#fe 16

[pencilpai]

Dimitri at the DMV

[jerseyartblog]

Guess who has Archery practice AND has been thinking about a 10 year old game recently

🤪🏹 Quick Niles doodle, it's been awhile

[dvrtrblhr]

some people, both old and new (mostly new).

[shadow-yato]

Day 3: change (Bernadetta x Transfem Hubert)

@fe-femslash

[fe-fictions]

Im in a very strong mood of pinning Seteth on his desk so he can rest for once

....

Either him or Rodrigue

(If I pinned Rodrigue to his desk Felix would walk in by accident and be scarred for life)

The level of skill it took for someone to become half as absorbed into their work as Seteth was insurmountable. No one had the stamina, focus, or patience to wade through the torrential ocean of paperwork that grew every second.

But for the prime minister, and the Archbishop’s closest confidant (among other things), he never wavered. He seemed to enjoy the punishing volume of work, and took pride in completing it.

While he succeeded in plowing through most of the mess each day, it did not please you. This was mainly due to the fact that Seteth’s slavish devotion to his work meant little time left for you.

Perhaps it was selfish…but you were busy, too! And when you finally trudged to bed in the dead of night, Seteth wasn't there. You'd sometimes go to his office beforehand; but Seteth was far too busy to even notice you in the doorway.

So you surrendered to your fate, knowing Seteth would not be in bed that night. He remained buried in paperwork until he had to join you at some ceremony or gathering or whatever was expected of such an important public servant.

Since the war's end two years ago, this was your life. But unlike Seteth, you had reached a point where you could carve out peaceful times of day, and could get more than four hours of sleep at night.

While the reconstruction of Fodlan was top priority for most of that time, the demand of the job had finally started to slow down.

Seteth could also afford to slow down now, you thought. If the Archbishop could find time to breathe, surely her second in command could, too.

Such was your reasoning while heading to his office one rainy afternoon.

The weather was dull and dreary; perfect for an afternoon nap. With your own duties cleared until later that night, you planned to have Seteth join you.

A couple inquiries along the way confirmed he was toiling away in the office. When you arrived, the closed doors did not deter you.

Two polite raps against them didn’t get a response. You sighed to yourself; he was definitely buried deep in his work.

Testing the handle led it to open without resistance. And the scene that greeted you was your beloved…buried under the parchment, as always.

“Forgive the intrustion…may I come in?”

Your voice did the trick. His hunched shoulders suddenly straightened, brows raised when sharp green eyes locked on yours.

“Byleth!” His surprise gave way to a pleasant smile, “Apologies, I didn’t hear the door. By all means, come in.” 

“Thank you,” The doors clicked shut behind you. Seteth rose from his chair with a stretch that resulted in an audible pop- startling you both.

“I take it you’ve not stood up in a while, dear?”

“Perhaps I’ve been sat here longer than I thought.” He replied, sheepish from his body’s complaint. “Nothing some stretches can’t fix.”

“Would you consider taking a break?” You asked as he rounded the desk, leaned against the wood frame. He opened an arm to welcome you to his side, which you were glad to accept. 

It was something of an open secret that you were together. You maintained a polite distance in front of students, but behind closed doors you could be a bit more affectionate.

Well, as much as Seteth would allow before his shyness got the better of him.

For now, though, you were glad to settle against him, wrapping an arm around his waist.

“...Hm. You feel a little thinner, Seteth. Have you been eating properly?

“Well-” He hesitated, though he grew flustered when you glared. “I have not missed any meals on purpose! I simply…you know.”

“I can see how that might have happened.” You gestured to the stacks of parchment all around you. “...Are you certain I can’t take some of this off your hands? This is far more paperwork than any one man should do. Especially if it’s interfering with your health.”

“I have suffered through worse, I assure you.” He sighed, “But I would be lying if I said this wasn’t a bit overwhelming.”

“So I can help?”

“No, no. It’s fine, I assure you. It simply means I must work harder to clear it away!”

“Dearest…” You felt him shift under your warning tone. “You've been working hard for several days. I suspected you were overdoing it again, but now it’s clear. Which means you don’t get to say no to any of my plans for the day.”

“Oh, no. You have plans for us?” He frowned, dreading the derailment of his schedule. “I have several deadlines due tonight, Byleth. I cannot afford to shirk my duties. And if I recall correctly, you have meetings this evening.”

“I do- which is why my plot need only occur this afternoon.” 

“...Plot?”

“Indeed. My plot to drag you to bed and nap with me.”

“Nap-?” He repeated with a scoff. You pulled back to look at him indignantly. “We aren't children! Why would we do that?”

“Because you hardly come to bed at a decent hour, and I haven’t seen you outside of meetings in days. You are gone before I wake, and you’re in bed after I’m asleep-- assuming there are days you get there, at all!” 

“I suppose…you are not wrong, but-”

“I want to spend time with you outside our obligations. Not just for me, mind you, but because you need to before the work finally buries you!”

Seteth did attempt to brush off your warning, though it was ineffective.

“I would love to spend time with you too, dearest, honestly. But I need to prioritize some of this before I even think of doing anything else. Would you be open to a compromise?”

