Zappy Morning!

yunaka from fire emblem engage | black eagles faculty | closed blog associated with TOA

[dcggersedge]

Yunaka from FE Engage | Black Eagles Faculty | Affiliated with TOA | Written by Vivi

Quick Links: Muse | Stats | Guidelines | Thread Tracker

Sparknotes:

Yunaka is taken from her solo ending. She traveled around Elyos as a performer for a while before deciding to come to Fodlan. As implied by the end credits and their support, Yunaka was traveling with Seadall's troupe. This is subject to change if we get a Seadall.

Yunaka is familiar with the events of the Fell Xenologue, though less impacted by them as her mirror was missing during the dlc. She is currently unaware of the fate of the mirror version of her that was brought up in her Forging Bonds event.

All canon supports will be treated as though they hit A rank unless otherwise preferred.

Muses should not know about Yunaka's past unless she explicitly told them during their support chain, they have been told in a thread, or we have discussed this ooc first. Handling her old life and revealing that to people is something I want to handle carefully, so I appreciate checking in with me first before assuming anything. The only muses who know currently are Alcryst, Diamant, Lapis, Alear, Rafal, and Edelgard.

Random asks are totally fine. I will assume most asks, unless otherwise indicated, are occurring within the TOA canon. Asks from ask memes will always be considered an AU unless otherwise indicated.

Shipping: While I am open to shipping, I prefer it happens naturally over time and interactions. Due to past experiences, I prefer to only ship with people I know well ooc. Ship flavored asks for ask memes are fine assuming our muses have some kind of relationship already.

NSFW: I am not opposed to NSFW but I 1) am rusty and 2) crack so fast under scrutiny, so I will most likely only write NSFW with people I am comfortable with/have known for a while ooc.

Due to the nature of Yunaka's backstory, the following subjects are likely to be referenced: child neglect, child abuse, malnutrition/starvation, PTSD/panic attacks/trauma responses. All subjects will be tagged appropriately as best as I can. For myself, I would appreciate if things related to needles and eye gore could be tagged.

[secularch]

Taste Test Take Two

TOA Herald

[secularch]

Word gets out that the mayor of Baile’s daughter is an infamous foodie. Though the town hasn’t put in an order for her sake, various cooks in the monastery get fired up with the hope of creating a dish that will satisfy her. Informal competition between all these chefs sparks to life, each using the festival as an excuse to prove themselves the best cook in all of Garreg Mach. However, when you go to taste test for one of these chefs, you taste something horrifically wrong and your body starts to go numb. For reasons unknown, you’ve been poisoned.

The Ethereal Ball was both too distant a memory to properly remember everything and too close an occassion for anything else to get through Deimne's mind, but the flow of time remained ever flowing. It was a new day, and the town was abuzz with news of a far-flung land and a young girl with one desire - food, and apparently a lot of it.

Walking into the food hall of Garreg Mach, Deimne's senses were flooded with the aroma of fresh, warm meals and the sights of gorgeous plates almost too pretty to eat. No effort spared from anything, in great contrast to the plain popcorn that was served and consumed there and the flowers.

He didn't need to try anything like that again, but just thinking it conjured up the bitter taste, the image of a half-eaten orchid and a new aquaintence formed… Despite the circumstances, he wouldn't take that last part away for the world.

And as if luck were on his side, here she was once again, a shock of red-pink hair he could never forget. "Oh, hey Yunaka." Deimne gave her a wave and a smile. She should recognise him, right? It hadn't been that long, and he doesn't look too different… "How've you been holdin' up?"

@dcggersedge

[dcggersedge]

Woah, what a spread! The cooks were really going all out for this so-called foodie. Yunaka might not be the sharpest tool in a chef's toolkit, but she could tell these meals were way above the standard fare that they'd serve out to people on a regular day.

For what she'd understood, the chefs were having the foods taste tested by multiple sets of people, wanting to be absolutely sure that their best works were presented. Seemed kinda over the top for just one person, but it figured that the monastery would be just as eager to please the nobles as anybody else.

"Hmm...let's see..." There's a pie sitting just a little bit away from everything else. The other chefs had made multiple dishes and gathered them all together, but this one looked to be the only thing that whoever made it was willing to claim. She picks up one of the nearby forks and takes a little tiny piece of the pie. It doesn't look bad or anything...after a moment of consideration, she pops it into her mouth.

