#belleofhell

And you're right!! Commoners from different points on the map UNITE. 

As stated in the linked post above, they have so much in common it’s a crime they don’t talk on screen. What neither of us touch on in that post is whether or not Dorothea flirts with Ashe at all.

Not that she flirts with EVERYONE, mind you. But the adoptive son of a lord who stands to inherit the title AND has commoner’s welfare at heart? Sounds perfect for Dorothea, honestly. The wealth/security she wants along with a more than tolerable personality! Does she try and flirt with Ashe in any of her supports? Or does he get the Caspar treatment and fall into the Little Brother category for her?

One option I came up with is like a B support that opens with Dorothea musing on if Ashe is husband material and deciding to give it a shot. She finds him in the library and tries to flirt with him-- but Ashe doesn’t catch on and is excited to show her a book that one of the operas she preformed in was based on. “Your play skipped this whole chapter! And it added a romance that wasn’t in the book at all!”

“Oh, uh, sorry about that? Some things just don’t translate well onto the stage.”

“That’s not what I mean!” And Ashe goes to explain that, from the description of the opera Dorothea gave him, the romance added a lot to the story. The chapter that was skipped over isn’t really all that important “but I would have loved if the opera included  the scene where the knight returns the bird’s nest to the sacred tree.”

Dorothea ends up not flirting with him the rest of the support. She’s totally charmed by Ashe and his love of stories. 

Yup, here you go!

My general thoughts & opinions on them

HENRY!!! The husband that I... have yet to marry XD Something always gets in the way. I adore Henry-- his puns, the crows/ravens, the random stuff he says that just makes you go "Excuse me?" (for example, one of his level up quotes is "Ooh, wow! When did I grow that?" like... babe what?)

Favorite moment of theirs

How do you pick one? Ugh, he's got so many iconic scenes. I'll settle on his recruitment chapter. It doesn't get much better than that entrance, does it? Being surrounded by crows and firing a bunch of jokes at Chrom about how fucked he is?

Henry: The ravens wanted me to give you a message. "Caaw… C-caw-caw." Roughly translated, it means… Hmm, now what was the human word for that again? …Traipse? …Tripe? Oh, TRAPPED! Right! …They say you're trapped. Chrom: We know, damn it! Gods… Where did they all come from? Henry: Well, see, when a mommy zombie and a daddy zombie love each other very much… Nya ha ha! Chrom: Perhaps I should save the Risen the trouble and silence you myself. Henry: Hey, wait! I want to join your CAWs—I mean, I can help you! I know magic! What do you say… Birds of a feather and all that?

I love him.

Favorite support chain

Many are fantastic. My top two are Sumia, with the whole body swapping fiasco (“Pfft! You fall on your face 10 times a day! This body is made of rubber.”), and Frederick, where Henry avoids training and pisses Frederick off (“Whoa, easy there, Frederick! You're bruising my arm! ...Oooo, look at the colors!”).

My dream FEH alt for them

He’s got Halloween and Spring on lock, so maybe Winter or Summer to round out the seasons? Day of Devotion would be pretty fun too.

Headcanons and/or ships I have

I grew to appreciate Olivia/Henry after joining tumblr but I also like Henry and Panne. As for headcanons, I think he’d get along well with Hapi from Three Houses and she would be a little jealous of his way with animals lol. 

Favorite art of them

(this was fun because I love writing from both their POVs so picking a perspective for this was like pulling my own teeth. thank you for a healthy dose of linclaude brainworms!)

57. Breaking The Kiss To Say Something, Staying So Close That You’re Murmuring Into Each Other’s Mouths

“Well now,” Claude stopped before Linhardt’s table, “that’s a different set of books.”

Linhardt grunted in reply, not bothering to look up. The library was empty but for the two of them. Linhardt’s single candle flame rested in a pool of wax, casting shadows across his pile of books. Claude picked up the top one. “Uncommon Fishing Tricks for the Uncommon Fish,” he read aloud. “When I left for my meeting you were studying Faerghusian Crests. Now it’s fishing?”

“Needed a break,” Linhardt said, his tone a cold shoulder. He turned a page in his current tome dismissively. 

“Since when do you need a break from Crest research?”

“Since I mixed up the symbol for the Fraldarius and Dominic Crests.”

“Ouch, yeah, okay.” Claude put the book down.

