#shiningfalcon

[stealstaff]

"THEY GOT RID OF HIM!"

Emma is not using her indoor voice.

She's been looking for someone to confess her findings to, and the moment she sees Tina, all pretense of composure is out the window. Her distress is unadulterated—her ever-smiling mask does little to hide that she is not happy. How could she be? After all... "Mister Donkey! I walked by the courtyard and he was gone! Poof! Like he went up in thin air!" She throws her arms outwards with a little too much force, almost making it seem more like Mister Donkey exploded.

...did he?? Could she prove he didn't? He was completely gone. No, it couldn't be that, that'd be too much, right?

Emma doesn't want to think about it.

The what and the how do matter to her, but just as much is the why. After all their work, he'd been removed entirely without ceremony. The girl can't help but wonder whether or not if she had done a better job, he might still be here. Her hands knead her skirt. "Do you think it's because we did a bad job painting him?"

"THEY DID WHAT?"

Tina's volume rises to match Emma's. This is the absolute worst thing that's ever happened ever. They worked so hard on him! They even had to peel his eyes!

She wants to go and see for herself. Not because she doubts Emma. She could never doubt Emma. Emma's a real one. But for the same reason that people go to funerals or whatever. For like closure or something. But she also doesn't want to have to see a blank and lonely spot where Mr. Donkey used to live.

Tina sets her hands on Emma's shoulders and is more serious than she's ever been in her whole life. "Listen to me, Emma. This is absofuckinglutely not because we did a bad job. We made Mr. Donkey into a slay queen baddie. You made Mr. Donkey into a slay queen baddie. If anything, they're like afraid of how baddielicious he is. I will never forget him and I will never forgive whoever did this to him."

[katabatiic]

🎨

how does that bow stand up like that anyway...?

[nohrslittleflower]

🎨!

[craneswings]

"That was so not fair!"

The moment the battle was over the little spectator had made her way over to the medical tent, quickly as her feet would take her without bowling any unfortunate nurses over. She has two friends to look for, after all, and if she doesn't beat the rush, she might not make it to them at all. Or at least, that's what it feels like.

Emma herself had been eliminated in the first round this time last year, but that much was not really out of the realm of expectations, for her. On the contrary, her jaw had nearly hit the ground the moment Yuzu had forfeited. "You didn't even get to get a hit in! They all ganged up on you like a bunch of bullies." Puffed cheeks and crossed arms, she ought to be happy given her house allegiance, but surprisingly, she looks anything but. She knew it only made sense to team up against a strong opponent, but... it still doesn't feel any better to see it happen to a friend.

After a moment, her face softens. "Are you gonna be OK? Arrows are pretty nasty."

“Emma! So you were watching…”

Yuzu speaks highly in the presence of a friend, but disappointment does not fall far from her voice. She’s only come to the medical tent momentarily, primarily to get a general check on the rest of their side. Hopefully the injured inside did not catch a peek of the Golden Deer girl alongside the samurai. Surely the camps hold nonaggression pacts for being away from the battlefield, yes…?

It still hurts to move her hands (that still have her ice gauntlets on), so Yuzu instead playfully bumps shoulders with her young countryman. “Fie, Emma. They only ganged up on a fighter such as myself, as they could tell I was a foe not to be taken lightly. Now, if only I was able to strike a blow on that enticing masked man…”

The warrior girl is too focused on the battle now to be truly disappointed in herself. At first, she was afraid to confront everything with her friends, who had heavy expectations of one obsessed with battle such as her. But seeing Emma take pity…no, Yuzu must aim for higher highs than to settle at such pathetic lows.

“Ah, of course. You would be afraid of arrows from personal experience, wouldn’t you?” Yuzu flashes a smirk at her puffed-cheek friend. “But aye. I will be fine, as Leif’s arrow skill is mighty, yet fair. He made sure not to strike that hard.”

Though now that she thinks of him, Yuzu pauses in pacing. “Leif…I was fighting the Golden Deers just now, was I not? Emma, do you have any memory of the foes I faced? That masked master, in particular?”

