Takumi was no stranger to bad dreams, but this time something was different.
Different than the last couple of times it had been different, for the record. At least this time, the weird little voice in his head wasn’t trying to convince him to do something. It was just… ominous.
I think I’ll sit back and watch the show for myself.
Fine! Even if Baile wasn’t what he had expected from the invitation he’d found on his desk, he could at least do the right thing and help them out. It didn’t sit well with him to see the island in such a sorry state.
Even if he was stuck with a bunch of Nohrians again.
It didn’t stop him from giving Leo the side-eye as Grandmother Ellis laid her hand on their shoulders. “And you two young men can help out with the coops!”
---
Takumi set down the empty wheelbarrow he’d been towing and glanced at the coop. A bunch of beady little eyes stared back at him.
He unlatched and cracked open the door to the coop, trying not to wrinkle his nose at the smell. One chicken shot out immediately, clearly trying to make a break for it. Takumi, who had been anticipating this, grabbed it as it ran past. The chicken, now in Takumi’s hands, let out a displeased cluck.
For a split second, he considered shoving the chicken at Leo, just to see how he’d react. Instead, he nudged open the door again and put the chicken down. If Elise was any indication, he’d rather not reinforce whatever lingering suspicion Leo may have towards him being some kind of murder-machine.
“Is the lofty Lord Leo ready to shovel some bird manure? Or are you gonna make me do it?”
Elffin nods as well, sympathetic to their shared experience. There was a lot left out in the conversation, he can tell, both from his end and from the Professor's- but the intricacies of conflict was not something they needed to unearth in small talk while running errands.
Instead, a simpler sentiment that is no less honest, “May it go smoothly, then, for you and for me.”
This current walk, while long, was not necessarily difficult, and so Elffin thinks to turn the conversation somewhere lighter. Before he can think of what to say, however, he catches sight of a distinctive building in the distance.
“Is that the Hunter’s Guild, do you think?” It certainly matched the description. "We simply need to deliver the supplies there..."
Hopefully, he thinks, they won't be saddled with yet another errand.
Elffin’s words were music to his ears. Indeed, the storefront of the Hunter’s Guild rose in the distance. Takumi sincerely hoped this was their last stop. If it wasn’t, he was going to make sure it was.
“Hopefully we can finally get this over with,” he muttered.
As the two of them approached the door, Takumi reached up to knock. Not long after, a woman answered the door. “Hm? What do you want?”
“Delivery,” Takumi replied curtly, holding the bundle out to the woman. Wincing at his harsh tone, he cleared his throat and tried again. “Ahem. Delivery from the Artisan’s Guild. Seems important.”
He held out the bundle and waited.
“That’s strange. We weren’t expecting anything today.” The woman frowned. “Are you sure you’re not mistaken?”
“Yes,” Takumi replied. He didn’t move.
The woman raised an eyebrow. After a moment, she accepted the bundle. “All right. I’ll double-check our ledger to see what this could be.”
Takumi tried to make sure his sigh of relief wasn’t too obvious. “Thank you.”
It was as if a light had appeared over a dark horizon. Maybe this errand actually did have an end.
“Well, then,” Takumi said, turning back to Elffin. “Back to the Artisans’ Guild?”
Other realities? It truly is a shame to see delusion set in for someone so young. If that is what he wishes to believe, so be it. Nyx shifts, arms braced against each other in front of her, her weight moving from one leg to another, leaning slightly away from Takumi.
Her eyes gaze upon the room, witnessing all the goers enjoying the night, smiles tied to the music. Seeing the crowd, some familiar faces, some not, she would be lying to herself if she said his words haven’t planted a small seed of doubt, but to believe such a substantial shift would require more proof than the words of a former(?) enemy.
“Nyx,“ she makes no movement to offer any hand or gesture, but her tone is slightly lighter than before, hints of wariness still lingering. “I only joined the Nohrian army because Corrin’s determination swayed me. I was quite content wandering before that.” Whether she was actually content or not wasn’t of importance. She wasn’t about to divulge her life story in front of a stranger, and a Hoshidan at that.
Her eyes drift towards the edges of the ballroom, searching for a quiet hallway or room where she could rest for a few moments. This ball had been filled with one too many annoyances and Nyx was just about at the end of her wick. “There. I’ve given my name and satisfied your curiosity. Leave me before my patience wanes further.”
