#Altena should have friends

[yeyayeya]

Scáthach and Diarmuid friendship and Ares and Altena rivalry solidarity

[musical-chick-13]

No, you don’t understand, I’m actually so upset that Silvana was only in two episodes of Noir, her every line rattles around in my brain at all seconds of the day, why didn’t they expand her weird relationship with Mireille more, BEE TRAIN EXPLAIN.

[violets-and-books]

Ask game ask game

9 and 14 or Mart pleaseeeeeeee

AND

2, 3, 5 for his mortal enemy Jesper please <3

🤗

You're actually an angel for linking that, I love you so much, omg, I'd lost it

Mart, my beloved

Should I do Mart Altena or Mart Genserov 🤔🤔🤔 both

9: Could you be roommates with this character?

Genserov? Absolutely. Get your arse over here, we're having dw marathons

Altena? As long as he doesn't try blackmail me, I could definitely live with him

14: Assign an aesthetic

They're both academia, Altena's light but Genserov's dark

NEXT

JESPER JESPER JESPER, MY BELOVED BOYYYYYYY <333333333

2: Favourite canon thing about this character

Just one thing? 🥺 Ummmmmmmmm..... How much he cares. How much he feels, how intense it is. He loves his friends so deeply and I love that about him so much

3: Least favourite canon thing about this character

That he doesn't like books. ENGLISH LITERATURE MAJOR JESPER WOULD BE SO GOOD but NO

5: First song that comes to mind

Ooooooohhhhhhhh, Runaway Baby by Bruno Mars. I can picture modern Jesper bopping to this song as he gets ready in the morning

Thank you for asking, baby <33

[ladyleonster]

He had heard it. Of course, he had heard it. The entire room had heard it.

No, there was no way around it. He had heard Lady Altena brazenly announce to everyone that she wished to be...kissed....by her friend Linus.

Finn was stunned. Speechless. After all, who even was this Linus? From which pedigree did he hail? What was his background, his education? Of course, he was glad Lady Altena was happy, but she was from the holy blood of Leonster! She should not be running around with merely anyone! And this behavior....it was difficult to imagine the same little girl he saw doing such things. No. It simply did not fit up. Finn wondered if the whole world might have been turned upside down. 

This was not befitting of a lady of her station. But of course, it was not his station to say that. And more than nearly anyone, he desired to not anger her. 

But couldn't she not see? She was worth so much more than a cheap kiss at a party? Lady Altena....she was...

Hands dropped down in frustration. How could others not see what he saw? What could he do about this? Vexation boiled over and Finn knew he needed to do something.

Maybe he could talk to Lady Ethlyn. Approaching her at the party was a different thing altogether. She seemed in good spirits and never did seem to take him seriously. He asked to speak to her off to the side. "Lady Ethlyn, what do you think of Lady Altena's behavior?" he asked. Eyes avoided her gaze. "Please forgive me if I am out of place, if my words are not needed. However I.....I believe that this is not becoming for a Lady of Leonster. For the tradition....Perhaps there is another way...." What was he even saying? Perhaps Lady Ethlyn saw no value in his words. Fists clenched deeper. "Do you know who this 'Linus' is? Is he a good marriage partner for Lady Altena?" ​​​​​​​

Ethlyn has to smile when Finn awkwardly expresses his concern. It's really rather sweet to see him looking out for Altena still after all these years. He had always been her daughter's favorite when she was just a toddler, the little princess toddling after him, tugging at his coat until he picked her up. Even if the circumstances forced them apart, Ethlyn is glad to see the knight still has a soft spot for her daughter.

She links her arm with Finn's and turns him to face Altena and Linus. "Look at them, Finn, and tell me when was the last time you saw her smile like that? How long has it been since you've heard her laugh?" She looks up at him. She knows the answer.

"Maybe he's not the most dressed or has the best manners. I don't know who his family is but, does that matter? He makes her happy, Finn. That's all I've ever wanted for her."

Her smile turns playful and she elbows him softly. "Besides, I can think of another Leonster royal whose parents weren't too pleased with the stubborn, hotheaded tomboy princess he chose to give his heart to. But things turned out pretty well for them, don't you think?"

[lordleonster]

"Ah, my friend!" It was easy to feel like the sun had risen when the Leonsters had walked into the dining hall – close friends, of course, but more than that they were family sure enough, long before Quan had wed Ethlyn, Sigurd had considered him as a brother. And now, to see that he had his entire family at hand, it warmed Sigurd greater than any hearth.

He clapped his friend on the shoulders, roundly kissing both cheeks in welcome as he beamed. "It has been too long since we have come together like this – I cannot tell you how pleased I am that we have this opportunity. Here, come, I would like to show you everything that we have prepared – oh, but before I forget - "

As they walked past the table with goodie-bags, Sigurd snatched one and pressed it into Quan's hands. "Your wife and I have made these – a little taste of home, of welcome."

The bag is of a plush sapphire velvet with braided gold drawstrings. If he were tempted to peek inside, he would find the festive goodies of the typical Chalphy holiday season: roasted nuts coated in a caramelized warming spice mixture, a hand-pulled twisted peppermint stick, decadent candied orange peel, and a holiday cracker to be pulled later with little knick-knacks within.

"Now, come, I think you will be delighted to see the fruits of our hard work."

"Sigurd! What a sight this all is." He paces up to him quickly, arms wide to bring him in for a triumphant clap of shoulders. There's something of pride to be had at a banquet as grand as this, with the candle light bouncing off the tinsel and silverware, and the chatter spanning across the entire hall. "You must have had your hands tied for days..."

He clasps the drawstring bag carefully, laughter emerging as a a stern huff of his nose. "Hm. You should be careful." His dark eyes glowed, fondness meaning otherwise. "If you start perfecting baking on top of your form on the battlefield, you might be worshiped from the ground up."

Quan's sigh loosens up with the joke, shaking his head thoughtfully as he found himself locked into a good-natured smile. After all they had been through together, he felt that his dear friend would be the first to understand that the best jokes were made with irony.

"...You know, you make these things palpable. I'd much rather be out back sporting a training spear than spinning circles in tight formal wear, but a feast with friends is certainly favorable."

