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serenlyss · 4 years ago

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Some Things Never Change

Fandom: Fire Emblem Three Houses Rating: G Relationships: Dimitri & Mercedes & Ashe & Dedue Summary: Mercedes attends a class reunion lunch and catches up with some of her old classmates, including one visitor she hadn't expected to be able to make it. Read it on AO3: Some Things Never Change

Now that preorders are closed, I'm able to post my zine piece for the Beneath the Banner zine on twitter! This zine gives individual focus to each class and its characters before and after the timeskip, and my assignment was to write about post-timeskip Blue Lions. I had a ton of fun with this light-hearted piece, which was my first ever FE3H fic at the time. I hope you all enjoy it as well!

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The door of the inn swings open with the tickling of a bell, signaling Mercedes’s arrival. She lingers briefly in the doorway, letting the cool summer breeze fill the lobby and rustle the leaves of the lush green plants that sit beside tall windows. Colorful flowers poke out from between the leaves, lending a pleasant color and aroma to the modest space and contrasting the dark couches and armchairs that await the arrival of new visitors. Just the sight of it brings a smile to her face; she’s only been here a handful of times before, but the familiarity of the comfortable inn is like returning home for the first time after a long trip.

From the kitchen to her right, she can already hear the faint sound of quiet conversation, the hushed voices of old friends reaching her ears and bringing a rush of excitement to her. She drifts toward it, the smell of freshly-baked bread hovering in the air as she pushes through the closed door and enters the dining area of the inn.

“Mercedes!” Ashe’s happy call sounds from across the room just before Mercedes locks eyes with her old friend. He’s standing behind the counter, wearing an apron that covers him from his shoulders down to his knees, and his shirt sleeves are rolled up to his elbows. “I’m glad you could make it. We’ve been waiting for you.” Wiping his hands off on his apron, he makes his way over to Mercedes and greets her with a warm hug, practically beaming as he does.

Mercedes lets out a soft giggle, giving Ashe a brief squeeze before he pulls back. “It’s been too long, Ashe. I was so excited when I got your invitation to this dinner, I just couldn’t pass up the chance to reconnect with my old friends!” she says. “Is Dedue here as well?”

Ashe nods his head, waving for her to follow him over to a group of tables near the kitchen’s open counter. “Yes, he’s just in the back grabbing a few more ingredients for our dinner. Did you bring tea with you? You mentioned wanting to in your letter, so we brought out the tea set if you’d like to use it.” He flashes her a brief smile, nodding to the stovetop behind the counter where a kettle is already heating.

Mercedes claps her hands together joyously, then turns and reaches into the bag at her hip for a small box. “Yes, of course! I’ll get it started right away,” she says eagerly, making her way over to the edge of the counter where she can work on the tea without getting in the way of the rest of the kitchen. Dropping a teabag into each of the ceramic teacups, she adds, “The inn looks like it’s doing well. I was surprised when you told me you wanted to open it instead of becoming a knight, but you’ve clearly done well with it. It turned out gorgeous.”

Ashe chuckles softly, rubbing the back of his neck in a sheepish, humble manner. “Thanks. It was a lot of hard work, but I’m really proud of how it turned out. Dedue helped me a lot with the kitchen menu and decorations, too, so he’s partly to thank as well,” he says, glancing down into a pot heating atop the stove. He picks up a wooden spoon and begins to stir its contents. “He’s still a much better cook than I am, at least when it comes to food from Duscur, but I’m learning quickly. He can’t be here all the time, after all!”

Mercedes giggles into her hand, nodding her head, and as she does, Dedue emerges from the storage room at the back of the kitchen with a handful of assorted vegetables and a few bottles of spices. “Good afternoon, Dedue!” she calls, waving a hand in the large man’s direction as he moves to set the extra ingredients down on the counter beside the stove.

He lifts his gaze at the sound of her voice, a smile coming to his face. “Hello, Mercedes. You’re here earlier than expected. I trust you were able to travel safely?” he says, his deep voice easily carrying over the noise of the kitchen.

Mercedes nods her head, removing the kettle from the heat and pouring a cup of tea for herself to take back to one of the tables with her. “Oh, yes, everything was quite smooth,” she replies, claiming the table nearest to the counter and pulling out a seat for herself. Cupping the teacup in her hands, she goes to take a tentative sip from it. “By the way, Ashe, did anyone else respond to the letter you sent?”