Nyx... The name didn't sound familiar, but Takumi didn't make a habit of learning the names of everyone in the Nohrian army. Yet she had offered her name without a title, and Takumi found himself wondering where exactly she had been 'wandering' when Corrin's army found her.
It didn't matter. She had told him more than enough. Besides, he could see Nyx shifting uncomfortably, just as he was tempted to do as well. It was clear that neither of them wanted the conversation to carry on any longer.
Funny that.
"I'll leave you to it," he said, and offered a stiff bow. "Once again, I apologize for bothering you."
He walked away with no real destination in mind, thoughts still racing.
Words... words meant nothing to Hinoka who had heard too many and received nothing. But actions... actions meant everything. Actions provided proof. Takumi's hand grasping her own made it real. Not an illusion in her mind, but real, actually real. Tears welled up in her eyes. She was angry at Ryoma... but not Takumi. Her younger brother wasn't the one who... who....! Takumi was another victim of their enemy, but Ryoma had....!
The Hoshido I come from is different from yours.
Her younger brother in front of her wasn't even the one who had died. Hinoka stared at him for what felt like an eternity until he squeezed her hand, reassuring her that he was really there. Her other hand holding the training bow let go of the weapon as her tears broke free and she pulled Takumi into a tight embrace, crying into him.
"Takumi...! Ta....kumi...!!" Her weeping was like an echo of the way she wept when she first saw Corrin in the mountain village. Family lost to be gained again. Gods, she must look pathetic. "Please... brother.... don't leave me..."
She couldn't handle more loss.
"Not again...."
She was a mess. She knew this. She wanted to apologise for loosing composure, for not holding herself together, but even that felt impossible. Hinoka cried to hold Takumi, feeling the weight of her own actions, neglecting her family to spend years training..... all of that for nothing. In doing so she had missed her siblings growing up, right under her nose.
Hinoka’s training bow clattered onto the ground. Takumi was suddenly dragged into Hinoka’s embrace, and as she sobbed into his shoulder, he felt the sting of tears prick at his own eyes.
“Don’t leave me… Not again…”
Hinoka had rarely confided anything in him. She’d been almost untouchable in her pursuit to become a warrior. Takumi had always feared that one day she’d leave him behind. Yet years ago, when Hinoka had scolded him for being rash, she’d told him, Losing you would break me.
She had been right.
He didn’t want to think about what could have happened. The ideas were too painful to bear. Instead, he hugged Hinoka back tightly.
“I’m sorry,” he managed, trying to steady the wobble in his own voice. “I’d never want to leave you. Never. I…”
Don’t you remember how we felt when Corrin was missing?
…Yes, he’d said. Too young to fully understand, he’d cried for days, thinking about all the terrible things the Nohrians could have been doing to Corrin.
I can't believe you'd put me through that again!
“...I know it’s not the same,” Takumi choked out suddenly, “but I’m not going anywhere, okay? It’s okay. Hinoka, I’m here.”
If you asked Takumi, these spells were a breach of privacy. Binding “problem” students to “model” ones? How in the world were either of them going to get any proper work done while being constantly scrutinized by the other? Never mind whatever eating and sleeping arrangements each person had. Really, this would create more problems than solutions. Thankfully, Takumi hadn’t found himself on either end of these spells—he’d rather leave figuring out one-handed archery off of his to-do list.
What was on his to-do list, however, was delivering said spell catalysts across campus. They weren’t volatile or anything, but it sure felt like the bag slung over his shoulder was a ticking bomb. It didn’t help that the passing period left an above-average amount of people roaming the halls. Well, it was out of his control—he just had to avoid any funny business and he’d be fine.
And it was fine, for most of the journey. But as he passed the library doors, he heard the thunder of rapid footsteps behind him and sighed. “Hey!” he said, turning around to flag down whatever student was probably late to their class. “Slow down in the hallway!”
The student, who clearly hadn’t heard him, rammed into Takumi and sent him stumbling towards the library, colliding with a poor unsuspecting passerby and upending the contents of his bag. “Ugh. I’m sorry,” Takumi said, reaching out to grab one of the spell catalysts. “I’ll clean that up…”
He moved his arm—or tried to—and found that it lacked its usual range of motion, due to his arm suddenly being attached to someone else’s. Huh? He tried the other arm. Same dice.