...huh.

Her thoughts are interrupted by someone calling out to her. Yunaka flinches in surprise and, in doing so, swallows the bite she had in her mouth. It takes a moment of coughing and hacking for her to recover before she's able to spin around with a bright smile. "Hey! Deimne, right? Fancy meeting you here. How ya been?"

[dcggersedge]

it's called speed dating

herald

[dcggersedge]

There's a secret shop. There's a secret shop boasting an exclusive inventory. There's a secret shop that might have weapons and oh my stars she needs to get in there like, yesterday.

She'd tried sneaking into the place and that had flopped. Embarrassingly badly. Her reputation would seriously never recover if people found out how quickly she got found and tossed out. Then she'd tried getting her hands on one of those fancy cards, but she was starting to feel like they didn't even exist! Even when she tried pick pocketing from people walking out of the store, she hadn't managed to find anybody with a single card anywhere! She couldn't even forge one cause she didn't know what they looked like yet.

This left her with only one plan. And while it might have been the most drastic of all, it was her only chance left if she wanted to see what weapons they might be hiding from her in there.

"Yeah, we're together." Which technically isn't a lie! They are definitely here, physically, in the same space together. There's just connotations to what she's saying that are actually what the guard means, but he doesn't need to know that she doesn't mean that if it gets her in the store, obviously. And this guy she picked outta the lines and told to shut up and go along with her plan doesn't need to know that either.

The guard stares flatly at her, then him, then back at her. Ugh, she needs to make this more realistic. Yunaka is quick to loop an arm around Mr. Mystery Line Guy's and lean her head against him. "Hey, I know he's handsome and all, but you can't be staring that much when he's taken. Right…" Shoot, what's his name "…sweetie?"

@aurelianwolf

[dcggersedge]

rabbit season! duck season!

herald | bow +1

[dcggersedge]

The arrow flies through the air and sinks to the flesh. A clean shot. The deer drops to the ground without so much of a sound and doesn't make another noise.

Yunaka does though, whistling lowly. "Nice shot." Had she thrown her dagger, she probably could've gotten it as well. A bow's a different beast though. Different muscles, different weight…no harm at all at leaving the work to a professional when she's got access to one.

In her village, you had to rely on what was there. Crops weren't always a guarantee from year to year and working in the mines made money, sure, but money's not exactly helpful at filling your stomach when there's no food to buy. Hunters had been important to the village. The job was usually passed down from family member to family member, so they could start learning as soon as possible. Realistically, Yunaka never would've been a hunter if she'd stayed.

…well, she'd never be village maiden number four anymore anyway, so no sense worrying about that.

She drops back down to the flats of her feet and gives Ronan a quick pat on the shoulder. They'll have to go looking for the rest of the deer that scattered when this one dropped. Her own bow and quiver are slung casually over her shoulder as she walks over to the body. "So, how many does that make now?" Between the birds and the rabbits and the deer, she definitely feels like they've gotten enough to make the average camper happy, but there had been a lot of emphasis put on the idea that this needed to be as big of a deal as possible.

@seawardoath

[dcggersedge]

ninja, engage!

herald | any skill +1

[dcggersedge]

Since their fateful encounter with their target, it has passed through many hands. Fawned and delighted over, some found themselves similarly affected by its odd magics while others passed it along harmlessly. Either way, by the time it had become clear what had happened to them, they had long since lost track of the strange orb from lands unknown. This meant that their mission was obvious; find and retrieve that orb and get things back to normal!

…or, at least, more normal than usual. Except for the fact that she couldn't seem to take these clothes off for some reason, she didn't feel that different right now. What was important is that there was a part of her that knew without a doubt that the shinobi festival could not continue without them getting that orb back. They would have to use all their skills as shinobi to figure out where it had gone and reclaimed it from those who had snatched it away!

Beneath her, there's a loud sound of branches snapping underfoot. Yunaka sighs. Again, huh? Her legs tuck together and hook neatly on the branch she sits on so that she can fall backwards without actually falling. Hanging upside down puts her right at the perfect height to whisper in her fellow ninja's ear.

"You know, I don't think we're gunna figure out much if you keep giving our position away." Though it might sound like a scolding, Yunaka's face easily betrays her amusement. She even tuts and shakes her head. "C'mon, Dee. You gotta embrace your shinobi spirit more! And that means being quieter."

