Tempest King

i rewatched the etern.als. and then i got thinkin. and now you guys are on the receiving end of more protective prompts, but these little beauties are aimed more for the act of actually saving a life! bon appetit!

DIALOGUE PROMPTS.

“ what the hell were you thinking?! you could’ve been killed! “

“ hey! get away from them! “

“ if you wanna hurt them, you’re going to have to get through me, first. “

“ you underestimate how much you mean to me. i wasn’t about to let them hurt you. and i certainly wasn’t about to let them even consider killing you. “

“ i told you before. i’m not gonna let anything in this world nor the next harm you. “

“ you need to get out of here! go! i’ll buy you some more time! “

“ what are you doing?! i told you, get out of here! now! “

“ get it through your head, i’m not gonna just leave you here! “

“ now’s not the time to play the martyr, got it? you’ve got a good long life ahead of you, and i intend to keep it that way. “

“ you need to go now, okay? don’t worry. i’ve got this. they’ll want to be trying a lot harder if they want to keep me from protecting you. “

“ don’t worry about me; are YOU okay? “

“ damnit, [NAME]! i TOLD you not to play the hero! “

“ i can look after myself, you know. but… i do appreciate you stepping in back there. you saved my life. “

“ why are you so invested in keeping me alive? “

“ that was for saving my life. “

“ it’s alright, they’re gone now… are you alright? hey, look at me; are you hurt at all? “

“ are you insane?! run! “

“ were you preoccupied, or did you just really want a dramatic heroic entrance before you saved my ass? “

“ are you okay? “

“ yeah, yeah, i’m okay… are you okay? “

“ hey! why don’t you try picking on someone your own size! “

“ hurry! take my hand! “

“ get in the car! now! “

“ i’m sorry i was late… are you alright? they didn’t hurt you too badly, did they? “

ACTION PROMPTS.

add a “+ REVERSE” to switch the roles around!

[ SHIELD ]:     sender uses their own body to shield the receiver from an attack.

[ EMBRACE ]:     sender quickly wraps the receiver in a protective hug and turns so the sender’s back might take on the brunt of an on-coming attack.

[ SHOVE ]:     seeing the receiver is in immediate danger, the sender runs to them and shoves them out of the line of fire.

[ YANK ]:     seeing the receiver is in immediate danger, the sender hastily grabs them and pulls them against them, out of harm’s way.

[ TACKLE ]:     sender physically tackles the receiver out of the line of fire.

[ THROW ]:     sender throws themselves between the receiver and an on-coming attack, taking on an injury that might have been fatal to the receiver otherwise.

[ DISTRACT ]:     sender causes a distraction to draw the receiver’s attacker/s away from them.

[ FIGHT ]:     just as the receiver is about to be attacked, the sender arrives suddenly and begins to physically fight off their assailant.

[ CATCH ]:     sender manages to intervene and catch the falling receiver before they fall to their death.

[ SACRIFICE ]:     sender sacrifices themselves, either fatally or otherwise, in order to save the receiver’s life.

[ HIDE ]:     sender quickly pulls the receiver into a hiding place, hiding them from their pursuers.

[ KILL ]:     sender, seeing the receiver in immediate and intentionally fatal danger, intervenes by killing their assailant before they can kill the receiver.

[ INCAPACITATE ]:     sender, seeing the receiver in immediate danger, intervenes by knocking out their assailant before they can harm the receiver.

[ AFAR ]:     sender, having been watching the receiver’s interactions with a threat from afar, saves them from an impending attack while remaining distant from them.

[ SECRET ]:     sender, having been secretly following the receiver, saves their life from an immediate threat while remaining hidden from the receiver.

[ REVEALED ]:     sender, having been secretly following the receiver, reveals themselves in the process of saving the receiver’s life from an unexpected threat.

[ REUNION ]:     after spending a considerable length of time apart, the sender reunites with the receiver after saving their life from an immediate and potentially lethal threat.

[ KISS ]:     after having been saved from immediate danger by the receiver, the sender, in a state of intense emotion and relief, kisses them to express these feelings.

“The sword, though it doesn’t support me.” Joshua laughed once again, short and curt and serious. “It becomes me. I don’t mean to look down on the other students here. They’re younger and haven’t traveled, or fought, as much as I have. Your weapon is your life, and an extension of the self. If it breaks, you’re going to die. They still view weapons as tools. And it’s not that women are inactive…they’re simply outnumbered here, and most other places I’ve been, though the Starfall Coast was an exception.”

