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silversiren1101 · 1 year

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Inspired by a post from @commander-lariel

What *would* Mino’s dream be in Areelu’s lab?

I think there’s a case to be made that what is shown to each person there is pretty surface level in terms of what they truly desire. For instance, why show Daeran the Galfrey scene instead of a world where he is free of the Other and his mother is alive? Why show Woljif on a throne instead of surrounded by people that truly love him for who he is? It’s not a perfect portrayal and it seems more superficial than true heart’s desire.

Mino’s core wants are relief, rest, safety, and of course a genuine loving relationship with her favorite Paralictor, but what would a ‘superficial’ view of this look like? You’d get Field-Maralictor Arangeir, low ranking but not a complete no one, taking orders from Paralictor/Lictor/Knight Commander (higher rank title than her) Derenge who is now in charge of operations. It’d be a scene of her approaching the war table to turn in a report of her latest mission. They’d accidentally brush hands, and a flicker of a glance would pass between them conveying more. He’d thank her for the hard work, with a single sprinkle of praise, and then order her to get some rest before the next mission.

That’s it.

Her core wants are addressed in the worst possible ways: she’s not in charge, she’s getting crumbs of attention from him, and she’s being ordered to rest rather than being granted actual relief. It’s not what she truly, actually wants in her heart but rather a bastardization of it.

As for what the others would think?

Regill: A shake of the head. He knows her opinions on command and she avoided it when they were both in the civil war. She’d shrug and blush in embarrassment and simply say he was always meant for leadership and she was not, they both know this. She just wishes the more capable of them was in charge. He wouldn’t see anything more in it but feel a certain offness.

Seelah: “Even your dreams involve work and the Hellknights? Remind me to ask Irabeth if we can schedule you some days off.”

Camellia: Contempt. “You are powerful and respected, can get away with whatever you want, and you wish to go back to being a nobody.”

Lann: I think it would throw HIM for a loop. Lann’s whole character shtick is that of an unprepared boy being shoved into leadership and so he’s looking at every ‘leader figure’ around him for inspiration and guidance. Seeing the Knight Commander want in her dreams to be NOT a leader anymore? Crisis of faith incoming.

Wenduag: Mixture of fear and contempt like Camellia. If her current master is craving submission and relinquishing her power, then that’s a threat to her safety. “You WISH to grovel?! All that power is wasted on you!”

Ember: Probably the only one that would see the actual intent in the vision. Mino wants rest and relief. She doesn’t want to be in charge, she wants a pat on the head and a warm bed where she can sleep without waking up screaming and sobbing into her pillow each night. “You’re tired, Minnow. It’s okay. The sun will set for you some day soon and you will be able to sleep. It will for all of us. Then it will rise and you can start a new day.”

Woljif: I think he’d understand in a way, he doesn’t like the spotlight being on him and gets uncomfortable when people actually do rely on him. “Chief, be honest here, have you ever considered just running away? We can still do that hustle in Razmir!”

Daeran: Dae is the first one that figures out she has real feelings for Regill, and has by this point. He doesn’t say much, aside from something like: “Have some respect for yourself Mino... going back to taking commands instead of giving them? Absurd. You look much better at the head of the table than at the side.” He pivots to a different subject at the last second, as he does genuinely feel sympathy for her unrequited love.

Sosiel: Discomfort for himself and also comforting to her, and I think he’d miss the meaning and assume it’s a self-confidence issue first rather than a stress/desperate for escape one: “You sell yourself short commander. I am glad you are leading us, and not putting us into the hands of a devil. You haven’t led us astray yet.”

Arueshalae: This is where she would realize Mino’s feelings, because a succubus (ascending or not) would lock into that desire there above all else. She’d looked alarmed, eyes flitting between both of them, heart aching with a quiet “Oh... Minovae.”

Greybor: Dreaded Greybor, what would you think? This is still so early with him joining up, he doesn’t know too much about her yet nor the others. “There’s no shame in just wanting to do what others tell you. I’ve made a whole career of it. Mine just pays better.” I legitimately don’t know for him at this point, his relationship with Mino is way more concrete later on.

Nenio: Doesn’t even pay attention. Goes on a stream of consciousness rant about the magical mechanism behind the dream trap.

#silversirenwrites #oc: minovae arangeir #Wrath of the righteous #pathfinder wrath of the righteous #pair: hellpair #regill derenge x minovae arangeir #pwotr pals

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thiswaycomessomethingwicked · 2 years

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I'm still pretty new to everything Napoleon. I know about Lannes but what happened with Junot?

Hello! Thank you for the ask - I'll give a brief account of Junot which just mostly focusses on him and Napoleon, so lots of stuff is left out. This is very much a nutshell version.

Junot and Napoleon were close friends when they were in their 20s. Super close - had a flat together, that sort of thing. Laure Junot, whose memoires one should treat cautiously, intimated that there was more than just friendship between them at this point. But if that is the case, we'll never know for certain.

They met in Toulon in '93 - Napoleon's account of their first meeting from Las Cases' memoirs of Saint Helena:

During the construction of one of the first batteries that Napoleon, on his arrival at Toulon, ordered built against the English, he asked in the field for a sergeant or corporal who knew how to write. Someone stepped out of the ranks and wrote what [Napoleon] dictated, on the retaining wall itself. The letter was barely finished when … cannon-fire sprayed it with dirt. ‘Good,’ said the writer, ‘now I won’t need any sand [to dry the ink].’ This joke and the calm with which it was made, drew Napoleon’s attention and made the sergeant’s fortune: this was Junot.

As Napoleon climbed up the greasy pole, the power and expectations of interpersonal relationships being more formal but a strain on his and Junot's friendship. Junot, like many who knew Napoleon from the early days, loved Bonaparte, not the emperor. They put up with the emperor out of love for who he was and who he could still be if you wrenched his head out of his own arse long enough (I say with affection).

Junot was always a bit of a high-low person when it came to mood, I definitely suspect he suffered from some form of mental health issue that was absolutely untreated because you know, it was the late 18th and early 19th century.

Napoleon's ability to have sympathy for others was never his strongest point. When it was someone who had mental health issues, an issue Napoleon most likely thought* was something you just needed to "buck up" and "try harder" etc., well, Napoleon's grace over the situation only extended so far. (And by so far I mean like, 5 centimeters.)

*Note: Napoleon, of course, had his own mental health issues for sure. He just did the classic "if I bury it deep enough, and never ever look at it, I'm sure it will never bother me again or impact my decision making and ability to have fulfilling relationships in my life. I am fine. I have never been better." [Cue Josephine staring into the camera like she's on the Office]

In 1800, Napoleon named Junot Commandant of Paris on the condition that he marry because, it seems, there were too many rumours flying around about the two of them. (Talleyrand speculated about Napoleon and either Junot or Bourienne - I can't remember which one.) Dutifully, Junot married Laure.

Junot was an excellent Commandant. He excelled in his more ambassadorial/representative roles to a degree that he never quite matched militarily (though he was no slouch as a general). It has been speculated that one of the reasons Napoleon never made Junot a marshal was the same reason as why he didn't make Duroc a marshal: he needed his talents in less militarial roles and as a marshal it wouldn't be appropriate to appoint him to certain positions.

I don't know that there's much proof of this, but we really never get a clear glimpse into Napoleon's early reasons for withholding the baton from Junot. It's obvious why, later, circa Russia, but ahead of that? Unclear.

(Side note: Duroc was like "why would I want to be a marshal of France when I can be the head of Napoleon's household and literally never leave his side?? One is better than the other and it's not the marshalate.")

At some point in Junot's military career, I want to say when he was in Spain with Massena, he had a severe head wound which exacerbated whatever existing troubles he had. (And note that this was one of many wounds - nor was it his first head wound. It's just the one people in his own life pointed to as a moment of change.)

Junot had jealous and possessive tendencies, something that drove Napoleon a little batty, and they got worse. He also became more moody, suspicious of people, emotional regulation became more difficult and so on and so forth.

I really do feel for Junot. I really, really do. Especially because he so very much loved Napoleon (fought a duel for him in Egypt, though Napoleon was like: maybe...don't) and Napoleon was the least sympathetic person to be around if you're suffering from mental health challenges.

Napoleon: have you tried fresh air? going for a walk? a ride? touching grass?

Junot: Pretty sure that won't help the root cause but ok.

Napoleon: How about just...trying harder? to be normal?

Junot, stares at Napoleon: define "normal". Napoleone. We were roommates.

Talleyrand: OH MY GOD THEY WERE ROOMMATES.

