Noblesse Oblige [Znt/SI]
- Location
- Kansas
So who wants to bet that if that conversation after dinner is away from the view of the servants and commoners that there will be hugs involved?
Edit: For major bonus points, Louise walks in on Henry hugging their mom and little Louise has a blue screen of death moment as the scene doesn't compute for her.
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Dragonskyt
Ashen one, hearest thou my voice, still?
- Location
- Kiln of the First Flame
Oh boy...
Karin sure got a troublesome child.
Plotting her demise at such a young age.
That's why she went on a surprise patrol.
Had to get the all the dere out where no one can see.
- Pronouns
- she/her
Currently she's the family baby who gets spoiled rotten... she joins the hug uninvited. Karin and Henry contract diabetes.
- Location
- Mountains and rivers
with a few firm but precise steps,
SuaveIV
...It's never what you think...
- Pronouns
- He/Him
If you have a browser that can use the Stylish extension, I recommend the following: XenForo Invisitext Handler - Themes and Skins for Sufficientvelocity - userstyles.org
The Dark Esper
Watching With Interest
- Location
- Britain
Truly we are doomed if this Shade manages any form of dimensional travel- To be master of angst and not be weak to hugs?
No man should have that much power.
Mizu
Software Developer
- Location
- Victoria, Australia
Shield Generator first.
Seems Shade aims to make Karin less stern by wearing down Eleanor first. Do we know why the Heavy Wind is so unmoving on formality, actually?
InfiniteDaze
Too lazy to leave the house
- Location
- I wish I could stay
I hope Henry will take a page out of The Witcher, and like the Mages there, learn how to draw upon the ambient elemental/magical energies that encircle and imbue all things, and transmute/convert them, little by little, into his own personal reserves!
Considering the Windstone problem that Halkeginia is going to have, such techniques of channeling and processing "External Willpower", would certainly be useful in dealing with the excess energies of Air!
Considering the Windstone problem that Halkeginia is going to have, such techniques of channeling and processing "External Willpower", would certainly be useful in dealing with the excess energies of Air!
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Cherico
Machine
thats actually theorectically possible.
Requiem_Jeer
The Most High
Even if it isn't, it might be possible to gain extra power in spells by using external power in the environment.
Like, you spend 10WP to gather power, and while you can't convert it back to WP, you can unleash it in a spell that would cost 40WP if you did it normally.
This would, naturally, increase the cast time significantly. Hell, it might be something Void magic does, because they are canonically very powerful with long cast times.
Like, you spend 10WP to gather power, and while you can't convert it back to WP, you can unleash it in a spell that would cost 40WP if you did it normally.
This would, naturally, increase the cast time significantly. Hell, it might be something Void magic does, because they are canonically very powerful with long cast times.
Madou Sutegobana
Autocorrupt has been disabled.
- Location
- Twin Realms Mandala
I like to use the analogy of humans diverting a river by building a dam, but in this case its building a reservoir to release later.
- Location
- Little Rock, AR
Everyone hates the best. She's a legend in her own time but she did that pretending to be a man, while her boyfriend was under a false identity with family in disgrace? IIRC. They made a comeback but it wasn't totally well received and the traitor they deposed has no little support.
Not possible.
Markey magic is internal and doesn't really interact with nature like that. That's spirit magic. They've known about that for ages and would have tried if only to produce elemental stones for industry.
Don't assume these people are fools.
The only thing like this is using Stones or using material in the invironment rater than conjuring it ex nihilo and that's already a technique they practice.
"Surprise border patrol" she says.
Her squeeing must have been loud enough that the mansion walls would have not sufficed.
Meanwhile the Zerbst troops where rather paranoid that day, not sure what to make of the loud teakettle noises coming from the other side of the border.
Well, someone's gonna sleep on the couch tonight.
*hours ago*
"THIS IS THE BEST DAY EVER!" [celebratory hurricanes intensify]
Shade has evolved. He has mastered hugs, and made them his weapon.