Just to make Sigurd laugh, he humors the man, shaking the little bag. "Now, what have you got for me? Hopefully not some chestnuts and trinkets." Which his wife had a hand in arranging. Quan smirks, dusting off one arm, then the next, somehow theatrical in his grandeur. Then with a delicate hand, he parted the bag, as though he were doing open-heart surgery to one of Altena's dolls.

"Oh, my. Chestnuts and trinkets." He says flatly, though the smirk grew ten sizes. He was endeared. No, more than endeared, he was genuinely pleased. As hardened as he was, Quan was utterly a slave to his sentimentality.

It was just like old times, back when they had these sorts of feasts at home. He should have prepared more chocolate liquor to wash down how pleased he was.

"...And for you." He says, sly as a fox. Quick to raise his own wrapped box, it was adorned with ribbons, pink and orange. Unbefitting of his closest friend, but worth it nonetheless.

"It's delicate, so handle it with care." With all the jokes, Quan hopes Sigurd would take that bit seriously. Inside was a commemorative bottle of wine, to replace the one that was buried in flames so long ago. "This one is for the years to come."

He would manifest that will and that way. It would be great. Especially if it was them.

"It's good to be back, isn't it, my friend?"

[chacusha]

I’m going a bit wild over this (questionably canon) Crimson Wizard backstory drop in Echoes of Mana. Some things established in this little story (sorry for the disjointed screenshots):

The Crimson Wizard’s name is Framaus (フランマ (Franma or Flanma) in Japanese).

He and Angela were friends in Altena. (I find this practically canon-breaking to be honest!) Framaus was very timid and never stood up for himself against stuck-up bullies, but Angela would rush to his defense.

Angela insisted that Framaus should drop the polite language around her because they were friends but the timid Framaus wouldn’t do it.

(Also, love this moment when Valda gets to be badass / this shout-out to Heroes of Mana.)

So much of this confirms and Josses my own very detailed Crimson Wizard and Angela headcanons so I’m loving this. But yeah, the reason I think Crimson Wizard and Angela being friends pre-Crimson Wizard is kind of canon-breaking is that if she knew Framaus so well, don’t you think this would have come up *sometime* during Trials of Mana? Like there would have been so many times she could have mentioned “He’s different from how he used to be”, “We used to be friends” etc. etc. But she DOESN’T. (Also, while I am such a sucker for the "reserved guy won’t drop keigo” trope and love what they’re doing here, it also doesn’t really cohere well with the Angela/Crimson Wizard relationship in Trials of Mana where all we really know about her feelings on that matter is that she views it as kind of uppity/rude that the Crimson Wizard just casually calls her ‘Angela’ instead of her title.) I love the personality they gave pre-canon Crimson Wizard, though -- it fits so well.

[gauldheri]

plotting call!

Hi hi hi! Excited to get Sylvain up and running. Here are the prompts I'm currently looking for:

Lance+ : Nothing wrong with a bit of friendly competition with the Eagles, right? Especially with some noble ladies in attendance. (Taken by Altena)

Axe+ : I think an adventure fighting the Golem's would be fun!

Bow + : A lesser priority but Sylvain might want to make a special request

Reason + : A beautiful young lady in need of assistance? Who cares if she's (possibly) a ghost? Not this guy, that's for sure. (Taken by Nyna)

Faith + : Again, lower in priority but Sylvain's willing to help out. It's a tragic story, if only he'd been born centuries earlier to rescue the poor woman from her plight.

Riding + : Animals are comfortable, non-judgemental and Sylvain's already competent with horses. Let's make some fluffy, feathered or scaled friends together

Any + : If you're afraid to have your reputation ruined, you need not apply. (Or perhaps you really should, it'll be a laugh!) (Taken by Dimitri)

I'm also open to any other interactions, especially with people Sylvain might already know. (That's not a requirement though, new friends (or foes) are more than welcome too!) If you have something different in mind that isn't related to the mission board, or perhaps concerns a different prompt, just let me know! Feel free to message me on this blog, dm me on discord or ping me in the plotting channel - whatever suits you best!

[justicefanged]

[ Heckle/Cheer ] - You know what’s better than a dance-off? A dance-off with commentary.

"Oh this is precious!" Sain hasn't forgotten the annoyance that is Linus. The pain he caused for Lyn and his army, the wounds he inflicted upon women. How fortunate that he'd find him in the middle of a dance.

He points a finger to the Reed, cupping his mouth with his opposite hand, and shouts his venomed words.

"The dog has fallen in love with the princess!"

Laughter ensues. Not just from him, but a few other bystanders.

Linus had been having the best time with Altena, and he was trying his best to end the night off right with a dance. They were absolutely not following through on all the steps, but that wasn't their purpose on the dance floor; they were just having a fun time together, and even if some steps went wrong or their beat was off or whatever, it wasn't really noticed in the long run or they just blew it off with a joke.

It was...nice.

He really couldn't remember the last time he'd danced like this with somebody. Not the fancy part, but the close part -- with no thoughts toward what gratification would come once the dance was over and done with.

Ah, shit. He liked her a lot, didn't he?

Saints, don't fuck this up like everything else, he'd already made a promise

The sarcastic, caustic voice pulls Linus out of his thoughts and draws his attention away from pretty very pretty Altena with a growl.

Who the fuck was this jealous fop?

Linus' face went a brilliant red -- not because he was embarrassed, what the hell did he have to be embarrassed about here? He was dancing with the absolute ten out of ten here! No, he was pissed off because they were being interrupted, and because...well, he knew he was having a grand old time with whatever attraction was circling here, but.

Tonight was tonight. And that didn't mean whatever this was, was going to live beyond this place.

Linus wasn't about to let Altena get saddled with him in the face of others at the monastery if that wasn't what she wanted. People should see her first, not the mess that followed after him like the wake of a ship.

"What, ya think this is a joke?" Linus growled, breaking away from Altena to advance on Sain with an obvious, violent intent. He'd always been a telegrapher, but that was part of his fear factor; he was big, he was scary, and he didn't need to be sneaky about what he planned to do to you.

