While it did sometimes feel like being an outsider, being a town resident of Garreg Mach did have its benefits. Especially when it came to intel gathering - a student or church member may be seen as suspicious; a lowly merchant like herself was more trustworthy. Potentially.
Anna didn't have much experience with horses, she had to admit. In the army, she had seen many combatants having close connections to their steeds - horses, pegasuses, wyverns, the like. It might be special, having a companion that so closely matched and mirrored you. While she had given stray fussings towards them on their breaks, she didn't have that desire to ride or fight upon one. She knew the basics, but she was somewhat out of her depths.
So to her luck, her companion seemed to take to tending the horses, leaving her to watch over supplies and make sure the horses didn't skitter away. Another redhead, like her. She seemed oddly familiar... was she one of the heroes from another world? Her name wasn't sticking out in her mind unfortunately, or fortunately - having a stranger know your name is weird, Anna could attest to that. The familiar stranger nodded at her. Anna nodded back, smiling. Even if weren't close, it was nice to have companions.
The ladies started to talk among themselves. Anna's ears pricked up.
"Of course they do, these families have a reputation to hold up. They mustn't get the wrong attention with the wrong people, after all."
Anna looked up, eyes darting from the horse to the ladies, then to her companion. She was picking this up as well, right?
The unspoken message was picked up by her companion, and Hinoka was glad for that. Probably another one sent on a similar mission as her, and not chosen for it purposely, too. After all, tasks like those could not be taken up by just about anyone; you're one word or overly curious look away from betraying your intentions at all times.
For that reason, she made no further inclination that the ongoing chat was of any interest to her, reacting the same as she would if they were talking about buying bread - so not at all - as she quietly finished saddling the horse.
"Now, we're ready~" She stated once everything was finished.
"Exaaactlyyy. I mean if the big shots at the Alliance found out, who knows what could happen? The Gloucesters want to wrestle control over the Alliance, after all, their reputation must— Ah! Right, sorry. Thank you." Looking almost disappointed that it was time to do something else instead of continuing this conversation, the lady took up the reins that Hinoka had offered her almost a full minute prior. The princess-in-hiding simply shook her head, as if she had not heard anything weird or suspicious at all, no siree.
"Have a lovely ride!" Was all she said instead.
With that, the ladies were off for the time being, leaving Hinoka and Anna in a now empty stable, last two sleepy-looking horses as their only witnesses. She gestured for her companion to follow her into the now gone animal's stable - for a chat hidden under the guise of cleaning.
"Whew. I'm glad you're good at playing as well." Her voice was lowered now; no one would be expected at the stables anytime soon, but it was still best to be safe. "I'm Hinoka, nice to meet ya. Have you been here long?"
She hadn’t meant to make them angry. But what respectable fine dining establishment stations a full battalion of armed guards by the employee door? Sanaki, forgetting her place in this foreign land, must have been far too nosy and asked one too many questions; so she, the one and only Holy Empress of Begnion, finds herself being chased within an inch of her life—through the banquet hall, up three flights of stairs, onto the fire escape.
With heavy bootsteps closing in and nowhere else to go, she drags herself, arms burning, up the ladder and onto the roof. She allows herself one huge, heaving gulp of air, then picks a direction and starts running again. Her legs burn, her hair whips directly into her face, and worst of all, she… has absolutely no idea where she’s going.
I guess I, Sanaki thinks, breathing hard, I should count my blessings. If this were Sienne, any security guard worth their salt would have had her within minutes. Then again, if this were Sienne, Sanaki could simply wave her hand and her Holy Guards would seemingly appear out of thin air, ready to whisk her away from any and all trouble. Sanaki smiles thinly, nearly tripping over her toes in exhaustion. Who knew she’d miss being spied on by her retainers at all hours of the day? She’d endure a hundred of Tanith’s lectures for an airlift out of this now.
Sanaki simply cannot run any longer; gasping for air, she staggers to a stop. With dawning horror, she realizes the belligerent voices are now closing in from ahead and from behind. They’ve cornered me, she thinks in despair. But when? How? Did they have warp magic?
Sanaki grimaces, panicked and confused. She’s still catching her breath when the first guard appears from in front, sprinting straight at her. Wait. That’s no guard. That’s—Professor Hinoka!?
There's some foreign saying or other she's heard about things escalating quickly, and it feels very appropriate right about now.
In one minute, Hinoka was playing her role she had grown used and honestly almost a little attached to, a seemingly perfectly normal stablehand assisting some rich lady or other's horse. In the next, just in the corner of her eye, she catches sudden fast movements - and freezes as she recognizes a young student from the Academy, being chased by a group of thugs.
Uh-oh.
In that moment, the cover's down - "Ahem. Excuse me," she breathes quickly to the missy, before taking off without waiting for a response. Was her disguise blown in that moment? Maybe. Probably.