Anon42
Some random dude
- Location
- Sweden
[laughter intensifies]
Mortanius
Aspiring Raksha - seeking stories
Excuse me, what FF7 fic are you talking about? I am very interested in new things from that fandom.
Also,
The only thing I can remember from the Witcher books about drawing power from elements is that a mage must not draw from fire, or they will become mad. Water, air and earth are fine, though.
That would be a significant nerf to fire mages in Halgekinia.
EDIT: Though, like in the Witcher 3 game, there are places of power in Halkgekinia. That Ragdorian Lake, for example. Maybe the Montmorencies once drew power from it?
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Dakkan Sall
Random Encounter
- Location
- On the world map
The fic mentioned is I Have Materia. Your Argument Is Invalid.
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The World of the Witcher book gives a detailed explanation regarding the Elements and drawing upon their power.
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- Location
- Mountains and rivers
lol
Chapter Twenty-Nine
- Location
- https://discord.gg/z9tBvbh
Chapter Twenty-Nine
There was a certain sense of entitlement in my steps as I walked out of the library after leaving behind a huffing Eleonore and reached for the gardens, where a servant showed me the way to my other two sisters. Cattleya was sitting by a nearby table, with the pot of tea in front of her. Louise was instead running around the gardens, enjoying the sun and the air and everything nice as a small tiger ran after all playfully.
Although, in my honest opinion, the tiger was probably wondering how much of a bite he could take from little Louise without getting Cattleya angry. A snake as big as thrice my forearm was resting at Cattleya's feet, hissing softly in his sleep. Her pet hen rustled about, a small bunch of chicks following her with chirps all around. There was a small eagle perched on the table's side, eyeing everyone with eyes that seemed to scream Freedom.
"So," I said offhandedly as I walked closer, "How are my fair sisters in this fine day?"
"Brother!" Cattleya turned around, grinning and standing up -deftly avoiding the snake at her feet- to hug me with a smile. "You're back!" she giggled even as I lifted her up with ease, making her spin once before dropping her back down on her feet.
"Of course I'm back," I said with a smile. "Are you feeling well?" I asked next as I gently guided her back to her seat. "Do you need anything?"
"I'm fine," Cattleya giggled, and I simply chuckled back in reply even as Louise drew near and clutched the sides of her dress, making a prim and proper bow in my direction.
"B-Big brother, it is nice to see you...again, how was..." she furrowed her brows, trying to come up with the right words. I simply decided to hoist her up much to her screams of surprise and then twirl her around a bit. "Let me down! Let me down! Let me down!" she yelled even as I laughed.
"My, Louise! You've grown so much, but you seem to have forgotten," I smiled widely as I let her down, just so I could start tickling her sides. "Do I look like the kind of person you need to be polite to? So? Do I?"
Louise laughed, trying to swat away my fingers, but it was all for naught.
"Brother!" Cattleya said with a delightful giggling sound, "Please stop-you're making little Louise cry."
As I stopped, Louise first wind down from laughing to snickering, and then finally gasped in relief, her face red and her hair all in disarray. She swiftly dashed by Cattleya's side, "Big sister-tell big brother he shouldn't tease me like this!" she whined softly, even as Cattleya started to rub her head gently with a smile on her face.
"Now, now," Cattleya said. "This is just his way of showing how much he missed you, little Louise." She looked down at the strawberry blond hair resting on her lap, and easily began to play with a lock of said hair with one hand, the other patting and smoothing out the other locks.
I took a seat in front of Cattleya, and Louise sat down as primly as she could in between us, even as a servant served me tea. "Also, did you know your brother has a runic name now?" Cattleya said with a small smile, "He's called the vicious wind, just like mother is the heavy wind."
Louise's eyes widened as she turned to look at me, "Really! That's incredible big brother," stop saying it with such a cute voice, Louise, or you're going to make me blush. Why can't cute you keep being so cute without becoming Tsundere? Why can't there be only a Deredere type of girl in the world? "What does vicious mean?" she asked next.
