Cyril frowns and nearly wants to run away from this... thing Lady Rhea's displaying.
Sure, he told her he wouldn't mind participating in this Harvest Festival thing, but only because she asked him and seemed a bit happy about hosting it in Garreg Mach.
And he heard her, talking to a sighing Seteth, how she likes watching students wear cute costumes and enjoy themselves during the festival.
So he said he didn't mind, and when Lady Rhea clapped her hands and said she would prepare a costume for him, he nodded. He thought it would maybe be a tunic with embroided pumpkins or something, not this... goofy white costume.
Why is it even smiling like the cuddling things the children of the monastery sleep with?
Cyril asks Rhea if it shouldn't look more fearsome, and Rhea asks him a if he believes the Immaculate One is fearsome.
"Of course it is, isn't it a huge monster who attacks people and rains death from above?"
Cyril adds how even in Almyra there are songs and legends about it, a white man-eating monster larger than the largest wyvern, living in Fodlan and killing anyone who enters its lair!
Rhea gently replies how this is what some people perceive the Immaculate One as, but in the Seiros faith, it is a guardian who protects Fodlan from serious threats, not a monster, and definitely not a man-eating one!
"But if you make it smile like that, wouldn't it be insulting to the faith?"
Rhea raises a brow when Cyril explains how it looks like the things sewn for the children, the smiling lion plushies, or the bears, or even the horses... He doubts the monks would be happy if she, the Archbishop, puts the Immaculate One on the same level as those cuddling toys.
Cyril's surprised when Rhea laughs, explaining how she's sure the Immaculate One would prefer to been seen as goofy and something bringing comfort rather than be feared as a monster.
Faced with Cyril's look of disbelief, she suggests the Immaculate One might be a shy being who would like to make more friendly relationships, but is afraid of people rejecting her due to her appearance, which is why she is not seen around a lot.
"You're joking right?"
Cyril then crosses his arms, but says if he ever meets the Immaculate One, he will ask her if she prefers to look like a harmless cuddling toy or to look like a cool and fearsome beast.
Rhea pats his head, promising she will remember this.
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The monastery felt more foreboding than he had anticipated. Past experiences with schooling swirled at the back of his mind, ghosts whispering of the hurt and betrayal that awaited. He smiled in spite of them.
The war across Ylisse over, the Plegian had made something of a name for himself. He'd not been in it for the fame, though - strictly, he had stuck around because he enjoyed painting his surroundings red, and Chrom's army allowed him to do so.
The few friends he had made along the way were bonuses, though all had gone their own ways, Henry included, after all the fighting was done. He thought of them fondly when he felt lonely, and for the most part, it was enough to keep him pushing forward.
But on one of those days where it wasn't quite enough and he found himself listlessly meandering, wondering as to his fate...
On one of those days, a messenger came a-calling. He had been summoned.
By his parents, who had heard of his exploits in combat.
An uncharacteristic knot in his stomach, the dark mage had heeded the call and gone home - home, where he'd never been good enough. Home, where he had not been welcome in years after being abandoned in the woods and left to his own devices. Even after all this time, though, he couldn't help but hope against hope... did they want him back? Had he made them proud, at long last?
Standing in the courtyard of Garreg Mach, Henry hummed to himself. A second chance... but what to do with it? His father's instructions, beyond a succinct note not to fail him again, had been vague.
Day one, and he was lost already. Where was everyone?
Manuela complains about how she behaved for the last five years, let it be for the White Heron Cup and the festival or even Garreg Mach's foundation day, but the festivities were "dull".
So the Monastery better prepare for the next Saint Seiros day, because she will make it way more festive than it has ever been!
Obviously, Seteth lectures Manuela about proper conduct, Saint Seiros' day is supposed to be a day of quiet and peaceful devotion, and remembrance of the peace the goddess and the saints fought for.
Manuela argues he's not the highest authority in the Monastery, so she can, and will, ask the Archbishop herself.
Seteth frowns, he knows exactly what is going to happen : Rhea will obviously allow Manuela to do as she pleases because she finds ridiculous costumes and glitters and feathers "fun" or "stylish", and the Monastery's reputation will plummet down.
And yet, it's also her birthday so... maybe he could be a bit more lenient. And maybe tolerate feathers, only for one day. Or half a day.
As expected, Rhea enthusiastically agrees with Manuela - even when she asks to dip a little in the Church's "celebration" funds to order sequin - but inside is completely lost : what are sequins ?
Rhea asks Flayn, maybe her niece will be able to to determine what is this new thing humanity came up with, since she hangs out with "young" humans.
