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@futurepastlord
Private RP blog for Lucina from Fire Emblem Awakening Loved by Light Affiliated with The Officer's Academy
Personals and RP blogs not from from TOA, do not interact
Mobile links: About Lucina | Stats | About the Mun | Headcanon tag | Thread tag Thread tracker | Activity check
Planned ship with @heliacalrisings
A Gift
for @heliacalrisings
Left against Ephraim's door is a leatherbound journal, fastened shut with a matching leather string tied together to keep the journal from opening. Inside is a letter.
"gentle" "persuasion"
If it's pirates you're dealing with, seabound combat will surely be in the cards, especially seeing as it's you who needs to come to them to free the waterways. Your group hosts a strategy meeting in tandem with some of the crew on how to best prepare for such combat, calling on anyone with any experience or knowledge to contribute. Training starts early tomorrow morning! A group of mages have found a way to skip however: they claim they're using their time away to focus on building the ultimate magic cannon as the grand opener to turn the tides. In truth, they're loafing around on the beach, just slinging around spells every now and then to give the illusion from faraway they're working! Are you a part of the group lying to get out of training and strategy meetings? Or are you someone coming in to investigate them after no progress has been made? Or maybe you're none the wiser, putting your all into battle preparations, learning all you can with similar minds on how to fight on the high seas? (starter for @of-ostia @azurelunae @futurepastlord)
It needn't have been so concerning that a handful of researching mages had taken missing - they had been gone less than a full day, most of the morning into the afternoon at most, having done the same thing the day before. They had returned hale and whole, only to repeat the pattern the next day, and the next.
It needn't have been so concerning, but for many of the knights, and for the sailors, and for those families of those afflicted by pirates, it was. The tensions in the Adrestian port towns were thick, and concern ran high, even for strangers. Especially for strangers.
Raven was good at finding people, and it had become a bit of an open secret that he was a good man to call upon for contracts such as these - it wasn't even terribly difficult, given that the mages had announced where they were going. Or rather, what they were doing.
Only one of those things were true.
SPLASH - !!
The crash of waves could be heard even beyond the treeline, on the side road that led down to the alcove where the sand scraped against the ground with a soft brushing sound, and Raven had to lift a hand to his eyes to block the glare of the sun as he breached into the open beach, and his soft frown deepened as he heard the raucous laughter and saw the slim dripping forms of his quarry rising from the surf, grins plastered on their faces.
"Another! You won't get me so easily this time!"
"Oh, you bet I won't! My secret weapon is built like a sh - "
"What are you doing?"
" - it - !!"
The question wasn't even directed at the stringy young man and his partner, soaked to the bone and shrinking under the sudden chill of Raven's glare - which, in truth, wasn't even directed at them.
It was delivered at the hulking blue form that was also knee deep in the water, also dripping wet, also laughing like an idiot.
"There are people looking for these mages, under the impression that if they aren't missing, they're doing an important task - for public safety," Raven added sharply, cocking his head at Hector. Surely he also couldn't be so stupid?
"And you're just…playing…?"
Lucina had expected to be learning combat and strategy on the open seas, new techniques to add to her repertoire that she tries to stay brushed up on. After all, she never knows when anything will be needed, and her formative years were of combat, war, destruction, loss. She needs to be ready for anything - including warfare at sea.
Yet if she's being perfectly honest, her mind has been occupied elsewhere, focused on other things she had once considered beyond her own grasp. Now she has something akin to the luxury of thinking on it all, though she doesn't know how to or where to start, including dealing with the strange guilt she feels about it.
So when the images have seemingly gone missing and help is requested to find them, Lucina volunteers without much question. Truth be told, she isn't paying enough attention to hold in all this information, something she'll try to rectify later, so finding any reason to go searching is fine by her.
Which finds her on the beach, trudging through sand that seems perfect for a beach trip instead of battle. Off in the distance, she sees a large group of people with colors of spells flinging through the air. Is that them? Are they in danger? Instantly, she takes off in a sprint, trying to stay light on her feet so she doesn't just kick up sand, but the closer she gets, the more she realizes it isn't combat. It's chaotic, but they're all just...having fun.
