#reyson you spend way to much time with tibarn

[littlejadecrystal]

lmfao I love this, the idea is great. Reyson would totally be the guy who teaches the bad words first.

A central piece of my mist&reyson agenda involves her being really interested in ancient tongue and reyson tutoring her and by the end of radiant dawn she happens to be good enough to make shinon a bit paranoid

[tepeshoftellius]

on some birds in RD extended

so I’m reading the Japanese extended script of RD (well, currently only the parts with the birds because I’m predictable like that) and some highlights are:

- Tibarn and Naesala talking about the herons, during which it’s revealed that Tibarn actually DID spend time in Serenes and that he and Rafiel used to watch the younger ones (STOP MAKING ME SAD) and then Tibarn gets sad because there are only four left

- and Naesala’s response is “well we used to think it was just Reyson and Lorazieh, so the number actually doubled!”

- and Tibarn is just like ....back to me passive-aggressively telling you you’re a shithead

- Reyson uses so many exclamation points!!!! so much of his dialogue he is very excitable!!!!! (this is there in the English too, especially after people’s names. also I mean excitable not like ‘excited’ but ‘easily subject to emotions’)

- “Ike!! Ranulf!!! Tibarn’s here?!?” like cool down buddy you have a monopoly on punctuation apparently

- Reyson coming to the LA camp after the assault on Phoenicis is much more gay.... Reyson just really loves Tibarn y’all

(English) Janaff: Your Highness! Please wait! | Reyson: I have to check on him. I’m worried about Tibarn. | Ulki: Reyson can’t just let him be for a while.

(Japanese) Reyson: Tibarn!? He’s here?! | Ike: He ate and now he’s resting in that tent over there. | Reyson: That’s good... I’m so glad... Really............ (よかった…本当に……… yes there are that many elipses) | Janaff: White Prince! You can’t go ahead by yourself like that! | Reyson: Tibarn... I was worried about him.

I like this because 1) Reyson actually arrives ahead of Janaff, which certainly implies a higher level of concern and 2) I’m sorry but that one line よかった…本当に……… (That’s good... Really...........) is exactly what girls say in period dramas when they hear their samurai lover is alive and I don’t think there’s a heterosexual reading for that at all

more under the cut, read if u like gay birds

this whole part is cut from the English:

鷹の民は…誰もがみんな疲れきっていた。…ティバーンだって、そうだ。▼ The hawk tribe... everyone is exhausted. ...Tibarn too, he told me.  なのに…一滴の水すら口にしないまま休みもせずに飛び出して行ってしまった。▼ Even so... he [Tibarn, or they, the hawks] flew all this way without rest or even a drop of water. 訳が分からないまま後を追ったんだが、私の翼では離されるばかりで……▼I pursued him even though I didn’t know the reason, but my wings fell behind [i.e. I was too slow]... 追いついてきたヤナフとウルキから事情を聞いて…目の前が暗くなった。▼ When Janaff and Ulki caught up with me and I heard this information... my vision turned dark. ネサラが…また裏切ったのだと。Naesala... he betrayed us again.

the English picks up with Reyson’s line, “I also heard what happened, and... I just couldn’t believe it.” and continues, but it cuts out Reyson’s rage at finding out Naesala’s betrayal in favor of “I just couldn’t believe it”

this part confused me more because now I really can’t tell where Reyson’s supposed to have been, when he met up with Janaff and Ulki, WHY he met up with Janaff and Ulki, why Tibarn’s there in advance, or literally anything else.

ALSO WE SEE TIBARN IS ALSO VERY LOVING HUSBAND

(English) Tibarn: I’m alive and well. My people are few, but they still live. Phoenicis is still a country. Janaff. Ulki. You know what we must do.

(Japanese) Tibarn: I’m alive and well. My people are few, but they still live. Where the hawk tribe lives - that is Phoenicis. So, Reyson. Phoenicis isn’t destroyed yet. Understood? | Reyson: ...Yes.

and THEN Tibarn talks to Ulki and Janaff. @localization why did you cut out this very important interaction where Tibarn comforts Reyson first?? he says all of this about his people and Phoenicis directly to Reyson - it’s not an announcement to the war meeting with Ike and Ranulf, this is TO REYSON before he even bothers acknowledging the other people in the room.

also, I think they shouldn’t have gone with “Phoenicis is still a country” because I like the ring of the Japanese better, which is “where the hawk tribe lives - that is Phoenicis.” like, it’s not a place, it’s a people - and I think this would really resonate with Reyson, too.

this is all from Part 3 Ch 3 fyi. birds. bird husbands.

[twilightstarr-zinnia]

Tisala for 001 and Naesala and Camilla for 002?

Tisala

When I started shipping: It started a long time ago actually, you know, back when I totally wasn't into Naesala, I swear. This is just a resurgence where I've fallen back in love with it for some new reasons and become more shameless about it.

My thoughts: I love how complicated their dynamic is over the whole course of Tellius. Tension, almost friendship, betrayal, guilt, but still coming together to do something good in the end?

What makes me happy about them: That they spend most of the kings' meeting focused on each other.

The whole conversation where Tibarn is trying to be friendly and Naesala barely keeps the deception together.

"Someone else wants my head more than you do."

What makes me sad about them: That so much interaction happens offscreen. Then again I get to make it perfect myself.

Things done in fanfic that annoy me: There's not a whole lot in existence to go off of, but I wish more of it wasn't just smut.

Things I look for in fanfic: Can't be picky.

Who I'd be comfortable with them ending up with if not each other: either of them with Reyson. I also like Naesala with older Sanaki.

My happily ever after for them: Well canon (sort of) gives us them uniting the bird tribes together. That's a pretty nice ending.

