#under Chrom of course

[kokusfluffyhair]

Tsukasa Shishio x f!Reader | WC: 1692 | 18+ only! MDNI!

Summary: After missing Tsukasa's birthday, you decide to come by his flat unannounced with a special surprise in mind.

You missed Tsukasa's birthday. In fact, you had completely forgotten about it. There wasn't any party planned, so you had gone out of town for the weekend, only to see on social media Senkuu and Kohaku posting stories with pictures of themselves and Tsukasa while wishing him a happy birthday.

Being Tsukasa's new girlfriend, you had considered doing the same, but instead you came up with an even better way to give him a "present", onee that you hoped he would appreicate much more than a fleeting moment of recognition on social media.

When you got back to your city, you decided to pay Tsukasa a surprise visit. As expected, he was there and was in his room watching YouTube videos when you rang his doorbell. He greeted you with an initially perterbed expression, grumpy from his watching being interrupted, but soon smiled as he processed in his mind that it was you who had disturbed him.

"I ... didn't think you were back," he said, a little bashful as he didn't look very put together. His hair was a bit messy and he was wearing an old t-shirt and sweatpants.

"I got back this afternoon. Can I come in?"

"Of course." Tsukasa stepped to the side as you entered his flat. He closed the door and then smiled, grabbing your hand and giving you a light tug closer to him. Once your eyes were on him, he raised your hand to the height of his lips and gave the back of your hand a soft kiss.

The kiss surprised you, even though such sweet gestures were typical of Tsukasa. Your mind had already been on the "present" you were planning to give him, and the secure kindness he just gave you only let your mind plummet deeper into anticipation.

"Is something wrong?" Tsukasa gave your hand a squeeze and leant closer to you. "No one gave you trouble on the way here, did they?"

"No, I'm fine. I'm just ..." You smiled. "I'm thinking about the birthday present I put together for you."

"Birthday present?" he asked. With a light chuckle, he shook his head. "You didn't need to go through trouble over something like that. I don't need a present. A birthday is no different than any other day."

"But I wanted to give you a present."

A slight shade of pink spread over his cheeks. Feeling himself heat up, Tsukasa cleared his throat and turned around to walk back over towards his room. "As long as it's not one of those Instragram collages, I won't complain."

You laughed and followed him. "You didn't repost any of the ones Senkuu tagged you in."

"Only the one Mirai tagged me in. Besides, Chrom was giving a goofy smile and a thumbs-up in over half of Senkuu's pictures."

Tsukasa walked into his room and sat on his bed with one of his legs hanging off the side. He closed the tab of the nature documentary he was watching on YouTube and looked over to you, smiling with a wave of his hand for you to come closer. "All right. My attention is all yours," he said with a glance towards his laptop. "Unless you want to watch something together."

"Actually, Tsukasa ..." You stepped forward until your feet were at the edge of the bed, your body hovering over him as he looked up at you. "I have something for you to watch."

"What is it?"

"Your birthday present." You leant down to kiss his forehead and then took his hands to press them gently against your body. You knew that you were blushing, but the redness on Tsukasa's cheeks immediately erased all embarrassment. You guided his hands in a dance over your figure and then, in a moment of boldness, you slipped them under your shirt so that his cool palms were against your skin.

You hissed through your teeth from the feeling of your warm stomach melting the chill off of his hands. As your grip loosened on Tsukasa, he began to explore your stomach and waist on his own.

His touch was so gentle, yet strong as his palms lightly pressed and massaged themselves against your stomach. He gazed at his wrists, his lips parted as soft breaths escaped his mouth, and then, as you pulled your shirt over your head and took it off, his eyes widened and his hands squeezed you at your waist.

"It's your birthday present," you said. "Can I keep going?"

In an instant, you were pulled down onto the bed and on top of Tsukasa as he flopped backwards onto the mattress. His arms wrapped around you, squeezing you to his clothed body as his lips moved to your neck and started to suck on you. It was as if he was becoming possessed by the feral yearnings that his state of composure had been fighting to bury for too long of a time.

"Mmgh ..." He purred into your neck and smacked his lips as he sucked harder on your skin. "Don't stop ..."

"Ts-Tsukasa ..." his name slipped past your lips in a light groan as your muscles loosened under his lips. Your hands pressed against his clothed torso and lowered themselves to his hips. Curling your fingers around the band of his sweatpants, you began to pull them down.

"Take them off ..." Tsukasa growled and snapped his hand on top of one of yours to yank his bottoms down. Before you could even feel his bare cock rub against you, your own pants were being shoved down so that they rested limp on your ankles.

Tsukasa panted and grunted, his cock throbbing from the skin to skin contact it was having against your hips. He squirmed in the bed as he kicked off his sweatpants and rose his feet to your ankles to push your own pants off of you.

"Baby, I want you ..." Tsukasa's brown eyes were glazed over with a puppy-dog look begging for more after you had given him a taste of your intentions with him. His long, dark eyelashes only added to how his neediness could get right to your pussy.

"I want you, too ..." you said and started to lift your hips off of his. You sucked in a breath as your skin felt a chill rush over it from not being pressed against his.

Tsukasa's hands gripped your hips as he moved with you to his aching cock. "Let me help you, Baby. I want to make sure we do this together so it feels good."

The way he cared and looked out for you only made your pussy hotter, like it was burning for him. His eyes were filled with a soft concern, genuinely not wanting you to feel even an ounce of pain. You could feel your warm juices trailing towards your folds as you let him help you lower yourself onto him.

You hissed through her teeth as his thick cock stretched you out. "Tsukasa ... ahhh ..."

Tsukasa started to pant and tilted his neck back into the bed. "You feel so good ..." he groaned and started to slowly roll his hips against you.

You lowered yourself down to your elbows, placing them to the sides of Tsukasa's head. Your heart raced and your breathing sped up as you gazed down at him, the sight of his face only strengthening that itching tension at your clit.

"Move with me ..." Tsukasa said and gripped your hips tighter, guiding you into a rhythm with him as his fingers pressed into your flesh.

You kept on grinding him, pressing your hips against him and groaning as his cock pulsed and twitched within you. You always imagined that Tsukasa would feel good, but you never thought he would be this good. The way he was inexperienced made him even sweeter and you soon found yourself moving faster and faster against him to increase that rubbing at your walls.

Tsukasa moaned. "That's it ...! Like that, Baby ...!" He let go of your ass with one of his hands and slipped it near the front of your hips. "I'm gonna make you feel better ... even better ..." He tried to rub the side of his hand near where your clit was, doing everything he could to stimulate you more.

Even though this was your surprise for him, Tsukasa wanted it to be an experience that you would remember always.

"Tsukasa ...!" you moaned his name loudly as the rubbing from his hand seemed to ignite something electrical out of you. Your grinding against him got rougher as you sped up some more.

"I'm ... I'm cumming soon ... almost ..." Tsukasa groaned and panted as he bucked his hips into yours. "Y/n ...!"

There wasn't any more warning before your juices spilled even more all over him, leaking mercilessly past your folds. Tsukasa bucked his hips once more and nearly screamed as he released to fill you up with rapid spirals of his hot cum.

"F-Fuck, Tsukasa!"

He was a panting mess underneath you. His eyes were closed and his head pressing into the mattress. Your walls fluttered like crazy around him and you groaned as you rubbed yourself against him just a little bit more before flopping on top of him and rolling to his side. His arm curled around you, holding you firmly at your waist and squeezing you to his side.

He was never going to let you go.

Once he regathered his breathing, Tsukasa turned to face you. "Y/n ..." he said in a sweet, loving voice and turned on his side so he could wrap both of his arms around you and hug you in his warmth. His body was almost like a furnace after all of that.

You could only smile and nuzzle Tsukasa as he peppered your forehead and cheeks with kisses and gazed at you with the softest kind of endearing love you could imagine.

"You didn't have to wait for my birthday to do that," he said with a gentle chuckle and pressed his lips against yours in a kiss.

[emblemxeno]

It's 5am where I am so I'm no doubt gonna regret posting meaningless whining about my favs compared to other characters when I wake up but rn who tf cares

I'm still incensed under the surface about how Byleth gets a better reception than Corrin, and how Corrin specifically is represented in a grand scheme of the FE franchise, mostly with Heroes.

"Corrin gets positions and authority when he doesn't deserve it!" then silence for Byleth when he gets a teaching position, and later either the archbishop spot or outright becomes king of an entire continent.

"Corrin's dragon powers aren't used in the plot enough!" Byleth's powers are only ever plot device fodder, are mechanically indistinct from other FE protag powers before and after him, and have terrible ludonarrative applications.

"Too many people worship Corrin!" About 70% of the cast's morality when defecting from their home (and sometimes partaking in harming it) is dictated by Byleth having enough tea parties with them, after being enrolled in a job he wasn't qualified for

"Corrin's character and personality is bad" Byleth doesn't even have one, he's just a dialogoue choice generator

"Corrin is the worst FE rep in Smash, had the worst trailer, and is representative of FE having imbalanced representation" FE has a clone/Echo fighter problem and consolidating Roy, Lucina and Chrom into Marth as alt skins a la Bowser Jr. would auto fix that controversy given the Smash community's "if I don't see it, it doesn't exist" approach to character slots; there is no universe where a trailer showcasing one of the worst villains in 3H-and the FE series as a whole-is better than even the cringiest lines in Corrin's trailer; there is more unique properties and applications just in Corrin's side special than there is in Byleth's entire kit, which was really a mish-mash of different Smash archetypes, inlcuding ones other FE characters covered. Not to mention the fucking PNG Sothis Final Smash with the embarassing lip flaps, jesus.

Every problem that Corrin is accused of having, Byleth does it worse. Every problem that Byleth gets jabbed with, eventually gets redirected back to Corrin for "starting it."

And it's seen as justified, because why? Well, 3H is a "better" game of course! After all, it's the best selling one! If it sold that much and was so well received that means it must have done everything exponentially better than Fates did! (ignore the fact that Fates was the best selling game in the series before 3H please). Why wouldn't Byleth simply be objectively, immutably better than Corrin in every metric going by this logic?

And, like always, CYL is gonna reaffirm this again for everyone. Cuz why wouldn't Byleth get so many votes last year despite him getting a great Christmas alt just the month before? He deserves it after the female version already won after all! And why wouldn't he win this year when he's guaranteed an Emblem alt in the future, and most likely to be on one of Valentine's, Children, or Wedding banners?

It made sense for the Robins to win one after the other cuz they're cool and awesome and not weak and annoying, so it makes sense for Byleth too!

Why would Corrin get this "it's his turn treatment" when he's not a good character and the female version only won because everyone knows she's just dumb fetish bait 🤪🤪🤪/s

It's just... so infuriatingly transparent. Even Male Alear isn't hit with this quite as hard tbh, because at worst he had half the votes Female Alear did, whereas M!Corrin at best had barely over a third of F!Corrin. And that only fuels my perspective on how M!Corrin, for all his alts, always feels like his presence is treated compulsory and obligated, and F!Corrin is always sold with "she's hot, who cares" in mind.

FE fans made it clear that Corrin's character was hated, so the solution became to sell the Fem one for horny whales, and have the Male one just slightly behind in numbers to keep up the illusion of fairness (while always making him inferior in gameplay).

All that just for Byleth, a non-character, to get every excuse and love from a fandom that hated Corrin for the same issues he has. Crazy.

[sp-growingpains]

What sort of "nerd" stuff do you hc the sp guys being into? (Like DND, Star Trek, jrpgs)

So I wanted to wait until I was off work for this one because, like, I'm about to go off!

Stan 'Dungeon Dork' Marsh:

Look you know. I know it. God knows it. He's a nerd pretending to be an 'all American boy next door.'

> Miniature painting king!

> Him and Nichole both are THE people to go to if you ever wanna have something painted.

> I also think he's the best at Homebrewing things. Monsters, Feats, Magical Items, even Classes!

> His favorite Class is Ranger -> subclass Revised Beast Master!

> And he doesn't just play D&D! I think that starts as a gateway drug for him

> We already see he's into Warhammer 40k which have amazing ttrpg books btw

> For the superhero lover in him, definitely Wild Talents!