The man may have had some idiots laughing behind him, but how long would they stick around? Hope they stayed to help him pick his teeth up off the floor.

"So, who're you, then? Here on your own?" he asked, shoving the knight back, sharp teeth bared like a dog ready to bite. "Can't imagine why! I seen ya around. Chasin' skirts, talkin' all flowery an' spinnin' bullshit promises to any poor girl who gives ya the time of day." His eyes slide to the now awkwardly silent bystanders, either nervously eyeing him back or pretending they were never involved to begin with.

Figures.

"Ya wish you were in my boots, don'tcha? Dancin' with someone way outta your league. How many times have ya struck out, huh? 'Nough to make this mistake," Linus bit out, grabbing Sain by his shirt and yanking him in close. "Better pray ya have better luck in your next life, friend."

And without further adieu, Linus slammed his skull into Sain's face, more than satisfied at the sound of something cracking.

He'd had a good night, but things often ended up bloody with him. Oh, well. Fun always had to come to an end.

[luminousrider]

[ Romanesco Smoothie ]

"Oh! Could you possibly be...Lady Altena?"

Citrinne walks over to the suspected lady in a red dress, a green beverage in her hand. It has been a moment since she spoke with Lady Ethlyn, but not long enough for the direct family members they discussed to be fresh in her mind.

It...is still strange to picture a young lady like Ethlyn having a child who is as old as Altena appears. But she is not here to judge the circumstances, just to meet some new friends!

"I was introduced to you by Lady Ethlyn, she spoke of you very fondly! And I must agree, your choice in dress is quite lovely!"

Citrinne uses her free hand to release one of her many small bells, and offers it forward to the brown-haired lady. "How about a bell to ring with the occasion? Though I would usually love to offer more..."

"Ah, how about a sip of this...milkshake, I believe they described it as? I haven't taken a sip of it yet, I only picked it out for looking so sweet...sharing a drink with a fellow woman should make it sweeter."

Citrinne lightly smiles while taking out a second straw to match her own. Always prepared, this Brodian tries to be.

"Hm?" Altena turns around and is struck with someone with extremely familiar vibes. It's startling but even more so when this woman mentions Ethlyn.

"You know my mother, then?" She is getting used to people knowing her parents and bringing up her parents to her but usually they speak of them as a pair. Or they just mention her father and their shared holy blood. She isn't sure if anyone has ever mentioned just her mother to her.

She wonders how the two know each other but, before she has a chance to ask, Citrinne makes an incredible pun and Altena can't help but laugh out loud. "Ha. Ring. I get it. That's a pretty good one. Here, you can have one of my black feathers too though I'm not sure I know a joke to go with it."

She hesitates in taking a sip from the milkshake. There are two straws but it still feels a little intimate. It smells really good though and, ultimately, her curiosity wins and she leans in for a sip. An excellent choice because it is, in fact, delicious. "Hey, that's really good! Thanks!"

There's a pause, a moment where she realizes something rather important. This is not going to be a repeat of the ball last year where she doesn't get the name of someone she's interacted with. Eyes narrow just a little bit. "You didn't tell me your name."

[pheraed]

[ Dona Dona Fried Set ] - A full-blown meal all on its own, featuring juicy fried chicken, deep-fried cheese with tomato sauce, and a basket of fried potato slices. Every bite you take tastes so good, but feels so bad.

"Sorry about earlier. I hadn't realized..." Altena shakes her head. It's over now, isn't it? She holds out a basket full of fried goodness. "Would you want to share this with me? It's way too much for just one person, I think. You can have one of my black feathers too, if you'd like. I meant to offer you one earlier but..."

Oh, should he be having this deep fried nonsense? His stomach hurts a little, and though that's most definitely from too much to drink tonight he does not make the connection. Instead, he smiles and holds his glass of water as his friend offers him food.

"Don't fret," he says. "It's all well and good, I think. Besides, it's nice to meet your friends."

Is it? That may be a lie -- but he will remain ever courteous.

He takes the feather and gives her one of his pearls as well. There's a smile on his face as the exchange is completed -- he's glad to wear a token of his and Altena's friendship on his chest. "Thank you. Let's find a place to sit, and we can share this chicken."

[tenayalla]

         If not for persistence, Rhajat wouldn’t be here. And she doesn’t want to be here. Definitely not standing before the doorway, slipping a ring on her finger, and sharing her name with the Knight in front of the reception hall entrance. She doesn’t want to be here but... hasn’t she spent enough time away from her friends? Wasn’t the entirety of the emotion that made her come to this forsaken continent surrounded by feeling lonely?

          Rhajat enjoys the whispers of the dark, the cold that comes with it, but there is also enjoyment in feeling another’s warmth within that darkness.

          She doesn’t want to be here, but she wants to be with those who call her a friend. She wants to enjoy maybe a sight of watching Corrin spin on the dance floor, a sweeping dress on her figure, or maybe even the glance of Mitama taking the night as a moment away from slumber. Ophelia and Sharena are expecting her to be here and by the Gods, she refuses to be taken out of her room forcibly by either of the two extroverted ladies.

          ( She can allow herself a moment of indulgence tonight. There is nothing wrong with that. Altena seemed overjoyed being paired with someone... it’d be disappointing if Rhajat didn’t show up as promised. And maybe it’s that, the promise of seeing someone happy by her presence, that causes her to enter the reception hall. Maybe not. Who’d be sure of it? )

          Goodness, she should have brought a cloak or something of the sorts. This dress is... unlike her normal mage garbs. Oh well. Rhajat couldn’t change back now.

RHAJAT’S LIST OF ENGAGEMENTS; ( a newly worn ring, signed off in ink on the gem with the initials of RU. )

- LARCEI

- VELOURIA

- MERRIC

- ARVIS

- LEO

[four-loose-screws]

Did you ever share with us who is your favourite FE4 character and why? Stay safe friend and thank you for your hard work!

Thank you! I’m actually just coming out of resting and recovering... from a common cold. Never imagined I’d be in a place where I’m miserable with a fever and non-stop stuffy nose, but more happy I don’t have the plague, but here we are.