She slows to a halt nearby a man who seems to be shouting at one other man in particular, not at the group as a whole. Playing? The concern for the missing mages seems to be entirely misplaced. Catching her breath, she lets her shoulders drop. She should head back, she knows, but she finds her feet planted where she stands, wavering in her resolve.
"Playing," she mutters, though whether in disappointment or admiration, even she can't discern. She should be frustrated, but maybe she simply can't bring herself to be. "I'm almost jealous."
January activity check
Status: Passed! New classes accessed: Swordmaster Classes mastered: N/A
Sword rank: A -> A+ New weapon: Cinquedea Awakened!: Exalted Falchion!
wishing only wounds the heart
Oh...oh, of course. Home, life, his duties as king. That makes...far more sense than what she had been anticipating. Disappointment shows on her face, but briefly before it's tucked behind that carefully neutral mask she's honed over the years.
"I will," she says with a nod and a careful smile. There's something strangely fitting, she supposes, that the last time she'd felt this way had been unrequited, and now Ephraim seems like he might not feel the same way, too. She hasn't...said anything yet, despite the clarity Rhys had given her, so she can't truly be sure, but there's a disappointment that still settles in her heart.
That's alright. She's still determined to tell him her feelings. But she'll wait until after he gets back. It isn't over until she's said what she needs to, and he can react however fits with his own feelings. It's alright. Hope isn't dead, even if she still feels a sting in her chest.
"You take care of yourself, too, alright? Come back here safely. We have a lot to learn from each other still, and I can't spar by myself."
He doesn't catch the look of disappointment before it's masked behind a careful expression. Though it feels as if there's a great distance between them. As it should be, perhaps.
Ephraim returns her careful smile and nod. "I wouldn't dream of doing anything less. I still need to prove the superiority of the lance to you."
He's made his decision so why does he linger? After a further moment's hesitation, he inclines his head toward her. "Be well."
Be well? Gods. He starts to back away.
Perhaps it's just her imagination, but everything feels much more formal, as if the unbroken tension were causing a distance that hadn't been there before. Is she projecting? Possibly. Yet she can't help the way this feels.
She should stop him. Say something. Say anything! But the words catch in her chest and she doesn't. Instead she just nods, offers a small laugh at his comment about the spear. "You as well, Ephraim. Be safe."
-END-
wishing only wounds the heart
"I..." Earnest teal eyes waver before becoming muted. "I'll be making a trip to Renais next month. With my sister here now, some of my duties as king need to be addressed in person."
He withdraws from her, reminding himself that the situation is not so simple as he would like it to be. He can't act impulsively anymore. His decisions affect a country.
Or is he hiding behind that excuse because it's easy to?
Ephraim shifts his gaze away from her. "Please take care of yourself."
Oh...oh, of course. Home, life, his duties as king. That makes...far more sense than what she had been anticipating. Disappointment shows on her face, but briefly before it's tucked behind that carefully neutral mask she's honed over the years.
"I will," she says with a nod and a careful smile. There's something strangely fitting, she supposes, that the last time she'd felt this way had been unrequited, and now Ephraim seems like he might not feel the same way, too. She hasn't...said anything yet, despite the clarity Rhys had given her, so she can't truly be sure, but there's a disappointment that still settles in her heart.
That's alright. She's still determined to tell him her feelings. But she'll wait until after he gets back. It isn't over until she's said what she needs to, and he can react however fits with his own feelings. It's alright. Hope isn't dead, even if she still feels a sting in her chest.
"You take care of yourself, too, alright? Come back here safely. We have a lot to learn from each other still, and I can't spar by myself."
wishing only wounds the heart
Ephraim shakes his head. He had thought about asking her for her help with a contingency plan should something go wrong with his healing, but he doesn't wish to place that burden on her.
However, he hesitates to make his farewell. There is a fine line to tread between them now that he knows how she... how they both feel. It is not love, it's far too early for such an emotion, but he can't deny that he feels lighter around her. That he enjoys her company and admires her strength. That his gut still twists when she draws close to him.
"There is something I've been thinking about."
