SeekerofDreams
Aspiring Farmer
- Location
- Selphia
[X] … the weavers.
[X] Duty
[X] Duty
A Ballad for Icarus - A Historical Pokemon Quest
- Thread starter Elpis
- Start date
- Location
- the Cornfield
- Pronouns
- It/She
Oh new Ballad For Icarus, let's go! Patrol time as well. The longer chapter length has definitely put me in a state of fear.
I also appreciate these little moments where even with Aria still getting the full picture on the world, she makes it very clear how she feels about the way of the world, and what people deserve (for good or ill). It's a really good balance of a character's experience with the world being guided by votes but their core ideals and motivations being ironclad, which fits the format.
I think it's neat!
[X] … the farmers.
You find yourself with a family that took care of the land. Right now they're the people who have the least to do in the quarter, which means most of the time is spent helping others or talking to each other. There's a lot of things you don't know yet about the wilds and food, you imagine they can be good teachers.
Not for any particular reason other than that if Aria has to run from her home again she might be able to survive in the wilderness a bit better. The squadkrows can't be there all the time.
Anyways, Leif feeling the strain and rattling off a bunch of problems points to just how few knights they have working here, especially since some of those problems sound more like, I don't know, militia business perhaps? Depends on traditions of peacekeeping forces I suppose.
Also Aria accidentally swearing, I'm sorry girliepop but it is funny. But also, hmm. What does that mean? Honestly this is an area where I suspect the narration has already all but explicitly stated it if not actually explicitly stated it and my memory is just absolutely failing to click in, but Aria clearly knows, so. Yeah. Anyways, it definitely gives the decision to help with patrols a lot more stakes---if Aria wanted to achieve the money and status to reach her target, well she will definitely stand out with how spread thin the Spectrier Knights are.
Ah, okay so Aria is very sure Leif knows she's a Glastrier Knight because she used the danged salute at him. dfshjshjgf god. This is what I was saying earlier, she is literally fresh out of bootcamp, she is going to be saluting before her brain even catches up, this is going to be so rough on her. But she knows Leif probably knows and is sticking around anywas... this makes me want to know even more what Leif thinks her deal is.
Ahhh all these characters are so cool and I want to get into all of their heads.
Anyways the knight is fucked up. One arm is outright out of commission, she seems like she's barely slept, and she has hair like snow. That last one isn't relevant to her condition but is important to me.
Also, oof, down an arm AND a leg.... Wait.
Down two limbs, in the snow, still bleeding, hiding from roving herds of Tauros, and one of the first things she says is "no I'm good, put me in, I'm gonna get this guy"?
Well, she's definitely a knight.
Also jesus, Wilhelm sprang back to his feet instantly.
Also, 'stupid villager' huh. Implying he isn't one. Another bit of evidence for the pile.
SOPHIA!
Well, like I've been saying, she is certainly a knight.
Also wow, the Tauros just bails on Wilhelm.
Anyways, that narration is going to make me cry! "Even if you think you deserve less, you're a good child." Agony.
I must say, this is like, the best bet on someone Leif ever made though. Man who is probably really glad he trusted 'Sofia'.
[X] Duty.
You are adept in the ways of the land, and this will surely be a boon. Bounty hunting, mercenary work, if your name is in everyone's mouth then surely it will reach the ears of the Marchioness.
After the showing we just had, it feels like a good way to follow through on everything that happened with Sophie, as well as Aria's general 'I will go all in on chivalry applied pragmatically even when it risks my personal goals'. Which is extremely endearing every single time.
Absolutely Adorable. The villagers just kind of adopting her is very heartwarming. She deserves nice things, I think.
I do not think you are one to talk, Aria.
Much like Lissy (I keep wanting to spell her name with zz's, but no it is wit ss's), she's a big fan of hero stories huh?
'That's sad'. Oof. Love this little aside. Aria struggling for words, sifting through various high-vaulted bitter musings, before ultimately settling on just "That's sad". Because really, that is the bones of the matter. Nothing more needs to be said to sum it up. The Empress did not bring peace at all... It's honestly a good thing this story is coming out update by update because I think if this someone how dropped as a completely work I would lose a night of sleep trying to binge read it. Good stuff.
I also appreciate these little moments where even with Aria still getting the full picture on the world, she makes it very clear how she feels about the way of the world, and what people deserve (for good or ill). It's a really good balance of a character's experience with the world being guided by votes but their core ideals and motivations being ironclad, which fits the format.
I think it's neat!
'With strength and a freedom nobles will never truly have', she said to someone who is secretly a noble, and whose freedom to live her life is restricted by her nobility (both in blood and in temperament). Every conversation with Old Bea is absolutely fascinating, really well done selling the like... Someone expressing experienced and considered views on the political landscape while still sounding like they're from the background and time period they're from. In general that's something I'd compliment about this quest.
YAY LEIF! This is what I was hoping for! Anyways what the fuck do you mean no pokemon out and about without a permit?? That seems, uh, kinda fucked! Granted there are very legitimate practical concerns that very well could be the reason, Aria has emphasized several times just how jam-packed the place is so it makes sense on second though, but my definite knee-jerk reaction was being affronted. Actually very neat, curious if it will bear out as practical concerns, a means of control, or both.
Three days of food, huh? Fits what we were told earlier about the nobility controlling the materials needed to make them. Also Leif is cute. Hehe. Already love this dork. The fact that he clearly knows 'Sofia' is definitely some kind of trained fighter and probably a knight given there's no way he wouldn't recognize the uniform but is just 'putting that aside, would you mind helping us out?' is just very, very... I love a character who will bend the letters in very small ways to serve the ends of achieving the actual goal of their role. Focused on actually keeping the peace and helping people. Like a true knight, haha.
"just like—just like her" is so good here. Also seeing the system message pop up like this is very, very sweet. Call and response. Even in the historic era!
LOVE THIS DORK
Oh Old Bea knows him, neat. Leif being from one of the other villages, one that maybe doesn't exist anymore, definitely puts a spin on both his happy go lucky demeanor and very practical implementation of laws and knighthood.
AHAHAHA THERE IT ISSSSSS!!!! THAT'S WHAT I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR! I could not tell you precisely why I was so excited for Aria to have to deal with this particular somewhat minor annoyance. I suppose it is somewhat a reflection of her resolve, now affirmed, is going to be constantly challenged and need defending in lots of little ways. Names as a motif, particularly hers, have been a big Thing thus far, so having to use a fake name due to the hasty but needed actions of her rescuer after being chased from her home again just makes happy sparks in the ole pattern recognition I suppose.
I am really glad that even without voting for staying with the villagers, they're still Aria's new home and family. Beatrice and Lisa are great and I like seeing what they bring out in Aria.
Still not bounty posters, though that's not that surprising. While word has spread somewhat, we already saw that the call for Aria hadn't really gone out, which means it probably won't be going out. Ever, I'd say, actually. Framing someone for murdering their mentor, especially when there a lot of people who are Not Happy About That, feels like the kind of ploy with an expiration date that's fast approaching. Trying to pull a two months later 'oh yeah it was totally this person' when she's already managed to establish herself as someone the people around her know probably wouldn't do that? I don't see it going well. But then, why go through the effort to frame her in the first place? Did the storm escape just mess up the point of needing to frame someone at all? Or was the point not to frame Aria, but to keep her away, period? Anyways, as for the vote!
[X] … the farmers.
You find yourself with a family that took care of the land. Right now they're the people who have the least to do in the quarter, which means most of the time is spent helping others or talking to each other. There's a lot of things you don't know yet about the wilds and food, you imagine they can be good teachers.
Not for any particular reason other than that if Aria has to run from her home again she might be able to survive in the wilderness a bit better. The squadkrows can't be there all the time.
'calls you by your fake name' love the continual friction of that, good stuff. Also also, we're starting! An actual task huh? Four knights including Leif, and two villagers with their own pokemon, and then five other people who may not be knights and may not have pokemon. Interesting assembly. Counting Aria, that makes five knights.
I love Aria so much. She's got anxiety but she's getting through it. Also the way her internal monologue phrases that is just cute.
Oh already the stakes are pretty high huh. Four knights down, and the aim is to recover them rather than give chase. So he's already considered dangerous enough that they're willing to cut their losses on this one.
dfjhshjfgskjfs she is fresh out of bootcamp it is plain unfair to ask her to not react to a superior officer knight. Absolutely no chance. I do really wonder what Leif thinks Aria's deal is. He has enough information to make a guess at what order she's from, possibly what her rank in that order was, the fact that she got in a bloody fight with another human, and is trying to hide the fact that she was a knight... but also that she's extremely polite, diligent, kind, and really bad at hiding the fact that she's a knight. I wonder if that's enough to form a suspicion that she's running from foul play?
Okay so explicitly 'do not engage we are cutting our losses and focusing on recovery'. Jesus who the fuck is this guy. 'Petty thief' feels like a huge understatement at this point, or that he was some kind of royal assassin who hilarious ended up getting caught on petty thievery while on his mission to topple a country or something.
The flares are neat. This is just how flares work as far as I know, but it is neat that they have them. The kind of thing that requires very little training to use, thus making it easy for them to coordinate with non-knights as well.
Everyone takes an area, including the people who at most have a pokemon, if that? How stretched thin are the Spectrier Knights--
YEAH EXACTLY HOW STRETCHED THING ARE THE--
Dammit stop jumping me! How stretched thin are the spectrier knights that they can send four knights out to find four knights and still need to rely on their number and some change in contracted help? Honestly I love that literally all of the hireling had something to say about that.
Anyways, Leif feeling the strain and rattling off a bunch of problems points to just how few knights they have working here, especially since some of those problems sound more like, I don't know, militia business perhaps? Depends on traditions of peacekeeping forces I suppose.
Also Aria accidentally swearing, I'm sorry girliepop but it is funny. But also, hmm. What does that mean? Honestly this is an area where I suspect the narration has already all but explicitly stated it if not actually explicitly stated it and my memory is just absolutely failing to click in, but Aria clearly knows, so. Yeah. Anyways, it definitely gives the decision to help with patrols a lot more stakes---if Aria wanted to achieve the money and status to reach her target, well she will definitely stand out with how spread thin the Spectrier Knights are.
We have a name, Peter and his Poochyena. Also, Leif knowing this guy by name makes me think that Aria isn't the first person he's directly directed towards helping the knights. I'm guessing anyone with a pokemon and some hardiness to them is welcome to help, this may not even be Peter's first time helping out given how comfortable he feels asking a pointed question like that.
Ah, okay so Aria is very sure Leif knows she's a Glastrier Knight because she used the danged salute at him. dfshjshjgf god. This is what I was saying earlier, she is literally fresh out of bootcamp, she is going to be saluting before her brain even catches up, this is going to be so rough on her. But she knows Leif probably knows and is sticking around anywas... this makes me want to know even more what Leif thinks her deal is.
Ahhh all these characters are so cool and I want to get into all of their heads.
shjhjgffjs Aria getting grumpy and wanting Peter to stop asking questions. "Your reflex to talk down on anything that bothers you" okay so the whole thing with the poacher is just Aria's natural stress response to the point that she's fully aware of it, neat. Charm point! Anyways something about Peter is giving her red flags. Him being politer than she's used to... honestly I wonder if he has also figured out she's a knight just from her body language, since she's apparently completely failing to hide it.
Oh, this is just funny. Can't tell what Peter thinks the situation is here, either he's politely oblivious or is just messing with Aria at this point, both options are pretty funny (and telling of Peter). I see that Leif and Aria are not even pretending not to know they know that they know. This has just become an unspoken in-joke between them because they're both ridiculous and cut from the same cloth in their approach to knighthood. Absolutely amazing, love this. Honestly the funniest way for this character dynamic to shake out, I'm so glad we voted for this option.
Again 'Sofia', no mention of the friction this time but it is well established and doesn't really need reminding at this point. Peter going with Leif while Aria is sent off on her own, huh? Wondering if that's random or if Leif is banking on Aria being a self-sufficient knight while knowing Peter isn't. It'd make sense, honestly. He knows she's a competent knight, he can't call her on it, but there's no reason for him to not deploy her like one because it isn't like she can call him on it either.
Probably one of our knights, hopefully still alive.
There's one.
There's two. Aria questioning if she's doing search party right while literally following a fresh set of armored footprints is... kinda funny. She is literally winning at Search Party, she is going to get an excellent grade in Search Party.
HFHJHJDHJDFAJHFJH Aria please never stop having elaborate projected conversations with your pokemon, never ever. I cannot wait for Skiddle and Inana to meet.
Ah, okay, serious time now. There's still quite a bit of chapter left, so what's going to happen here?
OKAY WELL THEN. People just grabbing Inana because she has the aproximate weight of an oversized purse dog continues to be funny. Also, wow our knight is here! And the flare is gone. fuck.
Hmmm... what indeed? Oh hey is this the breakout of Tauros that haven't been caught yet?
Aria. Aria. Aria you are so bad at not being a knight. You have all but introduced yourself as a plainclothes Glastrier knight as the literal first impression you gave this woman-- wait no the actual first impression was arguing with Inana, the second impression you gave this woman.
Anyways the knight is fucked up. One arm is outright out of commission, she seems like she's barely slept, and she has hair like snow. That last one isn't relevant to her condition but is important to me.
