“Well,” Hubert says as he slides a button over to Ike that says ‘acquired taste’. “Excellent data, but it must be disappointing to have gotten more negative reviews than positive ones. Alas..”
He pulls out his notebook and begins to read. “‘We would not get along if we spoke further,’ ‘he isn’t for me’ and… oh, look,” he taps the paper. “Kind and lovely. I suppose there is more to learn about your interactions.”
Ike isn't really surprised with his mixed results. He knows he's...well, an acquired taste. Not everyone takes to him that well.
He's glad he came out though. The experience was kind of fun. He got to meet some new people he wouldn't have met otherwise. Even if they were all strange in their own way.
"Thanks," he says, taking the button with confusion.
Love Hypothesis Round 3 (topic: how would you save your current conversation partner if you were in a sandpit together, getting slowly pulled down into the abyss? or would you prioritize yourself?)
The absolute irreverence to call his Goddess petty and vindictive is the first thing in a long, long time to send a chill down Poe's spine. She has not a doubt in her mind that he is being truthful when he says he does not believe in divine punishment—if he did, he would be more careful with what he says. Listening to the words fall so casually out of his mouth feels akin to watching a child dance atop a clifftop without a care in the world. Disaster in waiting.
Her composure falters for a moment—she had had plans for how to probe further, and they are lost to the wind like dandelion seeds. She can only think of the question sitting squarely at the forefront of her mind:
"You don't like it?"
What is there to like? Truths remain truths regardless of whether or not they are palatable.
"To call it being a tool certainly frames it in a negative light... but does it not satisfy you to play a role in a grander scheme? Isn't the idea of destiny reassuring?"
(For all that her previous two partners had chafed, perhaps in the end, someone who refused to even acknowledge divine opinion was the most incompatible to her)
He notices the way her demeanor changes a little. It doesn't last long before she seems to regain her composure. Ike wonders exactly what about what he said did that. He knows people have different relationships with these topics.
He doesn't want to make her uncomfortable...but he doesn't want to apologize for being himself or speaking his mind.
"I don't want to be part of some grand scheme. I don't enjoy the idea of destiny. I want to think that my choices matter."
It's an ideological difference at its core. Not easily reconciled.
"I don't want to live at the whims of anyone else. Not a goddess or anyone."
He helped Yune, but that was his own will. And he wasn't her instrument. It wasn't 'divine judgment' he'd helped pass.
"Any deity that would pass that sort of punishment, killing someone horribly through what seems like an accident..." he trailed off. "It's not something I'd want to be part of. It goes against my morals."
Love Hypothesis Round 3 (topic: how would you save your current conversation partner if you were in a sandpit together, getting slowly pulled down into the abyss? or would you prioritize yourself?)
Ike's answer to her first proposed alternative is so simple! Simple, mind you, is not always bad—there can be a kind of beauty in simplicity. Such an answer can stem from naïveté, but his stated logic does track, in a way.
His response to the second scenario, similarly, almost strikes her as a sort of innocence. Does he have no enemies that he would be willing to sacrifice himself to fell? Or, failing that, does he not consider that others might feel that way about him?
His battle-hardened exterior belies a sort of softness—or so Poe concludes.
"You put a lot of faith in others, don't you?" She asks, sincere. The girl, who has run through similar scenarios with several others at this point, decides to gently direct the conversation in a different direction; she is inclined to believe that she knows how he will answer, but happily would she be proven wrong so long as it gave her more insight.
"Well, selflessness is a virtue. I don't imagine, then, that your answer would change if I proposed that if it was my mistake or incompetence that had landed us in that sand pit?" She asks, twining her fingers together and resting her chin atop them. "What if my being there was some sort of divine punishment unto me?"
His expression is one of almost confusion. He blinks at her, sizing her up properly. He already had a little but he wasn't that focused until now. He suspects she's a mage of some sort based on the softness to her but he doesn't want to assume anything.
"Getting someone out is natural. It would have to be you because I don't think you'd be strong enough to help me physically, but maybe you have a spell or something, or some clever plan. I wouldn't care if you did it through incompetence. If you died for simple incompetence then you'd never learn."
It's simple to him. He doesn't know if she agrees or disagrees. She's really just picking at him a little. Is there a specific answer she's seeking? Does it matter?
"I think the only thing that would make me hesitate is the scenario you presented where you did it maliciously. But for anything else, I wouldn't even pause."
