My Turn!

Blue Lions Student at the Officer's Academy

[pillarofopenness]

Closed RP account for Sharena of Fire Emblem: Heroes! Affiliated with The Officers Academy.

Mobile Links: About Interview Stats Threads

Portrayal Notes:

Sharena is placed post-book-6-pre-book-7 as of her acceptance until I update this. This means I am as of now treating books 7, 8, and 9 as if they are not real. This is because I have not read them. I’ll get to it soon I just wanted to make sure I got Sharena out in the world first so I didn’t have to deal with another Embla muse situation coming out of nowhere and killing her off mid-app like what happened to Kagetsu when I had him.

You may not know her, but she most definitely knows you so watch out. She knows all. She could even introduce you to thousands of strangers on her own webpage if she wanted to! (She won’t though. That’s creepy. She doesn’t wanna freak you out like that.) For the sake of not making everyone think she’s insane, she will not be going up to people like “:0 omg….. that’s blorbo from my Hero’s Barracks……” but she will be thinking it so. Be Aware™. 

As I myself have only played like 3 out of the 17 fire emblem games and as such only know ~44% of the characters currently in TOA like at all (yes I did the math shush), Sharena’s initial knowledge of all muses will be based solely on their Meet The Hero’s entry and their FEH voice lines if I happen to have them for the sake of consistency. It is not always the most accurate characterization in the world (especially for older games which makes it even worse because those are the ones I have zero context for), so if Sharena gets anything glaringly wrong please do not blame me I’m trying my best blame Heroes

Major FEH story spoilers will be tagged as such with the tag “feh spoilers”! (Very original, I know, thanks for noticing I worked hard on it)

For the sake of distinguishing her from Elise so I’m not just musing the same character twice, I tend to try to lean into Sharena’s more competent and responsible side we see her with in battle than her blindly trusting silly side. I have reasons for this IC of course and she is still my silly, she’s just not as silly with me as some may perceive her to be so I’m just putting a warning so nobody gets blindsided by what they think is something too ooc for Sharena. I promise I’m sticking as close to the vibes I get from her as I can even if she has a brain (affectionate).

[pillarofopenness]

What you staring at

[pillarofopenness]

Weird. Usually Sharena’d be out and about on a holiday like this, Askran that she is. Maybe she overslept…? That doesn’t seem like Sharena, but…

…Whelp, only one way to find out!

Huh. There’s just a little bunny on the ground. Awww what a cute little friendly bun bunnnn

…Wonder where Sharena went?

[pillarofopenness]

Activity Check [March]

Total Skill Points: (17) —> (18)

Skill Up: Authority (D) —> (D+)

Claims: N/A

Threads

Waiting for response: (Take your time!)

hey wait a minute this isn’t umamusume this is crime — w/ Andrei

Bear in Mind — w/ Alfonse

In drafts:

I'M BACK IN THE BUILDING AGAIN — w/ Yuzu

it’s just a prank bro (GONE WRONG) (COPS CALLED) (EMOTIONAL) — w/ Azama

poking my lore trauma with a stick to see what happens — w/ Rowan

what do you MEAN i can’t bring a spear to the oar fight??? — w/ Bruno

don't throw glass stones in pigeon houses — w/ Alfonse

power of friendship vs mochi — w/ Kiran

the fitness gram pacer test did not prepare me for this — w/ Soren

cooking mama but without the mama — w/ Sephiran

I Think I Just Hate Ships — w/ Serra

If you don’t see your thread here, please DM me. It may have gotten lost in my records.

[princeofopenness]

Bear In Mind

@pillarofopenness || Forge-A-Bear

[princeofopenness]

Alfonse hadn't expected Sharena to launch herself at him, but in retrospect, that was really his own fault. He should absolutely have seen that one coming. He was nearly bowled over by her, not given enough time to collect his thoughts before she dragged him off into the sunlight and towards the store in question. A small laugh exited him, a bit strained, possibly forced out by the impact with Sharena. It hadn't hurt-- the only thing bruised would be his pride from the embarrassment of nearly being knocked over.

Regardless of the slight embarrassment, this was already all worth it. Seeing his sister smile like that, Alfonse couldn't help but let her enthusiasm infect him. He had been thinking of how she would love this silly little endeavor from the moment he had heard about the store opening up. It was his duty as her brother to make sure she got the chance to have that bit of fun, right? That was what a good sibling would do.

"I-it's not really that strange, is it?" Alfonse mumbled, more to himself than to Sharena. "I mean, I should think I know what sort of things you would enjoy by now, right? It's hard to see something like forge-a-bear and not think of you. I'm sure Anna would have you in mind as well if she were here. Or mother... ah, she'd probably quite enjoy this practice too, wouldn't she?"

[pillarofopenness]

“I know they would! And I bet the rest of the order would, too!” Sharena nods in agreement, smile only growing ever-wider at the thought. It really would be such a fun bonding activity for all of them, wouldn’t it? Well, all bonding activities are fun if you really get down to it, but still! As expected of her brother, always thinking about others — and with the best ideas, to boot!

