#new year!Alfonse is always fun to use

[elysianstars]

Since the FEH New Year banner has thoroughly disappointed but not surprised me, here's some predictions for other banners that have a better shot of featuring my Engage favourites in 2024...

Day of Devotion: Perfect for the flower crown royals of Firene.

Easter: Actually, the only time I ever liked this was when it featured Alfonse and Sharena. The bunny outfits generally weird me out. Please don't dress my blorbos up like that.

Fallen: This NEEDS to be a dragon banner. Red Alear! Evil Veyle! Great Fell Dragon Rafal! Maybe a Corrupted Lumera too? ...Granted, Fallen characters are supposed to be in a state of murderous rage, and Red Alear's mindset is 'please let me stop murdering people I hate it', but the Heroes team aren't always bothered with nuance.

Summer: Since we know what qualifies a character to be on this banner, let's go with swimsuit Nel. Throw in Veyle as well in a cute sundress, let them do some fun sisterly bonding on a beach holiday. It's what they deserve.

Picnic: What's the most awful sandwich filling Chloe can dream of?

Bridal: I have no strong feelings on this theme. Pick some ladies – this means adults, thank you – and put them in fancy white gowns.

Ninja: Zelkov and Kagetsu? Also, please give us Ivy Trio appearances in their canon outfits soon, preferably on the same banner so I only have one target to throw orbs at.

Halloween: Surrender all of your candy to Rafal, or face the Consequences.

Pirates: Bring back the pirate banners! You can dress anybody in an outfit like that and it'll be great.

Besides that, I can only pray male Alear doesn't get thrown into the same never-getting-a-legendary pit as male Corrin. Don't even talk to me about Camilla.

[hp-fanfic-archive]

an introductory rec list (that nobody asked for) for some of my favorite (platonic and/or romantic) pairings: severitus [2/10]

First fic I read for the pairing: Of Potions and Phobias by tt22123 [1k,G] Severitus story with nightmares [i stumbled on this fic on accident and it was short and sweet (and a little bittersweet at the end).]

Fic that really sold me on the pairing: Leo Inter Serpentes (Series) by Aeternum [746k,E,6 works] (WIP) Just one conversation between two eleven year old boys goes slightly differently, and the world changes. Just how much will be different with Harry being sorted into Slytherin, and how much will stay the same? [i will never not recommend this series: it’s amazing, it’s well-written, it’s true to all the characters and relationships and it feels more canon than canon (of course, it’s also significantly more gay than canon but i said what i said).]

Absolute favorite fic(s) for the pairing: Nobody Cared by etherian [360k,G] Harry is 11 years old and looking forward to attending Hogwarts. Why, then, does he miss the Welcoming Feast? (warnings for: child abuse, bullying, depictions of violence) [this fic is really well done (but has a lot of angst and definitely mind the warnings above (although the author doesn’t include warnings on the fic)).] Family Means More Than Blood by WingsOfADream [422k,M] A prophecy made in 1975 drastically changes the life of the boy who should have been known as Harry Potter. [this is yet another fic with a really well-written and fascinating plot with excellent characterizations and plot lines. i definitely would recommend it to someone with a lot of time on their hands.]

Most recent fic I’ve read for the pairing: Blackberry Tart by starknjarvis [33k,G] One year after Severus Snape offered to become Harry's legal guardian, Sirius Black shows up at Hogwarts. [the fic is a part of a well-written and pragmatic series and this fic also includes the development of a remus & severus and a sirius & severus friendship so that harry can have a larger and supportive family and i’m living for it (i believe the exact tag that the author used was “coparenting with your childhood nemesis” and i am living for it).]

Favorite AU(s) I’ve read for the pairing: Alternate Sorting AU (Slytherin!Harry): Malfoy Flavor by Vorabiza [199k,E] Harry’s ready to banish the Golden Boy image and take charge of his life. Unfortunately for him, or fortunately, there are surprises in store for him. [Slytherin!Harry but it’s not an entire canon rewrite like most of the alternate sorting fics i love so much, so that’s fun. also drarry and just the right amount of painful but realistic angst. oh and it has a delightfully fluffy little sequel.]

Favorite Series for the pairing: Forgiveness & Redemption by waitingondaisies [130k,T,2 works] Severus Snape was discovered as a spy mere days before the start of the school year. Thankfully, Albus had been working on a vague contingency plan for this possibility. It had been inspired by the question, “What would it take for Severus Snape to see that he was wrong about Harry Potter?” The answer? Force Severus to go undercover as Alfonse “Eli” Hopkirk, a sixth year Gryffindor. (that’s technically the summary for the first fic but i think it serves well enough in lieu of a series summary, which the author did not provide. also warnings for child abuse.) [this series is such an interesting concept and it feels very realistic in how it played out and i’m honestly here for it.] You're a Parent, Severus by acmparker [210k,G,6 works] (WIP) When Lily got home from her first year at Hogwarts, she found a new distance between herself and Petunia. As a result Severus and Lily became even closer to each other over that summer. The next year Lily found a book in the Hogwarts Library that describe an ancient ritual for creating a blood bond that would make two unrelated people kin. She convinces Severus to undergo the ritual with her and they become brother and sister. This means that when Lily dies there is another whose blood relationship with her is recognized by the blood ward Dumbledore places on Harry. To Severus Snape's chagrin he finds himself the last line of defense between Harry and the forces of the Dark Lord. (again, no series summary but i think this works well enough.) [i love a good remus and severus friendship plus severitus so this series really works for me. and it’s a canon rewrite (love those).] Bruised Words by starknjarvis [49k,G,2 works] (WIP) After Harry blows up Aunt Marge, Dumbledore decides it's not safe for Harry to spend the rest of the summer at the Leaky Cauldron, and instead sends him to stay at Spinner’s End with Professor Snape. It's tense, awkward, and teeming with misunderstandings...but it might be the best thing that's happened to either of them. They're both been without a family for a very long time. (apparently all my favorite series aside from Leo Inter Serpentes, which i’ve already listed above, don’t have series descriptions, but the first work’s description seems to work well enough. also warnings for child abuse.) [this is the series that blackberry tart belongs to and may i just say: it’s excellent and well-written and pragmatic and i would recommend it.]

Longest fic I’ve read for the pairing: A Year Like None Other by aspeninthesunlight [789k,T] A letter from home? A letter from family? Well, Harry Potter knows he has neither, but all the same, it starts with a letter from Surrey. Whatever the Durleys have to say, it can't be anything good, so Harry's determined to ignore it. But then, his evil schoolmate rival spots the letter and his slimy excuse for a teacher intercepts it and forces him to read it. And that sends Harry down a path he'd never have walked on his own. It will be a year of big changes, a year of great pain, and a year of confronting worst fears. It will be a year of surprising discoveries, of finding true strength, of finding out that first impressions of a person's true colours do not always ring true. It will be a year of paradigm shifts. And from the most unexpected sources, Harry will have a chance to have that which he has never known: a home ... and a family. A sixth year fic, this story follows Order of the Phoenix and disregards any canon events that occur after Book 5. (warnings for: graphic depictions of violence, self-harm, severe medical trauma) [the fic has some really dark parts but the plot is so intricate and fascinating and the relationships and dynamics are excellently written and the characterizations are spot on and i would definitely recommend it to anyone with a lot of time on their hands.]

Fic(s) with some of my favorite tropes: Sickfic + Hurt/Comfort: When He Called Me Dad by MarauderChaos [31k,Not Rated] It was only however as the end of his second year did Severus collect enough evidence and enough of his own courage to step in. The boy looked as though the world was ending when Severus brought him to his private quarters to see Madam Bones, and for a moment Severus felt the world was ending when someone recommended him as guardian. But that was how it ended, with Harry Potter becoming the ward of the Potions Master. It was kept a secret from the press and the students of Hogwarts – even his own Godson didn’t know, mainly because Lucius was bound to hear of it if he did and Severus didn’t want to risk their lives. They had their ups and downs, screaming and shouting, hexes and slamming doors, crying and hugging, laughing and actually having fun. But there was one moment that Severus would always remember, with its own fair share of good and bad, was the time he called him Dad. [i’m a sucker for hurt/comfort and accidental revelation of feelings, which in this case is the strength of harry’s platonic feelings, and this fic has all that so… yeehaw.] Accidental Bonding (but make it platonic): Love is... (series) by atiaahmed [133k,G,4 works] (WIP) This series revolves around how Snape starts to care about Harry because of a charm put on him by Ron and Hermione. The first story "Love is a charm" explores how their relationship changes because of the charm and what happens when it expires at the end of the year The second story explores how their relationship develops after the events of "Love is a charm". In "Love is a haven" other paternal figures, namely Lupin and Black will threaten Severus position with Harry. [i kind of like the platonic severitus take on one of my favorite hp tropes tbh and i like the way that their relationship develops and the realistic trust issues and such.]

[setethsbigbaratitties]

as much as a i like the new lif/thrasir duo unit i am still miffed that sharena didn’t get to be in the day of devotion banner SO i kind of banged out a quick lif and sharena support bc they deserve to have some closure together!! feat. some bonus alfonse in the C and A support

C Support

Sharena: Hum...I’m so bored. Tell me something to do, Alfonse.

Alfonse: I’m kind of busy right now, Sharena. Go read a book or something.

Sharena:  I’ve already read a bunch today! My eyes are gonna turn into jelly.

Alfonse: Then go find someone to talk to.

Sharena: I did. Everyone I wanted to talk to is busy.

Alfonse: Well, so am I! Go play in the garden or something!

Sharena: Ugh! Fine. I’ll go to the garden, because you’re clearly not fun to talk to right now anyway.

…

Sharena: Humph. At least the flowers are pretty like always.

Sharena: …

Sharena: Oh...I really shouldn’t have gotten mad at him. I was the one bugging him. Maybe I should pick some flowers for him...Huh?

Lif: …

Sharena: Hm. He’s picking flowers too. Maybe he’ll actually talk to me for once. Hey, Lif!

Lif: ?! Who- ah!

Sharena: It’s me! Hey, where are you going? ...He ran away. 

Sharena: ...Okay! That’s what I’m doing today! I’m gonna make Lif be my friend no matter what! Here we go!

B Support

Lif: …

Sharena: ....

Lif: ……….

Sharena: ………… (I’ve been watching him for at least an hour….he hasn’t moved at all.)

Lif: …………………..

Sharena: …………………. *sigh*

Lif: ! You!

Sharena: Whoops.

Lif: Quit following me!

Sharena: Maybe I’d quit following if you’d quit running!

Lif: Why do you think I keep distancing myself from you?

Sharena: I don’t know! Maybe you’re just shy or something?

Lif: Ha! Foolish.

Sharena: What, am I wrong? It’s not like I ever see you with anyone else. Do you even have any friends here?

Lif: I have no need of friends, either here or elsewhere.

Sharena: Don’t be silly. Everyone needs friends.

Lif: Your naivete might be charming to others, but not to me.

Sharena: Hey! Just cause I’m nice doesn’t mean I’m naive. How do you even live without friends?

Lif: I don’t; I’m dead.

Sharena: Yeah, but….

Lif: There is no but. Your time is better spent with people who want to be around you.

Sharena: You...you jerk! I can’t believe you and Alfonse are the same person!

Lif: ...Sharena…

A Support

Sharena: That was a tough battle. I can’t wait to take a nap.

Alfonse: You never can wait to take a nap, Sharena.

Sharena: What can I say? My sparkling disposition takes a lot of rest to maintain- huh?

Alfonse: What is it?

Sharena: Somebody left a bunch of pressed flowers outside of my room...It’s my favorite flower, too. They’re beautiful.

Alfonse: I wonder who could’ve done that?

Sharena: Hee hee! It’s okay if it was you.

Alfonse: It wasn’t, though. I’ve been with you pretty much all day. I haven’t even been to the garden in weeks, anyway.

Sharena: Hm...oh!

Alfonse: Sharena? Where are you going?

Sharena: Sorry, Alfonse! There’s someone I need to talk to!

…

Sharena: Hey, Lif? Please don’t run.

Lif: Princess Sharena.

Sharena: C’mon. You don’t have to call me that.

Lif: It’s your proper title, is it not?

Sharena: Yeah, but we’re family. Or we were, at least.

Lif: …...

Sharena: Okay, fine, I won’t push it. I just….thank you for the flowers. They’re my favorite.

Lif: I know.

Sharena: Um...can I ask why you went through the trouble of pressing them? I would have liked them even if you just put them in a vase. It seems like a lot of effort considering...you know. That you don’t like me very much.

Lif: …

Sharena: Okay, never mind, you don’t have to answer. Just...thanks, okay? I’ll, um, leave you alone now.

Lif: ...I don’t dislike you.

Sharena: Huh?

Lif: I could never dislike you.

Sharena: But just last week, you said you didn’t want to be around me.

Lif: That was….a lie. It’s not that I don’t want to be around you. I don’t...deserve to be around you.

Sharena: W-why do you think that?!

Lif: ...In my world, I failed to protect you. I have no right to your friendship here. It’s for the best that we not interact.

Sharena: Man, you really ARE Alfonse, aren’t you?

Lif: …?

Sharena: Sorry, but that’s one of the silliest things I’ve ever heard! I WANT you to be my friend.

Lif: You want everyone to be your friend.

Sharena: Yeah, but ESPECIALLY you! I get that things have changed and you’ve had a lot of bad stuff happen to you, but deep down you’re still my brother. I...I don’t even want to imagine what living without Alfonse would be like, so I don’t want you to go through the same thing!

Lif: Sharena-

Sharena: Nope! You don’t get to argue on this one. My Alfonse is already broody enough. If you keep bringing all this extra doom and gloom, we’ll never see the sun again.

Lif: It’s not going to be the same.

Sharena: ...I know that. I know I can’t replace the Sharena that you lost. But I don’t have to! For now I can just be your friend Sharena. And if...if that changes, and you want to think of yourself as my brother later on….that’s okay too. I’m happy either way. I just don’t want you to be alone.

Lif: ...Flowers last longer when they’re pressed.

Sharena: Huh?

Lif: You asked why I pressed the flowers instead of just giving them to you. They last longer. For years, even. I thought...it would be nice to give you something you could hold onto.

Sharena: Aww, Alfonse.

Lif: Ah.

Sharena: Oh, sorry. S-should I not call you that?

Lif: No, it’s fine. I don’t use that name anymore, but...coming from you, it’s alright.

Sharena: Hee hee! Alright, first stop in our friendship: we’re going to the market!

Lif: Why, exactly?

Sharena: You gave me such a nice gift. I need to get you something in return.

Lif: That isn’t- oh, alright...Heh. I guess you aren’t so different from her after all.

[ness-plays-wizards]

Alfonse Route Chapter 2 (4-8)

Look everybody, look who’s back again!

Last time on the Alfonse Route: Ness dropped off the face of tumblr to work on NaNoWriMo. They reached 50,000 words only thanks to the many, many, many word count buffs they added to the bottom of their document in point 1 font. They also got into college and aced their theater auditions, landing two parts in various school plays!

Wait, was I supposed to recap the Alfonse route? Ah well I’m more interesting anyway /hj /lh.

So Remy tells Liz that Alfonse is basically just working on a research grant on something I’m just gonna consider a wizard doctorate program, a thing that more fantasy stories should genuinely take advantage of because wizard doctorates is such a fun concept. Anyway, Alfonse walks over and Remy decides that he’s not gonna be a third wheel this time and leaves.

Liz thanks Alfonse for helping them in the ruins. Alfonse says he just “happened to be passing by” an excuse that no one, including Liz, is fooled by. Alfonse, luckily, probably doesn’t bullshit us and says he was looking into the disease too.

Hoo boy, this sure hits different as we’re coming up on Year 3 of Covid!!!! /sarc

Liz starts wondering who Alfonse reminds her of because she can pass all three prefect trials even with an asshole judging her, but she can’t make the connection that Alfonse looks exactly like Klaus and Elias.

Yeah, Alfonse definitely said that in one of those falsetto or dry-ass tones people always use for lies in comedy.

Wait Gedonelune has celebrities other than their two (2) teachers?

You’re so close Liz!

You’d think that’s a lie at first, then you remember Klaus doesn’t technically go to Gedonelune anymore, but he’s constantly hanging around there so it’s evident to see how one might get confused.

Alfonse also says he can’t see his brothers because of certain circumstances that are his fault, a statement that might have more gravitas if Alfonse and Klaus had not been constantly in the same room over the past four routes.

You know, they actually have some pretty good communication for an otome pairing.

Luca runs over holding a newspaper, which is news to me because I didn’t know that this school had a newspaper. Or a printing press. Apparently the headline is about Klaus because of course it fucking is. Klaus gets an expositional introduction, which reminded me that he did not appear in this route yet.

Mary Sue material right there /j.

Yeah, I wouldn’t call “somehow appears in every route since season 6 dropped” the “occasional” visit.

Luca shows Liz the article and shockingly, the article just describes a random woman photographed with Klaus, not an out of context photo of Liz and Klaus, so color me shocked. Alfonse looks at it, and now I’ve got a feeling that said random woman is probably Elaine, which would be both sad and hilarious.