She supposes it doesn't matter... They prooobably will not be seeing her again around here.
She breaks into a sprint immediately, leaving the flabbergasted lady and her horse (which she's gonna miss, not going to lie) behind in the dust to catch up to whatever the hell is happening over there. A low balcony gives her the opportunity to get on the rooftops to continue the chase, jumping from one building to the next and paying no attention whatsoever to the drum concert her boots are probably providing to whatever poor souls live in them. The guards' voices and shadows now come from more than one direction - the realization hits her with a second wind to move even faster -
until she finally jumps down and charges towards Sanaki. The girl's tired, and the guards are coming from multiple directions - Hinoka would rather waste time on apologies later than subtleties now, so she picks the student up and, holding her up with one arm like a kitten, keeps going without slowing down.
"Hold on tight," she says in between breaths. "We just gotta - reach my pegasus - over there."
The month after the Ethereal Moon is often reputed as the most romantic of all the months, so many plan weddings under the belief that their union will be blessed with longevity and good fortune by the goddess herself. A high profile wedding between a young Miss Saoirse Elidure and a mysterious Yuliy of Kupala, supposedly a long-lost Almyran prince, is set to be held this month and the bride and groom are in desperate need of bodyguards. They’re reluctant to give up specific details, but both of them believe that someone, perhaps many people will object to their union and come to crash it. Violently. [Grants Sword +1]
(starter for @spearingskies)
The horde had been expected – well, one could not properly call it a horde, it was a gang if anything, ruffians to a man, disheveled and disorganized and reaching loutish hands to Lady Saoirse's petticoats as though they had any right. Regardless, Lachesis and the other guard had known that these thugs would be on their way, and to be on point and alert, well into the night.
She knew this, and still her treacherous body could not keep her hands steady, could not swing the wooden sword with the muster worthy of all her previous titles and accolades - indeed, it did not even clip the edge of the man's leather pauldron.
He did not even notice her.
She grit her teeth to restrain the roar that threatened to spill out, and rather than allow this boor to proceed with ruining this beautiful ceremony, she threw all caution to the wind and did as she had seen so many men do, of all walks of life, friend and enemy alike, recalling sessions where she had been advised to indeed avoid this very thing.
She tackled him. She launched herself forward and slammed a shoulder into the small of his back and brought him to the ground, slamming his face into the dust, breath coming ragged and burning from her lungs then, casting a gaze about for her partner, ignoring the dishevelment of herself as she called out with the same level pitch in her voice that might have been for ordering an extra scone at tea.
"Lady Hinoka! If you please, we must restrain them!" He was larger than her, and her grip could not hold like this, but she would maintain as long as she could.
There had been a fair share of warnings attached to an equally large share of worries related to this ceremony. That it was taking place at all was unthinkable to many, and to some, utterly unacceptable. Hinoka could not exactly claim to be proficient at maneuvering Fódlanese politics just yet, but once her imagination supplied the image of a Hoshidan and a Nohrian noble joining in marriage at the height of tensions between their nations, the situation became much easier to contextualize. Not quite the same, but close enough for the chaos to make... a little more sense.
So when things erupted, she wasn't surprised - and when her partner's voice reached her, requesting aid, she was there within less than two seconds.
"Now you there—"
With her head, a quick motion for Lachesis to give her a little space; with her free hand and knee, the struggling man was pinned down by the nape of his sweaty neck and his back. And when he still did not give in, the other hand armed with a sword went to work - with a swift motion she rotated the weapon to THWACK the guy at the back of the head with the hilt, knocking him unconscious.
Once he finally stilled, still muttering some curses under his breath as the lights went out, she got off him, shaking her head lightly to clear some hair off her face. That's why she liked it short.
"Whew. We'll let the guards handle this one - maybe they'll interrogate some information out of him." There were others, still, but Hinoka eyed her companion first before even thinking about rushing off. "Are you okay?"
Swish, slash, spin. Movements one may think redundant after the thousands of times they had been repeated are practiced with the same due diligence as they were when she was learning them for the first time, holding her newbie lightweight training spear in hands trembling from both exhaustion and anger.
Stride, sweep, strike. To protect all that she held dear - regain what she had lost and preserve what needed to be preserved - she practiced the art of battle, one that most people prefer to have as little to do with as possible. She did it for them as well, she supposes. To her, as the royal princess, belongs the duty of shouldering such responsibilities, so that others don't have to.
She wasn't exactly fond of fighting and killing. Once upon a time, to handle it all, she pretended to herself that she did. When her imagination supplied the image of a dirty Nohrian on the other end of the naginata, it filled her with strength.