“You do always know what the best thing to do in any situation is, don’t you? It’s just a shame they aren’t here to come with us…” For the most part, at least. Heroes from worlds beyond Zenith don’t exactly count in this instance. They might technically be the same heroes, sure, but they aren’t their heroes. And it’s not like they can invite the ones who are and risk them running into themselves. Same way they probably shouldn’t be trying to bring back friends from Fodlan to come see Askr unsummoned.

Hmm… From Fodlan…. To Askr…

“Oooh, wait! I just had the best idea!” Sharena stops dead with a gasp, turning to face Alfonse again conveniently just as the little store had come peeking into view from around the corner.“What if we make some bears to bring back? Not one for everyone, everyone, of course, but just like Commander Anna and mother, to start! It’s not quite the same, but I bet they’d still love to receive a cute little plushie made by the both of us with love, don’t you?”

[pillarofopenness]

Item: A Dusty Tome Rarity: ✶ Rare

What video game has the best lore?

Feed your dashboard by answering my question, blogger.

[pillarofopenness]

hey wait a minute this isn’t umamusume this is crime

[pillarofopenness]

Recently, certain denizens of Garreg Mach have been looking a little more flush. As it turns out, horses from the monastery stables are being used for races off-campus, on the back of which an increasingly prolific gambling scene has evolved. All of it, of course, is completely unsanctioned. The monastery staff cannot take action on the perpetrators without knowing who they are, and risk a scandal if the issue becomes public. Will you help them in their efforts to end this quietly? Or are you interested in seeing the races—or the gold—for yourself? [Grants Riding +1]

Ohhhh this is bad this is bad this is baaaadddd…..

Those three words circle her head on an endless loop as the princess bolts through the monastery, poking her head into every open door she can find in search of head of long, blonde hair. Of which there are apparently many at this academy as she’s come to learn, and of which NONE OF THEM ARE THE ONE SHE’S LOOKING FOR.

“ANDREI!” Flinging open another door for what feels like the thousandth time of the day, Sharena almost forgets to actually check the face of the poor person she disturbed with her interruption before slinking out with a mumble of ‘sorry’ to Andrei, and— wait, Andrei?

“Andrei! Andrei, hi, thank goodness, there you are,” Sharena sighs in relief, folding over to place her hands on her knees as she catches her breath. Man, she’s really gotta try to learn more about this guy. Tracking down heroes is never usually this difficult… Though it does make sense it’d be easier to predict where someone would be hanging out when you know practically everything about them, compared to someone you basically only know the name of, the fact he has a bow, and that he’s existed generally near a horse at least once. 

Or maybe her luck today just sucks because seriously, that kind of fail streak on top of the news she came to share with him??? This is just ridiculous.

Taking one last deep breath, the princess finally rises back up to face him with a clap of her hands and a smile almost embarrassingly strained from awkwardness. “Okay! So, um. We may or may not have a teeeensy tiny problem.” Oh gods, how does she say this in a way that doesn’t make her sound like the worst horse coparent ever…??

“So I went to visit Corn, right? But when I got there, there was already a group of super shady people leading her out of the stable! So obviously I was like ‘hey what the heck, that’s my HORSE,’ and they were like ‘oh this is your horse?? Ohhhh, you must be the new competitor!’ and I was like ‘competitor for what’ and—“

The floodgate of exposition breaks off in a loud gasp, the consequences of oxygen deprivation forcing her to slow down for the final blow: “So essentially long story short I may or may not have…. Accidentally gotten myself signed up to jockey Corn for an illegal underground horse racing scene and hoped you could maybe… help…? Me….?? …….please?”

She only hopes the shaky thumbs up she gives alongside makes him maybe slightly less mad at her…

@ulircursed

[pillarofopenness]

In Bruno's hands are a pair of gloves bundled together by a thin strand of ribbon. They're made of leather, a deep navy blue with gold stitching, padded to shield the backs of her hands from any force that may strike it: durable, strong, comfortable. A pair perfect for fighting, vetted by yours truly. But a pair for her specifically: look carefully at where the gloves break off at the wrists, and one would be able to see a small embroidered owl — just barely the size of a thumbnail.

He should have tried to find her in-between lectures, shouldn't he? Instead, he sets them down at her door before walking away — leaving the gold decal gleaming under the moonlight, awaiting their discovery when morning arrives.

Another day, another morning to meet with a smile! She doesn’t think she has anything too particularly interesting on her agenda today, but that’s no excuse to set out with anything less than maximum energy! And what better way to maximize your energy than a big swing of the door to get your momentum going right through your first steps and—

Oh hey there’s a thing on the ground.

