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existential-fox · 3 years

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Fire Emblem: Three Houses Thoughts

As someone who has always enjoyed JPRGs (thanks FFX) I kind of went into FETH knowing I would probably enjoy it. It’s character driven! It has different classes for each character! You can romance a character of your choice! There are goddesses, ultimate weapons, dragons, and a magic system! How could I not like this game?

The thing about FETH is it didn’t really throw any twists or turns that I couldn’t have predicted my way but the conclusions were still satisfying. The story was good but not in a ‘woah, change my life’ way. It did its job but its not FFVII or Tales of Bersera good in my eyes. No. It’s the characters and their individual stories that kept me playing.

I played Verdant Wind btw so there will probably be some spoilers for this route in my notes below.

You can’t really speak about Verdant Wind without first mentioning Claude. He’s the House’s Lord and the person you chose to align with at the start of the game. I chose The Golden Deer because of Claude. I’m not ashamed to admit it. I spoke to all the students, liked the look of some of them, felt meh about others, but when it came down to the choice I had to go with my gut feeling- this guy feels down to earth compared to the other two. I feel like he would be a laugh to hang out with. Plus he’s pretty.

I wasn’t wrong. Claude speaks to others as if they are his equal... because they are to him, and part of that also means that he isn’t afraid to make fun of his classmates or even his rival houses. Claude is top bants, and of course he remains pretty up to the point of the time skip- where he looks straight up handsome. Golden Boy indeed.

But my favorite thing about Claude- and the rest of the characters really- is that what you first see isn’t what is really going on. Claude might speak causally with people but he is extremely mistrustful of people at the beginning of the game. He keeps all his cards close to his chest under the pretence of being a ‘schemer’ but while he does have a sharp mind the real reason for this is he doesn’t trust others to take him and his goals seriously. He’s been treated as an outsider his whole life. Been discriminated against. Moved from pillar to post at the will of the nobles and seen discrimination happening from the other side as a result of this. Which is why his route is perfect for him. In between Edelgard, Rhea, and Dimitri, Claude is the third party, trying to make the best of a situation and struggling to see both sides. He wants to gather all the information he can because he would hate to have a wrong opinion due to trusting the biased opinions of others. He finds the truth for himself.

But Claude doesn’t stay that way. Yes, his goal from the beginning has been to tear down the wall separating Fodlan from the outside world but.... ironically he had to tear down the wall within himself that was separating him from others as well. Claude at the end of the game is a very different person to the Claude at the beginning. He is open to Lorenz and Hilda’s suggestions, willing to share his plans with Byleth and others, up to the point where he reveals his ultimate goal to the others and they stand by him. Nobles, commoners, Crestbearers and Crestless. Claude truly becomes a leader in that scene. He inspires in a way all leaders should and leads by example.

And it’s not just Claude...it’s all of them: Hilda, Lorenz, Leonie, Lysithea, Ignatz, Rapheal and Marianne all develop over the course of the story (especially if you do their Supports) and their development feeds into both Claude’s and Verdant Wind’s story.

Let me talk about Marianne for a second. I honestly didn’t think much of her to start with- oh here’s another ‘I’m so sorry’ fragile girl- I thought- I’m sure she’ll stay exactly the same, the way they always do.

Nope. Marianne is a mess. She’s a severely depressed, suicidal, living from day to day, barely taking care of herself, mess. I like that the game highlights this as her being utterly unhealthy. It’s not edgy goth girl, or cute shy girl, it’s Marianne being a danger to herself. The game writes her despair as being rooted in her Crest (the cursed Crest of the Beast) but it is ridiculously easy to read this Crest as a metaphor for Mental Illness. She’s told to stay away from others because of it because she might hurt them. Her father suffered from it before her and it was passed down to her. If people knew the nature of her Crest they would shun her as something dangerous and untrustworthy. And lastly, it is achingly clear how much she wants to be freed of it... even if that freedom costs her life. I’m reading it as a mental illness metaphor and I’m sticking with it.

But its her supports that bring her back to life. The people around her speak to her in various ways befitting their character (I like this too) and each one highlights something different that they see in her that is admirable and good. Rapheal admires her affinity with animals. Lorenz admires her quiet nature. Ignatz recognises how easy it is to appreciate the small things when with her. Claude recognises her strength in being different. Etc. etc. None of these things cure her but by being around people and seeing that they don’t reject her but accept her instead her shell begins to crack. Maybe it doesn’t have to be this way, Marianne begins to think. Maybe there are small parts of myself that are not only tolerable but... wanted in others. Maybe I don’t have to apologise for my existence.

It’s hard to say when Marianne truly turns a leaf because much like real life, change doesn’t happen in one moment, but it’s important to recognise that she does change. She still has the Crest at the end of the story (read Mental Illness) but she noticeably is able to speak her mind without apologising, able to offer her help rather than shying away, and most importantly able to laugh. It’s amazing how vocal Marianne is after the time-skip. She’s still Marianne but a healthier person. And I love her for it.

I won’t go over the other characters as I’ve spoken plenty about my two faves but I do love them all. Yes, even Sylvain. Can’t agree with his methods but I do understand and empathise with his reasons. And people are often like that.

Going off characters and into other things:

Gameplay-

I liked it but made the mistake of choosing Normal. It was ridiculously easy by the mid-way point. I would defo play on Hard in future games. However I love the strategy of choosing who fights who, when to draw someone back, when to use Gambits etc. Also love the class system. Pegasus Knights go brrrrrrrr.

Music-

This is a ‘it does its job’ for me. Nothing really stood out asides the final boss theme. But it didn’t annoy me or get bland so there’s that!

Monastery Life-

Pre Timeskip- Was fun. I liked trying to recruit students and finding lost items and doing all the support raising stuff. It was a nice break from battles.

Post Timeskip- Eh. Not enough students around to justify it tbh. It didn’t bore me but I did find myself wanting to go back to battles, story, or supports.

Verdant Wind story- I like this route for its lore and for how it mirrors Claude’s character. I did not like last minute villain even if I liked his theme. I was kind of surprised Sothis never came back?? Killing the students I didn’t recruit was fucking cruel. Have no idea what happened to Dedue. Maybe he went to the Bahamas for a long holiday after losing out to the kill.

I want to play the other routes to understand Edelgard/Dimitri/Rhea’s viewpoints but I do feel like VW is a complete story in itself. You don’t need anything else but Claude really. Why get messed up in politics and Crest shit when you can try to end racism, right? Who the fuck cares about that other stuff.

Anyway in conclusion this game to me succeeds for two things- compelling character development and compelling character relationships. I’m kind of astounded tbh that the writers wrote so many characters and yet made them all compelling in their own ways.

I bought a Golden Deer shirt because I am so invested in these characters so they’ve got to be good.

#fire emblem:three houses #verdant wind #claude von reigen #marianne von edmund #golden deer #video games #fire emblem

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citree · 3 years

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I finished the golden deer fe3h route and i have. so many feelings. huge rambling mess under the cut lol

First off, I kinda messed everyone's endgame pairings because i was support grinding, so everyone basically loved each other which was fine but the amount of reknown needed by the wayseer to bind characters fates together is like, insane?? 10,000 reknown for one pairing?? in the end i had barely enough for one, and it went to lysynthia because she deserves to live an actual life... I like her with cyril, and they were paired in my blue lions run, but I HAd to make sure she got a long life this time. I just had to

in the end i had lysynthia/lindhardt, manuela/hanneman, Raphiel/ignatz, Lorenz/mercedes, catherine/shamir, dorothea/felix, and ferdinand/hilda... among others. a surprising amount of characters ended up being on their own, even after all the grinding it did. But I mostly just wanted to get pairings i hadn't before-- I did most of the big popular ones in my first run (and then redid manulea/hanneman &catherine/shamir a second time because i screwed it up last time) but one of the things that stuck out to me was how some of the fanon pairings were sooo much better than the canon ones. for example, Hilda/Marianne? I LOVE them together in fanon, but the supports in the game kinda left things to be desired, and it kinda sucked how often hilda said how useless Marianne was without her :/ like i get what they were going for, but i felt so bad!! If it were up to me i would've had hilda compliment her way more-- something she's reportedly good at-- instead of laughing and teasing her. Like sure it was cute, but still. Maybe that's why fanon's totally changed up their dynamic... aesthetically, they're like a 10/10, fanon-wise, 12/10, but i felt like their actual supports were like... a 6. i had high expectations and it left me a bit disappointed. im still probably going to draw them together tho Since getting the game i still think the golden deer route is best overall, answering questions and tying things up and whatnot. Claude's probably the most capable and charismatic lord and he really grows into his role over the timeskip, which I really enjoyed seeing. his relationship with byleth is solid, but I wasn't obsessed the romance like i was with dimitri... (Claude actually asks how byleth is doing after the timeskip and acting like Person though, so I have to give him that.) platonically they're 10/10. super good best friends to lovers vibe, very wholesome and healthy. with dimitri's romance, it felt a bit unbalanced and that byleth was the center of his whole world-- which is fine, but i really enjoyed how Claude still had things to do outside of just being byleth's partner. It felt a lot more real. I still feel like I enjoy the fanon shipping more, but maybe I've just been spoiled by a lot of great writing and art... regarding Edelgard, It HURT me to finish her off, like, way WAY more than it did in my blue lions route. In azure moon she's gone to such lengths its harder to sympathize with her, but in verdant wind when she says "I wanted to walk with you--" before being cut off... man. owch. i look forward to playing her route, but i disagree so much with her methods, i know it's gunna be rough. Double owch for how Dimitri is handled in this route too. He's like completely written off after appearing in one single battle. And seeing Dedue and Dimitri separated is just. so sad. Honestly its not a fresh take but the kingdom and alliance should've joined forces-- I know the writers didn't want that to happen, they wanted 3 separate routes with 3 separate forces, but in both azure moon and verdant wind, it just make so much more sense?? tactically?? A better writing decision to make at least would've been to have Dimitri have more of a presence so he actually feels like a part of the game, rather than a one-off extra boss thrown in for nostalgia's sake. Edelgard takes up so much of the spotlight (and i do love her for it) but it is called 3 houses for a reason...

I know in the end I'm just gunna be daydreaming about an AU where nothing hurts and everything is fine, but oof. if I could've dug my little writer's hands into the story I know I would've changed a couple things. I'm sure i'll feel even more strongly once i play silver snow, but that'll be a while still. For now, i guess it's back to support grinding in CF🤔

#fe3h spoilers #verdant wind spoilers #long post #WOOF remind me never to make a big rambly post like this again #i just felt like letting my thoughts out #part of me really wants to do a whole silver snow rewrite with an extra lord OC but i feel like that'd be a lot of work #i think its just up to how insane CF makes me wish for a happy ending #and then silver snow not delivering on that :/#verdant wind gave me basically everything i expected save for the nitpicks i made in this post lol #canon critical #txt #i should do some art huh

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msbluebell · 5 years

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Dramatic Opera Adaptation

You’ve seen Disaster Wedding, now get ready for...Mittlefrank Opera Company’s production of the grand love story!

“Mittlefrank Opera Company Presents, the epic love story, Dance of The Fell Stars! An epic story of how his Highness King Dimitri Alexendre Blaiddyd fell in love with Byleth Eisner, the mysterious mercenary that would become a professor at Garreg Mach!”

Sylvain is the first to hear of this production. He doesn’t know how it happened so fast, or way, but it was enviable a play/opera would be written about the war. Still, he didn’t expect the Dimitri marrying teach to be the first rendition. He laughs all the way back home and immediately pins a letter to EVERYONE. He is GOING to see this show no matter what.

