âCareful, now. If he turns this into a competition he might spend the next few months trying to woo Eirika or something out of jealousy.â Tana joked, although it was a little empty. He was raising some true concerns, the fact she was reducing her brotherâs reaction - and, she supposed, the burgeoning relationship between herself and the man across from her at the table - into a series of jabs and jokes at her brotherâs expense wasâŚpoor.
âYouâre right.â She said eventually, shaking her head and sighing. She had intended to tell Innes soon, of course, one way or anotherâŚbut it wasnât particularly fair of her to turn it into a game. Still, though⌠âJust promise Iâll be there to see, huh? I know we need to takeâŚthis seriously, but still. Come on. Heâs going to have a fit.â
She glanced down at her food and sighed a little, starting to eat a little slower than Ephraim would - perhaps a little more dainty, a little more restrained. Not that she was paying too much attention to what he was doing, of course - oh, blast, she couldnât even lie to herself. It was almost impossible to tear her eyes away from him right now.
Particularly when he was talking like that. She couldnât help the deep red blush that spread over her face, even as she reached across the table and speared the piece of sirloin heâd cut with her fork. Playfully she lifted it up on her fork, the morsel hanging in front of the princeâs mouth as she giggled a little.
âEat up. Youâll need your strength.â She said, tilting her head as her heart skipped a beat. âSoâŚyou want to talk about me, hm? In what way? Is this going to make L'Arachel chase you around the camp screaming that youâre a pervert again?â
   Ephraim frowned as she raised up the meat, but he leaned forward, taking the handle of the fork in between his fingers and bringing the piece to his mouth. That girl had some nerve. He expected Tana to be forward with her affection, but not... like this.
   Chewing through the sirloin, Ephraim cleared his throat and leaned in closer. âNo reason for LâArachel to know what we discuss between us.â He shrugged. âUnless youâre into that sort of thing.â
   At least heâd steered her away from the topic of Innes. Tana wore her emotions on her sleeve, and Ephraim was grateful for that favor. Sometimes people werenât the easiest to read, or the clearest of speech to him. Trying to follow along with Joshua or LâArachelâs colorful mannerisms was as exhausting as any march in full plate armor.
   Tana kept it simple, and he could work with that. âTell me... about joining Freliaâs pegasus riders. Iâve always wondered what itâs like, to ride up in the sky, and fight from there too.â
   It was a subject he thought bridged their interests well enough. Ephraim couldnât find much interest in dresses and dancing and the demure arts, but flying was elegant enough, wasnât it? And pegasus riders were essential to an armyâs reconnaissance.
   âI did fly with you to Jehanna, but those arenât fond memories. I was stressed, and sleep-deprived, but...â He smirked, a grin breaking over his face. âAt least riding alongside you was a plus.â
âRude.â Tana chided him as they sat down, even though it brought a bit of a blush to her cheeks. It felt good to hear him say those kinds of things about her, like it was freeing her from the anxieties sheâd kept bottled up inside since Fiana. âYouâre not meant to say a woman was never perfect, Ephraim. LâArachel would be correcting you already if she was here.â
Still, she said the words with a teasing smile, clearly not meaning any of them. Truth be told, she just wanted to fill the air with - something that wasnât related to the war they were living in these days. To give the two of them some kind of escape, away from the stress and worry now that they were reunited with their siblings.Â
âIâm glad to hear you say it.â She shrugged, her thumb moving to stroke the back of Ephraimâs hand when it settled on top of hers. Sheâd raised a brief eyebrow when she saw his eyes flicker to the mercenaries playing games of chance, but let it slide - she might not get the appeal, but she wasnât going to begrudge him whatever his hobbies were. âI like myself more this way, too. I donât feel like IâmâŚwasting my life, I guess. Iâm kind of scared Iâll go back to the way I was before when itâs all over, even if I know itâs going to be real hard to forget all of this.â
She was doing an awful job of keeping the conversation away from those subjects, so instead she laughed and glanced down at his hand on top of hers meaningfully. âWant to be in the same room when I tell Innes about this? The look on his face is going to be spectacular.â
   If this was supposed to scare his hand away or something, Ephraim didnât flinch. A confrontation with Innes, he realized, would come one day. But why worry about that now, when he had this night to look forward to, and his homecoming to plan for?