Big spoon/little spoon: I think Naesala would like being little spoon.

Favorite non-sexual activity: Witty banter. Making fun of particularly stuffy beorc nobles. Also Naesala's more cuddly than he'd care to admit.

Naesala

How I feel about him: love.

People I ship romantically with him: Reyson, Tibarn, Sanaki, Vika, can see the rationale behind Pelleas.

Non romantic otp: Young Sanaki, Nealuchi, Isha

Unpopular opinion: Naesala being genderfluid doesn't seem to be a controversial opinion but it's not popular.

One thing I wish had happened in canon: Apart from more on screen interaction with Tibarn, which I've already complained about extensively, some with Vika. She really got neglected by canon, and having her interact with Naesala and/or Nealuchi could have been a way to explore how she might feel about being a raven but being separate from Kilvan culture. Also her not knowing much about it would be an opening for some worldbuilding. In short RD should have had proper supports.

Otp: Reybarnsala

Crossover ship: Kiran/me. Brotp with Joshua.

Headcanon fact: Naesala knows how to sew. It'll come up eventually.

Camilla:

How I feel about her: Over and underrated at the same time in different ways.

People I ship romantically with her: Selena, casually Beruka and Hinoka.

Non romantic ship: all her siblings.

Unpopular opinion: She's actually a complex character if you pay any attention.

One thing I wish had happened in canon: Better armor design.

Otp: Selena

Crossover ship: brotp with Tharja. I feel like she'd see much of herself in Tharja and adopt her.

Headcanon fact: I like the idea of her managing a not awful orphanage in Nohr post game.

[thezolblade]

Ship Meme! Tagged by @the-cryptographer​ ~

1) Ultimate Otps:

Which of them have ‘ultimate’ qualities...? GS Isaac/Alex would be kind of an ‘ultimate power’ ship, if they got a plot with twists and turns and character development and reasons to cooperate. I’d expect that more from fic than canon - so many other canons have lots of epic slow burn adventure fics for hero/villain-or-antivillain ships. But so far in GS, for those two, I’ve mostly found (good) crackfic, or non-shippy ‘they fight to the death and Isaac wins and marries Mia’  stuff that doesn’t treat them with even as much nuance as the canon.

Not that I mind mudshipping - my ultimate GS polyship would be something like Isaac/Mia/Felix/Alex(/Veriti/The Ice Queen), with interesting dynamics between every two characters in that set of four (and Mia/Veriti), even with some of the bonds possibly being platonic. Though when I’ve written long plotfic it’s very easily gotten platonic/ambivalent/angsty bc it tends so much towards drama, and conflict may drive plots (hence its abundance in plotbunnies), but I find it hard to headcanon characters getting past hurts and grudges very easily; I want to see them make the effort, but it feels like they’d need a lot of time and personal growth to get there, and I might not even figure how well they do until I’m almost 100K words in. And in some very angsty verses there’s no chance. I want to read other people’s adventure fic too, with fun ideas that manage heel-face turns or antihero plots in a slightly lighter way...

PMMM Madoka/Homura is another ‘ultimate power’ ship, if they can get to a point where Godoka and Homucifer can deal with each other as equals again, both with full knowledge of everything that’s happened and the resolve to truly save themselves, each other, and the rest of the universe. :o

Utena/Anthy is quite an ‘ultimate reality’ ship, when they find their revolution.

2) A ship you’ll always 💜??

The Harvest Moon fan in me is going ‘purple heart? that’s not a very high level of affection??’ ...but taking it as an emoji for ‘love’... without repeating anything above, pokemon Green/Red is always nostalgic (gameverse Ash/Gary, the names get a little confusing as there are localisation differences and I like the old manga and anime too but haven’t watched/read anything recent in those canons).

GS Imilshipping, too, in fic verses where they had a close bond. FE Lucia/Ilyana, I wish they had epilogue content after their support, still mean to write out a plotbunny for them sometime. Soren/Ike, of course, and Tibarn/Reyson.

ToS Lloyd/Colette/Sheena/Zelos, again with strong bonds between all of the pairs in that foursome. They did so much to help each other find hope by striving to save and trust each other, creating a new kind of salvation together.

Skies of Arcadia Fina/Aika/Vyse, Vyse/Ramirez, and Ramirez/Galcian. Never found much fanstuff for it, but it caught the imagination.

3) Current obsessions??

Lots of MadoHomu vibes after getting a oneshot written for them. Confident!Madoka makes both of them happy when they’re not dying; it’s a shame she doesn’t get much screentime as her confident and cheerful self, since so much of her time as a magical girl passes offscreen. Even while she was more unsure during the series, she demonstrated her desire to protect her friends, and Homura commented time and time again on her kindness - she loves her for it, and when she discourages it anyway, it’s because she’s come to believe that it’ll be the death of her. If they were truly safe, they could support each other so well - it could be a world away from the desperation that marked the end of Rebellion, when neither of them are at all okay. :s

Also getting quite into darkfic plotbunnies, and I know ‘darkship’ is a term in some cases for character dynamics fulfilling their worst potential, descending into violence and destruction that at least one character Does Not Want, but in the verses of those plotbunnies I guess they still fit the label of antiships better than ships.

4) A ship you never thought you’d like??

Uh, a lot of the stuff on the gs kink meme caught me by surprise, when rarepairs got suggested and the fills or plotbunnies got interesting - Alex/Ivan, Eoleo/Rief, Alex/Amiti (in a BAD IDEA way). And on lj/tumblr, Mia/Sheba was pleasant surprise too. Not that I ever had any preconceptions about disliking ships, they just hadn’t occurred to me.