> In my opinion anything Stan can mentally break down, lay out, and put back together makes him happy - so finding and building characters and worlds scratches that itch for him!

> Casual Pokémon player, only gets competitive with Kyle! Will get defensive over his favorite Pokémon.

-> I think his favorite would be Rockruff or Lucario (especially after watching the movie)

-> They watch the movie and Stan points to the tv when Sir Aaron comes on and is like "That me." Cosplays him

> Which leads to my next thing. Loves cosplay. Cannot craft costumes. Ends up paying out of pocket for someone or his mom to do it

> Somehow convinces the guys to do group costumes together. I fully believe the Avengers costumes were his idea

> That being said, die hard Marvel fan. Doesn't hate DC, but I just know in my heart that boy doesn't give DC the time of day (I just love that his favorite is Captain America. He just like me fr fr)

> As for video games. I can see him really like fighting games. Casual Smash player (Mains Chrom and Pit.) but if you roll up on him in Tekken. Dude sweeps

> Won't get angry if he loses but will get pissy and sceptical. Like...it had to be luck that you won. No way you beat him

> He's alright at First Person shooters. He enjoys listening to the guys more than the actual game.

> Do I even have to say he plays RPGs? Like Baldurs Gate? Dragon Age? I think any game that's story based and you can make your own character, Stan is playing it. Catch him humming Persona music under his breath and teaching himself how to play all the music

> Game Grumps fan! Is the most chill fan though. Loves watching the Kirby Dream Course

> Had Kyle help him build his computer and stays on top of it for the most part.

> Has Discord Nitro

Kyle 'Here for the ride I swear' Broflovski:

Fucking liar. Dude is as big of a nerd as Stan. He's just quiet about it. I don't think it's shame, just he doesn't put as much energy into it as Stan does. Until Stan is involved. Then he's all over it.

> I think Kyle would be really embarrassed to play D&D at first.

> Hear me out. I know he played TSOT with the other kids. But it's a little different. Running around as kids beating each other with sticks and rocks was something he was probably told to give up.

> like "You're not a little kid anymore Kyle. Don't you think that's a little immature?"

> But after Stan begs him and he gets into the groove of it, he finds he really loves it.

> More importantly, he loves the storytelling aspect. The collaboration that comes with being at a table with other people.

> His first character is a high elf of course. Plays a druid -> subclass Wildfire

> Immediately gets a power trip from how BUSTED Druid is

> I honestly think after too many times of Cartman fudging dice or being a pain in the dick, he takes over being the DM

> Loves it more than being a player. Spends his free time writing up plots. Npcs. Events. Backstories.

> He's the kinda DM where if you peek behind their screen, has his shit together (Google Matt Mercer's DM screen and just...yeah that)

> Kind of a stickler for rules but if it's cool he'll let you get away with it

> Much to Stan's dismay, Kenny is his favorite player.

> Won't admit it often, but he genuinely loves the drama and characters that Cartman brings to the table

> Plays in Stan's other games, but he honestly just keeps going back to D&D. Maaaaaaybe Vampire of the Masquerade.

> I headcanon that Kyle goes through a shift in the middle of getting his law degree and goes into English instead

> After finishing his degree, he publishes books about his friends and their adventure. Both in life and at the table

> He loves, LOVES comics. Both a Marvel and DC fan boy. Don't get him started on Dark Horse. (YAPPER!)

> Also a huge Star Wars fan. When the Mandalorian came out, he hosted a watch party

> Avid movie collector. Not just superheros but like classics.

> Maybe in the future I can see him starting a podcast where he watched and talks about movies. Bringing on a different friend each time.

> Loves to build computers. Man can build you the dream PC and provides you with a little cheat sheet on how to take care of it.

> Tech support if he likes you

> FPS King.

> If you play Halo Swat with him. No, you don't. It's just headshot after headshot

> Is unapologetic about it. He won't get snarky about it unless you start to.

> Absolutely rages in video games. Maybe not enough that he's smashing shit, but he's had to replace the joysticks a few times

> Keeps himself on push to talk for that reason.

> He loves Minecraft if he gets to play with someone else. Really good at mining and combat. Ike got him on it and he watches videos when he's eating dinner. Got YouTube propped up and everything.

> Probably fucked around with Destiny 2 a little bit but fell off it when no one wanted to play with him and randos just kept pissing him off

> Got into Pokémon for Stan and Kenny, ended up latching onto the third generation.

> This one is purely indulgence, but I can see him secretly loving the sims.

-> His favorite would probably be Kyogre. No he doesn't care if Legendaries don't count, fuck you.

> As for Smash because I know they all play not just Stan, he mains Fox and Ganondorf

-> That one you gotta waterboard it outta him.

> Got discord Nitro to match with Stan once and just kinda kept it since.

Kenny 'Hobby Supporter' McCormick:

Kenny is one of those nerds you meet and you're like, "Jesus christ, how is this guy so cool?!"

> Dived headfirst into the D&D shit with the others. He was absolutely ready to play with his friends

> I have said this before, I'll say it again, is actually the role playing star. He's got the range darling

> Every character is different, unique, and fun! He'll come to the table with the most out of pocket ass character and just blows people away

> You're like "there he goes again, a fucking joke character"

> Wrong. You got, got. This character has a beautiful backstory, makes sense in lore, and is a team player

> Kenny is every DMs dream player. He shows up with an idea. Asks questions about your world. Engages with other players and makes them feel comfortable. Does things that his character would do WITHOUT fucking over the party and campaign

> And to top it all off. He can do voices. What a perfect asshole

> Will show up late, though, and if he has something come up, he'll forget and tell the group last minute. Oops

> Oh his favorite class? Bard -> Subclass Glamor. Race doesn't really matter to him, so probably Changeling

> He likes to make props and bring them to the table. Oftentimes, they're little pieces of jewelry or an accessory, hats that sort of thing

> He's usually the one that ends up helping Stan with his cosplay ideas. Stan will come to him with an idea, get three sentences in, and Kenny just shrugs and goes "I'm down."

> The kinda person to bring extra material when they go to cons to help you fix your outfit.

> POV - you're at a con and a piece of your costume just tore. Before you can get upset about it. Kenny McCormick comes gliding across the ground with a small kit on their side. They're wearing the most gorgeous Rosalina costume you've ever seen. They bend down and fix that part of your costume and before you can say anything they boop you with the handcrafted wand.

> Behind him are his friends dressed as Mario, Luigi, and Bowser. You already know who they are. I don't need to assign them.

> My dude is so fucking cool. He loves listening to people talk about their -sonas or ocs. Definitely has a fursona and is so chill about it.

> Kenny loves Monster High and you can pry that headcanon from my cold dead hands

> I'm also a firm believer in punk Kenny! Patch jackets, pits, protests, boycotts, music - the whole nine yards!

-> that's not a nerd headcanon I'm just projecting again sorry

> Back on track, I think Kenny is a DC fan for fucking sure

> You CANNOT look at Mysterion and tell me he's not a die hard Batman fan. But I'm talking Batman the animated series Batman fan!

> Kenny is the kinda fan that will absolutely be chill about it until he reads a comic that gets the character all wrong. Then it's like a switch flips.

> I headcanon Kenny as a little theater kid so anything involving that, he's all over

> The guys will come to his plays and while they might make jabs at him for doing it, they're all very proud of their friend

> He drug Butters along with it and those two are a POWERHOUSE on stage. No matter the roles, they kill it every time

> Also maybe not a nerd thing, but huge in the nerd space, if you ever have questions or struggle with self identity - Kenny is the first to pick up on it. And he's so fucking good at doing it casually, like you can trust him with it all

> Sexuality? Gender identity? Any of it, he'll be there to listen and offer advice if you want it

> Does not fuck around with people dead naming you, catch these Netherborn hands fucko

> I see him as a casual video game player. Loves anything he can just shut his brain off and relax to. Also really loves rhythm games.

-> Dude, I just know in my heart they didn't show Kenny playing Guitar Hero with the guys because he'd smoke 'em

> Unapologetic about the amount of mods he has on the sims 4. How many hours he has in Stardew Valley or Harvest Moon. Its about the progression baby!

> That and he likes to put his friends in fun little outfits in the sims

> Loves Pokémon and I know I just said he likes games he can relax to...not Pokémon. Will break down your entire team and sweeps. WHILE also picking his favorites.

> Doesn't know shit about computers aside from modding his game. Has called Kyle at three in the morning for advice and help

-> I imagine his favorite being Gardevoir.

> For the smash bit, he mains Peach, Rosalina and god help you if they pick Zelda.

-> Kyle answers every time.

"This the last time Kenny..."

"Sure sweetness, keep telling yourself that."

> Does not have discord Nitro and does not care to. He's got a meme for everything

Maybe I'll do a part 2 to this because honestly I had a lot of fucking fun with this! Got me out of my head and I got to write some stuff again! Thank you so, so much!

[fe-fictions]

ok ok so you know how Frederick has a support about how he's got a phobia of beasts? what if he has an encounter that makes him freeze up, and it's Robin to the rescue?

(Oh my god I was working on this one for ages...I've got 99 fics of Frederick and Robin now...and I've got the perfect plan for the 100th!)

The Shepherds were trekking through the dense forests of Ylisse. Perhaps it was because the two of you had only been together for a short while, but you noticed that your husband’s behavior seemed a little…different.

He didn’t seem to be as attentive to his lord and lady; he was also not riding up as far ahead as usual. He seemed to be slower to clear the path, and if you weren’t mistaken, he wasn’t clearing all the twigs and pebbles like he normally did.

It was peculiar indeed. You were on the path through the Ylissean mountains, heading towards Ferox with the intent to speak with the Khans, but your husband was behaving in a rather distracting way. Rather than being his usual, so-handsome-you-can’t-look-away distracting.

No, his gaze traveled beyond the dirt path, seeming to go deep into the trees and brush around you. It was almost as if he were looking for some sort of threat. Despite the abject peacefulness of the Ylissean territory, he was particularly on edge.

“Does Frederick seem a little off to you two?” You leaned over to the royals, drawing them out of  their typical sibling banter.

Chrom quirked an eyebrow, glancing at the knight, “Hmm…he doesn’t seem to be distressed. Maybe a little distracted?”

“He keeps looking around. Is there something we should be worried about here?”

“Mmm, aside from the odd beast here and there, I don’t think so?” Lissa tapped her chin, “The woods are always pretty safe.”

“I may just be imagining things.” You thought to yourself, determining it wouldn’t be a bad idea to check in with him. You moved to close the distance, but Frederick suddenly stopped, motioning for the troupe to stop. 

“Milord, milady– there is a clearing here. Shall we set up camp for the night?” He gestured outwards into the trees, waiting for the rest of the army to join them. 

Chrom surveyed the space, “Perhaps you’re right. It’s a little early to set up, but I suppose it’s better to set up now than try piecing camp together in the dark.”

So the lot of you got to work setting up camp. The sun going down by the time the tents were pitched, and dinner was well under way. 

It was yours and Frederick’s turn to prepare the meal. Frederick was in charge of stirring the massive pot of stew while you were delegated to chopping vegetables beside him.

You couldn’t help humming to yourself, earning a curious, warm smile from your husband.

“You seem to be in a good mood. What are you thinking about?"

“This just feels very domestic.” You remarked, letting the vegetables fall into the pot. “We’ve only been married during the campaign, so…it feels nice to do something simple together.”

“I see. Well…perhaps we can consider it practice.” His stirring of the thickening soup slowing. “Once the war is over, we will be able to have moments like this far more often.”

“Hmm…and without having to prepare food for a hundred people.” You giggled, “Just the two of us will do.”

“Indeed.” He smiled softly, gently nudging you with his shoulder. “Although, once we have children, I am sure we will be grateful for our practice feeding an army.”

“You’re already thinking of children? Goodness, Frederick! It’s only been a few months!” Your cheeks were illuminated pink despite the dim light of the mess tent. Despite your best efforts, your embarrassment was impossible to hide.

