Sequel to my timeline of the Fjorde twins. Side-by-side this time!
Military fashion is just... so nice... o)-< Thanks for the ideas @djkalis.
Coalition/Invasion
Neither of them would have foreseen the return to their homeland and their reunion with one another to happen the way they did.
Aeollis G. Fjorde, who had built a life in a foreign land and paid her dues in giving back to it, returned with honour to Sastrugia in times of strife to offer a deal: for her two beloved nations to form a coalition and stand against the empire from across the sea bearing down on them with military might. With much to gain and everything to lose, she would put all she had on the line - her wit in dealing with matters of diplomacy, her intelligence in the form of technology she helped develop, and even her life to ensure that the leaders of Sastrugia would be saved, that her homeland would be preserved.
Arkos Ferani, who had long since shed the names that branded him a property of Sastrugia, arrived as vanguard to an empire's invading army. Wanting the system to go down without taking the people with it, he demanded blood of only the members of the High Chamber. He sought not personal revenge, but a way to break the wheel, to see the end to a malicious cycle that kept a nation running by sacrificing the humanity of individuals. Once a weapon, he was still a weapon, but now by his own choosing, and - despite what it might have looked like - for his own ends.
The soldier and the weapon. Safety and Trigger. Twins. Fellow oblations of the Fjorde family. "Galen".
Against the backdrop of war, they would witness the unravelling of Sastrugia's secrets - and some turned out to be closer to home than they could ever imagine.
A timeline of the Fjorde twins (in their "canon" story I guess) arranged by... milestone? The numbers in the parentheses are their ages.
I can't remember the last time I did cell shading...
More story stuff under the cut. Thanks @djkalis for headcanoning with me and fleshing out their stories; you saved them (?) from potential bad ends.
Edit: Oh look, there's more.
Examination
The Fjorde twins, both and collectively named "Galen", were dedicated to the government of Sastrugia before birth as part of an agreement between the nation's rulers and the elite magical families.
Since a young age, the twins underwent regular examination to ensure that they grew up healthy and to monitor their development. It was deemed that the male and elder Galen had greater magical capacity and strong intuition, but was physically more frail and prone to mood fluctuations. The female and younger Galen, on the other hand, was born with strong constitution, tended to act more rationally and was more emotionally/psychologically stable; however she was was deemed less magically talented.
By the end of one examination, the mother of the then-three-years-old twins concluded:
"The boy is a powerful weapon, but the girl will make an ideal soldier."
Education/Evaluation
The female Galen, known as "Aeollis", was a quick learner in conventional education but showed little interest in cultivating her magical talents. She was self-motivated and keen to learn, and when presented with books and lessons, eagerly absorbed any knowledge offered to her. She displayed interest in all academic topics, but took to scientific ones well enough to warrant continued training in the subject areas therein.
The male Galen, known as "Arkos", did not take well to structured learning; his intuition however allowed him to develop his magical abilities largely independently. As such, test and experiments were performed to further evaluate his magical growth and potential. These apparently had an overall negative effect on his delicate physical and psychological disposition.
The twins shared a cordial relationship at this point, and Aeollis was the only one guaranteed to be able to placate her brother during times of distress.
Separation/Isolation
As they grew up into preteens, the twins' personalities became more apparent, as did their differences. Where Aeollis was obedient and respectful to authority figures, Arkos was rebellious and sceptical.
Their communication and relationship broke down over time, and an incident occurred when they were eleven years old: an argument between the twins escalated into a physical altercation, during which Arkos struck his sister with lightning magic sufficient to cause a cardiac arrest.
Aeollis recovered from this but retained nerve damage in her arm. After the incident the twins were physically separated; Arkos was regularly isolated for others' safety.
Indoctrination/Insubordination
In the wake of the aforementioned incident, Aeollis was sent to board at a military school and studied as a cadet. There she furthered her knowledge in the scientific fields, and conditioned her body through fitness and combat training. She took well to the nationalistic indoctrination to which she was exposed. She developed social skills, was generally well-liked by her peers, and displayed potential in diplomacy.