Oh yeah, for those not in the know, Elaine was a character in Klaus’s route who Liz learned was the Goldstein brother’s fiance. And that Goldstein brother was Alfonse. Can’t wait to see how that gets resolved!

Anyway all of that was pure speculation because the real point of this scene was just to have Alfonse get close to Liz. He introduces himself to Luca. The narrative calls him “Alfonso,” which leads me to believe that Luca has a special ability to spontaneously turn anyone within a 5 foot radius of him Italian. Luca thinks he’s heard the name Alfonse before, but Alfonse dismisses him and reveals that the article was a fake, which means that my headcanons about wizard buzzfeed have finally been validated.

GIRL he’s not even TRYING to cover his ass.

Alfonse asserts that newspapers are vultures and tell lies to sell papers with such fervor I half-expect the paparazzi to be involved with his tragic backstory. Honestly the most surprising part of this is that Gedonelune apparently had cameras and printing presses this whole time.

Zeus arrives, effectively ruining my day. Luca dips, citing that he doesn’t want to deal with them, and I wish I could join him.

[leavaloo]

The Moon’s Kiss [Alfonse x F!Summoner; FEH fluff]

So I always tend to get inspired when I read anything Lif or Alfonse related by @pokemagines because they portray the beans so well, and I wanted a little bit of a break from Pokemon, so take it. Alfonse can have my entire life and I’d be okay with that.

The castle was always eerily quiet at night. With so many heroes wandering about, talking, sparring, sometimes yelling, the quiet seemed out of place. It was always a culture shock to Alfonse, but in a way he preferred it. There was no one here to see him when he was crestfallen or pondering.

His room was a good place to go, yes, but one can only do so much thinking in the confines of their own prison. So the night air wafting through the halls was always a much needed relief when he found that he couldn’t sleep. He could smell the scent of the various flowers drifting through the air, and the night brought just enough chill to counteract the growing summer heat. Without his armor, he found himself moving about the halls silently; a habit he had picked up from sneaking about from kitchen to room.

He smiled. Sharena was doubtless to remember those nights, what with him snagging some bread for them to share on the quiet hills near the castle. Sneaking back was more of an issue than getting there, but getting caught didn’t do much for a deterrent. There was more punishment for him since he was older, but the smile and happy giggles from his sister always counteracted those.

Alfonse made his way towards one of the many balconies around the castle, more towards his room. The night air felt silky smooth, and he wondered if he was allowed to sleep in the grass tonight. As he rounded the corner, he found that tonight he wouldn’t be alone in his night adventure.

He had seen you without your cloak multiple times, but something about you tonight was just... striking. His summoner, in her nightgown and leaning over the ledge of the balcony, the moon kissing her skin and the wind through her hair. You were never one to express too much; your smile now said otherwise. Eyes drifting lazily over the countryside, your cheek resting on your arm... you looked like you belonged in a painting. Somehow, Alfonse didn’t feel like he deserved to see you in such a light.

He didn’t realize that he was staring at you, leaning against a pillar next to the balconies. Nor did he realize the small smile he had on his face. Alfonse always found himself becoming more casual around you. Him leaning against a pillar with his arms crossed was not something he would have done in the presence of others. His navy blue night shirt and brown trousers shifted slightly in the breeze. That breeze wafted your hair, and when you went to fix it, you saw him out of the corner of your eye.

“Oh! Alfonse! I didn’t see you there!” Damn it, there was that smile again. Alfonse had studied you on countless different occasions, how you interacted with everyone. And he realized that this big smile of yours when you saw him was reserved for him only. You popped up on the balcony, straightening your posture and giving him a big grin. Alfonse thought he could see a slight blush, but he disregarded it as a play of the light.

“I apologize, I didn’t mean to scare you.” His smile didn’t leave. It never really left around you to begin with.

“Oh no, I was just surprised is all. Usually you’re so loud!”

“It’s the armor.”

You rolled your eyes. “Wow, I could have never guessed.”

Alfonse chucked, ignoring his fast heart beat and moving to the balcony next to you. “What are you doing here?” he asked. “Aren’t you usually studying during this hour?”

“I could ask you the same thing,” you retorted. You sighed, leaning once more. “I figured that when I was about ready to claw my eyes out that it was probably a good time to take a break. And lucky me, I picked the perfect time.” You looked over at him and winked. While he, externally, just chuckled, inside he was screaming very loudly. “What are you doing up?”

Alfonse shrugged. “Couldn’t sleep.”

“Insomnia again?”

He nodded with a sigh. “Yeah, it makes it worse that I can’t stop thinking.”

“About what?”

About you, he wanted to say, but he held that side of him back. “About our recent events. How crazy things have been, and how none of it seems to really stop. Kind of like how my brain just... doesn’t stop.”

He felt a hand on top of his head, and he looked over to see you patting the top of it. He couldn’t help but laugh at your goofy grin. “You don’t have to go through this alone, you know that right?”

There you go again, he thought. Somehow, you always did the silliest actions when you gave the most needed advice. “I know. I’m getting better at it.”

“I can see that. I’m glad you’re taking care of yourself now. It’s not fun to see you in pain.” You pulled your hand away, and Alfonse could clearly see the scars on your arms. The sight of him made his heart hurt. All those times you ended up getting hurt in battle. It was just a reminder that those were all times that he couldn’t protect you.

“It’s not fun seeing you in pain either.” He allowed himself a small touch to your arm, the back of his fingers tracing over a fairly gnarly scar. If he remembered correctly, that was from a jagged and rusted hand axe some enemy militia has picked up. The scar was rough and weathered; while it had healed as best as it could, there was still an obvious dip in your skin where the flesh has been cut from. “Perhaps you could do me a favor and let me protect you more in battle?”

He didn’t think it came off as a very loving statement, but the hitch in your breath and the blush on your cheeks said otherwise. You looked away from his eyes, your grin turning bashful. His stomach erupted into thousands of butterflies. He’d never seen this side of you before, and he wanted to see more of it.

“M-Maybe... You still need to lead a bunch of people though, right? How are you going to lead them if you’re protecting me all the time?”

“I can easily lead by your side.” What kind of Hel infested demon was taking over his brain? Alfonse didn’t even know he could have this side of him. It was weird, but to be honest, he dug it.

You wouldn’t meet his eyes now, your face as red as a cherry. Alfonse couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped him, his fingers still brushing your skin. “You look like you’re about to pop.”

You reached peak cuteness when you hid your face in your hands. Alfonse laughed, pulling away as to not make you overly uncomfortable. “I apologize. I didn’t mean to be so callous.”

You shook your head, dropping your hands but still not looking him in the eye. Alfonse, now that he had learned that other summoners existed, vowed to let all the worlds know that he had the cutest one. You took a deep breath, but your little bashful smile was still there. “I-It’s okay! I’m just... not used to that yet.”

“Maybe I could help change that?” Alfonse bit the inside of his lip, internally cursing for the shameless flirting that his brain insisted he continue. But you looked up at him, finally, the twinkle in your eyes against the light of the moon luring him into a trance once more. Now, it was your turn to retort. Alfonse gulped heavily as you walked up to him, centimeters away from his face. You were a slight bit shorter than he was, but that didn’t mean your presence was any less mesmerizing. You always smelt like freshly baked goods, and being this close to you made him wish that he could hold you every night.

“Maybe... I’d be okay with that. Especially if I get more nights like this.”

Alfonse found his hand running up and down your arm, the smoothness counteracted by the rough scars. He smiled, taking in the light of your eyes. “I’d agree, my dear. But I believe we’d need to keep it quiet for a little bit.” He could feel your breath on his skin, and he just wished he could connect. Your hand rested on his chest, and Alfonse pulled you in closer. He couldn’t resist you anymore. Your body rose when he kissed your lips, and with nothing but the wind and the humming of crickets to watch, he found himself melting.

How long had he wanted this? This embrace with you? Far too long. Months? Years? The silence was intoxicating, the rushing of his heartbeat ringing through to your hand on his chest. He didn’t want to break the kiss, as simple as it was. Nothing extravagant in it, just a loving connection. His eyes fluttered open when you two parted. You pulling away was the worst thing in the world for him; he wanted nothing more than to steal you away to his room. In a way, he felt so naive and small. Kissing someone like this was very new to him, and slightly terrifying in a way. You played with a his hair for a little bit, the strands that had started to meet his neck.

“Good night, Alfonse. I’ll see you tomorrow, yeah?”

He nodded. “Yeah. I’d like that.”

You laughed, giving him one big hug before you practically skipped off to your room. There was something that Lif had said that Alfonse was reminded of in that moment. A King and his summoner shall always be bound. Alfonse didn’t think that he meant in this way, but as he wandered off to his room, he found himself fairly giddy at the prospect of what that meant. Alfonse finally got the first good night sleep he had gotten in a while, and it was all worth it to see the immediate blush on your face in the morning.

[autumnslance]

So what is your thoughts on the new sapphire weapon fight? What I find interesting is they dont seem to be letting Gaius walk away from what he did if that Duskwright's dialogue is anything to go by. Add in how Gaius still recalls his children's name yet the leader Valeth? Couldnt I am seeing some interesting lines the fact they showed him without showing him makes me think he and Gaius have a history. But man was that fight fun.

Second time I ran it I was listening to the Pacific Rim soundtrack. The fight itself is fun (the lighting is fantastic) and it’s a crime we seem only able to play it once. You betcha I got shots of posing with the mech, too. Terncliff is lovely.

I really like Val and his backstory was good to get, also how he and Gaius met and just how long they’ve traveled together (technically he’s an Adder deserter, but I won’t tell Kan-E if you won’t). Hoping we learn more of Severa next go-round, and what her deal is; that would make sense.

As for the overarching plot: I am on the fence still. I agree with Val’s assessment that Gaius is much the same; his big change is in realizing how much of his life in the Empire was a manipulation and cruel joke by the Ascians, but much of the rest? We have no real indication he’s changed his mind on many things, or realizes some of those actions he and his soldiers perpetuated were wrong for the people he tried to rule. His agreement that Val can kill him at the end of their work--nebulous as that is--indicates he knows he did harm, but figures once he’s done something useful to make up for some of it he can die to make everyone happy.

Which is not the healthiest mindset, honestly, but I can see it as an old warrior deciding it’s the “honorable” thing to do. Though I doubt it will happen that way; bringing Gaius back years later just to kill him again would be a waste, really.

Gaius has always cared about people, and paid more attention to even the non-Garlean people around him, even if his methods have been decidedly unhealthy and ultimately selfish, which he maybe now realizing, seeing the results in the Werlyt group.

New Legatus is definitely set up as a foil for Gaius and is meant to make the Old Wolf look better by having this new guy be a short-tempered creeper, in the shadows with the children in the room and treating Alfonse that way. The final scene with Allie also skeeved me hard, as I’ve had a fear from the beginning she’s going to have an emotional lynchpin moment; she’s either going to be deadset against Papa Wolf in the final battle, and/or used as bait. New Guy DID know her name and is purposefully being very manipulative of both her and Alfonse (and I worry about that correction chamber and what that entails).

This is especially since the writers have corrected Milisandia’s age to be much younger, and Ricon was only 17. The story really is leaning hard into the mecha genre with teen/young adult pilots (with daddy issues), and New Guy seems even sketchier around kids, where Gaius has mostly been a terrible role model and looking to prove his rightness.

Not showing the Legatus is an interesting point; they normally all are helmed, but he was intentionally shadowed, too, before donning his armor with the help of the children. So maybe there is further connection, or maybe a way to build suspense, or pull a trick on us later.

Still no Nero, despite Ultima being his baby in ARR. Seriously, you can’t tell me Cid knows more about the Weapons project, even with putting together the G-Warrior. No talk, with all these kids in the picture, of Gaius’ foster daughter Livia and how that all turned out either (and I have the feeling given the way that looked to a lot of folks in ARR that they might be shuffling that under a rug and hoping she’s forgotten; hells, she’s not even mentioned by Gaius in ARR after her death, you’d think he’d bring up the fact we killed her to the WoL at some point in Prae). So there are still things not sitting right with me, or seem to be missing, but we have 2 more parts to go and see where our mecha adventures take us.

And honestly, it might just end up being “cool trials and mech battles, what story? No story here” for a lot of folks.

[leonthecardboardunicorn]

The Ruined King, chapter 2

Previous: Chapter one

Pairing: Felix x Liz

Summary: Hawkeye is once again moving through Gedonelune, and it looks like their aim is on the heart of the Dragonkin Ruins. It looks like we’ll need the help of the three Reciters to solve this mystery!

"That was her," I said. "I'm sure of it, I recognize that necklace."

"I was afraid of that," Randolph said with a sigh. "She is one of the culprits I've been chasing after, but I lost track of her."

"Then.. you're saying that she was a member of Hawkeye?"

"Yes." He sighed. "I thought I would be able to pursue these on my own, but it appears that we have no choice. They have become a threat even here." He faced us. "I'd like to ask for your help in this case."

The others smiled. "Of course!"

"Do you even need to ask?"

"We'll do our best to help you," I said. "Just tell us what we can do to help."

He relaxed, smiling. "I'm grateful for your help." He took out a folder from his bag, laying it on his desk. "I've been collecting all of the information I could find on Hawkeye here. Everything you need to know is in here."

I could feel hesitant glances from the others. I stepped up to the desk, opening the folder. My heart was in my throat as I flipped through the pages. 'I had no idea there were so many people in Hawkeye.'

"The woman who attacked you was Cordelia Robinson," he said. "Five years ago, she and Drago were students here at the academy. She was an excellent student who excelled in magic, but.. she was found by one of the leaders of Hawkeye; together, she and Drago stole the Fairy's Egg and ran away from the school."

The others came over, flicking through the binder in silence. Even from a glance, I could tell there was quite a bit of information.

'I can't imagine how hard it must have been to find all of this,' I thought.

"Sir, do you have any idea what they're after?" Alfonse asked.

"Do you think they could be trying to revive the Golem again?" Elias asked.

"I don't think they'd try that one again. But if they're coming here..” A strange expression crossed his face. “I have reason to believe that they may be looking at the ruins under and around the academy."

"Are you talking about the Dragonkin Ruins?"

That's right. He had told us before; Hawkeye was made up of the surviving members of the Dragonkin. That had been even before Willem had come to the school, when the Dragonkin had seemed like the stuff of legends.

Then.. who better to ask than a Dragonkin?

"Sir, I think I know some one who could help us," I said. "Actually, I know three of them. Would it be all right if I shared this information with them?"

"Who are you talking about?" Randolph asked gently.

How should I explain this? "The three Dragonkin Reciters," I said. "They've recently been reunited and have been living in our village. I know that.. there have been problems with them," I winced, "but I believe they could help us."

"The Reciters.. I've heard about them. I remember one of them was the one who took my place."

"Yes, sir."

"Do you trust them?" I nodded. "Very well then. If you think they can help us, be my guest."

"Hawkeye?"

A few hours later, I was seated at Willem's kitchen table with him and Lacan; Randolph's binder was laid out before us.

"Yes, we thought that they might be after the Dragonkin Ruins. Do you think you could tell us anything more about them?"

"This is ridiculous." Felix was pacing through Willem's kitchen. "A golem? We would never have built such a thing. A Dragonkin would never have such a desire for violence."

"You did?"

He stopped. A strange expression flickered across his face. "..I know what I've built. What we've built. And I know that Golem wasn't it," he said firmly. "Besides, the three of us were the only survivors of the Dragonkin war."

"He's right," Willem said. "I searched the world for traces of any survivors as soon as I got out. If there had been any, I would have known about them by now."

I thought it had sounded fishy. "Do you think they could have been faking it? Using the name of the Dragonkin to cause a fuss?"

"That seems the most likely case. However, it does seem likely that they have interest in our ruins," Willem said "In that case, I can be your guide."

"I'm going with you too," Felix said, facing us.

"You are?"

"If they're using our name, it's our business," he said. "And if they are a threat, you'll need our power to take them out." There was a darkness to his voice that sent shivers down my spine, reminding me of how he was before.

'But we might need that power to stop Hawkeye.'

"I'll go too!" Lacan said cheerily. "It's been so long since the three of us have been on an adventure together; it'll be just like the old days!"

Willem gave him a gentle smile. "If they're on campus, then I imagine the first ruins they'll be going after will be the ones under the school," he said.

"Then I'll ask Headmaster Schuyler for permission to allow Felix and Lacan into the school," I said. "We can go exploring them tomorrow after classes."

Going on an adventure with the three reciters.. This was sure to be an interesting adventure, that was for sure.

I met them bright and early the next morning; the three Reciters were sitting outside of Willem's house.

"So, Headmaster Schuyler said that you two would be allowed to go on campus," that had been a hard sell, "but you will need to be accompanying me or Willem while you're there. The others have agreed to meet us after class."

"I'd like to speak to Randolph until then," Willem said. "Perhaps we can figure out where Hawkeye is most likely to go."

"Then would it be all right if I go with you, Liz?" Lacan asked with a sweet smile. "Willem's been telling me about the campus, and I'd love to see it for myself."

"Huh? Sure, I guess." It might be fun to show Lacan around the campus.

"Then in that case, I'd like to accompany you as well," Felix said. "Besides, there's no telling if that woman will try and come for you again."

That was a bit of a surprise, but.. "All right, that's fine with me."

