[raijintosworn]

raijintosworn — a private roleplay blog for a Conquest Ryoma from Fates. unaffiliated sword professor at Garreg Mach. affiliated with The Officers Academy. wielded by Cyan (he/her/they idm) also available on @freliasarrow (Innes) and @radiantpaths (Ike)

PLEASE USE MINIMAL FORMATTING WITH ME. i can't read coloured fonts. i don't mind bolding and small text (and italics for emphasis) but that is IT. i will match your formatting if you don't like small text/prefer i use bolded text

mobile links:

about || stats || headcanons || mun

(last updated: 30/09/2024)

KEY NOTES:

(tw for suicide, and it's not spoiler free)

Ryoma survived his suicide attempt. This fact isn't widespread across Hoshido, let alone Nohr. So, fellow Conquest friends are unlikely to know that Ryoma's alive until they see him. He's also unlikely to tell anyone about being Prince Ryoma - so unless he, his siblings or his parents have said anything to your character, people don't really know

Due to um. Canon. Ryoma will have 0 supports. It's free real estate! This means he has no awareness of his family's children, or his own potential children. It's really free real estate all around

Ryoma might be a little different to Birthright/Revelations!Ryoma, personality-wise. He's been through some stuff.

Please do not make child abuse jokes about Ryoma. Do not make comments on his parenting. He is not a father here, I don't care to hear it. I'm happy to discuss things with potential children, should it be necessary.

He's aware of all routes, and I'm considering Warriors canon. He knows a better world exists, and that kills him.

AUs also welcomed within the bounds of TOA rules and stuff. Let's plot!

[raijintosworn]

AAAAAAAUGHHHHHHHHHH GUESS WHO'S SHADOWBANNED FOR THE SECOND TIIIIIIME

please don't interact with Innes for the moment. i gotta put in a support ticket and all that crap. hang tight!

[licehn]

PERFECT TEATIME?

A popular pastime in Garreg Mach is sharing tea and sweets with someone you wish to get closer to. Tables set up a short walk away from the student dormitories, semi-hidden away in picturesque little scenes, it's easy to while away the time with a bit of conversation on the side. However, beware. Just as it's easy to bond with someone, it's just as easy to make things awkward... 

A group of students organize a little blind meet-and-greet, ushering all participants to assigned tables, preparing all the drink and food you might require. The stage is set, so get talking! Send a numbered prompt from the list below to have your muse initiate a conversation with someone. For an extra bit of fun to simulate the game, randomize three numbers to send and bold the one your muse actually chooses. 

