Clear the way!

Setsuna doesn’t miss.

It’s the one thing she’s proud of. She’d always been good with archery, the only thing in life she’d ever been good at without intense failure first. The second a bow had been placed in her hand, she’d made the shot, again and again and again.

Not making the shot meant disappointing Hinoka. She wouldn’t let that happen.

Except now Setsuna was standing with her bow in hand, frowning as she watched the horses scatter around the grounds. She was fairly certain she’d watched one wander off towards the market place.

How had that happened anyways? Her shot had flown, and then it bounced, and then there was a loud clang and a lock dropping and…She shook her head. Oh well, no sense worrying in that now. 

That familiar twang of Setsuna’s bow, the last time she’d heard it fire at the end of the war, yet still, somehow, the queen felt reasonably sure it was her former retainer. 

Horses stampeding through the grounds laid any doubts to rest.

Memories are vignettes for one’s past, and often times, they are very telling.

He wasn’t sure how his heart could manage to both sink to the deepest depths and rise to the highest clouds in one go, but Takumi’s heart managed to do that when he saw Hinoka for the first time in the monastery. On the one hand, he was beyond excited; she marked the fourth of his siblings to actually come to the monastery! It was amazing… but then there was the other hand, in which she probably was just like the rest of his siblings. From a perfect world where none had to suffer. Where he actually came to an understanding of Nohr.

“H… Hey, Hinoka,” Takumi tried to speak as casually as he could, to try and hide that there were any doubts inside of him. At least that bit of excitement carried his happiness. “You’re part of the monastery too, then? That’s… That’s really great.” As if Takumi wasn’t allowed to think happy thoughts, suddenly everything started pouring in at once. What if she learned you weren’t practicing hard enough? That there were better archers here than you? What if she just forgot about you entirely?

Only one way to find out. 

Takumi’s voice quickly strikes into her heart, immediately recognizable and yet so far off, as though his speech rang out mere days ago, yet at the same time years difference between now and then. The queen inhales, her breath stabilizes as panic retreats from the edge of her vision, and the strongest smile she can muster forces its way to her face. “I just arrived today, Takumi. I’m to be a professor in the Blue Lions house, as it is.”

Up until now, her emotions were a mix, swirling about as though unable to settle on just one feeling. Yet at the mention of their eldest brother, the knife in her back yet wrenched its grip once more, the breath leaves her lungs; casually those names are thrown together, Ryoma, Azura, Corrin. Memories of that scene played, no matter how her mind knew it was not true, yet to see the corpse of her eldest brother, to see the death and destruction that followed her path, Hinoka’s mind had no other course of action but to proceed.

“I… You…”

Perhaps the truth, at least, would be a good place to start. 

“…You’ve been gone two years, brother. You’ve aged well.”

-> I’m Caspar von Bergliez, by the way. I’m one of the students here. Nice to meet you!“ He hesitates for a second before almost sheepishly holding up a card. “Did you get one of these? They said we should collect signatures from as many attendees as possible, so that’s what I’ve been doing. Should make for a good memento. Oh, and if you haven’t tried the food, I recommend it!” he adds, perking up again. “The sweet buns have got to be the best thing there!" 

A short head of blue hair catches her attention, memories of her remaining retainer flash before the crowd consumes them once more. However, instinct tells the queen to keep an eye out, and such instinct is soon rewarded - the boy soon manages to escape the crowd and approach her, narrowly avoiding a direct collision. “No, I can’t say I’ve met many people. I did, however, find someone I used to know.”

Caspar von Bergliez, definitely not Nohrian in origin, and far from Hoshidan, which only leaves the possibility of a native to Fódlan. A bow in response to his introduction, “I am Hinoka Higashi, queen of Hoshido. It’s good to meet you!”

Then he holds up a card, much like the one she’d received upon her arrival at the Gala. So, he only wanted stamps - guess that’s not a surprise. “Yes, I have a card too. If you’d like, we can exchange stamps, or signatures perhaps. In fact, why not both! That’ll make for a better memory, I think.” 