Gods, he’d accidentally set off the spell! On both arms, no less! Takumi cringed, opening his mouth to apologize again—
The person in front of him cleared her throat. Takumi looked up in horror.
The Nohrian gives the most ready of nods a princess can give, already reaching beneath her uniform’s mini-cape for the bow she’d secured beneath it just for the surprise of this moment. One of her favorites amongst the miniature collection she’d already managed to accrue, bright and sparkly in the light from the healing magic that’d blessed it — second in favorites only to the handcrafted wooden one she’d been given for her birthday. Though that one likely isn’t the best for an actual battle.
“You bet I’m up for it! Better hold onto your shoes, ‘cause I’m gonna knock your socks off, hehe!” With a twirl of her bow mid-air (that she somehow actually catches on its way back down for once, so already off to a great start!) Elise turns on her heel and skips out of the room, only turning back on occasion to make sure Takumi is following close enough behind to hear her as she starts to list off ‘skills’ one after the other.
“I’ve been learning, uh… how to fire, for one. How to hold it, how to fire multiple arrows at the same time…” A technique she’s not quite sure is entirely legitimate since she’d just kinda made it up at the time, but hey! She has technically been learning it. Plus, it makes her sound super cool, doesn’t it? “Oh! And I’ve been practicing close-range stuff a bunch, too! It’s pretty hard since the bows so big, but I’m super fast!”
Finally, the practice range comes into sight, and Elise hops to a stop just outside the entrance — bow held tight in clasped hands lifted over her chest as she waits for the professor to take over leading the way with all the patience of an… Elise. So none. “So! Where should we start? You want me to hit a dummy or something?”
Despite Elise’s conviction, Takumi was still surprised to see her whip out a bow from under her uniform cape. He watched, unamused, as she flipped it in the air and presented it with a flourish.
Well, at least he didn’t have to be concerned about Elise’s hand-eye coordination.
Was it too early to say he was already regretting his decision? Takumi decided to stay silent and follow Elise out of the room. She was—at some point—a friend of Sakura’s, he reminded himself. Just bear with her.
He walked (or rather, speedwalked) behind the Nohrian princess, listening to her ramble on about what she’d learned. How to hold and fire a bow? He sure hoped she knew how to do that, at least. How to fire multiple arrows at the same time? Takumi made a mental note to stand sufficiently far from Elise at the practice range.
It seemed like she had been gunning for a flashy style. Distantly, Takumi wondered if she’d gone to him because it hadn’t been working out.
As the two of them entered the practice range, Takumi made sure he kept an eye out for any sudden movement from Elise’s direction as he dragged out a set of targets, positioning them around the range. He’d rather not get skewered before the lesson even started.
“We’ll start,” Takumi replied, returning to his spot behind Elise, “by having you hit five dummies. One arrow at a time. I’d like to get a good assessment of your skill.”
Leo's brow darkened. He wanted to argue, but Takumi was... irritatingly correct. The blonde prince had come to that very conclusion earlier, but the last thing he wanted was to hear it from a prince of Hoshido. "Sure. Then how did you get captured so easily? Doesn't an archer like you know to bring backu..."
Leo stopped short, stiffening as Takumi rose. He was still bound; defenseless. A yank, harsher than before, cutting into tender flesh—— He wrested his way free, rope burning through his skin.
Leo scrambled to his feet as Takumi made to leave him behind. "Hey!"
The silver-haired prince didn't seem to be murderous, at least, but he also didn't seem to care if Leo died here. Unfortunately, the rest of his questions would have to wait until he had Brynhildr safely in hand again.
A shudder, and ominous rumbling. It was as though someone had activated a Dragon Vein, bringing the building to life. "—Now we're in for it! Bumbling around without checking for traps... Do you want to die?!"
In the face of death, his other concerns were insignificant. Leo rushed forward, darting around Takumi. With the passage being as narrow as it was, there was no way they would be able to fit two abreast by the time they reached the end. If Takumi wasn't going to run first, he was.
How fortunate that Leo was accustomed to darkness. He could see the spikes in the shadows, pressing ever closer even as he willed his feet towards the end of the passage: Ten meters, eight meters, five...
Clearing the corner, he skidded round it, glancing at the wall: thick stone. Good. It was highly unlikely that the trap would crush the wall, pressuring them further.
