#while I played through I fell for Basilio too

[katfreaks-hidyhole]

The newest member to the +10 club, Basilio the Feroxi West-Khan!

[eydi-andrius]

Till Death Do Us Part - Basilio x Reader | Trese

SPOILER WARNING: This story was heavily influenced by the new chapters of Trese comics. I was supposed to write a Crispin x Demi Goddess reader today but was so heartbroken by what I read and decided to do Basilio instead. I love Basilio and his jokes y’all! T_T

Warning: angst, character death, fluff, happy ending? :P

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You walk with a heavy heart along the shores of the underworld. Your eyes were puffy from crying the whole day. And were glazed from the unshed tears you tried so hard not to let go.

You can’t cry. Not here. You need to be strong and ask the ferrywoman of the underworld, Magwayen, to let you see the soul of Basilio that was temporarily on her majestic balangay.

You closed your eyes and took a deep breath.

The painful memories came flooding back again. And a tear fell down your right cheek.

It happened yesterday. During their mission, Basilio was stabbed by a cursed kris.

It’s nothing unusual, of course.

He can’t be killed. He was a demi-god. The son of Talagbusao, the War God, who will keep coming back as long as there is a battle to fight.

However, the stabbed wound he got was not usual. The kris was filled with an everflame curse which couldn't be extinguished unless the body inflicted dies.

So for the whole day, you have witnessed Basilio being revived and killed immediately by his brother Crispin to end his suffering.

Meanwhile, Alexandra researches for a cure to remove the curse in her father’s library.

It was torture. Not just for Basilio but for everyone inside the four corners of the room. The screams of agony coming out from him echoes and bounces to all of your ears.

Sometimes he will call out to his brother on how painful it was.

And sometimes he will yell out your name and thrash his head around looking for you.

You’re too worried to cry so you just stand there beside him and hold his skeletal hand when he finally seizes and dies.

That torturous cycle continued until Alexandra came out of the library with an item in her hand that temporarily put Basilio to his death.

When you have confirmed that he will not be revived and suffer again, that’s the only time you cried, hence, the puffy eyes and face from crying.

“I know why you’re here, Y/N. Youngest child of the Goddess of Dalikamata. The demi-goddess blessed with her eyes.”

Even though the figure in front of you has her back turned on you. You know she finds the reason why you’re here amusing. Her words were filled with amusement and smugness in which you expected already.

Magwayen wore a long black funeral gown and different ornaments and accessories for the dead. She has a heavy head dress adorned on her head made from silver, gold and precious stones.

“I know you do. He probably told you about it. Since there is no explanation to do anymore, I will now offer you my bargain in return that I can be with him until the Lakan and his brother find a cure to the curse inflicted on him.” I keep my face emotionless as much as I can.

Magwayen was known to be unpredictable and crude. If you show any emotions, she will play with you until you give up. Being a ferrywoman of the dead, many have tried to bargain with her to bring back their loved ones but only a little percent can successfully convince her.

“Hmmmm? Do you think that because you’re a child of a goddess I will just agree to your request? Oh poor child. That’s not how life works.” The goddess fully turned her face in my direction with a smirk on her lips.

“I will lend you my eyes until he gets back and is cured.” I firmly said and looked directly into her eyes.

Silence filled the place. Only the whisper of the waves and singsong of the wind can be heard.

The ferrywoman titled her head and started laughing.

“Oh! Baliw na bata (Crazy Child)! You do know how to bargain real well! But do you know what your mother would do to you if she found out that you gave up your eyes which can see everything for a man!?”

“I know you care about your children. I will give you my eyes temporarily so you can watch over them.” Instead of answering her question, I just convinced her to take my offer more.

She was known to be a great mother. To the point that she begged my mother once to give her access to her eyes just so she can watch over her remaining children after the death of Lidagat due to heartbreak.

Magwayen smiled at me and sighed. She came closer and caressed my face. Her hands were soft and motherly, it made me want to cry but I resisted the urge to bawl in front of her.

“You children becomes stupid when you fall in love.” She looked at me sadly and continued.

“I will take your offer not because I agree to your reckless decision but because I can never witness another death due to heartbreak.”

After she said that, her balangay with no ferryman came forward.

And from there, I saw him waving his hand in my direction. His long slick black hair flutters from the wind and he is smiling widely. His usual beaten up black suit looks crisper than ever.

“Basilio!” I yelled and didn't hesitate to run forward and jump at him with a hug when he came down from the boat.

“Ooooof! Aray naman! Do you miss me that much?” He laughed but immediately squeezed me back.

“Dakilang Laon! Salamat at maayos ka! (Thank God! You’re okay)” I cupped his face and looked at his eyes.

When I saw his unworried eyes and usual careless demeanor, I couldn't help but frown and smack his head.

“I hope this will be the last time for you and your brother’s careless battle frenzy! Do you know how worried I was? I almost died thinking you will never come back to-”

I didn’t get a chance to finish my rants when I felt his soft lips touch my own. At first it was light and sweet until it turned hungry and passionate. All of our worries, pain and grief have been poured out to that kiss.

When he pulled out from the kiss, he placed his forehead on mine and looked me in the eye lovingly.

“It’s okay now, my love. My brother and bossing will surely find the cure. Hush now okay?” He flashed his beautiful boyish smile and wiped the tears that I didn’t know run down on my cheeks. I nodded and placed my head on his chest. The warmth I used to feel is not here yet but I know, soon, I will feel it again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Time seems so slow here so we made sure to enjoy every waking moment when both of us were together.

We know this seems careless but we trust Alexandra and Crispin to find a cure. We know they can find it.

So we play, sing and dance together.

Also, talked about things we find amusing, curious and stupid.

Then shared stories and facts about ourselves we haven’t told each other yet.

Sometimes we make love, stare at each other or cuddle and just enjoy watching the calm waves of the black underworld ocean.

Until one day, while resting my head on his chest, I felt it. The warmth. Basilio also felt it.

