» Will you not lay down your lance and walk the right path?

“History needs to remember that when Macedon went astray, it was a Macedonian who set things right.” { closed Minerva RP w/ The Officers Academy }

[reddragonprincess]

— rp blog for Minerva from fire emblem: shadow dragon, written by Ari (she/her, 27). Blue Lions allegiance, affiliated with the officers academy.

ミ☆ quick navigation; stat, thread tracker, about, mun, bonding, nav

Some useful information about my portray of Xena Warrior Princess Minerva the legendary Red Dragoon Knight -

✧ she has got a very tedious relationship with her brother, but she still loves him as part of the family;

✧ since she is a princess in her kingdom, she at times try to be in touch with some ambassadors of Mecedon;

✧ she decided to offer her knowledge in flying and be a new mentort and instructort at the Garreg mach Monastery;

✧ more tba!

[reddragonprincess]

♕ May activity check ♕

Skill points

activity

Activity Check – any +1

total — [ 46 + 1 = 47 ]

»»——⍟——«« »»——⍟——««

Points allocation

given to Faith [ C -> C* ]

Claims

Ethereal Ball reward -> Melon Crusher [pending]

»»——⍟——«« »»——⍟——««

On going threads

Have to reply ;

the climbing of friendship - Valter | Affluence, bow +1 @ valter shall we learn? – Kiran | Anniversary 2025, authority +1 @breidatactics Join Your Wings With Me (And Try Not to Die) – Claude | Anniversary 2025, authority +1 @failnaughted The Wyverns and the Bees. Is this anything? – Altena | Anniversary 2025, any skill +1 @luminousrider All thing precious – Maria | Fracture part 2, flying +1 @princessmacedon trust and cure – Niamh | Epidemic @boundlesschaos

»»——⍟——«« »»——⍟——««

Waiting for you;

The plague hunt - Sin | Epidemic, bow +1 @chryssaetos A training to learn, a training to fight - Chrom | Epidemic, bow +1 @soulsaligned clingy hearts and crushed boundaries - Lapis | Pearlescent @lazulienne a flier's bane – Valter | bow +1 @knighteclipsed

»»——⍟——«« »»——⍟——««

[reddragonprincess]

when two gentle souls met | Minerva+Ashe

toaball 2026 continuing from here

[reddragonprincess]

@lunaestice

The innocent look in his eyes immediately made the Macedon woman hesitate for a moment, as they incredibly reminded her of her little sister Maria. How could she say no to such naïve and gentle student? She made a sincere smile and after a gentle pat on his shoulder, she consented to his request.

“I’d be glad to be helpful to you and to that little kitty” and she glanced over, to try spotting the kitten around, but obviously it escaped from the hustle. “We shall start looking around the area where you found it, I’m sure it’ll be back if it’s hungry” and she nodded a little as she listened to him eventually explaining where he found it before arriving there.

Despite everything, she couldn’t really give up on him, especially when she spotted a pure soul and a gentle heart like his. But before anything else, she wanted to returned the flower, since by pure chance, they shared the very same bouquet.

“A token for your gentleness” she exchanged the flowers, then she settled for the research. "Lead the way!"

[reddragonprincess]

when the flowers met, so does the heart | Minerva+Altena

continuing from here

[luminousrider]

Altena wonders if wearing gold this year might make the flush that surely spreads across her cheeks less obvious than if she wore red again. Minerva is going to think she's so lame for this. Everyone is. She really really hopes no one who might turn this into a thing happens to notice.

She's not entirely sure what she should do with her own hands but, thankfully, there are enough other couples dancing that she's able to look around and figure it out from their example. Shoulders then. That's doable. Her hands hover awkwardly a moment over Minerva's before she commits to it.

And she's not entirely sure where she should look either. When she looks around to see what others are doing for that, the inspiration is less helpful. That person has their head leaning against their partner's shoulder. And over there is someone looking deep into the other's eyes. Both options feel way too bold. Awkwardly over the shoulder it is then.

She still needs to figure out what to talk about. Is she supposed to talk? Minerva is. It feels too intimate with nothing between them but the music. "The weather is nice." Idiot. No it isn't. It's been dreary and cold and miserable. "I mean, if you like weather like this maybe it would be. I don't."

[reddragonprincess]

The uncertain touch of Altena made the Macedon princess amused, but at the same time doubtful: didn’t she feel at ease with her? She felt a little disappointed thinking so, so she shrugged off the bad vibes and she did her best to lead the dance, wondering if the brunette would love to something else or if she was actually enjoining the evening with her.