   âI never get tired of the way his mouth curls whenever he decides on another thing to compete with. This, I think,â he continued, sliding his fingers down her hand, âcould set him off even more. I donât think heâd sit still for a few days.â
   But did he really want that? Sometimes heâd bring up a point and Innes would respond as if Ephraim had slighted him. Not everything had to be framed as a competition. He and Innes found themselves on the same page so far, in the short time they commanded together on the battlefield, but if war was the only thing they could agree on, theyâd never grow closer.
  Heâll be king one day, he and I, just like our fathers before us. Ephraim glanced at Tana, her face nothing like her brotherâs or King Haydenâs. Theyâre siblings. Theyâre bound to share something - and thatâll be the way I get along with my fellow ruler. Maybe even-
   Ephraim shook his head. Too early for that.
   âThis isnât a friendly jab, though. Itâs something to take seriously, and - youâre going to tell him soon, arenât you? You know what? Let me do it.â Not today, not in the aftermath of a battle, where everyone wanted to relax and enjoy the momentary piece, but soon. âCause I know heâll come find me. I might as well bring the news.â
   A server arrived with several bowls of food, and Ephraim caught himself. Theyâre meant to relax and enjoy tonight, too. He did his best to loosen up, put on a smile for Tana. Reaching for a knife, he pulled his hand away and looked at a particular appetizing piece of sirloin.
   â...We should put that aside for now, though. Tonight I want to talk about you.â He leaned in, lowering his voice with a dumb smirk on his face. âWhat kind of guy would I be if I couldnât take your mind off all that for a while?â
âWhatever happened to not wishing to drag a war out with good reason? Go on, off you go, back to the front lines with you! I think I can hear the summoner calling!â
   âIâm not your work horse.â
   The enemies outnumbered them. Ephraim could see them appearing over the snow-covered hills and from behind boulders. He lifted his lance, making sure to stand between her and them.
   âWeâve got to stay in formation. Or does my presence bother you that much?â
â T-Truly, sir Ephraim? You do not think it too frivolous? â she bashfully stammers out. For the past little while, Sayâri had felt humiliated upon ambling around with the rabbit ears their summoner had forced her to equip, so to hear someone as admirable as Ephraim compliment her was well⌠rather, reassuring. At the very least, it didnât seem as if he would judge her anytime soon, which she is rather grateful for. Were he to break out into sudden laughter, she would be quite mortified!
  â In truth, I was  UNDER  the impression this head-wear ill-suits me, with how er⌠ âcuteâ it appears, â Sayâri later admits. If nothing else, it wasnât completely unfounded; after all, her current image did clash with the humorless demeanor she was known for. Of course, most might expect Tiki as the type to willingly wear adorable accessories, but her, the no-nonsense princess hailing from Chonâsin? Why, she imagines it hadnât preceded her reputation!
  Normally, under ordinary circumstances, Sayâri would have never been caught wearing rabbit ears out in broad daylight; still, in the end, the summonerâs will proved final.
    âI think itâs because how jarring it looks on your outfit that gives it its charm.â Ephraim shrugs his shoulders, trying to keep his tone light. Heâs seen Alfonse and Sharena with more outlandish costumes on, even one of the Whitewings. Surely Sayâri can handle a couple of floppy ears.
   He lifts up something in his hands to show her. âThe summonerâs given me a little something, too.â It reminds him of a carnival mask, its rims plated with bronze. It resembles the one the masked knight Bruno - or Zacharias, he supposes - wears.
   Fitting its sides between his ears and his head, as if putting on a pair of glasses, Ephraim puts the mask on, joining Sayâri in wearing the Orderâs ridiculous accessories. He grins. âIf I had a cape, Iâd throw it behind my back. Look at me, âmysterious rider of Renais!ââ Ephraim nudges Sayâri, brandishing Siegmund at an imaginary enemy. âIf the whole ruler of a country thing doesnât work out, thereâs always vigilante work...â
"Itâs kind of hard to be dashing when you reek of sweat and metal.â Tana said with a laugh, even as she took his arm. âBesides, you can beâŚblunt. Kinda abrasive, sometimes, really. Iâve learned a lot of things over the last few months, and you donât really match up to the thing I made of you in my head, I guess.â
Her eyes widened for a moment as she realized it was possible for him to take her words poorly, a light squeeze on the arm sheâd taken trying to reassure in the pause before she continued her thoughts. âWhich is better, really! It wasnât fair to hold you up to all that in the first place, Iâve realized that. Besides, IâŚat the start, I was kind of a brat, huh? Just sort of in general.â
She shrugged as they walked through the streets, Tana wincing as she felt some grains of sand slip into her shoes even as they stayed on the paved roads. How did the Jehannans manage to survive in such a climate? Her heart twinged a little as she realized how long sheâd been away from Frelia, or even Renais at this point. Forcing those thoughts out of her mind she shook her head, glancing up at Ephraim and deciding to be impulsive and daring for a brief moment as she got up on her toes and briefly brushed her lips against his cheek.
