â ooc } - Despite my best intentions, Iâve not been able to get my time in order or my muse to the level where I can reply to a quality or quantity I want to. So, as you might have already seen, Iâve decided to drop...Â
I feel itâs not fair to you guys to keep making promises I canât keep, and Iâm sorry about any replies and threads that Iâve left unanswered. That said, Iâm grateful for the time Iâve spent here, and have been glad to meet you all!!
Thank you very much, and maybe if I can get things in order over the year, I may try again. Iâll see you around OOC if youâd like to keep in touch at all!
â ooc } -Â hello again ! Iâm back off my semi-hiatus and Iâll try to do my best to get my activity back up this week!
If Iâve forgotten something/left something hanging for too long (since I know Iâve not been the best...) please donât hesitate to bother me about it, it wonât be a bother at all.
I hope youâve all been well since we last spoke and thank you for bearing with me â€!
Mitama grimaced. Bearing nights shadows / travelling in them as well / what a freaking tool. âI have had theâŠopportunity of encountering him. Gates and such. Travelling is a shocking ease.â Though no less pleasant. She is quiet for a moment, considering herself. She does not know this Celica well, however she had no reason to believe that what she would say would reach back to his ears.
âHe acted a brat. I am far from missing his company.â
Mitama hummed, absently twirling her brush around her fingers. âYou yourself seem quite knowledgeable as well. That is wonderful to see. Too often education seems to be lacking, and it is a shame to find those with a lack of access and yet so much potential.â
She trailed off a moment to examine the other woman. Something about her had her curiosity piqued. âMay I ask then, what you act as? I am unfamiliar if garment is any kind of indication of status here.â Though certainly, her way of dress seemed tooâŠdecorated to be worn by simply anyone.
Mitama didnât seem too happy as she reflected upon their meeting. The quiet pause she gave was proof enough that the memories were not fond - and her speech cemented the impression Celica got even more. It seemed a shame that Mitamaâs first interaction with Valentia had been with someone that had annoyed her so...
âOh, truly. Itâs quite sad when people canât achieve their full potential...â she wrung her hands together. âWar has a habit of taking resources away from education - takes futures away from children, of all people...â
So her attire had given her away... and that said, there wasnât much point in lying - sheâd likely be found out in some other way. The other had been nothing but kind to her, and it was unlikely that revealing her identity would cause any strife between them. She was quite sharp, it seemed.
She laughed lightly. âIt seems Iâve been caught out. Iâm the princess of what was Zofia... but Iâd appreciate if you keep this between us. Perhaps it was foolish of me to walk around in my usual clothing, even without a crown... Iâll have to remember that in the future.â
â ooc } -Â whoops, apologies for my absence on here, and Iâm sure the masterlist has already mentioned but Iâm going on a semi hiatus for now ! I just need some time to sort out the next semester & some family things, so I appreciate your patience with me especially as Iâve been a wee bit sparse recently,,,
Hopefully Iâll be able to come back a little earlier than planned & be on top of things by then! I hope you all had a lovely new year and are well!
Rinea couldnât recall what had happened in between forgiving her beloved to the moment she awoke in his arms back on the mortal plane, but she could see the dreadful war between Rigel and Zofia had subsided. Now she remained with Berkut, whom of which played a role in Valentiaâs rebuilding.
She was never fond of large crowds, especially when in the presence of other nobles. However, she accompanied her Lord to Zofia Castle, where she was met by the new Queen, Celica. Slight fear rose in Rineaâs cheeks as she bowed in greeting, a nervous smile gracing her features,
âYes, I am Rinea. A pleasure to meet you, your highness.â
Sensing a slight nervousness on the otherâs face, Celica felt a little uncomfortable. Of course, the other had probably never expected to come to Zofia Castle again, much less with her countryâs efforts for naught. While Celica herself held no ill will to the other - such things would only cause problems further down the line - she wanted to affirm to the other that it was safe here, and that Rinea had no need to worry. They were a similar age, after all.
âOh, forgive me. Itâs been so long, I must have forgotten my own formalities. How rude of me!â She gave a light Zofian bow. âThe pleasure is all mine. I hope that you had a safe journey?â
Mitama was certainly not fond of adventure. Travelling was the greatest curse to oneâs existence on the earthâs soil. But while the outrealm gate had spat her out on unfamiliar land, she was not spat out onto some kind of moving land. And as she was in one place, and currently in no danger whatsoever, she found herself content in where she was. Even if it was outside.
