❝ she started talking backwards, but nothing good it brings her. so next time that she sees him ? it'll be PEACE SIGN , MIDDLE FINGER. ❞ / leonie pinelli. leighanne "leigh" phillips. ❝ and i am not sure that i want any single part of this. any single part of ANY of THIS SHIT. ❞
— IT’S A STRANGE FEELING TO SUDDENLY WAKE UP AS SOMEONE DIFFERENT ; the implanted memories certainly , Leonie can’t tell if they’re a help or a hindrance. There’s many . . . bizarre things that the ‘her’ of this life has done that Leonie wouldn’t think of doing. Her personality was apparently entirely different , the people she kept around were so much different than those in Fodlan ; it throws her for a loop. One thing was that apparently she was a MAJOR flirt , which meant for . . . gift giving , in the sense , gift giving that now she’d no idea how to stop or make of use. A bouquet of flowers left at work by another employee she can’t even remember the name of is one example of this. But they’re roses . . . She HOPES that someone else here hasn’t changed much , and a love for roses is still prominent.
❝ Hey , Lo . . . rie. ❞ She has to stop herself , approaching him at the desk with the roses in hand - holding them out for him with the question of , ❝ You like these ?? ❞ And then suddenly , she rescinds them with a remark of , ❝ Don’t get the wrong idea , ❞ before holding them back out. ❝ Some guy left these for me - not necessarily my style , but if they’re more of yours . . . they’re yours. ❞
It was clear to everyone who knew him that Seth was hardly his usual self since the new year started. How could he be after that terrible nightmare he had, or with all of the questions circling in his head about what he had seen in it. He could make enough sense of why he might have seen his sister as his daughter he’d raised her for most of her life. The battlefield and the deceased wife who he had never seen before in his life and how real it had all felt, more like a memory than a dream, that was what he had struggled to wrap his head around since. That was the reason he hadn’t slept in almost two days now. It was what had him sitting here with his head in his hands when he heard footsteps approaching, though even then he didn’t look up at first almost too exhausted to even move his head. When he finally did look up he tried to offer the person in front of him a friendly smile, but he had no illusion that they wouldn’t see how half hearted it was. “Hello,” he said softly, his voice hoarse, “can I help you with something.”
— LEIGH LIKES TO THINK ONE THING SHE’S GRASPED ONTO is at least that there is one collective thing that’s either fucking with people’s memories or isn’t , and that same collective thing is also responsible why everyone has new names & backstories plastered onto them instead of the truth. But she won’t claim to know more than she does , and that certainly won’t change in this case - THAT’S as far as she’s gotten and she’s content with that. . . . For now. But she recognizes Seteth ; how couldn’t she ?? Maybe perhaps the only person in the church who knew how to use his braincells , the only one they could trust . . . OF COURSE would she remember. And remembering leads to approach , and approach leads to . . . ❝ Nope , ❞ the former cavalier replies with her hands upon her hips. ❝ You actually look like you might need help with something. ❞
hands grip tightly on a stack of boxes as she treads forward , determined to make it to her destination without getting lost or falling . she can definitely do this , no problem ! or well , she hopes it’s no problem ; it’s a straightforward task , getting these from point a to point b . they aren’t even her boxes , but athena promised to help and that’s what she’s going to do . “ this is going better than i thought ! ” she beams to herself proudly , her voice muffled from the stack . it’s silly , admittedly , but what did she care ? “ if only i had widget with me … i could’ve saved us the trip and paperwork . ” the halls seem longer than usual as she lugs the files around — it feels like forever since she’s began , despite the fact it’s only been five minutes of walking .
though as if on some silent cue , she trips and all the boxes fall along with her , scattering papers everywhere . it’s almost comedic in the sense of how exaggerated her yells are . “ aww , man !! i was doing so well too ! ” thena huffs as tears well up in her eyes briefly , only to be forgotten and replaced by a startled expression as she sees the mess around her . “ this is exactly why i don’t like hard copies of stuff ! hmph , this is gonna be soo annoying to clean up . ” but in the midst of her crisis , she hears someone coming closer , causing her to perk up . “ hey !! hey , you ! ” she calls out at the other without even seeing them , “ do you think you can give me a hand ? please ? ”
— LEIGH’S ATTENTION IS PULLED IN HER DIRECTION AS THE OTHER CALLS OUT , raising her eyebrow and taking out a Dollar Store earbud as she stops in her tracks. Because yes , her adoptive parents did buy her a few pairs of airpods for Christmas but of COURSE she can’t imagine herself ever owning something so . . . expensive. So they were sold. Ten bucks a piece , and she used the money to get some clothes & supplies from the local thrift and dollar stores.