“Some did,” Ashe responds, “but not everyone was able to come. Ever since the end of the war, it’s been one thing after another.” He sets the wooden spoon he’s been stirring his pot with down in the sink and moves to dry his hands on a towel, turning to face Mercedes. “Sylvain’s had to pick up some of his father’s slack now that Margrave Gautier is assisting with the rebuilding effort, and with the Kingdom short on trained knights, Ingrid’s been working day in and day out to keep up with all the work that’s coming in. I imagine things must be pretty hectic in Fhirdiad.”

Across the counter from him, Dedue nods in agreement. “It seems that both Sylvain and Felix have their hands full helping out in their own territories,” he says with his usual seriousness. “With Rodrigue gone, all of House Fraldarius’s affairs fall to him to manage. I can’t imagine either of them have much free time. Faerghus may be stable now, but there’s still much to do, and that’s not even imagining the work His Majesty is surely wading through.”

Mercedes sighs softly, leaning her head on her hand. “It’s like that all over the Kingdom, it seems. Even Annette’s had her hands full with her work at the School of Sorcery,” she adds, frowning slightly. “She was quite disappointed that she wasn’t able to come…”

She opens her mouth to say something more, but before she can, she’s interrupted by the telltale sound of the front door’s bell ringing, signalling the appearance of a customer. Ashe straightens up, making his way toward the kitchen door. “I’ll see who it is,” he announces, but whoever it is beats him to the punch, stepping through the door of their own accord with the kind of hesitant politeness that could only belong to one person.

Poking his head sheepishly into the doorway is none other than Dimitri, to Mercedes’s utmost shock. Though he’s traded his full-body armor for more comfortable day clothes, he still carries a sword sheathed at his hip, and the thick fur cloak thrown over his shoulders only serves to make him appear even taller and broader than he already is. Still, it’s clear that he’s not lost his politeness since the last time Mercedes spoke with him, as he hesitates to enter, as though waiting to be acknowledged before he encroaches on the conversation. When Mercedes meets his eyes, he offers her a small, almost shy smile.

“Dimitri?” Mercedes exclaims, her surprise quickly melting into delight at the sight of her old friend.

Ashe goes slack-jawed in the face of the one and only King of Faerghus standing in his doorway, though he’s quick to compose himself with a wide smile. “Your Maj--I mean, Dimitri! What are you doing so far from Fhirdiad? When you didn’t reply to my letter, I figured you were just too busy to come all the way down here,” he rambles, clearly taken by surprise.

Across the counter, Dedue straightens up, as if on impulse. “Is it wise for you to be so far away from the capitol?” he asks, though he’s clearly just as shocked as everyone else.

Dimitri relaxes some, letting out a short, soft chuckle as he closes the kitchen door behind him. “You’re as strict as ever, Dedue,” he replies, his words taking on a teasing edge. “Don’t worry, it’s only for a few hours, at most. I’m… on break, you could say. Mind if I join you?”

Mercedes jumps up at once, moving to meet Dimitri halfway and grabbing him by both of his hands. “Dimitri, you don’t even have to ask! It’s so good to see you,” she assures, giving his hands a gentle squeeze and tugging him toward the kitchen’s counter. He stumbles a little in the face of her forwardness, though he’s quick to recover.

“I can’t believe they let you leave,” Ashe laughs, the corners of his eyes crinkling in amusement with how widely he’s smiling. “I’ll admit, I didn’t think there was a chance in the world that you’d be able to come, when I wrote you that letter. Things are just so busy, everywhere, and you must be getting the worst of it, being King and all.” He turns back to the pot he’s been tending to, removing it from the lit burner and extinguishing the fire underneath.

Dimitri takes a seat beside Mercedes as she reclaims her spot, tugging off his gloves and slipping them into the pocket of his cloak. “I wouldn’t say they “let me”, necessarily,” he admits. “I suppose it’s more like I… snuck out, for a bit. Not to worry, though, Felix agreed to cover for me for a short while. It was his idea, actually.” He grins at this, a twinkle of amusement in his gaze as he reaches for his teacup and moves to take a sip. “I was surprised when he offered, but I trust him to keep things from blowing up while I’m away. I’ll no doubt be in for a scolding by my advisors when I return, but it will be well worth it.” Glancing down, he looks a bit more embarrassed when he adds, “I wanted to see you all.”

Mercedes smiles, as softly and sweetly as she always does. “We’re so glad you could make it,” she replies. “Next time, you should make Felix come! Maybe things will be a bit calmer by then.”

“Maybe,” Dimitri agrees, smiling in a way that makes the corners of his eyes crinkle. His genuine smiles are easier to come by since the end of the war, a detail that Mercedes tucks away fondly. It’s been too long since she’s seen him smile so freely; he’d never been one for genuine emotion. Now, though, he no longer holds himself back from expressing his happiness, his amusement. Mercedes doesn’t think she could ever grow tired of seeing it.