@heriteur

[dcggersedge]

June Wanted Plots

I'm not making detailed summaries this month I'm post ball tired. Understand my vision that I am projecting directly into your brain.

Pings in server or DMs fine.

Mitama:

Cat cafe prompt: for the love of GOD take her to the cat cafe let her sleep with the kitties let her know her true bliss.

Finn:

Heavy Armor prompt: Yeah he'll clean he don't care. Let the herb man tell you a tale.

Any skill prompt: Tea time Finn! Tea time Finn! Tea time Finn!

Finn is also available to be whored out for unaff prompts as needed, just reach out.

[dcggersedge]

May 2026

Skill Points: 3 (57->60) Skill Ranks: Lance E+, Reason D, Authority C Claims: Tiramistorm, Tactician, Evasion Ring (to be sent)

Housekeeping:

Total Active Threads: 15 Total Completed Threads: 9+

in the clurb we all fam - Alear, Diamant, Ivy (dropped)

night and day - Alear (Dropped)

home is where the heart is - Alear (Dropped)

welcome to the rizz-carlton - Alear, Ivy (Dropped)

fodlan ninja warrior - Raven Lance +1

over the hill - Diamant

we need to take back the time - Seadall

the devil's bath - Lapis, Panette

rubber duckie you're the one - Panette Reason +1

misc ball minis I lost track

[dcggersedge]

most provident in peril

ethereal ball mini | cont

[rafent]

A thousand years ago, Rafal might have remembered each and every face belonging to the invasive insects who'd crawled out of a well, daring to infiltrate a realm not their own much less oppose his long awaited plans. Instead, he accepted and believed in Yunaka's revelation. So she'd taken no part in the struggles that ushered a failing world to its death rattles; Rafal toward his most egregious acts against humanity, divinity, and even his own sister.

A mercy for them both, that Rafal so thought.

"I had thought the label of a nightmare to be obvious. But, to answer: they are." A light tone of banter, a defying response without malice, each lacking the accessories of hatred and resentment that one may ever expect from someone whose beating heart had stilled at the hands of others. Otherwise, and to speak of other hands, a halfhearted tug of his head pulled it in the opposite direction that he might avoid her sticky paws. "I convened with two of them on this night: Dorothea and Seadall. Our troubles, however, are resolved. To me their actions are all but redeemed."

A small smile, this time not merely wry but truly sincere. In memory of Seadall whose tearful response at an unbelievable movie had yet to pale from Rafal's mind and may not do so for centuries more yet; Dorothea whose gracious tulip adorned his bouquet in tandem with her dress made of a more peaceful era.

"One even went so far as to provide a show of waterworks worthier of amusement than the very movie we watched.

. . .You may be able to guess at whom."

[dcggersedge]

Dorothea and Seadall. Yunaka goes still beside him.

She remembers noticing that something was wrong, that her bright student had come back dimmed and dour. She'd made a note to herself to keep an eye on it, but the light had returned before she'd ever asked about it, and so she'd allowed the matter to slip past quietly. Seadall...she hadn't even noticed a change in behavior.

She can barely imagine the two with blood on their hands, let alone the blood of someone on their side.

And yet he says redeemed like it's nothing. He smiles about it. Meanwhile an indescribable feeling has coiled in her stomach, unpleasant and sharp as it drags itself along her insides. The hand hold up her head balls itself into a fist, but she forces out an exhale and does her best to put on a smile of her own.

"Seadall, if I had to guess." Because that was who she knew. A man so moved by stories that he dedicated his life to them, not someone who could take a blade in hand and...

"And you're good now, right?' She gestures towards her chest with one hand, around the same place she remembers clinging to months ago. "It doesn't still...hurt or act up or anything, does it?"

[dcggersedge]

most provident in peril

ethereal ball mini | cont

[rafent]

Rafal's silence if nothing else belied a manner of his agreement. Yunaka's words held a truth to them; born of darkness, still was the dragon here, though it was his place undeserved. Stranger to a great wide world of gentle and accommodating light, and now its microcosm, a slow blink adjusted his senses at the turn of blinding incandescence to one dull and vaguely pleasant. Like the moody gutter of a candle that fought sleep as much as those it was lit for.

Coaxed by this strange comfort, he relaxed - let flow.

"Such darkness offered. . .terror like none other."