Sophia!! Very good name. So the tauros are what messed up the four knights hunting the thief, huh? But trying to catch the tauros are also spreading the spectrier knights thin... well, I'm sure there's nothing below board about that at all.
Okay, it is interesting that Leif (who appears to be the one in charge of field deplyoments out of everyone available) is making the call to cut their losses and retrieve the knights, while the knights actually chasing the thief are all but refusing to give up. Did he know what their mission was, or is that just representative of his priorities taking, well, priority, because he's the highest on the chain at the time.
Also, oof, down an arm AND a leg.... Wait.
Down two limbs, in the snow, still bleeding, hiding from roving herds of Tauros, and one of the first things she says is "no I'm good, put me in, I'm gonna get this guy"?
Well, she's definitely a knight.
Tall and slim with a huge hat... Cole??? Wait, smiling, nevermind it can't be. Also wow, he sure is Like That huh. Yeah okay there's no way this guy is just a 'petty thief', he talks like a whimsical and experienced assassin. I refuse to believe this is just A Guy. This is some kind of wicked lieutenant that got tripped over some extremely small crime and is getting caught for something utterly unrelated to what his actual goal was.
Again, 'I'm gonna fucking get that guy' while she can barely walk or swing her sword. She is so very much a knight.
Oh god a flute! Okay but this is actually, extremely clever. I'm guessing he let the tauros loose as part of his escape with intent to use them to divide and conquer his pursuit which is very complicated as a plan but seems to be working great for him.
oh fucking hell, this guy is the real deal. Jumping across Tauros and dual wielding knives like some kind of ninja. Goodness gracious. Okay but yes, we're getting a fight scene, this rules. Also love Aria blocking with the sword still in the sheath, both as a call back to the blade being what would give her away and also just. I like it when fight choreography remembers that the sheath exists.
Wait wait I just realized, he was still on the tauros. He was attacking while standing on the Tauros. Insane. This random boss fight is so cool already. Also that fast recovery, yeah this guy is some kind of assassin, I am more confident than ever on that.
AND HE GRABBED THE FLARE. Jesus. He is doing some D&D 3.5 Rogue shit to her, what the hell. Lockpicking knives, that's an incredibly cool detail though.
No yeah, exactly Aria. This man is too stylish to be some random pick-pocket. This is like, a recurring franchise villain from a popular jrpg with an absurd amount of dialogue written for every single interactable NPC or something. Though. 'a bit weaker with the blades than you'd have expected'. Wh. What were you expecting?? Do you mean relative to him being stylish or relative to him being a petty thief, I assume the former, but. He attacked you while standing on a tauros!!! Give him a little more credit than that.
A fake surrender would never work on a true knight, or rather, Aria specifically who will sink to almost any level if it is in a fight.
[Agent Washington Voice] "what the fuck is with this guy??" I'm assuming she didn't actually land the stab into his stomach if he's doing back flips about it, but also what the fuck he's doing backflips about it??? Is he some kind of harlequin themed assassin who just doesn't have the outfit on? I need to know what this guy's deal is. How on earth did he get got for petty thievery.
Huh, that doesn't seem like directing the Tauros with loud noises, that seems like signaling a trainer pokemon! I'm sure this doesn't mean anything. It punting Inana like a kickball is funny, as is Wilhelm just grabbing her legs to trip her. Amazed Aria even hesitated to smash the sword into his head whether it'd save her or not, honestly.
TAG IN! YEAAAAAAAH! The improvised team attack dive kick!!! "that asshole still holding onto your legs" dsfghjfhjgfshjsf Aria is great in a fight and great when not in a fight but the contrast between the two with regards to her internal monologue is ascendant. Literally, in this case. But like, damn, Wilhelm is being framed narratively as equal to a protagonist trainee knight and an injured by still kicking Actual Spectrier Knight. Clearly a big fucking deal as a threat.
Bulbasaur....!!!! Nice nice. If Spring has green eyes, then Sophie definitely does.
Also jesus, Wilhelm sprang back to his feet instantly.
Aria is so cool. She's so cool!!! The absolute charisma to stand in front of the fully-fledged knight and be the protector... also the cloth coming off the sheath, is it time--?!
Hell yes. This is so hype. Oh my god she's so cool. Elpis, this looks like it was so much fun to write. The skarmory steel coming out, the declaration, the presentation of this scene is just amazing.
Also, 'stupid villager' huh. Implying he isn't one. Another bit of evidence for the pile.
Well, that us certainly her actual name in front of an actual knight who will definitely be talking to Leif later. Of course, Leif already probably knew that Sofia wasn't her real name, and also Sophia (Wait. that's really funny actually.) will definitely have reason to be favorably inclined towards Aria. It would be funny if Leif pulls another leifmaneuver and just goes "so your name is Aria, good to know. I'm not going to ask any follow-up questions, thanks for helping us out".
As expected of both parties involved, honestly.
Putting these together out of chronological order for the sake of topic, this is really neat! Inana and Spring seamlessly teaming up much like their trainers have. Lotta respect put on the Tauros, befitting RBY OU's patron saint of bullshit. Also this feels so incredibly Holy Grail War. I said as much before but like, two masters facing down, one protecting another injured one, while two servants fight an absolute monster of one. It all fits, and I love it. Not to say that it doesn't absolutely stand up on its own merits and as a pokemon fic to be clear, the vine shenanigans make me feel like I'm watching the cartoon again, especially with the tiny sneasel taking the bull by the horns, it is a delight. Reminds me of the opening of the celebi movie, oddly enough, with Ash having to run to make the boat after getting caught up in a pokemon battle. Could not tell you why that's the specific association though!
Oh this is some cool stuff!! The dual knives catching the larger sword, trading kicks, and then an injured Sophie contributing by shoving Aria back into the fight. And the collar grab and drag.
Blood to Aria!
Huh. Odd. This is easier than the poacher?? I mean Aria is definitely doing better but Wilhelm has definitely had way more pizzazz, though I suppose Aria has significantly improved in her own right as well since then. Though I actually do kind of see what she's getting at. His acrobatic displays and clever trickery are definitely letting him get some devastating hits in, but when it comes to a straight up slugging match, Aria is simply better in a way that is steadily gaining ground as he runs out of surprises. Neat back and forth. I still think he's some kind of noble's pet assassin though.
Aria is the best!!!! "I don't care". sdjkgfsjkf. Incredible. Incredible. Everytime she opens her mouth in a fight it is the best. Very funny how she is an adorably diligent knight but also the absolute picture of the dashingly handsome scoundrel duke, upon whom's strength and skill the king is forced to rely.
YES!!! KILL!!! Yeah alright I see what Aria was getting at. She is just stronger and more skilled than he is, and about as fast once she's adjusted to his acrobatic trickery. Very different from the poacher who could legitimately fight her on even footing.
AHAH. BUT WILHELM ISN'T OUT OF TRICKS YET.
wh-
SOPHIA!
Well, like I've been saying, she is certainly a knight.
Also wow, the Tauros just bails on Wilhelm.
Aaaah this is not looking good though.
Love how thorough and level-headed and ruthless this is all at once. First ensure the threat is completely eliminated, second ensure the target will not escape, third call for back-up, fourth attend to the wounded. I appreciate so much that Aria just does not fuck around with things get serious. Someone who will always double-tap her kills to be sure.
oh that's really bad. Spring already mourning the loss...
... Oh???? Wait, is Sophie going to make it? But how is she going to...
A REVIVE. RUBY!!!!! A REVIVE??? IT WORKS ON PEOPLE? This is. So cool. This is so cool!!! Awesome worldbuilding, payoff for Ruby and also yay Sophie lives!!
Phew. That was definitely a rough day. for Aria, when it rains, it pours.
sjhhjfdhfjd oh she's still gonna be 'Sofia' huh? RIP. Welll that's probably for the best honestly, no need to announce to the Glastrier Knights where she is. Still really, really funny that after resolving to go by her real name and self, she is immediately forced to not do that for practical reasons. I'm serious, it's very fun.
Anyways, that narration is going to make me cry! "Even if you think you deserve less, you're a good child." Agony.
I must say, this is like, the best bet on someone Leif ever made though. Man who is probably really glad he trusted 'Sofia'.
Oh she looks AMAZING!!!! I love this art.
Ooohh this is a neat choice. These are all good options, but if I had to pick...
[X] Duty.
You are adept in the ways of the land, and this will surely be a boon. Bounty hunting, mercenary work, if your name is in everyone's mouth then surely it will reach the ears of the Marchioness.
After the showing we just had, it feels like a good way to follow through on everything that happened with Sophie, as well as Aria's general 'I will go all in on chivalry applied pragmatically even when it risks my personal goals'. Which is extremely endearing every single time.
- Location
- Florida
[X] … the farmers.
[X] Wit.
[X] Wit.
- Location
- Te Ika-a-Māui
- Pronouns
- She/Her
[X] Wit.
[X] … the weavers.
[X] … the weavers.
[X] … the weavers.
[X] Duty
[X] Duty
[X] … the farmers.
[X] Wit.
[X] Wit.
Not sure I have time to get through this all, but I recalled the technique that let me survive Tempera's 34-fucking-k Roland Interlude (Just Break Up The Post Stupid) and I really wanna sink my teeth into this, so!
"The Patrol and the Knights in Black", what a delightfully straightforward chapter title.
TORMENTED BY THE CONSEQUENCES OF BEING GOOD WITH KIDS.
I like the poetry of the first sight of Wallburg, that it's genuinely a sense of revelation and a cavity opening up.
Old Bea is such a fascinating conversational foil to Aria, she takes a really active engagement in broadening her mind for politics, but from a more commoner perspective than she's ever really integrated, and it makes me wonder, huh, what's her agenda?
Besides thinking Kesteren is a piece of shit. That agenda is clear enough.
I see that we've hit the "You didn't accomplish jack or shit Mom" stage of the teenage rebellion arc.
Aria: Apartment Complex? I find it quite...Well, no, I do find it complicated. What's a security deposit.
Gwhejsngh.
THE BLACK KNIGHT WHO HAS TO DRAGGED BY THE PONYTAIL BY HIS SPARKLY UNICORN NOT TO TRIP AND EAT DIRT FUMBLING THE BAG.
LEIF. LEIF I LOVE YOU.
Inana you are just so fucking. Does she know what a pokeball is. Does she wanna be held.
Anyway we're being reminded that pokeballs are rich people items and that's like. Wow this is maybe the most shocking emblem of ABfI's stark class divide.
That pokemon, too, aren't allowed in this city without the privilege of documentation...Hm hm.
Oooooooooof. Cool Knight Pokeball Trauma...
Anyway I love that Aria is picking up another of the set before she even finds a normal pokeball, she's gonna get a Calyrex Guard Ball before she ever gets a humble commoner pokeball, mark my words.
This is cute. CUTE.
I love how you fit in this gameplay gag Elpis, and ahhhh, thinking about Lissy, her friend who is just as annoying as this knife weasel...
The way Aria has Skiddle PTSD tho.
I really do wonder how Inana and Skiddle are gonna interact when they meet, Aria has set up such a stark dichotomy in her mind (about their Cuteness Rating) that it could actually be a thing or just as easily the pair getting along flawlessly while she awkwardly shuffles around over the beginning of their relationship being Going Hard Tsun At A Fucking Pokemon.
You think you're funny, don't you Leif.
Aria agrees!
I like how much in the way that "Sofia of Traviole" obviously isn't one of the villagers, Inana is blatantly like. Only recently Aria's pokemon. Though that isn't really damning or anything.
Honestly, Leif's kinda slick for smoothly passing Aria an emblem of the Spectrier Patrol without even broadcasting that, very "Hey uh don't worry about how weird this girl seems, she's with us" to all concerned.
I like how "Oh yeah Leif is a regular we all know him" is emphasized literally a chapter after Old Bea makes up a fake name to drag Aria past him, literally almost no point in doing that besides getting her foot in the door. Village. Carriage.
...You know, arguably Leif and Bea are doing the same protective claim, if I'm reading the subtext from a bit ago right.
Anyway yeah don't even worry about that past tense regarding the home of a young man who has his neck chopped through.
The question of how many knights is enough knights sure won't ever be a relevant question, huh.
Definitely.
TORMENTED. BY THE CONSEQUENCES. OF BEING GOOD WITH KIDS.
"[Visibly vibrating with repressed trauma] I have a normal relationship with being given names."
I think Lissy would gloat about Aria spreading her hyperfixation far and wide.
I do like the continuous emphasis of "Whatever other problems Wallburg might have it does take its evacuation responsibilities seriously" and "Country folk make do like unironically they got it covered", really gives the sense of well oiled gears.
Dawwwww. Calling her by full name.
Aria is SO polite I love her.
I like that even though we've chosen the "Fight Club" path Aria's still gonna be a constant presence with the people of Traviole, this is very good, though it does make me interested in what the main difference between the paths we picked last chapter is.
Aria: I will be the hidden blade, the sealed sword, waiting for when wrongs demand the darkness be split by light.
Inana: [Chitters what would translate as "Can we do that already? I wanna stab something."]
Stilllll trying to find out what even the game is with the Glastrier Order. Ominous in a very fun way.