Of course, she has grown out of it by now, and knows better nowadays. Sometimes, she pictures a Faceless striking at her as she trains - but more often than not, it's not necessary anymore. Her body and mind know what to do on their own, no longer requiring imaginary enemies to react to.
It's much easier to handle such things when she's at harmony with herself, as she's come to realize.
The series of movements is wrapped with one final strike, the lance spun rapidly over her head as she seems to dance across the field, before finally wrapping it up with one final strike, freezing momentarily with the blade pointed straight ahead of her -
where there stands someone now, a young lady armed with a sword. Whether she has only just arrived, or has been watching for some time now, Hinoka doesn't know, having lost herself entirely in her training. She hangs in the final position for a second longer, before finally standing back up straight, eyeing the woman.
"Whew. Good afternoon," she greets, her voice casual. "Have you also come to do some training? I'm just about wrapped up, so the field is free."
What do you mean she only just arrived and they were sending her spying?
But she was a perfect candidate, the official said with a bright, pleading smile; indeed, having only just come to Fódlan for the first time in a few years, she was an unfamiliar face, and would find it easy to hide her affiliation with the Church as a result. The logic checked out perfectly, did it not?
And, well, she had little to say to that, and eventually just relented. Well, she promised herself she’d help them however she could, didn’t she?
So it was, that Hinoka found herself arriving at Pearl Shoals in the guise of a simple mercenary, and took up work as a stablehand in one of the great manors found in the area. And indeed, she could see that the argument held so far — she was treated with no suspicion whatsoever.
It was time, then, to put to use what she knew of intelligence gathering. Now, she did not exactly have proper ninja training, but she’s both seen and used the work of people like Saizo and Kagero enough to have the basics down; and she has been on more than one mission in her life herself, as well. Pointing her ears in the right directions while pretending that No She Didn’t wasn’t exactly something new. And thankfully, neither was taking care of horses and pegasi, so she did a perfectly fine job acting like she knew what her work entailed.
So it was, that she found herself dutifully cleaning and brushing a horse in preparation for these two fancy ladies’s leisurely ride, accompanied by a redhead lady tasked with holding the reins and watching over their belongings. Hinoka stirred lightly as she suddenly made the realization — she’s seen her at the monastery before; — so she must be…
She said nothing, only giving her the slightest of nods in recognition; the women, luckily, paid them no need whatsoever, engaged in their own conversation.
“Have you heard? I was told yesterday that Count Gloucester has a second cousin twice removed in these parts that he wants no one knowing about.”
“Truly? These noble families, I swear — everyone has more family than they admit out loud…”
Regardless of her recent arrival and still lingering hints of tiredness from the long flight, Hinoka would never miss out on a training session. Nothing short of a serious injury would stop her, and let’s be real, even in that scenario she would try to find a way. Usually it took Ryoma’s orders — not requests, orders — for her to put down the weapon for the day.
So it was that that evening, after all initial matters were settled, her belongings were more or less handled — not quite put into place just yet, but at the very least, in her quarters — and she finally had some time to herself, she came to the training grounds, her trusty naginata in hand. She looked with a slightly crooked smile at a training dummy that someone clearly did not put back in its proper place after using it earlier during the day. Some things never change, huh. Well, at least it was ready for her to use.
A warm-up was necessary first, of course. Arm rotations, a light jog around the arena, three series of push-ups — it was important to prepare the body for the effort, even if she did intend to make the training lighter today. Only once she was ready, did she pick the naginata back up, this time pointing it at the training dummy, as though it were a proper enemy —
and then froze as, in the corner of her eye, she saw someone come in.
“Hm?” Weapon lowered once again, she turned around to greet the guy — it was important to be polite. “Good evening. Here to train as well?”
It was a long flight from the land of the sun and cherry blossoms, to the plains and mountains of Fódlan. Not just for her, either; five pairs of wings accompanied her this time instead of just one. Hajime’s snow white glided effortlessly across the skies, and behind him, in a formation, flew four others just as radiant and pristine, the warm rays that shone upon this land kissing their feathers welcome. The kinshi followed Hinoka and her pegasus calmly, entirely unbothered by the change of scenery, trusting them entirely to take them to a good, promised place.
It was a long flight, spanning several days and multiple breaks, but it would soon be over, and the princess felt a grin forcing itself onto her features at the mere thought. It has been a long time since she last was in Fódlan; but while she left and tended to matters back home, someone else remained here the entire time — someone she could not wait to see again.
From behind the mountains, finally, emerged the monastery; and as she gazed upon it, Hinoka could see the still lingering results of the recent events that had transpired here, that she had heard about from letters and reports. The majestic towers and the town situated nearby had certainly seen better days, although it looks like the reconstruction was well and properly underway.
Perhaps she would be able to help; but first, she wished to make sure her sister was just as fine as the intelligence promised she was.
