RUN WITH THE WOLVES!

vonvestra​:

Constance continues to prove herself to be reliable. In a burst of magic and anguished screams, the carapace shatters but does not hinder the monster as it turns on them with an attack of its own. Hubert smells the sickly sweet scent of dark magic before he sees it, but his elbow connects with the hard earth at the very moment that the spell manifests, shoved aside by Constance in a way that almost feels like deja vu. His head snaps up in time to witness the blast knock her off her feet, and he tries to lift himself back to standing with a speed the pain searing through his middle won’t allow. Staggering instead, he takes a step toward her, but she’s back up before he can reach her. Good. For now.

Morgan calls his attention back to her next and in the time afforded by the distraction of Leo’s attack, Hubert addresses her at last.

“Medical attention won’t be necessary. I can still stand,” he insists, but after a pause, offers a concession. “I will keep to the back.”

So he retreats some distance and watches the fight unfold, searching for some sign of an opening. With each strike comes shrieks that still sound, at their very core, human. She’s gone, he repeats silently. Beating wings lift her— it above the treetops and Hubert raises an arm to shield his eyes from the gale winds they create. The branches all around them groan and bend and whisper in the storm. Then Sylvain launches himself into the scene with grotesque lance in hand, and the earth quakes as both man and beast land again. The trees, too, settle uneasily.

Like a fly, Sylvain is swatted away, but the monster struggles to right itself. A quick survey finds Hapi nearby and, though unfamiliar with her skills, Hubert calls to her an order he hopes she can fulfill: “Buy us some time! Keep it grounded!”

There’s no time to check for understanding before he’s back to Constance’s side again.

“Ready another spell.”

Rallies Dexterity, Speed, and Blessing for Hapi

Next: @hapitheos​ 

so, this is what eddy becomes? the adrestian empress contorts into a being of tar and bone, a multitude of eyes twist and pulsate as they attempt to pinpoint a target. hapi’s jaw clenches, heart thundering in her chest as she wipes the sweat from her brow. her palms ache, crackling with magical static as thin fingers twist into fists. her bones ache, pain still faintly hums in her injured arm, and her head thrums under the excessive influence of her spells, but she remains standing tall.

(they all do.)

what’s a giant, ugly bird in comparison to the five other beasts they’ve slain previously? this monster doesn’t scare hapi and she finds, she doesn’t hesitate. fatigue warps into an obscurity, overcome by the need for survival. she takes a glance at her allies, all fastened in their individual determination, and smirks. those five other lame beasts were just warm-ups to them. now, they’re just getting started! the beast screeches, but the team doesn’t falter. under morgan and hubert’s call, they charge.

they’re off to a good start, some faults, but the momentum is kept up regardless. before hapi has the time to think about covering for her fellow redhead, hubert calls out to her. she turns around, lifts her hand up in a lackadaisical salute as she nods and gets herself in position.

hapi uses swarm! (15+4=19! critical!) inflicts -spd! + monstrous appeal + rally blessing = +3.5 damage dealt! hegemon husk  = 34.5 hp

“got’cha, got’cha big bert,” she drones as her hands cut through the air, gesturing up another spell as mulberry light dances ‘round her feet. the buzzing again, silenced only by the beast’s shrieking as it attempts to launch towards sylvain’s direction. the mage hurls her spell, the swarming mass colliding with the fiend’s trapezius, to which it wastes no haste snapping its attention towards hapi.

hegemon husk misses! (2)

irroche​:

✦ —       the fear of failure is greater than the fear of death. for all their luck thus far, she can only watch as matthew is felled by the arrival of the fifth beast. ( how many would they find and fight before the day’s end? ) exhaustion begins to find her, even as she lunges forward from the far wall as the professor departs in search of the infirmary and as morgan commands the scene once more from what she feels is a disquieting position for the person that professes herself the progeny of a peerless tactician.

      how many spells as she weaved? how many more will she be asked to cast? the magic, like ichor in her veins, flows as the ethereal glow arises once more to cast aside the shadows beneath her eyes as sylvain charges forth no worse for the wear. ( what secrets there were still in this world, she thinks as her eyes flick to the unsettling crimson glow of his weapon. ) fearless, ready to maim it until it no longer rises, until the beast knocks him from his steed and the weapon, for all its might, becomes more of a chewing toy for the creature than it was a relic of their homeland’s ancient past. her mind clicks ahead her body, even as she runs forward.