Interesting! A chance to strengthen Aria's skills and awareness of certain adjacent subjects. There's a chance for fascinating lore here, and a certain dark comedy to Aria getting more comprehension on the mineral studies her adoptive family specialized in from commoners half a lifetime later than the noble and acclaimed House Flamberg, but otherwise I don't weigh any of these higher than the others.
Alright, a little less than a third of the chapter done, but a good stopping point all the same, looking forward to continuing when I got more time on hand.
"The Patrol and the Knights in Black", what a delightfully straightforward chapter title.
TORMENTED BY THE CONSEQUENCES OF BEING GOOD WITH KIDS.
I like the poetry of the first sight of Wallburg, that it's genuinely a sense of revelation and a cavity opening up.
Old Bea is such a fascinating conversational foil to Aria, she takes a really active engagement in broadening her mind for politics, but from a more commoner perspective than she's ever really integrated, and it makes me wonder, huh, what's her agenda?
Besides thinking Kesteren is a piece of shit. That agenda is clear enough.
Aria: Apartment Complex? I find it quite...Well, no, I do find it complicated. What's a security deposit.
Gwhejsngh.
THE BLACK KNIGHT WHO HAS TO DRAGGED BY THE PONYTAIL BY HIS SPARKLY UNICORN NOT TO TRIP AND EAT DIRT FUMBLING THE BAG.
LEIF. LEIF I LOVE YOU.
Inana you are just so fucking. Does she know what a pokeball is. Does she wanna be held.
Anyway we're being reminded that pokeballs are rich people items and that's like. Wow this is maybe the most shocking emblem of ABfI's stark class divide.
That pokemon, too, aren't allowed in this city without the privilege of documentation...Hm hm.
Oooooooooof. Cool Knight Pokeball Trauma...
Anyway I love that Aria is picking up another of the set before she even finds a normal pokeball, she's gonna get a Calyrex Guard Ball before she ever gets a humble commoner pokeball, mark my words.
This is cute. CUTE.
I love how you fit in this gameplay gag Elpis, and ahhhh, thinking about Lissy, her friend who is just as annoying as this knife weasel...
The way Aria has Skiddle PTSD tho.
I really do wonder how Inana and Skiddle are gonna interact when they meet, Aria has set up such a stark dichotomy in her mind (about their Cuteness Rating) that it could actually be a thing or just as easily the pair getting along flawlessly while she awkwardly shuffles around over the beginning of their relationship being Going Hard Tsun At A Fucking Pokemon.
You think you're funny, don't you Leif.
Aria agrees!
I like how much in the way that "Sofia of Traviole" obviously isn't one of the villagers, Inana is blatantly like. Only recently Aria's pokemon. Though that isn't really damning or anything.
Honestly, Leif's kinda slick for smoothly passing Aria an emblem of the Spectrier Patrol without even broadcasting that, very "Hey uh don't worry about how weird this girl seems, she's with us" to all concerned.
I like how "Oh yeah Leif is a regular we all know him" is emphasized literally a chapter after Old Bea makes up a fake name to drag Aria past him, literally almost no point in doing that besides getting her foot in the door. Village. Carriage.
...You know, arguably Leif and Bea are doing the same protective claim, if I'm reading the subtext from a bit ago right.
Anyway yeah don't even worry about that past tense regarding the home of a young man who has his neck chopped through.
The question of how many knights is enough knights sure won't ever be a relevant question, huh.
Definitely.
TORMENTED. BY THE CONSEQUENCES. OF BEING GOOD WITH KIDS.
"[Visibly vibrating with repressed trauma] I have a normal relationship with being given names."
I think Lissy would gloat about Aria spreading her hyperfixation far and wide.
I do like the continuous emphasis of "Whatever other problems Wallburg might have it does take its evacuation responsibilities seriously" and "Country folk make do like unironically they got it covered", really gives the sense of well oiled gears.
Dawwwww. Calling her by full name.
Aria is SO polite I love her.
I like that even though we've chosen the "Fight Club" path Aria's still gonna be a constant presence with the people of Traviole, this is very good, though it does make me interested in what the main difference between the paths we picked last chapter is.
Aria: I will be the hidden blade, the sealed sword, waiting for when wrongs demand the darkness be split by light.
Inana: [Chitters what would translate as "Can we do that already? I wanna stab something."]
Stilllll trying to find out what even the game is with the Glastrier Order. Ominous in a very fun way.
Interesting! A chance to strengthen Aria's skills and awareness of certain adjacent subjects. There's a chance for fascinating lore here, and a certain dark comedy to Aria getting more comprehension on the mineral studies her adoptive family specialized in from commoners half a lifetime later than the noble and acclaimed House Flamberg, but otherwise I don't weigh any of these higher than the others.
Alright, a little less than a third of the chapter done, but a good stopping point all the same, looking forward to continuing when I got more time on hand.
- Location
- the Cornfield
- Pronouns
- It/She
Still so torn on this, it feels like such an obvious red flag that I'm second-guessing myself. Like, I can see a practical concern for it, especially with tight-packed flammable infrastructure during an intense cold when supplies and manpower are stretched thin. But also, this is the setting of pokemon and having a pokemon is something so significant, it still feels uncomfortable. It's real interesting, I'm going to be chewing on it until it comes up again.
Oooh it didn't occur to me that giving her a Spectrier pokeball would be a sign of implicit trust. I hope that comes up now if that's the case! It does make sense now that you've pointed it out, same with Bea. They both had the same instinct of "this seems like someone who has gone through a lot, I want to make sure she has a chance to stabilize herself, all else being equal" to different degrees admittedly.
- Location
- [REDACTED]
[X] … the farmers.
[X] Duty
[X] Duty
Alrighty, time to take another swing at the chapter, things were just about to go.
The tone's been set in a stark way, the miserable whiteout, the unspoken discomfort within "calls your fake name", and the fact the volunteer pool doesn't get much older or more competent looking than Aria herself.
Medieval Flare Guns.
Man what even the fuck (Complimentary).
Love how Aria's "Well I'm either fucked or I'm not so I should just stop being paranoid", that's the correct reaction, but is she good at it? No.
The fact the Spectrier Guard is bleeding knights hard right now is very, hm. Literally this is a rescue mission now because they don't even know if the guy they were originally hunting down has anything to do with this.
Inana continually ruining Aria's life because she's an Ice-Type who gets to be perky when it's so cold she wants to throw up.
MAMOSWINE TREES. Love that description.
Seriously Gildera is such a fucking. This place was not made to be inhabitable by human beings and yet these bastards keep sticking around.
[Leif Joins Your Party!]
I like Leif.
Inana is wielding the power of being a scamperer to our advantage.
Aria: Wait what could the Border Guard be doing besides guarding the oh my fucking god.
Leif: [Actually literally cracking up because he really needed that levity]
Love how bad this is! Nothing good is here!
Aria is definitely definitely giving away her history here and she's lucky Leif thinks she's too much of a riot to give a hard time.
Mankey Stampede tho. Bad.
OH MY GOD. LITERALLY.
You know there was a time Aria knew how to lie* to people (*Highly Suspect). Where did the days go by.
I like how. Straight up a boy scout Leif is. Diligent in answering the concern of his volunteers and perfectly remembers all the names of the guys Aria has droned out during the daily brooding session.
"Must...Resist..The urge...To L+Ratio..."
Man what is going on with Peter. Has literally everyone clocked that Aria is a former Glastrier Knight. Honestly I really hadn't anticipated how much in ABfI would be devoted to "You're a child soldier" "Wait but this is medieval times, I thought we just all did stuff way younger???"
Aria: I hate Leif.
Inana: [Chitters what would translate as "You high fived him this morning."]
Aria: That's another matter entirely. You don't leave a man's Aces High hanging.
"This is not the time to be a hero" I'm sorry Leif, but you're soon to discover Aria is chronically addicted to finding a hill and dying on it.
Shoulder Buddy Inanaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.
You know it's surprising to see the job "halfway done" already, there's clearly more to the situation going on, but apparently the search party doesn't have to wait for the protagonist to accomplish anything, would've thought.
Inana wants to be tall. Koala.
Gwhheghajk.
They're so STUPID.
Honestly really fun that Aria and Inana are tussling and roughhousing, Aria needs to get that violent energy out in other places besides taking it out on perfectly innocent poachers.
The teddy bear grab, the belly poke, the bicep flex, the face clamp, fucking throwing Inana's ass out and flipping Aria the bird, just. Spectacular.
.
Actually I just realized what attacking her like a fucking facehugger reminded me of!
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-x-x_h-Mtrk
A much less loving gesture, and yet the love is still there.
I love how things immediately get serious and it's like "Wow I know that was just a playfight but Aria literally does not know Inana has way more malice in the tank when it's not a playfight."
I'm guessing this has more than a little to do with the current manhunt, huh!
And here we find a lost Spectrier Knight!
She has helpfully stopped Aria from getting Mufasa'd!
Aria has gone to the trouble of helping Inana not get Mufasa'd, which Inana probably appreciates Much Less, for she Could Have Handled It.
Love that we're getting the experience of Tauros being a fucking problem and a half, good scale.
You see, knights like Aria because she is also a compulsive knight.
Hey Sophia! Sophia is doing Bad.
Inana: [Chitters what would translate as "I could take 'em."]
Aria: You would Literally Actually Die.
Love how Sophia is "I cannot falter in my duty" before she's willing to silently gesture to "Also I have one working arm and leg between me."
Man what did Wilhelm even steal?
A Poke Flute! An evil fucked up Poke Flute!
I love how we randomly have a cattle rustler pied piper here.
Holy shit Inana is strong.
I feel like Aria doesn't entirely have the scale of how powerful tiny pokemon can be with the experience size she has, her main experience is Actual Babies—
—Okay damn Wilhelm you got schmovement!
Love the level of fuck around and find out in action, if you wanna make it in Gildera you have to have access to literal Tekken combos.
LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS COMBO MOVE, fantastic that we're finally getting Human/Pokemon Double Battles.
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byjDd-QJnzM&t=57
^ Every "Grab the bull by the horns and fucking spin it" sequence reminds me of her.
"Why the fuck are you randomly Level 20???" <-- Completely unknown girl who can fold a grown man in a direct contest of strength.
Love how normalass(?) criminals in Gildera keep having fight choreography like this. Can't make it in this life if you don't have style.
Yooooooo, team up team up team up!
Incredible to me how Wilhelm can tactically use "Animals are so pissed off having to deal with me" "YOU PISS ME OFF TOO" "Humans are animals too aren't they?" like it impresses me how much of a sauceless goon this man is.
Aria wants him TRAMPLED and she will do it herself if she has to.
A Bulbasaur! A large lad!
Sophia literally having the first Grass-Type Starter surely doesn't imply strong foiling with Aria, never mind the fact she thought "Oh, frosted tips just like Skiddle..."
BARED STEEL.
"There isn't a reason to do this." "Yes there is. STABBING YOU."
I love how she just has no chill. Said literally actually fuck this cover name.
She isn't even gonna kill this guy she wants literally everyone to know who beat his ass ragged.
What the fuck literally stacked amigo strats???
I LOVE. POKEMON RIDING COMBAT. THINGS ARE GONNA GET CRAZY WHEN SKIDDLE AND INANA START HANGING.
This is really fun choreography, because everyone's involved! Literally everyone! Wilhelm can target Sophia to control Aria's response, but Sophia can support Aria on the rebound, which makes for fun interplay.
I literally cannot understate how wild it is Aria's like "You know what...This guy IS bitchmade" like she's literally living her Battle Action Shounen Training Arc all over this circus clown's ass.
AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Everyone's like that when Aria starts throwing hands!
She just sucks to deal with!
I love. The still frame of Inana and Spring riding this cow to hell.
Yeah yeah yeah, this came across really naturally, because "Wait why the hell is this one Tauros still hanging around aimed dead straight at Aria" had the obvious answer of "Well this is Pokemon", which is why it's clever that Wilhelm was using herd instincts to insert his own inside man and distract from the naked truth with the smokescreen of the running of the bulls, this is basically assassin strats with a fucking Tauros, crazy to see.
Aria will just maim a man. No hesitation.
Well damn!
Wilhelm I think you made a bad gamble here.
Sophia has a hole in her torso and Wilhelm has fractured every bone in his body and Aria has stabbed her Very Telling Skarmory Steel Sword in the leg of a man that she wants to stay there all the way up until people come to find them by way of the flare.
It's all kinda gone to shit!
RIP to a real one Tauros, you're moving on to green pastures.
Oh boy that is a GOOD big hole.
Spring...Inana is good people. Good weasel people.
. A MAX REVIVE???
Ruby. Holy shit.
Also what the fuck Flamberg was such a piece of shit she had to wear a Cure Death rock everywhere like a fucking necklace???
I feel like Ruby was accurately reading Aria's tendencies when they passed her this actual treasure in secret, which makes it almost funny that she used it on the knight with just as much of a chivalry boner as her.
I love how since this is Literally A Damn Max Revive Sophia has to be awake through this. Doesn't even get to mercifully pass out. This is the shit you save to muscle through the Elite Four sawing through your entire team one at a time.
Dawww. Made a friend!
This is like, a really good follow up to the literally Everything Arc 1 ended on, good return to form, darkness to light.
Love how literally all the Spectrier Knights know Aria is Faking, Very Badly, but she's like their people now. Sorry Duke van Kesteren, no take backs.