I stood up and gaped at the white light coming through his chest. I can’t help but cry and laugh at the same time because finally they found it! He can come back on the other side.

He hugged me tight and kissed me. We smiled through our connected lips and rested our foreheads together.

Then he looked me in the eye and cupped my face.

“I’ll see you on the other side again, my love.” I nodded and watched his soul disperse to a thousand lights and disappear.

“I’ll see you there.” I smiled.

[yukiwrites]

Drunken Proposal

Thank you so much for the support as always, @ramann! I had so much fun writing this I got a bit carried away ;v;)!! I hope you like it!

Summary: Chrom finally works up the courage to propose to Robin, right after the war against Plegia -- but when he meets her, she’s way more than a bit tipsy.

Commission info HERE and HERE!

______________________________

The war with Plegia ended, leaving a blur of emotions inside Chrom's chest.

The soon-to-be Exalt couldn't have done it without his allies, -- each and every one of them played an important and irreplaceable part in helping him through all of that -- but it was true that the one he owned to the most was none other than his tactician, Robin.

She had been there from the start, fighting a battle that wasn't hers -- all the while serving as his pillar of strength during his moment of weakness. He owned so much to her, he wasn't even sure how he could ever repay it.

That was also while not considering the feelings he harbored for her that were locked deep into his heart; feelings that now had a fertile soil to grow, away from any conflict threatening their borders.

He had vowed to himself that he would give Robin the ring which was passed down as heirloom within the Royal Family -- the Queen's ring, given to the first wife of all Kings in the Ylissean history -- once this war was over. Of course, he didn't want to impose any more on her plate than he already had with all that went on after they met. If she denied his feelings, he would simply pull away and continue their relationship as friends.

What was important here, most of all, was how Robin felt. As for Chrom, as long as he could spend time with her by his side in any fashion, he was already satisfied -- knowing that no one would truly be worthy of the Queen's ring as much as Robin, though vowing to bury his feelings if need be.

Chrom shook his head to dispel the gloomy thoughts, though it was a hard task in and of itself to even focus on thinking amidst all the noise around him: they were in the middle of the first celebration to the war's end, still in their camp at the border of Plegia's capital.

It was a necessary relief for the soldiers who risked their lives to protect their halidom, as well as the first step into the peaceful era that surely would follow after Gangrel's demise; even if Chrom didn't actually feel like partying.

He had lost too much to be able to leisurely forget his troubles by drinking away into the night, though he would still attend to boost the morale of the Shepherds.

Actually, he had just come back from his quarters -- after the initial speech, he quickly went back to fetch the Queen's ring, intent on gifting it to Robin that night without fail -- so he was still searching for a spot to sit when somebody arm-locked him under their shoulder.

"Theree's our man! I thought you left, pal!" Vaike snorted, his breath stinking of beer, if his rosy cheeks weren't proof enough of his drunk state. "I was already gonna," he hiccuped, "call dibs and say I won against'cha in a drinking comp'tition!"

Chrom was well used to Vaike's armlocks, but the drunk man was gripping at him harder than usual, so it took the prince longer than usual to slip out of it. "I'm pretty sure you won, Vaike, yes." He cleared his throat, though Vaike's tipsy roar of victory filled the air with his thundering voice before Chrom could even think of the next words to say. "Anyway, have you seen Robin anywhere? Last I saw her, she was at Lissa's table, but none of them are-"

"Hahaw!" Vaike interrupted, simply pointing to somewhere behind Chrom. 

The prince saw everything in slow motion, to the point that even the noise started to deafen around him. Still, there was a lot of noise.

Amongst all the yelling, all the laughing, all the mug-clicking, there were countless drinking competitions: People clapping and chanting, 'Drink! Drink! Drink! Drink!' in all directions.

The spot Vaike pointed to was the center of the biggest of such gatherings, of which Robin was the protagonist.

Gregor, Basilio, Flavia, Lissa, Sully and Gaius sat around the tactician and were the main instigators of the chanting, with a myriad of rank-and-file soldiers surrounding them. To Chrom's surprise, Robin and Lon'qu were the ones in the middle of all that tom-foolery.

Befuddled by the unexpected development, Chrom approached by huddling himself against all spectators. "What- what's Robin doing there?" He didn't notice he had to voice his own thoughts to be able to hear them.

"Oh, darling, she tried her hardest to resist." Maribelle of all people spoke calmly right beside the prince -- he had managed to huddle all the way towards where his little sister was sitting, beside whom stood Maribelle as a watchful guardian. "It seems Basilio taunted Flavia by saying his 'champion' -- that is, dear Lon'qu over there who keeps getting redder and redder as he chugs down this sewage they call beverage -- could outdrink anyone she picked and, alas, our tactician was her target."

"She was as somber and sober as me when this all started -- how could it develop into this within the minutes it took me to go to my quarters-"

"It was a rather amusing show, allow me to say-- ah, Lissa, darling, do not put that thing in your mouth," she interrupted the instant Lissa tried to take a sip of Gaius' drink, tapping the princess' shoulder without batting an eye. "Where was I? Ah- yes, it was an entertaining show, dear Chrom. Shame that you missed witnessing the unwashed masses gathering faster than ants on a cube of sugar when the word 'bet' was mentioned."

Chrom would laugh if all of it hadn't happened the same night he had been planning to propose of all things. Huffing, the Prince shook his head. "This has to stop -- Robin will hate herself tomorrow for doing this."

"Ah, the rumored 'hangover' of the commoners. Do tell me when she wakes up, yes? I want to bear witness to it." Maribelle giggled with amusement, taking her eyes off Chrom towards the climax of the competition: Robin managed to chug the gigantic mug down without passing out in the middle, thus being deemed the winner.

"WOOOOOOOOO!" Bellows of victory roared here and there -- Chrom wasn't even sure if those were louder than the ones they uttered after they won the godsdamned WAR -- along with the clinking of coins that streamed from the losers to the winners.