As we walked through the campus, Lacan had been full of questions, asking about every little place we stopped by.

'He almost reminds me of when I first came to Gedonelune,' I thought wistfully. 'Everything is so new to him.'

Soon, the four of us settled into the classroom. "I'll be teaching the Night Class for today,” I said, setting down my stuff.

"I thought the Night Class was taught underground?" Felix asked, tilting his head.

"They do for the practical lessons, but this is a more general class."

"How do you know that, Felix?" Lacan asked.

"Because I actually listen when Willem's talking about the academy, instead of falling asleep," Felix said with a sigh.

"I try to! I just always get so drowsy.."

"You nap too much."

"When was the last time you had a good night's rest?” Lacan said with a laugh. Maybe you wouldn't be so cranky." Despite their words, their voices carried no real bite, as though they'd had this argument a thousand times before.

"Felix, you might find it interesting. The Night Class uses dark magic; it's not that different from your magic, I don't think."

The students started to trickle into the classroom, so I turned back to them. "You two can wait in the back with Shu."

"All right. Come along, Shu." Lacan gathered Shu in his arms, walking to the back of the classroom. And even as Felix walked back, I could see his eyes on the students, as though he was wondering who it was.

Occasionally, as I lectured, I glanced back at the two. Lacan sat, Shu in his lap, in rapt attention. Felix may not have been paying quite as much attention, but I still felt his focus on me, especially as the lesson went on.

Finally, the lesson came to an end, and Clive approached me. “Do you need something, Clive?”

“I'm sorry about this, but the Nidhogg wanted to see Felix again."

"That's all right. I think we have some time before the others show up."  In a puff of white smoke, the Nidhogg appeared, grinning wildly. Felix grinned as he walked over; the Nidhogg practically flew into his arms.

"It's so good to see you again! How are you finding living with the humans?"

"Well, I.."

"Is this the Nidhogg?" Lacan said brightly as he walked over, carrying Shu in his arms. "Felix has told me so much about you."

"Who's this?"

"This is my dear friend, Lacan," Felix said with that sweet smile. It reminded me of the smile I'd seen when he was around Shu, like all of the pain and anger had melted away.

I couldn't help but smile as I watched the two of them, happily chatting. "It's hard to believe that's the guy who tried to destroy the world," Clive said idly. "The Nidhogg seems like a little kid around him."

"I wonder what it must have been like when they first met," I said without thinking.

"Oh, that's a great story," Lacan said. "I still remember, he scared the crap out of-"

"Oh, there you are." I heard a knock on the door. Willem entered, shortly followed by the others. Even Hugo had agreed to accompany us. "I hate to break this up, but everyone's ready to go."

"We'll have to talk some more later," Felix said.

"I want to hear all about your new life! You can always come bug me!" the Nidhogg said.

"We should get going too," Clive said, pulling him along.

"After talking with Randolph, I think I've figured out where they're likely to go next.”

"It's nice to have people who know the way to get into these ruins," Caesar said.

"Trust me, I know these ruins like the back of my hand," Willem said with a laugh. "I was searching through them when I.. Well, nevermind."

"Is that what you were doing as a Headmaster?"

"Hmm, you were the Headmaster?" Lacan asked. "That must have been fun."

I couldn't help but laugh as I heard the two of them, but then I felt someone fall in step next to me. I looked up to see Felix at my side.

"You.." His expression went blank again. "You should stay close to me."

"Hmm?"

"That woman was after you," he said. "If she is here in the ruins, it's likely she'll try her luck again."

"But won't she come after Elias too?" I asked.

"Just.. stay close to me."

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

Nidhogg: It's so nice to see Felix again. I hope we get a little more time together.

Clive: That must have been nice.

Nidhogg: I wonder what he'd say if he knew I tried to destroy the world.

Clive: Well, he did too. At least, that's what they tell me.

Nidhogg: What? Well, it must have been a shock that I was reduced to this, albeit adorable, form..

Clive: Didn't he get turned into a plushie or something too?

Nidhogg: What? Well, it's a wonder that he's dateable and I'm not!

Clive: Next time.. ‘Into the Ruins’

[faroreswinds]

Bord again. So today is my thoughts on the Duo Heroes from feh.

Hector and Lilina (Halloween)

Design: Great

Art: Great

Voice Acting: Decent

Unit: Ok

For a first duo unit it made a pretty great splash. A great look with cute dialogue and passable voice acting. The unit itself is not super great in the meta due to being armored unit, and it's duo skill can only be used once and is not as impressive as the other skills since it only has a single effect, but overall not a bad unit to have in your stash. They come with a rare, inhertiable skill that when put on the right unit can be very dangerous, but is pretty easy to get around.

Ephraim and Lyon

Design: N/A

Art: Pretty good

Voice Acting: Pretty good

Unit: Stellar

The only current duo unit that isn't themed based off a holiday, but nonetheless an excellent unit. They are among the best lance units in the game, with effectiveness against armored and cavalry, not to mention great skills and a killer movement duo skill for armored and infantry units to boot. The voice acting is pleasant to listen to, although has some weak moments, and while the art isn't terrible, the faces are a bit odd to look at. As for design, its just Ephraim and Lyon slapped together, so there isn't really anything to say on the matter.

Marth and Elice (Christmas)

Design: Great

Art: Great

Voice Acting: ???

Unit: ???

I don't have this unit so I cannot comment on them too much, and I rarely come across them in the wild. But in terms of looks, they look awesome.

Alfonse and Sharena (New Years)

Design: Great

Art: Great

Voice Acting: Decent

Unit: Stellar

Easily one of the most dangerous blue tomes in the game, and one of the best duo units you can get. Everything about the unit is perfectly designed for it. Despite their low speed, they easily prevent follow up, especially when you activate their duo skill to lower specials down by 2, and with special spiral, which they come with, they stay in that range. They even come with close counter, but other skills can be used to be just as dangerous. This unit is a popular unit to see in the wild. The voice acting is passable, with Sharena being pretty weak while Alfonse is not too bad, but its not the worst in the game. If you can get them, do it.

Alm and Celica (Valentines)

Design: Ok

Art: Pretty Good

Voice Acting: Fantastic

Unit: Really good

This unit has some really great voice acting. Both actors really nailed it without sounding wooden or like they were reading from a script. It's a shame that the design is just ok. It's pretty boring- some casual clothes with flowers, that's pretty much it. That said, the unit itself it very useful. The unit is one of the fastest in the game and can hit like a truck- helps that it comes with some good skills too. The duo skill is also quite useful, having multiple effects that grants boosts, removes penalties, and heals. It can only be used once, but once is all you need- plus, like Alfonse, the duo skill helps the unit too with their personal weapon. You cannot go wrong with this unit.

Palla, Catria, and Est (Baby Edition)

Design: Good

Art: Great

Voice Acting: Decent

Unit: Stellar

Technically this is a trio unit rather than a duo but... we will let it side. This flier unit is top notch when placed with a flyer team, guarantee to double, and even quadruple when positioned just right! Their duo skill is similar to Ephraim's, except for fliers only and instead if being used once, can be used more than once per map, meaning lots of extra movement for your team and the unit. This unit will lose its effectiveness without at least two other fliers to back it up, but on a flier team makes for a dangerous unit. The art looks great, the design is cute but just their baby forms so nothing special. The voice acting is weak but passable, with some good moments and some bad ones.

Idunn and Fae (Easter)

Design: Great

Art: Great

Voice Acting: Poor

Unit: Really good

Hopping in is the dragon armored duo, and they are a much better armor unit that Hector and Lilina. When foe initiates, they are a wall- they prevent follow up attacks, but come with skills that with have them double in return. While they are weak as an armored and dragon unit to effectiveness, they have a duo skill that will neutralize that effectiveness for one time on a map- great for tight spots and for armor and dragon teams! You see them from time to time in the wild and they can be hard to kill. They look great too- shame about the voice acting. Fae sounds too fake, and Idunn sounds like she is reading a script. But regardless, a good addition to your barracks.

Micaiah and Sothe (June Wedding)

Design: Great

Art: Great

Voice Acting: ???

Unit: ???

Another unit I do not possess. They look phenomenal- some of the best art in the game, and especially among these duo units. And I've seen them in the wild. They are a rare colorless tome, and the only flier colorless tome to boot, and they seem pretty effective at their job. But I cannot really say more. At least they seem more useful than Christmas Marth duo, anyways.

Byleth and Rhea (Summer)

Design: Good

Art: Good

Voice Acting: Pretty good

Unit: Pretty good

They made a splash in more than one way, but as a unit they are not terrible. Nothing to really right home about, but they are a pretty powerful red flier mage. As a mage, they have stiff competition against superior red tomes, but their duo skill can really make a difference, as it greats desperation that actives despite the amount of HP, not to mention it can be used more than once on a map. They can be dangerous, but they die really easy when initiated upon, which cannot be said for some of the other duo units. Rhea's VA is great, while Byleth is just ok. The art is... well, technically good, but the faces are weird and the boobs are unnatural looking. Big isn't even the problem, they just look really off. But overall, a fun unit to use.

Sigurd and Deirdre (Ballroom)

Design: Good

Art: Great

Voice Acting: Terrible

Unit: Ok

As the first calvary dancer in the game, they look promising at a first glance, but ultimately are just ok. Their only job is really to dance, and since they cannot go through trees or are slowed by certain tiles, beast dancers can basically do their movement but without those restrictions. But while they look pretty good, while a nice get up and pretty art, their voice acting is really bad. They both sound unbelievable, like reading a script. It's really, really hard to listen to. And their duo unit is basically reposition, which can be used more than once but I have found to be difficult to use since is can mess up other positioning I have done. Overall, just a cavalry dancer for cavalry teams, and that's pretty much it.

Mia and "Marth" (Summer)

Design: Great

Art: Great

Voice Acting: Really good

Unit: Stellar

Technically they are not labeled as duo units but Harmonized units, since they come from different games... but they are functionally almost identical so I'm including them anyways! And they are overall amazing. They hit hard, almost will always hit twice, and take little damage in return (provided they initiate). They can be killed easily with their low defenses if foe initiates, but as long as they are in your hands they are awesome. Not to mention they look awesome, and their voice acting is fun to listen to. Their harmonized skill is passable, but it is helpful and can be used multiple times per map.

Veronica and Xander (Pirates)

Design: Great

Art: Great

Voice Acting: Terrible

Unit: God tier

Let's get the worst part out of the way- voice acting sucks. It's really bad. Nothing is read well and it feels so fake. That said... this unit is in a tier of its own. Don't let the poor speed fool you. This unit, when alone, its twice and hits like a truck, and has insane defense. The kit it comes with is already perfect. It's harmonized skill is amazing- it prevents follow up attacks for the unit and for units that come from the same games as Xander and Veronica. This would be limiting, except that Veronica is from Heroes, and some of the best units are from Heroes, and are free so nearly everyone has them. And, it is a skill that can be used more than once to boot. They look great and play amazing. Grab one if you can.

Tiki and Ninian (Halloween)

Design: Meh

Art: Decent

Voice Acting: Pretty good

Unit: ???

They just came out so I cannot fully say how they are as a unit. That said, they are... disappointing. It has been a year since the duo units were first introduced. Halloween is my favorite season. And Tiki and Ninian are just unimpressive. The demon and angel design is a fun idea, but the actual costumes are boring. Ninian's face looks really off too. At least Tiki sounds great, while Ninian sounds just ok. Their harmonized skill is very situational- while they have technically two functions, one of them requires to be close to a unit from the same game that has already acted, and basically is a dance function. It can also only be used once. So far, not a unit worth a pull.

[gladdygirl18]

Remember When We Were Little...

Based off the game {Shall We Date? Wizardess Heart+}

Summary: It's a day off at the academy and the Goldstein Brothers were reminiscing about all the fun times they had together when the were kids. Let's just say this conversation led to many good laughs.

Word Count: 1993

Elias, Klaus, and Alfonse. The three sons of the famous House of Goldstein. Brothers by blood. Elias and Alfonse are Day Class Prefects at the academy whereas Klaus is a Ministry employee. On occasions, Klaus will pop up to visit the academy out of his own free will or for business. Either way, for Elias and Alfonse, it is always a treat to see him. Klaus and Alfonse have a history together and didn’t get along all that well. After recent events, the two of them, mainly Klaus, learned to tolerate one another.

It was a day off at the academy and Klaus was visiting the academy out of his own free will. Going to the Prefect’s office, he saw his younger and older brother relaxing on the sofa and chair.

“Klaus? I didn’t know you were coming.” Elias said.

“That’s Klaus for you. Always full of surprises.” Alfonse said with a kind smile.

Klaus rolled his eyes and sat down in the chair parallel to Elias. The three of them sat in silence, enjoying each other’s company. The other Prefects, mainly Zeus, were enjoying themselves at the Night Cafe, so it was really quiet in the office. The brothers sat silence for what felt like an hour. Soon, Alfonse’s voice shattered the silence.

“Klaus, remember when we were little, we use to get into so much mischief.” Alfonse said.

“How can I forget? You were always the one who got us into trouble, and I had to get us out of it.” Klaus said.

“Really? I can’t imagine Alfonse getting you into trouble. Sigurd and Albert, yes, but never Alfonse.” Elias said, sitting up.

Klaus let of a scoff and leaned in on his legs.

“You have no idea. Once, he tried to swap one of Father’s inventions for one of his trick ones.” Klaus said.

“And I would’ve gotten away with it if you hadn’t stopped me.” Alfonse said.

Elias smiled and let a giggle escape his lips.

“It’s not funny. You know how Father gets when he’s mad.” Klaus said.

“I know. I’m laughing because I wish I could’ve seen Father’s face if the swap prank did happen.” Elias said.

Klaus placed a hand on his temple and breathed out.

“You are so much like Alfonse...” Klaus sighed.

Elias shrugged with a smile.

“What’d you expect? I’m your brother, after all.” Elias said.

Alfonse sat in silence for a while before a mischievous smile spread across his face.

“That reminds me... Klaus, do remember when Elias was about seven, we used a special trick to make him smile even though he was already smiling?” Alfonse asked.

Elias’s eyes widened and Klaus’s grin grew into a sly smile.

“As a matter of fact, I do. Why bring it up all of a sudden?” Klaus asked.

“No reason. I guess you can say I miss my little brother’s laugh.” Alfonse said, eyeing Elias.

Elias stared at his brothers with fear clear as crystal in his eyes. Alfonse quickly muttered a spell to make the room soundproof.

“So do I.” Klaus said.

A surprised and scared smile spread across the young Goldstein’s face.

“What has gotten into you two?” Elias asked as his two older brothers inched closer.

“Whatever do you mean, Elias? We’re just having fun. Aren’t you?” Klaus asked.

Never in a million years would Elias ever hear his stoic and strict brother say he was having fun. And he knew his brother better than anyone. If Klaus were feeling something, he would rarely show it or admit to it. This was a new one on him. Alfonse was no exception. He’s always in a good mood and shows it. He’s rarely ever seen sulking or moping.

“Come on guys, you don’t have to do this.” Elias said.

“This is long overdue, Elias. Of course, we have to do this.” Alfonse said.

Elias took a gamble and made a break for the door. Now, Elias is a smart young man. He’s a Prefect for crying out loud. But thinking he could outrun Klaus was on him. Klaus easily caught him before he could even reach the door. Klaus couldn’t help but smile at Elias’s struggling. It would take a miracle for Elias to escape Klaus’s strong and firm grip.

“Let go off me!” Elias cried.

“Yell all you want, Elias. With the soundproof spell up, no one will be coming to your rescue.” Alfonse said as he locked the office’s door.

Klaus placed his brother in his lap and forced his arms into a position where he couldn’t move them.

“Come on, let’s be reasonable here.” Elias said as Alfonse inched closer, still struggling in Klaus’s hold.

“We are. We get to tickle you senseless and you get to laugh. A win-win for the three of us.” Alfonse said.

Just hearing the dreaded T word made Elias cringe. When Alfonse’s fingers collided with Elias’s sides, pure, childish laughter spilled from the young Prefect’s mouth. Elias’s eyes were squeezed shut but his mouth was gaped open with melodic laughter coming out.

“Honestly, Elias, I thought you’d outgrow this by now.” Klaus said, pretending to sound disappointed.

“Shuhuhuhuhuhuhut up!” Elias laughed.

“Being rude, are we?” Alfonse asked, digging his fingers harder into Elias’s sides.

Elias threw his head back against Klaus’s shoulder and let out a new stream of laughter.

“Stohohohohohohohohop! Plehehehehehehease!” Elias cried, his voice full of desperation.

Elias has always been extremely ticklish. Just a simple poke in his ribs and he’s cracking up. His brothers always exploited his little “weakness” whenever he was sad, getting ahead of himself, or just to see him laugh. When Elias was young, he always wanted to get revenge on his brothers for torturing him, especially Klaus. Klaus is a ruthless and merciless tickler. Alfonse is the same, except for the merciless part. He never tries it because he knew the tables would have been turned on him in a split second.

“Klaus, you have access to our brother’s weak spot, you know.” Alfonse said.

“Thanks for reminding me. It almost slipped my mind.” Klaus whispered into Elias’s ear.