Napoleon: Charles, get out.

While Junot was in Portugal, and later Spain, he wrote Napoleon a series of desperate letters begging him to reappoint Junot as his aid-de-camp. We unfortunately don't have these letters anymore, Napoleon was notoriously secretive and private when it came to personal correspondence and had a habit of burning lots of it (e.g., all of Josephine's letters to him).

However, we do have Laure Junot's account of Napoleon's reception of Junot's pleading. Laure writes:

‘Look here, Madame, what your husband writes to me!’ said the Emperor, ‘Read this and tell me if he sends you such letters.’

I read these letters, and this caused me some pain: my husband sent me affectionate missives, but never in the tone of a lover; here were letters that resembled those between Julie and Saint-Preux, or those of the Portuguese nun.*

Napoleon then goes on and says:

“In admitting that Junot loves me more than anything in the world … [he demonstrates] that he does not love me more than his own ambition”

To which Laure replies:

"He loves you, Sire, more than all the honors that you can give, more than your crown, more than me perhaps, for it was pride that made me say the contrary just now, perhaps even more than his children!”

*Note: She's referencing Guilleragues’s Portuguese Letters (1669) and Rousseau’s Julie or the New Héloïse (1761)

Also, as I said above, treat Laure's accounts cautiously. As with all memoirs, she is positioning certain scenes with a purpose and some things are downplayed, or exaggerated, accordingly.

Anyway, Junot's mental stability decreased over the course of the 1810s, and it didn't help that it was pretty clear he was out of favour with Napoleon and really, his love for Napoleon, and Napoleon's frienship, was the be-all end-all of his life. Even Duroc noted: “Poor Junot! It’s that he’s like me! The Emperor’s friendship is our whole life.”

His downfall was the Russian campaign where Napoleon blamed him for allowing the Russian army to retreat after the Battle of Smolensk. Junot's record during the campaign was hit and miss - he performed well in some instances and not-great/erratically in others. But it was Smolensk that made Napoleon vow to never make Junot a marshal (which was something Junot desperately wanted). With regards to Smolensk, Junot always claimed he never received an order to attack and so the wasn't to blame for Russian retreat.

In 1813, Napoleon dismissed Junot from military duty and sent him off to be ambassador in Illyria, a more marginal/not prestigious post which Junot, rightly or wrongly, saw as a form of exile.

During his ambassadorship he famously entered a ballroom wearing nothing but his epaulettes and his medals.

Brian Martin writes in Napoleonic Friendship:

While one could blame Junot’s naked diplomacy on his progressive dementia, his shocking entrance can also be seen as a kind of buff rebuff to Napoleon. After a lifetime fighting for Bonaparte, watching shrapnel rip into young men’s bodies, leading thousands of soldiers to their deaths, and suffering twenty-seven wounds* of his own, Junot offered his own ravaged body as a hideous and spectacular product of Napoleon’s violence.

*Note: Junot says he had 17 wounds, not sure where Marin got 27 - unless there were wounds Junot wasn’t counting. Definitely possible.

After this incident, Junot was swiftly recalled back to France where he soon after died by suicide.

In his final letter to Napoleon he wrote:

“I who love you with the affection of a savage for the sun, I who am entirely yours. Well then: this eternal war that we must fight for you, I want no more of ! I want peace! I want finally to repose my tired head, my sore limbs … to enjoy that which I earned … with my blood! The blood of an honest man, of a good Frenchman, of a true patriot. I therefore ask, at last, for that tranquility that I earned through twenty-two years of effective service and seventeen wounds from which my blood has flowed for my country, and for your glory." (emphasis in original)

After Junot's tragic death, Napoleon ordered that Junot's personal papers be seized and destroyed as he was afraid their personal correspondence might make its way to a public forum.

As I said at the front, this is a very fly-by-seat-of-pants overview of Junot's life. But he is a truly tragic figure in Napoleonic France and I just...want to give him a hug and get him some mental health support.

Thank you again for the kind ask!

#junot #Jean-Andoche Junot #napoleon bonaparte #napoleonic france #ask #reply #anon #history #19th century #18th century

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another-heroine · 8 months

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Wip Wednesday

Today's WIP has some 🌶 spicy 🌶 because I'm tired of pretending I don’t want Katya and Lann eating each other (not literally).

Also I need to be in the right mood for this kind of stuff, so you are welcome (I guess)

CW: no clothes, two people who finally gave in after months of frustration and misundertood, minors go play your favorite game, thanks

She was wearing nothing, but a satisfied grin and a thick blanket covering her torso, though it was possible to measure the size of her breasts and how large her hips were.

"I—" Lann clenched his jaw. He wanted to touch her so badly, and still his body was stiff. What if he hurt her by accident? What if it all was a big mistake?

Katya smiled softly and took his hands on hers. "You know, we don’t have to do anything if you are not feeling comfortable. "

It was a test, but, oh, he wanted to. To feel much more than her warm hands on his, but also her breath beneath his clothes, her softness against his body.

Lann put one of her hands against his human cheek, shutting his eyes. "It's like a dream."

"You think so? Then let me make it clear…"

She kissed him for the first time and that was like Lann was touching a living star. Sparkles, heat, chemistry ran through his body, and his deepest desires finally kicked in, making the stiffness go away. Though kissing wasn’t a common thing back to the Neathholm, it felt so right. Her mouth was warm and her tongue still had a bit of wine on it, which he instinctively sucked, and that move made Ekaterina moan.

"I want you…" the woman gasped, embarrassed and excited at the same time. She could feel fire crack on her fingertips like small fireworks. And her words made Lann's core get warmer, his heart beat faster as he took her in his arms and threw both of them over the bed.

"As you wish, Commander. Why did you not tell me earlier?"

Both laughed. The blanket fell and he glanced at her fair cleavage, Katya's nipples hardened and pink like rose buds. She pulled him over by his clothes, kissing more passionately than ever, rummaging her fingers through every button, eyelet and strips.

When she touched his groin over the fabric, Lann cringed involuntarily. The druid widened her eyes. "Is something wrong?"

He shook his head with a lopsided grin. "No, it’s just… Maybe it will scare you."

"What?"

Lann swallowed hard. "Erhm, inside my pants…"

Ekaterina frowned. "You mean, your cock?"

Her voice sounded so natural that shocked him for a while. Lann would never think of her talking about a cock — specifically his cock! — like she was talking about bread and butter.

"Yeah, but, like, erhm, it’s not one. They are… two," his voice cracked. Congratulations, Lann, you turned everything worse.

She was surprised. "Wait, Daeran was right, then? Are there two?"

He nodded, while feeling one of the mencionated members painfully against his trousers. But for his relief, she just giggled and rubbed his scaly arm.

"It's ok, my dear. It's you, after all, and I love everything in you. Even your clumsiness. And don’t worry…" she whispered in his ear. "I can manage to get them both."

Oh, the effect her words had over him…

Lann's response was sniffing her neck, breathing her scent while the woman giggled and squirmed.

"It tickles!"

The mongrel ignored that by purpose, going down through her cleavage until the laugh gave room to deep breaths. On Ekaterina's belly, Lann felt her hand running through his hair, touching the base of his horn. It made him look up, and spot her curious and eager eyes on him.

Good gods, he could die right there and nothing else mattered anymore. He was right where he should be, and thinking of leaving her was painful. More painful than giving in to death without a fight.

"You are so beautiful…" he thought out loud. That was sincere.

Ekaterina turned her gaze for a moment, cheeks becoming more rosy. "You flatter me…"

"I'm just starting…"

Before she could say anything, the woman felt both of his hands going down her thighs and rested her calves over his shoulders. Ekaterina felt pathetic for being too needy lately; just that motion was enough to make her gasp and her insides burn. She gripped the sheets, anxious, unable to stop staring at him until Lann finally gave head.

She was melting, she was sure of that. His tongue started slowly on her bud, until it found its way inside her folds and Lann lapped her like a thirst inexperienced boy. Katya could feel his firm grip on her buttocks, while she helplessly rocked her hips against him. The heat was getting increased, and seeking for some support, she grabbed his horn, senseless, and only realized that when he stopped and looked upon her.

The woman's heart skipped a beat.

"Sorry, did I…"

Her track was interrupted with two fingers of his slippering inside her.

"Damn it, Lann."

#ekaterina grushankaya #pwotr pals #pathfinder wotr

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josefavomjaaga · 11 months

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Hey Josefa,

May I ask what Soult's relationship with Davout was like, if you were able to find any information on it?