“I know what you’re going to say.”

Letting bemusement tilt his smile, Claude crossed his arms. “And what’s that?”

“You’re going to say I should go to bed.” Linhardt scoffed. “As if I would waste precious free time. Do you know how many people badger me during the day? Go train with this weapon, attend that meeting, come help clean this room, drop whatever you’re doing and follow orders.” He aimed a fierce frown at his notes. “Night is the only time I can do what I wish to do.”

“I--”

Linhardt cut him off. “You’re going to try and tell me you weren’t thinking that-- but you’re the leader of this army, and you want your troops well rested. It’s only logical you would make that argument. It doesn’t mean I’m going to listen.”  Claude opened his mouth but Linhardt plowed on. “Don’t pull the boyfriend card either. That was only established last week. My study habits have been around much longer.”

With a sharp flick of his wrist, Linhardt shut the tome and pulled Uncommon Fishing Tricks from the pile. “You can go now,” he finished.

Claude let the silence linger for a few moments. That was perhaps the most pissed off he had ever heard Linhardt. And he’d heard Linhardt complain a lot, both back in school and now during this war. 

“Can I speak for myself now?” Claude asked, voice light and casual.

Linhardt sucked in a breath and turned the page with unwarranted aggression, which Claude took as a ‘go ahead, dearest, I value everything you say.’

With a purposeful stride, Claude circled the table until he stood beside Linhardt. He gently took Linhardt by the chin and turned his face from the book. Now forced to look at Claude, Linhardt’s eyes, bagged as they were, turned hard with determination, likely preparing yet another argument. Claude swiped a thumb over his lips before stooping to kiss him. 

Apparently the well of Linhardt’s stubbornness only went so deep. He eagerly kissed back, twisting properly in the chair to face Claude fully, resting a hand on Claude’s neck just under his ear. The swiftness with which they had both accepted this change in their relationship baffled and amused Claude-- it somehow seemed both inevitable and impossible. Predictable that they would end up like this from the moment he’d asked Teach to recruit Linhardt, yet the news had caused slack jaws and stuttered outcries from their friends. 

Claude held Linhardt’s wrist, keeping him close, and decided it didn’t matter how he had come to enjoy kissing Linhardt as long as he never ran out of opportunities to. He pulled back just far enough to say, “I was going to ask if I could join you.”

“Were you really?” Linhardt’s breath against his mouth made Claude’s lips tingle. “You would enable me like that?” The ghost of a kiss. “A proper leader would make me do what’s ‘healthy’.”

“I’m not just any old leader,” Claude argued, murmuring into Linhardt’s parted lips. “I’m someone who cares about your happiness. If you want to stay up, we’ll stay up.”

Linhardt tugged him down for real kiss. A real invasive kiss. Claude gave a shudder as Linhardt’s tongue brushed against his. 

Then Linhardt pulled away completely, slipping his hand out of Claude’s relaxed grip. He cocked his head. “So you acknowledge that studying this late in the library is not a smart thing for us to do-- but you’re okay with it regardless?”

Claude pointedly plopped into the chair beside Linhardt. “Not like it’s the first time I’ve pull an all-nighter. Telling you it’s better to sleep would be hypocritical. Besides, bet staying up is more fun with you,” he added with a wink.

Linhardt chuckled and picked up his quill again. “Sorry, but I only intend to study tonight.”

“Fine by me. I’ve been looking for time to research whatever Crest that merchant Anna has.” Point made, Claude got to his feet again. “Let me grab more candles. Can I borrow some paper?”

“Of course.”

Once Claude had retrieved and lit enough candles to keep their corner bright lit, he pulled a few books from Linhardt’s discarded Crest pile and sat back down. Paper and ink were set waiting for him. Linhardt immediately scoot his chair closer, taking Claude’s left hand in his right, resuming his note taking with his free hand.

Claude snickered. “Are you showing off being ambidextrous again?”

“I have no idea what you mean.” But Linhardt had on a prideful smirk that said otherwise. Claude much preferred it to the spiteful expression of mere minutes ago.

With a quick kiss to Linhardt’s cheek, Claude cracked open a tome and got to work. 