A pair of beat down hiking boots strolls over to Athena , and they stop as Leigh squats down , trying to pick up as many papers best she can. ❝ Damn , were you on your way to get your book published or something ?? ❞ She asks , not bothering to look over any of the documents as she collects them , briefly looking up at the startles girl before she continues. ❝ I think most of them do it by email nowadays - unless you’re the type to like hard copies more. Can’t exactly blame you , tech throws me off more often than not . . . ❞ Because she came from a place where most modern technology here didn’t exist. But that’s nothing to dwell on. She holds out a stack she’s collected out to Athena , tilting her head. ❝ Also , might be a good idea to try n’ take multiple trips next time. Or carry them in something on wheels - no shame in carrying all your stuff in a red wagon. ❞
“Ugh exactly,” Nina said, gesticulating, “If I have to have another suburban rich mom get mad at me for things I can’t help at my work, I’m going to blow up!” She flashed a grin, “I feel like if you work in a job that involves interacting with people, you should get one free punch in the nose to someone once a month or something.”
— ❝ SOMEONE I USED TO KNOW SAID that the whole reason she liked her job was because she got to punch all of the “ nobles ” she wanted , ❞ Leigh replied , taking a look at the chipped polish on her nails and then shrugging her shoulders as she leaned back and crossed her arms. Oftentimes she’d wonder where everyone else in Garreg Mach ended up here - Shamir crossing her mind at the current moment. ❝ But yeah - seems REASONABLE. But then there comes the question - would people hold back on using their punches ?? If you don’t use your monthly punch passes , do they just stack up ?? Dunno how that’d work - but I LIKE the idea. I’m a lifeguard , you know how many dickheads I’ve wanted to clock for being douchebags to other swimmers ?? ❞
❝ humans literally only want one thing. dogs. ❞ / to miriam from leigh ( @mercemerry ) !
“Well they do say they’re mans best friend” Miriam said sweetly, “I do wish people would give other animals a chance though, so many people act like cats are the worst thing ever, when really they’re so nice and sweet. And thats not even getting into stuff like the rabbits and the guinea pigs who get dumped at the shelter because people think they’re toys and get bored of them.”
— ❝ Y’KNOW ?? I GOTTA AGREE , ❞ Leigh replies with an adamant nod of her head , because if anyone knows anything about animals , it’s Marianne ; or , Miriam , at this point. She’s scrolling through images of dogs on her phone , before she shuts it off and tucks it into her back pocket with arms crossed. ❝ I think people focus too much on the aesthetic of having animals than actually takin’ care of them. Everyone wants a horse until you have to care for the horse - it sucks. I dunno if I’d have a rabbit or a guinea pig , but I can’t imagine having an animal and not taking care of it or playing with it or anything. Can’t imagine getting bored of an animal. ❞
— @monitorism ( nina ) said , ❛ nobles literally only want one thing. a generous kick in the face. ❜
— ❝ THE SAD THING IS , YOU COULDN’T BE MORE RIGHT. Especially since they pretty much ask for it every time they open up their mouths - and then when you provide ?? They start their temper tantrums. ❞ Maybe she’s a little too blunt in her reply , but it’s not like Leigh cares - she’s never been one to censor herself or part of who she is because of being polite or keeping up appearances. No , coincidentally that’s the behavior she likens up to NOBLES - or as they’re more so referred to in this place , POLITICIANS or BUSINESSMEN. Same people , though ; same high-and-mighty group , teeming with nothing but the same types of people. ❝ I bet I could sock two or three at the same time easily - just a simple swoop , n’ bam , down they go. But I’m not gonna try that , I don’t really feel like getting ARRESTED today. ❞
&& — HE CAN HEAR THE PERSON IN FRONT OF HIM TALKING , BUT HE CAN’T REALLY FIND A REASON TO LISTEN. it’s not unsual to find claude in this predicament , clearly bored out of his mind as his eyes drift from the dark , amber gaze before him over to the figure across the room , almost immediately keeping his attention on them. “ eh , i think i’m good and about done with this conversation. ” nobody could say claude every claimed to be graceful about these things because , well… he didn’t. not really when it came to people talking his ear of. without any hesitation , he moves over to the person he spotted , leaning against the wall as he offers them a small smile. “ thank god you looked at me , i was so fucking bored over there. ” shrugging , he looks over to the person he just ditched , then back to his new companion. “ lets say we ditch this place , hm ?? i can think of ten better things we could be doing. ”
