#support: yunaka

[laslow]

🍪

"Lazzy!" Smile back in place like it always should be, Yunaka gives him a sing-songy greeting as she skips over to him. The gauntlet is already thrown before she says anything else, pocky held carefully between her teeth as she grins at him. No further words are needed; she offers him the other end of the cookie and waits to see if he rises to the challenge.

Ah, so they're to play again, is that it?

Laslow's grin is nothing short of delighted. They really need to discuss....whatever this is, but that can wait. Far more important things are afoot! "Truly, a pleasure to see you again, my darling!"

He doesn't accept the offered cookie right away. Instead, he takes one of her hands in his, idly running a thumb along her knuckles. "You know," and now he leans in closer, nibbling a small bite of the cookie, "you don't need cookies as an excuse for more kisses."

Another bite. Another. All the while, he keeps a loose hold of her hand, daring to place his other one lightly atop her hip the closer they inch towards another.

There's only one bite left. He pauses for just a heartbeat, looking up at her through his lashes. This isn't about winning or losing the game any longer; they've danced around each other enough that everything is starting to feel a touch serious.

Unless she's viewing it still as some frivolous little distraction, one that can only exist within the rules of this challenge. Laslow steals the last of the cookie with a triumphant sweep of his lips, smiling against her own as he swallows the treat down.

"Yunaka, would you like to go on a date with me?"

[stalwaria]

an adoring kiss because the other is rambling 

Yunaka's flower crown looks way worse than the one Etie made, but the archer still manages to make it look pretty. It might be the field. It might be the flowers. It might be the company. But Yunaka feels calmer than she ever has before in her life, and she's pretty sure Etie has something to do with it.

She's smiling softly as she listens to the other girl explain...something. She lost track. She doesn't know when. But Etie's still talking, with a small smile on her face and flowers on her head and Yunaka's own head is still ringing with all the nice things Etie said before and

and it takes a second for Yunaka to realize she's kissed her. It takes another second for her to realize she's still kissing. She jumps back and covers her face with her arms.

"Shi- SHOOT! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to do that, I don't know what happened I just- Oh man, that was so stupid of me I'm so sorry, please don't be mad!"

kiss meme (accepting!)

"Flowers are really versatile, you know?" Etie threads one stem through another, fingers moving through the steps of weaving a flower crown. Might make a couple more for Alfred and Céline, too. "They're not just for show. My hometown produces many different varieties, and they're used for tea and medicine. At the start of the year, we even candy the petals to serve as treats at the spring festival—"

Emerald eyes flicker up from the wreath of flowers, going to meet Yunaka's, when—

When...

Etie had never kissed anyone before. Not one gentleman caller. Not even out of a fleeting moment (or, moments) of curiosity with a friend, like so many of the other noble daughters she knew.

So she can only sit in a mix of awkwardness and surprise as Yunaka does just that, the archer's mind reeling at the feel of soft lips against her own. Of floral scents and fruity perfumes, mingling with the soap of Yunaka's hair, and the lingering sweat that clung to Etie after that last run she had, and... Dragons, it wasn't TOO noticeable, was it!? Not too overpowering???

She KNEW she shouldn't have run to the meadow, she shouldn't have...!

The other woman reels back, hopefully not in disgust, and begins flustering and apologizing in a sort of panic Etie had rarely ever seen from her before.

"I, um. I—" Her face felt hot. Way too hot. "It's not... I'm not mad, it's just..." Cheeks burning as red as her favorite tulips, Etie stares down Yunaka. As much as she wanted to run the embarrassment off, that'd be rude. That'd be...

"I didn't do it right. You caught me by surprise, and all." She's flustered. Even a little happy. But it takes everything in her not to scream at what she's saying right now. "Maybe we can, um... t-try again...?"

Oh, Divine... take her now.

[laslow]

He shrugs, as if to say it's hard speaking around such a fragile little treat! Really, he doesn't want to put his foot in his mouth around her again.

Her laugh is a good sign, at least, and he forces himself to look at the bridge of her nose instead of directly into her star-bright eyes. She's good at this--the cookie dwindles inch by inch, bits of sweet chocolate interspersed with the equally sweet biscuit.