Elias scrunched his neck when he felt his brother’s breath brush against his neck and ears. Elias literally screamed with laughter when he felt Klaus scratch his fingers in his exposed armpits.

“KLAHAHAHAHAHAHAUS! STAHAHAHAHAHAHAP! PLEHEHEHEHEHEHEASE!” Elias said as he thrashed in his brother’s grip.

“Sorry little brother. No can do.” Klaus said casually.

Alfonse chuckled and started raking his fingers up and down the youngest Goldstein’s ribcage.

“NOHOHOHOHAHAHAHAHA! NOT BOTH AT THE SAME TIHIHIHIHIHIHIHIHIME!” Elias cried.

Klaus and Alfonse couldn’t help but laugh along with their brother. To any other person, the scene would look almost unnatural and somewhat uncomfortable, but to the Goldstein Brothers, this was normal. Alfonse’s hands soon found their way under Elias’s uniform and tickled the bare skin underneath. Elias’s laughter became more hysterical and his thrashing became more frantic.

“I CAN’T TAKE IT ANYMOHOHOHOHOHOHORE! PLEHEHEHEHEHEASE STAHAHAHAHAHAHAP! PLEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEASE!” Elias begged.

The two older Goldsteins nodded to each other and removed their hands from the poor boy’s body. Klaus released Elias and placed a comforting hand on his back while Elias took in air for his lungs.

“Are you okay?” Alfonse asked, crouching in front of his brother.

“Yeah... I’m good...” Elias panted.

Alfonse smiled and sat down next to his younger brothers. The three of them sat in peaceful silence, still wearing bright smiles on their face. Elias soon looked at Klaus who had his head leaned back against the sofa; his eyes shut. Letting a smile form, he turned to Alfonse who had the same smile. They were thinking the exact same thing.

“Hey Klaus. Can I ask you something?” Elias asked.

“What?” Klaus asked.

“Are you ticklish?”

Klaus’s eyes snapped open. The question caught him off guard. Klaus then put on his mature face and shook his head.

“No, I’m not.” Klaus said casually after a while.

“Then why did you hesitate?” Alfonse inquired.

“I didn’t.” Klaus said.

Alfonse and Elias nodded to one another with similar smiles. After a split second, the two of them pounced on their brother. Klaus pursed his lips together to keep himself from laughing. Klaus was equally ticklish to Elias, but not as bad. When it was just him and Alfonse, Alfonse tickled him all the time. It was a weakness he would always exploit.

“Come on, Klaus. We know you can’t hold out for long.” Alfonse said.

What the older Goldstein said appeared sound. Giggles slipping through every now and them, not to mention the wide grin on the normally stoic brother’s face. When Elias reached his lower back, Klaus’s resistance was history.

“Stohohohohohohop! Elias stohohohohohohop!” Klaus laughed.

“Wow. The Klaus Goldstein, The Emperor of Gedonelune Royal Magic Academy, a Ministry of Wizardry employee, is ticklish.” Elias commented.

Klaus tried to glare at his younger sibling, but his laughter made it difficult.

“Hey Alfonse. Does Klaus have a weak spot?” Elias asked.

“Nohohoho I dohohohohohohon’t!” Klaus cried.

Alfonse rolled his eyes and scoffed.

“Yes, he does. He has two, as a matter of fact.” Alfonse said.

Proving his point, Alfonse kneaded Klaus’s thigh and massaged his hipbone. Klaus bucked at least a foot in the air before his laughter became louder and more hysterical.

“ALFOHOHOHOHOHOHOHONSE STAHAHAHAHAHAP!” Klaus cried.

Elias laughed at his older brother’s state, never seeing him like this since, well, ever. Elias joined in by massaging his thumbs in Klaus’s hip, making said man produce more hysterical laughter.

“Consider this as revenge for all the years you tortured me when I was younger.” Elias said.

Klaus couldn’t even form a word; he was laughing so much.

“STAHAHAHAHAHAHA!” Klaus laughed.

Elias enjoyed tickling Klaus to shreds but decided it was Alfonse’s turn. Removing his hands off Klaus, he pounced on Alfonse and started kneading his sides. Alfonse let out a giggly gasp before producing them.

“Elias! Yohohohohohou’re supposed to behehehehe on my teheheheheheheam!” Alfonse said.

“Sorry, but I need revenge on you as well for all those years you tickled me half to death.” Elias said.

After catching his breath, Klaus joined his younger brother in tickling their older brother.

“Klahahahahahaus! Not you tohohohohohhohohoo!” Alfonse whined.

“I’m with Elias. I need some revenge for all the times you exploited my weakness,” Klaus said.

“Sohohohohohoho yohohohohohou admit youhohohohou have a weheheheheheaknehehehehehess!”

“What was that?”

Klaus then dug his fingers into his brother’s stomach, making Alfonse’s giggles turn into laughs.

“NOHOHOHOHOHOT THEHEHEHEHERE! NOHOHOHOHO!” Alfonse cried, his laughter reaching a new volume and octave.

Klaus and Elias laughed at their older brother’s state. Alfonse was in between Elias and Klaus when it comes to being ticklish. He was worse than Klaus but not as bad as Elias. Elias was by far the most ticklish out of the three of them. Must be because he was the youngest brother. Eyeing Klaus, Elias attacked his brother’s hips, making him let out a stream of deep laughter.

“ELIAS DOHOHOHOHOHOHON’T!” Klaus cried.

“This is exactly what you deserve.” Elias said.

Elias soon started producing laughter of his own when Alfonse started attacking his ribs.

“NOHOHOHOHO! THAHAHAHAHAHAHAT’S NOT FAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAIR!” Elias said.

“Yes, it is.” Alfonse said, catching his breath.

His break was short lived when Klaus started tickling his sides, another weak spot of his.

“KLAUS STAHAHAHAHAHAHAP!” Alfonse pleaded.

The three of them went back and forth with one another. Their childish laughter bounced off the soundproof walls. After what felt like hours, the three of them sat in silence once more. The only thing that could be heard was heavy breathing and slight giggling.

“Well, at least we can say this day off wasn’t a total waste.” Elias said.

“You can say that again.” Klaus said.

“I agree.” Alfonse said.

Elias smiled and wrapped his arms around his older brothers.

“Love you guys...” Elias said.

The two older Goldsteins smiled and hugged their little brother back. The three of them soon fell asleep in each other’s arms, still wearing gentle smiles.

Hope you enjoyed! Stay Safe, Stay Blessed!

[flamboyant-king]

This was written during spring break.  I had a dumb idea a while back involving some bluenettes, that little moment I shipped Roy and Seliph, and trying to bring back the personalities I had for Marth and Ike during the smash days.

Enjoy whatever this is.

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

Seliph: Kravice, would you like to go to town with me? It would be nice to go shopping.

Lucina: Me as well! My fashion is kind of lacking and it would be nice to have company.

Kravice: Sorry guys, but it’s Spring break back home, and I’ve got a couch to sleep on. But you guys can go together.

Lucina: That sounds like a good idea. [turning to Selly] Are you good with clothes?

Oboro: Did someone say-- clothes? [sticks out leggy]

Oboro: What day’s today?

Lucina: Uhh, Tuesday.

Oboro: Not anymore! Now, it’s Blues-day. And us blue-heads’ gonna go shopping!

Marth (dragging Ike): Did someone say--Shopping? [sticks out leggy]

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

Seliph: It feels like everyone is staring at us...

Ike: What do you expect? Blue hair isn’t that common and to see a whole group of them invading their town is a sight to behold.

Marth: Or, they’re gawking at how beautiful we are!

Oboro: I think you mean: Blue-tiful!

Ike: What a terrible joke.

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

Oboro: It’s so nice to have a gal pal to go shopping with. I can dress you up in all the prettiest dresses Lord Takumi wouldn’t dare put on.

Lucina: Ah...I...look forward to it

Oboro: Oh my gosh, how closeminded of me. I just assumed you were into these things!

Lucina: It’s not that! I’m willing to put on anything. I just need to figure out what looks good on me and I need your help.

Lucina: But, I can’t seem to find the right dresses...considering...[gestures at her chest]

Oboro: Luckily for you, I know just what to do! While we’re here, we’ll see what interests you, and when we get back I’ll customize it to fit you perfectly.

Lucina: That sounds i-teal.

Oboro: Hm?

Lucina: ...n--nevermind...

———————————————————————-

[encounter]

Eliwood: Sigurd.

Sigurd: Eliwood.

Eliwood: You love your son, don’t you?

Roy: Dad, come on.

Sigurd: Of course I do, with every fiber of my body.

Eliwood: If so, then do you have THIS [pulls out wallet with roy’s baby pictures]

Roy: oh gods

Sigurd: WHY OF COURSE! [pulls out wallet with no pictures]

Sigurd: GUH!

Sigurd: oh right, i never got to fill it out...

Eliwood: It’s never too late.

[roy slips away]

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

Marth: Let’s go straight to our room, who knows who has their eyes on my haul.

Roy: Marth!

Roy: Did...did you get taller?

Marth: Oh no, I’m just wearing the heels I just bought.

Roy: Sooooo you’re shorter than me.

Marth: How thick of a cloth over your eyes, Roy. 

Marth: [taking off his heels] Ike! Compare us.

[Roy and Marth standing back to back]

Ike: Marth’s taller by a solid two inches.

Roy: AAAGH WILL I EVER GROW!

Marth: Roy, once you finish puberty, thats just how it is. 

Roy: I’m gonna be this height forever!?!

Ike: Now hold on, Marth, you can’t forget second puberty.

Roy: Second puberty?

Ike: You haven’t heard? Once your initial puberty finishes, Second puberty starts.

Marth: What are you talking about...

Ike: Once I hit second puberty I shot up six inches.

Marth: Ike, that’s not...

Ike: But second puberty works in different ways. When Marth hit second puberty, he got six times prettier

Marth: [under his breath] you win this time....

Roy: Wow! Second puberty sounds awesome! I have to tell the 5′5 and below club the good news! [runs away]

Roy, in the distance: We’re gonna get taller!

Marth: Ike, why did you lie to Roy?

Ike: Seemed like fun.

Marth: Do you really think I’m prettier?

Ike: If I lied about second puberty, I sure as hell lied about that.

[Marth kicks Ike in the face]

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

Sigurd: Seliph, my boy, there you are!

Seliph: Father! It’s great to see you.

Sigurd: I see you bought new accessories. It’s perfect for the photoshoot!

Seliph: Yes, i just went shopping with friends and— photoshoot?

Anna, holding the tactician’s tablet: Yoohoo~

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

Seliph: This seems very unnecessary...

Sigurd: I missed most of your childhood, and I need to make up for lost time!

Eliwood: Just be glad we skipped the diaper phase.

Anna: Although, those fetish photos would rake in lots of dough.

Sigurd&Seliph: COMMANDER ANNA.

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

Seliph: That was an ordeal.

[bumps]

Roy: Ah, geez, I’m sorry!

Seliph: No, no, pardon me, I shouldn’t have been covering my vision!

Roy: Hey, you’re Seliph, right?

Seliph: That’s me! And you’re Roy.

Roy: Yeah! Our dads have been talking a lot and I’ve only heard good things. It’s nice to finally meet you.

Seliph: You too. [extends hand]

Roy: !

Seliph: What’s wrong?

Roy: Nothing! It’s just...I have this thing where...everything I touch...spontaneously combusts. 

Seliph: Hehe, that’s silly. [grab]

Roy: Wait!

Roy: Huh?

Seliph: My clothes are flame resistant so even what you say is true, I’ll be fine!

Roy: Wh...that’s very convenient. Is there a reason your clothes are like that?

Seliph: …Just in case...

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

Roy: It’s true though, watch this. [sets flower vase on fire]

Seliph: Oh wow!

Seliph: Has it always been like this?

Roy: No, it all started when I hit puberty. But maybe when I hit second puberty it will stop.

Seliph: Second puberty?

Roy: Oh. You haven’t heard?

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

[Cuts to WHAC]

Takumi: HAHA!

Jeorge: Let me guess: second puberty?

Takumi: How’d you know?

Niles: Gordin did the exact same thing when he came here.

Takumi: Why are we all only learning this now?

Leon:  Because we didn’t want you shorties knowing you’ll shoot past us in height. 

Jeorge: Second puberty isn’t just all height, you know. I just grew two inches.

Takumi: But you still got taller, right?

Niles: He’s not talking about height, silly boy.

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

Next bluesday

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

Seliph: Hi, Roy! Oh! Marth. Ike.

Ike: Yo again.

Roy: What’s up?

Seliph: I went shopping earlier and I got you something.

Roy: Gloves?

Seliph: Flame resistant gloves! So it stops all the combustion thing at the source.

Roy: Wow, thanks Seliph! I wonder why I didn’t think of that.

Marth: [under his breath] Because you believe in second puberty.

Roy: You didn’t have to do that.

Seliph: Well, it’s Bluesday, and I happened upon them at the store.

Roy: Bluesday?

Seliph: It’s when all the blue haired folk go shopping together.

Roy: Is that so, I should gather all the redheads to hang out on Rednesday.

Seliph: 😊 Hehe~

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

Ike: What a terrible joke.

Roy: I know! It’s embarrassing! 

Marth: Infatuation makes even the strongest warriors a clumsy, bumbling mess.

Roy: What does infatuation have to do with this???

Marth: It’s obvious you--

Ike: Don’t worry about what Marth says. Your hormones are just going crazy because of second puberty.

Marth: Not everything is second puberty...

Roy: Oh no, does that mean I’m gonna have nocturnal emissions again.

Marth: ROY, WE ARE EATING.

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

Oboro: Gotta get your numbers. Might be a little cold.

Lucina: Is it going to be skin tight?

Oboro: I’m gonna add a few inches for breathing room of course.

Lucina: Room for growth too?

Oboro: I mean if you’re planning on gaining weight I’ll add more.

Lucina: Not that, I’m just thinking...maybe when I hit second puberty, I’ll be a bit bigger here.

Oboro:  Second-- what now?

———————————————————-

Marth: Ike! You’re a bastard!

Ike: Actually, my parents were happily married.

Marth: I’m saying you’re the first definition!

Ike: What did I do?

Marth: You’ve tainted my descendant’s mind with your lies of second puberty!

Ike: Hm, that spread fast.

Marth: What even is your intention, because you’ve fooled every youth in this place.

Ike: I...didn’t predict this outcome. I just wanted to give Roy false hope ‘cause he’d keep complaining.

Marth: Have you considered in few years time he’ll find out the truth and complain twice as hard?

Ike: I’ll probably be dead by then so it’s not my problem.

Marth: I will make sure you are alive for every brutal moment of Roy’s whining. You must face the consequences that have been bred by your selfishness. If you so much as step on death’s lawn, let alone his doorstep, I will have Wrys shove his healing staff so far up your conniving arse tha-

Ike: I’ll talk to Roy.

—————————————-

I have no idea where I was going with this. But I remember there was gonna be a town meeting where alfonse tries to debunk the second puberty myth, gordin was spreading lies that niles, leon, and jeorge has small weiners, and eliwood tries to console roy about nocturnal emissions hjfdfkas

And that’s why I never went through with it. I hope you enjoyed that pssh.

[wizardessheart-sideb]

[Image ID: An edit of chibi Hugo in front of a purple background. It’s in the style of New Year’s Eve With You. /End ID]

“Thirty minutes? That's fine. You can take your time if you want...” Alfonse assured me he'd hurry over. “Thank you so much, Alfonse. I really appreciate this.” We said goodbye and I hung up my Magic Phone, a recent gift from Klaus. Hugo sighed and leaned his head against the wall.

“I'm going to kill Vain,” he said.

“Don't say that,” Mischa said sadly.

“I'll go dig the grave,” I replied at the same time. He sighed and stood up, arms folded in front of his chest.

“I can't believe he did something so stupid,” he seethed.

“I can hear you!” Vain yelled from the couch, his voice beyond the acceptable volume for yelling and his words so slurred I could just barely understand him. Hugo's head snapped over to him.

“Just shut up and stay on the couch!” he yelled back. I couldn't remember the last time I'd seen Hugo so furious. I knew he and Vain weren't really on good terms, but still... Mischa sighed and jumped onto my shoulder. I buckled a bit under her weight. Willem really liked feeding her five course meals.

“I'm sorry to bother you about him. But I didn't know where else to go,” she said. Hugo sighed shortly.

“You said he drank a whole bottle of wine?” I asked her.

“A bottle and a bit more. He, uh, as the kids call it, pre-gamed too hard,” she said.

“Well, it's not the end of the world. Alfonse will be here and he'll help us take care of Vain. Or get him to a hospital,” I added, glancing over to the couch. He'd gone eerily quiet.

“I'll go check on him,” Mischa said quietly, leaping off my shoulder and going over to Vain. Hugo still looked pretty upset, so I moved closer to him, putting my arms around his neck. Even though he was irritated, he immediately put his arms around my waist.

“Hey, if you want to go de-stress in our bedroom for a while, you can. Mischa and I can take care of Vain until Alfonse gets here,” I told him. He just shook his head.

“No. I'm just mad Vain ruined our plans for the night,” he told me.

“Well, the night isn't over yet. How about we make some pie together, have a snack, and then go outside and watch the stars?” I suggested.