      were these the limits of constance von nuvelle?

constance rolls a 24 ( 20 + 4 )! demonic beast, 2.5 / 8.

      again, sagittae is cast and the arrows fly forward with pinpoint accuracy. the wind still rises, even as she does not move. her breath, controlled, as it gains momentum, the weight of the light grows and tears through flesh to form a new seam in the side of its maw. the beast jerks backward, screeching as its attention turns upon the mage and to its fallen brethren behind her and the tear only grows. the beast digs its claws into the earth beside sylvain’s head, the upturned earth tossed as it lurches in her direction in spite of the grievious wounds dealt it and as constance, again, flees for the cover of shade.

demonic beast rolls a 5!

      its body collides with a heavy thud, the ancient stones above her rumbling with discontent as if to warn her of a certain collapse sure to come.

@hapitheos!

she feels the ache in her bones and knows, she may be reaching over-exertion. sweat drips from her brow, strands of amaranth hair sticking onto dampen skin. her lungs ache, her palms crackling— but she can’t stop now. the screams of her comrades musters strength, keeps her tenacious spirit at bay as the next beast barrels through. they may have one or two comrades in crucial condition, but confidence surges in hapi. they’ve got this, she thinks as determination sparks in her gaze, what’s one last beast compared to the other four they’ve slain?

she leaps over the sprawled carcass of an earlier beast, boots scratching into debris as she channels her energy once more. ground yourself, hapi. focus, FOCUS— showers of light burst where arrows pierce from the sky, the beast slams downwards with force that nearly throws hapi off her feet. it’s down, vulnerable.

an opportunity. (or so hapi thinks.)

beneath her boots, the ground illuminates. beneath the monster, the ground begins to saturate. obsidian fluid oozes and bubbles, tainting cobblestone as the pond continues to seep and expand. hapi gestures, her right arm about to release the casting when the beast’s eyes snap open. heat rushes to its muzzle as its jaw opens and glows. hapi has but a moment to react before it blasts her within an inferno.

hapi uses banshee! she misses! (2) demonic beast misses! (1) 

gallantgautier​:

Heartbeat marching double time against his ribcage, Sylvain grips the pommel of Chastity’s saddle tight as they circle their next target. Behind and to his sides, he can just make out Matthew and Leo advancing with him, Morgan giving direction from further back. Good, stay out of range. Glowing red eyes stare and threaten to send a shiver down his spine, but he remains firm. Keep them on me.

With a yell, he grabs its attention, fangs dripping with fluids he does not want to think about, a chunk of metal he can just make out lodged between its back teeth. Was it once a helm, or a breastplate? It’ll be him, if he’s not careful. Just a little further, he directs those jaws away from the rest of his team.

Matthew darts in, and the howl that splits the air tells him just how well he found his mark, but just as he whirls away, the beast wheels around faster than something of its size ought to be capable of, spitting a fireball much like the first one had. But it glances off of the man’s shoulder, painful but not deadly, Sylvain lets out a breath he didn’t know he was holding.

A second later, another blast of fire, but this one crashing against its hide, loosed from Leo’s fingertips. But he’s too close! Its tail rising, arching away as if readying to swipe-

“Leo! Get back!”

Too late. The serpentine limb collides with the professor, sending him hurtling to the ground. Like it knows it has an easier target, the monster’s heaves its bulk around, advancing on Leo’s form with parted jaws and eyes burning with hunger.

Not on his watch.

Chastity needs no direction more than a tap to their flank, and Sylvain bends low in the saddle as she gallops right towards those jaws, a black and red streak hurtling past. Claws swipe at them as they cut a path between it and its would-be meal, but with a twist, she swerves out of harms way. The beast howls, its head swinging around to follow, as if more intent on punishing him for interrupting.

With some distance between them, the beast gathers its flames in its mouth once more, shambling upright as it takes aim. Sylvain takes a breath, facing it head on, and Chastity paws at the ground and snorts in challenge. The Lance’s pulse against his palm matches his heartbeat, matches the steady pound of hooves on stone, the fireball hurtles towards them.

