aether

i fight for my friends Ah, hello. My name is Ike, leader of the Greil Mercenaries.

[heroicswordsman]

[queen-crimea]

Long Time No See || Ike and Elincia

[queen-crimea]

"Fine, you’re right." Elincia chuckled upon hearing his response, even somewhat enjoying the teasing nature of their conversation. "But only in some cases."

Although she knew he had always been a humble man, it would be nice if he recognized all the great deeds he had done for everybody. However, she did like the fact that they had finally come to an agreement on the topic, nodding to herself absentmindedly.

"That’s what I wanted to hear. Come on in then," Elincia said with a grin as she began to lead him inside, slightly embarrassed for not realizing it earlier. He must have been exhausted and hungry, and she hoped there was something she could do to make him feel more comfortable.

Well, there was one thing about him that would never change - his appetite. If anything, she felt that food would be the way to make him feel at home. Walking beside him in the hallway, Elincia turned to Ike and asked, “Are you hungry?”

[heroicswordsman]

If there's one thing he will admit, it's when he's hungry. Ike can never concentrate on an empty stomach for anything.

"Yeah, kind of," he said as he followed right behind her. However, 'kind of' wasn't what you'd describe it. When he was hungry, he was hungry. It was a long journey from the outskirts of Tellius to make it here again, and he was just getting used to it.

He looked around the castle, eyes scanning at the different paintings and expensive artifacts as well as admiring the garden outside. Ike had forgotten it was like to be in the Crimean castle again and he wanted to get familiar with it again. Having Elincia guide him was good for now.

"Do you usually end up staying here most of the time?" He asked, only immediately speaking after. "Not that it's a bad thing. I mean, I think it's beautiful here."

[heroicswordsman]

Raisin || Ike & Reyson

[whiteprinceofthefallen-blog]

Reyson looked with surprise at the apple, hesitating before talking it. He smiled a little and looked away toward the cooking fish “..I guess it is a little strange for me to sit here and let you eat alone.” He took a bit of the apple then rose from the chair, checking the fish once more, finally deciding it was good enough and pulling it off onto a plate. He returned to the table and placed the fish in the middle, sitting again.

"I hope you like the fish..I’ve only just learned to cook it not so long ago, so I can’t say it will be great but..I’ll assure you it already seems better than some of my earlier attempts"

[heroicswordsman]

He felt a sense of relief when Reyson took the apple he offered; Ike didn't have it in him to eat everything that was shoved right in front of him while his friend had watched.

The fish wasn't wasn't his usual portion, in fact, it's not even half as much as what he would call a meal- but, he was thankful of Reyson to be so welcoming of him after not being in contact for so long.

"Thanks, it looks good," he says as he cuts half of the fish for it to be stuffed in his face. It didn't just smell good, it tasted good too. It had a tiny hint of spice for season, a flavor Ike is very fond of when it comes to his meat.

"Are you sure you don't want the other half either?" He asks with food still in his mouth.

[heroicswordsman]

Gay || Ike & Soren

[ikesboyfriend]

Soren stared at the ground for a while. To hear from Ike’s mouth that he was happy to have had him search for him for all that time, just over one small bit of kindness. It was a relief to the sage, and he couldn’t help but smile just a little.

"Ike…" he mumbled his name, silent for a few seconds more before continuing. "Thank you. I am very happy to have searched for you as well. I may just have been lost without you." He hated to admit it, but felt it was all too true.

Having finished the amount of his lunch possible, Soren placed the plate down beside Ike, looking up to him. Though there was no need to clarify, having done similarly many times before, he felt he should anyway.

" The food was great butI don’t think I can eat much more… Feel free to finish mine if you’d like."

[heroicswordsman]

"It's weird..." he started. "It's almost as if we were supposed to meet." When he thought about it, what were the odds that they'd find each other again after all those years? Whatever brought them together, Ike was glad that it had happened. Maybe Soren has already gone to that same conclusion.

Knowing exactly what that look on Soren's face meant, he chuckled and took the rest of the meat from the sage's hands. "Sure, I am still kinda hungry." One piece of meat wasn't going to fill him up, after all.

[queen-crimea]

Long Time No See || Ike and Elincia

[queen-crimea]

"Of course I do," she mused as she nodded and returned her gaze to the man standing in front of her. "I could never forget the words that gave me such determination and reassurance. Thank you for that, although I’ll always be working to improve myself and my actions. There’s no way I’d do something to harm my country. Especially after all the things you’ve done to see it through, neglecting my duties would be the ultimate disgrace."