Sitting down across the table from them, Ashe begins to untie the strings of his apron. “Say, Dimitri, have you heard from the professor recently?” he asks suddenly, draping the dirtied apron over the back of his seat for the time being.

At the counter, Dedue finishes up his preparations, setting a hot pan on the stove to cool, and moves to join the rest of the group at the table. “Last I heard, they were headed out to Enbarr to check up on how the local government is rebuilding,” he says. “That region has been particularly volatile since the end of the war.”

Dimitri takes a sip from his teacup, then nods his head. “I see the professor from time to time, when they come to Fhirdiad on business, but the Kingdom has dominion over all of Fodlan now. There aren’t enough hours in a day for them to do all the work that needs to be done.” He chuckles fondly, cradling his teacup in his hands. “Even with the Knights of Seiros helping out, we still have a ways to go. The professor always seems happy, though, whenever I do get the chance to speak with them.”

Mercedes smiles at this. “That’s good to hear. It must be lonely work, being the archbishop, but if anyone is up to the task, it’s our professor. I just hope they’re not working themself too hard!”

“It’s good to know that they’re doing well. I haven’t been able to see them much since the end of the war, with them being so busy,” Ashe says with a somewhat sad sigh. “I know they’re doing whatever they can to help, but I still can’t help but hope that someday they might be able to come out here sometime, to see how things are going. I have a new recipe I’ve been working on that I’ve been hoping to let them try; they always did like sweets, after all.”

Mercedes perks up at the mention of sweets, eyes going wide in realization. “Oh! I almost forgot, Annie helped me make these before I left this morning. She wanted me to share them with everyone as her apology for missing out. She sends her love.” As she speaks, she reaches into the bag she’d propped up against her chair and pulls out a covered container filled with about a dozen hand-decorated cookies. The little tan-colored cookies have obviously been frosted with great care, each one featuring different colors and patterns to give them a light, fun feel.

Ashe’s eyes light up at the sight of the treats. “Oh, wow! Those look amazing,” he exclaims, leaning over the edge of the table to get a closer look. “I’ve missed eating your and Annette’s sweets, there really are none better than yours.”

Even Dimitri looks excited, leaning forward every so slightly in his seat. “Yes, it has been a long time since I’ve had these, too. Yours always were the best.”

Mercedes grins, moving to take a cookie from the container. “You flatter me, Dimitri,” she giggles. “In any case, these should go well with the tea I brought, so please, help yourselves.”

“I’ll prepare the soup. It should be cool enough by now,” Dedue announces, standing up from his seat with a small smile.

“Thanks, Dedue,” Ashe calls after him, “you’ve been a big help setting all of this up.”

The container makes its way around the table as Mercedes watches her friends eagerly snatch up the treats inside. It’s a scene that feels reminiscent of their old Academy days, when she and Annette would often bake sweets for the rest of the House after training or during study sessions for upcoming tests, and the thought of it makes her chest warm with affection. In nearly every way, they’ve changed, shaped by their time at the monastery and the years spent fighting in the war, and yet they all remain friends despite having walked very different paths in life. It brings her a sort of indescribable comfort to know that, no matter what should occur in the future, they, at least, will always be consistent.

“Are you alright?” Mercedes is drawn out of her thoughts by Ashe, who tilts his head inquisitively in her direction when she turns to meet his gaze. “You’re being unusually quiet.”

Mercedes nods her head with a smile. “Yes, I’m just fine,” she assures. “I was just thinking that I’m very lucky to have friends like all of you.”

Dimitri lifts a hand to his mouth in an attempt to stifle a brief laugh, nodding in agreement. “I feel the same,” he says, eyes crinkling in fond amusement. “I would have been lost a long time ago, had you all not been there to bring me back to my senses. I am blessed to be surrounded by such kind and dedicated allies.”

“Hey, that’s what friends are for,” Ashe chimes in, reaching up to pat Dimitri on his broad shoulder. Next to the King, he looks like a veritable child, and yet the two manage to stand on equal footing, here, at a casual dinner between old friends. “Even though we never technically graduated, the Blue Lions house has always been a place where we look out for each other. That isn’t going to change anytime soon. I know the others feel the same, too, even if they couldn’t be here today.”

“Yes, you’re absolutely right,” Mercedes agrees. “We rely on you as our friend and our King, so you can rely on us in return. It’s only fair, after all!”

Dedue returns to the table with a tray laden with four bowls of soup, and the savory smell of it quickly fills the dining hall.