"And THAT is your proof," Robin lifted her finger as her head spun around the moment she banged the mug on the table, "that you should not underestimate women, that we can even outdrink you!" Her voice was sleazy with the stupor, though her passionate speech got her from applause to approving whistles and yells, all of which made the rosy-cheeked tactician nod with a silly-looking, triumphant smile. "With that- I take my leaave." She wobbled to her feet, ignoring or not noticing how Basilio threw promises of calling her in whenever he needed a beer-chugging champion. Her steps were uncertain and, well, tipsy, so it was no wonder she tripped the moment she was on her feet. "Whoa there-"

"Careful," Chrom managed to catch her on time, his expression half worried, half amused -- to someone who took everything so seriously as Robin too look as foolish as this was a sight to remember, honestly.

"Chrom! Juust the man I wanted to zee! Did you see me jus' now? I moooped the floor with that woman-hating, fig-dodger Lonk!" She tried to gesticulate, but she was still with both arms wrapped around Chrom's waist.

"Hah, yes, I did see it. C'mon, let's get you out of here." He picked her up on his arms, careful not to do it too fast lest she got dizzier than she already was, moving her towards another, quieter, tent. "There, do you want me to fetch some water? You're not gonna enjoy waking up tomorrow..."

"Water... Water would be good, yeah..." She shook her head, as though the stupor of alcohol had started to loosen its grip on her after being taken away from all that excitement. "Waaater..."

Snorting, the prince turned around towards the water barrel, not realizing something fell out of his pocket.

"Muh? Wazzat, Chrom?" Robin pointed to the velvet little box just as Chrom had filled a cup with water.

"What's wha-AAAT?!" He threw the water, the cup and both hands up in surprise, drenching himself in the process as he quickly took the little box to shove it back into his pocket. "It's- uh, nothing, I just- well, I-"

"Chroom, you're blushing. You're so cute when you blush..." Robin laughed heartily before patting the prince's head since he had been kneeling right in front of her. "What really was that, hmm? Some big secret you can't tell your better half?" Robin snorted, "no, wait, clearly you're the better half here-"

"Marry me."

"-cause you've given me everythin-" Robin froze on her words, feeling like that water had fallen on her head instead. "Marry-"

"Uh, I mean, would you- gods, this was not how I expected this to go." He scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, not really minding how his entire hair was drenched by now. "I had a plan and it didn't involve you getting drunk on me, but- I'll make sure to ask you again tomorrow... But for now, I want to give you this: it's the Queen's ring-"

"Queen?"

"... yes, the Queen's ring, passed down from generati-"

"Me?"

"-ons of Queens... This is going nowhere, is it? Haha!" Laughing, Chrom slumped on the floor, with the little box wide open to show the wonderful heirloom.

Little did he know that while he laughed, Robin picked the ring and placed it in her left finger. "I'm gonna be queen?"

"Well, that was the plan- wait, Robin?!" Chrom had barely lifted his gaze to Robin when he saw her getting up from her seat and loudly open the flaps to the tent they were in.

"I'M GONNA BE QUEEN!!" She shouted atop of her lungs, so loud that it managed to deafen all the other sounds.

"Robin?!" Mortified, Chrom fidgeted behind his fiancée(?).

"PAY UP!!!" Gaius' voice echoed from somewhere around the loudest tent, bringing even more mortification to the prince's heart. He hid his face between both hands, wanting to disappear.

Yet, why wasn't he able to hide the huge smile apparent on his lips? Everything about this was so silly! To the failed proposal to the drunken acceptance to-

"Ah, Chrom, I forgot to say something important!" Robin turned to him with a foolish, pink smile. "I do!"

... to the two words that made him the happiest man in all realms. 

[womansharry]

SHE

Chapter 2 - Who

Juliet's morning started early. Despite the time difference in Rome, she had a hard time sleeping in. At 6:30 her eyes were open and her brain was fast at work, already thinking of all the things she needed to check off her to-do list.

She was staying at the Aleph Rome Hotel. It was such a gorgeous place. She had been to Rome several times before and loved it more and more each time. It certainly had its charm about it.

By 7, she decided to stop scrolling through Pinterest and order coffee and some breakfast. She called down to the front desk. And within 5 minutes there was a knock on the door. She pulled the fluffy white robe tighter around her and went to the door. She pulled it open; a short middle-aged man was on the other side. He gave her a warm smile as he pushed the cart into her room.

"Buongiorno signora." Juliet's Italian wasn't the best. She could piece words together, but to speak and understand it fluently was lost on her.

Juliet returned the smile. "Buongiorno. Grazie." He gave her a curt nod and turned around, leaving the room. She picked up her coffee cup and the plate with her croissant and walked out to the terrace. One thing that Juliet had loved ever since she was a little girl was traveling. Whether it was a trip to the Hamptons for the weekend or a 3-week European vacation. She loved packing her things in a suitcase and exploring different places. Places that were different than New York City. And as she had gotten older, the thrill of traveling alone had become something that she loved more than almost anything in the world. The freedom of being by yourself and getting to see the world the way you wanted to was beautiful to Juliet.

She sat down with her coffee and her mind wandered to the reason she was in Rome in the first place. It had been a bit of a surprise to her when Alessandro Michele had reached out to her not long after the Met Gala. He had told her that he was disappointed that the two of them didn't get to talk in person, but he wanted her to do a feature on her website for the upcoming Gucci Cruise show which was being held in Rome at Capitoline Museums. She had eagerly accepted his offer and now here she was. Spending three days in Rome before heading back home for meetings.

She sat her coffee down on the table and went back into her room to get her computer. She decided that she would work for a little bit, then she'd do a bit of shopping in the area before going to the show later.

She had meet with two investors last week about launching her own collection. She wanted to create a capsule wardrobe of sorts, timeless pieces; the kind of pieces that could be worn around the world. The investors had been interested. Once she was back in NYC they would be meeting with her again.

After sending more than 20 emails, finishing up an article on some of her favorite looks from Paris Fashion Week, and ordering a new dress from Net-A-Porter, she went in to change her clothes. She threw on a white bodysuit, a patterned midi skirt, and white sneakers. She threw her hair into a low bun, making a mental note that she had to be back at the hotel soon because it desperately needed a wash before the show.