“I would be okay with that, but wouldn't you want something special?” I blinked at him, confused.

“What are you talking about?”

“We always do that on date nights. Since it's a holiday, I thought you'd want to do something special,” he responded. I pulled him into a tight hug.

“Hugo... no. As long as I'm spending time with you, I don't care what we're doing.” I paused, glancing back at the couch. “Okay, I guess I care a little. But I'm fine having a night in. Maybe tomorrow night we can go out and have fun in town.”

“It's a date,” he said. Hugo leaned down and kissed the top of my head. “How about a late breakfast at that cafe by the sea? The one Amelia and Scarlett love?”

“Yeah! We need to try it! And then we could go to the farmer's market!” I suggested. He smiled and even now, I still felt a few butterflies in my stomach.

“That sounds perfect.” We stared at each other for a moment and then natural, we leaned in for a kiss. Suddenly, we heard Vain retching, followed by Mischa screaming.

“I'M GOING TO KILL YOU, VAIN!” she yowled at him. And as horrible as it was, Hugo and I started laughing.

“I'll go get the garden hose ready. There's some rags we can use to carry her out with,” Hugo said, breathing hard trying to keep his laughter in. Poor Mischa. I kissed him on the cheek before we split up to help Mischa take a bath. Tonight was going to be a weird way to end the year, that was for sure.

[alphakuriboh]

This month’s event calendar!

My thoughts:

~ Haar is up first, his GHB shouldn’t be tooooo bad but Flier focused ones can be a bit of a pain. Hopefully they don’t have reinforcements.

~ Three Heroes Quests - We know it’s Eliwood, Raven, and Leon. Finally took a break from forcing us to get kills with substandard healers.

~ New Powers banner, meh. Peri, Hana, Cain, and Abel. Pretty painful over all, freebie and dip for most. They must’ve recognized that given how short it is.

~ Grand Conquests, should be Ylisse based this month. Chrom/Lucina/Robin maybe? (So help me if Chrom gets a GC team before he’s allowed to be a bonus in a Tempest - specifically regular btw).

~ BHB Revival for Ephraim and Myrrh. Self explanatory. Bonus orbs, yay. Quests are Anna, Alfonse, and Armor Emblem. Not too bad.

~ Special Heroes! Should be this year’s brides, especially with that Tap Battle title shortly after. Rerun banner usually wouldn’t be listed, probably gonna come up a bit later.

~ Speaking of Tap Battle, this one shouldn’t be a rerun like the last one. Could result in different rewards again (maybe Orbs back? No guarantees).

~ Tempest Trials! Always a good time. New seals + a free seasonal most likely with the timing. Maybe a Groom like last year?

~ Tempest Trials banner, here’s an odd bit. They have never put reruns on the calendar, even if they’re part of other events. Indicates maybe like last year the regular versions of the banner seasonals will also be bonuses?

~ Heroes with Iceberg, ooh boy. Lots of options, not all great. Options are: Shanna, Niles, Innes, MorganF, Kaze, Flora, and Selkie. My guess is Innes, MorganF, Flora (although they could go double blue with MorganF/Selkie/Flora).

~ Bound Hero Battle Titania and Mist? Uh, okay. Shouldn’t be too hard.

~ Bound Hero Battle banner should be Titania, Mist, and... an Ike, I guess? Anyone else feel like they’re maybe overdoing Tellius just a little?

~ Voting Gauntlet, now with those new changes introduced last round. Hopefully it’ll be a fun batch.

~ Voting Gauntlet Banner, with the same above logic for the Tempest, maybe not a rerun then? Hard to say.

~ Legendary Hero Banner, and it’s longer than usual. Interesting. Known heroes are LH Marth, LH Ike, LH Roy, Fjorm, and LH Hector. No colorless so... maybe new Colorless Legendary, after 3000 years? And then expected seasonals should be the newer Christmas ones with Ephraim, Eirika, and Fae. Unclear if all three or they pull in a New Years option.

~ Golden Week, who knows. Maybe a new store bundle, should be some bonus maps, a log in bonus, maybe some other stuff. Allegiance Battle start around here so maybe something with that? And I’d guess maybe some new AR decorations (which is much much better with Resorts out now).

~ Heroes with Wrath. Nephenee, Karla, and Owain. Easy. All good options, though the red share is a bit annoying. Both good at least.

~ Aversa rerun, so quests will be with Sharena and Aversa. Know some people that’ve been quite lookin’ forward to this one. Anything to hold onto more Grails.

~ Cavalry mastery quests. Not sure if that means do stuff with Cavalry or beat up Cavalry (probably the former though). Just... don’t include Aether Raids wins this time, IntSys.

~ And then we come to the stuff that’ll be in next month’s update. Nice to see Forging Bonds is just the norm for new heroes now, although I do wish they could do some with older heroes. Don’t think anyone would really complain if they did that. As for who the new heroes are? Really could be anyone, hoping it’s not more Beasts though. I have this feeling it’s Awakening but hey, that’s just me (A rulers banner with Emmeryn, Flavia, and Basilio with either Gangrel or Validar GHB would be amazing though - just saying).

So yeah, there’s my novel analysis of the calendar~ ✨

[heartfeltheroes]

SINGULARITY

[ alfonse x summoner! reader ]  — dancing with death.

“A thick ice has formed

in the dream I shortly went into,

my agonizing phantom pain is still the same.”

word count: 4523

TW: death + blood

»»————-　♡　————-««

Alfonse didn’t like the cold.

As a prince, he didn’t get much room to complain. He faced the cold winds with the pride and bravery of a prince, as was expected of the heir to the Askran throne. Gustav would truly reprimand him for letting himself be weakened by something as silly as the winter winds.

Even if it was cold, it didn’t mean he’d stop his training. No, it just meant he had to train harder, to build up his endurance. He had to get stronger, he had people he loved to protect after all. Sharena was counting on him, his mother was depending on him, and the people of Askr put their future in his hands. And now, you relied on him as well.

But, no matter how hard he tried, it just seemed like he couldn’t get strong enough. His friends always fell one after another on the battlefield, falling victims to the hands of the Emblian Empire. Veronica sneered with delight at the sight of her fallen foes, Alfonse grimaced with the death of his friends hanging heavy on his shoulders.

At the end of the day, Breidablik always brought them back. While the scars never appeared and the pain was always gone, the memories of their fatal ends stuck with Alfonse. Their screams and their cries were burned into his mind, replaying in his mind whenever he thought he could be at peace.

Just like every other battle, you stuck to his side. You had dubbed him your ‘designated bodyguard’, a title he took with pride. With you, official titles didn’t matter; he wasn’t the Prince of Askr, he was just Alfonse.

In all honesty, it was almost funny how much the Prince of Askr came to care for you, his dear Summoner.

At first, he had been nothing but cold to you. He shut down any conversation you had with him, he refused to sit near you during lunch, and he never trained with you among other things. If it didn’t benefit Askr, he didn’t care. Zacharias had already left him heartbroken once, he didn’t need to go through the pain again.

Yet, his actions didn’t deter you in the least. It just made you try even harder, it was almost like you saw his stubbornness as a challenge. Slowly, ever so slowly, you chipped away at the walls he had set up so carefully. It was only a matter of time before you wormed your way into his heart.

It didn’t stop there, he couldn’t just see you as his friend anymore. Before Alfonse knew it, he had fallen in love, and damn did he fall hard. It was like he had been shot straight in the heart by Cupid’s arrow. If he didn’t know better, he’d accuse you of placing him under a love spell.

These feelings he held for you were true. His love was genuine and it was reserved for you and you only.

He’d be damned if he let someone so close to him fall once again.

“Woo-hoo!” You cheered, throwing the hand that held Breidablik into the air, “Go Hector! Go Roy!” Aforementioned heroes focused on you for just a small moment, proud grins on both their faces, before returning to the fight on hand.

Alfonse couldn’t help but smile at your enthusiasm. “I have to say, [Name], your tactician skills have certainly improved,” He pointed out, a chuckle leaving his lips when you unconsciously smiled at his praise.

There was a clear improvement from the day you were first thrown into Askr and now. Back then, you struggled to give out simple orders to your heroes. But now, you guided them to victory, a comforting force on the battlefield for your allies and a sign of peace.

Although not every battle was won, sometimes you faced loss after loss. Those days were the ones that would stick you to the bitter end. With those losses, you simply picked up your bearings and vowed to improve. He admired your will to move on, it was one of the many things he loved about you.

“You flatter me, Alfonse, but if you want to flirt with me you’re going to have to try harder than that,” You joked offhandedly. Alfonse felt his face flush cherry red, spanding from his round cheeks to the tips of his ears. How you could say something so casually was beyond him, the mere words made him flustered.

“[N-Name]! You — you’ve misunderstood m-my words!” He stuttered, stumbling over his words. You didn’t miss the way he turned into a tomato, a light laugh leaving your lips, “It’s okay, Alfie. I know you’ll try harder next time.” At that, Alfonse let out a choked noise.

You surveyed the battlefield with a confident gaze. With the way things were looking, you were surely going to win. Hector and Roy took out foe after foe, leaving behind a bloody mess in their wake. Mist, on the other hand, provided aid whenever needed. Ylgr simply took out the enemies getting too close to your two powerhouses. Everything was going all according to plan.

You had stayed up all night last night preparing for this battle. You had received word from a spy that Veronica and Loki were close by, ready to attack at any time. That, in turn, motivated you to study and revise your tactics in preparation. You’d say it’d pay off with how the way things were looking, you even found a tinge of pride blooming in your chest.

After this, your merry party would trek back to the castle, the feeling of victory in all your hearts. Sharena would greet you all, happy as ever, as Fjorm offered her help to those that needed it. Anna would usher you all to the mess hall to share a meal with the Order of Heroes where you’d recount your stories on the battlefield. Everything was going to be alright!

Well, that’s how it was supposed to be, but things never seemed to turn towards your favor.

“Argh, Askr — I will kill Askr. . .hah”

That voice, you froze. Your hands twitched around Breidablik, unconsciously gripping the handle tighter. The once joyous air turned sour, tense with the appearance of an old friend. You looked to Alfonse, the urge to make sure he was okay the only thing on your mind.

He was just as shocked as you were, his eyes betrayed all feeling he tried to keep at bay. He swallowed, mouth suddenly feeling dry. Neither of you could forget that voice, never in a million years. It was the voice of someone suffering, of someone in pain.

Bruno?

You had to help him.

In tandem, the two of you turned around, weapons at the ready. You held Breidablik, as Alfonse drew Fólkvangr. Sure, he might’ve been a familiar face, but you knew of the curse that ran through his veins. As much as you didn’t want to fight him, your will to live was stronger.

Bruno looked worse compared to your last meeting, panting as he tried to fight the voice in his head. He ran a gloved hand through his silver hair, shaking his head with closed eyes. You could see sweat drip from his forehead; whatever battle he was fighting, it was definitely a hard one.

“Zacharias—” Alfonse tried to speak, but Bruno cut him off. “Zacharias is. . .dead. He never was, spawn of Askr,” Bruno growled, before letting out an agonizing yell. He screwed his eyes shut tighter, his hands pulling out handfuls of his hair.

Your eyebrows furrowed in confusion. The last time you had saw him, he looked like he had his curse under wraps. Now it held a vice-like grip on him, torturing him inside and out. “Bruno, what happened?” You asked, taking a tentative step forward. He took a step back, like he was a frightened animal. “Don’t, hah, come closer. . .I don’t want to hurt you, Summoner. Don’t—make me,” He demanded.

Before either of you could respond, he sprinted off. You felt your heart pang with hurt at his diminishing form. You turned to Alfonse with determination that burned like fire in your eyes, “I have to go after him, Alfonse,” You declared. You weren’t taking no for an answer.

Alfonse was taken aback, but he didn’t disagree with you. Bruno was just as important to him as you were. “If you’re leaving, then I’m going with!” He demanded. You were quick to shoot him down, “Alfonse! He’s not — he’s not the Bruno you know, his curse is getting to him.”

Alfonse stood his ground, “That’s why we need to go, to help him!” He refuted, he wasn’t going to back down either. “I need to follow him, not we,” You corrected, causing his eyebrows to furrow in confusion.

You sighed at his stubbornness, he wasn’t understanding what you were trying to say. “What I’m trying to say is that he’ll kill you if you follow him,” You reiterated, trying to get your point across. He opened his mouth to argue back, but you didn’t give him the chance. “You can’t die, Alfonse! Just. . .Just stay here! I can do this on my own,” You ordered, stomping your foot into the ground for emphasis.

His lips pressed into a flat line, “I cannot allow this, [Name]. If you leave, then I’m coming with,” He affirmed. You had to admit, Alfonse was stubborn when he had his heart set on something. There was no telling him otherwise, and you knew that. Looks like you were going to have to resort to a new plan.

“Well, have fun trying to catch up then, Princey.” You ran off without another word, leaving Alfonse behind in the dust. You couldn’t afford to argue while Bruno was suffering, each second wasted could’ve been used to help him.

Alfonse was, once again, taken off guard by your actions. He cursed under his breath once he processed your actions. You were always the faster of the two, especially when he had his armor on.

With one last look to the battlefield, Alfonse ran off towards the direction you had fled. He pushed himself to his very limits, there was no telling what could happen, especially when you were going against someone as unpredictable as Bruno.

As much as it pained him to say it, Bruno was dangerous. Breidablik couldn’t do anything besides summon heroes, leaving you defenseless before the curse that flowed through Bruno’s veins. Your heart was in the right place when you demanded he stay, but he was never one to listen to orders when it challenged his own stubbornness.

He had to get to you, he had to. He couldn’t lose you like he lost everyone else, if he did then the war would truly be lost. There was no telling if Breidablik would revive it’s faithful summoner, and Alfonse didn’t exactly feel like testing if it did.

You, on the other hand, knew Alfonse couldn’t catch you. Days of training had proved that your speed triumphed over his, something you made sure to flaunt whenever you could. Those days of track in high school were finally paying off.

You ran into the forests without hesitation, intent on finding Bruno. He was in such pain, you could hear it in his voice. It was the same way he spoke when you first met him, when he revealed himself as Zacharias. While you did feel bad for forcing Alfonse to stay behind, you knew it’d be dangerous for any of the Askrans to come near Bruno.

You found Bruno standing in a meadow, a small area desolate of ant trees. You slowed your sprint to a jog, huffing for air after such a long run. Wow, you were really out of shape, your lungs burned and cried for air.

“Bruno!” You called out, gaining his attention. He turned to face you, his eyes covered by the mask he always wore. Even if he were without the mask, you could tell his face was devoid of any emotion.

His face was neutral, staring at your form. His intense gaze made you flinch, you took a step backwards as a precaution. “Let me help you, Bruno. Alfonse isn’t here; it’s just me and you,” You spoke, waiting for a response.

You expected him to let out a howl of pain, like he did earlier, but instead he began to laugh. His laughter became louder and louder, as if he were amused. You stared on in confusion, this was nothing like the laughter you had heard when he was under the influence of the curse. This was something else, something way sinister.

“Who knew it’d be so easy to trick the mighty summoner of Askr?” He spoke, his voice suddenly higher and more feminine in tone.

You blinked in surprise, thrown off by his new voice. It took you a moment to put two and two together, but once you did your gaze hardened, “You’re not Bruno, aren’t you?” You seethed, more angry at yourself for letting yourself fall victim so easily.

Loki let the glamor fall away, revealing her true form. You aimed your arms forward, locking them in place as your aimed Breidablik at her. She let out a laugh at your stance, “Poor [Name], I already know that Breidablik only shoots heroes. You’re defenseless, sweet summoner.”

You could only stay silent, taking a step back with every step forward she took. “Well, aren’t you going to talk to me? You sure did seem talkative with dear old Alfonse back there,” She mocked. You grit your teeth, placing Breidablik by your hip, “What do you want Loki?” You demanded, never letting your grip of Breidablik falter.

“What do I want, hm?” The words rolled out of her mouth, sounding so sweet, yet you knew they were anything but. “For starters, I want Breidablik, but unfortunately you’re the only one that can use it. How sad.” She pretended to fake pout.

“Spill it already, I know there’s more to it than that,” You urged. You were really starting to regret leaving Alfonse behind, the simple presence of this trickster was more than enough to have you on edge.

“Impatient, aren’t we?” She spoke, circling your form. It was then you realized she didn’t have her staff on hand, which was rather odd. You didn’t take her as a person who would leave themselves undefended, but who knew what she had up her sleeves? You didn’t allow yourself to let your guard down.

“You see, my dear, sweet princess wants you dead,” Loki mentioned, causing you to roll your eyes. “We all know that, Loki. I already told you to cut the crap,” You huffed. She let out a little giggle, “If I want Breidablik and Veronica wants you dead, then why don’t I just take out two birds with one stone?”

It took you a moment to process her words, but once you did your eyes widened. “You wouldn’t—” You tried to say, but her actions answered for you. “Oh, but I would.” In her right hand, a purple dagger appeared.

Your fearful eyes met her own, catching the playful and sadistic glint in her gaze. She sighed dreamily, “I wish you could see the look on your face, it’s simply divine,” She expressed, pressing a hand to her cheek.