Her landing and arrival were perfectly on schedule, and as such, staff members awaited her and her “entourage” already, prepared to offer warm welcomes. Hinoka smiled through greetings, issued instructions, and began to take Hajime’s equipment off of him so that he could rest — all while peering behind the men’s shoulders, to see if she would spot a familiar pink head…
And eventually, she did.
“Ah— excuse me for a moment,” she said, unable to fully contain the excitement in her voice as she stepped around them; once she did, her pace turned into a full on sprint as she raced to embrace her sister for the first time in a few years.
Wohoo! Man, I can't believe that it's been almost 3 years since I wrote her last in TOA. How time flies.
Without further delay, quick vibe check for starters:
My Hinoka is post-Revelation. I'm willing to explore other routes' endings in AU threads, after some discussion and plotting with muns in question.
I currently write her as unmarried and without children. As of right now, I am not interested in changing that. Sorry, this isn't against anyone, there are just some negative past experiences involved in this aspect with Hinoka specifically, and the more I think about it, the more I realize that those three years were not enough time to completely recover from that. Part of why I want to give her a try again is to heal old wounds, so to speak.
Other than that, my standard stuff applies. Mentions of violence/gore/whatever are fine, no mentions of alcohol abuse with me please, I looove random unprompted IC asks, my mun page is here, all that good jazz.
If you want to read her interview, you can find it here!
Plotting call
Hinoka is unaffiliated, and as such can take any prompts! I'm open for any of them if you need a partner and would like to do one of those prompts with her. For my own part, I'd be interested in the following:
Researching nobles and connections - what do you mean she only just got here and they're sending her spying? Well, she supposes that if she's here, this is something she should know. I'd especially love to take this up with a Fódlanese who can tell her about all those funky families and their goings-on.
Any Skill +1 - what do you mean she only just got here and they're sending her spying? Since she recently arrived, she's a fresh and unrecognizable face, and thus shouldn't arouse suspicion. Sure, she'll play a stablegirl, and while she hasn't trained much in the field herself, she's seen ninjas at work - surely she can put that knowledge to use somehow?
Riding +1 - WHAT IN DAWN DRAGON'S TITS IS THAT
Lance +1 - she's gonna find it sooo stupid and sooo funny. She's gonna tear it a new one, whether just in private with you, in front of the class, or in public, and it's gonna be hilarious.
My own prompts - in addition to the mission board, I have the following personal ideas for interactions with Hinoka for those interested in saying hello to her:
Kinshi - as a show of positive relations and support for Garreg Mach's reconstruction, Hinoka brought with her several new Kinshi to Fódlan for the purposes of up and coming Kinshi Knights. Would you like to say hello to and learn about those beautiful birds? An expert is now available!
Royal chatter - Hinoka is open about her status as the princess of Hoshido, and she's more than happy to discuss matters of rule, responsibility and stuff like that with fellow royals.
Training session - pretty standard stuff. Hinoka can often be found training and is overall always available to throw hands, be it with a Knight, fellow Professor, or a student. In addition, I write her as using naginata rather than regular lances, in case someone wants to ask her why her spear looks Like That. Could evolve into an interesting chat about weaponry.
I'm of course also open to any other ideas you may have for an interaction!
If you're interested, feel free to ping me in TOA's #plotting channel or DM me on Discord or here :3 Looking forward to writing her with you all!
The commotion in the castle corridors is unusual, to the point where even Hinoka pauses to listen, hand holding a new kimono for her favorite doll suspended in the air to listen to the quick footsteps of the guards and words and orders thrown around that she cannot make out. Last time there was this much movement was when Father was preparing to leave for that Peace Something or Other - she does not remember the whole term, but who cares - together with little Kamui. Did they come back? The doll and the clothes fall to the floor instantly forgotten, the young princess eagerly picking herself up to get ready to leave the room. If Father has returned, she has to go greet him!
Pushing the door open, she steps outside - and immediately almost gets knocked over by one of the rushing soldiers. The man stops on the spot, turning towards her; their eyes meet as he stares at her, almost through her, as though he saw a ghost, and full three seconds pass before he remembers himself and offers a quick bow.
“M-My apologies, milady…”
With that, he is off again; Hinoka’s eyes escort him for a moment, before she makes her way in the same direction, keeping to the wall to avoid any more people crashing into her.
Why does she feel like he was apologizing for something else?
❁
It does not take long for Hinoka to understand what happened. Young, sheltered and innocent however she may be - still - she knows already what death is, after all.
Messengers come and go, bringing news upon news. Ninjas in the palace’s employ exchange and deliver reports. The guards whisper anxiously between one another. That woman, Kamui’s mother, kneels in front of the throne, sobbing uncontrollably; big brother Ryoma stands next to her, his face pale, unmoving as though frozen, or made of stone.