I know that Aimee Davout was friends with Louise Soult but the only thing I can find regarding their husbands' relationship is in 1815 when Napoleon made Soult his chief-of-staff and Davout was incredibly exasperated with Soult's conflicting messages to the point where he threatened to resign as Minister of War multiple times.

Thanks in advance! ☺️

First of all: Thank you, both for your patience and for the question! That's a very interesting one!

I have wondered about it myself, especially when I read sources about the time in Prussia, where these two men are often described as acting in a similar way: Rough, severe, but fair, and holding up strict discipline among their troops. It seems the two had a similar, very methodical approach to their job. Another thing they had in common was the fact they both did not belong to Napoleon’s inner circle and were not as personally close to the emperor and general-in-chief as other marshals (Murat, Lannes, Bessières etc.). Possibly a basis for a bond.

I am unaware (but would love to be corrected on this!) that the two of them ever met before Soult returned from Naples and both he and Davout were nominated colonel général of a branch of the Imperial Guard – another bond they shared. That being said, I have in biographies never come across any mention about a particular friendship between Soult and Davout, so I can only list some correspondence that – for me – could point to those two getting along rather well. Which already says much, as getting along with Soult was not particularly easy.

1.) Soult’s letter of congratulation to Davout, when both of them became marshals in 1804 (already posted here):

Soult to Davout 3 prairial year XII (23 May 1804)

You do not like compliments, and I do not like to make them; thus, my dear Marshal, do not expect any from me; but I will tell you with all the warmth of the friendship I have devoted to you that no one applauded your nomination with more joy than the friend writing to you. I congratulate myself with all my heart to find on the new rank to which His Imperial Majesty has deigned to elevate me, a colleague whom I love and whom I esteem, in short, to find Davout...

That does sound a lot like: Thank god you’re with us, that’s at least one guy who knows his shit… - but mostly, it seems to be a very personal letter, directed at somebody whom the writer knows well.

2.) In »Le Maréchal Soult, prince d’Eckmühl, raconté par les siens«, Soult’s name is mentioned quite a bit for the time of the camp de Boulogne and the first months of the empire. Both Soult’s and Davout’s wife were in the service of Letizia Bonaparte, even if Aimée soon quit. It still seems as if Madame Soult had taken a liking to Aimée and visited rather often with her and that Davout, trying to get Aimée out of her depressive moods, encouraged these visits. Davout, Mortier, Bessières and Soult apparently also were contacting each other about some details of their new imperial duties, and by the end of 1805, after the battle of Austerlitz, Davout wrote to Aimée and asked her to let the wives of Soult and Bessières know that their husbands were unharmed and had contributed quite a bit to the victory.

3.) A letter from Soult to Davout, 12 October 1808, quoted in N. Gotteri, »Soult. Maréchal d’Emoire et homme d’état«. On this day, Soult has to hand command of »his« 4th corps in Prussia, that he had led ever since the camp de Saint-Omer, over to Davout, as Napoleon had called Soult to Spain. - Make no mistake, Soult had almost begged for this in a letter that qualifies as virtual cul-kissing, assuring »the greatest of all men« how much he would love to give up his life for him. But when he as a consequence has to part ways with his old army corps, it still seems to not be so easy for him. You know, emotionally and stuff. Not that Soult would ever publicly admit to having emotions, of course.

[…] I do not conceal from you that I am leaving the troops of this army corps with inexpressible regret; a long habit of living with them, their devotion to the service of His Majesty, their military virtues, I would even say the signs of attachment that they have given me in the most difficult circumstances, all contributes to making this separation painful for me; however, the one feeling which can soften the rigour of it is that of being replaced by you and the persuasion that you will not delay in judging them worthy of your benevolence. […]

And then he recommends them all to Davout, in particular chief-of-staff Compans.

I love this letter, especially the part about the »signs of attachment« (»You know, Davout, sometimes it almost looked as if they kinda liked me. Strange, isn’t it?«). But other than that, I think it’s also a nice praise for Davout, and an expression of trust. In any case, it does not feel like a mere business letter to me.

And then I feel like there is a long drought. Davout is in Poland, Soult is in Andalusia, both are confronted with similar rumours about wanting to become king, though a lot more serious in Soult’s case. But there seems to be little contact between them. The first time when they find themselves on similar ground again, is during the First Restauration – and it is to be assumed that the years between 1808 and 1814 have changed both men quite a bit. Davout is in semi-disgrace because of Hamburg, and I have read on the internet that he asked both Oudinot and Soult to intervene on his behalf. Both failed, however.

But according to this sale of letters, on 9 January 1815 Soult informed Davout that the king had allowed him to return to Paris – Soult at this point of course having become minister of war, a couple of weeks earlier. This may however only be a coincidence and does not necessarily mean that Soult had anything to do with Davout’s return.

During the Hundred Days, we do have a rather harsh letter from Davout to Soult, reprimanding him for having disrespected Davout’s authority. And an interesting exchange between Davout and Napoleon about how much money Soult would receive in his function as major-general, that remined me a lot about a similar exchange between Napoleon and Clarke about the same subject when Soult had to return to Spain after the battle of Vittoria. As a professional soldier, Soult of course had always placed great value on the most professional question: How much will I earn? (Likely answer from Clarke/Davout: »Eternal glory and the gratitude of the fatherland!« - Soult: »How much is that in Francs?«)

I imagine that at this point, the two of them did not have all that much in common anymore. Davout was Napoleon’s man through and through, whereas Soult had only joined him reluctantly, at the very last minute, immediately before war broke out. And instead of sending Soult back into the place he had occupied before, the ministry of war, Napoleon had chosen Soult over Davout to accompany him into battle, and had left Davout with the pesky administrative tasks.

After the battle of Waterloo, Davout famously appealed on behalf of those Louis XVIII had condemned. It’s usually seen as him standing up for Ney but it may have been meant as a protest on behalf of all the exiled as well, which would include Soult. Davout himself was in disgrace (and without treatment) for years, until from 1818/1819 on regulations gradually loosened, and the exiled were allowed home one by one. According to newspaper articles, in 1820 both Davout and Soult had an audience with the king, together or at least on the same day.

But it seems that Soult was not invited to the marriage of Josephine Davout, nor was he later at Davout’s funeral. However, again according to this sale, there is a letter of condolence when young Josephine died, so maybe there still was some personal contact between them.

That’s all I have found so far. As both men were not exactly forthcoming as far as their emotional life is concerned, I assume that their reationship will always be very much up to interpretation. But if anybody has something more to add, please do so!

Thanks again for the Ask, and as usual, apologies for not being able to answer any better.

#napoleon's marshals #louis nicolas davout #jean de dieu soult #asks

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impetuous-impulse · 2 months

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Tagged by @cadmusfly.

Last Song: Napoleonically speaking, I read the last song I listened to (thanks to Victor Hugo). Le roi d'Yvetot is by Jean-Pierre de Béranger (1780-1857), a popular chansonnier. He was under Lucien Bonaparte's patronage for a bit. This song satirises Napoleon, and apparently Napoleon heard it one day and was like "haha funny". I found a record of it below.

youtube

There's also this recent version, which is clearer and more dynamic.

William Makepeace Thackeray made a translation of it, as seen here. Someone also posted the French text in the comments of the first song, so you can machine translate to get the literal meanings.

More generally, I've been on a nostalgia trip listening to older songs. Time-Forgotten One (時忘人) strikes me as apt for this blog, because the lyrics explore grief and survivor's guilt in a post-war context (with a twist at the end). Of his comrades, the singer muses:

Even though the long-drawn-out war has ended / where have they gone / have they gone to a land where no grass grows / and continued the fight there？/ I continue to wait for them

I remember fighting with comrade whom I could entrust my back to / Now I am the only one left on this street, where have the familiar faces gone？

Translations adapted from here (if you want to experience the story in its glory). The creator hinayukki also posted a remake recently.

Currently Watching: Two reality TV shows, which I need to catch up on.

Three ships: Any kind of ship, right? Not my favourite or anything? Okay. I define shipping by two people interacting with and reacting to each other intensely, whatever that may mean. The following are some I would actively promote.

Ney/Soult: From comrades and work friends to "bitter rivals" (and scholars continue their feud). I love a good friends to rivals/enemies to something else, and their historical relationship gives me so much material to work with. You can create something very historically-compliant and trace various narratives depending on what you focus on. Desaix/Saint-Cyr: Two giants who respected each other equally and were intimate friends (to the point of using "tu" with each other). Hot/cold foils (commented on contemporaries and later writers). There is also some tragedy in outliving one of your closest friends (of which you have so few), ascending to a higher rank than he did in life, while disliking the institution who bestowed the accolades upon you. Bernadotte/Brahe: This is just here for how codependent they were. Bedside counselling deep into the night? Brahe having a room of Bernadotte statues? Matching rings with braided hair? So much potential.