But something was wrong. The air burnt his heaving lungs; a pungent, foul odor stung his nostrils. Leo's gaze fell downwards, aided by a few lit wall sconces: a pool of stagnant liquid lay below in a steep basin, even as the path continued in the form of rickety, narrow scaffolding around its edge.
"Stop! Stop! It's... acid of some kind!" Leo at least had the forethought to hurl himself flat against the wall, in case his fellow hostage came careening around the corner. Gods grant him mercy if Takumi pushed him into this pool of death by crashing into him.
"What kind of sadist would construct a pit like this?" Leo's mutter was laced with incredulity. Iago, maybe, if Father would have allowed him the budget and land to create such a thing. These kinds of people disgust me.
No sooner had Takumi voiced his question than Leo made a snide retort and took off into the passage. The spikes on the wall shuddered and groaned.
“How was I supposed to know this was a trap?” Takumi muttered, and ran after him. Behind him, the clinking of gears echoed through the passage—the spikes had broken free and had begun their pursuit—and as the wall shifted forward, the two of them were plunged into darkness.
Takumi’s heartbeat pounded in his ears. It was too dark for him to see. He could only trust that his feet were carrying him forwards. Gods, if this was just the beginning, what on earth had he gotten himself into? He could only imagine what laid at the end of the passage…
Finally, after what felt like forever, a dim light swam into view. Not long after, a silhouette darted around the corner. Leo had made it out. No sound followed immediately—Leo hadn’t met an early demise with a death pit or swinging blades at the passage exit, then. Maybe Takumi had gotten all worried for nothing! Maybe this was just the only strange thing in this weird building—
“Stop! Stop!”
Leo’s panicked voice carried into the passage. Takumi rounded the corner and barely managed to skid to a stop in front of him. The spike wall behind the pair rolled smoothly to a standstill, blocking the passage back towards the start.
“Acid?” Takumi managed to make out, and then a terrible smell found its way into his nostrils. He coughed and clamped a hand over his nose and mouth. Indeed, there was a giant pit of acid in the depths below. If Leo hadn’t said anything, he probably would have fallen to his death. How fortunate. But how to get out of here? Takumi scanned the room, gazed at the flimsy scaffolding that constituted the path forward, and sighed.
Much to his chagrin, Leo didn’t seem affected by the acidic fumes. Did Nohrians just have pits of acid laying around? He hadn’t seen any from his (few) visits to Nohr, but you never knew.
Though, Leo wasn't particularly enthused about their situation—a sentiment Takumi himself shared. Takumi studied him curiously. He was almost tempted to ask Leo what was going through his mind, standing here with who he must believe to be an enemy. Or if he knew that Takumi coming here alone saved time at the cost of manpower and that it was Leo’s own damn fault that he ended up sitting there, tied to a tree and surrounded by kidnappers…
Instead, he said: “I think we’re going to have to go single-file again. Who’s going first?”
When Sephiran wakes, it is to a knock on the door. He doesn't remember falling asleep, but he must have, given how he rises, (painfully, slowly) to address it. The dream- if he had one, that had accompanied him in his rest had already faded, leaving only a slight sense of emptiness, one he recognizes and ignores as always.
A knock on the door meant a new customer, and that meant presenting himself well, even if he could not feel it. A moment is given to gather himself, before he opens the door to greet them.
It is someone he recognizes, at least.
“Yes, I do. Please, come in.”
Their last meeting had certainly been a unique circumstance, and so Sephiran was not entirely certain what to think of the young man, other than recognizing his competitive streak- and that, he hoped, was entirely irrelevant to the current visit.
He settles on a neutral tone- polite, a small amount of concern, “What brings you to my shop today?”
It was suddenly much more awkward to speak, now that stick-guy had proved he was real by replying to his greeting.
“Uh—”
Even worse, was he just going to have to spill the details on his entire mental state to the mind-games stick-guy? Ugh… But then again, if whatever-this-was started sticking around or, gods forbid, getting a lot worse, embarrassment would be the least of his problems. Takumi was going to have to just suck it up.
It’s fine, he thought. Whatever this guy thinks of me couldn’t possibly get worse.
“Alright. I suddenly started hearing voices in my head. You know, telling me to k- hurt my family and friends. Something along those lines. Would you know of any outside sources causing these voices: spells, evil mages, evil gods, what have you? And better yet, how to get rid of them?” Takumi crossed his arms. “I don’t suppose something like this is common around here, is it?”