Dimitri dies a little on the inside when he sees the flyer Sylvain oh-so-helpfully included in the letter. He spends a good couple of minutes just staring at the wall, hoping this is a trick. It’s not, and Sylvain is going to see it. He’s doomed. He can already hear the mockery. Sylvain will NEVER let this go.

Dimitri is ready to throw the flyer into the fire and jump off the roof of his own castle just to avoid going to the play. It’s too late though, all the Blue Lions know. He can feel it. And something tells him this is just the beginning.

He is absolutely right. Everyone is planning to go. Everyone. “It’ll be fun!” Annette’s letter says, “I haven’t seen you all in a bit! We should meet up!”

“I’ve always wanted to see an Opera.” Mercedes concludes, “And maybe I’ll be in it!”

Ashe thinks it’s a wonderful reason to meet up, and he loves stories, and he’s interested to see what they get right. Felix doesn’t say it, but Dimitri knows he’ll go just so he can mock him. And, suddenly, everyone is class is going because Ingrid agrees she wants to meet up and see what they do too.

Dimitri could honestly die.

Byleth, of course, is curious. They’ve never actually been to an opera, besides knowing Manuela and Dorathea, which doesn’t really count. And they’re always willing to meet up with the Blue Lions for a reunion.

Dimitri knows he’s doomed before his beloved is even half way through the letter. Dedue, a sympathetic soul, pats him on the shoulder. Dimitri can only sigh mournfully and pin a letter to order reservations for the class.

...the turnout is worse than he feared...

The Opera Company made no secret of how excited they were that THE KING HIMSELF and his beloved were coming to see the production of their story with all their friends. Hundreds are here, maybe even thousands. And, oh no, is that the Golden Deer house? Please no. Oh Goddess, is that Claude? Dimitri thought he’d left Fodlan.

Oh Goddess, all their classmates are here and dressed in their best jewelry and clothes. Is that Ingrid wearing make-up? Is that ALOIS? Is Seteth here with Flayn? Oh no, everyone he knows is here. Why is Byleth’s Gatekeeper friend here? No, please, not you too Gustav, you and your wife are too reasonable to be here.

Alas, this isn’t a nightmare, everyone came to watch this.

The inside of the theater is packed (and oh dear goddess he killed Edelgard here), but he and Byleth are given the best seat in the house, and all his classmates/friends are given priority seats. He can see the stage perfectly. He isn’t going to miss anything. Dimitri despairs.

The show is more awful than he imagined.

It’s also terribly inaccurate while also sticking to an accurate timeline and getting some things waaaaaaay too close to home.

Manuela comes out wearing a green wig and Rhea’s old clothes and begins the thing. Dimitri lost any hope right then and there.

Somehow, Byleth is the child of both Jeralt and Rhea in a secret affair that he swears has someone weeping. There’s a tragic love song about being ripped apart by expectation, and Rhea being a mother forced to give up her lover and her child while Jeralt fakes his death and runs off. He SWEARS he hears Leonie crying.

He has to blank his mind during the evens of Duscar. But, luckily, after that things get right to him enrolling in school. But one the way he, Claude, and an obviously evil Edelgard meet Byleth. Dorathea (assuming she either defected or survived and has no bad feelings) comes out in her own costume playing Byleth, and it’s love at first sight, and somehow they’re already at their first love song? He’s so embarrassed.

Is Alois crying now? What?

Then there’s a whole plot about their tragic secret feelings because Byleth is his teacher, and he’s a student, and it’s forbidden, just like Jeralt and Rhea. By now Dimitri is starting to get a terrible feeling. Also, Jeralt and Rhea have a song about lost years gone by and not getting to see your child grow up that he swears gets a sniffle out of Seteth and Flayn.

Everything is so dramatic. Somehow Byleth has a lot of very dramatic lines, and so does he, and the scene where she’s blessed by the goddess is somehow so over the top that he has to blink dumbly at it, and Dorathea!Byleth gives a long speech about being holy, and why is she floating? Is...is she going to be suspended in air for that whole song? Why are all the other characters just staring dumbly?

They play up the forbidden love, and add several stolen kisses that never happened, and somehow they knew a little too much about the goddess tower. Oh, and they somehow knew about Claude being Byleth’s first dance at the ball and played that up as well, romantic rival. He swears he can hear Claude and Hilda giggling.

There’s a few conversations that seem like the actually happened, like when Byleth smiled, or...wait a moment...

He’s going to kill whatever traitor has spying on him and been feeding these people information. How do they even remember all of this? It doesn’t matter, they’re going to die. Or muck stables. Whichever he feels like by the time this show is over.

The scene where Garreg Mach is invaded gets horrifyingly accurate with his devastated reaction to Byleth’s seeming death. His character is frantically searching while fighting off soldiers, only to give a devastating cry and beat his fists into the ground when he realizes Byleth is gone. It’s...very close to what happened, and he hopes no one thinks that actually happened, but the sniffles around him say otherwise.

His character has a song about missing Byleth and how all the stars seem to dim without them.

Luckily, they skip the five years of war.

But that just means the reunion song is here.

It’s the most awful thing he’s ever heard. It’s...also pretty close to home. There are people crying, but still awful to watch such an over the top dramatic version of their reunion.

His character singing about feeling like a ghost unworthy of Byleth’s light, and how they haunt him, hits hard.

The rest of the play is so over the top it’s absurd, and there has to be ten more songs just between here and the epic climax with Edelgard. The whole theater must be weeping, and Dimitri wants to go home.

Unfortunately, as they’re finishing the love song, and the curtain is closing and the cast is bowing and he’s about to run away, the Opera Company spotlights him, drawing everyone’s attention. They thank him and Byleth and everyone else for coming, and hope they enjoyed it, and he’s so mortified, and people are clapping, and he’s so fucking embarrassed.

Claude and Sylvain waste NO time mocking him with over the top and sappy lines from the play. It’s totally the worst class reunion ever.

P.S. Claude and Annette were the traitors that both conspired to write the play with Manuela.

#fe3h #byleth eisner #Dimileth #dimitri alexandre blaiddyd #dimitri x byleth #sylvain jose gautier #Blue Lions #Blue Lion Route #claude von reigen #Manuela #Dramatic Opera Adaptation #disaster blue lions #Someone save them

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senpai-no-lie · 4 years

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Black Eagles Route

Finally, with a certain level of dread in my heart, I completed Crimson Flower

Why I chose Black Eagles (specifically Crimson Flower): I had already completed Azure Moon and Verdant Wind, so it was just a matter of picking between Crimson Flower or Silver Snow. I figured it’d be best to just knock out Crimson Flower, since I still needed Hubert, Jertiza, and Edelgard’s supports.

Who Was My Dancer: Sylvain! I kept my recruits for this route only to characters I needed to complete supports, and then also Sylvain, because his aesthetic sense just seemed to jive with the Black Eagles. As a dancer, he did okay, but I think I much prefer him on a horse. However, his dancing was crucial to killing Dimitri before Dedue turned into a beast, and a few other pivotal moments. I just don’t think Sylvain has the magical firepower I like with my dancers (It should be known I don’t typically use the dancer character at all in other FE games, but I really enjoy the magic-utilty they have in 3H)

What Paired Endings Did I Get:

Edelgard & Hubert (I actually feel really bad for Hubert; it wasn’t my intention to do this)

Linhardt & Hapi

Dorothea & Petra

Jeritza & Bernadetta

Ferdinand & Mercedes

Not as many paired endings as usual because I really only cared about filling out my missing supports

Who Did Byleth Marry: Sylvain. Totally, totally not who I meant to marry; my intention was Yuri, but then I never used Yuri. And I just have a soft spot for Sylvain. I stand behind my decision.

Which Edelgard Do I prefer?: Purely on aesthetics, post-timeskip Edelgard is p hot, ngl, but I find her to be more intolerable because of how hard they push that weird sort of gap moe waifu bait with her. So I guess pre-timeskip, even if that’s not much better.

General Thoughts: I tried, oh so hard, to go in with an open mind about Edelgard and the other route exclusive characters. Edelgard leaves about 0 impressions in the other routes, as far as being an antagonist goes, but from the opening chapters on my first playthrough, I found her to be manipulative, condescending, and perhaps a bit immature. And yeah, she’s all of those things and more.... But Hubert, Hubert I love and I’m so mad that I can see the appeal of Hubert x Ferdinand now. My only point of contention remains the fact that in canon they remain subservient to her in their paired ending.

I also went out of my way to kill every single named character throughout the route, and it was both satisfying and heartbreaking. That Dimitri and Dedude death scene, Seteth’s shouts as I struck down Flayn, the dialogue between Sylvain as he fought against his childhood friends.... so good.

The Black Eagles Characters:

I did almost all the supports possible, sans route exclusives and DLC on my first playthrough, but I’ve yet to hash out my general feelings about the Black Eagles.

Edelgard: Plain and simple, I do not stan Edelgard. I found a lot of her behavior more reasonable if she was 13 pre-timeskip and 18 post-timeskip, but a 23 year old being so cringey and unaware of the greater political climate (Hubert regularly does things behind her back that she doesn’t even notice or care to notice, while complaining that Hubert makes her work for ambitions rather than letting her eat sweets or stare at the sky all day, ugh) is just unappealing as hell. The whole sequence where I had two opportunities to call her fear of rats “cute” was super off-putting, and the don’t get me started on her drawing Byleth fanart. She’s constantly looking for affirmation from Byleth (despite insisting she doesn’t need praise in lecture), while being manipulative and condescending to everyone else. Her calling Lysithea “good girl” when Lysithea is 20/21, only three years younger, and an entire inch taller than Edelgard post-timeskip is pure cringe. Also the name Black Eagles Strike Force is an awful name and I’m not sorry I told her as much.

Hubert: I’m torn on whether or not Hubert is my favorite Black Eagle. I really enjoy devoted servant characters, and I find him more endearing because Edelgard doesn’t deserve him. He’s so visually unappealing (though, not as bad as I find Lorenz to be) and weird, but I respect that about him.

Ferdinand: Sweet, dumb Ferdinand. I love him; his supports are a delight and I am consistently charmed by how sweet he is in his supports. I prefer him in other routes than how he has to behave in Crimson Flower, but what can ya do. Truly, the noblest of nobles

Linhardt: I’ve heard mixed opinions about Linhardt, but I for one like him. He’s a fair-weather sort of guy who only cares about a few things, and I support that. He’s just strange and intelligent and a dry sense of humor I can appreciate.

Caspar: This moron, I love him. Caspar is the one person I’d expect to follow Edelgard unquestioningly because he just doesn’t have enough brain cells to do otherwise. I think he’s funny, even if his tone-deaf screaming in eagerness to kill and conquer Fodlan grew taxing.

Dorothea: I like Dorothea alright; I think she has a lot of personality in her supports, but she’s not really the sort of character I find especially endearing or relatable. Nothing wrong with that.

Petra: A great girl! I find her manner of speech endearing, and I’m personally grateful that didn’t try to do some sort of accent for her that’s 1:1 for the real world. I was a bit put-off by how gungho she is with siding with Edelgard and dismantling Fodlan, but ya know, what choice does she have a political prisoner shoved into the black hole that surrounds Edelgard?