In FF7, I don’t think I expected to see compelling Cloud/Seph or Zack/Seph at first, all those years ago, but I quickly found that there are a lot of good AUs and darkfic. Especially when they’re alongside other good ships like Cloud/Zack, Aerith/Zack, Aerith/Cloud, Aerith/Tifa, Tifa/Cloud etc.

5) A ship you used to like but don’t anymore:

Uh idk exactly. I used to read a lot of Buffy fic by ship to find characters whose dynamics were interesting in the show, but iirc I ended up skimming any content that was really ‘shippy’ to get to the plot and jokes and emotional bonding over real stuff, not random physical attraction, and nowadays I don’t think I’d bother skimming so much stuff just bc I hoped it’d be interesting and wanted to keep giving it a chance.

6) A ship that should be canon??

Well some that are very strongly implied but not explicitly stated feel like ‘yep that’s canon’ but could maybe use some more in-universe and author confirmation when not everyone seems to agree - Ike/Soren, Utena/Anthy in some versions of canon, etc.

7) A canon ship you hate???

I like to hate the way darkships go sometimes, but that’s what makes them an interesting story, going ‘noo’ about characters’ bad decisions, though that usually only works if they had better potential that they’re falling short of, not necessarily in a romantic sense... Can’t think of many cases where that happens in canon. Uh I think most explicitly canon relationships are either one option among many routes (and I get tired of support grinding), or I’m a bit indifferent, or if I dislike how it’s done I’d still start playing devil’s advocate and wondering how it could have been done differently if I spend any time considering it.

Oh in FE Awakening I kinda hated how Virion’s flirting in the main plot cutscenes was creepy and painted him as a bad joke, but his supports are much better and some of them are great - how do you explain liking his ships when he has such a bad start (and such bad English voice acting)? I also hated the way the player character’s support options didn’t all show up until endgame, so I missed them the first time and had to replay and wait until then to support grind, and then it all got repetitive grinding the same dlc maps so many times over just for such short supports, and the endgame marriage candidates that were most interesting (bc how the hell could the game make that work, with a head of state or a former enemy??) ended up with really rushed and unconvincing relationship development, and the child recruitment maps were hellishly difficult at that point in the endgame, and all in all it got a bit un-fun and not worth the effort. :/

8) A ship you shipped for years??

Most of the above. Also stuff like Saiyuki Sanzo/Goku, GS Alex/Felix or /Saturos, Jenna/Sheba, Karis/Sveta, Pokemon Misty/Erika, FE Florina/Lyndis, and, uh, probably stuff that I’m forgetting right now.

9) A ship everyone 😍 but you don’t care for?

...Was there anything? Some of the cliche stuff bugs me, but I’d usually think ‘what about writing the dynamic this way and maybe adding poly?’

10) Favorite rare pair???

Mm what's rare? Any gs Alex!ships at this point...

Edit: I forgot to tag anyone, so. If meme time sounds like fun, @sazandorable, @meganekkomeguca, @droory, or anyone who feels like it?

[queenlua]

these notes are extremely delightful, tyty for typing them up!

i'm appending some misc scattered thoughts of my own (similarly: ymmv, this is just my own fun reyson babbling, i'll fully grant some of my reads on him are idiosyncatic, etc):

-> anger/revenge/stubbornness is so central to Reyson's arc that i do find myself having to consciously remind myself sometimes that—he IS capable of chill! and when he's calm and safe and not over-apologizing, he's legit a pretty sweet, cool dude. his supports with Tormod are my favorite for this—Reyson storms off in a huff at the end of support B, sure, but he takes "a small child is the leader of the fabled resistance movement" totally in stride, and he spends time explaining to Tormod in great detail why his magic Doesn't Work Like That (w/ the vibe of, like, idk the cute mathematician uncle explaining möbius strips to an eager precocious kiddo can you tell i've been on a tom stoppard kick lately, he treats Tormod seriously!), and when Tormod suggests one day laguz and beorc may live in harmony, Reyson says it's "hard to imagine" but doesn't get prickly at all. when he's not feeling under threat, he's generous & eloquent, sharing knowledge and resources (invites a kid he barely knows to the sacred homeland of his people...!) too bad Reyson has a pretty persistent besieged mindset, eh

-> actually, related to the Tormod supports, i think it's cute he's touchy about the implication that money would play any factor into whether or not he helps people quite the twin to Naesala there eh

-> his supports with Ike have a very similar vibe! reyson is vulnerable with him in an unselfconscious, relaxed, confident way. he mentions the lil things he's been doing here and there to try to keep in fighting shape, he volunteers the hilarious-but-also-kinda-humiliating story about shattering his own damn hand, he kinda blathers on about his diet... feels like at least an "A- tier dude i'd hit it off with at a bar" in terms of vibes (i spend a lot of time talking to strangers at bars, ok, i have a whole tier thing going).

-> (aside, re: the opaqueness of Reyson's thoughts when he's saying "My apologies, Ike. Though I knew this was coming... It's still... difficult." -> my read of this (admittedly yeah very unclear) bit is that Reyson's having a moment of emotional overwhelm at all of it—leanne kidnapped, tibarn off fighting without him, reyson himself in the middle of all this chaotic energy and facing the very physical fatiguing effects of it, and moreover he's dealing with the disorientation that comes from switching from being protected to being on the battlefield, fighting—in some way, yes, he "knew this was coming," in that all of that is the kind of thing you sign up for when you decide you're throwing yourself into a war. the kind of thing he's been pushing for, likely, most the years he was on Phoenicis. but even if you're prepared for it, it probably feels like shit, and he's not going to show weakness or break his facade in front of Tibarn, that relationship has too much bundled up in front of it—but he can be Stoically Vulnerable for a sec in front of someone like Ike. i get it, dude, i have both broken down in front of a rando AND had a rando break down in front of me simply because i was The Engineer Who Happened To Be Wandering The Office That Night (And Had No Idea What The Fuck The Other Guy Was Going On About))