As he talked, Takumi studied the other’s expression, desperately watching for some hint of recognition. This couldn’t be serious, could it?
An awkward laugh escapes the swordsman, “I suppose my getting caught up in helping others has been… inconvenient for you. Apologies, Takumi…”
It was refreshing to be able to speak with someone as comfortably as he had been, especially after only just arriving at the monastery. Frankly, part of Chrom was terrified of the prospect of being so far from home with no one he knew. Relieved he was to meet such a familiar friend, and so quickly at that.
“Hah, funny you say that, I’ve done a bit of helping others already… so I’ll be open to continuing.” He smiles, lightly punching Takumi in the shoulder all the while. Awkward pleasantries, but whatever; “also, it sounds like I’d be sooner teaching you how to pick up a blade again, rather than sparring with you in that case!” Heartily, Chrom lets out a laugh at the idea, “are you trying to make sure I’m in top-form to be a professor, or something? Either way, perhaps this could be a teaching moment for us both, in the future. You learn swordsmanship from me, I learn bowmanship from you. Valuable, no?”
Plus, it was as reasonable an excuse as any that Chrom could think of on the spot to spend more time with Takumi in the future. It wasn’t as though he was all that against learning how to hold a bow and arrow, rather it was far from his expertise in every respect. It would be smart for someone so inexperienced to learn from an expert, though.
But that was a later concern. Standing up, Chrom begins to stretch. “We should probably get back to it, then? I haven’t actually gotten to see my room, yet…”
Chrom hadn’t even checked his own room yet? That was a lot of faith to be putting into the Academy admin and the building layout.
“I hope you have your room number, at least,” Takumi said. “I’d rather not be wandering in the halls while lugging furniture around, you know? Alright then. Where’d you leave your stuff?”
As he followed Chrom, Takumi couldn’t help but continue the banter. “Well, I’d hope you were in top form to be a professor! You’ve got a high bar to clear, by the way. My older brother and I learned the sword from my father, a great samurai.” The childhood memories of his father brought a fond smile to his face. “And you better get ready for my archery training, then—just because we’re colleagues doesn’t mean I’ll go easy on you!”
Thankfully, Chrom turned out to have a reasonable amount of belongings. Takumi reached down and lifted up a box, being sure not to shake it around too much. “Lucky for you, I’ve got a pretty good idea of the dorm layout by now. What’s your room number? I’ll lead you there.”
As the mercenaries shouted and scrambled to their feet, Leo tilted his head to listen, wishing dearly for an escape from the rough burlap over his head. He was certain he'd heard right, though: a Hoshidan expletive. Can this situation get any worse?
It did, as his would-be benefactor got tossed over a horse like a sack of potatoes (or so it sounded), much like Leo himself. More hellish galloping, endless galloping, and then finally, silence. A breath of fresh air as the sack came off his head.
Leo intended to index the features of his captor, but he got no further than the man in front of him.
Prince Takumi, fallen heir of the Fujin Yumi.
Though his visage was no longer twisted by malevolence, ashen with the grip of an undying death, Leo jerked in his bonds — for he was still bound — in a visceral instinct to back away.
He hated to admit fears or shortcomings, but that twisted facsimile of the Hoshidan prince had shaken him to his core after dethroning the shadow of his father. In a single night, Leo's understanding of reality had been reduced to rubble. Now, he understood even less.
He had no intention of finding out whether this Takumi would also try to kill him. Glancing round the room, only a single corridor led away. The heavy doors to the antechamber had already been bolted and chained, he'd heard that much. Fingers wiggling, Leo found purchase in the knots binding him. That was enough. Slowly, painfully, struggling and wincing as the rope chafed his soft skin, the prince worked the slack free.
"So, care to explain what you were doing?"
Leo's head snapped up. Takumi sounded normal enough, looked normal enough — no signs of aggression yet — but Leo couldn't help the immediate tension strung high in his body. Even before the horror show that had happened in Hoshido's throne room, they had been enemies. It was only natural.
It took the Nohrian prince a moment to find his voice, still longer to find words. He's bound. He can't kill me. "What I was doing? You mean... investigating a potential next murder? I found an urgent lead and followed it. Now how did you get here?"
