#wanderingsstar

[lionsword]

Ice Ice Baby [White Heron Cup]

White Heron Cup starter for @wanderingsstar @viridescent-lance and @nagaficat

Roy was so excited he was worried about being able to dance correctly. He grinned at Nils, tamping down his nerves like he usually would before combat. However, going out onstage to perform was its own trial. With only a decorative sword at his side, he felt out of place.

"Okay. Let's go!"

It felt like something they were sharing, a memory of someone long past, their reminiscence in steps and flourishes rather than words. Roy hadn't gotten to know Ninian, but he knew she'd been dear to Nils, if not everything to him.

The dance was both in her honor and an expression of new joy, fire red and ice blue blending in spirit.

Style: 9

Choreography: 6

Technique: 4

Total: 19

Roy's steps still weren't the best. All that practice and he still likely bruised at least one of Nils' toes. "Sorry!" he whispered after a bad step, still enjoying himself.

[ashenprofessor]

Flash of brilliance, and steel

closed starter for @wanderingsstar

Swordsmasters of Elyos and Hoshido have long inspired people with their signature finishing move: the ability to cut through an opponent with dazzling speed, so fast that one can’t even perceive the blade leaving its sheath. The Battle of the Eagle and Lion reignites interest in learning these techniques. Determined students have made some progress but haven’t quite mastered the move. Think you can help them? [ Grants Sword +1 ]

It could be said that Byleth knew their way around a sword. I had after all been their weapon of choice since childhood when Jeralt began their combat training. Since taking the position at the monastery, with access to some of the best teachers in all of Fodlan, their skill had only grown and Rhea had even gifted them with the Sword of the Creator. Yet despite all this, Byleth had never considered the possibility of finishing moves. 

Byleth entered the training area where numerous staff and students were wielding swords, practising flashy moves. Some looked effecting, others were all show and no blow. Removing their own sword from its scabbard, Byleth ran through a couple of easy drills to warm up before returning the blade to its home at their side. Approaching a training dummy, Byleth took a deep breath, focusing their spirit before drawing the blade in a flash and slashing across the mannequins chest in a quick strike. It was good but still not quick enough. Sighing, the mercenary moved away to allow others to try. 

Looking round the room, they spotted one of their former house attempting the move too. Wandering over, Byleth slipped into instructor mode before creating the teal-haired person. “Helli Nils. Are you interested in learning this finishing move too? It’s a tricky one to get the speed with. How’s your progress at mastering it?”

[aimlessarchery]

🎨 yippee!!

oh mein gott its a little dragon boy

[justicefanged]

*GASP* A Child

It was way too early after the rowdy night Linus just got through. While the monastery might be stuffy as hell, the areas around it? Good ol’ places, with normal enough folks and no one checking to make sure he was setting a good example or...whatever. Drinks were had, songs were sung, and sloppy fist fights were inevitable.

Linus was quickly running out of places to go in his free time without coughing up gold for property damage. Which, in his defense, was hardly just his fault! Can’t exactly have a bar brawl on your lonesome, now could you?

But, right, he was doing something...Or trying to. Pretending, more like. There was a lotta busy work, teaching these brats. Most of the time, if he could do something physically in the way of teaching, he would. But, that didn’t always work out for several reasons, and that meant he had to wing it. Books didn’t teach fighting or tactics in his humble opinion, but frankly, neither did he -- at least, not well. Plans were Lloyd’s thing; Linus was the brute force that got them done as they should have been.

And politics? He’d rather choke to death on a spoon! He wasn’t equipped to do anything with that, so Linus avoided it at all costs. 

But it was raining cats and dogs outside, and he’d already gotten complaints about making his students tough it out and learn how to work in such conditions. So. Here he was. Absolutely not carving something ridiculous into the underside of one of the desks in the classroom as he tried to think up ways to fill in the time he had to teach that day. 

Too bad his head was working about as well as if he’d been donkey kicked.

“Gah, this is an absolute load of bull shi--!” Linus’ grumbling is unceremoniously cut off when he sees a student peeking in at him from underneath the desk, red eyes in an otherwise innocent face making him jump -- and promptly slam his head against the hardwood of the desk. Rolling onto his side as he clutched at his head, Linus shimmied his way out from the desk rather ungracefully. “Fuck! Kid, you can’t just spook a guy like that, alright?!”

@wanderingsstar

[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."

[pheraefire]

[ Cue the Music ] " Lord Eliwood!! " The young boy ran up to him, seemingly excited he reconized someone in this crowd. "Havent you seen those insects playing over there?! Its rather strange but-" He tries to calm himself down, he cant forget the real task at hand. "-I want to show them what a real musician is like!!! Please come with me!"

this situation he found himself in, something like a fairy tale, left the lord in utter confusion. it left eliwood on edge truthfully, but the best he could do was smile and show his support to his friends. they were not under threat, after all, so he allowed himself these frivolous moments. if things did go awry, at least there would be plenty of capable warriors to fight, despite their size. for now he would have to confront his new reality of mice waiters, and... even insect musicians.

speaking of, a familiar face entered from his periphery, clearly excited about something. the boy's words spew out of him a mile a minute, a speed eliwood can hardly keep up with. he cannot recall seeing nils so alight with joy before, it is a most welcome change indeed. he cannot help but smile, knowing that his hardships seem to far from his mind. "calm yourself, nils, lest you forget to breathe!" a hearty laugh escapes the lord, giving the lad a pat on the shoulder.

