joshuafireemblem

[joshuafireemblem]

Stepping over the creature, Joshua is crude in his handling of the animal. Sitting beside the deer, a cloth is brought out of a small satchel. The shiny blade is wiped thoroughly, seemingly more worried about whether the blade had become damaged.

"I dunno. Maybe if we can get our hands on a bird, we can sew the wings on?" It wasn't as if they were told to hunt a specific creature, and there wasn't even any confirmation that there were beasts of note nearby. This could all be some elaborate prank, sending earnest hunters on a wild goose chase just for kicks. 

Tapping the knife to his knee, he looks over the small deer once more. "Well, even if this won't do, we can skin it and eat it tonight. Might even have extra if we're good about it..." the redhead muses, before chuckling. "Could also use it as bait... see if we can lure something more "legendary" out and make that our beast." The pelt would make some good money, at the very least. A consolation prize should they not succeed in getting the bow.

"You ever hunt where you were from?" While trying to make conversation, the deer would be wrapped in the slightly reddened cloth and then bagged in some shoddy knapsack. No point in getting bloody now. 

It's moments like these where Joshua was reminded of his younger years. For a short time before he found his passion in gambling, hunting was his way of surviving. Young, trying to make it day by day, too weak to properly hold or shoot a bow, he had more luck standing still in a river and jabbing fish with a blade, one so rusty that no sane person would dare to put that fish anywhere near their mouth. 

The desert was different, though. These woods were vast, a different gamble compared to what he was used to. 

The Bow Can't be That Cool, Surely?

Bows +1 | Showcase

[joshuafireemblem]

What really defines a legendary creature? Is it some mythical power or authority it holds? Is it something that’s rare? An amalgamation of several creatures? When does a mutation become a thing of legends? And most importantly, why was an off colored stag a legendary beast?

These questions repeat through Joshua’s head as he tracks slowly through the woods. The grass whistles, wind rolling off each blade. Those delicate noises flow through, enveloping the bark of rowan and alder trees, great in size. Shadows dance, shaped by the leaves, guided by the gentle hymn of the breeze. A distant chirp accentuates the medley, followed by bullets as a woodpecker finds its next meal.

Dirt cakes his boots and legs, pants ripped from catching on stray thorns and thickets. Mud mixes with oil, seeping into each pore, only made worse with each step. Hands wrapped in dirty bandages, small specks of red decorate what would otherwise be a cacophony of browns and white. 

Still, his carmine iris has a target. Hunting in the woods was far different then the desert. The same snakes still dug into their holes, yet a fire would burn the same when lit. 

A sudden stillness holds the pursuit. Off hand flicking upwards on his waist, a knife is hooked around his middle finger. Swiveling, cold steel glints in a stray ray of light. Tossed up, his thumb slides across the blade, the rest of his fingers ready to throw. Another moment to aim before his dagger is let loose, pinning what would be an otherwise normal deer in the neck.

It cries out, before collapsing. It breathes slow, red creeping out to stain the dirt. Quick to walk over, the poor creature is put out of its misery. A sigh, looking back to his fellow hunter.

“Well, in about four hours, we’ve killed a deer. You think this’ll be enough?” It wouldn’t. He knew that. 

@craneswings

The Bow Can't be That Cool, Surely?

Bows +1 | Showcase

[joshuafireemblem]

Arms are crossed as the mercenary observes the training. They were soldiers, though that was... generous. Stances were off, legs not far enough off, arms more akin to chicken wings, these gentlemen and women had never been given the chance to be anything aside from some faceless fodder. Nobles were all the same, unafraid of letting others die for their own selfish gains.

This cowardice was why Joshua ran. It would be less humiliating to lose everything than to see the people he was supposed to rule suffer like this.

Pulled from those thoughts, Joshua would shake his head a little. "Yeah, sure, I can show 'em the ropes," said with some grit to it, he'd reach for his blade. He steps up as the other redhead steps back.

"First rule you all are gonna have to learn if you're gonna be soldiers, knights, mercenaries, bandits, or anything of the sort: the enemy isn't gonna take pity on you because you're inexperienced. They're gonna kill you. They will not play fair." Rather serious for the mercenary, there is a smirk that arises. "So why should you?" Flourishing his dull training sword, he beckons for Sylvain to step up.

"I'll give you a proper show of what you're to expect." In his other hand, a coin dances between dexterous knuckles until it comes to rest above the nail of his thumb, ready to be flipped.