Bernadetta: People complain that Sylvain doesn’t mature post-timeskip, but Bernedetta still does that awful screeching and being a recluse routine up until the very end. I don’t like her or find her funny, but I do enjoy the sort of moral relativism she employs. Her supports with Yuri made me feel exceptionally sorry for Yuri.

Jeritza: His voice and cadence irritates me to no end, but he was enjoyable as a unit, at least. I think his “personality” or “two personalities” is troupey to the max, and his supports with Byleth were especially off-putting. I feel like if you’re going to make a murder-happy character like Jeritza, especially one with like a Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde thing going on, it needs to be way more campy or bombastic.

I could honestly write a bunch more, but it’d mostly be me bitching about specific cringe-inducing moments with Edelgard that I’m sure other people who aren’t aggressively stanning her have brought up. If you like Edelgard, good for you, but I’m of the opinion that she’s a snake, and not even a clever or tactful one. Crimson Flower is so painful with how obvious it is with it’s Edelgard-pandering that it took me out of the game multiple times. All their routes have their flaws, but I guess the last (and only) animated sequence for CF was pretty dope, at least.

#my opinions about fire emblem #fire emblem three houses #fire emblem 3h #fe:3h #fe: three houses #black eagles #crimson flower

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nicolewrites · 4 years

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something cold and something new

Needed to write something soft and not school related so here you go folks. This takes place in a universe where they spend more time in Fhirdiad (the winter) before heading to Derdriu. For example, assume that Edelgard needs more time to reorganize her forces after Gronder.

Rating: K+/G Genre: Friendship, Romance Characters: [Byleth/My Unit, Dimitri B.], the Blue Lions Words: 3,866

AO3 | FFN

Fhirdiad is cold.

Byleth hates the cold. She hates the permeating chill of the stone walls of the palace and the frost that creeps across the inside and outside of the window panes. She hops from mantle to mantle, trying to keep warm in front of the fire subtly enough that she does not draw attention to herself.

She takes the chair closest to the hearth in the dining room and the chair furthest from the long row of windows in the war room. She closes curtains and wears as many layers as she can afford to without looking bulky. And she's still cold.

Of course, the Blue Lions don't seem to react to the cold. Sylvain is from the furthest north and if his stories are anything to go by, he once spent a night in the cold with no protection so Byleth is not surprised to see him wandering about the palace in his usual wear. Felix and Ingrid also seem unphased as they simply trade their thinner layers for more insulated cloaks they appear to carry at all times.

Annette complains a bit, but Felix lends her a coat and afterward, she clams up for almost three days straight, red to the tip of her ears. Mercedes has her own coat, but she hovers around fires as well, a habit leftover from her time growing up in the Empire. Dedue doesn't seem to be affected beyond the occasional shiver due to a gust of wind and Ashe seems to enjoy the chill, appreciating the drifting of snowflakes and the puffs of air from their breaths.

If Dedue and Sylvain are unaffected by the cold, Dimitri thrives in it. The chill seems to bolster his mood and give him more energy. He's animated as he contributes in war meetings and his chin is held high throughout the whole day. He looks more like the prince Byleth knew before the war started and she knows it is partly due to their success in taking back Fhirdiad from Cornelia.

She only wishes she could enjoy Dimitri's good mood, but she can't because she's so damn cold.

- ~ -

Observant as ever, Mercedes is the first to notice.

"Hello Professor," the healer greets softly as she walks into the study Byleth has been using.

Byleth glances up as she enters and cringes. She's currently wearing a jacket and has a blanket draped over her lap and she's still shivering. Mercedes just smiles sweetly and drifts across the room. She places the tray she had been holding on Byleth's desk and pours her a cup of tea.

"Can I help you, Mercedes?" Byleth asks.

Mercedes laughs lightly. "This is a cinnamon ginger tea. It warms you up fairly well and I thought a cup of it might help you stay warmer."

Byleth feels her ears burn a little as she takes the teacup from her former student. "Am I that obvious?"

Mercedes shakes her head and pours herself a cup of tea, settling into the chair across from Byleth. "Not at all, Professor, I'm just good at noticing things like that. It's my job, after all."

Byleth laughs a bit as she sips the tea. The water is scalding, but the spice bites through and floods her with warmth. She pulls it back and blows across the surface, appreciating its aroma for a little bit. "I feel a bit foolish, to be honest," she confesses. "We had done work in Faerghus before, but never in the winter so I never realized how cold it truly got here."

Mercedes nods. "Growing up in House Bartels, it was never this cold. It was only after I came to the School of Sorcery I really learned what winter was like. I'm still not great with the cold, but layers and tea can do wonders for you when you're not moving about."

Byleth sips her tea again. The spice blend is sharp but pleasant and she does feel a bit warmer already. "I've already gone through so much firewood in my room I fear the servants think I'm some kind of hot-blooded demon."

Mercedes giggles lightly. "Of course they don't, Professor. But, if you're really suffering from the chill in your room, you might want to ask Felix for some advice. He cold-proofed Annie's room and he did quite a good job, I might add."

Byleth raises an eyebrow. "Felix and Annette? What's going on there?"

Mercedes hums lightly into her own tea with a smile. "More than either of them care to admit, but Annie's terribly shy and we all know how Felix is with emotions."

Byleth smiles. "You are probably too perceptive for your own good, Mercedes. But, on the other hand, I don't know where we'd be without you either."

- ~ -

She finds Felix in the training hall, slashing away at a training dummy. He's right where she expects him to be. She pauses in the entrance and watches his lightning-fast sword work. He knocks the dummy flat on its back and finishes by frying it with a snap of his fingers and a bolt of lightning from a Thunder spell. He's breathing quite heavily when he turns and finds her watching him.

"What do you want?" he demands. Felix jabs his sword back into its sheath and folds his arms.

Byleth picks up a training sword from the rack and tests its balance. "I have a favour to ask of you, but I figured we could spar first."

He narrows his eyes but draws his sword again. "A favour?"

They begin to circle each other, swords at the ready. Byleth jabs quickly and he parries, matching her for speed. He slashes and she sidesteps and counterattacks, forcing him to step back.

"If I beat you, I'll ask you," Byleth says. She doesn't see the reason to be humiliated by Felix twice–once in defeat and once for admitting weakness–when it could be for one or the other.

"What kind of duel were you thinking?" he questions as he tests a jab against her defences.

Byleth spins and summons a bolt of white energy above her palm, flashing it forward. Felix rolls out of the way of her Nosferatu and a grin edges up his face. He charges at her quickly and Byleth dodges the blows of his sword and then all the hair on her arms stands on end. On instinct, she rolls to the right and his Thoron spell scorches the ground where she had been standing before.

The sparks catch on her cloak and Byleth curses as the hem of it bursts into flame. She rips it from her shoulders and stamps it into the dirt, smothering the flames. The fire disappears quickly and Byleth grumbles as she scoops it up from the ground. She tries to stop the goosebumps from rising on her arms, but the loss of her cloak's warmth along with the sudden lack of warmth due to exertion has her shivering unintentionally.

A few feet away, Felix watches her, his sword lowered. He looks more amused than annoyed as he assesses her. "You'll never be able to fight well with a cloak like that, Professor," he points out.

Byleth sighs and pulls it back on, lifting her blade. "I'm aware," she replies coolly.

Felix doesn't make a move to fight her again and Byleth drops her sword back to her side and frowns.

"You're not much for our winters, are you?" he asks after a moment.

"No," Byleth admits. "I had actually come here hoping to ask you to help me like you did Annette."

Felix's ears turn pink at the mention of Annette and he pivots, heading for the weapon rack. "Cover the base of your windows, keep coals smouldering in your hearth, and keep your curtains drawn as much as you can. There are probably heavier curtains too if you ask around."

His advice is curt and simple enough and Byleth's lips twitch at the simple and Felix-like response.

"Thank you," she says to him and he just grunts in reply, still very interested in the rack of weapons.

- ~ -

Byleth volunteers for a routine scouting mission with Ashe and Ingrid a week later. She's been basically holed up inside the castle for the last week and a bit and she had been going slightly stir-crazy inside. Ingrid flies ahead on her pegasus while Byleth and Ashe ride along more leisurely on horseback.

Ashe has a scarf wrapped around his neck with the bottom half of his face obscured as he hunches a bit to shield his pink cheeks. Byleth is wearing a borrowed scarf from Dedue that Mercedes had procured for her when Byleth had asked to borrow something warm. Ingrid, above them, is dressed in a few more layers, but despite the frigid air while in flight, she seems perfectly at home.

Byleth shakes her head as she watches the Falcon Knight fly gracefully ahead of them.

"Impressive, isn't it?" Ashe asks, following her gaze. He chuckles lightly. "I don't know how they carry on like they're not even a little cold. I'd be totally frozen up there."

Byleth glances at him and Ashe lifts his chin so she can see the shy smile on his face. "When I was on the streets I got used to being cold, but I've been away from the north at the monastery for a while so I almost forgot what it was like, honestly," he admits.

Byleth turns her gaze back to Ingrid. "You've noticed I don't take the cold too well too, then?"

"Well, Professor, it did take me up to the moment that Mercedes gave you that scarf. I had almost completely forgotten you weren't even originally from Faerghus lands. The climate at the monastery is much warmer than most of the Kingdom."

Byleth fights off a chill as a stronger wind blows by, ruffling her hair. She tucks her chin further into her borrowed scarf and frowns. "I should be more used to this by now," she mumbles. "We've been here for a while and I know that Gilbert wants us to stay until this latest storm is over before we head back to the monastery."

"Don't feel bad, Professor. Just because some of us are more used to the cold, doesn't mean we like it any more than you do," Ashe reminds gently.

Byleth chuckles. "No, I suppose that's true enough."

"Professor! Ashe!"

Their attention is quickly caught by Ingrid as she swoops down, a frown marring her pretty features. Byleth and Ashe pull their mounts to a stop and stare at the Falcon Knight curiously. Ingrid pulls to a stop a few feet away, staying off the snow-covered ground.

"Looks like that bandit troupe we caught word of is camped up ahead. There's only a few of them, but we can go back for reinforcements if we need to."

Byleth exhales and slides off her horse. She ties her reins to a nearby bush and starts unlatching some of her gear. "We came out here to find them and they may be long gone by the time we return with reinforcements."

The snow is ankle-deep and cold as it soaks through her boots and her pants. Byleth refuses to let her discomfort show as she slings her bow over her back and attaches her sword to her hip. Ashe also dismounts, pulling his quiver, bow and lance free. Ingrid stays mounted and her frown deepens.

"The snow won't be an issue?" she asks.

Byleth shakes her head. It's cold, sure, but she refuses to let that get in the way of her duty. "Let's get this over with quickly. It's one less thing to worry about before we have to head back to Garreg Mach."

She heads out in the direction Ingrid had returned from and both of her former students follow her after a moment. She sees the bandits' fire before she sees them. She pulls her bow out and strings an arrow, taking aim at one of the silhouettes she spies in beside the flame. Beside her, Ashe does the same.

They let their arrows fly in unison and two of the figures fall without a sound. There's a flurry of chaos in the camp as they seem to realize they are under attack. Opponents scramble for weapons and Byleth vaults over the fallen log in front of her, breaking for their camp. Ingrid swoops down, her lance gleaming as she strikes. Ashe lets another arrow fly and Byleth throws herself into the battle.

She cuts down two more bandits quite easily. As she pulls her sword free, she turns, assessing the remaining few. Ingrid is handling herself fine and Ashe has moved in closer but is still using his bow and his agility to counter close-ranged opponents effectively. Byleth's gaze continues and she notices a figure breaking the outside of the circle, heading into the forest. Without hesitating, she follows the figure quickly, her hand curled tightly around her blade.