Honourable shout-out to Jourdan/Kléber as a thought experiment of the ephemeral variety (I think my bias for the Rhine armies is showing). I would also like to mention [REDACTED] and [REDACTED], but I suspect it would get me dragged through the mud by fans of Ney (as he is represented in popular tradition), haha.

Favourite Colour: Gold and green, currently.

Currently consuming: The last food I had was vegetable broth.

First ship: In the Napoleonic fandom, it would be NapJuno (because of the plausibility).

Relationship status: Complicated

Last Movie: The Holdovers (2023). A good alternate Christmas Hallmark movie.

Currently working on: 1) The Ney and Soult Get-Along T-Shirt AU, where Ney escapes arrest with Soult's help post-Waterloo. Here's a WIP of it choked with purple prose to prove it isn't dead:

2) A Lannes WIP. 3) A non-Napoleonic fic that I desperately need to finish so I can be more active on here again.

Tagging: Anyone who wants to do it—go ahead.

#tag game #meme #i welcome tag games #tag at the risk of: responses getting wordy #Youtube

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sunsolii · 5 months

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Hiiiii~ I hope you don't mind me asking what you think Lannes' character song would be? I really liked your choices for Junot and Soult so I'd love to hear your opinion (＾▽＾)

Hello!!!! No need to worry about asking me questions, especially if it's about the marshals and music😄

To me Lannes' character song(s) would be 'Higher' by Kaval or Deadlock by Bossfight and Hayve. Ever since I heard 'Higher' I imagine Lannes getting into some wacky shenanigans. The song itself is loud, and energetic which if we look at Lannes, he was a loud and energetic person. As for 'Deadlock' I feel like this song relates to Lannes' bravery and not wanting to back down. When injured he would want to go and continue fighting, or the ladder incident. The song is loud and heavy which makes you wanna headbang every time you listen to it xD.

Another song that comes to mind when thinking of Lannes is 'Accelerate' by Terminate and Skybreak, a song that is fast and also energetic as the last song I mentioned. Though when listening to this song I sometimes imagine a scene where the marshals and Napoleon are outdoors looking at a calvary race including Lannes, Murat, Ney, and Soult (don't ask why Soult is racing them. Maybe he made a bet with another marshal and lost 😅).

I can say that based on @joachimnapoleon 's answer to the question about Murat and cars that he might blast the song while driving full speed down the highway lol.

Anyway here's my long ass answer, thank you so much for the ask! I'll leave the songs underneath the text

#napoleonic era #jean lannes #napoleon bonaparte #french history #answered #joachim murat #napoleonic wars #deadlock might be too heavy for some of y'all #music

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itsukismoon · 6 months

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Event story - Chapter 10 (Grateful Days)

>> part 11

When Lannes announces the Grateful Festival Special Area Award, everyone starts talking to each other. Lannes thanks all the meisters who made such an event possible, and adds that Velvet will be opening the park to everyone around the world. He thanks everyone for creating such a joyous event, and the crowd cheers.

Velvet: Of course, there will be times when everyone’s help will be needed in order to continue operating. In order to deliver to the world this dream created by everyone, let’s keep working together.

lannes also thanks the Chevalier knights for granting security to this place which is visited by many dignitaries.

Harriet: It is an honour for me to be able to protect a place full of wonderful love!

Alex: I vow to protect everyone’s smiles until the end. Please continue enjoying yourself peacefully without worries.

Then, the Special Area Award begins. Lannes would like to praise all guilds, but alas the world of craftsmen is based on friendly rivalry. The most popular area was the Gourmet area run by Gastronomy! Lannes invites a representative of the guild to leave a comment on the stage, and Oscar sends Kuchen over since he’s an ambassador, much to Kuchen’s dismay (Oscar is an ambassador too btw lol). Anyway, he heads to the stage with a slightly listless look after being encouraged by Emma.

Kuchen: I— No, everyone at Gastronomy is all about making the most delicious food, that’s all there is to it. However… I think that by getting involved with other people, our skills can be further refined. (YESSSS CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT!!!!) If those who gave us such an opportunity would want to eat our best food from now on— No, if they feel like they would want to make it together, then I’d be happy.

He meets Emma’s eyes and suddenly smiles admits the crowd’s roaring applause. She feels her heart warm at his words as a chocolatier and as a member of Gastronomy.

Next, the Alliance award goes to Tokohana, due to their role in preserving the traditional culture and their praising of peace through their work. Aoi steps on stage and admits that although he’s the ambassador, Asahi is the one who actually created Tokohana and continues to lead it. At first, he only thought of it as a fun occupation, and he probably does think that now, too; still, he now believed it is something very interesting too, and continuing to pursue being a meister at Tokohana will surely make him happy in the future. They will put to good use and continue cherishing their culture, their friends and the people who support them.

Velvet, as the landlord of this place, announces the Velvet award: the Water area, led by Jounetsu Taikai.

Searle: Aniki (= big bro)!! They called us!!!

Elma: Eh…? EHH…!? F-FOR REAL!?

According to Velvet, they were the ones who best embodied the concept of entertainment, and as an entertainer himself, he can’t help but respect that. He then invites Elma onto the stage.

Elma: EH, wait a min’! What am I even supposed to say at a time like this?! Hey, Shii-chan!?

Searle: Sheira and Uru are getting drunk over there~? Aniki, do your best!

Elma: Wait a minute! I need to think of the perfect phrase— Ah! Dassu, you come at the perfect time! runs over to DasteHey hey, don’t you have some kinda cool phrase to say?!

Daste: Hell if I know. Just go with your usual Whey Whey. I’m busy so don’t get me involded in this. walks away

Elma: EHH———!? Ah, uhm… first of all, thank you! I didn’t think we were going to be chosen for something, so I’m really happy! We only think about surfing all the time, and we get yelled at a lot… we caused problems during this Festival too. But, that’s because of how addicting it is! Really, I think surfing will save the world! It’s a lot of fun, so make sure you come to our guild! Even the people who never tried it before, we will teach you real quick! Also, Emma-chan! For before and now… thanks a bunch! I’m gonna tell you now!

All the awards are given out, and everyone gets off stage.

Adel: …don’t tell me this is the end. How pompous.

Then, Lannes announces a special prize.

#mobage #otome #ymkr #joseimuke #yume100 #yumekuro #yumekuro translations #ゆめくろ #dream meister and the recollected black fairy #otome games #grateful days #夢職人と忘れじの黒い妖精

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thesolemnhour · 11 months

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How about Fluff, Grudge and Reminder for Agria?

thank you, dujour!! i. am so sorry this took so long it's been a chaotic day but these were so fun!! under a readmore bc it got long😳

Fluff :: What hits their soft spot? Does anything them into emotional goo?

Lots of things, really! Agria is an emotional person. She's deeply touched when people take the time to really know her. That can meaning learning about some of the things that are most important to her, especially Sarkorian culture or transmutation, but it also means remembering how she takes her coffee or what sweets she likes. She wants to be understood.

Grudge :: How bad does an insult go over? Do they hold a grudge long?

Depends on how she reads the intention! She can take quite a bit of friendly ribbing; teasing is a love language of hers, and she'd think it was lame not to be able to take it herself. She doesn't tend to take it too personally when someone takes a joke too far. She has thick skin as a rule.

The weakness here is that her soft spots are obvious to anyone who knows her at all. When she thinks someone is trying to take a swing at one of those, she responds with force. Daeran makes a smart comment to her the first time they meet, and she just refuses to cast any buffs on him for the better part of Act 1. Like, waiting for him to walk away from the group then casting haste levels of pettiness.

As far as grudges go, she likes to think she's very good at holding onto them, but in reality, the anger usually burns itself out (with a few notable exceptions). She can't really stay mad if the person is sorry.

She also... takes criticism very poorly. Oftentimes worse than she'd take a proper insult. She takes a lot of pride in viewing herself as a competent person, and she's usually not too far off, but that means she takes corrections really personally. Even moreso when they're objectively correct! She applies them eventually, she just has to be a baby about it for a little while.

Reminder :: How are they at remembering daily needs? What falls through the cracks?

Oh, BAD! She can get so engrossed in whatever she's doing that the world could be falling down around her ears, and she wouldn't even look up. Left to her own devices, she skips meals, doesn't sleep, stops talking to her friends. It makes her a very efficient worker but a disaster of a person.

