not my fault you're weak.

golden deer assistant archery professor at the officers academy

[fujins-favored]

₊⊹⁀➴ affiliated takumi of fire emblem fates: birthright; written by sep 🐟

mun | muse | thread tracker | stats tracker | aff.

[fujins-favored]

fowl play

Nos Mutamur In Illis | Takumi & Leo | Day 1, District 2

[tomatotactician]

        The ducks waddled out of the coop, giving them free rein to tend to the interior. Though he didn't care to take orders from Takumi, it seemed only right to feed the ducks after giving the chickens food.         Leo moved to the feed bag, grabbing a handful—— Oh. He could see why the other prince had opted for a clump now. The feed was thin and meager, sifting through his fingers like sand, and the bag itself was well near empty. He hoped the Ellis family had more feed stockpiled elsewhere, but beneath it all, he knew better. If they can't even feed their animals, how do they expect to feed their town — let alone guests from overseas?         The ducks had gathered at the sight of food, quacking anxiously around Leo's boots. "Easy, now — here's your food. See?"         He sprinkled it across the ground, watching the ducks scurry for every crumb they could get. It was a sad sight, but Leo knew there wasn't much he could do. It reminded him of that festival years ago, when he'd been a mere child...

        He shook his head, clearing the memory. There was work to be done, and quickly. Leo stepped into the coop, basket in hand, scanning the nesting boxes. They were recessed into the walls, dark and narrow — the only way to figure out which ones held eggs would be to have a closer look.         He peered into one, then another, but the sight was largely the same: soiled straw scattered in a loose imitation of a nest, with nary an egg in sight. These were certainly a far cry from the neat and well-kept alcoves in the chicken coop.         "That's strange... Did they not lay today?" Another step forward, followed by a soft exclamation of surprise. There was something just beside his boot, so close he'd nearly stepped on it. An egg? Stooping down, Leo discovered a small, muddy nest just outside the nesting box, as if the duck hadn't deigned to use the manmade structures.         "Really? What's the point of these boxes, then...?" Leo mumbled, glancing around for other strays. The coop was dark and dusty, hardly ideal for finding small, fragile eggs. He couldn't make use of his fire tome, lest the whole thing burn to the ground.         The blonde turned to Takumi, a frown on his face. "We may have to tag team this. Sifting the straw methodically is safer than walking round the coop blindly. The eggshells are thin, too, since the ducks haven't been eating well... They'll be easy to break. Careful."

[fujins-favored]

“Yeah? Well, you better get started, then. I’ve already found a couple of them.”

Having found yet another egg hidden in the piles of straw, he made his way across the coop—stepping only where he knew it was clear—and deposited the two of them into Leo’s basket. Then he picked up his pitchfork and continued his search.

True to his word, Leo found another pitchfork and took to combing through the straw alongside Takumi. The two of them worked in silence, save for the occasional discovery of a hidden egg. Embarrassingly, Takumi had taken to an unfortunate streak of nearly crushing the ones he happened to find. Maybe the farm work was getting to him.

After all, he was certainly starting to feel a familiar soreness in his arms and back. At least there’s one good thing about all this—I’m getting some good exercise in. 

Once the two of them had determined that there were no more egg surprises on the floor, Takumi went to clean the nesting boxes. He grimaced as he looked over the unkempt interiors. No wonder the ducks weren’t laying their eggs here. 

The nesting boxes stretched far into the coop wall, and Takumi wasn’t very keen on reaching into the darkness… but he made do. At last, he dumped the last bits of soiled straw into the wheelbarrow and wiped his brow. “Alright. That should be everything…”

[nyxanthemums]

Coop Co-op

District 2 | Day 1

[nyxanthemums]

"Hmph. Dealing with children isn't one of my strong suits."

Which is true, but it is not the only truth. Typically Nyx would indulge children slightly, albeit begrudgingly, but the recent events on the island have proven to be troubling, enough to put her on edge.

"You seem to handle children well, is it because you resonate with them?"

Seeing the Hoshidan prince gently redirect the children's attention was impressive. She thought the Hoshidan royalty were quite pompous, and wouldn't often interact with their people. But seeing one of the princes who so fervently raged against them during the war play with the kids so honestly improved her opinion of him.

"Or is it because you are also a child at heart?"

Not that she would ever admit that to him.

[fujins-favored]

“Huh? What's that supposed to mean?"

Gods forbid he wanted to let the kids have a good time! Takumi folded his arms. “As a prince, one of my duties is to understand what it is that people need and to provide it to them, no matter how old they may be. These kids just wanted to spend time with the new people that are visiting for the festival. Was that too much for you?”