The snow slows her down, but she still manages to gain some ground on her opponent. When she has a clear line of sight on him, she sends a sharp burst of flame outwards, sending him sprawling. She has effectively chased him out of the woods into a snow-covered clearing. Byleth approaches the downed figure slowly, just in case he's staying down as a trick.

She hears rustling in the trees behind her and risks a glance back to see Ingrid and Ashe have followed her. Ashe scans the clearing warily and his green eyes widen suddenly.

"Professor!" he yells. "Get off the ice!"

Byleth barely has a second to register the warning. Confusion flares through her at the word 'ice' because she's standing on the snow-covered ground. Before she can take another step there's an ominous groaning sound and her chest tightens.

She hadn't chased her foe into a clearing. She had chased him straight onto a frozen lake.

Byleth steps back towards the trees and hears another low creaking sound so she stops. Ashe is standing at the edge of the clearing where he has apparently discerned where the lake begins. Ingrid is flying toward her on her pegasus, brow knit in concentration. Byleth slowly lowers herself to the ground, trying to disperse her weight as her father had once taught her.

Ingrid is above her now and reaching out with her hand. Byleth shifts, moving to grab her former student's hand. There's a louder crack below her and just as Byleth's ungloved fingers grasp at Ingrid's gloved hands, the ice gives out.

The water is freezing as it envelops her and Byleth nearly screams at the shock of the cold. The water is dark and consuming and she flails furiously in the direction she thinks is up. She can see a muddle glimpse of light above her and can faintly hear yelling. Finally, after a furiously long second, her head breaks the surface and the cool air stings against her soaked skin.

Byleth lifts a hand and Ingrid grasps it immediately, pulling her quickly the rest of the way out of the water. Her clothes stick to her body immediately and she can feel them biting at the remaining warmth she has. Byleth coughs and gasps and Ingrid flies them precariously over to the edge of the lake.

The two women stumble off the pegasus and Ingrid immediately rips off Byleth's drenched cloak. Ashe immediately replaces it with his own dry, fur-lined cloak. Byleth can barely feel the change in warmth. She's shivering so hard she can barely see and the cold is still clinging to her every limb. She feels sluggish and half-dead and her chest aches.

"If I fly her back, I'm afraid that the winds will freeze her solid," Ingrid says to Ashe. Byleth can barely hear her. It feels like there is cotton pressed in her ears, muffling all sound.

She sways on her feet as the world blurs around her. She feels a set of arms wrap around her and she can barely make out Ashe's voice asking her something, but the words are lost in her haze. Her vision tunnels and she collapses, the sound fading out completely.

- ~ -

When she wakes up, she feels weighed down. Byleth stares at the warm pink of her eyelids for a moment before she musters the strength to open her eyes. She finds herself staring at the ceiling of the infirmary back inside the castle. She blinks slowly before allowing her eyes to take in the rest of her situation.

She's lying on a hospital bed covered in at least three heavy quilts. The curtains in the room are drawn shut and there's a fire crackling in the hearth. There's a large silhouette standing in front of the fire and it takes Byleth an embarrassingly long amount of time to realize that it is Dimitri.

She shifts in the bed and tries to sit up. Dimitri wheels towards her, hearing her movement and his good eye widens when they make eye contact. He crosses the room to her side in three steps and reaches for her with large, warm hands.

"Professor, please! Stay lying down," he instructs.

Byleth frowns and tries to sit up anyways. Dimitri sighs and recognizes the futility of his request. He slides his hands to her arms and gently lifts her into a sitting position. He reaches behind her and adjusts her pillow so she can be leaning against it.

Byleth purses her lips at the overwhelming concern in Dimitri's expression. His hands linger on her pillow and he scans her face nervously.

"Dimitri," she says gently. "I'm okay."

He frowns. "You almost weren't, Professor, so you'll have to forgive me for my concern."

Byleth pulls one of her hands free from the mountain of blankets she's under. She reaches for his hand and curls her fingers through his. "I'm okay," she repeats.

"Your hands are still cold," he murmurs softly. Dimitri withdraws his hands and detaches the heavy mantle draped over his shoulders. He leans in close and pulls it around her shoulders.

Byleth instinctively shivers as the warm fabric wraps around her, chasing away the lingering chills of her body. Dimitri sits on the edge of the bed and runs his hands over his cloak over her shoulders. He stares into her face, still looking frustratingly worried.

Byleth reaches up and gently touches his hands where they lie on her shoulder. "Thank you, Dimitri," she says quietly.

His gaze softens. "Of course, Professor," he replies.

He leans away after a moment, his ears pink, and drops his gaze down to her lap. Byleth drops her hands to his and grips them, relishing in their warmth.

"If the cold had truly been bothering you, you could have returned to Garreg Mach," he says after a moment of silence.

Byleth laughs. "And leave you here alone? That sounds like a recipe for disaster."

"Mercedes mentioned she noticed it had been affecting you," Dimitri points out.

Byleth shrugs. "I guess we never spent much of the winter in the Kingdom when I was growing up. My father never liked the cold either."

Dimitri shakes his head. "I suppose I missed the signs even when they were right there. The cold reminds me of home," he admits. He glances toward the window where the curtains are drawn tightly shut to keep the chill out. "My father used to play in the snow with me." He closes his eyes as he reminisces. "It was the most relaxed I ever saw him when we were out there. My mother thought we were ridiculous, but I loved it."

Byleth smiles and squeezes his hands. "You've been happy here and I'm glad to see it. I'll go back to the monastery with everyone else after the storm," she says firmly.

Dimitri sighs. "I suppose that makes the most sense now, but please, Professor, don't go standing on anymore frozen lakes."

Byleth huffs a breath. "If I had known it was there, I wouldn't have done it."

Dimitri laughs lightly and Byleth's chest tightens at the sound. "Even so, you had us all very worried." His smile drops as he remembers. "Professor, do you know that you don't have a heartbeat? You have a pulse but there's no heartbeat. When Mercedes couldn't find your heartbeat we were all so worried until she found a pulse." Dimitri shakes his head again. "How is this even possible?"

Byleth bites her lower lip. She wishes she could answer him and take away the worry that is still wreathed around him. "I don't know," she admits. "But, I've always been like this. Maybe it's the reason the cold affected me so quickly with the water."

Dimitri ponders that. "I suppose. Mercedes was saying that hypothermia can be worsened by poor blood flow and if your lack of heartbeat limits that, it would make sense."

The clock above the mantle chimes and they both look toward it, startled. Dimitri tenses as he notices the time and he sighs deeply.

"You have work to continue," Byleth guesses. By the rueful glance he gives her, she knows she's right. She squeezes his hands again before reaching to remove his cloak.

Dimitri catches her hands before she can remove it. "Keep it, please. I'll feel less worried about the cold affecting you if you have it."

Byleth smiles. "Alright," she agrees. "You should go."

Dimitri shifts his weight off the bed, standing, and glances at the clock once more. "Please take care, Professor. I can come back later tonight, if you would like some company."

Byleth reaches up, pulling herself further out of her blanket cocoon, and grabs Dimitri's arm. She pulls him down far enough so that she can gently press a kiss to his cheek. His face flushes almost immediately, but he doesn't immediately spring away from her. Instead, his gaze turns impossibly gentle and he leans forward to press his lips to the top of her forehead. He pulls back after that and Byleth notes the subtle flush to his cheeks.

She hides a small smile. "Don't work too hard, Dimitri, there's plenty of things we have left to accomplish."

He is partway to the door when he hears her and he pauses, looking back over his shoulder at her bundled in blankets and his cloak. "I'll have to look into cold-proofing the castle more so that we can come back here because, as you said, we have a whole future ahead of us."

The words are more optimistic than anything that Dimitri has said for months and they warm Byleth much more effectively than any blanket could. The gentle affection in his eyes and the scent of him that clings to his cloak cause her own cheeks to warm as the words die on her lips and Dimitri slips out of the room, leaving her alone with the crackling fire.

"I wonder what future you see for us," Byleth whispers to the quiet room, pulling Dimitri's cloak tight around her shoulders. It is still warm and for the first time since arriving in Fhirdiad, Byleth doesn't feel cold.

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birger-wuvs-elsa · 5 years

Text

Shadow ~ FE3H One Shot

Edelgard dragged me along again, but honestly, I kinda conspired with her this time around.

Enjoy.

Shadow had followed her for as long as she could remember.

Edelgard did not know who it was, nor even what it was. Ever since she was a little girl, she’d seen it out of the corner of her vision. She’d just happen to spy her shadow, only to realize it was far too big, far too muscled, and far too tall to be her own. But every time she realized, and would look to the strange shadow, Edelgard would just see her own.

Thus did her young self dub them Shadow.

As a child, she had very much enjoyed Shadow’s company. When she read a book, she could feel a presence look over her shoulder and read with her. She’d even read slowly, just in case Shadow wasn’t as fast as she was. When Edelgard would practice her dancing, if she ever did so alone, she would feel the air before her shudder as if she had a tall partner join her.

Edelgard knew better than to let slip the presence of her strange companion. Even as a child, she never thought it wise to inform the adults about her invisible friend she called ‘Shadow’. She both preferred not to suffer the looks they’d give her, but a jealous part of her enjoyed Shadow’s exclusive attentions. The simple fact that no one else saw signs of Shadow’s presence, but Edelgard clearly could…

They only wanted her to know them, and that made her small chest swell with pride.

As she grew, Shadow remained close at hand, no matter where her family ended up taking her. The assurance that her companion was not just some localized phenomenon greatly comforted Edelgard. She truly had come to cherish Shadow’s friendship throughout her childhood. Even as the young Hubert became her vassal, and as such a physical shadow that trailed behind her, the Shadow that eclipsed them both still held a special place in her heart.

Which would make the tragic events that would soon befall her all the worse.

Growing up, Shadow would occasionally disappear and spend time on their own. Edelgard grew to understand that they simply wanted to strike out on their own every once in a while, and explore. Even as a child, Edelgard was all right with this; after all, imaginary friends didn’t leave of their own accord, they were always where you imagined they would be. Since she always wished that Shadow remained close, their autonomy further proved the tangibility of her companion.

So it came at poor timing that Shadow was missing when Edelgard’s suffering began. During that dark and painful time, Shadow had seemingly never returned, even when she thought they should’ve. Edelgard did not know if her friend feared the horrid people that tortured her so, or if they had some shell that prevented their presence. Throughout all the agonizing pain of the experiments inflicted on her, she begged for Shadow to come back. Edelgard would be loathe to admit it in her elder years, but one could call her silent pleas for Shadow’s return prayer.

But strangely enough…it seemed to work. As if her inward calls actually reached them, Shadow found her just as the arduous experiments came to an end. Whether they were freer with their feelings, or their strange bond was stronger, it didn’t really matter; all Edelgard cared about in the wake of her pain was that she could feel Shadow’s own. They were beyond shocked to find her as they did, and she could all but feel their sorrow and their guilt.

Shadow didn’t leave her side again for the next several years.

The days of the Academy were an especially fascinating time for them both. Shadow seemed strangely shy for a being who could show signs of their presence to only Edelgard, and she found new ways to interact with them without being caught. Quiet, stolen moments with a book in the library, silent exchanges in the cafeteria that none could understand, and whispered good nights and phantom hair strokes before sleep. Though tenuous with the undercurrent of Edelgard’s plans, Shadow kept to their word, and never left her side once.