“Huh?” Sharena’s expression drops to a look of bewilderment, crouching down beside the mystery item to give it a little poke. Yep, definitely a fabric. Did someone lose it? Lost stuff usually isn’t placed so neatly like this is, but Fodlan is pretty infamous for having students that lose a bunch of stuff all the time and all in pretty weird ways…

Carefully, she lifts the non-handed gloves into her own gloved-hands in search of any potential hints of an owner (not that she’s as talented as Byleth, but hey, she can try!) carefully running a thumb over the little distinctive little friend stitched on its side. A very familiar little friend, actually, the similarities so striking it brings a little smile to her face. Aw, it kinda looks like Feh. Commander Anna was right, the little mascot is super marketable.

Hey, they’re her size, too! Like… exactly her size. Suspiciously her size. If she didn’t know any better, she’d think another world’s Sharena stopped by to give her a birthday present!

…OHHH WAIT — it’s her birthday! It must be a birthday present! 

As soon as the realization hits that the gloves are, in fact, most likely probably not lost, her old gloves are off so fast it’s a miracle they didn’t catch fire — the old reds almost seeming painfully tattered and worn now in comparison to the bright and shiny blues that take their place. Bright, shiny, and soft, wow. Man, it’s been so long since she’s gotten a new pair, she forgot gloves could be this nice… 

Almost on instinct Sharena turns her head to the side for someone to thank, only to be met with the same blank space that greeted her alongside the gloves when the door first opened. She frowns. It feels wrong to frown after receiving such a nice gift, but it feels even more wrong to have no one to appreciate forthe nice gift… unless…?

The Askran scrambles to her feet, darting back inside her room and rifling through drawers for a piece of paper and pen.

Dear whoever you are,

Thank you! I love the gloves very, very much, they’re exactly what I’ve been needing! And I didn’t even know I needed them!! Funny how someone can know you better than you know yourself, and yet I don’t even know the you that knows me, huh? Anyway, I promise to take super good care of them. Hopefully I can return the favor one day!

With love,

Sharena

P.S. If this actually WASN’T a super cool birthday gift for me and you want your gloves back, I’ll be back around dusk, so feel free to knock any time around then to ask for them back! Sorry about accidentally robbing you.

Satisfied, Sharena folds the paper in half to stand it upright, then places the little standee right outside her door where the gloves once were. There! Now all that’s left is to hope they see it. Oh, and to show Alfonse and Kiran her super cool new gloves, of course!

[pillarofopenness]

Activity Check [February]

Total Skill Points: (17) [ Hiatus ]

Skill Up: N/A

Claims: N/A

Threads

Waiting for response: (Take your time!)

cooking mama but without the mama — w/ Sephiran

pvp arena is a state of mind — w/ Micaiah

In drafts:

Bear in Mind — w/ Alfonse

I'M BACK IN THE BUILDING AGAIN — w/ Yuzu

it’s just a prank bro (GONE WRONG) (COPS CALLED) (EMOTIONAL) — w/ Azama

poking my lore trauma with a stick to see what happens — w/ Rowan

what do you MEAN i can’t bring a spear to the oar fight??? — w/ Bruno

don't throw glass stones in pigeon houses — w/ Alfonse

power of friendship vs mochi — w/ Kiran

the fitness gram pacer test did not prepare me for this — w/ Soren

starter — for Andrei

If you don’t see your thread here, please DM me. It may have gotten lost in my records.

[pillarofopenness]

Activity Check [January]

Total Skill Points: (15) —> (17)

[+1 Any (Monthly), +1 Any (Knowledge Gem)]

Skill Up: Riding (E) —> (D)

Claims: Dragonbone Halberd, Grandmother’s Favorite, Mr. Donkey’s Baddie Lashes, Dexterity+, Cavalier, Defense+ — Solider mastery achieved!

Threads

Waiting for response: (Take your time!)

I'M BACK IN THE BUILDING AGAIN — w/ Yuzu

poking my lore trauma with a stick to see what happens — w/ Rowan

what do you MEAN i can’t bring a spear to the oar fight??? — w/ Bruno

cooking mama but without the mama — w/ Sephiran

pvp arena is a state of mind — w/ Micaiah

In drafts:

Bear in Mind — w/ Alfonse

it’s just a prank bro (GONE WRONG) (COPS CALLED) (EMOTIONAL) — w/ Azama

don't throw glass stones in pigeon houses — w/ Alfonse

power of friendship vs mochi — w/ Kiran

the fitness gram pacer test did not prepare me for this — w/ Soren

If you don’t see your thread here, please DM me. It may have gotten lost in my records.

[moriddyn]

wheres your anger!! wheres your rage!!!

expedition week 3 - purple subteam 2

[moriddyn]

As predicted, their journey takes them into a forest of romance and mystery. Regardless of the chatter of their newfound companions, Elffin finds himself jumping at any sound in the wood, a tension that only grows the more the surrounding area reminds him of the visions granted in Silesse.

