Oooh thanks for the tag @ninadove ! 💙 The challenge is the following :
"List the first lines of your last twenty stories. See if you can find a pattern."
Same as you, I don't have twenty stories lying around, so Imma be picking from my google doc and probably mostly from what I call the "Hresvelg siblings snippets", that I add to whenever I have an idea.
Info : Adel is the last Hresvelg sibling and is the proud dad of his wyvern Mirabelle. Meanwhile, Siyn is my Bylethsona.
Without further ado, let's go !
Edit: it's not putting spaces when I put them. I do NOT know why.
1- Siblings bonding time
As they looked up at the setting sun and at the eagles circling up in the sky, they sat in an amazed silence before the beauty of their imperfect world.
" Hey. Let's make each other a promise. "
" Sure. "
" What's it ? "
" Once this is over… Let's all go to therapy."
"Oh you bet."
"Most definitely."
2- Typical Loki fashion
"They're missing out on one of the most amazing persons ever."
"Who's that ?"
"Me, duh."
3- Karaoke night
"I don't know the lyrics to that song", the teen muttered under his breath.
"It's a prayer, Loki. We're in a cathedral."
"I personally wish I didn't", Adel smiled and kept chanting along. "It's always "Something something goddess", "Something something Sothis", and how you should never throw a revolution against the Church. "
4- Mirabelle
"I was wondering though…" Siyn considered as she gently scratched the wyvern's neck. "Why'd you name her Mirabelle ?"
"Bold of you to assume I think before I act, Professor."
5- Cookie ?
"If one more person dares tell me, "revenge is baaaaaad" and "you're young, you don't know what you're doing", or "you'll regret it later on, trust me, I've got absolutely no clue what you're going through right now, but I'm an adult so I must know better right ? ", I'm going to commit first degree murder. Revenge won't make me feel better or bring back what I lost ? Yeah no shit Sherlock, but maybe, just maybe making you shut up for a damn second will bring me a few seconds of well-deserved peace Karen."
Aline looked at him with a soft smile as she poured him a cup of chamomile tea. " Do you… Want a cookie ?"
" Yes. "
6- Releasing pressure
"Here's where I wanted to take you", Adel smiled as he helped him off the wyvern.
Loki perked around curiously, taking in the sight of the starlit deserted hills that surrounded Garrech Mach.
"It's beautiful", he softly spoke. "Thank you for taking me on this ride. When did you start coming here ?"
Adel pondered. "I'd say about a year ago ? There's few places as quiet as this around here, and I find that it helps me unwind, take off the pressure. Wanna know how ?"
The teenager smiled curiously. "Sure."
"I scream into the void at the top of my lungs for however long it takes for me to feel better."
"You what now ?"
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH-"
7- Defying gravity
"I like gravity. It's really neat for all sorts of things."
"What the hell ? I hate gravity ! It sucks !"
"Well of course you would dislike it, you're a Wyvern Knight."
"Yeah, I'm not a fan of the feeling of impending doom when I'm plummeting to my death."
"Then don't fall to your death. Gravity won't do you anything if you're prudent enough."
"Oh, thank you, Sherlock. What makes you so keen on gravity anyways ?"
"I… Well what would the world be like without it ?"
"Amazing."
"No, it'd be f*cking weird, I tell you what. Would you want to float 24/7 ?"
"YES. Yes, I'd love that."
"... What the hell is going on ?"
8- Pancakes
"Do you do that often ?"
"What, kill people or make pancakes ?"
9- Loki hoarding clothes
"I fully plan on hoarding all of your possessions. I've already got your boots, and Edelgard's gloves. I'm on the way to achieve the classiest of looks."
"What's next ?"
"Someday, I'll get Edelgard's horns."
10- Draft of Loki and Hanneman's support convos
Hanneman: In fact, I would like to study the effects of your Crest on your person. Or rather… The lack thereof.
Loki: That's an interesting way to say that I'm weak.
[...]
Hanneman: How about this spear right there ? Your brother could snap it in half while he was training there at the monastery !
Loki: I… Can't even imagine how anyone could do that.
11- Fuck
Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck-
12- Missing you
"Solon was your instructor for many years", Arundel says with a scrutinizing stare. "His death must come as a shock to you."
The child looks up at him from his book and brings one short strand of black hair behind his ear. "I am devastated", he says in a deadpan voice, and goes back to reading.
13- An Imperial visit
"You unearthed our father's body." The Empress said with a cold, but mostly just shocked expression, as she stared down her two older siblings- covered in dirt from head to toes and stinking of death. "Do you know how disrespectful this is ?"
"Pfdfpfrpfftpfft-" Loki wheezed, then coughed into his hand to quickly hide the laughter that was threatening to break out.
"Where's the body ?"
They stare at each other, silently.
"... Did you bury him in the gardens ?!"
"Oh ! Goddess no", Aline interjected. You know these poor flowers deserve better than him. "
" Then what did you do with him ? "
Loki was starting to lose it.
"... You know count Varley ? " Adel tentatively asked.
" Of course I do. What has he got to do with this ?"
"Well… We talked a bit with Bernadetta and… Well… we sent him the decomposed body."
"We told him the Emperor was coming to visit-"
14- Aren't we all
The kid looks at her with his almost unnaturally wide and empty eyes, as if they were always widened with fear: but when he talks, it's with the same emotionless and automatic voice she's used to.