But it was when the new professor arrived that things…changed.

For the first time ever, Edelgard’s gaze was stolen away from her Shadow.

For several months, her focus was on her studies, and even then, she was often distracted by the new teacher. True to their promise, Shadow remained close, and what times Edelgard paid attention, the air about her when they were near seemed…oddly gleeful, especially when she was with Byleth. She pointedly ignored it, though it did please a part of her that Shadow seemed to approve of her teacher. She dared not share Shadow with Byleth yet, though to her surprise, she often considered it.

Even poor Hubert didn’t get such consideration.

Beyond the abnormality that was Byleth, and the confusion that seemed to bring her, Edelgard’s time with Shadow remained mostly unchanged. The only real change seemed to be that, to both her surprise and delight, Shadow was taking a more physical presence. They toyed with her curtains, fluffed her pillows when no one was looking, and even pulled up her blanket as she slept.

It was especially nice when Edelgard had a quiet moment alone, Hubert standing guard as always, but giving her privacy. She’d bring out her chess set and set it up, then make her turn. All she had to do was wait, and watch as the other side’s pieces slowly moved along the board on their own. Edelgard would almost smile, always so comforted by seeing the pieces move and the assurance that her childhood was not a dream. The game would continue, and to her delight, the outcome was never certain. She would win most of the games, but that was not always the case; either Shadow would somehow force a draw, or to Edelgard’s shock and joy, even win once in a while.

This enjoyable routine soon found itself with a shadow of another sort over it, however. As Edelgard’s plans continued, and Shadow remained ever close through it all, she often wondered what they thought of everything. What they thought, what they wanted, why they were even here at all? Why did Shadow follow her all this time? Why did they even care?

...who are they?

One day, however, Edelgard got her answer.

After a long day of class, as the sun set and everyone went about their evening, Edelgard eagerly returned to her room. She was just a touch sore and tired, having overly exerted herself during spars and training. It was all the better, of course; if she was going to succeed, she had to be at her best. She’d been somewhat distracted, however, over the course of the day.

Shadow was missing.

They hadn’t been missing since that time, and so their absence had bothered Edelgard just enough that she struggled to contain it. The day before had ended the same as all others, there was no sign that something was amiss. As Edelgard made to turn into the night, she paused and stared at the table by her window.

The chess board was sitting out…she’d put it away last night, and hadn’t touched it all day.

Edelgard approached the board slowly, and kept her senses keen for any disturbances. Whether it was Shadow or something else, she would not be caught off guard. As she got closer to the board, it came to her attention that not all of the pieces were out. Only two of them were, set side by side atop a folded piece of paper. The White Queen and the Black Knight, with the former oddly set slightly in front of the Knight to its side.

Or perhaps…the Knight stood behind its Queen…

Gently, almost reverently, Edelgard set the pieces aside on the board—she even took the care to keep them together, out of some strange sentimental urge. She lifted the note and carefully unfolded it, only to drop it upon seeing letters scrawled on it. Edelgard turned to scan her room, but frowned when it was clear that she was alone.

She took a shoring breath and looked back down at the note as she picked it up again. The handwriting was somehow both bold and rushed, a hand so confident that it wrote too quickly. As she read it, a tumultuous storm of emotions ignited in her chest.

Edelgard, follow my pull and come to the steeple roof. It’s about time that you and I properly spoke; I owe you an explanation, after all.

~With love,

Your Shadow

A slight tremble took to her hand before she stilled it. Shadow wanted to speak? Face to face? Why now, after all this time? Was it because of her plans…did they want to talk her out of it? No, with a purse of her lips, Edelgard knew that wasn’t the case. If Shadow disapproved, they would’ve made it clear well before she’d reached this stage.

They wanted to explain themselves…a lifetime spent not questioning their presence, and now, all the answers she never asked questions for were at her feet. Or, they would be, once she followed Shadow to their chosen spot.

As soon as Edelgard set the note down, she felt a gentle pull at her shoulder. She turned with it, and saw a dark phantom shape on the wood of her door. It was so tall, it had to crouch for its totality to be seen. The shadow was too muddled to make out, but Edelgard’s heart stuttered as she realized what it was.

Then she blinked, and it was gone.

Edelgard rushed out the door, and swiftly looked both ways down the hall. She saw nothing, but then felt another pull on her shoulder. She followed it, just as they asked, and continued to follow both the pull and the phantom silhouettes until she reached whatever destination Shadow desired.

It was, indeed, one of the large steepled roofs of the monastery. This particular one was large enough that its angle was not too steep to be climbed. Edelgard had heard tale of many rebellious, adventurous students who dared each other or themselves to climb to the top and watch the sunset. But on this night, the sun had already set and the moon lit Edelgard’s climb to the enormous beam that stretched across the height of the roof.

Just as Edelgard was about to reach it, her foot slipped, and her eyes widened in dread. She threw out one of her hands to try and get traction on the tiles of the roof…only to have the hand be grabbed by someone else’s. With their hold as an anchor, Edelgard managed to get her footing and catch her breath. Relieved that she wouldn’t have to explain herself to everyone, she looked up at the hand that held her own.

Her eyes widened as she realized the hand holding her own was so very larger, what felt like a hand was merely fingertips.

Edelgard followed the crimson digits thicker than a halberd’s pole, to the black palm that eclipsed her own like the sun dwarfed the moon. All of it was blacker than the night sky, an abyssal skin that felt like living metal. Farther along, the arm as thick as a small tree, covered with more of the black, jagged metal-like skin, the black occasionally broken by streaks of red or gold. The arm more muscled than all the boys in the monastery combined flowed up into a shoulder that made a stone look insignificant, into a chest that blocked out the moon entirely from Edelgard’s vision.

And atop that chest, a vast head…the head of a dragon.

Bright blue eyes flecked with gold shone in the shadowed expanse of the beast’s face, shrouded by the shadow it made with the moon at its back. A crimson mane crowned it, enormous bull horns of gold swept forward out of it, and above huge ears that looked somewhere between those of a horse and a bat. The long snout curled into a smile, the gentleness of which defied the grand, fierce visage that it bore.

The beast inclined its head to Edelgard, its long chin brushing the metal-skinned chest beneath.

“It’s a pleasure to finally meet you properly, Edelgard.”

The deep, gentle baritone of its voice struck a chord inside of her, like she’d heard it before, and yet this was the first time it graced her ears. As the man-dragon carefully pulled her up onto the steadiness of the steeple’s beam, Edelgard looked up—way, way up, the entity was massively tall—and narrowed her eyes as she met its own.

“…Shadow?”

The fluffy red eyebrows above its eyes curved upwards as it smiled sheepishly.

“Aye, the one and only.”

Edelgard stared for a moment before she shook her head.

“This can’t be…what are you? A dragon?”

Shadow nodded, their smile still rather shy as they scratched the back of their mane.

“Of a sort, yes, I am.”

Edelgard narrowed her eyes up at them.

“Of a sort? You have the bearing of a man, but the head of a dragon…that is a rather unique sort of dragon to be.”

The dragon sighed as they nodded, and carefully made to sit down on the steeple beam. They let their long legs stretch out down the roof’s tiles, and it was then Edelgard realized the lower half of their legs were also more draconic than human. They had no tail, it seemed, and with a sigh of her own Edelgard crouched down to sit beside Shadow. Even sitting down, they towered over her, even the mere top half of their badly greatly outreaching her own height.

After a few moments of silence, thankfully not ruined by the revelation of Shadow’s appearance, they finally spoke.

“I am a god, Edelgard.”

Time itself seemed to halt as Shadow’s words hit her, and she held terribly still. All of her frustration and anger at the church and the gods it revolved around bubbled dangerously in her chest, and she struggled to keep it at bay. This was Shadow, her Shadow, the friend she’d known since she was a little girl…

…right?

Without looking to them, she whispered so softly she barely even heard herself.

“You can’t be…”

A gentle huff of a half-hearted laugh from them.

“Can I not?”

“You can’t be a god…you care.”

She saw them move out of her peripheral, and knew they had glanced her way. The following silence hardly lasted another heartbeat before Shadow spoke again.

“I know nothing of your gods, Edelgard, but I am a god myself and you’re right…I do care.”

Her fists clenched and lips pursed, and she glared coolly up at them.

“Do you? Truly? And yet you allowed so much to occur? To this world, to my family, to–“

Her voice caught in her throat, and Edelgard looked away. But before she could stew in her grief and frustration any longer, Shadow softly spoke again…and their words seethed with an undercurrent of an emotion she couldn’t quite place.

“…it is not my place to decide what happens in this world, Edelgard. I swear to you, had I the authority, had I the influence, had I the thrice damned power I once did, your hair would still have been the sweet brown I once wished to touch.”

Edelgard’s eyes widened and she looked back up at them, and almost leaned back at the burning intensity in their eyes. It was anger, but not at her…no, she knew her Shadow, they would never be angry at her. But then who could possibly be on the receiving end of this fire? The longer they stared at one another, however, the clearer it became.

Shadow was angry with themself.

“What…do you mean, the power you once did? You lost power?”

Shadow raised a mighty paw, and stared down at it before they slowly curled it into a tight fist. Sparks of fire and lightning pulsed and zapped across the metallic, abyssal sheen of their skin. But…for a god, it was…oddly small of a show.

“I am not of this world, Edelgard…I came here, searching for someone precious. But it was far more costly than I ever could’ve imagined.”

Edelgard tilted her head as she regarded her friend, and felt a strange urge come about her. She slowly reached out with a hand, and braved her own hesitations and gently set it on Shadow’s great arm. She expected the metallic appearance of their armor-like skin to indicate a cold touch, but rather Shadow radiated heat like a small, dying star.

“Shadow…you…came here? From another world entirely?”

They stared at their fist for another moment, before they looked down at her hand on their arm and sighed.

“Aye…I did…I thought I would find her here…”

“Her? Who were you looking for?”

The look of sheer heartbroken sorrow that overcame Shadow’s eyes actually affected Edelgard to her core.

“…my heart…my dear Elizavere.”

Shadow then regaled Edelgard with a tale she could hardly believe to be real. A tale of a world of bestial gods, of their children that they abandoned, and how one mortal woman broke Shadow’s self-imposed exile and somehow won their heart. To hear of a woman so selfless and brave, she willingly took upon herself the powers of yet-to-be-born gods that offered their strength to her cause…both in word of her actions, and by the adoring, reverent tone Shadow spoke of her with, Edelgard found herself moved.

Shadow crossed a thousand worlds and a thousand lifetimes, following their love to every life she was forced to live after having been banished by Shadow’s enemies.

Their tale finally finished, Shadow sighed as their form slumped, the mighty size of the dragon god suddenly so small.

“I thought she was here…I thought I felt her, but I was wrong. She’s nowhere to be found.”

“Why don’t you leave, then?” Edelgard questioned, the answer seemingly so obvious escaping her. “Find another world where she may be?”

They shook their grand head sadly.

“I can’t…I am too weak right now. Had I wished to leave, I should’ve done so years ago, before my power waned. At this point, it’ll be another several years before I am rested enough to leave.”

Edelgard frowned, and took some time to consider what could possibly have kept Shadow here, in a world without their heart. If they’d long since realized she was missing from here, then why? Why would they stay, when they could’ve continued the search?

“…then why did you stay?”

A sad smile spread across the black and crimson snout of the god as they turned to look at Edelgard.