"It means brutal," I said quite calmly. "Because while I'm nice, and kind, and I'm really the best brother there could ever be-" Cattleya giggled, shaking her head softly with a sweet whisper of and humble too, "if someone as much as hurts any of you with even one finger, well, why-I'll come swooping down viciously to save you-no matter what happens, or where it happens," I said with a hand to my chest, grinning broadly. "So you can rest assured-no matter what, I'll be there to pull you out of trouble."
"Even from mother?" Louise asked in a whisper, to which I tensed and coughed.
"Louise," I took a deep breath, and clenched my hands. "Even from mother."
"Aw," Cattleya said with a pout, even as Louise made a small exclamation of victory. This poor summer child, she was so trusting-not that I wouldn't try to help her by trying to reason on a lesser punishment, but with how mother was, mine were simply words of circumstance, nothing more. "And what about me? I'm your twin sister, and I do not deserve this much consideration?"
"You have Jean-Jacques, who I am sure would be delighted in helping you," I answered quite offhandedly, "But in his place, I'll substitute for him if the need arises." As I caught up to everything that had happened during our separation, the same could be said for Cattleya and Louise.
Dinner that night was a surprisingly jovial affair. For starters, I was allowed to drink my wine without having to water it down. This did wonders for my mood. Secondly, while talking at dinner was frowned upon, the mood could clearly be defined as light. And third, once dinner was over, mother, father, Eleonore and I headed over to one of the many rooms for after-dinner conversations.
I was actually allowed one -very, very tiny- glass of liquor.
This was the best day ever. The only thing that could render it better would be for there to be a hippogriff in the stables rather than a manticore, and then-
"Son," Pierre began, "You have been betrothed."
My eyebrows rose to the point of disbelief as I stared from one of my parents to the other, and then inwardly made a set of eww sounds that couldn't be properly vocalized without much screaming. Who was the girl? Was it at least someone my physical age? Had they engaged me to a younger girl? Perhaps an older woman? Somehow, I wouldn't have been against an older woman. No, honestly, I would have preferred an older woman. Quite less squick factor in my head if it were an older woman.
"I...see?" I said quite gently. "Who...might it be?" I asked, already dreading the answer to be the princess, or some other high ranking noble that would force me to leave the continent in order to feel safe from it all.
"It is her grace," Pierre continued, and I already felt quite faint. No, no, you can't do this to me, not princess Henrietta, she's like, what, the same age of Louise? That's-"princess Isabella of Gallia."
My brain halted.
I shakily drank the whole glass and then gingerly deposited it on the tray by my side.
"How old...is she?" I asked.
"Nine years of age, she is slightly older than Louise," Karin said. "Your betrothal was arranged by your father with the goodwill of his highness king Henry and his grace king Robespierre the third-it is a sign of great respect-"
"A great and shrewd political maneuver by two people who have so many petty problems to deal with they needed someone to take care of them in their stead," I snarled, and my voice was basically a hiss that cut to the chase. "I am not stupid, and I know where this is going. Problem is, I'm not so sure I like it." I shuddered. "I mean, it looks great on paper, but when it comes to turning it into action-"
"Henry," Karin spoke with a click to her voice, "I was not finished. Has school ruined your manners?"
"No, but life altering decisions taken without my consent do make me reach my limits," I pointed out. "The sad thing is, I can actually understand that the idea of a civil war erupting between the Duke D'Orleans and his older brother is quite a vivid and possible happenstance that must be avoided at all costs, and by marrying the eldest male of the la Valliere to Gallia, it creates an alliance on par with that of marrying the princess Henrietta to Germania's noble lines- and this in turn means that if there were nobles against the eldest son as king, their war might find them enemies of practically all of Halkeginia," I said quite calmly. "I understand that both kings, seeking a way to avoid needless conflicts, brought up ironclad safeties they could latch on in the name of peace, especially with how the discontent in Albion is going on, and the weakening thus of the alliance between our country and the flying island."
I actually managed to pour myself another glass of liquor, nobody daring to stop me as I drank it whole in one shot.
