THIS WOMAN APPEARS to be more of a kindred spirit to him than he initially would have thought. So much information was gleaned from just her recent words: a student thirsting for more knowledge, attending an academy and with some degree of affinity towards the arts themselves — unless she turned out to only have a mere interest in spells and could not perform them herself.
He passively wonders what foreign magic is even like. Zofian education was so narrow-minded. He knew of Archanea, their neighboring continent, but little else other than a surface level amount of information. He could just ask, but he doesn’t find an easy place to slip the question in. Besides, she’s the one looking for answers already. She had the claim to investigation and interrogation, and he shouldn’t be trying to steal her thunder.
He nods at her question concerning Mila’s disappearance. “ For the most part, yeah. She had been leaving us for a while, but her powers completely vanished a few months ago. You could say that this entire continent is godless, though I won’t say that stops people from believing in them even if they won’t answer anymore. ”
After all, it was their lives that were dictated by religious teachings. He’s not certain every soul on this land would accept the truth before they were laid to rest. They could see the proof, have to create hard work themselves, but still be unwilling to believe — or rather, to no longer believe.
Humans were funny like that. Then again, he’s seeing it through hindsight. Maybe he would’ve been as foolish as everyone else had he not joined up his friends in their search for truth and justice.
“ Very diligent, I see, ” he comments when she babbles off his half-joke. It’s impressive to see someone so devoted to magic, so undeterred by the implication of free alcohol. He doesn’t get to think on it long though as he soon finds himself watching her inspect the mark left behind on a nearby wall. He had entirely forgotten about it, only able to notice it again due to fresh eyes picking up on the scorch.
“ You’re looking at him. ” He moves over from his place at the fence, reaching a gloved hand to the burn mark as if he could wipe it off even years later. “ I made this boy when I was just learning. That’s probably the whole ‘faint’ energy part — hard to imagine something would still give off anything after years and years. ”
“Wow...“ At first, the idea of a godless continent seems strange to her...but then, she realizes that she’s not unfamiliar with the same sort of thing back home. The main difference is that she and only a handful of other people know about the truth...and that they’re more or less sworn to silence, simply because nobody would believe them if they told them what had happened.
The burden of it all is forgotten in an instant when he admits that he’s the source of the years-old burns to the wall. Elation appears on her face now that she knows that not only is there a mage in this town, but that she’s been speaking with him.
“Then...I may not have come all this way after all!“ She smiles broadly at him. “If it isn’t too much trouble, I’d love to learn about the magic of this continent. I’d be happy to teach you about my homeland’s magic as well, if you’d like!“ She realizes that despite the fact that they’ve been talking for a while, she’s completely forgotten her manners. “Oh, and...I know it’s a little late, but my name’s Marie!“ She laughs, somehow finding the situation amusing. It’s been a while since she’s gotten so wrapped up in a conversation with someone that she’s forgotten to introduce herself.
Musiea had promised Escher she’d try to be in a better mood today, but so far, she’s not doing well. She’s taking her time going through the supermarket near Escher’s place, hoping it’ll give her the chance to think of something cheerier. But she can’t stop thinking about the conversation she had with him last night, about the kids in their section of the group home…the section devoted to kids with recurring behavioral problems, most of whom would likely stay there until legal adulthood, when they’d be kicked out of the system and to the curb…
At the time, many of them had been frightening to her. She was so young, she didn’t know any better…but she’s learned, and looking back, those kids must have gone through horrible situations to end up that way. They needed to be shown love, not fear…
She keeps dwelling on it, and it’s not helping. What she needs to do now is examine the bakery to see if they have raspberry Swiss roll cakes, and if they’ll be up to Escher’s impeccably high-
She’s too focused that she doesn’t see another person walking toward her to dodge them in time. They clearly aren’t looking either, and the collision startles them both.
Musiea isn’t carrying anything yet, but unfortunately for the man she walks into, he’s got an entire armful of canned goods that end up all over the floor. Both involved parties spring into action, apologizing to the other once they’ve gotten over the surprise, and cooperating to pick up the items on the floor.
“It’s fine,” he says, once Musiea has apologized. “That’s what I get…I thought if I got a cart, I’d end up grabbing a lot of extra stuff. Really, I just need to learn to resist temptation…” He laughs somewhat awkwardly, and Musiea does too, for a moment…and then she gets a good look at him.