I did, sort of! In this post where I talk about FE4 being my favorite game, I talk about Arvis a bit. 

Though its more that I like his story, less that I like his character itself. It’s such a stunningly told tragedy. He’s so ambitious, gains it all, but eventually the consequences of his actions see their natural conclusion, and he spends the rest of his life doing what he can with what little power he has left. It’s like something out of an ancient epic we’d read and analyze for generations.

Other honorable mentions, in no particular order...

I have a strong affection for Leif after the FE5 novel was my first novel translation project I finished. That “he’s my son!” sort of fangirl feeling.

I’m very emotionally invested in Julia because by all means she should be the main character of Gen II, and instead she just comes forward to defeat Julius/Loptous, and is otherwise shoved aside to make Seliph the center of everything. If a story is meant to have a male character/cast as the main character(s) that’s fine as a concept, but if you’re going to make a female character The Chosen One and make her the only one who can defeat The Big Bad, give her the spotlight she deserves, dammit.

Altena: The overarching FE tropes I like most are 1) dragon riders, because they are just so cool! and 2) the characters that choose to do what is right, even if it means switching sides. Two things that tend to overlap. So naturally I like Altena for those reasons.

Silvia: Her design is super cute (design-wise, I often like the dancers a lot, they’re just so super cute), and she’s out there living it up, dancing, flirting, and so on... in the middle of fighting a war. The juxtaposition always makes me laugh. Her character adds a lot of fun to the story.

[teefa85]

And, here’s the first of a two part fic series I wrote.  This one is from Riesz’s perspective, in a party where she’s in but not Hawkeye...notably my Girls’ Team run.  The second will be Hawkeye’s perspective when he’s on the team but not Riesz.  Featuring some cute blushing Riesz moments, along with Hawkeye being a smooth player and Angela being a teasing wingwoman!

---

           “Thank you, Your Highness!  Oh man, I could kiss you!”

           Before Riesz knew what was happening, the Nevarlan thief cupped her right cheek in his hand, then placed a tiny peck on her left one!  She could feel her entire face growing hotter in the moment as confusion for his actions set in.  And that playful look on his face…it only made it worse!

           “Wh-What have you done!?” she cried out.  “What are you doing!?”

           At that moment, Hawkeye’s satisfied smirk left his face, replaced with a genuine smile.  “Ut-oh, I got carried away.  Honestly, I’m sorry.”

           While his words did little to cool the young woman’s burning face, she found herself able to get some semblance of her voice back.  Riesz promised to do what she could to save Hawkeye’s friend, Jessica, though still sounding a bit more timid than usual.  For his part, the thief decided to go and try to see what he could do on his own, heading through the doors in front of them.

           Once he had left, Riesz stood there for several more seconds, hands over her cheeks in a futile attempt to cool herself down.  Oh, how could he have gotten her so off kilter like that?  He might have left Nevarl as he claimed, but that didn’t change that she’d just let a thief steal her first kiss!  Which sounded quite funny in her mind, not that the thought made her calm down any…

           “Riesz, are you okay?” asked Angela as she put a hand on the younger girl’s shoulder.

           That helped to snap Riesz back to normal.  “…What?  I—Yes! I am fine!  We should move on.  We cannot delay!”

           Angela stated, “Not the best way to impress a lady, but at least the guy was cute!”

           Despite the feeling of embarrassment that wouldn’t fully leave, Riesz had to agree with her!

* * *

           Hearing Niccolo’s story chilled the three girls to the bone.  Belladonna knew how to summon monsters?  It was bad enough that she could use magic to control a powerful clan of ninjas, skilled at stealth tactics.  But that she practically had infinite soldiers if she could keep calling forth beasts to fight off her enemies…

           “Have you evew heawd of this, Angewa?” Charlotte inquired.

           The princess shook her head.  “No, I haven’t.  And I’ve scoured the castle library in the past to try and find some sort of magic I could do!”

           Turning to their leader, the young cleric asked, “How about you, Wiesz?”

           But she didn’t reply, her eyes glued at the entryway where Hawkeye and Niccolo had just left through.  In that moment after opening the door, Hawkeye had turned back and given her a tiny wink, making Riesz’s body grow hot once more.  Did he think this funny?  What was he getting out of seeing her blush?  And did he stay long enough to see her reaction this time…?

           “Wiesz?” Charlotte asked again.

           Angela shook her head and walked up to Riesz.  “So…still thinking about that dashing rogue who managed to steal your heart?”

           “H-He did not!” she exclaimed.  “All he’s managed to do is make me upset!  For a proud Amazon warrior to be kissed without her permission…”

           “Eh, your face says a very different story,” was Angela’s reply.

           Riesz quickly shook her head, insisting she didn’t!  That it was just because she was not used to having a man pay her such attention!  The men in Laurent wouldn’t have even dared try with someone not only their princess, but who could also eviscerate them in a single spear strike!

           But why did this little voice in the back of her head tell her she was wrong…?

* * *

           The three girls walked through the gates to Diin after their trip to Fiery Gorge. Sure, they had found Salamando, and were another Spirit closer to reaching the Sanctuary of Mana.  But Belladonna had released the power of the Fire Stone. Time was running out, and if they didn’t awaken the Goddess of Mana, the Benevodons would be released!

           Angela was all for heading onward, of getting out of the hot, dry, and very disgusting desert!  But Riesz insisted that it was getting late and they should spend the night at the oasis. They would be much less effective in combat if they weren’t well rested, after all, something she knew well!  The number of times Alma had given her a stern talking to for training way too hard when she was younger…

           “Oh, is it that?” inquired the young magician.  “Or…is it that you want to go check on that young man to make sure he got back here safely…?”

           “Why would I need to check up on him!?” questioned Riesz.

           Angela put an arm around her friend.  “Well, because he was carrying an unconscious woman through such dangerous environments.  Of course he might have had some problems going forward.  It’s only natural that you worry about him…”

          ��Riesz stated, “I’d think that, considering he was able to get into Citadel Laurent without any trickery or trouble, he is perfectly able to take care of himself!”

           She quickened her steps and entered the Inn.  They needed to book their rooms, first and foremost.  Though Angela did note that Riesz was also looking around the room to see if anyone else was already using the beds.

