a quiet prayer

sakura  of  fire emblem fates: conquest.

❥  a princess but you really don’t have to treat her like one

❥  do you carry yourself with even a mote of confidence?  she is scared of you.  are you just tall and imposing in general?  she is absolutely quaking in fear.

❥  if your muse is the unstoppable force, she is the immovable object.

❥  basically:  she’s really, really shy.  please handle with care.

❥  didn’t deserve any of what she’s been through, not even a little tiny bit.

❥  no, really, she’s been through it.  she might be a bit cold in comparison to her normal self, at least until she warms up to this place.

Takumi has never much enjoyed practicing his archery in front of other people, has only been all too aware of prying eyes and judging gazes. Though this ‘Right on Target’ quest should be the ideal quest for him, he finds it hard to get past the very public nature of it. His eyes dart around from camera to spectator, all too aware of their presence.

Even Sakura’s proximity leaves him feeling conflicted; he’s happy to have her here, of course, but the thought of embarrassing himself in front of Sakura is a painful one, too.

“Don’t screw this up, Takumi,” He thinks to himself.

Regardless, he oughtn’t let Sakura know just how nervous he is. He’s supposed to be the big brother here! Takumi wants to be someone she can look up to, especially with Hinoka and Ryouma not around.

“Ha. I’ll try not to!” Just gotta keep going like that, just gotta fake being confident, “Go ahead, sister, I’m dying to see what you’re capable of.”

… That ought to give him enough time to prepare himself, anyway.

   “ me first? ”   fitting, that bravado would be so fleeting a thing.  sakura’s hesitance is almost instinctive at this point.  the wanting remains, but what was realized, much more poignantly now, was where they were.  this isn’t a simple training ground.  she cannot afford to make mistakes befitting of the amateur she is when compared to her brother, that is.

she could still manage.  she would just be slow to start.  surely there’s a way to gain the audience’s favor with that?  she hopes so.  sakura goes down the checklist mentally.  her feet ought to be spread out more, posture fixed, hands steadied.  steady is a hard thing for her to be, but she was taught to work around it.  her focus narrows, eyes coming to a close for a moment as she inhales.  she knocks her bow.  when her eyes open, she picks a target.  her form is altered to suit her target.  exhale, and release.

His inquisitive gaze momentarily lingers on her face, suddenly filled with questions as to what she could be referring to if not his fall down the canyon, but he casts these aside for now- The two of them can properly catch up with each other’s situations when they’re actually out of public sight.

“I’m…” He lets out a soft sight, a tentative grin forming on his features, “I’m glad you’re here too, Sakura. Really. It’s been too long since I’ve seen family, and I had no idea if any of you were safe.”

For Sakura to ask a question like that… As if she could possibly bother him! Granted, it reminds him so much of himself, of his fear that he’s burdening their older siblings… Further proof that the two of them have to stick together. “And stop worrying so much, of course I don’t mind, Sakura!” Takumi assures her, “I’m your older brother, aren’t I? The two of us have always got to look out for each other… No matter what.”

He didn’t miss that her hand had been reaching for him just then, either. Is she wanting to hold his arm again, like she used to back home? There’s not a whole lot he can do for her right now, but at the very least he can offer her support in this way. Even if she’s too embarrassed to ask it of him, he’ll just have to offer his arm up to her.

“…  Um. How about we get going, then? You can hold on to my arm on the way, if you’d like.”

too long, huh?  she could say the same.  at least he’s had this whole city to keep him company.  sakura had little more than...  well, the princess that their sister betrayed them for.  which reminds her, as good as her company may be now, she is ultimately a bearer of bad news.  awful it may be to lie, she questions if she ought to tell him.  ignorance may be innocence’s curse, but surely it isn’t a bad way to live compared to what she carries with her now.

that weight, however, eases slightly.  her older brother, yes, that’s exactly what he is.  she knew that, but what a great deal it means to her to be reminded.  he’s looking out for her.  it’s a pleasant thought, a warmth she’s been without for much too long.  how silly of her to have forgotten it, to have doubted its existence. 