The tourists, too, are not free of his suspicion, as it was easiest to launch an attack from behind. Perhaps it was strange, for those he had not spoken with- the group he travels in is larger than the last, but he holds his tongue until-

"Ah- it's here!" There is nothing different about the area that they had walked into- it was still wooded, and the path remained as it was before and after, winding through the forest with no clear aim- but it was here that he thinks is that which he had seen before. With the hope that at least the two he spoke to understood his meaning, he ducks back toward the group to better avoid the brunt of the conflict.

And just in time, as what could once be mistaken as the creaking of branches in the wind quickly becomes the sound of an ambush crashing through the foliage.

@excalitress @ulircursed @pillarofopenness @helswathed !

[excalitress]

She should consider herself fortunate to have chosen to maintain travel with the future-wielding man within this denser part of the forest. It is almost astounding how accurate Elffin was in his prior descriptions; them traveling right into a crowded woodland. Perfect for axes and bows to slip attacks right through.

And it is that accuracy that prods Sonya to duck out of where the trees slightly disperse to leave the aimless wide open. Not even a beat later do the axemen begin to flood in, arrows sailing alongside them with no delay. Just one more second of idle dawdling and she would be no better than a cleaved pincushion.

Though even if she has been able to step out of danger, the same cannot be so certain for the rest of her close party. This hidden angle would be foolish to give up on so soon, however. Resourceful as always, the mage pulls out a staff that had a good sheen to it back in Silesse. Not only did it look good, but it felt good in her hands as well. If her hunch is correct, exposing one of those brutes with this would be a cinch…!

“A-Augh!!”

Would be, is the key term. As it is the meddling of the less close party that leads Sonya to stumble and nearly kiss the dirt. She pulls herself up to meet the eyes of the fancy, mounted Agustrian. His clumsiness is thankfully not enough for him not to realize her frenzied eyes expect an explanation. And a worthy one, at that.

“Ah, apologies my lady! My horse…yes, my horse must have been so startled by these savages. Stand back, and I shall prevent them from laying a finger on you!”

The explanation…actually makes her smile slightly. But the smile fails to fully reach her eyes. “Well aren’t you a courteous fellow? Sadly, your lady would like her own hands on these…aggressors. So stay out of my way. Thanks.”

With a cheery look, she turns back toward the action to look for any of her allies from home. She’d rather support those that don’t place themselves on a pedestal for merely dressing better than others.

@pillarofopenness @ulircursed

[pillarofopenness]

This mission is her last chance. 

The thought echoes almost unbearable loud, even over the overlapping of their various mount’s hoof-steps. Elffin predicted their location correctly, but that doesn’t mean things have to go awry, so they? She doesn’t want to believe something bad will happen — she never does but her grip remains tight on her lance all the same. They’re going home after this. This is her last chance to prove she isn’t the dead weight she’s been to them so far.

She doesn’t like how quick to react she is to something as simple as the snap of a twig.

“I got it!” The princess shouts back at her allies as she kicks the side of the carriage horse she’d been so kindly allowed to borrow once again despite the unfortunate outcome she’d suffered with it the last time, spurring it forward straight into the enemy lines. Defense didn’t work before, so this time, offense has to. If they’re all taken out first, then they can’t hurt anyone, right? She’s just gotta strike the first person she can, strike ‘em hard, and—

There’s a child. They have children with them. Two children, both staring at her in horror as she stabs into someone who’s probably their friend, if not worse — their family.

…Oh gods. What has she done?

Her hand jerks back from Fensalir as if it burned her, the weapon falling to the ground with a thud as the hand that once held it flies up to cover her mouth instead in horror. “I-I— I’m so sorry, I didn’t—“

A cough of blood swallows up the rest of her apology as an arrow strikes her through her back, swiftly followed by a barrage of others knocking her off her horse and to the far-too-familiar ground in a now far-too-familiar pain as she lands on her side. Propped up just enough to see her frightened horse dash away to safety, and ‘frighten’ children dash out to attack her friends. Just enough to realize what’s happened, what she’s fallen for — and what she’s really‘done’.

Oh. She didn’t help. She’s just failed again.

…Of course she did.

Sharena has been defeated!

@ulircursed

[rafent]

✦ 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐓𝐋𝐄 𝐆𝐈𝐑𝐋𝐒 ✧

Expedition Holy War Week 2: Silesse, recovery prompt

[rafent]

'Other worlds' - if there were ever a call to attention.

Carmine eyes flared subtly, focus rapt on a silent perk of both ears. Those like Rafal were not only rare for the fell blood that warmed their veins, but for their cool detachment from the world beneath their feet. Their departure from a star far displaced from view, and further banished from memory. The mere beliefs which Sharena spoke of composed one dragon's reality and that dragon shook his head with the weight of unseen irony.

"It seems we are similar in more ways than simply our icy miseries on the battlefield, Sharena. My land of origin happens to hold the same belief." But, camaraderie and correlation failed to diminish oddity. Regardless all precedent, the average human would not even dream of the same cosmic ideas, of such a staggering notion as separate worlds existing both in number and in parallel. How intriguing - this Askr. This Sharena, no less.