You cursed to yourself silently; now that you were stuck in this situation, it made you wish you took Xander up on his offers to train you. He had his worries about you not being able to defend yourself, but you reassured him with the fact Alfonse was protecting you.

But Alfonse wasn’t here now, and you were defenseless. Great.

As Loki stalked forwards, you let your feet guide you backwards. If you ran, maybe you’d run into Alfonse, then he could save you. But she could always just throw the dagger, depending on her aim she could cause some permanent damage.

You were starting to panic, your breathing becoming uneven. The reality that you were about to die finally set in, making you dizzy from the anxiety coursing through your veins.

“[Name]!”

You heard Alfonse call your name, the sound of feet hitting the grass becoming louder and louder. You looked to him with hope, but he could see the underlying fear present in your eyes from a mile away.

He was quick to notice the dagger Loki held in her hand, extended towards you as you walked backwards. In that moment, the moment he realized that you were truly about to die, adrenaline kicked into his system.

He ran to your aid as fast as he could. His legs were burning and begging for a break, but he didn’t care. Alfonse forced himself to go to his limits, desperate to protect you. You were out of options, that much was obvious, and you were struggling to keep calm.

He was so close, so close, but Loki was faster. It all happened too fast, way too fast for him to comprehend in the time that it happened. In one moment you were standing tall, Breidablik in hand; in the next you were on the ground, a large wound in your stomach as you bled out.

Never, never in a thousand years, would he imagine that the mighty summoner of Askr would fall.

Time seemed to slow down, with Alfonse’s own world falling apart. He could only watch as you fell to the ground, landing rather harshly on the grass. You held a gloved hand onto your new wound, the river of blood that weeped from the dagger in your stomach dying your white robes a jarring vermillion. Your eyes were glazed over, staring at the baby blue skies above your head, as soft whimpers left your mouth.

Suddenly, a piercing cry left your lips, your body finally processing the pain caused by the wound. Alfonse eyes widened at the noise, before he saw the blood. He felt anger swell in his chest at the sight of you writhing in pain, crying tears that didn’t seem to stop.

Loki let out an annoyed huff at the sight of the Askran prince. “See you on the other side, summoner,” Loki bid farewell, knowing that you couldn’t hear her in your shock-induced state. Before Alfonse could bring Fólkvangr upon her form, Loki disappeared with a wave of her hand.

He let Fólkvangr fall from his hand, rushing to your crumpled side on the green grass. He knelt down besides you, flinching as he watched your blood seep into the pristine fabric of his own outfit, yet took your unoccupied hand into his.

Alfonse was quick to take notice of you pale skin. He remembered the days the two of you spent outside, walking around the castle gardens of Askr. Back then, you appeared vivid and so full of life. Right now, you skin was clammy and cold.

With the enemy out of the way, Alfonse focused on you. He didn’t care about Loki, or your allies on the battlefield, or about the mission; what mattered here and now was you.

“[Name],” He called, worrying when he didn’t get a response. “[Name]!” He called once again, this time louder than before. You blinked twice, acknowledging Alfonse’s calls, as you grounded yourself in the here and now.

“Loki,” You choked out, “we need to get her, she wants Breidablik!” You attempted to stand up, stopped by the pain blossoming in your own abdomen and Alfonse’s insistent hand pressing down on your shoulder.

“This, hah, really, really hurts,” You whined, as if it weren’t a fatal wound you were dealing with.  Alfonse squeezed your hand lightly as a sign of comfort, “I’m here, [Name],” He exclaimed, but the loud volume of his voice caused you to grimace.

Alfonse took notice to your rapid and unsteady breathing, his face softening considerably. You needed help and you needed it now, but Mist was too far away. He grit his teeth, he was at a loss as to what to do. He stared at the dagger in your stomach with despair, he couldn’t pull it out here.

Sweat dribbled down your forehead, a cold, unsettling feeling finding its way into your system. You recognized it as anxiety, it settled into your veins like a blanket of cold. You hated this feeling, you hated being weak.

“I don’t want to die!” You blurted suddenly, panting as your lungs were desperate for air, “I don’t want to die, Alfonse! Please, Alfonse, please. It hurts — please.”

All you wanted to do was sleep off the pain. You couldn’t think straight, see straight, you couldn’t do anything. You felt weak, helpless, and now your heroes were at risk of being in danger because of you.

“You’re not going to die, not as long as I’m here.” Alfonse’s hand found its way to your cheek, cupping it so you could stare into his beautiful, blue eyes. You never noticed how vibrant his eyes were until today. They were glossed over with worry and concern, his gaze hardened as he tried to keep calm. You could stare at them all day, his eyes were like a deep blue ocean that you were getting lost in.

You shook your head lightly, clearing your thoughts. You needed to stay awake, not think about Alfonse’s eyes. You attempted to stop your eyes from drooping, but the idea of sleeping sounded so, so nice. With Alfonse by your side, you knew you’d be safe and protected.

“Don’t leave me,” You begged, and faintly you could see Alfonse nod his head. His hair bounced with the movement of his head, dragging a small smile from your lips. “I won’t leave, not until you’re better,” He reaffirmed, a sense of seriousness in his voice.

You felt your heart rate speeding up, but you couldn’t tell if it was from Alfonse or the shock of blood loss.

“Am I, ah, supposed to be dizzy. . .?” You questioned, more to yourself than anyone else. The world spun around you, even Alfonse faded in and out of sight. Black spots dotted your vision, your consciousness threatening to leave you. You fought tooth and nail to stay awake, to stay with Alfonse.

When met with no response, your worry grew, “Alfonse—? Are you still here?��

Alfonse fought an internal battle with himself: should he leave and get Mist, or take you with him? If he took you with him, there was a chance he could make your injuries worse. That was the last thing he wanted to do. Alfonse was meant to protect you, but now you lay here dying in his arms.

He was weak.

“Yeah,” He spoke, voice cracking, “I’m still here.”

You squirmed, restlessness getting to you. “I’m sorry—” You choked out, placing your hand atop the one that held your cheek, “for arguing e-earlier. I know. . .you were just trying to protect me.” A solemn tear fell down your cheek, yet your cries were silent.

When you placed your hand upon his, he felt nothing but the cold, even through his thick leather gloves. You couldn’t die, not right now. He couldn’t be the one to let you die, it would haunt him for the rest of his life if he let the one he loved slip through his fingers.

He hated the cold, he wouldn’t let the cold take you.

“If you’re sorry,” He spoke, slowly, “then live.” You nodded your head, “‘tis just a flesh wound.” A laugh tried to leave your lips, but you just coughed harshly instead. He frowned at your weakened state, knowing deep down you didn’t have much time left.

He let out a deep breath, then made a decision, “Forgive me, [Name], this is going to hurt.”

He hooked his arms under your legs and the other on your back. With a grunt, he lifted you into the air. You let out a small cry of pain, the dagger in your abdomen shifting slightly at the abrupt movement.

“I’m, agh, fine,” You reassured, eyes fluttering close. When they didn’t open back up, he knew you were sleeping. He let you rest, as long as you were still breathing. He kept a close eye on your labored breathing as he walked, the pace slow as to not jostle you.

He had always wanted to hold you like this, perhaps on your wedding day. He imagined you in a marvelous, white dress, cradled in his arms like a princess. He’d twirl you around as you shared a kiss, finally belonging to one another.

Instead, you laid dying in his arms. There was no white dress, just robes stained with red. You wouldn’t dance with him; no, right now you were dancing with death. You were on the edge of your demise, simply waiting for time to push you over.

Alfonse had failed you once, and he wasn’t one to make the same mistakes twice. If he could make it to the battlefield in time, Mist could help. She could do what he couldn’t, she could save you.

Your face was peaceful, your pain taken away by the mercy of sleep. Alfonse was no stranger to death. It happened time after time, yet it still hurt just as much as the first. He couldn’t imagine a world without you in it, an Askr without its beloved summoner.

You were both too young for the tragedy of war to have hurt you, but it did anyways. This wasn’t you war to fight; hell, you didn’t even ask to be here. It should’ve been himself that was attacked by Loki, not you.

You were too kind for your own good, almost to a fault. You had joined their cause without hesitation, taking up the mighty Breidablik and the title of summoner. He wanted to hate how kind you were, it was the reason you had were in this situation in the first place, but without that kindness you would’ve never befriended him.

His world felt cold and desolate. Askr needed you—he needed you.

The sight of a worried Roy appeared on the horizon. Alfonse felt his face relax, he didn’t even realize his face was tense with worry. Faintly, he could hear Roy for his comrades, but the fading adrenaline in his system left him groggy.

He fell to his knees, exhausted from his adrenaline rush. He looked at you one last time, holding you closer to his chest. You were still breathing, thank god, he couldn’t live with himself if he allowed you to die.

The panicked forms of your beloved heroes drew closer, but Alfonse didn’t have it in him to keep his head up anymore. He allowed his head to bow slightly before you. He smiled lightly, catching one last sight of his peaceful form, before he let his own eyes flutter close. It wasn’t cold anymore, now he could feel the lively sun beat down on his back.

For someone who had given up so much for him, the least he could do was protect you till the bitter end.

[fire-emblem-treats]

🎃Halloween🎃

🧡Positive things🧡 about the 👻 Halloween Banner 👻:

All the units have their own color! This makes it easier for people who want to snipe or avoid certain units.

All the units are perfectly viable with little effort!

A banner of firsts! Not only is this banner full of seasonal firsts for these characters (aside from one character) but they also are firsts for their specific units! Ex: Myrrh is the first red armored dragon, Mia is the first flying staff user, etc.

This year's Halloween units features the return of cute Halloween cookies in their special attack art!

New Halloween costumes! The only characters with similar costumes from last year are Mia and Nowi with the witch theme. (We will get to this is in Mia's specifics)

🍬🍭🍫Onto Character specifics!🍫🍭🍬

🎃Moonlit Witch Mia🎃

As stated earlier, Mia is the only unit that shares a costume theme with a previous Halloween unit. However, despite sharing a theme, she and Nowi have unique spins on the idea! Nowi is more frilly and purple and Mia has a pumpkin theme with orange!

As stated earlier, she is the first flying cleric! She even comes with 'Hone fliers'!

In the paralouge, she is incredibly sweet with Myrrh. Offering to team up with her just so that the child like dragon wouldn't be alone.

She, Myrrh, and Niles are also readily help Marth in the Tempest Trials. (With Mia pushing Dorcas to help as well)

Her Witchy Wand+ can be refined with the ever loved Wrathful or Dazzling Staff skills!

Her Witchy Wand+ can also reset the Special cooldown of multiple enemies!

Mia is here and ready to party! Her enthusiasm for the Harvest Festival is contagious!

She acknowledges that she'll probably always will get sexist comments about being a female merc but Mia is quick to point out that festivals are for everyone to have fun, regardless of age or gender, and encourages the player to join in as well!

"Wah!"😝

🍾Beverage Ninja Kagero🍾

Upon her release, this variant of Kagero produces quite the collection of harmless drunk Kagero jokes!

She is the first armored green dagger unit! Fitting as her other seasonal was the first flying dagger unit.

The first unit to wear a maid outfit despite it not being her base class.

Despite there being two other maid units, Kagero's outfit is slightly different with the skirt being more form fitting.

Her new weapon, Bottled 'Juice'+, also inflicts a Special cooldown charge on foes!

The fact that her weapon is called 'Juice' despite appearing like champagne or even wine is pretty funny as Intsys tends to bend over backwards to censor or discourage alchohol consumption.

Despite not being hilariously drunk as the memes say, Kagero's dead pan seriousness is it's own brand of funny!

Her dialogue references traditional Asian sweets like dango and rice crackers and how the Conquest Maid class are essentially just Nohrian ninjas in many ways!

"Those who do not give treats must suffer a trick. That is the rule."😤

😈Forbidden Tease Niles😈

Niles is the first Halloween unit to have a devil inspired costume and, goodness, does it suit him!

He is also the first blue armored archer and the second armored archer in general! (The first being Hallowee Jakob from last year)

The Niles variant comes with 'Fortify Armor'! (Useful for Armor Emblem users;3)

Niles is super fun as a Halloween devil! His dirty flirty humor is played up to the max in the seasonal! Super in character!

Speaking of his flirty nature, he does have a line that is a bit of a reference to his bisexuality (specifically mlm): "A trick...or a treat...I wonder which the young prince desires?" This could be a reference to his Lord Leo, as Niles is prone to messing with him, Alfonse, whom Niles calls a "Pretty piece of porcelain", or even Male Corrin, who Niles can S-Support in Fates

Despite being a jokester, Niles level 40 dialogue brings up a good point of being true to yourself and how people, even the Summoner, tend to wear masks. Niles tends to assume that everyone has hidden intentions so it's very in character. (Even though he plays it as a bit of a dirty joke at the end)

"If you want some of my candy...You're going to have to beg. Say 'pretty please'"😘

🦇Spooky Monster Myrrh🦇

Myrrh is pretty unique in terms of design! She isn't simply a vampire, but her costume specifically plays up a the bat part! With cute fluff and wings!

As stated before she is the first red armored dragon! She also comes with 'Armor March'!

Her sprite does a cute little hop before she transforms!

Her ribbon 'ears' are so cute, you can get them as an accessory in the latest 'Tap Battle'

She's just a kid out here to have a fun festival!;u;

Even though her level 40 dialogue is a little sad, since she acknowledges she will outlive most of the people she has met, Myrrh reminds us the importance of memories and holding them close!

This variant references her father and her time in the Darkling Woods!

Myrrh's very sweet as she mentions that while she wants candy she would prefer to not get any by playing any 'mean' tricks.

"Candy Grudge!"🍬

🐂Pumpkin Smasher Dorcas🐂

This Halloween variant is free via the 'Tempest Trials'!

He is the first Halloween unit to be inspired by minotaurs! These are mythical creatures that are part bull and part man. (Fitting as Mia calls him a 'big ox' in the 'Tempest Trials')

His axe not only looks like it's made of candy but has cute matching bull horns on the pumpkin!

Even during a festival, Dorcas is thinking of his wife. He mentions bringing her candy and how she would be sketching if she were here or his outfit making him smile!

The only Halloween unit to actively mention passing out candy to people!

Continuing the 'Bad Mutton' meme, Dorcas says this about the candy: "Here, take some of this candy off my hands. It looks questionable, but...it's safe. Tested it myself."

His "Outlaw no more" line references the fact he was a bandit before meeting Lyn in Blazing Blade.

This variant of Dorcas further establishes his relationship with Natalie but it also establishes that he enjoyed making kids smile during the Harvest Festival! (This further makes me personally headcanon that the two would be wonderful parents and that these two go to lots of festivals after Natalie gets better;u;)

"You think I look good in this getup? I'm just not seeing it."😑

Special thanks to @mind-blaze for proof reading and helping me with analyzing them as units

[a7xjoker33-blog]

The Summoner's Tales: Chapter 1 - Any Day in June

Prompt: Origin Story for your summoner. What was it like to be summoner to Askr?

      A puff of smoke appeared at the base of the large stone structure etched with a carving of the the world tree. Standing a good seven feet or so tall, the tablet never ceased giving off a simultaneous air of mystery and contempt. On the one hand, the fact that it acted as the portal through which so many worlds, times and realities could be connected with and drawn into this one was an awe-inspiring concept. Something so simple as a giant stone holding such importance. On the other hand, any summoner would know the pain of standing in front of the altar for hours on end, wishing and praying for some act of kindness and fair play, only to be met with the cold indifference of random chance. The stone tablet was just that - a stone tablet, but damn if I didn't yell at it time and again hoping beyond hope that it would sense my frustration and reward my efforts.

      I often considered the likelihood of there being other realities where other summoners stood as I did on that platform in front of the tablet, firing Breidablik and their dwindling ration of orbs into the heart of the beast. How many were lucky? How many summoned the heroes they so desperately wanted? How many quit out of frustration and left their new-found home behind? How many were drunkenly doing so only to wake up in their castle cots the next morning to the surprise of new allies and fewer orbs? Had anyone ever tried special trick shots? Did those help at all? Maybe if one were to sing a thematic song......

"Smoke? That's a good omen! I wonder who might be joining us today..."

     Lucina's voice beside me on the right snapped me out of those wandering thoughts. A quick shake of the head then refocused me on that infernal and beautiful stone structure a few yards before me in the summoning plaza on the Askrian castle grounds. A small audience accompanied me to the event that day. Well, small given the size of the barracks at the castle. To my right stood Lucina, hand resting on her Falchion blade holstered at her side; the mightiest weapon among the worlds we'd been summoning from and interacting with for months on end. A weapon of legend which had continued to evolve and develop as she fought here at my side; still not even close to as impressive as the girl who wielded it.

      As he did in most things, Robin stood right next to her, tome open to record the summons of this day. I always knew I could trust Robin to offer sound advice and strategies for our battles here with the Askrians. His calm nature and tactical mind had been boons since the first day I arrived in the kingdom, and we would often find ourselves discussing anything from odd histories of the various realms to the status of our troops and allies. Sometimes our conversations were over things as simple as the ruffled mops of hair we each wore upon on our heads. We each knew how similar our roles were to one another, and that along with our dorky personalities led to us becoming fast friends. He and Lucina were two of my most trusted comrades. They in turn were as thick as thieves with one another, sharing a bond stronger than any other two members of this makeshift army I had stumbled into commanding.

