#support: altena

[princeofopenness]

@luminousrider @nabataprophet @loyaldeserter @katabatiic @dcggersedge

There were six of them, including Alfonse himself, that made the trek up to the first of the two marked locations. None of the others were people he had spoken to prior, though each of them were familiar to him. They all had counterparts in Askr he had met. This was good, a nice bit of familiarity, nothing too unpredictable. He knew of their various skillsets, who he likely ought to rely on for what. He much preferred that to having someone unknown to him in the group.

Finding but one ruin among many would have been a far more difficult ordeal without the note's guidance. Following the guidance of someone they did not know and entering a specific room in a fortress, crumbling though it may be, was outwardly a rather foolish task, Alfonse could admit that much. Still, it was one of their only leads; if this indeed had been set up by their adversaries, then perhaps they would have unwittingly left behind some morsel of information for the group to seize upon. Alfonse was more than used to enduring such ordeals from his past foes, after all.

With heavy, stone doors shut fast behind them and a voice taunting them from the shadows, Alfonse saw little reason to even try turning back the way they had come. He knew what result that would produce. It was wasted effort, and they would need every scrap of energy they had in the days to come. At the very least, the way the voice beckoned them eased some of Alfonse's worry. This wasn't a trap, oh no, this was a test. That meant there was a way forward being deliberately provided to them.

...Had this individual perhaps also been responsible for the traveling attraction he and Leif had participated in back at the monastery?

"Alright," Alfonse spoke confidently, raising his head and meeting the gaze of each of his companions in turn. "They wish to test us, then. This room can't be quite as empty as it looks. We ought to spread out, investigate as much as we can before us. Legault, Yunaka, would you check the walls for anything?"

The two knives in the darkness seemed the best bet for searching out hidden clues like that. Attentiveness to their surroundings was a key component of the work they performed, was it not? Besides, if anyone was prepared to unravel the work of a sneak, it was a fellow sneak. They might know better what to search for than someone like Alfonse.

"One of you take each side-- and bring someone else with you." He added. "Splitting up into pairs would likely be the most effective... and the safest. Whoever wishes to remain here with me, we'll check this table. It's likely that there's some kind of information hidden here, and whatever any one of us finds will likely play into what the others do. Call it a hunch."

It was so easy to fall back into his role as Prince of Askr and as a leader of the Order of Heroes. These people were all familiar to him; it was easy to pretend things were exactly the same as they had been back at home. He even forgot they may not all be willing to so easily take the orders of some blueblood they scarcely knew. These people weren't bound by contracts, after all. They were just scared and confused and seeking to end the strife that had found its way to their shared home.

Me When A Mysterious Feminine Voice Tells Me To Do Something

[reddragonprincess]

🎄😳

 🎄  ‘TIS THE SEASON.  🎄 | accepting

The long day has almost finished luckily, all those annoying decorations was starting to become tedious and fleeting while passing by many people and actually managing to retrieve decent reactions –but one for sure was a person she wasn’t expecting, yet coincidences always played a very bizarre part of their destiny. As she walked back towards her office, a familiar brunette crossed her path and a vivacious smile appeared on Minerva’s lip as she has finally met a reason to be happy about that day.

“Altena, what a pleasure meeting you now” she glanced at her, noticing something curious: actually, nothing was out of the ordinary in truth, but the Macedon princess managed to see beyond the appearance of bodies, seeing what lay inside the inner side of a soul –she saw a beautiful woman, a candid soul, a fierce warrior. All enclosed by a glance that could tell Minerva everything an nothing at the same moment.

As her glance ran on her body, she noticed with the corner of the eye that something was dangling from the ceiling up above their heads and as she instinctively turned her gaze upward to better recognise the ‘threat’, she suddenly realized the huge situation the two of them bumped into right now.

“This is one of the many mistletoes scattered around the monastery..” she returned her gaze on her, sketching a timid smile, “I wonder who manage to put all of these things.. It’s weird” she grasped for words, while she increasingly felt the pressure of the moment, “But...after all the people I met today, now I know the true meaning behind those things” she lastly added, feeling the heat covering the skin on her cheeks. Then, taking a moment to breath in and breath out, she drew closer to the brunette, placing a hand on her cheek, while slowly closing the gap in between their face, gently pressing her lips against hers, a soft and almost fleeting touch, as she quite immediately pulled off, embarrassed but grateful at the same time.

