited under one government, and both we and Edelgard know that Dimitri wants to establish a more participatory and egalitarian form of government that should resolve some of Edelgard’s worries about crests. If Edelgard were the utilitarian fighting for the greater good that she portrays herself as, she could simply surrender, arrange the sort of peace treaty that Dimitri clearly wants, share all her knowledge with Dimitri and Byleth, and work for a brighter future together.

The final cutscene was thus quite striking to me. By ‘Light and Shadow’, it is extremely clear that the war is over. Even if Edelgard were somehow to successfully kill Dimitri, she would be killed immediately afterwards, and no good could come of it. But Edelgard cannot surrender. It is the one thing she cannot do, that she will never do. After the heart of the story was Dimitri’s redemption, and his painful struggle to turn away from his crimes and start anew, it seems appropriate to draw this line between them.

Both Dimitri and Edelgard did terrible things: he from vengeful passion, she from sincere belief it was for the best. But he could change his ways, grow, and find a new beginning. She never could. At the midpoint of Azure Moon, Byleth offers Dimitri his hand, and taking that hand and accepting help is the point at which Dimitri’s redemption begins. At the end, Dimitri, having learned this lesson, offers Edelgard his hand… but she does not take it.

There were plenty of places where I thought the plot could be improved, in terms of time, pacing, focus, and even practical things like why certain battles happen or how troops get there. But ultimately the story worked for me, I think, because the emotions worked. I can excuse a lot of nonsense if I care about the characters and the emotions resonate. I would rather do that than have a story that makes perfect logistical sense, but in which all the characters are flat and boring.

Next time I’ll talk more about supports and all the other characters.

[nicolewrites]

i apologize for my divinity (it’s never enough) - ii

time to break canon and a lot of hearts. sorry folks, but this ride ain’t over till it’s over. all will make sense soon. 

Rating: T+ Genre: Angst, Friendship, Family Characters: Byleth/My Unit, Dimitri B., Sothis, the Blue Lions Words: 6,939

AO3 | FFN

pt. i here

ii - azure moon

/ ethereal moon /

The stones of the goddess tower were cool to the touch. Byleth ran her hands along them as she slowly ascended the stairs to the top. Her mind was still buzzing and the sword at her hip was humming.

Five years. Five years.

It didn’t feel real.

She climbed the stairs to the top and was almost afraid of what she would find. Since her arrival, Byleth had only seen Garreg Mach in complete disarray. She had dispatched a few bandits that wandered into her path easily. Having a sword in her hand is the only thing that feels familiar. Everything else feels like it’s muffled under a layer of cotton.

She sees the faces of her Lions, still children, in her memory as she climbs and she prays desperately to the entity that had resided within her that they all still live. As she nears the top she has to step around a group of bandit bodies. She pauses to press her hand against one of the bandits and recoils when she realizes that they are still soft and a little warm–recently dead, she realizes.

Byleth doubles her pace to the top and looks around the top of the goddess tower. It takes a moment for her to see him because he’s shrouded in black and shadows against the far wall. A silvered lance rests against the stonework above his head and his hands grip it so tightly that Byleth can see the white strain of his knuckles from across the room.

His head tilts up slowly as he hears her and the air in her lungs disappears. His hair is long and tangled. There’s blood on his face. His shoulders are broader and more hunched than she remembers him from five years before. And his eye–goddess help him–his eye is gone.

The sunlight warms her as she crosses towards him, extending her hand in a calm, supportive manner. The blue of his eye is cutting as he stares at her for a moment before he turns his head sharply, refusing her hand.

When he speaks, his voice is lower and rougher. It reminds her of the Dimitri who cracked in the Holy Mausoleum, not the Dimitri who she shared Chamomile Tea with or the Dimitri who embraced her on the battlefield after her father fell.

His words echo across the goddess tower and she steps back, startled.

Ghost–the accusation hangs unspoken between them for a long moment.

Byleth’s chest aches and she wants to hit him. She wishes that striking him would bring him back to the Dimitri she knew, not the one Felix taunted and warned her about. But, there is a hollowness in her chest where Sothis once resided that reminds her she’s not entirely mortal.

The accusation hurts more than she cares to admit.

- ~ -

Alive, alive, alive! Her heart sings as her Lions appear on the battlefield.

The thieves are routed thoroughly and the Blue Lions come together in the ruins afterward to catch up. Byleth is struck by how differently they all look–battle-hardened and grown. It is almost hard to relate to the children they were at the academy with the warriors they have become.

Ashe is taller. His hair is longer, but it’s the same silvery-blonde she remembers. His eyes are still a sharp, light green, but there’s a new scar on his chin. His hands twitch on a silver bow that looks hand-strung, but well-cared for.

Annette is dressed in the robes a true Warlock and she has a black magic tome tucked under one arm. Her hair has outgrown its childish style and her features are no longer soft and childlike, but elegant and womanlike. Byleth can easily see the resemblance to her father now, but she is relieved to see Annie’s smile still intact.

Mercedes has changed quite a bit. She wears the robes of a bishop and holds herself with a polish and confidence that the young Mercedes had only sparsely. Her hair is much shorter, cropped around her ears, and the easy smile Byleth remembers is smaller and more reserved now.

Sylvain looks much the same, she realizes. He wears armour decorated with House Gautier’s crest, but his amber eyes still have the same playful light to them. His hair is a little longer and when he runs a hand through it, she sees the hint of a scar along his neck as it tilts. The horse that accompanies him is new and it looks younger than the warhorse he rode as a cavalier.

Ingrid stands tall, as she always did, but her silver armour catches the light and highlights her new, shorter hair. Unlike with Sylvain’s horse, Byleth recognizes Ingrid’s pegasus. The green ribbons in her hair match her eyes, but much of the gentleness from her youth is gone, leaving a knight who is ready for battle in its place.

Felix looks the same and different at the same time. His hair is longer and a bit messier, but he keeps it tamed like he did when he was young. The silver sword Byleth had commissioned for his birthday hangs at his hip and he still carried the iron shield he picked up after the battle in the Holy Mausoleum, though it bears a new, star-shaped burn in the surface. Byleth even spies a black magic symbol on his belt.

As she takes in her students, Gilbert questions Dimitri and Byleth’s headcount comes up incomplete.

“What happened?” Byleth breathes as Dimitri answers the question before she can answer it fully.

Her chest aches for Dedue, the steadfast vassal of a prince who cared deeply about everyone and all things that lived. He is the first one to fall and Byleth’s chest clenches when she thinks about it. Her eyes scan over her former students who have grown into strong capable people when she was gone.

They remembered the promise they made to come back in five years, all of them, and Byleth knows that she will do whatever it takes to keep them all alive. She couldn’t save Jeralt when it mattered, but she will save this family.

- ~ -

/ guardian moon /

In the ruins of the village, still flaming from the onager’s onslaught, Byleth looks for Dimitri. She had been distracted briefly, lending Mercedes and Annette her white magic to look after one of Sylvain’s injuries. She hopes he hasn’t disappeared entirely, but she doesn’t want to babysit him.