He shouldn't have let the comment get to him. He didn’t want Nyx getting any weird ideas. 

“Anyway,” he said, turning back to the kids. “It’ll be dinnertime in a little bit, right? Why don’t you go back inside and clean up?”

“Okay! Bye-bye!” the kids chorused, running back towards the house.

Takumi looked back at Nyx, and then at her shoes.

“It’s not within my capability to get that off your shoes, by the way,” he said. “You’ll have to do that by yourself.”

[fujins-favored]

fowl play

Nos Mutamur In Illis | Takumi & Leo | Day 1, District 2

[tomatotactician]

        Leo agreed, but he wasn't about to let on. "Since I did most of the work here, how does your great and magnanimous self feel about taking charge with the ducks?"         The ducks, from Grandmother Ellis's explanation, needed similar care but had a few quirks. After collecting eggs and cleaning the coop, the ducks were allowed to roam around an enclosed pond next to their coop.

        It wasn't hard to identify the right building, but Leo paused, peering at the duck pond. The water was muddy and shallow — more like a glorified puddle than anything resembling a body of water.         "...I can't imagine that's good for them," he muttered, but it wasn't like the farm had much water to spare in the first place. As with everything else, they'd simply have to make do.

        Basket in hand, Leo prized open the door to the coop, just enough to peek inside. A few curious quacks answered him, heads turned to peer back at him. He glanced back at Takumi.         "...Think we should let them out now? It might be easier to clean the coop once they've vacated the premise. Or, since feeding the chickens was such a wild success, we can open with that..."

[fujins-favored]

“Wow, more flattery from the great Lord Leo? What a miracle. Fine, I'll clean this time.”

Takumi set the wheelbarrow down outside the duck coop. In contrast to the chickens, who had been quite intimidating, the ducks seemed pitiful—especially with the little mud puddle that they had for a pond. Unfortunately, he hadn’t seen any sort of fresh water source from his look around, so they couldn’t do anything about it at the moment. 

“Judging by how the chickens went, letting them out of the coop is probably the better idea,” he said. “Feed them if you want. Or if they seem hungry, I suppose.” 

He hefted the pitchfork up and waited for Leo to let the ducks out of the coop. 

After they’d gone, Takumi got to work. As he scooped up matted clumps of straw, the pitchfork knocked against something… solid? Crouching down in the straw (and trying not to breathe in too much), Takumi nudged the straw away with his good glove and picked up the object he’d knocked against. An egg.

He glanced at the nesting boxes that lined the wall across from him: empty. Were the ducks... hiding their eggs? 

Takumi stood back up and sighed. Guess he was going to have to shovel carefully.

[nyxanthemums]

Coop Co-op

District 2 | Day 1

[nyxanthemums]

At the comment, Nyx sighs, resigning her fate to the misconception, knowing that any attempt at refuting would dig her into a deeper hole.

"Fine, but let me prepare myself first."

Taking a handful of straw, Nyx leans against the wall, magically fusing the straw the bottom of her shoes. Once the fusion is complete, she takes a few steps in place to make sure that the straw is attached properly before taking a leisurely walk around the chicken coop before returning to the front entrance.

The kids stand there, jaws hanging wide open.

"Wait that is cheatin-"

"Well, my shoes never did touch the wood," Nyx retorts. "I always stood on the straw. I am well within the rules here. Don't be upset that I found a clever way to participate."

She turns to Takumi, opening her mouth to speak, but ultimately closes it without uttering a word, electing to give a slight pitying expression.

[fujins-favored]

Two thoughts ran through Takumi’s mind:

First, Nyx had just demonstrated that he wasn’t the only one that had been given a strange power by a random voice in his head. By the looks of it, she had even been given the same “fusion” ability that he had.

Second, Nyx was a total party pooper. Not that he had expected much from the Nohrian.

He returned her pitying expression with a slight eyebrow raise. Her loss. Besides, Takumi was pretty sure she’d just waded through the less-than-clean battleground of the Great Chicken War. Slowly and deliberately, he climbed onto the coop’s nesting boxes and scooted across, then picked his way back towards the door, using various boxes and hay bales as his stepping stones. With a small hop, he landed outside. “There! I did it!”