“I hope this will be a great festive period for you”

[egittae]

She's walked past him several times. And several more times. She's seen the sign though she tries so very hard not to actually look at it. She wants to ask. She could just ask. That's what the whole point of this is, right?

It takes most of the day for her to gather up her courage to actually approach him and, even then, she just kind of stands there silently, awkwardly until she forces herself to just mumble it out.

"Can I just...canihaveahug?"

Lambert could tell who needed more time and who didn’t. It wasn’t too hard to catch by the corner of his eye the sight of a girl with long brunette hair and a bandana, walking past him once, twice- thrice, perhaps even more after he stopped counting. He knew that there was something she wanted to say or ask, otherwise she wouldn’t have been getting so close to many times, but he’d allow her to come to him on her own. 

When she finally approached him it was for a simple request, and yet one he knew would have meaning for her. His memories may be mostly lost, but the professor already had somewhat of a grasp on the fact that perhaps in his own childhood, his parents didn’t offer him this type of comfort. Not often, at least.

The professor smiled before giving her a nice, firm hug- complete with a hand patting the back of her head and letting her take her time. “I must commend you for mustering up your courage and going through with it. You did a great job!”

[yeyayeya]

Little bitch never came home and once I found an opportunity, I took him home by force

[bladespromotedpawn]

"Ha, ha, ha..."

Mareeta slings her sword over her shoulder, wiping her brow. Another good day of practice for her classes. She knew this next one would, like always, go perfect. Her students were gonna love her today.

"Hmm..."

But, since there's always a bit of extra time before her tutoring begins, Mareeta decides to take a new route.

No real reason - she has a route she usually goes from the training grounds to her class, to get things set up perfectly, but... why the hells not? She has time, and she doesn't have any commitments for the morning, either.

She smirks as she goes, no real plan in mind for where she takes - as long as she ends up in her room in time, she's fine. She's going to be perfectly on time, anyhow.

"..."

Although how she ended up in the wyvern's aviary was... a surprise to her. Was this even in the right direction?

Eh.

Her class was already set - she was going to do perfect. May as well see some of the animals the academy keeps.

Mareeta had never been a cavalier, grounded or sky, but she respected the people who rode into battle. It was a connection from the heart of a fighter and the heart of their mount, one strong as their steel. Mareeta couldn't do it herself, but she very much appreciated those who could. They were as crucial in the past as she and her perfected bladework were.

...Speaking of the past...

"Don't you look familiar."

She had been in combat in Thracia... a couple times with Mareeta. Mareeta even caught her once during the reunification process. And while Altena wasn't someone Mareeta really knew... that was ok.

She also was another person who looked like they didn't age too much after her time in the group (what was up with that?)

"Which one of these is yours?"

Running Against the Wind

[hresvelged]

"What are your thoughts about this whole situation?" For Altena, there's almost something enjoyable about it. Even if they did have their asses handed to them, there is something about the lack of real consequences that is exhilarating. She's able to afford to be a little reckless in her attacks without worrying too much about herself or her teammates. It's an interesting way to learn but she certainly is learning. And she's rather curious if the others feel the same way.

"I'm finding it serves its purpose," she says. "The opportunity to fight with no repercussions is certainly rare. Were we in the midst of a tense war battle or otherwise, the stakes would be much higher." What's more, it gives her a chance to fight with people who she may never have gotten the chance to ally with. Edelgard is able to observe their fighting styles— The skills they have she might have otherwise overlooked.

"There is no better place to test your resolve than here. As one fight finishes, we are sprung straight into another." She finds it realistic, for there is no telling when the reality of it all will end. "I place high expectations on those around me. The people who can't handle the pressure— the constant unknowns put out in front of us—.. They are the ones that need this even more than I." She wonders if Altena feels similarly, but the Imperial Princess has been able to see her resilience. That alone is a great strength.

[justicespeared]

dog, sender's dog pulls them in receiver's direction.

"Honk, slow down!" Altena pulls on the rambunctious boxweiler's leash to try and keep him from jumping up on the girl in front of them. "Sorry, he's a little too friendly sometimes."

( actions speak louder than words ; accepting )

Cynthia freezes when the dog almost lunges for her. For a moment, her heart stops. She's going to die. This beast will tear her apart, and she doesn't even have her lance to defend herself with.

That is, until she hears a voice calling the dog down.

“Huh?” It takes her a moment to realise she's being spoken to. “Oh! Yeah, don't worry about it. It happens, right?” Plus, it didn't attack her, so she can't be too mad.