Oh. Laslow didn't think he'd get this far. His cheeks heat, and as much as he'd love a kiss from such a lovely lady, he'd rather not push his luck--

It happens too quickly for him to process. Suddenly, there's a hand on his neck, lips on his, chocolate replaced with Yunaka. Dazed, Laslow watches her pull away. Instinct makes him lean forward by a hair, mouth quirking into a lopsided grin. (He's still not meeting her gaze.)

"Heh, in this, I am more than happy to concede victory."

Her fingers climb a bit higher, now tangling into the short hairs at the nape of his neck. His eyelids droop. One arm curls around her waist, while his free hand moves to cup her cheek. His thumb strokes her star shaped mole. "A shame," he whispers back, though there's nothing contrite about his tone, "I'm all out of treats."

Laslow closes the distance between them, kissing her tenderly.

🍪

pocky day | accepting

The cookie in his mouth is the first thing she notices. The dots take a second to connect in her brain. Laughing, she places down the book she was holding and turns to him. "Not even one of your cute hello's? Just right to business?"

Not that she's actually mad about it, but she can't just let the chance to tease walk by. She hums thoughtfully to herself as she approaches him, considering how best to rise to the challenge. She wants to win, of course, but...

Giggling to herself, Yunaka takes her place and bites down on the offered end. This part's easy. She bides her time, chewing away slowly until there's only a bit of cookie left. Then, she stops and waits. She watches Laslow with a grin, waiting as he gets closer and closer and-

When there's only a single bite left, she strikes. Her hand comes up to the back of his neck and pulls him into a kiss. For a brief second, the winner is unclear, until her tongue grazes his to swipe the last piece of cookie away. She's smiling again when she pulls away, and her cheeks are only a little red. "I win!" She sings.

Though who could really be sure. There was only one way to confirm it. She threads her fingers through his hair as she moves closer again, until her lips graze his when she speaks. "Wanna play again?"

[socialistexan]

[gravitonbeamemitter]

kagetsu and zelkov are so funny to me bc between the two of them kagetsu is very open and friendly and zelkov well. to borrow a phrase. "oozes killer instinct from his pores like slime." but in truth he just wants to hang out and do his hobbies. kagetsu is the one who craves violence

[turboghast]

What did she mean by this chat?

[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

[cielenruine]

"Looks like I picked a bad time to hop outta the Lions." She tries her best to keep things light, because that's what they need right now. There's no time to focus on injuries and failures, as much as the sinking in her stomach wants to drag her down. They need to keep rolling. She needs to be okay.

It's hard though.

"Eagles got swarmed on their way back in." She reports, frown on her face. "Like someone either knew were coming back, or wanted to stop you all from getting out..."

She knows what she knows about Edelgard, and there's still a seething rage in her bones, but...she fixes her eyes on Matthias.

"So. What's going on in Fodlan that someone would attack the church like that? And why was it kept so hush hush from us exchange members until now?"

"I suppose that arrow in the shoulder at the opera was preparation." He offers a gentle chuckle. "But it was for the best..." "I thought that might have been the case, it would've been better had you retreated even if that was what the enemy wanted. The Empire certainly would've had the means to employ reinforcements for us." At least one split party and yet...he understood their haste to make it back to the academy. He knows he would have done the same. And then his heart stops for but a moment and confusion washes across his face. "...nothing that I'm aware of?" There was no harm in telling her the circumstances. She knew not of Fodlan, not of Faerghus...but to say that someone might want to attack the church? "In Faerghus we've certainly had our fair share of occurrences, thats to say nothing of Leicester and Adrestia...but nothing that the Central Church has had anything to do with." A hand raised to his chin and with a tense sigh he looked at her. "You've reason to believe that someone has been planning this?" It certainly wasn't an attack born of haste. They had been fully surrounded, cut off and struck by weaponry that seemed impossible to imagine. "...I can speak for no one but myself and the Faerghans I know, but we're just as out of the loop as those from elsewhere." His stance changed and his arms fell to his side, eyes searching hers. "But you know things I don't and I know things you don't. I'd like to know who it was that's desecrated the peace we've so thinly maintained." He couldn't force her to tell him, nor would he press her to. No...this was already enough to have him question what exactly it was he did know.

[laslow]

The crowd of people was fine, at first. But after the ship ride, milling about waiting for instructions, and then being let lose on this island, the nerves were starting to get to her. Maybe that was why this whole place was setting her on edge so much? Who knows.