He is so used to telling her his thoughts now. She had advised him on matters before, and so he finds himself speaking without much regard. And wouldn't it be easier to clear the air between them, so that they may continue forward as friends?
But the longer he looks at her, the more he can't find the words.
Lucina expects this will be the end of the conversation, as much as she wants to talk more, spend more time with him, but the connection doesn't break just yet. Something about the way he hesitates keeps her rooted to the spot. He said he'd been hurt, but she isn't going to impose herself on him and insist he let her help when he maybe doesn't need or want it.
So when he speaks, her heart feels as though it's being gripped tightly in anticipation. Something he's been thinking about? Maybe the same thing she's been thinking about? Her fingers curl around each other, absently rubbing at her knuckles, wondering what he has to say.
"Oh?" she asks, trying to sound natural, neutral, calm. She tries not to let her curiosity and hope get the better of her, at least not obviously so. "What is it? You can tell me anything."
Hay gurl you look pensive and thoughtful
Lucina & Rhys
Rhys smiles and shakes his head. "Not that I can remember, but it wasn't much. I've simply lived through a similar experience. I hope that my perspective can help."
He's happy to hear that she's reached the same conclusion that he did for himself, only, hopefully, it's much sooner for her than by the time he reached the same one. There's no guarantee that it will turn out the same way for her but he thinks it's important to try regardless.
Rhys nods. "Good luck! I hope things turn out well for you both, truly. Even if it doesn't turn out how you hope, I know that speaking with a clear heart will make you feel better. In the long run, if nothing else."
"It helps more than you know," she says with a smile as she starts to stand and gather up her things. She'd been worried before, and she still is to some degree now, but there's a clarity here that feels like she's always had it, she just needed to uncover it. Even if she's nervous, it really is better to at least say something than keep it all inside.
Sighing with relief, she looks at Rhys. "Thank you so much. I feel lighter, in a way. If owe you something, so make sure this isn't the last time we see each other, okay?" She'll make sure of it, even if it's something simple or small. She wants to show her gratitude.
Quickly, she dashes off back to the monastery, knowing she has a lot to put in order in her mind.
-END-
Hay gurl you look pensive and thoughtful
Lucina & Rhys
"Knowing what I do now? Of course. But if I didn't? I'd make the same choices. It's easy to see what you should have done, and what would have happened, once you're past that point."
Rhys folds his hands in his lap. "But I think if I could give my past self advice," because, isn't that who Lucina is right now? In a way. A version of his past self, holding tightly to unspoken feelings. "I would encourage him to trust his friend. That no matter what his answer would be, everything would turn out alright because I know how Ike is." A fond smile lifts the corners of his mouth. He just wasn't the type to abandon anyone or make them feel small for their feelings. Was it any wonder he developed feelings for him?
"And I would also remind myself that we would regret not saying something. Personally, I think it's better to express yourself. You shouldn't hide who you are, least of all from someone you're close to. Those are the people who should accept you most of all."
His smile wanes. "Of course, there's always the chance he could reject you, but I would think knowing and being able to move on would be better than torturing yourself with indecision. At least, I would feel that way. Life is too short to worry about such things."
"Has anyone ever told you that you're very wise?" She smiles at him before lowering her gaze thoughtfully, considering the man she'd had feelings for, considering the one who has caught her attention now. The former isn't even here, nor would he have reciprocated her feelings. The latter...well...
Ephraim is here, they get along so well, she quite likes him, they seem like a good match. He could reject her, but would that harm their friendship? She would hate to lose him since her friends here - including herself, honestly - are all so busy with life and new friends and school, work, being a knight or a teacher or...
She sighs, but she knows that what he says has truth and merit to it. She would regret not telling Ephraim at some point, even if just to have put her feelings out there and seeing what he does or says. Perhaps she could say it casually enough that it won't seem like a friendship break if he doesn't feel the same. But would Ephraim like a casual approach? He's royalty, after all. A king. Would it be better to be more formal?
Well, all of that can be figured out later. Right now, she thinks she has a decision.