She nodded along as the other explained the state of the world she was now in. There were similes to be found in her story, she mused, from the estate of her world to Mitamaâs own. And while she was glad for this girl that times were peaceful and things were looking towards a brighter future, something nagged at her.
She frowned. Rigel. The name struck her as familiar, though she had no way of placing why it would. She had never been herself to any place of Rigel. She had hardly left her deeprealm, let alone ventured around Hoshido. Then where could she have ever possibly heard the name Rigel-
Mitama tensed. No. No, she had to be mistaken, or recalling incorrectly, she could not possibly have found her way. âPardon my asking, Celica, but if you are capable of answeringâŠhave you heard before of a man by the name of Berkut?â She had to be remembering where he claimed to be from incorrectly.
Noting the frown fall on Mitamaâs features, Celica herself stiffened up a little. She hadnât offended the other, had she? Or perhaps her own words had brought up troublesome memories about the otherâs homeland. She couldnât tell, having just met the girl... but it did worry her a little.
Not for too long, as Mitama soon voiced the apparent reason for her discomfort. Berkut? Had he also happened upon an Outrealm Gate at some point? That was the only explanation, considering that neither Mitama nor Celica had knowledge of each othersâ homelands. How strange...
âBerkut, yes, I have heard of him. Iâve not had the privilege of meeting him in person... But he is a prince of Rigel. Iâm a little surprised that you know him.â For as long as she was presenting herself as a commoner (she had no reason to reveal her status, afterall), sheâd refer to him with decent respect... at least until sheâd had the opportunity to judge his merits herself.
âIt appears youâre both well-acquainted, as well as well-travelled.â
Even after the war was finished and things had calmed down, Celica knew she still hadnât found time to fully meet everyone that had helped bring things to a close. Diplomacy took time, and was tiring - beyond occasional greetings at dinners, she hadnât had the chance to truly get to know many outside of her retinue.
So, spotting Lukas in the outer grounds, she decided to take the opportunity that so rarely presented itself. If she recalled, he had been the first member of the Deliverance to go to Ram Village, and was from noble birth himself. Hopefully conversation would flow easily between them, even when off duty.
"Lukas, would it be alright for us to chat? If youâre not busy, of course.â She smiled softly in greeting. âI wouldnât want to cause any trouble, Iâve just not had the opportunity to properly get you to know you until now...â
âI thought it would be nice to ask about your adventures.â
âI am!â Maria breathed a deep breath, her eyes flickering across the scenery around them as if to reassure herself that yes, this was her home; it always had been. Her eyes landed back upon Celica with a renewed sparkle glimmering within, and she smiled brightly at her words. âAlright! Itâs nice to meet you, then, Celica!âÂ
Sheâd been naught but a breath away from introducing herself when she heard her own name come from Celicaâs mouth, and she let her unspoken words fade into a curious little huff. âPrincess MariaâŠ?â Michalisâ old lectures rang fresh in her ears, and she tilted her head, cautious, but no more guarded than before. âNot a lot of people know herâŠâ This much sheâd learned. âIf itâs alright to ask, who told you about herâŠ?âÂ
The other seemed so bright and kind, glad to hear of a visitor to her home. Having such pride in her country apparent on her features brought a little joy to Celicaâs own heart. Macedon might have been unfamiliar to her, but seeing anyone happy to be at home made her feel happy, too.
Celica realised the error of her words - asking about a princessâ whereabouts without any reason must have been very suspicious, especially when she hadnât introduced herself as the foreign princess she was. If this girl was proud to be from Macedon, no doubt sheâd be cautious of any danger to their royals... but sheâd already started on this path, so she could be nothing but truthful.
âAh, I understand...â It would make sense that she wasnât well known. That much, she had expected a little. Asking the first person she saw about a princessâ whereabouts was possibly a mistake. âIt was a group of pegasus knights that I travelled with for some time that told me. Their names were Palla, Catria and Est. They were really kind, and had a lot of stories about Macedon, so I wanted to visit one day...â
âIt is.â She agreed. she could not stop the fondness that slipped into her tone. Hoshido may not be the soil she was formed from, but it remained a fixture in her heart all the same. The influence of others had certainly coloured her impressions of it as well. âIâm sure that Hoshido would welcome your arrival.â
She had never heard of Valentia before. She frowned curiously, tilting her head. It seemed her education was certainly lacking. She had met people from other realms before, but she has yet to arrive in Valentia before. Though something about it tickled her mind.Â
âI am not familiar with either of those, I must admit. Though that seems to be a constant surprise with the gates and their whims.â Still. Unfamiliar or not, she was certain she could return home. With that self reassurance, she found the foreign land a beauty, rather than a harm. So long as she remained firmly where she was.