As she was walking out the door she grabbed her bag and sunglasses. The outfit that she would wear to the show was hanging in the closet. The garment bag was adorned with the word Gucci. Inside was a black velvet blouse and a pair of yellow wide-legged trousers. This outfit was out of her comfort zone but it intrigued her. She'd be wearing it with a pair of black Gucci heels.

Juliet ventured out onto Via di San Basilio and checked her phone. It was 9:45. She wandered off to her left. She took in the sights, the men and women bustling around her speaking to one another in Italian, the gray pavers that were placed haphazardly together to make a sidewalk, the bright hues of the buildings against the soft blue of the sky.

She passed cathedrals, little shops that barely seemed big enough to hold a few customers, and huge ornate water fountains.

Finally, she arrived on Via del Corso. She was going to a few shops and then she'd grab lunch and be on her way back to the hotel. Zara was the first store that Juliet went into.

She didn't spend much money or time in Zara. She picked up a pair of gold hoop earrings and a white silk cami. She wandered into a few locally owned stores. She admired getting to visit other countries and experiencing other cultures. There was truly nothing in the world like it.

As she started heading back in the direction of the hotel, she stopped in a small cafe for pizza. It was before noon and the cafe wasn't crowded at all. There was an elderly couple sitting by the door ogling at one another. And at the next table was a mother and her two toddlers. Juliet smiled at the patrons and ordered two slices of pizza.

She got back to the hotel at 12:30. And the show wasn't until 8. She knew she needed to be at the museum early. Alessandro had put her in contact with a wonderful lady name Nicolette. She had lined up someone to do Juliet's hair and makeup before the show.

Juliet fell down onto the soft bed once she was back in her hotel room. She took some time to scroll through her Instagram feed. She looked back at her pictures from the Met Gala. It had only been 2 weeks ago.

Then her thoughts went to Harry. Harry. The one that she hadn't seen or heard from since the after party. She had hoped that he would reach out. But, he hadn't. And as much as Juliet wanted to hear from him, she was scared to make the first move.

___

At 4:15, there was a knock on Juliet's hotel door. She opened it. There was a man holding a large suitcase and a woman holding one just as big.

"Hello! I'm Gianni and this is Isabella. We're here for hair and makeup." He said politely. His English was good, but his accent was thick.

"Come in, it's nice to meet you two. I'm Juliet."

"Let's get to it, shall we!" Gianni exclaimed, digging into the suitcase he had brought and pulling out a hairdryer.

___

Juliet took one last look in the mirror. She had ordered some food up to her room for an early dinner. Gianni had done her hair is loose waves and Isabella had done the makeup in a soft glam look. Juliet decided to wear the gold hoops that she had bought earlier. She was so pleased with the look. She took her phone out and snapped a mirror selfie. She quickly uploaded it to her Instagram.

She had ordered an Uber and when she emerged onto the street, the car was sitting there. The drive to the museum was only 15 minutes. Once she arrived she made her way inside the grade hallways. It was amazing to see the art around her and know that soon she would be experiencing a fashion show, which was her favorite art form.

She was sat beside two younger girls that looked to be about her age. They were deep in conversation in French.

Juliet looked up and admired the sculptures around her. She glanced down the hallway and could have sworn she saw Harry. Even though Juliet had only met him once, she could tell that Harry's presence was electric. He walked into a room and everyone knew it.

Eventually the seats filled up. And there was no sign of Harry. Her mind must have been playing tricks on her. She sighed, disappointed that he wasn't there.

At 8 pm the lights went out and the show began. It was incredible. Probably one of her favorites that she had attended in person. After the show, was the after party.

When Alessandro has talked with Juliet, he had personally invited her to the after party. He wanted to meet her in person.  So, after the show was over Juliet made her way over to Palazzo Brancaccio.

She was swept up in a whirlwind once she entered the lounge. She talked with several people, drank champagne and danced a little. At some point she felt someone touch her shoulder.

"Juliet?" She turned around to see the kind face of Alessandro Michele.

"Alessandro, it's a pleasure. The show was wonderful. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. I really can't wait to write about it." He beamed at her.

"Thanks, you are too kind. It's nice to finally meet you. I'm glad that you'll be doing a piece on it. Are you enjoying Rome?" She nodded.

"Yes! I love it here, unfortunately I'm flying back home tomorrow night. I've got a few business meetings in New York coming up."

"I know how you feel. Well, it was nice to meet you. Please, enjoy yourself and have a safe trip home. We'll talk soon." He hugged her quickly and was whisked away.

The lights went dim and there was a sound like someone talking in a microphone. Juliet wasn't standing far from the stage. She moved so she could see a bit better and she couldn't believe it. Harry was there, he was standing on stage. He was standing on stage with the one and only Stevie Nicks.

She stood there for a while with a goofy smile on her face. She was so happy to see him. As he was singing "Stop Dragging My Heart Around" with Stevie, his eyes met hers. His smile grew.

They sang for a little while longer and once their set was over, Juliet set out for the open bar.

"Jules, I didn't know you'd be 'ere." His voice sent electricity down her spine. She spun on her heels and came face to face with the man she had been thinking about for two weeks.

"I didn't know you'd be here either." She smiled at him.

"'M glad 'm here. Got to see you." His eyes were sparkling.

"You're quite the rockstar, Harry. On stage singing with Stevie Nicks." Juliet grinned and moved closer to him.

"Don't tell me that, 's bad for my ego and all." He gave her a devilish grin in returned. She chuckled.

"Can I tell you something Harry?"

"Anything ya want,"

"I haven't stopped thinking about you since the Met Gala." He looked up at her with a smile.

"Funny, I was hoping I'd 'ave the chance to see ya again. To talk to ya, look at ya. Do ya wanna get out of 'ere? We can go anywhere ya want."