“Don’t worry… we don’t need words” she simple said as she delicately felt the head of the young woman placing over her shoulders, a soft touch that Minerva enjoyed with guilty pleasure. In all response, she simply twiirled around with her, moving along the ballroom with slow pace, but steady, until the music eventually finished –dancing, enjoying each other company, feeling each other bodies, hearts, feelings. As most couples bowed in gratitude to their partners, the two of them were still there, together.

“We can do another round, if you wish” and she let go of her sumptuous body, her hand handed her one of his flowers, a hyacinth. “For you and for your boldness in dancing with me”

[lazulienne]

    Ferried away from the silver-haired stranger, Lapis shoots a look back behind them as they walk away, a part of her worrying maybe she'd committed some ball-specific faux paus. But in looking back, she sees the scout merely tut and then shrug their shoulders, twirling their cane before they, too, blend into the crowd and disappear amidst the sea of people.

Lapis is brought back to her senses, broken from that brief period of captive thought, when Minerva stops and speaks again, commanding the Brodian's full attention.

“Minerva...” She's not sure if Minerva actually fully means that compliment; her, perfect? But the more the Dragoon speaks, the more it continues past those uncertain praises and towards something easier to believe.

Your choices are always what matter the most.

It gives food for thought, and she lets that strike its chord with her to mull over. The flower transfers bouquets, and for it, Lapis at last breaks out into a smile.

“Thanks. I should've pulled myself out of there first, but these balls still make me nervous, it looks,” she admits with some degree of shame. Nevertheless, she tries to stand a bit taller, a bit more radiant. “That's the second time you've pulled me from a weird situation, huh? One of these days, I'll back you up with my full strength too! On my pride as a tourney winner.”

But before that, Lapis pulls one of her orchids from her bouquet and finishes the trade, planting it in Minerva's own.

“And that orchid will be a sign of my promise, OK? Hehe.”

[reddragonprincess]

Seeing her radiant smile made Minerva feel less worried and even prouder of how much that tiny girl was proving herself to be a worthy woman and a worthy fighter: despite the situations, despite the difficulties, she was glad that the pink-haired girl did not let those thought bring her mood down, especially by the mischievous comments explicated by that strange guy that finally disappeared in the crowd.

“I am truly glad to be able to protect you twice” she answered, a gentle smirk tugged her lips as Lapis always reminded Minerva of her little sister Maria; that was probably why she felt so attached to her and she felt the urge to protect her from any danger, even though she proved herself strong enough to take care of herself.

To complete her trust, a special gift given by the petite girl, a kind token she happily added to her bouquet, a proud present from her adoptive sister, even though she perfectly knew it wasn’t the case –but perhaps Maria wouldn’t mind about it, huh?

“A promise we ought to keep. Together” and she made a small bow with her head, as to honour their growing relationship and to respect the audacious spirit of a warrior – a kin spirit which she was utterly happy to have found in her.

[reddragonprincess]

a matter of trust | Minerva+Hector

toaball 2026 continuing from here

[reddragonprincess]

@of-ostia

The audacity with which he slammed the flower on the table was quite impressive for Minerva, who changed expression, a smirk tugged her lips and as she quickly rummaged in her own bouquet, she did it as well: she slammed a hyacinth on the table and defiantly, she accepted the challenge –she wasn’t the type of person to  retreat in the face of these occasions.

“Deal. Now, let me sip that thing” and she picked the little spoon inside the dessert, she took a small portion of food and she finally put it in her mouth: the taste was familiar, not totally known, but a strange numbness gripped her tongue, causing her to express disgust. He as kinda right.

“It’s… not poison. But definitely not very tasty, that’s for sure” she made a grimace, then quickly searched for a glass of anything, just to rinse her mouth of that strange taste. “Here, take my hyacinth as an excuse” she took the flower and offered it, while still feeling the tongue a little dizzy. “I’ll take yours as a reminder to trust people more” and she made a thin smile, admitting defeat and enjoying the little trophy.

[cervanke]

@reddragonprincess offered an invitation　⬩　[ FLOWER ARRANGEMENT ] - Tired of the feisty atmosphere hovering around the entire ballroom, Minerva decided to change zone, aiming at something she wasn’t actually quite accustomed with –gardening. To be more precise, the idea of creating a unique bouquet for her sister Maria popped in her mind as soon as she saw the little workshop in the garden outside the ball area and since she was a complete failure in arrangements, she decided to put all her faith in someone who could actually help her for real. “What kind of works do you do?” she directly addressed to one of the young girl working behind the stand; her simple outfit definitely caught Minerva’s attention, but most of all, the beautiful bouquet of lilies that stood out from her arms. Lilies reminded her of Maria.

