Manuela complains about how she behaved for the last five years, let it be for the White Heron Cup and the festival or even Garreg Mach's foundation day, but the festivities were "dull".
So the Monastery better prepare for the next Saint Seiros day, because she will make it way more festive than it has ever been!
Obviously, Seteth lectures Manuela about proper conduct, Saint Seiros' day is supposed to be a day of quiet and peaceful devotion, and remembrance of the peace the goddess and the saints fought for.
Manuela argues he's not the highest authority in the Monastery, so she can, and will, ask the Archbishop herself.
Seteth frowns, he knows exactly what is going to happen : Rhea will obviously allow Manuela to do as she pleases because she finds ridiculous costumes and glitters and feathers "fun" or "stylish", and the Monastery's reputation will plummet down.
And yet, it's also her birthday so... maybe he could be a bit more lenient. And maybe tolerate feathers, only for one day. Or half a day.
As expected, Rhea enthusiastically agrees with Manuela - even when she asks to dip a little in the Church's "celebration" funds to order sequin - but inside is completely lost : what are sequins ?
Rhea asks Flayn, maybe her niece will be able to to determine what is this new thing humanity came up with, since she hangs out with "young" humans.
Cethleann ends up frustrated , reporting many students were surprised with her question, as if "sequins" were something very common.
Monks told her they have no place in a place of holy worship.
Asking Catherine and Shamir proved unproductive, since they squinted and told her whatever Manuela is coming up with, she must know they played no part in her madness.
Rhea then asks Billy, if they have any idea about what are sequins.
Billy shrugs, they don't know. But they can ask Jeralt!
Jeralt looks at Billy, and sighs, saying it's something not pratical and usually used for shows. And before they ask, no, his mercenary company will not hire anyone wearing sequins.
Billy frowns - as much as they can - they saw once a rival mercenary company wearing flashy clothes and poofy pants, and thought they looked really cool, and no one called them names like "ashen demons". Maybe they too, were wearing sequins? If they did then... it makes people look cool.
Jeralt immediately makes the link when they see Billy going to Rhea's audience chamber and hears their kid saying "sequins make people look awesome".
Remembering how Rhea - rather her pretending to be someone else 260 years ago - was the one who insisted to add a feather to the headgears of infantry knights who specialised in axes and swords, he barges in and interrupts their conversation : no, sequins are ridiculous, and if she adds some to the uniforms of the knights of Seiros, he will immediately leave the Monastery.
Also, no poofy sleeves or pants, and no flashy colors.
"But are they festive?"
Jeralt replies by dragging a frowning Billy away from the audience room.
Saint Seiros day happens as usual, and while Rhea nods and acts as she usually does during previous Saint Seiros days, she wonders if Manuela's celebrations were somehow cancelled at the last minute.
However, comes the night - when students are supposed to be asleep and all - and Billy knocks at her door, telling her something very important is happening and she has to join.
Rhea is surprised to see Billy wear an unusual costume, with mismatched colors, poofy sleeves and pants and frills everywhere.
To her, it seems as if Billy is truly happy to wear this costume, so she smiles proudly when they tell her they used their first allowance to buy it. Even if it meant not listening to Jeralt.
Rhea nods, and tells them they look really festive.
Billy smiles.
Then they lead Rhea to the reception hall, where some knights, some monks and members of the officer's academy are reunited, wearing odd costumes, but some have large hats with colorful feathers.
Also, now in the light, she spots some of them faintly glittering or something, but maybe it's just her mind playing tricks?
Everyone, bar Seteth, Catherine and Shamir, is chatting happily and Rhea is afraid her sudden apparition will put a damper on the mood, but Manuela excitedly gives her a ridiculous hat with large coloured feathers on it. Possibly a Giant Bird's.
Cyril looks ready to protest, but Catherine does, telling Manuela she can't expect the Archbishop to play along with her idiot idea.
Seteth, wearing the same kind of ridiculous outfit as Billy, knows better, and Rhea puts the feathered hat on.
Then the party starts, a band not affiliated at all to the Mittelfrank Opera starts to play and Rhea is a bit surprised at how everyone doesn't seem to mind her presence, too busy pestering and ranting about Manuela's ridiculous "opera clothes" - save for Billy who really likes their costume, and says to everyone how they asked Manuela's friends if they could buy it instead of just borrowing it for the evening.
Then Manuela makes a speech about Saint Seiros' day being a day of devotion and gratitude to the peaceful times they're living in but also to celebrate and remember there's light ahead.
Manuela ends by giving several very ostentious winks in Flayn's general direction, who finally catches them when Catherine points them out, and she uses an "old spell to strengthen the moon's radiance in the room" - which suspiciously sounds, to Rhea, like she's using Nabatean magic to do so! - and yet, before she can gently remind her niece they are supposed to be hiding and pretend they are totally regular humans, she's suddenly blinded by glittering lights everywhere.