It feels as though no one wants to trouble Hinoka with the new harsh truth, but unbeknownst to them, Hinoka knows. Understands.
Father has not returned. He will not return, because an evil man from Nohr sent him to where Mother is. And he took Kamui, too, but not to Father. He took Kamui to darkness, to Nohr.
❁
To her, the sun that rises above Hoshido every day has always felt like a gentle god, a caring parent; unflinching, unfailing, always there for them to count on. Enveloping them in light, warmth and joy and bestowing upon them unending blessings. Now that their world has collapsed and shattered into pieces, its constant insistence to keep appearing every day without pause, shining, inviting to play and be joyful, acting as though nothing at all has changed —
it feels nothing short of ignorant, uncaring and almost downright cruel.
The castle is quiet now; Kamui’s mother confining herself to her chambers to mourn, big brother spending most of his time training or handling current affairs, even soldiers passing through the hallways as carefully as they can, as though not to disturb the lingering souls.
In the meantime, behind closed doors, Hinoka weeps. She weeps for weeks, weeps for Father and for Kamui, weeps so much that one could expect her to have run out of tears by now. Food and drinks are refused more often than they are accepted, and even when she does eventually give in to hunger, everything passes through her body roughly and not without a fight, as though she had tried to swallow a bowl of rocks. Pale face, messy hair and rings around her eyes stand as proof of sleepless nights, spent instead in an unfair struggle of a little, naive, innocent girl chasing dreams and demons. The doll and her new kimono rest abandoned, having been kicked in anger into the corner of the room, like the trash of yesterday that will never return and thus is meaningless;
❁
— but as days pass, a new chapter opens, and Hinoka slowly begins to do more than just cry.
The castle is quiet, but not silent, and between the sobs and the throbs of a headache torturing the exhausted mind, her sharp ears can still hear. The footsteps of soldiers pass by as they and the ninjas bring new reports, having more important matters to attend to than ensuring that the little princess, whom they assume too young to have a head for such topics, remains oblivious. And so, sometimes in bits and pieces, but enough for her to put together nevertheless - it reaches her. News of Kamui’s whereabouts. Another failed rescue attempt. A skirmish near the border. A recent Nohrian provocation successfully repelled. That woman - Mikoto - Kamui’s mother - whom she never cared for and thus subconsciously expected the same in return, gathering her strength and resolve to cast a magic barrier over Hoshido to protect it from the invaders. The loving, caring big brother whom she always admired, making a name for himself already as a commander and warrior in spite of his young age, and earning the right to the sacred Raijinto blade.
She hears, and as her tears begin to run dry, she starts to think.
❁
The great feast to celebrate her seventh birthday that they had been planning for weeks, naturally, had to be canceled; instead the day goes by calmly, almost like any other. She is fine with that, which almost feels a little funny - she used to think that she would be snapping mad if anything stood in the way of her birthday’s celebration, but as it stands, she would refuse any party right now if it is not a party to celebrate Kamui’s return home. How quickly a turn of fate can teach you something new about yourself. But she spares no thought to that idea.
Brother is busy commanding the army in another clash, Mikoto spends the day praying to keep up her spiritual power and continue maintaining the barrier; Takumi has classes today, Sakura is taken care of by the nurses. Hinoka is largely left to her own devices, and spends her day doing what would otherwise come as a shock to everyone - cleaning her room. Studybooks and writing supplies are arranged and organized, toys stored away on shelves, in drawers or otherwise out of her sight. Finally, she stops before the long abandoned doll - once a favorite, now a herald of tragedy - still waiting in the corner, and pouting, as though it was all its fault, she picks it up together with its new kimono and carelessly throws it into a box of unimportant trinkets that she then pushes into the same corner.
Just then, a messenger announces the arrival of a delivery to her, and Hinoka looks up towards the door. A delivery? The package is brought into her quarters, and for the briefest of moments, the young princess remembers what excitement had felt like; amidst all the crying, mourning and silence, she has all but forgotten what it was like to look forward to a birthday gift…
Slowly, silently, as though in ceremony, Hinoka opens the package and rubs her hands against the soft fabric of the contents: a brand new, beautiful yukatabira, meant to replace the one she has almost grown out of. Picking it up by the shoulders, she stands up to marvel at the colors and design. In whites, yellows and reds, just as she has always liked… There is a small letter attached, and she takes it next.
To our most beloved Hinoka-hime,
please accept this gift along with all of our wishes for a good, happy birthday.
We cannot apologize to you enough for the cancellation of your long awaited celebration, but you are aware of the cause. We know that these times have been difficult for you, as well. In spite of everything that is currently happening, please never forget that you are our beloved, cherished princess. May the Dawn Dragon and the sun’s warm rays shine upon you always.