Another shrug. "I don't really...believe in divine punishment. The goddess of my home religion was kind of a petty, vindictive thing. If I didn't help, I'd be acting as a tool for whatever deity's trying to punish you. I don't like that."
Love Hypothesis Round 3 (topic: how would you save your current conversation partner if you were in a sandpit together, getting slowly pulled down into the abyss? or would you prioritize yourself?)
"Oh, that's an excellent point! How did we get there?" Poe comments, clapping her hands together, impressed. If she has noticed him falter, she does not seem to comment on it.
"Assuming some sort of freak accident... yes, that sounds like a reasonable plan. Then from safe ground, I could help you out, or assuming I am unable on my own, I could seek aid." She nods along, thinking it through. Of course it made some level of sense—assuming they were allies, the end goal would obviously be the both of their survival. He would have an easier time lifting her than she would him, so it seemed similarly a given that they would start with what had the greatest odds of success.
...assuming that they were allies being the operative phrase.
"...but would you really do that, not knowing anything of the quality of my character? What if I left you to die?" Poe posits, never one to leave well enough alone. Now begin the real questions; in the situation the question presents with no additional information, few who cared about their own reputation would answer anything other than work together to assure mutual survival.
The girl is far more interested in what happens when that scenario is muddied.
"Or what if I were the reason we were in that sand pit in the first place?"
He looks thoughtful at that. He has to admit the circumstances would change things quite a bit.
He had initially assumed the question meant they'd both wandered into such a situation but if that wasn't the case...well, he'd just have to let his ideas about the solution adapt a little.
"Those are two different scenarios..." He's looking thoughtful now. "I hope it's okay that I answer them separately."
He holds up one finger. "For the first...even if I had no idea about the quality of your character I'd still try to get you out first. Better than us both dying, right? It would give me a better chance of surviving to assume the best in you. That you'd help me out or run and get someone who could. If I did anything else we'd just both sink together right?"
It's simple. At least to him. He understands doubt but he doesn't let it sway him.
"Then if you ran off and left me there, I'd be mad but it's not like I'd be in a different situation than before. Stuck either way. Dead either way. But the question is about if we'd prioritize ourselves. Which I wouldn't."
A shrug.
He'd try to get himself out then.
"If you were the one who got us there...I'd really just wonder why you stuck yourself in too."
Love Hypothesis Round 3 (topic: how would you save your current conversation partner if you were in a sandpit together, getting slowly pulled down into the abyss? or would you prioritize yourself?)
Poe comes out of her previous encounter still tingling with restless energy, the adrenaline of the hunt.
Too quickly had she been torn apart from her newest subject of interest. How short each round was! Nothing to do about it but mentally mark notes down for future action and allow herself to be shuffled to her next table amidst the disorder between pairs and questions.
"Oh, a pleasure to meet you!" chirps Poe, with a polite bow of the head. She recognizes the figure she sits across, this time—Ike, hero of Tellius, was it? It would be frankly embarrassing had she not known him from her travels. "Now, what is our question this time..."
With her forefinger and a thumb, the girl plucks the card off the center of the table for herself, bringing it to her face so that she can read it more closely. She doesn't bother to stifle the ensuing titter that escapes her when she makes it to the end of the question.
"...I'm beginning to feel like these questions say more about the people who wrote them than those of us who have to answer them!" Poe proclaims, turning the card around and placing it on the table face-up and sliding it back into its rightful spot in the center. The question itself is odd, but not so much so that she doesn't think she can make use of it.
"Well, it's as good a place as any for us to start regardless. If the two of us were sinking into a sand pit, what would you do, Ike?"
Ike's had a good time, surprisingly. He's not really sure whether he's getting what he's supposed to out of this (he doesn't really understand what that is in the first place though). But he's met some interesting folks and maybe he'll see them again.
This third round is with a girl who has a strange air about her. He doesn't know what it is but he doesn't feel like he's ever met anyone quite like her. She doesn't waste time though which really makes him feel relieved and instead jumps right into it. He doesn't like preamble.
He frowns as he takes his turn reading the question though. What a strange thing to even ask. Sand pit...? How would one even get into that situation in the first place?
"I guess it's...good to know if someone would help you out...?" he tries, attempting to puzzle through the reason behind this one and what it might say about others. If this 'experiment' was about dating, he'd want someone who he could count on. Was this asking about...reliability?