A new gambit...‎ ‎ 

A place you'd like to visit...‎ ‎ 

A strong battalion...‎ ‎ 

A word of advice...‎ ‎ 

Children at the market...‎ ‎ 

Close calls...‎ ‎ 

Cooking mishaps...‎ ‎ 

Equipment upkeep...‎ ‎ 

Evaluating allies...‎ ‎ 

Exploring the monastery...‎ ‎ 

Fódlan's future...‎ ‎ 

I'm counting on you...‎ ‎ 

Mighty weapons...‎ ‎ 

Monastery rules...‎ ‎ 

Monastery security...‎ ‎ 

Our first meeting...‎ ‎ 

Overcoming weaknesses...‎ ‎ 

Past laughs...‎ ‎ 

Potential training partners...‎ ‎ 

Reliable allies...‎ ‎ 

School days...‎ ‎ 

Someone you look up to...‎ ‎ 

Sturdy weapons...‎ ‎ 

Tell me about yourself...‎ ‎ 

Thanks for everything...‎ ‎ 

The ideal professor...‎ ‎ 

The last battle...‎ ‎ 

The library's collection...‎ ‎ 

The view from the bridge...‎ ‎ 

Things that bother you...‎ ‎ 

Working hours for guards...‎ ‎ 

Working together...‎ ‎ 

You seem well...‎ ‎ 

You're doing great work...‎ ‎ 

Your ambitions...‎ ‎ 

A dinner invitation...‎ ‎ 

Capable comrades...‎ ‎ 

Favorite sweets...‎ ‎ 

Food in the dining hall...‎ ‎ 

Garden mishaps...‎ ‎ 

Gifts you'd like to receive...‎ ‎ 

Shareable snacks...‎ ‎ 

Perfect recipes...‎ ‎ 

The ideal relationship...‎ ‎ 

Strange fish in the pond...‎ ‎ 

The existence of crests...‎ ‎ 

Cats...‎ ‎ 

Classes you might enjoy...‎ ‎ 

Plans for the future...‎ ‎ 

The opera...‎ ‎ 

Books you've read recently...‎ ‎ 

Cute monks...‎ ‎ 

Dining partners...‎ ‎ 

Fashion...‎ ‎ 

First crushes...‎ ‎ 

Guessing someone's age...‎ ‎ 

Heart-racing memories...‎ ‎ 

Hopes for your future...‎ ‎ 

I heard some gossip...‎ ‎ 

Relaxing at the sauna...‎ ‎ 

The courtyard couple...‎ ‎ 

Things you find romantic...‎ ‎ 

You seem different...‎ ‎ 

Dreamy knights...‎ ‎ 

Wildcard! Make up your own prompt.‎ ‎ 

[raijintosworn]

what loyalty means

[raijintosworn]

"In Fódlan, I am." His voice has some edge to it, unintentional, but Ryoma must set down boundaries. He is no lord, and hasn't been one for a long time. Saizo doesn't know this, and he can't know this. Ryoma can and will keep this secret.

He can't help the small, sad smile. "I am relieved to see you, as well." Ryoma never thought he would see Saizo again. The last he had heard, Saizo had died. This isn't the same Saizo, Ryoma knows this, but there's still relief.

There's a better world out there, and Saizo lives in it, as do his family. That brings Ryoma comfort.

"Takumi?" Ryoma chews on his cheek thoughtfully. That's hardly the response he ought to give, but this had been his attempt to be more casual about it. Of course, in a world where Saizo is alive, so too is Takumi. He nods.

"This is where we sent him?" Is he a student, or a professor? Sakura is a professor, so it stands to reason so too would Takumi. Same with Leo. It's hard to imagine Takumi as a professor.

Then again, it's difficult to imagine Saizo as a professor, yet here he is.

Saizo looks down at the offending sword, and Ryoma is quick to pick it up. He stares at the blade, which winks up at him in the early morning light. "I hardly expected to see someone this early." It's a flimsy excuse. "I have some flashes of paranoia from the war, I suspect."

Such as the paranoia that the gods could return Saizo to him so easily - it wouldn't be difficult to take him away again. His heart stutters at the thought.

[hoshidosflame]

Saizo lets out a quiet growl under his breath. It's not a sign of aggression or frustration, there's no bite back in response to the snap of his liege's tone. He will try his best to comply with Ryoma's wishes. How long it would take him to get used to speaking to him without the formalities, Saizo is unsure. He's managed it before, though now it was just a matter of getting back into the habit.

He can feel a frown tugging at the corners of his lips when he sees the melancholy smile form on the other's face. Saizo had many reasons for wearing his mask, mostly to cover his face and make himself seem unapproachable to avoid any unwanted attention from strangers but he's grateful for the cover it provides him in this moment.

"I don't have his schedule but he's an archery professor." That was the only thing the ninja was sure of. He needed to make time to check in with the younger man. His focus was Ryoma. His eye is still locked on the other man, not nearly as analyzing as he had been moments ago or at the beginning of their conversation.

"My apologies for catching you off guard. I'll try to be more mindful in the future." A part of him is not entirely convinced nor does he want to drop what little suspicion he's acquired in the short amount of time. For the sake of something more normal and familiar, he pulls his hand from the pouch of shuriken at his hip in favor of walking over to the weapon rack to retrieve a sword.

"If you would prefer to train by yourself, I can leave." Saizo's gaze averts towards Ryoma again, and he twirls the sword experimentally to test it's weight. "Or we could spar?" When was the last time they'd gotten a chance to do that? "Up to you."

[unsungblade]

✦ —𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐦𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐧𝐢𝐦𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐬.

↳ mission: anniversary 2025 ( +1 axe )

[unsungblade]

The dining hall staff always look uneasy when he tries to help out.

Not that Kris can blame them, in spite of his efforts to do better. If it isn’t one thing it’s another, and either way whatever he’s making never quite comes out right even with supervision. Who wouldn’t look at his years-long track record of this and see anything but a lost cause? Better that they just task him with cleaning up and the like instead and save trying to salvage his culinary skills or lack thereof for when there aren’t dozens of hungry mouths to cook for.

