Merry belated Christmas and Happy Holidays @drkstars-art! ...... I’m not sure what happened to your gift maker.... So here’s something I whipped up for you. I know it doesn’t really fit anything you said in your information but I’m not comfortable writing with what you said, the GiG universe, or the Ds at large.... So here’s this, inspired by your palette Celena fanart. (Approximately 620 words)
(So just pretend that Millerna got Eries to pull some strings and the Crusade crew live with Allen and Celena and have jobs in/near Palas. :))
It was a new dynamic for both of them, after the war. Previously Allen was at Fort Castello and she… Celena was someone else then. The entire crew of the Crusade being around was new, too. With a lady and nearly a dozen new people in the Schezar manor, Allen had hired and rehired a handful of people to support the functioning of the house.
After acclimating to an adult female body and the large living space on the ground, Celena (with much support from Gaddess and the men) discovered it was far too easy to off-place big brother Allen.
She’d found her dolls one day, early on. They’d helped to remind her of who she once was. It was fun to reconnect with them for a while. ‘Round two years after coming home she’d decided to prank Allen. Upon his arrival home he found her in her old room, on the floor and surrounded by her dolls, her old paints and children’s books.
“Celena…?” he said her name slowly.
“Allen!” With childish glee she had jumped up, run over to him, and exaggeratedly bent over to hug him at the waist. She tilted her head up to look at him, smile extra wide.
It was obvious by his posture that he was worried by not overly so. She hadn’t had an ‘off day’ in a very long time and each instance had been far less depressing. He could tell this was different, but yet he wasn’t sure.
“Are you feeling alright?” he asked slowly.
“Just peachy! How are you? How was your day? What did you do? Who did you see?” Celena rocked back and forth a little on her heels as her voice bubbled.
The taller Schezar drew back a little, surprised at the questions and the bobbing. “I’m doing well. My day was fine; nothing major happened. I did what I normally do; you know all about that and found it boring the last time I told you. I saw a lot of people…. Millerna, Eries, Dryden, Lord Fassa, the lords and ladies of the court, and the ministers.”
Her movement stopped. “Yeah, that is boring.” The younger sibling stuck out her tongue and squeezed her eyes shut. “Remind me not to ask you about your days at the castle again.”
An eyebrow rose in astonishment. There was a short pause, as if Allen wasn’t sure he wanted to say his next words. “And how was your day?”
“My day was great!” Celena’s excitement once again displayed itself through her movements. “I played with my dolls all day long and I picked flowers and skipped through the fields and swam in the pond and –”
“You swam in the pond?” Allen repeated, concerned.
“Yeah!”
“‘Yes,’” Allen corrected. His other eyebrow rose to join the first. He hadn’t been given instance to correct her informal language in many months. “Those activities aren’t very lady-like, swimming in the pond the least of all,” he chastised her gently. “You did take someone with you, yes?”
“Of course silly!”
A frown graced his features. “They allowed you to swim in the pond?”
Celena giggled. “It was Gaddess’ idea! Well, sort of. I guess you shouldn’t blame him. He said it was hot and the water looked great and then sighed. I said why not and jumped right on in!” she explained with exuberance.
Pursing his lips together, Allen hummed his annoyance. “You ate though, correct?”
Large blue eyes blinked at him. “Ate? I was too busy playing! I completely forgot to eat.”
Allen shook his head. “You’re the silly one. Let’s get something to eat.” He circled his arm around her waist and directed them to the kitchen.
So here is my Escaflowne secret santa for @ gasexplosionatthescalpelfactory. This was REALLY FUN to do and now I just want to do and now I just want to paint even more Escaflowne characters. Interests also included Allen and Dryden which I also really like ,but since the no.1 was Folken , I choose to paint him.
Reference for the mechanical arm was hard to find until I remembered I owned an artbook will all the Escaflowne designs in it. Oups XD.