Hers was an exceedingly idealistic way of thinking, but even he could admit there was evidence toward it; a pittance of likelihood, that a dead girl here had not died elsewhere, that she had not ever met the bandits who robbed her of a mother then of a life, or even the dragon who had been her sorry last sight. After all, in this world was no trace of Rafal; in his, not a single life not of Four Winds or two twins. Here, instead, was the miracle of ghosts come to life - of never having been ghosts at all. Such was corroboration of her theory whether he liked it or not.

"I believe in your words. My presence here is testament to the existence of those other worlds," he continued on the thought, "and the passage between them, made possible by forces beyond comprehension. I have seen with my own eyes the difference of life and death across two versions of the same individual.

And, more importantly, if you speak of one truth, perhaps. . ." just, perhaps, "it is accompanied by others."

An exceedingly idealistic way of thinking paired with his rare indulgence of it. And who was to blame for that? Sharena's belief was remarkable, he'd said of her, and might say again. Few could ever spin such reassurances and hopes on the spot, or—even more incredibly—convince so cynical a creature as Rafal to view things her way. Wanton sincerity, he observed with as much exasperation as awe, was ever ubiquitous. Ever beyond his hope of understanding.

He smiled, almost fond. "With lifespan of your likes, the possibility of that is thin. But it is possible, nonetheless. On that miracle, we are led only to wait. Until then, I should like to hear more of your kingdom's beliefs. Will you tell me about Askr?"

[pillarofopenness]

She should really get some kind of reward or something for the sheer strength of will it takes her to refrain from dropping her jaw wide open. For a multitude of reasons, really, all of them unsurprisingly centered on the fell dragon before her. Because for one thing, he’s SMILING?? Like, hooray, obviously that was the goal, but HE CAN DO THAT???!?!?!?!!!?!??

Whatever character development juice this Fodlan’s got injected into it goes crazy. She knows a lot of people back home who could use some of this… maybe she should bring back some enrollment applications next time she heads home to visit Commander Anna and her mother.

More importantly though, is he’s… sort of just outright stating he’s from another world. It could be an implication if said to someone without the context, maybe, but to her it seems pretty cut and dry. Does that mean he picked up on herimplication? It’s not completely too out there to be possible — dragons are old, old people are smart, and smart people are, well… smart enough to piece a not-so-smart puzzle like that together with the right clues, which as even he says, he most definitely has. But, again… can they do that??

There’s not a rule against it, really… when she got here, she was just sort of following Alfonse’s example to not tell anyone so they don’t freak out. People who think you’re crazy are typically a lot less likely to be open to friendship, after all. But they’re sort of already friends, and it’s not like it can really freak him out if he’s already seen it in his home world, though maybe a different way…

…You know what, she’s been dying to talk about this day one! What’s one person knowing a teeeeeny tiny bit gonna hurt? She can just… leave out a couple bits here and there! And maybe try to, you know. Ask him to pretty please not spill the suspiciously Askr-shaped beans later. It’ll be fineee!

“Really? Well then, I’d LOVE to! You don’t mind if this takes a little while, right? Oh— but we probably shouldn’t make the others wait too long, so, you know. Feel free to stop me whenever!” Sharena claps excitedly before lowering her voice and shifting to lean closer, like a secret meeting. Because it kind of is, but also it’s just a fun way to set the mood for telling stories, you know? And boy, does she have stories to tell! You don’t become princess of Askr without a little extra kingdom pride, after all!

“So! It all starts with this legendary relic we’ve got called ‘Breidablik’…”

End.

[rafent]

✦ 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐓𝐋𝐄 𝐆𝐈𝐑𝐋𝐒 ✧

Expedition Holy War Week 2: Silesse, recovery prompt

[rafent]

How openly humans would commiserate. To offer their sincere condolence for sake of another, for a stranger, or for the mere sake of tragedy. But, in truth, Sharena's sentiment rung hollow for more reasons than one. It was impossible to grieve for someone he scarcely knew. Mourning and regret, the dormant seeds of these were felt, planted yet never to blossom, never to become more. What troubled the dragon was not one little girl's loss of life. Not precisely.

Only that such a bewildering void should ever affect him to begin with.

"There is nothing to be sorry for. I knew nothing about her."

Nothing than that she existed. That, at one point, she had walked the earth. And, in the next second, she was gone. As if she were no more than the trite figment of a dream, ascribed to brevity, soon to be swept away by the waves of tomorrow. Amidst the aftermath of battle and influx of other casualties, perhaps there would be none to think of her. None but the few who had been her wardens. Then, eventually, no-one.

"To me, she was no more than a nameless face. It could have just as well been someone else who died. Those without strength and means must prepare themselves for the possibility of untimely demise. One might say her end was no fault of the living, only of circumstance." Rafal closed his eyes, envisioning the last image preserved of that powerless girl. Eyes concerned and wide, fingers grasping; her small, shivering form stark in the snow. She must have been cold, yet he knew none of that coldness when her fingers splayed across his tail - the futile effort of closing his wound that betrayed warmth, instead.