If all he has to do is swing the mallet to pound the rice though—and not smash the other person’s fingers in the process, ideally—it should be fine, right? They need all the hands they can get to meet the sheer demand for everyone’s latest food obsession, and the mallet’s weight isn’t much trouble for him at all.

Guess it’s not reassuring enough for some of the other volunteers, since that would make them the ones risking injury by partnering with him. He’d like to believe he wouldn’t, that he can restrain his physical strength enough the same way he does in training, in fighting battles where the aim isn’t to kill. It would be stranger if he couldn’t control it, but Kris supposes he’ll just have to keep looking around for someone brave enough to handle turning the mochi.

@raijintosworn :elwiwi:

[raijintosworn]

Ryoma cannot resist the allure of a dish from home.

He may not have the biggest sweet tooth, but that doesn't stop him from getting some. And some more. And some more. Until the kitchens run out, of course, and Ryoma is left in a mochi-free existence. He could call it quits here; surely he's had enough sugar.

Surely yes, but he still finds himself in the kitchens when he's told they're looking for aid. Who better to help than a Hoshidan?

Most people are paired up - Ryoma may have to reconsider his plan. He spots someone by himself, and this is Ryoma's chance. He isn't sure he trusts the mallet in a stranger's hands, but he would feel terrible crushing a stranger's fingers.

"Ah, are you looking for a partner?" Ryoma asks. "I can be quick when I need to be - and as a man of Hoshido, I know how to make mochi. Please, I don't mind helping you."

[azurelunae]

the art of teaching

anniversary 2025 | authority prompt

[azurelunae]

Uh oh, it's topsy-turvy day! What does that mean, you may ask? Professors are students, and students are professors, oh my! Will the students be able to come up with a lesson plan good enough to wow their professors? Will the professors still score well on their quizzes? What will the knights do? Really, it's a busy holiday, but don't ruin the fun by mentioning that.

Garreg Mach is unlike her tutelage under Father MacGregor. In Grado, her, her brother, and Lyon were the only students, and that afforded them time for discussion and other activities (or, in Ephraim's case, daydreaming). On the other hand, Garreg Mach is fast paced and there are so many students that she is sure that she will never learn all of their names. It would be most prudent to start with her class and work from there. One day, she may know them all by name, the professors included.

Unfortunately, she's yet to become acclimated to the grounds, much less everyone's names. Being a fresh face to the academy doesn't stop her from hailing a nearby student to get her bearings so that she isn't late. It wouldn't do for such an important task.

It doesn't take long to find the room she needs. Sunlight spills through the door as she pushes it open. Inside is a man with long, brown hair who seems to be about her age, as far as she can surmise. Eirika moves to the front of the class and stops in front of him. "Professor Ryoma, I presume?" She inclines her head in greeting. "I'm Eirika, Queen of Renais, but today I shall be your instructor."

@raijintosworn !!

[raijintosworn]

Ryoma will take any opportunity he can to help students grow. There are plenty of commoners, but there are also many, many noble students. Those students are the ones who will shape their countries - these students are the future.

So when this silly holiday comes along, Ryoma takes the opportunity with both hands. If a student cannot lead a class, then they cannot lead a battalion, a territory, or a country. Thankfully, the class consists of only Ryoma, but that does not mean he won't be a strict professor - or student, he supposes.

"Well met, Professor Eirika. You're correct - my name is Ryoma. Normally I am a sword instructor, but today, I am your student." He gestures to his parchment and inkwell. "What will we be learning today?"

[raijintosworn]

“…? Ryoma?”

No, it wasn’t Shiro this time. It really was his elder brother, deep in concentration at the training grounds. Takumi set down his bow and quiver and sat down nearby, watching - it’d be rude to interrupt him. Not that Takumi had never watched Ryoma from the sidelines like this before; rather, he’d done this many times, scrutinizing every move in the hopes of finding another to perfectly match it. As if that did him any good, he thought glumly.

The more he observed, though, the more Takumi saw it - there was something slightly different about this Ryoma. Something in the way he carried himself, or the emotion before each swing. This was probably a different Ryoma than the one he grew up with, then. But just as the Sakura he had met here was still his younger sister, so too was this Ryoma still his elder brother. Why would it be any different?

At last, there seemed to be a lull in Ryoma’s training. Takumi stood up and made his way over. “Ryoma!” he called out with a smile. “It’s great to see you here!”

The training grounds was just one of Ryoma's happy places. It was just him, his blade, and his thoughts. It was peaceful in a way few other things were. Plus, he appreciated one of the few moments he had alone.