She addresses him directly. Wait, had he given his name? Maybe they'd met sometime before and he couldn't remember. Shit. He was usually good at names and faces.
"Well if we were in a sand pit...Hang on, how did we get there? If we walked into it by accident, I think I'd put you on my shoulders so you could grab onto something outside the pit and pull yourself out, I guess."
As everyone shuffled around and found their new tables, Ike found himself sitting across from a kind-looking woman. Something in her eyes reminded him of something melancholy, that he couldn't even really place. "Nice to meet you. I'm Ike."
He smiled at her and glanced at the question on the slip of paper at their table.
topic: what does the word love mean to you?
What was with all these heavy ones? These topics were big. Last round he'd heard a group talking about beverages. Could he get something like that?
But fine he'd engage in good faith. Offering a sheepish smile he set the card down.
"Love's kind of a... complicated topic isn't it? I love my sister a lot. Oh but this probably means the kind of love couples have. I don't have a lot of experience with that. Always too busy. But what about you? You're a beautiful woman, I bet you know a lot about this."
"Deirdre," she offers her name and her hand should he wish to shake it. He smiles at her and it is comforting, a much kinder smile than her partner's for the last round though she feels terrible for thinking such a thing.
The topic they are given makes her own smile grow even bigger. Love. It is perhaps her favorite subject to speak on even if Ike does not quite seem to share her enthusiasm at first.
"I do not think it needs to be so complicated. And I think the love you have for your sister is just as important and wonderful as the love between a husband and wife." She reaches across the table for his hand, confident in her assessment. "There are many people that I love but I would not consider the love for my husband to be worth more than the love for my children or my friends."
She shakes her head and lets go of his hand, bringing hers back to her side of the table. "Will you tell me about your sister? I have only ever known my grandfather and not for very long at all. I enjoy hearing stories about my friends' families."
He can't help but smile a little at that. Deirdre seems nice so he's smiling despite himself. A little...frivolous maybe but he doesn't think that's the worst thing to be. The topic of love isn't one he thinks about a lot but he can talk about family for sure.
"My sister...her name's Mist. She's a healer, and good with the sword. Smart as anything even if she's sometimes kind of a brat." He smiles fondly. He misses her but he doesn't regret leaving home. "She takes after my dad, I think. Really strong-willed."
He turns to her. He's not good at talking, would rather listen. He likes hearing about the way others live, the things that are important to them. Things like this matter to him and he's glad to get to have a conversation like this. "What about you? Tell me about your family?"
Once more, unbidden, his hands curled into fists - this time out of sight, hidden under the table safely in his lap. Sharply, he felt the tug on his heart at that simple statement, that call to life, the press of not just wanting to live, but to live for more.
It was not that he couldn't claim to have thought about what came after, when he was well and truly done with his mission, his vengeance. He knew what lay at the end of the road for him, and felt no envy at the thought of leaving home behind, felt no commiseration at wanting not to be merely a weapon.
Raven gave Ike a small, stilted smile, stiff around the edges. "That's a noble thought. I hope you find that purpose here - or elsewhere. It is...safer, in the end, for the ones you love - either to separate from them, or from everything else.
"Makes it hard to put down roots, though," he added, soft.
"I hope I can find purpose here, too." He misses Crimea, he really does. But he's just another mercenary. Maybe stronger than most with his father's teachings but the sword skills of Gawain, Rider of Daein, are not the end all be all of combat. He can be replaced. If Crimea's crown needs help they can call on the rest of his mercs. He feels confident that the company is in good hands.
The smile given is stiff. Ike notices and returns it with one of his own though, open and honest as if by contrast. He doesn't know how to be anything else.
"Roots aren't the most important thing, I think. It's about people, not places."
Raven nodded, almost absently, and found the words, "Fear makes you a less effective weapon," coming from his mouth. He wasn't sure if it was the immediate understanding, the not-quite-verbalizing of the shared experiences that they had, but the words came from him unbidden, almost a reiteration to himself.
The hand on the table twitched into a fist, gripped tightly for a moment before Raven noticed himself, tucked his hands into his lap.
"It's good that you fear for your family. What's..." What's left. His eyes flicked to Lucius across the hall, brief, then a shake of his head, so slight it might have gone unnoticed. "To protect what's left is... Men like us need something to fight for. It's easy to get lost without that tether."
It was clear from the other man's demeanor that he was willing to be open if pressed, and it was clear, too, that he held a certain guilelessness that Raven had not in longer than he could remember. The call of like to like was a strong one, and he felt its tug, but each word remained measured and careful nonetheless.