One of the kids, still halfway across the coop, crossed his arms and stomped his feet. “No fair! Where’d Miss I'm-An-Adult find the sticky straw!” “Yeah, where’d you find that, huh?” Takumi said, throwing a glance at Nyx. Turning back to the kid, he added: “Hey, don’t worry. I’ve got an idea. Do you want to fly across instead?” The kid’s eyes lit up. “Fly??” “Uh huh! You ready?” After a nod of confirmation, Takumi hoisted the kid up onto his shoulder and jogged around the coop. Based on the giggles coming from his shoulder, it seemed the “sticky straw” had been forgotten.

Takumi set the kid down outside. “See? Fun, right?” He leveled a stare at Nyx.

[nyxanthemums]

Coop Co-op

District 2 | Day 1

[nyxanthemums]

On such a small island, finding new people that aren't adults proves futile. So, despite the constant shouting that Nyx is older than she looks, the kids still took her by her arms to play.

At least, she is not alone. The other child dragged Takumi by the arm, leading them to the chicken coop. Nyx looks up towards Takumi and, despite their previous interactions, gives him a look of solemn solidarity.

"Okokokok! Are you two ready to play? We are going to show you our faaavorite game. Make sure that no matter what, your feet don't touch the wood! Try to go alll around the coop and back to this door!"

"Hehe, it's easy watch!"

The other child leaps from the door frame unto one of the feeding troughs, immediately loosing their footing and falls on the butt, hands braced against the wooden planks.

"Hehe oops! That's exactly what you don't want to do, so take notes alright?"

Nyx raises an eyebrow and sighs, turning to Takumi as she does, "Would you do the honors of going first? I... I need a second to mentally prepare myself."

@fujins-favored

[fujins-favored]

“Mr. Fluffy Hair! Mr. Fluffy Hair! Come play with us, pleaaaase!” Takumi looked up from the Ellis family’s dining table, where he had been attempting to patch up his glove. “Hmm? Sure, I’ll come. What are we playing?” “It’s a secret! But it’s super fun, I promise. We even invited the other girl to play too!” Halfway through standing up, Takumi froze. Other girl?

---

Tomorrow morning, Takumi was going to leave the farm. He was going to leave and make sure that he wound up in an area with normal people.

Electing to (mostly) ignore the diminutive woman behind him, he scanned the mercifully empty chicken coop. At least Leo did a decent job cleaning. He’d rather not fall into a random pile of chicken manure. 

The feeding trough looked far too flimsy to support his weight, but there were a few hay bales stacked against the wall, presumably used to fill the nesting boxes. Carefully, he leaned over and climbed onto the hay bales, inching across them; spotting an abandoned shovel nearby, he tiptoed across its handle and clambered onto a stray box.

“How’s that for a first try?” he called out, and turned back around only to see that one of the Ellis children had followed him across. “I see I’ve been joined by a coop-climing expert!” he quipped with a smile, and the kid laughed. “Good job, Mr. Fluffy Hair! It’s Miss I’m-An-Adult’s turn next!”

[fujins-favored]

fowl play

Nos Mutamur In Illis | Takumi & Leo | Day 1, District 2

[tomatotactician]

        While Takumi walked out with a chicken tucked under his arm — seriously, what was he doing? — Leo focused on his unglamorous task. The chickens strutted over to him slowly, clucking anxiously over the disappearance of their food source.         He gently nudged them away with his pitchfork, mumbling commands: "Come on, now. I need to get at that patch. Move along, you!"

        Takumi's return generated a fresh wave of excitement in the flock, allowing Leo to work in peace again — up until a sudden squawk and clamor broke out.         "What in the..." Leo stopped to watch as the chickens began to scurry and scramble around the coop, pecking furiously at something on the ground. One bird broke away from the group in a flurry of feathers, chased by a few others, and Leo barely managed to glimpse a few crumbs of feed disappearing down the hen's gullet before it returned for more.         He turned to Takumi, incredulous. "...You gave them a chunk of feed without breaking it up? Scattering the loose grains would allow them all to eat their fill with less fighting, don't you think? These birds are starving."

        Leo dumped his last forkful of straw into the wheelbarrow and sighed, leaning on his pitchfork. "Well, I suppose they won't be thinking about escape now. It's too dangerous to keep cleaning while they're scurrying about, but we're supposed to collect eggs, anyways. I'll fetch the basket."         He returned shortly with a modest handwoven basket, immediately beginning his search. The prince certainly cut a comical figure, bending with perfect posture over the nesting boxes lining the walls. In his mind, however, anything was preferably to shoveling manure.

[fujins-favored]

Takumi frowned. “This family isn’t rich, you know! I had to make do with what they had!”