“I think he might smell the jerky in my pocket.” She pulls it out for emphasis: it's just plain jerky, unwrapped and haphazardly shoved into her pocket. “He can have some if he wants! I forgot I even had it until now.”

[livingrief]

"Thanks, Finn," her voice is soft. She looks at the glass before taking a sip. It isn't a mature glass of champagne that he offers nor is it the more childish hot chocolate. Just water. Neutral and safe. It's a choice she respects. She wants to be seen as more than just the little girl she was in Leonster but she doesn't mind that he wants to look after her either. "Make sure you take care of yourself, too," she reminds him. "It's hard to have fun if you don't stay hydrated." "I hope you're able to enjoy your evening. Nanna would want to see you smiling." She would like to see it too. "Here, I can trade you one of my feathers. Unless you'd rather have one from my father instead."

Her words are a surprise. Take care of himself? Enjoy the evening?

The only thing that mattered was surviving the night. There was no intention of enjoyment. Is such an enormous event a time for enjoyment?

But he does want to offer Lady Altena something genuine. Perhaps his heart is too dark to be able to give her something better.

"If my feather is good enough for you, Lady Altena, then I will gladly accept your feather."

In truth, he cares little about such pomp and circumstance, but if it can put a smile on her face, it matters little.

@luminousrider

[laslow]

Competition is fierce this year, Laslow thinks, eyes on the dancefloor as he runs through his warm-up stretches. Couples and single dancers alike brought their all, showing off an impressive range of styles and skills.

Most importantly, almost everyone's enjoying themselves.

He flashes Nanna and Altena a grin that rivals the brightness of the spotlight, mouthing good job before he takes center stage. Warmth creeps up his neck, nerves fluttering to life in his belly as he makes eye contact with the judges. People knowing he's a dancer versus people judging him dance are two different battles to overcome.

Laslow swallows. Gives an elegant bow. When he's upright again, his hands follow and hover near his head. One sharp clap and he stomps a foot. Without his rings, he's had to improvise on the more flashy parts of this routine.

And it's fine, if lackluster. He can feel the crowd losing interest, feel his nerves crowding in when he should feel free to improvise. The routine suffers--instead of tossing rings upward in a glittering spiral while he pirouettes and catches them just in time, he adds a jump that lacks the same flair.

But he continues on, hardly missing a beat, finishing his routine with another bow and breathless smile towards the crowd.

[Style: 1; Choreography: 8; Technique: 8]

Canto || White Heron Cup 2023 {

After a good time often came vicissitude—a bad hand, a swap of cards, a change of fortunes. It would have been easier to have stuck to the same routine as the last. "...We decided on a change if we made it into the second round, correct? ...It is for the best, especially for the judges that were catching every point off our heels." Her voice was softer than the last, as though she were combing over something stuck in her throat. To save her energy, she pushed on with fairly little to say, just a smile here and a laugh there. All to make good on her promises until they were set under the spotlight.

"Altena, I..."

Their heels clicked in place, center stage, with countless eyes glittering their way. The perfume, the candle light, the myriad of stares—all heavier now, taking on the weight of surmounting pressure. Sealed away with a smile, she held back her words to straighten her spine, a poise suited to for a leader. Hands touching, shoulders straight, chin up. And with a motion from the concertmaster, she jerked awake, pulling their steps straight across the ballroom floor. To cut through the stage like they practiced.

Another jerk, another bad hand. She held her breath and pulled them in a circle. And another. With two steps and a... (A leap.) (A leap.) (Come on!! A leap!) Instead of a leap, she walked them both to a stop. Just for a brief second. To forget what they had learned like words that dissipated off her tongue.

And in that pause, her smile dropped—before she covered them both with a spin. "Sorry." Nanna mouthed. Another circle. (Jerking, at best.) Two steps... and a leap!

Since when did having wings feel so heavy?

Style: 1; Choreography: 6; Technique: 3

@luminousrider & @laslow

[reddragonprincess]

"I saw it's your birthday." Her voice is matter of fact as she approaches the Macedonian. She's not really sure how to be particularly warm or welcoming but she holds out a brown paper bag filled with several different varieties of treats baked for wyverns. "I don't know what yours prefers but these are all the treats Peaches has found she loves since we came here to Fódlan. She also...she misses her friends. I thought maybe we could take the two of them out flying together sometime. You know, so they could be friends."

