Beautiful Roses have Thorns!

❝ Speak up! ❞ Isola Affiliated Marta Lualdi of ToS: DotNW

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“Oh wow, nice!”

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underteika​

What a friendly welcome! A nice change!

“Um, hey there.”

A friendly half-hearted wave was given back to her.

“Nice to meet you, Marta. N-no I’m not, um, not… no. That’s not why I’m here. I’m here to pick up some stuff for a friend of mine. They’re feelin’ kinda crummy, so like, I offered to come over here? It’s a long story.”

… …

“Oh. Sorry. I’m Anda. I think… my friend is one of your roommates? Have you seen a weird floating cat come in and out of here at all?”

“Oh. Oooooh, so that’s what that stuff is then, I guess.” A different person, but still an explanation as to what the stuff was. A bit strange, maybe- but she imagined whoever it was had probably just started the process of moving or something, maybe. She didn’t actually know, she’d never paid much attention to how all that stuff worked here.

“A.... floating cat?” Marta tilted her head for a moment, trying to think, before there was an eventual look of recognition and a nod. “Oh yeah, that adorable looking monster! Wait- you mean... they were a roommate? I just noticed them drift by a couple times, I had no idea...”

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underteika​

@dualblossomspinner​

(”Key, key… no, I don’t think they ever gave me a key. Damn.”)

So much for that. While they were happy to run the errant for their poor traumatized primordial god cat, getting into the house they never used wasn’t as easy as they thought. And while some maniacs they knew would just break in…

…Well, they’re just going to knock.

Marta had found herself a bit confused by some stuff just... randomly showing up in her place the other day, but she’d assumed it’d just meant that she’d ended up getting a new roommate. When no new roommates had shown up, that’d certainly put that theory to the test... but maybe whoever it was had just decided not to come by right away?

Hearing a knock at the door had drawn her from her thoughts, hopping up from where she’d been seated and walking over. Maybe that was her illusive roommate, then?

“Hi! I’m Marta- are you a new roommate here?”

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@voltedivine​

“Sheena! You’re here?” Marta waved hello to the other woman, before pausing a moment. Given her luck, it was more than likely that Sheena wouldn’t recognize her- but she’d put that aside for now. After all, there were bigger fish to fry- or puzzles to solve. “Oh, uh- I don’t know if you’ll remember me, but I’m Marta. Anyways, that’s not really the point- were you looking to do this thing too? I’d been hoping to find someone nice to partner up with for this quest!”

Sheena was cool and competent- she’d definitely make a good partner for this steam-puzzle thing. Just... hopefully there wouldn’t be any pitfalls.

[isolaradiale]

Keep reading

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otherworldly-healer​

Raine slowly knelt closer to the ground to place her staff on the roots of the Ophiuchus Tree. When she rose to her feet she wore a compassionate smile, and she stepped closer to Marta. The half elf first placed her hands on the girl’s shoulders, and then brought her in for a hug.

“I know, dear. It’s written on your face. Us adults can tell these things.” So her suspicions were correct. If she had not simply known someone in the Vanguard, then she was once a part of them herself. “The difference between you and them is that you could tell when your group’s motives were not well-intentioned. You gathered the courage to leave and stood against the side of hatred and revenge. You saw reason and righteousness and you tried to stop them. Nothing good ever happens from controlling people through needless violence and fear. Sometimes the malevolence in someone’s heart grows too deeply and they can no longer be brought back to see your point of view.” She knew all this of Marta because she knew herself–if they traveled together surely it was to bring peace to Aselia again. Her goal was a heavy burden, and Marta was still but a child. When would the youth stop having to take up the mantle of the world’s future?

Raine stepped back once more and readjusted the bag on her shoulder. The danger reminded her of Mithos. People could be corrupted beyond recognition. It damages the people they left in their wake and Raine truly hoped that Marta could learn to forgive herself.