"Now...how far off the mark was I?" I asked, my voice barely restraining my seething anger.
Silence met my question. Even Eleonore had no words to speak.
"I suppose I was spot on," I said in the end, breaking the spell of absolute silence and stillness that had settled in the room.
"Well..." Pierre coughed. "I didn't expect that. You have...been working on this?"
"Yes," I said with a tired sigh. "I knew it was just a matter of time, and so I came up with a set of possible engagements and reasons for each of them. It's no state secret that things are bad both in Albion and in Gallia right now, and the best way to solve them all would be as I said. If the engagement is to be with a foreign country's royal line, then nothing short of a Duke's rank would suffice. Considering our lands border with Germania, it is obvious any marriage of mine would have been meant to further safeguard them, or strengthen the crown's stability."
I smiled bitterly. "Noblesse Oblige," I hung my head low for a brief second. "It isn't like I can refuse and make a run for the woods anyway so..." I actually went for the third glass in a row, only for my mother's wand to shoot out and outright blast the liquor bottle against the wall on the opposite side of the room. I blinked at the lack of the liquor bottle in my hands in stupor.
"Two glasses will be enough, Henry," Karin said firmly. "You will meet with your betrothed on the princess' next birthday party. You are to present yourself with dignity, and I will not tollerate any attempts at the contrary. This great honor of being the link between our country and that of Gallia was bestowed upon you, and you will live up to those expectations." Her eyes narrowed. "You are going to become a king, Henry. There is no greater excellency one could strive for."
"Freedom, mother," I hissed out as I stood up, my voice rising in tone. "Freedom of choice is-"
A strong concussive blast of wind passed right next to me, cracking the wall up with the strength of a cannonball and making me freeze on my tracks as I turned my head slowly to gaze at the hole the spell had caused. If it had hit me head on, I'd be probably without a head, or flung against the wall with enough strength to break some bone at the very least.
"You will do as your father and I say, Henry," Karin clicked her tongue against her teeth. "And that is final. Now, since it appears you are tired from your return, I suggest you go back to your room and rest. Tomorrow morning, I will see to it that you are properly educated in the finer arts of keeping control of your emotions."
I clenched my fists, and then turned sharply on my heels to walk out of the room.
This wasn't over.
This wasn't over by a long shot.
There was a certain sense of entitlement in my steps as I walked out of the library after leaving behind a huffing Eleonore and reached for the gardens, where a servant showed me the way to my other two sisters. Cattleya was sitting by a nearby table, with the pot of tea in front of her. Louise was instead running around the gardens, enjoying the sun and the air and everything nice as a small tiger ran after all playfully.
Although, in my honest opinion, the tiger was probably wondering how much of a bite he could take from little Louise without getting Cattleya angry. A snake as big as thrice my forearm was resting at Cattleya's feet, hissing softly in his sleep. Her pet hen rustled about, a small bunch of chicks following her with chirps all around. There was a small eagle perched on the table's side, eyeing everyone with eyes that seemed to scream Freedom.
"So," I said offhandedly as I walked closer, "How are my fair sisters in this fine day?"
"Brother!" Cattleya turned around, grinning and standing up -deftly avoiding the snake at her feet- to hug me with a smile. "You're back!" she giggled even as I lifted her up with ease, making her spin once before dropping her back down on her feet.
"Of course I'm back," I said with a smile. "Are you feeling well?" I asked next as I gently guided her back to her seat. "Do you need anything?"
"I'm fine," Cattleya giggled, and I simply chuckled back in reply even as Louise drew near and clutched the sides of her dress, making a prim and proper bow in my direction.
"B-Big brother, it is nice to see you...again, how was..." she furrowed her brows, trying to come up with the right words. I simply decided to hoist her up much to her screams of surprise and then twirl her around a bit. "Let me down! Let me down! Let me down!" she yelled even as I laughed.