This was made with gouache. I still have lot to learn but I looove that medium <3
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Tenkuu no Escaflowne | The Vision of Escaflowne
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Jajuka, Dilandau Albatou
Additional Tags: Movie Reference
Summary:
Jajuka encounters a child in the forest.
--
Written for the Escaflowne Secret Santa 2015 project. @fruitso is my giftee, and since they’re a Jajuka and Escaflowne movieverse fan, I thought I’d write something that explores a question I’ve always had about the movieverse. Enjoy!
It's my first time writing a fic focused on Dryden and Millerna so hope you forgive any characterization inaccuracies. And it did not turn out as fluffy as I had hoped but I tried.
I've also taken a lot of liberties with Gaean culture but I hope everything still seems plausible. And I've added some of my ideas about mermaids in Gaea because that brief glimpse of Sylphiel when we first meet Dryden has always fascinated me and I wish we could have explored more of the non-human races on Gaea.
I also did a little bit of research on the stuff that was mentioned here so nothing is totally ridiculous. But sorry if it becomes a bit nerdy. And it turned out longer than I expected.
Hope you like it.
Happy New Year!
----
"Lord Dryden has returned, your Highness."
Millerna Aston looked up from her the report she was reading and her expression brightened. Trying not to sound too eager, she thanked the servant and asked him to prepare her horse.
"I shall greet Lord Dryden at the docks," she explained and the servant bowed and left to follow her instructions.
The Asturian princess immediately arranged the files on her desk and straightened her dress and fixed her hair, suddenly conscious of her appearance. She hadn't seen Dryden for several months, not since he left for a trade expedition on his newest sea vessel. And though he maintained contact by sending regular reports, none of these correspondences contained anything other than business matters. And as much as she appreciated his commitment to improving the Asturian economy, Millerna had been hoping for something more.
More than a year had passed since the war ended and the heir to the Asturian throne had still not completely sorted out her feelings about her former betrothed. That she had feelings for him, she was certain, but everything else was more muddled and complicated. He had promised to give her space and to distance himself from her, probably for both their sakes, and she had appreciated this gesture.
He had embarked on an indefinite sea voyage which he called a trade expedition, to cement trade relations with the neighboring countries. Successful merchant that he was, this task was something he was sure to excel at. And Millerna was appraised of the results of his negotiations. But she had not expected him to be gone for so long.
And she had already begun to admit that she missed him.
Millerna had realized, only after his prolonged absence, of course, that all things considered, she had enjoyed his company. And had the whole betrothal issue not hung above their heads every time they interacted, she believed they might have gotten along much better.
He was charming, that she could not deny, and handsome too. But he was also extremely knowledgeable, both a learned scholar and a man who had seen much of the world, had adventures she always wanted to experience. She envied him this freedom to explore the unknown, to go beyond the borders of her kingdom. And yet, she found that he was always willing to share his experiences, to tell her stories about the things he had seen and done. And what could be misconstrued as arrogance, she learned, was a self-assurance that came with having achieved much in his life by his own merits.
Dryden Fassa had many admirable qualities, and Millerna Aston was looking forward to knowing more about him.
.
.
.
The aforementioned merchant disembarked and breathed in the refreshing, Asturian sea breeze. He smiled, satisfied with the knowledge that his latest expedition had been a productive one.
"It's good to be back," Dryden thought, gazing at the familiar structures greeting him upon his arrival.
It had been a fairly lengthy journey and he was eager to get some rest. He gave some instructions to his rat-faced clerk about the unloading of the cargo he brought back. There was still so much to organize. Dryden was in the midst of discussing the upcoming tasks to be accomplished when he heard a familiar voice.
"Lord Dryden."
The merchant looked up in surprise to see the smiling face of the youngest Asturian princess. Millerna had just gotten off her horse and was approaching Dryden's ship.
"Welcome back," the princess said cheerfully. She had very nearly said "Welcome home" but had recovered in time. She tried not to show how pleased she was to see him but he could not disguise his delight at seeing her.
"Thank you, your Highness," he replied courteously, "It is very kind of you to welcome me yourself. I am honored."