Leo was pretty sure he already knew the answer to that question, but more than anything, he wanted to test Takumi. Was he capable of intelligent speech? Could he hold a conversation without spiraling into violence? He was regarding Leo calmly (if not with a distinct note of annoyance), but still. The blonde prince would never, could never forget the cry of disbelief from Corrin; the look of horror etched on their face; the mortal blow that left their army (yes, even Leo) weeping and begging for their beloved leader to open their eyes.
Oh, he would never forget.
How are you alive? Why were you the one outside the camp? You don't seem shocked to see me at all. And you speak as though to a comrade-in-arms. Just who are you, really? Leo brimmed over with questions, but he held his tongue. One moment at a time. Behind his back, he loosened the knot binding his wrists together and started on the ones still linking him to the pole.
“How did I get here? Pretty sure it was the same way you did.”
The rope that bound him was clumsily tied. Wincing through his headache, he worked it loose as he scanned their surroundings. The room was damp and littered with cobwebs. Moonlight filtered in through a boarded-up window—it was nighttime already? Naturally, there was no sign of his yumi nor anything that could make a makeshift weapon.
At the other end of the room, a hallway veered to the right into darkness. Their way out.
Next, Takumi turned his attention back to the student in front of him. Leo—because of course the student that found the note was that Nohrian—clad in the uniform of the Black Eagles, looked very startled to see him. At this point, he could probably guess why.
Well, fortunately for Leo, Takumi was going to have to get him out of here alive. Unfortunately for Leo, he was going to have to just deal with that.
“Did it ever occur to you to examine the note more thoroughly? Consider the possibility that it could have been a trap?” Takumi sighed and tried to clamp down his annoyance. “Lucky for you, the Golden Deer staff were concerned about the safety of the student who oh-so-helpfully tipped them off on whatever note you found. So I’m here. As a staff member. Investigating your potential murder.”
Finally, the rope gave way and Takumi was freed. He got to his feet, noticing that Leo had been doing the same, albeit slower. Takumi decided to ignore him and make his way over to the hallway instead. Surprisingly, it was unguarded, but there was an alcove to the left that Takumi hadn’t noticed before: a wall with large, pointed spikes. The right path, dimly lit with moonlight, curved out of view.
Experimentally, Takumi put one foot into the hallway—and snatched it back as he heard the rumbling of gears inlaid in walls. The left wall shuddered and inched a tiny bit closer, and there was the scraping of stone as the floor shifted slightly towards the spikes.
Oh, so it was a murder hallway. Great.
The setup seemed incredibly impractical, and yet there was almost certainly danger. They’d have to make a run for it, of course, but what could have possibly compelled someone to make something like this? Suddenly, Takumi was a lot more wary of whatever they would find on the other end.
“Hey,” Takumi said, turning back towards the room. “King Leo—Prince Leo—Whatever. I’ve got another question for you. How fast can you run?”
"No, I've never heard of one," That was true. "Until now. I'm afraid I'm not particularly well-versed in the matters of sparring."
That was also true. However, Sephiran doubts the statement that using a stick to spar was a more advanced way of practicing- but perhaps it was something about growing stronger with an imposed limitation.
Though, if one though about it, perhaps a wooden training sword would count as a stick in the matters of the competition, depending on how the rules were worded.
"And for that reason, I don't think it's worth for me to spar against you, since you have chosen to participate in something so advanced." A smile, and he holds out the offending weapon-to-be.
Huh? He was just going to hand it over like that? What was going on here?
Takumi squinted at the other man. Did he buy Takumi’s incredibly convoluted explanation? Or maybe this was some other type of test… Maybe this was a battle of wits! Yes, that must have been it. This man was testing his resolve, and Takumi had been steadfast enough to earn his victory.
He took the proffered stick. It felt as sturdy as it looked, thankfully—if this stick had turned out flimsy after all this effort, it’d keep him up at night. “Well, all right then. Um. Thanks.”
There was a pause. Unsure how to fill the silence, Takumi offered: “I’ll do my best. And, um, I’ll be off now.”
He turned to leave, wondering if this guy was actually going to watch him compete. The thought made him frown. Surely not.
She wasn't expecting a warm reception to her comment, but to be met with desperation, almost as if he had forgotten he had died twice, was completely beyond her expectations.
But before she can think further, some pressing matters must be addressed first. Using both of her hands, she pries off one of Takumi's hands, "Unhand me you brute."
