#futuresking

This wasn't the first time Hilda woke up from a strange nightmare after drinking in a place that she definitely didn't remember falling asleep in. And it wasn't the first time she woke up from a party with a splitting headache and the urge to purge everything from her stomach either. It was, honestly, pretty expected.

"Oof, Hilda, what did you end up drinking last night?" she muttered to herself as she stretched and yawned. It must have been a lot for her to have fallen asleep so soundly in the grass. That's where the dirt was! She stood, brushed off her uniform, and straightened her hair as best she could--the important things--before taking in her surroundings.

Lucina was here too? That was strange. She hadn't joined in on the fun the night before. It wasn't something she should complain about though. At least someone might be able to shed a bit of light on where they were.

The glowing, aquamarine embroidery cought Hilda's eye and she eagerly picked the strange bag up to inspect it. Her fingers ran over the material and she was surprised that she didn't recognize what it could be made from. She'd never call herself an expert in anything but she certainly enjoyed crafting a variety of accessories enough that she'd have thought she'd at least be able to identify it. "Hey, this doesn't belong to any of you, right? It's super cute! Finders keepers, right?"

Lucina is on hiatus until March 24th! Please make sure to message the Masterlist upon your return. Thank you!

Starter for @futuresking

The former mercenary was often seen as a battle-hardened warrior with the unflappable personality to match. This had led to issues in the past with people not making the effort to get to know Byleth, writing her off as an emotionless killing machine. Being at The Officer’s Academy has given the now professor the chance to expose more of her ‘human’ side through interacting with fellow staff and students. She had met many colourful characters in her time there so far and keen to meet more.

Baking was a new hobby she’d taken up since arriving and with the help of some of the kitchen staff and her pupils she was proud to say she was improving. Not quite at the levels of Mercedes or Dedue yet but her sweets were edible at least. Recently, she’d begun offering them as gifts which had led to her most recent invitation. Afternoon Tea with Lucina.

Although they were members of the same house, Byleth had not had the pleasure of making the young ruler’s acquaintance until now when she had left some cookies on her doorstep as a birthday present. Byleth was ashamed to admit that having left her gift she had proceeded to retreat before the door was answered causing Lucina to have to run after her to thank her. She’d waved her off and beat a hasty retreat but had not forgotten the girl’s kindness at her awkwardness at the situation.

As way of apology for her behaviour and to get to know Lucina better, Byleth had invited her to share tea with her in the Rose Garden. The sun shone brightly illuminating the bright colours of the surrounding flower beds. Bees drifted lazily through the air and the hedge’s kept out the chill of the light breeze. The table was all set with her usual tea set - a gift from Jeralt when she became a professor along with a knowing wink - and a selection of tea’s to choose from. The pastries on offer were ones Byleth had made herself. Small fruit tarts sat glistening on a plate next to pastel macaroons, oat cookies and a simple cherry and almond cake.

In the distance she could hear the Monastery clock strike three and she glanced around to see if she could spot Lucina’s arrival. The chimes had only just stopped when the blue-haired princess appeared in the archway. Byleth rose to greet her.

              THE   WHITE   HERON   ball;

               five upon history’s count,  a decade on illusive account of feeling  —  for many years the war  -  torn territories of his archanean motherland knew no habits as this one.   but this is fódlan,  and he can be nothing if not grateful for the prosperity that deems its artists and peaceable pursuits generous in number.   holding his onlooking presence beneath a brick entablature of the courtyard,  the young archon’s eyes travelled lightly,  then thoughtfully,  over the masses in ‘training’  .  .  .

               twirling,  pirouetting,  stutter  -  stepping across the lawn to a heartfelt beat with such absorption.  such priceless smiles!   not a single handful of sword,  axe,  lance to be seen even from the students most typical of their keep—

               staunch is his spectatorship,  perhaps as so intense an isolation that he could not escape an outside element of surprise.   in his failure to heed encroaching steps from behind,  a deeper failure still to accommodate them,  he steps back and more narrow shoulder collides into the prince’s own with mild abrasion.

              fortunately,  the hero - king is sturdy,  it is not he who falters:

               but it is just as well,  for neither does she. 

               "   ah,  princess lucina,   “     notice quick of instinct,  words conscientiously quicker to follow alongside fingers nobly crossed upon his chest.     “   forgive me for my lack of attention!   it seems for the moment it had roamed elsewhere,   “     his warm conciliatory smile flashes,  full attention shining upon the ylissean royal,  before soon dimming to serene eyes that trail back to their former subjects.   beginners,  doyens,  men and women,  students and faculty,  begetting rhythmic motions as not provisions of violence but mere enjoyment.   biding for a ballad’s sweet accompaniment rather than the bitter cymbals of war.

               he cannot dispute the exchange is symbolic of a formless treasure he yearns,  a brilliant mirror he seeks;   this nation’s established peace for his own.

