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[destinian]

[destinian]

He hadn't gotten to know her well enough to have a perfect birthday gift, but he wanted to try. What kinds of things did sons do for their moms?

Roy approached Ninian armed with a few little things, anxious to do this right. "Mother, happy birthday." He held out a small vase of pale blue flowers first, smiling as he presented them. "These felt like your favorite color to me. And on the vase, that's an aquamarine necklace. It isn't much, just on a cord, but I thought you'd like it."

Then...

The final thing he offered to her was a small baked good that was probably like a cake in its intended nature. The object had a messy, uneven layer of frosting on it, some blue and some white with no discernible pattern, and a single candle stuck crookedly in the middle. "Um... this was. Well. The frosting is very difficult to control. I will train myself to do better next time," he solemnly promised.

Mother. The word is so unfamiliar still to hear ears but Ninian is filled with such warmth each time she hears her son call her it. Just looking at him and seeing the features he shares with Eliwood and the features he shares with her come together is enough to fill her with an undescribable sense of joy. This really is her son. Living, breathing proof that dragons and humans can set aside their pain and differences and come together.

He hands her a gift and her face lights up. She's never celebrated her birthday with anyone other than Nils. Not that she's able to remember anyway. The flowers are beautiful and she puts the necklace on right away. She wonders if Eliwood tells him in their future about her preference for icy blue. Is that how he knows what color flowers to give her?

But it isn't the flowers or the necklace that really catch her eye. No, it's the cake. It certainly isn't the most expertly decorated but that doesn't matter. He made it special just for her. She can see the love he put into it in each glob of icing and each stroke trying to even it out.

"Roy...it's perfect..." She would hug him if her arms weren't so full but instead she leans in to give him a shot peck on his cheek. Mothers kiss their sons, right? "Can we share it...with Lord Eliwood...with your father? And Nils...my brother is here now. We could be...a family together."

[destinian]

" I mustve really joined at the right time! Happy birthday Sister... Here you are! I hope you enjoy your gift "

"Nils..."

She hadn't realized how close to her birthday it had been when she first reunited with him here. Now it feels almost as though he had this planned the whole time. Her whole little family is here now. Her brother, her fiance, the son she will one day give birth to. She hopes Nils will see Eliwood and Roy as family too.

"I don't need any gifts...you're here...we're together again."

[destinian]

"Ninian?! Is that you! You're actually here! Thank goodness-!! I missed you so much. I-Im just so happy that you're okay!"

Not once has Ninian regretted her choice to remain behind with Lord Eliwood and humanity. Even with the knowledge that this choice will cut her life short, she knows her place is here. But it hasn't stopped her from missing her brother every day and wondering what things would be like had she gone with Nils back through the Dragon's Gate.

It's lonely without him.

She wishes he could be here to see how happy she is with Eliwood and all of their friends. She wishes he could meet Roy.

Ninian's eyes widen when she hears that familiar voice call out her name. But it can't be. Still, she turns and there he is. A smile breaks out across her face and she runs to him, pulling him into an embrace and confirming that he is really here.

"Nils...you're here...! I'm so...happy! I didn't think...but you're here! There is...so much to tell you."

[destinian]

Eyes widen and Ninian freezes as though caught in the blizzard magic favored by Nergal's creations. Another one is here. Another one managed to escape fate and find her again. If Lord Eliwood was here, she might have clung to him for support. If it was Nils, she might have stepped protectively between them. But she is alone and she freezes.

They speak and their voice sends chills down her spine. Their questions even more so. The morph brings up the moment Ninian tries so very hard to forget. She knows Lord Eliwood would never ever hurt her, not willingly, not on purpose, but she still tenses each time she sees him with a sword in his hand. Her body remembers.

Ninian doesn't know how to answer. She doesn't want to offer Limstella anything they could use against her or Lord Eliwood or any of their friends. She has lied before but omitting the truth is easier than spinning a new tale.

"Yes......" she answers slowly and timidly, allowing them to believe their own conclusion is true. "It was."

Eyes rise cautiously and meet theirs. "Why are you...here?" Her voice is shaky at first but begins to build a small amount of confidence. "I have...nothing you want...not anymore."

@destinian

Is the monastery simply full of those once dead? That is their first thought when they see her — verdigris hair, blood-red eyes. She wears her hair the same way, moves the same, lilting, dancing, half-falling way. They watch her for many moments before they decide to approach.