He took a break in between sets to take a drink of water, and that was when he heard that voice. Ryoma startled at the sound of it, his heart seizing momentarily.

He had lost that sixth sense for his loved ones it seemed, if he didn't notice Takumi watching him. Evidently he had, from the way he called as he stood. How long had he been sitting there? Ryoma didn't dare to ask.

"Takumi!" Ryoma needed to assess the situation quickly. He could assume that this Takumi was from one of the brighter branches of fate, though he couldn't ask to confirm. He stood up a little straighter, trying to recapture the air of a prince once again.

He hated lying. He hated the truth even more.

"I'm happy to see you, as well." More happy than Takumi could ever know. While his Takumi had gone missing, presumed dead, it was still a relief to see that Takumi's fate wasn't sealed in another path. He hadn't needed to die. Bitterness coated his tongue all over again, but he revealed nothing.

"I hear you've become a professor. I'm very proud of you." Should he know this? Would Takumi have come all the way out here just for that? There was too much context he was missing. "If you have the time, I would like to speak with you, to catch up with what you have done here."

The perk of only being a professor: he could spend as much time with his family as he pleased, and the only problem it would cause was for his career, rather than his country.

[raijintosworn]

getting into Situations™

TOA anniversary board 2025 — reason +1

[otgolokh]

"...You."

Karel knows, in his heart, that he shouldn't be out for too long. Karla will certainly be in shambles if he leaves her alone for more than a day, her current state being as it is, and even with that aside... He is far too old to be moved by fancy. Rumors have no bearing on him, and yet he finds himself in these woods because of them. Why? a lack of anything more substantial to do with his time, perhaps.

But here, Karel has gotten far more than he could ever anticipate. He hasn't seen this man in nearly half a year's time, and had half a mind to think he had simply left the world itself behind, disappearing like smoke — As it turns out, it was just him.

...And, more than anything, Karel doesn't know why he's almost bitter over that. He has Karla by his side once more, he intends to keep her there for as long as she will allow, and that much should be enough; he needs no one else, and never has. And yet.

"...No. Stay here. There is much that we ought to... Discuss, I suppose."

Karel also supposes he owes Ryoma a few things, himself.

[raijintosworn]

Karel isn't shutting the door, it seems. Not that there is a door here to shut. Ryoma wants to shake himself. He nods. "Thank you."

He doesn't know what to say. He hadn't planned to say anything at all - not now, not ever. He hadn't planned to see Karel again, either.

He shifts uncomfortably. Well, they are here to bathe - he ought to undress. That's more comfortable, rather than standing there stiffly.

Karel is the only person to have seen Ryoma's scars since his death. If possible, he would like to keep it that way. Thankfully, it's just them; who else would come all the way out here?

"Where do I even begin?" Ryoma says as he leaves his things in a pile. "I suppose the beginning, no?"

He's stripped down to his underwear - previous intimacy aside, he feels too strange to undress further.

"The war destroyed us both. For you, those cracks showed quickly and easily. For me, it was much less obvious." He steps into the water and sinks in. He feels both better and worse; he cannot explain it.

"I used what we were to... cope, I suppose. That I may be useful to someone who needed me. Now, I'm not sure I helped you." He takes in a deep breath. This place is soothing, nostalgic.

"I wanted to believe I could somehow save you from your own darkness. It may sound ridiculous, and looking back, it was. What we had may not have been love, but it was healing, until it wasn't." It hadn't been a sudden thing, more of a gradual decline.

"My exit was sudden. I realised I had been using you to feel better about myself. You are not a crutch. I know if I sought you to end things in person, I would not have ended things at all." A pathetic and cowardly reason, from a coward of a man.

"None of my actions were the correct ones. I apologise. I hope my disappearance didn't cause you too much grief." Even to his own ears, it all sounds woefully hollow.

[scarletplain]

What’s Some Hanahaki Between, Um, Brother’s Situationship and Sister

↳ Karla & Ryoma Any+1

[scarletplain]

Karla is on her way to class for the day, from the town below the monastery. The morning sun is still too low to penetrate the treeline, so she carries a lantern with her, its flickering candle throwing small pockets of light before her, but not truly lighting up the relative darkness of early morning.