So she is a new arrival as well. Edward shakes his head, pushing his glasses ever so slightly up his nose.

“You needn’t worry. Even if you are new, as I am, you can still aid me in a way.” He speaks plainly and calmly, all together unperturbed by the situation, or, if he’s bothered, he’s not letting it show. Working himself up will only lead to panic, after all. He knows he must take this slowly, one step at a time. And the first step is to gather as much information as he can.

“You say you have never seen this place before, yes? Neither have I. It is entirely new to me. In fact, even the architecture and technology far surpasses what I am used to. One needn’t search for clues to reach the conclusion that we’ve arrived in a world different from our own.”

Edward pauses to look the stranger over. “Hm. While your attire greatly resembles that which is worn in Hinomoto, there are very subtle differences in the material and overall composition of your outfit. I believe I can assume the world you are from is not the same as mine.”

“That being said, I am quite curious to know what sort of world you arrived from. Perhaps, from that information, we can learn something about our predicament.”

she doesn’t exactly follow...  this man is so much bolder than she is.  here she is, more than a dozen worries compounding in her head, yet he remains all too collected in spite of their same circumstance.  she’s not sure if she ought to trade her envy for bewilderment or not.

   “ o-oh, um, ”   is all she can really manage in response at first.  he’s deduced so much in such a short time frame she’s nearly forgotten how to speak herself.  the only thing she’s grasped onto is the local mentioned.   “ h-hinomoto? ”   it was a close match to her home, but not quite a perfect one.  then again, it was just an observation, and he was correct still--  she’s not from there.

   “ hoshido! ”   she blurts out suddenly,   “ i--  i’m, um, from hoshido... ”   her voice tapers off.  what else is she supposed to say?  if he can read her like an open book then surely her words are useless.  her eyes dart about, hopeful she hadn’t been loud even to draw anyone else’s attention.

Well… shite. Judging by the not-Hyur’s reaction (trembling, stumbling backwards-thankfully, the poor girl doesn’t fall on her arse-and stuttering, just to name a few), Selenie’s attempt at assuring the girl and calming her down seems to have had the exact opposite effect. Godsdamnit, where was someone like Alphinaud or Ryne when she needed them?! She was skilled in killing gods and cutting down swathes of those Imperial bastards, not calming down young children who may or may not have gotten lost and separated from their parents!

But Fury be damned if Selenie wasn’t going to be stubborn and try anyways.

“Alright, alright… listen, what I meant to say was that I don’t eat people! I’m not going to hurt you!” She tries. She then lets out a tired sigh, and internally curses at herself. It’s moments like this that remind her why she’d fled south to Limsa Lominsa in the first place, all those years ago, and had become an adventurer. Because she knew what she looked like-a terrifying dragon monster. And while against enemies that was a very good thing, against those she had no intention of harming, it was a painful reminder of her sins, her twisted past, and… well, it just overall hurt so very much. 

She looked around for something decently sized to sit down on. Maybe if she was closer to the girl’s height, the girl would settle down quicker? She took a deep breath, and once she found a rock to sit down on, she headed towards it. Once she was close, she took her spear off her back, and placed it on the tree right beside it. Close enough that she could still feel comfortable and easily grab it should things turn sour, but off her back and hopefully enough to further show this strange new girl that Selenie had no intention of harming her. She then sat down on the rock, and placed her helmet in her lap.

“…Listen, I get it. You’re far from the first person to think I’m some terrifying monster. And when I’m on the battlefield, fighting against whatever the hells I’m fighting against, I don’t care, but in moments like this… well, I wish I could go back to before… the things that happened to me to make me like this and stop myself. Like past me would’ve listened to current me anyways… who am I kidding?” She admitted, looking down at her helmet somberly. After several moments, she spoke again.

“…If it helps, my name’s Selenie. And, from what I’ve been told by the people who live here, you could best compare me to a dragon elf. I was just using an old trick that I learned back in my world, in a place called Doma. When I fly fast, I make a lot of wind. And, when the wind is powerful enough, it shreds the petals off the trees, and when that happens, there’s a wonderful scent that comes out. It’s really relaxing, at least for me. It seems most other people can’t smell it, so at best, they tend to think I’m just being reckless, and… well, sometimes, this sort of thing happens. I scare the shite out of them, even though I didn’t mean to.” She explained. 

