Samuelās gone. Lees alone once more. Alone, alone, alone, he always ends up alone! Why is that? Is it fate? Written in the stars long before he was ever a thought? That doesnāt seem very fair. None of this is fair, though. Rapio, Samuel, Hamilton, James,ā¦ the other one. Itās not like they havenāt suffered in their own ways! some more than others.
ā¦
Why is that? Why was I was born into the one universe I die a gruesome death? This might be a bit ignorant, but Iām starting to think I didnāt deserve that! The amount of dimensions Iāve been too ā and Iāve been to a damn lot of dimensions ā every Lee I find either dies young and quick, or older and peacefully. What was so different about me that made my fate so unorthodox?
Lee continued to ponder by his lonesome. The sudden, blinding white atmosphere of an all-too-familiar area didnāt help soothe.
- šļøāšØļø
What came into vision made Alexander Hamilton's face lit up. Finally, a presence he can talk to in person. Well, the only one.
"Lee! Hello. I felt bored and wanted to show you around my little space. I found some random items lying around when roamingā not as fatal as a gun, but it is something." He said with a smile, gesturing at the items he had collected on the desk.
Said items are as follows; a book that seemed to be way ahead of their times, a dog collar, a japanese cherry blossom body spray and a half peeled banana.
Very random items.
Very ugly combination.
"That banana doesn't age by the way. Very peculiar." Alexander hummed, taking the banana and biting it. "For some reason it also grows back? See?"
It pops right back.
"Oh andā oh wow you look like you're on a horrible state there, Lee." Hamilton pauses and frowned in concern once he notices the spirit's state.
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Excerpt of a damning, scathing report sent to the Rizelian high command after the officer sent to inspect the remains of their battlegroup discovers how much the Halms mulched through them.
It's been quite a while since I wrote an inworld historical letter excerpt, but I remembered how fun it was to write one (courtesy to @doinglinesakawriting for providing some of the motivation to continue on with that; would be intrigued by your thoughts on this one!). So here I have yet another historical correspondence, and this time from the perspective of a very villainous faction, and from another setting entirely!
For a little bit of background, Lilierland is a small, now-subjugated nation where one of the most important characters of Under The Shade (Velle; close friend and LI of Anton the MC) hails from as a refugee in Halmland. Eleven years before the story starts proper, the Rizelian Empire would start its invasion of Lilierland and occupy nearly the entirety of it after four years, sending Velle, and 3 million other Liliers fleeing for their safety, with an additional 2 million massacred.
Halmland, which is the main country where the story takes place in, would eventually intervene in a limited manner, taking over the Lilier side of a prominent border mountain pass before the Rizelians could get to it, and thus the Ferlais War sparked before armistice was signed between an exhausted Rizel and a Halmland struck by mana drought.
I'll admit, this letter didn't come out exactly the way I imagined it when I first envisioned it down at the grocery store, but I'm glad to have written it out regardless. It was genuinely fun to write the subtext of the villains complaining about being finally chewed through once they started fighting properly armed soldiers rather than civilians and lightly-armed guerrillas. I get to write in the meandering, militaristic way I often naturally write, and I also get the catharsis of writing in detail how the villains got what was coming to them.
This will probably get some adjustment later on to make the numbers clearer and the annoyance of the writer come off even more blatantly, but it's night now and I want to get this over with. So without further ado:
To expand on the state of our formations in the aftermath of the Ferlais War:
On the eve of the battle, on the 12th of Hedvost, our forces facing the Halms comprised the entirety of the freshly rebuilt 9th Corps, plus the battered, reconstituted remains of the 5th, having just recently relocated from where they fought the flagging Lilier remnants down south. This comes up to a total strength of 70k at arms under the temporarily-fused Battlegroup Ferlwiden.
On the other side, we estimate the Halms facing us to have numbered at slightly over half of our number; their own 4th Mountain Corps of 40k men.
These are numbers of which we were certain before launching our offensive.
I have returned from my inspection of the Battlegroup Ferlwiden after the culmination of the battle on the 6th of Folvost, less than a month since it started, and to say the result of the war was disastrous would be an understatement.
As of now, the total strength of the Battlegroup is less than a third of its authorized strength. Amongst the infantry in particular, we counted no more than 8352, or 16% left still capable of fighting, out of a total pre-battle strength of over 53k; the rest are irrecoverable losses of those killed, captured or grievously injured.
While the frontline arms bore the brunt of the damage, the Halms inflicted severe losses onto our support arms. Among them, of which Psykers, artillerymen, engineers, medics and more are counted, a quarter are now considered irrecoverable losses. Of 156 artillery pieces owned collectively among the two Corps, a mere 14 remain.