It flies past, warmth on his cheek as he tilts in the saddle for just a few seconds, jaw set and gaze unwavering. Another ball of flame coalesces, flung at him again, but the destrier swerves around it easily. There’s roaring in his ears, the unmistakable energy of his blood crying out in his veins as the barbed head of the Lance glows red.

Even the acrid stench of the beast’s breath doesn’t draw a flinch from him, nor do the fangs that move to pluck him out of the saddle distract from his focus for even a second. They pivot, jaws closing on nothing as Sylvain reaches up with a free hand to grab one of the barbs upon its lowered head, swinging up onto the back of its neck.

Combat Art - Ruined Sky: +2 to damage. Crest of Gautier Activated!

Infuriated, or just frustrated, the monster swings its head back and forth, but Sylvain’s grip remains firm. The roaring in his ears rises to a crescendo, and a fierce cry of his own rips from his throat as he drives the Lance in between the armoured plates in its neck.

Roll: 23 (19+4) Critical hit! Damage dealt: 5

The beast screams, rearing up on its hind legs, forelimbs thrashing in the air, yet Sylvain remains upon its back, knees bent to brace as he holds tight to his weapon. Gripped in both hands, he gives the Lance on final twist, and the creature answers with a long, ear shattering howl towards the sky as it convulses.

Its final sound is a crash, dirt and debris lifting into the air as it falls, lifeless.

Demonic Beast 2 HP: 0

Sylvain jerks his weapon free, hopping down from its corpse onto the ground, something like an incredulous little laugh threatening to build in his throat. He… He actually did it. Instead of letting potentially mild hysteria take hold, he looks to his comrades as Chastity trots back to his side.

“How’re we holding up?”

@hapitheos​ @irroche​

the first beast falls with the posse hardly breaking a sweat. this little group of theirs isn’t half bad, hapi thinks, though she does not stop. no, she stays alert even as they fell the beast, stone glinting under the sun. there’s no time for rest; that facts iterated as the monastery quakes and alarms continue to blare. five more beasts, a knight hollers, stay alert! stay alert! as if on cue, a second beast spawns, rushing through flames as sylvain and morgan rally their group together.

the second beast is maimed quicker than the first-- hapi almost found herself laughing. this was what the imperial army has in store? ha. she’s summoned more heinous fiends on accident. sylvain and his steed maunevers with unparalleled finesse. he’s haloed in the fiend’s crackling inferno, narrowly escaping the onslaught as he then proceeds to do something ballsy: he swings himself onto the beast, mounting it. hapi’s eyes widen, ready to arm herself for her teammate’s rescue as the monster thrashes. it jerks, giving an ear-splitting roar as sylvain maintains control. he raises his lance, reminiscent like an valorous hero depicted on ceremonial tapestries, and plunges his weapon downwards. the serpentine fiend howls.

“no way,” hapi whispers in disbelief as she watches the creature plummet. it stills, a mass of flesh in debris, as sylvain rises with a chuckle. he walks back towards the group, hardly a scratch seen on him.

“you’ve got guts, loverboy.” hapi greets once she finds her voice once more, an amused huff leaving her. tawny fingers come to brush back stray wisps of amaranth hair, a smile curled upon her lips. “that seemed pretty fun.” for once, excitement buzzes through the mage’s body-- she wants to try something as brash as that, too. she steps forward towards the group, “leo’s down, hapi doesn’t--”  

the demonic beast barely hits!

something slices at her arm, tearing at her uniform sleeve as scarlet blossoms upon ivory cotton. an ear-piercing cry reverberates through the area and hapi whips around, only to be greeted with another monstrosity. the creature stands on its hinds, inky remnants of miasma dripping its mouth. it bends forwards and screeches, a wave of putrid air piercing hapi’s nostrils. there’s no time stare--

“coco!” she shouts as she channels her energy once more, brows furrowing in concentration, “back me up!” the beast has its eyes on hapi and she dashes away from the building. it follows in suit, snapping its jaws snapping for a chance to puncture her. its mouth bubbles, oozing a deep substance before hapi skids, swiveling on her feet to cast swarm.

hapi uses swarm: +2.5 damage dealt! inflicts -spd!  Demonic Beast 3 HP: 5.5/8

gallantgautier​:

Like thunder, Chastity’s hooves clatter against the paving stones, swerving around rubble as knights leap aside and make a path for him. He can hear the roars in the distance, can just see the tips of the spikes that run from the beast’s head down its back. There’s shouting all around him, and, distantly, he can pick out- 

Morgan!