Sophia is a very dapper young lady, spiky white hair and green pronouns.
The fact you held back posting the art was a good way to maintain the illusion that she was a NPC slated to die Elpis!
Okay, so this is the vote!
It's fascinating to think that the paths going forward are "What tools do you use to make your sell", funny how for all this fic started two months on the dot before it came out, it really is a lot like Metaphor: ReFantazio, in a really good way!
I'm more curious to find out what everyone voted for than to really take a pick myself, but this has been fun, lemme cap off with some busywork:
First, several new changes from the character sheet, firstly is that Inana got art!
Look at her. She's so smug. And deservedly so.
The net scars on her arm, the almost tear drop esque cut below her eye, the blue, the purple, and that wicked, WICKED smile, they all come together great!
She wants to be seen as strong and dependable, and she very very much is.
Sophia has taken the top spot on the friends list from Capella! Capella is probably going to maul her!
Leeeeeeeeif, our friend Leif.
I love how he's such a finely crafted mix of "This guy is a dumb goober" and "I mean he definitely has Aria's number. He has enough of her number that he knows she's a good person that wants to help but he does just have her number."
Honestly my brain parsed Eternatus as too dark purple adjacent to parse it as like. Blue blue to go with the "red and blue" descriptor, though I won't deny I also had that thought, I was just also "But wait, what if Eternatus was the Dread King like I thought?"
This is one of those situations where there's the funny possibility that one Legendary has been fucking around in multiple myths, but there might be more natural conclusions when more information becomes apparent.
Elpis, I've gotta say, you did good in making the absence of "You Know The True Names Of Gods" in Aria's skill traits felt.
. HUH. Wait what.
...You know I had this thought before but do you think Old Bea was maybe giving away some backstory talking about her granddaughter So"f"ia?
Yeah yeah, it's like. Aria has a much easier time believing that the frameup Would Work than she really should because she's blind to how well known she is and how little she's like. Considered unimportant, like:
Literally the first thing a dumbass without care for overall social clout like Lissy says "Oh hey you're Drake's favorite", and Redwood tells Aria that Drake wants him to look out for her, there's basically no way anyone at Caer Rivenhold would take this as an open and shut case, which, you know, is why the conspiracy is literally trying to kill Aria instead of relying on a trial to work in their favor.
The reason the Spectrier Border Guard is stretched thin is because most of them are invested in watching the border!
Of the Empire of Sol!
Which Gildera is almost definitely about to have a war with!
So that's a thing.
Alright, done now, loved the chapter Elpis, waiting to rock out with the next!
The tone's been set in a stark way, the miserable whiteout, the unspoken discomfort within "calls your fake name", and the fact the volunteer pool doesn't get much older or more competent looking than Aria herself.
Medieval Flare Guns.
Man what even the fuck (Complimentary).
Love how Aria's "Well I'm either fucked or I'm not so I should just stop being paranoid", that's the correct reaction, but is she good at it? No.
The fact the Spectrier Guard is bleeding knights hard right now is very, hm. Literally this is a rescue mission now because they don't even know if the guy they were originally hunting down has anything to do with this.
Inana continually ruining Aria's life because she's an Ice-Type who gets to be perky when it's so cold she wants to throw up.
MAMOSWINE TREES. Love that description.
Seriously Gildera is such a fucking. This place was not made to be inhabitable by human beings and yet these bastards keep sticking around.
[Leif Joins Your Party!]
I like Leif.
Inana is wielding the power of being a scamperer to our advantage.
Oh my god. They're both so stupid.
Aria: Wait what could the Border Guard be doing besides guarding the oh my fucking god.
Leif: [Actually literally cracking up because he really needed that levity]
Love how bad this is! Nothing good is here!
Aria is definitely definitely giving away her history here and she's lucky Leif thinks she's too much of a riot to give a hard time.
Mankey Stampede tho. Bad.
OH MY GOD. LITERALLY.
You know there was a time Aria knew how to lie* to people (*Highly Suspect). Where did the days go by.
I like how. Straight up a boy scout Leif is. Diligent in answering the concern of his volunteers and perfectly remembers all the names of the guys Aria has droned out during the daily brooding session.
"Must...Resist..The urge...To L+Ratio..."
Man what is going on with Peter. Has literally everyone clocked that Aria is a former Glastrier Knight. Honestly I really hadn't anticipated how much in ABfI would be devoted to "You're a child soldier" "Wait but this is medieval times, I thought we just all did stuff way younger???"
Aria: I hate Leif.
Inana: [Chitters what would translate as "You high fived him this morning."]
Aria: That's another matter entirely. You don't leave a man's Aces High hanging.
"This is not the time to be a hero" I'm sorry Leif, but you're soon to discover Aria is chronically addicted to finding a hill and dying on it.
Shoulder Buddy Inanaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.
You know it's surprising to see the job "halfway done" already, there's clearly more to the situation going on, but apparently the search party doesn't have to wait for the protagonist to accomplish anything, would've thought.
Inana wants to be tall. Koala.
Gwhheghajk.
They're so STUPID.
Honestly really fun that Aria and Inana are tussling and roughhousing, Aria needs to get that violent energy out in other places besides taking it out on perfectly innocent poachers.
The teddy bear grab, the belly poke, the bicep flex, the face clamp, fucking throwing Inana's ass out and flipping Aria the bird, just. Spectacular.
.
Actually I just realized what attacking her like a fucking facehugger reminded me of!
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-x-x_h-Mtrk
A much less loving gesture, and yet the love is still there.
I love how things immediately get serious and it's like "Wow I know that was just a playfight but Aria literally does not know Inana has way more malice in the tank when it's not a playfight."
I'm guessing this has more than a little to do with the current manhunt, huh!
And here we find a lost Spectrier Knight!
She has helpfully stopped Aria from getting Mufasa'd!
Aria has gone to the trouble of helping Inana not get Mufasa'd, which Inana probably appreciates Much Less, for she Could Have Handled It.
Love that we're getting the experience of Tauros being a fucking problem and a half, good scale.
You see, knights like Aria because she is also a compulsive knight.
Hey Sophia! Sophia is doing Bad.
Inana: [Chitters what would translate as "I could take 'em."]
Aria: You would Literally Actually Die.
Love how Sophia is "I cannot falter in my duty" before she's willing to silently gesture to "Also I have one working arm and leg between me."
Man what did Wilhelm even steal?
A Poke Flute! An evil fucked up Poke Flute!
I love how we randomly have a cattle rustler pied piper here.
Holy shit Inana is strong.
I feel like Aria doesn't entirely have the scale of how powerful tiny pokemon can be with the experience size she has, her main experience is Actual Babies—
—Okay damn Wilhelm you got schmovement!
Love the level of fuck around and find out in action, if you wanna make it in Gildera you have to have access to literal Tekken combos.
LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS COMBO MOVE, fantastic that we're finally getting Human/Pokemon Double Battles.
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byjDd-QJnzM&t=57
^ Every "Grab the bull by the horns and fucking spin it" sequence reminds me of her.
"Why the fuck are you randomly Level 20???" <-- Completely unknown girl who can fold a grown man in a direct contest of strength.
Love how normalass(?) criminals in Gildera keep having fight choreography like this. Can't make it in this life if you don't have style.
Yooooooo, team up team up team up!
Incredible to me how Wilhelm can tactically use "Animals are so pissed off having to deal with me" "YOU PISS ME OFF TOO" "Humans are animals too aren't they?" like it impresses me how much of a sauceless goon this man is.
Aria wants him TRAMPLED and she will do it herself if she has to.
A Bulbasaur! A large lad!
Sophia literally having the first Grass-Type Starter surely doesn't imply strong foiling with Aria, never mind the fact she thought "Oh, frosted tips just like Skiddle..."
BARED STEEL.
"There isn't a reason to do this." "Yes there is. STABBING YOU."
I love how she just has no chill. Said literally actually fuck this cover name.
She isn't even gonna kill this guy she wants literally everyone to know who beat his ass ragged.
What the fuck literally stacked amigo strats???
I LOVE. POKEMON RIDING COMBAT. THINGS ARE GONNA GET CRAZY WHEN SKIDDLE AND INANA START HANGING.
This is really fun choreography, because everyone's involved! Literally everyone! Wilhelm can target Sophia to control Aria's response, but Sophia can support Aria on the rebound, which makes for fun interplay.
I literally cannot understate how wild it is Aria's like "You know what...This guy IS bitchmade" like she's literally living her Battle Action Shounen Training Arc all over this circus clown's ass.
AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Everyone's like that when Aria starts throwing hands!
She just sucks to deal with!
I love. The still frame of Inana and Spring riding this cow to hell.
Yeah yeah yeah, this came across really naturally, because "Wait why the hell is this one Tauros still hanging around aimed dead straight at Aria" had the obvious answer of "Well this is Pokemon", which is why it's clever that Wilhelm was using herd instincts to insert his own inside man and distract from the naked truth with the smokescreen of the running of the bulls, this is basically assassin strats with a fucking Tauros, crazy to see.
Aria will just maim a man. No hesitation.
Well damn!
Wilhelm I think you made a bad gamble here.
Sophia has a hole in her torso and Wilhelm has fractured every bone in his body and Aria has stabbed her Very Telling Skarmory Steel Sword in the leg of a man that she wants to stay there all the way up until people come to find them by way of the flare.
It's all kinda gone to shit!
RIP to a real one Tauros, you're moving on to green pastures.
Oh boy that is a GOOD big hole.
Spring...Inana is good people. Good weasel people.
. A MAX REVIVE???
Ruby. Holy shit.
Also what the fuck Flamberg was such a piece of shit she had to wear a Cure Death rock everywhere like a fucking necklace???
I feel like Ruby was accurately reading Aria's tendencies when they passed her this actual treasure in secret, which makes it almost funny that she used it on the knight with just as much of a chivalry boner as her.
I love how since this is Literally A Damn Max Revive Sophia has to be awake through this. Doesn't even get to mercifully pass out. This is the shit you save to muscle through the Elite Four sawing through your entire team one at a time.
You have saved a life. You have conquered the unreasonable with the radiance of your soul.
In the end, more than anything else that defines you, your empathy and kindness for others are something that makes you [You]. Your love and trust in other people, even in the face of adversity and betrayal, is unmatched. Your willingness to give everything, from expensive medicine to your very blood makes you more of a knight than most.
You are Aria and you are Loving, even if you don't think you are. Even if there is that gnawing feeling at the back of your mind that you're a bad person who drags those around you down.
Even if you think you deserve less, you're a good child.
Sophia is not the kind of person to forget such a debt. You are not the kind of person who demands repayment for doing the right thing. Regardless, you'll have to visit her soon, Leif says she wishes to meet you. 'Sofia of Traviole' is now known to all the Spectrier Knights still stationed in Wallburg.
Dawww. Made a friend!
This is like, a really good follow up to the literally Everything Arc 1 ended on, good return to form, darkness to light.
Love how literally all the Spectrier Knights know Aria is Faking, Very Badly, but she's like their people now. Sorry Duke van Kesteren, no take backs.
Sophia is a very dapper young lady, spiky white hair and green pronouns.
The fact you held back posting the art was a good way to maintain the illusion that she was a NPC slated to die Elpis!
Okay, so this is the vote!
It's fascinating to think that the paths going forward are "What tools do you use to make your sell", funny how for all this fic started two months on the dot before it came out, it really is a lot like Metaphor: ReFantazio, in a really good way!
I'm more curious to find out what everyone voted for than to really take a pick myself, but this has been fun, lemme cap off with some busywork:
Aria, the Aspirant KnightArt by Me
Aria, the Runaway Knight
Your Pokemon and your Skills share the same slot. As one grows in power, the other will too. Aspects are combinations of Skills, representing the content of your character and choices, not necessarily the things you can bring to the table.
They're graded loosely adapted from We Stand In Awe's and But Not Forgotten's skill levels. Everything runs purely on a narrative basis, with your capability in a skill deciding the paths that become available to you rather than rolls which decide their outcomes.
Aspects and Skills
- Aspect: Imp l (Wisdom + Authority)
- Skill: Wisdom [Competent]
- Skill: Authority [Competent]
Aria's Pokemon
The Flamberg GrowlitheSkiddle, the Runaway Knight's Regret- 1: Skiddle the Skiddo: Wisdom [Competent]:
Skiddle is your first partner as a Glastrier Knight. She's kind and happy, always ready to cheer you up and keep you company when you're down. She will keep you upright if you can barely walk, and she will warm you up at night if you're cold. That's the kind of Pokemon she is.
Or was.
- Inana the Sneasel
A proud Sneasel of Northern Gildera. She knows she's adorable and will let everyone know. Her biggest goal seems to be proving herself as strong and dependable.
Important Characters and Friends
- Sophia, Spectrier Knight
- A knight of the Spectrier Order. You saved her life. She has become very friendly since then.
- Capella, your precious friend.
- Capella is a year younger than you. She has spent a lot of time with Drake before he returned to the Caer after picking you up. She is your best friend. The only one who truly understands you.
- Drake, your adoptive father.