Crimson eyes peeled: ". . .However."

However?

"I confess that your words usher in a strange modicum of comfort." Something flickered within his gaze as he turned to Sharena, hesitant, yet honest and blooming. "I must confess, stranger, that when I look upon you, I am led to wonder if someone like yourself would be her outcome had she survived. It is certainly a foolish thought."

[pillarofopenness]

How Rafal’s not crying is completely beyond her. Everyone knows crying is even harder to stop when you’re talking about it — but she’s just listening to him, and even she wants to cry! Worse still, she never even met this kid!

Maybe it’s the fact he’s a dragon that makes it easier to stop. Do lizards have tear ducts? Would that lack even transfer over to a more human form, though? But then again, to assume his reaction is only a byproduct of his inherent nature only retracts from whatever his true feelings may be, even if they aren’t outwardly visible.

Maybe it’s the fact that sadness can’t be seen, that makes it all the more sad.

“Back home in Askr, we, uh… believe in the idea of other worlds.” Sharena starts carefully, looking downward at her own hands fidgeting together. The concept of Askr has always been a difficult one to skirt around in conversations, even if he may be one of the rare few that could understand and accept the truth of it. Perhaps she should just tell him, to tell someone, but… considering the point she aims to make with it, she doesn’t want to give him too much hope that may prove to be false.

“There’s an infinite amount of worlds out there, so there’s an infinite amount of possibilities. Someone who died in your own time could easily be alive in another,” Something she, herself, knows uncomfortably all too well. She shudders, at the flash of Líf behind her eyes echoing what unfortunate truth he’d told them his ‘her’s’ fate. “So in that way, her story hasn’t really ended, right? Maybe, in the world where she was saved, she did end up like me. Or maybe in another, she’s completely different.”

Sharena smiles as she looks back up at the dragon, hopefully bright enough to help him break out of that emotional darkness just a little. “And who knows? Maybe one day, we’ll get to meet one of those worlds. Then you could introduce us!”

[pillarofopenness]

why do they call it a unicorn if it’s got nothing to do with corn

[ulircursed]

As much as he suspects Sharena to be the type to just give these kinds of compliments to any ally she meets, an undeniable warmth does spread through Andrei's chest at the open praise of something he is skilled at, steps coming easier and more willing as he follows her through the undergrowth at a pace that would surely scare away any non-magical wild creature long before they could catch a glimpse of it.

The marks become ever clearer the deeper they head into the depths of the forest, entire hoofprints visible across a stretch of soft soil at one point in a way that seems almost… too familiar in their size and depth. He would've expected a pegasus to be lighter on its feet, or for the surrounding areas to show more signs of wingbeats scattering the loose leaves upon the ground, or dropped feathers perhaps. Instead, there is none of that, only an few strands of pale hairs caught in a tree branch at a very familiar height.

"Wait." Andrei stops Sharena's footsteps somewhere deep in the forest, brows furrowed with concentration. The soft clopping of hooves is audible in the clearing just beyond them, information that fills him with disquiet more than anything. He reaches back to take his bow in hand anyway.

"Proceed with caution," he advises grimly, voice lower still. No normal wild animal would've stayed anywhere near them with their volume. And if one doesn't put their stock in baseless legends, there would only be one other explanation.

The forest parts at his slow procession, until the shadowed figure comes into proper view.

...It's a mare. Silvery white as befitting the legends of the unicorn, but that is where the list of similarities end. And not a wild one either — a half-tarnished helmet covers her head, leaves and dirt streaking the saddle upon her back. Even having noticed them, she doesn't move to bolt, though she does shuffle nervously against the earth at their approach.

Huh.

"Well..." Andrei starts, unsure of whether this is a satisfying outcome or not, fingers trailing along his bow awkwardly as he debates whether to just put it away.

"At the very least, it seems this is what we have been tracking."

[pillarofopenness]

“Huh?” The confusion on her face is as clear as day, but she stops dead all the same. She knows when it comes to heroes, people like him are typically the more ‘cautious’ types — always expecting the worst from every outcome — even if the only information they have is some tracks and sounds to match. Both very normal things to see in the same place if you ask her, but what does she know? Maybe the world he comes from has some kinda horse-monster she’s never heard about.

Whatever the case, following hoofsteps or fearing them, she trusts him all the same! Sharena stays paused just enough to let him replace her spot in the lead, nodding to him as he passed when reaching for her own lance (just in case), only then resuming at just as slow a pace for one step, two steps, a third…

The archer stops at something, and peaking over his shoulder, it’s not hard to tell why. “…Oh. It’s just a horse.” She doesn’t know if she’s relieved it’s not a monster, or disappointed it’s just a horse. That second thought’s kinda rude though, so she pushes it aside as quickly as she shoves Fensalir back in its loop on her back. Nothing wrong with a horse being just a horse!