The only thing I’m gonna add before I sing your praises is that Dorothea does talk about her parents a tiny bit in her B Support with Hanneman. She mentions her mother used to work in a noble house, got kicked out, had Dorothea, fell ill, then died. After Dorothea became a diva, she thinks she met a man who could be her father: “He'd had a child with a maid, but the child didn't have a Crest... So he threw them both away. Those were his very words.” Unaware of their possible connection, the man flirted with Dorothea, which made her both furious and dumbfounded. 

This doesn’t change your proof at all-- and in fact it helps, I think. Ashe can look back on his past with his parents and siblings fondly even if it’s tainted by bad memories. Dorothea can’t look back at her past without pain and anger. She never had that strong foundation.

With that out of the way--

I AM SO ON BOARD WITH THIS SUPPORT I CANNOT EVEN BEGIN TO TELL YOU HOW HAPPY IT MAKES ME!!!

Growing up on the streets, getting ‘saved’ by people in higher positions (Manuela/the Opera, Lonato), their experiences with nobility, the differences between the Empire and the Kingdom, their concern throughout the plot for the common folk-- There is A LOT they could talk about!! They are both quite hard on themselves, as you pointed out, and that could be a good subject for like a B or B+ Support. Something that could come up once they establish trust, or once the war gets going.

Looking over her support list, it doesn’t actually look like Dorothea HAS any supports with Fódlan commoners?! The closest we get is Yuri, but that has a highly different vibe.

I adore your idea of Ashe getting a taste of the opera and becoming a big fan of seeing his favorite knight stories ACTED OUT! It would be amazing if he tried to write his own operas based on his favorite books and he gives the scripts to Dorothea to look over and she does edit and give advice, but she also picks out the role SHE would want to play. She gets so into it. That would be a great end card actually lol.

(I saw you making your way through them! glad you like my work so much! made Yuri NB here because I’m powerful like that)

50. In Secret kiss 

War had a way of making one think they were short on time. Everything from training and planning to cooking and cleaning felt like it had to be done as fast as possible. Because what if you didn’t have time later? What if something happened to you? Your business-- whether it be a dirty dish or an untold secret-- could go unfinished. 

And unfinished business was one of the main reasons ghosts existed.  

It was this reasoning that finally persuaded Ashe to venture down into Abyss with a single goal in mind.

He had intend to march directly to Yuri’s room but it turned out that wasn’t necessary. Yuri and Hapi were conversing right by the entrance. 

“Just for a few hours, alright?” Yuri was saying.

Hapi nodded. “Sure thing, Yuri-bird. You deserve it.”

“Heh. I don’t know if that’s true.”

“You’ve been running yourself ragged since Chatterbox came back. I’ll keep everyone at bay while you do your thing.”

Ashe stopped in the hallway. Was Yuri overworking themselves? Maybe this wasn’t a good time...

“Hey, Freckles.”

Before he could finish that thought, Hapi waved to him over Yuri’s shoulder. Yuri turned with a fleeting look of surprise. “Hey!” Ashe called, stepping into the light. “Sorry to eavesdrop. I didn’t want to interrupt.”

“Good timing, friend. I was just coming to find you.” Yuri’s face softened into a small smile. 

Ashe, flustered, found himself smiling back. “Did you need help with something?” 

“No, I wanted--”

“Hey, Yuri! I’ve got something to report!”

The smile fell from Yuri’s face as the Abysskeeper approached. Hapi stepped between him and Yuri and said, with her usual tact, “Yuri isn’t here right now, can I take a message?”

The Abysskeeper scowled. “I can see them right behind you.”

“That’s stupid, Yuri isn’t even around today. What did you need to report?”

“I’m supposed to give Yuri my reports.”

“Yeah, well, you tell me and, if it’s important, I’ll tell them.”

It was then Ashe caught the shooing motion Hapi was making behind her back. He bit back a laugh and took Yuri’s hand as the Abysskeeper rolled his eyes. “Come on,” Ashe whispered. 

Yuri looked equally amused but let Ashe pull them into the Shadow library. If Yuri truly needed time to get away from work for a while, there was no place more secluded than the lower levels of the library. The broken staircases and unlit sconces meant only those desperate to read every book available bothered to explore beyond the main floor. 

It wasn’t long before they were far enough down that they could no longer hear Hapi or the Keeper. The farther they went, the darker it became. Ashe’s satisfaction at being able to help Yuri get away was slowly being eclipsed by anxiety. How long had it been since anyone was down this far? It was too dark to know to certain if they were truly alone or not.