When she finally can see again - ignoring Shamir's threats to make Manuela eat her damn feathers if she ends up blinded by all of her party tricks - everyone is sparkling thanks to the small flat beads like things sewed in the costumes!
Manuela then asks Rhea if she believes, as the Archbishop of the Church of Seiros if the saints would approve of such a luminous and festive display for Saint Seiros' day : Seteth replies they would never have approved of such a ridiculous thing, Rhea ignores him and nods to Manuela saying Saint Seiros would have loved it, she's sure of it.
Flayn adds they would definitely have been enthusiastic about it, glaring at her "brother" for some reason.
Then the party resumes, with more music, people surrendering to the ridiculous setting and enjoying themselves. Billy wonders why the students couldn't be invited though, maybe they would have liked it? But maybe they didn't have enough costumes.
Anyways, since it's Rhea's birthday, they pull of a Zanado fruit from one of their poofy pants' pocket, and offers it to her while everyone looks, a bit dumbfounded - why is the new professor giving inedible trash to the Archbishop?
Rhea's overjoyed and thanks them a lot, telling Billy they were right about sequins, they really make people look pretty bright and awesome.
Cyril gives Rhea fresh flowers he grew specially for the occasion, saying it's not much but next time he promises he'll give her something ever more special and more awesome - but Rhea cuts him with a hug, thanking him dearly, and pretends not to hear Shamir call her out for "spoiling the kid".
Manuela is a bit surprised though, she never knew today was the Archbishop's birthday, what a coincidence it happens on Saint Seiros' day!
Everyone goes silent when Alois asks her how old is she anyways - trying to make light conversation while the cooks panick because a birthday means a cake, and they haven't prepared one ! - Jeralt chuckles while Seteth panicks and tries to come up with some roundabout explanation.
Rhea smiles, and replies she's 17.
Everyone laughs a bit, relieved the Archbishop has a sense of humour, and the party goes on, even if Flayn pesters Manuela about making an even grander party like this for Cethleann's Day, because Cethleann would surely appreciate to have everyone shine and enjoy themselves, also, she would like if fish was served, and if they could still dance and listen to the music all night long.
Seteth takes her away, though, or at least intended to when he hears Rhea talk to a monk how sequins could be integrated in ceremonial outfits for everyone, because it makes "life shine brighter" and how the Goddess would surely appreciate the effort.
Billy still think the students lost an occasion to look "awesome" since they couldn't be invited, and ask Rhea to teach them how to sew to add sequins to the student's uniforms, if they start now, they should be ready for next year.
Rhea nods a bit too eagerly - but Supreme Leader declares war on the church before Billy can even finish the first costume.
if feh has to release a seasonal alt for seteth, what would you like?
Halloween alt anon!
Let the man hang out - or tear his hair out - with his relatives!
His story should includ have Kitty!Flayn and Festive!Rhea, somehow!
And Seteth could even talk to Dheginsea or to other dragons, since the Y!Gotoh FB showed IS was willing to allow him to interact with them as a lizard, something the Fodlan games never even considered.
But IDK what kind of costume he could have, something classy or goofy?
Vampire themed costumes would have to be banned, given how "blood sucking" is basically what happened in Zanado and, uh, the backstory behind crusts (for the Elite's descendants, idk what kind of "blood sucking" Ferdie's ancestor did).
Ditto with all kinds of zombie/reanimated corpse theme, I mean, that's kind of what billy is Relics are and I would find if to be tone deaf, considering the nabateans' backstory!
He could maybe end up with an animal theme - like Flayn - or try to be a sorcerer/with, or even better : he's dressed as usual, but with some headband accessory because he didn't understood the theme, or we have Winter!Seteth popping up for the Harvest Festival because someone (Manu, Rhea or Flayn?) mixed his costumes.
"What's this ? Am I hearing something wrong ? You are an enemy phase armor unit, there's no benefit for you to be engaged to this gentleman, and before you start telling me nonsense about his white spear, I will remind you he is already married."
"Why can she be with Mother when she will not talk to me ? :'("
"Cheer up, sad Auntie Rhea ! I am sure something ridiculous will happen."
"Mother outranks you and she said I can !"
"Grandmother, did you know this would happen ?"
"Of course I did, Benevolent One !"
"I do not care ! You are not going to fuse with that man ! I will ask the summoner to engage him to anyone else but you !"
Everyone's watching them, save for Seiros the Warrior who is a contrarian.
The swimsuit lady wonders if Billy would accept adding this fine gentleman to their unit and since Billy is busy flying, it would fall to her to engage or fuse with the fine gentleman, but she's willing to sacrifice herself.