“I couldn’t ignore the prayers of a little girl who needed my help.”

Her eyes widened as her breath stilled in her chest.

“But I…I didn’t, I never…I don’t…pray…”

Shadow’s smile remained unfazed.

“Ah, but you did. When those monsters took you away and ravaged you, I had been making a final search for Elizavere. I was just about to make way, to leave and hope you would grow to think I was just a figment of your imagination. But then I heard you…afraid, in pain, and I felt my heart ache.”

They looked away, and up into the starry night sky.

“I couldn’t leave you alone…she would never forgive me if I abandoned you, and I would never forgive myself. Besides…”

They smiled down to her again, the mirth and cheer she’d once associated with Shadow as a child evident in their blue-gold eyes.

“I’ve grown rather fond of you, my dear Edelgard. Besides, remember how I said I had thought I felt her here?”

She nodded, hesitantly, and their smile grew impossibly brighter.

“Your spirit fooled me for hers, they were not too dissimilar.”

Edelgard stared at them in shock, and shook her head.

“No, you must be mistaken. Elizavere, she…she sounds like a hero, she sounds more like Byleth or some other noble soul. I cannot possibly have…”

She drifted off as Shadow’s smile endured, unaffected by her dismission. They slowly raised a hand to gently hold her back, the paw so large it nearly dwarfed her back.

“I have had the pleasure to meet my Elizavere in more lifetimes than I care to count. She has not always been the same in each world, Edelgard. In each world, in each lifetime, I saw a different Elizavere. She was always different, but never the same. I truly believed you could be her, Edelgard. Though that may have proven false, do not dare think yourself unworthy of my attention. There is not another mortal on this world that has come close to deserving my gaze, let alone my time.”

Their gaze drifted away, and they tilted their head.

“Except for Bernadetta, perhaps…I still battle the urge to show myself to her father and give him a piece of my mind.”

Edelgard could not combat the smile that came about from Shadow’s admission. After all, it was a sentiment she regularly visited herself. To know that Shadow had felt the same when watching Bernadetta while they trailed behind Edelgard was very satisfying.

She sighed, and let her own gaze drift away and up at the stars.

“What will we do now, then, Shadow? While we wait for your next window to find your heart?”

She heard their heavy sigh, and easily imagined they looked star-ward as well.

“Most paramount, I do not intend to be known to anyone else in this world. I was never meant to be here, and I cannot dare be known by any others. No…I shall stay your Shadow, and hope I can be of help to you beyond the reach of the others.”

Edelgard raised an eyebrow and eyed them out of the corner of her vision.

“So you intend to follow through with me, then?”

They huffed once more, the laugh bearing more heart in it this time.

“But of course, my future emperor. There is wisdom in your plan, its only faults caused by the limitations of the thinking of those around you. And…well…”

She looked over just in time to watch Shadow gently, oh so very gently, take her small hands in their huge ones and eye her chest.

“I know all too well why you rush, Edelgard, and I understand. I will do all that I can to assist you, in every way my limited capacity will allow.”

As Edelgard stared up at their blue-gold eyes, and saw the devotion and the sincerity of their claim, the words left her before she could even consider them.

“Please…call me El.”

Edelgard’s relationship with Shadow surprisingly didn’t change that much, even with their godly revelation.

They returned to their dominantly incorporeal state, as they’d done before. As her plans began to reach a head, Shadow never left her side as they kept an eye about her and whispered what they saw and what they thought. There remained some degree of mirth in their interactions, however; especially on Shadow’s side, as their newfound openness gave them more confidence in being silly, it seemed.

Edelgard couldn’t figure out if that was a good thing or not.

Shadow had been awfully proud behind Edelgard during the coronation, and if she was honest with herself, it felt nice. There were not many who she could consider truly close that attended, and Shadow’s beaming presence at her side warmed her like a gentle fire. Though, it didn’t help when Shadow pointed out to her that Byleth was present.

Edelgard could all too easily imagine Shadow’s cheekily excited body language, and ignored it along with her own budding joy at her teacher’s attendance.

The next five years were difficult, with the war in full swing and Dimitri’s wrath on the horizon, Shadow’s enduring support was much needed. Especially after Byleth disappeared; though Shadow assured her that she was all right, but never disclosed how they knew. Edelgard let it go, and focused on the war efforts with her army, and her house classmates she formed into a fearsome strike force.

Shadow provided surprisingly effective tactical advice every now and again. It ranged from supply line information, improving efficiency in a variety of fields, and…attack plans that were shockingly ruthless. But then, Edelgard supposed that she shouldn’t be surprised. Shadow had, after all, had to all but wage war with most of their godly siblings, and would later go through several lifetimes following their soulmate.

All that experience would’ve worn away a lot of Shadow’s…sentimentality regarding such things.

Hubert often asked after Edelgard’s mysterious source of advice and information. She simply assured her dear friend that all was well, and the source could be trusted more than most anyone else. He took that rather skeptically, as she expected him to, but Hubert accepted it on the grounds that it kept his lady safe and victorious.

A delightful change of pace after Shadow came clean was the stories. Every night that they were able, before Edelgard retired to bed, she would challenge Shadow to a bout of chess. Rather than move the pieces akin to a ghost, Shadow would fully appear as they had that fateful night. It was a delight for her to actually get to see their face and body language as they considered their moves.

The way they bent forward, rested their strong arms on their knees. The way their bushy crimson eyebrows clouded like a bloody stormfront over their blue-gold eyes. The way their shoulders hunched forward, and would rest their long chin atop clasped paws. Edelgard couldn’t decide which was the more fascinating part: getting to see a contemplative humanoid dragon, or playing chess with a god.

Ultimately, she decided the most fascinating part was simply getting to play chess with Shadow at all.

Edelgard was also impressed at Shadow’s capacity for multitasking, as they managed to continue to provide a challenge for her whilst simultaneously sharing more tales. Though they seemed rather hesitant to share too much about their first home, Shadow readily regaled her about all of the other worlds they’ve been to, the lives they lived. Some of them were too outlandish for her to believe, and occasionally the shine in Shadow’s eyes seemed too…mischievous.

Edelgard especially like the stories about Shadow’s closest friend, a powerful, brave woman known as Yuna. Apparently, she had to teach Shadow a thing or two once upon a time, and saved their ass more times than they could remember. They spoke of her fondly, and often referred to themself as “her dragon”. What this woman did to earn the god of dragons as her personal dragon companion, Edelgard could only dream.

Some of these moments, however, found a shadow of another kind over them for Edelgard. It dawned on her that this time with Shadow was borrowed. They regained the strength they needed to leave once before…and sacrificed that chance to go back for her. But now, that time was coming again for Shadow to be able to leave. Maybe not go home, exactly, but to continue their search for Elizavere’s next life, and reunite with them again.

Shadow was going to leave her soon…

The end had finally begun.

Fhirdiad spread out before them, lit aflame by Rhea’s desperate order. Edelgard stood alone, apart from where her army and friends were massed, and waited the order to proceed. They’d just seen Rhea transformed into a dragon, and soared over the city. They would be marching soon…

“So that’s what a dragon looks like here.”

Edelgard looked to her left, and then up as she took in Shadow. They had their thick arms crossed over their mighty chest, and crimson eyebrows bunched angrily over their eyes as they glared solemnly over the city. She sighed as she looked back to the burning buildings ahead of them.

“Indeed, it would seem Rhea was keeping secrets.”

Shadow hummed in thought for a moment.

“Is that so? A shame I didn’t spy on her more, then…though, perhaps she might’ve sensed me were I too close. Alas, it’s past now.”

Past…

Edelgard’s gaze grew distant as she lost her focus. She held up her hands and stared at them, trapped in contemplation. The time must be soon…the finality of everything was too purposeful, too fateful. The journey was coming to an end, and Shadow would soon be just a memory…just a story.

She felt a large hand gently cover her back.

“El…come back, now, El.”

They spoke so softly, her breath caught in her throat and she could swear her heart stuttered. Why was this happening? Why did she feel this way, so on edge?

Why were her hands shaking?

“You’re going to leave soon…” Edelgard murmured, her eyes still on her shaking hands.

She heard them sigh.

“Aye…soon, I’m almost strong enough to leave again. I need to find her trail; I’ve been away from Elizavere for too long now.”

It wasn’t quite envy—or perhaps jealousy?—that Edelgard suddenly felt waft over her, no. But it was something deep and sharp, that struck at Shadow’s words. They’d been around for so long, for as long as she could remember when she was a little girl. What could life possibly be like without her Shadow?

“Do you have to go…?”

The words were spoken before she could stop them, and she immediately scrunched her eyes shut and pursed her lips. She didn’t mean to say that, Edelgard didn’t want to say that. The last thing she wanted to do was guilt trip Shadow.

“I’m sorry, Shadow, I didn’t–”

“Kalahan.”

Her eyes shot open wide, and she looked up at their face. Their hand was still on her back, and they smiled at her when their eyes met.

“My name is Kalahan.”

Edelgard felt quite calm, strangely, upon hearing that. She frowned and tilted her head as she gathered her thoughts.

“Kalahan…I am sorry, I didn’t mean to ask that before. You have elsewhere to be, your place isn’t here. It isn’t…”

She took a deep breath to shore herself.

“…it isn’t with me, and I understand. But I must admit…I will miss you terribly.”

Shadow—no, Kalahan—nodded, their smile sadder now.

“I will miss you too, El…so very much. It has been a delight to watch you grow up into the mighty emperor you became, even if I had to watch you endure so much pain to reach it. And it has been the highest of honors to earn your friendship.”

Edelgard watched as Kalahan took a step back, and her eyes widened as they lowered to one knee. They placed their hands one over the other on the still raised knee, and bent over in a shallow bow.

“I wish you all the best in your future, my emperor.”

Her body seemed to be in the mood for rebellion. Perhaps the war raged against the church was to blame…but in the moment, as Edelgard’s feet moved of their own accord, and she found her arms envelop Kalahan’s thick neck, and gripped their mane in her gloves, she didn’t care. It was for the best, then, that she forgot herself in this moment, and the feel of Kalahan’s strong arms gently wrap around her and their chin softly fall to her back, it was worth it.

“My dear El…I am so glad I chose to stay behind. I meant what I said, it has been a true honor to be your friend. I cannot wait to tell Elizavere all about you, when next we meet. She’d have adored you, as would that rather rambunctious companion of mine I warned you of.”

A chuckle came unbidden, but Edelgard had truly given up her cares, this moment was too important for them.

“I still doubt I could be so alike to this heart of yours that you’d mistake me for her, but I am grateful for the mistake all the same.”

The dense chest beneath her arms shook with laughter.

“I will happily call you my greatest mistake, if that’s what you’re implying, El.”

Edelgard shook her head as she pulled away, her hands rested on their shoulders as she gazed somberly into Kalahan’s blue-gold eyes. They seemed to take notice, and let their own hands carefully rest on her back as their ears perked up.

“Kalahan…promise me, here and now, that should you ever have need of my help you will not hesitate to call on me. I do not care where, when, or what you are when you do so…I will always be at the ready, whenever you may need me.”

They stared at her for some time, as if testing her resolve…and seemed pleased as they smirked.

“I promise, Edelgard. Should I feel the situation is dire enough, and I need to call upon my allies, you shall be first and foremost among those I call to arms.”

They then gently squeezed her back and smiled.

“If you promise me…”

They hesitated, awfully distressed with what they were about to say. Edelgard reached out and pet their chin as she waited for them to gather their courage. Kalahan took a deep, shoring breath before they could continue.