He’s about her age, of average height and built athletically, with ash blond hair that includes one sprig that seems to be sticking up in a way that blatantly goes against what the rest of it is doing. That’s…strange. But why does it seem so oddly familiar?
Fire Emblem Fates verses are up for 7/8 muses! You can read more about how these characters play into the world that’s being torn apart by war between Nohr and Hoshido while Valla lurks as a threat beneath them through the individual links on this page.
So um I guess asking if people want starters is too much...how about one-liners or asks? I really want to send some of my muses out but only to people who might want them!
So please hit that like button if you think you have a muse who’d like to talk to a pure but strong merc, a fiery but sweet mage, another merc who’s basically everyone’s cool big brother, a tough but kind martial artist mom, a scary samurai with a bad temper, a young nobleman who treasures peace and family, a pseudo-android girl with no sense for that which is socially appropriate but a huge appetite, or a merchant who may or may not be human but has a definite pervy streak!
“ WELL NOT IN this village. ” It’s a curt answer that does nothing more than kill conversation, he knows, especially when he’s just repeating things he’s already said and not pushing forth any new information. It seems unfair to the woman who merely believes he’s better fit for greater things. Maybe he would have thought the same if he hadn’t already been through a war and came out of it still feeling unsatisfied. Or at the very least he might be swayed easier; the only times he found himself deprived of free time was either in school ( a building no longer functioning due to the war but perhaps it would reopen again in the coming years of sought for peace ) or at the end of a battlefield. Should he have to be willing to risk his head on a blade in order to erase that feeling of endless meandering and futility though?
“ Oh, you must be a foreigner then, ” he observes. He can’t imagine anyone who’s lived in any corner of Valentia not being aware of either of their patron deities, and at this point he’s certain most inhabitants would have either learned to give up hope or at least knew where they were going. “ There’s a shrine to the east of here, but it got ransacked by bandits a long time ago. The Earth Mother was still handing out blessings, don’t get me wrong, but she won’t be anymore. ”
Kliff is used to being the bearer of bad news, though there’s a stark difference between bringing reality to an old childhood friend and shoving it to someone who’s probably crossed the ocean or somehow come from an even more remote place than him. Or maybe Duma just didn’t offer blessings. He never did really think to ask the Rigelian general nor his lover when he had the chance.
“ Well, I can’t promise blessings from our wine, but maybe you’ll be able to pretend like you got one. There’s no one more confident in a lie than a drunken fool… ”
“Oh...I see.“ She’s not sure what to say next. This young man clearly has something deeper on his mind and seems to be...restless, or perhaps just disappointed with how his life is going. She finds herself wanting to hear his story and perhaps offer some help, but he doesn’t exactly seem like he’ll open up to a stranger so easily.
She nods. “Right, I’m not from around here. But the magic academy I attend is home to a number of texts from a multitude of places, and there are even archives dating back to ancient times. Those older texts are somewhat of a specialty of mine. I read about the Valentian shrines in one of those.“ At the mention of bandits, she gasps. “That’s horrible! Even if times are hard and people are desperate, well...some things just shouldn’t be treated that way!“
And then, she hears about the land’s goddess...that’s right, the old tome seemed to indicate that she acted as a mother to the people, and they treated her as such. But clearly, her bounty had run out. “Oh...well, that’s the problem with finding out about things from older books. Though I checked the information against current texts too, so...I’m guessing this happened relatively recently?”
Once more, she laughs at the mention of wine. “That’s...probably not a good idea. I speak from experience on that matter. Besides...” She offers a smile. “The way I was brought up, you just have to keep pushing forward and doing everything you can to make the best of even the most disappointing situation. Drinking yourself silly and avoiding your problems doesn’t solve anything! It certainly isn’t going to help me learn new kinds of magic...”
In a flash, she notices something that she’d completely missed before: scorch marks on a nearby exterior wall. Without thinking, she hurriedly walks over and inspects them, running her hands over them. “Hm...centralized to one specific location, not engulfing the entire wall, looks to have come from a blast...it’s very faint, but I can feel some residual energy here, too...” She looks up at the villager, the evidence of magically conjured fire in this remote town having rekindled her hopes anew. “Is there a practicing mage living around here? They might be able to help me!”