[classybrawler]

"That was so cool!"

Based on how lively her gesticulations are, one can assume the girl must feel no small measure better. "You were tearing those guys apart like it was nothing! And the way you were like–" Emma puts on her best impression of Panette's intimidation tactics as she remembers them—"–here's what's going to happen to you miserable clowns when I get my hands on you–"—and then, returns to her normal voice, ribbon bobbing with each bounce on her heels and wave of her hands. "–and then stomped on him. That looked like it really hurt!"

For a trainee who finds it so easy to take inspiration from the others around her, well, it's clear why her eyes are sparkling. She's not sure if that's the sort of warrior she might be one day, but there is always something to learn from those who have figured things out for themselves.

"Where'd you learn how to do all that?"

Panette can’t help but let out an embarrassed laugh as Emma imitates her words and recalls her actions in such awe. Usually she would try to protest more, apologize for how unruly she got; a part of her still feels like she really ought to.

But this fight, mayhaps more so than any other fight she had in her life bar few, could have gone so, so disastrously without that unkempt part of her.

So, ignoring the pit in her stomach and the complicated feelings it all brings, she decides to own it, embrace it, just for a little while.

“Ah, various different places. I come from a desert queendom and help protect it from bandits and other such rabble, so the fighting conditions were familiar. As for the fighting style, well-” She pauses. She just has to say it.

“Before I was employed on a bigger scale, I would stop quite the share of street fights. I also learned the language around that time; an intimidated opponent is likely to make mistakes. Not to mention it can be quite cathartic.”

Ok, so she technically didn’t lie. All that she has done is used the fancy method of speaking to… sugarcoat the truth a bit. So what if she was also the person who started most of those fights?

Ugh.

At least she did manage to admit a bit of an ugly truth; as much as she tries to deny it, trash talking an evildoer can feel exhilarating.

Shaking off these thoughts for now, she gives Emma a smile. “Ah, but speaking of things we deem cool, I am most impressed with how quickly and effectively you were able to leap right back into action. The trick with the lance, wielding a fancy bow in such hard to aim weather; not anyone could do that. Wherever you learned ‘all of that’-” She enunciates her words; the refined person’s way of doing air quotes. “-it must have been quite an effective place to learn.”

[lunaestice]

"You protected me, didn't you?"

A little bit of guilt leaks into the girl's quiet assumption. Emma hadn't been fully conscious for it, but it'd been easy enough to figure out. She'd woken up to him collapsed beside her, and Mae hovering over her with a staff. The intent had been obvious. She's not sure how it happened, but she'd really found herself in one heck of a mess, huh?

But it won't do any good to mope about it. He's not here for a guilt trip, and especially not right after waking up.

"Thanks. And sorry you had to do that, too. Those weirdos in their cloaks are so rude, attacking us in the middle of a sandstorm!" She huffs, sounding instead a little indignant as she throws her hands up in the air. Her steed, seeing the ruckus, seeks to calm her by leaning over to nuzzle her face, and be it directly inspired by the effort or not, Emma's voice softens. She cocks her head. "Do you feel OK? My kinshi and I are back in action, so if you need a ride from here on out, I've got a spare seat. We'll be there in a jiffy!"

“Don’t worry about it, I’m just glad I could help.” He says, a sweet yet slightly exhausted smile crossing his lips at Emma’s energetic words. It was a relief seeing her that way, instead of slumped over motionless. When they were ambushed and she was struck by magic briefly his blood ran cold, wondering if he had already failed his allies. “If anything, I should be the one apologizing for being taken out so soon. I wish I could’ve done more for everyone.”

Wanting to help his incapacitated ally, only to get struck by a strange poison that completely discombobulated him… He couldn’t help but sigh, gaze lowering slightly.

Not wanting Emma to catch on to his moment of self doubt however, he quickly turned to face her again. “I’m happy that you and the others ended up being okay, though. It seemed really touch and go there for a moment, but I believed you could pull through!”

He couldn’t take the credit for it, but it was a relief nonetheless to know those thieves wouldn’t hurt anyone else ever again that might be traveling in this region.