"I think...I think that's how most of...us...find our end."
Ike's eyes flicked toward Raven's face at that. The words made sense to him and he wondered if there wasn't maybe something to be said for being a weapon.
He relaxed a little at this realization that maybe they're somewhat similar. He could tell the other probably came from a different background but he couldn't pin down what it was without more info. He wouldn't pry either. Ike didn't like pressing people to reveal things about themselves unless there was a reason.
The way eyes flick toward someone else in the room made Ike's expression soften a little. He didn't look to see exactly who was glanced at. Not one to pry or look like he was prying. "I care a lot about my family. It's...technically just my sister left but my mercenary company are all kind of like my family, too. I'd do anything to keep something from happening to them. So in a way I let fear make me stronger rather than let it cripple me."
They were definitely something to fight for. Even if they could all protect themselves now. Even Soren, even Mist.
"I hope I don't die anytime soon. I left home because I was tired of feeling like I live just to fight."
It got easier if he thought of this less like the dating exercise it turned out to be and more the chance for conversation. He was never the best at conversation, had to be told a lot that his manners left much to be desired. But he still liked talking to people. Liked meeting them and getting to know them and making friends.
Maybe it was kind of simplistic but it made the exercise make more sense to him. All the tables and chairs and people chatting. They were close enough to overhear snippets but Ike wasn't really listening to how anyone else was doing. If he did that he'd just get nervous.
The fewer the number of fears, the greater the impact. That was a good way of putting it.
Something he found to be true. He tried to emulate his father always. Greil who feared almost nothing until it all finally caught up to him and who had stood strong all the way down.
"I don't fear for myself either. The only thing that really scares me is losing what's left of my family." He glances to the side. "It's not a very interesting answer, but part of my father's training was making sure fear wasn't on my mind."
lattice pie - what kinds of gifts do they like to give to/receive from their partner?
Love headcanons - Accepting!
Ike doesn't usually have a "gift giving" love language or whatever it is called. But if he had to receive gifts from a partner he would love practical things. If someone noticed that his boots were wearing out or he had run out of oil for the leathers of his armor that would go way further than any other kind of gift.
He offers those kinds of gifts in return as well: things that he thinks the other person could use. To him it's much more than just about the practicality, though! Ike notices these things because he likes to look out for others. Big picture things are more the domain of others, Ike loves detail when it comes to those he loves. He notices needs that the other person doesn't always even know they need.
All this is to say that Ike is ever not the most traditionally romantic. If he was dating someone who wanted chocolates and flowers he'd definitely get them! But you'd need to tell him plainly that you like that kind of thing or else you'll wake up on your birthday to his "romantic" gift of That Thing You Ran Out Of or like...a new sword.
And if you like that kind of thing, all the better. But if not, the communication must be made.
I think if anyone ever got him flowers he would short-circuit btw.
“Noodle arms?! How rude… true, but still rude!” He pouted, his cheeks puffing up slightly as he placed both of his hands on his hips. While his pouty expression looked cute, if not a little silly in his own body, having it on Ike’s rugged and muscular body just looked. Bizarre. He still wasn’t used to this body either. It was like wearing oversized clothing- except the concept was in maximum overdrive.
“Don’t worry though, I’m familiar with this spell, I can fix it…” he said, still weirded out by his suddenly deep voice. He practiced this spell before, when he was younger. His teacher once told him to try and understand the perspective of the animals of the forest, so Ewan, in his 13 year old genius, used this spell to swap with a deer. Saleh had to bail him out that time, but now would be different! He still had a human body after all. He prepared to cast a spell, ready to put an end to this nightmare. And….. ah. Even when he fully concentrated, all that came out was a weak sputter that could hardly even count as magic at all. Trying again, the results were the same. It was like trying to juice a lemon that had already dried up. Absolutely no magic energy flowed out at all.
“Geez, do you have like. Any magic in you to speak of???” He asked. He forgot that it’s his body that acts as a conduit of magic, with every person having their own natural affinity for it. While Ewan’s body was overflowing with natural magical energy, it seems this Ike person was… Less than blessed. Oh great, this meant that they’d either have to get someone else to help, or he’d somehow have to get Ike to cast the spell for them.
Ike just raised his eyebrows. The expression would have been funny if it were on any face besides his own. It was really jarring seeing it if he was honest but there was nothing he could do.