What she does know is that wandering off on her own on an unknown island run by a bunch of weirdos is the last thing that she should be doing right now. That's how people got murdered.

"Hiya!" She smiles as bright as she can and gives him a little wave. "You busy? I was hoping to go on a walk to explore the place, and some company might be nice." And if she did stumble on something weird, at least there were better odds of one of them making it back.

The initial buzz of excitement has faded, leaving a sudden exhaustion in its wake. Traveling always takes a toll. Laslow hides a yawn behind one hand as he slips through the crowd, eager to be away from all the crush and noise of so many people.

He's escaped to the fringes when a familiar voice catches his attention. "Well, hel-lo there, Yunaka!" Laslow grins in return, also offering an answering wave. "I'm never too busy for you. A walk in your company sounds utterly delightful."

Arm extends just enough that she could take it, should she so wish. "Anything in particular you wish to explore? I must say, traveling to a tropical island is a nice change of pace."

In the distance, something splashes in the water. A whale, perhaps, or a seagull diving for a meal. The palm fronds continue their song overhead. "...Though one can never be too careful, eh?"

[stalwaria]

"Hiya Papaya!" For once, she's ready, and the cheerful greeting comes with genuine laughter as Yunaka circles around her friend. Weird to think Etie's a student of the house that Yunaka's been asked to teach, but they've both seen way stranger.

"Saw the show you put on in those arena fights! Man you are soooo lucky, I would've killed to get my hands on some of those fancy weapons." The training would've been nice too, it's been a while since Yunaka's had the chance to cut loose, but the weapons. Man.

"What was up with that last guy though, that was crazy! I was worried for a second you guys might not finish in time, which would've be soooo unfair."

There's...there's way more she should be talking about, and none of it has anything to do with the arena but. For now at least, this is easier. She hopes Etie doesn't mind. "Great job though, next time we should tag team and show 'em what some real strong girls can do, yeah?"

"Wh—Yunaka!?"

The last thing Etie expects to see is the other woman bounding towards her, having expected her to be... well, Etie didn't know where she expected Yunaka to be. Last she heard, the thief had gone off traveling after the war, and she hadn't exactly kept in touch.

After so long of wondering what happened to her, it was a relief to see that Yunaka was still alive and kicking. Of course, with her skills, and that gorgeously toned figure? Etie wasn't surprised to see that the woman could take care of herself.

Kind of curious to see her here of all places, though.

"It was fun to experiment, but I'm definitely most comfortable with my bow and arrow." Scoffing, Etie runs a hand through her hair, flipping it over her shoulder. "And that last guy? A real piece of work. He might've even given you trouble... but I guess that's the sort of bulk a good set of muscles will get you."

Shame he hadn't exactly been real. She would've loved to ask him about his training routine...

"But never mind that. We have got to catch up!" Beaming, she takes Yunaka's hands into her own. "How does tea sound? I just had a new crate of leaves sent in from Firene. After all those fights, I could really use the break."

[bladespromotedpawn]

"…"

She should be mad.

She should be angry that someone called her perfection "childish."

She should be furious that this woman disparaged her entire life.

"…Heh."

She was mad that she was accused to not care about her students - her apprentices, the same people she fought for, but…

Could she really be mad? It was a perspective - and one Mareeta understood. Didn't agree with, but understood.

She was still not happy - oh, 100%, but she knew that blowing her temper at one of her fellow teachers in a place like this, semi-public, would be bad for… several reasons.

"Fine by me. But you ain't outta the woods yet."

Mareeta tosses the helmet out the door, listening to it clatter, before getting back to work.

The girl thinks her methods can improve? Fine.

She'll get better like no one she's ever seen.

"You'll be seein' me eventually..."

The Great Pretender

[hermidetta]

She's not quite sure if she's on the list, but she figures it's worth a shot. Carefully covering up the basket so that nobody walking past can see what's inside, she stops outside Bernie's door. Show time.

Sighing dramatically (and loudly) Yunaka starts talking to herself. "Aw dang! I sure didn't mean to pick up these extra gifts when I went out to the market, but looks like I accidentally did." She definitely got these just for Bernie specifically.

"If only I knew a certain birthday girl to give these to...Guess I'll leave them here outside of this random student's door to see if they want them!"

The basket is placed as close to Bernie's door as possible, so that she doesn't have to go far to get it. She's sure to "accidentally" knock against the door as she does so. "All done! I'll go now, so I don't bother anybody."