When her father had passed–a pang goes through her chest at the thought of Jeralt–she had wanted space. The monastery had felt crowded and suffocating and she had just wanted people to leave her alone. She knows Dimitri is grieving. It’s twisted and more than a little messed up, but he’s trying to grieve for his parents, for Glenn, for Dedue, and for all those that had died for him. A part of Byleth wants to grieve for the Dimitri she knew, but the stubborn part of her is still clinging to the hope that he’s still there somewhere under layers of darkness and pain.

She finds him standing over Randolph, arms crossed and face steeled into a look of disdain. Randolph is afraid and begging with Dimitri to let him go. It hurts to see the indifference and the anger in Dimitri’s expression and she knows that he has no intention of letting an ally of Edelgard off with even a little bit of sympathy.

So she does what she needs to do and doesn’t regret it, even as Dimitri turns his steely gaze on her in annoyance.

His response–kill me, then–is a splash of ice water in her face and she steps back, alarmed. She doesn’t get the chance to reply as Ingrid’s pegasus flies overhead and Felix comes jogging in their direction.

- ~ -

/ pegasus moon /

Felix locks himself in his room on the second floor when they get back to the monastery. Byleth might have gone about assuming it was typical Felix behaviour if it weren’t for Ingrid and Sylvain.

Sure, she knew Felix didn’t particularly care for his father, but the icy hatred he had directed at Rodrigue in Ailell had been a bit uncharacteristic. She is sorting through some maps in the Cardinals’ Room when there’s a knock at the door. Byleth turns, rubbing a tired hand across her face as she does.

Sylvain’s knuckles are resting against the edge of the doorframe and he looks uncharacteristically uncomfortable. Ingrid is next to him and neither of them looks like they’ve really cleaned up since the battle. There’s still a cut on Ingrid’s cheek and Sylvain’s armour is scuffed around his chest plate like someone had tried to impale him.

“Hi,” Byleth greets. “Is there something I can help with?”

Ingrid drops her gaze to the ground and swallows. “Professor, it’s Felix.”

“His father being here is messing with him, seriously, and we don’t know what to do about it,” Sylvain adds.

Byleth bites her lip and gestures to the chairs at the table. “Sit,” she instructs.

The pair moves into the room and to Byleth’s display, Sylvain is limping. She frowns at him, but he waves her off.

“Don’t worry about it. Mercedes already looked at it,” he replies, brushing off her concern.

Ingrid sighs. “He’s being an idiot, but I can confirm that Mercedes did look at him.”

Byleth lowers herself into a chair and nods slowly. “Tell me about Felix. What can I do?”

Ingrid tugs at her hair until the ribbons come loose and her braids start to unwind. She slowly, methodically starts rebraiding her hair. There’s a distant look in her eyes that Byleth has seen a few too many times in her students’ faces since her return to the monastery.

“Did you know, Professor,” Sylvain begins, “that the three of us went looking for Dimitri a few months before we came back to the monastery.”

Byleth is surprised, but she tries to keep a neutral expression. It makes sense. Dimitri, Felix, Ingrid, and Sylvain were all childhood friends. As the children of Kingdom nobles, it would make sense for them to be suspicious of the sudden and concealed execution of the prince.

“It was Felix’s idea,” Ingrid adds. “He called Cornelia a witch and said that someone would have stopped her if she had really tried to execute Dimitri.”

Sylvain snorts. “I think his word choice was a little less adept, but yeah, that’s the gist of it. We travelled all around the Kingdom and took out Empire troops where we could, but it was better to keep our heads low and just try to pretend we weren’t who we were.”

“Even so,” Ingrid continues, “we ran into trouble a couple of times, but we managed to get ourselves out of it without much issue.”

Sylvain shifts in his chair and pulls aside the collar and neckline of his armour to expose the scar she had glimpsed when she had seen him after five years. “An Empire flyer tried to take my head off,” he says quietly. “Felix saved my life with the little bit of white magic that he learned from you.”

“I don’t know if you’ll actually be able to do anything,” Ingrid interrupts, looking uncomfortable at the sight of Sylvain’s scar. “Felix is notoriously stubborn, but we figured if anyone had a shot to get through to him, it was you. We tried to bring him food for dinner, but he turned us away and told us to give it to someone who actually wanted to eat and to feel something.”

“He’s still hurting from losing his brother,” Byleth says. “He told me as much. Seeing Rodrigue now, of all times, must be a painful reminder. Especially since he brought Areadbhar to Dimitri and Dimitri is,” she trails off, not willing to discuss Dimitri’s fragile mental state.

“Yes,” Ingrid agrees. “But, maybe you can at least get him to eat something.”

Byleth rubs her temples, thinking. “No, I don’t think he’d be very receptive to me. He’ll know you came to me, but I know who I can send.”

Sylvain leans forward, tilting his head curiously. “Who?”

Byleth feels a tiny smile pull at her lips. “Annette. She’s persistent and very hard to say no to.”

Ingrid and Sylvain both laugh lightly and Byleth shuts her eyes for a moment. She imagines them from five years prior with a carefree Sylvain and a straight-laced Ingrid and compares that to the adults who have come to her today.

“Thank you for coming to me,” she says.

She doesn’t tell them how proud she is or how much she has missed them. Those kinds of sentimental words can wait for after the war when they’re all still alive, after all.

- ~ -

/ lone moon /

The battle for the Great Bridge sends her head spinning. Dedue is alive. But Lorenz and Ferdinand stand opposing the Kingdom, sided with the Empire. Byleth sees them and her mind spins dangerously back to the Academy and afternoons spent under the gazebo sharing tea with two of the most proper nobles.

There’s a glorious madness to Ferdinand as he challenges Dimitri, but Byleth catches the unease in Lorenz’s expression as he calls wave after wave of fire against his former classmates.

She doesn’t have time to hesitate so she surges forward, whipping her sword out to lash at Lorenz’s mount. The horse screams from the wound and throws Lorenz. He rolls as he lands, a move Byleth remembers rehearsing with him and Sylvain one Thursday afternoon. Lorenz comes up glaring at her and throws out his hand.

Agnea’s Arrow whips towards Byleth but she cuts it out of the air with her blade. Lorenz looks uncertain for a moment, but he calls fire towards her and Byleth slashes it away again. She blasts white magic towards him but misses intentionally. She wants his attention and wants him to know that she has him outmatched.

Lorenz hesitates on his next attack. She takes her opening.

“Lorenz,” she calls out to him. “Don’t make me do this.”

She doesn’t need to clarify what this is because Lorenz’s polished exterior cracks. He looks around the battlefield and sees his troops losing. He looks just in time to see Dimitri lash against Ferdinand to send the von Aegir noble crashing to the ground. He doesn’t get up.

Lorenz closes his eyes and Byleth reads the pain and regret on his expression clearly. “I’m sorry Professor,” he says.