“…if you can’t get your crests taken care of, then please, I beg you…pray to me before the end. Let me be there, please…”

Kalahan’s voice was thick as they spoke, and Edelgard could swear she saw their eyes glistening. She was confused at first, until she remembered: Kalahan watched her grow up. They really were there for her from the beginning, and were perhaps…making light when they said, that night they revealed their nature, that they had “grown rather fond” of her. Even if they had vanished when the experiments were performed, they knew…Kalahan knew what it meant.

Edelgard realized that it was genuine fear and sorrow that shimmered in Kalahan’s eyes.

“You can’t be a god…you care.”

Oh, what an understatement…

Edelgard could feel the prickly sensation of threatening tears, but ignored them as she pulled Kalahan’s chin down and gently kissed their nose, just beneath the golden horn that sat proudly there.

“You have my word, my dear Shadow.”

Edelgard sat there, on her knees, fire all around her but she didn’t care.

In her arms was her teacher, was Byleth…her heart. Rhea, the Immaculate One, lay dead behind them, slain by their combined and determined might. The city burned around them, and no doubt, their forces were taking care of everything. All that mattered to Edelgard in that moment was Byleth.

Her heart had stopped, and the emperor clung to her, crying.

Don’t you leave me, too…I can’t lose you both, not in one day…

Suddenly, Edelgard heard a soft beat from the chest beneath her ear, and her eyes opened widened. She pulled back and stared at Byleth’s face as she watched the woman slowly open her eyes. Relief fell from Edelgard’s eyes as she smiled, and laughed with joy as she hugged Byleth tight. Her heart only soared higher as she felt weak arms gain their strength and hug her back.

“El…”

The whisper was soft, the voice hoarse, and Edelgard gently squeezed her.

“Don’t speak, my teacher, please…rest yourself.”

“El…I-I heard…someone…”

Confused, she pulled back and scanned Byleth’s face, further perplexed to see her smirking.

“Yuna says hello…she’s…she’s taking care of Shadow for you…”

Somehow unsurprised that Kalahan’s closest friend had been watching over Byleth, Edelgard simply laughed and held her heart close.

#Fire Emblem Three Houses #Fire Emblem Fanfiction #Three Houses Fanfic #Edelgard Von Hresvelg #Edelgard #Fire Emblem Edelgard #Crossover #Canon Divergence #Original Character #this was very self indulgent #but I'm proud of it #and Edelgard wanted to help it seemed #this was my idea #but she encouraged me #bee escreve historias

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garregmachmatchups · 4 years

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I'm a 22 year old bi woman. I am a bioinformatician who mostly studies viruses. My main hobbies are drawing, writing, and sewing. My favorite genres are Fantasy and horror. I am terrible to watch horror movies with if you're jumpy since I know too many of them and know how to make people jump. Outside of that, I tend to be the "mom friend" making sure my friends are healthy and well. I am part of a historical recreation group where I am learning to swordfight. Hope this is enough and thank you!

Hello! Thank you so much for your request!!

Hubert von Vestra!!!

Yo I promise this isn’t because of your icon…okay maybe a little. But I swear I thought long and hard about it and I think you go great together! As stated in his character notes, Hubert likes “useful people”. I would think that your career as a bioinformatician would prove to him that you are very useful to society in general and intelligent (which is also written as something he likes). He also has an interest in research, something that as a bioinformatician you probably have in common in him. The fact that you are also trying to better yourself through sword fighting would also proof for him of your usefulness, especially in regards to aiding him and Edelgard. What really sold me on pairing you two is your affinity for scary things. Most people when meeting Hubert are either spooked or intimidated by him. It doesn’t bother Hubert much, in fact I think he enjoys scaring people at times, but the fact that you wouldn’t be apprehensive around him would probably garner certain respect from him, and would definitely allow you to get to know him better, something most people aren’t able to do as they only see his scary exterior. At the very least he’d see you less feeble and faint-hearted than the others. Also if you were to meet him I can imagine you liking his sort of whole “aesthetic”, which I think he would find rather amusing and droll. Another thing that is very worth mentioning is that Hubert is always looking after Edelgard, and puts her at a higher priority than himself. He isn’t reckless or anything, quite the opposite, but he will always think of Edelgard first before thinking of himself. So even if he doesn’t accept it at first, I think it’d be good to have someone looking after him, making sure he doesn’t go too far. He’d likely try to tell you to direct that concern over to Edelgard, but would most likely come to reluctantly accept it over time.

Headcannons:

Hubert is very impressed that you’re a bioinformatician, even admitting that he or Edelgard would probably be no good at that field of study

He’s even more impressed that your abilities extend from scientific studies, to more creative ones

He afterward wants to recruit you into the empire, seeing you as someone who could be very valuable

He also offers to get you some of the empires trainers for your sword fighting

When he first meets you, he tries to intimidate you with his scary looks, but notices that you are unfazed by such attempts and treat him as you do others

He also notices that you seem to take a liking to him, which he later deduces is because of the way he looks

At first, he finds this very curious and perhaps might even think it bothersome, but later on, as you start spending time around him he grows accustomed to your company, almost as he is to Edelgard’s (though he would probably never admit that)

He even teases you once in a while: “You know, you can take a closer look if you wish to do so. Ah, my apologies, I just saw you staring so intently at me I assumed you did.”

You guys become just the scariest couple ever, literally, just terrorizing the school one at a time. I swear Bernie and Lysithea have each had like 3 heart attacks

At least you later turn into your usual mom friend self, meanwhile Hubert… just continues to be classic Hubert

After scaring some of your classmates, you’ve even managed once or twice to get a good chuckle out of him, which of course the others just find even scarier

Hubert might seem at times act like he doesn’t rely on you, but really he does a lot. He knows that you are always there to look after him when he doesn’t himself

You’ve honestly had to take care of him a few times where he has fainted from exhaustion, and every time he is equally embarrassed about it

He would honestly be a bit…lost without you, but of course it’d be hard to get him to say it kk

He might not say it often, but in your heart, you know he appreciates having you in his life, as much as he does Edelgard, and maybe, just maybe one day perhaps even more

Other matches: Mercedes von Martritz, Ashe Ubert

Hope you enjoyed the matchup! If you feel like you weren’t portrayed correctly/I misinterpreted your information let me know and I’ll make the corrections!

#4 #fire emblem three houses #fire emblem matchup #three houses matchup #regularmatchup #black eagles

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bae-leth · 5 years

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Oh wow that’s a really detailed dream? I enjoyed reading about it! I’m thinking that Lorenz has more of a playful rivalry with Claude than an actual hatred, since FE Facebook talks of him, Dedue and Hubert all being loyal to their lords, but it’d be interesting if he turned on him later on in the story.

(I had only one 3H dream since that last anon, and in mine all that happened was that Claude and Dimitri had a shouting match. I don’t even remember what it was about. le sigh.)

About headcanons - I think I’ll expand a bit on the students we already know, more than the students we don’t. As much as I want to talk about Lysithea, Marianne etc, there’s literally nothing to glean tidbits from, so I’ll hold off from headcanons until we learn something, at least.

…I predict that most of these will end up being friendship-related anyway, haha. Headcanons under the read more:

Edelgard:

- A perfectionist, excelling in all her studies/training/etc from a young age.

- However this led to other people looking up to her, rather than seeing her as an equal - this led to some loneliness growing up.

- She wanted proper friends, not just people who saw her solely as a prospective ruler, but eh. What can you do when you have an certain image to cultivate?

- (spoilers: friendships attained at the monastery later on, and this secretly makes her very happy)

- Edel always looked like a hard person to approach, but really she was just a kind soul underneath

- Siblings: I keep thinking that she might have a half-sibling who tries to usurp her position as heir apparent midway through the game lmao. Other than that though, she seems like the only-child type to me.

- Kids want to BE her, because she’s super cool. This makes Edelgard super mushy inside (she’ll try to deny it), so she has a soft spot for the kids that run up to her in excitement whenever she travels around the Empire

Dimitri:

- I wonder what his tinge of darkness is? Intsys might go for the standard ‘he is forced to follow his bloodthirsty father in committing atrocities in the name of the Church’

- Or perhaps he witnesses something horrific as a child, and is powerless to stop it, leading to immense guilt up to adulthood?

- Or maybe it’s an inherent character trait. Maybe Dimitri was the villain all along 😔 and childhood circumstances exacerbated this villainy.

- Apart from theorising about his darkness, I headcanon that he was a bit of a wild child who mellowed out when he got older and attained more responsibilities. A bit like BotW Link, but more outwardly cheerful/expressive. Chivalrous from the very beginning. A good boi

- I still reeeeally want him and Ingrid to be siblings… If this is the case, then you can bet all your money that Ingrid had the best puppy face as a kid, and got away with everything. Dimitri was blamed for eeeeverything, and Ingrid still teases him about it now

- (they’re the ultimate power-siblings tho. Could kill you easily)

Claude:

- Has a few little sisters - THAT’S how he became so sneaky, lmao

- Actually listened in on the council meetings when he was younger, while pretending that he found them boring. He gained a good grasp of the politics of Fodlan from a young age as a result, and used this to his advantage to gain the upper hand in Alliance discussions (to the chagrin of his fellow nobles). He was always very sharp

- Always enjoyed winding up Dimitri as a kid, since the young prince got comically mad very easily. However, this became more difficult once Dimitri mellowed out and grew into a far milder young man. (Difficult, but not impossible…)

- Tried winding up Edelgard as a kid, too, before very quickly giving up. The heir to the Adrestian Empire knew how to use an axe VERY well from a VERY young age, and she wasn’t afraid to use it.

-Pulled a lot of pranks as a youngster, and still does now. Got away with it before because he was cute, gets away with it now because he’s charismatic (and HOt). Lorenz cries everytime, because he can’t get away with anything, apparently…

Hubert:

- Oh gosh, this man. He’s probably the first student at the monastery to go grey, he worries over Edelgard and the future of her position so much

- Has had the loyal retainer trope down to a T since, well, forever.

- He was always the best at giving Edelgard advice, making her tea, cheering her up etc, so much so that castle maids would ask him for pointers when they wanted to do the same.

Dorothea:

- We know that she’s looked up to Manuela for ages, but consider this: she has Manuela merch.

- And she isn’t afraid to show it.

- A painting of Manuela, beautiful and absolutely massive, hangs in her dorm room, and she refuses to take it down. (To be fair, it’s a beautiful painting)

- AHAHAH but honestly? We already know he accepting she is of everyone, no matter their class, so I’m certain she was the same with her fans at the opera house.

- She always treated them kindly, despite how tired she might have been after that particular performance.

- She managed to attain a stellar reputation as a result - people loooooooved her.

- So it’s a bit of a shock when she goes from the eccentric, lovable people who adore her and who she has connections with at the opera house to the snobby noble NPCs at the monastery, but she does what she’s always done, and kills them with kindness.

- And sass, accordingly.

- And her voice. (She probably has Chords of Steel ✊)

Ferdinand:

- His pride in his family's status has landed him a lot of dislike amongst the other noble families.

- Not that he ever cared, though; as long as his family were thriving, he could care less about what others say

- Diligent in his training since a young age. He has to be, in order to keep up with Edelgard

- ... even if she doesn't notice that he's trying to form a rivalry with her

- (oops)

Bernadetta:

- Spent all social occasions in her room, making no noise and pretending she didn’t exist.