“Oh, I know of the Otherworldly Gate all too well.” This worried Raine. Now that the worlds were united it made sense that the portal no longer worked as it once did. To think that those ruins now led to Niflheim was hard to wrestle with. This was the place that changed her life forever. She would have a lot more questions about all of this later. “…I wish there was a way for our world to prosper without having the rely on such a fickle source of mana. To think that the roots reach that deep…” Will the people of Aselia finally know stability? It pained her to think about.

Marta couldn’t stop herself from crying when Raine gave her a hug, tears welling over as guilt and anxiety mixed with a sort of relief deep in her chest. She could never take back what the Vanguard had done- but knowing that at least Raine didn’t hate her for it was... something. And maybe someday, she’d manage to finally make up for all of the mistakes she’d made with them.

“I... wish it hadn’t ended up the way it had... when the group started, the commander had only wanted peace. But... I guess, once he got power, his priorities... changed.” Marta sighed, wiping at her tears and forcing herself to take a couple deep breaths. “It’s too late to regret what happened, though. Regrets won’t change things.”

She would stay determined, for the sake of everyone who’d been impacted by their actions. She wouldn’t allow herself to falter now, after everything that’d happened.

“Oh, well... if anything, I can give you one bit of good news. Ratatosk said he was going to try to help the world, so that life won’t be dependent on mana. I... didn’t really understand the details, but if it works out, then I think it’ll help the new world tree.”

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greatseedling​

✿         “i was lucky to have my brother in my life. it was nice, but i’d imagine there are nice things about being an only child, no??” martel chimes, putting a hand on each side of marta’s face to steer her look towards her reflection. really, it’d been a long time since she practiced her pleats and she was thoroughly impressed by her own muscle memory. thankfully, some styles were timeless. 

“all done. i know i’ve just said that you’re beautiful, but… i simply must admire. you look like a princess. i’d love to have hair your color.” she let go of marta’s face so she could have a moment to admire herself as martel ran a brush through her own hair. so long, it was a chore. “please, have fun!! i want to see what a sylvaranti hairstyle might look like.”

“Aha... I suppose there are. My mother and father always wanted to dote on me growing up.” That had taken a turn for the worse after the giant tree had attacked Palmacosta, but Marta would always hold on fondly to those happy memories when she’d been a child. Before her father had changed, things had been nice- or at least, as nice as anything could be, with the Desians around.

“A-Ah... a princess, huh? Aha... I guess I’m a bit of a weird girl- I’ve never really thought much about them.” That wasn’t true at all, but she didn’t want to burden Martel with the truth of the matter. But... after her father’s obsession with the Sylvarant Dynasty, she certainly would never want to be a princess herself. “Oh, I’ll do my best then! I can remember how my mother would do her hair, she always looked so pretty.”

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whitedwarfs​

He would joke about how it was a nice face to have – but he hardly knew the girl, so maybe joking wasn’t the best? … Yet, at least. He’d try to feel his way around that one over time.

“It’s alright, Miss Marta. Don’t worry about it, okay?” He smiles softly at her.

“Hm… Exactly alike, though?” He ponders it, a thoughtful expression on his face. What a strange phenomenon! Secret twins? That seemed highly unlikely. Cloning was unlikely as well, he probably would know.

Ooh… Maybe it was like–

“Maybe we’re doppelgangers? I’ve heard of that phenomenon before but never experienced it or seen any proof.”

“Right, right.” Marta smiled, shaking her head just a bit. The longer she looked at him, the more crazy this whole thing felt. Who would’ve guessed that she’d run into Aster of all people?

“Doppelgangers? W-Well, uh... haha... maybe? That could certainly be one explanation!”

Marta’s laugh was just a bit awkward as she spoke, hoping that she wasn’t giving anything away. A doppelganger was a reasonable enough explanation, though... right? It was certainly the simplest one, that avoided her needing to get into any sort of details about Emil.

“I’ve heard that everyone has at least one person out there that looks just like them- maybe that’s it, then. What a funny coincidence, huh?”

[tales-of-asteria-rips]

Marta’s 5☆ image from the “Enjoy the Snow Festa!” event (February 10, 2021 to February 25, 2021)

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whitedwarfs​

He couldn’t help but notice the stunned expression on her face. Was she alright? Had he done something wrong? Aster was rather confused, admittedly, especially with the usage of the name she seems to have dropped.