The man who took you in. A bald Commander whose name makes many tremble in fear. To you, he's your savior and mentor. His trusty Partner is a Dragonite named Typhon as scarred as him.- Lissy, the Future Legend
A girl who wants to become a hero. She knows all the tales and stories of those who now dwell in the Elysian fields. Her ability to fight in close combat is enough to make even some older knights cower. Her Scraggy is named Perseus.- Ruby, the Mountain Child
A member of the last natives in Western Gildera. They hail from Regis' Pass, a village where the last survivors do not know what their future looks like. Ruby wishes to become a noble to protect their people. Their Bunneary is called Opal.- Leif, Spectrier Knight
Minor Characters and Acquaintances
Silvia, the Lightning Blade
Silvia is a Captain of the Glastrier Order. Despite using a long sword, she is said to be the fastest swordswoman on the continent. Her partner, Bolt, is a Raichu with a darker fur than usual.
Redwood, the Scholar
The Murkrow Squad of the Northern Woods
First, several new changes from the character sheet, firstly is that Inana got art!
Look at her. She's so smug. And deservedly so.
The net scars on her arm, the almost tear drop esque cut below her eye, the blue, the purple, and that wicked, WICKED smile, they all come together great!
She wants to be seen as strong and dependable, and she very very much is.
Sophia has taken the top spot on the friends list from Capella! Capella is probably going to maul her!
Leeeeeeeeif, our friend Leif.
I love how he's such a finely crafted mix of "This guy is a dumb goober" and "I mean he definitely has Aria's number. He has enough of her number that he knows she's a good person that wants to help but he does just have her number."
Honestly my brain parsed Eternatus as too dark purple adjacent to parse it as like. Blue blue to go with the "red and blue" descriptor, though I won't deny I also had that thought, I was just also "But wait, what if Eternatus was the Dread King like I thought?"
This is one of those situations where there's the funny possibility that one Legendary has been fucking around in multiple myths, but there might be more natural conclusions when more information becomes apparent.
Elpis, I've gotta say, you did good in making the absence of "You Know The True Names Of Gods" in Aria's skill traits felt.
. HUH. Wait what.
...You know I had this thought before but do you think Old Bea was maybe giving away some backstory talking about her granddaughter So"f"ia?
Yeah yeah, it's like. Aria has a much easier time believing that the frameup Would Work than she really should because she's blind to how well known she is and how little she's like. Considered unimportant, like:
Literally the first thing a dumbass without care for overall social clout like Lissy says "Oh hey you're Drake's favorite", and Redwood tells Aria that Drake wants him to look out for her, there's basically no way anyone at Caer Rivenhold would take this as an open and shut case, which, you know, is why the conspiracy is literally trying to kill Aria instead of relying on a trial to work in their favor.
The reason the Spectrier Border Guard is stretched thin is because most of them are invested in watching the border!
Of the Empire of Sol!
Which Gildera is almost definitely about to have a war with!
So that's a thing.
Alright, done now, loved the chapter Elpis, waiting to rock out with the next!
Update 9: The Sun and Moon Cake
New
Elpis
Ostensibly Hope
- Location
- Berlin
Winning Vote:
[X] Wit.
[X] The farmers.
###
The medical wing of the Wallburg Knight's Quarter is not too dissimilar to the Glastrier one. Though the setup is much the same, rather than a Chansey running around and making sure that all the injured and sick are taken care of, there's a pair of Blissey with electric blue eyes.
Currently they're busy holding down a man who keeps shouting about an attack. His body seems fine, but there's a bandage wrapped around one eye and his forehead. That's too fresh to be from the group of knights that went missing, he arrived later.
You turn to the woman in charge, dressed in a long white coat and glaring at a piece of parchment through glasses, eyebags that tell you of many restless nights sitting framed in between dark red hair.
Everyone you have overheard just calls her the Nurse. Capital N.
"Your injuries are healin'," she says, chewing on something while giving you the diagnosis. You remember some older knights had something similar on them, wasn't it burning at the tip? It looks similar, at least. "Still, quite some scars for a village girl, swingin' a sword and allofthat."
You have to strain your ears to really hear what she's saying. "Does that mean I can go?"
"Sure, but you mighta wanna swing around the private rooms," she says, pointing at a door toward the end of the big room. "Someone wants to see you."
You blink, tilting your head. Who would ask for you, really? Leif isn't injured whatsoever, though from the look on his face when he found you with all of Sophia's blood on your hands and in the snow, he did look sick.
"It's the lass, girly," the Nurse says. "The lass you saved."
"Oh, right, Leif said something about that," you say, blinking again. Though Sophia's injuries were severe, the Revival Stone, as you were informed, had sent her expected recovery time from 'possibly months' to 'a good week of bedrest.'.
Apparently those were not just rare and expensive, they were practically impossible to get without connections to the Mountain Tribes that Ruby descends from. You know they'd never criticize a use like this, yet it pains you that one of those gifts you received is no longer in your hands.
You clench a fist at your side and nod to the Nurse, moving toward the door. Inside you can hear some laughter, the other injured knights are also inside from the sound of it. You open the door to find those four knights. Sophia is in the bed at the window, laughing so hard that her shoulders are shaking. She truly puts the motion into emotion, slamming her fist into the bed as the knight across the room continues his story. You don't know what the story is about, but 'and his mother was a Drifloon' sounds like a punchline you need a lot of context for.
The laughter starts to get more quiet as they notice you, and you have time to take in the rest of the group. Two men and another woman, no longer dressed in armor but in simple clothes that do nothing to hide the sheer amount of bandages underneath. Sophia is the last to notice you, her eyes widening when she spots you. She must be running a fever after those injuries, her face is all red.
"Aria," she says in greeting. You flinch, of course, you did shout your name at Wilhelm before you beat the shit out of him. "Come in, please."
You do, walking into the room and closing the door behind you. The other knights are following you with their eyes as you approach Sophia's bed. She pats her hair down as you sit down in the chair that's placed next to the bed.
"Hello, Sophia," you say. The discomfort at your fake name is already gone, and you suppose it'd be less confusing to just be Aria now, even if that name could draw attention of the Glastrier Order again. Right now you're in Wallburg, and you've done a great deed, which means even if they decide to accuse you of Drake's murder you know at least Leif will give you the benefit of the doubt. "Are you well?"
"Better than well," she says, her fist against her chest. "You saved my life."
You open your mouth to say you did no such thing, that she saved yours by protecting you from that Tauros, that all you did was return the favor.
But she does not let you. There's tears in the corners of her eyes as she bows her head. "Thank you, Aria."
You bite your tongue and put a hand on her shoulder, pushing her back onto the bed to lie down. "Thank you, too. For protecting me."
The smile she offers is worth it. It's so easy to dismiss people's gratitude, to say that it was nothing, or that it was simply the circumstances in which you find yourself in. You saved each other, and that is worth mutual appreciation.
The other knights are clearly listening, remaining quiet to not disturb your conversation. At one point you swear you could see the men grin at each other.
"Leif says you came here with the villagers from Traviolle," she says when she finds her voice again. "Though you're from further away, right? That sword of yours couldn't have been forged in the Marquisate."
"No," you say, avoiding her gaze. "It's from… from the Duchy. I—"
"You don't need to explain yourself," Sophia says quickly. You blink. "You've got your reasons, so just talk about it when you feel like it. I owe you that much. If Leif lets you enter the city, you belong here either way. No way he'd have given you one of the Spectrier Pokeballs if that wasn't the case."
What a simple way to make decisions. No doubts that even Leif could make the wrong choice, or that you're a deserter of some sort.
You think back to Old Bea's words about van Kesteren and the Marquess Reichert. About the different kinds of governing, and reasons for knighthood. Are these people really that much more trusting? Or are they so much better at telling when someone is lying?
If nothing else, the suspicion inside of you that you're not being hunted by the knights makes you think of different questions, some you really wish you never find the answer for.
Would the captains have protected you? Should you have reached out to Capella after all?
No.
No you realize more than ever, your future has never been in the confines of some Duke's army. That you do not seek the glory of men like Achilles, who smile when they are faced with impossible odds.
Your fists clench at your sides, still unable to look at her face. Sophia is the one who reaches out this time, putting a hand on your shoulder as she no doubt notices the whirlwind of emotions inside of you.
Why are you trying to convince others that you're a bad person? That you have reason for shame?
"My time in the Duchy ended abruptly," you say, feeling another kind of relief at being able to be at least somewhat honest. "It's not something I like to talk about, please don't misunderstand."
"It's fine," she says. "I want you to feel comfortable here."
"No," you say, shaking your head. "It's fine, Leif has already made it clear he knows more about me than I dared admit. I am Aria, I used to be an Aspirant for the Glastrier Knights."
You salute again, the way you've learned it, with your fingers at your shoulder and bowing slightly. Your fingers brush against hers.
"Once again, I am Sophia. Those three people who cannot pretend to be deaf are Maurits, Lena, and Garry."
The three knights greet you with their own salutes, sitting in the beds and glancing at each other.
"I wanted to speak with you in private," Sophia says, glancing at the others. "But that won't be possible here, could we meet after the Nurse lets me out?"
"Of course," you say. There's little else you can do besides stay in Wallburg, of course, and you did promise the children another story from Lissy's book at bedtime so there's no way you're going to run away. That'd be rude. "Still, I'm glad you're doing well, though. It was quite a grim sight."
Sophia tries to laugh it off, but you can see the strain on her face, the weight of her experience. It feels so familiar to you, like looking into a mirror at that young girl who shed her blood and name to keep moving. Who gave up hope and faith until Drake dragged her back.
"Sorry," you find yourself saying. "It's not good bedside manners."
"You don't need to apologize," she says. "When I became a knight, I always knew a day like this could come. But knowing and experiencing it are too different. It's one of the reasons… Nevermind that, ignore me."
"Nothing prepares you for the possibility of death," you say, nodding. She nods back, and a comfortable silence blankets you. Her hand is still on your shoulder, you notice, even as she is lying in that bed and staring at the ceiling. Her fingers grip into your shirt, so softly you barely notice the touch, but still straining against the idea of letting go.
"I've gotten paid for the arrest," you say, pointing at the bag of coins at your hips. Gold is the universal language, it's true, and even after telling Leif to give some to the villager quarter you should be able to actually stock up on some necessities without having to worry. "So how about we meet up at a restaurant after you're released. I've heard there's some good ones in Wallburg."
She lights up like the Atlas star, her face once again turning slightly red as she lets go of you. "That'd be great!"
Her voice is loud enough to make you flinch back, and the other knights start laughing at the scene for some reason. You don't know what else there is to say, so you say goodbye.
Nobody can deny you.
To choose your own name is not a simple matter, it is a declaration to the world. It is a declaration to yourself. You will not hide away from those who would do you and yours harm by changing who you are. They are not worth half the blood that has been spilled to shape [Aria].
You are Aria, Revolutionary. Your name is the song that blows those cold winds of Gildera onto the rest of the continent. One of your skills improves from Competent to Adept. You have to choose which.
[ ] Authority.
Something about you draws people in. You find the words on your tongue as useful as the sword in your hand. While some fights are unavoidable, those you can't avoid are won not alone but with the help of others.
[ ] Wisdom.
You know how little you truly know. Surface knowledge in a hundred different categories makes you seem intelligent to the average person, but wisdom is not intelligence. Using what you know makes you a force to be reckoned with.
###
The villagers gather together in peaceful unity in the middle of the quarter, creating what Old Bea describes as 'a winter festival'. They build stalls, create beautiful lights using fire and thunder stones, as well as fabrics made from the wool of many different Pokemon.
"It's cultural exchange," Old Bea explains. "Though we are all of Gildera, and all of the Marquisate, all villages are quite different. This is the only time in the year where you can find most of us in one place."
"Still, a festival," you say, unsure about your place in all of this. "It feels so jovial compared to the usual mood in winter."
"One cannot let circumstance ruin the joy of living. Though days can be hard, and sometimes one's heart is not in it, we cannot let ourselves be crushed by dark emotions."
Old Bea reminds you of your grandmother in more ways than just her age, though their circumstances could not be more different. Is that the wisdom that comes with age? Or are their experiences more similar than you can imagine?
You wonder if one day you will be able to ease someone's heart with words alone. You smile at her, looking around toward the crowd and spotting the people who have been keeping you company whenever Old Bea is too busy.
The farmer family consists of Penelope and her six children. Her husband passed away years ago, and though you know that kind of tragedy can break many, this woman's strength fills you with awe.
Not just the mental one, of course, you've seen her carry five of her children, aged four to ten, all to drag them to a bathtub. The oldest son, Fabian, is fourteen and somewhat rebellious, though he still clearly loves his family and does not stray too far.
You approach after bidding goodbye to Old Bea, preparing to help Penelope with her own stand. Her table is full of… roots? Various roots, some dirty and brown, some look like they were polished and reflect the sunlight back into your eyes. Besides those there are a lot of vegetables, those you know can persevere even multiple months simply by being cold.
"Penelope," you say. She turns to you, grinning widely. "Can I help you?"
"No, we're almost done," she says, pointing at Fabian. The boy is slamming a hammer down on a wooden stake that will become the roof of the farmer's stand. "But this reminds me, you were asking me about edible things in the wild, right? Didn't they teach you that?"
"Survivalism was never really the focus there, no," you say, shaking your head. "We were always grouped up, there were well-prepared rations, and some expectation to help each other."
It's a different way of life, of course. While the villagers live exactly that kind of way as well, they also know how to take care of themselves. While knights have a certain degree of independence and knowledge of how to keep going even in the most dire of circumstances, there was a certain dependence beaten into them.