IN LISTENING TO the woman beside him, Kliff only gains more questions. With more curiosities comes the responsibility of making the decision to hold back or voice them all. She’s a stranger so it’s probably best to opt for the former, but she speaks as if they’ve known each other forever. Perhaps she’s a cleric or priestess of some sort; they always offer wisdom like this to just about anyone— or so he has been told. He doesn’t think he quite got that image from the healers he had met, but they were in a strange war party.
Perhaps reality doesn’t meet expectations though.
“ No, I’m made of free time, I assure you, ” he tears his gaze away from the sky at last. “ There’s not much to do in this village. I only come to check up on the sheep alongside another village girl. ”
He doesn’t find a point in saying names. He would have to explain who it is, and would a traveler truly have any interest in every face in a remote place like this?
“ What about you ? Do you have business in a middle-of-nowhere village or did you just get lost ? You sound like you know your animals better than you claim, but people show up here interested in wine, not lamb. ”
She can see the questions forming in his eyes as she speaks, flaring up like fire and then being extinguished, perhaps due to hesitance or a lack of comfort around strangers. She’s not quite sure.
“Made of free time?“ she repeats. “That's surprising. You seem like a sharp kid. It seems like even in smaller towns, those with active minds can still find plenty of ways to keep busy.“
With his next set of questions, though, she realizes she probably has to come clean at this point. “Well...I guess you caught me. I have absolutely no idea where I am...” She sighs heavily. “I heard that there was some sort of guardian deity who could confer blessings that can grant new powers, and that there are shrines to her scattered about...but I haven’t seen anything that looks even remotely like a shrine anywhere!”
She leans against the fence, frowning in annoyance at the whole thing. “I’m beginning to wonder if the information I heard was even right. It does sound almost too good to be true...” She stands up to her full height once more, straightening out her skirt from having been bent over to talk to the sheep. “Perhaps I’d have more luck with wine...and that’s saying something.” She laughs, recalling the somewhat hazy and fragmented memories she has of the last time she opted to consume. Darwin taking a nap on the floor, Orlando attempting to start several fights, and a lot of her own giggling and yelling...she probably oughtn’t think too much harder about it.
Hey everyone, it’s a starter call, because I really need to be more active on this blog! I’ve got seven muses here that are all ready to go, verses are still WIP but I will be more than happy to answer any and all questions about my muses or the game or anything else that comes up! Go ahead and hit that like button if you’re interested. This post also applies to my blog for Musiea (@piouspromise), but since this blog is way less active I’d like to try and do a bit more on it.
✦ —— “ with how taken they are with you, you might as well. ” the villager does not waste any time with announcing himself, merely letting his comment be brought to the stranger on the wind. his look is devoid of warmth, a sharp contrast to the kind expression and tone the woman exhibits with the sheep. still, he does not draw a sword nor does he raise a hand in threat, merely approaching her and leaning onto the fencing outlining the perimeter of the fluffy creatures’ pen.
“ i can grab some of their food for you if you want. they seem to like you more than they did their previous owner, that’s for sure. ” he offers it but gives no sign that he intends to move from his position. strangely enough, he doesn’t give a glance at either the woman nor the sheep that nuzzles against her hand.
he instead looks up at the sky, spotting the sun dipping below the horizon. so it was around the time for supper. time wastes away so fast, going by in a blink of an eye. an entire war and he found himself back in ram village, though he could not call it the status quo when the majority of his friends did not return with him.
in their place is a woman who acts as if she might as well have been living here for years with how the animals behave with her. oh, how curious life is.
She’s not surprised by the arrival of one of the locals...after all, this village is so small that it was only a matter of time before someone noticed an outsider befriending the livestock. The boy speaking to her seems a little different than the other people she’s seen here, though. He appears to only be in his mid-teens, but somehow, he seems more...knowledgeable? Not simply in terms of his intellect, either. His eyes...he’s young, but he’s seen a lot. She’s overheard talk of a war on this continent that ended fairly recently, and perhaps this young man had been affected by it.
Either way, she doesn’t know him, so she opts not to mention it, instead choosing to stay on the original subject. “That’s okay, there’s no need for you to do that. I don’t know much of anything about sheep or livestock, but I know that with any animal, you never want to over-feed.”