âMay I know more of this land then? To assure myself that this is not one long, pleasant dream.â
It seemed Hoshido must have been a far distance away - Archanea was the largest trading continent anywhere near here. If Mitama had never even heard its name, the gates really must have thrown her far from home. Yet, she didnât seem afraid or overly bothered by this fact. Either she was fond of adventure or just didnât let her surroundings bother her.
And she wanted to learn about Valentia? Celica hoped that she could keep it brief. While she loved her homeland, she wouldnât want to overly bore the other girl - that would be unfair. She hoped that maybe sheâd get the opportunity to learn about Hoshido in return.
âLet me think of the... shortest version of the events. I might get a little sidetracked, otherwise.â She smiled gently, pausing for a second to get her thoughts in order - being involved in a great deal of the history she would speak of meant she wanted to make sure she kept some details clear. She didnât want to seem as if she was boasting.
âWell, until recently, we were two countries: Rigel to the north, and Zofia in the south, but at the last warâs end, we became unified as just one Valentia. Our countries were founded by twin gods that disagreed about how humans should live - so youâll find Zofian land more bountiful than Rigelâs, though I have heard recently their harvests have been looking up. Thereâs still a little bit of tension between people in the two countries, but... itâs definitely getting better with time.â
âRight now, weâre on old Zofian soil, on the western port.â She coughed to clear her throat. âIs there... anything in particular youâd like to hear? I wouldnât want to bore you.â
â ooc } -Â Apologies for not being online - a quick update post to say Iâm going to get to my messages, replies and so on today and over the weekend! Iâm also going to polish up my pages, possibly?
And in other notes, my discord, if youâd like to add me (let me know who you are, though!) is reri#7243 !
â ooc } -Â Iâm pretty much on top of my threads for now, and I think I can handle some more threads so! Hereâs a new thread call. Iâll probably cap it at 5 again, but if you like this post Iâll pop into your messaging and we can do some plotting, if youâd like a thread with Celica!
She couldnât very well begin to explain she was from a deeprealm, could she? No, that was far too much for one who seemed unfamiliar with the very idea of strangers to a land. Mitama smiled and nodded. âIt is no intrusionâŠthough the power of names may exist, I lack any knowledge of what my name could possibly trigger, aside from an inconvenience.â
Power through naming / gives fear to the thing itself / and thus its power.
âMy name is Mitama. I come from a country called Hoshido. If the name is unknown, it is likely through an outrealm gate that I have found my way here. Not uncommon, but certainly a nuisance of its own brand.â She fell quiet a moment, examining her surroundings once more.
âPardon me, Celica, if you do not mind my inquiries, but where is it that we find ourselves now?â As the other seemed herself to be uncertain of people, Mitama found herself uncertain of geography.
âOh, I see...â Celica hadnât heard of Hoshido, but considering the only country nearby was Archanea, and she hadnât truly heard of visitors from further afield, it wasnât surprising that she didnât know. Regardless, she had heard of outrealm gates in literature, so that was a small comfort.
âIâve never heard of Hoshido, but Iâm sure itâs a lovely place. Perhaps I may be able to visit some day, Mitama.â What a lovely name, also! Slightly unfamiliar on her tongue, but she hoped she was pronouncing it correctly, at least. That would be a little bit unbefitting of someone in her position.
âAnd right now, we are in Valentia. It lies west of Archanea, if youâre familiar with that country?â She tilted her head slightly, trying to give some context. Then again, if it truly had been an outrealm gate that brought her here, she could be worlds away from home... it was possible that she hadnât heard of either, just as she had never heard of Hoshido.
Iâm happy about all the heroes news we got today, but especially that celica is coming back on an 8% banner! Iâm ready to spend all the orbs I have and can obtain to get the Best Celica possible and merge her to Maximum Destructive Power
Triangle - OoC: Did you really believe Jedah's promises to free Mila and ensure Alm's safety if you gave him your soul? Looking back, do you feel that you were gullible for doing so?
Belief was a core value to her. Sheâd been brought up and raised to see the best in people, and for the largest part, that belief in others had yet to fail her on her journey. Sheâd been able to defeat pirates, convince Griethâs most loyal followers to her side, and get to Milaâs Temple with that belief, after all. If it appeared that their goals were aligned, why wouldnât Celica trust them? The thought had hardly occurred to her.