Byleth waits for a long moment. Lorenz turns and strides back into the chaos, leaving the battle and leaving her conscious clearer than she had dared. Once he’s gone, she hurries to where Ferdinand fell. Dimitri has moved on, but Ferdinand is still alive.

His armour has crumpled like paper, piercing into his chest and making the gruesome wound across his torso look even worse than it already did. He is gasping for air, trying desperately to breathe. His long red hair is sprayed with his own blood and his amber eyes are wide and uneasy. Byleth kneels beside him and touches her hand to his arm. His head turns towards her a little and he frowns.

“You,” he murmurs shakily. “You were supposed to have died five years ago. This isn’t how it was supposed to be.”

“I’m sorry, Ferdinand,” Byleth says gently. She brushes her hand up towards his hair, smoothing it out of his face.

“I am Ferdinand von Aegir and I have defended my position to the death.” The amber of his eyes crackles with defiance and insanity. “Edelgard would be proud.”

Byleth swallows a lump in her throat. She closes her eyes and waits until she can’t hear Ferdinand’s breathing anymore when she opens them. He stares blankly up at the sky and Byleth stands up shakily. The Empire and House Gloucester forces are retreating and the Kingdom and Knights of Seiros seem to be celebrating their victory.

She catches a glimpse of Annette and Ashe crowding Dedue and trying to hug their friend despite the latter’s heavy Fortress Knight armour. Dimitri stands nearby, staring at Dedue like he can’t believe what’s happening. Mercedes is healing Gilbert and Flayn is healing Felix. Seteth and Ingrid are speaking in hushed tones nearby. Sylvain and his cavalry battalion are chasing the last of the enemies away.

Byleth hopes Lorenz is still alive. Dedue is alive. Ferdinand–her chest aches–is dead.

The day is won.

- ~ -

/ great tree moon /

Byleth turns, throwing an arc of lightning that drives back a trio of Imperial flyers. Dimitri roars and charges past her, driving his lance into the flank of a pegasus that had not been fortunate enough to remain in the air after the magic attack.

Byleth flinches at the noise the mount makes and the sound the rider makes as Dimitri slashes brutally with Areadbhar. She follows Dimitri closely as he cuts through enemies, watching his back determinedly. The sight of Edelgard had driven him into a frenzy Byleth hasn’t seen since their first clash at Garreg Mach against the bandits. He’s being reckless and she refuses to let him fall here.

She can hear her other Blue Lions shouting and attacking across the field so she knows that Gronder is not lost to them yet. She just has to keep them all alive for a little bit longer. Dimitri is cutting a path through anyone who stands in his way, heading straight for the crest of the hill where Edelgard is waiting.

Byleth has been trying to avoid the Alliance forces as much as possible by pressing against Edelgard’s front line and staying to the right side of the field as much as she dares. Unfortunately, the Alliance shows no regard for her tactic as they have been pressuring the Kingdom’s left flank quite heavily. It almost feels like whatever strategy the Alliance is running has been specially tailored to counter what Byleth had planned. The annoyance she feels is familiar, but she doesn’t have time to dwell on it.

She hears the beat of wings before she sees him, but there’s a sharp whistle past her ear as a yellow-feather arrow flies by and sinks into Dimitri’s throat.

Byleth is screaming and calling upon the Divine Pulse before she has really processed what is happening, but she knows those arrows, knows that silent draw, and she knows the man who is an assassin from above.

As the divine light fades, Dimitri is standing, mostly unharmed, and he resumes cutting a path towards Edelgard. Byleth’s heart pounds in her ears as she spins, looking up. There’s chaos in the sky from the assortment of flying units clashing from the three different sides, but she knows what she’s looking for and she sees him easily enough.

Claude is ten feet above her and five feet behind her. His arrow is knocked and he takes aim at Dimitri with an unreadable expression on his face. Byleth calls lightning without thinking and tries to do anything to throw off his aim.

Claude is focused on the shot because he–and Byleth–knows that against Dimitri, he will only get one shot. He doesn’t see her magic coming. His wyvern, on the other hand, is all too aware of its magical weakness and it spins to dodge Byleth’s lightning.

The Alliance leader isn’t expecting the sudden movement and his arrow goes wide, finding purchase in the skull of an Empire soldier Dimitri had been fighting instead of in the Kingdom’s prince. In addition, the quick dodge seems enough to dislodge the Alliance Leader as he slips and plummets from the saddle.

Byleth doesn’t hesitate as she cracks her sword in front of her. She pushes to where Claude fell, cutting down two Alliance soldiers and an Empire cavalry unit as she presses on to reach him.

Claude isn’t facing her as she approaches, knocking arrow after arrow to drive away foes that get too close. His wyvern has landed beside him, but he hasn’t had a moment to get back into the saddle. The beast roars at Byleth as she approaches. She is quickly aware that the beast knows she tried to strike him down.

Claude turns to face her at his mount’s cry and his bow falters, dipping towards the ground. He looks surprised for a split second before he quickly conceals it behind a strategically neutral expression. For all his scheming and tactics–the assault of the Kingdom’s left flank, she realizes belatedly–Claude seems to have had no idea that she was still alive and would be fighting against the Alliance.

“Teach?” he calls out to her. His wyvern’s defensiveness against her seems to have tipped him off on the origin of the lightning. “You tried to strike me out of the sky!” Claude sounds affronted and annoyed, but he doesn’t take aim at her.

“I won’t let you kill him,” she says, ignoring the accusation.

Claude grits his teeth and grips his weapon tighter. His eyes flick over her shoulder and he raises his bow quickly to shoot down an Empire Wyvern Rider that had been heading in their direction before he returns his attention to her. “You’re not going to save him, Teach,” he yells over the cacophony of battle. “There’s no saving him from the things he’s done.”

Byleth sheaths the Sublime Sword of the Creator and pulls out her silver blade. “I won’t let him die,” she says firmly. “Get out of here, Claude. I don’t want to hurt you or anyone from the Alliance. We’re here for Edelgard.”

Claude looks past her to where Dimitri is cutting a reckless path through anyone that stands in his way. “You don’t want to hurt us, but he will. Would you kill me if I tried to strike him down?”

Byleth doesn’t respond because she knows her answer–SAVEDIMITRI, her mind screams–and she knows Claude won’t like it.

He seems to note her lack of response before firing another arrow at another Empire flyer. “You could still join us, Teach. The Alliance isn’t a lost cause–far from it, actually.”

Byleth shakes her head. “I stand with the Blue Lions and the Kingdom, Claude. I will protect them.”

Through the days at the Officer’s Academy, Byleth had known Claude to be tricky, deceptive, and entirely too adept at hiding how he felt about things. Even now, after five years of war and pain, he is tough to read, but Byleth has enough practice in reading people who don’t want to be read–Dimitri, Felix, Seteth. There is disappointment and frustration in Claude’s face, but the way he stands with one foot slightly behind the other bearing most of his weight, betrays something else.