And she does just that, giving Bernie the space to claim the basket (or ignore it if she wants to) without anyone watching. She hopes she takes it. The cupcakes will only last so long, and she's kind of worried that the star stickers might fall off the quills of the stuffed, purple hedgehog toy before she sees them.

⠀ ⚘ birthdaydetta 2k24 ♡ ⠀

they ought to drill peepholes into these doors. bernadetta dog-ears the idea to carve one out herself while yunaka is speaking from the great outdoors, because maybe bernadetta is curious about the hypothetical birthday girl in question and how special this birthday girl must be to get gifts from professor yunaka. because, glancing down, bernadetta must admit to herself as nicked fingers fidget below her chin: it would be nice to be thought of by professor yunaka. she doesn't make it a habit to eavesdrop, honest, but before she knows it she's sandwiching her ear against the door to listen. which random student would have her favor?

bernadetta likes professor yunaka. she's pretty, and nice, and strong but also soft. the hands she could use to draw a bow or snap someone's spine are always so gentle with bernadetta, no matter how many times bernadetta fails or embarrasses herself in front of the other woman. it's teachers like her who make bernadetta want and wish to be a good student, people like her who make bernadetta want and wish to be a good person. she isn't. she is a disappointment, she knows. but maybe someday—

the knock startles her a foot in the air. bernadetta waits in petrification for one, two seconds before finally cracking open the door. she sees the basket, the cupcakes and hedgehog after poking cautiously at its cover—and she is so silly, she realizes. it all falls into place, and bernadetta, she has been so silly. yunaka's back and unmistakable red hair are shrinking some ways ahead, though they are still visible, and...

clackclackclackclackclackclack—

yunaka may or may not have heard it, but whether she turns around or not to question the rapid crescendo of pitter-patters against stone, it is in the next instant that something fluffy and purple bounces against her and clings with the almighty force of an armored bear stuffy. a plush, tiny but sweet, just like that starry hedgehog. the way it latches only lasts a moment.

red in the cheeks, bernadetta lifts her face from yunaka's shirt. she drops her arms, spins around and bolts back into her room just as feverishly as she had burst right out of it.

[midgardianqueenreturns]

While I strongly agree with most of the writing criticisms Fire Emblem Engage gets, I can’t help but feel defensive every time I see someone say its characters are bland and uninteresting.

[party-pri3st]

🎄

The first familiar face that Pandreo spots is Yunaka, for...some value of familiar. Pandreo has only really seen her from afar, mostly in battle, and he's sure that she has assessed him from the shadows, too. Any friend of the Divine One is a friend of his, but he still can't help but be wary. Maybe, under these different circumstances, they can have fun together at this party that's much too stuffy for his own liking. He closes the distance between them to strike up a friendly greeting. Yunaka currently wears her bubbly mask, and Pandreo can work with that, though he dares not poke underneath. Just as she turns toward him, he spots the conspicuous little shrub pinned to the doorframe they stand beneath. The floor has cleared. He half-expects a right hook to the jaw. "Oh, shit," he blurts, instead of hello.

[hatariwildheart]

Any other wisdom? No, not for now. Volug eyed Yunaka once again, eventually turning to lie down with his chin on his paws. Exhaustion was quickly creeping into his body. He needed to escape somewhere more secluded so he could take a proper rest without anyone seeing him in his humanoid form. One mistake was too many. He didn't want to harass the poor girl further-- well, he did, actually, but he didn't have the energy for it. Besides, she hadn't been too entertaining, despite everything. She'd taken things much more in stride than he expected, though her quick wit was delightful to spar with.

"No," Volug stated simply. "I tire."

And that was that. The wolf trotted away to go take his nap, content that he had instilled Yunaka with a proper understanding of what he was. She was less likely to yap about his presence if he made it clear it wasn't unusual, after all. Even if she did, if she spread the rumor of laguz being presence, it would likely end up a bit misconstrued-- he wasn't hiding, he was explaining exactly what he was to her. It would keep his identity safe, he was fairly certain. He would be mistaken for just another laguz, and the fact that he was pretending to be a dog in the town would probably go overlooked.

Now, time to take that nap.

Maybe Things Got A Little Too Zappy

[sieglinde-freud]

citrinne wrote this post