Cognizant or not, he grounded himself in the weight of Yunaka's legs across his lap; her picture of detachment and utter relaxation, over all. So different from the faces of that time, so polar to its experiences, this, too, served as his comfort. A means of strict divide between past and present so that the two might not merge into one. In speaking of his darkest hour, Rafal would not invite it. He would not relive it.

Assured of this fact, he continued: "To it, I once succumbed, dragged into its depths. I recall only fragments of what happened afterward. I perished there, awoke in light, perished again at the hands of my allies, then woke once more to fight beside them."

Time enough had passed to speak of what once was. There could be only one other explanation for the ease of his words: a total trust in his company. He twisted his mouth on a wry smile. "Truthfully, in speaking of it I am reminded of a dream. I am certain this is no less than how others felt stepping foot into my world."

[dcggersedge]

Perished, he says. Not once, but twice.

It's not the sort of thing people usually talk about normally. Yunaka's seen a lot of death in her life. Some justified, some not. Some deserved, others not. She's seen people come back from death too, more than she ever wants to see that happen again. And even despite that familiarity, it's so strange to hear Rafal talk about his own death like this. Strange to think that something out there could defeat the strength she's seen not once, but twice.

Her face remains still as he talks. How do you respond to that? Sorry you died? Even she's not inept enough to hear how stupid that sounds.

The change of subject brings with it a much easier thing to focus on. Yunaka blinks back to life before shrugging, leaning her arm on the back off the couch to hold her head up again. "Maybe. I wasn't important enough to get dibs on those trips."

Others went before her, and she'd been left to just figure things out afterwards when they talked about bracelets and dragons and winds instead of hounds. "But I imagine running into myself would've been weird..."

That was something she'd never heard about. Not that she could exactly blame anyone for not mentioning her when there were obviously more important things going on, but when the others came back with stories of doubles and lost retainers, there'd never been any mention of her.

Though she considers this quietly for a moment, she lets the thought pass by. It can wait for a time where the light doesn't make Rafal look paler than usual.

"Sounds more like a nightmare though." She playfully pokes at his cheek. "Are those so-called allies here tonight?"

[aliberation]

moment to breathe

toaball2026 w/ @dcggersedge

[aliberation]

There's no doubt in her mind that Seadall and Yunaka could do a hundred times better than these actors on the screen, and the thought alone has her chuckling to herself. Even their improv alone would be miles above what she's watching now. Not that she's even paying that much attention, anyways... In the end, Alear knows well enough that Yunaka is more perceptive than most-- she's not surprised when the statement comes, and instead of answering with a smile as she normally does, her gaze flickers down to focus on the bag of popcorn in her hands. There's not really any way she can justify anything of what happened earlier in the night, even if she had fought an honorable battle. (Seriously, who strikes after someone's relented?!) "... Yeah. It's been a long night, I guess," She murmurs, glancing up at the only others in the room; almost as if it's on cue, the two of them get up and saunter out of the doorway, leaving only Yunaka and Alear illuminated by the flashing lights on the screen. "Don't get me wrong, I've had a lot of fun! I hope you have, too. There's just been a couple, ah... hiccups." That's putting it lightly. Regardless, she leans back in her seat and stretches her arms high above her head, letting out a little noise as she tries to limber up her muscles that had begun to ache. The fact that Yunaka is in here and not out on the floor has her wanting to ask if something happened, but... poking and prodding doesn't do any good. If she wants to speak, she will, and Alear will just silently offer her shoulder and remain close enough to catch her if she falls. "As for being the last dancer standing, I don't know! There's quite a few people out there with some crazy amounts of energy. I saw Pandreo earlier! I think he'd beat me out! Or maybe Fogado, too!" @dcggersedge

[dcggersedge]

"I think hiccups are normal, honestly." Would it make things better or worse if she mentioned that she pulled a knife on Seadall earlier? Okay, well, it wasn't actually on Seadall, it was more in the vicinity of Seadall, but it still was not ideal and what she wanted to be doing at a party where she was meant to be hashtag normal.

The existence of hashtags and what they mean in Fodlan is not the point of the discussion right now.

Yunaka silently watches the couple walk out of the room. Soon as they've cleared it, she lets out a big groan as she stretches and kicks her legs up onto the seat in front of her. "I mean...it's not gunna go wonderful perfect style the whole time, right? That's just not realistic." Unless you're a fancy pants noble who can just make the night perfect, but she likes to pretend they left all of those in Brodia where Diamant is squishing them into juice.