"Sylvain, right? Let's give them a demonstration. I don't think they respect us enough to really listen to what we're tellin' them." He hoped that Sylvain could keep up. "When you're ready, I'll flip the coin. Once it hits the ground, we go."

to take up arms against the future

With an uneasy peace settling back over Fódlan, many soldiers that had been conscripted by paranoid nobles are now being sent home. However, some had seen this as their big chance to become knights and to make something more of themselves. They’re unwilling to let go of their training, and reports of these ex-soldiers convening together late at night reaches you and your party. Upon investigation, the ex-soldiers ask you to join them in these sessions, hoping either to learn from you, to practice with you, or to simply get a good word in with the Knights of Seiros. They ask for a future, having been robbed of one already, but do you really have any place to give them one? [Grants Any Skill +1]

[joshuafireemblem]

—  DEERLY BELOVED 

Marisa frowns, looks between Joshua and the paper once and then twice, and then a third time for good measure. The skin between her brow creases, and she scribbles something messily with the pen cap between her teeth. She could be fast enough if she tried, no doubt, to slap it on his back and disappear without a trace before he noticed. Though that is perhaps an idea more appealing to the less simple-minded, and anyway, he's been watching her do this the whole time. "Here," she she says, sticking it rather unceremoniously on his shirt. Messily scrawled in rather large letters, the little paper reads: "NOT ALLOWED TO MAKE BETS." The top clicks back onto the pen and Marisa grunts in approval. "Behave."

So what if he hadn't been around during this battle? It all sounded like some ceremonious crap that hardly mattered anymore. A battle that occurred over 400 years ago? More like a snooze fest in history class. Thank the Goddess that he wasn't a student here. All this felt like was some poetic nonsense to make students kick sand into each others eyes and gloat about winning until next year.

However.

They sure know how to throw one hell of an afterparty. Drinks, socializing, Joshua was far more accustomed to these bountiful soirée's than he'd like to admit. Sometimes he could forget himself, but that was fun of living in the moment! And better yet, his dearest swordswoman was just across the room, trying to... write something down?

Dismissive, he doesn't really care until she's before him. "Hey Mari-" her palm presses to his chest, and as soon as she's approached, she's backed off.

"Wh-" she nearly knocked him over with the force in which she stuck that note to his shirt. Skittish, his hands quickly peel the note off to read it over.

"Wh-" He looked genuinely hurt. "What do you mean?" Sounding like a kicked puppy, his frown was impossible to suppress. "Well I wouldn't have bet money against them! Hey, Marisa, wait!" He said, quick to scurry after her.

[joshuafireemblem]

𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐄𝐄 𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐄𝐑𝐒 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐆𝐎𝐋𝐃𝐄𝐍 𝐃𝐄𝐄𝐑 !

rivalries are put aside, and camaraderie takes their place. and for the golden deer, pulling neck and neck with the eagles and lions despite having the fewest contestants in the ring is all the reason to celebrate! or so rosado and hortensia thought. at the post-tournament grand banquet, the elusian pair have set up a golden deer corner, complete with yellow and cervid decor and drapery, and both hosts arrayed in house colors and face paint. "three cheers for knoll! three cheers for hilda! three cheers for eliwood!" "fear the deer!" a celebration lifting up the class heroes who'd carried them from underdog into the spotlight, and for all the deer who cleared the way valiantly to let them get there: —hip-hip hooray!

FOOD & DRINK:

—  CUPCAKE DECORATING  ╱  from yellow-sugar icing to pretzel antlers to cookie toppings shaped like deer, there's no shortage of supplies to make your cupcakes look any which way you want.

—  CARAMEL MERINGUES  ╱  a triple layer of chocolate and caramel in glass containers, tied off with a bit of string attached to a spoon. perfect to grab and take with you, or feed to a loved one.

—  DOE POPS  ╱  cake pops shaped like deer heads! and something sticking out of each one. a paper fortune? what does yours say?

—  GOLDEN SPICE CIDER  ╱  a warm and buzzy autumnal drink, perfect for the season and sure to banish any chills. both alcoholic and non-alcoholic varieties available.

—  CROUCHING CHOCOLATE, HIDDEN STAG  ╱  a culinary minigame? a table is arranged with a terrarium-like miniature woodland display, complete with moss, trees, golden deer flags, and a herd of deer themselves. one item in this display is made of chocolate. how many things are you willing to bite to find which one it is?

ARTS & CRAFTS:

—  THIRTY-POINT CROWN  ╱  craft your own glorious headpiece with paint, twigs, and twine to show off your deer pride! who can boast the most impressive rack? ( of antlers, duh. what were you thinking? )

—  WOOD CARVING  ╱  for the dexterous and crafts-minded, a setup with display and instructions to carve your own wooden deer to take home. organizers are not responsible for injuries.

—  DEERLY BELOVED  ╱  a stack of deer-shaped paper and pens greet you. "write a compliment and stick it onto its recipient!" the instructions say. if you're fast, maybe they won't even know it's you.