Of course, the fact that he was taller and stronger than so many of those other students went unspoken. Nott didn’t need to have that spelled out for her—not when she was as tall and strong as she was. Still, he wondered how much of her prowess came from raw power; talent for battle had led many to neglect any true, painful training. She was self-assured, and part of him wanted to test that confidence of hers. Nott’s hand was warm on his cheek, and the idea of stretching up on his toe-tips to steal a kiss briefly entered his mind.

“But as far as it goes, I’m a mercenary. The best that money can buy, in this realm or any other, and I can prove it any time.” He winked with a smile, showing the barest hint of four crystalline fangs in his maw; he wondered if she’d take him up on that double entendre, if she even realized it for what it was? “Love, morals, people, possessions…everything has a price, except for faith and trust. Tell you what, forget the warm-up. Why don’t you come with me? I’ve got an urge to kill, you could use some live targets to practice on, everybody wins. Tell you what, if I kill more than you, I’ll buy the food and drinks for lunch tomorrow. Sound fun?”

His dark green eyes had an edge to them, an understanding that Nott didn’t take him quite as seriously as he thought she should. That was fine—she was only handicapping herself.

          there’s something… odd, with the way joshua laughs.  a form of expression that puzzles nótt in its means of emotion.  but no matter how comical she finds him, his words leave her in the slightest of agreements.  he knew the importance of one’s bond with their weapon   —   funny that this comes from a man, though.  she agrees but it’s her turn to laugh at one of his comments;   “   breaking your weapon, even if its very steel had been manufactured for you, does not mean death.  it merely means that your skill exceeds that of what others think of you.   ”   her earlier strain is relieved and she giggles, softer this time.   “   i wouldn’t expect you to know this, though, so it’s fair that you’re not as keen on this subject.   ”

          ah… a mercenary.  nótt stares at him, almost amusingly, as if she’s watching a jester perform for his queen.  her retort is killed easily by the fanged smile she’s given, the furrow of her eyebrows disappear, too.  instead she stares at him with the same amusement but faded, slightly.  emotions have never been easy to tame.  then the subject is changed and the suggestion is flipped, too, but not to what the jötun princess had in mind.

          “   …fun?   ”   nótt tilts her head, locks of wavy mint swaying with the tilt.  she cannot deny the slightest flutter of her heart at the mention of servitude.   “   i see no fun in placing yourself in a bet you’ll immediately lose, but if it’ll put you in your place afterward, then so be it.   ”   there’s a unrelenting disdain that slips into her voice, ever so gentle even with it.   “   but… buy?  will you not be making the dinner with your own hands?   ”   also strange.  nótt can cook, yes, but she’d rather cook for someone deserving of it.  or ótr, but the love of her life deserved all and joshua… well, she has yet to decide exactly what he deserves.   (   the voice in her head says nothing.   )

          “   when i defeat more than you do,   ”   when, not if; she’d rather die than lose such a bet to him.   “   you are to cook me dinner and act as my personal servant for the entirety of tomorrow.  in either fall of this bet, you’ll be serving me!  cute!!   ”   how far will joshua go to prove something fruitless to the other?

Stepping in close, with one foot on the haft of her spear and the other between her legs, Joshua placed a gentle hand on Nott's upper arm—the left one, nearest to her weapon—before leaning to place a kiss at the base of her plush throat. In the next moment, his left hand freed the Killing Edge at his side from its sheath, and he gently swung it. The blunt back of the blade rested feather-light against the other side of Nott's throat as Joshua separated from the taller woman, and he smiled as the sword came back down to his side; it reflected no light, just like all other Jehannan weapons besides Joshua's smile.

"Gambles aren't fun if I'm guaranteed to win, but we'll see who's the servant and who's the master if you keep underestimating me. You never know...maybe you'll enjoy it," Joshua laughed again, more to himself than anything else. Sheathing his blade, he turned towards the monastery's gate before looking back at the giantess. "I'm heading out now. Still want to come?"

          an arched eyebrow is pulled at the mention of opponents, a word for warriors, a word that she uses, and her mother and dagr, but not men.  though, there is very little she knows of fódlan and its people.  nótt keeps her hand on his cheek, rubbing her thumb gently against the spot beneath his eye.  and she nods as he talks, more so keeping her focus on his facial features rather than his words.  his voice, a rough timbre of sharpness, one that didn’t surprise her due to his… appearance.