"I know I'm talking to the shining beacon of optimism right now, but I think how you bounce back from a mess up is way more important than it happening." One of the guys in the film turns around and smacks the other in the face with the giant plank of wood he's carrying. "You shouldn't let anyone rob your joy, right?"

[dcggersedge]

Quick little housekeeping note! Yunaka and Mitama have had their support pages reworked. Finn was also supposed to have his updated, but it turns out I never asked for java permissions on him so. Finn delayed until further notice.

Okay we back to balling.

[dcggersedge]

most provident in peril

ethereal ball mini | cont

[rafent]

A scintillating light bathed the room, so enduring as to burrow behind the eyes even when they instinctively snapped shut. Like a creature adverse to all that lived within the sphere of such light, Rafal turned his cheek askance and vocalized his displeasure with a slithering 'hisssss'. Naturally, he had observed the former assassin employ similar tactics during their retrieval mission in the ravine where forced to field low visibility and gargoyles; naturally, never had those tactics been employed against him.

"Do you mean to blind me?! A shame, I will say. Just a little more effort and you would have succeeded in that endeavor with flying colors!" he groused upon regaining his bearings, colored by irritation, and—noticeably—an absence of true anger. Even a loosening of vicelike grips about the wrists they shackled, as if a sudden distraction had done wonders to erase the memory that compelled them to begin with.

. . .Or, a partial one, anyway. Ultimately, what should truly relax them would be none other than Yunaka's colorful protests. An outcry against an emperor's unexplainable tyranny, that emperor blinked, overcome by surprise at the change, amusement at her name-calling, earnest consideration of the rabble's discontent, then—

A force without identity; a troubled tell of expression; a relinquishing of fingers; a confirmation made plain without need for words. Unearthed first by Yunaka, second by himself, Rafal once more looked away. This time he offered no tough parting words.

"Where does it matter where a dragon should take himself?" A sinuous, snakelike motion and said dragon moved to sit up, leaving the human humorously flopped and disarrayed in his aftermath. "Fell Dragons thrive in places without light. For that purpose, our very eyes have adapted. Beyond our twins, darkness is but our unspoken other half. It is only—"

Only? On this slip of tongue, he gave a pause, then an inwards, self-admonishing sigh: ". . .Only darkness of insidious nature which unsettles us."

[dcggersedge]

"You pinned me!?" Yunaka's voice pitches with exasperation, even as it paints itself in the slightest bit of fondness. "You pinned one of Brodia's most well known assassins and you get surprised when there's a reaction?" She's gunna give herself a headache if she rolls her eyes any harder. "If I did that to you, you'd be saying some shit like of course I bit your head off for cornering a Fell Dragon, bleh bleh!"

Unbelievable...but also kind of a relief. Now free, she rolls her wrists reflexively in an attempt to get rid of the phantom feelings that linger behind.

"Of course it matters." With him now sitting upright and her legs free again, she's quick to take advantage. She moves both her legs to rest on his lap and hooks her heels against his thigh to act as a counterbalance as she lifts herself upright in turn. And, as punishment, she leaves her legs there for good measure.

"Being born in the dark doesn't mean you need to live there." The torchlight drifts upwards from her palm to hover somewhere above them. No longer a blinding beam , but soft enough that the darkness of the room is pushed back to its corners. Starlight fills what can be seen of the sky outside the grand windows behind them and inside, the stars in her hair shift softly as she tilts her head and watches him.

She'd never really gotten a good picture of what had happened during that mission, not beyond darkness and masks and some kind of betrayal. She still regrets not being there, and allowing whatever had brought him to this to happen.

...wow, look at her. Egotistical enough to think she would've made a difference. He must be rubbing off on her.

"The place where they were keeping that prison had that kinda darkness, didn't it?" Insidious, he calls it. Absently, she starts to pick at the edge of one of the couch cushions. "You're...you were upset the last time you talked about it."

[starrook]

can we be fwiends again 🥺

grants any skill +1

[starrook]

"W-What?!" Alcryst did not say that!!

...Wait, actually. "Is this because I said Larimar had to die?" He did say that, and no matter what people think he still believes it had to be done. Larimar is dead on paper. But Yunaka is not Larimar, and so she is allowed to go free. Larimar must die, but you don't have to. Alcryst thought he made that clear...!