FRESH STALKS OF EUCALYPTUS IN ARM ,　𐂂　she's dropping them off in one of the buckets where only a few last strips remain when she spots an empty gap at one of the tables ; easy strides slide in to fill it easily——"hey hey ~ !"——and a cheerful greeting brings the next customer in. mom used to tell her she'd run a great shop in a big city near the capital somewhere when she still had the energy to dream, and she thinks of that out of the blue now as she listens to the woman's question, weight resting on an arm braced on the table top.

maybe if things had been different, she would be doing something like that: ' ananke's flower shop ' didn't have a bad ring to it, but it'd never have brought in enough money.

"honestly? i'm actually best at wreaths. but that's not what we're doing today. we can do bouquets, boutonnieres, corsages, crowns ; something simple, something complex." she gestures as she talks, indicating the different buckets of flowers and filler greenery they have available, encouraging the stranger to start with anything that catches her eye. "just make sure you leave enough for everyone else. it's gotten pretty popular, but once the flowers run out, they're out."

"what do you have in mind? i suggest starting with a color palette, or even just one specific flower that you know you want to pop."

[reddragonprincess]

The eagerness of the young girl certainly startled Minerva, who did not expect such enthusiasm in doing those kind of things: perhaps she enjoyed flowers or perhaps she simply didn’t like anything else, but that was too rude to think about and while the cute girl explained the possibilities, the Macedon princess tried her best to think something that Maria might actually like and wear. Though making a wreaths was the easiest option, Maria would surely like it –a pity she couldn’t do that.

“A crown sounds quite pretty for her..” she thought aloud as she observed the various arrangements already done and displaced on the table, then she shifted her gaze over the young girl speaking, confirming her choice of flowers. “Lillies. I like them very much. Possibly white” and she looked at the stand, searching for them.

“I want to make a special gift, so, would you recommend to put other flowers too?”

[reddragonprincess]

the magic of popping the corn | Minerva+Eliwood

toaball 2026 continuing from here

[reddragonprincess]

@of-pherae

The gentle manners of the young man reassured Minerva, who eased up a little and as he carefully put the corns kernel in the skillet, she patiently waited to see what kind of sorcery would happen to make those little corn transform into something bigger and satiable for both of them.

Few seconds passed and the magic was beginning to happen: for the skillet, the little corn kernel they started hopping around the pan, popping and changing shape and colour… until they eventually became white and kind of fluffy at the sight.

What kind of magic is that..? she thought to herself as she admired the transformation in awe as she never expected such happening to a handful of tiny seeds. Even the words of the man next to her were of bewilderment and as the magic finished, he put the remaining food into a bowl, offering it to her. in all response, Minerva picked the tiny exploded corn kernel and as she savoured it, she nodded, looking around to find a proper topping.

“By the way, I’m Minerva, I'm not quite sure we have met...” she forgot to introduce herself, but she was too raptured by the strange magic happened just few minutes ago. “And for your kindness in showing me how to make this magic, please, accept this flower” she handed him a hyacinth extracted from her bouquet, “Perhaps flowers could flavour their taste, if properly mixed”

[lazulienne]

@reddragonprincess sent: [ NETWORK ] - One of your fellow ball-goers is being accosted, and getting into earshot, you realize it’s by someone who claims to be one of the scouts looking for talent. But they’re being a little pushy, aren’t they? And are you sure they’re really who they say they are?

Still getting into the hang of her dress, Minerva couldn’t help but catch with the corner of her eye a familiar figure, a petite girl that reminded the Macedon princess of her little sister: as she turned, to properly watched the young student, she realized that the fluttering dress she wore perfectly matched with the orchids in her arms, delicately depicting her figure with soft tone. She was quite lovely, if it wasn’t for someone who accosted her with a persistent and pushy manner, seeking something from her, but clearly not giving her the right time to reply or react.

Without further delay, she immediately walked towards her, shielding her a little as she came by her side: “Mind if I take her for a moment?” she hissed at the other interlocutor, harsh in tone and manners, “Be my guest and let her breathe for a moment, shall we?” she was a bit intimidatory, but also authoritative.

Is that some sort of déjà vu? ( ethereal ball — first half. )

    Though Minerva's tone makes the supposed scout flinch at first, they quickly rebound, gaining a second wind as the sly grin works its way onto their face once more.