          “   aw, a pity, really.  you need your sleep to stay standing after all.   ”   she could advise him to sleep, maybe politely knock him out if he refused, but nótt immediately gets lost in the sound of his laugh.  joshua continues, though, and nótt almost crushes the bottle in her hand at the instance of vulgarity, yet she doesn’t.   (   she ignores the way that her hand almost begins to grip at joshua’s cheek.   )   bandit-hunting?  as in he was following after them?  her thumb stills against his cheek and nótt pauses, turning his voice over in her head until all is somewhat clear.  it isn’t but she can pretend it is.

          when joshua laughs, nótt laughs too, but for an entirely different reason.   “   you… you are too precious!  is this an attempt to level yourself with the knights?   ”   nótt giggles, tilting her head as her shoulders shake slightly in amusement.  he’s silly!  the idea of it is dangerous yet she can’t help but find it adorable!!   “   i grant you my gratitude for lending me the knowledge of the bandits’ locations.  no need to worry, i’ll handle them for you, alright?   ”

          her final statement comes at the exact moment joshua’s question echoes.  nótt stares at him, confusingly yet somehow starry-eyed all the same, before she falls into a fit of giggling.  but they soon fall silent, followed closely by the stern cut of a frown on her face.   “   you aren’t joking.   ”   as if a statement rather than a question.   “   you want me to… aid you in warming up?   ”

          (   it’s a strange request.  unusual.  definitely not something she’d expect, but… she finds herself less surprised than she should be, as his words finally register in her head.   )

Of course, the fact that he was taller and stronger than so many of those other students went unspoken. Nott didn't need to have that spelled out for her—not when she was as tall and strong as she was. Still, he wondered how much of her prowess came from raw power; talent for battle had led many to neglect any true, painful training. She was self-assured, and part of him wanted to test that confidence of hers. Nott's hand was warm on his cheek, and the idea of stretching up on his toe-tips to steal a kiss briefly entered his mind.

"But as far as it goes, I'm a mercenary. The best that money can buy, in this realm or any other, and I can prove it any time." He winked with a smile, showing the barest hint of four crystalline fangs in his maw; he wondered if she'd take him up on that double entendre, if she even realized it for what it was? "Love, morals, people, possessions...everything has a price, except for faith and trust. Tell you what, forget the warm-up. Why don't you come with me? I've got an urge to kill, you could use some live targets to practice on, everybody wins. Tell you what, if I kill more than you, I'll buy the food and drinks for lunch tomorrow. Sound fun?"

meet and greet!

          nótt drops the shattered shards of iron and sighs, watching as they fall uselessly to the ground. there are slight tears in her glove from where the lance had snapped during her third training session of the day.  this isn’t going to lead to anything beneficial.  constantly breaking each weapon by simply dealing a few easy strikes to air will cause the dissatisfaction of her professors as well as the inability to practice properly.  as much as she wants to wield hrímfaxi instead, she won’t.  while built especially for her, she needs the taste of something different.

          and yet, the jötun princess finds herself twirling hrímfaxi not even five minutes after the thought has finalized in her mind.  it’s incredible; this feeling of control nótt has as she carries the lance, slicing through wisps of air and committing herself to a dance she’s memorized through muscle and limb.  hrímfaxi cuts through the night’s cool breeze, shifting its direction and moving it to her bidding.

          leaves crunch behind her and nótt swings her lance once last time, lowering it with a frown.  the clearing beside the monastery is empty, or was empty.  she turns as she speaks,   “   is there an issueee.   ”

          it’s his grin that she sees first, words traded for an incoherent whisper at the sight.  nótt stares, frozen, unable to do anything but watch as the man approaches her with a bottle of water in hand.  when he nods to it, he speaks; a refresher, something to ease her body after such hard work.  and she nods, smiling as she takes it from him.

          “   ...thank you,   ”   nótt says, nodding for austri to stay put from where he watches on a tree standing on the outskirts of the small clearing.  the water is cold, she can feel it through the tin material of the bottle.   (   jötun princess gathers her emotions before they chip away at her voice.   )   “   you’ve been watching me, no?  have you brought any other refreshments?   ”   but by the looks of it, it doesn’t seem like so.  oh well, water is fine enough.  this act of kindness is met with an even brighter smile, nótt pats joshua on the cheek after setting her lance on the ground, blade down.

Joshua laughed a little at that statement, looking at Nott and remembering the way he’d nearly broken his sword against her sister’s skull during the Battle of the Eagle and the Lion. Who else could the Golden Deer student be, but her sister? Would she believe him if he told her that Dagr had been bested by him, even if he brought forth the battle record? Did it matter? Joshua supposed those questions were irrelevant.