He shifts to a kneeling position. Then he lowers his head to the ground, forehead touching the floor as he bows deeply in apology. "I'm so, so sorry, Yunaka. Please believe me when I say, I never intended you to feel like you couldn't be yourself! And yet, my words did exactly that..."

[dcggersedge]

"Woah!" He gets into that kneeling position way too fast! Yunaka jumps onto her own knees with her hands awkwardly hovering over his shoulders as she tries to figure out if she'd get jail time for life if she forcibly dragged him back upright. "I-it's fine! Geez, you're a prince, you shouldn't just be throwing yourself down for anyone like that!"

All he'd done was his job. It wasn't his fault that life had put them on opposing sides. She can't be angry at him for doing what he felt was necessary to keep his brother safe. Even so, his apology only makes her frown. Be herself, he says…

"I…you don't even know who the real me is." Yunaka's never been a real person, just a performance of what she thought people would want to see. If she can't be Larimar and she doesn't need to be Yunaka then…

"You've got no idea how I really think or act."

[fellsparks]

[ CHAMPAGNE ] The longer the party goes, the fewer people there are around as, inevitably, guests start to drift off to other things. Their rooms, dark and private corners, whatever. The main ballroom is emptier now, making things a lot less nerve wracking for one professor, at least.

She whistles quietly as she approaches Nel, tapping the other woman on the arm with her wrist as she offers her one of the two champagne flutes with a smile - bright, but not put on.

"Sooo, how'd the outfit end up working for ya?" Nel looks good, in her opinion. The suit look definitely suits her. "Any complaints? I'll be sure to remember them for next time so we can find ya something better."

And now, the far less important but also still relevant question. Yunaka wags her eyebrows playfully as she lifts her glass. "aaaand, what does your date think?"

After a night filled with far too much socialization for her tastes, the offering of a flute of champagne is one heavily appreciated. Not that it's enough to take the edge off of any remaining stress, but Nel continues to retain a smile that's more noticeable than it normally is-- all thanks to a specific someone. A nod of thanks follows, along with a light chuckle. And if there's pink still dusting her cheeks, she's certainly not aware of it. "Ah, thank you, Yunaka. I have yet to sample the drinks provided... although there are several that seem worthy of note." Many of them are described to be sweet, which is enough of a deterrent for her to even begin to try them. Some had been described as a 'fire ball', warranting her investigation into the matter later. "It was perfect. I owe your expert advice for a successful ensemble. Elegant, yet comfortable and easy to maneuver in." The question that comes after has her expression softening almost immediately, crimson eyes flitting down to settle on her glass. "According to his words, I believe he very much approves. It has been a wonderful night, far beyond my own expectations." "And yourself? Your dress is beautiful. I pray your night has been just as spectacular as mine." @dcggersedge

[fellsparks]

The lack of a finished thought gives enough of an impression that perhaps it's one she'd rather not finish; Nel's not a woman to pry, either, instead swirling the liquid in her glass... and not particularly making an effort to drink it. One sip was enough, she's certain, and she frowns before glancing over to the remainder of Yunaka's drink, offering it up without any hesitation by way of a tilted glass and a cocked brow. As for knowing Laslow? An excellent question indeed. The Blue Lions and the Black Eagles did not always have reasons to interlope, but it would be surprising if the faculty wasn't at least somewhat familiar with one another. "Are you familiar with the sword professor from the Blue Lions, Laslow?" Nel keeps her eyes trained on nothing in particular, instead observing the mostly empty ballroom. It makes it a bit easier to speak on the matter, even if the residual happiness from her earlier conversation with him still remained. "If so, then you have your answer. If not, I am certain he is nearby- I plan to leave with him rather than abandon him here." Wouldn't that be rude? Granted, she's not entirely familiar with what is customary for the standards of human courtship. "I see. Tonight is a night of firsts for us both, then." Some bittersweet, others a second chance at a life neither of them believed they would be living. "If it is any consolation, I know not what the traditional agenda is for these celebrations. The dancing is the only thing I am particularly aware of." A flippant motion of her hand dismisses the thought, though a smile follows. Somehow, Nel believes it's not much of a consolation, considering her status as not even human. "I would offer you a toast to better tomorrows- but I do not think I can stomach one more taste of this... champagne." @dcggersedge

[dcggersedge]

Nel offers her the drink Yunaka gave her, and she has to wonder for a second if she's coming off like she has a problem. She'd never really gotten that drunk before, but it was hard to avoid the stuff when you had to spend most of your time growing up in a tavern. She'd built up a tolerance sipping glasses and listening to negotiations, so the champagne barely even hits her. She shrugs, then knocks back what's left over in her glass before taking Nel's back.