She is, however, aware that these are problems at this stage of her life. By the start of the game, she has develop a routine that keeps her in one piece even as she's on the move. Under the pressures of the crusade, though, she starts to revert to old habits. It's not that she doesn't know self-care is important, it's just that it feels wrong to give the cause anything less than 110% effort. That's where her new friendships start to really save her ass.

I think Lann would actually be the first one to catch the bad behaviors and, knowing better than to confront her directly, takes a page out of her book and invites her along to whatever the hell he's doing at the time. That way, it forces her to mimic an at least marginally healthier routine. Woljif is also a big help, especially after they start to cohabitate. Who wants to be up an about at 5 in the morning when your boyfriend is in bed with you?

#ag tag #tysm for asking i love these!

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kafkaesqxe · 9 months

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For Harrow :)

5. Do they have any tattoos? If so what are they and do they have any special meaning?

25. Do they have a daily/nightly routine?

38. What are their dreams like? Do they have any recurring dreams/nightmares?

Thank you for the questions <3 <3

5. Do they have any tattoos? If so what are they and do they have any special meaning?

No, but not for lack of appreciation! Harrow loves tattoos, especially the more intricate pattern-like ones, they're just too indicisive to settle on any particular design. They also have some lingering trauma from their father - the urge to always be prim and proper, to be the perfect daughter in a vain attempt to please his shadow, though Harrow managed to rebel and recover enough to pierce their ears and stop filing their horns.

25. Do they have a daily/nightly routine?

Before going to bed Harrow always brews themselveves a cup of tea with honey and meets with Daeran (and later, Lann also joins after Harrow reassures him that neither them nor Daeran will be annoyed or make fun of him for reading more slowly/with more difficulty) to read the trashiest, most godawful romance novels known to man and laugh their asses off. More often than not, they actually get invested in the plot! There have also been many times when Harrow has fallen asleep and the three simply had a sleepover, so Harrow and Lann actually keep spare clothing in Daeran's chambers.

38. What are their dreams like? Do they have any recurring dreams/nightmares?

Harrow's dreams tend to be scattered and rarely follow a single plot, being composed mostly of disjointed scenes that honestly make little sense and have them scratching their head when they wake up.

The problem is Harrow's nightmares - Harrow has many of those, trauma and stress-induced, coupled with bouts of insomnia, so they have a very hard time being well rested in flare up periods. The Trashy Romance Novels Book Club actually formed as a response to Harrow's nightmares, being thought up by Daeran as a way to have Harrow relax before sleep.

A recurring nightmare of them is (tw: body horror and blood) of being forced to file their horns while her father yells at them, but their horns keep growing faster than they can file them down, while their father's voice grows louder and harsher and eventually turns into demonic screeching as blood starts to pour from their horns and drenches them completely, upon which they wakes up.

#lore tag #pathfinder wrath of the righteous #pwotr #wotr #knight commander #wotr commander #tw body horror #tw blood

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cassynite · 1 year

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⛺️ and 📜 please!

Oh thank you so much for asking!!

⛺️: what’s your favourite camp banter?

I'm going to be pretty boring--almost all of the Daeran banters rank among my faves. These are some standouts:

I just really love how Daeran and Lann become friends.

Any mention of Silaena Arendae and Daeran's feelings about her make me go nuts.

I always kick my feet a little when I get Daeran romance banters. Arueshalae's banters about his romance are my favorites to find!

📜: do you enjoy council meetings? why/why not?

I do! I feel like the council meetings are one of the few ways the game mechanics show how your status as Knight Commander actually fully affects the Crusade (Crusade mode felt weirdly impersonal to me and disconnected from the main gameplay).

I think there's good narrative friction in the different councils that were cool for RP purposes even if they didn't fully mesh with the story itself (like the supply lines sucking and the Crusade lacking resources was really cool, even if I never felt like we were missing supplies outside of Logistics Council meetings and a few conversations with Wilcer Garms)). I like how each one has its own major issue you're combating and your decisions can really show a lot of characterization for your KC.

And, of course, the companion banter in the council meetings are some of the best. Seeing your companions bounce off of each other and the advisor is really fun. I always looked forward to council meeting cutscenes :D

#dmagedgoods #cassy answers #thank you again for asking!!

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dujour13 · 1 year

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Oooh thank you for the WOTR asks! Can I get 3, 10, and 16 please? :)

3. Companions: your OC’s platonic best friend? Hesitating between Seelah and Daeran. It takes a while for Siavash to see through Daeran’s many layers of defenses, but he does grow to appreciate him and truly enjoy his company, especially after the resolution of Daeran’s final quest. Siavash agonized about making a decision that would restrict Daeran’s freedom, not being the kind of person who does things for others’ own good generally, but he felt he had little choice. He basically sacrificed his principles to save Daeran from the Other, but also from himself. Luckily, Daeran forgave him for it. But not without some passive aggressive drama. Seelah’s just good fun. She often talks down her own intelligence, but she’s so sensible, open-minded and kind that I think they would get along wonderfully. He’s pretty sure he can get her to go skinny dipping. Siavash loves Lann, but wishes he weren’t so uptight. If I were a better writer I’d do more with that, but I don’t have the hang of writing Lann. Also unwritten—on the Azata path I think things could get intense with Arueshalae, although they would always stay at arms’ length for good reason.

10. Thoughts on Queen Galfrey? As an Andoren patriot, Siavash is highly suspicious of monarchs, even those with a stellar reputation. He’s got his radar up for abuses of power the minute he sets foot in Mendev, and quickly gets a few blips: Hulrun vs. Ramien, Daeran’s party house, not to mention what Ember and Woljif have been through. He’s a bit standoffish with Galfrey at first, but warms to her when she shows she’s not above going incognito to join the Crusade on the ground. Not to mention drinking a round with them at the Defender’s Heart. But that actually leads him to underestimate her, and think of her as a friend rather than a monarch, so that when she strips him of his title and sends him to the Abyss it’s a slap in the face he didn’t see coming. He’s actually uncharacteristically bitter about that. He’s such a softie he totally forgives her in the end, though. Her unsent letter of apology made him cry, especially realizing at last what an incredible burden she’s been bearing for so long. For somebody with high emotional intelligence, I think that's a failing on his part--too busy caught up in disapproving of her status as Queen to think about how hard it's been for her.

16. Your OC’s favorite ability / spell? Azata spells are all just an absolute joy. I’m not kidding, there’s one that’s actually called Believe in Yourself. They might not be the ones he uses most often, but the way I picture Siavash in my fic it’s Optimistic Smile and Friendly Hug. In game besides his bard songs, he shoots bolts of Instrument of Freedom a lot, but there are other great offensive spells like Rainbow Starfall and Rainbow Arrows that are just really on theme for him. Here are a couple more Azata spells just because they’re hilarious: Ode to Miraculous Magic, Moral Support, Joy of Life, and Revolt. Actually it would be good fun to write these into the fic more. Thinking of Rejuvenating Poem for example—a poem that cancels fatigue effects? But here’s my eternal question: are bards really supposed to sing during combat? I never could picture that honestly. Siavash only jokes about it in my fic.

#thanks for the ask!#turbulentpumpkin43 #commander siavash

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queen-scribbles · 1 year

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1, 3, 6, 11 for the WOTR asks?

Gonna do both Vikkari and Trinne(far as I can), because why not? :D

1.What mythic path(s) did your KC take, and why?

Vikkari went Azata, at first bc it looked fun and the whole freedom/wanderer/song of Elysium thing fit him really well and I'm a sucker for all things Desna /cough, then bc AIVU, then bc it really was a 100% perfect fit and add an extra note of 👀👀👀 to Arue's romance.

Trinne is starting Trickster, but gonna give it up to go Legend when she learns the truth about the source. Trickster fits her pretty well--aside from some of the more extreme options--and I love the Council, but she doesn't trust Areelu or want anything to do with something that comes from her, wants to be in control of her power/choices(also another reason that will go in the next question).

3.What background, class, and deity did your OC take?