They realize, only when they are close enough for her to see them, that they do not know what to say. So you live? Clearly. You chose to remain in this world? Obviously. But then, a new thought— and their eyes widen, minutely.

“Was your death, then, a farce? A plan between you and the Pheraen lordling?” How interesting... Is she truly so bold?

[destinian]

Ninian had been worried when she first enrolled in the Officer’s Academy that being around so many people, so many humans would draw attention to her.  But, so far, it has proven to be quite the opposite.  It has been refreshingly easy to lose herself among the other students.  She has only felt as though she stands out on rare occasions.  It’s nice being able to integrate so easily.  She’s generally left alone and doesn’t have to worry about unwanted curiosity and the few times she has been approached (Leanne comes first to mind) have been pleasant.

Perhaps she has become a little too used to it.  When Idunn approaches her in the dining hall she practically jumps and her tea spills.

Her first instinct is to deny the accusation. Claim she's not a dragon, she's just a regular human girl. But this other student continues and admits that she is the same. Wide crimson eyes get a better look at Idunn and Ninian is quick to believe her. She has that Look about her.

"Don't say it...so loud," Ninian whispers.

The thought of a friend, a dragon friend is so enticing. It had been her and Nils for so long but now he's gone. She doesn't regret it, she can't regret it, but she misses him every day. Both as her dear brother and as a source of familiar comfort. She misses having someone similar to confide in.

"My name...is Ninian. I would like...to be friends." A small smile tilts the corners of her lips upward.

✢⁎. the lizards are playing amongus again

It’s dinner time, and Idunn can sense something strange.

Like an obelisk protruding from a sea of students, like a great oak in the middle of a vineyard, it is there. It slaps her in the face as she walks, brings tingles to her skin with each turn of her head. Idunn knows this feeling. It’s the kind she gets around little Fae and the halflings,

She isn’t the only dragon in this dining hall. 

Her meal is gathered in a heartbeat, the simple saghert and cream quick to cool if she doesn’t locate the sensation’s source. It is a sweet meal, hardly that of a dinner. But it’s the closest thing Idunn can get to fresh fruit. At times like these, in new and daunting environments where home is so, so far away, comfort foods are what she must subsist on. So her feet shuffle through the crowd of students, eyes glancing over porcelain plates and wooden benches–until finally she comes into view: Ninian.

The sirens blare against her skin, each sensation of a dragon’s presence felt a thousand times against her eyes and her ears. Idunn is sure it’s her. She wastes no further time in approaching the frost-touched maiden, setting her tray down with plain motions.

“You.” Spoken with an air of detachment, “You are a dragon.” And again, using a tone to indicate fact.

No emotion can be seen against her features. No smile, no frown–no excitement nor dismay in her mismatched eyes. Everything is perfectly neutral and sterile, down to even the smallest of muscle arrangements in her cheeks and chin. When Idunn sits, it is also with this lifeless poise. Her food rests just across from the other’s, though now it is the furthest thing in her mind.

“My name is Idunn. I am… Also a dragon,” tough to admit after being told for so long to keep her identity a secret, but she’s learning, “I think we should be… Friends. Yes, friends…” Because if she is anything else like those who carry draconic blood, this girl will be nice. She will be kind. She will have a heart for understanding. The unspoken rule that one will die long before the other does not apply to a pair of wyrms.

This bond is one of the few things Idunn has instantly wanted. And besides the Occam’s Razor, she knows no way to attain it.  

//starter for @destinian

[destinian]

So Won't the Real Lady Lyndis Please Stand Up?

When you break the news about the imposter lords to one of the villages, they naturally react in horror and shame for being deceived. However, something goes awry when the message is passed along to the village elders. A miscommunication down the line leads these leaders, half-blind and three-quarters-deaf, to believe that you are the “real Lyndis”. Whether you are or not, there is little you can do to convince them otherwise, and so they demand you make things right. [Grants +1 Authority]

It had taken all of the courage Ninian could muster to stand before the village elders and explain that whoever was causing trouble in their village surely could not be the real and true Lady Lyn. Lady Lyn is noble and kind and would never hurt anyone! That is why Ninian stands up for her. She knows Lyn would do the same for her. Lyn has done the same for her. Ninian will never forget the way she rushed to retrieve her stolen ring even though doing so put herself at risk. Even if she is afraid, she will do whatever she can to help her friend!