“If you're a friend of hers, then you'll want to hear this too. After all, you're concerned for her well-being, aren't you?” the silver-haired beauty says. They're as handsome as they come, able to have matched the general air of the event guests with relative ease. Even as Lapis's complexion is pale and she nervously holds the bottom of her dress in her clear anxiety, the scout seems to appear no longer fazed, holding the conversation in the palm of their hands.

“I know the pay for knights and faculty members here isn't as good as it could be. The constant threat of getting involved in petty problems and bandits every season... who would want to be tied down to such a life?” they elaborate, starting to spin their pitch anew to Minerva. “I mean, look at her dress! Hardly fitting for the season, no?”

The silver-haired stranger takes their cane and flips up one of the tails to Lapis's ribbon on the front of her dress. The Brodian's face twists in her surprise before it scrunches up in a simmering frustration. Her brows furrow and her eyes narrow, but the scout only seems to take it as a good thing, laughing it off.

“But with a sponsor the gifts of those who adore you, a gorgeous gown fit for each specific occasion is no trouble at all. She could better match you too,” they hum, looking over Minerva's own elegant gown with an approving nod. “So I was telling her to quit her job here and join my company. I'll make her a star, and she won't even have to think about money.”

Lapis clenches her fist, having half a mind to punch the scout to scare them off herself. A thin thing like them would be nothing, but it is in seeing all these splendid outfits that she's reminded where she is.

It's not a den to brawl. It's a place to dance, something out of her wheelhouse.

And for it, she suddenly can't find her strength despite the fact it's her biggest asset. She's pulled into a darker place than when she'd simply been adored by an unwanted admirer the last time Minerva came to her rescue. That one plied with compliments.

This one meanwhile hit her where she was weak.

Quietly and ruefully, Lapis whispers to Minerva, asking, “Do I... really look that bad?”

[reddragonprincess]

As soon as Minerva spoke, the stranger seemed bewildered at first, but they began to fill the entire conversation with their talks, explaining how much the poor girl needed a refresh in her image and needed a new job to put some care in what she looked like. Or, that was what Minerva what she understood from the whole speech of that stranger who spoke in a bizarre way.

Minerva kept quiet, she wanted to understand where they wanted to end up, but the more they spoke, the more she felt the uneasy feeling of dragging Lapis away from that unrealistic situation; they just wanted to convince her to leave the academy and begin a career as a model or who knows what other nonsense they could invent as the dialogue continue on.

As the Macedon princess shifted her gaze on Lapis, she could hear the petite girl asking a very silly question, or at least, silly for Minerva; in all response, the red-haired woman grabbed with delicacy the hand of Lapis, made a small hint with her head to the stranger and dragged the young girl away from that situation, hushing any possible questions coming from that liar from behind them.

“She had enough” she cut him off and she proceeded to distance them far enough from both of them to calmly speak to each other, in order to reassure Lapis from what have just happened. She stopped, turned to face the girl and stared into her eyes, trying to sound as honest and sincere as possible.

“Your dress is cute and you are perfectly fit for that” she started off, letting her feel a bit more confident, hopefully, “And what you do not define you as a person. You do it because you chose it and tour choices are always what matter the most” she wasn’t very good with words, but she tried her best to help her getting through that situation.

“You know what’s lacking though? A flower” and she brought out one of her hyacinth from the bouquet. “Here, now your dress and your look is very complete and very beautiful”

[reddragonprincess]

[ GOSSIP ]

"Minvera!"

Where did he come from? Approaching from the side seemingly from no where, arms spread in a gesture of welcome, Sigurd extended a hand to shake as one warrior to another and clapped her on the shoulder.

"You look lovely, of course. Perhaps later I shall ask for a dance. Oh - that is, if you are not otherwise occupied.

"Do you know," and here he lowered his voice, conspiratorial, leaning in and speaking behind one hand the better for only Minerva's ears to hear, "she is my niece. I know! Where could a lovely young lady like that have gotten blood of my blood - my sister's daughter, and she has none of my boorishness, I can assure you."

Among all the people that lingered around the ballroom, a distinguished knight appeared and headed towards Minerva, who actually immediately recognised the visage and greeted him with the same cordiality and manners of the latter.

“You and your wife were splendid, I saw you entered the ballroom with elegance and royalty, the one that distinguishes you, Sir Sigurd” she made a little nod with her head, approving the possibility of a dance, yet felt immediately embarrassed at the conclusion of his phrase, at the mention of her niece.