Millerna nodded in acknowledgment. "We have not seen each other for some time," she said softly, "and I wanted to make sure that you returned safely."
Dryden smiled. "All is well, as you can see," he told her reassuringly, "and once I finish organizing things here, I was planning to call on you in the palace. This expedition has been quite an adventure and I have many stories to share that may be of some interest to you."
Millerna's face lit up at this. "Very well, I shall leave you to it," she said, "and I look forward to seeing you again soon. I am curious about these adventures you speak of."
"I hope that they will not disappoint," Dryden said humbly.
"I'm sure they won't," the princess replied.
.
.
.
Sure enough, Dryden Fassa wasted no time in presenting himself at the palace. After making the necessary courtesies to King Aston, and the members of the council, he sought out the company of the youngest princess.
He found her in one of the rooms recently converted into a small laboratory, to help with her medical studies. She had somehow convinced her father and sister to let her pursue what she felt was her true calling. And once convinced, Eries was determined to provide the means by which Millerna could become a competent doctor. When Eries was supportive, she was thorough about it.
Dryden knocked on the door and Millerna gestured for him to enter.
"Come in, come in," she said with a smile.
He watched as she hastily scribbled some notes on a large ledger before tidying up some vials and diagrams on her desk. She was always so diligent and he admired her for it. He was both eager and apprehensive about being alone with her but on balance, he decided that he enjoyed her company too much to avoid seeing her. All the awkward feelings could be set aside for some friendly interaction, he thought.
He had brought a package with him, a small, intricately engraved wooden chest containing gifts especially for her. He knew that it was somewhat of a bold gesture but when he explained that the gifts did not come from him alone, hopefully she would not refuse them.
"Well, Lord Dryden," Millerna said cheerfully, "are you here to regale me with stories about your expedition?"
"Inasmuch as you can be regaled, Princess," Dryden replied, "I don't pretend to have experiences more interesting than yours."
"You're being too modest, I'm sure. And you're probably not here to tell me the details about all the trade negotiations and quantities of raw materials."
"I could if you wanted me to."
Millerna made a face and Dryden laughed.
"Of course, I'm here to tell you about the more interesting aspects of my trip," he continued, "the amusing people I met, the breathtaking locations I saw, and some other interesting stories."
And so Millerna listened, enthralled, as Dryden gave her a vivid account of sailing through the occasional typhoon, enduring the raging waters of the seas even with the advanced technology of his ship; he told her of the various cultural eccentricities of the people from coasts of Daedalus, their penchant for spicy seafood, for one thing, and their tales of legendary sea monsters who roamed their waters.
He talked of briefly traveling through the mountain ranges of Cesario in order to find rare spices and herbs and of meeting the people of Basram, with their colorful national attire and intriguing belief system. He also mentioned a short trip to visit the ruins of the Zaibach Empire and he told the princess of how the survivors were rebuilding their land under the watchful eyes of representatives of the alliance, in order to prevent any future conflicts.
While some of these things could easily be read in books about the regions, Dryden's animated manner of telling stories was completely engrossing and Millerna almost felt that she had been there with him (and sometimes, she truly wished she had been.)
Her wistful glances did not escape Dryden's notice and as much as he enjoyed entertaining her, he also wished he could offer her more than just stories.
"You should come with me next time," he almost blurted out but he realized that this might not seem ver appropriate. But how he wished he could invite her.
After exhausting most of his more interesting stories, he showed her the wooden chest. Millerna stared at it curiously, admiring the intricate carvings.
"This contains gifts for you, my lady," Dryden said gravely and before the princess could protest, he clarified, "from a colony of mermaids not far from our shores."
Dryden nodded, pleased by her reaction. "I had the honor of making the acquaintance of one of their kind recently," he explained, "and on the return journey, she spotted my ship and swam over to exchange pleasantries.
I told her about my voyage and about the things I had seen. But all of this was nothing compared to getting a glimpse of the mermaids' community. For my friend had soon invited more of her kind to greet us and to show us their hospitality.
