eucatastrophe

robin / fire emblem formerly affiliated with citta district alpha • citizen

[aeternuming-blog]

[ yo! ]

[ i know that things are still up in the air - and i want to stress that everybody waits for statements from moderators instead of word of mouth from other members - i’ve made a decision! ]

[ in lieu of things, i will be moving lloyd, envy, and liquid to the new group, if it certainly does happen. robin and hanzo will not be following the move, sadly, but that’s not to say that they’re gone forever. if no new group ends up opening, then i suppose i’m done with mfrp for now! thank you to all who have threaded with me; i love you so much! ]

[ i am officially dropping my characters from citta. goodnight, hive city! ]

[grandmastering]

@reoites

the affairs of others were ones robin tried best not to interfere with. he was a rather quiet person, reserved and observant in nature, so it was rare that he stepped in to stop someone’s routine. yet when things go awry, robin often found his eyes drawn to potential hazards, whether out of curiosity or concern.

this time, it was a few teenage boys, playfully rough-housing as they strode down the sidewalk. one nudge here, a clownish punch there, and soon enough, one was in a headlock and struggling fiercely. their laughter may have stood witness to their harmless fun, but when the boy breaks his ensnarement, he bumps heavily into a pale-haired girl standing nearby.

thankfully, robin was not so clumsy in grabbing the girl’s arm, righting her before she could stumble over onto the pavement.

“are you alright?”

[grandmastering]

@nohreason​

though the summer sun beat down upon the streets of sector oo5, the shopping district remained as bustling as ever. no matter the weather, there would always be those who would either brave it or consider it gentle compared to that of their homelands. robin could not say either way for himself - it was a bit too hot, but the brightness was a welcome change from the district he called home.

vendors who boasted themselves upon wares of odd origins or magical power always drew the tactician in. he had a few favorite stores by now, though usually he had kept himself limited to window-shopping. today was no different, despite the recent acquisition of a job and, thus, a paycheck.

unless something caught his eye. the first thing to do so, however, was in the hands of another. the book, crisp binding and elegant embossing from as far as robin could see, seems something special.

“excuse me, i hope you don’t mind my asking,” he offers, gesturing apologetically before pointing to the item in the blond’s hands. “is that a magical tome?”

[grandmastering]

@rooksassassin​

sweat made his scalp itch, but robin continued to run. there was no immediate panic in his stride, given that he lopes with a mild weariness, sparing the occasional glance over his shoulder. no one had yet to follow him, thankfully.

be that as it may, distancing himself from the thug he’d had no choice but to blast with one charge of his meek tome was crucial. who knew whether another would come out, seeking vengeance, or the aforementioned would recover and give chase? without a sword on his person and the side-streets of sector oo3 being as narrow as they were, he was concerned with maneuvering a fight with only magic.

magic that was on a short leash, no less.

ducking around a corner, his breath echoes between the bricks with a quiet rasp, his robes fluttering and soles of his boots scratching the pavement when he skids to a stop.

lest he collide with the hooded man before him.

light on his feet, the tactician jumps back a few steps, gasping out in surprise. his pale eyes, wide and shadowed, quickly dart about the man’s figure.

just his luck. this sector never showed him the slightest bit of hospitality.

[grandmastering]

@ofeternae​

in the time it took for the tactician to break his focus away from documents meant to be sealed away for sorting, his tea had gone tepid.

with cup in hand and envelopes tucked under his arm, robin cuts a leisurely path down the staircase to the main lobby of the post office. he would leave the documents with one of the sorters in the mailing room, then set about preparing himself some fresh tea. that, if all goes according to plan, will close out his day of work and he would big farewell to violet for the evening. until tomorrow’s first light, that is.

however, crossing the rather quiet lobby, robin pauses as the clear chime of the bell cuts over the low drone of low voices and busy typewriters, heralding a guest. the pale-eyed man turns a smile toward the door, looking toward the blonde who entered the establishment.

“good afternoon, miss!” the wave from his free hand is awkward, coming from his waist, but his smile is genuine. “welcome to ve postal services. how may we help you today?”

[irmemorydolls]

application for employment.

NAME: robin. AGE: 23. SECTOR: district alpha. POSITION: auto memory doll. EXPERIENCE: 

extensive experience with scribing. usually handwritten, though.

mastery of language structure and expansive vocabulary.

former army tactician - accustomed to mediating and guiding soldiers, be it on the battlefield or in-camp. application of such skills would assist with accurately transferring a client’s thoughts and feelings onto paper.

in addition, experience with formal / business documentation.

OTHER NOTES: n/a.