He stands like he’s going to run. He is afraid.

Fear isn’t something Byleth has seen a lot of in Claude and she’s horrified to think that he’s scared of her. It is more likely, however, that he is afraid of Dimitri’s savagery and losing a needless 3-way battle.

“You could have stood with us,” Claude says quietly. The finality of his words stings because he isn’t wrong and for the first time Byleth sees how truly disappointed Claude had been when she had chosen to stand with Dimitri and the Blue Lions all those years ago at the Academy.

“Would this have all turned out differently?” Byleth askes before she can hold her tongue.

Claude shrugs and swings himself back up into his saddle. “I don’t know,” he admits. “But, it could have.”

His wyvern takes off without another word and leaves Byleth standing on a battlefield. She feels oddly small and alone despite the violent clashes happening all around her. She watches as Claude flies back towards where the Alliance came from. It seems impossible, but as soon as he starts to retreat, Byleth watches other generals and captains of the Alliance start to pull away too.

“He’s right, you know.”

Byleth’s head snaps forward. Three paces away stands Hilda with the same princess-like poise and bright pink hair. Her expression is schooled irritation and frustration, just like Claude’s had been. She’s wielding a relic–an axe Byleth remembers her receiving partway through the year at the Officer’s Academy.

“You could have chosen us,” Hilda says, echoing Claude’s earlier sentiments.

Then, she’s gone, retreating into the fray in the direction Claude had left.

- ~ -

Later, after Felix strikes Dimitri with the grief of a lost and lonely son, and after Dedue, Mercedes and Ashe head for the cathedral, and after Annette escorts Felix to the greenhouse to get away from Dimitri, Byleth is cornered by Ingrid and Sylvain again.

They buried Rodrigue, they tell her and ask where Felix and Dimitri are. Byleth casts her eyes down and tells them that she last saw Felix with Annette heading to the greenhouse. She admits that she doesn’t know where Dimitri went, but asks them to let her deliver the news.

Much later, Dimitri breaks down in the rain and she takes him into her arms. They stand quietly for a long time. Dimitri’s face is pressed against her shoulder and her fingers are wound into the matted fur of his mantle.

Despite the pain in her chest, her mind is light and she knows, beyond a doubt, that Dimitri is back.

- ~ -

/ harpstring moon /

Fhirdiad isn’t what Byleth is expecting. The battle, however, goes as well as she can imagine it would. Byleth had tackled the left flank with Ashe. The two of them used magic and arrows to cause havoc and clear a path for Ingrid and Seteth to lead the Kingdom’s flyers forward. Dedue and Gilbert lead the armoured units and Byleth even sees some of the mercenaries from Duscur that helped Dedue.

Mercedes commands a legion of monks, sending spiralling white magic and the occasional lightning attack. Sylvain leads the charge with his cavalry battalion, followed closely by Felix and Dimitri who appear to have reconciled enough to fight like friends again. Annette and her mages send wave after wave of black magic through the right flank, pressing forward.

Byleth merges her path with Dimitri’s right as they reach Cornelia. Just as Dimitri is striking out with Areadbhar, there’s an insistent tug in Byleth’s stomach and she almost keels over in surprise.

“Save her!”–comes the whisper of a voice from deep inside Byleth. Her head whips around and she catches sight of Annette’s fiery hair dropping to the ground out of view.

Byleth triggers Divine Pulse, her blood burning. Now that she’s looking for it, she sees the lance wielding units getting dangerously close to the Kingdom mages. Byleth is too far to do anything and for a horrible moment, she thinks she is going to lose Annette and there will be nothing she can do about it.

“Ashe!” she yells wildly, hoping desperately that he can hear her. “Get Annette!”

She doesn’t hear a response from her archer, but after a dreadful second, she spots a volley of arrows cutting down Annette’s would-be killers. In the same moment, Dimitri slashes into Cornelia who knocks him back with a nasty wave of some cursed, blackened magic. Byleth refocuses and sends the Sublime Sword of the Creator crashing over the wicked woman.

Her blade cuts true and Dimitri’s spear lands a blow in perfect tandem. Cheers go up through the Kingdom’s forces and the Empire supporters quickly lose morale and their panicked retreat begins.

Byleth’s knees shake and she almost buckles to the ground. Dimitri extends a hand and pulls her close to his steady, broad frame. She rests her forehead against his chest and breathes. Alive, alive, alive, her mind sings.

She thinks of the voice that had whispered to her and smiles faintly. She curls a hand over her heart and thinks of Sothis.

I knew I was not done with you yet, my friend, she thinks.

- ~ -

/ garland moon /

Claude curls her fingers around Failnaught. The bow hums with life under her touch. The steel in his green eyes she remembers from Gronder is gone now and there is a quiet resignation to the way that he looks at her.

“I can’t take this,” she whispers in reply. You can’t leave, her mind whispers.

“Claude, are you insane?” Dimitri asks. He stands just behind Byleth and she can feel the heat of his body and it makes her mind spin.

The former Alliance leader shrugs. “Probably, but I’ve got business elsewhere and I think you guys have got this handled.”

Byleth frowns. “Come with us when we march on Enbarr.” She tries to hand him the relic back, but Claude shakes his head.

Claude’s eyes flick from Byleth’s face to Dimitri’s and he smiles a little wistfully. “No, Teach, that’s a battle for the Kingdom and the Blue Lions, not the Golden Deer.” He inclines his chin and there’s a glint in his eyes. “In another life, maybe,” he teases.

Then he leans forward and presses his lips to Byleth’s cheekbone. She freezes at the touch and he moves around her to embrace Dimitri. Claude holds the back of the Kingdom Prince’s head as they press their foreheads together in a show of solidarity. It is relieving to her to see that both of them still consider each other friends and allies after everything they’ve been through.

“Give her hell for me,” Claude requests.

“We will,” Dimitri affirms.

And then he’s gone, climbing onto the back of white wyvern that Byleth has never seen before and taking off into the eastern skies.

- ~ -

/ blue sea moon /

Byleth takes down Caspar and Linhardt herself. Caspar’s face is hardened with resolve and the boyish charm from his youth is long gone. Linhardt’s face doesn’t show a lick of emotion as he sends barrage after barrage of wind magic at them. Annette counters him as best as she can, but even with Felix’s assistance, Byleth is the only one who can get close.

Caspar rains blows upon her as she gets close to Linhardt and she knows there is no way to avoid it. She scorches him with fire and turns her blade on the mage. Her two students–two who used to have no taste for violence–fall in a bloody, broken heap and Byleth drops to her knees in front of them.

Dimitri takes her arm and pulls her back to her feet. He stares at their bodies for a long moment before he turns his good eye on Byleth. He is alive with emotion and Byleth feels a familiar pull in her heart.

“Make it worth it,” he says to her.

She takes down the Death Knight–Emile, Mercedes laments–and Merceus has fallen. The path to Enbarr is clear.