Juliet felt a jolt of excitement. She looked him over, his brown curly hair, his green eyes hiding behind a pair of oversized pink sunglasses, his cream colored suit, it contrasted beautifully with his tan skin. He looked so good. But best of all, he seemed at ease and happy.

"You know what, I would love that."

"Come on then, love." He grabbed her hand and pulled her through the crowd of people.

______ read chapter 3 here!

[exalted--zealotry]

Have you thought about doing a verse where Anri's alive in Awakening? Like he survived with amnesia or something, or stayed away once he realised Ylisse was better off without him?

( ooc. FYI, everybody, don’t expect answers like these to be common at all– it’s just a topic I thought to be interesting. It’s very long, I feel, and there’s going to be some spoilers for Awakening, Shadow Dragon/Mystery of the Emblem, Echoes and the Jugdral duology, with major spoilers for Jugdral, so it’s going under the cut; if you’re not interested, or haven’t played either Awakening or the Jugdral games yet and want to play those games as blind as possible, feel free to skip this post! You have been warned.

Oh, and this is also an experiment to see whether or not I’m making a fool of myself by trying to add in HTML to certain places where it may not work– )

In all honesty, anon? No, I hadn’t; not until I saw this in the inbox, and I did a little bit of pondering. It wasn’t too much, and not for too long, but I’ve come to the conclusion that it would be better off for Anri to be dead prior to and during the events of Awakening, unless it was an AU that heavily altered the timeline to the point where the events of Awakening never took place to begin with; while it would be easier RP-wise to have such a verse, I think that would betray some of Awakening’s themes. It’s been a while since I last played Awakening, so I may be somewhat rusty when it comes to the plot, but I have two main points for this:

1. In Awakening, Chrom’s father was stated to be a warmonger, which is why he’s remembered poorly by pretty much the entirety of the game’s cast who remembers him. In a Skype conversation with a few friends of mine– names won’t be named, but they’ll know who they are, with one person in particular hopefully helping me out if I missed something or got something wrong– it’s mentioned how eerily similar some of the actions Chrom makes after the game’s timeskip are to actions Anri would take, with the most notable I feel to be Chrom’s utter lack of hesitance to Robin’s plan to burn the ships during chapter 14 of the Valm arc; after all, they are Plegian ships. Even before chapter 14, this is present– either in the cutscene before before chapter 12 plays, or the cutscene after chapter 12, Chrom absolutely refuses to go to Plegia for assistance; he only goes to them for help when he realises that there’s simply no other option in the fight against Walhart. And do I really need to mention Chapter 9? I won’t for the sake of not spoiling those who haven’t played Awakening yet– which is probably like 7 people or something– but I will mention that in Chapter 10, Chrom is absolutely unwilling to surrender to Mustafa, who was essentially Awakening’s Camus archetype and deserved so much more screen-time. Chrom makes it absolutely clear early on that he aspires to be like Emmeryn, but the way he acts throughout pretty much the entire game goes against that goal, and from what I remember, it’s not until near the end of the game where one of the Khans– either Flavia or Basilio, but I think it was Basilio– calls him out on it. With these details in mind, I think it would be better if Anri stayed dead during the events of Awakening– the man is remembered as a hated warmonger by his own children, Chrom specifically, IIRC; if Chrom were to find an amnesiac Anri, or an Anri who became a hermit, then I feel it’d be a detriment to Chrom’s character, as he’d be able to confront the man himself and air his feelings and grievances– but he can’t. Chrom would never get those answers; based on the Art of Awakening artbook, Chrom is 6 years younger than Emmeryn, and 4 years older than Lissa, as revealed by an illustration with an age 14 Emmeryn, age 8 Chrom, and age 4 Lissa. It’s stated in-game that Emmeryn was crowned Exalt at the age of 9, close to 10 IIRC, making Chrom only about 3-4 years old when Anri died, and making it highly likely that Lissa was born after her father’s death, so Chrom and Lissa would’ve grown up hearing so much hatred and vitriol said about their father– it’s likely that’s how they’ve known him their entire lives.

2. IIRC, it’s never exactly stated why Chrom’s father went to war with Plegia in the first place, although I imagine the most likely belief among the community is that the Exalt was made aware of the Avatar’s birth and the implications of that, so he rode to war to stop that; for this point, I’m going to go a lot more subjective and headcanon-y, which is why I’ll refer to Chrom’s father as Anri from this point on– this goes slightly into detail about the Grimleal breeding programme, but if you want more depth about that, I recommend reading the post(s) written by my close friend Jessica, over at @i-nsubordination; this is also where the spoilers for Marth’s games, Echoes/Gaiden and the Jugdral duology come in, so if you want to stay unspoiled for those games, please stop here. Given that I imagine Anri to be a deeply religious individual, who’s incredibly devout to Naga, I believe that his war on Plegia was, more than anything else, crusade, if you will– a holy war, if you catch my meaning; specifically, the part of Plegian religion revolving around Grima– I’m, of course, referring to the Grimleal. For those who have played or know the synopsis behind Genealogy of the Holy War’s story– referred to as just ‘Genealogy’ or ‘Jugdral’ from here on, even though the latter would like infer both Genealogy and Thracia 776– then you should be aware of the Grimleal’s method of producing an Avatar for Grima through a breeding programme is very similar to the Loptr Sect/Loptyrian Cult’s method of creating a vessel for Loptyr– even though the Grimleal almost certainly would’ve done theirs entirely internally, as Arvis worked with Archbishop Manfroy to make his ideals a reality; Manfroy blackmailed Arvis with his knowledge of Arvis’s minor Loptyr blood, most likely to ensure Arvis’s co-operation. Then Deirdre’s kidnapping and mind-wiping by Manfroy happens in/during Chapter 3 of Genealogy, where she’s left in close proximity of Velthomer castle… where she’s found by Arvis. This is not a coincidence.