"Think it will be anyone cute? I bet it's a cute girl. Pleeeeeaaaassssseeeee let it be someone cute! Lucy - cross your fingers with me!"

     Lucina couldn't help but chuckle at that. Robin smiled and shook his head. To my left a few paces off and no longer leaning against the tree she had been a few minutes ago was Soleil; the happy-go-lucky girl who made each day with the army a bit more fun. By this point she was leaning forward, crossing the fingers on each of her gloved hands, bouncing a bit as she eagerly awaited to see a cute face appear out of the smoke. It didn't matter the day or fight our group faced. That girl made them all easier to endure. None of us were ever quite sure how she managed to do it. Despite my best efforts, I couldn't even maintain the group's spirits as well as the girl with long pink locks and an heirloom headband from her grandmother. Her charisma was a blessing that I envied. I mean, I find myself to be a pretty fun guy (fairly good-looking to boot, I'd say!), but that girl could flash you a smile and you'd climb a mountain for her!

     Beyond being the sunshine of my day most everyday and trying to ask every girl and guy in the army she found cute out to tea, I was amazed to see her rise to prominence as quite possibly the best fighter in the army. I often wondered between she and Lucina who really would have won that title. Lucina wondered it too, as it turned out. Even challenged Soleil to a friendly match one day to try and answer the question. Several of us in the mess hall had noticed Lucina approaching Soleil with an air of excitement. Lucy still had that bit of her father in her - that drive to be the best, Chrom’s competitive spirit. She wasn't about to learn someone in the army had surpassed her skill with a sword and do nothing about it . If that were the case, she needed to know so she could retake the title. Never did get the answer, though. Best as Robin and I can figure after watching the conversation from a distance? Lucina got caught off-guard by Soleil's flirtations and thought Soleil was leaving for the barracks to grab her sword.

     Soleil returned with a personal teapot and two cups. Robin and I both rolled with laughter as Lucina found herself on a tea-date with Soleil for the next hour. To her credit, Lucy seemed to enjoy it as well. Both girls knew they were the best in the army. Soleil just didn't really care to prove it like Lucina did. She was much happier to just lift the spirits of a girl who often found herself burdened with her own past and the memories of what she had lost. Had to love that about Soleil; flirtatious to a fault? Perhaps, but there wasn't a person alive who you'd rather spend time around than the happy-go-lucky girl with a smile as bright as the sun and a penchant for sass.

"Whomever it is, I'm sure we'll be the best of friends!"

     Speaking of outgoing personalities.....Sharena, Anna and Alfonse stood behind me; the original three members of this army that had now grown to over fifty individuals strong. So many faces coming and going; some that had grown with us and others that had left promptly or who had passed on their knowledge of skills. Yet the Askrian prince and princess and their commander-at-arms still were here, fighting what at times felt like a losing battle against the forces of Muspell. It always felt as though we were fighting back a predestined endgame, but the bouncy princess, lord of benches and avaricious commander still stymied the tides of enemies pouring out of the fire kingdom.

     Also in the audience were what I liked to refer to as Lucina's split-personalities. Lancina, Marthcina and Bunncina. Lucina was surprised the first time she came face to face with not herself - with the Lucina who still wore her butterfly mask picked out by Selena and Gerome in another time and reality years ago and insisted she be called “Marth.” It was an odd thing seeing her explain to this past version of herself that the war to stop Grima was progressing well and that she - the masked version - would get to meet Chrom as Lucina and not as Marth in the near future whenever she left this new realm. The second time when she met a version of herself wielding a lance and wearing a garb similar to her father's promoted attire things went a bit smoother. By the time Spring Lucy rolled into the plaza, the welcome party of Lucinas was well-versed on how to break the odd news. Nowadays they had formed the most powerful squad in the army, though giving orders to "Lucina" often led to a harmonic chorus reply of "yes?"

     We.....we quickly assigned nicknames after that. They always liked to be there to welcome whomever appeared and show them around the castle. Masked and Spring Lucina were always paired together while Brave Lucina often would converse with her partner-in-crime on the battlefield Soleil. Today she exchanged smiling glances with her OG self at Soleil's desire to see another cute face around the castle.

     Last among the ranks was the red-haired pegasus knight of Ylisse Cordelia, who had asked many months ago to watch as I summoned. What exactly she expected to gain from watching me, I have no idea, as I'm fairly certain she is unable to use the magic gun of summons, headaches and heartaches. But I didn't want to crush her spirits. She always watched so intently, as though she felt she was on the verge of figuring it out. I let her try one time when only the two of us were in the plaza. She actually did manage to get something to happen, though I imagine being blasted backwards via some weird backfire onto her butt wasn't what she had in mind. Made me promise to never tell anyone that story. Oops....

     The smoke began to clear as the central orb of the summoning tablet continued to glow red through the haze.

"I am Eldigan. Those who defy my lord will meet my blade. But I trust that you and I will have no such problem."

     The Lionhearted paladin himself: Eldigan. One of the most powerful cavalrymen among the realms; the wielder of the mighty Mystletainn blade. First time he'd ever appeared in this realm. That would be sure to make his sister and niece in the barracks quite happy. Particularly his sister. Sweet girl, but good lord the girl has a weird obsession with her brother. Come to think of it.......

"Wait! Someone else is coming through!"

     Right. Had had enough orbs to fire twice at the tablet. The centerpiece orbs still glowed a crimson red as the Lucina Squad led Eldigan and his horse into the castle. I wondered who would appear this time? A news bulletin from the Order's feathered messenger Feh had imparted that new summons had an increased chance of pulling from the world of Elibe and the time of Nergal's Campaign against Lycia. For long nights I had wondered where these messages were coming from that Feh was bringing back to the castle. A couple of nights I tried to stay awake with Soleil; each of us taking turns watching the dainty owl as she slept atop her perch, hoping to see her take off to some location allowing us to trail her. Inevitably though we each fell asleep leaning back to back against one another, only to wake up to the morning sun and find that the owl had brought back another seemingly omniscient message. The little owl just smiled and hooted, flapping her wings. Taunting us with a secret she wouldn't share.......cocky little bird. We'll see if you get any of Oscar's cake later.....okay, probably like a slice, but I'm not giving it to you right away. You'll have to wait at least five minutes.

     A long black-haired woman wearing a ceremonial garb of the plains people of Sacae stepped forward out of the smoke. A sword hung from her belt to one side, and her grey eyes conveyed a look of confusion at her new surroundings.

"I am Karla. This place is very strange....Who might you be?"

"Karla? I'm not familiar with any legends of her. Mike, have you?"

     Catching Robin unfamiliar with a hero was always a small treat for me. He read so much within the Askrian library about the different legends, heroes and conquests from the different worlds that there was very little I knew anymore that he didn't. Little victories - they get you through the days. I did a little fist-pump to myself.

"I saw that, you know."

"I'm going to guess you two in the cloaks are in charge? A pity. Neither of you look to be much in the way of fighters. I sure hope....whatever this place is doesn't turn out to be a waste of time."

"Everyone, this is Karla. She's from the world of Elibe, particularly Lyn's home country of Sacae. Pretty sure the uh....garb and sword give that much away though. She's famed in the world as one of the best arena fighters in all the lands - a lethal swordmaster able to strike in a blur. You may also know her as the sister of Karel, the Sword Dem-"

"My brother is here?!? Does he carry the Wo Dao still? How does he fare? Wait, another question - how do you know that much about me?"

"In order? Karel is here in this realm, but not among us. Last we saw him was on the battlefield where we bested him. He's shown up occasionally since, always in fine health but never joining us. Second, yep, still has your family's sword with him. But uh.....feel I should let you know - that particular sword isn't quite so rare here."

     I looked over at Soleil as she flourished her own version of the legendary sword with a smile and wink. A little figure eight pattern before re-sheathing it and a slight bow. I love how she can't help but show off a bit. Truthfully, I'd have done the same.

"That's.....perplexing."

"As for your last question, we are the Order of Heroes. Bit bland of a name, but hey, what can you do? I'm Mike, the summoner and tactician for the group. Turns out that this world is connected to many worlds. It acts a bridge of sorts; allowing heroes from different times and realms to venture to and from here. Sometimes, like with us, free to follow their own whims and train as they wish until they're called upon to return to their own times.

Sometimes they're bound by a contact when summoned to our enemies side to fight for that army. Pretty much the worst mercenary job you can think of. Just without the pay. Or....being a mercenary at all, I guess. Thing is, I'm not from this realm either. I came from another world - one where I've seen many of the endings to many of the stories and times all of the heroes here have lived through. Bit of a voyeuristic perspective, you might say. But at least it lets me know about you all and how to best help you."

"Sounds suspicious. What makes any of us sure we can fully trust you? Sounds like you may be no different than this opposing force of summoners. Wait, did you say army?"

"Ha. Fair point, I guess. Well, doubt I can convince you to believe in me by a simple conversation right off the bat. You're free to wander around this realm at your leisure. If you so choose, you can join us here at the castle as we continue to fight back an invading force hellbent on destroying this kingdom and the citizenry. There's plenty of room in our barracks and we could use your blade and skill. At the minimum, you'll find ample opportunity to train here. Lucina and Soleil are two of the best swordswomen I've ever met in any of the realms. They'll be every bit your match, and possibly better."

     I winked at Lucina. She just raised her eyebrow as if to say in response “really?” I'd sadly gotten used to that reaction. Can't blame a guy for trying though, can you?

"You might even be surprised to find some familiar faces here! Believe you know a musclehead named Bartre?"

"Bartre is here? I thought he was still travelling with the new Marquess of Pherae."

"Pretty sure this Bartre is a bit older than the one you know. Which is good news and bad news!  Good news! He's a bit more polished of a fighter than you probably remember! Also he's got a papa-stache now!"

"That man.....actually, I always did wonder how he'd look with facial hair. It's been awhile since we had our last training session. And the bad news?"

"You'll be seeing your future daughter here! Congrats! You're gonna be a mother!"

"WAIT, EXCUSE M-"

"I'll just leave you to it then! Cordelia, I'm sure you can introduce Karla to her family. Have fun!"

     I whistled as I casually strolled away from the plaza, heading back towards the mess hall and my quarters beyond that. I'm fairly certain Karla was shouting some amount of obscenities at me as I walked away. Sometimes it's just best to let the heroes figure out some things for themselves, you know?

     As we passed through the mess hall where some heroes were still eating their morning meals (late risers; I envied them, as that luxury had been lost to me since arriving here), Robin and I made plans to meet up at the training grounds later that afternoon to oversee a few friendly training matches, possibly even to set up an expedition to the local training tower a few miles out from the castle. I did hope Karla would choose to remain with us for some time. Her blade was as renowned in Elibean legend as her brother's. There was more I wish I could tell her. About how little time she'd have with her daughter, about how her brother would later find redemption and peace away from the battlefield, about how overjoyed Bartre would be today to see his wife one more time. Would she be taken aback to learn of her future? Perhaps, but circumstances being what they were, it's best to let her learn the major details right away. The rest could wait for later, and maybe longer still. It was always....difficult to determine how much to let Heroes know about their futures. Each hero would handle the knowledge differently, but it was consistently hard to tell how much was too much to let on. Sometimes ignorance was bliss.

     I made my way down the stone corridor between the mess hall in the center of the castle towards the barracks in the back. The midday sun streamed through the large openings on the left side of the corridor where windows would be back in my world. Another beautiful day in the kingdom, I thought to no one but myself. Ever since coming here, it was hard to deny that the kingdom of Askr had weather that would make anyone jealous. Plenty of sunny days and blue skies overlooking bountiful green farmlands and small villages. The air consistently felt crisp and clear. If I didn't know any better, I'd believe the castle to be near some large body of water. It never ceased to amaze me how.....light the air felt. I stopped for a moment just to breath the air in. I closed my eyes. I can't say it reminded me of home, but it did remind me of places I knew back in my world.

     Beautiful places where civilization hadn't quite mired the natural landscape, where man had only brushed his hand along the Earthen surfaces rather than dug down deep as if to bend the dirt below to his own will. Places where you could pause to think and reflect. Places where you felt that if there were some greater power behind all of this creation, this was as close as you could find to their fingerprint on the world. A place where once I had been able to sit alone on an overcast day along a rocky beach and stare out into a cold, northern ocean mere miles from where my grandmother had grown up, half way around the world from anything I knew and just.....breath and think. Just look out to the horizon, and for a moment smile thinking that you were looking at the top of the world; taking in a moment to reflect on how small we all are in the grand scheme of things. No more significant or long-lasting than those pebbles on the beach. Constantly buffered around by waves of time and all just looking for somewhere to rest a minute.

     I'd simultaneously found myself with plenty of time to think in this new world and little time to reflect on the small things with it. The burden of leadership, I suppose. It still all felt like a weird dream to me. One day you're driving to work, wallet and an old IPod classic circled by a pair of earbuds in one pocket and the next thing you know, you're falling from the sky into a ditch in a different world. Upside down with a massive headache; nothing to your name but a white embroidered cloak and a pocket with that IPod and wallet lining the inside of it. There stood a face I recognized from a series I enjoyed playing for hours on end. Anna, or some version of her wielding an odd white and gold-embroidered object that reminded me of one of the weird gun-shaped controllers some gamers would buy as an accessory for their consoles. I was kind of right. It was a gun. Turns out in their hour of need, Anna had found this.....Breidablik device and hoped it would summon the legendary hero that Askr had been promised. Instead they got me. A pale, glasses-wearing dorky extrovert with a mop of brown hair that never laid right, a slight beard that he could never decide if it was too long or too short, a sarcastic tongue and mind that got him into trouble more often than not for thinking he was one of the smarter guys in the room and a duality of confidence that shifted on any given day between cockiness and self-depreciation. Yay for them.

      I'd had my fill of fresh air, so I turned from the corridor's opening and continued on towards the barracks. This was one of the few mornings I found myself with a bit of free time before the daily drills and marching. Things had been quiet from the Muspell front for a few days. Disconcerting, but hey - take the breaks you can get. I had plenty on my mind already, and only one thing was going to calm me down. I waved hello to a few of the passing heroes. Arden and Effie on their way to training grounds to most likely lift something heavy. Lazlow or Inigo or whatever he was going by that day was reminiscing with his mother appearing in her younger form about his time as a retainer for the Crown Prince of Nohr. Cecelia and Seigbert passed on their way to the library for lessons in diplomacy. Still mentoring young royalty in another world. On another day, any of them may have stopped to chat with me, but I guess my hands in the pockets of my cloak and a distant stare probably didn't send off a "Sure! Let's have a nice chat where you tell me ALL about your day!" vibe. I didn't mean anything by it; it was just where my head was at.

     After a few minutes of walking down stone corridors and around turns in the barracks hallways, I found my room situated near the northwest edge of the castle. Alfonse, Sharena and Anna all had rooms near that corner as well, but given the time of day I knew I was alone there. Heading inside I plopped down on the cot in the corner, propping myself up against the headboard and wall it touched, one leg kicked out and the other propped up on the bed. I grabbed the IPod from the cloak's pocket and popped my earbuds in. Surprisingly I found that despite there being no electricity in this world, a few magic tomes were able to recharge the thing by lightly electrocuting it. I didn't ask too many questions. I was just thankful to have the darn thing working.

     I scrolled down until I got to the "Q" section of artists, clicked on Queens of the Stone Age, found their blue-faced album titled "Rated R" and hit the play button on the song "In the Fade." The slow fade-in of a guitar chord hit me and things felt right. I glanced down to see the repeat icon lit up. Eh, I'll switch it off after a few plays. I grabbed my wallet from atop the wooden desk adjacent to the bed and flipped it over to the back slot where a now-pointless driver's license was sleeved. Yep, still there. Not crazy yet. The day on the license matched the day on the calendar in the mess hall: June 7th.

I was 25 now.

     Hope mom and dad are doing well. Wonder if time here works differently. What if I do eventually head back and time hasn't changed at all? What if I have aged though? Two years older, two years more handsome, maybe? Ha.......I hope everyone is alright.

     No one at the castle seemed to pay attention that morning to the date. Just another day here. I'd have been more upset if it were a bigger deal to me, but to be honest I felt it more enjoyable to celebrate the birthdays of the others since arriving rather than my own. Never meant much back in my world, so why should it here?

     A knock at the door broke the inner monologue underplayed by a favorite song from a band no one else here knew.

"Mike, you in there? I uh...followed you back from the plaza. You seemed like you were somewhere else though, so I let you be. You know, in your own head? Anyway, got a minute?"

     Soleil sounded a bit more hesitant than normal.

"Sure thing, Sunshine. It's unlocked."

     I put the wallet back down on the table and removed my ear buds as she entered. She closed the wooden door behind her, but those olive eyes usually conveying a warmth as bright as any daylight were fixed down and to her left. She fidgeted with her gloved hands, rocking back and forth on one foot.

"What's troubling you, Sunshine? Something's on your mind if that smile isn't on your face."

     She sighed and met my eyes.