Arkos was encouraged to continue developing his skills in magic, and was offered education in relevant scientific areas to that end. He accepted these but only up to a rudimentary/foundational level, and preferred to improve his magical prowess through trial-and-error. He was deemed unstable and dangerous - strict rules, regulations, and restrictions were put in place to ensure the safety of him and his handlers. Despite this, he remained dangerously obstinate and was frequently insubordinate to even his parents.
Migration/Desertion
Having grown into a young woman demonstrating unwavering loyalty to her nation and its values, Aeollis was given clearance to leave Sastrugia, go abroad, and attend the Academy of Heroes, which focused on the education of magic. By the time she graduated, she received a fellowship offered by a foreign university to continue fostering her passion in scientific research. She sought and received government permission to accept the offer.
The year following his sister's migration overseas, Arkos was reported missing. This was openly presumed to be a case of kidnapping, but desertion by Arkos' own initiative was considered a possibility.
Installation/Induction
Four years on and Aeollis had settled into the university and been installed as a tenured academic. Her contributions to the understanding of electromagnetism and other related fields of physics were widely acknowledged.
Arkos had by this time resurfaced in a nation who was considered an adversary to the one that had taken in Aeollis, as a fully-inducted agent under a high-ranked military officer.
New Era
Both twins had now settled into their roles outside of Sastrugia -
Aeollis was a researcher, diplomat, and single mother, responsible for the physical theories behind the development of technology that safeguarded her new adoptive nation. She was always eager to offer her skills for the defence of this country she now called home, always keen to cater to the needs of its leaders. For this new happiness, and for the future happiness of her daughter, she would gladly work.
As an ideal soldier.
Arkos answered to one man who served an empire, acting as his agent where force and bloodshed was needed. In the depths of war he found his peace, in destruction he found belonging, in corruption he found humanity. In a foreign land, in a household made up of broken individuals, he found a family bound by loyalty, and it was one he would willingly serve.
Thanks @comet-seles for being my first and thus-far only commissioner! She requested some tasteful girl-love between her Yuena and my Aeollis, and let me decide on the rest of the scene. I decided to go with RPG. White Knight and Black Mage~
Gonna do it for Aeo I guess, since she’s probably my OC with the longest time of activity.
broken a bone | gotten stitches | had a near death experience | killed someone | tried and failed to kill someone | invented something | been hung over | kissed someone | slow-danced | been in a long-term relationship | had sex | had sex and regretted it | had a one-night stand | had a threesome | experimented with their sexuality | had a kid | gotten married | self-harmed | traveled to another country | been in a play | received an inheritance | been in an airship wreck | lost a loved one | been dumped | dumped someone | smoked | gotten high | been slipped something in their food/drink | won a contest | won an election | joined a sports team | gone skydiving | gone hunting | been in a band | had a job | been fired | been in a wedding party | owned a pet | seen a ghost | skipped class/work | learned an instrument | gotten a noticeable scar | sued someone | been robbed | been mugged | been kidnapped | been sexually assaulted | been brainwashed/hypnotized | gone more than one day without eating | had a recurring nightmare | been bullied | bullied someone | seen someone die | attempted suicide | been tied/chained up | shot someone | stabbed someone | saved someone’s life | cheated on someone | been cheated on | had a stalker | been betrayed | been in a fight | been arrested | been to a funeral | had surgery | broken someone’s trust | gotten a piercing | gotten a tattoo | used a fake name | been tortured | been abused | been blackmailed | had an attempt on their life | gotten away with a crime | gone on a road trip | been in love
"Oh by the way I keep forgetting to mention that your asymmetrical hair is tacky. Here, let me fix it for y-- oops, did I take some skin off with it. My bad.”
~ Aeo’s asshole of a bro
So yeah she has symmetrical side-bangs things now.
This piece is also known as Ophe Tries Not to Cry Over Spilled Milk As Her Pen Bleeds When Coloured Over With Markers.