           ‘She’s an easy book to read!  But…maybe Riesz needs a bit of a push to get her going…’

* * *

           A THUMP woke Angela up late that night.  She rubbed her eyes, noticing Riesz’s bed was empty.  The princess of Altena threw on her robe and quietly slid off the bed into her slippers.  It was important to make sure their leader was okay, though she didn’t want to wake Charlotte in the process.  The kid did need a lot more sleep than her older companions, after all!

           The air was cool, a far cry from how hot and irritating the desert had been when they crossed it earlier that day!  Not that Angela minded…although it didn’t get rid of the coarse annoying sand! Still, she could tolerate it for just a little bit if it meant helping her friend…

           “Riesz?  Where are you?” she called out.

           Just then, a voice called back, “I’m over by the oasis!”

           Angela looked in the direction the voice had come from, noticing her friend sitting at the end of a long dock.  Riesz was holding her knees against her body, looking out over the water. The moonlight shone down upon the still waters, looking like an expertly painted picture.  But it seemed the beauty of the setting did little to cheer Riesz up.

           “Why…why can’t I stop worrying about him?” whispered Riesz as Angela sat beside her. “I mean, maybe she woke up as they were escaping, and they decided to go to Sirhtan instead.  Yet I can’t sleep without having dreams of him being attacked by monsters…”

           A devious smirk crossed Angela’s face.  “Simple!  It means you have a little crush on him!”

           “Wh-What!?  Why would you think that!?” Riesz cried out, her face growing redder.

           Angela stated, “There’s that, for starters.  Every time you think about him, or he comes up in conversation, or you two meet, you end up blushing and stuttering.  He’s on your mind, even when you say otherwise.  Besides…not like he isn’t eye candy.”

           “Even if I had feelings for him, which I do not, he obviously loves that girl, Jessica,” Riesz reminded her.  “I would never think to try and get in their way.”

           There wasn’t much Angela could say to that.  Love was…a complicated thing.  Else her parents would be together, and Angela would have known who her father was!  At least, that’s what she always told herself…considering her limited interaction with her mother while the retainers always seemed to avoid the subject when she tried to bring it up.

           At that moment, the sound of a door opening reached their ears.  Followed shortly after by footsteps on the wooden docks. They stopped a few moments later, as the shadow of a lean man fell over the pair of princesses.

           “You ladies decided to stop here for the night?” a familiar voice questioned.

           Both Riesz and Angela turned, noticing Hawkeye standing behind them. Angela took note of the relieved expression now covering Riesz’s face.  She smirked, before standing up and beginning to walk back to the Inn.

           “Riesz here was kind of worried about you,” she stated.  “But we didn’t see you in the Inn and decided to take a rest instead of setting out while exhausted.”

           Angela picked up her pace and was back inside before Riesz could even respond. That left the embarrassed princess sitting and staring at the handsome figure before her.  She shook her head…trying to remind herself not to think in that way.  It wasn’t like he was available, even if she was interested.  Now that she knew he was okay, she should just go back to the Inn…

           Hawkeye sat down where Angela had been and smiled at her.  “You were worried?  That’s fairly sweet of you to think of a rogue like me!”

           “I…well…you were carrying an unconscious girl the whole way,” she brought up.

           He told her, “I’m a master thief!  Of course I know how to move without being seen.  We’re holed up in the Item Store’s basement, that way I can easily run to get medicine if needed.”

           That made sense, at least.  And Riesz felt silly being so worried!  Though she had to admit the smile he was giving her made her feel so calm and peaceful. Was…was her willingness to show concern that important to him?  It was nothing new for her, being her job as Captain and Princess to worry about her subordinates and citizens.

           They sat there for several moments as words failed her.  Until finally, Hawkeye spoke up.  “I wish I could go and give Belladonna what’s for!  She murdered my best friend, someone I considered a brother, then turned my home into her own personal plaything!  But with Jessica in this state, I can’t leave her alone. And there’s no going back to Nevarl until Belladonna is kicked out.”

           “Do not worry,” responded Riesz.  “My friends and I will make sure that witch pays for her crimes.  There’s still my father to avenge, and the suffering of my people.  I hope that will ease your mind.”

           “Thanks, Princess,” said Hawkeye, placing a hand on her shoulder.

           Riesz reached across and laid her own hand on his shoulder as well.  The pair just sat there for a minute or two, staring into each other’s eyes.  She had no idea how to read him, the emotions beyond that gaze.  Nor could she understand why this felt so…right to her! Angela was wrong…she didn’t have feelings like that for him!  All she was thinking about was how both of their suffering was caused by the same woman and whomever it was she served!

           ‘And yet, I wish I could just stay here, if only for a little longer…’

           But despite that voice, Riesz got up, noting that Hawkeye followed her to his feet.  “I really must get back to the Inn.  We have to get going as soon as we are rested.”

           “A tiny suggestion,” he told her.  “The desert is colder at night, as you have seen.  If you travel early in the morning, it won’t be as bad as going at the height of the afternoon.”

           Riesz thanked him for his advice and headed back to the Inn.  Maybe she didn’t quite understand what was going on in her head at the moment.  However, finding the Elementals and reaching the Sanctuary came first.  Once the Mana Sword was hers and peace had returned, then Riesz could work at figuring it out.  Though, that meant she’d have to meet with Hawkeye again…a thought that sent the most pleasant shivers down her spine.

           And when she returned to the Inn, Riesz found her dreams of worry replaced by ones of her and Hawkeye looking out over the vast Laurentian mountains, their arms intertwined.

[ladyleonster]

"Hey, Ethlyn? You got a minute?"

Lewyn knows she's a busy woman, and he's a busy man, but today--on her birthday--stopping her in the middle of the street is simply a must. If he doesn't speak with her now, he may well miss his chance, what with the two living very different lives in Fodlan. "Remembered it's your birthday today, surprisingly enough... So here. You ain't gotta say it for me to know who you really want to be spending it with. Maybe this'll keep you company till he gets here."