âI like you better like this, anyway.â
   It felt like a butterfly dancing along his cheek. Ephraim froze for a second - even with all the battles, heâd mulled over his feelings for her a bit. After things settled down, he intended on expressing himself, but clearly Tana had a quicker agenda.
   He loosened up for a smile, inclining his head. His proffered arm didnât leave him much room to reciprocate. Hopefully she wouldnât hold that against him.
   âIn the end, Iâm glad I didnât disappoint.â
   Ephraim knew these streets well enough - he led Tana under a stone arch and into a side street where an area populated by several benches and chairs was set apart. Some Jehannans sat around, eating or playing games of chance. Ephraim could hear the familiar sound of chips rattling. He shook his head, smiling. Those vices could wait another time.
   âItâs kinda weird.â Ephraim sat down at a bench, waiting for a server. âItâs easier to make up your mind about the world when you havenât seen past the castle walls. Eirika was like that, once. When you come out here, you learn a lot of things about othersâ way of life. But instead of understanding, itâs... complicated.â
   He reached for her hand, settling his fingers atop hers. âNow weâve both changed.â Ephraim chuckled. âYouâre better now, too.â
Not a fan of the new mode. I love character development but I wish it wouldnât be introduced this way through a mode that you have to complete multiple times like Tempest Trials. And maybe itâs just the way Feh phrased but it seems a little too... cutesy for me.
Nice Awakening banner though. And all the skill banner reruns just means more free summons while I wait for CYL
    ` i apologize if i am asking for too much .  iâve just heard so many stories about you ⌠itâs wonderful to be able to hear them straight from you ! thereâs plenty i could learn from you âŚÂ that might help me back in my world . `  sheâs only slightly bashful , hands wringing together as she reels herself back from her momentary bout of excitement .Â
  ` or âŚÂ if youâre not interested in talking , iâd like to propose some training , perhaps ?  iâm unaccustomed to using lances , but this one âŚÂ has chosen me . it deserves one worthy to wield it . `
   âStories?â
   She comes from a world in the future - and not just the generation after Chrom, but centuries after him, where he and Eirika and everyone who has fought with them have been transformed into the same legends they themselves have heard around campfires.
   âWhy not cross both stories and sparring, then?â Ephraim gestures to the lance in his hand. âIâm not too good with words. But Iâll be happy to show you what I did and how I fought in my battles.â
Tana is in her element breaking Marisa out of her shell and learns that she isnât antisocial, just awkward at talking to other people. Itâs something she can help work around. Then there are the differences in goals between the two and how they see the world, but talking about those helps them see what the otherâs coming from. So I think thereâs a lot of room for the characters to grow and get along
To give back the hope so many people had lost⌠There was a point. Who knew, if she put it that way maybe she could convince a number of former Grado soldiers to returnâŚ
She smiled, shaking her head. She hadnât even been crowned yet and here she was, still needing advice from her big brother on how to rule her country. âI will speak with him. There were a good few Grado natives among our companions, so I should have no shortage of support and protection when I take the throne.â
âDo you think the others will attend my coronation?â she decided to change the subject. âI know everyone will be busy with their own affairs, and it would only be a small ceremony, but I do want to have a proper one.â A coronation in accordance to Grado traditions and culture might go some way towards alleviating the concerns of the people, after all.
   âI think theyâd be crazy if they didnât.â
   Theyâd only been to one coronation, the pontifex of Raustenâs, and they were still young then, too interested in the deer that ran through the woods and watching the knights compete in the joust to understand what it meant for a ruler to take the throne. But this wasnât just any succession - a princess of Renais would take responsibility for another country.
    âThis isnât like some relativeâs wedding. This is an entire coronation. And we need to show that all of us support each other. So everyone should be behind you physically, to show that weâll all be behind you in spirit.â
   Tana and LâArachel would come for sure, and Tana would drag her brother with her; he didnât think Joshua would object either. That wouldnât be an issue.