- ~ -

/ verdant rain moon /

Byleth is standing over the grave of her parents when Dimitri finds her. He’s never been good at being quiet so she hears him coming, but she just lets her head stay down for a moment, hoping he’ll leave. She’s not quite sure why she wants to avoid him, but her father’s words are somehow fresh in her mind and they bring up things she’s not sure she can talk about the day before what is likely to be the biggest battle she ever has to fight.

He doesn’t leave. He just waits three paces behind her–waits for her to be ready to speak to him.

After a minute, Byleth finally turns to him. He isn’t wearing his full mantle and he carries no weapons on him. It feels more exposed that she has seen him in a long time and she steps towards him curiously. He watches her, saying nothing, and there’s a quiet tenderness in his good eye that warms her to the core.

“Thank you, Professor,” he says finally. “For choosing us and for keeping us all alive.”

Byleth laughs breathlessly and shakes her head. “I wouldn’t change anything,” she says firmly.

“And you would do it a thousand times again,” that same breathy whisper from inside of her adds on.

She steps into him and Dimitri holds her close. Neither of them moves for a while, lingering in a moment that feels out of place in the lives of two war-hardened fighters. Still, they treasure it and Byleth breathes deeply inhaling the familiar smell that lingers on him.

“Stay alive,” she whispers.

“After you,” he replies.

Always, she thinks softly.

- ~ -

We did it, Sothis, Byleth thinks. Her arm stings from the wound it bears and she is exhausted.

She stands a step behind Dimitri as he extends a hand towards Edelgard’s crumpled form. To her dismay, Edelgard averts her gaze and refuses to acknowledge Dimitri. Byleth presses a hand comfortingly against Dimitri’s spine as his shoulders hunch in disappointment. She is about to speak up to console him when she hears it–

–the cool slide of metal against leather as a blade pulls free of a sheath.

Dimitri hears it too and his arm responds faster than his brain. Areadbhar glides forward under his practiced touch and pierces Edelgard’s chest right over her heart. In the same motion, with a poise and posture Byleth remembers teaching, Edelgard’s wrist snaps and the dagger flies out from under her cloak.

The Emperor collapses immediately, but Dimitri hardly flinches. Byleth steps around him, moving to lower Edelgard’s body to the ground. Despite everything the woman had done, Byleth looks at her and sees the girl not quite ready to grow up and shoulder the gravity of her large ambitions, the same girl she met in Remire Village all that time ago.

Byleth’s hands are red with Edelgard’s blood as she steps back, turning to face Dimitri. She expects to see him with a knife in hand and a wound on his shoulder or upper arm.

She doesn’t expect the single blue eye wide with pain and panic as he staggers to the side. Byleth lunges forward to catch him and Dimitri’s much heavier frame drags them both to the ground in a heap. She runs her hands desperately over his chest, her breathing increasing as she realizes what has happened.

Edelgard’s dagger, the very same one gifted to her by a young Dimitri, is embedded in Dimitri’s chest, dangerously close to his heart.

Byleth presses her hands to his chest around the blade and tries to pull a healing spell from her reserves, but she spent her last one keeping Mercedes on her feet. Her fingers scrabble loosely across Dimitri’s armour instead.

One of his hands curls up over hers. She drops her gaze to his quickly and her whole body aches with the tenderness in his gaze.

“Byleth,” he breathes gently. “My beloved,” he murmurs as his bloody fingers squeeze her hand weakly.

“Dimitri,” she whispers. Her voice catches. Emotions whirl through her mind–snatched moments and feelings that have been kept bottled up for years. The Sublime Creator Sword glows next to her as if it’s taunting her.

Dimitri’s grip slackens a little. The pain and adoration in his visible eye fade slowly to a blank indifference. His chest sinks down to its lowest point and doesn’t rise. Against her legs where his chest is propped, Byleth feels the thrum of his heart fade.

She screams.

Her voice breaks up a pitch in her grief and she feels electricity spark and crash nearby. Her hands glow with renewed healing and she pulls Edelgard’s knife free, desperately trying to knit skin where the blade had sunk in. Dimitri doesn’t respond to her touch or the glow of her magic and the last barrier holding back her emotions shatters.

Divine Pulse, she urges fiercely, begging the lingering remnants of Sothis’s power to respond. The Sublime Creator Sword glows beside her, but her mind only shows her the images of all the times she rewound time during the Battle of Enbarr–saving Dedue, saving Ashe, saving Flayn, saving Felix, saving Ashe again, saving Dimitri once before, saving Ingrid and Sylvain, and saving herself once as well.

After an agonizing moment, nothing changes. The light of the sword fades and when she looks at it, Byleth sees that even the residual glow it usually holds has faded back to the cool, white, tempered Umbra Steel it is made from. The handle is cold to the touch as Byleth’s hand, covered in a terrifying mix of Dimitri and Edelgard’s blood, curls around the hilt.

She screams and hurls the blade several feet away. The steel clangs against the stonework of the Imperial throne room.

“Why now?” she cries. “I have given everything for you and yet I cannot even save him. Why now?”

The throne room is deafeningly silent except for her ragged breathing and the faintest echoes of her shouts.

Byleth pulls Dimitri closer to her and presses her forehead against his. She tries to feel for his presence and his warmth. She feels nothing but the familiar emptiness of a corpse–a sensation she is entirely too familiar with.

Something in Byleth breaks and she cries openly. Her shoulders shake as her fingers twine in the matted fur of the prince’s mantle. She keeps her forehead pressed against his as she whispers what she wanted him to know.

“I love you, I love you, I love you.” And it’s true–agonizingly, undeniably true.

Byleth sits on the floor of the Imperial throne room and feels colder and more alone than she has ever felt. Her three original students: Claude, Edelgard, Dimitri. They are all gone. Maybe Claude isn’t dead–maybe–but he had handed her Failnaught so he might as well be.

But Edelgard, the fierce and dominating emperor, and Dimitri, the savage and noble Crown Prince, are dead by each other’s hand. Dead because of a five-year-long conflict that started as a spat between classmates and the ambitions and grievances of one woman.

Byleth lifts her head to stare at Edelgard’s body where it lies on the stonework. Her face is cool and wet with tears.

“Would we still be here if I had noticed sooner? If I had chosen from the start?” she whispers to no one.

“Would you like to find out?” the whisper asks, tugging at her gut.

Byleth knows now, without a doubt, that the voice is Sothis’s. The goddess’s voice is soft and far away, but achingly familiar. The goddess sounds like she is trapped behind layers of stone, but the words come straight from her heart.

Could I?

“I don’t know, but I think we must try, don’t you?”

Byleth looks down at the unmoving form of the man she loves and she thinks of all those who had died to get her this far. She thinks of the rest of her Blue Lions that she’s not even sure are still alive. She thinks of Lorenz and Hilda and the rest of the Golden Deer and of Ferdinand, Dorothea, Petra, Linhardt, Caspar, Hubert, and Bernadetta who she cut down to get this far.