“So what?”, you may ask. “What does the story of Genealogy have to do with Anri?” Well, for my interpretation Anri, such stories– alongside the rest of the story behind Genealogy, the tale of Marth’s granduncle, the original Anri– and Anri’s namesake– alongside the tales of Marth himself, and the first Exalt– were all stories he was raised upon, and stories he obsessed over growing up, as these all involve his bloodline; from Tiki and Robin’s B support in Awakening, it’s stated that Chrom is less like Marth and more like ancestor who lived a millennia before Marth; due to the lack of confirmation that the Elibe and Tellius games exist in the same timeline as Jugdral, Archanea/Valentia and Ylisse/Valm, it’s highly likely that this ancestor mentioned by Tiki is none other than Sigurd. This support also confirms that Marth is a distant ancestor of Chrom, dating back two millennia before the events of Awakening– then again, Falchion and the blue probably should’ve done that already, alongside the fact that the Halidom is located roughly around where the various different incarnations of Archanea were, alongside Pyrathi and Caeda’s home, Talys– ironically, Anri and Marth’s homeland, Altea, became part of Plegia instead. The Exalted bloodline also means that, of course, Anri would grow up hearing the stories of the First Exalt, from the previous millennium– just to make that crystal clear, Marth is not the First Exalt. How do we know that the First Exalt lived a millennium before Anri and the events of Awakening? Simple: Grima, and the length of time Grima has slumbered before awakening– that is, before he woke up, hence the lack of capitalisation. Gaiden and Echoes are stated to take place a year after the events of Shadow Dragon; the canonicity of Echoes’s Act 6 is questionable at best among some, since Echoes would seemingly have you believe in the cutscene after finished Duma that the Valentian Falchion remained lodged inside Duma’s skull. However, if the entirety of Act 6 is canon, then that means Alm, Celica and co. managed to ( seemingly ) slay Grima at the bottom of Thabes Labyrinth, likely using Falchion in the process. The stats of the Falchion obtained in Act 5 of Echoes matches the FE1 and FE3 versions of it’s Archanean counterpart in terms of might, while forging it gives it stats equal to the Archanean Falchion from Shadow Dragon DS ( the actual Falchion, not Nagi’s Falchion ) and New Mystery– 12 Might, 100 hit and 0 crit; of course, the Falchion used to seal Grima away by the First Exalt was once the Archanean Falchion, not the Valentian Falchion, but this could imply that both Falchions could get the job done, as both Duma and Mila are sealed in the Valentian Falchion, making it likely that the Valentian Falchion could also seal Grima away. However, in order to reach Grima, the Sage’s Shield must be removed to open a door; it is almost guaranteed that, a thousand years after Alm, Celica and co. leave the Thabes Labyrinth, Grima awakens to wreak havoc across the world, until put to slumber once more by the First Exalt, a thousand years before the events of Awakening.

What’s the point of Anri waging war against Plegia, you may ask? Simple: Anri wages a holy war– a crusade– against Plegia, much like Sigurd and Seliph, in order to combat the still-slumbering Fell Dragon– this time, with the intention of slaying it for good; a way to not only live up to the legacy of his ancestors, but perhaps even surpass them, and ensure his place in history– Anri wanted to be remembered as a hero– but, even more than that, Anri simply wanted to fulfill what he believed to be the will of Naga; he went to war with Plegia because he believed that wiping out the Grimleal was the right course of action– Anri simply would not have an epiphany, and lead a hermit’s lifestyle. But he failed to stop Grima’s return, and he died, which allowed for the events of Awakening to take place. It is for this reason, and I feel for the better of Chrom’s character, that Anri is one of the most important characters in Awakening not seen in the game, alongside Robin’s mother. And it’s why I don’t plan on making a verse where he’s alive during the events of Awakening.

If you’ve stuck with me this far, thank you so much for reading! I have one last thing to say– nothing concrete, but still something interesting; in The Sacred Stones, during Eirika and Saleh’s B-Support, Saleh mentions an important figure in the history of Caer Pelyn– Nada Kuya, the warrior princess. Saleh states,  “I’ve been told she was a strong woman, beautiful and proud. She spoke with the voice of nature, and she lived at one with the earth,”; “well, in ancient times, Caer Pelyn was invaded by a foreign nation,”; “ and leading the charge against the invaders was Nada Kuya. She carried a narrow sword made from a fang gifted to her by the dragonkin. With her dragon blade in her hand, she drove Caer Pelyn’s enemies away.” A princess who fought back against an invading force wielding a sword made from the fang of a dragon… If that doesn’t sound like Marth, I don’t know what does. While this doesn’t confirm that they’re related, or that Magvel is also a part of the Jugdral, Archanea/Valentia and Ylisse/Valm timeline, it’s food for thought. )

[emulatingrizal-blog]

Silent Night

2015-46154 | Section MHD

           Waking up, I find myself amidst the abyss.

           Cold sweat runs through my face.

           Somehow, I feel a sense of urgency and danger.

           “This is bad…”

           I start running aimlessly into the darkness.

Each step, I can feel something relishing in my struggle. My feet begin to feel sore. It’s becoming unbearable to run.

I take a breather to relieve myself.

           All of a sudden, a cold hand clasps on my shoulder.

           Tense electricity fills the air,

           I slowly looked back to receive the haunting gaze of someone, or something.

           A bloodcurdling shriek filled the air.

           In that instant I reawaken. Greeted by a distant gunshot. Again to this living nightmare. San Diego, the place I call home.

It was still dawn when I woke.

           “You’re having those nightmares ain’t ya kid?” asks the old man coming into my view.

           “It’s fine I’m used to it.”

The old man proceeds to prepare the now finished tinolang manok. Looks like breakfast is ready. I help the old man set our table.

Name’s Raphael by the way. Folks ‘round here know me as Raffy.  The old man here who’s prepping the dishes is Tandang Selo.

We sat down on the table and ate.

“Time’s have been rough nowadays huh…”

“You can say that again.” I replied.

“Better stay up here and keep safe don’t ya think? There’s been reports that kids your age are being killed off as well.”

“I’ll keep a low profile, the Guwardiya Sibil are acquainted with me anyways. I won’t be letting something of that scale happen again.”

