#heirofhresvelg

[unbalancing-act]

As the Broomstick Tips {

BOSS FIGHT !! LUKAS: 2/2 HP

Having been literally swept up in the buffoonery, he found the grievous casualties of a pie war to be too great. Weaving through pied victim after pied victim, he sought the last one's standing.

"Are you the only students left?"

While they didn't look like the sort to start wars, they may have tried to end it through the same senseless means.

"So? Are you still up in arms, dear students of mine?"

Arms crossed, he thrummed his fingers waiting for an answer.

"Have you had your fun?"

@heirofhresvelg @godsmercie @vonvestra @thefetchingfletcher

[jehannandancer]

The longer the war raged, the more telling the survivors became. Those like herself, unafraid of the crust and those like her current target… Able to dance out of the path of fillings with an ease Edelgard genuinely envied. That made throwing the next pie easier.

Tethys was running out of energy. There was a limit to how much she can keep this up. Each time she moved away and threw the recycled pies over long distances, her exhaustion stacks.

Even so, she managed to make it this far. Only a few are left and she even managed to convince a few to stop via eliminating them. She might as well do the best she can for as long as she can.

Amidst her thoughts, another pie flies toward her, but this time around, she’s not too distracted to act. As the pie flies her way, about to hit her torso, Tethys twirls to the side with grace, a wink sent to the attacker before nimbly making her escape. Gotta go fast.

[godsmercie]

little bird, petit oiseau, doux amour

With a quick flourish of her hand, she finished the last of the cakes an hour earlier than she expected, leaving her with plenty enough time to get everything set up for one of the darlings of the Black Eagles house- she wasn’t about to let her little bird have anything but the best for her birthday!

Luckily these cakes were separate, and Sylvain was rather easily bribed with excess batter to watch the table while she set up the 3 cakes and various pastries (and reminding him this was for Nino kept him from trying to get a fingerful of frosting while she went back and forth between the kitchens and the biggest tea table in the yard), including a number of little puff pastry birds and flower-themed pastries- it was practically enough to feed 10 people, but that was even better- it meant Nino didn’t have to worry about taking too much, and she’d have extras for later. She adjusts the cakes to keep the two normal fluffy cakes to the sides of the layered platter covered in the various pastries and topped with the third cake- a cheesecake.

She steps back, and it hits her that maybe this is a little too much- two fluffy cakes, one vanilla and one chocolate, each with 2 layers separated by whipped cream frosting and strawberries, coated again in more of the same frosting and then decorated with strawberry-bit ‘nests’, each with a bird pastry in them, the cheesecake she’d marbled strawberry preserves into, the various fruits and pastries galore. But it was already set up, and she didn’t have enough time to downsize, so a little too much was what Nino was getting- hopefully she’d like it. Mercedes was just settling the present in green wrapping paper under her chair beside the rectangular gift carefully wrapped in butcher paper and tied with a long purple ribbon when she hears Edelgard’s voice, her tone like honey as she spoke to their beloved little eagle, all warmth and gentleness with a sharp sweetness to it. Mercedes smiles as she sits.

It’s time to spoil their little bird rotten!

[vonvestra]

Mended [Hubert & Edelgard]

Starter for @heirofhresvelg

The days had passed in agony from the moment their unit departed for Almyra. Every step meant a step farther from Edelgard. And a step closer to the nightmares of the past. The days in camp, too, of waiting for hours for scouts, for information, for anything about the location of the giant tiger were filled with worst-case scenarios and fabricated worries about the land of Sreng. Almyra and the tangible barely existed. His eyes, vacant and hollow from sleepless nights, stared through his companions to the north. But with tortured restlessness, all he could do was wait.

Gricenchos had showed itself suddenly, and in the whirlwind of battle, Hubert forgot about the nightmares. A new sort had come to reality as his allies fell, one by one, like flies from a flame. They had to fight. There was no other choice. But even with their numbers, the beast made short work of them. A march toward death, and one Hubert - by some chance - avoided from his place at the backlines.

He was among the very few who escaped unscathed. That was his promise to Edelgard. And that was his fighting style. But it was not hers. Flashes of his brave comrades crushed beneath the fallen tower, or torn apart by the tiger’s blood-stained fangs, warped and changed in his nightmares. White-haired, tangled and matted, red staining more than just her cloak, arms bent unnaturally, lavender eyes closed for good. The visions chased him even in the daylight, biting at his heels, speeding his steps when at last they turned back to Fodlan. He had to know. He had to see her. In the flesh.

The monastery’s infirmary was just as much a hell as his nightmares, bandaged knights and students alike grim reminders of what could be.

“The Sreng unit has yet to return.”

Hubert gave his thanks to the nurse and departed at last for his own room. By some chance, he hoped to find Edelgard’s occupied, news that - maybe - she had decided not to go on her mission after all. But when he knocked on the door, there was no answer. The dormitories, like a desolated wasteland, whistled with the wind.

Time crawled, and day and night blurred into one. But at last the call came: “The Eagle of the North has bee slain!”