I owe it to them to try, she decides. What can I do?

Sothis’s voice feels different now than it did before they merged, but the goddess is still warm. Though her words are quiet, Byleth feels their reverberation through every bone in her body.

“Close your eyes and focus. Find the thread that ties us together.”

Byleth lets her consciousness drift and she finds herself back in that odd place where she used to share her visions of the goddess. This time she is alone, but she reaches out and feels for anything tangible. Her fingers find the outline of a thread in her mind that glows brightly and with the most insistence.

She feels Sothis’s ethereal form run a finger along the thread as well. “This holds everything: our power and memory, your training, your relationships, your emotions, and everything you’ve had for the last few years.”

Byleth lets her fingers curl around it. It is warm and fills her with a sense of humanity so strong she tears up. Every positive interaction she’s ever shared with a Knight of Seiros, a Golden Deer, a Black Eagle, or one of her darling Blue Lions is stored there. Her father lives in her memory there. The pain is there too, but Byleth’s fragile humanity clings to the happiness.

“You have been loved in this life,” Sothis murmurs.

And I have loved.

“Do you remember being the Ashen Demon? That was before you and I were aware of each other enough to let you be mortal, as you are.”

I remember, she says and she does. Its darkness is buried in the thread beneath her fingers too, but she doesn’t want to remember those parts.

“Byleth,” the goddess whispers. Sothis’s hand closes around her own. “Break it. Break it and you’ll go back. You’ll carry these memories forever, but you can try again.”

Byleth hesitates. I will remember?

“Every bit of it, I promise. I will be with you there too and we will try again.”

Okay, she thinks. Her grip tightens on the thread until it starts to hurt.

The pain flares deeply, cutting her right to the core, but she feels something break and the walls holding Sothis are gone as the goddess’s arms wrap around her to protect her from the blast that the breaking of the thread releases.

Gold sears across her mind and Byleth closes her eyes and exhales.

Thank you, Sothis.

- ~ -

/ great tree moon /

Byleth wakes up in a hard bed in an upstairs room in the inn in Remire Village.

“Let’s try that again,” Sothis whispers.

[cinful-stories]

50 Interesting Questions- Tagged

(I was tagged by @widzzicles to do this! I really appreciate it! I haven't really mentioned much about myself on this platform, so this will be the first look at my quirky, strange personality. Here goes nothing!)

1. What kind of food can't you stand? Even though I’m not a strict vegetarian, I loosely consider myself to be one because of my hatred for meat. Seafood and ham are particularly horrid to me, but on rare occasions, I can handle small amounts of bacon, sausage, and chicken if prepared well.

2. If you could choose one minor inconvenience to never have to deal with again, what would you pick? Acne. I’ve struggled with it for nearly eight years, and it’s been the root of my insecurities.

3. Have you got any useless talents? I’m double-jointed in my right wrist and three fingers. I can also wiggle my right ear and nose.

4. If you could be really good at one thing, what would it be? Writing. I have a strong perfectionist mentality when it comes to my artistic creations, and it often gets in the way of completing any projects; therefore, whenever I sit down to work on my original novel, it becomes a stressful task for me.

5. Name a few people you think are extremely good-looking? Eddie Redmayne is my ultimate celebrity crush. I think he’s absolutely adorable, and he’s the main inspiration for the male protagonist of my novel. I also find Dan Avidan from Game Grumps and Benedict Cumberbatch really attractive.

6. What was your favorite way to pass time as a kid? I often watched Hetalia and YouTube gaming channels during middle school, so I wasted a lot of time on the internet. I was also a major SuperWhoMerLock fan. I suppose not much has changed as far as interests go...

7. What is something you are proud of? Before I started posting my fan creations on Tumblr, I was highly active on Quotev for four years. One of the stories I posted (a Hunger Games fanfic) was received extremely well, and it has over 1,200 favorites.

8. What's one character flaw in people that you just can't tolerate? I can’t stand people who are unreliable and only make an effort if they need something from me. My biggest languages of love are Quality Time and Acts of Service, so when someone doesn’t want to put in some of their time for me, it’s a major turn-off.

9. Do you consider yourself to be more of a leader or a follower? It depends. I’m typically more of a follower when I’m insecure about my own abilities regarding the task at hand, but if it’s something I’m confident about doing, I instinctively take on the leadership role.

10. What kind of student are/ were you? I’m incredibly studious, and I’m almost anal about receiving good grades. I tend to procrastinate when I let myself relax, so I make sure to keep myself busy during the school year as much as possible.

11. Butterfly effect question! Has there ever been a seemingly minor decision you've made (at the time) that ended up having a profound influence on your life? Sitting at an unfamiliar lunch table on the first day of eighth grade. It was a seemingly insignificant choice at the time, and I thought it would be a temporary thing, but it later became the event that led to meeting my best friend of five years. If I hadn’t chosen that table, I wouldn’t be nearly as confident, independent, and honest as I am today – all attributes that came from her importance in my life.

12. Name your most irrational fear/ aversion: I’m petrified of settling. I have a horrible habit of not being able to say no to people; therefore, I end up settling for relationships and activities I never wanted to do in the first place. I’m afraid that I won’t get the chance to live my fullest life before I die only because I wanted to please others or take the easy route.

13. Are there any fiction characters you find especially relatable? As basic as this sounds, I find myself relating to Belle from Beauty and the Beast. Her thirst for a thrilling life somewhere unfamiliar is something I crave. She doesn’t fall in love with a person’s outward appearance, which is something I do as well, and she loves reading too!

14. If you drink, what kind of drunk are you? Alternatively, what sort of person are you at parties? I don’t drink, but at parties I’m fairly social, regardless of whether or not I know the people in attendance. Sometimes parties are uncomfortable for me, but other times they’re not. It just depends on the type of people at the gathering.

15. Do you fall in love easily? Or does it usually take a long time for you to trust someone? I tend to trust people rather easily, but that doesn’t mean I fall in love quickly. I’m actually really reluctant to get into another relationship. It’s hard for me to find someone I truly love. I’ve only ever been in love once, and that relationship was two years ago.

16. Would you rather have one close friend or 100 casual friends? I prefer having one close friend. I have two best friends, and roughly five or six casual friends. I’ve always gained a lot more out of my bonds with my two closest friends than I ever have with those more distant from me.

17. Do you consider yourself to be more of a slob or a neat-freak? I’m a total neat-freak. I take great pleasure in organizing my bedroom and cleaning my car, and if I’m trying to keep myself busy for whatever reason, I often find something to organize. I’m a Virgo, so that explains it.