Although his plan to distract the chickens had worked, it had worked a little too well, and now he’d apparently caused some chicken infighting. He was loath to give them more feed lest he inadvertently strain the Ellis family’s resources, but he made a mental note to let them know about the situation later that evening. And maybe to ask about proper chicken care, too—though Takumi doubted he’d be doing this again anytime soon. 

He let Leo collect the eggs and hoisted the wheelbarrow off of the ground. Slowly dragging it back towards the coop door, he set it down and stood beside it, waiting for the Nohrian to finish. 

Takumi planned to take a proper look around the farm after they’d finished with the ducks—partially to scope out the situation and partially for his own peace of mind. It seemed odd that the mayor had been investing so much into this festival while neglecting the very people that depended on him. Coupled with that dream and the voice… 

Takumi wondered if Leo had experienced the same strange things on the way here. Not that Leo would say anything about it. Nor that Takumi would either.

He’d find someone to ask about it tomorrow. Someone trustworthy.

By now Leo had finished. Takumi hoisted the wheelbarrow back up again. “I hope the ducks are more agreeable,” he muttered, and wheeled it out of the coop.

[fujins-favored]

fowl play

Nos Mutamur In Illis | Takumi & Leo | Day 1, District 2

[tomatotactician]

        What is he on about? Has he spoken to Odin? Leo wondered, but as ever, he didn't have a chance to ask. There were problems to solve, chickens to feed, and poop to scoop.         Takumi wasted no time finding a suitable bribe for the chickens, which meant Leo shouldn't waste time either. He stifled a snicker as the fowl surrounded the ashen-haired prince, none too gentle with their beaks as they attempted to wrest it from his closed fingers and flap onto his arms.         "I daresay that chicken isn't cowed by your aura. Perhaps you've met your match?"

        Wheelbarrows, as it turned out, were unwieldy things. The one in his hands was rickety and heavy, eager to dip to one side or another and especially eager to leave splinters in his gloves. Leo grimaced as he pushed it up over the threshold, peering carefully for any would-be roadkill — barrowkill? — before shoving it fully into the coop.         He pulled the door closed behind him. Great. Two princes, stuck in a musty, dusty coop with a horde of hungry chickens. What could possibly go wrong? (A question he shouldn't ask, given how much had gone wrong in the past.)

        "Since you seem to be getting on swimmingly with the chickens, I suppose it's up to me to get things done here." Leo pushed his pitchfork into the straw, wrinkling his nose as it came up in a matted, muddy clump. Sure, he'd tended to horses in the stables before, but it was obvious where you should or shouldn't step. Chicken droppings were far less conspicuous... he only prayed it wouldn't stick to his boots.

[fujins-favored]

Takumi stood up unsteadily. With the wheelbarrow inside the coop and Leo now cleaning up the chicken manure (how magnanimous), he should probably feed the chickens properly now. But—Takumi glanced at the door and then at the chickens. They weren’t going to make a run for it again, were they? He’d have to be fast.

He seized the chicken on his shoulder and leaned over to put it down on the ground. The chicken immediately took advantage of this and fluttered back onto his shoulder. Had this one taken a liking to him or something? Takumi put it down again and gave it a stern look. “I need to go get your food, you know. Bother him instead,” he said, pointing at Leo, but the chicken ignored him and hopped back on his shoulder once more.

Takumi plucked it off of his shoulder, grasped it firmly under one arm, and strode out of the coop to go collect the bag of feed.

To the chicken’s credit, it did not attempt to escape—or worse, get a little too comfortable and let loose a bowel movement on his arm. Takumi dug a little bit of the food out of the bag and let the bird nibble at it. Seemingly satisfied, it fluttered away and ruffled its wings.

Takumi snorted. What a needy chicken. Now, for the rest of them. 

He glanced over at Leo. The Nohrian looked so out of his element that Takumi had to stifle his laugh lest the other hear him. Best not to disturb the active pooper scooper—especially since his pace was slow enough that Takumi suspected the chickens would be done eating before he finished. Ugh, he’d need to distract them more, wouldn’t he?

Takumi stared at the chicken feed. An idea began forming in his head. Scooping some of it into a hand, he closed his fist around it and thought about the other thing the voice in his head had told him about—item fusion? He opened his hand to reveal a large, single clump.

Perfect. This would keep them busy. If they didn’t choke on it. Could chickens choke? Takumi deposited it on the ground. He sincerely hoped he didn’t have to find out.