OOC NOTE: are you alright with others coming into your inbox or messages to see if you’d be willing to plot involving either writing a letter, delivering something, or anything when it comes to this blog? answer yes or no! whatever is most comfortable for you is all that matters.

oh, absolutely!

          ANOTHER APPLICATION TO LOOK THROUGH, this one in regards to someone she had recently met. even more, he had several points of experience that would help him in the field of it. writing the words ACCEPTED onto the page, she gives a small nod. ❝ Thank you for applying for VE Postal Services. You will begin your Auto Memory Doll Services shortly. ❞

[grandmastering]

[ i need 4 more threads of 300-or-more words in order to rank robin up, so! ]

[ rp ad for citta alveare. capped at 4. preference for muses who haven’t threaded with robin yet. ]

[grandmastering]

soldiermaiden:

          FROM HOW HE SPEAKS, SHE wonders just how passionate he must be about books and similar things alone. rather, of the respect which he seems to paint upon them and those who dedicate themselves into it. that of a rarity in this city, she thinks. before now she has yet to find anyone who adores paper and ink more than the modern technology which has been thrust into her face almost instantly upon arriving. ❝ Yes. There are those who are invested in their work. It is magnificent, ❞ she praises, fingers clinking lightly beneath gloves as she trails over a few, handwritten words before her.

          cerulean observes as the tactician disappears behind shelves, one of the multitude of aisles which they have access to. one nod is all she offers before standing up at his request, stepping forth as eyes shift to glance between the many books that now line her sides. one, however, catches her eye instantly, causing her to stop before reaching over. ❝ This is… ❞ her words trail off as she holds the thin book in her hand, wondering how it might have come to be in this place. the very same book which she had first been given by gilbert to begin her reading studies. looking up, she recalls her company, keeping the book in tight grip.

          ❝ I sincerely apologize. I do not want to distract you from your studies, sir. ❞

when the girl joins him in the aisle, he steps further down the line of books. gaze scouring the levels of spines, titles and authors presented to him boldly in various fonts, robin feels a fondness in his heart. the constant movement of the army had made it hard to study as he liked. though the war had ended, there had not been much time between his return to ylisstol and his departure to be brought here.

the library here, with its amount of resources that miraculously surpassed that of the castle’s study, was enticing enough to calm his anxieties. a treat for a caged animal, all the same.

“nonsense,” he reassures, laughter in his voice as he turns back to regard the blonde. “i’m always happy to meet someone else who enjoys reading as i do.”

upon closer inspection, the edges of the tactician’s eyes soften as he notices the change in the girl’s countenance. robin looks back to the shelf before him, slipping the pad of his finger over the edge of random book’s binding to slip it out of place. he did not need another book to busy himself with, but he figured keeping his eyes preoccupied would give the girl some comfort.

“you are more than welcome to sit with me, should you find something you want to read. or not - whichever you choose, it has been a pleasure, hm?”

[grandmastering]

latrocinari:

     “I suppose with enough practice, anyone could possess the skills      that I have. Even with something like this blocking your way.”

He tapped his eyepatch lightly, the smirk never leaving his face. Though a lot of self-hatred and disgust came from looking at the wound himself, he masked that with a handwaved tale of how he lost the eye ( without going into too much detail about the gruesome event ) and a simple joke here and there. Only for him to make, anyway. Should anyone else do so, they would certainly get decked in the face.

He shifted his body a little, placing the bow against the wall before turning back to the tactician with his arms crossed. His one eye studied the man before him, noting the strange robes he wore before looking back into his brown eyes.

     “You may call me Zero. I am at your service, Robin.”

Of course, he purred out that line with a smirk, obviously making his words a little more suggestive than they should have. He rolled his shoulders back and clicked his tongue in thought.

     “For many years now, ever since I was a child. You tend to pick up      a few things during those times and eventually, I ended up surpassing      my mentor.”

Bitterness held on his tongue at that word. Mentor. Did gangs even have mentors? More like they just stuck him with an older outlaw that knew how to kill, and Zero learned how to kill better than them.

“admittedly, i was a bit surprised to see it,” robin offers, nodding when the archer gestures to his eyepatch. “then again, it gives great context to your skill. this is still just a training range, but regardless, there are tales of one-eyed archers in my world. i’ve never had the pleasure of meeting one myself before. it’s an admirable feat! seems that you’ve mastered it, just like that, hm?”

though he doesn’t regret the compliment he gave, robin does raise his brows a tic at the rolling tone of zero’s voice. not one accustomed to flirting, the words are quickly dismissed, and a placid smile is offered in return.