“Oh, that looks delicious,” Mercedes praises as the bowl is set in front of her, and it seems that the rest of the table is quick to agree, because all four of them dig into their meals with vigor. It isn’t long before the dining room is filled with the sounds of laughter and joyful conversation, and the clinking of glass and silverware on bowls and saucers. At this moment, Mercedes thinks she couldn’t possibly feel more content.

#fe3h #fire emblem three houses #three houses #mercedes von martritz #dimitri alexandre blaiddyd #dedue molinaro #ashe duran #ashe ubert #blue lions #azure moon #serendipitousfics

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yousayparty · 4 years ago

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The right place, the right time, and the right amount of exclamation marks

The history of Vancouver via Abbotsford British Columbia’s You Say Party is a storied one. Imagine this: trapped in a never ending nightmare of suburban dystopian hell, you form a band. With the simple adjective of having fun, spreading a message, making people dance - you leave the confines of a religiously stifling community. Within a few years you’re playing the world’s top festivals, winning awards, and wooing critics.

But now I find myself piecing foggy bits of memory fragments together with duct tape and hairspray. Like stickers on a dive bar bathroom stall, I know I was there. But why and for how long? I feel like I’m sifting through a shoebox of handbills and press clippings like some True Crime podcaster placing myself at the scene.

I’m not sure where I first heard the name You Say Party! We Say Die! but it caught my eye. It was an era of exuberant band names. !!!, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Shout Out Out Out Out, Hot Hot Heat, Fake Shark- Real Zombie! And my own band GoGoStop! It was also a time when bands out Vancouver’s sleepy conservative suburbs were starting to break out: Witness Protection Program, The Hand, Fun100.

It was exciting. There was a sense of community. Of people just wanting to have fun. Perhaps we were shaking off the anxieties of a post 9/11 world, or shrugging off the self seriousness that was emo and hardcore. We still made mix tapes and zines- scoured Terminal City and The Straight for new bands. There was this new social networking craze called MySpace that had yet to be a ubiquitous omnipresent corporate behemoth that dominated every corner of our lives. We were called Scenesters not Hipsters. Everyone was in an art collective.

Adorned with white belts and one-inch pins; asymmetrical hair cuts and red velvet blazers we set out to prove Vancouver wasn’t No Fun City at now long shuttered venues like the Marine Club, the Pic Pub, and Mesa Luna. I didn’t drink at the time so dancing, and by extension dance punk, had become my saviour- bands like The Rapture, Les Say Fav, Pretty Girls Make Graves to name a few. When Mp3 blogs became a thing, I immediately downloaded The Gap from their 2005 debut Hit The Floor! and loaded it on my 100 song iPod shuffle. I like so many others, became an instant fan.

I moved into what could only be described as a punk rock compound- 3 houses that were owned by a former Christian sect that we dubbed Triple Threat. Members of Bend Sinister, No Dice, Witness Protection Program, and Devon Clifford from You Say Party and Cadeaux (and Whiteloaf) all lived there. He drove an orange 1981 Camaro Berlinetta to match his bright red hair and big personality. We would walk to the greasy spoon Bon’s Off Broadway to get terrible but cheap breakfast and to watch The coffee Sheriff pour undrinkable refills of sludge. It was like living in the movie Withnail and I, but funner. We all wore pins that said Do You Party? on them.

It felt like Vancouver was blowing up and You Say Party was the hand-clapping drum majorette leading the pack. Ladyhawk, Black Mountain, Radio Berlin, New Pornographers, Destroyer, S.T.R.E.E.T.S., The Doers, They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? And The Organ highlighted just how tight-knit and diverse our scene was. Relentless touring and glowing reviews for You Say Party’s sophomore Lose All Time ensured they were head of the class, despite being unable to tour the US due to a previous border snafu.

Lose All Time sat on top of the Earshot charts for what seemed like forever. Famous for their frenetic live shows, and aided by stunning videos, their sophomore effort was a clear progression from Hit The Floor! It still harnessed the visceral rawness of their origins, but hinted at a confidence and maturity that was to come. The title of Lose All Time was a reference to the discombobulation of constant touring and it too was a hint of what was to come.

The touring would take its toll. Fuelled by Chinese Red Bull; a well document public dustup between band members at a bar in Germany would throw everything into uncertainty. But it was that turbulence that would set the stage for XXXX and after a restorative tour to China, the stage was set for the penultimate You Say Party record.

Flash forward to 2009 and the city was on edge. Everything was about to change. Vancouver was preparing to host the world amidst the unfolding Great Recession. Anti-Olympic protests ramped up. A gang war raged in the streets and made international headlines, tucked behind Swine Flu hysteria and the ongoing imperialist war on Iraq.