“My sweet, I wished to start a family with you the moment I realized my feelings for you. Who else to be the mother of our children than the most clever  woman I know?”

“Is that all you thought about? A properly intelligent mate to infuse some brains into your bloodline?”

Frederick scoffed, nudging you more firmly. “Nonsense. I would never consider it.”

“Oh no?”

“Of course not; there are many other reasons why I wished to start a family with you.”

“Wait-”

“-Your beauty, your adaptability, your sense of humor, and of course your innate ability to eat anything put in front of you-”

“-Now you’re just teasing me.” You nudged back, enough to shift him off balance just so. Frederick chuckled, holding the ladle up in surrender.

“Forgive me, dearest…but it is not exactly difficult to do.” 

“Oh, you.” 

The two of you were practically grinning ear to ear, your teasing squabble interrupted by Donnel hurrying into the prep space. He was waving a tablet in his hand, parchment rustling with great urgency.

“Uh, Captain, we got a problem!” 

Immediately Frederick’s expression hardened, his cool, serious demeanor returning as though you hadn’t been flirting terribly just moments before. 

“What is it, Donnel?”

“I was checkin’ the food stores, and we’re real short on meat! It’s not gonna be anywhere near enough to meet the nutrition quota ya set for the campaign, let alone to give everyone a portion tonight. Any chance we can hunt somethin’ before dinner’s done?”

“Surely you jest; we have kept a close eye on our food rations since day one! How could this be?”

“If I had to take a gander, sir, it’s prob’ly the healers.” He explained as Frederick walked up to him, “There were a number of requests for bigger portions of meat for recoverin’ soldiers.” 

“Who approved this?”

“Looks like Lord Chrom’s signature– though I cain’t read that well. Figured it had to be him since it’s all swirly an’ whatnot.”

“Indeed, he did…” Frederick sighed sharply, looking to you. “I doubt we have enough time to prepare anything we caught, tonight. Let alone the fact that everyone else is busy with their own duties...it would fall on us to hunt, but given the time frame I doubt it will be possible.”

“Really? It’s close to sundown, but it’s not even dark yet. Surely we could catch a deer between the two of us before then! We’re in the middle of the woods– it’s full of wildlife!”

“That may be true, but any deer would have left the camp perimeter hours ago; it’s far too dangerous for them to linger close by.” Frederick pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to find a solution. “Perhaps if we increase the portions of potatoes and mushrooms…?”

“I really think we can do it. If not a deer, perhaps a flock of birds, or smaller game that hasn’t gotten as far away with their little legs.” You insisted, placing an encouraging hand on his arm.

Donnel piped up, “That’s not a bad idea, y’know! And I’ve spent plenty o’ days huntin’ back home, so I can tag along!”

“There you go! We’ve got our farmer extraordinaire on my side– what do you say?”

“...If it weren’t these woods, then…” Frederick’s voice was suddenly quiet. You tilted your head, squeezing his arm gently.

“What’s that?”

He shook his head, returning the docket to the young soldier. “I appreciate the offer, Donnel, but we will need someone to stay behind to continue with food preparation if we don’t want to run into delays. Can you keep things running smoothly while we’re gone?”

“I’m not the best cook, but if you just need me to stir a little, I s’pose I can manage.”

“If you want, Donnel and I can go while you hold down the fort here,” You offered, knowing how he hated to relinquish control of his assigned tasks. Frederick immediately disagreed. 

“Absolutely not. It’s too dangerous for you to go out there unguarded. If you insist on doing this, then we shall do it  together.”

“Very well– I do insist.” You grinned, and the decision was made. The pair of you hurried to put on some light armor and prep your weapons, aiming to catch plenty within the span of two hours. 

If you were lucky, perhaps a bear would cross your path. But your husband seemed even more reluctant at such a thought.

—----------------------

The two of you were deep into the thick brush far from the forest path, nearly twenty minutes since you left camp. Frederick had seemed fine, at first; but when the campsite was no longer visible, his demeanor shifted once again.

It was as though you were back on the road; he seemed stiff, and more wary than usual. He led the two of you, his quiet footfalls barely raising a sound as he searched for a promising set of tracks. While you listened for the beating of wings or perhaps a portly bird’s song, your gaze was trained on him.

He was becoming more tense with every step. The javelin was tight in his hand, knuckles white. You had seen him hunt before; it was nothing like this.

“...Frederick.” Your whisper was near inaudible, but he heard you loud and clear.

“Did you hear something?”

“No. I wanted to ask if you’re all right.”

“What?” He glanced back at you, puzzled. You gestured loosely to him,

“You’ve been on edge since we left camp. You look like you’re sneaking into battle, not hunting for food.”

“I’m fine.” He answered shortly, “We must be silent. If we’re not careful we may attract a predator, not prey.”

“A predator would be ideal; a big bear would cover our meat stores for at least a week.”

Frederick did not answer. His shoulders raised higher, as though your words had only distressed him further. It was a bit unnerving.

At least, until you heard the soft shift in the branches above. Your eyes turned skyward, and the rustling canopy revealed not one, but two handsome fowl just above you!

“Frederick–” You motioned towards him again, but he seemed lost in thought. Had he found some promising tracks, too? What luck– you could snag the fowl while he tracked down the mammal.

Wasting a moment no longer, you shifted away from your husband to pursue the two birds. They were still hopping along, cooing back and forth as they continued their journey fifteen feet above you.

You wouldn’t want to alarm any nearby game. Getting as close to being directly beneath them as possible, you whispered your spell. A concentrated bolt of Elthunder burst from your fingertips.

Stunned from the electricity, the plump birds fell to the earth without a single squawk. Victorious, you took your quarry.

It would hardly be enough for three soldiers, let alone a hundred; but it was a good start. You turned on your heel to sneak your way back to Frederick’s side.

To your surprise, he wasn’t in sight.

“My…did I really stray that far?” You wondered aloud, shifting the satchel to your back and retracing your steps. 

You had ended up about twenty meters from where you started, finding Frederick’s footprints in the disturbed brush had moved quite far ahead. 

And not far from them were deer tracks. You bit your lip to keep from giggling with glee; what fortune the two of you had found! If he was as swift as you were, he’d have that beast downed in no time, and you’d have enough meat for two whole dinners.

With great care to remain silent as a mouse, you followed the trail diligently. It seemed to carry far deeper into the woods than you expected; and the sun had already set halfway past the horizon. The sky was obscured by the thickening forest, but the shift of light from red to purpling gray was becoming more concerning.

If he didn’t hurry, you would definitely miss the dinner call and there’d be no time to prepare anything.

That’s where your mind was focused, until you noticed a sudden shift in the tracks; a third set of prints had appeared.

The unmistakable outline of a wolf’s paw had mixed in with your husband’s. Immediately, you picked up the pace. It looked like the hunter was being actively hunted.

And you were starting to understand why Frederick was probably on edge; bears were one thing– easy to locate, loud and lumbering.

Wolves were quiet. Large, but quick, and could fell a hunter if it were hungry enough. It wasn’t clear if Frederick knew he was being followed or not, but judging by the silence that still hung in the air, and the absence of the sounds of struggle, you assumed the latter.

Grasping the bag tight to your body, you picked up the pace. Your steps were no longer calculated, pushing into a sprint to close the distance.

The distance between the wolf’s prints were spreading out; it had also begun to run in pursuit of your husband. Stealth was now the least of your concerns.

“Frederick!!” You called out for him in the haziness, preparing the spell in your palm. You blasted through the brush, rushing to clear any obstacles that were slowing your chase. 

The sounds of lost hunting opportunities chirping and scurrying away were a distant echo in your ears. 

“Frederick, where are you?!” 

He did not answer, still. Surely he could not be so far away. You vaulted over a fallen tree, following the spreading tracks with your eyes to a steep drop in the forest floor.

There, several feet away and more still below you– 

Frederick stood, staring down a monstrous wolf.

Breath flew from your lungs; it was nearly up to his chest in height. Its growl was deep and ferocious, reaching your ears when it reverberated up from the drop. Its fur was mangled, its skin betraying its health and revealing visible ribs. 

It was big, and it was hungry.

But more frightening still, was that Frederick had not moved. He was almost frozen, looking directly into the eyes of a ravenous beast. 

Fear slurred together with confusion, calling out to your husband going unacknowledged. He was actually completely unmoving. The javelin in his hands seemed to keep it from immediately lunging at him, but— he wasn’t throwing it. Why wasn’t he throwing it?

The wolf stepped closer. 

Its body was tightening; preparing to take its chance, weapon be damned.

“Frederick!!”

You leapt from the top of the ridge, shifting between sliding and stumbling down the slope, ripping the Elthunder from your belt and bellowing the spell.

Launching from your feet, you flew to the frozen knight, shoving him down to throw the bolt of lightning. 

The wolf lunged.

It happened in a gasp.

Coarse fur brushed the palm of your hand before a clap of thunder blasted through its body. 

Sharp fangs had buried into your shoulder, flesh ripped to shreds and damning pain shot through every nerve. A scream ripped from your mouth, drowning out the wolf’s own yelp.

The beast careened backwards, wrenching its jaws from your bone and nearly pulling you along with it.

A second breath left your body; and the forest was silent once again.

The spell book dropped from your hand, fingers wet with the warm red liquid now pouring down your arm. Its body crashed to the ground, a hind leg spasming before it stopped moving at all.

It was dead. 

You breathed heavily, needles of pain thrust into your flesh with each inhale. Shakily you looked back to your husband, who had stumbled to the brush in the chaos. His expression was a frozen mixture of shock and horror, pale and taut with confusion.

“R-Robin…?”

“Are you okay? A-are you– are you hurt?” managed to ask before the needles turned into arrows. You groaned, reaching for the bloody wound on your shoulder. The flesh had nearly been torn from the bone.

Frederick gasped, seeing the wound shining with blood, a massive hole in your coat where the fabric was ripped away.

His whole body was shaking, his eyes wide with confusion and concern as he tried to make sense of what happened.

You moved to join him on the ground, to assess him for any possible injuries as well. The mistake was in trying to take a step; the world suddenly spun out from under you, and the next thing you knew the ground caught you face first.

“Robin!!” Frederick seemed to come to his senses when you collapsed, stumbling forward on unstable legs. “Y-you need help…your wound, it’s-!”

“Flare…pocket.” You explained through grit teeth, desperately trying to keep your wits about you. Quickly Frederick removed the spell book, stammering through the incantation and sending the red spark flying into the air.

“It’s up. They’re coming. It’s– it won’t be long.” He spoke, but his reassurances almost felt like he was talking to himself over anyone else. “Just hold on!” 

You stared up at him, watching him tear the chest plate off and rip away the fabric of his tunic. 

“How long…?” You hissed in pain when the cloth pressed against the bleeding wounds. His expression flashed with guilt, settling you against his chest, propping you up. 

“It won’t take long. Just focus on staying awake.” He estimated breathlessly,  squeezing you closer. His fingers trembled. Part of you wanted to ask what happened to him.

Why had he been rooted to the spot like that? But it was hard to form words beyond the waves of pain that wouldn’t stop.

It was difficult to focus on anything when your consciousness was slipping.

“I don’t know if I…if I can.” The breathless observation made Frederick’s , glancing at the fabric drenched in your life essence. “Are we…can we do another…?”

“They have surely seen the flare by now, surely– we can only wait. Forgive me, my love– please hold on. You must stay awake–”

You knew he was right, certainly, but darkness was starting to creep around your field of vision.

The weight of your head fell against his chest, feeling how rapidly his heart was beating. The adrenaline was pumping full force for him, but yours had faded swiftly. 

Frederick shifted between berating himself, swearing into the skies and trying to keep your attention, tapping on your cheek and shaking you gingerly, desperate to maintain your consciousness.

The minutes blurred together; it was getting impossible to keep your focus on him. His expression had shifted from confusion to pure fear; you could see he was calling you.

It almost seemed like he was shouting at you, but it was so far away.

In your final moments awake, a flash of feathers crossed your vision. There was a gust of wind, and frantic voices muffled in your ears.

Drifting into a dreamless sleep, you wondered to yourself if you might wake up again.