It’s followed by another cry, and he urges his mount faster. Faster! Rounding the corner just in time to see Matthew’s blade find it’s mark, only t o be swept aside a heartbeat later.

But they don’t slow, like the wind, like he’d done all those months ago against a beast not so different. Just like in the mountains, when they’d been ambushed, his own carelessness leaving them wide open. But not this time.

“Open wide!” Sylvain hollars, catching it’s attention as he and Chastity hurtle into the fray. It’s great head starts to turn, away from where it had been bearing down upon Matthew. Like electricity, he can feel the Lance’s pulse thrum up his arm, and with a mighty heave, the point sinks into it’s jaw with such ferocity, its head is pulled along with him as he gallops past.

Sylvain’s roll: 13+4=17. Critical hit! Damage dealt: 2. Demonic Beast 1: 4/8HP 

Pulling his weapon free, he whirls the destrier around, honey amber gaze hard with determination. Stay aggressive. Make lots of noise. It growl, low and dangerous and half mad, foam dripping from its jaws, fire behind its teeth. Rearing up on its hind legs, the monster roars. 

Sylvain roars back, “I’m the one you want!”

The flames licking in its mouth smoulder, coalesce, then shoot forth faster than a bolt from a ballista. He’s got no choice but to brace, arms covering his face, jaw clenched tight as he wills himself to endure. Endure.

Demonic Beast’s roll: 15. Magic Damage hit. Damage taken: -0.5HP

@hapitheos​

a grand reunion is always shadowed by a grand battle. the gang’s all united now, but at what cost? it seems as if they’re missing a member, but circumstances prove to be dire. the knights round them up from the cathedral; it’s inevitable. the knights are small compared to the infantry of a nation at large, to have the students wait until invaders came barging through the monastery’s defense was a stupid idea. like lambs to the slaughter, hapi compares again, but at the very least… at least this could be excused as a practical exam, military academy and all. 

for as much hapi yearns to sigh, something else festers within. a glance sideways to constance, she assumes that her housemate is vying to showcase her power. a bellicose smirk twitches upon the wolf’s own lips as her amaranth eyes focus on the impending beast. it’s bothersome to serve a war that’s not her own, yet adrenaline rushes through hapi’s veins. she finds, as her heart drums, that there’s something cathartic in the promise of maiming the very monsters who’ve plagued her existent.

so, she charges. 

the group takes position, each member driven by their own resolve. the beast makes its first assault on matthew, launching him with a vicious swipe of its claw. dark matter accumulates ‘round hapi’s hands as she begins her cast, only interrupted as sylvain and his trusty steed rush into the fray. he has the beast’s attention as he bellows his fearsome battle cry; hapi prioritizes her assault as sylvain makes a perfect distraction.

hapi uses swarm: +2 damage dealt! inflicts -spd!  demonic beast: 2/8 hp 

the mage grunts as she kicks up her spell, a sangria sigil illuminating beneath her feet as she channels her energy. she releases with a grunt, arms thrust outwards as black specks burst ‘round the greater. the hum of buzzing thrums louder and louder as opaque muck accumulates the fiend and thus punctures its flesh, dragging its hind legs downwards. the beast snarls and whips itself away from sylvain, steamy breath exhaled through its jaws as it salvitates. it senses her blood, attention transfixed upon her figure, and surges towards the mage in frenzy. 

the demonic beast misses! (3)

irroche​:

✦ —       rumors are seldom steeped without a shred of truth. their truth was that the thieves had absconded with something in the holy tomb. the question, then became what it was that they had stolen? that, she could not begin to place. the rumors said that it was crest stones, but then constance wonders why they kept crest stones in the most sacred place for the church of seiros? ( and who’s, at that? ) she bristles at the church’s reluctance to tell them anything more than they felt necessary, including that of the existence of the chalice of beginnings or its purpose. 