—  READY-TO-PAINT CERAMICS  ╱  a station of unfired bowls and plates and small vases invites you to decorate them however you want! several stencils are provided for the uninitiated, or you can go where your hart takes you.

—  DECORATE A FRIEND  ╱  from washable paint to stick-on sequins, glitter bombs and pinnable deer tails. find a willing victim to array in deer spirit — or make one.

GAMES:

—  FÓDLAN CHESS  ╱  a traditional strategy board game using a triangle-shaped board that can be played by two to three people. the objective is to be the first to move all your pieces to one of the other corners by jumping over your opponents' pieces. are you up for the competition?

—  LIMBO  ╱  everyone knows that being a deer isn't just about strength or smarts, but flexibility. challenge mode: wear an antler crown while playing, and don't let it fall off your head!

—  ANTLER TOSS  ╱  you have five tries to land as many rings on the tines as you can for a prize. if a friend is willing, they can wear the antlers on their head for you to aim at instead!

—  DEER PONG  ╱  the classic party game, with alcoholic and non-alcoholic versions. some say that the non-alcoholic one misses the point of the challenge, but at least it lets everyone play, right?

—  HEADLOCK  ╱  in a classic show of strength, stamina, and bravado, it's time to wrestle like the stags do! put on a headdress of real oaken antlers ( not light, that ) and lock heads with your opponent to throw them to the ground! no use of other body parts or implements allowed.

GUIDELINES:

reblog this ask meme to indicate that your muse is participating! anyone who's reblogged the meme is automatically accepting asks, so no need to double-check. 　

please be mindful of not only waiting for interactions to come to you, but try to be proactive about sending to others too. it's not quite polite to always expect others to do the work! 　

muses from any house are welcome! it's a celebration meant for everyone. 　

this is still narratively part of BOEL, but to keep things separate from the BOEL tags, you may use the tag #GDPride2024 for related posts if you wish!

[joshuafireemblem]

A quick glance around the meeting place would give all the information needed. Rays of gentle light cascaded through small gaps within the foliage, illuminating heavily tread grounds. Trails interwoven, marked by colored flags in case some fancied a hike were anything but pleasant as Joshua roamed.

Fleeting steps make little noise, dirt shifting being the only indicator that you were in his sight. A student's scream echoes through the otherwise tranquil woods, complimenting the chirp of cardinals and rapidfire strikes of woodpeckers.

And just like that, there’s silence.

Peace has finally been restored. In what feels like too short a time, another scream would rattle these grand pine and oak.

“Ah, poor kid…” comes from the distance. Unseen, but definitely heard, Joshua is approaching. “You guys really ought to do more cardio.” Deep crimson irises set on the young mage before he reveals himself.

“Long time, no see, kid. You’re that dancer girl's younger brother right? I remember you,” he’d offer, leaning on a tree beside him. How did he get so close? Only Joshua and the Goddess knew.

“Here, I’ll give you a bit of a head start. For old times sake, bud.” He calls out, a wooden stick leaning on his shoulder. Steps slow, a cocky smirk crosses Joshua’s face. “Better scram! 10! 9! 8! 7…”

@optimismxmagicism

The Hunt Begins

Sword +1 | Recovery

[joshuafireemblem]

Now, whoever came up with the idea of punching some rocks as a competition is a real visionary. 

It felt like a small festival. Several boulders ranging in size were set up all across the courtyard. Participants, burly and meek, were already giving these stones the good ol’ one-two. A mixture of dust and BO overwhelmed the nostrils, like a pot roast if all the ingredients were moldy and rotten.

But what shined through even more was the determination to absolutely curb whatever rock was sitting in front of them. 

He wouldn’t say this was his first idea when it came to catching up with his long time partner, but it’d make do. Marisa was oddly inspired to punch rocks, and Joshua wasn’t one to turn down The Crimson Flash’s interests. 

“So… you… punch rocks often?” Despite the fact that Marisa had been his sword for so long, he figured this kind of thing would’ve come up. Perhaps there’s a reason she doesn’t bring it up. It’s best not to think too much though, as he grabs a pair of steel gauntlets.

Straps tighten, leather already chafes against his bare forearms. “Or do you just like watching these guys break their knuckles on some slab of bedrock?” A gentle yet firm jab to her elbow before walking over to a vacant space, sizing up the rock before him. Was he really gonna do this?

A punch that reverberates through Joshua’s core, plated knuckle meeting stone with no purpose aside from pure, unadulterated, carnal desire to break this rock.

@swordminded

First Date Idea: I Punch a Rock in Front of You

Gauntlets +1 | Recovery

[joshuafireemblem]

You're killing your mother, Joshau

[joshuafireemblem]

holy shit joshua? like? from fire emblem?

gee willikers is that the crimson flash from hit fire emblem game, 8th in the series, sacred stones?