[fujins-favored]

fowl play

Nos Mutamur In Illis | Takumi & Leo | Day 1, District 2

[tomatotactician]

        It didn't take a genius to realize that the town of Baile had fallen on hard times. In fact, that was the first thing Leo noticed as he followed Grandmother Ellis out to the farm. He certainly wasn't fond of chores, but one quick glance at the dead grass and scraggly livestock, and Leo realized their hosts would need all the help they can get.     What a surprise, then, when Grandmother Ellis blithely paired him with Prince Takumi of Hoshido for chores. Leo gave him a suspicious side-eye, only to glance away and frown as he realized the other prince was doing the same. Life-threatening events supposedly forged stronger bonds between warriors, but Leo didn't feel any particular affinity for the Hoshidan yet... Only steady unease.

         Come to think of it, Leo had never seen chickens up close before. They were funny little creatures, easy to step on, and... smelly. One darted out as soon as Takumi opened the coop, and Leo reflexively leveled his pitchfork at it. A blank, self-reflective stare as the other prince calmly deposited it back inside. Right... They're just some birds, is all.         Maybe he was just on edge, being next to Prince Takumi and all. Besides, anything that moved that fast was a liability on the battlefield.

        "Well, if you want to do it by yourself, that's wonderful. I so admire your magnanimous heart, Prince Takumi." The sardonic quip rolled off of Leo's tongue before he could help himself. Takumi hadn't flown off the handle and tried to kill Leo yet, after all. And he'd certainly had plenty of opportunities to already.         "I'm more concerned with how we're to clean out the coop and collect their eggs without letting the whole flock out. Perhaps you can intimidate them away from the door with your frightening aura while I get the wheelbarrow inside?"         Another dry joke. Leo never wanted to see Takumi with a malevolent aura roiling round his body again. In fact, he'd have to execute him on the spot if that happened, and the chickens would surely hate to see that.

[fujins-favored]

“Ha, ha.” Maybe Takumi should have thrown the chicken at Leo. “Are you sure they won’t be more intimidated by your ‘heart forged in darkness’? ”

Unfortunately, Leo was right. The chickens had gathered by the door again, watching the two of them expectantly—if they opened the door wide enough to let the wheelbarrow in, there would almost certainly be a stampede. They would need some way to distract them.

The only other time Takumi had looked after birds had been when he spent a day looking after the kinshi back home. They were quite picky about who they were handled by, and Takumi had only made it through unscathed by virtue of bribing them with food. Maybe the chickens were food motivated, too.  There was a bag of chicken feed nearby. Takumi peeked inside and winced at the paltry amount. Scattering or dumping out food was out of the question. But maybe, if he brought a little bit inside, the chickens would focus on him and not the door…

It was worth a shot. Takumi scooped out a small handful and brought it back to the chicken coop, carefully slipping inside. “Hey!” he called out to the chickens, opening his fist slightly to reveal the feed inside. “Look! Food!” 

The chickens started to surround him, fluttering up to peck at his hand. Takumi made his way to the opposite corner as fast as he could as the chickens trailed after him. Once he was safely there, he crouched down and opened his palm, watching holes in his glove form as the chickens clamored over the feed.

“How’s that for a frightening aura?” he called out to Leo. One of the chickens jumped onto his shoulder and flapped its wings in Takumi’s face. “Ack! Okay, the wheelbarrow!”

[fujins-favored]

fowl play

Nos Mutamur In Illis | Takumi & Leo | Day 1, District 2

[fujins-favored]

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?”

…It wouldn’t stop him from being petty, though.

@tomatotactician

[fujins-favored]

world's longest fetch quest

Mission Board: Excavation [Auth +1] | @moriddyn

[moriddyn]

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.

[fujins-favored]

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?”

[nyxanthemums]

Ethereal Ball Cont. with Takumi

[nyxanthemums]

 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.”

[fujins-favored]

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.

—end.

[fujins-favored]

convergence of fate

cont. from here

[scarletfireblossom]

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.

[fujins-favored]

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.”

[fujins-favored]

two people are better than one

Mission Board: Herald | Non-Mission Task Board

[fujins-favored]

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.

…Yep, he was never going to live this one down.

@nyxanthemums

[nohrslittleflower]

Top 30 Archery Jokes. Number 5 will surprise you!

[nohrslittleflower]

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?”

[fujins-favored]

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.”

[tomatotactician]

House of Horrors (yes, you included)

Mission: Infamous 　⧸⧸ 　Leo & Takumi

[tomatotactician]

        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.

[fujins-favored]

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?”

[fujins-favored]

i'm right behind you aren't i

Mission Board: Aphotic | @thelightofcreation

[thelightofcreation]

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?”

[fujins-favored]

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?