Vikkari is a Qadiran Wanderer, Warpriest, and starts off worshipping Iomadae, but adds Desna for Azata, Arue, and her being my favorite god reasons. xD

Trinne is a Noble(Leader) background, since the Amells are technically a noble family in Dragon Age and I try to keep that whenever I drop her in different universes. She worships Shelyn(yes, I AM having fun with a Shelyn worshipper romancing Lann), and class currently is Thundercaller Bard bc I gotta keep my girl with her lightning. When she goes Legend--part of WHY I wanna go Legend for her instead of staying Trickster--I'm planning to add Dragon Disciple once I can do that and still max out her Bard abilities. :3 I'm p sure I checked and she can be both

6. Did they intervene in Pharasma’s court? If so, what did they decide?

Assuming I'm remembering correctly and this is the bit with Areelu before Pharasma post-ending slides? Vikkari intervened to ask for mercy. He doesn't condone Areelu's actions, but he understands her motives and the great evil that was done to her, and she did sacrifice herself to close the Worldwound, so he feels like she deserves at least a modicum of mercy.

Trinne's not gonna intervene. Pharasma knows what She's doing, whatever end Areelu gets will be what she deserves.(this is a bit dependent on how Trinne's game goes, ofc. there might be something that makes her change her tune)

11. What did your KC think of the Hand of the Inheritor?

Vikkari really likes him. Appreciates his zeal, and his counsel, and the Hand protesting when Galfrey gets all mad at the "Storm the Fane early" stunt an Azata can pull(Aivu said it was a good idea, and she hasn't steered me wrong yet!). Is saddened by his fall and does restore his heart.

Trinne thinks he's alright so far. Maybe a little too stick-in-the-mud, needs to relax a bit, tone down the Righteous Angel thing a little bit. She'll be less surprised than Vikkari when he falls(hasn't happened yet for her), thanks to that one Seelah and Arue banter about the more uptight paladins being easier to break. She is gonna try to restore his heart though. We'll see if I remember how to do it.

WotR Asks (2)

#wotr asks 2 #thank you!#vikkari damson #trinne amell

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leo-interactive-fiction · 2 years

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If the ROs from TA were able to play Palace of paradise who would they choose to romance?

Haha, that's an interesting crossover. There's less characters in PoP then there are in Triaina, so there's be at least a couple overlaps. Let's see...

----

E: I think they'd pick Kia/n. They're not really familiar with the world they've been thrown into by chance opportunity, but they're earnest and well-meaning. It would mesh well with E's sunny enthusiasm and altruistic stance of people. They would be the general do-gooder team up

R: I think they'd pick the no-nonsense detective Blanc/Blanche. Both are extremely perceptive of the environment and it's inhabitants, though R is more focused on people, and Bl moreso on the environment. I think the chilled personality mixing with a more laid back one can work well. Also it would be fairly ironic, as Bl is a detective, and both of R's paths are criminalized to some degree.

L: I think they would be interested in Avi/Ain. An AI developed for romantic intention and also a possible will and desire of its own would be a major focus of intellectual curiosity for one, and I think the AI's purpose and story would resonate very closely with L's romantic nature.

V: weirdly enough, I think they'd choose Esper/Espera. Honestly, I think V would take every outlandish thing they said completely seriously at face value, and that will get them to unknowingly raise the relationship flags. Idk, the idea of Es talking about their demon eye destroying three separate worlds and V just take it as truth at every fantastical turning point kinda sends me.

P: they would probably choose the roommate Lann/Lanni. They both have a heavy competitive spirit and a lot of repressed emotion, just different ones. Though even given that, P would absolutely squish La like a bug. The setting differences are so drastic that a fight between them would be like Mayweather vs a cripple. So thank God the digital world is able to even the odds a bit, because I don't think P would really be satisfied with anyone in this weak lineup of characters.

M: I think they'd choose Orion/Orain. To be somewhat honest, O was made as something of a parallel to M's flirtatious behavior with a different kind of driver and intent, along with a lack of sleepiness. I attempted to make O with the same kind of slowly drawn flirting dialogue M used. So I think they'd be a good match haha.

Ra: this is a bit of a hard one, since I'm not really sure what they would do if the MC didn't exist. I'll go out on a limb and say they would also choose the detective, for a somewhat similar reason but altogether different purpose. The detective is basically the only individual there with both the means and willingness to be a direct danger to Raven's maligned actions, so I think raven would attempt to get close to manipulate and find out where the detective is to cut out any opposition.

S: I think they'd choose Dayta/Dahta, and it'd be a very interesting pair. Why would arguably the dumbest person in Triaina pair with arguably the most intelligent person of the digital world? Well, the answer is that they're kindred rebellious spirits, and even though S wouldn't have the slightest idea as to what data was doin tinkering around with their hackery mumbo, they definitely understand and relate to the problems they have with authority and in taking more criminal means to undermine them. I think their shared ideology makes them an unlikely but achievable duo

F would probably be so insufferable to the characters of PoP that the AI would be hopelessly lost attempting to promise a suitor for them and the hacker would DDoS and IP ban them from the server. There's a very large reason why Fiore is paid the big bucks, and why she desperately bashes you and F together like a kid playing with action figures in the vain hope you will fall in love and F won't be completely appalled by the idea

Thank ya for the ask! I hope you enjoyed

#triaina academy #palace of paradise #crossover

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itsukismoon · 7 months

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Event Story - Chapter 9 (Grateful Days)

>> part 10

Time passes by quickly, and soon the day of the Midnight Festival arrives. Emma is summoned to the hotel a bit earlier.

Emma: Uhm, Adel-san. This dress is…?

Turns out that all those measurements he was taking were actually to prepare a dress for the Midnight Festival. He takes care of some final adjustments and then stops to admire how good it looks on Emma, stating that she’s beautiful. This sudden gifts fills her heart with joy, knowing how picky Adel can be when it comes to clients (going as far to even refuse royalty, at times). She asks why he designer the dress for her, and he brushes her off, saying that she’ll understand it later (also, he apparently hasn’t slept much to make the dress, as Emma deduces it from the dark circles under his eyes). Emma urges him to rest a bit, but he refuses, saying that his working style is nothing for her to worry about. She bites back saying that she actually worries about it every day, so he gets closer and grabs her chin.

Adel: What a big mouth you have on you. As expected of the talented guild keeper.

She apologises, saying she was impertinent, and he chuckles.

Finally, it is time for the already crowded Festival, and Adel escorts Emma there by holding her hand.

Emma: Wahh…!

Everyone (staff members, Rindou, Aoi, Caprice) compliment Emma, saying she’s absolutely stunning. Kuchen says he thought she was somewhere still working like a slave, and he’s happy to see her here. Jin approaches her, and when Emma asks him what he was doing in Adel’s office back then, Adel comes and cuts him off, changing topic by proposing a toast. They merrily toast to Emma!

She takes a look around the venue. Crow and Grandflair are thanking some staff members for taking care of the Guild; something similar is going on with Kai. Victor is approached by some staff members who believed everyone in his guild to be scary and unapproachable, but were proven otherwise upon meeting the former. The scene then shifts to Elma simply going WHEYYYY with some federation members (everyone is exchanging grateful words and positive feelings, then Elma is simply communicating through vibes lol he’s so cute).

Emma thinks back on Lannes’ words, and basks in the happy yet tranquil atmosphere. After some time, Lannes’ voice resounds throughout the venue through a microphone. He explains that the Midnight Festival is a time to give back to the Meisters all the love and appreciation they showed during Grateful Festival. He then moves on to introduce a program: the “Grateful Festival Special Area Award”!

#joseimuke #mobage #ymkr #ゆめくろ #yume100 #yumekuro #yumekuro translations #otome #dream meister and the recollected black fairy #otome games #grateful days #夢職人と忘れじの黒い妖精

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skiitter · 3 years

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Also in my roundabout way I would like to request a Lann ficlet, start with angst but make it happy? or just happy. Or just anything because you are a great writer!!

okay so uh this got away from me but here's 3.8k words of lann pining after the commander and being an idiot in love.

He is not staring. He is restringing his longbow after their latest run in with the remaining demons still lingering in the area, that's it. He is absolutely not staring at his two companions huddled together across the fire. He is not watching with rapt, singular focus at their every interaction, seeking answers in her soft words, his sardonic remarks. The Aasimar gestures rudely with his hands, and she laughs loud, the chorus of it echoing through the empty ramparts. When Daeran dips his head low to whisper in her ear, the skin of her neck flushes and Lann forces himself to look away.

He's pretty sure they're sleeping together. It's hard to know for sure, thanks to his complete lack of experience in interpersonal relationships, not to mention his one and only lover having been someone he'd known since birth. Wenduag was a blunt edge of expectation, and Lann always knew exactly what was happening between them. When it comes to the Commander and Daeran, however, he isn't totally sure.