      but, if she entertains a rumor as the truth, then perhaps it would explain much what still laid uncertain.

      if there was another crest stone applicable, it would have been easy to replicate a relic, would it not? but even that material, she is uncertain how it hosted such a wealth of magical power when no other weapons in known history could replicate its strength. that was what the whole of their countries, their noble houses were built. but, constance must remind herself to not get too far ahead. to believe in what she does not and cannot know for certain until they manage to corner one of their own duplicates and she is able to ask the questions that press urgently at the tip of her tongue.

      — and she does not know what to think, except feel disappointment as she looks upon sylvain when they arrive at the stables to nothing, with the exception of his horse.

      constance’s mouth opens, then falls shut as she breathes in through her nose. does not sigh for herself or for hapi, only shaking her head. ( it is unbecoming for a woman of house nuvelle to be openly disappointed, though she is sure it is clear as day in her expression. ) her parasol tips backward, constance pausing as she debates how they should proceed. it appeared that sylvain could not locate his double after all. as for her own and hapi’s, she wonders where they might have gone. abyss, perhaps? hm, but what would they have to gain there, except confusing the abyssians with their presence?

      “hapi, you said they were with the knights. shall we investigate there, then?”

@gallantgautier, @hapitheos!

more loops that knot themselves into dead-ends. the three of them grasp for answers that slip between fingers, their pursuits leaving curiosities emptier than before. it was only time until duplicates chalked up into the series of misfortune that’ve been exhibited the past few months. aelfric and the chalice, the missing bodies that increased with the school year, the kidnapping of flayn and the events of the remire calamity-- could all of that have led up to this? sylvain and constance make valuable points as they express theories behind the cloning phenomenon. duplicating crest stones and the hero’s relics would be undeniably deadly, but the question poses; how could perfect parallels of them exist, if samples haven’t been extracted previously? something as meager as a strand of hair couldn’t possibly make a clone powerful enough to dual wield a hero’s relic or, worse, replicate her curse. they need to scope out more information about their doubles before these intruders meet their objective.

sylvain takes them to the stables-- surprise, there’s nothing there. hapi doesn’t hide her vexed expression, eyebrow twitching as the gautier heir’s horse snuffs the side of his face. “wow.” such is all that hapi can muster to say in the wake of an anti-climatic discovery. the three of them stand in thick silence as sylvain’s discovery-- or, accurately, his lack of discovery-- sours the mood. then, as if the faerghus noble hadn’t been with them at all, hapi turns to solely focus on constance.

“yeah, hapi’s sure they’re sizin’ up our forces before they make their grand strike.” which could be any minute now, hence why no one would be such an idiot to casually hang around the stables. “bet they’re tryin’ to investigate what tactics the church’s gonna use once the imperial army comes knockin--” then, suddenly, it hits her. there was a recent attack at the knight’s quarters, wasn’t there? which was conveniently located besides the--

irroche​:

✦ —       consider her curiosity piqued. politeness had its place and whatever reservations she had against reading another person’s journal are quickly dashed the minute sylvain begins to read aloud. “fascinating.” constance murmurs, her hand at her chin as her eyes shut with thought. so, the army they dealt with was adrestian red in its heritage and was sent by the emperor. what reason should his majesty, ionius ix, have for sending an army? it could not be. no army was sent with the emperor’s lone consent, not nearly so much as that power laid squarely in the hands of the country’s nobility. then, what was it that motivated duke aegir to declare a war on the church?

      no, she’s certain that if it were one of the heads of the six houses, then they would have said as much. they loved the posturing, braggarts they were.

      if it had been one of the six noble houses, they would have laid claim to the army. but if it was the emperor, it could not be edelgard’s father. of that, she is certain. ( when he could not even deploy aid to send to her family, when he allowed them to die even as house nuvelle cast their lot with his noble heritage in belief that it was a just decision. ) then, was it possible that? no, it couldn’t be. abdication was no simple matter, the weight of a crown no gentler.