The silence that followed wasn’t awkward in any way, but it was almost soothing. As if his presence were all that was needed to fill the emptiness. “I guess old habits die hard. You being modest is a good point too - it must be why everybody is so fond of you, Ike,” Elincia said with a soft laugh. “You gave me what I needed to rule Crimea, so even if I am the ruler now, we were both needed to keep the country going. Why don’t we just leave it at that? What you’re saying is greatly appreciated, however; I’ll remember that.”

It was then that Elincia realized they had been standing outside for the entire duration of their conversation, and looking at Ike, she hoped that he wasn’t too tired from his journey. “We’ve been out here for quite a while, and I don’t believe it would be courteous of me to ask you to stay out here any longer. Would you like to come into the castle and rest for a bit?”

[heroicswordsman]

"Ha! So it's a good thing after all, isn't it?" To be frank, he has always spoken in this humble tone of his that he never really acknowledged it unless it was pointed out to him.

He nodded in agreement from what the Queen had said after, "You're right again. I can accept that."

Elincia's realization of this flew through Ike's head until she pointed it out to him. He supposed she did have a point; they've been out here longer than needed and there was no way he could turn down her offer. He didn't want to leave so soon, not when they've already talked to each other for the first time since Ike had left Tellius.

"Well, we're here already. I don't see why not?" He said, a smile still fixated on his face.

[queen-crimea]

Long Time No See || Ike and Elincia

[queen-crimea]

"That’s good to hear," Elincia said as she allowed a soft nod, a sense of relief coming over her upon taking in the words that he spoke. She hadn’t necessarily been sure whether or not Ike would have continued to deny all the things he had done for her, but finally having her appreciation get through to him felt like a weight had been lifted off of her shoulders.

"And that’s .. also good to hear." Elincia could not mask the feeling of reassured comfort that she had not felt for a long time. "Do you remember? The night before the final battle against Daein, when you said that you would ensure my dream until your last breath? What you said really gave me motivation to try as hard as I could. So all your work wouldn’t have been in vain. So you would get to see the result and we’d be able to see it together. Not only one of us."

Her smile grew on her face, eyes finding themselves on the ground before her feet. “Thank you, Ike. That really means a lot to me. If it were not for you, I can’t be sure that the country would be doing so well,” Elincia paused hesitantly, wondering if her words would be appropriate for the situation before opening her mouth once again. “Or myself, for that matter.”

[heroicswordsman]

"You still remember all of that?" Surprised by it at first, he quickly spoke again. "I mean, why wouldn't I remember it myself? Those were my words and I'd never go back on them. Not even now. You've become a great Queen, I'm sure of that," With a smile still on his face, he continued. "Not to mention, you've come a long way yourself. It wasn't just me who've helped you; you were willing to pull through it all yourself."

Ike continued to watch her even when she lowered her eyes away from him as well as being able to hear her clearly after. It seemed like she didn't change either, she was as soft-spoken as he was humble.

He let the silence linger a bit before speaking once more and, as usual, he'd say the first thing that comes to mind, "Sorry if this sounds modest, but the country wouldn't be the same without you either, Elincia. It's been doing so much better ever since you've become Queen. I may have saved it, but it was you who's been protecting it ever since."

[queen-crimea]

Long Time No See || Ike and Elincia

[queen-crimea]

Though Elincia would never openly admit it, the formalities were really sometimes a pain to keep up with. She was glad that she and Ike were now able to speak more freely with each other, but part of it could be attributed to the fact that they no longer seemed to be so distanced from each other. No matter how close she was with a person, being raised in a villa had made her feel as if addressing another so formally were only showing respect for the person and the title, nothing more.

The nature of Ike’s words had no effect on her, for she had grown used to his way with words and his tendency to be rather forward. Elincia merely let a small smile onto her lips as she shook her head gently.

"If serving the people well is your wish of me, I am more than willing to comply," she spoke. "Regardless, I thank you for everything. Not just for helping me back to Crimea, but for giving me your support the entire time. Ike, you need not be so modest - just this once."

[heroicswordsman]

Ike knew he did not only have her words, he also knew she had served the people of Crimea well from what he observed the last time he was in Tellius. Elincia was always as benevolent of a queen as well as a person. The country was in good hands and Ike did not worry about it the least; although, it was nice to hear her reassuring him.