It sends shivers down her spine — the dark, the crunch of leaf litter and branch beneath skittering animal foot, the lantern itself, even. It reminds her of that time — or that day, as Karel had told her — in the mirror world, creeping and crawling through dark towers, hiding behind tree and inn and barn as she attempted to survive just a little longer. It coils something deep and sinister in her chest, and she hates it— she hates it — but she walks on, attempting to focus only on her footfalls, the path, and her destination.

As she comes closer to the monastery, she hears something. At first it is too far away to make itself clearly and cleanly known, but it still strikes a chord of anxiety in her chest, pulls her a little faster and deeper through the wood around her. As she gets closer and it becomes a clear coughing, her feet fly ever only faster, dancing and scattering over root to find —

A tall man, with long hair, back turned to her. If he were just a little thinner, hair just a little darker and less layered, she may mistake him for her brother. As it is, though, she doesn’t; she sees him bent against a tree, and from his lips...

... ... ? ...

Perhaps he’d eaten a strange plant, one that couldn’t be eaten here. That’s her first thought. But with the sun now at their backs, she hurriedly puts down her lantern and comes to his side, reaching a hand to his back.

“Get it out of your system,” she says, soothingly, steadying him. “There... you’ll be alright, once it is out of your system...”

@raijintosworn

[raijintosworn]

Ryoma knows he has been holding too much back.

It starts with tightness in his chest that he's been trying to ignore with medication. He can push past this, as he pushes past anything else. He can ignore the pain ripping through him.

That morning, his lungs finally give up, and he chokes up a whole meadow on the outskirts of town.

Ryoma is familiar with this disease, though it's never affected him before. Usually, it's a disease that affects those hiding romantic feelings. This doesn't apply to Ryoma. Yes, he's had his dalliances. Yes, he's seen Karel again for the first time in six months. Yes, there's also...

He looks around in between helpless chimes. He seems to be alone. Ryoma allows himself to cough harder, hacking until the petals that escape are dotted vivid red. He needs to get rid of what's in his chest, before the day begins and he hacks up something in front of students. For now, he's safe here.

This is part of the problem. This is a rarer strand of the disease, where emotional repression in general can infect the lungs. He did this to himself, and he knows that. He also knows he cannot stop now. Is it so wrong to want a normal life? Is it so wrong to run away? He knows he asks too much, and he knows he is selfish.

Someone approaches. Ryoma turns around, and he feels a branch inside of him shift. Dark hair, serious expression - he knows this too well.

"Kar-" No. This woman bears a striking resemblance to him, but she isn't him.

"I apologise. This can't be a flattering look." He tries a chuckle, but it hurts too much. Whatever is in his chest, he suspects it has thorns.

"I'll be alright." He turns around then and coughs up more flowers, though at this point, all that comes out are petals. He looks at the mess by his feet, flowers and blood. Lies stacked upon lies, a neat stack, so he thought.

This hardly looks neat at all.

"I need- I need a vulnerary, that is all." It's why he came to town before work in the first place. He could have gone to the academy healers, but he would rather have discretion.

[grxstnnefealltoir]

sorry for trying to kill you that one time || ryoma & darios

[grxstnnefealltoir]

"You certainly had the disposition and experience for it." The man's patience and understanding was a boon few had. That he and Xander had been able to set aside things for the sake of a fight that mattered nothing to him as a testament to his character.

All that being said, it makes his words cut far deeper than he knows.

"I had little choice in the matter. That plan... for all it should have worked, it didn't. I'm unsure of what I could've possibly done different, professor."

[raijintosworn]

"You are not a student; just 'Ryoma' is fine." It's strange speaking to someone who knows so much of Ryoma before, yet so little. He doesn't mind it exactly, but it's surreal all the same.

He shakes his head. "None of it matters to me anymore. You haven't caused any lasting harm, as far as I know." How are those twins doing? He doubts they would be all the way out here; they have a country to lead.

"You, and Corrin, have shown me a very valuable lesson: I am naive, and too trusting for my own good."

[raijintosworn]

Almost Like Home

TOA Anniversary Board 2025 — axe +1

[raijintosworn]

It was strange to see a facet of Hoshido all the way out here. While Ryoma may not have had the biggest sweet tooth, this didn't mean he didn't want to wake part. Especially when one of his favourite things about Hoshido was also at the academy.

"Ah, there you are, Sakura." He smiled warmly at her. If nothing else, he was always glad for the days he got to spend with her. He was glad the war hadn't taken everything from him. He lessened his regrets, if only a little.