And then he reveals it, from hands tucked close to his back: her present. This year it's a white horse plush--similar in appearance to the one Quan used to ride. Lewyn saw it at a festival the other day, and couldn't help but think of her when he did. It was decided then and there that it would be a must-buy--a comfort gift to help her adjust to a life lived truly on her own. Not that she's displayed any trouble with that, strong-willed as she is, but Lewyn is no stranger to bottling things up.

"Keep holdin' onto your faith, Eth. It'll come in handy some day."

"For you, I have several," Ethlyn teases the bard with a grin. Lewyn has always been a welcome presence in her life since the moment he and Silvia joined up with Sigurd's forces. She isn't surprised he's gone out of his way to wish her a happy birthday. He's always been kind and considerate like that.

She's ready to give him a smile and thank him for the well wishes when he brings up Quan. She's starting to lose track of just how long it's been since she lost him but the ache and longing in her heart still hasn't dulled even a little bit. She still catches herself staying on the left side of the bed each night. Some mornings she'll even roll over and smile, ready to greet a husband who won't ever be there to smile back at her.

She's tried so hard to keep things together. To be grateful for what she does have rather than long for what she doesn't. Leif, Altena, her friends that joined her in death. That she is able to see any of them should be impossible and it's a miracle that she truly is grateful for. But without Quan, without her soulmate, she can't even fully enjoy the time she has with their children.

Tears prickle at the corner of her eyes and she blinks in an attempt to keep them from falling but Lewyn hands over the stuffed horse and she finally lets herself cry. "Oh Lewyn, it's just not fair! He should be here! Leif and Altena deserve to meet him and he deserves to know how they're accomplishing his dreams. It was my fault that he died, Lewyn. Everything that happened in Aed was because of me. Why am I here now and not him?"

She holds the stuffed horse tightly against her chest and lets the tears flow freely. Her whisper cracks as she speaks again. "I can't keep doing this without him."

[crystalelemental]

While I’m busy annoying fans of Genealogy with my general disinterest in its cast, here are some other characters I have strong opinions about:

Sigurd’s not nearly as interesting as people make him out to be.  The main action leading to him being branded a traitor was super avoidable and his squire even points out that he’s making a mistake.  His “romance” with Deirdre is one of the most shallow things the series has produced, and literally none of the awful events of Act 2 would’ve happened if he had just kept it in his pants.  His actions during the war are made with good intentions that often lead to further conflict, but most of the critical actions that cause disaster were super avoidable and complete his fault.  Good job, moron.

Arvis is also a putz.  Look, I get it.  His entire point is that he’s trying to build the world for the better, but is highly questionable in his means.  Cool concept!  Problem is we spend like no time with him, and the only indications of this are his discussions with Manfroy, where he talks about how he’s not going to persecute them like in ages past, but he’s also definitely not going to let them revive the baby eating god they worship.  Okay, solid.  The issue is, he knows full well he carries Loptyr blood, and that’s why Manfroy is sticking around.  And suddenly, Manfroy appears with some lady with amnesia, and is oddly insistent on you fucking this woman and having kids.  Did...did you never think about who this woman was, or why Manfroy’s so invested in her sex life?  This is not a difficult conclusion to reach, buddy.

I mentioned Eldigan, but it bears repeating: I hate the Camus archetype, and he’s one of the most annoying.  “I am honor-bound to follow my lord’s every command, I cannot join you and must instead try to get them to see reason.”  Yeah, and you know who else had this exact dilemma like two chapters ago?  Jamke.  Guess who’s on our side now, after realizing how fucked up his king was?  Jamke.  There’s no reason you couldn’t do this too.  Honestly, every time the Camus archetype shows up for a leader who is a complete buffoon, I always think of Wallace’s supports with Kent in FE7.  How his king ordered him to capture his daughter and bring her back from the plains, no matter what.  But when Wallace saw the love she shared with the man from the plains, he let her go, because he knew his king would never forgive himself if he tore Lyn’s parents apart.  Wallace put what was best for his king ahead of the order, and the entire moral is that, even if you’re punished for it, your duty is not to the title, but to the person, and you must act in the best interests of the people you serve, not blindly follow a command that would cause everyone harm.  So yeah, I don’t care to hear about the honor-bound idiots who are given plenty of chances to do the right thing but insist on staying with a sinking ship that’s also on fire.

Deirdre is a non-entity, so there’s really no point in talking about her.  Seriously, she exists almost entirely to produce the children that will be plot-critical in Act 2, but otherwise has effectively zero agency.  She shows up and immediately wants to fuck Sigurd, spends one chapter helping, and is immediately kidnapped afterward to be brainwashed and become Arvis’ wife.  Then she dies off-screen before the events of Act 2.  But she and Sigurd just loved each other so much!  They just saw each other and had such an overwhelming desire to fuck, it must have been love!  At least Deirdre’s excuse is being secluded away from men all her life and not knowing how to handle these feelings; what’s Sigurd’s excuse?

Quan and Ethlyn are actually wonderful.  No complaints.  But I do have another for Sigurd.  Hey, remember when they died?  Remember when Sigurd is told that people were ambushed in the desert and everyone’s dead, and he pieces together that it was his sister and his best friend?  Remember how that comment is all we get for his reaction to their loss, how it’s never brought up a single time ever again, and how Sigurd shows absolutely nothing about the devastation of this loss?  Yeah, but hey, it’s fine, you don’t need more dialogue to make a compelling story.  It just would’ve been nice for Genealogy to be a compelling story by having characters actually matter more than they apparently do.

Ayra’s cool, but her brother’s an idiot.  In her conversation with Quan, she mentioned that Quan’s suspicion is correct, and that the king was not responsible for the deaths of those from Grannvale.  A random lord took action without consent, so the king had that lord executed, and went to make peace with Grannvale, only to be assassinated along the way.  So what does her brother do?  “We gotta go to war.”  Uh...you know you’ll be slaughtered, right?  “Yeah, but my honor, though.”  Gen 1 was mostly a bunch of morons given political power and asked to play intelligently.  They all fucked up.