“I spend most of my day there, and I spend part of my night there too, when I’m not sneaking off to avoid hearing about their gaudy religion and their bloody goddess and their flaming fucking Saints. Not tonight, though. I’m about to go bandit-hunting. They’ve got some nice camps set up in the mountains around the monastery, outside the range that the knights are willing to patrol. The teacher’s’ll try to tell me it’s dangerous and that I shouldn’t go, or I should go in a supervised group, but fuck that. They aren’t good enough to kill me,” Joshua boasted with another laugh. He knew it, he believed it, and he meant it: he was too good to be dying here.

The scar around his wrist had never healed quite right, a deep ring of mottled skin tissue that stood out even in the dying light of the evening; it was proof that he could survive anything, no matter how often he pulled off more than he could chew. Tonight’s excursion was nothing different. He would creep across the mountain, clear out a bandit camp, and return back to the monastery before sunrise. They’d never even know he was gone, except for Nott. The tall woman was strikingly beautiful, but the familiarity with which she held her lance told Joshua that she wasn’t the kind of woman to be idly provoked.

Not that he’d listen to the warning, of course. Gambling, fighting, and good-looking women were the three things in the world that made him feel alive.

so i was looking at THIS MEME and THIS MEME and like. there’s something that i just love so much about these?? so essentially, the sender might send in smth like. “five times cried”. and the receiver can respond with a drabble about five times the receiver’s muse cried because of the sender’s muse! if you’re confused, that’s my fault, and that’s also why i have links to two of the memes that inspired this. i hope you all enjoy! as always, do NOT add more to these, i WILL be making a part 2!

five times kissed:     ( five times the receiver and sender kissed )

five times hugged:     ( five times the receiver hugged the sender )

five times called:      ( five times the receiver called the sender’s phone )

five times texted:      ( five times the receiver texted the sender )

five times cried:      ( five times the receiver cried over the sender )

five times smiled:      ( five times the sender made the receiver smile )

five times touched:      ( five times the receiver touched the sender (platonically or romantically or otherwise!) )

five times saved:     ( five times the sender’s life was saved by the receiver )

five times saved by:      ( five times the receiver was saved by the sender. )

five times protected:     ( five times the receiver was protected by the sender )

five times protective:      ( five times the receiver was protective of the sender )

five times thanked:      ( five times the receiver thanked, or felt gratitude towards, the sender )

five times comforted:      ( five times the receiver comforted the sender )

five times angered:      ( five times the sender made the receiver angry )

five times betrayed:      ( five times the receiver was, or felt, betrayed by the sender )

five times saddened:      ( five times the receiver felt sad for or because of the sender )

five times worried:      ( five times the receiver worried about the sender )

five times relieved:      ( five times the receiver felt relieved about the sender )

five times safe:      ( five times the receiver felt safe because of the sender )

five times happy:     ( five times the sender made the receiver happy. )

five times afraid:     ( five times the sender made the receiver feel afraid )

five times hurt:      ( five times the sender hurt the receiver or made them feel hurt. )

five times visited:      ( five times the sender and receiver visited each other )

five times left:      ( five times the sender and receiver parted ways )

five times reunited:      ( five times the sender and receiver reunited after being apart for a considerable length of time. )

five times stayed:      ( five times the receiver stayed with the sender )

five times glanced:     ( five times the receiver stole glances at the sender )

five times glanced at:      ( five times the receiver noticed the sender stealing glances at them )

five times healed:      ( five times the receiver nursed the sender back to health, or tended to their wounds )

five times watched:      ( five times the receiver watched the sender while they were working or doing something )

five times shared:      ( five times the receiver shared something (either a material or feelings or secrets!) with the sender )

five times flirted:      ( five times the receiver flirted with the sender )

five times blurted:      ( five times the receiver impulsively blurted something out to the sender )

five times confessed:     ( five times the receiver confessed a secret or feeling to the sender )

okay so i got like, three books delivered this week, and in anticipation i reread another book that i had, and lads, let me tell ye, it was like quicksand. so now i have a list, some from my head, many from my wonderful friends’ heads, of prompts that basically made us all very soft or very “pleasantly scandalized rich lady from the sixties who just found out a juicy bit of goss about the new neighbor”. i hope ye like them! (DO NOT ADD TO THE LIST. I WILL MAKE A PART TWO. AND THREE. AND FOUR. MANY MANY PARTS. EVENTUALLY. )

[ HAIR ]:          sender slowly reaches out to catch a loose strand of the receiver’s hair and tuck it gently and securely back behind their ear, letting their touch linger afterwards. (if the receiver has short hair, then the sender reaches out and gently runs their fingers through their hair to smooth it back.)