"My, Louise! You've grown so much, but you seem to have forgotten," I smiled widely as I let her down, just so I could start tickling her sides. "Do I look like the kind of person you need to be polite to? So? Do I?"
Louise laughed, trying to swat away my fingers, but it was all for naught.
"Brother!" Cattleya said with a delightful giggling sound, "Please stop-you're making little Louise cry."
As I stopped, Louise first wind down from laughing to snickering, and then finally gasped in relief, her face red and her hair all in disarray. She swiftly dashed by Cattleya's side, "Big sister-tell big brother he shouldn't tease me like this!" she whined softly, even as Cattleya started to rub her head gently with a smile on her face.
"Now, now," Cattleya said. "This is just his way of showing how much he missed you, little Louise." She looked down at the strawberry blond hair resting on her lap, and easily began to play with a lock of said hair with one hand, the other patting and smoothing out the other locks.
I took a seat in front of Cattleya, and Louise sat down as primly as she could in between us, even as a servant served me tea. "Also, did you know your brother has a runic name now?" Cattleya said with a small smile, "He's called the vicious wind, just like mother is the heavy wind."
Louise's eyes widened as she turned to look at me, "Really! That's incredible big brother," stop saying it with such a cute voice, Louise, or you're going to make me blush. Why can't cute you keep being so cute without becoming Tsundere? Why can't there be only a Deredere type of girl in the world? "What does vicious mean?" she asked next.
"It means brutal," I said quite calmly. "Because while I'm nice, and kind, and I'm really the best brother there could ever be-" Cattleya giggled, shaking her head softly with a sweet whisper of and humble too, "if someone as much as hurts any of you with even one finger, well, why-I'll come swooping down viciously to save you-no matter what happens, or where it happens," I said with a hand to my chest, grinning broadly. "So you can rest assured-no matter what, I'll be there to pull you out of trouble."
"Even from mother?" Louise asked in a whisper, to which I tensed and coughed.
"Louise," I took a deep breath, and clenched my hands. "Even from mother."
"Aw," Cattleya said with a pout, even as Louise made a small exclamation of victory. This poor summer child, she was so trusting-not that I wouldn't try to help her by trying to reason on a lesser punishment, but with how mother was, mine were simply words of circumstance, nothing more. "And what about me? I'm your twin sister, and I do not deserve this much consideration?"
"You have Jean-Jacques, who I am sure would be delighted in helping you," I answered quite offhandedly, "But in his place, I'll substitute for him if the need arises." As I caught up to everything that had happened during our separation, the same could be said for Cattleya and Louise.
Dinner that night was a surprisingly jovial affair. For starters, I was allowed to drink my wine without having to water it down. This did wonders for my mood. Secondly, while talking at dinner was frowned upon, the mood could clearly be defined as light. And third, once dinner was over, mother, father, Eleonore and I headed over to one of the many rooms for after-dinner conversations.
I was actually allowed one -very, very tiny- glass of liquor.
This was the best day ever. The only thing that could render it better would be for there to be a hippogriff in the stables rather than a manticore, and then-
"Son," Pierre began, "You have been betrothed."
My eyebrows rose to the point of disbelief as I stared from one of my parents to the other, and then inwardly made a set of eww sounds that couldn't be properly vocalized without much screaming. Who was the girl? Was it at least someone my physical age? Had they engaged me to a younger girl? Perhaps an older woman? Somehow, I wouldn't have been against an older woman. No, honestly, I would have preferred an older woman. Quite less squick factor in my head if it were an older woman.
"I...see?" I said quite gently. "Who...might it be?" I asked, already dreading the answer to be the princess, or some other high ranking noble that would force me to leave the continent in order to feel safe from it all.
"It is her grace," Pierre continued, and I already felt quite faint. No, no, you can't do this to me, not princess Henrietta, she's like, what, the same age of Louise? That's-"princess Isabella of Gallia."
My brain halted.
I shakily drank the whole glass and then gingerly deposited it on the tray by my side.
"How old...is she?" I asked.