A queen, bowing to him?! He’s thrown off enough to completely forget the question he wanted to ask, and attempts to recover it while Hinoka signs his card. She returns it and prompts him for his signature; and he nods quickly as he begins to stow his card. The dual script she’d written gives him pause - he’s never seen anything quite like the first line. “Wow, this looks fancy!” he remarks. “Does this say the same thing as that? Does Hoshido have two different alphabets or something, Hino - your Majesty?” He catches himself in the nick of time, and hastily offers a short bow of his own: He has no idea how particular she is about her title just yet.

The swiftness of his motion causes the pen to fall out of his pocket. He notices it as he straightens up, and quickly drops to a knee to retrieve it. Taking her card when she offers it, he scrawls out his name and swiftly stamps his initials onto the end. As he returns her card, his earlier question finally comes back to him and he beams. “You said you met someone you knew,” he observes. “Was he a friend of yours? Garreg Mach has admitted a lot of foreign transfer students lately. In fact…” Caspar swiftly scans the queen’s outfit again, head to toe. “I think there’s someone else here who dresses kind of like you. Her name’s Selkie; she’s also in my house. Was it her?”

The boy certainly seems hyperactive - in fact, he almost reminds Hinoka of herself, back when she was younger. A more genuine smile breaks through the mask, especially when he fumbles over his words, “Just Hinoka is fine. We’re not exactly in Hoshido, are we? Although, I suppose you might be calling me Professor, depending on which house you’re in.”

Patiently she waits for him to return the favor to her card - not a long wait, at least, and she responds to his first query in turn while she waits. “The first is Hoshidan script, while the second is a more common one. Apparently, Nohr and Fódlan share very similar written languages, which makes it easy on me!” 

“-see you here. I pray you have been well since we last met?” He offered her a warm smile- she and Camilla were rather close, after all. (2/2)

Hinoka had seen the list of transfers, both students and faculty - not that she’d been trying to snoop, but it was displayed so prominently that she couldn’t help but take a look. 

Truthfully, it had been a mistake. 

Xander Crysanthos Dragmire

Azura Nirat’maj

Sakura

Elise

Takumi

And below them all, as if to signal their arrival first.

Corrin

If she pretended she hadn’t seen those names, perhaps her head would eventually stop spinning - Hinoka knew better, however. None of those names made sense - were they… were they imposters? Assassins, perhaps - after her, after the Hoshidan throne? Nohrian loyalists? That last one seemed likely - even now, two years past the war, there were those who had made attempts on her life, just before she left to Fódlan. Those who wished to see Hoshido fall, who saw Garon as the only true ruler of Nohr. 

She’d been prepared for the confusion, prepared for a potential attempted assassination - 

“I pray you have been well since we last met?”

But she had not been prepared for that.

“…King Xander? What, exactly -”

Scarlet brows furrowed, fog of confusion lifting as she processed what he had truly said. Princess? Was he trying to insult her - after all that he and his had done, for Xander to…

…No, it didn’t make sense. Nothing about this made sense.

He frowned as she spoke on leaving Nohr unannounced- he had sent word to both the Hoshidan royals and left his siblings in charge in his stead, so this whole situation was a rather bit confusing on his end as well. Queen of Hoshido? But Ryoma-

He put his hand to his temples, sighing deeply. “Good gods, Queen Hinoka, you have my most sincere apologies- I should have trusted my instincts when I saw your headdress. I- well, it appears we are from two different timelines. The Takumi present at the academy is from a third- I, along with Azura, Mozume, Shigure, Kana, Selkie, Siegbert, Sakura, Forrest, Dwyer, Charlotte, and Elise are all from the same timeline wherein our Corrin chose no side. I would expand upon that however…” Anankos likely wasn’t dead in Hinoka’s reality. “Extenuating circumstances prevent me from doing so. Takumi, Hinata, and the Corrin here are from a timeline wherein Corrin sided with Hoshido. And if you’re Queen of Hoshido…” Ryoma must have died. Meaning… “I assume in the world you come from, Corrin sided with Nohr.” His expression turned somber, and he bowed again. “You again have my most sincere apologies, Queen Hinoka- I know nothing of the world you come from besides how it varies from my own, but I am still sorry for whatever part I happened to play in such a cruel befalling of fate. I… I am sorry for your loss.” He knew Ryoma was dead in her realm, but who knew what became of her other siblings, of her retainers, even? “Please, if you have need of anything, do let me know, I would be happy to assist. I would also be happy to answer any questions about this varying timeline issue- well, as many as I can. There are some that I cannot share the answers for due to… I suppose the best explanation would be ‘timeline shenanigans,’ though I’m sure that reveals nothing to you- and for that I apologize.”