Look to your comrade, and if you cannot find him, look for your Duke.
You are never alone. In blue and white, all of them are your brothers and sisters.
Until they are not. Well at least now the Meowth is out of the bag and everyone knows, though some of the kids are still stuck with Sofia.
You sigh. "Well, can you teach me something now? Or are you too busy?"
"I've got something really nice for you," she says, moving around the table. "Look, what can you tell me about these two here?"
She points at two completely different roots that look like they've been grabbed out of the ground, some specks of dirt still on them. "I have no idea, that's just two different roots, isn't it?"
She laughs, putting her hands on her hips.
"These are the same root," Penelope says, clearly too proud that you fell for the most obvious trick question. You squint, trying to find any similarities. Not skin or color make it look anywhere close to each other. "The difference is the environment. Whereas this one was harvested in the woods of Gildera—" She points at the one that looks like it has a hard outer shell, largely devoid of color. "This one came from Sol."
The other one looks thin and brittle, the skin amber and glossy.
"Despite these differences, they're both 'dragon's root'. They're both edible, though the Gilderan one is obviously harder to prepare due to its thick skin. If you manage to get through the skin however…"
She takes a giant cleaver from somewhere and slams it over the root, startling you. As if nothing had happened, she puts the cleaver aside and takes the Solian root before snapping it with her bare hands. Nobody even watches the scene with you as this woman is clearly proving a point.
On the inside, both of them look identical. Slightly orange, very fibrous, and despite the fact that they came from such dry looking roots there is some juices flowing out.
"If you know where to find them, they're the easiest way to feed yourself while on the road."
You can't help but give some applause at the demonstration. You saw some of those in the kitchens and occasionally they were served, but you imagine the amount of mouths to feed made it hard to focus entirely on wild roots. Still, something that can be useful regardless of which continent you're on would've been nice to know. Perhaps if you ever do deign the thought of returning to the Caer you can ask for these things to be added to the lesson plan.
This is critical knowledge!
"They're quite readily available if you know what the plant looks like, it grows everywhere and in every season, though in winter you might not be able to tell without the leaves."
She grabs something from her pocket, a small book, then goes through it until she gets to a page in the middle, holding it up for you to see. "Here."
A drawing of a plant, with a person next to it for scale. It would reach about your hip and has thick, heavy leaves that shrivel at the tip, some up and some down. If you squint, it does look like the maw of a serpent, or a dragon, whenever two leaves curl towards each other.
"In Sol, the leaves are bright, in Gildera they're usually darker or have blue highlights, even in summer."
You nod, making a note to get a book like that soon.
She shoves the book into your hands.
Okay, well, no note then.
"Is it fine to just give this to me?" you ask. Books are a commodity, something expensive and useful. Though some are mass produced, often religious texts or fables, the truly useful books are those with knowledge of the world. "It must've been expensive."
"I've memorized it up and down, I could write my own," Penelope says, her smile still in place. "You look like you'll need it more than me, little one."
You want to say you're not that little, but that woman towers over you in a way that only Redwood could imitate. Even her son, two years your junior, is equal to your size.
The villagers are the best kind of people. And in their winter joy, they made you a gift: a shield, so the other half of your weapon is finally back where it belongs. Made from the Mamoswine Trees, it is something that will stand the test of time for sure.
As long as you don't lose it again.
The shield is engraved…
[ ] … with the seal of the Gilderan people. It depicts a tree with golden lines running up the crown.
[ ] … with a depiction of Kael, wielding his blade. It's symmetrical and stylized, quite beautiful.
[ ] … with Inana, glaring at you. She looks menacing on the wood, much more than in reality.
###
The meeting with Sophia does not take long to organize. Though she's still out of breath after only a few minutes of walking, the Nurse released her back into the city with a stern 'do not attempt anything dangerous', which means you're free to enjoy a good meal with her. She came personally to the villager's quarter to tell you where to meet in the evening. A few hours later, after reading to the children one more time, you make your way there.
In the inner city, where the ring-road formed around the first watchtower that ever stood here, the biggest and most popular shops have made their mark. They surround that tower with beautiful lights and smells that make your stomach growl. The snow is not high here, trampled down by the hundreds of people who walk up and down the street the entire day. It's slippery here and there, but you manage to regain your balance after only two near-death experiences.
Sophia is dressed casually, a purple scarf around her neck and a long brown coat that makes her look very mysterious. She stands at the watchtower gate, looking around until she sees you approach. The snow under your foot makes a crunch as you step up to her.
"Good evening," you greet. She takes a moment before responding.
"Good evening, Aria," she says. Somehow your actual name coming out grants you relief in a way you cannot put into words. A sort of pleasure that comes from being acknowledged as you are. You dare not ask for more. "Have you picked a place yet?"
"No," you say, shaking your head. "I don't really know the city, so I'd like it if you could pick one "
"There's a pastry restaurant," she says. A sweet-tooth, then. Sophia is quite easy to get along with, you think. She does not actually hide her emotions, at least, not in the way you're used to by others. She reaches out, grabbing your hand and pulling you along. "Come."
You can only see her back now. She's slightly taller than you, her grip tight but not painfully so, and though she is already running out of breath just walking those few meters to the shop she picked, you can tell that she's dependable and strong.
It's chance and circumstance that made you, well, acquaintances? It's hard to say friends, but who would you share a slice of cake with if not a friend?
The candles on the table make for a fun mood, enough to ignore the rather rude stares by some of the richer customers toward you.
"What's the matter?" she asks when she sees you look around like a child in a new place. "Never been in a restaurant before?"
"No," you say, unable to lie. "It really is something! The people, the view out of the window. It's so much more comfortable than a dining hall." Or a dining room in a mansion. It reminds you more of teatime outside in the summer, all warm and cozy.
It feels like sitting with the villagers, though somewhat less personal.
Sophia is just looking at you, leaning back into her chair. A man approaches, and you tense for just a moment before Sophia turns to him in greeting. "Hello, my friend here hasn't eaten anything like this before, could you recommend something?"
He does not hesitate for a moment before listing off a ton of things of which you had no idea how to parse. You do know some of the terms, you know of course what a cake is, you've had quite a lot with your grandmother back in the day.
But some of the terms sound, well, foreign. Solian, in some ways. They mention the sun and the moon, and somehow you find yourself interested. "That one," you say. "The sun and moon cake."
The man raises a finger, then squints before looking between the two of you. He leaves after nodding, forgetting to take Sophia's order.
"That was abrupt," you say, tilting your head toward him. "Do they not have time to take everyone's orders?"
"No, it's just," she starts, her ears slightly red. "The sun and moon cake is, well, it's-"
You get the answer quite fast. It's not one cake, but two. Not slices, but whole ones, though obviously small enough for a single person to eat it. The waiter puts it on the table and lets you enjoy the sight of it before taking a large knife and cutting both cakes in half, giving each plate half of each—
Ah.
Ah.
You slam your fist into the palm of your hand. It makes sense, of course! It's a way for someone to enjoy two kinds of cakes! How ingenious!
Sophia is a much slower eater than you, it seems. Or perhaps her injury is still giving her some pain, as her hand keeps shaking and her face stays red when she lifts some of the cake to her mouth. You try to help her, but it seems that the color of her skin becomes even worse when you hold the spoon up. In the end, the cake is an experience you definitely want to repeat.
You don't know what that dark cream is, but it's very nice.
In the end you have some tea to finish the evening of. You talk, and talk, and talk. Some secrets spill from loose lips, but you feel much more free. If the Glastrier Knights want you back, they can come and try, but right now you will enjoy life as Old Bea told you to.
You don't notice how you feel until you notice that stinging in your eyes.
"It's been a while since I shared sweets," you admit. Almost eleven years now since your grandmother has passed away. "I'm just reminded of how much has happened since then."
"Well, if there's a time to be sad, it'd be this week," she says. You blink the tears out of your eyes, raising your head to meet her eyes. "Solians are mourning the Empress' death, she died today, all those years back."
Her words reach your ears but your mind is occupied. Something in it makes you wonder, makes you feel, think, respond differently. You see her, but your eyes are unfocused. Was there something in the tea? Sophia doesn't seem to notice, and you try, try not to let her. You want to enjoy this evening.
"How old are you anyway?" she asks. You smile like a puppet, ready to answer, but the number on the tip of your tongue sounds wrong. It leaves your entire mouth numb, and you flinch as you bite on your lip so hard it draws blood. "Aria?"
"I… I think I'm seventeen?" you say, your voice wavering. Why seventeen? What did you miss? You think, you count the days since you left the Caer Rivenhold, you count the time when you would have been back to celebrate with Drake and Capella, with Lissy and Ruby.
Remember, Aria. You celebrate before they mourn, never on the day after.
"I'm seventeen," you say, quieter and more certain than before. "My birthday was yesterday."
"Ah," Sophia says. And though you want her to see nothing of that sadness you know is reflected on your face, she does not need to read your face like Capella to understand how you're feeling. "I suppose a late celebration is better than none, is it?"
You missed your own birthday.
"I've spent so long trying to live my life according to other people's ideals," you say, finding your voice again. "I don't even know what I am doing anymore."
Is this really where you find your barriers falling? With a spoonful of sugar and a warm fruit tea? When you finally realize just how much of your childhood has been stolen from you by Marchioness Flamberg, by the heavy weight on your soul?
In front of a stranger?
You're stronger than that.
But what if you don't want to be strong today?
"The man who adopted me was killed," you say, your fingers clenching over the fork that you forgot you were holding. "I ran. Because people thought I did it."
"I'm sorry," Sophia says. You just nod. You're sorry too. "I can't imagine what that is like, that's not something you should have to bear by yourself."
"I kept running. And I forgot my birthday. And today I was enjoying myself so much, I almost forgot the people who are still waiting for me to come back. And for a moment—"
You swallow the words, but they have to come out, because you cannot imagine how painful they will be if you try to keep them down.
"—for a moment I wondered if I even want to go back to them. If they're not better off without me there."
Sophia does not know what to say, so she says nothing. Instead, she moves around the table and puts a hand on your shoulder. It's a gesture both of you seem to be fond of.
"I do not know your friends," she says, "but I know that no one who'd call you one would ever think their life better without you in it. Doubts like these should not be what stops you from thinking that those you love want you back."
"I know," you say, your voice breaking slightly.
"It's inappropriate to bring it up now, so please forgive me," Sophia says. "My time with the Spectrier Guard has ended just as abruptly. There is something I must do that is more important to me, and though I know that I will miss my comrades and they will miss me, please listen to what I'm saying."
Her words have the desired effect, your emotions muting themselves to hear what a woman, who had just days ago revealed herself to be the very model of a knight, has to say about her own abandonment of that path.
"I pledged my sword to protect my people," she says, her grip on your shoulder loosening. "But the more I stayed, the more that armor dug itself into my skin, the more I yearned for something else."
You clench your teeth. You understand it, of course. That desire for the sky, for the part of the horizon where the sun touches the mountaintop.
"I can see that freedom in you, Aria. My doubts were simply waiting for another push, and you gave it to me. Though it pains me to give up this path, I know whatever the future holds, I will never regret these days."
You nod, unable to say a word. The crowd around you has become quieter, somehow you feel like everyone's staring at you. It becomes uncomfortable, the sight and warmth suddenly too much, sweat gathering on the top of your brow. Her hand comes down from your shoulder and grabs your hand instead.
"And I know that no matter what, whenever I return to them, they will greet me with the same warm smiles, and embrace me with those same warm arms. I know they will do the same for you."
She's on her knees, her sword at her side. Her one hand cups yours, and though you wish to pull away you cannot deny a knight, someone who like you has fought and bled for their rank. Sophia kisses your hand, and you try to ignore the heat that crawls up your neck.
"I owe you a debt I cannot repay in one lifetime," she says, her forehead pressed against the back of your hand. "Let me stay at your side."
"You barely know me."
"And I barely know the Marquis. Is my heart wrong to tell me that now I must go a different path?"
"You are a knight of the Marquisate," you say, frowning at her words. "There are others worthy of such loyalty. I'm… I'm not a noble either.."
The problem with facts and arguments, no matter how logical and reasonable they are, they cannot win against the most powerful emotion. The way her face brightens when she looks into your eyes already tells you everything you need to know. That her words earlier were not something she said just to cheer you up.
"I have already resigned," she says, her hand tightening around your fingers. "If you reject me now, I'll have nowhere else to go."
You do not know what to say.
So you say nothing.
You've acquired a follower. Someone who will go with you through hell or high water, whose trust in you is so unshakeable, it makes you uncomfortable with how much power you have over them.
You cannot deny her purpose, and you cannot deny that you seek companionship. The coldness of the world is weathered much easier with a hand on your back. All you can do now is to become someone worthy of that loyalty.
She is Sophia, once Spectrier Knight. Though she resigned during a difficult time for the Order, nobody seemed to mind. Though she had to give up her armor, she was allowed to keep her sword. Leif is the one who came to collect these things, not dismissing her as a weakling, but smiling at her, and saying goodbye to an old friend.
Sophia's smile is radiant as she joins you in the villager's quarter. Her words grant you wings, and the sky suddenly no longer looks like a cage after all.
Inana looks like a bundle of joy. It seems she's become good friends with Spring.