In the space created, she retreats a step, eye's more conscious of the distance between them. Searching his face for more justification for his actions, all that is found is a lost child.
"You..." There is hesitation in her voice, not out of anger, but brief disbelief. "Do you jest? Or are you truly that ignorant."
Or could it be something else entirely? Perhaps, whatever spell, or curse, manifests him here cost him his memories as well.
She takes a hand and brushes her shoulders.
Well that rules out illusion magic or a caffeinated delusion. He must be genuine.
Whatever hostility and wariness possessed her washes away, leaving behind only pity. Pity at lost progress.
"During the war, on orders from King Garon, we were to march upon Hoshido. In turn, you and your siblings were stationed to stop us." Nyx corrects her posture, more comfortable now but still maintaining her distance from him.
"Your foolhardy youth and hatred towards Corin caused you to succumb to your own negative emotions, allowing a cursed dragon to possess you."
Her tone is akin to someone recounting a story, one that they heard from a friend. She had no emotional attachment to this Hoshidan in the slightest, perhaps maybe even a slight aversion, but recounting this story is a kindness she can grant as his elder.
"In your final moments, your spirit and the magic of one of our own granted you clarity. You saw the folly in your actions, and granted Corrin the means to strike you down. Yet..."
She moves slightly closer, now inspecting Takumi with a researcher's gaze, "You live and breathe. Take it as a gift, and do not follow in your own footsteps."
The words snapped him back to his senses, and Takumi snatched his hands away. "My apologies," he muttered curtly, but there was no real venom in his words. Instead, his thoughts were racing.
Takumi had initially harbored doubts towards Corrin when they'd returned to Hoshido—especially when they had started to spend time training with his siblings, he thought, stomach dropping at his embarrassing conduct at the time—but upon witnessing their declaration to stand with Hoshido and their work towards helping the kingdom triumph over Nohr, he'd felt no small sense of relief. If Corrin had sided with Nohr instead... If he believed these words, his hatred would drive him to possession and death. Two deaths, apparently.
Corrin is my dear sibling, he wanted to argue. Siding with Nohr would be the ultimate betrayal! But arguing was pointless. Besides, he'd embarrassed himself in front of this Nohrian twice already—no need to do it a third time.
"Yes, I enjoy being alive, thank you," Takumi said. "And I don't plan on becoming possessed anytime soon. Or ever, for that matter." He locked eyes with the Nohrian. "I am not the Prince Takumi that you know. My siblings and I, alongside Corrin, led the Hoshidan army to victory over King Garon of Nohr, and we have been working to establish a new era of peace between the two kingdoms. I..."
He sighed. "I knew that not everyone, not even my siblings that are here at the Monastery, had witnessed that reality. If I believe what you have told me here... I have a better idea of what happened in those other 'realities'." Takumi frowned. "But I don't think I ever saw you. Were you with the Nohrian army this whole time?"
Huh, Takumi didn't know there were actual kids at the monastery. Armed with an extra sweet bun he'd swiped from the serving table, he offered it to the one beside him: "Here, you can have this. I've had quite a few of them already."
CW: Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest spoilers
And that makes five. This marks the fifth time in the few hours of this ball that Nyx has been offered food.
"Thank you for the kind gesture, but I am quite fu-" The moment she lays eyes on the ball-goer, Nyx stops in her tracks. The visage of the boy falling is still vivid in her mind, yet here he remains, unscathed.
Does he not recognize me? He must, or is he just that dimwitted.
Nyx thinks for a moment longer, leaving Takumi in silence.
Ah, so that's what this is. He knowingly offered me this bun to belittle me. If it was a mere accident, that I could forgive. But this kind of belligerent behavior is not something I can dismiss easily.
Raising her hand, she strikes his offering. Due to her small stature, the hit was quite pitiful, but her eyes gleamed with strict warning.
"It seems dying twice wasn't enough to teach you humility. Shall you keep this up, I will have no choice but to give you a third lesson."
The noise of the ball around him faded into a dull whine. The bun slipped from his grasp and fell to the floor.
Dying… twice?
He thought about Ryoma sending Camilla to watch him like a hawk during their trip to Jugdral.
I died?
What was it that Hinoka had said when she saw him? Tell me you’re real.