“A compromise?” You echoed, “What do you have in mind?”

“If you’ll allow me one hour to finish my more pressing tasks, I swear to set aside the rest of my afternoon for you. Is that amenable?”

“...And it will be a single hour, nothing more?” You stepped closer, your hands on either side of him against the desk. 

You were awfully close- he felt slightly trapped.

“Yes…not a second more. Then I will be wholly yours to force into a nap, even if it is unnecessary.”

Your eyes narrowed, assessing his offer. “...Very well. I accept your terms.” 

He hummed in surprise when you kissed him then, sealing the deal with a teasing little peck.

At least he thought it was; then the floor fell out from under him.

The hum turned into a muffled squawk when you pinned his arms over his head.

In a single move you swiped his legs from the ground with one boot, and pressed your chest atop his, pinned fully against the desk.

When you broke the kiss, you were so close your noses touched.

You were both blushing, but where there was confusion, excitement and a hint of fear in his eyes- yours were much more dangerous and calculating.

“...But it would be unwise to keep me waiting.”

You released him as suddenly as you toppled him.

It was as if he blinked and you were across the room, already moving to open the door.

He was still leaned against the desk, though more out of fear his knees would give out if he did not. And the discomfort in his trousers was--

“I will see you in an hour, dear.” You smiled as if nothing happened.

He stumbled to his feet, just as the door opened wide and saw students walking past. 

He could only nod, and watch lamely as you disappeared from the room.  He was rooted to the spot, utterly stunned by your daring behavior. The excitement swirling in his head-- gods, had he actually enjoyed you pinning him like-

He shook his head violently, banishing the impure thoughts from his mind.

No, he would not allow himself to be distracted from his work. He had negotiated an hour, so he would fill that hour properly!

Numbly he sank back into his seat, and the quill returned to his trembling hand.

‘Work for the hour…use the full hour, otherwise Byleth will…’ 

The image of Byleth pinning him to the bed flashed in his mind.

He'd barely made it through a single sentence before he rocketed up from the desk.

He made a beeline for the door and strode after his minx of a wife. There would be a conversation about proper etiquette and intimiate behavior in his office late, but he had much more pressing matters to deal with.

Perhaps his work could wait an hour longer, after all.

…Perhaps until tomorrow.

(His wife would be sure to employ similar tactics in the future after learning how effective it was…despite his poor attempts at protesting it.)

[aeromaya]

Dimitri: Blue Lion

Artist: Niji Hayashi

Disciple of shadow goddess Fenris. Wishes for a world in which the weak are not oppressed. Cannot recall his past or who he is.

[four-loose-screws]

Hi! I’ve seen people people say that Dimitri speaks in an informal rude manner in Japanese so him being super polite in English is weird changes his character a lot, but I’ve also seen people say the localization is just fine. Could you clear up please? Thank you!

This ask has been in my inbox forever, and I know other ENG/JP bilingual FE fans have weighed in on this topic before. But exploring the nuances of Japanese formal vs. casual speech is always super fun, so I want to share my own thoughts too. There's always a chance there will be more to learn with each new person's input on the same topic. Plus, I discovered some things even I didn't expect! So, I'll still offer everything I have to say!

First, I'll explain the full background this ask is referring to. Japanese has 2 major distinct speaking styles - casual and formal. I was taught to call the formal style "distal" - because it is more about respecting distance in social standing than being formal specifically. But formal is the more common term, so I tend to stick with saying formal most of the time.

The distinction between casual and formal is made with pronoun choice, word choice, and other factors as well, but the fastest way to differentiate the two is to look/ listen for the use of desu and masu at the end of someone's sentences. Formal uses them. Casual drops them. This concept is entirely foreign to English speakers!

Dimitri drops desu and masu most of the time. His "I pronoun" is also ore, and his "you pronoun" is omae - both casual, blunt, and masculine choices. But does speaking casually to most of the cast make him rude?

Short answer is... no, not at all! There's 2 major reasons for this.

Reason #1 - the rules for casual vs. formal speech are a bit different in reality vs. fiction:

Partially, Dimitri speaks casually because he is showing his personality. He's got all those traits most standard FE protagonists share - he's strong, straightforward, and wants to connect directly on a personal level with everyone he meets. He tries to convince several characters that they can speak casually with him, because he sees people as people, and doesn't want social status putting distance between them.

Fictional characters generally speak more in-line with their personality more often, rather than following the socially acceptable speaking rules of the real world. (Though don't get me wrong - casual real Japanese people will speak casually in more circumstances than the average Japanese person.) This is simply the style that Japanese writers largely choose. And I think it is one of the great benefits of Japanese - anyone can start to pick up on a character's personality archetype almost instantly, thanks to their speaking style!

Reason #2 - Dimitri is a prince, making him of high social rank:

Here's the second nuance to this - it is absolutely standard for a superior to talk to their subordinates in casual style.

In modern times, this is shown in the workplace. Bosses and those in other leadership positions will frequently speak casually with the staff in a lower-ranking position than them. The president of the office I now work at is Japanese, and he speaks very casually with me - I have to be formal in response though, because he's at the top!!