Back when they were still kids living in Zanado, kid!Rhea gifted Cichol a stick figure drawing for his 1200th birthday, of them holding hands with a book for a bedtime story with some blurr that was supposed to represent Macuil in the background.
Cichol kept that drawing when he left Zanado to "explore" Enbarr, and forgot to remove it from his travel bag.
(let's say it was preserved with magic so the ink and the paper wouldn't fade over time)
After Nemesis' party, the drawing was what he thought to be the only memento he had left of his kid sister.
Returning to Garreg Mach, he put the drawing in his drawer, and once a mortified Rhea asked him what the crap he was doing with that "old stuff".
"It is just an old present."
Rhea believes he's teasing her and she doesn't like it at all, she learnt how to draw since that time! Maybe she can give him a new drawing for his next birthday?
(but then she feels like dirt : she cannot draw them together anymore, between his 1200th birthday and now, she ruined his life, made him a widow, made him lost his powers and is the reason why his daughter is convalescent! Maybe, deep inside, Cichol really hates her?)
Maybe a portrait of him and Cethleann would be better, but now that she thinks about it, she saw him talk to Manuela, maybe she can add her? But if she adds Manuela, she must add Hanneman, and Billy too, has a professor, but also, as a member of their family! And yet, she knows Catherine will be upset if she is left out of the portrait, adding Catherine also means adding Shamir, and she can visualise Flayn holding Cyril's hand while Alois would be in the background and...
Billy thus pops up after having waited 180 seconds behind the door of her office, to make their rapport, without hearing anything and spots her writing something? Or not?
Having never drawn anything before, because Jerry's picked lifestyle isn't suitable for children to draw, Billy is fascinated by the simple act of "drawing", and wants Rhea to teach them how to, before realising they didn't have anything planned for Seteth's birthday, isn't it Saint Cichol's day? Maybe he'd like a fishing rod? Or some flowers?
Rushing to meet Flayn, they ask her what he would like, only for Flayn to say that anything Billy will have picked would please him, especially if it's a handmade present. This is why she Mercedes graciously accepted to help her bake biscuits for his birthday (but she frowned when Flayn suggested to use fish stock to flavour them).
A bit lost, Billy wants to give a personalised letter to him with the flowers and fishing rod, and inspired by Rhea, they try to draw, but the result isn't satisfying. Maybe their students would know how to draw?
Supreme Leader brags about the famous "Hresvelg artistic skills" passed down since the dawn of the Empire, but Hubert makes her reconsider using her time displaying her talents to a mere mercenary turned professor.
Dimitri wishes to help, but since his days as a kid, he gave up on drawing anything on paper since he was afraid he would break any quill, but he remembers he played a lot with Felix back then, drawing their favourite knights in the snow (Felix calls him a moron and denies having wasted his time like that).
Claude pretends he doesn't know how to draw - fully aware that maybe his technique would betray his Almyran heritage - but tells Billy that Ignatz might help them... only for Billy to mention how Ignatz's current drawing reminds them of Rhea, and Ignatz being a bit embarassed because he was painting a portrait of Saint Seiros.
When Seteth receives his presents, he got a bottle of alcohol, several new quills, a pair of dices (if the bottle came from Manuela, who gifted him a pair of dices?), some sort of handrest to help him after hours of paperwork, a new lamp, edible biscuits shaped like lions (is Flayn subtly telling him she wants to spend more time with the Faerghan students?), an enormous flower bouquet with a happy birthday letter with what is supposed to be a cat (?), a new fishing rod and a portrait of his colleagues and family, save for Rhea herself.
Thanking everyone - even if he still told Manuela that no, they aren't going to finish her bottle in one night but he'll accept sharing a drink with coworkers - he makes sure to pat Rhea's head, when they're alone, to thank her personally. As expected, it annoys her and she calls him senile.
But isn't she the one who forgot to draw herself? She came a long way from her "stick figures" era, but she forgot the most important : them holding hands.
Rhea promises she'll think about it the next year, but then Flamey rings.
In her younger days, Rhea blew up Seteth's microwave by wanting to reheat a ravioli can.
(using a saucepan takes too much time, and pouring the contents of the can in a container and then put the container in the microwave? It means cleaning said container afterwards !)
Way later, when she welcomes Billy at her place/office/school/whatever, she takes time to explain them that, no, they can't put a ravioli can in the microwave, otherwise, there's going to be an accident.
Billy stares at her - has she said something odd? - but then asks her if raviolis taste better when they're hot, because while Jerry left them ravioli cans whenever he was away "for work", he never told them to "heat" the raviolis, so they have been eating their canned raviolis cold since they were 5.