"Have you heard? The kitchens are attempting to make mochi. I'm certain if he asked, we could borrow their equipment and some ingredients and make our own."

Would they have had bean paste, or would Ryoma and Sakura have to get creative for their filling? He wondered what else they could use. Would jam work, or would that be too messy? There was only one way to find out, either way.

"I promise, I will not hit your fingers." With his stature, it would make more sense for him to hold the mallet, and with her smaller size, she would probably mould it better than he could. It was a perfect arrangement.

"Would you be interested in showing Fódlan how things are done in Hoshido?"

[raijintosworn]

what loyalty means

[hoshidosflame]

"But you're not just any colleague." He was the king of their homeland. It doesn't matter how many times have they had this conversation. Like the bow he'd given, the formalities were also out of respect, and it was a habit he had never been able to fully break no matter how much Ryoma disliked it. In the days to come, Saizo would try, though he couldn't promise he would be successful in his attempts.

"For what it's worth, I'm glad you're here. Emergency or not." It's relief their homeland isn't in danger, and he knows his liege has appointed someone responsible to act in his stead while he's in Fodlan.

"Takumi is here as well. Though I regret to say I haven't made a point to approach him yet in order to ask how he's been faring." At most, he'd seen the younger man around campus. It seemed like he's been well. They've both been busy teaching their respective classes though.

His gaze averts to the blade Ryoma had dropped on the ground. That hadn't been the reaction Saizo was anticipating, and usually, the other man could pinpoint where he was hiding or recognize his light footsteps. During peacetimes, it was more difficult to keep his presence concealed from his liege.

Which made the reaction Ryoma had moments ago seem odd.

"It's not often that you're startled so easily anymore." The retainer falls silent for another moment or so as his eye does a quick scan of Ryoma to get a quick read on his body language. "Are you not feeling well?"

[raijintosworn]

"In Fódlan, I am." His voice has some edge to it, unintentional, but Ryoma must set down boundaries. He is no lord, and hasn't been one for a long time. Saizo doesn't know this, and he can't know this. Ryoma can and will keep this secret.

He can't help the small, sad smile. "I am relieved to see you, as well." Ryoma never thought he would see Saizo again. The last he had heard, Saizo had died. This isn't the same Saizo, Ryoma knows this, but there's still relief.

There's a better world out there, and Saizo lives in it, as do his family. That brings Ryoma comfort.

"Takumi?" Ryoma chews on his cheek thoughtfully. That's hardly the response he ought to give, but this had been his attempt to be more casual about it. Of course, in a world where Saizo is alive, so too is Takumi. He nods.

"This is where we sent him?" Is he a student, or a professor? Sakura is a professor, so it stands to reason so too would Takumi. Same with Leo. It's hard to imagine Takumi as a professor.

Then again, it's difficult to imagine Saizo as a professor, yet here he is.

Saizo looks down at the offending sword, and Ryoma is quick to pick it up. He stares at the blade, which winks up at him in the early morning light. "I hardly expected to see someone this early." It's a flimsy excuse. "I have some flashes of paranoia from the war, I suspect."

Such as the paranoia that the gods could return Saizo to him so easily - it wouldn't be difficult to take him away again. His heart stutters at the thought.

[raijintosworn]

the not-prince and the frogtainer

TOA anniversary 2025 — faith +1

[raijintosworn]

The lake always helps Ryoma gather his thoughts.

The water is pristine, sparkling. There's not another soul in sight. It's quiet, and Ryoma can simply be, with no further expectation.

he watches the fish under the lake's surface. There are rumours of quite rare fish here; perhaps he ought to try sometime. He notices a frog on a lily pad, with an interesting shape protruding from its head. He wonders what kind of frog would have such an antenna.

His wondering stops mattering when the poor little thing seems intent on drowning itself. With a startled gasp, Ryoma scoops up the frog into his calm.

"It's too early for frogs, is it not?" Ryoma asks. "This may explain your behaviour. A little out of it from spawning too soon? I understand your plight." He pokes the weird antenna. "Or is this a parasite that's harming you?"

He brings the frog closer, so that he may examine it. "Hm. How may I help you, my small friend?" He feels insane talking to a frog, but where's the harm? After all, it's just a frog.

@petalblight

[raijintosworn]

the not-prince and the frogtainer

TOA anniversary 2025 — faith +1

[raijintosworn]

getting into Situations™

TOA anniversary board 2025 — reason +1

[raijintosworn]

Ryoma has missed a good hot spring.