A hand slipped into his and Ashe forgot his fear in favor of reveling in Yuri’s touch. “Thanks,” Yuri said. “You’re good at reading people, you know that?”

“I have a knack for knowing when someone needs help,” Ashe said brightly. “From what you and Hapi said, I got the feeling you needed alone time. I was surprised when you said you were coming to find me.”

“Hm. Being with you is a bit like being alone.”

“It is?”

He heard Yuri chuckle. Ashe was less afraid of the gloom now and more frustrated by it-- he wanted to see Yuri smile again. Even before the war, a genuine smile from Yuri was rare. The two spent a good deal of time together and Ashe liked seeing those smiles most of all. Being on the receiving end was a gift that made his heart skip a beat.

“I mean that in a good way,” Yuri clarified. “I never have to perform around you. I don’t have to watch my words or wonder if you’re trying to get something from me.” Yuri laced their fingers through Ashe’s. “Even just being near you feels nice.”

It was no wonder Yuri wanted a break if that’s how they felt around everyone else; like they had to be Lord of the Underground all the time. “I’m glad to hear it.” Ashe felt his face heat up. “It feels nice being near you too.”

Yuri stopped walking. Ashe stopped too, unwilling to let go of their hand. “Ashe?”

“Yeah?”

“I care about you.”

Ashe smiled, even if Yuri couldn’t see it. “I care about you too! It’s nice to have another commoner friend who grew up int he Kingdom. Not many people understand--”

“No, I mean, I care about you, Ashe.” Yuri’s voice had grown quiet. Stiffer. Ashe felt them move closer. “That’s what I was coming to tell you. You matter to me. A lot, in fact. Maybe too much.”

Ashe’s mouth had gone dry. He should probably say something to all this but his mind was blank. 

Yuri went on. “This war is heating up. Things are getting serious. I didn’t like the idea of getting killed before I could make myself clear, so I was just on my way to find you.” They snorted. “Guess the Goddess agreed I’d waited long enough, since you showed up right then.”

And still Ashe had nothing to say. He was flattered and shocked and overjoyed and relieved and in disbelief and so many other emotions-- there was no way to convey them all. 

“Heh. If I went overboard you can say so. Or I can walk away and you can pretend this didn’t happen. I’ve said my piece either way.” Yuri’s hand fell from Ashe’s

Panic took over. If Yuri moved away now, they’d be lost to Ashe in more ways than one.

Before Yuri could get far, Ashe lunged forward to grasp them. His hands closed over Yuri’s shirt and he felt Yuri go still. 

Feeling his way blindly, Ashe ran his fingers up Yuri’s front until he felt skin. Further up, he touched softer skin, slightly moist. Skin that parted as Ashe’s finger’s lingered. That was it.

Ashe leaned over and kissed that spot. In contract to his explorations, Yuri’s hands found his shoulders immediately and their fingers dug in as the kiss went on. Ashe moved his hands out of the way and cupped Yuri’s face instead. 

With a more secure hold on Yuri, Ashe felt more comfortable pulling back ever so slightly. “Me too.” He murmured against Yuri’s lips. “I wanted to tell you-- I care about you too. I care a lot. I--”

He was tripping over his words and his face was burning and he could feel Yuri’s lips form a smile. So Ashe pressed in again. There could be more words later. Preferably in a bright, though still hidden, place. For now, he was content to memorize the taste Yuri in the darkness. 

SHIP IT!

What made you ship it?

I’m a SUCKER for Childhood Best Friends to Lovers. So I was hooked as soon as I saw their support chain. This comic helped.

What are your favorite things about the ship?

Caspar can be so reckless but when it comes to other people, he’s very protective. You can see that in his supports with Annette, and it comes through with his constant talk of justice, so for him to be with a healer just makes sense. Linhardt is generally apathetic but he cares for his best friend and it’s easy to see this dynamic to evolve into ~Something More~

Plus! No-crest having second son of a noble who will never inherit the title running off with the crested only child of a noble sounds like SUCH a scandal and I love that for them.

Is there a unpopular opinion complaint you have on your ship?

It’s so hard, as a writer, to find something for them to do that they both enjoy. Caspar is all about training while Linhardt is all about books; Linhardt researches crests while Caspar doesn’t care one bit; Caspar has boundless energy while Linhardt gets bored easily and naps.