Love,
Mikoto, Ryoma, Takumi and Sakura, with all of Hoshido
Tears well up in her eyes anew with each and every word, finally forcing their way from behind the eyelids and onto her cheeks as she reaches her siblings’ names.
Is that it? Amidst the disaster and tragedy, Father murdered, Kamui kidnapped, a conflict brewing anew and a world torn to pieces, her family and her people still want her to lead a normal life, in her stupid room, with her stupid doll, while their lives are at stake? To sit back, do nothing and what - wait for the news of her brother’s death next?!
Her little fists slowly clench around the cloth, and the yukatabira is then thrown at her bed as Hinoka slowly gets back on her feet, swelling eyes rising to look at the door. She appreciates the gift and all, but it will have to wait its turn, as the life she had up until now.
❁
She is nearly surprised that she remembers the way to the training grounds. This was not a place she was ever supposed to be seen. Little wonder that the lancers, busy with practice, take a brief pause to cast confused glances at her, before her hardy glare and the commander’s harsh voice both bring them back in line.
Though even he seems astounded, for Hinoka clearly did not simply lose her way around the place, or come here merely to watch; she is dressed in a light, simple outfit, a breastplate as solid as a seven year old can wear, bracers and greaves prepared to protect her arms and legs.
“Milady?...” She hears a man’s voice next to her as she walks over to storage to pick up a training spear. Eagerly, she grabs the first one, at least twice as long as she is tall, but its weight an size nearly cause her to fall over; gritting her teeth, she puts it away, resorting to a shorter one, but it too is too much to handle… Hand clenches into a fist as she lets out a frustrated groan.
The man, an older general by the name of Jubei, watches her for a moment before she looks up and their eyes meet. The frown on her face causes him to take a step back in surprise. This is not the gentle, shy princess he has known up until now; though in reality her eye color has not changed, one could almost feel as though a hint of steel now lines her pupils. No words are exchanged, the order clear in her gaze; slowly nodding, Jubei goes deeper into the storage, returning soon with a lightweight spear, perfect for such a young beginner.
Hinoka accepts it, running her fingers along its edge to get used to the feel. It is a bit small for her taste, she wanted to start with something more impressive; she needs to get strong fast, after all, to support big brother and bring Kamui home. But for now, this will do. She does a thrust, then another; it takes more effort than she had anticipated, but it feels satisfying to imagine a dirty bad Nohrian on the receiving end, and that thought seems to almost replenish whatever strength she just used up.
Finally, for the first time since that fateful day, a small smile appears on her lips, before she points the spear towards Jubei.
The sharp sound of bowstrings cut through the air of the practice ring—a tuneless chorus ringing out a melody that sings ‘welcome home’. Python isn’t sure if he finds the familiar song warm, or threatening, or both. He’s never really bothered to unpack it. There’s a challenge to overcome if he’d like to eat well tonight, after all.
There’s a small shout of frustration over to his left, and he turns just in time to see an arrow shoot wide right past the target entirely. Aw, hell. Was that one of his students?
“Relax the shoulders, kiddo!” He cups his hands around his mouth and shouts, before turning back to tend to his own bow. At least, he was, until he’s approached by a redhead he swears is more often seen in the skies above the monastery than anywhere else. Hinoka, was it?
“Oh, hey. You’re one of them sky knights, right?” He twirls one of his allotted practice arrows between his fingers, catching it so its narrow head points at her face. “Looking to know thy enemy? Pretty bold.”
There’s a touch of admiration in his teasing tone. Everyone on this field knows that arrows and flying creatures don’t mix well—some pegasus knights practically flinch at the sight of a bow. Hinoka seems unfazed, though, as he nocks an arrow on his string.
“Yeah, I’m pretty much required to participate. Archery instructor and all.” He gives a small shrug as he eyes up the target. Going for a bullseye right away feels like a waste, so he intentionally points toward the outer ring. Leave some space on the target by leaving the spoon for later.
Not even a second after he fires he realizes his grave mistake—his shoulder was misaligned after that shrug, sending the arrow right past the target in an arc all too similar to the student he’d just corrected.
He coughs into his elbow. “Just uh, warming up there. Not used to this training bow and all. You wanna have a go?”
Python’s tease doesn’t phase Hinoka, who smirks, before snapping her fingers at the arrow pointed at her, causing it to do a small jump.
“Everyone says that, huh. Oh, you’re a Pegasus Knight, shouldn’t you hate bows and archers?” She says, her voice briefly taking on a mocking tone, before laughing; she wouldn’t want Python to think she’s offended or something. “But no. We’ve got traditions with flying in my family, but just as much if not more for archery. I might not look it right now, but I’m not actually a slouch with a bow.” She shoots him a wink, before taking a step back to watch his attempt. “I’ll give you a run for your money, just you wait.”