Celica felt she had reason to trust in Jedahâs promises - surely the Duma Faithful would not want Duma to lose himself in madness and cause the ruin of the land. They followed Duma as she followed Mila, and wanted him to prosper, surely? So why wouldnât she take action to try and calm the god? Neither party would benefit, in her mind, if Duma went mad and Mila remained sealed away.
In hindsight, this trust had been a mistake... it could have ended in the death of the thousands Celica had only wanted to protect. But at the time, she had been desperate. Whether his promises were false or not didnât matter - she was taking action on her wishes, at least. Accepting that offer, sacrificing herself in the hope of saving her people, was the only option presented to her at the time. If she refused, she would have been truly powerless, and might have blamed herself for the rest of her short life after that.
As for the promise of protecting Alm... that was a sore subject. Despite their last meetings being only a horrible argument, and then a hurried apology thanks to Halcyonâs magic... Celica couldnât and wouldnât forgive herself if she didnât do something to help him. If he could be safe and wouldnât have to fight anymore, even in a world where she was no longer there... that would be infinitely better. She was too much of a coward to take her birthright, after all. Being crowned at the Temple meant little to her, if she couldnât face the responsibility of the throne - at least she could trust Alm to lead Zofia safely.
So yes, she had been gullible, but also backed into a corner, with the two most important things to her being promised safety. Overestimating Jedahâs goodwill had been a huge mistake, and one that she regretted greatly but... still, the nagging feeling in her heart was that she was presented with no other choice, if she wanted to achieve her goals. She couldnât risk her companions, nor Valentia. To her, at that time, her only solution was to give her everything, and pray her sacrifice would be enough.
â...I only wanted everyone to be safe, and for the war to stop. At the time... Jedahâs offer was the best solution I had. I did what I could, and Iâm not ashamed of that... Whether that makes me gullible or not, I truly donât know.â
discomfort: 8/10, admitting weakness and thinking back at that very dark time is difficult.
Mitama let out a heavy sigh. âIt is far too late now. The whims of the muses are fickle at best.â A loss, but she would survive. Sheâd certainly written plenty enough already. Travel was not her passion, but she could think of a few who would enjoy hearing her recount some place far from home
âTo not be serious when crafting poetry is a grievous misdeed.â She said as she gathered her things. If words has escaped her, it would do no good to force them. âThough I am not fromâŠwherever we may be, so it certainly makes sense that my clothing is unfamiliar.â She was certain of course that this was not Hoshido.
Mitama hummed curiously and looked to the other girl once more. She did not seem too far from Mitamaâs own age. And yet she certainly seemedâŠdifferent. âThat is unfortunate. Though I admit my own life has been fairly limited until recent years.â She studied the woman a moment longer before nodding. âApologies are not needed. Though I wonder who you may be?â
âI see. And where is it that youâre from? Would this be your first venture so far from home, or...?â Celica stopped herself for a second. She was asking far too many questions, and probably seemed rude - to ask so much while offering no information about herself was no way to act.Â
âOh! I should have introduced myself. My name is Celica. Itâs a pleasure to meet you, if I could have your name?â She smiled gently at the other, and thought a small joke might be a little appropriate.Â
âOf course, thatâs only if youâd like to give it to me - I wouldnât want to intrude more than I already have. I have read that names have power in certain stories.â
A relieved smile spread across the little princessâ face at the girlâs reassurance, and she nodded happily. âIâm alright! Thank you, miss!âÂ
Maria smoothed out the front of her dressâ more out of habit than necessityâ and this time, shook her head. âPlease donât worry! But I am from here, actually. Do you need any help finding anything? Itâs been a little while since Iâve been here, but I should still be able to helpâŠ!âÂ
(And her heart swelled with pride, just a little bit, to know that she truly couldâ the far reaches of her homeland, once so strange and unknown, had finally become familiar to her as well.)
âOh, youâre from here? Fortune seems to have blessed me today.â Celica smiled. The other seemed very confident, and if she was a local, it was possible that perhaps she knew of Maria and where she might be. It would be fine if she didnât of course, but there was a small bit of hope there.
âAnd thereâs no need to be so formal. Please, call me Celica.â she added on, as an afterthought. Formality was beginning to grow... tiresome in its own way. She did miss being called by her old name, which was one reason why she enjoyed her anonymous trips to Archanea.
âItâs an odd request, but Iâve heard rumours that the Princess Maria was in this area. If youâve seen her at all, or know where I might be able to talk to her, I would really appreciate the help.â Celica wrung her hands slightly. âSome dear travelling friends of mine sung her praises, and I was hoping that perhaps I could speak with her."