Frederick’s tightening grip slipped away, the last of your senses dulled in darkness.

—----------------------

The camp had blown into an all out fury of chaos and confusion when that flare went up. Donnel was the one who raised the alarm when questions were asked.

Everyone in camp was accounted for. All except the tactician and the captain, who had left to hunt for the night’s meal.

For a flare to go up just as people were heading for the mess hall only served to worry the Shepherds more.

Sumia and Cordelia mounted their steeds the instant Donnel said you were both gone. Maribelle rode with the knights, stave at the ready; if something happened to two of the strongest members of the army, it had to be serious.

What they found was the pair, three miles from camp and at the bottom of a steep ledge. The captain was frantically trying to keep his wife conscious, searching the skies for help just as it came.

They were able to piece things together quickly, between the wolf carcass nearby and the blood soaked rags in Frederick’s hands.

Maribelle was able to administer emergency first aid without delay– but the blood loss meant you would be unconscious for a while. All there was left to do was waiting.

Lissa was the first to reach them when the pegasus riders returned, the knight clutching your limp body to his chest, clothes bloodied and covered in grime.

She was white as a ghost, ushering them towards the medical tent while the Shepherds fell into an uproar.

The tactician had been gravely injured, and their lieutenant looked as though he barely survived a battle. Confusion and panic filled the camp.

To your husband, however…it was all white noise; the trauma of what he just experienced was making it impossible to focus on anything. The sound of your breath, slow and labored…shallow..it was all he could do to keep put one foot in front of the other.

Everything was fine. Everything was fine– how could he let this happen?

—----------------------

It was not a peaceful haze that you woke to, but rather a very muggy, and hazy gray. Mist was rising quietly from the grass, and blurred wisps of sunlight filtered in through the tent flaps.

Tent.

You weren’t in the woods. 

…How did you get out of the woods?

You blinked a few times, and the blurry light slowly focused into thin, sharp rays. It was well past dawn, but there was no telling what time it really was. 

It was surprising to think that wasn’t the last thing you’d ever see or feel. 

“I am glad to see you have finally returned to the waking world.” A familiar, calming voice sounded from the bedside. Long blonde hair fell into your periphery, and Libra’s patient smile came into focus. “How do you feel?”

“Um…hurts.”

“Let me fetch the salve…” When he returned to your side after slipping away, When he returned, he was much more in-focus, and was carrying some promising-looking gel.

Practiced hands slipped the bandages away from your wound, pressing the cool substance to your raw skin. 

“It was a hard fought battle to keep you with us, you know. The bite had gotten infected during the healing process; which is a common risk when dealing with such a massive wound.”

“Ah…”

“Yes, that and your nerves being frayed from the initial attack are likely what’s contributing to your lingering pain.” He sounded nonchalant, but there was a tiredness in his eyes. Perhaps it was a closer call than he wanted to admit.

You shifted slightly to give him access to your bandages.

“Shall I send for your husband once we’ve taken care of your wound?” Libra asked coolly, “He has been beside himself since the event. I think it would be a great comfort to see you awake and sound.”

“If you could…please.”

It did not take much longer to replace your bandages, cleaning the wound that was healed, but undoubtedly would leave a rather garish scar.

You were careful to drape your coat over your shoulders more tightly; Frederick would be devastated to see such a thing.

Scars earned during war was one thing…scars that he would undoubtedly perceive as his fault, well…that would be devastating.

The soft footfalls of the gentle monk faded quickly; but were replaced by far more driven, much heavier steps about ten minutes later.

‘You must have been waiting anxiously for word I was well, silly bear.’ You thought to yourself, sitting back against the thin pillow waiting for the tent to open.

After a few moments, the entrance tentatively slipped open. And Frederick walked in, pensive and uncertain.

A beat passed when he looked to your cot, and found you with open eyes and a cautious smile. His skin was pale, almost gray. Deep lines were driven into his forehead. Without his armor, he looked almost frail; far more alarming than having a bite taken out of you, in your opinion.

But to Frederick, it was clear that the state of you was far, far worse. Silently, he stepped fully into the space, closing the distance between you within seconds.

“Robin…” Your name was a whisper, stopping beside you and standing awkwardly, as though unsure of what to do. 

You cleared your throat, working to find your voice; it was clear he needed to Your uninjured arm rose to take hold of his hand, squeezing it tightly. “Good morning, my love.”

His breath hitched. He squeezed your hand back. 

“I…I-” Frederick swallowed, his grip tightened. “I’m so sorry.”

You shook your head, gently pulling his hand to draw him onto the thin mattress with you. He sat rigidly beside you, unable to take his eyes from yours, as though incapable of looking anywhere else. Afraid to.

His hand was drawn into your lap, stroking his knuckles gently. “Please…don’t apologize, Frederick.”

Your husband’s face fell; as though the grim expression he wore seconds earlier was his attempt at maintaining some sort of facade. As though he were fighting to hide the fear that now stood clear in his frame.

“Did…did something happen?” You asked him gently, but with each question, he seemed to curl into himself further. “I’m all right. The wound’s treated, it’ll heal soon, so…don’t blame yourself.”

He shook his head, his brow furrowing deeper.

“No, Robin, it was my fault.” His tone was insistent, you waited for him to explain. His hand had begun to tremble in yours. “There…there was no trap. I froze.”

You tilted your head; that wasn’t the response you expected. Frederick took a deep breath, his gaze falling to the ground as though ashamed.

“When I was a boy,” He began slowly, his voice much smaller. “There was an…incident. It was in these very woods. My mother tasked me with gathering wild berries. I had done it hundreds of times before. Then…well…there was one day, where I had wandered too far into the forest.”

His hand all but clenched around yours. Watching him relive the nightmare in real time had a pit twist in your stomach. He shook his head, forcing himself to finish.

“I hadn’t even heard the beast. One moment, everything was calm, but the next-” He swallowed, his mind a thousand miles away. “I was on the ground, teeth sunk into my back.”

“Oh, Frederick.” Your stomach plummeted; the very thought of an innocent young Frederick being hunted by such a beast was horrifying.

He only shook his head, determined to choke through the rest of his tale. 

“I remember…very little after that. There was a lot of screaming. The wolf was desperate, just like that one…it wouldn’t let go for anything. I was covered in bite marks and scratches…blood everywhere. My mother tried to pull it away from me and got hurt as well, but…my father was the one who stopped it. He happened to be on his way home when he heard all the noise, and was able to kill it before it killed both of us.”

“My love, I’m so sorry.” You whispered, squeezing his hand. “I can’t imagine how painful that was to go through.”

He nodded, looking down once more. “It left many deep scars…physical and mental.”

“Why didn’t you tell me before? If I knew, I wouldn’t have suggested going out there.”

“I did not wish for you to ever discover such a weakness.” Frederick admitted, his other hand clenched tightly. “I had foolishly hoped it would never resurface. But it was only a matter of time before you learned that I was a broken man.”

“...You are not broken.” It was a quiet truth, but Frederick did not seem convinced.

“Robin, you were hurt because I froze. I couldn’t defend myself, and you were hurt because of my shortcomings.” 

“My love…trauma is not a shortcoming.” You insisted as firmly as you could, releasing his hand to cup his cheek, turning his eyes back to yours. “I am sorry that you lived through such a terrible thing. And I am so glad you felt safe enough to tell me.”

“I..only felt that I owed you an explanation as to why you were on death’s door.” He admitted quietly, “That you would marry someone so inadequate…I pray you will forgive me for being so selfish.”

“You are the most selfless man I know. And I would never look down on you for something like this. What matters is that we are still in this together.”

His expression wavered just slightly, as though he had trouble believing you. Was it truly so simple? You could forgive him for such a gruesome injury? Surely not…

“Once I have healed, we will carry on as always. And perhaps if you feel ready enough, I am sure there are counselors in Ylisstol that would be glad to help you work through this trauma. If only because I may not be there to protect you again if you happen to run into another crazed beast.”

“I pray you never have to put yourself in such a position again.” He grimaced, his gaze falling on the bandages peeking from beneath your coat.

Gingerly he pulled the fabric away, letting it fall from your shoulder to reveal the linens. It was wrapped tightly, covering your chest, and the visible skin surrounding the wound was a deep, angry red. It would be a while yet before you healed, and it was without a doubt going to leave a scar.

It was as you predicted; the way his face fell told you everything you needed to know about his thoughts. He was devastated.

“I am all right, my love.” You whispered,stroking his cheek tenderly. “I am alive and well; that is all that matters.”

Frederick’s expression remained set, as though convinced you couldn’t be more wrong. Nothing about it was “all right”. But when you gazed up at him with such adoring eyes…to be staring in the face of unconditional love, he found it difficult to disagree.

“Good wife…I will never understand what I did to deserve you.” He sighed shakily, taking hold of your hand and kissing your fingertips in deep reverence. His other arm wrapped around you, gingerly, drawing you into his chest for a much needed embrace.

You sighed into him, relishing the warmth of your husband, alive and strong, as he buried his face in your hair. His breaths were deep, taking in every bit of you. 

“Simply being you is all I have ever needed…with all the highs and the lows. I will always be by your side, just as I know you will be with me.” 

“Always.” He swore, pulling away just so, and pressing his lips to yours in a deep, tender kiss.

It would be a few more days of back and forth healing treatments before you were finally cleared, the muscles mended and infection staved off.

Frederick would consult with Chrom about seeking the needed treatment for his traumatic past, and would enlist the help of Panne in the meantime to curb his fear of large beasts until he could process everything as he needed.

The scar was quite large, and did not fully fade away. But it became a point of pride for you; proof that you would remain true to your vow, protecting and loving your dearest Freddybear no matter what came.

And naturally Frederick would find himself decorated in a similar way as time passed; these scars becoming a point of great pride and affection for both of you.

[sotiredmostnights]

i really feel like people underestimate the importance of the valm arc in awakening. to me, this arc is essential in chrom's character development as a new ruler trying to determine his place and ylisse's place in the world.

throughout the valm arc, chrom strengthens ylisse's alliance with regna ferox and begins a new alliance with the people of valm who oppose walhart. in addition to this, he also grows on a personal level: he further acknowledges the ways in which his own forms of justice differ from emmeryn's AND walhart's, and as he establishes his own justice, he uses his newfound conviction to liberate those under walhart's oppressive rule.

and then we have the subplot with say'ri and yen'fay. this was a nice little diversion on the surface, but what fascinates me about it is the parallels between chrom and say'ri. they both want to do what's best for their country, even if it means going against the ideals of their sibling (say'ri fights yen'fay head-on, and chrom rejects emmeryn's pacifist approach to the plegian conflict).

needless to say, the self-sacrifice of both emmeryn and yen'fay to ensure the safety of their respective siblings is another key element to the valm arc. here we have chrom, whose sister leapt to her own demise in order to spare him the painful choice of saving his sister or saving his country. on the flip side, we have yen'fay who chooses a more direct approach to saving his kin: he allies himself with walhart in the hopes that say'ri will be spared death at the hands of the conquerer.

this isn't even broaching the struggles lucina faces during this arc. basilio's presumed death really serves as a reminder to her that changing the course of fate is a daunting task, and her failure to convince basilio to stay clear of walhart solidifies the weight of the challenge that stands before her.

tldr the valm arc is incredibly underrated and it's a bit disappointing people often ignore it in favor of the other pieces of awakening's story

[vanguarddawn]

There's something I've been thinking about tonight that I really don't quite know how to explain, but I'm going to try it anyways.

It all regards a question I've received several times over the years: Why is Walhart one of my favorite Awakening characters, when Edelgard is my least favorite Fire Emblem character? Aren't their goals essentially the same?

This is a question I mostly receive from Edelgard fans who usually don't want to listen to what I actually have to say about either character, and just want to try and put the legitimacy of my biases under scrutiny, usually with accusations of misogyny being thrown in for good measure. And I've never really had an answer for them, not because I didn't want to get involved in that discussion, but because I had always judged Walhart and Edelgard based on gut feeling rather than deeper analysis.