“ah, i see.”

robin did not ask whether zero practiced for sport or out of necessity. something about the other answers the question without need for verbal confirmation. robin was not so oblivious to such things, though he kept any feelings of solicitude at bay so as to not hinge too heavily on an assumption.

“do you prefer to shoot on a mount or on your feet? bow knights - archers on horseback - aren’t terribly common and i always found such a practice intriguing.”

[grandmastering]

virassxn:

﴾ ➼ ﴿ Taking to adding some honey to his tea, Cyrran lifted a spoon and began to lazily stir his tea. ❝That I can wholeheartedly agree with. There is only so much excitement I can take sometimes,❞ he admitted. He paused before adding somewhat jokingly, ❝Excitement of my own creation is alright, though, even if I do get into trouble.❞

He smiled to himself, setting aside the spoon and wrapping his fingers around the mug gingerly. It was still yet too hot to fully grip, but he enjoyed the warmth nonetheless.

Peeking up to meet Robin’s gaze, he listened attentively and found his mouth twitching in amusement. Endeared by the other’s discovery, he chanced a careful sip of his tea before setting it down with a nod. ❝It is, isn’t it? So many things to keep people occupied and busy. My friends and family would marvel at it back home, I am sure.❞

The thought cast a brief shadow of melancholy over his features before clearing his throat and smiling once more. ❝Have you found any of interest to you? Perhaps we should watch one together sometime. I think that’d be pleasant, hm?❞     

“ah, yes, you and those ‘potions’ of yours, correct?”

robin chuckles quietly in the back of his throat. though he had a very vague understanding of cyrran’s work - all information that came from the elf himself, certainly, and that the tactician was still deciphering dutifully - it was clear that cyrran was more impish than anticipated. nevertheless, a little risk got robin everywhere in his line of work

“i would like to study your work again sometime, if you’ll have me.” setting the cup back down on the table, robin reaches out to spoon a spot of sugar into his cup. he dips the teabag a few times to help stir before setting the bag on a small plate.

a sympathetic quirk of robin’s lips. he takes a leisurely sip from his mug, giving cyrran the time to pass through the homesickness.

“i would love to watch one with you! there are such things called ‘documentaries’ that are essentially scientific journals. have you heard of them?” that gleam enters robin’s eyes and he sits up a little straighter. the tell-tale sign that he’s enthused. “there’s a variety of subjects from various worlds. we could choose one together - it would be fun!”

[grandmastering]

virassxn:

﴾ ➼ ﴿ ❝They have done things like this before,❞ Cyrran continued, a hint of frustration in his tone. ❝Something going wrong, or wanting to amuse themselves, or a twisted mix of the two. But things always somehow go back to normal… at least in the past, they have. I try not to expect anything when something new happens, but it can be a small, comforting thing to hope for.❞

That didn’t mean they were free from discomfort or outright pain before normality returns. People often got hurt in some shape or form, whether mental or physical, when the scientists were at their experiments. That was another expectation.

He kept that to himself, however—something told him it needn’t be said.

The elf found himself pausing before even speaking again, noting the sudden intensity of Robin’s expression and posture. Furrowing his brow, he nearly looked over his shoulder to see what had elicited such a reaction before he was then being tugged quickly into the forest. Confusion only grew.

❝Robin—❞ Stumbling slightly until their shoulders connected, Cyrran frowned and looked behind them again. ❝What’s the matter? What did you see?❞      

it made sense - robin recalls the transmission from when he had first arrived in the city. the people brought to the hive were made to be lab rats, just pawns in a game to people with too much power and too much time on their hands. he often wondered, lying awake in bed late into the night, if this was a project. were there people higher up than the scientists who kept them here? what was the true grand scheme of all this?

he never came to an answer. just when he thought he wanted to delve deeper, something new, startling, was unearthed. this time, it seemed to be his subconscious.

by some mysterious will, grima was here. robin felt distinctly sick to his stomach, nerves firing off in a panicked craze. if that phantom drew close to him, robin felt liable to lose his mind. what was worse - cyrran was here. it was entirely, painfully possible for the elf, his dear friend, to see the fell dragon.

wearing his face. speaking with his voice.

“cyrran.”

robin turns, both hands on his friend’s shoulders, squeezing him gently yet with a notable urgency. it held to keep himself from shaking too bad. the tactician looks into cyrran’s eyes, smiling nervously.

“it seems that we’re not alone out here.” how do i phrase this? “there’s - ”

me.

the voice rings throughout the air, low and menacing, rattling off the boughs of the trees and driving the color from robin’s face.