“Are you still feeling guilty about it? It wasn’t your fault kid and you couldn’t have done something about it.”

I feel a sharp pain welling in my stomach.

We continued to eat our meal in silence as we pondered over the killings that occurred last night. Would be nice if it was just tonight though.

I waved him farewell as I head down to town.

Growing up wasn’t extremely hard. The good folk around the fringes of the town would always give me what I needed.

Not that I forced them for it of course.  

I may sound like some hoodlum but I’m just a kid. Around 12 or so? Never really cared about my age.

This is what living in the streets does to you I suppose.

It wasn’t all bad. Folks round here would give you a hand or two, regardless if you know em well or not. Such was my case when Tata Selo took me in when he was in town.

I never really knew my parents. Not that I care for them though. Tandang Selo said he heard me crying and then he saw me, inside a trashbin in town. He took me in ever since I was a kid.

When he told me the truth I never really questioned it. We looked far differently to be considered as father and son but he treated me as his own nonetheless.

When I ain’t roaming the streets of San Diego looking for odd jobs and supplies back home, I’m assisting Old Man Selo in the mountains. He basically became my old man and provided me a home.

I often go to town working for my clients. Most of which involved running errands for them as they were all small businesses. Bring stuff here, carry stuff there. Just the clean stuff with no dirty penny involved. They also spared food along with the payment as well. Feels nice to have good folk thriving.

Recently though, most of them are laying low.

Once Governor-General Dutierto succeeded Aquenas, everything went south real quick.

He had this vision of a holy war, one which fought against drugs and their users.

The parians were hit the most, legal at first, their were patrons shot down along with it. Those who’ve triggered slight suspision of being under the influence of drugs were persecuted. Some were never seen again.

Small-time businesses followed suit shortly after. Whethere they were against the local administration or not, they were under heavy inspections. Most of which end up in getting their places sacked or their establishments utterly destroyed. The righteous of those whom I’ve worked for have fallen one by one fell through this “inspections” with only a handful of my clients remaining.

Then there was the beginning of the “Purification”. On some nights, the Guwardiya Sibil would roam about the streets. Those who’re caught in the streets during those nights are killed on sight. They also do the raids on houses who’re harboring the “source of corruption”. The night before was one such night.

I walk along the main road as I notice blood traces along a wall, where a Mang Tonyo, a cigar vendor, used to setup his wares.

The thought of him being beaten up raced through me. I winced at the thought as I averted my gaze from the harrowing wall.  

The ones who orchestrate this, the Guwardiya Sibil, are truly animals. With the vilest one, Alferes, leading the whole operation. He’s been handpicked for being “efficient” in carrying out the deed. All I can see is a lush drunk who has problems with his wife. I’ve met him before, and I don’t like him as much like he don’t like me. He’s a vile scumbag I assure you. Most of his decisions are influenced by his fits of rage, hence the mass number of killings.

Truly a time to be alive. With this just only the beginning.

I walk towards the church with a dejected look. It’s Sunday once again, and unfortunately for me, to get myself off the hook, I became a Sacristan.

At first, the sacristan mayor was having none of me. They soon realized that with my build and frame, I can run errands too and from the church. I soon realize that some of them are pretty nasty stuff.

The vilest thing I did for them was delivering a list of people who have confessed to the parish priest their sin of indulging in drugs. I soon knew what was written on the list after a night of horrors where about 50 were killed.

While this may weigh on my conscience, I decide to absolve myself of guilt.

Or so I hoped that would be the case.

With each passing night the screams fluctuate with my nightmares. Causing me to slowly slip away from sanity.

           Hopefully these sacrifices are worth it in the end.

I do these things to protect the only semblance of family I have, aside from Tandang Selo. My two brothers, Basilio and Crispin.

           I rang the bells alongside them. Ringing it in unison.

I smile as I see Basilio help with Crispin with the ropes. Scrawny as they may, they posses true grit. What I do admire on them is what I yearn for, their purity. What they may lack in raw strength, they make up with their heart.

           “You okay kuya Raffy?”  Crispin asks me.

“More than ever.”

The session ended eventually. The proceedings were the usual though, people mucking around with their phones whilst the priest endlessly used every other minute to “inspire” people in “help build the house of the Lord”. There was also some promotion here and there that this “Holy War was decreed by Him.”

           Nothing but a load of shit if you ask me.

We went down from the bell tower, greeted by the beatings of the wailings of our colleagues from the beatings of our heads.

           “Screw up one more time and it’s back to the streets of with you pendejo!”

           “Sorry father!”

The Sacristan Mayor turns toward our direction.

           “And you three brats! What are you doing lazing off!”

           “We were just taking a break father. We’re gonna sweep the aisles immediately” Crispin tensely replied

           “How dare you take a break in my presence cabron!”

He raises his hand to hit Crispin but I intercepted his attack.

           “Our part of the service is finished father. We’re taking our leave.”

           “How dare you speak against me you insolent twat!”

           “I’ve already done my part of the bargain earlier this week with me fetching the blood and body of Christ. You also agreed to refrain from hitting the other sacristan as long as I’m offering my services to you did you not?”

The sacristan mayor with a loss of words trailed off

           “We’ll be taking our leave father.”

He looked at me with dangerous eyes

           “You’ll have your day boy”

We proceeded to walked out of the church. The two brothers ran outside ahead of me.

“Let’s go Kuya Raffy!” Crispin calls me

I readily nodded but was took aback with and uncharacteristic look from Basilio.

“Kuya Raffy, I have something to discuss with you” whispers Basilio as he inched in closer.

I nodded as the two of us we walked behind Crispin gleefully humming “Our Father”.

“I saw him die…” Basilio stammered.

I gave him a reassuring pat on the back. “Don’t worry about it, you have me to back you up.” I replied.

Looks like the fear of the nightly horrors has finally gotten into him too.

           “Add to that, the sacristan mayor is blaming me for the missing 200 pesos and are prosecuting me to pay for it? We don’t even have the money to feed our family?!”