Honestly, the more I look into them both in comparison to one another, the more vast that rift becomes. I'm not necessarily starting to like Walhart even more, but I'm definitely learning to like Edelgard even less, something I'd thought was impossible. I do not have the time or patience to write out a full Edelgard analysis, and honestly I don't want to do that either. So I'll talk about what connects them and what differentiates them.

Walhart and Edelgard are, on the surface, somewhat similar characters. They are both the leader of their nation, and seek to unify the rest of the continent through force, and ultimately intend to forge a world where man can only rely on their own strength rather than that of the gods. Both are armored axe wielders primarily associated with the color red, and both bear inhuman levels of physical strength. Both can potentially end up being defeated by the kindhearted king of the nation they invaded who seeks to strengthen the existing world through structural reform rather than wiping the slate clean, and cherish the power of bonds over the strength of the individual.

So why do I love Walhart but hate Edelgard again? Simple.

Walhart is absolutely fucking delusional. Dude is straight up off his rocker, and the game is actually willing to acknowledge this rather than trying to defend it. He truly believes in his whole "unity through conquest" bullshit, and is only willing to let go of it when he's defeated by Chrom. And you know what he does, instead of Edelgard's "if only i had your strength we could have made the world a better place together" stuff?

Walhart concedes. He basically just tells Chrom and Robin "alright, you guys won, you clearly know what's best for the world. I was wrong, might does not make right, and from now on I'm gonna do things your way." Of course he says it in his own distinctly Walhart way, but the message is still the same. While he doesn't come to accept the real message that Chrom and Robin were trying to send, one of bonds and togetherness, he does realize that his way of going about securing and maintaining peace was wrong. I understand that Edelgard also concedes somewhat in VW/SS, but in AM she tries to murder her salvation after being given one last chance to redeem herself, and in CF she successfully conquers Fódlan so there's no redemption to be done.

It also helps that the god Walhart was trying to stop to begin with was objectively evil and not just a traumatized archbishop. Yes, Rhea does some incredibly fucked up things, but comparing her to Grima, who literally destroys the entire world just for funsies, can't really be done in good faith. Rhea is more compelling as an antagonist because she actually has nuance - nuance that Grima mostly lacks.

I also want to address some localization weirdness regarding both characters. In Awakening's English localization Walhart's goal of crushing the Grimleal is only made clear after the player has already defeated him and is headed to stop the ongoing resurrection of Grima. The English localization of Three Houses, on the other hand, may as well be Edelgard apologist fanfiction with how much it rewrites her character to make her look completely justified in starting her war, including actively writing mentions of civilian conscription and execution, as well as foreign military operations out of the English script, and adding a line to her endings stating that she gives up power once her dream of a Crest-less Fódlan has been realized. She is a completely different character between scripts.

I also like how Walhart is written entirely seriously about even the most mundane of things in his barracks and DLC conversations. If you thought he was crazy about military, wait until you hear his opinion on vegetarianism (he is one and he intends to make it your problem).

Basically, I like Walhart because he isn't meant to be endearing. Awakening makes no effort to redeem him or justify his actions, because they are ultimately unjustifiable. Edelgard did essentially the same thing he did and required a whole game rewrite to justify allowing the player to side with her at all.

[fireemblemawakeningfansupports]

Lucina and Lissa: A Support

Music:

Lissa: Alright, Lucina! Today's the day! No training, no interruptions, we're just going to get to know each other better! No questions off limits!

Lucina: Hmmhmm, I relish the opportunity, Lissa. I'm an open book.

Lissa: Hmmm, so you've travelled across time and space to slay the Fell Dragon, avenge our deaths, bring peace to the realm, yadda yadda, right?

Lucina: I...well yes, it's my purpose. Father always said that being royalty means we have to do MORE, not less. What's the point of this training, this royal blood, if I can't save what's dear to me?

Lissa:....

Lucina: Is that...an odd sentiment?

Lissa: No, no, it's just. You're saying a lot of "I" and not a lot of "we" you know?

Lucina: I don't follow.

Lissa: It's like I said earlier, you won't LEAN on other people! Yes, you have royal blood, but most of your friends don't! Are they fighting with anything less than all they have? Does it mean less because they're commoners?

Lucina: No, of course not!

Lissa: You'll trust them to save the world but not listen when you're sad after battle? I know you want to bring hope to the people but you're one of the people too!

Lucina: I appreciate what you're saying, but a leader must be stalwart and inspiring to the people. A pillar that never wavers, like Father.

Lissa:....hahaha! HAHAHAHA! *snort*

Lucina: Lissa!

Lissa: Lucina, I've seen Chrom almost kill everyone in this camp with his cooking, trip and fall into the latrine, and break a hole in the wall of the women's bath. He's human! And that's okay! So what if he's not perfect, a royal doesn't need to be perfect! We all still follow him, flaws and all because someone who can pick themselves up and still inspire people after all of THAT? That's a real hero.

Lucina: So what, you'd have me deface myself on purpose so people endear to me? Be a laughingstock in the hopes that it unifies my men under my banner?

Lissa: Hey! Don't take that tone with your aunt!

Lucina: I...I apologize, I-

Lissa: Pffft, relax, I'm just kidding! No, I'm saying you should stop talking yourself so seriously! Just be yourself and the rest will follow.

Lucina: Myself IS serious.

Lissa: Is it? Or is that what you've had to be to survive?

Lucina: ...I. I don't know. I'll have to think on that.

Lissa: Take your time, it'll be okay! See, aren't you glad to have this difficult talks with your au-

Lucina: Speaking of how we view our fathers...

Lissa: Right for the throat huh?

Lucina: I don't mean to be curt, but he died when you were so young, I can't imagine you have many memories at all, let alone pleasant ones. I just don't understand how he could evoke such strong feelings in you.

Lissa: ...I'm sorry.

Lucina: It's alright, Lissa, I am not here to condemn you, neither for your rationale nor your tears.

Lissa: It's just that, Emmeryn was so sweet and kind. Chrom is so dedicated and selfless. My father managed to sire such brave and kind children when he was such a jerk and a bad person! Who's to say I won't turn out like him? A royal who abuses power to hurt others?

Lucina: Who's to say? You.

Lissa: Huh?

Lucina: Lissa, you're kind and selfless and brave. Chrom and I admire so much about you. But if you don't want to be the kind of royal whose corruption damns their people to hardship and pain, then don't be. It really is that simple. Fight for good, as those before you did. And, as I've seen, those who have been inspired by you in the future.

Lissa: But, what if I'm never like you, or Chrom, or Emm?

Lucina: Then be like you. And if you find that lacking, be a better you. Robin always said, "where there's life, there's will. And where there's will-"

Lissa: *sniff* "There is the power to change." It's a good quote, heh.

Lucina: Want to hear a better one? "Be yourself and the rest will follow." My wise and beautiful aunt told me that one.

Lissa: Heheh, you forgot "humble". Now bring it in, I need a hug after that.

Lucina: Of course, Lissa.

[iamovertired]

I figured out the reason none of my fics got into the tags during Chrobinweek was a setting-- a setting!-- just in time to post this on the last day of 2024. I can finally make a compilation post of all my Chrobinweek fics, they can finally be in the tags! If you check them out, I hope you enjoy. :)

Believe In the Me Who Believes In You!

Day 1: "Invisible Threads"

Chrom and Robin have been working on their matching anime cosplays for months. But on the morning of the convention, Robin suddenly gets cold feet.

Chrom never realized Robin’s self-esteem was so low.

He also never realized Robin was so attractive...

In Every Life

Day 2: "Vessels of Fate / Child Alts"

Robin is big enough to go exploring his new neighborhood all by himself! Except... he kind of totally got lost. And kind of totally cried himself to sleep under this tree...

“Y’know, the ground is a pretty silly place to take a nap,” giggles the boy who woke him.

Or; a certain soul will always find Robin's.

Love Language

Day 3: "Language"

Chrom has been secretly learning Plegian for when the day comes. The day he’s finally going to propose to Robin.

That day is today.

He can do this...

Mine

Day 4: "Possession"

Chrom and Robin finally act on their feelings and get together!

Except, Robin isn’t exactly... home right now.

In which Chrom’s first time with Robin isn’t actually with Robin.

The Sun and the Moon

Day 5: "Morning Person / Night Owl"

Chrom always wakes just before dawn. The early morning is his favorite time of day, and savoring it leaves him feeling fresh and energized.

Robin is also awake before dawn. Except, he hasn’t done the sleeping part yet...

In which Robin has to be literally manhandled into bed in order to be forced to get some sleep.

White Lies

Day 6: "Sacrifice"

Robin has to lie. He has to. It’s the only way to get Chrom to keep moving forward. To get him to go through with this.

Even though he knows Chrom sees straight through him.

A conversation the morning of what will be Robin’s last day on this earth, whether Chrom is ready to accept it or not.

Echo

Day 7: "Return"

Robin.

Chrom can hardly believe it—the day he’s dreamed of for so long is here. His husband, the father of his children, the love of his life, has come back to him. Real, solid, alive. Back.

Except...

Shoutout to the Chrobinweek mods who not only run this event, but were very good sports when I had to come back to them every day as the Bernie Sanders meme once again asking them to reblog my latest entry directly from my blog since nothing was getting into the tags lol.

And of course, shoutout the person who made these fics possible: @respectable-username! She was my cheerleader through this whole project and gave me the motivation and validation I needed to see it through, and I wouldn't have finished a single one without her!

[sorenversh]

Engage's story is kinda neat

I made this account some time ago, and I thought to myself... Why not post something? Since I feel controversial, I feel like I should say that Fire Emblem Engage's story is vastly underrated. It's definitely much better than what the fandom portrays it like. Now, don't get me wrong, I don't think Engage's story is the best in the entire series. Sacred Stones, for example, is a story that I enjoy much more. With all that being said, let's begin. Spoilers ahead, of course.

Engage's story is a pretty simple one at surface level. Protagonist must defeat bad guy. Another story following the Hero's Journey structure. However, saying that THAT'S all that Engage has going for is plainly wrong. Many stories, most that have a villain actually, could be summarized in that same way. And because of that, people ignore that we need to go deeper on the story, not just stay in such a surface level take.

Let's take a look at Alear as a protagonist. When I first played the game I didn't expect to like them as much, but here I am. Alear is a take on a lord that we haven't seen before. They start as a coward that is terrified of the corrupted, who really lacks any kind of leadership skills. Most lords we've seen either are kinda strong since the beginning or have some sort of special skill (Chrom is strong and has the falchion, Micaiah has her future seeing powers), and if they don't, they compensate it by having great intelligence and courage (Eliwood discovers a whole assassin group being related to his father and he still wants to find him)

When we look at Alear... We see nothing of that. At the beginning. They pretty much kinda depend on Emblem Marth. After Lumera's death, and specially after the 6 first emblems are taken away, some growth is seen in them. Sure, they still may get scared, but they show more determination than ever. Far more courage than when the game started.

When Veyle is revealed to be their younger sister, and knowing that Eveyle (Evil Veyle, basically) is literally taking control of her, shows just how much determination they have. From the scary wet cat that wants to run away just because of a few corrupted, to dying to protect their little sister. Literally. Alear dies just so they can ensure Veyle survives.

And because of that determination and inner strength, they decide to let Veyle revive them as a corrupted. The same thing that scares them to death. And all of that so they can make sure that their friends are alright and to make sure someone can defeat Sombron. And with such display of inner strength, the 12 emblems get to transform Alear into an emblem. Alear finishes the game with all the skills that they lacked in the very beginning.

The only thing that is not properly explained is the memory loss and the irrational fear of corrupted. Or... Is it? Keeping in mind the dialogue that Past Alear has on chapter 24, we know that some Alear siblings died BECAUSE of the corrupted. Even while being under the orders of Sombron, they despised them. Alear has PTSD because of the corrupted, and yes PTSD CAN result on memory loss while still retaining that fear of them, making Alear an extremely human character.

And while being probably some of the most realistic and human characters that all of Fire Emblem has, they still get ignored because "haha Colgate Chan goes brrr".