"I'll tell him. I'm going to do it. Like you said, life is much too short to not at least see if he feels the same." Another sigh, this one a breath of determination. "Thank you, Rhys. I appreciate your insight. I was really torturing myself over this."
between the lines
There is a small twinge of hope that lies in her answer. If he... If they could... No, he can not rush into anything. L'Arachel's rejection still stings, even if he hadn't made the proposal out of love. And his station demands that he cannot pursue someone lightly.
But her answer is one he's glad to hear all the same.
"You're a strong and capable woman. I am glad that we met, no matter the circumstances that brought us here. Trust yourself, you will figure out your own path. It is a rare chance to do so."
He wants to hear more of her past but now doesn't feel the time to ask, not when they stand on the academy grounds with all to hear. "Some day, I hope to hear more of your travels. I have seen the dead brought back to life but have not witnessed time travel. This universe has more mysteries than I could wrap my head around."
A smile crosses her lips at his answer. Strong, capable, glad they met. Lucina hasn't relied on the affirmations of others for a long while now, but there's something about the way he says this that makes her smile want to break across her face and overtake her. That would be terribly obvious, though.
The monastery bells chime, and Lucina realizes that she has only a few minutes left to get across the grounds. "Someday, I'll tell you everything. Maybe we could swap stories and you could tell me about the dead being brought back." There's more there than he says, she can tell, and while all of this is more than a story, it's also helped shape who they are and she would love to learn more about him. "Or...anything, really."
"I have to go, though, I'm nearly late. I'll find you later, alright? I'd love to talk more." Waving, she sets off for her class, glancing back at Ephraim as she does so.
-- End --
sender wipes the blood from receiver’s face, murmuring, “let’s get you cleaned up.”
His lips were pulled into a tight o as he hummed softly at the sight of Lucina — or perhaps more accurately, at the trail of blood trickling down the side of her cheek. "That's cool," he mused. Red eyes remained wide, mesmerized. "It's already turning brown! Hasn't even been that long, hasn't it?"
A finger reached for a droplet of crimson, absentmindedly, and swiped it off of her face. To call it successful was to be too generous. Instead, it smeared across the side of her face, leaving behind a stain of blush.
Henry looked down at his hand and rubbed the blood between his fingers as if it were paint. Then, realization seemed to strike. Right! "This isn't yours, by the way," he parted his thumb and index, as if she needed another viewing of the blood, "is it?"
Not me answering this like 3.5 months later
Lucina is accustomed to Henry's quirks, at least somewhat. She hadn't gotten to know him particularly well during their journeying together before, but damn if she isn't lucky to have him on her side right now. He's a competent fighter, and when it comes to helping defend the monastery from deadly creatures, she'll take anyone she can get.
Though calling him competent feels like a severely lacking observation, given that she's seen him pull off incredible feats in the battle against Grima a few years ago.
When all is finally said and done, she stands upright with lax shoulders and heaving breaths, feeling the exhaustion from the fight begin to settle in. She could keep going if there were more beasts around, but she understands and doesn't underestimate the need for rest, particularly when staying on such high alert isn't as necessary.
As Henry approaches, Lucina offers him a grin that freezes when he reaches over to swipe the blood from her cheek. It's more a curious gesture, accompanied by his 'that's cool' comment, and although she's used to him, some aspects of him haven't fully adjusted in her mind. Still, she doesn't pull away, just keeps smiling. "I guess it hasn't been that long. An hour maybe?"
She reaches up to wipe her cheek with her sleeve but doesn't look at the blood left behind on the fabric. "I don't think so. I don't have any injuries to my face." A few scratches to her arms and legs, but these weren't terribly difficult creatures to slay, so a simple cleaning with soap and water, perhaps a bandage or two, will be sufficient. "Are you alright? I have some basic supplies if you're hurt."
between the lines
That moment, though a pivotal one for him, does not touch on his deeper secrets. The ones he keeps even closer to his heart. Though he wonders now why he told her. He should be distancing himself from her, not telling her more.
Lucina takes a moment and seems to steel herself before she continues. And whatever he had expected her to say, it wasn't that.
"A different...future?" She speaks of it so seriously and he cannot imagine her lying, especially with a tale so bold. How would such a thing even be possible? And he's reminded of the Sacred Stones that housed the Demon King and of Lyon returning to life and the mirror worlds with their prisoners.