((...i might've just had a revelation why i'm struggling with my reyson/ike wip and how to fix it, damn, this rules))

-> and i imagine those chill aspects of himself get to come more to the forefront during the post-FE10 peacetime, hence his ending card:

Reyson was worked hard as a leader in the new laguz nation. His iron resolve under a pretty face was suited for politics.

yeah, he probably is suited for politics once he chills a bit. dude's downright charming

(i mean. assuming there is peace post-FE10, which I DO NOT but i'll freely grant i'm fighting against canon there, lol, don't be like me)

-> im love reybson

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

PATH OF RADIANCE

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

abandonment issues are a real bitch, huh

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

RADIANT DAWN

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[four-loose-screws]

Janaff / Reyson C-A Support (PoR Lost Support #11)

This is an original support written by me, not a translation.

While researching for this project, when I read Janaff’s support with Shinon, I noticed an interesting little line where he says that he used to be a daredevil... I couldn’t let that stay as one line! I had to expand upon that! And I found the perfect opportunity to do so in this support...

Enjoy!

Reyson / Janaff C Support

Janaff: Your Highness! What are you doing out here!? I’m freezing my tail feathers off! You’ve got to be near death!

Reyson: The cool wind feels great between my wings. I always sit outside my tent for a few minutes before bed.

Janaff: Even if you nearly freeze in the process? Well, whatever floats your boat…

Reyson: Thanks for understanding. So what’s up?

Janaff: …Well, I’ve always wanted to tell you the truth about something, and I thought tonight might as well be the night. Do you mind, even if I might offend you?

Reyson: I have the right to beat you up if you do, right?

Janaff: That’s fair. I’ll even pretend that you knocked me out.

Reyson: Okay then, go for it.

Janaff: When you first came to Phoenicis… I wanted nothing to do with you. Oh man, did I cause an uproar. Tibarn and I argued for days.

Reyson: So that was the negative energy I felt back then…

Janaff: I didn’t want to spend my days taking care of some soft, angelic heron prince! Just thinking about having to guard you during harp lessons or whatever made me want to barf.

Reyson: What…? You thought I would take… harp lessons…?

Janaff: Yeah, it all sounds silly now, I know. Anyway, things were pretty ugly. But then, I saw you for the first time, and…

Reyson: I remember this part! I was trying to hunt a boar. It tackled me and broke both my wings almost instantly. It looked like it was about to crush my skull, but then…

Janaff: I swooped in and tore its spine out. I had acted on instinct, so it took me a moment to become fully aware of the situation, but when I did… all of my anger faded away into bewilderment.

Reyson: I was so worried about getting yelled at that I hardly even noticed the searing pain in my wings! But then you laughed and praised me for being so gutsy.

Janaff: I was so relieved! You weren’t what I thought you would be like at all! Sorry I doubted you. I should have just listened to Tibarn. He was right about you.

Reyson: …But you know what?

Janaff: Yeah?

Reyson: I… had similar thoughts when we first found Leanne.

Janaff: What!? Really!?

Reyson: Of course, I was mostly happy and relieved to find her alive, but… I had so many worries swirling around in the back of my head. How was I going to face a proper heron after all these years? Surely she would be mad at me for giving up our traditional ways! But within just a few days, she was already starting to sass Tibarn. She’s just like me now! …For better and for worse.

Janaff: Ha ha haaaaa! You two are something else! I love it!

Janaff / Reyson B Support

Reyson: Hey, Janaff! How are you today?

Janaff: That’s what I should be asking you! When Ike told me that you’re resting in your tent, I didn’t believe him!

Reyson: Yeah, well, I rushed into the front lines again, and got both my arms broken this time. Heh. The healers fixed me up quickly, but I’m so tired that even I can’t fight off the need to rest tonight.

Janaff: Sheesh! You’re really pushing your luck, you know! Even I might join the group that wants to start chaining you down every time a risky plan comes out of your mouth.

Reyson: You wouldn’t though, right?

Janaff: Don’t make me find out the answer to that…

Reyson: Anyway, it’s a good thing that you showed up. I was hoping to ask you something.

Janaff: Sure. What do you need?

Reyson: Tibarn was drunk and rambling a bit the other night, and said you used to be a legendary daredevil when you were young! You have to tell me about it.

Janaff: You really want me to? Oh man, it’s been a while since I had to dig up these memories… but it should be fun.

Reyson: I’m all ears. So what did you do?

Janaff: Oh, a little of everything… I could spend forever telling you all about it. But come on, you’re not here for the small stuff, right? I’m sure you want the juicy details about the main event.

Reyson: Whoa, wait, what did you do!? Tibarn didn’t make it sound like you were that crazy…

Janaff: Well… not even Tibarn knows about… my trips into Goldoa. You see, I snuck into Goldoa. A lot.

Reyson: Wait… what!? I thought that no one had ever gone in and come back alive!

Janaff: Well of course that’s what you think, no one who’s been in there would be insane enough to announce it to the entirety of Tellius! The longest I ever stayed was one month. Now that was stupid! Past a week-long stay, I couldn’t bring in enough rations with me, so I had to hunt and leave behind a lot of waste. The dragons got suspicious way faster than I thought they would…! Even my crazy self was terrified when I saw a search party coming at me! Only with my amazing eyesight could I see them coming with enough time to make an escape!

Reyson: Whoa… So was that the end of the risky stuff for you? Sounds like it gave you a good scare.