— SHE DIDN’T EXPECT TO MAKE EYE CONTACT WHEN SHE LOOKED HIS WAY ; but she guesses it might’ve looked suspicious , given that she had to squint & look for a good few seconds to make sure it was Claude of all people she thought she saw. And then as he gets closer , her theory’s CONFIRMED , and lo and behold , there he is. Maybe she’s thankful that he approached her instead of the other way around - she gets too . . . direct in conversations. ❝ Yeah - no offense to you at all , but you looked like for a second there your life was flashing before your eyes , ❞ she comments , taking a sip from her red solo cup and leaning against the wall with crossed arms. ❝ That bad of a conversation , huh ?? ❞ She should’ve expected much - she always found it . . . nice , talking to Claude. Definitely one of the more INTERESTING , refreshingly outspoken individuals out there. It was fun to hear him talk in general. ❝ I’ll be honest , I’m down with doing . . . JUST ABOUT ANYTHING. Only here since a friend asked , and I got ditched. Not the best scenario , if you ask me. ❞
( maya hawke, trans female, she/her, fire emblem: three houses ) * &. i know it must be scary for you, leonie pinelli, after surviving the takeover. to turn into someone like leighanne “leigh” phillips, a twenty-five year-old pool lifeguard at the delmare & student at castle town university, right here in castle town. just remember that you are as honest as you are competitive, and to be wary, be safe, be true to who you are : neutral through and through. ( hywia )
hey howdy hey what’s UP my DEERS ( please don’t murk me ) i’m back with . . . hopefully my last character for a while ?? i don’t really have any plans for anyone else as of Yet - leonie is a character i,,, absolutely adore but never thought i’d pick up in the beginning but holy HELL i love her and i’m so excited to write her and i’m here to defend her from all slander. click for more abt her under the cut !!
BEFORE THE SNAP / L E O N I E P I N E L L I .
soooOOOOO. okay. in FE3H , Leonie is a student of the Golden Deer house/class and like a few of the other students , she’s a commoner instead of a noble. and right off the bat you find out one thing - that she’s an apprentice of Byleth’s father , Jeralt , and he’s her hero and she idolizes him.
this !! was from an instance where Jeralt stopped by her little hunting village and rescued the people of her village from poachers ; he basically taught Leonie a few things she knows , and she referred to herself as his apprentice since.
it was because of him that Leonie knew what she wanted to do - she wanted to be mercenary , especially one that could succeed the man she idolized.
so flash forward to years later at Garreg Mach’s Officers Academy - Leonie got in through her entire village basically paying for her to go , and for that she baaaasically accumulated a lot of debt from it. she’s really frugal with her money because of this. but turns out !! jeralt’s there , and he brings his kid , byleth , with him , and leonie sort of forms a one-sided rivalry with them since they’re pretty much the next-gen and Leonie wants to prove she’s on-par with them , if not better , because they’re pretty much Jeralt 2.0 in terms of fighting premise and that was Leonie’s goal.
eventually , though , this rivalry turns into Leonie being attached to Byleth through mutual grieving once ( spoiler alert ) Jeralt bites the dust , as well as Leonie making a promise to Jeralt that she’d watch over Byleth if anything happened to him - essentially , filling Jeralt’s role , but not in the exact way she expected.
a few cool things !! leonie is really skilled in hunting & fighting - she makes a very good cavalry unit with skills in lance & archery - i’m setting her up to be my bow knight on my current playthrough - and holy hell she has a LOT she can boast about. she’s just a really good unit and could probably level a battlefield by herself with minimal grinding in-game.
her personality is very honest & truthful , but blunt in a sense that more often than not , even if the situation doesn’t call for it , she WILL speak her mind and give brutal honesty if she believes in it. sometimes , she’ll immediately say what she’s thinking , even if it’s here jumping to conclusions or snapping impulsively. i... honestly really adore that about her , since it’s not very similar to me , but i kinda wish i had her bravery in that sense.