“…I’m sorry. I mean it. I wasn’t trying to scare you… whoever you are.” She softly confesses, just loud enough to be heard, but hopefully, not so loud as to be fear-inducing.

one of her worries is bequeathed from her mind, but it still leaves countless others in its wake.  while sakura herself may not be on the menu, she was still someone this girl was fixated on.  as fearful as she is, she seems to have grown roots where she stands.  her feet refuse to move and her legs are stiff.  she manages to let her shoulders fall slightly when the other sits down, but anything more than that is asking too much of her.

selenie was her name.  she was...  sad.  part of that was sakura’s fault.  she is then acquainted with guilt.  she couldn’t have known, or so she tries to reassure herself, but she still slighted the other in one way or another.  her fear was almost instinctive, but her anxiety has led her to judge another much too harshly all too quickly.

   “ n-no, i...  i didn’t mean-- ”   oh, she feels awful now.  while it may be true, sakura did initially perceive her as a danger--  but if she’d only known the other was used to such an assumption she would have done better to stifle the way she shakes.  even now, she still does.  she loathes it.  her heart is still racing.  she places a hand over her chest as if to calm it, a frown on her face in shame.

   “ sakura.  my name is sakura, ”   the least she can do is give her name in return.   “ i’m so, so sorry, ”   she adds with a deep bow in apology.   “ i hadn’t meant to upset you...  i just thought--  i-i shouldn’t have been so hasty. ”

regret slowly saps away every remaining worry she could have.  even if she could, selenie is in no state to attack.  she has done everything she can to present herself in a way sakura would be comfortable with.  though she is not yet brave enough to look the other in the eyes, she can still appreciate the effort now that she is calmed enough to see it.

“You got it.” He replies, before throwing the Pokeball that wasn’t so cruelly taken from him.

While Hop is certainly confident in his starter’s aim and power, he’s more angry at the situation than anything else. With an uncharacteristic (and somewhat unnerving) scowl on his face, he glares daggers at the targets in front of them, Karma beside him with an equally unpleasant expression.

“I hope our audience enjoys the show.” Or he might just give them a better look at Karma’s strength.

Hop clenches the handle of the sword he’d taken from a base camp-like area that had appeared in Fibonacci. He would’ve brought the wooden sword that Mr. Asougi had gifted him, but he’d rather not accidentally wind up breaking it. He’s only practiced a bit with a sword, but…

“Karma, use Snipe Shot!” He commands, rushing past his starter and towards the nearest target.

His anger will make up for it.

with a sharp breath in, sakura spreads her feet and sets her aim on one target.  delicate hands grab onto an an arrow, nocks it, and anchors.  exhale, and release.  her aim is true, a sharp noise resounding as the arrow hits the target.  she’s never cared for the noise.  having to use such a weapon on real, living targets before has soured it for her.  but she takes pride in her practice in spite of it.  she may not be as accomplished as her brother is, but it is a skill she’s honed all the same.

she enters a steady rhythm, sticking to her spot and hitting all the targets she can.  she’s not as fast as she’d like to be, and these targets do like to dart around, nor can she assure the focus it takes her to aim is all that interesting for the spectators.

a rare boon this grants her.  to stand beside her brother, an archer of such renown, in a quest like this.  it is hardly a contest--  he is surely capable of outdoing her even in his sleep.  yet something about the atmosphere, the rush she feels next to him with yumi in hand, begs her to try.  it is not a contest by nature, nor is she certain she would best him were they to keep track, but could she aim to achieve something else..?

for sakura to be so willing to take to the stage and preform is unheard of.  to say she very much out of her element here is something undoubtedly obvious to all that know her.  and yet somehow, against all odds, she is strangely composed.  the yumi in her hand almost looks like it belongs there.  she readies her stance, eyes scanning the targets that appear before them.

sakura is really feeling the right on target quest rn.  if you’d like to join her, feel free to like this and i’ll write an event starter!