- Depending on her parents’ attitudes, her shy nature either landed her sympathy or scorn. If they scorned her, this would explain why she prefers to practise her hobbies in the comfort of her own room.

- (It would also mean that I would leap into my switch to punch her parents herself)

- Felt much pressure to be conform to the typical self-assured noble role, which was a constant blow to her self esteem - especially because the ‘perfect’ noble, Edelgard, was right there, and easily comparable to her

- I’m pretty sure that she grows into her own throughout the course of the game, but since we’re talking about her past only, I can’t imagine that all the pressures of nobility would be good for her :(

Mercedes:

- MY GOOOOORL

- Why did she leave the Empire as a noble to settle as a commoner in the Kingdom?

- Methinks her family angered the nobles at court, and were forced to flee as a result. They didn’t agree with their methods/ideologies/etc, dared to speak out about it, and were threatened as a result

- It meant that Mercedes lost a lot of privilege and status as a result, but she didn’t mind. She could still heal others, and that was enough.

- She was initially lonely at the mage school before meeting Annette, although she was rather reluctant to admit it. However, the two of them soon became fast friends, and the rest is history

- (I headcanon that she only vaguely remembers Lorenz, which is a sucker punch to his ego lmao)

- Well-liked at court before her family’s fall to disgrace.

- Holds little ill-will towards those noble families that turned on her own - was only disturbed that they were that corrupt in the first place

Felix:

- He and Dimitri had a bit of a personality swap through the years.

- As children, Dimitri was the wild, reckless hooligan, while Felix was the one desperately trying to reign him in, for fear of losing the prince of Faerghus to some tragic accident (i.e. he tried taming a bear) under his watch

- As they grew older, Dimitri became more responsible. Felix, on the other hand, went 'fuck it’ and went absolutely ham. By this I mean that he starts his little challenging rituals

- which lands him in a lot of trouble, sometimes, because as it turns out, challenging a fifty year old senior knight at the tender age of fifteen doesn’t tend to turn out very well

- Dimitri ends up being the one to exasperatedly chase after him.

- Despite his 'lone wolf’ proclamations, the main reason Felix fights alone because he wants to look cool.

- The others (except Ashe) don’t buy this for a second. They haven’t done so in YEARS.

Dedue:

- Dimitri earned Dedue's respect ever since the prince defended one of his younger siblings from a drunkard in the marketplace

- As repayment, he offered to serve as a retainer for a period of time. Ended up being permanent, because his respect for Dimitri grew exponentially the more he spent time with him

- Green fingered. Probably worked wonders with the plants in his hometown.

- Dimitri once asked if he could tend to the palace gardens. Once Dedue realised that it was either him or Felix armed with a scythe, he quickly took up the offer.

- Since then, as well as being a retainer, Dedue often oversees the upkeep of the gardens. It's hard work, but he enjoys it. He makes sure to leave the plants in capable hands before the Blue Lions set off for the monastery

Ashe:

- Ok yes I know that we technically know nothing about Ashe either, but... my boy. I must headcanon him

- Ever since he joined the Blue Lions, Ashe had always been seen as the 'baby' of the group. The little brother. The one to look out for.

- It's just his face, y'know? Gotta protect that smile. Even Felix has a soft spot for him

- It exasperated Ashe to no end, because he KNEW he was capable enough to hold his own. He was just... short, okay??

- (His protests don't stop the rest of the Blue Lions affectionately doting on him. Currently, it's become a bit of a running gag between the members)

- Ashe, fists clenched: fight me!

- The rest of the Blue Lions, shaking their heads, drawing lances and mouthing softly: do not

- They all know he's capable, really, but it's always been funny to wind him up like this, so they all continue to do so.

- Everyone else knows that fighting Ashe is futile. You try and duel him, and suddenly there's a gang of 8 absolute b e a s t s tearing you to shreds. It's not fun

- Seeing as he doesn't have a crest, Ashe is probably a commoner.

- How did he end up with the Blue Lions? Either his own skill at the time, or him having a lot of potential, or both. I'm leaning towards the latter

Lorenz:

- Has horribly embarrassing anecdotes from his time at the mage school, which is why he is half thankful that Mercedes doesn't remember most of his blunders

- Annette remembers all of them, however.

- All of them.

- She uses these stories as blackmail material.

- Has always had a playful rivalry with Claude, but ultimately respects him. They play up their rivalry sometimes around the other nobles in the Alliance, just to create confusion

- Has an older sister who is infinitely more stylish and romantically successful than him. It pains him to even think about her success compared to his

- (doesn't stop him from knocking on her door for advice, though)

Hilda:

- Canonically spoilt by her father and older brother, yes. However, if you touch her family, and she will k i l l you

- s l o w l y

- so don't even think about it.

- Goes shopping and uses her poor brother as a shopping basket. The boy's groaning after five minutes. She smiles and adds more clothes onto his arm

- Her family can't resist her pleas... which caused quite a few petty squabbles. Imagine being Hilda's brother and getting a mug for Christmas, while you watch her get the cutest lil puppy, or something

- Despite this, she genuinely would do anything for her family. (even poison for them, if it came down to it...)

Raphael:

- His parents were killed in an accident, but for a long time Raphael felt guilty for not being able to do anything to save them, especially since he was so strong in the first place.

- What's the use of all his strength if he can't even protect his loved ones properly?

- Eventually, he pulls himself out of his slump. It takes a long time, but he realises that there's nothing he can do now except move forward and use his strength to protect those still living

- which is what he does! He gets Stronger, and uses his strength to protect his house.

- the others all admire how optimistic he is. His energy has always been infectious, and always draws out laughter from even the most despondent of people

- however, his constant training has always brought about shortages of training dummies for the Deer. Sometimes they go out to train, but there's just ... straw, in a heap on the floor.

- Raphael's optimism can't save him then 😤

#i'll check this tomorrow bc I'm really tired rn #but i rly hope the read more works on mobile lmao #will tag just in case #fire emblem three houses #fe16 #long post #headcanons #anon #ask

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garregmachmatchups · 4 years

Text

hello and congrats on the new blog!! i'd like to request a regular matchup please! i hope my formatting is alright, my apologies is it's a little long ;w;

i'm a bi girl with no gender preference. generally i'm seen as pretty reserved, serious, and formal. i'm very shy and quiet, but honestly once someone approaches me, i can go on and on about myself for hours. it takes a while for me to loosen up tbh but as long as someone seems interested in me i'll be pretty open.

for my positive traits, i'm logical, curious, and very observant. i pay a lot of attention to details, a bit too much sometimes. i'm a little spontaneous, like some days i get super tired when going out and want to just stay in my room all day, and other days i just need to go anywhere lol! i'm also really creative and introspective, i spend a lot of my time just...thinking abt stuff alone.

for my negative traits, i'm pretty socially awkward at first. i just get very anxious around lots of people and i overthink every single thing they do. i'm kinda insecure, i flip flop between being very confident in myself or hating myself. i also can be pessimistic, critical, and passive-aggressive. lastly, i'm very sensitive and can often let people walk all over me, but i try my best to hide this and work on it!

for my interests and hobbies, i loveee writing and drawing! i just have lots of ideas for songs or stories in my head, so i spend a lot of my time putting them on paper. i love music a lot, my dream is probably to be a musician one day, although i'm still too shy to pursue it. i also enjoy collecting figures and plushies, reading, building stuff (like card towers), and animals (especially cats).

some miscellaneous info: i'm intp and a scorpio. i'm very fidgety and am always doing something with my hands. i have a dark sense of humor, but honestly a lot of things make me laugh!

anddd that's it for me! thanks so much for doing this, i look forward to seeing you on my dash~

Hi! Thank you so much for your request!<333 And don’t worry, the longer the better! Also I got super inspired, hope you don’t mind adkjdjlsjaksd. Your match is...

Dorothea Arnault!!!

Omg you two guys would make such a cute couple. Because you are more on the introverted side, I think someone who is much more outgoing and sociable would be great for you. Dorothea gets along and is interested in all types of people, so your social awkwardness and timidness wouldn’t stop the opera singer from interacting with you. She is also incredibly friendly and caring, so i’m sure she’d get you to loosen up. Dorothea, as an opera singer, often deals with superficiality. From the nobles who are only interested in her for her looks and voice, to people assuming the worst because of her “flirtatiousness” and background. Rarely has she had people appreciate her or care for who she really is. In this case, your observantness and attention to detail would really come in handy, as despite the fronts she puts up, you’d have the ability to decipher who she really is. Although Dorothea is mostly known for either her voice or looks, she is quite sharp and perceptive, as well as very aware of societal problems. I think she’d be very intrigued by your creative and introspective thoughts, and would especially appreciate how reflective you are, taking the time to really think about things instead of taking them at face value. Dorothea is tender and warmhearted with those she cares about, if you were ever to get anxious and start overthinking, i’m sure she’d be there right away to help you deal with anyone or everyone. Whenever you feel confident, she’d be there to cheer you on, and when you feel like hating yourself, she’d be there to remind about every good thing you are. Also Dorothea takes no shit from anyone lmao, and especially not if they are trying to hurt her friends, so you bet she’s not gonna let anyone walk all over you. Regardless of how confident she might act though, she is very vulnerable to criticism and the opinions of others, so your insecurity and social struggles would be something that’d resonate deeply with her, which would not only allow her to be open and honest with you, but would also make her all the more eager to help you. Her eagerness to help you would also translate into your dream of becoming a musician. She’d be happy to come across who appreciates music as much as her, and would probably like to work with you in a few projects.

Headcannons:

Dorothea thinks you are super adorable when she first meets you. You are quiet and shy at first but then super talkative once you open up

You often engage in a lot of interesting and thoughtful discussions over tea. Your conversations can range from very lighthearted stuff to discussing the politics of Fódlan

Dorothea could honestly spend the whole day just talking to you, your different perspective on topics is always a breath of fresh air for her

Every time she notices you are being attentive with her, her heart absolutely melts

She honestly finds the fact that you put too much attention to detail super adorable btw

Also she lives for those moments where you are just super spontaneous and just ask her to go somewhere with her. She is always so inhibited that those moments just allow her to let go of everything and live in the moment

After seeing how much you can come to struggle in social situations, Dorothea offers you tips on how to be less anxious, ones she’d use when she first started in the opera

Dorothea is essentially your biggest supporter, she’s always complimenting you and making you feel like gold. Half of the time she is making you blush, either from so much affection or embarrassment, probably both

Whenever you are feeling pessimistic, Dorothea balances it out with positivity and warmth

Boy when someone tries to take advantage of you, Dorothea gets MAD. She’ll literally draaag that person till they can’t even reply. That’s what happens when you mess with her girlfriend ;)

Of course she also teaches you self-defense techniques though

Once she finds out you’re into music and writing, she’ll immediately try to get you to write an opera with her. You’ll write the songs and story while she’ll preform

Okay maybe she got too excited lol, but she would love to write perform some of your songs with you

She gets you connected with people in the Mittelfrank Opera Company once she learns you dream of being a musician

If you feel like you need training in something, for example singing, she’d be glad to give you some lessons

Also Dorothea loves cute animals too, so of course you’ll end up adopting a cat together lol

Just pure wholesomeness

Other matches: Edelgard von Hresvelg, Ferdinand von Aegir

Hope you enjoyed the matchup! If you feel like you weren’t portrayed correctly/I misinterpreted your information let me know and I’ll make the corrections!

#3 #fire emblem three houses #fire emblem matchup #regularmatchup #request #black eagles #submission

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