Hearing him mention the previous owner, she laughs. “I don’t know if I’d say that. Granted, I don’t know that person or what they were like, but I can’t imagine gentle creatures like these not caring for their owner. Things like love, appreciation, fondness...most humans have different ways of showing these things. You might not express such feelings the same way toward a person, but that doesn’t mean one is better than the other. They’re just different, that’s all!”
She glances up at the boy again, and the way he’s looking at the sky, somewhat distracted...it really does remind her of Darwin when he was at that age. He was just barely fifteen when he joined the Ornian Guard, and he also had that same look...the one of having seen so much. This young man also seems particularly distracted, as was often Darwin’s case, and as is the case to this day. “I’m sorry, don’t mind me. If I’m keeping you from something important, then by all means, go ahead.” He’s probably not saying anything for the sake of politeness, but it’s obvious his mind is elsewhere.
Marie hadn’t expected to find herself so hopelessly lost when she set out, and yet, here she is, completely baffled as to how she’s ended up in a tiny village like this one. She doesn’t mind it...it's a peaceful little place, and it reminds her a little of her own hometown, a small suburb on the outskirts of Ornia’s capital.
The people seem friendly, but it's perhaps her own stubborn pride that keeps her from asking anyone for directions. Maybe this little detour will be nice, anyway.
She’s looking at one of the town’s orange trees when she hears...bleating? Ah, she should have expected that a small village like this would be home to livestock. She looks in the direction of the sound to see some sheep beyond a simple fence, and her ever-present curiosity draws her to the animals like a moth to flame.
Seeing one get close to the fence, she reaches out her hand and pets it with a smile. Wow...it really is soft. “Someone must take good care of you, huh? There’s almost no dirt in your wool...that’s not easy to accomplish with farm animals!”
It seems like the other sheep are just as interested in her as she is in them, and they gather around the one she first reached out to. She laughs, feeling a sense of familiarity about the situation. “Hehe...it’s like dinnertime at my house! But I don’t have any food for you. And even if I did, I probably shouldn’t be feeding someone else’s sheep...” / @sireneia (Kliff)
TAGGED BY: Instead of admitting openly that I tagged myself I’m gonna credit the indirect tag to @deathvow
TAGGING: Free for the taking!
— BASICS.
▸ IS YOUR MUSE TALL / SHORT / AVERAGE ?
In canon, Darwin is 175 cm tall, or about 5′9″. For an adult male of European descent, that’s basically right at average.
▸ ARE THEY OKAY WITH THEIR HEIGHT ?
His mother was a sickly and small waif of a woman, and Darwin went through periods where he wouldn’t eat for days on end due to poverty as a child. He considers himself lucky he managed to even get this tall.
▸ WHAT’S THEIR HAIR LIKE ?
Soft and effortlessly shiny, but a bit on the unpredictable side.
▸ DO THEY SPEND A LOT OF TIME ON THEIR HAIR / GROOMING ?
Oh, the time he spent trying to control that cowlick before realizing it was useless...but now, not so much. Bathing and basic grooming are a necessity, especially when one spends time training and getting all sweaty, but Darwin doesn’t require a whole lot.
▸ DOES YOUR MUSE CARE ABOUT THEIR APPEARANCE / WHAT OTHERS THINK ?
He does, to a reasonable extent. Growing up, he didn’t have clothes that could even really be considered presentable until he started getting hand-me-downs from Orlando. He also takes good care of his fighting gear before heading into battle, finding that making his sword and armor shine gives him a bit of a confidence boost.
— PREFERENCES.
▸ INDOORS OR OUTDOORS ? He likes them both. He can spend time lost in his own thoughts in a quiet room or a spacious outdoor area.
▸ RAIN OR SUNSHINE ? He usually prefers sunshine because there’s more to do. In his younger days, he spent a lot of time reading exciting stories, and playing less active games with Orlando or Marie when it rained, but he could actually act out those stories outdoors with his friends on sunny days. Rain also decreases visibility in battle and can lead to slips and falls..
▸ FOREST OR BEACH ? He spent entire days outside in the woods behind the Crichton family home playing with Orlando and Marie until they were exhausted but happy. He’s never been to a beach, but the forest is special to him from so many memories.