[ CLOSE ]:          while standing remarkably close to one another, the sender is unable to stop themselves from running their gaze across the receiver’s body, lingering for a moment on their lips, before returning to initiate prolonged, intense eye contact.

[ CHIN ]:          as they stand close to one another, the sender hooks a finger and tenderly lifts the receiver’s chin, tilting it up so that they can look at one another, and running a thumb across their skin lightly.

[ THUMB ]:          while cupping the receiver’s cheek in their hand, the sender slowly glides their thumb across their cheekbone in a tender, sweeping caress.

[ WOUND ]:          upon noticing a recent injury on the receiver’s person, the sender carefully moves closer, running a thumb (or hand) across the wound in a gentle, troubled manner.

[ INHALE ]:          while standing in very close quarters to the receiver, the sender shakily inhales with desire/anticipation as they realize how intimately close they are to one another.

[ DANCE ]:          when alone together (e.g. the bedroom, the kitchen, literally anywhere once they’re alone) the sender takes the receiver’s hand, and pulls them into a graceful yet intimate dance as a spontaneous act.

[ BARE ]:          as they get undressed, the sender gently places a soft, tender kiss against the receiver’s bare shoulder.

[ SCAR ]:          noticing a scar on the receiver’s skin, the sender tentatively stops them from covering it up, and rests a gentle, soft kiss over it.

[ FOREHEAD ]:          placing a hand on the back of the receiver’s neck, the sender guides them close and rests their foreheads together.

[ PALM ]:          taking the receiver’s hand, the sender brings it to their mouth, and places a tender kiss against the receiver’s palm.

[ LINGER ]:          taking the receiver’s hand, the sender lifts it to their lips, and gently kisses their knuckles, lingering for a moment before withdrawing.

[ BEHIND ]:         upon entering the same room as the receiver, the sender steps behind them, and winds their arms around the receiver’s waist, drawing them close against them.

[ WAIT ]:          realizing the receiver is about to leave the room, the sender hastily reaches out and catches their wrist, preventing them from continuing their departure.

[ ARM ]:          after holding their hand, the sender releases the receiver, but slowly glides their hand up the full length of their arm, lingering on the upper arm, then the shoulder, then resting their touch against the side of their neck.

[ HOLD ]:          while close to the receiver, the sender wordlessly takes a hold of their hand, for no other purpose than to be holding it.

[ PLAY ]:          while sitting together, the sender absently lifts the receiver’s hand, idly running their fingertips across the lines of their palms, mapping out every inch of their hand with slow, lazy touches.

[ GUIDE ]:          in the process of guiding the receiver through a crowded place, the sender’s hand protectively grazes against the small of their back

[ TOUCH ]:          while touching the receiver’s waist, the sender’s hand briefly dips beneath the hem of their shirt, skimming briefly across the bare skin of their waist.

[ CUP ]:           bringing both hands up to cup the receiver’s face, the sender draws them in closer to them in order to get a better look at their face.

[ TUG ]:          the sender tugs the receiver close against them by resting a hand against the small of their back, pulling them flush against their body.

@kingofwhitedunes ; Any Skill +1

The Battle of the Eagle and Lion. Save for how it contains the names of two of the Academy’s Houses, it means just about nothing to Luthier, especially with how recently he arrived to the school. But almost everyone else seems beside themselves with excitement.

Not that this matters. This is far from the first time he is the only one, or at least in the vast minority, to care little for something that has the others thrilled.

And yet, not too long after coming to the monastery, he does end up traveling to Gronder Field with a group of other students and staff. Even those who are not set to participate in the mock battle should at least see the historical scene of one of Fódlan’s most important events, or so it is said. He has yet to find any clues as to its importance to the history of the continent’s magic per se, so his interest is low, but he does not protest. When in Fódlan, do as the Fódlaners do, he supposes.

He finds himself walking the field, well and truly bored. He almost feels bad - perhaps, had he arrived at the Academy a little earlier, he would have had the time and opportunity to study the event in greater detail, and then he could appreciate the deep atmosphere of history that this place is meant to be filled with, but alas… he did not, and as such, he is immune to it.

Hm. Why is the soil so soft beneath his feet—

“Wh— Ow!” Before he realizes what is happening, the ground breaks under him and his back and behind slam into a hole. A few seconds pass before, groaning, he picks himself up, rubbing his head, and only then does he catch up with reality. And according to reality, he now finds himself in a… sizable pit.