"I guess that also means I'd have to accept your gratitude as well." He really couldn't help being modest from the moment he struck up a conversation with her after all this time. "Just know that everything I did for you, it wasn't just because you employed me, but that I wanted you to regain your throne as you rightfully deserved to."

A smile appeared on his face again from what he was about to say next, "And well... what I've been trying to say this whole time is: you're welcome and that you still have my support as you did when we first met."

[heroicswordsman]

Raisin || Ike & Reyson

[whiteprinceofthefallen-blog]

Reyson watched him as he talked, settling into a chair across the table, listening intently.

”..That all does sound like what would happen to you..Especially you running out of food..and money..I’d actually have thought Soren would have packed more appropriately, but then again two beorc with no horses..there were probably more important things to carry I imagine.”

[heroicswordsman]

"I guess we, or rather I, didn't expect to be gone for so long," he admitted nonchalantly after taking another bite out of his apple. "We carried as much as we could and we didn't have much to begin with."

Despite being a mercenary, Ike did not like accepting money for his deeds; rather, he'd do them for the sake of helping. As a result, there weren't many funds for the Greil Mercenaries and that could lead to a shortage of the essential, such as food, from time to time.

His eyes met with Reyson's again, holding out another apple to him from the table. "Here, I know you said it was fine but I can't just sit here and eat everything on my own."

[queen-crimea]

Long Time No See || Ike and Elincia

[queen-crimea]

Elincia couldn’t help but allow a soft chuckle to escape her lips, shaking her head and looking at Ike, her golden eyes locking with his sapphire-streaked ones. “Then just call me Elincia. I guess we’ve both forgotten to drop the formalities, but it has been such an awfully long time.” She recalled their time in Begnion when he had been given the title, remembering his sudden burst of outrage and his disdain for nobility. She had been afraid that he was upset, furious even, but he had pulled through, like he always seemed to do.

"Still the humble one, I see. Ike, you know that without you," Elincia paused for a second, fumbling for the right words, "well, to put it gently, I’d be dead. You could have left me there to fall in the hands of Daein, but instead, you risked joining the war to help me back to the throne. I owe you my life and so much more."

[heroicswordsman]

"Just Elincia?" He asked, dumbfounded. "Well, alright. Elincia it is then." Ike does not remember a time when he wasn't formal with her- but if it was what she wanted, then he'd accept it. He supposed if she were going to call him only by his first name from now on, then it would be appropriate that he would do the same for her.

Yet Ike was not convinced that it was only him who should have all the credit. And he could not even begin to imagine not helping the Queen at her time of need, it just wasn't like him to ignore anyone who needed help.

"Elincia..." He began, now it was his turn to find the appropriate words. "... You don't owe me anything." It was blunt of him to say, yet it was straight and to the point. "I couldn't even accept your money back then, so there's no way I could have you owe your life for me. You being a great of a ruler as you are is more than enough for what I could ask of you."

[queen-crimea]

Long Time No See || Ike and Elincia

Elincia nodded, more than relieved to hear that Ike had been doing well. It had been an excruciatingly long time since they’d last met, and now that she actually thought about it, she found herself wondering how she even managed to let the time slip her mind.

It wasn’t like Elincia to be oblivious to the fact that one of the people who had made a close bond with her had been gone for such a prolonged period, but she decided that all of the duties of being a Queen had given her no time to think of these things. Though she might have only hoped to distract herself from the thought in order to save herself the pang of realization.

"That’s definitely good to hear. Everything here has been wonderful," Elincia replied with a hint of nostalgia, thinking back to the time Ike had been in Crimea. Lord or not, he was a good man, and she could see that he still was. "But of course, it was all with your help, my lord Ike."

[heroicswordsman]

He stifled a laugh, a rather genuine one. "There's no need to address me as such anymore, Your Highness. I've longed renounced my position as lord after all." Although, there was something about being called 'Lord Ike', and being referred to by Elincia no less, that made it all the more nostalgic. It really has been too long, but their bond was as strong as from the moment Ike had met her when she was still a Princess.

"I don't think I deserve all the credit, if I'm honest. I couldn't have done it without the help I've gotten along the way. And this kingdom couldn't be ruled without you." His smile remained. "Besides... I told you I'd give you your money's worth, didn't I?"