           “Don’t stress it out too much. The first one who trips will be the one washing our clothes remember?” I jokingly said. “I’ll try to pull you out of this.”

           “Besides, Pilosopong Tasio is on the side of us small folks, he’s the reason why I can defend you against that scumbag. He’d defend us just fine in court. Especially with Crispin is one of his beloved students. We have enough evidence to plead for child abuse under him.”

He replied with thanks and an exasperated sigh.

Looks like he’s fine now.

           The dream however wasn’t.

One of our lifelines was Crispin’s teacher, Pilosopong Tasio. True to his name he is wise although a bit too cynical. He’s the reason why it seems that I have my way with the sacristan mayor. He could process the case and told me that he could be jailed for violating laws on minors or stuff like that.

As much as I would like to be with him on believing that true change would be vested upon the next generations, I think that may not be the case as those with the voices are being killed off, young and old. The only thing keeping him alive is the aftermath it would probably befall the administration by killing of intellectuals.

           At least, according to him.

For the meantime, we brushed over the thought of Crispin dying. We spend the rest of the afternoon playing on the hills, flying kites and whatnot. While it may be as fancy as those posh inner town folks have, it certainly is more than enough for us.

           As the sun sets, we lay on the hills watching the sun fade away in the horizon.

           “Kuya Raffy, if you succeeded the governor-general, what would you do?” Crispin asks.

I honestly haven’t thought about it. I don’t even know who my parents. What more in running the country? I shook my head in defeat and passed the question to the both of them.

           “I have nothing but I guess having a more attainable education would be nice?” replies Basilio.

           “How about healthcare and housing? If I were the governor-general, I would get all galleons from Spain carry equal amounts of goods to our country! I would also establish schools as well and give people jobs!” exclaims a gleeful Crispin.

           “Then how about go to the school Senior Ibarra is establishing? The inaguaration draws near.” said Basilio.

I’ve heard of the guy. Rumors say he’s a visionary with a plan. As much as I’d like to follow suit there’s no way he can proceed with such resistance present posed by a ruthless government.

           And yet I still cling to this flimsy concept known as hope.

I ask the two if there’s anything left for them to do today.

           “We were supposed to ring the bells later this evening.” said Basilio.

I nodded and wished them well

The sun sets on the three of us as dark clouds loom overhead. I took my leave looking for errands to run.

After a few hours of searching, I found no luck.

To make matters worse, it was pouring hard.

Most of the small-time shoppes have closed down. This is probably to escape the suspicion of any shady activity from the Guwardiya Sibil.

I resigned myself in defeat as I started making my way back to the mountains.

Along the way, I passed Captain Tiago’s house. Looks like he’s having another party. He notices me and gives me some take aways for me and my Old Man. I continued forward after expressing thanks.

I passed by the town square and check the time.

           “Already pass 11 huh…”

Somehow, I get an uneasy feeling. I make my way towards the church. To my surprise, the lights are still on at the sacristan mayor’s quarters this late at night.

I snuck in the bushes to hear on the commotion.        

I hear someone being smacked and shouted at.

           “WHERE’S THE MONEY YOU STOLE BOY!”

           “I DON���T KNOW WHERE IT IS PLEASE LET ME GO! MY BROTHER DID NOTHING WRONG!”

           The doors burst open with Basilio kicking it down.

In shock, the sacristan mayor unintentionally smacked the back of Crispin’s neck, followed by a lifeless yelp, and an enraged Basilio.

I burst through the window and stopped Basilio from completely murdering the sacristan mayor as Guwardiya Sibil guards prepared to open fire.

I grabbed Basilio who was still seething with rage.

           “IF YOU DIE HERE YOUR BROTHER’S DEATH WOULD BE IN VAIN!”

I pulled him over as we made way for the nearest exit, rushing toward the staircase of the bell tower.

Thunder crashed down as flashes of lightning blinded our pursuers. Each step becoming heavier as we near our destination.

By the time we reached the top, sirens were already blaring beneath us. The footsteps of our pursuers fast approaching.

I scanned at the back of end of the church near the graveyard.

           A forest!

Without hesitation, I urged him to the ropes and led the way down. The wet rain helped us grip the now soaked roap as we made our way down quickly. Gunshots whizzed past us as we head straight for the forest.

We were only a few inches away when my luck ran out. A bullet grazed my left leg rendering me incapable of walking.

Basilio dragged me into the forest but I knew me being dead weight would cut my chances for our survival.

           “Head to the mountains and look for Tandang Selo.” I told him as I was tending my wound. “He will tend to your needs”

           “But my mother!”

           “It’s dangerous to go back! You’ll only get yourself and your mother killed! Would your brother want that!”

Urgent voices of Civil Guards fill the air.

           “I know it sucks that you may lost the two of us in one night but… Remember that even if we’re not here anymore, our thoughts still carry on. Live for us. Carry on our hopes and dreams. Be the one that sees everything until the end!”

           A sniffling Basilio nodded.

           “Be strong brother! Tata Selo would care for you. Tell him… tell him I’m sorry for not saying and… thanks for everything.”

           Our conversation was cut short with a gunshot hitting me on the chest.

           I made a weak smile as I wave my friend good bye one last time.

           My eyes grow heavy as he fades into the night

           My consciousness slowly fading

           But I am not met with darkness

           Not with screams

           Not with gunshots

           Nothing

Everything’s slowly fading from my view, my senses distorted, my thought only intact

           “He will make it!” I thought to myself.

As a sharp pain pierces through my body, I am met with light.

I see one last image of my friend amongst it. Him holding a book dressed with a suit.

           A vision of the future.

While I may not have seen the end and lay amongst the fallen, I’ve entrusted it to someone I know who will. A San Diego at relative peace, free from the nightmares that plague it.

           Not just for him nor his brother, but for a simple dream everyone in this nightmare wants back.

Silent nights.        

I’am absolved of guilt, as I join those who’ve fallen before me.

I smiled as I resigned myself to fate.

           “I guess no more nightmares from here on out huh?”