It’s nice to have Karma out of his Ball for once - it’s good for the Inteleon to get some fresh air, and for Pokemon and Trainer to spend some quality time together. Hop would have both Felt and Karma out of their Balls all the time if he could, but unfortunately this place isn’t as Pokemon-friendly as Galar.

Plus, Karma is the ace up Hop’s sleeve should he ever find himself in danger.

But Hop isn’t in danger; in fact he’s quite happily engrossed in his book, completely oblivious to his surroundings while his starter watches everything around them with focused eyes and a cool smile. The Trainer has no problems with it - his Pokemon has always been one to keep an eye out at all times, and it’s not like he’s hurting anyone - but as he drags his eyes away from the pages to look at the incredibly nervous girl he barely heard…

… Well, just because he has no problems with it doesn’t mean that everyone else is fine with it. Hop glances over to Karma, then back to the stranger with an apologetic smile. “Awh, don’t mind him - he doesn’t mean anythin’ by it.” A light nudge on his starter’s shoulder, and the Inteleon faces towards his Trainer with a blink.

“Watchin’ folks makes ‘im feel safe, yanno?”

safe...  well, perhaps that’s one of her worries allayed.  although, sakura isn’t sure she can agree with that line of thought.  maybe she is just overly cautious, or she thinks the intrusive gaze of others  ( whether well-meaning or not )  is one she could inflict on another in turn.

her gaze is drawn to him, blinking a few times to take in the sight before ultimately turning away again.  feeling safe still doesn’t answer why he seemed so persistent in watching her specifically.

   “ i see... ”   she’s exhausted all her nerve to rebuke anything else.  she’s willing to relent.  to chalk up her concern to the fact that her mind seems to wander.  the more she frets the more fear starts to grip over her mind.  seeds of doubt are often quickly sowed, and they grow just as fast.  difficult it may be, she can rein it in.  she ought to, if she’s really in the wrong here.

It had become rather commonplace for Selenie to do what she was about to do. She had found a high perch near the Eternal Cherry Blossom Garden, and had scaled it with practiced ease. She then took a good few steps back, sprinted forward, and leapt off the edge. She streamlined herself, falling, falling, falling, falling, until she reached maximum speed. Once she did, she spread her wings at just the right moment, catching the surging winds. 

As she soared through the blossoming trees, the fast, powerful winds shredded the petals from the trees, releasing that delightful scent that it seemed only Selenie herself could fully enjoy. She looped back around, gliding through the scented air, before landing on her feet and taking in a deep breath.

It wasn’t until a few minutes later that the disgraced Dragoon saw, out of the corner of her eye, another figure…

And, upon turning to get a better look, Selenie realized that the figure was… smaller-looking. A Hyur-esque girl with short, lighter red hair in what looked like some sort of Far Eastern robe set, clutching some sort of staff…

Oh… shite. Selenie realized internally. She probably thinks I’m some sort of unholy dragon monster out to kill her… shite, think, Selenie, think! 

She took off her helmet, revealing what she hoped was something a little less terrifying to the girl, placing it under her arm.

“Listen, er, whoever you are… I’m not going to eat you!” 

Perhaps that wasn’t the best first thing to say, but Selenie… well, she wasn’t sure what to do here.

the terror imbued in sakura is not new.  not entirely.  however, regardless of the familiarity it may invoke, it is still jarringly poignant.  it has not waned any with frequency, she is still wholly and fully terrified.  coupled with the aid of some rather concerning words that were likely meant to dissuade the shock that etched itself into her face  ( not going to eat her?  does that imply she would eat others?! )  she can do no more than cower in fear.

  “ p-please d--  don’t come any closer just yet!! ”   her legs struggle to move properly, but she does manage a few clumsy steps backwards in retreat.  she wouldn’t be able to run, not like this, should the other try to close the gap between them.  she trembles like a leaf in the fall--  and that’s what may as well happen to her if she is pushed any further.

her eyes are shut tight and she hastily turns her face away.  though her heart is racing, she attempts to ease the ragged breaths that leave her.  at least enough to speak with some amount of poise.