"You know so much about us, Mike. I get what you told me about having seen all these stories - all these lives and interactions - played out in some way before. Seems crazy to me, but hey! I grew up in some kind of....weird....time bubble thing, so who am I to judge? But it's soooooo personal! You know who we are at our best, and at our worst, who we're descended from, our skills, who we could learn the most from or have the most in common with, who will get along well, who can ride a horse or shoot magic or who has slain a dragon or who is a dragon or that I can't dance and how that' so embarrassing but now you're trying to help me learn how by introducing me to my grandmother who is really cute by the way -"

     Soleil was getting excited. She always got talking fast like that when she was flustered. Usually it was because there was a cute girl around. I'm pretty good-looking, but this wasn't that.

"Right, right. It's....kind of hard to explain it all myself. It's like reading a whole series of books and then one day finding yourself in the middle of the plot of one. You know who everyone is and how the plot should go, but you're now in a side chapter you never knew about. It doesn't make much sense to me either. But what's brought all that back up? Think I shouldn't have told Karla about Fir?"

"No, it's not that. It's just.....you never open up to us about you. Kind of feels like you're always keeping us an arm's length away. Even Lucina and me."

".....I...don't mean for it to seem that way. I really don't."

     I suddenly became aware that my hood was up. I hadn't even noticed it before. I pulled it down and nodded my head to the spot on the bed next to me, swinging my legs off of the bed so she'd have a place to sit. She flashed a small smile and sat next to me, hands grasping the edge of the mattress as she leaned forward to look at my face on her left. I opened my mouth for a second to say something, and moved my jaw off-center. Truth be told, this line of questioning from her was leading to the same place my mind had been most of the morning before the summoning session. I glanced right to look at her, meeting her eyes.

"Your dad had a conversation with you once, right? About how he wasn't from the world of Nohr and Hoshido? That the day may come when he had to return to his own world?"

"Yeah, I told him I wanted to go with him if I could. I'd love to see his world. Turns out we both got that chance in a way when you brought us here. It's not his world, but all of the friends he knew are here. Lucina, Geroma, Aunt Selena, Uncle Odin, even Grandma! And that's sooooo cool to get to meet them all! I get to meet my grandmother and see why dad was always trying to dance like her!"

"Exactly, but....it's kind of like that for me. You never knew his actual name was Inigo, right?"

"Yeah, that was a total shocker..."

"He kept certain parts of his past hidden. Same as Selena and Odin. Now they had a mission that kind of required them to do so, but with me it's......"

     I sighed.

"I don't want to lose you. Any of you. I've made so many friends here and feel so welcomed by you all, even as weird as I may seem knowing so much about you. But I don't know how exactly I got here. I mean, yeah, I get the whole Breidablik thing, but that whole situation still seems crazy. Say something happens someday, and the whole thing is undone. That I have to return to my world. The closer I get, the harder it will be. I'm the only one from that world. I'll have to return: alone. As much as I'd like, I can't take you or Lucy or Rob or anyone back there. Your worlds all overlap. Mine doesn't. I hate goodbyes. Never been any good at them.

And that's not even taking into account what happens if I were to lose any of you while here. I want you all to be able to return to your own worlds safe and sound when this war is done. Hopefully the challenges of your worlds are all far easier after the work and training we've put in together here. But I don't know. It's going to hurt to leave everyone behind or see everyone leave. Whichever comes first."

      I found myself leaning forward at this point, forearms resting on my thighs with my fingers intertwined. I looked down at the ground for a moment. Soleil just watched, waiting for me to continue. I was always amazed by how well she could handle serious topics. She was far more mature and understanding than you'd think being the peppy flirter.

"I'm not that interesting of a guy, really. It's pretty surface-level, Sunshine. I wear my emotions on my sleeve and I wasn't doing anything all that impressive with my life before coming here. Your stories are all way more interesting than mine. Despite being pretty good-looking, smart, funny, charming - "

     She snorted while trying to fight back a laugh. I snickered a bit too.

"You know what I mean. I'm just the guy who summons you all here and needs help from Rob to make sure I keep you all safe and alive. I'm doing the best I can to be everyone's reliable friend. I hope that's working. But I still wake up some days unsure of why the hell this stupid thing chose me."

     I raised up Breidablik from my side and shook it a few times before setting it arm's length out on the desk.

"You're special to us, Mike. You ARE a good friend and leader. And you're the only one we'd want leading us out there. You work night and day to make sure we all do our best. So turn that frown upside down, cutie! I hate seeing you down like this."

      She reached over with both hands and forcibly pushed my mouth into a smile. We both laughed again, and this time the smiles were genuine between us.

“You know, one of these days I'm really going to miss you being here to cheer me up. Or me being there to cheer Lucy up. Or Rob getting startled by something and cheering all three of us up."

"Hahaha! Like that time he was practicing a new spell and set the row of training dummies on fire! The fire nearly spead to the mess hall!"

"Lucy was so mortified and Chrom just laughed. Then he reminded them they had just broken a pair each the day before, and they both got really quiet...."

"Hahaha! Yeah, it's fun being around them! I get now why dad missed them so much. And Lucina's QUITE the cute one."

"Down girl. Think Rob would have a thing or two to say about that. Besides, you and Lancina already have your own thing."

"That's still so weird to me that they're not the same girl really."

     We each just smiled and looked forward.

"Soooo......weren't going to tell anyone about your birthday, cutie?"

"You knew?! I purposefully didn't tell anyone. How'd you find out?"

"Lucy and I snuck in here one day and checked the wallet. Felt it might tell us a little something about you. Been planning something ever since."

"Well glad personal boundaries are so well respected!"

    I chuckled. She just smiled a toothy grin at me. I really would miss that one day.

"So wanna get going? Think you're supposed to be meeting Robin here soon. Then Lucy and I have you for the afternoon off."

    Funny how a few minutes of talking with someone you trust can turn a day around, isn't it? Especially when that someone is a cute guy or girl who you can't help but smile and laugh with. We all need that person.

"In a minute."

    I grabbed my IPod still sitting on the bed beside and between the two of us, looking for the one earbud marked with the little "R" on it. Popped it in my ear, and offered its pair to the girl beside me. She moved her long pink hair out of the way and behind her ear, smiling as she heard the song.

Losing a feelin', that I couldn't give away Countin and breathin, disappearin in the fade. They don't know, I'd never do you any good Stoppin and stayin, I would if I could.

     And as I'd done on so many occasions before with the girl with brown eyes and a smile that warmed the soul, and with the blue eyed girl with the heart of gold, we both just leaned back against the plaster-covered wall; listening and enjoying a quiet moment. No battles to fight, no comrades to mourn, no futures to rewrite or family to save, no ringing of steel or cacophonies of sound rising from the chaos of a battlefield. Nothing but smiles on our faces and the sound of music. Two pebbles resting on the shore. For a moment, untouched by the waves of time.

[pasteladins]

Sorry I Like You

Parings: Kiralfonse F/M

Summary: Alfonse was avoiding Kiran, and she was not happy about it.

Alfonse had been acting strange lately, and Kiran was not sure why.

During the council meetings, he would avoid her and sit on the opposite side of the table. When she wanted to sit with him in the mess hall, Alfonse would hastily excuse himself -- even if he had just arrived moments ago, frantically handing his food to a very happy Stahl.

The worst part was that he tried to avoid any private time altogether. Before, the two would often meet at least once a week for a cup of tea -- a way to unwind and distract themselves from the ongoing war. However, whenever Kiran would ask, the Askran prince would frown and give a short reply explaining why he couldn’t make it that week.

“I must inspect our inventory.”

“I promised Sharena I would help her with something.”

“Lord Marth wanted to spar for a moment.”

It had been weeks since their last little hang out, and honestly, Kiran was upset. Had she done something wrong? The summoner wracked her mind for any possible reasons that could have caused the bluenette to become so aloof all of a sudden, but nothing came to mind.

They were finally getting along… Their relationship evolved from idle chit chat after war meetings, to eventually sharing their hopes and dreams under the starlit skies. It was a bond stronger than steel, so to speak. Something that neither of which had felt so strongly before. Kiran confessed to him her fears and insecurities as the chief tactician, and, in turn, Alfonse confessed his own anxieties as well -- specifically regarding her presence.

“But you're always there when I need you, to the extent that when you're not near, I feel...not quite myself.”

His voice resonated clear through her mind as she recalled the night they spent under the blanket of stars. Her hands held onto the grass beneath her as she listened to her close friend. His eyes conveyed a vulnerability that she never knew he was capable of obtaining, and, at that moment, she wanted nothing more than to wrap her arms around him and reassure him that he was a noble person. However, her own secret fears prevented her from doing so.

Instead, the tactician sat down, her eyes shining in a different kind of vulnerability. More intimate, more like love. Was it love…?

Kiran mentally chastised herself as she yanked her cowl forward in an attempt to push her inappropriate feelings away. Love me? That would be ridiculous. The prince of Askr had much more pressing matters to attend to than to look for a romantic relationship -- especially with his chief tactician. What silly fairy tale has she been reading? The prince was her friend and that fact was as clear as the water that flowed across the boarder.

Still, Kiran remained anxious over the recent events. What did she do that caused him such displeasure? Was she not the Divine Summoner he thought she was? Was she just not worthy?

All this worrying annoyed Kiran, and she let out a frustrated groan as she hid her face in her gloved hands.

“I don’t know what I did,” She whispered, lowering her cowl, “but I have to fix this!”

With her newfound resolve, Kiran ran down the castle halls.

The summoner went around the pristine palace, asking her fellow heroes about the whereabouts of the Askran Prince, and one hero, Robin, noticed him walking towards the garden, looking rather glum as well; all the more reason to check on him.

Thanking Robin for the info, the summoner made her way to the garden. After taking residence in the castle for more than half a year, Kiran figured out her way around the castle. Actually, it was Alfonse who helped her the most. He spotted her late one night, lost and depressed, all because she wanted a glass of water for her nightstand. Alfonse heard her quiet sniffling as she went through every room in the hallway. Although the tired woman claimed that it was just for a glass of water, the Askran prince figured that she was feeling overwhelmed and homesick. From that moment on, he made it his personal duty to help her adjust to life in the castle.

Once she made it to the entrance of the gardens, Kiran took slow, quiet steps. If Alfonse could hear her, he would most likely run away; she needed to surprise him. That way, he had no chance to escape.

Kiran hunched next to a bush and listened for the clinking of those golden boots, all the while peeking through the tiny holes from said bush. Finally, after a few moments, the Breidablik-wielder spotted the Prince. He was sitting on a bench, looking as if he was deep in thought. However, by the look of his forlorn face, they didn’t seem like happy thoughts.

Slowly, Kiran scurried her way to the bench, efficiently using the bushes for cover. Alfonse was too distracted to even noticed her getting any closer, so that helped as well.

When she deemed it close enough, Kiran jumped out, casually walking toward him and greeting him like she usually did. “Alfonse, I was looking for you!” Her casual tone deceiving her nervous mind that was in a frenzy.

The startled royal nearly jumped out of his seat, his mind now set in panic. He desperately looked for a way out, but Kiran was getting too close, and she was blocking the quickest exit.

“K-Kiran! What a surprise!” He could feel his heart beating so quickly and powerfully. “Lovely to see you! Unfortunately, Commander Anna asked me to help her with a new money-making scheme of hers!” He gracefully tiptoed his way around the summoner as she came closer. “I must be on my way!”

“W-Wait!” She tried to grab his arm, only to miss him as he ran off. Again? Seriously? Maybe she had done something wrong. Maybe she wasn’t that fun to be around. Sure, the other heroes had enjoyed her company, but why not Alfonse?

...And why did it hurt the most? It made her chest heave in an uneven rhythm, a hollow feeling engulfing her body as her stomach tied itself into knots. She also could have sworn she felt her eyes burning, threatening to spill tears. The act of being rejected by Alfonse was a pain worse than she ever imagined.

Was it because she cared about him so much? Yes. This was his way of rejecting her, but he at least owed her a verbal confirmation that he didn’t like her.

“Fine.” Kiran finally spoke, her voice cracking slightly as she clenched her fists. “Go be happy somewhere else.”

Upon hearing this, the Askran prince turned around. “...excuse me?”

“Oh don’t give me that!” Kiran’s shoulders tensed up, and she could feel her eyes brimming with tears, the frustration she was holding in ready to burst out.

“You’ve been ignoring me these past few weeks! I-I know you told me that you didn’t want to get close to the heroes, but I…” She hesitated, her voice quieting down to a trembling whisper that Alfonse had to lean in to hear. “I thought things would change...”

She swallowed hard to suppress the sob that was caught in her throat. “We used to hang out all the time, and that made me happy!” Her eyes could no longer contain the tears, and she let them flow freely as she spilled her thoughts.

“I really thought that… that we were friends…” She clenched her fist even harder, trying to gain back a steady tone, but all that was left was her meek and trembling voice. “B-But if you don’t want that, then fine! Just stop running away like a coward and tell me the truth!!”

She lowered her head and watched as droplets of tears fell onto the stone floor beneath her. “Just tell me you don’t want to be around me.”

It was unnervingly silent, save for the snivelling of the tactician as she desperately waited for an answer.

Gentle, hesitant steps made contact with the stone floor until the Askran prince was close -- too close. Kiran gritted her teeth, hot tears dripping down her face in a pathetic display.

“I…”

Say it. Just. Say it.

“I’m so sorry, Kiran.”

The summoner’s eyes widened and she whipped her head up, bewilderment dominating her thoughts. “...ah…?” Her voice was lost.

Alfonse’s face expressed nothing but guilt and shame as his eyebrows were furrowed and his eyes glimmering with that same vulnerability from that night under the cosmos. He gingerly grasped Kiran’s shoulders. His grip was soft and almost trembling, as if she was made of glass and he was afraid of breaking her fragile body.

“None of this is your fault. The blame is entirely mine.” He took a shaky breath before resuming his oncoming rant.

“I’ve grown to enjoy our time. As I’ve said before, your presence always put me at ease.” His frown grew. “But… lately I’ve begun to express emotions I shouldn’t.”

The summoner tilted her head in confusion, silently urging him to elaborate on his statement.

“This feeling… It comes up when you are around. It’s… warm, and… elating.” His eyes were now looking into hers. “I had figured out what it was. It was love.”

Alfonse’s words caused Kiran to tense her shoulders, and she remained unresponsive from shock, The prince took this as a bad sign, and he retreated within himself, quickly letting her go and letting his arms hang low in defeat.

“I-I was afraid you would reject me. After all, you are so busy with creating strategies and checking on the well-being of the other heroes -- there was no room for me in your heart. Not only that, but I am constantly afraid that you would one day disappear like Zacharias. It sounds ridiculous, but I cannot open myself to such a risk again. So I concluded that the only way to suppress these feelings was to avoid you.”

Kiran’s heart was aching, begging to release her own hidden feelings, but her mouth was still clamped up in fear.

“However, it only made things worse.” Alfonse closed his eyes shut as he recalled all the moments he ran away from her. He would make brief eye contact with her one night in the mess hall, and she was very close to tears. The summoner’s expression bore deep into his mind. “Seeing you so confused and hurt… I-I couldn’t take it, but I assumed that this was for the best.”

He slowly opened his eyes, giving her one last, earnest look. “I knew that it hurt you, yet I still continued with this act for so long. And I am truly sorry. Gods, I’m so sorry, Kiran.”

Alfonse expected her to be angry. He expected her to yell at him, curse him; he deserved it after what he did.

However, he was shocked when he was almost tackled by the summoner. She wrapped her arms around his torso and nuzzled her hidden face into his chest.

“K-Kiran?” The prince was taken aback, his arms frozen in place, unsure of what to do.

“You fool!!” Her muffled yelling was still clear to him. “What made you think that this was a good idea? I was so scared that I offended you somehow! I was incredibly upset, because…” Now it was her turn to confess. “...b-because…” Alfonse already said it, so she had to as well. Kiran pushed herself away from his chest in order to look him in the eyes.

“Because I love you, too!!” Her face was a blushing red mess, possibly from the crying, possibly from embarrassment, possibly both.

Now Alfonse was confused, his shining blue orbs staring intently at her own.

So she… also had feelings for him, and she also attempted to bury them. How ironic. He couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped his lips, an action that offended Kiran.

The summoner huffed, pulling her arms away and crossing them against her chest. “Wh-What?!”

“M-My apologies…” He relented, giving her a gentle smile as he walked closer. “It’s just silly now that you think about it. We felt the same way, and yet, neither of us acted on it.”

Kiran let her arms fall to her sides and she finally smiled as well, seeing the childishness in it all. “Y-Yeah... And both of us hid it like fools.” She shook her head, hesitantly leaning in again, as if silently asking for another hug. “What do you think, though? Would you… I mean…” She didn’t have to even finish her sentence, as Alfonse gave her a warm smile. He pulled her into another hug, gently running one hand through her silky hair while the other hand rubbed soothing circles on her back.

“Yes. Of course.” Was all Alfonse had to whisper as he closed his eyes and entered a blissful state.

Kiran let out a happy sigh as she returned the embrace, wrapping her arms around his torso again and closing her eyes.

“Alfonse?”

“Hm?”

“I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

(( Listen, I’m supposed to be working on bio hw but this is important. Anyways, I haven’t posted any of my Kiralfonse fics so I’m brushing up the ones I like and posting them here. Maybe. Sorry it’s a bit lengthy. ))