[grandmastering]

punrifyingflame:

“Oh, no- well.. I suppose that’s a little complicated.” Lailah smiled and laughed, resting her hands together. “We seraphim exist throughout the world, however we’re invisible to most humans that don’t possess proper resonance. That doesn’t make us any less real, however- our presence is usually treated as the supernatural by humans, seen as nature spirits or unnatural phenomena.”

A raging water hellion seen as a water spout, the abilities of a wind seraph seeming like an unnatural breeze, things like that were how humans explained the presences of those that could not be seen.

“For quite some time, I lived within a cathedral. Humans couldn’t see me, but I was always there. I don’t know why things are different here, and I am visible to humans- but I’ll admit… it is nice to be seen.”

hand coming to his chin, robin hangs on every word the seraph says. though he counted on learning something new every day in the hive, it seems that he was lucky enough to have been stumbled upon by this woman. as with most new things, robin’s thoughts buzz actively in his skull, slowly forming questions and theories he was dying to ask.

“living your lives as invisible to humans - i can see why people would consider you spirits! are you that much different from humans besides this? and what is a ‘resonance’? is it to do with - ”

he stops himself, blinking owlishly, before he smiles awkwardly.

“my apologies - i’m bombarding you with questions.”

[grandmastering]

@thamvos​

it had been a bit strange when he couldn’t find the book he had been looking for.

the library was fairly large and boasted a ridiculously large inventory, robin had come to find. it would not be a shock if the librarians had tired of him prattling on about his surprise or awe every time he checked out a new handful of books. with every visit, he became more and more familiar with the layout, so when he had a hankering for a book back in district alpha, robin pictured the aisle he roughly estimated would house the volume in sector oo1′s library before he arrived the next day.

this time ... the book had been missing. where it should have sat, ideally, was empty, with the neighboring book leaning over to fill the gap.

“huh ... perhaps it’d been checked out. what a shame.”

[grandmastering]

punrifyingflame:

“Yes- well, somewhat. It’s far more common for seraphs, at the very least.” Lailah nodded to herself while speaking, as though thinking carefully about the meaning of hair colour. Older humans would have white hair of course, but you could be a newborn Seraph and have hair pale as hers- it was just a trait of theirs indeed.

“Humans seem to have a far more limited range of colours for hair… Although, perhaps seraphs aren’t terribly different in that way themselves. It seems that our hair often matches our affiliation…”

Her hair was tinged red while Zavied’s was green, Edna’s was blonde, and Mikleo’s blue. Seraphim seemed to have their own limits too then, simply.. in different ways than humans.

“Seraphs and seraphim ... ”

Robin lets the words roll off of his tongue, pondering them. This woman was not human, most certainly, despite how he had guessed prior. The tactician has the urge to write down what she says, but his fingers merely twitch at his sides before he props them against his hips.

“So it seems! I have never heard of a people called ‘seraphim’ before. Am I right to assume that you have had little interaction with humans before?”

Indeed, the idea that humans, with age, grew pale hair, popped into his mind. Perhaps she had been surprised due to that alone.

[grandmastering]

virassxn:

﴾ ➼ ﴿ Cyrran didn’t respond at first, turning towards the kettle when it began to whistle and lifting it off the stove. Some more moments of pensive silence as he went about pouring their tea, peering at Robin thoughtfully as he did so. 

❝You know,❞ he murmured, moving to set the pot aside, ❝I’ve sometimes wondered the same thing.❞ But he rather believed he knew the answer to that. So many things going on in his head, from the nightmares to the Well whispers, and he had come to accept that his insomnia was not of the standard variety. All that trauma had to go somewhere—apparently that was into his nights. 

At least he had good company when they drew on too long.

Sinking into a chair across from Robin, the elf released a tiny chuckle at the other’s quick shift into a new subject. ❝Long, considering I’m still awake,❞ he answered honestly, resting his cheek against his palm. ❝But… rather uneventful, I’m afraid. I wish I had something more exciting to offer, but my days are fairly tame.❞ Cyrran offered a small, cheeky smile.

❝Only got errands under my belt. But hey, at least I wasn’t cooped up all day, hm? What about you, Robin—did anything riveting happen to you today?❞

A softness enters Robin’s form as the water is poured into his cup. He reaches out, tentatively wrapping his fingers around the ceramic and pulling it closer to himself. With this, the atmosphere of the small living area would quickly warm up. Hopefully, it would provide both of their ill minds some peace.

It was a bit late to sleep at this point, Robin though to himself. He may as well stay up and try again the next evening. Not a concept foreign to him.