18. Describe a place (imaginary or real) that you find incredibly cozy: I imagine myself in a wooden loft in an attic of a house, surrounded by potted plants, art canvases, and towering bookshelves. Hand-woven dreamcatchers loom above my bed, and prisms capture beams of iridescent light on the walls. There’s a skylight on one of the ceiling panels, and a sliver of moonlight is bathing the room in an eerie, azure glow. Particles of silver, feathery dust are swirling around my head, twinkling like the blanket of stars above. I’m lying prostrate on the floor, gazing up at the heavens as the full moon smiles down upon me. A symphony of crickets fills the air, and the scent of old parchment wafts into my nostrils. It’s a tranquil night, and I’m alone with my thoughts. A porcelain cup of scalding, raspberry tea rests idly in my hand, and a warm smile is toying with my lips. I am at peace.

19. Do you have kids? If not, do you want them someday? I don’t have kids, and I’m hesitant about the idea of having them with the career I want to pursue, but I could see myself with two sometime in the future. Boys’ names: Elijah or Benedict. Girls’ names: Roslyn or Margot.

20. What was your favorite book as a child? Eggs by Jerry Spinelli was my absolute favorite book, and I remember reading it several times. I also really enjoyed The Sisters Grimm and N.E.R.D.S. books by Michael Buckley.

21. Name one thing you just don't get what all the hype is about: Going on cruises. The idea of being trapped on a giant boat with a timed schedule of mind-numbing, preselected activities to do doesn’t sound remotely fun to me.

22. Name one thing you think is tragically underrated: Crushed potato chips in bubblegum ice cream, mixed with marshmallow syrup and topped with rainbow sprinkles. Don’t knock it until you try it.

23. If you had to be glued to a person for a month, real or fictional, who would it be? I would choose Dick Van Dyke, who has always been my favorite actor. He’s currently ninety-one years old, so I would jump at the chance to walk a mile in his shoes before he dies.

24. What's something you'd like the chance to do someday? I’ve always dreamt of travelling Europe. I especially want to visit London, Dublin, Madrid, Amsterdam, and Rome.

25. Do you typically speak your mind when you have a controversial opinion? Or do you generally prefer not to rock the boat? I’m actually really vocal about my opinions. I’d like to think that I’m a gifted debater, writer, and public speaker, so I never shy away from sharing my perspectives in a controversial conversation if I have the evidence to back it up.

26. What's the dumbest fad you've been caught up in? I don’t think this was ever a fad, but I used to wear those Hot Topic rubbery wristbands up and down my arms like tattoo sleeves in middle school.

27. What's something you thought was cool as a kid, but now cringe at yourself for? See #26. I also thought that getting bad grades and bragging about being vegetarian for a day was cool.

28. What's a trait you consider to be very admirable? I value having intellect and good communication skills above all else, and it also makes my heart flutter if I meet someone chivalrous. I also love humor. I’m a sucker for anyone who can make me laugh.

29. Is there a particular kind of item people always tend to give you as gifts? My closest friends always buy me astrology related things. Other friends typically buy me Doctor Who merch or something feminine and monogrammed.

30. Do you speak multiple languages? Not fluently, but I studied French for three consecutive years and won a bronze medal for the national French exam.

31. Would you rather live in the big city or the countryside? I’m a city gal. I’ve grown up in an urban family town for far too long. I’ve always wanted to live in a flat in central London.

32. Has there ever been something you were certain you'd hate, but ended up loving? Marching band. I was terrified of joining originally, but here I am four years later serving as my band’s historian and the Mellophone section leader.

33. Do you mind being the center of attention, or do you prefer the spotlight to be on someone else? As far as group conversations go, no. I hate being in charge of the dialog, but if I’m speaking publicly or performing in front of a large audience, I don’t mind. I enjoy the adrenaline rush!

34. Favorite holiday? It’s a toss-up between New Year’s Eve and the Fourth of July.

35. Are you more of a go-with-the-flow type of person, or do you need to have things planned meticulously? I prefer having a plan, but I’m not going to throw a fit if I have to play something by ear.

36. Is there something you loved so much you wish you could forget it and experience it all again? I once took a family trip to Bar Harbor, Maine in 2011, and I firmly believe that it’s the most tranquil, serene place I’ve ever been to. Luckily, I’m going back to visit during the summer of 2018!

37. What hobbies do you have? Writing, sketching, blogging, reading, watching anime or YouTube gamers, astrology, gardening, playing the French horn, and playing Otome games obsessively

38. If you could have a superpower, but it was only mildly useful, what ability would you want to have? I would love to be able to harness the four elements somehow, even if my powers were minor. Just being able to generate a puff of smoke or grow something from the ground with my hands would be amazing.

39. Something people are always surprised to learn about you: I’m allergic to peanuts. Even after I tell my friends, they frequently forget.

40. Something that took you way too long to figure out: I don’t need to rely on other people to find the source of my happiness. I’m wonderfully made, just as I am.

41. Worst injury you’ve had? I’ve never had any injuries other than your typically bumps and bruises.

42. Any morbid fascinations? I love horror films and video games, especially the gory, psychological ones.

43. Describe your sense of humor: I make a lot dorky puns and niche references, so it’s rare when I get a genuine laugh out of people.

44. If you had to be born in another era/ place, which would you choose? Late 1960’s America. The country was in a state of social and political turmoil, so a movement of independent thought swept the nation’s youth for the first time since the Revolutionary War. Rock, which is my favorite genre of music, was also becoming immensely popular. I would’ve loved to have participated in an anti-war rally and go to Woodstock.

45. Something you are irredeemably bad at: Science. I have a passion for astronomy and psychology, but I’m terrible at any other science subtopic.

46. Something that sucked but you’re glad you went through: My first breakup. It’s corny, I know, but that emotional time in my life really helped me evolve into who I am today. I used to be pretty spineless, naïve, and dependent on others for my happiness. I may have lost someone I loved dearly, but I learned to love myself in the process, and I became a lot more confident because of it.

47. Would you rather have a really godawful, ugly tattoo in a place that is only slightly inconvenient to conceal, or the coolest, most beautiful tattoo ever in the middle of your face? I’ll take the ugly tattoo. At least I can hide it if I need to.

48. Are you more of an optimist or a pessimist? I’m an optimist. I don’t always see the silver lining in dark times, but I always persevere and convince myself that there’s something better coming.

49. What would be the most flattering compliment someone could give you? “You mean the world to me.”

50. Something you feel people often misunderstand about you: People seem to think that they can take advantage of me since I’m easily forgiving and kind. I may forgive, but I never forget.

(This took a lot longer to answer than I anticipated, but I had fun! @phantomchou @confused-tofu @princessofwysteria @rimalupin @lustfullyleocrawford @rizosrojizos @yukarinova @leorysxi @mariyukimu I'm sorry if y'all have already been tagged!)

[agent-cupcake]

I'M SO HAPPY YOU'RE INTO FE3H AAAA For requests how about hcs for yandere dimitri?

Yan! Dimitri  pre-timeskip - White Clouds

Yan! Dimitri post-timeskip - Azure Moon (SPOILERS-ISH!)

~Ah yes, my darling Delusional Prince with yandere feelings lingering around in the madness ridden rage state of his broken mind. It’s the good stuff. I like to imagine it like you had hopes he was alive but also knew he might actually be dead, so seeing this man you cared a lot about and had an intense emotional connection with understandably makes you incredibly happy, but Dimitri’s just (in all sense of the word) mad. 