“I-I didn’t know it…But I could definitely could have told it by the boldness in her eyes” she tried to correct her tone, turning slightly to the right to hide her blush; despite she felt bold and daring in front of Altena, she, in truth, felt utterly melted whenever she was with her. But of course she had an attitude to cover!

“Indeed she has got all my attention now, but later I'd be flattered to have a dance with you” she confirmed, trying to slip away from the previous topic, “I leave you this hyacinth as a token of gratitude for the invitation and please, send my regards to your wife as well!” and she offered one of her flower, gently offering it to him with a genuine smile.

[reddragonprincess]

when the flowers met, so does the heart | Minerva+Altena

continuing from here

[reddragonprincess]

@luminousrider

“Me neither” she simply replied, the smirk on her face slowly grew wider, into a genuine smile, a somewhat allusive expression, but she just picked her hands and placed them on her shoulders, then she gradually let her hands slide along Altena's bare arms, brushing the petals of the tulips, which were placed together with the hyacinths between their bodies, wisely put as if they couldn’t fully became that close to each other. Then, Minerva’s hands lastly landed on her hips, slightly above them, she didn't want to appear too intrusive in front of her.

She accepted the compliment with a glance, her response was not long in coming, “You shine like a diamond in the night sky, Altena” she actually admired her dress a lot, her boldness in choosing that was somewhat attractive to the Macedon princess, who considered it a trait of beauty and strength.

Then, she began to walk, slowly, guiding the bodies along the ballroom, hands gently tightening the grip, but always with a delicate touch. “I hope our bouquet do not squeeze to much between our bodies” she made a small laughter, implicating that the vicinity of their figures might get a little… dangerous.  

[reddragonprincess]

[ SHAVED ICE ]

"Wait!!"

Hector throws out a hand to stop her, his lips stained blue and his eyes grave.

"I think these ice things been poisoned. I ate mine in one go and it gave me the worst headache."

On the verge of foretasting the delicious dessert, a shout startled the Macedon princess, who abruptly turned to see the intrusive voice and to give it a face. A familiar face, to be honest.

"Are you sure about that?" she was lapidary, she hated when she was being interrupted while doing something pleasing or important. "An headache isn't a symptom of poisoning"

[reddragonprincess]

[ PHOTO-ARTIFEX ] "Sister, Sister!" Maria beckons her to lean over, swiftly seizing her chance and tucking one of her roses into Minerva's hair. Then, with a triumphant giggle, she links their arms, waving at a friend nearby she'd asked to take a photo of them.

"I want to remember all our happy moments forever... Hee hee! Minerva, do you know what they tell you to say when you use these? --say 'cheese'!"

As soon as Minerva heard that voice, she couldn’t help but fall in love with the immense joy she felt as she felt Maria’s touch on her skin, her carefree needing of attention as she beckoned her to lean towards her short figure and in less than a moment, she had a rose in between her hair. She simply smiled, grateful for that moment, grateful for having her, grateful for being able to feel much love and affection through a singular person, individual, part of her world.

“This is going to be one of the many moments we’ll remember and treasure with love” she heartily laughed as she gently embraced her sister, their bouquets melting together in the shot, then her glance slipped over her head, as she observed her from above.

“I’m sure this colour suits you better than me” and she offered the hyacinths, placing them in between her arms, “What do you think? Maybe we should swap and take another shot!” she was having fun, like she never did since a while, genuinely, with all her heart.

[reddragonprincess]

⚔︎ flowers are the best harmless weapon ⚔︎

Another year, another invitation, yet Minerva wasn’t perplexed or discouraged this time though; she observed the letter with curiosity, eagerness, actually a kind of excitement. Last year was something unusual for her: she experienced new relationships, she experienced new feelings, she experienced something deep and unfamiliar for her, quite ethereal and bizarre, but still pleasant and appreciated. She has felt alive.

With a firm nod, she simply accepted her fate and on that fateful evening, she presented herself with boldness and confidence: crafted in a deep wine-red shade that shifted between crimson and burgundy under the light (that actually reminded of her eyes), the dress embraced both softness and authority, romance and grandeur –a perfect dualism for the Macedon princess. Completing her look, the bouquet gifted by the academy, expertly chosen for her: it felt like the first breath of spring gathered gently in someone’s hands — delicate, fragrant, and quietly radiant in its blend of soft pink, creamy white, and velvety purple hyacinths. Though small in size, it carries an unmistakable richness, resembling the fierce and audacious character of the woman.