Janaff: No way. I kept at it until I hit adulthood and started my first job. I got really busy right away. Before I knew it, I was without the desire to do any of that stuff anymore.

Reyson: Wow… I… I just feel inadequate now.

Janaff: Trust me, that’s how you want to feel. Everyone in my life nearly worried themselves sick, and none of them even knew the half of it! Everything turned out okay in the long run, so I don’t regret it, but…

Reyson: Still, I can’t help but wish that I had known the young you!

Janaff: Well, I can’t argue with that. I was the life of the party!

Reyson / Janaff A Support

Janaff: Whoa, Prince Reyson, you were awesome out there today! The way you rushed right into our exhausted Pegasus Knight fleet and brought them back to full strength was out of this world! You saved the day!

Reyson: I have to give the credit to you, Janaff. Your stories inspired me to keep doing what I want to do while everyone else tells me I should prioritize keeping myself safe.

Janaff: Well, I’m flattered. Of course I worry about you, and want you to be safe, but… I’ve known you for a long time. I cared for you when you were at your worst, and I know how you suffered for so long… Now, you finally have a chance to do some good for Tellius. You need this. I’ll do my best to respect whatever it is you need to do.

Reyson: Thank you. Those words are like poetry to me. Everyone’s always fighting against my will, so even a little bit of understanding makes me so happy.

Janaff: I’ll always have your back, Your Highness! I’ve admired you since we met. Your body is weak, and no one can change that… but that hasn’t kept you from finding other ways to be strong.

Reyson: For the longest time, I felt like I was in hell, tormented because I was alive and my people were dead… but you were always there, cheerful and ready to help. Not even the worst could get to you. You did so much for me, and I’ll always remember that.

Janaff: I’m happy to have the chance to serve someone like you, great prince of Serenes!

Reyson: If I could be so bold… may I make a request? I’ve had it in my mind since the last time we talked, but, well, it’s a lot to ask…

Janaff: Anything.

Reyson: When this war is over, and Phoenicis has settled back into a normal routine… sneak into Goldoa with me.

Janaff: What!? You want to risk your life in dragon country after surviving war!? Oh man… my nerves…

Reyson: Oh, c’mon! That’s not a “no,” is it, old man?

Janaff: Of course not! Don’t call me that just yet! I’ll give you the best tour of Goldoa that hiding in the trees can offer. Now hurry up and get stronger so I don’t have to be the one carrying all of our rations!

Reyson: I’ll train every day without fail!

Janaff: I’ll hold you to that!

[jonphaedrus]

honestly i love that tellius takes such a hard stance with loneliness and the presence of other people being a code for romance/friendship/found family, whatever your interp. ike saved soren from no longer being alone and they spend the rest of their lives together; micaiah and sothe meet and become devoted to one another as when they are together they are no longer alone and sothe places his loyalty to her before his loyalty to literally any other human being. of course there is the absolutely iconic “you will no longer be alone...and neither will i,” line that sets the stage for the majority of the antagonist plotlines for both sephiran and zelgius, but there are so many others!

the one that always comes to mind is almedha. she was destroyed by the loss of her child + ashnard’s abandonment, but when she finds pelleas she begins to come back to herself, and she is accepted back into her family. rajaion was twisted by ashnard until he literally no longer even knew who or what he was, but ena’s presence—making him no longer alone—brought him back long enough to die as himself.

rafiel, lost and alone after living as a slave, was saved by finding nailah and becoming her lover and companion—no longer alone. lillia, being tortured to death, found companionship in elena, and died in control of her faculties with enough awareness to pass on lehran’s medallion. after greil dies, ike and mist are together, and their loneliness is broken by being with one another, surviving the horrible loss of their father.

and, in much bigger picture stuff. goldoa is cut off from the outside world, and this loss of contact with its fellows is part of what jades and destroys dheginsea. he becomes so devoted to the idea that he has to be alone that he can’t even see past the end of his own nose, and this is what leads to his death. his and lehran’s fear of what could happen leads to lehran leaving altina and being left alone for hundreds of years, which is what shatters him. lehran is dead, body and mind, by the time he meets misaha and it is only her love that brings him back to himself enough to even be sephiran. her murder, her loss, and him once more being utterly alone is what ends up finally being the nail in the coffin.

sanaki, who has always been alone, finds companionship in her sister, micaiah.

sigrun and tanith, the two heads of the holy guard of begnion, always go everywhere together. they are never alone.

ike is one of the only lords with a sibling, and the only lord with a sibling who he has no difficult relationship with, who is with him from the first chapter all the way to the last chapter, and with whom he never argues or parts from. never alone.

the whole reason that ashunera became willing to destroy her world was cutting yune from herself. by becoming alone, losing the other half of herself, ashera was unable to find companionship and love from another, and ceased to see the beorc and the laguz as anything but parasites. but even she was no longer alone, because, after everything, sephiran was still at her side.

and in the true ending, sephiran survives every single other character from tellius proper, lives 1200 more years (still alone) waiting for her to wake up again, so that ashunera will not wake alone.

there are other ones too. yune and micaiah. greil and volke. greil and titania. ranulf and skrimir. giffca and caineghis. tibarn and reyson. naesala’s being so utterly alone is what led him to not trust anybody and carry out his blood pact in the worst way possible, because he couldnt trust anybody. rafiel is what helped keep hetzel from going full-blown lekain.

loneliness in tellius, the act of being alone, is used as a textual code for the difficulty of having no love in your life—platonic, familial, romantic, whatever. saying that any character whose relationships are explicitly coded in the tellius language of being alone/being with another is not in a relationship that is supportive and kind and loving is Horseshit

[legault]

Galdrar (FE Rarepair Week Day 1: Blessed/Curse, Tibarn/Reyson)

Title: Galdrar

Author: legault/pinksnowboots (fic blog)

Warnings: Mentions of violence, non-explicit sexual content

Words: 3306

Summary: Most beorc and laguz are under the incorrect impression that because herons are beings of order, and beautiful to boot, they cannot harbor darkness inside of them. Tibarn used to labor under that same misapprehension, but that was before he met Reyson.