Cethleann ends up frustrated , reporting many students were surprised with her question, as if "sequins" were something very common.
Monks told her they have no place in a place of holy worship.
Asking Catherine and Shamir proved unproductive, since they squinted and told her whatever Manuela is coming up with, she must know they played no part in her madness.
Rhea then asks Billy, if they have any idea about what are sequins.
Billy shrugs, they don't know. But they can ask Jeralt!
Jeralt looks at Billy, and sighs, saying it's something not pratical and usually used for shows. And before they ask, no, his mercenary company will not hire anyone wearing sequins.
Billy frowns - as much as they can - they saw once a rival mercenary company wearing flashy clothes and poofy pants, and thought they looked really cool, and no one called them names like "ashen demons". Maybe they too, were wearing sequins? If they did then... it makes people look cool.
Jeralt immediately makes the link when they see Billy going to Rhea's audience chamber and hears their kid saying "sequins make people look awesome".
Remembering how Rhea - rather her pretending to be someone else 260 years ago - was the one who insisted to add a feather to the headgears of infantry knights who specialised in axes and swords, he barges in and interrupts their conversation : no, sequins are ridiculous, and if she adds some to the uniforms of the knights of Seiros, he will immediately leave the Monastery.
Also, no poofy sleeves or pants, and no flashy colors.
"But are they festive?"
Jeralt replies by dragging a frowning Billy away from the audience room.
Saint Seiros day happens as usual, and while Rhea nods and acts as she usually does during previous Saint Seiros days, she wonders if Manuela's celebrations were somehow cancelled at the last minute.
However, comes the night - when students are supposed to be asleep and all - and Billy knocks at her door, telling her something very important is happening and she has to join.
Rhea is surprised to see Billy wear an unusual costume, with mismatched colors, poofy sleeves and pants and frills everywhere.
To her, it seems as if Billy is truly happy to wear this costume, so she smiles proudly when they tell her they used their first allowance to buy it. Even if it meant not listening to Jeralt.
Rhea nods, and tells them they look really festive.
Billy smiles.
Then they lead Rhea to the reception hall, where some knights, some monks and members of the officer's academy are reunited, wearing odd costumes, but some have large hats with colorful feathers.
Also, now in the light, she spots some of them faintly glittering or something, but maybe it's just her mind playing tricks?
Everyone, bar Seteth, Catherine and Shamir, is chatting happily and Rhea is afraid her sudden apparition will put a damper on the mood, but Manuela excitedly gives her a ridiculous hat with large coloured feathers on it. Possibly a Giant Bird's.
Cyril looks ready to protest, but Catherine does, telling Manuela she can't expect the Archbishop to play along with her idiot idea.
Seteth, wearing the same kind of ridiculous outfit as Billy, knows better, and Rhea puts the feathered hat on.
Then the party starts, a band not affiliated at all to the Mittelfrank Opera starts to play and Rhea is a bit surprised at how everyone doesn't seem to mind her presence, too busy pestering and ranting about Manuela's ridiculous "opera clothes" - save for Billy who really likes their costume, and says to everyone how they asked Manuela's friends if they could buy it instead of just borrowing it for the evening.
Then Manuela makes a speech about Saint Seiros' day being a day of devotion and gratitude to the peaceful times they're living in but also to celebrate and remember there's light ahead.
Manuela ends by giving several very ostentious winks in Flayn's general direction, who finally catches them when Catherine points them out, and she uses an "old spell to strengthen the moon's radiance in the room" - which suspiciously sounds, to Rhea, like she's using Nabatean magic to do so! - and yet, before she can gently remind her niece they are supposed to be hiding and pretend they are totally regular humans, she's suddenly blinded by glittering lights everywhere.
When she finally can see again - ignoring Shamir's threats to make Manuela eat her damn feathers if she ends up blinded by all of her party tricks - everyone is sparkling thanks to the small flat beads like things sewed in the costumes!
Manuela then asks Rhea if she believes, as the Archbishop of the Church of Seiros if the saints would approve of such a luminous and festive display for Saint Seiros' day : Seteth replies they would never have approved of such a ridiculous thing, Rhea ignores him and nods to Manuela saying Saint Seiros would have loved it, she's sure of it.
Flayn adds they would definitely have been enthusiastic about it, glaring at her "brother" for some reason.
Then the party resumes, with more music, people surrendering to the ridiculous setting and enjoying themselves. Billy wonders why the students couldn't be invited though, maybe they would have liked it? But maybe they didn't have enough costumes.
Anyways, since it's Rhea's birthday, they pull of a Zanado fruit from one of their poofy pants' pocket, and offers it to her while everyone looks, a bit dumbfounded - why is the new professor giving inedible trash to the Archbishop?