Despite the indifference she felt towards those kind of events, Minerva decided to put her disgust aside and bring all the positive things she felt in the past ball, in the hope to renew these feelings again – with someone close, or perhaps with someone new?

💐 Minerva has got an Hyacinths bouquet 💐

Ethereal Ball tracker ;

🌹 Roses : Eliwood, Maria, Hector, Sigurd

🌼 Lilies : Ananke

💮 Orchids : Lapis

🪻 Hyacinths : Ashe

🌷 Tulips : Altena

Her outfit beneath the cut!

[knighteclipsed]

a flier's bane (now their weapon)

“Back in Garreg Mach, speculation arises that faith magic will never…” | Mission Board: Epidemic | Bow +1

[knighteclipsed]

Back in Garreg Mach, speculation arises that faith magic will never accomplish anything with the current epidemic. Indeed it never could, this passionate group of apothecaries claim, because magic is inferior to medicine! The Health Committee at the academy is on the job trying to concoct their own remedy to the symptoms the investigative team in Bergliez reports, but they need to stock up on various resources for their trials. They can grab the medicinal plants just fine, but what they need an extra hand in is retrieving the meat, liver, and beaks of flying demonic beasts. Swift and good at dodging attacks, the only reliable way to down them is with bows, and so every archer in the monastery is being put on the hunt. [Grants Bow +1]

Track. Aim. Fire. Repeat.

Track. Aim. Fire. Repeat.

Valter is not an archer—spears and lances were his preference in combat, and they have been for the longest time—but there is a nostalgia that comes from knowing he was tasked with hunting a thing.

—and not just because that was the vocabulary he liked to employ when describing combat. The act of tracking was consistent throughout all his years; to aim and fire a bow was a rhythm he’d learned in youth; and the repetition of it all was familiar, if rusted by decades passed.

Valter is not an archer—but he was once, before his preferences shifted.

“ Have you any experience with a bow? ” he asks—this, to his partner in the deed, the elder sister of Maria. (How odd that they should chance running into each other again now, but there were certainly worse options, and given the little cleric’s stunts with medicine, the Moonstone could not color himself surprised.) “ Now may not be the best time to learn if not. They’re considered difficult to catch for a reason. ”

—but certainly not impossible, or else their innards wouldn’t be so relied upon as resources. (Then again, this was a plague they were dealing with, so perhaps the known cures weren’t as refined as some other, more common ailments’.) Though rust still clung to his bow arm, the knight was confident he could fell at least a few.

Track. Aim. Fire. Repeat.

(If he focused his attention, he could swear he heard the beating of their wings; distant, but near enough. Certainly, they were close enough to be shot.)

He draws his first arrow, eyes darting about for a first pick. Half to himself and half to Minerva, he muses, “ I suppose they’re not bad target practice regardless. ”

let's kill things, yayyyyyyyyy ( @reddragonprincess )

[reddragonprincess]

The situation was becoming more and more drastic among the monastery and despite the several researches, many ingredients were still missing for the Health Committee to use for their experiments: meat, liver, beaks and many more parts of body that were exceptionally difficult to retrieve, if not by taking them directly from the corpses of the defeated beasts. That was the only possible solution that took less time than anything ese and of course many knights and professors were called out to help the research, if capable of hunting those beasts; Minerva was on the first line for this, she could not do otherwise and she could not be less, for the people of the monastery. Yet, there was a little inconvenient –the skill of using bows.

Minerva wasn’t still very practical with them, despite she used to hunt a lot in her homeland: she usually went by axes or lances, her favourite weapons, but as many suggested, the beasts in question were difficult and extremely dangerous to approach –the safest way to get closer to them was, of course, bow and arrows. On the other hand though, the Macedon princess did have some practice while actually hunting with another student in the past months, but luckily for them, the creatures they decided to hunt weren’t exactly hostile and aggressive –just a little bit curious and cautious, especially in presence of human beings.

This expedition, this task this mission was actually something that the red-haired woman was craving to do since a long time by now and despite all the odds, she ended up being paired up with a person that she truly did not expect to be a partner in hunt –but to be fair, she always thought of him as a great fighter and a fierce hunter, so what a better occasion to proof so?