Lewyn...okay, I don’t like Lewyn.  I get his whole thing is running from responsibility, and being tired of the in-fighting over the crown, but his solution of just leaving is petty and childish.  It’s not that there isn’t some level of understanding there.  He’s just not doing it for me.  I do, however, appreciate how self-loathing he is in Gen 2.

No one else in Gen 1 really matters at all to anything substantial, so boy, it’d have been nice to have support conversations to flesh out everyone else a bit more.  But hey, maybe the sequel, right?

Seliph is pretty cool.  I don’t have a ton to say, but his story kinda allows him to take an easier route to power, with a more clear antagonist and the world at large being more united in his cause of overthrowing the empire.  Not particularly compelling, but not doing anything stupid or uninteresting.

Leif inherits being awesome from both of his parents, who were also awesome.  His sister, Altena, is also really cool.  Altena in particular actually gets a lot.  Having been taken in by the man who killed her parents, she’s grown up thinking that he is her true father.  Her character is in a position to act more as a bridge between two smaller nations that have constantly been at war, having the bloodline connection to Leif and to Leonster, while having her upbringing in Thracia and feeling a family connection to Arion, the true son of Travant.  She’s one of the better characters in this game, I think.

Ares is actually one of my favorites in this entire game.  He and Lene have great supports, but more importantly, you know what sets Ares apart?  Having a brain cell.  As soon as he realizes the corrupt lord he works for sent him out to the front lines and has likely taken Lene captive, he immediately turns coat, intent on killing everyone in his way to save her.  Thank you, Ares.  Thank you for being better than your father, who would’ve meekly decided he can’t disobey orders because he’s totally too honorable and not a fucking coward for letting his sister almost get killed.

Julia...oh my god, I have so much to say on Julia.  Has anyone following me noticed I kinda like the Eirika archetypes?  The female characters that are mostly really collected and quiet, occasionally have a showing of fire, and are ultimately either heavily under-utilized and ignored by the plot or given a story that’s really not very good despite how strong their character could’ve been if the story weren’t...the way that it is?  That’s Julia.  I adore Julia.  She spends most of the game not doing much, mostly being silent and also an amnesiac.  She gets like two conversations with Seliph, and they’re...they’re okay.  Nothing exceptional, just...okay.  But hysterically, once she’s kidnapped, she starts to show the makings of a really great character.  She’s compassionate and understanding to her father, who’s realized what a dingus he was, but pushes back against Julius/Loptyr and is pretty up-front about how willing she is now to kill her brother if it means stopping evil from being unleashed in the world.  She refuses to go quietly, and claims she’ll fight them to the end.  And, you know...is promptly brainwashed and spends the entire chapter as an enemy until Seliph kills Manfroy and lets her snap out of it.  Not even just talks to her, that won’t work unless Manfroy’s dead.  She doesn’t even get enough agency to break free of control under her own will.  This is the issue with Julia.  She should be fantastic.  She’s a character who carries the blood of both Naga and Loptyr, the greatest good and the greatest evil of this world.  Within her is a very concrete expression of the good/evil dichotomy that all humans face, and through her actions she chooses to do good for the world, yet acknowledges the potential for evil within her and struggles against it.  That’s super compelling!  Hell, that’s the most compelling character narrative in this entire game!  And what does it amount to?  Jack fucking shit, because her declaration of intent is immediately sidelined for her to be controlled by another for the entire chapter and made to do evil, until the male hero breaks the spell for her.  Only then is she allowed to confront her brother and actually show agency.  Her character arc should’ve been the diamond in the rough, and all the agency and development she brings to the table is immediately undermined.  Julia, sweetie, you deserved so much better than this.

Ugh, that one hurt to complain about.  But since we’re on the topic, Julius.  We’re supposed to be sad about how he’s completely taken over by Loptyr and needs to be stopped.  But...we never really know anything about Julius.  At all.  Julia talks a bit about how he used to be kind, but that’s...that’s it.  There’s no effort to have her and Arvis share stories about what the family used to be like, or give any indication of how close they were aside from saying it was the case once or twice.  So the plight of Julius, the boy who’s possessed, is completely lost on us, and as a result, Julia’s decision to fight against and kill her brother if that’s what it takes, feels a little less impactful, because you just...don’t have any emotional attachment to what’s being lost.

Ishtar is another Camus archetype, but a rare one where I kinda like her?  Kinda.  She’s come far enough to recognize that Julius is killing people and it’s a problem, and does her utmost to circumvent his violent tendencies and save people.  So why doesn’t she just leave?  Well even that’s pretty taken care of.  She was the betrothed of Julius.  She loved him.  Which means she’s another character who could’ve had meaningful dialogue about who he used to be to build up tension, but we’re not talking about that now.  She stays in part because of that love, but also because he’s violent, and seems to have his eye on her at all times.  She’s effectively stuck in an abusive relationship, unable to make a move for fear of what retaliation he might exact on her or the people she’s trying to keep safe.  That’s a way more compelling reason for a character to stick with an awful ruler.  It sucks, but at least it’s ultimately understandable, unlike Eldigan over here.

Oifey and Shanan I feel like should be more interesting characters, but they don’t really get enough time to be much else.  And if those two, who are meant to be prominent, got very little, you can kinda guess that the rest of the cast has basically nothing going for them.

Honestly, a lot of the events of Genealogy at large feel super avoidable, and largely created by idiots being allowed to make decisions.  But on the smaller level, and especially within Gen 2, I feel like all the game needs is support conversations and maybe more dialogue that didn’t focus so heavily on bloodlines.  The history is interesting, but it comes at the expense of most character development, and that’s really not a good trade.  I know people hate when I bring it up, but maybe if the maps were actually chunked and made into several smaller chapters, we could use wind-up and conclusion to castles being taken as a means to fill in more character moments, instead of just having quick exposition dumps and moving on.