... Though if Python’s first shot is any indication, she might not need all this family inheritance she just mentioned to do that. Respectfully, the princess holds back a giggle - though a slightly amused “oops!” does make it through her lips.
Well, part of an instructor’s job is also showing their students what not to do. She would be the last person to claim to have never done that before.
“Of course,” she says, her tone perfectly flat and neutral, as though his explanation is taken 100% seriously. Yep, just warming up. Nothing more. Who needs a knife to eat dinner, anyway.
At his invitation, she nods and steps forward, whatever teasing thoughts her head had previously harbored gone and dissipated, replaced by full focus as she takes the proper stance to aim. Legs and back straight and locked, arms in the correct position, but they and head both free nevertheless; her movement perhaps almost a bit too perfect for what should be a not quite so serious an occasion, betraying the upbringing and the way in which she had been trained.
She aims for the inner ring, and then shoots; a whistling song passes through the air, and the arrow pierces the target just where she wanted. Only then does she relax and allow herself to smile again.
“Not bad.” Hinoka steps aside again, to make space for Python’s second attempt. “Glad I came here. I needed to get some practice in again.”
Meeting his eyes, she gives him a thumbs-up. “Alright! Come on, you got this.”
In his short time at The Officer’s Academy, Shez had heard many a tale. Some he dismissed immediately recognising the absurdity of their claims. But others were grounded in more facts, like the one he was currently engaging in.
Wyverns. More specifically baby wyverns.
His experience with such creatures thus far was limited to a couple of mentions but his fellow students or in textbooks so he was curious to learn more. It was sad to imagine a mother rejecting her young but past experiences unfortunately left him unsurprised by the prospect. Hopefully there was something they could do to aid the situation.
Shez had been surprised when Professor Hinoka had offered to take him with her to visit the dragons. He’d seen her outside of classes a few times and she had struck him as a no nonsense sort of person. Through no fault of his own, Shez had gain a slight reputation in his time here so far and would have assumed she wouldn’t want to associate with him due to that. Regardless, he was grateful to her for the chance.
“Hello professor” Giving a wave of his hand, grin lighting up his face. “You’ve had a look already? Is there just one wyvern?”
Shez eagerly tried to look round Hinoka to catch a glance of the wyvern. He was keen to finally meet one. Before coming to the Monastery, the mercenary had not even ridden a horse let alone a flying mount.
“Umm… none” He admitted to her. “But hey, they say learning on the job is the quickest way to learn”
“Yep, just one. They said that the mom had three, but only rejected this guy.” She pauses, recalling whatever she knows of the creatures. It’s a precarious situation, a mission, and a learning opportunity for her as well - but she is also a teacher in this situation, and should try and live up to the position. “Sometimes, if a mother wyvern thinks she cannot handle raising all her young, she’ll reject the weakest one. Might be what’s happened here.”
Little guy’s lucky it happened here, at the monastery. Out in the wild, he would have ended up in the jaws of some predator or other by now.
“He’s in the stable here if you wanna take a look,” she says, shifting over to the side a bit to make space for Shez. “We’re supposed to, well... Keep him comfy and warm, feed him, make sure he’s healthy, and keep all our fingers in the process.” She smiles, giving the student a meaningful eyebrow wiggle to accompany the last part of the sentence. “Make sure you watch yourself. Lil fella already has a full set of teeth to work with.”
Well, no time like the present. Once Shez has had a look at the baby, Hinoka unlocks the stable door in order to allow them to come in and meet their new charge. Approaching slowly, she ducks down in front of the little wyvern, before offering him her hand to sniff, much like how one would do with a dog.
The gesture appears to be accepted, met with a curious bump of the snoot against the back of her hand, and the princess can’t help but smile. Pegasus foals are still cuter, but she might just find herself getting a bit attached to this guy. She looks up at Shez.
“There, like that. Why don’t you say hello, as well? And afterwards, you need to go to the wyvern stablehands to get some meat for him. He needs his breakfast.”
“... Oh, and by the way, I almost forgot.” She shoots him a wink. “They said that if he likes us, we can give him a name.”
Velouria shook her head softly at the mention of other wolfskin. She wished that her daddy was here, but she wasn’t so lucky to have that… at least not yet. Her tail drooped a little, thinking of how much she missed her daddy and playing with other wolfskin. It just wasn’t the same with humans!
“No, Daddy’s not here…” Her words sounded solemn, but hopeful at the same time. Ah, whatever! She knew that he wouldn’t be able to just let her be! Heh… he had to show up sometime soon.
Velouria perked up a little at the idea of training. While she had originally been here to roll around in the sandpit that the training grounds offered, perhaps she would be able to stretch a little and get out some energy.