~Mad that seeing you again would bring up uncomfortably human feelings he thought he had buried, mad that you were still a distraction, mad that you’d have the gall to be excited to see him, even mad at the sort of relief he’d feel because at least now he wouldn’t have to worry about you haunting him, too.

~I guess it sort of follows some of my thoughts in THIS POST, because I don’t think anything particularly interesting would happen with yandere feral Dimitri unless you were an active participant in trying to ~help~ him. Plus, you trying now would be yet another great reason for him to cling to an unhealthy connection later.

~Some of my favorite scenes to imagine here would be with you trying to help Dimitri in some way, trying to get him to eat or drink or engage in some way other than talking about revenge or murder, and him being rude and dismissive towards you. But then you give up and say how you’re gonna go train with the professor or someone and suddenly he feels it’s incredibly important that he trains, too. In service of killing Edelgard, of course. 

~Dimitri ridiculing you while aggressively attacking you for not being strong enough to be useful to him and pointing out all of your weaknesses while berating you for not valuing your life properly is actually a pretty good display of how I think feral yan Dimitri would be overall. Afraid of losing you for reasons he can’t really understand and dealing with that fear using anger and aggression and violent sexual tension. 

~Another nice thought is Dimitri getting extra physical in questioning you about your investment in him and why you’d be trying so hard to help. Which, if he realized your motives and feelings, could easily end up in a… Compromising situation. All that anger and those repressed feelings bubbling up could lead to some fun little scenarios. 

~He mainly hangs out in the cathedral during these chapters too, which makes me wonder to what extent he’d make a point of being beyond salvation or forgiveness, how far he’d go to illustrate the idea that your feelings would make you just as undeserving and incapable of salvation as he was. What’s a little sacrilege to a monster like him?

~While Dimitri wouldn’t actively keep you near him, or even acknowledge that he’d want your company to the point of being rude about you forcing it on him, I can see him being really passive aggressive if you decided to comply with his proclaimed desire for solitude. Like, talking about how weak you were, so you should have been training for the upcoming battle and not wasting your time doing silly and frivolous things with the others. He’d hear you laughing and having a good time? Big mistake. There’s no time for levity, and he’d call you selfish for indulging in it.  

~As with the other post, just imagine everyone’s reaction to this. Some of them pushing you further towards Dimitri in the hopes you’d help remind him of his humanity (maybe it’s terrible but I see Gilbert being the biggest one to do this, considering how little he cares for anything outside of Dimitri) and then you’d have the others who’d be truly afraid for you. And Felix, angry that you’d enable Dimitri in such a way. 

~Then, Gronder Field hits and we get the best voice acting I’ve heard since Mariya Ise’s Killua (Chris Hackney’s performance is like 60% of my love for Dimitri tbh) and Dimitri’s change of heart. Because this is self insert and yandere, we’re just gonna say that it’s you who approaches him before he leaves for Enbarr because the whole emotional thing is the fabric on which his yandere tendencies are embroidered upon. 

~And then, after that, guilt. So much guilt. Even more than in the actual game which is really sad, but oh-so delicious because it creates a situation where he’d feel very fervently about atonement for his behavior towards you specifically. Whatever that means. 

~To sum up how I think Dimitri would feel in this Phase Three Yandere state, I’d point to his Goddess Tower line “The goddess just watches over us from above… That is all. No matter how hard someone begs to be saved, she would never so much as offer her hand. And even if she did, we lack the means to reach out and grasp it.”, because that feels particularly compatible with his line “Your hands are so warm, have they always been?” in the scene in the rain. Reaching out a hand is basically a staple for strong emotional moments with Dimitri, and in that scene he’s quite literally being saved by you. Even playing as Byleth in-game that felt idolizing (honestly, a lot of this is already in-game text in his supports with Byleth, it’s really not that hard to read it as yandere), and Dimitri definitely has a record of putting people he feels strongly about on a pedestal.

~Dimitri would love you. Absolutely. That’d be a pre-existing thing he just never got around to realizing before the war because he’s emotionally clueless and afraid of feelings. However, he’d also see you as a symbol of sorts. Warmth, compassion, someone who, even at his very darkest, was looking out for him. A co-dependent emotional manager, to say it bluntly. Not just love, then, but adoration and need to an unhealthy degree. A worshiping sort of clingyness. 

~The whole fully formed yan relationship wouldn’t happen all at once after the revelation scene. Fighting the battle of becoming king and winning the war and trying to sort out all of the hundreds of fires he’d left unattended while also trying to mend his broken mind, I think Dimitri’s behavior towards you at first would be relatively innocent. Mostly, he’d just find comfort in having you near him and having you there for ~emotional guidance~. 

~Aaaaand we’re just gonna say that at this point you’d be far too emotionally involved and despite any feelings you may have had about his behavior, despite the severity of his feelings, you couldn’t find it within yourself to step back. But, if you tried, Dimitri would do just about anything to convince you to stay with him. Even if he hated himself for it, even if the guilt was overwhelming, the idea of being without you, the idea of you leaving him and his protection, would be even worse. 

~To this end, I can see him not forcing a romantic/physical relationship. That’d be something he’d want, but his need for you would far outweigh anything like that. To Dimitri, keeping you safe and sound and comfortable and as happy as possible would be the only way for him to make up for his behavior. So he could be overbearingly overprotective, incredibly intense, reverent on the side of uncomfortable, too selfish to let you go, but wouldn’t directly force you into anything.

~Of course he would sense that this was wrong, and feel a huge amount of guilt over it and the possibility that you could be happier elsewhere, but then rationalize that this was best. That he was the only one who could possibly ensure your safety and happiness, that could care about you enough to see it through.

~If you did agree to marry Dimitri, all of these things would only get more intense, but I also think it would lessen a lot of his guilt. If you fully agreed to be his wife, that meant that you were choosing him to give you happiness and safety. Besides, holding you and knowing you were real, that you were his, would possibly be one of his greatest joys.

~The whole overprotective thing would be a huge issue, and arguing with him about it would be pointless because he would never concede to your demands for more autonomy, citing that the kingdom wasn’t exactly safe yet and you would have a target on your head as queen and all of the various yandere excuses to skirt around the fact that his fear of losing you would be absolutely debilitating to him. 

~There’d also be the occasional patch of jealousy, although Dimitri would never doubt or question you, but the intentions of others. 

~I think, sometimes, the pedestal he’d put you on would be pretty awful. Lonely, maybe? His adoration could get cloying, although it could also be wonderful. He’d make you feel well and truly loved, more than anything else in the world. 

~Summing it all up, Dimitri would need you. I think the extent to which he’d feel this way would be very ~~love sick~~, but in reality his behavior wouldn’t be way too extreme. It would only arise in little slip-ups, when his mania would get too intense and his passion would suffocate.