      constance’s head lifts, her breath suddenly escaping her as if the very wind was forced out. “the emperor,” she repeats now, her mind clicking ahead a mile a minute. “her imperial princess is absent, but it has been years since his imperial majesty bore any true power since the insurrection.” don’t tell her — her arms return to her side. no, it is simple conjecture. it could be someone else. it could be a coup d'etat. but, if it were one, would they not have heard of that first before they heard of the army? the only remaining heir of the hresvelg family was edelgard. then, if that were the case, that would have meant that the imperial princess must have some reason for this. she would not so simple as to declare a war for no reason. but a war is not made without a plan. it’s been a year. to seize the reins of the empire and yank them away from those middling nobles, what kind of enemy has the church made of the empire? of edelgard?

      her arms return to her sides. no, it is simple conjecture. for now, it was only a guess.

      ’ — HOLY TOMB, IT WAS THE CREST STONES — ’

      “but then, that implies the alleged flame emperor must be allied with the adrestian army if he has truly stolen crest stones from the holy tomb. there is no reason that they ought have them otherwise, lest they rob them from you,” constance replies, returning her gaze to sylvain’s. you could not simply fabricate them from nothing. no arcane crystal could adopt such magic that it sings with the blood of the ancients. the leader turned to a monster? the same was true in this journal, with no relic to claim. then, it was the stone itself. a corrupting force, for all its might and gifts. “if the empire intends to send monsters to battle, imbued with such a power —” her eyes flick to hapi’s. “— then they’d never a fighting chance from the start. they, we. we’ve been outplayed.”

@gallantgautier, @hapitheos!

hapi doesn’t know much about crests. she knows that she’s got one, but that’s about it. growing up in her isolated village, fodlan’s fetishization of crests wasn’t anything she particularly cared about. frankly, she could never bring herself to be interested, either. it’s typical: make a group of people into an entire population, there will always be people vying to find something to make them stand out above the rest. apparently, in fodlan’s case, it’s crests. that’s how society goes.

she doesn’t grasp sylvain and constance’s exchange about crests: so there’s some ‘hero’s relic’ called lance of ruin that turns people into monsters, there’s some flame emperor that’s aligned themselves with the adrestian’s emperor (so much for emperors, huh?) to steal crest stones out of a holy tomb so that they could… turn people into monsters with the stones? must be some powerful rocks. but, even that aside, there’s a sense of indignation that shoots through hapi. she furrows her brows.

“so, you’re tellin’ hapi that this grand imperial emperor’s out stealin’ stones so they could recklessly turn people into monsters to utilize them for a war?”  oh, if only she could sigh right now! “and then the entire reason why hapi was thrown into the abyss in the first place was because she could summon monsters, so that she doesn’t ‘endanger’ anyone? tch. typical nobility.” of course those in power can do whatever they want without questioning the morality of their actions while those below them suffer the repercussions.

♞ ∴∵∴ GAMBIT

“Shut up, I’m rusty. Of course I did.” Sylvain hisses back at her, but she’s already turning away to address the knight once again, and it gives him a moment to reevaluate his entire life. The eyes have never failed before. Where did he go wrong?

By the time Constance finishes, the knight at least looks to be considering, so he quite wisely keeps his mouth shut. He’s halfway tempted to not go to her as she requests, let her fall over or something as payment for her doubts of his good work. But he sighs, utters a prayer to the Goddess for strength, and offers her his arm.

And the Goddess answers in the manner he’d least expected. The knight shakes her head, mumbles something that sounds suspiciously like “children, ugh,” and looks to the group again.

“Fine, but. Stay. close.” she pauses to give each of them a pointed look at the end of every word, “if even a hint of Imperial red shows on the horizon, I want you all back inside, do you understand?”

Sylvain nods his head, and he’s positive the smile he gives her is his best one, “absolutely, we’ll be back as quick as a flash if anything happens!” 

Since Constance already has one of his arms, he gives a quick salute with the other, then flaps it towards Hapi before grabbing for her sleeve, guiding them all to the gates, “let’s see if we can hear anything interesting.”