The sudden familiar voice resounded in Minerva's heart as soon she saw the brunette approaching her with a particular paper bag, a very recognisable smell was coming from inside and poping out from the bag there were some treats she wasn't really acknowledge, despite the well-known smell.

"It's..really nice of you" she kindly accepted the paper bag, peeking insde as she was kind of curious to learn more about this newly treats of Fódlan. "I think that also Freyja will be pleased to share this super meal with Peaches!" she laughed heartly, giving Altene a sincere smile, "And I'll be very happy to share some more time with you, actually.." she shifted her gaze as to let the little embarass go away, then she returned to her face. "It's a promise. They will be friends, I'm sure of it"

[hresvelged]

"Nicely done," Altena commends, reaching out a hand for Edelgard to shake. The princess had proven herself more than capable and Altena is left quite impressed. "I look forward to seeing what else you can do."

"As do I," she replies in return with a firm handshake. She respects those who carry themselves like how Altena did in battle— With readiness and strength. Even as an enemy might set their sights firmly and unwaveringly, she finds it imperative to keep standing strong.

She can see the valiant efforts crafted together by their teamwork. It is only within these circumstances that they are able to fight as one, yet even so, she looks forward to the rest. After seeing all their combined strength, Edelgard's expectations for what is to come remain high. She allows a smile to settle, then. Small, petite. "Your own efforts were just as able to help us secure our win. We will continue down this path of victory."

[dithorba]

My 2024 Writing Progress

I was tagged by @mrmissmrsrandom and @mariyekos for this, but I've meant to do this all day.

Here's the raw numerical data.

I don't think anyone is interested in my worst-performing data metrics, and I was too lazy to input it myself.

Now let's get to actually important data.

Time - This was written for Nagamas 2023 for @sagetoadtea. I admittedly don't have many thoughts for this one except I do often think of Coirpre as Altena's little brother.

Lamento Boliviano - This is my newest long fic project and my first published E-rated fic. While it is not all explicit, a key aspect of this fic is Julius and Altena's desire to start a family amid growing unrest in a "unified" Thracia. This work is the culmination of my frustration with how the Jugdral fandom talks about Thracia and the neglect of Julius as an actual character. I think this fic overtakes Learn To Fly as my most important work for me personally. This fic has all of my most recent influences baked into how I write the characters and premise: The Venture Bros, Third World Nationalism & Marxism, Earthsea, and most importantly, Disco Elysium.

It's not my most popular work. Hell no, by total hits and even kudos. But honestly, I'm okay with that. I'm happy I have nearly 29K of just me gushing about the world Julius and Altena occupy, their will to challenge their despair, and forge a bright new future together.

The Killing Moon - This fic was originally written in June for the FE Art Artfight. I initially was going to attack someone who I found had me blocked 😔 So I shelved it until I discovered it in my WIPs around November when I randomly remembered it. It was @lenaylias and @turnipsnturtles encouragement that I finished it up. Until I forgot I had it finished in my WIPs again until after finals. Whoops. But hey, it's out.

The Killing Moon is more of a simple analysis of how Cigyun's environment might influence her choices and the context of how she could potentially cross paths with Victor.

Other Fics - I've published two other fics anonymously this year because they're way too indulgent for me to attach my name. But if you know, you know. 😏

The Thanks Section - I would like to thank everyone mentioned above, as well as @royaltyjunk, @sunshades, @saficswrites, @edelgards, @tmetta, @damoselcastel, @smithasandwich, and @spiritforestwrit for their encouragement and support.

[failnaughted]

Ooooh that feels good. Claude smiles as he feels his muscles, tensed up from the pain of the magic strikes they had to endure, relax.

"Whew, that was great. Thanks, Flayn! Alright. If everyone's had enough rest, then it's time we get going."

The steady beat of the giant piece of otherworldly machinery is unsettling, but whatever happens, they have to face it. And perhaps, that means it's time for a little scheme.

"One of you, with fast legs!" Claude calls to the Knights, and luckily, a candidate quickly steps forward.

"Some of our allies are currently stationed near the greenhouse. Go find them and let them know we are about to move south, towards the lake, and draw the attention of the mechanical sentry. If you're quick enough to reach them, we can coordinate a pincer attack - that thing is big and dangerous, it would be best if we can take it on with support. Hurry!"

The young squire nods and takes off in a sprint. Claude follows him with his eyes for a moment, before nodding to his allies.