Yet, before anything else, a point-blank question almost made the Macedon princess flinched for a moment, though not losing her composure as she nonchalantly replied to him. “Yes, I used to hunt, but… it’s been a while now” she looked away for a moment, staring at the forest in front of them, a large open field filled with monsters of any kind. “But I’m sure you’re more practical than me, I suppose” she smirked, observing him as he drew the arrow, pointing at something in the middle of the forest. Then, she heard a shrill sound, a call, and something larger than she expected emerged from a tree, floating over their heads for a moment, then returning to the treetops where it came out from.

“Fuck… did you see that?” she yelled with a low voice as she crouched a little, not wating to get the creature's attention. Did he… know that the creature was coming out of that tree?! She thought to herself as she stared at him for a long moment, before putting her thoughts into words.

“Is that our prey?” she asked, then she shifted her gaze back at the winged beast, trying to get a more precise idea of what it was, even though it still was too far from them by now. not too far for bows, though.

[failnaughted]

Join Your Wings With Me (And Try Not to Die) || Claude & Minerva

Mission: Authority +1 || @reddragonprincess || Mission Season: Anniversary 2025

[failnaughted]

So, it has officially been 0 days since the Academy's last nonsense the Academy came up with a new way of sharing experiences and broadening horizons for students and faculty alike, it would seem. For a day, students have taken up the mantle of teaching, while teachers take their places in the classrooms and take diligent notes.

Now, Claude tends to be a little more reserved about the school's bright ideas than most - even if that one time they used bow and arrows to splash paint on the walls was kinda fun - but this one is both interesting and funny enough to him that he found himself signing up. Besides, as a House Leader, he was kinda expected to do so, anyway. Gotta show how he can direct those around him and all.

One thing leads to another, and Claude eventually finds himself with his faithful Nadia on the field, alongside a few faculty members, a couple Knights likely led here by curiosity, and some students not partaking in the exchange - as well as their flying mounts, whether personal or borrowed from the monastery's stables for the exercise. Looking at a few of the younger faces and the expressions on them, the Riegan quickly realizes - some of them will be flying for maybe second or third time at most under his guidance today. Yep, no pressure at all. None whatsoever.

But in that case, it might be best to start with a little debrief.

"Okay, so." Patting Nadia's nose as she lets out a huff, Claude eyes his "class" with a smile that hopefully looks confident. "Before we get up there, I wanna make sure we're all on the same page." His gaze lands on one of the students, and her eyes widen as he points a finger gun at her. "So, tell me. What does this wyvern mean to you?"

A moment of silence. "Um... It's my mount?"

Claude chuckles. "Heh. Well, I can't say you're wrong, but I would rather he be more to you than that." As he continues speaking, he slowly comes closer to the girl and the animal beside her. "Our mounts are our friends and companions. Whether it's a horse, a pegasus, a wyvern or a wolf - out there in the field, we're always together."

"But I've... never flown this one before. I don't know how to do it."

The Deer doesn't respond to her at first. Instead, he looks at her mount; his hand reaches out in a practiced, slow, measured movement, towards the wyvern's snout. The reptile eyes him for a moment, as though saying: I'm gonna need more than that.

I got you, the Riegan responds in his mind, and closes his eyes. A moment passes in the darkness, before he feels the scaly forehead meet his open palm. Carefully, he moves his fingers to give it a little scratch, before looking to the student and reaching for her wrist with his other arm. Slowly, he removes his hand from the wyvern, and places hers where it used to be.

The wyvern lets out a low, rumbling coo - and flops to the ground. Claude laughs.

"See? There. You've got to get to know each other and give each other time. After all, you'll be entrusting each other with your lives up there." Seeing in her eyes he may have terrified her a little with that statement, he huffs in amusement. "Don't give me that look, it goes both ways. You'll be trusting he doesn't throw you off, and he'll be trusting you don't direct him to crash on the ground, you know?"

With that, he looks at the others in the group, and his eyes stop at one of the faculty and the large wyvern beside her. The instant he sees them, he knows - that's experience right there.

Grinning, he places one hand on his hip as he looks at her.

"How about you give my question a shot?" With his head, he gestures towards her mount. "What does this wyvern mean to you?"

[reddragonprincess]

This period of the year was something very profitable for Minerva, who extremely enjoyed participating in seminars held by students; she has already been to one of them, about a weapon she wasn’t that used to control and wield, but for this very reason she decided to give young students a chance and learn something she wasn’t expecting to learn from a person younger than her. Yet, that wasn’t the only experience she decided to take, this year: too much of her surprise, she discovered a curious seminar about her own mastery –flying. To be more precise, the seminar would be about the basics of flying and everything you needed to know about mounts, especially about  wyverns, since the requirement of participating in that particular lecture was owning a wyvern to bring with you and to learn to mount.