"It's not rude to point it out. A lot of mages are built like this, barely any muscle to speak of." He sometimes wondered how Soren managed, but if a mage could just speak and have things happen, why bother training the body to the same extent as someone like him? It was a relief to know the spell could be reversed. His eyes widened a little as he watched Ewan try to cast though. That wouldn't go well...
"No," he answered. He really didn't have a drop of magic. He'd tried a few times here and there mostly when he was younger. Rhys had tried to go over even the most basic healing spells with him. He'd never been able to fix anything bigger than a papercut. Not even to think about a powerful spell like whatever it would take to undo this.
He brought a hand up to rub the back of his neck sheepishly.
"Uh... sorry. I really can't cast a spell to save my life."
That's what he usually had other people around him for but there wasn't really anyone here he could go to about this.
"My body's useless for magic. Do you think you can help me do it from yours? Without any of that 'theory' that usually goes into spells? I'd need straightforward instructions but..."
Been working on this slowly over time. Going through his bond conversations with different characters and comparing against my headcanon. Apart from them having him talk way too much about eating meat dishes there's nothing that really stands out to me as against my own headcanons.
Other than that, my favorite parts are counting how many times he mentions people from his games and in what context!
Of course the most common mention is his father, who comes up 6 times. He is mentioned in Alcryst's bond convo, where he sympathizes with Alcryst feeling inadequate next to Diamant and compares it to his own feeling of chasing after his father's reputation. He also mentions him in his Diamant bond conversation by mentioning his father trained him. Diamant then goes on to express his own insecurities about living up to his own father, Ike is the perfect sounding board for that.
Other than those mentions, Greil is mentioned with Kagetsu, Seadall, Saphir, and Madeline.
Shinon comes up twice. Once is a casual mention in Kagetsu's bond chain, the other is Ike making a direct comparison between Shinon and Rafal due to the chip on Rafal's shoulder.
Mist is mentioned only once but it is a cute moment where Ike compares Jean to her and says that he admires healers.
Other than that, Soren, Titania, and Makalov get very brief mentions (the former two for their combat skills and the third when Jade prompts him for a strange character for inspiration for her book).
Beneath the cut are some of the miscellaneous topics he discusses and how they relate to my hcs:
First of all the recurring mention of him eating meat got very old very fast. That is part of what made me drag my feets somewhat on writing this out. I don't know why they decided that was his sole character trait. I think he only mentions it a few times in PoR and RD and even then it is definitely only when food is already brought up.
I digress. Timerra and Merrin bring it up a lot on their own so it makes sense Ike gets involved when they do.
His bond conversation with Seadall is really interesting to me not only because they bond over those who taught them all they know and have since passed on but because Seadall's dancing gets one of the rarest Ike compliments of all: he calls the way Seadall moves beautiful and clearly admires him a lot. This is interesting because Ike is so rarely shown taking an interest in the arts. I like the idea that if he had the space to slow down a little bit he would be appreciative of performance and music and I like that this helps me fully form that.
With many characters he discusses training and the desire to get better. A few times he explicitly mentions that he trains alone and has a hard time training with others but often expresses a willingness to do so anyway.
He and Céline have very similar philosophies.
With Rosado and Panette he discusses having no manners or etiquette. I like that this never changes. A few people who are respectful of Emblems at large (Clanne and Framme, Pandreo, Alcryst) call him "Lord Ike" and he doesn't correct them. Most just call him Ike.
This one just made me laugh. Goldmary never change.
Seminars are encouraged at the monastery. They help others learn from their peers while strengthening friendship at the same time. Well… most seminars. This seminar, on the other hand, is on… the basis of keeping one’s composure? That’s what the paper says, after all. “Learn how to withstand interrogations that may test your emotional and physical strength.” What wasn’t included in the description was that the instructor would attack you the moment you arrived at the meeting place! By their words, they’ll chase you and your partner through a booby-trapped forest to raise the tension, but if you’re caught… Well, they only smile at you and count down. [Grants Sword +1]
Now this really felt like old times. Ike had had plenty of lessons like this in his day though not usually with so much, uh, enthusiasm. The instructor in charge of this one was really something else, wasn't he? Ike wasn't about to get caught.
When he'd wanted to see how good he was at 'keeping his composure,' this wasn't really what he had in mind but he had to admit it was kind of fun.