You find a letter, somewhere in the snow. It melts the world around it and warms your heart. [A]. Imp al.
You still have money left over. After buying a Pokeball, you decide to buy a gift for Sophia. Now that she's part of whatever you have going on—
[ ] —a string for her sword.
For some reason you can only find purple ones.
[ ] —some armor.
You've never had any and don't feel comfortable in it, but she looks wrong without one.
[ ] —a necklace.
It reminds you of Sophia's eyes. Of Capella's hair. You should buy two, and save the other for your return.
[X] Wit.
[X] The farmers.
###
The medical wing of the Wallburg Knight's Quarter is not too dissimilar to the Glastrier one. Though the setup is much the same, rather than a Chansey running around and making sure that all the injured and sick are taken care of, there's a pair of Blissey with electric blue eyes.
Currently they're busy holding down a man who keeps shouting about an attack. His body seems fine, but there's a bandage wrapped around one eye and his forehead. That's too fresh to be from the group of knights that went missing, he arrived later.
You turn to the woman in charge, dressed in a long white coat and glaring at a piece of parchment through glasses, eyebags that tell you of many restless nights sitting framed in between dark red hair.
Everyone you have overheard just calls her the Nurse. Capital N.
"Your injuries are healin'," she says, chewing on something while giving you the diagnosis. You remember some older knights had something similar on them, wasn't it burning at the tip? It looks similar, at least. "Still, quite some scars for a village girl, swingin' a sword and allofthat."
You have to strain your ears to really hear what she's saying. "Does that mean I can go?"
"Sure, but you mighta wanna swing around the private rooms," she says, pointing at a door toward the end of the big room. "Someone wants to see you."
You blink, tilting your head. Who would ask for you, really? Leif isn't injured whatsoever, though from the look on his face when he found you with all of Sophia's blood on your hands and in the snow, he did look sick.
"It's the lass, girly," the Nurse says. "The lass you saved."
"Oh, right, Leif said something about that," you say, blinking again. Though Sophia's injuries were severe, the Revival Stone, as you were informed, had sent her expected recovery time from 'possibly months' to 'a good week of bedrest.'.
Apparently those were not just rare and expensive, they were practically impossible to get without connections to the Mountain Tribes that Ruby descends from. You know they'd never criticize a use like this, yet it pains you that one of those gifts you received is no longer in your hands.
You clench a fist at your side and nod to the Nurse, moving toward the door. Inside you can hear some laughter, the other injured knights are also inside from the sound of it. You open the door to find those four knights. Sophia is in the bed at the window, laughing so hard that her shoulders are shaking. She truly puts the motion into emotion, slamming her fist into the bed as the knight across the room continues his story. You don't know what the story is about, but 'and his mother was a Drifloon' sounds like a punchline you need a lot of context for.
The laughter starts to get more quiet as they notice you, and you have time to take in the rest of the group. Two men and another woman, no longer dressed in armor but in simple clothes that do nothing to hide the sheer amount of bandages underneath. Sophia is the last to notice you, her eyes widening when she spots you. She must be running a fever after those injuries, her face is all red.
"Aria," she says in greeting. You flinch, of course, you did shout your name at Wilhelm before you beat the shit out of him. "Come in, please."
You do, walking into the room and closing the door behind you. The other knights are following you with their eyes as you approach Sophia's bed. She pats her hair down as you sit down in the chair that's placed next to the bed.
"Hello, Sophia," you say. The discomfort at your fake name is already gone, and you suppose it'd be less confusing to just be Aria now, even if that name could draw attention of the Glastrier Order again. Right now you're in Wallburg, and you've done a great deed, which means even if they decide to accuse you of Drake's murder you know at least Leif will give you the benefit of the doubt. "Are you well?"
"Better than well," she says, her fist against her chest. "You saved my life."
You open your mouth to say you did no such thing, that she saved yours by protecting you from that Tauros, that all you did was return the favor.
But she does not let you. There's tears in the corners of her eyes as she bows her head. "Thank you, Aria."
You bite your tongue and put a hand on her shoulder, pushing her back onto the bed to lie down. "Thank you, too. For protecting me."
The smile she offers is worth it. It's so easy to dismiss people's gratitude, to say that it was nothing, or that it was simply the circumstances in which you find yourself in. You saved each other, and that is worth mutual appreciation.
The other knights are clearly listening, remaining quiet to not disturb your conversation. At one point you swear you could see the men grin at each other.
"Leif says you came here with the villagers from Traviolle," she says when she finds her voice again. "Though you're from further away, right? That sword of yours couldn't have been forged in the Marquisate."
"No," you say, avoiding her gaze. "It's from… from the Duchy. I—"
"You don't need to explain yourself," Sophia says quickly. You blink. "You've got your reasons, so just talk about it when you feel like it. I owe you that much. If Leif lets you enter the city, you belong here either way. No way he'd have given you one of the Spectrier Pokeballs if that wasn't the case."
What a simple way to make decisions. No doubts that even Leif could make the wrong choice, or that you're a deserter of some sort.
You think back to Old Bea's words about van Kesteren and the Marquess Reichert. About the different kinds of governing, and reasons for knighthood. Are these people really that much more trusting? Or are they so much better at telling when someone is lying?
If nothing else, the suspicion inside of you that you're not being hunted by the knights makes you think of different questions, some you really wish you never find the answer for.
Would the captains have protected you? Should you have reached out to Capella after all?
No.
No you realize more than ever, your future has never been in the confines of some Duke's army. That you do not seek the glory of men like Achilles, who smile when they are faced with impossible odds.
Your fists clench at your sides, still unable to look at her face. Sophia is the one who reaches out this time, putting a hand on your shoulder as she no doubt notices the whirlwind of emotions inside of you.
Why are you trying to convince others that you're a bad person? That you have reason for shame?
"My time in the Duchy ended abruptly," you say, feeling another kind of relief at being able to be at least somewhat honest. "It's not something I like to talk about, please don't misunderstand."
"It's fine," she says. "I want you to feel comfortable here."
"No," you say, shaking your head. "It's fine, Leif has already made it clear he knows more about me than I dared admit. I am Aria, I used to be an Aspirant for the Glastrier Knights."
You salute again, the way you've learned it, with your fingers at your shoulder and bowing slightly. Your fingers brush against hers.
"Once again, I am Sophia. Those three people who cannot pretend to be deaf are Maurits, Lena, and Garry."
The three knights greet you with their own salutes, sitting in the beds and glancing at each other.
"I wanted to speak with you in private," Sophia says, glancing at the others. "But that won't be possible here, could we meet after the Nurse lets me out?"
"Of course," you say. There's little else you can do besides stay in Wallburg, of course, and you did promise the children another story from Lissy's book at bedtime so there's no way you're going to run away. That'd be rude. "Still, I'm glad you're doing well, though. It was quite a grim sight."
Sophia tries to laugh it off, but you can see the strain on her face, the weight of her experience. It feels so familiar to you, like looking into a mirror at that young girl who shed her blood and name to keep moving. Who gave up hope and faith until Drake dragged her back.
"Sorry," you find yourself saying. "It's not good bedside manners."
"You don't need to apologize," she says. "When I became a knight, I always knew a day like this could come. But knowing and experiencing it are too different. It's one of the reasons… Nevermind that, ignore me."
"Nothing prepares you for the possibility of death," you say, nodding. She nods back, and a comfortable silence blankets you. Her hand is still on your shoulder, you notice, even as she is lying in that bed and staring at the ceiling. Her fingers grip into your shirt, so softly you barely notice the touch, but still straining against the idea of letting go.
"I've gotten paid for the arrest," you say, pointing at the bag of coins at your hips. Gold is the universal language, it's true, and even after telling Leif to give some to the villager quarter you should be able to actually stock up on some necessities without having to worry. "So how about we meet up at a restaurant after you're released. I've heard there's some good ones in Wallburg."
She lights up like the Atlas star, her face once again turning slightly red as she lets go of you. "That'd be great!"
Her voice is loud enough to make you flinch back, and the other knights start laughing at the scene for some reason. You don't know what else there is to say, so you say goodbye.
Nobody can deny you.
To choose your own name is not a simple matter, it is a declaration to the world. It is a declaration to yourself. You will not hide away from those who would do you and yours harm by changing who you are. They are not worth half the blood that has been spilled to shape [Aria].
You are Aria, Revolutionary. Your name is the song that blows those cold winds of Gildera onto the rest of the continent. One of your skills improves from Competent to Adept. You have to choose which.
[ ] Authority.
Something about you draws people in. You find the words on your tongue as useful as the sword in your hand. While some fights are unavoidable, those you can't avoid are won not alone but with the help of others.
[ ] Wisdom.
You know how little you truly know. Surface knowledge in a hundred different categories makes you seem intelligent to the average person, but wisdom is not intelligence. Using what you know makes you a force to be reckoned with.
###
The villagers gather together in peaceful unity in the middle of the quarter, creating what Old Bea describes as 'a winter festival'. They build stalls, create beautiful lights using fire and thunder stones, as well as fabrics made from the wool of many different Pokemon.
"It's cultural exchange," Old Bea explains. "Though we are all of Gildera, and all of the Marquisate, all villages are quite different. This is the only time in the year where you can find most of us in one place."
"Still, a festival," you say, unsure about your place in all of this. "It feels so jovial compared to the usual mood in winter."
"One cannot let circumstance ruin the joy of living. Though days can be hard, and sometimes one's heart is not in it, we cannot let ourselves be crushed by dark emotions."
Old Bea reminds you of your grandmother in more ways than just her age, though their circumstances could not be more different. Is that the wisdom that comes with age? Or are their experiences more similar than you can imagine?
You wonder if one day you will be able to ease someone's heart with words alone. You smile at her, looking around toward the crowd and spotting the people who have been keeping you company whenever Old Bea is too busy.
The farmer family consists of Penelope and her six children. Her husband passed away years ago, and though you know that kind of tragedy can break many, this woman's strength fills you with awe.
Not just the mental one, of course, you've seen her carry five of her children, aged four to ten, all to drag them to a bathtub. The oldest son, Fabian, is fourteen and somewhat rebellious, though he still clearly loves his family and does not stray too far.
You approach after bidding goodbye to Old Bea, preparing to help Penelope with her own stand. Her table is full of… roots? Various roots, some dirty and brown, some look like they were polished and reflect the sunlight back into your eyes. Besides those there are a lot of vegetables, those you know can persevere even multiple months simply by being cold.
"Penelope," you say. She turns to you, grinning widely. "Can I help you?"
"No, we're almost done," she says, pointing at Fabian. The boy is slamming a hammer down on a wooden stake that will become the roof of the farmer's stand. "But this reminds me, you were asking me about edible things in the wild, right? Didn't they teach you that?"
"Survivalism was never really the focus there, no," you say, shaking your head. "We were always grouped up, there were well-prepared rations, and some expectation to help each other."
It's a different way of life, of course. While the villagers live exactly that kind of way as well, they also know how to take care of themselves. While knights have a certain degree of independence and knowledge of how to keep going even in the most dire of circumstances, there was a certain dependence beaten into them.
Look to your comrade, and if you cannot find him, look for your Duke.
You are never alone. In blue and white, all of them are your brothers and sisters.
Until they are not. Well at least now the Meowth is out of the bag and everyone knows, though some of the kids are still stuck with Sofia.
You sigh. "Well, can you teach me something now? Or are you too busy?"
"I've got something really nice for you," she says, moving around the table. "Look, what can you tell me about these two here?"
She points at two completely different roots that look like they've been grabbed out of the ground, some specks of dirt still on them. "I have no idea, that's just two different roots, isn't it?"
She laughs, putting her hands on her hips.
"These are the same root," Penelope says, clearly too proud that you fell for the most obvious trick question. You squint, trying to find any similarities. Not skin or color make it look anywhere close to each other. "The difference is the environment. Whereas this one was harvested in the woods of Gildera—" She points at the one that looks like it has a hard outer shell, largely devoid of color. "This one came from Sol."
The other one looks thin and brittle, the skin amber and glossy.
"Despite these differences, they're both 'dragon's root'. They're both edible, though the Gilderan one is obviously harder to prepare due to its thick skin. If you manage to get through the skin however…"
She takes a giant cleaver from somewhere and slams it over the root, startling you. As if nothing had happened, she puts the cleaver aside and takes the Solian root before snapping it with her bare hands. Nobody even watches the scene with you as this woman is clearly proving a point.
On the inside, both of them look identical. Slightly orange, very fibrous, and despite the fact that they came from such dry looking roots there is some juices flowing out.
"If you know where to find them, they're the easiest way to feed yourself while on the road."
You can't help but give some applause at the demonstration. You saw some of those in the kitchens and occasionally they were served, but you imagine the amount of mouths to feed made it hard to focus entirely on wild roots. Still, something that can be useful regardless of which continent you're on would've been nice to know. Perhaps if you ever do deign the thought of returning to the Caer you can ask for these things to be added to the lesson plan.
This is critical knowledge!
"They're quite readily available if you know what the plant looks like, it grows everywhere and in every season, though in winter you might not be able to tell without the leaves."
She grabs something from her pocket, a small book, then goes through it until she gets to a page in the middle, holding it up for you to see. "Here."