His brow furrowed as he tried to think of what might be going on.

“Emil?” A light tilt of the head. Someone who looked like him, maybe? Dropping the unaccepted hand to his side, he thought another moment. Ah… Most likely…

“Is that someone you know? No, I’m… you must’ve mistaken me for them. My name is Aster.” He shook his head a little bit. “Aster Laker. It’s nice to meet you either way, miss.”

The thoughtful expression is quickly replaced by a small smile. Hopefully she’s alright, at the very least. He’d hate to have upset her somehow already!

“That’s... you really do look just alike.” Marta pushed herself to her feet, looking closely at Aster. She knew well enough from what Richter had said that they should’ve looked the same, but... they really did look the same. If it weren’t for his personality and the fact that he didn’t recognize her, she easily could’ve believed that he was just Emil.

“O-Oh, er- um- I’m Marta. Marta Lualdi. Sorry, I just...” 

What was even the best way to explain this? ‘Sorry, the guy who killed you stole your face and is also my best friend now’ probably wasn’t gonna cut it. Not to mention... he looked pretty alive here, so she wanted to hope that he hadn’t... experienced that part. 

“You just look exactly like my friend Emil. Like, you two could be twins. I guess it just caught me off-guard.”

She laughed, hoping that would be enough to cover up the half-truth. It wasn’t like she was even lying about that, because it was true. It just wasn’t the... whole truth.

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whitedwarfs​

@dualblossomspinner​ | liked for a starter!

Really, in this kind of situation – which was undeniably odd, he can’t argue with that – what else would Aster be to do except take it in stride? Sure, he was suddenly in completely unfamiliar terrain, but that wasn’t exactly something he was completely not used to, given the nature of what he did. So of course, regardless of bearings, he wants to look around this place. He’s excited, after all! Surely he’d be able to do something for others here, too.

Even though he’s wandered quite a bit from where he was prior, these types of thoughts continue in mind as he finds himself a bit too lost in thought – thereby knocking both the girl in front of him and himself to the ground.

“Oof… Sorry about that, I was a bit distracted…”

He let out a laugh, and offered a hand to the girl to assist her. “Are you alright? Again, sorry for knocking you over. Won’t happen again!”

Marta had been going about her day as normal, nothing terribly interesting about it, when... she thought she noticed someone. That blond hair, there was no way it could be anyone else- she’d been so lost in her own thoughts that she wasn’t able to react in time before getting knocked to the ground. Apparently, they’d both been lost in their own little worlds.

“Oh, it’s fine Emil-” She blinked when the boy offered a hand, staring at him a bit longer. He looked the same, yes, but.... Emil wasn’t quite so casual. Even though it was her, she could still imagine him fumbling to apologize.

“You... no, that’s not possible...”

There was only one other person who looked like that. Not that she’d ever met him, but... still, she knew she’d never mistake that face that Emil had shared. She knew that this place was strange, that time never lined up quite properly, but... Aster being pulled here? It felt... surreal to even think about, much less to be potentially looking at him in the flesh.

[lovlyaura-deactivated20210117]

*:🌸･☁️✧🌸 ･ﾟ☁️･ﾟ✧

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gleamknight​

“…I think I’m just super picky about guys.”

“That’s fine. You’re pretty old, anyways.”

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gleamknight​

“I’m not being rude, I’m being honest!!!”

“You don’t even know him! Emil is the cutest guy I’ve ever met.”

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gleamknight​

“HE’S PROBABLY NOT EVEN CUTE”

“Don’t be rude! He’s SUPER cute! If he ever shows up here, I’ll show you!”

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gleamknight​

“I heard only cuties were born in April~.”

“Huh, I wonder if Emil was born in April too then?”

[gleamknight]

“April 4th!  Everyone but Grimm is invited!”

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“Oh huh, I didn’t know our birthdays were so close together! What’re the odds, huh?”