Lightly clapping both of his cheeks with his palms Ashe tried to stand up, only to wince as his body loudly protested. In particular his lower back, where the mage had hit him. “Um.. If it’s not too much trouble, I’d appreciate the help from you two, ahaha….” He said to her, trying to not focus on the pain too much. “I’m sorry, I promise it’ll only be for a little while…”

[encantresse]

"Dorothea!"

Emma adores any reason to celebrate, and birthdays are near the top of her list.

"It's your birthday, isn't it?" Even as scattered as she may be in other respects, she makes the effort to remember special days like these ones. She might not remember how she learned it was Dorothea's birthday today—by comparison, how important is that?—but she hadn't allowed the date to slip her mind for a minute once she did. "I got you a present! I've been thinking about how to celebrate allll month!"

With clear enthusiasm, she produces a box from behind her back. "So—I made you these!" She leans in closer, lowering her voice to the closest it ever gets to a whisper. "They're teaching people how to make mochi this month, but I know a secret: it's pretty tasty on its own, but if you fill it with sweet red bean paste and a strawberry, it's even better!"

(The box, if it were opened, proves to contain exactly what she implies. Inside are four plump yet unassuming little squishy confections, clearly handmade and hand-filled. Each is a little differently sized and shaped—not for lack of effort, no, only for lack of experience.

Personally, she thinks they turned out pretty good, for some of her firsts.)

"I hope you like 'em as much as I do."

(belated) happy birthday 2k25!

it’s admirable, dorothea thinks, that emma’s been able to bounce back so quickly after what they’d endured together.

“all month?” the note of surprise is outweighed by affection as she leans over, eyes sparking in wonderment at the thought that emma would place so much stock in a fleeting day that belonged to her, of all people, when there were those she was already closer to.

dorothea smiles as the younger girl shares her secrets, marveling at her sprightliness and lust for life — of all there is to learn from emma, it is surely how to move on from past sorrows. “i can’t imagine what i possibly could’ve done to earn myself a friend like you,” the songstress teases, the corners of her eyes creasing fondly. “so thoughtful and so talented! let me guess — you followed me around the dining hall, didn’t you? how else would you have known that i’m fond of beans and strawberries?”

she accepts the box from the other gratefully, chocolate tresses falling off her shoulders as she straightens. “i already love them,” comes the declaration. “thank you so much, emma! but you’ll have one with me. i won't hear otherwise! it’s only right that i steal you away for the afternoon. my little mochi-maker deserves a break from all that hard work~!”

[machiot]

@shiningfalcon asked:

"How did you become a supervisor?"

Emma isn't not used to lagging behind her peers, but being one of the few left to be on the lowest rung of the workforce has admittedly left her questioning. She'd warned Randal that if they did the bare minimum, they wouldn't make it anywhere, and she might be inclined to believe that was the reason if not for the fact that he did get promoted. "Did you have to do something special?"

Marni's been a supervisor from the start—she must know something Emma doesn't. And being around her age, Emma is more inclined to believe she might actually tell her.

"If it's a secret, you don't have to worry! I'm good at keeping those, my lips are sealed."

What did Marni do to become a supervisor? Simple: step through a mirror and wake up to her new job. It's the kind of sudden promotion to power that most people can only dream of. It feels a little like being directly chosen, doesn't it?

But unlike before, she isn't exactly sure what she did to prove herself good enough to be chosen. The sense of accomplishment rings a bit hollower than usual when she doesn't know what exactly she did to get here.

"I was already a supervisor when I got here, so it must be because they saw how great I am! I used to be kind of like a supervisor but for an army, so they probably figured I had valuable experience and promoted me right away."

A different person might find it strange that a sixteen year old is bragging about being a (former) general in an army to a fifteen year old. Marni is not that person, though, so she sees no problem with this.

"If you want to get promoted, you have to do everything you can to stand out and work more than anyone else! No one's gonna bother keeping you around if you're useless." A pause. "You're not going to be better than me, though, got it? If you get in the way of my promotion to an even higher rank, I'm gonna kill you."