Rhea's overjoyed and thanks them a lot, telling Billy they were right about sequins, they really make people look pretty bright and awesome.
Cyril gives Rhea fresh flowers he grew specially for the occasion, saying it's not much but next time he promises he'll give her something ever more special and more awesome - but Rhea cuts him with a hug, thanking him dearly, and pretends not to hear Shamir call her out for "spoiling the kid".
Manuela is a bit surprised though, she never knew today was the Archbishop's birthday, what a coincidence it happens on Saint Seiros' day!
Everyone goes silent when Alois asks her how old is she anyways - trying to make light conversation while the cooks panick because a birthday means a cake, and they haven't prepared one ! - Jeralt chuckles while Seteth panicks and tries to come up with some roundabout explanation.
Rhea smiles, and replies she's 17.
Everyone laughs a bit, relieved the Archbishop has a sense of humour, and the party goes on, even if Flayn pesters Manuela about making an even grander party like this for Cethleann's Day, because Cethleann would surely appreciate to have everyone shine and enjoy themselves, also, she would like if fish was served, and if they could still dance and listen to the music all night long.
Seteth takes her away, though, or at least intended to when he hears Rhea talk to a monk how sequins could be integrated in ceremonial outfits for everyone, because it makes "life shine brighter" and how the Goddess would surely appreciate the effort.
Billy still think the students lost an occasion to look "awesome" since they couldn't be invited, and ask Rhea to teach them how to sew to add sequins to the student's uniforms, if they start now, they should be ready for next year.
Rhea nods a bit too eagerly - but Supreme Leader declares war on the church before Billy can even finish the first costume.
Do u think there's a Watsonian reason for why Egg goes full Hegemon when she fights Dimitri in AM, but not when she fights Byleth in VW/SS? Obvs the Doylist reason being that Egg is her most villainous in AM and they wanted her death to be sadder in SS, but in universe there would be no reason for her not to go just as hard in SS
Watsonian wise?
Hm...
AM is the only route where Uncle kicks the bucket before her, did Ananximandros and Myson gave her Thales' notebook revealing how she can use her crusts to turn in Hegemongard after his death, because with the leader dead, maybe the only solution is to watch the world burn by releasing Hegemongard?
(which is hilarious since, imo, she's the easiest boss fight lol, they could have released Nemesis'n'co from their tupperwares, but maybe Thales kept freezer's key on himself and Dimtiri accidently kicked it off in a river?)
So yeah, watsonian wise, I'd say it might have something to do with the fact that Thales, Solon and Cleo die before her. Did Hubert scout their lair to discover the notebook or random agarthans revealed everything when their leader died because they had to do everything they could to kill the beasts, even with their leaders dead, we will never know.
Doylist wise, I wouldn't say more "vilainous" in AM, but AM is the route where the "uwus professor" are more subdued to focus on her relationship with Dimitri and her "ideals", aka what they mean* and where she ultimately accepts to sacrifice herself, and not only her people, to reach her goals.
Also, I bet the devs didn't want to have her look to, uh, too adrestian when she tells Flayn'n'Seteth they cannot rule over humans since bcs ears are pointy, when she is in her Hegemongard form!
*I've already written a bit about the "parley" where both ideals are discussed, and I've found more substance in a christmas pudding than in that script that manages to be less incisive that PoR's optional "game over" battle line between Ashnard and Reyson.
Joking with my fwend about Tupperwares, I remember I had a post rotting in the drafts regarding FE16's plotholes and -
WTF were the Agarthan Tupperwares?
Nemesis still being around and """alive""" makes you wonder why Supreme Leader was needed to be a "flame that will burn even gods" when the original god slayer and his croonies were around!
Nemesis and the Elites being in Tupperwares is just as random as "somehow, Rhea turned crazy" from SS and I guess it was to give Claude an unique boss, but, imo, it's a complete plot black hole, that should warp all of the story writing but doesn't because no one gaf about the plot of game, not even the devs.
But I guess, writing a story centered around "could you simp for Ashnard if he was a cute girl and drank a bit a tea before invading Crimea?" means everything that isn't remotely tied to that plot is forgotten or put under the rug, much like Flamey's mask, even if, coherence wise, it makes no damn sense.
And yet, it could have had !
Imagine : Keep Supreme Leader as someone like Marquis Laus from FE7, aka a war mongering figure who disturbs the continent's peace to seize it (in red emperor fashion) but who is ultimately backstabbed by the evil cult, who isn't relying on a dragon this time, but on the one who slaughtered dragons.