▸ PRECIOUS METALS OR GEMS ? Gems tend to offer better stat boosts for speed and luck...
▸ FLOWERS OR PERFUMES ? Flowers.
▸ PERSONALITY OR APPEARANCE ? Many of his fellow mercenaries are rough around the edges but good people who share a sense of pride and brotherhood fighting to represent the strength of their country. Personality is key as far as he’s concerned.
▸ BEING ALONE OR BEING IN A CROWD ? Being alone. If he’s in a crowd, he usually prefers to have someone he knows with him. Crowds make him anxious.
▸ ORDER OR ANARCHY ? Order. He’s seen when places fall into anarchy and lawlessness, and there’s nothing but bloodshed and senseless violence. There needs to be an order to things.
▸ PAINFUL TRUTHS OR WHITE LIES ? He’s known his fair share of painful truths. He believes honesty is the best policy, but that doesn’t make the truth hurt any less at times.
▸ SCIENCE OR MAGIC ? Magic and science have close ties in Ornia, with magic being a source of power and technological advancement. It fascinates him, since he has a naturally curious mind. That, and one certain magic user has unquestionably gained his favor.
▸ PEACE OR CONFLICT ? Peace. Though conflict does grant him an income, that doesn’t mean he enjoys it.
▸ NIGHT OR DAY ? Day. The bad memories and nightmares tend to show up at night.
▸ DUSK OR DAWN ? He’s not a morning person by any means, so he’d almost certainly choose dusk.
▸ WARMTH OR COLD ? Warmth. He spent too many of Ornia’s winter nights outside as a very young orphanage runaway. Nowadays, he doesn’t mind the cold quite as much since he knows he’ll have a warm house to return to.
▸ MANY ACQUAINTANCES OR A FEW CLOSE FRIENDS ? He’s not socially inclined, and his closest friends mean the world to him. He would take them over every person on the planet wanting to be his friend.
▸ READING OR PLAYING A GAME ? Both. He’s always liked reading stories about adventure and heroism, getting lost in them easily, but it’s definitely amusing to see Orlando get furiously angry over losing a chess game to his “little brother.” Darwin can only hope to beat Marie someday.
— QUESTIONNAIRE.
▸ WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR MUSE’S BAD HABITS ?
He’s not great about sharing his feelings and his worries even with the people he trusts, and it drives them crazy when they know something’s wrong and want to help. He just fears being a burden to those who have made him feel so accepted and loved. His tendency to bottle things up also leads to sudden outbursts of anger when under duress, and he always feels awful after doing that.
▸ HAS YOUR MUSE LOST ANYONE CLOSE TO THEM ? HOW HAS IT AFFECTED THEM ?
Yes. His parents both died when he was five years old, though he was only close to his mother. His mother passed away first after her fragile health began to decline rapidly, and his father died several months after because of a relapse into substance abuse. Years later, Orlando and Marie’s parents passed away unexpectedly, and that affected him on multiple levels. He had become fond of Mr. and Mrs. Crichton himself, but to watch Orlando and Marie experience the same unbearable pain as he had felt wrong and unfair. They had helped him out of such a dark place, and it didn’t seem like such kind people ought to have to suffer such a great loss.
Once he followed Orlando into the life of a mercenary, he saw much more death. It didn’t get any easier. And throughout the events of CR2, he witnesses deaths of allies as they tried to fight off monsters, and deaths that he had no choice but to inflict. Each death is harder than the one before it.
▸ WHAT ARE SOME FOND MEMORIES YOUR MUSE HAS ?
He tries not to let the memories of his loving mother fade with time, though it gets harder. For the most part, his happiest memories involve Orlando and Marie. They used to play together as children, calling themselves “The Unholy Trinity of Ornia” and having a great time. Even as they got older and playing pretend lost its appeal, his relationship with Orlando turned from a best friend relationship to that of brothers. Marie used to have to take drastic measures in order to put a stop to their prank wars. She wasn’t without her own mischievous streak, however, and she and Darwin would have wild pillow fights when he stayed over at their house, and she always managed to embarrass both of the boys when they had scary storytelling contests. She always managed to have them jumping out of their skin after delving into some old anthology of chilling tales in the name of victory. Those memories are only found in retrospect...back when they were actually occurring, Darwin was petrified.