Oh, this day is just getting better and better. What in the Mother’s—

Unlike most of the students, who arrived together with the faculty and knights, Joshua had taken the trip to Gronder Field by himself. It was as good a chance as any for him to commit to all those things the church took exception to: gambling, debauchery, and the warm feelings he got inside when he killed highwaymen who thought they could challenge him. Mostly in that order. The sun beat down on him, but sweat refused to bead on his forehead—that lucky old sun would have to try harder.

In the middle of those thoughts, as Joshua was attempting to disarm a particularly cleverly-hidden tripwire, a pained cry rang out from a short distance away. The tripwire fizzled in Joshua’s hand at the noise, and a many-twigged tree branch swung up from the ground to smack him in the face. Swearing as the tendrils whipped him, the redhead fell backwards before moving a hand up to his face. He wasn’t bleeding—that was good news.

[roll result: 15, CRIT; 3 damage dealt.]

The bloodstained holes in his uniform betrayed the damage he'd taken in previous rounds, but he was ready for anything. Even if his beloved Lady Luck turned against him here, at the very end, he resolved to voice no complaints.

[Joshua HP: 5/5 ; Chrom HP: 3/6]

Standing here, in the battlefield with his remaining teammates, takes Chrom back... and not for the right reasons.

Mercedes cut down, Dimitri and Elincia blasted out of the sky... suddenly he’s back in the Plegian capital’s castle watching Risen archers shoot down Phila and her squadron of pegasus knights as they fly towards Emmeryn to rescue her. Right before his very eyes, their advantage slips away like grains of sand in the desert through his fingers, and he can do nothing, helpless to stop them from falling, one by one.

(Who are “they?” Is it the Blue Lions? Is it the pegasus squad? He can’t tell anymore, lost in memories swirling and mixing with the present until one is indistinguishable from the other.)

Of course, on a battlefield, one must always keep one’s wits about oneself, and Chrom pays the price for his inattention when he hears the footsteps behind him too late. Pain erupts on his back, and the bluenette lets out an agonized scream before stumbling away and turning around to get a good look at his attacker. He doesn’t completely recognize the redhead before him (it’s not Gangrel, thank the gods, the hair’s too long and straight and tame), but he grits his teeth and readies his sword all the same. “If you’re looking for a fight, I won’t make myself an easy target!”

Roll counter: 15. Hit! Dmg dealt: 1.5. Joshua: 3.5/5 HP

Roll Thoron: 15. Hit! Dmg dealt: 2.5.

Hexlock Shield activates! -1 to magic dmg! Dmg dealt: 1.5. Joshua: 2/5 HP

Chrom delivers the man a slash aimed at his side before following up with a bolt of Thoron. This isn’t the same as his fights with Velouria and Sara; with those he felt as though he ended up unintentionally bullying the two and worried over them when he injured him. He has no such feelings here, only a mild dislike for this man who, understandably, took advantage of his incapacitated, traumatized state.

It was a deep wound, and he could smell his own burnt flesh mixed with the scent of ozone. With a muffled groan, the redhead did his best to stifle the pain spreading through his body; at least the shield he pilfered off of his first opponent had some use. Twisting the Killing Edge in his hand so that its sweeping point would strike before the length of the blade, he lashed out once more.

[roll result: 18, CRIT; 3 damage dealt.]

The blow was savage, a monumental cross-body cut that came up from Chrom’s left hip and didn’t stop until it had bitten most of the way through a rib. Tearing his Killing Edge out brought a wide arc of blood back with it, drops splattering on the redhead’s face as he stared his opponent down.

“I think we’re done here,” he said, turning around and walking back the way he came. It was an open invitation: stab me in the back, if you think you can.

He hoped his Black Eagle classmates had also come away victorious.

meet cute / ugly

     The touch to her shoulder was as soft as one could be, practically feather-light—and yet it still triggers a reflexive tensing of the muscles, unused as she was to the casual contact. Not many were bold enough to so blasély take hold of a noblewoman, let alone a duchess, but Linoan supposes things were different at the monastery. Her title didn’t matter nearly as much here, and it would take some getting used to.

     “Yes?” She turns to the man who tapped her shoulder, eyes widening slightly at his head of scarlet hair. A shade closely associated with the bearers of the Fire Emblem themselves—the Velthomer family. Rather fitting, she always thought, for the age of blood and fire they have wrought. “Is... there something I can assist you with, good sir?”