We had not really been prepared to engage with them but we shared what little gifts we could, some old navigational equipment that they found interesting, some jewelry and other baubles from the various places I had visited."
"How fascinating!" Millerna said with delight, "I've always wanted to interact with the mer-people. I've only heard stories but never met any of them personally."
"They are a peace-loving race and they keep to themselves for the most part," Dryden explained, "But they're also curious about other cultures and eager to share theirs. And on that note, may I present their gifts."
He then brought out several strings of deep-sea pearls as well as colorful shells of varying shapes and sizes. The princess looked at each item admiringly. Dryden then brought out a cloth sack containing various, less appealing looking items.
"Perhaps these would be of greater interest to you, princess," he said, laying out the gifts, "I told my friend, Sylphiel, of your medical studies, and she immediately decided to send these to you."
Millerna's eyes widened as she recognized some of the items from her medical journals.
"This is an extremely rare variety of seaweed!" she cried enthusiastically, "And it's known to have medicinal properties."
The thrilled princess also noticed other kinds of medicinal algae among the gifts Dryden had laid out. She immediately began to extol the virtues of each kind.
"This one has antibacterial and antioxidant properties," she said, pointing to one clump of algae excitedly, "and this one can be used as an anti-coagulant. This one can be used to treat thyroid disorders!"
She soon noticed other marine specimens that also served as natural cures to certain ailments. The mermaid had also sent a particular type of sponge that could counter a serious virus as well as a soft coral that had anti-inflammatory properties. There was even a vial of sea snail venom that could be used to make powerful painkillers.
Dryden simply watched in awe as the princess, unrestrained in her enthusiasm, happily described the virtues of all the gifts the mermaid had sent. The pure joy on her face was one he wished he could witness more often and he resolved to take every opportunity to make her this happy.
"She means a lot to you, this princess," Sylphiel had told him slyly, "You must do what you can to impress her."
"She isn't very easily impressed," he had admitted, "but any effort on my part to please her is well worth it."
"I should like to meet her one day," the mermaid had remarked, "she sounds like a fascinating woman."
"And so she is," Dryden thought as he watched Millerna continue to look at the gifts in awe. He grew even more grateful to Sylphiel for her generosity and ingenuity.
The princess soon grew conscious of his gaze on her and blushed, embarrassed by her outburst. But Dryden merely looked at her with admiration and encouragement.
"I do apologize for that little display," Millerna said, regaining some of her composure, "but I am grateful, so very grateful for all this. You must thank your friend for me. She has been most generous."
"I shall, indeed," Dryden replied.
"And I do really want to meet her," Millerna added, "and share some gifts of my own with her people. I am sure there is much we can learn from them."
"You're very right," Dryden agreed, "and I'm sure that something like that can be arranged."
Millerna nodded and continued to gaze happily at all of the gifts. She repeated her expression of gratitude which Dryden accepted modestly.
"It is an honor to be able to serve you in any way, Princess Millerna," he said softly.
Millerna blushed again at the tenderness in his tone. She steered the conversation to less dangerous waters, and for while they discussed some political issues and technical details of his ship. Dryden also mentioned his plans for another expedition.
After a while, Millerna asked what had been nagging at her mind ever since he arrived.
"How long do you intend to stay here before you leave on your next voyage?" she asked gravely.
"Once the cargo from my ship has been unloaded and duly processed," Dryden replied, "it will only take a few weeks for me to prepare to leave again. I may be ready to go by the end of the month."
"So soon?" Millerna asked, a hint of dismay in her voice.
Dryden looked at her curiously. He did not dare to ask if she wanted him to stay and he was not sure what to make of the sort of pleading look in her eyes. But he was also incapable of disappointing her.
"Nothing is set in stone," he said earnestly, "and I will stay as long as you need me, Princess Millerna."