“I’ll join you in training Lady Hinoka! Heh… I haven’t stretched much since I woke up so this will be a good start to the day.”
“Ah, I see.” Hinoka has learned enough about the body language of kitsune and wolfskin to frown as the instant thought of maybe you shouldn’t have said that flashes through her head, before offering an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry, Velouria. I didn’t mean to remind you. Still, I hope you were able to find some new friends here.”
“... Reminds me! I’ve seen in the notes I got, that there are shapeshifters of other kinds at the Academy. They turn into birds, if I remember. Have you seen them?” Her voice barely contains the curiosity bordering on excitement as she grabs one of the training lances, holding it in both hands while doing some warm-up stretches. “We don’t have those in Hoshido or Nohr, that’s for sure. I didn’t know there were other kinds. I’m excited to see them.”
A grin appears on her face as Velouria decides to join her. “Alright then! As a warning, I don’t go easy even during training. But I doubt that’s much of a problem for you.” She’s a Wolfskin, after all. Hinoka has seen these guys snap tree trunks in half. She doubts Velouria will be the one having trouble.
But that’s how Hinoka likes it. Once her muscles are warmed up and ready to go, she twirls the training spear in the air; and once she is sure that Velouria is ready, she sends a powerful thrust her way - perhaps a bit more roughly than she had intended, but she did warn the Wolfskin that she does not hold back.
Hinoka wonders about Garreg Mach’s recruitment process - and Azama, looking on his liege, wonders much the same. Her, a teacher? Pfft.
(Maybe she does know a thing or two about them winged rats and can work her way around a naginata but that attitude? Surely they don’t want the fiery redhead teaching matters of etiquette or heavens forfend personality—-)
Aaaanyway,
she’s here now. With him. And there is nobody else nearby to bother. :)
“Ah!” he starts, as they pick their way about the woods, rarely one to ease off on the dramatics, “Reunited at last, milady! I did so miss you, during my sojourn over yonder in that small mountain village full of dunces. You, after all, are my most favourite to tease.”
T’is an honour no other can boaste. A privilege, in fact, if he may be so bold.
They venture further, where the world thins, pales, fades. Like a painting that’s been set in the sun overlong, edges fraying - rather, like a piece that’s been abandoned before the final strokes were committed or even ever conceived of. The world is silent, save for the monk’s cheerful, offkey humming, and the muted padding of steps.
“Of course we shall!” Azama replies, ever chipper. “What a silly question! Surely we are not here to sightsee, hmm, hmm? Oh, milady, I never knew you to be so lax with your responsibilities… Ah… And to think I pledged my undying loyalty to a sloth…”
Tsk, tsk.
Unafraid of what lurks beyond - indeed, he is much more pressed with removing himself from the range of Lady Hinoka’s lance should she feel the urge to slap it around some to make a point - the monk starts into the tall grasses. Though they are on their own still, they ply and give way before the intruders’ coming and going.
And he does get the impression they are, in fact, intruding.
He pauses, midway through the field. Are they still alone…?
“Milady,” he offers, cautiously setting forth once more. “Have you heard of the rumours surrounding these outlands? Of the Outcast?”
“Oh, I don’t doubt it.”
Hinoka’s voice is flat, eyes half-closed in annoyance and the overwhelming feeling of immediately being so done - and they only just got here, which is a positively fantastic sign of things to come. Why has she not sent him away yet, anyway? Well - he and Setsuna are reliable when the situation calls for it. They have got her back when it counts. But man, if they aren’t also an exercise in saint’s patience. Though some would joke that that is exactly what one such as her needed. Oh well, that’s a train of thought for later.
For now, they’re here, and they both have to simply deal with it.
Much as Azama continues to push her buttons - and gods damn it if this preaching spikehead doesn’t know exactly which ones to push - the princess, however eager to give him a solid smack across the back, stays her hand. For now. “Yeah, yeah. We’re going, Mister Eager and Dutiful. Show your lady a brilliant example of how is done.” He’s no Setsuna, he knows how to get himself out of potential danger. When he wants. Dragon’s tits, if Setsuna were here, Hinoka would probably have to give her a piggyback ride to stay safe.
At any rate, they keep going through the tall grasses, and as they do, Azama pauses - and briefly, so does she.
Hm. It’s quiet. A bit too quiet for her liking, honestly. And for once, she and her retainer seem to be on the same boat.
As he keeps going and speaks out, Hinoka frowns. “I heard about how no one from this town ever goes here. One traveler once did, long ago, and never came back.” She pauses, thinking. “The knight said she once made it to the forest and lake, but never further than that.”
Peculiar.
“We’re in a storybook. I think we’re headed towards where the extent of the story ends. We might run into nothing, or... who knows. Best to stay on guard.”
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