“...You have my most sincere apologies,” her features soften as the Nohrian king speaks, but soon enough, confusion and concern overcome what relief she had. Selkie? Kana? Shigure? The last two names seemed familiar, but the first... A shake of her head resolves the strange emotion that fills her breast. 

“King Xander, you’re sounding ridiculous right now - Timelines? Shenanigans?” Her arms fold in front of her chest, and brows furrow as frustration replaces confusion. 

“And besides, you’ve already apologized and spoke to me at length for your reasons behind the war,” vermillion hued eyes find the floor for a moment before closing to hide their gaze, “and while I’m far from happy with Corrin’s decision - and by extension, yours - I’m just happy that she managed to find a family with you. Divines know that she couldn’t find that with us.”

Hinoka releases a soft sigh, and her eyes lose the sharpness of their gaze. “I digress. I don’t know what you’re going on about, Xander, but it’s good to see you well, I suppose. If you see Corrin, tell her I said hello.” 

Before he can respond - an intentional decision on Hinoka’s part, though she would not reveal that if pressed - she parts ways with a bow, and proceeds on her way within the crowd. 

[ Ethereal Ball 2020 info post ]

ASK MEMES

Give my muse something to eat or drink…

Champagne: Imported from the western shores of the Adrestrian Empire, the school purchases 70 bottles of this stuff well in advanced for this day alone. The bartenders are under strict orders not to offer any student more than one glass.

Sparkling Water: Fresh spring water that has been magically carbonated. Served with a squeeze of lime or a dash of one of the many fruit syrups available at the bartender’s disposal. 

Coffee: More specifically, a mocha brewed with Almyran coffee beans and Dagdan chocolate and served with hot milk. A sweeter variation of the drink taking Fódlan by storm. 

Tea: Just what it says on the tin! The only teas offered are Mint, Bergamot, Sweet-Apple Blend, Albinean Berry Blend, and Southern Fruit Blend, wrapped in small tea bags. Clever students bring their own tea.

Water: The liquid of life, the quencher of thirst. Served in crystalline glasses. And what’s more dramatic than throwing water at someone’s face!

Spaghetti and meatball: A lovers’ portion of freshly-made spaghetti cooked in the monastery’s famous tomato sauce. The titular, singular meatball sits in the center, waiting for one lucky person to have their lover roll it to them with their nose as an offering.

Sweet Bun Trio: A selection of traditional Faerghus pastries, all small enough to be eaten in one delicious bite! The first bun is filled with sweet cream and topped with icing and a candied cherry. The second is a sweet roll filled with almonds, pecans, and dried cranberries and glazed with honey. The third is a bun sliced in half, filled with almond paste and whipped cream, dusted with powdered sugar on top.

Pomegranate: A newcomer to the Ethereal Ball’s menu, a simple bowl of pomegranate seeds. No one in the staff is quite sure how these are supposed to be served, only that you better not spit the pits out on the floor!

Mint candy: For when your breath isn’t as fresh as newly-fallen snow.

Interact with my muse…

send 💌to invite my muse to the Goddess Tower

send 👀to accidentally find my muse at the Goddess Tower

send 🏃to sneak off and explore the monastery together

send 👗to compliment my muse’s outfit

send 🚨for my muse to call the fashion police on your muse

send 👂to pass along a rumor your muse has heard about someone else

or make up your own!

Dance with my muse…

send 💃to ask my muse for a dance

send 🙇for my muse to ask yours for a dance

send 👯to teach my muse a new dance

send 😃for my muse to make your muse laugh with a silly dance