After talking about the main protagonist, I want to talk about the story. I can't remember the amount of times that I've seen people call this story bad. It's understandable if you don't like it, but calling it *objectively* bad is totally different.

In reality, Engage's story is simple. Not bad, but simple. A story can be complex but be bad (Callout to Sonic '06 for being both unnecesarily complicated but being reaaaally messy). It doesn't have a huge political drama. It doesn't a generational tale. It's a simple hero's journey. But that does not make it bad, does it?

Let's think it from another perspective. Don't just think about what happens. Think HOW it happens. Who do you meet on your journey? What tragedies did you stop and which ones you couldn't? What makes you want to keep going? If you think about that kind of thing when you think of a story, you'll like it much more.

And maybe I should add that having some cringe moments doesn't make the story bad. Yeah, Clanne and Framme being fangirling over Alear waking up is cringe. But you know what? They literally have an Alear fanclub. They are teenagers. THEY ARE CRINGE. They just saw the one they fangirl for wake up after a 1000 year long nap, of course they'd react like that!

As a reader, do you genuinely believe that every character should be calm and collected and reacting to anything the way you personally would? Or would you rather let the character's personality express the way they'd react instead, even if you wouldn't do the same?

Another thing that is more than talked about is the so called Avatar worship. But I've seen people say that there would be insane amounts of Avatar worship before the game even came out, so I'm sure that people just tagged it and refuse to actually understand anything at all.

Alear is a divine dragon. A god. But in reality their a really normal person. Out of all the characters that worship them in any kind of way, Alear THEMSELVES tells them that there really is no need to. Yes, this so called Avatar worship is an important thing because Alear explicitly dislikes it. I could also talk about how the games without an avatar also have lots of protagonist worship, but that's a story for another day.

Now, let's take a look at Lumera. Engage's "mom that dies early". Keeping in mind that she dies on chapter two, you'd never expect for her to be actually that important. Before you say anything... Yes. The death cutscene is too long. I agree with that.

Lumera is Alear's adoptive mother. We don't know much about their actual mother though. They met 1000 years ago, in the middle of the war against Sombron. Alear is a broken person in the past. The first one that ever showed them some kind of love or compassion is Lumera herself. Maybe at first she didn't plan to adopt Alear, but she turned into the maternal figure that they really needed.

Even if Lumera is the divine dragon, the one that finishes off Sombron in the past is Alear. All of that so they can finally be happy with Lumera... Not knowing that Sombron would make sure that they couldn't make that dream come true.

Once Alear wakes up, Lumera makes sure to try to make them happy. Treat them like their child. Only wanting happiness from them. But again, just a few days after their first encounter, Lumera sadly dies, her dream of being with her child stripped away from her again. And Alear, even though they don't remember her, still cries, for what she means to them is enough to pass through their PTSD caused memory loss subconsciously.

Lumera dying this early has a lot of meaning. First of all, she's the main reason of why Alear begins their adventure... Even if her death means that Alear must do it even if their clearly not ready for it. Second of all, she haunts the narrative. The queen of Firene and Solm, past Alear, all of them have Lumera involved in some sort of way, and the way she's present in our army is through the Libération, the weapon that belonged to her, and once Alear transforms into an emblem, through Alear's birthday gift that she gifted to her.

And once she returns, corrupted by Sombron, we don't see the madness that the corrupted usually have. We see the madness of Lumera herself, who has been stripped from everyone she loves time and time again. At first because she had to see them all die. And back in chapter 3, because she died herself. For a character with minimal screentime, she surely can be really tragic.

Not everything is tragic though. Her last moments have her regaining her sanity before leaving the world for good. Now she sees what Alear has become. Stonger. Brave. Determined. And what she wanted the most. She sees her child finally growing up to become a more than fine adult.

Now, one important thing. If you want to criticise the story... At least make sure you experience all of it. I've seen way more people saying that they started to skip the cutscenes to then claim it is bad than more people saying that they experienced it all and that is bad. If you refuse to engage with the story, do you really expect to like it? Give everything a chance, it's that simple.

[eriisaam]

Meet Jase "Sparrow" Yoshino: The Futuristic Summoner

World of origin: World of Digimon (World of Steel adjacent to the Digital World)

Supports: Ephrel, Chrom, Robin (male), Lyon

Before her, there was another summoner. Before they were a summoner, they were a digimon tamer first. In their life prior to being isekai'd into Zenith and becoming a summoner, they had an account with which it was attached to ownership of a designated space in the vast servers of the Digital World, with which to hand-rear and train up digimon of all sorts, so they can grow, evolve, and be capable enough to set out on their own, should the tamer choose to let them chart their own course to what the rest of the server had to offer them. Alternatively, digimon may opt instead to remain around the farm with which they grew most of their strength from, returning the favor through the service in their powers, the protection from their strength, or for some, establishing a bond as a proper partner to the tamer outright.

But with that summoner lay a whole other story, one that came prematurely to a violent and grief-charged end, and a story to unfold far and well later into Sparrow's own tenure as a summoner of her own, but from the start, she was only given the faint and scattered pieces of a messy and guilt-ridden whole to catch up to.

When that summoner died, their estate as a digimon tamer remained abandoned and unattended in their absence, tied to an account under the handle name of 'Sparrow', but with little else whom the digimon of that estate could do, other than wait and wonder of where their tamer went.

Through a glitch in the cached data, a turn of the wheel of fate, or simply pure dumb luck, that estate found a new owner, and a new tamer, who chose to resume where the previous tamer left off, as opposed to delete everything and start anew, as they would've originally been entitled to.

Prior to becoming a summoner, or even a tamer, Jase was a middle daughter among three. Always too young to stand out or be trusted with anything like her older and clearly-more-capable sister in Tess, and in the same breath too old to be immature or set a bad example to her younger sister in Elaine. No matter which direction, she failed to live up to expectations from the start, and so held little regret or thought to stray away from her family at the first opportunity, though charged on ahead with proverbially clipped wings and no support whatsoever. Her attempts to carve her own path were as middling as her life up to that point: Enough to get by, but slips and falls short of a breakthrough she could practically feel slip away as she slides back on her way down. All from a person too meek, too unassuming, too boring, and too easily overshadowed in the ongoings of a busy and demanding world.

The point where she felt otherwise for the first time was with a program she initially took as just a simple mobile game, and whom the AI assistant attached to it had immediately set her up to dip knee deep into a new hobby: digimon taming. Perhaps a bit too immediate, as it became readily apparent that the AI assistant, Hina, had offered her, not a blank slate and digi-farm of her own, but that of the quiet and dormant remains of what was left behind, to the previous handle of 'Sparrow'.

Initially, she felt guilty taking over for what was clearly someone else's hard work and save file of sorts. She reasoned she could use it as a springboard to get used to learning the basics, and perhaps later on she can make a proper attempt of her own afterwards in this 'game'. But, the digimon present clearly cared a lot about their tamer - not just their previous one, but their new one they recognized in Jase's care after - and in a game of establishing bonds, and being treated with monsters willing to open up and return it with their own bonds in kind, it was hard not to get easily attached to what was already here, enough so that she eased into, and eventually adopted the moniker of 'Sparrow' outright, like a widespread nickname of sorts.

She cared for the digimon to the best of her ability, even through the ups and downs, even through the triumphs and tragedies, and even in the face of a rogue pair of dragonic digimon whose very basis of their species threatened the stability of the server whom the house of Sparrow remained on, until the combined force of both Sparrow and Hina overcame the threat of a total server wipe, but regrettably at the cost of Hina herself, a cost Sparrow only realized the full weight of only well after Hina committed to her choice to see her plan through, and only admitted post-humorously in an email she postmarked ahead of time, well after she knew she would die.

Hina's death had marked a turning point that snowballed Sparrow's life in directions far more rippling than either of them would anticipate. Prior to being 'Hina' as she was, she was the remnant of data left over from a previously-deceased digimon: Of all beings, one of the three partners of the fallen summoner who originally owned the estate, and the only one of the three to have been killed.

The second death of this digimon - however far-removed she may have been from one as 'Hina' then - became a signal to the remaining two partners that became a beacon of sorts toward finding Sparrow. Through that beacon, they found the estate left behind suddenly bustling with life once more, helped under a new tamer, and co-managed alongside Sparrow's own true partner, a renamon named Lerena, who quickly found audience with an angewomon and ladydevimon, Angelique and Devinia (or simply Angie and Devi respectively).

And through the previous two partners of the technical previous 'Sparrow', they inadvertently also led the primary cause of what killed their previous tamer and summoner directly to Sparrow with them, and only realized such too late.

The previous summoner, Ephrel, was a road paved in death, reincarnation, and a very messy tale that started with them being a summoner, continued with them being a tactician in Ylisse, and ended in a death of the body and a second death of the soul. In between that lay a long body count of regret and despair, as the World of Awakening with which Ephrel was derailed at was infested with a threat it shouldn't have, were ill-prepared for, and ultimately collapsed under the weight of: The ancient enemy of the ancestors of the original digimon, the kenzoku.

They were creatures whom the digimon - back when they were originally a race of youkai known as the kemonogami, had fought countless wars against through various points in history that became the latest 'spark' between what awoken these ancient horrors this time, versus the digimon of that era having to come together once more to match up against them.

Somehow, through context neither Ephrel, nor Sparrow, nor even Chrom would learn the full extent of until well into Book V, the kenzoku had returned, were funneled into an iteration of the World of Awakening, and not only led to a long and brutal end that killed Chrom's world, but nearly still tried to kill Chrom himself even after, chasing him through the end of his world, his escape into the digital world, and now immediately realized of the estate Ephrel left behind as 'Sparrow I' and set sights on their successor next.

Before realizing they led the kenzoku straight at her, they attacked swiftly and fiercely, and nearly killed Sparrow on the spot. The only reason they didn't instantly kill her - as close as they came - was to use her to exploit Chrom's humanity and empathy. When they couldn't flush out Chrom directly, nor entirely stomp info out of Angie, Devi, or even Lerena likewise, they instead lured him out with a nearly-dead girl - one who eerily held a fairly close resemblance to the tactician he loved and held so dear prior to their death - and baited him out to try to finish him off.

They succeeded in luring Chrom out of the Digital World he was cast in by Freyja, and lured him further into Sparrow's actual ruined home in her World of Steel, through a corridor of blood and shattered belongings and clear evidence of the fight Sparrow tried to put up, feeble as she was.

What they didn't anticipate, however, was not just Chrom's tenacity, but how he post-humorously inherited the title of summoner from his late spouse, and in the brutal battle to try to fight for Sparrow's life - a fight she couldn't retain her consciousness long enough to remember - Chrom barely fought for their lives alongside his late partner's digimon, through grew desperate and grief-stricken at the realization he might have to watch another person - one who so painfully reminded him of his spouse - die in his arms despite his efforts so soon after the sacrifice of his original spouse.

His grief, and the events to follow had led him and Sparrow to be pulled into Zenith - the same Zenith that Ephrel originally served as summoner prior to their first death. With how Sparrow came so close to nearly actually dying, Breidablik, in a surprise show of panic, also immediately summoned another summoner and another iteration of Breidablik in anticipating her own replacement: Xiliang. Despite everything, Sparrow was immediately rescued upon not just the chaos that ensued of the way Breidablik behaved so erratically following the death of one summoner, the almost-death of another, and the sudden pulling of a third and fourth (the one after Xiliang being his sister, Suming), but the realization this Zenith weirdly attached itself to a different Zenith, and with it, a different set of summoners who immediately jumped at the task to save Sparrow's life.

What nearly killed her became a turning point that pioneered a lot of her eventual service to Askr as summoner, as unusual a connection as she had to not just Ephrel, but Xiliang and Suming likewise. As nervous and skittish as she was, when she wasn't at the literal brink of death, she was surprisingly eager and full of moxie. A pure go-getter who jumped at the chance of free magic healthcare an opportunity to learn healing magic that soon became the grassroots to her eventual approach to magic in general. Suddenly, the digimon she originally grew attached to, even as NPCs, were not just pixelated characters, but tangible creatures who actually could directly approach and react to her, chief among them her renamon whom heavily took her role seriously upon filling the void of a 'big sister' in the harsh absence of Sparrow's actual sisters. She might not be built like a tank like Erin, or have much in the way of intimidation like her supports or friends both in general, but what started as a long and self-reflective journey of hers of trying to fill in the void Ephrel left behind had suddenly steered in a new direction of finding herself instead, especially once Ephrel came back and dissuaded the idea of Sparrow being simply their replacement.

