#coupdegravy

[eisenblade]

“ ... Yew. ” Olberic bows his head in greeting.

“ You haven’t left this room much for a while. I’m worried. ”

sc. / ( acc. ) / @coupdegravy

[crystarchived]

‘ you can hate me forever if that’s what you really want ’ [coupdegravy @ j. janne....]

the princess saves herself in this one. / ( acc. ) / @coupdegravy

Hate. Oh, does Janne hate.

Geneolgia… A house of deceit, of betrayal, bathed in blood. The blood of Balestra. His blood.

For years the the wolf has patiently masked his face, masked his heart, so deftly concealing the boiling blood that cried out in hunger, yearning for vengeance.

But now, as the Kaiser’s ideals - the Empire’s ideals - are finally becoming tangible, the wolf has freed his hand of that mask in order to grasp his blade.

There, standing before the falcon and his companions, Janne points his blade solely to the last Cavalier. The last remnant of House Geneolgia and their blood soaked reign. He hates the Geneolgia family. He hates Yew. He…

He should hate Yew.

… Why, then, does his mind go back to warmer days at Al-Khampis? As ‘Angard’, at his side as a Cavalier? Those were all lies made through gritted teeth.

Weren’t they?

“ Shut up! I told you already… fight me like you mean it, Yew! ”

The wolf’s heart seems to whimper at the very words he growled.

… Which was the mask, again?

[crystarchived]

pocky. / ( acc. ) / @coupdegravy​

🍫

“ O-oh! What is this...? ”

Magnolia inspects the box and the sticks inside closely, eyes wide and fixated. Before a smile creeps across her lips.

“ You’re saying this is food, Yew? Luxendarc just keeps getting better, doesn’t it? Très adorable!! ”

Tight is her embrace around Yew’s shoulders, and she keeps giggling.

“ Of course we can share them! I think you need to show me how to eat them first, though! ”

[crystarchived]

@coupdegravy​ replied to your post:

yew vc um, magnolia? …. is everything alright?

“ Ah??? N-non, non! Tout va bien!! ”

[eisenblade]

wall.

“ ... ”

'Tis faint, ever so faint... but a soft smile tugs at the corners of his mouth. Melancholy dripping from his eyes and his lips, his hands begin to tremble.

... Maybe there will come a day when Olberic actually could look him in the eyes like that again.

[crystarchived]

so tell me, tell me, tell me. / ( acc. ) / @coupdegravy

❝ Tell me it wasn't just a farce, Janne. ❞ 

Janne’s face contorts into a frown. He can feel his hands trembling ever so slightly.

“ What kind of question is that, huh? ” He mutters through gritted teeth.

He turns away, one hand clenches tightly into a fist, and the other rests on his hip.

“ ... Of course it wasn’t. Even though it was supposed to be. Didn’t ya hear the part when I said ‘I started to see things different ‘cause of you’? ‘S because it... wasn’t a farce. ”

[eisenblade]

so tell me, tell me, tell me. / ( acc. ) / @coupdegravy

❝ Sir, tell me about Erhardt. He... Reminds me so much of a friend. ❞

Olberic tenses at the name. Even now the image, Olberic’s actions towards the man, haunt him so very persistently.

“ He was... a friend. A very close friend. ” He begins, slowly. Who could say how far he’d be able to get with his description. And really, he’d rather dwell on the good parts, procrastinate on the bad.

“ We were... very close, aye. ” he repeats. “ At least I... thought we were. ” Perhaps it was true. Perhaps it really was. He has seen it himself in other Orsterras. Other Orsterras where he didn’t make the same mistake. And in some, he and Erhardt even...

He shakes away the thought, refusing to dwell on it as he presses on.

“ He had almost no equal with a blade, aside from myself, perhaps. But he was kind, he was... understanding, strong, compassionate, ha-- ” perhaps he should stop there. Olberic clears his throat to cover it up. “ Ah... Sometimes a little boisterous, but... we were young, and surrounded by others who were equally so. ”

Olberic sighs.

“ Most days his eyes burned with the intensity of an inferno, especially in battle. But... there were some days he would be distant, that fire would but naught but embers, if even that. ”

Olberic can feel his throat tighten.

“ Of course... it was only about a decade later that I learned why. He was conflicted about what he had set out to do. That being that he... intended to kill our liege, King Alfred, and ended up instigating the fall of Hornburg. ”

One could think that after almost 10 years, the memories would have faded even just a little. But alas, the vision is still as clear as though it were happening before him in that very moment.

“ It was only after all those years of isolation, when I set out to look for him, that I learned it was for revenge. Revenge against the king for his inaction when Erhardt’s home of Grynd burned to the ground while Hornburg was invaded. He was still so young - younger than you are - and was spurred on by Werner. He... came to deeply regret his decision. ”

And yet, Olberic had left him worse than dead. It makes him sick to his stomach to think about it. To think about the blood on his hands, but how he couldn’t even grant Erhardt mercy.

And then Olberic would never get the chance to see him again. Least of all when not at death’s door. How could he look Erhardt in the eye again, after what Olberic has done?

[eisenblade]

hap birth. / ( acc. ) / @coupdegravy

❝ Happy birthday, sir! ❞ A lacquered wooden box is placed upon his desk; resting inside, a set of whetstones. The scholar runs a lone hand through overgrown locks, lips curved in a sheepish tangent. ❝ It’s not much, but... I wanted to let you know how much I admire and appreciate you, so... ❞ [ coupdegravy!! ]

Admire? That doesn’t sound right. How could Yew admire someone like Olberic? He needs better role models than someone who seemingly can’t even do the one thing he swears his life to.

... Dismissing the thought, Olberic hugs the once-cavalier.

“ You... really didn’t have to, lad. ” He murmurs. In his voice betrays a slight waver.

“ But... thank you. ”