"i've seen them, but i have yet to hear them play myself. i'd be delighted to join you, though. lead the way, nils."

@wanderingsstar

[fangedjustice]

How Not To Approach Children

@wanderingsstar

It was a bit hard to find peace and quiet here. It wasn’t a bad thing per se, as bustling activity was a good sign and nice in its own way, but sometimes, Lloyd needed a place that was quiet. He wasn’t going to get it in the barracks, or walking the halls or watching the students and knights go about their training. 

So, outside of the monasteries walls it was for the morning.

Gathering up some writing supplies from his quarters, since he was...long overdue to returning a letter, Lloyd picked his way through the ever-busy paths of Garreg Mach, reaching the bustling marketplace and heading toward the gates when...

Was that...music? It wasn’t rare for there to be some sort of music playing around the marketplace, travelers often performed for a little extra coin during the days and nights available to them, but this music...This was something he knew. Something that itched at the back of his mind, somewhere...

There!

A younger boy, with oddly colored hair, enthralling a small group of people with the airy tones of his flute. If he hadn’t seen the boy’s eyes, perhaps Lloyd would have simply moved on from the scene. But, now he knew why the musical sounded familiar, and he couldn’t just...walk away.

“...I see you’ve made it all the way out here. Quite far from home, aren’t you?” 

[bxldrsdraumar]

And I Would Walk 500 Feet

When one has become as small as a mouse, one must take care to avoid unexpected hazards. Rain and hail hit deceptively hard. Those stairs you’d vault up one or more at a time? You’ll need to find another route. And all those cats, dogs, and chickens around the monastery you’ve befriended over the school year? Well, the dogs are still more than happy to be your pals (watch out for their enthusiasm, however), but the cats and chickens… The former think you look like the perfect toys now, and the latter may or may not be wondering just how edible you are. Quick! Escape the courtyard!

(starter for @wanderingsstar)

The courtyard seemed to stretch for miles, rolling hills of green lawn, dunes of ant hills and gushing rivers and lakes formed by the mid-autumn rains. Despite the fact of the circumstances, Sigurd almost felt like he was back in Chalphy, and he sighed at the breeze that ruffled through his hair.

He was not in Chalphy, though, and the fact of the circumstance remained: he was very small. So small, in fact, that while he knew he had to leave the courtyard, to begin to find a direction to move to find the dastard that had done this, the world had become to vast and expansive that he almost did not know where to start. Getting his bearings about him, Sigurd thought he could identify north by the distant spire of the cathedral in the distance. But he could also see another front of big grey clouds rolling in, and he knew that travel in inclement weather was difficult under normal circumstances.

It seemed to him, as absurd as it might sound, that the best course of action was to find shelter. Sigurd shook his head at the prospect. It was almost funny.

"Well then," he said. "If north is that-a-way, then the dormitories are to my left." It seemed an easy enough route if he skirted close to the stone-laid footpaths, so he began to make his way in that direction.

It wasn't long before he encountered another soul, and though he knew, of course, that others had met the same strange fate as he, Sigurd was simultaneously relieved and aggrieved at the news. "Ah! Young man! Hello," he called, keeping his tone kind. "I see we are in the same predicament! Are you injured, my boy?"

[theofficersacademy]

Activity Check: July

We’ve conducted the activity check for July!

If your muse is both:

Not listed below

Has made the activity requirement for this month (3 IC posts, regardless of any exemption status)

you may claim your activity skill point! Simply add it to your Total Skill Points on your stats and allocate it wherever you please. If you have reached a new letter rank and would like to claim a new ability, please message the Masterlist.

Warned:

Nils @wanderingsstar

Sophia @nabataprophet​

Alear (M) @alyration

Freyja @foreversnightmare

Booted:

Finn @lanceofleonster

Serra @serraic​

Takumi @wndbrn

- the House Leaders

[lionsword]

Blade Class [Nils & Roy]

Starter for @wanderingsstar

Swordsmasters of Elyos and Hoshido have long inspired people with their signature finishing move: the ability to cut through an opponent with dazzling speed, so fast that one can’t even perceive the blade leaving its sheath. The Battle of the Eagle and Lion reignites interest in learning these techniques. Determined students have made some progress but haven’t quite mastered the move. Think you can help them? [ Grants Sword +1 ] 

Roy was rather skilled with a sword. He had to be to even be alive by then, and he’d had Cecilia as a teacher and a father with an impressive legacy to live up to. Any new technique wouldn’t be too difficult to master, right?

He mimicked the way he’d seen swordmasters pull their sword from their sheath and use the draw as a lethal strike. Focused, he put all of his focus and power into it, whipping his arm as fast as possible for the move-

So intensely, that his training sword flew through the air, clattering against the wall of the training hall and a suit of armor along the way with a bang. It landed only a couple of feet in front of Nils and Roy gasped, hand over his mouth.

“I’m terribly sorry! I’m having trouble with the latest move they’re teaching. Are you hurt, Uncle Nils?”

Rushing over to Nils, Roy picked up his training sword again and blushed, hot with embarrassment. He’d wanted to be able to teach Nila some sword basics and even more advanced techniques, but he was handling his blade that day about as well as a wet spaghetti noodle, and much more destructively.

“Have you tried out the Elyos and Hoshido technique yet yourself?”

[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."