A different future, a different life, a chance to change the past. The horrors she must have been through...
"So you meant literally in a different life." He smiles softly, though it's more rueful than amused, and his expression turns somber shortly after. "...I can't imagine you share that with many. Thank you. I suppose that makes it easy for you to choose what to do with your life, but...is it what you want?" It's hard to imagine what her life may have been like up to this point.
He takes it better than expected, though she anticipates many questions down the road. She knows she'd have a lot of them herself if someone told her something similar and she hadn't lived through it. But he continues forward with the conversation, and she's grateful for not lingering too long on it. Not right now, anyway. Perhaps one day, when they can have an entire conversation about it.
"I thought I was being sneaky with my answer," she says with a grin up at him. "But yes, I meant a literal different life." Where she had been the sole heir, before so many things had gone terribly wrong and she'd wound up here.
Which makes it sound like she hates it here; that isn't the case in the slightest. She may miss her old life, her father as she had known him, her mother, her friends' parents. But she has found a new happiness here, in a past (present, future, it gets confusing sometimes, even now) that she has helped save. And since she is here, well...
She thinks of just a few minutes before, when they had caught themselves staring, and a loud realization had thudded obviously against her heart. Her smile grows a bit, and she presses her lips together as if not doing so will make her thoughts readable. As if Ephraim would be able to see on her lips that she has...well, she has developed feelings for him.
His next question sobers her thoughts a bit, though. "I...don't really know what I want. Before everything happened, I was looking forward to being a leader, princess, and Exalt. I may have an affinity for the blade, much like my father, but always as a means for peace. Now, I'm not sure who I even am." She shrugs, realizing she was getting a bit heavy. "I suppose I'm figuring it all out along the way, though."
Aug, Sept, Oct, Nov activity check
Status: Passed! Classes mastered: N/A
Activity points: +4, 15 total Sword rank: B -> A
Exalted Falchion
Lucina sits with Parallel Falchion across her lap. The years had every opportunity to dull the blade's edge and its shine, but the care she has put into it has rendered that null. This is the reminder of the father she lost — and the failure of the ritual in her own timeline. Missing one of the stones that could have banished Grima from their world entirely and restore peace. Or, at least, seal Grima away until the next generations had to deal with him.
She doesn't see this blade as a failure, however. Far from it. This represents her lineage and how hard they have fought to get where they are now. This is her legacy, how she will carry on in in the future, fighting to maintain peace wherever she may go.it has not always been that way; there was a time when she resented the blade and what it hadn't been able to accomplish. In the end, it isn't the blade she resented, but...her own failures.
It's incredible how things can change so drastically and beautifully. Her journey was not a lovely thing, it wasn't beautiful, but the end result is something she is learning to celebrate. And she wouldn't be here right now if it weren't for Falchion — and all of her friends — at her side.
Her whetstone slides firmly across the blade with a schliiiiing! with each long stroke, bringing its sharp edge back into its perfect sharpness. In the last few years, Falchion had been across the world with her. Helping the Ferox out when Emmeryn was mostly out of commission, across Ylisse to assist with border skirmishes and bandit groups. And now to Fodlan, where she has grown as a fighter and a person. New battles and connections, old aches and friends. In truth, she hadn’t known if she would even get to this point, or if Grima would have won again — or if something else may have happened along the way. She hadn’t known where she would wind up, if she would be alone or…
Now, although becoming the next Exalt and princess of Ylisse isn’t in her future, they are still a part of who she is, and her future will carry that legacy, and Falchion, with her, until one day she can bequeath it to a child of her own, or be buried with it if she never has children. No matter the outcome, she will keep her blade by her side until her dying day, and know that she is safe with it at her side.
between the lines
In another life. "Something like that," he repeats her words with a nod. "When we lost our father, there was no choice but for me to take the throne, but they weren't cheering for our actions." Ephraim shakes his head. "When my sister and I liberated our castle, the people came out in droves. I will never forget the sight of them and the hope in their eyes for a better tomorrow."
