Would it be okay if I... inserted a non-mythic Maercy into my Akina timeline to be Lann's wife? If so, how do you think her backstory and romance with him might play out in that scenario?
Of course!!
And these are really fun questions that I really liked exploring :] This kind of became about how maercy might function as a companion, too, since i felt it's important for how she and Lann would interact.
this um. Got away from me. it's. Very Long.
Getting her out of Nidal without Areelu is simple enough. I can just change it so that it definitely was Desna, or maybe she was just lucky. she probably doesn't have the crisis of faith she gets as the commander. not sure why she decides to go to mendev to aid the crusades either. she just felt like it probably idk.
I've gone into how I think Lann, as he exists in canon, is only capable of falling for a commander before, but it is fun to explore the possibility of him being able to like. Move past it, I guess? I've. done weirder with him so. *coughs*
I do think him falling for someone who Isn't The Commander would be pretty different, especially with Maercy because of their religious and ideological differences. Where Lann is willing to defer to good/neutral aligned mythic paths even if he disagrees with them, I don't think he'd be able to do that with Maercy when she's not the commander. She'd come across as naive, impulsive, overly optimistic and comically oblivious to him, and I think he would be more easily frustrated with her. Not hostile, but definitely frustrated. ESPECIALLY WITH AN ANGEL COMMANDER IN CHARGE. HOO BOY.
Maercy, on the other hand...hmm. I think she'd pick up on the fact that he's mad at her, for some reason?? But she doesn't really get why. Maercy very much wants to be friends with everyone, and him being...resistant to that for what seems like no reason would confuse her. If both Lann and Maercy are present for reuniting the Desnan Adepts, I can see them getting into a pretty heated argument. Afterwards, Maercy would try to reconcile with Lann, telling him that Desna saved her but not elaborating on how, and asking if they could put their differences aside for the sake of the crusade. (I envision them having a similar moment with her as the Commander, but Lann is more willing to trust her judgement since she has the Light of Heaven.) He would acquiesce, if only because her reasoning is sound. For once.
Getting him to move past his prejudice against her...perhaps he comes to respect her, because she is - despite being an idiot - a capable warrior. I think they would form a tepid camaraderie, although Lann does start to feel...protective of her, as time goes on. For totally normal platonic reasons of course. I don't think he would have a moment of specifically asking like he does with the commander (he needs permission for that), it would emerge naturally. Maercy appreciates it, because she is self-aware enough to know that she can get lost in the heat of battle, and tends to become reckless. (also she likes feeling protected...🥺)
I don't want to take the commander's role in his personal quests away, so Maercy wouldn't be an active participant in them, but maybe she would hear about them after the fact and talk to him about it. Says something vague about how she's glad he decided to talk to his mom, or looking at him sadly and saying he should have if he didn't. Something that starts to tip him off to the fact that she's not quite as happy-go-lucky as he first thought. (again, similar moment in their "canon")
The reading scene would look different, because Lann is in way more denial about his feelings, so I think he'd be. Confused? and feel very confused about the whole thing. He wouldn't tell her how it made him feel, because he doesn't understand why it made him so...giddy? Excited? Happy??
The sparring scene would also be different, since, unlike the commander, he probably wouldn't feel the need to. Fight. All Of The Recruits. because he's not trying to impress a mythical being. It would be a more down-to-earth thing, perhaps not even romantically motivated. Maybe this is when he realizes how bad he's got it. That'd be funny.
A turning point in their relationship would be Maercy opening up about her past. She's extremely cagey about it the whole time and very emotionally repressed; her whimsical optimism is a coping mechanism. She does not like revisiting those memories at all, and would be content to forget it entirely and put it behind her, but. Well. A dam can only hold so much water.
I like the idea of Nidal suddenly showing an interest in the crusade because of her, she killed a Dream Hunter and escaped, after all. Nothing really comes of this while she's the commander (although 👀 something post-game, maybe?) because that would be really stupid. But if she wasn't...
A choice: the commander can relinquish her to Nidalese authorities to face punishment for her crimes (theft, murder, worship of a banned god) and receive military support from Nidal (objectively lame and bad choice. all you're getting is mid-performance army units), or they can keep her and...probably nothing will happen, at least while she's under the protection of the commander (oohh. i can see some resentment forming there. nothing substantial but it's there. maybe the commander has dialogue choices to reassure her or make her feel trapped) (the difference between her feelings about lann's protection and the commander's stems from the power imbalance). Nidal otherwise isn't interested in affairs outside it's borders, and while I'm sure the Atteran Family would love to have their fugitive back, I doubt they'd want to push the issue and potentially incur the wrath of a divine commander and their allies.
The point is that this is what would get her to finally start talking about it. She has been put in an extremely dangerous political position and her past has come back, not even to haunt her, but to hurt her. So her resolve starts to crumble a bit :) Yay!
And Lann....oogghhh he'd have such conflicting feelings about this I think. Not that I think he'd like Nidal, or Kuthites, or Zon-Kuthon, because I think he would find then more objectionable than the Godclaw and the Hellknights, but I do think he'd be a bit Weird about the whole thing.
On one hand, refusing to comply with the Atteran Family/Umbral Court could, in his mind, pose a threat, either to the crusade or the commander, and. Well. even if he is romantically interested in Maercy at this point, I think his devotion to an angel commander would win if he had to choose between them.
On the other...I do think he'd see that the way they are leveraging the idea of The Law against her is unfair. The "crimes" she committed happened when she was a child, it was in self defense, and even if he doesn't particularly like Desna...Zon-Kuthon is an objectively evil god who expects his followers to maim themselves and others.
He...also doesn't want to see her come to harm. And seeing how upset the whole ordeal made her does make his heart hurt a little. And. the implication of what would happen to her. I think he would, eventually, come to the realization that he cares about her more than he thought he did. And he would reassure her that if the Atteran Family did come for her, he wouldn't let them take her. He wouldn't. This is when Maercy starts to have feelings for him.
I like the idea of them having camp banter where it's extremely obvious they're into each other but aren't ready to admit it yet <3 and the others making fun of them <3 ehe
Act 4...regardless of if Maercy is present for the Savamelekh fight (i can see her having reactivity if you did bring her though <3 expressing concern for him as his body is breaking down <3 him pushing her away <3), I think she would insist on helping to find Lann after the fact. I don't know what his dialogue looks like if he isn't romanced, and I don't want to take anything from the commander, but she would definitely be less passive than the commander is allowed to be ingame. She's very very VERY insistent that she the commander cares about him when he expresses disbelief about it, like she's kind of angry at him for insinuating anything different. She also hugs him <3 and hugs him again after they get back <3 still no love confessions. or kisses. i do think this maybe...tempers his devotion to the commander, and turns some of it onto her. it's not as intense as in his canon romance, but it is there.
act 5 goes as normal, just without his confession about not seeing the commander as a mythical being. maybe it's something more like "i was so blinded by my duty to the commander i couldn't see what really mattered..." something cheesy and cringe and cute. SICKENING! they get married <3 and tell no one <3 its revealed in a cutscene where seelah notices and gets really upset at them <3
also something to resolve maercy's whole deal with nidal. the commander finds a way to exonerate her or something or maybe they fake her death so she's actually free to do as she pleases once the crusade is over, or she has to be on the run for the rest of her life, or they can betray her 💔 idk. i'm out of writing juice. Tired. i take a nap now