That unknowing, that gray area of wretched hope, is killing him. Falling for her was not on the agenda, seeing as she'll live for hundreds of years and he's lucky if he's got a decade left. Not to mention that she's (probably) gonna save the world and he's just some Mongrel who's legacy won't extend beyond the small role he's played in the crusade. He's never been a glutton for punishment, what with life underground being horrid enough already, but there is a sweet sting in accepting his unrequited love for her that he can't shake. It drives him, despite it's doomed end, to do whatever he can for her fight. If he cannot give her his heart, he will give her his life.

"You're staring," Seelah whispers, her hulking form crouched next to him as she sharpens her longsword.

"Can you blame me? Looking forlornly into the campfire is just one of my many talents."

Seelah chuckles and jerks her head slightly towards the Commander and Daeran. "Oh you're looking forlornly alright, but it's not at the flames. You should talk to her."

"I do talk to her. I talk to her everyday. Are you saying you don't? Honestly Seelah, she's your commander, you--"

"Fine fine, play coy. I'm just saying Lann, we could die at any minute. Do you really not want her to know how you feel?"

Lann swallows, the ugly reminder of mortality and how the sword strung above him dangles far lower than the Commander's tightening the sinew around his heart. "Sh--she doesn't need any more burdens. The Commander's got enough going on, what with that pesky Worldwound thing." He spares one last glance before turning his body away, enduring the biting cold as the heat of the fire leaves his scaled skin. "She doesn't want to deal with a lovesick Mongrel and really, who could blame her?"

"How could you possibly know what she wants if you don't talk to her?"

"Because it's not her wants I'm concerned with, it's her needs. And she needs me to be good ol' reliable Lann. She needs me to shoot my arrows and kill the baddies. She needs--she needs something she can count on and that something is me."

The Abyss happens all at once and it's a miserable experience for them all. Their time in Drezen made him soft, he thinks, because the camp at the Nexus is horrifically uncomfortable. The ground is somehow colder and harder than any other he's slept on and no amount of fire really chases away the shadows.

They spend a significant amount of time in Alushinyrra, and a significant amount of money staying at the Bad Luck Tavern just to avoid the discomforts of the Nexus. It's on one such expensive stay that a group of frankly moronic thugs try and rob the Commander while she sleeps. Her ever-present and ruthlessly protective Velociraptor dispenses them in quick measure, ripping the throat out of the final victim before Lann even has his bow drawn.

Up until that point they'd opted for three rooms, in groups of two, but they downsize to one after the attack. The Commander's life was hardly in danger but playing with fate isn't something she likes to do, chaotic nature be damned. The tavern owner grumbles but, with a golden incentive, allows them to drag one of the other beds into the room so the sleeping arrangements aren't quite so cramped.

Ember curls up into the Commander's side, her sisterly affection having transformed them from companions to near family. Woljif takes the other bed, offering half of it to Regill. The severe gnome answers him with a severe look and Woljif extends the offer to Lann instead. He glances at Daeran but the Aasimar is already tucking himself into the space between the Commander and the wall. With not a small amount of jealousy, Lann resigns himself to his fate and joins Woljif.

A soft rustling pulls him from a restless slumber some time later and Lann wakes just in time to see the Commander whisper something to Regill, who is stationed at the door, before slipping into the hallway with Daeran in tow. He watches them until they vanish and, as he looks away, makes uncomfortable eye-contact with the gnome. Regill's face is as impassive as always, but Lann feels guilty for some reason, like a kid caught with his hand in the rat cage.

"Is this going to be a problem?" Regill asks him as they head out the next morning. Well, not morning since there is no sun or sky or joy in Alushinyrra.

"Hard to say, this city does tend to be a bit on the rough side," Lann responds.

"The Commander has assured me any physical relationships she has with the party aren't going to be a problem." It's not a question but it's not not a question and Lann looks around to make sure the others aren't paying attention.

"We uh, we aren't in a physical relationship?"

"I know."

"Riiiiiight."

"But you want to be, which is arguably worse. So I'll ask you again, is this going to be a problem?"

It occurs to Lann that he should probably do a slightly better job of keeping his apparently obvious feelings on the Commander to himself. "Uh, no. No, it's not." Regill doesn't seem satisfied but then again, when does he ever? "Is uh, I mean, are the Commander and Daeran--"

"I do not gossip," Regill snarls. "Bother the thief with nonsense like that."

Lann does not, in fact, bother the thief with nonsense like that. Instead, he pushes down the swelling of affection he feels at every interaction with the Commander and focuses on the mission. It goes well enough, all things considered, until Savamelekh shows up and nearly kills him.

The demon's revelations are a bit too much for his overtaxed heart to bear and the subsequent bender doesn't help at all. When the Commander finds him, though, he just babbles on about wanting to prove to her he can be what she wants, what she needs, and that she can trust him. "I want to be somebody you can count on. I don't have anything to offer apart from my bow and my dumb jokes....and my life. And they're all yours, if you want them." He glances away, shame and discomfort crushing him from the inside out. "But I doubt you do, not now that I've let you down."

"....I could never turn my back on someone I care about just like that." She's been talking this whole time but it's these words that register hard and fast. Lann stares at her, and she stares back, and the weight of things unsaid on her face is a blessed curse. He forces a smile, bashful but steady, and pulls away from the conversation. It's too much to think about, especially because hope is not his friend, despite its insistence on hanging around.

Later, back at camp, away from everyone but her sharp-eyed Velociraptor, the Commander comes for him. He's not avoiding her, not that he really could thanks to the nature of their new normal in the Abyss, but he's not not avoiding her either. He's sitting at the edge of the cliff, staring out over the sea of fire and the city of demons. She sits beside him, shoulder to shoulder, and they are quiet for a long time.

"Next time I get drunk and come to pour my heart out to you, I'll jot down notes first," he says lightly, glancing at her. Her face is hard to read, not the open expression she'd given him back at the tavern, but he knows her well enough to know she's bothered by something. "I'm kidding of course. I'd never do that -- I don't do notes, I improvise."

"Why do you do that?"

"Improvisation is just one of my many skills, honed from my illustrious life as a Mongrel hunter. Sometimes, you got out to hunt for some rats and end up fighting a--"

"Lann, stop." He does, if only because her tone is firm. "Why do you always demean what you say with humor?"

"I'm....funny like that?"

She scowls at him and her raptor lets out a soft hiss. He's pretty sure they're connected, somehow, because otherwise that would be just plain freaky. "I love that you're funny, Desna knows we need something lighthearted with Regill around, but sometimes I--" She falters, his rocksteady monument of a Commander, and it scares him. "Sometimes I just want you to tell me how you feel."

His heart races, and hope is such a dangerous, cruel thing. "I did tell you how I felt...I meant what I said, back at the tavern. I...I'd do anything for you." The confession settles between them, demanding to be addressed.

"For me, or for the crusade, for the cause?" She's asking him a different question, he thinks.

"I--"

"Because Lann, I--you are--"

"What about Daeran?" He says it in a rush, because he can't handle whatever it is she's trying to confess.

"What about Daeran?"

"Aren't you--ya know--"

"Lann, would you do anything for me or for the crusade? To whom are you pledging your life too? Is it me? I need to know because I cannot carry on like this."

More shame, some more guilt, all for Lann. Of course his unwanted affections made her uncomfortable, of course he took her caring treatment of him to mean more than it was supposed to. He wants to leave, because he also kind of wants to cry. "Commander..."

"Not commander. Lann, please for this moment can I just be a person to you?"

She's crying, for some reason, and he doesn't know what to do. "You're always a person to me. I--you know that."

"To whom do you pledge your life?"

In the end, he knows what's more important. "The--the crusade." Lann knows that she needs to be able to rely on him without thinking he's reading into her every action, her every word. His wants are second to her needs, just as it should be.

Her face crumples, though, and the twist of her mouth breaks his heart. "Right. Okay. Of course." She stands, dusting her robes off and refuses to look him in the eye. Lann realizes immediately that he's said the wrong thing, despite his efforts to do the exact opposite.

"Commander--"

"Have a good night, Lann. Thank you for….thank you for clearing that up."

Her raptor snarls at him when he stands up to stop her and she is gone.

The next day, she announces they are heading deep into the heart of the Abyss. And, for the first time since he followed her out of the dark and into the sun, she leaves him behind.

Six months. Six long, bloody, dangerous months. He runs point with Greybor, struggling to keep the Commander's hoard of refugees safe, and spends each watch with Solsiel, pointedly not talking about their missing leader.