"Let's see if we can make this work. Forward!"

Moves 1 space Down.

(Through Gritted Teeth) I’m Once Again Feeling So Attacked Right Now

TOA Epiphany 2025: Team 9 || @ashenprofessor @luminousrider @cotharach

[livingrief]

continued from here with @luminousrider

Finn's eyes cast downwards at the small pup. How strange... And yet Lady Altena had remarked that she was tending to the animal with someone else. That did tend to involve at least some level of trust and intimacy. Finn would know. He wants to ask, but perhaps this is not his place. After all, he is only a guest in Lady Altena's life. It only took a few words for him to be banished.

He is curious, though. Linus. What type of person were they? Had Lady Altena found someone trustworthy to stand by her side? Had she found peace? Thousands of questions buzzed through his mind but nothing passed through his lips. It was not his role to do so. Even if he would always see her as that little girl, her back was turned and he was chasing the embers of a ghost.

"I do hope you get to fill that quality time in," Finn finally responds, a wistful smile barely showing up on the edges of his lips.

But his role was no more. He served no purpose.

"I am glad to see you have found someone you can trust," was all he could manage. His other, more personal worries could wait till later. Until he was alone, far away from the roar of the crowd and the propriety of her presence. 

[juliakeyoto]

Ingrid is a gay ass homosexual

Okay so, let’s talk about it.

Ingrid is probably a closested queer woman. Do I know exactly what she is? No lol. But, what I do know is she definitely isn’t straight.

Let’s look at her background to begin with.

After Glenn died being a silly knight, Ingrid’s entire life was dictated by marrying a man. Her family would die out if she didn’t marry a man. Her crest mandated she married a man. Her people would suffer unless she married a man. Her father literally gave her extra food to fatten her up compared to her siblings, all so she could marry a man.

You see the issue?

Now let’s pivot to Mercedes. I could bring up the Dorothea paralogue but everyone knows about that one, so that’s for latter.

Mercedes, the bisexual member of the lions, says she wants to know a lot more about Ingrid. And Ingrid doesn’t turn her down. Ingrid also doesn’t necessarily turn down Dorothea in their paralogue. Read the script for instance.

Does that look like an outright refusal of Dorothea? I don’t think so. Then we get to their actual supports. Let’s look at the Dorothea-Ingrid B support.

Yikes. (Shout out to Dorothea for respecting consent however)

But look how fervently she shuts Dorothea down. How just immediate it is. Beforehand, Dorothea was kinda pestering her about beauty stuff.

It’s like other B supports pre timeskip.

A lot of B supports set up a conflict to be resolved post timeskip. There’s roots for a paired ending there. The one that comes to mind the most is Annie/Mercie (mostly cause their support chain is silly, just like the two units)

I say all this to say that she has two b supports that feel they could lead into a same sex paired ending. Also, can we talk about Pegasi knights for a moment?

There are a lot of gay Pegasi knights. Palla and Minerva are one of the most shipped pairs in Archanea. Chloe and Merrin as well for Elyos. Eda is said to have been “totally subservient” to Altena. Florina outright admits she loves Lyn at the end of Lyn Mode.

Ingrid is a Pegasus knight.

What does that make her? Probably gay lol. Like, she is in one of the most consistently gay classes. She has two supports that could be read as romantic. What more can I say?

TL;DR: Ingrid is probably a homosexual.

[phantomstatistician]

Saturday Status Update

REQUESTS: CLOSED

The wait time for a request is: 37 working days

Upcoming charts (if the sample size is large enough):

Nevertheless - 10 most popular ships (AO3), 10 most popular characters (AO3)

Homestuck - 10 most popular ships (4/13/16 to present) (AO3), 10 most popular tags (4/13/16 to present) (AO3)

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Jujutsu Kaisen - Megumi Fushigoro

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Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War - Altena

My Hero Academia - Crossovers

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Husky and His White Cat Shizun - 10 most popular ships (AO3)

Persona 3 - Kirijo Mitsuru

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Voltron Legendary Defender - 10 most popular ships (AO3)

One Piece - Nami, Nico Robin, Monkey D. Luffy

Harry Potter - Mary Macdonald, Pandora Lovegood

Hamilton - Maria Reynolds

Stella Glow - 10 most popular ships (AO3)

Les Miserables - 10 most popular ships (AO3), Eponine

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Sk8 the Infinity - 10 most popular ships (AO3)

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