AKA a more serious take on the infamous “ I had to tie him [Reyson] down to a bed to keep him there” line.

Written for Day 1 of @ferarepair-week2k17 for the prompts blessed/curse. Thanks so much to the mods for holding this event and to everyone contributing to it, I’m incredibly pumped about participating!

Also read on AO3!

Most beorc and laguz are under the incorrect impression that because herons are beings of order, and beautiful to boot, they cannot harbor darkness inside of them. Tibarn used to labor under that same misapprehension, but that was before he met Reyson.

Reyson is so beautiful that sometimes it hurts to look at him, but even that pain is only the merest shadow of what Reyson can truly do.

Tibarn is among those who pluck the last remaining herons out of the burned wreckage of their home. Lorazieh is unresponsive and barely breathing.  Reyson, on the other hand, is very much alive and looks like he survived the fire by absorbing it, eyes blazing and wings covered in soot, vowing that whoever wrought this destruction on him and his people would face the same destruction in return.

Reyson insists on flying with them rather than being carried like his father and sister and glares at anyone who suggests otherwise. Tibarn lets him try, watching him rise erratically, looking for all the world like an avatar of vengeance.

He makes it several feet before his strength gives out and he begins to plummet through the air, looking for all the world like a particularly angry fallen angel.

Tibarn catches him well before he hits the ground. Reyson is incredibly light, so light that he almost feels unreal, like he lacks something grounding him on this mundane world.

Reyson’s eyes flutter, exhaustion and grief beginning to creep in as his adrenaline runs out.

“I did not ask you to do this.” He rasps, eyes flashing angrily at Tibarn and at his own helplessness.

“I know. But I am not going to let you fall.” Tibarn tells him, unsure if he is referring to saving Reyson from crashing to the forest floor or making a promise of a much wider scope.

“Chief!” One of Tibarn’s men calls to him. “What are we going to do with the herons?”

Tibarn looks at Lorazieh, barely clinging to life. He looks at the ruins of what was once the brightest and most peaceful of the laguz kingdoms. He looks at Reyson in his arms, struggling to maintain consciousness, skin burning with rage and grief.

“We’re taking them home.” Tibarn declares, sending a wave of mutters through his troops. Tibarn is still a relatively new king, and taking in refugee herons is a bold move, especially given that Phoenicis is not particularly friendly to outsiders.

“My home is gone.” Reyson murmurs, as if speaking from a dream.

“Yes.” Tibarn says, tightening his arms around Reyson. Even if the truth is harsh, it is better than telling a lie. “But I hope that will not always be the case.”

Reyson does not reply, having finally slipped into unconsciousness.

Reyson eventually becomes accustomed to Phoenicis, but Phoenicis never truly becomes accustomed to Reyson. Lorazieh fits their image of what herons are supposed to be like: beautiful, docile, and quiet. Although Reyson is beautiful, he is willful and imperious. He orders Tibarn’s servants around and wanders around the country without regards to his own safety, requiring several of Tibarn’s men to serve as escorts. He observes the customs and speech of hawks and tries to imitate them, sometimes injuring himself in the process. He even speaks frankly to the the king himself, adressing him as an equal and not as a king. Reyson may be a prince, but his kingdom is gone, and to the citizens of Phoenicis, it looks like he is ungrateful for the help that Tibarn has so graciously provided.

Reyson is grateful, but he does not show it in words. He shows it by slipping phrases borrowed from Tibarn into his own speech, by trailing Tibarn and watching as he spars with his men, by attempting to grow stronger at the expense of his own body, unsuited as it is for a lifestyle of meat-eating and vigorous exercise.

“You don’t have to be a fighter to be valuable, Reyson.” Tibarn tells him, for the umpteenth time. “Everyone has their own strengths, and none are more valuable than the next.”

“Perhaps in theory. But physical prowess is the language of battle.” Reyson replies, in the tone that Tibarn has come to know means that he will not be budged.

“That may be, but if you continue to push your body to do things it was not intended to do, you’ll be no use to anyone.” Tibarn says. “Besides, you don’t need to worry about battle. For that, you have me and all of Phoenicis behind you. If you ever need someone roughed up, just say the word and I’ll take care  of it.”

“That’s not the point!” Reyson says, voice uncharacteristically shrill. “I owe you a great debt for saving my life and taking my family and me in, and I will not ever be able to repay it if I have you fight all my battles for me.”

“Are you still going on about that debt thing? I’ve told you, you don’t owe me nothing. And even if you did, you’d have paid it ten times over with your companionship.” Tibarn says. “If you feel like you need to do more, you could try singing for us once in a while.”

“I do not sing any longer.” Reyson says, voice suddenly hard. “Besides, I have other reasons for wanting to grow stronger.”

“Is this about revenge?” Tibarn asks cautiously.

Reyson says nothing.

Years pass, and Tibarn begins to hope that perhaps Reyson’s soul is beginning to heal. He retains his fiery temper, but vengeance is no longer at the forefront of his mind. He spends his days with Tibarn and does not speak of debt. Although he still does not sing, he smiles often and even begins to laugh, and when he does he seems to radiate light.

(“Why don’t you sing anymore?” Tibarn asks. “I thought herons were famous for their song.”