His suit suddenly became very stifling. The buns churned in his stomach. Takumi wanted to laugh, to pretend it was maybe some strange, morbid Nohrian joke, because of course she was Nohrian. Very funny. I don’t even know who you are. If you didn’t want the bun, you could’ve just said so.
Because he’d fight tooth and nail to stay with his siblings—his retainers—his family.
Instead, his arms moved upward and gripped the girl by her shoulders. “Tell me.” His voice cracked. He didn't care. “Please. You’re the first one that’s ever said it to me straight. What happened to me?”
[ ARCHANEA ] - An old minuet originating from the Kingdom of Archanea, a true classic that has stood the test of time. Due to its difficulty, successfully executing the dance is an achievement in and of itself.
The dance was similar in tempo to the classic Hoshidan one Takumi was familiar with, but the footwork was completely different, and to make things worse, the dance carried him everywhere, and he wasn’t sure if he was supposed to be walking, or turning, or turning his partner, or some other terrifying option.
…And so, it was less about the dance now and more about trying really hard not to look like as much of a fool as he was making himself into. Especially in front of his dance partner: an unfamiliar woman who, um, looked as terrifying as the dance itself…
It’s fine, Takumi told himself, trying to clear his head. Just get through this, and then you never have to talk to anyone here ever again.
By some miracle, he managed not to trip over his own feet—or his partner’s—and the song elegantly slowed to a conclusion. Takumi took his partner’s hand, bowed, and then immediately scanned for the quickest possible exit route that he’d take once everything was over with.
“Thanks for bearing with me,” he said, turning back to his partner and trying to school his expression into something polite and normal. He handed over a rose. “I hope you enjoy the rest of the ball.”
"Takumi!" Ryoma's younger brother was hard to miss, no matter the crowd. Should he mention the card, or leave it be? Takumi would likely be embarrassed over what he had written, but perhaps he had grown from that. Perhaps he enjoyed sentimentality.
"I wanted to thank you for my gift; it was very thoughtful." There; enough to show Ryoma had read it and cared, but not too much for Takumi to whine from embarrassment. "I wondered if you wanted to share some chocolates with me? They were handing out boxes of-"
He opened the box, to find most of it empty. He looked at the nothing. Then Takumi. Then the nothing. Then Takumi. "I didn't eat them, I can assure you."
Seeing his brother after his talk with Hinoka reignited the questions that he’d left on the back burner of his brain, but he’d have to figure out a way to word them delicately first—
Then Ryoma mentioned the letter Takumi had written, and the thought train evaporated. Oh. Great. Now he could stop agonizing over how much he’d agonized over writing the thing. Alright then, fine, he’d share the chocolates with Ryoma too—
At the sight of the half-empty box of chocolates, Takumi let out an incredulous laugh. His brother sure was full of surprises today.
“Um, yeah, that’s really unfortunate. I’m sure you didn’t.”
Maybe this was karma for the mints, he thought absent-mindedly as he plucked one of the remaining chocolates out of the box. Hm, these weren’t bad.
“And here,” Takumi added, pulling out yet another rose. “A flower for you as thanks.”
Afterwards, he’d nestle Ryoma’s tulip next to Sakura’s orchid, Hinoka’s lily, and a rose of his own. The four of them, together again.
Takumi frowned. After giving it some thought, maybe it was just him, but… this didn’t seem like it was just about the mints, was it? Hinoka didn’t look like she wanted to talk more about it, so he filed that thought away.
“Well, the ball’s going well so far,” he said. “A lot nicer than last time… Um, because we were outside, and a storm came halfway through.” Because that was the only thing that happened, of course. “And I’ve met a lot of people since then, so it doesn’t feel as awkward. Heh. To think I used to skip banquets and parties whenever I could, and now I’m willingly attending them…”
Maybe I’ve changed, he wanted to say. Maybe it’s easier to trust people now. Maybe the world is different when there are no wars.
He thought about how Hinoka looked when he found her by the archery range. Maybe the war wasn’t over for her yet.
“Anyway,” he said instead. “You should try to enjoy yourself. That game’s fun over there, with the spinner and the big dots—though Niles beat me out of a win last time,” he grumbled. “There’s the dancing, too. I might try a new one this time. Oh, and the bouquets, I almost forgot—”
As he had done with nearly everyone he happened upon, he loosened a rose from his own bouquet and handed it to Hinoka. “Here, this one’s for you.”
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