"Oh, Laslow?" Huh...you know, that's a surprise, but also makes total sense. "Yeah, I know him. He asked me out when I was teaching the Lions back when I first got here. So he asked you this time, huh?"

That had been...messy. Mostly because of her own baggage and stuff more than anything Laslow had actually done, but it had still spooked her a little with how fast everything seemed to have happened. She still kinda felt bad for trampling all over things like that back then, but it was good to know he'd managed to move on, at least.

Nel plows on like she doesn't care much about the subject, so Yunaka just shrugs and sips at her second glass. She finds it hard to imagine that Nel wouldn't have known his reputation before agreeing to something like this, so she must not be bothered or worried by it. She certainly gave off that impression.

"Champagne's not that great, yeah..." It'll do, but it's not her favorite. "Only the nobles' tastes matter though, right?"

[seadasu]

𝐿𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝘩𝑒 𝑏𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑑

toα bαll 2026 ☆ cont. from [lıght]

[seadasu]

“A fortunate draw,” Twisting the flower in his hand, he gives both it and Yunaka a slight nod. They suit her nicely, though he keeps from saying so. 

In this sense, weren’t the flowers similar to the divinations he performed? Each had their own sentiment attached to them. Delicate petals to hold all the well-wishes (or otherwise) of the one gifting it. Elegance or admiration or love - it didn’t matter, since they were all things Yunaka deserved.

With the bloom safely tucked at the center of his bouquet, he turns with a raised brow. She wanted to dance again? Are you sure? He narrowly keeps from asking it, from questioning the new determination. 

Wasn’t that one of her charms? He’d always admired her willingness to get up so soon after falling. A similarity that called them both, brought them together first in dance and then in spirit. Seadall’s eyes brighten, stepping forward and catching her hand in his. “I won’t waste the second chance! We can pick something easy-” Slower than the song warrants, he keeps their twists and turns simple, guiding with the hand on her back. 

In the quiet, Seadall’s mind tends to race. To create rhythm and meaning in the spaces in between. “Hmmm…” Now? There’s a blissful sort of silence - content, though it’s instinct that has him making their pace quicker to avoid losing tempo. “You’ve always been easy to dance with.” It’s the truth, even at times when indecision or stage fright made her falter. When the song ends, Seadall keeps their slow circle. “A little longer,” Just a few more counts to savor the silence, daring one quick hug when the moment ends. “Thank you - safe to say I’ll keep this dance as the night’s highlight.”

[dcggersedge]

Now, she thinks. Because Now is here with the both of them where they can grab it in their hands. Now, because she doesn't know when they will both be together at now again. Now, because it's all she can do to hope that the Now might someday make up for the Then.

So they dance. Simple and slow and nothing like the flashy performances they put on to catch the eyes and hearts and coins of the audience. It's a performance for them, and when Yunaka's heart soars and jumps, it's in a good way.

The song ends sooner than she likes, but she's back in Seadall's arms before she can complain about it. She blinks owlishly and laughs, giving him a quick squeeze back before he darts away again. "Me too..."

It's not a perfect night, but as far as Yunaka is concerned, it's a treasure that she can't see shining any brighter.

end

[dcggersedge]

most provident in peril

ethereal ball mini | cont

[rafent]

As if in a feat of shifting chameleon color, Rafal's levity faded and exchanged for shock. If he'd worn a smile, it would have dropped like a stone. Had he held a glass, it would have met the floor in a shower of shards. Seated as he was, he staunched the sound of his own breathing and dared no part of himself to move. Such was the process of one understanding trundling toward an end and another coming to a rise: Yunaka, once thought purely mischievous, was but purely serious.

The walls were felt to close in all around him. How quickly a room with capacity for a dozen people could feel as if it were made only for one at the behest of that single, terrifying—terrifying?—conclusion.