The steam room at Garreg Mach is good, but it cannot beat the full body submersion into hot water.

The moment Ryoma heard about it, he head out to it immediately. He had also heard that it may be cursed in some way, but that's a ridiculous notion. Surely it's just someone trying to scare others away. He brings a weapon just in case; he can always leave it in the pile of his clothes.

The spring is located in a quiet section of the woods, deep within. It's serene, though he can't hear any sound of wildlife at all. Strange, but not strange enough to put him off.

What does put him off, however, is that he's not alone.

He could handle a strange. This man, however, is hardly a stranger.

"Karel," Ryoma says, mild surprise colouring his tone. "It has been a while."

Six months, if memory serves. Ryoma hadn't intended to leave things the way he had. He supposes nothing changes; he remain a coward, both in Hoshido and in Fódlan.

"I can leave, if you prefer." Isn't that what he had told Karel that first night? He'd like to sink into a pit and never resurface.

"As, if I stay, I would like to discuss what happened." All of it: the short relationship, and Ryoma's prompt escape from it all. "I feel I owe you that much." And more, if Karel even cares to listen.

@otgolokh

[raijintosworn]

getting into Situations™

TOA anniversary board 2025 — reason +1

[raijintosworn]

what loyalty means

[hoshidosflame]

Saizo has always been an early riser no matter what time he’d climbed into bed the night before. Of course there were some nights where his sleep was more restful than others but with the work he’d done as a retainer, and his training as a child had prepared him well for such circumstances. And old habits tended to die hard.

Which is why he finds himself walking into the training grounds. He's grateful for the quiet, much like that other swordsman seems to be. It's the only part of the day where he can enjoy it. Once classes began for the day, it would be rather difficult to find this kind of peace with all students awake. Saizo had fallen into a comfortable routine though, and now that he had it, he would hope to keep it before it broke.

At the greeting he gives a low hum and a nod of his head in acknowledgment as he pulls a shuriken from the leather pouch at his hip before taking aim at one of the training dummies. And just as he's about to throw it, the ninja glances over at the swordsman again when he hears the blade clatter to the ground. His eye darts to sword at the other man's hip for a moment. That blade was unmistakable. Raijinto. When had his liege arrived?

“Lord Ryoma.” He bows low out of respect, his head remaining down for a few seconds longer before the ninja is straightening his back to stand upright again. “I remember telling you all was well in my recent letters.” The way he was talking made it seem like he’d been here for a while now. Surely his lord would have told him he was planning on travelling to Fodlan. 

“What happened? If there was an emergency, please let me know how I can be of assistance.” Maybe there something he missed in his report? For a moment, Saizo lets his concern flash through his eye and his brows furrow. Usually he was thorough and memorized every detail of the news he received from back home. Unless Takumi and Sakura were having trouble. Perhaps he should make a point to check on both of them more often.

[raijintosworn]

Ryoma pauses. Ah. It is as he feared; Saizo doesn't know. He calls him lord and bows to him like Ryoma didn't fail Hoshido - like he didn't fail Saizo. He struggles to maintain eye contact with him, but he will.

Just as he pretends with Sakura, he pretends with Saizo. He will be whatever Ryoma they believe him to be, and spare them both the reality of a worse world. He can do this much; he can protect them in this way.

"Please, I am no lord here. Speak to me as you would any colleague." He doesn't mention that he hates that Saizo calls him Lord, after all that happened: they both know he does. Ryoma also knows that Saizo struggles to call him anything else, but he doesn't want to draw attention. He's built a life here, a reputation outside of being Prince Ryoma.

He shakes his head. "I promise you, nothing is wrong at home." Can he make that promise? He's choosing to trust in himself, a man who walked a different path.

As Ryoma regards Saizo, he can't help the small frown. That unfamiliarity, that distance; so Ryoma broke his own promise to himself. He wants to know, but asking would reveal what he doesn't know, and he can't.

"There is no emergency. I suppose I was curious where Sakura had taken post." What of Takumi? And Hinoka? He doesn't know, but he's certain Sakura is here.

Is she the same Sakura that Saizo knows? Ryoma isn't sure.

The lies stack so neatly on top of each other, lie after lie. Ryoma doesn't hesitate.

"Your reports painted a picture, but I wanted to see the picture for myself."