“Lady Edelgard.” Hubert’s breath caught in his throat when he spied her at the forefront of the returning party. Alive. Walking on her own feet. He waited for her to break from the group before coming to her side, hesitation borne in part from a rare weakness that had entered his legs.

“Lady Edelgard.” His usual decorum belied the fear that had him in its grip for so long, but the bruised rings beneath his eyes did not. He bowed to her a beat longer than normal, but when he raised his head, a smile that was as relieved as it was exhausted had slipped from its restraints.

“I’m glad to see that you have completed your mission unharmed.”

[boundlesshart]

Because of the nature of the ball, Edelgard had endeavoured to leave her dance card blank, letting any and all approach her to get their fill of Adrestia’s Heir while they had the chance. Yet, there were a few in attendance that she wanted to approach herself, and perhaps more specifically, on her own terms. Claude was one of them, “Good Evening, Claude.” She greets him with a nod of her approach, “Are you enjoying the ball?”

Claude is halfway through his second sweet bun when he notices Edelgard, somehow, coming closer to him rather than getting further away. Is she... approaching him? There must be something in the water if she has deigned to come down from her throne and talk to him of all people. Not that Claude is complaining, of course. He greets her with a smile, nodding back. Regardless of whatever any bystanders think of Adrestria’s power and influence compared to Leicester’s, this is a conversation between equals. “I am, especially now. It seems that everything tastes sweeter when you’re near, princess.” His smile grows wider, his tone far too teasing to be flirtatious.

Regardless, Claude holds out his plate with the last sweet bun, the little sandwich-like thing with almond paste and powdered sugar. He intended to save the best for last, but it’s a sacrifice he is willing to make. “Here, try this. I promise, it’ll be like biting down on a sugar cube.”

[professoress]

❗ "... Would you have ever... Walked by my side?"

                     “No.”

                    The words felt heavy as they left her mouth. A part of Byleth wished she could lie, but her heart simply wouldn’t let her. FRANKLY SPEAKING, Byleth was certain that if she ever saw the Flame Emperor again she would have surely undoubtedly killed them. Even now the sight of her father’s lifeless body hanging limply in her arms was burned into Byleth’s memory. Knowing that Edelgard had been allied with the group that had caused his death, brought forth such raw hatred, such extreme, vicious hatred, that she could barely contain it. 

                   PERSONALLY, Byleth couldn’t care less about what Dimitri did or didn’t do with Edelgard, but she wouldn’t sit back and watch him as he lost himself and let hate consume him. She had no intention of seeing him in any more pain because of Edelgard. Dimitri had lost enough of himself already. The professor turned toward her former student. “What makes you think I’d ever do that? Side with you?” her voice was raw with emotion and disbelief. It was way too late for that. When all she can remember is the hatred she felt for her. “I would have never walked by the side of my father’s killer.”

                     As far as Byleth was concerned, Edelgard was an enemy because she is the Flame Emperor. Her heart was closed to her. There was no going back. Nothing could fix the damage. ’My father can never come back.’ Byleth shifted in her seat and crossed her ankles, clutching her hands together. She tried to stop the trembling inside her. She tried to shake off the memory of cradling her father’s lifeless body in her arms. Byleth took a deep breath. Her brow creased as she struggled to reign in her emotions. She had to clench her hands and press them over her eyes. Tears tried to build there, but she wouldn’t let them. She did not trust herself to not be tempted by the idea of hurting Edelgard.              

                     THIS WAS ALL FOR CLOSURE. She reminded herself. She had left her sword behind for that very reason. ’Calm down,’ she told herself over and over, forcing her body to steady its breathing. ’Just breath.’ It took several minutes until Byleth could collect herself. Controlling her emotions without Sothis was proving to be difficult. Since the day their soul became whole again, a dam worth of years of dormant and unknown emotions had opened up inside of her. ’Sothis’. she calls out to her friend, she isn’t surprised ⧼ but still it hurt ⧽ when no voice answered back.            

                                       “Is that all you wanted to ask me?”

[tobenobility]

۞ (time for this dumpster fire)

(For reference, this is an answer to that “send ۞ to get pros and cons to a relationship with my muse” question from a while back, it’s just been FOUR MILLION YEARS because March has been a bit rough)

Pros:

-There should be no doubt that Ferdinand would be very loyal to Edelgard -- while he may have his moments of ego (to say the least), and while her actions do throw him into a lot of internal turmoil, when he’s not recruited, he stays with the Empire even when she’s taken everything from the family and noble lineage that he holds very, very dear. I have to imagine this would translate to him being very faithful in a romantic context.

-The two have a long history to work off of, and while this history certainly hasn’t been always positive, by the time that they’re in a position to be in a relationship, they would have to have worked through a lot of that history and come to better understand it, at least in the Crimson Flower route. While I have to imagine that Edelgard would take a long time to reveal everything to Ferdinand, if she would ever, the two would most definitely know how to work around each other fairly intimately. I also like to think of their A support, where Edelgard says she’s always considered him a friend -- even if they’ve had their negative moments, there’s a lot of things to like about each other to draw off of as well, which I think they’d be capable of doing when they’ve both matured.