Respected Marshal, it is important to note that these are the results of the battle after a mere few weeks, less than an entire month. To put this into absolute numbers: out of 70k, only 21k remained after the conclusion of the battle. This represents a loss of nearly 50k, or 70% of the entire force.
On even clearer terms, this is nearly 50k of Rizel's finest elite dead in a span of twenty-four days, or roughly two thousand on each single day.
Were the generals in charge of this battle on our side alive, I would surely insist on their sacking at the very minimum, but alas...
Regardless of our own leadership, though, it is clear that the Imperial Rizelian Army overall has grown lenient after years of fighting battered Lilier formations, who had minimal complements of artillery and heavy firepower, and no Lassants even at the start of the war, when they were freshest.
(Report continues on...)
PS: Yeah, there was probably a fuckton of military jargon in here, but I hope things were clear regardless
PPS: Yes, losing two thirds of your entire force in weeks is a disaster of gigantic proportions in military affairs. In a huge chunk of cases, a formation that loses just a third, or even 10% of their force becomes woefully inadequate for fighting. What happened to the Rizelians here is comparable to what happened to some WW1 units, who quickly got chewed up and rendered combat ineffective before having to be withdrawn back to rebuild themselves. Though in WW1's case, most losses came from infantry and they didn't usually have to deal with having their rear support areas ravaged the way the Halms did. THAT can be extremely crippling and outright day-ending for that unit in the near future.
He was the sick one. He's always ill. But Jefferson died before him, somehow. How is that possible? He'd believed he was going to die years ago. Every single time it was hard to breathe after a coughing fit, he'd wondered if he would recover that time.
But Jefferson? He's been healthy for his whole life.
2nd interview with the Levi and Erwin, but this time with Dājai and Rochelle included!! Goes with chapter 3 ā”ļøLink to chapters | AO3
š š āThree Voices in Stohess ā Split Room Session
āWhen the amnesiac woman starts working at Club Chandelier. Three perspectivesā¦ā
(Recorded in Stohess District, Middle Year 849)
ROOM A ā DāJAI & ROCHELLE
(A few candle lanterns filters through a thin curtain. Dājai sits poised, her hands folded neatly in her lap. Rochelle, dashed in a few jewelry pieces and perfume, leans casually against the wall.)
INTERVIEWER: Youāve had quite a week, Dājai. Tell me about your work at Club Chandelier.
DāJAI:
Itās beenā¦ busy. The lights never really dim there; everything feels like itās always performing, even when youāre just breathing.
Maurna, Rochelleās friend said I should audition to dance ā she swore I moved like Iād done it all my life. I practiced for days, but by the time I worked up the courage, the position was gone. They said I could waitress instead.
ROCHELLE:
And she looks good doing it. People remember her, and thatās the point.
DāJAI:
(smiling softly)
I try to keep things graceful. The trick is to stay polite, even when people stare too long. I tell myself theyāre here to have a good time, but other times, I feel uncomfortable. But itās been that way since I was found in the clinic, so I have to grow in this area regardless.
āø»
INTERVIEWER: Thereās been some excitement recently ā a visit from the Scouts, yes?
DāJAI:
(giggles)
Yes! One of the girls told me a commander from the Scouts had asked for me. I thought she was teasing at first, but when I looked across the floor and saw Commander Erwin Smith. If I found my tray behind the counter I would have dropped it
He helped set my life here in motion ā the reason I was able to leave the clinic, find work. I wanted to thank him.
(Her expression softens ā genuine warmth, not awe.)
DāJAI:
(laughs quietly) Maybe I was. It felt good to be seen by someone whoād once looked at me like I mattered.
āø»
INTERVIEWER: And the soldier who accompanied him?
DāJAI:
The dark-haired one? Iāve never seen him before. Iāve seen commander Mike though, but never him. Theyāre not a lot of solders I know besides the MPs Iāve met recently.
But when I went to his table, I thought he might be in a bad mood, but something about him feltā¦ heavy, not cruel. So I greeted him warmly.
(She chuckles, remembering.)
Thatās when he... stuttered? Just for a moment ā but it made me want to smile more. To be honest I wanted to laugh because Iāve been a stuttering mess lately, so it felt ironic in a way. But he looked startled but I wasnāt sure why.
ROCHELLE:
I told her thatās the best kind of power ā when even brooders starts tripping over themselves for you.
DāJAI:
(eyes Rochelle, blushing with a pout)
Yeah right, noāit wasnāt that! This is what I meant when said you talk too much.
(Turns back to interviewer)
And it wasnāt about power. I just wanted him to feel at ease. He looked like someone who hadnāt rested in a long time.
āø»
INTERVIEWER: How did you feel when the commander checked on you?
DāJAI:
A little nervous ā they spoke with the manager first. But Commander Erwin was gentle, like he was adjusting his tone to me like back at the clinic. He asked how I was adjusting, if I felt safe here.