“Herons are creatures of balance, and the power of the galdrar comes from the balance in our hearts.” Reyson says. “But I have not felt balance since the destruction of Serenes Forest. If I were to attempt to sing a galdrar now, I do not know what sort of destruction it might bring about.”)

Tibarn cannot imagine life without him, and he often wonders if Reyson’s heron empathy means that he knows the immense and overwhelming fondness that Tibarn holds for him.

Then one day Reyson disappears, and Tibarn’s world seems to spin off its axis. Reyson leaves a note saying that he will return, but he does not say when, and although Tibarn trusts him, he cannot shake his feeling of unease.

Then Nealuchi comes and tells them what has happened: Reyson had been sold to the Duke of Tanas by Naesala, king of Kilvas and Reyson’s supposed friend. Perhaps the king of Kilvas had planned to rescue him, but it has become irrelevant because Reyson has escaped on his own.

Tibarn’s restlessness turns to white-hot rage at the king of Kilvas and the duke of Tanas, with a flash of pride that Reyson escaped without needing to be rescued. This news is not good news, but it gives him focus, and a deadly sense of calm. All there is to do is find Reyson, and he will do just that. (And then he will visit Naesala and well...Reyson is not the only one who aches for vengeance.)

They find Reyson in what’s left of Serenes Forest, and suddenly it all makes perfect sense. When he asks Reyson if he is considering singing a galdrar of destruction, he is only seeking confirmation for what he already knows.

“Yes.” Reyson says, fearsome in his resolve. “The humans will pay for the genocide that they have committed against my people.”

“Reyson, this isn’t right.” Tibarn tries to reason with him. “Herons are creatures of balance, and the galdrar was not mean to be used this way.”

“Balance is something I have not had for twenty years now, and I have not missed it.” Reyson says, defiant. “But what I have missed is justice, and I will mete it out while I have the chance.”

Reyson’s eyes flash in a way that Tibarn has not seen since the day he pulled Reyson out of the rubble and Tibarn sees that he has to try a new tactic.

“Reyson, you’re right.” He says. “You’re right. The humans destroyed your forest, and they killed your people, and they deserve any justice that you can deliver. But these humans are not the humans who killed your family, and now is not the time. Come home, and I promise that whatever you want to do to get your revenge, you have my support and the support of all of Phoenicis.”

Reyson looks at Tibarn, eyes boring into his. “Do you promise?”

“Yes.” Tibarn says, promising recklessly. “Anything you want Reyson, I promise.”

Reyson does not reply for a moment, thinking, then finally says. “Alright.”

Reyson flies over to them and Tibarn releases all the tension he did not realize he’d been holding in his muscles. “Thank you, Reyson.”

“Let’s go home.” Reyson says, and Tibarn’s heart leaps because Reyson has never referred to Phoenicis as home before.

Somehow before they return home, they discover Reyson’s supposedly-dead sister and get caught up in a continent-wide war. But more importantly, Tibarn finally gets to hear Reyson sing, and it is more beautiful than he could have ever imagined. When Reyson and Leanne sing, the forest literally comes alive, color and life returning to what was once barren and dark, and Tibarn feels his heart swelling as he watches the plants grow.

One war ends and another begins, and throughout all the political turmoil, Reyson is his constant in his life, beautiful and stubborn and passionate. He begins to sing again, both in the course of battle and in the quiet moments in between, and he focuses his anger more specifically, onto the beorc who wrong him rather than onto all beorc.

One thing that does not change is his stubbornness. Herons are not meant for war; the chaos of the battlefield saps their strength and their bodies are too frail to withstand more than a single hit from an axe or an arrow. Despite all this, Reyson insists on flying into battle with them, confident that Tibarn will protect him and insistent that he will contribute in whatever way he can.

Tibarn usually does not even try to refuse him, unwilling to patronize him and knowing that it’s a lost cause anyway, but when Reyson passes out hours before they are supposed to meet Ike for battle, Tibarn decides that Reyson is not going onto the battlefield when his body cannot even keep him awake. They have been fighting constantly, so much that even Tibarn, who is usually invigorated by battle, is exhausted, which means that Reyson must be on the bring of collapse.

He pulls a blanket over Reyson and is about to leave when he realizes that if Reyson wakes up, he will follow them. In a fit of desperation, he spies a length of ropes and uses it to loosely tie Reyson’s wrists to the bed, hoping that Reyson will still be asleep when he returns.

Reyson is not asleep when he returns.

Reyson is the first thing that he checks on when he returns from battle, wings still smelling of blood and running on battle endorphins and nothing else. When he enters the tent, he encounters a very awake and very angry Reyson.

“Tibarn.” Reyson says, voice cold and firm. “Untie me now.”

Tibarn does, undoing the knows in a matter of seconds. As soon as Reyson has his hands free, he slaps Tibarn across the face, hard. He can see Reyson wince in pain as his hand strikes Tibarn’s cheek, but Tibarn does not feel any physical pain, only the sting of being slapped by the person whose opinion he valued most.

“What were you thinking?” Reyson hisses.

“I was thinking that I didn’t want you to die today.” Tibarn shoots back, suddenly angry.

“I think that should be a decision for me to make, not you.” Reyson says. “All my life, laguz who were not herons have treated me as someone fragile, who cannot take care of himself and cannot be trusted to make his own decisions. You have never treated me like that.” Reyson fixes him with a cold glare. “Until today.”

“Reyson, you were already asleep.” Tibarn says. “If you were to wake up and head to the battlefield, not only would you risk your own life but you’d risk mine, Janaff’s, and Ulki’s.”

“Well then perhaps you should wake me up before flying into battle!” Reyson shouts, stunning Tibarn into silence.

The air is thicker with tension than it has ever been between them as they look at each other, unsure of how to continue.