[cathariis]

1-15 hal, sage and ora

crucial muse development questions.

halcyon elizabeth charles. 

what would completely break your character? make her feel worthless or that she’s meaningless. emotionally, there’s a void inside of her that could never be filled due to a lack of answers about her birth parents. all her life, she has felt worthless and has done everything she could to escape that emotion; from her achievements to her ‘i don’t care’ attitude. even her promiscuous behavior is due to this feeling. but if you make her feel that she was never important in your muse’s life or pushed her towards feeling worthless or meaningless, she’ll break (emotionally).

what was the best thing in your character’s life? without knowing it, getting adopted. whether she was left in the orphanage or stayed with her birth parents, life would never be the way she has it now. 

what was the worst thing in your character’s life? the constant moving around when she was living with her adoptive parents. she never learned how to keep tight friendships with anybody and got into a ‘me, myself, and i’ type of vibe. 

what seemingly insignificant memories stuck with your character? a pink and white stuffed koala in her nursery crib, watching lady and the tramp (in french) while on an airplane, and a french nursery song that she has never found the lyrics for.

does your character work so they can support their hobbies or use their hobbies as a way of filling up the time they aren’t working? her hobby is her work. she animates for a living, even though she has done film projects with live actions. 

what is your character reluctant to tell people? that she truly is an emotional being and actually wants to be in a relationship. but it’s an internal conflict within herself, that she wants to be in a relationship but also perhaps being alone. 

how does your character feel about sex? the more one-night stands, the better. but she also likes a night of having fun by herself. heck, if her directing career didn’t take off, she would have easily become a pornstar. 

how many friends does your character have? …. uh, generally, two? 

how many friends does your character want? way more than she does now. 

what would your character make a scene in public about? if she found out about somebody cheating on her. everything else? that shit stays private. 

for what would your character give their life? finding answers to her past and understanding why her parents did what they did. 

what are your character’s major flaws? impatience. 

what does your character pretend or try to care about? what others think about her. 

how does the image your character tries to project differ from the image they actually project? that she’s more heartless and blunt than she actually is. that she isn’t super emotionally than she really is. 

what is your character afraid of? physically, spiders. emotionally, failure and rejection. 

sage altena. 

what would completely break your character? sage is highly sensitive, so almost anything can break her. especially if you tell her that you never loved her, yikes. 

what was the best thing in your character’s life? although she got a divorce, she’s thankful for her marriage because it gave her noah. although she’s currently not with him. 

what was the worst thing in your character’s life? having to learn that the world isn’t meant to be viewed with rose-tinted glasses. her mom getting the family into debt and her twin getting cancer when they were kids. 

what seemingly insignificant memories stuck with your character? a piglet she named barney, a care-bear blanket that was for her dolls, and the local gardener named jim who always gave her flowers. 

does your character work so they can support their hobbies or use their hobbies as a way of filling up the time they aren’t working? she uses her hobbies (painting, sewing, cooking) to fill up time when she’s not working. 

what is your character reluctant to tell people? she’s embarrassed by her divorce and is afraid to come off as naive to others. 

how does your character feel about sex? she’s only had about three partners in her life, all who were long-term boyfriends (and one husband). sage doesn’t talk a lot about sex, she’s only been really exposed to missionary and blow jobs but she wants to experiment, not only with positions, sexual behaviors, toys, etc but also with girls. 

how many friends does your character have? sage has a couple but her best friend is her twin brother, jackson.

how many friends does your character want? she’s fine with what she has tbh.

what would your character make a scene in public about? nothing. she’ll hold her tongue, letting herself get all red in the face and then take the conversation home. 

for what would your character give their life? if her son, noah, was in danger, she would give her life for him. 

what are your character’s major flaws? her naive behavior and wanting to still see things with rose-tinted glasses rather than the truth. 

what does your character pretend or try to care about? her ex-husbands’ life, when she really couldn’t care less. 

how does the image your character tries to project differ from the image they actually project? that she’s mature and knows better, especially after her messy divorce but she likes being somewhat ‘child-like’ still. 

what is your character afraid of? physically, snakes and holes. emotionally, being stung along to another failed relationship.

orabelle richards. 

what would completely break your character? any mention of her ex-boyfriend or the abuse she’s suffered through. the thought of it still breaks her since she hasn’t been able to fully talk about it with anybody. 

what was the best thing in your character’s life? starting her food blog.

what was the worst thing in your character’s life? believing that the relationship she had with her ex-boyfriend was a ‘soul-mate’ connection when really she should have left it when they were together in high school. 

what seemingly insignificant memories stuck with your character? a pair of green ballet shoes that her mom never wore and kept at the top of her closet, the smell of sweat from her dad’s private studio to teach choreography to stars, a broken clock in her grandma’s apartment. 

does your character work so they can support their hobbies or use their hobbies as a way of filling up the time they aren’t working? it’s tricky, considering that orabelle is a dancer, a food blogger, and soon-to-be restaurant chef. so in a way, it’s both. she dances to support her hobby of eating and cooking while using her hobby as a way to fill up time when she’s not on tour dancing or running her parents’ dance studio.

what is your character reluctant to tell people? the abusive relationship she had with her ex-boyfriend. 

how does your character feel about sex? she’s open to anything, orabelle simply loves a human connection. she does feel that sex connects you deeper with your partner and it can be fun and enjoyable. ora is willing to try anything once (which oddly enough, she’s open to have public sex at least once).

how many friends does your character have? orabelle has two close friend groups who are a mix of dancers, choreographers and food bloggers/chefs. some of them, she has known since her days at the dancing academy. 

how many friends does your character want? orabelle is a very friendly person, despite being highly guarded with herself, so yes. 

what would your character make a scene in public about? not a thing. during her last relationship, it would be her ex that would cause a scene (for no reason) and she learned to stay quiet out of fear. to this day, she still behaves in that matter and doesn’t say anything. 

for what would your character give their life? as of right now, nothing. 

what are your character’s major flaws? her inability to tell the truth of what happened with her last relationship and refuses to tell anybody, especially during the court trails. orabelle feels that she put herself in that situation so she has to do everything on her own. 

what does your character pretend or try to care about? her friends’ relationships, but truthfully, she’s upset about her last relationship. 

how does the image your character tries to project differ from the image they actually project? what you see is what you get with orabelle. but she tries to project that she’s fine and all the scars on her body are her fault, even to this day. 

what is your character afraid of? physically, her ex-boyfriend coming back to ‘finish’ her. emotionally, opening the can of worms of her closed-off emotions and allowing herself to love again.