"... Kronya. You are insane, aren't you ?"
She smirks and looks back at him, leaning over the table and snatching his book away.
"Are you not ?"
15- Father-daughter talk
"Your mother wanted to be cremated." Ionius bent over and deposited the medium-sized, dark urn that felt heavy in her hands. Even holding it, sat in her bed, still made her every joint ache.
"..." She looked up at him, slowly. "What am I supposed to do with that ? I didn't come to her funeral, why do you think I'd want her funerary urn ? "
"I..." That old, pathetic man looked at her with hollow eyes. "I thought you might want to reconnect. Maybe keep it in your room."
Aline's jaw dropped. "What ? Just- leave. You're delusional."
"I'll leave you alone with her to take this in. I know the loss of your mother affects you more than you let on… you need that closure." He slowly rose up from the chair and, leaning on his cane, turned around to leave by the open door.
"Wait."
"Hum ?"
"Stay here… just a while longer", she said softly as she propped herself up on her pillow, her back exploding with white pain as she held back a cry.
"... Do you want to talk about i-" Was all Ionius could muster before an expertly thrown funerary urn made contact with his face, sending ash everywhere.
"FUCK OFF AND NEVER COME BACK AGAIN !!! YOU RUINED EVERYTHING I'VE EVER LOVED !!!"
16- On Loki and Edelgard
Maybe the reason they liked each other so much was because they recognized themselves as monsters; and in each other, they found the forgiveness they pretended they weren't seeking.
17- Character growth of a child soldier
Solon had to concede it to Thales, who seemed strangely proud: Loki didn't have anything to do with the small, scaredy kid he had been entrusted. The transformation had been radical. He had grown more efficient, more quiet, more observant. But most remarkable was the amount of confidence he had gained.
Some could even say he had become a little bitch.
18- Florem (Bravely Default)
The city of Florem was like a perfectly round and shiny red apple: incredibly appealing and appetizing from the outside, but slowly being devoured by a worm on the inside.
That horrid truth was something its inhabitants did their best to hide from the travelers that came from all around Luxendarc to visit the legendary city of refinement and pleasures, and most of the time, they were pretty successful at it. Any foreigner, upon approaching the outskirts of the town for the first time, would be struck by the overwhelmingly sweet scent of the quality perfumes the artisans of Florem were so renowned for. Lead by the nose to the central plaza of the city, where most of the stores were located, they would be entranced by the beauty of the place: its charming and colorful two-story houses with balconies bursting with local flowers, the care with which most of its inhabitants composed their attire, their dresses made with the softest of fabrics and the most intricate of patterns, sometimes accessorized with a fairy wing for an hairpin if someone felt fancy, their strong perfumes, the lights and the dense crowd of merchants and locals that left anyone being pushed around like a raft at sea.
For Braev Lee, Great Marshall of Eternia, the illusion worked like a charm, and the experience was absolutely exhilarating. It had been quite a few years since he had taken control of the duchy, and yet he had never had the honor to visit the Matriarch in person until now, neither had he had the chance to visit the legendary city that was rumored to be only populated with women. Especially not with his annoying right-hand man and best friend Kamiizumi to spoil the trip ! That reminded him, the Swordsmaster had been quiet for quite a while, and that could never be good. Turning around to look for him, Braev had to squint his eyes to search for the black head of hair amidst the dozens of people passing him by and bumping into him.
Thankfully, a natural hair color was as rare in Florem as it was in an art school, and he soon noticed him sat on the edge of a fountain, taking a well-deserved break. Rejoining him was no small feat due to the tremendous activity of everyone around him, but he could finally breathe as he plopped down next to his bro, and realized just how good it felt to stop running about.
“Hey, Nobotsuna. Thought you could escape from me ?” He teased with a smile.
“I gave up on that dream a long time ago”, the warrior replied with a flat voice.
19- On Aline and Hubert
"Don't play that game with me, Hubert. I saw you get your head stuck in a vase when you were five. You'll never be threatening to me."
20- Family feud
"I'm just saying. Everybody already considers Mirabelle part of the family. What's the deal in making it official ?"
Edelgard sighed, heavily. "Adel, we all appreciate her presence, that is a fact. However, she is just your pet. We can't officially give her the name von Hresvelg."
"Why not ? You did it for me", Loki whined.
"It was a different situation, and you know it."
"How so ?" He retorted, trying his best to put on a vexed expression. "I think it's the same."
Edelgard shook her head in bewilderment and turned to Aline, looking for some support. The woman seemed to be having the time of her life watching the feud between her younger siblings.
"Please tell them, Aline."
She thought it over for a moment, her eyes unfocused. Then, she smiled and nodded to herself, seemingly satisfied with herself.
"I just think you're a bad aunt, Edelgard."
---
Aaaand there we go ! =D it was fun to revisit those.
19 of them are from my Hresvelg siblings snippets, which I started as a way to develop my OCs' personalities, while the Bravely Default one is the beginning of the first chapter of a fic I've never continued. xD
So, what can we take away from this, apart from the fact that I've got a huge FE brainrot and a weakness for good siblings relationships in media ?
I think I like to have my fun and be a little bit sarcastic when I write. Not take it too seriously and putting my characters into what can be borderline absurd situations. Unsurprisingly, this is also a feature found in my favorite books ! ^^
Tagging (only if they feel like it ofc): @kanohivolitakk @crestofshame and anyone who feels like it !!! <3