Several times the idea of her death comes up and he stops fighting against it. He's pretty sure they'd leave but there is no where to go. Groups of demons hunt them for sport and it's a miracle he's able to keep himself in one piece. Nenio is insufferable. Seelah is too positive. He misses Ember, and Wolfji. He misses Regill and his cold practicality. He misses the Commander and the smile she used to shoot him when he'd struck down an enemy in their path.

Eventually, it's just the five of them left. Every other life she'd saved has been systematically eradicated by the horrors of the Abyss. Still, they wait because what else are they supposed to do?

She returns, of course, because she's more myth than woman these days. What was six horrific months in hell for those left behind, was less than two weeks for them. Two weeks. The Commander doesn't cry when she sees the devastation that's been wrought in the wake of her absence. Her left hand trembles, but she stays strong. Just as quickly as they'd come, she shows them the way home.

Drezen is in shambles and it takes another week just to kill the demon forces that have taken their city. In that week, she treats him as warmly as she does Greybor. That is to say, her polite indifference is breaking him.

As things return to normal, and he contends with the loss of his tribe, Lann considers what to do. He's messed up, somehow, and he's spent six months worrying over it. He's pretty sure she wanted him to admit that it was to her he swore his life. He's pretty sure he knows why. A (admittedly short) life spent hunting for things unseen and he completely missed the things she'd tried to say.

He misses her feverishly. She's busy, daily, managing the shambles left of her crusade armies after the Queen had her way with them. The party has yet to leave Drezen since returning and Daeran has yet to leave the Commander's side. Lann feels replaced, usurped, and he cannot take it anymore.

Her door is shut, but there is candlelight spilling out underneath. Before the courage leaves him, he knocks and calls out her name.

"Lann?" She opens the door and he's half expecting to see Daeran, arrogant and naked, sprawled across her bed. Instead it's just her, exhausted and anxious, looking at him with a guarded expression. "What's wrong?"

"Oh, ya know, just everything." He tries for humorous but it comes out pathetic and they both frown. "Can I--can I come in?"

She steps aside, allowing him entrance. He's never been here, in all his time in Drezen, and while he's not totally sure what he expected, it's still a surprise. Her quarters are small, smaller than the house she'd given him upon their initial taking of the city. The desk is covered in maps and missives, and her gear is in a pile by the door. The raptor has a bed, set up beside her own, and Lann is pretty sure it looks far more comfortable than the Commander's. There is nowhere to sit so they both just stand there, awkward and uncomfortable, as she closes the door.

"What's going on? Have you heard from the clan?"

That particular sting of worry rolls over him and Lann shakes his head to push it away. "No, not yet. All quiet on the Mongrel front."

"I'm sorry, Lann." She reaches out for a moment, as if to comfort him, but stops herself short. "We'll find them, I promise."

"I didn't come here to talk about the clan."

"Okay."

"Boy, is this awkward. Uhm," he clears his throat to buy time. "Do you remember that last conversation we had?"

Her expression becomes an echo of the one she wore that night. "I do."

"I uh, I would like to do it over again."

The Commander narrows her eyes. "Why?"

Lann runs a hand through his hair, and stares at the wall beside her because if he looks at her, he'll fall apart. "I think I messed it up."

"Lann, you don't have to do this."

"Yeah, I kinda do."

She shakes her head. "It's okay I know that--what you said it's--we're fine."

"You were gone for six months, ya know. Six shitty, ugly months. You've never left me behind before." It's not an accusation but she flinches anyway. "I had a lot of time to think. Not a lot else to do, really. Well, aside from entertaining Nenio and rejecting Camellia's frankly terrifying propositions."

"She asked to sleep with you?" The Commander is suddenly furious and Lann is shameless in how warm her indignation makes him feel.

"Well, not in so many words and really, I'm kind of dense, but sneaking into my bed at night was--"

"Did she hurt you?"

"I--what?"

"Did she hurt you?"

"I--I don't know what you think sex with a Mongrel is like--"

"You slept together?" Her fury simmers down and turns her face cold.

"No! This isn't about that. I don't want to talk about Camellia. It was only once and--no. She didn't--we--nothing happened."

"You could--"

"Commander, excuse the insubordination here, but please shut up. This isn't easy and I'm losing my nerve." She frowns, but stays silent. "I want to change my answer."

"To what question?"

"To the one you asked me that night. I lied."

"What?" The inflection is too hopeful and Lann forces himself to look at her.

"It's not for the crusade or the cause or the world. It's--it's for you. My life, I mean. I'm pledging it to you. I misread things, I didn't understand what you meant. I--my life, my bow, my dumb jokes, it's yours." He struggles not to fidget, or downplay what he's saying with humor. She's staring at him, and she's crying but this time he knows why. "And my heart. If--if you want it. It's yours."

"Lann," she whispers and closes the gap between them. Her hands come up to cup the sides of his face, and they are trembling. It's a perfect match to his own shaking nerves. "Are you sure?"

He laughs, and it's watery. "It's hardly something precious to me. It's just all I have to give you and--and well really, it's already yours."

"How long?"

"Ugh no, the last thing you need to know is how long I've been pining over you."

"It was the Gargoyle attack for me, the one at the camp." She confesses it so easily, and he's rendered speechless. "When it was you that came to find me and tell me everyone was taken, my very first thought was relief; relief because they didn't take you." She presses her forehead to his own, their noses brushing. "From the moment we left for Colyphyr, I regretted leaving you behind. I could barely focus for the first few days because I was so worried about you. Every day I woke up, expecting to see you, to talk to you, and you weren't there and it was my fault. I was so mad at myself for letting my stupid feelings get in the way but the thought of having you near and knowing you'd never want me that way it--" her voice breaks and he wraps his arms around her, holding her tight.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I should have realized what you were asking, I--"

"No, I'm sorry," She pulls back to look at him. "I'm so sorry I didn't just come right out and ask you how you felt. I was just scared, scared of rejection and what I would do if you said no."

"I would never--I love you." He reddens from ear to tail and he immediately wants to take it back.

Her eyes widened. "You do?"

"Well, I didn't really want to just come out and say it. I was hoping for a little more romance. Some candles, maybe a rat shaped pastry or two. We could probably get someone to play--"

"I love you, too." She captures his mouth with her own before he can stumble over anymore words and Lann relents happily to her efforts. She kisses him like he's always wanted to kiss her, all passion and tenderness, and disgustingly sincere affection. Their arms wind around one another and she pulls him to her bed.

Lann stops her. "We don't have too, really. I know I'm not exactly easy to look at--"

"Lann. I’m only going to say this once, so pay attention.” She sets him down beside her and once more takes his face in her hands. “Don’t you ever, ever talk about yourself that way again, okay? I love you, all of you, every bit and I want you, in any and every way you’ll let me.” She kissed him again, softly. “We don’t have to rush into anything, and you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do. Just--just please know that, regardless of what you’ve been told, you’re beautiful and--and I will happily take you to bed every night.”

“Just to bed?” He aims for suggestive and, every bit the archer, he strikes true. “But there are so many other places I wish to be taken.”

“We’ll have a veritable world tour of it, but for now, can I have you here? Because this is all I’ve thought about for months and if I don’t fulfill that fantasy, I may die.”

“Regill would have my head for that.”

“He is possibly the least sexy person you could bring up at this point in time.”

Lann crowds into her, forcing her backwards until he has her pinned beneath him. “Imagine the report I’d have to write: Knight-Commander of the Fifth Crusade dies because local Mongrel fails to fulfill her sexual fantasies.” He kisses her once before moving his attention down the breadth of her jawline, and onto her neck. Her breath hitches, pressing her body up into his. “Good thing that’ll never happen because I’m a terrible writer.”

“Lann,” it’s nearly a whine, only just, but it’s enough to make him shudder, “please.” He’s always been excellent at following orders and there is no reason to stop now. Whatever she needs, he thinks, whatever she asks, he’ll give. It’s a scary thought, but it’s the only one he’s had for it feels like his whole life. Her hands snake across the skin of his chest, pulling at his armor with frantic hands. “Let me see you. Let me touch you.”

He relents, and soon they are but a tangled mess of limbs. It’s nothing like he’s known, but he’s ruined forever now. He’s hers, like he has been since that serendipitous moment beneath the ruins of Kenabres, and to his unbelievable shock and surprise, she is his.

#pathfinder: wrath of the righteous #pathfinder wrath of the righteous #wrath of the righteous #lann #lmao holy fuck this got away from me #its p good tho #we love a good angsty pine #thank u anon #sorry this took me a few days!#skitterfics #Edit: Some of Lann's dialog is taken straight from the game #i don't wanna try and pass that off as my own obv

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