“Hey there, buddy… You lost?” The princess approaches slowly, voice lowered to a softer tone the closer she gets as to not scare the mare, hand lifted up towards her nose for her to sniff while the human between them inspects. No sign of wings or horn currently, nor any injuries to suggest she ever had them… Yeah, pretty normal horse. Pretty domesticated, too, not at all the kind of horse meant to be out in the wild. How in the world did she get all the way out here…?

“Well, it’s no ‘unicorn’, but it’s something! It’s just a…” Horse? No, that’s too obvious. Queen of the not-pegasi? Nah, too long. ‘Queen’ just loses the joke of the name all together, so that’s no good… A unicorn… but without the uni-horn, would make her a… “Corn!”

The ‘Corn’ in question whinnies at the word, immediately shoving her muzzle into her hand with a stamp of her foot as she sniffs about. “Aww, you like that name?” Probably not. She probably just thinks her saying ‘corn’ means she has corn, and she wants to eat corn. “Well then, ‘Corn’ it is, haha!”

Sharena laughs, returning the nuzzling with a pet to the exposed parts of her head. Though it may not be what she was asking for, the mare doesn’t seem to mind, and the girl takes that as a sign to reach around for whatever remains of the reigns she once had before returning her attention to Andrei. 

“We should take her back to camp with us! I dunno if anyone’s looking for her, but either way, it’ll be safer for everyone if she’s with people instead of on her own in the middle of the woods. Especially with how friendly she is. Don’t want her to run into the wrong crowd, you know?”

[pillarofopenness]

why do they call it a unicorn if it’s got nothing to do with corn

[ulircursed]

Sharena's gestures remain open and cheery, and the tension releases along Andrei's shoulders as he gives her a look that teeters, undecided, between unimpressed and faintly amused, watching her spin around to present him with a nonexistent title. Undampened spirit, indeed.

He hadn't set out to take this all that seriously, but at the other's prompting, Andrei does look obligingly, running his eyes along the edges of the trail. At first, nothing seems out of place, but his gaze quickly turns surprised as it catches on a few telltale signs.

"There is something…" He points towards the wet earth, dense trees blocking the snowdrift enough for soil to be exposed. Upon it, scuff marks and a trail of broken twigs half-buried in the earth, forming a very familiar set of tracks that lead away from the path and deeper into the forest.

"Those are hoofmarks," he explains, voice automatically lowering to the same hush that Yngvi archers would adopt on hunting trips. His hand automatically reaches behind his back for the bow— before he realizes what he is doing, lips thinning as he clenches both hands in front of him once more.

He is not here to cause more harm.

"It seems there might be a pegasus around these parts, after all." Which wouldn't exactly be a huge surprise, in and of itself; while he would imagine most of Silesse's army would use pegasi specifically bred for battle, much like Grannvale does with horses, surely there must be some found in the wild.

Now, the question is whether this is just a random creature, or if there truly is any significance to the story Sharena had decided to follow. He looks to the other silently, expectant of a sign to proceed.

[pillarofopenness]

Woah. That was fast. Like… fast fast. Way faster than she would’ve expected from a regular ol’ person like she is. He might not be a hero, his eyesight is for sure gotta be some level of legendary! Not to mention the attention to detail!

“Seriously?!” Sharena gasps loudly before breaking away from the path to instead crouch beside the supposed ‘tracks’. Not because she doesn’t trust him, of course, she does! He has been nothing but helpful since the moment she met him, unfortunate a moment as it might have been, and closer inspection proves him right almost immediately from the distinct shape and spacing alone. But like, how??

“No way…” Af if almost untrusting of her own eyes, the princess reaches out a hand to poke around at the dirt surrounding the first print, and yep. Feels just as real as it looks, and the double confirmation makes her let out a little laugh of amazement. “Andrei, this is incredible! Is there anything you aren’t good at?!”

It’s not full proof of the super special pegasus they’re looking for, but it’s at least a horse-adjacent creature. And though off the path, the bush they disappear into isn’t too far off… and usually in stories like this, breaking through the thickest parts of a forest usually lead to magical discoveries! And that’s good enough for her! 

“Team MVP comes through once again! Come on, hurry! At this pace, I bet we’re about to break some kind of new Silessian record!” Sharena jumps from the dirt with a wave to her new friend (a part of her is tempted to grab onto his arm and drag him along, but he doesn’t seem like the type to like something like that so soon. She’s not about to risk losing even more friendship points after so narrowly avoiding disaster) before sprinting off into said bush with a loud crunch of leaves under her impact.

[pillarofopenness]

why do they call it a unicorn if it’s got nothing to do with corn

[ulircursed]

Sharena keeps up a steady stream of chatter as they enter the forest, following the well-trodden path, basically the complete opposite of what to do when on the hunt for a wild animal. Or perhaps the supposed Queen of Silessian pegasi might react differently from the average pegasus… that is, if such a creature even existed, or would allow herself to be found by just any human who entered her realm. Andrei has many doubts, but considering he’d agreed to the outing willingly, he keeps those doubts to himself.