He blinked; in the consideration of this terror, the Fell Heir remembered himself. He who was named Rafal did not surrender to fear. With more power at his disposal now than at any other age past or future, he ought not be subject to its effects any longer. So, why? In defiance against himself, that very resolve turned with bright and glittering eye upon Yunaka herself. The dragon pounced. Tyrannical; he pinned her down into the cushions with his weight, fingers tight around each of her wrists. Brutal; from afar, it might appear as if he intended to maul her, claw her, eliminate his unease at its very source. Up close he seemed only to consider it.

Gentle; he made no effort as to leave so much as a mark.

"Are you listening to yourself?" he questioned, emphasized with a tightening of his grips. "The ruin you so lightly speak of alludes to your ignorance. Your actions tell all there is to tell. You seek me. Chase me. Tempt me. During the Ethereal Ball of all happenings, you claim privacy. Skirting that which you outright desire, you answer with coquetry. Now, you ask if I am still busy?"

Rafal scoffed above her, a caging knee on either side. The hang of his hair over her face simultaneously a stark white intruder and right where it belonged.

"What a wanton girl you are."

[dcggersedge]

Instinct directs action when the brain doesn't have time to think. The dragon pounces and the wolf freezes and holds its breath for a split second as the weight knocks her over and settles on top of her, legs spilling out from where they were neatly tucked away to be caged in by his own.

Yunaka has never allowed a situation where she wasn't in control. Each and every time, there had always been an out. An option. A setting where she never felt like she didn't have the upper hand. She would have never allowed this, to be pinned under someone else and unable to move as she wanted, and it's only because of the here and now, where carmine meets blood, does she allow it to happen.

Yunaka freezes and in that second, as it always has, her body responds for her. Not with a knife or a swing or a kick, but with the splaying of her hand spread wide as she pulls on a force she's never used before. The torchlight that gathers in her hand is so bright in the darkness of the room that for a second it's blinding. Even above and behind her, Yunaka still winces and squeezes her eyes shut for a second.

When she opens them again, there's no dragon and wolf, no attacker and victim. There's just Rafal and Yunaka, and Yunaka reacts first.

"What about you?" She wriggles in his grip, feels the strain of her wrists against his hands, swallows and keeps going. "Mr. Calm and casual and oh, everyone should be adoring me. You're the one acting weird!"

Last year, he'd been indulging, but taunting. He'd played along, but it had never been about him. This year....

"Is it..." There's no masks this year, so that can't be it. The ogre mask she'd taken sat unused in her office.

He said he was fine. But it's not so different from how she said she was fine, was it?

Yunaka huffs and lets the back of her head hit the cushions. "Complains about being alone in the dark but then tries to shove himself back in there, unbelievable..."

[dcggersedge]

[ CHAMPAGNE ] - Yunaka has always taken the time to spoil her and bring tasty snacks every chance she gets, but when Sara stops by the drink table to return the favor for once, it occurs to her that she doesn't know Yunaka's preferences. In the end after a brief deliberation, she settles on a beverage which sparkles like the night sky she dutifully clips into her hair each day. "I can tell what you are thinking since you must have noticed," she broaches the subject first with no intention of hiding the little black moon visible on her cheek. "You're correct in that I was inspired, obviously, but I'm not copying you. I want to be my own person, so I can stand with you. Not behind you." She offers one of two glasses, a vessel of starlight carrying her sincerity and a touch of gratitude, never mind that it would be her third tonight.

Respectfully, it was kind of hard not to notice. It might've taken her some time to catch sight of it, having wanted to give Sara the space she not so subtly demanded every time they spoke, but the painted on moon stood out against Sara's pale skin, almost as brightly as the real thing in the night sky.

(She's glad that she hadn't heard about how she'd rushed out of the room to squeal about how cute it was though, that would've been embarrassing.)

"It suits you." It goes without saying that she's being sincere. Yunaka accepts her champagne glass and watches how the starlight within dances under the lights, and gives Sara a smile. "Wanna know a secret?"

Yunaka reaches up and taps her own cheek, right where her star sits. "I started wearing them as a promise, y'know? To myself, mostly, but also to the final thing that the man who raised me ever asked."

This will be my last job. I’m not killing anyone else after this.

"The one on the face is for him specifically." A stupid little distraction she'd started doing on the run that she'd carried with her until this very day. "So I hope the person the moon guides you to be is someone who you're proud of."

Sara talks about a childhood that doesn't sound like it held a lot of joy, and Yunaka's still not really sure whether or not she's realized that yet. But that's okay. She can just be around for now, standing side by side.

@shadoll