Mostly so that I can see who has already posted. If you have posted your gift and I didn’t note that you did please let me know! Now is the time to let either me or Gura know if you’re not going to be able to make a gift. There are still several days (closing date is January 5th) so don’t worry! :)
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays @soji-chan! This little drabble is a continuation of and inspired by mine and Folken/ @dillyfirestarter‘s RPG over on the forum. It was very interesting trying to get inside Dilandau’s head and a guymelef... I hope you enjoy! (Approximately 525 words)
Please note that while I think Folken would have created the ability of flight for guymelefs first that doesn’t fit with the theme of this being the first time Dilandau and Folken meet and Dilandau pushing to prove himself to Folken. I’m preeetty sure they’d have Dilandau test the flight ability too.
--
Dilandau slipped into the pilot chair of the Alseides unit as easily as slipping into his bed for a night of rest. He belonged there. The seat of war and chaos was his, always was and always would be. He’d show the Stratego that he’d earned his title.
The cover of the Alseides closed and the warm liquid filled the chamber, wrapping him in a blanket of welcome.
Glancing at the intercom that clearly did not belong in his precious machine, Dilandau reminded himself to run commentary on his movements. Murdak’s base hadn’t been updated to coincide with the Aseides’ communications system. In the end the Stratego’s machinations would facilitate rather than hinder strategy in battle. An invisible enemy would be impossible to fight. (Rumor was Stratego Folken was working on making guymelefs fly. Flight in battle would be a powerful advantage.)
Taking his first steps, Dilandau immediately noted the added weight. It wasn’t much and he was sure it wouldn’t affect the movements or balance of the guymelef. (As an afterthought he rebuked himself; of course Stratego would have thought of that.) He would adapt quickly and so would most pilots.
Dilandau turned on the new equipment and took several casual steps.
He immediately knew that the cloak would not hinder his vision; he informed the command center of such.
It was hard to see at this angle but he was pretty sure his feet were not visible.
But this was walking.
The unit captain pushed the unit into a quick pace, then transitioned into a slow run, then into the fastest as he’d ever pushed a machine. The weight on his shoulders was still there but it hardly affected the movement of the machine. It was easily pushed to the back of his mind. He was still sure his feet couldn’t be seen. Dilandau thumbed the switch for the intercom. “The weight of the invisibility cloak passes basic aerobic movement. Beginning sword sparring patterns.”
Flicking his right arm out from the cloth, Dilandau conjured a crima claw sword. He moved through several basic forms before switching to more advanced. Again the weight was noted but did not hinder the guymelef. Dilandau pushed the metal skin further, twisting in ways a trained human body found easy but would put an intense strain on the guymelef. He knew that the machine could take the beating; he’d done it many times.
The metal whined in protest – a sound that would be lost while in battle – but held.
Finishing his melee in a kneeling position, Dilandau allowed the crima claw sword to dissipate.
“The weight of the invisibility cloak passes advanced aerobic maneuvers besides the obvious visible hand and sword.” The corner of his mouth curled up in a smirk. Dilandau might be stating the obvious but he was extremely thorough.
Dilandau turned off the invisibility cloak.
He turned the machine to face the main building where Folken was located and performed a perfect salute. “I do believe your new toy performed well Stratego Folken. I do hope you’ve left some vino so that we may perform a toast to the Empire’s victories won with your invention!”
-----------
Y’know... I wrote the entire thing and then realized that I’d forgotten to have him turn the cloak on! XD
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Tenkuu no Escaflowne | The Vision of Escaflowne
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Relationships: Millerna Aston/Dryden Fassa
Characters: Allen Schezar, Gaddes (Escaflowne), Dilandau Albatou, Original Character
Additional Tags: Tragedy, War, Conscious switching Dilandau, Traumatized Allen, Character Deaths
Summary:
A war begins not 10 years after the events that began the Destiny War. A time of peace has come to an end when again Freid is attacked. Allen is thrown into the fray when a devastating attack strikes Pallas.
Secret Santa Gift for @quietduna!
Thank you for giving me a great idea I definitely ran with for a while! Its pretty long but I hope you enjoy it!