Reyson breaks the silence. “Tibarn, I know you mean well. I know you meant to protect me. But what you did made me feel like I am a bauble for you to protect, and that is something that I will not bear. Naesala treated me like a bartering tool when he sold me to advance his own ends. Duke Tanas-” Reyson spits the name, voice dripping with venom. “-saw me as a prized piece of art, to be insured and appreciated. More than anything else, I cannot abide being treated like I am an object, no matter how treasured, and especially not by you.”

“I’m sorry.” Tibarn reaches out, slowly to give Reyson the chance to back away, resting his hand on Reyson’s when he does not back away. “I didn’t realize how it would feel to you, because believe me, I never want to make you feel that way. I was only thinking of how I thought I lost you once, when Naesala-” Tibarn says his name with as much venom as Reyson says the name Duke Tanas. “-sold you, and I couldn’t bear to have that happen again.”

“I know that sometimes I am a liability on the battlefield rather than an asset.” Reyson admits. “But I hate to be left behind.”

“It’s not that I don’t want you on the battlefield.” Tibarn says, squeezing Reyson’s hand. “In fact, I’d rather have you where I can see you so I can personally watch your back. I fight better when you’re around too, if you haven’t noticed. I don’t know if you realize it, but we all rely a lot on you and your galdrar in battle.”

“But no one can fight every battle without rest, and I know that the chaos has been taking a toll on you. I won’t force you to stay back again, but I do hope that you’ll rest when you need it. We need you on the battlefield with us, but we need you alive even more.” Tibarn pauses. “I need you alive even more.”

Reyson suddenly kisses him softly, free hand cupping Tibarn’s cheek where he had slapped it before.

“What was that for?” Tibarn asks when he pulls back. “Not that I’m complaining.” He adds, smile edging into his voice.

“An apology.” Reyson says. “For not realizing that my own reckless behavior was causing you pain.”

Reyson draws back, extricating his hand from Tibarn’s, but Tibarn loops an arm around Reyson’s slender waist and draws Reyson back to him, kisses him long and hard and deep, one hand on the small of Reyson’s back and the other in his hair.

When they pull apart, Reyson is breathing heavily, eyes dazed. “Was that an apology too?” He asks.

“No.” Tibarn says. “It was a promise. Firstly, that I will never try to make your decisions for you again.”

“And secondly,” Tibarn kisses him again. “That no matter what manner of reckless thing that you do, I will always be by your side.”

"Thank you.” Reyson says, catching one of Tibarn’s hands in his own, lacing his slim fingers between Tibarn’s much larger ones. “Thank you.”

They fall into bed together, and as Tibarn undresses Reyson with a sense of almost-reverence, he realizes that it feels like they have always been heading to this place, to the two of them, together in every sense of the word. That it was never a question of whether they would take this step, only how and when.

Tibarn wants to take his time to explore every inch of Reyson’s body, running calloused hands along his lithe frame and peppering soft kisses along Reyson’s even softer skin, but Reyson is impatient, insistently drawing Tibarn back up, kissing him with the un-heron-like fierceness that has always defined Reyson, hands roaming wildly over the vast expanses of Tibarn’s chest.

Reyson moves his mouth to Tibarn’s neck and bites down, hard. Tibarn welcomes the pain, just as he welcomes any sensation, any feeling that Reyson brings.

“You don’t have to be so gentle.” Reyson whispers, lips brushing his ear with every word. “I am not breakable.”

“You are the least fragile person that I have ever met.” Tibarn replies, running his hands through Reyson’s long hair, fascinated. “I’m not gentle because I think I could break you. I’m gentle because I think the world has already brought you enough pain, and I don’t want to ever cause you any more. I want you to know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that you are loved.”

Reyson’s eyes glint with feeling and he says no more about pain or gentleness, only kisses Tibarn again.

Reyson lets Tibarn press him into the mattress and fuck him slowly and gently, wings brushing Reyson’s with every thrust, eyes never leaving his. Tibarn strokes him firmly with his hands, strong and callused but still gentle, and when Reyson cries out his release it feels like a galdrar, not a dirge of ruin or an aria of rebirth, but something that rings much truer in his ears and in his heart.

“You do know that I love you, right?” Tibarn asks, arms and wings enfolding Reyson in a warm embrace that makes Reyson feel safer than he ever has before.

“Of course.” Reyson says, unable to stop the smile that finds it way onto his face as he feels Tibarn press a kiss to the top of his head.

“Good.” Tibarn says. “I figured you did, what with your heron empathy powers and all that, but I had to check.”

“Actually, it’s not because of my powers.” Reyson says. “I have never told anyone this, but my empathy has always been stronger for negative emotions than it has for positive ones.”

“That sounds frustrating.” Tibarn remarks.

“Quite.” Reyson agrees. “Especially since herons are supposed to be beings of peace. But it does mean that I know that you feel frustrated with me sometimes, but you worry when I am in danger, and that you feel my pain as if it was your own. I cannot feel your love for me directly through my empathy, but your words and your actions have left me with no doubt.”

“And here I was thinking you’ve known all along that I’ve had the hots for you for almost twenty years now.” Tibarn chuckles.

“Tibarn,” Reyson says, voice suddenly serious. “I hope you realize that I love you as well.”

“I guessed as much, but I’m not sure I’m convinced.” Tibarn says, a smile in his voice. “I might need you to say it again.”

“Oh no,” Reyson says. “If you want to hear it again, you’re going to have to work for it.”

Reyson smiles at him wickedly, and it’s such a far cry from the times when Reyson barely talked, would not smile, and would not sing and Tibarn’s heart has never been fuller.

“I think that I’m up for the challenge.”