At last, she found direction and purpose with her life, as chaotic as the path she eventually took went, following her absolute swan-dive into the world of kitsune magic under Lerena's guidance.

[grimafuture]

Welcome to Grimafuture! I doubt any of you are coming here from @grimatactics-archived, but if you are, hey, how're ya doing~?

The default setting for this blog is just after the opening chapter 'Invisible Ties', in a different timeline/universe where Grima did take over Robin and killed Chrom.

This blog features both male and female Grimas, and while both have the same sort of basic goal, there are some differences, so let's go over them, shall we?

I'll put the bios after the read more, so you don't have to scroll through the whole thing if you've seen them before.

Oh, just as a note, while it might not come up, I'm not counting Grima's origins from Shadows of Valentia, mainly because I haven't played them. His origins aren't exactly too important though so~

I'm also not including any rules at the moment because I'm assuming you people know how to behave. This is a NSFW blog, so you're all meant to be adults.

Oh, and of course, there will also be information on Grima's corruptive powers/presence, and how he ends up in your universe.

M!Grima

Name: Grima Aliases: Tyrant of Ruin, Wings of Despair, Breath of Ruin Age (body): 22 Age (soul): 1000+ Species (body): Human with dragon blood Species (soul): Fell Dragon Height: 5'8" Weight: 160lbs Sexuality: Straight

Male Grima is basically the same as he was in my previous blog. Rather than deciding to destroy the world, he decided that there were things in the world worth keeping... specifically the women, and pleasure.

So Grima's goal is to bring all the women he desires under his control, whether willingly or by force, and most of the men are to be purged, leaving the only men him and those who are loyal to him.

Of course if a woman proves to be more trouble than they are worth, he can and will kill them, and he is particularly wary of Lucina. He would much rather separate her from her Falchion and bring her into his fold, but he is well aware that might not be possible.

He still possesses Robin's mind, if not Robin's personality or consciousness, so he is a tactical genius and considering he was an extremely able fighter even before he gained Grima's power, he is EXTREMELY dangerous.

When women are brought into his fold, he is willing to show them affection, love and care, but only when they are loyal and the main purpose of it is to keep their loyalty. He is, however, capable of love and care for his women.

The one thing he still retains from when he was Robin is some affection for Maribelle, who, by default, was Robin's wife (although this can be changed depending on who he is interacting with).

He does also have some fascination with Nowi, Nah and Panne, willing to help them increase the numbers of the Manakete and Taguel, as long as they bend the knee to him.

F!Grima

Name: Grima Aliases: Tyrant of Despair, Wings of Despair, Breath of Ruin Age (body): 21 Age (soul): 1000+ Species (body): Human with dragon blood Species (soul): Fell Dragon Height: 5'4" Weight: 130lbs Sexuality: Bisexual (Female lean)

Much the same as their male counterpart, they decided that destroying the world would not bring them what they wanted, and thus decided to bring the world under their control and get their pleasure from the inhabitants.

This Grima, however, being bisexual, is willing to take both men and women under their control, although they do still prefer women overall. Her goals are basically the same as the male Grima though.

While she ca of course not help Nowi or Nah increase the manakete population, she is willing to do so for Yarne, if the Taguel bend the knee to her. With the others, she is willing to pick suitable mates for them in return for their loyalty and servitude.

Corruption

Both Grimas possess a potent power of corruption. For those who are a bit more resistant to persuasion, they can employ their corruption to help to wear their victims down and make them more agreeable. They generally prefer to have them as they truly are, because their corruption wears down their personalities and will.

Basically, spending time close to Grima or around Grima, or in their castle, their corruption will start to seep into people and make them more and more submissive to them, willing to do as they say and what they want. If the target has divine blood, like Lucina, and even beings such as Naga, then they will have resistance to their corruption, but not immunity. It will simply take longer for their corruptive powers to affect them.

They can control who their corruption does and does not affect, though, and those who are loyal to them are usually granted their protection from it. Of course, if you end up betraying them... you might just end up getting an even more potent dose of their corruption, at the risk of completely erasing your individuality and will.

Also his cum and her juices contain a hefty dosing of their corruption if they choose. So if he forces his cum inside you, or you end up drinking her juices when she makes you eat her out, you may get a very big dose of their corruption.

Different worlds/universes

Last one, and luckily this is a pretty short one: How does Grima end up in different universes, even beyond Fire Emblem universes?

That’s actually easy to answer: the Outrealm Gate.

It allows access to different worlds and different timelines, and while in Fire Emblem Awakening and Fates, it is limited… It allows access to all universes and all timelines. And Grima plans to bring all of them under their lustful control, one by one~

[stormypip7]

guys theres more from yesterday morning too!

LISSA WEARS ARMOUR! as soon as she starts training with frederick, she drops the more dainty look and goes more with armour. she still wears a skirt, but it's a lot shorter and actually allows for movement! she also wears leggings under it, which she then strengthens by finding a pair of strong boots.

chrom ran away when he was about 12 or 13 ish, and he just. Disappeared without a trace. emm was worried sick, but the men she asked to look for him never found him, only parts of his clothes (which he had discarded)... when that old couple found wee chrom, they asked where his family was and if he was lost; to which he responded, through tears, that he didn't want to go home and that his family didn't seem to care about him, at all! the couple ask him if he's sure, and if he lives nearby - he stares up at them and nods his head, yes, he was sure... then he asks them where "we" are. the old lady was taken aback by him using "we" there, but responded by saying "your new home, if you'll stay with us..."

they took him to their house, where the three of them lived happily and contently since then. but on the day they brought him home, she tells him to check out his room and just explore their humble abode - and the old man, once chrom went off to look around, told her "don't you recognise this boy's hair colour? i think he's from ylis-"

"of course i do, dear, but the lad was clearly cast aside in one way or another... didn't you see how distraught he was? what did we hear about happening over there recently, again... some kind of accident?"

"so we're to pretend he's not from the haildom? that we don't know his origins?"

"yes, we are. but we will need to do something about his hair if we want to protect his identity. he'll remember, but nobody else will recognise him immediately that way."

young chrom was more than happy to let them make him look more like them, as even though they had only known him for a week at that point - he thought of them as his family. they also noticed the brand of the exalt when they checked him, making sure that he wasn't badly injured, and they audibly gasped. "w... what's wrong?"

"oh! it's nothing, dear! you're alright! no injuries that i can see!"

"huh, well, thanks! uh..."

"you can call us whatever you feel comfortable with! we don't mind."

"o-oh. okay. well, thanks again, m.. mum!"

[the-priestess-of-dawn]

So hey the Hero-King Marth that Ylisseans claim is from Altea which is in modern Northern Plegia (right under the Feroxi border wall). Given this, can you imagine the political strife and potential religious conflicts happening over this? Because Marth is 100% the ancestor of the Ylissean Royal Family, but historical Altea is Plegian ground. How hard would the Hierophant play with this if allowed?

I am delighted to be asked this because I think about this little detail all the time. Because Chrom and the Shepherds do go to the location corresponding to historical Altea. It's where Chrom defeats Gangrel and ends the war between Ylisse and Plegia. We know Chrom isn't exactly in high spirits ("We've won... Somehow I don't feel like celebrating.") and though the game itself never brings it up, I can't help but wonder how much the location itself contributes to everything weighing on him.

This location is also listed as "Border Wastes." It's a wasteland, and Marth's Altea definitely was not. Again, the game itself doesn't say a word about it, but... Is it not easy to imagine how it might have got that way? Somehow I doubt the exalted line, proudly descended from the Hero King, WANTED to give Altea to Plegia or was ever satisfied with Plegia ruling it. Awakening thematically grapples with cycles of violence, and though this geographical detail is so minor and is never directly addressed in the text, the environmental storytelling seems to me to speak volumes. I think Plegia and Ylisse have been mad about this for as long as they've both existed.

And the thing is, I can easily imagine Plegians taking pride in holding this land, too? Marth is not just special to the Halidom of Ylisse. He is a hero to the entire continent. He saved EVERYONE. "Marth was Plegian" is not exactly accurate, because Plegia would not exist until a thousand years after him, but I bet there are plenty of Plegians running around whose features resemble Marth's as much as Chrom and Lissa and Emmeryn's do.

(Remember, Ferox suspects Chrom of being an imposter when he first arrives at their border, and Cynthia's paralogue involves a guy successfully impersonating Chrom. I don't think you can tell just by looking at him that he's not Just Some Guy, and specifically, you can't tell that he's not Just Some Plegian Guy, either.)

It's interesting to think about what if anything Grima would do with this... Grima was after Marth's time, but that doesn't mean they can't put words and ideals in his mouth just as well as any other political figure.

Moving more deeply into pure headcanon territory... As you may be aware, I think Grima ate the earth dragons that Marth sealed at the Dragon's Table, and honestly if they did, I can imagine them twisting that act to be like.... Obviously what Marth Would Have Wanted, because you see, he didn't have the power to do anything more at the time, but OF COURSE he wouldn't have wanted the beloved people of his precious continent to have to fight the earth dragons again. The Fire Emblem can't do enough. Let Grima eat the dragons for you. (Meanwhile, you've got the First Exalt, actual descendant of Marth, arguing that um, HE is right there, totally ready willing and able to seal those dragons right back up, guys come on we KNOW this will work. Yes I do like to think of this as a reverse "let Chrom deal the final blow?" situation. One in which Grima refused to back down.)

So in that regard, I don't know, I feel like "Grima is the Hero King's true successor (in spirit)" is something that at least some people could actually believe. That would be fun to work with. It's a little hard to see how to get from there to "and now Grima destroys the world because humans are bad" but... given how Plegians value loyalty, it might honestly be enough for some people simply to say "we side with Grima no matter what because we always have before and we aren't filthy traitors."

[ro-botany]

@levemetal Hope you don't mind my bringing this out to its own post - I saw your tags and wanted to try to help!

So, ripping models is going to be a different process depending on how the game was made; what console it was on, what game engine its built in... There's no one-size-fits-all process, and it's going to require some baseline tech-savvy-ness.

But given that these tags were regarding Grima; I'll tell you more or less how I get models out of Fire Emblem Awakening.

A Ramble-y Overview of Fire Emblem Awakening Model Ripping:

Step 0: Gather your Tools

There's a lot of tools floating around intended to help with 3DS model ripping. Some are very pleasant to use and others are janky, so brace yourself.

For this, you will need:

Citra emulator (for extracting game files)

Paragon (for figuring out where models you want are)

FEAT (for decompressing game files)

SPICA (for exporting models + textures to usable formats)

Blender (for actually working with the models) (or whatever 3d modelling program you like; I only know blender though)

Step 1: Get a ROM of Awakening

Legally obtain one, of course. Assuming you have the game cartridge the 3DS hacking community can help you more with that. Definitely do not download any game roms from any online websites, why, that would be piracy!

Step 2: Extract the Game Files

Open up Citra, add a game directory and tell it where your rom is.

Right click the rom and select "Dump RomFS" to get Citra to start extracting all the game files. This will take a while. Wait for it to be done.

Once its done dumping the files, you're going to want to go to File > Open Citra folder. From there, navigate into "dump", then "romfs", then click the big nonsense folder name - that nonsense is Awakening's game ID, so, this folder is Awakening's game files.

All the models you could ever wish for are in here!!! We just need to actually find them now.

Step 3: Figure out which model(s) you want.

Time to go open up Paragon. This is technically a tool for creating mods of several fire emblem games, but we're not going to mod anything, we're just going to use it to figure out what models belong to which characters.

The github page has instructions on it, but basically you want to open up Paragon and start a new project for FE13. Create some random output folder for it and direct it to that, we don't care. But the "Extracted RomFS Directory" should be the citra folder I just told you how to get to.