It goes well at first. Ninian is believed and given an audience with the elders. But somehow, her message is misheard or misunderstood and now Ninian is being accused of being the imposter Lyn. The anciently oldest leader of the elders grabs her by the wrist with surprising strength and begins to drag her about the village demanding reparations for the various acts of mischief its people have suffered.

"B-but...I'm not..."

"Nonsense!" The elder hollers over Ninian's timid attempts to explain. "Ya look just like that Lyndis from earlier! Who else could you be!"

As the poor dragon girl is dragged to the location of the first of her supposed crimes, luck is kind enough to allow her to catch a glimpse of a familiar face. She manages a smile for it seems it does not matter what sort of trouble she manages to get herself into, her Eliwood will always be there to get her out of it again.

"Lord Eliwood!" She cries out, crimson eyes pleading up at him as she struggles against the grip around her wrist. "Please...help me..."

@pheraean

[destinian]

January Activity

Points Earned: 1

Check: Reason + 1

Skill Changes

Reason E+ -> D (Blizzard)

Classes Accessed

Monk

[destinian]

fangedjustice​:

“…I do not, nor did I want to before. That does not change the fact that I still tried to against my better judgment. You are kind despite what you’ve been through, but I would caution you to not be so…quick to trust if you see anyone else from the Fang in these lands,” Lloyd warned, some of his anxiety quelled by her words. She spoke slowly and carefully, and none of what she said or how she said it felt dishonest.

He could vouch for his brother, but if anyone else had survived, he couldn’t be so sure. Jaffar had been at Nergal’s side from the start, and Ursula had taken to Sonia with a startling swiftness.

Confusion leaked into Lloyd’s guarded expression as the girl almost began to plead.

“You? Hurt someone? I have to say, this would be news to me…We may not have crossed paths much, but you always seemed…unwell when I caught sight of you.” When they were not on the run from the Black Fang’s agents, they had been locked up. They were just children, weak and under duress, how could she think herself a danger to others?

“It’s not you directly that I’m concerned about, lass. I don’t know why you were so valuable to Nergal, but I know that some of his…followers survived. I worry about who might have followed you across the water.”

Ninian tenses again and her eyes widen.  She had seen someone here in the monastery that, if she hadn’t known better, she would have sworn was one of Nergal’s morphs.  No, even then, she knew they had to be one of them.  As much as she tried to reason with herself that they had all died, she could still sense the strange inhumaness about them.

Their strange golden eyes were unmistakable.  There is something so unsettling yet almost comfortingly familiar about the eyes of the morphs.

“I...” She wonders a moment if she should tell Lloyd about what she saw but firmly decided that, yes, he should know.  It wouldn’t be right to hide it from him just because she was scared.  Lloyd could be an ally now.  “I..saw one of them.  The one called...Ephidel.  They were...here.  I...don’t know if he saw me...I ran away.”

She doubts that a morph would need to see her to know of her presence.  It’s not a comforting thought.

“The Dragon’s Gate...is closed.  Why...why would they follow me...here...?”  She holds her arms tightly around herself.

[destinian]

FE Inktober day 10: Dancer

Ninian, my beloved <3

[destinian]

fangedjustice​:

There is some trepidation in her reaction to coming face to face with him here, but not nearly what he would have expected considering their limited but poor history. She does not move to make any distance between them, and though Lloyd doesn’t intend to cause her any harm, he thinks it isn’t the response she should be giving him.

“You think it wise to engage me like this?” Lloyd asked instead, remaining utterly still as he regarded the girl. For all that there was a clear distrust in the air between them, she had not run, had not called for help– she was talking with him. For all the hardship and trouble she’d suffered at the hands of the Black Fang on Nergal’s orders, he was not expecting her to be willing to speak or be around him. Part of him wanted to call her foolish, and the other part wondered if this was some sort of elaborate scheme. 

He was suddenly very, very aware now of all the people around. The voices, the noise, the movement. 

Forcing out a slow breath, Lloyd willed himself to back down from the mounting sensation that something was going to go wrong here. “I’m sorry. I’m sure you’re more…bothered by my presence than I am by yours – and rightfully so – it is…difficult to trust that you are here for unrelated reasons.” But, then again, he’d run into too many familiar faces from the other side of the conflict here, and so far, it had all been unrelated. But he knew about them, could dig into family histories and routines and all manner of things to give himself a mental safety net. As bizarre as it was, it still made sense for lords to come to a school designed for shaping future leaders.