I told him I was fine, just learning my way. I didnāt realize until later that they were probably checking in on me, not the club.
(Her gaze drifts.)
Still, I was grateful. Itās easy to feel invisible here if no oneās looking out for you.
āø»
(Rochelle rises, fixing Dājaiās hair affectionately ā though thereās pride hiding beneath her poise.)
ROCHELLE:
Whatever the reason, itās nice to have soldiers interested in you for the right reasons. Just keep smiling, sugar. Let the world wonder why.
(Dājai laughs softly, though her eyes look far away ā thoughtful, unsure what that āright reasonā really means.)
ROOM B ā CAPTAIN LEVI & COMMANDER ERWIN SMITH
(Dim, orderly lounge. Papers stacked in perfect precision. Levi sits forward, forearms on his knees, eyes lowered. Erwin leans back, composed as always.)
INTERVIEWER: Captain Levi, you first noticed Dājai before the official inspection, correct?
LEVI:
Yeah. Heard from a Scout that sheād been seen going in and out of some club in the district. Didnāt sit right with me ā sheās supposed to be laying low. So I checked it myself.
INTERVIEWER: What did you find?
LEVI:
The place was loud. Perfume, smoke, idiots with coin. And then she walked by in one of those black dresses ā hair done up, smiling like she belonged there.
For a second, I thought I was seeing things. She lookedā¦ different. Confident. But it felt wrong ā like she was trying to breathe underwaterābut surprised because she seemed to not be drowning. At least not yet.
ERWIN:
You came back that night moreā¦ quiet than usual.
LEVI:
(gruffly)
I told you because she shouldnāt have been there. Someone like her draws attention she canāt afford. I bet itās the MP sheās hanging around with, filling her head with garbage.
āø»
INTERVIEWER: And thatās what led to the visit?
ERWIN:
Correct. I wanted to see the environment myself. If sheās working among Stohessās elite, accompanied by a scandalous environment, I had to make sure she was still in good hands. Also I wanted to observe how she handles the crowdāfor she doesnāt seem like the type to work at a club at all. So you can understand my concern.
LEVI:
(scoffs)
You mean sheās bait without knowing it.
ERWIN:
Perhaps. But sheās also adaptable. Thereās composure in her ā that kind of calm doesnāt come from nowhere.
āø»
INTERVIEWER: What was your impression when you spoke to her at the club, Commander?
ERWIN:
She was polite, measured. Grateful, even. Itās rare to meet someone who can speak softly and still hold a roomās attention. She didnāt flinch once.
LEVI:
She smiled at you too.
ERWIN:
(smiling faintly)
She did. Though she smiled at you like she saw someone else staring at her.
(Levi glances away, jaw tightening.)
LEVI:
She was just doing her job. She smiles at almost anyone with a face. Iām surprised her cheeks havenāt fallen off.
ERWIN:
Of course. Though not many waitresses make you forget your words, Captain.
(Levi exhales sharply ā not denial, just discomfort.)
LEVI:
Shut it. I didnāt forgetāIt was the cheap perfume she was wearing.
āø»
INTERVIEWER: So whatās your assessment of her now?
LEVI:
Sheāsā¦ holding her own. But the crowd around her isnāt safe. Iāll keep eyes on the place until you say otherwise.
ERWIN:
Sheās worth monitoring ā not just for protection, but understanding. The way sheās adapting might tell us more about who she was before the Walls found her again.
LEVI:
(slight pause)
Yeah. Maybe.
āø»
Interviewer: Final question ā Captain, what made you notice her in the first place?
LEVI:
(silence, then quietly)
ā¦isnāt it obvious? Her skin. Her hair. Her freakinā dressā
(pauses, crossing arms)
I think Iāve said enoughā¦but, the fact she doesnāt flinch that much to discomfort, from the first time Iāve seen her start a new life in Stohess until now, has been a paradox for my mind to wrap around. And she smiles too much at a world built to break people down.
(Erwinās expression softens, the faintest ghost of insight.)
ERWIN:
Sometimes, Levi, the things that unsettle us the most are the ones that remind us weāre still human. Even I need that reminder.
(Levi says nothing. His thumb taps the cup edge once ā thoughtful, almost unconsciously protective.)
(Interview Ends)
@levislolita @ackerslut @sayrahsunshine
Yaāll may like this! But ofc no pressure āØ
For anyone else lmk if you want to be in the taglist for these lore drops!
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anyone got any destiny lore entries/books/snippets theyād like to see me focus on for a gif/edit set? iāve been binge-reading again and canāt pick, so i am once again asking yāall to be my braincell.
The only surviving member of a long-since dead royal family, Sayoko is among the oldest Patapons to date due to her millennia-long imprisonment in a magical seal, all thanks to a former Court Wizard's betrayal of an old kingdom.