But in the past, this would have been a distinction made between lord/ royalty, and those beneath them. Which is the case that is relevant in Fire Emblem's setting.

Dimitri can also speak casually without coming off as rude, because he is one of the highest ranking people across all of Fodlan.

-

Okay, so that's the answer in broad strokes - but let's get a bit more nuanced, go down Dimitri's support partner list, and confirm whether or not he always speaks casually!

Group #1 - Dimitri and the other citizens of Faerghus (8 other Blue Lions + Gilbert)

Dimitri has a multi-layered relationship with all of the other 8 Blue Lions. They are citizens of the country he is a prince of, therefore he is ranked very highly in social standing above them. But they are also his friends, classmates, and later, war allies; placing them on the same social level in that regard. So the way they speak to him comes down to a little bit of column A - personality, and a little bit of column B - which aspect of their relationship with Dimitri they feel is the "main" one.

Gilbert is also here in this category, as another person from Faerghus.

Dedue: Dimitri speaks casually, Dedue speaks formally, as they have a lord/ servant relationship. Dimitri wants Dedue to be a very close friend to him though, and wants Dedue to speak casually with him - this is a major source of tension in their supports. In the end, being able to mutually speak casually with each other and be friends, is a place they may reach one day. With other characters, Dedue speaks casually.

Felix: As royalty above Felix's noble house, Dimitri speaks casually. Felix is Felix, so he speaks casually too. I imagine he sees Dimitri quite literally as more of a wild boar than a human being, much less royalty.

Ashe: Dimitri speaks casually, Ashe speaks formally. However, pretty much the whole point of their supports is Dimitri attempting to get Ashe to speak casually with him.. Ashe tries in earnest to switch, but in the end sticks with speaking formally, otherwise he feels too uncomfortable. His view of Dimitri as his prince is too strong for him to let go and speak casually.

Sylvain: Dimitri speaks casually, and Sylvain speaks casually more often, but actually switches to desu and masu more than once. When a relationship is "in-between" higher/lower social standing and friendship, it's not uncommon for at least one person to switch back and forth between casual and polite speech, depending on which side of the relationship they are appealing to more at the moment. This happens in real life too as people shift from strangers, coworkers, etc. to friends.

Mercedes: They both speak casually. In Mercedes' case, I think she's speaks more in-line with her personality rather than paying attention to social status.

Annette: Both speak casually, but Annette is well aware that there's something a little wrong with that - her father would never let her get away with it if he knew!

Ingrid: Dimitri speaks casually, Ingrid speaks formally. But I think Ingrid speaks formally with everyone.

Gilbert: As you can probably guess based on my comments in Dimitri and Annette's analysis, her father most certainly speaks formally with Dimitri! He is very formal and takes social heirarchy very seriously. Dimitri, as the prince above him in social status, speaks casually.

Group #2 - The other characters at the monastary:

Since the remaining characters are not from Faerghus, Dimitri is not their prince. They'll be more likely to view him through the lens of a different relationship than royalty/ subject.

Catherine is originally from Faerghus yes, but she has cut her ties from her homeland completely to serve Rhea, so she fits into this group now.

Raphael: Both speak casually. I think Raphael treats everyone like a life-long friend!! He at least attaches san or sensei (teacher) to the names of his instructors, but that's about it for formal language for him.

Marianne: Dimitri speaks casually. Marianne speaks formally, as she does with everyone. I think she even attaches san to everyone's name, conveying how much she keeps her distance from people, trying not to form close relationships.

Flayn: Dimitri speaks casually. Flayn speaks formally, as I think she does with everyone.

Hapi: Both speak casually. I think Hapi speaks casually with everyone.

Alois: Now *here's* where things get interesting! At this point, I really thought I would discover that Dimitri speaks casually with everyone. But alas, he does NOT! Dimitri speaks formally with Alois, while Alois speaks casually to him. Why? Well, while Dimitri is a prince, he's also a student at Garreg Mach (in Part 1 of course). In this way, he is below all Garreg Mach staff and professors in social standing. So it makes perfect sense that he'd speak formally and Alois would be casual in this case.

Catherine: Same situation as Dimitri and Alois - as someone who serves as an instructor at Garreg Mach, all students like Dimitri are below her in status at the monastary. So Dimitri speaks formally, and she speaks casually.

Byleth: I left Byleth for last, because while Byleth is a professor at the monastary... Dimitri speaks casually with them. I imagine this has more to do with Byleth being the self insert than anything. Everyone bonds to Byleth on a deep level faster than magnets stick together.

And that's all I can think of to say for now! This is a super fun example of how nuanced Japanese's casual vs. formal language can get, and showcases one of the many reasons why Japanese has such a high barrier of entry for anyone learning it - including young native speakers! You don't get all this desu and masu stuff, until finally you just do.

Let me know if I missed anything, or if anyone has any follow up comments to make!

I apologize it took me so long to respond to this one! Thank you anon, and all readers, for waiting! I hope it helped explain even more of the trickier nuances of Japanese.

[nayuunii]

Annette Fantine Dominic