▸ IS IT EASY FOR YOUR MUSE TO KILL ?
Not even a little. When he was recruited to the Ornian Guard at fifteen, he thought it would be easier to kill since he’d already experienced so much death, and since he was fighting to protect the people he cared about. The abundance of loss in his young life only made it that much harder, and it got to the point where he became so lost in regard to his purpose that he almost forgot why he took up the sword in the first place. Even after the game ends and he regains his sense of direction, killing isn’t easy...but he know that it’s necessary in his line of work. As long as he can be merciful and avoid senseless, unnecessary killing, and he can be sure that he protected his fellow mercenaries, eventually returning home to the people he loves, then he can keep his head held high.
▸ WHAT’S IT LIKE WHEN YOUR MUSE BREAKS DOWN ?
Not many people see Darwin break down, because he keeps a sturdy and imposing wall around his heart. However, this ice-covered brick wall protects a warm and vulnerable heart that feels things very deeply, from anyone who can potentially cause him too much pain if he lets them in. He is shown as a man who cries when appropriate, and in the company of those he trusts...or if he’s under extreme emotional duress (such as when he cries in front of Lessica for the first time). His tears are so heartbreaking to behold that they can bring about a sense of melancholy in others, and because of his tendency to bottle things up, there are times when it’s hard for him to stop crying once he starts.
▸ IS YOUR MUSE CAPABLE OF TRUSTING SOMEONE WITH THEIR LIFE ?
He has to be, what with his line of work. The Ornian Guard is a group of unified mercenaries, so he has to rely on others to watch his back and let others do the same for him if need be. Darwin adapted to this perhaps a bit more slowly than your typical merc, due to the massive trust issues left over from his troubled past, as well as being a reserved and independent person in general. Still, he learned eventually for the sake of survival.
▸ WHAT’S YOUR MUSE LIKE WHEN THEY’RE IN LOVE ?
It’s unexplored territory for him...but he’s always been fond of exploring, and he’s eager to explore this. While he may not always say what’s on his mind in regard to his own worries, he will never hesitate to let his partner know she is loved. Whether by light squeezes of the hand or sweet kisses, by taking care of household chores, or saying “I love you” outright, it is always apparent. His eyes are more focused than ever before in battle, as what he has to return to once he goes home is of dual importance, but during his free time, he stares ahead, longing to hold her again. He is attentive and affectionate during intimacy, his utter devotion driving him to satisfy them both. Even as time goes on, the passion and attraction never fades, but the loyalty, affection, and companionship stays ever strong. He owes her that, and so much more than he can ever hope to give.
Being away from home is nothing new for Darwin, what with his line of work...exploring unfamiliar places on his own, though? That's not something he’s especially used to. Even on the most minor of errands, Orlando or Marie almost always opted to go with him.
The strangest thing about being on his own like this is that he never seemed to notice the crowds of people otherwise. To be alone, yet surrounded by strangers...it fills him with a sense of urgency to finish what he’d set out to do, even though he’s hardly pressed for time. It’s not fear or panic, per se, but discomfort doesn’t seem like the right word either.
He sighs heavily...Marie would know what word he’s searching for. But then again, Marie’s presence would eliminate the need to use it in the first place. Oddly enough, just thinking of her at a time like this calms him. It makes sense, though...she’s always filled him with a sense of certainty and security in the times he’s needed it most. Well, except for when she’s mad. In those cases, there are few things more terrifying.
Just as he’s managed to get his bearings again, though, he notices a presence that sets him on edge once more. This is entirely different from the unsettling sensation of being alone in a crowd. It’s...raw and powerful strength, almost like that of a beast. It reminds him of the monsters he fought on the day where the earth was very nearly destroyed...but it's impossible for a human to also be part animal...isn’t it?
He’s able to pinpoint the source of that energy: a silver-haired man clad in all black. As much as Darwin feels he sticks out due to not being from around here, the other man doesn’t seem to be one of the locals either.
All at once, Darwin’s cautiousness seems to fade to nothing as he notices the man’s weapon. It’s a longsword, like his own...but the subtle differences and details are enough to catch his attention. He stares, forgetting his manners and his common sense. / @deathvow