@irroche​ @hapitheos​

hapi doesn’t know what anyone expected out of sylvain’s supposedly ‘womanizing’ ways, but she couldn’t say that she didn’t see it coming. after all, nothing ever good came from any man who “knew” how to charm women. well, besides the entertainment of having their egos obliterated. the abyssian sucks in her breath, her brows quirking upwards as she redirects her attention elsewhere. an awkward cough-- if anything, to make sure her exhale doesn’t come out as a sigh, and hapi  quietly takes a step away from her teammates. they’re screwed, she thinks, and she’s about ready for them to get tossed to the back of the cathedral when constance works her own charm.

and it works. somehow.

well, what could she say? that’s their constance alright. persuasive, in her odd, ‘noble’ ways.

gallantgautier​:

As much as he would love to debate the fact that he does indeed have manners, is now really the time? And just because the knight’s haven’t exactly been forthcoming, is that really any reason to give up?

He’s not sure if it’s frustration or an upcoming headache that has him rubbing at his temples. He draws a breath, lets it out, tries to think. There’s nothing stopping him going on his own, but if another fire like the last one breaks out, he’s screwed. No, he could use some back up, and-

And then Constance is off.

Sylvain glances at Hapi, confusion evident upon his face, the unasked question of is she always like this? spoken only in the shrug of his shoulders as he jogs along to catch up,

“Hey! Wait up!”

@hapitheos​

ah, yes. good ol’ coco. constance spurs to action at the prospect of investigation. she clicks off without much input from the other two. sylvain casts hapi an incredulous look and all she can do is nod. like, what? he’s never shared a task with constance before?

still, there’s hope in constance’s eccentricity. a trickle of information becomes a gold rush with her friend’s talents-- although she needs to be reeled back at the end, before that genius of hers ends up twisting them into loops.

gallantgautier​:

Too many things have happened for them not to be connected. It’s still possible for everything to be a long string of coincidences, the attack on the Holy Tomb might not have anything to do with the approaching army. The strangely hooded dark mages surely caused the fire, but they might not have been connected either. The arrival of strangers and, worse, himself, could just be happenstance.

But then the army raises it’s flag for the Empire.

And he hasn’t seen Edelgard around for days.

Whether he’s ready to believe in outlandish theories or not - and he’s not, and he’s sure it’s all connected even though he still doesn’t have any evidence - that’s too great a coincidence to ignore. Stranger still, despite the Imperial Princess’s absence, her ever present shadow is here.

Something just isn’t adding up.

He hadn’t been actively seeking out Constance, but when he spies her in the distance, he suddenly remembers that Adrestia is her home, or was, at some point. He’s quick to stride over to her, inwardly glad when she glances over her shoulder at him. The last thing he needs to be accused of is sneaking around.

“I do, actually,” Sylvain begins, gazing into the distance, where knights scramble to finish their preparations. “Couldn’t help but notice I haven’t seen her highness around. Don’t you think that’s weird? She’s probably out there,” pausing, he lifts his head to point his chin in the general direction of the monastery’s gates, “but Hubert is here. And then there’s those other guys…” 

something real fishy is going down at the monastery. and not just ‘fishy’ as in fruit and herring tart ‘fishy.’ fishy as in two-fish sauté fishy, which is real fucking fishy. as if defiling the holy tomb in a monastery wasn’t tacky enough; there’s imposters masquerading around. everyone’s getting herded to the cathedral when hapi sees it; herself. constance. sylvain. the three copycats are conspiring together, laying low while they attempt to weave into battle.

now, hapi didn’t originally believe this war to be any of her business (as long as the abyss is safe, as long as the surface-dwellers don’t pull them into petty shenanigans), but that crosses the line. the enemy forces have gotten to her, personally. utilizing her and constance’s visage, it’s clear: the undercover forces are targeting the abyss too, aren’t they? that’s definitely hapi’s business now. the fire from earlier remains unsolved; with constance’s expertise in black magic and the reputation that the abyssians have on the surface, it doesn’t take a genius to acknowledge that they’re going to be used as scapegoats.

she needs to find constance.

it’s ironic when strawberry irises catch onto two distinctive figures, constance and sylvain. just like the three imposters moments ago, hapi draws close as she invites herself into the conversation. from sylvain, she picks up the fact that edelgard’s missing, hubert’s roaming about without her (wow, that’s new), and… there’s more intruders? great.