“A tame day is a good day, especially in a place like this.” Robin chuckles softly, watching the color from the tea seep through the water. He raises his gaze after a moment of being mesmerized, batting his snowy eyelashes at the elf seated across from him.

“Although, my day was not so much different from yours. I did learn more about my cell phone - evidently, you can watch stop-motion pictures on it? ‘Movies,’ I’ve been told they were called.” The tactician leans back in his chair, lifting his mug to take a small sip before lowering it back to the table. “This technology truly is incredible ... ”

[grandmastering]

virassxn:

﴾ ➼ ﴿ Even knowing how the scientists’ schemes worked, Cyrran still took comfort in taking Robin’s hands and holding them tight. He was real and physical, not just something his mind had conjured up as a dream. At least now they were together and something might be done about their current state. As it was, it was more likely getting out of Purgatory was more of a waiting game.

Never encouraging.

❝It is good to see you, too. I wasn’t certain I would find anyone in this place—I’m happy to see I was wrong to worry about that.❞

Taking a breath, the elf turned his head to and fro to get a grasp of their surroundings. It would prove difficult if things changed for the both of them, visible to one but not the other. He swallowed hard and shook his head at Robin’s question. Always, always the eternal question.

❝I wish I did, but all I know is it’s another scientist game.❞     

“A ... ?”

Robin pauses, the pieces clicking together seamlessly in his brain as he considers Cyrran’s words. That would make sense. Although Robin had not explored much of Hive City, this place was certainly not like any place he had been to thus far. Books, encyclopedias explaining sections of the city in vague detail or littered with expunged data, told Robin that, at the very least, every part was different. Especially with regards to the districts.

But this place was not Hive City. He knew it. There was no reason for the Fell Dragon to speak to him in the Hive. This must be someplace entirely different, where Grima was not slain once and for all.

That is not a reassuring thought.

And that is not a reassuring figure Robin watches sift through the brush.

Robin freezes up, his whole body going rigid, as he peers at a face that reflects his own. When the eyes, haunted and glaring, raise to his own, Robin looks away, grabbing Cyrran by his upper arm to yank him toward the edge of the meadow. Into the forest, among the trees, away from that monster.

You cannot run ...

“What a game this is,” Robin snarls, eyes darting around their surroundings as he pulls the elf close to his side.

[grandmastering]

eyebrand:

The confirmation of where he had been pulled from sent relief throughout her body. Good, that meant he was where she was at - though, perhaps she had already left by the time he came back. She remembered, she snuck away when Chrom and Lissa went out looking for Robin once more, just so she wouldn’t have to feel guilty about facing them.

( coward, what a coward she was! she couldn’t even face and say goodbye to her parents. )

     “That is… good to hear.”

Finally she breathed her response out, shifting her body a little before looking away a little uncomfortably. It was always a little strange explaining the predicament they were in - mainly the multiple timeline theory Laurent always had, but she figured she should at least get it out now rather than later, when Robin encountered Chrom. Not that Robin wouldn’t understand it - they’re smart enough to not be super surprised by it - but it was just easier to get it out of the way.

     “I’m sure you are aware how strange this place is… Time moves      in a different way here than home, and anyone can be taken from      different points in their time. I too come from the same point you      have, but…”

     “The difference is, you were portrayed to be female in my timeline.      You were also my mother.”

Well, that’s strange to say. Still, she continued onward.

     “My father is here as well, though he has not met Lucina yet… He      was only familiar with Marth. He seems to come from the same      timeline as myself as well, or at least one similar to mine. He has      not married yet.”

She paused, allowing the information to full sink in for him.

     “I apologize, that was certainly a lot to take in. I simply wanted you      to be aware of the kind of world we are in. One where anything can      happen.”

Robin smiles to himself. There was irony here, in Hive City, where he listened once more to his daughter explain the situation, one he had little understanding of. She always seemed to be one step ahead of everybody else, something that made him both proud and fearful.

The expression dissolves, slowly, as he listens on.

So, it was true. This Lucina was not his own.

“You need not apologize for telling me, Lucina.” Robin chuckles softly, his smile belying the way his heart aches beneath his ribs. “Better that I know than for me to stumble around aimlessly. Although, I had run into Henry already. He did not recognize me.”

Another short laugh.

Would he tell her? That, in his own timeline, she was his daughter as well?

Robin thought ill of doing such a thing. Chrom was here and that was enough, supposedly. Lucina had her father - Robin had already abandoned them once. Besides, he was not her father. Another her, yes, but not hers.

“I find it peculiar that so many of us are in this city together. Have you learned much from your stay with regards to why this is happening?”