    âWeâll need to work hard to get things ready for that ceremony, before you even start to rule.â Ephraim crossed his arms. âThatâs got to be a lot of work, especially for the biggest nation in Magvel.â
   The forest stirred, preparing to receive the dead.
   LâArachel traced a semicircular path over her body with her staff, a golden wisp of energy emanating from it. A mist began to rise from the ground, thin tendrils weaving through the grass and fescue. Extending both arms outward and lifting her hands, she spun, and the golden wisp from her staff was released into the air. The mist shimmered as the wispâs light combined with it, and transparent spheres began to form around them. The spheres hovered in the air for a few seconds before the forest seemed to absorb them. They passed through tree trunks and branches, giving off flashes of light before disappearing.
   The process continued, with LâArachel taking steps forward at times and turning to repeat the procedure to other parts of the forest. When she had finished, the forest was awash in a hue of golden radiance. The air felt lighter, fresher, as if the ritual had cleansed it of the stench of death.
   ââŚAh.â LâArachelâs shoulders slumped, and she staggered as she stepped forward. Ephraim moved to steady her, and she placed her arm on his shoulder as she righted herself.
   âThat mustâve took a lot out of you.â
   âA modest tithe to pay.â LâArachel sighed, but a content smile graced her lips. âThey know peace now.â
   Ephraim nodded. âThey donât have to linger here any more. I wonder where they end up?â
   âThey pass into the aether, of course.â LâArachel looked up, frowning. âAh, I had almost forgotten. You know almost nothing about the teachings of Saint Latona. How⌠barbaric.â
   âIâve gotten by well enough without them, havenât I?â
   âHmph!â LâArachel pulled away from him, crossing her arms. âOnly because you had the presence of yours truly as guidance. I can only imagine where you might have ended up without me, wandering off in the darkness.â She raised a hand, pressing the back of its palm to her forehead. Her weight shifted towards one foot, her shoulders still heavy. âMaybe doomed to sail forever, lost at sea. Oh, the horror!â
   Ephraim tried to appear unamused, but let a smile crack through. What would she do if he played along this time? Perhaps sheâd ramble off in a theological lecture, sharing the source of holiness that spurred her on. Perhaps sheâd share another revelation that encouraged her divine mission.
   LâArachel would wander here and there as she talked, but with one well-placed interjection, Ephraim could make her stumble over her own words, make her cheeks redden as she tried to retort.
   âFrightening,â Ephraim agreed. He moved his arm down, letting his hand settle on the small of her back to support her. âIâm taken aback! What would I do without my priestess by my side?â
   âYour priestess?â LâArachel met his gaze, mouth opening to protest. Her eyelashes fluttered. âIâm not - that is to say, I represent the will of all Magvel! Yes, I could neverâŚâ Her frame wavered again, and she placed a hand on his chest. He could feel how slightly she leaned towards him. â⌠favor just one person.â
   âOh?â Ephraim let his shoulders drop, letting out an exaggerated, drawn-out sigh. He motioned to move away. âThatâs a shame. I would have loved to follow her crusade.â
   âEh?â She grasped at his collar, pulling him to her. âHow⌠how do you mean?â
   He shrugged his shoulders. âJust thought I wouldâve made a good knight, you know?â
   LâArachel narrowed her brows. âYouâre just trying to fluster me again! Hmph! I should have known.â
   Ephraim smiled. âA little too late, donât you think? Look how worked up you are.â
   âI am not! I am calm and collected - in fact, I-â
  He cut her off by moving in to kiss her. His hand pulled her close, and he could feel how her lips twitched in surprise before relaxing to return it. She tasted of vanilla and citrus, of fruit freshly picked off a tree and the libations poured at a temple altar.
   LâArachel pulled away, her face reddening. âThat⌠was so cheap! I canât believe you keep doing this.â
   âOnly because you leave yourself so open.â
   âOpen? I am not so easily taken advantage of!â She grabbed his face in her hands, leaning forward to kiss him. As quickly as she moved in, she pulled back. âOh, youâll regret crossing me, Prince Ephraim!â
playing through ffx and iâm seeing a lot of similarity between it and fe10 coincidentally - humans waging war and then some great power (Sin, the âdark godâ) threatening to wipe out people for doing so