but hOLY HELL is she determined & hardworking and she’s actually a pretty cool person - she’s what i call a chaotic lawful because she’s,,,, a subtle kind of chaotic that still has her own code. she’s also REALLY GOOD at managing her time & money and kind of sees every single opportunity she has to train and work hard and yeah leonie is no fucking slouch and we gotta stan that.
she’s one of the gd members who regularly says ‘fuck’ but also ‘watch your fucking language’ if, like, lysithea or sb swears. the one who probably contributes to as many chaotic fuckshit shenanigans as she tries to fix.
anyways i’m gay and i am sOOOOO excited to write her !! i’m not exactly dECIDED yet in what path i want to pull her from out of either verdant wind or crimson flower , since i love leonie staying with the deer and can’t really see her wanting to ally with the people who killed her mentor ( twsitd , who worked with the empire briefly ) but also a timeline where she follows byleth and fulfills her promise to jeralt - who was also extremely suspicious of the church. it’s INTERESTING and i haven’t figured it out yet.
also she’s a chaotic bi bc i’m a chaotic bi that loves to project.
also okay i just also wanna say pls no. ‘leonie wanted to [REDACTED] ur dad’ jokes they kinda,,, sorta,,, make me rly uncomfortable esp since leonie sees jeralt as pm her mentor and Nothing More so if u could just refrain from tht i would b !! grateful.
AFTER THE SNAP / L E I G H P H I L L I P S .
okay soooOOOOOOO. trigger warnings here for parental death & murder.
so she survived the takeover , and remembers all of the events of her past life , but . . . leigh phillips did not have a good time here in castle town.
she grew up firstly with a family who wasn’t doing so well - they were happy , certainly , but they lived in a bad part of delaware & it wasn’t the best scenario because there were a lot of times leigh went without basic needs. but they made it , it was okay.
thought things really changed when leigh was a teenager , just shy of sixteen years old when her parents were murdered during a home invasion & she was the only survivor.
still a minor - scared & alone - she was taken in by a family friend and her husband who were perhaps waaaay more well-off than she was. this essentially was a tragic rags-to-riches story , where a girl who had nothing lost everything she had , but was taken in by a loving home that gave her everything she ever wanted.
and in castle town , that sorta-kinda was her reputation. she was coddled & cared for by her foster parents and didn’t really have to do anything to support herself - she got a job at the local rich people hotel as a lifeguard , but she didn’t need it. she had a full ride in college paid for by her foster family & anything she asked for.
THEN SHE WAKES UP.
wakes up as in , she wakes up with this new past & life in castle town and the thing is . . . leonie ?? isn’t a fan of living the rich kid life. isn’t a fan of not having to work. isn’t a fan of allowing herself to be coddled & protected & sheltered and basically have everything served to her on a silver platter.
she finds out how this happened and while she doesn’t condemn the people who took her in - because they are good people - she starts defying it in any other way. she starts working odd jobs at other places and saving any penny she gets. and this is weird , because everyone else in castle town knows her as this spoiled rich girl who would get all of the best things she wanted and now ?? she wants to live on her own ?? support herself ?? she’s shopping at walmart and the thrift store ??
hell yeah.
leigh’s whole mission is to pretty much break away from that reputation that was created for her in this fake life ; and that , in turn , basically has her trying to morph back into one more like home. she currently is living by herself , but is still employed at the delmare since , yeah , it’s a job , and any job will do. but she doesn’t really want to rely on her foster parents anymore for support , since they did a lot for her but she doesn’t like the idea of overstaying her welcome.
so it’s sorta-kinda a case of leigh is acting . . . VERY DIFFERENT from how she would prior to her realizing she’s actually leonie pinelli from fodlan and not someone else. so it’s gonna be a reALLY interesting dynamic to play and i’m so so SO excited for it.
anyways !! i’m gonna be heading to bed , but tomorrow i’ll be back for plotting & stuff and will do some replies/starters and maybe even some wcs to get the ball rolling for my girl !! love y’all xoxo
leonie is definitely one of my favs from three houses 🧡 also i think i'm finally getting back in to drawing again yeeess (granted some of the proportions are off but the face isn't wonky so i'm calling this a win)