This way is better. They would take a simple stroll through the woods, find nothing and return. Sharena doesn’t seem like the type to let that disappoint her for long, and can move on with the satisfaction of having completed the journey. He does look back periodically, making a mental note of their surroundings in case they were to get lost.

The lighthearted atmosphere shifts somewhat with Sharena’s next question, and Andrei tenses, staring forward into the dense undergrowth as he answers.

“I am not a healer,” he repeats stiffly, having said this entirely too many times since their team had left the others, “I am an archer. Had there been any who are more adept at healing spells than myself in the group, I would not have volunteered my efforts.”

His previous record for healing on the battlefield are spotty at best, and even if they solely seek him out during the lull between, he had little experience past very standard cuts and bruises. Simply pouring in his magic without any technical knowledge could be a recipe for disaster against a more complex wound.

[pillarofopenness]

She can almost taste the souring mood as the words leave her mouth, but they reach his ears before she has any hope to stop it. Spoiled, like a milk that apparently does not like healing despite actually being really beneficial for your health since it has like calcium or vitamins or whatever milk does for bones though it’s not actually the best metaphor for the situation now that she’s in it. Oughhh she can practically feel the friendship points going down right now….

It’s fine, though! What’s a new friendship without a few bumps in the road at the start? It just adds more intrigue to the legend that will be their bond should one of them become heroes! Hopefully! Totally salvageable, she’s got it.

“Well either way, I sure am glad you did. All of us would’ve been in a real pickle without you, not just me! That makes you, like… team MVP!” Sharena stops dead in the center of the path, spinning around with a clap of her hands that she then brings apart in a wide stretch of her arms — like Commander Anna does when presenting a prize to one of her games no one actually ever ends up winning somehow. What is up with that? 

“And the Queen’s blessing shall be your trophy! Archers have good instincts on where to go, right? Since you gotta aim ahead of the target and stuff to make sure you hit it and all that. Which way do your archer instincts say our target is?”

[rafent]

✦ 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐓𝐋𝐄 𝐆𝐈𝐑𝐋𝐒 ✧

Expedition Holy War Week 2: Silesse, recovery prompt

[rafent]

What impossibly sunny demeanor. Were it not for the contents of her words, one might never suspect that Sharena had experienced battle much less concluded it injured and unconscious. And, yet, Rafal did not find such a fact displeasing. When heavy news weighed upon the mind, a bright and antithetical display did much to distract from its weight. He listened, attentive, almost polite a listener.

"Such belief is remarkable. I suppose blind faith possesses its own merit. Under these particular circumstances, you may very well be better off for it." A not unkind if mysterious answer. But, he was unable to lean upon his own mystery for long.

"Am I that obvious?"

First, Lex. Next Sharena. Even in the eyes of those newly met, he could not hide what discontent took root in his heart. Or, perhaps, he were simply that apparent - thrown off-kilter by unexpected and negligible tragedy, as beating butterfly wing might catalyze a storm; small waves to terrible tide, to eventual calamity. And what he was feeling, a storm would aptly describe. With perplexing depth, the fade of a single forgettable ember brought even a mighty dragon to linger on its afterimage.

His sigh drifted smokelike toward the ceiling of the sauna.

"Your guess is not wrong," he decided on, rumbling baritone coaxed into disclosure, by Sharena and the thread of similarity between them. Be it Sharena and Rafal, or she and one other: a girl turned woman, at odds with the girl who would never have the chance to be more. "Like you, I lost consciousness during my battle. My survival was a miracle. Others were not so fortunate. It is to my understanding that my group incurred substantial loss, including that of an orphaned young girl I protected."

[pillarofopenness]

‘A young girl’. ‘Orphaned’. ‘Lost.’

…Ah. That would explain it.

“I’m… so sorry.” She says, though in reality her own apology probably matters little to him. People who have lost someone dear to them rarely actually get anything out of generic sympathies thrown their way, after all. And though the dragon may have just met the girl, who would she be to assume she isn’t dear to him?

The old man she met — he was dear to her. She’d be devastated if she was told he didn’t make it out. In that way, his own experience is kinda like a mirror of her own, in a world where she knew for sure the outcome was what she least wants it to be. Maybe that means she should… say what she would want to be true, in that world? 

In his own words ‘such a belief is remarkable’, and remarkable could well be what he needs. It’s definitely what she would need, anyway.

“I know this probably doesn’t mean a lot, but… I think you still did a good thing.” The Askran starts, instinctively turning her gaze to the ceiling, as if to try to include the poor little girl in one last semi-pleasant moment. “You might not’ve saved her, but at least… at least she knew in the end someone cared enough to protect her. Fear might’ve overshadowed it in the moment, but deep down? I bet she was happy. I know I would be.”