Lucina-sensei!

It’s Lucina. The biggest surprise he’s found at Garreg Mach so far, and probably the largest mystery? He’s tested her, and so as she him.  It’s without saying that for some reason, she clearly has a wealth of combat experience, the kind that comes from being in large-scale fights for decades. Did Lucina serve as a general, like Zelgius? He’s still unsure as to if she is Branded, but it would explain all of her skill rather neatly. Whatever it is, she has enough wealth in the way of the sword to match the Library of Alexandria, and Ike is determined to try and learn a thing or two. Meeting a match in swordplay has awakened the zealous irrepressible youth in him, and one that’s new and has so many things to teach makes him ecstatic.   There’s no doubt that Lucina is the pinnacle of singular swordsmanship? He’s not quite sure what to call it. In many ways, it’s similar to Marth, but the style itself is far heavier. Her blade dances, but it’s a swansong of fluttering steel and severing guillotine. There’s a an unpredictable grace to them, but it’s been honed with mechanical precision, like the Goddess’ Chosen... But alive and breathing. It fascinates him. It’s like Falchion has taken up a life of its own in her hands, telling him of a legacy and how each strike is meant to carve out a new path of her will.  Hence, in a straight fight, Ike actually has a disadvantage at start and may lose straight away-- because Lucina simply has more experience. Any sort of attack he makes is something she’s seen a variant of, and in turn, he has to learn from what she’s doing. Her defense is absolute, and proofed against the heavier bladestyle that Ike prefers, to a certain point. Ike has no illusions that Lucina, herself, holds the same strangely penetrating power that Marth has. Perhaps it’s just a trick of the eye, but he can swear her brand flashes like a newborn star as she executes them-- perhaps that’s the power she’s gained from her blood. Most of the time, he’s quite happy to watch and spar like this, because every match he comes away has him feel the improvement. Look-- Ranulf, that’s a prodigy! Lucina is one! If anything, he’s just picking up notes... Er, anyway, if he actually wanted to win, Lucina has a few notable... weaknesses? He wouldn’t really call them that, just things she hasn’t practiced much in. She’s supremely skilled at defense and adapting to changing battlefield conditions, so he suspects that she’s fought monsters usually larger than her, and something he’s started to suspect-- things with worse footwork than she has. It’s-- how does he describe this... Her footwork is perfect, but it’s a perfect defense. When she starts going on the offense, occasionally there’s a point where he feels like her adaptive footwork is meant to take advantage of things that are slower in adapting to her.  It tells that she’s not as used to fighting someone of her own strength in a pure duel, one-on-one. He’s also noticed that she actually seems to have a somewhat average pool of swordbreaking techniques. It might be that she doesn’t favor them, but Exalted Falchion’s design looks exactly like it was meant to catch swords and break them! She instead has focused on her pure striking power and speed, as well as associated technique. It’s true that she does use breaking techniques-- but it’s just a little strange that she didn’t build a style around the base of her weapon’s strength... All that comes down to what Ike needs to approach Lucina with-- a balance of averages, with just a little extra added in. Lucina is great at defense and pivoting and striking at weakpoints, so he needs to maintain an average of all three as a defense. He can’t be lacking in anything, and most of all, he has to remain patient. What he needs to do next is leverage his two advantages-- greater reach, strength-- and he suspects, natural stamina. Lucina’s endurance is nearly unbreakable, but her pool of strength for offense will lose power if he keeps forcing her to parry or deflect his strikes. She could dodge, which is what she likely did against the monsters she fought, but if he maintains enough precision, she’ll be forced to meet his sword. For each exchange, he’ll put in the general strength he uses and add a bit more, likely in the middle of the parry, so she’s forced to have to expend her own to match it.  In other words, unlike a feral creature, he’ll prefer ‘chasing’ Lucina’s sword over striking at vital points or using his strength to overwhelm her in a burst. He will attempt to stall her and derive a pattern from her strikes or techniques, and other tells if he has the time. As the time slips by, he’ll adapt and increase the pressure on her, focusing on detecting and analyzing her pace and technique changes.  He’ll throw in Luna and Sol at times, just to replenish energy and push Lucina’s repository of stamina. He might use other blade techniques as well-- so long as he sees it drain the heavy fencer’s stamina, and doesn’t overcommit. Things like Wrath are right out for that reason, and he has a suspicion that Lucina has some resistance to esoteric skills, so he likely won’t use any of Ragnell’s flames. He won’t really use Aether-- he suspects Lucina will not give him the chance to. Unless she does the same, of course-- he’ll simply match that and clash with that in turn, then reset.  Things that aren’t swordplay? Oh, he’ll throw those in, too-- so long as their precision work and require focus to dispel. Kicks, likely, targeted at vital joints if he’s given the chance. He will leave his gauntlet hand free for combat options.  Ike has no illusions that Lucina won’t adapt at least several times. He recognizes that, and he is ready and willing to match. 