[blackknightofdaein]

Go Back To Daein (You Filthy Animal) || Ike & Zelgius

[blackknightofdaein]

Zelgius remained watchful, his disbelief hidden within. “Hah…” His head turned away, no matter how cocky it was to do so when an armed man stood before him. “You never did understand… Did you? You were far too young when it happened…”

His blade was resheathed, and his fingers slipped away from the handle. It seemed as though Zelgius no longer had any intention of being the first to strike.

"That night I challenged your father to a duel and nothing but. He was my teacher… Just like you, he was the one who made me what I am. But almost as if it was nothing… he left Daein. So I rose to take his place as the strongest soldier in the army, and when the time came that I knew that challenging him one on one was the only way I would know if I had reached my goal…”

Zelgius turned, leaving his back to Ike as he continued. “When I struck at your father, he did not retaliate. He put up no resistance…  No fight at all… I thought I knew him and his movements, and was proven incorrect. I went to your father for a challenge and hoped to provoke him to fight me. That is all.”

[heroicswordsman]

Wary eyes watched as Zelgius nearly reached for his blade, slowly inching his fingers to his Ragnell. However, the hand hovering at the handle twitched when he heard the Black Knight's voice again, stopping to stare at him despite the other not making any eye contact.

The more Ike listened to him, the more the disbelief he had was apparent from the look on his face. The same words repeated in his head: 'No resistance... no fight at all...' As if he was trying to figure out what it all meant.

"What are you getting at," he spoke under his breath, breaking the silence. "That it was all just... an accident?" Maybe he still didn't understand it, but he certainly wasn't the young, naive rookie he was when his father was still alive.

"If that day was all for a challenge, then does that mean you didn't... want to kill my father?" This time, his voice was in a tone that wasn't like his; it was louder, more emotional and he couldn't believe the words that just came out of his mouth either. He refused to believe it. This time, he wasn't going to hold back his anger. "It doesn't change the fact that you killed him!"

Ike wasn't going to go after him, nor did he had the urge to. If Zelgius did not want to fight, then he really didn't see the point of it. Yelling was fine too.

[queen-crimea]

"Princess- I mean Queen," he said, quickly correcting himself. "It's been a long time, hasn't it?" He couldn't help the small smile. "Good to see you again."

"Sir Ike?" Elincia wondered aloud as she turned and looked at the blue-haired male, slightly in disbelief upon seeing him after such a long time. A gentle smile found its way onto her lips as she nodded in agreement and said, "It .. It really has. How have you been?"

[heroicswordsman]

"I wanted to ask the same about you, actually." Ike wasn't going to admit it right away- or maybe he just didn't realize it- but it was refreshing for him to see the Queen after all these years. He couldn't recall just how long ago it was since the last time they've spoken; or with anyone he considered close to him for that matter. Now that he's returned, he wanted to fix that.

"I've been just fine, better now that I'm home. And how has everything been here since I've been gone?"

[heroicswordsman]

Raisin || Ike & Reyson

[whiteprinceofthefallen-blog]

"Well..not caring for dessert works as I really don’t have anything…Of course I did though. We are friends, are we not? I just want to make sure you get enough to eat..or enough within the context of what I can provide."

Reyson impatiently pushed the bowls of fruit and dried meats closer toward Ike on the table, before checking and turning the fish again.

"I’m not that hungry..I would much rather you eat. I know where fruits are in the forest so its no trouble for me to get more when I do get hungry..If you’re inclined to make it up to me though I would love to hear stories of your travels.

[heroicswordsman]

Ike helped himself with the food being shoved at him; he of course, started with the meat. As he chewed, he listened to Reyson and- Oh that's right, he never really got around telling Reyson about his travels, did he? He guessed he did owe it to him since he seemed anxious enough to know.

"Well..." He started, having a bit of meat still in his mouth before he swallowed it down and reached for an apple. "It wasn't easy at first. Soren and I packed so little- well, Soren did most of the packing, actually. We ran out of food quickly so we had to get it ourselves by hunting or whatever little money we had but even that was short lived. Oh, and we mostly camped outside. I couldn't tell you how many different places we set up our tents at..."

He took a bite of the fruit. "People came and went, many of them were challenges but nothing we couldn't handle. When I got any injuries, Soren was there to treat them so it wasn't a big deal. I was mostly worried for his safety than mine, but at the same time I knew he could handle himself."

[heroicswordsman]

Rev Up Those Fryers, Oscar! || Ike & Oscar

[lancepaladin]

Oscar pulled back on the reigns to slow the horse down a little while Ike settled.