Being both upset at Jerry and feeling bad for Billy, Rhea decides to organise a special reunion with all of her staff/employees/whatever, and make a PSA about eating heated canned food.
Of course the staff believe it's a joke - until she and Billy demonstrate in front of everyone how to prepare canned raviolis : you open the can, empty its contents in a container and then put the container in the microwave.
Thankfully for everyone involved, the demonstration happened on St Cichol's day, so Seteth managed to twist this nonsense in some "birthday joke played at his expense" and everything returned to normal.
Back when she was a wee litle thing, she used to nap, like her siblings, in both human or lizard form, on Zanado's warm benches when there was some sun or anywhere, even if she prefered, as always, to sit next Sothis who would always find a way to hum her lullaby and have her sleep on her lap.
When it was cloudy and Sothis wasn't available, Cichol had to put her to "sleep" for naps, and while she always refused to, listening to his stories always did the trick (helped by Cichol tucking her to bed first), to the point where putting Cethleann to sleep was very easy for him, because he had to deal with Rhea for years previously (something he often teases her about when she pretends she's alright and doesn't need to sleep when she's Archbishop Rhea).
As Seiros the Warrior, Rhea has trouble sleeping, because even if she is Seiros the Warrior, whenever she falls asleep, she becomes the Rhea who couldn't do a thing in Zanado again, and her nightmares/memories are so frightening that she refuses to sleep.
Whenever she feels like she has too - else she will collapse - at first, when she still cannot trust humans, she escapes to the most secluded place she can find (a mountain, the top of a tree, a forest, some secluded place where no human can find her, or a cave) to rest but her nightmares mean she cannot really rest/sleep.
When she trusts them a little more (but still not that much!) she allows herself to rest for a few hours, but always alone, in a closed space, and with her weapons at hand. When she "rests" like this, she is a very light sleeper and, coupled to her nightmares, it means she cannot get effective sleep.
Willy does his thing, and while she still has some nightmares she finally manages to get some sleep, even if Willy is annoying because while he may be as warm, or even warmer, as the warm rocks from her childhood, he snores and his heartbeat is loud.
Besides, they rarely sleep when they're together because he has to polish his sword or whatnot.
When Cichol'n'co join her quest, she finally feels "safe" enough to sleep in Enbarr's palace without Willy. It's thus a common occurence during the sunny days, to see Saint Seiros sitting on a bench, or against a column, or even in the gardens, "meditating" for the most devouts. Her nightmares are still there, but knowing some of the others survived "lessens" them.
Lycaon and his friends of course pretend to "meditate with Saint Seiros" whenever they want to escape their tutors, they bring their toys and play next to her, until they fall asleep. Rhea was always puzzled to see those children sleeping next to her when she woke up, but was so amused and touched, because it reminded her of her younger days with Sothis, that she never told them to, uh, stop "missing" their lessons.
(To Cichol's great disarray, why are they always running away from his important "philosophy and life lessons" classes? To which his wife would often reply that to a bunch of 5 years old his classes are way too boring.)
Post War of Heroes, once the monastery is built, Rhea isn't "afraid" anymore to sleep because of humans, but her nightmares came back in full force, "updated" with the WoH and her "new" losses, her brothers, Cichol's wife, Lycaon, Willy, etc etc.
Jeralt once spot her asleep at her desk, he tried to wake her up gently by pushing her shoulder, but she broke his jaw as a "reflex" startled.
Sitri worries about her sleep schedule, so she arranges some time in her planning when she would be free to nap, especially when there's sun outside! However, she later discovers that Rhea's sleeping issues are caused by "nightmares" and while she never prays, she introduces her "not mom" to chamomille, maybe it can help her relax, if not sleep?
Cichol returns and while he knows she has nightmares (even since her Seiros the Warrior days) she refuses to talk about them. Ultimately Seteth, with his years of experience, pulls out the same tricks he used in his youth, giving her his reports at night, while she's tucked in bed, and making sure she drank her chamomille.
It's an old method, but it works.
Hanneman once surprised him with a book about nightmares, and asked him if he needed help, which of course attracted Manuela who gave the advice to "drink so much that you pass out and don't remember what happened when you fell asleep".
Cyril refuses to "nap" next to Rhea, or put his head on her lap despite her insistence, because that's way too embarassing and damn, he's not a kid anymore! Catherine doesn't mind at all though, and takes his turn, which annoys him even more, but for some weird reason, Lady Rhea doesn't seem to mind.
AG!Wise, Shamir catches her, Seteth and Flayn (and even that new merc who joined?) sleep in the Camulus Cathedral, when there'd be a ray of sun peering through the windows.
"They are all in deep religious meditation", says a random monk. Shamir knows better though, they're having a nap.