This girl, however…he knew so little about, and yet, she and her brother had been such a focus in the Black Fang’s fatal motivations. But he didn’t know why, and not knowing why Nergal and his minions had been so keen on the siblings made him wary and downright paranoid.

“…I came here to try and right some wrongs. Avoiding a drawn out death in Bern was also high on the priority list,” Lloyd eventually admitted, shifting in such a way as to put his back to the stall they were nearest to, allowing himself a better field of vision. 

Just in case.

“I am not here for you, or any of your companions, if that is your worry. I would assume we are both…trying to move on from what happened.”

He’s nervous.  She makes him nervous.  Of course she does.  With his connections to Nergal, he must know what she is, what she’s capable of, what she’s done.  

“I’m not...bothered.”  She isn’t afraid either.  “You don’t want...to hurt us.  You were...kind...to Lord Eliwood.”  He wouldn’t stand around here talking to her if he had a darker intent.  And Nergal is gone.  

Wary is perhaps a better word.  But that is only because of the strange, unsettling person she almost ran into in the hallways.  The one she would have sworn was one of Nergal’s morphs if she hadn’t known they all died.

But she died too, hadn’t she?

Ninian doesn’t like knowing that he doesn’t trust her.  He has every reason not to but that’s not who she wants to be.  She doesn’t want to be the feared beast.  She just wants to settle into a normal life as a normal person.

“I am here...with Lord Eliwood.  And our friends.  I don’t want to hurt anyone...not again.  Please...believe me...”

Lloyd is right.  She is trying to move on as well.  She had been given a second chance at life and she hopes to use this one to do some good.  Her choices and mistakes caused so much grief in the home land she loves.  She owes the people of Elibe to do better this time.

[destinian]

Ninian freezes. She has tried so hard to conceal what she truly is. She kept it hidden, even lied to Lord Eliwood about it. And this other girl is somehow able to take one look at her and immediately figure out her draconic heritage. It frightens her.

It would frighten her more if the girl before her wasn't sporting a big set of beautiful feathered wings.

Ninian's hands move to her ears making sure their pointed tips are still hidden beneath ice blue hair locks and hair decorations. When she is satisfied that it was, at least, not her ears that gave her away, crimson eyes blink at Leanne.

"I..." She pauses. Her instinct is to continue the lie but Leanne is so open and so friendly and so clearly different herself. And it would be nice to have someone like her to talk with sometimes now that Nils has gone back through the Dragon's Gate. "I am..." her voice drops to a whisper, "...a dragon. But I...cannot transform any longer."

Slowly, she reaches out her own hand to shake Leanne's. Even after hearing all of this, Leanne still smiles and welcomes her. Ninian is still quite on edge and ready to run at the first sign of trouble but she manages to offer Leanne a small smile in return for her kindness and warmth.

"Please...if you would...keep my secret..."

destinian​:

someone like me

Ninian has noticed Leanne many times. Of course she has! With such big, beautiful wings protruding from her back, how could she not! And she is oh so curious about them but she doesn’t ask. She can’t. She knows what it feels like to be so very different from everyone else around her. She doesn’t want to draw attention to it even if she does find it wonderful.

Leanne approaches her anyway with a smile and an openness that startles Ninian. She’s so welcoming and friendly that Ninian is able to lift her eyes from the ground and really get a good look at the woman before her.

“Ninian,” she answers quietly. “But I’m not…I don’t know…what a laguz is.”

It’s not entirely the truth. As much as Leanne is able to sense Ninian’s draconic heritage, she is able to sense that Leanne is not quite like the others here even if she didn’t have her wings. She can’t explain it or even put her finger on it fully but perhaps an air of familiarity exists around her.

“Oh…a laguz is. It’s the term used in Tellius to describe people who can transform into an animal form, and retain parts of that form in their beorc–human–this state. The way we are now.” Leanne is stumbling over her words, which is less than ideal for someone explaining language, but it’s difficult! The word ‘human’ doesn’t carry the same implications here as it does in Tellius, but she doesn’t know if it’s the same wherever Ninian is from. “I apologize for assuming…do you use a different term, maybe?”