It seemed like all the venues started closing and all our friends were moving to Berlin or Montreal. We starting looking in. Is this the city we want? Was it just growing pains? This kind of introspection is clearly reflected in XXXX. If Lose All Time was a record the band wanted to make, XXXX was a record for the people; a record for the city of Vancouver; a record for 2009.

"I finally feel like a singer, rather than a dancer who loves being in a band" said Becky Ninkovic at the time. It’s a perfect quote. One that succinctly captures the maturity and focus of the record. After a breakdown for Ninkovic, a year of rest and vocal lessons, Exclaim! announced XXXX to be a career resuscitation.

And it was. Going back now and rediscovering the record is such a magical thing. Opening for You Say Party with my band Taxes in 2008, I was impressed with the new material even if was a little jaded (I mean I was almost 30). But now with time and space I can see the songs they were working on were truly timeless. Laura Palmer’s Prom could so easily slot in with the latest 80s synthwave revival along alongside bands like Lust for Youth, Lower Dens, and Chromatics.

Overall, XXXX sounds like an exhale. A moment of stillness when you know you’ve made something extraordinary. When you know all those moments combined; moments of sheer terror, adrenalin, elation, boredom, and longing- culminate in a piece of art that once you let go of it- you just know in your gut that it’s right. It draws you in, wrestles with a brooding tension, then sends you into a churning whirlwind of tight drums and buzzing synths. It’s a remarkable achievement.

There’s plenty of vintage YSP sass throughout. “She’s Spoken For”, “Make XXXX”, and “Cosmic Wanship Avengers” are all classic synth punk gems, but the it’s in the subdued that the album really grips. “Dark Days”, “There is XXXX (Within My Heart)” and the sprawling Kate Bush like ballad “Heart of Gold” are the hallmark of a band that is comfortable exploring the limits of their genre. While lyrically quite positive, the melodies are daunting. Indeed, as Pitchfork put it, “the slower pace and more sentimental outlook of XXXX gives listeners the necessary space and encouragement to surrender to the band's emotional message”.

And it was a message they would finally return to the US with in 2009. The band was poised for mainstream breakout success. They were long listed for the Polaris and they won a Western Canadian Music Award for Best Rock Album of the year. Much has been written about what would happen next. I don’t want this article to be about the tragic onstage death of drummer and friend Devon Clifford, but it’s inexorably linked to the band’s story.

And I can only really tell it from my point of view. I wasn’t sure I would go to the funeral but a mutual friend told me that Devon would want me to go. Portland Hotel Society, a local housing provider which Devon had thrown the weight of his passion behind, rented a bus to drive out to Abbotsford. I held up pretty well until my friend Al Boyle got up to play. Then some yelled “Spagett”. Then Krista and Becky sang “Cloudbusting” and I lost it.

The band would try to carry on. Krista would leave the band and Bobby Siadat and Robert Andow of the band Gang Violence would fill in for touring. When that didn’t go as planned Al Boyle who had been in the punk band Hard Feelings with Devon would replace Bobby. They officially went on hiatus in 2011 only to reunite a year later with Krista back on keys and a drum machine in place of Devon.

And while the band’s self titled 2016 release would be their moment of closure, the reissue of XXXX is one of celebration. Celebration of what they made with Devon. Celebration of a near perfect moment in time. A capsule of a entire city at it’s peak. The band has changed. The scene has changed. And I’ve changed. But there will always be XXXX within in our hearts.

'Cause every time it rains

You're here in my head

Like the sun coming out

Ooh, I just know that something good is going to happen

And I don't know when

But just saying it could even make it happen

Sean Orr Vancouver, BC January 2020

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We are so excited to reissue a limited run of XXXX on clear vinyl through Paper Bag Records Vintage for Record Store Day on August 29th! Support your local stores & grab this album on vinyl for the first time in 10 years! https://recordstoredaycanada.ca #yousayparty #YSPWSD

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About Sean Orr Sean Orr is a writer, musician, artist, activist, and dishwasher living and working in the unceded Coast Salish territories of Vancouver, B.C. Besides his twice weekly news column in Scout Magazine he writes for Beatroute and has written for Vice Magazine and Montecristo among others in the past. He’s the frontman in the punk band Needs and also has a pickle company called Brine Adams. Twitter | NEEDS | Tea & Two Slices | Flickr

#yousayparty #xxxx #vinyl #reissue #paperbagrecords #yousaypartywesaydie #dancepunk #seanorr

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