-Ferdinand is actually more flexible than he might often seem long-term, and he’s very affectionate as well, which I think means that in the circumstances when they work he would be a lot more tolerable than one might think as a partner, and willing to provide Edelgard with quite a bit of affection at that, something I think she might appreciate -- I get the feeling that given her past and her position, and especially after having really listened to Edge of Dawn, bonds and affection are something that she desperately desires but had assumed she’d lose (which becomes pretty true outside of Crimson Flower).

-Holy hell, talk about a power couple. With their forces combined, I’m pretty sure that there’s absolutely no obstacle that can stand in their way. These two would (well, in Crimson Flower at least) together change the world for the better, far better -- you’d probably be hard-pressed to find as consistent a combination of ambition and the hard work and drive to put that ambition together in any other Three Houses couple, since I think maybe only Claude compares there. Edelgard’s vision would probably take front seat, but I have to imagine as well that Ferdinand would alter it for the better, considering his very consistent dedication to working with Edelgard and honestly (and, as he matures, constructively) criticizing and presenting alternatives to the worse things she comes up with. (Also, They Who Slither in the Dark are super going to get their asses kicked.)

Cons

-Ohhh, boy. Okay, so here’s one that has to be addressed right off, a healthy relationship between the two is only possible at all in the Crimson Flower route, as I’ve repeatedly alluded to here. In any other route, Edelgard is growing increasingly unhinged without any real moderating influence, and Ferdinand is extra lost and confused and conflicted about the situation of his family plus the gaping inferiority complex he has about her. These two instabilities would, when paired, make any relationship between the two inherently horrifically inequal, and I suspect that it would potentially become downright abusive from Edelgard to Ferdinand when you factor in how much agony and heartbreak Ferdinand’s father has caused her, which she’s probably not going to be inclined to forgive on most routes given how vengeful she becomes.

-Taking these other cons from the perspective of Crimson Flower where this is a more palatable concept, I think there would still be some level of issues with secrecy and trust for a long time in the relationship. Edelgard, of course, has some very deep-seated and extraordinarily painful issues she’s been sitting on, and with Ferdinand’s father so prominent a figure in these issues, it’s to be expected that she would be very hesitant to divulge them to him. Now, I do think that the Crimson Flower route ameliorates this -- it involves Ferdinand sacrificing what he’s always known to stick hard by her side and fight for and alongside her for the entirety of the route, and that process pretty much has to build trust between them, but even though it does set them up to fix the most critical points of distrust, there will probably always be at least be some mysteriousness from Edelgard.

-This is a lot more minor than the other two, but I have to imagine that even in the ideal scenario where they’ve really come to adapt to each other and break down the barriers that do exist between them, Ferdinand would still annoy the hell out of Edelgard from time to time, hahaha. I did say that he’d be more tolerable than he might seem, and I’m sure that he’d apologize later, but he’s still Ferdinand, so moments of too much bombast are to be expected, especially because I think he would still want to go out of his way to impress her even after having gotten over some of his insecurities.

Verdict:

I really do like the idea of a Ferdinand/Edelgard couple, and I really do love their A support, but the couple has to be in a VERY specific context -- anything outside of the Crimson Eagles post-skip period is doomed to absolutely nosedive terribly. But in that context I think they really can work out beautifully, since the issues that normally become huge problems have been sanded down and dealt with as each character has matured, leaving their more positive aspects to work together not only for each other’s own good (I had some trouble wording this longform, but I think they could also help reinforce each other in the situations where each would waver) but for everyone’s. It just, uh, it really, really does have to be in that context.

[flowerofiris]

Edelgard spotted Nino sitting alone looking… Down for some reason. She approached slowly, putting the pie in her hands down on the bench next to her as she knelt down. She looked at Nino’s clothing and hair, not a spot of pie to be seen so why was she crying? Edelgard offered her a small smile, “Now, what has you so upset, my Little Eagle?” She pointed to the pie, “You were having so much fun the last time I saw you.”

Nino heard Edelgard’s voice, and was really surprised to not feel any sort of pie hitting her. She looked up instinctively, temporarily forgetting that her face was a mess, hurriedly looking back downward as she tried to hide her tears... but it was already too late. She decided to fess up.

“I... I was having so much fun, I forgot to be careful...” She hiccuped a little bit. “I... I really hurt Ignatz and Cynthia... I-I didn’t even think I could... h-hurt someone with a pie, but they got injured... a-and then I accidentally hit a professor... a-and I hit so many people who I-... I didn’t even mean to hit... I hit that scary man from our house, h-he probably hates me... B... Berkut, I think his name was... a-and then I hit Lorenz on accident and he was disappointed... a-and...”

Nino choked slightly, afraid to continue because she was really scared of Edelgard being disappointed in her for these last two. “I-... I hit Hubert, and he was... r-really scary, and... I was trying my best to impress him, b-but now he’s really disappointed in me, a-and I don’t even think I can fix that... a-and worst of all, I...” She hiccuped. “I hit Ferdinand, and he... he sounded really upset. A-... And I liked Ferdinand a lot... I-I didn’t mean to hurt so many people, Edelgard, I- I just wanted to have fun... I-I’m so sorry...”