Leanne is still near-positive that Ninian is a laguz–or whatever they’re called in her homeland. Though if she’s really focusing, the feeling is somewhere between Kurthnaga and…Soren?

She could be Branded, Leanne realizes. A half-blood. Does she want to hide her identity because of the stigma, if it is the same in her homeland? Leanne does not subscribe to the idea that Branded are some kind of awful mistakes to be avoided; in fact, they are the product of a love that persists through discrimination, and that is something to be celebrated, is it not?

“I would like to get to know you, Ninian!” Leanne extends a hand to her. She will make sure Ninian feels welcome here, this is her mission! “Welcome to Garreg Mach!”

[destinian]

“ Ah, Lady Ninian! Are you still searching for your Winter Envoy? I've been allowed to give a hint to those still seeking their own out, so allow me to lend you some assistance. Your Winter Envoy is someone that looks after others on the battlefield, holding a tender heart for others to try and rescue or help save them whatever way they can.

“ I wish the best of luck to the rest of your search, Lady Ninian, and a happy holiday to you as well! ”

It seems her envoy shares values with her. Ninian isn't sure how helpful the hint will be though. She's only stood beside a handful of people here on the battlefield. But she doesn't want to disappoint Sir Kent. Perhaps she can feel it out based on vibes?

Wide eyes blink at him as her head tilts. "Thank you...Sir Kent. I will do...my best."

@gentlenekomata

Ninian approaches Sakura timidly. She seems quiet and gentle. Someone who might share a desire to save others.

"Excuse me was this...from you? I want...to thank you..."

[destinian]

December Activity

Points Earned: 1

Check: Reason+ 1

Skill Changes

Reason E -> E+

[destinian]

“Did you do this?” he asked without preamble, holding the cake out to Ninian and trying to ignore the peculiar way his senses tingled when being close to her.

It takes Ninian a moment to fully process what Soren asks her. There is something about him that she can't quite place. Something she's felt in the presence of quite a few people now and she can't decide if it's comforting or unsettling.

"...no..." she finally answers. "I am...sorry..."

[destinian]

“ Ninian! ” Kent performs a bow before standing tall again and giving a rigid salute. “ I have been tasked with telling you of your recipient for the Winter Festival event. You shall find your recipient is a face you know very well: Lord Hector.

“ I… will not pretend to speak as if I know him any better than you do, but it is my sincerest wish to aid you in preparing an appropriate gift for the man. ” He looks regretful for a moment but quickly continues on, “ Of course, the usual expectations of military interests are there as is his great fondness for Lord Eliwood, but I could not help but notice that Lord Hector scratched out one of his interests and quite heavily at that… it might be that there is something he enjoys that he is afraid to let me know. Perhaps Lord Eliwood would know better on the subject? I imagine it is something we would not expect, in any case. What a boon it would be, to discover it and be able to give him something like that…

“ Ah! But I digress. Beyond that, he voiced a desire to relax in a more… ” He pauses, trying to find a way to articulate it, clearly. “ … humble way, so to speak. I am not sure if it would be of any aid to you, but he was willing to let us know that his favorite color was red, as well. Beyond that, he was not very willing to speak much more. Still, know that I am rooting for your success, Ninian. If there is somehow anything I can do to assist… ah, well, in the limitations of the event, of course. ”

Ninian can't hold back her smile when she learns exactly who it is she must find a gift for. She is quite glad that it is someone she knows. Finding something meaningful for a stranger would be difficult.

But more importantly, she is glad for the chance to show Hector that she cares about him. She still remembers his boisterous laughter as he scooped her brother up onto his shoulders in the Nabata Desert. He didn't have to be as kind to the siblings as he was.

"Thank you...Sir Kent. I will see...what Lord Eliwood suggests. I want Lord Hector to be happy."

@braveryinblue in case you're curious what was said about hec!

[destinian]

“Whilst you’re here,” Hilda suddenly spoke up, before the girl could retreat to continue seeking out her mystery gifter, “you wouldn’t happen to have sent me the most gorgeous dress, would you?” The pair, whilst belonging to the same house, weren’t very well acquainted, but the note had eluded as such.

Ninian tenses a moment as Hilda speaks up again, calling her back from retreating but she quickly relaxes as the other girl explains herself. Her envoy still remains a mystery as well. She had thought the difficulty was due to her being a new student but perhaps it is hard for everyone.

"No...I was assigned someone else. But I hope...you find them soon."