Ephraim draws himself up taller, the king replacing the man. "And I've sworn an oath to preserve their happiness and to build a better future for them. My studies here in Fódlan have been enlightening and necessary, but I yearn for the day I am to return home."
And he truly wants that. He wants to serve the people of Renais. But when he looks at Lucina... "It's not as easy for a king to choose his own future. In another life, perhaps."
He tells her more than she'd expected, of war and the death of his father and liberation of their castle. Whether or not there's any detail to it doesn't matter; the fact is, he is telling her things that she hadn't thought of giving him in return. Not yet, anyway. But what she'd said was true: War and politics are difficult, complicated topics, and the things that happen because of them can be terrifying and traumatic.
He quotes her own words back to her, as they have both done, but it makes her bite her lips. In another life.
"I'm so sorry about your father, and everything you and your sister have had to go through. I understand well what that's like."
She takes a moment, steeling her nerves, then looks up at him again. "I'm from a different future. One where my father was murdered by his best friend, and society was destroyed until it was only myself and my friends. We made a deal to come back to a different timeline to try to save it, but myself as a baby is alive in Ylisse right now.
"There's more, but...it's complicated." She laughs a little at that, but nods and presses her lips together and looks away.
between the lines
"You won't? Do you have an elder sibling?" He's not sure what makes it hard to explain, but then something occurs to him.
"Ah, do you have no interest in taking the title? I felt the same about Renais' throne. It's..." too much to live up to. Being worthy of his father's legacy, protecting his people, building a better future. It is not a task he could do alone. He'd run from it for so long and now he's here anyway. King Ephraim. He reminds himself of that daily. "...hard to explain."
It is not something he would usually divulge to anyone but Eirika and his closest confidants, but Lucina is of royalty and understands this position.
A younger sibling, of sorts, in a very strange way, but explaining that her younger 'sibling' would take the title before she did would sound like she had failed in some way. She hasn't. In fact, she has succeeded in far more ways than she can explain simply.
"Something like that," she agrees with a nod and a bite to her lip. "I think in another life, I would have taken the role." It's a cheeky answer, but an honest one. Her father has insisted that she could return to Ylisse and remain within the family, become Exalt or even an advisor if she wanted baby Lucina to take the title later in her life. But it feels more logical to leave Ylisstol, no matter much it hurts. Whether that means living with the Ferox where her skills would be tremendously useful, or maybe staying in Fodaln, she doesn't know.
"Did it just take time for you to want to take the throne? Or is that part of what makes it so complicated to talk about?"
Hay gurl you look pensive and thoughtful
Lucina & Rhys
Rhys doesn't have to think about it for long. "Once I realized my feelings for my partner, I wanted to tell him, but I didn't because it was just the two of us traveling and I didn't want to make things awkward between us. I couldn't imagine how he would ever return my feelings."
"And then we arrived here and for the first time since we started out, we were relatively stable. If we had to, we could part ways, though I didn't want to. I was still in love with him. And one day I just...I told him. The feeling had been building up inside me for so long. And do you know what he told me?"
Rhys is already laughing to himself. "He told me that he'd been in love with me for years. Far longer than I had feelings for him. All that time we wasted, and for what? I suppose if I had confessed sooner and he did turn me down, it would have been bad, but Ike also isn't the type to just abandon someone either. I was so wrapped up in my worries that I only considered the worst scenarios and not the realistic ones." It was a habit of his, if he were to be honest.
To her actual question, he answers, "So if it were me and I had considered the realistic scenarios and found them not so bad, I would tell him."
What he says makes so much sense, and it helps that he speaks from experience. In some ways, it helps ease the doubts in her mind, but at the same time, there is still that fear he speaks of, the uncertainty of knowing what will happen that keeps them from taking the leap.
Her brow furrows in thought. It would only take a bit of bravery to say what she wants to Ephraim, more than she has mustered up for the previous person she held feelings for if only because she knows where he stands but doesn't know where Ephraim stands.
"If you could do things over, would you confess your feelings sooner?" No one can change the past most of the time, but sometimes some what-ifs help give some context. Or, she thinks, could convince her that waiting would be the better option, depending on what Rhys says. "Or would you let everything play out the same way as it did?"