"Ha ha. Sorry Ike. Its just something you get used to. I never knew you didn’t know how to ride a horse. Just hold on to me and you’ll be fine!" He kept his head turned to see Ike as he kicked and sent his horse back up to speed

[heroicswordsman]

Doing as he was instructed, Ike had held onto Oscar. His grasp only tightened when the horse began picking up speed.

After some time had passed, Ike noticed they already had reached their destination. "Hey, Oscar! I think I see them over there." There sure was a pack of boar like Oscar had said. It wasn't hard to miss. "Let's slow down so we don't scare them."

[heroicswordsman]

Raisin || Ike & Reyson

[whiteprinceofthefallen-blog]

"Its alright it wasn’t too long." He turned and headed back into the kitchen. "Well, what you smell is fish I’d guess. Its not quite ready. The rest is just fruits and greens and a bit of dried meat..I hope that’s alright. If I’d known you were coming I could have made a better effort to be stocked to your needs."

Reyson moved over and checked the fish. It still needed time, hopefully what he had set out would tide Ike over..although with how much Ike ate Reyson feared that even with as much as he put out it wouldn’t last nearly long enough.

[heroicswordsman]

"That's fine. As long as there's some meat, then you have nothing to worry about. I don't even care for dessert." Really, meat was all he ever ate.

"Aren't you hungry too?" He asked, looking over at Reyson. "... I wasn't expecting you to do all of this for my sake. As much as I appreciate it, you really didn't have to."

[blackknightofdaein]

Go Back To Daein (You Filthy Animal) || Ike & Zelgius

[blackknightofdaein]

Zelgius stepped closer, his eyes steadily kept on Ike. He knew of the boy’s temper when it came to him, and he figured he could draw his blade at any second. He would not have that. Nor would he accept Ike’s claim that Sephiran had started any conflict that was between them, no matter the truth.

"Do not lie to me, son of Gawain… Sephiran has no reason to fight with you. All conflict was between you and me, and that is all!"

"I have told you time and time again that our quarrel has ended… I expect no forgiveness of you, and do not blame you for your hatred. It was my mess up that caused all of this… I have no desire to harm your family. But you must understand that just as you will, I will do all in my strength to protect mine."

[heroicswordsman]

Ike didn't move where he was, his glare stayed fixed on Zelgius. Even if he did drew his sword, Ike would've done the same in a split second- luckily, he always had Ragnell at his side in case someone like the Black Knight would do such a thing.

Not even when Zelgius raised his voice unnerved him- however, there was something the knight had said that got Ike's interest. "... Mess up? What do you mean?" The only guess he could come up with immediately was the day he had witnessed his father's death. Just the thought of it made him clench his fist harder. This whole time Ike had thought it was all intentional and would still like to believe that was true.

"How was that a mess up?" His tone changed to something more demanding yet unconvinced.

[heroicswordsman]

Gay || Ike & Soren

[ikesboyfriend]

Ike never was very clean when it came to eating. Luckily for him, Soren did not seem to mind that. He had wondered multiple times how appropriate it would be to wipe the swordsman’s mouth off for him, though it was an embarrassing thought.

Soren focused on his meal for a while, knowing that as hungry as Ike was it would be likely he would want to take his time eating first. It was not until Soren was half finished that he spoke again.

"Ike…  Do you ever regret letting certain people in and out of your life? Many of the people we’ve crossed paths with… They’ve caused you trouble… Even I have on occasion." Soren looked over to Ike, waiting his response.

[heroicswordsman]

"Hm...?" Ike stopped eating his meal, his eyes meeting Soren's. That was something that never crossed his mind, not even once when they left Tellius together. He guessed it never really was something that concerned him, not much did.

With that he answered, "No, not really. It's not something I can control." Wondering if that made any sense, he continued. "Besides, I don't regret ever meeting you. I'm glad I got the chance to get to know you."

The day Soren had revealed to Ike that he was the boy who had helped him when no one else was there came flooding back along with that memory now clear in his head.

Ike had forgotten most of his childhood, so it was impressive that one simple reminder from Soren could help trigger it. It made him... Happy. Happy he could help someone who was now a friend he entrusted greatly. No, there was no way he could ever regret it.

"I'm also glad you went out of your way of trying to find me again when I could not," he spoke with a smile through the bits of meat still on his mouth that he, in vain, tried licking off clean previously. "If you didn't, well, we would've never been this close and I would've foolishly continue forgetting about the boy I shared my lunch to that one day."