Like, the information campaign is going on, with more of a focus on the Church being led by non-humans, and why a champion of humanity is needed (basically Tru Piss' spiel) : Supreme Leader would be betrayed by Thales, Myson or whoever, hell a revived Nemesis himself with all of his PR basically spelling out that she cannot be a champion of humanity, since she descends from Willy who apparently "sold" it to non humans, but most important, to the people of Fodlan, she also descends from Seiros herself, who was previously outed as a non human!
The OG "champion of Humanity" returns, tells the world how he got his crest - by killings monsters and not bedding/siding with them like the corrupt Adrestian nobility (that was already put under the bus due to Supreme Leader's rise to power!) thus he will finish what he started and liberate, as the King of Liberation, humanity from those monsters and the traitors who support them.
Bonus points if Nemesis is the one who tears down the "crusts are to blame for everything wrong :'(" litany by spelling out Crusts aren't anything to blame, they're tools to seize and gain power from.
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Thinking about a random AG AU I had that is basically "Flayn facetanks an axe, and the Lions are more pissed and worried about her than curious or frightened about the fact that Flayn's apparently hardy enough to deflect blows with her face"
Given how Nabatean bones are, per a book, as hard as crucible steel (or more durable than anything that isn't crucible steel) I was wondering if, even in their humanoid form, Nabateans could actually resist "more" to some hits than humans.
Of course it's not translated at all in gameplay because this verse is a bootleg Jugdral copy when it comes to ludonarration, but what if it was the case?
Something like, if they concentrate enough or channel enough magic (but still not enough to transform!), Nabateans can make their "skin" as hard as it would be if they were to transform, aka when they passively get the ancient dragonskin skill.
Still, everyone is worried about Flayn in that AU, so unless she agrees to become an armored healer on a horse, she is forbidden from facetanking anything anymore.
Earrings could have been the most common jewels/trinkets Nabateans used to have, from an era where they could show their ears.
Let it only be for aesthetics or a cultural thing, “pimping” ears used to be something very common back in Zanado. Some Nabateans even went to human places to discover/share/find out what kind of new jewelry humans discovered/came up with and they’d bring some back to Zanado.
Indech left Zanado to develop his craftsman skills and some humans joined him in his workshop.
Of course, after the Nabatean Purge and the subsequent Red Canyon events, surviving Nabateans had to hide their ears, thus no earrings anymore.
Surviving Rhea couldn’t be a Nabatean in Fodlan anymore thus became Seiros the Human.
And yet, even as Seiros the Human, dropping the earring tradition meant dropping Nabatean pride, or what once was their custom - could she really accept to abandon everything that was “Nabatean” to become a human? Faced with this dilemma, Willy said something stupid like changing Fodlan so she could finally wear earrings without spending hours debating the pros and cons of such a “risky” move.
The War of Heroes ends, and Rhea has two pairs of earrings, one from a sister who wanted to gift her own pair to her youngest sibling when it would be her time to “leave to discover the human world”, and one from Willy to wear when Fodlan will have “changed”.
Of course, she never get the occasion to wear them.
Citrus finds them, and after hearing the importance of earrings, has a pair crafted for the “baby” to wear.
Jerry pawned them during his flight.
Rhea’s earrings are lost when the monastery is sacked.
Post AG/AM, for her 1***th birthday, Flayn wears three pairs of earrings, one from her Uncle, one she bought from a Duscur craftsman and the old pair that belonged to her mother.
Both Rhea and Seteth are worried about her showing her ears, but Annette only asks if she thinks she too, would look good wearing multiple earrings, while Dimitri wonders if they won’t both get a frostbite.
AU during that time where Jerry was trying to woo Citrus by telling her various anecdotes about the "outside" world, he wanted to surprise/impress her by singing an old ribald Faerghan song.
"surely that's not something you'd hear, cramped in the monastery as you are, right?"
Citrus nodded, while she doesn't know this Faerghan song, she knows an old "Adrestian ballad", which was actually an old sailor song, rude as fuck that was most likely what inspired the Faerghan version, her "mother" taught her.
Jerry runs to Rhea asking her what the crap, but she handwaves everything away, after all, it's just a song, and children love to listen to songs!
Dumbfounded, Jerry doesn't know how to react with Citrus makes him promise to help her teach the "kid" a lot of songs too, maybe their kid will be some sort of bard, or even better, sing in that opera thing in Enbarr!
Of course events happen, Jerry doesn't teach any song to Billy but when they hear them sing a song with Manu, he makes a mental note to later ask her if, during her free time one day, she could take Billy to the so-called "opera thing".