Once you have the project open, there will be a lot of buttons and things. Don't worry about all this. The only two you care about right now are "Asset Definitions" and "Presets".

(Ignore the font; I changed paragon's font to awakening's font because i'm a nerd)

Most of the human characters are easiest to find in "Asset Definitions"; some under their english name, others (like Chrom) under their english base class' name.

Grima, though, you can find in "Presets" by searching for "boss".

This entry specifically is the one pertaining to grima's full body model. There's a lot of info here, but the highlighted panel on the right is the information you need; this is telling you the names of the files containing Grima's models and textures!

For human characters, typically the head and body fields will be filled in, and possibly the hair for characters with long hair. some have accessories, some don't.

This complexity is why we use paragon to check instead of checking every single model file manually like fools. (it's me, i'm fools)

Keep this window open for reference at the side for the next step.

Step 4: Go Get the Models

Make a folder somewhere on your computer to keep this character's models.

Then, go back to that Citra folder we opened up earlier.

Awakening's assets are split up into several folders. The folder you want is "b", which has most of the character and weapon models and textures. (This organization scheme is Not consistent between Awakening and the other 3DS fire emblems, watch out.)

In here, find the files paragon is telling you belong to this character, and copy them into your dedicated folder for this model ripping project.

Wow, look at all those files we can't use. Time to make them usable.

Step 5: Decompress the Files

Open up FEAT. Drag all those files onto the FEAT window. It will decompress them; there will be a copy of each file without the .lz file extension. You did it! They're decompressed!

Step 6: Extract the Models and Textures

Open up SPICA.

Click the little Folder button in the top left to open a file. Navigate to this folder you have your decompressed files in. Click on one of the decompressed files.

For MODELS, as in the .m files, you are going to click the Save button. Save each model as a .dae file, and give each a name that will make it clear which model this is - the body, the head, a specific accessory, whatever. (you can choose .smd instead if you want, but you will need a blender addon for importing smd files if you do.)

For TEXTURES, which are the .t files, there is an extra step. In the panel on the right, there is a small anime eye. That is the textures tab. Click on it, and the panel will change to a list of textures that are in that file. You should export all of them by using the special texture export button. DO NOT CHANGE THE NAMES the texture names are important.

Step 7: Blender Time

Tragically this is the most annoying part, and I can't even give you very detailed instructions off the top of my head because the exact steps are so tailored to each specific character.

Open up Blender. Go to File > Import > Collada (.dae) and import the character's component models one by one.

Each individual file will come with its own armature for posing! If you want to have a functional, posable model, you are going to have to join them together yourself. Normally this means taking a component armature, positioning it properly in relation to the body, parenting the component meshes to the body armature, joining the component armature to the body armature, and then taking whatever root bone the component had and setting it's parent bone to the right bone from the body armature. If you just joined a character's head on the body, take the root bone from the head armature and set its parent to the head bone from the body armature. Stuff like that.

Some of the weight painting may be broken, so when you pose joints on the armature some things will move incorrectly. I do not know how to get SPICA not to do that, and I haven't found any other 3DS model exporter that works with awakening that doesn't do that. Try exporting as an SMD instead. If neither dae format nor smd format works right, You're going to have to go in and re-do the broken weight painting manually. There is no shortcut to this. I am sorry.

You will also notice everymodel is split up into several meshes. If you need the character to be one singular manifold mesh, you're going to have to edit it to be that way yourself, in a way that does not destroy the UV maps. There is no shortcut to this. I am sorry.

Also: If it's Grima, be aware that their model is like 3000 blender units long. You will want to scale all their armatures down to 0.1 or something, because Blender does NOT play nice with stuff that big.

Anyway, textures.

In Awakening, a texture name ending in c0 is the base colours. A texture name ending in s0 is a specular map.

If the base colour file looks mostly transparent, that's because it's channel packed; the color and alpha channels contain two different textures. In Grima's case, the color channel is their actual colors, and the alpha channel appears to be an emission map.

So, go on into the shader editor, click on each mesh to open its material, and plug the textures into the right spots on basic shader node provided. Make sure to set the Alpha mode of the channel packed textures to say "Channel Packed". And you're good to go! You can see what the character looks like now!

If parts of textures should be transparent but aren't (like grima's eyes and wing feathers) you're going to have to figure out a solution for that yourself. I manually made my own alpha map for grima's eyes and wings, and it was Annoying but it was the only solution I could find.

Congratulations, you've done it!

You have successfully ripped a model from Awakening. Now go on and modify it however you need to; make better shaders for it, clean up the mesh and unwrap its UVs again for free plushie patterns, do silly posing shenanigans with it. Whatever your heart desires.

Good luck, dear reader, for you will probably need it.

[bisexualdimitri]

favorite fe polyships?

going to put this under the cut because i am insane about polyships so i have SO many!! also they are almost all sapphic

shadow dragon/new mystery of the emblem

elice/nyna/athena, sometimes i add sheena to this as well!

wolf/sedgar/syvland/roshea, like be honest okay? there was something gay happening between them.

cecil/f!kris/katarina, i also like cecil/norne and katarina/norne so imagine norne is there as well

m!kris/roderick/luke, i like luke with either kris actually but roderick is a gay boy to me

nyna/midia/sheena

echoes

faye/clair/rinea

forsyth/python/lukas, they're actually lesbians in my beautiful mind palace

valbar/leon/kamui, that leon/kamui support chain was gay okay?

celica/est/mae, we must free est from that wretched grown ass man

sonya/mathilda/palla

luthier/tatiana/zeke, HEAR ME OUT.

celica/alm/faye, once again they are lesbians!

genealogy of the holy war/thracia 776

silvia/brigid/tailtiu

ayra/brigid/lachesis

seliph/larcei/lene, yeah so they're lesbians also

mareeta/lara/tina

altena/olwen/tanya

misha/cain/selphina, this one is a very self indulgent one. and they are lesbians, of course

binding blade

roy/cath/sue, this is a sapphic ship to me

lilina/gwendolyn/thany

cecilia/igrene/echidna

lilina/clarine/fir/larum

clarine/dorothy/sophia

klein/elffin/perceval/dieck

blazing blade

eliwood/lyn/hector, this one is also sapphic to me

ninian/florina/lyn

eliwood/hector/rath, once again this one is sapphic

priscilla/erk/rebecca, peak bi4bi4bi

pent/louise/karla, something very lesbian happening here. this is mostly because i like pent/louise (lesbian) and louise/karla

kent/sain/matthew

the sacred stones

eirika/tana/l'arachel

ephraim/seth/kyle

eirika/innes/lyon

path of radiance/radiant dawn

i haven't played much of either of these games so these are mostly ones i've gotten attached to bc of feh

elincia/mia/lucia

nephenee/astrid/marcia

awakening

chrom/robin/cordelia

robin/gaius/frederick

olivia/cherche/panne

lissa/maribelle/ricken

tiki/say'ri/anna

lon'qu/kellam/cordelia

lucina/inigo/noire

nah/morgan/cynthia

severa/noire/kjelle

lucina/yarne/laurent

laurent/gerome/owain

gerome/lucina/brady

gerome/severa/lucina

fates

camilla/selena/beruka

leo/laslow/odin

arthur/benny/corrin

keaton/kaden/corrin

saizo/tsubaki/corrin, i like many polyships with corrin can you tell

ryoma/setsuna/hinata, they're lesbians

hana/sakura/elise

takumi/hinata/oboro, lesbians also

azura/kaze/keaton

camilla/rinkah/hinoka

corrin/kagero/saizo, dykery happening

mozu/sakura/hayato

caeldori/selkie/ophelia

soleil/velouria/sophie

rhajat/forrest/ophelia

siegbert/ophelia/velouria, lesbianism

asugi/nina/mitama, they're gay boys

three houses/three hopes

f!byleth/shamir/catherine

dimitri/marianne/felix

claude/dedue/leonie, bisexuals :)

sylvain/yuri/claude

hilda/marianne/ignatz, they are sapphic

lorenz/raphael/leonie

lysithea/petra/cyril, very bisexual!

marianne/ingrid/edelgard

edelgard/annette/dorothea

ingrid/annette/hilda

ingrid/hilda/edelgard

yuri/hapi/constance

ferdinand/edelgard/dorothea

dorothea/edelgard/bernadetta

hilda/marianne/edelgard, i read a fic for these three and it hurt my feelings so bad

ferdinand/linhardt/caspar, ferdinand and caspar are sapphic and linhardt is their mlm boyfriend

sylvain/hapi/mercedes

leonie/hilda/marianne

bernadetta/linhardt/ferdinand

berandetta/felix/dimitri

dorothea/felix/dimitri

ashe/petra/lysithea, this is sapphic

claude/marianne/dedue

claude/felix/linhardt, i need you to hear me out on this one okay?

manuela/rhea/catherine, HEAR ME OUT

seteth/manuela/rodrigue, again. hear me out.

byleth/shez/shamir

f!shez/sylvain/mercedes, i'm not big on m!shez/mercedes which seems odd since i like f!shez/mercedes but i just. don't enjoy it.

f!shez/yuri/claude, i like m!shez/yuri but idk i'm not a fan of m!shez/claude

shez/marianne/leonie, either shez is fine for this one :)

f!shez/hilda/leonie, hilda is a lesbian to me so i only like this one with f!shez

shez/monica/edelgard, either shez is fine for this but i lean towards m!shez with the black eagles tbh

f!shez/hubert/hapi

i have way more that i can't think of right now. i'm a big fan of polyships and autistic about fe3h sorry

engage

céline/etie/chloé

yunaka/amber/alfred

jade/amber/diamant

lapis/citrinne/alear, both alear's are girls to me so this is sapphic always

timerra/merrin/panette, like come on now

alcryst/lapis/céline

kagetsu/zelkov/ivy

chloé/etie/lapis

alear/framme/céline

clanne/etie/alear

fogado/etie/alear

timerra/goldmary/ivy

pandreo/seadall/kagetsu

diamant/kagetsu/ivy

heroes

ash/nótt/heiðrún/letizia, this is because they are my wives to be honest

sharena/reginn/peony

embla/freyja/nifl

henriette/anna/nerþuz, wives also!

[sieglinde-freud]

also idk if this is a connection that’s been made before (or maybe it’s been made like a million times and i’m just kinda stupid) but inigo is also incredibly similar to edelgard in that his love gets warped, especially if you read him as chrom or virion’s kid, cause like yeah of course his whole thing is that he’s initially super duper shy and the flirting was supposed to be a short term way to cope with that but if you read him as royalty to begin with the flirting becomes more akin to a way to show his citizens that yes he still care about them and yes he still wants them to live and win and thrive even though they’re suffering and even though it seems he’s not doing anything to stop that suffering. obviously it doesn’t work, but, again, he’s young and didn’t really have parents to raise him, instead growing up quickly due to the trauma that was growing up under grima and the pressure that was placed on his shoulders from the very beginning due to his role as royalty, whether as heir to rosanne or “spare” to lucina. he, too, is a lover forged in a fight for survival and is overflowing with love he does not know how to properly show, and that’s one of the many many reasons i love him so much. also feel free to tell me to shut up im like spamming your inbox rn

SOOOOO TRUE and also literally ur so good, dont ever worry about sending me asks yall if i didnt want em i would not leave my inbox open!! but yeah for sure i mean inigo literally says it himself right like his death quote in fates (that i have heard. many times) is “i am a lover not a fighter” and its true! and of course thats more of a one off jokey joke bc of his flirting but its just true in how hes characterized as well. how he loves is… well it can be questionable sometimes!!! but it drives his whole character in ways that doesnt work for most of his peers and its something that really shines when he gets more spotlight in the dlc and in fates and you see how much of his thoughts are about the people he loves and ironically enough most of it is never romantically or sexually driven despite what he probably would want people to think and its what makes him so much fun!! and its also a more interesting way to approach his character that a lot of people dont really do (which i get. unless u do a support convo deep dive hes just another flirty trope checked off the box but. cmon)