#ikeranulf

I realized if I dont want to draw fire emblem armor, I simply just dont have to draw it

It really changed my world veiw

Ike, Soren, and Ranulf going on a birding date. They would all share a pair of binoculars. Ranulf would locate the birds first with his superb hearing, and point them out to Ike, who would try to identify them using the birding book Mist got him for his birthday. Ranulf watching over Ike’s shoulder and cracking jokes about the weird naming conventions.

Meanwhile, Soren would be trailing a step or two behind, silently categorizing all the plants and pointing out which ones are edible, or could be used in tea, salves, ect. Carefully collecting small samples in his bag.

Ike and Ranulf pause to listen every time he speaks up, and take little nibbles when prompted, and give their opinions on the flavor.

They’d pause in a small clearing and eat the sandwiches Ike had prepared, along with the fruits and snacking veggies Soren insisted on including for a balanced meal. At the end, Ranulf would reveal some sweet treats he’d brought along for Soren and him to share, then insist on taking a quick catnap in the sun.

One of my absolute favourite moments for a lot of reasons.

Not just the pairing, nor just the acknowledgement of Ranulf’s struggles, but it also really says a lot about Ike’s character. I know everyone jokes about Mr “I fight for my friends” but this scene really shows how protectiveness and compassion for his loved ones is a big part of Ike’s being.

(in all seriousness, though, it's interesting that they don't change the wording for this ending regardless of whether you obtain it through an A support with ike or by skrimir dying... iirc this ending gets placed next to/near ike if you've A supported ranulf, which implies they travel together, but i enjoy its ambiguity there regardless. it's nice to think ike might have just inspired ranulf to do something for himself. of course, in this context the ending has a completely different flavor: ranulf's trip very much sounds like something done out of grief, not self-care. still, since the endings are identical, you could very well imagine ikesoren persuading ranulf to travel with them for awhile...)