A drawing of a plant, with a person next to it for scale. It would reach about your hip and has thick, heavy leaves that shrivel at the tip, some up and some down. If you squint, it does look like the maw of a serpent, or a dragon, whenever two leaves curl towards each other.
"In Sol, the leaves are bright, in Gildera they're usually darker or have blue highlights, even in summer."
You nod, making a note to get a book like that soon.
She shoves the book into your hands.
Okay, well, no note then.
"Is it fine to just give this to me?" you ask. Books are a commodity, something expensive and useful. Though some are mass produced, often religious texts or fables, the truly useful books are those with knowledge of the world. "It must've been expensive."
"I've memorized it up and down, I could write my own," Penelope says, her smile still in place. "You look like you'll need it more than me, little one."
You want to say you're not that little, but that woman towers over you in a way that only Redwood could imitate. Even her son, two years your junior, is equal to your size.
The villagers are the best kind of people. And in their winter joy, they made you a gift: a shield, so the other half of your weapon is finally back where it belongs. Made from the Mamoswine Trees, it is something that will stand the test of time for sure.
As long as you don't lose it again.
The shield is engraved…
[ ] … with the seal of the Gilderan people. It depicts a tree with golden lines running up the crown.
[ ] … with a depiction of Kael, wielding his blade. It's symmetrical and stylized, quite beautiful.
[ ] … with Inana, glaring at you. She looks menacing on the wood, much more than in reality.
###
The meeting with Sophia does not take long to organize. Though she's still out of breath after only a few minutes of walking, the Nurse released her back into the city with a stern 'do not attempt anything dangerous', which means you're free to enjoy a good meal with her. She came personally to the villager's quarter to tell you where to meet in the evening. A few hours later, after reading to the children one more time, you make your way there.
In the inner city, where the ring-road formed around the first watchtower that ever stood here, the biggest and most popular shops have made their mark. They surround that tower with beautiful lights and smells that make your stomach growl. The snow is not high here, trampled down by the hundreds of people who walk up and down the street the entire day. It's slippery here and there, but you manage to regain your balance after only two near-death experiences.
Sophia is dressed casually, a purple scarf around her neck and a long brown coat that makes her look very mysterious. She stands at the watchtower gate, looking around until she sees you approach. The snow under your foot makes a crunch as you step up to her.
"Good evening," you greet. She takes a moment before responding.
"Good evening, Aria," she says. Somehow your actual name coming out grants you relief in a way you cannot put into words. A sort of pleasure that comes from being acknowledged as you are. You dare not ask for more. "Have you picked a place yet?"
"No," you say, shaking your head. "I don't really know the city, so I'd like it if you could pick one "
"There's a pastry restaurant," she says. A sweet-tooth, then. Sophia is quite easy to get along with, you think. She does not actually hide her emotions, at least, not in the way you're used to by others. She reaches out, grabbing your hand and pulling you along. "Come."
You can only see her back now. She's slightly taller than you, her grip tight but not painfully so, and though she is already running out of breath just walking those few meters to the shop she picked, you can tell that she's dependable and strong.
It's chance and circumstance that made you, well, acquaintances? It's hard to say friends, but who would you share a slice of cake with if not a friend?
The candles on the table make for a fun mood, enough to ignore the rather rude stares by some of the richer customers toward you.
"What's the matter?" she asks when she sees you look around like a child in a new place. "Never been in a restaurant before?"
"No," you say, unable to lie. "It really is something! The people, the view out of the window. It's so much more comfortable than a dining hall." Or a dining room in a mansion. It reminds you more of teatime outside in the summer, all warm and cozy.
It feels like sitting with the villagers, though somewhat less personal.
Sophia is just looking at you, leaning back into her chair. A man approaches, and you tense for just a moment before Sophia turns to him in greeting. "Hello, my friend here hasn't eaten anything like this before, could you recommend something?"
He does not hesitate for a moment before listing off a ton of things of which you had no idea how to parse. You do know some of the terms, you know of course what a cake is, you've had quite a lot with your grandmother back in the day.
But some of the terms sound, well, foreign. Solian, in some ways. They mention the sun and the moon, and somehow you find yourself interested. "That one," you say. "The sun and moon cake."
The man raises a finger, then squints before looking between the two of you. He leaves after nodding, forgetting to take Sophia's order.
"That was abrupt," you say, tilting your head toward him. "Do they not have time to take everyone's orders?"
"No, it's just," she starts, her ears slightly red. "The sun and moon cake is, well, it's-"
You get the answer quite fast. It's not one cake, but two. Not slices, but whole ones, though obviously small enough for a single person to eat it. The waiter puts it on the table and lets you enjoy the sight of it before taking a large knife and cutting both cakes in half, giving each plate half of each—
Ah.
Ah.
You slam your fist into the palm of your hand. It makes sense, of course! It's a way for someone to enjoy two kinds of cakes! How ingenious!
Sophia is a much slower eater than you, it seems. Or perhaps her injury is still giving her some pain, as her hand keeps shaking and her face stays red when she lifts some of the cake to her mouth. You try to help her, but it seems that the color of her skin becomes even worse when you hold the spoon up. In the end, the cake is an experience you definitely want to repeat.
You don't know what that dark cream is, but it's very nice.
In the end you have some tea to finish the evening of. You talk, and talk, and talk. Some secrets spill from loose lips, but you feel much more free. If the Glastrier Knights want you back, they can come and try, but right now you will enjoy life as Old Bea told you to.
You don't notice how you feel until you notice that stinging in your eyes.
"It's been a while since I shared sweets," you admit. Almost eleven years now since your grandmother has passed away. "I'm just reminded of how much has happened since then."
"Well, if there's a time to be sad, it'd be this week," she says. You blink the tears out of your eyes, raising your head to meet her eyes. "Solians are mourning the Empress' death, she died today, all those years back."
Her words reach your ears but your mind is occupied. Something in it makes you wonder, makes you feel, think, respond differently. You see her, but your eyes are unfocused. Was there something in the tea? Sophia doesn't seem to notice, and you try, try not to let her. You want to enjoy this evening.
"How old are you anyway?" she asks. You smile like a puppet, ready to answer, but the number on the tip of your tongue sounds wrong. It leaves your entire mouth numb, and you flinch as you bite on your lip so hard it draws blood. "Aria?"
"I… I think I'm seventeen?" you say, your voice wavering. Why seventeen? What did you miss? You think, you count the days since you left the Caer Rivenhold, you count the time when you would have been back to celebrate with Drake and Capella, with Lissy and Ruby.
Remember, Aria. You celebrate before they mourn, never on the day after.
"I'm seventeen," you say, quieter and more certain than before. "My birthday was yesterday."
"Ah," Sophia says. And though you want her to see nothing of that sadness you know is reflected on your face, she does not need to read your face like Capella to understand how you're feeling. "I suppose a late celebration is better than none, is it?"
You missed your own birthday.
"I've spent so long trying to live my life according to other people's ideals," you say, finding your voice again. "I don't even know what I am doing anymore."
Is this really where you find your barriers falling? With a spoonful of sugar and a warm fruit tea? When you finally realize just how much of your childhood has been stolen from you by Marchioness Flamberg, by the heavy weight on your soul?
In front of a stranger?
You're stronger than that.
But what if you don't want to be strong today?
"The man who adopted me was killed," you say, your fingers clenching over the fork that you forgot you were holding. "I ran. Because people thought I did it."
"I'm sorry," Sophia says. You just nod. You're sorry too. "I can't imagine what that is like, that's not something you should have to bear by yourself."
"I kept running. And I forgot my birthday. And today I was enjoying myself so much, I almost forgot the people who are still waiting for me to come back. And for a moment—"
You swallow the words, but they have to come out, because you cannot imagine how painful they will be if you try to keep them down.
"—for a moment I wondered if I even want to go back to them. If they're not better off without me there."
Sophia does not know what to say, so she says nothing. Instead, she moves around the table and puts a hand on your shoulder. It's a gesture both of you seem to be fond of.
"I do not know your friends," she says, "but I know that no one who'd call you one would ever think their life better without you in it. Doubts like these should not be what stops you from thinking that those you love want you back."
"I know," you say, your voice breaking slightly.
"It's inappropriate to bring it up now, so please forgive me," Sophia says. "My time with the Spectrier Guard has ended just as abruptly. There is something I must do that is more important to me, and though I know that I will miss my comrades and they will miss me, please listen to what I'm saying."
Her words have the desired effect, your emotions muting themselves to hear what a woman, who had just days ago revealed herself to be the very model of a knight, has to say about her own abandonment of that path.
"I pledged my sword to protect my people," she says, her grip on your shoulder loosening. "But the more I stayed, the more that armor dug itself into my skin, the more I yearned for something else."
You clench your teeth. You understand it, of course. That desire for the sky, for the part of the horizon where the sun touches the mountaintop.
"I can see that freedom in you, Aria. My doubts were simply waiting for another push, and you gave it to me. Though it pains me to give up this path, I know whatever the future holds, I will never regret these days."
You nod, unable to say a word. The crowd around you has become quieter, somehow you feel like everyone's staring at you. It becomes uncomfortable, the sight and warmth suddenly too much, sweat gathering on the top of your brow. Her hand comes down from your shoulder and grabs your hand instead.
"And I know that no matter what, whenever I return to them, they will greet me with the same warm smiles, and embrace me with those same warm arms. I know they will do the same for you."
She's on her knees, her sword at her side. Her one hand cups yours, and though you wish to pull away you cannot deny a knight, someone who like you has fought and bled for their rank. Sophia kisses your hand, and you try to ignore the heat that crawls up your neck.
"I owe you a debt I cannot repay in one lifetime," she says, her forehead pressed against the back of your hand. "Let me stay at your side."
"You barely know me."
"And I barely know the Marquis. Is my heart wrong to tell me that now I must go a different path?"
"You are a knight of the Marquisate," you say, frowning at her words. "There are others worthy of such loyalty. I'm… I'm not a noble either.."
The problem with facts and arguments, no matter how logical and reasonable they are, they cannot win against the most powerful emotion. The way her face brightens when she looks into your eyes already tells you everything you need to know. That her words earlier were not something she said just to cheer you up.
"I have already resigned," she says, her hand tightening around your fingers. "If you reject me now, I'll have nowhere else to go."
You do not know what to say.
So you say nothing.
You've acquired a follower. Someone who will go with you through hell or high water, whose trust in you is so unshakeable, it makes you uncomfortable with how much power you have over them.
You cannot deny her purpose, and you cannot deny that you seek companionship. The coldness of the world is weathered much easier with a hand on your back. All you can do now is to become someone worthy of that loyalty.
She is Sophia, once Spectrier Knight. Though she resigned during a difficult time for the Order, nobody seemed to mind. Though she had to give up her armor, she was allowed to keep her sword. Leif is the one who came to collect these things, not dismissing her as a weakling, but smiling at her, and saying goodbye to an old friend.
Sophia's smile is radiant as she joins you in the villager's quarter. Her words grant you wings, and the sky suddenly no longer looks like a cage after all.
Inana looks like a bundle of joy. It seems she's become good friends with Spring.
You find a letter, somewhere in the snow. It melts the world around it and warms your heart. [A]. Imp al.
You still have money left over. After buying a Pokeball, you decide to buy a gift for Sophia. Now that she's part of whatever you have going on—
[ ] —a string for her sword.
For some reason you can only find purple ones.
[ ] —some armor.
You've never had any and don't feel comfortable in it, but she looks wrong without one.
[ ] —a necklace.
It reminds you of Sophia's eyes. Of Capella's hair. You should buy two, and save the other for your return.
- Location
- Somewhere!
- Pronouns
- She/Her
so the sun and moon cake was definitely a romantic specialty thing right
- Location
- Somewhere!
- Pronouns
- She/Her
the necklace would have insane vibes imagine telling capella we got a romantic gift for her and also another girl
- Location
- Florida
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] Authority.
[X] … with the seal of the Gilderan people. It depicts a tree with golden lines running up the crown.
[X] —a necklace.
[X] … with the seal of the Gilderan people. It depicts a tree with golden lines running up the crown.
[X] —a necklace.
- Location
- Somewhere!
- Pronouns
- She/Her
[X] Wisdom.
[X] … with the seal of the Gilderan people. It depicts a tree with golden lines running up the crown.
[X] —a necklace
rest of vote to edit in later
[X] … with the seal of the Gilderan people. It depicts a tree with golden lines running up the crown.
[X] —a necklace
rest of vote to edit in later
Last edited:
- Pronouns
- They/Them
Aria is such a rizzler, lmao.
[X] … with the seal of the Gilderan people. It depicts a tree with golden lines running up the crown.
[X] Wisdom.
[X] —a necklace.
Anyone know what the connotation of the purple string is? I assume it's a reference of some sort, but idk to what.
Elpis
Ostensibly Hope
- Location
- Berlin
Aria is purple.
- Pronouns
- They/Them
Ah duh. My first association with a string was a red string of fate kind of deal, so my mind immediately went in the direction of like folklore.Aria is purple.
Euclaid Galieane
Addicted to Words
- Location
- Inside a Book
[X] Wisdom.
[X] … with Inana, glaring at you. She looks menacing on the wood, much more than in reality.
[X] —a necklace.
[X] … with Inana, glaring at you. She looks menacing on the wood, much more than in reality.
[X] —a necklace.