He has to be relentless and on her for every moment that exists between. This-- he’s used to. It’s what he’s trained for-- every spark run off the sessions with his father. Every screech as swordsmen and soldier locked blades. Every punishing staccato Mia put him through in the morning-- every morning. The mechanical, immaculate precision of the Goddess’ Chosen. And Zelgius, eyes of abyssal calm staring back at his own, the glow of the tower sliding down the edge of Alondite like a single tear of the moon. 

He knows his focus can last longer than hers. Every duel he’s been in with a matching sword, of conviction and skill, he’s had to stare death and friend and life in the eye on the blade’s edge, and win. All falls away until that remains, and in that moment, he never feels more alive. 

🥺 of course

Rhys accepted the side hug with pleasant surprise, putting his own arm around Lucina. From what he could tell, she was a formidable warrior. Royalty, even? Most swordsmanship was impressive, and hers had a certain finesse to it that he could admire. He wasn’t sure, though but he would gladly heal anyone regardless. “You’re welcome,” he said with a pat on her back. “I’m happy to help.” Rhys’s staff was still in his other hand and he glanced to it.

finding the murder basement with @perfectionist-prince and @futuresking

When Claude received his mission to travel to the watch station near the mysterious Sealed Forest, he expected more than just one guardsman shacked up in a hut. A tiny one at that, but Claude has spent too much of his life in royal palaces and country retreats to have a more realistic sense of scale. Being someplace so small ought to mean less time cleaning, especially with so many hands on deck. But as it turns out, when thirteen people are coming and going, sweeping the floors and tidying the kitchen in the common area become daily chores.

With a long-suffering sigh, Claude half-hearted sweeps a corner that he went over before, mulling over questions far more important than cleaning duty. Reusing a house that is already here, sure, but why only have one person to staff it (and someone who doesn't even know what the threat is supposed to be, at that)? Why have massive crates of supplies here, when there is only one person to support and the house itself isn't so far from the monastery? Is there not enough space to bring them inside? Sure, Milo can make an excuse that the house needs to cram in thirteen more people, but Claude could have sworn those crates were already outside when they arrived.

It looks that there isn't enough space for those crates to be brought inside, out of the elements. But what if that's what it seems to be? Claude stares down, eyeing the cracks between the floorboards.

     It becomes evident within moments of meeting Milo that the Knight of Seiros is either playing ignorant or genuinely doesn’t have the answers to many of their questions. Frustrating, but not something that can’t be worked around... if not for the implicit distrust toward their group in otherwise amicable eyes. He’s always watching them, allowing none to leave his sight, and it is very much stifling their efforts to carry out their objective of finding the Relic supposedly hidden in the area.

     Good-natured though he might be, even Alfonse’s patience has its limits.

     A distraction grants him the opportunity to venture deeper into the forest with Eir and Lucina in tow, the trio keeping alert for signs of anything unusual amidst the dense foliage. Save the odd rustle of leaves caused by a foraging squirrel or two, though, disappointment begins to settle in as time passes with little to report back. Why call it the ‘Sealed Forest’ and restrict people from entering when there doesn’t appear to be anything here in the first place? Even the wildlife is nothing out of the ordinary as far as they’ve seen, despite Milo’s belief otherwise.

     “Perhaps we should turn back and regroup with the others,” Alfonse eventually says, turning to face his companions. “It’s apparent that further exploration is most likely a waste of time...”

     Or is it? A last cursory sweep of the vegetation nearly swallowing the forest floor reveals a patch worn away by sunlight—a rare find, considering the crown canopy high above their heads. Grass crunches beneath his boots as the Askran prince approaches it, sinking to one knee to get a better look. “Pr- Eir? Princess Lucina? Look here—there seems to be part of a path under all the moss.”