"Nine years of age, she is slightly older than Louise," Karin said. "Your betrothal was arranged by your father with the goodwill of his highness king Henry and his grace king Robespierre the third-it is a sign of great respect-"
"A great and shrewd political maneuver by two people who have so many petty problems to deal with they needed someone to take care of them in their stead," I snarled, and my voice was basically a hiss that cut to the chase. "I am not stupid, and I know where this is going. Problem is, I'm not so sure I like it." I shuddered. "I mean, it looks great on paper, but when it comes to turning it into action-"
"Henry," Karin spoke with a click to her voice, "I was not finished. Has school ruined your manners?"
"No, but life altering decisions taken without my consent do make me reach my limits," I pointed out. "The sad thing is, I can actually understand that the idea of a civil war erupting between the Duke D'Orleans and his older brother is quite a vivid and possible happenstance that must be avoided at all costs, and by marrying the eldest male of the la Valliere to Gallia, it creates an alliance on par with that of marrying the princess Henrietta to Germania's noble lines- and this in turn means that if there were nobles against the eldest son as king, their war might find them enemies of practically all of Halkeginia," I said quite calmly. "I understand that both kings, seeking a way to avoid needless conflicts, brought up ironclad safeties they could latch on in the name of peace, especially with how the discontent in Albion is going on, and the weakening thus of the alliance between our country and the flying island."
I actually managed to pour myself another glass of liquor, nobody daring to stop me as I drank it whole in one shot.
"Now...how far off the mark was I?" I asked, my voice barely restraining my seething anger.
Silence met my question. Even Eleonore had no words to speak.
"I suppose I was spot on," I said in the end, breaking the spell of absolute silence and stillness that had settled in the room.
"Well..." Pierre coughed. "I didn't expect that. You have...been working on this?"
"Yes," I said with a tired sigh. "I knew it was just a matter of time, and so I came up with a set of possible engagements and reasons for each of them. It's no state secret that things are bad both in Albion and in Gallia right now, and the best way to solve them all would be as I said. If the engagement is to be with a foreign country's royal line, then nothing short of a Duke's rank would suffice. Considering our lands border with Germania, it is obvious any marriage of mine would have been meant to further safeguard them, or strengthen the crown's stability."
I smiled bitterly. "Noblesse Oblige," I hung my head low for a brief second. "It isn't like I can refuse and make a run for the woods anyway so..." I actually went for the third glass in a row, only for my mother's wand to shoot out and outright blast the liquor bottle against the wall on the opposite side of the room. I blinked at the lack of the liquor bottle in my hands in stupor.
"Two glasses will be enough, Henry," Karin said firmly. "You will meet with your betrothed on the princess' next birthday party. You are to present yourself with dignity, and I will not tollerate any attempts at the contrary. This great honor of being the link between our country and that of Gallia was bestowed upon you, and you will live up to those expectations." Her eyes narrowed. "You are going to become a king, Henry. There is no greater excellency one could strive for."
"Freedom, mother," I hissed out as I stood up, my voice rising in tone. "Freedom of choice is-"
A strong concussive blast of wind passed right next to me, cracking the wall up with the strength of a cannonball and making me freeze on my tracks as I turned my head slowly to gaze at the hole the spell had caused. If it had hit me head on, I'd be probably without a head, or flung against the wall with enough strength to break some bone at the very least.
"You will do as your father and I say, Henry," Karin clicked her tongue against her teeth. "And that is final. Now, since it appears you are tired from your return, I suggest you go back to your room and rest. Tomorrow morning, I will see to it that you are properly educated in the finer arts of keeping control of your emotions."
I clenched my fists, and then turned sharply on my heels to walk out of the room.
This wasn't over.
This wasn't over by a long shot.
nasuren
Stop! Coffee time!
Mmm. I love me some fried circuits!
Requiem_Jeer
The Most High
Long live the King, baby!
Dragonskyt
Ashen one, hearest thou my voice, still?
- Location
- Kiln of the First Flame
Isn't this quite the woman to be betrothed to.
I can almost see shark teeth.