This could be interesting for us, Minerva thought to herself as she made a little whistle, a familiar catchword for her beloved wyvern, Freyja, and in less than a minute, the huge wyvern hovered over her slim silhouette, carefully landing by her side. “We’ll get to participate together, aren’t we lucky?” she chuckled as she tenderly placed a palm on her muzzle, a soft caress before heading in the Training Hall, where the seminar would be held, like the manifest said.

As she entered the large arena, she noticed with pleasure that many people arranged to meet there, each one of them owning a wyvern – or that was what Minerva thought, as she really didn’t know that so many faculty and professors had a wyvern by themselves. Impressive, she thought as she slowly joined the crowd, which was silently listening to a young student talking in front of them, by his side a lovely wyvern. So lovely that even Freyja must have noticed her, as she gave a little snudge at Minerva’s shoulder as they drew closer.

“Calm, you’ll get to know her… maybe, later” she quieted her with a small gesture of her hand, a delicate touch and the wyvern crouched by her side, silently and patiently waiting for her opportunity. In the meanwhile, the young student seemed to know how to catch the attention of the public, asking a particular question.

So, tell me. What does this wyvern mean to you?

An interesting question indeed and Minerva herself thought of a possible answer to that: words couldn’t describe how much she adored her wyvern, how much she cared for her and how much she deserved the world for the Macedon princess. As every single thought fluttered in her mind, Minerva found herself staring at Freyja with a lovely glance, hoping that all the love she expressed to her, directly arrived at her heart, in some way. She distractedly listened to what the other girl replied, smirking a little as she couldn’t help but extremely disagree with what she was saying: Truly, just a mount? Hmph, what a superficial person, but the reaction of the young student certainly did not pass unobserved and she began to listen more carefully, since she slowly realized that he was actually into what he was teaching.

Then, another reply from the girl, insecurities overflowing her words, but again, the young boy demonstrated to be more than a simple person who knew how to mount an animal: he showed her how to make the creature trust you and he showed it in a way that even Minerva couldn’t have done it more appropriately than that. “Amazing…” her thought slipped from her lips, few people heard her comment and even Freyja noticed the interest that was slowly increasing in Minerva’s mind. Then, their eyes met and the question immediately redirected to her.

“My wyvern means so much that I cannot put it into words” she lied, for a moment, just to be sure she wouldn’t attract too much attention on her –in the end, she was a student now, not the teacher. She wanted to enjoy the real experience. “But I can tell you one thing: she knows how I am feeling and I know how she is feeling. It’s like a deep connection” she interrupted herself, staring at the young boy.

“Asking you the same question might sound a bit too obvious, so I’d like to change the subject: what are YOU for your own wyvern?”

Using grammar as a weapon wasn’t exactly her usual attitude, but she would like to test the boy and see how much he deserved to be there, teaching others about bonding and love towards a creature like a wyvern, which, to be true, weren’t that easy to tame –and it was obvious that the bond between he and his wyvern was strong, Minerva could feel it from afar and she was actually pretty curious about it.

[reddragonprincess]

♕ April activity check ♕

A little head up for everyone threading with me: if you haven't received any reply from me in about more than a month (or if you don't see our thread here in the activity or in the tracker), please dm me or ping me on Discord or reach out in any way, I'll be glad to discuss it! ⸜(｡˃ ᵕ ˂ )⸝♡

Skill points

activity

Activity Check – any +1

total — [ 45 + 1 = 46 ]

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Points allocation

given to Bow [ C -> C* ]

Claims

-

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On going threads

Have to reply ;

the climbing of friendship - Valter | Affluence, bow +1 + a flier's bane – Valter | bow +1 @knighteclipsed

shall we learn? – Kiran | Anniversary 2025, authority +1 @breidatactics

Join Your Wings With Me (And Try Not to Die) – Claude | Anniversary 2025, authority +1 @failnaughted [ super sorry again, but glad we talked about it ε(´｡•᎑•`)っ 💕 )

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Waiting for you;

The Wyverns and the Bees. Is this anything? – Altena | Anniversary 2025, any skill +1 @luminousrider

All thing precious – Maria | Fracture part 2, flying +1 @princessmacedon

The plague hunt - Sin | Epidemic, bow +1 @chryssaetos

A training to learn, a training to fight - Chrom | Epidemic, bow +1 @soulsaligned

clingy hearts and crushed boundaries - Lapis | Pearlescent @lazulienne

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