He'd been partnered up with a student, which was no problem at all. Not one of the Golden Deer, so not someone he knew. That didn't matter, he was here as an equal to her anyway, not as her instructor. Someone eager to test his skills and learn something new if possible.
He sprinted off as instructed, but not before checking that the student he was paired with was still with him.
"Keep up, we can take on these traps together. Not that you look like you'll have any trouble keeping pace."
With the coming of peace, it allows people time again to enjoy leisurely pursuits. Art appreciation and games return. One noble re-introduces an old deck of cards, each painted with a monster, spell, or trap, to the people of Garreg Mach and the game spreads like wildfire again. Everyone scrambles to dig out their own decks, or gather new ones, and become the most powerful summoner on the continent. Merchants and artists even begin to sell new sets, breathing life into the game for those who had played it the first time, and providing a fresh entry point for newcomers as well. Care for a game? [Grants Authority +1]
Ike laid out the sets of cards in front of them. "Okay. So if I have this right, this should be enough packs for us each to build a usable deck. Dunno how good those'll be but it should be enough to learn the ropes with."
Ike's never played games like this. As a kid the sorts of games he'd played were mostly training drills in disguise. Occasionally Mist could talk him into playing some kind of pretend games but even that often turned into playfighting or racing or something else physical. These kinds of games were new to him.
Could be fun though. Ike saw it as a chance to kick back and enjoy himself for once.
King Tibarn was probably just as unfamiliar. They'd be on the same page, hopefully. That meant they could take it easy.
He finished sorting them. Monsters, spells, traps. Simple enough. He's not about to actually read the descriptions of any of these before he actually starts playing or anything. Just get a nice split, where both players have about the same number of each type of card... yeah, that should be good.
ike would find nothing to help him within reyson's notes if he were to look, as they were all written in the ancient language. the looping letters of his mother tongue easier for him to make sense of than the language he had learned later.
he's learned it. but that didn't mean he liked it. it was never as comfortable.
he did notice ike looking, though, and let out an amused huff. "nice try. but you should come at this from a place of memory. you'll describe what your client was accused of, then start giving information like his alibi to prove he's innocent."
simple enough, hm?
"remember, he was allegedly across the monastery in front of at least two witnesses for most of the time of the crime. he couldn't have committed it without some very impressive sprinting."
Ike did try to look. His eyebrows furrowed together at the beautiful script that he nonetheless was powerless to attempt to read. It therefore didn't do him any good and he resisted the urge to frown. Cheating wouldn't do him any good.
"Right. Right he was across the monastery so it's likely he couldn't have done it. I should call on those witnesses right?"
It sounds simple when it's laid out like this. Straightforward, like a problem that can be solved if Ike just keeps pushing. He's good at that, good at pushing. He likes when things are straightforward. He likes when people are honest.
He knows the point of the exercise is that that won't always be the case. But he could dig honesty out of them probably.
He had to admit the idea of sparring with Soren again had him a little excited. Especially if it was with blades. It had been a while since he had a sparring partner worth having and with Soren's tenacity he assumed he'd get a good fight out of him.
Even if Ike was more likely to win. But it was never about winning. Was it? Not to him. It was about testing limits. Getting better. Proving himself. Seeing what the other person can do.
"We can make time to practice together. Just like old times, hm?"
Ike was at ease too. An easy smile formed on his face. This was how it was supposed to be. Spending time apart from his best friend just wasn't right.
He smiled. "Okay. If I want anything, I'll come to you first. How does that sound?" It went without saying surely that this would always be the case.
And it was reassuring to know that they'd be kept busy. But if Soren was being put to work even as a student, that raised an eyebrow from Ike. Still it wasn't up to him how this place was run.
"It goes both ways, you know. Anything you want or need...I'm here for you. Always."
"I always have time for you." What may have sounded like a profound declaration was a statement of fact from Soren, and something Ike already knew too. It felt good to say, to not let his words be so distant from his feelings.
Soren smiled in return, a little closer to Ike. "Good. No matter what."
Ike seemed a little perplexed at the implication of everything that happened at Garreg Mach, but Soren wasn't about to lay all of the close calls and world ending crises on him upon arrival. Give it a week, maybe. He just shrugged, smile still on his face, unable to cast off the elation that Ike simply being there brought. His life could be objectively worse in every way, but if Ike was there, it didn't matter.
At Ike's own always to him, Soren may have once struggled to believe it, but he only shot Ike a more playful look than anyone else could get out of him.
